The first wing is Prayer, which first brings thee to Gods throne, and (there, if thou hast thy request) then to the new birth; if I must acquaint thee how to pray; Hos. 14.2. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto him, take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously,—and then it follows, I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, ver. 4. Jerem. 30.18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, turn ⟨p. 41⟩thou me, and I shall be turned. The soul may object, I may say thus, and be no better: But I answer, say it, though you be no better, because God bids you say it: Say it, and say it again; it may be he will come in when you say it, Hosea 14.4. Pray that God would please to prepare thy heart, to sanctify thy affections, to order thy will, to preserve thee from sin, to prepare thee for growth unto full holiness and righteousness: this was the effect of Jeremiahs prayer, Convert me, O Lord, 1and I shall be converted; heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, 2O Lord, and I shall be saved: Turn thou us, O good Lord, and so shall we be turned, Jer. 17.14. and Lament. 5.21. 3It is the Lord that converts, and heals, and saves, and turns; and Prayer is the means to produce this effect in thee: when we are required to pray, to repent, and believe, we are not to seek strength in our selves, but to search into the Covenant, and turn the promise into prayer. As the Command is, Repent, Act. 17.30. Now the Covenant is, Christ shall give repentance, Act. 5.31. and therefore pray, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, Jer. 31.18. then bow thy knees, and humbly, heartily, frequently, fervently implore the influence of Gods blessed spirit: Cry with the Spouse in the Canticles, Awake, O North-wind, 4and come thou Southwind, and blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow forth, Cantic. 4.16. The more rushing and mighty this wind of the Spirit is, the more will he make thee fructify in his graces and blessings; therefore cry again and again, O Lord, 5let thy Spirit come upon me: create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. O Lord Jesus, send thy Spirit into me, which may restore me from this death of sin, unto the life of holiness. Thus wouldest thou ask, and continue asking;
The first wing is Prayer, which first brings thee to Gods throne, and (there, if thou hast thy request) then to the new birth; if I must acquaint thee how to pray; Hos. 14.2. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto him, take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously,—and then it follows, I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, ver. 4. Jerem. 30.18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoak, turn ⟨p. 41⟩thou me, and I shall be turned. The soul may object, I may say thus, and be no better: But I answer, say it, though you be no better, because God bids you say it: Say it, and say it again; it may be he will come in when you say it, Hosea 14.4. Pray that God would please to prepare thy heart, to sanctifie thy affections, to order thy will, to preserve thee from sin, to prepare thee for growth unto full holiness and righteousness: this was the effect of Jeremiahs prayer, Convert me, O Lord, 1and I shall be converted; heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, 2O Lord, and I shall be saved: Turn thou us, O good Lord, and so shall we be turned, Jer. 17.14. and Lament. 5.21. 3It is the Lord that converts, and heals, and saves, and turns; and Prayer is the means to produce this effect in thee: when we are required to pray, to repent, and believe, we are not to seek strength in our selves, but to search into the Covenant, and turn the promise into prayer. As the Command is, Repent, Act. 17.30. Now the Covenant is, Christ shall give repentance, Act. 5.31. and therefore pray, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, Jer. 31.18. then bow thy knees, and humbly, heartily, frequently, fervently implore the influence of Gods blessed spirit: Cry with the Spouse in the Canticles, Awake, O North-wind,
- 1Jer. 31.18.Ier. 31.18.
- 2Jer. 17.14.Ier. 17.14.
- 3Lam. 5.21.
- 4Cant. 4.16.
- 5Psal. 51.10.
