1In the third place, After doctrinal Instruction there is great need of prayer to God, because of the utter insufficiency and inability that is in every man to what is good: Such is the contrariety and enmity in every mans heart against Truth preached, that we had need pray and pray again that God would open our eyes, and soften our hearts; The Scripture in several places doth describe mans Impotency, and his utter averseness to what is holy; He is a Tiger, a Lion, a wild Bear, he is a mere briar and bramble; There cannot be any good wrought in him, till God make dead men to rise out of their sins; We do not hear Sermons as the Heathens did their moral Orations, for they had some inbred strength to do those things that were civilly good, but when we have to do with supernatural things, there all must be planted in us: There is nothing in us to love or embrace it, yea, whatsoever we are, think, or will, it all riseth up in rebellion against God; and certainly if the godly themselves, though endowed already with an heavenly life do yet earnestly pray that God would open their eyes, Psa. 119. That he would quicken them, and make them to grow up in an higher stature, how much more do men destitute of Gods Spirit need this help, yea, we may take notice, Eph. 6.18. that when the child of God is fully completed with the whole Armour of God, he hath his helmet, his shield, his breastplate upon him, yet he must not trust to this, but after all this he is to pray always with all prayer and supplication; So that you see in all holy exercises, we are to be as the little child who leaneth only upon his Father, we are like the Fowl, when we have drunk down a little, presently to lift up our heads to heaven, that it may work on us.
1In the third place, After doctrinal Instruction there is great need of praier to God, because of the utter insufficiency and inability that is in every man to what is good: Such is the contrariety and enmity in every mans heart against Truth preached, that we had need pray and pray again that God would open our eyes, and soften our hearts; The Scripture in severall places doth describe mans Impotency, and his utter aversenesse to what is holy; He is a Tyger, a Lion, a wilde Bear, he is a meer briar and bramble; There cannot be any good wrought in him, till God make dead men to rise out of their sinnes; We doe not hear Sermons as the Heathens did their morall Orations, for they had some imbred strength to doe those things that were civilly good, but when we have to doe with supernatural things, there all must be planted in us: There is nothing in us to love or embrace it, yea, whatsoever we are, think, or will, it all riseth up in rebellion against God; and certainly if the godly themselves, though endowed already with an heavenly life do yet earnestly pray that God would open their eyes, Psa. 119. That he would quicken them, and make them to grow up in an higher stature, how much more do men destitute of Gods Spirit need this help, yea, we may take notice, Eph. 6.18. that when the childe of God is fully compleated with the whole Armour of God, he hath his helmet, his shield, his brestplate upon him, yet he must not trust to this, but after all this he is to pray alwaies with all praier and supplication; So that you see in all holy exercises, we are to be as the little childe who leaneth only upon his Father, we are like the Fowl, when we have drunk down a little, presently to lift up our heads to heaven, that it may work on us.
- 1III. Because of mans inability to what is good.
