Thirdly, To pray in a right manner, is to pray intensely, fervently, earnestly. So Jam. 5. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much; 1or as the Greek hath it, The working Prayer; that is, such Prayer as sets the whole man a work; the word signifies, such a working as notes the liveliest activity that can be. As Physic kills the body, if it work not; so doth ⟨p. 494⟩Prayer the soul, if it be not a working-prayer. As a painted fire is no fire, a dead man no man; so a cold prayer is no prayer: In a painted fire there is no heat, in a dead man there is no life; so in a cold prayer there is no omnipotency, no devotion, no blessing. It is not cold, but working prayer, that can lock up Heaven three years, and open Heavens gate at pleasure, and bring down the sweetest blessings upon our heads, and the choicest favours into our hearts. Cold Prayers are as Arrows without heads, as Swords without edges, as Birds without wings, they pierce not, they cut not, they fly not up to Heaven: Cold Prayers do always freeze before they reach to Heaven. So Jacob was earnest in his wrestling with God. Let 2me alone, says God: I will not let thee go, except thou bless me, says Jacob. Jacob, though lamed, and hard laid at, will not let the Lord go without a blessing: Jacob holds with his hands, when his joints were out of joint; and so as a Prince prevails with God. Jacob prays and weeps, and weeps3 and prays, and so prevails with God. ⟨p. 495⟩Hos. 12. 4. Yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed; he wept and made supplication unto him, &c. It is not the labour of the lips, but the travel of the heart; it is not the pouring forth a flood of words, but the pouring out of the soul, that makes a man a Prince, a prevailer with God. A man that would gain victory over God in Prayer, must strain every string of his heart; he4 must in beseeching God, besiege him, and so get the better of him; he must strive in Prayer, even to an agony; he must be like importunate beggars, that will not be put off with frowns, or silence, or sad answers. Those that would be masters of their requests, must with the importunate Widow, press God so far, as to put him to the blush; they must with a holy impudence (as Basil speaks) make God ashamed to look them in the face, if he should deny the importunity of their souls.
Thirdly, To pray in a right manner, is to pray intensly, servently, earnestly. So Jam. 5. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much; 1or as the Greek hath it, The working Prayer; that is, such Prayer as sets the whole man a work; the word signifies, such a working as notes the liveliest activity that can be. As Physick kills the body, if it work not; so doth ⟨p. 494⟩Prayer the soul, if it be not a working-prayer. As a painted fire is no fire, a dead man no man; so a cold prayer is no prayer: In a painted fire there is no heat, in a dead man there is no life; so in a cold prayer there is no omnipotency, no devotion, no blessing. It is not cold, but workingprayer, that can lock up Heaven three years, and open Heavens gate at pleasure, and bring down the sweetest blessings upon our heads, and the choicest favors into our hearts. Cold Prayers are as Arrows without heads, as Swords without edges, as Birds without wings, they peirce not, they cut not, they flie not up to Heaven: Cold Prayers do always freeze before they reach to Heaven. So Jacob was earnest in his wrestling with God. Let 2me alone, sayes God: I will not let thee go, except thou bless me, sayes Jacob. Jacob, though lamed, and hard laid at, will not let the Lord go without a blessing: Jacob holds with his hands, when his joynts were out of joynt; and so as a Prince prevails with God. Jacob prayes and weeps, and weeps3 and prayes, and so prevails with God. ⟨p. 495⟩Hos. 12. 4. Yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed; he wept and made supplication unto him, &c. It is not the labor of the lips, but the travel of the heart; it is not the pouring forth a flood of words, but the pouring out of the soul, that makes a man a Prince, a prevailer with God. A man that would gain victory over God in Prayer, must strain every string of his heart; he4 must in beseeching God, besiedge him, and so get the better of him; he must strive in Prayer, even to an agony; he must be like importunate beggars, that will not be put off with frowns, or silence, or sad answers. Those that would be masters of their requests, must with the importunate Widow, press God so far, as to put him to the blush; they must with a holy impudence (as Basil speaks) make God ashamed to look them in the face, if he should deny the importunity of their souls.
- 1[Greek or Hebrew], Faith is an omniporent grace, it works wonders in Heaven, in the Heart, and in Earth, Such working-prayer as sets all the faculties of the soul, and all the graces in the soul at work, always speeds; it fails not of winning the day, of carrying the Crown.〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Faith is an omniporent grace, it works wonders in Heaven, in the Heart, and in Earth, Such working-prayer as sets all the faculties of the soul, and all the graces in the soul at work, alwayes speeds; it fails not of winning the day, of carrying the Crown.
- 2Gen. 32. 24, 25, 26, 27.
- 3The Jews have a saying, That since the destruction of Jerusalem, the door of prayers hath been shut: But the door of tears was never shut, saith One.
- 4Rom 15. 30. [Greek or Hebrew], the word signifies, to strive to the shedding of blood. Luke 18. 5. [Greek or Hebrew]. Buffet me, or beat me down with her blows, as wrestlers beat down their adversaries with their fists, or clubs.Rom 15. 30. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, the word signifies, to strive to the shedding of blood. Luke 18. 5. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Buffet me, or beat me down with her blows, as wrestlers beat down their adve•saries with their fists, or clubs.
