God Loves… Himself

We are to walk in every way that God hath chalked out unto us; but if we think our righteousness, deep humiliation, large relents of spirits, sorrow for sin, and our confession thereof, must make our way to the bowels of Christ, take heed lest you set up a false Christ. When you bring anything to Christ, you deprive him of that which is his greatest prerogative, and give it to your fasting and humiliations; it is the prerogative of Christ alone to bring you to himself. But, you will say, all the promises of pardon run with this proviso, in case men humble themselves, and do this and that, then pardon is theirs; but otherwise it is none of theirs. Take heed of such doctrine. We have bad Arminianism exceedingly exploded among us hitherto, and there hath been much complaint against it; but if we conceive that God, in pardoning sin, hath an eye to confession of it, here is the doing of works for pardon of sin; and how far short this comes of Arminianism, let all the world judge.

The truth is, it is not possible that any person can truly believe his iniquities are laid upon Christ, except there be a previous act of the Lord’s laying them on him; the Lord’s act of laying must go before our act of applying it to ourselves. It is not possible for any man to act anything, but there must be an object in being, about which it is conversant. Suppose a man believe his sins are laid upon Christ, I would fain know, whether his believing be true or false; if he believe indeed, he hath a foundation for this faith of his, and what is that? He hath a grant from the Lord, that is the very being of his faith; a grant, I say, he finds out, that is a stirring up of his believing. Now suppose I am to believe the forgiveness of my sins, what must be the ground of this my believing? The Lord must make his grant to me, and finding that, I have ground to believe it; then whensoever this grant was made, the thing that I am to believe, was done in respect of God’s act. Now we can find no grant, but as the Lord reveals the same in the word of his grace to us; when, therefore, that which is the foundation of my faith was made, then the act of God was made to me, which I apply to myself.

The Spirit of the Lord must first reveal the gracious mind of the Lord to our spirits, and give to us faith to receive that testimony of the Spirit, and to sit down as satisfied with his testimony, before ever any work of sanctification can possibly give any evidence; but when the testimony of the Spirit of the Lord is received by faith, and the soul sits down satisfied with that testimony of the Lord, then also all the gifts of God’s Spirit do bear witness together with the Spirit of the Lord, and the faith of a believer.

But many are apt to think, if I were sure he were my God, I might trust in him without sense. Now though this be a very common objection, yet who sees not the vanity of it? What is it to be sure, but to have the sense of his favour? Now the case we have in hand, supposeth this sense removed and gone, and no appearance of it; so that the objection is but this, if I had sense, I might believe without it, which is either nonsense, or a contradiction. But it will be further objected, that if men must believe that have no experience, then wicked and unregenerate persons may believe the promises. I answer: That whilst they are such, they neither will, nor care to believe them one with another; indeed, they cannot believe them, (whilst such) for it is not yet given them to believe or mind them. But, I answer, that wicked men may, if they can, believe the promises before they have experience; nay, I say further, that no man shall ever have experiences, until he believe without experiences. Doth not God justify the ungodly, even whilst he is so? Doth he not find him so, and at that time cast his love on him? If God doth so, what impropriety or incongruity it is it to believe he doth so? You will say this is at first conversion; but I answer, is not God’s love as free afterwards to rise anew after some setting? Doth not God return for his own name sake only? And if he do, must not our faith be on that name only? The truth is, man’s nature is apt to look after some loveliness or beauty in himself to win God, and therefore, when he can find no such thing, he is out of heart. This popery is natural, the fine-spun distinctions to evade it are mere fig-leaves, not able to cover the nakedness of it; he that comes to God and his promises with a blind-folded faith, (I mean a faith that takes notice of nothing in himself, whether good or evil) is God’s welcomed guest. (Tobias Crisp, Christ Alone Exalted)

The Sum And Substance of Christ Dying For Us

Therefore, if when Christ died was the time this was to be done, and if Christ was ordained to do it, if Christ was mighty to save, if Christ took flesh to do this work, if it was the will of God that he should do it, if Christ came on purpose to do it, if our sins were laid upon Christ and He suffered the punishment the curse of them, if He has redeemed us, if it was prophesied of Him that He should justify many and that His work should prosper, if Christ did answer His types, if He has exceeded all the Priests and sacrifices under the Law; if there needs no more offerings for sin; if Christ has done all the Law required, if Christ has done what He came to do, if we are justified by His blood, if He has made us holy, and presented us without spot, if we are free from all sin, if Christ has done all that can be done to make us just and righteous, if Christ did wash away our sins in His own blood, if Christ has said, “It is finished;” then it’s done, it’s done, it’s done, perfectly and completely done. Then what I have said is fully proved namely, that Jesus Christ, by once offering, the sacrifice of Himself, when He was on the Cross, put an end to sin and so destroyed all the sins of His people for ever and presented them just, righteous, and holy, without spot, etc. before God, Col. 1:13,14,21; Col. 2:13,14.

Here Is A Fountain of Consolation
Oh, what a fountain of consolation here! What marrow and fatness is here. What sweetness if like to this, to all who believe? Who now may say, once sin was mine, then it was laid upon Christ and now they are neither mine nor His because they are not at all: For by His blood He washed them all away; and now they are all gone, blotted out, and shall be remembered no more, no more, no more. Now Christ’s righteousness is mine, as well as His, for I was “made the righteousness of God in him,” 2 Cor. 5:21. And I did nothing at all to procure these things to me.
The Appearance of Free Grace
In this appears free grace. Here is Christ, and Christ alone, and nothing but Christ. All things else pass away, because they are “under the Sun,” Eccl. 1:2. They are full of mutation and change. Faith may be obscured and the soul greatly deserted, so as to see no light, Isa. 50:11, yet when at the worst, they need not be comfortless, John 14:18, for still God is their God, and their lives are hid with Christ in God, Col. 3:3, “Who is the same today, yesterday, and for ever:” Heb. 13:5. We change oft, but he “never changeth,” Mal. 3:6. In this is our happiness, comfort, and glory. Even then when we cannot apprehend Him, yet were we in Him, Eph. 1:4. So we are, and ever shall be in Him and one with Him, and are comprehended of Him: 1 John 5:20. “Because I live,” saith Christ, “ye shall live also,” John 14:19. What Doctrine in Religion is more sweet and comfortable, more necessary or profitable, yea, or more honorable to the Lord Jesus Christ? This is that which holds forth the love of God, that sets the Crown upon His head, and will not give His glory to another, Isa. 42:8; Jer. 4:2. This will have Christ to be our life, Col. 3:4; peace, Eph. 1:14; glory, Isa. 45:25. This is that which thrusts us out of our selves, our life, our righteousness, Rom. 10:3; Tit. 3:5, to His, to live in Him, and caused us to say, “O Lord thou art our righteousness,” Ezra 9:15, “The Lord our righteousness”, which life is most sweet and serviceable because this is sure, and more spiritual. In a word, this makes Christ all in all, Col. 3:11, and exalts Him above all, which is His place, Psal. 89:19.
The Life Of Our Souls Is Christ In Us
Surely that which is the life of our souls, upon which the eternal happiness of our souls depends, is not in any thing in us, but is Christ in him, 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Cor. 1:10. It lies in Him, so that it may be kept safe for us. So that we might not live upon any thing within us, faith is given that by it we may live out of our selves in another, even the Lord Jesus where our life is, Col. 3:3, 4.

Samuel Richardson

As to the doctrine of Predestination, it may be considered either, In general as respecting ALL THINGS that have been, are, or shall be, or done in the world; every thing comes under the determination and appointment of God; “He did,” as the assembly of divines say in their confession, “from all eternity, unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;” or, as they express it in their catechism, “God’s decrees are the wise, free and holy acts of the counsel of His will; whereby, from all eternity, He hath, for His own glory, unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in time:” and this predestination and fore-appointment of all things, may be concluded from the foreknowledge of God. “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world (Greek: “from eternity” ) Acts 15:18. They are known by Him as future, as – 2 – what would be, which became so by His determination of them. The reason why He knew they would be, is, because He determined they should be: also from the Providence of God, and His government of the world, which is all “according to the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11). He does every thing according to that, or as He has determined in His own mind. Eternal predestination in this sense is no other than eternal providence, of which actual providence in time is the execution.

To deny this, is to deny the providence of God, and, His government of the world, which none but Deists and Atheists will do; at least it is to think and speak unworthily of God, as not being the all-knowing and all-wise and sovereign ruler of the world, He is. Once more, the very wonderful thing, prophecy, or foretelling things to come, could not be without a predestination of them; of which there are so many instances in Scripture; such as the stay of the Israelites in Egypt exactly 430 years as prophesied, and their departure from thence; the seventy years captivity of the Jews in Babylon as foretold, and their return at the end of that time; the exact coming of the Messiah at such a certain time which was prophesied; with many others, and some seemingly the most casual and contingent; as the birth of persons by name a hundred or hundreds of years before they were born, as were Josiah and Cyrus; and of a man’s carrying a pitcher of water, at such a time, to such a place (1 Kings 13:2): how could these things be foretold with certainty, unless it was determined and appointed they should be? There is nothing comes by chance to God, nothing done without His knowledge, nor without His will, and nothing without His determination. Every thing, even the most minute thing, respecting His creatures, and what is done in this world in all periods and ages of time, is by His appointment. For the proof of which see the following passages.

Eccl. 3:1, 2. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven; a time to be born and a time to die,” &c. – 3 – a time fixed by the purpose of God for each of these.

Job 14:5. “Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with Thee, Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.”

Job 23:14. “He performeth the thing that is appointed for me, and many such things are with Him. ”

Daniel 4:35. “And He doth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, what dost Thou?

Ephesians 1:11. Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh ALL THINGS after the counsel of His own will. ”

Acts 15:18. “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world ”

Acts 17:26. “and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.”

Matthew 10: 29 ,30. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father; but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. “

As for the faith of Arminianism, I believe it to be worse than the faith of devils; for I have heard Arminians mention the awful decrees of God, and wantonly laugh at them; But devils believe and tremble. True faith holds every revealed truth of the Bible, but opposes none. If you live by faith, Christ, the bread of heaven, will be the food of thy faith. If you walk by faith, Christ, the living way, will be the path of faith. If you stand fast by faith, Christ will be faith’s foundation; faith will stand no where, but on Christ; and Christ will always bear every weight that faith lays on Him. Christ will never suffer faith to fail, nor will faith ever suffer Christ to have a co-partner; Christ will never suffer faith to be confounded; nor will faith ever suffer Christ to be dishonored.

False faith makes her boast of what she never had; but true faith does what she never can relate.
False faith furnishes the head with notions; but true faith fixes the heart in love.
False faith has always much say, but little to do; her business is to boast, not to work; but true faith does her business in silence first, and talks afterwards: “I believed, therefore I have spoken;” “We believe, and therefore speak.

False faith often relates what she has done for God; but true faith delights to tell what Christ has done for her; Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me; and again, “I am persuaded that neither death nor life shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
False faith is full of good words; but true faith of good fruits.
False faith unites with an erroneous and loose community; but true faith delights in the excellent of the earth, and in such as excel in virtue.

False faith flies from a heart-searching , experimental ministry; but true faith roots the deeper under it: “Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.”

False faith triumphs in the testimony of men; but true faith stands in the testimony of God: “He that believes, hath the witness in himself.”

False faith credits every word; but true faith looks well to her way.
False faith makes a prating fool; but true faith makes a humble soul.
False faith exalts the creature; but true faith exalts the Savior.
False faith makes lies her refuge; but true faith makes God’s work her shield and buckler.
False faith leads the sinner to be proud of himself; but true faith leads the soul to make her boast of God.
False faith is pleased with words on the tongue; but true faith applies the promises to the heart.
False faith floats in the imagination; but true faith is a root in the heart.
False faith says, Roll yourself on the written word; but true faith says, “Let the word of God dwell richly in your hearts.”

False faith is attended with no change of soul; but true faith is attended with regeneration.
False faith rejects the greatest part of the Bible; but true faith credits the whole word.
False faith denies sound experience; but true faith owns herself a fruit of the Spirit.
False faith defends herself by cunning, and a noise of words; but true faith will have no defence by the Savior; But above all, taking the shield of faith.
False faith triumphs in temporal prosperity, and gives up the ghost in adversity; but true faith is lowly in prosperity, and in adversity considers.

In short, false faith can talk, but not work; boast, but not fight; brag, but bring nothing from God; but true faith will work, but not trust in it; fight, but not beat the air; and beg, but not in vain.

A letter of William Huntington

No man can truly say he doth love his brother until he hath trial of his own love; neither may believers say, without vain ostentation in saying so; but yet may they perceive that others do so, preferring others to themselves, and that of I Jn.3:14, {“we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death,”} is to be understood of the mutual love that is in believers one towards another. And though some may say that they do love the brethren, yet like Joab take them by the beard with one hand, and ask how they do, and let out their bowels with the other; {II Sam.20:9,10;} just as he that slanders the Lord’s children doth; who pretends love to them, and yet exposes them to everlasting reproach by his devilish lies. And who can truly say that he so loves the brethren as he ought, and as Christ commands, not knowing whether he can lay down his life for them as Christ did. {Jn.15:12,13, Eph.5:1, I Jn.3:16} This was only urged to show the vanity of that common mark of faith taken from I Jn.3:14 – {“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death;”} which neither can be an infallible mark, but as it can be directly proved to proceed from faith; and the Apostle contrasts the love of the brethren one to another, as a sign of their translation from death to life against the wonder at the hatred of the world, vs.13. {“Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”} And such is the nature of true faith, that it carries the creature so out of its own love, and all; as that it pitches it upon Christ’s only love; neither do true believers ever boast of their love, for faith excludes all such boasting. And yet they rejoice to see the love of others, and do prefer it to their own; they press so to perfection in love, that want of love, and the rest of those fruits, being their daily just complaint of themselves, though they question not the favor of God for that; nor are not infallibly assured by it at all; sometimes sensible they may assure their hearts so before God; but their infallible assurance is only by faith in Christ. {Heb.10:22, I Jn.3:14, 19} John Traske  (Taken from http://www.supralapsarian.com/)

The humblest and most simple expression of desire that comes welling up from a broken and contrite heart, is far better than the most eloquent flow of words that charm the carnal ears of men; for the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit God will not despise. — In our secret prayers, when alone in our closet, that is, when the world is shut out from our mind, and there is none but God can hear, and we feel that our devotion is a personal matter between the trembling suppliant and his God, we use the personal pronouns in their singular form; as, ‘my God,’ why hast thou forsaken me? God be merciful ‘to me;’ ‘hear me;’ ‘deliver me,’ &c. Whether upon our knees, prostrate on the ground, or upon our beds, or even when our hands are engaged in labor, by night or day, when our heart is drawn out to God in the secret aspirations of the heart, we pray with the spirit and the understanding, even when our lips are sealed in silence. We cannot suppress the secret desire inwrought by the Spirit, and involuntarily arising from the depth of our heart to God as the Giver of every good and perfect gift; and from a deep sense of our own vileness, every ejaculation is presented in the name of Jesus, with a full conviction that we can approach God in no other name. The apostle Peter reminds us that the end of all things is at hand, and admonishes us therefore to “be sober, and watch unto prayer.” {I Peter iv. 7} What Jesus our Lord has said unto one, he also says unto all his dear saints, “Watch.” “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” In a careful, vigilant watching, we cannot fail to find abundant incentives to prayer; and if our watching does not have the effect to incline us to pray, it must be that we are in the sad condition of those saints of whom Peter speaks, {I Peter i. 9,} who having neglected the admonition given at that chapter, are blind, cannot see afar off, and have forgotten that they have been purged from their old sins. — In conclusion of this already lengthy article, we wish to say to those who have been exercised upon the subject and who have requested to write upon this important subject; you cannot be too poor, too needy, or too unworthy to call upon the name of the Lord. It is especially for those of just your description of character that God has provided the new and living way, which he has consecrated for all who, being humbled under his mighty hand, do feel their need of his mercy and grace. It is the poor that he filleth with good things, while the rich he sends empty away. — “Blest are the humble souls that see, Their emptiness and poverty; Treasures of grace to them are given, And crowns of joy laid up in heaven.” Gilbert Beebe, Signs of the Times, Editorial. {Volume 47, Middletown, NY, January 1, 1879.}   (Taken from http://www.supralapsarian.com/)

The subject of prayer opens before us so wide a field for meditation, that we cannot, we know not where to stop when dwelling on the subject. Our principal object in this article is to relieve, so far as we may be enabled, some trembling ones who, from a sense of unworthiness, and of inability to order their speech aright before the Lord, have been sorely tempted to doubt their right to pray, and fear that its sinful for them to attempt it; we have labored to show that such are the very ones that are the most welcome to approach the awful Majesty of God in prayer and supplication. They come not in their own name, but in the all-prevailing name of him who forever liveth to make intercession for them and in them. — Prayer, as a mere duty, is a very dull and unavailing employment, yet it is a duty devolving on all who feel their need of Divine favor, because Christ has enjoined it upon them; but when led by the Spirit to the throne of grace, it is a most delightful privilege. Poor, weak and worthless as we are in and of ourselves, yet, “Sprinkled with reconciling blood, they may approach the throne of God,” and not be consumed; because the name of Jesus Christ, their Advocate with the Father, is upon them, and has sealed them with the Holy Spirit of promise. {Eph. i. 13} In prayer we are permitted to hold communion with God, through our High Priest, from over the mercy-seat. The apostle speaks {Eph. vi. 18} of “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,” &c; from which we infer that the apostolic practice of social as well as private prayer is to be perpetuated in the church of God until time shall be no more. — In social prayer, one is mouth for all who are present and qualified by the Spirit to unite in the devotion. If the saints who meet for prayer are, like the primitive saints, all of one heart and one mind, and all are led by the one spirit, there will be no discord, nor confusion, and the prayer expressed in words by him who is mouth for all will be equally the prayer of all. In social prayer we use the plural form of the personal pronouns, ‘our,’ ‘us,’ &c., as taught; {Matt. vi. 9-13;} this is proper, because it is the prayer of all who in their hearts can say, Amen. We have many instances recorded of the saints meeting for prayer, and the practice should be continued in the church of God. When Herod the king had killed James with a sword, and had imprisoned Peter also, intending also to deliver him unto death, many were gathered together praying; and their prayers were graciously heard and answered. {Acts xii. 1-19} We have many other accounts of the meeting of the primitive saints at places where prayer was wont to be made; and should not the saints of the present age walk in the footsteps of the early Christians? — But in social or public prayers, we should carefully avoid all ostentatious display, or effort to elicit the admiration and praise of men. Be not like those who pray to be heard and admired by men; nor should we use vain repetitions, for that is forbidden. Our words should be few; for God is high in the heavens, and we are on the earth. It is not becoming in ministers, while assaying to lead in public or social prayer, to presume to explain or expound anything to the Lord; for he needs no logic or explanation from us, and our prayers are to comprise supplication, intercession and thanksgiving, under a full conviction that the Lord knoweth all about us, that he searches the hearts and tries the reins of all, and with a solemn consciousness that all things are naked and open to his all-seeing eyes. In our public or social prayers, our wandering thoughts are prone to seek the applause of those who are present, and almost forget that we are professedly addressing the God whose dwelling is in the heavens, and from whose sight the inmost secrets of our heart cannot be concealed. The cruel tempter is ever ready to divert our mind from the awful solemnity of holding communion with the eternal God. How cold and dull and formal are our prayers when thus yielding to the carnal impulse of our fleshly nature and the temptation of the adversary; our pride and vain ambition are either inflated or mortified, as we have succeeded or failed to make a display. One would hardly believe Christians could be troubled in this way; but they are the only class that are really troubled on this account. Carnal professors and self-righteous Pharisees feel perfectly satisfied with their prayers if they can secure the applause of men; but those who are taught of God feel and lament the imperfection of their most solemn devotions, for they feel deeply their short-comings; and were it not for the blessed assurance that the Spirit helpeth their infirmities, supplying the ability which they lack, and making intercession for them according to the will of God, they would not dare to take the sacred name of God upon their lips in prayer or praise. —

The subject of prayer opens before us a boundless theme for serious reflection. The God to whom prayer is to be made is the “high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, and his name is Holy.” He is “of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity.” Yet in the amazing riches of his grace he has provided a way of access through Jesus Christ, the one and only Mediator between God and men, whereby his children may approach him, and come even unto his seat, and not be consumed. Most truly, Jesus Christ is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and no man can come unto the Father but by him. {John xiv. 6} Our prayers to be acceptable to God must be presented in his name, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must or can be saved; and he has instructed us to address all our prayers to the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ the Son, and as indited by the Holy Spirit. This rule should be strictly observed when we approach the throne of grace. It is true that these three are One, but officially to be regarded in our prayers, as Jesus has commanded us. By the Spirit we address the eternal God, as “our Father which is in heaven,” whose name is hallowed; and we find access to him through his Son, in whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, whom the Father has given to be the Head over all to the church, which is his body, and the fullness of him that filleth all in all; and in whose sacred Sonship is treasured the sonship, heirship, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, with every other spiritual blessing of all his members, and their eternal, vital union is securely treasured up in Him. Therefore when we pray we should ask our petitions of the Father in his name, as taught by his Holy Spirit. Thus the “Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,” are recognized in our spiritual devotion. While we call upon God, as our Father, this relationship is in and through Jesus Christ his Son, who by the gift of the Father is our Head, and officially our Mediator, in whom alone we stand accepted. The Holy Spirit which is given us, while one with the Father and the Son, is officially our Comforter, our Teacher, and the gracious, infallible Prompter of our prayers. Every prayer, therefore, to be acceptable to God, must be addressed to the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ our Mediator; for in no other name or way can we have access unto God. The new and living way unto the Father, which is consecrated for us, is through the vail; that is to say, through the flesh of him who was made flesh and dwelt among us; whose glory we beheld, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. How frequently Jesus informed his disciples that after his resurrection and ascension to his Mediatorial throne, they should address all their prayers to the Father in his name, “and in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” {John xvi. 23, 24} “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” {John xiv. 12-14} The privilege of asking in his name belongs exclusively to those who are embraced in his name; as all the members of a man’s body are included in his name, and as a wife is in the name of her husband, and as children are legally included in the name of their paternal parents, so the church of God, as the Lamb’s wife, and all her members, are members of his body, and covered by his name; and as his seed, or children, his name is their inheritance, and their approach unto God in his name implies a vital relationship to him; and his name is to them a strong tower, and perfect indemnity for all they need for time or for eternity. And the Holy Comforter shall lead them into all truth; for he shall take of the things of Jesus and show them unto them. This Spirit shall make intercession for them and in them, according to the will of God. Hence the gracious assurance is given, that whatsoever they are moved by the Holy Spirit to ask in the name of Christ shall be given them; for the Spirit will not lead them to ask for anything contrary to the mind and will of God. And as none can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost, so none can pray in his name but by the same Spirit. An inspired apostle has assured us that all our necessities are known and amply provided for by our heavenly Father. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” {Phil. iv. 19} But as we have not wisdom to discriminate between our need and what our carnal mind may crave, the blessed Spirit maketh intercession for us, withholding only what would be hurtful to us, and incompatible with the righteous will of God; for he will withhold no good thing from them who walk uprightly. —

“For we know not how to pray as we ought,” nor can we learn from all the prayer books ever published, or by any lessons taught by good or bad men. It is only the Spirit that can search or know what is the mind of God, or make intercession for the saints according to the will of God. The spirit of our flesh would ask that God would yield to our carnal desires; but the Spirit of God teaches us to say, “not our will, but thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” and to ask for grace to reconcile us in all things to God. — The Spirit of our God will never lead to pray for or desire that God should grant us anything more or less than what he has in store for us; and when we pray for the gratification of our carnal desires, we surely pray amiss, and it will neither be for our good or his glory, and therefore he graciously denies our requests. The saints are instructed to pray without ceasing, and in all things to give thanks. We do not understand this injunction to mean that all our time is to be devoted exclusively to a form of prayer, for vain repetitions in prayer are forbidden; but at all times in our heart to breathe forth our desire to God to preserve us from evil, and lead us by his counsel and wisdom in all things. There is no place or period of our pilgrimage when we can say our prayers are ended, or that we can cease to call upon the name of the Lord. And in all things, whether agreeable or painful to us, we are to give thanks to God. — The peculiar trials which are experienced by God’s praying children, when their prayers seem to be unheard, and they feel as though they were sinking in deep waters of sore affliction, should not lead them to conclude that God’s ear has become heavy that he cannot or will not hear them; for he often withholds the answer to our prayers for the trial of our faith and patience, and that we may the better understand and more fully appreciate the blessings when received. Our blessed Lord spake a parable of the unjust judge and importuning widow, “to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” {Luke xviii. 1-5} A sense of our abject poverty and utter unworthiness should not cause us to faint, or despair of the mercy of the Lord, for it is the poor, humble, contrite, laboring, heavy laden child that God has made welcome to come boldly to his throne of grace in their Redeemer’s Name; and the promise is that they shall obtain mercy, and find grace to help in every time of need; but the rich, self-righteous, he sends empty away. The poor publican, bowed down under a sense of unworthiness to even raise his eyes to heaven, in deep contrition smites upon his breast, and the hidden anguish of his heart in trembling accents cries, “God, be merciful to me;” and to this last petition he signs his name and character, “a sinner.” He does not claim to be a saint, nor indulge a thought that his sad prayer is meritorious. If God shuts out his prayer, and spurns him from his presence, he feels in his heart that God is just. But with fear and trembling he feels that this is his last, his only hope; for if God withholds from him his mercy, he sinks in hopeless despair. But O, what wondrous grace! His prayer is heard, and he is justified rather than the boasting Pharisee. — There are times with some who have hoped in the Lord, when they have had so deep a sense of the infinite majesty and holiness of God, and so deep a sense of their own pollution, as, like the publican, to stand afar off, and because they dare not to lift up their eyes to heaven, or take the sacred name of God upon their lips, have concluded that they have not, cannot pray; when perhaps in no part of their experience have they in reality and truth prayed more, or with greater acceptance. Their prayers have not been formed into words, nor articulated with their voice, but from the deepest recesses of their aching heart the pent up ejaculation has in unutterable groanings, in heaving sighs and flowing tears, expressed the desire and confession, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” —

Few subjects, perhaps, have occasioned greater concern in the minds of the children of God than that of prayer; and it is indeed, when rightly understood, a comforting thought that the living children of God are more seriously tried upon this subject than any other people. Indeed, we do not know that any other people have any trouble at all in regard to prayer. The Pharisee who stood and prayed with himself, and paraded before the Lord what he evidently regarded as his own good works and self-esteem, had not a single petition to ask of God, and being full of self-righteousness, betrayed no doubt or fear that his prayer was meritorious in the sight of God. The parable of the Pharisee and Publican was spoken by our Lord unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others, {Luke xviii. 9-14,} and it is applicable to all self-righteous Pharisees, whether of ancient or modern times.

The ease and fluency in which all self-righteous persons can read or recite what they call their prayers, is very observable. They profess to regard it as a duty to do a certain amount of praying; and when they have read or repeated their task, they can say, with the strange woman described in Proverbs vii. 14, “I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.” Of this class of will-worshipers, not a few are like their ancient brethren, fond of being heard in their devotions; they choose the corners of streets, or market places, or places where they may be heard of men, that all may see how devout and righteous they are. They think, as we are told, that they shall be heard for their much speaking, and therefore make long prayers, and use vain repetitious; but our Lord has said of them, “this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me; but in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” {Matt. xv. 8,9} — It is not then the fluency of speech, the eloquence of language, nor readiness to engage in public or in private prayer, that God will accept as worship. Nor is it a periodical appropriation of times in which to go through the form of prayer, for the spirit of grace and supplication are not at our command. In his sermon on the mount, our Savior forbid his disciples praying as the hypocrites do, or using vain repetitions, as the heathen do. “Be not ye therefore like unto them; for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”

Even the repetition of the form of prayer which Jesus taught his disciples, {Matt. vi. 9-13,} becomes with us vain and forbidden repetition when we are not led by the Spirit to pray with the spirit and with the understanding. How many of us have been taught from our infancy to commit to memory what is called the Lord’s prayer, and to repeat it, as though by so doing we could secure the mercy and protection of the Lord. It is used as a kind of charm, to keep evil from us when we lie down to sleep, and we have felt as though we have secured the favor of the Lord; when not a word has been felt in or uttered from our heart. Even the saints of God, including the apostles of the Lamb, have asked in prayer of God and received not, because they have asked amiss. We may rest assured that we have asked amiss, if God withholds from us that which we ask for; and this is a great mercy to us, that he does withhold those things which his Spirit has not made intercession for. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” {Rom. viii. 26,27} Our Savior said to the woman of Samaria, “God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” {John iv. 24}.

The experience of the saints is in harmony with the last two references, especially when they feel their heart drawn out in prayer to God. When they remember that God is a Spirit, infinite and eternal, the inquiry from their heart arises, “wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the High God?” {Micah vi. 6} They know they cannot approach him with a price in their hand, or with any offerings they can bring. How often in their heart, the unuttered and unutterable desire is hidden, “O that I knew where I might find him!” They may bend their knees to the ground, but their lips are sealed; they perhaps cannot utter a word, a syllable, and they sometimes even fear that they have offended God by their very attempt to pray. How sensibly do they now feel their weakness, and in deep humility they groan in spirit, in inexpressible breathings of desire. This is prayer, and this prayer enters the ears of the God of Sabaoth. And this prayer God has promised to hear, for he has said, “when the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.” {Isa. xli. 17} This is truly helping their infirmity. Their tongue has failed; it can utter no sound, it cannot express the deeply hidden groaning for the water of life which is felt within. No created ear can hear the silent emotions that rend their broken hearts; the deep contrition that overwhelms them in unspeakable anguish can be heard only by their gracious prayer hearing God. “I the Lord will hear them.” What heavenly consolation is found in these gracious words. The heavens had seemed to them like brass, and the earth as dust, and their prayers had seemed utterly unavailing, and shut out from the ear of Sovereign Mercy. A consciousness not only of infirmity, but also a sense of guilt and unworthiness had paralyzed their tongue; but their inability to articulate with their tongue cannot prevent him, who searches the hearts and trieth the reins of the children of men, from hearing the prayer which his own Spirit has indited in the heart, and no other prayer than that which his Spirit indites will be accepted, though uttered in thunder-tones.