also that have fallen in with them, or rather sprung from them, and which drew so sad a sword among us, as for many years could find no other sheath but the bowels of this then miserable nation. Oh what grudges, animosities, and heart- burnings have these two produced! The sword, blessed be God, is at last got into its scabbard of peace ; but have we not cause to wish it had been cleaner wiped when put up, and not such an implacable spirit of revenge and malice to be found remaining among many of us, as, alas! is too common to be met with everywhere? The storm without us is over, blessed be God, but is it not too high within some of our breasts ? The flood of national calamities is assuaged; but now the tide is down and gone, is there not a deal of this filth, uncharitable jealousies, bitterness, wrath, and revenge, left behind upon our hearts, — enough to breed another plague and judgment among us, if a flood of national repentance does not wash away what the sea of war and other confu- sions have cast up ? But if this were all the mischief they are likely to do us, our case is sad enough ; they will hinder our prayers ; for God will not accept such sacrifices as are kindled with the fire of wrath.
CHAPTER XXI.
CONTAINS THE FIRST CAUSE OF A SAINt's PRAYER MISCARRYING, WANT OF
FAITH, AS ALSO WHAT TO PRAY IN FAITH IMPORTS.
The Christian's prayer may miscarry for want of faith. Prayer is the bow, the promise is the arrow, and faith the hand which draws the bow, and sends this arrow with the heart's message to heaven. The bow without the arrow is of no use, and the arrow without the bow as little worth; and both without the strength of the hand are to no purpose. Neither the promise without prayer, nor prayer without the promise, nor both without faith, avails the Christian any- thing ; so that what was said of the Israelites, that they could not enter into Canaan because of unbelief, the same may be said of many of our prayers, they cannot enter heaven with acceptation, because they are not put up in faith. Now, faith may be considered with a respect to the person praying, or to the pi'ayer put up. The person must be a believer, but this is not enough ; there must be an act of faith in the prayer, as well as the habit of faith dwelling in the person, Mark xi. 24 : ' What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.' If the thing be not to be found in the promise that we desire, it is a sin to pray for it ; if it be, it is a sin not to believe, when we pray for it, and that no small one, because thereby we both profane an ordinance, and asperse the name of the great God.
Section I. — But what is it to pray in faith? Negatively, it is not to believe that the very thing in specie, or in its proper kind, that we pray for, shall be always given. Christ prayed in faith, and was heard. He believed not the thing in kind to be given, neither was it, yet his prayer was answered; there- fore be sure thou learnest the right method of exercising thy faith in prayer, which must be taken from the nature of the promise thou puttest in suit. As water receives its figure from the vessel it is poured into, so our faith is to be shaped by the promise: if that be absolute, (as things necessary to salvation,) then thy faith may expect the very thing promised ; if otherwise, then thou art not to limit thy faith to the thing itself, but expect money or money's worth ; health, or as good as health ; deliverance, or better than deliverance. An absolute faith on a conditional promise (without an immediate revelation, which we must not look for,) is fancy, not faith; to commit a sin, not act a grace, this is to be free on God's purse without a grant; for we put more in the conclusion of our faith than is in the premises of the promise ; and this is as bad divinity as logic.
Section II. — Positively, to pray in faith, is to ask of God, in the name of Christ, what he hath promised, relying on his power and truth for performance, with()Ut binding him up to time, manner, or means. First, We must ask what God hath promised, or else we choose for ourselves, and not beg ; we subject God's will to ours, and not ours to his ; we forge a bond, and then claim it as a debt, which is a horrible ])rcsuniption. He that is his own promiser, nuist be his own paymaster. Secondly, To pray in faith, we must pray in Christ's name; as there can be no faith but on a promise, so no promise can be
2 u
(358 PKAYING ALWAYS, ETC.