Now, the reason that he hath established this order,
It is for his glory [aiul] our own good.
Reason 1. It is for his own glory; because prayer gives him the glory of all his attributes. For when we go to him, do we not give him the glory of his omniscience, that he knows our hearts and knows our wants ? Do we not give him the glory of his omnipotence, that he can help us ? Do we not give him the glory of his omnipresence, that he is everywhere ? Do we not give him the glory of his truth, that he will make good his promise which we allege to him and press him with '? What a world of glory hath God by prayer.
Reason 2. And then /or our sakes he hath established this order to con- vey all by prayer, to
(1.) Shew our dependence on him. For we being in such a low distance * That is, = ' seek.'— G.
2 CORINTHIANS CBAF. I, VER. 11. 179
under God, it is good that we should know from whom we have all. There- fore, he will have us to pray to him. He commands it. Prayer is an act of self-denial. It makes us to look out of ourselves hi<^her. Prayer acknow- ledgeth that we have that which we have, not of om-selvos, but from him. Prayer argueth a necesstu-y dependence upon him to whom we pray ; for if we had it at home, we would not go abroad.
(2.) And then, again, it doth us good, because, as it gives God all the glory, so likewise it e.rercisetli all (he (jraces in n iiiait. There is not a grace but it is put into the fire, it is quickened and kindled by prayer. For it sets faith on work to believe the promise. It sets hope on work to expect the things prayed for. It sets love on work, because we pray for others that are members of the church. It sets obedience on work, because we do it with respect to God's command. Prayer sets humility on work. We prostrate ourselves before God, and acknowledge that there is no goodness or desert in us. There is not a grace in the heart but it is exercised in prayer.
The devil knows it well enough, and therefore of all exercises he labours to hinder the exercise of prayer, for he thinks then we fetch help against him ; and, indeed, so we do. For in one prayer God is honoured, the church is benefited, gi-ace is exercised, the devil is vanquished. What a world of good is by prayer ? So that God hath established this order upon great reasons, fetched from our own comfort and good, and from his glory.
Since God hath estabhshed this order, away with idle suggestions, partly carnal and partly devilish. God knows what we want, and God knew before all time what we have need of, and he may grant it if he v.'ill. Aye, but that God that decreed, at the same time that he decreed to convey good, at the same time he decreed to convey it this way by prayer. Therefore, let us not disjoin that which God hath joined. Christ knew that God de- creed all, and yet spent whole nights in prayer. And who knew God's love more than he ? Yet because as he was man he was a creature, because as he was man he received good from his Father, to shew his dependence he continually prayed, he sanctified everj'thing by prayer. And all holy men of God from the beginning, the more certain they were of anything by promise, the more eager, and earnest, and fervent they were in prayer. It was a ground of prayer. They knew that this was God's order. Therefore, if they had a promise, they turned it into prayer presently.
The means of the execution of God's decree, and the decree itself of the thing, they fall under the same decree. When God hath decreed to do anything, he hath decreed to do it by these means. So prayer comes as well within the decree as the thing prayed for. In Ezek. xxxvi. 37, ' I will do this, but I will be inquired of by the house of Judah.' I will do it, but they shall ask me, they shall seek to me fii'st. So there is a notable place, Phil. i. 19, ' I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers.' We must not, then, so reason as to make the chief cause to take away the subordinate means ; but let us serve God's purpose and providence, let us serve God's order. He hath stablished this order and course, let us serve it. This is the obedience of faith, the obedience of a Christian.
Doct. 2. The second thing is, that
GoiVs children, are enabled to pyay for themselves. I observe this the rather because the vilest men that live, when they are in trouble, as Pharaoh, Oh, go to Moses, let him pray for me ! He could not pray for himself. He was such a desperate, wretched creature, he knew that God would not re- gard him. Therefore he saith. Go to Moses. And so Simon Magus, who
180 COMMENTARY ON
was a w-rctcli, yet when Peter donouiiccd a judgment against him, ' Pray thou that none of these things Hght upon nie,' Acts viii. 24. You are ac- cepted of God ; my conscience is so full of terror and horror, and so full of sin, that I dare not pray. A wicked man may desire others to pray for him ; but, alas ! his conscience is suii)rised with horror for his sins, and his purposes are so cruel, so earthly, and so base, that he knows he cannot pray with acceptance for himself. God's children, as they desire the prayers of others, so tliey can pray themselves. They do not desire that others should do all, but that they would ' help together with their prayers.'