Next to Deprecation against evil, may succeed Comprecation for that which is good.
Now because good things may be wanting, either in whole, or in part, or in respect of Duration, and some intermissions; therefore we should petition not onely for the things themselves, but also for the increase and continuance of them.
Good is either Spiritual. Temporal.
In asking of spiritual good things,1 the first and chief matter to be prayed for, is the sanctification of our natures, That Gods Kingdome may come into our hearts; That he would give unto us a new heart, and put a new spirit within us; That he would take from us our stonie heart, and bestow upon us hearts of flesh; That he would put within us the law of the Spirit of life, (Rom. 8.7) which may make us free from the law of sin and death; That we may put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse; (Eph. 4.24) That we may be regenerate and become new creatures, (1 Pet. 1.23) being born again of that incorruptible seed, the Word of God.
That God would grant us according to the riches (Eph. 3.16) of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward man.
(1 Thes. 3.13)That he would establish our hearts unblameable in holinesse before God, even our Father, at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints.
That the Spirit of Christ may dwell in us.
2That we may continue in the grace of God, and in the faith, grounded and setled, and may not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel.
Of this kinde is that Petition of David for himself, (Ps. 51.10) Create in me a clean heart, O Lord, and renew a right spirit within me. And the Apostle for others: The God of Peace sanctifie you throughout, that your whole spirit and soule and body may be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thes. 5.23)
Here we are more particularly to insist on the renovation of our several Faculties. Parts. answerable to what we did acknowledge,3 concerning the Depravation of them, in the Confession of our Original sin.4 As first for our faculties.
-
That we may be transformed by the renuing of our mindes, that we may be able to have a spiritual discerning of the things of God, being wise to that which is good, but simple and harmlesse to that which is evil.
-
That he would purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God;5 that they may be tender of his glory, and our own good, truly performing the offices which belong unto them, both in accusing and excusing us according to several occasions.
-
That he would circumcise our hearts,6 that we may set our affections on things above, and not on earthly matters, that we may not be deceived with false appearances, but may approve the things that are most excellent.
-
That he would reforme and sanctifie our wills, that we may in every thing submit them unto his, delighting to do his will.7 Not seeking our own wills, but the Will of him that sent us.
-
That he would rectifie our memories,8 making them more faithful in retaining all such holy Lessons as we shall learne, in recalling them to minde according to several opportunities, that we may be alwayes ready to stir up our mindes by way of remembrance,9 that we may never forget God.