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Chapter 17. Of comprecation for spiritual good things· The sanctification of our Natures, the obedience of our Lives

16519 min read

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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

And so for our Parts, or outward man,10 that we may become the Temple of God where his Spirit may dwell; That we may present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service; That all our parts and members may be instruments of righteousnesse unto holinesse.11

In which desires we may strengthen our faith with such arguments as these.

  1. God only is able for this great work; (Rom. 7.18) In us dwelleth nothing that is good; It is he that must work in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Phil. 2.13) ‘Tis not in our power to regenerate our selves, for we are not borne of blood, nor of the Will of the flesh, (John 1.13) nor of the Will of man (that is not of any natural created strength) but of God. (Eph. 3.20) And he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think. ‘Tis as easie for him to make us good, as to bid us to be so.

  2. He is willing and hath promised to give unto us a new spirit:12 To put his law into our inward parts, to write it in our hearts. And if men that are evil know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more shall our heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that aske him? He hath professed it to be his own Will,13 even our sanctification; And he cannot deny us the performance of his own Will. He hath promised that those who hunger and thirst after righteousnesse shall be filled. (Mat. 5.6) And therefore if he hath in any measure given us this hunger, we need not doubt but he will give us this fulnesse likewise. He hath said that he delights to dwell with the Sons of men; and what reason have we to doubt the successe of our desires, (Prov. 8.31) when we do beg of him to do that which he delights in?

142. The next thing to be prayed for, is the obedience of our lives, answerable to that in the Lords Prayer: Thy will be done one earth, as it is in heaven. And here likewise we are to petition for spiritual grace and ablities, both to perform, and to continue, and to increase in all holy duties.

151. For the Performance of them, that he would lead us into the paths of righteousnesse; That with simplicity and godly sincerity we may have our conversation in this world; That denying all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, (Tit. 2.12) we may live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; That God would give us grace, (Heb. 12.28) whereby we may serve him acceptably with reverence and godly feare; That we may not any more be conformed unto this world; (Rom. 12.2) That being dead unto sin we may live unto righteousnesse:16 Not any longer spending the rest of our time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, (1 Pet. 4.2, 3) but to the Will of God; That the time past of our lives may suffice to have served divers lusts; That for the future we may walk as obedient children, not fashioning our selves according to the former lusts of our ignorance, but as he that hath called us is holy, (1 Pet. 1.14) so we may be holy in all manner of conversation.

To this purpose is that desire of David, (Ps. 119.5) O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes! and in another place, Teach me to do thy Will, for thou art my God, (Ps. 143.10) let thy good Spirit lead me into the land of uprightnesse; and elsewhere, Shew me thy wayes, O Lord, and teach me thy paths, (Ps. 25.4, 5) lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation; Teach me thy wayes, O Lord, (Ps. 86.11) and I will walk in thy truth, unite my heart to feare thy name.

  1. For our continuance in them. (Luk. 1.74, 75) That we may serve him without fear, in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our lives. Being stedfast and unmoveable,17 alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord: Holding faith and a good conscience: Patiently continuing in well doing, without wearines, as knowing that in due time we shall reap if we faint not:18 Holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering, that our hearts may be established with grace; that amidst all outward changes, and losses we may still hold fast our integrity.

Thus the Apostle prayes for the Thessalonians, that God would stablish them in every good word and work. (2 Thes. 2.17)

  1. For our Increase in them, That God would make all grace to abound towards us:19 That we alwayes having alsufficiency to all things, may abound to every good work: That we may be strong in the Lord,20 and in the power of his might: Being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse, unto the glory and praise of God: (Phil. 3.14) That forgetting those things which are behinde, and reaching unto those things which are before, we may continually presse towards the mark, for the price of the high calling of God.

(Heb. 13.20, 21)Thus doth the Apostle pray for the Hebrews. The God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight. And Epaphras for the Collossians; that they might stand perfect, (Col. 4.12) and compleat in all the will of God.

← Chapter 16. Conrerning Deprecation of evill, with several Arguments to back our · Contents · Chapter 18. Of the several graces and duties injoyned in the first Commandment →

Footnotes

    1. The sanctification of our natures. Ez. 36.26.
    ↩

  2. Rom. 8.11 Act. 13.43 Col. 1.13 ↩

    1. Our inward man.
    ↩

  4. For our understandings. Rom. 12.2 1 Cor. 2.14 Rom. 16.19. ↩

  5. Our conscience. Heb. 9.14 ↩

  6. Our affections. Rom. 2.20 Colos. 3 2 Phil. 1.10. ↩

  7. Psal. 40.8 Joh. 5.30. ↩

  8. Our memories. ↩

  9. 2 Pet. 3.1. Deut. 8.11 ↩

  10. 2 Our outward man 1 Cor. 3.16 Rom. 12.1 ↩

  11. Rom. 6.13 19 ↩

  12. Ez. 36.26. Jer. […]1.33. Luk. 11.13 ↩

  13. 1 T[…]es. 4.3 ↩

  14. 2 The obedience of our lives. ↩

  15. Psal. 23.3. 2 Cor. 1.12 ↩

  16. 1 Pet. 2 21 ↩

  17. 1 Cor. 15·58. 1 Tim. 1.19 ↩

  18. Rom. 2.7. Gal. 6.9. Heb. 10.23 Heb. 13.9. Job 2.3. ↩

  19. 2 Cor. 9.8 1 Thes. 4.1 ↩

  20. Eph. 6.10 Phil. 1.11 ↩

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