William Gurnall: The Christian in Complete Armour

The Inward Principle of Prayer.

 

‘In the Spirit.’

 

[To pray in the spirit, we must have KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING.]

 

1. To pray acceptably, or in the spirit, it is required that we pray with knowledge and understanding.

A blind sacrifice was rejected in the law, Malachi 1:8; much more are blind devotions under the gospel. As knowledge aggravates a sin, so ignorance takes from the excellency of an action that is good: ‘I bear them witness,’ says Paul, ‘they have a zeal, but not according to knowledge.’ The want of an eye disfigures the fairest face, the want of knowledge the devoutest prayer: ‘You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews,’ John 4:22, where we see what a fundamental defect the want of knowledge is in acts of worship, such as brings damnation with it.

 

Question First. But why is knowledge so requisite to acceptable praying?

 

Answer First. Because without this it is not a ‘reasonable service;’ for we know not what we do. God calls for ‘reasonable service,’ Romans 12:1, which some oppose to the legal sacrifices. They offered up beasts to God; in the gospel we are to offer up ourselves. Now the soul and spirit of a man is the man. Why did not God lay a law on beasts to worship him, but because they have not a rational soul to understand and reflect upon their own actions? And will God accept that service and worship from man, wherein he does not exercise that faculty that distinguishes him from a beast? ‘Show yourselves men,’ says the prophet to those idolaters, Isaiah 46:8. And truly he that worships the true God ignorantly is brutish in his knowledge as well as he that prays to a false god.

 

Answer Second. Because the understanding is the leading faculty of the soul, and so the key of the work. The inward worship of the heart is the chief. Now, the other powers of the soul are disabled if they want this their guide which holds the candle to them. As for those violent passions of seeming zeal, sorrow, and joy, which sometimes appear in ignorant worshippers and their blind devotions, they are spurious. Christ’s sheep, like Jacob’s, conceive by the eye.

 

1.     The saint’s eye is enlightened to see the majesty and glorious holiness of God, and then it reveres him, and mourns before him in the sense of his own vileness: ‘Now my eye sees you, wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes,’ Job 42:6.

2.     Again, by an eye of faith he beholds the goodness and love of God to poor sinners in Christ, and in particular to him, and this eye affects his heart to love and rely on him, which it is impossible the ignorant soul should do.

 

Question First. But you will say, what is necessary for the praying soul to know?

 

Answer First. There is required a knowledge that he to whom he directs his prayer is the true God. Religious worship is an incommunicable flower in the crown of the deity, and that both inward and outward. We are religiously to worship him only, who, by reason of his infinite perfections, deserves our supreme love, honour, and trust. He must have the crown that owes the kingdom. ‘The kingdom and power’ are God’s. Therefore ‘the glory’ of religious worship belongs to him alone, Matthew 6:13. Angels are the highest order of creatures, but we are forbid to ‘worship any of the host of heaven,’ Deuteronomy 17:3. ‘Who would not fear You, O King of nations? for to You it does appertain’—where fear is put for religious worship, as appears by the circumstance of the place. The want of this knowledge filled the heathen world with idolatry. For, where they found any virtue or excellency in the creature, presently they adored and worshipped it, like some ignorant rustic, who coming to court, thinks every one he sees in brave clothes to be the king.

 

Answer Second. There is required a knowledge of this true God, what his nature is. ‘He that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,’ Hebrews 11:6. It is confessed, a perfect knowledge of the divine perfections is incomprehensible by a finite being. He answered right who said—when asked what is God?—if I knew, I myself would be God. None indeed knows God thus but God himself; yet a Scripture knowledge of him is necessary to the right performance of this duty. The want of understanding his omniscience and infinite mercy, is the cause of vain babbling, and a conceit to prevail by long prayers, which our Saviour charges upon the heathen, and prevents in his disciples by acquainting them with these attributes, Matthew 6:7, 8. They came rather to inform God than to beg. The ignorance of his high and glorious majesty is the cause why so many are rude and slovenly in their gesture, so saucy and irreverently familiar with God in their expressions. We are bid to ‘be sober, watching unto prayer.’ Truly there is an insobriety in our very language, when we do not clothe the desires of our hearts with such humble expressions as may signify the awe and dread of his sacred majesty in our hearts. In a word, the reason why men dare come reeking out of the adulterous embraces of their lusts, and stretch forth their unwashed hands to heaven in prayer—whence is it? —but because they know not God to be of such infinite purity as will have no fellowship with the workers of iniquity? ‘You thought that I was altogether such an one as yourself,’ Psalm 50:21.

 

Answer Third. We must understand the matter of our prayers, what we beg, what we deprecate. Without this we cannot in faith say amen to our own prayers, but may soon ask that which neither becomes us to desire, nor is honourable for God to give. This Christ rebuked, when she in the gospel put up her ambitious request for her children to be set one at the right the other at the left hand of Christ in his kingdom. God never gave us leave thus to indite our own prayers by the dictate of our private spirit, but has bound us up to ask only what he has promised to give.

 

Answer Fourth. There is required a knowledge of the manner how we are to pray; as, in whose name, and what qualifications are required in the prayer and person praying. We find Paul begging prayers, ‘that you strive together with me in your prayers.’ In another place he tells us of a lawful striving, 2 Timothy 2:5. There is a law of prayer which must be observed, or we come at our own adventure. Even in false worship they go by some rule in their addresses to their gods. Therefore those smattering Samaritans, when a plague was on them, concluded the reason to be because they ‘knew not the manner of the god of the land,’ 2 Kings 17:26. The true God will be served in due order, or else expect a breach.

 

A word or two for application of this branch.

 

[Use or Application.]

 

Use First. How few then pray in the spirit!

Were this the only character to try many by, would they not be cast over the bar for mere babblers? As, first, those in the Popish church, where most know not a word what they say in prayer. If it be such a weakness to subscribe a petition to a king, or to a parliament, which we never read or understood, what shall we then think of such brutish prayers as these sent to heaven and indorsed with an ignoramus on the back of them? Yea, amongst ourselves, many, who though they pray in their mother language, yet are as ignorant as to the matter of their prayers; how else could they patter over the creed and commandments with their blind devotion instead of prayers? Are there more deplored ruins of mankind to be found among the Indians than such? Yea, when they join with their minister in prayer, neither know that God to whom the prayer is directed, nor the Mediator under the favour of whose name it is presented. Before Nebuchadnezzar could bless God, he had the understanding of a man given him, which these yet want. Do you not think such ignorant wretches as these might be easily persuaded to kneel before an image gaudily dressed up, or to put their letter into some angel or saint's hand for despatch, being made to believe that it will find a kinder welcome by the mediation of such favourites? O what a darkness is there even at this day upon the face of our waters! on which, had but the pope’s instruments opportunity to sit brooding awhile, they might soon bring their desired work to a perfection among the multitude of ignorant souls that are amidst us! We see there is need not only to stir up our people to pray, or else we send them before they have learned their errand, as if we should call a child to read before he hath learned his letters.

 

Use Second. It speaks to all that are at any time the mouth to God for others in prayer, so to pray, that those who join with them may clearly understand what they put up to God for them. Who is more to be blamed—he that prays in an unknown tongue, or he that with such uncouth phrases and high-flown expressions as are not understood by half the company? Suppose your own spirit prays, as the apostle says, yet your understanding is unfruitful unto them. They, alas! are at a loss, and stand gazing, as the disciples did when the cloud parted Christ from them. Either come down from thy high towering expressions, or help them up to you. They may say of you as those of Moses, ‘We know not what is become of the man.’ No wonder if, while they cannot keep sight of the matter in hand, that their thoughts rove and dance about some object of their own framing. Do you pray to be admired for your rouling tongue, height of gifts, or the like? Perhaps you may have this your reward of some ignorant ones, and others that would as fain commend themselves upon the same account; but consider what a low and base end you propound in so high a service, unworthy of a Christian’s thought. What! no net to fish with for your credit and applause but a sacred ordinance! The whip which Christ made in the gospel belongs to your back. Our blessed Saviour, that was all on fire with zeal to see his house of prayer made a house of merchandise, O how does his soul loathe the baseness of your mercenary spirit, who does the same, though in another dress!