Paul Baynes, Brief Directions Unto a Godly life, Chapter Fourteen, Prayer

14 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by memoirandremains in Biblical Counseling, Confession, Ministry, Paul Baynes, Praise, Prayer, Richard Sibbes

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Brief Directions Onto a Godly Life, Confession, Daniel 9, James 4:8, James 6:1, John 15:26, John 16:24, Paul Bayne, Paul Baynes, Petition, Praise, Prayer, Psalm 111, Psalm 116:5, Psalm 126:1-2, Psalm 51, Request, Revelation 3:10

The previous post in this series may be found here: https://memoirandremains.wordpress.com/2014/05/13/paul-baynes-brief-directions-unto-a-godly-life-chapter-thirteen-spiritual-armor/

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE OF PRAYER

Now to comes to those helps either by ourselves alone or other also (for the other kind shall have another place) there are prayer and reading.

Prayer is calling upon God according to his will. It has two parts, thanksgiving amd request. Whereunto is added to be confession of sins.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is that part of prayer in which we be comforted by some benefit, which in favor God bestows upon us, [and] are drawn to love and praise and show forth fruits thereof. In this direction there to be observed three things, and three motives onto them.

The first motivation is knowledge and due consideration of some particular benefit received or promised us. 1 Samuel 25:32, Genesis 24:27, Luke 17:15. Without these three can be no true and hearty thanks giving, howsoever and words there be a protestation for fashion’s sake.

The second is joy and gladness of heart, for the benefit which we think up or call to mind. Psalm 126:1-2. Except we find sweetness in the mercies, no duty of thanks can include sort be performed by them.

The third is a persuasion that the benefit for which we give thanks comes to us from God’s fatherly love. This is a far greater cause of gladness the benefit itself. Psalm 116:5

The Duty of Thanksgiving

The first duty is the continuance of our love to God. Psalm 126:1.

The second is a desire to set forth his glory and in words to profess and confess his goodness. For if we love the Lord, we cannot but be carried with this fervent desire to advance and magnify. Psalm 116:12, Psalm 111.

The third is a further preceding in obedience and walk worthy of his kindness. This is one if it be lacking from the rest, makes them all lame and main goodness odious to God as the mortlings which were offered to him and sacrifices. Deuteronomy 6:10 — 11, Psalm 50:16.

If in this manner we should frame ourselves to thankfulness, it must needs be a mighty and forcible means to mollify the hard heart and to hold under the sturdy corruptions of it^{^[1]}. So they may be subject to God, yea even went strong provocations to draw up to the contrary.
Confession

Thus much for Thanksgiving. Now for confession. Confession is an acknowledgment of ourselves to be guilty and worthily to deserve God’s wrath for our grievous offenses; together with a free and humble bewailing of them before God. [As for sins which are unknown, we confess them generally.] But those which we do know (according to the nature of them) particularly.

To the right practice of this, there are four things required:

The first, that we feel our sins odious and burdensome to us.

Secondly, that we accuse ourselves of them to God.

Thirdly, that we stand at his mercy, having deserved condemnation.

Fourthly, that we abase ourselves thereby, and so are weakened and our pride abated.

All these are in the confession of David, Psalm 51; of Daniel in Daniel 9; of the prodigal son in Luke 15:7.

Now this confession being from time to time often made onto God, will not suffer us to go far and live long in any sin. [Instead] hunt it out, before it be warm and nestled in us^{^[2]}. And therefore it must needs be of great force to strengthen us in a godly life.

Request

The last part of prayer is request. It is that part of prayer wherein we earnestly pour out our suits onto God, in contrition of heart, according to his will, with comfortable hope that through Christ we shall be heard, and therefore forsaking the sin which might hinder our suit.

The Duty of Requesting

In this duty also there are four things to be observed.

First, that we show this contrition of heart, by being pressed with feeling of our wants [that is what we lack, our], unworthiness, miserable estate, and manifold miseries, earnestly desiring to be pardoned and eased. 1 Samuel 1:15. Luke 18:3.

If this be so (as will soon follow upon right confession), we shall neither pray in lip labor which God abhors^{^[3]}; nor think ourselves too good to wait upon God’s leisure, if at first he grant not a request, but continue them as he commands.

But we ask only those things which we have a word for, and in such sort as he has promised them^{^[4]}. 1 John 5:14.

That we quicken ourselves^{^[5]} to come in faith and confidence in ofttimes to come cheerfully to this duty. James 6:1. John 16:24.

The Fruits of Requesting

Now to the end that we may come with cheerful the light onto this duty, let us consider the fruits which are especially three.

First, that by prayer we are made in a sort acquainted and familiar with God, and know his mind and will, and how he is affected to us, being admitted to speak to him. James 4:8, John 15:26, Revelation 3:10.

Secondly, that ot gives life to God’s graces in us, which before lay half dead. As we may see an example of Esther.

Thirdly, it reaches out to us in our greatest need, the good things and gifts of God which our-selves desire. Matthew 7:7.

A Final Note
The fourth and last property of prayer is that we bring not with us the sins which will turn away the ears of God from hearing us. Such are any sins not repented of, but laid in, secretly at the least, and not renounced. Proverbs 28:19, Psalm 7:4.

These are the parts of prayer which if they be reverently and humbly at joined together, as they ought, accompanied with the aforementioned properties; if we be fallen, they will raise us up; if we be heavy, they will comfort us; if we be dull, they will quicken us; they are a present remedy to the oppressed heart, preserver of the godly life, a giver of strength to the weak, a special means to make a man live in every estate wherein God has set him. Therefore prayer must needs be a strong and mighty help to the godly life for if we pray well, and keep ourselves in case fit to perform this duty, we shall not need fear in our life teeny great annoyance.

[1] To mollify a hard heart would be to make a hard heart soft. To hold under corruptions would be resist and force out corruptions.

[2] Discover and expose your own sins before you become comfortable with your sins.

[3] Bare outward formality, conduct without a true corresponding frame of heart, is condemned by God. Isaiah 1:12-14. The Puritans repeatedly condemned such formality. They rather commended “heart religion” (to use the phrase of John Wesley from the next century). “God requires the heart; and religion is most in managing and tuning the affections, for they are the wind that carries the soul to every duty. A man is like the dead sea without affections.” “The Spiritual Favorite”, by Richard Sibbes in vol. 6 of the collected works, page 97.

[4] Our prayers must be such as accord with the revelation of God in Scripture.

[5] Strengthen and make ourselves more alive.

Pearls, Rescue, Swords & Scoffers

31 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by memoirandremains in Bible Study, Jeremiah, Jude, Matthew

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1 John 5:16-17, Bible Study, Daniel 9, James 5:19-20, Jeremiah, Jeremiah 15:1-2, Jude, Jude 22-23, Matthew, Matthew 7:1-6, Proverbs, Proverbs 24:11-12, Proverbs 9:1-6

Proverbs 24:11-12:

11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?

Proverbs 9:1-6:

1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.

Jeremiah 15:1-2:

1 Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!
2 And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: “‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’

Matthew 7:1-6:

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

James 5:19-20:

19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

1 John 5:16-17:

16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life-to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.
17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

Jude 22-23:

22 And have mercy on those who doubt;
23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Daniel 9:3-19:

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.
8 To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.
9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him
10 and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.
12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem.
13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth.
14 Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.
15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.
17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.
18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.
19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”