A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first Epistle generall of John by ... John Cotton ...

1 JOHN 5.14, 15.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

VErs. 18. he had shewed a double soone of his writing; th•• atte•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that they might believe on the Name of the Son of God. This he exhorts Christians to, vers. 14, 15, 16. by three arguments.

1 From the confidence such may have of the hearing of their petitions, verse 1••4.

2 From the certain knowledge such may have that their prayers are granted.

3 From the prevalency of our prayers with God that as we shall be assu∣red of the granting of our petitions, so we shall thereby, obtain life for our Brother, that both not sinned a sin unto death.

Doct. A prayer that is made well, never speeds ill. Or thus,

A prayer made according to Gods will, God will grant according to our will.

Notable is that incouragement Christ gave to the Woman, Matth. 15.••6. O 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I great is thy faith, Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. As if God would let such into his privy treasury, and grant them what they would.

For explication.

Q What is it to pray according to Gods will? These two things it holds forth at the first view,

1. When we pray for such things as are agreeable to Gods will, viz. his revealed will, we should ask nothing but what he commands us. In the Lords prayer Christ tels us what he would have us pray for, for those things we have warrant to pray.

2. What ever we ask, we ought to ask with submission of our wills to Gods will. So did Christ himselfe, Matth. 26.39. Not as I will, but as thou wilt. But for further inlargement.

1. A man is said to pray according to Gods will, partly as his will is exprest in his word, and partly as his will is revealed in our hearts.

For the will of God exprest in his Word.

1. God requires that we should ask for nothing but what he commands us to doe, and therefore had need to pray for; whatever duty God requires of us, that we are to pray for. So did David, Psal. 119.4, 5.

2. Whatsoever we pray for, God commands us to ask it in the Name of Jesus Christ, Joh. 16.22, 23, 24.

To ask in the Name of Christ requires two graces of us, Humility and Faith.

Humility of spirit in prayer is exprest in four acts.

1. We acknowledge our selves lesse then the least of Gods mercies, Gen. 32.10. So that if God should grant him nothing, he would justifie God.

2. Another act of Humility, is to pray in sense of our insufficiency to think a good thought, much more to pray according to Gods will, 2 Cor. 3.8. Rom. 8.26.

3. A man prayes in Humility, when he doth not desire God to satis∣fie any of his sinfull lusts, but that Gods will may be done, Matth. 26. vers. 39.

4. To pray in Humility, is to make mention of no mediation in our prayers, but onely of Christ, Col. 2.18. They made a shew of Humility, as not being so bold as to have immediate accesse to God, therefore put up their prayers through the mediation of some Angell; but to goe lower then God allows, is but pride of heart.

2. To pray in the Name of Christ, is to pray in Faith. Which is exprest in four acts.

1. Faith directs us to put up our prayers onely to him on whom we believe, Rom. 10.14. But we believe only in God, therefore neither Saints, nor Angels, nor the Mother of Christ, the Virgin Mary, are to be prayed to, but we are to pray to our Father onely, Gal. 4.5, 6. Rom. 8.15.

2. Faith makes us come with some child like confidence to God as our Father.

1. By Faith we come to God as our heavenly Father in Christ, and well affected to Christ, as loving us himselfe, Joh. 16.36.

2. We come to him as a Father Almighty, full of goodnesse, readyer to give then we to ask.

3. A third act of faith is, for a man to come truly cleaving unto Christ, not standing in demurre, whether we had best leave our lusts or no, whether we had best become altogether Christians or no. This wavering cannot stand with faith, for it's such a wavering as whereby he is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a double-hearted man, an heart for God, and an heart for the world; sometimes for God, sometimes for his own lusts. Let not this man think he shall receive any thing. Jam. 1.6, 7, 8.

4. A fourth act of faith, is to believe that what we have asked ac∣cording to Gods will, he will certainly grant, Matth. 11.24. So far as you have asked with submission to his will, so far will he grant according to your

wills, and though he deferre, yet make account your prayers are heard, that he will either grant what you ask, or what he knows will be better for you, and as welcome to you, for God looks not so much at the petition as at the end you aim at in opportuning such a blessing, and that he will grant even when he seems to deny us our petitions, Heb. 5 9. Christ was heard in that he pray∣ed for. Why, how was he heard? did he not drink of the cup he prayed a∣gainst? Yes, yet he was heard:

1. Christs will was that his Fathers will might be fulfilled, not his; in this he was heard.

2. It's said he was heard in that he feared, though he did drink of the cup, yet he was saved from those fears and terrors that overwhelmed him.

3. The main end of Christ was, that his Church might be redeemed, which God granted; so God granted the end of his petition, though not the thing it self. So Moses prayed earnestly that he might goe over and see the good Land, God told him he should not goe over, yet God let him see that good Land as well as if he had gone over. If we submit our wills to Gods will, and pray in humility and faith, make account God seriously ponders the aime of your hearts in begging such a mercy, and though he seems to crosse such your petitions, and to delay them, yet he knows how to grant the end of your petiti∣ons by other means then you conceive, even then when God is displeased with our weake and unworthy prayers, as he was with Moses, Deut. 3.22, to 28 Yet then he knows how to grant what we aimed at. And this magnifies the name of Christ, that though in our own name we should never find acceptance yet in Christs name he will grant our petitions.

2. We pray according to the will of God, when we pray according to his will revealed in our hearts, in the spirit of him that prayes, Jude v. 20. Eph. 6.18. Now we pray according to Gods will revealed in the Spirit.

1. When the Spirit raiseth our hearts to reach forth sensibly with long∣ings and breathings after the blessings we want. Thus Hannah poured forth her soul unto God, 1 Sam. 1.15. She exprest not so much in words, as in the reaching and breathing of her spirit after the blessing she prayed for. So Isa. 26.9. With my soul within me have I desired thee; as if there were ano∣ther Spirit in his spirit. When we pray in a further measure of strength then our own hearts could reach to, such a prayer is of the Spirit.

1. When we pray with fervency and earnestnesse, Jam. 5.16. This is that which is called wrestling and striving with God, Rom. 15.30. When our hearts are so set on Gods favour, as they will not let goe, till we have prevail∣ed, Gen. 32.10, & 24, 25, 26. expounded, Hos. 12.4.

3. We pray in the Spirit, when we persevere in praying and are impor∣tunate with God, Luk. 18.1, to 10. This is expressed by the importunity of the Widow that prevailed with the unjust Judge: Shall a sinfull Judge, a mortall man be prevailed with by the importunity of a poor Widow, and will not God much more avenge his elect that cry to him day and night? You may think God regards not your prayers, but the poor Widow did not more trouble this Judge, then God is troubled with your prayers, so that he can∣not rest untill he have fulfilled your desires. To the same purpose, Luk. 11.5, to 11. Though God seem to be asleep, yet if you continue knocking, God will open unto you; therefore when you have a good petition in hand, never give over but pray continually, and watch thereunto, Eph. 6.18. till he answer. To what end doth he call it knocking, but to imply that our prayers make as much noyse in heaven, as men doe by knocking at our doores? Matth. 7.7: So the woman of Syrophaenicia, she knocked and continued knocking, and would not have a denyall, so that Christ answers her, O woman! great is thy faith, be it unto thee as thou wilt: As if he were overwrestled by her importunity, to grant her petitions.

Reas. 1. Because when we pray according to Gods will, he fulfills his own will when he grants our petitions. It's Gods will that we should pray so, now Gods will must be fulfilled.

2. Because when we pray according to the will of God, in the Name of Christ, our prayer is Christs prayer; as if you send a childe or servant to a friend for any thing in your name, the request is yours, and he that denyes your childe or servant in this case, denyes you; so no more can God deny a prayer put up in Christs name, then he can deny Christ himself, Joh. 16.23, 24.

Reas. 3. From the intercession of the Spirit in such a prayer; no prayer put up in the manner aforesaid, but is the prayer of the holy Ghost, and God knows the meaning of his Spirit, Rom. 8.26. God knows our prayers would be weake and cold, except there were another Spirit besides our own; if there∣fore he discern his own Spirit in our prayers, he cannot deny his Spirit; nay further, as the Spirit makes intercession for us, so Christ himselfe prayes for us, Rom. 8.34. He takes up all our prayers for us as the great Master of requests, and he doth so perfume them, and take out all weaknesse out of them, that he presents them as a sweet odour to God, Rev. 8.3. Even as if a younger Brother should goe and gather a Posie for his Father, he out of igno∣rance gathers many weeds withall, but his elder Brother takes it, and pulls out all the weeds, and perfumes the flowers with sweet water, and then presents it to his Father in his Brothers name: so Christ sees many sinfull weaknesses in our prayers, but he takes away all unsavourinesse, and perfumes them, and so pre∣sents them to God, and he accepts them.

Ʋse 1. As ever we desire that our selves or ours should speed well, let both our selves and ours learn to pray well, you have enough if you can but pray wel, you can but speake and have, desire and it shall be granted, open thy mouth wide and God will fill it; as long as you have an heart opened to pray, you shall want no blessings, therefore above all blessings beg of God a spirit of pray∣er. Now that you may pray well.

1. Take heed that you be not of a wavering double minde, Jam. 1.6, 7, 8. partly for God, partly for our selves; pray with a single heart, Act. 11.21. that is,

• 1. Give up your hearts wholly to God.
• 2. Be carefull to keep all Gods commandements, for as we hearken to Gods commandements, so will he hearken to our prayers; if we observe his words, he will observe ours.

2. Have respect to pray according to Gods will in Faith and Hu∣mility.

Ʋse 2. For them that doe pray according to Gods will, be assured that God will grant your petitions according to your wills, God hath spoken it, and therefore he will not deny it. Notable is that place, Dan. 9.23. & ch. 10.12. At the beginning of his supplication the commandement came forth, only God was bringing it about in the Court of Persia. The King oft-times grants a petition the first day it is put up, but it must passe many hands before it come to the subject; so the very first day we put up a lawfull prayer, God grants it, there be many means to bring it about, which we must waite for.

Doct. Such as do believe on the name of Christ for salvation, may come to have confidence and knowledge of the hearing and having all their petitions.

For explication.

How do these two great benefits, confidence and knowledge of granting our prayers, spring from what St. John hath written in this Epistle?

Answ. Five things concur to this confidence, and all of them insisted upon by St. John in this Epistle.

1. Our adoption exprest by St. John, ch. 3.1. He wonders at the admirable love of God, not only indebasing of himselfe to behold things here below, as David did, Psal. 113.4, to 8. but in looking on us poor earth-wormes, and raising us up to be Sons and daughters to God: So that this is the first ground of our confidence in prayer, viz. our adoption, that we are Sons of God, Gal. 4.5, 6. Rom. 8.15. To whom may a Son come more boldly then to his Fa∣ther? And what assures him more of the grant of his petitions, then that he is his Son?

2. Christs advocation breeds confidence in us, 1 Joh. 2.1, 2••. Christ pleads with his Father on our behalfe for the hearing our petitions, and for the granting of what we want. An Advocate puts the petition, that it may be was rudely drawn by a man, into a form of Law, and so it holds currant in Law; so doth Christ with our prayers, he puts them into a right form and so pleads for us.

2. The atonement or propitiation of Christ, is another cause of confidence, 1 Joh. 2.2. So that whereas many a Christian may be afraid that his prayers shall never be heard, he is so sinfull and unclean; Why, (saith St. John) If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, and he is the propitiation for our sins. He is not onely an Advocate but a propitiation, to make atonement for our sins, that they shall not hinder our acceptance.

4. The anoyntment of the Spirit, whereby we know all things, 1 Joh. 3.20. is a ground of much confidence, that though we be blind and dull, and know not what God doth for us in our prayers, or how they speed in heaven; why, Christ like an Advocate sends down his Spirit, and lets us know how all things speed. This unction teacheth us all things, 1 Cor. 2.12.

Q. How doth the Spirit certifie us of the hearing of our petitions?

1. By helping us to pray; for we know our own hearts are dead and straight, not able to put up any good prayer, if therefore the Spirit come like oyl, and make us pray affectionately, and sensibly, we know a prayer well made cannot speed ill, a prayer made by Gods Spirit cannot but be heard, for God knows the meaning of his Spirit, Rom. 8.26.

2. This Spirit puts in us a perswasion of faith, that what we pray for God will answer, Matth. 11.23, 24. And so God gives us an Amen in our hearts. Psal. 6.8. David was in a sore tryall and affliction, he prayes to God then, Vers. 8. Away from me all ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping. In the midst of his mourning, this unction fills him with a perswasion of the granting of his prayers; and so God often times satisfies the heart of a Christian with this perswasion. Hannah when she had poured out her spirit before God, and Eli had said to her, The Lord grant thy petition thou askest of him: Why, she took this as a voyce from heaven, and so she went away comfortably, and she feared that petition no more, 1 Sam. 1.16, 17.

2. There is another act of faith besides perswasion, and that is a con∣stant wrestling against all discouragements which come betwixt us and our pray∣ers; famous is that example of the woman of Syrophaenicia, Matth. 15, 26, 27, 28. If the holy Ghost doth but give us so much resolution, as not to be overwearyed with d fficulties, then Be it unto thee thou wilt.

3. This Spirit works as a Spirit of hope, and this stirs us up to wait patient∣ly on God, till he answer; our carnall spirits would be ready to say, Wherefore should I wait on the Lord any longer, as that wicked King did, but now a spirit of hope waits on God, till God shall give an answer of peace, Psal. 85.8. Psal. 130. 2 last vers. When God gives us spirits to wait on him, he seals up unto us the grant of our petitions. A wise Prince if a petition be put up that is lawfull and he bid me wait for it, I count it granted: so if I put up a pray∣er, and God give me an heart to wait for it, I make account he will grant it.

4. This Spirit is a Spirit of fear, Psal. 145.9. Dost thou walk in thy Christi∣an course depending upon Christ, reverencing his name and Ordinances? Why, God will fulfill the desires of them that fear him, Jer. 32.40. And so he keeps covenant with us. If God give us an awefull reverent heart, that keeps us from departing from God, and God from departing from us, then the Lord will be neer when we call upon him, and this is from the unction of the Spirit which make us profit in all our wayes, Isa. 11.2, 3.

5. This is a Spirit of obedience, and that gives us good assurance of the hea∣ring of our petitions, 1 Joh. 3.21. For as we hearken to God, so God hearkens to us, Prov. 28.9. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law, his prayer shall be abominable. But if you hearken to God, God will hearken to you, Judg. 9.7. If we say, Speake Lord, for thy servant heareth, 1 Sam. 3.5. then what we speake God will hear. An obedient Christian is a powerfull petitioner, mighty in prayer.

6. From the root of confidence, which springs partly from Gods nature, partly from faith in Christ, partly from the unction of the Spirit; now for those things we see many promises belong to us, our adoption assures us of Gods Na∣ture, that he is a mercifull Father; our Father assures us that Christ is our Ad∣vocate; the unction of the Spirit breeds in us experience that we have the Son, that we are Sons; it assures us of our election, vocation, and salvation; and if it assure us of greater matters, then much more of the grant of our prayers, Rom. 8.32. But now knowledge is a further work, knowledge springs either from sense or experience? Now then this unction of the Spirit which gives us experience, not only gives us confidence, but knowledge, that our prayers are heard, Eph. 3.19. This Spirit of God in our hearts, gives us both sensible and experimentall knowledge of Gods favour, and breeds certain knowledge of the hearing and having our petitions granted; hearing, that is, of Gods accepting them, Verba sensus cum affectu, & effectu sunt intelligenda; and having, that is, of the performing and fulfilling of our desires, chiefly of the ends and aims of our prayers.

Ʋse 1. Serves to take off our hearts from confidence in any worldly thing, and incourages them to believe on the name of Jesus Christ; why, because hence you shall not only be assured of salvation, (which yet is more then all the tra∣vails, and p lgrimages, and devotions of our Fore-fathers could reach unto) but by believing on the Name of Christ, you shall have confidence that all your prayers are heard.

Ʋse 2. For them that doe believe in Christ, here is a method, whereby they may be assured of the granting their petitions.

1. Make sure your adoption, for that breeds much assurance in prayer.

2. Meditate much on Christ, that Christ is your Advocate▪ and atonement for your sins.

3. Labour for a Spirit of faith, and hope, and fear, and obedience, and so you shall grow up to confidence and knowledge that your prayers are gran∣ted. Many a Christian falls short of this confidence, because he considers not who helps him to make his prayers, who makes intercession for him, or else he is wanting in some of those graces, and so his prayers are full of doubt∣ings.

Ʋse 3. Of consolation to all that believe on Christ; why, This is our con∣fidence, that whatsoever we ask according to Gods will, he heareth us. How com∣fortable then is the condition of a beleever? Be his estate never so miserable, his wants never so great, if he can but pray well, he may goe on comfortably.