KINGDOM OF HEAVEN TAKEN BY PRAYER 2/10 (WILLIAM HUNGINGTON)

 

Secondly, we repent with an evangelical repentance, that brings us towards God; not with a legal repentance only, such as Judas had, for that drives us from God. And, thirdly, we "worship God in spirit and in truth, for God seeks such worshippers to worship him," John iv. 23. To "worship God in the Spirit" shows that a man must be inspired, and approach God with a spiritual mind, with a spiritual understanding, 1 Cor. xiv. 15; with spiritual affections; and to pray as the Spirit operates on him, 2 Sam. vii. 27; and "gives him utterance," Acts ii. 4. "The words of his mouth must be the meditation of his heart," Psal. xix. 14. He must pray in spiritual faith, James, i. 6. He must plow in spiritual hope, Prov. xiii. 12. And in spiritual expectation, Hab. ii. 1. Yea, he must pray against everything of which the Spirit convinces him to be evil, 1 Cor. iv. 10. 

And he must pray for every blessing which the Spirit convinces him of the need of, Heb iv. 16. And he will find this blessed Spirit will help his weaknesses, and kindle a willing frame when he is reluctant; a fervent frame when he is lifeless; yea, a bold frame when he has cause to blush and take shame to himself, Dan. ix. 7-9. Yea, and a believing frame, to enable him to call Godfather, as the prodigal son did, even "when he was in a far country," Luke xv. 18. This blessed "Spirit makes intercession for us according to the will of God" is revealed in his word and never contrary to it, Rom. viii. 26, 27. 

To worship God in truth implies that a man prays for what he truly feels the want of, Matt. v. 6; and that he prays to the only true God, whom he hath a scriptural and an experimental knowledge of; that he, by the Spirit, sees how all the glorious attributes of God harmonize together in Christ Jesus, the true substance and sacrifice of all the ceremonial types, figures, and shadows. To worship God in truth, is to let our lips and our hearts go together, Prov. iii. 26; to pray against every sin and error that the Spirit points out to us; to pray for every blessing that God has promised to give, and to take a scriptural warrant for it; and so address God in his own language, Hosea xiv. 2. This is spiritual, and this is true worship; and, if my reader tries this way, he will find "the Spirit help his infirmities, and make intercession with groanings that cannot be uttered," even when he has grieved him. And, under the fervent influences of the Spirit's intercession, he will be brought to know the very thoughts of the Lord concerning himself, Psalm cxxxix. 17; and to "pour out his very soul before him, and shew him all his trouble," Psalm cxiix.2; and leave his burdens with him, Psalm lv. 22; like Hannah, that sweet female wrestler, when she went from her knees at Shiloh, with her blessed "countenance no more sad," 1 Sam. i. 18.  If my reader be a stranger to all that I have said about prayer he has never yet prayed; he may have read prayers, and have said his prayers; but he never yet prayed so as to prevail with God. God takes no more notice of lip prayers, than I do of a parrot that calls to me on the road when it neither knows what it says, nor whom it calls after.  

But perhaps I have offended my reader already, in dwelling too long on this important subject; if so, thou mayest easily get rid of me, by doing as some (who are called Christians) have done with my ARMINIAN SKELETON; that is, throw it into the fire. And, if thou wast so to do, thou wouldest not be the first that the devil has stirred up to burn the rolls of truth. Jehoiakim, king of Judah, did the same, Jer. xxxvi. 23. The smoking vengeance of God "upon himself, upon his seed, upon his servants, upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, was all the wages that he got for this impious contempt of God, Jer. xxxvi. 31.

However, as some have burnt my Skeleton, I have done as God commanded Jeremiah to do; that is, "I have written another," Jer. xxxvi. 28.  Had I been a private Christian, I might not have published the dealings of God with my soul to the world; for I do not find that many private Christians have written of their experience in the Scriptures, though there may be some: but a public minister ought to preach and write his own testimony, that his hearers may have the satisfaction of knowing that he is a "minister not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead," Gal. i. 1.  When a man preaches his own experience, it convinces the saints that the "Spirit of God is in him, as a well of water, springing up into everlasting life," John, ix. 14. And, as he speaks, this precious well keeps springing up to supply him with matter; as it is written, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him should receive," John, vii. 38, 39. On purpose to "refresh the bowels of the saints," Philemon, 7. When a man relates from the pulpit the operations, the sweet influences, and the soul-establishing testimony of the Spirit of Wisdom in his own soul, he gives the righteous an opportunity to try their testimony by his; and, when he establishes his own testimony by the Scriptures, they are led to establish theirs also; and, if he is a deceiver, they have a right to condemn him as such: but, if he has the Spirit of God, they will approve of him, and contend for the testimony of his faith. Thus Wisdom submits to the tribunal of her offspring; as it is written, "Wisdom Is justified of her children," Luke, vii. 35.  

When a minister does this he appears with honor, and ought to be feared as a "messenger of the Most High," Mal. ii. 7; or as the ambassador of God, Eph. vi. 20. And the inquiry ought to he "What saith my Lord to his servant?" or "What hath the Lord spoken?" or "Comest thou peaceably?" or "Is it peace?"  Thus a minister convinces us that his doctrine is not after man, nor of man's invention; for he proves to us that he learned it not of man, nor was he taught it at the schools, but that it came "by the revelation of Jesus Christ," Gal. i. 19.  A man's informing us from the pulpit that he was ordained by my Lord Bishop of nobody knows what ought to have no weight with us; for God tells us in his Word that there shall be no "lords over his heritage," 1 Pet. v. 3; but that the greatest apostle "shall be servant of all," Mark, x. 44. And, if he tell us that he has been ten, twenty, or thirty years in orders, we must pay no regard to that circumstance; for we read that the devil himself appears in holy orders: yea, he assumes the order of angels, who "are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who are heirs of salvation," Heb. i. 14. As it is written, "for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light," 2 Cor. xi. 14.  And it is plain, from Scripture, that the devil sends many ministers in the garb of holy orders: yea, he sent some in mock orders, even to mimic the apostles themselves; as it is written, "for such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ; and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed, &c. 

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works," 2 Cor. xi. 13-15 The Jewish Sanhedrim sent many scribes and rulers in their days, who knew nothing of Christ; as it is written, "Have any of the rulers believed on him?" John vii. 48. The pope of Rome has sent his thousands, and the devil ordained and sent the pope; as it is written, "And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority," Rev. xiii. 2. Jezebel, the witch, sent many prophets in her days; as you read, "Now therefore send and gather to me all Israel up to Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the grove four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table," 1 Kings, xviii. 19. Yea, and the devil appeared in the mouths of four hundred prophets at one time, to oppose good old Micaiah, the prophet of God; as you read, "Now, therefore, behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets," 1 Kings xxii. 23. You have their number in the 6th verse.  If a man shall tell us he came from Oxford, or from Cambridge it is not sufficient. Many have declared, at their ordination, that they were "inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost," who knew no more about that Holy Spirit than Nicodemus did when he thought a spiritual birth consisted in re-entering his mother's womb. Hence the Saviour's challenge, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" John, iii. 10. If the master was such a novice, what must the pupils be? There are many who have run from colleges and from academies, whom God never sent at all; and this they have loudly proclaimed, both by their lives and doctrine. Nay, a man may be sent out by a true church, as many are in our days, and yet never be sent of God as it is written, "And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration." 

The apostles commanded them to "look out among themselves seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost - (mark that!) - full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business:" and among the seven "they chose Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch," Acts vi. 1-5. The corrupt doctrines of Nicolas, and the corrupt lives of his followers, are left upon record in Rev. ii. 6 and 15; "so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."  It appears plain to me, from Scripture, that every peace officer must be a son of peace: "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you," John xiv. 27; "And into whatsoever house, ye enter say, Peace be unto this house," Matt. x. 13. If he is an ambassador, he ought to shew his commission; and, as a messenger, he ought to tell us where he got his message.  It is manifest that the Holy Ghost has left it on record who commissioned the prophets and apostles from the first to the last. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, the first public prophet, Jude, 14, is said to walk with God, which shows his union with him by the Spirit; and it is declared, that "before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God," Hob. xi. 5. Peter tells us that the Spirit of Jesus in Noah preached to the souls of the antediluvians - the "spirits that are now in the prison" of hell, "which were once disobedient, while the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah," 1 Pet. iii.19 until the patience of the Lord was tired out, and then God tells Noah "his Spirit should not always strive with man," Gen. vi. 3. The Scriptures tell us of God's call to Abraham, and of God himself declaring him a prophet to Abimelech, Gen. xx. 7. 

Moses tells us how "God appeared to him at the bush;" how he revealed himself and his name to him; the orders he gave him, and the success he had in executing those orders. Samuel tells us how the Lord made himself "known to him at Shiloh by his word? 1 Sam. iii. 21; and made it known to all Israel that Samuel "was established a prophet of the Lord," 1 Sam. iii. 20. You have also an account of Elisha's call from the ploughtail, and of the Lord's giving him "a double portion of his Spirit to rest upon him." Isaiah likewise informs you how he "saw the Lord high and lifted up;" and of the dreadful view he had of himself When he cried, "I am a man of unclean lips," Isa. vi. 5; how the life-giving coal from off the altar was laid on his tongue, to inspire it, and to take away his iniquity, and to purge him from guilt; how "the Lord instructed him with a strong hand; how he sent him to preach, and what his message was, Isa. vi. 9, 10. And the same prophet declares that "all God's children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be their peace," Isa. liv. 13. Ezekiel (chap. i. 11) tells you, also, how he was called and sent of God. The prophet Habakkuk tells you how God exercised him before he was sent; "O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save? why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?" Hab. i. 2, 3. The prophet tells what effect this had upon him; "When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered into my bones; and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble," Hab. iii. 16. He likewise informs you of praying, and then setting himself on his watch. "I will stand," says he, "upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it; for the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." And now it comes: "Behold, his soul that is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith," Hab. ii. 1 4. The prophet Jeremiah prefaces his book with the dealings of God with him thus; "Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Read Jeremiah i. 4-10.