Sermon #9
Pullquote
Petition is that part of divine worship, which most particularly claims the name of prayer. — In this we call to view our many both temporal and spiritual wants and ask of God a supply. For this we have great encouragement in the word of God, (Ex. 34:6) both from his nature, and his promises; from his nature, because he hath proclaimed himself the Lord, the Lord God, (Ezek. 36:26) merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth.
Comment
This appears to be another sermon which Jonathan Fisher judged a success, since he preached it nine times to the cosmopolitan audiences around Boston , as well as the more rustic folks encountered on his circuit to the Eastern Frontier in Bluehill, downeast in the District of Maine.
After laying down a Scriptural foundation for prayer, Fisher urged his hearers to faithful, constant thanksgiving and petitionary prayer. He provided practical, pastoral advice to people of various vocations and ages, including this warning and exhortation to the young:
2. I next address /myself/to you , who are in the bloom of life, you who are in the flower of your youth. Here I would remark that your age is an age of peculiar temptation. — If you have passions, they will show themselves now. While your veins are full of blood, while health sits smiling on your cheeks, while strength and vigor braces your nerves, you have too much inclination to put far away the day of death, and to give up yourselves to many youthful amusements… This being your case, you have peculiar need of direction, and to whom shall I send you for this, rather than to God? He is a guide always at hand; in the very moment of danger; when no other friend is near, you may look to him for assistance. — Make God your friend, and you will find him such a friend, as will not desert you in your troubles, as many other friends will.
Father Fisher was remembered as a stern, severe figure to the children Bluehill. But, he also exhibited tender, pastoral concern for his students at home, in the Church, and at the Academy:
To be plain with you, and to deal with you, as those whose souls are dear to me, let me recommend the following practices. — When you awake in the morning, do not fail to breath out before God some pious ejaculations; endeavor to make use of decent and reverential language; do not fall into a cold formality in your devotions, beware of this, but at the same time avoid that confusion and distraction, which arises from a too hasty and careless manner of praying. — At night also, before you close your eyes to sleep, revolve in your mind the occasions of the day, think wherein you had done amiss, and ask forgiveness of God; thank /him/ for the favors you have received at his hands, and pray … You would do well to on every important occasion to go to God for assistance and direction. — Are you preparing for a journey, pray him to preserve you, and return you in safety. — Are you about to make [choice?] of a partner for life; to enter those tender connections from which much of our comfort in the present life arises, in which sorrows are divided, and joys are doubled by participation, are you about to do this, what can be more proper than to go to God for a blessing?
Transcription
Sermon 9
N.9
Jonathan Fisher April 23. 1794
Prayer
Princeton May 18th.. A.M. 1794
Bluehill July 13th. A.M. 1794.
Penobscot August 24 A.M. 1794
Malden December. 14 A.M. 1794
Ashby January 4th A.M. 1795
Brookline March 15th A.M. 1795
Bedford April 12. A.M. 1795
Dedham April 19. A.M. 1795
Needham April 26. A.M. 1795
1.
Num. 9. Jonathan Fisher 1794.
63 Psalm F&B. 5 Psalm Watts.
7 Hymn Sm. [Wsl?] 65 — Com. M. 1 [ ]
Prayer.
‘Aδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθε
1. Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Prayer is a duty, which we may reasonably suppose is in some sense incumbent upon all rational, dependent beings. — In angels it is probably no more than a humble, careful desire that the will of God may be done; that his name may be glorified, and their happiness continued. — To man, who is a fallen sinful creature, and an object 2. of pity and compassion, it is /a/ duty of the first importance; a duty, which should employ no small part of his attention. — Prayer in its strictest sense means petition & intercession, for the aski/ng/ of favours for ourselves and others, of some being, who has power and who/se/ right it is to bestow. — But taken in its larger and more general sense, it includes several other acts of divine worship. — These, after talking upon the matter of prayer, I shall endeavor to treat of in order.
1. Of the nature of prayer. — It is a duty, which naturally arises from dependency; and its obligation is in proportion to the greatness of the favor sought and the degree of dependency upon him, of whom it 3. is sought— It supposes the being of whom the favor is requested, under no obligation from the person requesting, to bestow it — it is a duty arising from that gradation and subordination, which runs through the universe; which makes it very proper that the inferior should look up to the superior, that the lower orders of being should acknowledge their subjection to the higher; and we may here observe, that it has a tendency to mortify and subdue that pride, which was the fall of angels and man, and which naturally aims at the destruction of the order and harmony of nature — 4.
2. We will now turn our attention to the several acts of devotion, which are included in the general idea of prayer.
The most distinguishable of these are invocation, adoration, confession, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and ascription.
1. Intercession is the act of calling upon God, which properly introduces our prayers. In this we humbly make mention of the name of God, and ask his attention to what we are about to speak in his presence. We call upon him to lend a gracious ear to our petitions; “Hear my cry, O God, says the Psalmist, attend unto my prayer.”[1] And that [conf?] form of prayer left by Christ to his disciples begins thus, “Our Father, who art in heaven.” [2] This invocation 5. betokens a mutual attention in us to the Being whom we address, and to what we are about to speak before him; and in God to the requests his creatures are about to make.
2. Adoration, is an act of divine worship, wherein we make mention of God’s greatness and excellency, and call to mind his titles and attributes, that we may have reverential and adoring thoughts of him while we pray. — We call to view his omniscience; that he perfectly knows all our thoughts, whether we bring him the [ ] of the wicked, which is an abomination, or our [object] to worship him, he is a spirit, in spirit and truth. — We call to view his omnipresence, too; that he is [even] with us, and that with prayer; being able and ready to grant us whatever we need, if we ask in faith; or 6. to punish us, if we mock him with a solemn [sound] upon a thoughtless thing. The tendency of this part of divine worship is to bring our souls into a suitable frame to proceed in our prayers.
3. Confession is that part of prayer, wherein we make mention of our sins; our vileness and unworthiness. — In this we lay open our souls before God, acknowledging our natural perverseness; and our daily aggravated offenses. — In this we cast our eyes back with shame and contrition on our past follies; viewing them in their odious nature, and feeling their weight upon our souls, that thus we may be willing to come weary and heavy laden to Jesus that we may find rest.
7. 4. Petition is that part of divine worship, which most particularly claims the name of prayer. — In this we call to view our many both temporal and spiritual wants and ask of God a supply. For this we have great encouragement in the word of God, (Ex. 34:6 right margin) both from his nature, and his promises; from his nature, because he hath proclaimed himself the Lord, the Lord God, (Ezek. 36:26 right margin) merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth.[3] — From his promises, because he hath said, “A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away thy stoney heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, 8. and ye shall keep my judgments and do them.”[4] — And after a multitude of other promises he adds, “I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them.”[5] — Our Savior gives us ample encouragement when he says, “Ask, and ye shall receive, seek, (Mat. 7:7 left margin) and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”[6] — Here let me add, that if we hope for an answer, then faith must go hand in hand with our petitions. — “If any (James 1:5 left margin) man lacks wisdom, says the apostle James, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him; but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.[7] — the prayer of (5:15 left margin) faith, says the same apostle, shall save the sick.[8] — – – –
9.5. Intercession is pleading with God in behalf of others. — Jesus, who is our advocate with the Father, intercedes for us in heaven; so ought we also to intercede for one another. — In this part of devotion [ ] Ù // can I recommend to you as a brighter example than Moses? Cast? your eyes over his travels through the wilderness, and see how affectionately he often pleads with God for the children of Israel. And Moses returned (Exo. 32:31 right margin) unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold; yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin; – – and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book, which thou hast written.[9] — 10. (Num. 14:13 to 19 left margin) See also how earnestly he pleads for them, after their murmuring at the report of the spies. He begs that God would pardon them; and for our encouragement it is thus recorded; And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word.[10] What further motives have we need to induce us to perform this benevolent office, than we already have? Look around you, my friends, and see how many individuals, yea, how many nations are perishing in their sins! Have ye any pity; have ye any bowels of compassion?[11] Do ye feel a spark of love enkindling in your hearts? Tis enough; 11. This will induce you to fly to the throne of grace and plead for your brethren of mankind!
6. Thanksgiving is a grateful return for the favors of God, and should form a very conspicuous trait in our prayers. — Some have even held forth that our addresses to God should consist principally, if not wholly of thanksgiving. — This they do from a principle, that, as God is unchangeable, our petitions can be of no avail. — But this is carrying the matter much further than we have authority from the word of God. — But still the debt of gratitude we owe to God is greater than we can ever completely pay. — So constantly praying and being discharged, we are indebted still. 12. It is from God that we derive our existence, and existence alone is a blessing, if we do not voluntarily make it a curse. — Who is there living, unless in the agonies of remorse, that would accept the offer of annihilation? The soul even shudders at the thought! To have this vital spark within us quenched, to sink into an eternal sleep, a sleep not blest with one [cheerful?] dream; to give up all future converse with the wonders around us; to lose this consciousness, which makes me myself, and not another, who can endure the idea! Who can contemplate it without horror! Yes existence is a blessing, which demands, while existence 13. remains, a return of gratitude. — Who hath formed the ear, by which we are so often ravished with the melody and harmony of sounds? It is God; and for this we should give him thanks. — Who hath formed the eye, that most noble organ of sensation, which conveys such pleasures to the soul, and furnishes the imagination with so many enchanting scenes? It is God, and for this we should praise him. — Who hath given the soul her astonishing faculties, wherewith she can soar to such an amazing height in the invisible world? It is God, and for this we will bless his holy name. — And lastly, who hath surrounded us with such a vast variety of subjects, upon which 14. these our faculties may operate? This also is the work of God. O let our souls overflow with gratitude and love. — And after all this, what shall we say of the work of redemption? We are lost, we are overwhelmed in the boundless ocean of God’s goodness!— What say you now, my friends, after all this do we see no cause for thanksgiving in our prayers? Then our hearts are of stone.—
7. Ascription is commonly the closing part of our prayers; in this after calling upon God for audience and acceptance, after bringing our souls into a reverential frame, and confessing our sins and pleading for pardon, after interceding for our fellow creatures, 15. and giving thanks to God for his goodness, in this we ascribe to him the kingdom, power, and glory; in this we resign all to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, leaving all in their hands of our merciful creator, that he may do with us as seemeth good in his sight, and that God may be all in all.
In what remains, my Christian friends, I will endeavor to lay before you some plain directions respecting the important duty, of which we have been treating; these directions I will endeavor to suit in some measure to your ages and situations, and intermix them with motives to engage your to the practice.
16.
1. Little children, you that are in the bud of life, I first address myself to you. Do you think that you are too young to pray? No. Almost as soon as you can speak, it is time to begin. Do you ask, how shall we pray? If you have pious parents, they will teach you. At night before you lie down to sleep, they will doubtless repeat to you some short prayers and hymns of praise; and when they do this, you should listen to them with carefulness, you cannot think of what advantage it will be to you; you should commit these prayers and hymns to memory with diligence, and I dare say you will sometime have occasion to be thankful for it.
But what if your parents do not instruct you? Cannot you think of something of yourselves to pray for? And something 17. for which you have reason to give thanks? When you awake in the morning, ask yourselves what you shall need in the course of the day. You will soon see that you need food to eat, clothing to put on, and that God should preserve your health, and keep you from sin; you should then ask him for these blessings. And have you nothing to thank him for? Yes. How many lie down well at night and are sick or dead before morning? If you be well, when you awake, you should thank God that you are not sick; and if you be sick, you should thank him that you are alive. When you lie down at night you should also pray and give thanks, and you /may/ do this in your mind, you may pray in your heart, God can easily hear you and understand you; and if you be sincere he will bless you. —
18.
2. I next address /myself/to you , who are in the bloom of life, you who are in the flower of your youth. Here I would remark that your age is an age of peculiar temptation. — If you have passions, they will show themselves now. While your veins are full of blood, while health sits smiling on your cheeks, while strength and vigor braces your nerves, you have too much inclination to put far away the day of death, and to give up yourselves to many youthful amusements, which to you perhaps appear innocent, but may lead you into a fatal [sh…?]. To you at this age, vice appears in her most alluring dress; you have too great a [flow] of spirits not to notice her; and in general too little experience to discern under what [false] colors she appears. —
19.
This being your case, you have peculiar need of direction, and to whom shall I send you for this, rather than to God? He is a guide always at hand; in the very moment of danger; when no other friend is near, you may look to him for assistance. — Make God your friend, and you will find him such a friend, as will not desert you in your troubles, as many other friends will. — To be plain with you, and to deal with you, as those whose souls are dear to me, let me recommend the following practices. — When you awake in the morning, do not fail to breath out before God some pious ejaculations; endeavor to make use of decent and 20. reverential language; do not fall into a cold formality in your devotions, beware of this, but at the same time avoid that confusion and distraction, which arises from a too hasty and careless manner of praying. — At night also, before you close your eyes to sleep, revolve in your mind the occasions of the day, think wherein you had done amiss, and ask forgiveness of God; thank /him/ for the favors you have received at his hands, and pray for a con[ ] of his goodness. — You would do well to on every important occasion to go to God for assistance and direction. — Are you preparing for a journey, pray him to preserve you, and return you in safety. — Are you 21. about to make [choice?] of a partner for life; to enter those tender connections from which much of our comfort in the present life arises, in which sorrows are divided, and joys are doubled by participation, are you about to do this, what can be more proper than to go to God for a blessing? — Believe me, my young friends it is the wisest course you can take, and you will not do it in vain.—
3. In the third place I address myself to the middle aged. — As youth is an age of temptation, yours is an age of anxious care and perplexity.— It is through that you have sources of more exquisite joy, and it is true that you are also exposed to more exquisite sorrow. — The endearing relations of man and wife, or 22. parent and child are to you a fountain of much pleasure; and I may add also a fountain of much trouble and affliction. — In the midst of your anxiety, in the midst of your trouble and danger, when at the same time your souls are borne down with the weight of your sins, O what can be more comforting, what can be more delightful than to pour out your souls before God in earnest prayer! It gives sweet relief to the oppressed heart; it opens a way for a caring beam of light to enter; and illuminate the mind. — What can have a greater tendency to endear your friends and relatives to your soul than to stand interceding for them at the throne of grace? — If you can stand praying for them, and at the same 23. time harbor any resentment or hatred against them in your heart, you must be the basest of hypocrites.— If there be any in this assembly, who know not from experience these pleasures that result from family worship, what more salutary advice can I give you than this very day to begin? — Are you not convinced that it is your duty to pray? Does /not/ nature itself teach you this lesson?— How many a fond mother teaches her child to pray for [for]the breast?— I may go to animal world for examples; how many /of/ you teach even your dog to beg for what you give him? If this do not satisfy you, go to a nest of young birds; Do not they pray? As much as their nature admits I am sure they do.— Above all I would send you to the Bible, go to Moses, Nehemiah, 24. David and Solomon, go to Hezekiah and Daniel, and you, my female friends, go to Hannah and learn to pray, and finally whithersoever you go, go to JESUS.——
4 Ye fathers, I turn to you. Not to persuade /you/ to begin this duty, for I trust you have long ago enjoyed its pleasures.— If ye have not I bring you but little consolation. — Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spot? Then may they that are accustomed to do evil, turn to do well. — To such of you as have neglected this duty til this season of life, I do not say that ye must despair of salvation; no; but this I say, that ye have no reason to expect in this world that 25. sweet communion and intimacy with God, which is the support and consolation of the aged [ ]. — But you my friends, who have long been sincerely engaged in this duty, you now taste the sweets of devotion, you now enjoy the exquisite pleasure of being nigh to God. — Surely ye cannot want for motives now to persevere; you are just at the goal. You are on the point of winning the prize; What! Would you slacken your prayers, and lose all forever? You cannot be so thoughtless. — Persevere my friends, persevere; Old age has many infirmities; you should pray daily for support under these; you should pray afore the generation behind you; but methinks your chief exercise 26. should /now/ be thanksgiving, for you are now just entering upon Emmanuel’s ground, you are now about to close your eyes on all your troubles and sorrows and to open them on eternal bliss. —
Amen.
[1] Psalm 61:1 King James Version
[2] This appears to be Fisher’s own translation or paraphrase. “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” King James Version and Book of Common Prayer 1662
[3] Exodus 34:6 King James Version
[4] Ezekiel 36:26 & 27. This appears to be quoted from memory or his own translation, omitting also from verse 26 and writing a heart of flesh instead of an heart of flesh. As in a previous sermon, Fisher did not quote the King James Version verbatim, but anticipates the wording of the Revised Standard Version, which would begin translation in 1870 and be published in 1901.
[5] Ezekiel 36:37 King James Version
[6] Matthew 7:7 paraphrase
[7] James 1:5 paraphrase
[8] James 5:15 paraphrase
[9] Exodus 32:31 & 32 King James Version
[10] Numbers 14:20 King James Version
[11] This is a reference to 1 John 3:17
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