June 3, 2012

• "What an awful place is the christian's closet! The whole Trinity is about it every time he kneels."

  Matthew 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet...

  Romans 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

  From "Memoir of the Rev. Edward D. Griffin, D.D., Compiled Chiefly from His Own Writings" by Edward D. Griffin & William Buell Sprague (New York: Taylor & Dodd, 1839), 151-153 (boldface, mine):

     My wrestlings for the college [Williams College] and the town [Williamstown] were great during all this time; but Louisa's [Griffin's eldest daughter] last chance appeared to have come. She and her husband were very interesting objects to me, and my absent child [Ellen, away at school] also. That passage in Luke, xi. 5-13, opened upon me with a most interesting reality, particularly the last verse, "How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him." I believed the truth of that promise as fully as I believed my own existence, and applied it to supplications for the Spirit on others as well as on myself. It appeared indeed a wonder that God should regard the prayers of such polluted worms, until I discovered, in the light of that text, which for the first time opened upon me, (Romans, viii. 26,27,) that it was the Holy Ghost that prayed. I could not help exclaiming, "No wonder that God hears prayer when it is the Holy Ghost that prays. What an awful place is the christian's closet! The whole Trinity is about it every time he kneels. There is the Spirit praying to the Father through the Son."  . . . My desire on this occasion was heart-breaking. I searched diligently to see if I was setting up the interest of my children against God's interest, or my will against his will. I could not find that I was. I felt my absolute dependance; and yet could never stop in the use of means. I felt greatly abased under a sense of sin. O how did I feel often when upon my knees I was forced to say with tears, "Although my house be not so with God." The case of Jacob at Penuel and that of the Syrophenician woman always stood before me. And so confident was I that the promise was everlasting truth, that I saw I might indeed take hold of it and draw the blessing down,— that I might lawfully keep hold of it until the blessing came. I seized it with both my hands, and said, "Here I plant myself down, and on this spot I will receive the blessing or die. I hold thee to thy word and will not let thee go." Once an objection started up, "Is not this holding of God to his word a taking from him the right of sovereignty?" I was alarmed at this, as though, in pursuit of every thing dear, a wall from heaven had dropped upon my path. I threw my eyes farther, I thought, than I ever did before, into the regions of truth, and soon I saw the solution: "If God had not given me this spirit to hold him fast, I should have been a clod. His sovereignty was fully exercised in that gift." As when a dam has suddenly stopped a rapid torrent, and after a time is suddenly removed, and the waters impetuously sweep; so did my restrained and eager spirit, when I saw the whole field open before me, and not a fence nor a bar in the way, sweep it with my whole heart and soul and mind and strength. If that was not prayer, and in some measure the prayer of Penuel, that could not fail in some degree to receive the blessing, I believed that I had never prayed, and was yet in my sins.

     After placing myself on my pillow and disposing of all other matters, I used to betake myself to this struggle, first for others, and then for my children. And if I ever prayed, it was in those nocturnal agonies. And after thus staking my own salvation, as it were, on the issue, I would go in the morning, or in the course of the day, to see how my daughter was affected: and she, knowing the kindness of my intention, would meet me, week after week, with a filial smile. I could never have thought that such a filial smile would so wither a parent's heart. My stated question was, "Do you realizingly feel that it would be just for God to cast you off?" And she would as uniformly answer "No." She knew all about the doctrines; her understanding was fully convinced; she was awakened, and attended all the meetings; but she went no further.

     In the latter part of December, I sent for my daughter Ellen home, that I might lay her at the Saviour's feet. If I failed in my object, I knew the world would say, "There, he tried and could'nt." But I thought with myself, "She can but die." And so her brother-in-law went for her 90 miles in that season of the year. When she came home I desired her to do nothing but read and pray and attend the meetings. She complied, and was sober, but not convicted, or even awakened.

     Thus things went on till Wednesday evening, Jan. 18th, 1826; in which time my anguish of spirit had well nigh laid me upon a bed of sickness. That evening after meeting, I visited Louisa, and put to her the old question, "Do you feel that it would be just for God to cast you off?" After a considerable pause, and in a low voice, she answered, "Yes, Sir." I started, as a man awoke in a new world, and said, "Do you, my dear?" After another pause, and in a low voice, she answered again, "Yes, Sir." That evening upon my pillow, I began to say, "Was she not awakened at Newark? Has she not knowledge enough? And is she not now at last convicted of her desert of hell? Has not enough been done in a preparatory way? Wilt thou not this night take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh?" At that moment something within me said, "No; let her be more deeply convicted of her sin and ruin, that she may know what she owes to our redeeming God and his dying Son;—that she may see the distinctive glories of that God and Saviour whom I maintained against a world in arms before she was born." The prayer passed from her to her husband, and then to her sister. Their personal interests, which had pressed like a mountain so long upon me, were swallowed up and lost, and the all-absorbing desire was, "That eyes so dear to me, may see the glory of our redeeming God and his dying Son, and that souls so dear may show in their salvation the same glory to the universe." I then saw, as I never saw before, what it is for God to be glorified, and felt conscious that I desired that object more than all others. It appeared the most glorious object; and my whole soul went out in pantings after it.

  (To finish reading the account, please click here...)

  * * *

  Edward Griffin referred to his time of prayer that Wednesday night as a time of "travail on my wakeful pillow" (p. 157).

  In I Corinthians 15:10 and Colossians 1:28-29, Paul testified to the grace of God at work in him, so he might work the works of God:

  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

  ... that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

  And in Colossians 4, Paul gave this testimony to Epaphras' faithful labor in prayer for the saints:
  
  

  Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

  So then, like Paul, may we attribute any fervent labor in prayer in our closets to the grace of God which is with us – that wonderful working of the blessed Trinity – so we might give all glory to God alone...

  But by the grace of God, I am what am: and His grace which was bestowed on me was not in vain; I labored in prayer fervently, and more abundantly than they all:  yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me, as God works in me mightily. All praise, glory and honor to the Father, Son and Spirit – for the Trinity has been all about my closet as I knelt to pray!

  Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
  Praise him, all creatures here below;
  Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
  Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

  ---

  Related:

  Do My Prayers Glorify God?
  some reflections about prayer
  Bible Reading: Things To Look for in a Church: What We Find in Solomon's Temple, #6: Prayer
  Things to look for in a Church, # 8: A Praying People
  The Present of Pentecost, part 3/Bible Reading-Luke 11:The Spirit Sanctifies Our Prayers
  may we learn to value the blood-bought privilege of prayer
  Trinity Sunday: Acquaint Yourself with the Trinity
  Trinity Sunday: the Trinity & effectual calling
  "I must..." (John 9:4)

  Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

  Photo credits:

  Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vittore_Carpaccio_-_praying_man.jpg  / CC BY-SA 3.0 / {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}
  I edited the original work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Almofadas.png / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Public Domain

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