for thy fatherly care ouer vs in prouiding all things necessary for our soules and bodies for our food rayment health peace liberty friends which many of thy children want that are as déere vnto thée as our selues But especially aboue all we praise thy name for the blessings of a better life as namely for our election in Christ Iesus before the world was for our creation after thine owne image in the beginning for our estectuall vocation out of the darkenes of this world into thy glorious light and kingdome by the outward preaching of thy word and the inward operation of thy spirit for our iustification by the obedience bloudshed of thine owne sonne for our adoption from the thraldome of Satan into the glorious liberty and priuiledge of Sonnes for our sanctification in the crucifying of the body of sinne and quickning of the inner man for our continuall preseruation against the temptations and conquest of sinne Satan and this euill world for the frée donation of thy holy spirit the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased and for the continuance of thy Gospell the word of truth and the meanes whereby wée are partakers of all these blessings O Lord open our blinde eyes euery day more and more to sée and consider of thy great and maruellous loue towards vs in all these things that by the due consideration thereof we may be drawne néerer vnto thée to loue thée much because thou hast giuen much And as thou doest abound towards vs in all goodnes so grant that wée may abound toward thee in all obedience and thankefulnesse And as O Lord thou being infinite in mercy hast had mercy on vs when wée deserued iudgement euen so we beséech thée be mercifull to all them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death cause the glorious light of thy Gospell to shine in their hearts according to the good pleasure of thine owne will and in whom thou hast already begun the worke of conuersion vouchsafe them also the grace of perseuerance that continuing to the end they may be partakers of glory with thy Saints in light And whereas saluation came of thine ancient people the Iewes but they through vnbeléefe were cut off that wée by faith might be grafted in Lord call them in thine appointed time take away the vaile from before their blinde and vncircumcised hearts and reueale the knowledge of thy sonne vnto them that they and wée may be one shéepefold vnder one shepheard Christ Iesus In the meane time destroy the kingdom of sinne Satan and Antichrist euery day more and more Build vp thine owne kingdome of Grace in the hearts of euery one of vs and hasten thy kingdome of glory that when this miserable life is ended wee may raigne with thée eternally in glory Be gratious and mercifull to them that suffer affliction for the testimony of a good Conscience deliuer them out of the hands of their enemies or so strengthen them with the comfortable assistance of thy spirit that in dying they may ouercome the world death and hell Comfort all that are troubled in mind with the burthen of their sins speake peace to their Consciences say vnto their soules I am thy saluation Come vnto me all ye that are weary and heauy laden and I will ease you And to this end giue the tongue of the learned to thy Ministers that they may know to Minister a word in time to him that is weary Be mercifull to them that are afflicted in body with paines sicknesses or diseases giue them grace to beare the crosse with patient thankefulnesse and to learne by those visitations to confesse their sinnes to acknowledge their faults to call vpon thy name to amend their liues that as heretofore they haue gone astray after the course of this world through the inticements of naturall concupiscence so they may now be brought to the knowledge of thée and of themselues And also strengthen them that are any manner of wayes assaulted by Satan giue them a ioyfull issue with the temptation that thy grace in their deliuerance by them may be glorified and thy power conquering Satan in their weakenesse may be manifested and for euer magnified Thankesgiuing before meate VVE thanke thée O Heauenly Father for all thy blessings and mercies heretofore bestowed vpon vs and still continued renued vnto vs. Especially at this time for these thy good creatures that of thine owne goodnesse and bounty thou hast ordained and prouided for the maintenance of our bodies giue them vertue and power to nourish vs that thereby our strengths being renued we may be more fit and able to serue thée in the duties of our callings to thine honour and glory and to the comfort of our owne soules and consciences through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Thankesgiuing after meate VVE desire to return all honour glory praise thankesgiuing to thy Maiesty for thy fatherly care ouer vs since the beginning of our dayes till this present houre Chiefly for thy heauenly word the foode of our soules for thy Sabaoths and the peaceable exercises of all holy dueties therein And in speciall at this time for these thy good creatures whereof at this present wée haue béene partakers by thy good prouidence beséeching thée so to blesse and sanctifie the same vnto vs as that we may walke in the strength of them in the performance of all good duties to thy glory and our owne comforts through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS
hard and stony hearts to humble our selues before thée with dread and reuerence and on the other side the sauing feeling of thy loue shed abroad in our hearts by thy holy spirit may comfort vs in the stedfast assurance of the frée forgiuenesse of all our sinnes in the bloudshed and death of thy deare son Christ Iesus and incourage vs with all delight and chéerefulnesse constantly to practise all good duties both in time of afflictions and troubles and in time of peace and prosperity And séeing that it hath béene thy good pleasure to call vs with an holy calling into the communion and fellowship of Iesus Christ thy onely Sonne to the ende that denying all worldly and fleshly lusts wée should be vnto thée a chosen generation a royall Priest-hood an holy natition a peculiar people to shew forth the vertues and graces of thy good spirit inable vs to mortifie all euill workes and sinfull lusts that our liues may expresse our light and faith in thée And principally giue vs victory ouer those personall sins which thou knowest our nature most prone to commit Powre vpon vs thy holy spirit of wisedome and grace gouerne and lead vs by thy good word that it may be a lanthorne to our féete and a light to our paths So inlighten the naturall blindnesse of our darke hearts by thy spirit as that wée may daily be renued by the same By the which we pray thée to purge the grosnes of our hearing and vnderstanding that wée may euer-more profitably reade heare and vnderstand thine holy word and heauenly will And to that end O Lord beget in vs a true loue and reuerence of all the faithfull Ministers of thy Gospell Giue vs melting hearts to feare and tremble at thy voyce turbing all worldly vaine and light imaginations in vs that commonly shut the doore of the heart against the effectuall passage of thy word into the same O Lord our naturall hearts are so full of rebellion and hatred of thée as that we cannot abide to hear thy voyce or know thy will All our deuotion towards thée is as the morning dew and the exercises of Christian dueties quickly become wearisome vnto vs. Giue vs grace therefore to loue thy word feruently to search the Scriptures diligently to read them humbly to vnderstand them truely to heare thy word attentiuely and to liue thereafter effectually and carefully Giue vs such measure of wisedome and discerning of spirits that among the manifold errors opinions and iudgements that are in the world wée may stand vpright and constant in thy truth taught in thy holy word O Lord sanctifie euery one of vs throughout in spirit soule and body that wée may be kept blameles till the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ Strengthen our faith more and more confirme our hope increase our loue towards thée and our brethren for thy sake giue vs a feare of thy name a reuerence of thy maiesty a zeale of thy glory In time of peace and safety kéepe vs from contention oppression and cruelty In plenty and prosperity from pride vain-glory wantonnes intemperancy contempt of thee thy word thy Ministers and the poore In afflictions comfort vs that neyther we despaire nor blaspheme thy holy name but with patient thankefulnes trust in thy deliuerance And as wée daily fall into one sinne or other through humane frailty so giue vs continuall penitent hearts and spirits that wée may be sorry without desperation and trust in thy mercy without presumption That wée may more and more amend our liues and become truly religious without hypocrists lowly in heart without feigning faithfull without deceit ioyfull without lightnesse sad without distrust sober without slothfulnesse conscionable in all our dealings without gripplenesse content with that which thou sendest without couetousnesse ready to euery good worke apt to draw all men from vaine and foolish behauiour by our sober counsells godly spéeches and religious carriage To make much of them that feare God and entertaine them gladly to embrace the fellowship of the godly wise and to eschew the company of all prophane persons and despisers of them that are good to assist comfort and incourage the Ministers of thy worde in that high waighty and glorious calling to our vttermost power to gather together with them and constantly to withstand all scatterers spoylers and deuourers These vertues and graces of thy good spirit O heauenly Father like as wée acknowledge to receiue them from thée by vertue of our ingraffing into the mysticall body of thy Sonne Iesus Christ so wée beséech thée to beget to cherish preserue and increase the same in vs that wée may daily more and more be transtormed into the image of thée that hast translated vs out of darkenes into thy maruellous light and that to thy honour and glory the destruction of the kingdome of sinne and Satan and to the vtter and endlesse confusion of all Inffdells Idolaters and hypocrites that exalt and magnifie themselues against thée and thine holy ordinances And in these our weake and imperfect praiers O Lord we are not mindful of our selues alone but of the whole estate of the Catholike Church militant héere in earth and euery particular member thereof Blesse all Christian Kings and Princes that call vpon thy name and especially poure downe thy blessings vpon our dread Soueraigne whom next and immediately vnder thy selfe thou hast appointed to be our King and Gouernour Blesse him both in body and soule inrich him with all gifts necessary for so high a calling and make him long a nurcing Father in Israell Blesse him in his Quéene make her an helpe to him in all good things Blesse the young Prince and all their royall issue on this side and beyond the Seas and grant that there may not want one of that line to sit vpon this throne so long as the Sun and Moone endureth Blesse all his Maiesties most honourable priuy Counsell be thou present with them in all their Counsells and president ouer all their consultations that whatsoeuer they intend or doe may be to thy glory the honour of the King and comfort of thy people Blesse al Iudges Magistrates giue them thy heauenly grace indifferently to execute iustice to the punishment of wickednes and vice and to the maintenance of god inesse and vertue Blesse all the Ministers of thy word and Sacraments thou that art Lord of the haruest thrust forth many faithfull and painfull labourers that may féede thy people with knowledge and vnderstanding And giue to all thy people humble loyall and obedient hearts to thy Gospell with loue and reuerence to the Ministers thereof whom thou hast appointed to be the Shepheards Teachers and Gouernours of their souls in thy roome and place till thy comming to iudgement at the last day Moreouer we desire to render vnto thy heauenly Maiesty all hearty and possible thanks for all thy mercies and blessings bestowed on vs from the beginning of our dayes till this present time
for his benefits like dutifull children but it is for the benefits sake to commit spirituall fornication therewith whereby they anger and prouoke the Lord to burne in iealousie and in the fiercenesse of his wrath vtterly to consume them Fourthly the Lord heareth not sinners because they are not thankfull for benefites receiued therefore the Lord denyeth their requests and in stéed of a blessing sendeth them a cursing And if God deale thus with his owne children how much more with the sinner and the vngodly Because that Ezechiah rendred not according to the reward bestowed on him but his heart was lifted vp therefore wrath came vpon him vpon Iudah and Ierusalem 2 Chron. 32. 25. And Dauid saith that wrath came vpon Israell for their vnthankefulnes and disobedience And the great complaint that the Lord maketh of their vnkindnesse sée Micah 6. 2. to the vers 5. Fiftly the Lord heareth not sinners because they aske not in faith They repose no trust in Gods promises but are tossed too fro as waues of the sea with the wind Iames 1. 6. 7. The blind heart of the wicked lusteth and in his lust and for his lust he commeth to God but when God heareth not then hée playes with his wit and casteth about euery way to obtaine his fleshly desires but if by his owne deuises and deuised meanes he cannot preuaile then hée commeth to God againe If God heare him not then he goes to his shitts againe euer and anon intermingling broken rude and vntempered prayers with earnest expectation of his sinfull desires as though God should be euer at hand to helpe and further him in his lustfull procéeding And if hée cannot obtaine his desires then is hée angry with God and leaueth praying as the wicked say in Iob. 21. 15. What benefit haue we by praying to the Almighty Obiection But God doth often heare the vnlawfull and vnholy prayers desires and requests of the wicked and graunteth the same as well as to the godly Answere It is true but not in such manner and for such ends as hee heareth his owne children First he granteth the wicked and rebellious their requests and desires of indignation and wrath The Israelites being weary of Manna because that to feede alwaies of one dish became wearisome and loathsome vnto them wished that they were in Egypt againe where they had varieties and change of meates as Fish Cucumbers Pepons Léeks Onions Garlicke therefore they required flesh of the Lord and they were not disappointed of their lust Psal 78. 30. They did eate and were wel filled for he gaue them their owne desire But while the meate was yet in their mouthes the heauy wrath of God came vpon them and slew the wealthiest of them yea and smote downe the chosen men that were in Israell The rich man Luke 12. had his desires granted for he desired and sought for wealth all his life long and that his worldly estate might prosper and flourish and so it did hée was not disappointed of his lust But as hee withdrew his heart from the Lord and set his affections on earthly things therein putting his confidence euen so the Lord withdrew his grace from him and for his reward left him in the hand of hell To this purpose the wise man saith Eccles 5. 12. There is an euill sicknesse that I haue seene vnder the Sunne to wit riches reserued to the owners for their euill The like to this we sée in that miserable caitife Eccles 48. that had neither sonne nor brother nor any kinseman that néeded his wealth yet was there none end of his trauell neither could his eye be satisted with riches Wherein we may sée that the Lord granted his couetous desires but in his wrath doth withdraw his grace from him For hée had not power giuen him of God to eat drinke and to delight his soule and to reioyee in the good vse of his goods but to liue in continuall labour sorrow gréefe trouble feare despayre and drudgery all his life And héerein is the witty and wicked worldling deceiued all way that whiles hee thinketh to make a friend of the world it becommeth his enemy in the end For thus the goulden Idoll Mammon rewardeth his seruants He leaueth them at the last in the hand of hell from which he is not able to deliuer them The world like a stickering whore deceiueth them causing them by her manifold allurements to commit fornication with her But as Dalilah hauing bound Sampson who doted too much on her forthwith cryed the Philistimes be vpon thee Sampson euen so deceitfull and louely Mammon hauing tyed and bound downe to the earth the plunged hearts of her muddy Mammonists calleth for the Diuells to prey vpon their soules Examples héereof are the rich man and Diues Secondly God granteth those things that the wicked desire wish and pray foryet he heareth not the wicked The reason is his owne children request the same whom he heareth and so the vngodly are made partakers of their desires through the prayers of the godly amongst whom they liue The men of the earth desire earthly things and they obtaine the same for the godlies sake whom notwithstanding they hate and despise In Pauls dangerous voyage both Paul and the martiners desire safety and for his sake were they saued which otherwise should haue perished yet the Souldiers would haue killed Paul Acts 27. 42. Whiles faithfull Iacob dwelt with churlish Laban his substance multiplyed and prospered yet when God blessed Iacob also with great increase Laban and his sonnes murmured and hung downe the countenance enuying his prosperity For this is the malice of the wicked that whereas they enioy the fat of the earth and the good of the land for the godlies sake that are mingled among them yet they hate the godly snatching and catching all things from them yea they iudge them vnworthy of any thing and if it were in their power would make them their slaues and drudges yea and would depriue them not onely of goods but also of life And héerein obserue the darkenesse of their hearts yea their extreame madnesse for if the godly were taken from amongst them as iust Lot was taken from among the Sodomites then should fire and brimstone suddenly raine downe vpon their heads When as the wicked Iewes had crucified Christ chased away the Apostles and wéeded the Christians out of Ierusalem then came fire sword famine and vtter destruction vpon them Euen so if all the godly were taken out of the world at this instant the day of iudgement in a moment should necessarily follow For as soone as the wheat is shorne then the tares must presently be cut downe For they haue done harme to the wheat and doe harme in the land There is no profit in their growth but in their burning And héere let all flowters worldlings disdainefull persons polliticke catchers despisers of the word and them that are good know that God doth not maintaine the world and
preserue all things therein for their sakes but for his owne children from whom they snatch and catch all that they can to dishonour God and his children therewith They are the children of Abaddon or Apollyon the destroyer that abuse all things to the dishonour of God the disgracing and harming of the godly and to their owne condemnation And this is the kingdome of the Deuill héere on earth Goe to now you cunning catchers you flouting politicians you proud and wanton damsells you lustfull and Epicurish Gluttons and thou muddy Mammonist on whom haue yee ieasted vpon whom haue ye gaped and thrust out you togue Are ye not rebellious children and a false seede Bastards and not Sonnes Are ye not witches children the seede of the Adulterer and the Whoore Esay 57. 3. 4. You boast your selues to be the children of God and the true members of Christ As for others you make mocks on them with your mouthes and you deuise terms for them to make them sectaries and hypocrites they are your gazing stocks and taunting Prouerbs But where is your Deuotion Where is your Zeale Where is your Feruency Sobriety Prayer Thanksgiuing Humility What fruits of the Spirit appeare in you What loue of God in the zealous exercises of Gods worship What contempt of the worlds pompe pride vanity in your moderate liuing and sober conuersation What regard of the afflictions of Ioseph Yea your bodies are your Idolls and your soules like drudges doe homage to your bodies This appeareth in your excessiue fare in your excessiue apparell in your excessiue varieties of fashions in your excessiue curiosity in the putting on thereof In these excesses ye compare one with another emulate one another and striue to goe beyond one another Your backes and bellies are grown to be so chargeable require so great maintenance like to the Idoll Bell as that the land is hardly able to beare you You grow so insupportable that the earth groneth vnder you I would ye knew but mockers pleasing themselues in their owne fancies will know nothing till they be made sober taught by iudgements that these are no fruits of the spirit but of a sensuall appetite they are no signes of Christianity but of a dissembling and proud heart and of lust that reigneth in your mortall and corruptible members It is to be feared that as God giueth you your hearts desires in all these things so some heauy iudgements hang ouer your heads to purge this shamelesse corruption and filthy rottennesse out of this land that hath had rest for many yeares It is a shame and an abhomination to sée what priding and decking there is of these corruptible carkasses how this earthly masse of mortality this lumpe of sinne and death doth magnifie and exalt it selfe It is a wonder to sée what pride in apparell what curiosity in the fashion and putting on of the same is to be séene on the Lords day a day of humility and denotion but such fleshly shewes and swaggering seruice the Lord abhorres For a penitent humble lowly and deuout heart doth not shew foorth it selfe in such flourishes Such were the conditions and practises of the Iewes in Esayes time Esay 3. and in Ezech. 33. 30. to the end They come to thee as the people vse to come and my people sit before thee and heare thy words but they will not do them for with their mouthes they make ieasts and their hearts goeth after their couetousnesse And loe thou art to them as a ieasting song of one that hath a pleasant voyce for they heare thy words but do them not Ciuility swallowes vp Christianity in this present age and pride deuoureth hospitality the very name whereof is worne out of mans memory Thirdly God granteth the withes desires enterprises and indeauours of the wicked as they are instruments of his iustice and rods of correction For by them as by asword a fire a rod the Lord doth chastise his children and punish the hypocrites Yea by their wickednes the Lord doth effect those things which may be for his owne glory and the good of his children they not knowing what they doe Fire naturally desireth nourishment or fuell wée giue it the same that we may do our works with it yet fire intendeth not the doing of our worke but the consuming of it Therefore wée call it a good seruant but an euill master The Deuill and the wicked are as fire in their owne natures destroyers yet by accident as I may say they are builders and repayrers for such is the power wisedome and goodnesse of God as that hée doth his owne worke by contrary meanes In this respect the Lord calls Nabuchadnezzar his seruant in that by him he punished the rebellious Iewes Nabuchadnezzar did this out of his couetousnesse and pride of his heart magnifying himselfe against God and his people yet he executeth the Lords iudgements on the rebellious and mercy on the obedient But what was the reward of this his seruice what he did out of his own euil heart was one thing what the Lord did out of his power and wisedome is another thing His wages was according to his owne worke Esay 33. Woe to thee that spoylest and wast not spoyled and dost wickedly and they did not wickedly against thee when thou shalt cease to spoyle thou shalt be spoyled when thou shalt make an end of doing wickedly they shall doe wickedly against thee Esay 45. 1. In this respect is Cyrus called comparatiuely the annointed of the Lord. The Lord will by him execute iustice on Nabuchadnezzar for his tyranny pride couetousnes cruelty by him shew mercy on his people in their deliuerance out of their seauenty years captiuity Thus Iudas the high-Priests Pharises had their desires they were not disappointed of their wicked proiects crafty plots but the end and proofe thereof was the building of Christs kingdome which they thought to ouerthrow and the destruction of their owne kingdome which they sought to establish by this meanes Ioh. 11. 48. If we let him thus alone all men will beleeue in him and the Romaines will come and take away both our place and the nation The vse of this Hast thou power hast thou wisdome policy hast thou a iudicious contriuing plotting head hast thou a searching imagination strong memory hast thou learning and eloquence hast thou wealth and friends hast thou a healthfull and strong body these things are much desired admired of the world But consider what thou art not what thou hast How dost thou vse thy power to build the kingdome and Church of Christ therwith or to build vp thy selfe in the destruction thereof to thy power how little soeuer it be How dost thou vse thy poliâ—y and wisedome and wherein are these gifts exercised wherein art thou iudicious what is the ground and end of thy proiects what vse dost thou make of thy learning in what matter and what causes dost thou practise thy
workes is counterfeit and hypocrisie the Lord cannot abide it Esay 1. The Lord saith that their sacrifices burnt offerings incense are abhominations that their new Moones Sabaoths solemne feasts solemne dayes and assemblies are a but then and wearisomnesse neyther will he heare their prayers But they must be washed they must be purged the euill of their workes must be taken away they must cease to doe euill they must learne to doe well This was the sinne of Saul he would séeme to be a true worshipper of God offering sacrifice and therein was he diligent enough but hée was slow enough in doing the will of the Lord when hee was commaunded to slay the Amalekites man woman childe beast c. he spared the King and brought of the best of the things to sacrifice with 1 Sam. 15. 21. 22. There be aboundance of Sauls in these dayes Therefore S. Iames teacheth Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues Iam. 1. 22. Hee that looketh in the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein he not being a forgetfull hearer shall be blessed in his deede And the whole second Chapter throughout Therefore Worship without Obedience is flat hypocrisie Againe concerning ciuill honesty or morall life wherein the common Protestant resteth himselfe with contentment is odious in the sight of God without sincere worship For the frame of mans heart is euill continually Gen. 8. 21. how good soeuer he séeme to be to himselfe and others that cannot discerne betwéene naturall and spirituall life but make a confusion of both vnder an outward profession or rather bare name and title All our righteousnes is as a menstrous cloth Esay 64. 6. and Iob saith Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse Iob 144 vaine therefore are the supposed good works of Papists séeing that they worship not God rightly and as vaine are the workes of vaine-glorious worldlings séeing that they worship not God truely Therefore worship and obedience must go together procéeding from a right fountaine that is from an humble and obedient heart purged from hypocrisie by a working faith and vnfeigned repentance from sanctified affections and a good conscience This is onely acceptable to God and those actions obedience that procéed from this fountaine though stayned with many wants and imperfections God accepteth as pure the impurity not being imputed Psal 32. 1. 2. Furthermore there be sundry reasons why that God heareth the godly namely those that worship him sincerely and doe his will First because that they being redéemed from the bondage of sinne are the sonnes of God they haue the spirit of adoption or of ingenuous and frée-borne sonnes by which they both know God acknowledge God to be their God and loue God their Father and consequently call vpon him Prayers procéeding from a prophane heart doe not pierce the heauens but those which come from Gods owne spirit therefore S. Paul saith Ephes 6. 18. Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit And Rom. 8. 26. The spirit maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed Such holy motions and rauishments doth the spirit of God worke in our hearts as that wée are not able to expresse the same in words but with sighes euen as when words faile vs wée vse to declare our mindes by gestures Such prayers come as it were immediately from the spirit with little vse of mans discourse and phantasie and no vse of the tongue Esau prayed with wéeping eyes but with a prophane heart therefore he is not heard The Pharises make long prayers with an hypocriticall heart therefore they are not heard But Moses prayed onely in minde and his desire is heard Exod. 14. 15. Yea the Lord accepted his prayer as much as if he had earnestly cryed therefore the Lord sayd to him Why cryest thou Goe forward with the people So Anna prayed in her heart with submisse and vnperfect words which caused Eli to thinke that shée was drunke 1 Sam. 1. 13. Therefore the Lord heard her And hence it is that the Apostle bids vs pray continually 1 Thes 5. 17. For with the heart minde or spirit a man may pray alway This teacheth vs in praying to pray for the spirit of Prayer Secondly the Lord heareth the godly because they alone being taught by the word and spirit doe pray aright As Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for hee maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God both teaching them what to pray for and how to pray Which prayers the Lord accepteth as S. Iohn teacheth This is the assurance that wee haue of him that if we aske any thing according to his will hee heareth vs. An example héereof 1 King 3. 9. 10. Because Salomon prayed not for riches nor for long life nor the life of his enemies but that a wise and vnderstanding heart might be giuen him to iudge the Lords people righteously therefore it pleased the Lord and he granted his prayers Thus our Sauiour Christ prayed Not my will but thy will be done Thirdly the Lord heareth the godly because they are truely penitent and sorrowfull for sinne and therefore come into the presence of God clad with the righteousnesse of Christ Psalm 51. 17. The sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O Lord wilt thou not despise Psal 28. 7. Praised be the Lord for he hath heard the voyce of mine humble petitions Our Sauiour Christ calleth onely such vnto him Matth. 11. 28. Come vnto mee all yee that are heauy laden and I will ease you For the Lord hath annointed mee to binde vp the broken hearted Esay 61. 1. Therefore the poore Publicane confessing his sinnes with a penitent and sorrowfull spirit is heard before the Pharisée iustifying himselfe by his workes Luke 18. Fourthly the Lord heareth the godly because they pray feruently I am 5. 16. The praier of a righteous man preuaileth much if it be feruent Heereby two things are specially necessary in Prayer First a man must be a righteous man Hée is righteous that by faith is ingraffed into the righteous Iesus Christ and in him bringeth forth fruits of thankefull obedience to God Secondly he must pray feruently that is to say seriously or with earnest desire For this feruency argueth that a man praieth in the spirit which ouercommeth the dulnes and drowsines of the flesh which quencheth and oppresseth the spirit This wée may sée in the heauy and sléepy Disciples Matth. 26. 40. though they had a willingnesse and desire to watch and to pray yet the flesh quelled and dulled the spirit Secondly feruency argueth the necessity of the thing that wée pray for Wée most of all and most earnestly pray for that which wée haue most néede of Thirdly feruency argueth Faith in Gods power that hée is able to helpe and in his goodnesse that hée is willing and ready to helpe For this