one to venture the saluation of his soule vpon the extraordinary working of God when as God in great wisdome and mercy to mankinde hath appoynted ordinary means to beget faith and to worke our saluation which ordinary meanes is the hearing of the Word for faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God CHAP. XV. Of the meanes by which true sauing Faith may be increased continued and preserued AS Faith hath it meanes whereby it is begotten and procured so hath it also meanes whereby it is nourished increased continued and preserued This is the ninth point in the Treatise of Faith 9 Meanes wherby true faith is increased and preserued Three The meanes whereby Faith is nourished increased and preserued are three The Word Sacraments and Prayer 1 The Word of God And that by Touching the first The word of God is a meanes to increase faith and that diuerse waies First by reading the word the diligent reading of the Scriptures is necessarie for them that doe beleeue to 1 Reading the Scriptures the increasing and preseruing of their faith St. Paul writing to the Colossians who had receiued the faith and did now beleeue giues them commandment concerning the reading of his Epistle and chargeth that others should read it also for he saith a Coloss 4. 16. When this epistle is read amongst you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea and S. Paul chargeth young Timothie to b 1 Tim. 4. 13. giue attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Secondly by hearing the word of God for as the 2 Hearing the word of God hearing of the word of God is an effectuall meanes to beget faith so is it also a powerfull meanes to nourish strengthen and preserue faith It is a rule in nature c Ex ijsdem nutrimur ex quibus sumus we are nourished by the same things of which we are begotten Now spiritually we are begotten by the word of God as saith S. Iames d Iam. 1. 18. of his owne will be gate he vs with the word of truth and therefore we are spiritually nourished by the word of God For this cause the word of God is said to be the meate of the soule it is both milke for young babes and strong meate for strong men They that are but young children in religion babes in grace may suck milke out of Gods word to nourish their soules they that are strong in faith and growen in grace may from the word of God receiue strong meat to strengthen them more Of which the Apostle speakes to the Hebrewes e Heb. 5. 13. 14. euery one that vseth Milke is vnskilfull in the word of righteousnesse for he is a babe but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age S. Peter giueth this exhortation f 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2. Therefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisie and enuies and euill speakings as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby as a new borne babe desires the mothers breasts and by sucking wholsome milke out of her breasts is nourished and growes thereby so a Christian though he be but newly begotten by the word of truth be but a young christian a beginner and be but as yet a weake christian yet if he diligently heare the word of God and if his soule doe earnestly desire to sucke the sincere and wholsome milke of the word this is a powerfull meanes to nourish his soule to strengthen his faith and make him grow in grace Thirdly by deuine meditation It is noted to be a property of a godly man to meditate on the word of Diuine Meditation God g Psal 1. 2. His delight is in the law of the Lord saith the Psalmist and in his law doth he meditate day and night the word of God is compared to meate which to the end that it may giue nourishment to the body its necessarie that it not onely enter into the mouth and be chewed with the teeth but that it go downe into the stomacke and be digested so likewise to the end that the word of God may giue true and substantiall nourishment to our soules its necessary not only that we heare the word with our outward eares but suffer it to enter into our heart and inwardly digest it by meditation It was one propertie of cleane beasts mentioned in the leuiticall law to h Leuit. 11. 3. chew the cud and he is such a cleane creature who hauing heard the word of God and committed it to his memorie doth afterward meditate vpon the same ponder it in his mind to the end that his faith may be increased that he may be nourished in the truth grow in grace Fourthly by Godly conference the two disciples to 4 Godly conference whom Christ appeared after his resurrection and talked with them said one to another i Luk. 24. 32. did not our heart burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way and while he opened to vs the Scriptures the spirituall communication and heauenly conference which Christ had with the Disciples did heate them inwardly and made their hearts burne within them godly conference spirituall speech and heauenly communication doth inflame the heart with the loue of God doth stirre vp the affections and kindle good desires yea increaseth knowledge and strengthneth faith thus the Word of God which begetteth faith doth also increase nourish and preserue the same The second meanes of increasing faith is the vse and 2 Vse of the Sacraments partaking of the Sacraments For First the Word and Sacraments are as the two brests of the Church whereout the faithfull soule suckes spirituall 1 Nourishing the soule nourishment strength of faith and increase of grace Baptisme giues a Christian admission and entrance into the Church of God whereby he is ingraffed into the mysticall body of Christ and made a member of Christ and by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the members of Christ are nourished to eternall life Of which nourishment receiued spiritually by faith it is that our Sauiour saith k Ioh. 6. 53 54. Except yee eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you Who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life Secondly the Sacraments are a meanes of increasing 2 Confirming the promises of the Gospell and strengthening our faith for they confirme the promises made vnto vs in the Gospell for which cause they are called Seales for like as a man making a grant to another in writing of house or lands for the better confirmation and strenthening of the deede he puts to his seale so the Lord our God to his gracious and mercifull promises made vnto vs in his written Word hath annexed the Sacraments as seales to assure vs of
the performance of his promises God made great and gracious promises vnto Abraham that hee would make of him l Gen. 12. 2 3. a great nation that hee would blesse him and in him should all families of the earth be blessed That hee would m Gen. 13. 14 15 17. giue the land of Canaan to him and to his seede for euer Moreouer God made a Couenant with Abraham n Gen. 17. 7. to be a God vnto him and to his seede after him And to the end that Abrahams faith might be confirmed and strengthned in the promises of God hee gaue him the Sacrament of Circumcision o Vers 10. 11. a token of the Couenant betwixt God and him which S. Paul calls a seale p Rom. 4. 11. And hee receiued the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had yet being vncircumcised So also in the new Testament the Lord hath made a most gracious and mercifull promise that q Ioh. 3. 16. Whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne of God shall not perish but haue euerlasting life And God to ratifie and confirme this his couenant hath sealed it with the bloud of Iesus Christ r Matth. 26. 28. This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes This is the Couenant of Grace wherin we for our parts are bound to beleeue in Iesus Christ and God for his part promiseth remission of sinnes and euerlasting life vpon condition that wee beleeue And for confirmation of this his promise Iesus Christ hath sealed the Couenant with his own bloud by which seale of the Couenant our faith is confirmed and strengthned in the assurance of the promises of saluation The third meane is Prayer S. Iames saith Å¿ Iam. 1. 17. Euery 3 Prayer good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights Now faith is the gift of God and God doth not onely giue grace but likewise increase of grace according to that saying of our Sauiour t Matth. 25. 29. Vnto euery one that hath shall be giuen and hee shall haue abundance Now the meanes to bring downe from the Father of lights both the gifts of grace and increase of grace is Prayer and therefore the meanes of increasing the gift of faith is Prayer From hence it is that u Marc. 9 24. the father of the childe cryed out and sayd with teares Lord I beleeue help thou mine vnbeleefe x Luk. 17. 5. And the Apostles said vnto the Lord Increase our Faith Thus Faith is nourished increased and preserued by the threefold meanes of the Word Sacraments and Prayer And seeing that faith is nourished and strengthned Vse seeing it is increased and preserued by these godly Diligently and conscionably to vse the meanes wherby faith is increased and preserued meanes of reading the Scriptures hearing the Word meditating vpon it and conferring about it likewise by the participation of the Sacraments and by Prayer the consideration heereof ought to make vs carefull diligently and conscionably to vse these meanes if wee haue desire that our faith should bee increased grow stronger and bee preserued Fire to the end it may burne must necessarily haue wood or other fuell ministred vnto it or else by little and little the heat slacketh and in the end the fire goeth out Our life is maintained by meat and drinke which being withdrawne the body for want of nourishment waxeth faint strength decayeth and in the end it pineth away such is the state of our soule wee liue spiritually by the faith of the Son of God faith in Iesus Christ is the true life of our soule which as it is begotten by the Word of truth so is it also maintained nourished and preserued by the Word Sacraments and Prayer which spirituall food and nourishment if it be denyed the soule endangers the life of the soule God who hath giuen to a man a body hath also appointed and prouided meanes to nourish and sustaine the body so likewise the Lord God who hath giuen vnto man a soule hath appoynted him meanes to nourish and strengthen his soule Wherefore if wee would haue our faith which is the life of the soule nourished increased and preserued wee must make conscience of reading the Scriptures diligently hearing the Word reuerently meditating vpon it seriously conferring about it willingly receiuing the Sacrament of the Lords Supper frequently and praying vnto the Lord earnestly for the increase of faith else as sure as the fire without fuell goeth out and the body without nourishment pineth away so without the vse of these holy meanes the seeming graces of the Spirit will soone bee extinguished the soule will pine away and perish Very fitly hath the Apostle ioyned together these two exhortations y 1 Thess 5. 19 20. quench not the Spirit Despise not prophesying Giuing vs to vnderstand that the despising of prophesying and contemning of preaching is a meanes to quench the Spirit If a man should wilfully refuse his meat and deny his body all food and nourishment he might be accounted a very foolish man and one that went about to destroy his body So likewise whosoeuer doth despise the means of saluation and wilfully refuse the true food and nourishment of his soule is a very foolish man and one that goes about to cast away destroy his owne soule CHAP. XVI Of perseuerance in grace proouing that the true iustifying faith cannot vtterly faile and that whosoeuer hath true faith cannot finally fall away WHereas it hath beene made manifest in the former Chapter that faith being once begotten in the heart is afterwards nourished strengthened and confirmed yea increased and preserued by diuerse meanes Question hereupon a question ariseth whether true iustifying Whether true faith may vtterly faile faith may be so preserued and continued that a man may be sure it shall continue to the end or whether a man hauing true iustifying faith may fall away from his faith and loose it I answere The elect who are effectually Answ called of God and haue true iustifying Faith may fall but cannot fall quite away a Fides in sanctis saepenumerò labefactari nunquam tamen deficere pâ—test Zanch. Miscell de perseuer sanctor c. 3. faith in the Saints and children of God may be weakned but their faith cannot altogether faile nor perish They may for a time loose the comforts of the Spirit but not for euer It is true indeed the elect the children of God doe sinne and that somtimes greatly and grieuously as Dauid in the matter of Vriah the Hittite and therefore may exceedingly weaken their faith and may seeme to haue lost faith and grace inasmuch as they doe not feele their wonted sweete communion with Christ neither perceiue any powerfull working of the Spirit which was Dauids case after his sinne of adulterie with Bathsheba for vpon his repentance he praye thus
against the Lord by thought word deed we cannot but acknowledge that it is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed The Lord might in his iustice cut vs off for the very first transgression for one euill thought for one wicked word for one sinnefull deede and when we find the mercy and goodnesse of God so much shewed towards vs as to spare â—s and suffer vs to liue notwithstanding our vile wicked and sinnefull life O how ought wee to acknowledge the goodnesse of God herein and how ought wee to praise the Lord for his mercy and patience towards vs in suffering vs so long Wherefore a sinner should be so far from making the patience of God to be an occasion of deferring that it ought rather to hasten his repeatance And he should reason thus hitherto I haue liued in sinne and done wickedly and yet the Lord hath beene â—o gracious vnto me that he hath spared me he might haue cut me off in the midst of my sinnes it is of the Lords mercies that I am not consumed and now I know not whether the Lord will forbeare me any more Wherefore I will delay the time no longer I will now repent I will now returne vnto the Lord the patience and long-suffering and the goodnesse of the Lord shall lead me to repentance CHAP. XIX Of the shortnesse of our life of the certaintie of death and the vncertaintie of the day and houre of death and how in regard of these its necessarie for a sinner to repent THirdly its necessarie for a sinner to repent of his sinnes and to amend his life in regard of 3 The shortnesse of mans life the shortnesse of our life In the first age of the world men liued long because as yet sin was not multiplied in the world for as one saith a Dâ—câ—râ—â—tus est 〈…〉 decâ—â—sus sâ—â—â—â—dum 〈…〉 cap. â—6 the course of mans life was shortned according to the increase of some For when sinne beganne to be multiplied on the earth when the wickednesse of man was great in the earth then did God drowne the world of the vngodly and shortned the dayes of man so that whereas in the beginning of the world and before the stood men liued eight or nine hundred yeere after the floud they attained not two hundred for Abraham liued but an b Gen. â—5 7. hundred threescore and fifteene yeeres And Iacob counteth his dayes to be c Gen 47. 9. an hundred and thirtie And in the time of Moses the dayes of mans life were counted but d Psal 90. 10. threescore and ten The Scriptures speake thus of the shortnesse of mans life Iob saith e Iâ—b 14. 1. Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes Dauid thus f Psal 39. 5. behold thou hast made my dayes as an hand-breadth and mine age is as nothing before thee verily euery men at his best state is altogether vanitie Our life for the shortnesse thereof is compared to things of great swiftnesse and short continuance Iob compares our life to a g Job 7. 6. Weauers shuttle to a running h Iob. 9. 25. 26. Post to the swift Ships and to the flying of an Eagle hasting to the prey to a i Iâ—b 14. 2. flower of the field that is soone cut downe and withered as alâ—o to a shaddow that fleeth and continueth not Dauid to the k Psal 103. 15. grasse and slower of the field which in the morning flourisheth and groweth vp in the euening is cut downe and withereth St Iames to a l Iam. 4. 14. vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away The woman of Tekoa in her parable compares the life of man to m 2 Sam. 14. 14. water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered vp againe and indeed n Pretâ—reunt annâ—m refluentis aquae our yeeres passe away as the running waters For as all Riuers runne into the sea from whence they came so doe all men runne and hast to the earth from whence they came Our life is nothing else but a passing from life and a tending to death For from our infancie we passe to child-hood from childhood to young age from yong age to middle age from middle age to old age and from old age to death Now the shortnesse of our life ought to be a great motiue to perswade vs to repentance and amendment of life And to be warie how we spend our dayes This Moses the man of God teacheth vs from the consideration of the shortnesse of our life for hauing told vs that the length of our dayes is but threescore yeares and ten hereupon prayes and therein teacheth vs to pray o Psal 90. 12. so teach vs to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts vnto wisedome This reprooues the great folly of those who spend their daies in vanitie and wickednesse liuing at ease passing Vse away their time in eating and drinking and making Against those who spend the shoâ—t time of their life ill merrie considering not how short their life is nor how soone and suddenly they may be cut off and their daies come to an end It is with manie as Iob saith p Iob. 21. 13 they spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment goe downe to the graue It is the prayse of Moses that when he was in Pharaoh's Court and might haue liued there in all worldly honour and enioyed his pleasures at full yet q Heb. 11. 25. he refused to be called the sonne of Pharaoh's daughter chusing rather affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Letting vs thereby vnderstand two things first that the pleasures of sinne are but for a season secondly that a wise man as Moses will not aduenture the losse of felicitie in heauen which is euerlasting for the enioying of the pleasures of sinne for a season Sinne is committed in this present life and this life is but short we are but of small continuance here and therefore if a man should giue himselfe to all sports and mirth that could be inuented and solace himselfe in all worldly delights and earthly pleasures euen to satietie yet these pleasures would be but for a short time but for a season now no wise man none but a very foole will buy his pleasures so deare as for the enioying of his earthly pleasures to loose heauenly ioyes and for the winning of things temporall to loose things eternall Fourthly its necessarie for a sinner to repent and amend 4 The certaintie of Death his life if he consider the certaintie of death Our life is but short and death is certaine God hath determined the end of mans dayes vpon earth After that Adam had finned God said vnto him r Gen. 3. 19. dust thou art and vnto dust shalt thou returne Iob saith Å¿ Iob 14. 10. Man dieth and wasteth away yea man giueth
vp the Ghost and where is hee Dauid demaunds t Psal 89. 48. What man is he that liueth and shall not see death S. Paul saith u Heb. 9. 27. it is appointed vnto all men once to die x 2 Sam. 14. 14. We must needs die y Iob 14. 5. God hath determined the dayes of man the number of his months are with him he hath appointed him his bounds that he cannot passe Death is certaine now the consideration of the certaintie of death ought to be of great force to mooue a sinner to repent and amend his life because its certaine he shall die And to adde more strength hereunto consider in the 5 The vncertaintie of the day and houre of Death fift place the vncertaintie of the day and houre of death We are certaine we shall die but we are vncertaine when we shall die there is nothing more certaine then death and nothing more vncertaine then the houre of death Of this vncertaintie of the day and houre of death Solomon speakes thus z Eccles 9. 12. Man knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an euill net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sonnes of men snared in an euill time when it fals suddenly vpon them While the Amalekites were a 1 Sam. 30. 16. 17. eating and drinking and dancing euen in the midst of their mirth Dauid came vpon them with his men of warre and slew them While Iobs sonnes and daughters b Iob 1. 18. 19. were eating and drinking the house fell vpon them and slew them While Belshazzar that great King was c Dan. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. drinking wine and making merry with his Lords and with his wiues and concubines the hand-writing appeared on the wall writing fearefull things against him which made his countenance to change caused the ioynts of his loynes to tremble and his knees to smite one against another And d Ver. 30. in that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slaine These thought not that death had bâ—n so neere approaching vnto them they thought little that death had stood waiting for them euen then when they were eating and drinking and making merrie Now the consideration of these things that death is Vse so certaine and the day and houre of death so vncertaine To prepare for the day of Death ought to be a forcible motiue to perswade vs to repentance and amendment of life to redeeme the time past to prepare for our last end and to be making readie for death before it come that when it commeth it may not take vs vnawares Augustine saith e Diâ—m nâ—bis noâ—â—ssimum mâ—râ—is nostrae abâ—câ—â—dit ne 〈◊〉 sutâ—ro aliquid prâ—mittainâ—â— Aug. in Psal 34. God hath hid from vs the last day of our death least â—â— should promise vnto our selues anything of the time to come Another saith f Al scoâ—ditâ—s est hominâ— dâ—â—s mortis ipâ—â—us vt semper benâ—faâ—iat sâ—mpeâ— mortem suaâ— spâ—raâ—s Autâ— opâ—ris iâ—pâ—â—f in Math. Hom. 51. the day of death is hid from man thâ—t hâ— might alwayes be doing good alwayes expecting 〈◊〉 or death Happie were we if we could with holy Iâ—â— â—atch and waite for the day of our death and â—ay with â—im g Iob. 14. 14. all the â—â—â—es of my appointed time will I wait 〈◊〉 châ—â—ge comâ— â—or to them that watch and wait for death â—nd 〈◊〉 are â—or iâ— before it come death cannot come 〈◊〉 mâ—â— because it commeth not vnexpected but to them thâ—â— deâ—â—â— their repentance and put farre hom them the euill day promising themselues long life death comeâ—â—uddenly because they haue not prepared for the coming of death Wherefore that warning of our Sauiour Christ is greatly to be regarded of vs h Luk. 21. 34. 35. take heede to your selues least at any time your hearts be ouercharged with sursetting drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come vpon you vnawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth CHAP. XX. Of the certaintie of the Iudgement to come and of the vncertaintie of the day of Iudgement Both which ought to mooue vs to Repentance SIxtly its necessarie for euery one to repent of his 6 The certaintie of the Iudgement to come sinnes and to amend his life to turne from sinne and to turne vnto God in regard of the iudgement to come for certaine it is we shall come to iudgement and must answere for all the euill deedes that we haue done and woefull will that day be vnto vs if we haue not repented before that day come That the day of iudgement will certainely come is euident Salomon speakes thus to the yong man a Eccles 11. 9. reioyce O yong man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into iudgement S. Paul saith b 2. Cor. 5. 10. we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ that euery one may receiue the things done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad And againe c Heb 9. 27. it is appointed vnto all men once to die and after this the Iudgement The Lord of a great house hath his Steward to whom he commits the rule and gouernment of his house but when he pleaseth he calleth his Steward to an account and saith vnto him giue account of thy Stewardship The Marchant hath his Factor for him beyond the Seas but after a space of time the Marchant cals his seruant to a reckoning the malefactor being apprehended is laid in the prison and little is saide to him till the Iudge come but after a while the Iudge commeth and calleth him to iudgement We are Gods Stewards What good things we haue and enioy they are all the gifts of God we haue but the vse of them God is the right owner of them all and the time will come that the Lord will say vnto vs d Luk. 16. 9. giue account of thy stewardship thou maist be no longer steward We are Gods seruants he hath committed his talents vnto vs to one tenne to another fiue and to another one and the time will come that God will call vs to a reckoning to see how we haue employed our gifts and how we haue vsed or abused those good things which God hath bestowed vpon vs. Yea we are euill doers such as haue offended the maiestie of almightie God transgressed his lawes and broken his commaundements the time will certainely come when we shall be called to iudgement and must stand before the iudgement seat of Christ to render an account of our deeds and to receiue according to the things that we haue done in this life
not and it shall be giuen him This wisedome is a spirituall gift of God which God giueth to the sons of men to make them wise to saluation and if any one lacke this true wisedome the Apostle saith let him aske of God and it shall be giuen him Thus we may aske spirituall and heauenly things but temporall benefits and things that pertaine to this present life as foode raiment meat and drinke wealth and riches corne and cattell houses and lands honour and preferment as also deliuerance in the time of trouble sicknesse and any affliction these things and such as these we must aske and pray for conditionally according to Gods will if it be the will of God to grant them vnto vs and if the things which we pray for be good and expedient for vs. Thus the Leper prayed to be cleansed l Mat. 8 2. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And thus our Sauiour himselfe prayed that the cup might passe from him saying m Mat. 26. 39. O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt And againe he prayeth saying n â—er 42. O my Father if this cup may not passe away from me except I drinke it thy will be done Thus we are to pray according to the will of God asking temporall things with condition for the Lord is wiser then man and the Lord knoweth what things are needfull for vs better then we our selues like as the skilfull Physician knoweth better what is good for the sicke man then the sicke man himselfe Secondly that we may pray according to the will of God 2 Referring our will to Gods will we must rest our selues so vpon the will and good pleasure of our God that we be content to referre to Gods will and his good pleasure both what he will giue vs and how much he will giue vs as also when he will heare vs and how he will helpe vs for as S. Peter saith o 2. Pet. 2. 9. the Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godly out of temptations the Lord knoweth both the time when and the manner how to deliuer vs out of affliction and therefore we should wait vpon the Lord and rest vpon him not onely for deliuerance but also for the time when and the manner how he will deliuer vs. Now seeing that we are to make our Praiers according Vse to the will of God to aske such things as are agreeable to Against those who consider not whether the things which they pray for be according to Gods will his will and to refer our selues wholy to the will of God for the granting of our requests the consideration hereof serues to reprooue those who are readie and forward enough to aske at Gods hands such things as they stand in need of but little consider whether the things which they craue be agreeable to Gods will they onely set their mindes vpon the obtaining of the things which they desire This was the sinne of the Israelites in asking them a King to rule ouer them for they said vnto Samuel p 1. Sam. 8. 5 6. make vs a King to iudge vs like all the Nations Giue vs a King They doe not aske a King if it please the Lord if it be according to the will of God and if it seeme good in the eies of the Lord but they crie Giue vs a King and when Samuel told them that their petition was displeasing vnto God and had certified them also if the Lord did giue them a King what manner of one he should be and how hardly he would deale with them yet q Ver. 19. they refused to obey the voice of Samuel and they said Nay but we will haue a King ouer vs. For this cause our Sauiour Christ blames the mother of Zebedees children and her two sonnes shee commeth to Christ making a petition in the behalfe of her two sonnes saying r Mat. 20. 21. 22 grant that these my two sonnes may sit the one on thy right hand and the other on the left in thy kingdome But Iesus answered and said ye know not what ye aske Manie there are who with the mother of Zâ—bedees children and her sons aske they know not what and speed no better then they did For it is iust with God to denie men their petitions when they aske according to their owne will and not according to the will of God Or if God doe heare them according to their owne will and grant what they require it is in his anger and wrath aâ— he gaue Israel a Å¿ Hos 13. 11. King in his anger And as he gaue them Quailes to satisfie their lust t Psal 78. 29. 30. 31. they did eat and were well filled for he gaue them their owne desire They were not estranged from their lust but while their meat was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came vpon them c. They had sowre sauce to their daintie meat Thus God granteth manie their owne desire and heareth them u Secundum volunt item sed non ad vtilitatem according to their owne will but not so as it may be for their good He giueth them what they desire but it is in his wrath he giueth them their wishing but sendeth some iudgement after it and he giueth them a blessing but it is without the blessing and that because they did not aske according to his will Wherefore let it be our care in praying to aske such things as are agreeable to the will of God and for the obtaining of the things which we desire to referre our selues to Gods holy will patiently waiting the Lords leisure and to say with out blessed Sauiour x Mat. 26. 39. not as I will but as thou wilt And y Luk. 22. 42. not my will but thine be done And this of praying according to the will of God The ninth and last thing required in making our praiers 9 To pray in the name of Christ is so to pray as that we offer vp our supplications and prayers our intercessions and giuing of thankes in the Name of Iesus Christ Concerning which our Sauiour speaketh thus z Iohn 14. 14. If ye shall aske any thing in my name I will doe it And againe he saith a Ioh. 16. 23. Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you He saith not whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father he wil giue it you but with this addition in my name Whatsoeuer we shall aske the Father in the name of Christ he assureth vs the Father will giue it vs. Whatsoeuer request we haue to make vnto God we must aske it at Gods hands for Christs sake The reason is because that we of our selues are vnworthie and deserue nothing at Gods hands except it be through the mediation of Iesus Christ and our prayers are no whit acceptable vnto God except