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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62883	A brief testimony to the great duty of prayer shewing the nature and benefit thereof. To which is added, above one hundred eminent and select instances that God did answer prayer. Collected out of the record of Holy Scriptures. By J.T. one of the people call'd Quakers. With a postscript by J.F.	Tomkins, John, ca. 1663-1706.; Field, John, 1652-1723. Earnest perswasive, by way of postscript, for all to mind and receive God's Holy Spirit in their hearts.	1695 (1695)	Wing T1831; ESTC R222215	22,136	114

Perswasive By way of POSTSCRIPT For all to Mind and Receive Gods Holy Spirit in their Hearts That thereby they may be taught True Prayer And be thoroughly Qualified for the Right Performance of all other Religious Duties Ephes 5. v. 18 20. Be not Drunk with Wine wherein is Excess but be filled with the Spirit giving Thanks always for all Things unto God even the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ By JOHN FEILD POSTSCRIPT BY the foregoing Testimony and Instances it plainly appears That Prayer is of great Use and Benefit and hath been greatly Answered and wonderfully Encouraged by the Lord. And it is natural to all those that God by his Word hath begotten unto a lively Hope in Christ his Son and hath sent forth his Spirit into their Hearts for them to cry Abba (a) Gal. 4.6 Father It s their Duty to make their Supplications unto him that hath begotten them because it 's by the Spirit of his Son in their Hearts that they see their Wants and the Sufficiency and Willingness there is in him to supply them who is a God that heareth Prayer It 's Gods Spirit that makes sensible of Wants begets Desires and raises Cries in the Soul to him and is therefore principally to be minded and waited in Whosoever slights Gods Spirit neglects to wait in it and disregards the Work and Motion of it in their own Hearts can never rightly and sensibly know their Wants nor what to ask or pray for or perform that Duty of Prayer as they ought It 's my tender Council and Advice in great Love and much good Will to all that believe this is the Gospel-day long since (b) Joel 2.28 prophesied of And that own the time is come wherein the Father hath according to Christ's Prayer whom he always hears sent the Comforter even the Spirit of Truth which is the Holy (c) John 14.26 Ghost and that Credit what the Apostle saith who declares a Manifestation of the Spirit is given to (d) 1 Cor. 12.7 every one to profit withal To such I say 1. Prize O prize the great Love of God and Christ herein 2. Be humbly thankful unto God for this unspeakable Gift 3. Answer the End for which he hath given this blessed Spirit receive it wait in it hearken to it turn at its Reproofs and give up to be led by it that ye may be the Sons of God 4. And then you thereby will not only like the Publican (e) Matth. 18.13 see your Conditions be moved to Pray in a Sense of your Wants but be enabled to serve God acceptably through Jesus Christ and taught thereby to worship and live to him and know his Things and understand the Mysteries of his heavenly Kingdom Therefore I earnestly be-beseech all sligh not grieve nor (f) 1 Thess 5.19 quench the Motions of it neglect not this Gift nor your diligent waiting upon God in it at all Times and in all Places in all Services and Religious Duties wait in it to be fitted by it and neither pray nor sing without it for the true Praying (g) 1 Cor. 14.15 is with it and true Singing in it And there is no Access unto God nor Admittance to the Throne of his Grace to receive Help in the time of Need but through (h) Ephes 2.18 Rom. 5.2 Jesus Christ and by this Spirit And altho' the World that lies in Wickedness hates and grieves this Spirit mocks and derides at it and those that direct to it and are guided by it yet this Spirit convinceth (i) John 16.8 them of their Sin and Unbelief of their Righteousness and Judgment which is not given them nor wrought in them by this Spirit and therefore it reproves them thereof Oh therefore tender Reader love receive wait in joyn to obey and follow this Holy Spirit and then it will open your Understandings quicken your Souls to God make you alive and beget you anew to him wash and sanctifie your Hearts purge your Consciences from dead Works and bring you to serve the living (k) Heb. 9.14 God who is a Spirit in the Spirit and Truth and enable you to walk in newness (l) Rom. 7.6 of the Spirit and out of the oldness of the Letter and beget encrease and continue Love in your Hearts and Souls to God and Christ to his Church and People to his Law and Testimony and to the Holy Scriptures which the Holy Men of God wrought as they were moved by this Holy Ghost or Spirit which Spirit I am commanding and recommending unto you to be your Conductor and Leader your Guide and Instructer in your Pilgrimage through this low World and Vale of Tears that so you may pass the time of your sojourning (m) 1 Pet. 1.17 here with Fear and give your selves to Reading the Holy Scriptures and to Waiting upon God in this Spirit and Praying to him in it and Asking of him Wisdom and Meditating in his holy Law that converts (n) Psal 19.7 the Soul and regarding his Testimony that makes wise the Simple and do not content your selves only to hear of God and Christ and those Memorable Things and Noble Acts of the Righteous recorded in Holy Writ and that plenteous Redemption eternal Life and Salvation they were Witnesses and Partakers of nor with saying over Words compiled and put together by the Wisdom of Men called Prayers but through Receiving and Obeying this Holy Spirit and believing in God and Christ from whom it proceedeth may know and partake of that Life and Understanding it gives be born of it baptized (o) 1 Cor. 12.13 by it washed sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit (p) 1 Cor. 6.11 of our God and also taught and assisted thereby to pray to him which is the sincere Desire and hearty Supplication of your well-wishing Friend Who once more earnestly entreats you not to quench this Spirit neither disregard the inward and secret Convictions Reproofs and Counsel of it in your Hearts For it is that Spirit that searcheth (r) 1 Cor. 2.10 all Things yea the deep Things of God and God by this is certainly reproving and counselling the Children of Men in this Age and Generation as in days past and shews and Reproves them for their evil Thoughts wicked Words ungodly Deeds and execrable Oaths and by this Spirit is certainly counselling People to think on him to consider their Ways to amend their Doings to speak in his Fear And to Refrain from Oaths and Cursing and all ungodly Speaking and to Crase to do Evil and Learn to do well that he might wash away their Sins and pardon their Offences for Christs sake Therefore have a care Oh! have a care I beseech you for your never-dying Souls sake for your present Peace and future Happiness-sake that you do not like them of old set at nought all (s) Prov. 1.24 to the end Gods Counsel nor slight his Reproofs for then know assuredly God will laugh at your Calamity and mock when your Fear cometh like Defolation and your Destruction like a Whirlwind when Affliction and Anguish shall come upon you Then O then if you call upon him he will not answer if you seek him early you shall not find him because you hated Knowledge and did not chuse the Fear of the Lord therefore you shall eat of the Fruit of your own ways and be filled with your own Devices But whosoever obeyeth Gods Holy Spirit and is guided by it shall be quiet (t) Prov. 1.33 from Fear of Evil become his Son and have a Place in his eternal Kingdom for evermore Therefore love and obey it saith Thy Real and Well-wishing Friend JOHN FEILD FINIS

cannot do any thing acceptable to God This is the Comsorter that teacheth all things the word of Faith nigh in the Heart (t) Rom. 10.8 and in the Mouth It is also called the word (v) Acts 20.32 of Grace which is able to build us up and give us an Inheritance among them which are sanctified through Faith which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This Word Spirit Light or Grace which came by Jesus and and thro' him is extended unto all Men is a remedy which God hath in Mercy provided for Man and it is as universal as the disease For as by the Offence of one Adam (†) Rom. 5.18 Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one Jesus Christ the free Gift came upon all Men unto justification of Life This is the Christians guide and teacher in all things especially in things immediately relating to God and as this Spirit sanctifies the Heart and brings forth a pure Offering out of it God accepts thereof he regards Truth in the inward Parts not outside appearances only but the sincerity of Heart It was his demand of Old (w) Prov. 23.26 Son give me thine Heart Not a multitude of words without this will prevail with God Our Lord reproved (x) Mat. 23.14 the Pharisees for their long Prayers when their Hearts went after their Covetousness yet thought like the (y) Mat. 6.7 Heathen to be heard for their much speaking or vain repititions but he commended the poor Publican who in the sense of his Sins made a full Confession but a short Prayer (z) Luk. 18.13 God be merciful to me a Sinner and pronounced him rather justified than the Pharisee And because we dare not offer up Prayers to God until we feel our Hearts moved thereunto by his Spirit which maketh (a) Rom. 8.26 intercession for us according to the will of God no more can we joyn with those who pray without the sense of this Spirit and fear of God and can immediately turn from their vain and idle Discourses to Prayer and from their Prayers back again to their Discourses We have been convinced not only that such Prayer availeth nothing with God but also that he is displeased with it for he hath said (b) Exod. 20.7 I will not hold them Guiltless that take my Name in vain The Publick Prayers put up to God in the name of Jesus in our Solemn Assemblies for the Worship of God as many Thousands can bear us witness are evident Proofs that we do not only own but use true Prayer 2dly It is our Spiritual Interest to be frequent in this Practice for we daily reap the benefit thereof If God take care of Sparrows (c) Luk. 12.24 to 28. cloath the Grass and array the Lilies and feed the Ravens (d) Job 38.41 when their young Ones cry unto him will not he regard us and hear our Prayers and Cries when we make Supplication to him in the Name of his Son in whom he is well pleased (e) Mar. 1.11 and for whose sake he is pleased with Man and grants us supplies suitable to our Necessities We have good reason to love Prayer even from the Experience we have felt thereof in our selves And truly as the case stands with us we should be very unhappy without this priviledge It is well known manifold and cruel have been the Sufferings of this People whom Men have persecuted reviled and spoken all manner of Evil against falsly for the sake of Christ and the Righteousness of his Kingdom as our Lord foretold long since (f) Mar. 5.10 11. would be the portion of his followers and they have not only patiently born what was permitted to come upon them from unreasonable Men but Satan also by himself hath used great and manifold endeavours if possible to drive them from their Faith and Obedience in Christ to effect which hath raised Enemies within and we have often found it to be as our Lord said a Man's Enemies (g) Mat. 10.36 are those of his own House Inward Assaults Temptations and Buffettings The Devil envied and raged at them the World hated and persecuted them what sad Condition should we be in if we had not this priviledge to fly to God and seek his Face like Children when they are apprehensive of Danger run with great boldness to their Parents and tho' sometimes they cannot express themselves to relate their fears and troubles yet their Parents have Compassion and receive them with open Arms and ready to defend them to their utmost How much more as our Lord said (h) Luc. 11.13 Joh. 10.29 Shall our Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him None is able to pull us out of his Hands he is greater than all It cannot be related what immediate Comfort and divine Aid such have received who truly sought his Face whereby they have many infallible Proofs that there is a God (l) Psal 65.2 who heareth Prayer and lifts up the Light of his Countenance upon his Children whereof their Souls are more joyful than those (m) Psal 4.7 whose Corn and Wine increaseth and they have been thereby so strengthened and filled with Heavenly Joy that they have esteemed all their Sufferings Tribulations Slanders and Reproaches as Riches being so many tokens of their Discipleship to Jesus whom they desire to follow that they may receive the Promise (n) Mat. 5.12 Great shall be your reward in Heaven Therefore let none slander nor defame us with this false Charge of denying Prayer for we do faithfully declare as above that we sincerely own and practise it and have good cause to continue therein both our own Experience and the Examples of others Holy Men and Women as they are recorded in Holy Scriptures in the several Ages of the World they prayed to God upon many Occasions and Exigents I shall give some instances of such who prayed and the Lord did signally appear and granted them their Requests Let us pray in Faith as they they did and our Petitions shall be heard for God is the same as ever he was as willing to hear and as powerful to save as in former Ages My Hand is not shorten'd that I cannot (o) Isa 59.1 and 10.2 save neither is my Ear heavy that I cannot hear saith the Lord. But before I shall mention those places of Scripture that regard the vertue and power of Prayer I would be well understood what I mean by Prayer true Prayer is a desire of the Soul whether express'd by words or not from a sense of the want of that the Soul prays for which sense no Man can give himself It is the Spirit of God alone and to those this Spirit of Prayer is given who in some measure obey the Spirit turning at its reproof from the evil and that which is reproveable in the sight of God and this is the true reason why so many miss in

this great Duty they pray amiss having not a sense of what they pray for I say true Prayer is not only words the best of words for the Essence and Life of Prayer is that divine sense which is received thro' the preparation of the Heart by the Spirit of God and it is this sort of Prayer I recommend in this short Discourse and if People would be serious and kind to themselves as to consider how little they receive of that they ask for and how much they are daily found in a Contradiction to their own Prayers they would easily see how much they are out of the right way of true Prayer Our Lord commanded Watch and Pray therefore they that would pray aright must watch they that watch must wait And what must they wait for that God would please by his Spirit to prepare their Hearts to worship him acceptably Therefore no Man can prescribe Forms to the Holy Ghost For as the Holy Spirit begets sense of wants so many times wants beget words and such words have a Spirit and Life with them this is praying in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ to wit in his Divine Power and Authority and therefore successful and that in all Ages as the following instances do evidence and illustrate Jacob wrestled with the Angel he wept and made (p) Gen. 32.25 Hos 12.3 Supplication and by his strength he had power with God and prevailed like a Prince (q) Ja. 5.17 God shut up Heaven at Elias Prayer for the space of three years and an half that there was a great Famine he prayed again and the Heavens gave Rain and the Earth brought forth Fruits At the Prayer (r) Josh 10.12 of Joshua the Sun and Moon stood still for the space of a whole day Samuel prayed and the Lord (s) 1 Sa. 7.9 10. discomfited his Enemies with a terrible Thunder Abraham prayed and obtained Promises of a Son (t) Gen. 15. to be his Heir and of the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance with the innumerable increase of his Seed Jacob prayed and escaped the edge (u) Jen. 32. and 33. Chap. of the Sword for he was greatly afraid of his Brother Esau but God turned the Heart of Esau that he imbraced him kindly and parted so Gideon in great weakness prayed (w) Judg. 6. to the Lord and was made strong and confirmed by signs and became a deliverer of Israel out of their Bondage Isaiah the Prophet and Hezekiah the King prayed (x) 2 Kings 19. because of the Threats and Blasphemy of Rabsheka General of the King of Assyrias Army and the Lord heard them and opened the mouth of his Prophet to foretell good unto Israel and sent his Angel who slew in one night 185000 Men of the Assyrians and Israel was delivered at that time At the Prayer (y) Gen. 20.17 of Abraham God healed Abimelech the King his Queen and Family At the intreaty (z) Gen. 25.21 of Isaac after twenty years Marriage God gave him two Sons Rebecca and Hannah both besought God concerning Children and their Prayers were answered Moses Aron and Phineas were lively (a) Gen. 25.22 1 Sam. 1.27 Types of our Lord Jesus the one Mediator between God and Men and were as Saviours to the People often making intercession and attonement for them when the Anger (b) Exod 32.11 ●4 Numb 25.13 and 16 43 to 50. of the Lord was kindled against them Christian Reader much might be said upon this Subject and many more Examples brought out of the Holy Scriptures of those wonderful things wrought by Prayer and Faith particularly of the many Supplications made to our Blessed Lord Jesus when on Earth upon which he raised (c) Mat. 9.25 the Dead healed (d) Mat. 8.5 to 13 verse the Sick and forgave (e) Luk 7.47 Sins To which Examples the Apostle James might allude when he exhorted the Primitive Christians to Prayer And if any be Sick let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him and the (f) Ja. 5.14 Prayer of Faith shall save the Sick and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed Sins they shall be forgiven him But I shall say the less intending to annex hereunto above an Hundred Instances Collected out of the Holy Scriptures whereby in a short time one may see for incouragement those miraculous things wrought in former Ages which otherwise we cannot find in much reading being mixed in Scripture among other matters I thought to conclude here but must take notice of another great inducement we have to this Duty and it is the greatest Example of all that can be brought to wit Our Lord Jesus he who commanded us to Watch and Pray set us himself for a Pattern And tho' the Father always (g) Joh. 11.41 42. heard him yet for the sake of others He cried with a loud voice It is said in another place tho' he was (h) Heb. 5.7 a Son yet in the days of his Flesh he offered up Prayers and Supplication with strong Crying and Tears unto him that was able to save him from Death and was heard in that he feared He sought (i) Luk. 4 4● and 5.16 solitary places praying (k) Mat. 14.23 Luk. 9.18 alone unto the Father until (l) Mark 6.48 midnight yea sometimes (m) Luk. 6.12 all night For what were these things done and the Records thereof preserved till now but for our Learning We have great need of it for we can have nothing but what we receive and tho' God be good and a full fountain of all Blessings he will be sought unto for these things Therefore let us be faithful in doing what is his will and refusing whatsoever is contrary thereunto and we need not doubt but God will hear us when we call upon him as the Scripture saith If any Man be a Worshipper (n) Joh. 9.31 of God and doth his will Him he heareth London 29 11. Month 1654 5. John Tomkins INSTANCES OF THE Answer of Prayer 1. ABraham the Father of the Faithful being Childless prayed unto the Lord for an Heir complaining that Eliezer the Steward of the House was like to be his Heir And the word of the Lord came to Abraham promising he whom he supposed should not be his Heir but he that shall come forth out of his own Bowels shall be thine Heir whose Seed he promised should be for number like the Stars in the Firmament Gen. 15.2 3 4 5. 2. Abraham Prayed for Ishmael his Son and God answered him and repeated the abovesaid Promise of giving him a Son by his Wise Sarah and said as for Ishmael I have heard thee behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly twelve Princes shall he beget and I will make him a great Nation Gen. 17.18 19 20 which was fulfilled see Gen. Chap. 25.13 14 15 16 18. 3.

fell on their Faces and said O God the God of the Spirits of all Flesh shall on Man Sin and wilt thou be wroth with the whole Congregation And the Lord heard them and spared the Congregation but bad them separate the People from the three chief movers of the sedition and God caused the Earth to open and swallow them up alive and all that appertained to them Numb 16.1 to 32. 25. Because the Israelites loathed the Manna which God gave them from Heaven they were stung with fiery Serpents that they died and Moses prayed for the People and the Lord commanded him to set up a Brasen Serpent upon a Pole that every one that looked upon it should live Numb 21.3 to 9. 26. The Lord acquainted Moses of his Death Moses besought God for a Successor and God appointed Joshua the Son Nun in the stead of Moses Numb 27.12 to 20. 27. Israel fled before their Enemies Joshua sought the Lord by Prayer and the Lord instructed him what to do and how to find out the cause thereof Joshua 7. Chap. 28. At the Prayer of Joshua the Sun and Moon stood still that there was no Day like that before or after for the Lord hearkened to the voice of a Man Joshua 10.12 13 14. 29. Israel under a true sense of their great declension from the Law of God in their Distress cryed unto the Lord and he heard their Prayers and raised up Othniel Caleb's Nephew who delivered them out of the hand of their Enemies Judg. 3.9 10. 30. Israel again did Evil and the Lord suffer'd Eglon King of Moab to oppress them and they were tributary to him Eighteen years but they cryed to the Lord under their Distress and he heard them and raised them up Ehud the Son of Gera a Left-handed Man who delivered Israel out of the hands of their Enemies and the Land had rest Eighty years Judg. 3.15 31. After Ehud was dead Israel sinned again and provoked the Lord and he sold them into the hand of Jabin King of Canaan and Twenty years he mightily oppressed them and they cryed to the Lord in their Distress and he heard their Prayers and raised up Deborah a Judge and Baruck a General who rescued Israel out of the hands of their Enemies Judg. 4. 32. Israel sinned against God the fourth time and he suffer'd the Midianites greatly to impoverish them so that when they had sown their Corn in the ground they came and their Cattle and eat and destroyed their increase insomuch they made them Dens in the Mountains and Caves in the Earth and they cryed to the Lord because of the Midianites and he sent his Prophet to shew them their Backslidings and raised up Gideon a poor Thresher of Wheat to be a Judge over them they overcame Oreb and Zeeb the chief Princes of Midian and obtained quiet for the Country Forty years Judg. 6.7 8.28 33. Gideon having seen an Angel was afraid and prayed to the Lord and God heard and comforted him Judg. 6.22 23. 34. At the Prayer of Gideon his Fleece of Wool was wet with Dew and all the ground about it was dry Judg. 6.36 38. 35. Again at the Prayer of Gideon his Fleece of Wool was dry and upon the ground about it was wet Judg. 6.39 40. 36. Israel for their great Apostacy and Worshiping the Gods of the Nations the Anger of the Lord was hot against them and he suffered the Philistines and Ammonites to distress them sorely and they cried to the Lord who at first seemed to reject them and bid them Go to the Gods they had served but Israel renewed their Suit and confessed their Sins and forsook them and served the Lord and his Soul was moved with their Misery and God put his Spirit upon Jeptha who was both Judge and General over Israel and subdued their Enemies under them Judg. 10.11 12. Chapt. 37. At the Prayer of Manoah the Father of Sampson the Angel of God who before had appeared to Manoah's Wife appeared again unto him and instructed him and his Wife how they should order Sampson when he was born Judg. 13.8 to 14. 38. After Samson had slain 1000 Men with the Jaw-bone of an Ass he was sore a-thirst and prayed to the Lord and God heard him and caused Water to issue out of a hollow place of the Jaw Bone and Samson drank and his Spirit was revived and he called the place En-hakkore which is to say the will of him that called and cryed Judg. 15.15 to 19. 39. Hannah prayed to the Lord for a Son and he granted her the Petition which she asked of him 1 Sam. 1.9 to 27. 40. Eli the high Priest prayed the Lord to give unto Hannah more Children instead of Samuel which she had dedicated to the Lord and the Lord answered his Request and gave her three Sons and two Daughters more 1 Sam. 2.20 21. 41. At the Prayer of Samuel the Prophet and Judge in Israel the Lord Thunder'd with a mighty Thunder upon the Philistines their Adversaries and so discomfited them that they were smitten before Israel 1 Sam. 7.9 10 11. 42. Israel having required a King to rule over them contrary to the mind of God It grieved Samuel and he prayed to the Lord and the Lord heard him and directed him what to do 1 Sam. 8.5 7 8 9. 43. At the Prayer of Samuel the Lord sent Thunder and Rain which caused the People greatly to fear the Lord 1 Sam. 12.18 44. David having heard that Saul was coming to Keilah to destroy it for his sake and that the Men of Keilah would deliver him up into the hand of Saul David prayed to the Lord and besought him to tell him whether they would do as he had heard and the Lord answered him they will by which means David and his Men left the City and escaped the hands of Saul 1 Sam. 23.10 to 13. 45. David seeing 70000 Thousand fall by the Pestilence prayed to the Lord and the Lord directed David by the Prophet Gad to rear an Altar and offer Burnt-Offerings thereon and he did so and the Lord was intreated and the Plague was stayed 2 Sam. 24.17 to 25. 46. There was a Famine in the days of David three years and he sought the Face of the Lord concerning it and God answered and shewed him wherefore it was and afterwards the Lord was intreated for the Land 2 Sam. 21.1 14. 47. Solomon above all things prayed for Wisdom and his Prayer pleased the Lord and he granted him not only Wisdom insomuch that he was the Wisest Man that ever was but God added to his Wisdom Riches and Honour so that there was no King like him 1 King 3.7 to 12. 48. Solomon having finished that Famous Temple gathered Israel together at the Consecration thereof and kneeled down on a Brazen Scaffold made to that purpose and made a large and solemn Prayer to God when he had finished his Prayer Fire came down from Heaven and consumed the