may not be neglected carnal and sinful means may not be used Better use none but prayer then use all without prayer As carnal and evil helps are to be avoided so let this give an exhortation for direction to the Sovereign means of help in all our necessities and exigencies to betake us unto prayer that even for the time we pray will mitigate and alleviate the evil and in Heavens appointed time will obtain a removal of it The voice of a good heart is that of the Prophets Hos 6 1â— Come let us return to the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us c. Tender before God your troubled spirits lay before him all your sorrows he will be overcome by fervent prayer to lay unto them an equal yea a far more surpassing weight of mercies in giving a gracious deliverance The Prophet knew the vertue of prayer to be so powerful that he falls a wondring why God can be angry with his people that prays Psal 80.4 For how can God be angry with a â—ruly praying heart unless he will be angry with his own Spirit which teaches to pray yea which frames the Petitions his Children put up unto him God cannot be displeased and continue his wrath if there continue in me his Spirit of prayer for then there should be discord 'twixt God the Father and the Holy Spirit when yet they are but one God If we pleaded with the bare spirit of man our Weapons were but Vitrea tela Weapons of Glass Austin as the Father calls Hereticks Arguments quickly broken of no force but being assisted by the Spirit of Grace what shall stand in our way not tribulation not anguish not sorrow of minde not temptations of Devil not malice of men not the failings of our own hearts for he that hath given us his Son to intercede above and his Spirit to intercede below for us and in us how shall he not wtth them give us all things else especially things concerning his Service If God have any marks for his sheep sure this is one that they call upon God and are accustomed in all their needs to shew their rent fleeces their weakness their evils to the eye and ear of the great Shepherd of their Souls by prayer If there be and so carnally foolish as will cavil at and seâ—m this Heavenly habit of prayer saying Who can shew us any good that comes from it many pray but where is their Cross removed and blessings conferred by it Zcch 12.10 to such this good we can shew that though their deliverance do not appear yet this appears a signe of their adoption and which shall certainly bring them peace at the last when all carnal men shall be accursed Psal 14.4 who have carried this mark of Goats that they loved not to call upon God Besides this good shall certainly come their afflictions are sanctified to them by prayer and a sweet communion and fellowship is maintained 'twixt God and the Soul which is the only Heaven to be had upon earth Verse Here are two errors about prayer would be avoided The first of wicked men who despise small evils and use not to fly to the remedy of prayer but at some sore plunge and last pinch when the Boat has tried all other Oars and cannot be brought safe into the Haven It is not the custom of them that are unaccostomed to Godliness not to betake themselves to prayer till worldly helps are out of joynt and cannot help them Then when worldly means will not delp our decayed estate the last refuge is to call on God When the Apothecaries pots cannot draw them out of the bed of sickness after all prayer chuses God for the Physition Mark 5. When 12 years Physick will do no good then the diseased woman cares not to ask Christ his counsel When death or the utmost end of any evil approaches then doth the worldly spirit turn to God because he cannot work it out himself an evil ordering when God must be put in the second and last place Thus justly doth God suffer men to despise small Crosses till they by neglect of prayer grow vehement and immense like waters from the ankle to the chin Well worth St. Austine who In Confess lib. 9. when his teeth did but ake did flie unto prayer and desired them that were present with him to pray for him and with him whereas we only foolishly ungodlily do desire the prayers of others and fly to our own prayers only when evils are grown great and ripe Be our evils never so small yet they may grow greater unless we take prayer the remedy for prevention Second error is of Godly men who by the greatness of their sins or afflictions are kept and affrighted from prayer as if it were only able to remove lighter burdens nay rather they should be more diligent in prayer by how much more vehement their anguish is If your evil be so great why do you encrease it Expectation of deliverance from the most leaden and heaviest weights is not hopeless unless we be prayerless This is as if some silly one should argue Strong ropes and good tacklings firm Masts and whole Sails are profitable in a calm Sea but in a storm and violent tempest nothing will hold all will be broken with the Winâ—s yea â—â—â—â—â—â—less if in our calm or evilâ—â—â—â—â—eâ— be profitable much more is it necessary when the winds blow the rain fall and the storms beat for this will underprop and stablish a Christian to keep him from falling But against prayer in those cases the Godly deeply afflicted have to shifts Fain would we pray 1 Shift but in our prayers we finde no delight no spiritual rellish in this duty and what shall we get in that if we go about it for which we are so unfit and indisposed so shall we rather provoke God than any way please him This is called driness and barrenness in spiritual exercises yet why should this hinder us be our hearts never so dry and barren this is the way to moisten them It may be through the trouble of our hearts we finde no delight in our devotions John 5. we know the Angel was in the Pool when the waters were stirred and troubled so though we think our troubled tumultuous thoughts unfit to meet and commune with God in prayer yet even then Gods Spirit can move in those troubled waters our unfitness cannot hinder the fitness of Gods Spirit whose best and most prevailing language is troublesome groans and sighs that cannot be exprest Rhm. 8. We may go to God unfit for prayer and yet be marvellously fitted by him that works upon hearts in the very act of prayer Yea surely a prayer which is put to God constrainedly not to please our selves for we find no tast pleasant in it but reemly to obey God because it is his will is very acceptable to him The more humble we are in
hurries the Soul to Heaven first giving it clusters of Canaans Grapes and then making it walk through Jordan to come into the promised Land and eat of all the fruits of blessedness to the full The second Tractate was after the cure of the Heel at the celebration of the triumph in the Head Jesus Christ Titulum frontis erade ut mutasit pagina quod sufficit loquatur materiam non loquatur autorem Sever. Sulpit. in Epist ad Histor D. Mart. We say no more of the discourses and treatises but that they may still be profitable even after the hours of their first hirth they are of age whether they can speak much for themselves or no I know not you may see no great desire there was in the Author to send them abroad though they have been desired They were conceived and born in the year 1632. when the Womb they came from could plead nothing but unripeness and youth and therefore hopes his pardon may be the sooner sued out it is now fifteeen years since almost Horoces noâ—um prematur in annum It hath the same matter and form it had unaltered only that â—f Esay has the Conclusions all â—andled and so suffâ—rs a little â—ddition of what was not spoâ—en to fill up the Text. I have â—â—me reasons why I make this walk in publick for first I owe so much to her memory my self 2. There is some need of â—eviving her graces for others that knew her among whom â—uch examples are rare living â—nd are rarely thought of when the parties are dead for we are very prone to bury good examples but evil examples have a dayly Resurrection 3. No great reason appâ—ars but that now when so many Wild Goose Quills are writing and so many Soul poysoning and Faith blasting Themes are dayly printed and published to the detriment of many Souls set out with the plausible and gay flourishes of new Truth and new Revelations but it will stand the servants of God in hand to put out something practical and sound to fill the hands of their â—riends with that which is wholesome though it be not so gloriâ—as to the eye and fancy We run like the Dromedary in the wilderness after Doctrines of new Theories and we forget the old rules of holy practical Theologie O that in Science we were more sober and in Conscience more sound It was a true censure of our and former times that the Primitive and foregoing servants of God had less Science Beza in Epist lib. Epist 1. Andreae Duditio and more Conscience and our men and age have more Science but less Conscience that is less integrity and simplicity of Consciscience the former times were full of Fire and ours full of Glow-worms That good Soul about whom these ensuing lines were might for a wakened and right Conscience challenge some praise to set her forth as exemplary specially to her rank that they might not strive to be called fine Ladies Ladies always in the fashion but what is better Ladies in the faith and as St. John's Elect Ladies But living she desired it not and dead she needs not any such thing Flatterly commonly and Wit sometimes has gone very far in the praise of things Pirkhaimerus laudavit podagram Janus Dâ—uza umbram Joannes Bruno Italus etiam Diabâ—lum Frid. Taubman in Virgil. Culic where all was an occult quality so hidden as could not be found Augustine saith of Julian the Pelagian that he was idoneus dicere panegyricum Satanae He was fit to make an Oration in praise of the Devil And one Bruno an Italian did expresly do it But away with such fancies it will be better for us to enquire after the great Rabbies and Mastors under which she tutor'd did and we also may profit and attain to exact holiness and they were three great Tutors Melch. Adam in vit Luth. that Luther writes make a compleat Divine Meditation Prayer Temptation Reader peruse ponder practise thou mayst find what rightly considered may teach thee to be a Christian Centinell to watch thy Soul and keep thy spiritual peace carefully lest thou come to the mournning and great cries of Ramath with Rachel to weep if not for the Children of thy womb yet for thy peace and assurance the Children of the Lords womb and be much troubled because they are not A right use of the departure of good Souls may be learnt so much the rather because it is so neglected as if there were no more thoughts of heart to be had about the withering of Roses then the cutting up of Nettles the departure of a Stephen and the death of a Cain Thou mayst if thou wilt receive some benefit if not this is one witness more against thee then thou knewest of before good things if they profit not they hurt I will not abuse my small leisure to a larger prodrom or extended Epistle lest as the lips of a fool swallow up himself Cicero de Accio In orationibus multus ineptus De legibus lib. 1. so my lines might be censured If this and such like Treatises may keep any from conversing in the frothy todder of Pamphlets idle and vain or if any Soul may hereby learn better to mind duty and either keep or recover sense of sweet mercy he shall rejoyce Who is The Churches servant in the Gospel T. C. HEART-SALVE FOR A WOUNDED SOUL PSAL. 143.7 Hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like to them that go down into the Pit IN this Psalm we have the Picture of David without his Harp having laid aside all his pleasant Tools he is now in his poenitential plight sadness sorts not with Musick If we ask the reason of the metamorphosis of this holy man from his heights of joy to such depths of sorrow he may answer with him who was a Patriarch of the same Tribe of affliction Job 30.30 31. My skin is black upon me and my bones are burnt with heat my Harp also turned into mourning and my Organ into the voice of them that weep Or with the words of this Verse My Musick fails for my spirit fails Let the living rejoyce but I am as one dead and ready to be laid in the pit The Septuagint intitle the Psalm In Hieronym quadrupl Psalterio Quum furgeret Saulem Piscator A Psalm of David when he was persecuted by his son Absalom the Original has no such matter The ground of the former is fetcht from the 3 and 9 and last Verses of the Psalm True it is this wicked Son often made his Father sing with a heavy voice where David was deceived in imposing on him the name of Absalom his Fathers Peace his life signified no such thing he being Benoni a Son of sorrow and mischief to his Father whatsoever were the occasion the matter of the Psalm is evident the light of Gods countenance Gods audience of his Prayers the comforts of his
misliking our prayers the more commonly doth the Lord like them This hindred not the Prophet in his distress Psal 77.34 I am so troubled saith he that I cannot speak yet for all this he prays Esa 38.14 And Hezekiah when his great sorrow so disturbed his prayers that he seemed rather to chatter like a reasonless Crane than to speak like a man or pray like a Servant of God yet this cackling chattering troubled prayer brought to him the sealed Patents of Gods Promise for spinning out the thred of his life to fifteen years length what better prayer could the freest prayer have brought God knows our broken fighs and loves our undigested troubled groans for he commonly dwells most pleasingly in troubled hearts he takes our prayers not as they are heavy and distracted dead and dull but such as we would have them quick and fervent lively and earnest Yea 2 Shift but God seems to be our enemy he hides away his face and if the face be turned away the ear goes with it Here the Serpent shews his tail this is one of Hells Arguments to withhold the humbled heart from approaching the welspring of comfort Suppose God seem to be thy enemy is not Christs counsel good Matth. 5. to agree with thine adversary quickly to appease him and make him thy friend by supplication unto him When two are at odds the best way is to bring a third person to mediate betwixt them Dost thou feel a seeming sense of Gods displeasure then say I in like advise to that given to Abraham Go take his son his only Son Jesus offer him up to his Father upon the Altar of thy contrite heart pray him to be the third Person to mediate betwixt God and thee beseech this Heavenly Proctor and Advocate to plead the causes of thy Soul unto his Father say unto Chrip I dare not speak to God he seems to be my enemy let thy blood speak for me stand thou betwixt him me be my reconciler for in thee he is well pleased The Prophet was in this case he would gladly pray to God Mat. 3. Tantum aberat ut cogitatio de Deo mentem inquietam micaret ut contra nil aeque me perturbaret Beza in Psal 77.3 in Paraphrasi but the remembrance of God troubled him when he saw to his judgment that the tokens of Gods displeasure were upon him But against this fear we may be bold and confident in it that if God be displeased he cannot refuse the sighs of a contrite heart let this sacrifice smoke before him and Gods displeasure cannot long smoke against thee Satan may be displeased at it but believe him not when he tells thee that for all this God is displeased Speedily his request is not only for hearing but for speedy hearing Hear me and hear me speedily answer and answer quickly this is the tone and tune of men in distress Man in misery earnestly sues for speedy delivery In our afflictions and troubles deliverance though it should come with wings we never think it comes soon enough Weak man cannot content himself to know he shall have help unless it be present help Accelera quia magna esset poena mea tarditas tua Card. de Aliaco in Psal 31. Qui nunquam Solem nec orientem nec occidentem viderunt Cicero de finib lib. 2. Smyndirides the Sybarite bragged of his blessed voluptuous life that for 20 years he never saw the Sun either rising or setting Athen. Dipuos li. 6. c. 8. If evil fall upon us in the night we would have it removed ere the morning if in the morning we would not have it our bed fellow in the evening We would have the Lords Promise run thus Your sorrows shall not endure the whole night your joy shall come long before the morning The luxurious Emperour and his drunken mates eat and drank all the night and slept all the day in so much as it was said of them they never saw Sun-set nor Sun-rise Such would we have our evils we suffer of so short continuance as might neither have Sun-set nor Sun-rise to see us in our misery Which makes me marvel at that strange Aegyptian Beast called Pharaoh who being demanded by Moses when he would have Gods Plague of the Frogs removed answered Exo. 8 1â— To morrow Surely here he spake not as a man to whom an hours trouble is accounted a day a day a month a month seems a year For in leaving of two things we change our desires and are much different 1. In leaving of sin there we procrastinate and put off and when God says to day hear my voice we answer to morrow and are like the Levites Father too kind hosts to such bad Guests Judg. 19.6 O my sins you shall not be left to day tarry till the morning our pace to repentance is slow far from haste 2. But for afflictions to leave us Psal 55.6 there we wish they had feet like hindes feet to run away from us or we the wings of a dove to fly away from them and be at rest The Prophet who had good shoulders to bear much yet cares not how soon the weight were off them Psal 40.13 Be pleased O Lord to deliver me How long time would he willingly lie under his troubles doth he desire God to help him after some months and years alas no within some few hours Make haste saith he to help me Yea because God seems to come slowly he intreats him to amend his pace Make no long tarrying O my God Ver. 17. in the day when I call answer me speedily He would be helpt the first day of his trouble nay Psa 102.2 and he would not have the day spent neither speedily let it be betimes even in that day What Prisoner desires not to be presently set free and that liberties soft hand may loose his Iron knots what Mariner wishes a long storm what Servant sighs not for his hard Apprentiship yea who is he thâ—â— if there were an appearâ—â—â—â— of 〈◊〉 offering to take the Câ—p oâ— calamâ—ty â—â—om his mouth saying Thou shalâ—â—riâ—k no more would answer This Cup shalâ— not yet pass â—â—om me I deligâ—â— to carouse and drink deeply of these bitter waters yea this desire extends so far as it comes to the Son of Man the blessed Seed of the Woman who was so clad with our humane weakness as that he earnestly prays for speedy help from his heavy anguish and that not once but often O my Father if it be possible c. and when his Father answers not he cries like one ready to fall under the burden Reas 1 My God my God c. The reason in Christ thus complaining is to be fetcht from thence whence his flesh came even from us it was our humane flesh not his divine Spirit which was so weary of suffering his Spirit was willing it was our flesh that was so weak And
to advancement When we look upon a man rowing in a Boat we see him look one way and row another way he looks from home but his boat goes homeward Whatsoever the Lords dealings be cast not away thy confidence O distressed heart though he seem to be a going from thee he is coming to thee Thou thinkest the Lord in anger turns away his face from thee yet the Boat of thy Soul for alâ— this is rowed homeward and Heaâ— venward These afflictions of thy spirit faintings of heart strong groans after sense of his love are infallible Sea-marks in thy way to the Haven of life and comfort only keep thy self in the Boat leap not out with diffidence though great waves leap in trust the Lord with the rowing commit thy ways unto him Psa 37.5 and he will bring it to pass Use 2 Learn to suspect rather than envy that estate which knows no changes It is the sinners saddest lot to be settled on the Lees and never moved nor changed from Bottle to Bottle Jer. 48.11 Let my Soul never sleep the sinners unbroken sleep of security they have no change Psa 73.5 and are not in trouble like other men But the righteous and whom God loves find manifold diversities of Gods proceedings with them because he means to make something of them His reason for his last request Lest I be like them that go down into the pit Not the Pit or Lake of Hell or Purgatory nor the depth and profundity of sins as some would have it but the pit of Golgotha the place of dead mens skulls the Chambers of mortality the Grave Elsewhere he seems so to reason Psa 30.9 Shall the dead praise thee what profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit Note here how David joyns Gods love and his life together and counts the hiding away his face to be death and that which carries him to the grave Doct. The faithful heart finds no life but in Gods love Gods favourable face is the Christians health and life his maintenance lies all in Gods countenance The basest low condition'd life is royalty with Gods favour and the royallist life is but a painted dunghill or a golden grave if his face be hid from it and shine not there Yea but David thou may'st be a living man eat drink and sleep though his face be hid from thee Thou hast Musick to chear thee art thou not a Prince thâ— hast the Sovereignty of a Kinâ—dom to comfort thee Nobles aâ— High Estates to attend and aâ— company thee thou mayst haâ— all the delights of the Sons of mâ—â— and earthly contentments to eâ—hilerate thee why dost thou thâ— speak of a grave or pit can man die among so many livinâ— comforts Thus indeed migâ— reason reason the case But Dâ—vid spoke advisedly he did nâ— as sometimes he did speak 〈◊〉 his haste he is often saying thâ— same Psal 119.77 ver 88. Let thy tender mercies coâ— unto me that I may live There 's nâ— life without assurance of his meâ—cies Quicken me after thy lovinâ— kindness He counts himself deaâ— without his loving kindness thâ— quickens him and puts new liâ— into him It is a great dignitâ— and comfort to a man to havâ— birds beasts fishes Sea Aiâ— Earth and all things to be madâ— for him and subjected to him Now David looks higher than thâ— Psal 8. 8th Psalm there must be more than all this to make a man to have a true and worthy life Though the body live by the Soul yet there wants Gods favour and face which is the Soul of the Soul and more to it than it is to the body The spiritual life to have to have the vital powers of grace the inspiration of Gods quickning Spirit an inward sight â—iewing of Gods face in Christ and sweet sâ—nse of his loving counâ—enance as John saith of the true â—ight so this is the true life In anotner place he has the very words His anger endureth but for a moment Psal 30.5 ver 7. Anima hominis Christiani Tulipae instar est quae se ad Spiritus Sancti radios explicat iisdem absentibus contristatur Causin Parab Hist lib. 10. and in his favour is life Again Thou didst turn away â—hy face and I was troubled There is death in â—he hiding of his countenance In the first Psalm the righteous man is compared to a tree and here methinks the righteous man is compared to a flower the Tuliâ— or Marygold if the Sun open hâ— bright lightsome face upon them these open their leaves but if 〈◊〉 set and shut up his shining shopiâ— Heaven these lour and clasp tâ—gether their leaves on earth Such is Gods favour and facâ— of love Davids Soul and evâ—ry Christians holy Soul rises aâ— sets with it Absalom couâ— tell us though he had lands aâ—â— maintenance from his father yâ— he lived bion ' abion Principis sideris absentiam gemere diceres a lifeless lisâ— so long as he might not come in his fathers presence and behoâ— his face The face of God recoâ—ciled has more ravishing sweâ—â—ness in it for every adopted Chilâ— who has tasted how gracious tâ—â— Lord is and how can they bâ— droop when that is hid froâ— them under seâ— and feeling of displeasure Psal 90.9 Redde oculos mea vita tuos ni cenere pergam Frigidus exanimi pectore dispeream Jan. Lernut in Poem Ocelli Cain Saul Judas Spira Wâ— thou art angry our days are goâ— The Idoliziâ—â— Lover will tâ— you his life lies in his Mrs eyes an amorous and pleasant look quickens him a frown or neglecting countenance casts him into deep vexations of heart This is but the Creature shall there not be thought there is more power of life and death in the Creator appearing graciously favourable or displeased Real proofs of this have been the horrible vexations even to dispair of wretched men when the ireful face of God has been set against them for their sins and presented to their Souls As also those bitter cries and prayers of the Godly in deep afflictions when no glasses could shew unto them the face of Gods favour this made them averse and pull back their hand from all offered comforts Natura speciem ita formavit oris ut in ea penitus reconditos mores effingeret Is qui appellatur vultus qui in nullo amimante esse praeter hominem potest indicat mores Cicero de Legib. lib. 1. Psal 51. because they wanted the sense and sight of this only comfort And this is a common phrase of Gods favour and love the shewing of his face because the heart acts all the parts of its several affections upon the Stage of the face it is the outward Map of the inward passions of the mind If there be fear within it may be seen in the trouble of the countenance and paleness clothing the face without If anger rise then cloudy frowns and angry demonstrations
Spirit his power to sustain him his Grace to quicken him all earnestly desired these are the substance of this holy Psalm what the Father saith of that Verse Monachus qui non vigilat hunc versum non potest dicere Hieron in Psal 77. Psal 77 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking c. a sleepy Monk cannot say that Verse the same may I say in another kinde a sleepy secure Christian that mourns not for his sins and by faith and patience not earnestly trusting and waiting upon God cannot truly say this The Psalm is a congress for a Combat or a pitched field 'twixt faith and distrust the old and new man in the Soul of a sanctified man distrust of the flesh arms it self with a multitude of sorrows and fainting with waiting for Gods delayed help Faith in the new man comes strengthened with a multitude of Gods mercies against the multitudes of miseries waiting to spie Gods face though he do for a while hide it yea as winning the Battel Ver. 9 10 stedfastly concluding Though thou hide thy face yet art thou my God and my hiding place Here about Gods help we have David requesting and reasoning with God The request are two the reasons two to move the Lord to grant his re-requests 1. Request is for audience and that speedily Hear me speedily O Lord. And that is backt with reason why What haste why begest thou for so speedy hearing He gives the reason My spirit fails I can hold out no longer 2. Request is for light of Gods countenance Hide not thy face from me 2. Reason for that is the present peril he is in even ready to die If thou hide thy face Lord I shall perish and accompany them that lie in the pit We may frame him to our understanding as if he thus pleaded with the Lord Sum and Sense How long O Lord wilt thou shut out my prayers look upon me and behold how low I am brought O hear me quickly lest my tired spirit give over lest my faint heart which has now no more strength to subsist without thy help do quite break off as drowned in the whirl pit of my deep sorrows Now at length O Lord after my long waiting send and let shine the light of thy countenance upon me which may glad my Soul shew me thy face which may raise me up again else if thou still delay what is there can keep me alive any longer from the company of them that are laid in the grave and sleep under the câ—oâ—s of death my life without sense of thy love being worse than death .. Doctr. First request Hear me speedily David he is in trouble and he betakes him to prayer Prayer is the sovereign Remedy the Godly flie to in all their extremities The Saints in sorrows have fled for comfort and healing unto Prayers and Supplications Heaven is a shop full of all good things there are stored up blessings and mercies this the Children of God know who flie to this shop in their troubles begging for help from this holy Sanctuary Psal 77.2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. When any vexation makes our life grievous unto us what should we seek but help of whom should we seek but of the Lord how should we seek Psal 116.3 4. but by prayer My sore saith he ran and ceased not so his Soul ran and ceased not to pray to the Lord. When the sorrows of death compassed him and the pains of hell got hold upon him what was his course then he got hold of the Lord and prayed unto him right humbly Then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my Soul We have to confirm this for a sure and saving way Precept Practice Promise Performance 1. Precept God commands us to pray at all times especially in sad times Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me He commands us to depend on him for deliverance and calling upon him is the best dependance 2. Practise the Godly have walked in this way which God has prescribed All Davids Psalms will witness that he coupled his troubles and prayers together Psa 6. Psal 38. So Hezekiah Esa 38.2 at hearing the message of death sent to the Lord a message of Prayers So Nehemiah in Jerusalems destruction Nehem. 1.4 5. sought succour to her distress by prayer 3. Promise the Lord hath armed us in our Petitions with hope Esa 65.24 John 16.23 which is made up of sure Promises we shall not pray to one that is deaf assoon as we can finde our tongue we shall finde his ear Every humble praying sinner shall have a hearing and helping Saviour 4. Performance all Saints are ready to subscribe We prayed the Lord has performed and delivered This poor man cried Psal 34.6 and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles This poor woman even Hannah prayed 1â— aâ— â— 19 2â— and the Lord heard her he gaver her Samuel the thing she asked of God as the name signifies All the Saints cry and by experience witness the Lords performance upon their prayers we have swimmed say they in all Seas of sorrows ready to sink but prayer hath held up our heads I was in the stocks I prayed and am delivered saith Joseph in the Lyons den by prayer I muzzeled those cruel Beasts that they did not bite saith Daniel our bed was made in the fire our coverings violent flames prayer prevailed with the Lord to cool all this heat say the three Children God has thus performed he will still perform our evils are no greater God is not deafer he can still deliver for he is as strong he will still deliver for he is as loving and gracious he must hear and deliver us for he is faithful and will not deny his Seal and Promise which he hath given us Use Away then with all broken reeds learn we not to lean on or to trust to vain confidences flying to carnal remedies in our evils Is there any evil which the Lord hath not wrought Are we in some trouble the arm of Heaven sent it the arm of flesh cannot remove it Has God wounded thee seek not then to the Devil or the Witch his Agent for a Plaister Art thou in poverty trust not to unlawful shifts they may raise thee up again in the world they cast thee twice as low in the world to come O the folly of worldly men who think with pleasures to drown their sorrows with mirth to stop the mouth of Conscience and to laugh away the burden of their evils Jer. 3.23 In vain is salvation hoped for from the mountains if God wound worldly comforts are but foolish Physick There is no way like this to fly to him by Prayer when we trust to earthly helps we take no notice of Gods hand Secondly 2 Use Lawful means