prayer ever meet us at the doors to return thanks to God for our preservation And so again at night St. Bernards Rules to be observed in prayer for our dayes safety And in the morning the like for our nights rest And in all things we are to shew and to expresse our thankfulnesse to God for all his good blessings on us from time to time bestowed and all this we are to expresse by our true and hearty prayer as St. Bernard observeth And in our prayers to God we must ever observe this rule as namely First We must recommend our prayers unto God with all humblenesse of mind Secondly We must do and perform this duty of prayer unto God with zeal and fervency Thirdly We must ever in the last place and which is above all pray unto God to teach us to pray First With humblenesse of mind for that God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Surely Prov. 3.34 he scorneth the scorners but he giveth grace to the lowly When men are cast down Job 22.29 then thou shalt say there is lifting up and he shall save the humble person Yea 1 Pet. 5.5 all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Secondly With zeal and fervency Hereupon a Father saith The prayer of the spirit and soul is the spirit the soul and the life of prayer So Hannah prayed in her heart 1 Sam. 1.13 onely her lips moved but her voice was not heard The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another James 5.15 16. that ye may be healed the effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Thirdly To pray to God to teach us to pray And it came to passe Luke 11.1 20. Matth. 6.5 7 8 9. that as be was praying in a certain place when he ceased one of his disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as Iohn also taught his disciples And he said unto them When ye pray say Our Father which art in heaven c. CHAP. V. As touching Afflictions how necessary they are for us here in this l fe and what good use we are to make of them to our selves BEfore I was afflicted Psal 119.67 71. I went astray but now have I kept thy word It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Is any among you afflicted James 5.13 let him pray is any merry let him sing psalmes It is good for a man Lament 3.2 that he bear the yoke in his youth Come unto me all ye that labour Matt. 11.28 29 30. and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls For my yoke is easie and my burden light And if they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction Job 36.8 Unlesse thy Law had been my delight Psal 119.92 I should then have perished in mine affliction Thou Judith 9.11 O God art a God of the afflicted and a helper of the oppressed The true use of afflictions and wherefore God layeth afflictions on us here in this world God doth send his afflictions and doth lay the same here upon us for these ensuing causes All of them tending to our good as namely First thereby as it were to wean us and bring us home unto himself Secondly thereby to make us out of love with the things of this world that we should not cleave too fast unto them even as the nurse puts mustard on her breast to wean the child and so thereby to make it out of love with the tear even so God deals with us by his afflictions thereby as it were to wean us from setling of our delight on the things and pleasures of the world Thirdly thereby to make us to look up unto him for help In my distresse Psal 120.1 I cried unto the Lord and he heard me For thou O God hast proved us thou hast tried us as silver is tried Thou broughtest us into the net Psal 66.10 11. thou layedst affliction upon our loyns Many are the afflictions of the righteous Psal 34.19 but the Lord delivereth him out of them all The Lord doth scourge them that come near unto him Judith 8.27 to admonish them Affliction cometh not forth of the dust Job 5.6 neither doth trouble spring out of the ground But the more they afflicted them Exod. 1.12 the more they multiplied and grew And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage Exod. 2.23 24 25. and they cried and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage And God heard their groaning and God remembred his covenant And God looked upon the children of Israel and had respect to them O Lord my strength Jer. 16.19 and my fortresse and my refuge in the day of affliction Fourthly that so he may thereby keep us the faster unto himself yea even with the cords of afflictions Hereupon St. Augustin well saith St. Augustin Qui te flagitat in hac vita ad emendum non ad damnandum hoc facit That God which doth here afflict and chastise thee he doth this onely and principally for thy amendment and not for thy ruine and destruction And again St. Augustin Hic St. Augustin ut in aeternum parcas Lord lay thou here on me what torments thou shalt see good for me in thy justice and mercy so as thou reserve for me eternity after this life ended Lay here what afflictions thou wilt on me We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdome of God Acts 14.22 Afflictions as one observeth are inseparable but not infallible notes of salvation for none shall be saved but he must suffer afflictions but all that are afflicted shall not be saved Causa facit beatos non martyrium as one observeth It is the cause which maketh men happy not martyrdome The depth of affliction is the chiefest stirrer up of devotion Witnesse the children of Israel in Egypt David in all his troubles Daniel in the lions denn Ionah in the whales belly Manasseh in his afflictions and the three Children in the fiery furnace Hereupon Hugo well saith Hugo Gravamen temporale est medicamen spirituale A temporall affliction is a spirituall medicine And as another well observeth Nemo potest a deliciis transire ad delicias None can passe from those vain and transitory pleasures and delights of this world unto the permanent and everlasting delights in the kingdome of heaven For we must not look to enjoy here a heaven upon earth Rom. 8.28 and likewise to enjoy heaven hereafter For we know that all things work together for
election unto salvation working in us for our greater comfort 70 71 72 73. As also wherein our chiefest cause of rejoycing should consist being in this because our names are written in heaven 72 73. CHAP. IIII. Of prayer and the force thereof and how necessary and needfull a duty the same is Fol. 64. Herein is set forth and shewed the ten properties of Prayer 74 75 76 77 78. How that Prayer is the key that opens the Scripture unto us and enlightens our understandings therein with some directions to be observed in reading of the Scriptures 75 76. Here is also set forth six necessary observations touching prayer and the use thereof 78 79 80 81 82. As also the necessity of prayer and that in four regards occasioned by our enemies the Devil the world the flesh and the wicked 78 79. Here is also shewed that we must pray in all places at all times and that without ceasing for all persons even for our enemies 79 80. Also we must pray to God alone with examples of this so doing 81 82. Also that we must pray with knowledge and with understanding 82 83. As also touching publick or Church-prayers shewing how needfull they are and in what respects and for whom we are there to pray even for all persons of what estate and condition soever they be of 83. Here also is the prayer set down which the ancient Christians used to make for their Emperours 83 84. That prayer is like unto Jacobs Ladder reaching up to heaven whereby we fly a high pitch and do thereby as it were mount up to heaven as it were with the wings of the dove 84 85. That by the wings of the dove is meant Meditation and Prayer 85. Here also is set down for our imitation the Prayer of St. Augustin and of St. Bernard 85. That our prayers ascend up to heaven and grace and mercy descend down upon us 85. Three sorts of Prayers observed by S. Bernard that do never ascend up unto heaven 85 86. That he which prayes to God and presently offends again doth not pray as he ought to do unto God but doth as it were mock and delude him 86. That watching and prayer ought to go hand in hand together with the Emperour his Pages memento unto him every morning putting him in mind to be watchfull 86 87. That all our worth and worthinesse is onely from God and grace to us nothing of or from our selves 87. The great benefit of constant and frequent prayer and that in three regards 87 88. Of the powerfulnesse of prayer prevailing with God himself and that in three regards 88 89 90. No better deliverance in time of distresse than by prayer unto God 88 89. That God caused a house to be made for the performance of the duty and service of prayer unto himself styling the same by the name of the house of prayer 89 90. That the house of prayer and prayers therein used with private prayer also the best means to remove Gods Judgments from us 90. Of the great and powerfull effect of prayer prevailing with God himself with divers examples thereof by way of instance what hath been wrought and effected by divers of the true and faithfull servants of God and all by prayer 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102. That prayer is as a strong City of refuge for us thereby to fly unto God in our greatest need 103. In prayer we ought to be carefull what we ask and how lest we fail in obtaining of our desires as the mother of Zebedeus children did 103. That in regard we are continually in danger we are therefore continually to pray unto God for deliverance from all dangers and herein we are to observe S. Bernards rules as touching the use of prayer the same being ever to accompany us going forth and returning lying down and rising again and for all Gods blessings on us to shew our thankfulnesse to him in prayer 103 104. Together with a threefold rule to be observed by us in our prayers to God 104 105. That we are to pray with humblenesse of mind for that God resisteth the proud but gives grace to the humble 104 105. That we must pray with zeal and fervency for that the prayer of the spirit and soul is the spirit soul and life of prayer 105. That we are to pray to God to teach us to pray 105 106. CHAP. V. As touching afflictions how necessary they are for us here in this life and what good use we are to make of them to our selves 107 108. Of the true use of afflictions and wherefore God layeth afflictions on us in this world together with four speciall causes wherefore God layeth afflictions here upon us all of them tending to our good 108 109. That through tribulation we are to enter into the kingdome of God and that afflictions are inseparable but not infallible notes of salvation 110. That it is the cause not martyrdome which maketh men happy 110. That the depth of Affliction is the chiefest stirrer up of devotion witnessed by some examples by way of instance as of the children of Israel David Daniel Jonah Manasseh the three children 110. That a temporall affliction is a spirituall medicine 111. That none can passe from pleasures here to everlasting delights in heaven 111. That good things are for good men and ill things for ill men though the things not good yet turn to the good of the godly 111. That afflictions make a man more humble wary and cautious in his wayes and they prove helpfull to the godly yea all things turn to their good 111. 112. That afflictions do make us fit vessels for Gods choice 112 113 How that by afflictions men will learn to fear God 114. That afflictions are chastisements for our sins 114. That by afflictions men are brought to keep Gods commandements which they would not be brought unto by Gods benefits 114. Not to strive with our maker the potsherd with the potsherds of the earth nor the clay with him that fashioneth it 114. Not to be impatient and murmure against God in time of adversity 114 115. That in time of troubles and dangers prayer is the best refuge 115. How that God comforteth his afflicted children with his blessings 115. How that after trouble God sendeth comfort to them that wait patiently on him and trust in his mercies 115. That afflictions work in a man repentance and humiliation 115. That afflictions stirr up a man to repentance and will open the eyes of a mans understanding and will draw him to repentance when nothing else will 115 116. CHAP. VI. A Meditation upon life and death and how we are at all times and upon all occasions to fit and prepare our selves for death that so it seize not upon us at unawares 117. Herein is set forth First the condition of our life here what the same is 117. That our life here is a sea-fare 117 118. Secondly that
is a way-fare Eccles 40.1 2 3 4 5 6. calamities dangers Great travell is created for every man and an heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam from the day that they go out of their mothers wombe till the day that they return to the mother of all things Their imagination of things to come and the day of death trouble their thoughts and cause fear of heart From him that sitteth on a throne of glory unto him that is humbled in earth and ashes From him that weareth purple and a crown unto him that is clothed with a linen frock Wrath and envy trouble and unquietnesse fear of death and anger and strife and in the time of rest upon his bed his nights sleep do change his knowledge A little or nothing is his rest and afterwards he is in his sleep as in a day of keeping watch troubled in the vision of his heart as if he were escaped out of a battel Such things happen unto all flesh Eccles 40.8 9.10 both man and beast and that is seven fold more upon sinners Death and bloudshed strife and sword calamities famine tribulation and the scourge These things are created for the wicked and for their sakes came the floud All his wayes are plain unto the holy Eccles 39.24 so are they stumbling-blocks unto the wicked Who is wise Hosea 14.9 and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them for the wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressours shall fall therein For the good are good things created from the beginning so evil things for sinners And as this our life is a way wherein we are continually walking and travelling as way-faring men unto another Countrey So Our life here is also as a race Our life here is as a race wherein we must he continually running and not to stand still at a stay Know ye not 1 Cor. 9.24 that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize So run that ye may obtain And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things 2 Cor. 9.25 26. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible I therefore so run not as uncerteinly so fight I not as one that beateth the air Let us lay aside every weight Hebr. 12.1 2. and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us Looking unto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith Thirdly Our life is a warr-fare This our life is also a warr-fare and in this our fight our weapons are to be spirituall Finally Eph. 6.10 11. my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil For though we walk in the flesh 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. we do not war after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities Ephes 6.12 to 18. against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual wickednesse in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evill day and having done all to stand Stand therefore having your Loins girt about with Truth and having on the Breast-plate of righteousness And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace Above all taking the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked And take the helmet of Salvation and the word of the Spirit which is the Word of God Praying alwaies with all prayer and supplications in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints But let us who are of the day 1 Thes 5 8 9 10. be sober putting on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the hope of Salvation For God hath not appointed us to Wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Iesus Christ who died for us that whether we walk or sleep we should live together with him I have fought a good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day 2 Tim. 4.8 and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing It is observed by one Of Man that there is in Man First Lacrimabilis inceptio He enters into the World crying 2. Brevis dimensio He is here but of short continuance 3. Tristis afflictio Sorrowfull affliction ever attending on him And in all this there is in him 4. Labilis conditio A falling and backsliding condition And in all nothing but vanity Infoelicitat is fabula homo Man is the very fable or story of Infelicity as one well observeth It is observed by one that in the crying of the Child ah this signifies what miserie he takes from Adam And in crying oh what misery he takes from Eve They suck misery and crosses even from their Nurses teats As Tiberius Tiberius of whom it is written that he was a Drunkard because his Nurse was given to that vice And of Caligula Caligula that he was bloudy because his Nurse was so Homo Infoelicitatis exemplum Forturae Lusus Inconstantiae imago Injuriae et calamitatis trutina Man is the very Pattern and example of Infelicity the very sport and pastime of Fortune to play upon and the ballance of Injury and calamity as a Father observeth Quid est homo Seneca morbidum putridum cassum a fletu vitam auspicatum What is man but even a rotten and a corrupt thing good for nothing and beginning of his Life with crying as Seneca observeth Nascitur Augustine et statim plorat qui et ridere poterat futurae Calamitatis propheta Man is born and presently cries who might have laughed being as a Prophet foretelling of his future calamity as St. Augustine observeth A Father describing the misery of Man saith as followeth Cujus conceptio culpa Nasci poena labor vita et necesse mori Whose Conception is faulty his Birth a punishment his Life a labour and a Necessity in him to die Affliction commeth not forth of the Dust Iob 5.6 7. neither doth trouble spring out of the Ground Yet man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upwards Nemo tam dives Habuit faventes Crastinum ut possit Sibi polliceri Seneca Seneca No man can
be saved And they said Acts. 16.41 Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1.16 17 18. for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith But the just shall live by his faith Habakkuk 2.4 Hebrews 10.38 Gal. 3.11 Now the just shall live by faith But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin Gal. 3 22 23. that the promise by faith of Christ Iesus might be given to them that believe But before faith came we were kept under the law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed By the deeds of the law Rom. 3.20 21 22. there shall no flesh be justified in his fight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested by the Law and the prophets Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe For all have sinned Rom. 3.23 24 25 26. and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God That he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus To him that worketh nor Rom. 4.5 but beliveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 2. we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ By whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Rem 8.1 2. Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the lâ—w of sin and death For Christ is the end of the law Rom. 10.4 for righteousness to every one that believeth The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10.8 9 10 11. that is the Word of Faith which we preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto salvation For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Whatsoever is not of Faith Rom. 14.23 is sin And whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 9.33 It pleased God 1 Cor. 1.21 by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe For we walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 not by sight I live yet not I Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me They which be of faith are blessed Gal. 3.9 26. with faithfull Abraham For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Iesus In whom also Ephes 1.13 14. after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance For by Grace are ye saved through Faith Ephes 2.8 and not of your selves it is the gift of God For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again 1 Thess 4.14 even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Above all things take the shield of Faith Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked Ephes 1.16 17. Watch ye 1 Cor. 16.13 stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong And to whom swore he Heb. 3.18 19 that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Let us draw near with a true heart Heb. 10.22.23 in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 the evidence of things not seen But without Faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11.6 for he that commeth to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him The whole Chapter being special instances of Faith Of the great Power of faith in the true Servants of God who shewed the powerfullnesse of Faith in general and of their Faith in particular Looking unto Jesus Heb. 12.2 the Author and finisher of our Faith Receiving the end of your Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 20. even the salvation of your Souls Who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Be thou faithfull unto the death Rev. 2.10 and I will give thee the Crown of life Hence is the patience of the Saints Rev. 14.12 here are they that keep that Commandements of God and the faith of Iesus Seventhly Again Christus in veteri Testamaento est velatus Sed in novo Testamento Christus est nobis revelatus Christ in the Old Testament was hid and covered as it were under a veil and was only shadowed out unto us But in the New Testament Christ is there manisestly revealed unto us and the veil of the old Testament by him taken away 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. And not as Moses which put a veil over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished But their minds were blinded for untill this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which veil is done away in Christ But even to this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their hearts Nevertheless where they shall turn to the Lord the veil shall be taken away And without controversie 1 Tim. 3.16 great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world and received up into glory In the beginning was the Word Iohn 1.1 2 14. and the Word was with God And the same was in the beginning with God 1 Iohn
brotherly kindnesse charity For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see farr off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins If we feel these heavenly and divine vertues and graces thus working in us we may then from hence draw unto our selves for our souls comfort a full assurance of our election by God in and through Christ Iesus our blessed Lord and Saviour unto salvation and that our names are recorded written and registred in heaven in the book of life wherein we are onely to rejoyce And the seventy returned again Luke 10.17 18 19 20. with joy saying Even the devils are subject unto us through thy name And he said unto them Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the powers of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce in this because your names are written in heaven Be it known unto you therefore Acts 13.38 39. men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sin And by him all that be here are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses CHAP. IIII. Of Prayer and the force thereof and how necessary and needfull a duty the same is FIrst Oratio est clavis diei that is Prayer is the key that opens the day unto us to put us in mind of Gods protecting of us the night past and of our thankfulnesse to be rendred unto him for the same with commending of our souls and bodies to his protection for the day present Secondly Oratio est sera noctis Prayer ought to shut up the day it is the key that lets in the night unto us with our praise to God for our dayes preservation with a recommendation of our souls and bodies unto his powerfull protection for the night ensueing Hereupon it is said by one With morning prayer the day begin With evening prayer the night shut in Without this prayer sit not to eat Without Gods praise rise not from meat Thirdly Oratio est vinculum invincibile ut S. Bernard S. Bernard Prayer is a bond invincible availing very much if it be fervent The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much James 5.16 17 18. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeares and six moneths And he prayed again 1 Kin. 17.17 and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing Matt. 21.22 ye shall receive Fourthly Oratio est vis Deo grata ut S. Chrysostom Prayer is such a force S. Chrysostom or earnest vehemency as that the same is very acceptable and well-pleasing unto God Fifthly Oratio est clavis Scripturae Origen Origen Prayer is the key that opens the Scripture unto us and enlightens our understandings therein Hereupon in reading of the Scriptures this rule directory is prescribed unto us Read not this Book in any case But with a single eye Read not but first desire Gods grace To understand thereby Sixthly Oratio est Deo sacrificium Augustin St. Augustin Prayer is a sacrifice well-pleasing unto God By him therefore Hebrews 13.15 let us offer the sactifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name Seventhly Oratio est Diabolo flagellum S. Augustin St. Augustin Prayer is a whip or scourge unto the Devil to drive him away from us And when he was come into the house Mark 9.28 29. his disciples asked him privately Why could not we cast him out And he said unto them This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting Eighthly Oratio est orauti subsidium St. Augustin S. Augustin Prayer is great help and succour unto him which doth pray in time of misery and affliction and at all times whatsoever I sought the Lord Psal 34.4 6. and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles I cried unto the Lord Psal 3.4 with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill I will call upon the Lord Psal 18.3 6. who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine enemies In my distresse I called upon the Lord and cried unto my God he heard my voice out of his temple and my cry came before him even into his eares Call upon me in the time of trouble I will deliver thee Psal 50.15 and thou shalt glorifie me The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him Psal 145.18 19. to all that call upon him in truth He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them In my distresse Psal 120.1 I cried unto the Lord and he heard me O thou that hearest prayer Psal 65.2 unto thee shall all flesh come Ninthly Oratio est armatura inexpugnabilis Prayer is an armour of proof not to be withstood invincible as one observeth It is a principall piece of our spirituall armour Praying alwayes with all prayer Ephes 6.18 and supplications in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Tenthly Orationes sunt tormenta Christianorum ut Pater Prayers and supplications are the gunns of Christians as it were to shoot up their prayers unto heaven Give me those groanes St. Chrysostom and sighes quae non sunt ostentationis sed compunctiouis which proceed not from vain ostentation and boasting but from the compunction or pricking of the conscience St. Chrysostom As touching Prayer Observations touching prayer and the use thereof these observations do arise as namely First The great necessity of Prayer The necessity of Prayer in these regards following First Satan seeks to destroy and devour us and therefore we ought to pray for deliverance Be sober 1 Pet. 5.8 9. be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the faith Resist the devil James 4.7 8. and he will flee from you Draw nigh unto God and he will draw nigh to you Secondly the world will allure us and therefore we are to pray for assistance Thirdly the flesh will betray us and therefore we are to pray for defence Fourthly the wicked will seduce us and therefore we are to to pray for continuance My son if sinners entice thee Prov. 1.10 11 14 15