Eternity I dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Isa 57.15 Let the comparison between the Publican and the Pharisee remain for ever in our memory Luke 18. The Prayer of the poor destitute the contrite the penitent the bleeding heart is a sacrifice well season'd with the salt of anguish and misery Away with high looks and high words Lord thou dost hear the desire of the humble and dost prepare their heart Psalm 10.17 And God comforteth those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7.6 Put your self back who are but dust and ashes in a great distance from the Lord that you may behold him the better in his infinite greatness And a lowly heart will never spare to deject the body O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Solomon pray'd upon his knees 1 Chron. 6. so did Daniel Chap. 6. so did Peter when messengers came to him from Cornelius Acts 9. so St. Paul For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Eph. 3.14 And not only men upon Earth but the glorious Spirits in Heaven cast themselves and their Crowns down before him that sitteth on the Throne Revel 4. Nay the Son of God fell down upon his knees and pray'd unto his Father Luke 22.41 And Fasting which is a pregnant circumstance of humiliation was much in use with Prayer the instances are innumerous to signifie we had no part in any comfort nor any delight in the Creatures till we were reconciled to the Lord. So was Sackcloth used and all apparel of beauty all ornaments of riches and pride were put off for that time Let them be no more than outward circumstances yet they are significant But that which is a sure companion and most intimate to humility in Prayer is Patience It breaks not away in a pet because it is not answer'd at the first or second asking that 's disdainful and arrogant It holds on and attends and cries till the throat is dry I waited patiently for the Lord Psalm 40.1 And there must be patient continuance in them that seek for Glory and Immortality Rom. 2.7 Faith is the foundation of Prayer and to continue the Metaphor Patience is the Roof The winds blow look to the foundation or the building will fall Rain and storms will descend but if they light upon a Roof that is close and compact they run aside and are cast upon the ground He that expects God's pleasure from day to day will neither faint nor fret that his suit hangs long in the Court of Requests such storms as proceed from murmuring cannot beat through a solid Roof Says Habbak Chap. 2. Verse 3. A great thing will the Lord bring to pass but not presently says the Lord The Vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come Many diseases will never be cured well unless they be long a curing and many deliverances will never be throughly setled unless they be long a preparing and many mercies are hid like seed in the ground and will be long a growing I give God thanks that every blessing of worldly Comfort that I Pray'd for the longer I was kept from it and the more I pray'd for it I found it the greater in the end Observe that there is nothing of moment yea be it of lesser and vulgar size with which the Providence of God hath not interwoven a thousand things to be dispatcht with it which requires time perhaps seven years to finish them Expect therefore from the Divine wisdom to do all things in their order and give honour to the Supream Majesty to wait his leisure For yet a little and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 3. The third thing which gives assurance of Comfort to Prayer is Zeal Devotion Fervency which will pluck on Patience further and further For he that is zealous in any thing will not easily give over till he have brought his ends to pass Zeal is a continual and an earnest supplicant it Prays without ceasing 1 Thess 5.17 Prays exceedingly 1 Thess 3.10 Asks with confidence seeks with diligence knocks with perseverance A swarm of Bees that is many thousands must gather into a Hive to fill it with Hony-combs and a swarm of Prayers is sweeter before the Lord than the Hony and the Hony-comb Likewise it is as vehement as it is assiduous labouring fervently for you in Prayers Coloss 4.12 Stir up your wit and diligence and memory and meditations when you come to spread out your wants before your Father but if you yawn out heedless heartless petitions you shall depart with discouragement as it is Psalm 80.4 O Lord God of hosts how long wilt thou be angry with the Prayer of thy people The Laodiceans were lukewarm neither hot nor cold in the worship of God therefore the Spirit said to the Angel of that Church Be zealous and repent Revel 3.19 Zeal is defined to be a vehement and inflamed love There must be an ardour and a flame in Prayer as if we would mount it up like fire to Heaven Then we may say that a Seraphin hath laid a coal from the Altar upon our mouth and touched our lips Isa 6.7 Zeal takes away the Soul for a time and carries it far above us I write to them that have felt it that it darts a mans Spirit out of him like an arrow out of a bow This is it which infallibly begets Hope Comfort Patience all in a Sheaf as they are divinely put together Rom. 12. verses 11 12. Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord rejoycing in Hope patient in Tribulation continuing instant in Prayer The transportment of Zeal will excuse or rather commend some Ejaculations of Prayer which seem to be too bold with God as Psalm 44. How long wilt thou turn away the face from us O Lord and forgettest our misery and trouble So Jer. 14.9 Why should'st thou be as a man asleep and as a mighty man that cannot save us And we do but follow our Saviour's pattern in it upon the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Tell not a troubled heart that is in anguish tell it not of modesty it is a complement it will not be tied to The Shunamite swallowed up in sorrow for the loss of her child runs to mount Carmel to Elisha and before she said any thing she catcht him fast by the feet Gehazi thought it irreverent and unwoman-like behaviour and laid hold to thrust her away Let her alone says the Prophet for her Soul is vexed within her 2 Kings 4.27 The passions of an afflicted Soul have much indulgence to break out far They are not in good compass till vehemency of Zeal carry them beyond ordinary rule and fashion Mary Magdalen did
your self upon every disquietness and deep plunge of heart and how can you chuse but convince your self that your melancholy and distrust is causeless The hope of the righteous shall be gladness Prov. 10.26 And we rejoyce in hope Rom. 12.12 The design of Hope is consider'd four ways First it intends unto that which is good which makes a difference between Hope and Fear for we hope for that which is good we fear that which is evil Secondly It is not that good which is present but absent and this makes a difference between Hope and Fruition Rom. 8.24 Hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for Thirdly Though it be a good absent and not yet obtained yet it is possible which is the difference between Hope and Despair but we have no colour for despair since all things are possible to God Fourthly It is a possible good but bonum arduum to be gotten with difficulty and pains which puts a difference between the diligence of Hope and careless Security These are the four promontories of Hope and a good wind blows from every quarter I. First It is good for a man to Hope since we hope for that which is good so good that it exceeds all that Eye hath seen for as yet we see not God but in his creatures Nor Ear hath heard it that is in its full unutterable excellency which the words of Holy Scripture cannot express to our imperfect reason Then neither can it enter into the heart of man for things can seem no greater than words can utter We know as yet but in part hereafter we shall know as we are known If we have boasted to the Heathen that we look for a Kingdom and a Crown of glory we are sure we shall not be ashamed of that hope Rom. 5.5 We may be ashamed that we have doted upon petty things out of which we have devised felicity and they have failed and deceiv'd us but our treasure laid up in the Heaven is so sure that in the end and in the day of trial none shall insult over our hope and say where is now the Lord your God If a mortal man detain the wages of the labourer 't is a sin Therefore it cannot be incident to God who is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love Heb. 6.10 We shall not always be forgotten our Expectation shall not perish for ever Psal 9.18 The judgment of a good eye-sight is to see afar off so is the judgment of a good hope to remark the unspeakable reward of a better age to come Whereupon it hath sufficient satisfaction and content to leave or to lose all it hath things not worthy to be compared to the glory which is revealed in us Rom. 8.18 The rich Mines and Golden trade of both the Indies are on the other side the Line so the rich trade of Hope is in the other world Change your poor fraught which is your lading in this vessel of clay and barter it for an immortal possession Hope that is not under the embers but mounts up in a trembling flame reckons not what it is worth by a very little which it hath in hand but by its share which is reserved in the store-house of God's eternal recompence Now I am abased but there is mine honour a far abundant exceeding weight of glory Now I carry about a crazy sickly body there it shall be immortal and incident to no distemper Now my neighbours and acquaintance despise me and run far from me there I shall be enrolled with Angels and Saints and with the Church of the first born and with the Spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 Now I live in all disorder of Church-ordinances in distraction of Schisms in the filthy stanch of old and new heresies but there is the new Jerusalem where all things set forth the glory of the Lamb in beauty and holiness and truth Now I must die and deliver up my body unto the dust but Christ died and rose the third day and will bring again with him in due time all those that sleep and comfort one another with these words saith St. Paul 1 Thess 4.14 And as when Christ ascended into Heaven He went up with a merry noise and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet Psal 47.5 So let every heart break out into praise and gladness whose hope flies up unto the Lord in his holy places Holding fast the confidence and the rejoycing of hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 II. Stay yet and consider it is a good which is absent that we hope for When it is come and brought to pass Hope is at the journeys end Say to the righteous it shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Isa 3.10 It shall be well Dixit erit It is not paid down as we say in ready money but we have a good bond for assurance Let me object upon this Doth not Hope deferr'd afflict the Soul Yet be not disheartened it is better than so For first we have somewhat in hand because that which Faith lays hold of is really and actually its own now Hope is Faith's rent-gatherer and takes up that which Faith claims upon the bargain which Christ hath made for us To be clearer yet Eph. 1. verses 13 14. We are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance You see then that though we have not the inheritance as yet we have the earnest of it and an earnest-penny is more than nothing Here I must distinguish between a pledge and an earnest A pledge is laid down for assurance to repay that which was lent but an earnest is given upon a bargain to keep that till the rest be brought in Now the earnest that we receive of the Kingdom to come is the seal of the Spirit an imprinted comfort that it shall be ours A seal that cannot be defaced a comfort that cannot be taken from us So much as you have of that seal so much you have of the earnest therefore you cannot say that Hope hath quite nothing to stay its longing The blossoms of the Spring do not only promise but are God's earnest to represent the fruits which will wax ripe in Autumn I will make it out in another similitude He that is in a Merchants ware-house where spices are stored up shall have some taste of them in his palate by their strong scent though he put not one corn into his mouth so we taste Heaven because the Spirit that comes from Heaven dwells in us and gives many delightful signs of a glorified reversion But to go forward it may not be denied but that Hope is anxious and restless till it come to enjoy How tedious a thing it is to stay long without the company of them whom we entirely love And can it be otherwise than irksom to be so long absent from the vision of
flesh and a Spirit is mightier than flesh Apply that of the Prophet Zachary to it as we may read it by the direction of our Margent and keep to the Original Chap. 8. Verse 6. If it be difficult in the eyes of this people shall it be difficult in mine eyes saith the Lord Therefore since God is our help against the insurrection of this rebellious sin let us be comforted in his help and not in excuses For we must not plead our personal maladies and natural inclinations and think that God will take it for an answer and ask no more I am dull of understanding says one and what I am taught I cannot bear it away I am suddenly transported with indignation and cannot chuse but break out I am retentive of an injury and cannot easily be reconciled All this and the like is no better than the answer of those ill manner'd guests in the Gospel which were invited to a Feast made by a King We cannot come I pray you have us excused which sounds like confession and humility but it is denial and defiance Spend your breath in a better way and cry out often and affectionately Give me not over to my self O Lord take away from me my stony heart and give me an heart of flesh Drop down upon this barren earth and it shall bring forth quite against the byass of nature The high minded will grow meek as a Lamb the covetous will begin to disperse and scatter abroad the lying lips will confess the truth bitter cruelty will melt into pity new-fangled braveries will be laid aside and blush at vanity To what purpose are the pourings in of the Spirit but that what is wickedly in-bred from our conception should be shaken off from the tree and a better fruit spring up in the place from the increase of God Mark the rain that falls from above and the same shower that dropt out of one cloud increaseth sundry plants in a garden and severally according to the condition of every plant in one stalk it makes a Rose in another a Violet divers in a third and sweet in all So the Spirit works its multiformous effects in several complexions and all according to the increase of God Is thy habit and inclination cholerick why try thy self if thou be very apt to be zealous in a good cause and it turns thy natural infirmity into holy heat Is melancholy predominant the grace of God will turn that sad humor into devotion prayer and mortifying thy pleasures to die unto the world Is thy temperature sanguine and chearful the goodness of God will allow it unto thee in thy civil life in a good mean but over and above it will make thee bountiful easie to pardon injuries glad of reconciliation comfortable to the distressed always rejoycing in the Lord. Is a man phlegmatick and fearful if this freezing disease which is in thee from thy mothers womb be not absolutely cured yet the Holy Ghost will work upon it to make thy Conscience tender wary to give no offence to make thee pitiful penitent contrite ready to weep for thy transgressions There are two handles to take hold of every thing says a Heathen A dissolute man takes hold of original frailties and makes them Serpents a holy man declines their Serpentine nature and catcheth them by that part which may conduce to all manner of vertue This is the comfort of Hope against original inquination that this great enemy by the operation of the Spirit shall be made our friend or our foot-stool O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7.24 What is stronger than a Lion yet if the Lion be kill'd out of the strong comes forth sweetness Jud. 14.14 For all this the worst is not past beside natural pronity to sin we have contracted much more evil by custom education strong habits noxious examples bad enticements and infusions The Cockatrice-egge was laid when we were in our mothers womb but it proves more venemous being hatcht and grown able to flye abroad There are seventy sons of Ahab who shall kill thee Even the sword of the Spirit There is none like it as David said of that of Goliah 1 Sam. 21.9 This is sufficient not merely to cut down grass and briars but to hew down the tree to cut off the branches to shake the leaves to scatter the fruit to fright away the fowls from the branches and the beasts from grazing under it Dan. 4. verse 14. or as the Apostle comforts us in plain words without a Parable I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4.13 If you be over-toiled and heated too much you know how to cool cast off some garments wipe away the sweat sit still and stir not lest you enflame your self with motion Follow the same method lay aside the burden of sin that enflames you cast off the weight and the superfluity of naughtiness bear in mind that Christ sweat drops of bloud in his Agony to make you ashamed of toiling and sweating in Satan's drudgery Take ease in a Sabbath of holy rest and moil not in the unprofitable works of darkness Try what refrigeration this will give unto your Conscience else take heed that you be not put to a terrible sweat of fear lest God take you away in his wrath and give you up for ever to Satan whom you have served so willingly To the Law and to the Testimony mind no examples but when they are wrapt up therein Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind Rom. 12.2 What a case had Noah been in if he had framed his life by common practice when all flesh had corrupted their way Chuse better company as Enoch did to walk with God Gen. 5.24 And can two walk together unless they be agreed Amos 3. verse 3. It is more than agreement it imports endearment benevolence friendship with God No title can be greater or sweeter what can match that honour of Abraham and the Apostles to be called the friends of God and Christ No league in the world more sought for or more willingly accepted no amity less burdensom or more beneficial St. Austin 8. Confess Cap. 6. brings in a couple that served the Roman Emperor thus debating upon it What can we look for in this Palace more than to be call'd the friends of our Soveraign When we have got this it is no sure and unchangeable favour And how long shall we attend before we be promoted to it But let us turn to God in this hour and sue to be his friends and it shall be done instantly and remain eternally Ask and it shall be given seek and we shall find And as we trespass by sins of daily prevention there is a dailiness of mercy to comfort us But as you love Christ and would be beloved struggle with temptations do not yield upon
committing Treason against God that is repossession of mercy endanger'd to be forfeited But were it a new Covenant we should have some new visible Sign for it which never was Therefore this is the very Soul of mine and every ones Baptismal Consolation that being once done it Seals pardon for all our sins through Christs bloud unto our lifes end BUT as if many Spouts should open into one Cistern so all Comforts conspire to meet in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Nothing else but the actual enjoying of Heaven is above it The Church which dispenseth all the mysteries of salvation can bring forth no better Children that are come to Age can ask no more than the whole portion of their Father's goods that come unto them and what is that but the Bloud of Christ and this is the New Testament in that Bloud Christ is mine his Body is mine his Bloud is mine all is mine O be glad and rejoyce and give honour to the Lord God Omnipotent for the marriage of the Lamb is come Revel 19.7 And the Spirit saith write Blessed are they that are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb Verse 9. It is much to be received into a Covenant with God by the former Sacrament is it not more to be kept in Covenant by the other It is much in Baptism to be brought from death to life but what is life without nourishment to preserve it This keeps us in the Lease of the old Covenant that the Years of it shall never run out and expire This is food to keep us in health and strength that we never decay and faint By it we lay hold of the promise Isa 54.10 My kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Then why should I not embolden my heart with holy security against all fears for the Lord hath put himself into my hand and into my mouth and into my Spirit of what then should I be afraid This is that courage which our Liturgy sounds forth as with a shrill Trumpet to all that come to this Banquet well prepared It begins that it is a comfortable thing to all them that receive it worthily it bids us come with a full trust in Gods mercy and with a quiet Conscience it proclaims aloud Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all that truly come unto him So God loved the world c. Come unto me all ye c. This is a true saying c. It hath gathered the Sallies of spiritual joy as it were into a bundle of Myrrhe It adds Christ hath instituted and ordained holy mysteries as pledges of his love and for a continual remembrance of his death to our great and endless comfort And if all this put together will not blandish our Conscience and stablish our joy we would be dull and spirit-broken though an Angel from Heaven should come and say unto us as he did unto Gideon The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour Jud. 6.12 For an Angel of the Lord cannot plead so much to the solace of the heart as the great Angel of the Covenant hath done in these great demonstrations of love as followeth 1. First As Baptism was the former so this is the second visible publication of God's apparent mercy It is not a bare message but a lively apprehension of them by palpable means not in a vision or a dream but in a real Object Call to mind that the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel who had appeared unto him twice 1 Kings 11.39 Once the Lord hath appeared unto us in the token of his love by Water and once again he appears unto us in the Elements of his Holy Table Twice he hath appeared to bless thee Therefore eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry heart Eccles 9.7 For if you turn away from Comfort when the Lord hath appeared twice unto you to give it you he will be angry and leave you to a thick darkness of sorrow such as fell upon the land of Aegypt 2. Secondly The Lord can appear Comfortably unto us though with a Sword in his hand and in the midst of a Camp as he did to Josuah Jos 5.13 Or in a flame of fire as he did to Manoah Jud. 13.20 Or in a tempest upon the Sea as he did to the Apostles Matth. 14.27 Or at the Graves mouth as he did to Mary Magdalen Jo. 20.14 But here he appears unto us in a Feast which is a time of innocent delight The glory of God which we look for is set out unto us in that which our senses apprehend for sweetness and pleasure as Luke 22.29 I appoint unto you a Kingdom that ye may Eat and Drink at my Table in my Kingdom which is translated from bodily pleasure to spiritual that in the Heaven of blessedness the Soul shall feed continually as at a Banquet of which we have now a taste in the Kingly provision of Christs Supper It is a Kingly Feast although imparted in a little pittance of Bread and Wine yet it is more costly and precious to that which it signifies than Solomon and all his Court had for their diet day by day 1 Kings 4.22 We are brought to Eat at the King's Table as Mephibosheth was like one of the Kings Sons 2 Sam. 9.11 To Eat together is a Communion of more than ordinary acquaintance do you note the endearing favour of God in that And what are we that are not thrust as our kind might look for it to gather up Crums under the Board but to Eat our portion before the Lord with the Lord out of the hands of the Lord For he that brake Bread and gave it to the Apostles gives it to Us as our High Priest though he be in Heaven I exhort you therefore to enter into the Guest-chamber with a quiet and unshaken heart for the Lord hath not invited us as Absalom did Amnon to kill us nor as Esther did Haman to accuse us but as Melchisedech brought forth Bread and Wine to Abraham to bless us He gives us Asher's portion Bread that shall be fat and Royal dainties Gen. 49.20 Only the case is alter'd if Christ shall say the hand of him that betrays me the hand of him that loves me not the hand of him that believes not in me the hand of him that will not keep my sayings is on the Table That wretch shall be thrown out and be fed with Bread of sorrow and Water of affliction nay where there shall not be a drop of Water to cool his Tongue Thirdly That which astonisheth the Communicant and ravisheth his heart is that this Feast affords no worse meat than the Body and Bloud of our Saviour Those he gave for the life of the world these are the repast of this Supper and these we truly partake For
the most of our Collects through Christ our Lord. When we bring that Name in the rear and quote him for our Merit and Mediator then I know it will be well and that the Lord will hear the petitions of his servants Should we not put our requests into Christs hand to offer them to his Father Sion might spread forth her complaints and there would be none to comfort her and we might remain for ever in that heavy plight Psalm 77. verse 3. I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my Spirit was overwhelmed But if we renounce our wretched selves and imagine not the least intrinsecal perfection to be in our Prayers do we sail then by the Cape of Good Hope yes because God is contented to yield upon such addresses Jacob may wrestle with the Angel all night and protest he will not let him go till he have blessed him But Victus est quia voluit God was overcome because he would be overcome of Jacob he lets us prevail because he is willing to yield but there is no strength is us to win if he would not suffer himself to be vanquisht There is no other person but Christ in whom the Father I know not what kind of necessity to call it cannot but be well pleased Which made him say before his Disciples Jo. 11.41 Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I know that thou hearest me always As it is also Heb. 5.7 Who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears was heard for his piety This is the preheminence of our High Priest who is an Orator for us all that the Lord cannot reject his Prayers Therefore committing our daily Oraisons to our High Priest to bear them into the Holy of Holies before his Father they are in a sure hand and they that know his Name will put their trust in thee Psalm 9.10 Much more they that know his Office perfectly Wherefore let Prayer carry on these considerations with it That we are invited by God to that duty That the Spirit instigates us unto it and helps our infirmities Rom. 8.26 That it is presented to the Father by the mediation of the Son then how canst thou be sad O my Soul and fear to miscarry Is not the lot fallen unto thee in a pleasant field and may'st thou not promise to thy self a very goodly heritage Without all dispute then proceed unto Prayer and for a beginning 1. Ask in Faith James 1.6 that is attribute unto God that he is Almighty and can do above all that we ask or think Consent to his truth that he is faithful in his promises for he that believeth not those makes God a lyar Acknowledge his goodness and mercy through Christ that He will withhold no good thing from them that lead a Godly life Let there be no wavering no disputing about these Attributes of God lest we be condemned out of our own mouth So much Faith so much efficacy so much confidence so much comfort in Prayer Then will a solicitous Christian reply What will become of me I have not that plenitude of Faith at least in sundry occasions I have it not to ascertain my self that I shall prevail with God No more had Abraham himself a perfect Faith without any flaw Excellent things are spoken of him Rom. 4.18 Who against hope believed in hope and that he staggered not at the promise but was strong in Faith Verse 20. Yet see how he stoopt a little Gen. 17.18 Shall a Son be born unto him that is an hundred years old and shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear O that Ishmael may live God is not extream to mark what is done amiss in every convulsion of Faith which appears Psalm 31. verse 22. I said in my haste I am cast out of thine eyes nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee You must be sure that in general David subscribed to the power and truth and goodness of God but there was a temptation upon him at that time in some particular case in which he distrusted or doubted that there was no likelihood to prevail But if there be such a one that says I will pray but I know I shall be never the better he is an infidel and mocks God in that bad mind he did well to say he should be never the better for he did usurp a form of Godliness and denied the power thereof He is the right Supplicant but a very rare one that hath no staggering or diffidence in his heart that comes close up to our Saviour's rule Mark 11.24 What things soever ye desire when ye Pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them Yet the Lord will not cast them off who are but in the next form and do not resolutely promise success unto themselves in the instant of their present Supplications but bear it thus between Faith and doubting whether I shall succeed in this or that I am not confident but of this I am most assured that I shall be the better for my Prayers And I would it were thus and thus because I conceive it would be best for me but I am certain it will be better than the best that I can imagine which the Lord knows to be most expedient Another perhaps may wrangle himself into an error and say How do the Heathen and the wicked obtain good things if nothing will prevail with God but the Prayer of Faith Consider that even a Pagan and Idolater would ever Pray but that they have some kind of belief to obtain fruit by their Prayers The King of Nineveh bad a solemn Fast at the hearing of Jonah's prophesie For says he Who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not Jon. 3.9 None but a Lunatick would ask for relief from them that had neither knowledge of his case nor power to redress it O but the prayers of such are not grounded on the Faith that we speak of It is true such a Faith as possest Idolaters is not that which impetrates mercy from God Then I say neither Jews nor Mahumetans nor wicked men get any thing by that Prayer to which the promise is made Ask and ye shall have For whether they Pray or not all that they obtain had come to pass though they had held their peace It is for our sins and to scourge us that they have kingdoms and victories it is not their motley-faith that did purchase them And for all manner of store and plenty that the Earth yields to them it is but as God gives fodder to the Cattle and meat to the yong Ravens that call upon him 2. The Prayer of Faith then is only available but out of the mouth of an humble suiter For who will give an alms to a proud begger Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth