Serm. z4. How nmf$ we Pray in Faith ? 331 How is it pcftible he fhould hear all, if any fhould nor be heard, how knoweti thou that thine is nor the Prayer that is not heard. 2. In refpe& of the Secrecy of Prayer ; for except God know our hearts he cannot know our prayers, for it is the heart that praies, the tongue only fpeaks, Orat mens, lingua loquitur. 3. If God knew not the heart, the poor foul who pray'd with fighs and groans that cannot be expreffed,fhould find no acceptance, when the hypocrite that fpeaks much and means nothing, {ball be heard for his much babling. 4. The Saints ask fuch things that requireinfinite Knowledge and Wifdom to do for us ; for when we defire God to make us know him, it requires more Wifdom, than for us to teach an Infant the Mathema- ticks. So we defire God to cure us of our fpiritual dil}empers,alas they are fo various, fo contrary, fo deeply rooted in our Natures, we are fuch froward unruly Patients, that it requires infinite Wifdom to heal us ; for when God goes to cure our Pride by affliótìng us, then our impatie ence is increafed : That which is the cure of one corruption increafeth another. 5. If we believe not Gods Wifdom and Omnifcience we cannot ac= quiefce in Gods anfwer of Prayers, for we may fifer but not acquiefc: an Gods anfwer of Prayers. II. We are to believe Gods Providence that he rules and orders all things.Who fo thinks that all things are ruled by fecond Caufes,by the Power and Policy of men, or by the Stars or chance,they will nor Pray at all, or go to God meerly as a refuge : We (hall pray to God,buc truft to our delves, or to medicines when we are Fick, and to our food when we are well. We may be confident we Thal( be delivered, but we fhall not at all croft that God will deliver us. To ftrengthen our Faith in this we muff know,That thofe things that fccm to be leaft within the corn- pafs of Providence, are wholly guided by ir. I. Things Natural ; God makes the Sun to arife, and the rain to fall, Mat. 5. Gives to every feed his own body, I Cora 5. 2. The fmallefi things they efcape not Providence ; God numbers the hairs of our head, plat. i o.3 0. 3. Things cafual, Pro.16.3 3. That which we call Chance - medley, is providential as co God : The man i Kings drew a Bow at a venture,and yet God dire ed it to an hairs breadth. 4.The Counfels of men,yea,againff God, yet are ordered by the de- ter min ate Counfel of God, Ails 2.23. 5. Things moll unruly; The raging Sea goes fo far and no further 11 u by
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