r I' - A pr frtable Expofikion (lately Citties, Catiles and townes be troden vnto du ft, yea let the Sunne,and the z 5. Moone, and an the Stars of heauen threaten by their tearefull ligues, theappro. chin% dreadful! wrath of Clod to men, trouble and perplexitie be vpcm earth, the Sea and the waters rote, and.menshearts fade them for feare, looking after thofc a6. things that thall come vpon the world, the very powers of heauen being lhakcn, and the Son of Man appearing in the clowds with mtghrie power and glorie, yet letvs pray with a chearefull voyce, and lend out our Faith to the Lord of life, as we are euer bidden, and amid (1 all thefefeares and terrors, otherwife to be trem- bled at day and night, weefhall haue no caufe at all to feare,buteuen contrariwife, to lift vp our heads toward heauen,as men andwomen beholding with eyes their eternal! deliuerance, euerlalling comfort, and vnfpeakable ioy drawing neere vn- to them, to remaine with them, and they in it for euer. O prayer then auadable with God, and profitable to men ! There nèèdcth no more to declare the fruits. 34. of it ; and yet much more remaineth to be fpoken. For when in thefe dreadful( times many (hall bane their hearts oppretfed with furfetting and drunkennetie, and the cares of this life, and Co that day of death and doome come vppon them vnawares,Praycr in watching (hall preferue Gods chofen, that they thallbe counted worthieto efcapc all thelethings, and not onelyfo, but as fol- loweth,with comfort : euen to stand before the Sonne of Man, that is, in cheare: in ioy, Pn fpirituall motions of heart , not to bee exprefred by man, to enter into the heauenly and euerlalting tabernacles. Lord then fòr thy mercie, teach vs Iam.5 t. 4. to pray,that there blcffngs promifedto the fame may light vpon vs. I flay the 4 cour(e that I might go on in, for the profits ofPrayerare innumerable. It land i- Pfal.4. 8. fieth ourmirth, it fanctifiethour meats, and they are neither of them holy , but Gen.zS.zo. in this. We wake and we worke, we Ileepe and '.'ee reíin peace, if we faithfully Pfal. 140.7 pray. Ifwe pray with Jacob, we profper with Jacob in our iourney : I fwe pray with ß.9.z5. Dauid, we haue our heads coucred with Duooidin the day of battaile. Ifwepray Math. 15. with theFather, wee haue our fonne healed: if we pray with the Mother, we haue 28. our daughterhealed: If wee pray with theMaifler,wee haue our feruanthealed. Math. 8.13 And what fhould I fay ? Cornelius praying, bath Peter fent vnto him, and the Aas 1O' holy GhoEl powred vppon him : Anna praying, hath a child giuen her : and to z. Sam r. conclude, there is no end of the tale, nor meafure of Gods mercies, if wee l P eake I O. of the fruits of Prayer. This knew wellthe godly Father Saint Crifoiome and Horns!. t of therefore he fayth : if thou defire(t to hue tingle, or in holy Matrimonieto Gods `raying to content, pray : if thou defirefl to bridle anger, and with meekne(fe to be familiar, God. pray: if thou defirefitobe free from the fret ofenuie or to do any thing thatbe- Irmme ll longeth to a godly life, pray, and pray hartelv,pray,and pray often, pry, and pray faithfully, and the Lord !hall grant thy Prayer. For it is armatura inexpug_ tiara of praier rtubilis, an armour of proofe again({ all and euery alfaulting dart of the Deuill,or that the S, pi-, his members and measles whatfoeuer. So profitable is Prayer we fee. The Lord rit teacheth in merciegiue vs fpirics. #. .lmenlbefeechhim. Yet fee the poyfonof Satan in his members againffthis faire- Rom. "6* full excerc/e: for there want not wits in this wicked world, that dare difputeagainff it, and asks. how it may be, that we JZ.suld fitly asks. of the Lordly prayer any thing, Ate without asking, and before asking, bee knoweth what wee want and would haue, yea fo fully k,noweth bee all things, that he needeth no remembrancer to put him in mind of any thing: and therefore why Jhould wee aske or ester pray , but leans. the Lord to himfd.fi togiae whatpleafethhim? Trueth it is that thus they reafon,but I troll you fee the impietieoftheirfpeech and the blindnetre of their hearts: for it is an old rule and a true, that Subordinata non pagnant inter ,le : Fhingsthatarecotnprifed one in another,arenotcontrary one to the other :and fuch are Gods foreknowledgeofall things, and our asking, notwithllanding by Prayer what we want. For in his owne perfon etprellyia his word he bath commanded;notwithltanding all thishis diuine Knowledge of euery
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