786 / 808
8o6,
2.
4
3.
Objell.
r.
3.
objell.
2.
Anfw.
Ephefians,
Chap.6.
V
E
R.Io,
Secondly,
it
dot
hget
us
fupply
offlrength,
if
we come
to
the
encounter.
For,
Exod. 17. i
r.
Moles
prayer was
ftronger then
Iofuahs
fword.
Pray,and the
peace
of
God
(hall like
a
watch-tower
keepe
your hearts.
Looke how Captaines fighting abroad for their
Countrey,
fend
their
Letters, and fo havemen, munition, viétuals, money,
&c. So prayer
is
the mcfrenger
of
a
faithfull
foule,
and
fetched'
every thing from
God.
Thirdly,
Prayer
doth
firengthen
us
in
faith
and
hope.
For, lookeas
if
we commune
often,
and
familiarly with
a
man, we
have more confi-
dence towards him
:
fo,
if
we
by
often prayer, fpeake with our
God,
it
doth imbolden
us,
and breed
'more liberty
and confidence
towards
him, then
if
we were eftranged.
4.
Prayer
getteth
all
our other
armour
fitted
ahaut
us;
we being not
able to
buckle
it
on, further
then our heavenly father doth help
us
on
with it.
Now
for
the third thing,
Plow
the
Devill
cloth
labour to weaken
at
in
the
performance ofthis duty.
Firft, from
this, that prayers doe not alwaies fpeed
,
and
therefore
are
in
vaine.
a
Cor.
r
2.
8.
For
this Ibefeught the
Lord
thrice
;
yet
lice
miffed
of
that
he
fought: much
more,;
a in
temporali things.
Anfw. That
is
not
in vaine
, which
dati,
not
almaies
get
the
thing
wee
would
have:
about
which
we
muß learnt three
things.
Firft,
that prayer often doth obtaine what
we would
:
as Mofes,
for
vihory,
and had
it:
Hanna
for
a
fon,
and had
him.
Secondly, when it
doth not
obtaine
the things themfelves
,
it gets
fomething that
may be
worth
our
feeking
:
as
,
though
it
doth
not
quite remove evils,
yet
it prevaileth fo far,
as
to have mercy mingled
with judgement; our
evils
affwaged.
Though we
get not the
things
wewifh,
it
getteth force grace proportionable
:
as
is Paul,
2
Cor.
12.
My grace
is
fufficient
for thee.
Thirdly,
though it
get
not deliverance, ad
voluntatem,
yet
it alwaies
procures
rtfue
ad
falutem.
Secondly,
from
this
that
prayers are
needle
ffe,
Efay
65.24.
Yea,
be.
fore they
call
I
will anfwer,
and
whileft they
fpcake
I will heare. And
lohn
16.24. Henceforth
you
(hall aske me
nothing.
vinfw.
The
latter
is
but
a
doubt from the phrafe
of
fpeech
:
for,
asking
there
is
queftioning
,
as
they
had done
before;
which they
fhould
notneed to doe when they
had
the
Spirit
to
lead
them
into
all
truth
:
for
the
other
it
followeth
not,
God
is
ready to forgive us,there-
fore we need
not
aske
:
for although
it
is
not
needfull to flirre
up
mer-
cy
in
him
who
is
the bowels
of
mercy, or
to informe him who
is
the
fearcher
of
hearts, yet they are
neceffary
as
mcanes which God will
have
ufed,
that
wemay receive
the things which
he
of
free
mercy
gi-
veth.
Gen.25.2
r.
Ifaac
knew
he
fhould have
feed
before, yet he pray-
ed.
Elias knew, and had
told
Ahab,
God
would
certainly give
raine:
yet
both
prayed,
and
they
are meanes to prepare
us
holily to enjoy the
things received.
The
creature
is
fanétified
by prayer
:
for things
recei-
ved