Chap. 9. .Fitt Efepoftiott upon tbeBook of .J O B. Vcrf. 16. 273 voice; why? He breaketh me with :a tempefl. God was breaking him, and hearinghim at thefame time. God may be doing us good, when the fìgns he gives fpeaks evil;he hears and anfwers us pray- ing to him, when we think we hear him thundering terribly á_ gainft us Hnce, firft, We learn, That Prayer is a calling upon God. Then the heart fhould be very attentive upon God in prayer. How can we expefk God fhould hear us, when we do not htar our felves ! in prayer we call upon God, therefore we fhoald call uponour felt' es to confider how and what we pray. Secondly,, Note. Prayergranted isprayer anfzvered. IfI hadcalled andhe had anfwered me. The Lord from heaven fpeaks to us in every ad ofhis providence ; his fpeaking to us is indoing for us. Theworks of God are anfwers to man. God lothnot anfwer audibly or fenfibiy;there is a voice in his difpen- fations. As men (Prov. 6. 13.) So the Lord fpeaks to us with his feet, and anfwers our prayers with his fingers, that is, his works and wayes are demonfirations of his will in anfwer to our prayers. Thirdly, In that job tells us, He wouldnot beleive, &c. we are taught. Thatfaith:isa neceffary ingredient in prayer. This negationofhis faith in prayer,implies the need offaith in prayer. When I pray I fhould beleive, but as my cafe Elands I can- not beleive, clouds and darknefs are upon me. Faith is the 4 flrength ofprayer,Whatfoeveryeaskin prayer beleiving, yefhall re- ceive Mat.21.22.Prayer without faith, it is like a Gun difcharge d without a bullet, whichmakes a noife, but Both no execution; we may put out a voice in fpeaking,but except weput out faith in fpeaking, we do but (peak, wedo not pray. As the word of God coming upon us Both us no good, prevails not upon our hearts,unlefs it bemixed with faith (Heb.4.2.) The word preach - eddidnot profit them,not being mixed withfaith in them that heard it, So theword that goesout from us,theword ofprayer,prevaileth not at all with God, obtaineth nothing from him unlefs it be mixed with faith ; all the promifes are made to believers , 411 things are poffible to them that beleive(Mar.9.23.) Askinftith,no- thingwavering, for he that wavereth is like a waveofthefea, driven with the wind and tofjed(Jam. I. 6.) To ask in faith, is to ask,re- iáing upon the power ofGod, whereby he is able,upon his truth, Nn whereby
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