Downame - BV209_D69_G6_1640_v1

I$o 3 . We muff examine what is the caufe that we are not beard. .}. We rnuft perfevere in prayer. of duties to be performed after prayer. Thirdly, if having prayed and ufed other means we do not obtein our delires , let us before we go any further labour to find out the caufe. If the fault be in our prayer, becaufe we did ask ami, Jam.4.3. as that we did not pray in faith, or in fervency, c. we muff endeavour by the afsiflance of Gods fpirir, which we are to crave, to amend that fault. If the fault be in our felves,as that we lie in fome finne not repented of, we mull by repentance wafh our felves, and then renew bur prayers unto God,Ifai.1.16,18. It may be we neither fo greatly delire the thing which we ask while we want it, neither would fo highly efteem it when we have it, as it defèrveth, and therefore the Lord deferreth the granting of our fuit, that our &fire being deferred might be more fervent, and the thing fo hardly obreined might both the more highly be efteemed and the more carefully kept. So Augufline, Dews difert fira pof ulata, ut dT f anus grandia grareddter defiderare: God deferreth to grant our requefls , that we may learn to delire greatly great things. Fourthly, having ufed the means and endeavour- ed to remove the impediments, we are to periíl and perfevere in prayer without fainting. To which purpofe our Saviour propounded the parable of the widow and the judge Luke 18.1. giving us to un- derfland that thole things which we do not obtein at the firfi, by reafon of our perfeverance and im- portunitie thall be granted. To which purpofe alfo ferveth the parable of the two friends, Luke 11. S. To this perfeverance we are often flirred up both by precept, Rom. 12 . 112. and practice ; as of Han- nah,