Downame - BV209_D69_G6_1640_v1

1teafns moving us to the dutie of prayer: giving: and call upon me in the day of trouble ; I will delayer thee, antitheft f haltglori fie me. Matth. 7. 7, 8. Ask and ye, (hall have; _reek and ye jiiall find; knock and it (ball be opened unto you : for whofoever asketh receiveth, &c. Joh. 16. 23, 24. Verily verily .1 fay unto you, whatfoever ye, f ball uk the Father in my name he will give it you : Ask and ye fballre- ceive, that your joy may be full. To thefe com- mandments adde i. Theff. 5. i 7, 18. Pray without ceafang; in every thing give thanks : for this is the will of Godin Chrifl lefts concerning you.And to the promifes that in Pfal. 145. i 8. belongeth,The Lord is near to all that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. And therefore they can no fooner call but he heareth, Dan. 9. 2 3.Yea,before we call the Lord hath promifedto heare, Efa. 65.24.Which fheweth that he is more ready to heare then we are to call upon him. II CHAP. III. other motives to the duty of prayer. Nto thefe we may adde three "principals mo- excellency ofr fives ; viz. the excellency,the profit, the ne- it. ceffity of invocation : that the excellency may in- vite, the profit allure, the neceílìty draw us to the performance thereof. Fírfr therefore it is excellent and honourable : For this is a great honour and high favour fora fin- full and mortal" man, who is but dull and afhes, to have ordinaryaccefie unto God and free conference with him T but efpecially to have the Lord near un- to