Downame - BV209_D69_G6_1640_v1

2 8 Whether in prayer ive alrvayes obtein our defires: reth; in refpeii of the outward , when it perfwa- Beth; and that eflicacie dependeth on the hearers pleafure. But prayer which is effeEtuall in it felt; prevaileth with God. ' What in In particular , that we pray in truth , fervencie, particular 'is and faith. In truth : for to that is the promife re- required to effeftuall {trained, Pfal.145'.18. In fervencie, Jam.5. 16. In nravAr faith, Mark 11.24. Jam. 1.5,6,7. Without the firft prayers are dead : without the fecond, cold: with- out the third, uneffetuall : for it is the prayer of faith which is effeauall, Jam.5.15. For the end : Jam.4. 3. 7e ask and receive not, be- cau f ye ask a;vmi, that ye might coni me it on your lulls. The end muff be good or the prayer is bad. The end muff be that God may be glorified, Pfal.5o.1 5. The third ii- The third limitation is in refped of things. God imita eti of in hath promifed to give good things to them that th P things ask, Matth.7.11. But if the thing which thou defi- prayed for. reft be not good, either in it fell, as if it be unlaw- full ,or not to thee, as if it be unprofitable, it is not within the compaffe of the promife, nor ought to be within the compaffe of thy delire. Or if it be good, perhaps it is not yet good for thee to have it, but in due time thou {halt find grace. In the for - mer cafe the Lord feemeth to Belie, in the latter to delay our fuits; and yet in both he grant our prayer, if it be rightly conceived. For firft, we muff not circumfcribe God, or prefcribe unto him the time and means, but fo delire that our requeft may be granted as he (hall judge molt fit both for his glorie and our good. Secondly, when as the good things which we ask are either neceffarie to falvati