Theforceof the firíf Sondayin Lent. Sow). 9. Prayer. I 5 Auflen faith , Thatas longas God íhall not take from out ourmouthes andour hearts ourpraying vnto him, fo long wemay be well afì'uredthat he willnot re- moue his merciefromvs;tor he neuer detiieththofe thatfaithfullycal vponhim Butamatter of great confideration is that whichwe hauehere in hand, Ecce mulier Cananea, Beholda Canaanitifb woman,&c.What ? awoman that is an Idola- treffe , can theebee of that power that fhee fhouldouercomeGod by prayer? Whena weakearmecuts amanoff by thewaft at ablow,or hewes a barofyron in funder,this aétisnot attributed fo much tothe forceofhis arme,asthegood neffeofhis fword ; fo , this dayesnoblead is not tobeeattributed to a Pagan woman, (who was defcendedofthat accurfed Cham) butto thepower of Pray- er. To thofethreediuine perCons,Prayers are notpermitted : for,as Thomas no- teth it, Prayeris to be directed toa fuperiourpower : And if the Sonne ofGod didpray, itwas accordingtohis humanities hauing recourfe (as Saint .4inbrof faith) to thofe two obligations of Prieft and Aduocate: And if(Saint Paulfaith) that the holy Ghoft doth pray, Poftulatpronobugemitibus in enarra6ilibus,Hema- ketb requeji for 'vs with genes that arevnfßeakea6le : Itwas, that he might teachvs how to pray, as Saint Auguftineexpoundeth it. The Deuills , and thofe that aredamned, arenot capable ofprayer : Albeit thecouetous richmandiddefire adropofwater ofAbraham to coole his tongue,& the Deuills entreated Chrift, that he wouldgiuethem leaue to enter into the Swine. For topray vnto God, is toturne vnto God , andwith a forowfullfoule, and acontrite heart; humbly and earneftlyto call vpon him, craningpardon for our finnes. Prayer therefore orrely belongs vntomen, as well the Iuft, as theSinner ; and thatthe Prayer of the Iull fhould preuailewithGod, which beggesand entreatsofhis diuine. Ma- jeffie,Thathewill beatewithvs thisyeare , and thenext., andfo fromtimeto time ( as is prooued by that Parableofthe Figgetree, whichtheLordof the Soyle caufedto behewnedowne, becaufe it bare no fruit) it is not much : But that the prayer ofaCanaanitifhwoman fhouldmake, God toyeeld vntoher, is more thanmuch. The name ofwoman init's true andnaturall element, notifi- etha thoufand imperfeétions : opef.Cima, ò critulier, faith Euripides , fxgnifying. thereby, That there is no mifchiefewhich fhe isnotaMidwife vnto ; the venie nameof a Canaanitifh woman doth blab outfin inhir, hatredtowards God,and a meafure full ofmiferie. Nowif a fubie&foweake and foimpeded, grewby Prayer to be fopowerfull ; What will notPrayer beable todo Salomon askes the queltion,cAtulierem fortemgasinueniet ? Who fballmeet witha 'valiant woman, thatis full of mettall andcourage ? I anfwer, That naturally fuch a one is Rara aula in terris, averiePhcenix,awhiteCrow,and ablackeSwan ; but by theforce ofPrayer youfhall thrice meet with fuchaone : inTyrus and SydonGodfayes no; andyetin the end,the Canaanitifh womans Yea goes further thanlour Saui- ours Nay; makingGod,as itwere,to lay downe theBucklers,and toyeeld vnto her. And tohim that fhall fay,That thiswasa fpirituall wreftling, neuer giuing ouer our Sauiour, but Rill prefïingand importuning him more and more ; and that awoman will be fometimes fo earneftand foviolent, that Thee may as well wearie out God,as fluedothMan, tomakehimyeeld erefhehaue done with him: To this, aDo&orof our timesveniewell anfwers,.by propofinganother quelfi- on ; towit,Whither ¡acobs wreftlingwithGod werewith the force ofhis arms, orwith thearmes ofPrayer? origentellsys, That itwas a fpirituall ftrugling of mares and prayers ; andzacobhauinggot thebetter, God faid vntohim, Thou ¡halt no morebecalled facob,but zfrael, becaufethouhaft had power with God. Thelike maybefaidbyour Sauionto this Canaanitifh woman. N Este L4e z 6.
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