òn the 119. Pf tine, net er the lcffeacceptable,and canbecontent tofaywith Iacob, it I may haue ineate and driuke and cloath,thenwill I be content,asPaste commaundeth.And if theyhaue abun- dance,then they are in the houfè ofmournmg,knowingthat thofethingsmay be taken a- way, Erc1.7. And thus we fee lob walked warily even in the =litof profperitie. Though men know this,yet becaufethey doenot pra&ife ie,therefore it ought tobe oftenrepeated, and this (hall takea ecufcfrom the wicked,andit is fafe for the children ofGod. In the fours firlt verles are generally fet downehiscare and z tale: firlt,his zealeand fer- uencie: fecondly,histruth withouthypoerifie: chirdly,,that hedefhrednoching,buc agree- ing to Gods toil',that hemight keepe Gods commandements : fourthly,bisperfcuerance: fifrly,his faith,his patience, and hope : fixtly,che meanes to confirme hisfaith : feuenthly, the medication ofGods iudgementsto confirmehisfaith. Hedeuoured not his griefes,nornourif ed his vnbeleefe,but foughtthe remedy there- ofbythe promiles ofGod. And thisoften commeth to paffe than= haue wants,a lidyet bite on the bridle,& therfore theyobtaine not, becaufe theybaue not faith to pray;lam. i. asthe Ifraelitcsdid long bite on the bridle,andat laft cried and werehelped : therefore it isagreat gráce,whenwe canmake our wants knowneby prayer. Their properties of prayer areneceffarie,for certaine Herctikes, which reafon,either Cod willgiue,or not giue-and if hewill,we neednot aske;ifhe will not,ic is vaine to aske. But wee might anfwere,that then theprayers ofGods children in theScriptures,and the preceptsof prayerare not invaine. Againe, the promilesof Godwere in vaine which are made to our prayers : orelfe they might be fedwithout bread,and doe other things with- outmeanes. But God'hathappointed vs topray, that bee might trio our obedience,and thathe might giuehisbieffings tovs: fu that we muff vfethat,ifwee will attaine his met- ric. His feruencie is noted by crying, which noted the earneftnes of the affepion, not the loudnesof the voyce. Thevoyce is Ioude when it commeth to God, as Anna andSamuel arelaid to crie,and yet they fpakenot : fo the blood ofHabelcried. Paul Rom.8. teachech what this crying is,namely,theearneft defile of the hearr,which is theprayerin thefpirit: Ephef.6. and t.Thef. i he prayheth for the fpiric, as the molt fecret part of their heart, as Mary: My foulereioyced,and myfpiric&c. And thus it ought to be, becaufe God is afpiric. lamer in the lath chapter noteth it byferuentnes, which is commended Rom.r a. thenwee muff labour that ourmoll leeret partsmay beoccupiedwhen wepray toGod.Then hero- buketh coldnes ofprayer: for all men doe know that god is the giuer of all things, and therefore all pray,yea Hcretikesand worldlymenwill pray,yet many prayers are culto- marie andof fa(hion. This zeale maybe cometo,if weecrane ofGod thefeelingofout wants ; as the want of meafe caufeth thettomack to defire meafe; and hereof commeth feruencie(Rom. 8.)And our wantsmutt be confidered in relpe& of ourlelues, or of others : and that not onely in affliition,but alto in profperitie, whofebanes hauecanted Gods children to takeas great wounds at Sathan,as euerthey did in aduerfitie. And profperitiewillmakea mancarcles and proud,and vaineglorious; as aduerfitie doth makea man defpayre 5 and a man is in as great danger inprofperitie, as in aduerfitie. Thereforewee haveasgreat neede toconk- plaine inprofperitie,as inaduerfitie. Andtherefore though fonie of great judgement haue thoughythat OLordhaue mercieonvs,andmake haffe tohelp vr,and fuel, likeprayers, being made in the aduerfitieofthe Church, ought not to be vied now in this profperitie. Yet I dare not difcredit the iudgementof the ancient in this refpe&, teeing that it may at all timesbe madewith profir,if therebe vnderltanding : for there iseuer neede to make this prayer,andthetefore it maywith profit be made. Our wants mutt be confidered either in ourfelues,or inothers :and inourfelues,either in refile&offaults invs,or ofgood things whichwe want : and inothers,either in refile& ofthe whole Itate, or of fome particular perfons.Andfor our fhnnes wee haue euer great neede topray,and the great barrennesofgood things ought toforce vsvnto prayer. And the great wants whichthe fee inour felues,as the emptinesofgood things : and againe,the great danger of thetemptationof theflab, the worldand thediuell. And thereforewhen Iii .. Chrifb
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=