46 en4a.fler 9reeribams Readings ntsa/ le; in whichplacesthe holy Choi} commendethafíìduitieinprayer. WhereforeGodoken deniethvs ourrequells, becaufewe vfenot topurfueand profecute them with frequent prayer. Forif wehaue prayed twice or thricefor onething, andyet are notheard ,but receiueas it were therepulfe,we ftraightway furceafe, and leave ofour prayer : contraryto the pra&ifeofthis man ofGod; who wouldnotfuffer repulfe,but Hill continued hisprayer both morning and cue. wherefore " ning. -So that wee areatoknow,that wee will obtaine tnerde, Godwill fometimedeferre his Gaddelayes graunt totrie vs, whetherweaske carefully orno,whether we finelyand reuerently efieemeof tograumam the thing prayed for,whether webeleeue throughlyhismercies and promifes , and whether wee reyueß4 will as thankefifilyeftit , when we hauek , aswe didcarefully pray for it, before wehad it. The Lórdcannotawaywithourcold asking,and whenwegiue butone figh,and rherecotnes fometime one teare, which is as the mareof anharlot; beefecth that wee fide not our wants throughly; we el eemenor ofhis merciesreuerently; weemake notour requefsearnefily; and therefore he fendeth vsoften as emptie away aswe came. Wemuff then gluethe Lord no leifureto befrce,but profecute ourprayers withimportunitie, asdid the Widow mentionedin the Gofpell. s.Wfedome But wemuffremember inouroften prayer, to vfethe wifedomeof the fpirit, which was the ofthefpirit ira fecond thing obferuedin diligent prayer. prayer. For fomevfe prayeraften, whowantingheauenly difcretion, turneit totheir owne difcom. modifie, Forfome haueperuertedmoil wickedly thefé places beforealledged,through too(id& aconfrderation of the a0iduitieofprayer, and thought that theymight glue oilerall their cal. hugsin an aetiue and ciuilllife , andwholyand continually beffowall theirtimeonprayer. But this was tooprepof}erous adiligence, which that wemayauoid, it(hall be trite wifedome, foto ourtimrsfor deuide thetimes and feafons, aswemay impartthofe times onprayer, whichmoil may make for prayer. Godsglorie,and vs hichbefl make forour calling. . And for thofe placesofour Sauiour Chrift and theApof}le, whereinwearecommanded to praycontinually,the meaning ts,fhat wefhould alwayesbe readieandaffe&ed topray, in profperitie andaduerftie, andat all feafons fit for pray. er, that is, whenthe Lord dothcall es to it,andourefface doth requireit. Sabbath. Thisdollnineiseafie tobe heard,but hard tobepraólifed. Well, then it is true wifedome to choofe the Sabboth wholy tobe fpent in theword andprayer frommorningtonight: and fo to druide the feafonsin the otherdayes oftheweeke,as with DavidandDaniel , wee may prayat morning, noonetide,and euening, and that therewithwe hauea fpeciall caretobellow thereff ofourtime inwalkingin our callin . Foras thereisatimeofhearing, fothereis a timeofput- tingthat invfe which wehaue heard : as there is a Sabboth for Godsowneworfhip;' fothereare fixdaiesfor vs to labourin :andas there is a time of praying;fothere is alto a timeofpraétifing. Neitherwould the Lordhaue vsaiwaiesreading, hearingorpraying; butafter wee haueread, heard andprayed,to fhew forth thefruitof them in ourconuerfation tohis glorie. And as he- =tikesin the primitiveChurch, andfence that time Monkesand Friers haue laboured toteatha continuallpraying;foeueu at this day Sathan bewitcheth thehearts ofmany with that perfwafi. on; whereforewemull know, that theLordwill haue obedience,rather then facrifce, and mee- Lukro.4r.4a. ciemore then burnt offrings. Forwhy dowecheare, buttolearnr obedience ?andwhy do wee pray, but to put ourprayer m pra&ife ? or why haue weknowledge', but tovfe it toGods glo- rie?Neitherdoth that layingofourSauiourChrilf toMarthawithf}and this do&riráe,although many heretikeshaueboth obie&ed andperuerted thisplace,tomakeitferue their purpofe; who falfely alleage the place, laying, Mariebathchafenthebetterpart ; whereas thetruewords are, Mariebath chafen thegood part : in which place Marthawas not reprouedin that fhewas a good hufwife, orfor that Thee entertained Chrif;but forouermuch labouring in herhufwiferie and entertainemene, atfuch time,as fhe fhouldhave beenbetter occupied.Neither wasMarie _. commended for that lbe chdnothingbut heart and pray,.but for her wifedom,in hearingChriff carefullyat that timewhenhe preached;and in that fheknew,that Chrilldid leffecare, &would bebetter fatisfed ,thoughher prouifionwas morelender,then that toamore folemneprepara- tion, theyfhouldnegleól thedo&rine ,which was the foodof theirfoules. Otherwife itmufibe fuppofed, that Mariewas ascarefullanhufwife as Martha, for els vndoubtedly ourSauiour Chtiftwouldnot haue focommendedher, for wifelydifcerning the times, elpeciallyfeeingthe holy$criptures count themwadethen infidels,which willnot providefor their families But
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