Of Perftvernncc in Prayer. he pours thc.m our in fhort, but weighty Exhortations; the Connex:ion betwixt moJt of them is dJrk (if there be any:) I fha\1 not. therefore vex the \Vords, by racking them e1thcr to the precedent or fubfequent Verfos by any forced Cohc~ rcncr, but take them as they are in themfelves in one entire Pro1Jofition, and fo [bey contain in them a Duty, and that is. Prayer; and the manner alfo of perform. ing of ir, and that is, IJJithout ceaftng; and both of thefe do adminifter to us this plain Doarin. That it iJ a Chriftitm's Duty to Pray ince/fantly. This is J plain and neceffin·y Point, DoClrin and I intend to handle it in as plain and familiar a Method. And there are two Things that I ·JhaH inquit_"C into. ( r.) Firft, What it u to Pray: And then, (2.) Secondly, What it is to Pray without ceafing. (1.) I fhaH begin with the Firft, What it is te PraJ. , I. I Anfwcr; To Pra; if, by the Affifl,mce and Help of the Holy Ghoft, in the Name and WhJr ir it Mediation of ]rfus Chrifl wuh Faith and Feroency, to ma~e ttn humble repre/rntation ofour to Pr:aJ. De/ires unto God for thafo Things that are according to his Will, with [ubmiffion to his Pleafuu, 1md with reference to hi& Honour. This is that holy Duty of Prayer, in which, of~~ th~t belong to Religion, the Soul ufually enjoys the moft near and fweet Commu111on wnh God. When we are opprem~d with Guilt, or overwhelmed \.vith Fears and Griefs, what fwcctcr Retreat than to betake our [elves to our God, and to our Father, into whofe Bofom we may unload all our Burdens? It is the greateft folace of an afflicted Mind to lie proftrate before the Lord, a'nd melt it felf down in holy Tears and in holy AffeCtions at his Feer. Hence it is faid of Hannah, l Sam, 1. 18. That after fhe had poured out her Soul before God, her Cauntenance w.u no more [.:1d. And therefore this is 110t fo much our Duty as our Privilege 1 it is the Happinefs of the glorious Anuels in Heaven, and of the Spirits of juft Men made perfect, that they are always ~1ear unto God ia their Attendance upon him, that they are Waiters about his Throne : And Prayer gives to us the very fame high Privilege,. and brings us into the Prefence an(\ before the Throne of the fame God; only wuh this difference) they draw near to a Throne of Glory, and we draw near to a Throne of Grace. Let us now take a more particular View of this excellent Duty of Praytr, accor.. cling to the Defcription given of it. Firft, The tjficient caujt of Prayer M the HolyGhoft; then we Pray when we breath 1 , out thofe Reque!ts unto God, that the Holy Ghojt bath breathed into us; and ne rffici. therefore it is [aid, Rom, 8. 26. The Spirit hripeth our l•ifirmities, for we knotrJ tJot ent ca~tfe what wt /hould pray for M we ought; but the Spirit it fdf makrrh fnterctjfiorz {or m with of Pr4.JC~ .Sighs 1md Groans that cannot be utttrcd. All Prayers that are not dictated by the ~-:be Spf· Haly Ghoft, is but howling in God's efl:eem. And thou wicked Men, in their '· Difl:reJfes, may be very paffionate and very vehement in their Requefts, yet they l1ave no Promife that their Prayers fuall prevail with God. Sometimes indeed God doth hear them, and out of his common Bounty and Goodnrfs grants to them thofe temporal good Things that they crave; he that hears the you;'l Ravem when they cry, l1e that hears the lowring of the O:t:en; fometimes alfo hears wicked Men under their Afflictions, when they roar to him as wjfd Bulls in a Net, as the Prophet ex:· preifcth it ; but yet fuch Prayers of wicked Men though they are anfwcred, yet they arc never accepted ; God accepts no Petitions but fuch as are prefentcd to him through the Interceffion of Chrift; now Chrift makes Intereeffion for none in Heaven, but only for fuch in whofe Hearts the Spirit makes lnterceffion here upon Earth; their Prayers alone afccnd up to God as fweet Incenfc, being perfumed with that much lncenfe that Chrift offers up with the Pr.t.ycn of alJ the Saints, God always hears and anfwers them, either in the very Thing that they pray for, or elfe in what oftcntimes is far better, when they ask that which will be to their own Hurt; then he anfwers them gracioufiy by denying, th~m .. _In ']arms 5· 16, the Apoftle tells us there, That the rjfoflual /eroent Prayer of a nghteoUI Mmt av.1iieth much. This indeed may feem a needlefs Tautology to fay an ejfoflutd PrAyer availetb, for it is but one and the fame thing to avail and to be eJfettual; but if we confult the Original, we fuall find the Words may be tranOatcd, The in-lVfoughr Prayer; and poffibly we may with more Congruity render it thus, 71Je 'Prayer of a righteom Man wrought in him; that is to fay, by the Spirit of God fuch a Prayer availeth much. Q q q q q 2 Secondly,
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