Of Pcrfevcraruc in Prayer. are like to fpeed in our Requcfts. We may weB hope our Prayers will be fuccefsful when we beg Mercies not to confumc them but to husband them, that the encreafe of all may return aga in to God who gave them; and can we think that God will be fparing, when ~f I may fo fpeak with Reverenc~, it concerns his own Gain to be liberal ? Wicked and unthankfnl Men are but hke Vapors and Ex· halations drawn up out of the Earth, that do but eclipfe the Sun that raifes them. So when God raifcth np wicked Men by his Bounty and Goodncfs, they only fcrve to eclipfe and ftain his Glory in the World. VJhereas godly Men are like Rivers, that as they receive all their Stfcams from the Sea, fo they return all again into the Sea: So thcfe, whatever they receive from God, they improve all for and return all again unto God. And therefore they may well hope to fpecd who beg Mercies at the H:1nd of God, who intend to return all again unto the Glory of God. · So much for the Qualifications of Prayer; it muft be made by the alliftance of the Holy Ghofty in the Name and Meaiation of Jefus Chrift, with Faith and Fervency, making an humble reprefentation of our Want~ and Defires unto GOd for thofe Things that are accord in~ to his Will, with fubJ1liffion to ~is Pleafure, and with re'ference to his Honour. And thus much for the firft Thtng, What it is to pray. The fecbnd Thing pr'?pounded, was_.to Ihew you, Wh~t it is to pray without c~afirtg. w~m:·is And this I !hall do ~egauvely and pofittvely. m~ant bJ Pr.t)ing #itho14t u.tfing. Firjf, Negatively. To pray without ceaftng i1 nor alway1 to be aflually mgaged in this 1. Duty of Prayer, either orally, wrbally or mentally ; it is not that all other Duties Nr~~~~i1;e. fha\1 be fwallowed up and give place unto Prayer. This was an old Error of the ?·t"~ 110 ' M ejfalian1 and Euchitu, that began 340 Years after ChriU:, whofe Opinion it was, .;J)::n: becaufe here and elfewhe:e in Scripture we are commanded to pray continually. and g1ged in to pray alway.s, ai1d the hke, therefore they thought the whole Work of a Cbri- PraJ"· ftian was only to pray. A moft fond and foolifh Error; for what is the great end of Prayer, but that we may thereby obtain that Grace from God that may enable us to perform other Duties of Religion and Holinefs. Certainly God doth not blow up pne Duty by another; he that bath commanded us to pray without ceafing, hath likewife commanded us to Hear, Read, Meditate, and the like; yea, although Prayer be fa fpiritual and fo heavenly a Duty, yet we are not to neglea the Duties of our particular Callings, only that we may have the more ,time for Prayer. God hath divided out the Work, and hath given unto every Thing its Seafon, in which alone it is beautiful. Prayer makes Melody in God's Ears, then onlv when it is well timed 'when we juftle out one Duty by another, be fides the finful Omiffion · 1 • o' of what we fhould perform, that which we do perform becomes unJcceptahle, bew caufe unfeafonable: Neither can we hope that Prayer will prevail with God, that appears before him guilty of the Death and Murder (if I may fo phrafe it) of O· ther Duties. This therefore cannot be the meaning of it, that we Ibould do nothing but Pray. · r. Th~refore, ~eco11dly , Abfolutely or Pofitively, I ~all give you a fourfold Inter- VJi~?t pretatton of thiS Expreffion of the A poftle, Pr11y w•thout ceafing. . . m.fi"t, mr.plu sfour Tb,wgs. Firft, That ma.y be [aid to be done without cea/ing, that iJ done conftamly aud at fer T'o pra.1 Time~ and Seafom. So we have the Word ufed, Gm. 8. 2.2. WhiLe the Earth re- ronft•n•IJ maineth, Seed· time tJ.nd Harwjf, Cold and Htat, Summer and Winter, Day and N ight ~'Y' atftt fhall not ceafe: That is, they fuall not ceafe in their Courfes and appointed Times. J;:{:n and So here, Pray without ceafing; that is, obferve a conftant courfe of Prayer at fixed '· and appointed Times, frill keeping your felves from any fuperftitious · Obferva~ tions. And thus, Exod. 29. 42. the daily Sacrifice is called there a tontimurl burnt Offering; al}d yet it was ofttred up only every Morning and every Evening, and yet God accounts it a continual Offering. So here, Pray co ,uiuuailj', ot 1Pitbtiut ce~ftng; that is keep up frequent and appointed Times for prayer, without intermtffion. Secondly, 'To pray without ceajing, is to pray with all importunity a11d 'llehtmtncy . So t. in Afh 12. 5· the Church is faid to pray for -sr. Peter without crafirtg; that is, they It .isro pr11.1 were very carneft and importunate, and would give God no reft until he heard .,.,;b .a them. So alfo in the Parable of the unjuft Judge, which our SlViour fpeake on ~~der,;~'{ .. purpufe tullitJ.
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