Book IV. sAINTS COMPARED TO SOLDIERS. Neceffities: All my Dejires are before thee, and my Groanings are not hid fr•nz thee, Pfa!. xxxix. 9· . . . ( 2 .) His Omnipotency. \Ve acknowledge, tn our crymg to God, and relymg upon him in this Duty, that he is able to help us, and fupply all our Want,. (3.) It gives him the Glory of his Goodnefs: 0 thou that hearefl Prayer. A Saint knows, and confelfeth hereby, if he pray anght, that God ts Wilhng and ready to help and fave him. 2. Prayer is a great Ordinance, if we confider the Power and Prevalency of ir. Lutber afcribed to Prayer a kind of Omnipotency. It hath prevailed over Fire, Wa. ter, and Earth; it hath ftopped the Sun in its Courfe. It hath prevailed over evil An– gels, it hath caft the Devil out, and broke his Kingdom down. lt hath had Power over the good Angels, as appears in the Cafe of Elijha; it fetched them from Heaven to be his Guard and ProteCtion, 2 Kings ix. 6, '7· Nay, it hath prevailed with Chrift himfelf, the An"'el of the Covenant, as appears in Jacob's Cafe: As a Prince, thou bafl wreflled with God, and haft prevailed. It hath healed the Sick, raifed the Dead, ftopped the Lion's Mouth, and hath fubdued and put to flight the Armies of A liens; hath opened the Prifon Doors, and broke in pieces Chains, Gates, and Bars of Iron and Brafs, Heb. xi. There is none of the battering Ram,, or Artillery of Hell can ll:and againtt it. it is like an Engine, as one obferve>, that. makes the Perfecutors tremble; and woe to them that are the Buts and Marks that tt ts levelled at, when it is fired with the Fire of the Spirit, and difcharged in the Strength of Faith. It is (aid, Mary ~een of Scots ~reade more the Prayers of Mr. Knox, than an i\rmy of twemy Thoufand Men; fhe had more Caufe, than an Army of ten Hundred Thoufand. lt is faid of the Witnelfes, that 'fhey haw Power to jhut flMven, that it rain not in the Days of tbeir Propbecy; and have Power over Waters, to turn them into Blood, and to finite the Earth with Plagues, as often as the;• will, Rev. xi. 5· How do they do this, but by Prayer~ 3· That Prayer is a great Ordinance, will appear, if we confider the Promifes made to it, 2 Cor. vii. 14. Pfal. l. 15. Matt. xxi. 2'l. Job xv. 7· 4· That it is a great Ordinance, will appear, if we confider how it co.works with all other Ordinanc~ and Duties, to make them effeCtual, whether moral or evangelical : EvCJy 'fhing is fanctijied by the Word of God and Prayer. 5· That Prayer is a great Ordinance,- doth appoar by the Influences it hath over all our Graces. (1.) It is the Means for getting Grace; hereby a Soldier of Chritt ob– tains his Armor. (2.) And for the lncreale of Grace, in order to the aCting of it. (3.) For the evidencing of Grace. It is that which brings the Soul into God's Pre· fence, and fills it with divine Joy and Peace in believing. 6. It is the divine Breath of the Soul; can a Man live longer than he breathes? A Saint dies, when he quite ceafeth pi·aying. ftuefl. What hinders or objlru/Js the Anf,JJer of the Saint's Pra)'Cr? Anfw. I. When we pray not according to God:s Will; God's Will mull: be the Rule of our Prayers. And this is the Con.fidmce that we have in him, that if we ajk any 'fhing Qccording to his Will, he heareth us, 1 Jobn v. 14. 2. When the End or Aim of a Man is not right: Ye f'jk, and receive not, becauft )'C ajk amifs, that ;•e may confume it 011 your Lujls, Jam . iv. 3· 3· When we pray not in Faith; Unbelief hinders the Anfwer of Prayer: But let bim aJk in Faith, nothing wavering, Jam. i. 6. &c. 4· When Endeavors alter the Things we want, are not joined with our Prayers. As we have a Mouth to beg, we muft have a Hand to work, Pfal. xxvii. 4· 5· When any one Sin retteth in the Bofom unrepented of: If I regard Iniquity in my Heart, the Lord will not hear me, &c. Pfal. lxvi. t 8. 6. When we are not fervent. Prayer mutt be with AffeCtion unto God. 7· When we pray not in Spirit. Our Spirits mull: pray; and not only fo, but if the Spirit of God do not act and afiift our Spirits, our l'rayers will not prevail. 8. Whe!' we are not conftant•in the Duty. We muft be importunate and confl:ant, pray always, and not famt, if we would have our Prayers heard, Luke xviii. 1, 9· When we come not to God in the Name of Chri!t, the Door is fhut. We mull: afk in Chrifl:'s Name, and come to God by him, if we would be heard and accepted by him. 8 y TilE
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