1..Booke. Cafes ofConfcience. 1V. Q<,teflion touching prayer is, How their mindes are to he tpacijed,which are troubled b; fundry accidents,that fall out. in their pra;ers l ThefeAccidentsare principally three. FirA, when theylhould pray, they cannot frame orconceiuea forme ofprayer,as orher men doe. F~r remoouingofwhich trouble,let them remember this one thing:T bat thevnfained defire ofthe touched heart, isa prayer in ac– ceptance before God, thou&h knowledge, mcmorir, and vtterancc, to framcandcon– ceiuea forme ofprayerinwords, be wanting, Pfal. 1 o.17,G.dhe.m t/;edefire ifthepoore,that is,ofhumbleper[ono, andthem which are in dJflre!fe,Pfal.l45·19. GodwillfutftUthedefire ofthtm thAtfe•re bim,be.JforPillhearetheircry, AndwiU(•uelhe,,Rom.8.16.We k_now not boll> topray a; rt~eoughr,btlt theJPirit ofGod, that is, tbefplrir of adoption, m•k!threqHej/for vs by groAn(/ & ftt.hu,whichc.nnot bevtured.Where we~payobierue, thatrhe prayer of the holy Gho(l, which mult needesbeeanexcellcnt prayer,is madeby~:roanes, which cannot be vuered inwords. The fecond Accident is ,tharthey finde themfelueo full ofheauineire and deadnelfe offpirit,and their mindes full ofby-thoughts and wandringimaginations. A ufuf!icimtf ortb«,Z.Cor.u. The manrhere· fore that would make aprayer aright , muO hauerefpectvnto the matter and far tile ther– of,asalfoto the difpofitian<?fhisowne bean: ifho faile in any of thcfe, men God will nor heare;or ifhe dotb,hc heJtres in i~fiiCe, ll. Though men make lawfull prayers vnroGod, and aoke things thatare to bee as– ked,andwbrchGod 1villgranr, yet God will fomewhat dcferrc the accompliOtment of their prayers, andr:otgiueearevntorhemar the firll.Da01d prayed night and day,and yer was not hurd,Pfal.u.z. Againe ,hil eiesf •i· led,hid thrqat WiUdri~,whdehew~titedfor hiJ God 6Jf"'J"•PCal.69. 3· The AngeiGabri<lfaid toZacharie, Luk. '· '3· ThJf"'l" uhe.rd. B Now in alllikelrhood, thar prayer ofZacha– ricwasmade long before, euen in hisyouth, ycrit ~Vas notgranted him till he was old. The Lord deferres the graunt of our re– qucCls vpon good reafon. Forhereby he tf~r. reth vp rhedulnetfeofourhearts, and qUJck– ncth our faith and hope. Againe, bee make, vs when wee enioy the bleifings dcGred ,to haue them in higher ellimation, and to bee more thankfull vnto him 1 yea in the want therof, to flriuethemorecarnelllywith him byprayer for them. The woman ofCanaan was repulfed,and called adogge, by our Saui– our Chrilt, not forthat heintended to reiect herprayer,butto llirre vp her faith, to make her more earnell in ••king 1 as alfo more C thankfullforthcbenefit,whcn !hee had recei· uedir. I JI. The Lordvfeth rogrant ourpetiti– ons,twomanner ofwaies. F~rl!, by giurngthe very thing weaske. Sccondly,bygtuingfom– thinganfwerable thereto, when hegraunteth notthethingit felfe. Tbus ChrijfwMhe.rd inth•twhich hefe.red, Heb.5.7·He prayed to bedeliuered fromthatcuppe,wlrich notwith– Clanding hcedranke of. How then was hee beard ?Though he had notrhat which heas– ked,yer God graunted him the thingwhich was proportionable to hrs rcquelt 1 namely, Clrength,and power,wherebyhe was enabled to ouercomc the woefull pangs of rhat death. Th10ttauble may be remooued vpon tpis ground 1 rhatthe defecb ofour prayer fhall ncuercondcmnc vs,ifwe behearcilydifplea– fed withour [clues for thefame ;and by pray– ,erand other good meanes, doe tlruggleand firmeagalnllthem. Rom.S.x. Thmunoc•.. demnAtion to rhe"' thAt be in l hrif/. In which placeit Is not faid, They doe nothing worth]of condemnAti~n; but thut,There isno condemHAti– on ro them~uinginChrij/ 1 though they dcferuc itncuerfomuch, D 1V. VVe muClthinke thrs fuflicicnt,rh" weecan, and doe prayvntoGod, though wee ne.uer haueany requeCl in this world graun. red.For bywhofegrace haue we alwaicscon. rinued in prayer, but bythe gift and 0raceof God/ Paul in thelike cafe, was anfwercd by God,MJgracei<fitffici<ntfor thu,z.Cor,l z. 9· that is, rhine lnfirmitie lhall not beeremoo– ued: content rhy fclfe in this, that thou art in my faur.ur, and haflrecetuedmygrace,by which thou doeflwithf!and rbis temptarion. Tu this purpofe S.John faith, Jfru k.tt•wthar bee he;trcth 'l.'l~rrhat(oeuer wensk_t;weekt;owthAt w~hmuthepetitiQnsgranred t7hich "tPe dtjirrdof hsm, I.lob. 5·'5.Hrsmeaning is, ifwe can per· ceiue,and drfccrnerhatGod liflenethtoour prayers,herebywemay nlfure our felues,that hegranrs our rcquells. Nowby this wee may Thethird Accident is, thatthoughthey pray,tbcy receiue not the fruit ofthC!r pray– en. For the remoouall of thio difiretfe,w<e may conGder thcfe foure things. I. Theman that isthustroubled,istoex– amine himfclfe, whether he bath made his prayertoGod arigbt,or no/ For ifhe pray a– milfe, he may pray long and neuer be heard. Our Sauiour would nor grant the requeLl of the fonnes ofZebedeus, becaufe they asked they knew nor whar, Matth.z o,u. lam+3· 1e•si<! & receiNtmt)htcAH/tye ask$ Amijfelthat yemighl~onlirme it on ycurlults.Paul pray· ed threotimes, and bad the repulfe, becaufe heeasked things inconuenient for him to re· ceiuc: therefore anfwer was made, M] .{race per·
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