98 A GUIDE TO PRAYER, from the several relations in which God stands unto men, parti - cularly to his own people. as Lord, thou art my Creator, wilt thou not have a desire to the work of thine hands ? Hast thous not made me and fashioned me, andwilt thou now destroy me ? Thou art my Governor and my King, to whom should I fly for protection but to thee, when the enemies of thine honour and my soul beset me around ? Art thou not my Fattier? and hast thou -not called me one of thy children ? and given me a name and a place among thy sons and thy daughters ? Why should I look likeone cast out of thy sight, pr that belongs to the family of Satan ? Are not the bowels of a father with thee, and tender compassions ? Why should one of thy poor and weakhelpless children be neglected or forgotten ? Art thou not my God in covenant, and the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, by whom that covenant is ratified ? Under that relation I would plead with thee for all necessary mercies." 4. The various and particular promises of the covenant of grace, are another rank of arguments to use in prayer. as En- lightenme, O Lord, and pardon me, and sanctify my soul ; and bestow grace and glory upon me according to that word of thy promise on which thou hast caused me to hope. Remember thy word is past in heaven, it is recorded among the articles of thy sweet covenant, that I must receive light and love, and strength and joy and happiness ; and art thou not a faithful God to-fulfil every one of those promises ? What if heaven and earth. must pass away ? Yet thy covenant stands upon two immutable pil- lars, thy promise and thine oath ; and now I have fled for refuge to lay hold on this hope, let one have strong consolation. Remember the covenant made with thy Son in the daysof eternity, and let the mercies there promised to all his seed be bestowed upon me according to my various wants." This calling to remembrance the covenant of God, bath been often of great efficacy and prevalence in the prayers of the ancient saints. 5. The name and honour of God in the world, is another powerful argument. What wilt thou do far thy great name, if Israel be cut off or perish ? Joshua vii. 9. If thy saints go down to the grave in multitudes, who shallpraise thee in the land of the living? The. dead,cannot celebrate theé, nor make men- tion of thyname and honours, as I do this day." This was the pleading of Hezekiah ; Isaiah xxxviii. 18. And David uses the same language ; Psalm vi. 5. For thy name's sake, was a mighty argument in all the ancient times of thechurch. 6. Former experiences of ourselves and others, are another set of arguments to make use of in prayer. Our Lord Jesus Christ in that prophetical psalm ; Psalm xxii. 5. is represented as using this argument G0 Ourfothera cried unto thee, O Lord, and were delivered, they trusted in thee, and they were not can
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