Ver %26. the Epifile to the Romans, in heaven we fhall enjoy. Fourtbly,the creature gives us an example of pats'- ence,fòr they groan. F'iftly, we have the ftay of hope certainly looking for eternal bliffe;and ofpatience quietly to wait and expe& it till it come : and if all thefe be not enough to encourage u s,we have(likewife) the fecret help of the Spiritin our hearts.Thus bath God in this Scripture provided a rich flore- hou fe of comforts for the faithfull,that as aftliaions abound,fo might confola- tions abound alfo.As a man in war,ha- ving his Qtliver full of Arrowes, if he take up but one, it may ferve to pre ferve himfelfand avoide his enemy: fo one of thefe comfoi is laid hold of,will be enough to flay a fatal in adverl:ty, much more being joyntly and altoge- ther laid hold upon. T e M. Now proceed to the latter part of this verre,[For we know not bow to pray as we ought, lutibe Spirit itfelr makes requefi fer ui, withfight's that cannot be exprejjed,1 and tell us what is the rum ofit? S r L. Thus much : when the Saints in great temptations through igno- rance and weakneffe, know not what is good for them to ask, then the holy Spirit Itirreth upfighs tècretly,and eau- fith them to pray with groans, which cannot be uttered. T 1 M. But is this ignorance common to all beleevers, tbat in fume cafe they know . not what to asks? S r L. It is fo : as appeareth in this, that Paul numbred himielfamong thofe which laboured under this ignorance : the which he doth not falfly of coun- terfeit modefly,or for conclufion fake only,but in very truth and as the thing was,as Rom.t.1o. He prayed often that , gnaty he might go to Romr but God heard fail in hcìr , prayers for him not : alfo he was not heard when '1:,`,' rt he ra ed lcdge. P Y , that the prick in his Aelh might be taken away,, 2 Cor. 12.7. Alfo Mofes prayed to enter into Canaan, and did not. Jeremy prayed for the health of the people, but God did not hear hint. Abraham prayed in vain for the Sodomites, and Samuel for Soul, and the widow ZAedee for her two Eons, of whom Chrifl faid, She knew not what fhe asked.This thus is the reafon why God denyeth thephayas's of his children ma: ny times,even becall fe that they which ask it is either hus'ifuhh, or net profita- ble for them, or elfe they Ask it out of time but when God heareth not his Saints after their will, he heareth them to their hendir, giving than, fome- thing better for them then that which they ask, as in Paule café, 2 Cor 12. i o, r r. Alfo fòmetirnes God doth fulfil mens prayers in his wrath and difplca- fùre to their own hurt, as it happened to thelfrae!ites, asking Hefts in the De- fert, Exod. 16. t3. Numb. h I. 3;. and craving a King in the land of Canant, 1 Sam.8.5. T r M. What pores of this ? S 1 L. That both the godly and the wicked are oftentimes ignorant of what they ask. The reafon hereof is,becaufè the faithful take, and think many things to be good,u hich either are not good (but apparently) or not good for them. Alf° they judge fitndry things evil, which either be not evil ( limply) or not evil to them. T r M. But the Lörds 'prayer teacheth what to delre, how then canoree be ignorant what to ask ? S r L. It teaciheth what to pray ge- nerally, but not particularly. Second- ly, it expreffeth not indifferent things; our error is about particular things, and things which he ofa middle nature. Thirdly,the ß poftle tellcth r s what be- fell the godly in onelpecial cafe,to wit, of grievousafflil} ions, when the mindf ofthe faithful! may be, and often be, fo opprelîed with cares and perplexed fears, as they are al together uumeet to call on God, the heart -'beind unable to difpofeit fare unto God, to think on him, and the tongue altogether un- fit to utter a word : as it fared with He- zekìah,Ijai:38,and Mofes at the red Sea, Exod. 4..15.and.with Hannah,r Sa i.13. and with David, Pfal. 72. Finally with Chri ft.Mat.2d.3 S. lob. h 2. 27. My foul is heavie,ëh''c. T 1 M. What profit is to be mach* of this truth,touching our ignorance in prayer S 1 L. It ferves for our humbling, to 299 t1.__. . . .
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