618 An Expofation upon Chap. 16.1 whom the Preacher replyed, Then alto way and thorter cut to quit them of caft away your weapons and Soul- theirenemies(notby running fo far as diers,for without them (if he will)God heaven,) but by (editions, rebellions, can fave. So he taw his error. Likewife, murthers, treajons, {tabbing of Princes blowing up of Englifh Parliament houfes,and fuch other monffrous unna- turall courtes, whereof godly Paul never once dreamed, unleffc it were to de- nounce hell torment, and heavens Joffe to them. Oh how unlike be the fpirit of Paul and of the Pope, who dares not truff Godby prayer to Hie to him only but to impious, diabolical], andhellifh pra&ifes and policies,to affc& his accur- fed will againfl fuch as he accounts his foes, yet in truth Chrifts friends ? How far be they from ant ichrill,which delight fo in the blond of Gods people, in bar- barous fàvage cruelty, fuch as amongft Scythians and Cannibals is not to be heard of ?Doeg is condemned for trotting in riches, //char in his Phyficians, what fhaL be done to Papifts which truft in murther and violence? T t M. Touching the thing prayed for in verfe 3 2, what reafon had the Apo file to defre this deliverance from the difobedient Jews, (unbeleef is the greateft di fobedience,refufing to fubmit to the commandement which bids a. beleeve in Ch riff, and makes men di fobedient to the word of precept, as well as o f promit e) was he fo timorous as he feared to be flain and killed of them ? and what need was there to pray for acceptation of hid Alres (a matter fa deftred and delight full to the poorer fort) and out of all this verfe, what {ball we learn for our edifica- tion in godline f fe, as al fo out of verfe 33 .what fay yee to thefe things? S r L. Of the former petition, the caule was not immoderate feare of danger or a minde unprepared to fuffer affi&ions, fee All. 21. 13. but partly, the prophefies of the Spirit, revealing to him continuall and great troubles to happen to hin, at Jeru falem, All. 20. 22. 23. and the extreame malice of the Jewes, hating Pod as a molt refolute Champion of the Meffias do&rin, and a' rigorous enemy or op- pugnerof the legali ceremonies and Mofaicall rites, (as fhadowes which were to give way to the pretence of the body, woh is Chrift) and flnally,thathe might a certain Phyfitian having a Patient who was an Atheift, told him, his Phy- ficke would not worke u ithout prayer to God,and fo cured both his Atheitine and fickneffe at once.Thirdly,Chriftian prayer mutt be fervent, cold futers be ill fpeeders, James q. i 6. Of zealous prayers, Popery can give no examples, becaufe their prayers be uttered in a firange tongue : they labour with their lips, not with their mindes. Fourthly, fervent prayer of the faithful!, is as a (trite or confli&, wherein fundry joyne their forces againit a common enemy. In worldly combats, as fouldiers mu- tually befeech the ayde one of another, Co the faithfull by Pauls example, are to incite one to joyne with another, and co confli& or fight together by prayers : tor this duty hath many and great hin- derances : as namely Satan, becaufe it doch him much hurt,;he fuggefteth into the mindes of men at their prayers, thoughts of doubting, of wrath, rea- fonings, vain imaginations , strange cogitations : fo as it is a very difficult thing in time of invocation, to have the whole heart fixed and ftayed on God, and on the things which are prayed for. This thing needeth an holy ftrife and contention : Molt men do not account it thus : which caufeth faigned and fain- ting prayers to proceed from many, fuch as vanifh and fall to nothing ere they come a quarter of the way to hea- ven,whicher they cannot reach without a fpirituall violence, Fitly, no better buckler in extremity then prayer, fer- vent andfaithfull. The Apof}le being in great danger of his countrymen the Jewes, craves not the Romans to bring forth their weapons (as Swords and Speares, &c.) to encounter them and refcue him, but to fight with God by hearty prayer for his fafety, wherein lyeth more fecurity then in force of armes, by how much Gods power ex- ceedeth all earthly might. Our degene- rate and new Romans take a readier
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