Now, although we know that it is the only work of the Holy Ghost, thus to move and incline our hearts to prayer, we may not be negligent and slothful to dispose and stir up ourselves thereunto; but rather contrariwise, so often as we feel ourselves cold and not disposed to prayer as we ought to be, we must make our supplication unto the Lord, that it would please him to inflame us with his holy Spirit, whereby we may be framed to pray with such affection of mind as we ought to be.

When we are cast down with true humility by the feeling of our own infirmity, sin, and misery, we must nevertheless be encouraged to pray with a sure and stedfast hope to obtain our requests. These be things indeed contrary in shew, to join with the feeling of the just vengeance of God sure affiance of favour: which things do yet very well agree, in that it is the goodness of God only that raiseth us up being oppressed with our own evils, from the which of ourselves we cannot rise. For as repentance and faith are knit as companions together (albeit the one driveth us down with fear, and the other lifteth us up again with comfort), so in prayer they must needs meet together. And this agreement David expresseth in few words: I will (saith he) in the multitude of thy goodness enter into thy house, and in the temple of thy holiness I will worship thee with fear1.

Therefore, when we are once touched with true repentance and feeling of our own misery, we must withal have such a persuasion of God's favour and mercy towards us in all our prayers, that they shall be accepted of God so far forth as it shall be necessary for us. This is the assurance, saith St. John, that we have in God, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us (1 John v.) Whereupon Saint Paul saith, that the right invocation and praying unto God proceedeth of faith. And St. James calleth a right prayer, the prayer of faith. For if we have not a sure trust and confidence in the mercy and promises of God, it is impossible to make our prayer unto him

1 Ps. v.

aright: and whosoever doubteth whether God heareth his prayer, that man obtaineth nothing: for to such prayers God hath made no promise; but contrariwise he saith, Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, if ye believe, ye shall receive it. And again, Whatsoever ye desire, believe that ye shall obtain it, and it shall be done unto you. Ask, saith St. James, in faith, and waver not: for he that wavereth is like to the waves of the sea, which are tossed of the wind and carried away. And why should we waver or doubt, seeing the holy scriptures testify of God that he is faithful, just, and true, in all his words and promises, saying, The Lord is faithful in all his words, he will ever be mindful of his covenant; the truth of the Lord endureth for ever? And although our faith be not so strong, and therefore our prayers so hearty and zealous, as they ought to be; yea, though our faith be faint and cold, yet let us hold fast this principle, that our prayers are not frustrate or in vain.

For our comfort herein we have an example in the father which brought his son first to the apostles, and afterward to Christ, and said, If thou canst, Lord, help; and yet afterwards he acknowledged the weakness of his faith, and desired to be made strong: I believe, Lord, saith he, help mine unbelief. How often do the children of God complain of this imperfection and imbecility of faith! Such as are exercised in true prayer, do feel that in craving of God the forgiveness of their sins, they bring scarcely the tenth part of that sacrifice which David speaketh of: An acceptable sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit; a broken and an humble heart, O God, thou wilt not despise". Many times they are driven to wrestle with their own dulness and coldness in prayer: many times their minds slip aside, and wander away in vanity: many times they feel not their own lack and misery to prick them sharply enough to prayer: yea, and many times they are so beaten down with the sense and feeling of their own sin and misery, as though they were forsaken of God, and their faith utterly

1 Matt. xxi. 2 Mark xi. 3 Jam. i. 4 Mark ix. 5 Ps. Li.

extinguished. In what horror and anguish of heart was David, when he said unto the Lord, Why dost thou reject my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? And again, Cease from me until I go away and be not. Whereby it might seem, that he, like a desperate man, desireth nothing else but that, the hand of God ceasing, he might rot in his evils: but it is not so; for he saith it not, for that he would have God to depart from him, as the reprobate do, but only he complaineth that the wrath of God was too heavy for him to bear. A hard temptation is it when the faithful are compelled to cry, How long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy servants? as though the very prayers made God more angry. So when Jeremy saith, The Lord hath shut out my prayer, no doubt he was shaken with a violent pang of temptation. These are the imperfections of God's children, which, even in believing and hoping, do oftentimes utter some unfaithfulness, and in the very remedies fall into new diseases: for there is no prayer they make which the Lord doth not worthily lothe, if he should not wink at their spots and imperfections.

9

And such examples are common in the scriptures: whereby we see that the Lord oftentimes suffereth his to be grievously tempted and afflicted, and hideth from them the comfort of his Spirit, as though they were clean forsaken; but to their great consolation in the end. This is the school wherein the wisdom of God nurtureth and trieth her children, as we may see, Ecclus. iv. First, she will walk with them (saith he) by crooked ways, and bring them unto fear and dread, and torment them with her discipline, until she have tried their souls, and have proved them by her judgments: then will she return the straight way unto them, and comfort them, and shew them her secrets, and heap upon them the treasures of knowledge and understanding of righteousness. When the Lord hath shewed them what they are of themselves, by the sight and horror of their sins, and terror of God's judgment for the same; then will he shew

6 Ps. LXXXviii. 7 Ps. xxxix. 8 Ps. LXXX. 9 Lam. iii.

them what they are in Christ, as Esay saith, For a time, a little while, I have forsaken thee, but I will gather thee together in wonderful mercies. In a short time of wrath I hide my face awhile from thee; but I will have mercy on thee for ever, saith the Lord thy Redeemer'. Such is the lovingkindness and mercy of God towards the afflicted, when they are sorry for their sins, lamenting and mourning in their hearts to be delivered, that they might serve God in the freedom of conscience. And this is that mourning, this is that hunger and thirst, that Christ speaketh of: Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted: blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be fulfilled. God, for his truth's sake, will put the righteousness of Christ on them, and wash their unrighteousness away in his blood. The bruised reed will he not break, and the smoking flax will he not quench. The afflicted, the heavy and brokenhearted, the weak and feeble, he will not forsake: yea, be they never so feeble and frail, yet so long as this lust, desire, and mourning to be delivered, remaineth in them, God seeth not their sins, reckoneth them not, nor layeth them to their charge, for his truth's sake, and love to Christ. He is not a sinner in the sight of God, that would be no sinner: he that would be delivered, hath his heart loosed already: his heart sinneth not, but mourneth, repenteth, and consenteth to the law and will of God, and justifieth God, that is, he beareth record, that God which made the law is righteous and just and such an heart, trusting in Christ's blood, in Christ's righteousness, is accepted for righteous; and his weakness, infirmity, and frailty, is pardoned, and his sins not looked upon, until God put more strength in him; the increase whereof he shall daily feel in such sort, that at the length he shall in all troubles be able to say with David, If I should go through the shadow and dangers of death, I will not fear whatsoever happen*.

Now to stir us up, in consideration of our great 1 Isai. Liv. 2 Matt. v. 3 Isai. xLii. 4 Ps. xxiii.

misery and necessity, to a more fervent prayer, the Lord himself hath commanded us to call upon him for help and succour. Therefore let us have the commandments of God always in our sight touching prayer; and while we pray, let us call them to our remembrance. Ask, seek, knock, watch, and pray (Matt. vii.) Call upon me, saith God, in the day of thy trouble (Ps. L.) Pray alway with all manner of prayer and supplication, and watch thereunto with all diligence (Eph. vi.) Rejoice alway, pray continually, in all things be thankful; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesu towards you (1 Thess. v.) Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving (Coloss. iv.) Let your requests be shewed unto God in prayer and supplication with giving of thanks (Phil. iv.) And this we are also no less bound to do by that commandment whereby we are forbidden to take the name of God in vain. For in that we are there forbidden to take the name of God in vain, we are commanded also to take and to use it to his glory, giving unto him the praise of all goodness, help, and succour, while we ask and look for the same at his hand. Wherefore, except we fly unto him in our trouble and necessity, except we call upon him and seek unto him for succour, we provoke his displeasure no less than if we should make unto ourselves idols, or worship strange gods: for in the contempt of all the commandments we shew like contempt and disobedience to the will of God; and all these sentences which command us to call upon God, do appertain to this commandment, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; and so prayer is a work and chief service belonging to this commandment. We

We may not therefore think that there are no other sins than idolatry, murder, theft, whoredom, and such like; but also that it is undoubtedly a great sin not to render this service to God, that is, not to pray, not to ask, not to look for help from God in necessity, not to render thanks for the benefits we have received. Therefore, if our unworthiness at any time do cry out against us, stop or fear us, in such sort that our consciences are astonied and fly from God; if we doubt