f Genes 44.33 be a servant for his brother Benjamin while with Ioseph hee was interceeding for him so CHRIST g Philip. 2. 7 made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme a servant and in his vnspeakable loue for thy sake became obedient vnto the death of the crosse that hee might bee thy most affectioned Advocate If Pylades so pleaded for his deare Ciceâ—o de amicitia friend Orestes that for the favour hee caried towards him before King Thoas hee was willingly content to lose his life and die for him much more will CHRIST who calleth h Iohn 15. 15 thee his friend pleade more lovingly for thee in respect hee hath i Iohn 10. 15 laide downe his life for thee Lastly CHRIST is a most happie Advocate for the cause In respect of the good successe was never lost which hee maintaineth that person never perished whom hee defendeth That woman k Iohn 8. 12 taken in the act of adulterie was accused but not condemned CHRIST being her Advocate who as hee most sufficiently and perfectly performeth his owne part so hee giveth strength and grace to his Client to behaue himselfe duetifully Albeit Cicero Plutarch in vita Ciceron in the defence of Milo by his wiledome and eloquence so moved and perswaded the Iudges that they were of purpose to absolue him but hee could not cause his Client to behaue himselfe humbly and therefore because of his proude carâ—age and for his arrogancie hee was condemned and banished Yet CHRIST being thy Advocate by his Spirit will so moue and perswade thee that thou shall continually and most willingly doe that which the l Mich. 6. 8 LORD requireth of thee even to doe justly to loue mercy to humble thy selfe greatly that thou may walke with thy GOD worthily he will bestow grace m Heb. 12. 28 vpon thee whereby thou mayest serue GOD that thou may please him with reverence and feare for ever and ever Secondly If thou be terrified in respect of thine adversaries fighting Christ is thy Chiâ—taine to presâ—rue thee against thee thou mayest be of good comfort because thou hast a strong Captaine and most valiant and expert Chiftaine even that Lyon n Revel 5. 5 which is the of tribe of â—udah to support and helpe thee Philip did say that an armie of Harts having a Lyon their governour Stobaeus sermone 52. is better than an armie of Lyons having a Hart their commander albeit thou of thy selfe bee weake and timorous â—et thy Captaine and defender is most couragious and valorous As Ioshua disconfited mightie Kings his enemies and made his people come o Iosh 10. 24 neere and set their feete vpon their necks so CHRIST shall p Rom. 16. 20 trode Sathan and all enemies vnder thy feete shortly and giue vnto thee a most notable and glorious victorie Thirdly If thou be dismayed because of thâ—â—e owne weaknesse Christ is thy good guide of thy slâ—â—pinesse of thy owne vncleannesse and of thine owne povertie and indigence yet rejoyce q 1 Thess 5. 16 continually hope r Psal 27. 14 in the Lord be strong and hee shall comfort thine heart for CHRIST shall bee thy governour and Master Å¿ Isaiah â—5 4 hee will show thee the path of lyfe and leade t Psal 16. 11 thee in the right way wherein thou shouldst walke and furnish thee with all necessarie good things CHRIST IESUS a most blessed guide is not like Iehonam the sonne of Carcah who guided the people from Iudea into Egypt where they u Ierem. 44.27 were consumed by the sword and by the famine vntill they were vtterly destroyed Neither is hee like Arimenes an Arabian Prince who circumveined Plutarch in vita Crassi Crassus and brought him to desert wildernesse and sinking sands where many of his armie were destroyed and his owne sonne killed Nor yet like a more guilfull guide Andromachus who led him to watrie ground and marrishes Ibidem where hee was compelled to render himselfe to the will of his enemie and then was slaine pittifully But IESUS hee is a most true and loving guide who will leade thee x Psal 23. 2 by still waters and make thee rest in greene pastures Hee will strengthen thee in weaknesse preserue thee in dangers comfort thee in miseries furnish thee in necessities hee surely will bring thee with Iacob from y Genes 31. 1 Sechem a place of perplexitiâ— to Bethel a place of peace and safetie hee will bring thee speedily from z Exod. 15. 27 Marah a station of bitternesse vnto Elim where are twelue fountaines of water hee certainly will bring thee from Egypt a place of slaverie to Canaan a countrie of plentie and libertie hee will turne thy shame to honour thy paine to pleasure thy sorrow to gladnesse thy miserie to happinesse he will make a Rom. 8. 28 all things worke together for thy best If b Isaiah 44.7 for a little while hee hath forsaken thee with great compassion will hee gather if for a little season for a moment hee hath hid his face from thee Yet with everlasting mercie will hee haue commiseration on thee If c Iohn 16. 33 in this world thou hast affliction content thy selfe with thy portion and perswade thy selfe that in CHRIST in due tyme thou shall haue peace and endlesse consolation But now let vs come to speake of the causes of prayer of the necessitie thereof of the profite of prayer of the dignitie thereof of some circumstances of the signes of prayer and of the force and efficacie thereof and that briefly and plainly as GOD of his good grace shall assist vs by his Holie SPIRIT OF THE CAVSES OF PRAYER The thirtenth Chapter SVrely thou hast many causes of fervent prayer 1. If thou looke to GOD Seven causes of fervent prayer thy Father If thou looke to â—â—sus CHRIST thy Saviour if thou looke to the holy Spirit thy saâ—ctifier 2 If thou looke to the Devill a lyar a and a Iohn â— 44 murtherer 3. If thou consider other Christians for whom thou shouldest pray and whose good example it becommeth thee to follow 4. If thou consider the wicked whom thou shouldest eshew 5. If thou take heede to thy owne selfe to thy necessitie and misery 6. If thou bebold the worldlie vanitie pollution danger and impietie 7. If thou shall remember the necessitie vtilitie dignitie and efficacie of prayer in the Chapters following all are causes of sufficient force to moue this holie duetie chiefly considering thy Christian calling First The Great and glorious GOD thy loving Father hee GODS command who is thy Father Master and King commandeth thee to b Psal 50. 15 call vpon Him in the day of thy trouble Now seeing Ioseph c Genes 38.14 obeyed his earthly father thou hast great reason to obey thy Heavenly Father who is also a most righteous and gratious d Malach. 1.6 Master If Absoloms e 2 Sam. 13.29 servants obeyed
creature groneth with me also and travelleth in paine together vnto this present desiring to be delyvered from this bondage of corruption Seing it is so Haue not I forlorne miscreant the chiefe cause of all calamity great reason seriously to deplore my lamentable miserie to bewaile my deplorable estate and vnspeakable calamitie Haue not I reason to poure out r 1 Sam. 1. 15 my soule before thee and to walke Å¿ Isaiah 38.15 weakely all my yeeres in the bitternesse of my Spirit And first O LORD I find Lament thy losse my selfe insufficient to lament duely the manifold and great losses sustained by mee through my default through my sinne and iniquitie If the childe of the Prophet sorrowed for a peece yron t 2 King 6. 5 for an axe head that fell into the river of Iordan and thus cryed to Elisha Alace Master it is but borrowed And no question O LORD that Pauls companions were then somewhat greived for the hurt and damnage they suffered in that dangerous navigation where they lost their lading u Act. 27. 10 and their ship also If thy servant King David mourned for the losse of his deare friend Ionathan with lamentation Woe x 2 Sam. 1.26 is mee cryed hee for thee my brother Ionathan very kind hast thou beene to mee thy loue towards mee was wonderfull passing the loue of women If thy servant Iacob y Genes 37.34 rent his clothes and did put sackcloth about his loynes and sorrowed a long season for his sonne Ioseph whom hee supposed to haue beene lost And if without doubt Naomi lamented greevously when her husband Abimelech z Ruth 1.3 died in a strange land And if Ieremiah sorrowed heavilie for the life of a good King because the breath a Lamen 4.20 of their nostrils the anointed of the LORD was taken in the nets of the enemie Yea Ioash King of Israel b 2 King 13.14 did weepe vpon the face of sicke Elisha If wicked c 2 Sam. 14.32 Absalon was no way contented when hee saw not his fathers face and if profaine Esau cryed d Genes 27.34 out with a great cry and bitter out of measure when hee wanted the blessing of Isaak Manasseh Manasseths prayer mourned for the losse of a worthie Kingdome Alace O LORD when I consider deligently the wonderfull great losse and damage which I haue sustained spiritually by reason of the multitude of my sinnes and iniquities I cannot deplore nor condignelie lament the same How is it possible to mee to sorrow sufficiently for that I haue lost that fine e Revel 3. 18 gold tryed by the fire enriching mee That f Revel 2.4 I haue lost my first loue beautifying mee I haue wasted the portion of goods which my father gaue vnto mee at my creation How can I bewaile my foolishnesse who haue done what in mee lyeth to losse the kindnesse of my first and best g Iohn 15. 15 friend so beneficiall and loving to mee Woe is mee because I haue h Revel 1. 7 pearced my deare Saviour I haue crucified i Heb 6. 6 againe the Sonne of GOD my most worthie k Ephes 5.32 husband and haue made a mocke of him How can I deplore my misery and great losse which I haue gotten by my rebellion against thee l Iere. 10. 7 O KING of all Nations vnto whom appertaineth the dominion for ever Who m Math. 10.28 is able to destroy both soule and bodie in Hell eternallie How can I foolish creature lament my losse for not hearkning to thy Heavenly instructions and not receiving thy healthsome admonitions who is my n Math. 23.10 only doctor and my o Iohn 3. 2 teacher come from GOD I am much troubled because p Psal 101.29 thou hidest thy face from mee and for that the light of thy loving countenance doeth not shine vpon mee because by my sinnes I haue almost lost thy favour q Psal 30. 5 in which is life and felicitie and thy r Prov. 10.22 blessing which maketh rich and the Å¿ Math. 6.33 Kingdome of Heaven in regard whereof all the earth is but vanitie and meere miserie Now trueth it is O mercifull GOD that many haue sustained Lament thy povertie great losse and yet hath some good remaining behind but I am redacted to extreame povertie I may lament grievouslie because I t Revel 3. 17 am miserable and wretched poore and most indigent empty and naked That widow u 1 King 17.12 of Sarepta O my GOD was greatly impoverished and redacted to a meane estate She had not a cake but even an handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a cruse shee resolved after that it was eaten to haue dyed But O bountifull LORD thy wisedome knoweth that I poore wretch spiritually doe remaine in greater penurie I haue not of my selfe a sanctified thought an holy word no not a small teare one sorrowfull sigh x Psal 51 16 of a contrite spirit or broken heart For I truely know that in me in y Rom. 7. 18 my nature dwelleth no good thing at all I am like one who hath made shipwracke of all his goods I am like Lazarus z Luk. 16. 20 I haue nothing of my selfe not a morsell of bread not a cuppe of cold water but that which I get by crying and begging of thy Alsufficiencie Now Lament thy debt which is much worse O LORD I am not only thy poore beggar but also I am thy debter wonderfull great is my debt terrible is mine obligation and a Colos 2. 14 thine handwriting against mee is fearefull That b 2 King 4. 1 poore widow cryed for her earthly debt because the creditor would take her two sonnes to bee his bond men for the same I haue much more reason to cry and mourne to thee for my spiritual debt which without a discharge will take my soule from mee Alace Debt is easilie contracted but hardly removed O LORD it was easily and pleasantly contracted but it is like to bee with paine and difficultie removed Sathan hath deceaved mee he made it to seeme light and easie at the beginning but now it is too heavie and verie displeasant vnto mee and if I get not an acquittance from thine Alsufficient Majestie I c Math. 18. 34 will bee delyvered to the jaylors and cast into the prison out of which there is no foorth comming nor redemption In the meane season O LORD albeit I bee so drowned in debt Lament thy vnfruitfulnesse and miserie yet I remaine as d Math. 3. 10 a barren ground as an vnfruitfull tree woe is mee the axe is put to the roote in danger to bee hewâ—n downe and cast into fire which is vnquenchable I am O LORD by nature like that vnprofitable e Luke 13. 4 figge tree planted in thy wine-yarde Thou hast for many yeares suffered mee
him an evill Master in an vnlawfull and wicked action farre rather art thou oblished to obtemperate thy good Master in a lawfull dead Absolom commanded that his brother Amnon should bee slaiâ—e GOD commandeth this service that thy soule may bee saved and therefore absolutely ought to bee obeyed Seeing moreover he is King Almightie who e Math. 10.28 is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell eternally and to giue thee a great reward for thy obedience and loyaltie when King David but desired to drinke of the water of the well of Bethlem three f 1 Sam. 25.15 of his subjects brake through the hoast of the Philistims and brought vnto him that water longed for thus they ventred their liues for Davids sake and for his plâ—asure And shouldest not thou much more willingly hazard thy life to giue vnto GOD obedience to doe his Majestie acceptable service Who Gods promise maketh also vnto thee most sweet and comfortable promises to deliver g Psal 50 1â— thee to h Psal 91. 1â— glorifie thee to satisfie thee with long life and to show thee his salvation He perfitly performed his promise given of a Kingdome not only to i 2 Sam. 5. â— David whom hee loved but also to k 1 King 11. 3â— Ieroboam an idolator whom hee hated l Iosh 23. 14 all his promises shall in due tyme vndoubtedly come to passe nothing shall faile thereof So hee promiseth if thou pray m Ierem 29.12 to him to heare thee if thou seeke him to be found of thee Againe when thou considerest CHRIST IESUS thy Saviour thou shall confesse that thou hast good CHRISTS example cause of prayer Consider thy redemer remaining in this earth hee n Math. 14.23 went vp into a mountaine alone to pray for a long-space of time In o Heb. 5. 7 the dayes of his flesh hee offered vp prayers and supplications with strâ—ng crying and teares Quòd si ille orabat qui sine pecato crat quantò magis peccatores oportet orare If hee prayed who was without sinne how much more behoueth it sinners for to pray His precept also and promises Christ his precept and promise is cause of prayer may cause thee to call vpon GOD Aske p Math 7. 7 saith Hee and it shall bee given you seeke and you shall find knock and it shall bee opened vnto you Moreover Seing hee q Heb. 9. 24 is entred into Heaven himselfe to appeare CHRISTS intercession now in the sight of GOD for thee to make continuall request and intercession for thee Hast not thou great reason to make request for thy owne selfe When the r Levit. 16. 17 high Priest went into the holy place to make atonement then the whole multitude of the people stood without in Å¿ Luke 1. 10 prayer while the incense was in burning Seing therefore thou hast t Hebr. 4. 14 a great high Priest which hath entred into Heaven even IESVS the Sonne of GOD who now is at the u Ephes 1. 20 right hand of the FATHER to make request and intercession for thee to procure thy peace and reconciliation hast thou not who are without in this earth great reason to continue thy selfe in earnest prayer and supplication to the end thou mayest obtaine eternall salvation Furthermore If thou desirest The desire of the grouth of the graces of Spirit a cause of prayer an increase of the graces of the holy Spirit that they may the more abundantly bee bestowed vpon thee thou hast cause to pray for the same more earnestly for thy Heavenly Father x Luke 11. 13 will giue the holy Ghost a greater measure of his gifts to thee that desireth him for the same Spirit is both the cause and effect of our prayer Scultet cap. 3 de precatione and petitions Secondly If thou take heede Cause of prayer Sathans power to the Devill thy mortall enemie thou will pray to GOD most fervently hee thy deadly adversarie y 1 Pet. 5. 8 like a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking to devore thee Hee is stronger than z 1 Sam. 17.4 Goliah desirous to destroy with firie a Ephes 6. 16 darts 2. He is much more craftie than b 2 Sam. 16.23 Achitophell by his wicked counsell and machinations plotting to supprise thee 3. Hee is more false than c Ierem. 41. 6 Ishmael promising to pleasure thee but will punish thee for ever 4. Hee is more cruell than Herod who slew d Math. 2. 16 the male children that were in Bethlehem but he would kill body and soule eternally 5. Sathan is more malitious than e Esther 3. 6 Haman who purposed to put to death Mordecay and all the people of his country So desireth the Devill to destroy thee and all thy of-spring and posteritie 6. Sathan is much more treacherous than Saul who albeit hee f 1 Sam. 18.29 verse 21 became alwayes Davids enemie yet in appearance of loue and familiaritie he gaue his daughter to him in marriage for to be a suare to him So Sathan although hee would giue the whole world to thee and although hee spake to thee the trueth and veritie yet it is ever his minde to hurt thee to ensnare thee and altogether to overthrow thee 7. He is restlesse and g Iob. 1.7 never ceasseth but with shamelesse impudencie with continuall celeritie and agilitie hee accuseth thee hee persueth thee for thy perdition and endlesse torment and destruction Seing then such is the strength craft crueltie deceate malitiousnesse The estate of the Church is a cause of prayer treacherie and vigilancie of thy spirituall enemie thou hast great cause to pray most earnestly and vncessantly Thirdly if thou consider other Christians of the familie i Galat. 6. 10 of faith thou knowing some yea too manie molested and vexed on everie side with k Zach. 1. 14 the foure hornes of persecution thou then shouldest bee sorie l Nehem. 1. 4 for Iosephs affliction and with Nehemiah fast and pray for the reproach and miserie of Hierusalem Certainly seeing thou art a member of Christs body the Church militant it is thy duetie to m Psal 1â—2 6 pray for the peace of Hierusalem when thou shalt see the graces of GOD multiplyed vpon thy brethren and them walking n Ephes â— 1 worthy of their Christian calling and living an holy life and godly conversation thou shouldest aske of GOD that thou thy selfe may become an earnest imitator of tâ—eâ—r good courses and true religion that GOD alwayes may bee more and more glorified his kingdome enlarged Satan and his power confounded and thy selfe surely perserved yea that the whole p Ephes 5. 23 spirit soule and body of all Saints may bee kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord IESVS CHRIST Fourthly when thou shall behold
vpon GOD aâ—rightly the good Spirit will comeâ— possesse him assuredly and more inable him for his holy calling and function Seventhly Most principallie In this may bee knowne the vertue and â—fficacie of prayer since it in some maner prevaileth with the Almightie himselfe as it overcommeth our adversarie against his will So it is powerfull with GOD with his will thus Israel l Gen. 32 28 by prayer had power with GOD and obtained his speciall blessing Thus also the Omnipotent the Creator sayeth to his servant Let m Exod. 32. 10 mee alone as if by his prayer hee might haue constrained him and haue gotten victorie over the Almightie Nobile vincendi genus est mala vincere posse Prosper in Epigram Nobilius multo vincere posse DEVM It is an honourable kinde of victorie to vanquish evill but much honourable to bee of power as to prevaile with GOD. Moreover The power of The power of prayer is good for others prayer extendeth it selfe for the good of others albeit farre distant Nehemiah n Nehem. 1. 6 in Shushan in the palace of Artazerxes when hee prayed day and night for the children of Israell and inhabitants of Ierusalem thâ—n the wall of the Citie is builded the people of GOD are comforted the poore are relieved their knowledge by reading of the Law is increased and an act or ordinance to serue GOD is established The prayer of the faithfull is powerfull for the safetie of such who are in their societie and companie As when St. Paul prayed in that great and long danger the LORD o Act. 27. 24 saved all that were in the Shippe with him there was no losse of any mans life amongst them The prayer of a master is power full to bring a benefite to the servant so by the supplication of the p Math. â— 13 Centurion his servant is healed of his grievous paine of the palsie By the prayer of the q Math 15.28 mother the daughter is delivered from a deuill by whom shee was vexed The prayer of r Mark 9. 24 the father is profitable and powerfull for his sonne possessed by a dumbe spirit By the force and â—fficacie of the prayer of a pious Preaâ—her people are preserued by the power of Stevens Å¿ Act. 7 60 prayer many were saved yea Paul is converted as August Si Stephanus non orassâ—t Ecclesia Paulum non haberet is thought by the learned Finally Seing the power of true prayer is â—orcible for the profite of others how will it redound to thine owne vtilitie and commoditie First for the gifts of the mind by it thou shall receaue faith and obedience with t Genes 12. 8 Abraham wisdome u 1 King 3.12 and vnderstanding with Salomon loue and patience x Iob. 1. 20 with Iob victorie y Psal 18. 43 glory with David repentance z 2 Chron. 3.15 and newnesse of lyfe with Manasseth Secondly Prayer is powerfull for the gifts of the body Samson a Iude. 16. 28 obtained strength David b Psal 18. 33 agilitie and nimblenesse Hezekiah c Isaiah â—8 5 health and deliverie from his sicknesse Thirdly For the gifts of fortoun as they are called thou by the vertue of prayer shall receaue foode â—aâ—ment and riches necessarie with d Genes 32.10 Iaakob A happy marriage and hopefull succession with d Genes 25.21 Isaak Also a good name honour and preferment with e Esther 8. 2 Mordecai a holy lyfe and a happie death with Moses f Deut. 34. 6 whom the LORD himselfe buried in an vnknowne sepulchre Yet in this particulare point take heede to The testimony of fathers concerning the force of prayer the testimonie of wise and godly fathers what they say of the sure effects of powerfull prayer Precatio est oranti subsidium DEO sacrificium daemonibus flagellum Prayer is an helpe to the August supplicant a sacrifice to GOD a scourge to the devils Per orationem ira DEI suspenditur venia procuratur paena refugitur praemiorum largitas impetratur Cassiodor By prayer the wrath of GOD is continued pardon is procured and a large reward is obtained Oratio serenat cor abstrahit à terrenis mundat â— vitiis sublevat Idem ad coelestia cor capacius dignius ad accipienda bona spiritualia Prayer appeaseth the heart it pulleth backe from earthly things it cleanseth from vice and lifteth vp to Heavenly things and maketh the heart more capable and worthie to receiue spirituall blessing Thus vndoubtedly many are the good effects and great is the strength of earnest and heartie prayer But if the sinceare servant of CHRIST shall say or thinke with An obâ—ection answered himselfe that hee hath prayed frequently and incalled vpon the Name of the LORD â—ervently and yet in his sense by all appearance The Lord either granteth or denyeth or delayeth the petitions of his servants that his prayers haue beene fruitlesse and effectlesse and that in his owne judgement GOD hath misregarded him and all his supplication that hee dâ—th hide his face and close his eyes and stop his eares and will haue no respect to him nor to his petitions This is answered that when the Almightiâ— doth not performe the request of his servant nor grant his petition immediatly that then God either delayeth the same or denyeth the same this followeth of necessitie after serious invocation there is either a yeelding or a denying or a delaying of the petition Now trueth it is that the LORD will sometymes delay the request of his owne chosen so hee did to David complaining How g Psal 13. 1 long will thou forget mee O LORD for ever How long will thou hide thy face from mee And thus GOD deferreth their petitions for fiue causes First for their instruction to teach them to pray diligently and a rightly to double and reiterate their requests the more vâ—hemently As the mothers in the Yles called Baleares did teach their children Similit by this meane to be verie persite cunning in casting of stones out of slings they placed foode every morning vpon some high Lycophron place before their hungrie children which the young ones might not touch nor tast vntill they had casten the same downe with a stone this the mother did not of Florus lib. 3 cap. 8 purpose to defraude their owne bairnes of sustenance but to make them diligent and skilfull in that exercise So the Almightie at some tymes delayeth the desires of his children not that hee is of intention Stephanus to frustrate them of things necessarie but to teach them to pray more fervently frequently and in a maner most accuratly Secondly To make one to know GODS gifts that hee may loue the same so when Hanna questionlesse had oftentymes intreated the LORD who h Genes 30.22 openeth the wombe to cure her barrennesse and to giue her a