Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	faith_n	grace_n	repentance_n	2,335	5	7.5639	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85783	The Christian in compleat armour. Or, A treatise of the saints war against the Devil, wherein a discovery is made of that grand enemy of God and his people, in his policies, power, seat of his empire, wickednesse, and chiefe designe he hath against the saints. A magazin open'd: from whence the Christian is furnished with spiritual armes for the battel, help't on with his armour, and taught the use of his weapon, together with the happy issue of the whole warre. The first part. / By William Gurnall, Minister of the Gospel in Lavenham. Imprimatur, Edmund Calamy.	Gurnall, William, 1617-1679.	1655 (1655)	Wing G2251; Thomason E824_1; ESTC R207679	343,381	430

faithful Creatour Secondly improve this Almighty power of God and thy interest therein in temptations to sin when thou art over-powered and fliest before the face of thy strong corruption or fearest thou shalt one day fall by it make bold to take hold of this attribute and re-inforce thy self from it again to resist and in resisting to believe a timely victory over it The Almighty God stands in sight of thee while thou art in the valley fighting and stayes but for a call from thee when distressed in battel and then he will come to thy rescue Jehoshaphat cried when in the throng of his enemies and the Lord helped him much more mayest thou promise thy self his succour in thy soul-combates Betake thy self to the throne of grace with that promise Sin shall not have dominion over you and before thou urgest it the more to help thy faith comfort thy self with this that though this word Almighty is not exprest yet it is implied in this and every promise and thou mayest without adding a title to the Word of God read it in thy soul sin shall not have dominion over you saith the Almighty God for this and all his attributes are the constant seale to all his promises Now soule put the bond in suit fear not the recovery 't is debt and so due He is able whom thou suest and so there is no feare of losing the charge of the suit and he that was so gracious to binde himself when he was free will be so faithful being able to perform now he is bound only while thou expectest the performance of the promise and the assistance of this Almighty power against thy corruptions take heed that thou keep under the shadow of this attribute and condition of this promise The shadow will not cool except in it what good to have the shadow though of a mighty rock when we sit in the open Sun To have Almighty power engaged for us and we to throw our selves out of the protection thereof by bold salleys into the mouth of temptation The Saints falls have been when they run out of their trench and hold for like the conies they are a weak people in themselves and their strength lies in the rock of Gods Almightinesse which is their habitation Thirdly Christian improve this when opprest with the weight of any duty and service which in thy place and calling lies upon thee Perhaps thou findest the duty of thy calling too heavy for thy weak shoulders make bold by faith to lay the heaviest end of thy burden on Gods shoulder which is thine if a believer as sure as God can make it by promise When at any time thou art sick of thy work and ready to think with Jonas to run from it encourage thy selfe with that of God to Gideon whom he call'd from the flaile to thresh the mountains Go in this thy might hath not God call'd thee fall to the work God sets thee about and thou engagest his strength for thee The way of the Lord is strength Run from thy work and thou engagest Gods strength against thee he 'll send some storme or other after thee to bring home his runaway servant How oft hath the Coward been kill'd in a ditch or under some hedge when the valiant souldier that stood his ground and kept his place got off with safety and honour Art thou call'd to suffer flinch not because thou art afraid thou shalt never be able to bear the crosse God can lay it so even thou shalt not feel it though thou shouldest finde no succour till thou comest to the prison-door yea till thou hast one foot on the ladder or thy neck on the block despair not In the Mount will the Lord be seen And in that houre he can give thee such a look of his sweet face as shall make the blood come in the gastly face of a cruel death and appear lovely in thy eye for his sake He can give thee so much comfort in hand as thou shalt acknowledge God is aforehand with thee for all thy shame pain thou canst endure for him And if it should not amount to this yet so much as will bear all thy charges thou canst be put to in the way lies ready told in that promise 1 Cor. 10.13 Thou shalt have it at sight and this may satisfie a Christian especially if he considers though he doth not carry so much of heavens joy about him to heaven as others yet he shall meet it as soon as he comes to his Fathers house where it is reserved for him In a word Christian relie upon thy God and make thy daily applications to the throne of grace for continual supplies of strength you little think how kindly he takes it that you will make use of him the oftner the better and the more you come for the more welcome else why would Christ have told his disciples Hitherto ye have ask't nothing but to expresse his large heart in giving loath to put his hand to his purse for a little and therefore by a familiar kind of Rhetorick puts them to rise higher in asking as Naaman when Gehazi asks one talent entreats him to take two such a bountiful heart thy God hath while thou art asking a little peace and joy he bids thee open thy mouth wide and hee 'l fill it Go and ransack thy heart Christian from one end to the other finde out thy wants acquaint thy selfe with all thy weaknesses and set them before the Almighty as the Widow her empty vessels before the Prophet hadst thou more then thou canst bring thou mayest have them all fill'd God hath strength enough to give but he hath no strength to deny here the Almighty himselfe with reverence be it spoken is weak even a childe the weakest in grace of his family that can but say Father is able to overcome him and therefore let not the weaknesse of thy faith encourage thee No greater motive to the bowels of mercy to stir up Almighty power to relieve thee then thy weaknesse when pleaded in the sense of it The pale face and thin cheeks I hope move more with us then the canting language of a stout sturdy beggar Thus that soule that comes laden in the sense of his weak faith love patience the very weaknesse of them carries an argument along with them for succour CHAP. V. Wherein is answered a grand Objection that some disconsolate soules may raise against the former Discourse Object O But saith some disconsolate Christian I have prayed again and again for strength against such a corruption and to this day my hands are weak and these sons of Zerviah are so strong that I am ready to say all the Preachers do but flatter me that do poure their oyle of comfort upon my head and tell me I shall at last get the Conquest of these mine enemies and see that joyful day wherein with David I shall sing to the Lord for delivering me out of the

on the sweet priviledges thou art interessed in by thy marriage to him Doest thou not bewray some of this spiritual pride working in thee O if thou couldest pray without wandering walk without limping believe without wavering then thou couldest rejoyce and walk chearfully It seems soule thou stayest to bring the ground of thy comfort with thee and not to receive it purely from Christ O how much better were it if thou wouldest say with David Though my house my heart be not so with God yet he hath made with me a Covenant ordered in all things and sure and this is all my desire all my confidence Christ I oppose to all my sins Christ to all wants he is my all in all and all above all Indeed all those complaints of our wants and weaknesses so far as they withdraw our hearts from relying chearfully on Christ they are but the language of pride hankering after the Covenant of works O 't is hard to forget our mother-tongue which is so natural to us labour therefore to be sensible of it how grievous it is to the Spirit of Christ What would a husband say if his wife in stead of expressing her love to him and delight in him should day and night do nothing but weep and cry to think of her former husband that is dead The Law as a Covenant and Christ are compared to two husbands Rom. 7.4 Ye are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead Now thy sorrow for the defect of thy own righteousnesse when it hinders thy rejoycing in Christ is but a whining after thy other husband and this Christ cannot but take unkindely that thou art not as well pleased to lie in the bosome of Christ and have thy happinesse from him as with your old husband the Law Secondly a self applauding pride when the heart is secretly lift up so as to promise it self acceptation at Gods hands for any duty or act of obedience it performes and doth not when most assisted go out of his own actings to lay the weight of his expectation entirely upon Christ every such glance of the soules eye is adulterous yea idolatrous If thy heart Christian at any time he secretly enticed as Job sa●th of another kinde of idolatry or thy mouth doth kisse thy hand that is dote so farre on thy own duties or righteousnesse as to give them this inward worship of thy confidence and trust this is a great iniquity indeed for in this thou deniest the God that is above who hath determined thy faith to another object Thou comest to open heaven-gate with the old key when God hath set on a new lock Doest thou not acknowledge tnat thy first entrance into thy justified state was of pure mercy thou wert justified freely by hit grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 7.24 And whom are thou beholden to now thou art reconciled for thy further acceptance in every duty or holy action to thy duty thy obedience thy self or Christ The same Apostle will tell you Rom. 5.2 By whom we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand If Christ should not lead thee in and all thou doest thou art sure to finde the door shut upon thee there is no more place for desert now thou art gracious then when thou wert gracelesse Rom. 1.17 The righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith for the just shall live by faith We are not only made alive by Christ but we live by Christ faith sucks in continual pardoning assisting comforting mercy from him as the lungs suck in the aire Heaven way is paved with grace and mercy to the end Be exhorted above all to watch against this play of Satan beware thou restest not in thy own righteousnesse thou standest under a tottering wall the very cracks thou seest in thy graces and duties when best bid thee stand off except thou wouldest have them fall on thy head the greatest step to heaven is out of our own doors over our own threshold It hath cost many a man his life when his house on fire a gripplenesse to save some of the stufte which venturing among the flames to preserve they have perished themselves more have lost their soules by thinking to carry some of their own stuffe with them to heaven Such a good work or duty while they like lingring Lot have been loath to leave in point of confidence have themselves perish't O Sirs come out come out leave what is your own in the fire flie to Christ naked he hath cloathing for you better then your own poor to Christ and he hath gold not like thine which will consume and be found drossy in the fire but such as hath in the fiery trial past in Gods righteous judgment for pure and full weight you cannot be found in two places at once choose whether you will be found in your own righteousnesse or in Christs Those who have had more to shew then thy selfe have thrown away all and gone a begging to Christ Reade Pauls Inventory Phil. 3. what he had what he did yet all drosse and losse give him Christ and take the rest who will So Job as holy a man as trod on earth God himself being witnesse yet saith Though I were perfect yet would I not know my own soule I would despise my life He had acknowledged his imperfection before now he makes a supposition indeed quod non est supponendum If I were perfect yet would I not know my own soule I would not entertain any such thoughts as should puffe me up into such a confidence of my holinesse as to make it my plea with God like to our common phrase We say Such a one hath excellent parts but he knows it that is he is proud of it Take heed of knowing thy own grace in this sense thou canst not give a greater wound both to thy grace and comfort then by thus priding thy self in it SECT III. First thy grace cannot thrive so long as thou thus restest on it A legal spirit is no friend to grace nay a bitter enemy against it as appeared by the Pharisees in Christs time Grace comes not by the Law but by Christ thou mayest stand long enough by it before thou gettest any life of grace into thy soule or further life into thy grace If thou wouldest have this thou must set thy self under Christs wings by faith from his Spirit in the Gospel alone comes this kindly natural heat to hatch thy soul to the life of holinesse and increase what thou hast and thou canst not come under Christs wings till thou comest from under the shadow of the other by renouncing all expectation from thy own works and services You know Reubens curse that he should not excel because he went up into his fathers bed when other tribes encreased he stood at a little number By trusting in

God with a notwithstanding Moses himself a starre of the first magnitude for grace yet see how his faith blinks and twinkles till he wades out of the temptation Numb 11.21 The people among whom I am are six hundred thousand and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole moneth shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them to suffice them This holy man had lost the sight for a time of the Almighty Power of God and now he is projecting how this should be done as if he had said in plain termes How can this be accomplished for so God interprets his reasoning v. 23 And the Lord said unto Moses Is the Lords hand waxed short So Mary John 11.32 Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died And her Sister Martha v. 39. Lord by this time he stinketh Both gracious women yet both betrayed the weaknesse of their faith on the Almighty Power of Christ one limiting him to place If thou hadst been here he had not died as if Christ could not have saved his life absent as well as present sent his health to him as well as brought it with him The other to time Now he stinketh As if Christ had brought his Physick too late and the grave would not deliver up its prisoner at Christs command and hast thou such an high opinion of thy self Christian that thy faith needs not thy utmost care and endeavour for further establishment on the Almighty Power of God when thou seest such as these dash their foot against this kinde of temptation The second Reason may be taken from the absolute necessity of this act of faith above others to support the Christian in the houre of temptation All the Christians strength and comfort is fetched without doors and he hath none to send of his errand but faith This goes to heaven and knocks God up as he in the parable his neighbour at midnight for bread Therefore when faith failes and the soul hath none to go to market for supplies there must needs be a poor house kept in the meane time Now faith is never quite laid up till the soul denies or at least questions the Power of God Indeed when the Christian disputes the Will of God whispering within its own bosome will he pardon will he save this may make faith go haltingly to the throne of grace but not knock the soule off from seeking the face of God even then faith on the Power of God will bear it company thither If thou wilt thou canst make me clean if thou wilt thou canst pardon thou canst purge But when the soul concludes he cannot pardon cannot save this shoots faith to the heart so that the soule falls at the foot of Satan not able more to resist Now it growes listlesse to duty indifferent whether it pray or not as one that sees the Well dry breaks or throwes away his Pitcher Reas 3 Thirdly because God is very tender of this flower of his Crown this part of his Name Indeed we cannot spell it right and leave out this letter for that is Gods Name whereby he is known from all his creatures Now man may be called wise merciful mighty God only all-wise all-merciful Almighty so that when we leave out this syllable All we nick-name God and call him by his creatures name which he will not answer to Now the tendernesse that God shews to this Prerogative of his appears in three particulars First in the strict command he layes on his people to give him the glory of his power Isa 8. 12 13. Feare ye not their feare but sanctifie the Lord of hostes himself that is in this sad posture of your affaires when your enemies associate and you seem a lost people to the eye of Reason not able to contest with such united Powers which beset you on every side Now I charge you sanctifie me in giving me the glory of my Almighty Power believe that your God is able of himself without any other to defend you and destroy them Secondly in his severity to his dearest children when they stagger in their faith and come not off roundly without reasoning and disputing the case to relie on his Almighty Power Zacharias did but ask the Angel How shall I know this because I am an old man and my wife stricken in yeares yet for bewraying therein his unbelief had a signe indeed given him but such a one as did not only strengthen his faith but severely punish his unbelief for he was struck dumb upon the place God loves his children should believe his Word not dispute his power so true is that of Luther Deus amat curristas nonquaeristas That which gave accent to Abrahams faith Rom. 4.21 was that he was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to performe Thirdly in the way God takes of giving his choicest mercies and greatest salvations to his people wherein he layes the scene of his Providence so that when he hath done it may be said Almighty Power was here And therefore God commonly puts down those means and second causes which if they stood about his work would blinde and hinder the full prospect thereof in effecting the same 2 Cor. 1.9 We received the sentence of death in our selves that we might not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead Christ stayed while Lazarus was dead that he might draw the eyes of their faith more singly to look on his power by raising his dead friend rather then curing him being sick which would not have carried so full a conviction of Almightinesse with it Yea he suffers a contrary power many times to arise in that very juncture of time when he intends the mercy to his people that he may reare up the more magnificent pillar of remembrance to his own power in the ruine of that which contests with him Had God brought Israel out of Egypt in the time of those Kings which knew Joseph most likely they might have had a friendly departure and an easie deliverance but God reserves this for the reigne of that proud Pharaoh who shall cruelly oppresse them and venture his Kingdom but he will satisfie his lust upon them And why must this be the time but that God would bring them forth with a stretched-out arme The magnifying of his power was Gods great designe Exod. 9.16 In very deed for this cause have I raised thee up to shew in thee my power and that my Name may be declared throughout the earth Fourthly in the prevalency which an argument that is pressed from his Almighty Power hath with God It was the last string Moses had to his bowe when he begg'd the life of Israel Numb 14.16 The Nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak saying Because the Lord was not able c. And v. 17. Let the Power of my Lord be great And with this he hath their pardon thrown him The Application of

is strange sinners should no more tremble at this who should they see but their swine or a beast bewitch't and possest of the devil run headlong into the sea would cry out as half undone and is not one foul more worth then all these what a plague is it to have Satan possesse thy heart and spirit hurrying thee in the fury of thy lusts to perdition O poor man what a sad change hast thou made Thou who wouldest not sit under the meek and peaceful Government of God thy rightful Lord art paid for thy rebellion against him in the cruelty of this Tyrant who writes all his Lawes in the blood of his subjects and why will you sit any longer O sinners under the shadow of this Bramble from whom you can expect nothing but eternal fire to come at last and devoure you Behold Christ is in the field sent of God to recover his right and your liberty His royal Standard is pitch't in the Gospel and Proclamation made that if any poor sinners weary of the devils Government and heavy laden with the miserable chaines of his spiritual bondage so as these irons of his sins enter into his very soule to afflict it with the senfe of them shall thus come and repair to Christ he shall have protection from Gods justice the devils wrath and sins dominion In a word he shall have rest and that glorious Usually when a people have been ground with the oppression of some bloody Tyrant they are apt enough to long for a change and to listen to any overture that gives them hope of liberty though reached by the hand of a stranger who may prove as bad as the other yet bondage is so grievous that people desire to change as sick men their beds though they finde little ease thereby Why then should deliverance be unwelcome to you sinners Deliverance brought not by a stranger whom you need feare what his designe is upon you but your near Kinsman in blood who cannot mean you ill but he must first hate his own flesh and whoever did that To be sure not he who though he took part of our flesh that he might have the right of being our Redeemer yet would have no kindred with us in the sinfulnesse of our nature And 't is sin that makes us cruel yea to our own flesh What can you expect from him but pure mercy who is himself pure They are the mercies of the wicked which are cruel Believe it Sirs Christ counts it his honour that he is a King of a willing people and not of slaves He comes to make you free not to bring you into bondage to make you Kings not vassals None give Christ an evil word but those who never were his subjects Enquire but of those who have tried both Satans service and Christs they are best able to resolve you what they are You see when a soul comes over from Satans quarters unto Christ and has but once the experience of that sweetnesse which is in his service there is no getting him back to his old drudgery as they say of those who come out of the North which is cold and poor they like the warme South so well they seldome or never go back more What more dreadful to a gracious soul then to be delivered into the hands of Satan or fall under the power of his lusts It would choose rather to leap into a burning furnace then be commanded by them This is the great request a childe of God makes that he would rather whip him in his house then turne him out of it to become a prey to Satan O sinners did you know which you cannot till you come over to Christ and embrace him as your Lord Saviour what the priviledges of Christs servants are what gentle usage Saints have at Christs hands you would say those were the only happy men in the world which stand continually before him His lawes are writ not with his subjects blood as Satans are but with his own All his commands are acts of grace 't is a favour to be employed about them To you 't is given to believe yea to suffer Such an honour the Saints esteem it to do any thing he commands that they count God rewards them for one piece of service if he enables them for another This I had saith David because I kept thy Precepts Psal 119.56 what was the great reward he got see v. 55. I have remembred thy Name O Lord in the night and kept thy Law then followes This I had He got more strength and skill to keep the Law for the future by his obedience past and was he not well paid think you for his pains There 's fruit even in holinesse the Christian hath in hand which he eats while he is at work that may stay his stomack until the full reward comes which is eternal life Rom. 6.22 Jesus Christ is a Prince that loves to see his people thrive and grow rich under his Government This is he whom sinners are so afraid of that when he sets open their prison and bids them come forth they choose rather to bore their eares to the devils post then enjoy this blessed liberty It is no wonder that some of the Saints have indeed when tortured not accepted deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection But what a riddle is this that forlorne soules bound with the chaines of their lusts and the irresistible decree of God for their damnation if they believe not on the Lord Jesus should as they are driving to execution refuse deliverance This may set heaven and earth on wondring Surely dying in their sins they cannot hope for a better resurrection then they have a death I am afraid rather that they do not firmly believe they shall have any resurrection and then no wonder they make so light of Christs offer who think themselves safe when once earth't in this burrough of the grave But let sinners know 't is not the grave can hold them when the day of Assize comes and the Judge calls for the prisoners to the bar The grave was never intended to be a Sanctuary to desend sinners from the hand of justice but a close Prison to secure them against the day of trial that they may be forth-coming Then sinners shall be digg'd out of their burroughs and dragg'd out of their holes to answer their contempt of Christ and his grace O how will you be astonish't to see him become your Judge whom you now refuse to be your King to heare that Gospel witnesse against you for your damnation which at the same time shall acquit others for their salvation what think you to do sinners in that day wilt thou cry and shream for mercy at Christs hands Alas when the sentence is past thy face will immediately be covered condemned prisoners are not allowed to speak teares then are unprofitable when no place left for repentance either in Christs

of Saints falling from grace gives a sad dash to the sweet wine of the Promises the soul-reviving comfort that sparkles in them ariseth from the sure conveyance with which they are in Christ made over to believers to have and to hold for ever Hence called the sure mercies of David Acts 13.34 mercies that shall never faile This this indeed is wine that makes glad the heart of a Saint though he may be whipt in the house when he sins yet he shall not be turned out of doores As God promised in the type to Davids seed Psal 89.33 Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile and v. 36. His seed shall endure for ever Could any thing separate the believer from the love of God in Christ this would be as a hole at the bottome of his cup to leak out all his joy he might then feare every temptation or affliction he meets would slay him and so the wickeds curse would be the Saints portion His life would ever hang in doubt before him and the fearful expectation of his final miscarriage which he sees may befall him would eat up the joy of his present hope Now how contrary such a frame of heart is to the spirit of adoption and full assurance of hope which the grace of the new Covenant gives he that runs may reade in the Word Vse 2 This truth prepares a sovereign cordial to restore the fainting spirits of weak believers who are surprised with many feares concerning their persevering and holding out to the end of their warfare Be of good cheer poor soule God hath given Christ the life of every soule within the Ark of his Covenant Your eternal safety is provided for Whom he loves he loves to the end J●h 13.1 Hath he made thee willing in the day of his power to march under his banner and espouse his quarrel against sin and hell the same power that overcame thy rebellious heart to himself will overcome all thy enemies within and without for thee say not thou art a bruised reed with this he will break Satans head and not cease till he hath brought forth judgement into compleat victory in thy soule He that can make a few wounded men rise up and take a strong city can make a wounded spirit triumph over sin and devils The Ark stood in the midst of Jordan till the whole Camp of Israel was safely got over into Canaan Josh 3. And so doth the Covenant which the Ark did but typifie yea Christ Covenant and all stand to secure the Saints a safe passage to Heaven If but one believer drownes the Covenant must drown with him Christ and the Saint are put together as co-heires of the same inheritance Rom. 8.17 If children then heires heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ. We cannot dispute against one but we question the firmnesse of the others title When you heare Christ is turn'd out of heaven or himself to be willing to sell his inheritance there then poore Christian feare thy coming thither and not till then Co-heires cannot sell the inheritance except both give up their right which Christ will never do nor suffer thee Vse 3 Thirdly this truth calls for a word or two of caution Though there is no feare of a Saints salling from grace yet there is great danger of others falling from the top of this comfortable doctrine into a carelesse security and presumptuous boldnesse and therefore a battlement is very necessary that from it we may with safety to our soules stand and view the pleasant prospect this truth presents to our eye That flower from which the Bee sucks honey the spider draws poison That which is a restorative to the Saints grace proves an incentive to the lust of a wicked man What Paul said of the Law we may truly of the Gospel Sin taking occasion from the grace of the Gospel and the sweet promises thereof deceives the carnal heart and works in him all manner of wickednesse Indeed sin seldome grows so rank any where as in those who water its roots with the grace of the Gospel Two wayes this doctrine may be abused First into a neglect of duty Secondly into a liberty to sin Take heed of both First beware of falling into a neglect of duty upon this score if a Christian thou canst not fall away from grace Take for an antidote against this three particulars First there are other arguments to invite yea that will constrain thee to a constant vigourous performing of duty though the feare of falling away should not come in or else thou art not a Christian what nothing make the childe diligent about his fathers businesse but feare of being disinherited and turned out of doors There is sure some better motive to duty in a Saints heart or else Religion is a melancholy work Speak for your selves O ye Saints is self-preservation all you pray for and heare for should a messenger come from Heaven and tell you Heaven were yours would this make you give over your spiritual trade and not care whether you had any more acquaintance with God till you came thither O how harsh doth this sound in your eares There are such principles engraven in the Christians bosome that will not suffer a strangenesse long to grow betwixt God and him He is under the Law of a new life which carries him naturally to desire communion with God as the childe doth to see the face of his deare father and every duty is a Mount wherein God presents himself to be seen and enjoyed by the Christian Secondly to neglect duty upon such a perswasion is contrary to Christs practice and counsel First his practice Though Christ never doubted of his Fathers love nor questioned the happy issue of all his temptations agonies and sufferings yet he prayes and prayes again more earnestly Luke 22.44 Secondly his counsel and command He told Peter that Satan had begg'd leave to have them to sift them But withal he comforts him who was to be hardest put to it with this But I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Sure our Saviour by this provision made for him and the rest means to save them a labour that they need not watch or pray No such matter after this as you may see v. 40. He calls them up to duty Pray that ye enter not into temptation Christs praying for them was to strengthen their faith when they should themselves pray for the same mercy not to nourish their sloth that they needed not to pray Christs prayers in Heaven for his Saints are all heard already but the returne of them is reserved to be enclosed in the answer God sends to their own prayers The Christian cannot in faith expect to receive the mercies Christ prayes for in Heaven so long as he lives in the neglect of his duty on earth They stand ready against he shall call for them by the prayer of faith and