Sermon 14

1 John 5:14-15. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

In the former verse the Apostle described to us the main scope of his writing this Epistle, which was partly, that Believers might know that they did believe, and partly that they might believe on the name of the Son of God.

Now in this latter end John aims at in writing this Epistle, he exhorts Believers to embrace it by three several motives in the verses following, the 14th, 15th, 16th verses.

Motive 1. The first motive is taken from the confidence of such as believe on him for salvation, for the obtaining of their petitions — this is the confidence that we have in him; meaning, we that believe on his name, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Motive 2. Secondly, another motive or benefit that flows from this is this: that if we know he hears us, we know we have the things that we asked of him.

Motive 3. Thirdly, here is likewise added another motive taken from the prevalence of his prayers with God in such a point, as in which of all others we may find this comfort; and that is, look as by believing on the name of Christ, we shall find comfort in respect of our everlasting estate; so we shall find this further benefit, that if we see any brother, which has sinned a sin, that is not to death, not a deadly sin, that is, not the sin against the Holy Ghost, so mighty and prevalent shall our prayers be with God, that in case we believe on the name of Christ, and ask pardon of sin for our brother's offense, God will give him life; so that if we believe on his name, our prayers shall be heard, and they have a prevailing power with God to obtain at his hands the pardon of all our brother's sins, that have not sinned to death.

The doctrines hence are these:

Doctrine 1. First, that a prayer that is made well, never speeds ill.

Or thus: a prayer that is made according to God's will, is ever granted according to our will; or, as the Apostle says, according to our desire, verse 15.

Doctrine 2. Secondly, such as believe on the name of Christ for salvation, may be confident and certain of the hearing and granting their petitions.

Doctrine 1. A prayer made according to God's will, shall be granted according to our will.

For so say the words of the text, If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. We, praying according to God's will, shall find acceptance according to our will. Notable is that speech of encouragement and acceptance of our Saviour to the woman of Syrophenicia (Matthew 15:28): O woman, great is your faith, be it to you even as you will. She had prayed as Christ would, according to God's will, and she received an answer according to her desire. As if a man that did believe, and had a spirit of prayer, and had learning to pray according to God's will, he might be able to carve for himself in the treasures of God's goodness, as if God would let him into the chamber of his presence, of his grace and favor, and bid him take what he will, take for himself and his friends, and for his brethren as he will.

For opening of this point, observe thus much: first, let us see what it is to pray according to God's will; and then secondly, what is the ground of the point.

For the first, to pray according to God's will, these things are contained in that phrase, and yet diverse things besides those are comprehended in it.

First, when he says, according to his will, it implies first, that we pray for such things as God wills — such things as are not according to his secret will, for so we cannot guide our actions, for secret things belong to the Lord our God; but of things revealed, it is according to his revealed will, and it implies that we should ask him nothing but what he gives us commandment to ask, all that he commands us to do, as to ask that we may ask, and for that we are to pray for expressly; as for the glory of his name, the coming of his kingdom, and the building up of his grace in any, the doing of God's will, for our daily bread, etc. These are the things he has given us warrant to pray for.

Secondly, according to God's will, this is evident: that whatever we ask, we should ask it with submission to the will of God; so our Saviour says (Matthew 26:39): he asked that which was a lawful thing, and yet because he would not trench upon that which might cross the will of his Father, he would not put forth any the least affection of his soul to the over-ruling the counsel of God, and therefore he expresses himself thus: Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done. So that whenever we ask anything that is lawful, it must be with subjection of our own wills to the will of God. But for more full clearing of this point, see it thus enlarged.

First, a man is said to pray according to God's will, either partly as his will is expressed in his Word, and partly the will of God expressing the work of the Spirit in the heart of a child of God, for both these are effectual in every prayer that is made according to God's will.

First, according to his will expressed in his Word; therein God requires that we should pray only for such things as are lawful, and such as therein he has commanded us to ask, that we may do them. Notable is that example in Psalm 119:4-5: You have commanded us to keep your commandments diligently; and in the next verse see what is his request: O that my ways were directed to keep your statutes; look, whatever God commands us to do, we have warrant to pray for that — we must pray for things lawful, and only for such.

Secondly, whatever we pray for, we must pray in the name of Christ (John 16:22-23): he makes a large promise to such as so ask in his name (verses 23-24): Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you. This God requires, that we should put up all our petitions in the name of Christ.

Now to ask in the name of Christ does require the exercise of two graces.

First, he that shall ask in the name of Christ implies the asking of it in humility; whatever we ask in humility, and lowliness of spirit; that is, to ask in the name of Christ; and that will evidence and put forth itself in three or four several acts in every prayer that is made according to God's will, and put up in the name of Christ.

First, a prayer made in the name of Christ is made with this humility, whereby we acknowledge ourselves less than the least of all God's mercies, as Jacob does acknowledge (Genesis 32:10). He was less than the least of all the mercies he had already received. And therefore if God should never grant him more mercy, he could not but acknowledge he had done abundantly more for him already than he had deserved; he prays not in his own name, but in the name of another; and no man can pray in the name of Christ, but he must pray in humility, he must have no confidence in his own worth.

Act 2. Secondly, he must pray in the sense of his own insufficiency, so much as to think a good thought, much less to make a good prayer (2 Corinthians 3:5; Romans 8:26). This is humility and self-denial, when a man comes before God, and acknowledges his own unworthiness to ask any mercy of God, and confesses his own inability to ask any blessing according to God's will.

Act 3. Thirdly, a man asks in humility, when he puts up his petitions with submission to God's will, he desires not that God would satisfy him in any lust, but only grant him the things that are expedient for him, so far as may stand with the good pleasure of his heavenly Father, and no further (Matthew 26:39).

Act 4. Fourthly, there is another act of humility, to bend the heart of a man to make use of no mediation in prayer, but only the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ; you read of a pretended humility, a voluntary humility, consisting in the worship of Angels (Colossians 2:18). They thought themselves not worthy immediately to rush into Christ's presence, but rather entreat the Angels, to intercede the Father for them; but it is counterfeit humility, and such men are puffed up with a fleshly mind in their voluntary humility; it shows, that it is a vain pride of heart, to express more baseness and meanness of spirit than God requires, and is but a counterfeit humility.

Now to pray in the name of Christ, is not only to pray in humility, but also to pray in faith, and these acts of faith you have in all the prayers that you put up to God according to his will.

First, faith directs you to pray only to him, upon whom you have believed (Romans 10:14). We only believe on God the Father, and on his Son Jesus Christ, and the blessed Spirit, and therefore upon the Lord; faith only directs us to call; he teaches us not to pray to our Mother, as the Papists do; nor to our Brethren, and Sisters, as the Papists do to the Saints and Angels, but only to the Father; that is the voice of faith (Galatians 4:5-6; Romans 8:15). The Spirit helps us to cry, Abba Father.

Act 2. Secondly, it is the nature and work of faith in every prayer, it does guide the heart of a man to look to God with some kind of child-like confidence, repairing to him as a Father; such as by faith believe on the name of the Son of God, they come to God in their prayers, as to their Father (John 20:17). And it is the nature of faith to cry out as Thomas did, My Lord, and my God (John 20:28). So that this is another work of faith, that whenever you come into God's presence, to ask anything at his hand, you come to him as to your Father, he knows what you want better than you can ask, and is more willing to grant whatever is fitting for you, than yourselves can desire to come to God as our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, is an act of faith, he is so well acquainted with us in him, that himself loves us (John 16:26-27). So that to pray in faith, is to come to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and through him a Father also to us, abundant in goodness and in truth; a Father that is great in counsel, and excellent in work; that has compassion of his own children, and will therefore perform that which seems good in his sight.

Act 3. Thirdly, another act of faith, and that is for a man to come truly cleaving to the Lord Jesus Christ, not to stand upon demurs, and disputes, whether we had best cleave to God, and whether we had best do such or such things, and so be almost Christians; for if we so come, we cannot receive anything at the hands of God (James 1:5-8). A wavering minded man is unstable, etc. This is one, and a principal part of the meaning of it; he speaks of such a kind of wavering faith, as whereby a man is [illegible] a heart, and a heart; he has a mind to draw near to Christ, and to become a servant of Christ, and yet with all a mind to be hankering after some sinful lust or other which takes up his mind, and which his soul lusts after; and therefore he is unstable in all his ways; sometimes he is for God, and sometimes for himself, ever halting between God and the World; but let such men think they shall not receive anything at the hands of God, this should have been in the second place.

Act 4. Fourthly, faith has respect to this; to believe that what we have asked according to God's will, he will undoubtedly give it us (Mark 11:24). Believe that you shall receive, and you shall receive it; meaning, so far as you have commended your petitions to God, in the name of Christ, with subjection to the will of your heavenly Father; believe it, that God has respect to your poor estate, and he will do for you what you desire, yes even in those things wherein he seems to delay an answer; but in the mean time, for your part make account your prayers are heard, in that very blessing you desire, for God does wisely ponder, not only the hearts of the sons of men, but all the words of their lips, and he knows the meaning of the spirit in the hearts of his children.

And though we must express ourselves in words, in our desire of this and that blessing, yet God looks principally at the grounds of our desires, and why we desire to obtain the blessing: What it is, that moves us to have a desire after such and such a mercy, and observing well the bias of our hearts in such requests, he does in this respect constantly hearken to his servants, and fails not to grant us the things we ask, even when he seems to deny us (Hebrews 5:7). He speaks of the prayer of Christ, he was heard in what he desired.

What was he heard in? Why, he prayed, that if it were possible the cup might pass from him. And was he heard in this? Did not he drink it to the very dregs? Did he not taste of God's deepest displeasure? And how is he then said to be heard? Why the Father did consider what it was that his Son did desire, which was principally that God's will might be done, and not his own.

And God's will being done, Christ's desire, being that God's will might be done, he was heard in the thing he desired. And again, he was heard in the thing so far as it concerned himself, as to be saved from that which he feared; that though he did drink of the cup, yet he should be saved from being overwhelmed by those fears, which his soul trembled at, and groaned under, and pressed him heavily, even to the very death, though not from tasting of them, yet from being overwhelmed of them, and he was supported in them, so that Christ's main end being the doing of his father's will, and the redemption of mankind, in these things, he was graciously heard. And so Moses, he prayed that if it might be God's will, he might go over Jordan, and see that good land, his end was to see that good land. Well, God said in displeasure, he should not go over, and yet in mercy he answers his request, for his desire was to see that good land. Now God could make him see that good land, and never carry him over Jordan, and he shows him all the land of Canaan: all the coasts of Israel from the one end thereof to another, God so strengthened his sight this way, as one would not have thought it credible, but that God was able to grant him his desire, and strengthened him beyond what he desired. So shall you observe God's manner of dealing with his servants, if we be content to pray according to the will of God, and bow our spirits to ask nothing but what is lawful, and with submission to God's will, and run to God as our heavenly father, in the name of Jesus Christ; and look at him as one more ready to give, than we to ask, then make account God will ponder all the petitions of your souls, and weigh well what you have said, and he knows what you aim at in asking this, and that blessing: and though he may seem to defer it, he better knows your need of it, than yourselves do, and when he seems most to cross it, then does he most abundantly answer it.

Moses said, the Lord was angry with him, and would not hear him, and yet he did hear him; he limited God to a means to show him that good land, but he need not appoint God a course: Moses knew not how he should see it, unless he went over, but God knew how he should see it. So that even those prayers, with which God seems to be angry, in regard of some infirmity, that God may see in our prayers, yet this we are to make account of, that even then, when God is displeased with our poor petitions, even then does he answer them most graciously (Deuteronomy 3:23, 25-26). God was wroth with me, and would not hear me, and he said speak no more to me of that matter. It was a marvelous strange kind of expression of God's fatherly counsel to Moses: that when he is angry with some weakness in our prayers, and some unworthiness in us to desire, or have, this or that; see his carriage: Moses his words provoked God, and therefore, because he desires to go over Jordan to see that good land; God was wroth, and God would not have him go, and yet he should see it, he should have as much as he desired, but into the land he should not go. So that come with that confidence in prayer, that though our prayers be such as for which God may be angry with us, yet many times God hears those prayers, and answers them in mercy, far beyond what we could have thought; for Moses saw as much of it as could be seen, and he could not have seen so much of it if he had gone over Jordan, as he did then see. Consider therefore, God marks the very bent of my soul, and desire in every petition I put up, and therefore observing what I desire, he will accordingly grant either the thing I desire according to my desire, or that which I aim at in my desire, and this is a glory to the name of Christ, whatever we should ask in our own names would be thrust out of heaven; yet this magnifies the name of Christ, that a Christian soul believing on his name, and laying hold upon him, and cleaving to him, and shall come to God, as believing that God is more ready and able, and willing to grant, than we to ask, and that he will grant us the very petition that we desire; this does magnify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is to pray according to God's will, as expressed in his Word.

But now in the second place, there is something in our prayers made according to the will of God, as is expressed in the spirit of him that prays, for this you shall find ordinarily in Scripture, that men that pray, pray in the spirit, Jude 20, Praying in the Holy Ghost; and (Ephesians 6:18) Pray in the spirit; And you know what the Apostle says in that well-known place, (Romans 8:26-27) We know not what to pray for, nor how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit helps us, etc. God searches the heart especially in prayer, he knows the meaning of the Spirit, for he makes requests according to the will of God, that is the words of the text; so that if you would ask how we may pray according to the will of God? Look what is revealed in the breathings of the Spirit, which marvelously declares itself in the wrestling, and longing desires that it puts up to God, (Psalm 119) My soul longs and breathes after you; and it lets us know what the will of God is, and for that the Spirit helps us to pray.

Now to open this a little; First, you shall discern the will of God by the breathing of the Spirit, first when the Spirit helps us to pray feelingly, and sensibly for those blessings that we stand in need of, when the Spirit does lift up our hearts, and reach after those mercies we stand in need of, in some feeling and sensible manner. The will of God is revealed in the breathing of the Spirit, that stretches forth itself in such a humble and faithful manner, as that the soul is very sensible of its need of it, we pour out our souls before God, for what we stand in need of in feeling desires, and this good Hannah expressed in her prayers, (1 Samuel 1:15) I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit, I have poured out my soul before the Lord. To show you, there was an inward sensible work of the Spirit of God in her heart that did enlarge her, not so much to pour out words, as sighs, and groans; this feeling power of the Spirit does mightily express what the will of God is that we should ask, this is according to the will of God, according to what you read, (Isaiah 26:9) With my spirit within me will I seek you early; my spirit within me, that is to say, he speaks as if there were a spirit within his spirit; besides the inclination God had given and worked in him to the ways of grace, and besides, his soul that did animate his body, the Spirit of God within him; with that spirit will he seek God early in prayer, the spirit will inwardly be working, and turning him towards God; so then, this is the first thing wherein God reveals his will to us, and we pray in the spirit; which we do, when we pray in the sense and feeling of our own wants of those blessings we want at God's hand, that is, by a certain strength, greater than any of our own spirits can reach forth themselves to; the Spirit of God comes, and helps us to wrestle with God, with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed; that we think more than we speak, and we speak more than we thought of.

Secondly, besides this, this spirit helps us to pray to God with fervency, and heat of spirit, so much as that in such a case as this we strive with God in our prayers, and wrestle with him; The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous avails much, (James 5:16). When the Spirit of God helps us to fervency, to cry to God, and to be earnest with him in that regard, and not to give him over, and comes from a sensible want of the blessings we stand in need of, and that makes us go out of ourselves to God, for the mercy that is according to the will of God, and this in Scripture is called wrestling, and striving with God, (Romans 15:30) when you grow sensible of your own danger, and you strive with him for the blessing; this is to express fervency of spirit, and this was commended in Jacob, that he wrestled with God, (Genesis 32:24, 26) which is expounded, (Hosea 12:4) that he prayed and wept; his wrestling was chiefly in prayer with tears, that God would be merciful to him in this case.

Thirdly, we pray then in the spirit when we also persevere in prayer, for that is also requisite in all the petitions we put up; our Savior put forth a parable for this very end, that men should pray constantly, and never be weary (Luke 18:1). Pray upon all occasions for every thing that you stand in need of, and never give over till you be heard and answered, and the parable teaches thus much from the unjust Judge; shall a sinful mortal man be moved with importunity, and shall not God arise, and be moved for those poor souls that cry to him night and day? Yes, doubtless, though you may think God is not aware of your prayers, but he rests himself quietly in heaven, and remains in fullness of glory, who is blessed forever in himself, and will not trouble himself with such poor requests as yours is; but let me tell you, this woman did not so much trouble the Judge here, nor could be more troublesome to him, than a poor Christian is to God, that wrestles with him in prayer: God cannot be quiet in heaven for such a soul, but in the end he must rise and satisfy its desire; so you have the like (Luke 11:8-13). If you continue knocking he will rise, and so will your heavenly Father do for you much more, so as that though God might seem to be asleep, and rest himself satisfied in that blessed estate he enjoys in another world, and no more regard things below than men asleep, yet if you continue knocking and begging, you will disturb his peace, till he arise and show mercy to you, and this he speaks after the manner of men, to show you, that he does as unfeignedly, and as deeply take to heart the desires of your souls, as any of you can do one of another; and therefore be constant and persevering in prayer, and never give over. When we have a good petition in hand never give over, when we pray for pardon of sin, or for peace of conscience, or for strength of grace for ourselves or for others, when we pray for the healing of our souls, or our bodies, for the Church or Commonwealth, whatever we have in hand, if the Spirit of God does but move us this way, it is for us never to give over until God show mercy to us in some one kind or other, that we may see our requests was not neglected (Ephesians 6:18). Watch to that with perseverance, verse 19, where you see what course God would have his servants to take, take this course, ever follow God, watch night and day, and never give over till he bless you and yours, until he bless Magistrates, give ministers a door of utterance, that they may speak savingly, and powerfully to the souls of their hearers, so as that as it were you may weary God, and prevail with him to arise, and give you your desire. Why is it think you that Christ calls prayer knocking? but for this very end, to manifest to us, that when we continue praying we continue knocking, and we make as a loud noise at heaven's gates, as any man that knocks at your house doors, and God so esteems the nature of prayer (Matthew 7:7). For to him that knocks it shall be opened. So that if God does but give us hearts to knock, and to be instant and constant in prayer, for that is knocking, if we be fervent and persevering in prayer, and spring from our feeling and sense of want of the blessing, and what comfort it would be to us to obtain it, and give him no rest until we receive at his hands what we ask of him; to him that thus knocks it shall be opened. So did the woman of Syrophoenicia, she knocked hard at our Savior's door of mercy, have pity, have mercy upon me; and when at the first Christ answers her not a word, she then cries out again, Lord help me; and when thereupon he tells her, he was not sent to her, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel: did she then leave off? No, she would not be put off, when he then told her, it was not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs; she said, Truth Lord, but yet the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table; why then says our Savior, be it to you even as you will. Like as a man that is weary of a petitioner. As if he should say; why, if you are so importunate that you will have no denial, if it must be so, why go your way, and be it to you even as you will. And when God gives us so to pray as not to give over, we may know for a certain, God intends to give us a gracious answer in all the desires of our souls, and this is to pray according to God's will.

Now to speak of the second part of the doctrine, and that is the reason why a prayer thus made is ever granted, pray well, and speed well.

Reason 1. First, because in praying according to God's will, God does but fulfill his own will in fulfilling yours; as this is the will of God, that all those things that are lawful for us to ask, and expedient for us, it is his will that we should pray for them; it is God's will, that we should pray with submission to God's will, that we should pray humbly and feelingly, and constantly; now if we have prayed according to the will of God, then his will must needs be done; and his will is, that now our wills should be fulfilled. This reason is taken from the faithfulness of God in the promise, and from the suitableness of God's will to ours, when we so pray.

Reason 2. Secondly, it is taken from the mighty power of the name of Christ, whenever we use his name in prayer, not in lip labor; but when we pray in sense of our own unworthiness, and in some measure of child-like confidence, the prayers that we now make are the prayer of Christ, and him the Father hears always (John 11:42). Now if Christ gives us to use his name, look at whatever petition we put up, and use his name in it, it is now the prayer of Christ; for look, as if any of you should send your child or servant to any of your neighbors to desire such or such a favor from them, you send them, but the petition is yours; they desire it in your name, and if you send him, and bid him use your name, then you are sure it will be granted; and if he should deny your child or servant of such a petition that he asks in your name, in denying him he denies you, so that God cannot deny the petition you ask in Christ's name; for him he hears always, and all such petitions he has promised to hear. The word of promise you heard before, and it is full to this purpose (John 16:23): "Truly, truly I say to you; He takes his own truth to witness it, as a solemn asseveration: Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you." And therefore, ask in my name that you may receive. If therefore the Lord Jesus Christ does but give us this encouragement, that we faithfully give up ourselves to become his, and in sense of our own unworthiness to ask anything at God's hands, and we come to the Father as being set at work by Christ, and beseech him to answer us in this and that mercy, and cannot give over till he receives our prayers, and reaches us an answer of them, then the promise stands good: Ask and you shall receive.

Reason 3. Thirdly, it is taken from God's acceptance, not only of Christ, but of the Spirit, the Holy Ghost also; for that is much to be considered, for there is no prayer that is so wrought in this sort, nor any prayer thus put up, in sense, and feeling, and breathing of the Spirit in the name of Christ; but it is the prayer of the Holy Ghost himself, and God that knows the meaning of the Spirit, he hearkens to all the requests of the Spirit (Romans 8:26-27). The Spirit itself makes intercession for us, so that these prayers are not only received and gratified, because they are put up in the name of Christ, but also because the Spirit itself makes intercession for us, according to the will of God; and God knows the meaning and voice of his own Spirit, God knows that without this we could never be fervent for any spiritual blessing, according to the will of God; our dead hearts would soon make dead work of it, if there were no spirit in our prayer but our own, if our flesh be weak we shall soon have done, and therefore when God sees us pray thus feelingly, and are not willing to leave him till he answer us in our desires, then God knows, there is a mighty power of a spirit that speaks in us, and God cannot deny the intercession of his Spirit.

And further to strengthen this point, Christ himself tells us, that he will pray on our behalf for us; for the Lord Jesus Christ himself sits at God's right hand making intercession for us (John 16:26): "At that day you shall ask in my name, and I say not to you that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me," etc. And the Apostle sweetly expresses how the Lord Jesus prays for us (Romans 8:34): "Who is he that condemned? it is Christ that died, yes rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us," so that the Lord Jesus Christ takes up our prayers, as our mediator: as the great master of requests, and he dresses and perfumes them from all that sinful frailty, and coldness that usually accompanies our prayers, he perfumes with the merits of his own sufferings, and so presents them before the Father with his own worth in his sight, and so they come to be accepted in the sight of God. So you read (Revelation 8:3): however that may be verified in some type of Christ on earth, yet especially it is meant of Christ in heaven, he perfumes the prayers of the saints, and expresses his own will to the Father, as befits the majesty of the Son of God: and as a Mediator, he perfumes our unsavory prayers, and presents them to his Father, so as they become accepted in his sight.

As if an elder brother should set a child, one of his younger brethren, to get his father a posy of flowers, and the child out of ignorance, should gather some weeds and put in it: and the elder brother gathers out the weeds, and sprinkles the flowers, and then presents them in the child's name to the father. So does Christ to us, while we gather up petitions here and there, and as we think for the best, and some truth and work of grace there is in them, yet some weeds of sinful folly, then Christ takes them out of our hands, and pulls out the weeds, and sprinkles them with the blood of his cross, and the merit of his sufferings, what he has done and suffered for us. And so by this means it is not possible that our prayers should be rejected.

Use 1. It may serve to teach us all, as ever we desire, we or ours might speed well, so to learn to pray well. No one can speed ill, that can pray well.

If you can but pray, you need ask no more for you and yours. If you or yours can pray well, they have enough; let them but speak, and speed; pray, and have; seek, and find. Oh woman, be it to you, even as you will! In such a case, God will accept you so far, as to carry you in among the treasures of his grace, the storehouse of his mercy, and there to fill you with what you would have. And bring but your desires large enough; and open your mouths wide enough, and he will fill them. The woman was to blame she borrowed no more vessels, so long as you have but a mouth to pray; especially, a heart open and enlarged to desire much at God's hands, you shall need no more mercies but this, you have enough: if God give you a heart to pray, you want nothing.

And therefore of all blessings, beg this blessing, that you may learn to pray, you shall need no more mercy for this nor another world. I pray you consider what I have said in this behalf. Do but observe,

First, take heed you be not of a double mind; of a wavering mind (James 1:6), take heed of wavering. That is when a man halts between two opinions; when he knows not whether he had better cleave to God or to the world: loath to deny himself, and yet would be somebody: but if a man be of a wavering mind, let not such a man think he shall obtain anything at the hand of God; he must be of such a mind and heart, as by which he must cleave fast to the Lord.

As Barnabas, exhorted them with full purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord (Acts 11:21), and if so with full purpose of heart you cleave to the Lord, you do pray in some measure of faith: and then may you sooner learn what God has commanded you to do (Psalm 119:4-5). And this you shall find of much consequence, that according as we listen to God's commandments, so God listens to our requests, look with what ear you listen to him, with the same ear he listens to us: if he see that we give up ourselves to observe every word of God, then shall we never be confounded. If God see you have a tender heart, to all his commandments, he will have as tender a respect to all your desires. And therefore be careful, as first to grow to a free-hearted giving up yourselves to Christ, so listen duly to what God commands, and then God will have a tender respect to every one of your petitions; when this is your first aim, then may you have respect to other things, God will then satisfy your souls in revealing to you his granting of all your petitions.

Use 2. Of comfort to every soul, that has given up itself to Christ, and do thus call upon his name, this is the confidence all such have, they shall be satisfied according to their wills, many a soul that has received a spirit of prayer, is many times much discouraged: and what is the matter? Why, this and that I have prayed for, but my faith is faint within me for want of the thing I desire; why, but be not discouraged, heaven and earth shall fail, but the word of God shall never fail, do but consider what it is you have asked, and know there is no prayer of yours, but it stands upon record in heaven, and God waits and stays but for a fit and seasonable time. Notable is that speech in Daniel, At the beginning of your supplication, the commandment went forth, it was sent forth to grant you your request but it was hindered so many days, that it could not be done till now, from the beginning the prayer was heard, and the answer was decreed, but it must have a time to be wrought (Daniel 12:10). Look as you see a man that makes a petition to a King; the King grants the petition the same day it is asked, but it must pass from the privy seal to the great seal, and so be a good while before the business be gone through with; truly so, the first day that any soul seeks to God in Christ, for any blessing, God hears in heaven, only it must pass through the hands of some angels, they must see it done, means and creatures must be wrought upon, something must be done before our petitions be granted, notwithstanding our prayers be accepted,