A. 6. If you would keep your mind fixed on God, watch your hearts ; not only watch them after prayer, but in prayer. The heart will be apt to give you the slip, and have a thousand vagaries in prayer. We read of angels ascending and descending on Jacob's ladder : so in prayer you shall find your hearts ascending to heaven, and in a mo- ment descending upon earthly objects. O Christians, watch your hearts in prayer ! What a shame is it to think, that when we are speaking to God in prayer, our hearts should be in the fields, or in our counting- house, or one way or other, running upon the devil's errand !
A, 7. Labour for more degrees of grace. The more ballast the ship hath, the better it sails : so the more the heart is balhisted with grace, the steadier it will sail to hea- ven in prayer.
(6.) Prayer that is likely to prevail with God must be argumentative : God loves to have us plead with him, and use arguments in prayer. See how many arguments Ja- cob used in prayer, Gen. xxxii. 1 1., " De- liver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother." The arguments he used, are, 1. From God's command, v. 9., " The Lord which saidst to me return to thy ct)untry ;" as if he had said, I did not take this journey of my own head, but by thy direction
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therefore thou canst not but in honour pro- tect inc. And lie usetli another arc^umont, V. 12., '* Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good." Lord, wilt thou go back from thy own promise ? Thus he was argumentative in prayer ; and he got hot only a new blessing but a new name, v. 28., " Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel ; for as a prince hast thou power with God, and hast prevailed." God loves to be overcome with strength of argument. Thus, when we come to God in prayer for grace, be argumentative ; Lord, thou callest thy- self the God of all grace; and whither should we go with our vessel, but to the fountain ? Lord, thy grace may be imparted, yet not impaired : hath not Christ purchased grace for poor indigent creatures ? Every drachm of grace cost a drop of blood. Shall Christ die to purchase grace for us, and shall not we have the fruit of his purchase ? Lord, it is thy delight to milk out the breast of mer- cy and grace, and wilt thou abridge thyself of tiiy own delight ? Thou hast promised to give thy Spirit to implant grace ; can truth lie ? can faithfulness deceive ? God loves thus to be overcome with arguments in prayer.
(T.) Prayer that would prevail with God, must be joined with reformation, Job xi. 13, 14., " If thou stretch out thy hands to- wards him ; if iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away." Sin, lived in, makes the heart hard, and God's ear deaf. 'Tis foolish to pi'ay against sin, and then sin against pray- er, sin fly-blows our prayers, Ps. IxAi. 18., " If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." The loadstone loseth its virtue when bespread with garlic ; so doth prayer when polluted with sin. The incense of prayer must be offered upon the altar of an holy lioart.
Thus you see what is that prayer which is most likely to prevail with God.
Use \sf. It reproves, \sf. Such as pray not at all : Tis made the note of a reprobate, he calls not upon God, Ps. cxliv. Doth he think to have an alms, who never asks it? do they think to have mercy from God, who never seek it? Then God should befriend them more tlian he did his own Son, Heb. v. 7. Clirist offered up prayers with strong cries. None of God's children are born dumb.
Gal. iv. 6. — 2d. It reproves such aa liav« left off prayer, a sign they never felt the fruit and comfort of it. He that leaves off prayer, a sign he leaves off to fear God, Job XV. 4., " Thou castest off fear, and re- strainest prayer before God." A man that hath left off prayer is fit for any wicked ness. When Saul had given over inquiring after God, then he went to the witch of Endor.
Use 2d. Of exhortation. Be persons given to prayer. " I give myself (saith David) to prayer." Pray for pardon and purity ; prayer is the golden key that opens heaven. The tree of the promise will not drop its fruit, unless shaken by the hand of prayer. All the benefits of Christ's re- demption are handed over to us by prayer.
Obj. But I have prayed a lovy time for mercy, and have no answer, Ps. Ixix. 3., " / am weary of crying."
Ans. \st. God may hear us, when we do not hear from him ; as soon as prayer is made, God hears it, though he doth not presently answer. A friend may receive our letter, though he doth not presently send us an answer of it. 'i.d. God may de- lay prayer, yet not deny.
Quest. Bid tvliy doth God delay an an- swer of prayer.
Ans. 1. Because he loves to hear the voice of prayer, Prov. xv. 8., " The prayer of the upright is his delight." You let the musi- cian play a great while ere you throw hina down money, because you love to hear his music, Cant. ii. 14.