not when he was knocking at heaven's door by his prayer? — ' At the beginning of th}- supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee, for thou art greatly beloved.' When got the woman of Canaan the sight of her faith, not only that it was ti-ue, but strong, — •' O woman, great is thy faith!' but when her heart was carried forth so vehemently in prayer? Yea, Christ hiu'.self lieard that miraculous voice from heaven, ' This is my beloved Son,' when he was lifting up his voice in prayer to heaven, Luke iii. 21. Secondly, The duty of prayer aiibrds a demonstrative ai'gument for the truth of that soul's grace which spiritually performs it. The Spirit of God, when he testifies to the truth of a saint's grace, useth to join issue with the saint's own spirit, Rom. viii. 16 : ' The Spirit itself bearcth witness with our spirits.' Now the testimony which the Christian's own spirit gives for him is taken from those vital acts of the new creature that operate in him, as sincerity, godly sorrow for sin, love of holiness, &c. Now, no way do these and other graces more sensibly discover themselves to the Christian's view than in prayer. Here sincerity shews itself in the Christian's plain-heartedness to confess all his sins, freely without extorting, and nakedly without reserve. When there is no secret drawer in the cabinet of the soul to lock up a darling sin, David, Psa. xxxii. 1, having pronounced him blessed that hath no sin imputed to him, and in whose spirit there is no guile, ver. 5, gives this instance of his sincerity, that he acknowledged his sin, and did not hide his iniquity ; also how well he sped thereby, — ' And thou forgavestthe iniquity of my sin.' Again, here the Christian gives vent to his heart, aching with inward grief for sin. Prayer is the channel into which godly sorrow pours forth itself, and runs down in brinish tears, while the Christian is accusing himself of, and judging himself for, his abominations with deep shame and selt- abhorrency. In a word, here the soul's love to holiness flames forth in his fervent, vehement desires and requests for grace that can bear no denial, but even breaks for the longing it hath to it. Thus we see a spirit of prayer is both an argument of true grace, and a means to draw out that grace into action, whereby its truth may be the better exposed to view. ' A spirit of grace and of supplication' are both joined together, Zech. xii. 10 : the latter indicates the former. What is prayer, but the breathing forth of that grace which is breathed into the soul by the Holy Spirit? When God breathed into man the breath of life, he became a living soul ; so when God breathes into the creature the breath of spiritual life, it becomes a praying soul : — ' Behold, he prayeth,' saith God of Paul to Ananias, Acts ix. ll.v As if he had said, Be not afraid of him, he is an honest soul, thou mayest trust him, for he prays. Praying is the same to the new creature, as crying is to the natural. The child is not learned by art to cry, but by pature, — it comes into the world crying. Pray- ing is not a lesson got by forms and rules of art, but flowing from principles of new life.
Section II. — As it is a means to evidence, so to increase grace. The pray- ing Christian is the thriving Christian ; whereas he that is slothful in praying is a waster. He is like one that lives at a great expense, and has little or no ti-ade to maintain it.
Now, prayer helps towards the increase and growth of grace two ways. First, As it draws the habits of grace into exercise : now,' as exercise brings a double benefit to tlie body, so it does to the soul. 1. Exercise doth help to digest or breathe forth those humours that clog the spirits. One that stirs little, we see, grows pursy, and is soon choked up with phlegm, which exercise clears the body of. Prayer is the saint's exercise-field, where his graces are breathed; it is as the wind to the air, it brightens the soul ; as bellows to the fire, which clears the coal of those ashes that smother them. The Christian, while in this world, lives in an unwholesome climate; one while, the delights of it deaden and dull his love to Christ : another while, the trouble he meets in it damps his faith on the promise. How now should the Christian get out of these dis- tempers, had he not a throne of grace to resort to, where, if once his sonl be in a melting frame, he (like one laid in a kiiully sweat) soon bi'eathes out the malignity of his disease, and comes into his right temper again? How often do we find the holy prophet, when ho first kneels down to pray, full of fears and doubts, who, before he and the duty part, grows into a sweet familiarity with God, and repose in his own spirit ! Psa. xiii. 1, he begins his prayer as
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(528 ' PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC.