if he thought God would never give him a kind look more : ' How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever?' But by that time he had exercised himself a little in duty his distemper wears off, the mists scatter, and his faith breaks out as the sun in its strength, — ver. 5, 6 : 'I have trusted in thy mercy, my heai-t shall rejoice in thy salvation ; I will sing unto the Lord.' Thus his faith lays the cloth, expecting a feast ere long to be set on : he that now questioned whether he should ever hear good news from heaven, is so strong in faith as to make himself merry with the hopes of that mercy, which he is assured will come at last. Abraham began with fifty, but his faith got ground on God every step, till he brought down the price of their lives to ten. 2. Exercise whets the appetite to that food which must be taken before strength canbe got; and the hone that sets an edge on the husbandman's scythe, helps him to mow the grass. None comes so sharp set to the word (which is the saint's food to strengthen his grace) as the Christian that takes prayer in his way to the ordi- nance. The stronger natural heat is, the better stomach the man hath to his meat : love in the soul is what natural heat is in the body ; the more the soul loves the word, the more craving it is after it. Now as exercise stirs up the natural heat of the body, so prayer excites this spiritual heat of love in the saint's bosom to the word. Cornelius we find hard at prayer in his house, when behold a vision that bids him send to Peter, who should preach the gospel to him, — a happy reward for his devotion. Now see what a sharp appetite this praying soul hath to the word : he, upon this, sends away messengers for Peter, and before he comes, gathers an assembly together ; there he sits, with a longing heart, waiting for the preacher. As soon as he sees his face, he falls down at his feet, receiving him with that reverence and respect, as if he had been an angel from heaven. Presently he sets Peter to work ; though some may think it was not good treatment in putting him to labour, after so long a journey, before he had refreshed him ; but the good man was so hungry to hear the message he brought, that he could not well pacify his soul to stay any longer, and, like a man truly hunger-bit, he is ready to catch at any truth which shall be set before him. Acts x. 33 : ' Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.' And when the sei'- mon is done, so savoury and sweet was the meal, that he is loth to think of parting with Peter before he gets more from him, and therefore beseeches him to stay some days with him ; one sermon but made his teeth water for another. O, how unlike are they who come reeking ^out of the world to a sermon, to Cornelius, that riseth from prayer to wait for the preacher!
Section IIL — Prayer helps our graces, as it sets the sold nigh to God. In prayer we are said to draw near to God, James iv. 8 : to come before his pre- sence : in it we have access to the Father, Eph. ii. 18 : as one that brings a petition to a prince, is called into his presence-chamber : one of the nearest approaches to God which the creature is capable of, on this side heaven, which was signified by the incense-altar, that stood so high, even within the veil. Prayer is called, 'The throne of grace:' we come in prayer to the throne of God, and put our petition into the very hand of God, as he sits on his throne in all his royalty. Now, as prayer is so near an approach to God, it hath a double influence to the growth of the saint's grace. First, By it the soul is put the more into an holy fear of that pure and piercing eye of God, which he sees looking on him. It is true, God is ever near us : pray or not pray, we cannot rid ourselves of his presence ; but never hath the soul such apprehensions of his presence, as when it is before God in prayer. Now the soul speaks to God, as it were, mouth to mouth ; and considering how holy that Majesty is with whom he hath to do in prayer, he must needs reverence and tremble before him. Now the natural issue of this holy fear is a care to approve itself to God. And this care cherishes every grace; they are carried in its arms, as the child in its nurse's; it keeps the girdle of truth buckled close abovit his loins. O, saith the soul, I must eitherleave praying, or leave doubting and juggling with God by hypocrisy. It will strengthen the breastplate of holiness ; it is not possible that a Christian should walk loosely all day, and be free and familiar with God at night. He that waits on a prince, will be careful to carry nothing about him that should be ottcnsive to his eye, yea, afraid lest anything should come to his ear that should bring him under a cloud in his thoughts, and remove him from his place ;
PRAYING AL^VAYS, ETC. G29