me?' Heavy birds must take a run before they can get upon the wing. It is harder to get a great bell up, than to ring it when it is raised ; and so is it harder work to prepare our hearts for duty, than to perform it when they are in some order. Now, hast thou endeavoured to do this? If not, how canst thou make this pretence to waive the duty because thou art indisposed, when thou hast not used the means to have thy clog taken off? This is as if one should excuse himself for not coming to the feast unto which he was invited, because, forsooth, he was not di'essed, when he never went about to make him- self ready. '^^
Section IV. — Perhaps thou canst answer the former question, and in some uprightness say that thou hast not neglected means, but yet thy deadness of heart remains. Though this case be not so ordinary, yet it is possible that a Christian may walk on those coals of meditation, which at one time would set his soul all on fire, and put his graces into a flame, yet at another he may find little warmth from them. And we will suppose this thy case ; therefore consi- der that God may, and doth sometimes, conceal his enlivening presence till the . soul be engaged in the work. And would it not grieve thee to lose such an opportunity ? How often hast thou found thyself at the entrance into a duty becalmed, as a ship which at first setting sail hath hardly wind to swell its sails while under the shore and shadow of the trees, but meets a fresh gale of wind when got into the open sea? Yea, didst thou never launch out to duty as the apostles to sea, with the wind in thy face, as if the Spirit of God, instead of helping thee on, meant to drive thee back, and yet hast found Christ walking to thee before the duty was done, and a prosperous voyage made of it at last ? Abraham saw not the ram which God had provided for his sacrifice till he was in the movmt. In the mount of prayer God is seen, even when the Christian does often go up the hill toward duty with a heavy heart because he can as yet have no sight of him. Turn not therefore back, but go on with courage ; he may be nearer than thou thinkest: ' In that same hour,' saith Christ, ' it shall be given imto you,' Matt. x. 19. ' In the day,' said David, ' when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul,' Psa. cxxxviii. 3. It is no more than the promise gives us security for, — ■ ' The way of the Lord is strength.' Just as a man, who at first going out on a journey feels feeble in his limbs, but the farther he goes the more strength he gathers ; truly the saints find this in God's way : Psa. cxix. 55, 56, * I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law : this I had, because I kept thy precepts.' His meaning is, by doing liis best endeavour, he was enabled to keep them better, and think himself so well paid for his pains, that he glories in it, — ' This I had.' So the saint hath this for praying. We may observe those children in Scripture wliich came of barren wombs were the greatest comfort of their parents when they had them ; witness Isaac, Samuel, and John. The greater deadness and barrenness thy heai"t lies under, and the less hope thou hast to get out of thy indisposition, the more joyful will the quickening presence of God be to thee. The assistance that thus surpriseth thee beyond thy expectation will be a true Isaac, a child of joy and laughter. And a double reason is obvious why God doth thus. First, From the great delight the Lord takes in pure obedience : obedience is better than sacrifice, 1 Sam. XV. 22. To pray in obedience is better than barely to pray. This is the jewel in the ring of prayer. Now, to pray in pure obedience is to set upon the duty where there is no visible assistance or sensible encouragement : to go to duty, not because God puts forth his hand to lead me, but because he holds forth his precept to command me. As when a general commands his army to march, if then the soldiers should stand upon terms, and refuse to go except they have better clothes, their pay in hand, &c., this would not shew them an obedient army ; but if at the reading of their orders, they break up their quarters and set out Avithout money in their purse, clothes on their backs, leaving the whole care of themselves for these to their general, these may be said to march in obedience. Thus when a soul, after a faithful use of means, finds his heart dead and dull, yet in obedience to the command, kneels down, though the sense of his ina])ility is so great that he questions whetlier he shall have power to si)eak one word to God as he ought, yet had rather be dumb and dutiful than disobedient in running away from his charge. Here is an obedient
g40 PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC.