what he will ? Secondly, It takes hold of the faithfulness of God to perform the promise ; we are directed, in committing ourselves to him, to eye his faithfulness; 'As unto a faithful Creator,' 1 Pet. i v. 19. The saints' faith hath heen remarkable in staying themselves on this, while yet the mercy prayed for lay asleep in its causes : Psa. Ixv. 1,2, ' Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion ; and unto thee shall the vow be performed, O thou that hearest prayer ! ' And yet that good day was not come ; for even then he cries out, ' Iniquities prevail against me!' ver. 3. So Psa. cxl. 12, ' I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.' Why, how comes he so confident ? ' Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto tliy name,' ver. 12; as if he had said, Thou hast a name for a gracious and faithful God in thy promise, and this thou wilt never suffer to be blotted by failing in thy word. Christian, thou mayest venture all thou art worth on the public faith of Heaven : ' His words are pure, as silver tried seven times in a furnace.' He that will not sutler a liar or covenant-breaker to set foot on his holy hill, will much less suffer any one thought of falseness or unfaithfulness to enter into his own most holy heart.
CHAPTER XXII.
FOUR RULES WHEREBY WE MAY KNOW WHETHER WE EXERCISE FAITH IN
PRAYER.
But how may I know when I thus exercise faith in prayer ? First, By the serenity and composure of thy spirit after prayer. Faith may live in a storm, but it will not suffer a storm to live in it. As faith rises, so the blustering wind of discontented, troublesome thoughts go down. In the same proportion that there is faith in the heart there is peace also; they are joined together: Isa. XXX. 15, 'In returning shall ye be saved ; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength;' therefore called 'peace in believing,' Rom. xv. 13. Even where it is weakest, it will not let the unquietness of the heai't pass without a chiding : Psa. xlii. 5, ' Why art thou cast down, O my soul ? and why art thou disquieted in me ? Hope thou in God.' What, soul ! no sooner off thy knees, but clamorous ! Hast not thou made thy moan to a God able to help thee, and will not that ease thee ? Faith relieves the soul in prayer of that which oppresses it ; whereas the unbelieving soul still carries about it the cause of its trouble, because it had not strength to cast forth its sorrows, and roll its cares upon God in the duty. Uost thou carry away the same burden on thy back from prayer which thou didst bring to it ? Surely thou didst want faith to lift it off thj^ shoulder. Had faith been there active and lively it woidd have bestowed this, and brought thee away with a light heart, as Hannah, who rose from praying to ' eat, and her countenance was no more sad ;' and as Christ, who kneeled down with as sorrowful a heart as ever any had, but comes off with a holy courage to go and meet his approaching death and his bloody enemies now on their way to attack him : ' Arise,' saith he to his disciples, ' let us be going ; behold, he is at hand that doth betray me,' Matt. xxvi. 46. May it not put us to the blush to think that we should come less satisfied from God's presence than sometimes from a sorry man ? If you were poor, and had a rich friend that bids you send your children to him, and he will provide for them, would not this ease your mind of all your cares and distracting thoughts con- cerning their maintenance? And doth not God promise more than this when he bids us ' Be careful for nothing, but let your requests be made known to God with thanksgiving ?' Secondly, Dost thou continue praying even when (iod continues to deny ? An unbelieving heart will be sure to jade in a long journey. Faith will throw in . the net of prayer again and again, as long as God com- mands, and the promise encourageth. The greyhound hunts by sight ; when he cannot see the game, he gives over running ; but the true hound hunts by scent ; he goes over hedge and ditch, though he sees not the hare he pursues all the day long. An unbelieving heart, may be, is drawn out, upon some visible probabilities and sensible hopes of a mercy coming, to pray ; but when these are out of sight, his heart fails him ; but faith keeps the scent of the promise, and gives not over the chase. Thirdly, Dostthoustint God, or canst thou trust liim to answer thy prayer in his own way without thy prescription ! When
2 u 2
(J(30 PKAYING ALWAYS, ETC.