a fruitful year. Sometinips the jihysiciau appoints a powder to be taken in wine or beer. Now, it is not the beer or wine tliat does the cure, but the powder, whicli they are only used to convey and carry into the stomach. Thus mercy is lianded over to us by the blessing of God in the use of means, yet thiniv not the means do it, but the blessing of (lod mingled witli it, and infused into it. Lastly, If thou actest faith in prayer, as thou wilt be careful to improve means when God provides them, so thou wilt not suspend thy faith when God denies them. The believing soul dares not trust to the means when he hath them, therefore he dares not distrust God when he wants them. Faith knows, though God used means, yet he needs none. The sun and showers are the means he useth for the growth of the grass and herbs ; yet he made these to grow out of the earth. Gen. i. 11, before there was sim or rain. Ploughing and sowing is the ordinary means whereby nuui is provided with bread : but he fed Israel with bread without their pains and husbandry. Ships are the means to waft us over tlie seas: but God carried Israel through the Red Sea without ship or boat. May be times are hard, and thou art poor ; thy expense is great, and thy com- ings-in little; with the widow, thou art making thy last cake of the little meal that is left ; to reason and sense thou nuist either beg, steal, or die. Canst thou now, upon praying to thy God, wait upon his promise, which tells thee, 'Verily, thou shalt be fed,' Psa. xxxvii. ;?; and on his providence, which records his care of the sparrows on purpose to assure us he will much more provide for his children ? Or, at least, dost thou chide thy heart for its distrustful fears after praying, charging it to hope in God, to whom thou hast made thy moan? Truly, if thy heart hath not some hold on (iod after duty, in this thy strait, either thou hast no faith, or if thou hast faith, thou didst not act it in that prayer. True faitli will either expel these dejections of heart, or at least protest against them.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE SECOND POLICY, WITH WHICH SATAN LABOURS TO DEFEAT THE SAINT, THAT IS, TO WHISPER FALSE FEARS INTO HIS EAR, THAT HIS PRAYER IS NOT HEARD.
Now we come to the second stratagem that Satan useth to hinder the success of the Christian's pi-ayer, (which I called a partial hindrance, or miscarriage thereof,) when the prayer itself is not lost, (which comes to pass only when it finds not acceptance with God,) but when the Christian doth not believe on earth, that his prayer is heard in heaven, (though indeed it is,) and so by his questioning thereof, he loseth the revenue of that present peace, which other- wise would be paid in unto him from the expectation of its certain return with a joyful answer. As a merchant who gives his ship up for lost, when indeed it is safe, richly laden, and only stays for a fair wind ; he, not knowing or believ- ing this, puts himself to as much trouble and sorrow, as if it were in truth as he feared. Fancy and imagination, even when without ground and reason, are able to produce real effects and sad consequences, in the minds of men. The false news of Joseph's death caused as much sorrow to old Jacob, yea moi-e, than if he had seen him laid out, and followed him to the grave. The jailor, from a fear his prisoners were gone, and he being accountable for them, had killed himself by falling on his own sword, if Paul had not seasonably cried out, ' We are all here, do thyself no harm.' And truly our unbelieving fears have no less power upon our hearts; they rob the Christian of the joy of his life, and man is but a sour piece of clay when that is gone. It is not praying, but believing prayer is heard, that will make a glad heart, and a cheerful countenance. Hannah often praj^ed: she was acquainted with the work many years, yet never had the burden of her spirit taken off, till she had faith she sliould speed : yea, moreover, fears weaken the spirit of prayer; he that expects little from prayer, will not be much in prayer. That trade is best attended to, which it is hoped will pay a man best for his pains in it. 'Who is there among you,' saith God, ' that would shut the doors for nought? Neither do ye kindle fire on my altar for nought,' Mai. i. 10. The husbandman throws his seed freely, because he sows in hope ; and his most precious seed on his fattest soil, because there he looks to find it again with the greatest increase. This made David so fond of praying, that he will never leave it; 'I have prayed, and the Lord hath heard,
QQ2 PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC.