therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.' As a merchant finding his precious gain coming in, converts his whole estate into stock; so David devotes himself wholly to prayer; ' For my love, they are my adversaries : but I was in prayer.' This was the only weapon I lifted up for my defence against all their darts: whereas unbelief betrays the soul unto many imcomely thoughts of God, which reflect sadly upon his name, so as to weaken his reputation in the crea- ture's thoughts, and bring him either to a disuse of this duty, or hopeless per- formance of it ; and this Satan loves as his life. When a merchant thinks his goods miscarry, he grows jealous of his factor; questioning his care, faithfulness, or ability to despatch his business : such whisperings we shall hear, if we listen to our unbelieving hearts sometimes, when our prayers make not so short and quick a voyage as we desire. It was a high charge Job brought against God, — ' I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me ; I stand up, and thou regardest me not,' chap. xxx. 20. This holy man was now as deep in God's books, and as great a favourite with him, as ever, yet so far had Satan wound into him, as to make him listen unto those false reports which he brought unto him of God, (taking the advantage of his present cloudy providence to colour his calum- nies,) insomuch that he began to give credit unto this liar. Now if this may become a stone of offence to a Job, how much more mayest thou fear dashing thy foot against it ! Let it be thy care to defeat Satan in this spiteful plot against God and thee. Surely it should not be a little matter that makes thee throw up thy prayers, and give away so rich an adventure as thou hast swimming in this bottom. Esau hath the brand of a profane person, for so cheaply parting with his inheritance ; if thou be a believer, thou art an heir of promise, and amongst promises this is not the least, that what thou askest in Christ's name, believing, thou shalt receive. If it were profane in Esau to part with his inheritance, how much more is it in thee, to part with thy heritage, which thou canst not do without impeaching the faithftilness of God, that gave thee an estate in the pi'omise ? We highly commend Job for his heroic resolution at another time, chap, xxvii. 5, ' God forbid that I should justify you : till I die I will not remove my integrity from me.' How much more shouldst thou say to Satan, God forbid that I should justify thee, thou wicked fiend, or thy false charge against my God: I will hold fast his integrity and faithfulness till I die. Surely Daniel, who ventiu-ed his life rather than not pray, would have parted with a thousand lives, rather than have given up his prayers for lost, and thereby have blotted the good name of God, whose faithfulness stands bound to return every prayer of faith with a gracious answer into the saint's bosom. But the more to fortify you against this design of Satan, let us inquire into a few of those arguments with which Satan leads the Christian into this temptation, if not absolutely to conclude, yet un- believingly to dispute and question it in his heart, whether his prayer be heard or no. I shall reduce them to three heads.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE saint's arms AGAINST SATAN's FIRST CAVIL AT HIS PRAYERS.
First, Satan makes the Christian out of love with himself and duty, from the sinful infirmities cleaving to both, thereby to quash his hope of any favour- able reception that his pi-ayer hath found in heaven. What ! thy stammering prayers make music in God's ear ! Will the Lord foul his fingers with thy be- smeared duties ? If thou wert a Samuel or Daniel, and couldst claim thy place among those worthies that are renowned for the eminent service they have done God in their generation, then thou mightest hope to have the ear of God : but thou art a puny stripling, a froward child, in whom there is more sin than grace, and dost thou think to be heard ? Truly, though this argument weighs little, having no countenance from the tenor of the covenant, whose privileges are not appropriated to a few favourites, more eminent in grace than their brethren, but stand open to the whole family, it being a common salvation, and a like pre- cious faith, that all the saints partake of; yet it is the great bugbear with which many of them are scared. A word or two, therefore, to arm thee against it ; only, I must take for granted that these sinful infirmities are lamented, and not
PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC. (j(j^