wants. Before the tradesman goes to the fair, he h)oks over his shoj), that he may know what commodity he is most in want of. Thou goest to this duty to furnish thyself with the graces and mercies thou necdest : is it not necessary to see what thy present store is ; — what thy personal, and what thy relative needs are? Not forgetting the puhlic, in whose peace and ha])piness thou art so much concerned ; for, if this ship sink, thou canst not be safe in thy private cabin. To leave all these to occur and overtake thee, without charging thy thoughts witli them by previous meditation, is too high a presumption for a sober Christian. Besides, thy affections need help as well as thy memory ; nay, we may sooner bring our sins and wants to mind, than lay them to heart ; it is easier to know them, than, knowing them, to be deeply afl'ccted with them : and we do not come in prayer to tell God a bare story of these things, but feelingly and affectionately to make our moan and complaint, with deej) sighs and groans to him, who can pardon the one, and relieve us in the other.
Thirdly, When thou hast upon this scrutiny kindled thy affections by medi- tation, into a deep sense of these things, then furnish thyself with arguments from the promises to enforce thy prayers, and make them prevalent with God. The promises are the ground of faith, and faith, when strengthened, will make thee fervent ; and sucli fervency ever speeds, and returns with victory out of the field of prayer : ' The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availetli mtich,' James v. 16. Words in prayer are but as powder; the promise is the bullet that doth the execution ; faith is the grace that chargeth the soul with it ; and fervency gives it fire, and dischargeth it into God's bosom with such force, that the Almighty cannot deny it, because, indeed, he will not. Now, as he is an imprudent soldier that leaves his bullets to be cast till he comes into the field, so is he an unwise Christian that doth not provide and sort promises suit- able to his condition and request, before he engageth in so solemn a service. Daniel first searcheth out the promise, what God had engaged to do for his people, as also when the date of this promise expired ; and when by meditation he had raised his heart to a firm belief thereof, then he sets upon God with a holy violence in prayer, and presseth him close, not only as a merciful God, but righteous also, to remember them, now the bond of his promise was coming out ; ' O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem,' &c., Dan. ix. 16. The mightier any one is in the word, the more mighty he will be in prayer.
CHAPTER L.
DIRECTIONS TO BE OBSERVED IN AND AFTER THE DUTY.
Having despatched the preparatory directions, I come to those that are to be observed in the duty itself.
Section I. — When the time to engage thyself in this extraordinary duty is come, beware thou settest not out in confidence of thy preparation, whatever thy care or success therein hath been. A worthy doctor's advice to ministers, as to their preaching, is applicable to Christians as to their praying ; he bade them study for their sermons as if they expected no Divine assistance in the pulpit : and when they came into the pulpit, to cast themselves upon Divine assistance as if they had not studied. Thus prepare before thou comest to fast and pray, as if thou wert to meet no farther assistance in the duty ; but when thou comest to the performance of the duty, cast thyself wholly upon Divine assistance, as if thou hadst not prepared. I know not which docth worst, he that j^resumes upon God's assistance without preparation, or he that presumes on his preparation, and relies not, after he hath done his best endeavoiu', on the gracious assistance of God. The first shews he hath but mean thoughts of this solemn ordinance, yea, low and unworthy thoughts of the great God with whom he hath to do in it ; and tlie other hath too high thoughts of himself. What tliough now thou marchest in goodly array, and thy heart in order, how soon, alas I may all thy preparations be routed, and thy chariot-wheels, which thou hast taken so imicli jiains to oil, be set fast, or knocked off"! Now thy thoughts are collected : dost thou know where they will be in a few minutes, if thy God help thee not to keej) them together? Thou canst as easily hold the four winds in a hag, as keep the thouglits of thy unsettled mind from wandering. Now thy affections are wound up to some lieiglit, but will they rt'niain so ? Cainiot (iod wither thy
714 WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.