imaginary defect which he supposeth to be in God. Now the causes from which this fainting in prayer proceed, are all evil and bitter. Lastly, As it is foolish and evil, so it is of dangerous consequence to ourselves to faint, and cease to pray. First, It is the ready way to bring some stinging affliction upon us. Art thou a servant of God, and fliest from his face ? Expect a storm to bring thee back to thy work. Art thou a child, and playest the truant ? Expect that thy heavenly Father will send thee to school with a rod at thy back. Secondly, Cease to pray, and thou wilt begin to sin. Prayer is not only a means to pre- vail for merc}^, but also to prevent sin. ' Pray that ye enter not into tempta- tion.' The thief comes when the candles are out; Christ could not keep his disciples awake at their devotions, and how soon were they put to the rout when the tempter came ! When the coiu'tier in discontent gives over his attendance at court, he is more easily persuaded into disloyal practices. Discontent softens the heart to receive sinful impressions from the tempter. ' Thou castest off fear, and restrainest pi-ayer before God,' Job xv. 4. Eliphaz's doctrine was true, though his application was false. Sins of commission are the usual punish- ments that God inflicts on persons for sins of omission : he that leaves a duty, may fear to be left to commit a crime : he that turns his ear from the truth, takes the ready course to be given over to believe fables, 2 Tim. iv. 4 : he that casteth off prayer, it is a wonder if you find him not, ere long, cast into some foul sin.
Section IV. — ^The last thing is a word of counsel for the Christian's help and direction in this work of perseverance in prayer. Now this Avill lay before you the several causes of a person's falling off from this duty, or fainting in it, which are divers. First, Sometimes the cause is the want of a lasting principle to keep us constantly to the duty. That sometimes vdiich sets the creature to prayer, is not pure obedience to the command, but a desire to obtain some particular mercy, which, if obtained, the fish being caught, the net is laid aside ; or if he prays long, and hath it not, he grows weary of the work, and lets it fall. Be sure, therefore, to pray in obedience; bind the duty upon thy conscience, and thou wilt not easily shake it off. ' God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you,' 1 Sam. xii. 23. He had little en- couragement from them he prayed for to continue at the woi-k, but his obedience to God held him to it. This is a strong fence indeed to guard the heart : we cannot break through this hedge without feeling the thorns in om- side. A gracious soul dreads nothing more than guilt : tell him it is a sin to cease praying, and you say enough. What though God answers not my prayer, his silence to my prayer must not deter me from praying. Prayer is still a duty : God is not bound to answer presently when we pray ; but we are bound to pray,, though he doth not answer. ' All this is come upon us,' saith the church, ' yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant,' Psa. xliv. 17. Remember, Christian, thou art a covenant servant, and one thing thou art, as such, bound to do, is to pi-ay to thy God without ceasing, 1 Thess. v. 17; this will defend thee against any motion which the tempter suggests to the contrary. The beggar knocks at the rich man's door, and if he be not served, away he goes ; but the servant, though he be hungry, doth not run away because he hath not his dinner so soon as he desires.
Secondly, Sometimes not persevering in prayer comes from pride. ' This evil is of the Lord ; what should I wait for tlie Lord any longer ?' 2 Kings vi. 33. What a haughty spirit was here ! Pride likes not to wait, but to be waited on. He in the gospel was ashamed to beg, much more to stand long at the door upon a begging eiTand. Now, though this be a disease which a saint is more free from than other men, yet there are dregs enough still within him to disturb his spirit, if he be not daily emptying them out : it will not therefore be amiss to leave a few- soul-humbling considerations, which you may be often taking, especially when you feel any remains of this sin about you, and your hearts begin to grow discontented, because God makes you stay so long for any mercy prayed for. Fu'st, Consider what it is to pray : it is to beg for abns, not to demand a debt. Now, doth it become you, in so poor a condition, to be so quick and short with your God? If you can live without being beholden to God, why then do you come at all to his door ? If you cannot, why then do you not wait more patiently for his pleasure? Should he wrong thee, if he
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