SERMON UPON I THESSALONIANS V. 17. 499
end, the glory of God, and regulateth all our choices and desires by it. The fruit of prayer increaseth love : Ps. cxvi 1, 2, ' I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications ; because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I Uve/
(3.) Hope is acted and increased by it, because in prayer this grace is predominant, the certain and earnest expectation of the promised glory. Our thoughts of heaven at other times are cold and heartless ; here we enter into the holiest ; we beg heaven, and all things in order to heaven, because we expect it from the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. There is desirous expectation in hopes, and prayer is but the expression of our desires, and a certain expectation in hope ; so in prayer we plead promises, and show the groimds of our trust, why we look and wait for it, that God will preserve us, and bear our expenses to heaven.
[2.] The three duties pressed in this place are much promoted by frequent prayer : 'Eejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in every- thing give thanks.'
(1.) ' Eejoice evermore.' "We cherish our rejoicing, or peace and tranquillity of mind in all conditions, by frequent praying. This vent and utterance easeth us of our burden. If anything troubleth us, we go to God, who is able and willing to help us : Job xvi. 20, ' My friends scorn me, but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.' It is our comfort that there is a throne of grace before which to bring our com- plaint. So Phil. iv. 6, 7, ' Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which passeth aU under- standing, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ' ' Be careful for nothing ' is parallel to ' rejoice evermore.' What help have we to pray ? ' Let your requests be made known unto God ; ' and the effect of prayer is ' the peace of God.' When the air is imprisoned in the bowels and caverns of the earth, there are shakings and terrible convulsions till it gets a vent ; so is the soul tossed and turmoiled with many tormenting thoughts till we open our hearts to God. Hannah, when she had prayed, ' went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad,' 1 Sam. i. 18. Now should we not be frequent in this duty, which will keep up our delight in God, and our tranquilhty of mind in all conditions on the confidence of his all- sufficiency ?
(2.) 'Pray without ceasing.' The duty is promoted by the duty; pray without ceasing and you will pray without ceasing. The way to be fervent is to be frequent. A key that is seldom turned rusts in the lock ; wells are the sweeter for the draining. We lose the habit of prayer and fitness for prayer when we are seldom with God, and there is such an intermission l)etween duties. The more we walk, the fitter we shall be to walk ; and the more we pray, the fitter we shall be to pray. They find so much sweetness in it that experiment it by practice, that they cannot be without it. It is the strangers to prayer that need to be persuaded- When we intermit this necessary work, we lose our fitness. He that hath often prayed will pray : Ps. cxvL 2, ' Because he hath inclined his car unto me, therefore will I eall upon him as long as I live.'
(3.) For the last duty, ' In everything give thanks.' They thijt
500 SERMON UrON- I THESSALONIANS V. 17.
pray often see all things come from God, and tliey return all to God again ; they take it out of his hands, and. use it for his glor}^ Usually what we win by prayer we wear witli thanksgiving. Others do not and cannot observe providence as much as they do that pray often and. upon all occasions look to God. Besides, prayer sweeteneth the mercy: ' For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition, which I asked of him : therefore have I lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth ; he shall be lent to the Lord,' 1 Sam. i. 27, 28.
[3.] It is useful to preserve in us a sense of our duty to God, as it obligeth us to be more cautious and watchful. Who should be so careful of their conversations as they that come often into God's pre- sence ? They had need to be careful on a double account —
(1.) That they may be in a readiness always to pray : Eph. vi. 18, ' Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance ; ' 1 Peter iv. 7, '' Be sober, and watch unto prayer.' If we would be often with God in prayer, we must watch against anything that would hinder our communion and intercourse with God, that we may look God in the face with comfort ; as those that are always to appear in the presence of earthly princes must be more decently clad than other men. How shall we pray at night when we have been offending God all the day.