I HOPE it will not be offensive to any here present, — it may be profitable to some, — briefly to repeat what I have spoken in another place of this text.* The whole contains an exhortation to prayer, Christ's exhortation to Christ's hearers. The parts are two.
1. The exhortation strictly taken, pointing out the duty.
2. The motives and arguments enforcing the same. In brief, The nail and the hammer.
The duty is laid down in these words, ' ask,' * seek,' ' knock ;' all of them whetting on our dulness ; by which we may see, the pressing of these things in this manner imports diligence, that we should set on the same eagerly, yea, with an earnest desire of obtaining our suit, as we do w^ith those we have occasion to speak with, whom by all means we importune for a despatch. Our Lord here would have us so to make haste, using all means and diligence for obtaining of our suit.
The motives are,
1. Ordinate, directly urging the duty.
2. Subordinate, standing as helps and supporters thereunto.
The motives ordinate are these : ' Ask, and receive ;' ' seek, and find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.' The argument is taken from a threefold promise, according to the threefold urging of the duty. In sum, the success they should have, that they shall speed.
The subordinate arguments follow the former, and they are of two sorts, simple or by comparison. The simple in these words, ' For every, one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.' And this simple argument is drawn, as it were, from the common experience of others, as if our Lord should have said, Since it is found by sure and certain experience, that every one that asketh * The previous Sermons liave not been preserved. — G.
232 THE KNOT OF PRAI-ER LOOSED.
receiveth, ^hy should not ye also, if ye ask, think to speed as well as others ?
Lastly, There is set down an argument Df comparison, from the lesser to the gi-eater, from fathers on earth, endowed with a little of that pity and mercy, the greater fountain and ocean whereof is in God ; from which the inference is, that if earthly and evil parents will he ready to hear their children, and give good things unto them, how much more will our good and heavenly Father be ready to hear and grant our requests, that is, give good things to such as ask in faith ? This is the sum.
From the exhortation note, the duty of prayer is a common task, so that every Christian, who would be in deed and not in name so called only, he must be a man of prayer. Then, in the next place, from the exhortation and reason laid together, note the potent means by which we shall be best enabled to receive from God what we would ; and what we have need of is prayer. There might be, but needs not, many proofs of this, whereof there was delivered many uses then ; the last and main whereof was, that we should learn to make more reckoning of our prayers than formerly we have done, that as we reckon our states in bonds and bills, and that we have beyond seas in stock, as well as that we have in possession by us ; so we should reckon in our spiritual wealth, not only what we have and feel, but also that stock of prayer we have long since adventured to a far country, as merchants do of that they have adventured to East India : so much the rather, because these may fail in whole or in part, and so that stock may perish ; but the adventure and return of this stock of prayer is most certain to increase more, which, if we do, we shall be sure of a more quick and speedy return. Hence we came to a knotty and great objection.
Obj. Whether all men in prayer have this assurance to be heard, seeing Christ's promise is so sure and firm ?
Ans. There are indeed a great many Christians full of complaints and discouragements this way. Oh, say some, I have prayed thus and thus long, and am worse and worse ; I have prayed and am not heard ; better leave all, seeing I am not the batter for it. I answer. Though our Lord do speak so confidently, yet God's charter must be interpreted to God's meaning, with such conditions and limitations as he hath revealed unto us out of his word, which, though not named here, yet must be understood. We are undone, every mother's son, if we lose any part of that charter Christ hath made, to think we can make no certain return of our prayers sent to our heavenly country ; for it remains always sure, ' Ask, and ye shall receive ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened to you.' For the better answering of the objection, here comes two things to be con- sidered,
1. Conditions on our part; 2. Limitations on God's part.
1. The first thing in the conditions on our part is concerning the party that must pray : he must be a free denizen in the state of faith and repentance. An outlawed man can put up no petitions with assurance to speed. St John saith, ' This is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us,' 1 John v. 14. The will of God is, that he who prays be a man qualified ; so all the promises of God are made, at least to such who hunger and thirst and desire to be in Christ. Faithless, godless, careless men are outlawed, as we see, Ps. 1. 15, 16, the promise is, < Call upon me in the day of trouble ; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me ;' and then presently he makes a stop. * But unto