The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole duty of prayer. Delivered in…The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole dutie of prayer. Delivered in…

But, to answer further, suppose thy prayers be right, yet, thou must consider this, that, ¹when thou thinkest thou art not heard, thou art oft times deceived, and therefore, you must rectify that misconceit. As for example, sometimes, when we would have the thing in one fashion, God bestows the same thing upon us in ²another; and therefore thou mayest be deceived in that: it may be a […] prays earnestly, that he may have a strong •dy, to do God service withal, it may be, that sickness of body makes him do him better service, because it keeps him in ⟨p. 55⟩more awe, it weans him more from the world, and makes him more heavenly minded: you know the case of Paul, he would fain have had that lust taken away that is spoken of 2 Cor. 12. 9. and why? surely the thing he would have had, ³was to have his heart in a holy, and right frame of grace; now, though Paul had it not that way, that he looked for it, yet he had it another way, the Lord increased in him the grace of humility by it; he saw his own weakness, and the power of Christ the more; and when this was discovered unto him he was content. It is all one, whether a man be preserved from the blow of an enemy, or have a helmet given ⁴him to keep it off; it may be a man prays for money, and for estate: if God provide meat and drink, and clothes immediately, in stead of this, is it not all one? It may be another would have a greater degree of convenience, for his dwelling house, and many other things: if God give him a body able to endure that, which is more course, all is one; as if he were provided for more delicately: it is all one, whether a physician quench the thirst of his patient by giving ⁵him beer, and drink, that is comfortable unto him, or by giving him barberries, or somewhat else, that will do the thing as well.