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…

First, a man is ready to say, what need I spend ¹so much time, and be so large in the expression of my wants to God, when he knows them? I cannot make them better known to him, he knows them well enough already, and therefore what needeth it?

First, a man is ready to say, what need I spend ¹so much time, and bee so large in the expression of my wants to God, when he knowes them? I cannot make them better knowne to him, hee knowes them well enough already, and therfore what needeth it?

1. 11 Object.1 Obiect.

To this I answer (in a word, because it is an objection ¹that hath not much weight in it) that it is true; the Lord knows thy wants, but withal, he will have thee to know them; because, otherwise, thou wilt not seek to him, thou wilt not set a price upon the things, that he bestows on thee, thou wilt not be thankful to him, when he hath granted them, and therefore you shall find, our Saviour Christ useth this very argument, as a means to quicken us to prayer, saying, Your heavenly Father knows what you have ²need of, what then? shall we not therefore pray? yes, saith he, therefore pray ye the more earnestly, and the more importunately to him: for since he knows your wants, he will be more ready to hear your requests.

To this I answer (in a word, because it is an obiection ¹that hath not much weight in it) that it is true; the Lord knowes thy wants, but withall, he will haue thee to know them; because, otherwise, thou wilt not seeke to him, thou wilt not set a price vpon the things, that hee bestowes on thee, thou wilt not be thankefull to him, when he hath granted them, and therefore you shall finde, our Saviour Christ vseth this very argument, as a meanes to quicken vs to prayer, saying, Your heavenly Father knowes what you haue