Two sermons, of Jonahs punishmentTwo sermons, of Ionahs punishment

O sure fortress, more forcible then any engine, and stronger then the gates of hell, and to conclude, the sum and substance of all in few words: the only thing whereby mortal men have the clouds and the stars, and the Angels, and all the powers of heaven at commandment. For as Deborah sung in her song: They fought from heaven, even the stars in their courses fought against Sisera: for all creatures have been subject to the prayers of the faithful, to revenge the Lords quarrel, to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty. Prayer hath ever been the cognisance, and the victory, and the triumph of the faithful: for as the soul giveth life to the body, so prayer giveth life to the soul.

O sure fortresse, more forcible then any engine, and stronger then the gates of hell, and to conclude, the sum and substance of all in few words: the onely thing whereby mortall men haue the clouds and the starres, and the Angels, and all the powers of heauen at commandement. For as Deborah sung in her song: They fought from heauen, euen the starres in their courses fought against Sisera: for all creatures haue beene subiect to the prayers of the faithfull, to reuege the Lords quarrell, to helpe the Lord, to helpe the Lord against the mightie. Prayer hath euer beene the cognisance, and the victorie, and the triumph of the faithfull: for as the soule giueth life to the body, so prayer giueth life to the soule.

O that I could engrave the love of it in your hearts, as with a Diamond, and so instill your minds, that my words might be pricks to your consciences, and thereby give you occasion to pray often. It is a wonderful matter to be able to persuade men: but if prayer be able to persuade the living God, O how great is the force thereof, it goeth through the clouds, and ceaseth not till it come near, and will not depart till the most high have respect thereunto. O that you would therefore pray often, and learn of Christ (the most absolute pattern of our life) to pray continually. He prayed in his baptism, in the wilderness, ¹in preaching, in working of miracles, in his passion on the mount, in the garden, in his last supper, in commending his spirit to God at all times, and in all places, that he might leave unto us an example of the same It followeth. And pray to the Almighty. To those three former reasons which I brought, why we must seek and pray to GOD alone, I added this as a fourth: because there is none so able to help us as the Lord. He that trusteth in the Lord, shall be as mount Zion. If God be on our side, who can be against us? It is God that justifieth who condemneth? the Lord destroyeth the counsel of the heathen, he maketh their devices to be of no effect