CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

1. God will be sought to because hereby he is acknowledged the author and fountain of all the good we have; Did we not pray, were we not commanded to come to him, it might be doubted whether he was the cause of the good things ⟨p. 140⟩we desire, and this is the reason why we may not pray to Angels or Saints, but God only, because he alone and none else is the Author of all good things, Jam. 1. From him cometh every good and perfect gift, So that if we take prayer away, we do in effect take God away; He that liveth without prayer, liveth as if there were no God, as if all things came by a natural necessity or uncertain chance, and not from a wise God, so that to pray is to give a solemn Testimony unto the world, that we believe there is a God who governeth in the world, with whom are the treasures of all good things, and that there is not the least mercy we want we can have a supply of, but from him; That as the Scripture saith he hath the Key of the Heavens, he shutteth and no man can open, so he keeps the Key of all other mercies, No wonder then that though God will give us good things, yet we must earnestly pray for them, for otherwise God would not be owned, there would not that glory be given to him as is due.

1. God will be sought to because hereby he is acknowledged the authour and fountain of all the good we have; Did we not pray, were we not commanded to come to him, it might be doubted whether he was the cause of the good things ⟨p. 140⟩we desire, and this is the reason why we may not pray to Angels or Saints, but God only, because he alone and none else is the Authour of all good things, Jam. 1. From him cometh every good and perfect gift, So that if we take praier away, we do in effect take God away; He that liveth without praier, liveth as if there were no God, as if all things came by a natural necessity or uncertain chance, and not from a wise God, so that to pray is to give a solemn Testimony unto the world, that we beleeve there is a God who governeth in the world, with whom are the treasures of all good things, and that there is not the least mercy we want we can have a supply of, but from him; That as the Scripture saith he hath the Key of the Heavens, he shutteth and no man can open, so he keeps the Key of all other mercies, No wonder then that though God will give us good things, yet we must earnestly pray for them, for otherwise God would not be owned, there would not that glory be given to him as is due.