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

6. Prayer is necessary because hereby. Faith is drawn out in all the choice and excellent effects of it; Prayer without faith is like the musical Instrument without an hand to make a sound melodious; It's like a picture without life, but of this more in the qualifications of a prayer. The demand then may be,¹ What is that Prayer, and how must it be accomplished, that is a fruitful Prayer, such a prayer as will bring about what we desire.

6. Praier is necessary because hereby. Faith is drawn out in all the choice and excellent effects of it; Praier without faith is like the musicall Instrument without an hand to make a sound melodious; It's like a picture without life, but of this more in the qualifications of a praier. The demand then may be,¹ What is that Praier, and how must it be accomplished, that is a fruitful Praier, such a praier as will bring about what we desire.

1. 1Quest.

And 1. It must be the prayer of a righteous man, such who washeth himself from his sins, for sins they have a tongue, and they cry for vengeance,¹ and will quickly cry louder then our prayers; Hence a wicked mans prayer is said to be an abomination to the Lord, Pro. 28.9. and the blind man could see and say this, God heareth not the prayers of a sinner; There is a twofold sinner, a sinner wilfully going on in his wickedness, and such God will not hear, but then there is a sinner praying, mourning and repenting, as the Publican, who said, Lord be merciful to me a sinner, and such sins God doth hear; Nay, all men are sinners in this respect, and thus God should hear no prayer at all, if he did not hear such; But for other kind of sins, of which all places are full, those God doth loath and their duties; David hath expressed it fully, If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me,