The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

8. Take this word and plead it with God in prayer when you enter on any difficulty, do as it were show unto God his bond: though God binds him self; yet he will not come in and help till the creature come and show his bond: and upon the sight and pleading of the bond with God, God is pleased to come in with help, God is much taken, and delighted with this, when any of his servants in difficulty shall come, and plead his promises. The turning of promises into prayer, and ⟨p. 171⟩as it were the distilling of faith into prayer is a thing mighty prevailing with God: As there are some Physical things that have great operations, but unless they be distilled, or taken in such and such things they will not work; but then they will work: So Faith when it is distilled and turned in prayer, and mingled with prayer, and taken down in that, then it works: If a Physician should come and say, how did you take such a thing? and you say I swallowed it down, he will say you should have taken it in such and such a thing, and then it would have wrought; so you believe God will help you, but have you distilled your Faith into prayer? and taken it therein pleading with God to fulfil his word: that is a great means to do great things.

8. Take this word and plead it with God in prayer when you enter on any difficulty, do as it were shew unto God his bond: though God binds him self; yet he wil not come in and help till the creature come and shew his bond: and upon the sight and pleading of the bond with God, God is pleased to come in with help, God is much taken, and delighted with this, when any of his servants in difficulty shall come, and plead his promises. The turning of promises into praier, and ⟨p. 171⟩as it were the distilling of faith into prayer is a thing mighty prevailing with God: As there are some Physicall things that have great operations, but unless they be distilled, or taken in such and such things they will not work; but then they will work: So Faith when it is distilled and turned in praier, and mingled with praier, and taken down in that, then it works: If a Physitian should come and say, how did you take such a thing? and you say I swallowed it down, he wil say you should have taken it in such and such a thing, and then it would have wrought; so you beleeve God will help you, but have you distilled your Faith into praier? and taken it therein pleading with God to fulfill his word: that is a great means to do great things.