When the Apostle had Armed his Christian Soldier from head to foot, he then concluded, Pray always, and watch thereunto (a military Order, take not a wink of sleep) with all Perseverance. O cry mightily to God, for the Weapons of your War-fare are mighty thro' God alone. The best posture for you, wherein to War and to Fight against your Soul-Enemies, is (that wherein a wounded thought-dead Soldier once gave a mortal stab unto a proud Conqueror that was pleasing ⟨p. 76⟩himself with a View of them whom he had slain) upon your Knees: In the midst of your Encounters, use to do as the Emperor Theodosius did in the Extremities of a furious dubious Battle; betake your selves to importunate Prayers for Succour from above; be praying Jacobs, and you shall be prevailing Israels. If any Temptation be more than or dinarily violent in besieging of you, do like those Warriors in 1. Chron. 5. 20. Cry to God in the Battle; and therewithal put your trust in Him: do as Paul saith he did in such a case, (in 2. Cor. 12. 8.) I besought the Lord thrice; perhaps he kept three days of Prayer. And O let the Spirit of Prayer cause you to fill your lives with frequent and fervent Prayers unto God, that He would gird you with Strength unto all your Battles and subdue under you those that rise up against you I would conclude my Sermon as the Martyr used his Letters, O pray, pray, pray. You cannot contrive a more effectual preservative from the Hurts of Temptation than Prayer; daily, wrestling, Restless Prayer. The infamous Day of Origen's foul Apostasy, was a day whereon he had been remiss in his morning Prayers. I will not tell you Nazianzen's Story of what a Devil was forced to own ⟨p. 77⟩unto Cyprian, about his inability to work upon a praying Soul, in his days: But this I am sure of; The Trumpets of Gideon did not more fright the Midianites, than the Prayers of the Faithful do all the Devils in the dark Regions. The Devil roars about the Prayers of the Believer as the Scotch Queen did about Knox's Prayers; I am more afraid of those Prayers, than of the biggest Armies. Accustom your selves to Every Sort of Prayer; and so keep your Hands lifted up, like Moses in the Mount, until the Lord Deliver you from your strong Enemy, and from your Haters which are to strong for you. Often set apart Whole days, for your thus rallying your disordered Forces against them;
When the Apostle had Arm'd his Christian Souldier from head to foot, he then concluded, Pray alwayes, and watch thereunto (a military Order, take not a wink of sleep) with all Perseverance. O cry mightily to God, for the Weapons of your War-fare are mighty thro' God alone. The best posture for you, wherein to War and to Fight against your Soul-Enemies, is (that wherein a wounded thought-dead Souldier once gave a mortal stab unto a proud Conquerer that was pleasing ⟨p. 76⟩himself with a View of them whom he had slain) upon your Knees: In the midst of your Encounters, use to do as the Emperour Theodosius did in the Extremities of a furious dubious Battel; betake your selves to importunate Prayers for Succour from above; be praying Iacobs, and you shall be prevailing Israels. If any Temptation be more than or dinarily violent in besieging of you, do like those Warriors in 1. Chron. 5. 20. Cry to God in the Battel; and therewithall put your trust in Him: do as Paul saith he did in such a case, (in 2. Cor. 12. 8.) I besought the Lord thrice; perhaps he kept three dayes of Prayer. And O let the Spirit of Prayer cause you to fill your lives with frequent and servent Prayers unto God, that He would gird you with Strength unto all your Battels and subdue under you those that rise up against you I would conclude my Sermon as the Mertyr us•d his Letters, O pray, pray, pray. You cannot contrive a more effectual preservative from the Hurts of Temptation than Prayer; daily, wrestling, Restless Prayer. The infamous Day of Origen's foul Apostasy, was a day whereon he had been remiss in his morning Prayers. I will not tell you Nazianzen's Story of what a Devil was forc'd to own ⟨p. 77⟩unto Cyprian, about his inability to work upon a praying Soul, in his dayes: But this I am sure of; The Trumpets of Gideon did not more fright the Midianites, than the Prayers of the Faithful do all the Devils in the dark Regions. The Devil roars about the Prayers of the Beleever as the Scotch Queen did about Knox's Prayers; I am more affraid of those Prayers, than of the biggest Armyes. Accustom your selves to Every Sort of Prayer; and so keep your Hands lifted up, like Moses in the Mount, until the Lord Deliver you from your strong Enemy, and from your Haters which are to strong for you. Often set apart Whole dayes, for your thus rallying your disordered Forces against them;
