Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

WE made some entrance into these words in the morning; In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death. Those words we have done withal. And he prayed to the Lord: hence we observed this: That Prayer is the chief means to obtain any thing at Gods hands.¹

WE made some entrance into these words in the morning; In those dayes Hezekiah was sick to the death. Those words we have done withall. And he prayed to the Lord: hence we observed this: That Prayer is the chief means to obtain any thing at Gods hands.¹

1. 1[…].〈…〉.

It was the means whereby Hezekiah obtained his recovery when he was sick to the death. So it is a general rule that prayer is the chiefest means of all other to obtain any thing at Gods hands. The reasons of it we gave in the morning, we came to apply it. And the first Use was this. If it be the chiefest means of all other, therefore ¹we should learn to esteem of our prayers more then we do, to set them at a higher rate, to know what the efficacy of prayer is. When prayers are performed in a customary negligent manner; when men think it may be they will be answered, and it may be they will not, it may be they will do them good, it may be not, no marvel if they miss of the effect. If men did believe that prayer were so effectual to bring their enterprises to pass, they would surely be more frequent and fervent in this duty. We showed you in the morning what the efficacy of prayer was, we purpose to repeat nothing.

It was the means whereby Hezekiah obtained his recovery when he was sick to the death. So it is a general rule that prayer is the chiefest means of all other to obtain any thing at Gods hands. The reasons of it we gave in the morning, we came to apply it. And the first Use was this. If it be the chiefest means of all other, therefore