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

As you know when men will be ready to take in their ¹goods at the Custom-house, and to steal the Custom, ofttimes it is the way to lose all the whole freight, and to for feit their whole venture. So it is here, when we use the means that God hath appointed, and walk in his way, and observe his ordinances, then we shall have mercies at Gods hands. And when God bestows them not in mercy as a blessing (for so he doth not except you seek to him;) you must needs conclude, that you not only have them as a curse, but in having them out of his way, you forfeit all the rest. Therefore I say prayer indeed is the means to obtain any thing at Gods hands. Hezekiah prayed, and he was delivered.

As you know when men will be ready to take in their ¹goods at the Custom-house, and to steal the Custom, ofttimes it is the way to lose all the whole fraight, and to for feit their whole venture. So it is here, when we use the means that God hath appointed, and walk in his way, and observe his ordinances, then we shall have mercies at Gods hands. And when God bestowes them not in mercy as a blessing (for so he doth not except you seek to him;) you must needs conclude, that you not onely have them as a curse, but in having them out of his way, you forfeit all the rest. Therefore I say prayer indeed is the means to obtain any thing at Gods hands. Hezekiah prayed, and he was delivered.

1. 1Simile.

But here, one caution is to be added, and that is, ¹that it is not every kind of prayer, it must be such a prayer as the Lord looks for at •ur hands: it must be a prayer so qualified as he hath appointed; for though it be true that prayer be the key that opens the door into the Lords treasury, and when we go about to open this lock, we must have this key, otherwise