Israels prayer in time of trouble with Gods gracious answer thereunto, or, An explication…

3 Since a Covenant presupposeth a power in him that maketh it, both over his own will, and over the matter, thing or Action which he promiseth, so far as to be enabled to make the promise: And since we of our selves have neither will nor deed, no sufficiency either to think or to perform: Rom. 7.18. 2 Cor. 3.5. Phil. 2.12. We hence learn in all the Covenants which we make, not to ⟨p. 90⟩do it in any confidence of our own strength, or upon any self dependence on our own hearts, which are false and deceitful, and may after a confident undertaking, use us as Peters used him: But still to have our eyes on the aid and help of Gods grace, to use our Covenants as means the better to stir up Gods graces in us, and our prayers unto him for further supplies of it. As David, I will keep thy statutes, but then, do not thou forsake me. Psal. 119.8. Our promises of duty must ever be supported by Gods promises of grace when we have undertaken to serve him, we must remember to pray as Hezekiah did, Lord I am weak, do thou undertake for me. Isa. 38.14. Our good works cannot come out of us, till God do first of all work them in us. Isa. 26.12. He must perform his promises of grace to us, before we can ours of service unto him. Nothing of ours can go to heaven, except we first received it from heaven. We are able to do nothing but in and by Christ which strengtheneth us, Joh. 15.5. Phil. 4.13. So that every religious Covenant which we make hath indeed a double obligation in it; An obligation to the duty promised, that we may stir up our selves to perform it: and an obligation unto prayer, and recourse to God that he would furnish us with grace to perform it: As he that hath bound himself to pay a debt and hath no money of his own to do it, is constrained to betake himself unto supplications that he may procure the money of some other friend.