A Body of Practical Divinity

7. Labour for more degrees of Grace. The more Ballast the Ship hath the better it sails; so the more the Heart is ballasted with Grace, the steadier it will sail to Heaven in Prayer.

6. Prayer that is likely to prevail with God must be Argumentative: God loves to have us plead with him and use Arguments in Prayer; see how many Arguments Jacob used in Prayer; Gen. 32.11. Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my Brother. The Arguments he useth are, 1. From Gods Command, ver. 9. Thou saidst to me; return to thy Country: As if he had said, I did not take this Journey of my own head, but by thy direction, therefore thou canst not but in honour protect me: And he useth another Argument; ver. 12. Thou saidst I will surely do thee good. Lord, wilt thou go back from thy own promise? Thus he was Argumentative in Prayer, and he got not only a new Blessing, but a new Name; ver. 28. Thy name shall no more be called Jacob but Israel; for as a Prince hast thou had power with God and prevailed. God loves to be overcome with strength of Argument. Thus when we come to God in prayer for Grace be Argumentative; Lord, thou callest thy self the God of all grace, and whither should we go with our Vessel but to the Fountain: Lord, thy grace may be imparted yet not impaired: Hath not Christ purchased grace for poor indigent Creatures? Every dram of Grace cost a drop of Blood. Shall Christ dye to purchase Grace for us, and shall not we have the Fruit of his purchase? Lord it is thy delight to milk out the Breast of Mercy and Grace, and wilt thou abridge thy self of thy own delight? Thou hast promised to give thy Spirit to implant grace. Can truth lye? can faithfulness deceive? God loves thus to be overcome with Arguments in prayer.

6. Prayer that is likely to prevail with God must be Argumentative: God loves to have us plead with him and use Arguments in Prayer; see how many Arguments Iacob used in Prayer; Gen. 32.11. Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my Brother. The Arguments he useth are, 1. From Gods Command, ver. 9. Thou saidst to me; return to thy Country: As if he had said, I did not take this Journey of my own head, but by thy direction, therefore thou canst not but in honour protect me: And he useth another Argument; ver. 12. Thou saidst I will surely do thee good. Lord, wilt thou go back from thy own promise? Thus he was Argumentative in Prayer, and he got not only a new Blessing, but a new Name; ver. 28. Thy name shall no more be called Iacob but Israel; for as a Prince hast thou had power with God and prevailed. God loves to be overcome with strength of Argument. Thus when we come to God in prayer for Grace be Argumentative; Lord, thou callest thy self the God of all grace, and whither should we go with our Vessel but to the Fountain: Lord, thy grace may be imparted yet not impaired: Hath not Christ purchased grace for poor indigent Creatures? Every dram of Grace cost a drop of Blood. Shall Christ dye to purchase Grace for us, and shall not we have the Fruit of his purchase? Lord it is thy delight to milk out the Breast of Mercy and Grace, and wilt thou abridge thy self of thy own delight? Thou hast promised to give thy Spirit to implant grace. Can truth lye? can faithfulness deceive? God loves thus to be overcome with Arguments in prayer.