Seven sermons on several select subjects preached

First, He doth this, that he may the more quicken the exercise of grace for prayer may sometimes act highest in the hour of desertion, Jonah 2.4. I said I was cast out of thy sight; yet will I look towards thy holy Temple. Faith and Patience, like two Stars, shine most bright in the night of desertion. We are taken with the comfort, but God is more taken with the acting of our graces.

First, He doth this, that he may the more quicken the exercise of grace for prayer may sometimes act highest in the hour of desertion, Ionah 2.4. I said I was cast out of thy sight; yet will I look towards thy holy Temple. Faith and Patience, like two Stars, shine most bright in the night of desertion. We are taken with the comfort, but God is more taken with the acting of our graces.

Secondly, The Lord may cause a dark cloud to be upon the righteous, a cloud of desertion, that he may hereby awaken, and stir up in his people a spirit of prayer, that now they may cry mightily to God; that now they may stir up themselves to take hold on God by prayer. Sometimes a Father hides his face, to make the Child cry after him the more: so God may hide ⟨p. 133⟩his face in a cloud of desertion, that his Children may cry the more after him, Psal. 140.7. Oh hide not thy face from me! Desertion will make one pray, if any thing will. Desertion, it is a short Hell. Jonah calls the Whales belly, the belly of Hell, because he was deserted there; and if ever he would pray, sure it is now, that he might get out of that Hell, Jonah 2.2. Out of the belly of Hell I cried unto thee, and thou heardest my voice. That's the first; The godly they may have their night.