Christ the fountain of lifeChrist the fountaine of life

where you see what course God would have his Servants to take, take this course, ever follow God, watch night and day, and never give over till he bless you and yours, until he bless Magistrates, give Ministers a door of utterance, that they may speak savingly, and powerfully to the souls of their Hearers, so as that as it were you may weary God, and prevail with him to arise, and give you your desire. Wherefore is it think you that Christ calls prayer knocking? but for this very end, to manifest unto us, that when we continue praying we continue knocking, and we make as a loud noise at Heaven gates, as any man that knocks at your house doors, and God so esteems the nature of prayer, Matth. 7.7. For to him that knocketh it shall be opened. So that if God do but give us hearts to knock, and to be instant and constant in prayer, for that is knocking, if we be fervent and persevering in prayer, and spring from our feeling and sense of want of the blessing, and what comfort it would be to us to obtain it, and give him no rest until we receive at his hands what we ask of him; to him that thus knocketh it shall be opened. So did the Woman of Syrophenitia, she knocked hard at our Saviours door of mercy, have pity, have mercy upon me; and when at the first Christ answers her not a word, she then cries out again, ⟨p. 221⟩Lord help me; and when thereupon he tells her, he was not sent to her, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel: Did she then leave off? No, she would not be put off, when he then told her, it was not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs; She said, Truth Lord, but yet the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table; Why then saith our Saviour, be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Like as a man that is weary of a Petitioner. As if he should say; Why, if thou beest so importunate that thou wilt have no denial, if it must be so, why go thy way, and be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And when God gives us so to pray as not to give over, we may know for a certain, God intends to give us a gracious answer in all the desires of our souls, and this is to pray according to Gods will.

where you see what course God would have his Servants to take, take this course, ever follow God, watch night and day, and never give over till he blesse you and yours, untill he blesse Magistrates, give Ministers a doore of utterance, that they may speake savingly, and powerfully to the soules of their Hearers, so as that as it were you may weary God, and prevaile with him to arise, and give you your desire. Wherefore is it thinke you that Christ calls prayer knocking? but for this very end, to manifest unto us, that when we continue praying we continue knocking, and we make as a loud noyse at Heaven gates, as any man that knocks at your house doores, and God so esteemes the nature of prayer,