But if we say 4. That there are in the renewed child of God, some stirrings of the spirit in all these acts, we go about under deadness, then one act of praying, and the influence of grace makes way physically to another, and that to a third; for to say nothing of the promise, To him that hath it shall be given, (of which hereafter) I do but provoke to the experience of the Saints, if here the second pull of prayer be not stronger then the first, and the third then the second, and the fourth above the third; for when the wheels are a going, the Organs of the spirit do not weary: And there is a reserve of fresh strength and a stronger ⟨p. 145⟩recruit, and supply in Jacobs wrestling until the dawning reserved, and more strength of heavenly violence to prevail with God, then in his wrestling all the night, Gen. 32. 26. Let me go (saith the Angel of the Covenant, Christ) for the day breaketh: And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 28. As a Prince thou hast power with God, saith the Lord to him. And we see one throwing about of the key when the lock of the door is rusted, maketh the second throwing about more easy, and the third throw does yet more, and the seventh or the tenth throw makes the passage of the iron bolt yet most easy, and the door at length, with little violence, is opened, when now the rust and straitness is removed: And a flaming of the fire prevailing over a dry tree, makes easy way to a second flaming, and that to a third, and so to all the rest, till the timber be consumed, and the fire be fully victorious. Believing adds to believing; praying begets more praying; and we see motion breeds warmness, and that stronger motion, and cold hearts that are dead, and almost frozen, by one smiting of influences grow hotter, and by two or three or seven actings of the spirit, grow yet hotter, and yet more •ot. And there is something in that Cant. 6. 11. I went down to the garden of nuts. 12. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariot of Aminadab, or of my wil•ing people. There is some stiffness upon the living man when he first begins to move, but a little motion makes him more agile. Dr. Preston may aim at the like truth.1 If a man (saith he) were to run a race, if he were to do any bodily exercise, there must be strength of body, he must be fed well, that he may have ability;
But if we say 4. That there are in the renewed child of God, some stirrings of the spirit in all these acts, we go about under deadness, then one act of praying, and the influence of grace makes way physically to another, and that to a third; for to say nothing of the promise, To him that hath it shall be given, (of which hereafter) I do but provoke to the experience of the Saints, if here the second pull of prayer be not stronger then the first, and the third then the second, and the fourth above the third; for when the wheels are a going, the Organs of the spirit do not weary: And there is a reserve of fresh strength and a stronger ⟨p. 145⟩recruit, and supply in Jacobs wrestling until the dawning reserved, and more strength of heavenly violence to prevail with God, then in his wrestling all the night, Gen. 32. 26. Let me go (saith the Angel of the Covenant, Christ) for the day breaketh: And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou blesse me. 28. As a Prince thou hast power with God, saith the Lord to him. And we see one throwing about of the key when the lock of the door is rusted, maketh the second throwing obout more easie, and the third throw does yet more, and the seventh or the tenth throw makes the passage of the iron bolt yet most easie, and the door at length, with little violence, is opened, when now the rust and straitnesse is removed: And a flaming of the fire prevailing over a dry tree, makes easie way to a second flaming, and that to a third, and so to all the rest, till the timber be consumed, and the fire be fully victorious. Believing adds to believing; praying begets more praying; and we see motion breeds warmnesse, and that stronger motion, and cold hearts that are dead, and almost frozen, by one smiting of influences grow hotter, and by two or three or seven actings of the spirit, grow yet hotter, and yet more •ot. And there is something in that Cant. 6. 11. I went down to the garden of nuts. 12. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariot of Aminadab, or of my wil•ing people. There is some stiffnesse upon the living man when he first begins to move, but a little motion makes him more agile. Dr. Preston may aim at the like truth.1 If a man (saith he) were to run a race, if he were to doe any bodily exercise, there must be strength of body, he must be fed well, that he may have ability;
- 12. Sermon on Pray continually, pag. 35.
