You might indeed upon this Topic be argued with: Let the privilege and advantage of Prayer, inspire you with a very prayerful Disposition of Soul. The Privilege of Prayer, how high is it! Prayer, it is, as we read in Heb. 10. 22. A Drawing Near to God. The Immortal King of Heaven, when He bids us to pray, does hold out His Golden Sceptre unto us, and say, Sinners, you may Draw Near; tho' you have by your Sins Forsaken me; yet you may by your Prayers Draw Near again unto me; and ask me now far more than the Half of […] Kingdom, I am ready to bestow it upon you. Accordingly, The Advantage of Prayer, how •ich is it! Our God has Assured us, in Isa. 45. 19. I said not unto the Seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. In vain! Truly No: most Gracious Lord; Thou hast said, Seek the Lord, and ye shall Live. There is in the Covenant of God, and Insurance-Office ⟨p. 47⟩Erected; where, every one, that Ventures in the Ship of Prayer, has the Returns of his Ventures gloriously secured unto him. I may call you, That our Merciful God, will rather work Miracles of Mercy, than Leave the Prayers of His Children Unanswered. Fires have bin Quenched, Lions have been Muzzled, Prisons have been Opened, Dead men have been Raised, Rains have been fetched, and the World it self has bin stopped in its Diurnal Whi•l, at the Prayers of men Subject unto like passions with our selves. Prayer, tis that which gains a sort of a Victory, even over the Invisible World; the Almighty God Himself says to Prayer, Except thou Let me alone, I cannot proceed with Destroying Dispensations; and Prayer says to the Almighty God Himself, I will not Let thee Go, except thou Bless me. Let our Distress be what it will, That is the Relief, in Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me, and I will deliver thee. What sorts of Blessings ⟨p. 48⟩have we a value for? Why, Prayer would fetch them all. Would we have our Souls, to be Blessed in very Deed? A Praying Soul, will be a Thriving Soul. Much Prayer, as it were keeps the Soul in a Breathing Sweat, which by Degrees does consume all the Distempers of it. In our Prayers, all our Graces come to be Exercised, and so to be Strengthened, so to be Perfected. Prayer▪ 'tis taken in 3 Joh. 2. for the Fa•• Wind, which will bring a Prosperous Voyage to the Heaven-born, Heaven-bound Soul.
You might indeed upon this Topick be argued with: Let the priviledge and advantage of Prayer, inspire you with a very prayerful Disposition of Soul. The Priviledge of Prayer, how high is it! Prayer, it is, as we read in Heb. 10. 22. A Drawing Near to God. The Immortal King of Heaven, when He bids us to pray, does hold out His Golden Scepter unto us, and say, Sinners, you may Draw Near; tho' you have by your Sins Forsaken me; yet you may by your Prayers Draw Near again unto me; and ask me now far more than the Half of 〈…〉 Kingdom, I am ready to bestow it upon you. Accordingly, The Advantage of Prayer, how •ich is it! Our God has Assured us, in Isa. 45. 19. I said not unto the Seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. In vain! Truly No: most Gracious Lord; Thou hast said, Seek the Lord, and ye shall Live. There is in the Covenant of God, and Ensurance-Office ⟨p. 47⟩Erected; where, every one, that Ventures in the Ship of Prayer, has the Returns of his Ventures gloriously secured unto him. I may call you, That our Merciful God, will rather work Miracles of Mercy, than Leave the Prayers of His Children Unanswered. Fires have bin Quenched, Lions have been Muzzled, Prisons have been Opened, Dead men have been Raised, Rains have been fetch'd, and the World it self has bin stop'd in its Diurnal Whi•l, at the Prayers of men Subject unto like passions with our selves. Prayer, tis that which gains a sort of a Victory, even over the Invisible World; the Almighty God Himself says to Prayer, Except thou Let me alone, I cannot proceed with Destroying Dispensations; and Prayer says to the Almighty God Himself, I will not Let thee Go, except thou Bless me. Let our Distress be what it will, That is the Relief, in Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me, and I will deliver thee. What sorts of Blessings ⟨p. 48⟩have we a value for? Why, Prayer would fetch them all. Would we have our Souls, to be Blessed in very Deed? A Praying Soul, will be a Thriving Soul. Much Prayer, as it were keeps the Soul in a Breathing Sweat, which by Degrees does consume all the Distempers of it. In our Prayers, all our Graces come to be Exercised, and so to be Strengthened, so to be Perfected. Prayer▪ 'tis taken in
