CHAPTER II.

OPPORTUNITY OF PRAYER.

WE come now to the second thing included in the modification of this duty of prayer; that it be without ceasing. Namely, that we pray opportunely. When Paul says that without ceasing, he had remembrance of Timothy in his prayers night and day, he means, that upon all occasions, and as he had an opportunity, he did remember him in his prayers. He takes all opportunities offered by the Lord to pray, and omits them not; he prays without ceasing. It is then the duty of all the Lord's people to pray opportunely, or to take all holy opportunities to pray unto the Lord. For the better handling of this duty, consider these particulars:

First, that it is seldom that any time is unseasonable for prayer.

Secondly, that yet there is a time when the Lord will not listen to prayer, no, not of his own people. Thirdly, that in mercy the Lord gives unto his people opportunities and seasons for prayer.

Fourthly, that the Lord's people are bound to improve all such opportunities of prayer.

First, very briefly. It is very rare that any time is unseasonable for prayer; it appears that the saints are enjoined to pray always. And this that the title of God is to be a God hearing prayer: "O thou that art hearing prayers." He is always hearing the prayers of some of his people, and ready to hear the

rest.

Second, more largely; there is a time when the Lord will not listen to prayer, no, not of his people. Praying at such times, they pray out of due season. It is not then so fit a time for them to pray. As,

1. When they are under offences unrepented of: "First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." It is not seasonable for Job's friends to offer to God, until reconciled to injured Job. If we are out with the favorites of the king of saints, it is not seasonable to come to the king with petitions. It is not a season to seek peace with Christ the head, when peace with his members is not sought. If our heavenly Father should not hold off his respects to children's requests, who offend their brethren, they would never seek to be reconciled.

2. When any of them too willingly and contentedly remain under the guilt of some known sin against the Lord: "When you make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood." "Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings," etc. "Come now, and let us reason together." And then only it is seasonable to pray, when we lift up our hands and hearts: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." "Wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned." "If thou preparest thy heart, and stretchest out thy hand toward heaven, if iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away," else all that is to no purpose. God heareth not sinners, that is, impenitent ones. It is no fit season for us to go a wooing to Christ, if not clear of privy leagues with any of our lusts; nor is it seasonable to trade with the

Lord in prayer, if we have any kind of traffic with his proclaimed enemies.

3. When we are under any special power of passion, and (as then not seeing the sin of it) to lift up wrathful hands is unacceptable, and so unseasonable: "Lifting up holy hands without wrath." It is not seasonable to offer up our sacrifice with such common, yea, wild-fire. Such leaven of wrath and malice is apt to sour our very Mincha, or offering, and makes it come as out of due season. Such was the petition of James and John to Christ: "Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven to consume them?" Such were Job's petitions, Job iii. Such was that of Jonah: "Take away my life from me.” As in a strong blustering time, knocks at the door are scarce heard, if at all; so the noise of our distempers outsounds the voice of our knockings in prayer. It were better to pause awhile till the noise be abated. And as Rev. ix., silence was made awhile before that the holy incense was offered so should it be here.

4. When our heads and hearts are full, and even sore charged with carnal occasions and inordinate thoughts about them; it is not so seasonable to go abruptly from such a crowd, and throng into the holy presence of the Lord without some pause. Such rashness is irregular, and therefore unseasonable; such a prayer will be no better than a dream arising from multitude of business, filled with multiplicity of unseasonable, impertinent, and independent expressions.

5. When we come to pray in remediless cases, or

for persons past recovery: "Pray not for this people, for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble." "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him?”

6. When we will be praying at such times wherein other ordinances do call for our attendance. As when we will be praying at home, when we should rather be in the public assembly, or praying in our closets, when religious family exercise requires our

presence.

These op

Now let us consider of prayer seasons offered by the Lord, which he requires us to take. portunities are either general or special. The general opportunity of prayer is that general season of grace held forth in the offers of the dispensations of the gospel: "Seek him whilst he may be found.” While God may be found, it is a season to seek him: "If you will inquire, return, come." While the prophets encourage to come, it is a season to inquire. Our cry is but the echo of the Lord's call: "When thou saidst, Seek my face; my heart answered, Thy face, Lord, will I seek." The echo waits upon the voice; a demand of grace upon a former offer of it; it is very seasonable. This blessed day-work is most suitable to the daytime of the gospel and grace of God. But besides this general opportunity, there are some more special praying seasons: "For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a finding time," (as it is in the Hebrew). As bountiful princes have their seasons for petitioners, so the Lord has his for petitioners to come in with their suits, and have each their days of audience.

Our blessed Father has his set days of paying to

each child his portion of mercy and blessing upon demand and suit for it. Now these special seasons of prayer are of three sorts.

Or

1. When God in special sort is near to us. secondly, we in special sort near to him. Or thirdly, in case of emergencies, or special necessities calling for speedy help.

First, when God in special is near to us, then call upon him while he is near. The Lord as our gracious king goeth his holy progress, and now he is nearer this people and such and such subjects; and now again he is nearer to others: let each accordingly take and observe their particular seasons of holy approaches to him with their suits. If the loadstone be near, the very iron moves; the approaches of the Lord to us have, or should have this holy, attractive virtue to draw us near to him in prayer.

1. Now the Lord is thus in special sort near to us, by some special mercy vouchsafed to us, as when answering to former prayer: "The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart." Wherein does he show that he is nigh to them? It follows, "He sav eth such as be of a contrite spirit." God's ordering some special favor to his people by his providence is called his visiting of his people. The saint's repairing to the Lord with fervent, earnest prayer, is called their visiting of the Lord: "Lord, in trouble have they visited thee;" how? "they have poured out a prayer to thee," etc. When God first begins to give us a gracious visit, it is seasonable and suitable for us to give him prayer visits: "And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also which thou hast spoken." "And Moses said, I beseech thee show