solemn humiliation of themselves before God, lest their sins might waylay them.

4. Use the means in faith. Set faith on work, as well in the use of means as of prayer. Nehemiah prays, sets a strict watch, encourages all sorts to fight, but all in faith: "Our God shall fight for us." "Moses crieth," and withal Moses uses means prescribed of God to pass through the Red Sea, "he stretcheth out his hand over the Red Sea to divide it;" but all this was in faith, looking through all their prayers, and all secondary means, unto the Lord as all in all. By faith they passed through the Red Sea. Asa sets the battle in array, and prays, but rests neither on his warlike power nor on his prayers, but on the Lord alone: "We rest on thee." And, indeed, we have need to use means in faith, looking through means, and resting on the God of them, and on his promise for succeeding the same. Jacob prays, as well after he had pitched upon the means of pacifying Esau as before, and yet rests on the charge of God that he should return, and his promise, "That he will be with him and do him good," and on that promise, "With men thou shalt prevail." Use the means also in faith, respecting the warrantableness thereof, lest in that respect what is not of faith becomes sin to us. And let all be done in faith also, eyeing and owning God in all successes of prayers and means, as the chief, as all. So Exodus, xv., "He hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and rider hath he thrown into the sea."

5. Be diligent and patient in using means, waiting upon God for the success, as they do that dig for mines: "Our eyes wait on thee, as the eyes of the handmaid upon her mistress."

6. In using means, be submissive. Bind not God to our praying or means, much less to this or that means, or manner, or season, either of the use, or of the success of the same; but leave all with the Lord, to do, delay, or deny as he please. Even Joab spake nobly herein to his brother: "Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for our God, and the Lord do that which seemeth him good." This he spake after he had used all warlike means for a good success. David, though he so earnestly desired, and industriously endeavored to build a temple, and was denied the success as to himself, yet rests satisfied in God's mind touching his son, and his acceptance of him for other service. So Paul denied of that he so earnestly begged and endeavored, rests quiet in God's answer: "My grace is sufficient for thee;" saying: "Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities."

7. When means have been thus used with prayer, and yet do not succeed, search out the cause, be humbled for it, and redress it; find out the Achan that troubles Israel and execute holy vengeance upon him, and be not discouraged in using means, as Joshua uses stratagems to take Ai and the men thereof, who had the better but then of Israel. So did Israel after their twofold defeat by Benjamin, humble themselves greatly before God, inquire his counsel, and use stratagems against Benjamin, and prospered. So Paul hindered oft from going to the Romans to do good among them, though he prayed and endeavored it, yet was ready to it still.

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CHAPTER V.

ABOUT TIME SPENT IN PRAYER.

HAVING briefly despatched this case, about the use of means with prayer, we shall go on to speak to a fifth case, namely, concerning the time to be spent in prayer, How long, or how short we may be in prayer?

To which I answer, more generally, that the space of time is not fixed or limited; but the text plainly shows, that much time is to be spent in prayer: "Pray without ceasing," implies, be much in prayer; spend much time about it. For, 1. The heart is not so suddenly or easily got upon the wing; yet in that doth the nature and life of prayer consist. It is a lifting up the heart, "I lift up my heart to thee;" that is, I pray. We pray indeed, when our hearts are elevated in prayer. Many weights are ofttimes upon our spirits to press them down, not so easily removed: many bonds, yea, knots in these cords, straitening our spirit, not easily unloosed: we need enlargement of our hearts to run any such way of God's commandments. We would, as men sometimes in their sleep, fain cry, but there is such a weight upon our breasts, that we cannot; deadness seizes upon us, and much rubbing is needful ere life is recovered: dulness annoys us, and much whetting is requisite, ere our hearts get a spiritual edge upon them: we may say with the church, "Quicken us, so will we call upon thee." If the iron be blunt, the

more pains is taken to sharpen it, so it is here with our blunt spirits in prayer.

2. The necessities of the soul of the best, are so many and weighty, that a little time will not suffice to express them; yea, it being the trade of a gracious soul to be thus merchandising, his business being to be thus pleading, his calling as a saint being to call upon God; surely a little time should not be taken up in this his proper employment.

3. As the time in prayer is improved, all the rest of our time is either blessed or blasted to us. That morning that the soul speeds well, that day all goes the better; and on the contrary. If Jacob see God's face in prayer the night before, he is confident to speed well the next morrow. If the instrument of a Christian's spirit be not well tuned in prayer, truly he will make but bad music all the day after in his calling and employments. If we speed not well at heaven's court, we shall not do so well in earth's country. If at this holy mart and port we get not well stored, and full lading, we shall make but poor markets elsewhere.

Sometimes in

But to answer more particularly. special sort we are to be long in prayer; other times there are when it is meet to be but short. We are to be long in prayer,

1. When some extraordinary occasion of the church or commonwealth, or of our own or other Christians call for it. Prayer of eight hours long was made on that fast-day. Nehemiah himself spends whole days in prayer and fasting. Prayers stretched out upon the tenters (as the Greek word is) was made by the church for Peter's enlargement.

Upon the calling of Christ's twelve disciples, he spent a whole night in prayer, and so in families, Christians for a time are to be as only sequestered to prayer and fasting: "Abstain with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to prayer.”

2. When strong and long temptations are upon us. Jesus Christ in that strong and bloody conflict in his soul, being in an agony, he prayed, éxTevéOTEPOV, in a more extended manner. Then the Psalmist cries himself hoarse with long crying, when in these quagmires, that deep pit, those deep waters: "I sink in the mire, I am weary with crying, my throat is dry." Lord, in trouble they have poured out a prayer to thee: "They do not only barely drop, but plentifully pour out prayers." Psalm 102, title: "A prayer of the afflicted, when in distress he poureth out his complaint," and that prayer following is longer than others. When Satan, ó'Avridikos the law adversary does extend his pleas against us, it is meet that we should enlarge our counter pleas for our own souls; as the powers of darkness do lengthen and multiply their wrestlings, so must we our counter wrestlings of prayer: "We wrestle with principalities, and powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world.” Praying with all manner of prayers.

3. When some sad trials and sufferings are approaching, then will Jesus Christ spend night after night in prayer, not long before his bitter sufferings. "For my love they are my adversaries," (says the Psalmist,) but I pray, or I give myself to prayer, whilst they are treacherously plotting my ruin. We must lay in a magazine of prayers, against such a spiritual siege, and sorest sufferings; wherein, if not