The Scripture woonderfully layeth downe the benefite of this holy exercise , not in one , or two respects , but euen in euerie thing , that may befall the childe of God in this life . In afflictions , as partly hath bene shewed , it easeth the hart ; it staieth our steps still readie to slide into impatience ; it perswadeth the Lord ; it winneth his mercy , and bringeth his gotten comfort at time appoynted , to the panting soule , all breathlesse almost in the scortching heate of such triall , as pleaseth God to send . And therefore pray ( saith our Sauiour Christ ) continually , Luc. 21.36 . that ye may be counted worthy to escape al these things , that shal come to passe , & that ye may stand before the sonne of man . But what things are they ? O reade and consider that singular Chapter , & see the fruit of Prayer . False Christs shall come , and deceiue , to their endlesse woe , vers. 8. thousands and thousands , but pray wee to God against this fearefull fall , and wee shall escape ▪ Warres and seditions shall bee heard of , and seene , dreadfull and terrible , 9. but pray to God and they shall not hurt vs , no not once make vs iustly afraid . Though it be nation against nation , 10. kingdome against kingdome : 11. though the earth shake , and tremble in diuers places , and we see hunger , and pestilence , and fearefull things , and great signes in heauen aboue vs , yet pray wee to GOD our guide and strength , and we shall escape . If hands be layd vpon vs , persecuted and taken , 12. and deliuered vp to the Sinagogues , and Prisons , and brought before Kings and Rulers for the Lord Iesus sake , pray wee to the same our gracious God , and his word is past , 13. these shall all turne vnto vs for a testimoniall , and not hurt vs . If we want learning , knowledge , or vtterance : 14. so that we feare of a truth any weake defence , pray we to him , that in weaknesse is strong , and the power he hath promised , both of speach and knowledge , shall binde the very deuill , that he cannot stirre , 15. and with the head the members , with the Captaine the Souldiours , with their life all the limmes , so that not all the kingdome of perdition , if their force could bee ioyned against the poorest man or woman of vs , that euer shall professe Iesus , shall bee able to resist or speake against vs . Let our deare Parents that brought vs into this world , 16. seeke by cruell vyolence in hatred against a truth to throw vs out of the same againe , and our owne brethren , kinsmen and friends betray vs , and kill vs , if it please God , wee being hated euen of all men for the Lorde Iesus sake , 17. pray we still stedfastly vnto our God , and if he bee the Lorde that hath made the heauen and earth , whose word is truth , and abideth for euer , there shal not one heare of our heads perish , 18. 19. but in patience comfortablie we may possesse our soules . 20. Let Hierusalem bee besieged , that is , our natiue land and countrie , our townes and houses in which we dwell , a token that desolation is neere : 23. let the heauie woman so great with childe begin to sigh for her selfe , and weepe with woe for her deare birth within her , with shiuering shrinkes , to thinke of bloudie Speare to spit her sprauling babe vpon , let our nation and people disobeying the Lord in the time of peace , fall vpon the edge of the sword , and be caried captiue into all Countries , 24. and our stately Cities , Castles and Towers be troden vnto dust , yea let the Sunne , 25. and the Moone , and all the Starres of Heauen threaten by their fearefull signes , the approching dreadfull wrath of God to men , trouble and perplexitie bee vpon earth , the Sea and the waters rore , and mens hearts faile them for feare , 26. looking after those things that shall come vpon the worlde , the very powers of heauen being shaken , and the Sonne of man appearing in the Cloudes with mightie power and glorie , 27· yet let vs pray with a chearefull voyce , and send out our faith to the Lord of life , as we are euer bidden , and amidst all these feares and terrors , otherwise to bee trembled at day and night , wee shall haue no cause at all to feare , but euen contrariwise , 28. to lift vp our heads towards heauen , as men and women behoulding with eyes their eternall deliuerance , euerlasting comfort , and vnspeakable ioy drawing neere vnto them , to remaine with them , and they in it for euer . O prayer then auaileable with GOD , and profitable to men . There needeth no more to declare the fruite of it ; and yet much more remayneth to bee spoken . For when in these dreadfull times many shall haue their harts oppressed with surfeting and dronkennesse , 34. and the cares of this life , and so that day of death & dome come vpon them vnawares , Prayer in watching shall preserue Gods chosen , that they shall bee counted worthie to escape all these things , and not onely so , but as followeth , with comfort , euen to stand before the Sonne of man , that is , in cheare , in ioy , in spirituall motions of hart , not to bee expressed by man , to enter into the heauenly and euerlasting tabernacles . Lord then for thy mercie , teach vs to pray , that these blessings promised to the same may light vpon vs . I stay the course that I might goe on in , for the profites of Prayer are innumerable . It sanctifieth our mirth , it sanctifieth our meates , and they are neither of them holy , Iam. 5.13 . 1. Tim. 4.5 . but in this . We wake and we worke , Psal. 4.8 . we sleepe and we rest in peace , if we faithfully pray . If we pray with Iacob , Gen. 28.20 . we prosper with Iacob in our iourney : If we pray with Dauid , we haue our heads couered with Dauid in the day of battaile . Psal. 140.7 . If we pray with the father , wée haue our sonne healed : Mar 9.25 . If wee pray with the mother , Math. 15.28 . we haue our daughter healed : If we pray with the maister , wée haue our seruaunt healed . Math. 8.13 . And what should I say ? Cornelius praying , hath Peter sent vnto him , Act. 10. and the holy Ghost powred vpon him : Anna praying , hath a childe giuen her : 1. Sam. 1.10 . and to conclude , there is no ende of the tale , nor measure of Gods mercies , if wee speake of the fruites of Prayer . This knew well the godly Father S. Chrisostome , Homil. 1. of praying to God . and therefore he sayth : if thou desirest to liue single , or in holy Matrimonie to Gods content , pray : if thou desirest to bridle anger , and with meeknesse to be familiar , pray : if thou desirest to bee free from the fret of enuie , or to doe any thing that belongeth to a godly life , pray , and pray hartely , pray , It is no small commendation of prayer that the Spirit teacheth it . Rom. 8.26 . and pray often , pray , and pray faithfully , & the Lord shall graunt thy prayer . For it is armatura inexpugnabilis , an armour of proofe against all and euery assaulting darte of the deuill or his members and meanes whatsoeuer . So profitable is Prayer we see . The Lord in mercie giue vs spirites .

Amen I beseech him . Yet see the poyson of Satan in his members against this fruitfull exercise : for there want not wittes in this wicked worlde , that dare dispute against it , and aske how it may bee that we should fitly aske of the Lord by prayer any thing , since without asking , and before asking , he knoweth what wee want and would haue , yea so fully knoweth he all things , that he needeth no remembrauncer to put him in minde of any thing : and therefore why should wee aske or euer pray , but leaue the Lord to himselfe to giue what pleaseth him .

Trueth it is that thus they reason , but I trust you see the impietie of their speech , and the blindnesse of their harts : for it is an olde rule and a true , that Subordinata non pugnant inter se . Things that are comprised one in an other are not contrary one to the other : and such are Gods fore-knowledge of all things , and our asking notwithstanding by prayer what we want . For in his owne person expressely in his worde he hath commaunded , notwithstanding all this his diuine knowledge of euery mans estate , which he knewe himselfe to knowe as well as wee , yet neuerthelesse that we should pray to him in our needes , and aske if we would receiue at his hands . And therefore you see this is a meruaile by the witnesse euident of the Lord himselfe , Math. 7.7 . Iohn . 4.2 . and our Prayer is not taken away in any respect by the Lords knowledge , but they implyed one vnder the other , stand and agree well both together . Then if you looke at the practise of Gods children , you may plainly see the same . Psal. 139. For Dauid confessing of the Lord , that he did not only know his wants , but his very thoughts , and that long before . Yet neuerthelesse for all this knowledge in God , vseth his owne duetie commaunded , and prayeth for his wants . Yea our sauiour Christ ( which may stand for many proofes ) in the same chapter , Math. 6.11 . biddeth vs call vpon our heauenly father by Prayer for our daylie bread , that is , for all necessities , and yet telleth vs , that he knoweth alreadie and before that we haue need of these things . Vers. 32. Elias the Prophet promised Achab rayne , not rashly vpon his own head , but as priuie to the Lords purpose , 1. Kings . 18.42 . and certified of his will , and yet for all that , most earnestly prayed he , crouching to the earth , and his face betwixt his knees , and seauen times sent his seruant towarde the Sea for it . Therefore let vs knowe , and so conclude , although the Lorde vnderstande most fullie and perfectly , what wee would haue , before wee pray , yet hath himselfe appoynted this meanes to obtaine at his handes , notwithstanding that his knowledge , and therefore wee must vse it euer notwithstanding the same , knowing that what his wisedome hath ioyned as standing & agreeing together , those , mans wisedome , nay mans folly , or Satans malice may not seperate , as disagreeing , and one frustrating the vse or profite of the other . And againe , that is no ende of our Prayer at any time , to admonish God of any estate of ours vnknowne vnto him , but we pray , notwithstanding he knoweth alreadie what wee want , to perfourme our obedience to his commaundement , and appoynted meane to giue glory to him as the fountaine of all good , to testifie to the world our faith and trust in him , and his promises , to exercise our patience in still yet expecting and asking , and for sondrie such causes allowed and godly , and not to put him in minde , as one that knoweth not our desire . Fond therefore I trust you see this reason is against the vse of Prayer .

Trueth it is , I thanke GOD , and so let it fall . Yet giue me leaue to propound an other to the same purpose , but I trust of no greater force . They say those things are not to bee asked euen of a man , much lesse of the Lord , which he willingly and of his owne accorde is purposed to giue : for that were not to honor , but rather to dishonor , by granting where no neede is . Esa 65.24 . Psal. 21.4 . But whatsoeuer we want the Lord is readie to giue , and therefore we should aske nothing .

In deede of no greater force at all . For it offendeth euen as the other did , in reasoning of thinges subordinate one vnder the other , and agreeing well together as of things contrary to themselues , and therefore taking away one an other . The willingnesse of God to graunt our desires taketh not away our Prayer , but strengthneth our faith to aske chéerefully , and therfore euen then when he saith you shal haue , Math. 7. he saith also aske by Prayer : then when he saith I will heare , Psal. 50. he saith also call vppon me : and euen then when he promiseth to be néere , yet he mentioneth to whom , Psal. 145. Ioel. 2.32 . Psal. 34.16 . namely to such as pray vnto him . And the eyes of the Lord are vpon the iust , and his eares are open to their Prayers . Therfore euen the Lord himselfe being iudge , his purpose to graunt taketh not away our obedience to aske : his readie willingnes to giue , euen before we aske , crosseth not at all his commaundement neuerthelesse to aske , and so neither our bounden duetie to perfourme the same continually . But by all those places of his fatherly readines , and most mercifull willingnes to doe vs good , as I haue alreadie saide , our faith is strengthned , our harts incouraged , his goodnesse shewed , and our obedience in 〈…〉 Prayer confirmed greatly , not any way subuerted or taken away .

Well then , see nowe an other deuise of Satan against this holy exercise . If we cannot take it away out of the vse of men by these conclusions , let vs trie another way to make it vaine , and not onely so to our selues , but euen hatefull and abhominable to the Lorde . Let vs ascribe vnto it merite of remission of sinnes , iustification with God , many marueilous vertues aboue the dignitie allowed in the word , and finally to saluation . And to this ende let vs alleage all the places of Scripture wherein Prayer is commended highly , Mark . 9.29 . Psal. 55.17 . &c. as if they meant thus highly .