Oile of scorpions The miseries of these times turned into medicines and curing themselues. By Francis Rous.

SECT. X. To Repentance must be ioyned vehement Prayer.

LAstly, to our Repen∣tance let vs ioyne vnde∣nyable prayer. I call it vn∣denyable, because it was neuer knowne that prayer ioyned to Repentance was denyed. Therefore in Ioel,* 1.1 when God shewes how hee may be ouercome, hauing enioyned Penitence; euen a confession of sinne, and a detestation o•…•… sinne (〈◊〉〈◊〉

pressed in fasting and wee∣ping) and a conuersion from sinne vnto God; hee also addes; Let the Priests and the Ministers of the Lord betweene the Porch and the Altar say, Spare thy people O Lord, and giue not thine heritage to re∣proach, that the Heathen should rule ouer them. Wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? And see what followes immediatly, Then will the Lord be iealous for his Land, and pitie his Peo∣ple. The prayer of a peni∣tent heart is a most accepta∣ble Sacrifice; yea, it is an ac∣ceptable Sacrifice offered vp by an acceptable Sacri∣fice.

For, first a penitent heart it selfe, as Dauid sayes,* 1.2 is by excellence the Sacri∣fice of God; and next the calues of our lips are an ac∣ceptable sacrifice of that sa∣crifice. So the penitent heart, which of it selfe is a sacrifice, is to prayer an Al∣tar. An excellent Altar from which ascends a sacrifice of sweet sauour into the pre∣sence of the Almightie. Therefore Dauid rightly* 1.3 orders his song, when hee sayth; first, Depart from e∣uill and doe good, seeke peace and pursue it, And when hee seconds it thus; The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous, and his eares are open to his crie.

children of Israel had moc∣ked* 1.4 with God oft in a false and short repentance, so that God had put them off with a deniall; yet putting away their Idols, and to their repentance ioyning vehement inuocation, they were heard in that which they feared. So true is that* 1.5 of Elihu, The penitent man shall pray vnto God, and he will be fauourable vnto him, and hee shall see his face with ioy. It is sinne only that clogs our prayers, and keeps them from ascen∣ding vnto God. The stin∣king smoake of our sinnes infects the smoake of our prayers, and makes them vnsauorie in the nostrils of

the Almightie. If therefore our sinnes be put away, and a pure heart send vp pure prayers, let it be confident, for there is no doubt of hearing. The Lord hath* 1.6 said it, whose word is stron∣ger then the Couenant of the Sunne and Moone. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer, thou 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and the Lord shall say; Heere I am. Where∣fore let vs depart from euil, and then confidently call vpon the name of the Lord, Let vs be as sure of hearing as we are of Repenting and Praying. Luxt•…•… Io•…•…annis vo∣cen•…•…▪* 1.7 •…•…. Ioh. 3. Tunc cor •…•…i∣duciam in oratione accipit, cum sibi vitae prauit•…•… nulla

contradicit, & bonorum ope∣rum ratio orationi conuenit. According to Saint Iohns Doctrine, 1. Ioh. 3. Then is the hart confident in pray∣er when it hath not the checke of a wicked life, but good works doe accompa∣ny* 1.8 good prayers.] If it bee thus, Then doe we know a sure way to preuayle with God, and what remaines but that we preuayle? Let vs neuer complaine of God but of our selues, if wee be not saued, for God hath promised deliuerance to the prayer of the penitent; Let vs therfore neuer leaue reponting and praying, for we may be assured that the end will bee preuayling.

This is the way, let vs walke in it, yea let vs lie downe in it, and with the woman of Canaan, let de∣layes or seeming denyals increase the strength of our Cries, for there is no doubt but Importunitie will pre∣uayle; and if our prayers mount vp vncessantly to God, our Sauiour wil come to vs assuredly with health vnder his wings.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioel 2,
• * 1.2

  Ps. 51.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 34. 15, 16.
• * 1.4

  Iudg. 10. 15
• * 1.5

  Iob 33.
• * 1.6

  Esa. 58. 9.
• * 1.7

  Hierom in Lament. cap 3.
• * 1.8

  When we know a way to bee healed, it can be no∣thing but our owne sloath, that keepes vs from hea∣ling.