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The second thing required in the spirituall exercise, is effectuall prayer; for this is that which giueth vertue and vigour to our fasting, euen as fasting helpeth and strengtheneth prayer. And here first wee must beginne with humble confession of our sinnes, principally insi∣sting
vpon those whereby we haue most displeased and dishonoured God, and drawne vpon our selues his present Iudgements. The which wee may profitably aggrauate by all their particular circumstances (as before I haue shewed) but chiefely because wee haue committed them against such a gracious God, who hath multiplied vpon vs so many fauours and testimonies of his loue, respecting our soules, bodies and estates, this life and the life to come. Vnto which confession we must adioyne the adiudging and condemning of our selues to deserued pu∣nishments both temporall and euerlasting, this which we feare or feele, and all others with it, if God should deale with vs according to our deserts. By which confession and condemning of our selues, wee shall glorify God, both by iustifying his righteous Iudgements, & magnify∣ing his Mercies, either because he deliuereth vs out of our afflictions, or doth not inflict them in a measure proportionable to our sins. Secondly, hereby wee shall increase our humiliation and sorrow for our sinnes, when as we thus rip them vp and recount them, and (as it were) set them in order before vs. And finally, wee shall hereby much streng∣then our faith in the assurance of the pardon of them, seeing if we con∣fesse our sinnes, the Lord will vouchsafe mercy; if wee acknowledge them, he is faithfull and righteous to forgiue them. And consequently wee may bee assured, that our present iudgements shall be auerted or remoued, when as sinne, which is the cause of them, is done away; or if they be continued, that their nature shall be changed, seeing they shall cease to be punishments, which are inflicted to satisfie Gods Iustice, and shall bee vnto vs the chastizements of a gracious Father, signes of our a∣doption, testimonies of his loue, and much further our spirituall in∣riching with all sauing graces, and the eternall saluation of our soules. In which assurance of faith, grounded vpon Gods infinite mercies and free promises, wee are to proceed in making our suits knowne vnto God, either for our freedome and deliuerance from euill, by depre∣cation, or the obtaining of some good by petition. For after that we haue made our peace with God, and obtained by vnfained humiliati∣on and confession, the assurance of the remission of our sinnes, we must in the next place become suiters at the Throne of grace, in the media∣tion of Iesus Christ, that the Lord will be pleased for his owne mer∣cies, and his merits, to remoue the Iudgements which our sinnes haue drawne vpon vs. And thus the Lord hauing proclaimed a Fast to his people, doth prescribe vnto them a forme of deprecation, after that they were humbled, and had bewayled their sinnes: Let the Mi∣nisters (saith he) weepe and say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and giue not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule ouer them. The which was also practized by Daniel and Nehemiah in their fasts, where after the confession of their owne and the peoples sinnes, they craue pardon and deliuerance out of their afflictions. In which suites for freedome out of our miseries, we are to strengthen our faith in this assurance, that wee shall bee heard, by Gods speciall promises which he hath made, that hee will heare our prayers, and aboue all other times, when wee call vpon him in the day of trouble. Or if the sentence being pronounced,
cannot be reuoked, let vs humbly sue vnto God, that hee will at least ac∣complish his promises, in sanctifying our afflictions vnto vs, that they may not be punishments for our sinnes, but chastisements for our amend∣ment, meanes to mortifie our corruptions, to weane vs from the world, to strengthen and increase his graces in vs, faith, hope, affiance, loue, pati∣ence, humility, the feare of God, and the rest; and that they may bee as strong cords to draw vs neerer vnto God, and as sharpe spurres and goads in our sides, to pricke vs forward in the wayes of godlinesse. Vnto which deprecation, we are to ioyne petition, whereby wee must craue at Gods hands whatsoeuer good thing we stand in need of; as peace of consci∣ence, following iustification, sanctification, and the gracious assistance of Gods Spirit, for the mortifying of our corruptions, & our spiritual quick∣ning vnto newnes of life, for the replenishing of our harts with all sauing graces, and the strengthening of vs to all good duties, with perseuerance vnto the end, and that we may be inabled to withstand all the assaults of our spirituall enemies, who labour to hinder our course in godlinesse, and to turne vs into the broad way that leadeth to destruction. More special∣ly, we must pray according to the present occasion of our fast; as if it bee some grieuous sinnes which we haue committed, that the Lord will not onely graciously forgiue them, but strengthen vs with his grace and holy Spirit, that we may not againe fall into them; and inrich vs with the con∣trary graces, that we may honour him thereby for the time to come, as we haue dishonoured him by our sinnes in times past. If it be for deliuerance from some great danger, or out of some great affliction, that then the Lord will be pleased to giue vs the contrary safety and security, by taking vs into his protection, and vnder the shadow of his wings; or that he will vouchsafe to bestow vpon vs the contrary blessings and and benefits, if in his wisedome he seeth that they are fit for vs: As health in stead of sick∣nesse, honour for disgrace, plenty for penury, peace for warre, and such like. The which our petitions, as at all other times, so especially in the time of our fast, must be ioyned with extraordinary feruency, and such im∣portunity as will receiue no repulse, according to the waightinesse of the occasion, which maketh vs in this extraordinary manner to humble our selues before God. And also with a speciall faith, that the Lord will heare, not onely all our prayers agreeable to his will, which we make in his Sons name, but also our speciall suits which we haue now made in the time of our fast, so far forth as it will stand with his glory, and our owne saluation. The which our faith must be grounded vpon Gods gracious promises; & strengthened, by calling to minde the examples of Gods Saints from time to time, who hauing thus humbled themselues, and prayed in the time of their troubles, haue found helpe and deliuerance at Gods hands.
Psal. 5••. 4. Nehe. 5. Ezr. 9. 6. Dan. 9. 51.
Lam. 3. 22.
Pro. 28. 13. 1. Iohn 1. 7.
Heb. 12. 6. Apoc. 3. 19. Rom. 8. 28. 2. Cor. 4. 17.
Ioel. 2. 17.
Dan. 9. 5, 16, 17. Neh. 9. 32.
Matth. 7. 7. Ioh. 16. 23. Psal. 50. 15. Ioel. 2. 12, 13.
Ioel. 1. 14. Ionas 3. 8. Dan. 9. 19.
Psal. 50. 15. Ioel 2. 18, 19. Hest. 9. 22. 2. Chron. 20. Dan. 9. Ezra 8. 13.