Christian purposes and resolutions.

XXXVIII.

PRayer is the Mindes Ambassador to God.

It is the onely Agent for the Soule; but if it haue not Faith and Humility for Assistants, it will ne∣uer bee admitted to his presence. The one is so much interested in him, That whatsoeuer we de∣sire when we pray, let vs beleeue that wee shall haue it, and it shall bee done vnto vs. The Wo∣man that had so long bin tro••bled with the fluxe, did but touch the Hem of his Garment, & with∣our further entreatie, he turned him about, and said vnto her: Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith

hath made thee whole. His graces are proportioned by this. According to your Faith, be it vnto you: said he vnto the blinde, that came and besought him for their sight: And to the Captaine: As thou hast beleeued, bee it vnto thee. The other is of that excellency, might, and power, that it maketh way for our Requestes, e∣uen thorough the regi∣ons of the Ayre, & com∣mands their passage tho∣row the thickest clouds. It vshereth them into the Priuy Chamber of his imperiall Maiesty, &

obtaines both hearing and dispatch for them without stop or stay. The Prayer of the Centurion, sent forth in the behalfe of his diseased Seruaunt, was well accompanyed with both. I haue not found (saith our Sauiour of the first) such faith, no not in Israell; and for the last, it was not to be pa∣rallelled: I am vnworthy, (said hee, ô humblenesse of mind) that thou shouldst enter vnder my roofe: and by so saying, hee shewed himselfe worthy, not in∣to whose house, but into whose heart the Lorde

might enter. By making himself vnworthy (saith S. Chrisostome) to receiue Christ into his Gates, he was made worthy to bee receiued of Christ into his Kingdome. But be∣side these, it had with it the encouragement of Charity, that with the more assurednesse & bet∣ter confidence it might appeare before him. To pray for our selues, pro∣ceedes from Nature, but to pray for others is the worke of Grace: Neces∣sity enforceth vs to that; but brotherly loue ex∣horteth vs to this; And

it is indeede a far sweeter sauour in the Nostrils of the Lord, thē that which ariseth from the sensitiue apprehensiō of our own misery: I aduise you there∣fore (saith Saint Paule to Timothy) that first of all Supplications, Prayers, In∣tercessions, and Thankes∣giuings be made for al men. The word which we pro∣fesse, instructeth vs by precepts and examples, that the conseruation of duty to the publique, should bee much more vnto vs, then the conser∣uation of eyther life or being, and that whatso∣euer

good is Cōmunica∣tiue should be preferred before that, which is but priuate and particular. S. Paule desired to bee ana∣themized for his Brethe∣ren; and Moses to bee ra∣zed out of the Booke of life for the Children of Israell, such was their zeale vnto the Church, and such their feeling of Communion. I wil con∣tinually therfore labour to lift vp pure handes to Heauen without doub∣ting. I will imitate the lowlinesse of the Publi∣can; and in my bosome will I cherish his meane

conceite. When I pray I will not stand in the Sy∣nagogues, nor kneele in the corners of the streets that I may bee seene of men; but I will enter in∣to my Chamber, and ha∣uing shut my doore, I wil cal vpon my heauen∣ly Father. He seeth in se∣cret, and shal reward me openly. In my Prayers I will bee mindfull of my afflicted Bretheren, that so the lord may be more mindfull of mee. God is exceedingly in loue with Charity; the very name thereof to him is as an oyntment powred out.

She is his onely darling; hee dooth kisse her with the Kisses of his mouth; when shee commeth to him, hee lodgeth her be∣tweene his breastes, and neuer sendes her from him but with ladē hands. The G••oler washed Paul and Silas frō their stripes, and by so doing, himselfe was washed from his sinnes.

Notes

• Mar. 11.24
• Math. 9.22.
• Math. 9, 28.
• Math. 8, 13.
• Luke 7.9.
• 1. Tim. 2, 1.
• Rom. 9.3.
• Exo 32, 32.
• Luk. 18.13
• Math. 6, 6.
• Cant. 1.1.
• Acts 16, 33