Twenty-Nine Sermons, Sermon 10 – Title page 10
THE EFFICACY OF Importunate Prayer.
LUKE 11. 9.
Ask, and it ſhall be given unto you; Seeke, and you ſhall finde; Knock, and it ſhall be opened unto you.
OUr Saviour CHRIST being demanded by one of his Diſciples, how they ſhould pray; He here teaches them theſe two things. Firſt, a Platform of prayer, in the 2, 3, 4. verſes; Say, Our Father, &c. Secondly, he teaches them the Importunity of Prayer; which he ſets forth by the ſimilitude of a man who having a gueſt come to him at midnight, and had nothing to ſet before him, he went to his friend to intreat him to lend him three loaves, and at the firſt he nakedly intreats, Lend me three loaves: The door is ſhut, ſayes his friend, and I cannot open it now. Secondly, he falls to intreat and to beſeech him to do him this favour. He had a gueſt come to him, and he knew not what to do: Why 'tis midnight ſaies he, is there no other time to come but now? Thirdly, he begins to knock, he muſt needs have them, though it be at an unreaſonable hour. Why, I tell you I am in bed. Then he intreats him as a friend. Friend me no friends, ſayes he again. Yet the man would not leave knocking: at laſt with much adoe the man riſes, ſaying, Will you never be anſwered? and he lends him three loaves, becauſe of his importunity. Now, ſaith our Saviour, I ſay unto you, though he would not give him as a friend, yet becauſe of his importunity he will.
The ſimilitude is this: Thou art that man, oh Chriſtian ſoul, this gueſt is thy ſelf: Now then, come home to thy ſelf with the Prodigall, who when he was come to himſelf, goes to his father and friend. This friend is Chriſt, that thou art to pray unto; theſe three loaves are grace, mercy, and peace: Theſe thou art to pray for; it may be Chriſt anſwereth thee in thy conſcience, It is midnight, thou commeſt too late, there is no mercy for thee. The ſoul prayes ſtill, Oh Lord awaken and help me: it may be the Lord will anſwer thee by terror in thy ſoul, The door of mercy is ſhut, thou ſhouldeſt have come rather. Yet Lord, open unto me, ſayes the ſoul: Nay ſaith the Lord, all my children have mercy already; now mercy is aſleep, I have converted them already; they came in due ſeaſon, thou commeſt at midnight, there is no mercy for ſuch a hell-hound as thou art. Up Lord, have mercy on me, ſayes the poor ſoul, and look on me, &c. Look me no looks, ſaith the Lord; I came to ſave the loſt ſheep of the houſe of Iſrael: there was a time when I would have converted thee, when I called unto thee early and late: But now I am aſleep, and my mercy is aſleep, it hath been awake as long as it could well hold open its eyes; and comeſt thou now? Oh the ſoul cries ſtill, and will never give over: if mercy be to be had at the throne of grace, he will have it. Even as a begger being at a gentlemans door, they bidding him be gone, there is nothing to be had: nay, ſayes the begger, I will not be gone, here is ſomething to be had, and I will have ſomething, or elſe I will die at the door: The gentleman hearing him ſay ſo, thinks it would be a ſhame for him if he ſhould die at his door; and gives him ſomewhat: So when the ſoul is thus importunate, becauſe of importunity it ſhall be granted. Verily I ſay unto you, if you thus ask, it ſhall be given unto you.
Theſe words contain in them the main duty of importunate prayer. Aſk; if asking wil not ſerve turn, ſeek; if ſeeking will not ſerve turn, then knock: try all meanes.
Another parable our Saviour put forth, Luke 18. 1, 2. that men ought alwayes to pray, and not to faint. There was a poor woman wronged by her adverſary, and there was no Judge to right her but a wicked one, ſo that ſhe had but poor hopes; yet ſhe reſolves to go, or elſe ſhe ſhall be undone; therefore if ſhe periſh, ſhe will periſh at his feet. He cals her all to naught. Oh; for Gods ſake help me, ſayes ſhe. I care not for God nor man, ſayes the Judge: Nay, good my Lord, ſaith the woman. The Judge ſeeing her thus importunate, ſaid, I ſhall be troubled with her if I do her not juſtice. How much more (ſaith the text) ſhall not God avenge his elect that cry day and night?
Obj. But ſome man may demand, what is importunate prayer?
Anſ. I anſwer, it is a relſteſs praier, which will take no nay, nor contumelious repulſe, but is in a holy manner impudent until it ſpeed; and there are in it four things:
Firſt, it is reſtleſſe: he that is importunate, cannot reſt till he ſpeed in his ſuit before God as the poor woman of Canaan, ſhe ſought the Lord God of Heaven and earth, (ſhe was of the curſed ſtock of Cham whom the Lord commanded to deſtroy; yet ſhe repented, and became of the faith of Abraham) to ſee if the Lord would own her: but the Lord ſeemed to reject her, and ſuffered the devil to poſſeſs her daughter. Now, what, might not this poor woman think ſhe had made a ſorry change of religion, ſeeing that God the author of it would not own her, but ſuffered the devil to poſſeſſe her daughter? But ſee the importunity of this woman, ſhe would not be quiet untill ſhe had found Chriſt, Mark 7. 24, 25. Chriſt could not be hid. No? What, could he not hide himſelf in ſome corner? No. no, thinks ſhe, there is a Chriſt, and if he be to be had under the cope of heaven, I wil have him. Even ſo it is with the ſoul that is importunate in prayer, it is reſtleſſe. What if Chriſt do hide himſelf in the Word, &c. and will not own a poor ſoul, yet the poor ſoul knowes there is a Chriſt, and if he be to be found in the whole world, he wil have him: I wil, ſaith he, turn over all duties, I will go to all the Miniſters that are neer, I will uſe all the means. Now Chriſt cannot be hid from ſuch a ſoul that is thus importunate.
Now as it is a prayer that will take no nay, ſo firſt it will take no privative nay of ſilence; Secondly, no poſſitive nay of denial.
Firſt, no privative nay of ſilence: A man that is importunate in prayer, muſt and will have ſome anſwer; he is not like Baals Prieſts, that could get no anſwer, 1 King. 18. 26. nor like wicked men that pray in their pewes, they know not what, nor whether God hears them or no: but an importunate prayer will have an anſwer, like the woman of Canaan: Have mercy on me O Lord (ſaith ſhe;) but Christ anſwered her not a word. Hath ſhe done then? No, ſhe cries ſo much the more, Have mercy on me O Lord: yea ſhe was ſo importunate, that his Diſciples were aſhamed to hear her; yet ſhe cried, Have mercy on my daughter; the devil hath my daughter, and miſery will have me, unleſſe thou wilt have mercy on us. Chriſt anſwered her never a word. It was much trouble to her to have her daughter vext with a devil; but this troubled her much more, that Chriſt in whom all her hope was, would not hear her, nor lend her one look. What might ſhe think, Is this the merciful Saviour, that is ſo ful of pitty & compaſſion? Is this he that hath made proclamation to all the world, ſaying, Come unto me all ye that are weary, &c? and I am tyred and wearied by reaſon of the devil that poſſeſſes my daughter, &c. yet he regards me not. Thus ſhe might have ſaid: yet theſe diſcouragements could not put her off, but ſhe cried ſo much the more, yea ſo that the Apoſtles were aſhamed that Chriſt ſhould let her ſtand on that faſhion; yet ſhe ſtood it out, and prevailed.
Secondly, it will take no poſitive nay of deniall: For when ſhe had an anſwer, and that flat againſt her, it was like bellowes to the fire, ſhe was ſo much the more inflamed, ſhe doubles her forces, Have mercy on me O Lord, &c. Chiſt put her off with a deniall, I am not ſent but to the loſt ſheep of the houſe of Iſrael; I come for ſheep, not for goats; you are of the Canaanites, on whom I have ſet a brand of damnation, a ſervant of ſervants, a ſlave of hell and darkneſſe: Theſe are all of your blood; but I come to ſave them of the houſe of Iſrael. But the deniall of an importunate ſoul is like the ſtop in a paſſage of water; the more it is ſtopt, the more violent it is▪ ſo this poor woman is ſo much the more eager with Chriſt; ſhe did but cry before, now ſhe worſhips him, verſe 24. 25. as if ſhe ſhould have ſaid, Lord help me now, I am one of thy lost ſheep; I confeſſe I am a Canaanite, I am of that damned blood; yet Lord help me; I am perſwaded that thou canſt take a courſe whereby to help me, Thou canſt caſt ſome mercy on a Canaanite.
Thus you ſee, an importunate ſoul will take no deniall, but will renew its forces at the Throne of grace.
Thirdly an importunate Prayer will take no contumelious repulſe; ſuppoſe God ſhould anſwer never a ſyllable of thy prayer, yet thou wilt pray; ſuppoſe he do anſwer, and that againſt thee, yet ſtill thou wilt pray. Nay ſuppoſe he call thee all to naught making thy conſcience tell thee of all thy ſins and abominations, making thee think that heaven is ſhut up againſt thee, and God hath ſhut his ears, calling thee Dog hell-hound, and wretch, &c. yet nothing can break thee off if thou be importunate indeed. So this woman was not beaten off with Chriſts ſending the Devill into her Daughter, nor with Chriſts hiding himſelfe when ſhe ſought him; nor with Chriſts anſwering never a word, nor with the Apoſtles frumps, nor with his deniall, nor contumelious repulſe, for he called her dog, verſ. 26 Hence dog▪ I had as lieve …ling my mercy on a dog, as on th…e. What creature but an importunate one, could have gone ſo far? But ſee here the nature of importunity, it gets within Chriſt and takes advantage: ſhe confeſt the cauſe, ſaying, Truth Lord, thou haſt hit me right, I am a dog, or a wicked woman; let me then have the priviledges that dogs have; though dogs may not be equal with children at the cable, yet they may wait under the table: I acknowledge that thy children are ſo plentifully fed, that ſome crummes fall from the table, therefore let me have the priviledge of a dog. Naaman the Syrian was a dog, as well as I; Rahab the harlot was a dog, as well as I; Ruth a dog, as well as I; yet theſe got c…ums: truth Lord, I am a dog, yet thy mercy can metamorphoſe a dog: Of theſe ſtones thou canſt raiſe children to Abraham. Thus it is with an importunate ſoul, though God call it all to naught, and caſt all ignominious terms upon it, as I had as lieve thou ſhouldeſt offer me ſwines blood, as to ſpeak in my hearing, yet if thou be importunate, thou wilt bear any contumelious repulſe.
Fourthly, an importunate prayer is impudent in an holy manner: And as an impudent begger that is needy, counts it no manners to hold his peace from begging, although he be bidden; Or as a poor petitioner to the King, the King bids him hold his peace, yet he will not, but ſtill he goes on, The officers ſay, Thou filthy fellow, wilt thou never have done? doſt thou not ſee that the King is angry? Yet he ſtill cries, Help me Lord, ô King. So the Canaanitiſh woman, or an Importunate prayer, is an impudent prayer, yet in a holy manner.
I remember a ſtory of a poor woman in Eſſex condemned to die: ſhe falls to crying and ſcreeching, as if ſhe meant to pierce the heavens; the Juge and thoſe on the bench bid her hold her peace: O my Lord, ſaid ſhe, it is for my life I beg, I beſeech you, it is for my life. So when a ſoul comes before God, and begs for mercy, he muſt conſider that it is for his life, O Lord it is for my life. Now though the Lord will not anſwer, and though he call the ſoul all to naught, letting it go up and down with a heavy heart; yet the ſoul crying out, 'Tis for my life; If I muſt go to hell, I will go to hell from the throne of grace, weeping and wa…ling for my ſins, and catching hold on the horns of the altar: this ſoul ſhall finde mercy.
I have wondered at the ſtory in the 5. chapter of Luke, it is a ſtrange paſſage, where this godly kind of impudencie was ſeen. Our Saviour Chriſt was preaching in the houſe to the people, and there was a poor man that could not tell how to come to Chriſt; ſo the poor man got ſome to lift him up to the top of the houſe and to untile it, and ſo to let him down; now the rubbiſh could not chooſe but fall either on Chriſts head, or on the heads of ſome of his hearers; Was not this an impudent action? could not this man have ſtaied until the ſermon had been ended? But importunity hath no manners: And although he did interrupt Chriſt, yet Chriſt ask'd him not why he did ſo, but ſays, Man be of good comfort thy ſins be forgiven thee. Let us therfore come with boldnesſ unto the Throne of grace, Heb. 4. 16. with freedom to talk any thing; Not as if God had given us leave to be irreverent, but as to a loving generous man of whom we uſe to ſay, He is ſo kinde, you may ſay any thing unto him; come to him at dinner, he will riſe up and hear you, or what buſineſſe ſoever he be about, yet he will hear you. Even ſo it is with God: he is ſuch a God: that all poor ſouls may be bold before him to ſpeak what they will, they may lay open their caſes, and ſhew their eſtates. Now when ſouls come boldly, and give the Lord no reſt till he eſtabliſh them, Eſai. 62. 7. then ſaith God, How now, cannot I be at reſt for you? &c. This holy kinde of impudencie is in prayer, and it will give the Lord no reſt.
Reaſons why we muſt ſeek importunately, are three.
Firſt in regard of Gods majeſty, he loves to be ſought unto, and it is fit he ſhould be ſought unto. Among men, we account it a matter of too much ſtatelineſſe to be much intreated; and we uſe to ſay he loves to be intreated; this is a fault among men; yet for all this, Quis veſtrum, &c as Seneca ſpeaks, what man of us can be content to be but once, or ſlightly intreated? when a man comes to intreat a kindneſſe of a man there is I ſing and Anding and ſhall I &c. nothing but importunity can get a kindneſſe of a man; and this is a ſin among men, becauſe men are bound to do good; but the Lord is not bound to us. If we ſin, he is not bound to pardon us therefore; the Lord being a God of majeſty, lookes to be ſought unto of us for his mercy, and he lookes that we ſhould be importunate; and hence it is that God ſaith, I will give you a new heart, Ezech. 36. I will vouchſafe you all theſe favours, yet I will look to be inquired for of you. verſe 76. I will look that they ſhall ſend to me for theſe things.
Suppoſe a man ſhould need a 1000 pound; What, ſaith the gentleman, doth he think a thouſand pound is nothing? I will have good ſecurity for it. So when we come for ſuch high mercies as theſe, for ſuch infinite compaſſions; theſe are ſomewhat, and God looks to be ſought unto for them; and Chriſt the Son of God is a great heir, and thoſe that are faulters to him, muſt be importunate with him, if they mean to be at peace with him.
If one will marry a rich heir, who hath all the preferment and dignity that the country can afford, he looks to be well ſued unto. So the Lord Jeſus is a great heir, heir of the whole world; if thou goeſt to be married unto him, thou muſt ſue unto him, and he looks for prayer, he loves to heare his children crie: this is one of his titles, though he be a God, yet he is the hearer of prayer▪ Pſal. 65. 2.
Again, we have wronged his Majeſtie. Suppoſe thy ſervant wrong thee, thou wilt ſay thou wilt pardon him, but firſt thou wilt make him humble himſelf unto thee, he ſhall and muſt know that he hath wronged a good maſter: So God is willing to pardon thee, but yet he will make thy bowels know that thou haſt ſinned againſt a good God; he will make it appear by thy prayer, he will make thy ſpirit melt, he will fill thy face with ſhame and confuſion, he will make thee know what a patient God thou haſt rebelled againſt, or elſe the Lord will never pardon thee. Doeſt thou think to pacifie God with a lazie prayer, with coming to Church and ſaying, Have mercy upon me, moſt mercifull Father? Doeſt thou think that the Lord will have mercy upon thee for this? No, no, he may ſend thee quick to hell for all this; he will make thee cry and cry again with groans; he will make thee cry out and pray on another gates faſhion, and he will make the ſoveraignty of his mercy to be ſeen in thy ſalvation: therefore in regard of Gods majeſty, he loves men ſhould be importunate.
Secondly, in regard of Gods mercy; it is a diſgrace for Mercy to be begged frigidly; 'tis a diſgrace to Gods bounty, for a man to beg it with lukewarm importunity. What makeſt thou of the mercy of God? doſt thou think that it is not worth a groan, with the running over of a Pater-noſter? doſt thou make Gods mercy of ſuch baſe reckoning? this is a diſgrace to Gods goodneſſe, to be ſo cold or frigid in prayer. Thou haſt offered many offerings, yet I ſcorn them, ſaith God, Iſaiah. 43. 23. Thou haſt not honoured me with them, thou haſt not called on me, thou haſt been weary of calling on me, thou haſt too ſhort a breath in thy prayers, thou careſt not how ſoon thou comeſt to an end? Do you come and lay lazie prayers upon my altar? Thou haſt not honoured me.
It was a cuſtom among the Romans, when any was condemned to die, if he looked for mercy, he was to bring father & mother, and all his kinſmen and acquaintance, and they ſhould all come with tears in their faces, and with tattered garments, and kneel down and beg before the Judge, and cry mightily; and then they thought Juſtice was honoured. Thus they honoured juſtice in man, for a man condemned to die; and ſo the Lord loves his mercy ſhould be honoured, &c, and therefore he will have prayer to be importunate, that it may appear by groans how highly we eſteem of grace; our ſoules muſt pant and gaſp after grace, the breath of the Lord being the ſoul of our ſouls, our hearts will die without it: This is to the honour of mercy, therefore the Lord will have us Importunate.
Thirdly, as importunity muſt be in regard of Gods mercy, ſo it muſt be in regard of our ſelves, elſe we cannot tell how to eſteem it: Soon come, ſoon gone; lightly gotten, ſuddenly forgotten; I have it, come let us be jovial and ſpend it, when this is gone, I know where to have more; But if he had wrought for it, and alſo muſt work for more, if he mean to have more, he would better eſteem it. The world little eſteems Mercy; what's the reaſon? The greateſt covetous men are they that once were poor; when a poor man hath gotten ſtore of riches, he is more coverous than he that was born to hundreds or thouſands; they are careleſſe of it, and ſpend laviſhly, whilſt a covetous mans teeth water at it; and the reaſon is, becauſe they come lightly by it. Therefore the Lord loves that we ſhould come hardly by our mercy; not as if he ſold mercy for our pains, but for our good: yet we are not capable of it. See Jer. 31. 9. where the Lord ſpeaks thus to his people: They come with weeping, and with ſupplication will I lead them. This is a fine phraſe, God leads a ſoul up and down with ſupplication, before he grants his requeſt; juſt as a begger on the high-way, a gentleman coming by, he begs of him, the gentleman goes on his way as if he took no notice, but the begger goes on crying, For Gods ſake (ſir) beſtow ſomething on me; yet he goes on ſtill, till at laſt the gentleman comes to his houſe, and then he gives him his deſire. Even ſo God leads a ſoul up and down, from one good duty to another, till he have brought the ſoul to that paſſe that he would have it to be, and then he hears it, and ſayes, What is thy ſuit? I will pardon thee.
What then is the reaſon, may ſome man ſay, why ſo few are importunate in prayer?
I anſwer, firſt, becauſe men count Prayer a penance: there is a naturall kind of Popery in mens breaſts; the Papiſts, when men ſin, their Prieſts enjoyn them penance, as pilgrimages and ſcourgings, ſo many Pater noſter's, and ſo many Ave-Marie's, where they reckon Prayer to be a pennance. This naturall Popery is in mens breaſts; they count Prayer laborious unto them, and they are weary of it, they are not eager upon prayer, they look not on Prayer as a bleſſing, but as a yoak; behold what a weariſome thing it is, Mal. 1. 13. They were weary of the ſervice of God; Oh, ſa… they, that the Miniſter would once had done! they had rather be in an Ale-houſe, or about their buſines; all good duties are as penance unto carnal men. If a man be to do penance, he care not how little he does of it; a Rogue cares not for to much whipping.
Secondly, men content themſelvs with formality. Many men pray, as Haman ſpake the Kings words before Mordecai, for he had rather have led him to the gallows, than to have ſaid, Thus ſhall it be done unto the man whom the King wil honour: but he thought it would be the worſe for him if he ſpake them not, and therefore he only ſpake them for forme. And ſo men for the moſt part go to Church, to hear the Word, to Pray, to receive the Sacraments &c. even for forme, or becauſe it is the faſhion, and they think, if they do not thus and thus, they ſhall not be ſaved.
You ſhal have the Drunkard ſay, I am ſorry for my drunkeneſſe; but he lies; for the next day he will be at the Al…houſe again: ſo the Whoremaſter ſayes, Lord I am ſorry that I have ſinned againſt thee; but he lies; for the next Quean that he meets with, having opportunity, he falls to whoreing again: So the Covetous man will ſay, I am ſorry I am ſorry I am ſo full of earthly thoughts; yet he lies; he is not ſorry; for you ſhall have him carking and caring all the day long, and he hath a thouſand proclamations in his head; He only prayes for forme with the reſt, they only ſay prayer, they pray not. I deny not ſaying of prayer, if they pray; Our Saviour Chriſt ſaith, When you pray, ſay Our father; The proud man diſhonours Gods name, ſaying, Thy will be done; whereas he ſhould be humble, for that is Gods will; it is Gods will he ſhould be zealous, yet he prayes not: He ſayes, Forgive us our treſpaſſes, &c. but he prayes not ſo; for he wrongs his neighbour, and his neighbour wrongs him, and he does not forgive thoſe that treſpaſſe againſt him. He ſayes, Lead us not into temptation; but he prayes it not; for he runs preſently into temptations, and hath no care to avoyd them. And this is the reaſon why men are not importunate; viz. becauſe they do make formality of it.
Thirdly, becauſe they are gentlemen-beggers. Of all the beggers in the world, I would be loth to meet with a gentleman begger, for he is proudeſt of them all; if a man tell him that he hath been an ill husband, and hath abuſed himſelf, preſently he ſets his hands to his ſide, ſaying, I am not as every begger, I am thus and thus deſcended, am as good a man by birth as your ſelfe: a gentlemen-beggers heart will not ſtoop. So men … gentlemen beggers to God, they were (ſay they) borne of Chriſtian parents, and they have been baptized the children of God already; What are none the children of God, but a company of Puritans? We are deſcended as well as the beſt of you all. Theſe are proud, and not as yet brought to a ſenſe of their own miſerie.
When John did preach to, and baptize the Scribes and Phariſees, he calls them all to nought, O ye vipers and full of poiſon, who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come? Vipers, ſaie they? Viper in thy teeth; we are the children of Abraham, we are better deſcended then ſo; we are Believers, and do you call us vipers? then indeed we might crie out, Oh we are damned! then we had need crie for merciemercy. And in this ſenſe, men are Gentlemen-beggars.
Another reaſon why men are not importunate, is, becauſe they have wrong conceits of Prayer. I will tell you the ſundrie conceits of men.
Firſt, they have high conceits of their own prayers; they cannot pray in a morning, between the pillow and the blankets, halfe aſleep and halfe awake, but they think that they have done God good ſervice; ſo that he cannot afford to damne them: At night he ſaies, Lord have mercy upon me, and ſo goes to ſleep, and then he thinks God muſt keep him untill the morning: So when he goes to dinner, he ſais, Lord bleſs theſe creatures unto us, and ſo falls aboard, and he thinks that God muſt needs ſanctifie them unto him; and after ſupper he goes to prayer, and ſo to bed, and thinks that he ſhall be heard for his much babling ſake, Mat. 6. they think God will have mercy on them. But poor ſouls, if they knew how unſeemingly they prayed, how unfitly, and what want there is in ſeeing their own eſtate, they would ſay, is this to pray for my ſoul, for ſuch infinite mercy? Lord, how do I abuſe the throne of grace? how do I abuſe thy ſabbaths, thy houſe, thy name, and all the holy ordinances which I go about? A man that is importunate in prayer, is aſhamed; but when they think highly of their prayers, they are inſolent, their prayers are damned, and they too.
Secondly, as men have high conceits of their prayers, ſo they have mean conceits of their ſinnes, they think not their ſins ſo bad as they are. Theſe men are like Abner, who ſaid, Let the young men ariſe and play before us, 2 Sam. 2. 15. They account murder a ſport, and dancing and muſiking little worſe then Davids playing on the harp; Amos 6. 5. And if they commit adultery, they ſay▪ that's but a trick of youth; if they tell a lie, it is only at a dead lift when they have no other ſhift. That man that doth not think of every ſin he commits, as David did of his, even to make his heart to ake for it, that man ſhall never ſpeed well before God.
Thirdly, as men have mean thoughts of their ſins, ſo they have baſe thoughts of God. They cannot think that God ſhould damn a man for drinking a pot with his friend; I cannot think God will be ſo ſtrict; No, no, I love God with all my heart, ſay they; and they think that God is of their mind; and if they were as God, they would not be ſo ſtrict. So, Pſal. 50. They thought I was ſuch an one as themſelves; they think God will pardon …em, and therefore becauſe of this, men are not importunate with God. God hath ſent me a croſſe (ſaith one) but I hope to rub it off well enough. Why? God will not keep his anger for ever, Jer. 3. 5. Suppoſe a man be abſent from Church, or break out into ſome unſavoury ſpeech, will God be angry for this? Suppoſe a man be negligent in a good duty, will God require every dayes work? Tuſh, tuſh, God will not, Pſal. 10. 13. A company of Puritans ſay he will, but I know he will not: and hence it is, that men will not be importunate.
Laſtly, becauſe they have wrong conceits of importunity. If a man knock once or twice, or thrice, and none anſwer, preſently he will be gone; this is for want of manners; thou wilt knock ſeven times, if thou be importunate with them: They within may ſay, Hold thy peace, be gone, &c. but thou wilt not ſo be anſwered.
Beloved, men are cloſe-handed, they are loth to give; and they are cloſe-hearted too, they are loth to take the pains to ask of God; they are loth others ſhould be importunate with them, and therefore they are loth to be importuate with God. Examine your ſelves then in this duty; for importunate prayer is evermore the prayer of an importunate man.
THE EFFICACIE Of Importunate PRAYER. The Second SERMON By that laborious and faithful Meſſenger of CHRIST, WILLIAM FENNER, Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, and late Miniſters of Rochford in Eſsex.
London, Printed by E. T. for John Stafford.