The Nature Parts and Kinds of Prayer, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Sect. 1. Of the matter of our prayers, or the thin… we are to pray for.
I Now come to conſider the matt… of our prayers, or the things … ought to ſeek for at the hand … God, and they are all good thing ſuch as may ſtand with Gods gl… ry, and our own eternal welfar… The things we are to pray for, a… things,
Spiritual.
Temporal.
We ought in the firſt place to ask …uch things as concern Gods glory, …nd then thoſe things that concern …ur own good, becauſe Gods glory …s to be preferred before all things; …t is the end of our creation, and of …ur redemption, and the end that God propoundeth to himſelf, Prov. …6.4. and that which we ought alſo …o propound to our ſelves in all …hings, doing all to the glory of God, … Cor. 10.31.Hooker. Eccleſ. polit. lib. 5. The faithfull have this comfort (ſaith a learned man) that whatſoever they rightly ask the ſame (no doubt) but they ſhall receive, ſo farre as may ſtand with the glory of God, and with their everlaſting good, unto either of which two it is no vertuous mans purpoſe to ſeek or deſire to obtain any thing prejudicial.
Now we are in the firſt place to …ek the kingdome of God, and the …ighteouſneſſe thereof, as our Saviour …xhorteth, Matth. 6.33. We are …bove all things to ſeek for the favour of God in Chriſt, becauſe t… grace is the cauſe of all other b… ſings, Titus 3.7. Epheſ. 2.8. Rom. 24. and therefore firſt to be pray for, for all ſpiritual bleſſings … from this grace, and all temp… bleſſings are appendixes of the ſa… Epheſ. 1.5, 6, 7. 1 Tim. 6.6. 1 … 3.22. Likewiſe, it is the moſt … cellent bleſſing of all other; how … neſt is David in the book of the Pſ… in praying for the favour of God, 80.7. Cauſe thy face to ſhine, and ſhall be ſaved, Pſalm 27.8. Thou ſa… ſeek my face, and my heart anſwe… thy face Lord will I ſeek. In all … prayers we ſhould principally … the face and favour of God, par… of ſinne, peace of conſcience, … reconciliation by Jeſus Chriſt: other things let us leave them to … wiſdome of God, for if we h… the grace and favour of God we h… all. As among men he that h… the favour of a great Prince,Dr Sibs Serm. in Pſal. 27.8. d… not ſtudy this or that particu… thing, having his favour, he kno… eth he hath that which will ſta… him in ſtead in all exigencies. T… favour of God is a ſtore-houſe of … all good, and better than life it ſelf, Pſalm …3.3. as a grave Divine …ath well noted. David ſaith, Pſalm ….6, 7. There be many that ſay, who …ill ſhew us any good? ſhewing that …arthly minded perſons look for hap…ineſſe onelyonly from earthly things: But then he prayeth, Lord lift up …he light of thy countenance upon us; …s if he had ſaid, Lord let me enjoy …hee, and that ſhall ſuffice: Then …e ſpeaketh of the experience of that …atisfaction he had formerly found …rom God; Thou haſt put more glad…eſſe into my heart than they had when …heir corn and wine encreaſed. The …ulleſt barns and wine-cellars can…ot yeeld that content to an earthly …eart that I have formerly found in …hee: Then he compareth the ſatiſ…action he had found in God not on…y with abundance of outward …hings, but with the encreaſe of …hem: for it is the increaſe of outward things that wins the hearts of the ſons of men unto them. David finds more content in God than worldly men could find in the increaſe of corn and wine: Moreove… ſaith he, Thou haſt put more glad… into my heart, then they have w… they abound with outward thing the joy that ariſeth from Gods … vour is infuſed into the ſoul; Go… favour doth not only yeeld matter joy to a believer, and ground comfort; but gives as it were t… very affection of it to the ſo Earthly things infuſe not joy into … heart of man; he that will have a… good from them muſt extract a… draw it out; and many times wh… the heart and the world do d… moſt, it finds no ſatisfaction fro… worldly things: If we had all lights and pleaſures, and have … the favour of God, they will do no good. What became of the w… dome of Achitophel, the honour Haman, the riches of Dives? th… end was full of ſorrow and miſer… but the favour of God frees us fro… all evil, and gives us the poſſeſſion all good.
Now all our prayers for ſpirit… and eternal things muſt be abſolu… We muſt conſider how God pro…eth his bleſſings, and accordingly we muſt make our prayers. Now God promiſeth eternal life abſolute…y, 1 John 2.25. and the means which …re neceſſary thereunto, are Faith …nd Repentance: therefore we are …o pray for both abſolutely, becauſe Gods promiſe is abſolute as to theſe …hings; a'nd we cannot be happy without them, and this we muſt beg …bſolutely for others as well as for …ur ſelves. Many people ſay to …thers, God ſend you health, long …fe, good luck, well to do: but for …he pardon of their ſins, and the …avour of God toward them, they …ray not for it, think not of it, but …aul in all his Epiſtles wiſheth Grace, …ercy and peace to the Churches: And …ven thoſe that are ſanctified have …eed of more grace; they muſt be till prayed for, that grace may be multiplied upon them.
Sect. 2.
FUrthermore, it is lawfull for us to beg temporal things at the …ands of God. Our Saviour hath taught us to pray, Give us this … our daily bread: By which I unde… ſtand corporal food, and all go… means to preſerve our temporall ſuch as the good things of the bo… as health, due temperature, con… tution of body, food and raime… Phyſick and recreation: And o… ward good things concerning o… temporal eſtate: So we may pr… for all things neceſſary to our p… ſons, places and callings; when … pray for theſe outward things, … muſt ſeek onelyonly for neceſſaries, a… not ſeek ſuperfluities or abundan… obſerving Paul's precept, Hav… food and raiment therewith to be … tent, 1 Tim. 6.8. and it was his o… practice, Phil 4.11, 12. I have le… in what ſtate ſoever I am therewit… be content. Iſrael was not conte… with Manna, and would needs ha… fleſh, and they had their deſire a… deſert withall, Num. 11.31, 33. the… fore we muſt not luſt after evil thi… as they did, 1 Cor. 10.6. nor after go… things in an evil manner. When m… covet or deſire more than God give… they draw Gods curſe upon them, … …hoſe that would gather Manna un…eaſonably, had a worme in it that …orrupted it: But better is a little …ith the fear of the Lord, than great …eaſures, and trouble therewith, Pſalm …7.16. What though men have …bundance? Yet mans life conſiſteth …ot in the abundance of the things he …oſſeſſeth; neither temporal life, nor …piritual. Man liveth not by bread …lone, but by every word that proceed…th out of the mouth of God, Deut. ….3. The life of man is not preſerved …nely by meat, drink and apparel, …ut by Gods bleſſing on the means; which we muſt earneſtly pray for:Sicut homines baculo innituntur, ita vita noſtra pane innititur, Bread in therefore ſaid to ſtrengthen mans heart, or …o uphold life, as a man is ſupported by his ſtaffe, Pſalm 104.15. Willet in Levit. 26. Gods bleſſing is an eſſential part of …ur daily bread that we are to pray …or; and this is evident, in that the …ord threatens to break the ſtaff of …read, Levit. 26.26. and that they …hall eat, and not be ſatisfied.
Queſt. Here a Queſtion may be propounded, viz. Whether a man may …ray for riches, and an abundance of outward things?
Reſp. I anſwer, he may not: 1. Becauſe a deſire to be rich occaſionet… temptations and ſnares: They tha… will be rich, fall into divers tempt… tions, 1 Tim. 6.9. therefore we mu… not pray for occaſions of ſinne, b… avoid all occaſions of evil.
2. Becauſe a deſire after rich… argueth covetouſneſſe, which is … inordinate deſire and diſconte… with our preſent eſtate; but that is fault, 1 Tim. 6.8. Let your converſati… be without covetouſneſs, and be conte… with what you have, Heb. 13.5. ther… fore the fountain being evil, to ſtream cannot be good.
3. Agur prayes only for food c… venient, Prov. 30.8. that is, neceſſ… ries for him and his; but pray againſt riches and poverty, and h… example is not contradicted by a… rule of Divinity, therefore a perp… tual rule of direction for us: pleaſed God well, that Solomon a… ed not long life, nor riches, nor t… lives of his enemies, 1 Kings 3.10, 1… but onelyonly a wiſe and underſtand… heart. Therefore neither pray ſ… riches, nor againſt them, but every man proceed in his calling, intending Gods glory, and if God ſend riches to be thankfull for them.
Sect. 3.
BUt for temporal things, as health, peace, deliverance out of ſuch troubles, &c. and all things not neceſſary to ſalvation, we are to pray for them, not abſolutely, but conditionally, becauſe God ſo promiſeth to beſtow them: Go to God then as a poor patient to a Phyſician, that deſireth health, and the means of health; but becauſe he knoweth not what means is beſt for the recovery of his health, whether bitter pils, or gentle potions, he referreth all to the diſcretion of the Phyſician. We are all ſick of the ſurfeit of ſin, we muſt go to God the ſpiritual Phyſician of ſouls for health and recovery of our ſpiritual maladies, for which we muſt pray abſolutely, becauſe his promiſe is abſolute in regard of the end, viz. to give us a Kingdome, Luke 12.32. and likewiſe the means leading to the end. He hath promiſed, H… will not ſuffer his people to be tempte… above what they are able to bea…, 1 Cor. 10.13. Now the conditions that we are to uſe in praying fo… temporal things, are, If it may ſtan… with Gods glory, if it be agreeable with Gods will, if it may be for our good.
Object. But here it may be ſaid, That to pray conditionally with [Ifs] and [Ands] is not in faith, but d…ubtingly, for he that prayeth ſo, is not perſwaded, that God will her him, but hangeth in doubt and ſuſpenſe.
Reſp. We may pray conditionally, and yet in faith; and though God give us not the ſame thing we ask, yet he will give us as good or better, Pſalm 103.13. God is a compaſſionate Father, and very indulgent, ſparing his people as a Father ſpareth his own ſonne that ſerveth him, Malac. 3.17. Now what Father if his ſonne ask him bread will give him a ſtone, &c? Luke 11.11, 12. eirher the father will give him that he asketh, or if that be not good for him, he will give ſomething better, though it may not ſo well content him. God will give unum è du…bus, ſaith Bernard. I adde, that to ask temporal things abſolutely, is not to ask in faith; becauſe where there is no promiſe made to us, there can be no faith to believe, that God will beſtow ſuch or ſuch a bleſſing upon us. Now there is no promiſe that God will grant particular requeſts for temporal things. A man in ſickneſſe hath no particular promiſe that he ſhall have health; a man in danger and trouble hath no promiſe of deliverance; and neither of them can certainly believe health or deliverance, becauſe he hath no promiſe to reſt on. God hath promiſed to give good things to them that ask them, Matth. 7.11. and he hath, ſaid Pſalm 34.10. that they that fear the Lord ſhall want no manner of thing that is good for them: but whether health or deliverance be good for us God knoweth; for though ſickneſſe and trouble for the preſent ſeem grievous, and not good, Becauſe no chaſtiſemen… for the preſent is joyous but grievou… Heb. 12.11. yet it may be goo… for us, producing good fruits in u… as David ſaith, Pſalm 1.9. It … good for me that I was afflicted: Therefore in ſuch things as theſe, we are to pray conditionally; If it ſee… good to the Lord; if it be his will▪ if it make for his glory, and for our ſalvation, then beg the reſtoring of health, deliverance from ſuch a diſtreſſe, elſe reſt contented and patiently bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe you have ſinned againſt him.
There are theſe extraordinary caſ… in which we may pray abſolutely for temporal things, if ſuch caſes ſhould happen to us.
1. If we have a ſpecial command to ask ſuch a thing at the hands of God, as Ahaz had, Iſai 7.11. to whom the Lord ſaid, Ask thee a ſign of the Lord thy God, ask it either in the depth, or in the height above: Now it was a ſinne for him not to ask abſolutely having ſuch a command from God; but we have no ſuch command now-a-dayes.
2. If we have a ſpecial promiſe of temporal deliverance, as Iſrael had for deliverance out of Babylon at the end of ſeventy years, then may we pray with Daniel for the accompliſhment thereof, Daniel 9.2, 4. otherwiſe, if we have a general promiſe onelyonly, with reference to time, place and manner of our deliverance, but no particular promiſe who ſhall be our deliverer, nor when the time of our deliverance ſhall be, then may we not pray with Moſes to ſee the good Land, but conditionally; for though God hath told us he will hear us, he hath not told us when he will hear us, nor in what, therefore it is indefinite, and made conditional, ſc. if it be good for us, elſe he will neither hear nor help us; and thus in not hearing us, he doth moſt hear us, Nòn ad voluntatem, ſed ad ſanitatem, not in particular requeſts, yet in the general intention.
3. We may ask ſome temporal bleſſing abſolutely, for the confirmation of ſome extraordinary calling: as Gideon would prove whethe… God would ſave Iſrael by his hand, firſt if the dew ſhould be on the fleece only, and it be dry on all the earth beſide, the… if it be dry onelyonly on the fleece, and ther… be dew on all the ground; and Go… gave him what he asked, Judges 6.37, 39.
4. We may ask ſome temporal thing abſolutely for the confirmation of a fundamental truth; as when the people of Iſrael halted between God and Baal; Elijah the Prophet prayed, Lord God of Abraham, Iſaac and Iſrael, let it be known this day, that th… art God in Iſrael, and that I am thy ſervant, and that I have done all theſ… things at thy Word; Hear me, O Lor… hear me, that this people may know th… thou art the Lord God, &c. 1 Kings 18.36, 37.
5. When it proceedeth from a… extraordinary heroical ſpirit. Thu… Joſhua ſpake to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Iſrael▪ and he ſaid in the ſight of all Iſrael Sun ſtand thou ſtill upon Gibeon, and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon, and they did ſo; and there was no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord hearkned to the voice of a man, Joſhua 10.12, 13, 14. Thus Elijah calls for fire to come down from Heaven (being a man of God) to conſume two Captains with their fifties, 2 Kings 1.10, 11, 12. But theſe caſes are all extraordinary.
Therefore ſeeing we know not what is good for us, let us leave circumſtances and ſubſtance to God, not limiting God to time nor means, nor manner, but to reſign all to God; it is the readieſt way to ſpeed: As David, 2 Sam. 15.25, 26. ſaid unto Zadok the Prieſt, Carry back the Ark of God into the City: if I ſhall find favour in the ſight of God, he will bring me again, and ſhew me both it, and his habitation; but if he thus ſay, I have no delight in thee: behold here am I, let him do to me as ſeemeth good unto him; not to do thus, is to capitulate, which little becometh beggars, to pray by indenture appointing when God ſhall hear us, and what he ſhall grant us; this is a limiting of God his counſai… and a tempting and provoking o… him.
Sect. 4.
Queſt. HEre a Queſtion may b… propounded, ſc. Wheth… we may pray for temporall things for t… time to come, ſeeing our Saviour ſait… when ye pray, ſay, give us this day ou… daily bread.
Reſp. 1. We may with Joſeph i… yeers of plenty provide againſt a tim… of ſcarcity, and as the Apoſtles provided for the Church of Iudea again… the dearth that ſhould come in th… daies of Claudius Ceſar, Acts 11.28 Go thou ſluggard to the Ant, conſide her waies, and be wiſe, ſhe provideth her meat in ſummer again… winter, Prov. 6.6. He that provider not for his family is worſe than an infid… 1 Tim. 5. Parents are to lay up for thi… children, 2 Cor. 12.14. Chriſt forbi… onelyonly covetous, carking, inordinat… diſtruſting care, which ſheweth … ſelf; 1. In greedineſſe. 2. In cloſe… fiſtedneſſe. 3. In niggardlineſſe. 1. B… getting goods by unlawfull means, … force, fraud, &c. 2. In keeping them, affecting and loving them too much when we have them, contrary to Pſal. 62.10. 3. In parting with them unwillingly and baſely — 2. Chriſt forbids an inordinate diſtruſtfull care onelyonly for to morrow, when he ſaith, Care not for to morrow; which inordinate care may thus be manifeſt: 1. When men provide ſo much for them and theirs, as might ſerve many families many ages, ſcrape as though they ſhould never die; when they know no end of their wealth: the King may not multiply ſilver, Deut. 17.16, 17. 2. When men think ſo to ſettle …hemſelves and their neſts on high, …hat no judgement, chance, change …or caſualty ſhall befall them; though God can ſoon ſend the famine, word, and peſtilence to devour their …ubſtance. 3. When men are care…ull to provide for to day and to morrow, contrary to that of our Saviour Matth. 6.34. Care not for the mor…ow: now if we be carefull for the morrow to day, we ſhall be forced …o care for it twice; nor do we need …o morrow, till to morrow cometh; this preſent day is only the ſeaſon… our neceſſity;Fenner's Expoſit. of the Lords Prayer. and God teacheth … to pray every day for the m… cies of the ſame, which merc… flow not from God all at on… but ſome to day, and ſome … morrow, as one hath well obſ… ved.
Now our Saviour hath giv… us a rule about the ſeeking a… obtaining of temporall bleſſing Firſt ſeek the Kingdom of God, … the righteouſneſſe thereof, and then … theſe things ſhall be miniſtred unto … Matth. 6.33. or given,foreign. One prayes for grace, and God gives him both grace and peace; another prayes only for peace, and God gives him neither grace nor peace: not peace, becauſe he wants grace to uſe it; not grace, becauſe peace is all the grace he cares for; not peace, becauſe he wlll puniſh him for not begging or eſteeming grace; and not grace, becauſe he ſeeks not for it: many pray for outward bleſſings, and God hears them not; others prosper in theſe things without prayer: what is the reaſon? is it vain then to pray? ſurely no: pray for a bleſſing, and leave the event to God; it is ſometimes a bleſſing to want ſuch an outward bleſſing: by this dealing, God ſhewes us, he is tyed to no man by deſert; he ſheweth he will do with his own what he pleaſeth; he will exerciſe thy faith and fortitude, peradventure he meaneth to hasten thee to better favours: and for the other that reſpecteth not prayer, and yet prospereth in outward things; God doth it to allure him to him, or elſe it may be to fatten him up to the ſlaughter, in which reſpect that proſperity is adverſity, and that ſeeming bleſſing is a true curſe. or caſt over and above the bargain; Metephor being borrowed fro… merchants and tradeſmen, w… uſe to give ſome overplus to the cuſtomers, either in number things ſold by tale, or by draft things they ſell by weight, or hea… to things they ſell by meaſure: ſo we ſeek ſpirituall things, God w… caſt in temporall things if we a… diligent in the uſe of lawfull mea… how juſtly then are they to be repr… ved, that regard their bodies in t… firſt place, their goods in the ſecon… and their ſouls in the laſt, and leaſt, if at all.
Sect. 5.
MOreover! I ſhall add to this, that the matter of our prayers muſt be framed according to the will of God; and thoſe are only good and lawfull which are agreeable to his will: a thing is not firſt good, and therefore willed of God, but therefore good, becauſe it is wil…ed of God: God's will ought to be the rule and ground of our prayers: if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us, 1 Ioh. 5.14. that is according to his revealed will, for we muſt ask nothing but what he commandeth us to do, and therefore have need to pray for it: wha… duty ſoever God requires of us, tha… we are to pray for: ſo did Davi… Pſal. 119.4, 5. and when we pray according to Gods will, when he gran… our petitions, and doth our wills, h… doth his own will: we muſt no… therefore make our own affectio… the rule of our prayer, but the wi… of God only muſt be the rule o… them; hence our Saviour hath taugh… us to pray, thy will be done, Matth. 6▪10. and his practiſe was anſwerab… thereunto, Matth. 26.39. Father if … be poſſible let this cup paſſe, yet not … will, but thy will be done. By the w… of God, I mean not his hidden or ſ… cret will, this is to be adored, n… ſearched. Rom. 11.33. Acts 1.6. W… muſt not pray that this will of G… be done; 1. Becauſe it is alwa… done, and cannot be reſiſted. Iſa. … 10. My counſell ſhall ſtand? who h… reſiſted his will? Rom. 9.19. wher… his revealed will is generally reſiſte… I would, ye would not, ſaith Chri… Matth. 23.37. 3. Becauſe we m… diſſent from his ſecret will without ſin, ſo we muſt ſubmit to it, and reſt in his revealed will, as is evident, in Abrahams praying for the Sodomites, Gen. 18.23, 27. and David for the life of his child, 2 Sam. 12.16. and Chriſt for the removall of his bitter cup; we muſt walk according to Gods revealed will, which is good, acceptable, perfect. [Good] becauſe he willeth that which is good, that which makes us good, tendeth unto good, Gods glory, and our eternall good. [Acceptable] becauſe whatſoever we do according to his will, and word, is accepted of God; if we do it of our own wills it is will-worſhip, Col. 2. lat. and vain worſhip, Matth. 15 9. [Perfect] Becauſe nothing can be added to it, nor taken from it, Deut. 4.1. and becauſe it leadeth to perfection: therefore though Gods revealed will be ſometime different from his ſecret and abſolute will; yet we muſt walk according to the direction of Gods revealed will in his word: therefore even ſuch prayers as are contrary to his ſecret will are allowed of him, when they are agreeable to his revealed will. An inſtance of this you have in Abraham, Gen. 17.18, 20. who not knowing h… ſhould have any other child than Iſhmael, that ſhould be the child of the promiſe, prayeth earneſtly in the behalf of Iſhmael, Oh that Iſhmael mig… live before thee: but then God tell… him that Sarah his wife ſhould bear hi… a ſon, and he ſhould call his name Iſaac; and the Lord would eſtabliſh his covenant with him for an everlaſting covenant, and with his ſeed after him: an… in verſ. 20. he ſaith; as for Iſhmael I ha… heard thee, behold I have bleſſed him, an… will make him fruitfull, and multiply hi… exceedingly: God doth not diſallo… the prayer of Abraham concernin… Iſhmael, though it was not accordin… to his ſecret will, it being accordin… to his revealed will: and though h… gives him not what he deſireth, ye… he gives him that which in his ſecre… will he had deſigned him for—ye… ſuch prayers as are made contrary t… God's particular will revealed, a… approved of God, when they a… made according to his generall an… ordinary will revealed; eſpecially … his ſpeciall extraordinary will revealed, be not abſolute and peremptory, but conditionall; as appeareth in the caſe of the Ninevites, Jon. 3.4. Yet forty dayes and Nineveh ſhall be deſtroyed: yet ver. 10. we read that upon their repentance, God reverſed the ſentence, and repented of the evil he had ſaid he would do unto them, and did it not: now ye are to know, that the will of God was not fully made known in the firſt part; and therefore Gregory ſaith of God;Deus mutat ſententiam, conſilium nunquàm. Gregor. he ſometimes changeth his ſentence, but never changeth his purpoſe intended; and in ſuch kind of ſentences and threatnings there is alwaies a condition annexed to them, which is either expreſt or underſtood, which is (as the hinges of the door) to turn forwards or backwards the whole matter: Yet forty daies and Nineveh ſhall be deſtroyed; yet not in twice forty yeers, if Nineveh ſhall repent: So then Nineveh is not deſtroyed, becauſe Nineveh is changed, and the unchangeable will of God ever was, that if Nineveh repented, it ſhould not be deſtroyed: now he that diſcovereth his mind conditionally, may change his ſentence, and yet not be taxt of inconſtancy, and mutability. Let us go a ſtep yet further: when the will o… God is abſolute and peremptory, ye if it be not ſo revealed to us, we may pray even contrary to the abſolut… will of God; as David (withou… doubt) did well in praying for hi… child, after he was threatned with th… death of it from the Lord, 2 Sam. 11 14, 16, 22. notwithſtanding the decree of God was that the child ſhould die, becauſe we have ground of hope and help in ſuch caſes.
Queſt. But what may we do that w… may pray according to the will of God?
Reſp. Let us entreat the Lord t… frame our hearts and wills accordin… to the will of God, as well as ou… own will: it's an happy thing, whe… God's will and ours run both in on… wheel; then may we ſpeed and hav… comfort in our prayers; but if w… walk ſenſually, prophanely, and contrary to God's will, we muſt no… think that our prayers ſhall b… heard.
2. If we cannot bring our hearts to this holy habit, yet let us ſtudy the word of God, which is the revelation of God's will, and wherein we may rightly be directed, how we may frame our prayers, ſo as God ſhall accept them; and hence being truly informed, what is God's will, and taught how to pray; we muſt renounce our own ſpirit and will, and endite our prayers (contrary to our own carnall propenſions) according to the direction of God's word, oppoſing the will and word of God againſt our own private and corrupt inclinations; and the more ſelf-deniall there is in our prayers, the better the Lord will regard them.
3. Crave the ſpirits aſſiſtance in this holy exerciſe; it is he that helpeth our infirmities,1 Joh. 2.20, 27. and teacheth us to pray according to the will of God, Rom. 8.26, 27. the ſpirit teacheth us all things, and therefore what is the will of God; yea he ſearcheth the deep things of God, and therefore can direct us to what is according to his will: therefore let our prayers (eſpecially in doubtfull caſes) be limited with this clauſe, which Chri… hath taught us; Thy will be done.