and shillings that he idly spends, nor considers the loss which follows upon his daily negligence; whereas would he count what in this way was lost, he might find that it amounts to more than the other. Thus the Christian sometimes is troubled for one great sin into which he hath fallen, but withal, he observes not how negligently he performs his duties; how he sometimes prays coldly, for want of due preparation, and what little fruit comes for want of watchfulness after it, whereby in time he falls low; whereas if he could bring the several items of these particular losses together, he would find them swell into a sad reckoning, except, with these losses, he hath also lost the tenderness of his conscience. And shall a careless Christian add to his stock? Did you ever go by the sluggard's field, and not find it overgrown with thorns? Wouldst thou but make it thy business daily to watch thy heart, how thou prayest, and how thou walkest after prayer, thou shouldst find a blessed change in thy spiritual affairs; this strictness will at first be uneasy, but every day will wear it off, and a sweet facility follow, when thou shalt see thy gains come rolling in by it. He that finds how well he is paid for his diligence, by the increase of his estate, will not envy the sluggard his ease, when he shall see him walk by his door in rags. It was the saying once of a rich man, who by God's blessing on his diligence had raised a vast estate, that at his first setting up in the world, he got a little with much trouble; but afterwards he got his great gains with little trouble. And thou, Christian, wilt find the same in thy spiritual trade; thy trouble will be most at first, but thy gains most at last; because the way of godliness, by use and experience, will become easy and delightful. Sixthly, Consider what others lose by thy not watching; he that lives in a town, wrongs his neighbour as well as himself, by not looking to his fence. Thus one Christian may injure many, by not keeping his own watch. First, Thy very example is a wrong to others, for this sleepy disease is catching; thy loose conversation may make others do the same: it is no small blessing to live among active Christians, whose zeal and forwardness in the ways of God is exemplary; this puts courage in those that follow them; the heavenly, holy conversation of a master, is a help to the whole family. Secondly, Thou indisposest thyself for doing thy duty to them; we are commanded to watch over one another in love, as those that are concerned in our brethren's welfare. Now how unfit is he to watch over others, that doth not watch himself;-to provoke others to love and to good works, who needs himself the spur? Lastly, Consider Christ's watchful care over thee. Look upon him in his providence; that eye which neither sleeps by night, nor slumbers by day, is thy constant keeper: consider him in his intercession, there he prays for thee, watching thereunto with all perseverance; 'For he lives to make intercession for his saints:' consider him in his Spirit; what is he, but Christ's messenger, sent as our guardian, to take care of the saints in his absence? Consider him in the gospel ministry, which is set up for this very purpose, to watch for your souls; yea, every private saint hath a charge to be his brother's keeper; this well considered, would make thee, first, watchful to promote his glory that so carefully provides for thy safety. What put David into such a rage against Nabal, but the disrespect that his servants found at his hands, to whom he had been so serviceable? In vain have I kept all that this fellow hath.' Secondly, it would make thee the more watchful over thy own soul, if thou hadst so much ingenuity as to fear grieving of thy God, who expresseth his tender care over thee: what greater grief can the indulgent parent have, than to see his child not mind his own good, after all his care and cost upon him?

CHAPTER XVII.

WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE.

THESE words contain the first branch in the apostle's direction for prayer; which I shall despatch briefly in four heads.

SECTION I.-For the importance of the phrase. Here is perseverance, yea, all perseverance required in prayer. First, The word προσκαρτερήσει, here used, comes from καρτος, the same with κράτος (a letter only transposed to melt the sound,) signifies 'strength' and 'victory;' and hence its compound, πроσкаρTEрε, is to prosecute any business with an unwearied constancy, till

all difficulties be conquered, and the thing at last be accomplished. It is used for the diligence and labour of dogs, that follow the chase, till at last they get the game pursued: it is applied also to lacqueys, that with great labour run after their masters, and are at their hand in a journey. In Scripture it is frequently applied to the duty of prayer; as, Acts vi. 4; Col. iv. 2; Rom. xii. 12; and signifies that invincible patience, courage, and constancy, which a Christian is to shew in upholding the duty of prayer. But are praying always,' in the beginning of this verse, and this praying with perseverance' the same? Or, if they are not the same, where lies the difference? It cannot be thought the apostle, giving directions for prayer, would let them interfere one with another, and in so short a space repeat the same over again in other words: the rest are all distinct; so we will take these. Calvin makes this to be the difference: By 'praying always,' saith he, he exhorts us to pray in prosperity as well as in adversity: and not then to intermit the practice of this duty, because not driven to it by such outward, pressing necessities; but by praying with perseverance,' he admonisheth, that we be not weary of the work, but continue instant and constant in its performance, though we have not presently what we pray for. By 'praying always,' we are exhorted to the daily, constant exercise of the duty of prayer; not to neglect the seasons for prayer as they return upon us: by praying with perseverance,' we are pressed to bear up against discouragements, as to any particular request we make at the throne of grace, and not to give over, though we have not a speedy answer to it; so that the former is opposed to a neglect of the duty in its stated seasons, and the latter to a fainting in our spirits, as to any particular suit we put up. We may keep our constant course of prayer, and yet not persevere in prayer, for this or that mercy which God withholds some time for the exercise of our grace.

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Secondly, I must show what is meant by all perseverance.' First, By all perseverance' is meant such a perseverance as holds out to the end, till God doth give the thing we pray for, or takes away the subject of our prayer, as he did in David's case for his sick child by his death. It is possible a soul may persevere, yet at last faint, when it sees the time for answering still protracted; God still stays, and there is no news of his coming, after many a despatch sent to heaven upon that occasion. O, it is hard to hold up our hands with Moses, to the going down of the sun! Christ complains how rare and scarce such a faith is to be found, when he bears long before he throws in the mercy prayed for: Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?' Luke xviii. 8. Shall he find so much faith as to keep his people at prayer in expectation of his coming to their relief? Secondly, By'all perseverance,' is meant a perseverance of the whole man in prayer. We must not only persevere to hold up the outward performance of the duty of prayer, but persevere to exert the inward powers of our souls and their graces, in the duty. The duty may be kept up, and the heart down in performing it. The faith, zeal, and other graces of the soul may be gone or act but feebly; like an army that hath not yet quitted the field, but whose powder and shot are all spent; there they stand, and put a good face on it, but can do little or nothing to offend the enemy, or defend themselves. Thus many in afflictions pray still, they have not yet given over the duty, and run out of the field; but, alas! their faith fails, and there is little vigour in the performance; here is some kind of perseverance, but not this all perseverance,' which above all requires the perseverance of grace in its actings at the duty. So we translate the word, Rom. xii. 12; what is here 'with perseverance,' is there 'continuing instant in prayer. Some are instant, but it lasts not; if they find the mercy comes, they draw hard; but if their chariot of prayer be set, and after a pull or two the mercy comes not, their faith jades, and they give over others are constant, but not instant; they continue to pray, but pray themselves cold; they grow lifeless in the work, as if they looked for nothing to come of it; we must join both together, or expect benefit from neither.

SECTION II.-I proceed to shew why we must pray with all perseverance; First, it is strictly commanded, 1 Thess. v. 17: 'Pray without ceasing;' that is, without fainting; so our Saviour, Luke xviii. 1, 'spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.' Mark, not only

that they might, but ought. It is, indeed, a high privilege to us, and a great condescension in the high God, to give us leave thus to lie at his door, and to suffer our prayers to be ever sounding in his ears. We should not like to have beggars knocking day and night at our doors; but so infinitely good is God, that he not only allows us this boldness, but commands it; that the fear of a sin might move us, if the loss of a privilege will not. Secondly, This perseverance in prayer is highly commended: indeed, perseverance crowns every grace, and commends every duty, it is not our faith and hope, but to hold fast our confidence and the rejoicing of our hope firm to the end, that God looks at, Heb. iii. 6; not the seeming zeal and swiftness of our motion in the ways of God at our first start, but the constancy of a well-breathed soul in holding on his course till the race be finished, that Christ commends: 'If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed,' John viii. 31. So in prayer, it is not the short spirits of an inconstant zeal, that begins to pray (as they say the French do to fight) like thunder and lightning, but if the first charge carries it not, then they are cowed in their spirits: no, it is not this soft metal, whose edge is thus easily turned, that God likes in prayer, but a zeal tempered and hardened so with resolution, that it cuts through all delays and difficulties; this God highly commends: it got Jacob the name of a prince, so nobly he behaved in this duty, holding it out till break of day with God, and then would not let him go till he had blessed him. Thirdly, it is that which God intends by his delays and seeming denials. Why deals he thus with his people? Surely it is to put their graces to the trial, whether they will quit the siege for a few repulses, or fall on with more courage; he holds his peace, to make them cry the louder; steps aside, to make them more eagerly seek after him. Now, two things God aims at especially by his people's perseverance in prayer. First, His own glory. What fairer occasion can the Christian have in his whole life to honour God, than by holding fast his integrity, and keeping his allegiance to him firm, when he seems to be neglected, yea, forsaken of him? Certainly God would never have put Job to so much trouble, nor have made him pray and stay so long for the gracious issues of his providence, but to glorify himself in the faith and patience of his servant. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord,' James v. 11. Truly, we could not have heard so much of his patience, if we had not heard so much of his troubles; had God put an end sooner to them, he might have had more ease, but not God more honour. This was it that God was pleased with, and counted himself highly honoured by, that Satan, with all his wiles, could not make Job give over praying, much less curse God; no, not when God broke him with his tempest, and seemed not to regard him or his prayers. It pleaseth us most, when our prayers are in heaven and back again quickly; but it glorifies God most, when he lays an embargo (as I may say) upon our prayers, so that no answer comes from heaven to us, and yet we will send more after them, as Jacob did Benjamin after his other son: when the poor soul will not be taken off the duty by any intervening discouragements, but presseth harder upon God from his seeming denials, this is indeed to give glory to God; Blessed is he that hath not seen, and yet thus believes.' Secondly, God by his people's persevering long in prayer, before he gives in his gracious answer, intends them no small advantage. First, He usually pays them interest for their forbearance; the longer they pray, the more redundant the mercy is when it comes. Such a mercy that comes as an answer to persevering prayers is compared to the husbandman's gains at harvest, which abundantly recompenseth his whole year's patience; In due season we shall reap, if we faint not,' Gal. vi. 9. The breast is filling for the child, while the mother is sleeping: God sometimes seems to sleep and forget his poor children that cry to him, but he is preparing the fuller for them. Secondly, Such mercies as are got with long and great difficulties, come with sweetest manifestations of divine love. 'O woman, great is thy faith!' Matt. xv. 28. This poor woman had not her request so soon granted as some others, but she lost nothing by it; for with the recovery of her child (which was all her errand) she carries away with her a high testimony from Christ's own mouth to the truth and eminence of her grace. Thirdly, Such mercies as are the issues of persevering prayers, are received usually with more joy and thankfulness than others: partly because the Christian's desires are more

intense, and so he tastes more sweetness in the mercy; also, because such mercies give disappointment to the Christian's many fears: when God tarries, we are prone to question whether he will come or no. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore?' Psa. lxxvii. 7, 8. See how many sad thoughts gathered about this good man's heart; which though they did not overthrow his chariot of prayer, yet clogged his wheels, and made him drive with a heavy heart. Now, for a mercy to break out of so dark a cloud, must needs bring such a glory with it, as to ravish the soul with joy, and enlarge it into thankfulness. Those judgments dispirit sinners most, which come after long peace and prosperity, when they think the danger is over, and the bitterness of death is even past as in Haman's case, who was sent to the gallows after he had vaunted how he was invited to the queen's banquet; this strange turn made it a double death to him so mercies that surprise the saint after he hath prayed long, and can hear no tidings that they are on their way, O, how it affects his heart with joy and gratitude! The church had prayed without ceasing for Peter in prison, but still he remained there even to the very time when Herod would have brought him forth, probably to his execution. Now, when he came himself to bring them the joyful news that their prayers were heard, (while they were instant at the work,) it is said ' they were astonished,' Acts xii. 16. Fourthly, Such mercies are usually more holily used and improved; for God holds his people long at prayer for a mercy, many times for this very end, to prepare and season their hearts, that, when they have it, they may know the better how to employ it for his glory, and their own good. Hannah prayed long for a son, but none was given; this made her add a vow to her prayer;'If thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life,' 1 Sam. i. 11. Happy was it for this good woman she had not her desire sooner; if she had received him at first, perhaps she had never given him back to God again. The Lord sometimes forbears to give a mercy to us, only to make us more earnest in glorifying him when we have it.

The last advantage that comes to the Christian by perseverance in prayer, is when the mercy is at last denied; and it is this, it will enable and dispose him to bear the denial more meekly and holily than another. He that is impatient, and cannot wait on God for a mercy, will not easily submit to him in a denial; whereas he that keeps up a spirit of prayer for it, when God comes to take away the subject of his prayer, will acquiesce, now he sees that God hath fully declared his will in the thing. Job lets not a day pass without prayer for his children: and how does the man behave himself when they are slain? Doth he fret and fume? Doth he curse God for making them a sacrifice, for whom he had offered so many sacrifices? No, he meekly submits to his holy will, he opens not his mouth against him, but in praises to him. So David, when his child was dead, (for whom while living he ceased not passionately to pray,) to show how well satisfied he was with Divine Providence, he washeth his cheeks, puts off his mourning, and goes to the house of God to worship, 2 Sam. xii. 20. Prayer is a great heart-easer; it breathes out those distempered passions, which being bound up in others, break out, when God at any time crosseth them in their will.

SECTION III.-Having shewn why we are to persevere in prayer, I come now to press the duty home. Christ bestowed a parable on his disciples for this very end, to shew that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; surely then it deserves an exhortation. Now to enforce it, take five particulars. First, The prevalency of perseverance in prayer. This is emphatically expressed by that question of our Saviour in his parable upon this subject, Luke xviii. 7, Shall not God avenge his own elect, that cry night and day unto him, though he bear long with them?' As if he had said, Can you think that God will send away those who are so near and dear to him, his own elect, with a denial; and that, when he hath made full proof of their faith and patience, in waiting long upon him for an answer? I tell you,' saith Christ, that he will avenge them speedily,' ver. 8. Men seek to please their constant customers; so will God those that are constantly trading with him at the throne of grace. 'They that wait upon the Lord shall not be ashamed.' David is careful, for our encouragement, to let us know how well he succeeded after his long waiting at God's

door, Psa. xl. 1: 'I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry;' in the Hebrew, 'in waiting I waited:' that is, I staid waiting long, and at last he came. But David was a favourite; may others expect to succeed as well as he did? see ver. 3: Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.' Answer of prayers is a covenant privilege: it is not a monopoly given to one or two, but a charter granted to the whole corporation of saints to the end of the world, Psa. cii. 17: He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.' Now mark what follows,- This shall be written for the generation to come,' ver. 18. Secondly, Thy persevering in prayer will help to evidence thy state to be gracious. The hypocrite is often exposed here: Will he always call upon God?' Job xxvii. 10. An unsound heart will be meddling with this duty now and then, but grows weary of the work at last, especially if he be made to wait long for an answer. Saul prays to God, and because he hears not from him, goes at last to seek the devil. Observe what effect God's frowns and seeming denials produce in thy heart, and thou mayest know the temper of thy spirit thereby. Do they wear off thy edge for prayer, or sharpen it? Do they make thee fall off, and send thee away from God with clamours in thy mouth, and discontent in thy heart, resolved to beg no more there, or do they make thee fall on with more courage, and enkindle thy affections to God and this duty more ardently? Truly, if thou findest the latter, thou mayest conclude, if this instant constancy in prayer be for spiritual blessings, that divine virtue hath gone from Christ into thy soul:-O woman, great is thy faith!' Thirdly, Consider the great folly of fainting in prayer. Perhaps thou art in a deserted condition; thou prayest for comfort, but none comes; for victory over such a temptation without, or corruption within, but art foiled in both; therefore thou first faintest in the duty, and then givest it over : what egregious folly! Because mercy comes not in haste to thee, therefore thou wilt run from it, which thou dost in ceasing to pray. When the fisherman misseth his draught, he doth not give over his trade, but mendeth his net. O cease not to pray, but mend thy praying; double thy diligence, and all shall be well at last. Whatever the mercy is thou wouldst have, must it not come from God's hands? Now, will God give the mercy to thee, who rejectest his counsel for the obtaining of it? Is not prayer, with all perseverance, the way he directs all his people to take? God, for reasons best known to himself, stays some while before he comes to his tempted, distressed servants, for their deliverance; but leaves orders when any of them ail anything (so the word какояalu, Jam. v. 13, signifies,) that they should pray, apply themselves to the use of this duty, yea, continue the spiritual, constant use of it till he comes; and withal assures us he will come soon enough to save us. Now, what folly is it to cast off this means so strictly prescribed! Surely, though there were nothing else, this is enough to turn God back, when on his way of mercy to do us good. Fourthly, Consider it as sinful as it is foolish to give over this duty. Thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God,' Job xv. 4. It is a high crime for one trusted with a castle to deliver it cowardly into his enemies' hands, especially if he hath wherewithal to defend it. Hath not God provided sufficiently to enable the Christian to maintain this duty against all the armies of men and devils, afflictions and temptations, that can oppose it? Princes are most careful to enforce and supply frontier castles above others for defence, because they are most assaulted. Prayer is a duty that is as much opposed by Satan as any, and hath many other difficulties that render it no easy matter for the Christian to be instant and constant at it. God hath considered this, and accordingly hath provided succour. He gives his Spirit to help the Christian (because of his many infirmities) what and how to pray; who, if he be used kindly, will not be wanting to assist him in the work; and while the Spirit is ready to pray in him, Christ is as ready in heaven to pray for him, who also sends the precious promises of the gospel to assure the soul that relief is coming, be the affliction or temptation ever so great that besets it. Now, to faint in the work, and by giving over the duty to open the gates of his soul for Satan to enter and triumph over God with his insulting blasphemies, what gracious soul that doth not tremble at the thought! We cannot cast off prayer, but we cast some dishonourable reflection upon God; for every real defect in the creature proceeds from an