THREE SERMONS UPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SUPPER.  
By the late Faithful and Worthy Minister of Jesus Christ, JOHN PRESTON, Dr. in Divinity, Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty, Master of Emanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher of Lincoln's Inn.  
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Cotes, for Michael Spark, and are to be sold at the blue Bible in Green Arbour. 1631.   
I john 5. 14. And this is the assurance which we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. 
THe scope of the holy Apostle in this chapter, is to set forth some of those principal privileges we have by jesus Christ. One main and principal (which is the greatest of all the rest) is that through him we have eternal life; And therefore (saith he) know this, that when you have the Son once, you have life: in the 12. ver. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life. Therefore (saith he) have I written this Epistle to you for this purpose, that you might consider well what gain you have by Christ jesus: These things have I written, (saith he) in the verses before this that I have now read unto you, to you that believe in the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. After this he names another great privilege, that we have by Christ; mentioned in this verse, that I have now read unto you. This (saith he) is the assurance we have in him, that whatsoever we ask according to his will, he heareth us. This is the second great privilege we have by Christ, we shall be heard in all our requests: it is no more but ask and have, put up what petition you will, if you be in Christ once, you have this assurance, that he heareth you: but he delivers it with this condition, you must first be in him: We have this assurance in him (saith he) that if we ask any thing, according to his will, he heareth us. So that you see, here are two plain points lying evidently before us.  
1 That except a man be in Christ, 
Doct. 1.  he must not, he ought not to apply to himself any of these spiritual privileges, that we have by him: if we be in Christ, this and all other are ours; if you be in Christ (saith he) than you have this assurance, for we have that assurance in him. The second point that the verse affords us, is,  
2 That whosoever is in Christ, 
Doct. 2.  whatsoever he asks he shall have it. Now my full intention was, only to have handled that which is mainly aimed at in the verse (for the other you see is but touched by the way) which is this great privilege that belongs to all Christians, that whatsoever they ask in prayer according to the will of God, they shall be heard in it: But because I understand you had a Sacrament appointed for this day, I have altered a little that course; the hearing of that hath somewhat diverted me, and caused me at this time to pitch upon the other point which I named to you; That except a man be in Christ, be ought not to apply any privilege to himself; if he be, I say, all belongs to him.  
When you come to receive the Sacrament, it is a very great privilege to meddle with those holy mysteries, to have those symbols given to you of the love and favour of God in Christ; but yet you must remember this, that except you be in Christ, you have nothing to do with him, and therefore it is a fit and necessary point for this season. For when the Apostle would give directions to the Corinth. what they should do, to prepare themselves to the Sacrament, that they may be worthy receivers; he gives it in this short precept: 
a 1 Cor. 11. 28.  Let every man (saith he) examine himself, and so let him eat this bread and drink this cup. Now what is a man to examine himself of? Surely every one that comes to the Lords Table, is to examine himself concerning these two things.  
1 Whether he be in Christ, and so whether he hath any right at all to come near to him in that holy ordinance.  
2 Though he be in Christ, yet he must examine himself, whether he be particularly prepared, quickened, and fitted; whether his heart be put into such a trance of grace, or fashioned so as it ought to be, when he comes to the immediate performance of such a duty as that is. Now because I handle this point, but only for this particular occasion, I will not enter into such a manner of handling of it, as I was wont to do at other times, but only take up so much of it as may serve for the present occasion; Therefore because I say this to you: That except a man be in Christ, he ought not to take any privilege to himself: we will, First exhort every man to consider whether he be in Christ: for this is the present question which any man's heart would ask, when he hears this propounded; Why, if all the privileges be suspended upon my being in Christ, my main business is to examine whether I be in Christ or no. Now because a man may be in Christ and yet be suspended by some interveniall sin, by some indisposition of mind and heart, that may grow on him, from the actual enjoying of the present fruit and benefit of that privilege which belongs to him Therefore we will first give you rules to examine yourselves whether you be in Christ or no. It is very useful to all that now are to receive, or at any other time; its useful you know too, not only upon such an occasion as this, but upon all occasions; and therefore a point, (though peculiarly belonging to this time being taken up for preparation for the Sacrament) which we may the more boldly venture upon, and you ought to attend it more diligently. I will give you but these two main notes or rules by which you shall try it.  
Whosoever is in Christ, there must pass a double act: one on our part, another on Christ's part, 
b Cant. 2. 16.  My beloved is mine, and I am his; we take Christ and Christ takes us; wheresoever you find these two acts, such a man is in Christ: There must be an act of our part, something the heart and mind of a man must do to take Christ. Secondly the Lord sends and puts forth something of his, he doth put forth an act of the Holy Spirit, whereby he comprehends and takes us. Now if thou find in thyself these two things; First, that thy heart hath exercised that act of taking the Lord jesus; Secondly, that he hath sent forth a virtue and put forth an act of his to take and to comprehend thee; then certainly thou art in Christ; and if it be so, all the privileges belong to thee; if not, thou hast nothing to do with this holy Sacrament. Now for the clear discerning of that act which is on our part, you must consider these things.  

1 Whether you make Christ your chiefest Excellency.  
2 Whether you make him your chiefest Treasure.  
3 Whether you make him you chiefest joy and Delight.  
4 Whether he be your chiefest Refuge to whom your hearts retire on all occasions.  
5 Whether you set him up in your hearts for the chiefest Commander.   
My Beloved, if you find all this done by you, than out of doubt, Christ belongs to you; They are all several, but they meet in one centre, and serve together to make up one rule of trial, to know whether you have taken Christ to you or no; and I will handle them all distinctly as I have named them to you.  
1 Therefore consider whether Christ be thy chiefest Excellency; for it is natural to every man to seek some excellency or other. Indeed beasts, so they may have that which is necessary for the life and service of nature, it is enough for them; and it may be it is enough for all brutish men, whose souls are buried in their bodies that are but sepulchres of men, in whom that spectacle of excellency which is rational, belonging to a man, is quenched in sensuality. These men, it may be, seek no excellency at all, but so they may live in pleasures, so they may have that which belongs to their bodies, and to this present life, it is enough for them. But a man who hath any thing of a man in him, as he is a man, considered in these higher parts of his soul, his mind and his will; he seeks another excellency suitable to these parts: he serves a higher, a more spiritual immaterial substance, such as the soul is; and according as men's minds are of diverse fashions, so they are in a way of seeking several excellencies for themselves, yet according to their different ages. Children delight in childish things, and so do men likewise, from whom this childishness is worn; yet according to their several fashion and understanding, so they seek a several excellency. Some seek learning, knowledge and excellency in their profession; this is the excellency they would have▪ Some seek great places of authority and command, and if they had their wish, that is, the excellency they would have; Some seek the favour of the Prince: Some to have a great estate, that men may say, he is worth so much, he hath such Lordships, such fair houses, & lands belonging to him; if he had the excellency he desires, these he would have. Every man in his own kind, according as men's understandings are stronger or weaker; according to their different education, as it hath been more noble, and ingenious; according to the several companies they keep, where they find such and such things magnified; according to the several ages they live in; (As we say something is in request is one age, in one company, something in another) I say according to these several occasions, so every man seeks a several excellency to himself. Now consider what is the excellency thy heart desires, above all thing else, whether it be jesus Christ; to be in him; to excel in grace; to have a new draught of God's Image in thy soul; or whether some such thing as I have named: Consider what is the proper virtue thou wouldst have thy soul to excel in, for there are several virtues; every thing hath some virtue or other which is proper to it; as the virtue of a knife is to cut well; the virtue of a horse to go well; the virtue of a soldier to fight well; and the virtue of a Christian to be a holy man; to be holy, gracious, and unblameable in his conversation. Now what is the proper excellency thy heart aims at: what is that thou esteemest thy virtue, that if thou wert put to thy choice that thou mightest have a wish granted thee, thou wouldst most desire? whether wouldst thou desire this; to excel in grace and holiness, to have thy sinful lusts mortified, to have thy heart put into a holy frame of grace? or whether, (if thou wouldst deal impartially with thyself) is it not some other excellency that thy heart runs upon? that thy thoughts and affections are most set upon? Consider when thou lookest upon others, what seems most gracious in thy sight, by what thou dost most value the excellency of another man; for it is likely thou so esteemest thyself also: Consider therefore I say what thou measurest thyself and others by; A man that is in Christ, sets so much by himself, and by every man as he is in God's book: as you see, men are rated, and their wealth esteemed according as they are in the King's books. See what thy heart saith to this, whether thou settest so much by thyself and by every man else, as he is in God's favour; as he hath the eminency of grace and holiness above others; or whether it be something else by which thou ratest thyself and others: Consider what is that outward Badge, that Livery, that Cognizance thou desirest to wear, which thou wouldst boast of among men: you shall see it in Paul, (saith he) When I come amongst you, I do 
c 1 Cor. 2. 1. 2.  not regard the excellency of natural wisdom; I care not to come with that; The time was when I prized it, as you prise it now; but now (saith he) it is another excellency which I seek, which I desire to wear (as it were) When I come amongst you, to preach the Gospel, (saith he) I care for nothing else, I care not to be thought to know any else, than Christ crucified: Consider with thyself now what thou wouldst have most eminent in thee, in the eyes and ears of men, that which thou wouldst wear in the view of all the world; whether it be the Livery of Christ; to profess the fear of God, to excel in grace and holiness, though the world disgrace, despise and hate thee for it; Is this that thy heart desires? If so, it's a sign thou seekest Christ for thy excellency. Consider likewise what it is that thou esteemest thy chiefest wisdom; for it is the disposition of men before they be in Christ, before they have experience of the ways of God, before they be regenerate, when they look upon those ways in others, they reckon them folly, they are 
d 1 Cor. 2, 14.  foolishness to every natural man: but when they are once in Christ, than they are wisdom unto them, that is, they reckon him the wisest man that excels most in these foolish courses, as before they deemed them. It is the Lords expression, Deu. 4. 6. 
c Deut. 4, 6.  This shall be your wisdom before all people, to keep my Laws and Commandments. Consider now what is that thou reckonest thy chiefest wisdom, before all people; whether that which before thou thinkedst folly and weakness, and hadst a disposition in thy heart to contemn and scorn? whether now settest thou it at a higher price, and dost in truth think it thy wisdom, and art willing that all the world should know that thou thinkest so? By this you shall find whether you make Christ your excellency by considering whether your hearts go this way or no, to seek a virtue in the excellencies of jesus Christ, and so show them forth to others; by examining whether this be thy chiefest wish, that thou mayest be a Christian; that thou mayest be found in Christ; that thou mayest be able to say as Paul said, 
f Phil. 3. 7. 8.  I reckon all other things as dross, as base and vile things; only to be found in Christ, to be clothed in his righteousness, to excel in the graces of his Spirit; this only I prise as most excellent, and most worthy: And this is the first.  
2 Secondly, consider what is thy chiefest Treasure, for you see 
g Math. 13. 44.  He that had gotten the field, he gave all that heehad for it, and went away rejoicing, for he reckoned it his greatest treasure, and worth all the rest. It is certain, whosoever hath taken Christ, doth so esteem of him, he reckons him to be his chief treasure.  
You will say, How shall I know it? 
Quest.   
Why, consider what men do with their treasure, 
Answer.  for it is certain (as I said before, of excellency, so) every man hath some treasure or other; The poorest man that is, hath a treasure, something that he esteems of, which he makes account of. I ask not what thou art possessed of, but what thou most esteemest? for treasures are as they are most esteemed of. As we say of jewels, the worth of them is according to men's fancies, according as they are esteemed, so it is with every man's treasure; One makes this thing his treasure, another that. Now (I say) consider what thou makest thy treasure, and you shall know what your treasure is, by these marks.  
1 A man lays up his treasure in the safest place. Then if Christ be thy treasure, thou wilt lay him up in the innermost parts of thy heart, he shall not dwell in thy tongue, he shall be laid up in the closer of thy heart; he shall not dwell in thy outward man, in thy understanding only, but he shall be laid up in thy inward part; (that is) he shall be pitched upon the very bottom of thy heart, and there he shall rest, there thou wilt entertain him.  
2 Again, what a man's treasure is that he keeps with his greatest care, with the greatest wariness and solicitude. So wilt thou the Lord jesus, when once thou layst him up in thy heart; thou wilt not be careful for any thing, so much as to keep him safe; that is, to keep the assurance of his favour safe, to keep him near thee, and thyself near unto him; thy mind will be more careful of this, more than of all things else: Thou wilt then take heed of all things that may cause a distance between thee and him; thou wilt then take heed of whatsoever may lose him, of whatsoever may make a separation between the Lord and thee; thou wilt be more careful for this, than any man is to keep his wealth, or to keep whatsoever it is that he makes his Treasure.  
3 Again, whatsoever is thy treasure that thou wilt most esteem, thou wilt set it at the highest rate above all things else. Before a man is in Christ there are many other things, which in truth, (howsoever he pretend something else) he prizeth at a higher rate than Christ; Worldly vanities before he is in Christ, seem great things to him; but when he is in him once, he looks upon them with another eye. My beloved, you know there was a time when 
h Gen. 1. 31.  God looked upon the creatures, and they were exceeding good, even all that are in the world; those things that men magnify so much, I say, there was a time when they were exceeding good: but sin hath blowed upon them, it hath blasted the beauty and vigour of them, so that now when the Lord looks upon them, this is the sentence that is pronounced of them, you know, in Eccl. 2. They are all vanity and vexation of spirit. Consider if thou be able to look on all these things (even the best things the world hath) as things being but mere vanity; things wherein the Lord sowed not men's happiness, and therefore thou canst not think to reap it there. If you mark but the expression the wise man useth in 1. Eccles. saith he; All things under the Sun are but vanity: now there is a reason contained in these words why they are but vanity, for waters you know they ascend not higher than the fountain, and they carry not any thing higher than their own ascent; so all the creatures that be in the world, they be but under the Sun, therefore they cannot ascend to that happiness which is above the Sun, nor carry you to that condition which is above; for happiness is above the Sun, laid up in Heaven. Therefore saith he, all things under the Sun if they be considered to make a man happy, they are but vanity: Now consider whether thy judgement be so of them or no, whether it be conformable to the holy Ghost, whether thou hast this conceit of all other things, but the quite contrary conceit of jesus Christ; whether thou canst think of him, as of one that is most excellent and thy chiefest treasure, as one that is far beyond all these, as one upon whom thy heart is pitched, as one in whom thy happiness is contained.  
4 Again, a man's treasure is that which he will be at any cost to get, he will be at any pains to attain it. It is that, on which his heart is bestowed, and his affections are occupied about. Is it so with thee when thou comest to Christ jesus? art thou willing to be at more cost and pains to get him, than any thing beside? Is thy heart and affections more bestowed upon him? 
i Math. 6. 21.  For where a man's treasureiss, there his heart is. I do not ask whether thou bestowest more time upon the matters of grace, than the duties of thy calling; but, whether thou dost them with more intention, whether thou bestowest thy time and pains upon them, as upon that which thou reckonest thy treasure, far exceeding all other?  
5 Fiftly, consider whether thou art willing to part with any thing rather than with Christ jesus: for whatsoever is a man's treasure, you know a man will part with any thing rather than it. Is it so with thee? hadst thou rather part with any thing than with Christ? than to part with a good conscience; with the graces of the Spirit, or with any thing that tends to holiness to build thee up further in the work of God's grace? I say, consider whether thy heart be willing to part with any thing rather than with Christ; for you shall find this, that Satan and the world will cheapen Christ, and when they come to bidding, they will bid well. Consider whether thy heart can give a peremptory answer to the world, and say thus; I will not sell Christ, I will not sell a good conscience for any thing; yea when Satan and the world bid highest, and tell thee as he did Christ, 
k Math. 4. 8. 9  that he will give thee all the riches, and all the glory in the world, if you will part with Christ; consider whether thy heart be ready to deny whatsoever he offers to thee, (as he will be sure to offer that which will be most suitable to thy disposition) whether thy heart hath taken this resolution to itself; Christ is my chiefest treasure, I will part with all therefore, I will part with liberty, with life, with goods, with credit, with pleasures, with profits, with whatsoever is near and dear unto me, rather than I will part with the Lord jesus. If this be thy heart's resolution and mind, than Christ is thy chief treasure, that's the second thing.  
3 Thirdly, consider what is thy chief joy and delight, what is thy life; (I put them together, for that which is a man's chief joy indeed, is his life.) For we know life is nothing else but that joy that the heart hath, whereby it is nourished and fed as it were; for life is not to have body and soul joined together, to be a living man, in that sense we usually take life; for if that were life, than those in hell should not be said to dye the death, for you know in hell there is a conjunction of soul and body, and yet men are not said to live there; for it is death which is the punishment of sin; and indeed you shall find that there is something a man's heart cleaves unto, wherein he rejoiceth, which is the same with his life. Therefore look as the Soul enlivens the body, so the conjunction of the present things which he reckons his joy, that is, his life, enliven his soul, he cannot live without them. Now if Christ be thy chief joy, thou wilt find this, that thou canst not live without him, as men are wont to say of their delights; Such a man cannot live without such a thing; so it is true of every man that hath taken Christ, he is not able to live without him. This life is no life, and therefore if there be but a separation between thee and Christ, if a man's conscience be as it were clouded for a time, he finds no rest, he doth as the Spouse in the Canticles; 
l Cant. 5. 6.  She seeks from one place to another, and gives herself no rest, till she find him; and why? because it was he whom her soul loved. So you shall find, Beloved, whatsoever it is that your soul's love, whatsoever you make your chief joy, you will take no rest, but as far as you love and enjoy it. Therefore for the finding of this, whether Christ be thy life and thy chief joy, consider what it is that thy thoughts feed upon; every wicked man, every man that is out of Christ, there is something that his thoughts feed upon, some things there are in contemplation of which the soul so laceth itself; some pleasures that are past, present, or to come; the very thinking of these are the greatest joy of his heart, he rolls them under his tongue; even as a Servant that hath got some dainty bit out of his Master's presence, and eats it in a corner, so the soul of a man hath out of Christ some secret, some stolen, some unlawful delights, that it feeds upon and delights in: Consider therefore well with thyself, what breakfast thy morning thoughts have (that I may so say) what breakfast they have every morning, what is that Pabulum, that food of thy soul, wherewith thy thoughts and affections are nourished and refreshed from day to day; whether it be some carnal pleasure, some reflecting on thy state, upon thy wealth, upon thy friends, or whether it be on Christ. See (as David exercised it) whether be they thy 
m Psal. 42. 8.  songs in the night time? All carnal men have something past whereby they comfort themselves, something present whereby they cheer up their hearts, something to come, something in hope. So every man that is in Christ, he hath the comforts of the spirit, the meditation of the privileges that he hath in Christ, the hope of God's favour; These are his appointed food, these are the things that his soul feeds on in secret; yea the very works that he doth, that seems to be the hardest part of a Christians life, the very works that he doth in serving the Lord from day to day, even that is his meat and his drink; that is, it is as sweet and acceptable to his soul, as meat and drink is to the hunger and thirst of his body: Now consider with thyself whether it be so with thee; whether that which is thy continual feast, without which thou canst not live, be Christ; or the assurance thou hast, that he is thine and thou art his; whether it be the privileges thou hast in him; and the things that belong to the kingdom of God; See whether these be thy life, the things without which thou couldst not live; or whether it be some thing else, some stolen delights, some unlawful pleasures, some thing else that thy soul and affections are set upon. This is the next thing by which thou mayest try thyself whether thou belong to Christ or no, to consider whether he be thy chief joy, whether thy soul be most filled and satisfied with him. And this is the third thing.  
4 The fourth is; to know whether he be thy chief Refuge; If thou be one that hath taken him and received him, I say, he is thy chief refuge. For every man hath some refuge, some castle or other to which his soul retires in all difficult and doubtful cases, by reason of that indigency; that insufficiency to which the nature of man is subject. There is something that he must have to lean unto, (mark it) for mankind is like that generation which the Wiseman speaks of: You know it is said of the Connyes, 
n Prov. 30. 26.  they are a generation not strong, and what then, and therefore they have their burrows to hide themselves in. I say such is the generation of mankind, he is a weak creature, a generation not strong, therefore there is something that he must lean to, something out of himself, some sufficiency besides himself, some strong hold, some refuge every man hath; I say every man hath some refuge or other, whither he thinks his soul may go, and there he may have succour in cases dangerous and in troubles. Now consider what is thy refuge, whither thy heart runs in all such cases, to what wing, to what strong hold: In dangerous cases, you see every creature hath some refuge or other, The Child runs to his Mother. The Chickens run to the hen, The Fox to his earth, the Connyes to their burrows; so every creature to their several corners and receptacles proper to them: I say so it is with every man, so hath every one of you to whom I speak, there is somewhat that is a secret refuge to which your hearts fly. Now consider whether that be Christ or somewhat else. A covetous man (or rather a man of this word) he hath wealth for his strong hold, in which his heart comforts itself; well, saith he, what change of time soever come, yet I have an estate to hold me up; and when he is ill spoken of abroad, yet he applauds himself with that he hath at home; The Courtiers, they have the Prince's favour, that is their refuge wherein they comfort themselves; Those that are given to Company they have good fellows, such as they, that are their companions, and so long as they speak well of them, they care not who speak ill of them; Some have a refuge of this kind, some of another, every man hath his refuge. If you will look into the Scriptures, you shall see David's refuge, in any distress, upon any occasion; At 
o 1 Sam. 30. 6.  Ziglag he comforteth himself in the Lord, his hart did fly to him, as the chickens fly to the hen, there he comforted himself, there he shrouded himself, there he encouraged himself in the Lord. When he fled from his son Absalon, was not the Lord his refuge? Yet (saith he) He is my buckler and my strong hold, Psalm 3, which was made upon that occasion. What was Jacob's refuge when he fled from his brother Esau? Did not he go to the Lord, and seek to him by Prayer? 
p Gen. 32. 12.  Lord thou hast said thou wilt do me good, now I fly unto thee, I beseech thee perform thy promise, thou art my refuge. Consider others now, what was their refuge: judas, when he had betrayed his Master Christ, and his conscience was upon him for it, he goes to the high priests and brings the silver to them, why, saith he, you set me a work, you are the authors of it, and I hope to find some comfort from you; you see he found little comfort in his mind, yet that was his refuge. The Kings of Israel and judah when they were distressed, they fled to Egypt and to Ashur, to this or that help, which (the Lord said) were broken reeds to them, but yet that was their refuge: This is the manner of every man being out of Christ, of every unregenerate man, that is in his natural estate, some refuge he hath; friends, or wealth, or credit, or the favour of the Prince, something or other it is: and if he be destitute and have no refuge (as sometimes it so falls out) than his heart is shaken as the leaves of the forest; Their 
q Isaiah 7. 2.  hearts were shaken even for fear of the king of Aram, as the leaves are shaken in the forest; and why? because they knew not how to defend themselves: they had no refuge to fly to: So you see it was with Belshazars' heart; so Achitophel, and so Saul, when he sees that he must dye the next day, and that there was no refuge for him: then I say their hearts sank and died within them: And now consider how it is with thee, what is the refuge to which thy heart flieth, and which thy heart makes most account of, (for every man thinks with himself, change of time may come, and what shall be my comfort, what shall be my strong hold at that time.) Dost thou fly to jesus Christ? is he thy succour when thy heart is dejected at any time and faints within thee? from which fountain dost thou fetch thy comfort? Dost thou fly to Christ, to comfort thyself in him, when thou art in a doubtful case, that concerns thee as much as thy life? whither dost thou go for counsel and direction? is it to Christ, to beseech him to guide thee, and direct thee, when thou art pressed hard? whither doth thy heart go for succour and for help to keep thyself safe? Is it to Christ, or to somewhat else? My beloved, I assure you this, that a carnal man that is not in Christ, in these times of distress knows not whither to go, he dares not go to Christ, for he fears that it shall be asked him, upon what acquaintance? for he hath been a stranger to the Lord, he was never acquainted with him: but a carnal man that is out of Christ, he goes to his muses, he goes to his farms, he goes to his bushes, as the hunted hare was wont to do, to go to the places that she used when she lived quiet, thither she flies when she knows not how to escape: so in that fashion it is with men, look what things they were wont, to which their hearts had recourse in time of prosperity, and what their haunts have been; to those bushes they fly: But alas! they are but bushes, such as will not defend them. But now the Christian on the other side, the muse, the farm as it were (it is but to express it to you) that his soul is acquainted with, the strong hold that he was wont to fly unto, upon every several evil, upon every ordinary doubt, upon every dejection, discouragement and fainting of heart; he was wont to fly to Christ, and there he was wont to find comfort, and thither he goes in time of greatest difficulty in the day of death, and there he finds comfort. Consider if he be thy chief refuge, for if thy heart hath taken him as he is thy chief excellency, thy chief joy, thy chief treasure; so he will be thy chiefest refuge, yea when all things else are taken away, yet that cover remains safe: suppose thou be in prison, suppose thy credit be taken away, (I mean) thy worldly credit, (for the other credit cannot be taken away from any man that hath Christ,) suppose thy life be taken away, suppose thou be stripped of all that thou hast; yet thou hast Christ for thy chief refuge, and thou thinkest so, and thy heart is satisfied with it. As Paul saith, when he was a prisoner, when he was naked, when he was destitute, when he was stripped of all, yet (saith he 
r 2 Tim. 2. 12.  I know whom I have trusted; As if he should say, yet I have him safe, yet my cover is over my head, yet I am safe in my castle, I have chosen him, I have him in death, yea then Christ he is advantage, he is a cover, a castle, and a refuge.  
5 Last of all: consider whom thou settest up for thy chiefest Commander, who it is to whom thou givest the chief command in thine heart. You will say how shall I know that? Why (my beloved) he whom a man feareth most, 
Quest.  and loveth most, 
Answ.  that is, he whose friendship above all others he would least lose, and whose dislike and separation he doth most fear, certainly he will be most obedient to him, he will be most observant of him. Art thou so to Christ? take all the things in the world, if thou set up him, as him whom thou most fearest and lovest, thou wilt most obey him: So again, he whom thou thinkest can do thee the greatest good, and the greatest hurt, him thou wilt most obey; if thou thinkest in good earnest that Christ is able to do it, certainly than thou wilt most obey him. As for example, if thou look to any man in the world, a man that is out of Christ, he thinks that the favour or the wealth of the King, can do him more good and more hurt, than the favour, or the loss of the favour of Christ; He thinks that wealth, or credit, or something else, (many things there are that he thinks) can do him more good and more hurt; therefore he more respects their command, than the command of Christ; but a man that sets up him for his chief Commander, he regards nothing else when it comes to cross it, when it comes to thwart any command of Christ, because he saith thus to himself in his heart in secret: It is the Lord that can do the greatest good, and the greatest hurt, therefore I care for no more. So Naboth he cared not for ahab's wrath. So 
s Hest. 3. 2.  Mordecay cared not for Hamans' displeasure: so did the Apostles, they cared not for the High Priests, nor what they could do, Acts 4. So did the 3 children (as you call them) they 
t Dan. 3. 16, 17, 18.  cared not for the fiery furnace of Nabucadnezar, nor for all that he was able to do; and why? because they thought that Christ, that God was able to do them more hurt, and more good. Now take any Commander in the world, when you regard not the punishment, nor the reward that he is able to inflict or to give you, his authority is gone; now when you set up Christ, and think so of Christ, you are ready to obey him, & obey him rather than any other. Therefore consider with thyself this, and consider seriously; ask thy heart the question, what is that thou settest up to be thy chiefest Commander? For there are three great Commanders in the world, that divide all mankind between them almost. And that is wealth, and estate; worldly credit and honour, to live in esteem; pleasures, and delight; Now think with thyself when any of these three great Commanders come with any command, contrary to that which Christ commands, think with thyself what thou wilt do in such a case, what wast thou wont to do, look to past experience: look back to thy former ways, see what thou wast wont to do: think with thyself when such a Command comes, what thy heart reasons upon; if concupiscence, if a strong lust, if a strong impetuous desire come, and bid thee to do something, which is contrary to that which Christ would have thee to do, what art thou ready to do in such a case? If thy profit, the maintenance of thy estate, thy liberty, thy wealth, thy convenience in this world come and command thee to do one thing, and thy conscience (which is Christ's vicegerent) come in his stead, and command thee another thing, what art thou ready to do in that case? for when thy credit, thy honour, and reputation, thy vain glory shall come and bid thee do one thing, and Christ shall bid thee do another, what is thy resolution, what art thou wont to do? By this thou shalt know whether thou settest up Christ, as the chief Commander in thy heart or no, whether thou givest him thy chief throne, whether thou exaltest him for God in thy heart; you know when you exalt him for God, every thing than yields, if in truth he be set up for God in thy heart: Therefore consider what it is that thy heart sets highest, whether thou exaltest him most, whether (when any of these threatening, crying commands come) thou canst give them an absolute deayall, and say with thyself, I will not obey you; and if they threaten imprisonment, or disgrace, and loss of life, and if I do not obey such a lust, I shall be wrung and pinched for it, I shall lose such delights: well, I am resolved to bear all this: on the other side, when they shall come with fair proffers, you shall have this honour, and this advancement, and this convenience. If thy heart can say now, I will have none of you, for I see it is a command contrary to his that is above, whom I have set up for my chief Commander, whom I resolve to obey whom I take to be greater than all the friendship in the world, than all the profits, pleasures, and credits in the world; I say thus examine the self what thy heart is toward Christ, what it is to his command; and (let me touch that by the way) thou must also show thy obedience to Christ, in thy obedience to others; My beloved there are indifferent things, that are in themselves not of moment one way or other whether we do them or not do them, and though the omission of them in themselves be nothing, yet when it shall be of contempt and neglect of those that are set in superior place over you, in such a case you ought not to do it: this is a rule, and a true rule in divinity, that indifferent things may be omitted except in two cases, in case of scandal, and in case of neglect, and contempt of authority: therefore when there is neglect, when men show contempt, for that case it is to be done, though for the other it is not to be done. This I touch but by the way, that you may consider it in your particular occasion.  
Now my beloved, you see these five things, by which you may know if you have taken Christ, or no: ye know when a man comes to examine himself whether he be a fit man, a man that hath any right to come to the Lords table, he must consider whether he be in Christ, otherwise he hath nothing to do either with this privilege, or with any other. Now to be in Christ, there must (as I said) go a double act, there must be one on thy own side, there must be one act on thy part to take him; and there must be an act on his part, there goes out a strength and a virtue from him by which he takes thee and comprehends thee: The time is past, and I cannot proceed further, only remember this that hath been said to you, and examine yourselves by it whether you be in the truth, whether you make Christ your chief Excellency, your chief Treasure, your chief joy, your chief Refuge, your chief Commander; if thou find that thou hast done this, if thou find thy heart wrought to such an act as this, to take Christ in such a manner, than thou hast Christ, thou art in him, than thou hast a right in him, and mayst come with comfort: but if thou have it not, than I must charge every one of you in the name of Christ jesus (in whose authority we come) that you meddle not with such holy mysteries▪ My Beloved you know what I have often told you, there is a necessity laid on men to come to the Sacrament: you know he that neglected the 
v Levit. 23. 29.  Passover was to be cut off from the people. It was a very great sin: so it was to omit the Sacrament: you have divers Sacraments every Term, and if your business hinder you from one, you may come to another; yea there is a necessity lies upon you to come, but yet we must give you a double charge, one that you omit it not, and another that you come not hither unless you be in Christ; what hast thou to do that art a profane person, thou hast nothing to do with Christ thou that art yet a stranger to him, that thou shouldest thrust in to the Lords table; thou ought'st not to do it, if thou dost, 
x 1 Cor. 11. 29.  thou eatest and drinkest thy own damnation, instead of thy salvation.   

The Second Sermon.  
AND so now we come to the Use, 
Use.  and that is, that there is an Act of Christ to make an union betwixt us, that we may be his, and he ours: there is an act of his, that is, there is a certain power or virtue comes from him, even as there doth from the Loadstone to the iron, that draws thee to him; there goes out a virtue and power from him as to the woman that touched the hem of his garment, that healed her bloody issue, such a power goes out from Christ to every man, that is in him. And as you must examine it by your own act, so in the second place you are to examine it by this; consider whether there hath gone out any such power from Christ to take & comprehend thee: For you must know this, that when once we are in Christ, then there goes forth an effectual almighty power from him, which doth not make a little light alteration on the superficies of the heart, but it altars the very frame of it, it turns the very rudder of the heart, so that a man's course is to a quite contrary point of the compass; it is such an alteration as doth breed in us, not some good conception only of purposes and desires which many have, which when they come to the birth, there is no strength to bring them forth: but he gives to us a power and strength to perform them: That is, he doth not put upon us a washy colour of profession, but he dyeth us in grain with grace and holiness. And therefore consider whether thou hast found any experience of such a power going out from Christ to thy heart; This my beloved, differs from common graces, from the common form of godliness which is in the world, as much as the life differs from the picture, or the substance from the shadow; as a through performance differs from a proffer, or an offer: or as that which hath sinews and vigour, differs from that which is weak and powerles. Therefore this power of Christ which he puts forth and diffuseth into the heart of every man that is in him, is called the Kingdom. And the 
y 1 Cor. 4. 20.  Kingdom of Christ is not in word, but in power: That is, when once he rules but as a King, he exerciseth a kingdom there, and he saith not only to us; I will have such a thing done, they are not weak and powerlesse commands that he gives to the heart of a man that he dwells in; but saith he, The Kingdom of God is not in word but in power; that is, there goes an efficacy with those commands, there goes a great strength with them, that brings every thought, and every rebellious affection into subjection to it; and therefore consider I say, if thou wouldst have these virtues, whether thou be in Christ, whether any such power hath gone out from Christ to thy heart.  
But you will say, what is this power and virtue, 
Quest.  and in what manner is it infused into the heart of man, for this seems to be a narration of a thing a far off?  
My beloved, we will explain it as well as we 
Answer.  can to you; even as you see an Artificer working with his instrument, there goes a certain virtue out from that art which is in his mind, and guides the instrument to make this or that, the which without it could not be done, when he makes any artificial thing, as a knife, or a sword; or when the Potter fashions the port, his hand is set on work, and there is a certain invisible passage, a certain secret influence of the art that goes along with his hand, that brings forth such an artificial thing; or even as you see the members move; a man moving his arm, or his hand, or any part of his body, there goes a certain virtue from his will, a certain secret power, efficacy, and command that stirs them this way or that way; the thing we see not, yet we see it in effect, or as you see it in the creature, you see the creatures that God hath made, they have all the several instincts, by which they are instigated to do this or that; you see the birds are instigated to make their nests of such a fashion, at such a season; so every creature according to his several kind. There goes out from God who is the author of nature to these works of nature, a certain virtue that puts them on, and instigates them to this or that: and as you see an arrow that is shot by the Archer, there goes a virtue together with it, that directs it just to such a mark, so far, and no further. So after this manner there comes a power from Christ to his members; as soon as a man is in him, there comes such a secret divine, unexpressable efficacy that works upon the heart of him in whom he dwells. And therefore the conjunction between him and us, is compared to that which is between the soul and the body, that acts and stirs us to and fro, according to its will and pleasure: such an efficacy shalt thou find, if thou belong unto him, and therefore consider if there be such a thing in thee or no.  
But you will say, to what purpose is this efficacy, 
Quest.  and what doth it in my heart when it comes there?  
Why, I will tell thee what it doth; it is expressed 
Answer.  in plain terms 2. Cor. 5. 17. Whosoever is in Christ is made a new creature; That is the work it effects; it is such a power and efficacy as makes thee a new creature; That is, It breaks in pieces the old building, it quite takes away the first print; As when a man comes to make a new stamp, the first must be removed. So that this efficacy that goes out from Christ, it hath a double virtue in thy soul, to wear out the old stamp, to breed a death of the old nature, of the old man, to ruin and break down the old building, and to set up a new one; and that the scripture calls a new creature: and therefore consider with thyself, whether thou find such a virtue as hath put thy heart into such a new frame, as hath moulded it all together, and hath put it into another fashion than it was, consider whether all in thee be new.  
You will say, this is strange, must all be new? 
Quest.   
My beloved, 
Answ.  you know the words they are clear; 
a 2 Cor. 5. 17.  old things are passed away, all things are become new. (In the same place which I quoted before) that as the command was in the offering of the Passover, not a jot of old leaven, but we must part with it; Now this is the nature of leaven, It is always purging out, and it will be purging out while we are here, only the efficacy and strength thereof remains not; Then think with thyself, is all new in me? look what natural disposition I have had: look what natural lusts and desires I have had, see what acts I was wont to do, what old haunts and customs I have had, look what old company I kept, what old courses I took, what my tract hath been; is all this altered and every thing become new? (for, saith he, it must be 
b 2 Cor. 5. 17.  a new creature, a new nature:) That is, it is not enough for a man to have a new course for a fit, to have new purposes and a new change that comes like flashes, I say, that is not enough; you may have many new things in you, that may be in old hearts, 
c Math. 9 16, 17.  like pieces of new cloth in old garments, that will do thee no good at all; the Lord regards not that: like new wine in old vessels, so it is where there are some new things, that are good things in themselves; in a carnal and old heart, they are not fit for the heart, and therefore they never stay long there: So saith the text, Put a new piece into an old garment, and it makes the rent greater.  
Therefore all must be new; I say there must be a new nature, that these new things may be there: even as the several creatures are in their several elements, as the elements are in their own place, as the plants are in their proper soil, as the branches are upon their own root. For than they flourish, than they hold out, than they continue; Therefore see whether this vigour, this efficacy, this virtue hath gone out from Christ into thy heart; whether it hath not only renewed all in thee, but also hath given thee a new nature; That is, whether it hath wrought such a change in thee, that all the ways of godliness and new obedience, become in a measure natural to thee, so that thou canst do them cheerfully, even as we hear, and see, and do natural actions, and that thou dost them without weariness: for you know, things that are natural we are not weary of them; And so thou wilt do them constantly, for what is natural, stays and abides by us, that it outgrowes and out-wearies what ever is in us beside; Now hath there a virtue gone out from Christ, that hath wrought all this in you, that hath made all new, hath not only done so, but hath made it natural to thee? But you will say, 
Quest.  must it needs be so, cannot Christ take and comprehend me, but there must be this wonderful change wrought, who can be saved then? I have then but little hope, when I am upon my death bed, and then shall look upon my old nature, and find no such work as this wrought upon me. Beloved, I beseech you consider this, 
Answ.  that there is a necessity of it: It is so, and it must be so, and except you have it, you cannot be saved; you see the words in the Scriptures are most clear, 
d 2 Cor. 5.  Whosoever is in Christ is a new creature: Do but consider whether it be so or no, there must be withal 
e 2 Pet. 3. 13.  a new heaven and a new earth; You see that was the great promise that was to be fulfilled in our times of the Gospel: was it not a new priesthood, was it not a new covenant, hath not the Lord said, there must be a new heaven and a new earth, That is, new graces from heaven, and a new company of men wrought on, and changed by those graces? Shall old Adam, those that are borne of him, shall they receive a power from him, to make them like to him, to carry his Image, to be corrupt, and carnal, and sinful as he is: And do you not think that the New Adam, the Second Adam, shall have as much efficacy in him to make those new creatures, that are in him, that come to him? Certainly there is as much power, life, and vigour in the new Adam, to change every man that is in him, that comes to him, and to make them new creatures, as in the old Adam, to make them like him: Besides, hath not Christ said plainly, I came not into the world to save souls only, that is not my business alone (though that was a great part of the business and errand for which he came into the world) but (saith he) 
f Tit. 2. 14.  I came to purify a people to myself, zealous of good works: in the 2 Tit. Now if that were the end of Christ's coming, dost thou think that he will lose his end? And therefore its impossible, that any man should be saved, or have part in Christ, and that he should be in Christ and Christ in him, except his heart be purified so, as to be zealous of good works. If Christ dwell in thy heart, thou mayst easily know it; for dost thou think, that Christ will dwell in a foul and unclean place? hath he not 
g Hab. 1. 13.  pure eyes? And therefore it is certain wheresoever he dwells, that place must be a fit Temple for him to dwell in; Wherefore of necessity he must cleanse thy heart, he must fashion it, and keep it pure, and clean, and sweet, so as it may be a fit Temple for him and his Spirit to dwell and delight in. Besides, doth he not look to his glory in all those that belong to him? he hath many eyes to look upon them as it were, there are 
h 1 Cor. 4. 9  many spectators men and Angels, to see what they are, and how they behave themselves: If he should have a company of men to belong unto him that are carnal, perverse, and worldly minded, that have crooked ways like other men, would this be for his honour? would it not be said, Like men, like Master? would it not reflect upon him? Certainly it would; and therefore the Lord so order it, that those whom he hath redeemed, 
i 1 Pet. 1. 15, 16.  should be holy in all manner of conversation: Saith he, you must be as I am, else it will be for my dishonour, As I am holy, so every one of you must be holy, in all manner of conversation; Therefore let no man deceive himself, to think he can go away and yet be in Christ, and be saved through Christ and the mercies of God in Christ, when there goes out no such virtue and power from Christ to change him, to work on him, to alter him, to make him another creature; And therefore I beseech you in the examining of this, (for its a matter of great moment) to consider with yourselves, if this be wrought in you or no; whether you find any experiment & effect of this mighty power, efficacy, and virtue: and let me bring you a little to particulars. Hath there gone out a virtue from him to enable thee to believe? There is a faith required in the Deity, there is a faith required in the Deity, there is a faith required in the promises of God, there is a faith required in the providence of God, to think that every particular thing is ordered by it; There is also a faith in all the threatenings of God: Now for the manner of propounding; when the Scripture comes to propound any thing, it propounds it thus, and no more: as you see in Moses, he writes nothing, but 
k Gen. 1. 1.  In the beginning God made heaven and earth, etc. And so the Apostles write; Such a thing was done, 
l Math. 1. Luke 1. 2.  jesus Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary; Thus and thus he did: Now when the naked object is propounded, other writers what they deliver or write is rational; They use Reasons and arguments to convince men of those things which they deliver; But when the Scripture sets down any propositions of faith, it doth but barely propound them, for there is the Majesty of God and authority of God in them, to confirm them.  
But now here you will demand, 
Quest.  (the proposition being but nakedly laid down in the Scriptures) what will enable a man to believe it?  
I answer: 
Answ.  that certainly there is a mighty power that goes out from God & from Christ, that enables thee to believe with this efficacy, that where the object is set before thee, there goes out a power from him to work faith in thy heart, whereby thou truly believest it, and so it appears in thy life: we think we believe those things, but our lives do manifest the contrary; namely, That there is not a powerful faith wrought in us; for all the errors of our lives (though we observe them not) arise from hence, that these Principles are not throughly believed: if they were, it could not be, that there should be such inconveniences in the lives of men; Therefore consider if this faith be wrought in thee, whether such a power hath gone out, to work such a faith, that hath changed thy whole course, as it will do, if it be once wrought in thee, by the power of Christ: So also consider, whether there hath a virtue gone out from him to work love in thy heart to the Lord; for otherwise it is certain that there is no man in the world that is able to love God, or to come near him, for all love riseth from Similitude, there must be an agreement and similitude between those two that love: Now every man by nature is as contrary to God's pure nature, as fire is to water, and without an almighty power to change his nature, and to work a particular affection of love in him, he can never be able to love God: therefore it's the baptism of the holy Ghost; 
m Math. 3. 11.  I will baptise you with the holy Ghost and with fire, that is, with the holy Ghost which is fire. 
n Gen. 3. 16.  I will multiply thy sorrows and thy conceptions, That is, the sorrows of thy conceptions. Now love is as fire in the heart, and one fire must beget another; And therefore you have it in the common proverb, Love is a thing that cannot be bought with mountains of gold and silver; yet if thou be in Christ, there goes out a virtue from him, that stamps upon thy heart this holy affection, that breeds in thee this holy fire of love, so that thy heart cleaves to him, thou lovest him with as true, with as genuine, as natural, and as sensible love, as thou lovest any friend; as thou lovest any creature in the world. Consider if this be wrought in thee or no. And so for thy knowledge; there is also a power in it, consider whether any such virtue hath gone out from Christ, to make the knowledge which thou hast, powerful.  
You will say, 
Quest.  what is that?  
That is, 
Answ.  to bring on these truths which thy heart assents unto, to bring them with that evidence, and fullness of demonstration, that thou shalt yield unto them, and practise them according to thy knowledge. Beloved, there is much knowledge among us, but who practiseth according to his knowledge? 
o Rom. 1. 21.  We know God, but we glorify him not as God; and the reason is, because there hath not gone a power with that knowledge, to make it lively and effectual, to pass through all the faculties of the soul, and to overrule them; for if there were such knowledge, it would always draw affection and practise with it. So likewise consider, whether there hath gone a power from him to mortify thy lusts? 
p Gal. 5. 24  Whosoever is in Christ hath crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts, not to lay them asleep only, but to mortify and subdue them. See likewise whether there hath a power gone out from Christ, to help thee to overcome the world, 
q 1 john 2. 16.  The lusts of thine eyes, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life; for whosoever is in Christ overcomes the world, and all that is in the world. The world hath many things to work upon us, and to resist and oppose us: It hath persecutions, it hath disgraces, it hath slanders and reproaches, which it casts upon holy men, and upon the holy ways of God. And the men that are actors in this, are the devil's factours, though they think not so, as the Apostle james expresseth it; 
r james 3. 6.  Their tongues are set on fire of hell, to devise slanders and false reports, and to fasten them upon holy men, especially upon the Ministers of the Gospel, and so upon all the ways of God: I say they are the devil's factours, though they think not so: and those that believe them are the devils receivers; the one hath the devil in his tongue, the other in his ear. But the Lord hath appointed this. This is one thing whereby the world fights against the ways of God, to discourage men and to hinder them, that they might be stumbling blocks to them. So it was with Christ, he 
s Luke 2. 34.  was the falling of many in Israel by reason of this; so was Paul, as a deceiver, and yet true, etc. Consider if thou hast this efficacy put into thy heart, that thou art able to overcome this, that thou art able to overcome all the offences, and persecutions, all the slanders and reproaches that are cast upon the ways of God; and notwithstanding that, to think well of them, and to walk in them, and practise them. Likewise, as it hath these things on the one hand, so it hath pleasures, preferments, glory, riches, credit, and all things of that nature on the other; art thou able to overcome all these? So to shut up this point & prosecute it no further, thus you shall know whether you be in Christ: for that is the point; We have assurance in him, that if we ask any thing, we shall be heard, but first we must be in him; now to know whether we be in him (as you have heard) there must be an act of ours, and secondly an act of his, which is this power that goes out from him, to change, to take and comprehend us. So much for the first thing.  
Now for the second; if a man will apply or take to himself the privileges we have by Christ, as this particular privilege of being heard in our prayers, of coming to the Sacrament, or any other; know this, that it is not enough to be in Christ only, but there must be a certain qualification, a certain immediate fashioning, and preparation of the heart, or else though thou have a right to the privileges, though they belong to thee▪ yet thou art suspended from the use, benefit, and comfort of them. And this is considered in these Five things. (I will but name them very briefly.) First, when a man comes to receive the Sacrament, it's not enough for him to be in Christ, no nor when he is come to do some other duties, but moreover there must be this also; those graces thou hast, this change, this new creature that is wrought in thee, which is but a heap of particular graces, these must be acted and stirred up upon such an occasion: It is true, no man ought to come except he have the graces of God's Spirit wrought in his heart, that they may lie there in the habits, that they may be in the heart as fire raked in the ashes. But if a man will come to receive the Sacrament, and suffer these habits, these graces he hath to lie still there, he comes not as a worthy receiver; (there are indeed degrees of unworthiness) he comes not as a worthy receivet except he stir them up, except they be acted at that very time: As for example; when we come to receive the Sacrament, we ought then to have an especial humiliation and sorrow for our sins; we ought then to have an especial love to jesus Christ; we ought then to have a spciall rejoicing in him, and in all the Privileges we have by him; we ought then to have a special love to our brethren, the men with whom we converse, and among whom we live: now if a man come and receive, and do not stir up and act these graces, he receives unworthily, and my ground for it, is this; you see in the feast of Reconciliation, the Tenth day of the Seventh month, the Lord tells them there, you shall come, and you shall keep it, and you shall not do work, etc. But is this enough? no, he that doth not actually afflict his soul (saith he) that day, he shall be cut off from his people, Levit. 23. 27. That is, though they 
Levit. 23. 27, 28, 29, 30.  had a habitual disposition, and their hearts were prepared to sorrow for their sins, and to take them to heart and bewail them, this is not enough, (saith he) at this time you must afflict your souls, that is, there must be a stirring up of that sorrow: So likewise you find this in the feasts, in more places than one, that when they come to keep the feasts, at that time they shall eat and drink, and refresh themselves, but in any case rejoice, Deut. 12. and Deut. 16. I will not stand to repeat the places: That is, it's not enough for you to have thankful hearts, to have hearts prepared for these things in the habit, but you must then rejoice, for it is the season of it, (for every 
t Eccles. 3. 11.  thing is good in its season) and the Lord reqvires it at such a time. Therefore thus think with thyself, whensoever thou comest to receive the Sacrament, this is the time that the graces I have, the habitual graces, must be new pointed as it were, they must be new whetted, new scoured, that they may be bright and shining upon such an occasion, when the Lord calls for it, you must then qvicken them, and stir them up, that they may be all acted in your hearts.  
And this is one thing, that it's not enough for a man to be in Christ, to take the privileges that belong to him, but there is a certain qvalification reqvired that must be done at that time, when the Covenant is renewed And this is one, to have the graces thus acted.  
Secondly, there must be a new Reconciliation. For the Saints, those that are within the covenant, those that are regenerate men, (you must mark it well, for it's a point of much use) when they commit sins against God, the guilt of their sins is retained: though they are within the covenant, and are not cut off from Christ, but are in him; yet (I say) when they have sinned, the guilt of their sin continues, and is continued till they be reconciled and renewed by faith and repentance; as you see it was with David: Nathan would not have said when he came to him, 
u 2 Sam. 12. 13.  Thy sins are forgiven thee, if there had not been a new thing, if there had not been a thing done at that time; and therefore it intimates so much, that before his sin was not forgiven: that is, the Lord was angry with him. You must know therefore this, that when a regenerate man sins, there is only a particular guilt; the universal guilt of sins returns not, (for that would cut him quite off, that would put him absolutely into the state of damnation,) but it's a particular guilt, for every particular sin; that is, even as a father is pleased well with his son, and knows him to be his son, he is affected to him as to his son, yet he hath done such a particular action that hath offended him, and for that particular offence, he withdraws himself from him, he carries not himself to him as he was wont to do, being offended with him for such a fault; now till the son hath reconciled and humbled himself for that particular action, though the father have an hundred gifts to bestow on him, yet he shall have none of them, till he hath reconciled himself; So think with thyself (if any sin lie in the way) when thou comest to partake of this privilege to receive the Sacrament, or when thou comest to call on God for any particular mercy, or to have any request granted; think then with thyself, such a sin I committed, I must humble myself for it, I must labour to make reconciliation, labour to have this taken away, that my Father may be reconcilied to me; then come and take the privilege, for now it belongs unto me; therefore there is a necessity of renewing our repentance and reconciliation most exactly, and to take a very particular examination of our ways when we come to receive the Sacrament, or when we draw near to God upon such special occasions, lest our Father, (though he be a Father to us) have some particular quarrel against us; for even he whom we call Father, 1 Pet. 1. 17, judgeth every man (even his own sons) without respect of persons; that is, he will not bear any ill in them: thus you see did he with Moses, with David, and others, and the like he doth with all the Saints. This is the second qualification that is required before you can have any part in any of the privileges, before you can attain unto this assurance, to ask and have; therefore it is not without use, and that not in the Sacrament only, but also in that which we have to deliver.  
Thirdly, suppose there be no particular sin, suppose the grace you have, be acted, when you come to receive the Sacrament; yet there is a third thing required, a third qualification that must be found in the heart of him that will be a worthy receiver, and that is, to observe well what distance is grown between the Lord and him ever since the time, that he hath in a more particular manner been reconciled to him. This is another thing than what we named before, to consider what rust hath grown upon his soul, what soil his heart hath contracted, by conversing in the world, and by meddling with worldly and earthly things; for the soul gathers soil with meddling with them, even as the hands do; now thou must think with thyself, when thou comest to the Lord, and drawest near to him in this, or any other duty, thou must recover that distance again, and bring thy heart nearer to the Lord, thou must draw nearer to him, thou must get thy heart to a more close, and near, and inward conjunction with him; thou must labour to have that hardness that thou hast contracted (as it will be in a little continuance of time) thou must labour I say, to have that took away and removed; to have thy heart softened, to have the rust rubbed off; thou must labour to have all these things done; For thou must know this, That though there be not a particular sin committed, yet as we see, the outward man is subject to a wasting, though there be no wounds, though there be no sickness; though a man be in perfect health, and all is well with him, and he observe all the rules of diet, yet (I say) you see the outward man is subject to wasting, to fainting, to weakness, and decay; and therefore there must be a renewing of diet, and of strength, or else it cannot be able to hold out: So it is with the inward man; though there be no particular sin, though a man did keep some good course in the ways of godliness, without running out emenently or evidently, yet he is subject to a secret decay, so that sometimes he must have some special meat, some special feast, which the Lord hath appointed for that purpose, (for he doth nothing in vain:) And if this Sacrament could be spared, that a man might keep the strength of the inward man without it, the Lord would not have put you to this trouble; but he seeth it necessary and therefore he hath appointed it to be received, and that often, that you might feed upon the body and blood of Christ, that you might eat his flesh and drink his blood, and gather new strength from it, that when there is a decay of grace in your hearts, you may go to this Fountain, and fill the Cisterns again to recover strength; For when a man comes to the Sacrament as he ought, he gathers a new strength, as a man doth from a feast; his heart is cheered up as it is with Flagons of wine, he is refreshed, his hunger and thirst is satisfied; That is, the desires of his soul that long after Christ, after righteousness, and assurance, are quickened and refreshed. And this is the third thing.  
Fourthly, besides all this; First the stirring up of the graces, and the acting of the habits; Secondly, making thy peace and reconciliation with God, and removing of any particular offence, that is betwixt God and thee; Thirdly, this scouring off the rust, this removing the distance between God and thee, the softening of that hardness which thy heart hath contracted; this recovering the strength that thou hast wasted; There is beside all these a fourth thing required, which is, that there be an Intention, a particular increase of thy will, in taking Christ, of thy desire to Christ, and of every grace that knits thee and Christ together; For there are certain cementing graces, certain glewing graces, that join Christ and thy soul together, as Faith and Love; these are the two main graces; there are a great train of graces that follow them, but these are the chief, and these I say must be intended: For what is the end of the Sacrament? Is it not to knit the knot stronger between Christ and us, to make the union more full and perfect? is it not to increase our willingness to take and receive Christ? for you know all the acts of the soul may be intended. Put the case there be a resolved act in the heart and soul of any man, whereby he saith thus with himself: I am resolved to take Christ, and to serve and love him for the time of my life, yet this resolution of his, though it be perfect and sincere, may receive intention; when a man is willing to do to a thing truly, there may be degrees added to that will; when there is light in a room (when thou bringest in more candles) that light may be increased. so it may in this, so may your faith & love; (by faith I mean nothing, but the resolution of the heart to take Christ; I mean not the believing part, but the taking part, the act of the will taking Christ, or receiving him, which is nothing else but the choice of the will that resolves to take him.) I do but touch this by the way, because it is a point I have handled already at large; the thing I aim at is this; I say the glewing graces are these two; Faith and love, whereby you thus take Christ for your Lord and Saviour; Faith is like the part of the compass that goeth about and doth the work; and love is that cementing grace whereby we are more knit unto the Lord; They have both their office and their place; You know love is an uniting affection, therefore this is the definition of it, It is a desire of union with that it loves; Now when thou comest to receive the Sacrament, or to pray, or put up any special request, when thou comest to have to do with God, to make use of any privilege thou hast in Christ, thy chief business is to intend this faith & love, at such a time to draw thee nearer, to make the union perfect.  
You will say, how is this increased and how is it intended? 
Quest.   
I answer; 
Answ.  Two ways in the Sacrament, one way is the very repetition, the very renewing the covenant, the very doing it over again, the resolution of taking him, (for there is a mutual covenant, you know between Christ and us,) it is confirmed to us in the Sacrament, he confirms his, and we confirm ours, as the friendship between jonathan and David was increased by the renewing of the covenant, or else why was it repeated? They very repetition of the act intends the habit, the habit is increased by the repetition of the act, though it were no more; so the renewing of the covenant exerciseth thy faith, it sets a work thy faith and thy love, when thou comest to receive the Sacrament, the very intention is increased: but this is not all, There is another thing in the Sacrament that much increaseth it, and that is a thing I would have you chiefly to take notice of; That is the very Sacrament itself, the elements of bread and wine delivered to thee, with the very words of the minister, 
x 1 Cor. 11. 24, 25.  Take and eat, this is my body, that was broken for thee; Take and drink, this is my blood, that was shed, etc. For when these words are spoken to us, if we did consider well of them, and think thus with ourselves; These words that the Lord him himself hath appointed the Minister to speak (for therein is the force of them that they are of the Lords own institution) therefore the strength of every Sacrament lies in the institution; That is a rule in Dininity; the Papists themselves, who have added five other Sacraments, cannot deny, but that every Sacrament must have an immediate institution from Christ himself, even from his own mouth, or else there is no strength in it; so that even as it is with all things that are symbols of other things, (as take marks in fields that stand for the division of several men's rights; take counters that stand for Thousands and Hundreds, the very essence of these things stands in the very institution of them;) So in the Sacrament, except these words were from the Lords own mouth that delivered it, this very delivering of the bread and wine, being a sign to you of the forgiveness of your sins, except the Lord had thus instituted it, there had been no force in it. I say consider, they are words that the Minister speaks not in an ordinary course, but he is appointed by the Lord himself to speak them; and now when these words make a new impression upon thy heart, it adds an intention to thy faith and love. For example, (to make it a little more clear to you, that you may understand it distinctly.) The Lord hath said this, he will forgive the sins of all those that come unto him, he will forgive them that forsake their sins, and take Christ jesus, and love and fear him for the time to come; The Lord might have suffered it to go thus in general, that he hath delivered it unto you and no more; But he thought good to go further and say thus to mankind: It's true, I have said it, but I will not content myself with that, but will add certain seals and symbols, certain external signs, that thou shalt see and look on; and I say to thee, this covenant have I made with thee, and when thou seest the bread and wine delivered by the Minister, know this, that the thing that thou seest is a witness between thee and me: That as it was said by Laban and jacob when they made a covenant, 
y Gen. 31. 48.  This stone be witness between us: And God said to 
z Gen. 9 13, 14, 15.  Noah, when I look upon the rainbow, it shall be a sign that I will destroy the earth no more after this manner; when the Lord hath said it and hath appointed this outward Symbol that thine eyes look upon, I remember the covenant, and this is a sign between us, this shall bind me to it and him likewise; Now when this is done anew, (it may be every month) this is a wondrous great mercy, this is a marvellous great help (if it be rightly understood) to strengthen our faith. Doth it not help us, when we see the Rainbow which the Lord hath appointed to put him in mind of his covenant? 
a Gen. 9 14, 15.  I will remember my covenant, when I look on the Bow in the Cloud it shall confirm me, and I will not break my covenant to destroy the world with a flood; So this administration of the Sacrament, when the Lord looks upon it, he cannot but remember his promise and his covenant, of pardoning our sins; And when thou lookest on it, thou art assured of it, for he hath said it; it shall be a sign and a witness between us; Now I say that new impression that these words, (thus contrived and understood, and delivered by the minister) make upon the heart, intends our faith and love; as indeed it is a great matter to have it spoken to us by a Minister of the Gospel, sent from Christ, from his own mouth; 
b 1 Cor. 11 24, 25.  Take and eat, this is my body that was broken for you: and this is my blood that was shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins. This is the fourth qvalification that is reqvired, that our faith and love be intended, and our union increased; that the will, resolution, and purpose of taking Christ for our Lord, receive more degrees; that so we may be more fast and firmly united and knit to him; which I say is done partly by the repetition on both sides (for the very repetition doth it;) and partly by a new impression that these words (take, eat &c) make on the soul. Now I add the last thing which is required, (still remember the main thing we are upon, that it is not enough for thee to be in Christ, but if thou wilt be a worthy receiver, thou must have these four qualifications in thee, that I have named already; Thou must reconcile thyself anew, thou must rub off the rust from thy soul which it hath gathered, Thou must recover the distance that is grown between God and thee; Thou must add an intending and an increase, Thou must add more degrees to thy faith and love, and after all these.)  
Fiftly and lastly, this is also required (which is much for our benefit and comfort) namely, to put up thy request, when thou comest near to the Lord in the Sacrament: Now thou must not only do this, but thou must also make some use of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with thee for his part, so that thou mayst think this with thyself; When I come to receive the Sacrament, I have but two works to do, one is to recovenant with the Lord, and to renew my repentance, and to set all even; and the other is to remember the Lords covenant.  
You will say, what is the Covenant?  
It's a Covenant that consists of these three things or points; justification, 
c jer. 31. 34.  I will forgive thy sins; Sanctification, 
d Ezech. 36. 26. 1 Cor. 3.  I will make you new hearts, and new spirits; and the third, all things are ours; that is, I have made you heirs of the world, heirs of all things, you have all the promises belonging to you, that belong to this life, and that which is to come; this is the Covenant which the Lord hath made. Now thou art bound when thou comest to receive the Sacrament, not only to remember this Covenant, Do this (saith he) in remembrance of Me, and not barely of me, and of my being crucified for thee, and of all the love that I have showed unto thee, but also in remembrance of the Covenant, and of those gracious promises, which are the particulars of which that Covenant is the sum: and therefore, thus a man is to do. What? hath the Lord vouchsafed me this favour, that I may come to his Table, I may come and renew the nuptials and my covenant with him? Surely, than I will look about and consider what I want, what request I shall put up unto him; for there is nothing that is wanting, but it is within this Covenant; and thou art to put up thy request in a special manner, whatsoever it be, be it concerning things belonging to thy soul, to have a strong lust mortified, to have thy hard heart softened, to have some sin that lies upon thy conscience forgiven, and to have that forgiveness assured to thee: be it any thing that concerns thy particular estate, if it be to be delivered from a potent enemy, or whatsoever it be, put up thy request, and that largely, open thy mouth wide, that is, make thy request full, fear it not. Put the case (again) it be somewhat that doth not concern thee, but that it concerneth the Church abroad, or the Church at home, it is a case that much concerns any of these in the Church, put it up to him, and put it up with confidence. For this is a marriage day (as it were) it is the time when he reacheth out his sceptre (as you know the things I allude to) and thou mayst come to his presence: you know, when 
e Ester. 5. 3.  Hester was admitted to the presence of the King, then said he, What request hast thou? when you are admitted to the familiarity and presence of the Lord, he looks for it, he asks what request you have to put up to him? and the promises are large enough: I will give it, whatsoever it be, if you ask according to my will; and therefore, do in this case as Moses used to do: you shall find when Moses drew near unto the Lord, when he was admitted into his presence, and saw him face to face (for that was the great privilege Moses had) when there was any special apparition of the Lord to him, Moses makes this argument: (saith he) It is a great mercy that thou wouldst show me this, that such a poor man as I am, should have this privilege, and give me leave to make use of it: 
f Exod, 33. 13.  Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, that is, since thou hast vouchsafed me such a favour in thy sight, do thus and thus for me: you see he made this request for the whole Church of God and saved them, or else they had been destroyed. If thou hast not any particular argument in this case, say, If I have found favour in thy sight, do this: so I say, when thou hast this promise confirmed, that Christ hath given himself to thee, & the symbol of that promise is the bread and wine, which he hath given to thee, put up thy request: O Lord, if thou hast vouchsafed to give me Christ, 
g Rom. 8. 32.  wilt thou not with him give me all things else? Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, to do so great a thing for me, deny me not this particular request. Thus we ought to do, especially when we come to things that are beyond nature: when we come, let us consider with ourselves; Indeed I have a natural disposition that carries me strongly to evil, I shall never be able to overcome it, there are such duties to do, I shall never be able to perform them: In such a case thou must do it the more earnestly, thou must sigh & groan to the lord 
h 2 King. 4. 34.  Elishah when he comes to do a thing so much above the course of nature, as to raise a dead child to life, he sighed unto the Lord, that is, he prayed earnestly. 
i jam. 5. 15.  Eliah, when he would have Rain, he cried, he took much pains, he prayed: So must thou do in this case: and know this for thy comfort, that though thou think thou shalt never be able to do these things, to overcome such lusts, such hereditary diseases, yet the Lord is able to help thee: though these are passed natural help, yet they are not past the help of grace; though the spirit in us lust after envy; yet as the Apostle james saith, 
k jam. 4. 6.  The Scriptures offer more grace, that is, the Scriptures offer grace and ability, to do more than nature can do; nature cannot heal a spirit, that lusteth after envy, or any other thing; a spirit that lusts after credit, after money, after the sin of uncleanness, or whatsoever is presented: now the Scriptures offer that grace, that will overcome any of these sins, bt they never so strong, or so old; Christ healed hereditary diseases, he healed those that were borne lame and blind: so though thou be borne with such lusts, Christ is able to heal thee; you see a Prophet could heal Naaman of his Leprosy, when there was no other that could do it; so saith Christ; 
m Math. 11. 28.  Come unto me all ye, and I will heal you. So that you see we must put up our requests to God.   

The third Sermon.  
WE have already made some entrance upon the words: I told you what the Apostles scope is in them, which is to make known to all Christians to whom he wrote, another great privilege, besides that which he named before: that is, That he that hath the Son, hath life; this (saith he) is another privilege, that whatsoever you ask, you shall have; only remember that you have this assurance in him, that is, in Christ jesus: That point, (what it is to be in him, that it may be the ground of all the benefits and privileges we enjoy) we handled the last day. Now we come to the privilege itself, If we ask any thing according to his will be heareth us. The words are so plain, I shall not need to spend any time in opening of them, but deliver you the point that lies so evidently before us: which is this, 
Doct.  [That all the prayers of the Saints made upon earth, are assuredly heard in heaven] whatsoever we ask, (saith he) according to his will he heareth us, only the conditions must be observed. When you hear such a general as this, it must be limited, there are certain bounds set to it, 
1. Conned.  which we will name unto you: which are these four conditions. First, all the prayers that are made upon earth shall be heard in heaven; if they be the prayers of a righteous man, and are faithful and fervent. The person must be righteous, that must first be remembered: because, although the prayer be never so good, yet except the person be accepted from whom it comes, the Lord regards it not: you know in the old Law, 
Esay 66. 3.  the blood of Swine was reckoned an abominable Sacrifice, yet if you take the blood of sheep, and compare them together, you shall find no difference; It may be the Swine's blood is the better: then what's the reason the Swine's blood is not accepted? even because of the subject of it, it was the blood of Swine, and therefore you see it was put down, that it was an abominable Sacrifice. So it is with prayer; Take the prayer of a Saint, and the prayer of a wicked man; it may be, if you look upon the petitions, or whatsoever is in the prayer itself, you shall find some times the prayer of a godly man more cold, and less fervent: the petitions are not so well framed as the wicked man's: yet because this comes from such a person, the Lord regards it not, you know the condition is mentioned james fifth: The prayer of the righteous man availeth much, if it be fervent. Now as this is required in the person, so there is somewhat required in the prayer also, that is, that it be fervent and faithful; that it be fervent, you have it in the same place, The prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent; that is, it must be a prayer made from the sense of the misery that is in us, and from the mercy of God, when a man takes a thing to heart, that he prays for, and comes with confidence to be heard, for that makes him fervent. This the Lord will have, and also he will have it faithful: james the first, when the Apostle exhorts them to prayer, 
james 1. 5. 6  if any man want wisdom (saith he) let him ask it of God: but then mark, he carefully puts in this condition, see that He pray in faith, that is, believe that it shall be done unto him: now this faith includes repentance, for no man can believe that he shall be heard, except he make his heart perfect with God: If he allow any sin in himself, he cannot believe upon any good ground: therefore when I say it must be faithful, that also is included, we must 
n Psal. 66. 18.  regard no wickedness in our hearts, for in such a case, the Lord hears not, 
o john 9 31.  he hears not sinners. So that this you must remember; First, the person must be righteous, and the prayer must be fervent and faithful.  
Secondly, 
2. Conned.  the other Condition you shall hear in the Text, it must be according to his will; you must not think, whatsoever you ask, if you ask it loosely at God's hands, that it shall presently be granted you: No (saith he) it must be according to his will, if you ask 
p Luke 9 54, 55.  fire from heaven, that is not according to his will, and therefore you see, they that ask it, were denied it, with this reason, you know not what you ask. 
q Mat. 20. 21 22.  Likewise to sit at his right hand, and at his left in heaven, which was another request of the Disciples, he puts them by with this; You understand not what you ask of the Father, and therefore it must be according to his will. And that is the second.  
Thirdly, we must ask it in time, in due season: 
3. Conned.  so the promise is true, Knock and it shall be opened to you; but you know the foolish Virgins knocked & it was not opened to them; what was the reason of it? because they asked when the time was passed: for there is a certain 
r 2 Cor. 6. 2.  acceptable time when the Lord will be found: and when that opportunity is past, he is found no more. It is true, that this life is the time of grace, but God in his secret counsel hath appointed a certain time to every man, which is the acceptable time, the day of grace, therefore he saith unto them, This day if you will hear: this day if you will come and seek unto me, if you will pray unto me, I will hear you: when it's past, the Lord suffers not the doors to stand open always, his ears are not always open: therefore that condition must be carefully remembered, you must ask in time; It is a condition that should be carefully thought on by us. For, for the most part, we fly to prayer as joab did to the Altar, he went not to it for devotion (for then he would have done it before) but when he was in distress, when he was in extremity, than he fled to it, and therefore you know what success he had by it, it saved not his life: So we go not to prayer for devotion, that is, out of love to God, to do him that service; but (for the most part) we do it out of self love, when we are in extremity or distress, we pass the acceptable times he requires, and we go to him in a time of our own: For there is God's time, and there is our own time; God's time is to come to him when we may do him service, in our youth, in our strength, in the flower of our graces: Our time is to go to him when we need him: Will not a friend say (when we never come to him, but when we have extreme need of him) why do you come now? you were not wont to visit me before, this is not out of love to me: Even the very same answer the Lord giveth; 
s judg. 10. 14.  Go to your Idols (saith he) those that you served in the time of peace, and see if they can help you.  
The fourth and last condition is, 
4. Conned.  That we refer the time, the manner, the measure of granting our petitions to the Lord. That is, we must not think to be our own carvers, to think if it be not granted in such a manner, such a measure, or such a time, presently the Lord hath rejected our petitions; No, 
t Esay 28. 16.  he that believes makes no haste: That is, he waits upon God, he stays himself upon God, he is content to have it in that time, in that manner and measure, as best pleaseth the Lord: For the truth is, we know not ourselves what is meet for us; we are unto the Lord just as the Patient is to the physician. The patient is importunate with him, for such things to refresh and ease him; But the physician knows what best belongs to him, and when to give him such things, in what manner, and in what measure: So the Lord knows best what to do: Many times he doth the same things that we desire, though he do it not in the same manner: Even as the physician he quencheth often the thirst with Barberries', or with such kind of conserveses; what though it be not with drink, is it not all one so the thirst be quenched? Is it not all one whether a man be hindered from striking me, or if I have a helmet to defend the blow? Sometimes the Lord keeps not off the enemy; but then he gives us a helmet to keep off those blows, to bear those injuries and evils that are done to us: he is a wise physician, he knows what manner, what measure, and what time is best, therefore that must be referred to him: Now these conditions being observed, you must know that this great privilege belongs to every Christian, That whatsoever prayers he makes on earth, he is sure to be heard in heaven; It is a wondrous privilege, that which we have all cause to stand amazed at, that the Lord should so far regard the sons of men, to grant them such a Charter as this; no more but ask and have, and whatsoever you pray for, it shall be done to you. But a man is ready to say secretly in his heart when he hears it, This is too good to be true, That whatsoever I ask, I shall have. My Beloved, I confess, it is a hard thing to believe it as we ought to do: and therefore before we come to apply this, we will spend a little time in endeavouring to convince you of the truth of it, that you may not doubt of it that what prayers you make to the Lord, he is ready to hear them.  
First, consider that whatsoever prayer you make, he takes notice of it, he observes every petition, there is not one petition that you make to him at any time, but he looks upon it, he sees what the prayer is. And this thing although you think it common, (and who is there that know not this) yet (my beloved) to believe this, to think that God is present where I make my prayer to him, to think he stands and hears it, even as I speak to a man that stands and hears me, and understands what I say to him; This is a great help to us. That this is true, see in 4. Eph. 6. He is in all, and through all, and over all, That is, the Lord is in every man, he passeth through every thing, 
u 2. Chron. 16, 9  his eyes run through the earth, and he is over all, looking what 
x Psal 44, 21.  secrets are in man's heart, what thoughts; yea 
y Psal. 139, 23.  before he thinks them he knows them, because he seeth them in their causes: He that is in a man, that looks in all the secret corners of the heart, he must needs see what thoughts he hath, what petitions he putteth up secretly, even then when his mouth speaks not. And lest that should not be enough, saith he, He is over all; you know one that stands on high, and looks over all that is below, he easily can see whatsoever is done; So the Lord, he is in all, he is through all, he is over all. But this is enough for that, only I would have you remember, that he takes notice of all, he knows thy prayers.  
But you will say; 
Quest.  I doubt not of that, I make no question but he hears me, and understands me well enough: But how shall I know that he is willing to grant the thing I pray for?  
You shall see these 2 Reasons, 
Answ.  in the 7. Math. where our Saviour urgeth this very point, that we have now in hand, from the 7. verse downward; Ask (saith he) and you shall have; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; here is the promise, For (he backs it with these 2. Reason's) Every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened unto him: As if he should say; ye have this reason for it, why you should believe it, that it is no more but ask and have; for (saith he) all that ever asked have obtained; all that ever have sought, have found; all that ever have knocked, it hath been opened unto them. That is, look through the whole book of God, and see what prayers ever have been made to him, and you shall find, that there is not a prayer mentioned in all the Scriptures, but it hath been heard. Now when we have such a cloud of witnesses, it is a strong reason, when it is said to us that there were never any prayed but were heard.  
Why, you will say, 
Quest.  There were many prayed that were not heard; Did not David pray for his Child, and was not heard? Did not Paul pray to be delivered from such a temptation, and was not heard?  
My Beloved, It's true, they were not heard for the particular, but yet I dare be bold to say, that David was heard at that time, though (I say) not in the particular; for though his Child was taken away, yet you may see the Lord gave him a Child of the same woman, with much more advantage; he gave him a Child that was legitimate, which this was not: he gave him a Child that exceeded for wisdom, Solomon was the Child that he had: So that the Lord did hear him, and gave him this answer, as if he had said to him, David I have heard thee, I know that thou art exceeding importunate; thou shalt not have this, but thou shalt have another Child which shall be better. And so he saith unto Paul 2. Cor 12. Christ reveals this to him; Paul (saith he) though I grant thee not this particular request, in the manner that thou wouldst have me, (To take away the prick of the flesh which thou art troubled with) thou shalt be a grater gainer by it, thou hadst better have it than want it; when Paul understood that it was a medicine, and not a poison as he took it to be, he was content and resolved in it; And a man resolveth not except he be a gainer. He saw that God's power was manifest in his weakness, and he saw himself humbled by it; and when he saw that God gained glory, and himself humiliation by it, he was content to be denied in it; So I say whosoever asketh findeth, you shall never find any example but that whosoever sought to the Lord as he ought, he was certainly heard, or else he had somewhat that was better granted to him instead of it. And this is the first reason that is used hear. The second reason is this; 
z Math 7. 9, 10, 11.  what man among you, if his Son ask bread, will give him a stone; or if be ask a fish, will give him a serpent? if you then that are evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them which ask him? (saith he) you be not able to persuade yourselves of this truth, because you know not the Father, for the dwells in light inaccessible, you are not acquainted with him, saith our Saviour, I will help you out with an argument that you better understand; even upon earth (saith he) take but a father here, a father that is ill (but the Lord is full of goodness, fathers have but a drop, but a spark of mercy in them, whereas the Lord is full of mercy, as the Lord is full of light, he is the God of all comfort;) Yet, (saith he) this father (when his son comes to ask him bread) he is ready to give it him, he is full of compassion and tenderness toward him; do you not think that our heavenly Father is as true a father as he, that he loves you as well as he whose compassion and pity is much greater? do you not think he is ready to hear his Children when they call upon him? O this is a strong and unanswerable Reason, & this you see is backed in 16 john, 27. you see there the love of the Father how it is expressed to us; I say not unto you that I will ask the father (saith he) the father himself loves you; Mark, as if he should have said, let this be one ground to you to think your petitions shall be granted, and that they are not only granted for my sake, for (saith he) the Father himself loveth you, and hath a great affection to you, that is in natural parents, there is a natural affection to their Children; So if I were not immediately to present your petitions (though that be not excluded) yet (saith he) the father hath such an affection to you, that he cannot choose but hear you; I say not (saith he) that I will ask the father, for the father himself loves you. So that this is the second reason which this promise is there backed with, the love of the father, That he cannot find in his heart to deny us, even for that affection that he beareth to us. We will add a third Reason that we meet here in the same Chap. 16. john, 23. In that day you shall ask in my name: verily, verily, I say unto you, ye shall ask the father in my name, and he will give it you; It is brought in upon this occasion: when our Saviour Christ was to go from his Disciples, they were ready to complain, as we see in the verses before, they were ready to say with themselves, alas, what shall we do when our Master shall be taken from our head? Our Saviour answers them, you shall do well enough, doubt you not, for though I be not with you; yet (saith he) go to the father in my name, and whatsoever you ask of him, you shall have it: So that he answers that objection, when a man is ready to say:  
It's true, 
Quest.  I know that a father is exceeding loving to his Children: But it may be, my carriage hath not been such, I am full of infirmities, I have much in me that may turn the love and affection of my Father from me.  
Put the case you have, 
Answ.  yet Christ adds this for your comfort; If (saith he) the Father will not do it for your sake, yet doubt you not, if you ask in my name, he will do it; do we not see it usual among men, That one that is a mere stranger to another, if he get a letter from a friend, he thinks to prevail; and he doth so, because though it be not done for his sake (it may be he is a stranger, one that deserved nothing at his hands) yet such a friend may deserve much: And when we go to God in the name of Christ, this answers all the objections whatsoever you can say against yourselves, it is all satisfied in this: I go in his name, I am sure he hath supply, I am sure he is no stranger, I know he hath deserved it, etc. Last of all, as he loves us, and because we ask in the name of Christ, is ready to hear us: we will add this, that he is ready to hear us for his own sake, he is 
a Psal. 65, 2.  a God hearing prayer, saith the Psalmist, that all flesh might come to him, even for this cause he hears, that men might be encoraged to come and seek to him; for if the Lord should not hear, than no flesh would come unto him; that is, men would have no encouragement, no help; therefore he saith, he is a God hearing prayer, doubt ye not, he will do it for this purpose, that he might have men to worship him, that men might come and seek unto him. Besides that, he shall be glorified, 
b Psal. 50. 15  Thou shalt call upon me in the day of trouble, I will hear the, and thou shalt glorify me; now the Lord is desirous of glory; it was the end for which he made the world: But in not hearing our prayer, he loseth this glory, by hearing our requests, the more we are heard, the more glory and praise we render unto him. Likewise he doth it for the Spectators sake; Moses often presenteth that Reason, 
c Exod. 32, 12, 13.  Lord do it, What will the Heathen say? and left thy name be polluted among them, they will say thou hast brought out a people, and wast not able to deliver them. So David often, there are many instances in that; I say, for the lookers on sake he is ready to do it. All this is enough to perswaide our hearts, that he is ready to hear us, that when prayers are made to him on earth, (So the conditions be observed) they are surely heard in heaven.  
Now to apply this. 
Use 1.  First, if the Lord be so ready to hear, than this should teach us to be more servant in this duty of prayer than commonly we are; for to what end are such promises as this, but to encourage us to do our duties? when we hear that prayer is of so much efficacy, that it prevails with the Lord for any thing, shall we suffer it to lay by (as it were) and not make use of it? If a drug, or a precious balm were commended to us, and it were told us, that if we made use of it, it would heal any wound, it will heal any sickness, and this and this virtue it hath: Will a wise man suffer it to lay by him, will he not use it, and see what virtue it hath? And when it is said unto us, that prayer is thus prevalent with the Lord, that it is thus potent, that it is thus able to prevail with him for any thing, shall we not make use of it, when we are in any distress, when we need any thing: when we have any disease, either of souleor body to heal? Let us fly to this refuge that himself hath appointed. If a King of the earth should say to a man, I will be ready to do thee a good turn, make use of me when thou hast occasion; he would be ready enough to do it. Now when the Lord of heaven saith, ask what you will at my hands, and I will do it; shall we not seek to him, and make use of such a promise as this? Beloved we are too backward in this; we should be more abundant in this duty than we are, we should make more account of it. For whatsoever the case be if, you do but seek to the Lord, if thou dost but set down thy resolution with thyself: Well I see it is a thing (if I look upon the creature and the means) I have little hope of, but the Lord is able to do it; and therefore I will go to him, I will weary him, and I will not give him over, I will not give him, nor myself any rest, till I have obtained it: I say it is impossible thou shouldest fail in such a case. Only remember to be importunate, for an importunate suitor he cannot deny. You know the 
d Luke 18. 2, 3, 4.  parable of the unjust judge. You know also the 
e Luke 11. 7.  parable of the man that is in bed with his children; when the widow was importunate, when she knocked and would give him no rest, he gives her redress; the other riseth and giveth his friend as many loves as he will, saith the Text; yea though she were not his friend; (for this is the meaning of it:) If, saith he, the Lord had not much love to you, if he had not such an affection, if you did not come to him in the name of Christ whom he loves, in whom he is ready to grant whatsoever you ask, if he were not a friend to you; yet for your very importunity, he is ready to do it. As the unjust judge (for that is the scope of the parable) he had no mind to grant the widow's request, he had no justice in him to move him, he had no mercy nor compassion, yet for very importunity he granted it. Remember and observe the condition, for this is commonly a fault among us; when we go to prayer, we think that the very putting up of the prayer will do it. No, there is more required than so. As it is the error of the Country people, when they hear say, that such an herb is good for such a disease, they are ready to think, that (howsoever it be taken or applied) it will heal the disease; no, it must be applied in such a manner, it must be used in such a fashion. So it is with prayer, you must not only do the duty (and therefore when we exhort you to it, not only to call upon God, for men are ready enough to do that, especially in the time of distress,) but with these conditions I have named. You know 
f 2 King. 4. 29. 31.  Gehazi when he had got the staff of Elisha, he went to the Child, but it was not the staff that could raise the child from death to life, there was something more required. So in prayer, it is not mere prayer that will do it, there is something else, there must be other conditions that must be observed. For we are wont to do with it, as those Conjurers were wont to do with the name of jesus; they thought if they used the name of jesus, it was enough: but ye know what answer the Spirit gives them, 
g Act. 19 15.  jesus we know, and Paul we know, but who are ye? so I say, we are wont to do in this case, we think it is enough to make our request, and that is all. No, there is somewhat more required, you must make your request in such a manner as ye ought. Then I add this further, that when thou makest them in such a manner, yet thou must not think to be heard for thy prayers sake: that is another thing we are apt to fail in. When we have made fervent prayers, and have been importunate with the Lord, we think now surely we shall not fail. No, you must know this, the promise is not made to the prayer, but to the person praying. You shall not find throughout the whole scripture, that any promise is made thus, because we pray fervently we shall be heard: but it is made to the person praying, the prayer is but the instrument: but the means by which the blessing is conveyed to us, is a means without which the Lord will not do it, for the promise is made to the party. A cold prayer (so there be no neglect in it, so a man seek the Lord, and pray as well as he can,) it will prevail sometimes as well, as a fervent prayer: Who indites the petition, who makes the prayer fervent? surely not thyself, but the 
h Rom. 8. 26, 17.  Holy Ghost: he makes request in us, sometimes he makes thee more fervent, he enlargeth the heart more: sometimes again the heart is more straitened in the performance of this duty: but both may come from the same Spirit. Not but that we have cause of much comfort, when we are able to pray fervently, for this is a ground of our comfort, that when we pray fervently, it is an argument that the Holy Ghost dwells in our hearts, and that our prayers are dictated by him; it is an argument, that our prayers come from a holy fire within. And therefore fervent prayer may give us hope of being heard, but yet it is not merely the prayer, but because it is an evidence that it comes from a right principle, that it comes from the regenerate part, and is made by the assistance of the Holy Ghost: it is not the very fervency that prevails. And therefore when you hear this, that the Lord is ready to hear, I say make that use of it, be fervent in this duty, remember the conditions: and yet withal know, that you are not heard for the very prayers sake, but for jesus Christ his sake. He makes every prayer acceptable, he mingles them with his sweet odours.  
And if you object, 
Object.  O but I am a man full of infirmities.  
You know how it is answered in the fifth of 
Answ.  james, (saith he) 
i jam. 5. 17.  Eliah when he was heard, he was a man, and a man subject to passions, and to the like passions that we are: As if he should say, do not think that Eliah was therefore heard, because he was an extraordinary Prophet, for it was because the Lord had made a promise to him, and he comes and urges that promise to the Lord, and therefore the Lord heard him. So (saith he) should every one of you, if you have the promise, you may go and urge it, as well as Eliah did: though you be subject to many infirmities, Eliah was even so. You know there are infirmities and passions expressed in the Scriptures that he was subject to. And this is the first use we are to make of it, to be freqvent and fervent in this duty, since we have such a promise.  
Secondly, 
Use 2.  if we have such a promise, than we should learn hence (when we have put up our prayers at any time) to make more account of them than we do: for the truth is, that we pray for the most part for fashion sake, many a man saith thus with himself: I will seek the Lord, if it do me no good, it will do no hurt; but if we made that account of our prayers as we should, we would perform this duty in another manner; but we do not make that account of them as we ought. We think not with ourselves that the prayers that we make are surely heard: there be many evidences of it; what is the reason, that when we seek the Lord, we do it so remissly that we have scarce leisure to make an end of our prayers: we are so ready to hasten and go about other business, we are ready to turn every stone, to use all means to seek the creatures with all diligence: but who prays to the Lord as he ought, to work his heart to such afervent performance of that duty as he should? men have scarcely leisure, for it is usual with them when they have business to do, and enterprises to bring to pass, they are exceeding diligent to use all means; and yet are remiss in the chief: what is the reason else, that we see the doors of Princes and great men so full of suitors, though there be porters set on purpose to drive them away; but the gates of heaven are so empty? It is indeed because we do not believe our prayers are heard, we do but make our prayers for fashion. What is the reason likewise, that we use prayer in the time of distress (if it will be an effectual means to help us, when all other means fail,) why use we it not before? But that is an argument that we trust not to it, seeing we use it, only in the time of extremity: for if it be not effectual, why do we use it then? If it be effectual, why do not we use it till that accident? Therefore this use we must further make, when we heat that the Lord hears our prayers, to make more account of them than we do, to think that our prayers when they are put up to the Lord shall be heard. Say thus with thyself, Well, now I have prayed, and I expect that the thing should be granted that I have prayed for, when I seek to the Lord: It's true, I deny not but we must use the means too, we must lay the hands upon the plough, and yet pray; both aught to be done, as sometimes we use two friends, but we trust one; we use two Physicians, but we put confidence in one of them: In like manner we must both pray and use the means, but so as we put our chief trust in prayer, it is not means that will do it. But the truth is, we do the quite contrary: It may be, we pray and use the means, but we trust the means, and not the prayer: that is a common and a great fault among us, it is a piece of Atheism, for men to think the Lord regards their prayers, no more than he regards the bleating of sheep or the lowing of oxen, to think he heeds them not. And it's a great part of faith to think that the Lord harkens to them and regards them, as certainly he doth.  
But you will say, I have prayed, 
Object.  and am not heard, and have sought to the Lord and have found no answer.  
Well, 
Answ.  it may be thou hast not for the present, but hast thou stayed the Lords leisure? (for that is to be considered in this case,) sometimes the Lord comes quickly, he gives a quick answer to our requests; sometimes he stays longer: But this is our comfort, that when the return is longer, the gain is the greater. As we see in trades, some trades have their return very quick, it may be the tradesmen's money is returned every week, but then their gain is so much the lighter; but when their return is slower, as is your great merchants, when it stays three or four years, we see the ships come home laden, bringing so much the more: So (for the most part) when our prayers do stay long, they return with the greater blessings, they return loaden with rich commodities. Let this be an encouragement to us; Though I stay, the Lord will grant it; and think not with thyself, I made such a prayer long ago, I found no fruit of it; for be sure, the Lord remembreth thy prayer, though thou hast forgotten it, the prayers that thou madest a good many years ago, may do thee good many years hence. May not a man pray to have his Child sanctified, to have him brought to better order? It may be he lives many years, and sees no such thing, yet in the end, the prayer may be effectual: So likewise it may be in many cases, you see there are many examples for it: Abraham prayed, he stayed long; but you see it was a great blessing that he had, when he prayed for a Son, you know what a Son he was, he was a Son of the promise, in whom all the nations of the earth were blessed. So David when the Lord promised him a kingdom, he stayed long for it: Many such examples there are. Therefore comfort thyself with this: though I stay long, this is my hope, this is my encouragement, that sustains me, If I seek the Lord, and wait upon him, He will come with a great blessing, the gain shall be heavier and greater, though the return be not so quick and sudden.  
Last of all, when you hear such a promise as this, 
Use 3.  That whatsoever you ask you shall be heard in it; you should hence learn, to spend some time in the meditation of this great privilege that the Saints have, and none but they; This I propound to every man's consideration; that those that are not Christians, that is, those that are not regenerate, may know what they lose by it; and those that are, may understand the happiness of their condition, that they may learn to magnify it, and to bless themselves in that condition, that they have such a great privilege as this: It is no more but ask and have, therefore that which in the third place I exhort you to, is this, namely to spend time in the meditation of it, to consider what a great advantage it is: David cannot satisfy himself enough in it: In 18. and 116. Psalms: Lord I love thee dear: he cannot praise enough, and why? I sought to thee in distress, and thou heardest me; I called upon thee, & thou inclinedst thine ear to my prayer. I say consider this mercy as you ought to do, it is part of the thanks we owe to the Lord for so an exceeding privilege, That whatsoever our case be, it is no more, but put up our requests, and we shall be heard: When there was a speech among some holy men (as you know that man that was named in the story:) what was the best trade, he answered beggary; It is the hardest, and it is the richest trade. Now he understands it not, of common beggary (for that is the poorest and easiest trade, that condition he puts in) but (saith he) I understand it of a prayer to God, that kind of beggary I mean; which as it is the hardest, nothing more hard than to pray to God as we ought, so withal there is this comfort in it, it is the richest trade of all others; there is no way to enrich ourselves so much, with all the promises that belong either to this life, or to that which is to come. Even as you see among men, a Courtier, a Favourite in the Court, gets more by one suit, (it may be,) than a Tradesman, or Merchant, or husbandman gets with twenty years' labour, though he takes much pains; for one request may bring more profit, may make a Courtier, richer than so many years' labour and pains: So in like case a faithful prayer, put up to God, may more prevailé with him, we may obtain more at his hands by it, than by many years' labour, or using many means; and therefore it is a rich trade, and great privilege, a privilege that we cannot think enough of, that we cannot esteem enough. You have heard of a noble man in this Kingdom, that had a Ring given him by the Queen, with this promise: that if he sent that Ring to her, at any time when he was in distress, she would remember him and deliver him; This was a great privilege from a Prince, and yet you see, what that was subject unto; he might be in such a distress, when neither King nor Queen could be able to help him; or though they were able, (as she was in that case) yet it might be sent, and not delivered: Now then consider what the Lord doth to us, He hath given us this privilege, he hath given us prayer, as it were this Ring, he hath given us that to use, and tells us whatsoever our case is, whatsoever we are, whatsoever we stand in need of, whatsoever distress we are in, do but send this up to me, (saith he) do but deliver that message up to me of prayer, and I will be sure to relieve you: Now certainly what case soever we are in, when we send up this, it is sure to be conveyed, wheresoever we are: Again, whatsoever our case is, we send it to one that is able to help us, with a Prince many times is not able to do. This benefit we have by prayer: That whatsoever we ask at the Lords hands, we shall have it: Now consider this great advantage which you have▪ It is expressed 4 Phil. in these words, Be in nothing careful (saith the Apostle:) And that you may see we have ground for this generality, In nothing be careful, but in all things make your requests known unto God. That is, whatsoever your case be, I make no exception at all, but whatsoever you stand in need of, whether it concerns your souls or your bodies, your name or your estate; yet be in nothing careful. This is a great matter: There is none amongst you that hears me now, but sometime or other he is careful for something or other, for which he is solicitous: Now when a man hears such avoyce from heaven, that the Lord himself saith to us, Be careful for nothing, do no more but make your request known, it is well enough, I will surely hear in heaven and grant it; It is a great comfort. Beloved, comfort yourselves with these words, and think this with yourselves, that this is that Charter, and great Grant that the Lord hath given you, and to none but you, that what prayers you make to him, he heareth you.  
But it will be objected, 
Quest.  why is this said so generally? That we must in nothing be careful, but in all things make our request known? For then if a man were but a poor man, it is but going to the Lord, and ask riches, and he shall have them; If a man were sick of an incurable disease, it were no more but going to the Lord, and he should be sure to be recovered; If a man hath an enterprise to bring to pass, it is no more but go to him, and it shall be done: what is the reason then, that godly and holy men have not these things granted to them?  
To this I answer, 
Answ.  you must understand it with this condition, even as it is with a Father (I will prove it to you by that,) suppose he should say to his son, I will deny thee nothing, whatsoever I have, I will deny thee nothing but thou shalt have part in it; Though he say no more, yet we understand it with these conditions.  
First, that if his Child shall ask him for that, that is not good for him, or if the child should refuse to have that done, or pray his Father and say, I beseech you do it not, when the Father knows it is good: here the Father is not bound he thinks: as for example, if a Father sees his child needs Physic, it may be, the child finds it bitter, and therefore is exceeding loath to take it, it makes him sick, and is irksome unto him, so that he earnestly desires his Father that he may be excused, that he might be freed from it; In this Case, the father will not hear him, for he knows the Child is but mistaken: On the other side; if the Child ask something that is very hurtful, if he ask for wine in a fever, the Father denies it him; No, (saith he) you are mistaken, I know your desire is that you might have health and recover, and this I know will hurt you, though you know it not; This the Father understands, and therefore he puts in that condition: So when the Lord saith, In nothing be careful, but in all things make your requests known: If you mistake the matter at any time, and your prayer shall not be the dictate of the Spirit, (so that ye always make request according to his will) but the dictate of your own hearts, and shall be the expression of your natural Spirit, and not the Lords Spirit: In this case there is no promise of being heard, and yet the Lord makes his word good; Be in nothing careful, but in all things make your request known.  
Secondly, a Father when he saith to his Child, I will deny you nothing, but you shall have part in all that I have, yet the Child may carry himself so, that the Father, upon such an occasion may deny him, and be ready to say unto him; Well, if you had followed your Book, if you had not run into such disorders, if you had not been negligent to do what I gave you in charge, I would have done it: In this case, the Father withholds the blessing that he will bestow upon his Child; not because he is unwilling to bestow it, but because he would thus nurture his Child, he useth it as a means to bring him to order: So the Lord saith to 
k Numb 20 12.  Moses, That because he had spoken unadvisedly, because he had not honoured him before the people, 
Psal. 106. 32, 33.  at those waters, the waters of strife, therefore the Lord tells him by the Prophet, he should not go into the good land: And so he tells 
l 2 Sam. 12. 14.  David, that because he had sinned against him, he would not give him the life of the Child: So the Lord saith to us sometimes; I will not grant you this request; for though I be willing to grant it, yet this is one part of the discipline and nurture that I use to my Children, That such a particular request, I will deny you for such an offence; as worshipping of Idols etc. Beloved this is not a general denial, and this is not for our disadvantage, but it is a help to us, it makes us better, that sometime we should be denied; knowing hereby that it is denied to us for our sin, that we may learn to come to the Lord, and renew our repentance, and to take that away, that we may come to prevail in our prayers with him.  
Thirdly, when a Father is willing to grant it, yet he will thus say to his Child, Though I be willing to do what you ask at my hands, yet I will not have you ask it rudely, I will have you ask it in a good manner, and a good Fashion, (For when we come to call upon God, and come in an unreverent manner, in such a case the Lord hears not.) Or again, he will say to his child; I am ready to hear you, but you must not ask in a negligent manner, as if you cared not whether you had it or no: So the Lord saith to us; I will have you to pray fervently, you shall ask it, as that which you prise. Again he will say to his child: I am willing to bestow this upon you, but I do not give you this money, to spend it amiss, to play it away, to spend it in trifles, and geugawes, that will do you no good: So saith the Lord, I am willing to give you riches, 
m jam. 4. 3.  but not to bestow upon your lusts. Thus speaks the father to his child, when he comes to ask, he tells him he must come in such a manner as becomes a child, he must speak to him as to a Father, he must speak with confidence to receive it: So also the Lord tells us, 
n jam 1. 6.  we must come in faith; So that (in a word) this is to be remembered; That though the Lord promise, that he will give whatsoever we ask, and bids us, in nothing be careful, but make our requests known; yet notwithstanding this, he would have us to understand that our requests be made in such a manner as they ought to be. Last of all, it may be the Father is willing to do it; but he makes a little pause, he will not give it presently, and suddenly to his child, though he purpose to bestow it upon him, that he may come by it with difficulty: So the Lord useth to withhold his blessings many times, that his child might be exercised in prayer, and seek him the more, and likewise that he might come the hardlier by the blessing, that so he might learn to prise it more; or else he will be ready to do as young heirs: As it is with some when they never know the getting of it, they spend it easily; but he that hath known what it is, he takes more care to his estate, he looks more diligently to it: so it would be with us in any blessing, if we had it with such facility as we would, we would not make much account of it; but when it comes with some hardness, with some difficulty, it teacheth us to set a higher price on it, and so it makes us more thankful, it teacheth us to give more praise and glory to the Lord. There are many that have had a sickness long, and have obtained health with much prayer, and much contention, and therefore they learn to prise it more, than another that obtains it easily. And thus it is in every like case. So when you hear this great privilege: that it is no more, but, ask and have: and, be in nothing careful, but in every thing make your requests known: yet (I say) these conditions must needs be inserted, these are such as must be included. But these considered, remember this privilege, rejoice in it, let the Lord have the praise of it, that Whatsoever we ask according to his will, he heareth us.  
FINIS.