new creature. Prayer is the stirring of the soul, and
going out of itself for bread, it is the sucking of the breasts of
consolation. Grace turns a man's face God-ward and Christ-ward. 2. Prayer
is the pouring out of an indigent man's heart in God's bosom. It is the
emptying of the soul, and the landing of it on God's lee shore, Psal. cii.
2, 1 Sam. i. 10, Psal. cxlii. 2, &c. When a pious heart is overwhelmed and
sore disquieted, it prays. Prayer emptieth the vessel, and brings the soul
above the water again. It is a present ease in the time of trouble. Care
and anxiety of spirit plunge the soul over the ears, but prayer brings it
again unto dry land, Phil. iv. 6. Care burns and drowns a man's requests,
but prayer makes them known to God in every circumstance of life.
Therefore prayer is called a "making known our requests unto God," and
"the lifting up of our souls unto God," Psal. xxv. 1, 2. But, 3. Prayer is
the provision of a soul, for it is sufficient to do that which carefulness
and thoughtfulness undertake to do, and effectuate not, Phil. iv. 6.
Prayer does all a man's business. He lives by prayer, as Paul lived by
Christ living in him, &c. Gal. ii. 20. He lived the natural life of a
Christian by faith. So David says, "I gave myself unto prayer," he opposes
this unto all that his enemies do against him. Not only doth it ease the
spirit of the present burden, but prayer does all his business, because it
puts it over into a better hand, viz., the hand of him who cares for us, 1
Pet. v. 6. It is like a child who is under his father's tutory,(514) and
he does nothing himself, but all is done for him, and he needs to do no
more but ask, and have, to seek, and find, to knock, and it shall be
opened unto him. Prayer hath the promise of all spiritual and valuable
blessings, and the promise is true. 4. Prayer speaks a life of indigence
and dependence in the creature, and also speaks out the attributes of God,
for the supply of all our need, sovereignty, bounty, and good will in God.
It is the travelling of the poor creature between his own emptiness and
God's all sufficient fulness. It acknowledges that he hath nothing, and
that God hath all things he can desire to make him happy. Prayer is an act
of homage and subjection to our Creator, and it is also an act of love and
reverence, for prayer looks upon God, as a Lord, a Father, and a Master.
5. Prayer is the pulse of a Christian, and here ye may find him. If he be
vigorous