breadth from the marke Secondly the way is hard and difficult that is also implied in the words Thirdly the dayes are evill nay sure never worse Many stumbling blockings rubbes much opposition both on the right hand and on the left within and without when Trading groweth hard Wares grow slight Pirats abound Merchants cheat their Chap-men Chapmen fill the earth with bankrupts and the Prisons with black smoke and beastlinesse is it not very hard for a faire trader to walk with a streight foot to give every man his owne and to make good his stock and maintaine his family yes sure every man averreth it How much harder is it in these wofull times to make good this spirituall traffick wherein the Parents will defraud the children the children cheat the parents the husband the wife the wife the husband the brother the brother yea a man will cheat and cozen his own soule It standeth every one therefore upon it to look to his own accompts because every one must give an account for himselfe This taske I must confesse is somewhat hard to set upon the rather because it will not stand with neglect or intermission but assuredly the constant use of it shall make a man see better and more comfortable dayes then ever heretofore he hath seene By this course he shall be brought to see himselfe often as in a glasse and by the sight of his failings he shall be brought to softnesse of heart to tendernesse of conscience to deprecate the evil of commission and omission and to supplicate for power against future assaults This shall make him watchfull over his waies wary of his company strict in his carriage zealous for his God and holy and profitable in all manner of conversation In a word the experimentall utility of this practice will shew such necessity of it that thou wilt not believe it till thou try it Try then and hold fast the practice it shal never repent thee To this daily accompt joyn thy weekly accompt and thy accompt of more weekes before thou goe to the sacrament and by use of time thou maist become an excellent accomptant The more thou attendest it the lesse thou shalt have to doe yea by the practising by it thou shalt be the more willing to attend it though thou canst not be like that Emperour that attended suits till he had no suiters for thou shalt alwaies find enough to doe yet thou shalt find thy selfe by Gods mercy much inabled to goe cheerfully through with the worke and if thou art faithfull in thine accompts thou shalt every time find thy selfe a gainer The eighth particular of the Spirit 's evidence in Prayer is from that infallible ground of the faith of the Saints viz. The precious promises of God The same Spirit called the Spirit of supplication is also called the Spirit of promise which doth not only signifie to us the residence of the Spirit in the Saints whereby they are distinguished and discerned from the wicked but also after an Hebraisme or Hebrew Phrase the assuring of them of those great and precious promises or things promised is understood on which the Prayers of the Saints make their stand and rise These were the supporters of David's faith Remember thy word to thy servant upon which thou hast caused mee to hope wherein is well observed by the Ancient that David in all his supplications had recourse to the promises of God And now Lord God saith the same Prophet the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant establish it And againe thou art God and thy words are true whereupon shall the weake sights of a weary and overladen soule and the heavy groans of a loaded conscience cast themselves but upon that sweet and comfortable promise of our Saviour Come unto me all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will refresh you How shall the poore distressed selfe condemning bankrupt presse home his earnest suit upon God with any confidence of discharge but by putting God to his promise of the new Covenant I am he I am he saith the Lord that blotteth out thine iniquities for my names sake and will not remember thy sinnes The soule in Prayer may put God to remembrance of his promise not to remember sinne Also how should the soule tyrannized over by the body of some corruptiō ever look by Prayer to prevaile against the power of it but upon the promise of God to put the power of the word into the heart whereby the heart is changed from a stony and rebellious dispsition into a soft pliable and obedient disposition How shal the fainting soule support her supplication in the day of distresse or how should she wrestle with God in the time of calamity when God by contending desireth not only to be gone but in sence is already departed except they have at hand that promise Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee Lastly how shall ever the soule attaine by Prayer to rest it selfe upon the hope of glory but by interessing it selfe into the promise of the Crowne of Glory laid up for him and all them that love the appearing of the Lord Iesus Christ So that these promises are like Aaron and Hur holding up the hands strengthning the heart of Prayer yea as the remembrance and application of these faileth or increaseth so the Spirit of Prayer faileth or increaseth And here lyeth a main difference of the Prayers of the regenerate and unregenerate The Prayers of the former are upholden and supported from an externall principle namely the promises of God that cannot faile but the Prayers of the later lean upon the broken reed of something within thēselves namely some workes of charity equity or out-side pietie the worth of their Prayer it selfe or the mud-wall of civill honesty all which are but as a rotten wall whereupon the best Praiers that they build are but straw and stubble and both foundation and building being naught they must be burnt with fire If any object that Nehemiah desireth the Lord againe and againe to remember his workes of Piety and Iustice and that he would not wipe out the good deeds he had done for the house of his God and for the offices thereof So King Ezekias in his Praier desireth the Lord to remember his walking before the Lord his integrity of heart and doing good before the Lord. I answer that neither the zealous Ruler nor the godly King did presume any whit upon the worth of their works as though thereby they should make their Prayers of acceptance with God but if the places be well observed they cast themselves wholly upon the mercies of God and not upon the merit of their Prayers desiring God out of his promise made to respect the integrity of the heart and the righteousnesse of the actions to make good his promise like unto that in
the third place if ever thou wouldst pray to break off thy sins and to part with thy prophanesse for as I have shewed a sinfull course familiarity with God cannot consist or stand together A corrupt tongue or leprous throat maketh a harsh noise in the eare of God remēber that the Lord is far from the wicked and though they cry to him he wil not harken to them Fourthly thou must avoid and abandon all prophane idle and unprofitable company for as thy living in a corrupt ayre or with contagious bodies will increase the habit of thy corrupt disposition till thou be utterly consumed so lewd and wicked company will more and more contaminate thy soule and spirit so that thy breath shall stink worser and worser in the nostrills of God As the soule in the Law that touched any abominable unclean thing and ate of the sacrifice was to bee cut off from Gods people so the conversing and familiarity with unclean cursed company cutteth a soule off keepeth it off from familiarity with God in prayer Therefore saith the wiseman Enter not into the path of the wicked and goe not into the way of evill men The Prophet David washing his hands in innocēcy that he might compasse the Altar of the Lord abandoneth all vain persons resolveth not to sit or converse with the wicked for as thou must avoid evill company and hate them that regard lying vanities so thou must associate thy selfe to the godly Hee that walketh with the wise shal be wise hate the evill saith the Prophet and love the good The meerely moral man doth counsel thee to converse with such as will make thee better as men by constant conversing with natives of a Nation doe learne the language of the nation so by sorting thy self with beggers thou maist happily learne to beg Fiftly thou must intreat the godly earnestly to pray for thee and to beg thee of the Lord esteem much of their praiers which be of that efficacy to convert a sinner from his waies and to save a soule from death hiding a multitude of sinnes If thus thou dost and God affecteth the hearts of his people to pray for thee there is good hope that thou shalt come to pray for thy selfe and for others also for the Sonne of many prayers cā hardly perish but so long as thou dost scoffe mock at the prayers of the Saints or hast them in light esteem the spirit of prayer or supplication will not come nigh thee Yet with this begging of the prayers of the Saints thou maist learne to beg thy selfe The people of Israel desired Samuel to pray for them when they had sinned but they praied also for themselves but Pharaoh desired Moses to pray againe and againe for him but hee would never learne to pray for himselfe neither did he at all desire Moses his prayer till the hand of God was the second time upon him for at the first he did not A great many doe never desire the praiers of Gods people if they desire them at all it is not till Gods hand be so heavy upon thē that they know not what to doe Sixtly thou must attend the meanes of the word read preached and conferred upon for thou shalt never learne to speak to God except thou hearest God speak unto thee hee that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be abomination It is not a set manner in a secret corner nor the best penned praier that thou canst get by hart without a diligent attendance on the word especially preached that ever will teach or inable thee to pray For faith commeth by hearing And because wee believe therefore we speak As the lame man in the Gospell lay still by the Poole of Bethesda which was the meanes appointed for recovery till the power of God had wrought upon him so thou must still attend the meanes till God smite the heart unvail the eyes touch and untie the tongue to this duty of prayer Seventhly and lastly enquire learn of God's people and they can tell thee what unvaluable profit what sweet pleasures what unspeakable consolation what peace-passing understanding what height of honour what heaven of happinesse they find in this familiar conference with God aske and they will tell thee as a Father observeth that of all vertues they can find none but this compared to incense Secondly they can tell thee on experience that it is the best guard against all assaults of Sinne and Sathan All kind of Divels are kept out and cast out by this When the evill Spirit came upon Saul David alayed and abandoned it by playing on his harpe that harpe saith one was devout Prayer Thirdly if thou wouldst know what is the best trading Gods people will tel thee there is none like Prayer For no state time place person or opposition can intercept thrift if thou art disposed to pray thou maist ever be imploying thy stock and that with the returne of encrease thou maist gain more by Prayer in one houre as one saith well then all the Merchants in the world in a thousand yeares Fourthly wilt thou know what is the very best physick Gods people can tell thee by experience that none is like Prayer It healeth the infirmities of the body and the diseases of the soule and the Praiers of the faithfull shall save the Sicklie and the Lord shall raise them up and if he have committed sinnes they shall be forgiven him Fiftly if it be enquired what is the greatest honour that mortall man can obtaine unto Is it not this for a man to talke familiarly with God as with his friend And such honour have all the Saints and they only What honour were it for a poore meane despicable man to come to be so inward with a great Monarch to have his eare at his pleasure and to goe into the bed-chamber when hee list without repulse or interruption of any So is it with Gods favorites how despicable and despised soever they be amongst men Hee that will be inward with God saith one let him pray frequently let him read diligently for when we speak with God when wee read or heare God speaketh to us Sixtly if thou wouldst be provided of the best armes against thine enemies of the best safest refuge in distresse the speediest deliverance out of trouble the Saints can assure thee upon experience that there is none like this witnesse Moses Hester Iehosaphat and the rest Seventhly wouldst thou command all the armes of creatures as heaven earth and all the creatures therein yea even the Angels themselves the people of God wil teach thee that Prayer is the only word of command By this Elijah did open and shut the heavens By this Moses tied and untied the hands of the Almighty by this Iacob made the Lord to stay with him so that hee could not depart till hee had blessed him Eighthly and lastly
commander routs all those rebellious thoughts yea and taking them on a sudden reserveth them in chaines for execution then he brings up or rather beateth up these disordered forces or faculties of the soul with sorrow shame enough to their neglected service which service being done then hee sheweth them what base slaves had caused them to recoile from so glorious and gainfull a service of so great a God what a commander they had forsaken and what dangerous and shamefull hazard they had brought themselves into at the consideration whereof their hearts smite them they abhorre their owne soules they weep bitterly till they leave a Bochino or place of weeping behinde them to set their feet upō their necks and doe execution upon those slavish Canaanites to whom they had shamefully inslaved thēselves which I doubt not but many have a care to doe yet when they have done all they can some will escape in a corner starting out now and then to doe them a mischiefe at unawares As they pray therefore so let them watch But with the unregenerate man it is nothing so for hee can draw nigh to God with his lips but keep his heart far enough off and yet his heart never smiteth him hee is content to have a Dove in his hand and a Hog in his heart thought is free with him and that is the mark of a slave It is one thing to let Traitors and plaguie Rogues in at doores by negligence so to bee troubled with getting them out and another thing to keep open house for them The fayrest sun-shine may bee over-clouded but darknes it selfe can never be light As for the interposition of Sathans suggestions let that be set on Sathans score Last of all some will say they are so far from the aid and assistance of the spirit in prayer that they neither can pray nor dare pray nor have they any minde to pray can those bee the children of God I answer though they bee in an exceeding great strait yet they may bee Gods children for al that for though they cannot neither dare pray yet they desire to pray though they have no desire yet they wish they might desire But we must learn to distinguish between parties in a due temper both of body and soule and themselves distempered in one or both sometimes through the distemper of black fumes of melancholy the imagination is corrupt sometimes the conscience is wounded with the sense of sin the want of grace or with the trouble of some blasphemous or wicked thoughts sometimes the Lord is pulling a sinner as a brand out of the fire leaveth sparkles of his terrible wrath in him for his greater humiliatiō sometimes the Lord may seal the heart and close up the mouth for the trial of the party himselfe the example of others and the manifestation of his owne power in keeping of thē in that case and his mercy in the inlarging of their hearts according to the time of restraint In all these cases the soule may be clear of the things the exercise of prayer barred and yet the spirit of prayer remain which may be evidenced by the fruits of the spirit which are a tendernesse of conscience a hatred of sin love to the Saints and obedience to God So much for the fourth note wherein I have been the larger by reason of the power of the spirit herein The fift evidence of Prayer made by the spirit is that spirituall vigor or fervency of it which as a consuming fire from heaven causeth the odours of the prayers of the Saints to ascend like incense To this effect is that of the Apostle The spirit maketh request for vs with grones that cannot bee expressed By these unpressible grones is meant the vehemency or fervency of Prayer being the work of the spirit which worketh after an unspeakable maner in the hearts of all that pray this is that wrestling that prevaileth with God this is that which stirreth up a man to lay hold on God this is that which layeth violent hold on him whom the soule loveth This was the practice of our Saviour Christ who in the daies of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares Against this his own practice Christ cannot stand out witnesse that parable of the importunate prevailing widow and shall not God revenge his elect that cry day night The want of this wrongeth Gods cause maketh the enimie prevaile and our prayers to be forceles and fruitlesse yea our courses uncomfortable whereas on the fervency of prayer all the contrary effects attend This fervency was Luthers excellency and in this hee and many others found most good This smiteth and overturneth both the inward outward Amalakite If thou wilt sacrifice take fire with thee the want whereof may justly invert the saying of Abraham to thy disadvantage here is the sacrifice but whereis the fire The golden Censer receiveth no Odours without fire more or lesse to consume them and according to the height or lownesse of the fire the motion of prayer is the swifter or flower The lazie cold frozen prayer prevaileth nothing with God but by weeping and making earnest supplication we may finde God in Bethel and speak to God and prevail with God as Iacob did Let us then as Paul saith labour fervently in prayer that the power thereof may bee an evidence of the spirit in us but herein wee must take heed of the deceitfulnesse of strange fire in the heart for as a burning feaver or the fit of an intermitting Ague or a hecktick disposition may manifest more heat outwardly to the touch yea inflame the inward parts with more ardency or scorching consuming heat begetting an unquenchable thirst by drinking up the radical moisture of the Spirits then is to bee felt in a due temperature So a feverish heat or counterfeit zeale may exalt an hypocrite high in the outward action yea he may have a deceiving tast of the power of God seeming thirst of the glory of God and a preposterous desire of honour and immortality yea all this may be like to the former heat and thirst in nature an unnaturall adventitious heat not truly inlivening maintaining the life of prayer but consuming and devouring the supposed spirit of prayer Of these two if you desire to know the essentiall difference I take it to consist in these particulars First this fervency is a sanctifying saving fruit of the spirit wrought immediatly in the heart and affections whereby the understanding faculties are much sublimated and refined whereon followeth a more pure conception with a swifter directer motion of prayer because both heart and understanding are quickned and agitated by true celestiall heat Neither must you conceive that the fervency of affection must carry the understanding without information from it this were zeal without knowledge w ch the spirit
of fervency striving endeavour to goe on though thou feelest but litle or no comfort these be true flames of the Spirit which were never kindled in the least measure in the breast of any Hypocrite will an Hypocrite with all his painted flames hold out No they will murmure if God heare them not but the godly will trust in him though hee slay them Let every one then stirre up the gift that is in him whatsoever it be and the Lord will be with us ere we be aware The sixt evidence of the Spirit of Prayer is that godly traine of all-saving graces garding it strengthning it and attending upon it Hee that can doe an errand to God is destitute of no gift as Paul saith of the Corinthians that Embassie is guarded with all the graces of God in some measure as first it ariseth from that impregnable pallace of faith which ascendeth like a Cloud with Prayer in it never ceasing but still increasing the motion till it come to heaven In and from this Pallace Prayer is armed with an irresistible violence and commeth forth like a valiant Champion beating all down-right before it that standeth between God it Innumerable instances of this in Gods servants put that immediate principle of the Spirit out of all Question Whatsoever yee shall aske in Prayer believing yee shall receive David and all the Saints make ever this foundation of their Prayer Vnto thee will I pray Iehovah thou shalt heare my voice Secondly as Prayer is grounded from faith so it is under-propped by Hope I will looke unto the Lord saith Micha and I will waite for the God of my Salvation My God will heare me This place expresseth also the Christian patience wherewith the Prayer of the Saints is seasoned and also that perseverance whereby the Charriot of faith is drawne These set the soule upon the watch-Tower as Habacuk speaketh and maketh her waite and hearken what the Lord will answer David's Praier in his distresse was thus qualified I will looke out saith the Prophet Further Prayer made in the Spirit is attended with Preparation Opportunity and Diligence Preparation maketh ready the Charriot of faith awaketh Prayer attireth it with a holy disposition of heavenly position Opportunity as a guide taketh it the nighest way and Diligence as the driver of the Charriot driveth more nimbly then Iehu the sonne of Nimshi All these attend David's Prayer I will direct my Prayer unto thee or I will orderly addresse unto thee there is his Preparation In or at the morning that is early there is his opportunity I will looke out or else espy there is his diligence or I will pray that is still doe pray and cease not Try then or let thy Prayer be tried by these clouds of witnesses whether it be of the spirit or no for the Prayer of the Hypocrite hath none of these witnesses or attendants as it is said of faithlesse hearers that the Word heard did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith They may make a faire shew in seeming to lay hold on God deceiving others their own hearts they will leane upon the Lord saith the Prophet and say is not the Lord among us c. But they build upon the sand and hence are their ruines neither is their hope any better then Hypocrites hope which shall perish as for their patience wherwith their Prayer should be seasoned If God attend not their pleasure in answering of their desires it is quickly turned into murmuring In this they are like that gracelesse servant of that godlesse King because this evill is of the Lord why should I waite for the Lord any longer As for the attendants of Prayer namely Preparation Opportunity and Diligence the Hypocrite is not acquainted with them the counterfeit shews or shadowes of these he may have but the things themselves in the true nature of them he neither hath nor desireth to have The Hypocrite rusheth into Gods presence without premeditation of Gods most glorious presence and without consideration of his own vilenesse and unworthinesse to speake to so glorious and great a God His best Preparation is but a vizard of Prepation or outward shew of seeming holinesse in the position of the body Their best opportunity is base and by respect and their diligence carrieth the duty no further then customary performance or so farre as it is in request with the times So never an Hypocrite you see can be an Embassadour to God for he wanteth both the Commission of the Spirit and that traine of attendants that doe accompany the Commission It is no-wonder then that their Prayer be converted into sinne for they are Traytors to God in taking upon them his Embassie without his Cōmission Let them pray then that can pray yea it standeth us all upon to looke to it whether we pray or prate or bable For Lord Lord a multitude of faire words and faire shewes will not serve An Embassadour with a gilded coach of temporary faith will not serve the turne yea though it were full of miracles attended with a many imbrodered Lackeyes of smooth words courtly complements and eare-pleasing musick shall never have admittance to God nor audience of God look to it then that thou be an Embassadour indeed that thou hast thy Commission sealed and art sent by the Spirit and that thy traine be such as may be heartily welcome to God and make thee welcome In the first place make triall of thy faith and that by the inward acts of purifying the heart uniting it to God by victory over temptations casting thy selfe upon the Lord by contentment of thine estate also by the extensive worke of love first to God for himselfe then to thy neighbour in him and for him The heart so purified by faith is a fit lymbeck for Prayer Out of this the Prophet David was bold to presse his Prayer upon God Hearken to my Prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips or without lips of deceipt by which is meant the syncerity of the heart agreeing with the words of the mouth Nothing so much adorneth the heart as faith nothing commendeth faith more then Prayer and nothing graceth Prayer more then syncerity This with the proud Pharisee all Hypocrites want drawing nigh God with their mouth and honouring him with their lips but their hearts be far from him or as the Psalmist they flatter or flatteringly allured him with their mouth with their tongue lied to him for their heart was not right with him or not firmly prepared with him And this especially maketh the Praier of the Hypocrites of an evill savour in Gods Nostrills for as he is the hearer of the heart as one saith and not of the voice so he loveth the syncerity of the heart and hateth the hollownesse and rottennesse thereof in Prayer above all things because they
goe about to deceive him denying him in effect to be the discerner of the heart otherwise they would never deal so with him Try also thy hope in Prayer namely by clearing of thy Author and casting it within the vaile The nature of hope is to keepe thee from shame by the repulse of thy desires because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost in such abundant measure and unspeakable manner that he cannot deny us the things hoped for Try also thy Prayer by patience waiting on the Lord and going on in Prayer in the time of distresse This an Hypocrite as I have shewed cannot nor will not doe In the time of affliction they wil set very freshly upon the duty so farre as great words will carry it but if they be brought to any strait or put to any hard shift like white-livered souldiers they die down-right in their owne ayre or element or else fling away their arms and run from their Colours It is much to be feared that our nations woefull experience shall teach the truth of this in one as wel as the other But God giveth his owne another heart namely to overtop the height of their affections with the height of their Prayers and never give over till by patience and importunity they possesse the gates of their enemies and become more then Conquerors The Scripture to this purpose affordeth abundance of remarkable instances for a touch whereof take these two Steven the first Martyr being cast out of the City and stoned for his worthy Sermon as the stones were flying about his eares in the midst of all the mischiefe that they could doe him by the power of the holy Ghost called upon God and that with cryes kneeling upon his knees This lesson no doubt hee learof his Master Christ the best and only pattern that any man can follow He though a Sonne learned obedience by afflictions in the dayes of his flesh offered up Prayers and Supplications withstrong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death was heard in that he feared where observe what force feare and afflictions added to our Saviours Prayers which as swelling seas make well growne fish and thundring and lightning cleereth the ayre and the nipping frost maketh the fire the hotter So the afflictions of the Saints addeth force to their Praiers they cry more mightily to God then ever they did yea where they could not speake before now they cry and that day and night saith the Spirit though he beare long with them where observe the patience of the Saints they beare long in Gods bearing with their enemies Then observe their instant continuance they cry day and night to the same effect the Lord speaketh by his Prophet I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as gold is tryed they shall call upon my name and I will hear them Affliction maketh the wicked impatient driveth them from God because they are a burnished blade of terror in the hand of the Almighty as the pearle in oysters by thunder vanisheth so doth the Prayer of the Hypocrite by affliction but the triall of the godly bringeth forth patience driveth them nigher to God because their afflictions are but trialls indeed and at the worst they are but as a rod in the hand of a loving Father In a word as the Saints extremities are Gods opportunities so the same extremities are whetstones to the Saints importunities Lastly as for preparation labour to set thy heart in frame consider what thou art about and with whom thou hast to deale As God bid Moses put off thy shooes from thy feet for the place where thou staÌ„dest is holy ground whereby is meant the putting off of earthly and carnal affections preparing the mind to spiritual and heavenly duties Endeavour to come before the Lord with a simple and naked heart and with affections duly prepared for so great a presence As for Opportunity endeavour alwaies to be fit upon every occasion and feaâ—â— to choose the best occasion not omitting it at any hand for Diligence know this that use maketh an Artist or Tradesman To conclude this particular If thou callest upon the Lord in truth that is in faith syncerity earnestnesse and constancy the Lord will be nigh unto thee which is both the cause and evidence that thou prayest by the Spirit The seventh evidence of Prayer made by the Spirit is the guidance of the Spirit in all other actions For as he that is born of the Spirit is Spirit so he is spirituall in all his parts faculties and actions because the Spirit is of an all renuing nature though many remainders of the flesh and much reluctation be intermixed therewith throughout all the parts faculties and actions To this effect is that of the Apostle As many as are led by the Spirit they be the sonnes of God where observe hee saith not they that have received the Spirit or live by the Spirit or pray by the Spirit or doe any other action as he saith other where but that they are led by the Spirit intimating thereby the inclining disposition and ever-ruling power of the Spirit whereby the whole spirituall man is guided in all his waies as a ship by a pilot or a horse by his rider the place alludeth to a blind man or a man wanting strength who is wholly guided or carried by another so Gods supplicants as they pray by the spirit so they wholly resign themselves over in all their waies to the guidance of the spirit The guidance of the spirit in all a petitioners waies doth manifest it selfe in these two particulars First in the subdueing of the whole body of sin for though the remnans of sin remain in the best of Gods Saints yet no sin beareth dominion in theÌ„ for then should they not be led by the spirit who are led by the spirit saith one but they whose counsells and actions have nothing to doe with sin Sathan according to that of the Apostle Hee that is borne of God sinneth not or commiteth not sin viz. he serveth not sin hee delighteth not in sin he maketh not a trade of it nor lyeth not in it giveth not way to it but resisteth it and hateth it it is an intolerable burthen to him he cannot beare it But on the contrary he that committeth sin is of the Divel that is he that loveth sin loveth and obeyeth it in the lusts thereof Now where this sin-subduing power of the spirit beareth sway there the prayers bee the prayers of the spirit For as divers gifts come from one spirit so where there is one true gift of the spirit there bee all the gifts of the spirit but on the coÌ„trary where one sinne beareth sway there is not the guidance of the spirit and where the spirit is not the guide there the prayer is not the prayer of
flie from his colours and so they aske things not fitting for thē though to good intent and often they are not fitted for the things they aske But thus they doe in their hast the Word of God checketh them Gods Spirit their owne cōscience diverteth them from this course and they endeavour to square their desires according to the Will of God But the wicked are like to Elies sonnes They will have what they will if they perish for it Try thy Prayer then by the object of thy desires if thou canst heartily submit thy self to the Will of God in all things then thou hast assurance of the guidance of the Spirit but if thou wilt be both begger and chooser thou art too saucy to be guided by the Spirit Secōdly as for the Matter so they have due respect unto the Order The Spirit whereby they are guided is a spirit of Order not of confusion They first seeke heaven and heavenly things because they are heavenly minded according to that rule of our Saviour Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be added unto you where by the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse is meant heaven and all the means of Gods appointment that bring us to heaven which both for excellency and order we must seeke and esteem above before all things not but that wee may and must seeke earthly things for there is a necessity of them we have the promises for them but it must be as they are necessary helps to the better things giving them their due time and place A pattern for this our Saviour giveth us in that perfect patterne of Prayer wherein he teacheth us first to pray for heavenly things and then for earthly things Where if any object That the asking of dayly bread is prefixt to the asking of forgivenesse of sinnes the former being earthly the later heavenly I answer it is not needfull with some of the Fathers and others to expound this bread of the sacramentall bread for the temporall bread is the bread of the children as one of them well observeth as well as the spirituall bread but the petition for Bread is put before the petition of Remission of sins as some think because the former of petitions is for good the later is in the number of the deprecations for evill Others that from the sight of our necessities of earthly things we are led to a sight of our necessity of heavenly things According to this patterne is the practice of the Saints Salomō makes first choice for Wisdome and letteth other things follow in their course David first desireth the light of Iehovah's face or countenance and letteth the corne and the wine and the oyle follow in their order But it is nothing so with the wicked they desire earthly things in the first place because they are earthly minded as for heavenly things they never question the attaining of them Give Esau first his red pottage and let him deale afterward for the birth-right as hee can let Saul be honoured before the people and hee will take his venture of the honour from God Againe wee must aske heavenly things absolutely I meane in their kinds not in any particular measure or quantity but for earthly things wee must aske them conditionally for so they are promised In some sort namely so farre as they are absolutely necessary for the maintaining us in Gods service and making good of his promises so farre wee may crave them absolutely for as wee crave the end so we may crave the meanes that lead to that end Then try thy selfe by the right ordering of thy heart towards the object of thy desires if thy heart pant and thy soule thirsteth after the living God and the promises of God Christ Iesus Doest thou desire the loving kindnesse of the Lord more then Life it selfe then let this assure thee though thou want other assurance that thy desires are the desires of the Spirit for every desire is of the nature of the thing desired Beasts affect only sensuall objects because their desires are meerly sensuall and the naturall man desireth naturall things as the adequat object of his desires though by some sparkle of common instinct he may glance at better things which he neither knoweth nor truly affecteth So the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse is the adequat object of the spirituall mans desires although the stomach may be affected with the maukin or such a disease as women with-child and men also labour of arising from an excrementious or venemous humour whereby they long extremely for things hurtfull like the humour it selfe and desire them more then holsome food But as this is cured by vomiting so the Lord by some crosse or other purgeth out his malignant menstrous humour after which they come to hate their owne desires David was taken with a longing desire for the water of Bethlem but not when hee perceived it to be the price of blood by hazarding the lives of his worthies hee would not give it to his desires So when the Saints perceive their inordinate desires to hazard their esteeme desire of Chirst they say to them as Ephraim to his Idols get you hence what have I to doe with you Look to it then for if thou set thine ease profit pleasures honour or any thing else before Christ thy desire is not of Christ The last note of Evidence of the Spirit is the looking for an answer from him to whom wee pray The end of every action is first in intention A man can never intend that which hee lookes not to see in execution the end of Prayer is to be heard Heare O Lord the Praier of Iudah and bring him unto his people To heare is no other thing but to answer he who prayeth then intendeth to have answer looketh for an answer it will follow then by conversion that he that looketh not for an answer prayeth not at all That speech of the blind man God heareth sinners carririeth these two things in it First as I have shewed the living in any sinne cannot stand with the Spirit of Prayer This hath been the course of all the Saints Iacob looked for a blessing and hee would not away without a blessing The Canaanitish Woman will not away til she have somewhat though it be but crummes David will look out that is as I have shewed he will waite for an answer My soule waiteth for Iehovah more then a watch-man for the morning As the eyes of servants are unto the hand of their Masters or as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistresse So our eyes are toward Iehovah our God untill that he be gracious unto us The leadeth us unto this duty by the very instinct of brutish creatures The eyes of all looke attentively to thee and thou givest them their meat in due season The
let him goe until I brought him into my mothers house which is no other but to bring him into the heart where hee dwelleth by Faith As the Conduit-pipe bringeth home water from the Fountaine to the Cisterne so the Conduit of Faith bringeth home the Fountaine of living water even Christ himselfe to the Cisterne of the heart As the eye of Faith in Prayer looketh for Christ so the hand of faith bringeth him home for faith is a thrifty grace bringing all riches home to the soule The want of this thrifty course maketh want of sense in our suits to God for as the light of Gods truth bringeth home to the soul the Mountaine of his holinesse so the Spirit of Prayer bringeth home the Lord to the soule of an humbled sinner If a man could fill the Censer with odors and the heavens with Groanēs and labour not in particular for this Vnion or Contract between God his Soule God may be there with litle or no immediate sense of his presence Look then to the plying of this for this will make thee to remove every thing that may displease the faithfull witnesse or weaken sense A fift Mean to procure sense is a due notice-taking of God our selves in Prayer The knowledge of our selves Moral Naturall and Spirituall casteth us quite out of our selves and leadeth us as one saith as it were by the hand to the knowledge of God by which reflection or circular knowledge we come to be vile in our owne eyes It casteth out and keepeth out sin making the Spirit rejoyce to beare witnesse with our Spirits that our Prayers are as odors of incense in his nostrills Againe the Spirituall knowledge of Gods Excellency Soveraignty Al-sufficiency of all his Attributes and workes worketh a lively sense in the Suiter because the bare naturall or supernaturall knowledge of God be it as may be will never beget any sense without that anointing eye-salve This knowledg then of Gods Excellency will countervail the sense of thine owne unworthinesse his Soveraignty will command the rebellion thereof His All-sufficiency supplyeth thy wants all his attributes yea even his Iustice in Christ serveth for thy good This knowledge giveth thee not only with the heathen some light to see God in his Creatures The truth of this passage appeareth plainly in Abraham his suite to God for Sodome I have taken upon me or begun to speak unto the Lord and I am dust and ashes whereby a reflective knowledge of God upon him selfe hee seeth and acknowledgeth himselfe to be nothing yet by this is not discouraged but rather encouraged to continue his request renuing it to the number of nine times which hee could never have done without the sense of the Spirits approbation Our comming short herein maketh us come short of sense in Prayer for either we examine not our selves and empty not our selves of our selves as we should till we be vile in our own eyes therefore the Lord will not let us know that hee taketh notice of us till we take better notice of our selves or on the contrary wee fixe both our eyes upon our owne unworthinesse vilenesse and insufficiency where finding no matter of feeling wee drench our selves in teares of despair with S. Iohn because there is nothing found in us worthy to give testimony But we looke not up to the Lyons power nor the worth of the Lambes blood by which the sealed evidence of the Fathers good will is opened or broken up to us by whom the Odors or Prayers of the Saints are carried up to the Father and to the Fathers presence and evidence of his presence is brought down into the soule And this is the means to make us sing that new song with triumphant joy and melody in ovr heart having God in Christ to be all in all unto us though wee be nothing of our selves The sixt and last sense-procuring Meane is a close and constant holy walking with God in all our Thoughts Words Actions both in our generall and particular calling The guidance of the Spirit Praying by the Spirit and Evidence of the Spirit in some measure goe usually together I say usually because sometime the two first may be without the last and that for causes best knowne to God as some sinne past prevention of some sinne as spirituall pride or the like or for the tryall of the patience of the Saints and their continuance in Prayer trusting in the Lord although hee should kill them And truly I may say for the comfort of such that though it be not so sweet a condition as that which is joyned with sense yet it is as happy as sure a condition as that which is carried by sense if all meanes for sense be used Hither may I apply that saying of our Saviour to Thomas Thou beleevest because thou seest blessed are those that have not seen and yet have beleeved So blessed are those that continue in Praier though they want the sense of assurance in Prayer But to the matter in hand close obedience out of Prayer bringeth good Evidence in Prayer not only as the effect or as the fruit evidenceth the tree but it challengeth the Spirit of promise to be with us in Prayer to give Evidence and Approbation to his owne Worke For as remisse walking in a Christian though not absolutely loose doth in some sort quench the Spirit and damp the evidence thereof in Prayer so a close strict and holy walking with God doth quicken and rejoyce the Spirit for that it is ready with cheerfulnesse to give joyfull evidence when wee goe about its particular businesse of Prayer This walking with God for which the Patriarchs and Saints were commended is nothing else as the Author to the Hebrewes expoundeth it but a pleasing of God by faith and obedience Now when we thus please him hee according to his covenant made to Ahraham and his seed is with us in our requests by giving us contentment of assurance But our want of this maketh weaknesse of Prayer and want of assurance Many mens affections are led captive and their judgments wee presume our wayes to be Gods wayes when they are none of his by being strict in one of the Tables we take liberty to transgresse the other The harmony of the Spirit is distempered by our disordered passions we beare false witnesse against God in denying the Saints their due out of a partiall humour and therefore it is just with God to withdraw his testimony from our requests though we eagerly desire it Lastly the hearts of the most professing are so overcharged with the cares of this life that the Spirit also is overcharged with the dulnesse deadnesse of their Prayers whereby the duty hath small force with it and the evidence is suppressed Therefore looke to thy walking in every particular if ever thou meanest to attaine to assurance in thy Prayer Other meanes I might deliver for the obtaining of sense as due Preparation to
Iob He shall call upon God and he will be favourable to him and hee shall see his face with joy For he will render unto man his righteousnesse False and forged then is that glosse of the Doctors of Doway upon that place of Nehemiah Ajust man that hath merited by good works may pray with great confidence of reward Further if any object If Prayer depend upon promises what need men pray since God will acknowledge his promises without our Prayers for all his promises are Yea and Amen For answer briefly he that hath promised to heare hath commanded us also to pray and without praying no promise to heare yea the Son of God himselfe who doubted not of his glorification did notwithstanding pray Father glorifie thy Son Try then thy interest to the promises by the laying hold or desiring to lay hold on the promises thereby thou maist know whether thou praiest in the Spirit or no keep alwaies thine eye upon the promises for as the load stone keepeth alwaies the point of the needle towards the north-pole so the load-stone of Gods promises keepeth alwaies the point of the Prayer touched therewith directly towards the Mercy seat of God But as the unregenerate man hath no portion in the promises so the promises are no point of that Compasse whereby his Prayers are guided It is true indeed that a wicked man out of the darknesse of his thoughts may charge God with such a promise as God never made by misconstruing of the promise as for instance Call upon me in the day of distresse and I will release thee This promise a wicked man may thus urge Thou hast bound thy selfe by promise Lord to deliver all those that are troubled and call upon thee but I am in trouble and call upon thee therefore thou hast bound thy selfe by the promise to deliver mee and so from thee I seeke for deliverance The Argument is a sophisme as wee speake from the homonumie or diverse significations of the word all which in the former proposition must be taken for calling upon the Lord in truth but in the later in cannot be so taken for the wicked may prate and bable but hee calleth not upon the Lord as I have shewed therefore he hath no interest in the promise Hee leaveth out the maine evidence namely the Glorifying of God which a wicked man never doth so that he presumeth himselfe to doe that he doth not and God to promise that which he never meant Againe a wicked man may obtaine that which he payeth for as successe honour wealth temporall deliverance and the like whereupon hee presumeth of some interest to the premises but it doth not follow For as God heareth not in every thing or alwaies the children of the promise because they are not fitted or it is not good for them or the the time is not come so he often giveth the wicked things they crave in his wrath they having no ground to aske or receive any thing from him as a promise to them for they are none of the children of the promise They have neither promise of the things of this life nor a better neither doe they with patience waite the Will of God that they may receive the promise but the childrens only care is to make good to themselves some interest to the promises and that by cleansing themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and by doing the Will of God waiting with patience for the promises endeavouring to bring them home by faith and supplication without ceasing The ninth Evidence of the Spirit of Prayer is the directing of Prayer to God in the name of Christ we are commanded thus to doe for what is it to seek the Face of God according to his owne appointment but to seeke him in the Face of his anointed Drawing neare unto God in Christ hath only the promise of hearing witnesse Christ himselfe binding it with an asseveration Verily verily I say unto you what soever yee shall aske the Father in my name that will I doe By no other nor in no other can wee speed but in and by him what other can appease the wrath of God against us Dare man by any other shew his face in Gods presence In the worth of Christ only our Prayers find acceptance with God in him as in a golden Censor all the Prayers of the Saints come to be fragrant and sweet-smelling odors He is the only mediatour as well of Intercession as Redemption He is the Priest the golden Altar by whose vertue our Prayers come to be a Sacrifice Did there ever any prevaile with God but in his name Is there any way or accesse but by his name Hee is that high Priest going into the Sanctuary carrying on his shoulders and also on his breast the twelve precious stones representing the twelve Tribes or all the faithful Hence it is cleare that Papists goe not to God going in the name of Saints and Angels sometime in the name of Traytors and godlesse persons In the name I say of their own worth and merit neither doth any reprobate goe to God in the name of Christ for Christ is no Intercessor for him I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast granted me for they are thine A great rabble of the unregenerate as Hypocrites carnall Gospellers meere civill men will tell you they defie Popery they hold it foolery and madnesse to pray to Saint or Angell and also robbery to goe to God by them and therefore they scorne it they acknowledge no other mediatour of Intercession but Christ Iesus All this is wel spoken but what availeth this them They will tell you further in Christ his name they dayly make their Prayers to God This is not so for they have no interest to take his name in their mouths or to make mention of it hating to be renued It is true they may speake of his name and so egregiously abuse it as they that will alleage it in the great day that they prophesyed and cast out Divels in his name of whom he will professe that is openly proclaim he knew them not viz. he never acknowledged thē for his yea he detesteth them and biddeth them away as workers of iniquity so shall it bee with all corrupt pleaders usurping the name of Christ They onely that know this name as the Psalmist saith can trust in it and fly unto it as a strong tower They know the Lords name the Lord knoweth theirs My people saith the Prophet shall know my name c. And because hee hath set his love upon me or cleaveth to mee as the Psalmist speaketh therefore I will deliver him I will set him on high because hee knoweth my name He shall call upon me and I will answer him Look then to it in all thy supplications to look towards God in Christ As Moses desiring to see the face of
God was put by God in the Clift of the rock and covered with his hand till he passed by that he might see his back parts so thou and thy prayers must be put in the Rock Christ Iesus if ever thou com'st to see the face of God in favour As they that would make an echo repaire to some rocky place whereupon the words resound so they that will have an answer from God must either ply their prayers upon the Rock Christ Iesus or no ccho no answer at all As they that are dim-sighted make the object more apparant by the use of spectacles or as some speak through a trunck that they may bee the better heard So the Saints look through Christ speake through Christ that they may see God and heare God giving a gracious answer As some glasse maketh things presented by it to be the same colour So God looking upon us in Christ seeth us to be of the colour of his Son and wee looking on God through Christ see God reconciled to us in Christ Therefore whatsoever wee offer to God let us present it to him through Christ set alwaies Christ betweene thee and him and whatsoever God giveth to thee labour to entertain it alwaies through Christ herein comfort shall abound to thee honour to God As by some kind of Perspectives a man may bring two objects together So by the Perspective of faith directing the prayer to God in and by Christ thou maist bring God and Christ all the promises home to thy soule at one sight The tenth evidence that a man prayeth by the Spirit is the betaking of himselfe to it in the time of trouble as to a rock of defence or the making of it his especiall remedy in the time of misery For this indeed is the very best as David said of Goliah's there is none like this so there is no sword like unto the sword of the Spirit This is a true Panacea to heal all maladies a balm for the wounded conscience a precious medicine for all diseases of the body a plaister for all sores a cordiall against all discomforts armes invasive defensive against all enimies The Apostle delivereth all this in few words If any bee afflicted let him pray It is the safest guard against all evills of sin and evills of punishment it is the onely best meanes of deliverance from both these witnesse first that great Physitian God himselfe for so hee calleth himselfe I am Iehovah that healeth thee or I am thy healer or Physitian Now what receipt giveth he thee this is it call on mee in the day of distresse Secondly look but on the soveraigne nature of the medicine it self where in it differenceth it selfe from all other meanes of life and godlinesse All other meanes are sanctified by this but this is the immediate motion of the spirit of an unexpressible vertue and irresistible force Thirdly what glorious things in Gods book are spokē of this inestimable peece of spirituall armes witnesse S. Iames for all the rest laying downe the excellency of prayer first in generall termes The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much then hee instanceth it in the prayers of Elias what great effects were wrought by it The devout Ancients hardly satisfie themselves in commending this excellent peece There is nothing saith one so sensibly sweet to the soule nothing doth weane the minde so much from the loue of all this world nothing stirreth up a man to the exercise of all and every grace nothing prevaileth so much against evill of sin and evill of punishment whether for preservation or deliverance nothing standeth in better steed for the increase of Gods kingdome by the conversion of soules For as prayer brake Peters fetters set open the prison doore so it shaketh the chaines of sin in peeces openeth or breaketh up the iron gates of a sinners heart offers violence to heaven for the enterance of a sinner One of the Ancients doth attribute Pauls conversion to Stevens prayer Had not Steven prayed for Paul saith he the Church should never have had Paul for a teacher In a word nothing maketh a man so amiable to his God so deare and faithfull to his friend so formidable to his foe so contentfull to himselfe and so profitable to the place where he liveth Fourthly all the people of God in all their straits have made this their Master-peece and prospered by plying it were it famine pestilence sword captivity contempt persecution or any other evill to be feared or inflicted yea or evill of sin whereby God was offended or the soule troubled did they not alwaies fall hard on the worke of petitioning and did they ever in sincerity so doe went away without a gracious answer Instance Iacob Moses Iehosophat Ezekias Manasses Samuel Eliah the Cananitish woman the Publican the Theefe upon the Crosse with many others known to the meanest reader of the book of God What was Moses his best fight when Amaleck charged Israel Prevailed not this sword of prayer more then the sword of Ioshuah If this bee so then of the excellency and efficacy of prayer why doe not men run to it and trust to it in the time of need Because the spirit dwelleth not in them Every one that hath but a shew of profession yea prophane men too wil acknowledge the theory or speculative truth thereof but a woe it is to see how few confirme it by their practise The worser sort of men cannot do this if they would and the better sort will not doe it to their shame be it spoken in that measure and manner they should and as the troublesome times require it and for the hypocrite when hee commeth into any strait hee maketh a faire shew in the flesh at the first onset bearing the world in hand that hee esteemeth prayer aboue all the meanes in the world but first his heart can tell him that he relieth more upon subordinate meanes which may and ought to be used in their time and place and useth prayer only for a triall of a conclusion which if it prove not according to their expectation then farewell prayer they will have no more to doe with it they look for good of it and finde none and not being acquainted with the vertue of it they say of it as the ignorant say of Christ What is this so much extolled medicine more then another medicine we have tried it found no good in it but rather hurt by neglecting the meanes therefore wee will use the meanes that most prevails amongst men for prayer we will not altogether cast it out of doores but wee will lay it up in some by-corner of the house reserve it till it come in request we will peruse it now and then but this is not time to trust to it In this the hypocrite is like one labouring of an inveterate disease
Humanists tell of Oryx a kind of Goat in Egypt that it is so affected with the feare of scorching heat at the rising of the dog-starre that it standeth with tears in the eies looking up to the heavens as though it seemed to deprecate the intolerable fervency thereof and to thirst with an unquenchable desire for some moisture from the heavens So the soule taken up with desire of that it prayeth for will waite for it till it hath it And this is more then an unregenerate man doth or can doe he hath not the promise which is the ground of the answer nor careth he for the best things how then can hee wait for an answer He may conceit that God wil answer him yea that hee doth answer him because hee obtaineth some earthly things but his conceit is groūdlesse for God answereth not his prayers neither will he though hee make many prayers although it please God to cast those things upon him for the further convincing and condemning of him Put thy soule therefore to it in this particular and looke on thy prayer with like or dislike according to thy looking or not looking for an answer Our comming short of this maketh us come short of our suits for our selves others wee are like the children that shoot their shafts never look after them or carelesse petitioners who never look after an answer of their petition This is one maine cause of the Lords absence from his Church and of his standing out notwithstanding our praiers in that wee have not waited still on God and importun'd him for an answer Then let us set our selves upon the wall continually to watch and wait for it and the Lord in his due time will give a gracious answer If a wearied soule object his waiting for an answer till his eyes hath failed and his heart fainted I answer if thy suit hath the promise for its ground thou shalt have it for God denieth not what he delayeth yea in this he answereth thee that he stayeth thy heart to looke for answer for therein he answereth the heart though he answereth not the hand hee knitteth thy heart unto him that it doe not depart from him But if thou hast no promise for thy particular then know that deniall is the very best answer for private blessings are every way as good as positive Thus much I hope shal serve for the particular markes of the Grones of the Spirit which in some measure are in all Gods children All these marks indeed or at the least some of them be very cōspicuous yet through disuse or neglect the characters may be mightily raced and illegible mosse-grown with the cares of this life and the remnants of carnality hypocrisy security yet they are not quite raced out so that they are not there at all but in the unregenerate they are not at all or in any measure I have beene the larger in thē because of the deceitfulnesse of the heart the neglect of triall the presumption of hypocrites and prophane men and for stirring up of Gods people to look better to it that they may not only pray in the spirit in some measure but also that they may pray in sense of the spirit which is the third Point in order to be handled 3. How the Sence of the Spirit in Prayer may bee attained BEFORE I come to open this particular it shall not be amisse to answer a question which I heard moved Whether a man without the Spirit especially understand close hypocrites may goe frequently and ordinarily to God in secret because all other objects and by-respects removed the soule commeth in a more direct aspect to talke with God For answer hereunto I must acknowledge that as the prayer of the wicked is never mentioned but with professed detestation of it so I never read of any prayer of the wicked in secret But the Pharisees the very picture of hypocrites are reproved for turning the course of secret prayer to publique ostentation It is discovered in the Scripture to be the practice of the Saints Isaac went out into the fields with deepe meditation for so the word signifieth It was Daniels ordinary practice to goe into his chamber three times a day to pray So David evening and morning and at noone will I meditate And at the sixt houre Peter went into prayer Lastly it was the frequent practice of Christ himselfe the pattern of all goodnesse yet notwithstanding all these a prophane man may stumble now and then on his knees before God as a night-walker may a dangerous way in his sleep not knowing what danger he is in yea a close hypocrite may so harden his face against the feare of Gods presence or upon some selfe-fantasticall ground of libertinisme liue in grosse sinnes one or more goe ordinarily to God in secret which the Lord in judgement doth suffer for a time that they may be hardned in sin and clothed with judgement as with a robe but failing of their ends or their ends or their sin being discovered they fall off from the practice to open Prophanesse Apostasie of profession or Terror of conscience which is the best that can befall them Now having answered this Question I come directly to the point it selfe namely The meanes of attaining the sense of the Spirit in prayer For as many think they pray yet pray not at all so many pray indeed and doe not belieue they pray As it is the highest happines of the soule to converse with God in prayer so is it the heavenliest consolation of the soule to know it selfe to bee conversant with God in prayer Now for the attainment of this thou must 1 First stir up and quicken the motion of the spirit As in nature Motion stirreth up naturall heat and naturall heat maintaineth Motion making the part moved more sensible of livelinesse and activity so the stirring up of any spirituall faculty maketh it more active agile and the activity thereof maintaines the vigor of the faculty and maketh the subject more sensible of its own activity It is directly so in prayer to this the Apostle is very pertinent Stir up the gift that is in thee The property of the word is to stir up the sparkles of fire covered as it were with ashes and by laying fuell to them to kindle them up and make them burne again So that if thou wouldst feele the heat of the spirit thou must by a devout indeavour carefull assiduity gather together the sparkles of the spirituall motions raked up in the ashes of corruption and the rubbish of carelesse neglect and by laying on the fuell of the grones of the spirit with the soft breath of the bellows of heavenly meditations thou must resuscitate and kindle up againe that spirituall fire which is like to be extinguished The neglect of this maketh want of sense and want of sense want of comfort and therefore