for all but the carnall man hath many Gods the Monie in his Chest his Friends that his Mammon hath got him his Corne in his Barnes his Cattle in the Fields his Plate and Iewels his Wit and Pollicy are the Gods of worldly men in them they trust and by som or one of them they hope to be relieued or steeded in whatsoeuer desperate occasion and therfore seeke they not the helpe of the inuisible God by fruitlesse Prayer as they deeme it But the faithfull man in deede knoweth these to be deceiuing Gods flattering Gods like vnto Ionahs Gourd that seemed faire for a day and when it should most haue sheltred him it withered by the worme at the roote So haue all these vain-glorious Gods their wormes that worke at their roote who wither when they that trust in them haue most neede of their helpe like the Manna that the Israelites gathered ouer night and kept till morning which withered stank when they thought to eat it Euen so do Friends faile Riches Strength and Pollicie deceiue them that trust to them or in thē And it is to bee admired that so many men not onely instructed by the Word of God but also by so many experiences which they euery day see that all the glorie of the world and vanities thereof are but deceiuing dreames and yet that they should suffer themselues to be bewitched with their flatteries inchantments like the followers of Vlysses transformed into beasts by the charmes of Circes who honour that which is to bee contemned and contemne God who aboue all friends riches whatsoeuer means is to bee loued embraced beleeued and praied vnto CHAP. IV. The faithfull mans God is the onely liuing God and in him is his chiefe good the carnall men haue manie Gods the ends of both THE friends the riches and whatsoeuer good the faithfull man hath or hopeth for is in heauen The Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost one Al-sufficient God the Angels heauenly societie these are will be for euer his and will neuer faile nor forsake him He that created him he will keepe him he that redeemed him he will iustifie him hee that sanctified him hee will reach him to pray to the Father in the Sonne hee will assist our spirits who know not how or for what to pray he will help our infirmities enkindle our godly desires he will make such a sacred vnion between himselfe and our spirits as wee shall become one with him and God the Father and the Sonne being one with the Holy Ghost shall in the consent of the sacred Trinitie beget vs anew giue vs new hearts new affections new loue liuely faith and furnish vs with all the graces of right regeneration yea wee shall become like vnto our elder brother and euen here in earth partake of heauenly consolation The Angels shall administer vnto vs all holy aide and support vs in all our waies walkings according to the good pleasure of GOD who giueth them charge ouer his children These are the goods of the godly Oh the sweet operation of liuely faith begotten by the promise of God in Christ made in his word it begetteth Praier and Praier truely powred forth by lippes vndefiled in the affection of a right qualified heart vnto God the Father in his Son doth truly assure vs of Gods presence and present reliefe in all our necessities more fully and more truely then all the false Gods and vaine goods of carnall men and their meanes What worldly or carnall aide had the three children in the Furnace What arme of flesh deliuered Daniel from the Lions What earthly helpe had that great God to ouerthrow the Armie of Senacherib Many in like dangers haue beene saued relieued and deliuered without humane aide The examples are infinite in Scriptures wherof the miracles done in leading the children of Israel out of Egypt through the Wildernesse their plantation in and vpon the borders of Canaan and the life of Ioseph may serue to satisfie any beleeuing man For neither were friends nor wealth nor strength nor pollicie aiding this great God in his works of greatest wonder Who then will preferre these base earthly deceiuing Gods and flattering goods before the good God of Israel Or who will trust any God but the God of Hoasts Haue any of the Gods of the Nations deliuered his land out of the hands of the King of Ashur Where is the God of Hamath and of Arpad Where is the God of Sepharnaim Hena Iuah Which of the Gods of worldly carnall men haue deliuered their most humble suppliants out of any their troubles or rid them or preuented any of their dangers It is a most execrable blasphemie against the God of heauen to preferre worldly goods and carnall meanes before the helpe loue and fauour of the God of Gods and of goodnesse as manie do testified by their works though they would seeme to shew the contrarie How did wicked Rabshakeh raile vpon the liuing God from Senacherib his master And did not the Angell of the Lord that night destroy one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand men of the Hoast of Ashur Here was the force of flesh confounded and Senacherib himself was slain by Adramelech and Sharazer his owne sonnes as hee was worshipping Nisroche his God in the Temple of the Idoll Who then seeing the successe of mans carnal confidence Idolatrous zeale will not seeke the God of heauen for succor in danger for reliefe in want and for comfort in all distresses what man of common sense obserueth not manie precedent examples of the weaknes and vncertaintie of carnall meanes And yet how many are there to be found in these times of common carnall securitie that do seek their helpe at God by humble and faithfull Praier doe they not rather depend vpon the broken Reede of their owne felt outward meanes and therfore despise the seruice of God and contemne his weake children The Glutton would not pitty Lazarus the false Iudges did accuse Susanna the rich will striue to wrong the poore and wrest Iustice vniustly by the meanes of their corrupting Mamon seldome or neuer considering that there is a God that careth for the poore who is able to raise vp a Daniel to cleere Susannaes innocencie a Salomon to decide the doubts arising by false pretences There is great difference betweene the pretended happinesse of the rich and poore And so much differ the felicitie of the one and other the one is great and fearefull to the poore and hath his felicitie in this life the other is despised of the rich and hath his miserie here but the first passeth from his mirth to mourning from his wealth to want from his glorie to griefe from a glorious life to an eternall death But the second is taken frō his basenesse to glorie from miserie to comfort from griefe to grace and from a kinde of worldly death to celestiall and endlesse life For it is
the duetie that God commands to make heauenly friends with their earthly Mammon Therfore our Sauiour pronounceth such impossibilitie for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heauen euen because of his couetousnesse and oppression and because of his securitie and seldome or neuer faithfully seruing the liuing God and againe denounceth woes against them for that they haue their consolation in this world not for that they oppresse the poore and get their goods by vnlawfull meanes but because they haue their coÌ„solation namely their carnall delights and pleasures and not their spirituall ioy and inward comfort of the holy Ghost heere in this life Therefore behoueth it rich men to beware they place not their hearts consolation vpon these worldly fleeting vanities but according to diuine counsaile If riches encrease not to set their mindes vpon them but to vse them as they vsed them not For it is not meerely riches that maketh the vser but the abuser of them vnhappie And therefore as there may be a poore man proude and couetous euen in his small portion so may there be a rich maÌ„ poor in his owne conceit and so bestowe and distribute his goods as not onely not a woe but a blessing shall be pronounced vnto him as to the poor beleeuing in God for our Sauiour to encourage all as well poore as rich rightly affected and to stirre them vp to obedience and prayer saith Reioyce be glad for I haue prouided for â—ou a Kingdome CHAP. VI. The force of liuely faith and how hard a thing it is truly to apprehend the misterie of Christ and how easie historically to discourse thereof THE promises of future happinesse are able to stirre vp the dullest heart to waite and worke out his saluatioÌ„ with fear trembling with loue and obedience in faith prayer and yet it seemeth Not manie wise not many mighty not many rich beleeue this promise They seem rather to be leue a bond a statute a pawn or the promise of a rich maÌ„ then they wil giue credit vnto God vpon his oath who yet neuer was found to promise any thing but what he performed to the good of euery one that beleeuing asketh any thing fit for him to receiue he deceiueth no man that trusteth his bare word Abraham might haue cast many doubts being in a profane and Idolatrous countrey brought vp without the written will of God being called thence by an inuisible power to repaire into a remote country vnknowne and the conditions of the people strange vnto him But he contrarily cast off all difficulties and confidently resolued against his owne naturall reason and will of all his friends and familiars and betooke him to the iourney and ceased not till he came to Canaan Who would not haue consulted with his kinsfolks frends Who would not haue looked for better assurance of good successe before hee would haue aduentured to forsake his countrey and friends and betake himselfe to the hazard of such an attempt But he knew that he that called him was iust and what hee had promised hee was able to performe and would neither faile him nor forsake him Hee wauered not as the most of vs do touching heauen and heauenly things promised how can we affirm we beleeue it and yet giue our selues ouer to the world It is not indeed euery mans case to know the mysterie of Christ but in a kinde of generall apprehension as hee is deliuered in the outward word according to the Historie But to beleeue that he came in the flesh without man to containe two natures vnder one visible forme that hee was God equall with the father and man like vnto vs that he cancelled the hand-writing that was against vs that in him we are reconciled again to God the father that he sits at God's right hand a mediator for vs and that all beleeuers shall ascend and rest with him in glorie that our bodies that are corrupt shall either die and putrifie or be changed and in fine be glorified in the heauens And to apply all this to our owne selues through faith cannot but goe so farre beyond the ordinarie capacities of naturall men as the God of heauen is aboue the God of the ayre For as Christ said vnto Peter flesh and bloud reueiled not vnto him what Christ was neither can the natural man apprehend this heauenly mysterie and therefore cannot beleeue the promise of saluation to the comfort of his own soule and consequently cannot pray to God in Christ. He can speake of and dispute and beleeue the whole Historie of Christ both how he was promised and prophesied how he was crucified and can relate euery Article of Christian beleefe And so farre the diuels know beleeue and tremble But this is the peculiar portion of Gods children truly to depend vpon Christ thorough faith grounded vpon knowledge as beleeuing that heauen is his portion is the gift of God in Christ who being the liuely image of God the father teacheth vs to know God in the Trinitie and the Trinitie in vnitie whom who so knoweth not and by knowing him loueth him and in louing him obeyeth him and in oâ—beying him beleeueth him and in beleeuing him dooth not pray vnto him howsoeuer they seeme to vpholde their knowledge defend their obedience and bragge of their prayers they are all but counterfeit For no truly spirituall exercise can bee performed or diuine grace obtained but by a man spiritually qualified and beloued of God and who loueth God for vnlesse we feele in our selues the loue of God towards vs wee can neuer loue God for he loueth vs first and by the third person of the Trinitie worketh loue in vs towards him and loue being the band of obedience and obedience the marke of our election and coÌ„sequently the seale which hath the image of our Redeemer whereby our adoption to bee the sonnes of God is confirmed to euery one that beleeueth Not to euery one that pretendeth to loue obey and serue him but to him only whose heart is right before the Lord who heareth the word beleeueth the spirit that wrote it and bringeth forth the fruits of it namely to doe what is therin commanded and to auoyde things forbidden therein he euen he is the vndoubted adopted sonne of God and whatsoeuer he asketh the father by the spirit in the sonne hee shall receiue it for he hath the promise of the blessings of this life and the life to come Contrariwise such as neither yet haue nor desâ—re to haue thiâ— feeling this faith and this dependance on God howsoeuer they pretend that they are the sonnes of God for that they can only talke like and performe some outward duties as the true sonnes of God do yet let them not deceiue themselues they are not yet out of the lees of their originall neither haue they remission of their actuall sins but the Bond is yet against them depending vncancelled though they associate the
against these spirituall enemies reade Eph. 6. 16. 17 18. CHAP. XXXII The presence of God himselfe is promised in publike praier how he is present which the carnall man apprehendeth not the discontinuance of prayer publique or priuat dangerous AS touching publique prayer our Sauiour giueth vs such an encouragement to moue vs thereunto both of his owne presence and of the assurance of obtaining what we ask as it is more then wonderfull that meÌ„ should shew themselues so baâ—kward as not to desire to meete Christ in such holy Assemblies as are graced with his owne presence Where two or three are gathered together in my name saith Christ I will bee there in the middest of them And whatsoeuer they shall aske with one accord in my name it shall be granted vnto them No man is so impious as to bring in question whether this can or will prooue true or not that Christ should come downe and be in the society of men For we may assure vs that God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost being all one the Father is where the sonne is the holy Ghost where the father and the sonne are And Christ promising to send the Comforter the holy Ghost after his departure performed it in clouen tongues and he is with vs namely with his Church to the end of the world and consequently the father and the sonne the Trinitie in Vnitie I will pray the Father saith Christ and he shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth so called because hee inspireth the truth into vs and teacheth vs to crie Abba father whether in priuate or publike assemblies gathâ—red together in the name of Christ. Hee then being the spirit of Christ and being all one with Christ being with vs and dwelling in vs it can not be denied but Christ is with vs according to his promise namely with the faithfull assembled in his name whoÌ„ the world namely carnall men of the world know not But yee saith Christ to the faithfull know hum for he dwelleth in you I will not leaue you comfortlesse but I will come to you Againe he saith I am in my father and I in you and you in me Seeing then that all holy assemblies gathered together to heare God speake vnto them and againe that they together may speake vnto God are not left without the glorious presence of God himselfe how are they to be condemned that frame vnto themselues or rather â—orge by the suggestion of Sathan cases as it were of conscience to abiure the companie euen of Christ himselfe Sathan beleeueth the word of God to be true and yet laboureth the contrarie in men inclinable to doubt and causeth many to misconceiue of the sense which he himself knowes to be otherwise then he would haue them to beleeue And as he can make no vse of any part of the word of God to his owne neyther would hee that any should eyther heare the word truely expounded or assemblies to concurre rightly in prayer to their saluation And therefore whosoeuer findeth in himself the lest motion of doubting of Gods performance of his promises made vnto the faithfully praying or an vnaptnesse and vnwillingnesse rather then a zealous inclination to pray either in priuat to himselfe in publique with the Congregation or with his family priuately assembled may iustly feare that Sathan hath wouÌ„d himselfe into his affections and if he preuent him not speedily and resist him faithfully by prayer he will not leaue vntill hee haue gotten command of the whole house of his soule and will expulse all godly cogitations holy affections and sanctified desires and will suffer none to be entertained but infidelity sinne and fearefull apostacie Will not these daungers mooue men to repaire vnto the house of God with diligence and zeale there faithfully to ioyne in prayer with Gods children and attentiuely to heare the word preached which begetteth faith the fountaine whence doe flow all holy and spirituall exercises of the godly soule There is no other way to seeke saluation but in and by the word of God nor any other in and by whom we can be saued but in and by Christ who hauing so louingly called vs and by promise of his own presence intreated vs to communicat in holy exercises with him and his elect who wil or can rest so carelesse of his owne saluation as wilfully or negligently to estrange himself from this holy communication with God himselfe in prayer publique or priuat Publique prayers are so called because they are pronounced distinctly with an audible voice in the hearing and to the vnderstanding of a whole Congregation assembled And these praiers commonly tend to publique and common ends as for the obtaining of some generall good to the whole Church preuenting of some generall daÌ„ger or remouing of some generall euill And this although it be properly meant of parochial CongregatioÌ„s who assemble themselues by course on the Sabbath and other set dayes making their supplications publiquely for themselues and others according to generall occasions after a common manner yet are houshold assemblies said to pray publiquely wherein the Master of the Family is to conuent such as are vnder his charge and publikely together with them to pray vnto God as well for the vniuersall good of the Church whereof they are members for the Common-weale wherin they liue as subiects as for themselues And the promise of Christs presence holdeth true as well in this latter wherein two or three onely gather together in his name as where infinit numbers are assembled CHAP. XXXIII Priuat prayer in som respects at som times more comfortable to a priuate man then publique The neglect of publique praier in priuat families condemned for where God is not there Sathan is serued THe same that hath been formerly said of priuate prayer may bee affirmed of publique although the first bee more ordinary then the second not being limited to times certain but attendeth all occasions and yeeldeth more comfort to the troubled spirit of some priuate man that dareth to vnfolde that vnto GOD in secret which hee would blush to reueale vnto man were hee neuer so neere and deere vnto him much lesse would he publish it in a publique assembly willingly And this kind of prayer also is of that condition that where it is enkindled and cannot haue free vtterance by the lips by reason of company but is pent vp in the breast it laboreth with such spirituall violence in the sanctified soule as it makes the very heart within a man as it were to ake and rent in sunder thorough the ardent eleuation of the spirit vnto God And it is the surest trial of true religion In publique assemblies sometimes hypocrisie beareth a farre greater sway then it can doe in the priuat man who knoweth that the weight of spirituall ioy it bringeth vnto and leaues in his soule through prayers
sonnes of God and not only in humane affairs conuerse but in diuine dueties communicate with them as in hearing the word preached in the sacraments and in publique prayer They are yet but bastards no children they neuer truely tasted of the milke of Christs spouse nor euer drew the life of grace out of her breasts no more then did Cham in the Arke with Noah Ismael in the house with Abraham Esau in the company of Iacob who inwardly did not partake of their fathers vertues of obedience faith and continual praier vnto God the God of their fathers CHAP. VII Naturall fathers cannot beget children good or euill of their owne wils but they that are begotten anew of God are only good and like vnto God before whom the vnregenerate howsoeuer seeming holy are hypocrits EArthly fathers coÌ„monly beget childreÌ„ of their owne corporall likenes but the godliest father cannot propagate in his children the graces of the spirit neyther can profane fathers by their sinnes make their children sinners For it is found by experience that good fathers haue often wicked and wicked fathers godly children But the children of God begotten anew by the holy Ghost can neuer fall from being like vnto him that begat him And therefore doe they much dishonour God who in wordes professe they are his sonnes and yet in their actions they resemble the image of Sathan It were a great blemish vnto a godly man to be wrongfully supposed the father of a wicked sonne much more is God dishonoured by such as would seeme to be but are not of his seed For they that are of God indeed cannot but in some measure resemble him in being righteous as he is righteous that is By casting off the olde man which is corrupt through deceiueable lust and to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines This casting off and putting on doeth teach vs that there is in vs somthing that befits vs not to retaine if we will be the true sonnes of God not by reputation among men but by imputation in Christ. What is to be cast off and what to bee put on is plainly expressed in the Apostles wordes before mentioned namely to cast off all deceiueable lusts which includeth all things forbidden and to put on righteousnesse which implieth a spirituall indowment of al heauenly graces among which none is of that singular force vertue and effect as is zealous and heartie prayer in faith vnfained which none can effectually make but such as haue put on this new man for the olde man knoweth not how to pray being clothed with corruption and blinded with the mist of ignorance The new man only shaped in holinesse knoweth to whom when in whom for what and how to pray all which circumstances are duly to be considered in prayer and yet neither of these dooth the naturall that is the old man truly apprehend and consequently the lip-labor that he pretendeth to bestow in prayer is not onely not profitable but sinfull CHAP. VIII Carnall wisedome hath not chiefe place of counsell in the regenerate man he dependeth on God and not on the meanes in any enterprise FRiends we obserue do most vsually communicate together not by way of dissimulation but by sincere affection and one is ayded and comforted of another according to the occasions each propoundeth to other And shal we think that that man that loueth God will estrange his occasions from the counsaile of God Will hee deliberate of any matter of importance but will first consult with the Oracle of Gods mouth And will hee not impart his occasions by powring them forth vnto him in praier assuring himselfe that God againe will answer him by his holy spirit and by him certifie his spirit what he shall doe and what course hee shall take both for the atchieuing of the good he desireth for the auoyding the danger he feareth No carnall counsel whatsoeuer not warranted by the word shall be admitted to that consultation or resolution he will abandon all carnall respects and onely holde himselfe to diuine direction hee will not vse humane wisedome but as it were a hand-maide to diuine prudence It may serch and find out such wants and corporall necessities as are fit in spiritual vnderstanding to be supplied but leaueth the execution to diuine wisdome which produceth faith and faith prayer for the obtayning thereof at the hands of God And as Abraham left his seruants and Asses behinde him when he went to offer vp his sonne so doth this heauenly wisedome leaue all carnall respects behinde when it approcheth towards God to offer the sacrifice of prayer or praise Contrariwise it is too manifest that the most carrie their carnall vanities with them eueÌ„ to the Altar making their petitions partly in the flesh and partly in the spirit in part beleeuing and in part doubting halting before God and yet seeming to walk vprightly before men who iustifie or coÌ„demne the outward action not seeing the inward heart To pray vnto God with the lippes for any corporall benefit and yet to haue the eye of the hart fixed in confidence vpoÌ„ naturall means is a kinde of spirituall adultery For what man is hee that hauing a wife outwardly affable vsing wordes of loue vnto him and yet her heâ—rt set vpon another man will not thinke her a faithles and vnchaste wise And is God lesse iealous think we who craueth our hearts when we shall worship him in words and outward shew of works when our consciences cannot but tell vs that we aske that of God which we inwardly beleeue more probable and possible to be obtained by meanes without him Is not this a falsifying of our faith and dissembling of our prayers Is not this a manifest breach of the law that saies we shal haue no other Gods but Iehouah as also not to take his name in vaine as they do that call vpon him with the lips their hearts farre from him The Iewes thinking to make themselues strong by the Egyptians and other carnall meanes left their dependancie on God therfore did God denounce his iudgements against them Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh any kind of carnal meanes his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord hee shall not see when any good commeth How can he then attribute praise or prayer vnto God for whatsoeuer successe when he groundeth his hope on earthly meanes and not on God Nay though hee pray vnto God and yet dependeth more and puts more hope on secondarie meanes if he find that come to passe that hee desired how can hee but yeeld part of the praise vnto the mediate cause wherein hee in part trusted and so derogate the praise due vnto God who is eyther all or no part of the cause of that wished successe For although God vse naturall instruments to effect his will not onely in relieuing his children when they pray vnto
the PhysitiaÌ„ who being thus sought is euer readie at hand and expecteth no reward but our new obedience and to obserue the diet he prescribeth namely to sinne no more with a caueat lest a worse thing happen vnto vs. Wee must not onely not doe euill but we must do good we must not only flie vice but follow vertue which rules implie al the duties that a Christian man ought to performe towards God and his neighbour among which prayer being the cheefest is cheefly required which if it bee enkindled by the fire of Gods spirit produceth such a spirituall zeale in our affections as begetteth that loue whence proceedeth our true obedience to God and the deâ—ire to doe good to our neighbors which are diuine vertues inseparable For hee that loueth God cannot buâ— loue his neighbour also CHAP. XXIX Wee ought to pray as well for our neighbours as for our selues The vse of prayer is two-fold publique and priuate Meditation enkindleth prayer AS prayer to God and loue to our neighbour go necessarily together how can a Christian man then pray to God for himselfe therein forget hâ—s brother whom God commandeth him to loue as himselfe wherein is included not only his naturall brother and priuate friend but all men in general but especially the Church of Christ and the members of the same And therefore it is to be considered that the vse and exercise of praier is two-fold priuate and publique The priuate prayer is the exercise of a faithfull man sequestred froÌ„ the societie of men pouring forth his faithfull â—upplications vnto God in secret and that not of set custome but in affections sanctified vnto the Lord onely and that especially in such times as when he feeleth the spirit of God enkindling in him a kind of inward and spirituall desire thereunto which to a man exercised in this diuine worke is as sensibly felt and perceiued as the beating of his pulse When hee feeleth this heauenly fire begin to waxe hote within him let him not delay to feed it with its proper fuell Meditation and Prayer for by experience the godly man cannot but find that Meditation is as the spiritual bellowes that increaseth the feruencie of prayer Euen as one sparke of fire beeing connexed to the fuell capable or combustible with gentle blowing makes a flame so the least portion of spirituall zeale beginning but to moue in the heart of the beleeuer being by little little cherished by silent but heauenly eleuatioÌ„ of the mind to God breedeth in the end such a powerfull operation as the tongue that was before dumbe and could not moue zealously to vtter and the heart that was before dull could not conceiue what to speake shall so sweetly concurre that without all difficultie and harshnes such a sweet sacrifice shall ascend from the hart to the lips and from the heart and lippes to the heauens as the tongue it selfe cannot expresse the sweetnesse it bringeth vnto the soule For that spirit that first kindled the desire administreth the matter for the heart to conceiue and frameth the wordes that the lips doe vtter in farre more diuine manner then the wisest carnall man could euer deuise or speak and it bringeth with it more ioy true consolation then gold or the most precious earthly thing And more solide and sound peace to the conscience then the tongue of man is able to vtter It is the most truely approoued remedy against all the griefes and troubles of the minde It easeth the afflictions crosses torments and persecutions of the bodie And were it possible that this sacred gift could be obtained by carnal meanes and the carnall man knew the vertue sweetnesse of it he would sel all his earthly possessions to buy it CHAP. XXX How when and where priuate prayers are to be made An erronious conceit of priuate prayer What sweetnesse priuate prayer brings to the soule THE priuate prayer before mentioned is not alwayes made in a Closset or Chamber Although Christ willeth vs when wee pray to enter into our chamber and there to pray to him in secret The mening wherof is that wee should not bee seene Pharisaically to make our priuate prayers in a publike manner as to bee seen of men The open fields is as a priuate Closset to him that sequestreth himselfe froÌ„ the societie of men for that holy purpose as it is supposed Isack did when hee met Rebecca his wife Sometimes this prayer is made euen in the middest of ill-disposed companie and in the very act of most serious businesse though not ceremoniously as vpon the knee bare headed striking the breast or lifting vp the eyes or hands which are externall gestures most meete to be vsed in prayer But places times and persons are to be considered for the outward gesture but the inward heart and the sanctified affection without any outward appearance of prayer may secretly send vp vnto God inward sighes and desires which may preuaile with God as did Anna Moses Nehemiah Hee that made the heart knoweth it how it is prepared within looketh not to the lippes how they moue as Helie did to Annaes but to the heart as Christ did to Zacheus The place where and the time when touching our priuate prayer are not much materiall so the occasion be rightly considered For in the time of vnseasonable wet to pray for raine in time of sufficiencie to pray for increase were absurde But as the occasion doth offer it selfe in whatsoeuer place at whatsoeuer time in whatsoeuer manner diuine reuerence to God considered it is accepted with God Daniel praied among the Lions in the den Ieremie in the dungeon the three children in the Ouen Dauid in the Wildernesse Gedion at his threshing Elisha at the plough Wheresoeuer we are and whatsoeuer we doe in our vocations we are in the presence of God may there then send forth our silent preuailing praiers and Christ the mediator will present them as sweet odors before our God in Heauen Ioseph Paul Peeter Silas Iohn Baptist found the Lord in their prisons It is a fond conceipt of some men that thinke there is no place fit no not for priuate prayer but the Temple nor God any where else to bee found or prayed vnto but in and towards the East as if he were not aswell in the west vpon al the points degrees of the Compasse In the Zenith ouer our heads and with the Antipodes directly vnder vs Before vs behind vs on our right hand and on our left In the Sea with Peter In the Whales bellie with Ionah In shipwrack with Paul And therefore wee may conclude that there is no place where God is not So we may pray euery where And if our prayer be faithfull he heareth vs walking working riding sitting yea and in our familiar talking the minde may haue her affections in Heauen the soule may cast forth certaine inward holy desires and yet the