directeth to God his Father, and the other he directeth to them. Love, in a manner, doth silence all the noise of complaints with him, and maketh him always breathe out love in his expressions of them before the throne. He will be whiles speaking roughly to believers here to themselves, but, to say it with reverence to his blessed Name, he never telleth any ill tale of them behind their backs. But now, we shall insist a little in pointing out what things are convenient and suitable for a Christian to exercise himself unto, before he go about this divine and holy duty, in conversing and speaking to God. First, We think a Christian, before he comes and takes upon him this holy and divine exercise of talking with God, must be much in the exercise of meditation, not only of the inconceivable highness and dignity of the glorious and inexpressible person with whom he is to converse, but also upon the inconceivable baseness and lowness of himself; so that, by the consideration of the highness of the one, he may be provoked to reverence; and by the consideration of the other, he may be provoked to loathing. : Secondly, A Christian before he go to prayer, should study to have a deep impression of these things which he is to make the matter of his supplication to God, and to have them engraven upon his heart and truly we think the want of this is oftentimes the occasion of that woful evil of lying unto the Holy Ghost; for we complain in prayer, and personate or counterfeit resentment for those things, which never before were the grief of our hearts. Oftentimes we speak many things with our lips, ere we study to have our hearts inditing these things that we speak. And likewise in the exercise of blessing and praising him from the consideration of any great desirable mercy, we do personate and feign joy from the consideration of these things, which before we never made the matter of our consideration and joy. It were no doubt the great advantage of the Christian in the exercise of prayer, to be much taken up in the obedience of this command, Eccl. v. 2, Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few. Seldom doth the Christian look or speak with God, but if he hath as much grace as to reflect upon it, he may be convinced that he is uttering things that are not fit to be spoken to God: O to be studying that divine abridgement of our prayers, which no doubt would speak nothing before him, but what our hearts do indite. There is something of this holden out in the practice of David, Psal. xlv. 1, where he beginneth with that, My heart doth indite a good matter; and then he subjoins, my tongue is as the pen of a ready writer. Our oratory might be more refined, and confined likewise; and it would be more effectual for the obtaining of our desires, if we were studying this, O that our hearts might speak more in prayer, and our tongues less. We through the multitude of business, produce multitude of dreams to ourselves. Thirdly, This is likewise requisite for a Christian before he go to prayer, to be studying holiness, to be endeavouring to have his filthy garments, wherewith he is clothed, changed with change of raiment; he must put off the shoes of his feet, because he is to go to stand upon an holy ground. This was the commendable practice of that holy man David, Psal. xxvi. 6, I will wash mine hands in innocency: then will I compass thine altar, O Lord. This is likewise clear from Exod. xxx. 18, 19, where Aaron and the sons of Levi were to wash their hands and their feet in the brazen laver, that did stand betwixt the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, when they came near to minister or burn offerings by fire unto the Lord: we must likewise endeavour much to symbolize the practice, and to have ourselves washen in the laver of regeneration, and in that precious fountain that is opened to the house of David, for sin and for uncleanness, Zech. xiii. 1. Before we enter into the holiest of all, what ornament is so suitable for one that is walking unto that higher palace, as that glorious ornament of holiness, without which we are rendered unacceptable to God, and with which we may with confidence and boldness go and serve him in his holy temple? No doubt if the deep impression of that absolute holiness and purity of that Majesty with whom we are to converse, (when we go to prayer,) were engraven upon our spirits, we should study to be like him: for the foundation of friendship and fellowship doth somewhat stand in a similitude of natures, and somewhat in conformity one with another. And, lastly, when a Christian is going to prayer, he ought to be much in the consideration of that advantage and dignity that is to be found in the exercise of this duty; this would make us more ardent and serious in the study of the former: and unless we superadd this to the rest, we cannot long continue in a constant endeavour after the attainment of these three former qualifications, which are required of one that would approach unto God. Now we would shut up our discourse by speaking a little unto this, what ought to be the sweet companions of a Christian that is going about the exercise of this duty in a serious, and not in a hypocritical manner. I. He should study to have his spirit under the deep impression of a Deity, and take up this, that he is talking with one before whom the angels (these glorious and excellent spirits) do cover their faces with their wings-which, no doubt, doth point out that holy reverence that they have of him. The long familiarity and constant conversing with God, hath not removed that due and convenient distance which they ought to keep with him : and certainly were he known to us by no other name, but by the name of being Merciful, yet ought we to fear the Lord and his goodness. O! how much more, he being made known and revealed to us by that great and terrible name, Jehovah, by which he is exalted above all names that is in heaven, or in earth? Phil. ii. 9, and by which is pointed out that infinite distance that is betwixt God and us. No doubt if the impression of a Deity were with us, it would remove much formality that we use in prayer; it would likewise remove much of our misbelief, that we have in all our approaches unto him, were we afraid lest that woeful inscription that Paul did discern to be engraven on an altar at Athens-to the unknown God, were found on us; alas! I fear it may be engraven on most part of our devotions; and likewise that wherewith Christ did challenge the people of Samaria, he may challenge many of us, John iv. 22, and it may be written on our practice, Ye worship ye know not what, who are those who bless an idol, and no doubt such sacrifices as these are as if we were offering swine's blood, and cutting off a dog's neck, which are an abomination unto God, Isa. lxvi. 3. up our II. That should be the sweet companion of a Christian in this exercise of prayer, the excellent grace of humility; we must put off our ornaments, and clothe ourselves with sackcloth, and spread ashes upon our heads, when we begin to speak to him. He that sits nearest the dust, sits nearest the heavens. We must be walking under the impression of this, that we were not worthy to lift eyes to heaven: and with holy Abraham, (upon whose effigy this was engraven, James ii. 23, That he was a friend of God,) when he begins to talk to this glorious and incomprehensible Majesty, in a manner he conceived it to be presumption; Gen. xviii. 27, Behold now, saith he, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. He doth prefix a note of admiration, Behold! importing as much that it was a bold adventure for so low a person to speak to so high a Majesty; or for so sinful a creature to open his mouth unto so pure and spotless a One, that the footstool should speak to him who is the Throne; and no doubt, were this more our exercise, we might be receiving more remarkable significations of his respect and love towards us. What is the royal gift which he giveth to those that are humble ? Grace, for, as the apostle saith, James iv. 6, He giveth grace to the humble, &c. His love is seeking that person that sits lowest, even as waters do seek the lowest ground. He that is first in his own estimation, is last in the estimation of God; but he that is last in his own estimation, is among the first in the estimation of God ;-therefore, no doubt, that is a suitable clothing for a person that is to go to the court of heaven, which the Apostle Peter doth require; 1st Peter v. 5, Be clothed with humility. O! but that woeful evil of pride, which doth either arise from our ignorance of ourselves, or from the ignorance of God, doth both obstruct our access unto him, and the return of our prayers. If we should give a description of the person that is admitted to detain Christ in his galleries, we could not give it a more convenient and suitable term than this, that he is of a humble and contrite spirit; Isa. lxvi. 2, and lvii. 15. III. And a third sweet companion of a Christian, in the exercise of this duty of prayer, is faith and confidence in God; that we have to do with one who is the hearer of prayer, and who is willing to give unto us all things that we desire, if we ask in faith; for we must exercise faith, not only upon his promises, but likewise upon that glorious and incommunicable attribute of God that is given unto him, Psalm lxv. 1, that he is the hearer of prayer: want of this maketh us come little speed; and we think likewise that the want of this doth make us live so little in expectation, and wait so little with patience and hope at the posts of his doors, until we receive a Is it any wonder, that our prayers be as the beating of the return. air, and the pouring out of some empty words, if we be not convinced of this, that he is not like unto us? God is not like Baal, who, because of sleep, or some other business, cannot give present audience to our desires, so that we need not be constrained to cut ourselves with knives, or leap upon the altar, to provoke him to cause fire to descend upon our altar, to burn our drowned sacrifices. He is able to give audience to us, as if there were no other to employ him. Multitudes of supplications will be no interruption unto the audience of our desires; he hath that royal prerogative and eminent excellency above all the judges of the earth, that he can take in many bills at once, which is a demonstration of the omnipotency and infinite understanding and knowledge of God. If that word, Matth. xxii. 21, 22, were believed, Whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive it,-O! how would we study to have this necessary and sweet companion of faith going along with us in all our prayers?—and as James speaketh, chap. i. 6, He that asketh, let him ask in faith; for he that wavereth and doubteth is as the waves of the sea, that can receive nothing. A fourth sweet companion, in the exercise of prayer, is fervency. Can we live under such a woeful delusion, as to conceive that God heareth those suits and petitions which we do scarcely hear ourselves. Can we have much zeal in proposing our desires, when we do it with such woeful indifference? We have the example of that holy man, David, to commend this unto you, Psalm xxxix. 12, where we may behold a glorious gradation and climax ; for he says, Hear my prayer; and, that not being sufficient, he doth ascend one step higher, and saith, hold not thy peace at my cry; that voice being a little louder than the voice of prayer; and yet again he ascendeth one step further, and saith, hold not thy peace at my tears. These silent cries, the tears of a Christian, have most rhetoric, and loudest voice to heaven; there sweet emanations and flowings out of water, from that precious fountain of a contrite and broken spirit, do, no doubt, ascend high, and have a great power with him, who is Almighty. Jacob, in a manner, did hold that angel that wrestled with him, with no other cord but with the cord of supplications, as is clear from Hosea, xii. 4, and Gen. xxxii. 24. Did ever your eyes behold such cords and bonds made of tears? No doubt, these of a beautiful frame and contexture, and of infinitely more value than the most precious and rare chains that, the greatest princes in the world do wear as ornaments: and truly, the want of this doth proceed from the want of the solid conviction of the absolute necessity that we stand in of these things; for, as one said well, strong necessities make strong desires. And also, it doth proceed from the want of the consideration of the precious excellencies that are to be had in those things that we ask the eminency of a thing doth increase vigour in our pursuit after it, and maketh us, with seeking it, mount up with wings, as eagles, over all those difficulties that lie as impediments in our way. Ought we not to be emulous of the practice of Nineveh, of whom this is recorded, That they cried mightily unto God,? Jonah iii. 8. We think many Christians of this generation, because of their woeful remissness and coldness of are affection in proposing their desires, may be constrained to mourn over all their mournings, and pray over all their prayers. Now, if a Christian's heart be the temple of the Holy Ghost, O! how ought we to pray? For it is the diamond which the apostle puts in the upshot of all the graces of the spirit, Eph. vi. 18; and after which he exhorted a Christian seriously to pursue. Oh! I think, it is a mystery that we cannot well take up ; but those that are most in the exercise of it, can best resolve it, and take up its precious effects: but, believe me, I think it is one of the most dark mysteries that are to be found in the practice of a Christian, except him in whom are all treasures of wisdom and knowledge, to unfold this one divine sentence, Pray without ceasing: it shall always remain a mystery to our obedience. It is a question, we confess, that is sometimes difficult to determine, whether some duties of a Christian, which are commanded to be done by us, be more mysterious to our understanding, to take up the nature of them, and what is commended in the lively and spiritual exercise of such a duty?-or whether they be most mysterious to us in our practice and obedience? We confess, it holdeth not alike in all things, it being more easy for us to know, than to practice many things: we conceive, it holdeth out in some, and even in those things and duties that are most obvious, as we conceive, and that have least of the mysteriousness of the gospel engraven upon them, &c. SERMON II. 1ST THESS. v. 17.-Pray without ceasing. Ir were for our great advantage to be much taken up in the serious and divine consideration of that most sad, but most true saying, That many are called, but few are chosen; yea, if there were but one of each twelve that are within this house to-day, to whom Christ thus sadly should speak, one of you will betray me, ought ye not all to be put to an holy inquiry and search, and say unto him, Master, is it I? Master, is it I? and to be exceeding sorrowful, until that concerning question be determined unto you? How much more ought you to accomplish a secret and serious search, to know whether or not ye be written among the living in Jerusalem, and have passed from death to life?—seeing, alas! I think it is more probable, that if precious Christ were to speak to each twelve that are within this house, we are afraid that he should thus sadly speak, There are eleven of you that shall betray me, and one shall only pass free. And O! that the number of those that are to betray the precious Son of God, were reduced to so few, though indeed these be many. If he, who seeth not as man seeth, who reproveth not after the hearing of the ear, nor after the seeing of the eye, (who can reject an Eliab, P |