to see how many precious souls, which out of ignorance or carelessness of this duty of watching, or out of improvidence and negligence of oft reading over these lines of God's love, written and sent in, are foiled in temptations. Answers of prayer attentively observed, strengthen our faith for the future, and much encourage us to pray in greatest straits and saddest hours. "The Lord hath heard my supplication, the Lord will hear my prayer." "I called upon the Lord in distress, and he answered me; the Lord is on my side, I will not fear what man can do unto me." When we look not after our prayers, both we and others also lose much of the benefit thereof. Answers of prayer are in God's intent of public use. God spake with us, (say they,) when yet he spoke with wrestling Jacob. God's hearing the prayer of the destitute, concerns all others in like case. will regard the prayer of the destitute." shall be written for the generation to come." sadder would the case of many an afflicted soul have been, if godly David and others had not been watchful, and by the spirit's guidance had not recorded the varieties of their conflicts, comforts, and answers.

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5. It is the part of the more wise and judicious of the saints so to do, and by doing whereof, they grow most in experimental knowledge of the Lord's giving. As the wisest men are those that take most heedful observations of the carriages and issues of human transactions, so are they the wisest Christians, who most attentively mind these holy transactions betwixt them and God. Hence the Psalmist, speaking of manifold answers of prayer, says: "Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivers them." "Whoso is wise, and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord." To conclude, we would have God to mind our prayers and desires of answers, wherefore look that we heed our answer of prayers, if worth the waiting for. "When the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." Harvest-answers of seed prayers, will fully recompense our pains and patience; and therefore, like other seedsmen, we may well wait for the precious fruit thereof. Third. The helps of such holy watching, are,

1. Sobriety, which is joined to prayer watchfulness: "Be sober, and watch unto prayer." Spiritual drunkards, distempered persons with lusts, regard not what they say, even to God himself. Such as are most moderate and mortified in their thoughts about common matters here below, have little else to mind than how their souls prosper in their holy converse and commerce with the Lord.

2. Bodily watchfulness: both are aimed at under that exhortation. "Watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation." The eyes of the mind are hardly watching when the eyes of the body are scarce waking. Now for this end, use seasonable hours for prayer, neither too early nor too late.

3. An heavenly frame of spirit. Angels are very vigilant. "Their angels are always beholding the face of my heavenly Father." A godly man's watchtower is a sublimer station and condition than is usual; earthly, sensual, worldly spirits, are not fit to keep this holy watch.

4. A wise and awful frame of heart, apprehensive of the weight and worth of prayer, of the glory and

greatness of God; an holy ability and skill to discern, and judge of things that differ, whether workings or motions; the wiser Christians (as I said) are most observing of such things.

5. Composedness of mind and thought, together with earnestness of desires and deep sensibleness of our present pressing necessities. David praying in deeps, brings in a night-watcher's case, often exposed to extremities; is in a night-watcher's posture, watches for morning break of gracious answers from God.

6. An holy keeping ourselves in a constant and general watch of spirit in other things and passages of our Christian work and way. Watch unto, in and after hearing the word and reading of it, conference about it, meditation upon it, and practising of it. "We must observe all the commandments of the Lord."

PART III.

CASES OF CONSCIENCE RESPECTING PRAYER.

CHAPTER I.

UNREGENERATE PERSONS' PRAYER.

HAVING handled the two former parts respecting the duty of prayer, and the modification and qualifications thereof, we now come to the last part of this discourse about prayer, namely, to speak of some cases of conscience, in respect to the incessant practise of this duty of prayer.

The first case respects the persons who are to obey this indefinite injunction; whether only regenerate persons are bound thus to pray; or that it be not also a duty which lies, even upon unregenerate persons to endeavor obedience to this injunction; "Pray without ceasing;" or if such persons should endeavor the practice of this duty, how far forth they may coine up to it, and be carried out in the obedience thereof; and likewise what success may come thereof, whether their prayers may not be heard and answered of God, or how far God may hear and answer even their prayers.

The case itself doubtless may lie sad upon some

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spirits, which either suspecting, or concluding, out of some dismal horrors of heart, their estate to be but the estate of mere natural persons, they question whether the injunction does lay a bond upon them to obey it, though they may desire to come up to the obedience of it; especially, considering that the Scripture requires that such as pray, should pray in faith, and believe that they shall receive what they ask: "Whatsoever ye ask, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." And this they cannot do, finding no assurance of any interest in God, nor being able to persuade themselves that Christ died for them in particular; and through this mistaken fancy, that there can be no true faith without such a firm persuasion and assurance that Christ is theirs, they are kept off, and scarce dare pray, conceiting that they are not qualified and fitted yet for it; they cannot lift up pure hands without doubting. Besides, God says, that "the sacrifice (prayer) of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord." And they think that they are such wicked ones in themselves, and can or will God take a prayer in good part from such as they are? Surely no. Neither will Satan, the enemy of prayer, neglect the opportunity to present to them the strictest of the qualifications required of such as seek God by prayer, and that unless they could come up to that strictness of the rule, (which is laid straight, that the people of God may by little and little come as near to it as they can) and that forthwith; at first, setting about the work, it is not for such as they are to attempt the same; and better were it for them to sit still and be silent; and so would (if possible) take