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Epbefian,r,Chap.b.
VER.IO.!
the
prayers
of
fmoake,
in
which the Church afcendeth to God,
out
of
this world,
a
barren wilderneffe.
Fourthly, watching thereunto.
Whence
marke
,
That
a
we
muff
pray
,
fi
we
muff are
watchfulneff
e
far
furtherance
of
prayer
:
Not
that
wee fhould fit up
late,
as in
Noelarnes;
or
wake before day,
as in
morning
Martens
: But wee muff
all
day long have
a
waking foule,
that
carricth the duty of prayer
in
remembrance.
Watch
and pray,
Mat.26.41.
col.q..
2.
Continue
in
prayer,
and
watch
in
the
fame
with
thanksgiving.
1
Pet.4.7.
The
end
of
all
things
is
at
hand, be
yee
therefore fober
and
watching
in
prayer.
Where
we may
fee,
it
is
the
mindes wakingwhich
is
principally
meant, though
this will
keepe
the body fromdrowfrneffe,
in
performing the exercife.
The
primi-
tive
Chriftians
,
this
is
recorded
of
them
;
that they
did
Bate
their
mcate,
as
remembring they were to
call
on
God
,
by the
night
fea-
fon.
More
particularly,
there mull
be
watchfulneffe
before
prayer.
2.
rn
it.
3..4fterit.
Now
our
watchfulnefTe
before, (lands
in
preventing
the
impediments,
in marking
that
in
the courfe
of
the day, which may
fit
us
for prayer.
Firft, this watchfulneffe will
make a man fo cart , and make
filch
riddance
of
bufinefe, that
he may
not
have hinderances when he
(hall
goe
to
his
duty. God
prefixeth
a Memento
before the Sabbath
;
tea
-
ching
that
if
one
doe not
lift
up his
mimic
to
it,
and
in
the
fix dayes
difpatch
his bufrneffe,
he cannot
keepe
it
when
it commeth
:
fo there
is
a mindfulne(fe
to be had
of
him
that
will not this way be encom-
bred with
diftrafkions.
Secondly,
We
muff watchfully
keepe,
our
felves
from
finne
:
Let
him
that
calleth on the name
of the Lord,depart
from iniquity. For
if
webe
in the
day
time indulgent
to
our
lulls,
it
will
be
a
dampe
to
our
pray-
ers
: and
when we
yeild
to
fnne
,
it
is
a taken our
Watch
is downe ;
wee
thinke
not of
prayer. For
if
we
meant to
make fuit
to
a
man at
night,
wee would be watchfull
in
the day,
not to
lofe
his favour
,
by
giving
him offence,
kft
he fhould refute
us in
our
requt(t.
z.
We
muff ob-
ferve
our wants
in
theday time
; as,
how
prone we
are
to runne
into
worldly
mindednefl'e,
in
wrath,
in
voluptuoufneffe,
in
fooli(11
and
unfruitful! !peaking, and
therefore, what
need
we have to
cry, Lord,
keepe
thou the doore
of
our
lips.
Againe,
wee
muff
labour,
as
to
have
a
fenfe
of
wants,
fo
to
have
a
feeling
of
the good things
God
gi-
veth,
of
the
evils he
keepeth from
us
:
for without the
one we can-
not be poore
in
fpirit, nor beg unfainedly ; without the
other
we can-
not be truly
thankful!, and
offer up
our
praifc
heartily.
Now
we
muff
watch
in prayer againfl lndevotion and wandrings,
&c.
So
Efay
complaineth
64.7.
And there
is
none
that
calleth
on
thy
Name,
neither that ftirreth
up
himfelfe to take
hold
on
thee. After
prayer
we
mull marke,
how God
hath anfwered
us in
this
or that
wee
have entreated.
Pp/. 5.3.
Early
in
the morning
will I dire& my
prayerunto
thee,
and will wait, Rand
as in a
watchtower,
and
fee
how
the
Lord
will deale
with
me, and
remember
me
in
my requefls. Pral.
130.
5.