Chap.z.Seet 9· Lookingunto:}e(tu. Book.IV. Patt.VI. 1005 thine be once mingled with the glorious and heavenly prayer of · Jefus Chriil:, the weakne!fc: will foon vanifh, and thy prayer will finde acceptance with God the Father; it is with your prayers and duties as it is with your fire; your kitchin· fire is troubled with abundance offmoake, buc·if ever it could afcend Into the · clement of fire above, it woutd fmoake no more, fo your prayer whiie it !yes upon your own hearth, there's a great deale of fmoake in it, but ifever it git up into the hands of Jefus Chrift, there it is in its own element, and fo it is freed from all its fmoke; and fo the weakneffe of it is done away. 0 conforme to Chrift in this poynt ; he will not prefent thy prayers to God ; but he will fidl: mingle it with his own prayers; no more fbould ft thou prefent a prayer to God but in Chrifis Name, confidering thar all thy prayers finde acceptance·in, for, and through the interceffionofJefus Chrift, If it were notfor this, I profe!fei knew not how to anfwer the cavils of our diffolute advcr fari es, who throw down prayers, as of no ufe at all; for thus rhey oh• jdi:.-- Thou c11.nft not l,'ray (fay th~ey) by thy own confeffion without Object. fome-defetl: , impcrfeCl:ion, fin : and if fo, 1 there is need of a new pr:tyer, to beg pardon forthe ~efeCl:s of that pra i er ; and then another prayer-to heale the flaws of that prayer; and then an~ other to do as.much for that; and fo in infinitum; by this means there wQuld be aninfinite progreffion without any fiop at any prayer at all. , I anfwer, This objeCl:ion were valid if there were no intercef~ fion of Chrift to fiay our felves and Qur prayers on: but as we Anfw. ' grant requell:s many times for fome friends-fake; rather than for t-he parties fake; fo God doth alway grant requefts for Chrifts fake, nc:ver for our own fakes .; thou objeCl:e£1: there are many defeCl:s in our prayers as made by us; but I anfwer, there is no defc:Cl:s ill the merits and interceffion of Jefus Chrift, . for whofe fake alone they are grantedofGod; and therefore our prayers being made in Chrifts Name, they m;w fray their heads in Chrifts bolome; in this refpfct ' we need nor fiill to run our felves in a circle, this being the lall refolution, (hrifts merits, and Chrifts 'ii1tercelfi'on.- Ch'rift offers up 01,1r perfons and woodden prayers in his golden cenfer to hisFather; Chrifl:s intercellion therefore is ~hat which doth the deed.' Now to fay our prayers are of no · - ufe,
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