Corn. I . OfPrayer andThanksgiving. Chap. i a. 153 3. Another is Farting and Alms, which the Fathers call the Wings of Prayer. St: Augufsine faith , gejunixmorationis robar, oratio viejejunii, Fatting is the ffrength Ept u, ofPrayer, and Prayer thelike of Falling. And jejaxia elemofneorationem juvanr, , Lor.7. 5 Fatting, and Alms, areaffiftants to Prayer. Thefe both arethe Wings that Prayer Dan.4. .4 mounts up by. Mad Kane cerroborat, bat Wadfanciificat, as Fafting ftrcngthensour Prayers, and Prayer fanCifics our Faft, foAlms. 4. Ifour ownPrayers be weak , then are we to delire the Prayers of theChurch, according toSt. games's direction. Si oratio teafalmenfit (faith one) afcendat adcerium James,5,r fola parfe: otherwife effa sutra in ?tubegrandinis, if thy Prayer be fervent , or as a Thunder-bolt , it mayaffcend to Heaven by it felf; but if it be as a drop in a Cloud, it will need the help of others. S. If none ofall there help , yet there is oratio fdei , as well as oratio fenfm, though I cannot have the Prayer ofFeeling,yet I may have the Prayer of Hope. For fpiritual duties are likened to Seed, of whigh Harveft comes not prefently, but it lyes in the Bofome ofthe Earth, tillthe time thatthe Lord make it fruitifie. The figns ofpraying aright , or that our Prayers are rightly qualified , and like to prevail, are divers. a. Earneftnefs of the Soul , when that fends out fighs and groans unutterable , Rom. 8.36. gemitibsu non fermonibm, conga hoc negotiam, this bufinefsconfiftsnot in words, but groans. 2. The fecond fign is , ifa Man have a taft of Gods mercy in the remiffion ofhis fins. The Prophet Davidbeing before caft down , prefently faith , Verily God bathPfalm,66,19; heard me , hehath attended to thevoice of my Prayer. St. Augufline asketh how David knew this , and anfwereth himfelf, babait guffamaliquem divinorum, he had tome taft that Godhad forgiven him his fins. 3. The third is , when a Man continueth in a patient waiting ofGods leifure, as King Daviddid. That till God came to him, he would walk in a perfechheart, and Pfal.t ór..,3; takeno wicked thing in hand ; Owhen wilt thou come untome, faith he, I will walk within my Houfe with a perfect heart. 1. The figns oftrue thankfulnefs likewife are divers. The firf} is, when a Man feeleth himfelf filled with marrowand fatnefs, as rapt with confideration of Gods 63.6 favours and benefits. 2. When a Man is jealous ofhisown ingratitude,that after his cleanfing he wallow no more in fin; and left he make himfelf uncapable ofGods hearing his Prayer for any more mercies. 66.16. 3. Whenbenfcia become veneficia, when his benefits charm us , and make us withfland ftrong temptations ; as gofephdid : though his Miftrifs tempted himvery 58.5: 3 ftrongly, yet he anfweredher, Mafter hath donethis, and this forme, how can I 6en.3'9' then do this great wickednefs, and fin againft God ? This is a great fin , that a Man is truly thankful untoGod, that when God bathbellowed his benefits upon him, he is the more careful thereby not to break his Law. 4. The-fall fign is,when we defernot our thanks. A type of this was in the Law,The facrifice ofthanksgiving was to be eaten the fame day, not kept longer. No procrafti. Levin. 7.15; nationof thanks. Nihil cities fenefcitgratia, nothing grows old fooner than thanks. Now concerning the fixth rule, as in the former, we are to procure this duty to be Rule6. performed by others. s. Sax!, when he fhould have betaken himfelf toPrayer, thought the Enemies, Sam. r4,19, came too fait; and not only laid away the Ephod himfelf,but willed the Prieft to with- draw his hand; it is noted by theHoly Ghoft to Sáuls infamy.Therefore aswe are to avoid all impediments to our belves, foare we not to difcourage others, with them in gob. Who isthe Almighty that we fhould ferve him,andwhat Prophet Mould we have Job if we pray to him ? One of the Fathers maketh thisanfwer; Beneficium projiciturin- grato, collocata,'grata, a good turn is caft away upon anunthankful Man, but bellow- Luk,7,35. cd upon a thankful Perron. He is kind unto the unthankful, andevil 2. And as we muffnot hinder others, fo for the affirmativepart, theinvitation, we have Davids; and it is in the beginning of our Liturgie O come let us fing pal ,95r- unto theLord. O come let us worfhip and fall down. And, O praife the Lord 34,3, with me , and let us magnifie his Name together: But efpecially in the hundred 145. fourty eighth Pfalm,he is not contentedonly to have the company of Men in this duty, V but
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