The Introdu6íióti. Chap. r r t. In oratione. - Preparation by Prayer, is the other main point of fitting our felves, beforewe come : and indeed it is thefalt that feafons all holy duties. King David (as Pfa. 141. z. you heard before ) prairized it, andbegan hisvery prayers with prayer. Let my r i{ing: prayer ( faith he) be fetforth in thy fight &c. And Solomon made way byprayer, to thededication of his Temple.Daniel fet hisface unto Godóy prayer,and while hewas Dan. 9.3. in this ad of preparation, the Angel was lent to him to let him know, that his pe- iòí tition was granted.Sdomeas.prayedto the Lord for wifdom, & you may read that GodXing. 3. 9,,d. yielded to his`rcqueft. Cornelius wasinitiated into the Church by this means: and Saul, by it, ofa perfecuter became Paul an Apoftie. For behold( faith God to Ananias) he Mt. to. Q,ti; prayeth. Saint Augufinecalf it, gratumDeo abfrquium, anacceptable ferviceto God. And Chryfoflom. Nihilpotentius hoc orante. Nothing more powerful than a man that in Math. prayeth., Nemonoffrurn ( faithSaint Bernard)pare!pendat orationemfuam,dico enim vobis good ipfe adquern oramus, non parvipendet eam, let none of us make light accompt of prayer, for I tell you, that he to whom we pray, Both not lightly efteem of it. For in- deed as SaintPeter tells us, Gods Ears are open to Prayers. And therefore we fee that t Pet. ;, n. King David oftenprepared himfelf by thofe kind of prayers, which the Fathers call Ejaculations,orshort prayers of Which hundred and ninteen pfalm is full.As,o- Pfa, r ioi ill: pen thoumine Eyes, that I may fee the wondrous things of thyLaw : and when he felt 37. zs. any extravagant thoughts to feizeon him, Averteocular, Turn away mine Eyes front beholdingvanity. Andwhen he grewdull in fpirit, O icken thou me. With thefe and the likewe mull prepare our felves. Now as thefe are the two rules for preparation, fo are there four other for our earning. r Venire feeventer, iu fervore fpiritur, with fervency of fpirit. Our coming mutt not be cold, not Luke-warm, like the Church of Laodicea : left we be fpued out : but fervent and zealous. Be fervent in fpirit, faith the Apostle, And in another Rev. 3, zB place; It is good to be Zealoufly affefted in a good thing. If we come to hear, om, t , t t; wemuf come with a longing delire. Zeal is compared toOyl, which keeps the CTaI 4. i 0. Lamp ever burning. It was one of King David/ affeflions. I have longed for thy commandments. The zeal of the Gentiles, faith Saint Ambrofe, obtained them life everlafting, whereas the coldnefsof the Jewscaufed their lofs of it. Gregoryfaith, P;i' r /9.40' Nollutn eft omnipotenti Deo talefacrifcium, quale ell zeluo anima. There's no facrifice in Pfalm, foacceptable to God, as the zeal ofthe fpirit, Andas it is well-pleating to him, fo he in zekiel. re.vardeth it. He fatisfieth the 'longing foul, faith the pfalmift. He that comes thus qualified, neverreturns empty. r 2 Venite inparirateGordis. Ourcoming mull be alfo in a of heart. K. David 9 sketh thequeftion, who (hall afcend to the Hill of the Lord, or who (hall rifeup in Pfa1, 24.4. f hisholy place t and anfwereth himfelf in the next verfe: even he that hath clean hands and apure heart. Our thoughts and aEtions muff be pure and undefiled, elfe ry, there's no coming to''Gods houfe, no bettering our felves by coming thither. For the wordofGod ( being pure) willnot enter into them that are polluted. Çhrift and zCor. 6. r s' Belial cannot accord. But Cor pserem aula eft Dei, gaudium Angelorem, habitacolgm Hog, de.anim; ( piritasfanali. Apure heart is Gods court, thedelight of Angels, and the habitation of the holy fpirit, This is thefecund. 3 Venite in fide. Come with the garment of faith too. If thou cant' believe, all thingsare poffible to him that believeth. A believer, though in theeftimation of Mar. 9, 23; men he be of fmall underftanding, yet Ihall he be able to conceive and learn wifdom fufficient to work out his falvation. We fee it in the Apofiles ; -who though theywere poor ignorant , and Gmple tither men divers of them , yet coming to Chrift by faith, were able to confound the wifeft, and molt learned men in the world, Butt Con. r I'd without faith it is impossible topleafeGod, and if to pleafehim, certainly (come we asoften aswe will) to reapany good from him. For he thatcometh to God (as it eb, 11' is ín the fa\ne verfe) muff believe that God is; The jult Ihall live by his faith, faith Ab, the Prophet, and according toour faith (hall we receive benefitby our coming, for it is by faith,that we have áccefs to grace. And the Apofle faith that the Jews were ex, eluded from theproanife, becaufe that which they fought for, wasnot by faith, This Ro r. S. n. 9. is the third rule. 4 Venite frequenter. Being fortified with faith, come fregentty and often B z flied ., -
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