G.weral .DireEliom for Pr,zyer. •J.)jrt'{f, 4• ~· )· DfrrCl-. 4• L.;bottr nbot y (lu art about to prt~y~ •uJl;r up in J IIUr Jin 4 h tht ,. 10 t ii· {· ami jhit1111 be/it!{, ?f th ji: Ultjten . thi11g1 tiJat you~ Pt_.J)'t~J ba~t rrfpc~ tu ; and to pray IH if "';0~ [.nv them aU tbe wbdr: Evm as if_yJu {:Jtv God tJt bu (,Lry, and j.J~ Hr<JVtH and Htii tht l. rifird and~ tbe r/.;n~~!rd, aNd Jrfo, CLriJ1. J''mr A:trdiato: inurctdi11g for you i11 ;ht flear:tn 1 • g ~s ~·ou wottfd pt-1)' •f your t yr:s beheld all thlCe, fo llr•ve to pray while you bditvc thun : And fay to your tdvts, Are tht.y not as fure as if 1 f<1w them? Arc they not m1de known by lhc: s ·· and Spirit of God~ 011 Dire[]. 5· ~- 6. Direct. ~· L;hour for a conftant acqte"ift~An:e wit~ yoHr fclvu, _yoHr fin! aJttJ ma 11 ifvld n'.rntJ and w:affiiut; aml alf1 to t.tkJ au ctqrul fpecu.l n&uce of yntr c.Jje, when yo 1 e go IIJ puy– cr. I~ you. get not a farmrr conjhrtt acqa,untancc With your own cafe , you C.lnnoc expdt to know tc tr11~hc upon a fuJd;:n as you go to pray : ~nd yet if you do not a[iually fim.! y your hc:tJ'tJ and lwr~ when you gn to pr~yer., your fouls wtl! be ttnbumbicd, and wane dt•C livdy ll:nfc: o! your nrcrffi~tu, whtch muli pur l1fc mm your pr.Jyrri. Know wdl what fi;t is, and whu (radJ wr~tb,_ and l-IeU_, an~ 1udJ,ttnUtt is, and wh.d fm yot~ have commiu~d,. and what ducy yOI.t have omHted, anJ f.uled tn, and wh1t wams and corrupttons arc yc:c wtdun you, and Wlut f!lCr<)' ~nd gr:cc: you fhnd in need of, and then_ ~·H this will m.;k._t you pr.1y, and pray eo pur– pofe wtlh all your .hc~t'rt~~". But when t~en a:e wtllul fir~ngers to themfc:lves, and ntver ·ferioully look b.1c~wardt or anw.zrd1 to fet wh.u ts amtfS and wantmg; nor look not furwardJ to (ce the danger that is befOre them, no wond,r if their hents be: dead and dull, and if chey arc' as untie td pr...:y, as a flee ping man tO work. · D.irtt1. 6. ~· 7· Dirufl. 6. Stt thJt you hate hyrcrijie, and lanot your Upr go agoi;tjl o.r without your burtJ; llt.lJ' a1 igJ.bJt b:tt tbat your hetzrtr bt tbt {pri11g of all your wardr : 7'hdt you love not jin , a11d be 1tot lotb ·to ::;1 ;,·~~~~ii·, lttJ.Mf it, Jvbrn yott [frm to pray againjl it ; and tb.zt you trufJ: dcfiri tbe gra~ rvbicb J'Oit arJt, axd & quu 11 /n•vis MJt n11t _for tiJ. .Jt rr-htt:b you w:JUld not I~Ivt : And that. yo~t be re:~dy .to 1t{e tbc lawful ~e.;,11 to gtt te 1.pe~~·e, tiJc mrre~r1 rvh~eh you ask,.; and be not l1kc thofe lny w1!hcrs, that wdl pray Goi.l w gJv~.: chem._io- ~l'.~·eoc:-mr, creafe at huvt n, when they lye: in bed, and will neith~r plow or low: or that pray him to ,j;:~~~;~r~~o.s fave thc.m from lite, or watc:r, or dat,ger, while they run into ir, .or will no:. be :u the plins Sil..-u, ir.quit, to go out of the :-vay. 0 what abundance of wretches do olfc:r up hypocrlttCll mnck._-praytrs ne vos f,ic illi to God ! b!afphcm1ng him thereby, as if he wen~ an Idol, and knew not their hypocrilie, and Jl.Jvig.lr~ (on- fcarched not the hearts? Ahs, how commonly do men puy :n publick, d11t ·the rejf of tht!ir. 1 tlant. 1 a;t, livu hrrt:Zft(r »l.J) be p1trt aud holy , th.a hate purity and ho/imfi at the heart , auJ deride p. 'f· and 0ppofe that which they 'ti...m to pray for ? As Aujlin confdfech of himfelf be(orc: he was~ c<'nvmed , th•t he prayed again(\ his filthy fin, •nd yet was afraid ldl God lhould grant his 1 ·1 pnyers. So tntny pr.aJ. againlt the fins. which they would not be delivered from , or would not ufc the ·means that is 11eceffary to their conquefl: and deliveunct. Ltt bim th.Jt JJ.:tmtth the. Hame of .Chrijl drr.art from in,i'quity, ' 2 Tim. 2. 19. If I rtgard iJtiq:.tity in my bt.zrt, tbt L~rd. ll'i0 n11t hrar me, Pfa. 6d. t8· SeC Ezrk. 14· 3, 4, 14· Alas, how ealie is ir tor an ungodly per-T fon to ltarn to fay a ftw words by rore, and to run them over, wirhout any fenfe of whar:: he fpeakcth; while the' tongue is a tlran&cr to the heart , and fpc>kcth not according to it~ ddires. ' '. · ·; . Dirtll· 7• ~· 8. DireCt. 7· S~Jrch your hcm'tl ,and. 1 W&lch the!'?. c.srffully 'i ltft fomt belovtd. Vanity alien~Jlt them from the wa~f<. in hand, and ttirn-aw;zy your tbJughll, or preprif[efi your t:~ffttltanJ , fo tbal ytl wa111 them rrhw )1nu Jho,ld u{c-'them. If the mind be fct on other tnattc:rs, prayer will be. a hc:tnlefr;, lifelcfs thing : Alas, what a dead and pitiful work, is the praye.r of one th.At ha.,th his heart enfi1ared in the lt>ve of mom.y, er in any ambitious or covetous ddign? Thcthoug~ns. will eafily follow the atfdlions. . Pirr/1. 8. ~- 9· Dir<d:. 8. Be Jure tbat Y'" pray for nllt!Jin~ thJt it Ji{agreeable ta the ,.,;g of God, an~ tiJ.1t ir not fur tht gnod. of your filvu or athcrJ , or fer the IJrJnour of God: ,And tb.erefort taf:.! brrd lr(l an trri~tg ju~~onrnt, or ciJrH.Jl dc{irrs or P·'ffionJ, jhoufd corrrtpt your prayrr1, and tuns , thtm into fin. lt men will ignorantly pray to God to do them hurt, it is a mercy to them~ jf God will bllt pHdon and deny fuch pnycts, and a judgement to grant thrm. And it isJ an eafie thing for firj1Jiy itzttrcft , or parti.tlity , or paffion to blind the judgement , and conif· quently to corrupt mens prayers. Aa Ambitious or Covetous m.m will eafi1y be drawn to ) pray for the grant of hi< finful d,fires, and think it would be for hi< gsod. And there is Ccarce- an heretical or nroneous perfon , but thinketh that it would be good that the: world wne all reduced to his opinion , a.nd all the oppofers of it were born down : Thc:rc are few~ zealous Antinomians, Anabaptifis, or any other Dividers of the Church , but they put thci~~ Opinions ufu•lly into their prayers, and plead with God for the interdl of their S.ll• and .Er- 1 rors: And irs like that the Jews that had a perfccuting Zeal for God , Rum- zo. 2- did P'f!)l according to that Zal, as well as perfecute: as its like P.."ul himfelf prayed ag>infi the Ch,n– tlians, while he ignorantly perfecute'a them. And thry that thin!< they do God fcrvice by. ~iLtng his fervants, no doubt would pray:~a:gainlt them, as the Papili'i and others do at this day. Be fpccially careful therefore. that your Judgemtmr and Dcfiw be found and hol~, h<for.e, you otfrr them up to God in prayer. t'or it is a mofl vile abufe of Go4, to beg of htm to ~o, the Devils work ; and, as mol\ malitiaJII and erroma111 perfons do, to call hun to thelt help. againli himfelf, his fervantt and his cauji. 9· lOo
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