' General VireftiollS for Prayer. §.. 10 • Direct. 9· Come al:wayes to God in tht humility tb.:t befeemtth a' condemueJ finntf. , !Jnd in Direl1. 91· the faith and ltoldntfi tb.st be{etmrlh a Sm, and a mwtbtr of Chrijl: Do nothi~g irs the leajl conuit .md ·confidence of a worthinej& in your Jellies ; but be a1 confideNt in every lawful requeft, a1 if yoN Jaw your 1 Glorified Mediator interCEding for you with bH Fatbtr. Hope is the Life of Pnyer and all endeavour, and Cbrijl is the Life of Hope. If you P'"Y and <hink you fhall be never die bmer for ir , your prayers will have Ji1tle life. And there is no hope of fuccefs , but <hrough our powerful inremf!or. Therefore let bo<h a Crucified and Gkrifitd Chrift , be alwaycs before ·your eyes in prayer: ~or in a Picture, but .in the thoughts of a believing mind. lnftead of a Crucifix, let fome fuch fentence of holy Scripture , be written before you, ·where you ufe ro pray, as John 20. '7· GO T 0 MY BRETHREN and cS AY uNTO THEM, I ASCEND UNTO MY FATHER and .YOUR f' ATHER, TO MY GOD and YOUR GOD. OrH,b. 4· '+· We have~ great Higb-Pric{t tb;t ii paffed. into t~e HeavcnJ, Jefiu tht SnJ~ nf God : ver. 15 1 16. tbt W.JJ in .JU poinu tcmpttd a{ we art, yet wtth6rlt fin : Let Ul therefore come boldly to the Throne of Gra~t , that we may obuin· mercy, &c. Heb. 6. 9, 20. Which hope we have aJ an anchor {)f the fOul both [ure and. jledfaft, a~td that cntrttb lttto thrJt within the vail ; whither tbt fnre runner U for TIJ entred, Heb. 7· 2 5· Ht U able to [ave to the utttrmoft them that come to God by him, fee .. ;,g be evtr livtth lo m:~IIJ inttrcef!ion for them, John •4· 13, 14· If ye Ml{. llnJ thing iH mj n~mt, 1 "iD do it : Chrijl and the Promi{t muft be the ground of all your confidence and hope. §. 1 I• Dire6t. ro. Labour hard with your hearts aU the while to keep them in a revermt, feri· DirtQ. 10 • DUI, fervent fomt, and fuffer tiJem not to grow remij1 and cold, to turn prayer into lip-labuur, and lifeleji formality, -or into hypocritic:~l, t:tjfelled, {eeming fervency, when the heart id- jfn[elefi, tbougb the voice be earnc{t. The heart will cafily grow dull and cufiomary and hypocritical' if it be not carefully watcht, and diligently followed and fiirred up. Tbt tjfe{}u,J fervent prayer of a righttouJ man availttb much, Jam. 5• 16. A cold prayer tbeweth a he-art that is cold in defiring that which is prayed f0r: and thcref!)re is unfit to receive the mercy: God will make youknow that hi$f1ercy is not cvntempt1ble, bu~ worthy your moll earnefi prayen. p. 12· ·Dired. ll· For the »latter and order ofyuur Dcfires and Prayers, tak_.e tht Lords Prayer Dirtll. II· as your fpecial Rule; and labour to undc~tf.md it well. For thofe that can rnakt ufc of fo Brief Of the Me· an ExpWcatio!', I {hall give a lictlc help. , t~~~o~r;~:r fee RttmJU de R~Iit. cbri{l. /. 3· c. 3 & L/ldolpll!H de vit".t chl~'li ~;U. t. '· 37· & Per~i;u i( orat, do»J. & Dt. BOJ! OR the liturgie, P· SJ 61 7• ) ' / ) ' ;1.•.., ' ' o .A 'Brirf ·- ; ~ I ..
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