-2~ ~SAint or 4Bruit. . Part II.; and that for the /Jeft an~ pleafanteft things? Perhitps there. may be fome of you that thtnk it u but labour lofl, ~tnd that you eoutd ~ftte~ fpend thefc hours, ll;<Jd tbt God regardeth mt our prayen, and th(lt mdeed ~eJjmd never the better for them, and thereforeyou have tJo pluzfure Jn them.] And no wonder ! If you are Athcifis and ~eli~ve not that ther.~ is a Go~,you canno•t love him, or rejoyce 1m _lum. If you belteve not htsPromifes,how i11ould they give y~:m any comfo~t !- If you belie,,e not that he regardeth Pray– ers, no wonder tf. you have no heart to pray : They that fay ]t u in vain to [erve the Lord, and ii u no profit to m tfJ kfep his ·ardt'n!'mce.r, Mal. 3. 14. will alfo fay, what a wearinefs is it! Mal. I. I 3. and will give him but a lame and-lifelefs fenice. If you d-id believe your.friend to be your enemy, you would have:fmall pliafure in-hirri: Mif-conceirs ·may eafily make you loath the . thing~ that are mofi delightful. . Tbe thoughts of l-Jeaven it fdf yield littlePleafure to them that believe not that there is a Hea– ven,or what it is. The Light is not pleafant to the blind: nor any object: of our ta:fl: or fmel to thOtfe that have loll: thefc fenfes. Is nmfick tmpleafant, becaufe it delightcth not the deaf ? For :fuarne do not (:barge the fweet and blelfed ways of God with that which is the fruit of your D'»n corruptio11 . If your lungs be :rotten, you may be out of breath with fpeaking the motl de.– lightful words, or walking in the moil:.pleafant. Jitlds or garde~s ·;· But the ~.mfe o£ the wearinefs is within you. If you have the · hearts of Infidels, or graceltfs ftupid worldly finners, you are fo unfi cto appreach the moll: Holy God in holy prayer,.chat I mar- – vail no t if you go to it as a Bear to the fiake, as an Ox: to thi– yoke,· or as an offenderto the flocks; For the God chat you p-ray to, is ahaterof all the wwkers of i11i' uity,.-and a con[uming fire ; and ~herefore no wonder if his terrours ihou\d mt!et you and leave you bur-little dek ht in prayer ( Though ·its wonder that they do not folh;>w ~O; , and meet you in all your ways, and leave you lefs delight i1J fJ1e omiffion of it) But if you had the hearts of belie11ingholy? ,. en, and~1d tafled in prayer ,what thq have rafl:td., and liad thetr experience ·of the fucc.cfs ;, you .would - t hen be eafily perfwaded that prayer is neither aVain nor an ;m– pleafnt work. Stuely it.is- fl~~ unpleafant to a burdene& fou! to- d'if:.burden it felf before the·Lord : noreo-a ftnner that batli felt the weight, the fmart, the · ·ning of fin, to cry for mercy, an.d h~aling to~im thatlsable~ndwilling ~ to fue~ m~rcy ;: no-r~~
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