294 Enemy to all Morality : Faith : Prayer : obedience. dietions of flefh and blood : It cafteth off that Pride and felf- conceitednefs that hindreth others from believing. In prayer icbringeth an emptied foul, that is not flopped up againft the grace and bleffings of God ; It layeth us low in a receiving poiture : It emptieth us of our felves, that we may be filled with God : It hath nothing to fay againft any one of thofeRequefts which Chrift bath put into our mouths, but fubfcribeth to them all. It is the higheil ambition, the great- ell defire of a felf-denying foul, that Gods name may be hal- lowed and honoured, what ever become of his ownName or honour ; and that the Kingdomof God may flourish, in which he defireth to be a fubjeet ; and that the will of God may be done, and the will of himfelf and all the world conformed and fubjecied to it : And fo of the refit of the Petitions. Self- denial is half the life of Prayer. And it is adutiful obferver of all the Commandments. It giveth up our Love to God as his Own , and confequently worfhippethhim in Love , and Reverenceth his name, and obfervethhis time, and indeed is wholly devoted to him. And it giveth our neighbour that part ofour Love whichbelongeth to him ; and therefore will mot difhonour fuperiors, or en- croach upon the poffeffions of others, or injure them for his own ends. And indeedwhat should draw a felf-denying man to fin, (were he but perfed in felf-denial) ? when thepoife is taken off, the wheels all {land fill: Self-denial doth fruftrate Temp- tations, and leave them little to work upon. What should move a felf-denying man tobeProud, or covetous, or injuri- ous to others ? no mandothevil, but as it feemeth good, and for fome good that he imagineth it will do him : And this feeming good is to carnal felf : And therefore a felf-denying man bath takenoff the byafs of fin, and turned out the de- ceiver, and whenSatan comes he hath litle in him to makead- vantage of. 0 how eafily make you take fin out of the hands of thefelf-devims, and make themcalf it away with lamentati- on, when other men will hold it as fall as their lives 0 try this fpeedy way of Mortification, Would you but cleitroy this Original breeding fin, you would deftroy all, All the fins of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=