;96 Gen. 4S. z. Cautions couching bo- dily gellures in prayers. Efay ft. Efayzg. s;. Yfe z: Ephefians,ChapO;. VER. 14. tture. Hit be rude=ffetofpeake to the King or Counfell otherwife, how that( it not misbefeem to fpeak on our knee tothe higheft Majeftye But when it cannot be, then (landing: and for fitting, it is an unfit ge- fture, though inveterate cuftomesmay make men ftraine curter), to re- forre themfelves in fuch circumftance. If we were like takob,that 411 ourflrength couldfarce retire us up tofit, then the gefture were more warrantable. Therebeyet certaine cautions to be put unto it. z . Wemuff takeheed that we reft not in any outward carriageof the eye, the hand, the knee, as a gefture (hewing reverence,I fay, wee muft notreft in anyofthefe as if they were in themfelves properly a worthìp and fervice ofGod, if they come alone, or as if God would bee pleafed with outward complementsofthe body, and outwardbe- haviour, when the heart is not before him. Hee that acts a part upon the Rage, that hathnothing to doe buttoad the thing heundertakes to expref e, can eafily turn himfelfeto the gefture without truth of affe- Ction: God will not have us when we come before him, as ifit were to ada play, to jeft before him; but hee will fir(( have the heart rightly fet, and then the body to be thence rightly commanded ; hence the Lord difclaimes thehanging donne the head; in their countenance there was nothing but fubmißïon, when in their heart, there was nothing but rebellion: fo for theoutward adof prayer , bee calls it off. This people draw nearewith their lips, but their hearts arefarre fromme. 2. Ifby fome meanes we fhall be retrained from outward conve- niency ofkneeling, oflifting up thehead or hands, or proftrating the body,or any fuch like gefture,as might well become theprefent occa- fion of that prayerwhich is offered;yet wemuft not languifh upon the want of thefe things, as if our prayers might not pierce the heavens: I fpeak this becaufe I have found force well affected perfons, but not well inftruCìed in that point, that when they couldnot kneele, by rea fon ofbodily infirmity, thereforehave thought they could not pray, becaufetheycould not kneele. God hath not laid the law of thefe out- ward things uponus, as he hath the inward:the liftingupof theheart is iimplyneceffary,and without ir, nocomfort:the other is ofconvenie{i- cy,fofarre forthpleating to God, as it is a figneofour inward integri- ty, and a helpof our owne weakneffe. For juft reproofe, if we examine our felves touching our carriage in the duties of Gods worlhip, what dulneffe of heart, what irreve- rence, what want of fervency, what want of zeale have our geftures manifeftlydifcovered toour facestAman happilyrifeth out ofhis bed, he buttons himfelfeand he prayes, and he prayes and he buttons, but where is the heart of this man, or the reverence of that Majefty to whom he fpeakss He hath not fo much thew ofgodlineffeas ofhypo- crify. Never excufe thematter, for our God will teaif), to our faces, if we think not ofthis and repent of it,that our loofeneffe in thevery fathioning ofour bodies in theduties of devotion are come from the ncgletofhimwhomwefeemto ferve. The Lord Jefus Chrift bath fet E,
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