The Evil of Evils, or the as in oppofition to our own good that we thould receive from God, in the ufe of the means ofgrace ; and foSin is more oppofite to our good thanAtili&ions. Afii&ion rather,ufu- ally., doth further the means of grace, andpre- pare theheart for theentertainingofthemeans ofwace ; aflii&ion doth : But Sin hardens the heart againf it, and hinders the efficacy of the means ofgrace uponthe fouls of men and wo- men Heia, 5. and the lafl', In theiraffilions they grillfeek me early : then the more afrii&ions are upon them,themore readyare they to leek me ; Ifay, 2&. t6. When thy chafieningwas upon them, they po7redforth theirprayer. Many men and women that never knew how topray, that would fay they could not pray in their families, that they couldnot pray in fecret, anyotherwife than to fay a prayer, or that they had learned when they were children to fay fo manywords ; they couldnot pray otherwife : But when their M- flì&ions areupon them, then their hearts could be driven to God, and they could find how to pray otherwife. There is a fpeech concerning Marriners, He that knows not how to pray, let himgo to sea: noting, that when he comes into the waves, and 'tempers, and Dorms, that would teach him to pray. You Marriners, confider if everit have taught yon to pray : my thinks, of any fort ofmen in the world, Martinets thould have thegift ofprayer, becaufe fooften in,affli- &ion, and in danger oftheir lives; and many times they find, though they knownothow to ufe their mouthes, to fathion their tongues toa- n
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