288 The right manner of ng Sanelifyi . be Sure this prayer to keep my heart clofe to what I am about ; and perhaps that will help you a little : but yet fome vain thoughts will come for all that : then the next night renew them again, and the next morning renew them again, and chat till thou cornett to a habit of keeping thy heart dote to the dutie, though now thou feeleft thy heart fo w ild, that thou thinkeft it is impoffible Co bring it into order l but certainly by fuch a means thy heart will be brought into order. Thirdly, Be Pure to fet the pretence of God before you in c4-gayer ; have a zeal fight of the infinite Greatners, Majeftie, end Glorie of char you prefent your selves unto, when you are calling upon him ; it fo be that thou cantt get a real tight of God in his Glorie, it will keep thy heart clofe to theDutie, as if a man bewandring with his eyes, and looking after every fea- ther, if the King or fame great perfon come into the room, all his thoughts would be about theKing, or the great perfon that were coming in ; fo if you would preterit the Lord in his Glory and Greatnefs, Excellencie, Majeftie, andPower, before you, and what a dreadful God he is in himielf, and yet what a flier- , ciful God he is to us in his Son , this would mightily compote our hearts : certainly men and women that are to wandring in their prayers, it is becaufe their eyes are not open to look up- on God in his Glorie, they are as it were dreaming, and do not apprehend that God stands and looks upon them, and obterves them, and that God cakes notice of every wandring thought that comes from them ; they donot confider that God doth con- Nerte with the thoughts of men , as well as men do with the words ofmen. That's the Third Rule. Fourthly, Take heed thou beeft not deceived ; becaufe that thole Name in Prayer ; there is tome- thoughts thou haft in prayer, do not appear to be ve- ry evil in themielves. This is a great deceit 1 and hinders ma- y in the fanetifying of Gods times darted in fume vain thoughts : now, becaufe the thought bath no great evil in it felf, therefore They the ,le they may play with it, and their hearts dole with it,, arid to run .;brig_ 4171111 it as the fish cloth with the bait ; if the. Devil caifs in a thou'ght Of blaiphemy, that makes thee quake and fhake ; but if thy thoughts have no great evil in them, but they are Hight things,
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