5 4 The right manner ofdrawing nigh rifled according to the order that thou haft fec, but Lord, if thou doeft but fee any heart prepared to Peek thee, though they fad in fuch particulars, Lordheal them and pardon them : and did God hearken to his prayer ? Mark the following words And the Lord bearkned to Hezekiah, andhealed the people. kay faith God,I wil not nand fo much upon the purification of the Sanau- ary if they have prepared their hearts to feek me. Take this Scripture, know it's written for thine inftration,and thou may- eft,makeufe of it in thine own foul this day, if thoucult appeal toGod that thou art careful to prepare thy heart , though thou fhouldeft not have that purenefs ofthyheart as thou doeft defire the Lordwill pardon thee and heal thee : make confcience of preparation to holyduties. Again further, By beingtcareful to make preparation for du- ties, within fome little time thouwilt bring the heart to fuch a frame as it will alwaies be ready for duty without much ado ; In- deed at aft it is fomewhat hard. Youwill fay, Are we bound to fpend fome time every time wego toprayer beforehand, or every time we come CO the Word ? That fhould have been one of the Cafes ofConfcience, but I cannot come to Anfwer that, but this we may fay, Be careful toprepare for duties, you that are yong beginners, or ' you that have made profeflion a longer time, but yet have no 'had theweight of this duty upon your fpirits ; now be careful for a while toprepare for every dutyof Gods Worfhip, that God calls you co, and I fay within a little time thou mayeft bring thy heart into fuch a temper as thou maieft be ready at all times to perform holy duties : becaufe thou (hal be able to come to that temper and frame that the Apoffle exhorts to, Pray continually, for indeed fo it fhould be with us, we fhould be alwayes prepared either for Prayer, hearing the Word, or re- ceiving Sacraments. Now becaufe Sacraments are fo rare, thofe that have any enlightned confcience they think they dare not but prepare for Sacraments, but you fhould be alwaies ina pre- paration for the receiving of the Sacraments, as the primitive Chriftians did. And thole that have been acquainted with this Point that I am upon, of preparing for duciek, they have come to fucha frame of fpirir, as that there is not fo much time required
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