94 Chap. 3 5. fIaExp9fitive upon the Bork of Jo a. Vert. 13. fo bellow it upon our Idle, that's avaine prayer, ( lames 4. 3. ) Such praying is rather amocking than a worlhipingof God,a ter- ving of our felves rather than a rerving ofGod. How do they a- bufe God inprayer, who cry to hum for help, , whom they have no mind to honour 3 who would faine be heard ofGod, yet have no heart to hear God ? Thirdly , That's avaine prayer, when we prayniter!) t e get eafe,or deliverance from an afßitIon, not at all minding our pro- fiting by, or the improvement of an aff &ion, fis not faith in God,but fenfe of our own fmart,which moves to pray , when we Tales clamores rather look how to get off our burdens, than out of our fins, or to non fides. fed get out of the fire, than to getout our drofs; whenwe praymore matorumfnfue tohave the plague take -naway, than our hard and proud hearts, extorque:. that is a vaine prayer 'tis like the prayer of Pharaoh, who bea- ged ihit he might be delivered ; but it was the plague of God for his fin, for his hard heart, that troubled him; his hard heart, his finning againll God never troubled him. ?haraob-like prayers, are vaine prayers. Fourthly, Thofe prayers are vaine which we make in our own flrength. Whatcan thole prayers be, which go forth in our firength, feeing we are told that we know not what to pray, much lets then how to pray, but as the Spirit of God helpeth our infirmities, ( Rom. 8. 26. ) Unlefle the Spirit make intercetlion for us, that is, make our intercefíìons for us in our hearts, as Chrifl maketh igtercefíion for us in heaven, we pray in vaine. Fifthly, Thofe are vaine prayers, which we make in our own name, not in thename of Chrif. . And, remember;though it be an eafie matter toname Chrifl inprayer, yet'ris no eafie matter to pray in the name of Chrift.'Tis ascommon as that which is com- monefl,for all forts of people, yea for children,to name Chrift in prayer ; but to pray in the name of Chrifl, is the peculiar work of the Spirit in the heart ofa true believer. If the Reader defire to knowmore diflinaly what it is to pray in the name of Chrif+, I refer him for force help towards it to the 17thverle of the 16th Chapter, where alto the requifites of pure and powerful prayer, are more fully held our. Sixthly, Angry paffionate prayers are vaine prayers. The Lord loves zeal and much warmth ofaffe ion in.p°ayer,but he cannot abide wrath, or any the Ifea(l fparks of paflion in prayer. The Apoflles
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