336 Chap.t6. An Expofition upon the Boob, of J;0 B. Verf. 17. Omniprafatia ding to mans opinion) a pure worfhip ; howmuch more doth facrorum, cos, theholy God require pure woriwrfhip ? quibatnonfont puss manutP But what is it which denominates prayer pure, or when is cris arcet,Liv. Prayer pure ? lib.ar. Prayer is pure.: Prxcipum eß }Irk :When it is.direc`led to aright objeé#, when we pray ion admatcre to God, and to Godonly : It is the Cole priviledge of God m cone to receive prayer ; 0 thou that heareft prayer,to theePall all flefh mala concilio. P purosodce- come : There is but one hearer of prayer, and that is God.. lum mane; tol. Daniel withftood the Decree of the King, when he forbad him /ert.&n.lib,3. to make his prayers to God ; he would rather be caft to the Nat. Qu' Lyons, then not to pray , or pray to any bAides God : there - fore he openedhis window ( to let them fee his refolution ) and prayed to God thrice a day openly. We may petition livingmen, but we mull pray only to the living God. All men ( except fuck as have finned unto death ) are to be prayed for, but no man mull be prayed unto : Neither Saint, nor An- gel, 'nor any Creature, are the object of prayer, but God alone. Secondly, Pure prayer mull be right in the matter alit, as well as the objet`; ifwe pray for that which is unlawful, our prayer mull needs be unlawful ; as it is a fin to do any thing which God commands not , fo it is a fin to ask any thing which God allows not. God hath let fpecial bounds to three things. Firfl, To our Faith, he teacheth us what to believe. Secondly, To our a6ions, he teacheth us what to do. Thirdly, To our prayers, he teacheth us what todefire. We may makeenlarged prayers, but we arc not left at large in prayer. Thefquare or rule of Prayer,is the will of God,z John 5. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him if we asks any thing according to his will, he heareth us. The will of God is the Rule, not only of things to be done by us , but of things which we are to ask God, to do for us: As man na' turally would ratheer do, fo he would rather have his own will, then the will of God. Man would fain be his own carver, but God will not let him : It pleafes man better to go twomite upon his own errand, then one upon Gods err. rand ; and it pleáfes man better to have any one thing of his own chiding, then twoof Gods chuing; but it (boil dnot. The
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