493 Ce folationsfcrfish bivaile theirwants inprayer. his rniferableflaues to commit all théfe workes ofdarkeneîfe in which bee «ill imploy vs. And therefore as«ee tender the fàluation ofourowne foules, let vs not beedifcouraged fromhearing the word ofGpd by any fiiggeftionswhatfo- euer,nonot though we feemeunto our feineseuery time we come into the Church togoe a flep towards hell ; for whi- left wee vfe Gods ordinance which is appointed as the meanes for our conuerfion and faluation, there is fome good hope, butwheuwee vtterlie neglect it,our (late is molt def perate.. CHAP. XL. (vnfolationsfarfuckas bewaile their hardnef 'ofheart and wants in Prayer. $.Se f.i. ç Thers complaine that they are fo ouerwhelmcd C0x6olations "SP with their hardneífe ofheart, and drowíie dul- T ra r ^ l b as neífé offpirit, that either they cannot pray at all, camplaine they cannot orifthe y doe, it isbarrainelie without alI forme pray at ail orfafhion; or if theyhaste the eloquence of the tongue and good fetformes ofprayer, yet they performe it coldly and drowfilie, without all earneftt}cffe and feruencie of fpirit, hawing their minds carried- away with wandring thoughts, fo that theirprayers are butnieere lip-labour,and therfore it werebetter not to-pray-at-all, becaufe they cannot performe thisdutie in any good manner or riieafure as God required-L. And this is a tentation wherewith even the deareft chil- dren ofGod aremuch-vexed and troubled, and therefore it lhall not bee amiffe to anfwere the feuerall branches of this comnlaint.Firít therefore; where as they complaine thatthey cannot prayat all, this is to b.e vnderffood either generallie ofall ti ies,cr fpeciallie atfometicnes.Ifthey fay they can ne- uer pray,it isvery likelie that either they forget or much, de- ceiue themfelues, for fewor none, who are altogether defti- tuteofthe fpirit offiippliccation, haue any vnderftandingto difcerne theirwant, or any grace tobewaile it, but content th xafch es with their lip-labour, as though they hadpe formed
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