Downame - BV209_D69_G6_1640_v1

of Rumilitie required in prayer. ble our felves before the Lord when we call upon him, it is meant that we fhould abate our felves as it were to the ground, ( to which purpofe the faithfull were wont in the Eaf}ern Churches to caf} them- felves down to the ground when they called upon God) laying afide all manner of conceit of our own worthineewhereby we might be lifted up in our felves, and acknowledging our own nullitie and un- worthineffe in our felves to appear in the pretence of God. For compared unto God we are as no- thing, or as lefre then nothing, Ifa. 40.17. And therefore when our Saviour took upon him our na- ture, he is Paid as it were to have annihilated himf, lf,, Phil.2.7. For this caufe prayer in Hebrew is called 1`?D.n : which bath affinitie with the verb 762M, which fignifieth to fall or calf down our fives : To teach us to humbleour felves before God when we call upon him. And to the fame purpofe Augufline roar defineth prayer thus, Oratio efi mentis devotio , i. converfao in .Deum per pium & hunnilem affeaurn: Prayer is the devotion of the mind, that is, a con verfion unto God by an holy and humble affeaion. How neceffary and profitable this is , to be in- The necefst- dued with humility when we call upon God, may tic and pro- appear both by the teflimonies of Gods word and ütyprovmd examples of the godly. Pfal. 10. 17. Lord, thou byt tettimo hearef the prayer of the humble : thou wilt prepare nies.ana c 'their heart ;thou wilt carafe thine care to heare. Pfal. 7. antiples. 12. He forgetteth not the cry of the humble. Luke a $. 9. our Saviour telleth us a parable of a Pharifee and a ublicane which went to pray : The Pharifee cometh in a conceit of his own worthineffe; the PLibli Io7-