9 - <It toret~~~aret; , .1ere; why do yo·u not think fo,and fet yoNr fetves as {n his prefence? The child will fl:and demurely before · his :Fath~r, the Scholar before his Mafi:er; and fowill ,yl ~he gracious Soul before qod in duty, ifienfible ofhis 11 preien~e. · · . 4'· Mufl:er up your thoughts and wayes:Our thoughts and affeC!ions are like the ftriogs of an InA:rument out of tune,an_d therefore we muft take fome painsto wind and skrue them up. flhis 'is that which z~pharadvifetb to, :f~b ·1 t • 1 3. to prepare the hea~rt, and t~en ftretch forth the hands :· ·And' for this end, it would not be a .. mifs_w·hen you cqme into' a private room to pray in fe.. cret, firfi: ro:read fome portion of Scriptute,which may l>e ofufe to,compofe your fpirits; and l-ikeDavid'sharp toSaul, drive away your wild. imaginations: yea the word read,may afford you-fuitable matterofprayert& God : More particularly, let'me add·one experienced Help, whiCh is this:- When;you:are -ad:dreffing your fel;ves to God in fe_cret Prayer, ~~d·eavour to fix your thoughts upon fome particulat.fub]ect'to inlarge upon; : there's no qpeftion,but you have iornetimes one fpecial .. errand to God,fometimes another,if you obferve your condition' weU ; be fure td mind that,whether it' be to confefs fome predominant fin, to beg pardon of ·ir~ power agaipft it : You may have in your· eye fome grace that yoti need:more than ordinarily,and fee y weaknefs and defe{:l: therein, &c. Now do~ riotfatisfie your felves in runtiing_out _into generals only, but fer your felves to plead-the caufe of your fouls·in that very cafe·, which you- have found out by ferious inquiry · would moft ingageyou,at that time to go to GOdab~ut e~patiate, principally upon thatJubject: And this I con· ~ ~·- · . . ceive to be a takingto our felveswords, Hof. 1 4· 2 • ,:t, (which the , Holy Ghoft diretl:eth Tnrbum, res, negotito, in Prayer) not a form of fi 11fli:: Yid. Buxr.ur. and fuch phrafes; but fome f~c - - - - - fub
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