' -- .... -----:---· . - -· . . G. 0 D a Spirit: ..----·-'- ' I 41 P:Dnere nbfcem, thou £halt' not goe away emptie; for it is alwayes accompanied with a-bleffing: as· it is-faid to .Anani..u, Atf:r 9. Goe to .P"Aul,forbehfJid .Afls 9o he prayes-: when it is a prayer indced,Gwlcan hold no-longer. Doe you thinke,that Paul never pray- ' ed: before, when heewas a Pharifee? who made long.prayers. Yes: but it was not as bee ought; he-never prayed indeed,rilJ now. Nowconfider, when thou commefi before theLord,to performe any dutie to him, thou wilt fay (it may be}that . my fpirit is well difpofed, though the ge£hue of my ~ody be not an{werable : but I fay~ deceive not thy felfeWith this, but looke that it be a thorow performance. For as it was in the old Law,a lame facrifice was accepted as none: fo a lame prayer, a lame bearing theVVord;<dame performance ofany exercife,G'd reckons·as none•. Therefore, in thefe thirigs 'God fends·d1em·away · emptie, as they came. W~at better are they? doe-their hearts get any thing? Beloved, God is Simile. a founMine; .~nd if-hemeet with a fit ·pip.e, (a·~ 'is · anotdinan·~eright! y perform·ed) rhere he ufuaUy ·. conveyes his grace·: but if he meet witha foule ·i pipe, and ohfl:.ructed, there he dothnot ·conferre ! any bieffing. . · . Now,·if thou fayefi~ ,I have thus behaved my felfe; and have not beene anfwered ? Doe nbt deceive thy fclfe 1 for if it be truely performed, you {hall be~anfwered : f6;that looke·, if it be tmely·done, expe& a·bleffi11g; Go o wiU not fuffer his ordinance at that time, to be a penne ,witbout inke·, or a pipe without water. I hope ' ~m ./ ·~
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