I Opened and Applied. I· 165 · Youwi ll fay, Thereisno greatneed, thanks be eo God, of prelllng I men to prayer here; Who is fo prophane bur dorh ?_ h~ is not ' worthy to Jive, or eo enjoy the benefit of the Sun, nor fir to l tve among the fockty of men , who dares nor do thus, but to live amon g Bears and vVolves, and Beafis in the Wildernefs. I would to God ther e was no need to prefs· this point; buttruly, theCouncreybeing a pla~e_fi!led with1difcontencs, which ever keeps from prayer , becaufe t he Devtlts m them: and alfo of oreat peace and refi ; hence, here men are more ap t to lleep, and grow f'ecure, thm in any other place of the world; and the Si:'irir o~ puyer is ready ro dye, even in Gods ~wn ; and hard 'tis for this Inccnfe to be fweet, withour fome fire, fome alfh8:t')l1 thereunto. · I. Sometherebe, thatdonot fomuchasfeel their mi fery at all, neither fin nonvrath; and hence they cannot pray at al l; they are nor in fo good a cafe to pray, as the damned who feel their mifery , and cry out un" \der it ; thefe call out of Gods fight , yet h 1ving ·hop e, and fo l11ould pray tbe more, and fo cry out under it, yer cannot; thou gh the .earth groan~s · under their fins, yet their heartS are hard, and they cannot feel them, and fo cannot pray; .md they quiet themfelves wirh fotne formes , ~nd th'eif ' Colcworrs twice fodd, and fome cold prayers morn ing and evening, and . hope that thefe will fer~e the rurn, and here ~s nil rh ~ co:nfort tMy have 1 I nay, notonly fo, buuf~th~ rs thatknovv thetrhearts better) and ro pray ; longer, reprove them for tr1 they finfully reply, ,What ? you are hke the . 'j Pharifees, that chink to be heard for their long pra yers. 0h the Lord 1 gives many up to this fpirit of flumber; their hems are heavy1 ancl~:an no more · Jifr them up than a Hone. • 2 • Some there be who fee.! their mifery, anti go unto the iord with !Iw I ny cries and prayers, but yet herein behaverhemfelv eslike S11ul, when God anfweredhim not, thenthey forfakehim; andUk ethem, 0ll.at. 3· 14. What profits m that we have waik.rd motmif~<lly ? and thlnkirig they {11all 1\ not finde , they build their Cicies as Caine did, and cafe themfelves that way. ' i . 3· Some there be that do mn give over, becaufe they think they lh a/1 · not find, but eafe t~emfelves by-their very prayers, ~ray outtheir pra'y~is; · ,.. and confefs out their confeffions 1 and mourn out their forrows ; and ate 1 compared to the Doo, who eafeth hitnfelf by his vomit; they ate troubled; ' ' and then puyer eafeili them ; and when a linle eafe, then prayer iS done,' as 1 '1'[a!,78•35>3H. · ) ' 4· Some that have no eafe, yet have no I~iftt~e-, ttor ti!f!e _:! as many_fervanrs, and men greedy of the world rife b!utnes, amhvork hard , lleepy·at: night, that they cannot have leifure; and whe-n conf cien<Je atks , Why do you not take rime? rhis is their excufe. Oh but canno r you take lr out of• your fleep, and lofe your life, rather than lofe your feaf ons of pra Yt:r ? they hope hereafter fo to do. . 5· Some that have leifure, yet their hearts are dead 1 they <:an pray, and !land convinced of mifery; but Hay their heafts are dead. I[.t. 64·7· 1-{one fl irreth up h;mfelf; nay, fometime:s as a ma!l afleep, when t,he fire bur h4 round about him, yet he feels ir nor. !fa. 42. ult. They can vex,and be difcom.ent when croffes and affiitl:ions come, but no hear t to ·pray, ot lay t·heir condition to heart : Oh this is fad and fearful. I Befeech you therefore take your time now ; y ou mull and ' /hall pray. \ " 1. Do yoll thtnk ever to have mercy without feekino it , and praying hard for it? No, if ever God inrend good to thee, if a;{ Eletl:•Ve ffel, thou muG pray ; yea, and glad you may have fuch an unvaiuable priviladge ; and ---------~---~-"---..:_"'-- · that
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