CHAPTER III. 155 aims, and ends, and desires, should grow more Ipiritual, as we proceed in this duty. And though God indulges us to converse with him about many of our temporal affairs in prayer, yet let us takecare that the things of our souls, and the eternal world, always possess the chief room in our hearts. And whatsoever of the cares of this life enter into our prayers, and are spread before the Lord, let us see that our aims therein are spiritual, that our very desires of earthly comforts may be purified from all carnal ends, and sanctified to some divine purposes, to the glory of God, to the honor of the gospel, and the salvation of souls. IV. Sincerity and uprightness of heart is another grace that must run through this worship. Whether we speak to God concerning his own glories, whether we give him thanks for his abundant goodness, or confess our various iniquities before him, or express our desires of mercy at his hand, still let our hearts and our lips agree, and not be found mockers of God, .áa hó searches the heart, and tries the reins, and can spy hypocrisy in the darkest corners of the soul: V. Holy watchfulness, and intention of mind upon the duty in which we are engaged ; this mustrun through every part of prayer. Our thoughts must not. be suffered to wander among the creatures, and rove to the ends of the earth, when we come to converse with the high and holy God. Without this holy watchfulness we shall be in danger of leaving God in the midst of the worship, because the temptations that arise from Satan, and from Our own hearts, are various and strong. Without this watchfulness our worship will degenerate into forniality,' and weshall find coldness and indifferency creep- ing upon our spirits, and spoiling the success of our duties. Watch unto' prayer, is a constant direction of the great apostle. I might add to these, humility, and delight, or pleasure and other exercises of the sanctified affections ; but I shall have oeca-' awn more properly to mention them under the next head. SECT. III.Graces that belong to particular Parts of Prayer, The graces that peculiarly belong to the several paris of player, are distinguished according to the parts of this duty viz. I. Invocation or calling Upon God, requires a special awe of his majesty to attend it, and a deep senseof our own meanness and unworthiness ; and at the same time we should express holy wonder and pleasure, that the most high God who inhabits eter- nity, will suffer such contemptible and worthless beings as we are to hold correspondence with him. II. The work of adoration or praise, runs through the several attributes of the divine nature, and requires of us the exercise of our various affections' suited to those several attri -bates. As when wemention Gods self- sufficiency and iudepen.
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