therefore to lay yourselves in the way of the Spirit, and call in his aid, which may be expected in the path of duty. Holy performances are, as it were, the walk of the Spirit, the air where he breathes; and be sure he is most likely to be found in his own track; but you cannot expect him in the neglect of plain duty. Try this way, put God to it, plead his promise; you cannot think to be warm, if you run from the fire. If you have not a disposition to pray, you must pray for a disposition; for neglect, or omission of a duty, never fits, but always unfits for duty. If you will heed your trifling spirits, and accept every excuse which they make, you will never pray. If you play the truant one time, you will have less mind to go to God the next time; guilt makes you afraid, and you dare not come near that God whom you have wronged; as Adam run from God, and Peter would thrust Christ from him, when conscious of guilt. How dare you look God in the face, whom you have slighted? Besides, you will find that neglect of duty, doth not make the next performance more easy, but more difficult. It will (as one saith) require more time and pains for you to tune your instrument, than for another to play his lesson. And is it not more likely God should come to you in pains-taking, than total omission? Do you not read in the Psalms, how often David begun faintly, and ended triumphantly? Try the Lord, and see if he be not better than you expect.

7. Obj. But, saith a poor soul, I meet with temptations when I go to God in secret; Satan assaults me, I am timorous, and dare not be alone, or in the dark, but am affrighted.

Answ. It is a sign the duty is good, because so bad a spirit opposeth it. The more Satan sees a duty is for the soul's advantage, the more diligent he is to hin

der the performance. But must Satan be gratified rather than God glorified, or thy soul edified? Wilt thou give way to him? "Resist the devil, and he will flee from thee." Think not thou canst perform a flesh-displeasing duty when Satan is quiet, and doth not molest; he will be busy to tempt when thou art going to thy God, this is no new thing; he will jog thy hand when thou art writing thy letter to thy friend in heaven. Think not to be more exempted than even thy Saviour himself; he was set upon by the devil in his solitary recesses in the wilderness; and, oh, the horrible nature of those temptations! Matt. iv. When Joshua the high priest prayed, Satan stood at his right hand to resist him; but the issue was good, God rebuked him, Zech. iii. 1, 2. And thus he will do for thee; he will tread Satan under thy feet, and make thee a conqueror; only when thou art annoyed with this foul spirit, turn to God, leave not thy work, let not Satan take thee off duty, then he would attain his end; fall more closely to the work; consider, fasting and prayer cast out the devil, watching and prayer are preservatives from temptation; yea, prayer itself is a chief piece of a Christian's armour.* If you be beat off this, you are routed; this engageth God for you; without this, you are but like other men, and the Philistine will put out your eyes, lead you captive, and make sport of you: stick close to this, whatever you do. Though all the devils in hell roar upon you, yet run to your God in prayer. They are sluggards, or cowards, that say, "There is a lion in the way," when they are called out to hard service or difficult duty; nay, rather say as was once said in an arduous undertaking, "Here is a work fit for the spirit of an Alexander :" so here is a duty that becomes a Christian to manage. By your God you may run

* Matt. xxvi. 41. Eph. vi. 18.

through a troop, and leap over a wall. But more of this anon.

8. Obj. But I get no good by closet prayer. I have used it long, and still my heart is as cold, hard, and dead as ever: I will give over now.

Answ. Is not this too like the language of those that say, "It is in vain to serve God?" Mal. iii. 14. And are you like those Atheists that think prayer is to no purpose? I hope not. You think it doeth good to some, but not to you. Well, what is the reason? Is it not because you do not pray aright? Therefore search yourselves, see how you prayed, mourn over your defects, and mend the matter. It is true, one who sees the well dry, breaks or throws away his pitcher. But, is God a barren wilderness? Is it not good for you to draw near to God? were they ever' ashamed that waited on him? Hast not thou sometimes found benefit by secret prayer? God is good to the soul that seeks him try again, you will not lose your labour; "be not weary of well-doing, in due time you shall reap, if you faint not." Let not your hands hang down, let not your knees grow feeble. The text tells you, "Your Father that sees in secret, will reward you openly;" and dare you not trust him beyond sense and experience? There may be more advantage from this duty than you are aware of; you shall not yet know the profit you have by secret prayer; you must keep on in a patient continuance in well-doing, and not give over till you receive a full reward. But, oh, take heed of giving over prayer because you think you want present profit: you cannot do Satan greater service, or your souls more prejudice.

9, Obj. But I am weak in parts, and know not what to say; fain I would, but alas, I cannot open my wants to God in prayer, I want gifts, abilities.

Answ. I am glad to hear thee thus complain; thou art fitter for praying, when thou canst lie under the sense of thy inability to pray, that is a useful disposition in duty. But thou sayest thou canst not pray, then I will tell thee what to do; go thy ways alone, and fall down upon thy knees, and plainly tell the Lord thou canst not pray, and entreat him to help thee by his blessed Spirit, which he hath promised to them that ask it; tell the Lord, that thou canst not think a good thought, or speak a good word, without that blessed Spirit, but he will help thine infirmities, and teach thee what to say. O beg hard for that Holy Spirit; and then, let some means be used to get matter of prayer; you know it consists of confession of sin, petition for good things, deprecation of evil, and thanksgiving for mercies: well then, sit down, and think with thyself, what sins thou art guilty of, original or actual, of omission or commision; this is too, too fruitful a subject; take them home, tell God of them, by ingenuous confession; then bethink thyself, what thou wantest at the hands of God, as pardon, grace, peace, heaven, and beg these; consider also what thou art afraid of, as guilt, strength of temptation, effects of sin, God's wrath, Satan's malice; and desire the Lord to prevent and remove these, for Christ's sake; and lastly, recollect what mercies thou hast had from God, and reckon them up to him, with expressions of thankfulness; do this with plainness and seriousness; heed not so much for exact method, or fine phrases; the gilt of the key makes it not open the door a jot the better; and a prayer has no more influence upon God, because of the neat language therein; but unbosom thyself plainly and seriously before thy God, and thou shalt find present assistance and acceptance, and future enlargements and

encouragement. Be honest, though never so homely

in prayer.

10. Obj. But I like not this stir, it is a hard and difficult work; I would rather do any thing than this, my spirit is wonderful averse to it; say what you will, it will not go down with me, to make all this ado on closet prayer; it is pretty fair if I can keep up such duties as church and family require.

Answ. This is the pleading of flesh and blood, this is the bottom of the former objections, I expected this all along; if the tongue speak not thus, the heart doth. Let a duty be pressed home never so much, a carnal heart will make evasions; though the mouth be stopped, yet a cavilling heart will have something to say against a spiritual duty; and if it cannot be mad with reason, it grows mad without reason, and against scripture. It is easier to bring arguments to convince the judgment, than to draw the will and affections to a thorough obedience. But, O man, wilt thou plead for Baal? wilt thou take the devil's part, and yield to carnal reason? or wilt thou baulk any divine commands to gratify a lazy humour, or a base lust? God forbid; methinks, if thou canst not obey as thou oughtest, yet thou shouldest take God's part, and plead for obedience; Paul doth so, Rom. vii. 15, 16, though he saith, "What I would, that do I not, but what I hate, that do I,”—yet saith he, "I consent to the law that it is good," that is, I take part with God, and join with God's will against my corrupt and carnal affections, which would draw my neck from under this heavenly yoke. And if you have not something within you that takes part with God's revealed will, you are not of God. But a principle of grace doth facilitate and make easy the hardest duties, because there is a likeness betwixt holy hearts and holy performances.