now we enjoy those treasures by prayer, which by faith we did but behold, shewed unto us by the gospel of our Lord Jesus. How necessary and profitable this exercise of prayer is, it appeareth in that the Lord himself witnesseth our whole salvation to consist in the calling upon his name, whereby he is wholly present with us, namely, by his providence and fatherly care, by the which he watcheth over us; by his power, by the which he sustaineth and succoureth us, being weak and every moment ready to perish; and by his goodness and mercy, by the which he receiveth us into favour, being miserably laden and pressed down with sin. Hereby groweth singular rest and quietness to our conscience. For when we have once disclosed to him our necessity and misery, we find most joyful and perfect quietness even in this, that none of our evils are hidden from him, whom we are persuaded to be both most willing and also most able to help us.

Now, that our prayer may be made in such wise as it ought to be; first, we must see that we be in heart and mind no otherwise framed than becometh those that enter into talk with God, as we are taught, Ecclus. xviii. "Before thou pray, prepare thyself; and be not as one that tempteth God." We must consider therefore when we pray, in whose presence we stand, to whom we speak, and what we desire. We stand in the presence of the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, and all things therein contained; to whose eternal majesty innumerable thousands of angels do assist, serve, and obey. We speak unto him who knoweth the secrets of our hearts, before whom nothing is more odious than hypocrisy and dissimulation. We ask those things which be most to his glory and the comfort of our consciences. We must therefore diligently, and with all reverence and godly fear, endeavour ourselves to remove all such things as may offend his divine Majesty, to the uttermost of our power. And first, that we be free from all worldly cares and fleshly cogitations, whereby our minds are carried hither and thither, and being drawn out of heaven and from the pure beholding of God, are essed down to the earth. We must have our heart

not only wholly bent unto prayer, but as much as is possible, lifted up above itself, even to that purity that is worthy for God. Wherefore, lifting up our minds unto God, we must have a regard that our mouth, spirit, and heart, be elevated together mindfully in faith: for God is a spirit, and will be worshipped in spirit and truth, that is, in the godly affections of the heart, and with a true, faithful, and unfeigned worship. And therefore, as at all other times he requireth the heart, so specially in the time of prayer, when we shew ourselves in his presence, and enter into communication with him: and thereupon, when he promiseth to hear all those that call upon him, he maketh a restraint, and saith, that call upon him in truth. Seeing therefore1 the chief duty of prayer consisteth in the heart, we must with our whole heart pour out our prayers unto God, the searcher of hearts, and with a sincere, unfeigned, and ardent affection and opening of our heart before God (for that is true prayer), call upon him, or else we shall not find him.

And here let us call to mind how unreverently we abuse the great goodness of God in calling us into familiar talk with him, when we have not that reverent fear of his sacred majesty that we would have of an earthly creature or a worldly prince; but suffering our hearts to be carried away with wandering thoughts and worldly imaginations, are otherwise occupied, and forsake him in the midst of our prayer. Let us know therefore, that none prepare themselves rightly to paryer, but such as have a reverent fear of God's majesty, which they cannot have that come not to it unburdened of earthly cares and affections: for nothing is more contrary unto the reverence of God than such lightness and vanity. And this is it that is meant by the lifting up of hands, that we should remember that we be far distant from God unless we lift up our hearts and minds also on high. And therefore it is said in the psalm, "To thee have I lift up my soul." And the Scripture useth this manner of speech, to lift up prayer, that they which desire to be heard of God should not

have their minds carried away with earthly cogitations and vanities. And though it be hard to be so bent to prayer, but that we shall find that many by-thoughts will creep upon us to hinder our prayer; yet the more hard it is, the more earnestly we must wrestle to overcome all lets and hinderances, and labour with inward groanings unto the Lord, that he will link our hearts fast unto him1, and not suffer us to be led away from him by the vain suggestions of Satan, who, at all times compassing us about, is never more busy than when we address and bend ourselves to prayer, secretly and subtilly creeping into our breasts, calling us back from God, and causing us to forget what we have to do: so that oftentimes, when we with all reverence should speak to God, we find our hearts talking with the vanities of the world, or with the foolish imaginations of our own hearts.

Finally, we must be in christian charity, love, and concord with all men, seeking unfeigned, hearty, and brotherly reconciliation, if we have offended any man, before we enter into prayer, or else God will not hear our prayers; yea, they are otherwise execrable, and full of damnable hypocrisy in God's sight. And this that is spoken of prayer may be said also of the hearing of God's word, or any other service of God. We must therefore lay aside all malice, envy, wrath, grudge, contention, wrangling, dissimulation, all guileful, crafty, and subtle dealing; and with a single heart do to other as we would they should do unto us. Therefore St. Peter willeth that such as have once tasted how good and bounteous the Lord is, and are become new creatures, new-born babes, by the heavenly regeneration through the doctrine of the gospel, should, like holy and innocent babes, lay aside all such works of the flesh3, as St. Paul calleth them, which do deprive a man of the kingdom of God. And St. Paul saith, My brethren, be not children in understanding, but as concerning maliciousness be ye children. Whereunto agreeth this sentence of Christ, Except ye become as little children, ye shall 3 Gal. v. 4 1 Cor. xiv.

1 Ps. LXXXVI. 2 1 Pet. ii.

not enter into the kingdom of heaven". Wherefore St. Paul commandeth us, that laying aside these cursed works of darkness, we should in the stead thereof put on, even as the elect of God, holy and beloved, tender mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a quarrel to another, as Christ forgave us. And above all these things, saith he, put on love, which is the bond of perfection, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts. When ye shall stand and pray, saith St. Mark, forgive, if ye have anything against any man, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses: for if ye will not forgive, your Father which is in heaven will not pardon you your trespasses'. And again, Pray, saith St. Paul, everywhere, lifting up your hands without wrath or doubting 8.

Moreover, we must have such a feeling of our great infirmity, poverty, and wretchedness, as may work in us an earnest sorrow and vexation of mind for the same. Example whereof we may see in the dear servants of God, when they say, that out of the deep deepness, and out of the midst of the jaws of death, they utter unto the Lord a sorrowful voice. He that desireth mercy must have a feeling of his own misery; and therefore saith David, Heal my soul, O Lord, for I have sinned against thee (Psalm XLI.) There is no health in my flesh, saith he, because of thy displeasure; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin (Psalm xxxviii.) This anguish and sorrow stirreth up in God's children a fervent desire to obtain comfort, life, and mercy, at God's hand; and therefore such as feel themselves compassed about with great calamities, and vexed with continual care and solicitude, having by the help of man no hope of deliverance, do cry unto God with sore oppressed and afflicted hearts for help and succour, as David when he said in his distress, My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: and, As the hart (being wounded) brayeth for the rivers 5 Matt. xviii. 6 Coloss. iii. 7 Mark xi. 8 1 Tim. ii.

b

of water, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. (Psalm xlii.) But such as are drowned and drunken in pleasures, such as are rich and wealthy, such as live without sorrow and care, such as wallow in the present commodities of this life, do little feel their own misery, or consider what need they have of God; and therefore they cannot pray, or frame their hearts to call upon God in such sort as they should do. This is that godly sorrow which, St. Paul saith, worketh in God's children repentance to salvation. (2 Cor. vii.) The Lord is nigh to them, saith David, that are of a contrite heart, and will save all such as are afflicted in spirit. (Psalm xxxiv.) To him will I look, even unto him, saith the Lord, that is afflicted and brokenhearted, and trembleth at my words. (Isai. Lxvi.) Therefore David calleth the time of trouble the fit and convenient time for the faithful to fly unto God by prayer. And albeit they be not at all times in like distress, or continually groaning under the burden and weight of present evils, yet must they needs be ever in dread of new dangers, and carefully afraid of further troubles to follow. As trouble and fear, therefore, are the very spurs to stir them up to hearty and fervent prayer, so by occasion thereof they have more free access unto God, as though he did thereby call them unto him. this godly sorrow for sin, and fervent desire and longing for God's loving mercy and favour, cometh not of ourselves, but of the special goodness of God; for we are of ourselves dull and without all lust to pray: yea, so great is our imperfection that we know not how to pray as we ought; and therefore the Spirit helpeth our infirmity, instructeth us what is right, and guideth our affections. He maketh intercession for the saints (saith Saint Paul) according to the will of God. (Rom. viii.) He maketh intercession for us with sighs and groanings that cannot be expressed; that is, he stirreth up our hearts, giveth us a desire and boldness to pray, and causeth us to mourn when we are by any means hindered or pulled away from it, and feel not ourselves moved thereunto with such fervent zeal and affection as we should be.

And