soul, and may hope to meet God in his way with that which he cannot carry with him ; as the lepers, who, when they went in ohedience to Christ's com- mand, to shew themselves to the priest, were cured by the way, though they saw nothing of it when they set out.
CHAPTER X.
HOW Satan's policy to start some worldly business to be dispatched
WHEN the christian's HOUR OF PfHtYER COMES, MAY BE REPELLED.
Another method Satan hath to make the Christian put off the duty of prayer as unseasonable, is some worldly business that is to be dispatched ; and there- fore suggests such thoughts as these :— I have no leisiu'e now to pray ; this business is to be done, and that necessary occasion calls for my attendance ; I will therefore adjourn till I can come with more freedom and leisure. Now, to arm thee against such pretences, I shall lay down a few directions.
First, Take heed of overcharging thyself with worldly business, which is done when thou graspest more thereof than will consist with thy christian calling. God allows thee to give to the world that which is the world's, but he will not suffer thee to paj' the world that which is due to him. Thy particular calling is intended by God to be a help to thy general, it will therefore be thy sin to make that an incumbrance which is given as an advantage ; and that which is itself a sin cannot be a plea for the neglect of a duty. The servant woidd not mend the matter, who excuseth his not doing a business his master com- manded, by telling him he had drunk too much when he should have gone about it : nor will thy apology for passing thy time of prayer be better, who sayest thou hadst so much to do in the world that thou couldst not find time to pray. Secondly, Labour to time thy seasons for prayer with discretion in the things of the world : if we have two businesses to dispatch in the same day, we contrive, if possible, that they may not interfere ; and certainly a holy provi- dence to forecast how we may reconcile daily the demands of our closet and shop, our devotions and worldly employments, by laying out each its portion of time, would ordinarily prevent much confusion in our walking. The prophet speaks of ' the liberal man's devising liberal things.' We could not easily want time to pray, if our hearts would but persuade our heads to devise and study how our other affairs might be disposed of without prejudice to our devotions. That cloth which a bimgler thinks too little for a garment, a good workman can make one of it, and leave some for another use also. O, there is a great deal of art in cutting out time with little loss ! Thirdly, Be sure thou keepest a i-ight notion of prayer in thy thovights. Some look upon every minute of time spent in the closet, as lost in the shop ; and no wonder such are easily kept from ])rayer upon any pretended business, who think it a prejudice to their other affairs. But I hope thou art better taught. Does the husbandman mow the less for whetting his scythe? Doth a good grace before meat spoil the dinner? No : nor doth prayer hinder the Christian either in his employments or enjoy- ments, but expedites the one, and sanctifies the other. All agree, that to the despatch of business nothing conduceth more, than to begin at the right end of it. And certainly the right end of any business is to begin with God, and engage him to help us. ' Acknowledge God in all thy ways, and lean not to thy own understanding,' Src. Fourthly, The more straits and difliicidties thou conquerest, to keep thy communion with God, the more kindly it is taken of God. No friend is more welcome to us, than he who breaks through many occasions to give us a visit. There is little cost, and little love, in an idle man's visit. Mary was Christ's favourite, who trod the world under her feet, that she might sit at his : and the Bethshemites, who, in their zeal, came out of their harvest-field, where they were reaping, to offer a sacrifice to the Lord, 1 Sam. vi. 13 — 18. Fifthly, Be faithful and impartial in considering the importance and necessity of that business which is propounded as an apology for not pei'- forming this duty at thy usual season. It cannot be denied, but such a neces- sary occasion may fall out, for which the Christian may, without sin, adjourn the solemn performance of his devotions to another more fit time. Who doubts, but a Christian may, when he riseth, go to quench his neighbour's house on fire, though by this he be kept out of his closet, and detained from offering to God that solemn sacrifice of praise and prayer he was wont? Yea, though the
PRAYING ALWAVS, ETC. g41