Section II. — Inure thyself to holy thoughts in thy ordinary course. The best way to keep vessels from leaking is to let them stand full. A vain heart out of prayer, will be little better in prayer. The more familiar thou makest holy thoughts and savoury discourse to thee in thy constant walking, the more seasoned thou wilt find thy heart for this duty. A scholar, by often thinking of his notions when alone, and talking of them with his colleagues, makes them his own ; so that when he is put upon any exercise, they are at hand, and come fresh into his bead : whereas another, for want of this attention, wants matter for his thoughts to feed on, which makes liim struggle to hit off that which suits his occasion. The carnal liberty which we give our hearts in our ordinary walking, makes our thoughts more unruly and unsuitable for the duties of worship ; for such thoughts and words leave a tincture upon the spirit, and so prevent the soul from making a better appearance when it returns into the presence of God. Walk in the company of sinful thoughts all the day, and thou wilt hardly shut the door upon them, when thou goest into thy closet. Thou hast taught them to be bold ; they will now plead acquaintance with thee, and crowd in after thee, like little children, who, if you play with them, will cry after you when you would be rid of their company.
Section III. — Possess thy heart with a reverential awe of God's majesty and holiness. This will gird up the loins of thy mind, and make thee mind what thou art about. Barest thou trifle with the Divine Majesty in his worship, — carry thyself childishly before the living God, to look with one eye upon him, and with the other upon a lust, — to speak one word to God, and two with the world ? Does not thy heart tremble at this? Sic ora, saith Bernard, quasi assiimptus etprceseniatiis antefaciem ejus in excelso throno, ubi millia milliuni ministrant ei; — So pray, as if thou wert taken up and presented before God, sitting on his royal throne on high, with millions of millions of his glorious servants ministering unto him in heaven. Certainly, the face of such a court would awe thee. If thou wert but at the bar before a judge, and hadst a glass of a quarter of an hour's length turned up, being all the time thou hadst allowed thee to improve for the begging of thy life, now forfeited and con- demned, wouldst thou spare any of this little time to gaze about the court, to see what clothes this man hath on, and what lace another wears ? God shame us for our folly in mispending our praying seasons. Is it not thy life thou art begging at God's hands ; and that a better, I trow, than the malefactor sues for of his mortal judge ? and dost thou know whether thou shalt have so long as a quarter of an hour allowed thee when thou art kneeling down ? And yet wilt thou scribble and dash it out to no purpose upon impertinences ? If thou believest not God to be so great and glorious, why dost thou pray ? If thou dost, why no better ? Why art thou not more close and compact in thy thoughts ? Will God judge us for every idle word that is spoken in our house and work ; and shall thy idle words in prayer not be accounted for ? And are not those words idle that come from a lazy, sleepy heart, that minds not what it says ? What procured Nadab and Abihu so sudden and strange a death ? Was it not their strange incense '( And is not this strange praying, when thy mind is a stranger to what thy lips utter ? Behave thyself thus to thy prince, if thou darest. Let thy hand reach a petition to him, and thine eye look, or thy tongue talk to another, would he not command this madman to be taken from before him ? ' Have I need of madmen, that you brought this fellow into my presence?' said Achish, when David himself behaved discomposedly, 1 Sam. xxi. 15. O, could you but look through the veil, and see how glorious angels in heaven serve their Maker, who are said to behold the face of God continually, surely you would tremble to think of slightly performing this duty. Thirdly, Go not in thy own strength to this duty, but commit thyself, by foith, to the conduct of the Spirit of God. God hath promised to prepare, or establish, (as the word is,) the heart. Indeed, then the heart is prepared, when established and fixed. A shaking hand could as soon write straight, as our loose hearts keep themselves steady in duty. Shoiddst thou, with .Fob, make a covenant with thine eye, and resolve to shut up thine ear from all
g^g PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC.
by-discourse, how long wouldst thou be true to thyself, who hast so little com- mand of thine own thoughts ? Thy best way were to put thyself out of thine own hands, and lay thy weight on Him that is able to bear thee better than thy own legs. Pray, with David, ' Uphold me, Lord, with thy free Spirit,' Psa. li. 12. The vine, leaning on a wall, preserves itself and its fruit, whose own weight else would soon lay it in the dirt.
CHAPTER XIV.