thirsted for, and therefore his request was denied with so much disdain. Look that when thy petition is loyal, there he not treason in thy end and aim ; if there be, he will find it out. Wiien shall I know that I aim at God or self in prayer .' This will eonunonly appear hy the posture of our heart, when God delays or denies the thing we pray for. A soul that can acquiesce, and patiently bear a delay or denial, (I speak now of such mercies as are of an inferior nature, not necessary to salvation, and so not absolutely promised,) gives a hopeful testimony, that the glory of God weighs more in his thoughts, than his own private interest. A selfish heart is both peremptory and hasty ; it must have the thing it cries for, and that quickly, or else it falls down in a swoon, or breaks out into numnuring complaints, not sparing to fall foul on the promises and attributes of God him- self. 'AVherefore have we fasted,' say they, 'and thou seest not?' Isa. Iviii. .'{. Now fi-om whence come both these, but from an over-valuing of ourselves, which makes our desires clash with God's glory, that may be more advanced bv these delays and denials, than if we had the thing we so earnestly desire ? God was more glorified in denying Christ himself his life, than if he had letthat bitter cup pass without his tasting of it, which Christ imderstanding fully, resigned himself thereunto, saying, — ' Fathei-, glorify thyself; not my will, but thy will be done.' As if he had said, I would not save my life, to lose thee the least of thy glory. Indeed, this is the copy we should all write after. Our distempered hearts are so hasty, as not to be content with what it hath pleased God to pro- vide for us. The gratification of our vain desires woidd be no proof of his love toward us ; for thereby he would but nourish our distempei', which is better cured by starving, than by feeding it.
CHAPTER XX.
CONTAINS TUE THIRD AND FOURTH BLOCK THAT MAY LIE IN THE WAY OF A saint's PRAYER.
The Christian's prayer may miscarry, when with his prayer he joins not a diligent use of the means. We must not think to lie u])on God, as some lazy people do on their rich kindred, to be always begging of him, but not put forth our hand to work in the use of means. God hath appointed prayer as a help to our diligence, not as a cloak for our sloth. Idle beggars are welcome neither to God's door nor man's. What! wilt thou lift up thy hands to God in prayer, and then put them in thy pocket ? Doth not God forbid our charity to him that worketh not? ' We commanded you, if any would not work, neither should he eat,' 2 Thess. iii. 10. And will he encourage that idleness in thee, which he would have punished by us? It is a good gloss of Bernard upon that of Lam. iii. 41 : 'Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens :' he that prayeth, and is diligent in the use of means, is the person that lifts up his heart with his hands to God. Look, therefore. Christian, thou minglest thy sweat with thy tears, thy labour with thy prayers. If thy prayer doth not set thee on work, neither will it set thy God at work for thee. Is it a lust thou art praying against? And dost thou sit down idle to see whether it will now die alone ? Will that prayer slay one lust, that lets another (thy sloth I mean) live under its nose? As God will not save thy soul, so neither will he destroy thy sin, imless thy hand also he put to the work. See how God raised Joshua from off the earth, where he lay praying and mourning for Israel's defeat; 'Get thee up, wherefore liest thou upon thy face ? Israel hath sinned,' &c. 'Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies,' &c. ' Up, sanctify the people,' Josh. vii. 10 — 13. O, how often may God rouse us up from our knees, and say. Why lie ye here with your lazy prayers ? You have sinned in not taking my counsel and obeying my orders. I bade you watch as well as pray ; why do you not one as well as the other? My command obliges you to fly from the snare that Satan lays for you, as well as pray against it : therefore it is you cannot stand before your lusts. Moses durst not go to God with a prayer in behalf of sinning Israel, till he had shewn his zeal for God against their sin, and then he goes and speeds, Exod. xxxii. 2.5, compared with ver. .'51. Dost thou think to walk loosely all day, yielding thyself, and betray- ing the gloiy of God into the hands of thy lust, and then mend all with a prayer
(35(3 PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC.