- or spoken of without feai* and trembling ! The legs of the lame are not equal ; so is a parable in the mouth of fools ; that is, it is uncomely. The name of God doth not fit a profane mouth ; the discourse is not proper. One step in hell and another in heaven, is too great a stride at once to be taken. To shoot one dart at God in an oath, and another to him in a prayer, what can you make of this but sporting with that which is sacred ? Religion and the eye are too tender to be played with. Such prayers as these are shot out of the devil's bow, and are never likely to reach heaven, except to bring a curse to him that sent them up.
Section III. — A reproof to those who content themselves with this kind of prayer. They will now and then cast a transient glance upon God in a short ejaculation ; but never set themselves to seek God in a more solemn way. And is this all thou canst afford? No more but to look in at God's door, and away presently. Dost thou not think that he expects thou shouldst sometimes come to stay longer with him, in a more settled communion? It is true, these occa- sional visits, when joined with the due performance of the other, is an excellent symptom of a heavenly heart, and speaks grace to be very lively where they are frequent : as when a man between his meals is so hungiy, that he must have something to stay his stomach, and yet when dinner comes, can feed as heartily as if he had eaten nothing ; this shews the man to be healthy ; but if a bit, by the by, takes away his stomach, that he can eat little or nothing at his ordinary meals, this is not so good a sign. Thus here, if a Christian, between his set and solemn seeking of God morning and night, finds an inward hunger upon his spirit so strongly craving communion with God, that he cannot stay till his stated hour for prayer returns, but ever and anon be refreshing himself with the beverage of ejaculatoiy prayer, and then comes sharp set to duty at his ordinary set time ; this speaks grace to be strong ; but, on the contrary, it shews a slighty spirit to make these a plea for the neglect of the other. Tliou surely tastest little sweetness, and findest little nourishment from these, or else they would excite thy soul to hunger for farther communion with God. As soon as David opened his eyes in the morning, his heart was sallying forth to God, — ' When I awake, I am still with thee :' and as he walked abroad in the daytime, every occasion led him to God. ' Seven times a-day do I praise thee,' that is, often : but did these short glances of David's heart steal from the more solemn pei-formance of this duty ? No ; we find he had his set seasons also : ' Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud,' Psa. Iv. 17. Mr. Ainswoi-th interprets this of solemn, stated prayer : and it seems to have been the practice of the more devout Jews, to devote three seasons in a day for that duty. I can no more believe him to be frequent and spiritual in ejacu- latory prayer, who neglects the season of solemn prayer, than I can believe, that he keeps every day in the week a sabbath, who neglects to keep that one which God hath appointed.
CHAPTER XXXII.
AN EXHORTATION TO THE FREQUENT USE OF EJACULATORY PRAYER, WITH TWO OR THREE HELPS THEREUNTO.
To the saints. Be ye excited to the frequent exercise of this duty. I know you are not altogether strangers to it, if you answer yom* name ; but it is a more familiar acquaintance with this kind of prayer tliat I would gladly lead you into ; such an art it is, that were we but skilful traders in it, we sliould find a blessed advance in our spiritual estate, and soon have more money in our purse (grace and comfort I mean, in our hearts,) than now most Christians can shew ; we might, by a spiritual alchemy, turn all we touch into gold, extract heaven out of earth, and make wings out of every creature and provi- dence that meets us, to help us in our flight to God. Our whole life would be (what I have read of a holy man) but one communion-day with Christ. Then neither friends nor foes, joys nor woes, callings nor recreations, should be able to interrupt our acquaintance with him. Whereas now, alas! everything interposcth, as an opaque body, to hide God and heaven from our eye. We, who now walk like travellers in some low swamp, with our thoughts so engrossed by the world, that we hardly get a sight of that glorious city, to which we are
PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC. G7i)