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quire in all the instances of it. This is a great way of abiding with Christ, when we labour to have our wills in a readiness unto all the instances of obedience that Christ requireth at our hands. Let that be the question, whether it be the will of God that we should do thus, or not. And if it be so, pray let us be ready to shew we do abide with Christ, by yielding cheerful and willing obedience to him in this instance and duty which he calleth us unto, and so in all other things. I would have every one of us think often of this matter, what it is Christ requires of me personally, in a way of duty and obedience. And I would have us labour to have in great readiness all things which Christ requires of us. And especially, brethren, I would have this in a readiness, that Christ requires of me to walk very circumspectly and carefully, to keep myself from spots, and pollution, and defilements, by converse in the world. This Christ requires at all times, in all instances, and upon all occasions. What have we been preaching? What have former teachers been instructing us in? All that you are taught is, that you should come to the knowledge of all instances of duty, and the way of them which Christ requires at your hands. And if ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.'

This is your fruit-bearing, a direct contemplation upon Christ; wherein I would beg, that both you and my own soul might be found more to abound, while we are in this world, and you will find Christ in the discharge of this duty will make very near approaches, and frequent visits to your hearts, more in the discharge of this duty, than of any other; and to have our hearts in a readiness to comply with every instance of obedience Christ requires at our hands.

Thirdly, There is an abiding with Christ in point of affection. There may be love and delight in all these things; if there be not, very spiritual contemplations will be a bar. There is no duty, that is required of any man in this world so spiritual, so heavenly, so evangelical, but through want of love and delight, a man may be slothful in performing of it. I may tie myself to do so this hour, or that hour, and have no benefit to my own soul, nor give any glory unto God, if there be not love and delight in it. They will sweeten the duty, and refresh the heart of God and man, Christ and So labour, brethren, and pray greatly for it, that you

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VOL. XVI.

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may abide with Christ with delight, that you may find a sweetness and refreshment in it, and that every season of retiring unto Christ may bring a kind of spiritual joy and gladness to your hearts. Now you have a great opportunity, having shaken off the occasions of life and other concernments, to dwell with Christ, now it is a good time.

DISCOURSE VII.*

Question. WHEN our own faith is weakened as to the hearing of our prayers; when we ourselves are hindered within ourselves from believing the answer of our prayers; have no ground to expect we should be heard, or ground to believe we are heard: what are those things, that greatly weaken our faith, as to the answer of our prayers; that though we continue to pray, yet our faith is weakened as to the hearing of our prayers? And what are the grounds that weaken men's faith in such a state?

Answer. If our hearts are not duly prepared to the consideration of the great and glorious properties, presence, and holiness of God, and duly affected with them in our preparation for prayer, it is certain we can have no faith for the hearing of our prayers.

It is also of great importance, that we consider aright in what state the things we seek for are promised; whether temporal things, that are left to God; or spiritual, that lie under a promise, and so we may press God immediately about them.

There are two things that are certainly great weakeners of our faith as to God's hearing our prayers.

First, The one is, that intermixture of self, which is apt to creep into our prayers, in public especially, in the congre gation and assemblies, self-reputation in the exercise of gifts, or whatever it be, weakens our faith as to the expectation of God's hearing our prayers.

Secondly, The other is, that we pray with and fervency, with noise and clamour of speech; industriously pursue the things we pray for.

* Delivered March 22, 1676.

earnestness

but do not Unless we

watch and follow after these things, we shall not have ground of faith for the hearing of our prayers. As for instance; when the soul is burdened with a corruption, there is nothing we are more fervent in prayer unto God against; yet when we have done this, we take no more care to get it mortified. Where is our faith, that our prayers may be heard in this thing? we must pursue our prayers, or it will weaken our faith as to the hearing of them. We all pray; but do we believe that God will hear and answer our prayers?

I shall not speak unto the nature of that faith we exercise, or what assurance we may have of God's hearing our prayers; but I will tell you plainly what hinders in us the answer of our prayers.

1. We are not clear that our persons are accepted. God had respect unto Abel, and his offering; and not unto Cain, and his offering. We can have no more faith that our prayers are heard, than we have faith that our persons are accepted. How many of us are dubious, and know not whether we believe or no? or are the children of God or no? According as our faith is, as to the acceptance of our persons; so ordinarily our faith will be, as to the hearing of our prayers. I do acknowledge, that sometime under extraordinary darkness, or temptation, whilst a person doth not at all know, nor hath any assurance, what is his own condition, whether approved, or rejected of God; yet the Holy Spirit of God many times gives assurance of the hearing of that prayer, which is poured out in the anguish of the soul. But let us bring things unto a good issue between God and our souls, and not complain that our prayers are not heard, when we are negligent to come unto the assurance of faith about the acceptance of our persons. We have had many days of prayer, and have not seen that return of our prayer, that we designed. This evil lies at the bottom, that we have been dubious as to our state of acceptance with God. Let us bour to amend it.

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2. Another thing is this; pray while you will, you will not believe your prayers are answered, if you indulge any private lust, or do not vigorously endeavour the mortification of it, according to what the Scripture and duty require. If any lust ariseth in the soul, and we do not

immediately engage to mortify it, as God requires, it will break out, and weaken our faith in all our prayers. Therefore if you will be helped to believe the answer of your prayers, labour to search your hearts. Do not think that no corruption is indulged, but such as break out into open sin. may be, you do not know the corruption you indulge; labour therefore to find it out, and you will find how your faith is weakened thereby.

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3. Again, want of having treasured up former experiences of the hearing of prayer. We have not provided as we ought in this matter. If we had laid If we had laid up manifold experiences of God's having heard our prayers, it would strengthen our faith that God doth hear them. It may be some have prayed all their days, God hath kept their souls alive, that they have not wickedly departed from God, and they have obtained particular mercies; why such ought to keep a constant record of God's hearing their prayers. Every discovery made of Christ that draws our souls more to love him, and engageth us to cleave unto him, is our experience of God's hearing our prayers.

4. I might add; when we ourselves are not sensible that we arise unto that fervency of prayer, that is required of them that believe. If we pray in the congregation, in our closets, or families, and when we have done are not sensible that we have risen up unto that fervency that is required, we cannot believe our prayers are answered.

It is the duty of all men to pray unto the Lord; but it is incumbent on none more than those, who have really and sincerely given up themselves unto God, and yet in truth have no comfortable persuasion concerning their condition. That is a state wherein I am so far from discouraging prayer, that it is your season for prayer, in the whole of your lives. When Paul was first called, before such time as he had evidence of the pardon of his sins, it is said, Behold, he prays.' If they truly attend unto their state and condition, they may be sure to be the persons of whom also it will be said, Behold, they pray. And even in these prayers they may exercise faith, when they have not faith to believe that their prayers are heard. But while in this condition, it will be hard to believe that their prayers are heard, when they cannot believe that their persons are accepted.

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DISCOURSE VIII.

Question. WHEN may any one sin, lust, or corruption be esteemed habitually prevalent?

Answer. I shall premise some few things, before I come to answer the question.

First, All lusts and corruptions whatsoever, have their root and residence in our nature, the worst of them. For, saith the apostle, Jam. i. 14. 'Every man is tempted of his own lust.' Every man hath his own lust, and every man hath all lust in him; for this lust, or corruption, is the depravation of our nature, and it is in all men. And in the root and principle of it, it is in all men even after their conversion. So saith the apostle concerning believers, Gal. v. 17. 'The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, so that ye' (believers) 'cannot do the things that ye would.' What doth the flesh lust unto? Why it lusts unto the works of it. What are they? Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strife, sedition, heresy, envy, murder, drunkenness, revelling, and such like. The flesh lusteth unto all these things in believers, the worst things that can be mentioned. Whence is that of our Saviour, which yields to me a doctrine which is a sad truth; but so plain, that nothing can be more. He foretells marvellous troubles, great desolations and destructions, that shall come upon the world, and befall all sorts of men, and says, it is a day that as 'a snare shall come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.' Nothing makes me more believe that day, that terrible day of the Lord, is coming upon the face of the whole earth, than this, that it comes as a snare.' Men do not take notice of it, do you therefore take heed to yourselves, you that are my disciples, believers, 'take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you at unawares.' The doctrine I observe from thence is this: That the best of men have need to be warned, to take care of the worst of sins in the approach of the worst of times. Who would think, when such troubles, distresses, desolations, were coming upon a nation.

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