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my soul thirsteth to be the nearest of them, that shall stand before the presence of the living God. Lord, let me love thee, as Peter did; Lord, let me love thee more than these!'

So I have revealed the first comforts flowing from the Holy Ghost, by his inhabitation, and inward testimony and the next comforts by the fruits of righteousness, and those sincere desires of godliness, which, by Christ's merciful interpretation, supply our failings. All which I conclude out of our church song made to the Holy Ghost:

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PRAYER IS THE GREAT INSTRUMENT OF A CHRISTIAN'S COMFORT. CONCERNING PRAYER, THREE THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED: I. THE SUBSTANCE OR MATTER OF PRAYER, IN THREE HEADS: 1. THANKSGIVINGS; SUPPLICATIONS;

3. INTERCESSIONS. II. THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THEM THAT PRAY. III. THE FITNESS OF TIME FOR PRAYER.

THE order laid down in the beginning carries me to the fourth part of Christian Consolation, the heavenly delight of Prayer. It is the lively expression of faith, the ambassador which hope sends to God, the comfort of love, the fellowship of the Spirit, our advocate unto our advocate Christ Jesus; our incense, whose smoke ascends up, and is sweet in the nostrils of the Most High; which promiseth such abundant success, that humility had rather conceive than utter it, lest we should seem to boast. A lowly supplicant to God never rose up from his knees, without some stirrings of gracious expectation, nor without a prophetical instinct that the mercy of the Lord was nigh at hand. Which fortunate presage Isaiah confirms unto us, "I will make them joyful in my house of prayer." And how readily may we use this mighty ordinance of God; how soon it may be done, if we have a mind to it. What freedom have we (no man can deny it) to utter a brief prayer, and very often, if we will, in the greatest toil of business. "The tongue of the

1 Chap. lvi. 7.

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stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly." It is so facile a part of religion, as he that hath a tongue, can scarce miss it. It is as easy to say "Our Father which art in heaven," as to see heaven which is always in our eye. Every sect of pagans and idolaters were taught by instinct to fly unto it 'extempore;' as the heathen mariners cried every man to his god.' An atheist, falling into a sudden danger, as suppose a pistol were put to his breast, would cry out as soon to God to help him as any true believer. And he that, upon deliberation, did say there was no God, will break out into a confession, before he is aware, that there is a God, by natural impulsion. A poor whelp hath found a way to lick its own sores whole with its tongue; so when we are oppressed with misery, whether the evil of sin or the evil of punishment, we are prompted, by the natural notions of our soul, to lick the sore with our tongue; that is, to call for help from heaven. That soul which God did breathe into man, cannot shake off this principle —that all succour comes from above, for which it must breathe out itself unto God. No creature among beasts, but, being smitten, will fall upon the way to relieve itself, except a blind, incogitant sinner. Such as have written upon their sagacity in that kind, tell us, that the fishes in the fresh water, being struck with a tool of iron, will rub themselves upon the glutinous skin of the tench to be cured. The hart, wounded with an arrow, runs to the herb dittany to bite it, that the shaft may fall out that stuck in his body. The swallow will seek out the green tetterwort, to recover the eyes of her young ones, when they are blinded. Only a stupid sinner forgets how to renew his miserable estate, by throwing himself down prostrate before God in humble petition. He walks for2 Jonah i. 5.

1 Isaiah xxxii. 4.

ward, lost to himself, lost to his right wits, because he hath no knowledge, or no good opinion, of the comfort of prayer. Which is my purpose to make him learn, by that which follows, looking upon, First, the substance or matter of prayer: Secondly, The qualification of him that prayeth: and, Thirdly, The fitness of time when prayer is to be made.

I. The 'matter of prayer' is as copious as all occasions that can be named; it will suffice for my purpose to treat of three heads: Glorifications with thanksgivings, Supplications, and Intercessions.'

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1. The first is bent to magnify the Almighty, to extol his name, to praise him for his goodness. This is the Hallelujah of David, and of the saints in heaven; that is, give glory to Jah, or the great Jehovah ; which is followed with a rare variety in the Song of the three Children: "O, all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, praise him, and magnify him for ever!" It is a ditty that is balsamed all over with a profusion of delight, to praise God from all things that he hath made, from the centre of the earth to the top of heaven. And this is most divinely expressed in that which is called St. Ambrose's Hymn in our Common Prayer: "We praise thee, O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord." And let the servant of God that will listen unto me, repeat it often and often, for it is a piece of devotion so sweetly spread out into the branches of heavenly praise, confession of faith, and devout petitions, that the like did never come forth since the time it was penned. Let me speak to others out of the sense of my own heart, and I may safely profess, that in the service and worship of God, I find nothing so delightful as to continue in the praise and honour of the Lord. If another contradict it, and say, that there are some means more aptly calculated, as I may speak, for the high meridian of comfort; he is he, and I am I, and

I appeal from him to myself, what I find in my own motions and feelings. And "what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him?" And observe that in the prudent institution of our church, to hold forth the consolation we have in Christ, after the participation of his body and blood in the blessed sacrament, it teacheth us to break out all together into a jubilee, "Glory be to God on high; we praise thee, we bless thee, we glorify thee," &c. For when we are full of that holy feast, and have eaten angels' food, we fall into the tune of angels, and signify immediately, before we depart, how much our spirit rejoiceth in God our Saviour.

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But who knew better the mind of the Lord than the Spirit itself, in those admirable ecstasies of David? Sing praises unto God; for it is pleasant. "Sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely.' Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob." 4 Every furrow in the book of the Psalms is sown with such seeds. I know nothing more certain, more constant, to expel the sadness of the world, than to sound out the praises of the Lord as with a trumpet: and when the heart is cast down, it will make it rebound from earth to heaven. This was the wisdom of the holy church throughout all the world, (till distempers put us out of the right way not long since, 5) to solemnize the praise of our Saviour upon the feasts of Christmas, Easter, &c.; that we might celebrate the great works which God hath done for us, "with the voice of joy, and praise, and with a multitude that kept holiday.' O give thanks unto the Lord, by telling of his mercy and salvation from day to day: Give thanks unto him

1 1 Cor. ii. 11. 2 Psalm cxxxv. 3. 3 Psalm cxlvii. 1.
4 Psalm lxxxi. 1.

5 Alluding to the distracted days of Oliver Cromwell.
6 Psalm xlii. 4.

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