and contrary to that spiritual complacency in duty of which we speak, which yet it will pretend to, until it be diligently examined. The language of this spiritual complacency is, "I will go in the strength of the Lord God, I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only." That of spiritual pride is, "God, I thank thee that I have done thus and thus,' -as it was expressed by the Pharisee. That is in God alone; That draws forth the savour of all graces; this immediately covereth and buries them all, if there be any in the soul. That fills the soul emi

this is in self.

nently with humility and self-abasement; this with a lifting up of the mind, and proud self-conceit.

That casts out all remembrance of what we have done ourselves, retaining only a sense of what we have received from God, of the impressions of his love and grace; this blots out all remembrance of what we have freely received from God, and retains only what we have done ourselves. Wherever it is, there is no due sense either of the greatness or goodness of God.

Some will perhaps say, that if it be so, they for their parts are cut off. They have no experience of any such spiritual rest and complacency in God, in or after their prayers. At the best, they begin them with tears, and end them in sorrow; and sometimes they know not what is become of them, but fear that God is not glorified by them, nor their own souls bettered.

I answer, 1. There is a great spiritual refreshment in that godly sorrow which is at work in our prayers. Where the Holy Ghost is a Spirit of grace and supplication, he causeth mourning, and in that mourning there is joy. 2. The secret encouragement which we receive by praying, to adhere to God constantly in prayer, ariseth from some experience of this holy complacency, though we have not a sensible evidence of it. 3. Perhaps some of those who make this complaint, if they would awaken and consider, will find that their souls, at least sometimes, have been thus refreshed, and brought to a holy rest in God. 4. Then shall you know the Lord, if you follow on to know him. Abide in seeking after this complacency and satisfaction in God, and you shall attain it.

3. It is a sure evidence that our thoughts of spiritual things in our supplications are from an internal spring of grace, and not merely occasioned by the duty itself, when we find the daily fruit and advantage of them; especially in the preservation of our souls in a holy, humble, watchful frame.

Innumerable are the advantages, benefits, and effects of prayer. Growth in grace and consolation is

the substance of them. Where there is continuance in prayer, there will be spiritual growth in some proportion. For men to be earnest in prayer, and thriftless in grace, is a certain indication of prevalent corruptions, and want of being spiritually minded in prayer itself. If a man eats his daily food, let him eat never so much, or so often, if he be not nourished by it, his body is under the power of prevalent distempers. And so is his spiritual constitution, who thriveth not in the use of the food of the new creature. But that which I fix upon, with respect to the present inquiry, is the frame in which it preserves the soul. It will keep it humble, and upon a diligent watch as to its dispositions and actings. He who prays as he ought, will endeavour to live as he prays. This none can do who doth not with diligence keep his heart to the things he hath prayed about. To pray earnestly and live carelessly, is to proclaim that a man is not spiritually minded in his prayer. By this we shall know what is the spring of those spiritual thoughts, with which our minds are exercised in our supplications. If they are influenced to a constant daily watching for the preservation of that frame of spirit, those dispositions and inclinations to spiritual things which we pray for, they are from an internal spring of grace. If there be generally an unsuitableness in our minds to what we seem to contend for in our prayers, the gift may be in exercise, but the grace is wanting. If a man be every day on the Exchange, and there talketh diligently and earnestly about merchandise and the affairs of trade, but when he comes home, thinks no more of them, because indeed he hath nothing to do, no interest in them, he may be a very poor man

notwithstanding his pretences. And he may be spiritually very poor who is on occasions fervent in prayer, if when he retires into himself, he is not careful and diligent about the matter of it.

4. When spiritual affections and due preparation of heart to the duty excite and animate the gift of prayer, and not the gift make impressions on the affections, then are we spiritually minded therein. Gifts are

servants, not rulers in the mind; are bestowed on us to be serviceable to grace, not to lead it, but to follow it, and to be ready with their assistance on its exercise. For the most part where they lead all, they are all alone. This is the natural order of these things. Grace habitually inclines and disposes the heart to this duty. Providence and rule give the occasions for its exercise; sense of duty calls for preparation. Grace coming into actual exercise, gifts come in with their assistance. If they lead all, all is out of order. It may sometimes be otherwise. A person indisposed and lifeless, engaging in prayer in a way of obedience, upon conviction of duty, may in and by the gift have his affections excited, and graces engaged to its proper work. It may be so, I say; but let men take heed how they trust to this order and method. For where it is so, there may be little or nothing of the exercise of true grace in all their fervour and commotion of affections. But when the genuine actings of faith, love, holy reverence, and gracious desires, stir up the gift to its exercise, calling in its assistance to the expression of themselves, then are the heart and mind in their proper order.

5. It is so when other duties of religion are equally regarded and attended to with prayer itself. He, all whose religion lies in prayer and hearing, hath none at all. God hath an equal respect to all other duties, and so must we have also. So it is expressed as unto the instance of alms. And James placeth all religion herein, because there is none without it. I shall not value his prayers at all, be he ever so earnest and frequent in them, who gives not alms according to his ability. And this in an especial manner is required

of us who are ministers-that we be not like a hand set up in cross ways, directing others which way to go, but staying behind itself.

This digression about the rise and spring of spiritual thoughts in prayer, I judged not unnecessary, in such a time and season wherein we ought to be very jealous, lest gifts impose themselves in the room of grace, and be careful that they are employed only to their proper end, which is to be serviceable to grace in its exercise, and not otherwise.

3. There is another occasion of thoughts of spiritual things, when they do not spring from a living principle within, and so are no evidence of being spiritually minded. And this is the discourse of others. "They that fear the Lord will be speaking one to another," of the things wherein his glory is concerned. To declare the righteousness, the glory of God, is the delight of his saints. "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts; and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy." And, accordingly, there are some who are ready on all occasions to be speaking or making mention of things divine, spiritual, and holy, and it is to be wished that there were more of them. All the flagitious sins that the world is filled with, are not a greater evidence of the degeneracy of the Christian religion, than this is, that it is grown unusual, yea, a shame or scorn for men to speak together of the things of God. It was not so when religion was in its primitive power and glory; nor is it so with those who really fear God, and are sensible of their duty. Some I say there are who embrace all occasions of spiritual communication. Those with whom they converse, if they are not profligate, if they have any spiritual light,

cannot but so far comply with what they say, as to think of the things spoken which are spiritual. Ofttimes the track and course of men's thoughts lie so out of the way, are so contrary unto such things, that they seem strange to them, they give them no entertainment. You do but cross their way with such discourses, whereon they stand still a little, and so pass on. Even the countenances of some men will change hereon, and they betake themselves to a discontented silence, until they can diverge to other things. Some will make such replies of empty words, as shall evidence their hearts to be far enough estranged from the things proposed. But with others, such occasional discourses will make such impressions on their minds, as to stir up present thoughts of spiritual things. But though frequent occasions hereof may be renewed, yet will such thoughts give no evidence that any man is spiritually minded. For they are not genuine, from an internal spring of grace.

From these causes it is, that the thoughts of spiritual things are with many, as guests that come to an inn, and not like children that dwell in the house. They enter occasionally, and then there is a great stir about them, to provide meet entertainment for them. Within a while they are disposed of, and so depart to their own occasions, being neither looked nor inquired after any more. Things of another nature are attended to; new occasions bring in new guests for a season. Children are owned in the house, are missed if they are out of the way, and have their daily provision constantly made for them. So is it with these occasional thoughts about spiritual things. By one means or other they enter into the mind, and there are entertained for a season. On a sudden they depart, and men hear of them no more. But those that are natural and genuine, arising from a living spring of grace in the heart, disposing the mind to them, are as the children of the house; they are expected in their places and at their seasons. If they are missing, they are inquired after. The heart calls itself to an account whence it is that it hath been so long without them,