griefs and fears, by giving them vent, and that in so advantageous a way, emptying them into the bosom of God. The very vent, were it but into the air, gives ease; or speak your grief to a statue rather than smother it; much more ease does it give to pour it forth into the lap of a confidential and sympathizing friend, even though unable to help us; yet still more, of one who can help; and all friends, our God is, beyond all comparison, the surest, and most affectionate, and most powerful. The soul is more spiritually affected with its own condition by laying it open before the Lord; becomes more deeply sensible of sin, and ashamed in his sight, in confessing it before him; more dilated and enlarged to receive the mercies sued for, as the opening wide of the mouth of the soul, that it may be filled; more disposed to observe the Lord in answering, and to bless him and trust on him, upon the renewed experiences of his regard to its distresses and desires. All the graces of the Spirit are, in prayer, stirred and exercised, and, by exercise, strengthened and increased-faith, in applying the divine promises, which are the very ground that the soul goes upon to God-hope looking out to their performance, and love particularly expressing itself in that sweet converse and delighting in it, as love doth in the company of the person beloved, thinking all hours too short in speaking with him. O how the soul is refreshed with freedom of speech with its beloved Lord! And as it delights in that, so it is continually advanced and grows by each meeting and conference, beholding the excellency of God, and relishing the pure and sublime pleasures that are to be found in near communion with him. Looking upon the Father in the face of Christ, and using him as a Mediator in prayer, it is drawn to further admiration of that bottomless love, which found out that way of agreement, that new and living way of our access, when all was shut up, and we must otherwise have been shut out for ever. And then, the affectionate expressions of that reflex love, seeking to find that vent in prayer, do kindle higher, and being as it were fanned and blown up, rise to a greater, and higher, and purer flame, and so tend upwards the more strongly David, as he doth profess his love to God in prayer, in

his psalms, so no doubt it grew in the expressing; I will love thee, O Lord my strength, Psal. xviii, 1; and in Psal. cxvi, 1, he doth raise an incentive of love out of this very consideration of the correspondence of prayer, I love the Lord because he hath heard; and he resolves thereafter upon persistance in that course, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. And as the graces of the Spirit are advanced in prayer by their actings, so for this further reason, because prayer sets the soul particularly near unto God in Jesus Christ. It is then in his presence, and being much with God in this way, it is powerfully assimilated to him by converse with him; as we readily contract their habits with whom we have much intercourse, especially if they be such as we singularly love and respect. Thus the soul is moulded further to the likeness of God, is stamped with clearer characters of him, by being much with him, becomes more like God, more holy and spiritual, and, like Moses, brings back a bright shining from the

mount.

Be sober and watch unto prayer. He that is much in prayer shall grow rich in grace. He shall thrive and increase most, who is busiest in this, which is our very traffic with heaven, and. fetches the most precious commodities thence. Industry is to be used in it, but the faculty of it comes from above, that spirit of prayer, without which, learning, and wit, and religious breeding, can do nothing. Therefore this is to be our prayer often, our great suit, for the spirit of prayer, that we may speak the language of the sons of God by the Spirit of God, which alone teaches the heart to pronounce aright those things that the tongue of many hypocrites can articulate well to man's ear. Only the children, in that right strain that pleases him, call God their Father, and cry unto him as their Father; and therefore many a poor unlettered Christian far outstrips your school-rabbies in this faculty, because it is not effectually taught in those lower academies. They must be in God's own school, children of his house, who speak this language. Men may give spiritual rules and directions in this, and such as may be useful, drawn from the word that furnishes us with all needful precepts; but you have still to bring these into.

the seat of this faculty of prayer, the heart, and stamp them upon it, and so to teach it to pray, without which there is no prayer. This is the prerogative of him who framed the heart of man within him.

But for advancing in this and growing more skilful in it, prayer is, with continual dependence on the Spirit, to be much used. Praying much, thou shalt be blest with much faculty for it. So then askest thou, What shall I do that I may learn to pray? There be things here to be considered, which serve this end; but for the present, take this and chiefly this, By praying, thou shalt learn to pray. Thou shalt both obtain more of the Spirit, and find more of the cheerful working of it in prayer, when thou puttest it often to that work for which it is received, and wherein it takes delight. And as both advantaging all other graces and promoting the grace of prayer itself, this frequency and abounding in prayer is here very clearly intended, in that the apostle makes it as the main of the work we have to do, and would have us keep our hearts in a constant aptness for it; Be sober and watch; to what end? unto prayer.

Be sober. They that have no better, must make the best they can of carnal delights. It is no wonder they take as large a share of them as they can bear, and sometimes more. But the Christian is called to a more excellent state and higher pleasures; so that he may behold men glutting themselves with these base things, and be as little moved to share with them, as men are taken with the pleasure a swine hath in wallowing in the mire.

It becomes the heirs of heaven to be far above the love of the earth, and in the necessary use of any earthly things, still to keep with the due measure of their use, and to keep their hearts wholly disengaged from an excessive affection to them. This is the sobriety to which we are here exhorted.

It is true, that, in the most common sense of the word, it is very commendable, and it is fit to be so considered by a Christian, that he flee gross intemperance, as a thing most contrary to his condition and holy calling, and wholly inconsistent with the spiritual temper of a renewed mind, with those exercises to which it is called

and with its progress in its way homewards. But the sobriety here recommended, though it takes in that too, yet reaches further than temperance in meat and drink. It is the spiritual temperance of a Christian mind in all earthly things, as our Saviour joins these together, surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life and under the cares are comprehended all the excessive desires and delights of this life, which cannot be followed and attended without distempered carefulness.

Watch. There is a Christian rule to be observed in the very moderating of bodily sleep, and that particularly for the interest of prayer; but watching, as well as sobriety, implies here chiefly the spiritual circumspectness and vigilance of the mind, in a wary waking posture, that it be not surprised by the assaults of Satan, by the world, nor by its nearest and most deceiving enemy, the corruption that dwells within, which being so near, doth most readily watch unperceived advantages, and easily circumvent us. The soul of a Christian being surrounded with enemies, both of so great power and wrath and so watchful to undo it, should it not be watchful for its own safety, and live in a military vigilancy continually, keeping constant watch and sentinel, and suffering nothing to pass that may carry the least suspicion of danger? Should he not be distrustful and jealous of all the motions of his own heart, and the smilings of the world? Under the garment of some harmless pleasure or some lawful liberties, may be conveyed into thy soul some thief or traitor, that will either betray thee to the enemy, or at least pilfer and steal of the most precious things thou hast. Do we not by experience find how easily our foolish hearts are seduced and deceived, and therefore apt to deceive themselves? And by things that seem to have no evil in them, they are yet drawn from the height of affection to their supreme Good, and from communion with God and study to please him; which should not be intermitted, for then it will abate, whereas it ought still to be growing.

II. The mutual relation of these duties is clear: they are each of them assistant and helpful to the other, and are in their nature inseparably linked together, as they Div. No. VII.

2 S

are here in the words of the apostle-sobriety the friend of watchfulness, and prayer the friend of both. Intemperance doth of necessity draw on sleep: excessive eating and drinking, by sending up too many and gross vapors, surcharge the brain; and when the body is thus deadened, how unfit is it for any active employment! Thus the mind, by a surcharge of delights, or desires, or cares of earth, is made so heavy and dull, that it cannot awake; hath not the spiritual activity and clearness that spiritual exercises, particularly prayer, do require. But when the affections are soberly exercised, and even in lawful things have not full liberty, with the reins laid on their necks, to follow the world and carnal projects and delights; when the unavoidable affairs of this life are done with a spiritual mind, a heart kept free and disengaged; then is the soul more nimble for spiritual things, for divine meditation and prayer: it can watch and continue in these things, and spend itself in that excellent way with more alacrity.

Again; as this sobriety and the watchful temper attending it enable for prayer, so prayer preserves these. Prayer winds up the soul from the earth, raises it above those things which intemperance feeds on, acquaints it with the transcending sweetness of divine comforts, the love and loveliness of Jesus Christ; and these most powerfully wean the soul from the low creeping pleasures that the world gapes after and swallows with such greediness. He that is admitted to nearest intimacy with the king, and is called daily to his presence, not only in the view and company of others, but likewise in secret, will he be so mad as to sit down and drink with the kitchenboys, or the common guards, so far below what he may enjoy? Surely not.

Would you, as surely you ought, have much faculty for prayer, and be frequent in it, and experience much of the pure sweetness of it? Then deny yourselves more the muddy pleasures and sweetness of the world. If you would pray much and with much advantage, then be sober and watch unto prayer. Suffer not your hearts to long so after ease, and wealth, and esteem in the world: these will make your hearts, if they mix with them, be