The fourth question is, with what affection a man must pray? Ans. Prayer must proceed from a broken and contrite heart. This is the sacrifice which God accepteth. Psal. 51. 17. When Ahab abased himself, though he did ⟨p. 527⟩•• in hypocrisy, yet God had some respect unto it. 1. King. 21.29. saith the Lord to Elijah, seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me? This contrition of heart stands in two things. The first of them is a lively feeling of our own sin, misery, and wretched estate, how that we are compassed about with innumerable enemies, even with the devil and his angels, and within abound even with huge seas of wants and rebellious corruptions, whereby we most grievously displease God, and are vile in our own eyes. Being therefore thus beset on every side, we are to be touched with the sense of this our great misery. And he that will pray aright, must put on the person and the very affection of a poor wretched beggar, and certainly not being grieved with the rueful condition in which we are in our selves, it is not possible for us to pray effectually, Psal. 130.1. Out of the deepest called upon thee, O Lord: that is, when I was in my greatest misery, and as it were not far from the gulfs of hell, then I cried to God, Isaiah 26.16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. 1. Sam. 1.15. I am a woman (saith Anna) of an hard spirit: that is, a trouble soul, and have poured my soul before the Lord. Hence it appeareth, that the ordinary prayers of most men grievously displease God, seeing they are made for fashion only, without any sense and feeling of their miseries, commonly men come with the Pharisee in ostentation of their integrity, and they take great pains with their lips, but their hearts wander from the Lord. The second thing required in a contrite heart, is a longing desire and hungering after Gods graces and benefits whereof we stand in need. It is not sufficient for a man to buckle as it were, and to go crooked under his sins and miseries: but also he must have a desire to be eased of them, and to be enriched with graces needful.
The fourth question is, with what affection a man must praie? Ans. Praier must proceede from a broken and contrite heart. This is the sacrifice which God accepteth. Psal. 51. 17. When Ahab abased himselfe, though hee did ⟨p. 527⟩•• in hypocrisie, yet God had some respect vnto it. 1. King. 21.29. saith the Lord to Eliah, seest thou how Ahab is hūbled before me? This contrition of heart stands in two things. The first of them is a liuely feeling of our owne sinne, miserie, and wretched estate, how that we are compassed about with innumerable enemies, euen with the deuill and his angels, and within abound euen with huge seas of wants and rebellious corruptions, whereby we most grieuously displease God, and are vile in our owne eyes. Beeing therefore thus beset on euery side, we are to be touched with the sense of this our great miserie. And he that will pray aright, must put on the person and the very affection of a poore wretched begger, and certenly not beeing grieued with the rufull condition in which we are in our selues, it is not possible for vs to pray effectually, Psal. 130.1. Out of the deepest called vpon thee, O Lord: that is, when I was in my greatest miserie, and as it were not farre from the gulfes of hell, then I cried to God, Esay 26.16. Lord in trouble haue they visited thee, they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them. 1. Sam. 1.15. I am a woman (saith Anna) of an hard spirit: that is, a trouble soule, and haue powred my soule before the Lord. Hence it appeareth, that the ordinarie praiers of most men grieuously displease God, seeing they are made for fashion onely, without any sense and feeling of their miseries, commonly men come with the Pharise in ostentation of their integritie, and they take great paines with their lippes, but their hearts wander from the Lord. The second thing required in a contrite heart, is a longing desire and hungring after Gods graces and benefits whereof we stand in neede. It is not sufficient for a man to buckle as it were, and to goe crooked vnder his sinnes and miseries: but also he must haue a desire to be eased of them, and to be enriched with graces needfull.
