The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole duty of prayer. Delivered in…The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole dutie of prayer. Delivered in…

First, if thou hast not been heard in thy prayer, ¹consider, if thou hast not prayed amiss; it is a common fault among us, when we have spent much time in prayer, &, it may be, we have spent time in fasting, & praying & the thing is not granted; we presently lay it upon the Lord, that he hath not heard, when many times, the cause is ²our not praying, as we ought, it may be thou hast been very earnest, and therefore thou hopest thou hast done very well: I tell thee, thou mayest be very earnest, and importunate with the Lord, when it may be no more but a natural desire, when a man hath need •o be directed in a difficult case, that much concerns him; when he hath need to be extricated, and taken out of such a difficulty, and strait, wherein he is involved, when he hath need of success, in such an enterprise, or any thing of that nature; I say, a man may be earnest with the Lord in such a case, and yet his prayer may be amiss, it may not be a spiritual prayer, it may not be an expression of holy desires to the Lord; for they ⟨p. 51⟩only prevail with him, not that the natural are excluded (that is not my meaning) for they may add winds to the sails, though holiness may guide the rudder, and keep the course, and make the steerage, yet natural desires may make us more importunate, and may add much to it: therefore, I say, consider thy prayer.

First, if thou hast not beene heard in thy prayer, ¹consider, if thou hast not prayed amisse; it is a common fault among vs, when wee haue spent much time in prayer, &, it may be, we haue spent time in fasting, & praying & the thing is not granted; we presently lay it vpon the Lord, that hee hath not heard, when many times, the cause is ²our not praying, as we ought, it may be thou hast been very earnest, and therfore thou hopest thou hast done very well: I tell thee, thou maist be very earnest, and importunate with the Lord, when it may be no more but a naturall desire, when a man hath neede •o bee directed in a difficult case, that much concernes him; when hee hath neede to bee extricated, and taken out of such a difficultie, and strait, wherein he is involved, when hee hath neede of successe, in such an enterprise, or any thing of that nature; I say, a man may bee earnest with the Lord in such a case, and yet his prayer may bee amisse, it may not be a spirituall prayer, it may not bee an expression of holie desires to the Lord; for they