Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

The third particular inquire into was, How we do by Prayer sanctify the Creature to our selves? This is done in these three courses. 1. In procuring them. We ought not to set about any of our lawful and just callings without a particular addressing our selves unto God in Prayer. This was the practise of good Eleazer Abraham's servant, when he was employed in finding out a wife for his masters son, ^*O Lord God of my master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed this day: and this also was the practise of good Nehemiah in the distresses of his people, ^*I prayed unto the God of heaven, and then I spake unto the king. And surely the very Heathen themselves shall in this point rise up in judgement against many profane Christians, who look oftener upon their gold then upon their God, as Salvian speaks. We read often in their writings that in any general ^aCalamity they did jointly implore the peace and favour of their idolatrous gods; that in any ^bmatter of consequence they made their entry upon it by Prayer, commending the success thereof to the power and providence of those deities which they believed. In so much that we read of ^cPub. Scipio a great Roman, that he ever went to the Capitol before to the Senate, and began all the businesses of the Common-wealth with Prayer. How much more the• ought we to do it, who have not only the Law and Dictate of nature to guide us, who have not deaf and impotent idols to direct our Prayers to, as their gods were; but have first The Law of Christ requiring it; ^dPray Always. Pray without ceasing. In every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Who have secondly the Example of Christ to enforce it, for not only ⟨p. 30⟩^a