Now or never the holy, serious, diligent believer justified, encouraged, excited and directed, and…

3. It is requisite that your service of God be performed understandingly, Psal. 47. 7. 1 Cor. 14, 15. God delighteth not in the blind devotion of men that know not what they do. Prayers not understood are indeed no prayers: For no mans desire goeth further then his knowledge, and he expresseth not his desires that knoweth not what he expresseth himself. Nor can he expect the concurrence of another mans desires, that speaketh what another understandeth not. The word that is not understood, cannot sink into the heart and sanctify it: or if it be not well and soundly understood, its easily stolen away by the tempter, Mat. 13. 19, 23. If understanding be necessary in our common conversations, much more in our holy addresses to the Almighty, Prov. 17. 27. A man of understanding is of an excellent ⟨p. 199⟩Spirit: but God hath no pleasure in fools, or in their Sacrifices, Eceles. 5. 1, 4. nor is pleased with a Parrot-like lip-service, which is not understood. He saith in detestation of the Hypocrites, This people draweth near unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, Mat. 15. 8, 9. I hope then when we call you to serve God in judgment, & with understanding, we call you to nothing that a Christian should make question of.

3. It is requisite that your service of God be performed understandingly, Psal. 47. 7. 1 Cor. 14, 15. God delighteth not in the blind devotion of men that know not what they do. Prayers not understood are indeed no prayers: For no mans desire goeth further then his knowledge, and he expresseth not his desires that knoweth not what he expresseth himself. Nor can he expect the concurrence of another mans desires, that speaketh what another understandeth not. The word that is not understood, cannot sink into the heart and sanctifie it: or if it be not well and soundlie understood, its easily stoln away by the tempter,