Having thus read thy Chapter, as thou art about to pray, remember that God is a God of choliness, whereof he warneth us by repeating so often,d Be ye holy, for I am holy. ⟨p. 146⟩And when he devoured with a sudden fire, Nadab and Abihu, for offering unto him incense with* strange fire, (like those now-a-days, who offer Prayers from hearts fraught with the fire of lust and malice:) the Lord would give no other reason of his judgment but this, I will be sanctified in them that come near me. 4As if he should have said, If I cannot be sanctified by them who are my servants, in serving me with that holiness that they should, I will be sanctified on them, by confounding them with my just judgments, which, their lewdness doth deserve. God therefore cannot abide any wilful uncleanness, or filthiness in them, who serve him: insomuch that he commanded the Israelites, That when they were in Camp against their Enemies, they should dig a hole with a paddle, 5and cover their excrements: his reason is, For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst o• thy Camp, to deliver th•e, and to give thee thine Enemies before thee: therefore thy host shall be holy, that he see no filthy thing in thee, and turn away from thee. If he will have Men to be so holy in time of war in the Field, how much more holiness expecteth he at our hands in time of peace in our houses? therefore saith Zophar in Job: 6If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand towards God to pray: if iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, and let no wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacle. 7For, as Isaiah saith, If there be any uncleanness in our hands, (that ⟨p. 147⟩is, any sin whereof we have not repented) tho' we stretch not our hands unto him, and make many prayers, the Lord will hide his eyes from us, and will not hear our prayers. Therefore before thou prayest, let God see that thy heart is sorrowful for thy sin: and that thy mind is resolved (through the assistance of his grace) to amend thy faults. And then having washed thy self, and adorned thy body with apparel which beseemeth thy calling, and the Image of God, which thou bearest;
Having thus read thy Chapter, as thou art about to pray, remember that God is a God of choliness, whereof he warneth us by repeating so often,d Be ye holy, for I am holy. ⟨p. 146⟩And when he devoured with a sudden fire, Nadab and Abihu, for offering unto him incense with* strange fire, (like those now-a-days, who offer Prayers from hearts fraught with the fire of lust and malice:) the Lord would give no other reason of his judgment but this, I will be sanctified in them that come near me. 4As if he should have said, If I cannot be sanctified by them who are my servants, in serving me with that holiness that they should, I will be sanctified on them, by confounding them with my just judgments, which, their lewdness doth deserve. God therefore cannot abide any wilful uncleanness, or filthiness in them, who serve him: insomuch that he commanded the Israelites, That when they were in Camp against their Enemies, they should dig a hole with a paddle, 5and cover their excrements: his reason is, For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst o• thy Camp, to deliver th•e, and to give thee thine Enemies before thee: therefore thy host shall be holy, that he see no filthy thing in thee, and turn away from thee. If he will have Men to be so holy in time of war in the Field, how much more holiness expecteth he at our hands in time of peace in our houses? therefore saith Zophar in Job: 6If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand towards God to pray: if iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, and let no wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacle. 7For, as Esay saith, If there be any uncleanness in our hands, (that ⟨p. 147⟩is, any sin whereof we have not repented) tho' we stretch not our hands unto him, and make many prayers, the Lord will hide his eyes from us, and will not hear our prayers. Therefore before thou prayest, let God see that thy heart is sorrowful for thy sin: and that thy mind is resolved (through the assistance of his grace) to amend thy faults. And then having washed thy self, and adorned thy body with apparl which beseemeth thy calling, and the Image of God, which thou bearest;
- cExod. 26. 36.
- dLev. 21. 44. & 19. 2. & 20. 7.
- *Lev. 10. 2.
- 4Ver. 3.
- 5Deut. 23. 13, 14.
- 6Job 11. 13, 14.
- 7Isa. 1. 15.
