An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

First, That prayer is vain, or vanity, which is not put up in faith. A faithless prayer is a fruitless prayer. All the prayers of an unbeliever, or of him who is in a state of unbelief are vain; and the prayers of a believer, that is, who is in his state a believer, are vain, if he hath not faith about that thing for which he prayeth. Now if the prayer of a believer is vain, when he hath not actual faith, then the prayer of an unbeliever must needs be vain, who hath no habitual faith.

First, That prayer is vaine, or vanity, which is not put up in faith. A faithless prayer is a fruitless prayer. All the prayers of an unbeliever, or of him who is in a state of unbeliefe are vaine; and the prayers of a believer, that is, who is in his state a believer, are vaine, if he hath not faith about that thing for which he prayeth. Now if the prayer of a believer is vaine, when he hath not actual faith, then the prayer of an unbeliever must needs be vaine, who hath no habitual faith.

Secondly, All the prayers that are for our lusts, or when we resolve to continue in the practise of any lust, are vain prayers. When we do not pray with a purpose to glorify God, with what we shall obtain by prayer, but only to serve our own turns, and ⟨p. 94⟩so bestow it upon our lusts, that's a vain prayer, (James 4.3.) Such praying is rather a mocking than a worshipping of God, a serving of our selves rather than a serving of God. How do they abuse God in prayer, who cry to him for help, whom they have no mind to honour? who would fain be heard of God, yet have no heart to hear God?

Secondly, All the prayers that are for our lusts, or when we resolve to continue in the practise of any lust, are vaine prayers. When we do not pray with a purpose to glorifie God, with what we shall obtain by prayer, but only to serve our own turns, and ⟨p. 94⟩