A comment upon Christ's last prayer in the seventeenth of John wherein is opened…

2. And as thou canst receive no good from the Father, so thou canst perform no good Duty to him, that may find acceptance with him, or a blessing from him. Thou knowest not the Father, therefore thou canst not love him, nor fear, nor honour, nor obey him. That which the Eye sees not, the Mind knows not, the Heart affects not, fears not, prizeth not at all, nor performs the least Duty to him; because thou fallest short in thy Apprehensions wholly of him. Nay, mark what I say, Thou didst never pray to this Father of Christ, and of all compassion in him. If I will pray with my Tongue, I will pray with my Understanding also, says the Apostle. Upon that Father thou didst never call, that thou didst never know to this day. It was a Fancy of thine own devising, it was not the Father of Christ, and thine in him thou calledst upon: For thou couldst not seek to him, that thou couldst never know to this day. Happily thou hast learned the Lecture without Book, and canst speak the words by rote: but thou wilt not say, speaking words argues the reality of knowledge. Parrots can prattle words, which out of Custom they have heard, but understand not the things. Therefore it's an Idol of thine own making thou petitionest unto, not the true God, and Father of Mercy: and therefore thou losest all thy Prayers, and Performances, they never come nearer to God. As thou knowest no• him; he will profess to thee at that day, Depart from me, ye wicked, I know you not: I own not either Persons, or Prayers, or Duties: Ye did not call upon me, when ye bowled upon your beds. When the Dog is hanged upon the pale, Nature teacheth him to howl for help and release out of misery, though he hath neither Reason, nor ⟨p. 407⟩Understanding to know what that is, which must help. So Nature teacheth, and misery forces to howl out.

2. And as thou canst receive no good from the Father, so thou canst perform no good Duty to him, that may find acceptance with him, or a blessing from him. Thou knowest not the Father, therefore thou canst not love him, nor fear, nor honor, nor obey him. That which the Eye sees not, the Mind knows not, the Heart affects not, fears not, prizeth not at al, nor performs the least Duty to him; because thou fallest short in thy Apprehensions wholly of him. Nay, mark what I say, Thou did'st never pray to this Father of Christ, and of al compassion in him. If I wil pray with my Tongue, I wil pray with my Understanding also, saies the Apostle. Upon that Father thou did'st never cal, that thou did'st never know to this day. It was a Fancy of thine own devising, it was not the Father of Christ, and thine in him thou called'st upon: For thou could'st not seek to him, that thou could'st never know to this day. Happily thou hast learned the Lecture without Book, and canst speak the words by rote: but thou wilt not say, speaking words argues the reality of knowledg. Parrots can prattle words, which out of Custom they have heard, but understand not the things. Therefore it's an Idol of thine own making thou petitionest unto, not the true God, and Father of Mercy: and therefore thou loseft al thy Prayers, and Performances, they never come neerer to God. As thou knowest no him; he wil profess to thee at that day, Depart from me, ye wicked, I know you not: I own not either Persons, or Prayers, or Duties: Ye did not call upon me, when ye bowled upon your beds. When the Dog is hanged upon the pale, Nature teacheth him to howl for help and release out of misery, though he hath neither Reason, nor