Use. 3 3. For this teach you, not only to look to the fitness and disposednesse of your hearts in prayer, but also to make inquiry what thou art that prayest. It is our duty, and it is very good to look to the qualification of the heart in prayer, to look to the qualification of the duty; but the main work is to look after the qualification of the person, and to see whether thou art in ⟨p. 12⟩a state of favour and reconciliation, with God; for if the person be not in favour with God, you may be confident the petitions will not be heard nor accepted, but God looks upon it as the corrupt breathings of thy sinful and corrupt heart. You are to look therefore in the performance of duty, whether you can go to God, in prayer as a Father. There are many that look after the qualification of their duty; but few look after the qualification of the person, to see whether they be justified or no, whether God be their friend or not. But we should mainly look to this: for let the heart of a man be never so well disposed, (let us suppose it, for indeed no unreconciled men can be well disposed, to speak properly) yet if thy person be not justified, thy prayer cannot be accepted. God cares not for the Rhetoric of prayers, how eloquent they are; nor for the Arithmetic of prayers, how many they are; nor for the Logic of them, how rational and methodical they are; nor for the Music of them, what an harmony and melody of words thou hast; but he looks at the divinity of prayers, which is from the qualification of a person, from a justified person, and in a sanctified manner. It is good to enquire, Is my heart right? Is my mind composed? Are my affections raised, kindled in prayer? But chiefly enquire, is ⟨p. 13⟩my person accepted of God?
Use. 3 3. For this teach you, not onely to look to the fitnesse and disposednesse of your hearts in prayer, but also to make inquiry what thou art that prayest. It is our duty, and it is very good to look to the qualification of the heart in prayer, to look to the qualification of the duty; but the main work is to look after the qualification of the person, and to see whether thou art in ⟨p. 12⟩a state of favour and reconciliation, with God; for if the person be not in favour with God, you may be confident the petitions will not be heard nor accepted, but God looks upon it as the corrupt breathings of thy sinful and corrupt heart. You are to look therefore in the performance of duty, whether you can go to God, in prayer as a Father. There are many that look after the qualification of their duty; but few look after the qualification of the person, to see whether they be justified or no, whether God be their friend or not. But we should mainly look to this: for let the heart of a man be never so well disposed, (let us suppose it, for indeed no unreconciled men can be well disposed, to speak properly) yet if thy person be not justified, thy prayer cannot be accepted. God cares not for the Rhetorick of prayers, how eloquent they are; nor for the Arithmetick of prayers, how many they are; nor for the Logick of them, how rational and methodical they are; nor for the Musick of them, what an harmony and melody of words thou hast; but he looks at the divinity of prayers, which is from the qualification of a person, from a justified person, and in a sanctified manner. It is good to enquire, Is my heart right? Is my mind composed? Are my affections raised, kindled in prayer? But chiefly enqui•e, is ⟨p. 13⟩my person accepted of God?
