The zealous Christian taking heavenThe zealovs Christian taking heaven

If this be so, that a man must be in a state ¹of friendship before his prayers can be accepted; Hence learn, That all that ever thou dost before that estate, is odious to God. Not only thy sinful actions, but even thy civil, thy natural, yea, thy religious actions. Not that they are so in themselves, or in regard of God, but in regard of the doer of it, Psal. 109. 7.—let his prayer be turned into sin. Thou makest a ²prayer against sin, God will turn thy prayers into sin. Many prayers cannot then one sin into a grace, but one sin wilfully, and resolutely continued in, can turn all thy prayers into sin, Prov. 21. 27. ³The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord; how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind. A diseased body, turns that food into corrupt humours, which an healthful body doth into sound nourishment. I have read of a precious ⟨p. 11⟩stone that had excellent virtue in it, but lost all its efficacy if it was put into a dead mans mouth. Prayer is an Ordinance of great excellency, of great efficacy; but if it be in a dead mans mouth, if it come out of the heart of one that is dead in trespasses and sins, it looseth all its virtue: water that in pure in the fountain, is corrupted in the channel.

If this be so, that a man must be in a state ¹of friendship before his prayers can be accepted; Hence learn, That all that ever thou dost before that estate, is odious to God. Not onely thy sinful actions, but even thy civil, thy natural, yea, thy religious actions. Not that they are so in themselves, or in regard of God, but in regard of the doer of it, Psal. 109. 7.—let his prayer be turned into sin. Thou makest a ²