4. Another reason of the want of this holy importunity is, the diffuse and neglect of prayer in your Christian course. Many there are, that pray sometimes, and leave off praying again; now this doth very much dull mens affections in prayer. There is a Proverb, Use makes perfectness; I am sure it is so in the duty of prayer; let a Christian pray often, and he will come to pray well, and to pray with much enlargedness of ⟨p. 53⟩heart; and let him leave off prayer, and he will find his heart exceedingly straitened. Take a Key, if you use it frequently, it will be bright, but if you lay it aside, it will soon grow rusty; thus will it be with a mans heart, use prayer much, keep it close to the performance of duty, it is the way to have thy heart bright. Let this Key of prayer, which doth open heaven, be used, it will be kept bright, and thy prayer will enter into heaven; but let this Key of prayer be laid aside, and do not thou often use it, and it will quickly grow rusty again; thy prayers and performances, will not be able to enter neaven, and thou wilt not be able to perform duty in that manner that God expecteth. If thou dost not watch unto prayer, with all carefulness, thou wilt loose thy zeal and fervent affection, and thy holy desires after God in duty. As it is with a Pump, use it every day, and water will come, but if you forbear the use of it two or three days, water will neither come so easily, nor so plentifully. If you do not pump out your holy desires every day, they will quickly flag and grow remiss. Physicians observe, concerning the teeth, that that side of the teeth that is not used, is most subject to rheums and distillations. That heart that is not inured to prayer and holy duties, is most subject to Satan's instillations and suggestions. This ⟨p. 54⟩is the fourth reason.
4. Another reason of the want of this holy importunity is, the difuse and neglect of prayer in your Christian course. Many there are, that pray sometimes, and leave off praying again; now this doth very much dull mens affections in prayer. There is a Proverb, Use makes perfectness; I am sure it is so in the duty of prayer; let a Christian pray often, and he will come to pray well, and to pray with much enlargednesse of ⟨p. 53⟩heart; and let him leave off prayer, and he will finde his heart exceedingly streightned. Take a Key, if you use it frequently, it will be bright, but if you lay it aside, it will soon grow rusty; thus will it be with a mans heart, use prayer much, keep it close to the performance of duty, it is the way to have thy heart bright. Let this Key of prayer, which doth open heaven, be used, it will be kept bright, and thy prayer will enter into heaven; but let this Key of prayer be laid aside, and do not thou often use it, and it will quickly grow rusty again; thy prayers and performances, will not be able to enter neaven, and thou wilt not be able to perform duty in that manner that God expecteth. If thou dost not watch unto prayer, with all carefulnesse, thou wilt loose thy zeal and servent affection, and thy holy desires after God in duty. As it is with a Pump, use it every day, and water will come, but if you forbear the use of it two or three dayes, water will neither come so easily, nor so plentifully. If you do not pump out your holy desires every day, they will quickly flag and grow remisse. Physitians observe, concerning the teeth, that that side of the teeth that is not used, is most subject to rheumes and distillations. That heart that is not inured to prayer and holy duties, is most subject to Satans instillations and suggestions. This ⟨p. 54⟩is the fourth reason.
