The zealous Christian taking heavenThe zealovs Christian taking heaven

3. Another season is, when we are under passionate distempers. When tumultuous passions are up, holy affections are down, 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray every ¹where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; to show, that where there is wrath, the duty of prayer cannot be performed in an acceptable manner. And of the same mind was the Apostle Peter; who therefore gives this counsel, 1 Pet. 3. 7. ²Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. The Apostle wisely fore-saw, that if man and wife lived in discontent and trouble, then their prayers would be hindered; and therefore he adviseth them, to prevent the hinderance of their prayers, by avoiding occasions of discontent. And that is the third season, wherein people are are unfit ⟨p. 52⟩for prayer: so they are diverted from that fervency, and importunity they might have in their prayers. We should therefore choose the fittest seasons for prayer. It is said of Luther, by Vitus Theodorus, who was present with him at Coburg, and many times heard him at his private prayers, in a letter of his to Melanchthon, That there was no day passed over his head, wherein Luther did not spend three hours, at the least, in prayers; and those (not hours that he could best spare, unseasonable hours, but) such hours as were the fittest for his study. And that was a reason, that Luther was very importunate in his prayers, as the same Author informs us; Good God, with how much reverence did I hear him pray! With how much boldness and confidence, &c. And on the contrary, one reason why men have so little of this holy importunity, is for want of taking fit seasons for the work.

3. Another season is, when we are under passionate distempers. When tumultuous passions are up, holy affections are down, 1 Tim. 2. 8