The zealous Christian taking heavenThe zealovs Christian taking heaven

Help. 5 5. If you would get this holy importunity, you must labour to stir up all your affections, when you come to pray. This you find was the practise of holy David, Psal. 103. 1. Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me praise his holy name. ¹See how this good man doth muster together all the faculties of his soul, how he calls up all his strength, all that he is or can do to set forth the name of God. So the Apostle Peter in his first epistle ⟨p. 61⟩chap. 1. ver. 13. exhorts those to whom he ²writes, to gird up the loins of their minds. A Christian going towards heaven, is compared to a man that is going a journey; now a man that is going a journey, he girts up his clothes together about his loins, that nothing may hinder him in his journey. To this the Apostle alludes, when he bids them gird up their loins. So the like you have Luke 17. 8. ³Gird up thy self, and serve me. It is an expression of a master to his servant. God is our master, we are his servants, we are to do his work while we be in the world. To that end let us gird up our loins, let us gather our affections together, that we may be the more fit for, and the more vigorous in the work. A discinct and ungirt mind is not fit for prayer; in ancient times at the first assemblings, and Church-meetings, the Deacons cried, Let us pray, let us attend. There are many that pray, and do not ⁴attend to prayer, many pray, as if they prayed not; if therefore we would pray, indeed, we must attend to it, we must stir up all that is within us, to call upon the name of the Lord.

Help. 5 5. If you would get this holy importunity, you must labour to stirre up all your affections, when you come to pray. This you finde was the practise of holy David,