Gods husbandry

Now having seen and striven to lament thy guile, proceed to stir up hearty desires,¹ and make fervent prayers unto God for his spirit of truth & of uprightness. We cannot overcome the smallest corruptions of our hart in our own strength, but it must be a divine power, which must enable us to prevail against sinful dispositions. Now this strength the Lord of heaven, the strong God, the author of all strength, is ready and willing to bestow upon all that humbly sue unto him for it, for he giveth to all liberally, and hitteth no man in the teeth. Beg then for the spirit of power, and of a right mind, and beg heartily and confidently, because thou beggest of him that is able to give, and much more willing, then thou art to receive. He that hath made others of weak, to become strong, and of false, to become true, can, and will perform the same grace to thee, according to his promise. For he commandeth all to ask, and shuts up his mercies from none that truly and heartily beseech the same at his hands. Perhaps the devil may seek to turn thee from this exercise of prayer, by casting in a cavil against thee, to this purpose, that the prayers of Hypocrites cannot be accepted, and thou having been hitherto but an Hypocrite, how should thy prayers prevail in heaven? For the settling of thy soul against this doubt, know, that the prayer of an Hypocrite that doth not see and lament his hypocrisy, cannot indeed be bidden welcome in heaven, but all that are heavy laden ⟨p. 54⟩with sin, have a command to come unto Christ Jesus, and a promise that they shall be refreshed: wherefore, now thou having begun to see, and detest, and be burdened and grieved with thy guile, good warrant hast thou to ask help, and good assurance that thine asking shall not be in vain. Therefore I say again, lift up thine heart and voice, and cry mightily to God, for the powerful work of his Spirit, to make thee sincere before him. O Lord, say thou, which art only able to form the soul of man anew within, create thou in me a new heart, and form a right spirit within me; make me sound in thy precepts, and let not iniquity have dominion over me. Make me (Lord) a true Israelite, in whose spirit there is no guile. Make me truly good;

Now hauing seene and striuen to lament thy guile, proceed to stir vp hearty desires,¹