Gods husbandry

And know, that God doth not deny ⟨p. 56⟩to hear thy prayers at first, because he is not able or willing to grant them, or because he counts it a matter too troublesome for him, but alone to endear the benefit obtained, to make thee see the worth of it, and become the more thankful. Pray therefore, and pray fervently, and pray continually: O Lord, create a right spirit in me, and make me sound in thy precepts.

And know, that God doth not deny ⟨p. 56⟩to heare thy prayers at first, because he is not able or willing to grant them, or because hee counts it a matter too troublesome for him, but alone to indeare the benefit obtained, to make thee see the worth of it, and become the more thankfull. Pray therefore, and pray feruently, and pray continually: O Lord, create a right spirit in me, and make me sound in thy precepts.

And to prayers,¹ join in the fourth place holy meditations of the nature of God: for he that knows God thoroughly, and is to any purpose acquainted with the excellency of his nature in himself, and sees the beauty of his grace in the face of Christ, cannot but be so far in love with him, as even to be good for his sake, and to make him the beginning and ending of all his desires and endeavours. It is alone ignorance of God, that makes us set our selves in Gods room, and aim at our own benefit in stead of his glory. But he that will take pains to clear up his own eyes, and to behold the glory of God, as he hath revealed it in his Word, and in his Gospel, shall be so affected with the splendour thereof, as that now he will account nothing worth any thing, but that surpassing glorious Majesty, that infinitely excels all things, and so hypocrisy must needs vanish. The knowledge of God will make a man to perceive how little it shall avail him to disguise himself. The knowledge of God will make him to see how worthy the Lord is of all the service of all creatures. The knowledge of God will make his heart to become in love with