A three-fold treatise

A fourth mark may be gathered out of the fourth Verse:¹ The prayers and praisings of God, in the mouth of Gods Child,² are frequent, free, and fervent; but with the carnal Gospeller, they ⟨p. 11⟩are very rare, cold, and formal. The Reason is; Gods Child is very sensible of his corruptions,³ and wants, he still longs and gasps for more grace, with a spiritual taste he sweetly relisheth Gods great mercy and goodness unto him; he hath the love of God and the spirit of prayer shed into his heart by the Spirit of Adoption; and therefore his heart is as full as the Moon, of godly motions and meditations, which like a continual Spring sends out groans and sighs unutterable, many zealous and faithful prayers and thanksgivings unto his gracious God with a free and feeling affection. But the carnal Gospeller, because his understanding was never enlightened, his heart never truly humbled, his affections never sanctified; because he hath no sense of his wretched estate, nor present feeling of grace, nor sound hope and assurance of happiness in Heaven; why, therefore he hath no great mind, or heart, or list to prayer; he hath no great delight, or exercise, in this holy business: and if he do pray (which is but seldom, and coldly) it is but lip-labour, and lost labour, because it is without faith, and feeling; for fashion, custom, or company, because he was so taught in his youth; or that he superstitiously thinks, the very work wrought, and a number of prayers solemnly said over, will sanctify him.

A fourth marke may be gathered out of the fourth Verse:¹ The prayers and praysings of God, in the mouth of Gods Child,² are frequent, free, and fervent; but with the carnall Gospeller, they ⟨p. 11⟩are very rare, cold, and formall. The Reason is; Gods Child is very sensible of his corruptions,