4. Therefore though the natural man cannot pray in faith, and the renewed man under a sad and deep deadness, can do little or nothing, yet literal and natural acting at praying is not only better then nothing, but is by way of command in genere mandati divini, 1more near to praying in faith and fervour then either blaspheming, or no praying at all; even as literal and natural heat is nearer to spiritual and supernatural heat, then extreme coldness; and as fire-heat is nearer to life-heat or vital warmness (for it may and doth often cherish and nourish vital heat) then Ice-coldness; though as touching the nature and ⟨p. 151⟩kind, fire-heat and vital heat may well be thought to differ in species and nature, and all the fire-heat on Earth cannot restore vital heat to a dead man; and all the sweet moral qualifications, discretion, natural zeal, civil virtues in their summer greenness cannot put a man in a spiritual capacity to receive divine and supernatural influences; yea, many carry such bewitching lustres to hell with them, and never promove a whit farther then to the state of a civil convert, a saint of Satan, and die so; and by accident civil saints are a huge way farther from Christ, then robbers. Its true, some of our Divines have said natural preparations are hurtful, destructive and noxious to conversion. I wish they speak not so; their meaning is as they are trusted in, & men are by assed by them, praying in the streets & giving of alms with sound of Trumpet so circumstantiated in regard of, 1. The subject, proud Pharisees. 2. In regard of the end, to be seen of men, not to glorify the Lord. 3. In regard of the manner, as self-righteousness trusted in, to the loathing of Christ, are destructive to sincere praying in faith and humble feeling, and to true and sincere acts of charity. But we speak of the acts commanded as to their substance; God highly is provoked at disobedience, when men will not put their finger to a duty: and no doubt hypocrisy, in the manner of doing duties, deadens the heart, and makes the soul unfit to receive influences; But this hinders not but the unrenewed man, and the deadened convert, are to blow the fire, and to go about duties, and to fetch the wind in their kind, and to cast aboard and turn about, that they may sail and fetch the harbour;
4. Therefore though the natural man cannot pray in faith, and the renewed man under a sad and deep deadness, can doe little or nothing, yet literal and natural acting at praying is not only better then nothing, but is by way of command in genere mandati divini, 1more near to praying in faith and fervour then either blaspheming, or no praying at all; even as literal and natural heat is nearer to spiritual and supernatural heat, then extreme coldnesse; and as fire-heat is nearer to life-heat or vital warmness (for it may and doth often cherish and nourish vital heat) then Ice-coldnesse; though as touching the nature and ⟨p. 151⟩kind, fire-heat and vital heat may well be thought to differ in spece and nature, and all the fire-heat on Earth cannot restore vital heat to a dead man; and all the sweet moral qualifications, discretion, natural zeal, civil vertues in their summer greennesse cannot put a man in a spiritual capacity to receive divine and supernatural influences; yea, many carry such bewitching lusters to hell with them, and never promove a whit farther then to the state of a civil convert, a saint of Satan, and die so; and by accident civil saints are a huge way farther from Christ, then robbers. Its true, some of our Divines have said natural preparations are hurtful, destructive and noxious to conversion. I wish they speak not so; their meaning is as they are trusted in, & men are by assed by them, praying in the streets & giving of alms with sound of Trumpet so circumstantiated in regard of, 1. The subject, proud Pharisees. 2. In regard of the end, to be seen of men, not to glorifie the Lord. 3. In regard of the manner, as self-righteousness trusted in, to the loathing of Christ, are destructive to sincere praying in faith and humble feeling, and to true and sincere acts of charity. But we speak of the acts commanded as to their substance; God highly is provoked at disobedience, when men will not put their finger to a duty: and no doubt hypocrisie, in the manner of doing duties, deadens the heart, and makes the soul unfit to receive influences; But this hinders not but the unrenewed man, and the deadned convert, are to blow the fire, and to go about duties, and to fetch the wind in their kind, and to cast aboard and turne about, that they may sayl and fetch the harbour;
- 1External use of means is to be gone about, as nearer to conversion then no use of means, or extreme profaneness.External use of means is to be gone about, as nearer to conversion then no use of means, or extreme prophaneness.
