The Second thing in the manner of prayer, it is the giving up all the faculties of our souls in it; I spake to that in the worship of God in general, we shall apply it now particularly to prayer, the giving up, not only our understandings, but wills, thoughts, affections, strength in prayer, in 2 Chron. 20.3. it is said of Jehoshaphat, that he set himself to seek the Lord, he did give his whole self to seek the Lord: we are to give our whole self, and not to divide in prayer. Now there were an argument that indeed might well take up a whole Sermon, in showing the evil of the wandering of our spirits in prayer; we should take heed of the wandering of our spirits in the hearing of the Word, and receiving the Sacraments, and so in Prayer; the people of God are much troubled with the wandering of their thoughts both in Word and Sacrament, and it is their great burden, and should be so, but I never hear any more complainings of the wandering of their spirits than in the time of prayer, the people of God are much pestered in their spirits with this evil, it is very grievous unto them, and many of them go under it as a grievous burden all their days; the chiefest burden that is upon their spirits is their wandering in prayer; so that if God should speak to them as he spake unto Solomon, and bade him ask what he should give him, I verily believe there are many in this Congregation, that have already good assurance of Gods love in Christ, if they had not that, that would be the main thing that they would ask, but having attained that, if God would speak from heaven and say, What shall I give you for your selves, if he should ask you in the General, it may be you would ask something for the Churches; but if it be for your selves, you would put up this petition, Oh Lord that I may be delivered from a wandering spirit in holy ⟨p. 282⟩duties, and especially in the duty of prayer, that I may thereby come to enjoy more holy communion with thy self than ever yet I enjoyed, and they would account this to be a greater mercy than if God should give them to be Kings or Queens over the whole World;
The Second thing in the manner of prayer, it is the giving up all the faculties of our souls in it; I spake to that in the worship of God in generall, wee shall apply it now particularly to prayer, the giving up, not only our understandings, but wills, thoughts, affections, strength in prayer, in 2 Chron. 20.3. it is said of Jehoshaphat, that he set himselfe to seeke the Lord, he did give his whole selfe to seeke the Lord: we are to give our whole selfe, and not to divide in prayer. Now there were an argument that indeed might well take up a whole Sermon, in shewing the evill of the wandring of our spirits in prayer; wee should take heed of the wandring of our spirits in the hearing of the Word, and receiving the Sacraments, and so in Prayer; the people of God are much troubled with the wandring of their thoughts both in Word and Sacrament, and it is their great burthen, and should be so, but I never hear any more complainings of the wandring of their spirits than in the time of prayer, the people of God are much pestered in their spirits with this evill, it is very grievous unto them, and many of them go under it as a grievous burthen all their daies; the chiefest burthen that is upon their spirits is their wandring in prayer; so that if God should speak to them as he spake unto Solomon, and bade him aske what he should give him, I verily beleeve there are many in this Congregation, that have already good assurance of Gods love in Christ, if they had not that, that would be the maine thing that they would aske, but having attained that, if God would speak from heaven and say, What shall I give you for your selves, if he should aske you in the Generall, it may be you would aske something for the Churches; but if it be for your selves, you would put up this petition, Oh Lord that I may be delivered from a wandring spirit in holy ⟨p. 282⟩duties, and especially in the duty of prayer, that I may thereby come to enjoy more holy communion with thy selfe than ever yet I enjoyed, and they would account this to be a greater mercy than if God should give them to be Kings or Queens over the whole World;
