But now, which I defire in the Fourth Place to be confidered, There are none of thefe Pretences to be made against this Duty of Prayer; none of these Inconveniences do attend it. But it is fo naturally, fo eafily performed; and fo inoffenfively to all our other Appetites and Interefts; that one would think, nothing but mere Lazinefs, or Stupidity, could hinder a Man from the daily Exercise of it.

It requires no great Parts, or Learning, or Study for the difcharging it. The meaneft Capacity, the most un-improved Understanding, if there be but an honeft Heart, may perform it as well as the learnedeft Man in the World.

It requires no Labour or Toil. The feebleft and most dif-fpirited Body, that can but lift up Eyes to Heaven, and direct Wishes thither, doth it as effectually, as the most vigorous Conftitution.

It doth not go against the Grain of any natural Inclination; nor put the Body to any Pain or Hardship. Nor doth it contradict any Appetite or Affection that Nature hath implanted in us. No Humour, but either the Sottish or the Malicious; the Brutibor the Devilish is diftafted by it.

It puts us to no Charge or Expence in the World, fave that of our Thoughts; yet that is the nobleft Way of fpending them: And if they be not employed thus, it is Ten to One but they will be employed much worse.

It is not at all confumptive of our Time. For we may attend this Work, when we are doing other Bufinefs, and there is no Man fo full of Bufinefs, but he hath abundance of vacant Spaces, which he will not know how to

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fill up to any good Purpose, unless he hath learned this Art of faving Time.

In a Word, there is no Objection against it, it is one of the Eafieft, Naturaleft, Inoffenfivefi, Duties in the World; Nay, fo eafie it is, that the most Selfish Man, if he was to make his own Terms with God Almighty, could not defire to obtain the Bleffings he ftands in need of, upon eafier. If all the Mercies and Benefits we do daily and hourly need, and confequently muft expect and with for; I fay, if they be not worth asking at the Hands of God, or returning Thanks for them after he has bestowed them, they are worth nothing.

But befides the Unexceptionableness and Easinefs of this Duty, it is alfo, in the Fifth Place, the most pleasant and delightful Exercise, in the World. It is true, vicious Men will not easily think fo, but look upon it as a dry infipid Employment but fo would the very Beatifical Vifion of God, and all the Exercises of Glorified Souls in Heaven appear to fuch Men. But they are not competent Judges of Matters of this Nature, having neither Experience of them, nor Difpofition towards them. Those only can form right Notions of these Spiritual Exercises, who have a good Senfe and Relifh of God upon their Minds, and have used and accustomed themselves to Devotion. Now to all fuch appeal, whether the Delights, and Satisfaction, and Confolation that they receive from converfing with God, and a hearty pouring out their Souls unto him, be not inexpreffible 2 Whether they do not find more Joy, and Peace, and Comfort, in their Attendance upon God's

Service,

Service, either in publick or private, than ever they did from the Pleasures and Gratifications of any of their outward Senfes.

So much as the Soul is more pure and excellent than the Body; fo much are the Pleasures and Gratifications of that, more exquifitely delicious than those that arife from Corporeal Objects. But of all the Pleasures of the Soul, those that it receiveth from the Communications of God to it, in the Exercise of Devotion, are incomparably the higheft, and most affecting. We may talk of Pleafures and Enjoyments, but no Man ever truly found them, till he became acquainted with God, and was made fenfible of his Love, and Partaker of his Spiritual Favours, and lived in an intire Friendship and Communion with him; which Friendship and Communion is chiefly, if not only, both expreffed, and maintained, by Prayer and other Exercifes of Devotion.

Add to this, in the Sixth Place, that Prayer is not only the most delightful Employment, but the moft Creditable and Honourable that our Natures are capable of. We account it, and very juftly, a mighty Privilege and Dignity to be known to Princes and great Men; to have. their Ear, and to enjoy the Liberty of Access to them at all Times; but what is this to the Honour and Dignity we receive, in having Leave given us, at all Times, to approach into the Prefence of the King of the World?

That we, poor finful Duft and Afbes, fhould be permitted to fpeak to fo tranfcendent a Majefty! Nay, fhould have free Liberty given us to converfe with him as with a Friend! To

open all our Wants, to acquaint him with all our Concernments, to make known every Thought of our Hearts, and every Affair of our Livesto him! Nay, and to be affured that he will be fo far from taking amifs this Boldness in us, that he will favourably accept all our Applications, and make as kind Returns as we ourselves can wifh or defire! What greater Honour are we capable of than this? O therefore, how far are they funk below all the Ambition of Human Nature, that will not take all Opportunities of thus Honouring and doing Credit to themfelves by the Exercife of Devotion!

But fo felfish are the Spirits and Tempers of many of us, that nothing will work upon them, but the Confideration of Gain, and Profit, and Advantage Let us fee therefore, what of this kind we may promife to ourselves from Prayer, which is my Seventh and laft Confideration.

And let the Point be put upon this Iffue. Let all that has hitherto been faid for the recommending of Prayer go for nothing. If it do not appear, that it is as profitable and gainful an Exercise, as it is reafonable and due; as it is eafie and pleafant, and honourable; let no Man trouble himfelf about it, but throw off all Thoughts of it for ever.

But in this respect alfo the Motives to Prayer are infinite. No Man can number the Benefits and Advantages that do accrue to us from it. I can here but only touch upon a few of the many.

Prayer is the most proper Means to ennoble, and refine, and fpiritualize our Natures. Were it not for this, it would be impoffible to preferve our Souls aloft, in the midst of fuch a heap

of

of Earthly Rubbish, with which they are overwhelmed. Our daily Converfe with material Objects, would make us wholly fenfual, and the Spirit would, in a manner be loft to the Flesh. And fo it doth really fare with all those that live without Devotion towards God. However they may retain fo much worldly Prudence, as to enable them to govern their Temporal Affairs to their Advantage; yet their Souls do perfectly grovel upon the Earth, they are utterly devoid of the Spiritual Life; they have no more Sense of the nobleft and beft Things, which it is the Perfection of their Faculties to be employed about, than a blind Man hath of Colours. Into this dull State we fhall all fink, if we do not take care to maintain a conftant Devotion towards God; for it is by That, that the Sense of Goodnefs is kept alive in us. It is That that raises us above the World, and preferves our Minds from the Defilements of the Earth, which, by their continual mingling with material Things, they would otherwife neceffarily contract.

But further, Prayer doth not only tend to the bettering the Conftitution of our Minds; but the Benefits and good Influences of it do extend alfo to all the Affairs and Actions of our Lives. No-body can tell, but he that hath tried, how much devout and affectionate. Prayer doth difpofe a Man to go about his Business in the World. So far is this Exercife from hindring our Employments, as is commonly pretended, that, in Truth, it is a great Furtherance to them...

Befides; it is the beft Antidote in the World against all Disappointments and Vexations that

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