anxiety and fear, that though you use what good means you can, all will be in vain; if you be yet doubtful and take anxious thought about what you shall eat, what you shall drink, and what you shall put on, or how you and yours shall live another day, then your thoughts about success in worldly business are worldly and distracted.

I shall speak to this sin with its remedy more fully when I write against taking care in any thing.

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Yet for the present, know-All the fruit you will reap from unbelieving fears and distrust, doubts of success, &c. will be nothing else, but a farther degree of vexation of heart. For all the anxiety in the world cannot bring good success.

Besides, nothing provoketh the Lord to give ill success sooner, than when you nourish distrustful care.

Secondly, Consider the power and faithfulness of God, who hath taken care of the success of your labour upon himself: commanding you not to care, but to "cast all the care upon him." If you would rest upon this, you might be secure of good success in your outward state, even according to your desire; or else God will more than recompense the want thereof, by causing you to thrive, and to have good success in spiritual things, which is much better, and which should desire much more.

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4. A fourth caution to be observed in your preparation to prayer, and in prayer, is, Be not slight and formal herein, which is, when cursorily and out of custom only you call your sins, your duties, God's favours, and his promises, into a bare and fruitless remembrance. For if the heart be not seriously affected with anger, fear, grief, and shame

for sin; and if it be not affected with a thankful acknowledgment of being beholden to God for his favours; moreover, if it be not affected with hope and confidence in God, at the remembrance of his blessed promises; and if withal, the heart be not gained to a renewed resolution to reform what is faulty, and to cry earnestly to God for grace and mercy; and for the time to come to endeavour to live a godly life,—all your preparation is nothing. Nay, this slight and fruitless calling of sin and duty to remembrance, and no more, is a great emboldener and strengthener of sins, and a great weakener and quencher of the Spirit. For sins are like to idle vagrants, and lawless subjects; if officers call such before them, and, either say nothing to them, or only give them threatening words, but do not smite them and make them smart, they grow ten times more bold, insolent, and lawless. Good thoughts are like to dutiful servants and loyal subjects; such as are ready to come at every call, and offer themselves to be employed in all good services. Now if such be not entertained with suitable regard, if they be not cherished in their readiness, they, like David's people, return disheartened, and their edge to future service is taken off. Besides, this cursory performing of holy duties, is the highway to a habit of hypocrisy, that accursed bane of all that is good.

5. My last caution is, that if in your meditations, and in your prayers, you find a dulness and want of spirituality, I would have you to be humbled in the sense of your impotency and infirmity: yet, be not discouraged nor give them over, but rather betake yourself to these duties with more diligence and

earnestness. When you want water, (your pump being dry) you, by pouring in a little water, and much labour in pumping, can fetch water; so, by much labouring the heart in preparation, and by prayer, you may recover the gift of prayer. And, as when your fire is out, by laying on fuel, and by blowing the spark remaining, you kindle it againso, by meditation, you "stir up the grace that is in you," and by the breath of prayer, may revive and inflame the spirit of grace and prayer in you. Yet, have not time to prepare by find that you meditation; or having done so, if you find a confusion and distraction in your meditation, then it will be best to break through all hinderances, and without further preparation attend to the duty of prayer, only with premeditation of God to whom, and of Christ by whom, through the Spirit, you must pray.

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If for all this you do not find satisfaction in these holy exercises, yet give them not over: for God is many times best pleased with your services, when, through an humble sense of your failings, you are displeased with yourself for them. Yet more, if when you have wrestled and striven with God and your own heart in prayer, you are forced to go halting away, with Jacob, in the sense of your infirmities; yet be not discouraged, for it is a good sign that you have prevailed with God as Jacob did.

God useth, when he is overcome by prayer, to work in them that do overcome some sense of weakness, to let them know, that they prevail with him in prayer; not by any strength of their own, or by any worthiness of their prayer, when they have

prayed best; but from the goodness of God's free grace, from the worthiness of Christ's intercession, by whom they offer up their prayers, and from the truth of his promise made unto them that pray. If it were not thus, many, when they have their hearts' desire in prayer, would ascribe all to the goodness of their prayers, and not to the free grace of God; and would be proud of their own strength, which, in truth, is none at all.

CHAPTER III.

Directions for Walking with God, in the Progress of the Day.

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I. General Directions.

WHEN have thus begun the day in prayer by yourself, seeking peace with God through Jesus Christ, and craving his gracious presence to be with you, and for you, that day, you must then conscientiously, according to the nature of the day, (be it one of the six days, or the Lord's day,) apply yourself to the business of that day, whether it be in acts of religion, or of your personal calling, or in any other works belonging unto you, as you are superior or inferior in family, church, or commonwealth: doing all as in God's sight.

And because all lawful business is "sanctified by the word and prayer, and it is part of your calling, if you are master of a family, to govern your chil

dren and servants in the fear of God, and to teach them to live godly, therefore it is your duty to take the fittest time on the morning to call them together and pray with them; before which prayer, it will be profitable to read the Scripture in order, with due reverence, taking all opportunities, in fit times, to instruct them in the principles of religion, often pressing the word upon them.

If it be a working-day, with cheerfulness and diligence, attend to the work of your particular calling. For whosoever hath no calling whereby he may be profitable to the society of man in family, church, or commonwealth, or having a lawful calling doth not follow it, he liveth inordinately. God never made any man for play or to do nothing. And whatsoever a man doth, he must do it by virtue of his Christian calling, receiving warrant from it, else he cannot do it in faith, without which no man can please God. Besides, whosoever is called to Christianity, hath no way to heaven but by walking with God in his personal and particular calling, as well as in his general calling.

1. That you may do this, be sure that the thing whereabout you labour, either with head or hand, be lawful and good.

2. Be diligent and industrious; for the sluggard and idle person desireth, but hath nothing; but the diligent hand maketh rich.

3. Let there be truth, plainness, and equity in all your dealings with men. Circumvent and defraud no man. Make not your own gain the weight and measure to trade by. I will propose to you sealed weights and rules, according to which you must converse with all men.