A poore mans rest founded vpon motiues, meditations, and prayers. Expressing to the inward man, true consolation. In all kindes and times of afflication. By Io. Norden.

A PREPARATION to PRAYER.

AS touching the first namely, Pre∣paration, we may obserue & vse a kinde of imitation of men, occasioned to communicate with mortal Princes, who are obserued to preponder with themselues; first, how to shape their behauiour, and externall gesture: Secondly, how to frame their speech to gaine Attention of him to whom they speake: and how to auoide the censure of indiscretion, in the deliuery of what they affirme, or defend. If such curiosity and carefulnesse be necessa∣rily obserued, in our communication with men whose breath is in their no∣strils: how much more obseruant and carefull ought we to be, when we ad∣dresse our selues to speake vnto the Maiesty of the immortall God? To intrude abruptly into the presence of this great God, and vnaduisedly to speake vnto him, becommeth not a Pe∣titioner, but bewrayeth an vnsancti∣fied

and an vnprepared heart; rather tempting and dishonouring, then glori∣fying of the name of God. And there∣fore, before we presume to present our petitions to God, in hope to be heard; we must prepare our selues, not in our outward gesture, onely in eloquence of words, and Pharisaicall outward holi∣nes: But in rightly ordering & dispo∣sing the affections of the inner man; which, if they be set on carnal, or earth∣ly vanities, if our harts delight in the fruits of the flesh, and the vnprofi∣table works of darknes: (though our words be neuer so good of themselues) we may feare the reward of Ananias and Saphira his wife, who brought a part of their substance (hypocritical∣ly Concealing therest) & laid that part at the Apostles feet. So, if we come vn∣to God giuing him good words, keeping back our harts, to serue our own carnal and prophane appetites: Shal we thinke that God wil be content with the leaues

of our good words, when we giue the fruits of our hearts to the world? will God take such hypocrites by the hād? we must know, that vnlesse we can tru∣ly and vnfainedly cast off our carnall thoughts, corrupt desires, and sin∣full affections, it cannot be that God, who loueth holinesse and truth, in the inward affections, can looke vp∣on vs, as vpon his children, who speake vnto him, as to a father, with counter∣feit words, proceeding from vnsancti∣fied hearts. When we come therefore vnto God in prayer, we must depart from all iniquity, knowing that hee heareth not sinners, such as the pro∣mises of God cannot win to obedience; nor his threats inforce to forsake their sinnes; who yet will aduenture to rush rashly into the presence of God, in a for∣mall kinde of praying with the lips, without any premeditation, preparati∣on, or reformation of the heart, at all. These offer words for deeds: leaues

for fruits: Wolues for Lambes; and all manner, halt, lame, blinde, and blemished sacrifices, and yet would seeme holy: And so in stead of a bles∣sing, procure a curse vnto themselues for their hypocrisie. We must consider that God is a iealous God, and hol∣deth none guiltlesse, that taketh his name in vaine as they manifestly doe, that come neere him with their lips, when their hearts are far from him. It is a kinde of spirituall adultery, out∣wardly to seeme wholy to be Gods, and yet inwardly to be meere worldlings. Before we open our mouthes therefore to God, we must cast out of the Temple of God (which is our heart) all buy∣ers and sellers, as Christ did out of the Temple of Ierusalem: for as long as our hearts doe harbour the de∣sires of worldly profits, and carnall pleasures, aboue the sincere seruice of God, our heart, the Temple of the li∣uing God, becommeth a den of theeues,

that steales away all our godly affecti∣ons, to settle them on Belial. Let vs looke vnto the man Christ Iesus cru∣cified, by whose bloud we are redee∣med, by whose mediation we are sure to haue our prayers heard of God, and granted; especially, if for our further and more perfect preparation, we can truly obserue the rule of Christ, to for∣giue our Enemies, knowing that if we forgiue not our brother that of∣fendeth vs, God wil not forgiuevs, that farre more grieuously offend him. And therefore Christ counsel∣leth vs, that if we bring our sacrifice to the Altar, namely, if we intend to pray; and there remember that a brother hath ought against vs, we ought to leaue our offering before the Altar, that is, forbeare for the time to pray, yet to continue our holy intenti∣on to pray; and to goe first, and be reconciled to our brother, & then to come to offer our gift; namely,

our praiers freely vnto God in Christ: for before we be vnburthened of all Rancor, Malice, Enuy, Hatred, and all other prophane desires; it is not onely not auaileable, but lamentable, that so many will (as doe) presume to come before God, with hearts so feare∣fully fraught with these vnholy affe∣ctions; and stagger no more to presse into Gods presence, nay, not so much; as some that come vnto God with most prepared, peacefull, and most sanctifi∣ed consciences. Let such cast out the bondwoman with her sonne•• name∣ly; the old man, the works and lusts of the flesh: and giue entertainment vnto the free-woman, and her son, the new man; which, after God is created vnto righteousnes, & true holinesse; And so recommend our prayers vnto God, the obiect of our prayers, in Christ the Mediator of our prayers, by the holy Ghost, the Au∣thor of all holy prayers.