The daily practice of devotion, or, The hours of prayer fitted to the main uses of a Christian life also lamentations and prayers for the peaceful re-settlement of this church and state / by the late pious and reverend H.H., D.D.

Of the Difficulty of Prayer.

FOR otherwise Prayer, in re∣spect of the other parts, (though as it is ordinarily used or abused, it be taken for an ordina∣ry matter, yet indeed) to per∣form it rightly and duly, is the highest and hardest piece of all the service of God.

For (beside the qualifications required to fit us for the prefor∣mance of it) Prayer being in it self a Duty wholly Spiritual, and requiring a Spiritual intention of the Soul to God, it will be found a very difficult and rare thing for us, who are continually clogged and incumbered with Flesh and blood, so to abstract our thoughts from all bodily and worldly things, as to place them freely and purely upon an invisible Object.

And to this occasion the craft of our old Enemy is no way want∣ing, who as he is always imperti∣nently interposing in every good action, so is he never more im∣portunate and impudent than when we are busie at our Devoti∣ons.