erience prejudicial unto prayer,
mark that. What indisposes the spirit and makes it carnal, mark that. What
fills you with confusion and astonishment, and what hinders the liberty of
your delighting in God, and rejoicing in his promises, mark that; and set
yourselves against these. O but many Christians find liberal discoursing,
and much mirth, prejudicial to the Spirit's temper, and yet who watches
against it?

IV. Watch over your hearts that ye may keep a praying temper, and be still
in speaking terms with God. And if ye would still keep a praying temper,
1. Be frequent and often in the meditation of God. Keep yourselves in his
presence, as before him, that ye may walk under the sight of his eye,
Psal. cxix. 168; Psal. cxxxix. 1-7. Stealing out of God's sight makes the
heart bold to sin. The temper of the heart is but like the heat of iron,
that keeps not when it is out of the fire, or like the melting of wax. If
ye be out of God's sight your hearts will close. But, 2. Let no object
come through your mind without examination of it. Let not your heart be a
highway for all. If a good motion enter, entertain it, and let it not die
out. Give it up to God, that he may cherish it. 3. Repel not any motion of
the Spirit, but entertain it. There are three things ye would watch over,
as, (1.) Yourselves, your own hearts, Prov. iv. 23, &c. ye must keep your
heart, and it keeps all. (2.) Watch over your duty, Luke viii. 18. (3.)
The time of Christ's coming, his second coming to judgment, Matt. xxiv.
42; Mark xiii. 33. So did David wait and watch till the Lord should
return, Psal. cxxx. 5, 6. So did Job wait all the days of his appointed
time, till his change came. Now, Christians, where are ye? Is not your
practice your shame? It is one among a thousand professors that can be
noted for much praying. Who among you can get this commendation that the
Holy Ghost gives to Anna, she served God with fasting and prayer night and
day? Your morning and evening are the limits of your duty, and it is
almost an heresy to go beyond that. Is there any tender well-doing
Christian in scripture, but he prayed much? This made David so exemplary,
and hath not Jesus Christ gone before you, (Heb. v. 7.) to lead the way?
O! but Christ's praying so often in the days of his flesh, and making
supplication with strong cries, is a crying witness against the sloth of
Christians in this generation. Both people and pastor, how should ye be
ashamed? Hath Jesus p