The gospel of grace and salvation is above all doctrine the most dangerous, if it be received in _word_ only by graceless men; if it be not attended with a sensible need of a Saviour, and bring them to him; for such men only as have the _notion_ of it, are of all men most miserable; for by reason of their knowing more than heathens, this shall only be their final portion, that they shall have greater stripes. OF PRAYER. Before you enter into prayer, ask thy soul these questions, 1. To what _end_, O my soul! art thou retired into this place? Art thou come to converse with the Lord in prayer? Is he present, will he hear thee? Is he merciful, will he help thee? Is thy business slight, is it not concerning the welfare of thy soul? What words wilt thou use to move him to compassion? To make thy preparation complete, consider that thou art but _dust_ and _ashes_; and he the great God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, _that clothes himself with light as with a garment_; that thou art a vile sinner, and he a holy God; that thou art but a poor crawling worm, and he the omnipotent Creator. In all your prayers, forget not to thank the Lord for his mercies. When thou prayest, rather let thy heart be without _words_ than thy words without _heart_. Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer. The spirit of prayer is more precious than thousands of gold and silver. Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan. OF THE LORD’S-DAYS, SERMONS, AND WEEK-DAYS. Have a special care to sanctify the Lord’s-day; for as thou keepest it, so will it be with thee all the week long. Make the Lord’s-day the _market_ for thy soul; let the whole day be spent in prayer, repetitions, or meditations; lay aside the affairs of the other parts of the week; let the sermon thou hast heard be converted into _prayer_: shall God allow thee six days, and wilt thou not afford him one? In the church, be careful to serve God; for thou art in his eyes, and not in man’s. Thou mayst hear sermons often, and do well in practising what thou hearest; but thou must not expect to be told in a pulpit all that thou oughtest to do, but be studious in reading the Scriptures, and other good books; what thou hearest may be forgotten, but what thou readest may better be retained. Forsake not the public worship of God, lest God forsake thee; not only in public, but in private.