Now let any one but find out the reason why he is to be thus strictly pious in his prayers, and he will find the same as strong a reason to be strictly pious in all the other parts of his life. For there is not the least reason why we should make God the _rule_ and _measure_ of our prayers, why we should then look _wholly_ unto him, and pray according to his will; but what equally proves it necessary for us to look _wholly_ unto God, and make him the rule and measure of all the other actions of our life. Were it not our strict duty to live by _reason_, to devote all the actions of our lives to God; were it not absolutely necessary to walk before him in wisdom and holiness, and all heavenly conversation, doing every thing in his name and for his glory, there would be no excellency or wisdom in the most _heavenly prayers_: nay, such prayers would be absurdities; they would be like prayers for _wings_, when it was no part of our duty to _fly_. 3. As sure therefore as there is any wisdom in praying for the Spirit of God, so sure is it, that we are to make that Spirit the rule of _all_ our actions; as sure as it is our duty to look _wholly_ unto God in our prayers, so sure is it, that it is our duty to live _wholly_ unto God in our lives. But we can no more be said to live unto God, unless we live unto him in all our _ordinary_ actions, unless he be the rule and measure of all our ways, than we can be said to pray unto God, unless our prayers look _wholly_ unto him. So that unreasonable and absurd ways of life, whether in _labour_ or _diversion_, whether they consume our _time_ or our _money_, are like unreasonable and absurd prayers, and are as truly an offence unto God. 4. ’Tis for want of knowing, or at least considering this, that we see such a _mixture_ of ridicule in the lives of many people. You see them strict as to some _times_ and _places_ of devotion; but when the service of the _church_ is over, they are but like those that seldom or never come there. In their way of life, their manner of spending their _time_ and _money_, in their _cares_ and _fears_, in their _pleasures_ and _indulgencies_, in their labour and diversions, they are like the rest of the world. This makes the world generally make a jest of those that are _devout_, because they see their devotion goes no farther than their _prayers_, and that they live no more unto God, till the time of prayer returns again; but live by the same _humour_ and _fancy_, and in as full an enjoyment of all the follies of life as other people. This is the reason why they are the jest of worldly people; not because they are really devoted to God, but because they appear to have no other devotion, but that of _occasional prayers_.