_Rusticus._ Pray let me speak again to _Academicus_: His learning seems to be always upon the watch, to find out some excuse for not receiving the whole truth. Does not _Theophilus_ here speak of the _spirit of prayer_, as a _state_ of the _heart_, which is become the _governing_ principle of the soul? And if it is a living state of the heart, must it not have its life in itself, independent of every outward time and occasion? And yet must it not, at the same time, be that alone which disposes the heart to delight in hours, and times, and occasions of prayer? Suppose he had said, that _honesty is_ an inward living principle of the heart, a rectitude of the mind, that has all its life and strength within itself. Could this be thought to censure all times and occasions of performing outward acts of honesty? Now the _spirit_ of prayer differs from all outward acts and forms of prayer, just as the _honesty of the heart_, or a living rectitude of mind, differs from outward and occasional acts of honesty. And yet should a man disregard times and occasions of outward acts of honesty, on pretence that true honesty was an inward living principle; who would not see that such a one had as little of the inward spirit, as of the outward acts of honesty? St. _John_ saith, _If any man hath this world’s goods, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion to him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?_ Just so, it may be said, if a man neglects times and hours of prayer, _how dwelleth the spirit of prayer_ in him? And yet, its own life and spirit is vastly superior to, and stays for no particular hours, or forms of words. And in this sense it is truly said, that it has its own language; that it wants not to pick words out of manuals of devotion, but is always speaking forth spirit and life, and love towards God. But pray, _Theophilus_, do you go on as you intended. *_Theophilus._ I shall only add, before we pass on to another point, that, from what has been said, it plainly follows, that the _sin_ of all sins, or the _heresy_ of all heresies, is a _worldly spirit_. We are apt to consider this temper only as an infirmity, or pardonable failure; but it is indeed the great _apostasy_ from God, and the divine life. It is not a single sin, but the whole nature of sin, that leaves no possibility of coming out of our fallen state, till it be renounced with all the strength of our hearts. Every sin, be it of what kind it will, is only a branch of the worldly spirit that lives in us. _There is but one that is good_, saith our Lord, _and that is God_. In the same strictness of expression it must be said, there is but one life that is good, and that is the life of God and heaven. Depart in the least degree from the goodness of God, and you depart into evil; because nothing is good but his goodness.