thou hast refused, and despised all my counsel! What wonder, then, if at last I too am slow to hear, or altogether refuse to listen? Oh, how often hast thou closed thy ears against the cry of the poor! And dost thou wonder if, when thou criest, thou art not heard?
Man. Truly, O Lord, I know it to be so; and that man is not justified before God. If I would contend with thee, I cannot answer thee one for a thousand. If I would justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me. I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to lift up my eyes unto thee. Would that my heart did not upbraid me, great then would be my confidence towards God! If I have looked at iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. But who can say, "My heart is clean”? Truly, I am a man of unclean heart and lips; it is I indeed who have sinned, and done evil before thee. Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? Who but thou, O Lord, who hast washed us in thy own blood? Cleanse, then, my heart and my lips; wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. I am sorry from the bottom of my heart, for the love of thee, that I have offended thee, my God, my Saviour, and my sovereign good. I have sworn and purposed henceforth, by thy grace, to keep the judgments of thy justice; especially in . . . and . . . Despise not, O God, a contrite and humbled heart; and be not angry with the prayer of thy servant.
§ 3. Preparation for prayer by directing the intention to its end.
Christ. Because thou acknowledgest thy sins, I willingly forgive them. For what the blind man said, "God hears not sinners,” is, in a sound sense, true, namely, of the impenitent; for abominable is the prayer of him who turns away his ear from hearing the law. Let thy sins, then, make thee, not faint-hearted, but humble; for the sacrifice most pleasing to me is an afflicted spirit, or a contrite and humbled heart.
Consider, therefore, well why thou prayest; for no one approaches his prince with a petition without a fixed object. Even so bear strongly in mind thy weakness and thy want, and attend seriously to the reason why thou wouldst speak with me, and what thou wouldst ask of me, what that is wherein thou needest most my grace and assistance, what special foe thou shouldst attack and strike down with the arms of prayer; that is, what is the virtue or the vice, to obtain or expel which thou
