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of thriving, or not thriving, be other than these, and bring forth other effects; namely, if desires of success drive you to think of using unlawful means, from doubting that you cannot so soon, or so certainly, or not at all, speed by the use of lawful only: if it make you full of anxiety and fear, that though you use what good means you can, all will be in vain: if you be yet doubtful and take anxious thought about what you shall eat, what you shall drink, and what you shall put on, or how you and yours shall live another day, then your thoughts about success in worldly business, are worldly and distracted.

I shall speak to this sin with its remedy more fully when I write against taking care in any thing.

Yet for the present, know: All the fruit you will reap from unbelieving fears and distrusts, doubts of success, &c., will be nothing else, but a further degree of vexation of heart. For all the anxiety in the world cannot bring good success. Besides, nothing provokes the Lord to give ill success sooner, than when you nourish distrustful care.

Secondly, Consider the power and faithfulness of God, who has taken care of the success of your labour upon himself: commanding you not to care but to cast all the care on him, 1 Peter v. 7. If you would rest upon this, you might be secure of good success in your outward state, even according to your desire; or else God will more than recompense the want thereof, by causing you to thrive, and to have good success in spiritual things, which is much better, and which you should desire much more.

4. A fourth caution to be observed in your preparation to prayer, and in prayer, is, be not slight and formal herein, which is, when cursorily and out of custom only you call your sins, your duties, God's favours, and his promises, into a bare and fruitless remembrance. For if the heart be not seriously affected with anger, fear, grief, and shame for sin; and if it be not affected with a thankful acknowledgment of being beholden to God for his favours; moreover, if it be not affected with hope and confidence in God