V. EJACULATIONS, THEIR USE.

EJACULATIONS are short prayers darted up to God on emergent occasions. If no other artillery had been used these last seven years in England, I will not affirm more souls had been in heaven, but fewer corses had been buried in earth. O that with David we might have said, My heart is fixed, [Psalm lvii. 7.] being less busied about fixing of muskets.

The principal use of ejaculations is against the fiery darts of the Devil. [Ephes. vi. 16.] Our adversary injects (how he doth it God knows, that he doth it we know) bad motions into our hearts, and that we may be as nimble with our antidotes as he with his poisons, such short prayers are proper and necessary. In barred havens, so choked up with the envious sands, that great ships, drawing many feet of water, cannot come near, lighter and lesser pinnaces may freely and safely arrive. When we are time-bound, place-bound, or person-bound, so that we cannot compose ourselves to -make a large solemn prayer, this is the right instant for ejaculations, whether orally uttered, or only poured forth inwardly in the heart.