Himself both God and Man I am never more Easy and free from a troublesome Concern about the Words of Prayer than when I am making use of the Lord's-Prayer And they that find fault with it as it is a Form may for the same reason quarrel all the Scriptures for being a Form of Sound words Nay they may as well reject every Conceived Prayer which is indeed as much a Form to the Hearers as if it had been penn'd or printed and then Repeated Yea I may know That to be a real Form composed by my self which some others take for an Extempore Effusion And so it may be only Ignorance in them which makes it Acceptable with them Because they take it not to be Prepared by me but to flow immediately from the Spirit in me But to think that all Set Forms are opposed to Prayer by the Spirit is such an opinion of Praying by the Spirit as I cannot comprehend No Praying indeed is true and right that is not Supplication in the Spirit i. e. Through the Help of the Spirit of God But I see not why it may not be such as well with as without a Form Nor is the Spirit Limited by such Forms Whenas indeed the Enlargement of the Heart stands not so much in the Copiousness and variety of Expressions as in the extent and Elevation of the Affections A Carnal man may have a Fluency of good Words But only the Child of God abounds with holy and heavenly Desires And those desires I may express in Others words or in my own Premeditated or Immediately formed without Stinting of the Spirit either way The one may do as well as the other No matter which I take So that I do it pertinently and affectionately For Words are but the Carkass of Prayer The Soul and Spirit lies within And the Searcher of hearts regards not so much how it is Drest as from what Heart it proceeds and how Earnest and Devout it is My words are not to Move Him but my self Not to pull the Bank to me but to bring my Vessel to the Shore And so I may use such words as I find fittest to Enflame my affections that I may stand rightly disposed to receive his Mercies Whether I pray in a Book or without is the smallest matter to Him So that I Pray at all indeed And when I use the Book am not Lazy and Formal And when I use none am not Rude and Proud but still Humble and Hearty To Pray is a great deal more than Saying of Prayers There may be all the Words without any thing of the Spirit of Prayer Whether I speak out of the Book or out of my Memory I may draw nigh to God only with my Lips Or I may so manage my Prayer as to have it Sincere and Effectual either way But when so little is done by the most at Prayer and such multitudes do live Prayerless not Calling upon the Lord at all Little need to perplex the thing or Affright any from the Throne of Grace Because they deliver not their minds just in our Rote of words To disgrace Book Prayers may be the way to discourage the most from all Prayer If they must have no Forms they could it may be make nothing of it but Ramble and Babble Trusting only to their own Abilities I think we ought rather to Hearten men on if they Own God in any way of serious Worship with Book or without For 't is according to what a man hath that God Accepteth him And he stands not so much upon a poor Christian 's Wording of his Prayers When he sees his Spirit Engaged and that he offers the Best he has doing all Heartily as in the Sight of God We make a mighty matter as to the way of some mens Wording things so much Better than others But alas what a small thing is this in the Esteem of God who Valueth and Judgeth men by somewhat else The most Elaborate and exact Expressions What wretched Barbarisms and hideous Jargon would they be found if severely Criticiz'd upon by Infinite Perfection And wo be to the best Speaker in the World if he should not be Heard and Accepted on any other account but only for the sake of his Words For how can a mouth-full of frail Breath tho Modulated with never such Art and Advantage be the Motive of all God's Mercy and Man's Salvation As much Stress as ever some are pleas'd to lay upon it 'T will not be so much enquirâ—d after in the great Day of Accounts How we used to Express ourselves in our Prayers As how our Hearts stood Affected to the Service And then the Holy Livers shall be found aforehand with the Finest Speakers And such weakness and Indecence as many a man would not Pardon The Father of Mercies will never Mention to them that Follow him and Delight in him as dear Children He equally offends God and Prophanes Prayer who either reads it Carelesly in a Book or tumbles it Rudely out of his Breast But when I find that I can be Devout in the use of a Prayer Book and that I can Exercise as much Devotion when I have no Book that I can join Profitably and Comfortably with the Church Prayers and with other Prayers I am in utramque paratus without Scruple for all Prayer that is offered with Humility and Zeal to God thrô Jesus Christ for such things as in his comprehensive Platform he has directed and encouraged us to pray for I will never believe That an Earthly Father can be Kinder than my Heavenly And if my natural Parent will take it in good part from me when I deliver my self to him as well as I can Thô I do not make a Starched Speech or read all out of a Book can he that knows our Frame and hath Compassion on our Infirmities Pitying them that fear Him as a Father pities his children fall out with me because I have not the Knack of Expressing my self as well as another When he knows I have a Careful Heart to Please him and am for serving him with the Best and do not use my own words for the high Opinion that I have of them above others But because another cannot express my wants and desires so Agreeably as I can my self Who best knowâ— where it pinches most and what I would be most glad to have And because I am afraid of being a Slothful Servant to Bury any Talent in a Napkin that my Lord hath lent me I would serve him with my Understanding and Memory and Utterance and all my faculties as well as with my Affections And if my Understanding cannot vye with some others or their Words be Better than mine Yet I think I am bound also to use my Own and to do according to the Ability that God hath given me Who I am sure will not be Harsh and Stern with the Weakest of his Children that shew their Willingness and Endeavours to please him thô they
the Child of a King may go Rudely into his Father's presence And Stately to set us down in the Presence of God as if the glorious Majesty so infinitely Above us were to be Bearded in a sawcy manner shews us to be children of such Manners as need to be better Taught as if we thought it a Lessening of our selves to use the humblest Prostrations before Him at whose Feet all the Worthies of Heaven Cast their Crowns Rev. 4.10 and whom indeed we can never Honour so much as his service Honours us Let us Consider then With whom it is that we make so Bold and not forget the Infinite Disproportion between us and Him that Made us Nor carry as if we were too Goodly to be seen Cringing low at his Footstool or as if we meant it only for a Complement when we call our selves his Humble servants It is Mockery indeed to Bow the Body at his Name when the Heart never Bends to his Gospel Like those that Bowed the Knee and cried Hail Jesus to the Lord of Glory whom they Crucified Nor is it a Puppet-Religion without Life that I contend for To make our selves such Anticks as the Popish Worshippers who had need be Masters of the Ceremonies to hit of that Worship more like a Ball or Interlude than the grave Worship in Spirit And their Religion as Ritual as Judaism clogg'd with Rites as numerous and more Obscure and useless yea even all Outside and Pageantry and as unlike the Gospel-Simplicity as dumb Shews and idle Formalities can make it such a Rote of words and Histrionick gestures and Superstitious Fopperies which any silly Children or the vilest of the people can be as nimble at as the best and contend more for the Modish forms than for the Faith Once delivered to the Saints These doings may soon give any Spiritual Worshipper Enough of Popery and utterly turn his Heart against that which is so opposite to the design and Genius of the Gospel Tho so many can wonder at the outward Pomp without the inward Life and cry The Temple of the Lord when they mind no Fellowship with the Lord of the Temple I cannot think it such a mighty Accomplishment for men to enter those Geers and observe all their postures in the Ritual Religion and shew all their Metal for the things least Required at their hands But yet outward Significations of Reverence in Worship are not such matters of Indifference as we need not take any Care of For who that has the Fear of God in his Heart can make so Bold with the Majesty of Heaven as if the great God were Altogether such a one as himself To present that to the Biggest and Best of Beings Perfect above thought and Blessed beyond addition which he would be ashamed to offer even to his poor Fellow-creature an earthly Governor To be stiff and Haughty or Whifling and wanton before the Throne of God To Loll or Yawn over the Divine Worship To sit in State as those that were Above it Or to Prate and Laugh to Gaze about or be doing some Silly actions as those that came only to Slight and Affront it How fulsome soever it be to see the Loose Liver a compleat Formalist Yet who can think well of such a rude Slovenly Religion as does not compose men into a more awful Devout Behaviour in their solemn Addresses to the Most High God whom we should never approach but with all Humility and a becoming Reverence and godly Fear and even Annihilate our selves before him But then for the Manner of expressing this Reverence In our Secret Prayers we are left at Liberty to use that Gesture which we find most to Quicken us and promote the Duty And in Publick our Behaviour must Conform to the usage of the Church with which we have Communion And with Company elsewhere our care must be so to carry our selves as to Express our own Devotion and not to Damp but Excite the same in others Holy Scripture doth not Limit us to one certain Posture of Prayer Thô the most usual and best approved among all be Kneeling Our great Redeemer himself Kneeled down and Prayed Luk. 22.41 And that for certain is the best Pattern we can follow If our Blessed Lord so Humbled himself the Greatest man must not think much to come down so Low Kneeling ne're spoil'd Silk Stocking Herb. If it hurt the Finery it will make him finer another way But yet it is not Sinful sometimes upon occasion to use another Gesture Not only Prostration or Lying along as Numb 11.25 Or Standing as Mar. 11.25 and Luk. 18.11 Even the humble Publican who would not so much as Lift up his eyes to Heaven we find in this Posture But even Sitting as 2 Sam. 7.18 King David sate before the Lord and Prayed as there to the chapters end So it is according to our Translation Thô some think it denotes rather his Abode than his Posture in Prayer with whom I list not to contend But again it is said 1 Kings 19.4 Elijah Sate down under a Juniper tree and Prayed The Impotent man then that is confined to his Bed or Chair must not think it will Spoil or hinder his Prayers Because he doth not use his Knees And when we are Walking in our Chamber or on the Way When Riding or Sitting where we cannot Retire and at the same Instant find an Occasion and Motion to Lift up our Hearts to God We must not withhold Prayer because we want a Conveniency for Kneeling But let the Office rather than Fail be done for that time in the Posture as we are And God will hear the Desire of the Humble heart thô the Body be not Incurvate in the usual Figure When I am By my self I will not scruple to Pray Standing or Walking or Lying if I find the work go forward in such ways as well as by Kneeling Prayers are not so confined to the Knees but that as I may Kneel and not Pray So I may Pray and not Kneel Genuflection I account indeed the Best but not the Only Posture of Prayer SECT VI. The Liberty of using a Form or none THE Contending Parties in both Extreams I think to be Mistaken Such as will allow of no Forms of Prayer at all And such as plead for Forms Alone and will not Endure any other way of Praying They that are against Forms as such must reject the Prayer of the Lord himself That Breviary of the Gospel as Tertullian calls it A Prayer so Comprehensive and Copious as well as Compendious that thô we may Enlarge upon it we cannot ask More than is included in it A Prayer which few Sects of Christians have been so wild as to leave out of their Offices Tho we are not bound Always to use it yet still to Pray after the Manner as it prescribes Mat. 6.9 And who can we think so fit to instruct us How God should be Prayed to and Man prayed for as he who was
cannot do like some of the rest I my self feel more Inclination as I see more Reason sometimes to give to a Beggar that is a sorry Faultering Orator than to another that speaks Exactly in Mood and Figure 'T is not so much his Fine Words and Cadence as his Want and Misery join'd with Simplicity and Humility that makes him an Object of Charity And I know it is not so much for our Speech and the Words of Prayer as for our Hearts and the Spirit of Prayer that He regards us who will be worshipped with our Souls and Spirits We should indeed Chuse words to Reason with him But when we compose somwhat of our Own it speaks our greater Care to be Acceptable And Bishop Hall in his Devout Soul tells us That a Stammering Suppliant may reach to a more eminent Devotion Pag. 11. than he that can deliver himself in the most fluent and Pathetical forms of Elocution 'T is not to rake together a parcel of good Petitions and seek to give them some Life in the Utterance unless we Draw Nigh with a True heart in full Assurance of Faith For it it is Faith in God's Promises that is the Foundation of all our Prayers And Prayer is but Faith putting forth itself in a Flame of Desires God hears no impenitent Sinners that Regard Iniquity in their hearts Let their words be never so fine and Apposite And he rejects no Humble Faithful Supplicant be his Speech never so weak and Imperfect Tho such be not Eloquent they have words sufficient to do their Business Even Broken words will serve the turn when they come from a Broken heart When going to Prayer then I will remember I am going to my Father And tho I know a Son honours his Father and so I will know my Distance and pay a profound Veneration and Exert the best of my Abilities in his Service Yet while I keep off from the Vncreaturely Boldness I will not run upon the Vnchildlike Strangeness To be curb'd with such a Spirit of Bondage that I dare not Speak for my self Nor dejected with a Servile Dread of his lying at catch to Trepan me in my words if I do not place every one Aright As if he were so Inconsiderate of my Frailty or could carry like so Rigid an Enemy to Cast off me and all my Suit if there be but the least word knockt out of Joint At this rate did I listen to the Teachers of such a Ghastly Frightful Religion I should make it a more Dangerous thing to Pray to God than to Keep away and never come before Him But I will never be persuaded that the Father of Mercies has the Spirit of some Rough and Sowre Doctors Who yet can make as bold with God in their Manners as they think others do in their Prayers And are not so Strict in Tutoring their Neighbours Tongues but they can be as Lax in ordering their Own I cannot question in the least But there have been many and gross Abuses of this Way of Praying which if rak'd together may furnish out matter enough for Satyr and make abundance of work for any Doctor or other that has such a Talent And tho Stories seldom lose in the reporting by such as are known to have a strong Byas Yet let Commin's Hypocrisy and Weyer's Villany both pass without Contradiction That the one could so Masquerade it for the Pope and the other Command good words while himself was Commanded by the Evil Spirit And to these Two let Twenty more be added of the same Stuffing 'T will but prove what none denies That there have been Ill men of all Pretentions Satan himself can be Transformed into an Angel of Light And one that was a Devil had yet a Name among the Disciples of Christ But let False Coin and Counterfeit Wares be Detected and Cryâ—d down This is no Prejudice at all to that which is Current right and good Nor does my Undertaking oblige me to answer for all the Cant and Gibberish Jargon and Impertinence flowing from any shatter'd Heads or wild Tongues under pretence of Exercising their Gifts Men may Hurt themselves even with God's Gifts and turn their very Remedy to their Ruin They may be proud of their New Words as of New Cloaths And there may be much more Pride than Devotion in the case When we are ashamed to Appear before the Lord unless it be still in a New Dress But if the Abuses must lay an Embargo on the Use I know not what Prayers then of any sort will be left us Or what will become of the Common Prayer it self but it must cease to be Common or to be at all because many have made as Wretched work with that as ever was made of Free Prayer But I know some would heavily resent it for a most Tyrannical Imposition To be tied up for ever medling with a Bottle of Wine because it has Happened with so many That when the Wine was in the Wit was out This Doctor is not therefore for Renouncing the Doctrine of the Trinity because he takes that for an Adulteration which another Doctor calls a Vindication of it Holy things and Pearls will sometimes light among Dogs and Swine But yet they do not for that lose their Nature The Things themselves are not a jot the Worse tho the Profaners of them are a great deal Let those that are Guilty answer for that But why should the Children of the Kingdom be turn'd out of their Privilege for the sake of some illegitimate Interlopers that have made Invasions upon it Whither should a Child go but to his Father And if he must not speak a Word to him but what he Reads out of a Form Where 's the Ingenuity and Freedom of a Child and the Boldness at the Throne of Grace And what advantage then of the Spirit of Adoption above the Spirit of Bondage Sure we may have Boldness and Assurance without being Sawcy and Malapert And tho it is not for a pitiful Worm to think of being Hail-Fellow with his Glorious Maker Yet I think it is an untowardly way of Honouring my Father to take him for such a one that I Dare not Speak with him or if but a word Amiss to think he would not Hear nor Forgive me Desires are the Wings of the Soul on which it mounts up to Heaven Prayer sets them a working But where are many Appendages they 'll be like but to Cumber and Clog the Motion which the more Natural the more Free and Easy Tho a dexterous Art may help Nature Yet Grace added to both is the best accomplishment and the Crown of all Prayer is God's Breath in man Herb. Nothing to be done in this matter without the Spirit Helping our Infirmities And that I take to be what they call Praying by the Spirit whether with Book or without when the good Spirit of God gives his gracious Guidance and Assistance for the true and zealous performance tho not an
all Blessings from Above to make all that dwell on this Mighty Ball Gainers by his Commerce with that Kingdom where all the Treasure lyes Yea thus the poorest Subject may make his King and Countrey Beholden to him for Deprecating Judgments and Praying down Mercies upon the Publick Thus the Supplicants that Wait upon Gods Throne not only Deliver their own Souls but help to Save Nations 2 Chron. 7.14 If my People that are called by my Name shall Humble themselves and Pray and seek my Face and turn from their wicked ways then will I Hear from Heaven and Forgive their Sins and will Heal the Land Such a man the Lord sought for Ezek. 22.30 That should make up the Hedge and Stand in the Gap before him for the Land that he should not Destroy it And because he found none And then the Case is Sad indeed when we are left to complain as Isai 64.11 There is none that Calleth upon thy Name that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee Therefore he Pour'd out his Indignation and Consumed them v. 31. By which it appears both how Acceptable such Intercession is to God He Seeks for the Intercessor and does not Blame a Poor Creature for taking so much upon him And also how Availahle is the Righteous mans Prayer not only for himself but for all his Neighbours far and wide Elias the Chariot and Horsemen of Israel with the Opening of his Mouth could Shut and Open Heaven Jam. 5.17 18. And upon the earnest Intreaty of Moses in behalf of a provoking People 'T is said Exod. 32.14 The Lord Repented of the Evil which he thought to do to his People This is the best of all Friendship to our Friends To be thus Concerned and Imployed for them Yea thus we may do Good for Evil to them that will not Thank us for it Praying for them that Despightfully use and Persecute us And so lay up for ourselves better Rewards than their good Words And thus we shall be the most Welcome Physicians and dearest Comforters to the Sick and Miserable and get them that Help from Above which all the World cannot Give In the failing of all other Means thus we may Engage Him to come in to their Succour that Knows how to Deliver and is never at a Loss to do whatever he pleases in Heaven and in Earth Such a Latitude and Liberty is allowed to our Prayers even as Wide as the World So easie may we take in All with ourselves and in so doing Benefit them without Impoverishing ourselves For he whom we Pray to hath Infinitely more than to Supply us all And if there were Thousands of Millions more to be Saved Heaven would be as much to them every One as if each had All to Himself This is the true Christian Spirit Not only to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem but to Seek the Enlargement of Christ's Kingdom and to Pray that it may Come in the Best and Fullest sense But such as glory most in the big Catholick Name yet shew the Least and Narrowest Souls in Confining Salvation only to their own Sect. And instead of Praying for their Neighbours Cursing and Damning all the World beside themselves Wherein the Papists are even with the Profane Hectoring Ruffians who have no Prayer so common as God Damn ye But for ought I know the Curses are as good as the Prayers of such an Vnchristian Church and Spurious Mother that is all for Dividing the Child and Destroying the Lives and Souls which Christ came to Save Yet however they Curse Let us Pray First for our selves That we may be Saved from them and not be Like them And then for Them That they may once get from under the Yoke of their wilful Bondage so contrary to the Liberty of the Gospel wherein Christ hath set us Free And not be so Stingy and Penurious in their Charity but let the Damning alone for their own Sakes as well as ours Lest as they Judge they find the Judgment turned against themselves by Him to whom Vengeance and the Pronouncing of Final Sentences belongs SECT II. The Liberty of Praying for Wicked Men. THE Lord of Love who Breath'd out his Soul in Praying for the cruel Enemies that shed his Blood Yet held back his Prayers for many that seem'd as much to Need them Joh. 17.9 I Pray not for the World saith He. That is The World as opposed to them whom the Father Gave him out of the World And so far we are to be Followers of Christ herein as not to Pray for Pardon and Heaven to the Impenitent and Vnbelieving so Continuing Nor to ask for them those same things which belong only to the Elect and dear Children of God But yet we must not Exclude all out of our Offices whom God hath Excluded the Book of Life Tho Christ might Because he Knew who they were but we do not And all the Psalmists Imprecations against his and Gods Enemies If we read them in the Imperative Mood which the Learned observe may be read in the Indicative and then they are Predictions of what should Befall them and not Prayers for such Curses to light upon them They are no Rules to us because we have not the Spirit of Prophesy as that Eminent Servant of God had to Foresee the End of such men The like may be said of St. Paul's Imprecation on Alexander 2 Tim. 4.14 The Lord Reward him according to his Works Dr. Hammond says the best Manuscripts read 'A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord Will Reward him And so the Syriack and St. Aug. according to Estius And if otherwise Then it was a Denouncing of God's righteous Judgments upon an Incorrigible Offendor in a Notorious case of which the Apostle had Assurance And till we can attain to the like Knowledge of any We must be Cautious how we make so Bold If any man see his Brother Sin a Sin which is not unto Death He shall ask and he shall give him Life for them that Sin not unto death There is a Sin unto Death I do not say that he shall Pray for it 1 Joh. 5.16 This looks like a Prohibition of our Prayers for some Sinners And sure we are not to ask God's Pardon for any Impenitent Sinner so Persisting But upon Condition of that Repentance which we are to Pray that God would give them Nor should we be unkind to Ungodly men did we Pray That they might find such Shame and Affliction as God knows Conducing to their Conversion The seeming Bad Wish is the Happiest thing that could befall them And that Evil day would be the Best Day that ever came over them But tho we are not to ask God's Pardon for such as finally Persist to Sin in Despight of the Spirit of Grace and without Repentance if so be that we Know it For that were to ask what his Word assures us shall never be Yet where we cannot Know this without Revelation We had need be Wary. And
Savour of Sweetness in ' em And so all we must look to hear from such is to have them Scorn and Deride what themselves could never Relish or Endure You shall hear from them Precise or Factious or some such Name of Infamy if the Slighty way which most take up with will not serve your turn You shall be noted in the Black Book or the Black Mouth of the Profane for an Intolerable Sort if you Dare not be Like them but are for Walking with God when they fly out all upon the Ramble of their Lusts But if you must after your Saviour himself bear the Contradiction of Sinners You may Rejoyce it is upon so Good an account If the main Objection against you be your Religion if you are Bark't at for Following God as dear Children and disturb'd in the very Way which his Word puts you upon The Quarrel then is His rather than yours And when He is so Able to Maintain his own Cause and to Avenge the Affronts and make the Despisers Behold and wonder and Perish You may Scorn their Scorns and Pity their Malignity Understanding the End of these men who thro' the Pride of their countenance will not Seek after God Who will one day Curse themselves and their Stiffness and the time wherein they made so Bold with the Eternal Almighty Majesty and still kept off from Him and even set him at Defyance and made a Pish and Mock at his Humble Service God will hereafter be Ashamed of such impudent Pretenders to be Christians as were now Ashamed not of their Sins but of their Prayers and his Worship SECT IV. Of Neglecting Prayer out of Laziness MEN may not be so far gone in Ungodliness as to Cavil against Prayer nor openly Affront it and yet take little or no Care duely to Perform it Knowing nothing what belongs to Prayer any further than now and then to run over some Forms of course And care not for any thing at all to do with it but just to perform the Custom Yet if they be not grossly Scandalous and Notorious they think themselves Well enough to pass tho' they make no Conscience to live in a manner without Prayer But to talk of a good Christian not Given to Prayer You may as well tell me of one living in good Health without the use of Food They that do not Vnderstand and Seek after God Understand nothing at all to do their Souls any Good Let Men be what they will in other respects it Blasts all the rest and makes them stark naught to be Prayerless This the Psalmist makes the Vpshot of all Baseness and Wickedness in the Worst of men They Call not upon the Lord. Psal 14.4 And no wonder if God Leave them over to themselves that so love to Live Without Him in the World They are like to be Banisht for ever from him in the next World who so little use or mind to Seek his Face or come a near him in this Who think we must Preach them into Heaven when they are so Lazy they will not open their mouths to Beg for it But alas all Sermons are lost upon you that do not bring you upon your Knees The Word will avail nothing to sound in your Ears if you do not Pray it home upon your Hearts The design of Preaching is to make you know your Wants and where you are to be Suppli'd and to direct you to the rich Store-house of all manner of Blessings which Prayer is the Key to open Preachers Unfold and apply the Word to shew you your Duty and to quicken you to it and to send you unto God to Pray for his Grace to Enable you to perform it You are early instructed in the Church Catechism to Know this That you are not Able of Yourselves to do those things which are the several parts of your Duty to God and Man nor to walk in the Commands of God and to serve him without his special Grace which you must therefore learn at all times to Call for by diligent Prayer And if you take not this Course you must needs have wretched Lean and Starved Souls When as you cannot do the things that please God without his Help and he will not so Help you without your Prayers And O Good God! what will such do when thou shalt Visit Now they may Pray and will not And in the time of their Extremity tho' they would Pray they Cannot Either they lye then Stupid Lumps of Flesh Insensible of their Case not seeing how Dangerous and doleful it is with them Or when Distress and Anguish comes upon them to awaken and rouze them and make them cry out for Help They may justly fear to be put off and Rejected of the Lord according to his Threat Prov. 1.28 and to have not only their Prayers Despised bur their Souls Abhorred On the other side Nothing is so Influential to make us Wise and Good and Great with God as our daily Corresponding with Him who is Infinite Wisdom and the Chiefest Good Such a holy Habit of Worship and Prayer dresses us up for Glory everlasting where we shall Adore the most Blessed Eternally For this Life is as our Apprentice ship to Learn our Trades and train us up to bear a Part with all the Heavenly Host And Prayer is Sweetness all the way and Heaven at the End O little do they know who are Unacquainted with it what Joys they Lose in keeping off from Him in whose Presence is Fulness of Joy Facility comes by Exercise and the Sweetness is found by Experience So that what was at first a Task after becomes the Delight And pious Souls would not be debarr'd of the Priviledge for more than all this World has to Tempt them with I conclude this with that of Bishop Taylor Sad is the condition of him that cannot Pray Happy are they that can and do and Love to do it CHAP. II. Of not Praying in the Places meet for Prayer SECT I. Of not Praying at the Church MUsick in Consort with the combined has a prevailing Influence and Joynt Prayers by their United force are like to be most Moving and Effectual To have gone with the Multitude to the House of God was the thing which David pour'd out his Soul in him to Remember when he was detained from Zion and could not as formerly Visit the Assembly of God's Worshippers He Envied the very Birds of the Air as enjoying a greater Priviledge than himself could be master of The Sparrow and the Swallow that nestled under the Sanctuary while he as a widowed Turtle sate Mourning in the Solitary places My Soul Longs yea even Faints says he for the Courts of the Lord. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still Praising thee A Day in thy Courts is better than a Thousand Psal 84.2 4 10. For this he so passionatly Longed To Come and Appear before God Psal 42.2 This he so earnestly Begg'd of the Lord Psal
more If thou Wantest Time to do God's Work thou wilt Want an Eternity to Enjoy his Rewards And if thou dost not Work the Works of him that Sent thee while it is Day The Night will be upon thee when thou canst not Work And then if thy Course be Finish'd before thy Work is done Thou wilt Bewail the Want of Time when too Late to Call Back what thou hast thrown away to other Purposes quite Forreign and Impertinent to that great End for which the precious Talent was put into thy Hands Even the men of greatest Business that had most to do in the World when at last they come to Leave it shall perceive That no men else upon Earth were more Concern'd than Themselves to Care for their Souls and Flee from the Wrath to come and Mind the Way to Heaven and Work out their own Salvation However they Turn'd their Heads another way and were all Taken up still about somewhat else and shall wish when Time is Past That they had Neglected every thing in the World rather than this One thing which is of Absolute Necessity to be done Here then Behold a Commendable Thrift and Covetousness To be Greedy of Opportunities for thy Soul To Engross and Steal Time from other less Concerning Matters for Prayer and the Worship of God Yea to Make Times for this Service whatever Business else thou Entrenchest upon And here 's the Unexceptionable holy Epicurism if thou canst hit upon it to be taken up with such sweet Satisfaction this Way as to reckon an Hour so spent Better than a Thousand otherwise bestowed Tho I would not lay a Snare for any ones Conscience in obliging them to Believe That they can never in any case without Sin omit any Accustomed Office when some great Occasion Intervening may call another way Yet Constancy in a good Course is a commendable Vertue and the Spiritual Life is more Orderly when we have our Stated Times which we will not commonly Break nor be easily taken off by any Trivial accidents Every day we want the other things mentioned in our Lord's Prayer as well as Daily Bread And the daily need we have of This teaches us also together with this to beg the rest Is he a Man or a Bruit that makes not Prayer the Key to unlock the Day and the Bolt to shut it up The Jews counted it the Abomination of Desolation when under Antiochus the Daily Sacrifice was Suspended And justly may we count that an Ominous day in which no Sacrifice of our Prayers has been offered It is as if no Sun had Risen that day and laves us worse than without a Sun Without God in the World When Prayer should be as the very Pulse of our Souls And even every Breath we fetch should be as a Breathing after God the Living God in whom we ever Live and Move and Are and upon whom we do hang every Moment for Life and Breath and all things that ever we Have or Hope for CHAP. IV. Of the Licentious Asking Unfit things PRayer is a professing of ourselves to be Poor and Needy That we have not so much as a Bit of Bread but what we Beg. And therefore our Gracious Lord directs us to Open our mouths in Prayer that he may Fill them with Good Yet the Liberty to ask what we Will doth not Authorize us to ask That we may Consume on our Lusts or Reak Vengeance on our Enemies To look up for Supplies of this Life is Nature's Prayer without Grace Yea the Bruit Creatures are directed to it even without Reason The young Lions roar after their Prey and Seek their Meat from God Psal 104.21 They that Enlarge their Desires as Hell and the Grave and are not Satisfied Craving their Portion in this Life their Belly full of God's Hid Treasure may have their Wishes with Leanness sent into their Souls And that will be a Canker to eat out the very Heart of all the Blessings They Live but to Eat and so all their Praying is serving no God save only the Belly Whereas our Lord hath taught us to ask Three Petitions For his Glory Kingdom and Pleasure before we speak a word of our own Bodily Necessity Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done And then Give us this Day our Daily Bread Spiritual Blessings should ever be sought First and the Temporal but for Spiritual Ends Not to Vnfit us for Duty or Hinder us in the Service of God but that we may Serve him with the more Quiet Minds and Cheerful Spirits It must not be Meat for our Lusts with the wanton Israel but Food Convenient which was the considerate Agur's Prayer And what is Convenient we must leave Infinite Wisdom to Judge be at the Finding of our Heavenly Father and willing he should Chuse our Inheritance for us 'T is the Blessing from Above that makes what we have Bread to Nourish and Satisfy and do us Good And the Prayer which Implores that Blessing Sanctifies it to us and makes it Ours and indeed The Childrens Bread But wicked Worldlings care not How or Whence it comes So that they have it They are not so much concerned to get the Blessing of Heaven as the Fullness of the World Or if they ask any Blessing it is only the Blessing that maketh Rich and helps them to Prosper and take Root and spread themselves and Flourish in the Earth They would only Serve their turns upon the Lord to get Deliverance and Prosperity that they may take their Liberty to Live after the Flesh and have the fairer opportunities to fulfill all their Lusts Their Prayers are but the Reakings of their good Stomachs and the Boiling up of their Lustful Appetite Health and Wealth Seasonable Weather and Plentiful days with Peace and Liberty to Enjoy the World is the top of all their wishes They give themselves for Proofs That Corah and his Company were not the only men Swallowed up of the Earth When alas Themselves are Sunk and lost and even Buried Alive in it Till Dead to God and quite off all Traffick with Heaven They think they can never have Enough of the World But they shall have Enough when the dust of the Grave has stopt their Mouths and then wish too Late that they had been Wiser and coveted earnestly Better Gifts But there are Extravagant Prayers which are Blasphemous to be Made and would Vndo the Petitioner to have them Granted When men Pray for God's Dishonour and their own Shame and Ruine and would have themselves or others Confounded and Damned They may find themselves too soon at the end of their Cursed Wishes And had they any sense in them and would but ever give themselves leave to Consider they would dread so to Dare the God that has Power to Kill and cast them into Hell To beg of God for any Wicked thing is not only a Profanation of Prayer and turning the Means of Grace into an Instrument of Villany But
Cant but Pathetick Speaking which comes warm from the Heart that is likely to be most Prevailing Especially with our Heavenly Father Who is not to be wrought upon with Rhetorick or any arts of Persuasion But calls for the Heart which is an Instrument that makes the best Musick in his Ears when it is Broken And Fineries of Language look not so Agreeable for Mourners and the Beggars which we personate in our Prayers The plainest Garb that is Decent best fits the Former And to the Latter we are inclinable to give rather when they appear in Rags than in Ribbons Jingles and Quibbles are fitter to be us'd in Playing than in Praying And it gives suspition that we rather Play with our Prayers than pour them out from a heart Sensible of our Wants and Distresses When we can be so Gay and Flourishing and vary phrases to set off our Abilities The use of our Words in Prayer being rather to Affect our selves than to Move the Lord No matter therefore how Plain they be so they be Pertinent and not Loose and indecent For we are not so much Affected with words that are Trim or Hard as with those that are Significative and Hearty He that knows the Poverty of our case will not reject us for appearing before him in a Plain homely Dress Nor Despise the Prayers of the Humble because they are of a course Thread and not set off with Laces and Fringes We may speak our Minds Down-right to God even as we would to our dearest Friend And not fear a Repulse because our words want a Flourish He speaks Elegantly enough that speaks but Intelligibly and Affectionately And when I Feel what I say and Say that which makes others Vnderstand and Sympathize with me That is the Happiness of Expression which best answers the Ends of Speech But if we think any thing Better than this we May use it Nay we should Because God is Worthy to be Served with the Best He that chiefly requires Truth in the Inward parts will also be Honoured with the Mouth And did not give man Eloquence for any thing so much as to shew forth his Praise 'T is too Morose to exclude all Flowers of Language from the Pulpit and Prayer because of St. Paul's Demonstration of the Spirit opposed to the Enticing words of man's Wisdom The Deceiver is cursed that hath in his Flock a Male and Vows and Sacrifices to the Lord a Corrupt thing Mal. 1.23 Heart and Head too must be at his Service And the Best member we have must do it's Best for him that gave it That which is called our Glory must be imployed to his Glory And when we speak not in a Bombastick Affectation or Tawdry Phraseology but in a becoming Politeness and Awful Grandiloquence such as speaks us Mindful of the Infinite Majesty we are before When the Tongue and Mind are turnâ—d to an Vnison and there is Melody in the Heart as well as Quainteness in the Mouth Pleasing to God is that Eloquence Such as have even a Natural Facility and Felicity of ingeniously Expressing themselves need not fear it will create any Prejudice against their Prayers to speak as Handsomly to God as they do to Men. Nor think that Homeliness must be Peculiar to his Service But rather Dread to pour out Crude indigested stuff to provoke a Nauseous Qualm and make the Offering of the Lord to be Abhorred And such as are fain to Study for it before they can attain to the Better way of Expression yet need not fear that the Artificial will profane the Spiritual part of their Devotion But may rather take satisfaction in this That they do not Serve the Lord their God with that which Costs them Nothing The Dr. says well That where God hath given Learning and Vtterance Pag. 143.4 He will not endure Men should be Accurate in their Discourse and Loose in their Devotions To put off the Author of every good and perfect Gift with Ramble and confused Talk Babble and Tautology Nothing under the best a man can offer being fit to present to God Yet I doubt not but the man shall be Accepted according to what he hath who strives to be as Accurate here as he is any where else Thô he cannot express himself at the Rhetorical rate of some Wits True indeed It is not the Simplicity of the Head Pag. 142. but of the Heart Yet God knows the most learned Doctor 's best weighed words to be but Weak and course before Heaven And the plainest Speech of any ordinary man that is Sincere and Devout sounds as well with him as the most Florid Harangue of the greatest Master of Language SECT V. The Liberty of using this Posture or that THO' Bodily Exercise profitteth little yet as much as the Body is capable of doing it can no where Better perform than in his Service who Framed it We are commanded to Glorify him with our Souls and Bodies both And some Bodily Distance helps to bring our Souls Nearer to God The Body is the Servant of a Servant And it is fit my Servant should serve me in the Serving of my Lord. He that hath given us Knees and Bodies to Bow down and Hands and Eyes to Lift up instructs us by our very Frame as well as by his Word how we should carry in his Worship The call to Worship is also to Fall down and Kneel before the Lord our Maker Psal 95.6 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is to Crouch even as a Spaniel before his Master We cannot shew the Inner-man but by the Outer which is to tell how things stand Within and by proper Words and Tone and Gesture and Actions to profess the Profound Admiration we have in our minds of the glorious Excellencies and infinite Perfections of God Men that cannot see our Hearts yet take notice of our Carriage And we must dread to Scandalize those whom we ought to Edify A little matter here may give great Offence And we must not only Look to our own Hearts but take heed we do not stumble others Thô we must be so intent upon the Presence of God as little to regard who else is present with us at our Prayers and not let any Company Awe or Divert or Interrupt us in the Homage we are paying to Him who is infinitely Higher and Greater and Better than all who compar'd with Him are no more than mere Vanity and Nothing In Company we are to Pray as if there were none but God there and in Solitude as if the Eyes of all the World as well as His were upon us For he indeed is All and to Him all Persons and things else are as if they were not at all Yet it is not under pretence of Spirituality to Slight those external Signs of Reverence which are so mighty Influential to raise our own Affections and to Enflame the Zeal of others Thô we have that Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Yet even