heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few And this Text in the margin quotes another to the same purpose Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise Thirdly From the custom of the Heathen as it follows Vse not vain repetitions as the Heathen do It was the manner of the Heathen saith the ordinary Gloss out of Cyprian to endeavour rather to be eloquent than devout in their prayers and to be loud and clamorous rather than fervent and zealous And example whereof we have 1 Kings 18.27 where Elijah mocks the Priests of Baal calling upon their Pagan Deities Cry aloud for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or he is in a journey or peradventure he is asleep and must be awaked And accordingly they cryed aloud thinking as our Saviour here saith that they should be heard for their much speaking And therefore as it follows v. 18. Be not like unto them It is a shame for Christians in the worship of the True God to be like the Heathen in the worship of their false and feigned Deities Our duty is to endeavour more for humility purity and fervency in heart than for glib nimble and voluble tongues to pray not with multitude of words and variety of phrases but with pertinent and pithy expressions with ardency and godly zeal and the reason follows For Your heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask him He is every where present and knoweth all things even the secrets of all hearts and therefore to court him with long and loud Peayers implies our ignorance or misbelief of his perfections Against such extravagancy in prayers our Lord prescribes us a Form with command saying After this manner tray ye vers 9. i.e. as from the context is manifest not after the manner of the Heathen who think to be heard for their much speaking but after this manner i. e. in few words and such as are pithy and to purpose And That t is the meaning of our Lord in this place that all our Prayers should be short and not much exceeding the length of the Pattern he hath given us is manifest 1. Not only from the Context impartially weigh'd and understood but 2. From the practice of Christ's Church which is undeniably the best and surest Interpreter of Christ's meaning in his words And all the Prayers of the Church of Christ are and ever were such in all Ages in all places amongst all persons that are called Christians their Liturgies or Publick prayers are short and pithy called therefore Collects as being so many Collections of much matter in few words 3. Such are all the Prayers of the Holy and True Spirit of God which stand upon record in Holy Writ both for use and imitation viz. the whole Book of Psalms with many more all which though some of them be long as to the whole Psalm or Hymn yet they are divided by Verses into so many shorter Prayers 4. Long Prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of the Hypocrites Matth. 23.14 Mar. 12.40 Luke 12.47 5. By long and manifold sad experience t is well known and hath been often observed That all long conceived prayers have been guilty of manifold infirmities light vain and unseemly expressions not fitting to be offered up to the All wise All-glorious Majesty of Heaven yea many falshoods many impieties and profanations have been uttered in such kind of prayers and what have been contradictory to the Religious Duties we owe to God and men 6. If it be here said How can we be too long in our Prayers since our Lord continued all night in prayer Luke 6.12 and saith also that we ought always to pray and not to faint Luke 18.1 and his Apostle commands Continue in Prayers and watch Col. 4.2 and pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5.17 and how can these Commands be obey'd without long prayer Answ To this I answer that there is a great difference between long prayers and praying long The one is unlawful because forbidden and reprov'd by our Lord the other is a Religious Duty because both commanded and practis'd by him and therefore St. Augustin saith Oratio plus gemitibus quà m sermonibus agitur plus fletu quà m afflatu And t is thus The Spirit helpeth our Infirmities by quickning our Devotions and inflaming our Desires he maketh intercession for us i. e. as the same Father secretly inclining our hearts to intercede for our selves with groanings that cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 From which Text it is apparent quite contrary to the Enthusiasts sense thereof that t is inward groanings not outward bellowings the internal fervent desires of the Soul not multitude of words which is the proper work of the Holy Spirit in prayer The ordinary Gloss out of St. Chrysostome asks the same Question If we must not use many words in our Prayers how shall we pray without ceasing as t is commanded And answers out of the same Father That both are to he observ'd in our Religious Devotions viz. 1. That our Prayers be short And 2ly Frequent and continued So Christ hath both commanded and also exemplified in his Personal Prayers And St. Paul also That our Prayers be short but often renewed in few words but with great devotion ending briefly and beginning afresh leaving some intervals or spaces of time for the â—re-enquickening and enkindling the fire of fervor and holy zeal in the Soul. And it s added out of Cassianus The Fathers conceived it most useful to use short but frequent Prayers To be frequent that our Souls may cleave the more steddy unto God by often addresses to his Majesty To be short that we may quench the fiery darts of the Devil who is most busie to tempt us to dulness and deadness of heart in our Prayers which he very easily effects when the Prayers we say or hear are long and continued withont any inrermission T is recorded of those Primitive Christians in Egypt who were most famous for their transcendent Devotions and great Austerities in the exercise of Religious Duties That their Prayers we many and often night and day continued and yet that they were short also not only in their solemn Assemblies and publick Offices of Devotion but also That their private Prayers were as so many Raptures and Ejaculations or Defires darted up into Heaven For as the Father saith thereupon bsit ab Oratione multa lobutio sed non desit multa precatio si fervens perseveret intentio Let not our Devotions be accompanied with much speaking but much praying so long as we can hold out in attention and fervency FINIS Dr STEVVARD's Judgment of a Private PRAYER in Publick Relating to the Orders of the CHURCH of ENGLAND With an Account of
but not justifiable Customs One thing I shall adde more and it is a short Discourse How the Pulpit-Forms of Prayer were brought into the Church of England We must know then that in the time of Popery the manner commonly was to use the Lords Prayer or else an Ave Maria before Sermon so that when Edward the Sixth came to compose his Injunctions he made choice as he had good reason of the Lords Prayer for that purpose But because it was thought fit that the King 's just Supremacy in Ecclesiastical things should be at the least weekly published to the People it was thought expedient to premise to the Pater noster a Form as his Injunction stiles it of Bidding Prayer wherein the Priest was not to speak to God but only to the People exhorting them to pray instantly for such and such persons but he prayed not to God at all untill he closed with the Lords Prayer This was likewise confirm'd in the Injunctions of Queen Elizabeth and expresly call'd the Form of Bidding Prayer And when King James of blessed memory turn'd those Injunctions into Canons his Law runs Canon 55. That Ministers should move the People to joyn with him in Prayer viz. in this Form of Bidding Prayer Ye shall pray for Christs Catholick Church c. concluding always with the Lords Prayer Now let any indifferent man judge Are Exhortations proper Forms of Prayer Nay let a discerning man consider it well and it will appear that things there prudently spoken by way of Exhortation and Narration would prove very absurd in Prayer How fond would it appear to tell the great GOD of Heaven of the Kings most Excellent Majesty our Sovereign Lord Charles by the Grace of God King of England c. or as some do oft tell GOD of such a Lord Earl of such a Place and Baron of another and of his Majesties Honourable Privy Councel and his very good Lord c. And yet when we do but exhort them to joyn their Prayers such Clauses may not be unfit I can scarce think of any other way to defend them and yet t is true that this Form is there viz. Can. 55. call'd Prayer before Sermon and so it is because we then say together with the Preacher the Lords Prayer to those very purposes he exhorts And they well know who know Divinity that all kinds of Prayer are reducible to that holy Form but it follows not that the Preacher's Exhortation is a Prayer for that he then speaks not at all to God himself but to the People Indeed upon an occasion extraordinary it is a Prayer of no ordinary composition and therefore call'd the Form of Bidding Prayer both by a reform'd King and a very glorious Queen and yet de facto misus'd by an itching Puritanical party at first no doubt by Cunning and Design and afterwards as verily think for the most part by a mistake of that bad end to which it drove or by inadvertency of the Law. But it is most apparent that such forbidden Prayers are an especial means to eat out the whole English Liturgy A DISCOURSE Of the Difference betwixt Long Prayers prohibited and Continuance in Prayers commanded When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites c. Matth. 6.5 OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield Printer to the University for Richard Sherlock Bookseller In the Year 1684. A Discourse of the Difference betwixt Long Prayers prohibited and coutinuance in Prayers commanded THey who are true members of Christ's Church below are conform to the glorious Saints in Heaven above a Exod. 25.40 Acts 7.44 Heb. 6.11 they do the will of God on Earth as t is in Heaven b Matth. 6.11 and that 's undoubtedly the way to Heaven We cannot post bly lose our way thither whirst we follow their steps who are thither gone before us Thole Triumphant Saints in Heaven rest not day nor night saving Holy Holy Holy Lord God c Is 6.3 Rev. 4.8 Almighty Whereunto conforms the man after God's own heart saying O Lord God of my salvation I have cryed day and night before thee d Ps 88.1 Our Lord commends it as a duty incumbent that men ought always to pray a Luk. 18.1 and by his Apostle commands it positively Pray without ceasing b 1 Thes 5.13 Giving thanks always c Ephes 5.20 Praying alway with all Prayer and Supplication d Ephes 6.18 But these Examples and Commands are not so to be understood as if we should do nothing else but pray which was an old Heresy of the Messalians and Euchites e S. Aug. l. de haer I heod Eccl. hist l. 4. c. 10. long since condemned by the Church of Christ as being a thing impossible to pray without ceasing in the bare literal sense because this corruptible body presseth down the soul and corporal necessities do call for supply Neither yet that we should make long Prayers which is the new error and great mistake of these times the which though generally the most used and best liked as being set off with the paint of a seeming zele and pretence of the Spirit yet the unlawfulness of such long Prayers will appear if we will without prejudice and partiality consider that 1. They are forbidden by our Lord saying When ye pray use not vain repetitions Matth. 6.7 in which words our Lord means not the same prayers repeated as is falsly objected against the Prayers of the Church for thus our Lord prayed himself Matth. 26.39.44 where his Prayer was short and three times repeated And therefore undoubtedly by vain repetitions in praying is understood multitude of Words and variety of expressions to the same purpose or rather to no purpose since our Desires both may and ought to be expressed in few words and pertinent according to the pattern our Lord hath given us And that t is the meaning of our Lord when he saith After this manner pray ye that our Prayers should be generally formed to the length of his Prayer prescribed will appear 1. From the Context if seriously weighed and rightly understood wherein is manifest that the manner of praying by such a short Form is commanded in opposition to the Heathenish use of much speaking in Prayer 2. From the Parallel-Text in the Margin Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy Mouth and let not thy Heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth and therefore let thy words be few 3. From the Prayers of Christ's Church which are in all Liturgies of the Christian World for the most part of the same length and surely the general Practice of the Church is the best Interpreter of the Scripture 4. Such are generally also all the Prayers of the Holy Spirit of God which stand upon Record in Holy Writ viz. the Book of Psalms with many more We meet with none that are of such a continued length as are in use amongst us but they are all
Several Short but Seasonable DISCOURSES TOUCHING Common and Private PRAYER Relating to the Publick Offices OF THE CHURCH By R. SHERLOCK D. D. Rector of Winwick and Author of The Practical Christian I will Pray with the Spirit and Pray with the vnderstanding also 2 Cor. 14.15 LONDON Printed for R. S. and Sold by Christopher Skegnes at the Golden Ball in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. A CATALOGUE Of all the following DISCOVRSES I. Of the Irregularity of Private Prayer c. II. Dr. Stewards Judgment c. III. Of the Difference betwixt long Prayers prohibited and continuance of Prayers commanded IV. Meditations upon our going to the Church with some short Directions for our Demeanour in the House of God touching some too-much mistaken and neglected Acts of Divine Worship V. A Sermon preached upon the Archbishop of YORK's Provincial Visitation at Warrington The IRREGULARITY Of a Private Prayer in a Publick Congregation SIR I Have sent you herein my repeated and enlarged Thoughts upon what was once the subject of our serious discourse wherein I would not at all disparage or in the least under value the private prayers and devotions of any person whether of the Laity or Clergy whether those prayers be by himself composed or by others whether they be premeditated or sometimes ejaculatory whether fixed or occasional oral or mental for thus and all these ways every truly Religious Christian prays and undoubtedly finds the benefit and feels the comfort of such holy breathings forth of his Soul unto Heaven in his private recesses But that any Person especially such who have entred into holy Orders in this Church of England should presume to use any Prayers in Publick of his own private conception whether premeditate or extemporary before or after his Sermon other than those Prayers which are by publick Authority allowed and published to that end I humbly conceive with submission to my Superiors to be unlawful in several respects First T is a disorder and confusion in the service of God For thus the Publick and Private Worship of God are confounded whilst those private Prayers which our Lord hath confined to the private Closer do yet contrary to his express command appear in publick and usurp the place of his publick Service in the Congregation The holy duties of publick and private Prayers as they are distinct in their own nature and constant use so they are distinguished by our Lord and distinct rules prescribed for the distinct and discreet performance of either Duty First for private Prayer Mat. 6.6 When thou prayest enter into thy Closet speaking in the singular number to every particular person Secondly for publick Prayer v. 7. But when ye pray use not vain repetitions speaking in the plural number to many assembled together where to avoid the Heathenish practice of much speaking or multitudinous words in Prayer v. 8. a short and most excellent Form is given us v. 9. Thus then publick prayer being distinguished by our Lord from private we are thereby forbidden to confound them in their use and practice 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order not preposterously and disorderly one part of divine worship undermining another and the lesser and more particularuty Dusurping upon the greater and more general religious Office. Secondly 'T is not only a disorderly but also an unreasonable Service and so not likely to be acceptable to him who is both the God of Order and of Wisdom And the unreasonableness of this private prayer in publick will appear by considering That all prayers offer'd up unto God in publick must be publickly known consented unto and agreed upon which the private prayer generally is not by all them that joyn therein Upon which agreement and not ortherwise Christ hath promised his presence viz. to hear our Prayers and grant our requests Mat. 18.19 20. Again I say unto you If two of you shall agree upon Earth touching any thing they shall ask it shall be done unto them of my Father which is in Heaven for where two or three are gathered together there am I in the midst of them whereupon saith the Gloss out of Origen This is the cause we are not heard when we pray in that we agree not in all things For as in Musick there must be harmony and agreement of voices or else it delights not the hearer so in the Church an assent and agreement is necessary or else God is not pleased neither will he hear the voice of our prayers 'T is this agreement in prayer that denominates our publick worship of God Common Prayer because agreed upon by common consent which doth presuppose that t is known to all that all may joyn therein So it was ever in the Church of Christ the faithful knew what they prayed for and this not at the second hand from the mouth of the Minister but before they joyned with him So Saint Chrysostome Hom. 6. in Tim. You that are faithful know what things are to be desired in Prayer because all Prayer viz. that is in publick ought to be common T is the exhortation of Ignatius Ep. ad Magn. who lived in the times of the Apostles and saw our Lord in the flesh That we assemble together in one place and use one prayer common to all For if the prayers of a Congregation be not known common and agreedupon then First the people cannot joyn therein it being little less than the sacrifice of fools for men to ask of God they know not what but wholly depend upon the Ministers unknown expressions Secondly A Prayer that is unknown before it be offered up is to an English man though spoken in English as a Latin prayer to him who understands no Latin for they are both lame and maimed and cannot stand with common sense except they make use of that Crutch which we so much blame in the Papists viz. an implicite faith to support them and both the one and the other do equally transgress that rule of prayer prescribed by the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray with the spirit and will pray with the understanding also Thirdly It is against both the Judgment and practice of the Vniversal Church of Christ no footsteps thereof are to be found in Antiquity but many Canons of the Church against it whereof some are noted in the Margin a Concil Lcodic cel Anno 320. Can. 15.17 ult Concil Milevit 2d. An. 416. Can. 12. Concil Epaunens celeb An. 509. Concil Gerund celeb An. 516. C. 1. Concil Toles quart Can. 2. Concil Venet. celeb An. 452. Can. 15. Concil Bracor 1. celeb An. 562.19 20. 22. Concil Vasen celeb 442. Can. 5 6 7. Fourthly T is a transgression of the Laws and Orders of this particular Church of England and this accompanied with the breach of that solemn promise which every Minister lawfully ordained hath made no man being admitted into holy Orders untill he hath attested the lawfulness of the Book
elevation of eyes hands and no marvel then that the one be so much applauded by the vulgar and the other slighted especially when they are perswaded by these Enthusiasts that Common-prayer and all the Ceremonies in that celebration are taken out of the Mass-book that they are but a dead letter and the invention of man whereas the private conceived Prayer is no less than the immediate influence of the holy Spirit of God. Object At least they say That Prayers read in a Book have not that quickning vigour in them like to the prayer memoriter and without book the one savours of the deadness of the Letter the other of the quickning Spirit Answ But in holy prayer it is not the words said whether written or not written whether said within or without book but the affectionate Zeal of him that prays That gives vigor and efficacy to this holy Duty and where this is wanting the fault is not in the Prayers themselves but in the persons that profanely slight and undervalue them the deadness they talk of lies in their own hearts which are not touched with the quickning spirit of devotion in the use of those holy and good prayers And whosoever ls more affected with a conceived than a written prayer thinks sure that the one is more immediately by inspiration from Heaven than the other and so smels strong of the Heresie of Enthusiasm Orationis sublimitas ex parte orantis non ex sublimitate vel subtilitate verborum sed humilitate devotionis affectu ejus qui orat pensanda est Jac. Alvar. de inquis pac I am sure to speak foolishly and impertinently hath been usually accounted and called speaking without Book Object 3. There be many Episcopal persons and such who both use and are zealous for the Liturgy of the Church do yet use private prayer of their own before Sermon the which surely they would never do if they conceived it unlawful Answ This is done t is confest by many persons of known worth and integrity some with good intentions to win upon such persons whom no other kind of prayers will please some that their private prayer may be a Pattern whereby their people may learn to pray in private and for these reasons I conceive this practice hath been and is still overlook'd by Ecclesiastical Superiors But in the general this custom is continued through inadvertency in nor considering and deeply weighing the equity or iniquity fitness or unfitness thereof nor can the practice of this or any other custom prove the same to be lawful There is a great difference betwixt a custom founded upon the principles of truth and equity Versat nos praecipitat traditus per manus error alienisque perimus exemplis sanabimur si modo separe mur à caetu Seneca de vita beata and such a custom as is contrary hereunto how plausible soever Many persons also that are eminent in knowledge and piety in the general may through long custom and many examples fail in some particulars through inconsideration Object 4. T is observable by experience that variety of expressions and change of Forms in prayer do more work upon the Affections of the People and stir up their Devotions than one and the same constant standing Form. Answ 1. This doth more tickle the itching ears of the people indeed and the itching of the ears comes from the corruption of the heart And surely their devotion is very cold that must be warmed by variety of expressions the which in preaching may be commendable but not in praying except by way of private ejaculations it being one great design of Exhortations and moving ing admonitions in Sermons to excite their Affections to what is taught and exhorted unto whereas holy Prayer is not the cause but the effect and issue of devout Affections and t is then only acceptable unto God when it comes from a heart replete with humility compunction fervor and Divine love which do necessarily infer foreknowledge of the Prayers we use that they be such as whereby our devout Affections may be expressed Answ 2. It is generally observed by the Masters of Mystical Theology and Spiritual Life that there is a sensible Devotion which begins in the sensitive Nature producing tenderness of spirit drawing often sighs from the bosome and tears from the eyes and begets a secret delectation and sweetness in the soul with which many persons are much taken and transported as conceiving such pleasing delights in Prayer to be no other than the influences of the holy Spirit of God. And yet this exterior pleasure of a sensible Devotion is not always a sign of a * Jac. Alba. de inquis pac lib. 2. par 3. cap. 3. Sanct. Soph. Tract 3. serm 2. c. 5. sound and right temper of holiness in the soul Because First many wicked irregenerate persons may and have enjoyed the same Secondly it may proceed from the natural temper Thirdly from the vehement intention of the mind Fourthly from the mournful tone cadence of words and power of language And such sensible delights even in Prayer are sometimes the insinuations and illusions of the Evil spirit to puff up the soul with self-love vain-glory presumption in Gods favour and contempt of others I deny not but such sensible consolations are often the influences of the holy and true Spirit given us for our encouragement in holy and divine Offices in the love of God and obediener But there is great discretion and humility also required in the use we make of them neither are we over-highly to esteem of them as the Casuist * Consolationes sensibiles quumvis non sunt despiciendae non sunt tamen supra modum aestimandae quia nec verae virtutes nec solidarum virtutum effectus nec necessaria prâ—fectûs instrumenta sine quibus plurimi ad magnam virtutem ac mentis puritatem ascendunt Jac. Alv. ibid. observes Because they are neither true virtues neither are they neeessary instruments of proficiency in true devotion for without such sensible consolations many holy persons have ascended to a great height of virtue and purity of mind The strongest Devotions and most effectual Prayers are seldomest attended with these sensible consolations and sweetnesses which flow in upon variety of taking expressions for a great Devotion is like a great Grief which is not so expressive in words as a less moderate passion a lesser Grief also is wasted away by tears and complaints whilst the greater is both more silent and more lasting so the less and more weak devotion of the Soul is breathed out and wasted in variety of language but not the solid strong and lasting servor Such was the prevailing devotion of Moses when he fell down before the Lord Deut. 9.18.25 and that of Hannah when she prayed in the Temple 1 Sam. 1.10 11. Their words in their prayers were few and low unheard but their desires and affections strong and prevalent as being not
divided by distinct Verses into so many several shorter Prayers Long Prayers are forbidden by our Lord because such is the custom of the Heathen as the Heathen do Matth. 6.7 who mind more the Oratory and Language Tone and Pronuntiation than the Humility and Devotion of the Soul in prayer and t is much misbecoming Christians to worship the true God as the Heathen do their false and feigned Deities And Because they imply a false notion of the Majesty of Heaven and a misbelief of his Divine perfections as if he were asleep and must be awakened or did not understand our Wants and Desires or being otherwise imployed he could not attend our Petitions except in multitude of Words exprest and loud bawling for audience So prayed the Priests of Baal 1 Kings 18.27 and so saith our Lord of all Heathen people that they think they shall be heart for their much speaking which is directly contrary to the true faith of a Christian who believeth and acknowledgeth the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God as it follows in the Eighth verse Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask which Divine Truth is implicately denied by loud and long Prayers Long prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of the Hypocrites who love to stand praying in the Synagogues and in the corners of the Streets that they may be seen af Men that they may be taken notice of for Godly men desiring rather to seem than really to be Religious loving the praise of Men more than the praise of GOD. Matth. 6.5 c. 23.14 Mark 12.40 Luke 20.47 Joh. 12.43 To pray continually then is neither to be understood of doing nothing else but pray nor yet of using long prayers the one being prohibited by our Lord and the other condemned by his Church but in this and the like Expressions is commanded The intense Devotion of the Soul in Prayer So our Lord expounds his own Command that men ought always to pray viz. that they faint not Luke 18.1 to wit for want of that holy fervour and devout zeal which is the life and soul of an effectual Prayer And this same Celestial fire of holy Zeal in prayer spends not it self in multitude of Words and much babling of the Lips but is expressed in sighs and groans which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.8.26 which are truly the Breathings of the holy Spirit of God in prayer who dwels not upon the Tongue but in the Heart To pray continually enjoyns the constant and continued returns of this holy Duty that we lose no time neglect no opportunity either of the Publick prayers of the Church or of private prayer and Closet-Devotions upon the set solemn and accustomed times thereof remembring that the Time only which is imployed in the sacred Acts of Piety towards God and Charity towards Man is redeemed a Ephes 5.6 out of the all-devouring jaws of Death and dark Oblivion to be the Seminary of a blessed Eternity b Gal. 6.8 Mark 12.35 when time shall be no more T is to this end our Lord commands us to watch and pray by our constant prayers at Evening at Midnight at the Cock-crowing and in the Morning to watch for the coming of our Lord to put an end to Time and to all that is by Time limited and circumscribed That we ought always to pray i. e. say the Fathers upon the Text at those appointed Hours observed by the Church of God both under the Law called therefore the Hours of the Temple and under the Gospel called the Canonical Hours so generally observed formerly of all devout Christians that St. Hierome Epist ad Eustor with his Quis nescit takes it for granted that no Godly Christian is either ignorant or negligent in the observation of such Hours as being probably observed by holy David or from his example derived saying of his own daily practice Psal 119.164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments To continue in prayer is to have our Hearts so inflamed with the love of God as to be in a continual disposition to pray and this not only at all set and accustomed times but at all times and upon all occasions and objects presented to raise up our souls upon the Spiritual wings of holy Meditations celestial Affections devout Colloquies and Ejaculatory converses with Heaven Thus Enoch walked with God and was translated Gen. 5.24 Heb. 11.5 Thus King David professeth I have set God always before me Psal 16.9 And I will give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth Ps 34.1 No time omitted Evening and Morning and Noon-day Ps 55.17 18. Early and late Ps 63.1.7 No place pretermitted in the Wilderness in the land of Jordan and the unbeaten paths of Hermon Ps 42.8 T is the great and constant imployment of a true Christian's life to depend upon God to fix all our Hopes all our Joy and Consolation all that we can reasonably desire to enjoy conducing to our happiness both in this and in the other world in God alone who is the Beginning the Mean and the End of our Being In the first and purest times of Christianity while the blood of Christ was yet warm and more inflamed the Souls of true Believers than in these later and colder times then were the hearts of the Religious continually in Heaven by holy and Divine Aspirations even when their hands were imployed in any and every of their works upon earth So the Divine Ephrem Sive opereris sive sedeas sive comedas In all thy works even in Bating and Drinking and Travelling sitting going standing lying Pray without ceasing Take hint from every thing thon seest hearest tastest to lift up thy heart unto God and refer all to his glory T is recorded of St. Bartholomew the Apostle that he prayed an hundred times in a day and an hundred times in the night also Ephrem tom 1. Homil. de Orando Deum So the great St. Basil Hom. in S. Jude So St. Chrysost Hom. 23. in Mat. St. Hierom professeth of himself that often on the tops of Mountains and in hollow Valleys and craggy Rocks with eyes lifted up to Heaven and flowing with tears he poured forth his soul in holy prayers and meditations S. Hierom. Ep. ad Eustor So meditates S. Austin also Te Domine mediter per dies sine cessatione Te sentiam per soporem in nocte Te alloquar Aug. Med. O that I could meditate upon Thee O Lord through the whole day and not cease to be affected with thee in the night my spirit speaking unto thee and my mind conversing with thee alway and alone Blessed are they who think of nothing speak of nothing but the Lord who love nothing above thee desire nothing besides thee Blessed are they whose Hope alone is the Lord and all whose Work is Prayer And
that you are now upon entrance into the Presence chamber of the great King of the World whose Throne of Glory is in Heaven above but his Throne of Grace in his Temple here below Say then within your self Surely the Lord is in this place How dreadful is this place This is none other but the house of God this is the gate of heaven Gen. 28.16 17. How amiable are thy Dwellings thou Lord of hosts My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God. Yea the Sparrow hath found her an house and the Swallow a nest where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of hosts my King and my God! Blessed are they who dwell in thy house they will always be praising thee Ps 84.1 2 3 4. And most happy were I could I both esteem it and make it my greatest joy and constant labour of love to praise the Lord in his Temple II. When you are entred and view the Baptisterion or Font. GIve hearty thanks unto God for your Christendom that by holy Baptism he hath called you to the state of Grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ and humbly beseech God to give you his grace to continue in the same to your lifes end by the religious observance of that Vow which was so solemnly taken in your Name the which you must now perform that you forfeit not the great priviledges rewards and honours of being a member of Christ a child of God and an heir of the Kingdom of Heaven III. When you view the Pulpit REmember how many good Lessons you have received thence the which not being carefully practised will rise up in judgment against you in the great day of your Trial. Resolve therefore for the future to be a Doer of the Word and not a Hearer only deceiving your own Self IV. When you look up towards the Altar say VVHat reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will receive the cup of salvation offer the sacrifice of Thanksgiving for my Redemption and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my Vows unto the Lord in the sight of all the people in the Courts of the Lords house even in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Praise the Lord. Ps 116.12 13 14 18 19. Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning V. When you come to your Seat kneeling down pray I. Prayer LET thy merciful ears O Lord be open to the prayers of thy humble servants and grant that what we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually through Jesus Christ II. Prayer O God for as much as without thee we are not able to please thee grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts and more especially be assistant to us in all the holy Actions of this Day through Jesus Christ III. Prayer AND since by reason of our sins we are unworthy to offer up any sacrifice to so pure a Majesty grant merciful Lord both to me and to all thy faithful people Pardon and Peace that being cleansed from all our sins we may serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ DIRECTIONS relating to some parts of the Publick Worship AS soon as the Minister begins with the Publick Worship all your Private Meditations and Prayers must be waved and your Mind applied to attend diligently and to joyn devoutly in every part and passage of Divine Service considering that this is the great end of your coming to Church and your business there is to serve the Lord with your Christian Brethren in Publick 1. Therefore when the Minister exhorts you out of the Word of God to confess and acknowledg your sins and wickedness harden not your heart but with all possible humility both of Body and Soul say after the Minister in the Confession of Sin and to this and to every Prayer or other Act of Divine Worship where t is prescribed neglect not to say Amen for that is as it were the Seal to confirm to your soul the benefits thereof And the Hebrews have a saying that Whosoever says Amen with all his might opens the doors of Paradise 2. After the Confession when the Minister comes to the words of Absolution bow down your head and say softly in your heart Lord let this Pardon pronounced by thy Minister fall upon my soul and seal thereunto the forgiveness of all my sins 3. The Psalms and Hymns are to be answered verse by verse with the Minister that so all may joyn and bear a part in the Service of God for in his Temple doth every man speak of his Honour Ps 29.9 And here although you cannot read yet your Heart may joyn with them that do read and your Mouth also may shew forth the Praise of God by saying after every Psalm Glory be to the Father and to or else if it fall in couse As it was in the beginning is now adding always Amen to express how affectionately you desire the Glory of God. 4. Be not silent nor ashamed publickly and audibly to make Confession of the holy Christian Faith when you are thereunto called by the Minister for this is a duty you owe both to God and Man it is an act of God's Worship and a Declaration that you hold the same Faith with all true Christians and therfore t is required of you not only with the Heart to believe unto righteousness but that with the Mouth also Confession be made unto salvation And when the Confession of Faith is publickly pronounced do not you sit or loll as if it concerned you not but stand up with the rest of the Congregation to signifie and declare that you will stand to this Faith and earnestly contend for it as being the same which was once given to or by the Saints the holy Apostles 5. Be not so cold and careless in giving Honour to God as not to bow at the Name of JESVS for t is a duty positively commanded and universally practised by the Church and people of God in all ages And therefore give no ear to those deceivable Criticisms corrupt Glosses and false Inferences which are 100 frequently but profanely urged to make void the Commandement of God in the omission of this Religious Practice If you hear any such Allegations out of the Pulpit detest them the rather that any Act of Religious Worship should be spoken against in the place where whatever tends to the honour of God should be magnified and advanced 6. That you may not be tired with the length of Divine Service consider 1. the great variety of its several parts as consisting of Prayers and Praises Confessions Thanksgivings Invitations Lessons Admonitions all of which are with most admirable Prudence and religious Wisdom so ordered and contrived to follow each other that so the ending of one and beginning of another may renew and re-enquicken your
God to go before us for as for this man Moses we wot not what is become of him Numb 22.1 When the same people were weary of the Government of Samuel the Prophet and desired a King the Lord said unto Samuel They have not despised thee but they have despised me 1 Sam. 8.7 Whereupon St. Gregory Quam reverendi sunt Pastores optimi Sanctae Ecclesiae how reverendly to be esteemed are the Pastors of holy Church who whilst they faithfully serve the Lord in the Execution of their function they are so closely joyn'd unto him in the bond of love that the least slight disesteem or neglect that is cast upon them the Lord takes it as an injury to himself So said the Lord to his Apostles and in them to their Successors He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luc. 10.16 And this duty that the people should take heed to their Priests is commanded under a severe penalty Deut. 17.8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in Judgment thou shalt arise and come unto the Priests the Levites and that man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken unto the Priest that standeth to Minister even that man shall dye And under the Gospel also the same command is given Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls But notwithstanding these and many more commands in the sacred shâ—eâ—s of either Testament yet is this Christian duty slighted and generally omitted and especially by those who pretend most to the sole Authority of the holy Scriptures without any Relation to the doctrine and Authority of the Church in the Interpretation thereof There being many amongst us in every Flock who presume to direct their Shepherds guide their Guides and teach their Teachers who if they teach not preach not pray not as they would have them and consonant to their humors and opinions they will censure their doctrines contemn their directions revile their persons scandalize their profession and even snatch the holy Oracles out of their mouths and separate themselves into Conventicles where they may heap to themselves Teachers after their lusts having itching ears and they turn away their ears from the truth and are turned unto fables believing and delighting in lies and vain empty prophesyings which profit not as was foretold of such 2 Tim. 4.3 4. And having mentioned Conventicles I cannot but add a word of the danger of them not so much in order to the disturbance of the peace of the Nation leaving that to the Secular Magistrate but in order to the seduction of unwary and unstable souls into falshood and errors in Religion Verily verily I say unto you he that entereth not in by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up some other way the same is a thief and a robber Joh. 10.1 'T is the practice of subtile thieves when they seize on the honest Traveller to drag him out of the high road-way into hedges and by-places the more securely and without interruption to robb and spoil him so the spiritual thieves false Prophets ring leaders of faction and sedition do more easily seduce and robb poor silly men and women of the inestimable treasures of truth and obedience by drawing them from the open and Publick Assemblies of Gods people in his houses of prayer into By-places and lone honses where they may more securely breath forth the spiritual Infections sow the seeds of Schism and Sedition and whisper their irreligious Treasons under the mask of Religion In such places they may to their advantage vent and put off their counterfeit ware their false glosses and misinterpretations of holy Writ and make their Apocryphal Comments upon Canonical Scripture making the Holy Word of God to speak not what the â—pirit of God intends therein but what their factious spirits and wild fancies would have it That there should be such false Prophets in desart places and private houses our Lord hath foretold commanding all his disciples not to believe or follow them Mat. 24.26 Wherefore if they should say unto you he is in the desart go not forth behold he is in the secret chamber believe it not St. Augustine observes of the man that fell among thieves and was robbed and wounded Luc. 10.30 Si non descendisset If he had not been going down from Jerusalem the place of Gods Temple to Jericho a prophane and common place he had escaped that sad disaster To teach all people to beware how they leave the place which God hath chosen to put his name there the Temple and house of God to convene in any common or prophane By places under pretence of Religion and the performance of holy duties in such places 'T was otherwise with the man after Gods own heart Psa 5.7 As for me I will come into thine house even upon the multitude of thy mercies and in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple And with him resolves the whole body of Gods people Psal 132.7 We will go into his tabernacle and fall low on our knees before his footstool And not only this under the Law but under the Gospel Mark 11.17 My house not the houses of men shall be called the house of Prayer of all Nations Not of the Jews as under the Law but of the Gentiles also under the Gospel and 't is there especially in Gods own house that he has promised to meet his people to be in the midst of them to hear their prayers and bless them To teach them his waies by his faithful and true Pastors and there in a word to dispence all the blessed means of grace and salvation to them Deuteron 12.5 6.11 12 13 14. 1 Kin. 8.29 30. Mat. 18.20 Luc. 19.46 1 Cor. 11.20 7. But the grand excuse of the wandring sheep and the cry of many Orthodox also is The division of the Shepheards who being divided amongst themselves do lead their flocks into several divided wayes of divine worship And the generality of the flock being not wise enough to know what way to take or whom most securely to follow they hereupon heap to themselves Teachers after their own Lusts and with the Schismatical Corinthians 1 ep 1 cap. 12. vers Every one saith I am of Paul I am of Apollos and I of Cephas and I of Christ one man or Sect of men liking this mans way of preaching and praying another anothers way and others none at all but independently rely upon the immediate teaching of Christ by his Spirit And thus Sects and Divisions are multiplied This complaint is too true and such sad effects thereof too evident and if not stopt will prove bitterness in the end But would you know who be these divided Pastors or Preachers or Sect-masters rather the corrupt springs from whom all our polluted streams of divisions flow They are such in a word as first divide