be heal'd Wash his Soul clean O God in Christ's most Precious Blood Conform him more and more to the Holy Doctrine and Example of the Ever-blessed Jesus Sanctifie him with all the Saving Graces of thy Renewing Spirit Give him if it be thy Will some Delightful Foretastes and Anticipations of Celestial Blessedness Hope towards Thee an Enravisht Sense of thy Favour Joys in the Holy Ghost unspeakable and full of Approaching Glories However if this be too great a Vouchsafement make him at least Willing to be Dissolved Fit for Heaven Full of his Saviour Empty of himself and of all Trust in his own Defective Righteousness and whenever thou takest him out of this World take him we Beseech Thee unto thy self into Everlasting Felicity Amen Holy Jesu for thy Precious Death and Passions sake Amen A Prayer to be used on the Lord's Day in the Morning Preparatory to the Duties of the Day BLessed and Glorious Lord God Thou Lord and Instituter of the Sabbath who allowest us Six Days in Seven for our Temporal and Worldly Concerns and hast Set Apart the Seventh only for thine own more Especial Service O how wisely hast thou Provided for both our â—ouls and Bodies For how would our Outward Man want Food and Raiment were not Days of Labour afforded it wherein by honest Industry to procure those Necessaries and how would our Spirit Pine away and Languish as to all Gracious Endowments were not Seasons appropriated to thy Divine Worship O that therefore at present we may Rest from the works of Sin as well as from those of our particular Callings O that we may be in the Spirit on this thine own Day that we may worship thee thereon in Spirit and in Truth that we may keep it so Holy and Sanctified unto Thee as that it may be a Pledge and Earnest of an Eternal Sabbatisme with thee in Light and Glory This is the Day which the Lord hath made by his Justifying Resurrection O may we Rejoice and be Glad therein with an Holy Rejoycing This is the Day which was the Birth-Day of our Hopes and future Blessed Expectations O may it prove a Day of Growth and Improvement in Grace of holy Ardours and Devont Enravishments Grant Gracious Father that we may not find our own Pleasure nor Speak our own Words nor do our own Deeds on this thine Hallowed-Day but may both Call and Esteem it a Delight Holy of the Lord Honourable O that Heaven an a Heavenly Frame and Temper of Spirit may be Begun in us Here by means of our pious Intercourses with Heaven amidst the Duties of thy Day We are Going O Lord unto thy House of Prayer the Place where thine Honour dwells O pardon us that we are not Prepared according to the Preparation of thy Sanctuary that we have not yet put off our Carnal and Earthly Affections Considering that the place whereon we are to stand is Holy Ground O do Thou our God vouchsafe to Go along with us into thy Temple by the Holy Aids and Assistances of thy Spirit Cause us to Approach Thee there with Reverence and to worship before thee with a Zealous Affection when we Meditate let us do it with all Seriousness Heavenly-Mindedness and Edification when we Pray let it be with the utmost Attension Faith and holy Fervour when we Hear the Glad Tidings of thy Gospel may it be with all Diligent and hearty Attendance on thy Word and Doctrine when we Read thy Holy Scriptures may they make us wise unto Salvation may we Read them with Vnderstanding with an Affectionate Gust and Relish with a Reforming Change and inward Digestion of them into Spiritual Grace and Nourishment O may this Day be added to our Share in an Happy Eternity by our Religious Improvement of it mayst Thou our God come Down unto us herein by thy Divine Influences and may we be Taken up unto thee by Devout Praises and Adorations Accompany we beseech Thee O Lord with thine own more Especial Presence thine own more Especial Ordinances and holy Institutions Cause us by the Spiritual food of pious Duties to Increase in Grace and to be Nourished up to a perfect Manhood in Christ Jesus Being Rooted and Grounded in Divine Love and built up through Faith unto a Capacity of Eternal Salvation How Earthly O God would beour Affections How Carnal and Sensual our Souls were their Thoughts and Desires alwayes busied about the things of this World Blessed be thy Name therefore that thou hast Enjoyn'd us a Season wherein to call off our Thoughts and Affections from things Temporal wherein to unloosen our Spirits from Sense and Sensual Concernments and allowest us a Sweet Converse and Communication with Thee the Fountain of all Happyness O make us more to value this inestimable Priviledge make us at present to Improve it to the best Advantage Cause us to hold a pious Harmony of Praises and Hallelujahs with thy Blessed Saints and Angels now in Heaven 'T is the Employment will be our Continual Joy and Blissful Recreation in the Regions Above O give us therefore to Habituate our selves to it Now and thereby partake of Heavenly Satisfactions even on Earth Give a Blessing to thy word Preached and to the Prayers offer'd to thy Divine Majesty on this Day while Paul plants and Apollos â—aters do Thou O God Give the Sanctifying Increase That we may be able Experimentally to say we have Tasted and Seen â—ow Gracious the Lord is we have of a Truth found how 't is Good for us that â—e have waited upon thee in the midst of thine holy Ordinances And then by these means of Grace being Train'd up and Fitted for Everlasting Glory we shall at length be Translated thither where the Exercises of Holyness shall Cease being means of Begetting or Confirming us in Grace and shall only be our Delight and Joy and Heavenly Entertainment for an Eternal Duration Amen Blessed Lord Amen FINIS Books Printed for and Sold by Thomas Speed at the Three Crowns near the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1693. THirty Six Sermons viz. 16 Ad Aulum 6 Ad Clerum 6 Ad Magistratum 8 Ad Populum With a large Preface by the Right Reverend Father in God Robert Sanderson late Lord Bishop of Lincoln The Eight Edition corrected and amended Whereunto is now added the Life of the Reverend and Learned Author Written by Isaac Walton Folio Conversation in Heaven Being Devotions consisting of Meditations and Prayers On several Considerable Subjects in Practical Divinity Written for the Raising the Decay'd Spirit of Piety By Lawrence Smith LL. D. Fellow of St. John's College in Oxford A Sermon at the Funeral of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Grey Late Vicar of Dedham in Essex Preach'd in the Parish-Church of Dedham Febr. the 2d 1691 2. With a short Account of his Life By
much Larger measure Wean we pray Thee our affections from the Creature which can make no Suitable Return to our Love which cannot Satisfie the Longing of our Souls and win them unto Thee who by thy Mercies preventest our Love by thy Mercies dost nourish and improve it canst fully Gratifie the Good desires of our hearts and wil't amply Recompence and Reward them O Thou Joy of Angels and Soveraign Happynes of all thy Saints Oh that our Souls cold Love Thee without Limits as Thou art without Limits Lovely and Amiable Oh that we may Love Thee for thy Essential Goodness in Thy self as much as for thy Derived imparted Goodness unto us Let our thoughts let our desires and affections zealously Embrace Thee and may we be embraced with a peculiar love and favour by Thee may still new Degrees of thy Love widen and enlarge our Capacities of Receiving them and as they Enlarge do Thou flow in with an increase of Divine Communications Convince us O Lord that those Excellencies which are Borrowed which are Imperfect which are variously Dispers'd in the Creation are all concenter'd in Thee the Original in infinite Beauty and Perfection and shall we not Love Thee the Spring head of Blessedness more than the Derived Streams than the lesser Rivulets of felicity O perswade us that we are unkind to our selves if we Love not Thee the Author the Treasury of our Happyness Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Alass we find our hearts Cold Dead and Sluggish in thy Service Lord Quicken Lord enflame them Enflame them with thy Divine Love Quicken them in thy Righteousness They have gone Astray they have wander'd after many other Lovers after the pleasures profits and honours of this world which have miserably Deceived them O fix them upon Thee who wilt everlastingly Love them Everlastingly Contiâ—â— Lovely and never Disappoint them Make holy God our Love of Thee an Vniting an Assimilating Love that We may Love what Thou Lovest and hate what Thou hatest that we may do whatever will please Thee forbear whatever will offend Thee conforming our selves to thine Image in Holyness O that our Affections could Ever continue such towards Thee as they are at present O that we may demonstrate the Truth of our Love to Thee by our obeying with all Willingness Zeal and Chearfulness thy Divine precepts by obeying them Vniversally Sincerely and Constantly to our lives End Then only O Heavenly Father can we have Confidence towards Thee shall we be Assured we Love Thee aright when we Love Thee for thine Own self when we Love Thee Soveraignly and Supreamly when our Love is so Exalted as that we may be said to hate and Despise all other things in Comparison of Thee O give us thus Zealously to be affected towards Thee Grant that the Love of thy Self may Crucifie in us the Vndue Love of our selves the inordinate Love of the World or of any our Dearest Relations and that being Empty of our selves and of all Confidence in the Creature we may be wholely taken up with Admiration Love and Delight in Thine infinite Perfections and in the Astonishing Expressions of thy Goodness and Loving-kindness to the Lost Sons of Adam O may thy Love Conquer and Over-power our hearts Melt them into Gratitude and Obedience may it Disingage their Affections from every Narrow and particular Good and Setile them upon Thee the Vniversal One Causing us to Love Thee Above all things every created blessing as it bears the impressions of thy Wisdom Beauty and Power and all mankind for Thy sake and in Obedience to thy Commands Preserve 〈◊〉 us Good Lord such Devout flames of a Godly Affection and let us be our Beloved's and Thou our Beloved ours to all Eternity Amen Amen Meditation XI On Zeal in the Service of God HOW natural a Consequent is this of the Love of God Zeal to please him Zeal to Resemble him Zeal to promote his Honour and Glory Where if not here is Zeal Becoming Where else can it be so Suitably placed Nay our Divine Services how can they well be Acceptable without it For where there is Sincerity of Intention in doing our Duty without which no Duty can be pleasing to Heaven we can scarce conceive Fervency of Spirit to be wanting unless through weakness and indisposition of Body And for the Service of God the most Glorious and Excellent of Beings to be a cold and Languid Worship how Great an Absurdity how Great an Inconsistency is this Certainly the Service of the Temple the Sacrifice of the Altar requires the flame and Fire of the Altar to render it of a sweet-smelling Savour To perform Duty to God with formality and indifferency of Spirit is neither to consider the Nature of the Work we are about the Greatness and Excellency of the Divine Majesty nor yet what Earnestness and Zeal the Care of our own Salvation exacts from us The Love of God demands our whole heart Soul and Strength and consequently the keeping his Commandments the Genuine Evidence of our Love demands the utmost Exercise of our Powers and Faculties both bodily and Spiritual That is not a Service of God which is carelesly discharged but rather an Affront rather a Contempt of him 'T is a doing somewhat in Religion to Still and Quiet the uneasie Reproofs of our own Consciences but not doing any thing with a design of pleasing God out of Obedience and Love to his Commandments or from a desire of becoming Like unto him in Holiness which Regards alone can consecrate and render acceptable our Services Zeal where is it due if not in the Divine Worship Than which nothing is of greater Importance nothing of greater Worth nothing more for our Interest and Advantage Where the safety of our Immortal Souls our Heaven and Eternal Happiness are concern'd there certainly no warmth of Heart no Diligence of endeavour can be too much Ah did we but consider God's Zeal the sounding of his Bowels and tenderness of his Compassion toward us we could not sure want Zeal and Ardency of Affection towards him The holy Angels above who best understand the Value of God's Service who know best how Exalted a pitch of Love and Duty an infinitely Good and Gracious Divine Majesty merits at our hands what a Pattern do They set us of Industry Zeal and joyful Alacrity in Religious worship And how does their intense and flaming Affection in God's Service Shame and Reprove our doing the work of the Lord negligently Can we serve either a Greater Master or a Better One who Deserves better our Services or who is more willing and Able to Reward them plenteously Do we pray thy Will be done on Earth as 't is in Heaven with a like Universality Constancy Fervour and Chearfulness of holy Duty and yet do we contradict this our Petition by a partial formal and undelightful Obedience Have we that pious Reverence amidst our Devotions which is answerable to the Great and Glorious Presence of God with whom in
thy allowance of Grace and the opportunity of making use of it may be over with thee Which God grant that it may not be Amen Amen The Prayer MOST Merciful Father Patitient and Long-suffering who waitest to be Gracious and yet whose Spirit will not always strive with obstinate impenitent sinners dost Thou O Lord call unto us Behold Now is the Accepted Time behold Now is the Day of Salvation and do we cry to morrow is soon enough some Days or Years hence will be as Acceptable a time as this present one Ah Mad-men that we are Ah foolish Self-deceiving Creatures who should know best the Day of our Salvation Thou our God the Author of it or We Who should know best how Long thy Spirit will strive with us How Long Thou wilt wait to be Gracious O cause us to Day while 't is call'd to Day to hear thy voice and not harden our hearts against thy Invitations to Repentance Convince us blessed Lord in order to a present amendment that 't is some degree of hardening our hearts not to hearken to thy Voice this Day That every continuance in sin is one Advance more towards final Impenitence a rendering our future Conversion the more Grievous and Difficult and our Confirmation in wickedness the Greater and nearer to irretrievable And in a sense of all this make us we beseech thee to Retire out of the ways of Iniquity immediately For would we be willing to be surprized by Death Judgment and Eternal Torments in an Impenitent State Would we be willing to be summon'd before thy Judgment-seat to give an Account of our Stewardship before our Accompts are duely Stated and made up If we would not O cause us then to give all Diligence at present to make our Calling and Election Sure to work the Religious work for which we were sent into this World while 't is Day before the Night of Death cometh wherein 't is impossible to work out our Salvation Is there Lord any one of us but would willingly Repent and turn unto Thee sometime before he Dyes because otherwise he knows he cannot be saved but who of us can be sure he shall Repent before Death that delays the work till to morrow For who can tell what a Day may bring forth Cause us therefore Gracious God to live every day as if it were to be our last for that we know not but it may be such Cause us to live so at present as we shall wish we had done when we come to Dye O grant we may not Dye with any Guilt upon our Consciences or any known sin unrepented of Grant that we may not put far from us the Evil Day and thereby flatter our selves into a state of impenitence and endless Destruction but give us Grace to use well the means of Grace and improve the opportunities of Salvation while they are mercifully afforded us lest we provoke thee our God to swear in thy wrath that such obstinate sinners shall never enter into thy Rest Let holy Father the uncertainty of the time of our Saviour's coming to Judgment either to the universal one or that of each particular person soon after his Death make every one of us live in a continual Readiness and Preparation for it that we may not have our Oyl of Grace to seek our Lamp of an holy Conversation to Trim and Replenish when we should enter in with the Bridegroom of our Souls Christ Jesus into his Marriage-Feast But grant that at what Season soever our Lord comes to call us to an Account of the Talents committed to our trust he may behold all our Debts to his Divine Justice ready Cancell'd by our Repentance through the Merits of his Blood and finding us perseveringly employ'd in Good Works he may say unto us Well done Good and Faithful Servants Enter ye into your Master's Joy Amen blessed Jesu Amen Meditation IV. On the Malignity and Evil Nature of Sin O Sin how common art thou and yet how little understood How Common and therefore how little Dreaded and Abhorr'd Did men consider and understand thee more they would sure Love and Practice thee Less Alass they consider not thy direct opposition to God's Soveraign Authority Rectitude of Will and purity of Divine Essence thy contrariety to the Laws of Nature of Reason and of Grace How thou art a Violation of God's Revealed Will and Pleasure in the Sacred Scriptures Writings which contain nothing but precepts Holy Just and Good and which consequently 't is our greatest Interest and Advantage as well as bounden-Bounden-Duty to observe and our greatest Disadvantage as well as Disobedience to break and violate They consider not Sin how opposite thou art to their own Personal Welfare and Happiness Temporal Spiritual and Eternal how Degrading and Defiling to their Souls and Consciences what an Ignominy and Reproach to our Understandings what a Violence and Affront to our Reasons what a perversion and wrong-byass of our Wills and Affections what a cause of Regret and Disquietude of Mind to those who voluntarily Commit thee how offensive to God how injurious to Man how prejudicial to the Common Order Peace and Prosperity of the Universe What an ungrateful Return thou art to the Divine Goodness Patience and Forbearance how thou art an offering despite to the Spirit of Holiness a Grieving a Quenching a total Driving it away from us a Crucifying afresh the blessed Son of God a Treading him under foot and accounting the Blood of the New-Covenant an unholy thing a Rejection of all the Merciful Terms and offers of Gospel-Reconciliation a rendering the means and instruments of begetting Grace in us ineffectual a choosing Death Eternal Death rather than Life Eternal Life a wilful Treasuring up of Wrath against the day of Wrath and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of a provok'd offended Deity All this and much more the Commission of known voluntary Sin implies and can we be so irrational so Vile and Dis-ingenuous so even like Beasts before God as to continue practicing vicious Impurity with Greediness after having thus weigh'd and consider'd how Evil how bitter and Lothsom a thing it is Oh is there no knowledge no understanding in the Workers of Impiety is there no Shame no Fear no Regard in them to their Everlasting Salvation that they drink down Iniquity like Water and Rush into the occasions of their own Ruin into the performance of all Wickedness as the War-Horse rusheth into the Battle fearlessly and inconsiderately Ah Vice how stupifying a thing art thou What a polluter first of our Souls and Consciences and after long Custom of sinning what a layer of them Asleep what an hardener of our hearts through thy continued and dayly advancing deceitfulness Thou Wickedness art pleasurable indeed in the Act but alass how transient the Act how vain and inconsiderable the pleasure whereas the after-Memory of thee is tormenting and much more exquisite much more Durable a Pain than thy vicious Enjoyment was a Delight
our Lives out of the filthy Sodom of every wicked impurity never so much as looking back upon them with an Eye of complacency lest the flames due unto them overtake us unawares Cause us we beseech thee to flee from sin by the awakening Consideration of its being the only way whereby to flee from the wrath to come O may the Eternity of Hell-punishments restrain both our Inclinations and Embraces from the pleasures or profits of sin which are but for a Season Give us often holy Father to Ask our selves these Startling Deterring Questions when about to sin wilfully How can we do this Great wickedness and by sinning against God provoke his infinite Justice and Almighty power to punish us Who of us can dwell with everlasting burnings Is it not a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Everliving God who is a Consuming fire Is it not a most horrid misery to be Eternally a seeking Death and yet never to find it in the Regions of Darkness and Despair O cause us to Dread and Abhor sin which leads to this place of infernal torments as much as the suffering place it self Cause us to think often on Hell that we may thereby be kept from falling into it Grant O holy Jesu Thou who art the Resurrection and the Life that we may never fall into the bitter pains of Eternal Death What else can expose us as sewel to Hell flames but our Sins They are the combustible matter which the fire which cannot be Quenched will ever be preying upon Give us therefore Good Lord to burn up that immoral hey and straw and Stubble at present and then the fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels will have no power over us neither will so much as the Smell thereof have past upon us but we shall be received into Everlasting habitations of Celestial Glory and felicity Amen Amen Meditation XX. On Prayer and the Powerful Efficacy thereof PRAYER 't is a Duty of Natural Religion and Worship the Obligation thereunto being founded in the Eternal and immutable Reason of things In God's Supereminent Excellencies and perfections and in our own Dependent Indigent Condition as Creatures We are born infirm and weak poor and Necessitous Beings in Condition Alms-People and Beggars and therefore to pray alwayes is a Duty incumbent on us from the state of our Nature as well as by the Command and Enjunction of God-Allmighty Prayer 't is an Acknowledgemant of God's Awful Transcendent Majesty and of our own despicable meanness and imperfection of his Sovereignty and our Subjection of his Self-sufficiency and over-flowing plenitude of Happyness and of our own penury straightness of fortune and impotency of his immaculate Purity and Holyness and of our Vileness and Corruption by Reason of sinning And upon these Accounts our Addresses to Heaven ought to be accompanyed with all Lowlyness and Humality with all holy Dread and Reverence Prayer being also a Duty of the greatest Importance to us an instrument of bringing down all manner of Blessings Temporal Spiritual and Eternal ought to be offer'd up with the most fixt Attention of mind with the most zealous Intention and fervour of Spirit with the most hearty Sorrow in Confession the most Earnest Desires in Petition the most urgent and yet Lowly importunity in Deprecation with the most Rais'd Joy and affectionate Gratitude in Thanksgiving We ought also in Prayer to Exercise an unshaken Faith Hope Trust and Confidence but however to wait with Patience and Dependance with an humble Submission and Resignation to God's will whether or no he shall be pleas'd to Gratifie the Desires of our hearts to Answer the requests of our lips And to induce us with the greater Willingness and Alacrity to set about this Duty of Prayer let us consider the mighty Honour and high Dignity accuring to us therefrom for is it not an Honour for us Creatures to be permitted to talk and freely converse with our Creator Is it not an Honour for us vile worms for us sinful Dust and Ashes to be allow'd the priviledge of having ready Access at any time to the Supream Majesty of Heaven and Earth thereby to make known to him our sins our infirmities our wants our calamities and distresses and hereupon to obtain the pardon of our sins the healing of our infirmities the Supply of our pressing wants the mitigation or entire Removal of our Distresses Consider also the inestimable Benefit of Prayer 't is the Channel through which are convey'd all our Mercyes the best Desensative against impendent Dangers and mischiefs against Divine Judgments and corrections for sinning The great Repeller of Temptations the powerful Subduer of our vices and evil inclinations the fruitful improver of our Graces and vertuous Dispositions Lastly Consider together with the Honour and Benefit the great Delight and pleasure resulting from a due discharge of Prayer for what can be more pleasurable than to maintain a constant Intercourse with the Highest and most Excellent of Beings Than to hold Communion by Addresses to the Throne of Grace with our Creator Preserver Redeemer Sanctifier and Continual Benefactor and hereby to have the frequent Effects and Emanations of his Goodness and Benignity derived down upon us and the Devotional Testimonies of our Love and Gratitude Ascending up again unto him What can be a greater Ease and Refreshing to our minds than to Disburthen them of the oppressive weight of Guilt contracted by a free and ingenuous Acknowledgment thereof by humble petitioning for forgiveness of the same by Deprecation of punishment and resolutely promising by the Assistance of God's Grace never to Re-act the like or any other wilful wickedness for the future In sine what more Delightful than to vent our Griefs our fears our wants our Anxieties and Distresses into the Ears of our Heavenly Father one so Tender and Affectionate so True to his word so mindful of his promises so Large in Bounty and beneficence so thoroughly Able so exceedingly Willing to supply all our wants to Dry up all our Tears to Remove all our Affrightments to Satisfie our Anxieties and Relieve our sorest Distresses Prayer rightly circumstantiated what is' t it cannot do It has subdued Kingdoms obtain'd promises wrought Miracles Stopt the Mouths of Lions Quench'd the violence of fire out of weakness made Men Strong Rais'd the Dead to Life again It makes at present through the meritorious Mediation of our Saviour peace both in Heaven and Earth unlocks the Gates of Divine Mercy rifles the Celestial Treasury brings down much of its rich Stores unto us has power both with God and Man and mightily prevails Rendring both yielding entreatable compassionate Prayer 't is another Jacobs Ladder which maintains a mutual Commerce and Correspondency between Heaven and Earth 't is a Burning-Glass of Divine Love wherein all the heats and warmths of a servently pious Soul are concenter'd wherein it exerciseth all its Grace with the greatest vigour and Activity Exerciseth its profoundest Humility towards
God its firmest Dependance on him for Supplies and Belief its heartyest Sorrow for Sin its strongest Faith in Divine Mercy it 's most assured Hope in a Saviour its most earnest pantings and breathings after Heavenly Communications its most ardent Love entire Reâ—ignation and Expectant pâ—â—everâ—â—ce in well-doing And of all the parts of Prayer none more Noble and Generous none more endearing and Acceptable unto God because none more Disinterested and unmercenary than Praise and Thanksgiving Petition respects Good things to come which we stand in Need of Deprecation Regards the keeping off or Removal of those Evils which we apprehend our Sins have righteously deserved and therefore Self-Interest as well as Religious Inclination put us upon the frequent use of these parts of Prayer but Praise respecting purely an Admiration and awful Extolling of the Divine perfections and Thanksgiving being the making a Grateful Return to God for his manifold favours and Loving kindnesses past and Gone Praise and Thanksgiving are hereupon the more undesigning the more free and unselfish acts of Devotion and consequently the more valuable and worthy in themselves the more Approved of and well-pleasing to Heaven And indeed what more Just and Reasonable what more becoming and Suitable as well as Joyous and Delightsome a thing than to be Thankful for Divine blessings received Ah since the whole World is but one large Store-house one Magazine and Treasury of Heavenly Love and beneficence how ought the World hereupon to be one large Temple one Universal Quire of Devout Praises and Hallelujahs Of Thanksgivings as Zealous Fervent and Affectionate as the Divine benefactions which we enjoy are Great Prizable and Important How ought our fire of Devotion to be like that of the Vestal Virgins perpetual and unexpiring How ought the Glowing Embers of an habitually Grateful Temper and disposition to be constantly kept alive upon our hearts though they are not ever actually breaking forth into a flame And indeed Prayer let it have never so much LIght never so much Quickness of thought and Lustre of Expression yet if it have not also warmth and Zeal of Affection 't is but as the Glimmerings of a Glow-worme or like those Shining Exhalations which make Men believe they are Safe Conducted when they are leading all the while into Bogs and Rivers into peril and Destruction Devotion if it has not the fire of the Altar will never prove the Sacrifice of the Altar such a Sacrifice wherewith God is well-pleased for 't is the fervent Prayer alone which is Effectual and unless Effectual 't is of no Value and Advantage But the fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man Availeth much it pierceth the very Clouds Enters into God's Presence besieges his Throne and Mercy-Seat and will not turn away will not give over its Solliciting till such time as the Almighty hears and gives an Answer either by a Grant of its Requests or by as kind and obliging a Denyal Importunity at the Throne of Grace in the Court of Heaven is not there accounted Troublesomness and Impertinency Clamour and Ill-manners as 't is in Earthly Courts but Heaven willingly suffers violence the force and power of Devotion is Delightsome unto it and the violent importunate Supplicants are those only who take it by force When Jacob wrestled all night in Prayer with God the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Christ Jesus Such was his Prayers prevalency Such its holy and Spiritual Charms that Almighty God could not or would not free himself from them till such time as Jacob ceasing his Prayer let him Go and Dismist him Gen 32. from 24 to 29. ver Since all our Temporal all our Spiritual Blessings all our Vertuous Abilities all our Vertuous Inclinations the very Beginnings the after-progress the Entire Completion of our Life of Grace depends so mightily upon the Aids and Communications of Heaven and these are only to be derived thence by Prayer and a Good-Life how Assiduous how Diligent how fervent and importunate ought we to be in the Duty Prayer 't is which Lifts us up Above this Earth lets us into Heaven Gives us a Delightsome prospect of the Glories therein makes us talk and utter things as if we had been there Prayer 't is which Spiritualizes our Minds purifies our Affections Exalts us above this World's cares or fears and Sordid Concernments Prayer which giving us a fore-taste of the Joys to come thereby conforms our Relish unto them makes us Scorn and Despise this world's mean Empty Entertainments hunger and Thirst after the Noble Satisfying Delights of another Life which renders us also fit Associates for the pure Intellectual Beings Above who burn with Devotional Love Gratitude and Obedience and whose Continual Employ it is to Adore to praise and offer up Thanksgivings to the Divine Parent of their Beings and Author of all their Enjoyments By Prayer 't is we hold the most Intimate Communion with God and lye open to all the propitious influences of his Spirit then 't is when at our Devotions that the Sun of Righteousness Christ Jesus ariseth by his Grace with more especial Spiritual healing under his Wings Dissipates our Darkness of Understanding mollifies our obduracy of Will imprints his own most Glorious Divine Image on our Souls Then 't is when engaged in Prayer that holy Men feel their hearts Glow within them as if toucht with a coal of Devotion from God's Sacred Altar now 't is that they Disdain sin and every Degenerate action Disdain even the Appearances of Evil nay even Innocent Earthly Delights And being Enravish'd with the Divine Love being transported with Celestial Contemplation every Vertue in them becomes the more Sprightly and Vigorous and every Devout passion arises the nearer to Rapturous and Seraphical So that in Devotion if ever doth the Soul make its most powerful Sallys Heavenward and become whilst in the body as if out of it having its Affections its Conversation Above with God! The Prayer O Blessed Jesu who didst instruct thy Disciples in the holy and heavenly Exercise of Prayer who not only permittest but Invitest us miserable and needy Creatures to present our Petitions unto thee O give us not only Leave and Allowance to pray but also power and Ability to discharge the Duty Acceptably What do we mean O Lord by praying if we pray not in the Spirit with all fervency of Supplication and Thanks-giving What do we mean by offering this Sacrifice of the Altar if the flame and fire of the Altar a Zealous Devotion be wanting in us Ah better were it we were otherwise employ'd if while we now draw near to thee with our lips our hearts are far from thee and so our very prayers become turned into sins O call then home our straggling thoughts fix our Attention confirm our faith raise and enflame our pious Affections pour forth upon us the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication that this petitionary oblation may come up before thee as Incense and this lifting up of our hands
unto Thee who art of purer Eyes than to behold the least iniquity with Approbation With what Joy and Thankfulness ought we to acknowledge this thine inestimable favour that thou who art so highly Exalted wilt humble thy self to take notice of such Despicable polluted Beings as we are For ever blessed be thy Goodness who hast made Prayer our Duty which is so much our Interest and Priviledge O how inexcusable should we be should we neglect so Great a means of Grace and Salvation Wilt thou O Lord Admit and Accept our poor unworthy Services and shall not we Gladly Embrace the Vouchsafement Since our Righteousness Extendeth not unto Thee since we only are the Gainers by thy Service which is its own Reward which is our perfect freedom O cause therefore all that is within us to bless thy holy Name Cause all that is within us to render thee most willing and Chearful Obedience But O God most Glorious whose Transcendent Excellency is Exalted above all Glory and Praise the more we Speak of thine Honour the more we become Sensible how infinitely we fall short of it O make us to shew forth thy praise not only with our Lips but in our Lives by giving up our selves to thy Service by conforming our selves to thy Likeness in Holyness by â—aising Spiritualizing and Enflaming by thy help our Affections towards thee in Prayer Yet Alass Alass how soon are we weary of this most Delightsome most Beneficial Duty of Devotion How much Averseness is there in us unto the Vndertaking how much Distraction of Thoughts and Deadness of Spirit in the performance What formality want of Relish want of Zeal and fervour is there mingled with the best of our Religious Services How prone have we been to Deceive our selves with Shadows of Piety and Devotion instead of the Substance With a form of Godlyness instead of the Life and power thereof How prone to Content our selves with the bare praises of thy Divine perfections which we have not had the Godly Ambition the Sincerity of heart to imitate O pardon the sins and iniquities of these our Holy things But besides the imperfections of our best performances how many ways have we presumptuously offended thee our God! By innumerable Omissions and Commissions Omissions of Duty Commissions of Evil by many frequently Repeated and long Continued acts of wickedness by sinful provocations in Thought Word and Deed against thy Divine Majesty O how often have we Stifled the Convictions the Reproofs of our own Consciences How often Resisted the holy motions the Restraints of thy blessed Spirit How long neglected the Great Salvation of thy Gospel How many times violated our most Solemn Baptismal Vow and Covenant The very Multitude of our sins is Enough to Amaze and Affrighten us to cover us with Shame and Confusion of face but the Heinousness the Baseness the Ingratitude of our mis-demeanours towards so Gracious and heavenly a Father so Long-suffering a preserver so Mercyful a Benefactor Sanctifier and Redeemer O how Grievous is the Remembrance thereof to us the burthen of so much wickedness how Intolerable O our God Strong and patient hadst thou not been God how couldst thou have had patience with such perfidious such ungrateful such willfully Disobedient Rebells Well for us is it that thy mercy and forbearance Exceed that of Man are like the self unlimited O the Riches of thy Grace wilt thou again Receive such prodigal Children into thy favour Wilt thou Still be Reconciled unto us Ah let thy Goodness let thy Reconcileableness lead us to Repentance to a more compleat consummated one and our Repentance may it fit us for thy pardon and Acceptance And not meerly for the Pardon of our sins implore we mercy at thy hands but for a Divine power to enable us to subdue them Set we beseech thee O Lord our hearts in such a perfect Enmity against all things contrary to thy blessed Will and Nature that we may never be Reconciled to them any more dispose us to such an Entire Affection to thy Commandments that they may become our Choice our Desire our Exceeding Great Rejoycing O that we may walk more circumspectly Redeeming the time because the days are Evil O that we may give all Diligence to make our Calling and Election Sure O that the life the pure unspotted life of Christ Jesus may be formed within us the hope of Glory Fill us Gracious God with the whole Knowledge of thy Will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding and Assist us with thy Grace unto the Conscientious practice of such knowledge Increase in us that faith which worketh by Divine Love which purisieth the heart and life and overcometh the wicked world Excite in us that ardent Affection to thee which may make us chearfully Do thy Will or patiently suffer it in all instances and which will cause us to Love our brethren as our selves for Christ's sake with a pure heart out of Love unfeigned not in Tongue only but also in Deed and in Truth Keep us O Lord pure and unspotted with the World Temperate Chaste and Unspotted with the flesh keep us Safe and unseduced by our own hearts lusts by Satans wicked Suggestions and Allurements Cause us to have our Conversation without Covetousness to have it more in Heaven less on Earth teach us contempt of Earthly things teach us to deny our selves to conquer all Temptations to live above the corruptions which so much abound in the Age Give us Patience give us supporting comfort and quiet submission in Adversity let a contented mind be instead of all we want and a thankful heart sweeten all our Enjoyments O that we may mind more the one thing Necessary that we may seek in the first place the Kingdom of Heaven and its Righteousness and whatever other things we leave undone we may be still working out our Salvation with fear and trembling Make us O our God more careful of pleasing thee fearful of offending thee diligent and industrious in thy Service more observant of thy Good Providence in every thing more grateful for thy benefits Received more readily disposed in all conditions to every good thought word and work * Stir us up we entreat thee to a frequent mindfulness of our Latter End and fit and prepare us for it let our approaching sleep this Night put us in mind of our last sleep our Bed remind us of our Grave and the darkness of the evening of the days of Darkness which shall be many in the Chambers of Death Lighten our Eyes O Lord that they sleep not therein but that we may Awake with the morning Light unto thy Praise and Glory Forgive those actual sins of thy servants which the day past hath been witness unto Lord give us a Godly sorrow for them a perfect hatred of them and more carefulness to avoid them for the future and whether we sleep this night in death or awake to the fresh Mercies of the following day O Grant that Christ