as great a joy and delight in saving the Life of its little Animal Play-fellow as Abraham would have had in prevailing with God for the saving of Sodom and Gomorrah from a miserable Destruction if there had been found therein but Ten Righteous Persons There is infinite more difference between the things that men ordinarily entertain their thoughts and pursuits withal and those which the Soul converseth withal in such Prayers as have been before described And so I have given an account of some of the general Heads of the good Effects or Benefits of Praying to God which I have hitherto proved by Reason and Testimony and Experience of all good men And now I desire men would prove it one way more and that is by their own experience or else disprove it Make we tryal of it our selves and that for some time together for the Effects may not presently follow take we some time begin now to do it to pray to God discreetly and affectionately with a holy pure and innocent heart in publick private secret see whether we do not grow better upon it Pray to him heartily and assiduously in secret for strength to mortifie any Lust thy Pride thy Revenge thy Envy thy Wrath thy Injustice thy Covetousness thy Vain-glory thy Uncleanness or Lasciviousness thy Intemperance and a Thousand other Lusts which may be troublesome and importunate to us so far as we are good or to the Divine and Regenerate Nature within us Pray to him for Universal Holiness Love to himself Charity Humility Purity and Spirituality of Mind for his forbearance for his Pardon Make thy report after some time I fear nothing more than a Temptation to boast too much of thy Success And as for the pleasure of it step â—â—metimes into thy Closet or any retired place desire of God first to dispose thy Mind that the Meditation and Action of thy Soul may be such as may be acceptable to him set thy self to make Acknowledgments of his infinite Excellencies and Perfections and the Instances thereof to all his Creation and in particular to thy self in making preserving providing for thee and bestowing upon thee the good things of thy Soul and Body such as Knowledge especially of himself and thy self of thy present and future States and Conditions any Goodness or Virtue that thou art not the most villanous and wicked person devoid of all sense of thy Duty given up to all Sin and Wickedness the means afforded still of being yet wiser and better God's forbearance forgiveness in case of Repentance present Peace Comfort Joy in well-doing the provision of Heaven and Eternal Life hereafter when thy Eyes are closed and thou art no more an Inhabitant of this World thy Health Strength plenty of Food Rayment Habitation all Conveniencies of this Life in order to a good and happy Life here and hereafter And not only make bare acknowledgments of these things but heartily love and thank God for them honour and admire him with all thy might and understanding firmly believe him to have been to be now and that he always will be thy best Friend if thou be not thine own hindrance Ask heartily God's Pardon for offending him and sinning against the Eternal Laws of Righteousness drop an unfeigned Tear breath out an unconstrained Sigh chide thy self beseech God's Grace more than thy Life never to do so any more resolve to use all the inherent strength thou hast come then and tell what thou findest how thou likest Once more When thou wouldst have any thing make thy Case known propound it to God beseech him to give it thee so far as it is just only leave thy self and thy request with God because he is wise and just examine and amend what is amiss in thy self that thou mightest not be the cause why it is not just for God to give it thee let us know how this relisheth and what followeth Say sometimes such things as these with the devout and holy Psalmist I love the Lord because he hath heard my Voice and my Supplication or because he hath delivered my Soul from death that is he hath saved my Life in such a danger or sickness suppose mine eyes from tears that is he hath removed from me or prevented those Evils which would have sore grieved me and my feet from falling that is he hath kept my mind upright and cheerful from dejectedness and despondency or he hath kept me in that good condition of Life from which I was in danger of having fallen or of being deprived of it the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of Salvation the usual part of the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving I will shew my self publickly thankful and call upon the Name of the Lord or Worship him O Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant Psal 116. Say further sometimes Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great Mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee Oh happy is he who hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in Jehovah the Lord his God who made Heaven and Earth the See and all that therein is He who telleth the number of the Stars and calleth them all by their Names who is of great Power and his Understanding is infinite Psalms 145 146 147. Make we tryal I say our selves see we things with our own eyes confirm or confute all by our own experience Let us not think it a thing not worthy our trouble to be satisfied in for it is worthy of our greatest pains Either we believe all that hath been said concerning these Excellent Uses of Praying or we do not if we do not as I said try we our selves whether our Nature is not capable thereof and God will not assist us for this is the best way of proof If we do believe it without trying then do we accordingly If we do believe this to be true and yet do not practise it must needs be a sign we are both bad and foolish that we have no mind to be made good or better no nor lift through laziness or slavery to be made happier or because we cannot have the comfort and pleasure of Praying without the profit of being engaged to be good we 'l part with that rather than be good and leave our bad Courses or any Sin we love in which as we are wicked so we are such Fools for our selves as if when we have a decrepit and infirm Body we should be afraid it should be made more sound and strong whereby we might be more useful to the World and have the constant pleasure of a clear Health And so I have perfected this Fourth Head namely
which though it be very true and to be pray'd for yet it is not the sense of those Expressions The sense of the Churches of Judea which were in Christ Galat. 1. Verse 22. And salute Andronicus and Junia c. which were in Christ before me Rom. 16. 7. is those that were Christians So also if we pray that Christ may be in us that he may dwell in us that we may put on Christ or the Lord Jesus add we by way of Paraphrase and more known Expressions that we may firmly believe Jesus to be the Holy One of God and his Holy Doctrine to be true that our selves may be deeply and constantly endued with those most excellent qualities of such Knowledge and Holiness Wisdom and Goodness which are the proper Effects of or according to the Doctrine and Example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which is the sense of Galat. 3. Verse 27. As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ that is at least have believed his Doctrine And of Rom. 13. Verse 14. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Hereby also besides the Sentences the true sense of those Sentences of Scripture may be conveyed at the same time which was most-what well enough known to whom it was written but is not yet among us as it seems So also when we make our Acknowledgments of the Divine Attributes in Scripture Sentences in Prayer let us choose rather such as are most plain and therefore most proper or as little figurative as may be As Thou that knowest the hearts of all men Acts 2. the searcher of hearts and tryer of reins Thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth c. Acts 4. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable That the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him That the Lord is gracious full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy good to all and his tender mercies over all his works Psalm 145. That he is our heavenly Father the only true God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ When we use those Expressions that are spoken of God A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the likeness of men it may be best to add at least sometimes some proper word or phrase for explication and prevention of mistake especially in vulgar apprehension For Example if we should say Thy Throne O Lord is in Heaven thy eyes behold thy eye-lids try the children of men Psalm 11. Verse 4. it may follow In Heaven are the most excellent manifestations of thy presence of thy greatness and goodness yet thou most exactly knowest all things here upon Earth and whatsoever is in man If we should say Thou Lord lookest from Heaven and beholdest all the sons of men from the place of thy habitation thou lookest upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth Psalm 33. Verse 13. we may add these or other more fit Expressions according to the Auditory Thy Power and Knowledge thy Providence is extended from Heaven to Earth that is every where To thee the effects of whose power wisdom and goodness are the most perfect and great in the heavenly Regions is also perfectly known whatsoever is here upon this Earth When we say God is angry with the wicked and loveth the righteous we may add punisheth the one and willeth and doth good to the other The Expressions of The Lord is full of compassion and slow to anger may be followed with The Lord doth plentifully and frequently relieve the miserable distressed afflicted and delayeth or forbeareth to punish sinners It is a very true and useful Rule in Divinity that those Expressions in Scripture which properly signifie Humane Passions applied to God they signifie only the Effects of such Passions I do not think but that the learned unlearned but especially the last often grosly enough and falsly conceive God with Humane Passions place and other imperfections Besides the frequent use of such proper Expressions will make it more easie to conceive the true spiritual and perfect Nature of God SECT XVIII 2. I Advise those who are capable thereof to Contemplation Consideration Examination that they may find out and observe particularly what may be fit and proper matter for each of the parts of Prayer before mentioned that they may judge and be satisfied concerning the truth and usefulness of each thing when it is useful and when it is most so or its seasonableness that they might also often reflect upon and observe the intention purpose and end they have in their Prayers purifie their hearts from all insincerity and hypocrisie that they may quicken and stir up in themselves those affections or inclinations which are fit and proper according as they see the truth and usefulness of things upbraiding and reproaching themselves with an unreasonable dulness and insensibleness of those things which they ought to be and are capable of being more affected withal If any of us have time or ability use we it to meditate upon God his Nature his Attributes his Actions as long and as particularly as we can to consider to judge to examine what he truly and really is and doth and accordingly to stir up our affections and inclinations of Admiration Honour Love Desire Fear Faith and Hope Obedience Submission and Self-resignation In Confession Thanksgiving and Petition the thing is yet more easie and in some measure may be done by the ignorantest and weakest For who cannot if he would take some time to look back upon his life upon what he hath done in his Youth in his riper age when in this or that or t'other place Condition Calling or Employment what was well what was ill done by him where he was innocent and sincere where not what he hath been or done the last year or week or day who cannot enter into account and call to mind the common Blessings that he and others do constantly receive from God and moreover particularly many favours spiritual of good Instructions wise pious wholesome Counsel and Advise good Example from his Minister or his Friends Relations and Neighbours many good suggestions and motions of Conscience that have kept him from wickedness or put him on to what was good temporal ones also of prosperity health deliverance plenty or competency or at least some degree of Necessities of this Life who is there that cannot reflect upon God's goodness in forbearance when he hath reflected upon his sins and the gracious offers and assurances of his pardon and forgiveness for Christ's sake upon his true repentance and inward habitual change and amendment of temper and life and consequently of Heaven and a happier Life after we here expire and leave this earthly body And so in like manner for Petition the meanest person surely may in a very little time learn to know much of what he would have and what he ought to have If any one should give the meanest and ignorantest person notice to let him know what he wanted and
take heed that nothing false is said by him to cause himself to attend to what is true anâ— important to awake and inflame Affections thereto by proposing or urging the reasonableness of them by upbraiding his Infirmity Dulness Ignorance Mistake Slavery in his Senselesness of the best things I think too that this Assistance is principally in holy Affections that is such as are rightly directed and moderated to the most excellent Objects and in their due Degree more than in Sense and Words also principally upon some extraordinary Occasion either for the great need of its being well performed just at such a time or the necessary want of Time and it may be of natural Ability of the Person if innocent and humble and therefore always especially to the innocent and particularly the humble and modest not to the lazie negligent weak yet vainly conceited presumptuous and proud Person I rather think that they have most of this Assistance who least pretend to it who least therefore wilfully neglecting their own endeavours trust to it but only modestly think it may be sometimes in some things and whether it be so or be not so do attribute all they are or do or can perform ultimately to God whether it be by natural Parts or habitual Gists or present Influence who acknowledg that all holy Desires all good Counsels all just Works do proceed from him and thank God that he is pleased to do any good to others by them though they should be very well pleased too if it were done by others so it were done If it pleased God to afford a greater degree of this Assistance to do good this way there is no good Man I suppose but would be very glad thereof and willingly receive it and thank God for it And for ought I know it may be afforded to the World in greater degree First in respect of good and holy Inclinations and sense of Soul called Graces and then in those Perfections of our understanings which are called Gifts before the whole design of Christianity and consequently the present condition of Man-kind here on Earth hath and End but then we must certainly know it to be so when it is The Badness the Pride and Vanity of many Persons their self-conceit swelling with a false opinion that they are so highly favoured of God Contempt of others because inferiour to them in this respect want of Humility Modesty Charity also Falshood Uncertainty Unintelligibleness to other Persons wise and Pious in the Reciter's Non-sense or great Confusion Trivialness and Uselessness of things and consequently the Pedantry or Childishness of the Persons sometimes also the mischievousnesâ— of things are sufficient signs in their degreeâ— Non-inspiration and therefore of the Madness and Contemptibleness of such pretences They are signs even of want of ordinary considerâ—tion Reason Judgment of Ignorance Duâ—ness Confusion Error and yet Rashness anâ— Confidence And where Prayers and Persons are bettâ—â— and the clean contrary yet surely full easilâ— may all that we now see be by the Goodnessâ— the natural Parts before mentioned and by hâ—bituaâ— Gifts that is those Faculties endoweâ— with some Perfection belonging to them by God's special Influences some time or timeâ— in our Lives without the special Influence â—â— the Spirit just then And we find extempâ—râ— Performances in other matters to be performed as well as in those divine Offices as in Orations in common discourse especially when warmed with Talking and Passions and yet these are attributed only to natural Parts which in some Men are very quick and lasting of great Variety conversant about more than ordinary things and may not unfitly be termed natural Enthusiasm Of which the bodily cause according to the Laws of union of Body and Soul which God hath fixed is Subtilty Solidity Copiousness of Spirits a well constituted Brain Organs of Speech and the Nervous passages of the Brain thereto c. I would try any Man who should pretend to be even a Prpohet and did even work Miracles by such Signs as I have now mentioned and they may reasonably in some degree over-weigh the greatest appearing Miracles themselves For I may have more certainty and evidence that some things are unworthy of God or that they cannot be done by oâ— proceed from such a Nature as Gods is then that any effect is caused by God's immediate action or influence for the Confirmation of any thing taught or affirmed and not by some natural and second causes And we see accordingly the Jews were admonished by Moses that even if one should rise up who should foretell things to come and yet teach that Jehovaâ— was not the true God but should draw them to other Gods and there is the like reason in all Truths as clearly manifested by Revelation or Reason he was not to be believed that God had sent him but to be rejected and put to death Deut. 13. v. 1. As for those poor deluded or Hypocritical Men who sit in deep silence a great while and of a sudden break out with abundance as is said of Non-sensical stuff or Prophetical Phrases cluttered together and then think themselves inspired by the Spirit most probably their silence was at first affected or if not their bodily Temper was only dull and after some time their Brains were agitated with thoughts and their Hearts with Passions or their Temper was fortuitously changed as most Men are apt to be silent and talkative once in two or three Hours or at least the Examples of others make them begin to talk too and to shew the Spirit comes upon them They may do well also to have a care there be noâ— something a worse cause when Men so proudly and wilfully expose themselves to such miserable sottish Delusions These few things I have at present upon the mentioning these Sorts or kinds of Prayer only briefly suggested If one had a mind accurately and particularly to determine in this matter a Form premeditated and extempore Prayer would be considered first absolutely with each ones conveniencies and Inconveniencies good or bad Effects in which again are to be observed the degrees of their Extension as to Subjects that is Persons of their Intension of their Duration or their Frequency in three words their degrees of greatness as to Extension and Intension and of Lastingness And then again they would be considered comparatively which had most or least Conveniencies or Inconveniencies for all things have some of both and whether the using of one of them or a mixture of all of them would be best to obtain the greatest Conveniencies or good Effects with the least bad ones A Method which is to be observed in the Determination of the goodness absolute or comparative of all things To do which to any good Effect Men must be impartial and indifferent to any thing but the Truth out of Charity to Mankind as in all other Cases of Controversie and Debate it is perpetually to be admonished and dispose themselves by
of their Desert from God as to challenge him with Injustice for neglecting them But God tells them plainly that the external Parts of his Worship of Praying Weeping Fasting Looking sorrowfully and sordidly were not the things that he had chosen to procure them any Favour from him but it was reforming themselves and leaving all the above-named Iniquities being in all Instances and Expressions Universally Charitable to their Neighbour not oppressing or tyrannizing being tender-hearted compassionate c. It was these and such like should cause their Light to break forth as the Morning and their Health spring forth speedily that is should make them a joyous and happy People And Verse 9. expresly Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am If thou take away from the midst of thee the Yoke that is Oppression the putting forth of the Finger that is Derision and Contempt it may be of thy poor unhappy Neighbour and speaking Vanity that is Lying or Fraud For by Vanity the Hebrew ordinarily expresseth Falshood c If thou reform and mend thy wicked Ways then mayst thou hope for and expect according to God's own Promise when it shall seem fit to him and that it will often dâ— that thy Prayers shall be heard otherwiâ—e thy Prayers and Confidence too are but Presumption and Impudence It is true these last places of the Prophet Isaiah and such like prove that which I have before mentioned viz. That Mens Consciences may sometimes so forget themselves be so partial and erroneous that they may pray boldly and confidently when they may rather expect the Taunt there and their Prayers to be thrown into their Faces that is their Prayers to be hated and contemn'd by God and themselves to be punished for their Hypocrisie and that therefore all Prayers do not always in all things necessarily suppose or make Men good But then they inform Men too which is the End why I have brought them that if Men hope to be heard by God and to have their Prayers granted they must be good and not live in the practice of known Sin or through Hypocrisie or Insincerity Laziness or Prevalency of some Lust above their Duty wilfully be ignorant whether they live in any Sin or no or slatter themselves in general they do not And those Men who know thus much by natural Conscience Reason the Scriptures and often attend to it which are most Men in some Degree or other though not all if they betake themselves to pray to God for the removal of any Evil or the granting of them any good will first be apt to reslect upon their Lives and Actions and promise unto God Amendment and Reformation of what they know to be bad in themselves and to beg his Pardon that they may with Hopes of Success pray to him and effectually obtain their Desires and to do this often and constantly surely will be an excellent Means for the preserving Men from all Sin nay to make them more sincerely vigorously constantly and universally better SECT VI. THe Fifth Way how our Praying may V. make us better and preserve us in Goodness is by Remuneration or Reward that is God Almighty may immediately or mediately reward our Prayers even in general being such as they should be God may reward our dutiful Acknowledgment of his infinite Perfections and our being affected with them accordingly our Admiration Honour Love Thankfulness Address to him humble Dependence upon him exercised in our Prayers with the greatest Blessings he can bestow upon us and that is with Increase Growth Strength in Holiness and Goodness When we pray unto him depend upon him humbly and in Resolution of Obedience and well-doing which also are Signs of our Acknowledgments of his Perfections even for any other good things besides Goodness as for Wisdom Instruction Deliverance from bodily Dangers Plenty good Success in worldly Affairs a peaceable and comfortable Life c. Then it may seem good to God sometimes to reward this Exercise of our Goodness or of those things which are such proper Means thereof with better things than what we ask and with them too eveâ— this principal one of all of preserving aâ— strengthning our Souls in Holiness in genâ—ral and in particular Virtues and Graces But much more still have we reason tâ— think that God will bestow this incompâ—rable Blessing upon us when we humblâ— sincerely and importunately beseech it â— his hands above all other things Whâ— we pray to him with our whole Hearts thâ— he would but make us sincerely and generously good holy Lovers of himself and â— all Persons to do all things out of an Unâ—versal Charity and Love never to gratifâ— any inordinate or immoderate Appetite anâ— as for other things we plainly are indiffereâ— to them but only so far forth as they maâ— be Instruments hereof of our being or doing good This is a Petition that argueâ— and acts a Temper of Mind than which nothing in Heaven and Earth is so acceptable unto God and therefore to encourage iâ— and our Desires and Endeavours after it especially if they be frequent and long it is the most likely thing that God will heat our Prayers grant our Desires make out Endeavours in some Measure and Time or other successful We have heard before the blind Man's Opinion and the common Opinion of Mankind That if any Man be a Worshipper of God God heareth him â—nd in this surely rather than any other â—hing Our Saviour to encourage our Addresses to God such as they ought to be hath exâ—resly promised Success when it seems sit to God and it doth so sometimes or else there is no 〈◊〉 at all 〈◊〉 and it shall be given â—â— seek and you shall 〈◊〉 knock and it shall â—e opened unto you for every one that asketh â—s he ought receâ—â—eth when it seems fit to God and that is very often and he that â—eketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall â—e opened Which our Saviour illustrateth â—y a Similitude of earthly Parents who â—ive to their Children upon their asking â—ecessary or convenient things how much more will God who is infinitely wiser and â—etter to us and loves us all more with a Love of Benevolence than our earthly Parents can do give them unto us What Man is there c. Matt. 7. to Verse 12. The â—ame we have in St. Luke Chap. 11. Verse 13. Where it is How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him In David's Psalms are many places to this purpose Psalm 145. Verse 18 19. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him in Truth He will fulfil the Desires of them that fear him he also will hear their Cry and will save them Nothing more ordinary than for the Apostles in their Epistles to pray for their Disciples and Believers thâ— were their Charge that they might increâ— and be strengthned in Holiness and Gâ—ness