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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80869	An useful tractate to further Christians of these dangerous and back-sliding times, in the practice of the most needful duty of prayer Wherein are discover'd the nature, necessity and successe of fervent prayer: many objections answered, several practical cases of conscience resolved; and all briefly applied from this text, viz. James 5. 16. The effectual fervent-prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Being the substance of several sermons preached in the town of Columpton in Devon. / By William Crompton M.A. minister of that part of Christs Church there.	Crompton, William, 1599?-1642.	1659 (1659)	Wing C7033; Thomason E2142_2; ESTC R210127	70,200	187

speaking of repentance when men see and leave their whoring swearing excessive drinking their covetousnesse idlenesse gaming and conformity to this world when women leave their pride and vain-talking c. when both bring forth fruit meet for repentance and walk in that humility and soundnesse as is most comely for the Gospel then expect good successe from prayer and religious drawing nigh to God Ob● But when will this be It is a thing hath been long expected spoken of exhorted to by all sorts both Magistrates and others but yet to be acted I Answer First So much is this time * A solemn day of humiliation 1657. solemnly professed and this day invited unto viz. to repent and turn from our evil waie● and they must be grosse hypocrites which afterward do not join them seeing they have represented the persons and acted the parts of humble penitents and professed Reformists Secondly Thi● is the way whereby those that belong to God among us may be brought in Children of many prayers cannot perish Prayer and f●sting can cast out Devils and work mighty cures However it fall out to others it cannot but be successful to your selve● You that labor to join them shal not miss a return You shal have he●lth in s●ckne● plenty in penury pe●ce in war and who knoweth how far you may be accepted for others Say then What is the cause why your prayers with reference to your selves and the Nation to this present season are no more successeful Is it not because First These things are not joined in persons nor general in our Nation as with grief we see and hear It is true we have had and still have much praying but we have little doing much speaking to God little or no reforming among men no wonder that so many prayers are made and not heard whilst mens hands are full of blood howle and cry and yet rebel against God pray and yet grow worse and worse thus this excellent engine of a Nation is marr'd and proves to a people like the Ark to the Philistims provoke God to anger and does the people more hurt Praying without reforming is but howling Hos 7.14 They have not cryed unto me with their whole heart when they ●owled on their beds they assembled themselves for co●n wine and oyl and they rebel against me i. e. They consume it on their lust and sight against God with his own weapons or they assembled themselves and made no small shew of devotion but when the duty was over they go to their old courses again See Isa 1.15.58.4 5. Jer. 7.9 10.14.11 12. Wh●t Saint Hierom speaks of luxurious Clerks in his time that the grunting of hogs in the slye was more pleasing to God then their singing of prayers in the Church may warrantably be applied here To the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to take my Covenant into thy mouth Psal 50.16 Such devotion is but beautiful abomination Secondly Is it not because such as do join them for and to the good of the Land are some way o● other disco●ntenanced and troubled in most places and can we think to prevail with God what dissembling is this to speak him fair to his face both privately and publiquely and strike him in his fr ends after with words deeds and neglect of them If thou wilt take from the midst of thee the yoak the putting forth of the finger i. e. any way of disgracing contemning despi●ng the people of God and speaking vanity great sins in most places then call and cry and I will answer saith the Lord. Jobs friends dealt unkindly with him but to him they must be reconciled before they can be accepted Justin Martyr and Tertullian in their Apologies for Christians tell the Emperours plainly what was the cause of those plagues and judgements inflicted because Gods people the poor Christians were persecuted They may be heard for you awhile but you cannot be heard for your selves nor all of us for the whole so long as the best are proscribed and by mens tongues who think they have a Law for it so bitterly pursued Thirdly Is it not because of the cry of division and backsliding among us from God and one anot●er 1. From God and the purity of his wo●ship and service truths and commands what incongruity is it to cry unto God and run from him No wonder if he say Go now to your idols c. Is not this the ground of his dividing from our prayers As smoak drives away the Bee from his Hive so doth this sin drive God from his habitation 2. From one another We are broken in minutula frustula as Austin of the Donatists in Africa little little pieces little love and unity to be found so ne cry out for them but they mean by it their own wills And how many cast oyl instead of water upon the ●lames of contention Few study to be quiet and of an healing spirit some are for God and further reformation that Christs government may be advanced and established in his own house and seen among his peop●e others are for Ba●l and Romish Superstition a Samaritan Religion to introduce and burnish the filthy rags of the scarlet whore though unde● better pretences Some few are for truly good men others and the most in number are for wicked temp●rizing for●alists whose best piety is policy and faith fantas e and too many halt as neuters till they see which is that they may side with the stronge●t Now a divided multi ude either pray not at all or not for one thing and one another how can Christians sight and prevail when they are in so many divided troops If they do pray the● are slight weak and interrupted some cry one thing and some another for the assembly was confused Act. 19.32 and the greater part knew not wherefore they were come together as it was once in the Apostles time is often in ours This is the mors in olla like to the Colliquintida that spoiled all the pottage these turbulent waves overthrow the vessel of prayer and we see no return of our adventures Fourthly Is it not from our unthankfulnesse for mercies received and shameful barrennesse in improving them Because mercies have been fuel to feed our corruptions Spiritual showers have made the weeds of sin to grow the faster Such dunghilly hearts are in mortals that many times the more God shines on us with his mercies the more they putrifie the better he is to us have we not been the worse to him the more he loved us hath he not the lesse been loved by us As the Ocean takes in all the fresh rivers but is not a jot the fresher for it so are we insensible of what we have received and think we not this an intolerable provocation Unthankfulnesse is an hellish stop to future mercies A man that is about to pour oyl into a glasse if he see it crackt he staies his hand and saith I will pour no more oyl into this glasse The unthankful heart is the broken glasse not fit to receive any more blessings Unthankfulnesse was the sin for which God gave over the Heathens to a reprobate mind Rom. 1.21 27. It is related of the Romans that they made a law that if a master did free a servant from bondage and afterward that servant prove unthankful the master had power to re-inslave him The great God hath bestowed many mercies upon the Nation he hath delivered us from Babylon Egypt and those that had evil will to us innumerable are the mercies heaped upon England now if we prove unthankful we may not expect otherwise to be dealt with then to want an answer to our best prayers yea be re-inslaved and brought under former hazards Unthankfulnesse is a sin that makes the times perilous 2 Tim. 3.1 Q. What may be done that we may prevail more A. To what hath been already said I shall add here two things more viz. Constancy and Regularity 1. Constancy till you have gone through the work be not slight and carelesse nor weary in seeking God as sluggards in wo●k or cowards in war Prayer must be re-doubled and re-inforced like those arrows of deliverance 2 Kin. 13.19 As the woman of Canaan when denied and shews her self a woman of a well-kni● resolution And Jacob who holds with his hand when his thigh is lamed thus the Israelites overc●me Go● Judg. 20.18.23 26. They go up and ask who shall go up to Benjamin first a very careless and formal behaviour their multitude made them presume to ask rather Gods direction for the thing then his lewe and presence then they came again they wept and asked him leave which was somewhat more submissive and yet not enough Lastly all the people came unto the house of God there they sate and wept before the Lord and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt-offering c. thus they went through the work and prevailed As Dali●ah overcame Sampson so may we overcome God where neither love nor reason nor desert will gain constancy will 2. Regularity under which I comprise First Order that reformation go before your petition first amend then pray Reformation is the wing of the soul to fly heaven-ward one leg to help the soul to walk run to Christ As a man cannot run with one leg nor a bird fly with one wing no more can we get to Heaven by prayer without reformation This being done nothing remains to hinder or question your entrance at the door of mercy If you regard iniquity in your heart the Lord will not hear They do wel that reform though it be after they do better that reform pray together but they do best that lay aside their filthy garments before they come into Gods presence Davids resolution is an excellent copy for us in this case to write after Ps 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocency and so will I compasse thine Altar O Lord Secondly Rule what you do must be like good builders who first lay a good foundation and afterward ascend by line and directions from the master-builder For help herein is the intent of the whole discourse Gloria Deo mihi condonatio

to such fervent prayers hi● ears are open to the cries of his people The Aediles among the Romans had ever the door standing open to all that had occasion for requests or complaints Even so are the doors of Gods mercy open unto fervent suppliants He is that friend spoken of in Luke 11. Ready to hear when any friend doth knock God is not like that Idol Baal 1 Kings 18.27 Of whom Elijah said to his Priests when with much clamour they cried unto him but had no answet Cry aloud for he is a God either talking or pursuing or in a journey or peradventure he sleepeth Or like the Heathen Jupiter who when the Grecians and Trojans were by the ears was gone to visit his old friends Oceanus and Tethis The Lord is alwaies nigh at hand to all that call upon him fervently It was never known that God said to any suitor as Philip of Macedon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I have no leasure or go away and come to morrow if it were convenient and seasonable for him to grant the request at present He is as ready to bestow mercy as a mothers breast is to give milk he waits but for drawing It was the commendation of Theodosius his clemency and sweet disposition that it was to him as if he received a benefit if he might have opportunity to forgive an injury and such is the excellent freenesse of Divine bowels that the Lord waiteth to ●e gracious and mercy pleaseth him 4. He hath made many sweet and precious promises to such as pray to him with supplication and thanksgiving Psal 50. ●5 Call upon me and I will hear God will hear But upon what terms upon condition that you call seek and knock Mat. 7.7 8. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Yea Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name believing he will do it for you There is a promise for whatsoever you have need to pray for Who then is so dull that will not be quickned by those allurements so stubborn as not to be won so timorous as not to be encouraged by them who will not ask when his request is so graciously accepted so easily granted 5. Christ hath taught you how to pray Mat. 6.9 He putteth words as it were to your mouths and tels you what to ask He died and rose again to make way for your p●rsons and prayers into Gods presence calling you to come unto him with your petitions and he will present them to the Father 6. The Divine Attributes should move you whether absolute or relative Absolute as his Omnisciency Omnipotency Mercy Truth and Faithfulnesse his bounty and Glory all magni●ied by petitioners and excercised by granting requests Relative so he is called an husband a Father a gracious Lord as it was said of Augustus that he that dared to approach his presence seemed not to know his greatnesse and he that durst not seemed not to know his goodnesse All of God should encourage the houshold of Faith to come unto him in all zealous humility and devout reverence 7. The honour to be admitted his presence and to have conference with him Men account it a great honour to stand before a great Prince of the earth who is but a man in a greater letter and to conve●se with him The Queen of Sheba pronounced them happy men happy servants which could stand continually befo●e Solomon and to hear his wisdom 1 Kings 10.8 The Persian Kings made it a part of their great condescention to manife●t themselves unto their Subjects But what honour is this to stand in the pre●ence chamber of the King of Kings that Glorious Lord of all the earth to converse and have fellowship with him Consider it is a favour given only to a few even such as the Lord shall call and they are but few compared with the numbers that sit in darknesse and call not upon the Name of the Lord. This should move you to pray often and ever in earnest he is easie to be entreated and upbraideth not the oftner we come the more welcome and the more we acquaint our selves wi●h him the more good cometh to us Jo● 22.21 Our often addresses and requests ●o men may soon receive a repulse but cannot weary infinitenesse The Second sort of Motives may be taken from men and so 1. From a consideration of your selves 2. Of others 1. Consider your selves First What danger and losse growes upon omission of prayer as 1. Your outward estate lieth open to the curse of God to be spoiled by all or any of the Creatures It is the presence of God that must preserve our outward estates and make up a peace with us and the Creatures Rebellis enim facta est quia homo numini creatura homini The creatures rebell aga●nst man because he rebelled against God Now as Noble mens servants will draw in defence of their Lord and as Souldiers fight for their General so it is here God is the Lord of Hosts and they continue to this day according to his Ordinance for they are all servants ready prest to seize a sinner and to do execution on him and his as a Traitor and Rebell to highest Majesty Now it is Gods presence that can only abolish this enmity And how shall we confine God amongst us without fervent praying Prayer is like the Golden chain with which the Tyrians when Alexander beleagur'd them bound fast their tutelar God Apollo that he might not leave their City Secondly Your inward parts and faculties run all out of order like a wide wildernesse whereon comes neither Sun or dew or as a Clock that no man looks unto will soon be out of order and at a stand and as a sore wound which is not dressed or plyed with fresh salves will corrupt and fester so it is with men that neglect or omit prayer Thirdly It is one of the worst signes can be that men are and continue strangers to God that they depend on themselves and like the swine who eat the ●corns but never look up to the tree that bare them What dammage likewise comes upon a cold carelesse performance of it for so you mispend precious time lay your selves open to the enmity of the world who take you to be zealous men indeed and under that notion hate and trouble you and all this without any recompense from God because you are not such indeed And so often you pray or rather repeat a prayer in this cold formal manner you take Gods Name in vain Secondly Consider the benefit comes to the soul and society of Christians by fervent prayer which can hardly be imagined or uttered For 1. I● is ever a blessed means to mitigate or remove judgments what spiritual burdens the soul lieth under by reason of sin remaining within or enemies without It was Davids Catholicon in all his troubles and trials When you have none to complain to or ease you think what an happinesse it is to have such a