43.3 O send out thy Light and thy Truth Let them Lead me Let them bring me to thy holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles This was the One thing he desired of the Lord and resolved to Seek after That he might dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of his Life to behold the Beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple Psal 27.4 But now alas where shall we find such A man after God's Heart How few such Flaming Lights in these last days to warm the World into better Devotion Our Church doors are Open but the Doors of Mens Hearts are Shut God Bows his Heavens and comes Down But they have somewhat else to do than give him the Meeting A Friend to be Entertained at Home must excuse them for Attending upon the Lord at Church A little Storm of foul Weather can soon Cool all their Zeal Or the very conceit of a small Journey quite Tire out their Devotion The poorest Trifles their very Fancies and Petts as well as Pleasures shall serve turn to stop them from the Church that would not be Enough to keep them from a worse place O how Small a matter will turn such Queasie Stomachs against the Food of their Souls which they have so little Love for And they that are most Behind hand in their Souls Affairs and have the greatest Need of all Men to Watch daily at the Gates and Wait at the Posts of Wisdome's doors use to be the greatest Truants here and the most slack and Listless of any to Frequent the places of their Improvement and duely to attend the Means and Helps that should do their Souls Good Such as can worst afford to be Absent are the most seldom Present They will rather Expose themselves to the devouring Enemy than come under God's Banner and Hide themselves in the Clefts of the Rock that his Goodness may pass before them If they must Worship Christ they will do it so as none but Himself shall take Notice Who does indeed take Notice That they are Ashamed to Own Him Before Men And so He will once Disown them before his Father and all the holy Angels The pretence is They can do the business as well at their own Houses when in truth they are too Stately or too Lazy to come unto God's But you must go to His House if you expect the Blessing to come to your Own For tho' Blessings have their Rise in Heaven they come to us thro' the Church Psal 134.3 The Lord that made Heaven and Earth Bless thee out of Zion They shall appear before Gods Judgment Seat to their Confusion that will not appear at the Mercy-Seat of his Temple in their Devotion And the Enemies of Churches shall once have occasion to Hate them yet more when they shall have another Erection at last and Rise up in the Judgment to Testifie against them And that which they now bear as a Burthen shall eternally load them with a heavy Remorse When instead of catching all Opportunities to Appear before the Lord they are ready to re-assume the hoggish Gergesenes Request and Beseech Christ to Depart out of their Coasts God knows how soon they may be Punished with their own Choice and turn'd out of those Churches which they so Slighted when they had them Yea they that are so Humoursome and Wanton they will not Worship the Lord in the Beauties of Holiness may fear to be for ever excluded that Holy Place Above which this below was to Fit them up for But there are who come to the House of Prayer not indeed to Pray but to Profane the Sacred Place and Affront Him to his Face who there Inhabits Sometime they give the Church their Bodies when Rome or Mammon has their Hearts The Intention of their coming thither is not to Seek and Enjoy the Lord. if they really believ'd Him to be in that Place they would less Care to be there or not be so Careless of ordering themselves when got thither But the Church is their Theatre to See and to be Seen There they can take their Ease and Divert themselves and not only Gaze about but Whisper and Laugh and make a Merry Bout even of that Meeting They Keep not their Foot when they go to the House of God Nor ever put off the Shooes of their carnal Affections when to tread the Holy Ground But carry even as if it were at the Play-House As if they came but to Air a fine Suit or to see how one is Drest Or how another Looks or Acts Which hath the best Face or the gayest Garb and to pick up matter for Tattle and Story Or else to loll and fetch a Nap and so Deceive the Time and cast Contempt on the Service The Church would be a Jayl to them if they did not take the Liberty so to Profane it They can never be Glad in the House of Prayer but when they Mistake the Errand that should bring them thither and find somewhat Gamesome and Ridiculous to make them Sport S. Hierom in an Epistle to one notoriously Scandalous for such Irreverence in God's House crys out Non possum ulterius progredi I want words to reach the Wickedness of this Abuse How then shall I undertake to Express it as it deserves May every one in Gods Fear beware of turning the House of Prayer into such a Den of Thieves where God is robb'd of those Hearts which are the only Sacrifice that he looks after Or to turn the Temple into a Stews where the fire of Lust flames above that of the Altar And impudent Goats are Intregueing for their lewd Amours instead of making their most humble and earnest Court to the Heavenly Bridegroom In God's House let your thoughts be Intent upon God The Market for Traffick the Hall for Noise The Stage for Vanity but as Moses left the Multitude behind him when he went up to the Mount So let all foolish Lusts and youthful Gauds and Worldly Interests be laid aside when you Enter the Gates of the Lord's House And let not the Coming to Church be a Counterfeit but Real Drawing nigh to God Nor only take on you to Serve Him but worship in Spirit and in Truth If you are none of the Scornfull Deserters that help to make the ways of Zion Mourn and her Gates desolate neither be any of the rude Intruders that tempt even the Stones of the Sanctuary to cry out of you coming thither but to Pollute the Habitation of God's Holiness SECT II. Of not Praying in the Family THE Church is the House of Prayer but not the Prison to confine it within those Walls nor the only House where Prayer is to be made It is vain to come unto God's House when you make no Conscience to Pray at your own In the Word God Serves us In our Prayers we Serve Him or rather ourselves upon him And 't is not what men appear Abroad but how they carry the matter at Home that
the same care one of another We are not indeed to Pray for the Dead whose Parts are done and their Final Condition already Determined And it is equally idle and Impertinent to Pray for that which Already is and that which Never shall be That is the Bliss of those that are Blessed Or the Salvation of those that are Lost Yet O how many senseless Masses are poured out upon this Account and spilt in the Air Only that the Loss is not great unless the Stuffe were more Precious by that Church which seems to have a great deal of Leisure and little to do To bestow so much Time in Seeking to Reverse what God hath already Concluded But tho the Dead can receive no manner of Advantage from it Yet like some other Points of Popery 'T is too Gainful to the Living easily to part with it The Friends Departed Souls can have no Feeling out of it but the Priests Living Bodies feel the Comfort And where the Pay is so Good they are not agrieved to spend so much Breath in those kind of Prayers that return in such Golden Showers into their own Bosoms And so it is indeed a Praying for Themselves tho called Praying for Others But for the Salvation of all Men Living we may Pray because we are not sure but that all Now Living may be saved They are Probationers and Passengers upon their Tryal and in the Way Candidates of Happiness and Seeking for it And as far as ever any are now from it we do not know but before they Dye they may be brought into a Capacity of it and Attain to it And the bare Possibility of the thing is Ground enough for our Prayers Which being the Effects of our Christian Love and Charitable Desires We shall be the Better for these Prayers tho every one whom we Comprehend in them is not And this we may look upon as a good Omen and happy Presage of Reformation dawning and a Blessed Day ready to break upon the Church when Gods Remembrancers are Instant in Prayer and Urgent and Importunate with him for the Transfusing of a New Life into the Dead Bones and Recovering Decayed Piety into a more Healthy Hearty and Flourishing condition And how far soever things are gone and how little Hope soever seems to remain of Retrieving them Yet it is not in Vain but to very good Sense to Remonstrate and offer the Matter to Him who Quickens the Dead and calleth those things that are not as if they were And who is pleas'd to make our Prayers the very Condition of his doing such great things for his Church How few soever then we have with us here and how Improbable soever it may be thought ever to see the Deformed Face of this Ungodly World changed into the Beauties of Holiness Yet let us not be out of Heart to Ask of Him to whom All things are Possible Arise O God Plead thy own Cause That if all be not fully Accomplished strait to our wishes we may have at least the satisfaction of seeing some Preparation and Tendencies towards the Long'd for Revolution And the present evil World Amended and Gods Truth and Holiness getting Ground in it And in this Praying we may take Encouragement and go on in Hope of Prevailing because it is for the thing which God himself Loves and Favours above all even His Holiness and his Honour Such are the Requests he looks most Graciously upon and gives the best Welcome to them that come to his Gates upon this Errand Not to crave the Pleasures of the Flesh or the Greatness and Fullness of the World But to beg Grace and Godliness and to Seek his Kingdom and the Righteousness thereof When his Glory is next our Hearts and we are not concerned only To serve a Turn Or to save our Stake or set up our Interest or Party in the World But that the Name of God may not be Blasphemed nor his Holy Cause suffer by the ungodly Opposers of it prevailing That they may not be Flusht with Successes to make them conclude themselves in the Right Nor be let alone to Exalt themselves and Ruine those to whom the World is most Beholden for its Continuance Nor have cause to say They have Prevailed against Gods People And tho we are so Unworthy we cannot hope to be Heard upon our own Account Yet may we Pray in Faith and comfortable Expectation That God will do the thing for his Name 's Sake which he has no reason to do for our Sakes When it is no other Cause but his Own which we commend to his Care That the Cause may not be spoiled for us Sinners but that we Sinners may rather be Spared and Preserved because we Profess the Gospel-Truth and stand up for Pure Religion and undefiled and Protest against the Idolatries and Tyrannies and Superstitions and Abominations which a corrupt Set and Faction has Introduced to Adulterate and defile it With this Suit we may go boldly to the Throne of Grace Arise O God let not Man prevail How long shall the Wicked Triumph and the Adversary Reproach What wilt thou do unto thy great Name O let the Wickedness of the Wicked come to an end but Establish the Just O Continue thy Loving-kindness to them that Know thee and thy Righteousnnss to the Vpright in heart Wherefore should the Heathen say Where is their God Shew thy marvellous Loving-kindness thou that savest by thy right hand them that Trust in Thee from those that rise up against them Let all those that Seek thee Rejoyce and be glad in Thee And let such as Love thy Salvation say continually Let God be Magnified who hath Pleasure in the Prosperity of his Servants Return we beseech thee O God of Hosts Look down from Heaven and behold and Visit this Vine and the Vineyard which thy Right hand hath planted aad the Branch which thou madest strong for thy self Arise and have mercy on Zion And Redeem Israel O God out of all his Troubles Thus Large Souls go big with the Care of all the Churches Yea take in them that are Without too and so help to Bear up the Pillars of the earth This is that Publick Spirit which sets the Charitable good Man to Seek not only his own but the Happiness of all the World And how Large soever is the Request he knows the Power to which he Addresses is Able to effectit And thinks not he hath said Our Father as he ought till he has Recommended the Wants and Distresses of all the Partakers of his Nature to the Great Parent of the Vniverse Thus he Obliges unknown Multitudes that lye without all Lines of Communication but that of his Prayers And is Kind to mighty Numbers that never saw his Face nor knew of such a one in the World Thus he Sayls and Trafficks for the Publick Good not only to the Ends of the Earth but quite up to the Heavens And comes back fraught with the rich Merchandize of
Savour of Sweetness in ' em And so all we must look to hear from such is to have them Scorn and Deride what themselves could never Relish or Endure You shall hear from them Precise or Factious or some such Name of Infamy if the Slighty way which most take up with will not serve your turn You shall be noted in the Black Book or the Black Mouth of the Profane for an Intolerable Sort if you Dare not be Like them but are for Walking with God when they fly out all upon the Ramble of their Lusts But if you must after your Saviour himself bear the Contradiction of Sinners You may Rejoyce it is upon so Good an account If the main Objection against you be your Religion if you are Bark't at for Following God as dear Children and disturb'd in the very Way which his Word puts you upon The Quarrel then is His rather than yours And when He is so Able to Maintain his own Cause and to Avenge the Affronts and make the Despisers Behold and wonder and Perish You may Scorn their Scorns and Pity their Malignity Understanding the End of these men who thro' the Pride of their countenance will not Seek after God Who will one day Curse themselves and their Stiffness and the time wherein they made so Bold with the Eternal Almighty Majesty and still kept off from Him and even set him at Defyance and made a Pish and Mock at his Humble Service God will hereafter be Ashamed of such impudent Pretenders to be Christians as were now Ashamed not of their Sins but of their Prayers and his Worship SECT IV. Of Neglecting Prayer out of Laziness MEN may not be so far gone in Ungodliness as to Cavil against Prayer nor openly Affront it and yet take little or no Care duely to Perform it Knowing nothing what belongs to Prayer any further than now and then to run over some Forms of course And care not for any thing at all to do with it but just to perform the Custom Yet if they be not grossly Scandalous and Notorious they think themselves Well enough to pass tho' they make no Conscience to live in a manner without Prayer But to talk of a good Christian not Given to Prayer You may as well tell me of one living in good Health without the use of Food They that do not Vnderstand and Seek after God Understand nothing at all to do their Souls any Good Let Men be what they will in other respects it Blasts all the rest and makes them stark naught to be Prayerless This the Psalmist makes the Vpshot of all Baseness and Wickedness in the Worst of men They Call not upon the Lord. Psal 14.4 And no wonder if God Leave them over to themselves that so love to Live Without Him in the World They are like to be Banisht for ever from him in the next World who so little use or mind to Seek his Face or come a near him in this Who think we must Preach them into Heaven when they are so Lazy they will not open their mouths to Beg for it But alas all Sermons are lost upon you that do not bring you upon your Knees The Word will avail nothing to sound in your Ears if you do not Pray it home upon your Hearts The design of Preaching is to make you know your Wants and where you are to be Suppli'd and to direct you to the rich Store-house of all manner of Blessings which Prayer is the Key to open Preachers Unfold and apply the Word to shew you your Duty and to quicken you to it and to send you unto God to Pray for his Grace to Enable you to perform it You are early instructed in the Church Catechism to Know this That you are not Able of Yourselves to do those things which are the several parts of your Duty to God and Man nor to walk in the Commands of God and to serve him without his special Grace which you must therefore learn at all times to Call for by diligent Prayer And if you take not this Course you must needs have wretched Lean and Starved Souls When as you cannot do the things that please God without his Help and he will not so Help you without your Prayers And O Good God! what will such do when thou shalt Visit Now they may Pray and will not And in the time of their Extremity tho' they would Pray they Cannot Either they lye then Stupid Lumps of Flesh Insensible of their Case not seeing how Dangerous and doleful it is with them Or when Distress and Anguish comes upon them to awaken and rouze them and make them cry out for Help They may justly fear to be put off and Rejected of the Lord according to his Threat Prov. 1.28 and to have not only their Prayers Despised bur their Souls Abhorred On the other side Nothing is so Influential to make us Wise and Good and Great with God as our daily Corresponding with Him who is Infinite Wisdom and the Chiefest Good Such a holy Habit of Worship and Prayer dresses us up for Glory everlasting where we shall Adore the most Blessed Eternally For this Life is as our Apprentice ship to Learn our Trades and train us up to bear a Part with all the Heavenly Host And Prayer is Sweetness all the way and Heaven at the End O little do they know who are Unacquainted with it what Joys they Lose in keeping off from Him in whose Presence is Fulness of Joy Facility comes by Exercise and the Sweetness is found by Experience So that what was at first a Task after becomes the Delight And pious Souls would not be debarr'd of the Priviledge for more than all this World has to Tempt them with I conclude this with that of Bishop Taylor Sad is the condition of him that cannot Pray Happy are they that can and do and Love to do it CHAP. II. Of not Praying in the Places meet for Prayer SECT I. Of not Praying at the Church MUsick in Consort with the combined has a prevailing Influence and Joynt Prayers by their United force are like to be most Moving and Effectual To have gone with the Multitude to the House of God was the thing which David pour'd out his Soul in him to Remember when he was detained from Zion and could not as formerly Visit the Assembly of God's Worshippers He Envied the very Birds of the Air as enjoying a greater Priviledge than himself could be master of The Sparrow and the Swallow that nestled under the Sanctuary while he as a widowed Turtle sate Mourning in the Solitary places My Soul Longs yea even Faints says he for the Courts of the Lord. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still Praising thee A Day in thy Courts is better than a Thousand Psal 84.2 4 10. For this he so passionatly Longed To Come and Appear before God Psal 42.2 This he so earnestly Begg'd of the Lord Psal