request he will not let him alone till he has a pardon and that pardon Sealed He will not let him alone till his lust which are the worst of Spiritual enemies are kill'd till more grace is granted of which he cannot have too great a measure Take notice of Davids importunity Psal 119. 145 146 147. I cryed with my whole heart hear me O Lord I will keep thy statutes I cryed unto thee save me and I shall keep thy testimonies I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy word my eyes prevent the night-watches c. He cryed and cryed and cryed again before the dawning of the morning and in the night watches Behold how urgent he was in prayer 4. This perseverance in Prayer implies an holy insatiableness after God and desiring still more though never so much be obtained Indeed there is a great obligation upon us to be thankful for the least measures of grace but we are not to be contented with the greatest but still longing for more Though David enjoyed so much of God and had such a sense of his loving kindness which was better then life and experienced that communion with the Lord which was more satisfying then marrow and fatness Yet we find him still following hard after God Psal 63. 8. My Soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth me And indeed the more we taste and see how gracious the Lord is it cannot but increase our longing and raise our thirst to a greater vehemency The Apostle Paul though he had attained to so much Yet he says I forgot those things that are behind and reach forth unto those things that are before and presse towards the marke for the prize of the high calling of God Phil. 3. 13 14. 5. This perseverance in Prayer implies a continuing to engage in all the kinds of Prayer There should be a constant and daily course of Prayer even unto the end of life and if at any time by weakness or otherwise the course be necessarily interrupted Our hearts at least then should be working towards God as being sensible that He is our all all our hope is in him and all our help is from him 'T is an happy thing so to habituate and accustom our selves to prayer as to make it become natural to us and to esteem it as necessary as our very breath In the Second place I am to tell you what kind of perseverance is required 1. In this perseverance there should be no interruptions Daniel rather then his course of praying before his God and giving thanks should be interrupted chose to adventure the losse of dignity his Princes favour and his own life besides And that God whom he served continually did deliver him Dan. 6. Daniel resolves to open his mouth in Prayer God sends his Angel and stop the mouths of the Lyons that they did not hurt him And as carnal fear should not cause the omission of prayer so neither any prevailing corruption and deadness Still the Lord is to be sought unto and served 2. In this perseverance there should be a continuaâ— endeavour to excel and do better to pray with more and more Spirituality and liveliness 'T is a sad sight to see children as weak now as they were several years ago We conclude there is some bad humour that oppresses nature and causes that Weakness and is an impediment to their growth 'T is thus and more Sad to see Christians stand at a stay and perform duties no better now then some years ago they used to perform them If there is still the same deadness the same unbelief the same wordly-mindedness distractions which were wont to be it argues the Spirit is kept under by the flesh its prevalency We are not only to do more then others but to do more then our selves The Lord requires us and truely gives ample encouragement to be not only stedfast and unmoveable but also to abound in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. The path of the just should be like the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4. 18. All our duties are motions homeward and Heaven is our home And the nearer home the swifter should our Spiritual motions be In the Third place follow the Reasons why prayer should be with perseverance 1. Divine commands are very expresse not only to perform the duty but to continue in the duty In the text not only praying is injoyned but praying always and with all perseverance and 1 Thes 5. 17. Pray without ceasing Gods word of command should cause us perpetually to stand in awe we must not dare to cease doing that which he would have us without ceasing employed in 2. The Lord perseveres in attending and enencouraging therefore we should persevere in praying His eye is continually upon his people eye and ear and heart and hand are all open and if we open our mouths wide we shall be filled Psal 81. 10. 3. The Lord is as worthy to be sought unto still as sought to at all therefore we should continue in seeking him Though our expectation from other things be never so high yet upon trial we shall discover their emptinesse and vanity but the more we know God and the greater experience we have of him the more we shall behold his fulnesse and how good 't is to draw near to him Israel went a Whoring after other lovers but found her mistake and resolves to return to her first husband for then 't was best with her Hos 2. 7. Gods service is such as no fault at all is really to be found therein and therefore to leave that Service is very unreasonable 4. We are far from attaining all that is attainable by Prayer Clearer discoveries there may be of God there may be much larger communications of Grace there may be more of peace and joy therefore it concerns us to wait on the Lord still and not to grow weary of our attending 5. This present world is full of enemies and snares Therefore we should continually have recourse to the God of all Grace that grace may be proportioned to our work and to our danger The world is evil and the evil one is very active to draw us to evil and he has a strong and numerous party within our own Souls even all the remainders of corruption surely unlesse we persevere in prayer and thereby engage him for us who is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jud. 24. we shall not persevere to the end and be saved The Application follows Use 1 of reproof which belongs 1. To them that pray in a time of distresse and affliction but after that is removed and their slavish fear allayed they quickly give over Thus the children of Israel when God slew them then they sought him they returned and enquired early after God they remembred that God was their
nothing too hard for thee The living God the everlasting King who dost what thou wilt in Heaven above and in the Earth beneath The high and lofty one inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy who dwellest in the high and holy Place and yet with him also that is of an humble Spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the Contrite ones The God in whose hand our Breath is and whose are all our Wayes Thou madest the Earth by thy Power and hast established the World by thy Wisdom and stretched out the Heavens by thy Discretion Thou art very great thou art cloathed with Honour and Majesty and coverest thy self with light as with a Garment Thou only hast immortality and dwelleth in the light that no man can approach unto To thee belongeth Power and Glory and Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is Thine thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as Head above all Thou madest the Heavens and all their Hosts the Earth and all the things that are therein the Seas and all that therein is and thou preservest them all and the host of Heaven Worshippeth thee Thou art wise in Heart and Mighty in Strength who ever hardned himselfe against thee and prospered A God glorious in holiness of Purer eyes then to behold evil with delight and canst not look upon iniquity with any approbation The Devils tremble before thee and the Angels cover their Faces and cry out Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts Heaven and Earth are full of the majesty of thy Glory Thou art the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering abundant in loving kindness goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Thou delightest not in the death of sinners but hadst rather they should turn from their evil wayes and live The God and Father of Jesus Christ and in him the Father of Mercyes the God of all Grace and Comfort A God ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy unto all that call upon thee thou hearest Prayers unto thee shall all flesh come Thy eye is upon them that fear thee and upon such as hope in thy Mercy a very present help in time of trouble Thy Mercy is in the Heavens and thy Faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds As a Father pittyeth his Children so thou pittyest them that fear thee Thou wilt not always chide neither wilt thou keep thine anger for ever Thy mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear thee and thy righteousness unto childrens children Thou art the hope of Israel and the Saviour of them in the time of trouble thou keepest truth forever The heavens shall vanish away like Smoak and Earth shall wax old like a Garment but thy Salvation shall be for ever and thy righteousness shall not be abolished Who is a God like unto thee that Pardonest Iniquity and passest by the Transgression of the remnant of thine heritage thou wilt not always chide neither wilt thou keep thine anger for ever because thou delightest in mercy Thou wilt turn again thou wilt have compassion upon us thou wilt subdue our Iniquities thou wilt cast all our Sins into the depth of the Sea A God to whom vengeance belongs who wilt reward them that hate thee whose power and whose wrath is against all that forsake thee A jealous God who canst not be deceived who wilt not be mocked Thou wilt ease thee of thine adversaries and avenge thee on thy enemies Who can stand before thine indignation who can abide in thy sight when once thou art angry Can our hearts endure or can our hands be strong when thou shalt deal with us let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the Earth wo be to him that contendeth with his Maker Thou searchest the heart and triest the reins and hast pleasure in uprightness There is not any creature that is not manifest in thy sight but all things are open and naked unto the eyes of that God with whom we have to do Oh that thou wouldst bow the heavens and come down draw night to us while we draw nigh to thee Thou humblest thy self to behold things don in Heaven the heaven of heavens is not able to contain thee and yet thou wilt dwell with Men. Thou art nigh unto us in all that we call upon thee for Let us find favour in thine eyes suffer us not to seek thy face in vain Lord hear my voice and let thine car be attentive unto the voice of my Supplication I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord Jehovah who am but dust and ashes what is man that thou art mindful of him whose dayes are as a shaddow whose breath is in his nostrils and wherein is he to be accounted of Oh quicken us that we may call upon thy name and have a gracious regard unto us though we are prodigal children unprofitable Servants of polluted lips and hearts uncircumcised 2. Confession of Sin is to follow by which God is honoured our selves humbled and abased Original corruption is thus to be acknowledged What is man that he should be clean or he that is born of a woman that he should be righteous thou mightest abhor the sight of us and we have infinite reason to loath and abhor our selves Thou madest man upright but he hath sought out many inventions We were at first planted a noble Vine a right seed but now our fruit is evil the root bitter our grapes are grapes of Sodom and clustters of Gomorrah Our first Parents were created in thine Image which does consist in Righteousness and true Holiness but they were beguiled by the Serpent and forsock the Lord and we being in their Loyns sinned in them and fell with them in their first transgression Behold I am shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me We are born the children of VVrath the sons of Death the heirs of Hell and are dead in trespasses and sins There is a Law in our Members that warrs against the Law in our mindes and is quite contrary unto the Law of God And whensoever we would or should do good evil is present with us Our carnal mindes are enmity against God they are not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can they be VVe are wise to do evil but to do good we have no knowledge the blindness that is in our minds does alienate us from the Life of God Our Consciences are sleepy and unfaithful where is their tenderness and Authority they seldom check us and if they do such is our eagerness to sin we do not mind but disobey them Our hearts are the worst part in us they are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know them As a Fountain sendeth forth water so our hearts without intermission are casting forth their wickedness from hence proceed those evils that defile the man Our hearts are disobedient and unto every
Labour for that which cannot satisfie Let uâ— look uâ—to Christ whom we have peirced and moâ—rn Let us â—tâ—rnally fall out with Sin bâ—holâ—ing it bâ—smeâ—red wiâ—h the Bloud of Jesus Help us to bâ—lieve that Christ was made sin and bear the Curse that was due to us and to conclude that the Lord Jesus is as really given to us as the outward Elements Make us eager to Receive whole Christ and all his Benefits and to give up our selves wholly and immediately to him O thou God of all Grace make us perfect establish strengthen settle us and cause us to cleave unto the Lord with full Purpose of Heart Let Sabbaths be prized and improved le ts rejoyce when they come for then we have Opportunity to enter thy Sanctuary and approach thy Table Petitions for Perseverance Vphold me with thy free Spirit Hold thou me up and I shall be safe so shall I have Respect unto thy Precepts continually Thou art the Author be the Finisher of my Faith Fulfill all the good pleasure of thy Goodness and the work of Faith and power Thou givest Power to the Faint and to them that have no Might thâ—u â—nâ— easeth Strength Oh strengthen me with strength in my Soul that I may Run and not be weary that I may Walk and not Faint Preserve me by thy mighty Power through Faith unto Salvation Let us not be of them that draw back unto Perdition but of them that Believe unto the Saving of the Soul O Lord who art of Power to establish us keep us from Falling and present us Faultless before the Presence of this Glory with exceeding Joy Petitions for Temporal Mercies Give us this day our Daâ—ly Bread Give â—e neither Poverty nor Riches feed me with Food convenient for me Let not our Table be a Snare and that which should have been for our VVelfare let it not become a Trap unto us O that thou wouldest Bless me indeed and enlarge my Court and that thy Hand may be with me and that thou wouldest keep me from Evil that it may not grieve me Make me in all my ways to Acknowledge thee and do thou direct my Paths 'T is in vain to rise up Early to sit up Late and eat the Bread of â—rrows Thy Blessings O Lord maketh Rich and thou addest no Sorrow with it Be a Sun to Enlighten a Shield to Defend me and no good Thing with-hold from me Make thy Light to shine upon my Tabernacle and set an Hedge about me and cause the VVork of my Hands â—o prosper and let me have an Heart to Honour thee with the Substance thou hast given me and to make a Friend of the Mammon of Varighteousness Watch over me perpetually and that none may hurt me O Lord keep me nigâ—t and â—ay Preserve my going out and my comming in lead me not into Temptation but deliver me from evil and especially from sin which is of â—ll the greatest Petitions in reference to Death Oh that we were wise to consider our latter end Teach us so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisedom All the dayes of our appointed time let us wait till our change comes let us die dayly to sin and to the world and live to God through Christ Jesus Help us to make sure work for Eternity living the life of the Righteous that we may also die the death of the Righteous Oh that we may pass the time of our sojourning here in fear and as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against our Souls What is our life 't is even a vapour which appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away let us not defer our beleiving and repentance but while 't is called to day hear thy Voice and not harden our hearts any longer Let death be ours as well as life and let the sting of death be taken out before we feel it Deliver us from the fear of death and suffer us not all our life time to be subjected unto bondage Put us in mind of our great account for shortly we must be no longer stewards Let us act as those that believe God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Here we have no continuing City therefore let us mind that City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Let our Heart and Treasure be above let our Loyns be girded about and our Lights burning and our selves as those that are watching and waiting for our Lords appearing Let the prize of the high calling be in our Eye that we may press towards the mark and more and more abound in the work of the Lord. Let us groan to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven desiring nothing more than to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. And labour exceedingly that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him 5. The fifth part of Prayer is Intercession for others The Church is to be prayed for Save thy People bless thine inheritance rule them also and lift them up for ever Be a wall of fire round about Mount Sion that it may stand fast continually Preserve that little Flock unto whom thoou hast promised to give the kingdom Let thy delight be in Jerusalem grave her on the palms of thy Hands let her walls be continually before thee let her builders make hast and cause her destroyers to depart from her Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy Pasture look down from Heaven the habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory Where is thy zeal and thy strength and the earning of thy bowels and of thy mercies are they restrained Awake awake put on strength O Arm of the Lord Awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old Art not thou he that hast broken Rahab and wounded the Dragon Shew thy marvellous loving-kindness O thou that savest by thy right hand those that put their trust in thee from them that rise up against them Vnite thy people together let them not bite and devour one another but endeavour by all lowliness and meekness longsuffering and forbearing one another in love to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Let Truth shine forth and mistakes be discovered Oh let the light of the moon be as the light of the Sun and the light of the sun seven-fold as the light of seven dayes and at last bind up the breach of thy people and heal the stroke of their wound Bring home Jews and Gentiles that belong to the election of thy Grace Make thy way known upon earth and thy saving health among all Nations Raise up the Tabernacle of David which is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and be gracious to the remnant of Joseph and let the kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Bring in those sheep that are not yet of
wherein they deal proudly shew thy self above them Arise O Lord and plead thine own cause and let all thy foes be made thy foot stool 7. The last part of prayer is Thanksgiving and Praise Lord thou art infinitely exalted above all blessing and praise Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the Sons of men How precious are thy Thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the Sand. 'T is thou that hast made us and not we our selves our Bodies were curiously wrought by thee and all our Members were written in thy Book and thou hast been the former of our Spirits Thou hast given me a Tongue to speak and therefore it shall shew forth thy praise Thou hast given me a Soul capable of love and joy therefore it shall love thee and rejoyce in thee Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits I have been cast upon thee from the Womb and have hung on thee ever since I hung upon the Breasts How many unknown and passible and deserved evils have I been preserved from How many undeserved Mercyes have been showred down upon me Thou hast been my Shepheard O Lord so that I have wanted nothing all my days Many are blind that I meet withal but I see many are deaf but I hear many are dumb but my Tongue can speak many have lost their Limbs but all my Bones have reason to say who Lord is like unto thee my Limbs are sound and Sences perfect and I have the use of Reason when many are distracted and raving in Bedlam I see not the hurtful Sword neither do I hear the alarm of War when others are terrified and behold Garments roulled in Blood and their Souls are wearied because of Murtherers Thou sendest fruitful seasons and fillest our hearts with Food and gladness Thou Crownest the Year with thy goodness and they Paths drop fatness We are less than the least of Mercies therefore thy goodness O Lord is the greatter and more greatly to be admired Thanksgiving for spiritual Mercyes Oh the height and length and depth and breadth of the love of God in sending Christ into the World to be a Saviour Glory be to God in the highest on Earth Peace good will towards Men. O Wonderful that the Word should be made Flesh that He who was in the form of God and thought it no Robbery to be equal with God should take upon him the form of a Servant and become obedient to Death that we might not die and perish for ever We blesse thee that our Ears do hear the joyful sound of the Gospel and that the day-spring from on high hath visited us to guide our Feet into the way of Peace Thy Sabbaths and thy Ordinances and the means of Grace are priviledges which we can never sufficiently value Thou callest upon us to turn and Livâ— and some can say thou hast made the Call effectual We were sometimes darknesse but now are we light in the Lord we were strangers but now Children we were dead in trespasses and sins but God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he loved us hath quickned us together with Christ Thou hast cast all our sins behind thy back and we may rejoyce indeed because our names are written in the book oâ— Life Thou hast made a new Covenant with us ordered in all things and sure and all that we can desire or need is here promised The blessings of both Worlds thou hast engaged to bestow and this covenant is more firm thon the Ordinances of the Heavens The mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed the Heaven and the Earth shall passe away but thy kindness shall not deparâ— from us nor the Covenant of thy Peace be removed but abide for evermore Thanksgiving for Eternal Mercies Thy Salvation is near O Lord and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Time is wearing away apace and the Everlasting Kingdom is at hand 'T is but a little while and we shall be in thy presence where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Then our hope will be swallowed up in Fruition and our Faith in seeing of thee Face to Face We shall be made perfectly holy and compleatly happy we shall sin no more we shall sorrow no more but be at rest Eternally We shall be Crowned with Life and Righteousness and Reign with God in his Everlasting Kingdom Blessed be the Lord who hath given us Everlasting consolation and good hope through Grace of such an Inheritance where we shall to Eternity be admiring free Grace and making Heaven Ring with Everlasting Hallelujahs While I live I will praise the Lord and after Death I will begin to praise him in a better manner and never never give over praising Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we either ask or think according to the Power that worketh in us Vnto Him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages and World without End Amen FINIS
himself and Christ his Son We are to beg that His Name may be Hallowed from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same that his Kingdom may come And that all on Earth may do his Will and submit unto the Scepter of his Word 6. Another part of Prayer is Imprecation Some are such that we are to desire the Lord would fight against them The evil Angels we may pray that the Lord will rebuke them and pull down that Kingdom of darkness under which the most of men are held in Bondage In reference to men we must be more sparing in our imprecations or wishing evil to them David and the other Prophets are not examples for us to follow in this matter for they knew by a prophetick Spirit Gods intensions concerning the persons that they pray'd against The general Rule which we ought to follow is this Mat. 5. 44. But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you this is to resemble God Who maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and the Good We are to beg rather the conversion than the confusion of our Enemies and supposing they are implacable and incorrigble we must desire rather that they may be hindered from doing harm by their designes and power than that harm may come to them even when we pray against Antichrist whom we find devoted in Scripture to destruction we must have no private grudg against the persons of any but our Eye must be at Christs Honour that in Popery is so much struck at and at the advancement of the Gospel and of Zion 7. A seventh part of Prayer is Thanksgiving The Lords prayer ends with a doxology or giving Honour unto God Mat. 6. 13. for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for Ever To praise is to speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Tongues of Angels All the Creatures that are visible are mute besides man He is the Worlds high Priest that should offer this Sacrifice of praise for all He is the Tongue of the Creation which should be sounding forth Gods goodness towards all How much does the Lord let forth unto us And shall we deny him the revenue of praise His Mercys are without number and his Love without motive and without measure When praise is offered he accounts himself Glorified Psal 50. ult therefore in every thing we should give Thanks for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us 1 Thes 5. 18. Thus have I gon over the parts of Prayer and none of these parts are needless In the second place I am to give you the several kinds of Prayer prayer is twofold Vocal when the Voice and Heart are joyned together Mental when the heart only is engaged 1. I shall speak of Vocal prayer when Tongue and Heart go together in this Duty There are several reasons why the Tongue is to be made use of in Prayer 1. With our Tongues we are to honour God and when they are thus employed speaking to him or of him or for him then they are our Glory As there are sins of the Tongue so duties of the Tongue too and as the Tongue of the Swearer Blasphemer filthy and foolish Talker is harsh and hateful to God so the Tongue of him that prays sincerely is pleasant Christ tell his Spouse that her Voice was sweet and her countenance comely 2. In praying with others words are necessary Some must be the mouth of the rest unto God 3. Words especially Scripture Language help to excite and stir up our affections and they serve to keep the Heart more intent upon the Duty This Vocal Prayer is threefold first Prayer in the Closet secondly Prayer in the Family thirdly Prayer in the publike Congregation and Assembly Of all these I shall speak in order 1. Prayer in the Closet That secret Prayer is the Lords Ordinance is very evident Mat. 6. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut the Door pray unto thy Father which is in secret And as our Lord gave this Precept so he is our example in regard of secret Prayer Mar. 1. 35. And in the morning rising up a great while before Day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed Jacob was left alone and wrestled with God and had the name of Israel given him for as a Prince he had power with God and prevailed Gen. 32. 24 30. Now if you would be fully informed what this wrestling was compare the forecited place with Hos 12. 3 4. By his strength he had Power with God yea he had power over the Angel i. e. the Angel of the Covenant and prevailed He wept and made Supplication to him Now for the better managing of this sort of prayer lot these rules be observed diligently 1. Affect privacy be as secret as possible though we are not to be ashamed of any duty and though our light is to shine before men that they seeing our good works may glorifie our Father in Heaven yet a Christian is to do much out of the sight of others As long as God's Ear is open to the most whispering prayers what need is there that any other ear should hear a word which we speak When there is a desire that men should take notice of our prayers God takes no notice of them unless of the Hypocrisie in them to abominate them therefore we have that caution from the Lord Jesus Mat. 6. 5. And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the Streets that they may be seen of men verily I say unto you they have their reward 2. Take the fittest time for secret prayer the morning especially is to be chosen though once more in a day at least it should be your ordinary practice to pour out your hearts in private before the Lord. My Voyce shalt thou hear in the Morning says David In the Morning O Lord will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up Psal 5. 3. If the Soul be serious in its address unto God in the beginning of the day 't is likely to have the more grace and strength to resist temptations and to walk with God all the day long 'T is better to be shorter in the Evening duties and larger in the Morning then the spirits are fresher and more abundant and the soul has not such clogs in its actings as it meets with when the body is spent and tyred But if something unavoidably fall out that you cannot pray at the time you desire and were wont be sure lay hold of some other opportunity and neglect not the duty altogether 3. Let the Word of God be lookt into and meditated on when prayer is made The Word will direct you quicken and encourage you