heare them The sixt is want of pittie and compassion not shewing 6 Want of pittie and compassion mercie to the poore and needie of this Salomon saith m Pro. 21. 13. who so stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe but shall not be heard The seauenth is the wilfull neglect and contempt of the word of God of this also Salomon saith n Pro. 28 9. he that 7 Contempt of Gods word turneth away his eare from hearing the law euen his Prayer shall be abhomination In the eight and last place I bring forth Ieremie's Catalogue 8 Theft murther adulterie c. of sundry more particular sinnes all hindering Prayer o Iere. 7. 9. 10. Will ye steale murther and commit adulterie and sweare falsely and burne Incense vnto Baal and walke after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say we arâ— deliuered to doe all these abhominations As if the Lord had said What shall it profite you to come into the Temple to approach vnto the house of prayer and there call vpon my name and pray for blessings when as you are giuen to stealing to murther to commit adulterie to sweare falsely and liue in Idolatrie All these sinnes are hinderances to your Prayers and do rather bring downe curses Vse then procure any blessings Before we pray to see that our hearts be purged from our sinnes by Repentance Seeing then there are so many impediments and hinderances of Prayer it behooueth vs euery one before we come into the presence of the Lord to make any Prayer vnto him to labour to haue our hearts purified by faith and purged by repentance to remooue farre from vs all impediments and hinderances of Prayer to remooue our sinneâ— from before the eyes of the Lord which stand as a thicke cloud betweene God and vs hindering our Prayers that they cannot ascend vp to the throne of God and staying the blessings of God from descending downe vpon vs. If then thou be a worshipper of Idoles if thou keepest by thee in a secret corner some painted or grauen image to bow downe before it pull it downe call it from thee away with it if thou wouldest haue the Lord to heare thee when thou cryest vnto him in the time of thy trouble If through crueltie oppression vnmercifulnesse c. thou hast bloudie hands O wash thee and make thee cleane lest the Lord haue no delight in thee but hide his eyes and deny to heare thee though thou makest manie Prayers Take heede that thou come not before the Lord to pray vnto him hauing wrath and hatred malice and grudging against thy brother lest thou prouoke the Lord to wrath against thy selfe Beware of vain-glorie lest when thou prayest thou goe away vnrewarded And see thou purge thy heart of the leauen of hypocrisie lest it be laid to thy charge that thou drawest neere vnto God with thy lips when thy heart is farre from him Further if thou wilt haue the Lord to heare thy prayer and hearken vnto thy crie see that thou turne not thy face from any poore man and stop not thine eares at the crie of the distressed soule lest the Lord stop his eares at thy crie And if thou wilt haue God to heare thee when thou speakest vnto him by Prayer see that thou refuse not to heare God speaking vnto thee by Preaching For if thou make light account of Gods word when he speaketh vnto thee by Preaching be well assured that God will make as light account of thy words when thou speakest vnto him by Prayer The theefe must repent of his stealing the murtherer of his blood shed the adulterer of his whoredome the drunkard of his drunkennesse the swearer of his swearing in a word euery sinner whosoeuer and whatsoeuer he be that liueth in any manner of sinne must repent of his sinne if he will euer haue the Lord to be gracious vnto him either for his soule or body For sinne hindreth prayer and causeth that God will neither regard the praier nor accept the person of him that praieth till sinne be remooued from before the eies of the Lord. And this of the persons praying CHAP. IIII. Shewing to whom we ought to pray THE second thing in regard of the persons 2 To whom we ought to pray whom prayer doth concâ—rne is to whom wee ought to pray Wherein I will shew First that we are to pray vnto God Secondly that we are to pray to none other Thirdly wherefore we are to direct our prayers to the true God and to none other besides him First we are to make our prayers vnto God namely 1 To God to the true God to Iehouah the Lord which be manifest by these Scriptures a Psal 50. 15. Call vpon me saith the Lord in the day of trouble And Dauid directeth vs to whom we ought to pray saying b Psal 32. 6. For this shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee that is to the Lord. Daniel prayeth on this wile c Dan. 9. 17. 18. 19. Now therefore O our God heare the prayer of thy seruant c. And againe O my God encline thine eare and heare c. And againe O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord hearken and doe When our Sauiour taught his Disciples to pray he said d Luke 11. 2. When ye pray say Our Father teaching them therby to whom they ought to direct their prayer And S. Paul telleth vs to whom he vsed to pray c Ephe. 3. 14. I bow my knees vnto the Father our Lord Iesus Christ Thus it is euident by the Scriptures that we are to make our prayers vnto God and to call vpon the name of the Lord. And as we are to pray vnto God and to call vpon the name of the Lord. So Secondly we are to make our prayers to God alone 2 To God alone and to none other and to none other This likewise the Scripture maketh manifest Dauid saith f Psal 65. 2. O thou that hearest prayer to thee shall all flesh come And againe g Psal 73. 25. Whom haue I in heauen but thee In Esay the Church prayeth thus h Isa 63. 15. 16. Looke downe from heauen and behold c. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel acknowledge vs not thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy name is from euerlasting The third thing yet remaineth which is to shew 3 Reasons wherfore wee are to pray vnto Go and to none other wherefore we ought to make our praiers vnto God and to him alone The reasons are these First It is Gods commandement bidding vs to call vpon him and none other i Psal 50. 15. Call vpon me saith the Lord in the day of trouble 1 God commandeth vs. Secondly we haue not onely Gods commandement bidding vs call
vpon him but we haue also his promise for audience if we call vpon him in our trouble he hath 2 God promiseth to heare vs promised to heare vs and to deliuer vs out of trouble So hath the Lord said k Psal 50. 15. Call vpon me in the day of trouble I will deliuer thee saith the Lord as if he had said goe to none other in the time of thy trouble neither seeke thou helpe and deliuerance from any other but in the day of thy trouble come vnto me seeke vnto me cry and call vpon me and I will deliuer thee for there is none besides me that can deliuer thee out of thy trouble The Lord our God is not like the Gods of the heathen which haue l Psal 115. 6. eares and heare not hee is not like to Baal vpon whom his Prophets m 1 Kin. 18. 26. called from morning euen vntil noone saying O Baal heare vs but there was no voice nor any that answered To whom Elijah the Prophet of the Lord said in derision of their God Baal Cry alowd for hee is n Vers 27. a God either he is talking or pursuing or he is in a iourney or peraduenture he sleepeth and must be awaked But so is not our God whom we worship for our God is in heauen beholdeth the things on earth he made the eare and he heareth he is neither busie in talking nor pursuing his enemies nor in his iourney nor yet sleeping for o Psal 121. 4. he that keepeth Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth as saith the Psalmist but the p Psal 34. 15. eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their cry Thirdly we are sure that the Lord our God is both able 3 God is both able and willing to heare vs. and also willing to heare vs able for q Psal 94. 9. he that planted the eare shall he not heare and willing for r Psal 145. 18. the Lord is nigh to all that call vpon him to all that call vpon him in truth Wherefore I conclude that we are to make our prayers to none other in heauen or in earth but to God and to him alone Vse This serues to reprooue those who make praiers to Against those which make prayers vnto Saints Reasons not to pray vnto Saints For Saints departed vse their mediation to God for helpe in trouble For First it hath beene prooued before that God hath commanded vs to call vpon him in the day of trouble but we haue no commandement in all the Scripture that enioynes vs to pray to any Saint not to S. Peter nor to 1 It s not commanded S. Paul nor to the Virgin Marie for that Å¿ Luke 1. 28. Aue haile Marie c. is no praier but a salutation of the Angell It is no forme of praier for vs to vse to the Virgin but it was a salutation of the Angell Gabriel whom the Lord sent to doe a message to the Virgin Marie and therefore not to be vsed of vs as a prayer And seeing that we haue no warrant in the word of God to pray vnto Saints it is a bold and rash presumption for vs to pray vnto any Saint whatsoeuer though it were to the Virgin Mary There were certaine in the dayes of Epiphanius who adored the Virgin Marie and offered vnto her But Epiphanius iudgeth them as heretiks and confuteth them saying t Reuera virgo erat ipsa virgo honorata sed non ad adorationem nobis data verum ipsa adorans â—um qui eâ— ipsa carâ—e genitus de calis vero è sinâ—â— patris venerat Epiph. coâ— Collyridian The Virgin indeed was a Virgin and honoured but was not giuen to vs to be adored but she her selfe did adore him which tooke flesh of her but came from heauen from his fathers bosome And so we acknowledge the Virgin is to be honoured but not to bee worshipped and adored and therefore no prayer to be made vnto her Secondly It hath beene prooued that if we pray vnto 2 Wee haue no promise of helpe from any Saint to God he promiseth to heare vs and to deliuer vs but we haue no promise in the word of God that any of the Saints no not the Virgin Marie her selfe will or can helpe and deliuer vs in the time of our trouble Thirdly the Saints departed doe not know our particular 3 The Saints departed doe not know our particular wants wants neither doe they hearken and attend to the praiers of particular men as it is manifest by the praier of the people of God in Esay saying u Isa 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel acknowledge vs not thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy name is from euerlasting Heere the people pray not to Abraham nor to Isaak nor to Iacob but to the Lord and the reason is because they are sure that the Lord heareth them and remembreth them though Abraham and Israel that were dead were ignorant of them and acknowledged them not It is manifest then that Abraham and Isaak and Iacob that Peter Paul and the Virgin Marie and all the Saints departed though they be Saints in glory yet because they are but Saints and not Gods they are ignorant of vs they know not our particular wants and distresses and it is onely the Lord that is our Father and remembreth vs and heareth and helpeth vs in our trouble and therefore we are not to pray either to Abraham or to any of the Saints but onely to the Lord our God our Father and our Redeemer Fourthly we cannot pray vnto Saints but wee must 4 To pray to Saints is to belieue in them to put trust confidence in them beleeue in them according to that saying of the Apostle o How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Where S. Paul giueth vs to vnderstand that before we can call vpon the Lord wee must first belieue in him and so for Saints if wee call vpon Saints and x Rom. 10. 14. pray vnto them to helpe vs in our trouble we must first belieue in them wee must put trust and confidence in them that they can helpe vs. Now this is contrarie to the truth of Gods word for wee are to belieue in none saue onely in God neither ought wee to put our trust and confidence in any saue onely in the Lord our God But they that maintaine and vse prayer to the Saints Obiect make this defence for themselues We say they pray to Saints vsing them as Mediatours to God because wee acknowledge our selues to bee farre vnworthy to come directly vnto God but haue accesse vnto God by the mediation of Saints To which I answere Answ First here is feare where no feare is Are wee afraid to come vnto God to call vpon his name Behold hee biddeth vs call
if they haue left of to be such as they were before though they bring forth no good fruits meete for repentance whereas the Scripture requireth not onely a departing from euill but also a doing of good Not onely a ceasing from euill but a learning to doe well It had not bin sufficient for Manasseh to haue left worshipping of Idoles except he had worshipped the true God It had beene small praise in Peter to haue wept bitterly for denying Christ and to haue denied him no more except he had also boldly confessed Christ And it had beene but small commendations in Paul to haue left off persecuting Christians except he had also laboured to doe good by preaching Christ seeking to winne soules and to bring men to Christ as before he had laboured to driue them from Christ If any one hath heretofore despised the preaching of the Gospell made light of it and thought basely of the Ministers of the Gospell the messengers of God what great thing doth he if he onely cease to be such a one except he now loue the word of God and embrace it except with his heart he desire it and long after it except he also loue and reuerence the Ministers of the Gospell the Messengers of glad tydings And except he esteeme the Preachers of the Gospell highly in loue for their workes sake If any hath offended with his tongue by swearing cursing lying slandering c. What true repentance doth such a one shew except he so leaue swearing and cursing and taking of Gods name in vaine as that hee learne to vse the name of God â—iâ—h all 〈◊〉 And that with his tongue he olesse and prayse God except he so leaue lying as â—haâ— he leaâ—ne to speake the truth And so cease from slandering and backbiâ—ing as that he learne to speake either well of others or no ill So likewise whosoeuer hath beene an oppressour of the poore vnmercifull cruell hard-hearted or any way iniurious to others what great thing doth he if he onely cease to be cruell vnmercifull iniurious any more except he also shew mercie and compassion to the poore except he be liberall to them that are in want And except with Zacheus he giue part of his goods to the poore For as Chrysostome saith i Nihil boni facere hoc ipsum est malum facere Chrys in Ephes Hom. 16. to doe no good is to doe euill The very omitting to do that good which we ought to haue done is euill and deserues punishment And many shall be condemned at the last day for not doing of good for not k Math. 25. 41. 42. 43. feeding the hungry c. Wherefore learne to doe well and be thou exercised in doing that which is good or else thou hast not truly amended thy life CHAP. X. Of perseuerance in grace and continuing in goodnesse to the end THe sixt and last step of grace whereby a Sinner 6 Perseuerance in grace or continuing in well-doing to the end in his returning from sinne riseth higher and continueth neerer vnto God is perseuerance in grace and goodnesse when a Christian hauing begun well holds on his good course and continues therein to the end Concerning this perseuerance I will Therein two things First prooue that a Christian may perseuere and continue to the end Secondly vse motiues and perswasions to mooue euery good Christian to labour that hee may perseuere and continue in goodnesse euen vnto the end For the first That a Christian hauing faith to beleeue 1 A Christian may perseuere and continue to the end For and grace to repent of his sins hauing forsaken his sinnes and amended his life and now being in the state of grace may so perseuere and continue to the end is euident for First the Scripture testifieth that such a one shall not 1 The Scripture affirmeth that a good and sound Christian shall not be mooued be mooued from his standing in grace a Psal 15. 5. Hee that doth these things saith Dauid shall neuer be mooued And againe b Psal 125. 1. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Syon which cannot bâ— remoeued but abideth for euer Secondly God that hath begunne the good worke of grace in his children will finish it So saith the Apostle to the Philippians c Phil. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begunne a good worke in you will performe it 2 God that hath begunne grace will finish it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Thirdly God will glorifie them that are iustified from their sinnes As Saint Paul also speakes to the Romanes d Rom. 8. 30. Moreouer whom he did predestinate them he also called 3 They that are iustified shall be glorified and whom he called them he also iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified Fourthly An inheritance in heauen is reserued for the elect and they are kept by the power of God vnto 4 The elect are reserued vnto saluation in heauen saluation So saith S. Peter e 1 Pet. 1. 3. 4. 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you who are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation Now this being prooued that a Christian may perseuere 2 Motiues to perswade to Perseuerance and continue to the end In the second place it is expedient to vse perswasions whereby euery good Christian may bee mooued to labour for perseuerance that hee may continue in his good state of grace and hold on his right course of godlines euen vnto the end And the perswasions hereunto are these First God requireth it When the Israelites had shewed 1 God requireth it their good affections to heare and obey the word of the Lord the Lord commended them saying f Deâ—t 5. 27. 28. 29. They haue well said all that they haue spoken And then wishing their perseuerance teacheth them what they ought to doe and sheweth them what God requireth at their hands O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my commandement alwayes Saint Pauls exhortation is g 1 Cor. 9. 24. So runne that you may obtainâ— In a race though many runne yet one receiueth the prize and he onely receiueth the prize that continueth to the end of the race So in the course of godlinesse hee that so runnes his race that he continues to the end and with S. Paul doth h 2 Tim. 4. 7. finish his course shall obtaine the crowne of righteousnesse And to the Galathians he saith i Gaâ— 6. 9. Let vs not be weary in well-doing Secondly holy and religious men Saints on earth 2 Holy men haue continued in their goodnes
materiall Churches are the 2 Against those which profane the house of God by any disorder places of Gods worship this reprooues those who prophane the house of God by any manner of disorder For this cause our Sauiour Christ was displeased to see the Temple of the Lord prophaned by those that sold Oxen and Sheepe and Doues and changers of money insomuch that he made a f Iohn 2. 15. scourge of small cords and droue them all out of the Temple And S. Marke saith that hee g Marke 11. 16. would not suffer that any man should carry any vessell thorough the Temple And yet this Temple was not the Sanctuary but onely the Court of the Temple which Christ would not haue to be prophaned Thirdly here they are reprooued who are backward 3 Against those who will not willingly contribute to the maintenance reparation of the Church and vnwilling to contribute to the necessarie maintenance and reparation of the materiall Church Dauid that holy man of God did purpose such was his zeale to build a house for the Lord for he reasoned thus h Sam. 7. 2. I dwell in a house of Cedar but the Arke of God dwelleth within curtaines This saying of Dauid is verified with many in many places of our Land though they cast not so farre as Dauid did neither haue hearts so zealously affected as Dauid had for many men build faire and goodly houses for themselues but build whatdoe I say build repaire not the houses of God which are built to their hands and many men are careful enough to beautifie and adorne their owne houses with great cost but care not in what case the house of God be They dwell in their i Hagg. 1. 4. sieled houses and suffer the house of God to lye wast Let such men search their owne hearts and they shall finde that they come farâ—e short of Dauids zeale to the house of God CHAP. XI Of the priuate place of praier where of domesticall or Houshold praier and also of Secret praier in the Chamber or in any secret place AS publique praier hath ordinarily a certaine set 2 The priuate place of prayer Twofold place the house of God so hath also priuate praier and the place for priuate praier is twofold The one domesticall in the house with the familie the other secret in the chamber or in any other secret place In the house First of domesticall or houshold praier In handling whereof I will Therein Two things First shew to whom this dutie chiefely belongeth Secondly vse reasons to perswade thereunto For the First The performance of houshold praier 1 To whom the performance thereof chiefely belongeth namely to the Master of the house together with the familie is a dutie chiefely and principally belonging to housholders to Parents and masters of families As vpon the Lords day Parents and masters of families are bound not only to come to the house of God themselues but likewise to bring with them their children and seruants to the publique worship of God so likewise in the house Parents and Masters of families are bound morning and euening and at all times of the day when they receiue their meate to pray to God and to praise God either themselues if they haue knowledge and abilitie to performe the same or else to see it performed by some other and that through their default praier and thanksgiuing be not omitted And that for these reasons And that First This is our daily seruice and spirituall sacrifice 1 In regard of order and to auoid confusion in the familie morning and euening to call vpon the name of the Lord to pray vnto him and to praise him in the morning before we beginne our worke at our meales when we receiue our meate and at night when we haue ended our busines before we say vs downe to sleepe now there ought to be an order for the obseruing of this seruice and worship of God and to whom in all the family should this care and dutie belong to see this seruice performed but to him who is the head of the house so then the care of the performance of this dutie lies principally vpon the master of the house in regard of order and to auoide confusion in the familie Secondly this dutie of worshipping God and doing 2 Parents and masters of houses are so charged and commanded him seruice priuately in the house is a dutie wherewith Parents and masters of families are charged Moses the the man of God exhorting the Children of Israel to obedience directeth his speech to the heades of the houses the masters of families saying These words which I command thee this day shall be in a Deut. 6. 6. 7. thine heart thou shalt teach them diligently vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp So the obseruation of the Sabbath lieth chiefely vpon all heads of houses and masters of families they must not only sanctifie the Sabbath themselues but likewise see that their children and seruants doe sanctifie it for it s said Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy c. In it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-seruant nor thy maid-seruant c. Now the Sabbath is sanctified not onely by reading the Scriptures hearing the word meditation c. But likewise by praying and praising God and that not only publiquely in the Church but also priuately at home where Parents and Masters of families haue the chiefe command Wherefore I conclude that the care of performing the dutie of praying b Exod. 20. 8. 9. 10. and praysing God in the familie belongs to the master of the familie 2 Reasons to perswade to Hous Now the reasons which may perswade all parents house-holders to the practise of this dutie are these First Examples of holy and good men Abraham receiueth 1 Good men haue vsed it this commendation from the Lord c Gen. 18. 19. I know him that he will commaund his children and his houshold after him and they shall keepe the way of the Lord. Abraham had care to instruct his children and seruants in the wayes of the Lord and to teach his houshold how to worship God When Abraham pitched his tent on the mountaine on the d Gen. 12. 8. East of Bethel there he builded an altar vnto the Lord and called vpon the Name of the Lord. That is as e Muscul in Gen. 12. some expound it he called together his house holde and there instructed them concerning the true worship of the true and onely God he prayed with them and offered sacrifice to the Lord. Ioshua hath this worthie saying to the children of Israel f Iosh 24. 15. choose you this day whom you will serue whether the gods which your fathers
serued that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell But as for me and my house we will serue the Lord. Now this is one principall part in the worship and seruice of God to pray to the Lord and to call vpon his name For this cause those housholds and families which haue made conscience of worshipping God in their houses haue beene called Churches as the houshold of Priscilla and Aquila is called by the name of a Church g Rom. 16. 3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila h Ver. 5. likewise greet the Church that is in their house The second reason I take from the necessitie of performing this dutie Praier in our houses is necessarie to be vsed for Houshold praier is necessary For First without Praier we can expect no blessing nor be assured of any good successe vpon our labours and businesse which we take in hand wherefore it is said in 1 Without praying to God we can looke for no blessing vpon our labours the Psalmes * Psal 127. 1. 2. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord keepe the Cittie the watch-man waketh but in vaine It is vaine for you to rise vp early to sit vp late to eate the bread of sorrowes for so he giueth his beloued sleepe The meaning is that the affaires the labours businesse which men take in hand doe not prosper except the Lord giue a blessing to their labours and the meanes to procure a blessing is by praier In the morning before we begin our worke to pray to the Lord for a blessing and in the euening before we lie downe to praise God for his blessings S. Iames tells vs that l Iam. 1. 17. euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights and againe he saith m Jam. 4. 2. ye lust and haue not ye kill and desire to haue and cannot obtaine ye fight and warre yet ye haue not because ye aske not Giuing vs to vnderstand that if we would haue any blessing from God we must aske it at Gods hands we must pray to God and call vpon the name of the Lord. Secondly Families that call not vpon the name of the 2 Families that call not vpon the name of the Lord are heathenish and subiect to Gods wrath Lord are noted to be heathenish and the wrath of God hangs ouer them which the Prophet Ieremie sheweth saying n Iere. 10. 25. powre out thy furie vpon the heathen that know thee not and vpon the families that call not vpon thy name He saith two things first they that doe not call vpon the name of the Lord are like to heathen men which know not God secondly he lets all such as doe not call vpon the name of the Lord know and vnderstand that they are in a verie fearefull and dangerous case for the furie and wrath of God hangs ouer those countries cities and townes ouer those houses and families that call not vpon the name of the Lord. Now whereas houshold prayer ought to be vsed and is so necessarie as hath beene shewed the consideration Vse hereof serues to reproue those who neglect and omit Against those who neglect house-hold prayer this dutie o Gen. 12. 8. Abraham in the place where he pitched his tent there he builded an altar vnto the Lord and called vpon the name of the Lord. All men are for the most part carefull enough to prouide them houses but when they haue built them houses they are not carefull with Abraham to build an altar they doe not set vp the worship of God in theiâ— houses This is held by some to be too much adoe and they that vse prayer in their houses are thought by some to be too precise and many are afraid if they should vse Praier in their houses lest they should be accounted so too this hindereth manie from the practise of this religious dutie But consider ô man in what a dangerous case thou art if thou doest negligently omit or wilfully contemne this godly and religious dutie for thou canst looke for no fauour from God nor expect any blessing vpon the labours busines which either thou or any of thy houshold goeth about except that supplications and praiers be made vnto God And what fearest thou nothing the wrath and vengeance of God which hangeth ouer thee and thy house as long as thou callest not vpon the name of the Lord O consider these things and repent of this neglect Wherefore if any one hath altogether omitted this dutie let him now at the length with Abraham build an altar to the Lord let him set vp the worship of God in his house and call vpon the name of the Lord. If any one hath beene negligent in performance of this dutie let him repent of that neglect and be more diligent in the practise of the same and whosoeuer doth vse it let him be encouraged to be constant in the same Knowing this that no man shall serue the Lord in vaine but as the Prophet Malachie saith the day shall come when ye shall p Mal. 3. 18. discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serueth God and him that serueth him not And this of domesticall or houshold Prayer The second place for priuate Prayer is the secret place 2 The secret place for â—ecret Prayer for as there is a publike place for all the Congregation to pray together which is the Church and as there is a place for the houshold and familie to pray together which is euery mans owne house so there is a more priuate and secret place for a man to pray alone which is his chamber or closet or any other secret place Of this place our Sauiour Christ speaketh enioyning vs to pray in secret q Mat. 6. 6. When thou prayest enter into thy closet when thou hast shut thy doore pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Now this place of Prayer is said to be secret First because a Christian may be in his chamber closet or other secret place so priuate to himselfe that no eye of man can see him neither any eare of man heare him onely God seeth and heareth him Secondly because there a sinner may without feare or shame make knowne vnto God the verie secrets of his heart may powre out the griefes of his soule before the Lord and not be ashamed to confesse his sins whatsoeuer they are how fowle soeuer they be how hainous or how grieuous soeuer they be Because the Lord hath promised that the Prayer which is made in secret the Father which seeth in secret will reward it openly And yet he that prayeth alone in secret if he pray in sinceritie and truth of heart is not alone for God is with him
slaughter and as a sheepe before her shearer is dumbe so he openeth not his mouth and then pray that the Lord would endue vs with meekenesse and patience in suffering And when we see a sheepe going astray we may meditate on the state of a sinner going astray like a lost sheepe yea on our owne wandring from the commaundements of the Lord and pray with Dauid saying k Psal 119. 17â— I haue gone astray like a lost sheepe O Lord seeke thy seruant Such like meditations as these to stirre vp our deuotion may be taken from these and other creatures and workes of God on earth Thirdly from the waters and things therein we may 3 In the waters haue meditations to raise our affections on high as when we see and consider how euerie little brooke runs into the greater riuer and all riuers runne into the Sea whence they came as Solomon saith l Eccles 1. 7. All the riuers run into the Sea yet the Sea is not full vnto the place whence the riuers come thither they returne againe this should cause vs to thinke on our mortalitie and to meditate that euen as the riuers runne into the Sea whence they came so doe all men returne to the earth whence they came and this meditation should put vs in minde of our last end and make vs to consider how we euen hasten to our graue and then we should pray that we may be carefull to remember our last end and thinke much and often of the place whence we came and whither we are going When we see fishes caught with the angle or taken in the net vnawares as they are securely swimming and seeking their prey this may cause vs to meditate on the suddennesse of death and how it takes many vnawares according to the saying of Solomon m Eccles 9. 12. man knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an euill net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sonnes of men snared in an euill time when it falleth suddenly vpon them And then we should be mooued to pray that now while we liue and haue time and space to repent we may so prepare for death that whensoeuer that day commeth it may not n Luk 21. 34. 35. 36. come vpon vs vnawares Hitherto of meditations that concerne God The second sort of meditations which may helpe and 2 Concerning our selues Two-fold further vs in prayer concerne our selues and they are of two sorts The first are taken from the consideration of our 1 In regard of our state Three-fold three-fold state Past Present and To come First in regard of the time past we may meditate and 1 Past what we were call to minde what we were how we o Ephe. 2. 3. were by nature children of wrath p Psal 51. 5. Shapen in iniquitie and conceiued in sinne The meditation whereof should cause vs to pray that we may be renued may be made children of God by adoption and grace and may be q Ioh. 3. 3. borne againe that so we may enter into the kingdome of God Secondly in regard of the time present we may seriously 2 Present what we are thinke with our selues what we are and we may find that we are first fraile brittle euen dust and ashes which should humble vs in prayer and cause vs to say 1 Fraile with Abraham r Gen. 18. 27. I haue taken vpon me to speake vnto the Lord which am but dust and ashes Secondly sinfull hauing much naturall corruption 2 Sinnefull within vs and preuailing against vs so that oftimes Å¿ Rom. 7. 19. the good that we would we doe not and the euill which we would not that we doe Which meditation should cause vs to pray with the Apostle t Ver. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Thirdly in regard of the time to come we may meditate 3 To come what we shall be what we shall be For we shall be In death corruptible In the resurrection glorious The one may humble vs the other may raise vs vp with consolation and both may teach vs to pray that when our bodie dieth our soule may liue and at the resurrection both soule and body may liue with God and be with the Lord for euer These and such like meditations may be taken from the consideration of our threefolde state Secondly meditations concerning our selues may be 2 In regard of our dayes and houres taken from the dayes and houres and time which God hath giuen vs here on earth We may euery day and euery houre of the day find some opportunitie for godly and diuine meditations And that Three fold In the morning In the day time and In the euening First in the morning as when we awake and see the 1 In the morning light we may meditate on the u Joh. 1. 9. true light which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world And pray that we may x 1. Cor. 15. 34. awake to righteousnesse and that the Lord would lighten our darknesse that we may come out of the darknesse of ignorance to the true light When we rise from our beds we may meditate on our two-fold rising from the death of sinne in this life and from our graues at the last day and then pray that we may no longer lye dead in our sinnes but may rise from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and that we may haue our y Reu. 20. 6. part in the first resurrection so that the second death may haue no power ouer vs but when we z Dan. 12. 2. awake out of the dust of the earth we may rise to euerlasting life And when we put on our apparrell we may fitly meditate on the putting on of the a Ephe. 4 24. new man and pray that we may b Rom. 13. 14. put on the Lord Iesus Christ and may c Colos 3. 12. put on bowells of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long-sufferiâ—â— Such meditations as these we may haue in the morning Secondly in the day time in our affaires and buisinesse 2 In the day time in the world euery man in his place in his vocation and calling may haue some good cogitations and diuine meditations as the husbandman when hee is plowing his ground may meditate on the plowing and d Iere. 4. 3. breaking vp of the fallow ground of the heart and when he soweth his seed may thinke on the e Luk. 8. 11. seed of Gods word and then pray that his owne heart may be like good ground fitted and prepared to receiue the seed of Gods word that it may enter into his heart may take deepe rooting there and bring forth the fruit of good workes So also in the day time when we are walking going in the way or trauelling we may fitly