be remembred of their Wrath Revenge Pride Envy Conceit and Disobedience Fraud Deceit Injustice Violence Sacriledge Lust and Intemperance their neglect of God and their Duty towards him nay their aversation from hatred or contempt of Pious Performances they will either deny or excuse or justifie themselves therein These are the far greatest number But we may find some too on the other hand who are so melancholy fearful and timorous or angry and discontented with themselves that they are very apt to think those things sins in themselves and to accuse and condemn themselves for them which are not but only defects of knowledge or prudence when their principles were very right and innocent and they used as much or more care sometimes to do what they intended then they ought Nay some there may be who may think those things sins which are their material duty or they ought in prudence and wisdom to have done As when any person notwithstanding the stirring or tumultuating of any Lusts resisted disapproved comes to the Sacrament desirous heartily to be better and stronger against them and yet thinks he hath done amiss in coming before his heart was better when this was his duty These same â—â—morous and discontented persons also are apt to think themselves guilty of some faâ—lts when they are not or more then they are and to take notice of what 's bad and not what 's good in themselves They take notice of the frequent assaults of their excessive and immoderate Appetites and Lusts and sometimes of their being overcome and not at all of their disapprobation dislike resistance repelling and overcoming them the latter of which is as effectual a means of encouraging preserving and strengthening us in goodness as the former So also men may mistake in their Confession concerning Original Sin if not rightly informed as that we are guilty of Adam's personal Sin and so deserve Eternal Damnation therefore whereas the utmost that seems to be taught us by Scripture Reason and Experience which indeed is a great and a sad deal is that it may seem just to God or for the Universal Good to constitute such Laws of Nature that Children by the Mediation of their Bodys from their Parents may be born with inordinate and immoderate appetites or inclinations or with inclinations to some objects absolutely for themselves and stronger than that to holiness or righteousness in which is the nature of Sin These inordinate and immoderate appetites or inclinations being by Laws of Nature from certain temper or disposition of our bodys which is communicated from our Parents may very well be called Original or Birth-Sin as it is in our Church-Articles But all this though it be a very great Calamity to Children yet cannot be said to be their Punishment because no sin in them is supposed to have preceded but it is the Punishment of their Parents and of their First-Parents who have sinned to whom they are so related as to be looked upon by them and others as part of themselves and whom their Evil or Calamity seen or foreseen really doth affect Nay further These inordinate and immoderate Appetites or habitual Lusts or evil Concupiscences do certainly make it just for God to place such Souls in whom they are in some suitable state of imperfection and unhappiness sometime or in some degree or other best known to his infinite Wisdom if they be not removed or taken away as some think they are in Infants by Baptism But all this still is no Punishment to Children either for Adam's or any other 's personal Transgression The neglect of a Judaical observation of the Lord's day hath been and I suppose is still amongst some even very good person one of the most frequently or zealously confessed sins That they have spoke their own words and thought their own thoughts any time within the four and twenty hours that is as they interpet it any words or thoughts concerning any worldly Affair though it be hard to fix the bounds of worldly and religious which in it self might be hightly useful to ones self and to others and therefore lawful nay commanded on another day and this because they look upon the Jewish Sabbath only translated to another day by our Lord or his Apostles with the addition of the Commemoration of our Lord's Resurrection The Command concerning the Observation of which Jewish Sabbath they esteem Moral by which they mean that it is of perpetual obligation except where God himself hath altered it as they think he hath in respect of the day In all which I think there are many mistakes As 1. That the Jews themselves were forbidden for the entire space of twenty four hours of their Sabbath all thoughts and words nay actions themselves which were not the immediate worship of God internal or external or very nearly relating thereunto As for Actions it is not to be doubted but that first those which might be necessary to make them spend a greater part of that time in the immediate worship of God with more vigour and fervency were never forbidden and therefore those which were for the best refreshment of the body with food and those which were for diversion sometimes which to some persons might necessarily take up a good part of their time such as walking and talking about innocent or useful affairs of Life and interposing these so much as might make them fitter for the commanded Worship of God and that which their own prudence might add in publick private or secret Nor 2. Is it more to be doubted that those actions were never forbidden which were of greater good effect just at that time and in those circumstances and many such there may be which must be left to mens sincere prudence than the immediate Worship of God As for Example A Man's pulling his Neighbour's or his own Ox or Ass or Sheep out of a Ditch where they would certainly perish It is our Saviour's own Instance How much more to ride many miles Post more than many of their Sabbath days Journey to save a Man's Life ready to perish by some Disease or by violent assault of wicked Murtherers And as for words and thoughts they had in this respect still more liberty For abundance of actions and otherwise very useful and good would be inconsistent with and indispose a man to the immediate Worship of God the words or thoughts concerning which for a small time may not but clean contrary conveniently and fitly divert or refresh a man and be the cause of his better performance thereof The place in Isaiah the 58. which hath been usually quoted to this purpose is If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day anâ— call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Where firâ—â— the words from doing thy pleasure on my holy day signifie and
mean â—â— general their doing every thing they listed and pleased not only upon the day now ordinarily called their Sabbath but also upon other their holy days And that they made the rule of their actions on those days only their own will and pleasure not God's This they neglected and had no regard to and therefore they neglected and slighted those things that God had on those days commanded them Those words cannot mean their doing some things which might please themselves for eveâ— what God commanded might and ought to please them and they were to delight themselves in them Again The sense of the words shalt honour him not doing thine own ways c. is no other but that they should in general honour God by keeping his Commandments and preferring his Will before their own will and ways when inconsistent with or opposed thereto and particularly by keeping his Commands whatsoever they were concerning the observation of the Sabbath that by the Phrase of their own ways is meant their sinful ways in opposition to God's Will and Commands is manifest from Isa 66. Verse 3 and 4. Another mistake is That supposing the Jews were commanded by God for the 24 hours of the Sabbath to abstain from all words and thoughts which were not nearly at least relating to the immediate Worship of God that this Command obligeth all Christians For on the contrary it is most certain that no Commands given to the Jews by Moses oblige any Christians as given by him They were particularly directed to that particular people and no other If there be any of those Commands that are enjoyned from God by Christ who was the great Prophet and Messenger of God to all Mankind or by Reason and Natural Light so that they appear in all circumstances to have more good effects than bad ones then indeed they oblige all men Now the Judaical Observation of the Lord's day to all men howsoever particular that of their Sabbath was is not commanded neither by Christ nor by Reason There is not one word of it in the Scripture And for Reason it is not imaginable that it is possible for all Persons of all tempers in all Climates and places as the affairs of humane nature now are to observe it as the Jews did nor is it of more good effect that it should be so observed And as for the translation of the Jewish Sabbath-day from the Seventh to the First Day of the Week by Christ or his Apostles it is without any ground from any Testimony that I remember to have heard Nor is the Reason usually given more considerable viz. the Redemption of the World by Christ being a greater Mercy than the Creation For the Creation was of Millions more and that of ever blissful and happy and most perfect Creatures than the Redemption was And indeed if the minute circumstances with which the Jews observed their Sabbath be Moral and therefore not changed by Christ and his Apostles much more should the precise day be so Finally it is to be affirmed That only all those Precepts in the Mosaical Law are obligatory to all men at all times which concern the end of all our wills and actions namely the Universal Good consisting of pleasing God the greatest good of others and our own Salvation or most compleatly perfect and happy state and consequently the suppression of all selfish and immoderate Appetites or Lusts in us And moreover those few general Precepts of Prudence which perpetually to observe doth most obtain this our one ultimate end such as the material part of the Commands against Idolatry Prophaneness Irreligion Murder Adultery False-witness c. how many and which these are our own Reason and Prudence if we have them not repeated in our Christian Religion must only determine by the same ways they use in other matters In all that I have said concerning the Judaical Observation of the Lord's day I would not be thought as if I intended or desired in the least to undervalue and discourage the employment of our minds about spiritual things and consequently spirituality of Soul that is such a temper whereby a man is apt to apprehend and be affected with spiritual matters No I would have it introduced into the World as much as humane nature is capable of For although I do not think this employment and temper of Soul to be our absolute and greatest Perfection which I doubt is a mistake among some of the highest Religionists of all sorts and parties yet I know it to be a most excellent Instrument thereof viz. of Universal Love and Goodness in opposition to Selfishness It allays and calms all our bodily Passions and consequent bad Impressions and Inclinations it clears our Reason and Perception of all Perfection of the Nature of God of the Truth of Things and consequently of the Nature and Excellency of Virtue and its only instance Universal Charity and Goodness yea and causeth us to be deeply affected with it to admire and love it It immediately disposeth the Soul to a sweet and easie benignity and goodness c. Wherefore I say I would endeavour to introduce it as much still as humane nature shall be observed to be capable of that is so much as will be the cause of most good among men as their natures or affairs are necessarily constituted For it is certain The employment of a man's mind about spiritual matters may be too much so that it may wast or dull ones spirits and consequently render one less sufficient to apprehend well and be affected with either spiritual or sensible things it may weaken flatten and darken our apprehension and conception diminish and impair much all our natural parts it may render us fearful flattering of too mean an opinion of our selves compared with others superstitious pievish morose by too great an expense or contracting some certain ill Crasis of the Spirits in fine very little and mean minded persons dull afraid of and angry with every small thing beyond measure whereas a free and discreet use of bodily pleasures and converse with ordinary affairs may secure us from those Infirmities But thus much I think the Condition of men will very well generally bear 1. That there be some time set apart for the publick Worship of God to which all men except very rarely may resort which time may be once in the Week at least or oftner 2. Particularly to commemorate his Creation Preservation and Administration of the whole Universe and therein with all sutable affections to acknowledge his infinite Perfections displaied and more particularly to commemorate that part of his providence or administration or direction and government of the affairs of Mankind viz. Jesus's coming amongst us from him for our Redemption from a State of great Imperfection Wickedness Misery by his Doctrine Life gracious Influence procurement of Pardon c. all this also with agreeable affections of Soul for which the day of his Resurrection by his own Power
and Virtue being the most wonderful thing and peculiar to him and therefore the great confirmation of his mission is well chosen To which might be added by Christians for ought I see the weekly celebration of the day of his Ascension if the affairs of Mankind could bear it which was also a most magnificent and strange thing though happenning to two others before and necessarily inferrs his resurrection 3. Upon the same day to Worship God in secret too more or less according as our bodily temper and necessary affairs will permit which every ones sincere prudence must determine Particularly to entertain ones self with such actions and thoughts before the publick Worship as will prepare a man to perform it better more to apprehend and be affected with the spiritual things that do occur therein and to abstain from those things which may indispose and unfit a man for that performance And so afterwards to take some time to impress upon our memory examine inculcate upon our affections what might have occurred and moreover to think of contemplate and affect our selves with any other spiritual things as the Existence Nature Actions of God of our own Souls what we were are should be shall be our imperfections perfections c. for all which we are fitter by freedom from bodily action and calmness This very day is also a very fit season for instructing of Families and performing Offices and Duties of Religion with them also for all acts of Charity both Spiritual and Corporal to our Neighbour The Church of England hath in one of her Canons very piously described how she would have holy days to be observed which were it carefully obeyed would be a very grave Ornament to her Nor can it therefore be expedient for such an end to encourage Plays Pastimes Recreations worldly Affairs but barely to tolerate some lesser matters which prudence might not think sit to exact rigidly but to leave to every ones liberty And as for times of necessary Diversion or Recreation which usually is accompanied with some folly and debauchery others are a great deal fitter for such a purpose And now if the Lord's day and other holy days were thus observed there would be far more of spiritual employment of our minds and more effectual for the great end of making us better than there was ever among the Jews in their strictest observation of their Sabbath a great part of which was taken up in the bare external Worship of God or in the external signs of Honour as in the care of their best Apparel and well provided Tables their Gate their Voice and other such unprofitable and trivial matters as R D Kimchi observes upon the place in Isaiah before quoted What a ridiculous Observation of their Sabbath was the abstaining from twisting ones Whiskers or running a Needle twice through a Clout or writing two Letters because these were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Works Of this enough every where in their Authours and particularly in the Talmudical Tract of the Sabbath most of which were only an ignorant and superstitious application of God's general Command as it seems of which some Christians have been or may be soon too much guilty It may be here advised that there is great difference as to persons and that there may be some whose constant employment or leisure may give them such advantages of spending much time upon other days about spiritual things that it may not be so needful nor convenient for them to spend so much time on these and that oft-times the principal reason especially of their publick observation is the giving a good Example to those who else would take too much liberty But to the generality of men if these fixed and set times be not made use of for the spiritual employment of their minds it will be quite neglected But so much for this digression which I intended no other than only in general to suggest many things to be considered concerning this matter not particularly to discuss them and therefore have taken no notice of what others of other perswasions had said or might have objected In like manner are they mistaken who confess That the best actions the best men do are sins and even deserve eternal punishment but pardoned in Christ from that place in the Prophet misunderstood viz. All our Righteousness are as filthy rags spoken of the generality of the Nation of the Jews who were very bad Isaiah 64. Verse 6. When the truth of the Case is that many and many a good man have done many and many an Action in which there was no sin and which deserves no punishment For he who hath in any Action with the greatest vigour of his Soul he then had propounded intended and willed his duty right just and that consisting in the most universal good the greatest good he can know viz. in pleasing of God and doing the greatest good to the World he at that time was capable of and most perfecting and making happy himself in so being and doing I say this person seems to me to have done some action in which there 's no sin nor desert of punishment and I do not doubt that there hath been many such an action done It is true Righteousness and the good of the whole World God our Neighbour our selves and God alone deserve to be loved with a greater degree of Intenseness than we are capable of even with the infinite one of God himself but this is but a necessary Imperfection of all created Natures even of the highest Angel and would have been in the state of Innocency In giving thanks likewise we must use the same care For as men may confess sins when they are no sins and when they are not guilty of them so also they may thank God that they have received certain favours and benefits from his hands when either they are no benefits nor instances of his favour or if they be they have not received them So men may thank God that they are led into some great truth as they think that they are of this or t'other perswasion or party and in the right way and now sure to be saved when their truth is some trifling or hurtful errour and 't were better for them and the World that they were of another mind or another way and even of that from which it may be they may thank God they are delivered Thus men may also thank God and be highly ravished with the distinguishing love of God to them in electing justifying sealing glorifying and saving them and securing them certainly from Eternal Misery or Hell when all this may be only an Imagination of their own caused by self-love and self-flattery and nothing of truth in it and really they are very bad persons having many and great Lusts unmortified known even to themselves but yet as they think to be over-looked by God because they are and will be sure they are his Elect Children and more yet unknown
extraordinary delightful and only satisfactory to the soul of Man And if we leave out God we can no where find comparably the like God hath made us capable of the most intense and ravishing Pleasure in this enjoyment of himself that is in the employment of the operations of our Minds about him than which together with imitation of him we know nothing better or greater A whole Universe without God or infinite Perfection is nothing comparatively And if we give our Minds leave to enquire and be at lâ—isure long enough to think 〈◊〉 Minds can find satisfaction or repose no whâ—re elâ—e The reason oâ— which is that there is nothing besides infinite which is so great but thâ—â— we can conceive and câ—nsequently desire somâ—thing greater And this among others is one chief reason 〈◊〉 the Exercise of Prayer is so pleasant anâ— sweet to a Mind disposed to this Conversatiâ—n and Communion with God to make up which compleat on God's part he may at the same time have particular Influence upon our Souls Further This express Acknowledgment of and Conversation consequently of our minds with God spiritualizes our Minds makes them by Use and Exercise more capable of apprehending and being affected with all Spiritual things as God himself and his Perfections our own Souls and what belongs to them Virtue and Vice Holiness and Sin the Rewards and Punishments of Heaven and Hell the future States Again This also enlarges and widens our Minds makes us to be capable of and desire and breath after the most excellent and perfect Objects it makes us have an Opinion of the smalness and meanness of all other things below God and therefore of all things that are temporary and proper to this Life to despise them comparatively to aspire and breath after the greatest Perfection of Life and State we are capable of things every way as near infinite as we can And therefore a soul that hath been able to be much or long thus employ'd converseth with worldly things with a kind of condescension and more out of necessity of this humane life chearfully notwithstanding acquiescing in it as the divine Will than out of choice But of this more particularly hereafter Again It begets in us Humility and maintains it whilst we cannot avoid sometimes reflecting upon and comparing our selves with God to whom what a nothing are we when we are cloathed with our best qualities and adorned with our most beautiful Plumes for which we are so apt to be immoderately taken with and to have too great an opinion of our selves Whilst also we take notice we have nothing from our selves but are fain to be Beggars and Alms-people for all we have God the Almighty and All-good is the great Father and Housholder of all the World his Family And neither we nor any thing else have the least Crum of Bread but what is by his Provision and Appointment And lastly To name no more all this Conversation of our Minds with God disposeth us certainly to an universal Imitation and Obedience and consequently to universal Hâ—liness and Righteousness to all manner of Virtue and Goodness in the greatest sincerity generosity and constancy for so he is and so he hath commanded and consequently to our own Perfection and Happiness by procuring of and being instrumental to according to our own Measure and Proportion the greatest good of the whole the last end of all Being and Action And these are the Reasons of this part of Prayer of some of which again and more in another general Head Of this first thing in Prayer we have every where Examples in the Scriptures In the Lord's Prayer our Address is made to God by the name of Father which is to put us in mind of the tender goodness of God in producing us sustaining us providing for us constantly educating and bringing us up providing Portions for us hereafter And the first Petition is That his Name may be hallowed that is that we might have a due Opinion of and a just and therefore a peculiar Honour for him whereby he is separated from all other things But especially that which is called the Doxology For thine is the Kingdom c. is nothing but this solâ—â—n acknowledgment of God's Excellencies and it is set down as a Reason of the preceding Petition Deliver us from Evil For thine is the Kingdom c. that is Thou indeed art King emphatically thou hast right and power to grant these things And thine is the Power Thou indeed art powerful to thee eminently belongs Power for in thee it is infinite supream uncontroulable nay all Power is thine Thine is the Glory that is All glorious things for which one is to be praised extolled honoured glorified an ordinary Hebrew Metonymy are in thee and appertain to thee and therefore we ought to pray unto thee So when the Apostles and Disciples were to choose either Barsabas or Matthias by Lot into the place of Judas they prayed and said Thou Lord which knowest the Hearts of all Men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen To their Petition they premise an Acknowledgment of God's Omniscience very proper to that Petition they desired that God would choose and that because he knew certainly which was fittest to be chosen Acts 1. Verse 24. Another Instance of a pretty long Prayer of the Disciples we have Acts 4. Verse 24. When Peter and John were commanded by the Rulers the Elders Scribes and High Priest that they should not speak nor preach in the Name of Jesus but threatned them probably with Death or very severe Punishment if they did their Prayer or Petition was That God would behold their Threatnings and grant to them that notwithstanding they might with all boldness speak God's Word to which they premise God's infinite Power and Wisdom in the creating of all things and his Providence in foreseeing them that therefore he knew what was then done or designed and was powerful to secure them from all their malicious and severe threats and to bear up their courage against them yea and against the Execution of them too Ver. 24. Lord thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all that in them is In the Old Testament read Hezekiah's Prayer when Sennacherib King of Assyria sent that blasphemous and vaunting insolent Letter to him Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee c. Kings 2. 19. 10. and Verse 15. c. He prays O Lord God of Israel who dwellest between the Cherubims thou art the God even thou alone of all the Kingdoms of the Earth Lord bow down thine ear and hear open thine eyes and see and hear the words of Sennacherib which hath sent him to reproach the living God in opposition to the dead Idols whether the Images themselves or inanimate things or dead persons represented by them And Verse 19. Now therefore O Lord our God I beseech thee save-thou us out of his hands that all the Kingdoms
Imitation Long and fierce hath been the Contention and Strife amongst us concerning this external Worship but too certain a Sign and Cause of the Decay and Neglect of the internal Worship before mentioned For those whose Minds are seriously and really taken up with so noble and high an Employment as the Contemplation Admiration of God's infinite Perfections a sincere and ardent Love obediential Resolutions Trust Joy Acquiescence in God are very little solicitous concerning any the external Signs thereof or seldom take any Notice of them but when and so far as they observe them to be any Hindrances or Helps in themselves or others to the internal things signified which oft-times is very little and uncertain Nevertheless no Men have more and more proper natural Signs of inward Worship or Devotion than they no Mens Carriages and Demeanors more shew it than theirs And as it is a Sign I speak of fierce Contention about not the Use of external Signs so it is a Cause of the Neglect of the internal Worship of God For it calls all Mens Thoughts and Affections from it so that they hardly ever mind it neither in Publick nor Private You shall rarely hear those Persons who are of this Temper spend one Minute or two in any serious and affectionate Discourse concerning the Nature of God or his Actions his Attributes and infinite Perfections and his displaying of them in hiâ— Creation Preservation Providence or Government of the Universe and consequently what Opinions and Affections become hiâ— Creatures that are capable towards him 〈◊〉 concerning the reasonableness of any Virtuâ— or Grace he hath commanded from its excellent uses in the World in these things they are very ignorant and cold and rarely I say shall you hear from them these things but for a Minute or two But Disputes of many hours with fiery Eyes and foaming Mouth concerning Times and Places and Garbs and Postures the Signs and external Circumstances of internal Worship of God Moreover this habituates Mens Minds to little and sensible things and makes them inept for those truly great and spiritual unfit to apprehend and be affected with them Whence they are filled with Superstition that is a great Zeal and Esteem for and consequently an Opinioâ— of the Acceptableness of those small things to God and little or none for those spiritual things which are vastly greater This is the Temper generally of the Vulgar even in all other Matters through Ignorance and Sensuality whereby they are affected with onely personal sensible and persent good things The Controversie is not whether there ought to be any external Signs and other not necessary or changeable Circumstances in publick Divine Worship for all among all Sects acknowledge and practice it and cannot but do so but whether there ought to be any instituted and commanded by any particular Church which are not commanded in Scripture by Christ or his Apostles The Affirmative of which Question is undoubtedly true And it is somewhat the more strange it should be doubted or denyed by any Society of Christians if some may be so called when they themselves find it plainly necessary to practice accordingly For I do not think there is any one of the wildest of them who do not by consent and agreement contrary to which they will not permit any one of their Society to act use external Signs of inward Worship and other not absolutely necessary Circumstances which never were commanded or used by Christ or his Apostles Which usage and practice though it have not some Circumstances of a Law or Command yet it hath the Power and Force thereof and as much restrains Liberty For Example Some of those Persons who are of that Perswasion and therefore say a Church hath not Power to command him who Officiates in the Church to wear a white Garment yet they will not permit him to wear any other than a black as a sign of Gravity though Linschot Itineran it is said in Japan they use white for a sign of Mourning and therefore I should think of Gravity too black for a sign of joy or at least any other light or gaudy colour they will not permit him the Garb of a Tradesman or a Souldier none of which things are particularly any where forbidden or commanded against by Christ or his Apostles Nay it is more likely that in their Preaching they used the Habits of Men of their Profession or Quality in their Country So most of those Persons for some I have heard affirm the contrary who will not for the same reason permit any Church to enjoyn kneeling at the Lord's Supper yet they themselves will not permit any Man to take it in our Table or Meal Posture and therefore with his Hat on which is not commanded against by Christ or his Apostles Nay it is most likely it is contrary to the Example of Christ with his Disciples For it is not much to be doubted but that they took it in the Manner they used to discumb to eat viz. with their Heads covered according to the then Custom of that Age and Country The like may be said of the Time viz. Evening and of many other Usages The Jewish Church had always this Liberty and Priviledg of instituting and commanding things in the external Worship of God so they were not contrary to any thing that God had commanded and accordingly it was made use of in abundance of Instances as hath been most evidently proved by some late learned Men To which many more might be added if this were a Place to discourse the thing so largely The whole Synagogical Worship is one comprehensive Instance thereof or else the Records we have of Moses's Law and the succeeding Ages of the Jâ—wes Affairs are very deficient There are many parts thereof which have positive Testimony of their Institution by the Governours of the Jewish Church as the reading of their Haphtaroth or their Sections of the Prophâ—ts in their Synagogues every Sabbath day which was commanded upon the Occasion of Antiochus Epiphanes's prohibiting them the reading of their Law and was continuâ—d ever after with their reading the Sections of their Law when they had Liberty to do that And yet the Jewes were a small People and it was infinitely more easie to determine every Circumstance in the external Worship of God for them than for all the Christian World which is to comprehend all Mankind of infinite Variety of natural Tempers Customes and Constitutions For which reason to give one Example only what is amongst us a universal Sign Natural or by Custom which most-what hath foundation in some natural Temper of Honour and Reverence or the Absence of which is a sign of Irreverence and want of Honour to God in his publick Worship this is noâ— so among other Nations but it may be oâ— Contempt or some ill Quality For Men tâ— uncover their Head amongst us is a sign oâ— Honour and not to uncover it is a sign oâ— Irreverence or
had committed sins they should be forgiven them That is most likely that Punishment of their sins viz. their sickness which might be inflicted and justly continued too should be removed and taken away James 5. Verse 14. Is any sick amongst you let him câ—l for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the Name of the Lord. That is not improbably let the Elders using the natural Means for his Recovery also add their fervent Prayers to God For anointing with Oyl was a most ordinary and usual Medicine in those Times and Countries for curing many Infirmities and Diseases as appears by the Jewish Writings And therefore it may be instanced in by St. James and put Syneedochically for any other natural Means or Medicine whatsoever applied for Help and Cure To this also the Jews added Enchantments to which the Apostle probably opposeth Prayer as the Disciples used the Invocation of the Name of Jesus and God as a learned Man hath observed And then the Apostle proceeds the Prayer of Faith that is of a Believer or of a true and hearty holy Christian such as the Elders were generally and reasonably then supposed to be shall save the sick that is shall save him from his sickness or deliver him and the Lord shall raise him up And if he have committed sins that is any sins which might particularly have deserved such a Punishment as Sickness yet by the Prayers of these Elders righteous Men they shall be forgiven him that is this Punishment shall not be further inflicted upon him And then follows confess your Faults one to another and pray one for another for the effectual fervent Prayer of the righteous Man availeth much it is very prevalent with God to procure such and other Favours and Blessings yea and sometimes Curses and Evil things even as Elias who being but a Man as we are by his Prayers procured and obtained from God both Drought and Rain There may be also other Benefits to others by our Prayers if they be duly performed they may be Examples to others excite and draw them to a due Acknowledgment of of God and his Perfections to love him thank him desire of him have Faith Confidence and Trust in him obey and please him and to obtain all the consequent good Effects which we our selves shall by our own Prayers all which good things had it not been for our Example they would never have thought of or minded or not so much SECT 1. BUt Secondly There are many and great Benefits to our selves by Prayer which again may be comprehended under three Heads 1 Our Goodness or Holiness 2 Our Comfort Joy Satisfaction Pleasure and Delight of Soul 3 Some things that may be the common Causes or Means of both 1 Prayers do confirm and increase our Goodnoss They tend much to preserve us therein and to make us better and that these several ways amongst others First By the actual Exercise and Use of it or of the immediate Means thereof Secondly By suggestion or bringing to mind our Duty or what helps to practise it Thirdly By being an Occasion of Imitation of God Fourthly By putting us in mind particularly of the Condition of our receiving all other good things besides Goodness nay of our receiving a further degree of Goodness it self Fifthly By way of Remuneration or Reward All which I shall a little more explicate 1 By being an Occasion of the actual Exercise and Use of Goodness or of those things which immediately are the most frequent and effectual Means thereof And this is easily understood by running over all the Parts of a Prayer we have formerly mentioned As First The Confession of our Sins that is an express Judgment concerning our selves directed to God that we have been guilty formerly or are still of such and such sins and a hearty Disapprobation Dislike Disalallowance thereof a Contempt or Hatred of them and of our selves too so far as we have been guilty a hearty sorrow that we have ever been so imperfect wicked or unhappy and a chearful free and firm Resolution to do so no more but to be good and to do our Duty to do what we have been faulty in omitting and to abstain from and abandon what we have been guilty of in doing to mortifie and extinguish all the Inordinacy and Immoderacy of any or all our Appetites that is all our Lusts or the Corruption of our Appetitos and to excite and quicken our Desire and Love to our Duty and to Obedience to God whose Commands are the Rule of it Now Confession of our Sins thus explicated and in this sense is an actual Exercise or Exertion of the Habit of Goodness and Holiness or of Grace in us as it is usually called so often as we thus pray we stir up and excite and put forth into Action our habitual inclination of Goodness and Holiness But every Action and Exercise confirms the Habit to which it belongs strengthens and increaseth it All Habits may be thus gotten and however gotten though immediately by God's Influence which is called Infusion yet they are thus maintained strengthened and increased The most ordinary Person may understand this by Experience The more often we actually hate or are grieved for or at any thing or Person the more we are inclined so to do insomuch that at last we may not endure the very sight or mentioning of them And so it is in Love what things we have accustomed our selves and used often to love we contract a most ready firm and constant Inclination so to do insomuch that sometimes we cannot be for any time without them In the very like manner it is when we actually often abominate Sin in general or any one in particular when we hate contemn are grieved for it when we heartily love our Duty and with the whole strength of our Souls desire and will we may be universally or in any particular innocent or good we shall at last arrive to that habitual Temper of Love of Goodness and our Duty and hatred of Sin which will be easie strong vigorous and constant and shall not endure the Sight or Suspition of any Sin in our selves nor be able to live comfortably without the constant consciousness to our selves of as great a degree Innocency and Virtue as we can by any Means attain to Profession of our future Obedience which was another Ingredient in Prayer as I have explicated Confession is included in it and is nothing but an express Action or Resolution of Will excited by the Soul and directed to God to be obedient to him in general or in any particular where she hath been faulty and that now by his Assistance and Strength which she humbly implores she will observe to do her Duty the Rules of which are his Will made known by Reason or Revelation Which express Action of hers or actual Resolution and the more frequent the better must needs preserve and increase her