Bookseller In the Year 1684 MEDITATIONS upon our going to Church with some short Directions for your Demoanour in the House and in the Service of GOD. UPon your going to Church three things will be necessary for you to consider 1. The Condition of the Place whither you are going 2. The great End of your going thither and 3. How there you are to demean your self All this you would consider if you were going to the Palace of an earthly Prince who is but a mortal man like your self and you surely have much more reason to consider the particulars now that you are going unto the Courts of the Lord's house First then as to the House whither you are going t is indeed as to its Fabrick but like other houses made of wood and stone even as the Lords day is but like other days as to the air and light of heaven but the relative holiness of this House and its eminency above other houses will appear by the Names whereby it is called both in the Book and by the people of God Under the Law it was called the Tabernacle of the Congregation i. e. the place of God's meeting with his people the Temple of the Lord where he presents himself to the contemplation or view of his Worshippers sitting betwixt the Cherubims as on his throne of State T is also called the Sanctuary of the Lord the House of God the Habitation of his Holiness and the place where his Honour dwelleth All which Names do explain each other and need no Interpretation Under the Gospel t is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's House 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King's Palace and Oratorium the House of Prayer Any of which Names much more all of them together considered will oblige any man who hath any sense of Religion to obey that command of God himself which is not merely ceremonial and typical but moral and perpetual Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary Lev. 19. 30. Secondly As to the great end of your going to Church it is to present your self before the Lord and there to adore the great Majesty of Heaven from whom you have your life and breath and all things It is not to serve your self by hearing this or t'other fine-gifted Minister tickling your itching ears by his taking Discourses agreeable to your fancy but to serve the Lord is your Errand to his House viz. there to joyn with the Minister and the Congregation in publick prayers and praises of God in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual songs in Confessions Thanksgivings and Benedictions as wherein chiefly the Service of God consists Behold now praise the Lord all ye servants of the Lord ye that by night stand in the House of the Lord even in the Courts of the house of our God Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary and praise the Lord Ps. 134. 1. 2. As for me I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy Name Ps. 138. 2. Thirdly As to your Carriage and Demeanour in the house of God you are commanded Keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God Eccles. 5. 1. enjoyning thee First to beware of all light unseemly indecent and irreverent carriage and to shew humility and devotion in all the gestures of thy Outward man bowing down thy self and kneeling before the Lord thy Maker Ps. 95. 6. before him who made both thy body and soul and joyned them together that they might be joyned in his Service So worshipped the people of God the whole Congregation bowed themselves with their faces to the ground 2 Chron 7. 3. And so all good people resolve to do We will go into his Tabernacle and fall low on our knees before his footstool Ps. 132. 7. Secondly The foot of the Inward man must also and chiefly be kept upright in the house of God Thy Affections are the feet or motions of thy Soul these must be kept free from all secular cares pure from all sensual lusts clean from all wanton wicked inclinations yea from all thoughts of any worldly concerns for ye cannot serve God and Mammon Mat. 6. 24. In the High-priest's forehead was engraven in a plate of Gold Holiness to the Lord Exod. 28. 36. and every ordinary Priest was commanded to wash before he entred into the Sanctuary Exod. 30. 19 10. intimating that exact Purity and Holiness which is required of all both Priests and People when we approach the presence of the Lord in his holy Temple So saith the holy man of God Holiness becometh thy house O Lord for ever Ps. 93. 5. and he resolves accordingly I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I go to thine Altar Ps. 26. 6. Be not slothful and negligent averse and careless backward and tardy in coming to the Church for many and mischievous are the consequents of coming thare For 1. you rob your self of the opportunity of your private prayers for a Blessing upon the publick 2. You lose the benefit of the publick Confession and Absolution which are of high esteem and value to all who are wisely religious And 3. to deprive your self wittingly and willingly of any part of God's publick Worship is both a sin and a loss of so great an account as cannot easily be exprest nor will be ordinarily believed Against such sinful sloth and neglect endeavour to have imprinted in your heart the love of God's House and of his Service there performed Say with the man after God's own heart Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House and the place where thine honour dwelleth Ps 26. 8. I was glad when they said unto me We will go unto the house of the Lord. Psalm 122. 1. Our feet stand in thy gates O Ierusalem vers 2. I. When you come to the Church-door COnsider that you are now upon entrance into the Presence chamber of the great King of the World whose Throne of Glory is in Heaven above but his Throne of Grace in his Temple here below Say then within your self Surely the Lord is in this place How dreadful is this plaee This is none other but the house of God this is the gate of heaven Gen. 28. 16 17. How amiable are thy Dwellings thou Lord of hosts My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God Yea the Sparrow hath found her an house and the Swallow a nest where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of hosts my King and my God! Blessed are they who dwell in thy house they will always be praising thee Ps. 84. 1 2 3 4 And most happy were I could I both esteem it and make it my greatest joy and constant labour of love to praise the Lord in his Temple II. When you are entred and view the Baptisterion or Font. GIve hearty thanks unto God for your Christendom that
SEVERAL Short but seasonable Discourses Touching COMMON and PRIVATE PRAYER Relating to the Publick Offices of the CHURCH By a Reverend Divine of the Church of England I will pray with the Spirit and pray with the Understanding also 2 Cor. 14. 15. OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield Printer to the University for Richard Sherlock Bookseller In the Year 1684. A CATALOGUE Of all the following DISCOURSES I. Of the Irregularity of Private Prayer c. II. Dr. Stewards Iudgment c. III. Of the Difference betwixt long Prayers prohibited and continuance of Prayers commanded IV. Meditations upon our going to the Church with some short Directions for our Demeanour in the House of God touching some too-much mistaken and neglected Acts of Divine Worship V. A Sermon preached upon the Archbishop of YORK's Provincial Visitation at Warrington The IRREGULARITY Of a Private Prayer in a Publick Congregation SIR I Have sent you herein my repeated and enlarged Thoughts upon what was once the subject of our serious discourse wherein I would not at all disparage or in the least undervalue the private prayers and devotions of any person whether of the Laity or Clergy whether those prayers be by himself composed or by others whether they be premeditated or sometimes ejaculatory whether fixed or occasional oral or mental for thus and all these ways every truly Religious Christian prays and undoubtedly finds the benefit and feels the comfort of such holy breathings forth of his Soul unto Heaven in his private recesses But that any Person especially such who have entred into holy Orders in this Church of England should presume to use any Prayers in Publick of his own private conception whether premeditate or extemporary before or after his Sermon other than those Prayers which are by publick Authority allowed and published to that end I humbly conceive with submission to my Superiors to be unlawful in several respects First T is a disorder and confusion in the service of God For thus the Publick and Private Worship of God are confounded whilst those private Prayers which our Lord hath confined to the private Closet do yet contrary to his express command appear in publick and usurp the place of his publick Service in the Congregation The holy duties of publick and private Prayers as they are distinct in their own nature and constant use so they are distinguished by our Lord and distinct rules prescribed for the distinct and discreet performance of either Duty First for private Prayer Mat. 6. 6. When thou prayest enter into thy Closet speaking in the singular number to every particular person Secondly for publick Prayer v. 7. But when ye pray use not vain repetitions speaking in the plural number to many assembled together where to avoid the Heathenish practice of much speaking or multitudinous words in Prayer v. 8. a short and most excellent Form is given us v. 9. Thus then publick prayer being distinguished by our Lord from private we are thereby forbidden to confound them in their use and practice 1 Cor. 14. 40. Let all things be done decently and in order not preposterously and disorderly one part of divine worship undermining another and the lesser and more particularuty Dusurping upon the greater and more general religious Office Secondly 'T is not only a disorderly but also an unreasonable Service and so not likely to be acceptable to him who is both the God of Order and of Wisdom And the unreasonableness of this private prayer in publick will appear by considering That all prayers offer'd up unto God in publick must be publickly known consented unto and agreed upon which the private prayer generally is not by all them that joyn therein Upon which agreement and not otherwise Christ hath promised his presence viz. to hear our Prayers and grant our requests Mat. 18 19 20. Again I say unto you If two of you shall agree upon Earth touching any thing they shall ask it shall be done unto them of my Father which is in Heaven for where two or three are gathered together there am I in the midst of them whereupon saith the Gloss out of Origen This is the cause we are not heard when we pray in that we agree not in all things For as in Musick there must be harmony and agreement of voices or else it delights not the hearer so in the Church an assent and agreement is necessary or else God is not pleased neither will he hear the voice of our prayers 'T is this agreement in prayer that denominates our publick worship of God Common Prayer because agreed upon by common consent which doth presuppose that t is known to all that all may joyn therein So it was ever in the Church of Christ the faithful knew what they prayed for and this not at the second hand from the mouth of the Minister but before they joyned with him So Saint Chrysostome Hom. 6. in Tim. You that are faithful know what things are to be desired in Prayer because all Prayer viz. that is in publick ought to be common T is the exhortation of Ignatius Ep. ad Magn. who lived in the times of the Apostles and saw our Lord in the flesh That we assemble together in one place and use one prayer common to all For if the prayers of a Congregation be not known common and agreedupon then First the people cannot joyn therein it being little less than the sacrifice of fools for men to ask of God they know not what but wholly depend upon the Ministers unknown expressions Secondly A Prayer that is unknown before it be offered up is to an English man though spoken in English as a Latin prayer to him who understands no Latin for they are both lame and maimed and cannot stand with common sense except they make use of that Crutch which we so much blame in the Papists viz. an implicite faith to support them and both the one and the other do equally transgress that rule of prayer prescribed by the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 15. I will pray with the spirit and will pray with the understanding also Thirdly It is against both the Iudgment and practice of the Universal Church of Christ no footsteps thereof are to be found in Antiquity but many Canons of the Church against it whereof some are noted in the Margin Fourthly T is a transgression of the Laws and Orders of this particular Church of England and this accompanied with the breach of that solemn promise which every Minister lawfully ordained hath made no man being admitted into holy Orders untill he hath attested the lawfulness of the Book of Common Prayer and promised that he himself will use the same and no other in publick subscribing with his own hand this attestation and promise so that the contrary practice in the use of any private prayer by any Minister of this Church is a breach of Fidelity to the Church and to the Reverend Bishop that Ordained him Fiftly T is also a
forbidden by our Lord as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of the Hypocrites who love to stand praying in the Synagogues and in the corners of the Streets that they may be seen af Men that they may be taken notice of for Godly men desiring rather to seem than really to be Religious loving the praise of Men more than the praise of GOD. Matth. 6. 5. c. 23. 14. Mark 12. 40. Luke 20. 47. Ioh. 12. 43. To pray continually then is neither to be understood of doing nothing else but pray nor yet of using long prayers the one being prohibited by our Lord and the other condemned by his Church but in this and the like Expressions is commanded The intense Devotion of the Soul in Prayer So our Lord expounds his own Command that men ought always to pray viz. that they faint not Luke 18. 1. to wit for want of that holy fervour and devout zeal which is the life and soul of an effectual Prayer And this same Celestial fire of holy Zeal in prayer spends not it self in multitude of Words and much babling of the Lips but is expressed in sighs and groans which cannot be uttered Rom. 8. 8. 26. which are truly the Breathings of the holy Spirit of God in prayer who dwels not upon the Tongue but in the Heart To pray continually enjoyns the constant and continued returns of this holy Duty that we lose no time neglect no opportunity either of the Publick prayers of the Church or of private prayer and Closet-Devotions upon the set solemn and accustomed times thereof remembring that the Time only which is imployed in the sacred Acts of Piety towards God and Charity towards Man is redeemed out of the all-devouring jaws of Death and dark Oblivion to be the Seminary of a blessed Eternity when time shall be no more T is to this end our Lord commands us to watch and pray by our constant prayers at Evening at Midnight at the Cock crowing and in the Morning to watch for the coming of our Lord to put an end to Time and to all that is by Time limited and circumscribed That we ought always to pray i. e. say the Fathers upon the Text at those appointed Hours observed by the Church of God both under the Law called therefore the Hours of the Temple and under the Gospel called the Canonical Hours so generally observed formerly of all devout Christians that St. Hierome Epist. ad Eustor with his Quis nescit takes it for granted that no Godly Christian is either ignorant or negligent in the observation of such Hours as being probably observed by holy David or from his example derived saying of his own daily practice Psal. 119. 164. Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments To continue in prayer is to have our Hearts so inflamed with the love of God as to be in a continual disposition to pray and this not only at all set and accustomed times but at all times and upon all occasions and objects presented to raise up our souls upon the Spiritual wings of holy Meditations celestial Affections devout Colloquies and Ejaculatory converses with Heaven Thus Enoch walked with God and was translated Gen. 5. 24. Heb. 11. 5. Thus King David professeth I have set God always before me I sal 16. 9. And I will give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth Ps. 34. 1. No time omitted Evening and Morning and Noon-day Ps. 55. 17 18. Early and late Ps. 63. 1. 7. No place pretermitted in the Wilderness in the land of Iordan and the unbeaten paths of Hermon Ps. 42. 8. T is the great and constant imployment of a true Christian's life to depend upon God to fix all our Hopes all our Joy and Consolation all that we can reasonably desire to enjoy conducing to our happiness both in this and in the other world in God alone who is the Beginning the Mean and the End of our Being In the first and purest times of Christianity while the blood of Christ was yet warm and more inflamed the Souls of true Believers than in these later and colder times then were the hearts of the Religious continually in Heaven by holy and Divine Aspirations even when their hands were imployed in any and every of their works upon earth So the Divine Ephrem Sive opereris sive sedeas sive comedas In all thy works even in Eating and Drinking and Travelling sitting going standing lying Pray without ceasing Take hint from every thing thou seest hearest tastest to lift up thy heart unto God and refer all to his glory T is recorded of St. Bartholomew the Apostle that he prayed an hundred times in a day and an hundred times in the night also Ephrem tom 1. Homil. de Orando Deum So the great St. Basil Hom. in S. Iude. So St. Chrysost. Hom. 23. in Mat. St. Hierom professeth of himself that often on the tops of Mountains and in hollow Valleys and craggy Rocks with eyes lifted up to Heaven and flowing with tears he poured forth his soul in holy prayers and meditations S. Hierom. Ep. ad Eustor So meditates S. Austin also Te Domine mediter per dies sine cessatione Te sentiam per soporem in nocte Te alloquar Aug. Med. O that I could meditate upon Thee O Lord through the whole day and not cease to be affected with thee in the night my spirit speaking unto thee and my mind conversing with thee alway and alone Blessed are they who think of nothing speak of nothing but the Lord who love nothing above thee desire nothing besides thee Blessed are they whose Hope alone is the Lord and all whose Work is Prayer And several of the devout Fathers computed all that time lost wherein God was not in their minds and memories And there is great reason for it as the same St. Austin meditates For as there is no moment of Time wherein we enjoy not the sweet influences of the Divine Goodness and stand in need also of Gods protecting Presence with us so there should be no time wherein we have not God in our thoughts Aug. in Marcum Wait on thy God continually Hos. 12. 16. Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore Ps. 105. 4. Thus St. Paul and truly devout Christians with him have their conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 whilst they are upon Earth and that 's the way surely to have our consummation in Heaven when we shall be taken from the Earth MEDITATIONS UPON Our going to CHURCH with some short Directions for our Demeanour in the House of GOD touching some too much mistaken and neglected Acts of Divine Worship As for me I will come into thy House in the multitude of thy Mercies and in thy fear will I worship towards thy Holy Temple Ps. 5. 7. OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield Printer to the University for Richard Sherlock
conceived Prayer is no less than the immediate influence of the holy Spirit of God Object At least they say That Prayers read in a Book have not that quickning vigour in them like to the prayer memoriter and without book the one savours of the deadness of the Letter the other of the quickning Spirit Answ. But in holy prayer it is not the words said whether written or not written whether said within or without book but the affectionate Zeal of him that prays That gives vigor and efficacy to this holy Duty and where this is wanting the fault is not in the Prayers themselves but in the persons that profanely slight and undervalue them the deadness they talk of lies in their own hearts which are not touched with the quickning spirit of devotion in the use of those holy and good prayers And whosoever Is more affected with a conceived than a written prayer thinks sure that the one is more immediately by inspiration from Heaven than the other and so smels strong of the Heresie of Enthusiasm I am sure to speak foolishly and impertinently hath been usually accounted and called speaking without Book Object 3. There be many Episcopal persons and such who both use and are zealous for the Liturgy of the Church do yet use private prayer of their own before Sermon the which surely they would never do if they conceived it unlawful Answ. This is done t is confest by many persons of known worth and integrity some with good intentions to win upon such persons whom no other kind of prayers will please some that their private prayer may be a Pattetn whereby their people may learn to pray in private and for these reasons I conceive this practice hath been and is still overlook'd by Ecclesiastical Superiors But in the general this custom is continued through inadvertency in not considering and deeply weighing the equity or iniquity fitness or unfitness thereof nor can the practice of this or any other custom prove the same to be lawful There is a great difference betwixt a custom founded upon the principles of truth and equity and such a custom as is contrary hereunto how plausible soever Many persons also that are eminent in knowledge and piety in the general may through long custom and many examples fail in some particulars through inconsideration Object 4. T is observable by experience that variety of expressions and change of Forms in prayer do more work upon the Affections of the People and stir up their Devotions than one and the same constant standing Form Answ 1. This doth more tickle the itching ears of the people indeed and the itching of the ears comes from the corruption of the heart And surely their devotion is very cold that must be warmed by variety of expressions the which in preaching may be commendable but not in praying except by way of private ejaculations it being one great design of Exhortations and moving ing admonitions in Sermons to excite their Affections to what is taught and exhorted unto whereas holy Prayer is not the cause but the effect and issue of devout Affections and t is then only acceptable unto God when it comes from a heart replete with humility compunction fervor and Divine love which do necessarily infer foreknowledge of the Prayers we use that they be such as whereby our devout Affections may be expressed Answ. 2. It is generally observed by the Masters of Mystical Theology and Spiritual Life that there is a sensible Devotion which begins in the sensitive Nature producing tenderness of spirit drawing often sighs from the bosome and tears from the eyes and begets a secret delectation and sweetness in the soul with which many persons are much taken and transported as conceiving such pleasing delights in Prayer to be no other than the influences of the holy Spirit of God And yet this exterior pleasure of a sensible Devotion is not always a sign of a sound and right temper of holiness in the soul Because First many wicked irregenerate persons may and have enjoyed the same Secondly it may proceed from the natural temper Thirdly from the vehement intention of the mind Fourthly from the mournful tone cadence of words and power of language And such sensible delights even in Prayer are sometimes the insinuations and illusions of the Evil spirit to puff up the soul with self-love vain-glory presumption in Gods favour and contempt of others I deny not but such sensible consolations are often the influences of the holy and true Spirit given us for our encouragement in holy and divine Offices in the love of God and obediener But there is great discretion and humility also required in the use we make of them neither are we over-highly to esteem of them as the Casuist observes Because they are neither true virtues neither are they neeessary instruments of proficiency in true devotion for without such sensible consolations many holy persons have ascended to a great height of virtue and purity of mind The strongest Devotions and most effectual Prayers are seldomest attended with these sensible consolations and sweetnesses which flow in upon variety of taking expressions for a great Devotion is like a great Grief which is not so expressive in words as a less moderate passion a lesser Grief also is wasted away by tears and complaints whilst the greater is both more silent and more lasting so the less and more weak devotion of the Soul is breathed out and wasted in variety of language but not the solid strong and lasting servor Such was the prevailing devotion of Moses when he fell down before the Lord Deut. 9. 18. 25. and that of Hannah when she prayed in the Temple 1 Sam. 1. 10 11. Their words in their prayers were few and low unheard but their desires and affections strong and prevalent as being not wasted by much speaking And such was that Devotion of our Lord in the Garden and on the Cross when he poured out his Soul in prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears Heb. 5. 7. His words were few but his devotion great and prevailing mightily which devotion was neither begotten nor increased nor poured forth in a floud of language and various expressions for he went away saith the holy Ghost and prayed saying the same words Mat. 26. 44. So that settled and stinted Forms of Prayer may be expressive enough of the greatest Devotion nor is God more pleased or the Soul that prayeth more profited by variety of expressions though the exterior pleasure of a sensible devotion may be raised thereby Object 5. But stinted forms of Prayer cannot suit with all tempers and conditions a Garment may as well be made to fit the changeable Moon as one Form of Prayer to fit all men or any one man at all times Answ. 1. T is true that limited forms of Prayer cannot be fitted to every man's fancie and affection especially amongst such men where such prayers are either
affirms the necessity of this Prayer before Sermon saying That Queen Esther prayed for the temporal safety of her Nation before she adventured to speak before the King Ahasuerus that God would be pleased to put into her mouth congruous words How much more ought we to pray for the like gift when we are to speak for the eternal salvation of souls in the Word and Doctrine August de Doct Christiana And again saith he When the hour is come to preach before he opens his mouth let him lift up his thirsting soul unto God Answ. It is undoubtedly a laudable practice for every Preacher to pray for the Divine Assistance in his Sermons to the People And this not only in the publick prayers of the Church but in private also betwixt God and his own soul and this as the Father directs before he opens his mouth in publick And such was Queen Esther's prayer in private before she publickly spake to the King which makes rather against than for the private prayer in publick for and with the whole congregation St. August could not be guilty of any such practice for it was against his judgment being himself one of the Two Hundred Fathers of that Milevitan Councel wherein it was decreed that no prayer should be us'd in publick but such as were approv'd in the Synod Sometimes this Father did conclude his Sermon with an Exhortation conceived in form of a Prayer e g. Conversi Turning unto the Lord God Father Almighty let us render him all possible thanks beseeching him of his great mercy that he would vouchsafe to hear our prayers and expell the Enemy from having any influence upon our thoughts and desires words and actions that he would increase our faith govern our minds fill us with spiritual cogitations and at last bring us to everlasting happiness through Iesus Christ which is not so much a Prayer as an Invitation to Prayer suitable to the Form prescribed in the Canon of our Church Object 11. The liberty or private prayer in publick is the way to make an able Ministry whilst thus they are put on to exercise and improve their Ministerial gifts and graces Answ. T is rather the way to make a Licentious Fanatick Brain-sick Ministry and in process of time no Ministry at all for from this practice it is that so very many unlearned unstable souls have taken up the trade and proved as eminent at least as well approved of by the people for their gift of Prayer as the most learned of their Tutorers therein And whosoever shall impartially weigh and without prejudice consider it he may observe that this private prayer in publick both in Church and at home is the very life and soul of that Schism and Division which is still so perniciously kept up in this Church T is hereby maintained more than by preaching and disputes T is from hence that Parties do call their Leaders Godly Ministers and themselves the godly Brethren the children that cry Abba Father the chosen and familiar friends of God from their over-saucy and familiar converse with God This is that great Idol whom all the world of Non-conformists on this side the pale of the Roman Church adore and worship crying down the goodly frame of Gods worship in his Church under the notion of Idolatry Superstition and Will-worship that every one may set up his Idols in his own heart follow the sway of their own imaginations to be guilty themselves of that Will-worship which they falsly impute to the Church of Christ Upon this Rock many thousands of Souls have suffered shipwrack who have been otherwise piously inclined For being taken with holy language religious tone and sceming zeal of this or the other person in their private and conceived prayers they have in respect thereof slighted and undervalued even the Celestial Prayer of God the Son all the divinely inspired prayers of God the Holy Ghost recorded in Holy Writ with all the devout and excellent Prayers of the Church of Christ which are framed after the pattern prescribed by our Lord commanded by the higher Powers used by the devout people of God in all Ages and whereby many thousand triumphant Saints in Heaven have pray'd themselves into that blissful place of Eternal Glory After all this it would be considered That as every error in Religion is very prolifick in bringing forth many others of the same mishapen stamp and nature so this erroneous way of divine worship the use of a private Prayer in a publick Congregation is also productive of many mistakes and falshoods and deformed ways of worship in the management thereof And 1. Such private Prayers in publick are generally erroneous in the length of them For that Long Prayers are unlawful is apparent First Because they are prohibited by our Lord Mat. 6. 7. When ye pray use not vain repetitions which cannot be understood of the same prayer repeated which is falsly objected against the prayers of the Church for so prayed our Lord himself and his example surely contradicts not his Doctrine whose Prayer when most earnest in his Desires was the same three times repeated and a very short prayer also Mat. 26. 44. By vain repetitions then must be meant the repetitions of the same thing in other words For First to use multitude of words and variety of expressions in prayer is vain i. e superfluous impertinent and to no purpose since our desires may and ought to be expressed in few words and pertinent Secondly such are generally vain i. e. empty and insignificant that have more noise than weight more sound than sense serving only to fill up the time to amuse the minds and tickle the itching ears of the Hearers That such kind of long Prayers are here forbidden by our Lord is manifest Secondly From the parallel Text quoted in the Margin Eccles. 5. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few And this Text in the margin quotes another to the same purpose Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise Thirdly From the custom of the Heathen as it follows Use not vain repetitions as the Heathen do It was the manner of the Heathen saith the ordinary Gloss out of Cyprian to endeavour rather to be eloquent than devout in their prayers and to be loud and clamorous rather than fervent and zealous And example whereof we have 1 Kings 18. 27. where Elijah mocks the Priests of Baal calling upon their Pagan Deities Cry aloud for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or he is in a journey or peradventure he is asleep and must be awaked And accordingly they cryed aloud thinking as our Saviour here saith that they should be heard for their much speaking And therefore as it follows v. 18. Be not like unto
of Bidding Prayer And when King Iames of blessed memory turn'd those Injunctions into Canons his Law runs Canon 55. That Ministers should move the People to joyn with him in Prayer viz. in this Form of Bidding Prayer Ye shall pray for Christs Catholick Church c. concluding always with the Lords Prayer Now let any indifferent man judge Are Exhortations proper Forms of Prayer Nay let a discerning man consider it well and it will appear that things there prudently spoken by way of Exhortation and Narration would prove very absurd in Prayer How fond would it appear to tell the great GOD of Heaven of the Kings most Excellent Majesty our Sovereign Lord Charles by the Grace of God King of England c. or as some do oft tell GOD of such a Lord Earl of such a Place and Baron of another and of his Majesties Honourable Privy Councel and his very good Lord c. And yet when we do but exhort them to joyn their Prayers such Clauses may not be unfit I can scarce think of any other way to defend them and yet t is true that this Form is there viz. Can. 55. call'd Prayer before Sermon and so it is because we then say together with the Preacher the Lords Prayer to those very purposes he exhorts And they well know who know Divinity that all kinds of Prayer are reducible to that holy Form but it follows not that the Preacher's Exhortation is a Prayer for that he then speaks not at all to God himself but to the People Indeed upon an occasion extraordinary it is a Prayer of no ordinary composition and therefore call'd the Form of Bidding Prayer both by a reform'd King and a very glorious Queen and yet de facto misus'd by an itching Puritanical party at first no doubt by Cunning and Design and afterwards as I verily think for the most part by a mistake of that bad end to which it drove or by inadvertency of the Law But it is most apparent that such forbidden Prayers are an especial means to eat out the whole English Liturgy A DISCOURSE Of the Difference betwixt Long Prayers prohibited and Continuance in Prayers commanded When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites c. Matth. 6. 5. OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield Printer to the University for Richard Sherlock Bookseller In the Year 1684 A Discourse of the Difference betwixt Long Prayers prohibited and coutinuance in Prayers commanded THey who are true members of Christ's Church below are conform to the glorious Saints in Heaven above they do the will of God on Earth as t is in Heaven and that 's undoubtedly the way to Heaven We cannot possibly lose our way thither whilst we follow their steps who are thither gone before us Those Triumphant Saints in Heaven rest not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty Whereunto conforms the man after Gods own heart saying O Lord God of my salvation I have cryed day and night before thee Our Lord commends it as a duty incumbent that men ought always to pray and by his Apostle commands it positively Pray without ceasing Giving thanks always Praying alway with all Prayer and Supplication But these Examples and Commands are not so to be understood as if we should do nothing else but pray which was an old Heresy of the Messalians and Euchites long since condemned by the Church of Christ as being a thing impossible to pray without ceasing in the bare literal sense because this corruptible body presseth down the soul and corporal necessities do call for supply Neither yet that we should make long Prayers which is the new error and great mistake of these times the which though generally the most used and best liked as being set off with the paint of a seeming zele and pretence of the Spirit yet the unlawfulness of such long Prayers will appear if we will without prejudice and partiality consider that 1. They are forbidden by our Lord saying When ye pray use not vain repetitions Matth. 6. 7. in which words our Lord means not the same prayers repeated as is falsly objected against the Prayers of the Church for thus our Lord prayed himself Matth. 26. 39. 44. where his Prayer was short and three times repeated And therefore undoubtedly by vain repetitions in praying is understood multitude of Words and variety of expressions to the same purpose or rather to no purpose since our Desires both may and ought to be expressed in few words and pertinent according to the pattern our Lord hath given us And that t is the meaning of our Lord when he saith After this manner pray ye that our Prayers should be generally formed to the length of his Prayer prescribed will appear 1. From the Context if seriously weighed and rightly understood wherein is manifest that the manner of praying by such a short Form is commanded in opposition to the Heathenish use of much speaking in Prayer 2. From the Parallel-Text in the Margin Eccles. 5. 2 Be not rash with thy Mouth and let not thy Heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth and therefore let thy words be few 3. From the Prayers of Christ's Church which are in all Liturgies of the Christian World for the most part of the same length and surely the general Practice of the Church is the best Interpreter of the Scripture 4. Such are generally also all the Prayers of the Holy Spirit of God which stand upon Record in Holy Writ viz. the Book of Psalms with many more We meet with none that are of such a continued length as are in use amongst us but they are all divided by distinct Verses into so many several shorter Prayers Long Prayers are forbidden by our Lord because such is the custom of the Heathen as the Heathen do Matth. 6. 7. who mind more the Oratory and Language Tone and Pronuntiation than the Humility and Devotion of the Soul in prayer and t is much misbecoming Christians to worship the true God as the Heathen do their false and feigned Deities And Because they imply a false notion of the Majesty of Heaven and a misbelief of his Divine perfections as if he were asleep and must be awakened or did not understand our Wants and Desires or being otherwise imployed he could not attend our Petitions except in multitude of Words exprest and loud bawling for audience So prayed the Priests of Baal 1 Kings 18. 27. and so saith our Lord of all Heathen people that they think they shall be heard for their much speaking which is directly contrary to the true faith of a Christian who believeth and acknowledgeth the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God as it follows in the Eighth verse Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask which Divine Truth is implicately denied by loud and long Prayers Long prayers are not only
by holy Baptism he hath called you to the state of Grace and Salvation through Iesus Christ and humbly beseech God to give you his grace to continue in the fame to your lifes end by the religious observance of that Vow which was so solemnly taken in your Name the which you must now perform that you forfeit not the great priviledges rewards and honours of being a member of Christ a child of God and an heir of the Kingdom of Heaven III. When you view the Pulpit REmember how many good Lessons you have received thence the which not being carefully practised will rise up in judgment against you in the great day of your Trial. Resolve therefore for the future to be a Doer of the Word and not a Hearer only deceiving your own Self IV. When you look up towards the Altar say WHat reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will receive the cup of salvation offer the sacrifice of Thanksgiving for my Redemption and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my Vows unto the Lord in the sight of all the people in the Courts of the Lords house even in the midst of thee O Ierusalem Praise the Lord. Ps. 116. 12 13 14 18 19. Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning V. When you come to your Seat kneeling down pray I. Prayer LET thy merciful ears O Lord be open to the prayers of thy humble servants and grant that what we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually through Jesus Christ. II. Prayer O God for as much as without thee we are not able to please thee grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts and more especially be assistant to us in all the holy Actions of this Day through Jesus Christ III. Prayer AND since by reason of our sins we are unworthy to offer up any sacrifice to so pure a Majesty grant merciful Lord both to me and to all thy faithful people Pardon and Peace that being cleansed from all our sins we may serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ DIRECTIONS relating to some parts of the Publick Worship AS soon as the Minister begins with the Publick Worship all your Private Meditations and Prayers must be waved and your Mind applied to attend diligently and to joyn devoutly in every part and passage of Divine Service considering that this is the great end of your coming to Church and your business there is to serve the Lord with your Christian Brethren in Publick 1. Therefore when the Minister exhorts you out of the Word of God to confess and acknowledg your sins and wickedness harden not your heart but with all possible humility both of Body and Soul say after the Minister in the Confession of Sin and to this and to every Prayer or other Act of Divine Worship where t is prescribed neglect not to say Amen for that is as it were the Seal to confirm to your soul the benefits thereof And the Hebrews have a saying that Whosoever says Amen with all his might opens the doors of Paradise 2. Alter the Confession when the Minister comes to the words of Absolution bow down your head and say softly in your heart Lord let this Pardon pronounced by thy Minister fall upon my soul and seal thereunto the forgiveness of all my sins 3. The Psalms and Hymns are to be answered verse by verse with the Minister that so all may joyn and bear a part in the Service of God for in his Temple doth every man speak of his Honour Ps. 29. 9. And here although you cannot read yet your Heart may joyn with them that do read and your Mouth also may shew forth the Praise of God by saying after every Psalm Glory be to the Father and to or else if it fall in couse As it was in the beginning is now adding always Amen to express how affectionately you desire the Glory of God 4. Be not silent nor ashamed publickly and audibly to make Confession of the holy Christian Faith when you are thereunto called by the Minister for this is a duty you owe both to God and Man it is an act of God's Worship and a Declaration that you hold the same Faith with all true Christians and therfore t is required of you not only with the Heart to believe unto righteousness but that with the Mouth also Confession be made unto salvation And when the Confession of Faith is publickly pronounced do not you sit or loll as if it concerned you not but stand up with the rest of the Congregation to signifie and declare that you will stand to this Faith and earnestly contend for it as being the same which was once given to or by the Saints the holy Apostles 5. Be not so cold and careless in giving Honour to God as not to bow at the Name of IESUS for t is a duty positively commanded and universally practised by the Church and people of God in all ages And therefore give no ear to those deceivable Criticisms corrupt Glosses and false Inferences which are too frequently but profanely urged to make void the Commandement of God in the omission of this Religious Practice If you hear any such Allegations out of the Pulpit detest them the rather that any Act of Religious Worship should be spoken against in the place where whatever tends to the honour of God should be magnified and advanced 6. That you may not be tired with the length of Divine Service consider 1. the great variety of its several parts as consisting of Prayers and Praises Confessions Thanksgivings Invitations Lessons Admonitions all of which are with most admirable Prudence and religious Wisdom so ordered and contrived to follow each other that so the ending of one and beginning of another may renew and re-enquicken your Devotion chearfully to joyn in all Remember 2. whose Service it is you are a doing and continue therein from the beginning to the end that you may reap the Beneft of the whole Office both of the Absolution in the beginning and of the Blessing in the end and of the Amen's throughout A SERMON Preached upon the Arch-Bishop of YORK's Provincial Visitation at WARRINGTON Acts. 20. 28. Take heed to your selves and to all the Flock OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield Printer to the University for Ric. Sherlock Bookseller In the Year 1684. A SERMON PREACHED AT A VISITATION Act. 20. 28. Take heed to your selves and to all the Flock IN the context we have S. Paul upon his Visitation at Miletus vers 17. And the Visitation as this which is now holden with us is Provincial all the Clergy of the Province of Ephesus being conven'd by this great Visitor and appear before him vers 18. The Text presents you with a part but 't is the principal part of the Visitatiion Sermon or as I may rather call it The Visitors charge to the Clergy of the Province