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
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
break off such courses praying to God importunately for his help so to do and that we may be forgiven for Christ's sake all that is past that is in one word that God would give us Repentance Some of these things thus understood and such like may be expressed in Sentences of Scripture thus That God would grant unto us and help us to present our selves a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God our most reasonable Service and that we may not be conformed to this World to the wicked Manners thereof but be transformed by the renewing of our Mind that we may prove what is the acceptable and perfect Will of God Rom. 12. Verse 1. That God would quicken us when dead in Trespasses and Sins and walking according to the Course of this World Ephes 2. Verse 1. That we may put off concerning the former Conversation the old Man which is corrupt according to the deâ—eitful Lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of our Minds and put on the new Man created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes 4. Verse 22. That we may deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and live righteously soberly and godly in this present World We especially to whom the saving Grace and Favour of God by Christ hath appeared and been made manifest Titus 2. Verse 11. That we may cast off the Works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light All Virtues commended to us by Christianity which gives us so large and clear a Knowledge thereof And walk honestly as in the Day not in rioting and drunkenness c. but put on the Lord Jesus Christ that is his Temper and Spirit which he was of and which he taught a Temper and Life according to the Doctrine and Example of Christ and make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13. Verse 12. That as Christ's or as Christians we may crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Gal. 5. Verse 24. In this and such like manner we may conceive express and signifie our hearty unfeigned eager Desires that God would make us in general holy righteous good conscientious honest virtuous regenerate converted renewed penitent and keep us so and make us more and more so to our Lives end But this in general may most often not suffice but we may proceed further to the general Instance or Subject of Righteousness viz. Universal Charity or Benevolence to all the Universe God and all his Creation and then to particular Virtues which are but so many Instances or Instruments of Universal Charity As Love to God for himself as a Being infinitely perfect and most capable of Happiness and therefore rejoycing that his Perfection and Happiness is so great as to receive no Addition Further to love him without any reference to our selves separately but as a Being infinitely good and benign and using all his other Perfections of Power and Knowledge to do good with to all his Creation of which we have a share even all that we have that 's good being the Effect thereof nay all evil things absolutely in themselves considered to any particular Creature are permitted and disposed by him for the good of his whole Creation and therefore all things that are come from his Goodness And this is that very Perfection of Righteousness and Holiness and its only Instance Universal Love and Benevolence in God which we before were to desire for our selves and when we pray to God that we may love him if we have but a tolerable distinct conceit of him it is principally that we may love Righteousness and Holiness Universal Beneficence and Love it self For these are the principal Attributes of his Nature God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love therefore dwelleth in God Pray we therefore to God that he would work in us a sincere strong habitual Love to himself that we might love him with all our Hearts and Minds and Might and Strength and Understanding Matt. 22. Verse 37. And that he would direct our Hearts into the love of himself 2 Thess 3. Verse 5. Next to this may follow Charity which more precisely signifies Love and Good Will to all Creatures To do which to each particular with the limitation of its desert i. e. so as is most consistent with our Universal Love to all and as far as we see effective of the greatest good of the whole is the true notion of Justice or giving to every one his due I say to all Creatures within our Cognizance according to our Knowledge of them to the holy Angels holy Souls departed hence all Mankind to all Christians our own Country Town Family Relations We are to apply our general Will and Power of doing good to the whole by doing good to each particular as we are best able and can best reach and this all the ways we can which being the various kinds distinguished by Means or Parts or other Logical Respects of doing good or of Charity as is before said are so many Graces or Virtues Pray we therefore that God would make us just merciful compassionate chatable in Alms-giving candid covering of faults most ready to take notice of and commend what is good to pass by and conceal what is bad in men patient forbearing forgiving liberal hospitable ready to visit relieve and comfort the Sick those in Want the languishing in Anguish Pain and Grief to contribute what we can to and rejoyce in the good of any one particular in others Plenty of the good things of thâ— World so long as they would use them weâ— But especially to instruct exhort encouragâ— give them good Example wish they migâ— use all good things well and not be â— unworthy and undeserving of them thâ— neither God nor good Men may think it â— they should have them to adventure our oâ— Credit and good Opinion among others anâ— our Ease if it be necessary for the Discoâ—ragement and Suppression of Vice Some of those things we may express iâ— the Words of Scripture That we may sâ—fer long be kind envy not vaunt not â—â— selves not be puffed up c. 1 Cor. 13. Verse â— Further that we may be inspired with thâ— most self-denying Temper refusing our seâ—â— Pleasure ultimately and absolutely consequenâ—ly that our Corruptions or Lusts that is aâ— our selfish and immoderate Appetites and Iâ—clinations which are corrupt might be cleaâ—sed and mortified such as Malice Hatred Revenge Anger Wrath Pride Ambition Vain-glory false self-Conceit Covetousness Affectation of Superiority in any thing â— Equality Liberty Desire to be feared suâ—â— unto Contemptuousness Obstinacy Self Will Peevishness Envy Slander and Detraction Intemperance Luxury Lasciviousness Chambering and Wantonness Immoderate and Inordinate Love of Games bodily â—r mental Exercises and Actions c. In words of Scripture That we might not â—lfil these Lusts of the Flesh viz. Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Haâ—ed Variance Emulation Wrath Strife Seâ—tions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunâ—enness Revelling and such like which things
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
a mind to know It is as a thing of great consequence to be advised here That those who educate and look after Children especially Mothers than which they cannot do a more tender Office of Love and Care do cause their Children after rising and before going to bed to utter some short Sentences of Petition and the Lord's Prayer and 't would do well to add the Paraphrase upon it in the Publick Catechism and to learn them betimes to acknowledge and worship their Maker And cannot then they do at least so much and it is like somewhat more themselves And might not all others find as much time as that will come to if they had a mind to it But this especially as I above said may they do whose affairs are known to be at certain times whose affairs are more in their disposal and less indispose them and such especially may they be whose affairs are most within doors and domestick who are not wearied and tired with bodily labour though persons oft do this too more than they need and when they need not What should hinder most persons every day as soon as they rise from retiring a little by themselves and also with their Families so many as their affairs will spare and let them not be spared without considerable necessity praying to God to keep them from all sin and danger that day and all their lives to give them grace and peace the good things of the Soul and of the Body the good things of this Life and that which is to come that they may live well discreetly innocently beneficiently profitably to their Neighbour pleasingly to God comfortably to themselves here with peace and well-grounded repose and joy being prepared for a more perfect and happy Life in Heaven Further that they may have their Sins pardoned true repentance for them instilled obedience and holy resolution excited and confirmed in them that they might love God be grateful to their Friends forbear and forgive and do good to their Enemies even to all encourage Virtue and Goodness check and restrain Vice and ill-doing prudently in their place and calling and with all sincerity for the good of the World That they might not that day be malicious uncharitable selfish proud ambitious envious revengeful vain-glorious wrathful sensual lascivious intemperate drunken prophane by lewd swearing irreverent towards God or commit any other sin they know themselves to be most particularly in danger of That they might be prospered in worldly affairs and delivered from the evils of Body Name Estate as shall seem most fit to God And so in like manner to give thanks for any of the good things they have received I say what should hinder most men generally in some length or other from doing this in the morning and so likewise again at night if they had a mind to it Why may we not apply our minds to these things in a morning first except upon an extraordinary occasion as well as to lascivious objects or worldly affairs or the contrivance it may be of some sin some evil action or other My voice shalt thou hear or hear thou in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my Prayer or my self unto thee c. And Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray and cry aloud Psalm 5. 3. and Psalm 55. Verse 17. saith David These places indeed do not prove he did this always or constantly used these stated times but the first of them proves plainly at least that he did it in the morning sometimes and the second more probably Evening Morning and Noon may be also a synechdochical Expression for praying to God very frequently and at all times when he had occasion And so when it is said seven times a day I will praise thee may be meant only very often and that it is likely by Ejaculatory Praises too or that upon some days he might solemnly perform it just so many times And so that in the Thessalonians ist Epist 5 Chap. 17 Verse Pray without ceasing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is either meant of Praying for every kind of thing as it follows in the next Verse in every thing give thanks And Philip. 4. Verse 6. In every thing c. or praying very frequently especially Ejaculatory Prayers or praying to the end of our Lives it is a Duty which will never here be needless or to be left off To do thus constantly and frequently would much keep men sober discreet consciencious upright the following day and consequently also fit them for God's Blessing in all their other affairs and consequently make them be joyous and chearful and benignly disposed whereas popping in now and then a Prayer especially before a Sacrament or on a Lord's day times which none that are so much engaged in worldly affairs should omit by any means will do much less good and the Influence soon wear out and be forgot and then most of the Interval they are as bad as ever and never the better Finally We may all take this advisement and remember it that whatever our affairs are and how much-soever they necessarily hinder our thus worshipping of God and this our Duty towards him yet we are to take care this be not with our consent that we are not content there with so as not to watch for an opportunity otherwise to dispose them and not to look upon it as an unhappiness let it not be want of good-will in us by no means but let us be so disposed that we would do it withal our heart and much oftner if we could we believing it manifestly our perfection to be more immediately employed in spiritual things and to converse with God And I little doubt but that he that is so disposed will soon find sometimes or other to perform this his reasonable Duty to God We are to do this too as often as other affairs which are not of greater concernment may permit And in this bodily Life in which we are supposing it ought to be maintained many called little affairs considered without their consequences considered with them are great matters As due times and qualities and quantities of meat drink habitation sleep c. for without these no living our bodies will not be upheld nor sit for Prayer nor any thing either spiritual or corporal to do it to any good purpose And we may contract by ill use of these or want of these many evil dispositions of mind as morosity dâ—â—content too much serupulosity superstition suspicion of our selves and others a belief that every thing that is in us is bad never looking at any thing that is good in us or thinking it is not so fearfulness unactiveness peevishness so that it may be and full oft is of greater concernment to mind these ordinary affairs necessities or conveniencies of this bodily life than directly to pray And if we do all these things with discretion and that we may be more fitted to serve and please
what he would have yet nothing but what was honest and just for him to ask promising him withal a full supply I suppose one should soon have a good long Petition And if thou canst tell a charitable and wise man what thou wouldst have and thou thinkest justly canst thou not tell God hast thou nothing to say to him or desire of him who cannot also somewhat consider whether what he asks of God be honest and just and at last refer all freely without grudging to the wisdom and goodness of God as humble and well conditioned Beggars should do nay in spiritual things the meanest person may with some thought know much what to ask Is it so hard for one to take notice of what Sin or Lust he hath been guilty of the last week or day and to what he is prone and from what he cannot abstain without much difficulty or is careless whether he doth or no Is it so hard for a person to know whether he hath been guilty of or prone to Prophaness Neglect of God Swearing and Forswearing foolish rash false and fraudulent Affirmations and Oaths to Malice Hatred Revenge Wrath Pride Vain-glory Contention Brawling Reviling Slander Drunkenness Lust or any other Sensuality When he knows it behold matter for his Prayer This may be done before secret Prayer and upon solemn occasions especially As for others either Sins or Wants and consequently in Prayers with others it is not so easie to observe and mention them with prudence but those who can may make use of their Consideration here also It is easie for any one to understand how this Consideration and Reflection tends to the furnishing of our minds more or less according as we can make use of it with matter for our Prayers and that very particular true just important as also how it tends to make us sincere real and serious more fervent more easily frequent and seasonable in our Prayers And so also if we be to pray with others we may consider of our words or speech and gesture what are such as I have described and what are contrary thereto And the more we do consider of such things the better we are like to use them And the want of this is one cause why there is and hath been so many miserable defects in the due Qualifications mentioned and in others in the performance of this Duty why Prayers both alone and with others have been so full of what 's false unjust absurd and unreasonable for God to give trifling and of little use barren and contracted or vainly repeated so full of hypocrisie and insincerity of coldness and formality of impertinency and unseasonableness of ofsensive expressions and deportments of obscurity superfluity and Tautology Men have been put or have put themselves upon the frequent performance of them by their own Invention and composing without any consideration or other general sufficient Instruction before at any time in their lives much less before each particular Prayer and some few persons who could have performed this Duty especially with others pretty well themselves have not considered how few there have been that could do likewise There are two extremes in religious performances to be avoided the one which judgeth people generally to be of less ability and capacity than they are and accordingly allows them less liberty than ought to be and another which judgeth them to be of greater capacity and therefore allows them too much Of the one the Romanists are notoriously guilty of the second all or most of those Sects which protest against and separate from National or more publick and large Churches of which the reason is obvious SECT XIX 3. MAke use of other mens Prayers that is composed by them Let us serve our selves of others labours and pains in this kind Do not either through laziness neglect or through self-conceit vain-glory affectation to do all thy self though far worse than if thou hadst followed or imitated another disdain to make use of this help and means And this whether the Prayers thou mayst make use of be pronounced only or written whether they may be heard only by thee such as are those which are recited in Publick by Ministers and Preachers or by others whose Examples are considerable in private Or they may be read also such as are the Publick Prayers which are or may be compoâ—ed by the Church or such as are on purpose composed for Families and for Closets or for private and secret These last which are to be read more especially choose we for our use as being invented and composed with more care attention and choice and therefore the more likely to have all those due Qualifications mentioned which written or printed things can have Here also choose by the advice of the most knowing persons those which are written by the most understanding and discreet unprejudiced and impartial pious and godly persons For the use of these means or helps it may be advisable to commend to most persons these four steps according to persons abilities or leisure and time First Make use altogether of some Prayers composed by others and of variety of them as for Morning for Evening for the Lord's day before and after the Publick Worship for the Lord's Supper before and after it for Fasting Times or Times of Thanksgiving either for publick or private Afflictions or Favours in case of Sickness or Danger in case of Deliverance c. let these be thy entire Prayers Hereby it is most likely Persons will be far better furnished than they can from themselves with things that are true just important and of greatest moment even to them and with considerable variety too with the most general and comprehensive things They will find here quickning and stirring Examples of Sincerity of Fervency They will also be instructed with the best Speech and Expressions both of Sense and Affections of Things and Operations of Soul the most proper usual and clear ones and with such profitable variety thereof as I have heretofore mentioned Those who cannot read the Number of which will be every day fewer I hope let them get to recite some short Prayers by Memory first having learnt them from their Parents or others Such as the Lord's Prayer with the Explication of it and the sum of the Ten Commandments in the Church-Catechism turn'd â—nto a Prayer and other short comprehensive Forms more or fewer according to their Ability and let Parents be careful to teach their Children such as these before it may be they can read and when they can read direct them to some of the best and see they say them Though thou prayest thus out of a Book yet if thou prayest because thou judgest the things true just necessary and of great Importance to thee and thou prayest with a sincere Heart that thou mayst receive good things from God to please and serve him withal to do all good to others to be the most profitable and beneficial to the World
certain from the Scripture and Reason too that there are better consequences of willing to pray and of praying or desiring things from God than of omitting or neglecting it and particularly besides those many other excellent ones a little before mentioned the receiving of many good things for our selves and some the best we are capable of Better consequences than these I am sure the neglect or omission of petitioning God cannot so much as pretend to Nay hence also it further still follows that if we have any liberty or faculty of self-determination it is not only our perfection to pray but also our obligation such is my sense of that word For certainly we are bound to will and chuse that which is our perfection if we do not see it inconsistent with a greater good as surely we do not see this to be And thus much for the First Pretence SECT II. 2. A Second Pretence men make use of is want of Ability to Pray Alas they for their part are very ignorant of and not able to discern the truth justâ—ce importance of the matter of their Prayers they know very little they are ignorant of the Nature and Attributes of God they know or can remember very little of their own hearts and actions what are and what are not sins and of what they have been or are guilty And as little still are they able to know and call to mind the particular Favours and Benefits they have received or the things they want or should desire especially spiritual ones They want Prudence to attend to what is seasonable Moreover they are dull and heavy and inept to apprehend attend to be affected with such things Finally they want Understanding Memory Judgment Affection for God their Sins their Mercies their Wants and most of all do they want Invention and Memory for fit Words and Speech Alas how should they know to express themselves well Sometimes they have good things in their mind but they cannot speak them To this Effect is their Second Excuse To which I Answer 1. All this except that of want of Apprehension and Affection is no just Excuse for not joyning with others in Prayers either in Publick or Private it is no Excuse for not being at Prayers and coming to them For there most-what both things true just and useful very particularly sometimes and Words too are invented to our Hands And as for our apprehending conceiving and being affected with such things as our Prayers should contain many things we can in some measure apprehend and are affected withal in general as God's Power his Omnipresence his Universal Goodness his Mercy his Justice our own Temporal Wants and Mercies at least some very gross and palpable Sins Begin we here and mind we these things first And then as for other more particular and more spiritual things we must and may apply our Minds excite and stir up our Affections to them The oftner we do this the better we shall do it let us begin and try and use our selves to it a while How many who make this Excuse of Non-Ability are unwilling and backward so much as to joyn with others in praying either in Publick or Private A sign they have no Mind or Inclination to it they care not for their Duty and they are willing to be and do so still and indulge themselves in it Let Persons but use themselves to come and be present at Prayers they 'l find in time some good or other of it they 'l sometime or other apprehend something sometime or other their Affections may be touched and they may begin to find something which may please there Howsoever they will not be so averse thereform it will not be so tedious to them This especially if People live pretty sober Lives and they are not addicted to things which they know to be materially evil and naught but their chief Fault hath been they have not minded their due End in their Actions so much as they might have done 2. All this Non-Ability except again that of Ineptness to apprehend and to be affected with Spiritual things or the Matter of our Prayers which is to be remedied as aforesaid is no reasonable Excuse for our not using others Prayers or Forms either in the Scripture as the Lord's Prayer or composed by judicious and pious persons For here again are good Matter and Words ready for us and cannot we read or repeat these with Understanding and hearty Affections or learn them and repeat them by heart whether we can or cannot read The meanest and ignorantest and those who cannot read who I hope will be every day fewer can learn some such Prayers without Book shorter or longer fewer or more such as the Lord's Prayer and other Prayers none hath so bad a Memory as to do nothing in this kind And that all may have the less Excuse let Parents and those who Educate Children teach them some such Prayers as soon as may be That Persons may begin as soon as they are capable of understanding things to take notice of God their Creator and Sustainer from whom they have every thing 3. I have propounded some Means already which Men are able to make use of and by the Use of which Men may either be present at and joyn with others Prayers or read and repeat judicious and devout Forms of Prayers with Understanding and Affection in some degree or other and they may still further advance some at least to compose Prayers of their own out of others Prayers or their own Inventions and Observations or both together Can we not read nor hear read the Holy Scripture and understand the plain places and some of us the obscure by others Explication Can we not read other good Religious Books or hear them read can we not sometimes retire meditate reflect think of God and our selves what we are what we would be what we should be what we shall be Can we not read observe commit to Memory the Patterns of other wise and good Christians whether spoken or written Can we not pray to God to help and assist us to obtain one or more of the Qualifications of good Prayers especially Sincerity and Fervency I say cannot Persons use these Means I think they can All of them some or other more or less I know there are many Degrees in these things some Men can make use of more of these Means and more frequently All Men have not the like Ability or Opportunity but all have some And I do not think but the most busie dull ignorant and inept Persons may use more Means to be better than they are No Men that are imperfect and bad do all they can to become better Not so much as the Beggar who goes from Door to Door or sits upon the Dung-hill or waits upon Swine and Beasts And this is that which will be laid to their Charge be sure whatever else will and which will condemn them SECT III. 3. A Third
Excuse is that they want Time they have not Time If by not having Time Men mean that they do always employ themselves in something or other besides their Prayers I believe it is true for no Man can be perfectly idle so as to do or think nothing But if they mean they cannot have Time this I deny I think there is no Man so occupied and employed who cannot get some Time more or less and I confine not all Men to any certain Frequency or Length Nay I think few Men but may get some Time daily without hindrance or let to their other just Affairs but it would rather prove a help It is manifest by Experience that there are few Mens Lives in which there are not thousands of trifling unprofitable and sinful and mischievous Actions How much Time passeth away by Men with their Hands in their Pockets they do not know what to do they are fain to cast about and invent something to spend their Time in or they are prepared to take what 's next and that 's usually none of the best How many Hours are spent in unprofitable sinful Chat and Talk in Swearing by God and Cursing others and yet they cannot have Time to pray to God and pray for themselves and others How much Time superfluous do Men spend in Plays Games and Exercises in Drinking and turning down superfluous and intoxicating Cups and yet some few Minutes cannot be gotten to pray neither in Publick Private nor Secret For publick Prayers and other parts of the Worship of God reading and explaining his Word and Doctrine How many sit at Home and sleep or do any trifling Action or chuse something to do on purpose on that Time which they might as well or better do at another or wander about idly Besides on the Lord's day are not all other Occupations at least the most unnecessary by Law and Consent laid aside on purpose that Men might have Time they have it then for private and secret Devotion as well as for publick and yet we see most Men will not take it What reason then have we to think that Men cannot find Time on other days when we see they will not make use of it when it is put into their hands Nor do I think that Men generally are so toiled or tired or dull with their week's Work but that they might take some Time on that day Further If thy Employments should be more innocent useful or pâ—â—fitable and should fill up all thy Time which I do not think but that some days at least there is leisure make some room for thy Prayers get some Time By what right have those things all thy Time and thy Prayers none at all Sure I am thy Prayers deserve it as well as most other of thy most useful Affairs and are as good and necessary even to thee but why then should they alone be excluded from some share of thy Time and all other Things have theirs why should they not have so much as a few Minutes in a day For some Sport or Game or Divertisement even daily thou wouldst make Time in thy most profitable and useful Affairs Thou wouldst begin them sooner or defer them longer or end them later or dispatch them quicker why not then for thy Prayers which sure are sometimes at least as good as thy Divertisements Time we cannot get Time can we have Time to think and talk of our Neighbour's good Qualities and it is well if we did it oftner tâ— instance in to praise and magnifie the worthy Endowments and Deeds of any virtuous discreet and beneficent Person and how much we and the Town or the Country or the Publick is beholding to him and yet we cannot have Time to acknowledge God's Power Wisdom and Goodness of which our Lives and all the Universe are full and every thing thou or others are or do is in him and by him Time have we not Time to thank God for his numberless and incomparable past Favours present Blessings and future Hopes for which we need not stir over our Thresholds and yet can get it to make civil Visits on purpose to thank Persons for any considerable Instances of their Kindness though Men are not apt to be over grateful here neither Time why should we have Time to enjoy and make use of all other God's Favours and not of this which is the greatest of all from whence springs the most sweet satisfying Pleasure viz. our Capacity of attending to honouring trusting in depending upon loving God offering professing resolving our Love Service and Obedience to him If we be under any Affliction and our Soul bowed down with Grief or in any Perplexity or difficult Affair we can find Time to unbosome our selves to a Friend to crave their Counsel their Comfort their Assistance any other way and we cannot forsooth have Time to do this same thing to God the best Friend we have in the World who would by making us good make us capable of receiving and then most freely give us all other good things Oh foolish and ungrateful Creatures all this Excuse of want of Time is but pretended and is indeed a sign of sottish Ignorance of our own good and of the badness of our own Hearts and Lives We know not our own Happiness and are perfectly loth to think of God and of such things as should be in our Prayers lest we should be engaged to be good and have our Minds and Affections taken off from worldly things to be set upon better and then pretend we have no Time The more plain Truth is we Would have no Time and are glad we can order it so as to have none at least we are very well content and then we complain and excuse it thus But let us not endeavour to deceive others and our selves it is better to confess the Truth that we have no Mind nor Will and then we shall be somewhat nearer mending the Fault And now it remains only that all persons be earnestly exhorted to the performance of this Duty so acceptable to God so beneficial to others so profitable and comfortable to our selves which will render us wiser better happier and whereby we may obtain all good things from God That they would frequent publick Prayers upon all just Occasions and sometimes if not for their own Benefit yet for good Example to others who want it as also hearing the Scriptures Read and Preaching that is the expounding confirming applying of the Scripture That they would enter also into their Closets and Pray in secret to God their heavenly Fathâ—â— especially upon solemn Occasions as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after the publick Worship of God on Lord's days and other days and most especially before the Lord's Supper That they would also Pray in private with their Families as many as they can get together or spare and this either by judicious and pious Prayers composed by others or their own if they be able All this as frequently and in such manner as their Ability and Opportunity will permit And that they would not let sluggishness or laziness deadness to holy things nay hatred and aversation from those things which will make them better to hinder them satisfying themselves with some Pretences and false Excuses which God and their Consciences even now much less another day will never allow of I leave it with Men's Consciences out of hearty love to God to them and my self I have discharged mine to them I am confident we following this Advice should all be soon much a better and soberer People live more conscientiously piously charitably peaceably comfortably both to our selves and others and all the Blessings of God would be multiplied upon us all here and we should be more fitted for Heaven hereafter FINIS Books following Sold by John Wright at the Crown on Ludgate-Hill In Folio SIr Walter Rawleigh's History of the World Heylin's Cosmography Dr. Taylor 's Cases of Conscience His Polemical Discourses Dr. Hammond's Annotations His Tracts Speed's Mapps at Large Hooker's Ecclesiasiastical Policy Pharmacopoea Londinensis or the London Dispensatory with Alterations and Additions Never before printed Sir Thomas Herbert's Travels with Additions never before printed Mr. Sanson's Geography Judge Hales Primitive Origination of Mankind Britannia Or A Geographical Description of England Scotland and Ireland With the Maps of each County at large In Quarto Dr. Brown's Vulgar Errors The Compleat Clark containing the best Form of Presidents Mr. Megie's French Dictionary Mr. Henry Smith's Sermons The History of the Seven Champions The History of Parismus and Parifmenus In Octavo Dr. Taylor 's Living and Dying Dr. Patrick's Witnesses to Christianity both Parts A Thousand Notable Things Sands Paraphrase on Job and Psalms M. Pooles English Parnassus The Parsons Councellor A Treatise of Judging one another Galen's Art of Physick Translated by N. Culpeper In Twelves Dr. Fettiplace Holy Exercise of Heavenly Grace Smith's Great Assize Davids Repentance Dent's Plain-Man's Path-Way to Heaven The Doctrine of the Bible