than omit it as the Acknowledgment of God of our dependency upon him the sense of our wants humility the exercise of our charity if our Prayers be for others and the good example of all these to others c. It is not surely unlawful for one that is more and much more generally bad than good and therefore may be termed a wicked or bad man to have good desires to pray to God to give him his grace to repent and be better which he may be so well-disposed at at some particular time as to do and then his pardon for Christ's sake to pray for relief in his distress deliverance from evils competency of the good things of this World God's blessing upon his endeavours and all this that he may serve God comfortably and do good to pray for his Family or Children out of sense of his duty and natural affection to bestow his blessing out of good nature compassion charity gratitude upon the afflicted his friends his benefactors Surely I say this is not unlawful nay it is his duty though at the time he doth thus he may in general be a bad man yet in these his Prayers good and so far it should be probable that at least some of these Petitions should be rejected or not granted CHAP. IV. SECT I. THe Fourth general Head of our Discourse concerning Prayer is the excellent effects the advantages or benefits thereof I mean of praying or a Prayer not only of that one part of it called Petition These all are to be so many reasons why we ought and so many Motives to us to pray for from the good effects of any action are all the reasons and motives for its performance to be taken These Benefits may be of two general sorts viz. 1. To others 2. To our selves 1. By our Prayers we may do good to others For it may oft-times seem reasonable and just to God to bestow upon others what we ask and desire as we ought for them upon the condition of our Prayers so that if we had not prayed God might not have given it For this his hearing our Prayers for others may as reasonably be an Instance of God's Goodness and Benevolence to us as any other good thing and it may be as great an Engagement to us to love and thank God and as a Reward it may engage us more to acknowledge and depend upon himself which are such excellent Means of making us good and to proceed to love others and to rejoyce in others good Besides if we be generally very good Men this instance of God's Favour to us in hearing our Prayers for others will very much engage and encourage others to an Imitation of us and to be good likewise that they may have the same Favour and Honour from God too For a great Honour sure it is and a great sign of our being acceptable to him when he is pleased to grant our Petitions not only for our selves but for others likewise for whom out of Love Charity and Compassion we heartily pray It is true God bestows upon us the great Favour of granting our Petitions or hearing our Prayers for our selves for Jesus Christ's sake but it is upon the Condition of our being holy and good Upon this same Condition for Jesus Christ's sake he may and doth do us that particular Favour of hearing our Prayers for others likewise that he may shew and declare how acceptable to him Holiness and Goodness is And it was our Saviour's constant spotless and perfect Holiness that merited from God the Pardon of all our Sins in case of Repentance for his sake and consequently all his Favours and particularly the hearing of all our Prayers both for our selves and others By which we may easily understand how God may hear our Prayers for one another and that for Christ's sake We have store of Examples and Commands in Scripture for all Men especially good Men to pray for others we have also there promises that they shall be heard and performances too that is the success recorded God commandeth Job's Friends to go to Job to pray for them with their burnt Offerings that God would forgive their rash and unadvised Speech concerning himself out of Envy Contempt or ill-Will against Job it is likely and tells them that he would accept his Servant Job Here God even forgives some sins of some few Friends or rather omits some Punishment for them upon Condition of Job's Prayer and for his sake Job 42. Verse 7 8 9. A great part of the Punishment of the Children of Israel for their sottish Idolatry in worshipping the golden Calf so soon after their coming out of Egypt seems to have been forgiven upon Moses his Intercession and Prayer For it is said that God threatned to consume them and to make of Moses a great Nation but upon Moses's beseeching the Lord that he repented him of the Evil that he thought to do unto his People I say God forgave a great part of their Punishment not all he did not utterly destory â— consume them though he did plague thâ— People too because they made the Calf Anâ— this after he had prayed to God to forgiâ—â— them their Sin or to blot him out of hâ— Book that is not to mind him nor be favourable unto him nor to shew any kindness to him as Men use to do to those whoâ— they have once written down to remember to do them some good as occasion shall offer but afterwards blot them out again Wâ— may read these things Exod. 32. from Verse the 10th to the 15th and from Verse 30 tâ— the end of the Chapter And so again upon Moses's Prayer to pardon the Iniquity of the Israelites when they murmured against him were seditious and conspiring to chuse a Captain under whose Conduct they might return to Egypt again God saith that he had pardoned according to his Word that is his Prayer which he had made Numb 14. Ver. 20. See what great good things it may seem just and reasonable to God to bestow and give upon the Prayer of one eminently holy and righteous Man and how much greater for the sake of one who was perfectly so even saving the Lives of thousands of whole Nations and all the Blessings consequent And therefore it hath not been untruly however vainly and conceitedly it might have been said by some that in this resâ—ect as well as others the World fares much the better for holy and good Men and even those who are their Enemies who malign or hate them to whom they can and do often do good thus against their Wills when bad Men would not be beholden to good Men. yet they pray for good things to them and wish them well They often pray to God to make them good to amend them and even while they are bad to forbear them and not to punish them either by laying evil things or taking away good things from them whilst bad Men out of a malicious or
A TREATISE OF PRAYER With Several Useful occasional Observations and some larger Digressions concerning the Judaical Observation of the LORD'S DAY the External Worship of GOD c. By George Bright D. D. Rector of Loughborough in Leicestershire LONDON Printed for John Wright at the Crown on Ludgate-Hill 1678. DONAVIT REV. VIR RA. PERKINS L. L. D. ECCLESIAE hujus CANONICUS A. D. 1732. To the Right Honourable Theophilus Earl of Huntingdon Lord Hastings c. And Lucy Countess Dowager of Huntingdon Right Honourable THe Discourse which some time since you were pleased to honour me by your Commands of appearing before you with was but a proof of a larger Treatise concerning Prayer not long before dispatched It was then far from any design of publishing but I since finding many things by me and many more coming to my Mind not altogether unworthy as I thought the perusal of the more candid and intelligent which might most conveniently appear somewhere inserted in the handling of such an Argument I was inclined to make use of the Opportunity I own the most ordinary and common Reasons of Dedications viz. to testifie the real and inward Honour and Respect I have for the many excellent Qualities of your Honours to express my Acknowledgment particularly to your Lordship and noble Ancestors in my own and others Names and to perform some small service to you in the Subject treated of I am not unsensible that such a thredbare Argument hardly any one thing having had more Authors in such a plain if not sometimes an offensive Dress as a great part of it appears in without the advantage of any Ornament may seem somewhat an unsutable Present to your Honours But as there are many things in it as I think not observed and many not in such manner delivered by others so I know too that your Honours are not to learn from me that generally the most familiar and well known matters are truly of the greatest and most constant use and to prefer plain and important Truths before that which is only fine and new Besides that so great Goodness as yours will not forget to excuse me by considering that the Persons among whom I am now placed make it my most proper Employment to explain and teach the most ordinary but useful Dutys of Religion Sometimes at least in the most plain and simple manner I can and then so little prudence as my own serves to tell me that the place it self may put me in mind of acknowledging in some mean way rather than none at all my little leisure and my very broken Health not permitting me to do better at this time or perhaps hereafter the great Bounty of your Lordship's illustrious Predecessors to the Church and University to Religion and Learning without doubt the two best things in the World who were pleased to bestow the Patronage of this Rectory and three other of plentiful Revenue upon the happy place of my many years thoughts Your Lordships most advantageous Temper great Capacity and happy Education under so virtuous and learned a Parent seem not to permit any departure from the same generous Inclinations May others imitate them especially in this prophane and foolish Generation in which true and useful Knowledge Virtue though wise and manly Piety though generous and excellent are attempted to be trampled upon by ignorant and conceited Drollery and not only an unchristian but an unmanly Debauchery which nothing so much supports as the Dulness and Confidence of the Brutes that practise it These either they know not how to separate Superstition an ignorant Fear and Zeal from Religion and to secure themselves from the one without throwing away the other or they gladly take Occasion through the secret perswasion of their foolish and hurtful Lusts from the former to do the latter They must needs put away the Wheat with the Chaff not only an ignorant and base fear but also the most reasonable free and ingenuous Reverence Honour Love and Obedience to their Maker the most amiable and satisfying Object the Soul of Man can behold and embrace without whom we can never be what we should or would be whom if we possess not by Contemplation Love and Likeness to we are either so little minded as never to enquire for or so unhappy as in vain to endeavour after our most compleat Perfection and Felicity As for some small Service which I proposed to my self of performing to your Honours I hope it was not without some reason Some of the Contents of the ensuing Treatise may not be altogether uncapable of it and I have not had the Honour and Happiness of Converse with any Persons of your Quality Age and Sex who are more able to judge of what is true and profitable or better disposed to make use of it Those who know your Honours will easily make the personal application And yet Madam I humbly beg your Leave to be but in one word so just as to let others know as well as my self that your natural Parts your acquired Learning your discreet Piety and Virtue your obliging Goodness are such as moreover render you the just Aemulation and Pattern of all of your Sex and honourable Condition and me in particular as I also am your Lordship's Your most Faithful and Humble Servant in all Christian Offices Geo. Bright Imprimatur Hic liber cui titulus A Treatise concerning Prayer c. G. Jane R. P. D. Dec. 12. 1676. Hen Epis Lond à Sacris Dom. THE PREFACE AFter all the vast and not unpleasant ramble that the mind of Man may take through the Universe it must at last set down content and well it may with the Knowledge and Practice of Religion as the possession of the greatest good it is capable of The plain end and sum of which is to fear and honour God so as to keep his Commandments of loving him above all things and our Neighbour as our selves and therefore our selves that is willing and rejoycing in the greatest Happiness of all Beings existent considered together as one Body and therefore of each Particular so as is effective of the greatest happiness of the whole For by Religion of the Object not Religion of the Subject or Religiousness I mean nothing else but a System of Doctrines made known from God to Men concerning their Duty or concerning other Matters which may be any way means or helps to practise and observe it These Doctrines may be made known either by our natural Faculties of invention and reasoning or by Revelation Those which are made known by our natural Faculties with which we are born may be called natural Religion As for Example That Good is to be willed that therefore a greater good is to be willed more than a less and the greatest most of all that is the greatest good as to Intension Extension and Duration is to be willed with the greatest force and intenseness of our Minds and always For by the same reason that
good is to be willed by us the greatest is so too nor is the propriety of any thing but the goodness of it the only reason why it is the object of our will In few words That the greatest good of the whole Universe in respect of Intension and Duration be the ultimate Object of our Wills always either immediately or mediately actually or habitually and not that of any part and therefore not of our selves In which one Doctrine is all formal Virtue contained and from it are all particular Virtues easily deduced This is the first and great Law of Nature or which is invented or judged true by our natural reason 1. Plainly like as in the animal body or rather the compounded creature man that we may comprehend the nature of Virtue by a most easie similitude all the functions and operations of each particular member are supposed to be performed not for its own or any other member's proper good but for the greatest good of the whole body or rather of the whole man in which their won too so far as it is constitutive or any way effective thereof is necessarily included so very easie and obvious is the confutation of all those false systems or hypotheses of morality which make virtue to consist in all our dutys to be deduced from ultimate self-love The vast and most universal importance of this truth and it s not being yet so commonly minded as it should may I hope be a sufficient excuse for the seeming importune and unnecessary mentioning and interposing of it in the following Treatise Add to this those other as they are ordinarily called Laws of Nature Such as are that God or an all-perfect Being is to be worshipped that is honoured prayed to be obeyed c. that we ought not to make happy the wicked nor unhappy the righteous or those who will and endeavour the most publick or universal good that we ought to be beneficent grateful to our Benefactors and particularly to Parents and scores the like All which are nothing else but such Dispositions and Actions which by Reason or Experience have been found and concluded to have more good Effects than their contraries or than their Omission or to be most for the universal and common good and are indeed Rules or Directions for our Prudence 2. As are generally the voluminous resolutions of those which are called cases of Conscience to obtaine the ultimate End of all our Wills and Actions viz. the greatest good of the Whole in the willing of which Eâ—d only is that which I call Virtue and without which there is none at all These I say and such like Doctrines and Truths being made known from God to the Minds of Men by their Faculties of Invention and Reasoning with which he hath caused them to be born are very well termâ—d Natural Religion Those Doctrines concerning our Duty c. which are made known either immediately or mediately by Revelation are called Revealed Religion I say immediately or mediately They may be made known immediately from God to the Person himself who is to know and practise and no Man can tell how much this is or hath been in all Parts and Ages of the World insomuch that a good part of that which hath been thought natural especially some more spiritual and extraordinary Truths may be revâ—aled inspired or suggested to some Men though the same things may have been known naturally by othâ—rs too For who can tell just how much to whom and when God hath immediate Influence upon the Understandings of Men Again They may be revealed mediately by others and that by Angels or Men. The first was done to all the Prophets except Moses according to the Jews The second to all Men who have received any Doctrines from the Prophets Among the Prophets by whom God hath revealed these Doctrines there have been two the most eminent and illustrious Moses first and then Jesus Christ the Messias â—ore-â—old and promised by Moses himself and many other of the Prophets The first of these gave the Jews an entire System of Laâ—s and other Doctrines The second partly by himself but principâ—lly by some of his Disciples delivered a great many to all Man-kind The first is called the Mosâ—ical or Jewish the second the Christian Religion From this sense of Religion it is 〈◊〉 that it can be nothing but Sâ—â—â—shness â—gâ—orance or Madness that can make Men hate or despise it in general For is it possible for any thing else to put no difference between Actions to have no Rules thereof to despise that â—hich teacheth them as if all things were alâ—ke â—ligible and yet there are such bruâ—â—sh Persons who would not be troubled with the Choice and Pâ—rsuance of any 〈◊〉 though it be only their own personal good But would rather â—ollow their fortuitous Imaginations and Inclinations They hate to take any Pains to consine or direct their Choices and Inclinations by any Rules though such as are only to obtain their own greatest bodily and worldly good But indeed those generally who contemn or hate Religion mean by it not all Directioâ—s of their Liâ—e and Actions for they have Wiâ— enough to like well Epicurean brutish Morality but the true natural and especially revealed Religion which contain such Rules of their Duty and other Doctrines as are contrary to their selfish inordinate and immoderate Appetites or Lusts of Malice Pride and Sensuality which teach and help Men to restrain and mortifie them and to introduce a Universal Goodness Piety Charity Humility Spirituality and other as comprehensive Virtues which want Names But what can be more evident than that if ought be to preferred before ought not if the greatest Perfection and Felicity of the whole World nay of every particular Person be valuable and to be preferred before their Imperfection and Misery It must be insufferable Selfishness and Pride together with desirable Ignorance and Folly that must cause them to regard it without the greatest Reverence and Love And as for the Christian Religion it is certain that in general all its Doctrines are so confirmed or at least uncontradicted by the natural and Catholick Religion and particularly all those which concern our Duty are if rightly interpreted so perfectly such not any being yet deprehended or made good to be otherwise by the most witty and malicious or wise honest and unprejudiced with so much assurance simplicity and sincerity delivered Also all its other assistant Doctrines concerning God's Nature and Actions Jesus Christ the Messenger of it good and bad Spirits Man-kind their Original Nature Duration c. This may be no inconvenient Method for a System of Christian Religion are so truly useful to make Men the most perfectly virtuous and holy or to perform their Duty so pleasant to contemplate by reason of their strangeness and greatness that it must needs be the most seriously and deliberatedly loved and admired by the wisest and best men One part of the Doctrines that
grows cold in his esteem and love of the greatest places of honor and profit which he hath long inâ—oyed he is still pursuing and grasping at more and greater either he would make an addition to what he already hath or find out greater than they are This reality and fervency of affection is truly a very great benefit supposing the affections to be rightly and in due degree directed to things true and useful but if that be not supposed it may be as great a mischief For great inordinate and immoderate affections miserably corrupt the judgments and inclinations they render them erroneous and superstitious and I think one of the principal causes why of late diverse premeditated nay extempore Prayers have been preferred before Forms whether publick or private is an immoderate love to great and busling affections for any thing though never so unworthy of them to which we may add great variety and quickness of conceit and invention as in extempore Prayers The Advantage of Variety and Copiousness of Conceit is both in premeditated and extempore Prayers and is because there are many of them used in Opposition to but one as often a repeated Form as is before said But quickness of Conceit or Invention is only seeâ— in extempore Prayers where if the thing invented be but indifferently good there hardly any Quality of our Minds that is â— much esteemed and applauded by the geneâ—lity of Men. Of which one reason is and may be the principal because it is judged sign of an extraordinary Ability in the Persâ— to invent and apprehend most excellent thinâ— easily and clearly if he did premeditate Hâ— that can do so much extempore think theâ— what would he do if he were allowed Time which is very oft a great mistake There is another reason also very generâ— and that is That Men are much pleased wiâ— Dispatch or Performance of any useful thing in a short time And in truth he that â—â— perform the same thing in half the time which another can do it is in that particular twice â— valuable These things in Prayers although they naturally do and may much please the mindâ— Man yet they may do it too much in comparâ— with others which are better viz. the Truth and Usefulness of what is said A Fault that is very often committed in Sermons and Books and other Performances by those Persons who observe and complain of it in Prayers If we separate things and compare them without doubt it is better that one and the same excellent good thing should be apprehended and willed by us though never so sluggishly and dully than that many and a great number either of unprofitable trifling useless mischievous and bad things should be known by us and fly about in our Imaginations and be violently and vigorously with strong Passions willed and pursued The first indeed doth less good but yet some but this last doth a great deal of hurt If we must lose or part with one of these it is better to lose that of Variety and Celerity and Copiousness of Conceit and strength of Passion than that of the Certainty and Profitableness of the Objects of our Knowledge and Wills It is better to have no Passions at all and consequently in this state generally but languid and weak Inclinations than to have them directed to wrong Objects or to right ones in an excessive degree And yet men generally are incomparably more pleased with Life and Activity which is caused much and exerted in Variety and Celerity of Conceit and Greatness of Passions than with its right Determination and Goodness And as Men are for the most part unduely pleased with premeditated and even extempore Prayers upon the account of Variety and quickness of Conceit So there are others too who are pleased with publick or private Forms or very well content with them not so much upon the account of the truth and usefulness of the things there contained or other common advantages â— men thereby as because of the slowness and dulness of their own conceit and passions â— is difficult to them and consequently painful which all men naturally shun to apprehend any new thing to examine the truth and goodness thereof and to excite their heavy arâ— sluggish affections thereto but they easie conceive and are affected with that whiâ— they have been accustomed to that whiâ— they have very frequently heard and to whiâ— their affections have been used to be conjoyned Contrariwise those who are of quâ— conception and moveable affections they apprehend new and various things with eâ— and delight and are presently naturally â—â—fected with them It is observable that oâ— of the most general causes of mens incliâ—tions choices and esteems of things is thâ— own ability easily to obtain and possess theâ— Hence it may partly come to pass that mâ— advanced in years and of staid and sloâ— tempers are usually pleased with Forms â—â— any performance but young and hot persoâ— with Variety So little most commonly dotâ— reason or the foresight of the good or bad effectâ— of things determine Mens Judgments concerning their general Worth and Value And accordingly I believe it may be remembred that lately those who were against all Forms were generally of an active and passionate temper but those who were for some Forms at least were of a more staid and composed one Those Prayers in which are Variety Celerity and great Affections do more generally please Men and are preferr'd before those in which there is Truth and Usefulness for two reasons among others First Because Men are amiss and depraved in their Inclinations and love those qualities better than these Secondly Because those of variety quickness and affectionateness are discerned more easily by every body in a Prayer those other of the Truth or Usefulness not without more difficulty and but by very few it is a difficult thing to examine and see them The best is to make use of them all as there may be just reason First Be we sure that the Objects of our Knowledge and Wills be true and good and then let us furnish our selves with as plentiful a knowledge of them and have as strong Affections to them in compare with other things as they deserve Let us be sure the Matter be true and good and then know as much as we can and in proportion as it is so be zealously affected And here as to Affection I would propound this to be often remembred viz. That we should always regard not what doth strongly affect our selves or others what we seel to dâ— so but what should do so Possibly we have been or may be deceived and be mightily in love with and passionately desire whaâ— is of little or no worth while we are colâ— to things which are really of much more excellent Use Benefit and Concern in the World We must have a care of measuring the Goodness of Things by our Affections bâ— contrariwise we must adjust our Affections to the goodness of
this principally because it is extraordinary few men do so much most men quite neglect God take little notice of him make any acknowledgment of him And hence further may they believe themselves in general very extraordinary excellent persons and that without doubt they are highly in God's favour most precious and acceptable to him his praying people and consequently that he will do any thing for them and for their sakes These Abuses and Mistakes I have mentioned that they might be prevented Be it sure that when a man reflects upon his having prayed to God and is very well satisfied and pleased therewith it be nothing but what is really good that pleaseth him Not for Example his singularity or superiority to other men but the spirituality of his mind and the well-disposedness of his Soul his true love to Goodness Universally Hatred of Sin Love and Thankfulness to God Honour Reverence Obedience Faith Dependence and Trust in Him the actual Exercise of these and â— temper of mind from whence they proceed and to which they tend Let him be sure also that these things were in his praying to God not in general highly pleasing himself in having prayed when there was little of them but indeed much more of such worthless or wicked things I have above mentioned The being thus well assured of the goodness of our Prayers as it will in good mens minds raise up great delight and satisfaction so also it ought that we may be encouraged still to go on in the performance of so excellent a Duty whereby we shall still be rendred better more able and disposed by being good to serve and please God and to do good in the World And we ought to give hearty thanks to God that our Souls are so well tempered as to be pleased and delighted with such things SECT X. IV. PRaying procures Delight Joy and Satisfaction of Mind by God's special immediate Influence God may no doubt in our praying to him some ways perfect all the Operations of our Souls He may bring things either unknown or known before to our minds that is reveal or suggest he may cause us to attend to perceive and understand things more clearly and strongly that is illuminate our minds he may also excite and strengthen our Love to our Duty Sorrow for Sin Love to any particular Duty Love to himself Honour Reverence Humble Address and Dependence Faith submissive and obediential Resolution So likewise surely he may excite and diffuse through our Souls Joy Delight Satisfaction from the Exercise of all these immediately more than would otherwise be without this his especial immediate Action or Influence And that God doth do thus the Scripture plainly affirms and Reason it self insomuch that Philosophers have taught it would conclude it probable Xenoph. Sen. Cicero as well for other reasons as particularly to draw and encourage us to the more frequent and vivid Exercise of these excellent Operations of our Souls of these Graces in us And 't is this which makes that which is called Communion or rather Union with God in Prayer compleat For to have God the Object of the Operations of our Souls to direct our Souls to God and then for God again to make our Souls the Object of his Action or Influence and the more of it as there is in the more especial and immediate influence of God the more the Communion is or may very properly be called Unioâ— or Conversation of our Souls with God and is a thing easily understood by all but more felt by some men who are truly called godly and holy men The Union between two spiritual substances cannot be understood to be any other than by the mutual intercourse of operations and is much more really so than that which is between two bodys And here we may easily understand that this Conversation with God is not only confined to Prayer but may be referr'd to all our Lives in any part of which we may direct the Operations of our Souls to him as when we do any thing in obedience to his Commands and he may again have immediate influence upon us as to suggest and strengthen us in our Obedience any the ways before mentioned And the frequenter and more vigorous these things are in man's Life the more he may be said to have Communion or Union with God in his Life or to Converse with God And thus much for the Second sort of Benefits of Praying SECT XI III. THe Third sort of general good Effects or Benefits of Praying are those which are Helps and Means both of our Goodness and Comfort of which I shall at present name but Two viz. Spirituality and Enlargedness of Soul 1. Spirituality By which I mean such a temper of Soul whereby a man is apt to apprehend and be affected with Intellectual or Spiritual Objects whether Absolute as the Nature and Properties of all Spiritual Beings such as our own Souls Angels God himself Or Relative as all the Relations and Habitudes of things one to another such as Cause and Effect Contrariety Similitude Connexion and Repugnancy c. the successive apprehension of which two last is called Reasoning It is manifest That the Objects about which our minds are conversant in Prayer are chiefly those of the first sort God and his Attributes our Souls and their several Perfections and Imperfections as Ignorance and Knowledge Errour and Truth Vices and Virtues or Sins and Graces c. Now by frequent Exercise and Usage of our selves to Prayer these Objects become familiar to us and such as we readily and clearly conceive and apprehend and which really and strongly affect us whereas those men who never Pray or otherwise use their minds to them are only sensual and corporeal or carnally minded that is such who can only conceive and are affected with sensible things and somewhat of reasoning sometimes dully enough too about them but strangely inept to spiritual things blind and sensless in them But further This Spirituality of Mind is manifestly a great preparation of Soul for Virtue and Goodness because they are spiritual things It fits our Souls to apprehend their Nature to see their Beauty and Excellency the natural necessary Efficiency or Causality that is in them of the Happiness of the World which can be discovered in no other thing and consequently really to approve honour admire and love them Moreover the very same temper of Soul whether from the subtilty and calmness of the Spirits or any other cause which disposeth to Spirituality disposeth also to Benignity or Love which when it is universal and impartial is the only Instance and Subject of Virtue and Goodness Finally The Pleasure and Joy which the Soul perceives from her Conversation with Spiritual Objects is far more profound and piercing more lasting and more frequent being more in our own power than that from sensible and corporeal ones is that which besides Revelation the Experience not only of virtuous and holy Souls but
the great Benefits and Excellent Uses and Effects of Praying to God CHAP. V. SECT I. V. THe Fifth general Head is Directions for Praying these shall be of two sorts 1. To inform or remember our selves of the due qualifications of a Prayer what they are 2. To suggest some means to obtain these said qualifications Again The first sort or the due qualifications are of two sorts likewise 1. Those concerning the things contained in a Prayer 2. Those concerning the signs of those things Those qualifications again concerning the things contained in a Prayer are only likewise of two sorts 1. Those that appertain to the objects or sense of a Prayer 2. Those which appertain to the Actions or to use the most fit general Term I know any Affections by which I mean not only the passions of Soul used in a Prayer such as I have before reckoned up and largely discoursed of and which briefly only to rehearse them are 1. Acknowledgment of God's excellent Attributes his infinite Perfections together with the affections of Soul consequent such as Admiration Honour Reverence Fear Love Faith Hope or Confidence Obediential Resolution c. 2. Confession of our Sins 3. Profession of our future Obedience in which two are included many more particular Actions as Reflection Comparing our Actions with our Duty Acknowledgment or Confession strictly so called Accusation Condemnation Grief and Sorrow for Sin Watchfulness against it Resolution to do so no more 4. Thankfulness or Love to God for his Benefits to us 5. A Proposal Recital Explication of our Wants their number their greatness As also of the reasons and grounds of our desires of their importunateness i. e. of their earnestness and frequency And then 6. Our express Petitions and Desires Again and lastly The due qualifications of the signs used in so Praying both of the Objects and Actions or Operations of our Souls are 1. Those of Words or Speech which are always used as signs of our immediate conceptions and actions of Soul when we pray with others in their name and so as they may joyn with us They may also be used in secret Prayer for the more strong and express excitation in our selves both of sense and of the operations of our Souls Perceptions Affections Resolutions I say they may where there is no worse consequence than that is a good one as seeming to be or a temptation to be vain-glorious be used by us in our secret or retired Prayers But even when we do not in our secret Prayers pronounce them with our Lips yet they are in our Imagination and we near always signifie by them unto our selves our conceit of things or Ideas at least if not our affections Further These Words or Speech are sometimes the signs only of things or sense or Ideas in our minds and not of any other operations of our Souls as in Mathematicks so may it be in any other part of knowledge where men write and speak purely to teach and inform Sometimes again especially with some properties belonging to them as their Gravity Acuteness Lowdness Lowness Swiftness Slowness Equality Inequality Position and Site they only signifie other operations or affections of our Souls especially our Passions and not our Ideas or conceipts But for the most part both when written and pronounced they signifie both together It is very rare but that they indicate and signifie together with the sense some quality or action of mind in the writer or speaker and especially the Passions as in sentences of Admiration yea and of Trust and Confidence and Desire c. frequent in the Psalms nor indeed is any discourse acceptable to the generality of men without them For example Where are thy loving kindnesses of old Hast thou forgotten to be gracious Hast thou cast us off for ever Great desires are here signified as well as sense Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion Psalm 14. Verse 7. Ardent and earnest desire is here signified by words and their order and position Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end Psalm 7. Verse 9. And oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness Psalm 107. Verse 8. are the same Oh how I love thy Law Psalm 119. Verse 97. signifies Admiration at the greatness of his Love as well as the sense or thing that he did love God's Law Repetition of words signifies not only the sense of such words but also some passion or some great degree thereof As Psalm 116. Verse 16. O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant the Son of thy Hand-maid c. signifies not only the sense that the Psalmist was God's Servant but also the Passion of Joy that he was so and of Hope because he was so And save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity Psalm 118. Verse 25. Earnestness and greatness of Desire is here signified So again for Example When a man confesseth that he hath been or is the greatest of Sinners or the least esâ— Saints or the like these words do not oâ— ought not to signifie the superlative degree as other words may sometimes do but only that they have been once great sinners and are but little good in the positive degree And moreover the great Passion of Grieâ— and Hatred for and of Sin and of undervaluing and contempt of themselves for being so very bad or little good Many other Expressions in Prayers and other performances when men are hot and affectionated may truly be so interpreted though oft-times the persons themselves do not observe it but will defend the precise meaning and sense of the words when spoken without passion to be always true But 2. These signs either of Sense or Objectâ— or of Operations or Affections of our Souls are other postures or gestures of some parts of the body such as are those of the head as shaking it which is a sign of desire or sadness of the whole Countenance as the parts thereof being composed and steady i. e. which usually signifies Attention c. Of the eyes particularly whose lifting up usually signifies desire thankfulness approbation admiration c. Of the whole body as standing up which may signifie approbation more usually attention The signs which signifie Approbation and Attention usually signifie too Respect Esteem Reverence The lifting up the hands ordinarily signifies desire Kneeling usually signifies Reverence Respect Submission Some certain postures of the Countenance signifie Grief and Sadness some Joy some Trust and Confidence c. for there are infinite variety Postures and Gestures may be also the signs of sense too or of our meaning as we see it is in dumb persons but those to whom God hath granted the use of words and speech very rarely use them for that purpose We begin at the first viz. the due Qualifications of the Sense or Objects or the things about which our minds are conversant in Prayer Some of which are these
to think they oblige the Divinity by the honour they do it by their Prayers to grant them what they desire The Jews at this day think and say that God cannot withstand their Prayers It hath been said I doubt but too often vainly and presumptuously that God could not hold out against a praying People But too well known hath been the confidence of many private persons that their Prayers should be answered and as well known hath been their disappointment Many Prayers also may be stuffed with things very trivial and slight comparatively while the greater things are neglected smaller sins and other sins may be confessed eagerly but greater and their own not taken notice of or but slightly Petitions may be made for Worldly things importunately but for Spiritual negligently or coldly We may pray for Gifts or excellent Qualities of Understanding more than for Graces or holy Dispositions of Will For Pardon more than for Goodness For Priviledges more than for Dutys For Justification more than for Sanctification For Peace and Assurance before and more than for Regeneration Renewal of our Natures Mortification of our Lusts Love to God for his Excellencies Charity Humility Spirituality In Prayers also may be very much Insincerity the things desired may be selfish to gratifie immoderate Lusts of Revenge Pride Superiority Envy Covetousness Sensuality Luxury or the like Some Prayers I wish I could not say most may be very cold formal meer words Be not I say very well satisfied so thou hast but prayed though it may be very badly Endeavour not only to pray but pray well and as thou oughtest and therefore make use of such Means and Directions as have been prescribed I add here too as an useful Caution by the by Be not content and satisfied with thy having prayed well If thy Prayers have been such as have proceeded from good Qualities in thee and tend to make thee more so too and thou feelest thy self very much delighted with the Performance thereof and much disposed thereby to the Universal Practice of thy Duty think not that thou hast been good enough at the time of thy Prayers and mayst be negligent every where else In all thy succeeding Actions pursue thy good Disposition begun by thy Prayers at any time by Watchfulness and Reflection all the following day by frequent Checks when thou doest ill and Encouragements and Joy when thou doest well by frequent Ejaculations and Resolutions And so I have done with the Fifth General Head viz. Directions concerning Prayer CHAP. V. SECT I. VI. THe last General Head was the Excuses or Pretences Men usually make why they do not Pray especially in Private or Secret in which I shall be but short They are most commonly but these three 1. That they need not Pray 2. They have not Ability to Pray 3. They have not Time The first Pretence some Men have for not praying is that there is no need of it it is to no purpose and that therefore it is a foolish thing The Reason of which their Opinion is either because they think there is no God at all nor any Being superior to themselves in Power Wisdom and Goodness who hears them when they do pray or else because all future things are willed and determined by God already and that he is unchangeable As to the first of these Reasons if it were true it would render all Prayers and all things contained in them ridiculous indeed But I shall return no other Answer to these Monsters of Insolency and Dulness but that though they hereby call all Mankind except one or two of themselves if there be any Sots and Fools in spending so considerable a part of their time yet the World will have better Demonstrations and they ought to be no less against so Universal a Testimony than ever they have brought to prove them â—o before they will believe it or before these Objectors themselves ought to believe it Moreover there have been in this last Age such and so many Proofs of God's and Spirits Existence both highly probable and some absolutely necessary as I have upon the longest consideration judged that it is nothing but an obstinate Affection of Uncontroulableness and Licentiousness in those who do or may know them or a pitiable dulness which must make them capable of a contrary perswasion As to the Second Reason of God's predetermination of all things It must mean more particularly one of these two things First That it is needless to set our selves to Pray meaning all Ingredients of a Prayer because it is predetermined by God whether we shall or no. Or else Secondly That it is needless to Pray to God for any good thing meaning by Prayer Petition only because he hath predetermined whether we shall have the thing we pray for or no. To the First of these it is to be answered That there is the same reason against all will endeavor action whatsoever to obtain any good thing we want For Example Against the chewing and swallowing our Food that we may be nourished For the Argument runs thus God hath determined before we pray whether we shall pray or not If the first then we shall do it without our will or endeavor If the second then we shall not do it with them In the same manner we may argue God hath determined before we chew and swallow our Food to nourish us whether we shall do those actions or no. If the first we shall do them without our will and endeavour if the second we shall not though we do will and endeavour to do them But we do not see men in this and the like cases abstain from their will and endeavor for such a Reason though it be suggested to them But they always use both where they believe them to be the cause or condition of their obtaining any good thing they desire And indeed they have the greatest reason so to do which is a Second thing to be answered For briefly and not to spend much time here in these subtilties since men must of necessity will and endeavour after something or not whether it be or be not predetermined they shall will and endeavour or not there being no middle surely it is most manifest that they are to take that part of which there appears to them the best Effects and consequences but it is as manifest that there doth appear better effects and consequences of willing and endeavouring after that which is the cause or caution of any good thing than of omitting so to do or lying idle because God hath predetermined we know not which of the two viz. either we shall will and endeavor or not But this is not the ordinary sense of this Objection here though it be in a controversie which hath filled many Volumes To the Second therefore viz. That it is needless to petition God for any thing because he hath predetermined whether we shall have it or no many things may be replyed As 1. Let
all Religions contain is concerning that infinitely perfect Being called God viz. his Nature infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness his Actions Creation Preservation and Providence and then our Duty towards him which is in one word to Worship him that is to contemplate honour love rejoyce trust in desire from imitate obey him c. and to signifie this by convenient signs Among these our Dutys towards God one viz. to love God for himself is a part or Instance of Virtue or Universal Goodness the rest are Instruments or Means thereof The Duty of Prayer so as is explained and described in the ensuing Treatise is not only to desire and petition any thing from God but contains all his Worship nay it necessarily infers all our Duty universally Our solemn profession and resolution of Obedience and consequently Imitation of God God having commanded us to be like himself which is one Ingredient in a Prayer necessarily imports the practice of all our Duty whatsoever For God is or hath commanded one way or other by natural Light or Revelation all we ought to be and do The Nature and Uses of this ordinary Duty are so particularly described in the Treatise it self that I shall not here add any thing but only that I hope they are so plain and reasonable as to be understood and approved by all who are gâ—â—dedly good Understanding and to secure it from the uâ—just Contempt of some who may neglect or despâ—se it These are First the Ignorant and Vulgar whose Souls are sensual and dull that they are very inâ—pt to all Spiritual things and therefore much uncapable of such an Employment These are as much as may be to be better instructed and rendred more capable of it In order to which it would be well if the Affairs of Humane Liâ—e were so ordered that the meanest might hâ—ve more lâ—isure and opportunities for Religioâ—s Dutâ—s of Reading Praying Hearing and have more vacancy from bodily labour and motion and hardship which require and make a tough and strong but gross and dull temper of Body And it is likely that if it were not for the insatiable Covetousness and Ambition of Frinâ—es and States which perpetually fill the Worâ—d with Wars and consâ—quently make necessary hardy strong Bodys and dissolute Manners and a hundred little subservieâ—t Employments Such good reason is there for the Lâ—tany Petition for Unity Peace and Concord to all Nations Were it not for the Pride and Luxury of private Persons there would be much fewer Necessities of Humane Life and much more time to all sorts of Men for Spiritual and Divine things The moderate Care and Labour of Men sparing some time each day and some whole days probably would sufficiently provide for all such conveniencies of the bodily Life as may render it the least Impediment or the most subservient which is its right use to the spiritual one Thâ— principal part of which is the Conversation of Mens minds with God the Imitation of his most perfect and happy Life to the utmost of our Power in the greatest Knowledge and Virtue Wisdom and Goodness Prudence and Beneficence Wherefore I cannot approve the Temper of many now adays who seem to make it the only End and Design of Government to increase Riches and People and Trade in a Nation from whence they take all their Reasons and Measures of all Laws and Constitutions As if Men were made for nothing but to enjoy all the Conveniencies and gratifie all the Appetites of this present pitiful fleshly Liâ—e to eat drink enjoy Wives Children and Relations to live in Health Strength Ease to be safe from all their Enemies or to extend their Fame and Dominions abroad Whereas in truth the whole Furniture of this bodily Life is but in order and should be subservient to the spiritual or intellectual one that we might live it with less interruption or disturbance our selves and propagate it in others and there is nothing more plain than that the inordinate and immoderate gratification of our bodily Appetites or those which are proper to this fleshly Life especially sensual ones is the most inconsistent with a spiritual and virtuous Temper and consequently with the most perfect and happy Condition of Man-kind Nor seems it much to be hoped to see the World in better Posture till the Affairs thereof are otherwise ordered or it shall please God more immediately by a larger Effusion of his Holy Spirit by his Power and Virtue upon the Souls of Men to frame temper and dispose them A Second sort of those who are apt to think somewhat meanly of this religious Duty of Prayer are the learned who are most conversant in Science and addict themselves to Speculation These oft-times very much neglect Practice they little and seldom mind Morality of which I reckon Piety or our Dutys towards God to be without compare the most excellent part By how much the Objects of our Speculation are of a more different and remote nature from God as are all corporeal things with their Affections by how much they are more numerous and various by how much they require a greater Intension of Spirit as very subtil and profound things in the Mathematicks and Metaphysicks So much the more still do they draw away the Mind from Religion and Piety insomuch that the greatest Scholars are not always the best Men. It is true indeed that some Knowledge where the Objects of it are intellectual as that of our own Souls and the mutual Relations and Respects of things by spiritualizing our Minds doth prepare and dispose us to apprehend and be affected with God but then also by more vigorously employing the Application of our Minds and more intensely pleasing them it perhaps more effectually detains and with-holds us from Piety than our Converse with sensible and external Objects Nay in Moral and Religious Knowledge it self it is not only possible but I believe very frequent for Men to be so inordinately and immoderately pleased taken and in Love with the meer Knowledge or Speculation of the Objects thereof as to have very little Care Esteem and Love for the Practice or the really having it in their own Hearts that is their Wills and Affections They are altogether different things for a Man to perceive and understand and that very distinctly and clearly the Perfections of his Inclinations Appetites and Affections and to possess them or have them really in himself to know all the Rules of Morality and therefore of Piety and to practise them The one is a quality of the Understanding the other of the Will and Affections They have two different faculties and actions of the Soul for their Subjects and therefore the one may be and full often is in the same Soul where there is nothing of the other though I acknowledge that usually the best and clearest Knowledge of Humane Nature is from a Man 's own Experience of himself of which the reason is obvious and consequently a Man may have
one for the Object of his Esteem and Delight and the other not at all Nay the more he minds and loves the one not in order to or for the sake of the other the less will he mind or love this other In few and known Words meer Speculation even in Religion and Morality may and most often doth more please Men than the Practice and the more the one is for it self prized and beloved the less is the other 'T is like as when some unweildy or lame Person with much pleasure conceives describes and teaches others the best Postures and Motions of Vaulting or Dancing who never was nor is able nor cared at all to perform them himself or like Hunters who are only delighted with the finding and catching their Game but care not for eating it But because the Effects of Mens Science and Speculation are generally more or less beneficial and acceptable to the World Which is not so in their possession of Honour Riches or sensual Pleasures the immoderacy of the Appetite after it is not so much observed or blamed These Persons are to be remembred thâ—t Morality of which as I said Piety is incomparably the most excellent part is infinitely to be preferred before Speculation a generous Virtue before Knowledge the perfectâ—on of our Wills before that of our Understanding For the first as I have somewhere else had occasion to mention being nothing but an habitual designing and intendâ—ng in all our Actions the Universal Good in its own Nature necessarily tends only to an infinite good and is unconceivable to be â—ver made otherwise by the will and power of God himself the other barely and in its own Nature considered only delighteth our selves Nay not so much as that perhaps but only by God's Will Speculation therefore is an idle and useless thing compared with Action And even in Speculation it self that which hath God a Being of Perfection unsearchable and incomprehensible by any but himself for its Object is incomparably the most ravishing to the Soul of Man And yet it is most commonly seen that every small Speculator or Theorist a Philosopher Mathematician Linguist Critick Politician and Theologers too especially Polemicks are very prone to despise and look down upon Piety and practical Religion as a great way below them to leave them as ordinary things sit only for little and vulgar Minds whilst they are employed in Matters of higher Concern and Importance The Third Sort of those who hate or despise Piety and all Religious Dutys towards God are vicious and debauched persons These do it often partly because of their dulness principally because Piety is inconsistent with the gratification of their Lusts and particularly in Men of fierce haughty and swelling Tempers because it is opposite to their Pride because it confines and controuls them takes away their Liberty puts them in mind of their Meanness placeth them in the same rank with the poorest of Mortals For they affect Uncontroulableness and Licentiousness they would be subject to none acknowledge no Superior would be and do only what they themselves list at least have some priviledge above others It is certainly inconsistent with such Tempers to acknowledge God's infinite Superiority to themselves and their entire Dependence upon his Will and Pleasure to desire any thing from him with a humble reference of all their Petitions to his infinite Wisdom and Righteousness or to return any Thanks unto him to own and pay the most just Tribute of Obedience as well as the meanest of his Creatures to confess disown despise or pity themselves be grieved for their unreasonable Self-will and Disobedience to acknowledge their Guilt and deserved Punishment and yet God's Right of Remission upon their sincere Repentance and their humble and important Request and that too for the sake of another who was that which they have been shamefully deficient in viz. the most perfectly righteous and obedient All these and such like most just Dutys to our Maker these dissolute licentious and proud Creatures must needs hate and despise as repugnant to their Lusts controuling their Liberty and obliging them to the most sensible Reflection upon and Confession of their Meanness and Baseness Hence theyâ—l sometimes deny or cavil at them and the very Existence of God himself as much as their wit and care of their safety will give them leave Or for want of these when they have little or nothing to say and with them too they 'l huff at them with a scornful pish throw them away and neglect them as a Cheat or at least a thing uncertain and trouble some Those who are governed by a Belief of God and Duty towards him they pretend to look upon as weak of no Parts or Wit timorous superstitious little and low minded whilst they conceit themseves to be great Spirits and noble Souls indeed Alas for them goodly things indeed they are To whom in short it is to be answered that it is a wicked thing to affect to have what they should not and as silly to desire what they cannot obtain It is a wicked and unreasonable thing for thee to desire thy Liberty from the Direction and Government of him who is infinitely better and wiser than thy self who is infinitely good and immutably delights in the effecting of the greatest good of the whole Universe and is infinitely wise and infallibly knows what doth effect it who knows and can do all things upon whom are dependent all the Natures and Existences of things possible to be who therefore hath all the right that can be conceived to be the Law-giver of the Universe If thou or any the most accomplished and perfect Being besides himself comply not with or conform not to his Will thou canst not be innocent but thou must be he who preferred thy own self before the whole Universe and hast in thee that Insolence to desire that all may minister to thy Pleasure than which what can be more prodigiously unreasonable wicked and unjust But if it be reasonable to be obedient to and to be like God because he will and commands all for the Universal good then is it also reasonable that we should perform all other Dutys of Piety to him Acknowledgment and Contemplation of his Perfectins Honour Petition Thankfulness Confession of and Grief for our Transgression of his Laws c. which dispose and cause us to obey and imitate him Nor are these swaggering Hectors less foolish than wicked For whether they will or no they ought to be and shall be what God willeth All things that are any thing really existent must be the Effects of his Will and dependent upon him who is Infinitely Perfect for otherwise he is not so All that he wills concerning us is either what we should be the due Relations of our Actions to their Objects or what we shall be the one is ordinarily termed his Commands the other his Decrees Now what God commands whether we think or will so or no