acceptably and find the Blessed Effects of it in God's gracious Communications of himself unto us sutable to our necessities provided we do not neglect his publick Worship which the private ought not to hinder but promote because in truth it is defective without the publick being only Worship but not Honour Glory or Service We read of all these four frequently in the Holy Scriptures Worship Honour Glory and Service The first of which may be performed in the most secret place but the other three have respect to what is done in Publick In our mind indeed we Honour God wheresoever we Worship him if we have an high esteem of his Excellencies but we do him no Honour unless others see by outward Signs and Tokens the inward regard we have to Him or we make the voice of his praise to be heard among them Then we give him the Honour due unto his Name when others are Witnesses of the esteem we have of his Divine perfections by such actions as naturally declare it viz. by our solemn Reverend acknowledgement of him in his publick Worship Upon which if we do not attend men have reason to think we are void of all sense of him and have no respect to him For the Honour that is done to any one among men is alwayes a publick thing as those words of Saul to Samuel testifie 1 Sam. xv 30. Honour me before the Elders of my people and before Israel Thus Haman understood the word Honour when Abasuerus said What shall be done unto the man whom the King delighteth to Honour For thinking with himself there was none in whom the King delighted so much as himself he answered Let the Royal Apparel be brought forth and the Horse on which the King is wont to ride c. and set the man thereon and let it be proclaimed before him Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour vi Esth 6 7 c. For he knew that unless something was done in publick it would be no honour to him that received it For who can tell what is in anothers mind in which Honour lies without such external signs as are real testimonies of his inward thoughts opinion esteem and affection Thus the Angel instructs Tobias and his Son about the Worship of God Bless God praise him magnifie him bless him for the things he hath done unto you in the sight of all that live It is good to praise God and exalt his Name and honourably or with honour as the words are in the Greek to shew forth the works of God Therefore be not slack to praise him it is good to keep close the secrets of a King but it is honour able to reveal or to publish the works of God xii Tob. 6 7. Which is the sense of the Psalmist cxlv Psal 4 5. One Generation shall praise thy Works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts I will speak of the glorious Honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous works And what hath been said concerning honouring God may in like manner be affirmed of giving him Glory that it is done by publick actions it being nothing else but the publishing and spreading the fame of his Divine Perfections or of his wondrous Works This we learn as from many passages in the Psalmist so from our Blessed Saviour himself Who a little before his departure from this World lift up his eyes to Heaven and said Father I have glorified thee on Earth that is xvii Joh. 4. made him known to be what he is published his whole Will and Pleasure and done whatsoever he commanded him And in like manner told his Apostles Herein is my Father glorified if ye bear much fruit xv Joh. 8. in publishing that is his Holy Gospel and bringing many to the belief of it Which is sufficient to show that if we do not honour God by what we do in private much less do we glorifie him which wholly refers to proclaiming his Name and setting forth his Praise And from all this it follows that we cannot be said to do him any service by our private addresses to him whereby we only serve our selves For then we serve him by our Worship when we openly acknowledge him and own him to be what indeed he is the great Creator and most wise Governour of the World who therefore we hereby testifie and declare ought in our opinion to be Worshipped by all men with the same reverend regard which we pay unto him In brief we do him Honour when we openly declare with that Blessed company we read of in the Revelation iv ult that he is worthy to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou O Lord say they hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Then we also glorifie him when we declare his greatness and goodness and speak of the Glory of his Kingdom and talk of his power Worshipping the Lord in the beauty of Holiness or in his glorious Sanctuary as the Psalmist speaks xxix 2. cxlv 6 11 c. And hereby we serve him very much and do something which promotes his Interest in the World whereas all that we do in private only promotes our own This I shall explain in three particulars I. The Publick Worship of God doth him great service by maintaining a sense of God in the World and preserving the notion of him which would be in danger to be lost if his Worship were only in secret or among a few persons privately where no body knew what they did but they themselves Such close and retired Devotion would have no power to uphold and keep up a Religious regard to the Almighty Creator of all things among his Creatures All that it could do must be upon those particular men themselves who secretly Worshipped him but upon others it could do nothing at all for how could that preserve the knowledge of God which was not it self known And how prone would men be to conclude that the being of God was only a dark fancy in some mens minds whose single opinion could have no Authority at all but rather be despised as being ashamed to own it self or having no publick approbation Which the Publick Worship of God gives it and not only supports the belief of God's being in mens minds as the common sense of Mankind but is apt to strike men with some awe of him when they see a great many with humble Devotion and reverence with bended knees and eyes lifted up to Heaven paying their solemn acknowledgments to His Majesty Especially when they see him thus adored by men of the greatest place and in the highest reputation for Wisdom and Knowledge who will have an heavy account to give unto the Supreme Lord and Judge of all if they do not contribute to the upholding his Authority among Men by frequenting the publick Assemblies and by their reverend deportment there II. Whereby not only a sense of him in general
not find in the whole Law of Moses any precept for Prayer Of which what reason can we give but this that it was so sufficiently known to be a Duty by the common Light of Nature that there needed no Instruction about it Nor can I observe hitherto any Command in the Gospel of Christ barely for Prayer but only for the manner of Prayer As in the place first mentioned When thou prayest enter into thy Closet and pray to thy Father which is in secret And in other places Watch and Pray Pray continually Pray with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit Pray in the Holy Ghost Pray alwayâ— and not faint Pray in the Name of thâ— Lord Jesus All which suppose thâ— Duty of Prayer and only direct how it is to be performed For the further clearing of which general observation let these following particulars be considered I. That it is Natural to everâ— living sensible Creature to look back to its beginning and to own its dependance upon that from whence it derives its being Thus we see the young ones of all sorts of Animals open their Mouths and wait as it were for provision from the old ones while they remain weak and tender 〈◊〉 running also to them for shelter anâ— protection while they are unable tâ— defend themselves Upon which score Prayer is as necessary for us and as natural to us as it is natural to an Infant to cry for its Mothers Breast or something else equivalent thereunto that may satisfie its craving desires Because it is an acknowledgement and owning of God as the Original from whom we come and as the Author of all good in whom we live and move and have our being and a confession of our own weakness and helpless condition without his care of us The very Heathens had this notion in them that Mankind being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Off-spring of God brought forth by him into the World out of the Womb of his Almighty Goodness they ought to resort unto him even as the Chicken runs under the Wing of the Hen by whom it was hatcht or the Lamb runs to the Teats of her that yeaned it Proclus l. 2. in Timaeum And this say they we do by Prayer which â—s nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—eturn of the Soul back to God from whence it sprung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ur looking back to him from whom we come a reflection upon the Founâ—ain of our being and of all good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our turning about to â—he cause of our being a circling as â—t were to that point from whence we â—ook our beginning that we may be fast knit and united unto God and never be divided from him 1. And therefore to explain thiâ— more particularly Prayer is First An high Acknowledgment that Goâ— is the first cause of all things Wâ— magnifie him hereby as the Root thâ— Spring the Fountain of whatsoever wâ— or any other Creatures are or havâ— And without Prayer we do as bad aâ— say We owe nothing to any highâ— Being than our selves 2. Secondly We acknowledge all the Sovereignty which he therefore hatâ— over us and over all things in thâ—â— we ascribe unto him a power to command them all and to help and relieve and supply both us and them according to our various necessities 3. The Independency also of 〈◊〉 Being is herein acknowledged 〈◊〉 that we ask of him alone as having fâ—â— and absolute power within himself 〈◊〉 giving us help and comfort withoâ—â— craving it of any else 4. His Liberty and Freedom aâ— so in that it wholly resides wâ— confess in his Will and Choice whaâ— we shall have and how much anâ— when all as he pleaseth 5. His All-sufficiency likewise to inrich us without impoverishing himself 6. Together with his infinite Greatness and Immensity which is present to all places and ready to supply the needs of all Supplicants 7. And it is no less an acknowledgment of his Omniscience which can not only give audience to all Petitioners every where but exactly know both their necessities and their sense of them and the sincerity of their desires and also what is convenient for him to bestow upon them and will do them most good 8. His inexhausted Goodness and bounty likewise which is still ready and willing to pour out it self to us without any emptiness in the same Blessings that he hath bestowed for so many past ages And Lastly His Eternity and immutability in that after so many successions of Men in the World He is still the same unchangeable fulness unto whom we resort with the same confidence that good Men have ever done In short It arises out of a sense of all Gods Glorious Attributes and Perfections which are every one acknowledged in some part of Prayer or other though we should not expresly name them For in confession of sin we acknowledge his unspotted holiness and that he is of purer eyes than to behold that is approve iniquity In deprecation of his anger we confess his Justice in petitioning for pardon we proclaim his clemency in our request for Grace and Help we give him the Glory of his Power and when we recount his gracious Providences over us we acknowledge his incomparable Goodness and Bounty And therefore unless we will disclaim God and have nothing to do with Him we must perform this Duty of Prayer to Him This is the first Consideration II. To which add further That it is natural for every thing that is in want to desire supply from him that hath ability to fill it Now such is the state of every Man in the World We are at the best weak and feeble beggarly and indigent beings pressed with many and great necessities which we have no power to make up but only by going unto God Whatsoever is from the first Being wants something that it hath Every Creature therefore is imperfect and if any of them could be supposed to want nothing yet it would necessarily want the continuance of its being which it hath received from its Creator And therefore it is a true observation of one of the ancient Philosophers * Theodorus apud Proclum Ib. that all Beings pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except only the first Being which is God who hath none to pray unto but hath all of himself Prayer is a confession of the true state of our own Souls and Bodies as well as of Gods most excellent Perfections A declaration that we are poor and needy that we are crazy and insufficient of our selves that we are dependent and holden up by another So that we quite forget our selves if we do not pray to God We renounce all care about our own greatest concernments if we take no notice of Him on whom our present and future welfare both here and for ever intirely depends III. As it is natural unto every one in want to ask so it is natural unto every one that asks to put
neâ—â—ssities to relieve and succour â—â—em We pay no homage to God then if 〈◊〉 omit this Duty we live wholly â—â—thout God in the World and give 〈◊〉 token no signification that we own 〈◊〉 being We rank our selves among â—heists or Epicuraeans who are 〈◊〉 only in Name having lost the â—mmon sense of all Mankind Which â—â—th ever led them to acknowledge 〈◊〉 by solemn Supplications and â—hanksgivings to Him V. Which is a Duty so necessary 〈◊〉 so essentially flowing if I may so â—eak from Humane Nature that â—rist our Lord it may be in the next â—ce observed lived in the constant â—rformance of it Christ I say in whom dwelt all the fulâ—ss of the Godhead bodily nay who as God blessed for ever who in that respect needed nothing and was 〈◊〉 to effect all things yet as he 〈◊〉 man prayed and made supplicaâ— for those things which as he was 〈◊〉 he already possessed and could preâ—â—ly communicate to the Humane Naâ—â— by his immediate conjunction and 〈◊〉 mate union therewith Notwithstâ—ing this he asked them of God 〈◊〉 beseeched him to bestow them 〈◊〉 cause it was necessary and natural 〈◊〉 do because it became a Creature own its dependance on an higher 〈◊〉 to give to the Creator the Honour unto his Name and to testifie by 〈◊〉 action his Submission and Obediâ—â— his Humility and Love and that 〈◊〉 highly soever advanced as the Huâ—â— Nature of Christ was to the 〈◊〉 degree of honour due acknowlâ—â—ment ought to be made by it unto Most High who is the Fountaâ— Glory and Honour And here I take it to be very reâ— kable that there is no kind of Prâ—â— whereof we have not an Example iâ— Lord Christ Of Secret Prayer weâ— v. Luke 6. where it is said He 〈◊〉 drew himself into the Wilderness prayed Spent that retirement from â—ompany and other imployments in â—oughts of God and acknowledgements of the honour He had done him â—nd in Prayer for his constant presence â—ith him Of Private Prayer with his â—isciples that passage seems to be â—eant ix Luke 18. And it came to pass 〈◊〉 he was alone praying his Disciples were â—ith him and he asked them saying Whom â—y the people that I am i. e. in his reâ—ement from the multitude attended â—ly by his Disciples he first prayed â—â—d then began by way of enquiry and â—â—king questions to instruct them in â—â—s Religion As for Publick Prayer â—â—e read often of his going into the â—emple the house of Prayer at Jeruâ—lem and of his frequenting the Synaâ—gues which were places for Religious Assemblies all over the Country We read also how he prayed for others as well as for himself For Peter â—xii Luke 31. that his faith might not â—il For all his Apostles that his joy â—ight be fulfilled in them and that God would keep them from the evil of the World and that they might be sanctified â—hrough the truth xvii Joh. 13 15 19. For his whole Church That they 〈◊〉 all be one as he and the Father are 〈◊〉 c. ver 21. And on the Cross prayed for his bitterest Enemies before for his Friends xxiii Luk. 〈◊〉 And after all we read that it was custom thus to pray to God xxii Lâ— 39 c. And he came out and went he was wont to the Mount of Olives 〈◊〉 his Disciples also followed him and 〈◊〉 he was at the place he said unto the Pray that ye enter not into temptatiâ— And he was withdrawn from about stones cast and kneeled down and pray saying Father if thou be willing 〈◊〉 And as he prayed so he gave thanâ— particularly at the raising of Lazaâ— out of his Grave xi Joh. 41. And acknowledged and praised God 〈◊〉 revealing his will not to the Wise aâ— Prudent but unto Babes whom 〈◊〉 imployed to be the Ministers of 〈◊〉 Gospel of his Kingdom xi Matth. â— And as we have examples in him 〈◊〉 all sorts of Prayer so it is further 〈◊〉 servable that he hath left us the liâ—â— examples of the times and of the â—â—ner of Prayer For times of Prayer we read 〈◊〉 i. Mark 35. of his Morning Prayer And in the morning rising up a great â—chile before day he went out and deâ—arted into a solitary place and prayed And in the vi Mark we read of his Evening Prayer for when the day was â—ar spent ver 35. he fed a great multitude miraculously and then contrained his Disciples to go into the ship while he sent away the people which being done he departed into a Mountain to pray ver 46 47. He prayed also at Meals as we find ver 41. of that Chapter When he had taken â—he Loaves and Fishes He looked up to Heaven and blessed or gave thanks â—i Joh. 11. for those good things which the bounty of God bestows for the food of Mankind And lastly we â—ead of extraordinary Prayer where a â—pecial occasion required it for just before he ordained his xii Apostles he â—ent into a Mountain to pray and contiâ—ued all Night in Prayer to God vi â—uk â—2 13. As for the manner we find he did it with all fervour with strong cryes saith â—he Apostle v. Heb. 7. where he adds â—ears also as an argument of his great piety Secondly With perfect subâ—â— sion as we find when he prayed 〈◊〉 the removal of the bitter Cup whiâ—â— Nature very much desired but he aâ— with this humble resignation of himself to God Nevertheless not my will 〈◊〉 thine be done xxii Luk. 42. Not whâ—â— will but what thou wilt xiv Mark Thirdly With all due reverence 〈◊〉 devotion for we read there that kneeled down and prayed xxii Luk. â— and being in an agony he prayed 〈◊〉 earnestly ver 44. and with greaterâ— pressions of reverence for he fellâ— his face as the manner was in greatâ— stresses xxvi Matth. 39. And lastâ— With frequent and repeated importâ—â— ties for he prayed three times for 〈◊〉 same thing with the same submissâ—â— and in the very same words also 〈◊〉 more than all this he prayed even 〈◊〉 that which he was sure God woâ—â— bestow upon him because he haâ—â— alwayes possessed it as he was God 〈◊〉 knew it was designed for him as 〈◊〉 was Man in Gods Eternal 〈◊〉 cree I mean his glorious prâ—â—ment into the Heavens to sit downâ—â—â— the right hand of the Majesty 〈◊〉 high For which he lift up his eyes unto Heaven and said Father the hour is â—ome glorifie thy Son that thy Son may glorifie thee xvii Joh. 1. and again ver 5. And now O Father glorifie thou me with thy own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was Lay all these things together and they will teach those that consider them both the weightiness and the great dignity as well as necessity of this Duty Unto which who can â—huse but be awakened when he sees the Son of God so industrious so unwearied in it For if Jesus prayed as Origen â—â—gues * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
such Heave joy in this Duty as I am not able describe For who can doubt that frequently illuminates their minds 〈◊〉 strengthens their thoughts to unâ—â— stand and perceive his Divine pâ—â— ctions more clearly and lively 〈◊〉 they could of themselves and the by raises up their Love and 〈◊〉 Hope and their Joy to a greâ—â— heighth of satisfaction Which increases also by secret touches 〈◊〉 their hearts exciting all these beyâ— the Pitch to which our highest thouâ—â— would advance them But omitting this I shall conâ—â— this Head with the wâ—â— of St. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome wâ—â— will serve also for aâ—â— troduction to the 〈◊〉 Prayer is the Imployment of 〈◊〉 gels and much exceeds even 〈◊〉 dignity as appears by this that 〈◊〉 approach with great reverence 〈◊〉 the Divine presence teaching 〈◊〉 address our selves to God with 〈◊〉 likefear mixed with joy With 〈◊〉 lest we should prove unworthy of this favour with joy at the greatness of the Honour that is done us Mortals in permitting us to converse continually with God By which we get out of this mortal and temporary stare and pass over to immortal Life for he that converses with God must necessarily get the better of Death and Corruption Just as those things that are alwaies inlightned with the rayes of the Sun cannot remain in darkness so it is impossible that they who enjoy familiarity with God should continue mortal For if they who are taken into the society of a King and advanced to honour by him cannot be poor how much more impossible is it that they who by Prayer have familiarity with God should have mortal Souls Ungodliness and an irregular Life is the Death of the Soul therefore the Worship of God and a Conversation sutable to it is its Life Now Prayer leads us to an Holy Life becoming the Worship of God nay it marvellously stores our souls with the most pretious Treasures Whether a man be a lover of Virginity study purity in a Married Eâ—â—â— whether he would suppress anger purge himself from envy or doâ— other good thing Prayer is his 〈◊〉 ductor and smoothing the way him makes the course of Veready and easie For it cannot that they who ask of God Teâ—rance Righteousness Meekness Goodness should not obtain 〈◊〉 petition CHAP. VIII The great benefits we receive by ous Prayer to God WHat force there is in Prâ—â— both to make us and preâ— us such as we ought to desire to may be understood in great part what hath been already discourseâ— the two foregoing Heads Whe I have represented how it raises ritualizes widens and greatens minds filling us with high thoughts possessing us with Heavenly Affections satisfying us in the Love of God putting us into the Divine protection â—â—curing us against all Events and drawing down upon us the Divine â—lessing In short it is a vast improvement of our minds by lifting them up above themselves as well as above this World and that not only for the present but tying us fast to God by a constant sense of him which it is apt to leave upon our minds it puts us into a pious temper and constantly disposes us both to do aright and to judge might also For if we would know whether a thing be good for us to have we need but consider whether we dare pray for it or no and whether a thing be lawful to be done we understand by considering whether we dare recommend it to the Divine Blessing and beg his presence and concurrence with us in it This is commonly a good Direction and will put a stop to us in all bad proceedings Nay so great a power there is in Prayer that we perceive the good it doth us even before we receive that which we come to ask For no â—â—ner doth a man lifâ— his hands to Heaven St. Chrysostom's * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 32. wâ—â— are and call upon Gâ—â— but he is snatcht from this Woâ—â— and translated into the other if pray with care and diligence so 〈◊〉 if anger boiled in him it is preseâ—â— quieted if lust burnt it is quenchâ— if envy gnawed it is easily expell for as the Psalmist observes that wâ—â— the Sun arises all the Beasts of 〈◊〉 Forest lay them down in their Deâ—â— who in the Night had crept forth when Prayer goes forth out of Mouth the Mind is inlightned with a certain beam of Light and unreasonable and brutish passâ—â— steal away and dare not appeâ—â— Nay if the Devil himself was the he is driven away if a Daemon heâ— parts provided we pray with attâ—tive and wakeing minds But I will summ up what I have 〈◊〉 say on this Argument in this sinâ— Consideration If it be highly beneâ—cial to be truly good and God-liâ—â— we are highly beholden to Devoâ—â— Prayer which is a Blessed Instrument thereof Now all Mankind cannot but agree in this that it is our highest perfection and therefore nothing ought to be more desired by us than to be made like to God in Righteousness Goodness and true Holiness Unto which it is easie to show we are formed by every part of Prayer Whether we acknowledge the Divine perfections which it is senseless to praise and not to make our pattern or confess our own guiltiness which is a disowning and condemning all evil courses or make an Oblation of our selves to him that made us whereby we deliver up our wills to his or give him thanks for his benefits whereby we â—onfess the Obligations we have to be wholly his but especially when we peâ—ition him for pardon which supposes we resolve to be better or for his Diâ—ine Grace to assist us to perform our Duty faithfully of which if we have a serious desire it will incline us and dispose us thereunto for all Creatures â—ndeavour to accomplish their own desires Nay it will powerfully move â—s to pursue what we would have by such means as God to whom we pâ—â— directs us to use for the obtainâ— thereof Nay The very thought we form our mind when we set our selves 〈◊〉 pray that we are going to God 〈◊〉 place our selves in his presence wâ— sees all things even the most hidâ— motions in the secret recesses of 〈◊〉 Soul which accordingly frames it 〈◊〉 to please him as present to it and 〈◊〉 specting it and penetrating to 〈◊〉 bottom of it searching the Hearâ— and trying the Reins This thougâ— say and the alteration it works in 〈◊〉 is of such great advantage to us thaâ— we should suppose him who prayeâ— God to be a gainer 〈◊〉 otherwayes he ought Origen * L. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ev◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 26 27. observes to thought to have receiâ—â— no common benefit who thus revereâ—ly and piously disposes and frames 〈◊〉 mind at the very time of Prayer 〈◊〉 which how many sins are banisheâ— and how many good deeds are proâ—ced they can tell who apply theâ— selves continually to pray unto Gâ— with such serious
is preserved but a sense also of his Greatness and Magnificence as I may call it is also bred and nourished in mens minds Who joyning as one Man in the same service are taught not only that God is but what he is infinite in all perfections For when a multitude of people meet together even as many as a spatious place can contain to Worship the same Being it doth most naturally signifie and declare that He is exceeding great and glorious whom so many own for their Lord upon whom they depend for all they have or can have which is not signified nor represented when only one or two or a few pray to Him Therefore this is a reason both that we should hold publick Assemblies and that they should be as full as is possible and all who belong to them should croud unto them to testifie that they look upon him who is there Worshipped to be the great King over all the Earth as the Psalmist speaks xlvii 2. For great numbers meeting together to do their Homage to him it is the most natural sign that can be contrived which private Worship is not that we take him to be the Soveraign of the World the Lord of all above all good unto all in one word the common Parent of us all to whom we resort for his Blessing This is a demonstration that Publick Worship is to be preferred before all other because most sutable to his most excellent Majesty the best token of the high thoughts we have of him the utmost we are able to do to testifie how great and how good we believe him to be how able and willing to help us all as being equally related unto all And the more meet together for this end the better this is declared that he cannot be honoured and glorified enough but we stand in need of the united thoughts and affections of all Mankind could they be assembled at once to magnifie his incomparable perfections Nay If all Creatures in Heaven and in Earth as a very worthy Person observes could meet together in one Body to Worship Him at the same time and in the same place it would still be much better because more sutable to His Most Excellent Majesty being still a better signification of his Infinite perfections and of his vast Dominions which he governs with inconceiveable Wisdom and takes care of with a most provident goodness And though no one place here on Earth is big enough to contain so much as one Nation or Country or great City yet we meeting in several places of the same kind and set apart for the same purpose to Worship God at one and the same time it approaches something near unto this all the people that are under one and the same Government hereby setting forth God's praise together at the very same moment and in the like though not the very same individual place where they uniformly acknowledge him with joynt consent to be their common Preserver and Benefactor Which is far more agreeable to the perfection of his most excellent Nature than the single or private Applications that are made to him in which there is no sensible Declaration made what he is able to do for all but only what he is able to do for one or for a few For which reason the Universal Church anciently observed certain set hours of Prayers that all Christians throughout the World might at the same time joyn together to glorifie God and some of them * Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 N. 33 35. were of opinion that the Angelical Host being acquainted with those hours took that time to joyn their Prayers and Praises with those of the Church For common reason led them to this thought that those noble Creatures are highly concern'd to set forth to the utmost of their Power the glorious Honour of God's Majesty who as he is exalted above all Blessing and Praise so hath the utmost pitch of Praise to which Creatures can reach given unto Him when the whole Family of Heaven and Earth combine together at once to Worship Him Thence it was that the Psalms of David though many of them particularly concerned himself were directed to the Chief Musitian for the Publick Service as the way to make his Praise glorious So the Psalmist speaks in lxvi Psalm which begins with a desire that all Lands would make a joyful noise unto God and sing forth the honour of his Name and make his Praise glorious That is this was the way to do something sutable to the surpassing Glory of his Majesty For great saith he elsewhere is the Lord and therefore greatly to be praised in the City of our God xlviii Psal 1. He was not greatly praised sutably to his greatness unless it were in that place where they all met together to praise him No the very private Blessings bestowed on David he would have publickly celebrated by all the people And therefore doth not only say I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall be continually in my mouth My Soul shall make her boast of the Lord c. but adds O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together xxxiv Psal 1 2 3. And therefore much more were the common Blessings poured on them all to be thus acknowledged and his praise sung in the Congregation of Saints as the words are cxlix Psal 1. that is by all the people of the Jews Nay by all the people on the face of the Earth as he speaks cxvii Psal O praise the Lord all ye Nations praise him all ye people c. Which St. Paul shows in the xv Rom. 11. was accomplished when the Gentiles submitted themselves to Christ and became Members of his Church therein to praise him continually in their publick Assemblies III. In which the sense of God will not only be preserved sutable to his most excellent greatness and goodness but preserved pure and sincere free from those dangerous mixtures which may sooner creep into it to corrupt and embase it if he should be Worshipped only in private Where every man may frame conceits of the Divine Majesty agreeable to his own inclinations and there is no such way to prevent or correct them as by attending upon the publick Offices of Religion Into which Errors are not so easily admitted because men are naturally careful about that which they expose to the publick view not being willing themselves to appear before others with such neglect as they are sometimes found in when they are alone Or if there be any thing dangerous admitted there it will soon be discovered and if not redressed yet opposed by good men as all corruptions have been at their first appearance though in process of time they have prevailed They began in private and from thence by degrees adventurnd to appear in publick where they would have appeared sooner if the common sense of Mankind or of Christian people had not been against them There
are few who are Religious If that then be good for us whereby we do the most good to others which is an undoubted truth we ought to be most in love with the publick Prayers That we may invite others by our constant attendance on them to joyn with us in giving God the Honour that is due unto him and free our selves from the guilt of other mens sins which we draw upon our selves when by giving little or no publick sign of our Devotion we tempt them to become or continue irreligious For as by performing our Duty alone by our selves we do only ourselves good but profit not others who receive great benefit by our Publick Devotion so if we should at any time neglect our Duty alone we thereby hurt only our selves but by neglecting the Publick Service of God we hurt all that are near us by our pernitious Example tempting them to think that Religion is only a private fancy which some men have taken up without any reason for were it a reality all men would be concerned to maintain and uphold it the best they can in the World Thus I have given an Account of the first Argument for the necessity of Publick Prayers taken from the Nature of Prayer it self both as it respects God and our selves By which it appears that all those motives which I used in the first part of this Book to perswade us to Prayer in general are most efficacious to draw us to the Publick Worship of God There being no greater Honour than to be known to be the Servants of the most High by attending upon whose Publick Service our minds are inlarged unto great and worthy thoughts of God and our affections stirred up to the highest admiration of him and love to him who provides for so many as there wait upon him nay dispenses his Blessings to the whole Universe which we commend unto him Whereby our hope and confidence in him is also exceedingly advanced though we had never such great things to ask of him having the united force also of a great many Petitioners to strengthen it who joyn together to solicite his favour Which there likewise we are naturally inclined to seek in the most serious and the most composed manner it being a shame not to frame our selves when we appear publickly upon such a weighty business unto the most reverend deportment which I have shown is of it self alone a singular benefit we receive by Prayer to God The sense of whom is the guide of our Life and the stay of our heart which is both upheld and raised to the highest degree by his Publick Worship Whereby if we do not prevail for all those whose welfare and happiness we seek we maintain and increase notwithstanding in our own minds a lively sense an high esteem of those Graces and Blessings which we earnestly desire and ask for all Mankind For whose good as we ought to be concerned so we are made more sensible of it more affected with it and solicitous for it by the publick Service of God than we are inclined to be in our private Devotions This will appear in the management of the second general argument propounded in the beginning of this Discourse for which I design the next Chapter CHAP. XIII Publick Prayers most sutable to the Nature of Man I Proceed now to consider the Nature of Man as I have done the Nature of Prayer from whence we shall more fully learn the necessity of God's Publick service and that it is to be preferred before all other Prayer being a natural Duty as I have proved in the beginning arising from the necessity of our own being which is precarious and dependent on another who ought therefore to be continually acknowledged by us it will easily appear from thence that it ought to be publick and not only alone by our selves because Nature hath formed us to society without which we cannot be preserved in safety From whence innumerable Arguments may be deduced for our publick Assembling together constantly to Worship that Almighty Being who hath thus by the very Laws of our Creation disposed us to joyn together for our common preservation For I. We cannot but see at the very first mention of this that we being made to have society one with another should above all things have society in Prayer to him that made us and continually maintains and preserves us For what can be more absurd than to have society in the lowect actions of humane Life and not in the highest which are of principal concern to us for our conservation It is such an absurdity as if we should joyn together to save one anothers houses but not to save one anothers lives And yet there is far less difference between a building of Wood or Stone and this excellent structure of our Body than there is between our worldly affairs and those of our immortal Souls Which teach us at the first thought of such things that if we were made to live together in society and not alone it is a just reason that God should be acknowledged by us all together who is the founder of society and as we transact all our common concerns together by meeting in a Body so the business of Religion especially which is the cement of Society and the Fountain of all Justice and Charity should be thus transacted and we should with a common consent meet together in one place to adore and acknowledge Him which is the greatest concern we have in this World even for this reason because it supports as you have heard a sense of him without which all society will be dissolved II. And there is the greater reason for this because men are the only Creatures here that are indued with a sense of God and of Religion and therefore should above all things joyn in that and study to promote it which is most proper to them and distinguishes them more than any thing else from the Brutes In whom we see some faint imitation of Reason and Discourse but not the least sign of Religion Which may well be look't upon as the discriminating property in man and make us think that he may be better defined a Religious than a Rational Creature This at least should be joyned with the other and he defined a rational Religious Creature For all definitions are taken from that which most peculiarly belongs to every Being and there is nothing so peculiar to us as a sense of Religion Which if we do not exercise together we do not act like men who in all reason should joyn to maintain and promote that which is most proper to them viz. Religion more than any thing else in the World For which end God hath given to us alone the gift of Speech which no other Creatures have besides our selves that we should proclaim his Praises and make it known that we honour him and excite one another to the love of him the Supream Being Who needs no words
the Psalmist nay with our Saviour Christ as I have before observed I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren in the midst of the Congregation will I praise thee Ye that fear the Lord praise him all ye Seed of Jacob glorifie him and fear him all ye Seed of Israel My praise shall be of thee in the great Congregation I will pay my Vows before them that fear him Psal xxii 22 23 25. I will praise thee O God among the People I will sing unto thee among the Nations For thy Merey is great unto the Heavens and thy Truth unto the Clouds Psal lvii 9 10. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still praising thee Psal lxxxiv 4. The Dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into silence But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore Praise the Lord. Psal cxv 17 18. Which last words teach us that this is a piece of publick Service we do to God in this World which we are uncapable to perform when we are gone from hence Then the time is past of honouring God among Men by decâ—â—ring the sense we have of his Greatness and speaking good of his Name Foâ— though the dead are not quite silent yet what they say or do signifies nothiâ—â— to us in this World where we muâ—â— serve God while we live or else noâ— at all Which is a new consideration to quicken us to this Duty and to silence all those Objections which are apt to rise in our hearts against it Yes may some say We like the thing you press but are against the way of doing it in this Church In which some are distasted at all Forms of Prayer and others at that Form wherein we Worship God and him alone Unto the first of these I have this to say That when there were no Forms of Prayer left in this Church they that destroyed them did not dayly hold publick Assemblies Nor do they now make it their constant practice Which gives us too much cause to think they have not such a sense as is to be wished of their necessity But to let that pass supposing some have and that they only dislike a Form of Prayer it is something strange that the same Arguments which make them think dayly publick Assemblies to be needful should not also reconcile them to a Form of Prayer Which was constantly used by the Ancient Jews in their Assemblies as hath been undeniably proved by many of our Writers and was prescribed by our Blessed Lord and Master who made his Prayer I have shown for the publick Service in which he joyned with the Jews when he was at the Temple in Jerusalem and when he was in the Country went to the Synagogues which the Chaldee Paraphrast calls Houses of Praise in Isa vii 19. And so did his Apostles who themselves used a constant Form of Praise For they rested not Day and Night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Rev. iv 8. This as I showed before was their continual Hymn which they offered to God and it appears by St. Paul's usual way of recommending the Churches to whom he wrote unto the Grace of God that they had their Forms of Prayer also For he himself constantly used these words The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all 2 Thess iii. 17 18. The same Power every Bishop had in his Church to compose Prayers for the necessities of it as we may gather from 1 Tim. ii 1 2. Which Exhortation is directed not to the people but to Timothy who was to take care to have all Men recommended unto God in the publick Offices by Prayers and Supplications with Intercessions and Thanksgivings for Kings especially and for all in Authority c. This could not be done orderly as all things were to be in the Christian Church without a set Form of Words which Timothy we may well think composed For those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Prayers be made signifie as literally the Apostle would have Prayers and Supplications composed as that he would have them put up to God And I doubt not they signifie both First That they should be composed and then put up to God by the Church For you may observe further that the Apostles speak of this as their work Act. vi 4. where having bidden the Church look out some Men to be appointed to attend the business of providing for the poor they add but we will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word They made the Prayers where they were present as much as they ministred the Word Which is further manifest from hence that the Prayers of the Church of Jerusalem are called the Apostles Prayers Act. ii 42. And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers Observe here how all the faithful stedfastly continued in Prayers as well as hearing the Word And that they are First called Prayers in the Plural number not one but many Prayers and then that they are called the Apostles Prayers Prayers made by them For the word Apostles in the beginning belongs to all the three things that follow as well as to the first To the Apostles Fellowship and their breaking of Bread and their Prayers as well as to their Doctrine To be brief as John Baptist being a publick Minister sent of God taught his Disciples how to pray and our Blessed Lord taught his Apostles So his Apostles in like manner taught those whom they Converted according to the pattern Christ had left them and no question delivered the same power to those that should have the Supreme Guidance Direction and Government of the Church to compose Prayers suteable to Mens necessities in the several Nations where they lived and over whom they presided It may be thought indeed that the Extraordinary Gift they had in those dayes supplyed all But it is manifest both that every one had not that Extraordinary Gift of Prayer and that they also who had were to be so ordered and regulated in the exercise of it by the Governours of the Church that it might serve its Edification And nothing tended more to the Edification of the Church than that it should have a standing known Form of Prayers and Praises without which it could not be known how they Worshipped God and not depend merely upon that extraordinary Gift which was not constant but vouchsafed only on some special occasion according as God pleased to impart it Which is not said arbitrarily by me but it appears by a convincing Argument that this extraordinary Gift was not intended to serve the constant necessities of the Church but only some particular purposes for they who had it could not make others understand it and are therefore directed by the Apostle to pray they might be able to interpret that others might reap some benefit