what promise or foundation it has in Scripture I profess to you seriously that upon the strictest enquiry I could make I never could find any such promise made to all the children of God in the Old or New Testaments Ans The Author Prefaceth this part of the discourse with a promise to endeavour the representing of our way with all fairness and impartiality but in the very entry this is forgot for he giveth not the words of the assembly truly as they are set down by them therefore the Reader shall have them in the words of the Compilers Position 9. So many as can conceive prayer ought to make use of that gift of God albeit those who are rude and weak may begin at a set Form of prayer but so as they be not sluggish in stirring up in themselves according to their daily necessitie the Spirit of prayer which is given to all the children of God in some measure To which effect they ought to be the more fervent and frequent in secret prayer to God for enabling their hearts to conceive and their tongues to express convenient desires to God for their Family These are the express words of the directory let the reader compare the words of the Author with the words of the Direction and he will find them very unfairly represented for they Say men ought to pray for enabling of their hearts to conceive and their tongues to express convenient desires to God but the Author representeth them Saying this is the position of the Directory that the spirit of prayer is given to all the Children of God in some measure for enabling their hearts to conceive and their tongues to express there is Vast Difference between praying that enabling may be given and that it is already given Yet I shall freely espouse all that the Reverend Assembly hath Said and hope to make it appear by plaine Scripture that the Spirit of God is concerned in the matter manner and the words of believers Prayers also for the proof thereof consider Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba Father By which Scripture these three things are evident 1. That the Spirit of prayer is given to the Children of God 2. that the same is given to all the Children of God 3. That the Spirit of God is concerned in their words of prayer For the first the Children of God being called sons the Spirit of Christ the eternall Son of God is Sent forth into their hearts whereby they cry Abba Father this crying Abba Father is prayer which none can deny and is bestowed upon the adopted Sons or Children of God For the second that all the Children of God receive this Spirit of prayer is also manifest seing this assistance of the Spirit is given because they are Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore to all the Children every child of God being in a state of adoption this help is appropriated unto him as resulting necessarly from his adopted State tho the measure of his assistance be according to the gift of Christ yet the meanest of them are not deprived thereof all of them having the spirit of adoption which is confirmed by Rom 8. 15 But ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father So then all of the Children of God have the Spirit of Adoption and this Spirit of Adoption enclineth and enableth all who have it to cry unto God For the 3d. That this Same assistance of the Spirit is concerned in the words of their Prayers I prove from the same Scripture because it 's by the help of the Spirit they cry Abba father here are words in Prayer prompted by the Spirit of God and if any should say that these words are but few I answer they are Sufficient to evince that the Spirit of God is concerned in the very words his Children shal speak to him in Prayer and So our most Judicious Commentators expound these words that the Spirit of God concerneth himself with the very words of believers Prayers Here then the Reader may see all that is asserted by the Assembly evident by plaine Scripture and moreover a great encouragement for all the Children of God to expect assistance to the very words of their Prayers when God calleth them to speak in Prayer and all this without dependence on the Words of a Form And let the Reader observe that our Author appeareth of the same mind by what he asserteth Page 5 4. In these words there may be some men tho not very many able to express themselves Significantly and Decently ex tempore and there are some occasions that require it even in publick on these occasions when a man hath not time allowed him to reduce his desires into form before he offers them he may depend on the assistance of God's Spirit From which words I infer that then there must needs be some promise of the assistance of Gods Spirit for Prayer in publick without a form for no man can warrantably depend for that which is not promissed by God but we may hopefully depend on the assistance of Gods Spirit for Praying in publick without a form Therefore the assistance of Gods Spirit for praying publickly without a form is promised Object If the Author or any other Say that this dependance for the assistance of the Spirit in publick prayer without a form is but allowed at Some extraordinary times Ans We are at no time warranted to depend for that which is not promised for we cannot depend in faith where there is no promise and yet the Author saith we may depend for it take notice of Deut. 15. 6. The Lord thy God blesseth thee as he promised thee It s by promise we have a Saviour and with him all Spiritual blessings Acts. 13 23. Of this mans seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour Jesus there is no hope but by the Covenants of promise Ephes 2 12. So David found in his heart to Pray for the establishment of his house because God had revealed and promised it 2 Sam. 7 27 28. Hereby also we may See where the presumption he mentioneth is to be placed for the mantainers of this Scripturall Doctrine have faithfully performed their duty in making it known to the world neither is the assistance of Prayer by an extrordinary gift but common to all the Children of God as hath been evinced and for further Confirmation of the Same assertion Condsider Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Vers 27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints accoding to the Will of God In which Scripture these 4 things are clear 1. That the best
prayer to the Admiration of others and yet all this but natural acquisition and no special gift of the Spirit of Christ 3. Besides these improvements of nature our Saviour Christ having received gifts for men and bestowing them on whom he will for the good of his Church thereby many have been endued with common gifts of the Spirit of Christ whereby others are edified but not themselves they being still destitute of the special Sanctifying Grace of the Spirit and such as Christ will say unto at the last depart I know you not tho' their partaking of these common gifts was the occasion of their concluding themselves in a State of favour with God mistaking those common gifts for such as are special and Sanctifying such persons never being converted to God and truely Sanctified may notwithstanding of all their common gifts be lewd and Scandalous in their practice 5. Whatever judgment we may pass upon our selves yet we are not so much concern'd to judge by what gifts other men do pray or if they have the grace of prayer together with the gift is not our part to search tho' it be certain that where the conversation is ordinarly ungodly and vicious whatever gift a man hath yet he wanteth the Grace of prayer 6 When such immoral persons are endued with a common gift of the Spirit enabling them to speak pertinently in prayer sure it is not that gift which maketh them Immoral and Scandalous nor is the Gift of Christ to be despised on that account for common gifts sanctifie no man tho such as God hath honoured with them are the more guilty for profaning of his mercies and their ingratitude to God 7. Only Believers in Christ Jesus who are sanctified by the Spirit of Grace partake of the grace of Prayer and as the Giver of this Grace pleaseth to imploy any of them in his service for the good of others so he bestoweth the gift also in what measure he pleaseth As for persons who are dejected for want of a Gift of Prayer they have need of sound and skilful advice for the meer want of such Elocution as others have should not discourage them tho all should covet the best Gifts But 2. If persons have no Inclination nor help by the Spirit of God to pray unto him there is just cause for fear but not despair I say just cause for fear and grief of heart because all the Children of God have the Spirit of Prayer in some measure yet no cause for despairing because Christ hath promised the Holy Ghost to them who ask him 3. To direct such persons only to the words of a Form will never prove a cure to their Souls For if any man have not the Spirit of Christ they are none of his therefore such persons should be exhorted to cry unto God for the Spirit of grace and supplications Page 63. The Author once more urgeth the use of forms in Prayer A great part of the world cannot do it without a form Children and ignorant persons are at a loss for words Ans As for young and very ignorant people we allow them the use of forms until God enable them more but withal exhort them to further progress lest if they should still rest upon forms they should be satisfied with a form of Godliness only But Page 64. He saith As for Children and ignorant people of our perswasion he is well assured many of them never bow their knees to God Ans This is not the first of the Author's mistakes that we have seen for we have occasion to know what they do in the service of God better than he and I am well assured of the contrary of that he asserts he affirmeth not knowing what they do and I affirm upon knowledge that commonly our Children so soon as capable are helped with some easie and short forms and that many of them dayly bow their knees to their Maker and are chastised if it be neglected The Author cometh often over this our Teaching the unlawfulness of forms which is imposing upon his Reader for none of us Teach any such Doctrine Page 65. There remains yet the third Opinion of Dissenters which they advance against us in this matter of Prayer to be examined that the Minister is the mouth of the Congregation and that the people have nothing to do but to join with him in their hearts an opinion far from any authority of Scripture which expresly requires us Rom 15. 6. with one mind and one mouth to glorifie God Ans It 's not long since we saw this under the Author's hand Page 36. That generally there is no more necessarie but that the people joyn in their hearts except it be on some occasions and when these occasions appear we will consider his Opinion 2 In all Gospel publick Worship recorded in the New Testament we find no more either required or practised but the peoples joining in their hearts 3 What is said Rom ✚ 15 6 is performed in our way of Worship using one mouth and not many But the Conclusion must stand whether the Premisses will or not that the Authors way of Worship is agreeable to the Commandments of God let the Reader judge by the Answers if every one of his Probations hath not failed him I do ingeniously declare That I have not so much as found difficulty in any of his Arguments wherewith he chargeth us as guilty of the Inventions of men in the Worship of God but I question if ever amongst Protestants a Book was published wherein moe of the inventions of men hath appeared or a wider Door opened for all manner of humane Inventions than by the Discourse now under consideration CHAP. 3. Of Hearing SECT 1. PAge 68. one great design of our Christian Assemblies is hearing and that which is to be heard is the word of God First then God hath positively commanded us to read his word in our publick Assemblies so Deut. 31. 10. In the feast of Tabernacles when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place where the Lord shall choose thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing so Josh 8. 35. Neither was this confined to their solemn Assemblies at Jerusalem it was likewise a constant part of their sabbath service in their synagogues as we may learn from Acts 13. 14. Ans 1. That the word of God should be read in our publick Assemblies we are agreed for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word 2. To read the whole Law of God at once in our Assemblies is not practicable 3. Some conjecture what was read in the synagogues but tho' it were sure can be no rule to us Page 69. This reading of the Law was the great and most effectual means God provided for preserving the knowledge of himself amongst his People and the best reformation began and was carried on by restoring this ordinance thus it 's observed of Josiah 2. Chr. 34. 29. The
good and wise men declare it to be the safest and best or that you have long professed it but see with your own eyes give it heart and time when no mortal eye can be witness as you have a value for these immortal substances that are yet breathing in your bodies for the retaining whereof you have no price to give and for the annihilation whereof you have no price to give but must endure an eternity whether we will or not what can we think of but is a very trifle when this eternity and what concerneth it is considered The necessity therefore of establishment in that religion which the eternal God hath appointed as the way to lead us to a blessed Eternity is great if we consider First the innat Atheism of our depraved natures whereby there is not only a privation of that primaeve knowledge God honoured man with but many perverse and erroneous apprehensions of God of happiness in him and the way to it Atheistical doubts concerning God Christ Heaven and Eternity These seeds of Atheism not only lurk undiscerned by many but often make horrid eruptions shaking yea overturning all the religion some have professed for many years because they have made it no part of their religion to be fixed in it then they are ready to cry out is there a God is there a Christ is there an Eternity can there be a Resurrection is there a Heaven or Hell Yet some are tormented with the fears of that the very being whereof they doubt orhers again forsaken of God speak blasphemously of the God of Heaven avow Atheism and tempt others to it while people are not established and their house never built on the rock they are obnoxious ro the worst of these Wo's nor hath religion power upon their Souls not knowing whether it be true or false many living as unconcerned with the religion they profess as if they had none being uncertain but all may prove otherwayes in the end and this uncertainty is an argument in reserve that the Devil improveth against seriousnes in religion labour therefore to have your feet fix'd on the rock that cannot sink under you that so your goings may be established knowing in whom ye have believed And that you may be established believe the Scriptures to be the very word of God the Scripture of Truth that cannot be broken trust fully the testimony and Veracity of God for if you fluctuate and waver in this every wind of temptation will be ready to shâ—ke you at the very Root and build what you will all will be overturned if this foundation be not firmly laid that all Scripture is by Divine inspiration And because I had known many poor Souls oppressed with temptations to doubt of all that is wâ—itten their hope and comfort burn'd up and almost consumed with such fiery darts before they would utter them to any and some such at this day fainting under such suggestions as they are ashamed to make known to their dearest Friends for the establishment and help of such to believe the Scripture of Truth First observe what you have by nature of the Image of God yet remaining what awfull indelible impressions you have of a God over you which you cannot shake fully off it 's written on your heart that there is a God that he is infinitely great and Omnipotent that he is just Holy wise and good now that which you yet find written on your heart you find the same in the written word of God whether would you go What can you betake your selves to but to the Testimony of God written both in your hearts and in the word of God revealed to us If you should reject the Scriptures you reject also the witness of God in your Souls this meditation God hath made very conducive for quieting and fixing some Souls Consider also that what the word of God publisheth of the depravation of our nature you find even as it 's written natural enmity against God which inclineth us if we could to hide our selves from him as Adam to say depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways we are informed by the word of God that the heart is deceitful above all things that every imagination of the thoughts of our heart are only evil continually that we rebell and are disobedient to God that we are slow of heart to believe and bent to backsliding c. All these things and many moe we find by nature and wofull experience What is predicted and promised in the word of God concerning the salvation of sinners by a Redeemer his death Resurrection conquest and Kingdom c. Are exactly found as the written word of God hath revealed them what God hath promised of pouring out his Spirit in the latter days is found as it 's written the power of God still appearing in converting sinners making many new creatures and all things new with them making them love what they hated and hate what they loved making a warfare against sin daily where sin was committed with greediness c. This Sanctifying grace of the Spirit is a continued witness multitudes of miracles both under Old and New Testaments were wrought for confirmation of Gods Holy Word and promise which without violence to our very reason cannot be denied either to be wrought or the finger of God being wrought these are blessed helps which our merciful God hath provided for confirming unstable Souls and to secure us that the Scriptures are the word of God our maker and judge and above all to depend on the Spirit of Christ which leadeth into all Truth When God in his mercy hath determined and fixed your judgements that the Scriptures are Gods word and Truth so as you can with confidence adventure Soul and Eternity according to the doctrine there delivered then make choise of the Truth receive it in love and gratitude blessing God for so great a benefit that many millions of Souls are deprived of be diligent in reading of it labouring and praying to understand it make Gods Testimonies the men of your counsel let it dwell richly in you seek the law of God written in your hearts sell not the Truth at any rate be not ashamed of any of his words lest he be ashamed of you let no flatteries or threats of men make you wander from the commandments of your God Search out especially for the great Salvation recorded in the word of God and published by a Gospel Ministry search until you find the sent Saviour of the world accept of him subject and devout your selves to him joyn and give your own selves to the Lord do this personally distinctly and deliberatly and leave it no longer as a duty you hope will be done but while it 's called to day allow it heart and time as the most enriching work you ever were or shall be about under the Sun blessing God that he allows and requires to subscribe our selves the Lords and to