Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A59765
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The irregularitie of a private prayer in a publick congregation in a letter to a friend.
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Sherlock, R. (Richard), 1612-1689.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing S3241; ESTC R25624
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14,535
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24
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in the margin quotes another to the same purpose Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise 3ly From the custome of the Heathen as it follows Vse not vain repetitions as the Heathen do It was the maner of the Heathen saith the ordinarie Gloss out of Cyprian to endeavour rather to be eloquent than devout in their Prayers and to be lowd and clamorous rather than fervent and zealous An example whereof we have 1 Kings 18.27 Where Elijah mocks the Preists of Baal calling upon their Pagan Deities Crie alowd for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or he is in a journey or peradventure he is asleep and must be awaked And accordingly they cried alowd thinking as our Saviour here saith that they should be heard for their much speaking And therefore as it follows v. 18. Be not like unto them It is a shame for Christians in the Worship of the True God to be like the Heathen in the worship of their Fals and feigned Dieties Our Duty is to endeavour more for humility purity and fervency in heart than for glib nimble and voluble tongues to pray not with multitude of words and varietie of phrases but with pertinent and pithy expressions with ardency and godly zeal and the reason follows For Your heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask him He is every where present and knoweth all things even the secret of all hearts and therefore to court him with long and lowd Prayers implies our ignorance or misbelief of his perfections Against such extravagancy in Prayers our Lord prescribes us a Form with command saying After this manner pray yee vers 9. i. e. as from the context is manifest not after the maner of the Heathen who think to be heard for their much speaking but after this manner i. e. in few words and such as are pithy and to purpose And That 't is the meaning of our Lord in this place That all our Prayers should be short and not much exceeding the length of the Pattern he hath given us is manifest 1. Not only from the Context impartially weigh'd and understood but 2. From the Practice of Christs Church which is undeniably the best and surest Interpreter of Christs meaning in his words And all the Prayers of the Church of Christ are and ever were such in all ages in all places amongst all persons that are called Christians their Liturgies or Publick Prayers are short and pithy called therefore Collects as being so many Collections of much matter in few words 3. Such are all the Prayers of the Holy and True Spirit of God which stand upon record in Holy Writ both for use and imitation viz. the whole Book of Psalms with many more all which though some of them be long as to the whole Psalm or Hymn yet they are divided by Verses into so many shorter Prayers 4. Long Prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of Hypocrites Matth. 23.14 Mark 12.40 Luke 12.47 5. By long and manifold sad experience 't is well known and hath been often observed That all long conceived Prayers have been guilty of manifold infirmities light vain and unseemly expressions not fitting to be offered up to the All-wise All-glorious Majesty of Heaven yea many falshoods many impieties and profanations have been uttered in such kind of Prayers and what have been contradictory to the Religious Duties we owe to God and men 6. If it be here said How can we be too long in our Prayers since our Lord continued all night in Prayer Luke 6.12 and saith also That we ought alwais to pray and not to faint Luke 18.1 and his Apostle commands Continus in prayers and watch Col. 4.2 and Pray without ceasing 1 Thess 5.17 and how can these Commands be obey'd without long Prayers Answ To this I answer That there is a great difference between long Prayers and praying long The one is unlawful because forbidden and reprov'd by our Lord the other is a Religious Duty because both commanded and practic'd by him and therefore St. Augustin saith Oratio plus gemitibus quam sermonibus agitur plus fletu quam afflatu And 't is thus The Spirit helpeth our infirmities by quickning our Devotions and enflaming our Desires he maketh intercession for us i. e. as the same Father secretly inclining our hearts to intercede for us with groanings that cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 From which Text it is apparent quite contrary to the Enthusiasts sense thereof That 't is inward groanings not outward bellowings the internal fervent desires of the Soul not multitude of words which is the Proper work of the Holy Spirit in Prayer The Ordinary Gloss out of St. Chrysostom asks the same Question If we must not use many words in our Prayers how shall we pray without ceasing as 't is commanded And answers out of the same Father That both are to be observ'd in our Religious Devotions viz. 1. That our Prayers be short And 2ly Frequent and cominued So Christ hath both commanded and also exemplified in his Personal Prayers And St. Paul also That our Prayers be short but often renewed in few words but with great devotion ending briefly and beginning afresh leaving some intervals or spaces of time for the reinquickning and enkindling the fire of fervor and holy zeal in the Soul And 't is added out of Cassianus The Fathers conceived it most useful to use short but frequent Prayers To be frequent that our Souls may cleave the more stedfastly unto God by often addresses to his Majesty To be short that we may quench the fiery darts of the Devil who is most busie to tempt us to dulness and deadness of heart in our Prayers which he very easily effects when the Prayers we say or hear are long and continued without any intermission 'T is recorded of those Primitive Christians in Egypt who were most famous for their transcendent Devotions and great Austerities in the exercise of Religious Duties That their Prayers were many and often night and day continued and yet That they were short also not only in their solemn Assemblies and publick Offices of Devotion but also That their private Prayers were as so many Raptures and Ejaculations or Desires darted up into Heaven For as the Father saith hereupon Absit ab Oratione multa locutio sed non desit multa precatio si fervens perseveret intentio Let not our Devotions be accompanied with much speaking but much praying so long as we can hold out in attention and fervency FINIS
was neither begotten nor increased nor poured forth in a sloud of language and various expressions for he went away saith the holy Chost and (e) Mat. 26.44 prayed saying the same words So that setled and stinted Forms of Prayer may be expressive enough of the greatest Devotion nor is God more pleased or the Soul that prayeth more profited by variety of expressions though the exterior pleasure of a sensible devotion may be raised thereby Object 5. Object 5 But stinted Forms of Prayer cannot suit with all Tempers and Conditions a Garment may as well be made to fit the changeable Moon as one Form of Prayer to fit all men or any one man at all times Answ 1. Answ 1 'T is true That limited Forms of Prayer cannot be fitted to every mans Fantasie and Affection especially amongst such men where such Prayers are either suspected or coldly entertained but they may be fitted to all mens necessities though not to their curiosities they may be such as may sufficiently serve every mans duty though not please all mens fantasies Answ 2. Answ 2 Though they suit not with every mans particular condition in all circumstances 't is no argument against them for that would conclude against all Laws whatsoever wherein 't is impossible to make provision for all particular circumstances and accidents that occur 't is sufficient that all Publick Sanctions do secure the Publick Interest and whatsoever hath influence upon Publick Societies and Communities of men Answ 3. Answ 3 Every mans Private Condition wherein he may be separate from the Publick is to be fitted by his private Prayers and therein he hath liberty to expatiate himself and enjoy all those fancied benefits and self-pleasing sweetnesses which variety and liberty can afford him that which cannot be expected in publick Prayers which are of a publick Nature and Design suiting with publick Interests the Duties and Conditions of all Christians and providing also for publick Events that are either probable or can be reasonably foreseen Answ 4. Answ 4 There are many Circumstances relating to particular mens conditions that are not fit to be inserted in the publick Service of the Church or to be mentioned in Publick It is more safe and prudent to recommend many things unto God in general expressions than to insist particularly and positively upon them especially in such things as are temporal and worldly wherein men are more apt to be positive and expressive than becometh Our blessed Saviour knew well enough the particular wants and conditions of his Disciples when they begg'd of him to be taught to pray yet he descends not to any enumeration of those particulars but gives them a Form of Prayer in general terms because it was for a publick use and benefit Answ 5. Answ 5 If any defects and inconveniencies be fancied in those devout and accurate Prayers of the Church which have been framed and approved by the long experience of 1600. years to fit all publick concerns and meet with all necessary conditions to be commended unto God in publick how much more may we fear the many inconveniencies disorders irregularities in the private Prayer though pretended to compleat and fill up the emptiness of the publick The defects the impertinencies tautologies errors and blasphemies of many such privat Prayers are obvious to each mans observation Object 6. Object 6 'T is further said That it may as well be ordered That one common Sermon should be preached in all Churches and at all times as that one common Prayer should be constantly used and no other Answ 1. Answ 1 The Church doth indeed trust all her Priests and Deacons to preach to the People and by way of Sermon to exercise their gifts for the edification of others wherein variety of expressions are very useful to move excite admonish exhort reprove which are the ends of preaching not so of praying as before was observed Answ 2. Answ 2 If the Minister chance to fail by impertinent tedious or any irregular expressions in preaching the matter is of less moment than to err in prayer Because First It is more safe to be bold with the People than with the great Majesty of Heaven the People may pardon an indiscretion a rudeness a mistake if any such happen in a Sermon but that boldness or impudence rather which ventures to offer up unto God their mistakes and indecent expressions is not so venial and easily pardonable Secondly Sermons to the People are but the means not any essential parts of Gods worship it self but holy Prayer is a part and the principal part of Gods outward worship so that to mistake and err in the one is but indiscretion if not wilful but to err in the other is impiety and irregligion A mistake a falshood in Prayer is not a lye unto men but unto God (a) Acts 5.4 5. The great Sin for which Ananias and Sapphira were struck with sudden death Which should strike the hearts of all men with such an awful fear as not to dare to utter any thing unto God that may prove false or be improper to be spoken nor yet to go beyond what they are authoriz'd to say in publick by the commands of God and of his Church Object 7. Object 7 Our Saviour prayed Extempory and by the Spirit and his Prayer John 17. was long and no part of a Liturgy Answ Answ Those Prayers of our Lord which are recorded were not Extempory but set Forms and parts of the Jewish Liturgy in the Temple which might be proved by particulars if it were not too tedious to be here inserted And his prayer Joh. 17. was a privat not a publick Prayer 't was designed indeed to a publick use and benefit not offered up in Publick and with his Disciples though for and in their behalf and 't was a prayer that was proper and peculiar to Christ alone as the only Mediator betwixt God and man and so not to be drawn into an example Object 8. Object 8 Solomon pray'd in the Temple a Privat Prayer of his own in Publick 2 Chron. 6. So did Hezekias 2 Chron. 30.18 So did Elijah the Prophet 1 Kings 18.16 and St. Paul the Apostle Acts 20.36 Ausw Answ All these prayers with all others recorded in holy writ were undoubtedly the immediate dictates of Gods holy Spirit whereunto no man without sin and presumption may pretend at least not depend and relie thereupon And as for St. Paul's Prayer Acts 20.36 whether 't was a set Form or not 't is not express'd nor yet many of our Saviours prayers upon record and so no argument pro or con to be drawn from thence Object 9. Object 9 The Fathers frequently began their Homilies with prayers and St Paul himself began and ended his Epistles with prayers and there is a prayer extant of Saint Ambrose which he used before his Sermon Answ Answ But what kind of Prayers these were is not considered viz. Short Collects or rather Ejaculations imploring the Divine