not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God and let thy words be few Thirdly the Reason and Ground of all For God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth 1 Errrours in the defect of religious duties and devotion 1. Folly in not offering Psal 14.2 In the words before you heard of the offering of Fooles so an offering they have Yet there is a Foole that hath said in his heart There is no God Psal 14.2 Doubtlesse where no GOD no offering folly in the highest kinde Yet such are rather Mad-men than Fooles yea Beasts rather than Men yet Beasts the worst and wildest The Lions do seek their meat of God Psal 104.21 Psal 104.21 So they acknowledge GOD yea they serve him They continue this day according to thine Ordinance for all things serve thee Psal 119.91 Psal 119.91 Therefore they are nor Men nor Beasts but Devils nay The very Devils also beleeve and tremble Iam. 2.19 Iames 2.19 As S. Iohn sayd of Cerinthus so we of them They are the Devils first-borne worse than their Father Not Cain not Saul not Iudas so bad as they for Iudas was amongst the Apostles Saul among the Prophets Cain even among the Offerers yea the first of them Gen. 4.3 Gen. 4.3 It is a Rule in Reason Where the Principles are denied no arguing where the Foundation is rased no building where the fire and every spark of grace is quite put out no hope of any burnt offering Therefore my Text omits them only it speaketh and I with it of Offerers and follies in offering But here againe what Offering 2 False and undue sacrifice or offering Is it any Burnt Offering or Sacrifice for sin as of old amongst the Iewes The bloud of Buls and Goats No such matter those were but types of CHRIST and therefore untill CHRIST but to dreame any longer of these now is such a folly that the Iewes are not guilty off They doe not they dare not acknowledge them now they well knew the commandement and the place for those Sacrifices his Temple only Deut. 12. Deut. 12.5.13 14 c. Therefore with the Temple downe went their bloudy Sacrifices even one thousand and six hundred yeeres since Now they have no other Sacrifices as I shewed the last time but the Sacrifice of Prayer Hos 14. Hos 14.1 2. Nay they plainly dispute against the other they argue for this alone R. Maimon R. Maimon More Nebochim part 3. cap. 32. the learnedst of the Iewes most christianly concludeth that these Sacrifices of prayer of Almes of Thanksgiving are Sacrificia primae intentionis Psal 140.2.50 the Sacrifices that are first intended by God first commanded to us and indeed so it is as in the Ps 40.6 so here Not any longer the bodies of slain Beasts or Oxen but thy mouth thy heart Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty c. God sheweth that both mouth and heart must be though neither rash both must be parts of this Sacrifice 3 Defect in the gestures of Prayer And they indeed as principall parts of this Sacrifice Other parts there are also and a prime folly it is of which we are guilty that we use them not namely Eyes lifted up to God in Heaven So David Psal 123. Psal 123.1 2 3. Behold even as the eyes of servants looke unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hands of her Mistresse so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us The knees with the body cast downe to the earth whence and of which we are so the Apostle Ephes 3.14 Ephes 3.14 Therefore bend I my knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ The hands againe raised up as the Apostle also 1 Tim. 2.8 1 Tim. 2.8 Therefore I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath Psal 121.1 or doubting As our Eyes cast up to the Hils from whence commeth our helpe to shew our love joy hope and helpe to bee there and thence onely and our knees cast downe to the earth a signe of that condition of dust earth and ashes to which sin hath brought us Gen. 3. Genesis 3. so our hands lifted up a signe that all we can doe is too little to give him thanks for that he hath done for us and that all which we doe our Sacrifice we desire should be accepted in the Bloud Passion and Merits of Iesus Christ. It is observeable which the first Christians observed that in the gesture of Hands lifted up the figure of the Crosse is evidently represented So they used this Ceremony even from the Apostles times Homo vel orans formâ crucis visitur S. Hieronymus in Marc. 15. Tom. 6. f. 87. Iust Martyr Apol. 2. saith S. Hirome and Iustin Martyr with others said the same three hundred yeers before his time They thought they had command for it that perchance of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Max. Taurin Hom. 2. De passione cruce Domini s 608. I will and command that every where you pray lifting up pure hands c. Surely Maximus Taurinensis grounds it somewhere Ideo elevatis manibus orare praecipimur ut ipso quoque membrorum gestu passionem Domini fateamur So prayed Moses also say all the Ancient when with Lifted up hands hee prayed whil'st Ioshua or Iesus the Type of our IESVS Exod. 17.12 fought against Amalek Therefore also the Easterne Christians used the 140. Psalme in their Evening Prayer Psal 40.6 Vid. S Chrys in Psal 140. Et S. Aug Ser. 8. de sacrific Vespertin Vid. etiam Eucholog Graecorum Horolog every one there being taught to pray Vers 2. Let my prayer be directed as Incense and the lifting up of my hands be an Evening Sacrifice Namely that their and our Prayers may be accepted in that Sacrifice of Christ Iesus who in these last dayes as in the Evening of the World was sacrificed for the sin of the World And indeed both eyes and hands lifted up as also knees and bodies cast downe are but as the mouth to the heart outward Interpreters of the inward devotion of the soule Certaine it is whilest the Principall and Chiefe the Mouth and Heart are named even the lesser and inferiour are implied and wee here convinced of folly for not using them 4 Defect in vocall prayer in publike But what if the mouth it selfe be wanting This is a folly whereof it seemeth the Holy Spirit supposeth none would be guilty therefore as supposing the use that no man would omit it he gives a Precept only for the not abusing it And indeed this is a folly whereof we are mainly guilty condemned by the evidence of GODS Word by the testimony of ancient later and moderne Churches Publike prayers for of such only do we speak ought to be as
serve God other-where or way is from Prayer alone by which we gaine the Holy Spirits helpe and Gods assistance For how shall not He give His Spirit to them that aske it Luke 11.13 Luke 11.13 By Prayer therefore we obtaine it to this as all other good things else He gives it Thus the Apostles then did and we now must obtaine it And therefore This Acts 2. v. 1 2. c. whereby in all other things wee are enabled to serve Him most properly His Service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Yet farther and it is worth our observing there be two Excellencies of Prayer before the Words ministration in the comparing of these two Texts of S. Luke For first prayer is the proper service of GOD. As they saith S. Luke there ministred or served the Lord Acts 13.2 but here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the most and best but the service of his word Againe secondly in the two words here the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for prayer amongst the Greekes at the least in Ecclesiasticall use the higher and more noble service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13. Psal 134. fit for higher persons as Rulers Rom. 13.6 whereby as more nearely attending servants wee stand in his presence wait on himselfe Psal 134. The other is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Deacons or Levites amongst the Clergie the meanest and lowest of all in this place And indeed so was it alwayes of old The prayer of the Catechumeni or Audientes of the hearers as they called it the former part of the Service wherein there were frequent readings and Lessons out of the Word of GOD was with them as with us still it is first as the lowest step whereby they did ascend to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their supplications the penitents prayer and thence to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here the Liturgie it selfe and their so they called them prayers of the faithfull This was their order then the Order so they called it of their established set formes of prayer even in the Apostles times Such and no other then they had nor ever after had in succeeding ages till our dayes in the Church of Christ It is worth our observing that whereas the Hebrewes of old called their ancient set formes of prayer used in publike 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sedar that is An order The Syrians which tongue was spoken by our blessed Saviour and his Apostles and those first Christians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tacsa from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that as the other being the very names of the Christians set-prayers in both those tongues so also the very selfe-same words which the Apostle Vid. Locum Apostoli 1 Cor. 14.40 apud Syrum Interpretem Et Syrorum S. severi Ritualia Syriacê edit a Guid. Fabricio and his Syriack Interpreter S. Marke do both use in that Apostolicall Canon 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and according to Order shewing that then they had as the proper name so also the thing it selfe A set forme and Order not lawfull for any then to pray as him list An Order then doubtlesse they had and in this Order one being before and above another the word still served prayer and the prayer of the word namely of the Audientes or Catechumeni of those that heard the word that served all other prayers Thence as even the Heathen and Infidels were admitted to their Sermons so were the meanest and lowest of the Christians the Catechumeni admitted to that prayer and in being only so were therein accounted such This is the cause that prayer hath also here the preheminence as the most usefull most worthy most excellent S. Chrys Hom. 14. in Acta in hunc locum f. 548. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. Chrysostome speaking of these two Duties here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of things necessary that which is more necessary is more to be preferred It is the judgement of Ruffinus Ruffin in Psal 60. Val. Maxim l. 1. c. de Relig. Nihil utilius potest facere servas Dei in hoc seculo quà m orare Deum It is the saying of an Heathen man Omnia ponenda post Religionem nostra civitas duxit c. We justly judge Religion above all things For hereby we render GOD his due though not all we should yet all wee can S. Bernard therefore most excellently imitating it seemeth the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.13 Nunc manent tria haec S. Bernard Ep. 201. ad finem Verbum Exemplum Oratio Major autem horum Oratio Ea namque operi voci gratiam promeretur Now saith he remaine these three The Word Example and Prayer but the greatest of these is prayer For this obtaineth grace both for word and worke For by this wee are inabled to speak every good word even wee who have obtained this Ministration to administer this word unto you The Apostle for this fetcheth strength from prayer Ephes 6.19 Col. 4.3 1 Thes 5.25 and for this he ever requesteth the prayers of all others By prayer we are enabled to doe every good worke and without it nothing Yea when the Word hath done its part to instruct and teach us what to doe as at first or to exhort excite and put us in minde to doe as we ought and know then Manet Oratio Prayer that still abideth and we to abide by it continually Yet againe Cum Verbum Exemplum When Word and Example yea even Faith and Hope and all shall cease and be no more When this life is ended yet even then manet oratio prayer abideth I meane the everlasting prayers of the Saints which are but our most perfect prayers And indeed both are confessions unto GOD the one of our wants here the other of his gifts and goodnesse the one the aknowledgement of our miseries the other of his most aboundant and all-enriching mercies The one draweth us to him because we want him the other having thus tasted the sweetnesse of his goodnesse makes us dwell with him because we love him And as the Saints in Heaven by the one so wee by both these acts of our earnest prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continually and daily abide by him and under the shadow of his wings so making the Church the House of GOD and Gate of Heaven whilest it is thus on Earth the House of prayer Thus you see prayer makes us fellow-Citizens with the Saints of the household of Faith GODS domestick servants even Angels in part whilest as they so we continually praise GOD either confessing his power in our prayers or his goodnesse in our prayses It sets us not onely in Heaven and makes us Heires and coheires but if I may so say partners with Christ himselfe in his more lasting office For CHRIST even Ipsum Verbum Patris the true very eternall Word was a Prophet here on earth
Matth. 5.3 That with fasting watching and other beating downe the body the spirit and inward man may grow the stronger being lesse clog'd and hindered by the flesh That being throughly touched with the sense apprehension and feeling of the want of meate drinke sleepe and other bodily refreshment we may the sooner finde and the better feele the want of spirituall good things and be the more inflamed with the love of GOD and earnest desire of His Grace and Mercy for our Soule and better part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Andronicū Rhodium lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a David Haeschel pag. 748. For truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the word here is say the Graecians a species and kinde of Fortitude being say they the suffering of griefe and labour for some good to be obtained And what greater good can there be then our Soules union with GOD His being reconciled unto us Our adhearing to Him Our enjoying His love and favour c. Surely this as all good things else is not attained without some suffering of paine and trouble And when worldlings suffer all windes and weather all cold hunger thirst and hardship for their private either profit or pleasure as we see they doe in hunting hawking gaming c. Why should wee not doe as much for our Soules profit and our delight in GOD It is well observed by some that there is a great exercise as of other vertues so also especially of Patience and true Christian Fortitude in our dayly Prayers Since even they that are strong to labour who can endure so much toyle take so great paines suffer so much watching hunger cold and all manner of suffering for their owne private profit or pleasure yet cannot watch or continue with Christ one houre at their Prayers How tedious how irkesome are they to flesh and bloud to carnall and earthly men how soone weary are they how much impatient of them thereby plainly proving which the Fathers so often that Prayer if such as it ought is not only an ascent to Heaven a worke of labour and a conversing with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. mox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. V. Asteriū Amas ap Photiū in Biblioth cap. 271. f. 1475. but also a Renouncing our selves a forgetting these earthly things truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Crosse it selfe the crucifying our flesh with the lusts desires and affections of it No man can thus give himselfe to Prayer that is not also crucified with Christ Thence as Fasting with Prayer so also this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is joyned with watching Thus the Apostle Coloss 4.2 Continue in Prayer or give your selves to Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Watching therein with thankesgiving And Praying alwayes that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Watching therin withall perseverance Ephes 6.18 Thus did our blessed SAVIOUR leaving us an example Luke 22.39 Luke 22.39 2 Cor. 6.5 11.27 Acts 1.14 Acts 12.5 c. Thus did the Apostle in watchings oft 2 Cor. 6.5 Yea all the Apostles and Christians of those first times Acts 1.14 though at some especiall time and occasion more instantly as Acts 12.5 which as I have shewed elsewhere was not only for the manner an earnest and instant Prayer but for the continuance with watching whole nights together Such were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned by the Ancient and of such even at this day there yet remaine some footsteps in the practice of the Easterne Churches especially in the Agends or Ritualls of the more ancient Christians they truly did Acts 10.9.30 Vid. G. Florū Baldwinum Compend de Orat. precibo Tom. 2. monumēt pat 4. f. 1421. Vid. Eundē ibidē Eusebiū Histor Eccles lib. 2. ca. 23. Graec. fol. 19. De Tarsillâ vide Gregoriū Magn. in Evangel Hom. 38. f. 131. D. what they promised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly giving themselves to Prayer Thus we see Saint Peter continuing at his Prayers till the sixth houre Cornelius to the ninth Acts 10. And to omit what might be observed of Saint Paul and the rest of the Apostles Of S. Bartholomew it is sayd that Centies in die mittebat genua that dayly he offered an hundred prayers unto God and in the night as many And of S. Iames the Iust and Bp. of Hierusalem therefore stiled the Pillar of the People because by his most earnest Prayers he withheld that fore-prophesyed destruction of Hierusalem of him I say it is storied that by continuall kneeling at his prayers his knees were growne as hard as Horses or Camells hoofes The like being reported of Tarsilla the Aunt of Saint Gregory and of sundry * id Ioan. Clymachum Grad 4. pag. 43. B. Vidi inquit inter eos quosdam prae multitudine genu flexionum habentes genua arida consumpta occulos verò ad intra regressos Vid. Locum Vet. edit Pas others amongst the Ancient Surely so long continued were those Prayers of those first Christians that within foure hundred yeares after the Fathers and godly Bishops namely Saint Chrysostom Basil Nazianzen and Cyrill were enforced to abbreviate and contract them a Proclus Cōstant Pol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Proclas the Greeke Patriarch into a shorter forme onely for this reason that in the decay of Devotion amongst Christians there might neverthelesse bee continued this daily and continuall Sacrifice Verily every day did they duly Morning and Evening in publike and common offer up their Prayers and Supplications unto GOD. No age of elder times ever omitted this continuall Prayer no day passed them without this daily Sacrifice Nobis saith b Tertul. adv Psychicos cap. 14. Tertullian omnis dies vulgatâ Consecratione celebratur With us saith he every day is celebrated after our usuall manner And Saint Cyprian speaking of the Clergy c S. Cypria Ep. 54. ad Corn. Sect. 3. Sacerdotes saith hee qui Sacrificia quotidiè celebramus We Priests every day celebrate and offer Sacrifice Also in his 66. Epistle d Idem 66. to the Clergy and people of the Furnitani concerning one Victor who had made Faustinus being then a Priest Overseer of his last Will and Testament he plainly tells them the Will was voyd and mentioning overly the Canon of the first Councill of e Con. Carthagin 1. cap. 6. Qui serviunt Deo annexi sunt clero non accedant ad actus seu administrationem vel procurationem domorum vid. etiam Concil Carthaginens 3. Can. 16. Eo n. Prohibetur Ne quis Episcopus Presbyter sit conductor aut procurator aut ullo turpi lucro inhonesto victū quaerat quia cespicere debent Scriptum esse Nullus militans Deo implicat se negotijs Saecularibus Verùm quae sequuntur apud S. Cyprianum aliò referenda videntur Carthage afterward renewed by the third Canon of Chalcedon viz. That no man should