conceive of him as he is and as he hath revealed himself in his Word to be This will greatly conduce to the quickning of you Conceive of him 1. As of an Omnipresent God that he is really though not visibly present in all places and in that place where thou art a Praying more particularly that he sees thy heart as plainly as thou canst see thine own hands that he observeth thee as narrowly as if thou only wert alive in all the world or as if thou alone of all the children of men wert making thy supplication to him When ever thou settest about this duty a How would you Pray if men were present to see and hear you Sic loquere cum Deo quasi Homines ad starent Seneca set God before thine eyes as David did and represent him to thy self under this notion of an Omnipresent all-seeing God 2. Conceive of God as one that is full of Majesty and Greatnesse That passage in Mich. 6.6 Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God doth intîmate what apprehensions we should have of God when we come into his presence viz. that he is a High God infinitely above any of his creatures betwixt him and the Holy Angells or the highest of the children of men there is a wider difference then betwixt the Potter and his Clay Oh how would this apprehension both quicken and awe us in Prayer 3. Conceive of God as one that is exceeding gracious and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon him That known Scripture Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him doth hint what conceptions we should have of God in Prayer as of one that is exceeding bountifull we must believe not only his being but his bounty he gives not only what we ask but more yea b Eph. 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Supra quam redundanter abundantly more then we can ask Oh what quickning and confidence doth this notion of God afford To apprehend God in his greatnesse doth c Vitus Tâ—cod says of Luther that he Prayed with such reverence is became one that pake to he great God and with confidence as became one that spake to his Father or Friend stir up feare and godly reverence To apprehend God in his goodnesse doth stir up Faith and holy boldnesse God who is our father likes that we his children should come before him in this manner he gives us leave so we doe it awfully to d Eph 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proprie est libertas dicendi ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictio speak all our minds to him T is said of Flavius the Emperour that he would not that any man should present a petition to him as if he were offering meat to a Lyon or Elephant with a trembling hand God likes that we should lift up our hands to him as without wrath so also e 1 Tim. 2.8 without doubting 4. Conceive of God in Prayer as one God f â—id Dr. Hall Deca 3 Ep. 7. not divided and yet distinguished into three Persons the Father Son and Spirit This is a great mystery fitter for admiration then humane conception and yet all along this duty God must be thus apprehended as one substance in three subsistances as one essence in three relations all which do concur to the Prayers of Believers and have a different office about them there is the Father hearing the Son interceding and the Spirit helping their infirmities Lastly conceive of God not g Luther was wont to say Nolo â—â—um absolutum Heb. 12. ult absolutely but in Christ God in himself is a consuming fire but in Christ he is a mercifull Father h Heb. 7.25 Themistocl understanding that â— Admettus was angry with him took his young son in his armes and treated with the father holding that his darling in his bosome and thereby he appeased the Kings wrath There is no coming to God but by him I might enlarge upon this head but I forbear only remember this you will never pray to any purpose unlesse you carry along with you in your minds a right notion and conception of that God to whom you pray 5. Entertain and maintain very honorable thoughts of the Duty of Prayer it self this will both move you to the Duty and marvellously quicken you in it What the i Ps 87.3 Psalmist says of the City of God that may I say of the Duty of Prayer Great and glorious things are spoken of it If any should ask me as that King did the Prophets servant k 1 Kin. 8.4 What great things hath thy Master done So what great things hath Prayer done it would require more lines then I intend in all to return a full answer I might easily write a large history of the great exploits that Prayer hath done in the world You read Heb. 11. of many wonderfull effects of faith the effects and fruits of Prayer are as many and as great It hath l Dan. 9.2 3 4. Isa 37.15 16 c. Ion. 2.1 2 c. Josh 10.12 14. Act. 12.5 Dan. 2.18 2 Sam. 15.31 Est 4.16 Obtained promises subdued Kingdoms turned to flight the armies of aliens it hath raised the dead stopt the Suns course yea made it to go back It hath opened prison doors and unlockt such secrets as have puzzled the Divell himself it hath disappointed the plots of adversaries and rumbled those into the pit themselves which they have maliciously digged for others What shall I say more it hath m Jam. 5.17.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. c. 〈◊〉 affectionibus obnoxius opened Heaven and shut it again These and such like memorable things have been brought to passe by the Prayers of such sinfull and infirme creatures as we our selves are Let me add this it hath said hold on God himself and put him as one says to a mercifull retreat when he hath been marching in his anger against persons or people Jacob by Prayer n Hos 12.3 had power with God and by wrestling with him o Caelum tundimus 〈◊〉 miserecordiam extorquemus Tertull. wrested mercy from him God speaks as if his hands were held and tyed up by Prayer Let me go saith he to Jacob and to Moses p Auâ— on Exod 32.10 thus glosseth Domine quis tenet te c. Let me alone q Manton on James 5.86 One observes that God in Exod. 32.10 doth indent as it were with Moses and offer him composition if he would hold his peace Let me alone saith he and I will make of thee a great people Wonderfull is that passage r Some read it interrogatively thus Concerning the works of my hands command ye me if we read it right in Isa 45.11 there God sayes Concerning the works of my hands command ye me These and the
such a manner as he doth the Spouse Cant. 2.10 Rise up my love my fair one and come away Or as 't is Vers 14. Come let me hear thy voice for it is sweet To pray at such a season is to hoise up sail before the wind it is like rowing both with wind and tide Being thus excited by the Spirit you may expect the assistance of it if Prayer be now neglected the Spirit of God is quenched and I 'le pronounce him a novice in Religion or rather a stranger to it altogether that doth not confess it necessary to the lively performance of this Duty that the Spirit of God doth act and quicken him therein Our motions are exceeding dull and heavy in holy Duties when the Spirit of God doth not help our infirmities Whensoever therefore God says by the secret whisperings of his Spirit f Ps 27 6. Seek ye my face our hearts should answer and eccho back as Davids did Thy face O Lord we will seek Yet here I would have it remembred I do not say a Christian should never pray but when he finds the Spirit of God egging him forward this hath been the gross mistake of some who hereupon have discontinued the duty for several days together because they have not perceived the Spirit moving them thereunto No let this be thy practice to wait upon God in his way and it may be the Spirit of God will meet thee therein Know this though the Spirit of God should not put forth his hand to lead thee yet the Word of God holds forth a precept to command thee and set thou about the Duty out of pure obedience to the command of God It may be ere thou art aware thou wilt find Him whom thy soul desires Though the Spirits assistance be never unwelcome to a Child of God yet many times it comes unexpected Abraham saw not the Ram for the sacrifice till he was in the Mount Often in the Mount in the time of Prayer the Spirit of the Lord is seen and felt Mariners have put forth to sea in a calm when they have made but little way and anon they have met with fresh and unexpected gales of wind that have brought them with full sail to their desired haven I leave you to apply it Again I do not deny but the evil spirit who is Gods Ape may sometimes transform himself into the likeness of Gods Spirit and may excite a Christian to this duty but then his motions are irregular and unseasonable they tend to the hindering of him from another and for that time a more seasonable duty suppose it a work of mercy to himself or others or such like Christian exercises must be wisely subordinated one to another whereas the Devil desires to make them interfere and to set them at variance 3. When we find our hearts in a setled and composed frame then also it is a sit season for secret Prayer when g Ps 57.7 as David's our hearts are fixt and not pre-occupied with any secular matters To pray at another time is like playing upon an Instrument that is out of tune what harsh and unpleasing melody doth it make Many when they go to seek God they have their heart to seek Few can say with David that h 2 Sam. 7.27 In the Hebrew t is onely the found to pray they have sound their hearts to pray We render it he found in his heart but it may be read he found his heart to pray a prayer unto God i It was the custome of the Heathens to address themselves in the morning early to their Idols vid. Herod l. 10. The Primitive Christians were wont to be early at their devotions Vid. Pl. ep 57. ad Trajan Tertul Apol. c. 2. See Christs practice Marc. 1.35 Qui mene surgit precandi causa dicit manicare Deum Drus Usually in the morning the mind is most composed then a man meets with least diversions in duty the evenings repose hath in great part discharged the mind of all that did distract it and it were well if we would be with God as soon as we awake if we did offer up to him the first-fruits of every day if as soon as we lift our bodies off our beds we did in Prayer lift up our souls to God This was Davids manner Psal 5.3 Under this Head I will suggest these three cautionary Rules 1. Do not take Prayer in hand when you have any other matter in hand if so you attendance upon God must needs be with distraction and your heart will be stollen from you do what you can Set by all worldly occasions when you set about this duty say to them as k Gen. 22 5 Abraham did to his young men Stay you here while I go aside to worship God 2. Do not ordinarily go to prayer when your anger is stirred and your mind full of perturbations if you do t is ten to one but you will offer up the sacrifice of a fool and speak unadvisedly with your lips The l 1 Tim. 2.8 Apostles advice is that we lifts up to God holy hands without wrath m 1 King 19.11.12 God was not in the Wind nor in the Earthquake nor in the fire that passed by Elijah but in the still small voice And you must be of still and quiet spirits if you will see or find him 3. Do not usually engage in Prayer when you are enclin'd to sleep drowsinesse if so you are like to make but dull and drowsie work of it n Mat. 26.40.41 The rebukes of Christ could not awaken his Disciples to Prayer when there hearts were heavy and asleep You must be wakefull when you pray if you would watch unto Prayer 2. A second Help is this Allot and set out a due proportion of time for this Duty It is not enough to choose a sit time for Prayer but you must allow sufficient time to Prayer No service whether secular or spiritual can be done well unless you allow a due proportion of time for the doing of it How is Prayer huddled and slubbered over many times for want of this you think of making an end as soon as you begin you are straightned in your prayers because you are straightned in your time Qu. If you should ask How much time must a Christian set apart in a day for secret Prayer Ans In my answer I must have respect to the callings and conditions of Christians that time is sufficient for one which is not sufficient for another 'T is observable that under the Law there were different sacrifices for the rich and for the poor God required that mens sacrifices should hold some proportion with their abilities And by parity of reason God looks that the rich and those that have little else to doe should double the time of the poor in Prayer and of those whose callings call for their continuall attendance And yet I must add this too let a mans condition be
water from a sountain and partly by the subtilty and malice of Satan he being a Spirit hath ready access to thy spirit and thou never goest aside to pray but he follows thee at the heels and seeing he cannot divert thee from his desire is to distract thee in the duty Sometimes he injects such thoughts as are directly sinfull or if he finds that these affright thee as many times a Christian starts at these as at some ghostly apparition then he casts in such as are at other times allowable and lawfull or if he sees that these are unwelcome then he injects such thoughts as are in themselves good and usefull onely they are impertinent these he steals our of the heart again for the most part before the Prayer is ended though at other times he would oppose them yet now he puts them forward as those that are most likely to find entertainment in thy soul I suppose thy experience will let thee set thy seal to this as true Now if thou wouldest have thy heart enlivened and enlarged in Prayer remember to repel every vain or impertinent thought that comes in to thy disturbance resist it rise upon it call in help from Heaven against it This is one sence we are to put upon the Apostles d Eph. 6.18 watching unto Prayer If at other times then much more in Prayer we must keep our hearts with all keeping or else do what we can they will give us the slip e 'T is Mr. Gurnals comparison in Lib. praedict As you do with your Children so you had need to do with your Childish minds happily they go along with you to Church but when you are set if not awed by your eye they steal sorth and are gone and it may be are playing all Sermon time or a good part of it and you miss them not To prevent this you set them before you and have an eye to them You can apply it Remember this advice whenever you go to Prayer renew your resolution to watch against vain thoughts think how many Prayers they have f Sâ— vâ—geâ—â—â— mens nostra nullâ—m 〈◊〉 preâ—â—â—â—â—s utilâ—tatem â—â—rcipiâ—â—â—s imo potius maâ—â—â—m dam 〈…〉 Vel. Maâ—l marr'd already resolve that through grace they shall not spoil this also 8. Let the guilt of no one sin ly upon thy Conscience that will so clog disquiet and check thy spirit in Prayer that thou wilt never be able to proceed with any life or enlargement Guilt makes a Christian shy of coming into the presence of God as a faulty Child playes least in sight and steals away to bed before the time being loath to come where his Father is So it is with a Christian that is conscious to himself of any fault or sin that he hath knowingly committed against God and as he is listless to come to Prayer so he is lifeless in the duty his sin flies in his face so that he cannot lift it up with any g Tunc eor siduciam in oratione occipit qâ—um sibi vitae nulla pran it as contradiert Greg. in mor. confidence his heart upbraids him and falls a quarrelling with him and says What hast thou to do to take Gods Name into thy mouth c If therefore thou wouldest pray as thou desirest preserve thy Conscience pure and peaceable Take heed of known sins h Psal 18. â—1 of departing wilfully or wickedly as Davids phrase is from God There is i Peccata quotidianae incu simis vastantia conscientiam a sinning weakly or through weakness this doth not ordinarily interrupt a Christians peace and there is a sinning wickedly or through wickedness so k Jude 15. Jude speaks of committing ungodly deeds ungodlily this lays waste the Conscience this destroys a Christians peace and deadens his heart in duty Oh beware of sinning after this manner if thou must abstain from every appearance of evil then much more from every apparent evil Oh fly from it when it comes near thee in a temptation as thou wouldest do from a venemous Serpent shake it off as thou wouldest do an ugly Toad that is cravvling up upon thee Observe l Job 23.22 with 26 27. Eliphaz his advice to Job which is to put iniquity far from him not to come near it and then says he thou shalt lift up thy face to God and make thy prayer unto him Thou shalt make many and mighty Prayers as the m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multiplicavit proprie verba fortia in oratione 〈◊〉 multae cogia fudit word there signifies thou shalt not onely use words in Prayer but words cloathed with power thou shalt be able to pray and to pour strong Prayers in abundance unto God Quest But if sin hath already wounded my Conscience and broken my Peace am I now to refrain Prayer till it be healed again Ans No for this is not to mend the matter but to make it worse You cannot heal the wound of one sin by another you must to Christ by Faith and to God by Prayer and though there be a present deadness yet ply the Throne of Grace till the Lord speak peace to thy soul and remember to do this presently the sooner the better let not the Sun go down upon the breach betwixt God and thee New breaches are made up better then long quarrels and green wounds are healed easier than old sores 9. It will not a little help in this case if you are provided beforehand both with matter and a method in Prayer I observe that Christians are streightned in this duty not onely from the naughtiness of their hearts but from the emptiness of their heads as sometimes like Zebedees Children they ask they know not what so at other times they know not what to ask They are often word-bound if I may so speak and at a loss they cannot tell how to go forwards and therefore they go backwards and vent themselves in vain repetitions Now this great evil will be in part prevented if they be stor'd beforehand with matter for Prayer and if they do observe a method in the duty Possibly upon the first reading of this direction you may reject it as that which shuts out the immediate suggestions of the Spirit and tends to formality but weigh it well and you will be of another mind Take it upon the word of one that hath prov'd it it is of admirable use to quicken and enlarge the heart in Prayer because from hence there is a continual supply of fresh matter for want of which your experience tells you that you are exceedingly dulled and straightned T is true sometimes and oh that it were so always we have such abundant assistance such ravishing incomes from the Spirit of God that we stand in no need of any such help as this here offer'd our spirits are so raised our affections are so up we are carryed out so beyond our selves that we cannot be bounded by any premeditated
take that liberty when alone which would be unseemly in the presence of others They may now kneel and anon stand 〈…〉 6 〈◊〉 41.11.14 and then walk and so turn from one gesture to another as they find it will be more helpfull to them for the end already mentioned Yea I doubt not but in case of great straitness upon their spirits they may make a stand or pause till they have by meditation recovered some new matter to continue the Duty They may turn from Prayer to Reading and from Reading again to Prayer from Prayer to Meditation and from Meditation again to Prayer as they see good Jerome doth somewhere relate how that finding himself sluggish and dead in Prayer he left speaking to God and fell a speaking to his own heart Think O my soul says he did Daniel thus pray when he was in the Lions den or Jonah when he was in the Whales belly Did the penitent Thief thus pray when he was upon the Cross c. And then he tells us that he went to Prayer afresh when he had first roused up himself by these and such like considerations 2. Choose such a place to pray in as is most convenient for this Duty Find out such a place if thou canst where thou mayest not be disturbed by any noise in thine ears nor be diverted by any object before thine eyes When thou prayest says Christ enter into thy Closet This counsel of Christ doth intimate That Christians when they pray should have respect to the place in which they pray the more close the more convenient He adviseth further to shut the door lest the wind of Vain-glory should come in thereat Our secret seeking of God should not be open or visible to any else but God 'T is true when Daniel prayed he see his window open but it was to shew his Faith as one observes not his pride Some may say This Rule doth not reach us we have no variety of Rooms to retire into poor people and servants and such like will be ready to say as it is in the Proverb We have Hobsons choice But to such I would reply Is there no garden nor grove nor field near you into which you may with-draw Why cannot you with Isaac go forth at eventide or in the morning to meditate and to pray x V. Luâ— 5.16 6.12 22.41 Matt. 14.23 Read what Christ did Mark 1.35 and surely t is recorded for our imitation t is said That in the morning a great while before day he arose and departed into a solitary place to pray 3 It may conduce to the quickning of thee to use thy voice in secret Prayer Not that God is taken with words a few sincere sighs from the heart do more affect him then the most Rhetoricall expressions of the tongue But though words do not move God in Prayer yet experience teacheth they sometime move him that prayes The Church says in the Lamentations that her eye did affect her heart the same can many a Christian say of his y Verbis â—â—us est inâ—â—r orandum ad excitaudos nos alioquin Deus verbis non indiget Aretius Vox interdum non absque fructu ' adhibetur quoniam in precibus nonnunquam langue cimus animus ipse desatigatur unde vor interposita nos excitat quodammodo resicit Pet. Mart. loci communes Clas 3. cap. 13. tongue that it serves to affect and quicken his heart in this duty Here I had need to give this caution That as Christians should not pray to be seen of men so they should not speak in Prayer to be heard of men If such are not Hypocrites yet they will hardly escape the censure of Hypocrifie These ten are the principal helps and directions according to the knowledge and experience that I have for the lively performance of this great duty of secret Prayer I might offer more but that I have already exceeded the ordinary limits of a Letter Onely remember this to be thorowly senfible of those things for which thou makest thy prayer unto God This alone may quicken thee How affectionately do they ask an almes who see they must starve without it Deadness in Prayer ariseth from want of a deep sence of thy wants Remember also to set their examples before your eyes who have performed this duty with life enlargement and importunity Think you saw Jacob z Gâ—n 32.24 Hos 12.3 wrestling with God and putting forth all his strength in Prayer Think you saw Elias praying earnestly and a 1 King 18.42 putting his face between his knees Imagine you saw Christ groveling upon the ground in the garden b Hâ—b 5.1 offering up supplications with strong cryes and tears repeating that request again and again c Mat. 26.34 Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me Call to mind the poor Widdows importunity or impudency as the word signifies who would have no nay d Magis ducimue exemplâ—s quam praeceptis Examples sway with us more sometimes then any rules or precepts If none of all this will help thee then fall down before God bewailing thy deadness confessing thy sluggishness say as they in Isiah e Isa 64.7 I have not call'd upon God nor stirred up my self to take hold of him O how like a dead Dog am I before the Lord Will the living God accept of such dead duties as mine are On how justly may God be angry with and shut out my Prayers f â—â—ui friâ—ide rogaâ— docet ne gare by my coldness in asking I even prompt God to deny me Yea not onely bemoan but chide thy self say Why art thou so dead O my Soul and why art thou so sottish within me Rowse up thy self g Judg. 5. â—â— as ' Deborah did Say Awake awake O my soul awake awake Bespeak thy self as the Shipmaster did the Prophet Jonah h Jonah 1.6 What meanest thou O sluggard arise call upon thy God Lastly Lift up strong cryes mingled with tears if thou canst unto God that he would lend his helping hand as David did Psal 80.18 Quicken me O Lord to call upon thy Name Send thy quickning Spirit unto my heart How i Ten times oft doth David make this request in the 119 Psalm ever now and then this request comes in Quicken me O Lord Quicken me according to thy Word Quicken me according to thy righteousness Quicken me for thy names saâ—e c. 'T is not a vain repetition but a plain manifestation both of his great need and of his earnest desire of this blessing Thus you see how large a Letter I have written to you with mine own hand If by these hints you are any way helped to pray you are the more obliged to remember him in your Prayers who is Yours in any Christian Office R. M. Books Princed for and sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Three Growns at the lower end of Cheapside over against the great Conduit THe Christian mans Calling or a Treatise of making Religion ones Business wherein the Nature and Necessity of it is discovered as also the Christian directed how he may perform it in Religious Duties Natural Actions his Particular Vocation his Family Directions and hâ—â— own Recreation to be read in Families for their Instruction and Edification The first Part. Likewise the second Part of the Christian mans Calling directing Christians how to make Religion their Business in the Relations of Husbands Wives Parents Children Masters Servants in Prosperity in Adversity The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration or a Treatise containing the Nature Necessity Marks and Means of Regeneration as also the Duty of the Regenerate The Beauty of Magistracy in an Exposition of the 82 Psalm where is see forth the Necessity Vtility Dignity Duty and Mirality of Magistrates The Fading of the Flesh and the Flontishing of Faith or one Cast for Eternity with the onely way to throw it well Heaven and Hell Epitomized or the true Christian Characterized There is coming to the Press the Third and last Part of the Christian-mans Calling wherein the Christian is directed how to make Relig on his Business in his dealings with all men in the Choice of his Companions in his carriage in Good Company in Bad Company in Solitariness or when he is alone on a Week-day from morning to night in visiting the Sick on a dying Bed as also the Means how a Christian may do this and some Motives to it All written by George Swinnock M. A. late of Great Kimbol in Buckingham-shire