whosoever do shall not inherit the Kingdom of â—od But that we be filled with all the Fruits of the Spirit Love Joy Peace Long-sufferâ—â—g Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance Galat. 5. Verse 16. c. That all â—itterness Wrath Anger Clamour Evil-speaking and Malice may be put away far from us â—nd that we may be kind one to another tenâ—er hearteâ— forgiving one another even as God for Christ'â— sake hath forgiven us Ephes 4. Verse 31. That we may add to our Faith Virtue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly-kindness Charity that these things may be in us and abound that as Christians we may not be unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Pet. â— 1. Verse 5. Further still In order to all these pray we for other excellent instrumental Graces or Virtues as that God would cause us to adâ—ire his most excellent Nature and Perfections to imitate him in what we are capable â—nd ought to resemble him to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect but especiallâ— Holiness and Universal Beneficence that â— may be holy as he which hath called us is â— That he would grant us to obey him sincâ—ly resolvedly universally that he wâ— give us an obedient Heart and consqueâ— be universally holy righteous and goâ— and practise all manner of Virtue and eâ—cially in the hardest Lessons when iâ— his Will we should undergo any Evils or â—flictions then presently to comply witâ—â— Will and to submit ours to it nay perfeâ— acquiesce in it nay out of choice to make â— Will to be ours That also God would gâ— unto us to trust in him have Faith in â—â— and Dependence upon him to believe wâ— soever he teacheth us willingly to â—â— our Applications to him as our best Fâ— upon all Occasions to acknowledge â—stantly that whatever inherent Strength â— Ability in any kind we have we haâ—â— from him to be heartily thankful to â—â— for all good things to rejoyce in his Fâ—â— which cannot be had without Holiâ— which when we have we have all weâ— wish or desire in Effect and we need as â—â— trouble our selves about any thing but â—â—ing our selves in all dutiful Demeanour â— Temper towards him as the innocent and â—dient Child of a loving Father Further still In order to the obtaiâ—â— â—nd practising these and all other Virtues and â—races we may put into our Prayers that â—od would bestow upon us both natural â—arts and supervenient Gifts That he would â—ake us knowing and wise furnish our underâ—andings with the Knowledge of many and â—f the most excellent things especially spiriâ—ual and more especially that he would diâ—ect us to the Knowledge of the Truth and â—rue Goodness of things That we might â—ot be foolishly led away with things that â—re false erroneous vain trifling swelling â—nd puffing up and much pleasing sometimes â—or the present but of little Profit to our Selves or the World which make us little â—ruitful in good Works to others and conâ—equently the least acceptable to God Pray â—e that God would illuminate our Minds and make us clearly to discern things especially spiritual things such as are Truth and â— Goodness the excellent and invaluable effiâ—cacy of Holiness and all Virtue to make our Selves and the World happy the Mischievousness and consequently Unreasonableness of Sin and the real Contemptibleness of all other Qualities in compare with Holiness and that we might be affected accordingly that is that God would spiritualize our Understandings and Affections Particularly that he would give us to apprehend and understand and consider there is the greatest sincerest constantest Pleasure and Satisfactiâ— in a holy virtuous wise and consequentâ— godly Life and Temper that is in Imitatiâ— of and Obedience to God much naturallâ— especially after much use and we know â—â— how much by the Influence of the Spirit â— God that this will give us great Conâ—dence and Comfort in the Day of Deathâ— Boldness Joy and Triumph in the Day â— Judgment when shall be seen so many trembling Knees and amazed Countenances of thâ— haughtiest Sinners and finally that it certainly fits us for and leads to a most perfecâ— and happy Condition or State of Life hereafter That God would give us I say ofteâ— to think of consider apprehend be affected with and feel these and any other Motives to â— holy Life Add we further That God would bestowâ— upon us a sober considerative advised calâ—â— Mind as a great preparation for Wisdom anâ— Virtue Pray we That God would instilâ— into us the most generally useful and instrumental Graces of a most ingenuous impartialâ— sincere Love of the Truth and more particularly a sincere Love to Christianity as â— Systeme of the most certain and useful Doctrines That we might believe most firmly and with a sense of their Excellency Sublimity Nobleness Delightfulness and Usefulness all the things that are therein taught and delivered and most especially those concerning our Tempers Lives and Actions that we may be hearty not superficial Believers And in order to this that we may the more mind and love these things Pray we that we may have a very great Admiration of and Love to the excellent Qualities of our Saviour Jesus Christ his mighty miraculous Power and high Favour with God â—ay his being united so intimately to God or the Divine Nature his great Wisdom his â—ncomparable Holiness and Goodness and Virtue in the highest degree particularly that of his Charity and so of all other particular Virtues to us and all Mankind his being so great a Benefactor to us as he hath been in revealing and confirming so many excellent sublime noble and useful Truths and Doctrines to us in going through the most calamitous Life and Death to give us an Example of the most perfect Virtue and Holiness and thereby meriting and procuring for us the Remission and free Pardon of all our Sins or our Justification in case of true Repentance and Amendment in his procuring for us Grace and Assistance to repent amend and be converted which is in some measure afforded to the worst and the most negligent Finally in being the Author of Eternal Life to us by thus bringing us by his Grace and Merits to be good and to be pardoned and consequenntly not to be unmeet to enter into a State of great Perfection and Happiness after Death and the final Judgment of all Flesh of which he shall be the Judge and the Distributer After these may follow the things which for the most part are useful and subservient while we are in this Life and some of them proper thereto to make and keep us good or make us better or any way enable us to do more good to execute our Goodness more immediately or remotely Such as are long Life especially till we come to be good to be converted to repent that we may have the Experience of our own Sincerity and Strength in Goodness be profitable to the World by our good Example as we have been
A TREATISE OF PRAYER With Several Useful occasional Observations and some larger Digressions concerning the Judaical Observation of the LORD'S DAY the External Worship of GOD c. By George Bright D. D. Rector of Loughborough in Leicestershire LONDON Printed for John Wright at the Crown on Ludgate-Hill 1678. DONAVIT REV. VIR RA. PERKINS L. L. D. ECCLESIAE hujus CANONICUS A. D. 1732. To the Right Honourable Theophilus Earl of Huntingdon Lord Hastings c. And Lucy Countess Dowager of Huntingdon Right Honourable THe Discourse which some time since you were pleased to honour me by your Commands of appearing before you with was but a proof of a larger Treatise concerning Prayer not long before dispatched It was then far from any design of publishing but I since finding many things by me and many more coming to my Mind not altogether unworthy as I thought the perusal of the more candid and intelligent which might most conveniently appear somewhere inserted in the handling of such an Argument I was inclined to make use of the Opportunity I own the most ordinary and common Reasons of Dedications viz. to testifie the real and inward Honour and Respect I have for the many excellent Qualities of your Honours to express my Acknowledgment particularly to your Lordship and noble Ancestors in my own and others Names and to perform some small service to you in the Subject treated of I am not unsensible that such a thredbare Argument hardly any one thing having had more Authors in such a plain if not sometimes an offensive Dress as a great part of it appears in without the advantage of any Ornament may seem somewhat an unsutable Present to your Honours But as there are many things in it as I think not observed and many not in such manner delivered by others so I know too that your Honours are not to learn from me that generally the most familiar and well known matters are truly of the greatest and most constant use and to prefer plain and important Truths before that which is only fine and new Besides that so great Goodness as yours will not forget to excuse me by considering that the Persons among whom I am now placed make it my most proper Employment to explain and teach the most ordinary but useful Dutys of Religion Sometimes at least in the most plain and simple manner I can and then so little prudence as my own serves to tell me that the place it self may put me in mind of acknowledging in some mean way rather than none at all my little leisure and my very broken Health not permitting me to do better at this time or perhaps hereafter the great Bounty of your Lordship's illustrious Predecessors to the Church and University to Religion and Learning without doubt the two best things in the World who were pleased to bestow the Patronage of this Rectory and three other of plentiful Revenue upon the happy place of my many years thoughts Your Lordships most advantageous Temper great Capacity and happy Education under so virtuous and learned a Parent seem not to permit any departure from the same generous Inclinations May others imitate them especially in this prophane and foolish Generation in which true and useful Knowledge Virtue though wise and manly Piety though generous and excellent are attempted to be trampled upon by ignorant and conceited Drollery and not only an unchristian but an unmanly Debauchery which nothing so much supports as the Dulness and Confidence of the Brutes that practise it These either they know not how to separate Superstition an ignorant Fear and Zeal from Religion and to secure themselves from the one without throwing away the other or they gladly take Occasion through the secret perswasion of their foolish and hurtful Lusts from the former to do the latter They must needs put away the Wheat with the Chaff not only an ignorant and base fear but also the most reasonable free and ingenuous Reverence Honour Love and Obedience to their Maker the most amiable and satisfying Object the Soul of Man can behold and embrace without whom we can never be what we should or would be whom if we possess not by Contemplation Love and Likeness to we are either so little minded as never to enquire for or so unhappy as in vain to endeavour after our most compleat Perfection and Felicity As for some small Service which I proposed to my self of performing to your Honours I hope it was not without some reason Some of the Contents of the ensuing Treatise may not be altogether uncapable of it and I have not had the Honour and Happiness of Converse with any Persons of your Quality Age and Sex who are more able to judge of what is true and profitable or better disposed to make use of it Those who know your Honours will easily make the personal application And yet Madam I humbly beg your Leave to be but in one word so just as to let others know as well as my self that your natural Parts your acquired Learning your discreet Piety and Virtue your obliging Goodness are such as moreover render you the just Aemulation and Pattern of all of your Sex and honourable Condition and me in particular as I also am your Lordship's Your most Faithful and Humble Servant in all Christian Offices Geo. Bright Imprimatur Hic liber cui titulus A Treatise concerning Prayer c. G. Jane R. P. D. Dec. 12. 1676. Hen Epis Lond à Sacris Dom. THE PREFACE AFter all the vast and not unpleasant ramble that the mind of Man may take through the Universe it must at last set down content and well it may with the Knowledge and Practice of Religion as the possession of the greatest good it is capable of The plain end and sum of which is to fear and honour God so as to keep his Commandments of loving him above all things and our Neighbour as our selves and therefore our selves that is willing and rejoycing in the greatest Happiness of all Beings existent considered together as one Body and therefore of each Particular so as is effective of the greatest happiness of the whole For by Religion of the Object not Religion of the Subject or Religiousness I mean nothing else but a System of Doctrines made known from God to Men concerning their Duty or concerning other Matters which may be any way means or helps to practise and observe it These Doctrines may be made known either by our natural Faculties of invention and reasoning or by Revelation Those which are made known by our natural Faculties with which we are born may be called natural Religion As for Example That Good is to be willed that therefore a greater good is to be willed more than a less and the greatest most of all that is the greatest good as to Intension Extension and Duration is to be willed with the greatest force and intenseness of our Minds and always For by the same reason that
all Religions contain is concerning that infinitely perfect Being called God viz. his Nature infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness his Actions Creation Preservation and Providence and then our Duty towards him which is in one word to Worship him that is to contemplate honour love rejoyce trust in desire from imitate obey him c. and to signifie this by convenient signs Among these our Dutys towards God one viz. to love God for himself is a part or Instance of Virtue or Universal Goodness the rest are Instruments or Means thereof The Duty of Prayer so as is explained and described in the ensuing Treatise is not only to desire and petition any thing from God but contains all his Worship nay it necessarily infers all our Duty universally Our solemn profession and resolution of Obedience and consequently Imitation of God God having commanded us to be like himself which is one Ingredient in a Prayer necessarily imports the practice of all our Duty whatsoever For God is or hath commanded one way or other by natural Light or Revelation all we ought to be and do The Nature and Uses of this ordinary Duty are so particularly described in the Treatise it self that I shall not here add any thing but only that I hope they are so plain and reasonable as to be understood and approved by all who are gâ—â—dedly good Understanding and to secure it from the uâ—just Contempt of some who may neglect or despâ—se it These are First the Ignorant and Vulgar whose Souls are sensual and dull that they are very inâ—pt to all Spiritual things and therefore much uncapable of such an Employment These are as much as may be to be better instructed and rendred more capable of it In order to which it would be well if the Affairs of Humane Liâ—e were so ordered that the meanest might hâ—ve more lâ—isure and opportunities for Religioâ—s Dutâ—s of Reading Praying Hearing and have more vacancy from bodily labour and motion and hardship which require and make a tough and strong but gross and dull temper of Body And it is likely that if it were not for the insatiable Covetousness and Ambition of Frinâ—es and States which perpetually fill the Worâ—d with Wars and consâ—quently make necessary hardy strong Bodys and dissolute Manners and a hundred little subservieâ—t Employments Such good reason is there for the Lâ—tany Petition for Unity Peace and Concord to all Nations Were it not for the Pride and Luxury of private Persons there would be much fewer Necessities of Humane Life and much more time to all sorts of Men for Spiritual and Divine things The moderate Care and Labour of Men sparing some time each day and some whole days probably would sufficiently provide for all such conveniencies of the bodily Life as may render it the least Impediment or the most subservient which is its right use to the spiritual one Thâ— principal part of which is the Conversation of Mens minds with God the Imitation of his most perfect and happy Life to the utmost of our Power in the greatest Knowledge and Virtue Wisdom and Goodness Prudence and Beneficence Wherefore I cannot approve the Temper of many now adays who seem to make it the only End and Design of Government to increase Riches and People and Trade in a Nation from whence they take all their Reasons and Measures of all Laws and Constitutions As if Men were made for nothing but to enjoy all the Conveniencies and gratifie all the Appetites of this present pitiful fleshly Liâ—e to eat drink enjoy Wives Children and Relations to live in Health Strength Ease to be safe from all their Enemies or to extend their Fame and Dominions abroad Whereas in truth the whole Furniture of this bodily Life is but in order and should be subservient to the spiritual or intellectual one that we might live it with less interruption or disturbance our selves and propagate it in others and there is nothing more plain than that the inordinate and immoderate gratification of our bodily Appetites or those which are proper to this fleshly Life especially sensual ones is the most inconsistent with a spiritual and virtuous Temper and consequently with the most perfect and happy Condition of Man-kind Nor seems it much to be hoped to see the World in better Posture till the Affairs thereof are otherwise ordered or it shall please God more immediately by a larger Effusion of his Holy Spirit by his Power and Virtue upon the Souls of Men to frame temper and dispose them A Second sort of those who are apt to think somewhat meanly of this religious Duty of Prayer are the learned who are most conversant in Science and addict themselves to Speculation These oft-times very much neglect Practice they little and seldom mind Morality of which I reckon Piety or our Dutys towards God to be without compare the most excellent part By how much the Objects of our Speculation are of a more different and remote nature from God as are all corporeal things with their Affections by how much they are more numerous and various by how much they require a greater Intension of Spirit as very subtil and profound things in the Mathematicks and Metaphysicks So much the more still do they draw away the Mind from Religion and Piety insomuch that the greatest Scholars are not always the best Men. It is true indeed that some Knowledge where the Objects of it are intellectual as that of our own Souls and the mutual Relations and Respects of things by spiritualizing our Minds doth prepare and dispose us to apprehend and be affected with God but then also by more vigorously employing the Application of our Minds and more intensely pleasing them it perhaps more effectually detains and with-holds us from Piety than our Converse with sensible and external Objects Nay in Moral and Religious Knowledge it self it is not only possible but I believe very frequent for Men to be so inordinately and immoderately pleased taken and in Love with the meer Knowledge or Speculation of the Objects thereof as to have very little Care Esteem and Love for the Practice or the really having it in their own Hearts that is their Wills and Affections They are altogether different things for a Man to perceive and understand and that very distinctly and clearly the Perfections of his Inclinations Appetites and Affections and to possess them or have them really in himself to know all the Rules of Morality and therefore of Piety and to practise them The one is a quality of the Understanding the other of the Will and Affections They have two different faculties and actions of the Soul for their Subjects and therefore the one may be and full often is in the same Soul where there is nothing of the other though I acknowledge that usually the best and clearest Knowledge of Humane Nature is from a Man 's own Experience of himself of which the reason is obvious and consequently a Man may have
want of Honour to any Person with whom we converse or from whoâ— we desire any thing and therefore to God but it is not so among the Eastern People the Chineses and Turks Wherefore the covering of the head in Prayer is not except in some rare Circumstances to be permitted among us but it may amongst them as it is And consequently neither of them could have been universally commanded by Christ or his Apostles It is true this Power of the Church maâ— be also ill used and Constitutions in the external Worship of God may be such and so many as to hinder and not help his internal Worship and so may the Legislative and Exâ—cutive Power of every Government in many things be ill applied but the Inconveniencies or Mischiefs of taking this Power quite away are infinitely greater than those of the ill use of it according to Reason and the Experience of all Ages or else there had been no Government in the World before this For usually what hath been always the general Practice of the World hath been found by Experience to be better than its Omission alâ— Circumstances considered It is possible too that Constitutions may be so mischievous as to be sufficient Causes of Separation from any particular Church And then only they are so when there are greater Mischiefs and evil Consequences of them than there are of Separation and great indeed must they then be Which can only be determined by Revâ—lation God prohibiting them or by our own Prudence The Ignorance or the necessary or wilful Prejudices of some Men are strangely great who easily make every Constitution of little or no Inconveniâ—nce and sometimes even useful and convenient ones a sufficient Cause of Separation Which Perswasion or Temper tends most certainly and speedily to an utter Dissolution of every Christian Society or Church a truely great Instrument or Means of the Reformation and Happiness of Mankind For there will hardly ever be any Constitution which will long have the Approbation of all But enough of this in this Place I shall only moreover very briefly mention some few general things concerning these Constitutions in external publick Worship with all due Deference and Submission As first and principally that they be such as may have more good Consequences than bad more Conveniencies than Inconveniencies I mean universally in respect of Subject Degree and Time or of Extension Intension and Duration I know this is a Consideration of vast and unlimited Extent but I am well assured that there is no other absolutely universal Rule of all our Actions And there are but two Ways to know what is so viz. Testimony divine and humane and Reason Or but one viz. our Reason informed by Testimony and Prudence that is by others or our own perception and sight of things If God hath universally by undoubted Revelation to others or our selves commanded or forbidden us any Action we may be sure that always to do or abstain from it hath most Conveniencies and is the best though possibly to our Prudence there may appear sometimes the contrary But if there be nothing in Revelation our own Reason must comprehend as well as it can all good and bad Effects or Consequences of any Action or Omission of any Action making all just and prudent Use herein of humane Testimony and direct us to chuse that which hath the most good and the fewest evil ones There is no Action whatsoever except the Will of the last End viz. the Universal good in which alone formal Virtue and Rectitude is to be found which hath not both And therefore we are not presently to throw away a Constitution or Law because we observe some one or more Inconveniencies in it to some Persons at one Time nor to receive it because we take notice of some few Conveniencies but we are to comprehend all of both as far as we can as to Persons Degree and Time and accordingly determine But Secondly One very general Sign or Instance yet possibly not without its Exception as sometimes in case of many good mens very zealous and sierce opposition through ignorance or bad mens through perversness and of complyance with other Churches that a constitution in the external Worship of God is of more good Effect than if it were omitted or than another in its Place is it's Tendency the most in those present Circumstances to beget and increase both in us that use it and in others that see it the internal Worship of God viz. the most perfect or best Knowledge Apprehensions and Opinions concerning God his Nature Will and Actions the greatest Admiration Honour and Reverence Love Gratitude Desire Trust Joy Obedience and Imitation of God and consequently the most perfect inward Holiness Righteousness Virtue of Soul in all particular Branches and Instances in four Words the most sincere universal vigorous and constant Holiness And this is that which is or should be principally meant by their being for Edification And as for the precise notion of decent or decorous It is nothing but a Thing 's being a Sign of some useful or commendable Quality in us as contrariwise an indecent thing is that which is a Sign of some imperfection within us either natural or moral as imprudence rudeness irreligion but more ordinarily of that which is natural oâ— that which is rather only contemptible than hateful And it is principally in order to edification by good Example Some of the most considerable Ways or Means how we may come to know what external Signs or any other Circumstances do most tend to this Effect of Edification are First A most sincere and generous Love â— this internal Worship of God in the Constituters themselves and a hearty and fervent Desire to beget and propagate it in Men alâ— they can and consequently to aim at it and propose it to themselves in all their Constitutions and that the most immediately they can and the shortest way I say the most immediately and the shortest way For it seemâ— to have been a frequent mistake or non-attendance in some who have really desired and intended the promotion of this internal Worship of God which may be called Piety thaâ— they have applied themselves to those meanâ— which are so indeed but in small degree and very remote and therefore uncertain and take up a great deal of time and pains which might have been elsewhere better employed for the same purpose They require so much time and constancy to drive them through a long train of successive causes to their end that men seldom have the patience or list to pursue them so far but sit down and rest themselves and are well pleased with the means themselves forgetting or neglecting the end of them We are not to take presently and make use of every real means which may effect our proposed end but only those which will the most speedily and fully do it and even of those the sewest we possibly can It is also certainly
this principally because it is extraordinary few men do so much most men quite neglect God take little notice of him make any acknowledgment of him And hence further may they believe themselves in general very extraordinary excellent persons and that without doubt they are highly in God's favour most precious and acceptable to him his praying people and consequently that he will do any thing for them and for their sakes These Abuses and Mistakes I have mentioned that they might be prevented Be it sure that when a man reflects upon his having prayed to God and is very well satisfied and pleased therewith it be nothing but what is really good that pleaseth him Not for Example his singularity or superiority to other men but the spirituality of his mind and the well-disposedness of his Soul his true love to Goodness Universally Hatred of Sin Love and Thankfulness to God Honour Reverence Obedience Faith Dependence and Trust in Him the actual Exercise of these and â— temper of mind from whence they proceed and to which they tend Let him be sure also that these things were in his praying to God not in general highly pleasing himself in having prayed when there was little of them but indeed much more of such worthless or wicked things I have above mentioned The being thus well assured of the goodness of our Prayers as it will in good mens minds raise up great delight and satisfaction so also it ought that we may be encouraged still to go on in the performance of so excellent a Duty whereby we shall still be rendred better more able and disposed by being good to serve and please God and to do good in the World And we ought to give hearty thanks to God that our Souls are so well tempered as to be pleased and delighted with such things SECT X. IV. PRaying procures Delight Joy and Satisfaction of Mind by God's special immediate Influence God may no doubt in our praying to him some ways perfect all the Operations of our Souls He may bring things either unknown or known before to our minds that is reveal or suggest he may cause us to attend to perceive and understand things more clearly and strongly that is illuminate our minds he may also excite and strengthen our Love to our Duty Sorrow for Sin Love to any particular Duty Love to himself Honour Reverence Humble Address and Dependence Faith submissive and obediential Resolution So likewise surely he may excite and diffuse through our Souls Joy Delight Satisfaction from the Exercise of all these immediately more than would otherwise be without this his especial immediate Action or Influence And that God doth do thus the Scripture plainly affirms and Reason it self insomuch that Philosophers have taught it would conclude it probable Xenoph. Sen. Cicero as well for other reasons as particularly to draw and encourage us to the more frequent and vivid Exercise of these excellent Operations of our Souls of these Graces in us And 't is this which makes that which is called Communion or rather Union with God in Prayer compleat For to have God the Object of the Operations of our Souls to direct our Souls to God and then for God again to make our Souls the Object of his Action or Influence and the more of it as there is in the more especial and immediate influence of God the more the Communion is or may very properly be called Unioâ— or Conversation of our Souls with God and is a thing easily understood by all but more felt by some men who are truly called godly and holy men The Union between two spiritual substances cannot be understood to be any other than by the mutual intercourse of operations and is much more really so than that which is between two bodys And here we may easily understand that this Conversation with God is not only confined to Prayer but may be referr'd to all our Lives in any part of which we may direct the Operations of our Souls to him as when we do any thing in obedience to his Commands and he may again have immediate influence upon us as to suggest and strengthen us in our Obedience any the ways before mentioned And the frequenter and more vigorous these things are in man's Life the more he may be said to have Communion or Union with God in his Life or to Converse with God And thus much for the Second sort of Benefits of Praying SECT XI III. THe Third sort of general good Effects or Benefits of Praying are those which are Helps and Means both of our Goodness and Comfort of which I shall at present name but Two viz. Spirituality and Enlargedness of Soul 1. Spirituality By which I mean such a temper of Soul whereby a man is apt to apprehend and be affected with Intellectual or Spiritual Objects whether Absolute as the Nature and Properties of all Spiritual Beings such as our own Souls Angels God himself Or Relative as all the Relations and Habitudes of things one to another such as Cause and Effect Contrariety Similitude Connexion and Repugnancy c. the successive apprehension of which two last is called Reasoning It is manifest That the Objects about which our minds are conversant in Prayer are chiefly those of the first sort God and his Attributes our Souls and their several Perfections and Imperfections as Ignorance and Knowledge Errour and Truth Vices and Virtues or Sins and Graces c. Now by frequent Exercise and Usage of our selves to Prayer these Objects become familiar to us and such as we readily and clearly conceive and apprehend and which really and strongly affect us whereas those men who never Pray or otherwise use their minds to them are only sensual and corporeal or carnally minded that is such who can only conceive and are affected with sensible things and somewhat of reasoning sometimes dully enough too about them but strangely inept to spiritual things blind and sensless in them But further This Spirituality of Mind is manifestly a great preparation of Soul for Virtue and Goodness because they are spiritual things It fits our Souls to apprehend their Nature to see their Beauty and Excellency the natural necessary Efficiency or Causality that is in them of the Happiness of the World which can be discovered in no other thing and consequently really to approve honour admire and love them Moreover the very same temper of Soul whether from the subtilty and calmness of the Spirits or any other cause which disposeth to Spirituality disposeth also to Benignity or Love which when it is universal and impartial is the only Instance and Subject of Virtue and Goodness Finally The Pleasure and Joy which the Soul perceives from her Conversation with Spiritual Objects is far more profound and piercing more lasting and more frequent being more in our own power than that from sensible and corporeal ones is that which besides Revelation the Experience not only of virtuous and holy Souls but
as great a joy and delight in saving the Life of its little Animal Play-fellow as Abraham would have had in prevailing with God for the saving of Sodom and Gomorrah from a miserable Destruction if there had been found therein but Ten Righteous Persons There is infinite more difference between the things that men ordinarily entertain their thoughts and pursuits withal and those which the Soul converseth withal in such Prayers as have been before described And so I have given an account of some of the general Heads of the good Effects or Benefits of Praying to God which I have hitherto proved by Reason and Testimony and Experience of all good men And now I desire men would prove it one way more and that is by their own experience or else disprove it Make we tryal of it our selves and that for some time together for the Effects may not presently follow take we some time begin now to do it to pray to God discreetly and affectionately with a holy pure and innocent heart in publick private secret see whether we do not grow better upon it Pray to him heartily and assiduously in secret for strength to mortifie any Lust thy Pride thy Revenge thy Envy thy Wrath thy Injustice thy Covetousness thy Vain-glory thy Uncleanness or Lasciviousness thy Intemperance and a Thousand other Lusts which may be troublesome and importunate to us so far as we are good or to the Divine and Regenerate Nature within us Pray to him for Universal Holiness Love to himself Charity Humility Purity and Spirituality of Mind for his forbearance for his Pardon Make thy report after some time I fear nothing more than a Temptation to boast too much of thy Success And as for the pleasure of it step â—â—metimes into thy Closet or any retired place desire of God first to dispose thy Mind that the Meditation and Action of thy Soul may be such as may be acceptable to him set thy self to make Acknowledgments of his infinite Excellencies and Perfections and the Instances thereof to all his Creation and in particular to thy self in making preserving providing for thee and bestowing upon thee the good things of thy Soul and Body such as Knowledge especially of himself and thy self of thy present and future States and Conditions any Goodness or Virtue that thou art not the most villanous and wicked person devoid of all sense of thy Duty given up to all Sin and Wickedness the means afforded still of being yet wiser and better God's forbearance forgiveness in case of Repentance present Peace Comfort Joy in well-doing the provision of Heaven and Eternal Life hereafter when thy Eyes are closed and thou art no more an Inhabitant of this World thy Health Strength plenty of Food Rayment Habitation all Conveniencies of this Life in order to a good and happy Life here and hereafter And not only make bare acknowledgments of these things but heartily love and thank God for them honour and admire him with all thy might and understanding firmly believe him to have been to be now and that he always will be thy best Friend if thou be not thine own hindrance Ask heartily God's Pardon for offending him and sinning against the Eternal Laws of Righteousness drop an unfeigned Tear breath out an unconstrained Sigh chide thy self beseech God's Grace more than thy Life never to do so any more resolve to use all the inherent strength thou hast come then and tell what thou findest how thou likest Once more When thou wouldst have any thing make thy Case known propound it to God beseech him to give it thee so far as it is just only leave thy self and thy request with God because he is wise and just examine and amend what is amiss in thy self that thou mightest not be the cause why it is not just for God to give it thee let us know how this relisheth and what followeth Say sometimes such things as these with the devout and holy Psalmist I love the Lord because he hath heard my Voice and my Supplication or because he hath delivered my Soul from death that is he hath saved my Life in such a danger or sickness suppose mine eyes from tears that is he hath removed from me or prevented those Evils which would have sore grieved me and my feet from falling that is he hath kept my mind upright and cheerful from dejectedness and despondency or he hath kept me in that good condition of Life from which I was in danger of having fallen or of being deprived of it the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of Salvation the usual part of the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving I will shew my self publickly thankful and call upon the Name of the Lord or Worship him O Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant Psal 116. Say further sometimes Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great Mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee Oh happy is he who hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in Jehovah the Lord his God who made Heaven and Earth the See and all that therein is He who telleth the number of the Stars and calleth them all by their Names who is of great Power and his Understanding is infinite Psalms 145 146 147. Make we tryal I say our selves see we things with our own eyes confirm or confute all by our own experience Let us not think it a thing not worthy our trouble to be satisfied in for it is worthy of our greatest pains Either we believe all that hath been said concerning these Excellent Uses of Praying or we do not if we do not as I said try we our selves whether our Nature is not capable thereof and God will not assist us for this is the best way of proof If we do believe it without trying then do we accordingly If we do believe this to be true and yet do not practise it must needs be a sign we are both bad and foolish that we have no mind to be made good or better no nor lift through laziness or slavery to be made happier or because we cannot have the comfort and pleasure of Praying without the profit of being engaged to be good we 'l part with that rather than be good and leave our bad Courses or any Sin we love in which as we are wicked so we are such Fools for our selves as if when we have a decrepit and infirm Body we should be afraid it should be made more sound and strong whereby we might be more useful to the World and have the constant pleasure of a clear Health And so I have perfected this Fourth Head namely
neither for bodily nor mental favours yet it is at least of far less good effect than to be thankful for better things more and first as they deserve We are to thank God for every thing as neer as we can according to its proportion of goodness viz. in such proportion as it is a part of or means to the last end the Universal Happiness And because for Example all spiritual good things are generally much more so than bodily we must be oftner and more sensibe of them more frequently and fervently thank God for them What hath been said about thankfulness may be advised concerning Petition that we desire in the first place principally most frequently and most ardently the most universal or publick and spiritual good things such as Graces and Virtues and then all the rest or any of them according unto their true degree of goodness too We see men generally faulty in this particular and they 'l pray infinitely more heartily for fair Weather or Rain when it is much wanted than for the most excellent and highest degree of any Graces or Virtues Nay if they dared they would and they really have more mind to it pray against those that they might not be disturbed by them They would sooner pray for the Food and Pamper of their Bodys than for that which might increase Graces and Gifts in their Souls more that they might have earthly Friends who might love and honour them than the friendship or favour of God more that any man who can possibly punish them for any misdemeanour would forgive them than that God would more that they may be rich than honest or just or charitable or make good use of riches like faithful Servants and Stewards of our great Master God From which same temper it comes that all spiritual benefits and favours of good Instruction Exhortation Example and the persons who are the Authors and Instruments thereof are generally less prized and esteemed than a small piece of Breâ—d or Money than the least good appertaining to the Body or Estate and their reward would be answerable if it were not for Laws or the Sentiments of a few of the wisest and best So Lastly our Explication of our Case may be too tedious we may too operosely aggravate our Case more comparatively with other matters we even then want than we ought This of Petition is according to our Saviour's own Advice in that excellent Sermon after he had warned them against distrust solicitude and over-eager care concerning worldly goods of meat and drink and cloathing he adds But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness that is probably God's Kingdom by Christ to be the Subjects thereof or to be true Christians and all these things shall be added unto you Some spiritual good things viz. Goodness and Virtue render us capable of all other and fit us for the enjoyment and use of them but not on the contrary Matt. 6. Verse 33. This is a thing so obivous that it is commended and advised by some of the Heathens in their Addresses to their Gods Their praying for long Life Glory Beauty Marriage Posterity and other things which the Vulgar used to ask of their Gods the Satyrist derides as folly because they were hardly to be accounted in the number of good things as having as much evil and mischief attending them But he adviseth they should rather pray for a good mind couragious fearless of death nay desirous of it patient Master of Passions despiser of selfish sensual Pleasures c. These were the things principally to be sacrificed for Fortem posce animum mortis terrore carentem Qui spatium vitae extremum inter munera ponat Naturae qui ferre queat quoseunque labores Nesciat Irasci cupiat nihil poâ—iores Herculis aerumnas credat saevosque dolores Et Venere plumis caenis Sardanapali Juven Sat. 10. To this Sense Ask a great mind that fears not death Welcomes the time of it's last breath That firmly bears the greatest pains Slav'ry of passions that disdains That takes stout Virtue prest with Misery Before soft Pleasures of base Luxury SECT IV. IV. A Fourth due Qualification of the Sense of our Prayers or of the Objects is that it be as extensive as may be This also appertains to all the parts of a Prayer That our Acknowledgments for Example 1. Be as comprehensive as may be and general so as to comprehend all God's Perfections which are useful to Petition and such are his always infinite as to Intension Extension and Duration Power Wisdom and Goodness for these certainly comprehend all 2. That they be in some Prayers more particular which particulars are to be for all cannot be either those that are of greatest concern or Importance or which we best apprehend or are most affected with or which are most proper to any Petitions we may make As for Example Sometimes we may make our acknowledgment not only of God's goodness in general but also of some particular instances of it such as his forbearance of us so long notwithstanding our careless or contemptuous violations of any of his most righteous and holy Laws his forgiveness of this or that particular sin of all our Sin upon our sincere repentance his promising to us and bestowing upon us any particular good things as such a good advantage of Condition for Instruction or Virtue such an Assistance for the obtainment and performance of any particular Virtue and Duty or against any Temptations the means of Grace as is usually expressed such a Deliverance from such a spiritual or corporeal Evil c. The same which is to be done in our Thankfulness and expresly loving God for his Benefits So our Petitions 1st Let them be as general as may be and comprehensive It is convenient in Prayer always at least to premise such general Petitions before particular ones and sometimes for want of Time or Knowledge c. they may be only used For Example That God would bestow upon us all good things that he thinks sit and just As it is said of Socrates that he used when he prayed to pray only if he always did so he mâ—ght have done better sometimes to have propounded and desired things more particularly and as well referred them to God that the Gods who knew best what was good would give him good things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. in memor Lib. 1. as Xenophon reports And somewhat more particularly that he would provide for us all good things of our Souls Bodys Estates which comprâ—hend all as to their subjects or all here and hereafter which comprehend all as to time or to descend further Knowledge and Goodness Gifts and Graces which comprehend all as belonging to our Souls more particular yet that he would give us to live godlily righteously and soberly which comprehends all Grace or Virtues all our Dutys towards God our Neighbour and our Selves Such also are the Petitions in
that I have and shall give that we may pray things just true important the most general good things and the greatest variety of particular ones that our minds may be well furnished with these things that we may pray sincerely fervently as frequently as we can and seasonably that we may well express and convey both our sense and affections to others with whom we pray And indeed one Reason why this Duty hath been of late so ill so uselesly offensively and mischievously performed and so may likewise hereafter again is because some men have been perpetually praying and spent so much time in the performance of this Duty but little or none in the reflection upon it or examination of it according to such Rules as I now propose and much less in the study and consideration of those things and others just now mentioned There are times likewise of doing more good by relieving the indigent and deserving persons with what they most want of visiting the sick of instructing reproving exhorting reconciling and determining of differences of any ways helping or assisting another in any of his affairs A Thousand other ways there are of doing good which have also their times that is they are then in such circumstances the best we can do or we can do the most good thereby Now if when we should be doing these things we should betake our selves to praying it would be unseasonable Moreover in order to the getting or preserving or encreasing our power or ability to do good either to our selves or others and consequently to serve God more particularly in order to the obtaining preserving or augmenting the good things of Food Raiment Habitation Rest and consequently Health and Strength Liberty not being a Servant to others by Debts Engagements Good-name Authority opportunity and leisure of gaining Instruction and Knowledge and Virtue by Reading Meditation Conference finally Riches by which all these things are wholly obtained or in part I say in order to this every person hath some Calling some Action of Life or other to which he most-what applies himself and the former good things are the reward or some way the effect of his diligence and honesty therein In this it is the greatest part of mens lives are taken up How much of a mans life is to be spent therein and when it will do most good to employ himself there and when elsewhere every mans own sincere prudence as it must in all the other actions before recited governed by reason experience advice of the most sober discreet wise and virtuous men must only determine This in general is certain that it is not of best effect for men to fill up all their Lives with the affairs of their Calling and to leave no room for the Worshipping of God by praying to him and then either think really or pretend there is no season at all and yet we may also be too mindless of them For Example It would be unseasonable to set apart a day of praying and it may be for a good Harvest among other things when we should be reaping to be standing still and praying for deliverance from a danger when we should be flying from it We are not to be praying with let and long Prayers Ejaculatory may always be used for any good thing or prevention or removal of any evil when we should be endeavouring not desiring when we should be doing We are not to be like the man who seeing a house falling upon his head falls upon his knees and crys out God help him and deliver him but will not stir out of the place There is indeed but little danger hereof in temporal and sensible good things but in spiritual I doubt it is frequent where men perhaps pray much and often to God to be sanctified to be secured from God's wrath or the effects of his anger but take no care and use no endeavour at any time to obtain the one or prevent the other Some of that very time possibly may be better and more seasonably spent in meditating considering watching resolving informing inculcating things upon themselves Most commonly this absence of all endeavours is a sign of formality or of want of sincerity or at least of fervency in our Prayers Sometimes indeed in persons of a more movable and changable temper there may be in their Prayers some real flashes of strong affections without any consequent endeavour the next minute almost those thoughts and affections being forgotten and they being as much taken up and affected with the variety of any other objects which succeed 2. Our Prayers are to be seasonable as to the parts or several Ingredients Sometimes a greater part of a Prayer may be spent in acknowledgments as when our minds are dull and insensible of the Perfections and Excellencies of God of our entire dependence upon him of our being perfectly at his dispose of our own insufficiency to be or do any the least thing for our selves without him then I say we may more particularly and largely take notice of and acknowledge the Divine Perfections and our own Imperfections Sometimes Confessions of Sins and Petition for strength to amend and for forgiveness may be most seasonably enlarged as upon such times as prudently are appointed for a publick and solemn Repentance as it were of any number and company together The same may be done seasonably by persons in secret and retiredly by themselves Sometimes Thanksgiving may be most seasonably insisted upon an enumerating of the many favours and blessings of God with correspondent affections of thanks and love therefore producing the effects of Obedience Resolutions and Endeavours to please God It may sometimes be the best to spend most of the time in Petition to do it very particularly yet in things of concernment and which we most want 3. Our Prayers are to be seasonable as to the particular Instances of these parts or Ingredients Thus sometimes it may be seasonable in acknowledgment most to insist upon God's Power or Wisdom or Goodness or some single Instances of any of these his Attributes to mention others may be impertinent or unseasonable it may exclude those things which would do more good Of this we cannot want Instances in the several occasions of addresses to God both in publick forms and private usages of our lives where notwithstanding they are oft too generally or improperly used To give thanks and petition very particularly and copiously for many things when the occasion is special for one thing as at meat is most-what unseasonable but to do iâ— for the benefit then received is seasonable To confess some Sins with those who are not guilty of them is unseasonable or if they be to do it too particularly and when it would be interpreted to proceed from Pride or Envy then to mention such things would be unseasonable To confess those Sins which the person and company have been truly most guilty of which are â—he most frequently committed and yet it may be