Ignorance or Negligence if you be barren in your addresses to the throne of Grace some good Devines have proposed a method and words in Scripture-phrase which I will not now trouble you with but if you daily use to read the Bible you will find patt expressions flowing into your mind in Prayer which will prove pertinent matter upon all occasions when you read Scripture think now God is speaking to me and thereby furnishing me with matter to speak to him in Prayer this passage suits my case I will improve it in Confession Petition Deprecation or Thanksgiving in my addresses to God and thus you will arrive to an habit of free-conversing with God and it becomes Governours of families to be more imployed in reading Scriptures than others Deu. 17.19 Josh 1 8. 1 Tim. 4.14 so God appoints Kings Captains Ministers to be daily exercised in this duty because they were to be helpfull to others so must you if you consult with Gods word you go in unto God so some observe by comparing Psal 73.17 of going into the Sanctuary of God with 2 Sam. 7.18 then went King David in and sate before the Lord. i. e. he went in to God to intimate that Reading and Praying are near a kinâ— the one is an help to the other if you read much it will help you to Pray much it will help you to read and understand Be much imployed in both 3. Learn to understand and improve the Lords Prayer Mat. 6.9 12. Consider the Prologue Parts and Conclusion of it get some Succinct and plain Exposition of it do not Cantingly Formally and Superstitiously blubber it over as a Charm but use it as a Comprehensive Platform of Praying I am not altogether against the use of the words in the Lords Prayer Nay I would rather you kneel down with your Family and said nothing but the Lords Prayer than that you should use no Prayer at all only see you understand the meaning of it and do not rabble it over as a Parrot but do it seriously and take heed of Mocking God Hypocrisie is a sin as well as Atheism to pray otherwise than Christ hath taught is not only Ignorance but a gievous sin saith an Ancient * Aliter orarâ— quam doâ—uit non ignorantâ—a Selaest sed et Culpa Cyprian Serm. 6. a orat Domini et cum ipsuâ— habâ—amus apud â—atreâ— Advocatum â—o peccatis nostriâ— Advocatâ— nostâ— verba prommus id ib. this referrs both to the matter and manner of praying for saith he the Father will acknowledge the words of his Son when we Pray to him in his name qui habitat intus in pectore ipse sit et in voce let him be in our voice that dwells in our hearts quia Deus non vocis sed cordis auditor est God is not the hearer of the voice but of the heart But we are now speaking of Family-Prayer wherein God requires both voice and heart and I am giving helps for the matter of Prayer and this is a certain truth that all and only the things that are to be asked of God are comprehended in the Lords Prayer that 's the summe and substance of the petenda things to be asked if you do not always utter the words you must express the Sense therefore it 's fit you should understand them for every word hath it's weight Our Father which art in Heaven thou art the common Father of all Mankind our Father in Christ we humbly and reverently prostrate our Selves at thy Footstool in confidence of entertainment through thy well-beloved Son and our Advocate give us child-like affections to thee and endeared love to all thine and tender Compassion to all others Hallowed be thy name let thy Glorious Titles Attributes Word and Ordinances be manifested through the World dispose all things to the Glory of thy name assist us in our confessing and forsaking our Sins adoring thine infinite perfections believing in thee subjecting our selves to thee attending on thee and aiming at thy Glory in all we are or do or suffer Thy Kingdom come destroy O Lord the Devils kingdom of Ignorance Wickedness advance thy Kingdom in Converting Sinners building thy Church maintaining the power of Godliness and hastning the Kingdom of Glory confirming and preparing our own Souls for our Lords second coming Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven let thy preceptive Will be our rule enable us to comply with it give us knowledge of it conquer the enmity of our stubborn wills enable us to do it singly Sincerely Universally and constantly as Angels and Saints Glorified help us quietly to acquiesce in thy Providential will be it for us or against us Give us this day our daily bread vouchafe to us a competent portion of outward Comforts for our daily supply thy blessing therewith which is the staff of our bread for we depend on thee for all Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors for Christ's sake and satisfaction Pardon all our Sins whereby we are endebted to divine Justice and can never satisfie but lay hold by Faith on the Lord our Righteousness and freely forgive all men their offences against us and Pray God to forgive them And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil Lord we have bad Herds prevent occasions of Sin restrain the tempter keep us out of harms way or make us conqerours of World Flesh and Devil let not Sin have Dominion over us For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for Ever Amen We take not our incouragement in our Prayers from any thing in our Selves but from Thee who art the only Soveraign All sufficient God able and willing to help poor Creatures to thee only be ascribed all Dominion Blessing Honour Glory and Power for evermore Amen So be it Thus I have given you a short hint of the meaning of this Excellent Prayer that you may be left without excuse for your willful Neglect 4. Frequent Christian Society converse with Godly Praying persons this will help you in Family Work and Worship not only as it is a good Example but as it assimilates you to them and also as it provokes to an holy Emulation it will make you shame with your selves that such as had no better breeding or higher Education than you have yet attained to such Knowledge Gifts and Elocution this will make you admire the Grace of God in them and think it not impossible but that the same Grace may do as much in you Rom. 11.12 2 Cor. 9.2 Paul sought by the Gentiles Piety to provoke the Jews to Emulation and tells us the Corinthians zeal in Charitable contribution had provoked very many it 's not to tell what Light and Life Eccl. 49.12 and Love may be conveyed from one Christian to another If two lye together they have heat Pro. 27.17 Iron sharpens Iron A â—ow majori discit all â—ll so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his
saith a Praying Servant will not only work but set God a work Oh happy Family where Servants Eccho to their Masters Sighs these will unanimously besiege Heaven with importunate groans yea let carnal Laban and Potiphar speak as they find Gen. 30.27 c. 39.5 and they will affirm that God hath blessed them for Jacob and Josephs sakes But you little know the hurt you may have and Children also by graceless Servants This was Davids purpose and endeavour to have men faithfull to God to be house-fellows with him and to banish from him froward Persons Proud Psa 101.38 Slanderers Apostates Deceitful Liars and wicked doers and if you 'll serve God comfortably in your Families you must imitate Pious Example 3. Dedicate your houses to the Lord so did Gods servants of old when they had built a new house they dedicated it Deut. 20.5 when they had been banished from it and were restored they again dedicated it as David did when Absalom had polluted it Psal 30. we read also of a man sanctifying his house to be Holy unto the Lord Lev. 1 Cor. 4.11 27.14 this must be done by Praising God for houses to dwell in all have not this Mercy some choice Saints have had no certain dwelling place others have wandred in Deserts Mountains Dens and caves Heb. 11.28 Mat. 8.20 of whom the world was not worthy yea our dear Lord himself had not not where to lay his head and who are we that God should honour us with convenient habitations It becomes us to own him as our chief Landlord and resolve by God's assistance to pay our chief rent to him and Honour the Lord with our substance and all that we have Prov 3.9 we must thank God that we have any thing to give back again to him 1 Cron. 29.10 -14. Psal 119.38 94 106. for all things come of him and of his own we give him we must first give our selves to the Lord as devoted to his Fear Service Worship as we must not be content with what God gives us except he give us himself no more will God be content with what we give him without giving our selves to him then let us give him our Children Servants so far as we are able Be earnest with him in Prayer for a Blessing on all we are or have let us plead the Covenant and promises for our Selves and ours Gen. 32.9 10. as Holy Jacob did observe the word of precept for our Warrant to dwell in our houses promises for our incouragement and act according to rule and the best patterns that we will walk within our house with a Perfect heart Psal 101.2 that we will use all we have to Gods Glory and the good of his Church Act. 16.15 that we will entertain Christ's Embassadors in our houses as Lydia and the Jaylor did that we will read Scriptures instruct our Families Sing Psalms continue instant in Family and Closet-Prayer that all the rooms of our house may be seasoned if you thus begin with good you lay a good foundation and may groundedly hope the presence of God will be with you and with your Families 4. Order your Families aright as there must be discipline in the Church which is a fence to Doctrine and Worship beholding Col. 2.5 saith the Apostle your order and the stedfastness of your Faith so it is in Families if the Master have by grosse Sin Passion Pride too much Lenity or Imprudent Behaviour forfeited his Autority or by Tyranny have abused it that he become Contemptible he shall hardly keep up Family-Worship Children or Servants will be ready to laugh him to scorn as not able to rule himself therefore little fit to rule others and think they have good reason to ramble abroad and will be under no government and will come none to Prayers this is their Sin but there hath been too much occasion given by their Weak or Wilfull Governours therefore I advise that you maintain your Authority and use it for God Loose not the reins of Government yet sweeten it with Love when Love Oyles the Wheels and lines the Yoke Government becomes amiable and attractive to Duty when David said hear my Brethren it chained his Subjects to him but when Rehoboam answered roughly it deterred them from him Rule in love and they will obey in love if you shew good will to their Souls Eph. 5.7 9. with good-will they will do you Service as to the Lord Holiness begets awfulness tenderness produceth Ingenuous Subjection Humility maintains authority more than domineering rigour let it appear you rule your Familes under God and for God I confess this Theam is more proper to the next subject of the Regal or Magistratical power of House-holders whither I remit it yet a word or two as due order and government doth promote Gods Worship Be sure that every member in your Family know and keep in their posts and places that there be no interfeiring or Envy and see that every one order their business both within doors and without that they attend Family-Prayer and see you do not overcharge them with so much business as to render them uncapable either by unseasonable attendance on their Secular concern forcing them to be absent or by over-tiring them that they are fitter to lye down in their Beds than to fall down on their Knees and lift up their Hearts to God in Prayer learn to order your affairs with Discretion Psal 112.5 Let every Work know it's time and every one know his work that confusion may not shut out Religion Order Facilitates any business prevents impediments produceth good Success I know some Families cannot ordinarily be reduced to such a good order as some others but if Governours were prudent to contract their Worldly business into a less compass or wisely forecast for it though their Families be numerous and business urgent they might do much this way Oh be not greedy of gain to trouble your own house cumber not your selves or yours with many things but mind the one thing needful Psal 10 4â— Be sure you maintain Religion whatever you do give unto God the things that are Gods learn to divide the hoof aright that the World incroach not upon Gods due or rob him of his right if you part Religion from your calling it 's meer Heathenism if you part your particular callings from Religion it becomes Enthusiasm joyn them together and they will be mutually helpful to each other and to you in a due pursuit of both change of imployments will make both a diversion a Pleasing Recration observe the Apostles rule Brethren let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God 1 Cor. 7.24 Let your Condition Station Relation be what it will ingage God to be with you bespeak his presence by Prayer and besprinkle all your Civil Actions with Religious Excercises Chap. VIII Directions how to manage the worship of God in Families as to
the matter of Prayer I Have briefly dispatcht the preparatives for Erecting and managing Family Worship in a due order I now proceed more closely to the carrying on of this work â—â—â—ly that you may please Glorify and injâ—od profit and edify your selves and others in this undertaking in which I propose two sorts of instructions Which do Concern 1. Matter of managing Family Worship Concern 2. Manner of managing Family Worship 1. For matter or words in Family-Prayer the Holy-Ghost saith take with you words and turn to the Lord Hos 14.2 say unto him take away all Iniquity and receive us Graciously by words he means not only Phrases or literal expressions for therein Hypocrites may abound but 1. The subject Matter to be treated upon as Joab put words into the Womans Mouth 2 Sam. 14 3. i. e. the main purport design or manner of her Similitude not every Syllable she spoke 2. Practise accordingly keep the law Ebraei eâdem voce expriâ—unt verba et 〈◊〉 verba debent esse realia et homine digna praesertim apud Deum vid. Pol. crit in loc act as real Saints for the ten Commandments are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words and our compliance therewith must answer our professions and prayers Else we do nothing we must live up to our prayers the word also signifies an ordering regulating and Marshalling a thing and indeed we cannot order our Words before him by reason of darkness therefore must we be very Cautious and exact as the wise man admonisheth Eccl. 5.2 Be not rash with thy Mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few i. e. Well weighed in Prayer or vows God is of Infinite Majesty not to be despised of Transcendent Holiness not to be offended and of unsearhable Knowledge not to be deceived nor to be flattered with vain Repetitions study not to speak fine but fit words not many but weighty proceeding from thy heart directed unto God and pertinent to the matter in hand 4. Words may signify Arguments in Prayer So Job 6.25 how forcible are right words i. e. Proper Arguments as appears from the later clause but what doth your arguing reprove accordingly holy Job wisheth Oh that I knew where I might find him that I might come near to his Seat Job 23.34 I would order my Cause before him and fill my Mouth with Arguments not to out-argue God or to prove him unjust no nor to move God to that which he is unwilling to for he is in one mind and who can turn him No ver 13. he is Righteous and Unchangable I dare not deal with God or challenge him to deal with me upon terms of strict justice but upon terms of new Covenant-Grace pleading his promise made to Sinners in Christ and soliciting for performance of them And now I proceed to help House-holders in the matter of their Family-Worship particularly in Prayer I shall produce some Stones out of the Word of God for rearing this Family-Altar and the rather because this is a general complaint and was a principall objection that they knew not what to say if they should kneel down in their houses with their Families but to such as are willing but weak in their addresses to the throne of Grace I shall subjoyn these two instructions for their help 1. Attend upon a powerful Ministry there you will hear Directions Motives Precepts Promises Scripture-Arguments to quicken and direct you in this work there you may gain knowledge of God the object of Worship Christ the Mediator and Advocate of the Holy-Ghost that must assist you there you will get a good understanding in Gods mind and will which will furnish you with abilities and further your acquaintance with God Prov. 3.13 Happy is the man that findeth Wisdom and the man that getteth understanding that man is prepared to every good work But how shall a Soul obtain this sacred understanding I answer one way is by the ear as he lost true wisdom by abusing that sense and hearkening to the Syren Songs of the subtile Serpent so the Scriptures frequently calls you to hearken to the voice of God in the Ministry of the Word Light and Life and Love may come in at that door Isa 55.3 Rom. 10 1â— Gal. 3.2 Hear and your Souls shall live Faith comes by hearing yea men may receive the Spirit by the hearing of Faith But how shall men breath without Spiritual Life and how can men Pray without the assistance of the Spirit Rom. 10.14 how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher nor is it any kind of preacher that you must hear but you must take heed whom you hear that they be sent i. e. duely qualified and regularly Commissionated you must take heed what you hear that it be not mens fancys but the approved word of the Living God you must also take heed how you hear alas any kind of hearing will not serve turn you must Pray and prepare before you hear it set your selves in Gods presence cast out all Sin apply it to your selves mix it with Love own Gods Authority in it hide it in your hearts meditate on it resolve upon the practice of it and who can tell what blesssed fruits it may produce in your hearts and lives 2 Thes 3.1 Pray you that the word may have free course and be Glorified and if it be so in you the fruit of Preaching will appear in your Prayers as well as Practices Psal 81.10 11. an heart opened to the Word will open the Mouth wide in Prayer But if you will not hearken to Gods voice you will have no voice to God nor will God regard what you say Prov. 28.9 for He that turneth away his Ear from hearing the law even his Prayer shall be abomination 2. Search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 this is both the Rule and Matter of Prayer if you be mighty in the Scriptures you will be mighty and pithy in Prayer God loves to be spoken to in his own language study Scripture-Precepts turn them into Prayers study Scripture-Promises and turn them into Pleas study Scripture-Threatnings and turn them into deprecations and study Scripture-Patterns for imitation you may find several excellent Prayers in the Bible as of Abraham Gen. 18.23 32. So Jacob Gen. 32.9 12. Moses Exod. 32 11-13 So Joshua 7.6 9 Hanna 1 Sam. 1.11 Solomon 1 Kings 3 6 9 8.22-53 David 1 Chron. 17.16 27. Neh. 1.4 11. Ezra 9. Dan. 9. And many sweet Prayers put up and recorded by the blessed Apostle Paul and others too many to be mentioned which in reading the Holy Scriptures you may meet with Say not then you have nothing to say before the Lord it is your
so much is writ by others concerning the necessary Essentials of all Prayer that it 's needless here to add any thing what belongs to all Prayer Publick 1 Cor. 14.15 Family Secret Prayer you must be sure it be Cordial you must pray with the Spirit and understanding also your Family devotion must not be a meer customary Formality like the Papists Tongue-threshing as Luther calls their Cantings You must ingage your hearts in the work Jer. 30.21 and then draw nigh to him You must also ask what is according to God's will 2 Sam 7.27 ground Your prayers upon a Promise as David did and God requires You must also prepare your heart and then stretch out Your hand to God in prayâ—â— 1 Joh. 5.14 15. Joh. 11.12 Psal 26 â— 66 â—8 Isa 64.7 Wash before You Worship for if you regard Iniquity God will not hear Your prayer You must stir up your selves to take hold of God come in sincerity with all Humility with Importunity You must propound right Ends in your prayers not for self-credit to be seen of Men as the Pharisees nor for Worldly profit or to please a Friend But for God's Glory and injoying Communion with him But above all see that you improve Christ as your Advocate in all your addresses to God without whom your best Sacrifices are rejected Buâ— I must not insist on these but lay down some general Directions how to manage this Family-Altar and the Sacrifice thereon 1. Set Your Souls in God's presence Remember who it is you have to deal with Psal 16.8 not with men like your selves but with the Infinite Eternal Incomprehensible Majesty of the great God an Heart-searching All-seeing and Holy God Hab. 1.13 Psal 11.57 Job 13.16 17 that is of purer Eyes than to behold Evil and cannot look on Iniquity whose Throne is in Heaven who loveth Righteouness but an Hypocrite cannot come before him work your hearts to an awe of his Divine Majesty Consider of his Infinite perfections and the great distance betwixt the Glorious God and silly Worms yea betwixt the Holy God and your Sinful Souls Remember God is a Consuming Fire Heb. 12.28.29 and you as dryed stubble therefore serve him with Reverence and Godly Fear Psal 29.2 give him the Glory due unto his Name internally externally in your conceptions of him affections to him prostration before him he is to be had in reverence of all that are round about him Psal 39.7 It 's more to appear before God than the Holiest men or greatest Princes on Earth regard not Auditors or joyners in Worship so much as the object of Worship Say as Abraham the friend of God Behold Gen. 11.27 now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes Oh that my Soul were weighted with the Glorious Majesty of God! 2. Call in Divine assistance presence and his Gracious Benidiction the first thing you do stand up and bespeak God's Blessing upon you in the present undertaking except you find it convenient to begin with a Psalm to call the Family together Psal 86.11 and desire the Lord to unite your hearts unto him and prevent distractions and Satans Temptations and vain Worldly cogitations in that Duty and lift up your Souls to himself with such an Ejaculation as that Lam. 3.41 Deu. 26.16 Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the Heavens look down from thy Holy Habitation from Heaven and bless thy Servants We are taking thy blessed Book into our Hands Lord 〈◊〉 our Eyes to behold Wondrous things out of 〈…〉 let it be a light to our Feet and a 〈…〉 to our Paths let it be as our neces◠〈…〉 Food Yea sweeter than Honey or honey 〈…〉 more profitable than Thousands of 〈…〉 and Silver help us to understand ap◠〈…〉 and Practise what we read let our 〈…〉 a set before thee as Incense and the 〈…〉 of our hands as an Evening Sacrifice 〈…〉 be now attentive and thine Eyes 〈…〉 in the Prayer of thy Servants to us 〈…〉 shame and confusion of Face but to 〈…〉 Lord our God belong Mercys and Forgivâ—esses Thou hast Proclaimed thy name â—â—racious â—â—â—ifull Long-suffering c. To â—is name of the Lord do we flee pleading 〈◊〉 Mercy only for the sake of Christ look 〈…〉 be face of thine anointed 〈◊〉 â—mmediatly set upon this practice of 〈…〉 Altar to the Lord Embrace the 〈◊〉 â—viction the Evening of that day 〈◊〉 â—ou have heard the Duty pressed on 〈◊〉 about it plead no excuse to put it 〈◊〉 more convenient season Felix lost his 〈◊〉 and Soul by such a demur set about it 〈◊〉 your Spirits are warm give not Satan advantage by delay Imperatives have no future tense present dispatch is Essential to Gods commands anon anon at my leisure is no Obedience now or never there 's danger in delays Ps 119 60. I made haste saith David and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Remember his holy Resolution in a weighty matter of the like nature for settling God's Worship Psal 132.23 45. Your Spirits will cool by delays Satan will get advantage some have confessed that the Holy Spirit hath departed from them upon their not yeelding to it's motions and they have run into the dead Sea of Prophaness by degrees if you miss your opportunity you are undone you may dye before Morning if you go prayerless to Bed where will you be then You have no lease of your Lives you must not say to your Neighbour go Pro. 3.28 and come again and to Morrow I will give and will you say so to God Oh do not put off God in paying his dues either as to first undertaking or after-performance Qui non vul hodiâ— or as minus aptiâ— erit Take heed of delays and make no intermissions he that is not fit to day will be less sit to Morrow 4. Excite your selves and Families to the Work it was the Practice of the Primitive Church to have one to say before Prayer sursum corda up with your hearts alas our Spirits grow dull in the Intervals of Duty Isa 64.4 you must stir up your selve to take hold on God You must wind up your affections and turn your Spirits as you would do the strings of an instrument and you 'll find they will quickly slip down again twice did David say O God my heart is fixed yet immediately he found it unfix't again and crys Psa 57. â— Awake Psaltery and harp I my self will awake early You must be forced to give your hearts a pluck and check many times in a Duty if you make conscience to maintain them in a good frame 1 Pet. 4 7 Col. 4.2 hence those expressions of Watching unto Prayer and watching in Prayer as well as Watch and Pray Mat. 26.42 Oh take heed of doing the work of the Lord neglegently serve not God with that which costs you nothing