and Virtue being the most wonderful thing and peculiar to him and therefore the great confirmation of his mission is well chosen To which might be added by Christians for ought I see the weekly celebration of the day of his Ascension if the affairs of Mankind could bear it which was also a most magnificent and strange thing though happenning to two others before and necessarily inferrs his resurrection 3. Upon the same day to Worship God in secret too more or less according as our bodily temper and necessary affairs will permit which every ones sincere prudence must determine Particularly to entertain ones self with such actions and thoughts before the publick Worship as will prepare a man to perform it better more to apprehend and be affected with the spiritual things that do occur therein and to abstain from those things which may indispose and unfit a man for that performance And so afterwards to take some time to impress upon our memory examine inculcate upon our affections what might have occurred and moreover to think of contemplate and affect our selves with any other spiritual things as the Existence Nature Actions of God of our own Souls what we were are should be shall be our imperfections perfections c. for all which we are fitter by freedom from bodily action and calmness This very day is also a very fit season for instructing of Families and performing Offices and Duties of Religion with them also for all acts of Charity both Spiritual and Corporal to our Neighbour The Church of England hath in one of her Canons very piously described how she would have holy days to be observed which were it carefully obeyed would be a very grave Ornament to her Nor can it therefore be expedient for such an end to encourage Plays Pastimes Recreations worldly Affairs but barely to tolerate some lesser matters which prudence might not think sit to exact rigidly but to leave to every ones liberty And as for times of necessary Diversion or Recreation which usually is accompanied with some folly and debauchery others are a great deal fitter for such a purpose And now if the Lord's day and other holy days were thus observed there would be far more of spiritual employment of our minds and more effectual for the great end of making us better than there was ever among the Jews in their strictest observation of their Sabbath a great part of which was taken up in the bare external Worship of God or in the external signs of Honour as in the care of their best Apparel and well provided Tables their Gate their Voice and other such unprofitable and trivial matters as R D Kimchi observes upon the place in Isaiah before quoted What a ridiculous Observation of their Sabbath was the abstaining from twisting ones Whiskers or running a Needle twice through a Clout or writing two Letters because these were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Works Of this enough every where in their Authours and particularly in the Talmudical Tract of the Sabbath most of which were only an ignorant and superstitious application of God's general Command as it seems of which some Christians have been or may be soon too much guilty It may be here advised that there is great difference as to persons and that there may be some whose constant employment or leisure may give them such advantages of spending much time upon other days about spiritual things that it may not be so needful nor convenient for them to spend so much time on these and that oft-times the principal reason especially of their publick observation is the giving a good Example to those who else would take too much liberty But to the generality of men if these fixed and set times be not made use of for the spiritual employment of their minds it will be quite neglected But so much for this digression which I intended no other than only in general to suggest many things to be considered concerning this matter not particularly to discuss them and therefore have taken no notice of what others of other perswasions had said or might have objected In like manner are they mistaken who confess That the best actions the best men do are sins and even deserve eternal punishment but pardoned in Christ from that place in the Prophet misunderstood viz. All our Righteousness are as filthy rags spoken of the generality of the Nation of the Jews who were very bad Isaiah 64. Verse 6. When the truth of the Case is that many and many a good man have done many and many an Action in which there was no sin and which deserves no punishment For he who hath in any Action with the greatest vigour of his Soul he then had propounded intended and willed his duty right just and that consisting in the most universal good the greatest good he can know viz. in pleasing of God and doing the greatest good to the World he at that time was capable of and most perfecting and making happy himself in so being and doing I say this person seems to me to have done some action in which there 's no sin nor desert of punishment and I do not doubt that there hath been many such an action done It is true Righteousness and the good of the whole World God our Neighbour our selves and God alone deserve to be loved with a greater degree of Intenseness than we are capable of even with the infinite one of God himself but this is but a necessary Imperfection of all created Natures even of the highest Angel and would have been in the state of Innocency In giving thanks likewise we must use the same care For as men may confess sins when they are no sins and when they are not guilty of them so also they may thank God that they have received certain favours and benefits from his hands when either they are no benefits nor instances of his favour or if they be they have not received them So men may thank God that they are led into some great truth as they think that they are of this or t'other perswasion or party and in the right way and now sure to be saved when their truth is some trifling or hurtful errour and 't were better for them and the World that they were of another mind or another way and even of that from which it may be they may thank God they are delivered Thus men may also thank God and be highly ravished with the distinguishing love of God to them in electing justifying sealing glorifying and saving them and securing them certainly from Eternal Misery or Hell when all this may be only an Imagination of their own caused by self-love and self-flattery and nothing of truth in it and really they are very bad persons having many and great Lusts unmortified known even to themselves but yet as they think to be over-looked by God because they are and will be sure they are his Elect Children and more yet unknown
of and for sin anâ— consequently confirms it and our resolution to be good or it strengthens us in goodness The more often we attend to the ugliness anâ— unreasonableness of sin and are affected witâ— actual hatred and sorrow for it the more shall we be resolved against it earnestly desire to prevent it especially what we maâ— be in most danger of to be purified anâ— purged from what we have still remaining in us to have it quite extirpated out of oâ— minds never to have it come near â— again as he that hath and understands thâ— danger of the Plague or some killing insectious Disease Moreover a hearty and freâ— Confession if we have been guilty gives uâ— a great deal of comfort and joy and ease in ouâ—selves as an evidence and sign of goodnesâ— in us and consequently that we are in a saâ—â— condition The same which that pious Soul David seems to affirm of himself Psal 32. Verse 3 5. Whilst I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long Probably he particularly refers to his two great sins in which he lay for some time concealing them and passing them over as well as he could but his conscience could not alwayes be quiet he was sometimes full of fear and shame and sadness and anxiety and secret complaints But then in the 5th Verse he acknowledged his sin unto God and his iniquity he did not hide he consessed his transgressions unto the Lord and God forgave him As the other caused great disquiet this gave him ease Besides it begets and maintains in us some branches of humility it gives us a just and true opinion of our selves of our imperfections as well as perfections it makes us more see and acknowledge our obligations to and dependence upon God it makes us less fastuous and unreasonably contemptuous of others compared with our selves It makes us more to observe and be sensible of the desert of the great punishment due to sin God's goodness not considered and more earnestly to desire and sue for pardon and forgiveness from God and more to reckon our selves obliged to him and more to love him for it when granted all which have further good effects still The Examples of this in Scripture are frequent ordinary and well known as in Nehemiah's Prayer Nehem. 1. for God's acceptance and favour in general to him and the Jews and particularly that he would give him favour with the King of Persia that he might go and build Jerusalem He confesseth that he and his Fathers had sinned had dealt corruptly and proudly against God and had not kept his Commandments A more large and particular confession of the Levites is in the 9th Chapt. of Nehem. In David's Psalm are every where Examples especially when he prays for the pardon of his sins in Psalm 51. he earnestly importunes God for the forgiveness of his two great sins Verse 3 4 5. and then follows I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me And more generally the corruption or depravation of his nature it seems the most probable as it is a true sense is confessed by him Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me And Psalm 79. Verse 5. O God thou knowest my foolishness and my sins are not hid from thee He petitions God for help and deliverance both before and after And here after confession it may be seasonable to ask God pardon for the same faults we confessed and consequently that we may be the more capable of his favour in granting the other Petitions we shall make to him at the same time SECT V. III. A Third Ingredient of Prayer is Profession of future Obedience An express devoting our selves to God's will and consequently to all instances of goodness and holiness An actual resolution directed to God that we will not be any more guilty of those faults we confessed nor any other to the utmost of our power This if it be sincere is usually accompanied with a very serious and earnest intreaty and beseeching of God's grace and assistance for that end and a dependency upon him and trust in him for it Now this proceeds from the same habitual temper of mind that free confession did which sometimes may be preceded also by some actual resolution but here it is more express Here is excited on purpose by the soul her self an actual inclination will and resolution determination bent purpose of particular and universal obedience The principal reason of this is the same with the former and in the same manner it strengthens and emboldens our Petitions and Desires For this express and vigorous devoting our selves to obedience to God is certainly an evident sign to our selves of so much goodness in us and consequently that we are more capable of God's favour and that it is more consistent with his universal goodness righteousness or distributive justice to bestow good things upon us and particularly this which we now ask from him This further therefore excites in us an Opinion or Faith and consequently Trust that our Petitions may and will be granted which as I before said confirms and strengthens our Desire Whereas on the contrary finding the Soul backward and detracting loth and withdrawing it self from this frank Obedience to God as having some sin it knows well and is unwilling to leave makes a Man very justly ashamed and afraid to ask of God any thing And here we shall do well to have a special care we do not cosen our selves by a rash and heedless or premeditated Forgetfulness and Non-attendency out of Self-flattery or Pride and think and protest we do most universally quit our love to every sin and give up our selves to divine Obedience when if we took time and carefully examined we might find something for the present it may be many Lusts unmortified which upon Occasion would be too hard for our Obedience Nor may it be amiss to remember that there may be some lust which we might never have had the experience of and consequently which we cannot discover with strictest examination Have we a care also that we do not mistake in the Nature of Goodness its Instances and Degrees and confusedly fancy and conceit our selves good when we are not so or much more so than we are and that we being therefore without doubt very dear to God he must needs hear us a thing but too frequent Wherefore much Care and much Modesty well becomes us and we should refer our selves to God who perfectly knows the habitual Frame and Temper of our Minds after our own best Examination of our selves But besides this Principal and most proper Reason there are also as before some others As that this strong and vigorous Act of our Souls confirms and strengthens their habitual Inclination to Goodness This also confirms in us and makes more ready at hand the Opinion of God's Universal Goodness and Justice and engageth us to expect nothing from the
be remembred of their Wrath Revenge Pride Envy Conceit and Disobedience Fraud Deceit Injustice Violence Sacriledge Lust and Intemperance their neglect of God and their Duty towards him nay their aversation from hatred or contempt of Pious Performances they will either deny or excuse or justifie themselves therein These are the far greatest number But we may find some too on the other hand who are so melancholy fearful and timorous or angry and discontented with themselves that they are very apt to think those things sins in themselves and to accuse and condemn themselves for them which are not but only defects of knowledge or prudence when their principles were very right and innocent and they used as much or more care sometimes to do what they intended then they ought Nay some there may be who may think those things sins which are their material duty or they ought in prudence and wisdom to have done As when any person notwithstanding the stirring or tumultuating of any Lusts resisted disapproved comes to the Sacrament desirous heartily to be better and stronger against them and yet thinks he hath done amiss in coming before his heart was better when this was his duty These same â—â—morous and discontented persons also are apt to think themselves guilty of some faâ—lts when they are not or more then they are and to take notice of what 's bad and not what 's good in themselves They take notice of the frequent assaults of their excessive and immoderate Appetites and Lusts and sometimes of their being overcome and not at all of their disapprobation dislike resistance repelling and overcoming them the latter of which is as effectual a means of encouraging preserving and strengthening us in goodness as the former So also men may mistake in their Confession concerning Original Sin if not rightly informed as that we are guilty of Adam's personal Sin and so deserve Eternal Damnation therefore whereas the utmost that seems to be taught us by Scripture Reason and Experience which indeed is a great and a sad deal is that it may seem just to God or for the Universal Good to constitute such Laws of Nature that Children by the Mediation of their Bodys from their Parents may be born with inordinate and immoderate appetites or inclinations or with inclinations to some objects absolutely for themselves and stronger than that to holiness or righteousness in which is the nature of Sin These inordinate and immoderate appetites or inclinations being by Laws of Nature from certain temper or disposition of our bodys which is communicated from our Parents may very well be called Original or Birth-Sin as it is in our Church-Articles But all this though it be a very great Calamity to Children yet cannot be said to be their Punishment because no sin in them is supposed to have preceded but it is the Punishment of their Parents and of their First-Parents who have sinned to whom they are so related as to be looked upon by them and others as part of themselves and whom their Evil or Calamity seen or foreseen really doth affect Nay further These inordinate and immoderate Appetites or habitual Lusts or evil Concupiscences do certainly make it just for God to place such Souls in whom they are in some suitable state of imperfection and unhappiness sometime or in some degree or other best known to his infinite Wisdom if they be not removed or taken away as some think they are in Infants by Baptism But all this still is no Punishment to Children either for Adam's or any other 's personal Transgression The neglect of a Judaical observation of the Lord's day hath been and I suppose is still amongst some even very good person one of the most frequently or zealously confessed sins That they have spoke their own words and thought their own thoughts any time within the four and twenty hours that is as they interpet it any words or thoughts concerning any worldly Affair though it be hard to fix the bounds of worldly and religious which in it self might be hightly useful to ones self and to others and therefore lawful nay commanded on another day and this because they look upon the Jewish Sabbath only translated to another day by our Lord or his Apostles with the addition of the Commemoration of our Lord's Resurrection The Command concerning the Observation of which Jewish Sabbath they esteem Moral by which they mean that it is of perpetual obligation except where God himself hath altered it as they think he hath in respect of the day In all which I think there are many mistakes As 1. That the Jews themselves were forbidden for the entire space of twenty four hours of their Sabbath all thoughts and words nay actions themselves which were not the immediate worship of God internal or external or very nearly relating thereunto As for Actions it is not to be doubted but that first those which might be necessary to make them spend a greater part of that time in the immediate worship of God with more vigour and fervency were never forbidden and therefore those which were for the best refreshment of the body with food and those which were for diversion sometimes which to some persons might necessarily take up a good part of their time such as walking and talking about innocent or useful affairs of Life and interposing these so much as might make them fitter for the commanded Worship of God and that which their own prudence might add in publick private or secret Nor 2. Is it more to be doubted that those actions were never forbidden which were of greater good effect just at that time and in those circumstances and many such there may be which must be left to mens sincere prudence than the immediate Worship of God As for Example A Man's pulling his Neighbour's or his own Ox or Ass or Sheep out of a Ditch where they would certainly perish It is our Saviour's own Instance How much more to ride many miles Post more than many of their Sabbath days Journey to save a Man's Life ready to perish by some Disease or by violent assault of wicked Murtherers And as for words and thoughts they had in this respect still more liberty For abundance of actions and otherwise very useful and good would be inconsistent with and indispose a man to the immediate Worship of God the words or thoughts concerning which for a small time may not but clean contrary conveniently and fitly divert or refresh a man and be the cause of his better performance thereof The place in Isaiah the 58. which hath been usually quoted to this purpose is If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day anâ— call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Where firâ—â— the words from doing thy pleasure on my holy day signifie and
perform their Duty to him where also his Justice or punitive Goodness and the Psalmist concludes with as general an acknowledgment by his mouth speaking the praises of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever Read also a magnificent particular acknowledgment of God's Power Goodness and Wisdom in Psalm 104. which begins bless the Lord O my Soul O Lord my God thou art very great thou art cloathed with Honour and Majesty who coverest thy self with light as with a garment who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain and then ends O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy riches that is of plenty and abundance of good things For reasonable trust in God we meet with the most significant Expressions every where of the greatest and boldest degree thereof both as to particular favours of Peace Plenty good Name and Honour c. and also in general Psalm 37. Verse 3 4 5 6. and so on throughout the whole Psalm Trust in the Lord and do good behave thy self as thou oughtest and do thy Duty so shalt thâ—â— dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee thine hearts desire Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass c. Psalm 146. Verse 3. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the Son of man in whom there is no help And Verse 5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God who made Heaven and Earth c. And how often doth the Psalmist seem to be exalted above himself and triumph in his trust confidence and firm hope in God For Confession and Grief for Sin see the reality and seriousness of it in the 38 Psalm Verse 3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger nor any rest in my bones because of my sin And Verse 18. I will declare mine Iniquity I will be sorry for my sin The 51 Psalm is a known Example both of David's hearty confession of and piercing grief and bitterness of Soul for his sins as also of the vehemencies of his desire and petition to God for purging and pardon to cleanse and rectifie his Soul and to forgive him and then to grant him Joy Comfort and Peace Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions c. We may read the whole Psalm than which there cannot be any thing more pathetical O Lord open my mouth and my lips shall shew forth thy praise that is give me an occasion and a cause of acknowledging and praising thee in this thy particular favour of granting me Purification Pardon Peace and enable me to do it and then I resolve also to declare and make known how much thou deservest to be praised thanked loved admired by me and all men As for Profession of Obedience there are not many Verses in the 119 Psalm in which we have not some Emphatical signification of the firmness and unmovableness of his resolution the very frequency is a great sign thereof Verse 97. Oh how I love thy Law Verse 103. How sweet are thy words unto my tast sweeter than honey to my mouth Verse 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments Ver. 111. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage â—â—r ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Ver. 127. I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above sine Gold Ver 131. I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments c. Are these the Words and Expressions of a cold indifferent or of a luke-warm man in his love to resolution for Righteousness and consequently for the Commands of God For the Psalmist's Thankfulness and Love to God for his Benefits to him in particular the passages and places are as numerous Psalm 86. Verse 12. I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore for great is thy Mercy towards me thou hast delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or from the deep Grave or the Grave underneath that is from Death which had overtaken me and seized upon me had it not been for thy special eare A very pathetical and emphatical Expression of his Love and Thankfulness to God both for his personal Favours towards himself and those towards his own Nation the People of the Jews nay towards all his Works in all places is the 103 Psalm all which Read we heedfully and imitate Verse 1. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits who forgiveth all thine Iniquity and healeth all thy Diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies c. And lastly his Petitions and Desires are with the greatest fervency and importunity signified and expressed and that principally in the things of greatest concernment especially considering his case sometimes fain to fly to Idolatrous People for shelter as particularly for to be admitted and restored to the external publick Worship of the true God as it was by himself instituted in order to his internal Worship which as I have above said contains all Religion nay all Duty Psalm 42. Verse 1. As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Psalm 63. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee My Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is to see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee The Psalmist Asaph very passionately expresseth his Joy repoâ—e and â—â—quiescence in God in that of the 73 Psalm Verse 25. Whom have I in Heaven and I have delighted in nothing on Earth in compare with thee or with thee at all that is besides thee as our Translation hath it That is I put my Trust and place my Delight neither in any God the Heathen Gods nor man in compare with thee or together with thee Thou art my Ultimate Trust my chiefest Delight My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever The like earnestness and fervency may be observed when the Psalmist prays for deliverance from his so great and malicious Enemies that they sought utterly to ruine him to defame and reproach him by malicious and mischievous slanders and so banish him perpetually or take away his life or when he prays for
one of the best Ways to obtain an End by any certain Means to have it perpetually and only in our Mind and Intention when we are using that Means Like as it is a most probable Means to hit the Mark to have it steadily in our Eye or to come to a certain Place to have it as frequently in our Thoughts as needs whither we are going And in truth the neglect of this seems to be one of the most frequent Causes why in many particular Churches as the Church of Rome they have so many Constitutions and Rites either perfectly useless to this great End of the inward Worship of God and universal Holiness of Soul or so little and remotely subservient thereto that either they have seldom attained it or it is not worth the trouble of the Governor and Governed to constitute and observe them or finally they are contrary thereto and more Obstructions and Hindrances thereof Other meaner and more puerile or vulgar Ends and Designs as Beauty Ornament and Pomp or sometimes wicked and selfish ones as Honour Power and Wealth have interposed and quite intercepted the End above mentioned Not but that I think they all of them may honestly and prudently be adhibited in some degree in order to that End but we are to scorn that such mean things should terminate our View and be the ultimate end of our Constitutions Secondly A second means to know what external Worship constituted tends to the promoting of the internal Worship of God is the most exact Knowledge of humane Nature we can get to know what external Signs or other Circumstances of the internal Actions or Operations of our Minds do most naturally cause them in us which are exceeding various according to the Variety of Tempers Usages and Constitutions of single Persons or whole Nations some there are which may be general and well near universal And here we must use principally our own Reason Experience and Observation both in our selves and others We may also make use of others Observation and Experience and consequently their Usages and Constitutions as it follows in the next Particular For what may be further observed in this I refer the Reader to what he will find in the latter end of this Treatise viz. concerning the due Qualifications of the external Signs both of Sense and Operations of Soul in Prayer Thirdly A third Means is all Testimony both divine and humane whether we have it from express Words and Injunctions as in Scripture Commands or Canons of Councils c. or from Examples and Practice Which Testimony is so much more valuable as the Persons are more sincere in the End before mentioned and more prudent and discreet to know and observe the Means which will best attain it Moreover it is carefully to be observed whether their Testimony be concerning the same thing to be constituted i. e. the same or rather the like in all Circumstances which may alter the case Whether that the Circumstances be not so different as that that external Worship which was then and there for Edification or promoting of the internal Worship of God or universally of more good Consequence than bad be not so now amongst those who are to make use of their Testimony Particular respect must be had to the Extent of the Constitution whether it were to all Christians of all Places and Times or directed only to a particular Church and for a certain time And here in the first place comes in divine Testimony any Constiâ—utions to all Christians made by God himself which are undoubtedly to be perpetually observed as tending to the true end thereof before mentioned These if there be any besides the general one of Decency and Order are to be sought for in the New Testament Next may be taken notice of all the particulars of the external Worship of the Jews appointed by God himself also in the Old Testament where all Circumstances are to be considered before they are imitated and whether there were not some peculiar ones which made them necessary then or very subservient to the internal Worship of God or other good Effects the which now being wanting may render them useless or of more bad than good Effect It is certain most of their Constitutions in their external Worship were of this kind as all their Sacrifices their distinction of Meats their legal Uncleannesses their Festivals c. It is as certain that some of them were such as may be well imitated by most Christian Churches now in order to the aforesaid Ends. As a setled Maintenance for the Officers of Religious Worship and perhaps their Age when they should be admitted to minister in those holy Offices and their number and abundance more A great many of them have been by way of imitation introduced into very ancient Christian Churches some sooner some later as much of the Situation Division Form of our Churches and Church-yards in Imitation of their Temple The Habits of those who officiate in Religious Assemblies Caps Hoods Surplices Cassocks Girdles seem to have been in Imitation of the Priests Bonnet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Ephod or half-Coat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Robe as our Translation calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the long Coat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Belt or Girdle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Canon for all persons communicating three times in the year at least seems likewise an imitation of the Jewish Law that all Males should appear three times in the year before the Lord in Jerusalem There are others yet which might be named of somewhat more consequence The Church of Rome have had some Rites possibly with no bad intent at first from the Heathens among whom the Christians for many hundreds of years lived promiscuously as their sprinkling Things and Persons with their holy Water Villas Domos Templa totasque Urbes aspergine circumlatae aquae expiant passim saith Tertullian Tertull. de baptis of the Heathens Lastly may be observed the Constitutioâ— of external Worship in all particular Christian Churches from the beginning to thâ— time and more especially the most ancient anâ— therefore in those which were founded anâ— governed by the Apostles Where again 〈◊〉 Circumstances are as is before said to be coâ—sidered with Reason and Prudence before uâ—proceed to Imitation We are not to thiâ—â— presently that every Constitution or Practiâ—â— we meet with in every Urban or Provinciâ—â— Church nay in many or most is to be imitted in ours Many might there be very laâ—dable and which then might the most obtain the Ends so often mentioned which 〈◊〉 our Circumstances may not but be useleâ—â— or may hinder or in general may be of veâ—â— much more ill consequence than good 〈◊〉 particularly their Quantity or Quality 〈◊〉 Fasting Plunging in Baptism c. in whicâ— things there is great Difference to be madâ— meerly upon the account of the Climate lived in The indiscreet and promiscuous Retention and
break off such courses praying to God importunately for his help so to do and that we may be forgiven for Christ's sake all that is past that is in one word that God would give us Repentance Some of these things thus understood and such like may be expressed in Sentences of Scripture thus That God would grant unto us and help us to present our selves a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God our most reasonable Service and that we may not be conformed to this World to the wicked Manners thereof but be transformed by the renewing of our Mind that we may prove what is the acceptable and perfect Will of God Rom. 12. Verse 1. That God would quicken us when dead in Trespasses and Sins and walking according to the Course of this World Ephes 2. Verse 1. That we may put off concerning the former Conversation the old Man which is corrupt according to the deâ—eitful Lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of our Minds and put on the new Man created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes 4. Verse 22. That we may deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and live righteously soberly and godly in this present World We especially to whom the saving Grace and Favour of God by Christ hath appeared and been made manifest Titus 2. Verse 11. That we may cast off the Works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light All Virtues commended to us by Christianity which gives us so large and clear a Knowledge thereof And walk honestly as in the Day not in rioting and drunkenness c. but put on the Lord Jesus Christ that is his Temper and Spirit which he was of and which he taught a Temper and Life according to the Doctrine and Example of Christ and make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13. Verse 12. That as Christ's or as Christians we may crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Gal. 5. Verse 24. In this and such like manner we may conceive express and signifie our hearty unfeigned eager Desires that God would make us in general holy righteous good conscientious honest virtuous regenerate converted renewed penitent and keep us so and make us more and more so to our Lives end But this in general may most often not suffice but we may proceed further to the general Instance or Subject of Righteousness viz. Universal Charity or Benevolence to all the Universe God and all his Creation and then to particular Virtues which are but so many Instances or Instruments of Universal Charity As Love to God for himself as a Being infinitely perfect and most capable of Happiness and therefore rejoycing that his Perfection and Happiness is so great as to receive no Addition Further to love him without any reference to our selves separately but as a Being infinitely good and benign and using all his other Perfections of Power and Knowledge to do good with to all his Creation of which we have a share even all that we have that 's good being the Effect thereof nay all evil things absolutely in themselves considered to any particular Creature are permitted and disposed by him for the good of his whole Creation and therefore all things that are come from his Goodness And this is that very Perfection of Righteousness and Holiness and its only Instance Universal Love and Benevolence in God which we before were to desire for our selves and when we pray to God that we may love him if we have but a tolerable distinct conceit of him it is principally that we may love Righteousness and Holiness Universal Beneficence and Love it self For these are the principal Attributes of his Nature God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love therefore dwelleth in God Pray we therefore to God that he would work in us a sincere strong habitual Love to himself that we might love him with all our Hearts and Minds and Might and Strength and Understanding Matt. 22. Verse 37. And that he would direct our Hearts into the love of himself 2 Thess 3. Verse 5. Next to this may follow Charity which more precisely signifies Love and Good Will to all Creatures To do which to each particular with the limitation of its desert i. e. so as is most consistent with our Universal Love to all and as far as we see effective of the greatest good of the whole is the true notion of Justice or giving to every one his due I say to all Creatures within our Cognizance according to our Knowledge of them to the holy Angels holy Souls departed hence all Mankind to all Christians our own Country Town Family Relations We are to apply our general Will and Power of doing good to the whole by doing good to each particular as we are best able and can best reach and this all the ways we can which being the various kinds distinguished by Means or Parts or other Logical Respects of doing good or of Charity as is before said are so many Graces or Virtues Pray we therefore that God would make us just merciful compassionate chatable in Alms-giving candid covering of faults most ready to take notice of and commend what is good to pass by and conceal what is bad in men patient forbearing forgiving liberal hospitable ready to visit relieve and comfort the Sick those in Want the languishing in Anguish Pain and Grief to contribute what we can to and rejoyce in the good of any one particular in others Plenty of the good things of thâ— World so long as they would use them weâ— But especially to instruct exhort encouragâ— give them good Example wish they migâ— use all good things well and not be â— unworthy and undeserving of them thâ— neither God nor good Men may think it â— they should have them to adventure our oâ— Credit and good Opinion among others anâ— our Ease if it be necessary for the Discoâ—ragement and Suppression of Vice Some of those things we may express iâ— the Words of Scripture That we may sâ—fer long be kind envy not vaunt not â—â— selves not be puffed up c. 1 Cor. 13. Verse â— Further that we may be inspired with thâ— most self-denying Temper refusing our seâ—â— Pleasure ultimately and absolutely consequenâ—ly that our Corruptions or Lusts that is aâ— our selfish and immoderate Appetites and Iâ—clinations which are corrupt might be cleaâ—sed and mortified such as Malice Hatred Revenge Anger Wrath Pride Ambition Vain-glory false self-Conceit Covetousness Affectation of Superiority in any thing â— Equality Liberty Desire to be feared suâ—â— unto Contemptuousness Obstinacy Self Will Peevishness Envy Slander and Detraction Intemperance Luxury Lasciviousness Chambering and Wantonness Immoderate and Inordinate Love of Games bodily â—r mental Exercises and Actions c. In words of Scripture That we might not â—lfil these Lusts of the Flesh viz. Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Haâ—ed Variance Emulation Wrath Strife Seâ—tions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunâ—enness Revelling and such like which things
a mind to know It is as a thing of great consequence to be advised here That those who educate and look after Children especially Mothers than which they cannot do a more tender Office of Love and Care do cause their Children after rising and before going to bed to utter some short Sentences of Petition and the Lord's Prayer and 't would do well to add the Paraphrase upon it in the Publick Catechism and to learn them betimes to acknowledge and worship their Maker And cannot then they do at least so much and it is like somewhat more themselves And might not all others find as much time as that will come to if they had a mind to it But this especially as I above said may they do whose affairs are known to be at certain times whose affairs are more in their disposal and less indispose them and such especially may they be whose affairs are most within doors and domestick who are not wearied and tired with bodily labour though persons oft do this too more than they need and when they need not What should hinder most persons every day as soon as they rise from retiring a little by themselves and also with their Families so many as their affairs will spare and let them not be spared without considerable necessity praying to God to keep them from all sin and danger that day and all their lives to give them grace and peace the good things of the Soul and of the Body the good things of this Life and that which is to come that they may live well discreetly innocently beneficiently profitably to their Neighbour pleasingly to God comfortably to themselves here with peace and well-grounded repose and joy being prepared for a more perfect and happy Life in Heaven Further that they may have their Sins pardoned true repentance for them instilled obedience and holy resolution excited and confirmed in them that they might love God be grateful to their Friends forbear and forgive and do good to their Enemies even to all encourage Virtue and Goodness check and restrain Vice and ill-doing prudently in their place and calling and with all sincerity for the good of the World That they might not that day be malicious uncharitable selfish proud ambitious envious revengeful vain-glorious wrathful sensual lascivious intemperate drunken prophane by lewd swearing irreverent towards God or commit any other sin they know themselves to be most particularly in danger of That they might be prospered in worldly affairs and delivered from the evils of Body Name Estate as shall seem most fit to God And so in like manner to give thanks for any of the good things they have received I say what should hinder most men generally in some length or other from doing this in the morning and so likewise again at night if they had a mind to it Why may we not apply our minds to these things in a morning first except upon an extraordinary occasion as well as to lascivious objects or worldly affairs or the contrivance it may be of some sin some evil action or other My voice shalt thou hear or hear thou in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my Prayer or my self unto thee c. And Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray and cry aloud Psalm 5. 3. and Psalm 55. Verse 17. saith David These places indeed do not prove he did this always or constantly used these stated times but the first of them proves plainly at least that he did it in the morning sometimes and the second more probably Evening Morning and Noon may be also a synechdochical Expression for praying to God very frequently and at all times when he had occasion And so when it is said seven times a day I will praise thee may be meant only very often and that it is likely by Ejaculatory Praises too or that upon some days he might solemnly perform it just so many times And so that in the Thessalonians ist Epist 5 Chap. 17 Verse Pray without ceasing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is either meant of Praying for every kind of thing as it follows in the next Verse in every thing give thanks And Philip. 4. Verse 6. In every thing c. or praying very frequently especially Ejaculatory Prayers or praying to the end of our Lives it is a Duty which will never here be needless or to be left off To do thus constantly and frequently would much keep men sober discreet consciencious upright the following day and consequently also fit them for God's Blessing in all their other affairs and consequently make them be joyous and chearful and benignly disposed whereas popping in now and then a Prayer especially before a Sacrament or on a Lord's day times which none that are so much engaged in worldly affairs should omit by any means will do much less good and the Influence soon wear out and be forgot and then most of the Interval they are as bad as ever and never the better Finally We may all take this advisement and remember it that whatever our affairs are and how much-soever they necessarily hinder our thus worshipping of God and this our Duty towards him yet we are to take care this be not with our consent that we are not content there with so as not to watch for an opportunity otherwise to dispose them and not to look upon it as an unhappiness let it not be want of good-will in us by no means but let us be so disposed that we would do it withal our heart and much oftner if we could we believing it manifestly our perfection to be more immediately employed in spiritual things and to converse with God And I little doubt but that he that is so disposed will soon find sometimes or other to perform this his reasonable Duty to God We are to do this too as often as other affairs which are not of greater concernment may permit And in this bodily Life in which we are supposing it ought to be maintained many called little affairs considered without their consequences considered with them are great matters As due times and qualities and quantities of meat drink habitation sleep c. for without these no living our bodies will not be upheld nor sit for Prayer nor any thing either spiritual or corporal to do it to any good purpose And we may contract by ill use of these or want of these many evil dispositions of mind as morosity dâ—â—content too much serupulosity superstition suspicion of our selves and others a belief that every thing that is in us is bad never looking at any thing that is good in us or thinking it is not so fearfulness unactiveness peevishness so that it may be and full oft is of greater concernment to mind these ordinary affairs necessities or conveniencies of this bodily life than directly to pray And if we do all these things with discretion and that we may be more fitted to serve and please
which though it be very true and to be pray'd for yet it is not the sense of those Expressions The sense of the Churches of Judea which were in Christ Galat. 1. Verse 22. And salute Andronicus and Junia c. which were in Christ before me Rom. 16. 7. is those that were Christians So also if we pray that Christ may be in us that he may dwell in us that we may put on Christ or the Lord Jesus add we by way of Paraphrase and more known Expressions that we may firmly believe Jesus to be the Holy One of God and his Holy Doctrine to be true that our selves may be deeply and constantly endued with those most excellent qualities of such Knowledge and Holiness Wisdom and Goodness which are the proper Effects of or according to the Doctrine and Example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which is the sense of Galat. 3. Verse 27. As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ that is at least have believed his Doctrine And of Rom. 13. Verse 14. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Hereby also besides the Sentences the true sense of those Sentences of Scripture may be conveyed at the same time which was most-what well enough known to whom it was written but is not yet among us as it seems So also when we make our Acknowledgments of the Divine Attributes in Scripture Sentences in Prayer let us choose rather such as are most plain and therefore most proper or as little figurative as may be As Thou that knowest the hearts of all men Acts 2. the searcher of hearts and tryer of reins Thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth c. Acts 4. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable That the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him That the Lord is gracious full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy good to all and his tender mercies over all his works Psalm 145. That he is our heavenly Father the only true God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ When we use those Expressions that are spoken of God A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the likeness of men it may be best to add at least sometimes some proper word or phrase for explication and prevention of mistake especially in vulgar apprehension For Example if we should say Thy Throne O Lord is in Heaven thy eyes behold thy eye-lids try the children of men Psalm 11. Verse 4. it may follow In Heaven are the most excellent manifestations of thy presence of thy greatness and goodness yet thou most exactly knowest all things here upon Earth and whatsoever is in man If we should say Thou Lord lookest from Heaven and beholdest all the sons of men from the place of thy habitation thou lookest upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth Psalm 33. Verse 13. we may add these or other more fit Expressions according to the Auditory Thy Power and Knowledge thy Providence is extended from Heaven to Earth that is every where To thee the effects of whose power wisdom and goodness are the most perfect and great in the heavenly Regions is also perfectly known whatsoever is here upon this Earth When we say God is angry with the wicked and loveth the righteous we may add punisheth the one and willeth and doth good to the other The Expressions of The Lord is full of compassion and slow to anger may be followed with The Lord doth plentifully and frequently relieve the miserable distressed afflicted and delayeth or forbeareth to punish sinners It is a very true and useful Rule in Divinity that those Expressions in Scripture which properly signifie Humane Passions applied to God they signifie only the Effects of such Passions I do not think but that the learned unlearned but especially the last often grosly enough and falsly conceive God with Humane Passions place and other imperfections Besides the frequent use of such proper Expressions will make it more easie to conceive the true spiritual and perfect Nature of God SECT XVIII 2. I Advise those who are capable thereof to Contemplation Consideration Examination that they may find out and observe particularly what may be fit and proper matter for each of the parts of Prayer before mentioned that they may judge and be satisfied concerning the truth and usefulness of each thing when it is useful and when it is most so or its seasonableness that they might also often reflect upon and observe the intention purpose and end they have in their Prayers purifie their hearts from all insincerity and hypocrisie that they may quicken and stir up in themselves those affections or inclinations which are fit and proper according as they see the truth and usefulness of things upbraiding and reproaching themselves with an unreasonable dulness and insensibleness of those things which they ought to be and are capable of being more affected withal If any of us have time or ability use we it to meditate upon God his Nature his Attributes his Actions as long and as particularly as we can to consider to judge to examine what he truly and really is and doth and accordingly to stir up our affections and inclinations of Admiration Honour Love Desire Fear Faith and Hope Obedience Submission and Self-resignation In Confession Thanksgiving and Petition the thing is yet more easie and in some measure may be done by the ignorantest and weakest For who cannot if he would take some time to look back upon his life upon what he hath done in his Youth in his riper age when in this or that or t'other place Condition Calling or Employment what was well what was ill done by him where he was innocent and sincere where not what he hath been or done the last year or week or day who cannot enter into account and call to mind the common Blessings that he and others do constantly receive from God and moreover particularly many favours spiritual of good Instructions wise pious wholesome Counsel and Advise good Example from his Minister or his Friends Relations and Neighbours many good suggestions and motions of Conscience that have kept him from wickedness or put him on to what was good temporal ones also of prosperity health deliverance plenty or competency or at least some degree of Necessities of this Life who is there that cannot reflect upon God's goodness in forbearance when he hath reflected upon his sins and the gracious offers and assurances of his pardon and forgiveness for Christ's sake upon his true repentance and inward habitual change and amendment of temper and life and consequently of Heaven and a happier Life after we here expire and leave this earthly body And so in like manner for Petition the meanest person surely may in a very little time learn to know much of what he would have and what he ought to have If any one should give the meanest and ignorantest person notice to let him know what he wanted and
what he would have yet nothing but what was honest and just for him to ask promising him withal a full supply I suppose one should soon have a good long Petition And if thou canst tell a charitable and wise man what thou wouldst have and thou thinkest justly canst thou not tell God hast thou nothing to say to him or desire of him who cannot also somewhat consider whether what he asks of God be honest and just and at last refer all freely without grudging to the wisdom and goodness of God as humble and well conditioned Beggars should do nay in spiritual things the meanest person may with some thought know much what to ask Is it so hard for one to take notice of what Sin or Lust he hath been guilty of the last week or day and to what he is prone and from what he cannot abstain without much difficulty or is careless whether he doth or no Is it so hard for a person to know whether he hath been guilty of or prone to Prophaness Neglect of God Swearing and Forswearing foolish rash false and fraudulent Affirmations and Oaths to Malice Hatred Revenge Wrath Pride Vain-glory Contention Brawling Reviling Slander Drunkenness Lust or any other Sensuality When he knows it behold matter for his Prayer This may be done before secret Prayer and upon solemn occasions especially As for others either Sins or Wants and consequently in Prayers with others it is not so easie to observe and mention them with prudence but those who can may make use of their Consideration here also It is easie for any one to understand how this Consideration and Reflection tends to the furnishing of our minds more or less according as we can make use of it with matter for our Prayers and that very particular true just important as also how it tends to make us sincere real and serious more fervent more easily frequent and seasonable in our Prayers And so also if we be to pray with others we may consider of our words or speech and gesture what are such as I have described and what are contrary thereto And the more we do consider of such things the better we are like to use them And the want of this is one cause why there is and hath been so many miserable defects in the due Qualifications mentioned and in others in the performance of this Duty why Prayers both alone and with others have been so full of what 's false unjust absurd and unreasonable for God to give trifling and of little use barren and contracted or vainly repeated so full of hypocrisie and insincerity of coldness and formality of impertinency and unseasonableness of ofsensive expressions and deportments of obscurity superfluity and Tautology Men have been put or have put themselves upon the frequent performance of them by their own Invention and composing without any consideration or other general sufficient Instruction before at any time in their lives much less before each particular Prayer and some few persons who could have performed this Duty especially with others pretty well themselves have not considered how few there have been that could do likewise There are two extremes in religious performances to be avoided the one which judgeth people generally to be of less ability and capacity than they are and accordingly allows them less liberty than ought to be and another which judgeth them to be of greater capacity and therefore allows them too much Of the one the Romanists are notoriously guilty of the second all or most of those Sects which protest against and separate from National or more publick and large Churches of which the reason is obvious SECT XIX 3. MAke use of other mens Prayers that is composed by them Let us serve our selves of others labours and pains in this kind Do not either through laziness neglect or through self-conceit vain-glory affectation to do all thy self though far worse than if thou hadst followed or imitated another disdain to make use of this help and means And this whether the Prayers thou mayst make use of be pronounced only or written whether they may be heard only by thee such as are those which are recited in Publick by Ministers and Preachers or by others whose Examples are considerable in private Or they may be read also such as are the Publick Prayers which are or may be compoâ—ed by the Church or such as are on purpose composed for Families and for Closets or for private and secret These last which are to be read more especially choose we for our use as being invented and composed with more care attention and choice and therefore the more likely to have all those due Qualifications mentioned which written or printed things can have Here also choose by the advice of the most knowing persons those which are written by the most understanding and discreet unprejudiced and impartial pious and godly persons For the use of these means or helps it may be advisable to commend to most persons these four steps according to persons abilities or leisure and time First Make use altogether of some Prayers composed by others and of variety of them as for Morning for Evening for the Lord's day before and after the Publick Worship for the Lord's Supper before and after it for Fasting Times or Times of Thanksgiving either for publick or private Afflictions or Favours in case of Sickness or Danger in case of Deliverance c. let these be thy entire Prayers Hereby it is most likely Persons will be far better furnished than they can from themselves with things that are true just important and of greatest moment even to them and with considerable variety too with the most general and comprehensive things They will find here quickning and stirring Examples of Sincerity of Fervency They will also be instructed with the best Speech and Expressions both of Sense and Affections of Things and Operations of Soul the most proper usual and clear ones and with such profitable variety thereof as I have heretofore mentioned Those who cannot read the Number of which will be every day fewer I hope let them get to recite some short Prayers by Memory first having learnt them from their Parents or others Such as the Lord's Prayer with the Explication of it and the sum of the Ten Commandments in the Church-Catechism turn'd â—nto a Prayer and other short comprehensive Forms more or fewer according to their Ability and let Parents be careful to teach their Children such as these before it may be they can read and when they can read direct them to some of the best and see they say them Though thou prayest thus out of a Book yet if thou prayest because thou judgest the things true just necessary and of great Importance to thee and thou prayest with a sincere Heart that thou mayst receive good things from God to please and serve him withal to do all good to others to be the most profitable and beneficial to the World
certain from the Scripture and Reason too that there are better consequences of willing to pray and of praying or desiring things from God than of omitting or neglecting it and particularly besides those many other excellent ones a little before mentioned the receiving of many good things for our selves and some the best we are capable of Better consequences than these I am sure the neglect or omission of petitioning God cannot so much as pretend to Nay hence also it further still follows that if we have any liberty or faculty of self-determination it is not only our perfection to pray but also our obligation such is my sense of that word For certainly we are bound to will and chuse that which is our perfection if we do not see it inconsistent with a greater good as surely we do not see this to be And thus much for the First Pretence SECT II. 2. A Second Pretence men make use of is want of Ability to Pray Alas they for their part are very ignorant of and not able to discern the truth justâ—ce importance of the matter of their Prayers they know very little they are ignorant of the Nature and Attributes of God they know or can remember very little of their own hearts and actions what are and what are not sins and of what they have been or are guilty And as little still are they able to know and call to mind the particular Favours and Benefits they have received or the things they want or should desire especially spiritual ones They want Prudence to attend to what is seasonable Moreover they are dull and heavy and inept to apprehend attend to be affected with such things Finally they want Understanding Memory Judgment Affection for God their Sins their Mercies their Wants and most of all do they want Invention and Memory for fit Words and Speech Alas how should they know to express themselves well Sometimes they have good things in their mind but they cannot speak them To this Effect is their Second Excuse To which I Answer 1. All this except that of want of Apprehension and Affection is no just Excuse for not joyning with others in Prayers either in Publick or Private it is no Excuse for not being at Prayers and coming to them For there most-what both things true just and useful very particularly sometimes and Words too are invented to our Hands And as for our apprehending conceiving and being affected with such things as our Prayers should contain many things we can in some measure apprehend and are affected withal in general as God's Power his Omnipresence his Universal Goodness his Mercy his Justice our own Temporal Wants and Mercies at least some very gross and palpable Sins Begin we here and mind we these things first And then as for other more particular and more spiritual things we must and may apply our Minds excite and stir up our Affections to them The oftner we do this the better we shall do it let us begin and try and use our selves to it a while How many who make this Excuse of Non-Ability are unwilling and backward so much as to joyn with others in praying either in Publick or Private A sign they have no Mind or Inclination to it they care not for their Duty and they are willing to be and do so still and indulge themselves in it Let Persons but use themselves to come and be present at Prayers they 'l find in time some good or other of it they 'l sometime or other apprehend something sometime or other their Affections may be touched and they may begin to find something which may please there Howsoever they will not be so averse thereform it will not be so tedious to them This especially if People live pretty sober Lives and they are not addicted to things which they know to be materially evil and naught but their chief Fault hath been they have not minded their due End in their Actions so much as they might have done 2. All this Non-Ability except again that of Ineptness to apprehend and to be affected with Spiritual things or the Matter of our Prayers which is to be remedied as aforesaid is no reasonable Excuse for our not using others Prayers or Forms either in the Scripture as the Lord's Prayer or composed by judicious and pious persons For here again are good Matter and Words ready for us and cannot we read or repeat these with Understanding and hearty Affections or learn them and repeat them by heart whether we can or cannot read The meanest and ignorantest and those who cannot read who I hope will be every day fewer can learn some such Prayers without Book shorter or longer fewer or more such as the Lord's Prayer and other Prayers none hath so bad a Memory as to do nothing in this kind And that all may have the less Excuse let Parents and those who Educate Children teach them some such Prayers as soon as may be That Persons may begin as soon as they are capable of understanding things to take notice of God their Creator and Sustainer from whom they have every thing 3. I have propounded some Means already which Men are able to make use of and by the Use of which Men may either be present at and joyn with others Prayers or read and repeat judicious and devout Forms of Prayers with Understanding and Affection in some degree or other and they may still further advance some at least to compose Prayers of their own out of others Prayers or their own Inventions and Observations or both together Can we not read nor hear read the Holy Scripture and understand the plain places and some of us the obscure by others Explication Can we not read other good Religious Books or hear them read can we not sometimes retire meditate reflect think of God and our selves what we are what we would be what we should be what we shall be Can we not read observe commit to Memory the Patterns of other wise and good Christians whether spoken or written Can we not pray to God to help and assist us to obtain one or more of the Qualifications of good Prayers especially Sincerity and Fervency I say cannot Persons use these Means I think they can All of them some or other more or less I know there are many Degrees in these things some Men can make use of more of these Means and more frequently All Men have not the like Ability or Opportunity but all have some And I do not think but the most busie dull ignorant and inept Persons may use more Means to be better than they are No Men that are imperfect and bad do all they can to become better Not so much as the Beggar who goes from Door to Door or sits upon the Dung-hill or waits upon Swine and Beasts And this is that which will be laid to their Charge be sure whatever else will and which will condemn them SECT III. 3. A Third
Excuse is that they want Time they have not Time If by not having Time Men mean that they do always employ themselves in something or other besides their Prayers I believe it is true for no Man can be perfectly idle so as to do or think nothing But if they mean they cannot have Time this I deny I think there is no Man so occupied and employed who cannot get some Time more or less and I confine not all Men to any certain Frequency or Length Nay I think few Men but may get some Time daily without hindrance or let to their other just Affairs but it would rather prove a help It is manifest by Experience that there are few Mens Lives in which there are not thousands of trifling unprofitable and sinful and mischievous Actions How much Time passeth away by Men with their Hands in their Pockets they do not know what to do they are fain to cast about and invent something to spend their Time in or they are prepared to take what 's next and that 's usually none of the best How many Hours are spent in unprofitable sinful Chat and Talk in Swearing by God and Cursing others and yet they cannot have Time to pray to God and pray for themselves and others How much Time superfluous do Men spend in Plays Games and Exercises in Drinking and turning down superfluous and intoxicating Cups and yet some few Minutes cannot be gotten to pray neither in Publick Private nor Secret For publick Prayers and other parts of the Worship of God reading and explaining his Word and Doctrine How many sit at Home and sleep or do any trifling Action or chuse something to do on purpose on that Time which they might as well or better do at another or wander about idly Besides on the Lord's day are not all other Occupations at least the most unnecessary by Law and Consent laid aside on purpose that Men might have Time they have it then for private and secret Devotion as well as for publick and yet we see most Men will not take it What reason then have we to think that Men cannot find Time on other days when we see they will not make use of it when it is put into their hands Nor do I think that Men generally are so toiled or tired or dull with their week's Work but that they might take some Time on that day Further If thy Employments should be more innocent useful or pâ—â—fitable and should fill up all thy Time which I do not think but that some days at least there is leisure make some room for thy Prayers get some Time By what right have those things all thy Time and thy Prayers none at all Sure I am thy Prayers deserve it as well as most other of thy most useful Affairs and are as good and necessary even to thee but why then should they alone be excluded from some share of thy Time and all other Things have theirs why should they not have so much as a few Minutes in a day For some Sport or Game or Divertisement even daily thou wouldst make Time in thy most profitable and useful Affairs Thou wouldst begin them sooner or defer them longer or end them later or dispatch them quicker why not then for thy Prayers which sure are sometimes at least as good as thy Divertisements Time we cannot get Time can we have Time to think and talk of our Neighbour's good Qualities and it is well if we did it oftner tâ— instance in to praise and magnifie the worthy Endowments and Deeds of any virtuous discreet and beneficent Person and how much we and the Town or the Country or the Publick is beholding to him and yet we cannot have Time to acknowledge God's Power Wisdom and Goodness of which our Lives and all the Universe are full and every thing thou or others are or do is in him and by him Time have we not Time to thank God for his numberless and incomparable past Favours present Blessings and future Hopes for which we need not stir over our Thresholds and yet can get it to make civil Visits on purpose to thank Persons for any considerable Instances of their Kindness though Men are not apt to be over grateful here neither Time why should we have Time to enjoy and make use of all other God's Favours and not of this which is the greatest of all from whence springs the most sweet satisfying Pleasure viz. our Capacity of attending to honouring trusting in depending upon loving God offering professing resolving our Love Service and Obedience to him If we be under any Affliction and our Soul bowed down with Grief or in any Perplexity or difficult Affair we can find Time to unbosome our selves to a Friend to crave their Counsel their Comfort their Assistance any other way and we cannot forsooth have Time to do this same thing to God the best Friend we have in the World who would by making us good make us capable of receiving and then most freely give us all other good things Oh foolish and ungrateful Creatures all this Excuse of want of Time is but pretended and is indeed a sign of sottish Ignorance of our own good and of the badness of our own Hearts and Lives We know not our own Happiness and are perfectly loth to think of God and of such things as should be in our Prayers lest we should be engaged to be good and have our Minds and Affections taken off from worldly things to be set upon better and then pretend we have no Time The more plain Truth is we Would have no Time and are glad we can order it so as to have none at least we are very well content and then we complain and excuse it thus But let us not endeavour to deceive others and our selves it is better to confess the Truth that we have no Mind nor Will and then we shall be somewhat nearer mending the Fault And now it remains only that all persons be earnestly exhorted to the performance of this Duty so acceptable to God so beneficial to others so profitable and comfortable to our selves which will render us wiser better happier and whereby we may obtain all good things from God That they would frequent publick Prayers upon all just Occasions and sometimes if not for their own Benefit yet for good Example to others who want it as also hearing the Scriptures Read and Preaching that is the expounding confirming applying of the Scripture That they would enter also into their Closets and Pray in secret to God their heavenly Fathâ—â— especially upon solemn Occasions as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after the publick Worship of God on Lord's days and other days and most especially before the Lord's Supper That they would also Pray in private with their Families as many as they can get together or spare and this either by judicious and pious Prayers composed by others or their own if they be able All this as frequently and in such manner as their Ability and Opportunity will permit And that they would not let sluggishness or laziness deadness to holy things nay hatred and aversation from those things which will make them better to hinder them satisfying themselves with some Pretences and false Excuses which God and their Consciences even now much less another day will never allow of I leave it with Men's Consciences out of hearty love to God to them and my self I have discharged mine to them I am confident we following this Advice should all be soon much a better and soberer People live more conscientiously piously charitably peaceably comfortably both to our selves and others and all the Blessings of God would be multiplied upon us all here and we should be more fitted for Heaven hereafter FINIS Books following Sold by John Wright at the Crown on Ludgate-Hill In Folio SIr Walter Rawleigh's History of the World Heylin's Cosmography Dr. Taylor 's Cases of Conscience His Polemical Discourses Dr. Hammond's Annotations His Tracts Speed's Mapps at Large Hooker's Ecclesiasiastical Policy Pharmacopoea Londinensis or the London Dispensatory with Alterations and Additions Never before printed Sir Thomas Herbert's Travels with Additions never before printed Mr. Sanson's Geography Judge Hales Primitive Origination of Mankind Britannia Or A Geographical Description of England Scotland and Ireland With the Maps of each County at large In Quarto Dr. Brown's Vulgar Errors The Compleat Clark containing the best Form of Presidents Mr. Megie's French Dictionary Mr. Henry Smith's Sermons The History of the Seven Champions The History of Parismus and Parifmenus In Octavo Dr. Taylor 's Living and Dying Dr. Patrick's Witnesses to Christianity both Parts A Thousand Notable Things Sands Paraphrase on Job and Psalms M. Pooles English Parnassus The Parsons Councellor A Treatise of Judging one another Galen's Art of Physick Translated by N. Culpeper In Twelves Dr. Fettiplace Holy Exercise of Heavenly Grace Smith's Great Assize Davids Repentance Dent's Plain-Man's Path-Way to Heaven The Doctrine of the Bible