Labour for that which cannot satisfie Let uâ— look uâ—to Christ whom we have peirced and moâ—rn Let us â—tâ—rnally fall out with Sin bâ—holâ—ing it bâ—smeâ—red wiâ—h the Bloud of Jesus Help us to bâ—lieve that Christ was made sin and bear the Curse that was due to us and to conclude that the Lord Jesus is as really given to us as the outward Elements Make us eager to Receive whole Christ and all his Benefits and to give up our selves wholly and immediately to him O thou God of all Grace make us perfect establish strengthen settle us and cause us to cleave unto the Lord with full Purpose of Heart Let Sabbaths be prized and improved le ts rejoyce when they come for then we have Opportunity to enter thy Sanctuary and approach thy Table Petitions for Perseverance Vphold me with thy free Spirit Hold thou me up and I shall be safe so shall I have Respect unto thy Precepts continually Thou art the Author be the Finisher of my Faith Fulfill all the good pleasure of thy Goodness and the work of Faith and power Thou givest Power to the Faint and to them that have no Might thâ—u â—nâ— easeth Strength Oh strengthen me with strength in my Soul that I may Run and not be weary that I may Walk and not Faint Preserve me by thy mighty Power through Faith unto Salvation Let us not be of them that draw back unto Perdition but of them that Believe unto the Saving of the Soul O Lord who art of Power to establish us keep us from Falling and present us Faultless before the Presence of this Glory with exceeding Joy Petitions for Temporal Mercies Give us this day our Daâ—ly Bread Give â—e neither Poverty nor Riches feed me with Food convenient for me Let not our Table be a Snare and that which should have been for our VVelfare let it not become a Trap unto us O that thou wouldest Bless me indeed and enlarge my Court and that thy Hand may be with me and that thou wouldest keep me from Evil that it may not grieve me Make me in all my ways to Acknowledge thee and do thou direct my Paths 'T is in vain to rise up Early to sit up Late and eat the Bread of â—rrows Thy Blessings O Lord maketh Rich and thou addest no Sorrow with it Be a Sun to Enlighten a Shield to Defend me and no good Thing with-hold from me Make thy Light to shine upon my Tabernacle and set an Hedge about me and cause the VVork of my Hands â—o prosper and let me have an Heart to Honour thee with the Substance thou hast given me and to make a Friend of the Mammon of Varighteousness Watch over me perpetually and that none may hurt me O Lord keep me nigâ—t and â—ay Preserve my going out and my comming in lead me not into Temptation but deliver me from evil and especially from sin which is of â—ll the greatest Petitions in reference to Death Oh that we were wise to consider our latter end Teach us so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisedom All the dayes of our appointed time let us wait till our change comes let us die dayly to sin and to the world and live to God through Christ Jesus Help us to make sure work for Eternity living the life of the Righteous that we may also die the death of the Righteous Oh that we may pass the time of our sojourning here in fear and as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against our Souls What is our life 't is even a vapour which appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away let us not defer our beleiving and repentance but while 't is called to day hear thy Voice and not harden our hearts any longer Let death be ours as well as life and let the sting of death be taken out before we feel it Deliver us from the fear of death and suffer us not all our life time to be subjected unto bondage Put us in mind of our great account for shortly we must be no longer stewards Let us act as those that believe God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Here we have no continuing City therefore let us mind that City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Let our Heart and Treasure be above let our Loyns be girded about and our Lights burning and our selves as those that are watching and waiting for our Lords appearing Let the prize of the high calling be in our Eye that we may press towards the mark and more and more abound in the work of the Lord. Let us groan to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven desiring nothing more than to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. And labour exceedingly that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him 5. The fifth part of Prayer is Intercession for others The Church is to be prayed for Save thy People bless thine inheritance rule them also and lift them up for ever Be a wall of fire round about Mount Sion that it may stand fast continually Preserve that little Flock unto whom thoou hast promised to give the kingdom Let thy delight be in Jerusalem grave her on the palms of thy Hands let her walls be continually before thee let her builders make hast and cause her destroyers to depart from her Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy Pasture look down from Heaven the habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory Where is thy zeal and thy strength and the earning of thy bowels and of thy mercies are they restrained Awake awake put on strength O Arm of the Lord Awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old Art not thou he that hast broken Rahab and wounded the Dragon Shew thy marvellous loving-kindness O thou that savest by thy right hand those that put their trust in thee from them that rise up against them Vnite thy people together let them not bite and devour one another but endeavour by all lowliness and meekness longsuffering and forbearing one another in love to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Let Truth shine forth and mistakes be discovered Oh let the light of the moon be as the light of the Sun and the light of the sun seven-fold as the light of seven dayes and at last bind up the breach of thy people and heal the stroke of their wound Bring home Jews and Gentiles that belong to the election of thy Grace Make thy way known upon earth and thy saving health among all Nations Raise up the Tabernacle of David which is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and be gracious to the remnant of Joseph and let the kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Bring in those sheep that are not yet of
thy fold and cause them to hear the voice of the great Shephard As the mountains are round about Jerusalem so be thou round about thy people from henceforth and for ever And let not the gates of Hell ever be able to prevail against them Petitions for the Nation in which we live Let Truth and Peace be in England Scotland and Ireland Let the Gospel be continued and be made effectual to the turning of many unto righteousness Let Souls fly as a Cloud to the Lord Jesus and as Doves to the Windowes Let judgments be all sanctified let not Sword and Plague and Fire be all in vain but oh let our uncircumcised hearts be humbled and help us to accept of the punishment of our iniquities and to turn unto him that has been smiting us that thou mayest send abundant plenty and prosperity Let the King and our Rulers be blessed and Favour Religion and thy People and under them let us live quiet and peaceable lifes in all godliness and honesty Petitions for relations and those that are afflicted Oh that our brethren and kindred according to the flesh may have an interest in that love which thou bearest to thy people 'T is terrible to think of Children or yoak-fellowes or brethren their miscarrying to Eternity Oh therefore give grace where there is none and work more and more where thou hast already in some degree wrought it Sanctify outward affliction to all that are exercised thereby let them know thou chastizest them because thou lovest them and let it be their principal desire to be made partaker of thy Holiness Let them cast all their burthens upon thee and do thou sustain them Let the Fatherless find mercy with thee and make the widows heart to sing for joy because their Maker is their Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name Binde up the broken in heart and heal the Wounds which sin has made Do not contend for ever neither be alwayes wrath lest the Spirit fail before thee Succour them that are tempted and sho ten the chain of the evil One Shine into the souls of them that refuse to be comforted that sit in darkness and see no light and are ready to say will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Many are the afflictions of thy people O Lord deliver them out of them all Suffer none to be tempted above what they are able Petitions for them to use that are wounded in their Spirits How long wilt thou forgot me O Lord forever Oh do not still hide away thy Face from me Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted the troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my distresses Oh that my griefes were throughly weighed and my calamities lay'd in the ballances together for now they would be heavier then the sand therefore my words are swallowed up for the arrowes of the almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my Spirits the terrours of God do set themselves in array against me Oh do not cast me quite away from thy presence but heal those wounds which thou hast made and cause a calm where now the storm is so exceeding dreadful I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men Oh do not set me as a mark against thee do not make me a burthen to my self Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Let not thy wrath still lie hard upon me do not afflict me with all thy waves Oh draw a weary and heavy laden Soul to the Lord Jesus who alone can give rest unto me Lord encourage my hope and help one to believe Christ was wounded that I might be healed he was bound that I might be set at liberty he was forsaken and deserted that thou mightest return to me He was exceeding sorrowful even unto death that I might partake of the joy of thy Salvation I fly not unto carnal means to divert and remove my sorrows the pleasures of the world and the advantages of it I perceive are empty and low things I mourn after God I long for God as the chased hart after the water brooks Oh satiate a weary Soul and replenish a Sorrowful Soul that will certainly sink unlesse thou support and dye away unlesse thou speak comfort 6. The Sixt part of Prayer is Imprecation against others Let the works of the Devil be destroyed and the Kingdom of the prince of darkness be thrown down Why should Satan lead captive at his pleasure the greater part of mankind and command so great a multitude of those Souls that are capable of honouring and serving thee Hast thou not spoyled principalities and powers and made a show of them openly triumphing over them Oh let not conquered enemies insult and prevail but let the Prince of this world be judged and cast out and let Souls by thousands and by millions be made free indeed Let Satans instruments have a rebuke given them and let no weapon prosper that is formed against Zion We desire not the woful day for thy enemies but we intreat that their hands may not be able to perform their enterprize against thy people and all their counsels may be carried headlong O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy self lift up thy self thou Judg of the earth render a reward to the proud Lord how long shall the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph How long shall they utter and speak hard things and all the workers of Iniquity boast themselves They break in peices thy People O Lord and afflict thine heritage The plowers plow upon thy peoples backs and make long their furrows O Thou that art the righteous Lord break asunder the cords of the ungodly Let great Babylon come into remembrance and give that Scarlet-colour'd whore who has been drunk with the blood of Saints blood to drink for she is worthy Her sins have reached unto Heaven Oh remember her iniquities She sayes in her heart I sit as a Queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow therefore let her plagues come in one day Death and mourning and famine and let her be utterly burnt with fire for thou art strong O Lord that judgest her Let not Popery prevail but all abhor that Religion which pleads for Idolatry and that is so exceeding bloody Oh when shall that prophecy be fulfilled Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul Spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird When shall the heavens rejoyce over her and the holy Apostles and Prophets because God hath avenged them upon her Let enemies to thy people become friends both to thy people and their own selves but if they are implacable make them to know they are but men and
performance of it 3. The Spirit encourages unto prayer he lets Believers understand that now is the accepted time that now is the day of Salvaâ—ion 2 Cor. 6. 2. Wherefore he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted in a day of Salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation Though the Lord should have been sought much sooner yet 't is not too late to seek him now he will be found by the hearty seeker such seeking shall not be in vain Deut. 4. 29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul 4. The Spirit enables Believers to act those graces that are required in prayer There are four graces especially that should be exercised in our supplications Humility Faith Love Patience 1. Humility The Lord has a special regard to the Humble whereas the Proud he knows afar of and has threatned to resist the Proud The humble soul has high and awfull apprehensions of God in prayer and mean very mean thoughts of it self Abraham was humble when he said Behold I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Jer. 18. 27. Job was humble when he said Mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self The good Angels themselves are humble though never in the least offenders the Cherubins cover their faces with their wings and cry out holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is filled with his glory How vile then should we be in our own eyes who by our guilt are so obnoxious who have so many soul spots and stains upon our souls which are the effects of sin nay whose very Righteousnesses are but as filthy raggs Isa 64. 6. 2. Faith is to be acted in prayer and truly we may come with confidence to the Throne of Grace if we consider the power of God which is not only most Mighty but Almighty I am God Almighty saith the Lord to Abraham the Father of the Faithful He can do more for us than we can desire should be done for us Nothing is too hard for him and although all other helps fail he needs them not his Arm when alone can bring Salvation Isa 59. 16. This power of God may safely be relyed on for he is also full of mercy Psal 62. ult God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God also unto thee belongeth mercy David was encouraged by this in his supplications Psal 25. 6. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been ever of old And we have not only an intimation of Gods merciful nature but in his Covenant he has promised to shew mercy for this he delights in and Christ is the Mediatour of this Covenant so that 't is most sure Hark to the Apostle Heb. 8. 10. 12. This is the Covenant that I will make saith the Lord I will put my Laws in their minds and write them in their hearts I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people for I will be merciful to their Unrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more 3. Love is to be acted in prayer there must be a love to our Neighbour and they must from the heart be forgiven that have Tres-passed against us shall we think much of a few Pence when we are Debtors many thousand Talents But principally there must be love to the Lord expressed in prayer his favour and fellowship with him must be longed for the sâ—ul must thirst for God for the liviâ—g God as the chased Hart after the water-brooks 42. 1 2. And when he does manifest himself he must be rejoyced and delighted in and his grace admired whatever is received 4. Patience is also to be acted in prayer there must be a patient waiting in this duty a right understanding of Gods Wisdom and Faithfulness that he knows what and when to give and will do it in the best both time and measure will be a great means to cure our over-hastiness David is to be imitated who said I waited patiently for the Lord and he lost nothing by it for it follows He inclined his ear unto me and heard my cry Psal 40. 1. These are the graces which the Spirit enables Believers to act in prayer 5. The Spirit directs Believers unto Christ as the alone prevailing Advocate We are said to have access to the Father by the Spirit and through the Son Eph. 2. 18. The Spirit leads us to Christ as the Mediator who is the way unto God The Spirit shews that God having given Christ has opened through him the treasurâ—s of his grace and for his sake will give freely all things The Spirit still is turning the eye of the Believer towards the Lord Jesus and in prayer instructs us how to improve his relation to us who is bone of our bone flesh of our flesh and is become an Head and Husband to us How to improve his sufferings by which all that we need has been procured How to improve his Intercession which as 't is incessant so 't is never denyed and finally How to improve his Power and Authority for he can do what he will both in Heaven and in Earth He is the Prince of Peace and the Lord of Life and Glory he can give Peace and Life and Glory to whom he pleaseth 6. The Spirit makes Believers sincere in their aimes when they pray They design the Hallowing and Honouring of Gods Name as well as their own welfare They beg for pardon and grace not only because 't is good for themselves to have these but likewise because the Lord glorisies his grace and mercy and goodness in forgiving and healing and saving those that cry and fly to him Thus you see what 't is to pray in the Spirit and consequently it does not lye barely either in fluency of utterance or in variety of expressions or in multitude of words Now follow the Reasons of the Doctrine and they are of two sorts First Why our own spirits should engage in prayer 1. Because God is a spirit our Lord assigns this as a Reason why worship should be in spirit because God is a Spirit who is worshipped 2. He principally requires our spirits My Son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. And truly he does narrowly observe where our hearts are when we are at prayer and no wonder for our spirits are most capable of serving him To admire fear love trust in him these are the principal ways of worshipping him and this is done with the heart 3. Without our spirits prayer is but a mockery If when the Lord is honoured with the mouth the heart be far from him God says in vain do they worship me and I will not hold them guiltless And this you may observe that when our hearts are not engaged
which after God is created in Righteousness and true â—oliness Make our hearts just after thy own heart and let them be inclined to keep thy Testimonies Put thy laws into our minds and write them in our hearts and be to us a God and make us a willing people in the day of thy power Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Pray for Faith Faith is the gift of God Oh let us obtain precious Faith from thee which is much more to be valued then gold that perishes Strengthen my assent unto every word that thou hast spoken that I may as firmly believe every threatning every promise every part of thy revealed will as I believe when the Sun sets 't will rise again the next morning Let me tremble at thy threatnings and not dare to venture upon any thing thou hatest Let my heart stand in awe of thy Word and let it be my constant inquiry Lord what wouldst thou have me to do Open my heart to give entertainment to the Lord of life and glory Oh that I may look unto Jesus as the Israelites stung in the Wilderness did unto the brazen Serpent and looking may be healed and saved Let me hear and be taught of the Father and come to Christ and receive him to be a Prince and Saviour to me Oh that Christ may be truly precious to me that I may count all things but loss that I may win the Lord Jesus Help me to value the exceeding riches of thy grace in thy kindness through Christ Jesus Be earnest for Love and other graces of the spirit Let my faith work by love and love constrain me to live unto thee Give me an heart to know thee more and circumcise my heart to love thee above all Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee Let not my heart run a Whoring from thee thou art infinitely worthy of my strongest love That I may love thee let me know I am beloved of thee Vnite my heart to fear thy name Oh that I may set thee alwayes before me and have an awful sence of thy power and presence and holiness and goodness upon my heart Never turn away from me O Lord to do me good and put thy fear into my heart that I may not depart from thee Fire my heart with zeal for thy glory let me stand up for God in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation let me never live either to be a shame to the Gospel or ashamed of the Gospel Deliver me from lukewarmness in Religion let me take heed of being neither hot nor câ—ld least I provoke thee to spew me out of thy mouth Make and keep me good even in bad times and because others dishonour thee without fear let me be the more careful to do that which pleases thee Thou didst preserve Lot in Sodom Noah in the old world the Saints that were in Nero's houshold Oh help me to keep my self unspotted from the world and let me chuse rather to go to Heaven with a few then to go in the broad way that leads to destruction with the greatest multitude Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Lord make me Sincere and keep me Sincere and without offence until thâ— day of Jesus Christ Let me be upright before thee and keep my self from mine Iniquity Oh help me to lay aside every weight and the Sin that does so easily beset me Let this be our rejoycing even the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversations in the World In all Estates let us learn therewith to be contented Let us consider that Godliness with Contentment is great Gain Oh that we may know how to want and how to abound how to be sick and how to be well how to Live and how to Die Let us be able to do and suffer all things through Christ strengthening of us Let our Conversations be as becomes the Gospel help us to follow thee as dear Children to Live as the Redeemed of the Lord and to glorifie thee in our Bodies and in our Spirits For we are not our own but are bought with a price We profess Christ let us depart from Iniquity and walk even as he walked Not contenting our selves with the Form of Godliness without the Power of Godliness Let us not profess to Know thee and in Works deny thee but make us Zealous of good Works considering we are Created unto good Works which God has before oâ—dained that we should walk in them Help us to do Justly and to love Mercy and to walk Humbly with God Cleanse us from all Filthiness both of the Flesh and Spirit and help us to perfect Holiness in thy Fear Make us Consciencious in all our Relations and let it be our continual Exercise to keep a Conscience void of Offence towards God and towards Man Arme us against the Evil day let us never faint in Adversity nor be discouraged from following God by Persecution Let Christ and Truth be Dearer to us than our very Lives and let us count it both Wisdom and our Interest to throw all our outward Enjoyments Over board rather than make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience Petitions in reference to the Word O let thy Word be a Light unto my Feet and a Lamp unto my Path When I go let it lead me when I sleep let it keep me when I awake let it talk with me Give me the seeing Eye the hearing Ear the understanding Heart Make thy Word like Fire and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rock in pieces Oh let thy Word he powerful to kill sin and to Convert the Soul unto thee Give the Preacher the Tongue of the Learned and let him divide the Word aright and let the Pleasure of the Lord prosper in his hand Let Sinners be startled and converted and let Saints be edified and comforted and built up by the Word of thy Grace Let thy Spirit accompany Prophesying that dead Bones may live and they who have Life may have it more and more abundantly Make us Doers of thy Word and not Hearers only deceiving our selves Petitions in reference to the Sacrament We were given up to thee when Baptized in thy Name Oh break our Hearts for our Vnfruitfulness and help us now to be stedfast in thy Covenant We have been baptized with water Oh that we may be washed and sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Let the Ordinance of the Supper be earnestly desired let not thy Table be Contemptible Oh that we may prize that Bread of God that comes down from Heavâ—n and gives Life unto the World let us not labour for the Meâ—t thâ—t perisheth Wherefore should we spend our Money for that which is not Bread and â—uâ—
but by him that is Alsufficient and when we cry to him we give him glory for it argues we believe his power and mercy which prove him able and ready to succour and relieve us 2. Prayer is to be performed unto God and to him only Mat. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Unto Thee my God and my King will I pray says David Psal 5. 2. and v. 3. I will direct my prayer unto Thee and will look up Gods Hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither is his Ear heavy that it cannot hear He is able to do not onely to the uttermost of our desires but exceeding abundantly above all that we can either ask or think Eph. 3. 20. The Papists dangerously corrupt holy worship by their sinful prayers to Angels and Saints and especially to the Virgin Mary Cardinal Bonaventure has blotted out the name of Lord in the Book of the Psalms and put in the name of Lady and teacheth Christians to ask the same things of the Virgin Mary which David asked for at the hands of God himself Under the old Testament we find that Believers directed their supplications to God himself and found him ready to hear and save and under the Gospel where the manifestation and communication of his Grace are more full and plenteous is there need to go to any other No no One God can supply our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Psal 4. 19. 3. Those that pray must be sensible Ignorance and unbelief and hardness of heart make the words of prayer a Mockery and Abomination They that pray therefore must be sensible of their sins of their needs of their unworthiness to have those needs supplyed finally they must be sensible that none can help them but the God they are praying to 1. They must be sensible of their sins I acknowledge my Iniquities says David and my sin is ever before me Psal 51. 3. so Esa 59. 12. For our Transgressions are multiplyed before thee and our sins testifie against us for our transgressions are with us and as for our Iniquities we know them Sin must be acknowledged with shame and sorrow else 't will separate between God and us and prove a Cloud through which our prayers will never pass There must be such a sense of sin as implies an hatred and weariness of it for if the heart out of love and liking of it has a regard to sin God ever will be deaf and his mercies restrained Psal 66. 18. If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer 2. They that pray must be Sensible of their needs All the posterity of Adam are needy how rich and full soever they conceit themselves The first man being a publick person had the whole stock in his own hand and having lost it has beggard his whole Progeny we are all come shore of the glory of God as descended from Adam we are flesh and in our Flesh dwelleth no good thing This must be understood and believed poverty of Spirit Christ commends and pronounces those that are thus Poor Blessed Mat. 5. 3. For they that perceive they are Wretched and Miserable and Empty and Naked will cry the louder to the Lord for gold try'd in the fire to enrich them and white raiment that they may be cloathed The poor man that is ready to starve for hunger how does he cry out Bread for the Lords sake Bread for he sees his need of it The condemn'd Malefactor how does he roar out for a Pardon because he sees his life must quickly go without it And were we but better acquainted with our wants Oh what strong crys would come from us that Sin might be forgiven that Grace might be wrought that Peace might be Spoken that Spiritual Maladies might be healed We all need these things as much and more then the hungry stand in need of Bread 3. They that pray must be sensible of their unworthiness to have their need supplyed Paul crys out he was less than the least of all Saints and Jacob that he was less than the least of mercies Job says Behold I am vile and I abhor my self We cannot lay claim to any thing as our due but Wrath and the Curse What-ever God bestows it must be reckoned given not of debt but of pure and free Grace Rom. 4. Daniel in prayer disclaims all merit in his Righteousness acknowledges that Confusion of face belonged to him and to Israel because of their Rebellions and says expresly we do not present our supplications to thee for our Righteousness but for thy great mercies Dan. 9. 18. We may beg indeed for the greatest mercles and the greater the surer we are to speed for God is most liberal of the greatest but at the same time must be sensible that the least mercy is too good for such evil ones as we are 4. They that pray must be sensible that none can help them but the God they are praying to Jer. 3. 23. Truly in vain is Salvation hoped for from the Hills and multitude of Mountains the firmest things on Earth will fail and deceive our hopes Truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of Israel Therefore David lays this charge upon his Soul to wait only upon God and to have all its expectation from him God will be seriously sought unto when we are under the power of this Conviction that no other helper can be found 4. It followes in the definition that those that pray must be believing Souls Faith is a Grace that is required in all their Duties if this be wanting God will not be honoured by our Duties nor our selves advantaged Though we hear never so often If the Word be not mixed with Faith it will not profit us Heb. 4. 2. and unless our Prayers are Prayers in Faith they will not be effectuall Those that pray indeed must be Believers 1. They must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. they must have right apprehensions of his gracious Nature and of his good Will towards men He is willing to be reconciled and has himself without being sought unto contrived a way how Sinners Peace may be made He sends Embassadours to them to treat about it And intreats those that have offended him that they would be no longer enemies by wicked Works He has declared that fury is not in him towards those that are desirous of Mercy and that he does delight in nothing more than in Compassion and that if any do understand and seek him he is more willing to be found than they can be eager to find him These things being rightly conceived encourage Prayer and Satan by suggesting the clean contrary staves off many from this Duty 2. They that pray aright must by believing be interested in Christ the Mediatour Christ is the Way and no man commeth unto the
delivered from the wrath of his Brother Esau Jonah by prayer out of the Whales belly and the three Children out of the seaven-times heated Babylonish Furnace By prayer David stayed the Plague so that it seized not on Jerusalem and caused the Sword of the destroying Angel to be put up into the Sheath again By prayer Elias stayed the Rain for three years and six moneths and by the same means opened the Bottles of Heaven that the Earth brought forth her Fruit By prayer he brought down fire which consumed the two Captains and their fifties that came to take him By prayer Joshua commanded the Sun and it stood still in Gibeon and the Moon in the Valley of Aijalon for the Lord hearkened to the voyce of a man and fought for Israel By prayer Daniel stopped the mouths of Lyons and came untouched out of the Den and by prayer Peter and Paul and Silas were delivered out of Prison Shackles Iron gates being but weak things to the power of supplications And what shall I more say for time would fail me as the Apostle speaks if I should tell of Samuel of Sampson of Jehoshaphat of the Prophets also and of the Apostles who by prayer procured thunder to destroy their Enemies out of weakness were made strong turned to â—â—ight the mighty Hosts of Adversaries the Dead they raised to life again made the Lame from the Womb to walk and leap healed Discases beyond the skill of art of Cure Behold prayers efficacy though performed by men of like passions with our selves this should perswade us to the love and practice of the duty 3. Who is it that would hinder you from prayer Who stands at your right hand to resist you certainly 't is an Enemy who is unwilling you should draw nigh to God because he knows 't is so good for you Psal 73. ult Your own hearts also are ready to draw back but this argues their egregious folly and desperate wickedness 4. What has followed upon the omission of prayer Has not this Omission ushered in sins of Commission have you not when you have neglected to cry for strength in your souls found your selves like Reuben unstable as water have you not easily been induced to do that which has fill'd the face of God with frowns and the mouth of Conscience with Reproaches On the other side has not prayer been with success sometimes have you not found encouragement grace at the mercy seat Oh do that which both bitter and sweet experience prompts you to 5. Prayer is an honourable employment in this duty you have admittance to the ear of the King of Heaven how high is your Company your fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 2. Though the Lord be high yet he hath respect unto the lowly he will regard the prayer of the most destitute and not despise it he allows you a freedom to pour out your complaints and to make known before him your troubles And what honour is this to have to do immediatly with God to have him so nigh to you in all that you call upon him for Deut. 4. 7. 6. Frequency and fervency in prayer will be a great evidence of your Regeneration and Adoption The Child when born crys and the Sinner when born again prays Of Paul 't was said as soon as he was Converted behold he prayeth Act. 9. 11. 'T is the Spirit of Adoption that makes us cry Abba Father If we cannot be satisfied unless we approach unto God and value his favour and fellowship above all Earthly things and are chiefly desirous of those blessings which he never gives in wrath and having given never takes away again we may conclude from our spiritual breathing our spiritual life Now a good evidence of Regeneration what will it be worth in a day of trouble in a dying hour The last Use shall be of Encouragement to Believers 1. Their prayers are Gods delight Prov. 15. 8. The Sacrifice of the Wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight so Cant. 2. 14. O my Dove that art in the clefts of the Rock in the secret place of the stairs let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy Voyce for sweet is thy Voyce and thy Countenance is comely We are pleased with the talk and requests of our Children though their language be lisp'd and broken And God is infinitely more indulgent then earthly Parents are or can be and much more willing to give good things than they Mat. 7. 11. 2. There are many reasons why the God whom Believers pray to should secure them 1. They are his chosen ones God pitch'd his love on them before the foundation of the world was laid 2. They are his Sons purchase he has bought them with a price shed his Blood for the Remission of their sins gave his Life for their Ransom 3. They are in Covenant with God he has engaged to be their God and surely he will be their Guard also 4. They are Vessels of mercy in whom he does design to glorifie his grace and love for ever Surely then he will heed these when they pray he will give them the good they need and save them from the evil which makes them flye to him for shelter I have done with the first Doctrine That a Christians security lyes very much in Praying Always D. 2. All prayer is of concernment to be used praying always with all prayer says the Text. Prayer is a duty of very great extent and the parts of it are admirably suited unto the present State and condition of a Christian and the divers kinds of prayer very well agree with the various circumstances wherein we are All the ways of seeking God shall be to purpose if he be but sought diligently and according as he himself has appointed for he tells us plainly that he sayes Not to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Esa 45. 10. Two things I shall here insist on First I shall speak concerning the parts of prayer and shew you how all these parts are to be used Secondly I shall give you the several kinds of prayer and so perswade and direct you unto each kind that this duty may be performed in its utmost latitude I begin with the parts of Prayer and they are these 1. One part of Prayer is an humble compellation or naming of God Those titles that are given him in Scripture we must be acquainted with and such should be used as are most suitable unto the matter of our prayers and which have the greatest tendency to excite those gracious and spiritual affections which are required in our Supplications If we consult the prayers of Saints which are recorded in the Bible we shall find that God is called sometimes Lord sometimes Father sometimes the great and mighty and terrible God sometimes the King of Glory sometimes the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity whose Name is
Holy sometimes the God and Father of Christ and likewise the Father of Mercys and God of all Comfort 'T is not amiss to add unto Gods Title those Attributes the consideration whereof may help towards such a frame of Spirit as becomes Prayer Would we have our heart in an holy awe and fill'd with reverence and Godly fear mention then his omnipresence greatnesse his holyness and his jealousy Would we have our hearts broken for sin Mention his anger and hatred of Iniquity and withall his goodness and forbearance and readiness to be reconciled for the riches of his goodness and long-suffering strongly lead unto repentance Rom. 2. 4. finally would we in our requests have our desires enlarged and our faith encouraged and be also forward to praise Mention then the freeness of Gods love the Superabundance of his grace as he is the Father of Jesus Christ As of old he was stiled The Lord that brought Israel out of Egypt and afterwards the Lord that delivered Judah from the north Country namely out of the Babylonish Captivity so likewise in the new testament he is called the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 1. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 3. 2 Cor. 1. 3. Christ is the only prevailing advocate in Prayer and his relation to God the ground of our hope and expectations 2. A Second part of Prayer is acknowledgment and confession of sin This confession God requires Jer. 3. 13. Only acknowledge thy Iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God To confesse sin has been the practice of the Penitent God has been honoured when offending of him has been acknowledged most unreasonable and heinous and confession has had a great influence unto the making of Sinners humble and ashamed and upon it how quickly has forgiveness followed Psal 32. 3 4 5. While I kept Silence i. e. while I excused and extenuated my sin and refused ingenuously to acknowledg it my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me my moisture was turned into the drought of Summer Selah I acknowledged my sin unto thee my iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou for gavest the iniquity of my Sin Selah This confession of sin in Prayer should be Particular generall acknowledgments move but little The very root of sin must be dug unto and bewailed Paul crys out he was a Blasphemer and Persecutor and Injurious 1 Tim. 1. 13. and laments the law in his members the body of death that made him so forward unto evil Rom. 7. David particularizes his uncleannesse and blood-guiltiness and traces these abominable streams unto the fountain whence they issued forth the Corruption of his Nature Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me Our despising the remedy which Christ offers in the Gospel should also be confessed with Special Sorrow for herein we go beyond the very Devils who never had one offer of pardon and grace made to them And finally as there is abundant cause we should fall to Judging and Condemning of our selves One that is truly penitent is as Guiliel Pariciensis says Fidelis Dei orator contra Seipsum a faithful pleader for God against himself We must unclasp the Book of Conscience and Spread it before the Lord we must hold up our hands and cry Guilty guilty and say we can lay claim to nothing as our due but severity and Punishments 3. A third part of prayer is Deprecation or praying against what we have deserv'd and are afraid of We ought with great solicitousnesse to pray against the anger and hatred of God He even he is to be feared who can stand in his sight when once he is angry Psal 76. 7. The anger of God expresse it self Several ways the lightest expression of it namely in temporal and outward calamities are sometimes very terrible Pestilences Famines the sword of War which devours flesh and drinks blood how intolerable are they lookt upon but spiritual judgments are worse than these and argue hotter displeasure when the Lord gives sinners up to blindness of mind searedness of conscience strong delusions vile affections hardness of heart this shewes he is exstreamly angry The other may but these judgments especially should be deprecated But the worst of all is to come in the other World and that 's the vengeance of Eternal Fire Oh how importunate should we be to be delivered from Wrath to come That we may not be sentenced to depart with a Curse at the great Day that Hell may not be our Eternal home How importunate should we be that we may not in utter Darkness be gnawed by the Worm that never dyes that we may not dwell with devouring Fire nor inhabit Everlasting Burnings 4. A fourth part of Prayer is Petition here God gives us leave to be bold and large and when we have asked never so much he is ready to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or has entred into the heart of Man to conceive Pardon we should petition for for we highly need it And the Lord has said though we have made him to serve with our sins and wearied him with our iniquities yet he will blot out transgressions for his own sake and remember our sins no more Esa 43. 24 25. Till a Pardon be obtained nothing else can be expected but when once God in Christ is reconciled and become a Father nothing will be denied His Love therefore and the sence of it should be intreated with our whole heart And since the Lord has promised to give both Grace and Glory Psal 84. 11. we may be bold to be petitioners for both We should be earnest that grace and holiness may be wrought in truth in our hearts that Grace may be continually increased and that we may persevere and be faithful to the very Death and at length uttain that Glory Honour and Immortality which is promised unto patient continuance in well doing Temporal Blessings also we have leave to ask for the Lord considers our frame and every way is ready to encourage us unto our Duty 5. A fifth part of Prayer is Intercession for others Not only those should be remembred by us that stand in a near relation to us But we should be concerned for the whole City for the whole Nation nay for the whole Church of Christ militant upon Earth We should prefer Jerusalem before our chief joy we should not keep silence we should give the Lord no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth Esa 62. 6 7. we should in no wise hold our peace till the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness And the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth That is till the Church is both reformed and delivered from oppressing adversaries In Prayer we are to have regard to our selves to others nay to the Lord
himself and Christ his Son We are to beg that His Name may be Hallowed from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same that his Kingdom may come And that all on Earth may do his Will and submit unto the Scepter of his Word 6. Another part of Prayer is Imprecation Some are such that we are to desire the Lord would fight against them The evil Angels we may pray that the Lord will rebuke them and pull down that Kingdom of darkness under which the most of men are held in Bondage In reference to men we must be more sparing in our imprecations or wishing evil to them David and the other Prophets are not examples for us to follow in this matter for they knew by a prophetick Spirit Gods intensions concerning the persons that they pray'd against The general Rule which we ought to follow is this Mat. 5. 44. But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you this is to resemble God Who maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and the Good We are to beg rather the conversion than the confusion of our Enemies and supposing they are implacable and incorrigble we must desire rather that they may be hindered from doing harm by their designes and power than that harm may come to them even when we pray against Antichrist whom we find devoted in Scripture to destruction we must have no private grudg against the persons of any but our Eye must be at Christs Honour that in Popery is so much struck at and at the advancement of the Gospel and of Zion 7. A seventh part of Prayer is Thanksgiving The Lords prayer ends with a doxology or giving Honour unto God Mat. 6. 13. for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for Ever To praise is to speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Tongues of Angels All the Creatures that are visible are mute besides man He is the Worlds high Priest that should offer this Sacrifice of praise for all He is the Tongue of the Creation which should be sounding forth Gods goodness towards all How much does the Lord let forth unto us And shall we deny him the revenue of praise His Mercys are without number and his Love without motive and without measure When praise is offered he accounts himself Glorified Psal 50. ult therefore in every thing we should give Thanks for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us 1 Thes 5. 18. Thus have I gon over the parts of Prayer and none of these parts are needless In the second place I am to give you the several kinds of Prayer prayer is twofold Vocal when the Voice and Heart are joyned together Mental when the heart only is engaged 1. I shall speak of Vocal prayer when Tongue and Heart go together in this Duty There are several reasons why the Tongue is to be made use of in Prayer 1. With our Tongues we are to honour God and when they are thus employed speaking to him or of him or for him then they are our Glory As there are sins of the Tongue so duties of the Tongue too and as the Tongue of the Swearer Blasphemer filthy and foolish Talker is harsh and hateful to God so the Tongue of him that prays sincerely is pleasant Christ tell his Spouse that her Voice was sweet and her countenance comely 2. In praying with others words are necessary Some must be the mouth of the rest unto God 3. Words especially Scripture Language help to excite and stir up our affections and they serve to keep the Heart more intent upon the Duty This Vocal Prayer is threefold first Prayer in the Closet secondly Prayer in the Family thirdly Prayer in the publike Congregation and Assembly Of all these I shall speak in order 1. Prayer in the Closet That secret Prayer is the Lords Ordinance is very evident Mat. 6. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut the Door pray unto thy Father which is in secret And as our Lord gave this Precept so he is our example in regard of secret Prayer Mar. 1. 35. And in the morning rising up a great while before Day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed Jacob was left alone and wrestled with God and had the name of Israel given him for as a Prince he had power with God and prevailed Gen. 32. 24 30. Now if you would be fully informed what this wrestling was compare the forecited place with Hos 12. 3 4. By his strength he had Power with God yea he had power over the Angel i. e. the Angel of the Covenant and prevailed He wept and made Supplication to him Now for the better managing of this sort of prayer lot these rules be observed diligently 1. Affect privacy be as secret as possible though we are not to be ashamed of any duty and though our light is to shine before men that they seeing our good works may glorifie our Father in Heaven yet a Christian is to do much out of the sight of others As long as God's Ear is open to the most whispering prayers what need is there that any other ear should hear a word which we speak When there is a desire that men should take notice of our prayers God takes no notice of them unless of the Hypocrisie in them to abominate them therefore we have that caution from the Lord Jesus Mat. 6. 5. And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the Streets that they may be seen of men verily I say unto you they have their reward 2. Take the fittest time for secret prayer the morning especially is to be chosen though once more in a day at least it should be your ordinary practice to pour out your hearts in private before the Lord. My Voyce shalt thou hear in the Morning says David In the Morning O Lord will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up Psal 5. 3. If the Soul be serious in its address unto God in the beginning of the day 't is likely to have the more grace and strength to resist temptations and to walk with God all the day long 'T is better to be shorter in the Evening duties and larger in the Morning then the spirits are fresher and more abundant and the soul has not such clogs in its actings as it meets with when the body is spent and tyred But if something unavoidably fall out that you cannot pray at the time you desire and were wont be sure lay hold of some other opportunity and neglect not the duty altogether 3. Let the Word of God be lookt into and meditated on when prayer is made The Word will direct you quicken and encourage you
We match Laodicea in Luke-warmness and what was said of langushing Sardis may be applied to us that we have a name to Live but are Dead Rev. 3. 1. In many Families all are stark stone Dead and there is a most impious and gross neglect of God and Duty and in other Families all are ready to dy lively services are rarely to be found Oh 't is high time to awake and vigorously to endeavour that in our houses the Lord may be served by all and that with all their Heart and all their Soul and all their mind and all their Strength I have done with Family-Prayer 3. Prayer in the publick Congregation and Assembly is to be spoken to Gods Temple of old was styled the House of Prayer Luk. 19. 46. because there his people met together to seek his Face Publick prayer is a great Ordinance and when rightly managed of great efficacy Now the Rules concerning publick prayer are these 1. These Prayers must be performed in a known Tongue that all may understand and be edified 1 Cor. 14. and they should be well expressed nothing that is raw unseemly or that borders upon nonsence or Blasphemy should be brought forth in the Assembly 2. Come at the very beginning To come late is both offensive to God and to serious Spirits and 't is to cheat and defraud your own Souls and when you are here let your gesture be reverent for God expects Worship and adoration from your whole man internal from Soul and external from the Body 3. Take heed of distraction when there are so many objects to divert you and your hearts are so exceeding slippery Remember Gods jealous Eye is fixed upon you and as he cannot be deceived so he cannot endure to be mocked by you Gal. 6. 7. 4. Take head of carnal desires in your publike Duties Let not your supplications be like â—hose of the Pharisees and Scribes of whom Christ sayes they made prayers onely for a pretence shew Luke 20. 47. The hypocrite is like the Birds of Prey which though they sore never so high towards Heaven yet their eye is still downward that they may catch something Be not seemingly devout in the Congregation that you may the more unsuspectedly be unjust in shops and secretly intemperate and unclean But be very sincere in your publick addresses unto God as knowing you have to do with him that sees not as man sees that judges not according to outward appearance but tries the heart and veins And to perswade you to this publike Prayer consider 1. God is hereby Acknowledged and Honoured His people hereby testify to the World that there is a Lord in Heaven whom they worship and from whom they have their expectation And indeed this is one reason of publick institutions that we may make a profession to the world whose we are and whom we serve 2. The Lord vouchsafes something to his people in the Sanctuary that elsewhere is not to be found David was in an admirable frame when he was in the Wilderness of Judah God was liberal to him both of Grace and Comfort but he is not satisfied because deprived of publick ordinances that were administred in the tabernacle therefore he crys out My Soul thirsteth for thee my Flesh longeth for thee to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Psal 63. 1. 2. 3. The united prayers of many Saints togegether is stronger and more apt to pravail Uis unita fortior much fire together gives the greater heat and many waters joyned run with more violence and in like manner when a great congregation joyns together as one man to wrestle with God in prayer how Successful are they like to be Abraham alone had like to have prevail'd for Sodom but put the case there had been an assembly of righteous ones belonging to Sodom that had joyned with Abraham in prayer surely the City had been spared I have dispatched vocal Prayer which I divided into three kinds secret family and publick 2. In the second place I come to speak of Mental Prayer when the heart alone without the tongue is engaged Now this Mental prayer is two fold first more Solemn Secondly more Sudden and Ejaculatory 'T is lawfull and possible to pray alone with the heart in a more solemn manner truly in some places and in some circumstances words may not be so convenient to be uttered but where 't is convenient words should be used because 't is difficult to pray any while only in the heart and do it without roaving But Mental prayer that is more sudden and ejaculatory I shall a little dilate upon In this kind of prayer the Soul lifts up it self to God in some short desire and request Thus Moses cryed unto God Exod. 14. 15. and yet we read not of a word uttered Thus Nehemiah prayed when King Artaxerxes was speaking to him Neh. 2. 4. These holy ejaculations are the very breathings of the new creature they mightily help to keep down the lustings of the Flesh and to preserve us unspotted by the world or the unclean God of it but the heart hereby is kept close to the God of heaven Concerning this mental ejaculatory Prayer let these directions be observed 1. Let the heart frequently be sending up desires to God all true desires are observed are pleasing to him and shall be satisfied let these desires therefore be strong and principally after the greatest that is to say Spiritual blessings 2. In all your civil employments let your hearts ever and anon be thus engaged this will make and keep you Spiritual 't wil hinder your estrangment from God and your being ensnared by the unrighteous Mammon 3. Let every temptation at the very first be resisted by this kind of prayer thus watch and pray that ye enter not into Temptation Mat. 26. 41. Oh sigh and groan to the God of all grace when you find Satan assaulting and a sinful and deceitfull heart ready to yeild that you may have grace to help in the time of need Heb. 4. ult 4. Let this sort of Prayer begin and end every duty sigh before for assistance and sigh afterwards for acceptance and that infirmities through Christ Jesus may be passed by and that you may obtain some Spiritual advantage by every ordinance 5. Begin and end every day with mental Prayer assoon as ever you awake there are many watching for your first thoughts Satan and sin and the world will have them if your Souls are not lifted up to the Lord. Let him be last likewise in your thoughts this is the way to lie down in Peace and Safety Psal 4. ult 6. Especially upon the Sabbath day ejaculatory prayer should be abundant you must not then think your own thoughts nor find your pleasures Holy desires should issue forth continually Sabbaths would be gainful seasons indeed were they but thus improved 7. Mix mental Praise and Prayer together Let your Souls and all that is
within you blesse the Lord upon every manifestation of his goodness as well as desire blessings from him And thus have I gon over the parts and kinds of Prayer much work indeed I have told you of but the more work the better for the more grace is to be expected in order unto the performing of what is required I shall conclude with a very brief Application in two words 1. How sharply are they to be reproved that instead of praying with all prayer use no prayer but live in the almost total neglect of this duty 2. Be perswaded to pray with all Prayer All prayer that God has appointed he is ready to hear in all prayer the name of Christ may be used and the promises of God which are sure exceeding great and precious may be pleaded and how glad may we be that the Lord has appointed so many successful wayes of seeking him wherein he has consulted the variety of our conditions and necessitys So much for the second Doctrine That all Prayer is to be used D. 3. Prayer when rightly performed is Supplication in the Spirit Indeed all our worship of God who is a Spirit must be in Spirit and in truth Joh. 4. 24. else 't is in truth no worship As the body without the Spirit is dead so dutys without Spirit are dead also In the handling of this point I shall first open to you what 't is to pray in the Spirit Secondly Lay down the reasons of the Doctrine Thirdly Answer some cases of conscience about praying in the Spirit Lastly make application First What 't is to pray in Spirit This as I have already intimated refers both to the Spirit of him that prays and also to the Spirit of God who helps to pray 1. This praying in the Spirti refers unto the spirit of him that prays and several things are here included 1. To pray with our spirit implies to pray with understanding I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with understanding also 1 Cor. 14. 15. we must not only understand the words that are spoken but also and that principally the worth of those things which we Petition for we must likewise in some measure be acquainted with the All-sufficiency and Faithfulness of that God whom we pray to and with our own indigency that are the Petitioners The Athenians had an Altar dedicated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the unknown God Act. 17. 23. and they are said ignorantly to worship him and truly all their worship degenerated into superstition We must know the Lord and our selves what his promises and our own Needs are else prayer will be of no account 2. To pray with our spirit implies to pray with judgment discerning between things that differ There is as vast a difference between Sin and Holiness as there is between Deformity and Beauty There is as vast a difference between the Creature and the Creator as there is between the broken Cistern that can hold no water and the Fountain of living waters Jer. 2. 12 13. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the Fountain of living waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water There is as vast a difference between a state of Grace and a state of Wrath as there is between Heaven and Hell Now he that prays must be apprehensive of all this and a believing apprehension of it will make him earnest for the loving kindness of the Lord and that he may taste more and more of the Fountain of living waters and be cleansed from all defilements 3. To pray with our spirits implies to pray with intention of mind Abraham drove away the fowls that did light upon his Sacrifice Gen. 15. and so should we drive away the impertinent and sinful and troublesome thoughts that arise or are injected into our hearts when we engage in sprayer Our hearts cannot wander in the least but they are espied by him whose name is jealous We should therefore desire that the Lord himself who holds the wind in his Fists would seize upon our more unruly hearts and keep them close to himself in duty especially considering there are some kind of distractions that nullifie and make void prayer distractions that are not regarded not lamented not watched or striven against 4. To pray with our spirits implies to pray with spiritual affections The affections are the wings of the Soul and the Soul is carried either to or from any thing according as the affections are inclined The Apostle exhorting to seck the things that are above presently adds set your affection on things above Col. 3. 1 2. intimating we shall never seek the things above in good earnest unless our affections be placed on them Those affections that have evil for their object must spend their strength upon sin which is the worst of all evils Sin must be hated most perfectly sin must cause the deepest sorrow sin must be most feared and against sin the heart should rise with the greatest indignation Those affections that have good for their object as love desire and the like should run with a full stream towards God and those great things that are brought to light by the Gospel and promised in the covenant of grace The stronger and more spiritual our affections are in prayer the better success will follow 2 Chron. 15. 15. 'T is said of Judah that they sought the Lord with their whole desire and he was found of them 2. This praying in the spirit refers to the Spirit of God who helps to pray The Apostle Jude exhorts to build up our selves on our most holy Faith and to pray in the Holy Ghost Jud. 20. and so to keep our selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal life Now the operation or working of the spirit of God in prayer I shall explain in these particulars 1. The Spirit of God teaches Believers for what to pray he opens their eyes to understand the Word and to know what the Will of the Lord is W know not says the Apostle what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit makâ—th intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Rom. 8. 27. 2. The spirit removes impediments to prayer he turns that love that naturally is in the heart to sin into hatred he causes the World that was Idolized to be contemned he cures that infidelity in reference to the excellency of spiritual things that the unrenewed Soul is full of as also that enmity against God and Holiness which was in the mind all the while 't was Carnal Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. the Fetters are knockt off the Clogs removed the Soul is brought out of Prison and is made free both unto the performance of duty and free in the
with and watch against his wiles and do our duty without crediting or regarding his instigations 3. When praying we must watch against the cares of this world Our Lord cautions against over solicitousness What we shall eat what we shall drink wherewithal we shall be clothed as that which would hinder us from secking the kingdom of God and his Righteousness Mat. 6. 32 33. Earthly care will allow but little or no time to Prayer and does very much distract the Heart in that duty Worldly projects make bold to come into the thoughts and secular business and imployments are minded even then when the Lord seems to be Worshiped Surely t is our wisdom to heed the Apostle Phil. 4. 6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God Prayer is an Antidote against Preces hirado curarum Luther this care as this care is an impediment unto Prayer 4. When Praying we must watch against the pleasures of this Life there is a strange proneness to those pleasures wherewith the senses are gratified to bewitch the heart and if these are loved and admired prayer will be irksome and unpleasant and we shall easily be drawn wholly to neglect that which we do not at all like She that continued in prayer and supplication was not one that lived in pleasure 1 Tim. 5. 5 6. Watch against pleasures which are but for a season and when they are ended Torments follow that will never end We read of that rich man in the Gospel that was clothed in Purple and fine Linnen and fared sumptiously and diliciously every day we read I say that he feasted but not that he prayed till be was in the place of torment Pleasure before hindred prayer torment forced him to pray but alas it was then too late Despise sensual pleasures and when they are presented to entice thee scorn them In the Lord and Prayer infinitely truer and more solid delight is to be found 5. When praying we must Watch against deceitful Riches Christ sayes we cannot serve God and Mammon Mat. 6. 24. If the Love of Money be the root of Evil as the Apostle affirms then it must needs be an hindrance to Duty Moses had low thoughts of the Treasures of Egypt nay lookt upon the very reproach of Christ as greater Riches Heb. 11. if any are deceived by such treasure and grow eager after it 't will certainly hinder them from seeing him that is invisible and from diligently seeking him One great reason why many pray so seldom and so coldly is worldly mindedness they are altogether for growing rich in the world so their desires are simall of growing rich towards God Luther was a man much and mighty in prayer he spent three hours a day constantly herein But he was also eminent for his contempt of riches And therefore when one said Why dont ye stop Luthers mouth against the Pope by some preferment 't was answered That German-â—east Melc Adamus in vitâ Lutheri he should have said that German-Saint does not care for Silver 6. When praying we must watch against the sins that do most easily be set us The sin of our Constitution the sin of our Calling the sin which has naturally the greatest interest in our love is the Arch-rebel against God and our chief Enemy and upon the least unwatchfulness this sin will prevail and upon its prevailing backwardness to prayer and deadness in it will be the consequent and not only the sin that doth so easily beset us but every weight must be laid aside Heb. 12. 1. If we would with freedom converse with God in prayer every Iniquity allowed of defiles the soul and separates between the Lord and us and unfits for communion with him therefore we must Watch and strive against all sin without exception In the second place I am to inform you what in prayer we are to Watch over 1. In prayer we are to watch over our thoughts 'T is a Proverb but none of Solomons nor a wise one that thoughts are free God sees the thoughts and the wicked must forsake not his way only but his thoughts if he will return to the Lord and partake of mercy Esa 55. 7. If the thoughts are not watched over there may be so many thoughts so many sins and guilt hereby vastly increased Thoughts are very quick and fleet things and great is the natural Vanity Impertinency and Confusedness and â—infulness of them If there be no eye to them nay if the eye be not very careful prayer may be made and the God pray'd to not thought on all the while Right prayer is hard labour and the labour lies very much about the thoughts in fixing them upon God in keeping out vain imaginations and expelling them as soon as notice is taken of their intrusion 2. In prayer we are to watch over our reasoning faculty There are certain reasonings which the Apostle calls high things that exalt themselves against the knowledg of God which must be brought into Captivity 2 Cor. 10. 5. We must not be peremptory in arguing determining that this and that and t'other is good for us but refer our selves to his Wisdom and good pleasure who does all things for his people bene sapienter both well and wisely And as we must not lean to our own understandings in judging what temporal mercies are most convenient so neither are we to grow so bold and presumptuous as to reason against any of the attributes or promises of God nor any part of his will which he has revealed The Lord has proclaimed himself gracious to his People terrible to his Enemies we must pray on and believe this though Enemies are high and his Church never so much oppressed though providences do seem never so much to thwart Gods promises yet we must believe that God is faithful in his promises and pray and wait for their accomplishment Finally we must not reason against any part of his will but though his commands are never so strictly holy we must approve of them and beg grace to keep them 3. In prayer we are to watch over our hearts Keep thy heart with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. Heed must be taken that there be no jarring between our wills and the Will of God for his Will is holy just and good ours therefore should always comply with his As the Eccho answers and returns the Voyce so should our wills complying answer Gods Will commanding This you may observe in David a man after Gods own heart Psal 27. 8. The Lord says seek ye my face Davids heart ecchoes back Thy face Lord will I seek so Psal 119. 4 5. the Lord Commands to keep his precepts diligently Davids eccho is Oh that my ways were directed that I might keep thy Statutes We must see to our hearts in prayer that they be sincere in hating what the Lord abhors and in chusing what he offers in the
Gospel and also promises to bestow 4. In prayer we are to watch over our Consciences that they perform their Office faithfully Their Office is to observe and condemn every miscarriage to urge unto a more spiritual manner of praying and to be restless and unquiet if prayer be omitted upon any slight pretence or the Male in the Flock be not offered to the Lord but a corrupt thing A tender Conscience is a blessing that can never be sufficiently valued this will cause the best to be given unto God this will not be satisfied till God approves and commends and what a Heaven follows upon prayer when the Lord himself and his Officer Conscience are both pleased But if you grow unwatchful over our Consciences and suffer them to fall asleep and become feared a thousand faults in prayer will be winkt at nay we shall be but little reproached for the total omission of it 5. In prayer we are to watch over our affections the more of affection in prayer the more pleasing the duty will be to God and the more pleasant to him that performs it There is enough in the Lord to draw forth the very strength of our affections How great is his goodness how able and powerful is his Hand to save how unsearchable are the riches of his grace Eye has nâ—t seen ear has not heard neither has â—â— entred into the heart of man what he has prepared for those that wait upon him Isa 64. 4. We are inexcusable if all this move not our affections We should watch and observe when our affections do but begin to incline towards former Lovers and then compare those Lovers and the Lord together that other things may be contemned and our souls may even break for longing after God 6. In prayer we are to watch over our outward man our tongues and sences must be lookt to our tongues must speak reverently considering God is in Heaven and we on Earth Eccles 5. 2. and we must have warrant from Gods own word for the words we utter before him Our sences must be guarded else at the ear or eye especially something or other may enter that may disturb prayer and hinder it from being so fervent and effectual You see what we must watch over In the third place I am to shew what we must watch for in prayer 1. We must watch for fit seasons to pray There are some times and seasons in which God is neerer than at others and more ready to be sound of them that seek him this the Prophet intimates Esa 55. 6. Seek â—e the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near These seasons of grace and love are carefully to be observed and improved to the uttermost When the Lord came so near to Jacob as to suffer him to take hold of him that was a special season and Jacob was sensible of it and wrestles lonâ— and with an holy vigour he keeps his hold and would not let go till he had got the blessing Gen. 32. 29. That also was a special opportunity when the Lord spake unto Moses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend Exod. 33. 11. Moses improves this and beggs for the Lords presence with him and with the people of Israel and having prevailed for this he adds further Lord I beseech thee shew me thy glory v. 18. Hereupon the Lord made his goodness to pass before him and proclaimed The Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering abundant in goodness and in truth keeping mercy for thousands fâ—rgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin 2. We must watch for Admonitions from Conscience unto Prayer When Conscience says Thou hast not yet prayed in secret now go and pour out thy heart before him that sees in secret Thou hast not yet pray'd in thy Family Call all of thy Houshold together and joyn in begging that the Lord would have mercy upon all Conscience is by no means to be dis-regarded but its admonition should be taken The Authority which the Lord allows to Conscience is great and its office is of a large extent Conscience is a Witness and a Judge and a Monitour As a Witness it takes notice of the evil which we do of the good which we refuse to do and likewise observes when we are careful of our duty As a Judg it acquits or condemns according as we have been either good and faithful or evil and sloathful Servants As a Monitour it tells us before hand of our duty and as we would avoid its Accusations and Reproaches we should not venture upon any sin which it crys out against nor neglect prayer or any other duty which it charges us to perform as we will answer it before God 3. We must watch for the motions of the spirit unto prayer When the Holy Ghost moves to this duty and his motions are heeded and obeyed we are to conclude that the same spirit which moves to prayer will assist in prayer 'T is a wonderful priviledge that the Spirit is sent unto the Churches and is speaking and striving for their good Every one should have an ear to hear what the spirit says Rev. 3. ult When the Spirit speaks concerning sin this is not the way therefore avoid it Oh do not this abominable thing which God haâ—es we must by no means consent to evil When the Spirit says concerning duty this is tâ—e way walk in it Esa 30. 31. we must by all means yeild unto that which is good If the Lord by his Spirit says Seek my Face with the greatest forwardness we should reply Thy Face Lord will we seek and he will not then hide his Face from us nor put his Servants away in anger The motions of the Spirit unto prayer are twofold Ordinary Extraordinary 1. There are more ordinary motions unto prayer 'T is the mind and will of the Spirit that our usual times for prayer of all sorts should be observed and though deadness and indisposition be never so great and our hearts draw back from the Throne of Grace yet we must go thither Experience teaches that where deadness at the beginning of prayer has seemed invincible yet of a sudden it has been removed and the duty has been carried on and concluded with more than ordinary enlargements The Israelites were commanded to go forward when they came to the red Sea they might have answered what would you have us march into the water and be drowned Well but forward they go and the water is dried up before them Exod. 14. So truly many times when about to pray there is great listlesness and many discouragements Yet we must go forward and engage in our duty and the Sea is dryed up before us these discouragements are removed 2. These are more extraordinary motions of the Spirit unto Prayer Upon some remarkable Providence either cross or kindness upon the hearing of some more than ordinary affecting Truths upon some special manifesttions by way of quickning and peace
request he will not let him alone till he has a pardon and that pardon Sealed He will not let him alone till his lust which are the worst of Spiritual enemies are kill'd till more grace is granted of which he cannot have too great a measure Take notice of Davids importunity Psal 119. 145 146 147. I cryed with my whole heart hear me O Lord I will keep thy statutes I cryed unto thee save me and I shall keep thy testimonies I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy word my eyes prevent the night-watches c. He cryed and cryed and cryed again before the dawning of the morning and in the night watches Behold how urgent he was in prayer 4. This perseverance in Prayer implies an holy insatiableness after God and desiring still more though never so much be obtained Indeed there is a great obligation upon us to be thankful for the least measures of grace but we are not to be contented with the greatest but still longing for more Though David enjoyed so much of God and had such a sense of his loving kindness which was better then life and experienced that communion with the Lord which was more satisfying then marrow and fatness Yet we find him still following hard after God Psal 63. 8. My Soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth me And indeed the more we taste and see how gracious the Lord is it cannot but increase our longing and raise our thirst to a greater vehemency The Apostle Paul though he had attained to so much Yet he says I forgot those things that are behind and reach forth unto those things that are before and presse towards the marke for the prize of the high calling of God Phil. 3. 13 14. 5. This perseverance in Prayer implies a continuing to engage in all the kinds of Prayer There should be a constant and daily course of Prayer even unto the end of life and if at any time by weakness or otherwise the course be necessarily interrupted Our hearts at least then should be working towards God as being sensible that He is our all all our hope is in him and all our help is from him 'T is an happy thing so to habituate and accustom our selves to prayer as to make it become natural to us and to esteem it as necessary as our very breath In the Second place I am to tell you what kind of perseverance is required 1. In this perseverance there should be no interruptions Daniel rather then his course of praying before his God and giving thanks should be interrupted chose to adventure the losse of dignity his Princes favour and his own life besides And that God whom he served continually did deliver him Dan. 6. Daniel resolves to open his mouth in Prayer God sends his Angel and stop the mouths of the Lyons that they did not hurt him And as carnal fear should not cause the omission of prayer so neither any prevailing corruption and deadness Still the Lord is to be sought unto and served 2. In this perseverance there should be a continuaâ— endeavour to excel and do better to pray with more and more Spirituality and liveliness 'T is a sad sight to see children as weak now as they were several years ago We conclude there is some bad humour that oppresses nature and causes that Weakness and is an impediment to their growth 'T is thus and more Sad to see Christians stand at a stay and perform duties no better now then some years ago they used to perform them If there is still the same deadness the same unbelief the same wordly-mindedness distractions which were wont to be it argues the Spirit is kept under by the flesh its prevalency We are not only to do more then others but to do more then our selves The Lord requires us and truely gives ample encouragement to be not only stedfast and unmoveable but also to abound in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. The path of the just should be like the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4. 18. All our duties are motions homeward and Heaven is our home And the nearer home the swifter should our Spiritual motions be In the Third place follow the Reasons why prayer should be with perseverance 1. Divine commands are very expresse not only to perform the duty but to continue in the duty In the text not only praying is injoyned but praying always and with all perseverance and 1 Thes 5. 17. Pray without ceasing Gods word of command should cause us perpetually to stand in awe we must not dare to cease doing that which he would have us without ceasing employed in 2. The Lord perseveres in attending and enencouraging therefore we should persevere in praying His eye is continually upon his people eye and ear and heart and hand are all open and if we open our mouths wide we shall be filled Psal 81. 10. 3. The Lord is as worthy to be sought unto still as sought to at all therefore we should continue in seeking him Though our expectation from other things be never so high yet upon trial we shall discover their emptinesse and vanity but the more we know God and the greater experience we have of him the more we shall behold his fulnesse and how good 't is to draw near to him Israel went a Whoring after other lovers but found her mistake and resolves to return to her first husband for then 't was best with her Hos 2. 7. Gods service is such as no fault at all is really to be found therein and therefore to leave that Service is very unreasonable 4. We are far from attaining all that is attainable by Prayer Clearer discoveries there may be of God there may be much larger communications of Grace there may be more of peace and joy therefore it concerns us to wait on the Lord still and not to grow weary of our attending 5. This present world is full of enemies and snares Therefore we should continually have recourse to the God of all Grace that grace may be proportioned to our work and to our danger The world is evil and the evil one is very active to draw us to evil and he has a strong and numerous party within our own Souls even all the remainders of corruption surely unlesse we persevere in prayer and thereby engage him for us who is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jud. 24. we shall not persevere to the end and be saved The Application follows Use 1 of reproof which belongs 1. To them that pray in a time of distresse and affliction but after that is removed and their slavish fear allayed they quickly give over Thus the children of Israel when God slew them then they sought him they returned and enquired early after God they remembred that God was their
nothing too hard for thee The living God the everlasting King who dost what thou wilt in Heaven above and in the Earth beneath The high and lofty one inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy who dwellest in the high and holy Place and yet with him also that is of an humble Spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the Contrite ones The God in whose hand our Breath is and whose are all our Wayes Thou madest the Earth by thy Power and hast established the World by thy Wisdom and stretched out the Heavens by thy Discretion Thou art very great thou art cloathed with Honour and Majesty and coverest thy self with light as with a Garment Thou only hast immortality and dwelleth in the light that no man can approach unto To thee belongeth Power and Glory and Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is Thine thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as Head above all Thou madest the Heavens and all their Hosts the Earth and all the things that are therein the Seas and all that therein is and thou preservest them all and the host of Heaven Worshippeth thee Thou art wise in Heart and Mighty in Strength who ever hardned himselfe against thee and prospered A God glorious in holiness of Purer eyes then to behold evil with delight and canst not look upon iniquity with any approbation The Devils tremble before thee and the Angels cover their Faces and cry out Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts Heaven and Earth are full of the majesty of thy Glory Thou art the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering abundant in loving kindness goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Thou delightest not in the death of sinners but hadst rather they should turn from their evil wayes and live The God and Father of Jesus Christ and in him the Father of Mercyes the God of all Grace and Comfort A God ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy unto all that call upon thee thou hearest Prayers unto thee shall all flesh come Thy eye is upon them that fear thee and upon such as hope in thy Mercy a very present help in time of trouble Thy Mercy is in the Heavens and thy Faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds As a Father pittyeth his Children so thou pittyest them that fear thee Thou wilt not always chide neither wilt thou keep thine anger for ever Thy mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear thee and thy righteousness unto childrens children Thou art the hope of Israel and the Saviour of them in the time of trouble thou keepest truth forever The heavens shall vanish away like Smoak and Earth shall wax old like a Garment but thy Salvation shall be for ever and thy righteousness shall not be abolished Who is a God like unto thee that Pardonest Iniquity and passest by the Transgression of the remnant of thine heritage thou wilt not always chide neither wilt thou keep thine anger for ever because thou delightest in mercy Thou wilt turn again thou wilt have compassion upon us thou wilt subdue our Iniquities thou wilt cast all our Sins into the depth of the Sea A God to whom vengeance belongs who wilt reward them that hate thee whose power and whose wrath is against all that forsake thee A jealous God who canst not be deceived who wilt not be mocked Thou wilt ease thee of thine adversaries and avenge thee on thy enemies Who can stand before thine indignation who can abide in thy sight when once thou art angry Can our hearts endure or can our hands be strong when thou shalt deal with us let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the Earth wo be to him that contendeth with his Maker Thou searchest the heart and triest the reins and hast pleasure in uprightness There is not any creature that is not manifest in thy sight but all things are open and naked unto the eyes of that God with whom we have to do Oh that thou wouldst bow the heavens and come down draw night to us while we draw nigh to thee Thou humblest thy self to behold things don in Heaven the heaven of heavens is not able to contain thee and yet thou wilt dwell with Men. Thou art nigh unto us in all that we call upon thee for Let us find favour in thine eyes suffer us not to seek thy face in vain Lord hear my voice and let thine car be attentive unto the voice of my Supplication I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord Jehovah who am but dust and ashes what is man that thou art mindful of him whose dayes are as a shaddow whose breath is in his nostrils and wherein is he to be accounted of Oh quicken us that we may call upon thy name and have a gracious regard unto us though we are prodigal children unprofitable Servants of polluted lips and hearts uncircumcised 2. Confession of Sin is to follow by which God is honoured our selves humbled and abased Original corruption is thus to be acknowledged What is man that he should be clean or he that is born of a woman that he should be righteous thou mightest abhor the sight of us and we have infinite reason to loath and abhor our selves Thou madest man upright but he hath sought out many inventions We were at first planted a noble Vine a right seed but now our fruit is evil the root bitter our grapes are grapes of Sodom and clustters of Gomorrah Our first Parents were created in thine Image which does consist in Righteousness and true Holiness but they were beguiled by the Serpent and forsock the Lord and we being in their Loyns sinned in them and fell with them in their first transgression Behold I am shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me We are born the children of VVrath the sons of Death the heirs of Hell and are dead in trespasses and sins There is a Law in our Members that warrs against the Law in our mindes and is quite contrary unto the Law of God And whensoever we would or should do good evil is present with us Our carnal mindes are enmity against God they are not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can they be VVe are wise to do evil but to do good we have no knowledge the blindness that is in our minds does alienate us from the Life of God Our Consciences are sleepy and unfaithful where is their tenderness and Authority they seldom check us and if they do such is our eagerness to sin we do not mind but disobey them Our hearts are the worst part in us they are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know them As a Fountain sendeth forth water so our hearts without intermission are casting forth their wickedness from hence proceed those evils that defile the man Our hearts are disobedient and unto every
wherein they deal proudly shew thy self above them Arise O Lord and plead thine own cause and let all thy foes be made thy foot stool 7. The last part of prayer is Thanksgiving and Praise Lord thou art infinitely exalted above all blessing and praise Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the Sons of men How precious are thy Thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the Sand. 'T is thou that hast made us and not we our selves our Bodies were curiously wrought by thee and all our Members were written in thy Book and thou hast been the former of our Spirits Thou hast given me a Tongue to speak and therefore it shall shew forth thy praise Thou hast given me a Soul capable of love and joy therefore it shall love thee and rejoyce in thee 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 I have been cast upon thee from the Womb and have hung on thee ever since I hung upon the Breasts How many unknown and passible and deserved evils have I been preserved from How many undeserved Mercyes have been showred down upon me Thou hast been my Shepheard O Lord so that I have wanted nothing all my days Many are blind that I meet withal but I see many are deaf but I hear many are dumb but my Tongue can speak many have lost their Limbs but all my Bones have reason to say who Lord is like unto thee my Limbs are sound and Sences perfect and I have the use of Reason when many are distracted and raving in Bedlam I see not the hurtful Sword neither do I hear the alarm of War when others are terrified and behold Garments roulled in Blood and their Souls are wearied because of Murtherers Thou sendest fruitful seasons and fillest our hearts with Food and gladness Thou Crownest the Year with thy goodness and they Paths drop fatness We are less than the least of Mercies therefore thy goodness O Lord is the greatter and more greatly to be admired Thanksgiving for spiritual Mercyes Oh the height and length and depth and breadth of the love of God in sending Christ into the World to be a Saviour Glory be to God in the highest on Earth Peace good will towards Men. O Wonderful that the Word should be made Flesh that He who was in the form of God and thought it no Robbery to be equal with God should take upon him the form of a Servant and become obedient to Death that we might not die and perish for ever We blesse thee that our Ears do hear the joyful sound of the Gospel and that the day-spring from on high hath visited us to guide our Feet into the way of Peace Thy Sabbaths and thy Ordinances and the means of Grace are priviledges which we can never sufficiently value Thou callest upon us to turn and Livâ— and some can say thou hast made the Call effectual We were sometimes darknesse but now are we light in the Lord we were strangers but now Children we were dead in trespasses and sins but God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he loved us hath quickned us together with Christ Thou hast cast all our sins behind thy back and we may rejoyce indeed because our names are written in the book oâ— Life Thou hast made a new Covenant with us ordered in all things and sure and all that we can desire or need is here promised The blessings of both Worlds thou hast engaged to bestow and this covenant is more firm thon the Ordinances of the Heavens The mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed the Heaven and the Earth shall passe away but thy kindness shall not deparâ— from us nor the Covenant of thy Peace be removed but abide for evermore Thanksgiving for Eternal Mercies Thy Salvation is near O Lord and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Time is wearing away apace and the Everlasting Kingdom is at hand 'T is but a little while and we shall be in thy presence where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Then our hope will be swallowed up in Fruition and our Faith in seeing of thee Face to Face We shall be made perfectly holy and compleatly happy we shall sin no more we shall sorrow no more but be at rest Eternally We shall be Crowned with Life and Righteousness and Reign with God in his Everlasting Kingdom Blessed be the Lord who hath given us Everlasting consolation and good hope through Grace of such an Inheritance where we shall to Eternity be admiring free Grace and making Heaven Ring with Everlasting Hallelujahs While I live I will praise the Lord and after Death I will begin to praise him in a better manner and never never give over praising Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we either ask or think according to the Power that worketh in us Vnto Him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages and World without End Amen FINIS