as great a joy and delight in saving the Life of its little Animal Play-fellow as Abraham would have had in prevailing with God for the saving of Sodom and Gomorrah from a miserable Destruction if there had been found therein but Ten Righteous Persons There is infinite more difference between the things that men ordinarily entertain their thoughts and pursuits withal and those which the Soul converseth withal in such Prayers as have been before described And so I have given an account of some of the general Heads of the good Effects or Benefits of Praying to God which I have hitherto proved by Reason and Testimony and Experience of all good men And now I desire men would prove it one way more and that is by their own experience or else disprove it Make we tryal of it our selves and that for some time together for the Effects may not presently follow take we some time begin now to do it to pray to God discreetly and affectionately with a holy pure and innocent heart in publick private secret see whether we do not grow better upon it Pray to him heartily and assiduously in secret for strength to mortifie any Lust thy Pride thy Revenge thy Envy thy Wrath thy Injustice thy Covetousness thy Vain-glory thy Uncleanness or Lasciviousness thy Intemperance and a Thousand other Lusts which may be troublesome and importunate to us so far as we are good or to the Divine and Regenerate Nature within us Pray to him for Universal Holiness Love to himself Charity Humility Purity and Spirituality of Mind for his forbearance for his Pardon Make thy report after some time I fear nothing more than a Temptation to boast too much of thy Success And as for the pleasure of it step â—â—metimes into thy Closet or any retired place desire of God first to dispose thy Mind that the Meditation and Action of thy Soul may be such as may be acceptable to him set thy self to make Acknowledgments of his infinite Excellencies and Perfections and the Instances thereof to all his Creation and in particular to thy self in making preserving providing for thee and bestowing upon thee the good things of thy Soul and Body such as Knowledge especially of himself and thy self of thy present and future States and Conditions any Goodness or Virtue that thou art not the most villanous and wicked person devoid of all sense of thy Duty given up to all Sin and Wickedness the means afforded still of being yet wiser and better God's forbearance forgiveness in case of Repentance present Peace Comfort Joy in well-doing the provision of Heaven and Eternal Life hereafter when thy Eyes are closed and thou art no more an Inhabitant of this World thy Health Strength plenty of Food Rayment Habitation all Conveniencies of this Life in order to a good and happy Life here and hereafter And not only make bare acknowledgments of these things but heartily love and thank God for them honour and admire him with all thy might and understanding firmly believe him to have been to be now and that he always will be thy best Friend if thou be not thine own hindrance Ask heartily God's Pardon for offending him and sinning against the Eternal Laws of Righteousness drop an unfeigned Tear breath out an unconstrained Sigh chide thy self beseech God's Grace more than thy Life never to do so any more resolve to use all the inherent strength thou hast come then and tell what thou findest how thou likest Once more When thou wouldst have any thing make thy Case known propound it to God beseech him to give it thee so far as it is just only leave thy self and thy request with God because he is wise and just examine and amend what is amiss in thy self that thou mightest not be the cause why it is not just for God to give it thee let us know how this relisheth and what followeth Say sometimes such things as these with the devout and holy Psalmist I love the Lord because he hath heard my Voice and my Supplication or because he hath delivered my Soul from death that is he hath saved my Life in such a danger or sickness suppose mine eyes from tears that is he hath removed from me or prevented those Evils which would have sore grieved me and my feet from falling that is he hath kept my mind upright and cheerful from dejectedness and despondency or he hath kept me in that good condition of Life from which I was in danger of having fallen or of being deprived of it the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of Salvation the usual part of the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving I will shew my self publickly thankful and call upon the Name of the Lord or Worship him O Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant Psal 116. Say further sometimes Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great Mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee Oh happy is he who hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in Jehovah the Lord his God who made Heaven and Earth the See and all that therein is He who telleth the number of the Stars and calleth them all by their Names who is of great Power and his Understanding is infinite Psalms 145 146 147. Make we tryal I say our selves see we things with our own eyes confirm or confute all by our own experience Let us not think it a thing not worthy our trouble to be satisfied in for it is worthy of our greatest pains Either we believe all that hath been said concerning these Excellent Uses of Praying or we do not if we do not as I said try we our selves whether our Nature is not capable thereof and God will not assist us for this is the best way of proof If we do believe it without trying then do we accordingly If we do believe this to be true and yet do not practise it must needs be a sign we are both bad and foolish that we have no mind to be made good or better no nor lift through laziness or slavery to be made happier or because we cannot have the comfort and pleasure of Praying without the profit of being engaged to be good we 'l part with that rather than be good and leave our bad Courses or any Sin we love in which as we are wicked so we are such Fools for our selves as if when we have a decrepit and infirm Body we should be afraid it should be made more sound and strong whereby we might be more useful to the World and have the constant pleasure of a clear Health And so I have perfected this Fourth Head namely
which though it be very true and to be pray'd for yet it is not the sense of those Expressions The sense of the Churches of Judea which were in Christ Galat. 1. Verse 22. And salute Andronicus and Junia c. which were in Christ before me Rom. 16. 7. is those that were Christians So also if we pray that Christ may be in us that he may dwell in us that we may put on Christ or the Lord Jesus add we by way of Paraphrase and more known Expressions that we may firmly believe Jesus to be the Holy One of God and his Holy Doctrine to be true that our selves may be deeply and constantly endued with those most excellent qualities of such Knowledge and Holiness Wisdom and Goodness which are the proper Effects of or according to the Doctrine and Example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which is the sense of Galat. 3. Verse 27. As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ that is at least have believed his Doctrine And of Rom. 13. Verse 14. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Hereby also besides the Sentences the true sense of those Sentences of Scripture may be conveyed at the same time which was most-what well enough known to whom it was written but is not yet among us as it seems So also when we make our Acknowledgments of the Divine Attributes in Scripture Sentences in Prayer let us choose rather such as are most plain and therefore most proper or as little figurative as may be As Thou that knowest the hearts of all men Acts 2. the searcher of hearts and tryer of reins Thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth c. Acts 4. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable That the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him That the Lord is gracious full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy good to all and his tender mercies over all his works Psalm 145. That he is our heavenly Father the only true God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ When we use those Expressions that are spoken of God A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the likeness of men it may be best to add at least sometimes some proper word or phrase for explication and prevention of mistake especially in vulgar apprehension For Example if we should say Thy Throne O Lord is in Heaven thy eyes behold thy eye-lids try the children of men Psalm 11. Verse 4. it may follow In Heaven are the most excellent manifestations of thy presence of thy greatness and goodness yet thou most exactly knowest all things here upon Earth and whatsoever is in man If we should say Thou Lord lookest from Heaven and beholdest all the sons of men from the place of thy habitation thou lookest upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth Psalm 33. Verse 13. we may add these or other more fit Expressions according to the Auditory Thy Power and Knowledge thy Providence is extended from Heaven to Earth that is every where To thee the effects of whose power wisdom and goodness are the most perfect and great in the heavenly Regions is also perfectly known whatsoever is here upon this Earth When we say God is angry with the wicked and loveth the righteous we may add punisheth the one and willeth and doth good to the other The Expressions of The Lord is full of compassion and slow to anger may be followed with The Lord doth plentifully and frequently relieve the miserable distressed afflicted and delayeth or forbeareth to punish sinners It is a very true and useful Rule in Divinity that those Expressions in Scripture which properly signifie Humane Passions applied to God they signifie only the Effects of such Passions I do not think but that the learned unlearned but especially the last often grosly enough and falsly conceive God with Humane Passions place and other imperfections Besides the frequent use of such proper Expressions will make it more easie to conceive the true spiritual and perfect Nature of God SECT XVIII 2. I Advise those who are capable thereof to Contemplation Consideration Examination that they may find out and observe particularly what may be fit and proper matter for each of the parts of Prayer before mentioned that they may judge and be satisfied concerning the truth and usefulness of each thing when it is useful and when it is most so or its seasonableness that they might also often reflect upon and observe the intention purpose and end they have in their Prayers purifie their hearts from all insincerity and hypocrisie that they may quicken and stir up in themselves those affections or inclinations which are fit and proper according as they see the truth and usefulness of things upbraiding and reproaching themselves with an unreasonable dulness and insensibleness of those things which they ought to be and are capable of being more affected withal If any of us have time or ability use we it to meditate upon God his Nature his Attributes his Actions as long and as particularly as we can to consider to judge to examine what he truly and really is and doth and accordingly to stir up our affections and inclinations of Admiration Honour Love Desire Fear Faith and Hope Obedience Submission and Self-resignation In Confession Thanksgiving and Petition the thing is yet more easie and in some measure may be done by the ignorantest and weakest For who cannot if he would take some time to look back upon his life upon what he hath done in his Youth in his riper age when in this or that or t'other place Condition Calling or Employment what was well what was ill done by him where he was innocent and sincere where not what he hath been or done the last year or week or day who cannot enter into account and call to mind the common Blessings that he and others do constantly receive from God and moreover particularly many favours spiritual of good Instructions wise pious wholesome Counsel and Advise good Example from his Minister or his Friends Relations and Neighbours many good suggestions and motions of Conscience that have kept him from wickedness or put him on to what was good temporal ones also of prosperity health deliverance plenty or competency or at least some degree of Necessities of this Life who is there that cannot reflect upon God's goodness in forbearance when he hath reflected upon his sins and the gracious offers and assurances of his pardon and forgiveness for Christ's sake upon his true repentance and inward habitual change and amendment of temper and life and consequently of Heaven and a happier Life after we here expire and leave this earthly body And so in like manner for Petition the meanest person surely may in a very little time learn to know much of what he would have and what he ought to have If any one should give the meanest and ignorantest person notice to let him know what he wanted and
deliverance of the Jewish Nation the people of God from their Enemies all of them things of great concernment especially considering God's Honour concerned too and consequently also the good of men sometimes in vindication of his greatness in opposition to false Gods because the Heathen would think their Gods the mightier if they should prevail sometimes in vindication of his Providence both his Justice to punish very wicked persons his most unjust Enemies and his Mercy in being kind and rewarding the righteous and true lovers of himself such as he was and some with him according to his promise I have before instanced in the 51 Psal where David so vehemently and earnestly begs for Purification Pardon Peace Indeed his Sins were great and hainous and much aggravated and so we must have a care that we imitate him when the things we desire are of as great concernment our degrees of Earnestness and Affection must be proportioned always to the importance or good effects of the action most what depending upon the goodness of the objects thereof but I doubt it is but too ordinary for Christians to be guilty of more and more hainous sins than David's were and yet not to use the least part of the Importunity that David here doth for forgivness if they do desire it at all and make not a sport at it And so of other good things they betake not themselves to God St. James tells us that the effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous man availeth much or the active Prayer that in which there is much of activity and life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That earnestness or fervour is principally meant there by those words seems from what follows of Elias's praying earnestly that it might not Rain c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ordinary Hebraism to express earnestness James 1. 16. 17. Our Saviour after he had given his Disciples an Example of Prayer he adds an advisement of great importunity in Petitions sometimes and for some things when necessary and of great importance and intimates that sometime it may be a condition of our receiving what we ask Luke 11. Verse 5. And he said unto them Which of you shall have a friend and shall go unto him at midnight and say unto him Friend lend me three loaves for a friend of mine in his Journey is come to me and I have nothing to set before him c. And Verse 8. I say unto you that though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend yet because of his importunity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of his Impudence properly that is Importunity so great as it might seem near to that or as men impudent use to do who without the restraint of fear or shame do things and with the greatest vigour and ferventness he will rise and give him as many as he needeth And verily it may sometimes be very reasonable for God to with-hold any benefit asked especially if a great one on purpose to heighten the eagerness and fervency of our desires that we might be more sensible of our dependence upon him and obligation to him and be more thankful when we do receive after such long importunity And it might reasonably seem good to God net to give the thing at first or with only cold and luke-warm wishes and desires nay never to give it if we will not take the pains to continue and invigorate inliven our Supplications and Entreaties And this may often actually be one reason why as St. James saith we ask and receive not namely because we ask so rarely and seldom so weakly languidly and remissly and consequently so unbecommingly to the great and good God so infinitely superiour to us and to the things themselves the least being too good to be given to such idle and heartless Petitioners Indeed a man may reasonably think that rather than such Prayers should be the condition of receiving they should oftner be a cause of denial or should even as little be the condition of receiving as none at all if not less God may give us benefits indeed but not on condition of such Prayers as he often doth when we do not pray at all ungrateful Creatures SECT VII III. A Third due Qualification of our Operation of Soul in Prayer or rather of Prayer in general is that it be as frequent as ought to be and this our Prudence must determine For Ejaculatory Prayers they may be at all times in all places all companies upon all occasions And we are always to keep our mind in such temper and so truly innocent as that we may in the beginning especially of any considerable action send up to God a smart desire for Wisdom Discretion and Prudence sincerity and uprightness in our Intension and Design to do that which is in those circumstances best for the greatest good and most pleasing to God for courage and strength and constancy or vigour and perseverance that we might do nothing we might have reason to repent of for success or deliverance He also who much addicteth himself to and frequently useth this sort of Prayer may pray much more in the sum and most-what doth pray more fervently and more seasonably than he that prayeth many long continued Prayers his Acknowledgments Confessions Professions Thanksgivings Petitions being when he is under a stronger and distincter apprehension and greater sense of the things he conceives in his short Prayer As for publick Prayers they are determined by the Publick and I do not see but that most men generally might if they pleased be there as often as they are appointed many more than there are surely But especially those whose affairs are not so much abroad whose time and garb and other circumstances might be more easily fitted thereto whose affairs are more regular as to time and more at their own dispose And if all those were but present who stand still looking about or who purposely find themselves very little business as well to be done at another time all those who are either idle or do business of far less if of any concernment to be done just at that time the number I do not doubt would be very considerably increased And as for private and secret Prayers surely most persons may have opportunity to perform them once or twice a day in some length or other or some part of the day or other I confine them not to time nor length though it may be best for men who can to fix some time and to use to order their affairs so as not to interrupt them and that they may not be hindred by them as possibly before them all and after they be all dispatcht Better too they be short than none at all If it be but some short and pithy comprehensive form with the Lord's Prayer of which some learned judicious pious and devout men have been so deserving of the Publick as to give great variety which men need not be ignorant of if they have