bow down and oppress this happy soul With upright and cheerly countenance with solid joy and satisfaction in his thoughts he steadily and generously walks through all the variety of conditions of life and being the Divine Wisdom may dispose him into Who would not be a good man that he may thus pray and who would not pray that he may enjoy so great a happiness who would be so weak and foolish as for the indulgence and gratification of some pitiful mean and base appetite for the present enjoyment of some vile and unreasonable lust or sin forego and quit all his faith confidence and hope in God and the consequent delight acquiescence case peace and joy of soul upon all occasions being ashamed ever to think of God much more to address himself to him or ask any thing at his hand though he should be in never so great distress Who would lose the benefit and comfort of so good a Friend for what can never make the least part of recompense Yes Let Atheists and Worldlings live without any minding of or addressing themselves to God if they please the good man knows too well the sweetness the profit and the pleasure thereof to do likewise David was a truly excellent Example of this usefulness and benefit of Prayer It seems to have been his most usual Cordial which he often took to support his fainting and tired soul to quell and compose his vexations fears disturbances to alleviate and remove his grief and sadness We 'l give an instance or two Psalm 42. First he mentions his present sad and miserable condition in many respects as his being banished out of his Country it is likely by Saul and principally from the Publick Worship of his God for which he panted and thirsted Oh when shall I come and appear before God Verse 1 2 4 6. Then his Enemies contempt and insulting over him and especially their not believing that he was so great a Favourite of God's but rather that God had rejected him or minded him not Verse 3 10. But to comfort and chear himself he prays to God and is very confident God will hear him as he had reason and cheerlily chides himself Ver. 8 9 11. Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time and in the night his Song shall be with me and my Prayer to the God of my life that is yet I will pray to my God and I trust and know he will give me cause to rejoyce and praise him by his hearing of me at all times I will say unto God my Rock why hast thou forsaken me why go I mourning because of the oppression of the Enemy And Verse 11. Why art thou cast down O my Soul why art thou so disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God Again The very next Psalm viz. 43. he prays very passionately to God for deliverance from his Enemies who were unmerciful deceitful unjust and that God would bring him back again to enjoy his Publick Worship in his Temple from which he seems now banished Oh send out saith he thy light and thy truth that is perhaps thy enlightning or rejoycing truth in performing of thy Promises thou hast made to me let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy hill Sion the place where the Temple was built and to thy Tabernacles that is the Temple built instead of the Tabernacle where God especially manifested himself or where were very special effects of his Power and Presence Then he Vows unto God that with exceeding joy and thankfulness he would make use of and improve that favour Vers 4. Then will I go unto the Altar of God unto God my exceeding joy c. and then Verse the last he is full of good hope and firm confidence that God who was the health of his countenance that is the cause of all his joy and of his content which useth to be shewed by ones healthful aspect and countenance and who was his God would hear his Petition at last viz. that he should praise him therefore and that publickly in the Temple Again in Psalm 55. he describes the miserable plight that he was in because of the constant Machinations and plots of his Enemies deceitful and bloody men as 't is v. 23. nay of those who had been his Friends and Confidents who had forsaken him in his disgrace and adversity as it is usual and contemned him Verse 12. his Enemies contrived even to take away his Life they oppressed him with Accusations and Reproaches and wrathfully hated him whence he was full of Complaints and Mourning in so much that there was likelihood of his death thereby which though another sense may be too he expresseth in Verse 4 5 by his heart being pained and the terrours of death fallen upon him and fearfulness and trembling coming upon him and horrour overwhelming him But then the course he takes is to pray to God with hope and trust in him By these he reseues himself from this sadness and grief of Soul and eases comforts and satisfies it Verse 16. As for me I will call upon God and the Lord shall save me Verse 17. Evening and Morning and at Noon-day that is very frequently he would pray and cry aloud and God should hear his voice And Verse 22. Cast thy burden that is what grieves thee upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved that is himself to be frustrated of his hope SECT IX A Third Way how Prayer is for our III. ease comfort and satisfaction of mind is by reflection upon our having performed our most just and reasonable duty to God and upon some more than ordinary good qualities in our selves that may upon this occasion appear as in general upon our ability for and our good will to this duty or performance that we are able and disposed for such excellent things as are in Prayer more particularly that our minds are so able to converse with spiritual things and future yea eternal and to be affected with them such as God his Nature and Actions our own Souls their Actions and Inclinations the State after Death the Affairs of the Life hereafter That we can take notice of God's Perfections acknowledge them really honour him love and resolve to obey him to put our trust in him and depend upon him that we can take notice of and grieve sincerely and heartily for the irregularities of our Actions and our bad and sinful Temper and Inclinations be pleased with desire pray for Virtue and Grace that we can think of attend to and be frequently and much affected with things of future reward and misery Heaven and Hell that we are not sensual dull worldly earthly-minded persons who can mind nothing but sensible present and worldly matters for this short life All men are naturally inclined to believe and confusedly see
certain from the Scripture and Reason too that there are better consequences of willing to pray and of praying or desiring things from God than of omitting or neglecting it and particularly besides those many other excellent ones a little before mentioned the receiving of many good things for our selves and some the best we are capable of Better consequences than these I am sure the neglect or omission of petitioning God cannot so much as pretend to Nay hence also it further still follows that if we have any liberty or faculty of self-determination it is not only our perfection to pray but also our obligation such is my sense of that word For certainly we are bound to will and chuse that which is our perfection if we do not see it inconsistent with a greater good as surely we do not see this to be And thus much for the First Pretence SECT II. 2. A Second Pretence men make use of is want of Ability to Pray Alas they for their part are very ignorant of and not able to discern the truth justâ—ce importance of the matter of their Prayers they know very little they are ignorant of the Nature and Attributes of God they know or can remember very little of their own hearts and actions what are and what are not sins and of what they have been or are guilty And as little still are they able to know and call to mind the particular Favours and Benefits they have received or the things they want or should desire especially spiritual ones They want Prudence to attend to what is seasonable Moreover they are dull and heavy and inept to apprehend attend to be affected with such things Finally they want Understanding Memory Judgment Affection for God their Sins their Mercies their Wants and most of all do they want Invention and Memory for fit Words and Speech Alas how should they know to express themselves well Sometimes they have good things in their mind but they cannot speak them To this Effect is their Second Excuse To which I Answer 1. All this except that of want of Apprehension and Affection is no just Excuse for not joyning with others in Prayers either in Publick or Private it is no Excuse for not being at Prayers and coming to them For there most-what both things true just and useful very particularly sometimes and Words too are invented to our Hands And as for our apprehending conceiving and being affected with such things as our Prayers should contain many things we can in some measure apprehend and are affected withal in general as God's Power his Omnipresence his Universal Goodness his Mercy his Justice our own Temporal Wants and Mercies at least some very gross and palpable Sins Begin we here and mind we these things first And then as for other more particular and more spiritual things we must and may apply our Minds excite and stir up our Affections to them The oftner we do this the better we shall do it let us begin and try and use our selves to it a while How many who make this Excuse of Non-Ability are unwilling and backward so much as to joyn with others in praying either in Publick or Private A sign they have no Mind or Inclination to it they care not for their Duty and they are willing to be and do so still and indulge themselves in it Let Persons but use themselves to come and be present at Prayers they 'l find in time some good or other of it they 'l sometime or other apprehend something sometime or other their Affections may be touched and they may begin to find something which may please there Howsoever they will not be so averse thereform it will not be so tedious to them This especially if People live pretty sober Lives and they are not addicted to things which they know to be materially evil and naught but their chief Fault hath been they have not minded their due End in their Actions so much as they might have done 2. All this Non-Ability except again that of Ineptness to apprehend and to be affected with Spiritual things or the Matter of our Prayers which is to be remedied as aforesaid is no reasonable Excuse for our not using others Prayers or Forms either in the Scripture as the Lord's Prayer or composed by judicious and pious persons For here again are good Matter and Words ready for us and cannot we read or repeat these with Understanding and hearty Affections or learn them and repeat them by heart whether we can or cannot read The meanest and ignorantest and those who cannot read who I hope will be every day fewer can learn some such Prayers without Book shorter or longer fewer or more such as the Lord's Prayer and other Prayers none hath so bad a Memory as to do nothing in this kind And that all may have the less Excuse let Parents and those who Educate Children teach them some such Prayers as soon as may be That Persons may begin as soon as they are capable of understanding things to take notice of God their Creator and Sustainer from whom they have every thing 3. I have propounded some Means already which Men are able to make use of and by the Use of which Men may either be present at and joyn with others Prayers or read and repeat judicious and devout Forms of Prayers with Understanding and Affection in some degree or other and they may still further advance some at least to compose Prayers of their own out of others Prayers or their own Inventions and Observations or both together Can we not read nor hear read the Holy Scripture and understand the plain places and some of us the obscure by others Explication Can we not read other good Religious Books or hear them read can we not sometimes retire meditate reflect think of God and our selves what we are what we would be what we should be what we shall be Can we not read observe commit to Memory the Patterns of other wise and good Christians whether spoken or written Can we not pray to God to help and assist us to obtain one or more of the Qualifications of good Prayers especially Sincerity and Fervency I say cannot Persons use these Means I think they can All of them some or other more or less I know there are many Degrees in these things some Men can make use of more of these Means and more frequently All Men have not the like Ability or Opportunity but all have some And I do not think but the most busie dull ignorant and inept Persons may use more Means to be better than they are No Men that are imperfect and bad do all they can to become better Not so much as the Beggar who goes from Door to Door or sits upon the Dung-hill or waits upon Swine and Beasts And this is that which will be laid to their Charge be sure whatever else will and which will condemn them SECT III. 3. A Third
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
good is to be willed by us the greatest is so too nor is the propriety of any thing but the goodness of it the only reason why it is the object of our will In few words That the greatest good of the whole Universe in respect of Intension and Duration be the ultimate Object of our Wills always either immediately or mediately actually or habitually and not that of any part and therefore not of our selves In which one Doctrine is all formal Virtue contained and from it are all particular Virtues easily deduced This is the first and great Law of Nature or which is invented or judged true by our natural reason 1. Plainly like as in the animal body or rather the compounded creature man that we may comprehend the nature of Virtue by a most easie similitude all the functions and operations of each particular member are supposed to be performed not for its own or any other member's proper good but for the greatest good of the whole body or rather of the whole man in which their won too so far as it is constitutive or any way effective thereof is necessarily included so very easie and obvious is the confutation of all those false systems or hypotheses of morality which make virtue to consist in all our dutys to be deduced from ultimate self-love The vast and most universal importance of this truth and it s not being yet so commonly minded as it should may I hope be a sufficient excuse for the seeming importune and unnecessary mentioning and interposing of it in the following Treatise Add to this those other as they are ordinarily called Laws of Nature Such as are that God or an all-perfect Being is to be worshipped that is honoured prayed to be obeyed c. that we ought not to make happy the wicked nor unhappy the righteous or those who will and endeavour the most publick or universal good that we ought to be beneficent grateful to our Benefactors and particularly to Parents and scores the like All which are nothing else but such Dispositions and Actions which by Reason or Experience have been found and concluded to have more good Effects than their contraries or than their Omission or to be most for the universal and common good and are indeed Rules or Directions for our Prudence 2. As are generally the voluminous resolutions of those which are called cases of Conscience to obtaine the ultimate End of all our Wills and Actions viz. the greatest good of the Whole in the willing of which Eâ—d only is that which I call Virtue and without which there is none at all These I say and such like Doctrines and Truths being made known from God to the Minds of Men by their Faculties of Invention and Reasoning with which he hath caused them to be born are very well termâ—d Natural Religion Those Doctrines concerning our Duty c. which are made known either immediately or mediately by Revelation are called Revealed Religion I say immediately or mediately They may be made known immediately from God to the Person himself who is to know and practise and no Man can tell how much this is or hath been in all Parts and Ages of the World insomuch that a good part of that which hath been thought natural especially some more spiritual and extraordinary Truths may be revâ—aled inspired or suggested to some Men though the same things may have been known naturally by othâ—rs too For who can tell just how much to whom and when God hath immediate Influence upon the Understandings of Men Again They may be revealed mediately by others and that by Angels or Men. The first was done to all the Prophets except Moses according to the Jews The second to all Men who have received any Doctrines from the Prophets Among the Prophets by whom God hath revealed these Doctrines there have been two the most eminent and illustrious Moses first and then Jesus Christ the Messias â—ore-â—old and promised by Moses himself and many other of the Prophets The first of these gave the Jews an entire System of Laâ—s and other Doctrines The second partly by himself but principâ—lly by some of his Disciples delivered a great many to all Man-kind The first is called the Mosâ—ical or Jewish the second the Christian Religion From this sense of Religion it is 〈◊〉 that it can be nothing but Sâ—â—â—shness â—gâ—orance or Madness that can make Men hate or despise it in general For is it possible for any thing else to put no difference between Actions to have no Rules thereof to despise that â—hich teacheth them as if all things were alâ—ke â—ligible and yet there are such bruâ—â—sh Persons who would not be troubled with the Choice and Pâ—rsuance of any 〈◊〉 though it be only their own personal good But would rather â—ollow their fortuitous Imaginations and Inclinations They hate to take any Pains to consine or direct their Choices and Inclinations by any Rules though such as are only to obtain their own greatest bodily and worldly good But indeed those generally who contemn or hate Religion mean by it not all Directioâ—s of their Liâ—e and Actions for they have Wiâ— enough to like well Epicurean brutish Morality but the true natural and especially revealed Religion which contain such Rules of their Duty and other Doctrines as are contrary to their selfish inordinate and immoderate Appetites or Lusts of Malice Pride and Sensuality which teach and help Men to restrain and mortifie them and to introduce a Universal Goodness Piety Charity Humility Spirituality and other as comprehensive Virtues which want Names But what can be more evident than that if ought be to preferred before ought not if the greatest Perfection and Felicity of the whole World nay of every particular Person be valuable and to be preferred before their Imperfection and Misery It must be insufferable Selfishness and Pride together with desirable Ignorance and Folly that must cause them to regard it without the greatest Reverence and Love And as for the Christian Religion it is certain that in general all its Doctrines are so confirmed or at least uncontradicted by the natural and Catholick Religion and particularly all those which concern our Duty are if rightly interpreted so perfectly such not any being yet deprehended or made good to be otherwise by the most witty and malicious or wise honest and unprejudiced with so much assurance simplicity and sincerity delivered Also all its other assistant Doctrines concerning God's Nature and Actions Jesus Christ the Messenger of it good and bad Spirits Man-kind their Original Nature Duration c. This may be no inconvenient Method for a System of Christian Religion are so truly useful to make Men the most perfectly virtuous and holy or to perform their Duty so pleasant to contemplate by reason of their strangeness and greatness that it must needs be the most seriously and deliberatedly loved and admired by the wisest and best men One part of the Doctrines that
all Religions contain is concerning that infinitely perfect Being called God viz. his Nature infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness his Actions Creation Preservation and Providence and then our Duty towards him which is in one word to Worship him that is to contemplate honour love rejoyce trust in desire from imitate obey him c. and to signifie this by convenient signs Among these our Dutys towards God one viz. to love God for himself is a part or Instance of Virtue or Universal Goodness the rest are Instruments or Means thereof The Duty of Prayer so as is explained and described in the ensuing Treatise is not only to desire and petition any thing from God but contains all his Worship nay it necessarily infers all our Duty universally Our solemn profession and resolution of Obedience and consequently Imitation of God God having commanded us to be like himself which is one Ingredient in a Prayer necessarily imports the practice of all our Duty whatsoever For God is or hath commanded one way or other by natural Light or Revelation all we ought to be and do The Nature and Uses of this ordinary Duty are so particularly described in the Treatise it self that I shall not here add any thing but only that I hope they are so plain and reasonable as to be understood and approved by all who are gâ—â—dedly good Understanding and to secure it from the uâ—just Contempt of some who may neglect or despâ—se it These are First the Ignorant and Vulgar whose Souls are sensual and dull that they are very inâ—pt to all Spiritual things and therefore much uncapable of such an Employment These are as much as may be to be better instructed and rendred more capable of it In order to which it would be well if the Affairs of Humane Liâ—e were so ordered that the meanest might hâ—ve more lâ—isure and opportunities for Religioâ—s Dutâ—s of Reading Praying Hearing and have more vacancy from bodily labour and motion and hardship which require and make a tough and strong but gross and dull temper of Body And it is likely that if it were not for the insatiable Covetousness and Ambition of Frinâ—es and States which perpetually fill the Worâ—d with Wars and consâ—quently make necessary hardy strong Bodys and dissolute Manners and a hundred little subservieâ—t Employments Such good reason is there for the Lâ—tany Petition for Unity Peace and Concord to all Nations Were it not for the Pride and Luxury of private Persons there would be much fewer Necessities of Humane Life and much more time to all sorts of Men for Spiritual and Divine things The moderate Care and Labour of Men sparing some time each day and some whole days probably would sufficiently provide for all such conveniencies of the bodily Life as may render it the least Impediment or the most subservient which is its right use to the spiritual one Thâ— principal part of which is the Conversation of Mens minds with God the Imitation of his most perfect and happy Life to the utmost of our Power in the greatest Knowledge and Virtue Wisdom and Goodness Prudence and Beneficence Wherefore I cannot approve the Temper of many now adays who seem to make it the only End and Design of Government to increase Riches and People and Trade in a Nation from whence they take all their Reasons and Measures of all Laws and Constitutions As if Men were made for nothing but to enjoy all the Conveniencies and gratifie all the Appetites of this present pitiful fleshly Liâ—e to eat drink enjoy Wives Children and Relations to live in Health Strength Ease to be safe from all their Enemies or to extend their Fame and Dominions abroad Whereas in truth the whole Furniture of this bodily Life is but in order and should be subservient to the spiritual or intellectual one that we might live it with less interruption or disturbance our selves and propagate it in others and there is nothing more plain than that the inordinate and immoderate gratification of our bodily Appetites or those which are proper to this fleshly Life especially sensual ones is the most inconsistent with a spiritual and virtuous Temper and consequently with the most perfect and happy Condition of Man-kind Nor seems it much to be hoped to see the World in better Posture till the Affairs thereof are otherwise ordered or it shall please God more immediately by a larger Effusion of his Holy Spirit by his Power and Virtue upon the Souls of Men to frame temper and dispose them A Second sort of those who are apt to think somewhat meanly of this religious Duty of Prayer are the learned who are most conversant in Science and addict themselves to Speculation These oft-times very much neglect Practice they little and seldom mind Morality of which I reckon Piety or our Dutys towards God to be without compare the most excellent part By how much the Objects of our Speculation are of a more different and remote nature from God as are all corporeal things with their Affections by how much they are more numerous and various by how much they require a greater Intension of Spirit as very subtil and profound things in the Mathematicks and Metaphysicks So much the more still do they draw away the Mind from Religion and Piety insomuch that the greatest Scholars are not always the best Men. It is true indeed that some Knowledge where the Objects of it are intellectual as that of our own Souls and the mutual Relations and Respects of things by spiritualizing our Minds doth prepare and dispose us to apprehend and be affected with God but then also by more vigorously employing the Application of our Minds and more intensely pleasing them it perhaps more effectually detains and with-holds us from Piety than our Converse with sensible and external Objects Nay in Moral and Religious Knowledge it self it is not only possible but I believe very frequent for Men to be so inordinately and immoderately pleased taken and in Love with the meer Knowledge or Speculation of the Objects thereof as to have very little Care Esteem and Love for the Practice or the really having it in their own Hearts that is their Wills and Affections They are altogether different things for a Man to perceive and understand and that very distinctly and clearly the Perfections of his Inclinations Appetites and Affections and to possess them or have them really in himself to know all the Rules of Morality and therefore of Piety and to practise them The one is a quality of the Understanding the other of the Will and Affections They have two different faculties and actions of the Soul for their Subjects and therefore the one may be and full often is in the same Soul where there is nothing of the other though I acknowledge that usually the best and clearest Knowledge of Humane Nature is from a Man 's own Experience of himself of which the reason is obvious and consequently a Man may have
one for the Object of his Esteem and Delight and the other not at all Nay the more he minds and loves the one not in order to or for the sake of the other the less will he mind or love this other In few and known Words meer Speculation even in Religion and Morality may and most often doth more please Men than the Practice and the more the one is for it self prized and beloved the less is the other 'T is like as when some unweildy or lame Person with much pleasure conceives describes and teaches others the best Postures and Motions of Vaulting or Dancing who never was nor is able nor cared at all to perform them himself or like Hunters who are only delighted with the finding and catching their Game but care not for eating it But because the Effects of Mens Science and Speculation are generally more or less beneficial and acceptable to the World Which is not so in their possession of Honour Riches or sensual Pleasures the immoderacy of the Appetite after it is not so much observed or blamed These Persons are to be remembred thâ—t Morality of which as I said Piety is incomparably the most excellent part is infinitely to be preferred before Speculation a generous Virtue before Knowledge the perfectâ—on of our Wills before that of our Understanding For the first as I have somewhere else had occasion to mention being nothing but an habitual designing and intendâ—ng in all our Actions the Universal Good in its own Nature necessarily tends only to an infinite good and is unconceivable to be â—ver made otherwise by the will and power of God himself the other barely and in its own Nature considered only delighteth our selves Nay not so much as that perhaps but only by God's Will Speculation therefore is an idle and useless thing compared with Action And even in Speculation it self that which hath God a Being of Perfection unsearchable and incomprehensible by any but himself for its Object is incomparably the most ravishing to the Soul of Man And yet it is most commonly seen that every small Speculator or Theorist a Philosopher Mathematician Linguist Critick Politician and Theologers too especially Polemicks are very prone to despise and look down upon Piety and practical Religion as a great way below them to leave them as ordinary things sit only for little and vulgar Minds whilst they are employed in Matters of higher Concern and Importance The Third Sort of those who hate or despise Piety and all Religious Dutys towards God are vicious and debauched persons These do it often partly because of their dulness principally because Piety is inconsistent with the gratification of their Lusts and particularly in Men of fierce haughty and swelling Tempers because it is opposite to their Pride because it confines and controuls them takes away their Liberty puts them in mind of their Meanness placeth them in the same rank with the poorest of Mortals For they affect Uncontroulableness and Licentiousness they would be subject to none acknowledge no Superior would be and do only what they themselves list at least have some priviledge above others It is certainly inconsistent with such Tempers to acknowledge God's infinite Superiority to themselves and their entire Dependence upon his Will and Pleasure to desire any thing from him with a humble reference of all their Petitions to his infinite Wisdom and Righteousness or to return any Thanks unto him to own and pay the most just Tribute of Obedience as well as the meanest of his Creatures to confess disown despise or pity themselves be grieved for their unreasonable Self-will and Disobedience to acknowledge their Guilt and deserved Punishment and yet God's Right of Remission upon their sincere Repentance and their humble and important Request and that too for the sake of another who was that which they have been shamefully deficient in viz. the most perfectly righteous and obedient All these and such like most just Dutys to our Maker these dissolute licentious and proud Creatures must needs hate and despise as repugnant to their Lusts controuling their Liberty and obliging them to the most sensible Reflection upon and Confession of their Meanness and Baseness Hence theyâ—l sometimes deny or cavil at them and the very Existence of God himself as much as their wit and care of their safety will give them leave Or for want of these when they have little or nothing to say and with them too they 'l huff at them with a scornful pish throw them away and neglect them as a Cheat or at least a thing uncertain and trouble some Those who are governed by a Belief of God and Duty towards him they pretend to look upon as weak of no Parts or Wit timorous superstitious little and low minded whilst they conceit themseves to be great Spirits and noble Souls indeed Alas for them goodly things indeed they are To whom in short it is to be answered that it is a wicked thing to affect to have what they should not and as silly to desire what they cannot obtain It is a wicked and unreasonable thing for thee to desire thy Liberty from the Direction and Government of him who is infinitely better and wiser than thy self who is infinitely good and immutably delights in the effecting of the greatest good of the whole Universe and is infinitely wise and infallibly knows what doth effect it who knows and can do all things upon whom are dependent all the Natures and Existences of things possible to be who therefore hath all the right that can be conceived to be the Law-giver of the Universe If thou or any the most accomplished and perfect Being besides himself comply not with or conform not to his Will thou canst not be innocent but thou must be he who preferred thy own self before the whole Universe and hast in thee that Insolence to desire that all may minister to thy Pleasure than which what can be more prodigiously unreasonable wicked and unjust But if it be reasonable to be obedient to and to be like God because he will and commands all for the Universal good then is it also reasonable that we should perform all other Dutys of Piety to him Acknowledgment and Contemplation of his Perfectins Honour Petition Thankfulness Confession of and Grief for our Transgression of his Laws c. which dispose and cause us to obey and imitate him Nor are these swaggering Hectors less foolish than wicked For whether they will or no they ought to be and shall be what God willeth All things that are any thing really existent must be the Effects of his Will and dependent upon him who is Infinitely Perfect for otherwise he is not so All that he wills concerning us is either what we should be the due Relations of our Actions to their Objects or what we shall be the one is ordinarily termed his Commands the other his Decrees Now what God commands whether we think or will so or no
Disposition impressed upon the will which is the effect of all passions the Things prayed for or desired and the Desire it self And so in all the other parts of Prayer In Acknowledgment are the divine Persections acknowledged and the Affections of Admiration Honour Reverence Fear Love Joy c. In Confession the sins acknowledged and Grief Sorrow Hatred Conterâ—pt of them and for them In Profession the sense of what we profess and the Passion and Disposition of Devotion Resolution or obediential Inclination In Thanksgiving the Things thanked for and Love for them or Gratitude Nay in the Râ—â—ital and Explication of our Cases the Sense recited and our Passion of Fear Grief Desire The Sense or Things desired and the Passion of Desire and its degrees are variously expressed and signified in the same Sentence The general thing expresly or supposedly desired is That God would grant us the thing we desire An account of the particular things to be desired will be another general Head by many words in the Scripture expressed both proper and figurative as give grant hearken see behold look down regard turn not away hide not thy Face remember forget us not c. many more such figurative expressions especially may be met withal because when Men will and are inclin'd to grant any thing to a Petirioner there are these bodily Motions or mental Actions which accompany it or have some Relation to it All which in God signifie nothing but to will the thing desired and to effect it that he would command or will such a thing to be done The Passion of Desire is sometimes expressed in Sentences with Interrogations or the like Schemes oâ— Speech In the Psalms which are very Rhetorical one part of which is to have Passions and great ones well expressed and signified nothing more frequent As Psalm 88. Verse 14. Why castest thou off my Soul why hidest thoâ— thy Face from me That is I earnestly beseech thee not to withhold thy Favour from me And wilt thou be angry with us for ever Wilt thou draw out thine Anger to all Generations That is we importunately desire of thee that thou wouldst be pleased to cease to punish us And so sometimes Multitude of Words more signifie some degree of Passion than any different sense Nay very often the multitude of single Words do not signifie any different Senses or Idea's but only some degree of Passion For the use of many words to express one thing commonly proceeds from the mâ—nds being longer detained in the thought of it by some passion As when I call a thing noble excellent incomparable all thâ—se Words together generally express or are a sign of not so many different senses but only of a degree of Affection nay very often some certain single words or phrases signisie not the Idea's or Conceptions of things only but withal a degree of some Affection or Passion as of Admiration Love Desire as in the words just now mentioned So the word wretched Sinner to some Persons signifies not only the sense or conception of a mans being a great sinner but withal a greater degree of Hatred or Contempt or Indignation than the word great Sinner But of this more and more particularly where we give some Directions concerning the Signs of our Sense and Passions such as are Speech and Gesture From what hath been discoursed concerning the Ingredients of a Prayer we may observe that it thus perform'd contains all the parts of divine Worship For there can be no other or more than to have God the Object of the Operations of our Souls which is internal Worship and to signifie this by some sâ—nsible signs of certain Motions either of some part or of the whole of our Body which is external Worship And more particularly to have him the Object of our Understanding Will Affections and more particularly yet to think of and contemplate as distinctly as we can his Nature and Actions his Attribuâ—es and the infinite variety of the effects thereof generally comprehended under the three heads of Creation Preservation Providence To honour reverence and admire God for those his infinite Perfections to love him for them and for the particular Effects thereof to our selves and to all his Creatures to desire to please him to desire him that is to desire to enjoy him by Contemplation and Love and to desire from him all things to rejoyce and delight our selves in him i. e. in the enjoyment of himself and Possâ—ssion of his Favour to put our Trust and Confidence in him to devote our selves to obey him nay universally to will as he wills both what ought to be done or the Matter of his Commands and what shall come to pass in the World or the Matter of his Decrees oâ— Appointments The former of which may be called active Obedience the latter passive c. I say these things and such like when signified and expressed by any sensible signs of the Motions of some part or the whole of our Bodies as Words and external Actions contain the whole of Worship and to do all these in such manner as the Infinity of each of the divine Perfections respectively requires is divine Worship That is among other things for instance sake only to do them universally in all things perpetually habitually with the utmost vigour and strength of our Souls to God ultimately with the greatest Company or Number that can conveniently do it in one place at the same time with all others in different places and finally to him alone as a sign of his unity or of his being God alone which is one attribute of his nature to discourse all which particularly belongs to another Argument CHAP. II. The Second general Head is the several sorts of Prayer THe Divisions of Prayer may be numerous as many viz. as there are Logical Relations Many of the ordinary ones are of no great use some of them may be these SECT I. I. ONe Distinction is into Mental and Vâ—cal from one sort of Adjuncts Meâ—tal is that which is conceived in the Miâ— only Vocal that which is expressed â— Words This Distinction if of any concer or use to be mentioned should have been inâ— a Prayer not signified to others or signifie both by Words and other external Signs â— bodily Action or Motion SECT II. II. THey distinguish it into ejaculatoâ— and set Prayers or into occasional aâ— fixed or designed The one is when any thiâ— occurring to a Man's Thoughts and â—â—pearing on a sudden very good or bad â—â— cites some smart Passion in him and causeâ— him to dart up a Desire to God to give it hiâ— or keep it from him As when one observâ— an approaching Temptation and perceive himself in danger to be overcome his inoâ—dinate Appetite or some Passion beginningâ— stir and to grow boisterous he smartlâ— breaths out a warm Desire for the divinâ— Assistance and Help oft-times utterly unobserved by any though perhaps in the midâ— of Company So when a
take heed that nothing false is said by him to cause himself to attend to what is true anâ— important to awake and inflame Affections thereto by proposing or urging the reasonableness of them by upbraiding his Infirmity Dulness Ignorance Mistake Slavery in his Senselesness of the best things I think too that this Assistance is principally in holy Affections that is such as are rightly directed and moderated to the most excellent Objects and in their due Degree more than in Sense and Words also principally upon some extraordinary Occasion either for the great need of its being well performed just at such a time or the necessary want of Time and it may be of natural Ability of the Person if innocent and humble and therefore always especially to the innocent and particularly the humble and modest not to the lazie negligent weak yet vainly conceited presumptuous and proud Person I rather think that they have most of this Assistance who least pretend to it who least therefore wilfully neglecting their own endeavours trust to it but only modestly think it may be sometimes in some things and whether it be so or be not so do attribute all they are or do or can perform ultimately to God whether it be by natural Parts or habitual Gists or present Influence who acknowledg that all holy Desires all good Counsels all just Works do proceed from him and thank God that he is pleased to do any good to others by them though they should be very well pleased too if it were done by others so it were done If it pleased God to afford a greater degree of this Assistance to do good this way there is no good Man I suppose but would be very glad thereof and willingly receive it and thank God for it And for ought I know it may be afforded to the World in greater degree First in respect of good and holy Inclinations and sense of Soul called Graces and then in those Perfections of our understanings which are called Gifts before the whole design of Christianity and consequently the present condition of Man-kind here on Earth hath and End but then we must certainly know it to be so when it is The Badness the Pride and Vanity of many Persons their self-conceit swelling with a false opinion that they are so highly favoured of God Contempt of others because inferiour to them in this respect want of Humility Modesty Charity also Falshood Uncertainty Unintelligibleness to other Persons wise and Pious in the Reciter's Non-sense or great Confusion Trivialness and Uselessness of things and consequently the Pedantry or Childishness of the Persons sometimes also the mischievousnesâ— of things are sufficient signs in their degreeâ— Non-inspiration and therefore of the Madness and Contemptibleness of such pretences They are signs even of want of ordinary considerâ—tion Reason Judgment of Ignorance Duâ—ness Confusion Error and yet Rashness anâ— Confidence And where Prayers and Persons are bettâ—â— and the clean contrary yet surely full easilâ— may all that we now see be by the Goodnessâ— the natural Parts before mentioned and by hâ—bituaâ— Gifts that is those Faculties endoweâ— with some Perfection belonging to them by God's special Influences some time or timeâ— in our Lives without the special Influence â—â— the Spirit just then And we find extempâ—râ— Performances in other matters to be performed as well as in those divine Offices as in Orations in common discourse especially when warmed with Talking and Passions and yet these are attributed only to natural Parts which in some Men are very quick and lasting of great Variety conversant about more than ordinary things and may not unfitly be termed natural Enthusiasm Of which the bodily cause according to the Laws of union of Body and Soul which God hath fixed is Subtilty Solidity Copiousness of Spirits a well constituted Brain Organs of Speech and the Nervous passages of the Brain thereto c. I would try any Man who should pretend to be even a Prpohet and did even work Miracles by such Signs as I have now mentioned and they may reasonably in some degree over-weigh the greatest appearing Miracles themselves For I may have more certainty and evidence that some things are unworthy of God or that they cannot be done by oâ— proceed from such a Nature as Gods is then that any effect is caused by God's immediate action or influence for the Confirmation of any thing taught or affirmed and not by some natural and second causes And we see accordingly the Jews were admonished by Moses that even if one should rise up who should foretell things to come and yet teach that Jehovaâ— was not the true God but should draw them to other Gods and there is the like reason in all Truths as clearly manifested by Revelation or Reason he was not to be believed that God had sent him but to be rejected and put to death Deut. 13. v. 1. As for those poor deluded or Hypocritical Men who sit in deep silence a great while and of a sudden break out with abundance as is said of Non-sensical stuff or Prophetical Phrases cluttered together and then think themselves inspired by the Spirit most probably their silence was at first affected or if not their bodily Temper was only dull and after some time their Brains were agitated with thoughts and their Hearts with Passions or their Temper was fortuitously changed as most Men are apt to be silent and talkative once in two or three Hours or at least the Examples of others make them begin to talk too and to shew the Spirit comes upon them They may do well also to have a care there be noâ— something a worse cause when Men so proudly and wilfully expose themselves to such miserable sottish Delusions These few things I have at present upon the mentioning these Sorts or kinds of Prayer only briefly suggested If one had a mind accurately and particularly to determine in this matter a Form premeditated and extempore Prayer would be considered first absolutely with each ones conveniencies and Inconveniencies good or bad Effects in which again are to be observed the degrees of their Extension as to Subjects that is Persons of their Intension of their Duration or their Frequency in three words their degrees of greatness as to Extension and Intension and of Lastingness And then again they would be considered comparatively which had most or least Conveniencies or Inconveniencies for all things have some of both and whether the using of one of them or a mixture of all of them would be best to obtain the greatest Conveniencies or good Effects with the least bad ones A Method which is to be observed in the Determination of the goodness absolute or comparative of all things To do which to any good Effect Men must be impartial and indifferent to any thing but the Truth out of Charity to Mankind as in all other Cases of Controversie and Debate it is perpetually to be admonished and dispose themselves by
Imitation Long and fierce hath been the Contention and Strife amongst us concerning this external Worship but too certain a Sign and Cause of the Decay and Neglect of the internal Worship before mentioned For those whose Minds are seriously and really taken up with so noble and high an Employment as the Contemplation Admiration of God's infinite Perfections a sincere and ardent Love obediential Resolutions Trust Joy Acquiescence in God are very little solicitous concerning any the external Signs thereof or seldom take any Notice of them but when and so far as they observe them to be any Hindrances or Helps in themselves or others to the internal things signified which oft-times is very little and uncertain Nevertheless no Men have more and more proper natural Signs of inward Worship or Devotion than they no Mens Carriages and Demeanors more shew it than theirs And as it is a Sign I speak of fierce Contention about not the Use of external Signs so it is a Cause of the Neglect of the internal Worship of God For it calls all Mens Thoughts and Affections from it so that they hardly ever mind it neither in Publick nor Private You shall rarely hear those Persons who are of this Temper spend one Minute or two in any serious and affectionate Discourse concerning the Nature of God or his Actions his Attributes and infinite Perfections and his displaying of them in hiâ— Creation Preservation Providence or Government of the Universe and consequently what Opinions and Affections become hiâ— Creatures that are capable towards him 〈◊〉 concerning the reasonableness of any Virtuâ— or Grace he hath commanded from its excellent uses in the World in these things they are very ignorant and cold and rarely I say shall you hear from them these things but for a Minute or two But Disputes of many hours with fiery Eyes and foaming Mouth concerning Times and Places and Garbs and Postures the Signs and external Circumstances of internal Worship of God Moreover this habituates Mens Minds to little and sensible things and makes them inept for those truly great and spiritual unfit to apprehend and be affected with them Whence they are filled with Superstition that is a great Zeal and Esteem for and consequently an Opinioâ— of the Acceptableness of those small things to God and little or none for those spiritual things which are vastly greater This is the Temper generally of the Vulgar even in all other Matters through Ignorance and Sensuality whereby they are affected with onely personal sensible and persent good things The Controversie is not whether there ought to be any external Signs and other not necessary or changeable Circumstances in publick Divine Worship for all among all Sects acknowledge and practice it and cannot but do so but whether there ought to be any instituted and commanded by any particular Church which are not commanded in Scripture by Christ or his Apostles The Affirmative of which Question is undoubtedly true And it is somewhat the more strange it should be doubted or denyed by any Society of Christians if some may be so called when they themselves find it plainly necessary to practice accordingly For I do not think there is any one of the wildest of them who do not by consent and agreement contrary to which they will not permit any one of their Society to act use external Signs of inward Worship and other not absolutely necessary Circumstances which never were commanded or used by Christ or his Apostles Which usage and practice though it have not some Circumstances of a Law or Command yet it hath the Power and Force thereof and as much restrains Liberty For Example Some of those Persons who are of that Perswasion and therefore say a Church hath not Power to command him who Officiates in the Church to wear a white Garment yet they will not permit him to wear any other than a black as a sign of Gravity though Linschot Itineran it is said in Japan they use white for a sign of Mourning and therefore I should think of Gravity too black for a sign of joy or at least any other light or gaudy colour they will not permit him the Garb of a Tradesman or a Souldier none of which things are particularly any where forbidden or commanded against by Christ or his Apostles Nay it is more likely that in their Preaching they used the Habits of Men of their Profession or Quality in their Country So most of those Persons for some I have heard affirm the contrary who will not for the same reason permit any Church to enjoyn kneeling at the Lord's Supper yet they themselves will not permit any Man to take it in our Table or Meal Posture and therefore with his Hat on which is not commanded against by Christ or his Apostles Nay it is most likely it is contrary to the Example of Christ with his Disciples For it is not much to be doubted but that they took it in the Manner they used to discumb to eat viz. with their Heads covered according to the then Custom of that Age and Country The like may be said of the Time viz. Evening and of many other Usages The Jewish Church had always this Liberty and Priviledg of instituting and commanding things in the external Worship of God so they were not contrary to any thing that God had commanded and accordingly it was made use of in abundance of Instances as hath been most evidently proved by some late learned Men To which many more might be added if this were a Place to discourse the thing so largely The whole Synagogical Worship is one comprehensive Instance thereof or else the Records we have of Moses's Law and the succeeding Ages of the Jâ—wes Affairs are very deficient There are many parts thereof which have positive Testimony of their Institution by the Governours of the Jewish Church as the reading of their Haphtaroth or their Sections of the Prophâ—ts in their Synagogues every Sabbath day which was commanded upon the Occasion of Antiochus Epiphanes's prohibiting them the reading of their Law and was continuâ—d ever after with their reading the Sections of their Law when they had Liberty to do that And yet the Jewes were a small People and it was infinitely more easie to determine every Circumstance in the external Worship of God for them than for all the Christian World which is to comprehend all Mankind of infinite Variety of natural Tempers Customes and Constitutions For which reason to give one Example only what is amongst us a universal Sign Natural or by Custom which most-what hath foundation in some natural Temper of Honour and Reverence or the Absence of which is a sign of Irreverence and want of Honour to God in his publick Worship this is noâ— so among other Nations but it may be oâ— Contempt or some ill Quality For Men tâ— uncover their Head amongst us is a sign oâ— Honour and not to uncover it is a sign oâ— Irreverence or
want of Honour to any Person with whom we converse or from whoâ— we desire any thing and therefore to God but it is not so among the Eastern People the Chineses and Turks Wherefore the covering of the head in Prayer is not except in some rare Circumstances to be permitted among us but it may amongst them as it is And consequently neither of them could have been universally commanded by Christ or his Apostles It is true this Power of the Church maâ— be also ill used and Constitutions in the external Worship of God may be such and so many as to hinder and not help his internal Worship and so may the Legislative and Exâ—cutive Power of every Government in many things be ill applied but the Inconveniencies or Mischiefs of taking this Power quite away are infinitely greater than those of the ill use of it according to Reason and the Experience of all Ages or else there had been no Government in the World before this For usually what hath been always the general Practice of the World hath been found by Experience to be better than its Omission alâ— Circumstances considered It is possible too that Constitutions may be so mischievous as to be sufficient Causes of Separation from any particular Church And then only they are so when there are greater Mischiefs and evil Consequences of them than there are of Separation and great indeed must they then be Which can only be determined by Revâ—lation God prohibiting them or by our own Prudence The Ignorance or the necessary or wilful Prejudices of some Men are strangely great who easily make every Constitution of little or no Inconveniâ—nce and sometimes even useful and convenient ones a sufficient Cause of Separation Which Perswasion or Temper tends most certainly and speedily to an utter Dissolution of every Christian Society or Church a truely great Instrument or Means of the Reformation and Happiness of Mankind For there will hardly ever be any Constitution which will long have the Approbation of all But enough of this in this Place I shall only moreover very briefly mention some few general things concerning these Constitutions in external publick Worship with all due Deference and Submission As first and principally that they be such as may have more good Consequences than bad more Conveniencies than Inconveniencies I mean universally in respect of Subject Degree and Time or of Extension Intension and Duration I know this is a Consideration of vast and unlimited Extent but I am well assured that there is no other absolutely universal Rule of all our Actions And there are but two Ways to know what is so viz. Testimony divine and humane and Reason Or but one viz. our Reason informed by Testimony and Prudence that is by others or our own perception and sight of things If God hath universally by undoubted Revelation to others or our selves commanded or forbidden us any Action we may be sure that always to do or abstain from it hath most Conveniencies and is the best though possibly to our Prudence there may appear sometimes the contrary But if there be nothing in Revelation our own Reason must comprehend as well as it can all good and bad Effects or Consequences of any Action or Omission of any Action making all just and prudent Use herein of humane Testimony and direct us to chuse that which hath the most good and the fewest evil ones There is no Action whatsoever except the Will of the last End viz. the Universal good in which alone formal Virtue and Rectitude is to be found which hath not both And therefore we are not presently to throw away a Constitution or Law because we observe some one or more Inconveniencies in it to some Persons at one Time nor to receive it because we take notice of some few Conveniencies but we are to comprehend all of both as far as we can as to Persons Degree and Time and accordingly determine But Secondly One very general Sign or Instance yet possibly not without its Exception as sometimes in case of many good mens very zealous and sierce opposition through ignorance or bad mens through perversness and of complyance with other Churches that a constitution in the external Worship of God is of more good Effect than if it were omitted or than another in its Place is it's Tendency the most in those present Circumstances to beget and increase both in us that use it and in others that see it the internal Worship of God viz. the most perfect or best Knowledge Apprehensions and Opinions concerning God his Nature Will and Actions the greatest Admiration Honour and Reverence Love Gratitude Desire Trust Joy Obedience and Imitation of God and consequently the most perfect inward Holiness Righteousness Virtue of Soul in all particular Branches and Instances in four Words the most sincere universal vigorous and constant Holiness And this is that which is or should be principally meant by their being for Edification And as for the precise notion of decent or decorous It is nothing but a Thing 's being a Sign of some useful or commendable Quality in us as contrariwise an indecent thing is that which is a Sign of some imperfection within us either natural or moral as imprudence rudeness irreligion but more ordinarily of that which is natural oâ— that which is rather only contemptible than hateful And it is principally in order to edification by good Example Some of the most considerable Ways or Means how we may come to know what external Signs or any other Circumstances do most tend to this Effect of Edification are First A most sincere and generous Love â— this internal Worship of God in the Constituters themselves and a hearty and fervent Desire to beget and propagate it in Men alâ— they can and consequently to aim at it and propose it to themselves in all their Constitutions and that the most immediately they can and the shortest way I say the most immediately and the shortest way For it seemâ— to have been a frequent mistake or non-attendance in some who have really desired and intended the promotion of this internal Worship of God which may be called Piety thaâ— they have applied themselves to those meanâ— which are so indeed but in small degree and very remote and therefore uncertain and take up a great deal of time and pains which might have been elsewhere better employed for the same purpose They require so much time and constancy to drive them through a long train of successive causes to their end that men seldom have the patience or list to pursue them so far but sit down and rest themselves and are well pleased with the means themselves forgetting or neglecting the end of them We are not to take presently and make use of every real means which may effect our proposed end but only those which will the most speedily and fully do it and even of those the sewest we possibly can It is also certainly
one of the best Ways to obtain an End by any certain Means to have it perpetually and only in our Mind and Intention when we are using that Means Like as it is a most probable Means to hit the Mark to have it steadily in our Eye or to come to a certain Place to have it as frequently in our Thoughts as needs whither we are going And in truth the neglect of this seems to be one of the most frequent Causes why in many particular Churches as the Church of Rome they have so many Constitutions and Rites either perfectly useless to this great End of the inward Worship of God and universal Holiness of Soul or so little and remotely subservient thereto that either they have seldom attained it or it is not worth the trouble of the Governor and Governed to constitute and observe them or finally they are contrary thereto and more Obstructions and Hindrances thereof Other meaner and more puerile or vulgar Ends and Designs as Beauty Ornament and Pomp or sometimes wicked and selfish ones as Honour Power and Wealth have interposed and quite intercepted the End above mentioned Not but that I think they all of them may honestly and prudently be adhibited in some degree in order to that End but we are to scorn that such mean things should terminate our View and be the ultimate end of our Constitutions Secondly A second means to know what external Worship constituted tends to the promoting of the internal Worship of God is the most exact Knowledge of humane Nature we can get to know what external Signs or other Circumstances of the internal Actions or Operations of our Minds do most naturally cause them in us which are exceeding various according to the Variety of Tempers Usages and Constitutions of single Persons or whole Nations some there are which may be general and well near universal And here we must use principally our own Reason Experience and Observation both in our selves and others We may also make use of others Observation and Experience and consequently their Usages and Constitutions as it follows in the next Particular For what may be further observed in this I refer the Reader to what he will find in the latter end of this Treatise viz. concerning the due Qualifications of the external Signs both of Sense and Operations of Soul in Prayer Thirdly A third Means is all Testimony both divine and humane whether we have it from express Words and Injunctions as in Scripture Commands or Canons of Councils c. or from Examples and Practice Which Testimony is so much more valuable as the Persons are more sincere in the End before mentioned and more prudent and discreet to know and observe the Means which will best attain it Moreover it is carefully to be observed whether their Testimony be concerning the same thing to be constituted i. e. the same or rather the like in all Circumstances which may alter the case Whether that the Circumstances be not so different as that that external Worship which was then and there for Edification or promoting of the internal Worship of God or universally of more good Consequence than bad be not so now amongst those who are to make use of their Testimony Particular respect must be had to the Extent of the Constitution whether it were to all Christians of all Places and Times or directed only to a particular Church and for a certain time And here in the first place comes in divine Testimony any Constiâ—utions to all Christians made by God himself which are undoubtedly to be perpetually observed as tending to the true end thereof before mentioned These if there be any besides the general one of Decency and Order are to be sought for in the New Testament Next may be taken notice of all the particulars of the external Worship of the Jews appointed by God himself also in the Old Testament where all Circumstances are to be considered before they are imitated and whether there were not some peculiar ones which made them necessary then or very subservient to the internal Worship of God or other good Effects the which now being wanting may render them useless or of more bad than good Effect It is certain most of their Constitutions in their external Worship were of this kind as all their Sacrifices their distinction of Meats their legal Uncleannesses their Festivals c. It is as certain that some of them were such as may be well imitated by most Christian Churches now in order to the aforesaid Ends. As a setled Maintenance for the Officers of Religious Worship and perhaps their Age when they should be admitted to minister in those holy Offices and their number and abundance more A great many of them have been by way of imitation introduced into very ancient Christian Churches some sooner some later as much of the Situation Division Form of our Churches and Church-yards in Imitation of their Temple The Habits of those who officiate in Religious Assemblies Caps Hoods Surplices Cassocks Girdles seem to have been in Imitation of the Priests Bonnet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Ephod or half-Coat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Robe as our Translation calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the long Coat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Belt or Girdle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Canon for all persons communicating three times in the year at least seems likewise an imitation of the Jewish Law that all Males should appear three times in the year before the Lord in Jerusalem There are others yet which might be named of somewhat more consequence The Church of Rome have had some Rites possibly with no bad intent at first from the Heathens among whom the Christians for many hundreds of years lived promiscuously as their sprinkling Things and Persons with their holy Water Villas Domos Templa totasque Urbes aspergine circumlatae aquae expiant passim saith Tertullian Tertull. de baptis of the Heathens Lastly may be observed the Constitutioâ— of external Worship in all particular Christian Churches from the beginning to thâ— time and more especially the most ancient anâ— therefore in those which were founded anâ— governed by the Apostles Where again 〈◊〉 Circumstances are as is before said to be coâ—sidered with Reason and Prudence before uâ—proceed to Imitation We are not to thiâ—â— presently that every Constitution or Practiâ—â— we meet with in every Urban or Provinciâ—â— Church nay in many or most is to be imitted in ours Many might there be very laâ—dable and which then might the most obtain the Ends so often mentioned which 〈◊〉 our Circumstances may not but be useleâ—â— or may hinder or in general may be of veâ—â— much more ill consequence than good 〈◊〉 particularly their Quantity or Quality 〈◊〉 Fasting Plunging in Baptism c. in whicâ— things there is great Difference to be madâ— meerly upon the account of the Climate lived in The indiscreet and promiscuous Retention and
and Virtue being the most wonderful thing and peculiar to him and therefore the great confirmation of his mission is well chosen To which might be added by Christians for ought I see the weekly celebration of the day of his Ascension if the affairs of Mankind could bear it which was also a most magnificent and strange thing though happenning to two others before and necessarily inferrs his resurrection 3. Upon the same day to Worship God in secret too more or less according as our bodily temper and necessary affairs will permit which every ones sincere prudence must determine Particularly to entertain ones self with such actions and thoughts before the publick Worship as will prepare a man to perform it better more to apprehend and be affected with the spiritual things that do occur therein and to abstain from those things which may indispose and unfit a man for that performance And so afterwards to take some time to impress upon our memory examine inculcate upon our affections what might have occurred and moreover to think of contemplate and affect our selves with any other spiritual things as the Existence Nature Actions of God of our own Souls what we were are should be shall be our imperfections perfections c. for all which we are fitter by freedom from bodily action and calmness This very day is also a very fit season for instructing of Families and performing Offices and Duties of Religion with them also for all acts of Charity both Spiritual and Corporal to our Neighbour The Church of England hath in one of her Canons very piously described how she would have holy days to be observed which were it carefully obeyed would be a very grave Ornament to her Nor can it therefore be expedient for such an end to encourage Plays Pastimes Recreations worldly Affairs but barely to tolerate some lesser matters which prudence might not think sit to exact rigidly but to leave to every ones liberty And as for times of necessary Diversion or Recreation which usually is accompanied with some folly and debauchery others are a great deal fitter for such a purpose And now if the Lord's day and other holy days were thus observed there would be far more of spiritual employment of our minds and more effectual for the great end of making us better than there was ever among the Jews in their strictest observation of their Sabbath a great part of which was taken up in the bare external Worship of God or in the external signs of Honour as in the care of their best Apparel and well provided Tables their Gate their Voice and other such unprofitable and trivial matters as R D Kimchi observes upon the place in Isaiah before quoted What a ridiculous Observation of their Sabbath was the abstaining from twisting ones Whiskers or running a Needle twice through a Clout or writing two Letters because these were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Works Of this enough every where in their Authours and particularly in the Talmudical Tract of the Sabbath most of which were only an ignorant and superstitious application of God's general Command as it seems of which some Christians have been or may be soon too much guilty It may be here advised that there is great difference as to persons and that there may be some whose constant employment or leisure may give them such advantages of spending much time upon other days about spiritual things that it may not be so needful nor convenient for them to spend so much time on these and that oft-times the principal reason especially of their publick observation is the giving a good Example to those who else would take too much liberty But to the generality of men if these fixed and set times be not made use of for the spiritual employment of their minds it will be quite neglected But so much for this digression which I intended no other than only in general to suggest many things to be considered concerning this matter not particularly to discuss them and therefore have taken no notice of what others of other perswasions had said or might have objected In like manner are they mistaken who confess That the best actions the best men do are sins and even deserve eternal punishment but pardoned in Christ from that place in the Prophet misunderstood viz. All our Righteousness are as filthy rags spoken of the generality of the Nation of the Jews who were very bad Isaiah 64. Verse 6. When the truth of the Case is that many and many a good man have done many and many an Action in which there was no sin and which deserves no punishment For he who hath in any Action with the greatest vigour of his Soul he then had propounded intended and willed his duty right just and that consisting in the most universal good the greatest good he can know viz. in pleasing of God and doing the greatest good to the World he at that time was capable of and most perfecting and making happy himself in so being and doing I say this person seems to me to have done some action in which there 's no sin nor desert of punishment and I do not doubt that there hath been many such an action done It is true Righteousness and the good of the whole World God our Neighbour our selves and God alone deserve to be loved with a greater degree of Intenseness than we are capable of even with the infinite one of God himself but this is but a necessary Imperfection of all created Natures even of the highest Angel and would have been in the state of Innocency In giving thanks likewise we must use the same care For as men may confess sins when they are no sins and when they are not guilty of them so also they may thank God that they have received certain favours and benefits from his hands when either they are no benefits nor instances of his favour or if they be they have not received them So men may thank God that they are led into some great truth as they think that they are of this or t'other perswasion or party and in the right way and now sure to be saved when their truth is some trifling or hurtful errour and 't were better for them and the World that they were of another mind or another way and even of that from which it may be they may thank God they are delivered Thus men may also thank God and be highly ravished with the distinguishing love of God to them in electing justifying sealing glorifying and saving them and securing them certainly from Eternal Misery or Hell when all this may be only an Imagination of their own caused by self-love and self-flattery and nothing of truth in it and really they are very bad persons having many and great Lusts unmortified known even to themselves but yet as they think to be over-looked by God because they are and will be sure they are his Elect Children and more yet unknown