you what are the special times for Prayer First of the first Continually or without ceasing That is 1. When a man uses a constant course of Praying upon all opportunities in all his necessities And thus did the Apostle Saint Paul pray alwayes for the Collossians Col. 1.3 that is upon all occasions Secondly continually That is constantly without fainting or wearinesse Luk 18.1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint And in this sense the Apostle prayed for the Thessalonians Night and day exceeddingly 1 Thes 3.10 Thirdly and lastly Lastly continually That is every day once or twice though not every hour of the day And thus the Offerings for the morning and evening Sacrifice Num. 28.4 6. are said to be continuall Offerings As David said to Mephibosheth Thou shalt eat bread at my table continually 2 Sam. 9.7 that is every day And in this sense it is said Job offered burnt offerings continually And Cornelius Job 1.5 He prayed to God alwaies And the Apostles resolved to give themselves continually to Prayer Acts 10.2 and the Ministry of the Word Acts 6.4 2 Thes 1.11 And saith the Apostle We pray alwayes for you Thus you see what is meant by always or continually it is daily all their life long I come now in the second place Secondly to shew you the special times for Prayer And although the heart ought to be continually carried out after God in Prayer Yet are there special times of Prayer As publick on the Lords Dayes on Fast dayes or Thansgiving dayes And also upon private occasions as in time of affliction Jam. 5.13 Is any afflicted let him pray But yet more particularly Christians ought to have set-times for Prayer every day And thus Daniel Dan. 6.10 He prayed three times a day And so did David Evening morning and at noon Psal 55.17 And you shall find he was yet more frequent in the work for he saith Psal 119.164 Seaven times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous judgements And of Anna it is said that she served God with Fasting and Prayer night and day Luk. 2.37 But I conceive that these did thus upon extraordinary occasions and therefore can be no standing rules for our practice But you will say unto me then Quest What are the set-times for every Christians Prayers I Answer they are to pray every day Answ and at least twice in the day Morning and Evening First every day This is implyed in the fourth Petition Mat 6.11 Give us this day our dayly bread And so we must pray every day Give us this day And this is also figured out unto us Exod. 29.39 42. by the every dayes burnt offering And this David exhorts unto and himself resolves upon Psal 96.2 Sing unto the Lord blesse his name shew forth his salvation from day to day That is every day And so he resolves saying Psal 145.2 Every day will I blesse thee and I will praise thy name for ever and ever Psal 146.2 While I live I will praise the Lord that is every day of my life Thus you see we are to pray every day But secondly The fittest time in the day for Prayer is the Morning and Evening In the morning to praise God for the rest of the night past and to seek his blessing and protection the day following And in the evening to praise him for the blessings received the day past and to seek his blessing and protection the night approaching This was also figured out unto us Exod. 29.38 39. by the offering of the two Lambs every day one in the morning and another in the evening And this the Apostle hints us to when he saith Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually That is as the Sacrifices of the Old Law were offered to God continually every morning and every night Psal 92.1 2. And saith David It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord c. to shew forth thy loving kindnesse in the morning and thy faithfulnesse every night That is it is good night by night and morning by morning every morning and every night to pray and praise God And great reason their is why we should be thus constant in Prayer every morning and every night Reas 1 First Because we stand in continuall need of blessings both spiritual and temporal it is therefore needful that we begge them daily every morning and every evening Reas 2 Secondly we cannot thrive nor prosper in any of our daily callings or imployments without Gods blessing Psal 127.1 2. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it except the Lord watch the City the watchman waketh but in vain It is in vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrow c. A man may rise early and sit up late but he can never thrive without Gods blessing and he cannot expect Gods blessing without Prayer And therefore every day in all our labours we ought to pray with David Establish the work of our hands upon us Psal 90.17 yea the work of our hands establish thou it Reas 3 Thirdly We are subject every day to decay in grace and there is no means to obtain grace or preserve grace or increase in grace like this of Prayer And therefore the Apostle did not cease to pray for the Colossians Col. 1.9 10 11. that they might be filled with all grace Prayer is as the food whereby graces are preserved revived and increased As therefore we take daily food to preserve revive and strengthen the body so we must daily use Prayer this spiritual food that our souls may be preserved and nourished up unto Eternal life therefore pray every day Reas 4 Fourthly It is needful we pray every day continually because we have the Devil every day continually as our adversary like a roaring Lyon seeking to devour us 1 Pet. 5.8 And there is no weapon like that of faithful Prayer to withstand him And hence it is that our Saviour Christ bid his Disciples watch and pray Mat. 26.41 that they enter not into temption And in the Lords Prayer we are to pray every day Lead us not or suffer us not to be led into temptation It is a great advantage given to Satan to neglect the duty of Prayer therefore pray every day Reas 5 Fifthly We are prone daily and as it were every moment to sinne against God And there is no means like that of Prayer to prevent it Hence it is that David prays Psal 19.13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sinnes let not them have dominion over me Order my steps in thy word Psal 119.133 and let not any iniquity have the dominion over me While we live in this world we cannot
discourse of the soul with God It is a conversing with God by which Gods love to us and our love to God is encreased It is an humble hearty and holy request made according to Gods will and offered up by Faith to God in the Name of Christ Elton on the Lords prayer for things needful for the body or soul It is a putting up of our requests to God according to his word Perkins on the Lords prayer from a contrite heart in the Name of Christ with assurance to be heard It is the breathing of the Spirit of God Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.14 28. and a proper action of the sonnes of God You see what the duty is It is a work of Gods Spirit Therefore beg the Spirit that thou maist pray Ps 51.12 Luk. 11.13 It is a free Spirit because it is freely promised to those that ask it Rom. 8.26 And it so helpeth us in the duty of Prayer that it makes us which before we streightned to be free in the work 2 Cor. 3.17 For where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty And from hence it is that Gods Children are so frequent in the Duty which is the second thing I propounded to speak too Believe it God hath never a Child but it is ever craving They pray continually 1 Thes 5.17 because they find continual need of Gods grace and help and they find continual supplies thereof as an answer of Prayers I read That Constantine the Great made his Court a Church where Prayers were made Jerom lived four years with Watchings Fastings and Prayers Bernard prayed day and night till his knees were so weary with fasting and prayer that they could not uphold his body Latimer many times continued so long in fervent Prayer that he was not able to get up without help And I read that Clemens Alexandrinus prayed thrice a day Luther let no day passe over his head in which he spent not three hours at least in Prayer Master Robert Bolton prayed constantly six times a day twice with his Family twice with his Wife and twice in secret Master John Bruen prayed seven times a day And why are Gods servants thus frequent in prayer Surely it is because they find no trade that hath so quick and gainful returnes as this and therefore they follow it so hard And this leads me to the third and last thing I propounded to speak to and that is the excellent and great priviledges that belong to Gods people that are frequent and constant in this Duty O! praying Christian how great are thy priviledges Although thou maiest be slighted and dis-esteemed by man yet thou hast free liberty to conferre with the King of Heaven Cant. 2.14 who not onely delights to hear thy voice but inviteth thee to come unto him and promiseth to give thee whatsoever thou askest of him Mat. 7.7 As long as thou constantly acquaintest thy self with God by prayer thou shalt be sure to have him thy constant friend Job 22.21 24. who will never fail Heb. 13.5 nor forsake thee but will abundantly supply unto thee the want of all unfaithful and unconstant friends that desert thee where prayer is not wanting grace and comfort cannot be wanting John 16.23.24 Thou that art a child of God and dost the will of God let the desires of thy heart to God in Prayer be never so much enlarged God will satisfie all thy desires Joh. 15.7 Psal 37.4 And it must needs be thus for that God that is able to do for his children and many times doth for them exceedingly above all that they ask or think Eph. 3.20 He will not and for his promise sake he cannot deny any of those needful things his children ask of him Ps 81.10 By prayer Gods people not only obtain all the good things they pray for 1 Tim. 4.5 but also a sanctified use of all those good things Whatsoever is given by God to man in a way of mercy is given him as an answer of his Prayers 1 Joh. 5.14 15. Prayer is the key that open all the Treasures of God 1 Kings 8.33 35. It is the great instrument of removing all evils from the soul and the body It is the Character of the Saints It is the condition of Gods promises Ezek. 36 37. the forerunner of Gods performances Jer. 31.9 The happy priviledges of the praying Christian are beyond expression They have a constant Communion with God They have dayly supplies of grace from God 1 Joh. 1.3 whereby they are enabled to serve and please God while they live here Heb. 4.16 and they shall be made everlastingly happy with God hereafter Rom. 10.13 No greater priviledges can be obtained then these yet these are the priviledges of the praying Christian Would you be happy pray pray that your joy may be full John 16.24 He deserves to be miserable that might be made happy by praying and yet will not set upon the Duty But I shall pray and hope that these my labours may be succesful for the ends intended in directing in and exciting to the Duty those that have not used it in comforting and encouraging those in the Duty that dayly practise it And in whomsoever either of these ends be promoted let God have the glory and forget not to pray for him who is to his power Thine in all Christian services for thy souls good Sampson Tounesend July 1. 1658. A TABLE OF THE Contents DOct. It is the duty of the people of God to pray pag. 3 1. What prayer is It is 1. A work of Gods Spirit pag. 4 2. It floweth out of the spirit and heart of man or it is a talking of the heart and soul with God pag. 5 2. The several kinds of prayer Are 1. Mental pag. 6 2. Vocal Publick Private 3. The preparations to prayer Are 1. Prayer 2. Meditation pag. 8 Meditate upon 1. Gods infinite greatnesse 2. The promises 3. Thine own wants and vileness pag. 9 4. The duties or graces requisite in prayer are 1. Knowledge pag. 9 2. Faith 3. Humility pag. 10 4. Purity of heart 5. Love to our brethren 6. Zeal and fervency pag. 11 7. Unwearied constancy 8. We must pray in the Holy Ghost pag. 12 9. In the name and mediation of Jesus Christ pag. 13 10. For things agreeable to Gods will 11. We must use a due order in prayer pag. 14 12. Take heed of loving long prayers pag. 15 Lastly hate the sin you pray against and love the grace you pray for pag. 16 5. The gestures in prayer are 1. Kneeling pag. 18 2. Lifting and spreading forth the hands pag. 20. 3. Lifting up of the eyes pag. 22 4. For men to be uncovered pag. 23 In what case gestures may be omitted pag. 25 Reprehension for these that neglect the forementioned or use contrary gestures pag. 29 Exhortation to use more reverence in prayer pag.
in Pauls Church-yard MYsteriorum Medulla Bibliorum The Mystery and Marrow of the Bible viz. Gods Covenants with man in the First Adam before the Fall and in the Last Adam Jesus Christ after the Fall From the beginning to the end of the World by Francis Roberts M. A. in fol. The Communicant instructed or practical directions for the worthy receiving the Lords Supper in octavo The Believers Evidences for eternal life in octa An Alphabetical Table of the chief things handled in this Treatise A Ability to pray shall not be wanting to him that goeth on in the duty pag. 118 Anguish of mind the cause why Gods people regard not answer of prayers pag. 73 Answer of prayers five wayes pag. 66 Answer of prayers sometimes as a judgment pag. 70 Asa's sin in seeking to the Physitian and not to God pag. 54 Ask in the name of Christ according to the will of God and thou shalt be answered pag. 100 What it is to ask in the Name of Christ pag. 13 No warrant to ask what God hath not promised to give pag. 103 God is more ready to answer than we are to ask pag. 120 B Better with him that prayeth than with him that prayeth not pag. 56 Benefits that come by prayer pag. 35 Blessings of God not to be expected without prayer pag. 46 Bodies as well as souls must worship God pag. 19 C Call of God to prayer a sign God intends to answer pag. 98 A Catalogue of sins of graces and of blessings will furnish thee with matter of prayer pag. 105 Cautions in reading forms of prayer pag. 112 Commandments no prayers pag. 85 Constant seeking God a certain sign God will answer pag. 96 Continual praying what is meant by it pag. 40 Creed no prayer pag. 87 D Daily prayers a means to obtain grace and to persevere and increase therein pag. 46 Dead dull formal heartlesse prayers are not pleasing unto God pag. 75 Delayes of God are no denials pag. 72 Directions in the duty of prayer pag. 102 The Divel is conquered and daily sins prevented by daily prayers pag. 47 48 Doubting in prayer sinful pag. 90 E Earthly things must be sought conditionally pag. 14 Ends bad in prayer spoil the duty pag. 83 Esteem highly of God in prayer pag. 106 Examples of frequent prayer See Epist to read Examples of five in Scripture that went to God in the sense of sin and obtained mercy pag. 64 Eyes lift up to God in prayer examples for it pag. 22 F Faith the condition upon which the promise of answer of prayers is made pag. 90 Faith may be when thou feelest it not pag. 59 Faithful praying is a sign of one that hath grace that is a child of God and shall be saved pag. 92 Family prayers bring a blessing upon the family pag. 91 Forms of prayer lawful pag. 110 G Gestures in prayer pag. 18 God must first speak to the heart before the heart can speak to God pag. 5 God must be sought in the use of means pag. 54 Gods goodnesse a motive to prayer pag. 37 Gods ready hearing others an encouragement to prayer pag. 121 Gods time the best time for answering prayers pag. 100 Gods glory only to be sought in prayer pag. 108 Grace in the heart will enable a man to pray without reading forms pag. 113 H Hands as well as hearts must be lifted up to God in prayer pag. 20 Hands lift up in prayer what it signifies pag. 21 Hate the sin you pray against pag. 16 Heart broken for sin shall be broken by God from sin pag. 104 Heart to pray where given God will lend an ear to hear pag. 115 Heavenly things must be sought absolutely pag. 14 Hypocrites serve not God out of the love they bear to him pag. 84 Humility requisite in prayer pag. 10 I If thy heart incline to sin Gods ear will not incline to thy prayers pag. 89 Incouragements four to the duty of prayer pag. 117 Instructions in the right manner of prayer pag. 75 Interest in Christ makes both our persons and our prayers accepted pag. 102 K Kneeling a part of divine worship pag. 18 Kneeling in prayer examples for it pag. 19 Knowledge requisite in prayer pag. 9 L Labours to no purpose without Gods blessing pag. 55 A lasie posture in prayer is not to be used pag. 28 Lasie and sluggish prayers provoke God pag. 82 Love to our brethren requisite in prayer pag. 10 Love not long prayers pag. 15 Love the grace you pray for pag. 17 M Meditation a help to prayer pag. 8 Men to be uncovered in prayer pag. 23 Mental prayer pag. 6 Morning and Evening the fittest times for prayer pag. 44 Motives to prayer pag. 33 N Needs of Gods people God is able and willing to supply pag. 38 Necessity of prayer in four respects pag. 33 O Objections against prayer answered pag. 50 Order in prayer required pag. 14 Outward gestures when they may be omitted pag. 25 P Power of prayer in divers examples pag. 77 Prayer what it is pag. 4 Prayer several definitions thereof See the Epistle to the Reader Pray that you may pray pag. 7 Prayer several requisites in it pag. 9 c. To pray for light and slight things a taking Gods Name in vain pag. 83 Prayers five several wayes answered pag. 66 Prayers answered as a judgment and denied as a mercy pag. 70 Prayer gives comfort in all afflictions pag. 95 Prayer may be effectual when a man is indisposed to it and distracted in it pag. 59 Prayer is the Bucket by which we draw water out of the Wells of salvation pag. 34 Prayer neglected exposes a man to all sins and temptations pag. 81 82 Pray aright and be sure to speed pag. 35 Preparations to prayer pag. 7 Pride keeps men from prayer pag. 65 Priviledges of the praying Christian see the Epistle to the Reader Promises to prayer pag. 39 He that turns the promises into prayers speaks to God in his own language pag. 103 Q Questions two concerning prayer answered pag. 110 R Reasons six for daily prayers pag. 45 Reproof for those that pray without judgment or understanding pag. 85 Reproof for those that use irreverent gestures in prayer pag. 29 Rest not in the duty of prayer pag. 107 Reverence in prayer exhorted to pag. 31 Reverence in prayer an effect of faith pag. 27 S Sacrifices under the Old Law morning and evening figured out the Christians daily prayers pag. 44 Secret prayers shall be answered pag. 91 Sense of sin should not keep us from prayer pag. 63 Sighs and groans a sign of the spirit of prayer and accepted with God pag. 94 Sincerity in prayer accepted with God although there be many failings pag. 95 What sinners God will not hear pag. 62 Sitting in prayer not found in Scripture pag. 32 Not greatnesse of sinne but want of faith keeps men from seeking Gods mercy pag. 5 T Tears have a voice in Gods ears pag. 60 Temporal things must be
conditions For want of observing these things and so using a due order in Prayer many times instead of a blessing God makes a breach upon them for seeking him disorderly as it is acknowledge 1 Chron. 15.13 The Lord our God made a breach upon us for that we sought him not after the due order Twelthly Take heed of loving long Prayers and think not to be heard because your Prayers are long Saith Christ When you pray Mat. 6.7 use not vain repetitions as the Heathen doe For they think they shall be heard for their much speaking Long prayers can hardly maintain their vigour commonly there will be vain repetitions as you see it was with the Heathen Know that God takes not mens Prayers by tale but by weight It is not gifts but Grace that moves God to hear prayers He that is fervent in Prayer prays much though he speak but little Let not your words and matter exceed your affections and then pray and spare not otherwise break off the sooner the better Lastly Lastly Hate the sinne you pray against and love the Grace you pray for First Hate the sinne you pray against a man cannot pray hearttily for the pardon of and strength against those sinnes that he does not hate but when the sinne of his heart is the grief of his soul now may he exspect pardon 1 Kings 8.38 39. When every one shall know the plague of his own heart then hear thou in Heaven c. When every one shall know his own fore 2 Chron. 6.29 30. and his own grief then hear thou in Heaven c. When a man may pray for pardon of sinne with inward hatred of it and heart grief for it then may he with comfort expect pardon Secondly Love the Grace you pray for A man cannot pray fervently for that he doth not love heartily Saith our Saviour to the woman of Samaria Joh. 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God c. thou wouldst have asked c. If thou hadst known me and the worth of the Grace that I give this would have quickned thy desires to have asked of me and then I would have given thee living water The sence of the worth of grace draws love to it and these strengthen the desires of it And so much for this fourth thing propounded the duties or graces requisite in Prayer Fifthly Fifthly I shall shew you the gestures that are to be used in Prayer And I finde in Scripture principally these four Kneeling sifting up and spreading forth the Hands lifting up the Eyes and for men to uncover their Heads First Kneeling This is commanded O come let us worship Psal 95.6 and bow down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Here we see that religious kneeling is part of Divine worship It is but equity that he that made the body should be worshipped by or with the body And for as much as Jesus Christ hath redeemed our Bodies as well as our Souls he ought to be worshiped with our Bodies as well as Soules And so the Apostle argues 1 Cor. 6.20 For ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God Our bodies and soules are Gods not onely by right of Creation but also by right of Redemption therefore we must glorifie God by worshiping of him with our bodies as well as our souls And we finde in Scripture divers examples for kneeling in Prayer David he kneeled in prayer Psal 95.6 1 King 8.54 Dan. 6.10 and Solomon his sonne he kneeled on his knees in prayer Daniel he kneeled on his knees in prayer Stephen Acts 7.60 he kneeled down and prayed Peter Acts 9.14 he kneeled down and prayed Saint Paul Acts 20.36 he kneeled down and prayed he bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes 3.14 and he in Mark 10.17 Mark 10.17 came kneeling to our Saviour And we find that all the people men women and children kneeled down and prayed Acts 21.5 All these Examples you have for kneeling in prayer Take one more who is the Pattern of all patternes our blessed Saviour himself Luke 22.41 He kneeled down and prayed A second Gesture used in Prayer is lifting up and spreading forth of Hands We must not onely lift up our hearts but also our hands to God in Prayer Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary Psal 134.2 and blesse the Lord 1 Tim. 2.8 I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands And for this gesture also we have several Examples Moses Exod. 17.11 12. he held up his hands to God in prayer And David desired that the lifting up of his hads to God in Prayer may be acceptable as an evening sacrifice Psal 141.2 2 Chron. 6.13 Solomon he spread forth his hands to God in prayer and so did Ezra And I conceive this lifting up of the hands in Prayer is to be used to signifie these two things First that the heart is lift up to God saith the Prophet in the Lamentations Lam. 3.41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the Heavens That is let let your hearts be lift up as well as your hands Some lift up their hands while their hearts hang down in Prayer but doe you lift up your hearts first and then lift up your hands to signifie your hearts are also lift up to God Job 11.13 If thou prepare thine heart and streach out thine hands towards him Streach out thy hands to him to signifie thou hast already given thy heart to him in Prayer Secondly lifting up the hands in prayer it signifies our depending upon Gods power to help and assist us in time of need As a Child that is in danger of falling he stretcheth out his hand to his Father for help So in Prayer the hands are lift up to God as a signe of expecting help from him Saith David Hear the voice of my supplication Psal 28.2 when I cry unto thee when I lift up my hands towards thy holy Oracle By stretching forth our hands to God in Prayer we doe as it were tell him that we depend wholly upon him for help favour mercy and pardon and that unlesse he help and deliver us we are lost and undone for ever A third gesture in Prayer is lifting up of the Eyes For this we have the example of our blessed Saviour John 11.41 Joh. 17.1 Psal 123.1 2.3 He lift up his Eyes and prayed And so did David Unto thee lift I up mine Eyes This lifting up of the Eyes in prayer it hath the same signification with the former of lifting up of the Hands Lifting up the Eye it signifies the eye of Faith and Hope depending upon Gods help and assistance The fourth and last Gesture in prayer Lastly is for men to have the Head uncovered This the Apostle teacheth where he saith 1 Corin. 11.4 Every man praying or prophesying having his head
be free from sinne but Prayer is a special means to free us from the dominion of sinne While we are in the body sinne will be there yet shall it not raign in our mortal bodies so as we shall obey it in the lusts thereof Rom. 6.12 if we daily seek God for pardon of it and strength against it and that leads me to Reas 6 The sixth and last Reason why we are to pray every day It is because we have need continually to begge pardon of sin We have not more need of daily bread to preserve the body from perishing than of daily pardon of sinne that the Soul may not perish And therefore it followes in the Lords Prayer after Mat. 6.11 12. Give us this day our daily bread Forgive us our trespasses It is requisite we should begge pardon in the morning for the sinnes of the night past and we should begge pardon at night for the sinnes of the day past And so continue seeking of God every day that our sinnes may be pardoned that our Souls may be saved And so much for this seventh thing propounded the times of Prayer I come now to the eighth and last thing propounded Lastly and that is to answer divers Objections about Prayer Ob ∣ jection 1 First some may object It is to no purpose to pray 1. Mat. 6.8 Because God knoweth our wants 2. Ephes 1.11 He hath Decreed what shall befal every man 3. Phil. 4.6 He is ready to give us what is fit for us Answ 1 I Answer first although God knoweth our wants yet it is his will we should make them known to him by Prayer Saith the Apostle Let your requests be made known unto God Christ knew that blinde Bartimeus had need of his sight and yet he would have him to pray for it before he would give him it Mark 10.51 52. Jesus answered and said unto him What wilt thou that I should doe unto thee the blinde man said unto him Lord that I might receive my sight and immediately he received his fight Secondly As God determins what he will doe he hath determined also that Prayer shall be the means whereby we shall obtain what he hath determined to give us God promises to give a new heart and a new spirit with many other blessings Ezekiel 36. and yet in the 37 Verse he saith For all this I will be inquired by the house of Israel Ezek. 36.37 God promises the restauration of Israel Jeremiah 31. yet he saith in the nineth Verse Jer. 31.9 They shall come with weeping and with supplications will I lead them They shall be led out of their captivity but it shall be as an answer of Prayers Thirdly this praying doth not at all derogate from Gods goodnesse and readinesse to give but it rather demonstrateth his goodnesse 1. In that he saith but ask and have Mat. 7.7 2. In that he alone stirs us up to pray to the end he may doe us good Psal 10.17 Thou preparest their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear 3. God will have us pray before he gives blessings because he delighteth in the work of his own Spirit in us Cant. 2.14 Le me hear thy voice for it is sweet saith Christ to his Church 4. And lastly Lastly God knoweth that his blessings will be then most sweet and comfortable to us when we have obtained them by Prayer Saith Hannah 1 Sam. 1.27 For this Child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him When mercy comes as an answer of Prayer this engages the Soul to love God and quicken up the heart yet more and more to seek him so it was with David Psal 116.1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplication Because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live You see because God heard his prayer he resolves to go on in this course of praying as long as he lived And thus you see notwithstanding the Objection it is to good purpose we should pray Again it may be Objected 2. Objection It is needlesse to pray because the good successe of things depends upon second causes and natural means God useth to work by as Physick Bread and the like I answer Answ this is a most prophane and heathenish Objection For although God works by means yet is it not in the means without Gods blessing to do us good First It is a sinne to use the means without seeking of God as Asa 2 Chron. 16.12 In his disease he sought not the Lord but to the Physitian Secondly It is a sinne also and tempting of God to pray and yet neglect the means You shall finde that God blameth Moses for resting upon Prayer with the neglect of the meanes And the Lord said unto Moses Exod. 14.15 wherefore cryest thou unto me speak unto the Children of Israel that they goe forward Why dost thou pray and stand still and dost not use the means March on doe not only pray but use the means He that prays and uses not the means tempts God and saith Christ Mat. 4.7 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God But when we pray to him and trust in him in the use of means then and not till then may we expect Gods blessing Arise therefore 1 Chron. 22.16 and be doing and the Lord be with thee For all our labours are to no purpose without Gods blessing 1 Chron. 3.7 and our ordinary food cannot nourish us without Gods blessing Mat. 4.4 Therefore I conclude although God work by secondary causes yet those doe it not without his blessing And we cannot expect Gods blessing without Prayer It is therefore needful in the use of all means to pray to God for a blessing Thirdly It may be Objected 3. Objection That they that never pray doe as well as they that pray most What neede therefore is there of this constant praying I Answer Answ it is most false to say those that pray not doe as well as those that pray most For First The blessings that those that never pray receive they are but temporal Mat. 5.45 He maketh his sunne to shine on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust But Gods children that pray unto him are filled with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things Ephes 1.3 Secondly Those that pray not can have no assurance of the enjoying the outward comforts they have Job 20.15 to ver 19. God hath threatned to blast upon them But those that pray have a promise to build upon yea many promises especially this Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing 3. And lastly They that pray not have no right to any outward thing they do enjoy neither can they have any sound comfort in it
answered yet it may be not presently You must not exspect the Mercies you pray for when you will no but ye must wait Gods time which is the best time Saith the Prophet Isa 28.16 He that believeth maketh not haste He is content to stay himself upon God and wait his leasure So did David Psal 40.1 I waited patiently upon the Lord and he enclined unto me and heard my cry And so did the Church in Isaiah I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him I shall conclude this Use with that in Isaiah 30.18 Isa 30.18 And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious to you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgement Blessed are all they that wait for him So much for the third Use which hath been for Consolation I come now to the fourth and last Use 4. Use Lastly which is for Exhortation Is it so Exhortation that it is the Duty of all the people of God to Pray Then I beseech you be exhorted to the performance of the Duty In the prosecution of this Use I shall First give you divers directions in the Duty of Prayer Secondly I shall answer two material Questions concerning Prayer Thirdly and lastly I shall lay down some Encouragements to the Duty of Prayer First Directions in Prayer of the first I shall lay down nine or tenne Directions in the duty of Prayer First Labour to be reconciled to Christ that your person may be accepted and you may be in favour with God Till this be done your Prayers will not be answered God accepted of Abel first Gen. 4.4 then he accepted of his Sacrifice His Faith in the promised Messiah was that which made both his person and Sacrifice accepted with God Heb. 11.4 So by Faith get an interest in Christ and then both thy person and thy Prayers shall be accepted Secondly For the matter of your Prayers be sure they be for such things as are agreeable to Gods will Thou hast no warrant to ask what God hath not promised to give For this purpose it is requisite you should be well versed in the Scriptures And then turn the Promises into Prayers so shall you speak to God in his own language your requests shall be according to his will 1 John 5.14 and then you may be confident you shall be heard Thirdly Approach to God in Prayer with a contrite and broken heart for sinne As God will not despise a contrite and broken heart Psal 51.17 so neither will he despise the Prayers that proceed from such a heart When the heart is broken for sinne God will also break that heart from sinne and satisfie the desires of that soul Fourthly Take heed of wandring thoughts in Prayer and let thy heart and thy tongue goe alwayes together Wandring thoughts or vaine thoughts are bad at any time worst of all in Prayer God complaines of them Jer. 4.14 How long shall vaine thoughts lodge within thee Doe thou complain of them to God And seek not that with thy tongue which thy heart doth not desire for if thou dost God seeth thy hypocrsie and will hate thee for it Heb. 4.13 For all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe in Prayer Fifthly Take a Catalogue of and bear in minde all the sinnes thou art to pray against and all the graces thou art to pray for Mind also the mercies and blessings thou art to pray for And think also of the mercies and blessings thou hast received to be thankfull for them The serious thoughts and meditations of these things will furnish thee with sufficient matter for Prayer Sixthly in all thy Prayers have a high esteem of God Saith Soloman Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few Think seriously what a God it is thou speakest to these thoughts will make thee reverent and serious in the duty Seventhly In all your Prayers to God be as ready to be thankful to God for what you have received as to seek him for what you want I fear it is a sinne too common amongst Gods children to be so mindful of what they want as to forget to be thankful for what they have But take heed of this the way to obtain new mercies is to be thankful for the old Saith David Psal 116.12 13. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. As if he should have said I will be thankful to God for what I have and I will call upon him for more blessings Eighthly When you have ended your Prayers Take heed you rest not in the Duty but mourn for the sinnes of the Duty and look up to God for an Answer So did David Psal 5.3 In the morning I will direct my Prayer unto thee and I will look up He doth not rest in the duty done but continued praying and looking up to God for an answer So doe you take heed you rest not in the duty neither let the work be tedious to you For as painfulnesse of speaking argueth a sick body so doth irksomnesse in praying a sick soul Ninethly Let Gods glory be your utmost aime in all your Prayers Seek not your selves nor your own ends in your Supplications but the glory of God onely Saith Christ John 8.50 I seek not my own glory Neither should we seek our own glory in any thing we doe much lesse in Prayer For if Gods glory be not our ends and aimes in Prayer it will render our prayers odious unto God Tenthly and lastly Lastly Take heed of a selvish spirit in Prayer Pray not onely for your selves and your Friends but as the Apostle exhorts for all men of all degrees 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Magistrates and Ministers c. Pray not onely for your friends that pleasure you but also for your enemies that despitefully use you as our Saviour exhorts Mat. 5.44 The more publick our spirits are in the duty of Prayer the more pleasing are our Prayers unto God It is good to have a publick spirit in private duties Take heed therefore of a selvish or private spirit in the duty of Prayer Thus by way of Exhortation I have given you divers directions in the duty of Prayer observe them for your good I come now in the second place to Answer two material Questions concerning Prayer The first is this 1. Quest. I cannot tell how to pray I want utterance Whether or no is not my reading a Form of Prayer acceptable with God in this case It is farre better to use the
THE CHRISTIANS DAYLY PRACTICE OR A practical discourse of PRAYER By Sampson Tounesend Minister of Gods Word at Hackford in Whitwell in Norffolke Even and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice Psal 55.17 Imprimatur EDM. CALAMY LONDON Printed by E. M. for George Calvert at the signe of the Half-Moon in St. Pauls Church-yard TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL his very much honoured Friend BARNARD CHURCH Esq Alderman and Magistrate of the Famous City of NORWICH Worthy Sir WHen I had Preacht several Sermons upon the subject of Prayer I blesse God they were not without some profit For I was earnestly desired by a Religious Gentleman of my Parish to give him the Heads thereof in writing for he told me he apprehended them a sufficient Rule to direct him in the whole course of his life as touching that Duty and resolved to make use of them for that purpose And when in order to the satisfying of his desires I had drawn out the Heads of those Sermons I thought with my self if they were represented to publick view they might take the same effect upon some other hearts in the reading that they did upon his in Hearing and I blesse God in some measure upon my own in the Preaching And Gods glory in the good of his Church being the main end I aimed at in being Ordained unto and entering upon the work of the Ministery hoping this end may be promoted as by my Preaching so by my Writing I have ventured upon the publication of this Treatise of Prayer and although many Learned Pens have published several Treatises on this subject and therefore it may be counted a bold presumption in me to expresse my weaknesse in writing For both my preaching and writing may possibly be esteemed by some as foollishnesse at least in comparison of those whose Learning and Eloquence of style is many times beyond the reach of ordinary capacities to understand them Yet am I not in the least discouraged therefrom seeing it pleaseth God by such preaching as the world counts Foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.21 to save them that beleeve Having upon the former grounds adventured to write I have made bold to Dedicate these first fruits of my labours in this kind to your Worship That hereby I might expresse my thankfulnesse for the many favours I have received from you from time to time And although you cannot but discerne my weaknesse in the managing of so excellent a subject yet such is your goodnesse as you will not slight it because Prayer is the duty you deerly love and daily practice And you cannot but like any work though but meanly managed that may conduce to the quickning up of those to the Duty that are not yet brought into love with it Sir I doubt not of your love notwithstanding this bold adventure for your Piety Humility and holy Zeal mixed with Christian moderation is such as causeth you to love and respect all that love God and respect his glory But it is not my designe to enter upon that labyrinth of publishing to the world your Vertues Only this I may assert concerning you I hope without the least offence or suspicion of flattery That your Christian carriage is such as it bindeth all that love God and know you to love and honour you for the Vertues that shine so in you before the sonnes of men Mat. 5.16 as that the sons of God are moved according to divine precept to glorifie God for you Heb. 6.12 and to desire to Imitate you And it is no wonder that your life is so exemplary for he that prayeth well cannot chuse but live well He that daily improves grace by seeking daily supplies of grace shall have grace for grace John 1.13 or grace upon grace one grace after another a daily increase of grace until he arrive in glory Now I beseech you let me have a share in your Prayers to God for me 2 Tim. 2.15 That I may approve my self to God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth That I may fulfil my Ministery Col. 4.17 that I have received in the Lord That I may so live and teach as that I may both save my self and them that hear me 1 Tim. 4.16 Which is the continual prayer desire and endeavour of him that doth not cease to pray for you and who is Your humble servant in the Lord Jesus Christ Sampson Tounesend July 1. 1658. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Reader I Have in the following Treatise presented thee with the epitomy of several Sermons of the duty of Prayer If thou art one that loves God thou canst not but love the Duty If thou lovest not God nor the Duty thy case is sad and much to be lamented For if thou dost not call upon God thou canst not live to the glory of God but hast a certain brand upon thee of one that doth no good but is wholly given over to all manner of sinne Psal 14.1 2 3 4. And if thou art one that doest but seldom perform the Duty and takest no delight in it let me tell thee although thou makest a profession of Religion yet thy heart is not right with God thou art an Hypocrite For so saith Job of such a one Iob 27.10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty will he alwayes call upon God No he will neither delight in God nor be constant in calling upon God Now that thou maist not be prophane and pray not at all or Hypocritical and pray but seldom and by fits but that thou maist be quickned up to the faithful and frequent performance of this so necessary a Duty I have written this following Treatise And for a further light in and Encouragement to the Duty I shall in this Epistle shew you 1. Several definitions of the Duty given by several Holy men 2. I shall shew you some Examples of the constant and frequent practice of the Duty Lastly I shall shew you the excellent and great priviledges that belong to Gods people that are frequent and constant in this duty of Prayer First for the several Definitions of Prayer I find many I shall name some It is a Religious calling upon the name of God by suite or request in which we desire all things necessary B. Usher It is a Religious presenting of our wills before God D. Amos. It is a lifting up of the mind to God Musculus It is an ardent and earnest laying open of our heart before God whereby from Faith in Christ we do either request or entreat for any thing or do give thanks for benefits received whereby is gathered that the Ten Commandements the Angels salutation and the rehearsing of the Creed are no Prayers because in those nothing is asked of God Bucanus common places Leighs body of Divin Robinsons Resolves though simple people use those as Prayers It is an humble