heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few And this Text in the margin quotes another to the same purpose Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise Thirdly From the custom of the Heathen as it follows Vse not vain repetitions as the Heathen do It was the manner of the Heathen saith the ordinary Gloss out of Cyprian to endeavour rather to be eloquent than devout in their prayers and to be loud and clamorous rather than fervent and zealous And example whereof we have 1 Kings 18.27 where Elijah mocks the Priests of Baal calling upon their Pagan Deities Cry aloud for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or he is in a journey or peradventure he is asleep and must be awaked And accordingly they cryed aloud thinking as our Saviour here saith that they should be heard for their much speaking And therefore as it follows v. 18. Be not like unto them It is a shame for Christians in the worship of the True God to be like the Heathen in the worship of their false and feigned Deities Our duty is to endeavour more for humility purity and fervency in heart than for glib nimble and voluble tongues to pray not with multitude of words and variety of phrases but with pertinent and pithy expressions with ardency and godly zeal and the reason follows For Your heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask him He is every where present and knoweth all things even the secrets of all hearts and therefore to court him with long and loud Peayers implies our ignorance or misbelief of his perfections Against such extravagancy in prayers our Lord prescribes us a Form with command saying After this manner tray ye vers 9. i.e. as from the context is manifest not after the manner of the Heathen who think to be heard for their much speaking but after this manner i. e. in few words and such as are pithy and to purpose And That t is the meaning of our Lord in this place that all our Prayers should be short and not much exceeding the length of the Pattern he hath given us is manifest 1. Not only from the Context impartially weigh'd and understood but 2. From the practice of Christ's Church which is undeniably the best and surest Interpreter of Christ's meaning in his words And all the Prayers of the Church of Christ are and ever were such in all Ages in all places amongst all persons that are called Christians their Liturgies or Publick prayers are short and pithy called therefore Collects as being so many Collections of much matter in few words 3. Such are all the Prayers of the Holy and True Spirit of God which stand upon record in Holy Writ both for use and imitation viz. the whole Book of Psalms with many more all which though some of them be long as to the whole Psalm or Hymn yet they are divided by Verses into so many shorter Prayers 4. Long Prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of the Hypocrites Matth. 23.14 Mar. 12.40 Luke 12.47 5. By long and manifold sad experience t is well known and hath been often observed That all long conceived prayers have been guilty of manifold infirmities light vain and unseemly expressions not fitting to be offered up to the All wise All-glorious Majesty of Heaven yea many falshoods many impieties and profanations have been uttered in such kind of prayers and what have been contradictory to the Religious Duties we owe to God and men 6. If it be here said How can we be too long in our Prayers since our Lord continued all night in prayer Luke 6.12 and saith also that we ought always to pray and not to faint Luke 18.1 and his Apostle commands Continue in Prayers and watch Col. 4.2 and pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5.17 and how can these Commands be obey'd without long prayer Answ To this I answer that there is a great difference between long prayers and praying long The one is unlawful because forbidden and reprov'd by our Lord the other is a Religious Duty because both commanded and practis'd by him and therefore St. Augustin saith Oratio plus gemitibus quà m sermonibus agitur plus fletu quà m afflatu And t is thus The Spirit helpeth our Infirmities by quickning our Devotions and inflaming our Desires he maketh intercession for us i. e. as the same Father secretly inclining our hearts to intercede for our selves with groanings that cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 From which Text it is apparent quite contrary to the Enthusiasts sense thereof that t is inward groanings not outward bellowings the internal fervent desires of the Soul not multitude of words which is the proper work of the Holy Spirit in prayer The ordinary Gloss out of St. Chrysostome asks the same Question If we must not use many words in our Prayers how shall we pray without ceasing as t is commanded And answers out of the same Father That both are to he observ'd in our Religious Devotions viz. 1. That our Prayers be short And 2ly Frequent and continued So Christ hath both commanded and also exemplified in his Personal Prayers And St. Paul also That our Prayers be short but often renewed in few words but with great devotion ending briefly and beginning afresh leaving some intervals or spaces of time for the â—re-enquickening and enkindling the fire of fervor and holy zeal in the Soul. And it s added out of Cassianus The Fathers conceived it most useful to use short but frequent Prayers To be frequent that our Souls may cleave the more steddy unto God by often addresses to his Majesty To be short that we may quench the fiery darts of the Devil who is most busie to tempt us to dulness and deadness of heart in our Prayers which he very easily effects when the Prayers we say or hear are long and continued withont any inrermission T is recorded of those Primitive Christians in Egypt who were most famous for their transcendent Devotions and great Austerities in the exercise of Religious Duties That their Prayers we many and often night and day continued and yet that they were short also not only in their solemn Assemblies and publick Offices of Devotion but also That their private Prayers were as so many Raptures and Ejaculations or Defires darted up into Heaven For as the Father saith thereupon bsit ab Oratione multa lobutio sed non desit multa precatio si fervens perseveret intentio Let not our Devotions be accompanied with much speaking but much praying so long as we can hold out in attention and fervency FINIS Dr STEVVARD's Judgment of a Private PRAYER in Publick Relating to the Orders of the CHURCH of ENGLAND With an Account of
divided by distinct Verses into so many several shorter Prayers Long Prayers are forbidden by our Lord because such is the custom of the Heathen as the Heathen do Matth. 6.7 who mind more the Oratory and Language Tone and Pronuntiation than the Humility and Devotion of the Soul in prayer and t is much misbecoming Christians to worship the true God as the Heathen do their false and feigned Deities And Because they imply a false notion of the Majesty of Heaven and a misbelief of his Divine perfections as if he were asleep and must be awakened or did not understand our Wants and Desires or being otherwise imployed he could not attend our Petitions except in multitude of Words exprest and loud bawling for audience So prayed the Priests of Baal 1 Kings 18.27 and so saith our Lord of all Heathen people that they think they shall be heart for their much speaking which is directly contrary to the true faith of a Christian who believeth and acknowledgeth the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God as it follows in the Eighth verse Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask which Divine Truth is implicately denied by loud and long Prayers Long prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of the Hypocrites who love to stand praying in the Synagogues and in the corners of the Streets that they may be seen af Men that they may be taken notice of for Godly men desiring rather to seem than really to be Religious loving the praise of Men more than the praise of GOD. Matth. 6.5 c. 23.14 Mark 12.40 Luke 20.47 Joh. 12.43 To pray continually then is neither to be understood of doing nothing else but pray nor yet of using long prayers the one being prohibited by our Lord and the other condemned by his Church but in this and the like Expressions is commanded The intense Devotion of the Soul in Prayer So our Lord expounds his own Command that men ought always to pray viz. that they faint not Luke 18.1 to wit for want of that holy fervour and devout zeal which is the life and soul of an effectual Prayer And this same Celestial fire of holy Zeal in prayer spends not it self in multitude of Words and much babling of the Lips but is expressed in sighs and groans which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.8.26 which are truly the Breathings of the holy Spirit of God in prayer who dwels not upon the Tongue but in the Heart To pray continually enjoyns the constant and continued returns of this holy Duty that we lose no time neglect no opportunity either of the Publick prayers of the Church or of private prayer and Closet-Devotions upon the set solemn and accustomed times thereof remembring that the Time only which is imployed in the sacred Acts of Piety towards God and Charity towards Man is redeemed a Ephes 5.6 out of the all-devouring jaws of Death and dark Oblivion to be the Seminary of a blessed Eternity b Gal. 6.8 Mark 12.35 when time shall be no more T is to this end our Lord commands us to watch and pray by our constant prayers at Evening at Midnight at the Cock-crowing and in the Morning to watch for the coming of our Lord to put an end to Time and to all that is by Time limited and circumscribed That we ought always to pray i. e. say the Fathers upon the Text at those appointed Hours observed by the Church of God both under the Law called therefore the Hours of the Temple and under the Gospel called the Canonical Hours so generally observed formerly of all devout Christians that St. Hierome Epist ad Eustor with his Quis nescit takes it for granted that no Godly Christian is either ignorant or negligent in the observation of such Hours as being probably observed by holy David or from his example derived saying of his own daily practice Psal 119.164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments To continue in prayer is to have our Hearts so inflamed with the love of God as to be in a continual disposition to pray and this not only at all set and accustomed times but at all times and upon all occasions and objects presented to raise up our souls upon the Spiritual wings of holy Meditations celestial Affections devout Colloquies and Ejaculatory converses with Heaven Thus Enoch walked with God and was translated Gen. 5.24 Heb. 11.5 Thus King David professeth I have set God always before me Psal 16.9 And I will give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth Ps 34.1 No time omitted Evening and Morning and Noon-day Ps 55.17 18. Early and late Ps 63.1.7 No place pretermitted in the Wilderness in the land of Jordan and the unbeaten paths of Hermon Ps 42.8 T is the great and constant imployment of a true Christian's life to depend upon God to fix all our Hopes all our Joy and Consolation all that we can reasonably desire to enjoy conducing to our happiness both in this and in the other world in God alone who is the Beginning the Mean and the End of our Being In the first and purest times of Christianity while the blood of Christ was yet warm and more inflamed the Souls of true Believers than in these later and colder times then were the hearts of the Religious continually in Heaven by holy and Divine Aspirations even when their hands were imployed in any and every of their works upon earth So the Divine Ephrem Sive opereris sive sedeas sive comedas In all thy works even in Bating and Drinking and Travelling sitting going standing lying Pray without ceasing Take hint from every thing thon seest hearest tastest to lift up thy heart unto God and refer all to his glory T is recorded of St. Bartholomew the Apostle that he prayed an hundred times in a day and an hundred times in the night also Ephrem tom 1. Homil. de Orando Deum So the great St. Basil Hom. in S. Jude So St. Chrysost Hom. 23. in Mat. St. Hierom professeth of himself that often on the tops of Mountains and in hollow Valleys and craggy Rocks with eyes lifted up to Heaven and flowing with tears he poured forth his soul in holy prayers and meditations S. Hierom. Ep. ad Eustor So meditates S. Austin also Te Domine mediter per dies sine cessatione Te sentiam per soporem in nocte Te alloquar Aug. Med. O that I could meditate upon Thee O Lord through the whole day and not cease to be affected with thee in the night my spirit speaking unto thee and my mind conversing with thee alway and alone Blessed are they who think of nothing speak of nothing but the Lord who love nothing above thee desire nothing besides thee Blessed are they whose Hope alone is the Lord and all whose Work is Prayer And
But what kind of Prayers these were is not considered viz. short Collects or rather Ejaculations imploring the Divine Assistance which they used not always before but sometimes in the midst of their Sermons also when they treated of some high mystery of Godliness of other matter of difficulty or were transported with more than ordinary zeal to the practice of such of such a virtue or the eradication of some reigning offence amongst the people as is frequent in many of St. Chrysostome's Homilies And of St. Ambrose he being a Metropolitan might surely assume such a power to compose a prayer for his own use which is not nay ought not to be allowed to every inferior Presbyter Secondly because he used a short prayer and this but sometimes before his Sermon it doth not follow That every green-headed Minister may use a prayer of his own private conception twenty times as long as the other and so fully as far distant from the pattern which our Lord hath given us which is also answer sufficient to St. Paul's example objected Object 10. But St. Augustine affirms the necessity of this Prayer before Sermon saying That Queen Esther prayed for the temporal safety of her Nation before she adventured to speak before the King Ahasuerus that God would be pleased to put into her mouth congruous words How much more ought we to pray for the like gift when we are to speak for the eternal salvation of souls in the Word and Doctrine August de Doct. Christiana And again saith he When the hour is come to preach before he opens his mouth let him lift up his thirsting soul unto God. Answ It is undoubtedly a laudable practice for every Preacher to pray for the Divine Assistance in his Sermons to the People And this not only in the publick prayers of the Church but in private also betwixt God and his own soul and this as the Father directs before he opens his mouth in publick And such was Queen Esther's prayer in private before she publickly spake to the King which makes rather against than for the private prayer in publick for and with the whole congregation St. August could not be guilty of any such practice for it was against his judgment being himself one of the Two Hundred Fathers of that Milevitan Councel wherein it was decreed that no prayer should be us'd in publick but such as were approv'd in the Synod Sometimes this Father did conclude his Sermon with an Exhortation conceived in form of a Prayer e. g. Conversi Turning unto the Lord God Father Almighty let us render him all possible thanks beseeching him of his great mercy that he would vouchsafe to hear our prayers and expell the Enemy from having any influence upon our thoughts and desires words and actions that he would increase our faith govern our minds fill us with spiritual cogitations and at last bring us to everlasting happiness through Jesus Christ which is not so much a Prayer as an Invitation to Prayer suitable to the Form prescribed in the Canon of our Church Object 11. The liberty or private prayer in publick is the way to make an able Ministry whilst thus they are put on to exercise and improve their Ministerial gifts and graces Answ T is rather the way to make a Licentious Fanatick Brain-sick Ministry and in process of time no Ministry at all for from this practice it is that so very many unlearned unstable souls have taken up the trade and proved as eminent at least as well approved of by the people for their gift of Prayer as the most learned of their Tutorers therein And whosoever shall impartially weigh and without prejudice consider it he may observe that this private prayer in publick both in Church and at home is the very life and soul of that Schism and Division which is still so perniciously kept up in this Church T is hereby maintained more than by preaching and disputes T is from hence that Parties do call their Leaders Godly Ministers and themselves the godly Brethren the children that cry Abba Father the chosen and familiar friends of God from their over-sancy and familiar converse with God. This is that great Idol whom all the world of Non-conformists on this side the pale of the Roman Church adore and worship crying down the goodly frame of Gods worship in his Church under the notion of Idolatry Superstition and Will-worship that every one may set up his Idols in his own heart follow the sway of their own imaginations to be guilty themselves of that Will-worship which they falsly impute to the Church of Christ Upon this Rock many thousands of Souls have suffered shipwrack who have been otherwise piously inclined For being taken with holy language religious tone and sceming zeal of this or the other person in their private and conceived prayers they have in respect thereof slighted and undervalued even the Celestial Prayer of God the Son all the divinely inspired prayers of God the Holy Ghost recorded in Holy Writ with all the devout and excellent Prayers of the Church of Christ which are framed after the pattern prescribed by our Lord commanded by the higher Powers used by the devout people of God in all Ages and whereby many thousand triumphant Saints in Heaven have pray'd themselves into that blissful place of Eternal Glory After all this it would be considered That as every error in Religion is very prolifick in bringing forth many others of the same mishapen stamp and nature so this erroneous way of divine worship the use of a private Prayer in a publick Congregation is also productive of many mistakes and falshoods and deformed ways of worship in the management thereof And 1. Such private Prayers in publick are generally erroneous in the length of them For that Long Prayers are unlawful is apparent First Because they are prohibited by our Lord Mat. 6.7 When ye pray use not vain repetitions which cannot be understood of the same prayer repeated which is falsly objected against the prayers of the Church for so prayed our Lord himself and his example surely contradicts not his Doctrine whose Prayer when most earnest in his Desires was the same three times repeated and a very short prayer also Mat. 26.44 By vain repetitions then must be meant the repetitions of the same thing in other words For First to use multitude of words and variety of expressions in prayer is vain i. e. superfluous impertinent and to no purpose since our desires may and ought to be expressed in few words and pertinent Secondly such are generally vain i. e. empty and insignificant that have more noise than weight more sound than sense serving only to fill up the time to amuse the minds and tickle the itching ears of the Hearers That such kind of long Prayers are here forbidden by our Lord is manifest Secondly From the parallel Text quoted in the Margin Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy
that you are now upon entrance into the Presence chamber of the great King of the World whose Throne of Glory is in Heaven above but his Throne of Grace in his Temple here below Say then within your self Surely the Lord is in this place How dreadful is this place This is none other but the house of God this is the gate of heaven Gen. 28.16 17. How amiable are thy Dwellings thou Lord of hosts My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God. Yea the Sparrow hath found her an house and the Swallow a nest where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of hosts my King and my God! Blessed are they who dwell in thy house they will always be praising thee Ps 84.1 2 3 4. And most happy were I could I both esteem it and make it my greatest joy and constant labour of love to praise the Lord in his Temple II. When you are entred and view the Baptisterion or Font. GIve hearty thanks unto God for your Christendom that by holy Baptism he hath called you to the state of Grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ and humbly beseech God to give you his grace to continue in the same to your lifes end by the religious observance of that Vow which was so solemnly taken in your Name the which you must now perform that you forfeit not the great priviledges rewards and honours of being a member of Christ a child of God and an heir of the Kingdom of Heaven III. When you view the Pulpit REmember how many good Lessons you have received thence the which not being carefully practised will rise up in judgment against you in the great day of your Trial. Resolve therefore for the future to be a Doer of the Word and not a Hearer only deceiving your own Self IV. When you look up towards the Altar say VVHat reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will receive the cup of salvation offer the sacrifice of Thanksgiving for my Redemption and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my Vows unto the Lord in the sight of all the people in the Courts of the Lords house even in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Praise the Lord. Ps 116.12 13 14 18 19. Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning V. When you come to your Seat kneeling down pray I. Prayer LET thy merciful ears O Lord be open to the prayers of thy humble servants and grant that what we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually through Jesus Christ II. Prayer O God for as much as without thee we are not able to please thee grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts and more especially be assistant to us in all the holy Actions of this Day through Jesus Christ III. Prayer AND since by reason of our sins we are unworthy to offer up any sacrifice to so pure a Majesty grant merciful Lord both to me and to all thy faithful people Pardon and Peace that being cleansed from all our sins we may serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ DIRECTIONS relating to some parts of the Publick Worship AS soon as the Minister begins with the Publick Worship all your Private Meditations and Prayers must be waved and your Mind applied to attend diligently and to joyn devoutly in every part and passage of Divine Service considering that this is the great end of your coming to Church and your business there is to serve the Lord with your Christian Brethren in Publick 1. Therefore when the Minister exhorts you out of the Word of God to confess and acknowledg your sins and wickedness harden not your heart but with all possible humility both of Body and Soul say after the Minister in the Confession of Sin and to this and to every Prayer or other Act of Divine Worship where t is prescribed neglect not to say Amen for that is as it were the Seal to confirm to your soul the benefits thereof And the Hebrews have a saying that Whosoever says Amen with all his might opens the doors of Paradise 2. After the Confession when the Minister comes to the words of Absolution bow down your head and say softly in your heart Lord let this Pardon pronounced by thy Minister fall upon my soul and seal thereunto the forgiveness of all my sins 3. The Psalms and Hymns are to be answered verse by verse with the Minister that so all may joyn and bear a part in the Service of God for in his Temple doth every man speak of his Honour Ps 29.9 And here although you cannot read yet your Heart may joyn with them that do read and your Mouth also may shew forth the Praise of God by saying after every Psalm Glory be to the Father and to or else if it fall in couse As it was in the beginning is now adding always Amen to express how affectionately you desire the Glory of God. 4. Be not silent nor ashamed publickly and audibly to make Confession of the holy Christian Faith when you are thereunto called by the Minister for this is a duty you owe both to God and Man it is an act of God's Worship and a Declaration that you hold the same Faith with all true Christians and therfore t is required of you not only with the Heart to believe unto righteousness but that with the Mouth also Confession be made unto salvation And when the Confession of Faith is publickly pronounced do not you sit or loll as if it concerned you not but stand up with the rest of the Congregation to signifie and declare that you will stand to this Faith and earnestly contend for it as being the same which was once given to or by the Saints the holy Apostles 5. Be not so cold and careless in giving Honour to God as not to bow at the Name of JESVS for t is a duty positively commanded and universally practised by the Church and people of God in all ages And therefore give no ear to those deceivable Criticisms corrupt Glosses and false Inferences which are 100 frequently but profanely urged to make void the Commandement of God in the omission of this Religious Practice If you hear any such Allegations out of the Pulpit detest them the rather that any Act of Religious Worship should be spoken against in the place where whatever tends to the honour of God should be magnified and advanced 6. That you may not be tired with the length of Divine Service consider 1. the great variety of its several parts as consisting of Prayers and Praises Confessions Thanksgivings Invitations Lessons Admonitions all of which are with most admirable Prudence and religious Wisdom so ordered and contrived to follow each other that so the ending of one and beginning of another may renew and re-enquicken your
elevation of eyes hands and no marvel then that the one be so much applauded by the vulgar and the other slighted especially when they are perswaded by these Enthusiasts that Common-prayer and all the Ceremonies in that celebration are taken out of the Mass-book that they are but a dead letter and the invention of man whereas the private conceived Prayer is no less than the immediate influence of the holy Spirit of God. Object At least they say That Prayers read in a Book have not that quickning vigour in them like to the prayer memoriter and without book the one savours of the deadness of the Letter the other of the quickning Spirit Answ But in holy prayer it is not the words said whether written or not written whether said within or without book but the affectionate Zeal of him that prays That gives vigor and efficacy to this holy Duty and where this is wanting the fault is not in the Prayers themselves but in the persons that profanely slight and undervalue them the deadness they talk of lies in their own hearts which are not touched with the quickning spirit of devotion in the use of those holy and good prayers And whosoever ls more affected with a conceived than a written prayer thinks sure that the one is more immediately by inspiration from Heaven than the other and so smels strong of the Heresie of Enthusiasm Orationis sublimitas ex parte orantis non ex sublimitate vel subtilitate verborum sed humilitate devotionis affectu ejus qui orat pensanda est Jac. Alvar. de inquis pac I am sure to speak foolishly and impertinently hath been usually accounted and called speaking without Book Object 3. There be many Episcopal persons and such who both use and are zealous for the Liturgy of the Church do yet use private prayer of their own before Sermon the which surely they would never do if they conceived it unlawful Answ This is done t is confest by many persons of known worth and integrity some with good intentions to win upon such persons whom no other kind of prayers will please some that their private prayer may be a Pattern whereby their people may learn to pray in private and for these reasons I conceive this practice hath been and is still overlook'd by Ecclesiastical Superiors But in the general this custom is continued through inadvertency in nor considering and deeply weighing the equity or iniquity fitness or unfitness thereof nor can the practice of this or any other custom prove the same to be lawful There is a great difference betwixt a custom founded upon the principles of truth and equity Versat nos praecipitat traditus per manus error alienisque perimus exemplis sanabimur si modo separe mur à caetu Seneca de vita beata and such a custom as is contrary hereunto how plausible soever Many persons also that are eminent in knowledge and piety in the general may through long custom and many examples fail in some particulars through inconsideration Object 4. T is observable by experience that variety of expressions and change of Forms in prayer do more work upon the Affections of the People and stir up their Devotions than one and the same constant standing Form. Answ 1. This doth more tickle the itching ears of the people indeed and the itching of the ears comes from the corruption of the heart And surely their devotion is very cold that must be warmed by variety of expressions the which in preaching may be commendable but not in praying except by way of private ejaculations it being one great design of Exhortations and moving ing admonitions in Sermons to excite their Affections to what is taught and exhorted unto whereas holy Prayer is not the cause but the effect and issue of devout Affections and t is then only acceptable unto God when it comes from a heart replete with humility compunction fervor and Divine love which do necessarily infer foreknowledge of the Prayers we use that they be such as whereby our devout Affections may be expressed Answ 2. It is generally observed by the Masters of Mystical Theology and Spiritual Life that there is a sensible Devotion which begins in the sensitive Nature producing tenderness of spirit drawing often sighs from the bosome and tears from the eyes and begets a secret delectation and sweetness in the soul with which many persons are much taken and transported as conceiving such pleasing delights in Prayer to be no other than the influences of the holy Spirit of God. And yet this exterior pleasure of a sensible Devotion is not always a sign of a * Jac. Alba. de inquis pac lib. 2. par 3. cap. 3. Sanct. Soph. Tract 3. serm 2. c. 5. sound and right temper of holiness in the soul Because First many wicked irregenerate persons may and have enjoyed the same Secondly it may proceed from the natural temper Thirdly from the vehement intention of the mind Fourthly from the mournful tone cadence of words and power of language And such sensible delights even in Prayer are sometimes the insinuations and illusions of the Evil spirit to puff up the soul with self-love vain-glory presumption in Gods favour and contempt of others I deny not but such sensible consolations are often the influences of the holy and true Spirit given us for our encouragement in holy and divine Offices in the love of God and obediener But there is great discretion and humility also required in the use we make of them neither are we over-highly to esteem of them as the Casuist * Consolationes sensibiles quumvis non sunt despiciendae non sunt tamen supra modum aestimandae quia nec verae virtutes nec solidarum virtutum effectus nec necessaria prâ—fectûs instrumenta sine quibus plurimi ad magnam virtutem ac mentis puritatem ascendunt Jac. Alv. ibid. observes Because they are neither true virtues neither are they neeessary instruments of proficiency in true devotion for without such sensible consolations many holy persons have ascended to a great height of virtue and purity of mind The strongest Devotions and most effectual Prayers are seldomest attended with these sensible consolations and sweetnesses which flow in upon variety of taking expressions for a great Devotion is like a great Grief which is not so expressive in words as a less moderate passion a lesser Grief also is wasted away by tears and complaints whilst the greater is both more silent and more lasting so the less and more weak devotion of the Soul is breathed out and wasted in variety of language but not the solid strong and lasting servor Such was the prevailing devotion of Moses when he fell down before the Lord Deut. 9.18.25 and that of Hannah when she prayed in the Temple 1 Sam. 1.10 11. Their words in their prayers were few and low unheard but their desires and affections strong and prevalent as being not
wasted by much speaking And such was that Devotion of our Lord in the Garden and on the Cross when he poured out his Soul in prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears Heb. 5.7 His words were few but his devotion great and prevailing mightily which devotion was neither begotten nor increased nor poured forth in a floud of language and various expressions for he went away saith the holy Ghost and prayed saying the same words Mat. 26.44 So that settled and stinted Forms of Prayer may be expressive enough of the greatest Devotion nor is God more pleased or the Soul that prayeth more profited by variety of expressions though the exterior pleasure of a sensible devotion may be raised thereby Object 5. But stinted forms of Prayer cannot suit with all tempers and conditions a Garment may as well be made to fit the changeable Moon as one Form of Prayer to fit all men or any one man at all times Answ 1. T is true that limited forms of Prayer cannot be fitted to every man's fancie and affection especially amongst such men where such prayers are either suspected or coldly entertained but they may be fitted to all mens necessities though not to their curiosities they may be such as may sufficiently serve every mans duty though not please all mens fancies Answ 2. Though they suit not with every man's particular condition in all circumstances t is no argument against them for that would conclude against all Laws whatsoever wherein t is impossible to make provision for all particular circumstances and accidents that occur t is sufficient that all Publick Sanctions do secure the publick Interest and whatsoever hath influence upon publick Societies and Communities of men Answ 3. Every man 's private Condition wherein he may be separate from the publick is to be fitted by his private prayers and therein he hath liberty to expatiate himself and enjoy all those fancied benefits and self-pleasing sweetnesses which variety and liberty can afford him that which cannot be expected in publick prayers which are of a publick nature and design suiting with publick interests the duties and conditions of all Christians and providing also for publick Events that are either probable or can be rationally foreseen Answ 4. There are many Circumstances relating to particular mens businesses that are not fit to be inserted in the publick Service of the Church or to be mentioned in publick It is more safe and prudent to recommend many things unto God in general expressions than to insist particularly and positively upon them especially in such things as are temporal and worldly wherein men are more apt to be positive and expressive than becometh Our blessed Saviour knew well enough the particular wants and conditions of his Disciples when they begg'd of him to be taught to pray yet he descends not to any enumeration of those particulars but gives them a Form of Prayer in general terms because it was for a publick use and benefit Answ 5. If any defects and inconveniences be fancied in those devout and accurate peayers of the Church which have been framed and approved by the long experience of 1600. years to fit all publick concerns and meet with all necessary conditions to be commended unto God in publick how much more may we fear the many inconveniences disorders irregularities in the private prayer though pretended to complete and fill up the emptiness of the publick The defects and impertinencies tautologies errors and blasphemies of many such private prayers are obvious to each mans observation Object 6. T is further said that it may as well be ordered that one common Sermon should be preached in all Churches and at all times as that one common Prayer should be constantly used and no other Answ 1. The Church does indeed trust all her Priests and Deacons to preach to the people and by way of Sermon to exercise their gifts for the edification of others wherein variety of expressions are very useful to move excite admonish exhort reprove which are the ends of preaching not so of praying as before was observed Answ 2. If the Minister chance to fail by impertinent tedious or any irregular expressions in preaching the matter is of less moment than to err in prayer Because first it is more safe to be bold with the people than with the great Majesty of Heaven the people may pardon an indiscretion a rudeness a mistake if any such happen in a Sermon but that boldness or impudence rather which ventures to offer up unto God their mistakes and undecent expressions is not so venial and easily pardonable Secondly Sermons to the people are but the means not any essential part of Gods worship it self but holy Prayer is a part and a principart of Gods outward worship so that to mistake and erre in the one is but indiscretion if not wilful but to err in the other is impiety and irreligion A mistake a falshood in prayer is not a lye unto men but unto God Acts 5.4 5. the great Sin for which Ananias and Sapphira were struck with sudden death Which should strike the hearts of all men with such an awful fear as not to dare to utter any thing unto God that may prove false or be improper to be spoken nor yet to go beyond what they are authoriz'd to say in publick by the commands of God and of his Church Object 7. Our Saviour prayed Extempory and by the Spirit and his Prayer John 17. was long and no part of a Liturgy Answ Those Prayers of our Lord which are recorded were not Extempory but set forms and parts of the Jewish Liturgy in the Temple which might be proved by particulars if it were not too tedious to be here inserted And his prayer Joh. 17. was a private not a publick prayer 't was designed indeed to a publick use and benefit not offered up in publick and with his Disciples though for and in their behalf and 't was a prayer that was proper and peculiar to Christ alone as the only Mediator betwixt God and man and so not to be drawn into an example Object 8. Solomon pray'd in the Temple a private prayer of his own in publick 2 Chron. 6. So did Hezekias 2 Chron. 30.18 So did Elijah the Prophet 1 Kings 18.16 and St. Paul the Apostle Acts 20.36 Answ All these prayers with all others recorded in holy Writ were undoubtedly the immediate dictates of God's holy Spirit whereunto no man without sin and presumption may pretend at least not depend and relie thereupon And as for St. Paul's prayer Acts 20.36 whether t was a set Form or not t is not express'd nor yet many of our Saviour's prayers upon record and so no argument pro or con to be drawn from thence Object 9. The Fathers frequently began their Homilies with prayers and St. Paul himself began and ended his Epistles with prayers and there is a prayer extant of Saint Ambrose which he used before his Sermon Answ