THERE is no Duty of Religion more excellent, more divine, more beneficial, and of a great­er Concernment to us all, than that of Prayer. For in respect to God, it is an Adoration, and an open acknow­ledgement of all his glorious Attributes at once; and the best and onely return that we poor Men are capable of, for all the Expressions of his unwearied goodness; and in respect of Man the Petitioner, it is the most effectual means to supply our continual wants, to procure and in­crease the divine Graces in our Souls, to arm us against all the attempts of World­ly [Page 2]Misfortunes, and predispose us for an Eternal Communion with our great Crea­tor. So many and such real Advantages which we reap from the performance of this our Duty, are sufficient Encourage­ments to stir up our negligence, and to oblige us to present our selves very of­ten in Prayer to the Divine Majesty, whose power is answerable to his Good­ness, of an infinite extent, and may di­scover the folly of those frivolous Ob­jections, that men of corrupt minds and manners invent to disswade us from pray­ing. For when a considerable Benefit ap­pears, together with the express Com­mand of our God, if the Sense of Duty be not sufficient to move us, the expecta­tion of our own good should cause us to set aside all other considerations. Now in this case of Prayer, here is considerable, nay, assured and unspeakable Benefits mentioned before, arising from thence to our Bodies and our Souls. The prospe­rity, the Health, the Riches, the Ho­nours, Blessings, and the very breath of the former, with all other Temporal things relating to its good, are in the Hands, and at the disposal of our God; they proceed from his Bounty, and are commonly obtain'd by our zealous Prayer; for God, an unchangeable Truth, hath promised in his holy Word, to have a [Page 3]special regard to the Prayer of the De­stitute, to hear the groaning of the Pri­soner, to loose them that are appointed to Death. That he will cause him that asketh to receive, he that seeketh from him his Necessities, shall find them in due time. That he will grant whatsoever we ask in Christ's name. That he will hear the Prayers of all Flesh, and perform their desires. That he will open the Trea­suries of his Mercies, to such as call upon his Name, and grant them their requests. In a word, God promiseth that he will freely, bestow upon us all those earthly advantages which Men so highly esteem and stand in need of, in consideration of our devout and Constant Prayer, toge­ther with the more lasting and more ex­cellent Riches of the Soul Psalm 102.17. Luke 11.9. John 14.13. Psal. 65.2. Jer. 29.12. and Jer. 33.3. Zech. 13.9.

If some prophane Varlets that contemn God and Religion, and neglect this Du­ty, nevertheless seem to be so happy as to be loaden with these Temporal Bles­sings, they enjoy them not with that de­liciousness and content as a praying Soul: That which to the latter is a real Bene­fit, proves a present Curse to the former, and an aggravation and the f [...]wel of their Vices. Neither can they find that sweet­ness in good which naturally it yields, [Page 4]and a good Christian tastes; partly be­cause the fears and apprehensiens which commonly attend upon a disorderly be­haviour, with the gripings of an awa­ken'd Conscience, sour and poison all the Mercies of Heaven; and partly be­cause the secret Curse that accompanies the Wicked in the neglect of their Du­ty to God, changes the very nature of the greatest Blessings. Let therefore the Care, Diligence, and Frugality of our Fore-fathers make never so much provisi­on for us: Let God's Providence put into our hands a plentiful Estate, Ho­nours, Power and Authority, as soon as we are born, Prayer is as needful in such a Condition, as if we were daily to expect the continual Supplies of God's Bounty to entertain our beings, as if we had no such assurance of a livelihood in the World. Humane Greatness, if not supported and animated by Goodness and Piety, is like those unweildy Bodies, the sooner brought to ruine for want of Vi­tal Spirits, required to keep them in mo­tion, and preserve them from the en­croachings of the Diseases unto which their grossness and fatness are inclinable. Worldly promotion can never be well maintain'd and continued, but by that Providence from whence it first proceeds. Reason as well as Religion obligeth us [Page 5]to seek from God's mercy the preserva­tion of those Stores of good things which he hath bountifully bestowed upon us, seeing that without it they must needs decay, and shrink away to nothing. Think not thy self, O Man, less indebt­ed to thy God, because he hath given thee, by whole Sale, all the Riches of the Earth, which he distributes to others but by retail, and that therefore thou dependest not so much upon his Power, and needest not so much his continual assistance, as others of the lowest rank of Men. Sooner may the Moon and glit­tering Stars yield their light, and com­fortable Influences, without the Aspect of the Sun; sooner may the Earth bring forth its variety of Creatures, without the Celestial Globes, than that Man, tho' never so Rich and Powerful, should sub­sist without his God. When therefore Solomon, the wisest of all the Kings of Is­rael, built the famous Temple of Jerusa­lem, he placed the King's Bed-Chamber near to God's Sanctuary, and caused a door to lead into it, whereof the Key was transmitted with the Crown and Scep­ter of Israel, and always in the King's possession, that this might mind him of his dependency upon his God, and to seek from him those Blessings and the protection that he continually wanted in [Page 6]that lofty Station of Honour. If there­fore our Subsistance, the preservation of our Estates in the highest degree of Pow­er, and the continual assistance of our God, needful in the greatest abundance, proceed from his bountiful hand, and are obtainable by, and promised to our Prayers, should not this oblige us to draw near with Humility to the Throne of God's Grace, to offer up this cheap Sacrifice always ready and at hand, so acceptable to our good God?

I confess he is acquainted with our in­digencies, and his infinite knowledge needs not be informed of the things that we want in the World, for he knows our necessities before we ask, and our igno­rance in asking. He understands our most bosom thoughts. He sees and foresees what is most useful both for our Souls and Bo­dies. Tho' this Consideration may seem to render our Prayers frivolous, and not so needful as if God were ignorant of our Wants. Yet Christ and his Holy A­postles, require and advise us both by their Examples, and Commands, to lay open our Necessities in Prayer to our gracious God; and Nature it self calls upon us to seek from him a supply to our daily Wants. For we must not look upon Prayer as a simple information of our [Page 7]desires and estate, but as an open acknow­ledgement of God's Liberality and Rich­es; not as an increase to his knowledge, which is in it self Infinite, and can admit no augmentation, but as a means appoint­ed by his Wisdom, to increase and aug­ment our happiness. Neither must we look upon Prayer as an obligation laid upon God, to commiserate our poor Condition, but as a n [...]hod to dispose and render us fit to receive the Mercies of Heaven, and as that unto which God's promises of Earthly and Spiritual Bles­sings are annexed. Which the divine Wisdom hath so much the more cause to encourage, and we sinful Men to pra­ctice, because it is the most agreeable to God's magnificence and unlimited Boun­ty, and to Man's weakness and poverty. Because it is the most excellent Armour to strengthen us against the assaults of worldly Casualties, the safest shelter where we may retreat when pursued by Storms, and Tempests. The best Pourveyor, to procure us all things needful for our maintenance and beings: And because it is the readiest means to entertain and increase that familiarity with our God, which must of necessity precede that E­ternal Union and Communion with him, which we shall enjoy in the Estate of Glo­ry, God will have us draw nearer to him [Page 8]by degrees, and not leap from our vile Fellowship with Sin and the World, into an immediate fruition of his unspeakable Bliss. As there is a vast distance be­tween these two extreams, it is not pos­sible to pass from the one to the other in a moment, or without some mediums that are appointed to rid us of the in­disposition of the one, and prepare us for the acceptance of the other. It is for that good purpose that his Wisdom con­descends to send us the assistance of his di­vine Graces, by which our Souls are not on­ly cleansed from the filthiness of our sinful habits, but also enabled to this blessed Cor­respondency with God in Prayer, the Foun­tain of all spiritual Joy and Comfort.

Let not therefore any Perswasion or discouragement hinder thee, O Christian, from visiting often thy God in Prayer. Let not the sinfulness of thy Actions, the vitiousness of thy Disposition, the mul­tiplicity of worldly business, the Cares and Troubles of the World, nor any mi­stake of God or of thy self, cause thee to omit this beneficial Duty. What if thou art sinful, or naturally indisposed to so holy a Performance. Remember Christ in Heaven sits at God's Right Hand to intercede for thee, to render thy Prayers effectual, to sanctifie thy Groans, and offer them up to thy God. What [Page 9]if thou makest thy Addresses to a glori­ous Being, of an infinite Power and Ma­jesty: If thy disposition be suitable to the Duty, thou mayest draw near with confidence to the Throne of his Grace, for he is thine Heavenly Father, he desires nothing more than to render thee happy, and to bestow upon thee his Mercies. Con­sider his gratious invitations and many en­couragements in his holy Word. Come unto me all ye that travel, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Matth. 11.28. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou shalt glorifie me, Psal. 50.15. The Lord is good and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon him, Psal. 36.5 Before we call he will answer, and while we are yet speaking he will hear, Isaiah 65.24. To all that turn to him, the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kind­ness, Joel 2.13. He will not break the brui­sed Reed, nor quench the smoaking Flax, Matth. 12.20. Shall his mercy be so ready to receive thee, and wilt thou be so unworthy to draw back? Shall his goodness long to bestow upon thee what thou wantest, and wilt thou be so unrea­sonable to contemn it? Shall his Love desire to be acquainted with thee by thy frequent Addresses, and wilt thou be so ungrateful to slight his offered kindness? [Page 10]Take notice of the just punishment of those ungracious Souls whom his Wisdom invites in vain to her self. Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded, but ye have set at naught all my Counsel, and would none of my Reproof. I also will laugh at your Calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer, they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me, &c. Prov. 1.25, 26.28.

Adversity may have that Power to a­waken many, who in prosperity from one year to another scarce think of praying to their God: But what can such expect in reason from his Bounty, which they in their flourishing Estate despise or neglect? Those Services can never be thought real and sincere, unto which ne­cessity drives Men; and those persons that make a mock of this Duty at any time, cannot probably receive from it, in their greatest urgencies, the benefits they expect. It is therefore Wisdom con­stantly to practice that which may stand us in good stead, and without which we shall assuredly be at a loss. Prayer may help and comfort thee, O Man, when all other helps and comforts forsake thee, when thy Riches and thy Guards, thy Treasure and thy Friends, thy Power and thy Glory shall leave thee to be Tor­mented [Page 11]with the Pangs of a Disease, or suffer thee to pass alone and naked through the dark and mournful Vale of Death. In a word, when all the World can yield thee no assistance, Prayer alone may as­sist and relieve thee. I cannot prescribe to any persons the times and moments for every one to make his Addresses to his God. There is no hour of the day nor night, but the divine goodness is ready to receive the humble Application of a dutiful Supplicant. No wonder there­fore that St. Paul adviseth us to pray with­out ceasing. Which words we must not so understand, as to spend all our time in this Duty, leaving all other necessary Employments of Life, as the antient la­sie Hereticks, sirnamed by the Fathers, Euthicks, taught by their Doctrine and Practice. But this Command may admit of a threefold interpretation, equally necessary for the observance of a Christian.

First, We may go far to the com­pleating of the Apostles Counsel, by sending up unto God without intermis­sion, our hearty desires, our sighs, and groans, when we are busie in our daily works to implore his needful assistance, and protection. The constant business of this Life should not hinder thee from this preparation for the next, nor the incumbrances of the World clog thy [Page 12]Soul from this elevation to its God, with whom an uninterrupted correspondence will wonderfully advance our present af­fairs, as well as dispose thee, O Man, for a more blessed Estate.

Secondly, in imitation of David, of Daniel, and of other Religious Men men­tioned in holy Writ, we may pray al­ways, by a constant performance of Pray­er at those times that chiefly require a divine assistance, and an acknowledg­ment of Gods continual Mercies. Even­ing, Morning, and at Noon will I pray, and cry aloud, and he shall hear my Voice, saith David, Psal. 55.17. And Daniel could not be frighted, with the sear of the Li­ons fury, from praying three times a day to his God. In the Morning when our Eyes are open again to behold the wonderful works of God's Power and Wisdom in the Creation and Preserva­tion of the World; it concerns us to praise his divine Attributes, that shine as bright as the Sun over our Heads. When we receive a fresh expression of God's goodness, in keeping us safe from the dangers of the preceding Night, in adding another day to our Lives, and a continuance of all his Temporal Favours, doth not Justice and Reason call upon us to be as mindful of God's Bounty, as he is of our necessities, and to be as li­beral [Page 13]of our thanks, as he is of his Rich­es? When in the Morning thou art going about thine Employments, and conside­rest that all thy labours will be to little purpose without God's Blessings, that thou art going through a world of dan­gers, Spiritual and Temporal, a World of Enemies subtle, malicious, and power­ful, that besiege thee on all sides, [...]s it not thine Interest to beg the favour and Pro­tection of that good Creator, that thy Soul and thy Body may be preserved in the midst of all their envious attempts, that thy designs and undertakings may be successful, thy labours fruitful, and all thy proceedings prosperous.

At Noon when thou seest thy Table covered with God's good Creatures, ap­pointed to strengthen thy Body, and tastest the sweetness of his Mercies at a distance, thou can'st do no less than lift up thy hands and thine Eyes, in prayer, to this bountiful Creator, as well to praise him for such a fresh expression of his liberality, at that time before thee, as to implore his Blessing needful to ac­company the means used to recruit thy strength and preserve thy weak Body.

In the Evening when the Curtains of the Night are spreading about thee, when thou art lying down to refresh thy wea­ried Body with rest, when thou knowest [Page 14]not the dangers that hang over thine head, and hast no other means to avoid them, but God's gracious protection, should'st thou not, for thine own safety, desire his favourable providence and all-seeing eye, to watch over thee, shelter, and defend thee from all spiritual and corporal E­nemies? Were we but sensible of the mischievous temper of some of those airy Spirts that fly about us, those many and subtle Devils that plot our destruction; did we but understand their Power, Ma­lice, and their unavoidable Assaults and propinquity, we should need no other Arguments to perswade us to arm our Selves with God's merciful protection when we lay our Heads down upon our Pillows. How soon should we perish, if God and his Holy Angels were not as watchful to keep us, as those Enemies of Mankind are watchful to destroy us! They wait continually for an opportu­nity to vent their Natural displeasure a­gainst us, and by the Evil Thoughts, fil­thy Dreams, unusual and unnatural di­sturbances, of the Mind, they discover themselves in our sleep, and their hatred against us. Who knows but that God, who holds them fast in Chains, as so many fu­rious Beasts, will let them loose to punish thy contempt of his Power and Provi­dence, and neglect of this Duty, if thou [Page 15]forgettest to call upon thy God. Remem­ber therefore, O Man, thy weak, thy frail and perillous Condition. Thy Life is but a Breath, thy Riches uncertain, thy Glory but a shadow, thy Power but for a time, thy Prosperity but like a Dream, thy Beauty but a fancy, and thy Health always besieged with many Diseases, thy Body and Soul surrounded with Ene­mies, and thy present Estate, let it be ne­never so flourishing, is in a continual want of God's favour, protection, and Blessings; whether thou risest or layest thy self down, lift up therefore thine Eyes and Hands in Prayer to this good God, to supply thee with those things that thou standest in need of, but chiefly in the Morning and in the Evening. Let these be the Solemn and constant times of thine Addresses to God. Offer up unto him the Morning Sa­crifice of Prayer, and the Evening of Praise. In the Church of the Jews, these were the appointed times to call upon God, 1 Chron. 16.40. 2 Kings 16.15. And Christ our Saviour, whose Example the Name and Profession of Christianity call upon us to follow, was wont to con­secrate these hours to Prayer and Devo­tion, Mat. 14.23. Luke 6.12. Mark 6.46.

Seeing therefore that Reason and Re­ligion binds us to this Duty of Prayer in the beginning and close of the Day, and [Page 16]oblige us then to renew our Correspon­dency with God, too often interrupted by our daily miscarriages, let not the mul­tiplicity of Business, the Cares and Trou­bles of the World, the frightful appre­hensions of Sin, discourage or hinder thee from this constant and necessary Fami­liarity with thy God.

When a sudden occasion calls thee away, so that thou art not able to offer up thy desires in such a solemn manner as is re­quired at these usual times; make use at least of the shorter Prayers of the compen­dious Ejaculations of the mind. Let thy Soul be with God, tho' the World hurry away thy Body. Spare a thought unto that merciful God, who hath spared thee to attend upon thy necessary Occasions, and who can render thine undertakings either prosperous or unhappy, as he sees convenient. Venture not out into the wide and troublesom World, with­out the safeguard of God's Protection. And enter not into the shadows of the Night, this Cousin and remembrancer of Death, without his merciful allowance, who hath the Keys of Death and of Hell.

The third Interpretation of the A­postles Advice, To Pray without ceasing, Is to be always in a disposition sit for Pray­er, to shake off all Impediments, all in­cumbrances of Sin, which hinder us, that [Page 17]the Soul may still be in a readiness with the Wings of Faith and Love, stretched towards Heaven, always ready to take its Flight.

The troubles and vexations of the World should rather animate thee, and inflame thy Devotion with an expectati­on, and certain assurance to find more favour in him than in all inferior enjoy­ments. His Holy Spirit can convey com­fort into thy Soul, when the World fills thee with Sorrow. He can send thee de­lights and sweetness to qualify all other bitterness; for by the means of Prayer, a Christian can keep himself in such an ex­cellent Temper, that will not suffer him to be sensible of many misfortunes and Crosses, and so secure his Soul, that all outward Accidents shall do him no harm.

I know that the sense and conscience of Guilt, is wont to estrange us from God, and interrupt all correspondency between his mercy and our Souls. And Reason seems to forbid us, together with the re­spect we owe to so holy a Being, when our hands are reeking with Blood, or our Body comes from the commission of any other grievous Offence wilfully acted, to presume to present our selves before the Throne of God's Grace immediately, without any delay. I confess that such unhappy Criminals ought to pause a while [Page 18]upon their woful Condition, and the sense of their Guilt ought to move them to Repentance and Sorrow, before they offer up their Prayers to God, for other­wise, this Sacrifice will meet with no better acceptance than that of Cain, or that of Hophni and Phineas, or that of Corah and his Rebellious Company, whose Offerings were so much the more distaste­ful, because they were encouraged by dis­obedience to God, and to his Servant Moses. But yet I would advise a Christian to spend and delay no more time, but only to prepare himself the better for this sacred Duty. Suffer not thy Sin to grow old, nor this Burden to lye too long upon thy Soul, for fear it should leave an Impression that thou wilt not be able to remove in haste. In such a case, tho' Guilt ought and will interrupt and break off our continued Prayers to God, yet it ought not to drive us fur­ther from him, but rather cast us into the Publicans Disposition in the Gospel. He would not lift up so much as his Eyes to Heaven, but smote upon his Breast, saying, God be merciful to me a Sinner: Or into the Blessed temper of the Prodi­gal Son, I will arise and go to my Father, and say unto him, Father I have sinned a­gainst Heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, make me [Page 19]as one of thy hired Servants. A greater Humility in such a Case, ought to pre­pare our Persons and Prayers for God's acceptance. The more unworthy sin hath made us, the more lowly ought our ap­proa [...]hes to be to him. The alteration in our behaviours should cause an altera­tion in our Souls, before we present our selves before God. Instead of alienating our minds from him, the consideration of our weakness should, incourage us to fly to him by prayer, and seek from his all-sufficiency strength against future Temptations. In such a case, I would have a repenting Christian understand that God, our merciful Creator is not so soon estranged from us, as we are from him. The Sin that disorders our Souls, and causeth us to shun his presence, may cause him to correct us for our good, but it will never oblige him to cast us away, if there be any sense of our Guiltiness in us, accompanied with the hopes of his Mercy. Therefore this ought not to be long an impediment to our Prayers, or the cause to interrupt our daily correspondency with God, Morning and Evening; for we see it often happen by woful experience, that by such an omission of our Duty, many are insensibly brought into dangerous Snares. And God withdraws his prote­ction [Page 20]from such as were not mindful to take it along with them. To avoid such miscarriages and dangers, Prayer is as needful to a Christian in the beginning and close of the day, as Armour and Wea­pons to a Souldier, and Shoos and Cloa­thing to a Traveller, to defend him from the injuries of the Way and Weather.

It emboldens the Soul against all ac­cidents, it gives Life and Heart to a Chri­stian, and makes him walk every where, and lye down with David's Confidence. Tho' I walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death, I will fear no ill, for thou art with me, thy Rod and thy Staff they comfort me, Psal. 23. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my Life, Psal. 4.6.

Likewise in the midst of a danger, at the Tidings of Losses or Successes, at the beginning of any Business of weight or moment, and at several other times and occasions, it concerns us to address our selves in Prayer to God, the chief and only Author of all Temporal and Spiritual happiness; for as this Devotion will disappoint the mischievous intent of Evils and Crosses, it will infallibly draw a Blessing upon all our undertakings. I have therefore endeavoured in this Book to furnish you, my Christian Brethren, with all the Prayers that are suitable for [Page 21]many Occasions, and Casualities, and Acci­dents, needful in these wicked and dange­rous times, in which we now live.

If you offer them up in the manner as you ought, you need not doubt of the Success. The Prayer of a devout Soul hath an invincible Power. The whole Creation is not able to resist or render in­effectual the religious Prayers of a Child of God. Joshua's Prayers arrested the Sun in the middle of its Course. Moses's Prayer dryed up the Waters of the Red Sea. The Israelites Prayers undermined the Walls of Jericho. Hezekiahs's prayer obtained fifteen years to his Life, alrea­dy condemned by the furiousness of a Disease naturally irrecoverable, and cau­sed an alteration in the common Course of Nature. David by his Prayers mar­ched safe through many dangers, and was secure in the midst of all the Risings and Tumults of his Enemies. Ahab's hu­mility, and prayers, suspended and put a stop to God's Judgments, that were going to fall upon his Idolatrous House. Manasses's Prayer freed him from the Chains of Babylon, and restor'd him, a­gainst all probability, to his Kingdom and Throne. Daniel's Prayer shut up the Lyons mouths, and disarm'd those furious Beasts. Esther's Prayers changed the Sentence of death, established against [Page 22]against the Jews, and caused the mischief to fall upon their Enemi [...]s Heads. The Churches Prayers unfettered St. Peter in the midst of his Guards, op [...]ned for him the Iron G [...]te, and set him at liberty. Elijah's Prayers shut and ope [...]'d th [...]. Win­dows of H [...]aven. The thu [...]dering Ro­man L [...]gion by Prayer reliev'd their fel­low Souldiers with fresh showers of Rain, and discomfi [...]ed their Enemies with strange Lightning and Thunder. So many and such strange Events, above all expe­ctation and humane Power, have been brought to pass by zealous Prayers; that we have good cause in the greatest diffi­culties to be full of hopes whilst we have liberty to pray. The Heavens, the Seas, the Earth, the Elements, and all the Crea­tures, animate and inanimate, seem to be at the Devotion of a devout Soul. For the great Author and preserver of all Created Beings, causeth them to yield help to the assistance of the humble and contrite Petitioner. As they are alway in his hand, and at his disposal; he employs them in their Relief, and for the accom­plishment of such desires as tend to the Universal good of his Creatures, and his own Glory. What is not Prayer able to bring to pass, when it int [...]r [...]sseth an Almighty Power and an infinite Good­ness in our Affairs, and fetches to its [Page 23]assistance that same Omnipotency that cre­ated the World out of nothing? Nihil for­tius, saith a Father, homine legitime Orante. There is nothing more powerful than a Man praying as he ought. For the efficacy of Prayer depends not upon the holiness of the Petitioner, but upon God's promises, that are unchangeable, Christ's Merits that are truly meritorious, and his intercession that is unresistable. At the right hand of God, where he sits above this unconstant World, he is employed in offering up the requests of his Members and S [...]rvants on Earth and there before the Mercy Seat, to perfume them with the Frankineense of his Passion, that they might be acceptable to our Heavenly Fa­ther. Whilst we have such a prevailing Mediator, never doubt of the success of a Prayer, procceeding from an humble Soul, sit for the acceptance and encou­ragement of our merciful Saviour.

And if at any time thou feelest thy self indisposed, or not able to offer up thy Prayers with that Devotion that is re­quisite, be not therefore discouraged, de­spair not of the success, know for cer­tain that it is not so much thy weakness as thy negligence, not so much thy inabi­lity as thy sloth and indisposition, that clogs thy Prayers, and stops them in their ascent to Heaven. Know for cer­tain, [Page 24]that God regards more humility, truth, and sincerity, than the flourishes of Wit, and the excellency of the language, or the vehemency of the expression in all thy Requests. That the Sighs and Groans of a broken heart, or of a devout Soul, are more powerful with God, than the strongest Arguments or the longest Pray­ers. God is not wont to proportion his mercies, only to our deservings or rea­sons, but rather out of his inexhaustible Treasuries, to take and bestow upon us Men, beyond all merits and expecta­tion.

Therefore slack not thine Endeavours to pray well, God's greatness and thine estate in relation to him, calls for the greatest Respect, the profoundest Humi­lity, the exactest care, the most fervent Zeal and earnestness that thou art capable of. God is not to be courted with ordinary Devotion. His Blessings are not to be ob­tained by a slothful hand, and a negli­gent Soul. The distance betwixt God and us vile Men, should be expressed by the humility of our Souls and Bodies, and our Prayers offered to so excellent a Ma­jesty, must have an excellency to recom­mend them to the Throne of his Grace. For that purpose we must take notice of, and observe these following directi­ons in all our Addresses to God.

First, let a short Meditation upon God, his Power, Glory, Sufficiency, infinite Presence, Goodness, Knowledge and Riches precede your Prayers; with some Reflecti­ons upon your selves, your sinfulness, vile­ness, and the former experience of God's goodness; that such Considerations as these may cause you to shake off all neg­ligence and sloathfulness, and help to banish from your Souls all undecency, carelesness and misapprehensions, usually found in the devoutest persons. We are naturally too much unmindful of the re­spect that we owe to our God; too care­less in the performance of our Duties; too fond of the World and its Vani­ties; Therefore this Meditation must stir us up, and pre-dispose us for this ho­ly Conference with our Maker. It must withdraw all our minds from all other intangling thoughts, that we may with more liberty set our selves entirely apart for this important Duty. We must rid our selves of those things that common­ly entangle us when we present our selves before our God, and draw near to him with such thoughts as these.

I, poor wretched and weak Man, Dust and Ashes, am going to speak to, and petition a God, the Creator of the World, a Holy and Divine Majesty, an incomprehensible Spirit, which sills Hea­ven [Page 26]and Earth with his infinite presence. He is at my Elbows, and takes notice of my behaviour in my Soul; and observes all the wandrings of the Mind in every corner of this wide World, and sees and hears our wants and necessities. How careful must I be to appear with respect before him? He is Holy, and abhors all filthiness; I must therefore banish all sil­thy, polluted, and idle imaginations at this moment. He is as just as he is good, ready to punish irreverence, but much more inclinable to reward Humility and Devotion; how devout therefore should my Soul be in his presence? How cir­cumspect and humble before him, who is an all-seeing Majesty, and a consuming Fire. The indiscreet Devotions of the Sons of Aaron, caused the Fire from the Lord to fall upon and consume them. Ʋzzah's unseasonable officiousness, and the impudence of the men of Bethshemesh, in drawing near to God without re­spect, were severely punished; and shall I presume to draw near to my God with carelesness and indiscretion? Shall I escape if I venture before him, without due consideration? Shall I expect any gracious returns of those prayers that are offered up with so little grace and dread of God's Power, with so little sense of his glory and Majesty. O let [Page 27]my Soul be silled with the fear and reve­rence of so fearful and holy a Being. Let my mind be seasoned with such a dread of him, that may not fright me from him, but rather oblige me to draw nearer to him with more Devotion and Humility. If we entertain such thoughts as these, they will cleanse our. Souls from all that sapersluity, which will otherwise disgrace and spoil all our holy performances. A little pause therefore before Prayer, is needful for this purpose; however it is an Act of Wisdom, in so weighty a bu­siness, to proceed on with caution and wariness; and this little recollection of our selves, which I recommend to every devout Soul before Prayer, (chiefly be­fore the solemn and publick Prayers of­fered up to God in the publick Congre­gation) cannot but be of a great use, and very instrumental to prepare us for that Duty; for thereby we may see what there is in us able to impede us in our addresses to God, and what is likely to hinder a favourable return of our Petiti­ons; besides, it savours much of that re­spect that God's greatness requires from us, together with our Relation to him. Keep thy foot, saith the Wise man, when thou goest to the House of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the Sacrifice of Fools. Ecclesiast. 5.1. That is, when [Page 28]thou goest to appear before God's Ma­jesty, keep thy self with watchfulness and circumspection, and understand thy self, thy disposition, and what thou art, and what thou dost; that this sacred Frankincense of Prayer may be present­ed to God, with the Ingredients neces­sary, and from a. Soul rightly quali­fied.

Secondly, For that purpose, you must never come to God with any known sin unrepented of; that is, with any sin near and dear unto our Souls, which we en­tertain with a Resolution, never, or not yet to part with: For not only the sa­cred Word of God assures us, that God heareth not Sinners, John 9.31. but Rea­son also teacheth us, that it consists not with his Wisdom, to listen to the Pray­ers of such as will not hearken to his Commands; to bestow his Blessings and Mercies upon such unworthy Souls, as will not leave a sin for his sake; or, as prefer the filthy Pleasures of the Flesh to the sincere Joys of God's savour, and the real advantage which slow from thence in abundance. Therefore, by the Mouth of the Prophet Isaiah, he speaks thus to the Jews, and to all im­penitent Sinners; When you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine Eyes from you; when you make many Prayers, I will not [Page 29]hear. The cause of this severity is dis­covered in the next words; because your Hands are full of Blood. All other sins as well as blood guiltiness are wont to divert God's Mercies from us, and with­draw those good things, which other­wise we might enjoy. Our Prayers in such a case, without this due Preparati­on, savours of the greatest impudency, and Atheistical boldness; because we at­tempt the obtaining of God's Riches and Favours to our unworthy Beings, and present before his all-seeing Eye, Bodies distempered with Vice, Hands full of Sin, Eyes swelling with Pride; or bearing the marks of Contempt of his Divine Ma­jesty; and a Soul that would never re­gard him, were it not for our Wants, and God's Riches. The Prayers of such a Person will prevail no more upon God than the Sacrifice of Corah and his Con­federates; for he accepts not the Offer­ings presented by foul hands: Purity and Innocency are required in such as come before God: And tho' none of us can pretend to an absolute freedom from sin, and from those wicked propensities to vice, which render our Prayers inef­fectual; yet every one of us may cleanse our selves from all actual Transgressions by Repentance, and make some amends by a repeated resolution against our belov­ed [Page 30]Sins, and by an inward and hear­ty sorrow, before we appear in God's presence, for our past miscarriages; for unless we appear in that temper, our most just and excellent Prayers, will avail us nothing; they will not be accepted, if they proceed from a Soul bewitched with the deceitful Allurements of Sin. The Devil's Slave can never be fit to appear before the God of liberty, till the Bolts and Chains of Hell be shaken off: He shall never meet with acceptance with a Jealous God, who is already betroathed, and inseparable from sin, the great Ene­my of his Glory. How unseasonable and odious were the Devotions of Zimri, when in the publick Congregations of the Children of Israel, humbling them­selves for their Sins in God's presence, he had a Midianitish Woman at his side? How unwelcome were the Addresses of a proud Pharisee, whose Prayers were the expressions of his Pride and Vanity? Cain's Sacrifices were not pleasing to God, because there was a mixture of Wicked­ness amongst his Offerings; therefore such Prayers as proceed from impeniten­cy and vice, are odious to God.

Likewise, in such a Case, the Petitio­ner is not in a disposition fit to receive God's Mercies; for sin discomposeth us, and while we retain it in our Asse­ctions, [Page 31]both the Action and the Habit of sin conspire together, to intercept and deprive us of all gracious returns of our Prayers from God. It sills the Soul full of jealousies, fears, apprehensions, suspici­ons; and instead of Love, it begets an hatred of, and an aversion to God, which will never suffer us to draw near in that manner, as his infinite goodness and un­limited liberality require; so that unless true repentance intervene between our Sins and our Prayers to our Maker, they will rather provoke his Justice, than pre­vail with his Mercy.

Thirdly, If you will have your Pray­ers acceptable to God, you must offer them with that attention and intention of the mind, that so weighty an action, and the greatness of God's Majesty re­quire: For to what purpose is it to at­tend, and be present in a praying Con­gregation, if we be no more concerned in the Devotion, than the Timber and the Stones of the Fabrick; if our Bo­dies [...]e present without our Souls? God demands from his People spiritual Sacri­fices and Services; which are not to be performed with the outward part alone; the Mind and the Understanding must be active, and the Soul and all its facul­culties ought to be concerned in this Spiritual worshipping of our great God. [Page 32]As God is an Unity without Division, whatsoever is offered to him, must ex­press this Unity, by a total Consecration of it self, chiefly in that Christian Ser­vice, where all the divine Attributes are acknowledged, and wherein the Soul as well as the Body is to resign it self o­ver to God. Dead Sacrifices under the Law were abominable, and bodily De­votions alone under the Gospel, are dis­respectful to God, and injurious to our selves; for they commonly proceed from the multiplicity of Worldly business that possess the Soul, from an unmindfulness of God, and a want of an Holy fear of his Divine Majesty, from a carelesness of our Duty, or from the disturbances and lusts of the Flesh, that steal away our Thoughts as well as our Affections from God's Holy Worship, and de­prive us of the advantages that we might expect from a due performance of our Duty. To prevent such ill consequences, the Christian in Prayer ought to mind the weighty Business in hand, and not only at the close of every Petition, in imitation of the Primitive. Church of Christ, to subscribe and declare his ascent and consent to the Requests offered up to God, by the universal Amen, but al­so to express inwardly in the Soul, what is outwardly pronounced and spoken, and [Page 33]to be seriously attentive to every Peti­tion; for, as the rational Soul is able to express it self, as well as the animal part doth with the Tongue, and that by an internal Word and Faculty proper to it, that must speak, or else God will not hear; for that intent, it is necessary to hearken with a Religious attention to the Prayers which proceed from our own, or others Lips, and endeavour to hear that part in the Devotion which is appointed for us. It is necessary to set aside all other Worldy business, to dis­engage our selves and our minds from all other incumbrances, to six them to the Duty they are employed in, and to tye and settle them with the dread of God's presence; so that our thoughts may not take the liberty to wander up and down from this holy exercise: And when we are in Prayers, we must set a watch at the door of our Senses, forbid entrance to all sudden Accidents, and, in a word, summon all the thoughts of the Mind, and faculties of the Soul, to render their homage to God's Divine Ma­jesty, and not to suffer them to straggle from the weighty business in hand. Re­markable is the Example of that Noble and Couragious Youth of Macedon, whose Office it was to burn Frankincense be­fore King Alexander, when he sacrific'd [Page 34]to his Gods; tho' a burn­ing Coal was casually fal'n into his open sleeve, Val Max. l. 3. c. 3. and did there consume both his Vestment and his Flesh, lest he should ominously and unhappily interrupt the publick Sacrifice of his Prince, he persist­ed in his business to the end, through all the Torments, and would not so much as complain. How religious were such, and other Heathens, in the publick Wor­ship of their false Gods! Nothing was able to cause them to interrupt their Sa­crifice! And shall we Christians mingle in our Devotions to the true Lord of Hea­ven and Earth, vain, idle, wanton and lascivious thoughts and actions? Shall e­very accident and casualty be able to take us off from the Service we are about? Yet this we see most commonly happens both in our publick and in our private Addresses to God, for want of a due respect and dread of God's presence, of which we should at such times be really and most sensible.

Fourthly, The Affections of the Soul ought to be moved and concerned in the offering up our Requests, and our Petitions ought to receive that qualifica­tion from them as is suitable to the rea­sons, cause, and intent of our Address. Our praising of God must be performed with an holy and reverend freedom, and a [Page 35]real sense of our Obligations: Our re­quests must be sent up to God, with hu­mility, and an acknowledgment of our undeservings: Our Confessions of sin must be seasoned with sorrow, and a resoluti­on of amendment: Our Promises, Vows, and Engagements, must proceed from an hearty resolution, and a sense of our mis­carriages and weaknesses: In short, all our Prayers must be the outward expres­sions of the inward affections of the Soul, which ought to qualifie and animate them; for unless our Hearts be thus concerned, the Prayer is but from the Tongue, the Soul hath no part in it; 'tis but the Ef­fect and production of our Imagination, but no real Devotion of the mind; 'tis a Worship in jest and not in earnest, vi­sible to an Allseeing Eye. Such heart­less services are so full of Imperfections, that in reason we can never expect any gracious returns from a Just and Wise God, who would not admit neither the Blind nor the Lame to draw near to his Holy Altar, to offer Sacrifice, tho' of the Priestly Race, Levit. 21.18. If un­der the Law, the want of these Members excluded Men from God's Service, how much the rather under the Gospel, when the noblest Member is wanting, the Heart and its Affections? A Gospel Worship must be an hearty Worship, [Page 36]that only is sufficient to obtain accep­tance. It was God's Complaint of Israel, that they honoured God with their Lips, whilst their heart was far from him. They are guilty of the same Formality, who frequently attend at Prayers without cau­sing their hearts to be concerned in the Devotion; it should be therefore our care, to stir up our affections with all the considerations of want, necessity, fu­ture advantage, experience, duty, God's presence, and whatever may have the greatest influence upon us.

Fifthly, And that our Affections may be the more inflamed, we must kindle them with an Holy Zeal, which must burn, not so much with the sense of want, as with an earnest and unfeigned desire to Glorifie our Maker; however, both may very well contribute to inflame our Affections in the Divine Worship of our God in Prayer. Now this Zeal need­ful in all our Addresses, is that holy violence that strains our Affections in re­ligious Duties, and gives that perfection to the Action, which otherwise they would want; it is accompanied with a dissidence of our selves, and a strong resolution to worship God with the utmost of our en­deavours; it is quickned by the fears and apprehensions of being guilty of that pro­phane sloathfulness, which might displease [Page 37]our gracious God, and stop the current of his Mercy; it sills the Soul full of Jealousie, which awakens all its faculties and powers, to the performance of the present Duty: And as our great Saviour, when he expell'd the Merchants and Mo­ney-Changers out of his Temple at Je­rusalem, was animated by a Divine Zeal for God's Glory; so a Christian that is govern'd by the same Spirit, and Zealous Affection for his God, drives out of his mind all worldly Business, and conside­rations of Profit and Advantage, that God may be worshipped in this Spiritual Temple, the Soul, without the interruption and clamours of our sensual and secular In­terests, where Sin and the Devil commonly insinuate themselves too much, John 2.16.

Sixthly, As there is a care to be taken of our persons, and manner of offering up our Prayers, that they may be in some measure answerable to God's glorious Per­fections, and our own vile and mean Estate; we must likewise mind the things that we petition for, that they be not contrary to God's revealed, or secret Will: God's Will must regulate ours, in all our actions; for Christ our Saviour, teacheth us by his Blessed Example, to be instrumental in, as well as desirous of the performance of God's will on Earth; and Reason tells us, that God being the su­preme [Page 38]Agent, the great Maker and Pro­tector of the World, the Lord and Re­deemer of Mankin'd, that all our Incli­nations and Wills ought to yield homage to his Pleasure; in which submis­sion there is this advantage arising to our selves; thereby we compass and attain un­to the end of all our desires, an infallible happiness; for the best self-interest is a submission to that wise Agent, who is engaged to promote our Felicity and his Glory together, according to his promise, Rom. 8.28.

If in other actions of our life, God's Will should be the Rule of our desires, how much the rather in that weighty, and religious action of Prayer, where the Soul and the Body together, are to summon all their Faculties and Members, for the worshipping of their great Crea­tor and Benefactor? for the chief intent of this performance, is the magnifying of God's glorious Attributes, which we can never do, if we suffer any of our de­siers to oppose his Will, or contradict his Wisdom, or question his Alsufficien­cy and Goodness. The want of his Mer­cy should cause thee, O Man! to yield to his Wisdom and Power; if thou expect­est a favourable return from his Bounty, thou must learn to court it by a dutiful submission to his Wisdom and Governance, [Page 39]both in the things that thou desirest, and in the expectation of the time which he judges most seasonable to grant thee thy requests: All impatiency in Prayer is guilty of indiscretion, of prophane fol­ly, of disrespect, and disesteem of God's Wisdom and Mercy. In this, and in all other acts of Devotion, Men must learn to prefer his Glory, whose goodness they want to the satiating of their own craving and importunate Appetites, and to give a check to the furious desires of our corrupt Nature, when we find them proceeding beyond the Bounds limited by God and his Will, and our real hap­piness, which commonly are unseparable.

But there is a difference to be observed, according to the difference of the things that we desire from God. For Spiritual Mercies, for Faith, Grace, Regeneration, Strength against Sin, Truth, Wisdom, Knowledge, and other Blessings relating to God's immediate Glory, and our own Salvation, a Petitioner can never be too earnest, zealous and impatient. Such ad­vantages are to be wrested, if I may so speak, from our good God, by our con­tinual and fervent Prayers. Violence, con­demned in other things, is approved of by Christ himself, in such as intend to be partakers of Heaven's Kingdom; and an Holy importunity in Prayer, never re­turns [Page 40]without a grant of the Request, when we ask the divine Riches of God's Grace, unless we have, like Esau, for­feited before all pretensions to it; for God is as willing to bestow them, as we to seek them; and their excellency is such, that Men can never have, and desire them too much. As David therefore, whose Soul was insatiable on Earth, for Grace and divine Mercies, let us not give our selves any rest, until we have obtained these Riches and Ornaments of the Soul, and the assurances of God's favour.

But as Earthly prosperity and Blessings, relating to our better conveniency on Earth, are not of such a value and im­portance, our Requests for these things must be qualified accordingly; and because in some Rules they may be prejudicial to our everlasting Interest, we are to beg them always with a condescention to the Will and Wisdom of our great God, who knows what is best for us, and most conducing to our real good. To desire them too passionately, or without any such con­descention, is to Idolize the Creature, and to prefer it before the Creator; it is to give to those Earthly and mean things, that affection which is due to God alone, and his divine Mercies. Nature I confess, will be always craving, and the sense of our wants will cause us to cry a­loud [Page 41]for a relief and remedy; but a good Christian must give a check to those na­tural motions, in imitation of Christ our Saviour, whose Humanity was loth to taste of the bitter Cup that was prepa­red for him to swallow; therefore you may hear him desire that it may pass away, and that he may be excused to drink it; but immediately after he adds, not my will, but thy will be done. The fulfilling of this will, we must prefer to the things that we most passionately desire on Earth: As it ought to be our chief aim, it should be our most zealous request, and most ear­nest petition, to be placed at the close of all our Prayers which we offer up for these pleasant, glorious, and useful things on Earth, that draw away too much of our Affections. Likewise when we beg from God for the good things of this Life, we must take heed of two other intentions or affections of our corrupt Nature, that are able to render our requests most sinful and abominable in God's Presence.

The first may proceed from an un­just principle of Covetousness, when the Soul is possessed with an insatiable spirit, that craves more than is needful, and forces it to desire what is not really ours, to the prejudice of others; or from am­bition, vain-glory, and immoderate care of the World, that may cause us to pe­tition [Page 42]too passionately for its Vanities, as it may proceed from some Lust that governs the Soul. All these, and other Principles of the like nature, as they are irregular, the Devotions that proceed from them can never be good; for all our re­quests in such like Cases tend to procure to our selves those good things, that we purpose to abuse, in the satisfying of our unruly and base affections. Such Prayers are Sacrifices of the Devil, and not of God; His Blessings, never so mean, are too good to be prostituted to our shame­ful Lusts. We must not think to feed the Devil's Brats with the Milk and Mercies of Heaven. It is an ungrateful Conver­sion indeed, to convert that to God's dis­honour that proceeds from his Bounty. And it is the mark of a great indiscreti­on, and want of Piety, to seek from God the means to dishonour his holy Name, and to employ the chief part of Religi­on for such a prophane and unworthy purpose.

The second Affection is a Spirit of En­vy, Anger, Revenge and Hatred, which if we discover in that part of God's Ser­vice, where we are to implore his Bounty, we cannot probably expect any great suc­cess, or any favourable return; we can­not expect that the God of Mercy and Love, should be favourable to inhumanity [Page 43]and revenge, that he will grant such Pe­titions as proceed from that affection, which is direct contrary to his Divine Nature and Commands. God must not, nor will not be made the Executioner of our vengeance, nor receive the Commissions from us to punish our wrongs. Ven­geance belongs to God; it is a bold pre­sumption to prescribe to his Wisdom either the method, time, or measure of inflicting i [...] upon the greatest Offendors. Therefore let us always cast our selves upon him and his Justice, with a dispo­sition ready to forgive the greatest Ene­mies: Let us leave all our wilful Interests entirely to the disposal of his Wisdom, and not venture nor suffer our corrupt Nature to give him directions, how, and where to execute his wrath, chiefly in that part of his Service where our Business is to intreat him to suspend the execution of his Justice from us, justly due for our Offences committed against his continued goodness: If he shews so much favour to us, he expects that we should do the like to such as have offended us, and deser­ved our displeasure. Our Prayers there­fore must not be Imprecations and Curses, all Gall and bitterness must be cast away, and separated from this Sacrifice to the God of Heaven, as the Gaul of the Hea­then Victims was, when they offered them up to the superior Gods.

I confess that self preservation, God's glory, common justice, and the safety of our Friends, of the Church and Publick, may oblige us to petition Heaven for the disappointment of the unjust designs of Wicked Men, tho' it be to their utter overthrow. David in his Divine Psalms affords us many Examples to this purpose, Pour out thy Wrath upon the Ideathen, saith he, that have not known thee, and upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon thy Name, Psal. 79.6. Let them be blotted out of the Pook of the Living, and not be writ­ten with the Righteous, Psal. 69.28. Con­sume them in thy Wrath, consume them that they may not be, and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the Earth, Selah. Psal. 59.13. These and such like Prayers have an intent chief­ly to prevent the future Mischiefs, which the Malice of God's Enemies, and of his Church, was likely to draw upon his Ser­vants. They are intended to disarm them, and take from them the ability or power which they would infallibly a­buse oft to God's dishonour, and the Prejudice of God's People, and innocent Persons. They are intended to Petition God, that he would be pleased to vindi­cate his own Cause, and declare his Ju­stice in the punishment of vile Contemn­ers of his Power and Authority. For [Page 45]such intents as these, we may sometimes beseech God to send down his Judg­ments upon our Enemies, as well as his Mercies; but out of a meer Principle of Revenge, or of an implacable hatred, to desire the ruin of any that we disaffect, is to concern God too much in our fri­volous quarrels, and to cause him to withhold the favours, which otherwise he might be willing to grant us, For with the same measure that we mete, it shall be measured to us again. Let therefore Men be never so much alienated from us, and separated in judgments, designs, or Interests; let them purpose never so much our Ruin, if they be Christians or but Men, that Christian disposition which Christ our Saviour recommends to us, both by his Commands and Exam­ple, teacheth us to pray for their amend­ment, and the prosperity of their Souls and Bodies, so that it may be without a­ny notable prejudice to God, his Church, the publick or our private happiness: The Sacrifices of an implacable Spirit, will never find acceptance at the Throne of Grace. That good Saviour that prayed for his Murderers, teacheth us to suppress the sense of all personal Wrongs, and not suffer our displeasures to be vented in our Addresses to God.

In this particular, as well as in the for­mer, [Page 46]Nature will speak when it is op­pressed, and complain for the Evils that burden us; it will petition for help and justice when it is grieved; and I cannot think but that this natural motion may be allowable, if it be kept within the bounds of Christian Charity, and be ac­companied with a disposition ready to forgive the Injuries received, in case of amendment; and our Enemies become fit Objects of our Mercy and Forgiveness. But in such Cases we must take heed, that we suffer not our Resentment of former wrongs, to speak too loud in Prayer, and that we desire not from God, that which neither becomes God's Wisdom to grant, nor our modesty and Christian Charity to ask.

Seventhly, Faith must likewise be an ingredient in this part of God's Worship, as well as in the rest: This Grace is the Life and Soul of Devotion, without which all our Addresses are to no purpose, For he that comes unto God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him.

Now there is a double Duty that our Faith is bound to perform in Prayer. First, it must make us sensible of God's presence and all-seeing Eye; it must cast the Soul into a dread of that divine Ma­jesty, who hears and sees every Petitio­ner [Page 47]all over the World; it must awaken all our abilities, and quicken us with the consideration of God's glorious Be­ing, unto whom we offer up our Requests; it must represent him present, and as he is a God, a just, a powerful, and a mer­ciful Creator, to our imagination; but let the good Christian take heed that he suf­fer not his fancy to give any visible shape to God's incomprehensible Being: Our minds are too apt to be extravagant in this Case, and to commit that Spiri­tual Idolatry, which the Heathens were outwardly guilty of: This infinite Spirit is to be represented inwardly to Souls, without any such contemptible appearance, unto which our imagination, instructed by our Senses, is wont to confine him. His incomprehensible Being must not be disgraced by our weak and shallow appre­hensions. Therefore in all our Addresses to him, our busie imagination ought to be entertain'd with the Thoughts of the things we want, and desire from God, and our Minds stopt with the notion of his Immensity, and our belief ought to make us as sensible of his Presence, as if he were visible before our Eyes; this will banish all careless, idle, and wandering thoughts and negligence, and quicken us in the performance of this important Duty. The sense of God's presence will [Page 48]cause us to summon all our abilities, and rid us of all those things that might be an impediment to our Prayers. And for want of it, Men are commonly sloath­ful and careless in their Addresses to God's Divine Majesty.

But there is another Duty that our Faith must perform in Prayer; that is, it must keep the Soul in an expectation of the grant of our requests, and assure us, that God is both willing and able to ful­fil our desires in his due time; that he hath Goodness and Power enough in store to reward us, and satisfie all our Wishes; nay, that he will give us the good things that we petition for, if they be conve­nient for us, and likely to be instrumen­tal in the promotion of his Glory on Earth. For that purpose Christ hath en­couraged us with this promise, Math 21.22. All things whatsoever ye shall ask in Pray­er, believing, ye shall receive. And else­where, he calls upon the sloathful to ask, and assures them, Math. 7.7. that they shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. And immedi­ately before his Crucifixion, he reproved his Disciples for their backwardness in Prayer, John 16.24. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my Name, ask, and ye shall receive, that your Joy may be full. By these and such like Promises, Christ of­fers [Page 49]us God's assistances and mercies, and desires us to send up our Prayers to him with a lively Faith, and a strong per­swasion, that he will grant us our re­quests, or so much of them as is needful for us. This Faith, or Perswasion must not be grounded upon such a deceitful Foundation, as our Vertues, good Qua­lities and Excellency; Men are too apt to flatter themselves with such proud mistakes, and to look upon their per­sons, as deserving the favours that they petition for; and that in consideration of their own Piety and Holiness, God will infallibly hear their Prayers: Though our innocency may be a means to draw the Blessings of Heaven upon our Heads; it becomes not our Christian Humility to rely upon our Merits, and claim God's mercies as due for our Services: If God is a Debtor to us, it is in regard of his Promises, and not of our deservings, which cannot be in any wise proportio­nable to his Blessings. God may reward our Piety with the good things of this Life, and with a prosperous success in all our undertakings, according to our de­sires; he may vouchsafe his mercies to his faithful Servants, as well as keep them from the smart and fury of his judg­ments, and that because of their Vir­tues, and abstinence from the publick [Page 50]Sins; but it becomes not the Humility of a Beggar, when he comes to the Throne of God's undeserved Grace, either to ex­pect or claim more gracious returns, be­cause of our former services due to his Soveraignty over us: Besides Men are commonly mistaken, and we are apt to think too well of our selves; but tho' our Virtues should be never so Heroick, and our lives never so exemplary, I would not advise any Petitioner to settle there­upon his Faith and Confidence of accep­tance of, and success to his Prayers; be­cause that perswasion claims God's Mer­cies as Debts, and deserves as severe a repulse as that boasting Pharisee in the Gospel, whose Prayer was but a provo­cation of God's displeasure against him, whereas the Publican's Humility obtain'd a gracious forgiveness. Self-conceited­ness in Prayer, is the worst disposition that we can bring, and discover in our Addresses to him, who knows the very bottom of our Souls; sooner will the scandalous Sinner, who is sensible of ha­ving render'd himself unworthy of Hea­vens Mercies, receive the effects of the tenderness of his Fatherly Love, rather than an over-confident and a proud Saint, that is ready to upbraid God with his continual Services.

But as our confidence in Prayer must not proceed from an high Opinion that we have conceived of our selves, of our perfections or actions, so it should be set­led upon the Merits and satisfaction of Christ our blessed Saviour, and our real Interest in him; our faith and assurance of God's acceptance, must eye his Pro­mises and infallible Truth, and look upon the deservings of an alsufficient Redeem­er, in whom, and by whom we are wel­come to a bountiful God; it must trust upon Christ's intercession, that sanctifies our imperfect Prayers, and offers them up for us to our Heavenly Father. Let his Mediation procure us admittance, and his Excellency purchase unto us a favou­rable return; then only we may expect success, when our Petitions are recom­mended by the Merits of a Crucified Christ.

All such requests, as our Saviour promi­seth, shall meet with acceptance, if we can be perswaded of an assured success, or if we believe. By which words he seems to encourage us to believe, that whatsoever we ask the Father in his name, we shall ob­tain it. Experience teacheth us, that this promise is not to be understood in as large a Sense as the words seem to inti­mate, without any exception or restricti­on; for many things we may ask of God, [Page 52]which becomes not his Wisdom and Fa­therly care over us to grant; and our ignorance is such, that we may petition for things with Confidence and Faith, which will be prejudicial to our selves, and God's glory on Earth. I cannot think that it is Christ's intent, to encou­rage us to offer up such Prayers, with an assurance of obtaining our irregular and inconsiderate desires; therefore for the better directions and comfort of a de­vout Christian, let him know that he may safely be confident, and fully per­swaded, that all Prayers tending to the salvation of his Soul, for the obtaining of grace, forgiveness of his sins, strength a­gainst temptation, God will in his time grant him his Request, if he be sincere, and affectionate in his Prayer, according to our Saviour's Words, Math. 7.11. What Man is there of you, whom if his Son ask Bread, will he give him a Stone, or if he ask a Fish, will he give him a Serpent? If ye then being Evil, know how to give good gifts unto your Children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven, give good things to them that ask him? And in the Gospel according to St. Luke, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? As God is as willing to bestow such divine Mer­cies, as Men to ask; they may be as cer­tain [Page 53]to obtain them, as God is free to grant: But for other things relating to our present and worldly Interest, we may ask with an assurance, that God if he sees them fit for our good, will doubt­less give them, but if otherwise, he will make us sensible of his Liberality in a­nother way, for it is the manner of God's proceeding with his Children and Servants, to send such returns to their Prayers, as are most for their advantage, not always answerable to their desires. He keeps back the Blessings which he knows will be hurtful to them, or prejudicial to the publick good; and instead of them, he heaps upon them others which will prove more really for their benefit. Men fore­see not the danger of God's inferior Mer­cies, good things may become hurtful to us through the Devil's malice, the prevalen­cy of Temptations, and our Corruption within. As many Diseases are fed and increased by that Food which God hath appointed to strengthen the Bodies of the healthful, so likewise many inclinations grow worse, by those very Blessings which are granted to some, as the rewards of their Piety: In things therefore that are not always turned to a good use, and that are neither for the benefit of Men, nor the Glory of God, I would not have a Petitioner gratifie his corrupt Humour [Page 54]so much, as to be confident of the grant of his Requests; nor to flatter himself in a vain expectation of that which agrees not with the Wisdom and Love of God for us. As therefore a devout Christian must offer up such Prayers, with this clause, (If it be God's good Pleasure) let him not be too confident of obtaining his Peti­tion in that very manner that he desires it, and with that improper limitation of the over-ruling goodness of our God, unless he is moved by some extraordinary impulse of his holy Spirit in his Soul, to assure him of the grant, and unless he can discover the events of the time to come, by some unusual Revelation. Some pious Souls often receive an answer to their Prayers before they rise up, and God is pleased to comfort their droop­ing Spirits with a speedy and a gracious return. As Hannah, who petitioned God for a Son, 1 Sam. 1.18. rose up with a joyful Countenance, and a full assurance that God the Author of Life, would give her a Child. She had unburthened her self of her sorrows in Prayer, and her heart and Countenance were no more so sad, because she had received some assurance of a favourable acceptance, of obtaining her Petition.

Eighthly, But there is one thing more that a devout Christian must observe in [Page 55]Prayer to God; that is, the Duty of Perseverance; slack not, nor be discoura­ged for the first repulse, or for a delay. God grants not his Mercies, always as soon as we begin to ask. His goodness is to be courted by our zealous endea­vours, for he grants many times to our perseverance, what he denys to our Pray­ers. The Woman of Syrophenicia met with a refusal, and had not her patience overcome this Obstacle, she had never returned with the glad assurance of her Daughters recovery: If Jacob had not contended with the Angel, he had never been honoured with a Blessing: An holy and devout importunity, seldom or never departs empty from God's unwearied Bounty. He suffers for several causes best known to himself, his Servants to live a while in expectation of those Blessings which he intends at last to bestow upon them, that his Mercies might obtain with them a right esteem, and be more high­ly valued: That their Faith, patience, confidence in him, and all their Graces might be exercised and tryed the more, and that their ability for Prayer might be increased, by a constanter exercise, and all impediments of a Communion with our God may be removed; for that purpose it is to be observed, that his Providence casts us into the want of [Page 56]many enjoyments, that when we seek them from God by Prayer, both the endeavour to obtain them, and the receiving of them, might turn to the everlasting advantage of our Souls and Bodies. Let not there­fore the devout Christian be discouraged, if God answers not his Request as soon as he expects or desires; for, besides that it is a bold and indiscreet Act, for us ig­norant Creatures to limit the Wisdom of our Creator's liberality, and to prescribe to him the time and place, of opening his bountiful hand unto us; it is an act of Cruelty to our selves, and of impiety to­wards God, to be so impatient for the enjoying of those things, which may, and doubtless will prove as prejudicial to us, as injurious to his honour. Take heed of murmuring for the want of Earthly con­veniencies. It was the great ruin of the Israelites newly escaped out of Pharaoh's Bondage, and drew several Plagues upon their heads. As perseverance, assisted by the vertues of patience and Faith, is a blessed means to obtain and sanctifie God's Mercies, both Spiritual and Temporal, so there is nothing that turns them sooner into Curses than impatiency, despair, and insolent Complaints against God's Love or Power. Lift up always, O Christian! thine Eyes and thine hands in expectation of God's time, as well as of God's Blessings. [Page 57]Be not weary to wait for the expressions of his Bounty, who is never weary to do thee good; he is not so unmindful as thou thinkest him to be; his delays or refusals are more for thine advantage, than the enjoyments of those mercies would be, which thou desirest with so much disrespect and impatience. As the knowledge of his power and goodness re­quires our confidence and reliance upon him; his infinite Wisdom demands from us, a resignation of our selves and inte­rests to his disposal, without distaste or insolent complaints of our proud nature, which grace teacheth us to check. The first ought to encourage our perseverance in Prayer, as the consideration of the last Attribute of God, should teach us to qui­et the irreverent dissatisfactions of our discontented minds.

One thing more I would have a de­vout Christian observe, in publick and private Prayers to God's divine Majesty, to offer them with the humility of the Body, as well as the devotion of the Mind. I have observed that our Nation chiefly, and every Congregation is full of irreverent and disrespectful Clowns, when we make our Addresses to God, either in Prayer, or praising of his holy Name. They observe not that decency and re­spect, which is due to the Excellency of [Page 58]our heavenly Father in his Worship, but appear most scandalous and prophane in the Eyes of Men, whatever may be their inward disposition, which I conceive is to be gathered from the outward gesture of their Bodies. They come into God's presence in such a familiar manner, as if there were no difference between them and their great Creator, as if their Bo­dies were not as much obliged to wor­ship him as their Souls, as if their out­ward behaviour were not to be concerned in their Devotions to God; and at the times of Prayer, they shew forth so much contempt of God, and of the Religion they profess, that none would take them to be Christians, that understands not their Names, and knows not their Persons; and further, I have observed that some of the more religious sort, both in private and in publick, when they address themselves to God, omit sometimes out of a pro­phane and irreligious Custom, the out­ward humility which the Body is obliged to render to its Creator and Benefactor in his Worship.

For the redress of this open Prophane­ness, and for the prevention of the disho­nour that may reflect from hence upon God and our Religion, in the Eyes of the World: Let me intreat every de­vout Soul, never to offer to speak to God [Page 59]in Prayer, without observing and expres­sing that humility with his Body, which God's incomprehensible Majesty, and our vile condition requires indispensibly from us all; from the highest to the lowest: Reason as well as Holy Scripture enjoyns this observance; for if the whole man is bound to render Hommage to God, as he seems to intimate by those Sacrifices under the Law, which were to be offered intire, without any diminution; it con­cerns us to express the inward qualifica­tion and disposition of the Soul, with the outward action of the Body, and make the World sensible of the sincerity and piety of our intentions; justice and e­quity require this from us; for seeing we have received our Bodies as well as our Souls from the Almighty hand of God, it is but just that they should acknowledge his Soveraignty by some significant po­sture, when the Soul appears before him to do him reverence, or to crave his merciful assistance: It is but just, that this outward part of our selves as well as the inward, should make some re­turns for all the divine favours that re­late immediately to its subsistance; it is but just that this Body of ours, which is one day to be glorified in God's heaven­ly Sanctuary, should now glorifie God by the humblest and most devout po­stures and actions.

I confess 'tis the usual manner of Su­perstition to enjoin the cringings of the Body, more than the devout qualificati­on of the Soul; but I am sure that it is a clownish and unmannerly Religion indeed, that suffers Men to approach in holy Du­ties to God, without expressing any reve­rence with the Body. If you please to enquire into the behaviour of the holy Men of the Old and New Testament, you shall never find them praying in an irreverent posture, neither sitting nor leaning. Old Abraham worshipped before God, Gen. 22.5. This worshipping is an outward action of the Body, as well as the inward of the Mind; as may appear by Gen. 24.52. where Abraham's Servant is said to have worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the ground, when God had prospered his jour­ney. When the Israel [...]tes heard Moses's Message to them, and God's purpose to redeem them out of Egypt, they bowed their Heads and Worshipped, Exod. 4.31. King Hezekiah bowed himself before God in his publick Addresses, 2 Chron. 29.29. St. Paul likewise was upon his knees in prayer with the Elders of the Church of Ephesus, Acts. 20.36. And Christ our Saviour, whose Example should prevail upon our negligence, was never seen in Prayer to God the Father, but either prostrate, or kneeling upon the ground. This Humi­lity [Page 61]of the Body is so essential a part of the publick worship of God, that its observance alone, hath caused the Holy Scriptures to give the Name of Worship­pers of God, to the Vilest of Men, who were never acquainted with the internal and hearty Worship, as may be observed by what is recorded of Saul and of o­thers, 1 Sam. 15.31. And it is said of the Israelites, 2 Chron. 29.29. And when they had made an end of Offering, the King and all that were present with him, bowed themselves and worshipped. And in the next Verse, Moreover Hezekiah the King, and the Princes, commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of Da­vid, and of Asaph the Seer, and they sang Praises with gladness, and they bowed their Heads and worshipped. Likewise in the 8th. of Nehemiah and the sixth Verse. It is said, that Ezra blessed the Lord the great God, and all the People answered Amen, Amen, with lifting up their Hands; and they bowed their Heads and worshipped the Lord with their Faces to the ground. The publick Worship of our God, was never yet performed by any Primitive Church, without the outward humility of the Bo­dy, and the outward expressions of re­spect, as well as with the inward devotion of the mind; Reason and Religion re­quire it, and the constant practice of [Page 62]the People of God in all Ages, both in the Jewish, and the Christian Church, is an undeniable Evidence to prove the ne­cessity of it. What means therefore the negligence, the prophaneness, the irreve­rence and unmannerly behaviour of some that are stiled Christians? Is not the practice of Naaman the Syrian, who could bow himself in the House of Rimmon his false God, a reproach to us? Doth not the humility and the respect which the Hea­thens constantly pay to their Divinities, upbraid the Clownishness of some of our Country-men? There are three Postures of Humility very decent in Prayer, and other parts of God's Worship, Standing, Kneeling, or Prostration to the ground. When ever therefore we appear before God, either to pray to him, or to praise his holy Name, our Body must be in one of these postures, unless any natural or ac­cidental weakness or impediment may justly deserve a dispensation: Likewise the lifting up of the Hands and Eyes unto Heaven, are expressions of Devotion, as ancient as the first People of God. Think not that the honour of your Blood, the excellency of your Persons, or your emi­nent promotions, ought to excuse you from this outward humility of the Body. God requires it at your hands in the 99th. Psalm and the fifth Verse. Exalt ye the [Page 63]Lord our God, and worship at his footstool. And the Royal Prophet calls upon all de­vout Souls in the 95th Psalm. ver. 6. O come let us worship, and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker. In the next words, this Religious Prince labours to stir you up to this Humility, to this part of Piety, by reasons drawn from God's Soveraignty, his Power and Right over us, For he is the Lord our God, and we are the People of his Pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Hath thy God any Interest in thee, O Christian? Hast thou any respect for his Holy Name? Dost thou look up­on him as thy Creator, Protector, and Benefactor? Hath he received thee into his Church, and to the hopes of eternal Rewards? Is this Body of thine to be ad­mitted into his heavenly Sanctuary, in all the Company of his Holy Angels, to wor­ship and bow before him? Then prepare thy self for this future and happy Em­ployment. Express thy thanks for all his innumerable benefits, by thy Reve­rence and Devotion to him as thy God, with the outward Humility of the Body, in all thy Addresses to his glorious Ma­jesty, whether it be in publick or in pri­vate; but chiefly in the publick Prayers of the Church. There not only the Ho­nour of our God, the Credit of our Profession, the interest of our Brethren, [Page 64]whose Devotions are apt to grow cold by the sight and sense of our negligence; but your own Interest also as well as your Duty, calls you to this outward respect, for an unmannerly behaviour deserves the Curses, contrary to those Blessings which we are there to beg of God: However, you can never expect in reason to be be­nefited by the Churches Prayers, if you will not vouchsafe so much as to be out­wardly concerned. O Christians! let not any popular mistakes, nor any Schismati­cal prejudices rob you of the advantages which you might hope to obtain from God, by a devout, humble and affectio­nate attendance, at the offering up of the Excellent Prayers of our Church, for your good and happiness. But if all these Reasons cannot prevail upon some stiff, necked, and invincible Souls, so far as to cause them to be dutiful and humble in God's presence at the hour of Prayer, let them consider that in our civil Con­versation, the want or the omission of a due respect is a disgrace to the Person that should render it, for it causeth Men to be branded with the odious Names of Clowns, Ill-bread, Brutish and uncivil People. Now they are the worst of Clowns, that are so in Religion, that know not, or will not render the Hommage that is due from their Bodies to their God: If [Page 65]therefore the respect that we have for him, is not able to oblige us to a Civil Behaviour, and decent Postures and Ge­stures in Prayer; let the shame of Men, if we be not insensible to that likewise, cause us to behave our selves with decen­cy, with respect in God's presence, as be­comes Men of Reason, and Christians of good breeding and extraction, and not as Brute Beasts that have neither man­ners nor understanding. But of all Men, none are more engaged than such as Offici­ate publickly, and are the Mouths of their People, to offer up their Prayers with all the decency, humility, and out­ward Devotion, which might serve to excite the Auditors to a due respect; for as their Persons are eyed by the whole Congregation, their Example is not with­out followers. It hath a great influence upon all that are present, either to encou­rage or discourage them in their publick Worship: Therefore in their disrespect­ful offering up of the Prayers of the Church, they are not only scandalous in their own Persons, and guilty of disho­nouring God, disgracing their Religion, profaning the publick Worship, but they are likewise guilty of all the contempt, negligence and unmannerly behaviour of their Attendants, if it happens through their shameful and irreverent Praying. [Page 66]Let therefore my Brethren of the Cler­gy seriously consider the apparent danger they are in, by an omission of this Du­ty: I am perswaded that our Nation a­lone had never fall'n into that extrava­gant humour, to loath the Godly Forms of Prayer, which all good Men, both at home and abroad highly esteem, were it not for their disrespectful handling, and read­ing of them, whose Duty it is to recom­mend and grace them by their p [...]actices. Good things when they are delivered by a slovenly hand, are usually rejected; and it is the weakness of the Common people, to value things not according to their true intrinsick worth, but according as they appear outwardly to their Senses: A Prayer that shines with the gay cloaths of Wit and invention, and a good deli­very, shall meet with acceptance, and draw many sighs, and groans from an ig­norant Soul, tho' otherwise never so full of imperfections, when many will scarce afford an hearing to the solid and divine Prayers of the Church. How many in our late Days, have delighted to listen to the unadvised and blasphemous Prayers of the Sons of Tumult and Division? How many have spent their Days under the Pulpits of those bloody Saints, without any discovery of weariness, whereas they now Complain of tediousness, when in [Page 67]our ordinary Devotions we employ a few minutes to implore God's divine Mercies, according to the most approved and re­ligious manner? How comes it to pass that the extemporary productions of ma­ny idle and wicked Fancies, have been far more esteemed amongst many of us, than those wise and excellent Prayers, composed in the beginning of our Re­formation, by such as have sealed the Protestant and Christian Truths, with their Blood? Those Prayers, I say, which are fitted to all Capacities, recommended to us by the Piety and Practice of the An­tient, Catholick, and Othodox Church, and which are not to be mended by any humane endeavours. This question gives me an occasion to speak to thee my Chri­stian Reader, of some few particulars concerning Prayer, which the present dis­sentions amongst us render very season­able.

First, I shall speak in vindication of publick Forms of Prayer, against the new Modes of Praying ex tempore.

Secondly, I shall enquire into the true Causes of our unreasonable distastes at the publick Forms, injoyned by authority in our Church of England.

Thirdly, I shall offer to thee my Christi­an Brother some directions, how thou shalt use this Liturgy, with Comfort to thy Soul.

Fourthly, I shall examine what praying by the Spirit is in the sense of St. Paul, and of the Holy Fathers.

Amongst the ancient Hereticks, I find none so bold as to attempt the total sub­version of God's Divin [...] Worship, or to bring in any other mode, but that which was generally embraced in the places where they lived: They ventured to op­pose some certain Articles of our Chri­stian Belief, or to introdu [...] vitious and irregular practices in the Church. They made it their business to corrupt either the judgments or the manners of Christ's Disciples, and by that means, to render them more unsit for God's great design in our Redemption; but they never of­fered to overthrow the whole Service of God, or to thwart the common practices recommended to them, by the well-advi­sed Piety of their Predecessors. This strange attempt was reserved for these last and worst Ages of the World; and this kind of impiety which could never find enter­tainment amongst the Primitive Enemies of God, and of his Truth, hath been greedily embraced by some in these latter days, under the usual deceiving pretence of purity and Religion, as if they alone were to be esteemed Religious, who slander, condemn, blaspheme, and contradict the re­ligious Practices of the rest of Christians, [Page 69]as if irregularity, and an affected sigula­rity, were the best means to render them acceptable to God in his Worship. For that purpose we have seen them, to our great grief, cast out of the Church, all the godly Forms of Prayer, which the Wisdom and Piety of former Ages have recommended to us; and because they could not spie in them any sufficient cause to condemn and reject them, we have seen these over zealous brethren, gene­rally exclaim against all Forms, as un­lawful, irreligious, and Popish, leaving every one to the irregular dictates of their Passion, and presumptuous minds. A mi­stake of a most dangerous consequence, that opposeth the practice of Christ, and of the true Church of God in all Ages, since the beginning of the World; for if you please to examin Holy Scriptures, concerning Forms of Prayer, and praising of God, especially in the publick worship, you shall not find a Church, nor Con­gregation professing the Truth, without Set Forms, in the first Ages of Mankind, it is said when Enos Seth's Son was born, and that Men began to increase, they began also to call upon the Name of the Lord; Cen. 4.26. which words are [...] simply to be under­stood, of their addressing themselves to God's Divine Majesty, as if before that time, neither Adam nor Eve had ever [Page 70]minded to call upon him, nor none of their Children; for both Cain and Abel had been taught to worship God with the Fruits of their labour, and the increase of their Substance; which could not be done without calling upon God for a continuance of his Blessings; besides, it is very unlikely that Adam, a Man created in an Estate of Holiness, who could not be insensible of our dependency upon, and want of God's daily mercies, who had seen his wonderful Power in the Crea­ton of the World, should forget to teach his Children to call upon God's Holy Name. But these words are to be un­derstood, of their calling upon the Holy Name of God in a publick Society, and with set and prescribed Forms, and in a manner answerable to their condition. It is to be understood of solemnizing the publick Service and Worship of God, with Prayers, Praises, and Sacrifices, for the obtaining of God's Blessings, and the acknowledgments of his favours and protection, according to a certain man­ner appointed by the Religious Persons of those days; therefore in the Original, the word employed to signifie in this pas­sage, calling upon God, is [...] de­rived from the root [...] to meet toge­ther, and assemble, or from the root [...] publickly to read and declare, or cry out; [Page 71]because that this calling upon the Name of the Lord, of these first Men of the ancient World, was performed in their publick meetings, wherein there was a Service and ordinary Worship, appointed and observed by the distinct reading of Prayers and Praises; which infer sufficient­ly, that they had publick places appoint­ed, persons in whom the care of Religi­on was entrusted, and a common man­ner prescribed to them in writing, which they were to read in the audience of the People. Further, it may be worthy of our Observation, that the Prophet David when he speaks of calling upon the Name of the Lord, in many of his Psalms, he useth the same significant word [...] as in that most remarkable Verse of the 116 Psalm and the 13 Verse, where he speaks of that Cup of Salvation, which was usually taken by the Jews in the pub­lick Sacrifices, a Type of our Christian Eucharist, I will take the Cup of Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord. This calling, signifies meeting together in the publick Worship of God, and offering to him, reading those Forms of Prayers appointed by the Church: For it is the custom of God's Holy Spirit, in relating the passages of former times, to allude by the expression, to the manner and cir­cumstances of those Actions that are men­tioned. [Page 72]Thus David, in the 79th. Psalm Verse 6. desires God to send down his Judgments, and pour out his Wrath upon the Heathen that have not known him, and upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon his Name; he makes use of the same word, [...] derived from the same root; as if he should say, send down thy Judgments upon the Kingdoms which call not upon thee in publick Meetings; and where there is no set nor appointed Worship, for the Inhabitants to use in glorifying thy Name. And in many other Psalms, David useth the same Expression, which imports a publick Assembly, and the reading of the Praises and Prayers in his Divine Worship, when he was wont to call upon God. This Observation is con­firmed by the constant Practice of all the Heathens, in the Worship of their Gods. Both the Greeks and the Romans had their constant Forms of Prayers and Praises, which yet are extant in the Writings of their Poets. It seems that they had recei­ved this judicious and pious Custom from the first Men of the World. And what God's People were accustomed to do to the Honour of the true God; these Hea­thens did commonly practice the same in the service of their false Gods, as may be observed by their Hymns, and other Ceremonies in their Worship.

But this religious use of set Forms was in the Jewish Church, by the appoint­ment of Moses, and of the succeeding Pro­phets, as may be easily proved by the song of Triumph composed by Moses and Miriam, Exod. 15. after Pharaoh's overthrow in the Red-Sea; The 9th Psalm is a Prayer of Moses. by the words and Ceremonies to be used in the eating of the Paschal Lamb; by the other Insti­tutions and passages of the Ceremonial Law; and chiesly by the Psalms of David, which Hezekiah restored in the publick Worship of God; for it is said, 2 Chron. 29.25. That he set the Levites in the House of the Lord, with Cymbals, with Psal­teries, and with Harps, according to the Commandment of David, and of Gad the King's Seer, and Nathan the Prophet. Ob­serve what is added in the next words, For so was the Commandment of the Lord by his Prophets. It seems in the Jewish Church, the observing of a prescribed Form, was no Human institution, but proceeded from God's Holy Spirit. And in the 30 verse it is said, that Hezekiah the King, and the Princes, commanded the Levites to sing Prai­ses unto the Lord, with the words of David, and of Asaph the Seer. It was for that good purpose that David compos'd all his Divine Psalms, that they might be of a constant use in the praising of, and the [Page 74]praying unto our great God. And after the Jews return from Babylon, Nehemiah commands the same use to be observed, Nehem. 2.45.46. And as it was not law­ful to change these Forms, so likewise it may not be lawful for any, but such on­ly as were inspired of God, or were to take care of Religion, Man. de Mis­sa. Lib. 1. cap. 5. to in­troduce in God's Divine Ser­vice, any new Forms, as may be easily proved. But this use of Set Forms of Prayers and praising of God, is not Jewish, it is grounded upon such solid and moral Reasons, that have recommended it to the Christian Church. St. John the Baptist, in imitation of the Pharisees, gives a Set Form of Prayer to his Disciples. And Christ our Sa­viour, to comply with the desires of his Followers, teaches them a Set Form, opposite to the long and tedious Forms used by the Scribes and Pharisees, Luke 11.1, 2. And not only in this par­ticular, but also in the receiving of the Paschal Lamb, Christ shews himself to be no Enemy of Forms, and Humane Insti­tutions, when they tend to a Godly purpose, as may appear by the singing of the Hymn after the Celebration, and by the posture of leaning. And St. Paul like­wise, in imitation of his great Master, commands Timothy, 1 Tim. 2.1, 2, 3. That [Page 75]Supplications, Prayers, Intercessions, and gi­ving of thanks, be made for all men. That is, that he should appoint in the Church­es of his Diocess, such Set Forms of Prayer, as might be offered up to God, For Kings, and for all that are in authori­ty, that we may lead a quiet and a peace­able Life in all Godliness and Honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. That this was the in­tent of St. Paul, may appear by the pra­ctice of the Christian Churches in the next Age to the Apostles; for in the Ancient­est Fathers, we read of the Set Forms of Prayer, See Conc. Laodicea, can. 19.8. Miletan. Con. can. 2. com­monly used in God's Publick Worship. And we have yet extant some of those Primi­tive Liturgies of the People of God, differing in many things; for the Wisdom of God's Holy Spirit hath left the Composure of these Prayers, to the Rulers of the distinct Churches, that they should appoint such Forms as were most agreeable with the Tempers and Man­ners of their People, such as will en­courage Devotion and Piety, and serve best for the Promotion of God's Glory.

Likewise in these later Days, since the beginning of the Reformation, all the Churches of our Brethren beyond the Seas, have their Set Forms of Prayer, [Page 76]from which it is not lawful to vary, and which are appointed by the authority of their Rulers. Never any attempted the changing of them, their People never mutined against them, or against Forms in general. Never any person was allow­ed in publick, to prefer his own Fancies to these Prayers commanded to be used in the Church: But in the Churches of every Nation, there is a constant and an universal Uniformity in the Publick Wor­ship of our God. And this good Or­der is Religiously kept without any fear of Superstition. This Universal Pra­ctice of all Ages, Churches, and Nations, that have instituted, and constantly used Set Forms of Prayer in God's Pub­lick Worship, is sufficient to justifie the Religious Orders of our Church, from all scandalous aspersions of our mistaken Brethren.

But Reason and Religion, and the ge­neral good of Christian Societies, recom­mended this Practice and Use to us as well as to them: I suppose no person can deny, but set Forms are absolutely necessary for the information, instruction, and benefit of the more ignorant and younger sort, who must be taught how to ask their Conveniencies from God's Bounty, and in what Name to make their Addresses to his Divine Majesty, for with­out [Page 77]this information from Men, we find them not in a Capacity to pray and speak to God, as they should, unless they be inspired from above, which is not u­sual: To remedy their ignorance and weakness, the Church of England com­mands constantly the use of Set Forms of Prayer in publick; that by a frequent repetition, we might imprint them in the memories of Persons not able to read, and that otherwise have no means to learn them. Therefore generally to discourage or condemn the use of Set Forms of Prayer, is to deprive a great part of Christianity, from the comfort and ad­vantage of praying to God; and it is to discover an Enmity against Religion, which no good Disciple of Christ can possibly harbour. I could here shew ma­ny horrid inconveniencies that would hap­pen amongst us, had we no Set Forms of Prayer, but for brevity sake, I omit the mention of them, for I conceive it is not so much at Set Forms of Prayer, that our Zealots quarrel, as it is at their publick use in God's Divine Worship, and the exclusion of all others of their own, or other Mens Fabrick, at such solemn times and occasions: But let Mens abili­ties and gifts of Prayer be never so signal and extrordinary, I dare affirm, and can easily prove by Scripture and Reason, that [Page 78]they are not to be allowed to cause their own Inventions to justle out the usual Ser­vice of the Church. That Forms of Pray­er are to be preferred, whether they be declared memoriter, or read in a Book, to all the most excellent extemporary speech­es or Prayers; and that constant and setled Forms, in a well governed Church, are agreeable with the Word of God, and the common good. Were there no other reason to recommend them, but that decency which St. Paul desires to be ob­served in Christ's Church, in all its pub­lick Practices and Divine Worship; it would be sufficient to make us embrace an Uniformity both in manner, as well as matter; for how ridiculous would a Nation appear to all unbyassed Souls, if there were no order; if every Congre­gation should be differing in their acti­ons; if one Minister should read when the other sings; if one should spend the Sabbath in speaking, and another in pray­ing; or if one should pray for one thing, another for the contrary; or if the pray­ers were discrepant; if one Minister should pray in one manner; others follow the dictates of a Rubrick of another make; what a wide Gate would this deformity open to all kind of Errors, Heresies and Blasphemies? And how ridiculous should we appear to all Foreign Churches? We [Page 79]have already experienced sufficiently the danger of this general liberty allowed to all Men, to pray what they list in the Ears of the People. For, not to mention the Ex­travagancies that some have been guilty of; the Whimsies and Blasphemies that they have bolted forth; the Devil hath made use of this Engine to overthrow the Faith of many silly Souls, by insinuating the most dangerous and damnable Errors with the gift of praying extempore. In the late unnatural Rebellion, Men took occasion in their extemporary Prayers, to vent, not only the most pernicious mistakes, but also disobedience to the Civil Magistrate; and from the Pulpit have poisoned many, to our sorrow, with most horrid and Anti-Christian Principles, which to this day no Reason nor Remedy can cure.

But if no such danger were to be fear­ed from extemporary praying, if all Men so employed had the Integrity to intend it only to God's Glory, and the publick quiet; yet such Prayers cannot have that mature consideration, nor those ju­dicious expressions as a well Meditated Prayer, judiciously composed and Exami­ned. And doth it become the respect we owe to so wise a God, to be so bold as to present unto him any thing that comes first upon the Lips, the hasty productions of our unadvised Fancies, or the irregu­lar [Page 80]expressions of our minds, without considering before, whether the things we petition for, and the manner of ask­ing be acceptable to him, and agreeable with his revealed Will and Word? And in regard we are so apt to mistake, and are so full of infirmities; does it not be­come our Christian discretion, to weigh, and seriously to examine, what we are to say to so Wise and Divine a Majesty? that our weaknesses might not hinder the effects of our Prayers, especially in a publick Congregation, where our mi­stakes may have many ill consequences, where not only God and our selves are concerned, but also many of divers tem­pers, Capacities and Estates, whose In­digencies we represent to a merciful God? Now if Forms of Prayer are to be there­fore used, let any Man of Reason judge impartially, which are the most proper, our own or the Churches? the fond pro­ductions of our private Imaginations, or the judicious Prayers composed by the grave Rulers of our Christian Congre­gations? I doubt not but several have had, and yet have an extraordinary Gift in Praying, to move and stir up the Af­fections of their Hearers. This Gift therefore which proceeds from the Ho­ly Ghost, for the benefit of the Church, requires that we should suffer it to perform [Page 81]that good which is thereby intended. This may be done on certain occasions and times, and immediately before the Sermon. And I suppose that no moderate Christian will then prohibit such gifted persons, to employ that ability which they have received from God for the ad­vantage of the publick; if they make use of it discreetly, judiciously, and soberly, without affectation or vain glory, or o­stentation. But there is no allowance therefore to be given to the pride and vanity of others, to prefer the fond com­posures of their indiscreet Fancies to the pious and regular Prayers of the Church. And it may be justly feared in such Ca­ses, that voluntary and new Prayers ex­pressed with vehemency, may cause ignorant and foolish Men, who are quick­ly weary with the ordinary Devotions, to disesteem, slight and neglect them, and to be continually craving those extempo­rary Ejaculations of gifted Men, and that from persons insufficient; who may be thereby tempted to gratifie the others humour to their own and the publick hurt. However the gift of praying is not hindred by our publick Forms, from performing the benefit which is thereby intended; but foolish Men are thereby restrained from those mischiefs which they might bring upon themselves and others, [Page 82]by so great a Liberty as they have had during our Anarchy.

Moreover as it should be the intent of all Humane Constitutions in every So­ciety, to aim directly at the general good of all, and specially in the Church, to aim at the Benefit and Comfort of the weakest and dullest capacities, as well as of the quickest apprehensions; such pub­lick Prayers ought to be received, which sute with the meanest abilities. Now I dare affirm, that these extemporary Prayers are not of that nature. They may be so happy to please the Corrupt Humour of the Hearer with the novelty of the invention, with the vehemency of the expression, with the pleasantness of the affected Tone; but they are not so fit to be publickly offered up to God, as the known, approved and ordinary Pray­ers of the Church, and are not able to prevail so much upon our affections, were we but inwardly moved with a right zeal for God's Glory: Neither can we so rea­dily say Amen to such sudden Prayers, proceeding from these gifted Men, as to those with which we are perfectly well acquainted, and which we know to be a­greeable with God's will; for in such ca­ses we have need at every expression to make a judicious reflection whether what is said is true or false, right or wrong, [Page 83]before we can heartily subscribe to such Prayers; whereas there is no such need in the Publick Prayers of the Church, which we understand before: There we have nothing else to do, but to stir up the affections of our Souls, that we may join unanimously together, and offer them up to God. Therefore the gift of extem­porary praying, is not of such use, and carries not with it that real Benefit which some lightly imagine; I am certain that persons of a weak and slow apprehension, are not so able and apt to receive benefit from them as from the known Prayers of the Church. The unusual expressions of other new Prayers, may be better able to move their Fancy, but they are not so able to stir up the affections of such as bring an unprejudiced mind, and that look more upon the things, than the man­ner of expressing; for other dainty Ears, and of a quicker apprehension, it may be that a new and eloquent Prayer may be more acceptable and more beneficial than to the duller sort; but it requires from them a greater Labour and an extraordi­nary Motion and Activity of the Soul, as well as an extraordinary ability to joyn in such Prayers. And for the persons that utter them, if they be extempore, without any premeditation, and of a long continu­ance, I dare affirm, that they are full of [Page 84]imperfections and confusion in the com­posure, and that the persons that speak them, are far from the disposition needful in Prayer. Whilst their Hands and their Eyes are lifted up, their Souls and its Fa­culties are employed in seeking for fit words to declare the conceptions of the mind; and in the mean time it thinks not of, and is not able, as it should, to call upon God, and concern its incli­nations in the Requests that are presented to him. For sudden Ejaculations and E­missions of the Soul and Mind to God, the same reason holds not, because there is not the same order, contrivance and agi­lity of the Soul required. For these and other causes, Set Forms either before us in a Book, or recorded in our Memories, which may as suddenly supply us with the Words and matter, are the best me­thods of praying to God, chiefly in his Publick Worship.

But if we have any regard to God our merciful Creator, I think there is no per­son so simple as to imagine that the Elo­quency of the Tongue, or unusual expres­sions, can have a greater influence upon him, than the Common Prayers of the Church. It is not the Tongue but the Heart that God Eyes in all our Services. The whisperings and private Complaints of the one are heard, when the loud [Page 85]Cries of the other are rejected. The Door of Mercy flies open at the beatings of a devout Heart, when it remains bolted at the furious assaults of the most eloquent Tongue. Therefore as it should be our chief regard in Prayer, to examine that which is most pleasing to God, not that which gratifies our own Humour: We should chuse those Prayers to offer up to him, wherein our Hearts may be as well concerned as our Tongues. In order there­unto, as the Set Forms of Prayer are the greatest helps that we can procure, both to the learned and the unlearned, to the wise and the ignorant, I see no reason wherefore Men should be deprived of them, and extemporary Prayers set up. Those Forms I mean, where things are spoken, and not only words; where the Conceptions are plainly expressed, and the Prayers fit­ted for the use of the weakest Capacities. They can never be too plain, nor too easie; and the Wise and the Learned ought not to think it a trouble to con­descend in their Publick Worship, to re­quests worded in a manner answerable to the meanest abilities; for Christiani­ty requires from them an Union with the weakest of their Brethren, who is in as great a likelihood of God's mercy, and obtaining God's Glory, as persons of the greatest Reach and Judgment.

I know, that it is the common use of our Dissenting Brethren, to upbraid us in our Devotions, with too much Formality, in regard of our being so fond of Set Forms, with an exclusion of all new composed Prayers. I heartily wish that we our selves, the Clergy and the People, did not give cause for this aspersion; but that it may not deceive the ignorant with its first plau­sible appearance, let me tell them, that we are not guilty of Formality, nor to be condemned for it, because that we use set and prescribed Forms, but because we use them not right, with that Devotion, Respect, Humility, and inward Affection, as becomes Christians and Petitioners of the God of Heaven: Because in our Pub­lick Service, we repeat only the Words, and mind not the uttering them with the affections of the Soul; because some make it only a trade to go to Prayer, others run them over as a Task, and too many mind the Form, but few mind the Sub­stance of Prayer; that is, to express and offer them up to God with those inward qualifications and outward humility, that I have now recommended to the practice of our Christian Brethren. This cau­seth me to pass to the second particular, that I have promised to examine. The causes of the Peoples Contempt of our Liturgy, and their neglect of the Forms [Page 87]of Prayer, enjoined in our Church of Eng­land.

I could name a great many Causes that we our selves give; but I shall reduce them all, for brevity sake, to these six follow­ing.

First, I must accuse the Clergy, both high and low, great and small, for ha­ving given the greatest cause of the con­tempt of our Liturgy and Rubrick, by their indifferent Practices: By their over hasty reading of them, and by their omissi­on of that respect which they should out­wardly express, and that devotion which is due to God; they give occasion to ma­ny, to slight the very Prayers themselves. As they are the Peoples mouths to God, they should be the Peoples Examples and Patterns, to shew them how to beg God's Mercies, as well as to endeavour to ob­tain them for their relief. And the great­er care they should take to observe all the motions of reverence, because their pra­ctice hath so great an influence upon the Congregation, and is of so great a conse­quence, that they oblige Men to esteem those Prayers that are offered up to God. For this reason, a person that officiates in the audience of a Congregation, should read over the Prayers, not as we peruse a Story in a Book, but with his Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven, and upon his [Page 88]knees; he ought to pronounce the Pray­ers, as if he were speaking to God's Di­vine Majesty, visibly present, and to de­liver them with the most apparent signs of sincerity, of reverence and earnestness imaginable: Endeavour to grace the god­ly Prayers of the Church, with thy grace­ful and comely delivery, with thy de­cent and respectful postures and gestures, and let the Eyes of the Assembly learn from thee, my reverend Brother, the manner how to pray, as well as the words and expressions of Prayer; O! let not the negligence and sloathfulness of so ma­ny be laid to thy charge, but strive to be zealously affected thy self, that this disposition may be communicated to thy hearers. I speak to you chiefly, whose office and happiness it is, to sing daily praises to God, in Cathedral Churches. Think not that you have sufficiently dis­charged your Duty, if you have observed your distances, your tunes, and pleased the Auditors with your melodious Voi­ces: O! Remember, my Christian Bro­ther, that thou must likewise please thy God with the harmony of the Soul, and tune as well his praises with the inward affections, as well as with the outward concerts of Musick. Take heed lest thy behaviour, or thy negligent discharge of thy Duty, give scandal to our dissenting [Page 89]Brethren, who are too apt to be offended at the least sign of weakness, which thou may­est discover at such a time.

Secondly, Another cause of the contempt of our Liturgy, given by the Clergy, is the negligence of the Superior and wealthiest Clergy, who seldom read the Prayers of the Church themselves, unless it be some small portion, but commonly employ their Dea­cons, or the meanest persons of the Church, to offer up those Prayers that are of the greatest concernment to us, and the chief­est of the Rubrick. As if that Office were too mean for their Promotions and Dig­nity, whereas it is the most glorious Em­ployment that we Men can pretend to: It makes us like our divine and great Savi­our, who intercedes for us in the presence of God, and offers up our Requests. Is there any that nameth himself a Christian, that scorns to imitate the Author of our Salvation, and to offer up the Prayers of their Congregations to God? No per­son can be too worthy for so excellent an Employment; and because the usual me­thod observed in Cathedrals, cannot well be changed; I could wish that the Superior Clergy, the Bishop, the Dean, and the Ca­nons, would sometimes perform those parts of Devotion, which they have totally ap­propriated to the meanest of their Foun­dation and Society; that thereby they [Page 90]might remove from the minds of Men, the disesteem of our Prayers, which they are apt to conceive and entertain thereby. For as in the Days of Jeroboam, Men took occasion to contemn Religion it self, when he had made the lowest of his People, the Priests of his High Places, and the pro­moters of Religion; so likewise in our time, Men, especially our Enemies, are more inclinable to despise our excellent Prayers, because they are most employed to offer them up to God in the name of the People, who are in a mean station in the Church, and have but sorrowful a­bilities.

Thirdly, I must not forget another cause of the Peoples despising our Godly Pray­ers, which many Ministers who are too highly conceited of their parts do give. 'Tis in mangling, cutting short, and lea­ving out the Prayers of the Church, to make more room for the delivery of their own proud conceptions, either in Prayer or a Sermon, contrary to the Publick In­junctions of our Superiors; for by this action they declare openly their own dis­respect of the Forms of Prayer, their un­willingness to use them, that they are thereunto meerly compelled, and their too high esteem of their own inventions. And when the People see them hasten them over so speedily, they are wont to [Page 91]be prejudiced with strange conceits of these excellent Prayers, or at least, not to esteem nor use them as they ought. There­fore I would advise my Reverend Bre­thren, not to shorten the publick Prayers, but carefully, diligently, and constantly to observe the Rules commanded; and which they are the more engaged to o­bey, because their disobedience is apt to encourage and foment the Peoples disre­gard of these Prayers, which they might use with so much advantage to their Souls, had they that affection for them which they really deserve.

Fourthly, The publick behavior of ma­ny of the Nobility, Gentry, and persons whose Examples are regarded, is another cause of the Peoples disesteem of our Li­turgy. When Men of Learning, of Wealth, and of Honour, assist at the Devotions of their Brethren, without expressing any respect for them, and without bearing a­ny part in the Service of the Church, o­thers are discouraged from the use of it. This we see almost in every Congregati­on, some of the Chief are commonly dis­tasted at some part of our praying or praising of God, in which, they will shew no sign of devotion; or it may be, the Gentlemen of the Parish are not so religious as they should be, therefore they think it sufficient for them, if they [Page 92]bring their Bodies to the Publick Pray­ers, though they remain there in God's presence, as so many Stocks or Brutes, without expressing any Devotion for the Prayers, or any Worship to their Crea­tor. If these seasonable lines shall happen to fall into the hands of any of you, whose Nobility and Extraction deserves the e­steem of the rest of the Nation; consi­der how highly you your selves would be offended, if your Servants and Te­nants should appear before you, to de­mand your assistance in their wants, with as much disrespect as you appear before the God of Heaven, unto whom you are but Tenants for life, or it may be for a shorter time. Would you be ready to reward their contempt of your person, with the grant of their desires? Would not you be ready to check their impu­dency and sauciness, if they should treat you as they do their Labourers? And what think you, my Lords and Gentle­men, of your disrespectful and contemp­tuous approaches before God, your great Creator? Do not you stand in need of his assistance and blessings? And if you do, is this the means to obtain it, to slight those Prayers which are presented to God for the increase of your happi­ness and prosperity? For your own ho­nour, be not the greatest Clowns of [Page 93]your Congregation in God's presence; but as you excel the rest in Nobility of Blood, endeavour to excel them also in your respects to God, in your zeal and devotion to him; render to him publick­ly with your Bodies, that homage which he claims and deserves from you for all his favours. Interess your selves in our praising of his holy Name, and in our Prayers to him. Employ the credit of your Estates and Promotions which God's Pro­vidence hath given you to promote his Glory and Worship. Why should you be so unthankful to his goodness, to be a re­proach, to his Profession, and not to ho­nour him who hath bestowed so much ho­nour upon your persons? O! Remember that the higher you are exalted above o­ther Men, the lower you are ingaged to stoop to this good God, chiefly in pub­lick, in his Worship before the Eyes of the World, seeing that your neglect in this case, will not be only injurious to him, but disgraceful to your noble persons, and prejudicial to all the assistants.

Fifthly, Moreover the slanders, the fil­thy jestings, and the irreligious pastimes of prophane Persons, in these last corrupt days, upon the Book of Common-Prayer, have strangely filled many minds (religi­ously disposed) with strong prejudices a­gainst it: And when they have seen the [Page 94]the greatest pretenders to Religion, with the Authorty of the Nation, pass a sen­tence of Condemnation upon these Forms of Prayer, as well as the prophaner sort; when they yet see many Wise, Godly and Conscientious Men, stand stifly in oposition to their reception, the weaker sort of Men, that commonly judge of things and per­sons, by the general Vote, are ready to look upon them as superstitious and un­lawful. The schismatical scrupulosity of the one, and the wicked Blasphemies of the other, have discredited this excellent Book, among such as are not wont to examine the true worth of things; for the propha­ner sort, it is too well known, that there is nothing so sacred or holy, but they have offered Violence to it. God and his Sacraments, his Laws and Constituti­ons, Christ and our Redemption, Heaven and Hell, our present Enjoyments and su­ture Hopes, are all turned into Ridicule by those monstrous Wits, whose Religi­on and Faith is limited by their Senses. No wonder therefore, if they continue to abuse the constant Prayers and Service of the Church. But certainly the Religion of those persons is not well grounded, when they are to be scoffed out of it; and their belief is not well setled, if every prophane jest can oblige them to call it in question. If we may be perswaded by [Page 95]these frothy wits to change our religious Customs, Ceremonies and Prayers, we shall quickly become as wicked as them­selves, and banish Religion it self out of the Land. They are no competent Judg­es of our Devotions who were never de­vout, but rather their malicious expressi­ons should confirm Men of discretion, in their esteem of those pious things which they condemn, because they were never inclinable to Piety, and their Tempers are repugnant to it, and to those Godly Rules that reproach them for their licenti­ousness. Let these considerations there­fore strengthen the weakness of such as are apt to be thereby perswaded to a de­reliction of these Godly Forms.

And for the other Enemies of our Com­mon-Prayer, their Conversations seem to insinuate the equity of their Judgments, be­cause they are persons of a religious be­haviour, and good manners; their preju­dices therefore against our Rubrick, are more dangerous. But if a judicious and pious Soul would take the pains to sift them out, and examine the Causes of their invincible prejudices, they shall either find none, or such slender ones as may cause us to wonder at their stiffneckedness and strange fancies. Such, I am sure, as ren­ders them most ridiculous to all foreign Churches of Christ. Their most ordinary [Page 96]and popular Complaint is, that it is Po­pish, and taken out of the Mass-Book. An Error which any Man will acknow­ledge, if he will but compare our Pray­ers with the Popish Prayers of the Li­turgy of Rome. Can that be Popish which opposeth all the Errors and mistakes of the Papists? which teacheth us to pray for God's assistance and direction against all the Heresies, Plots and Conspiracies of the Pope? which was in use in the Chri­stian Church, before ever there was a­ny Anti-Christian Pope at Rome? Can that be reckoned to be Popish which is agree­able with the Revelations of the Holy Spi­rit, with the Doctrines and belief of the best Reformed Churches beyond the Seas, and which their most Orthodox Divines Embrace as most consonant with their Faith and Piety? The Creed, the ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer, may with as much likelihood be said to be Popish, or to be taken out of the Mass-Book, because the Papists have them in their Breviarium. To all unprejudiced persons this accusation appears a meer Calumny, unless any of those refined Souls could spy out, and shew us any par­ticular in the Common-Prayer which sa­vours of the Romish Errors, and tends to promote the Pope's Interest amongst us. But it is the usual practice of abusive [Page 97]tongues, when they cannot instance any certain Crime, to bring their accusati­on in gross, that their malice may be less discernable, and their charge may be more weighty. But let not the vain and groundless conceits of Popery and Superstition deter thee, my Christian Bro­ther, from making use, with Comfort to thy Soul, of these Godly Prayers. Let not these mistaken Brethren infect thy judgment with the same troublesom Er­ror. Examin and try, search into every Corner of this Book, and see whether thou canst find any colour of Popery; that is to say, any sign of those Errors which are in Controversie between us and the Papists. Let not their impostures prevail so much upon thy discretion, as to cause thee to take for Popery, what is agreeable with Christ's true Religion and Doctrines. It hath always been the glory of our Church of England, to be most confor­mable, of all other Churches, to the be­lief, Government, and Practices of the Primitive and first Churches of Christ. Therefore in this of the Liturgy, our Church recommends that manner of pray­ing which is most like that of the first A­ges, and which is most answerable to our Government and condition; as our glo­rious Martyr, and our late Soveraign of Blessed Memory, declares in vindication [Page 98]of the Prayers of the Church in his in­comparable Book.

All other accusations as well as this, savour more of malice and displeasure, than right Reason, and tend to this un­gracious end, to abolish Order and Me­thod in Prayer, and to introduce a sad and unreasonable Confusion in our Wor­shipping of God. Let therefore every good Christian take heed, if he himself hath such an invincible prejudice against these Forms enjoyned in our Church, that he cannot use them himself with a­ny Comfort to his Soul, that he disturb not others minds with the same Schisma­tical mistakes, and spread not abroad what I could wish were consined to the bottomless Pit. Let him not hinder o­thers from the Benefit which they may reap from a hearty and zealous Offering up of these Prayers to God. Abstain, my Christian Brother, from Blaspheming that which thou dost not perfectly understand, or that which thou hatest without a just cause. Draw not others into the same pre­judice, and be not uncharitable, to think our Devotions not acceptable to our good God, because thou hast an impla­cable displeasure against them. Think not that Piety is confined to thy Breast alone, and to those of thy Sect. Lay aside, I beseech thee, that bitterness, that [Page 99]peevishness and froward temper which makes thee fret at our good Order, and Christian Discipline: If thou perceivest any faults, coldness, dulness, or unhand­som Actions in private persons, charge not their miscarriages upon our Church, or Rubrick; but be so reasonable, not to proclaim thine unreasonable distastes, to the prejudice of others and thy self.

Sixthly, I cannot forget to mention a­nother Cause of Mens contempt of our Forms and Rubrick, which is, That they are brought up in the ignorance of that manner of presenting them to God, which might cause them to meet with true com­fort and real benefit. For I know some that have constantly attended at the Pub­lick Prayers of the Church, and have for many years scarce omitted any opportu­nity that did invite them; yet because they knew not how to use them as they should, they have not at any time found that inward content which they now think to receive from new Modes of Prayer; and at last have totally forsaken them, crying out most bitterly against their former Formality, luke-warmness, and in­differency in Prayer. As if that unfit tem­per proceeded from the Prayers, and not from the ignorance of their minds, which when it is strengthened by prejudice, E­ducation, or Interest, is the greatest cause [Page 100]of their dissatisfaction at our Prayers used in the Church; and that which deprives them of the advantages which they might receive from them. This Ignorance is the greatest Enemy of our Liturgy, and of our publick peace; which if any per­son be willing to expel, for his own, and the Churches benefit, let him seriously consider, and make use of these directi­ons, which will shew him how to offer up our Prayers with comfort to his Soul.

I have already set down general di­rections to pray well, which every good Christian ought to learn to practice in all Prayers pre­sented to God; Third par­ticular. but besides those which sute with all tempers and sorts of Men, I suppose that some advi­ces besides may be given more particu­larly, and more proper for those persons amongst us that are dissatisfied with our Prayers and Liturgy, and prejudiced a­gainst it. Some advices, I mean, that may have a special regard to their causeless mistakes and the Prayers of the Church. And truly I judge many stand in great need of these directions, who are well skilled in other kinds of Devotion; for prejudice here suffers them not to learn, or at least not to practice what their af­fection teaches them in other Cases to [Page 101]perform without a Teacher; if we may have the Charity to believe what they affirm, That they are truly and zealous­ly affected in the Prayers which are of their Ministers Composure, and that they can joyn their hearts in Devotion with them; for I very much question whether those persons that seem outwardly to be so disposed, are really so in their hearts, and whilst they are, or may be delighted with the Prayer, whether their Souls are truly in a praying temper.

First, Endeavour to be heartily recon­ciled with the Godly Forms of Prayer recommended in our Church, employ Rea­son and Conscience to perswade thy self, my Christian Brother, to embrace what Duty commands, that Duty which thou owest to Authority, and thy interest ob­liges thee to practice: Why should pre­judice keep thee always blindfolded? Why should Men of perverse judgments and corrupt designs, impose upon thy judgment such gross mistakes? Why wilt thou dote upon thine own Errors, and entertain them with so much stiffness, as if thy Salvation did thereupon de­pend; those Errors I mean, that cause thee to look upon our Prayers and De­votions as superstitious, and make so great a breach in the Church where we live? Make it thy business to under­stand [Page 102]the true ground of thine and o­thers displeasures at our Forms of Pray­er. Take not things of that high concern­ment upon trust, and captivate not thy discretion to the judgment of others ne­ver so learned, but with the assistance of Reason, and holy Scripture rightly inter­preted, labour to lift out the Truth. To these and such like endeavours, make use of Prayer to the God of peace, that he may expel and drive away all the Mists of Error, which keep thee at a distance from our manner of worshipping our great God. Consider the necessity of those things that are therein desired, the inte­grity of their first Composers, the appro­bation of foreign Reformed Churches, the Commands and Injunctions of the wise Governours of the Church and State, who have no other intent, in all their Laws relating to this purpose, but thy Salvation and the publick Peace and U­niformity. Is it possible that thou excel­lest them in discretion and judgment, and that they are all mistaken in the good end which they purpose to themselves? With­out this reconcilement, 'tis not possible for thee to receive any benefit from our Pray­ers by joyning with us, for thy Soul will never offer up heartily to God that for which it hath a strong aversion.

Secondly, Overcome in thy Soul all in­ward displeasure which thou hast concei­ved against the Person of thy Minister officiating, or distastes at his behaviour and actions. What if he be openly scan­dalous, or at variance with thee; Let not his guiltiness cause thee to be guilty of irregularity, or neglecting thy Duty to God, and the interest of thy Soul. Let not your mutual dissatisfaction cause you to be dissatisfied with God and his Worship. Such Wicked Varlets as Hoph­ni and Phineas, are too apt to cause ma­ny to slight the Offerings of the Lord; but they are not therefore excusable be­fore God, who requires an obedience to his Laws, from every distinct person, and allows not the vitiousness of the one to be pleaded for the disorderly behaviour of the other.

But certain it is, that whilst thou art inwardly displeased with thy Minister, thou canst never conjoyn thine heart with the Godly Prayers which proceed out of his mouth; whilst thou art offended with his person, his Prayers and his Words will never benefit thee much. I shall not examine the many frivolous causes of dis­tastes, which the Men of our days enter­tain against the Clergy; but this I dare affirm, That it is both the Duty and In­terest of a Parishioner to smother his [Page 104]anger and displeasure conceived against his Minister, specially at the time of Divine Ser­vice, when he is drawing near to God in Prayer, if he will be in a possibility of pray­ing right. Look not on him at that time as thine Enemy, but as thy Friend, who prays for thy necessities as well as his own; look not on him as one at a distance from thee, but reconciled in the common Du­ties of Religion. God forbid that the usual differences of Men about Worldly Interests, should separate us in God's pre­sence from one another, and cause our variances to be eternal. If therefore we are likely, notwithstanding our present debates, to meet unanimously to worship God's Majesty for all Eternity, and sing to him angelical Halelujahs hereafter, why may we not now suppress our displeasures, stifle our passions, and reconcile our selves in the Worship of our great Creator and common Benefactor? For that intent it concerns thee not to mind so much the Person, as the Petitions, not so much the Minister as God, for whose sake, and at whose command thou art ready to forget the most sensible wrongs, and check the strongest passions of hatred and displea­sure.

Thirdly, Think not that the vitious be­haviour of any in the Congregation, will be a prejudice to thy Prayers, or hinder [Page 105]their accptance. It is the common excuse of Men that are willing to excuse them­selves from the Duties of Religion, That in our publick Assemblies all sorts of per­sons are promiscuously admitted, and that they cannot join in Prayers with the o­penly debauched, or with persons that are known to be scandalous. But this vain pretence proceeds many times from a proud conceit of our own Sanctity, and favours of the Pharisees temper in the Gospel, who had so much of impudence in his Prayer to God, that the Publican's Humility was preferred before him. God that sees all our actions and tempers, knows how to put a disterence between thy re­legious behaviour, and the Vices of a wick­ed Christian. 'Tis not thy Neighbour's ungodliness that can prejudice thy Devo­tions. Why shouldest thou be offended with that which God allows; and the publick Unity and Peace of the Church requires? We could wish that in our publick Assem­blies all were Saints and Angels; but seeing that is not to be expected, to cull and pick out every vitious person, or such as may be thought to be so by some ill-willers, I am afraid scarce any would be left. We must therefore bear with that which is not to be avoided, and take heed that we disturb not the publick qui­et more than the vitious and the profane, [Page 106]by our indiscreet and Schismatical niceties.

Fourthly, If thou wilt offer up the Pray­ers of the Church with benefit to thy Soul, and with the affections of thy Heart, care­fully observe the motions of the Body en­joined in the Common-Prayer; who knows but that this submission, and this custom will have a speedy influence upon thy mind to cause thy Soul to join in the same respects to God. Certain it is, that the nearness of Relation between them, will beget a mutual compliance between the actions of the one and the affections of the other, so that the often practising of things must needs reconcile us to those performances, and remove the strongest prejudices that are not grounded in reason, nor strengthened by divine Revelation. If therefore any weak Brother cannot at present comply with the Devotions of the Church of England; if he finds an inward repugnancy for the publick Pray­ers, which hinders him from receiving the comfort and benefit thereby intended, let him follow and try my advice but a few Months. Let him force his Body to observe all the motions of Respect com­manded in the Rubrick. Let him stand up when we give glory to God, and sing forth his praises. Let him kneel in Pray­er, and outwardly observe a due reve­rence, and he shall find that his former [Page 107]aversion will insensibly wear away, and by degrees he will bring his Soul to a hearty and religious compliance with those godly Forms of Prayer, which be­fore he could never use with any satisfa­ction to his mind; he shall find his un­happy humour of discontent evaporate it self, and his Body draw after the Soul and its faculties, to a sincere worshipping of our good God, in the manner that is practised amongst us.

Fifthly, To use the Prayers of the Church with that devotion that is need­ful, a frequent meditation upon them is very requisite. A Meditation, I mean, upon the necessity of those things that are there desired; upon the advantage of Uniformi­ty and Unity in God's divine Worship; upon their agreeableness with holy Scrip­ture, its Doctrines and Expressions; upon the express Commands of the King and the wise Councils of our Nation, under four or five Kings successively, who una­nimously enjoin the use of these Prayers in the publick Worship of God; upon the decency and reasonableness of the Cere­monies, Order, and manner of our Service; upon the frivolousness and Folly of all Objections against it; upon the obstina­cy and invincible hatred of all Objections. A meditation also is requisite to this pur­pose, upon several matters suitable to these [Page 108]godly Forms of Prayer. Such Medita­tions, I mean, as may elevate the Soul to prepare and dispose it for a Holy Com­munion with God, and inflame our affe­ctions, in order to a more zealous offer­ing up of the publick Prayers of the Church to the Divine Majesty. Besides, to perswade the judgment and remove all mistakes, I recommend to thee the peru­sal of a Rationale upon the Common-Prayer; that if by any means thou mayest be per­swaded to a religious and devout confor­mity in publick to the Order of our Church.

But all this while methinks I hear a sort of Zealots amongst us, Extol and Cry up the Praying by the Spirit, 4. Par­ticular. and that in oppositi­on to the reading of the Forms prescribed by the Church. I must speak a word to rectifie their mistakes, and to prevent the mischiefs which are thereby intended. For this good purpose I shall, First, examine what Praying by the Spirit is, in the sense of St. Paul. Secondly, I shall prove that for the most part, in all Extem­porary fluencies of Prayer, though they be the gifts of the Spirit, such persons as use them at that very instant, can scarce be said to pray in the Spirit. Thirdly, I shall plainly demonstrate, that the easiest and surest way to Pray in the Spirit, is to take the assistance of well composed Forms of [Page 109]Prayer, and to have them either in a Book before our Eyes, or well imprinted in our Memories. They are in a grievous Error, that imagine that St. Paul's praying in or by the Spirit, opposeth the Practice of our Church of England, and strengthens the irregular Devotions of the gifted Bre­thren. For if you please to Examine the meaning of St. Paul, you shall find that he never intended any such matter. In the 6th. Chap. to the Ephesians, and 18 ver. he exhorts them to pray with all Prayer and Supplication in every Season, [...], in the Spirit, which he cannot understand of the Prayers proceeding from the ex­traordinary inspirations or abilities be­stowed upon us by God, the giver of eve­ry good gift; because such inspirations are not common to all, and every one hath not such a quick Fancy or voluble Tongue, to be able to pray in this man­ner; so that every Person is not in a ca­pacity to fulfil this Command, which, as all other Commands of God, is propor­tioned, and hath a special regard to Mens faculties and abilities. Therefore seeing these words are directed to every Christi­an, they relate not to the gift, but to that which is commonly styled the Spirit, or ra­ther to the Duty of Prayer, which every Christian may peform by using endea­vours. St Paul's meaning therefore is, [Page 110]that we should in our Prayers to God, not be content with the Lip Service, but inwardly heartily, and affectionately, to pray to him, and employ all the abilities of the Soul in offering them up to God; for in this part of our Devotions, we must observe the same method, as in the others, and act with the same abilities. Now St. Paul in the 5th Chap. to the Ephe­siens, and the 19th ver., adviseth them to make Melody in their Hearts to the Lord. Here is that spiritual Service required from us, a serious, real, and hearty Wor­ship, wherein the Soul is concerned as well as the Body. Likewise our Saviour Christ, in answer to the Woman of Sama­ria, tells her, that God is a Spirit, and that they that will worship him, must worship him in Spirit and in Truth. That is in opposi­tion to the Corporal appearances of the Jews at Jerusalem, an inward and soul Worship, without which all our most as­sidual attendances upon holy Duties, are frivolous and vain. In the same sense, we are to understand St. Paul's praying and singing with the Spirit, in 1 Cor. 14.14. for he expresly saith, if I pray in an unknown Tongue, my Spirit prayeth. He cal­eth it his Spirit, that is, his Soul, which must be concerned in all our Prayers to God, either by composing them and of­fering them, or else by presenting the [Page 111]Prayers already composed in such a man­ner, with the understanding and affecti­ons, that they may proceed from us as our own.

I confess St. Jude's words, ver. 20. seems to favour the contrary interpreta­tion, when he adviseth to pray [...], in the Holy Ghost. Which words the admirers of new Modes and extem­porary Prayers, understand of the gift of Prayer, that we should depend upon the Spirit of God, and expect from his se­cret inspirations, the matter and manner of our Prayers, without limitting our selves, and this unlimited Being, to any certain Form. That we should make use of those expressions as proceed immediate­ly from his divine suggestions. But this can never be the meaning of this wise A­postle; for though it were true, what this interpretation supposeth, that all the faith­ful have the gift of Prayer, and are in­spired with the Holy Ghost. That in that Duty he governs their Tongues and Fan­cy, and furnishes them with proper ex­pressions, words, and matter, which I confess may happen in extraordinary oc­casions; yet in our ordinary Devotions, to expect such extraordinary movings of God's Holy Spirit in our Souls, not to contribute any thing of our selves, but our weaknesses and unpreparedness, and [Page 112]wholly to depend upon the Holy Ghost, is a presumption and indiscretion which agrees not with God's usual methods, of acting with his Creatures, neither in Nature nor in Grace; for his Blessings and Power appear commonly in our Re­ligious endeavours, and if he gives the Form and Beauty to any thing, he takes the matter from those things that he hath already made.

But take notice, that St. Jude adviseth us to pray, not by the Holy Ghost, but in the Holy Ghost. That is, either in that method and manner, or according to those Rules which the Holy Ghost hath given us in his holy Word; for the Greek word [...] signifies according. The meaning therefore is, That we should pray for those things that agree with the Revela­tions of the Holy Ghost, that we should observe those particulars outwardly and inwardly, as may recommend our Prayers to God, and employ those graces which the Holy Ghost hath bestowed upon us, for a more zealous offering up of our Prayers to God. A true Christian may want the gift of Prayer, but no true and sincere Christian can want the Spirit of Pray­er in the state of regeneration, nor those inward abilities which are requisite for Prayer. For this inward breathing of the Soul towards Heaven, is the very life of [Page 113]a Child of God, and a principle of all Spiritual motion. Though he is not al­ways in the same disposition and a fit tem­per for Prayer, because these abilities may be hindred, and obstructed by some pow­erful impediments; nevertheless the work of regeneration is no sooner begun in us, but we are taught by the Holy Ghost, to call God Abba Father. Therefore St. Paul teacheth in his Epistle to the Romans, chap. 8. v. 26. That the Spirit helpeth our Infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Observe Ro­mans 10. v. 1. This and all other passages that mention praying in, or by the Spirit, may en­courage us to take with us the assistance of God's Holy Spirit in our addresses to him, and imploy the abilities which he hath given us for that good purpose. They may take notice of our own natural im­perfections and weaknesses, and advise us to make use of the Spiritual helps that the Holy Ghost gives us; that we might pray to God in a manner acceptable to him. But there is none that forbids the use of those Forms, which God's holy Spi­rit hath Established in our Church. There is no passage nor Text of Scripture, that requires thee to wait for a sudden inspira­tion from above, that disallows of a judi­cious [Page 114]and religious preparation, or of prescribed Prayers, composed by Men as much enlightned by the Spirit of God, as any now alive. Why therefore may not the use of these Prayers, be called pray­ing by the Spirit, if I offer them up in that devout manner as God requires? Why shall I prefer the new Modes of Men, whose abilities and integrity I know not perhaps, to those that I am sure are agreeable with God's Will and Word? Why shall I re­ject the old Prayers of the Holy Ghost, and be so impatient to hear new, which I know not from whence they are, till I have taken the pains to examine them?

If therefore I am an auditor, what rea­son have I to refuse the Prayers of the Church, composed by the directions of the Spirit of God, to be of a constant use in the Publick Worship of our great Creator, to be so fond of new Modes and new Prayers of Men, that pretend to a divine inspiration, but how truly I know not? God's Holy Spirit is no favourer of the pride, presumption and sanciness of those persons that rush into God's Pub­lick Worship without a due preparation. And if they be prepared both for matter and expressions in the publick Prayers which they pronounce, what reason have I to prefer this Prayer composed by this private Person, tho' with the assistance [Page 115]of God's Holy Spirit, to the religious Prayers of the whole Church, allowed of by so many wise, learned, and Godly Di­vines, enlightned also doubtless with the same Spirit? Is that the Prayer, by, or in the Spirit? And is not this likewise, if I perform it in a Spiritual manner, and of­fer it up with my Soul and affections? O! how idle and frivolous! How vain and impertinent are these prejudices a­gainst our Set Forms of Prayer!

Secondly, But these persons that are so much admired by ignorant People for their pray­ing by the Spirit, in Prayers of any long continuance, are admired for that which they themselves cannot perform. For if they pray extempore without prepararation, some in the Congregation may perhaps really pray to God, but the persons, that pronounce the Prayers, whilst their fancy is so busily employed in seeking for mat­ter and expressions, can never oblige the affections of the Soul to offer their Prayers up to God in that devout manner as is required. This Prayer therefore, in re­gard of the Speaker, is but a Sp [...]ech and no Prayer, let it be never so Eloquent, and never so much able to stir up the Af­fections of the hearers. Our minds cannot be totally employed in two actions at once; whilst our apprehensions are di­stracted to seek for words, and fit ex­pressions; [Page 116]they cannot be fixed upon that Divine Being, unto whom we make our addresses; nor cause in the Soul that hu­mility and those affections, which at such a time are necessary; they cannot mind the greatness of their Wants, the necessi­ty of a speedy supply, and the usefulness of those things that are petitioned for. Their Souls cannot be at liberty to ex­press the homage due to God's greatness, and an earnest affection for those Blessings that they stand in need of. All their care is to move the Tongue and not the Heart, whilst the one is busily employed, the o­ther is unconcerned in the Service.

I cannot think that there are any of such an extraordinary, and quick appre­hension, as to be abe to furnish their Or­gan with plenty of matter and expressi­ons, and at the same moment, to mind all those things that are needful to keep our Souls in a sit disposition for Prayer. 'Tis not possible to divide this single Being into so many parts. Such an activity seems to me almost as great a miracle, as that of the Ubiquity of Christ's Humane Body, and is subject to the like absurdities. The Unity of the Soul, [...]d the Unity of all its Faculties, require [...] a single Object at once. It may be so quick as to sly to another in an instant; but this change, and this motion of the apprehension, inca­pable [Page 117]of two or three Objects at one single instant, plainly discovers the impossibili­ty of praying well, and keeping the Soul in a worthy disposition, and the affections in a sit temper, in extemporary and long Prayers; because the mind that should take this charge, and the care to summon the affections to the performance of their Duty, is busily employed in other matters. Now without this conjunction of the af­fections, and this concernment of the Soul, no Devotion nor Prayer can be said to be spiritual, or performed with, or in the Spirit; for tho' this should be understood of the holy Spirit of God, it is not to be imagined that he will act in us without our assistance and cooperation, and if he did, the Devotion is his, and none of ours.

For these and other Reasons, it is a matter of great difficulty, to keep the unruly and wandring thoughts of the mind, and the several affections of the Heart, with the other parts of the Soul, in a praying temper, in all extemporary and long Prayers: Thirdly, Therefore the easiest and surest way to pray in the Spirit, is to take the assistance of well composed Forms, and to have them ei­ther in a Book before us, or well im­printed in our Memories. This is a Con­sequence deducible from what we have [Page 118]already said concerning that praying in, or by the Spirit, intended by St. Paul and St. Jude. But if there be any so strongly prejudiced against Set Forms, and so much bewitched with the pretended pray­ing in, or by the Spirit, as to refuse to acquiesce to what we have already alledg­ed, let him seriously consider, That there can be no praying in the Spirit, whatever interpretation we give to the passages of Holy Scripture concerning that purpose, whether we understand them concern­ing the Gift, or in relation to the Duty and Spirit of Prayer, without a real and hearty compliance of the Soul with eve­ry expression; without an inward sense of the things petitioned for, and without a devout composure of all the parts of the Soul. Now if you enquire how this is produced in us? I must tell you that it is not without our assidual endeavours, for the mind ought to have a continual eye upon the Soul and disposition, it ought to recollect and call back our wandring thoughts, and labour to express both a feeling of its wants, and a dutiful reverence for the Majesty of God. This being of an absolute necessity, in order to a zealous offering up of our Prayers in the Spirit, it is needful that the mind should be at liberty for that purpose. Now let any Man of Reason, seriously [Page 119]sider whether it hath not more freedom in the use of Set Forms, imprinted either in our memories, or our Books, than in extemporary praying; whether it is not easier for the Soul in such a case to act its part, and contribute to the Devotions, than in such Prayers where it hath so ma­ny Offices to perform? Grant it possible, that some of an extraordinary ability, learning, and natural parts (which I can­not imagine to be) should be able to dis­charge the inward Duty of the Soul in Prayer, as well as the outward, in extem­porary Prayers. Consider whether they cannot with more ease, pray with the assistance of Set Forms. And why shall they be denyed of those helps in a business of so much weight and difficulty, where­in the holiest and most devout Soul comes far short of that perfection and exactness which God's greatness requites at our hands?

Secondly, That must needs be the ea­siest and surest way of praying by the Spirit, which is offered to the weaker sort of Christians, as the readiest help to their Devotions; for the duties of Religion are always proportioned to the slender abili­ties of such persons: both God and the Church are wont to condescend to their mean gifts, and furnish them with such assistances as they want for the discharge [Page 120]of the Offices required from them. Now from the beginning, Set Forms of Prayer have been allowed in the Churches of God to these persons, because it is well known, that they are not able to express them­selves and their several wants to God as they should, and in that manner as be­comes us mortal Men. If therefore this manner of praying is, as it is generally confessed, an help to the weaker kind of Christians, why may it not be also to the stronger? No doubt but such a one may use these helps with more advantage: A staff is good in the hand of a feeble body, to make it walk with more assu­rance, and is likewise as beneficial to a strong person that undertakes a long jour­ney. The difference is, that the one cannot possibly walk without it, and the other may march a few steps, and it may be, proceed on in his way without it, but for more ease and better conveniency, it is sit in a tedious march, that he should have the assistance of a Staff, which may succour his infirmities, and may comfort his wearied Limbs. Therefore it is not a sufficient cause to oblige us to reject useful things, to say Men may be with­out them. I think it wisdom not to cast away such beneficial helps to our Devo­tions, as are Set Forms, because we may be so fond of our abilities, as to think [Page 121]our selves able to compose some of an higher strain, and more passionate; some that may gratifie our own and the Peoples corrupt humour, which usually despiseth things that are common, when they have not well considered their worth.

Thirdly, Consider how apt our thoughts are to be wandring, and our minds to be drawn aside from our Devotions. Therefore that is the easiest and surest way of praying well, which sixeth our minds, and settles our thoughts upon the weighty business in hand. Now I dare affirm, That there is nothing so well able to do this good office to us, as Forms of Prayers judiciously composed, either im­printed in our memories, or before us in a Book; for in the former method of praying, the Soul is kept from wandring to and fro; and in the latter it is tyed and limited by the sense of seeing; and though in such cases it may take the li­berty to step aside, and escape out of the other senses, yet we must all acknow­ledge, that a Judicious Christian can, by the assistance of his Senses, be better able to limit and stop the wanderings of his mind, and the unruliness of his thoughts, than when he hath little or no use of them. To conclude, Nothing but the pride and self-conceitedness of some, the pre­judices and foolish humours of others, [Page 122]have taught men to reject and contemn our set Forms of Prayer, establish­ed in our Church of England; which, both for matter and manner, are the best Li­turgy that ever was used either in the Primitive or Modern Churches of Christ: And there is nothing that hinders Men from using them with comfort and ad­vantage to their Souls, but their strong displeasures, their frowad tempers, and their itching Ears; a Disease which hath infected the heart and fountain, as well as the Sense and Organ of hearing.

Let me therefore intreat thee, my Chri­stian Reader, seriously to peruse these Reasons that I have mentioned, and let not any popular Mistake, nor the pre­tended Inspirations of the Spirit, discou­rage thee in the devour use of the Pray­ers of our Church, chiefly in the publick Worship of thy God; where Reason and Religion require from thee Uniformity, and Unity with the rest of thy Brethren. And in thy private Family I would have thee to use the same Prayers; such, I mean, as are proper for that place and purpose.

I know that several Pious and Learn­ed Men have lately, and in the former Age, furnished our Nation with Books of this kind; but I think that their reli­gious labours, fitted for those times, and [Page 123]answerable to their private designs, will not hinder this present Treatise from being useful in its kind, for the preven­tion of the Mistakes lately crept in a­mongst us, and the mischiefs that are in­tended by our Enemies at home and a­broad. I find them busily employed in contriving our ruine, and in poisoning our people with strange Principles, by spreading in the Country new Pamphlets, printed for that evil purpose. I wish that we were as watchful for our own preser­vation. The best means for that intent, is to employ the same policy, and to fur­nish our People with new and fresh ad­vices, which may serve as Antidotes a­gainst the Venom of their Enemies and ours. Such Treatises therefore as this, I think to be very seasonable for our di­vided times. I am certain that it is much wanting in the place where I live, and to the people committed to my Charge. My first design was only to have a regard to their private wants, at the requests of one of my Parishioners; but when I considered, that tho' Providence hath given me a particular inspection over the Inhabitants of a small division in a Wilderness, it is my Duty to aim in all my actions at the general good, I resolved to recom­mend to the publick, such a Treatise as might serve, and be useful to all Fa­milies [Page 124]in our Reformed Church; and in it to have a general aim at the benefit of all Christians; for I think that there is none in the state of Grace, or within the limits of Christ's Church, but he shall in this short Tract find Prayers and Ad­vices which may sute with the condition and temper of his Soul.

You therefore that desire that Religion should flourish amongst us, neglect not its chief Duty, but see that it be care­fully observed in your own practice, and that of those recommended to your care. As soon as your Children begin to speak, teach them to cry Abba Father, which art in Heaven. Call upon them Morning and Evening, to implore Protection and Assistance. Let their Tongues be used betimes, to tune forth the Praises of their Maker, and acknow­ledge the Providence of God. Remember that Piety, with the Blessings of Heaven, is the best and most durable portion which you can procure to your little ones. And the only means to obtain it, is carefully to practise this and all other Duties of Religion. As they grow to years of Understanding: Let them pro­ceed on in learning the Prayers that are sit for their capacity, and suitable to their Abilities. Let them know that their chief dependency is upon that Almighty [Page 125]Being, who hath created the World, and put them into it, to serve and worship him. This daily practice of seeking to God in Prayer, will keep youth from all those extravagancies and vitious actions, by which the Gallants of our time are become a reproach to Christianity and Humanity it self. Thou shalt never have the displeasure to see thy Son and thy Daughter either unruly in their behaviour, or prophane in their discourse, or cor­rupt in their Lives; if thou wilt, when they are young, train them up in the con­stant and continual observance of this Du­ty of Prayer; for there is nothing more proper, and of a greater force, to keep the Souls of Men from the temptations of our days, and from all disorders, as this Correspondency with God in Prayer. Man therefore, in this respect, is like a Watch or a Clock, the least neglect di­sturbs the Motion, and steals him insen­sibly into improficiency or an ossence. Pray therefore, O Christian Man or Wo­man! and pray without ceasing: In prosperity and adversity, let your requests be made known unto God: Be not silent when God requires you to speak: In what­soever estate Providence may cast you, make use of those Prayers that are answer­able to your condition. If you can offer up the Prayers of our Church with [Page 126]any satisfaction to your minds, use them rather than others. But if your prejudices be so strong, and your aversion so invin­cible, that you cannot yet relish them, use the other Prayers more agreeable to your affections. However, neglect not this most important, this most weighty, and most indispensible Duty, but perform it with all the Care and Devotion that God's greatness, and thy mean condition requires from thee.

And I beseech the God of all Goodness, to hear thy Requests, to grant thy Petitions, to comfort and refresh thy Soul and Body with Spiritual and Temporal Mercies; and that this Treatise may be as useful to the Publick, as it is intended by