Seven Treatises, Treatise 4 · Chapter 13
CHAP. 13. Of the declaration of the ſecond duty, of beginning the day with prayer.
NOw when thy heart ſhall after thy firſt ſhaking off thy ſleepe be lifted vp to thy God, ſet thy ſelfe to the next part of thy duty; prayer,Dan 6.10. confeſſion of ſins and thankſgiuing in ſolemne maner vponupon thy knees; caſting off and renouncing ſuch fooliſh and fruitleſſe thoughts and fantaſies as were wont and ſtill may hold thee from this duty: and ſet vponupon it, as ſoone as thou canſt conueniently, yea,If it may be, begin the day vvith ſolemne prayer. if it may ſo be, let it be the firſt worke that thou ſhalt take in hand in the morning ſeaſon (except in time of ſickneſſe, when thou keepeſt thy bed, and then ioyne it with the former rule, and make of both one: and pray ſhortly when paine giueth thee no further libertie, but yet feruently and more often.) But if it cannot be thy firſt worke, yet let not thy deferring of it be a breaking it off, if thou mayſt performe it: neither let a light occaſion cauſe thee to deferre it; for ſuch ſhall neuer be wanting, eſpecially thine owne vnwillingnes, or ſlouth: but when for ſome eſpeciall and weightie cauſe thou doeſt deferre it, returne (if it may be) after thy neceſſarie buſineſſe ended to the performing of it, & therwith, renew thy couenant of amendment of life.
And to expreſſe my meaning about this more plainely, remember and acknowledge the kindneſſe of thy God in benefits daily and hourely receiued both to ſoule and bodie: and ſometime particularly,And herein thankes. that ſo thou mayſt be more nearly knit vntounto him, and delight in him. For daily and oft thankfulneſſe to God is of great force to ſubdue thee vntounto God, and to maintaine a thankfull heart in thee all the day following.
And let another part of this morning worſhip of God adioyned to this, be an hearty recording and viewing of thy ſinnes,And an examining and confeſſing of ſinnes. a bewailing and confeſſing of them to God, and accuſing of thy ſelfe, with an eſpeciall remorſe for thoſe which hauehave moſt troubled thee, and be humbled vnderunder the burthen of them: that ſo thou mayeſt ſee thy ſelfe a wretched perſon, and infinitely indebted to God, and ſo withhold thy heart from inſolencie and ſecuritie, and be broken-hearted, that thou mayſt the better abide ſo after. And with both theſe ſend vp loud cries vntounto the Lord, through Ieſus Chriſt,And requeſt. confidently looking for pardon of them, that thus thou mayſt find the death of Chriſt daily freſh, ſweete and ſauorie to thee, which the moſt do make too common and vnſauorie.
And pray alſo in faith for grace and power to mortifie thy ſinne, and to direct thy wayes, and for all earthly bleſſings; and by thine owne neceſſities be moued with compaſſion towards thy brethren, euen the whole company of the militant Church, who hauehave the like need of Gods bleſſing as thou haſt: and (withall) that thoſe which are yet without, Col. 1.3.and ſtrangers from the commonwealth of Iſrael, may be brought home: that thus thou mayſt both teſtifie thy louelove to them, and daily remember and conſider, how thy ſelfe and all other do depend vponupon him for whatſoeuer is good and neceſſarie.
And to helpe forward this dutie the better, ſome meditation or muſing vponupon ſuch things as may aſſwage the bitterneſſe and corruption of the heart,Alſo meditation. and ſeaſon it with grace, were a thing moſt requiſite, as euerie one may be brought to it. As for example: ſometime, of our mortalitie; of the vncertaintie and ſlipperie eſtate of all things vnderunder the Sunne; of the change of perſons, times, eſtates; of the glorie of the kingdome of heauen: ſometime of our ſaluation, to make it more ſure; of the duties we are to do in the day, and how we may keepe our ſelues from the defilements and ſinnes, which we are in danger to fall into; of the occaſions by which we are moſt like to be led to euill; and of the helpes and meanes, with the ſundrie priuiledges of a Chriſtian, which we hauehave to withdraw vsus from the ſame; and ſometime of any particular branch of any of theſe, and the corruptions of the heart, and of the Chriſtian armour: of ſome of theſe or of the like matters, let meditation be raiſed before prayer be entred into, if it may be.
And becauſe meditation is much out of vſe euen among Chriſtians, and therefore it will be found the harder matter to go about and take it in hand; I hauehave therefore ſet downe *In Treatiſe 3. at the end of Chap. 6. Of meditation.ſome meditations of all ſorts, both briefly and in larger manner to helpe thoſe, which without helpe cannot draw matter from their owne experience to meditate vponupon, as I hauehave before ſet downe a ſhort Treatiſe about the ſame; that through the helpe of both, they may want nothing about this dutie and Chriſtian exerciſe, ſo that their hearts be framed and fitted thereto. This part of Gods worſhip, namely prayer, confeſſion of ſinne, thankſgiuing and meditation, being conſcionably and carefully vſed and gone about before thou entreſt into thine affaires and dealings in the world, thou ſhalt, in no meane ſort, be prepared and enabled to paſſe the day in thy ſeuerall duties doing, as thou art directed. All which may be well diſcharged and performed (after they be once well vnderſtood how they ſhould be practiſed) in one quarter of an hower, and leſſe if need be.
And by this thou mayſt ſee, what this part of the dutie tendeth to, and what it requireth of thee, and how thou ſhouldeſt performe it. And as for them, which thinke that the doing of this ordinarilie, is more then is needfull, of whom euerie litle dutie done to God, more then they hauehave already or do vſually performe, is thought too much; let them know that the gaine is verie great.The gaine of this is great. And as concerning them, which make a light matter of it, ſaying: that they are not now to begin this exerciſe in the morning, but do and hauehave continued it, and yet they ſee no ſuch fruit to come of it: To ſuch I anſwer, that I feare that to vſe it as I hauehave ſet it downe,No common thing to vſe prayer aright. is not ſo common in practiſe, as diuerſe do take it to be: or elſe they ſhould not ſay, that litle profit commeth by it. For all ſuch obiecters are vndoubtedly farre from the right vſe of it; and one of theſe wayes they ſwarue from it: that either they come not vntounto it with an humble and well ordered heart; or they know not how to be occupied in it; or elſe ſome ſpeciall ſinne is in the way to cauſe that it cannot as Incenſe, aſcend vp to God. The leaſt of theſe faults may eaſily hinder the profit and darken the beautie of it.
I doubt nothing, but that at ſometime diuerſe Chriſtians in an holy and right manner do diſcharge it: but reuerently and confidently to do it, laying all other things aſide which hinder it, that I dare not affirme of many: which cauſeth the benefit of it, the leſſe to appeare to them. Which kind of men, if they cannot conſtantly tye themſelues to it with delight, when yet they may very well, they ſhould ſhame and put themſelues to rebuke, for omitting it through ſlouth and vnwillingneſſe; if by no other reaſon, yet by the practiſe of ſome of the deuouter ſort in popery: who although they ſerue God ſuperſtitiouſly, yet they obſerue their houres appointed to them after their blind maner (hauing only a confuſed and deceiueable hope to be heard, I ſpeake of the beſt of them) to the ſhame of ſuch as who knowing better how to worſhip God aright, thinke it too much to tie themſelues to any thing more then they vſe to do: and that is, when they thinke good, or be driuen to it in ſickneſſe, feare, &c. or in any other maner, (many times) that is, without the right and true properties of it: and then ſometime I graunt, and that in the morning (perhaps) they betake themſelues to it.
But howſoeuer it be with ſuch: the holy Ghoſt hath greatly helped the frailtie of Chriſtians hereby, who are by naturall corruption (cleauing faſt to them) prouoked in the morning as ſoone as they are vp, to be raunging abroad in the world, and according to their delights, dealings and occaſions to be caried after them, either in vanitie of mind, and lightneſſe; or in vnquietneſſe, contention, quarrelling and worldlineſſe, minding litle for the moſt part but things earthly: and entring after this manner into the day, do for the moſt part go further frō God all the day after. For this cauſe the holy Ghoſt hath taught them, that they ſhould preuent theſe daily inconueniences, by taking vp their minds and hearts to farre better vſes: that is to ſay, that after their awaking with God, they ſhould (if it may be) repaire to God more ſolemnely, which is done by meditation of Gods power, merciemercy, &c. by thankfulneſſe for benefits receiued and promiſed, by freeing themſelues from guiltineſſe of Gods wrath, by confeſſing their ſinnes, and praying for the benefit of forgiueneſſe, and for grace in the day againſt the euils thereof, and for good gouernement throughout the ſame; that they being well ſeaſoned thus in the morning, they may retaine the ſauour, and hold the ſtrength of ſuch a gracious beginning (as I hauehave ſayd) all the day after.
And (to ſpeake more plainely) that they being thus well fenced with this ſpirituall reuiuing of their minds, and hartening of themſelues againſt all aſſaults, before they enter into the field with their enemie, they may be well armed againſt the batterie of temptations and prouocations, which will vndoubtedly meete with them: and ſo keepe their liues from the force of them, and from hurt by them in farre better maner, then ſuch can do, who being naked and deſtitute of this furniture, do lie open vntounto them, whatſoeuer conceipt they hauehave of their owne wiſdome and ſtrength.
And this which I hauehave ſayd being well conſidered, I do not ſee what exception can be brought againſt this part of dutie, vnleſſe anie will further cauell about the time, which I ſaid need not be much, after we hauehave well learned how to beſtow the ſame. To the which I tye no man, hauing ſhewed what time the performance of ſuch a dutie doth require: and otherwiſe, I leaue it to all to conſider, whether their willingneſſe, ſufficiencie in gifts, and their leiſure will yeeld more time, or not ſo much; ſo as there be a faithfull diſcharge of the dutie, in ſuch ſort as they may reſt therein with peace, and may feele themſelues more fit to walke warily, and ſtrengthned againſt the dangers which fall out in the daie: which they in no wiſe ſhould doubt of, if they do it ſincerely. And now I hauehave ſaid of this ſecond dutie what I hauehave thought conuenient to him which deſireth to vſe it to his profit; teaching him that is ignorant, how to practiſe it; and exhorting him that (through neceſſitie of importunate buſineſſe at ſome time) is conſtrained to omit it in the firſt beginning of the day, that yet afterwards he watch his beſt leiſure and oportunitie to performe it: and laſt of all, anſwered obiections, as I hauehave ſeene it expedient.
This onelyonly remaineth to be added: that we muſt conſider, that theſe duties (which here I ſet downe to be as oft performed as they may; and of which this is one) do ſerue to keepe & ſettle vsus in the practiſe of the daily direction before mentioned. Whoſoeuer therfore deſire to reape the fruit hereof by that which I hauehave ſet down, knowing how to vſe it, but yet being often neceſſarily hindered; let them performe it when and as oft as they can: but they which are free from ſuch buſineſſe, ought fully to reſolue and determine with themſelues, daily to performe it if they be able; and not ſlouthfully, nor for the fauouring of the fleſh to neglect it, as oft as they feele themſelues vnwilling to vſe it: for then ſmall fruit is to be hoped for, as I hauehave ſayd before. Neither indeed, can any ſuch omitting of it be any way excuſed, ſeeing we ought not at any time to be vnwilling to ſuch duties, (if it were alwayes expedient to be with the Lord in this manner) vnleſſe we could proue to our conſciences, that we are taken vp in things more neceſſarie. Neither can this deſire be quenched in vsus (which the ſpirit of God hath kindled) but by our owne fault, whiles we hauehave through lightneſſe, raſhneſſe, or in ſeeking ſome other vnlawfull libertie, expelled and baniſhed the ſame from vsus.
But for as much as all other duties go well forward, whiles the heart is kept in louelove and liking with theſe holy exerciſes, and not otherwiſe (for pray well, and liue well; and contrarily:) therfore this grace and heauenly affection cannot, neither may well be wanting in the ſeruants of God. Inſomuch that they which are not neceſſarily letted (as, by pouertie; or otherwiſe, as want of leiſure) are not to make this to ſtand in ſtead of their familie exerciſe in the morning (as being loath to beſtow more time in ſuch holy communion with God, then they muſt needs:) but rather they muſt begin the day with this after they are riſen, and afterward with their houſhold as the oportunitie ſhall permit; I meane, as it will beſt ſtand with euerie ones buſineſſe in the familie. And eſpecially preachers and ſtudents, and thoſe which do inioy many & great means, and who are not holden downe with pouerty, and ſuch multitudes of outward calamities and hinderances, and whoſe diſcouragements be but ſmall in reſpect of other mens; ſuch (I ſay) ſhould not offer to God ſo nigardly ſacrifices, as they who can do no otherwiſe: but as they hauehave receiued more, many wayes then their brethren; ſo they ſhould render more then they, both in this and other duties: for otherwiſe, who ſhould be examples and patternes to the weaker ſort, if ſuch ſhould not? and yet that I may diſcourage none, he that ſhall offer but his mite (with the poore widow) willingly, hauing no more, hath done as much as any other who hauing greater gifts hauehave made longer prayers. Now if after the declaration of this dutie in this maner, ought remaine doubtfull: let them ſeeke reſolution at their faithfull teachers hands, that ſo they may more freely and with more profite continue it.