A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer, Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII. Concerning the place of prayer.
THirdly, concerning the place: To no one certain place is that promise made that then wasThat there is no limitation of place for prayer. made to the temple of Jerusalem; viz. That whatsoever men in their extremitie should ask of God in it, God would grant it in his holy habitation in the heavens. Jesus the Messias then looked for, whose presence was sought in the mercy-seat and between the Cherubims, is now entred between the veil, that is, in the heaven, and there abideth onelyonly Mediatour for us: unto whom from all the coasts of the earth we may lift up pure hands with assurance that we shall be heard. Howsoever the Israelites under the Law were tyed to pray either in the temple and tabernacle, Deut. 12. 5, 14. Psal. 99. 6. or else towards the same, 2 Chron. 7. 38. 1. Kings 8. 44, 48. Psal. 138. 2. Dan. 6. 10. yet now all such distinction and difference of place, being but ceremoniall, is abolished. For that one place of prayer and sacrifice was a type of Christ Jesus the alone altar; and the praying in or towards the same did figure out thus much, That onelyonly in the mediation of Jesus Christ, who is the onelyonly Mediatour both of redemption and also of intercession, we are to call upon the Lord: Wherefore seeing these were but shadows and ceremonies of things to come, and seeing the substance and truth it self, Jesus Christ, is already exhibited, whereunto the shadows and ceremonies do and ought to give place; we are not now tied to one place more then another, as one being more typically holy then another. In the 4. of John v. 21, 22, 23, 24. our Saviour himself resolveth this doubt: for when the Samaritane had demanded of him, which is that place wherein God is to be worshipped, the mount Gerizzim where the Samaritanes temple was, or the mount Moriah whereon the temple of Solomon was built; Christ giveth her this answer, That now the time was come wherein all these differences of places, being but ceremoniall, were taken away; & that now the Lord was no more to be worshipped by ceremonies but in spirit and truth: and therefore that it was lawfull to worship God not onelyonly in Jerusalem or in mount Gerizzim but also in other places.
The Prophet Malachi seemeth to foretell the same, chap. 1. 11. For so the Lord speaketh by him, From the rising of the s…nne to the going down of the same my name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered in my name, &c. But most plain is that 1. Tim. 2. 8. where the Apostle willeth that men should pray foreign, in every place, li…ting up holy hands without wrath or doubting. So that there is no such difference of place, but that we may lawfully call upon God in any place: Which also is confirmed unto us by the practice of Christ and his Apostles: who did not onelyonly pray in the temple, but without distinction in other places, as in the mountain, in the desert, in the garden, in private houses, on the house-top, on the sea-shore; and where not?
Hence appeareth the vanity of Pilgrimages: WhichThe vanity of Pilgrimages. were used either because the places were more holy to which they went then others, or because the Lord was nearer to them there then elsewhere. The former reason I have already confuted: and the latter is more absurd. For is the Lord present at Jerusalem, and is he absent in England? nay, Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord, Jer. 23. 24. And doth not the Psalmist say, Psal 138. 8. If I ascend into heaven, thou art there; if I lie down in hell, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, yea, thither shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand hold me.? Seeing therefore that the Lord is every where present to heare us, we may call upon him in any place: and the rather because our bodies are the temples of God, and we our selves priests, and Christ Jesus dwelleth in our temples, upon whom, as being our onelyonly altar, we may offer up incense, that is, our prayers, Revel. 5. 8. Psal. 141. 2. So that wheresoever we are, we have temples wherein to call upon the Lord.
Now howsoever this which I have said be in generall true of Invocation both publick and private, yet it is to be understood of publick with this distinction: For publick prayer is to be considered according to the state of the Church: If the Church be either in persecution or warfare, wheresoever the assembly meeteth to that purpose there may they lawfully pray: As namely in persecution, in private houses or in secret places: for the assembly & not the place maketh prayer publick. But if the Church be in flourishing and quiet estate, there ought some publick places, as Chu…ches, to be appointed for that purpose, wherein the congregation ordinarily is to be assembled; not for any greater holinesse in the Churches then in other places (for the assembly sanctifieth the place, and not the place the assembly) but onelyonly for good orders sake and politie of the Church.