A Guide to Godliness, Book 3 · Chapter 10
CAP. X.
Of the laſt maine duty of the daily exerciſe, which is Prayer.
§. Sect. 1 That we muſt pray daily and continually.
THe laſt daily duty to be performed of vsus, is, effectuall and feruent prayer, from which not any day, nor any part of the 1. Theſ. 5. 17. Ephe. 6. 18. Luke 18. 1. & 21. 36. 2. Tim. 4. 2.day is to be exempted; for we muſt, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, pray without ceaſing, alwaies watching thereunto with all perſeuerance. To which end tendeth the parable of the vnrighteous Iudge, propounded by our Sauiour Chriſt. In which regard, that may be ſaid of prayer, which the Apoſtle requireth in preaching, namely, that it muſt be done in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon; if at leaſt any time may bee ſaid vnſeaſonable for this holy duty; whereby we are not to vnderſtand with thoſe ancient Heretikes, that we muſt ſpend our whole time in prayer and doe nothing elſe; for the Apoſtle Paul himſelfe ſpent much of his time in preaching, writing, diſputing, and in other duties of his calling, and yet as hee exhorted others, ſo hee often profeſſeth, that it was his owne practice to pray continually and without ceaſing. And our Sauiour Chriſt alſo, who requireth this at our hands, and propounded Rom. 1. 9. Col. 1. 3. Eph. 1. 16.himſelfe as a patterne of his owne precept, ſpent much of his time in other exercizes, as preaching, conferring, doing miracles, and ſuch like: But that wee alwaies bee ready, and hauehave a diſpoſition to prayer at all times; that we thinke no time exempted, when any fit and good occaſion is offered, whether it bee night or day, or any part of either of them, nor any place excluded, if there bee cauſe and opportunity: for we muſt pray eueryevery where, lifting vp holy hands 1. Tim. 2. 8.without wrath or doubting, at home and abroade, in our buſineſſes and vacancie from labour. And thus hee expoundeth himſelfe, interpreting theſe words, without ceaſing and alwayes, of eueryevery opportunity and Epheſ. 6. 18.ſeaſonable time, when God either ordinarily or extraordinarily giueth vntounto vsus any fit occaſion.
§. Sect. 2 Of ordinary prayers at ſet times, and how often to bee performed.
Concerning our ordinary prayers, they are for the moſt part limited to ſet and ordinary times, although we are not to be ſo ſtrictly tied to our howres, but that they may be changed from one to another vponupon neceſſary occaſions. And they ought to be performed in a ſolemne manner, with due preparation, conioyning together the parts of prayer, confeſſion, petition and thankeſgiuing, with due reſpect both of place and time. Neither are theſe prayers to be continued throughout the whole day, but in the ſeuerall parts thereof, as ſhall beſt fit with our occaſions, and alſo with our zeale and deuotion. Notwithſtanding we are to pray euen after this manner, not once onelyonly, but often; according to the examples of the Saints in former times. So Dauid profeſſeth, that he praied vntounto God in Pſal. 55. 17. Dan. 6. 10.the morning, at noone and in the euening; and Daniel ſo ſtinteth himſelfe to ſolemne prayer vponupon his knees three times a day, that he would not neglect it vponupon any occaſion. And howſoeuer no man can ſtint theſe ſet times of praier vntounto a certaine number, but it muſt be left to be meaſured out according to ſeuerall occaſions, leiſure, opportunity and the proportion of eueryevery ones gift of grace, faith, zeale and deuotion which they hauehave receiued; which being ſo various, diuers and different, it is no more poſſible to appoint a certaine meaſure vntounto them, then a ſize of apparell to fit eueryevery ones body, or a proportion of meate which ſhould ſatisfy eueryevery ones appetite. Or if we ſhould; what were it, but (like the Tyrant, that would hauehave one bed to ſerue for men of all ſtatures) to racke out and torture the ouer-ſhort deuotion of thoſe that are children in Chriſt; and to mayme and cut theirs ſhorter, who are men growne and come to a perfect age? Yet ſeeing all Scriptures are written for our learning, me thinks theſe examples ſhould not bee in vaine, but well-befitting, for the moſt of Gods children to follow and imitate, eſpecially in this light of the Goſpell, and when the gifts of the Spirit doe ſo abound. And therefore I would perſwade all good Chriſtians, that beſides their prayers and 1. Tim. 4. 4, 5.thankeſgiuings before and after meales, whereby Gods bleſſing is obtained, and the creatures ſanctified to their vſe; they would at leaſt thrice a day make their ſolemn and ſet prayers vntounto almighty God; that is, firſt, betimes in the morning priuately by themſelues, before they go about their ordinary affaires and workes of their calling. And then in the family, ſome time in the forenoone, when as the houſhold may with moſt conueniency meet all together, and either before or after Supper, when as we are to goe vntounto our reſt, or if wee be vnderunder gouernement, and in ſuch families wherein theſe duties are neglected, then muſt we performe them priuately by our ſelues, wherein we are to pray in eſpeciall manner for all thoſe who dwell with vsus, and principally for our gouernours; among other bleſſings, crauing this aboue others, that God will be pleaſed to giuegive them hearts to erect the exerciſes of Religion in their families, to the aduancement of his owne glory, and the ſaluation of themſelues, and thoſe who are committed to their charge. But yet let neither gouernours nor inferiours content themſelues with theſe family-duties, which they performe with others; but ſet ſome time and place apart for their priuate deuotions, that they may hauehave ſecret conference with God, confeſſing and bewayling their particular ſinnes and corruptions, which being knowne onelyonly to him and their owne conſciences, they would not hauehave men to take notice of them by any open acknowledgments; laying open their ſpeciall wants, and deſiring earneſtly a ſupply of thoſe gifts and graces wherein they finde themſelues moſt defectiue; and rendring thankes vntounto God for thoſe peculiar benefits and bleſſings, which in a ſpeciall manner he hath conferred vponupon them.
§. Sect. 3 Of the extraordinary prayers vponupon eueryevery good occaſion.
But it is not enough that we vſe daily theſe ſet, ſolemne, and ordinary prayers, but we muſt, as our Sauiour inioyneth vsus, Pray alwayes, and as the Luk. 18. 1. 1. Theſ. 5. 17. Ʋerſ. 18.Apoſtle ſpeaketh, continually, and without ceaſing. That is, we muſt be ready to pray, ſo often as God ſhall giuegive vsus any occaſion, or as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, in eueryevery thing; that is, crauing Gods bleſſing when we vndertake any buſineſſe, and prayſing his name for his gracious aſſiſtance, whereby we hauehave beene inabled to atchieue it; crauing his protection at the approching of any danger, and his helpe and ſtrength for the ouercomming of any difficulty which affronteth vsus in our way. In a word, we muſt pray in ſeaſon, that is, at our ordinary times, and vponupon common occaſions; and out of ſeaſon, that is, extraordinarily, when any ſpeciall and new occaſion offereth it ſelfe vntounto vsus. VntoUnto which prayers, there is not required that we ſhould vſe our voyce, or geſtures of the body, which are vſed in ſet prayers; or that we ſhould in any continued or long ſpeach of the ſoule vntounto God, expreſſe our ſelues in all the parts of prayer: but onelyonly that we vſe ſudden and ſhort eiaculations, lifting vp our hearts vntounto God, and as it were darting vntounto the Throne of grace our feruent deſires, which we may doe, without being diſcerned in the middeſt of a crowd, and without any diſtraction from our ordinary affaires. And thus Nehemiah prayed vntounto Nehem. 2. 4.God in the preſence of an heatheniſh King, for good ſucceſſe in his ſuite. Moſes in the middeſt of the Armie for helpe and deliuerance, when Exod. 14. 15.as they were purſued by the Egyptians: And our Sauiour Chriſt himſelfe, at the graue of Lazarus. And thus are we to pray continually and John 11. 38, 41.without ceaſing, either in our ſet and ſolemne prayers, or theſe ſhort expreſſions of our hearts deſires in all companies, vponupon all occaſions, and at all times; not onelyonly in the day time, but euen in the night alſo, either riſing with Dauid to praiſe God, when our hearts are rauiſhed with the ioyfull apprehenſion of ſome extraordinary benefits; according to that, At Pſal. 119. 62.midnight will I riſe to giuegive thankes vntounto thee, becauſe of thy righteous Iudgements; or with the Church in the Lamentations, to craue helpe and deliuerance when we lie vnderunder the waight of ſome grieuous afflictions. Ariſe (ſaith ſhe) cry out in the night, in the beginning of the watches, powre out thine Lam. 2. 19.heart, like water, before the face of the Lord, &c. And this if wee doe, our prayer will be more feruent and effectuall, our ſenſes and ſoules being ſequeſtred from worldly affaires, and not incumbred and interrupted in theſe holy exerciſes, with any earthly diſtractions. Or at ordinary times, and vponupon vſuall occaſions, lifting and raiſing vp our hearts and minds vntounto God, when we wake out of our ſleepe, prayſing him for all his mercies and goodneſſe, and namely, for the reſt which he hath giuen vsus, and deſiring the continuance of his louelove and fauour, with all the ſignes and teſtimonies of it. But heere our chiefe care muſt bee, that by this continuall cuſtome and daily practice, we doe not grow to a leſſe eſteeme of this high and holy duty, that our hearts be not negligent and careleſſe in the performance of it, and ſo our prayers become cold and formall, and performed more for cuſtome then for conſcience, but that wee pray with our whole hearts, in zeale and feruency of Spirit, accounting it the higheſt priuiledge in the world, that we hauehave daily and continually ſuch ſweete entercourſe and communion with God, and ſuch free acceſſe vntounto the Throne of grace, at all times, and vponupon all occaſions, to make our ſuites and requeſts knowne vntounto our Soueraigne King and gracious Father, with aſſurance to hauehave them heard and granted. The which muſt inflame our deuotion and zeale, and cauſe vsus to powre forth our hearts vntounto God; without which, the prayer of the lips, wanting the fire of zeale and deuotion, will become (as the Wiſe man ſpeaketh) the ſacrifice of fooles. And Eccl. 5. 1.therefore we muſt with Dauid, powre out our ſoules vntounto God; and with the Pſal. 42. 4.afflicted Church, lift vp our hearts with our hands vntounto the Lord of heauen; or elſe we can hauehave no aſſurance to be heard, ſeeing theſe onelyonly who thus doe Lam. 3. 41.hauehave the promiſe; according to that of the Pſalmiſt; The Lord is nigh vntounto Pſal. 145. 18. Eſa. 29. 13.all them that call vponupon him, to all that call vponupon him in truth. And if we would hauehave the ſacrifice of our prayers accepted of God, we muſt not only offer vntounto him our outward members and parts, but waſh alſo our inwards, our Leuit. 1. 13.hearts and affections, and ſo offer our ſelues as a whole burnt offering vntounto God. And whilſt we ſtretch out our hands, our hearts alſo muſt be inlarged Pſal. 143. 6.with thirſting deſires, after the liuing waters and ſprings of Gods gifts and graces, like vntounto the thirſty land.
§. Sect. 4 Diuers motiues vntounto the daily exerciſe of prayer.
VntoUnto which daily and continuall prayers, with this zeale and feruency of Spirit, we may be moued; firſt, if we conſider, that we ſtand in ſuch Act. 17. 28.neede of Gods continuall helpe and aſſiſtance, that wee cannot ſubſiſt without it the leaſt minute, for in him we liue, and mooue, and hauehave our being. Secondly, that we ſtand daily and continually in want of ſome gift and grace of God, and of all of them in ſome meaſure and degree; and alſo of ſome one or other of Gods temporall benefits, or at leaſt, of the right and holy vſe of them. And therefore ſeeing our wants are continuall, and God hath appointed prayer as the hand of the ſoule, to be thruſt into his rich Treaſury of all grace and goodneſſe for a continuall ſupply, without which we can hauehave no aſſurance, that wee ſhall receiue any thing at the hands of God; heereby it manifeſtly appeareth that our prayers alſo ought to be daily and continuall. Thirdly, we are daily and continually ſubiect to innumerable dangers, in reſpect of the euils that may befall vsus in our ſoules, bodies, and eſtates, and it is God onelyonly watching ouer vsus with his prouidence, that can both preſerue vsus from them, and deliuer vsus out of them: the which, we cannot expect, vnleſſe we ſerue his prouidence, by vſing this meanes of prayer, whereby onelyonly his gracious helpe and aſſiſtance Mat. 7. 7.is obtained; and therefore our continuall dangers, needing continuall preſeruation from them, commendeth vntounto vsus the neceſſary vſe of our daily and continuall prayers. Finally, the many and mighty enemies of our ſaluation doe continually aſſault vsus with their tentations, that ouercomming, they may bring vsus to deſtruction. And prayer is the chiefe meanes, both of buckling vntounto vsus the whole Armour of God, whereby we are inabled to ſtand in the euill day; and of obtaining the helpe and aſſiſtance of his holy Spirit, whereby alone we are inabled to ouercome. And therfore as we are continually tempted to one ſinne or other, ſo muſt we continually pray for grace to withſtand the tentation; and as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, Pray alwayes, with all prayer and ſupplication in the Spirit, Epheſ▪ 6. 18.watching thereunto with all perſeuerance, &c.