The Doctrine of Practical Praying, Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV. Of things required out of the action of prayer.
HItherto we have spoken of such things as are required in the action of invocation: Now we are to treat of those things which must be done out of the action, that is to say, both before and after.I. Preparation. The reasons why preparation is necessary.
Before there is required preparation. For …. if we ought to prepare our selves when the Lord is to speak unto us in the ministery of the word, that we may be fit to heare; as Exod. 19. Eccles 4. 17. then mu…h more are we bound to prepare our selves when we our selves are to be speakers, that we may be fit to speak to so great a Majestie. 2. If we will not speak to our superiours, especially our Prince, without preparation, how much more ought we to come prepared when we are to speak to the King of kings, and that concerning matters of great importance? Thirdly, we may not be rash with our mouthes, nor let our hearts be hastie to utter any thing before God, Eccles 5. 1. But as the sonne of Sirach adviseth, Before we pray we ought to prepare our selves, and not be as those that tempt God, Ecclus 18. 23. Fourthly, we have the example of David Psal. 108. 1. and 57. 7. O God, my heart is prepared, so is my glory; I will fing and give praise.
Now this preparation consisteth partly in removingThis preparation consisteth, 1. in removing impediments the impediments, and partly in the using of the means. For first, We must look to our feet, Eccles 5. 1. that is, with what affections and dispositions we come to prayer▪ and consequently are to lay aside all carnall thoughts and worldly cares which might distract our minds. Quicquid ante orationis horam Cassian. Collat. 9. cap. 3.anima nostra conceperit, necesse est ut orantibus nobis per ingestionem recordationis occurrat. Quamobrem quales orantes volumus inveniri tales nos ante orationis tempu… praeparare debemus: Whatsoever before the houre of prayer the mind hath conceived, it is necessary that whilest we are praying it offer it self by the ingestion of the remembrance. Wherefore such as we would be found to be whilest we pray, we must prepare our selves to be such before the time of prayer. Secondly, we must put off the shoes off our feet; as Exod. 3. Jos. 5. that is, our pollutions and corrupt affections: as carnall lust, which maketh the heart speak lewd things; and anger, as 1. Tim. 2. 8. 1. Pet. 5. 7. Matth. 5. 23, 24. Thirdly, we must not suffer our heart to be made heavie with surfeting and drunkennesse, Luke 21. 34, 36. but contrariwise, with prayer upon extraordinary occasions to joyn fasting, 1. Cor. 7. 5. and with the ordinarie a moderate diet. Fourthly, if we be guilty of any sin unrepented of we must repent thereof, promising and purposing amendment for the time to come; for sinne not repented of is as a wall of separation between God and us, Isai. 59. 1, 2. God heareth not impenitent sinners, John 9. 31. Isai. 1. 15, 16, 18. & therefore, as Psal. 26. 6. we must wash our hands in innocencie, and so come to the altar of the Lord to offer the incense of our prayers, lifting up holy hands unto God, 1. Tim. 2. 8.
The means. First, because the Lord prepareth the 2. In using the means.heart, Psal. 10. 17. we are to desire him to prepare our hearts unto prayer. Secondly, we must use meditation: In which regard David calleth his prayer his meditation, Psal. 5. 1. that is to say, that which he had meditated of, Psal. 142. 2. Effundam coram eo meditationem meam, I will poure out my meditation before him. There is such affinity between meditation and prayer, that the Hebrew word foreign signifieth either of both, to meditate, or to pray: and therefore Gen. 24. 63. some reade that Isaac went out to meditate; others, to pray: And it is likely that he did both; first meditate, and then pray.
Now the end of this preparation being to makeMeditation required before prayer. us fit to perform such duties as are required in prayer, our meditation must be referred thereunto. And first if we find ourselves backward in the duty it self, we may meditate on those reasons which before we used to this purpose. And that we may perform it in an holy manner, we must stirre up our hearts, as David doth in many places, as Psal. 103. 1. that so we may call upon God with our hearts. And if our knowledge be so small that we are notable to conceive a prayer of our selves but must be fain to use a form prescribed by others, we must beforehand meditate thereof, that we may be able both to understand it and to use it aright. And that we may pray in faith, we are to meditate on the promises of God made to our prayers, and on the mediation and intercession of our Saviour Christ, on which our faith is to be grounded. Likewise we are to meditate on our own unworthinsse, that so we may pray in humilitie; of the glorious Majestie of God our heavenly Father, that we may call upon him in reverence; of the excellency, profit, necessitie of those blessings for which we either pray or give thanks, that so we may pray with fervencie and give thanks with alacrity. And further, if we conceive a prayer before not used, we are to meditate not onelyonly of the matter but also of the manner and order of our speech, that we may be able to say with David, My Psal. 108. 1.heart is prepared, so is my tongue; I will now call upon the name of the Lord. And thus much of Preparation.
After the action there ought to be such a dispositionII. Of the duti…s to be performed after prayer. as the severall kind of invocation doth especially require: Whereof in due place. In the mean time this admonition in generall may be given, That when we have at any time called upon God, we take heed that we do not end our prayers as we end epistles, with a Vale, bidding the Lord Farewell till the time of prayer come again, as though we had then ended our task and had performed all the service we ow unto God, in the mean time neither thinking of God or godlinesse, but following our own corrupt wayes. For howsoever we cease to speak unto God for a time, yet we cease not to be in his sight and presence; and therefore cannot do as untoward children and unchast wives, who though in absence they have behaved themselves lewdly, yet approve themselves to their parents and husbands by their demure carriage in presence: But we are continually in Gods sight and presence; and therefore if after we have called upon God we play the lewd children even in his sight, and go a whoring after vanities in his presence, how cannot this but greatly amaze us against we shall pray again, and put us out of hope to be heard. Wherefore the frequent exercise of prayer is a notable bridle to restrain us from sinne, whether you respect that which is past or that which is to come. For when a man is about to commit sinne, let him call to mind his prayer past; Am I that man who so lately called upon God, making such shew of pietie, pretending a zeal of Gods glory in advancing his kingdome and doing his will? &c. or that which is to come; With what face can I appear before God guilty of such offenses? with what affiance can I lift up these eyes unto God, that behold vanities; these hands unto God, that commit such sinnes? &c. Let us therefore with David use to meditate, If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me, Psal. 66. 18. following the advice of the Apostle, 2. Tim. 2. 19. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquitie. For, not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdome of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven, Matth. 7. 21. Inessicax est petitio cùm precatur Cyprian.Deum sterilis oratio, i. sine operibus: Petition is uneffectuall when we call upon God with a barren prayer, that is, without good works. And thus much of the manner of Invocation.