Directions and Instigations to the Duty of Prayer, Title page – To the reader
DIRECTIONS AND INSTIGATIONS To the Duty of PRAYER, How, and why the Heart is to be kept with diligence.
Pressing Arguments and Directions for hearing the voice of the Rod.
Being the sum and substance of nine Sermons (not heretofore Printed,) By Mr. ANDREW GRAY, late Minister of the Gospel at Glasgow.
The second Impression, newly corrected and amended.
Col. 42. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
Prov. 23 26. My son give me thy heart.
Psal. 94 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest, O Lord, and teachest out of thy law.
Edinburgh, Printed by George Swintoun, and James Glen. Anno Dom. 1669.
To the Reader.
Christian Reader,
IT was not the design of the Lords Servant who preached these following Sermons, to have them thus published. And if he had survived the publishing of them, and of his other Sermons already printed, (and through importunity had condescended they should be put to the Presse) they would, no doubt, have come forth more refined, and better digested: and therefore be intreated Courteous Reader, rather to take in good part that which is intended for the publike good, then to carp at any thing which doth not satisfie thine own Genius; considering that what thou hast here was gleaned by a Church-writer, gathering together the substance of the matter from the mouth of the Speaker. And although, for the most part, the expression be the same as they were spoken; yet consider that Preaching and Writing have thei… several ornaments. These things whic… are enlived by the expression of th… Speaker, sometimes taketh well; whic… being commited to the Impression of th… Presse, seemeth flat, superfluous, digressive, and redundant: The zealous Temper of the Speaker in delivering his Message by word, carrying him sometime… without the limits and contextures o… the ordinary method.
As these Sermons were delivered wit… meeknesse and zeal, so be careful to re… them with a meek frame of spirit, … guard off all carping prejudices; and … have thy heart burning with zeal, to th… consuming of soul-depressing dulnesse.