A Help Unto Devotion, Title page – Dedication
A Helpe vntounto Deuotion: Containing Certain Moulds or Forms of prayer, fitted to ſeuerall occaſions; & penned for the furtherance of thoſe, who hauehave more deſire then skil, to poure out their ſoules by petitions vntounto God.
By Sam. Hieron.
Phil. 4. verſe 6.
In all things let your requeſts be ſhewed vntounto God, in Prayer and Supplication, with giuing of thankes.
Imprinted at London by H. L. for Samuel Macham, and are to be ſolde at his ſhop in Pauls Church-yard at the ſigne of the Bull-head, 1608.
To the right Worſhipfull the Lady Mary Strode, of Newingham in Deuon.
MAdam, if I ſhould vndertake a diſcourſe of the worth and excellencie of Prayer, it vvould be much harder for mee to keepe meaſure, then to bee furniſhed vvith matter. How it is commaunded by God, and commended by the frequent practiſe of all the faithful, there is no man reading the Scripture can bee ignorant: and what ſvveetneſſe it brings to the Soule and Conſcience, by hauing ſuch a continuall entercourſe & communion with the Lord, I hope your Ladyſhip can witneſſe from your owne experience. This is all I will ſay on the behalfe of Prayer, that as it is one of Gods titles of Honour to be ſtiled, The hearer of Prayers (Pſal 65.2.) ſo to call vponupon the Name of the Lord is put for the whole duety and as it vvere the life and ſubſtance of a Chriſtian. (1. Cor. 1.2. 2. Ti. 2.19.). Prayer is that vvhichwhich ſeaſoneth all other ſeruices which we offer vntounto God, it is an argument of a mans effectual profiting by other exerciſes of godlineſs, it is a thing vvhichwhich the perſecuters of the Saints, vvhen they violently cauſe all publike acts of worſhipping God to be intermitted, cannot abbridge vntil life it ſelfe be extinguiſhed. Much talking there is of Prayer in the world: but if, ſetting aſide mens lip-deuotiō, enquiry be made into them, what apprehenſion they hauehave of their owne wants, what conceit of the Maieſtie and preſence of God, what knowledge and vnderſtanding of his promiſes, vvhat care (when they come to pray) to watch ouer their own ſtraggling thoughts, and to tye their hearts to that buſineſs of deuotion, vve ſhall find ſuch an vniuerſal ſcarcitie of theſe things, that it may bee ſafely affirmed, that albeit there be many kneelers and ſpeakers, and repeaters of words, yet there are fewe true petitioners vntounto God. Now among thoſe fevve which make conſcience to performe this duty as they ought, I hauehave obſerued a great defect: namely, that for want of exerciſed vvits, of knovvledge in the Scriptures, and eſpecially of experiēce in the power of godlineſs, and of a liuely ſenſe and diſtinct conceiuing of their own perſonall neceſſities, they are not able to bee their ovvne meſſengers, nor to doe their owne errand, in preſenting the ſacrifice of Prayer before the Lord. They vvould pray vvith their families, but they know not hovv; they hauehave a vvillingneſs vponupon other occaſions to become ſuters vntounto God but they cānot deuiſe which way to begin. To helpe theſe, I hauehave lately taken a little paynes: not vvith an intent to bind their deuotions to my words, (for vvho am I, that I ſhould take vponupon mee to limit the motions of another mans heart, to a forme of my deuiſing?) neither yet to cheriſh any in this their inſufficiency to deliuer their owne apprehenſions and particular caſes vntounto God: but that by ſeeing the order and courſe of Prayer, and by acquainting themſelues with words and formes of ſpeach agreeing to the nature of ſuch an exerciſe, they may at laſt, like little children, vvho by creeping, & by the leading of others, learne to go, be able to performe this holy duety with cōtentment to themſelues, and with comfort alſo to others vppon occaſion. Hauing ended this little labour, I emboldened my ſelfe to offer it to your Ladyſhip: not ſo much for your owne neede (who I hope are able with Hannah, out of the abundance of inward feeling, to poure out your Soule before the Lorde, 1. Sam. 1.15.16) but as a pledge of my louelove, and as a witneſſe of my thankefulneſſe vntounto God for his graces in you. And ſo leauing this Manuel with you, as a memoriall of that reſpect which your Ladyſhip may many wayes challenge from mee, I pray God in Christ to keepe you by his mighty Power through fayth, vntounto Saluation.
Modbury, the 10. of October. 1608. Your La. in all Chriſtian duty, Sam. Hieron.