A Tractate to Further Christians in Prayer, Title page – Preface 1
AN USEFUL TRACTATE TO Further Chriſtians of theſe dangerous and back-ſliding times, in the Practice of the moſt needful Duty of PRAYER.
Wherein are diſcover'd the nature, neceſſity and ſucceſſe of FERVENT PRAYER: Many Objections anſwered, ſeveral Practical Caſes of Conſcience reſolved; and all briefly applied from this Text, viz.
James 5.16. The effectual fervent-prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Being the ſubſtance of ſeveral Sermons Preached in the Town of Columpton in Devon.
By William Crompton M. A. Miniſter of that part of Chriſts Church there.
John 16.23. And in that day ye ſhall ask me nothing: Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, Whatſoever ye ſhall ask in my name, he will give it you.
Coloſſ. 4.2. Continue in prayer, and watch in the ſame with thankſgiving.
London, Printed by J. H. for Philemon Stephens, at the Gilded Lion in S. Pauls Church-Yard. 1659.
ALthough there be many excellent Treatiſes already printed concerning Prayer, yet this enſuing Diſcourſe hath a peculiar excellency in it, for which it deſerves to be bought, and diligently peruſed. And let me aſſure the Reader, that he will neither repent of his mony, nor his pains; and that it will be his happineſſe to be transformed into the doctrine herein delivered.
Febr. 15. 1658. Imprimatur, EDM. CALAMY.
I Have peruſed this Treatiſe of Prayer, from the beginning to the end; and I conceive it will be good ſervice to God and his Church in the making of it publick; not ſo much becauſe of the delight it will yield to thoſe that read it, as becauſe I hope the holy directions which are herein given, will be of much avail to teach men to pray ſo, that their prayers may be the Lords delight, Pro. 15.18.
ARTH. JACKSON, Paſtor of the Church of Faiths under Pauls. Januar. 19. 1658.
TO THE VVORSHIPFUL ROBERT COCKRAM Eſquire, his honoured Patron; with the reſt of my conſtant Auditours in the Town and Pariſh of Columpton, The dew of Heaven be your portion, as the beauty and fatneſſe of the earth is your habitation: grace, mercy and peace be upon the heads and hearts of you all, that love Chriſt Jeſus in ſincerity.
BEſides my readineſſe to gratifie the deſire of ſome among you, and willingneſſe to give ſome ſignal of my unfeigned love to you all, I have been eaſily induced to publiſh the following Treatiſe, by theſe following conſiderations, viz.
1. That I might the better confirm theſe things wherein you have been inſtructed *Luke 1.4.: and not ſeem to labour altogether in vain, by beſtowing ſo much time on that which was to vaniſh in the hearing: a ſad lot which waits on the beſt things committed to leaking ears, as water poured into a veſſel full of chinks.
2. That I might benefit thoſe abſent, yea if it may be, the people that are yet unborn, Pſal. 102.18.
3. That I might leave a memorial with you, whenever it ſhall pleaſe the Lord of the Vineyard, whoſe I am, to call me off from you, and ſo ſupply my abſence, though by death, ſpeaking to you, when I cannot ſee you, yea living with you, when dead and laid in the duſt†Sic Mathaeus cum praedicaſſet Hebraeis & ad gentes ire pararet, utile judicavit ſi iis quos corpore deſerebat, aliquid memoriale doctri…ae ſuae relinqueret. Ut Bel lib. 4. de verb. Dei non ſcrip. c. 4. notavit ex Euſebio..
4. Becauſe the matter thereof is weighty, and the deſigne of no ſmall conſequence: it is to guide you in your going to God, how to converſe with him, to manage well your performances; in which if you are defective, the whole will be unprofitable. Religion is curious clock work, if but one wheel fail, ſo w…ll all the reſt: and as one ſtring in a Lute diſſonant and unharmonious to the reſt corrupteth the whole Muſick. There is in every duty abſolutely required righteouſneſſe quoad ſubſtantiam operis, and no leſſe quoad modum: the matter and the manner are of equal concernment; the flie in the Apothecaries ointment, and miſcarriage in the Chriſtians performance, render both unſavoury. If you are reſolved to the duty (as I hope you are, and more, Practitioners in it,) ſee here what it is will adorn your ſacrifice; why it muſt be ſo accommodated, and how it may be diſcerned: beſides other things which occur for your information therein.
There are, its true, other more excellent Diſcourſes of this nature extant, ſome of the ſame metal bearing a better ſtamp: but this I commend to you ſooneſt, becauſe your own, it is hony that was gathered for your uſe, milk drawn from your own breſt, and therefore moſt proper for you; it is a ſheaf gathered out of your own field: a diſh taken from your own table, if it be not ſo well filled as might be expected, ſo circumſtantiated as the ſubject doth deſerve, you cannot deſpiſe it, except you blame your ſelves who choſe the Cook.
Accept it then with the ſame love it is offered: read it with the ſame diligence you heard it. If any among you may be informed, convinced, confirmed, reſolved, comforted, quickned, by any thing here preſented, I ſhall account a ſufficient recompence, and rejoice that I have not run in vain.
And now, my Beloved, ſince I have opportunity, ſuffer me in the eye of the world to exhort you. The publiſhing of theſe things was chiefly intended for you, let it be your care, to be the principal Proficients by it; here is a talent committed to your careful improvement, lay it not in a napkin, hide it not in the earth. Now be doing; move (Planet-like) uniformly; Covet grace rather then gifts, as to pray more fervently, though leſſe notionally; yet ſtrive to come behinde in no ſpiritual gift. Be men of excellent ſpirits: and expreſſe ſincerity by your fervent endeavours after communion with God and fellowſhip with Chriſt. Like the Eagle, ſoar aloft, but out of love to Heaven. Trade for grace, your trading on earth is ſlack, unprofitable. Let your converſation be now, where you would have it to be ſhortly, when you ſhall be here no more; be not ſlack in cloſet-ſervices; do not you as others that reſtrain prayer before God, but continue in prayer and watch in the ſame with thankſgiving; O pray continually, and that not out of form, but feeling. Serve God faithfully; keep cloſe to Christ your Captain: Stand in your order, (O 'tis a ſtragling age!) fly not from your colours! quit your ſelves like men, and men of valour, ſouldiers in the ſpiritual war for Chriſt and his truth; manifeſt your actual memberſhip of the Militant Church, be mindeful of the yet ſuffering body of Chriſt; join your mutual forces for her help: fervent prayer will do it; be not weary nor wanting. But my-thinks I hear you reply, and ſay with Samuel, God forbid that we ſhould ſinne againſt the Lord in ceaſing to pray.
I will therefore diſmiſſe you with prayer to God for you, in the words of old Eli, Go in peace, and the Lord of Iſrael grant you your Petitions, which you have, or ſhall ſo ask of him for your ſelves or others! To his Grace I leave you, and remain
Your moſt affectionate Paſtor, Devoted to the ſervice of your faith. W. Crompton.
Mr FORD'S PREFACE TOUCHING The enſuing Treatiſe, and the Subject thereof.
I Need not commend the Subject of this Diſcourſe to any that confeſſes there is a God. He that hath but ſo much Divinity, as to acknowledge a Deity, muſt needs grant Prayer to be a neceſſary duty. For the uſefulneſſe I appeal to all that have found the benefit of it by experience: And they are ſuch as count of no enjoyment, but what is the fruit, and return of prayers. It may be truly ſaid of Prayer; It is not more our duty, then our priviledge. Tis (as one ſaith) piae mentis cum Deo colloquium, The converſe, and commerce that a gracious ſoul on earth hath with God in Heaven. A priviledge indeed as great as we are here capable of, that we may come to God as children to a father, and ſpeak to him, as a man ſpeaketh to his friend.
Now he that hath but ſo much leaſure, and patience as will give him leave to peruſe this ſhort Diſcourſe, will finde many encouragements to preſſe the performance of this duty, and many helps to direct him in it. Its aim and ſcope is nothing elſe but to teach us to pray. It meddles with no controverſie, only reſoves a Caſe or two in order to practice; the deſign of it being only to learn us how to reaſon the caſe, and plead our cauſe with God. In one word; It ſhews nothing but the practice of Religion in one great and neceſſary part of it. And if thoſe who pretend moſt to godlineſs would fall cloſer to their work in the practice, and think more of expreſsing the life, and power of it in effectual-fervent-prayer, & the duties of perſonal relations, and particular callings, I am ſure they ſhould finde more ſound peace and comfort, then now they do in many frivolous controverſies, and perverſe diſputings. For fooliſh queſtions do but puff men up in pride, and ſelf-conceitedneſſe: whereas effectual-fervent-prayer, and practical godlineſſe edifie, and establiſh in grace, render men approved to God, and amiable in the ſight of all that have to do with them. Tis very remarkable what the reverend Authour obſerves in this enſuing Treatiſe; That whilſt we are quarrelling and striving one with another, we can never wreſtle, and strive with God, as we ought to do, in Prayer. And then what marvel is it if iniquity do abound, and the love of many wax cold as it doth? But I ſhall Preface no more, Let it ſuffice, to ſay of this Treatiſe, that it is ſhort and ſweet. Hath in it plenty with much variety, and all couched into a narrow compaſs, ſo as the Reader is in no danger of being cloyed, as ſome gueſts are wont to be at a great Feaſt, where the ſight of ſo much as is ſerved in, takes off their ſtomacks that they can eat little. Here is enough, and no more of what is ſingularly uſeful for all that have but a minde, and good will to pray. And in teſtimony hereof, I ſubſcribe my ſelf an hearty well-willer to the publication of this Treatiſe, and the Readers due improvement of it.
Tho. Ford. Exceter Decem. 16. 1658.