The Christians Daily Practice, To the reader
THE EPISTLE TO THE READER
Reader,
I Have in the following Treatiſe preſented thee with the epitomy of ſeveral Sermons of the duty of Prayer. If thou art one that loves God, thou canſt not but love the Duty: If thou loveſt not God, nor the Duty, thy caſe is ſad, and much to be lamented. For if thou doſt not call upon God, thou canſt not live to the glory of God; but haſt a certain brand upon thee of one that doth no good, but is wholly given over to all manner of ſinne.Pſal. 14.1, 2, 3, 4. And if thou art one that doeſt but ſeldom perform the Duty, and takeſt no delight in it; let me tell thee, although thou makeſt a profeſſion of Religion, yet thy heart is not right with God, thou art an Hypocrite: For ſo ſaith Job of ſuch a one,Iob 27.10 Will he delight himſelf in the Almighty, will he alwayes call upon God? No, he will neither delight in God, nor be conſtant in calling upon God. Now that thou maiſt not be prophane, and pray not at all; or Hypocritical, and pray but ſeldom, and by fits; but that thou maiſt be quickned up, to the faithful and frequent performance of this ſo neceſſary a Duty, I have written this following Treatiſe. And for a further light in, and Encouragement to the Duty, I ſhall in this Epiſtle, ſhew you,
1. Several definitions of the Duty, given by ſeveral Holy men.
2. I ſhall ſhew you ſome Examples of the conſtant and frequent practice of the Duty.
Laſtly, I ſhall ſhew you the excellent, and great priviledges that belong to Gods people, that are frequent and conſtant in this duty of Prayer.
Firſt, for the ſeveral Definitions of Prayer: I find many, I ſhall name ſome. It is a Religious calling upon the name of God, by ſuite or requeſt, in which we deſire all things neceſſary.B. Uſher. It is a Religious preſenting of our wills before God.D. Amos. It is a lifting up of the mind to God.Muſculus. It is an ardent, and earneſt laying open of our heart before God, whereby from Faith in Chriſt, we do either requeſt, or entreat for any thing, or do give thanks for benefits received, whereby is gathered, that the Ten Commandements, the Angels ſalutation, and the rehearſing of the Creed, are no Prayers, becauſe in thoſe nothing is asked of God,Bucanus common places. Leighs body of Divin. Robinſons Reſolves. though ſimple people uſe thoſe as Prayers. It is an humble diſcourſe of the ſoul with God. It is a converſing with God, by which Gods love to us, and our love to God is encreaſed. It is an humble, hearty, and holy requeſt made according to Gods will, and offered up by Faith to God in the Name of Chriſt,Elton on the Lords prayer. for things needful for the body or ſoul. It is a putting up of our requeſts to God according to his word,Perkins on the Lords prayer. from a contrite heart, in the Name of Chriſt, with aſſurance to be heard. It is the breathing of the Spirit of God,Gal. 4.6. Rom. 8.14 28. and a proper action of the ſonnes of God. You ſee what the duty is; It is a work of Gods Spirit: Therefore beg the Spirit that thou maiſt pray:Pſ. 51.12. Luk. 11.13 It is a free Spirit, becauſe it is freely promiſed to thoſe that ask it.Rom. 8.26. And it ſo helpeth us in the duty of Prayer, that it makes us (which before we ſtreightned) to be free in the work.2 Cor. 3.17. For where the ſpirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And from hence it is that Gods Children are ſo frequent in the Duty: which is the ſecond thing I propounded to ſpeak too. Believe it, God hath never a Child but it is ever craving; They pray continually,1 Theſ. 5.17. becauſe they find continual need of Gods grace and help, and they find continual ſupplies thereof as an anſwer of Prayers. I read, That Conſtantine the Great made his Court a Church where Prayers were made. Jerom lived four years with Watchings, Faſtings, and Prayers. Bernard prayed day and night till his knees were ſo weary with faſting and prayer, that they could not uphold his body. Latimer (many times) continued ſo long in fervent Prayer, that he was not able to get up without help. And I read, that Clemens Alexandrinus prayed thrice a day. Luther let no day paſſe over his head in which he ſpent not three hours at leaſt in Prayer. Maſter Robert Bolton prayed conſtantly ſix times a day, twice with his Family, twice with his Wife, and twice in ſecret. Maſter John Bruen prayed ſeven times a day. And why are Gods ſervants thus frequent in prayer? Surely it is becauſe they find no trade that hath ſo quick and gainful returnes as this, and therefore they follow it ſo hard. And this leads me to the third and laſt thing I propounded to ſpeak to; and that is the excellent and great priviledges that belong to Gods people, that are frequent and conſtant in this Duty O! praying Chriſtian, how great are thy priviledges? Although thou maieſt be ſlighted, and diſ-eſteemed by man, yet thou hast free liberty to conferre with the King of Heaven;Cant. 2.14. who not onelyonly delights to hear thy voice, but inviteth thee to come unto him, and promiſeth to give thee whatſoever thou askeſt of him.Mat. 7.7. As long as thou conſtantly acquainteſt thy ſelf with God by prayer, thou ſhalt be ſure to have him thy conſtant friend,Job. 22.21 24. who will never fail,Heb. 13.5. nor forſake thee, but will abundantly ſupply unto thee, the want of all unfaithful, and unconſtant friends that deſert thee: where prayer is not wanting, grace and comfort cannot be wanting.John 16.23.24. Thou that art a child of God, and doſt the will of God, let the deſires of thy heart to God in Prayer be never ſo much enlarged, God will ſatisfie all thy deſires.Joh. 15.7. Pſal. 37.4. And it muſt needs be thus, for that God, that is able to do (for his children, and many times doth for them) exceedingly above all that they ask or think, Eph. 3.20.He will not, (and for his promiſe ſake) he cannot deny any of thoſe needful things his children ask of him.Pſ. 81.10. By prayer Gods people, not only obtain all the good things they pray for,1 Tim. 4.5 but alſo a ſanctified uſe of all thoſe good things. Whatſoever is given by God to man in a way of mercy, is given him as an anſwer of his Prayers.1 Joh. 5.14, 15. Prayer is the key that open all the Treaſures of God.1 Kings 8.33, 35. It is the great inſtrument of removing all evils from the ſoul and the body. It is the Character of the Saints. It is the condition of Gods promiſes;Ezek. 36, 37. the forerunner of Gods performances.Jer. 31.9. The happy priviledges of the praying Chriſtian are beyond expreſsion. They have a conſtant Communion with God. They have dayly ſupplies of grace from God,1 Joh. 1.3 whereby they are enabled to ſerve and pleaſe God, while they live here;Heb. 4.16. and they ſhall be made everlaſtingly happy with God hereafter.Rom. 10.13. No greater priviledges can be obtained then theſe; yet theſe are the priviledges of the praying Chriſtian. Would you be happy? pray, pray that your joy may be full:John 16.24. He deſerves to be miſerable, that might be made happy by praying, and yet will not ſet upon the Duty. But I ſhall pray, and hope, that theſe my labours may be ſuccesful for the ends intended; in directing in, and exciting to the Duty, thoſe that have not uſed it: in comforting and encouraging thoſe in the Duty, that dayly practiſe it. And in whomſoever either of theſe ends be promoted, let God have the glory; and forget not to pray for him, who is, to his power,
Thine in all Chriſtian ſervices for thy ſouls good, Sampſon Touneſend. July 1. 1658.