SERMON XIV.

Of the Duty of Prayer.

IT

I THESS. V. 17.

Pray without ceafing.

Tis the manner of St. Paul in his Epiftles, after S ER M. that he hath difcuffed fome main points of doc- XIV. trine or discipline, (which occafion required that he should clear and fettle,) to propofe feveral good advices and rules, in the obfervance whereof the life of Chriftian practice doth confift. So that he thereby hath furnished us with fo rich a variety of moral and fpiritual precepts, concerning fpecial matters, fubordinate to the general laws of piety and virtue; that out of them might well be compiled a body of ethics, or fyftem of precepts de officiis, in truth and in completeness far excelling thofe which any philofophy hath been able to devife, or deliver. These he rangeth not in any formal method, nor linketh together with ftrict connection, but freely fcattereth them, fo as from his mind (as out of a fertile foil, impregnated with all feeds of wisdom and goodness) they did haply spring up, or as they were fuggefted by that holy Spirit which continually guided and governed him.

Among

SER M. Among divers fuch delivered here, this is one, XIV. which shall be the fubject of my prefent discourse; the which, having no other plain coherence (except by affinity of matter) with the rest inclosing it, I fhall confider abfolutely by itself, endeavouring fomewhat to explain it, and to urge its practice.

Pray without ceafing. For understanding these words, let us firft confider what is meant by the act enjoined, praying; then, what the qualification or circumftance adjoined, without ceafing, doth import.

1. The word prayer doth, in its ufual latitude of acception, comprehend all forts of devotion, or all that part of religious practice, wherein we do immediately address ourselves to God, having by fpeech (oral or mental) a kind of intercourse and converfation with him. So it includeth that praife which we should yield to God, implying our due esteem of his moft excellent perfections, moft glorious works, moft juft and wife difpenfations of providence and grace; that thanksgiving whereby we should exprefs an affectionate refentment of our obligation to him for the numberlefs great benefits we receive from him; that acknowledgment of our entire dependence upon him, or our total fubjection to his power and pleafure; together with that profeffion of faith in him, and avowing of fervice to him, which we do owe as his natural creatures and fubjects; that humble confeffion of our infirmity, our vilenefs, our guilt, our mifery, (joined with deprecation of wrath and vengeance,) which is due from us as wretched men, and grievous finners; that petition of things needful or convenient for us, (of fupply in our wants, of fuccour and comfort in our diftreffes, of direction and affiftance in our undertakings, of mercy and pardon for our offences,) which our natural ftate (our poor, weak, fad, and finful ftate) doth engage us to feek; that interceffion for others, which general charity or special relation do require from us, as concerned or obliged to defire and promote their good.

All

XIV.

All these religious performances prayer, in its largers E R M. notion, doth comprite; according whereto in common use the whole body of divine fervice, containing all fuch acts, is termed prayer; and temples, confecrated to the performance of all holy duties, are ftyled houses of prayer; and that brief directory, or pregnant form of all devotion, which our Lord dictated, is called his prayer: and in numberless places of Scripture it is fo taken.

In a ftricter fenfe, it doth only fignify one particular act among thofe, the petition of things needful or useful for us.

But according to the former more comprehenfive meaning, I choose to understand it here; both because it is most commonly fo used, (then, especially, when no diftinctive limitation is annexed, or the nature of the subject matter doth not reftrain it,) and because general reafons do equally oblige to performance of all thefe duties in the manner here prefcribed nor is there any ground to exclude any part of devotion from continual ufe; we being obliged no lefs inceffantly to praife God for his excellencies, and thank him for his benefits, to avow his fovereign majefty and authority, to confefs our infirmities and miscarriages, than to beg help and mercy from God. All devotion therefore, all forts of proper and due addrefs to God, (that maca poreux, all prayer and Eph. vi. 18. fupplication, which St. Paul otherwhere fpeaketh of) are here enjoined, according to the manner adjoined, without ceafing, adianтws, that is, indefinently, or continually.

2. For the meaning of which expreffion, we must suppose, that it must not be understood as if we were obliged in every inftant or fingular point of time actually to apply our minds to this practice; for to do thus is in itself impoffible, and therefore can be no matter of duty; it is inconfiftent with other duties, and therefore muft not be practifed; yea, will not confift with itself; for, that we may

pray,

SER M.pray, we muft live; that we may live, we must eat; XIV. that we may eat, we must work; and must therefore attend other matters: fo that actual devotion neither muft nor can fwallow up all our time and care. The deliberate operations of our mind are sometimes interrupted by fleep, fometimes will be taken up in fatisfying our natural appetites, fometimes must be fpent in attendance upon other reasonable employments, commanded or allowed by God; whence there can be no obligation to this practice according to that unlimited interpretation. This precept therefore (as divers others of a like general purport and expreffion) must be understood not in a natural, but moral fenfe, according as the exigence of things permitteth, or as the reafon of the cafe requireth; fo far as it is conveniently practicable, or as it is reafonably compatible with other duties and needs. But we must not fo reftrain it as to wrong it, by pinching it within too narrow bounds. How then it may Scripturæ be understood, and how far it fhould extend, we nem. Tert. fhall endeavour to declare by propounding divers fenfes whereof it is capable, grounded upon plain teftimonies of Scripture, and enforcible by good reafon; according to which fenfes we fhall together prefs the obfervance thereof.

Adoro

plenitudi

10.

I. First then, praying inceffantly may import the maintaining in our fouls a ready difpofition or habitual inclination to devotion; that which in Scripture Zech. xii. is termed the Spirit of fupplication. This in moral esteem, and according to current language, derived thence, amounteth to a continual practice; a man being reckoned and faid to do that, to which he is ever prompt and propenfe: as it is faid of the righPf. xxxvii. teous man, that he is ever merciful, and lendeth, beUt quamvis Caufe he is conftantly difpofed to fupply his neightacet Her- bour with needful relief, although he doth not ever mogenes actually difpenfe alms, or furnish his neighbour with men aque fupplies for his neceffity. The words may fignify Hor. this; they do at least by confequence imply fo

26.

cantor ta

eft, &c.

much:

35.

(2

xxx. 19.

much for if we do not in this, we can hardly per- s E R M. form the duty in any fenfe; without a good temper xiv. fitting, and a good appetite prompting to devotion, we scarce can or will ever apply ourselves thereto. If there be not in our heart a root of devotion, whence fhould it fpring? how can it live or thrive? If the organs of prayer are out of kelter, or out of tune, how can we pray? If we be not accinēti, have not the 1 Pet. i. 13. loins of our mind girt, and our feet fhod in preparation Luke xii. to the fervice, when fhall we fet forward thereto? Eph. vi. 14. My heart, faid David, is fixed, I will fing and give Pl. cviii. 1. praife: fixed, that is, readily prepared, and steadily inclined to devotion. So fhould ours conftantly be. Ezr. vii.10.) As a true friend is ever ready to entertain his friend with a frank courtefy and complacency; as he ever is apt upon occafion for advice and affiftance to have recourfe to him: fo fhould we be always difpofed cheerfully and decently to converfe with God, when he freely cometh to us, or we have need to apply ourselves to him. If there be (from ftupidity of mind, from coldnefs of affection, from fluggishness of fpirit, from worldly distraction) any indifpofition or averseness thereto, we fhould, by ferious confideration and induftrious care, labour to remove them; roufing our spirits, and kindling in our affections fome fervency of defire toward fpiritual things: otherwise we thall be apt to fhun, or to flip the opportunities inviting to devotion; our hearts will be fo refty, or liftlefs, that hardly we fhall be induced to perform it, when it is moft neceflary or useful for us.

II. Praying inceffantly may denote a vigilant attendance (with earneft regard, and firm purpose) employed upon devotion; fuch attendance as men ufually bestow on their affairs, whereof although the actual profecution fometime doth ftick, yet the defign continually proceedeth; the mind ever fo directing its eye toward them, as quickly to efpy, and readily to fnatch any advantages of promoting them.