A Difp~<tation for f'am•0'•Wnrjhip. Ar?. 5: I "('im. 4· S· .Sh.e tiJ<Jt H a TYido'": indttd ttnd defoJatt, trzejletb in God, and coHtimtttb l~e {upplz~atwu, and p~.tY.tY'I mg_ht ·~nd d.zy. NtgiJt and d:2y ea~ be no .lefs than Morning and Evcniug. And 1f you fay, Tlm u 1101 f amtly·praycr, I anfwer, I· It JS all kmd of Prayer belonging to her 2• And if it Cl)mtnend the tc:fs, much more rhe greater. ' Arg. 6. From Luk. 6• 14· & 2· 37· & r8. 17· A{l:._ 26. 7· 1Thef. 3· 10. 2 Tim. 1. 3• Rev. 7· 15· N,h. I· 6. Pf•l. 88. I· Jnfh. r. 8. Pfal. I· 2. wh1ch !hew that nigl;t and dayChrill himfdf prayed, and his fervants prayed and meditated and read the Scripture. Arg. 7· Drz<t. 6. 7• & 1I· 19. It is exprcfly commanded that Parents teach their Children the Word ot God when. they lye dow~t, and when tbey rife up: And the pnity. of reafon, and cunjundi.. on of the word and prayer, w1ll prove that they fhould alfo pray wnh thetn lying down and 11fing up. Arg. 8. For brevity fake I offer you together, Pfal. 1 r9. 164. David praifcd God feven rimes a day: & 145· •· Everyday n>ill I bleflthec. pf,I. 5• 3· my voice j/Jalt tiJOu hear in the morning 0 Lord: in ~~e mor!'in~. wiU I dire[i my praJ•Cr t_o thte, and wiU loo~ up. ' 59• t6. I wiU fing a/odd of thy mercy zn the mormng: 88. 13. f,z the mornmg Jhall my prayer prevent thee. 92· 12. It i1 good to give thanJv unto the Lord, and tn Jing praifes t!l thy name, 0 mojf High: to fhew forth tby loving kjHdne[s ifJ. the morning, and tby f.Jithfulmji every nigbt. 119. 147, 148. I prevented the dawniJtg of the morning andcrJ•td, I bdpedin thy word : mine t)•tf prevent the night W.Jtches, that I might meditate on thy word. I 30. 6. N!y jirHI waitefb for the Lord more tb:sn they that W.Jtch for the mornint,, I fay more than tiJey that watch for the morning. The Pri~fis were to offer Sacrificer and tb.Jnkr to God everymorning: 1 Chron. 23· 30· Exod. 30· 7· & 36.3. Lev. 6. 12· 2 Chron. 13· 11. Ezek. 46. 13, 14, '5· Amos 4• 4• And Chriflians are a baly Pricjfho(Jd, toojftr up {acrifice; to God, acctptablt througft Jt[UI Cb,i(f, 1P(t. 2. 5, 9· Exprefly faith David, Pfal. 5S· 17. Evening and morning and at neon, wiU I pray and cr~y .:Jlo:cd, and ht jht'U hear my voict. So Morning and Evening were Sacrifices and Burnt offerings of– fered to the Lord; and there is at leaf\ equal rea[on that Gofpel-wodhip fhould be as frequent: 1Clmn. 16. 40. 2 Chron. 2· 4· & 13• 1I. & 3r. 3• Ezr. :l· 3· 2 King. r6. 15· 1King. r8. 29, 36. Ezra 9• 5· And no doubt bm chcy prayed with the Sacrifices. Whic;hDavid inrimateth in com}>ariug them, Pial. 141· 2. Let my Pray<r be [et forth before thee a1 Incwfi, and the lifting up of my h>ndt ., the Evening j'acrifice. And God calleth for Prayer ,fnd praiff as better than facrifice, Pfal. 50. 14, I), 23· · - , All rhefe I heap together fordifpatch, which fully fhcw, how f"quentlyGods fervants have been wont to Worfhip him, and how often God expcchth it• . And you will all confefs that it is reafon that in Golpd rimes of greater light and holinels, we fhould not come behind them in the times of the Law : efpecially when Chrifl himfelf doth pray all night, that had fo little need in comparifon ofus. And you may obferve that thefe Scriptures fpeak of Prayer. in g<neral, and :tinlit it nor to ficrefie; and therefore they extend to all prayer,according to opportunity. No reafon can limit all thefeex~ ..,. ampies to the moll fecret, and 'teafi noble fort of prayer. If but two or three are gathered together in hi; name, Chritl is cfpeci:~.lly among them. · [f you fay, that by this rule we mull as frequently pray in the Chur,h-affemblies; I anfwer, The Church cannot ordinarily fo oft affemblc 1 : But when it ea~ ~ewith?ut a J;reater inco~venience, _I doubt not but it would be a good work, for many ro meet the Mamtler daaly for prayer, as m fome r1ch and populous Cities they may do. ' · · I have been more tedious on this fubjeCl: than a holy hungry Chriflian pi>ffibly may think necdfuy, who needeth not fo many arguments to perfwade him to fcall his feu! wilh God,and to delight hirnfelf in the frequent exercifes of faith and Love ; And if I have fa id lefs thart the other fort of Readers tha11 think necdT'ary, let them know that if they will open their eyes, and recover their appetites, and feel their fins ond obferve their daily wants and dangers, and get but a heart that Loveth God, thefe Reafons then ;,ill feem fufficient to convince them ol the need of fo fwect and profitable and necdfary a work : And if theyobfcrve the difference between Praji1rg,and PrtJyerlifl families, and care for their fouls and for communion with God, much fewer words than thefe may ferve their turn. I! is a dead and gracelefs, carnal heart, that mull be cured before thefe men will be well fatisficd : A better appe– tite would help their reafon. If God fhould fay in general to all men, You ]hall tat ., oft ar wiU d• yoJe good; the fick flomach would fay, once ~ day, an~ th_at but a little, is enough, and as much as God rcquireth; when another would lay, 1hr1Ct a day ulzttle enough. A good and hea!thful Heart is a great help, in the expounding of Gods wo~d, efpecially of his Genera~ Commandments. That which men love not but areaweary of, they wtll not eafily beheve to be the1r duty. The new n1ture, and holy Love and d~fir<s and exptrience o~ a found believer~dofo far ma~~ all thefe Reafonings need– lcfs tohlm, rhat I mull confffs l.have wr~lten them pnncJp.tlly to convince the 'arnal hypocnte, and to flop the mouths of wranghng enemies. CHAP.
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