The dtte ~alificatiom of Prayer. DireEfions [6r Fami0··Prayer. dull and cuHomary, and before )'OU arc aware your tongues ufe to go without your hearts. Th heart is apt to take its e~fe when ir feeleth not fom·; urg~nt ~nlHgation. And though the prefence 0~ God fhould ferve tum w tthout the regard of man, yet With 1mpcr.fcCl: men, the heart is btfi held to its duty when b~th conc.urr. And t.hercfore mofi are more cautclous of their words, than of their thrugh:s: As chlldnn w1ll learn theu Ldfon better, when they know their Maflcrs will hear them ir, than when they think he will not. Now in the ufe of a form of Prayer, a fleepy heart ·is not ar all difcnncd by man, bur by God only : For the words ore all brought to your hand, and may be fa1d by the mofi dull and carcl5fs mm~ : But when you arc put to exprefs your own defire, without fuch hc!ps, you arc necelluated to be fo mindful of what you do, as to form your ddires in~o apt ~xprdhons, or t:lfc rour dulncfs or inattentivcncfs will be obfcrv~d even by men: and you will be \!l{e one that hath h1s Co1ch, or Horfe, or Cmrches taken off h1m, that if he have legs mL:fl ufe them, or elfe lye flill. Aud to them that are able, it is often a great benctir, to be nwf Se_e M~··"-!a)l .."s Jitaud to ufc: t~e ability they have: Though to others it is a lofs to be depriv1.d of their helps. D~n:C:~ons ou I {peak not tlus againfi the l.rwfulnefr of a form of prayer; but to warn you of the tcmprarions tbtsca,e. which are in that way. 14. Joyn o(t with the rnofi fc:rious fervent Chrifiians : f'or their fervour will help your hearts to burn, and carry you along with them. 1 5· Dellroy not fervency by adulte– rating ir, and turning it into an affected earnefinefs of fpeed1, and lowdnefs of voice, when it is but an hypocritical cover for a frozen empty heart. ~rj!. 32· 9 32. ~ell, 3l· May we loo~(, to [pecdevrr the btttrr for any thing in oMr feivu, or in our prayer J ? Is not tl.1at to truft in them, when we .Jhould trujl on Chrijl aknt l Anfw. We mull not trufl in them for any thing that is Chrij!s part and not theiYJ: But for their own p.Jrt it is a duty to truft in them, (however quarrelfome pcrfons may abufe or cavil at the words) : And he th•t diftr•ftttb Prayer in that which is its proper office, will pray to little purpofe: And he that thinks thatft~itliful,[ervcnt, impbrttmate, undrrfta~ding pray~r, is no [DOte efftd-ual with God for mercy, than the babling of the hypocrite, or the 1gnorant, carelefs, unbe.licving, fleepy prayers of the nrgligent, will either not care how he prayeth, or whether he prayetl1 at all or nor. Though our pcrfons and prayers have nothing that is mtritorioMwith God, in poim of Commutative Jufticr, nor as is co-ordinate with the merits of Chrill; yet have they condition/ without which God will not accept them, and arc meritori •U! in fubordination to the Merit of Chrifi, in point of pater.. 'f 11al Govcrniug Juflict according to the Covenant of Grace; as an obediem. child drferveJb more Love ~ ~: :ryt~;:~:; and Praife, and Reward from his Fatherthan the diiobedient: as the antiem Fathers 'ommonly ufed J::orlle the word Merit. ~r(t. 33• 9. 33• Q!tll. 33· How mrifl that prr[ona11d prayrr bequ•lified that jhaU be acrrpted of God 1 A;rfw. There are feveral degrets of Gods acceptance. I. That which is but from common grace, may be accepted as better than none at all. I I. That which hath a promife of fame focrrfi, efpecial– Jy as to pardon a11d fatvation mull be, 1. horn a penitent believing holy perfon: 2. It mufi proceed from true Defire, and be finctre ; and have rtnewtd faith and repentance in fome meaCure. 3· It mufi Dirtll·l· Dire/1. 2· Direll. 3· Direa. 4· Dircll. 5• Dirra.6. Direa. 7• Dirca.s. · be put up in confidence on the merit and intcrcelfion ofChrifi. +·It mull be only for things law– ful. 5· And to a lawful end. Ill. That which is rxlraordinarily accepttd and fuccefiful, ml>ll be extraordinary in all thefe refpects ; in the per{onr holine[.t, and in renewed faith and fervent impor– tunity, and holy Love. Tit. 3· Special 'DireEliom for Family.Prayer. ~. 1. DireCt. I· LEt it be d,ne wher hy the Majler of the family him{e/f than any -other, if he be competently able, 1/J.oJ?,b otherr be more ab~e : But if he bt utttrly Hnjit, let it rather be dom by anotlur thaN not at aT!. And by fuch a one as IS moll acceptable to the reft, and like to do moll good. . . . .. ~· 2· Dirdt. 2· Lrt prayer be fuittd to the cafe of tb,fe tbt )Oyn tn 11, and to the condition of the family: And not a few general words fpoken by rote, that fcrve.a\l times and pcrfons alike. . ~. 3. Diud:. 3. Let it mitbtr be fo jhrrt M to e"}Td befurt thnr htartr c~n bt warm and thttr wanll txpreffed., ( aS if you had an unwilling task to llubbc:~ over, and would fam have done); nor yet fo tedicuJ a1 to mal\_t ir an ungrattful lmrdcn to the fJJmzly. . y. 4• Dinet. 4· Lrt not the coldnt/i and dulflt/i of the JPeaksr roe~ the famzly Jhep : But keep waktn your own heart, that you may keep the rdl: ~wake, and tOrce t~em to attention•. 9· 5· Direct. 5· p,_y at fucb h,., at the famtly may be leajl dij!rallrd, jlcepy, ttred, or out of the way. , d' d ~. 6. Direct. 6. Let otber dutiu concurr as oft M may bt to 11ffift in prayer: .as Rea mg an Singing Pfalms. • 9· 7· DireCt. 7· Vo aU ,.itb the greattft reverenc< of God that po!Jibiy you. COli : Npt fte>mn~ Reverence, but Rut ; that fa more of God thah of Man may apptar m every word yo fpeak. 1h h 9· 8. Diretl. 8. '1he more the hcarert are concermd in it~ the rnnre regJrd you muj a_ve to t d jitnt/i of )'Dttr exprr!Jisns: for before others, words mull be regarded, ldt they be fcandalmd, ~~d
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