I,S:1m7. Thetime ofprayer. 68 [afes of Conjcience. !ookeouc at rhe windowtoward the Temple, A ~odpray,Dan,6,to, An[. Thef~ places are abufed by the Po– pifh Church. For there is grea! difference be– nveenetbe Tec!iple at Icrufalem in theolde Tcfiamcnr, and our Churches in rhe new. That w.s built byparticular commandemet from God: fo were not our Churches. That was atypeofrhe very body, and manhood of Chnil,Heb.9.11. and ofhis myilicall body, Coi.2.7.Againc,rhc Arkein theTemplewas apledge and fignification ofthecouenant,a Ggne ofGods prcfencc,a pledge ofhis mercy, and that by his owne appointment : for it was his w1l there toanfwcr hispeople: but the like cannot bee fhewcd of our Churches or B Chappcls. ,It will be faid,that the Sacrament is afigne ofGods prefcnce, for in it God is prefentaf– tcra [ort.Anfiv. Jt is true: Chri(i is prefenrin the Sacumcet, but when? noralwaic:s, bur then oncly IVhcn rhe Sacrament is admini· llred.And theadmini!lration beeing ended, Chn!l is no more prefent in the bread and wine. And in the very aCt ofcelebration, hrc is not carnally,butfpiritually prefcnt, s,a.4. The fourth Circumllance,isthcTime. £!!_•{/. What are rhctimes,inwhichmen arc to make praycrsvnto God? Foranlivcr to thiS Q;Jcilion,it is firll to be confidcrcd, that there is atwofold manner or praying, and confcquently twokindsofprai- C er, The fir!l is, thdecrct and fuddaine lifiing vp ofthe heart to God, vpon the prcfcntoc– calion. Thefecond is,fct or folemne prayer. The lidl fort of prayors, haue ofauncient times bcenccaJied eincularjtJtu,or the darts of the bcarr. And thctime ofthis kind ofprayer: is not determined, but is, and may bevfed at any rime without exception. Thispoint I make plaine by thefe rca(ons, The firllis,the commandemcntefGod,t. Thctf.5.17, Praywithoutce.fng, Eph.6. 18, Pra} alwates, with all mfl.tJnirofpraycram:JjHp· plic;lfionin the: fpirit, 1mdw~rtcb therruntD\\.ith make adaily fupply by his grace, Fourthly, Satan feekes by all rueanes too– uerthrowe ourfoulcs cominually;and in that regard it behoouethvs alwaies, and vpoo e– ucry occalion , to lift vpour hearts to God, for his mercifull protcClion. . Fifthly,thegift offaith mu!l grow andin– crea(eiovs day by day.And the means whcr– by it growcth and tbriueth in vs,are thee,.er– CI{" offaith, not feldome and rare, but daily and continuallyvfed. Now ofall thcexerci– fes offaith, none is more e~cellcnt then Inuocation andTbankfgluing. . The fecood krnde ofpraier, is Cet and fo. lemne;whcaman fets htmfelfenpart, to pray vnto God vfually& feruently: or,when nleh comereucrently andfolemnly togetherinto the congregation, to call vpon the nameof the Lord. The word ofGod appoints nofer time for this kind,btlt leaucs it ro the liberty, wifdomc , and d1fcrction ofmen. And the ground ofthis Liberrie is this ;There isnow no difference berwecnetimeand rime, in re– gard ofCon[cicnco, for performing the wor– O,ip of God, and the duties ofreligion ,(the Sabarh onely excepted) but the princ1pall .and ondy difference, is in regard ofoutward ordlrandconueniegcie, whereby one time may bethought fitter then another, and that mu(! be difcerned by the w1fdome ofmen,Io thenewTellament, thedJOinClion ofd•iu andhouru ,is taken away. Paul was afraid of the Galarians, bccaufe rhey made difference of .:lain, 11me1, montth.t,,md}flirtJ,inrtfpectoJ holmclfe and religion,Gol.4 1 o, 11. all pcrfeucrance-·for aUSaintt, In both rhefe ploces, byprayer and fupplications, Paul vn– derllandcrh the (uddaine lifiing vp of rhe hcnrt vnto God, Secondly,whatfoeuerwe fpeake,thinke,or doe,wemul1doall tothegloryofGod. Now God is glorified, when wecdoein:&llthings, from our hcarrsacknowkdgc his power, Mf· dome,iu!lke, mcrcie,prouidencr,and good– ncHC. Ancl rhefcwcc doe acknowledge, when wee dailyand hourcly lrft ,}pour hems to him, in pc:tition, for fame blcffings,and in thankfgiuingfor his mercies. By thisdotlrine ,wemay feewhattoiudge oftheRomane rehgion,touchingfet times of prayer.They prefcribecertain hcurcs,which they tearme Canomca/1; and they dr!linguiOl them in this manner, Theliril,theycallthe Matminc,beforethc Sunrifing, Thefecond, rhe Prime, (rem rhc firll houre ofthe day, to the third. The third, from thencetotbefixr houre. The fomth, from the lixth to the ninth. The fifth, fr6 the ninth to rhetwelfrh, wh1ch thcycallthe None. The fixth, is in the eueningabouttheSun•fetting. The feuenth D and lall,is after the Sunne-fetting,which they callt!JeComplerorir, Now in rhefe feuenpre– fcribed houres, by the dotlrine dcliucred, I note three n~table abufes, Thirdly,,,. arcfubicCl to innumerable in– firmiries,ffnilticsland wants, (o :as weecannor ofour(elucs ~ (o much as thinke one good rbougbt: thereforewe arc cucry day & home toWcvpour hearts ro God, partly in praicr, pardy in giuing of thankcs, that heewould • Firil,in that the Popifl1 Church binds men in conicienceroobferue them, vponpaineof morrall Gnne. Whereas in regard ofConfci– cncc,thcreis noditfcrcnce o(times. Second.. ly,they binde the Malre-priell, theDeacon, Subde:con,ond the Beneficedman, oncly to canonical! houres: whcreu thofc houres dif. fer nor fromothers, in regard ofperforn1ace ofGodsworJ11ip, ncuherare thefemenmore bound to pray in them,then others.Thirdly, that aman may fay and reade hiS canonicaiJ houresthis day for the morrow, andinthe morning, orafter dinner, for thewholeday: ~.vherein we may fee tbC?ir grutTe fi1perflition, lV.Q;le-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=