Page images
PDF
EPUB

SERM. life; that the enemy (the fin which doth fo easily befet us) VII. may not come on between, or at any time affault us, Heb. xii. i. without a force fufficiently near to reach and repel him.

In determining these seasons and measures of time according to just proportion, honest prudence (weighing the feveral conditions, capacities, and circumftances of each perfon) muft arbitrate. For fome difference is to be made between a merchant and a monk, between those who follow a court, and those who refide in a cloister or a college. Some men having great encumbrances of business and duty by neceffity imposed on them, which consume much of their time, and engage their thoughts; of them in reafon, neither fo frequent recourfes to, nor fo long continuance in prayer can be demanded, as from those who enjoy more abundant leisure, and freer scope of thoughts. But fome fit times all may and must allow, which no avocation of business, no distraction of care fhould purloin from them.

Certain feasons and periods of this kind nature itself (in correspondence to her unalterable revolutions) doth seem to define and prescribe; those which the royal ProPfal. xcii.1, phet recommendeth, when he faith, It is a good thing to 2. lv. 17. give thanks unto the Lord, and to fing praifes unto thy name, O thou most high: To fhew forth thy loving-kindness every morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Every day we do recover and receive a new life from God; every morning we do commence business, or revive it; from our bed of rest and security we then iffue forth, expofing ourselves to the cares and toils, to the dangers, troubles, and temptations of the world: then efpecially therefore it is reasonable, that we fhould facrifice thanks to the gracious preserver of our life, and the faithful reftorer of its fupports and comforts; that we should crave his direction and help in the pursuit of our honest undertakings; that to his protection from fin and mischief we should recommend ourselves and our affairs; that, by offering up to him the first-fruits of our diurnal labours, we fhould confecrate and confign them all to his bleffing; that as we are then wont to falute all the world, so then

VII.

chiefly with humble obeisance we should accoft him, who SERM. is ever prefent with us, and continually watchful over us. Then alfo peculiarly devotion is most seasonable, because then our minds being lefs prepoffeffed and peftered with other cares, our fancies becoming lively and gay, our memories fresh and prompt, our fpirits copious and brisk, we are better disposed for it.

Every night also reafon calleth for these duties; requiring that we should close our business and wind up all our cares in devotion; that we should then blefs God for his gracious prefervation of us from the manifold hazards and the fins to which we ftood obnoxious; that we should implore his mercy for the manifold neglects and tranfgreffions of our duty, which through the day paft we have incurred; that our minds being then fo tired with study and care, our fpirits fo wafted with labour and toil, that we cannot any longer sustain ourselves, but do of our own accord fink down into a posture of death, we fhould, as dying men, refign our fouls into God's hand, depositing ourselves and our concernments into his cuftody, who alone doth never fleep nor flumber; praying that he would guard us from all the dangers and difturbances incident to us in that state of forgetfulness, and interregnum of our reason; that he would grant us a happy refurrection in safety and health, with a good and cheerful mind, enabling us thereafter comfortably to enjoy ourselves, and delightfully to serve him.

Thus if we do constantly bound and circumfcribe our days, dedicating those most remarkable breaks of time unto God's fervice, fince beginning and end do comprehend the whole, seeing, in the computation and style of Mofes, evening and morning do conftitute a day; we maywith fome good congruity be faid to pray inceffantly.

Especially if at the middle diftance between those extremes we are wont to interpofe fomewhat of devotion. For as then usually our fpirits, being fomewhat shattered and spent, do need a recruit, enabling us to pass through the refidue of the day with its incumbent business; fo then it would do well, and may be requifite, in a meal of

SERM. devotion to refresh our fouls with fpiritual fuftenance, VII. drawn from the never-failing forehouse of divine grace;

which may fo fortify us, that with due vigour and alacrity we may perform the enfuing duties to God's honour and our own comfort. Thus to practise was the resolution of Pfal. Iv. 17. the Pfalmift, that great master of devotion; Evening, faid he, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud. And this was the cuftom of the noble Daniel, from which Dan. vi. 10. no occafion could divert, no hazard could deter him: He kneeled, faith the story, upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God.

These are times which it is neceffary, or very expedient, that all men (even perfons of highest rank, and greatest employment) fhould obferve. Thefe even of old were the practices of religious perfons, not exprefsly prescribed by God's law, but affumed by themselves; good reason suggesting them to the first practisers, and the confenting example of pious men afterward enforcing them.

God indeed did himself in his Law, or by his Prophets, appoint public and folemn celebrations of worship to himfelf, in facrifices (involving prayer and accompanied therewith) conftantly to be offered every morning and even2 Chron. ii. ing religious princes also did institute services of thankf1 Chron. giving and praise to be performed at those times: but xvi. 40, 41. there doth not appear any direct inftitution of private Ezr. iii. 3. devotion, or its circumstances; but the practice thereof

4.

xxiii. 30.

:

feemeth originally to have been purely voluntary, managed and measured according to the reason, by the choice of each person; yet so, that the practice of eminently good men leading, and others following, it grew into a kind of common law, or standing rule, (feeming to carry an obligation with it,) to observe the times fpecified.

Besides those three times, there were farther other middle times obferved by devout people, who had leifure and difpofition of mind thereto; once between morning and noon, and once between noon and evening were fequeftered to that purpose: whence in the Acts the ninth hour of the day (that is, the middle interval between

VII.

noon and evening) is called the hour of prayer. Yea, SERM. fome did impofe on themselves the obfervation of two other times, one between evening and midnight, the A&s iii. 1. other between midnight and morn. To which practice those places in the Pfalms do feem to allude; My Pf. lxiii. 5, mouth fhall praife thee with joyful lips, when I remem-6.

147, 148.

ber thee on my bed, and meditate on thee in the nightwatches. I prevented the dawning of the morning, and Pfal. cxix. cried Mine eyes prevent the night-watches, that I may meditate on thy word. And plainly the whole number of those times, which the Pfalmift obferved, is expreffed in thofe words: Seven times a day will I praise thee, because Pfal. cxix. of thy righteous judgments. Which examples whoever fhall choose to follow, (in any measure,) he shall do wifely and commendably; he shall certainly have no cause to repent; he will find it richly worth his while; great benefit and comfort will thence accrue unto him.

If indeed Jews were fo liberal in affigning, fo punctual in affording such portions of time for yielding praise, and offering fupplications unto God; how much more free and ready, more careful and diligent, should we be in this way of practice? we who have a religion fo far more spiritual, and exempt from corporeal encumbrances; precepts fo much more exprefs and clear; fo much higher obligations and ftronger encouragements to this duty; whom God in especial manner fo graciously doth invite, so powerfully doth attract unto himself? But farther,

164.

Ye shall

and reve

VII. More especially this precept may be supposed to exact from us a compliance in carefully obferving the Levit. xix. times of devotion ordained by public authority, or fettled 30. xxvi. 2. by general cuftom. This in a popular and legal fenfe is keep my doing a thing indefinently, when we perform it so often fabbaths, as is required by law or custom. So the Apostle to the rence my Hebrews faith of the priests, that they went always into Heb. ix. 6. the tabernacle, accomplishing the fervice of God: always, that is, at all the folemn times appointed. And thus of the Apostles it is affirmed by St. Luke, that they were Luke xxiv. continually in the temple, blessing and praifing God; that is, they constantly resorted thither at the stated times of con

fanctuary.

53.

SERM. courfe for prayer. This good reafon alfo plainly doth enVII. join: for that the neglecting it is not only a diforderly

behaviour in a matter of high confequence; a criminal difregard and difobedience to authority; a fcandalous contempt of our neighbours, from whofe laudable fashion we discost; a wrongful deserting the public, to whose good, mainly promoted by the public worship of God, we do owe the contribution of our endeavour; but a heinous affront to Almighty God, who thereby is plainly dishonoured, and in a manner openly difavowed; a huge prejudice to religion, the credit and power whereof, without vifible profeffion, exemplary compliance, mutual confent and encouragement, cannot be upheld. Were there times by law or custom defined, (as in fome places indeed there are,) when all men thould be required in person solemnly to attend on their prince, for profeffing their allegiance, or deferring any homage to him; would not thofe, who should wilfully refuse or decline appearance, be justly chargeable as guilty of dishonouring and wronging him? would not their fuch defailance pass fer fufficient proof, that they do not acknowledge him, that at least they do not much regard or value him? So, by not joining at ftated times in celebration of divine worship, we may be well conceived wholly to disclaim God, or greatly to disesteem him; to flight religion, as a thing infignificant and unprofitable. Do we not indeed thereby more than intimate, that we little believe God to be our fovereign Lord and Governor; that we ftand in no great awe or dread of him; that we are not much fenfible of his benefits and mercies; that we repofe fmall truft or hope in him; that we do not take ourselves much to want his protection, his guidance, his affiftance, his favour and mercy? Are we not in effect like to those in Job, who say Job xxi. 14, unto God, Depart from us ; for we defire not the knowledge of thy ways? What is the Almighty, that we should ferve him? or what profit shall we have, if we pray unto him? Thus the standers-by commonly (fome fo as to be much offended at, others fo as to be corrupted by our bad example) will interpret this neglect: and fo affuredly God

15.

« PreviousContinue »