SERM. devotion to refresh our fouls with spiritual sustenance, VII. drawn from the never-failing ftorehouse 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 refolution of Pfal. lv. 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 custom 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.

4.

These are times which it is neceffary, or very expedient, that all men (even perfons of highest rank, and greatest employment) should obferve. These even of old were the practices of religious perfons, not expressly prescribed by God's law, but affumed by themselves; good reason fuggesting them to the first practisers, and the consenting 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 there

with) 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 circumftances; but the practice thereof

xxiii. 30.

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

Befides 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

P

noon and evening) is called the hour of prayer. Yea, SERM. fome did impofe on themselves the obfervation of two VII. other times, one between evening and midnight, the A&s iii. 1. other between midnight and morn. To which practice

6.

147, 148.

those places in the Pfalms do feem to allude; My Pf. Ixiii. 5, mouth shall praife thee with joyful lips, when I remember 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 observed, is expreffed in those words: Seven times a day will I praife thee, because Pfal. cxix. of thy righteous judgments. Which examples whoever shall 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 fuch portions of time for yielding praise, and offering fupplications unto God; how much more free and ready, more careful and diligent, fhould 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, fo powerfully doth attract unto himself? But farther,

164.

Ye fhall

fabbaths,

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 as is required by law or custom. So the Apostle to the rence my fanctuary. 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 reforted thither at the stated times of con

53.

SERM. courfe for prayer. This good reason also plainly doth enVII. join: for that the neglecting it is not only a diforderly behaviour in a matter of high confequence; a criminal disregard and difobedience to authority; a fcandalous contempt of our neighbours, from whofe laudable fashion we discoft; a wrongful deferting 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 refufe or decline appearance, be juftly chargeable as guilty of dishonouring and wronging him? would not their fuch defailance pass for sufficient proof, that they do not acknowledge him, that at least they do not much regard or value him? So, by not joining at stated times in celebration of divine worship, we may be well conceived wholly to disclaim God, or greatly to difesteem him; to slight 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 sensible of his benefits and mercies; that we repose small trust 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 thofe in Job, who fay 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 ftanders-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 so affuredly God.

35.

VII.

xii. 9.

himself will take it from us, and accordingly deal with SERM. us. As he claimeth this public attendance on him for his due (Give, proclaimeth he by the mouth of one of his Pfal. xxix. great Heralds, Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto 1, 2. lxvi. 2. the Lord glory and strength: Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name: worship the Lord in the beauty of holinefs :) so if we to his wrong and disgrace refuse to yield it, we shall certainly find answerable refentment and recompenfe from him: that as we are careless to serve him, fo he will be unmindful to bless us; as we are backward to avow and glorify him, fo he will not be forward to own and grace us; as we do fo deny him before men, fo he will deny us before them alfo. What other measure 2 Tim. ii. indeed can we imagine, or expect to receive? Will God, Matt. x. 33. think we, be fo partial and fond to us, fo disregardful and Luke ix. 26. injurious toward himself, that he will vouchsafe to appear in favour to us, when we deign not to appear in refpect to him? that he will openly tender our repute, when we apparently difregard his honour? that he will employ his wifdom, or exert his power, in our behalf, when we fcarce will think a thought, or ftir a step, for his service? Can we hope that he will freely dispense profperous fuccefs to our enterprises, when we either care not or scorn to implore his help? that he will reach forth undeserved bleffings to us, when we fubtract due praises from him? that he will any wife fhew himself bountiful and merciful toward us, when we fo palpably are injuft and ingrateful toward him? No, furely he fcorneth the fcorners; and, Prov. iii. 34, whofoever defpifeth him, fhall be lightly esteemed: fo he1 Sam. ii. expressly hath threatened; and seeing he is both infallibly true, and invincibly able, we may reasonably presume that he will accomplish his word.

VIII. Laftly, Praying inceffantly may import at large a frequency in devotion. This the words at least do exact or neceffarily imply, however expounded. For doing inceffantly cannot imply less than doing frequently: in no tolerable fenfe can we be faid to do that continually, which we do feldom: but it is an ordinary scheme of speech to say that a man doth that always, w ch he is

30.

VII.

SERM. wont to do, and performeth often. As of the pious foldier Cornelius it is faid, that he gave much alms to the Aas x. 2. people, and prayed to God always; and of Anna the pro

· Luke ii. 37. phetess, that she departed not from the temple, but served God with prayers and faftings night and day; that is, fhe frequently reforted to the temple, and ferved God with an affiduous conftancy. As the words may bear and do involve this fenfe, fo doth the reafon of the cafe enforce it for very juft, very fit, very needful it is to practise thus. There is ever at hand abundant reafon for, and appofite matter of, devotion; therefore no large space of time should pass without it: there be perpetually depending many caufes thereof; whence there is not to be allowed any long vacation from it. As every moment we from God's mercy and bounty partake great favours; fo should we often render thanks and praise for them : for perpetually to receive courtefies, and rarely to return acknowledgments, is notorious ingratitude and iniquity. We frequently (and in a manner continually) do fall into fins; often therefore we are obliged to confefs fins, we are concerned to deprecate wrath, and beg mercy; otherwise we must long crouch under the fore burden of guilt, the fad dread of punishment, the bitter pangs of remorse, or the desperate hazard of stupid obduration. Whatever we defign or undertake, toward the good management and happy fuccefs thereof, we (being ignorant and impotent creatures) do need the guidance, the affiftance, and the bleffing of God; so often therefore it is requifite that we should be feeking and fueing for them: if not, we do not only tranfgrefs our duties, but fondly neglect or foully betray our own concernments. The caufes therefore of devotion being fo conftant, the effects in fome correfpondence fhould be frequent.

Such frequency is indeed neceffary for the breeding, the nourishment, the growth and improvement of all piety. Devotion is that holy and heavenly fire, which darteth into our minds the light of fpiritual knowledge, which kindleth in our hearts the warmth of holy defires : if therefore we do continue long abfent from it, a night