The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole duty of prayer. Delivered in…The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole dutie of prayer. Delivered in…

Now, thirdly (in a word) what is it to pray ¹continually, The word in the original signifieth, such a performance of this duty, that you do not cease to do it, at such times as God requires ²it at your hands. Compare this with that in 2. Tim. 1. 3. The Apostle saith there, that he ³hath him in continual remembrance, praying for him night and day, whence the same word is used that is here. Now we cannot think that the Apostle had Timothy in continual remembrance, that he was never out of his thought, but the meaning is, when he did call upon God, from day to day, he still remembered him. So that to pray continually, is to pray very much, to pray at those times when God requires us to pray. For it is the definition that Philosophers give of idleness. a ⁴man is then said to be idle when he doth not that which he• ought, in the time when it is required of him. He is an idle man that works not, when he ought to work; So he is said not to pray continually that prays not when he ought to pray. So that I conceive this to be the meaning of the Apostle, Rejoice armour (saith he) but when he comes to this exhortation of prayer, he contents not himself to say pray very often, but pray continually, as we use […] express ourselves when we would have a thing frequently done, we say, see that you be ⟨image 11⟩always doing of this. So the […] is to show that it should be exceeding often, and that it should be very much done. Hence we gather this by the way, that we are bound to keep ⁵our constant course of calling upon God; at the least twice a day, whatsoever we do more.

Novv, thirdly (in a vvord) vvhat is it to pray ¹