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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…
The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole duty of prayer. Delivered in five sermons upon I Thess. 5.17. By the late faithful and worthy minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, Master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inn.The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole dutie of prayer. Delivered in fiue sermons vpon I Thess. 5.17. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.
London: printed by W. Jones, 1629London: printed by W. Iones, 1629
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is a point that Luther pressed, and he pressed it out of his own experience, and this reason 1he useth; in this case, saith he, when a man goes about to fit himself, by working on his own thoughts, now he goes about to overcome ⟨p. 36⟩himself by his own strength, and to contend with Satan alone, but when a man feeleth an indisposition, and goes to God by prayer, & rests on God to fit him, he takes Gods strength to oppose the indisposition, and deadness of his flesh, & the temptations of Satan, that hinder him, and resists him. Therefore you shall find this to be the best way to fit your selves for prayer, namely, to perform the duty. If you seek to expedite, and devolve your selves, out of your unfitness, by the working of your own thoughts, commonly, you involve your selves farther into those labyrinths, and are caught more and more. But this I speak by the way concerning matters of unfitness. The main answer to this objection is that, which I gave you before, that if a man do what he can, and do it faithfully, and in sincerity, that indisposition shall not hinder him, but still remember, it must be done, it is not an excuse to us, at any time, nor ought to be, that we should omit the duty wholly, under pretence of an unfitness.
It is a point that Luther pressed, and hee pressed it out of his owne experience, and this reason 1he vseth; in this case, saith he, when a man goes about to fit himselfe, by working on his owne thoughts, now he goes about to overcome ⟨p. 36⟩himselfe by his owne strength, and to contend with Sathan alone, but when a man feeleth an indisposition, and goes to God by prayer, & rests on God to fit him, he takes Gods strength to oppose the indisposition, and deadnes of his flesh, & the temptations of Sathan, that hinder him, and resists him. Therefore you shall find this to be the best way to fit your selues for prayer, namely, to performe the duty. If you seeke to expedite, and devolue your selues, out of your vnfitnes, by the working of your own thoughts, commonly, you involue your selues farther into those labyrinths, and are caught more and more. But this I speake by the way concerning matters of vnfitnes. The maine answer to this obiection is that, which I gaue you before, that if a man doe what hee can, and do it faithfully, and in sinceritie, that indisposition shall not hinder him, but still remember, it must be done, it is not an excuse to vs, at any time, nor ought to be, that wee should omit the duty wholy, vnder pretence of an vnfitnes.