Prayer must not be alone, when it hath prevailed with God like Castor and Pollux, prayer and praises must go together, Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Here you see supplication and thanksgiving must go hand in hand. Its no less Gods command to praise him for mercies, then to pray to him; and this truth is the more to be pressed, because of our horrible negligence herein. In our distresses, in our exigences, we call and cry unto the Lord, but in our mercies and deliverances we forget him, and do not own the Author of our favours and benefits. This is notably represented in that History Luke 17. 17, 18. Where often Lepers that were cleansed, there was but one did return and give glory to God by thanksgiving, and he was a Samaritan also. So that those from whom it was expected, did neglect this duty. We see by this how backward ⟨p. 365⟩we are to praise God, though very forward and earnest to pray to him in our miseries. Those nine Lepers that regarded not to praise God, yet they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us; and thus while we are in any exigences, then our hearts are very hot and lively. Then we cry and pray, Lord hear us, our trouble is great; but if the Lord do vouchsafe his mercy to us, then God may say, where is the man, where is the woman that was cleansed, that was healed, that had this or that mercy and deliverance, for they have not returned to glorify me. It is love to our selves; it's a self-seeking that makes us pray, but it would argue love to God, and an honouring of him, when we return praises to him. It is therefore the duties of Ministers to press you upon the duty of praising of God, as well as of praying unto him. Many are horribly negligent in both, some are more often in prayer, then they are in thanksgiving. Whereas God is said to inhabit the praises of his people, Psalm 22. 3. as well as he is the God that heareth prayers, Psalm 65. 2. God dwelleth in the praises of Israel, that is, in or amongst Israel continually praising of him; or else it is to show, that as a man dwelleth in his house constantly residing there; so God is daily administering matter of praises to his people; implying thereby, that there is no time, no place, no condition, wherein we ought not to bless and praise God.
Prayer must not be alone, when it hath prevailed with God like Castor and Pollux, prayer and praises must go together, Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Here you see supplication and thanksgiving must go hand in hand. Its no less Gods command to praise him for mercies, then to pray to him; and this truth is the more to be pressed, because of our horrible negligence herein. In our distresses, in our exigences, we call and cry unto the Lord, but in our mercies and deliverances we forget him, and do not own the Author of our favours and benefits. This is notably represented in that History Luke 17. 17, 18. Where often Lepers that were cleansed, there was but one did returne and give glory to God by thanksgiving, and he was a Samaritan also. So that those from whom it was expected, did neglect this duty. We see by this how backward ⟨p. 365⟩we are to praise God, though very forward and earnest to pray to him in our miseries. Those nine Lepers that regarded not to praise God, yet they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us; and thus while we are in any exigences, then our hearts are very hot and lively. Then we cry and pray, Lord hear us, our trouble is great; but if the Lord do vouchsafe his mercy to us, then God may say, where is the man, where is the woman that was cleansed, that was healed, that had this or that mercy and deliverance, for they have not returned to glorifie me. It is love to our selves; it's a self-seeking that makes us pray, but it would argue love to God, and an honouring of him, when we returne praises to him. It is therefore the duties of Ministers to press you upon the duty of praising of God, as well as of praying unto him. Many are horribly negligent in both, some are more often in prayer, then they are in thanksgiving. Whereas God is said to inhabit the praises of his people, Psalm 22. 3. as well as he is the God that heareth prayers, Psalm 65. 2. God dwelleth in the praises of Israel, that is, in or amongst Israel continually praising of him; or else it is to shew, that as a man dwelleth in his house constantly residing there; so God is daily administring matter of praises to his people; implying thereby, that there is no time, no place, no condition, wherein we ought not to bless and praise God.
