A30241:618
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, or, Christs prayer before his passion explicated, and both practically and polemically improved by Anthony Burgess ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1656
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermon 24: Of vain Tautology in Prayer; And what Repetitions in Prayer are such, and what not; She…
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.
1. When they arise either from want of judgement to prepare good matter, 1or a dry senseless heart; For Prayer is a stream, and if there be not fullness in these two Fountains that must needs be dried up; If repetitions then come for want of judgement, they have not a good understanding to digest and order their matter, this is not a seemly Sacrifice to offer to God; It's a strange position of some devout Papists, that this is the best Prayer, When a man is so ravished that he knoweth not what he saith, So when Repetition comes for want of an affectionate heart, this is blameworthy, affections make eloquent and copious, and heavenly affections do wonderfully enlarge the heart in Prayer; This is the fire that makes the heart boil over, Prayer without the heart in it, is like the body without the soul,
1. When they arise either from want of judgement to prepare good matter, 1or a dry sencelesse heart; For Praier is a stream, and if there be not fulnesse in these two Fountains that must needs be dried up; If repetitions then come for want of judgement, they have not a good understanding to digest and order their matter, this is not a seemly Sacrifice to offer to God; It's a strange position of some devout Papists, that this is the best Praier, When a man is so ravished that he knoweth not what he saith, So when Repetition comes for want of an affectionate heart, this is blameworthy, affections make eloquent and copious, and heavenly affections do wonderfully enlarge the heart in Praier; This is the fire that makes the heart boil over, Praier without the heart in it, is like the body without the soul,
- 1When repetitions are forbidden.
2. When repetitions are out of affectation and ostentation, thereby to lengthen and protract their prayers, this is also vanity; For although there is a necessity as occasion may serve of long prayers, especially when we intend solemnly to humble our selves, and we have examples of such in Scripture, yet out of ostentation to affect length, and thereby to come over with the same things in a tedious and empty manner; This is not to perform the duty aright.