A41637:75
Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…
Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Sepulchres parish / by Tho. Gouge ...Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Sepulchres parish / by Tho. Gouge ...
London: printed by R. Ibbitson and M. Wright, 1661
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
2 The Excellency of secret prayer appears, in that it procures a comfort and sweetness upon those mercies which it obtaineth: For this is an experimental Truth, That those mercies which are given in as answers and returns to our prayers, are the sweetest and most comfortable. And certainly this is one reason, why many find so little comfort in their yoke-fellows, in their children, in their estate, and the like, they did not seek them of God by secret prayer, and so did not receive them as answers to their prayers, but only from an hand of common providence, without any seeking of theirs.
2 The Excellency of secret prayer appears, in that it procures a comfort and sweetness upon those mercies which it obtaineth: For this is an experimental Truth, That those mercies which are given in as answers and returns to our prayers, are the sweetest and most comfortable. And certainly this is one reason, why many finde so little comfort in their yoak-fellows, in their children, in their estate, and the like, they did not seek them of God by secret prayer, and so did not receive them as answers to their prayers, but only from an hand of common providence, without any seeking of theirs.
II. The Necessity of secret prayer, especially in the morning, appeareth.
1 In that without it we cannot with any confidence expect Gods blessing upon our pains and endeavours; For, as the Psalmist speaketh,1 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. So except the Lord bless our pains and endeavours, it is in vain to rise• up early, to sit up late, and to eat the bread of sorrow; and prayer is the means God hath sanctified for the obtaining his blessing.