A69538:169
The last work of a believer his passing prayer recommending his departing spirit to…
The last work of a believer his passing prayer recommending his departing spirit to Christ to be received by Him / prepared for the funerals of Mary the widow first of Francis Charlton Esq. and after of Thomas Hanmer, Esq., and partly preached at St. Mary Magdalens Church in Milk-Street, London, and now, at the desire of her daughter, reprinted by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by B. Griffin for B. Simmons, 1682
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.
How sad is it to observe that those that have most need of Prayer, have least mind to Pray, as being least sensible of their needs? Yea, that those that are the next step to the state of Devils, and have as much need of Prayer as any miserable souls on earth, do yet deride it, and hate those that seriously and fervently perform it: a man of ⟨p. 74⟩[…] ⟨p. 75⟩[…] ⟨p. 76⟩prayer being the most common object of their malicious reproach and scorn! O miserable Cainites, that hate their brethren for offering more acceptable sacrifice then their own! little do they know how much of the very Satanical nature is in that malice, and in those reproachful scorns! and little do they know how near they are to the curse and desperation of Cain, and with what horror they shall cry out, [My punishment is greater then I can bear] Gen. 4. 11, 13. If God and Good men condemn you for your lip-service, and heartless devotions, and ungodly lives; will you therefore hate the holy nature and better lives of those that judge you, when you should hate your own ungodliness and hypocrisy? Hear what God said to the leader of your sect, Gen 4. 6. Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou do well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou dost not well, sin lieth at the door.] Have you not as much need to pray as those that you hate and reproach for praying? Have you not as much need to be oft and earnest in prayer as they? Must Christ himself spend whole nights in prayer, Luke 6. 12. and shall an ignorant sensual hardened sinner think he hath no need of it, though he be unconverted, unjustified, unready to die, and almost past the opportunity of praying? O miserable men, that shortly would cry and roar in the anguish of their Souls, and yet will not pray while there is time and room for prayer! Their judge is willing now to hear them, and now they ⟨p. 77⟩have nothing but hypocritical lifeless words to speak! Praying is now a wearisome, tedious and unpleasant thing to them, that shortly would be glad if the most heart-tearing lamentations could prevail for the crumbs and drops of that mercy which they thus despise,