A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

2. If we do not delight in communion with him, we do not honour him as the chiefest good. Friends love to be often in one another's company, and certainly 'tis good to draw nigh to God; to preserve an acquaintance between him and us: he hath appointed his Ordinances, the Word and Prayer, which are as it were a Dialogue and interchangeable discourse between God and the Creature; in the Word he speaketh to us, and in Prayer we speak unto him; he conveyeth his mind in the Word, and we ask his grace in Prayer; in Prayer we make the request, and in the Word we have Gods Answer. Well then, when men neglect public or private Prayer, or opportunities of hearing, they are guilty of ungodliness, so far they break off communion with God, especially if they neglect Prayer, which is a duty to be done at all times; a sweet diversion which the soul enjoyeth with God in private, a duty which answereth to the daily sacrifice; therefore the neglect of Prayer is made to be a branch of Atheism, Psal. 14. 3, 4▪ verses. When men are loth to come into Gods presence out of a love to ease and carnal pleasures, and care ⟨p. 197⟩not if God and they grow strange, or seldom hear from one another, 'tis a great evil: our comfort and peace dependeth much upon frequent access to God: so when family worship, when that's neglected, God is not honoured as the chiefest go•d, the heathens are described to be the families that call not on Gods Name, Jer. 10. 25. In many places from one end of the week to the other, there is no Prayer and Worship in the Family, and so the house which should be a Church is made a Sty: not a swine about their houses but is attended morning and evening, and yet they can find no time for the solemn invocation of the Name of God, what are they better than Heathens?

2. If we doe not delight in communion with him, we doe not honour him as the chiefest good. Friends love to be often in one anothers company, and certainly 'tis good to draw nigh to God; to preserve an acquaintance between him and us: he hath appointed his Ordinances, the Word and Prayer, which are as it were a Dialogue and interchangeable discourse between God and the Creature; in the Word he speaketh to us, and in Prayer we speak unto him; he conveigheth his mind in the Word, and we ask his grace in Prayer; in Prayer we make the request, and in the Word we have Gods Answer. Well then, when men neglect publick or private Prayer, or opportunities of hearing, they are guilty of ungodlyness, so far they break off communion with God, especially if they neglect Prayer, which is a duty to be done at all times; a sweet diversion which the soul enjoyeth with God in private, a duty which answereth to the daily sacrifice; therefore the neglect of Prayer is made to be a branch of Atheism,