An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in…

It was reckoned a chief Use of such an Agreement and Method as this, That it would be a good Expedient for the maintaining and keeping up, amongst the People of God, that great christian Duty of Prayerfulness for the Coming of Christ's Kingdom, in general, which Christ has directed his Followers to be so much in, that it mayn't be out of Mind, and in a great Measure sunk. Things, that we are too little inclined to, through' Sloth, Carnality, or a Fullness of our own worldly and private Concerns, and that are to be attended at some Seasons or other, and have no special Seasons stated for them, are apt to be forgotten, or put off from Time to Time, and as it were adjourned without Day; and so, if not wholly neglected, yet too little attended. But when we fix certain Seasons, that we resolve, unless extraordinarily hindered, to devote to the Duty, it tends to prevent Forgetfulness, and a settled Negligence of it. Th• •ertain Returns of the Season will naturally refresh the Memory; will tend to put us in mind of the Precept of Christ, and the Obligations that lie on all his Followers, to abound in such a Duty, and renewedly engage us to the Consideration of the Importance and Necessity and unspeakable Value of the Mercy sought; and so, by frequent Renovation, to keep alive the Consideration and Sense of these Things at all Times. —Thus the first Promoters of this Agreement judged, that it would be subservient to more abundant Prayerfulness for Effusions of the Holy Spirit, at all Times through' the Year, both in secret and social Worship; particularly as to this last, in Congregations, Families, and other praying Societies.—And then they also judged, ⟨p. 18⟩that such an agreed Union would tend to animate and encourage God's People in the Duty proposed; and that particular Persons and Societies, knowing that great Multitudes of their Fellow Christians, in so many distant Places, were at the same Time (as a Token of the Union of their Hearts with them in this Affair) by Agreement engaged in the same holy Exercise, would naturally be enlivened in the Duty by such a Consideration.

It was reckon'd a chief Use of such an Agreement and Method as this, That it would be a good Expedient for the maintaining and keeping up, amongst the People of God, that great christian Duty of Prayerfulness for the Coming of Christ's Kingdom, in general, which Christ has directed his Followers to be so much in, that it mayn't be out of Mind, and in a great Measure sunk. Things, that we are too little inclined to, thro' Sloth, Carnality, or a Fulness of our own worldly and private Concerns, and that are to be attended at some Seasons or other, and have no special Seasons stated for them, are apt to be forgotten, or put off from Time to Time, and as it were adjourned without Day; and so, if not wholly neglected, yet too little attended. But when we fix certain Seasons, that we resolve, unless extraordinarily hindred, to devote to the Duty, it tends to prevent Forgetfulness, and a settled Negligence of it. Th ertain Returns of the Season will naturally refresh the Memory; will tend to put us in mind of the Precept of Christ, and the Obligations that lie on all his Followers, to abound in such a Duty, and renewedly engage us to the Consideration of the Importance and Necessity and unspeakable Value of the Mercy sought; and so, by frequent Renovation, to keep alive the Consideration and Sense of these Things at all Times. —Thus the first Promoters of this Agreement judged, that it would be subservient to more abundant Prayerfulness for Effusions of the Holy Spirit, at all Times thro' the Year, both in secret and social Worship; particularly as to this last, in Congregations, Families, and other praying Societies.—And then they also judged,