Alas, he that only reads in a book that he is miserable, and what his foul stands in need of, but never felt himself miserable, or felt his several wants, no wonder if be must also fetch his prayer from his book only, or at farthest from the strength of his memory. Solomon's request to GOD was, that what prayer or supplication soever should be made by any man, or by all the people, when every man shall know his own sore, and his own grief, and shall spread so •••is hands before GOD, that GOD would then hear and forgive, 2 Chron. vi. 29, 30. If these men did thus know and feel every man the sore, and the grief of his own soul, we should neither need so much to urge them to prayer, nor to teach them how to perform it. Whereas now they invite GOD to be backward in giving, by their ⟨p. 130⟩backwardness in asking; and to be weary of relieving them by their own being weary of begging; and to be seldom and short in his favours, as they are in their prayers; and to give them but common and outward favours, as they put up but common and outside requests. Yea, their cold and heartless prayers invite GOD to a flat denial: for among men it is taken for granted, that he who asks •••t slightly and seldom, cares not much for what he ••ks. Do not these men judge themselves unworthy […] heaven, who think it not worth their more constant and earnest requests? If it be not worth asking for, it is worth nothing. And yet if one should go from house to house, through' town and parish, and enquire at every house as you go, whether they do morning and evening call their family together, and earnestly seek the LORD in prayer; how few would you find that constantly and conscientiously practise this duty? If every door were marked where they do not thus call upon the name of GOD, that his wrath might be poured out upon that family, our towns would be as places overthrown by the plague, the people being dead within, and the mark of judgment without. I fear where one house would escape, ten would be marked out for death; then they might teach their doors to pray, LORD have mercy upon us; because the people would not pray themselves. But especially if you could see what men do in their secret chambers, how few should you find in a whole town that spend one quarter of an hour, morning and night in earnest supplication to GOD for their souls? Oh how little do these men set by eternal rest!
Alas, he that only reads in a book that he is miserable, and what his foul stands in need of, but never felt himself miserable, or felt his several wants, no wonder if be must also fetch his prayer from his book only, or at farthest from the strength of his memory. Solomon's request to GOD was, that what prayer or supplication soever should be made by any man, or by all the people, when every man shall know his own sore, and his own grief, and shall spread so •••is hands before GOD, that GOD would then hear and forgive, 2 Chron. vi. 29, 30. If these men did thus know and feel every man the sore, and the grief of his own soul, we should neither need so much to urge them to prayer, nor to teach them how to perform it. Whereas now they invite GOD to be backward in giving, by their ⟨p. 130⟩backwardness in asking; and to be weary of relieving them by their own being weary of begging; and to be seldom and short in his favours, as they are in their prayers; and to give them but common and outward favours, as they put up but common and outside requests. Yea, their cold and heartless prayers invite GOD to a flat denial: for among men it is taken for granted, that he who asks •••t slightly and seldom, cares not much for what he ••ks. Do not these men judge themselves unworthy 〈…〉 heaven, who think it not worth their more constant and earnest requests? If it be not worth asking for, it is worth nothing. And yet if one should go from house to house, thro' town and parish, and enquire at every house as you go, whether they do morning and evening call their family together, and earnestly seek the LORD in prayer; how few would you find that constantly and conscientiously practise this duty? If every door were marked where they do not thus call upon the name of GOD, that his wrath might be poured out upon that family, our towns would be as places overthrown by the plague, the people being dead within, and the mark of judgment without. I fear where one house would escape, ten would be marked out for death; then they might teach their doors to pray, LORD have mercy upon us; because the people would not pray themselves. But especially if you could see what men do in their secret chambers, how few should you find in a whole town that spend one quarter of an hour, morning and night in earnest supplication to GOD for their souls? Oh how little do these men set by eternal rest!
