Public or church prayer required by God, and the reasons why 6/8

As for the excellency of conceived prayer, wherein the devout Christian, out of the abundance of his heart, pours out his requests to God, none but a profane spirit dares open his mouth against it.  But is there no way to magnify the excellency of that but by vilifying and imputing sin to the other?  Alas! the evil is not in a form, but in formality; and that is a disease that may be found in him that prays with a conceived prayer.  A man may pray without a form and yet not pray without formality.  Though I confess he that binds himself constantly to a set form—especially in his private addresses—seems to me to be more in danger of the two, to fall under the power of that lazy distemper.  But to hasten the despatch of this question—for I intend not a full discourse of this point, but would top a few heads only, which you may find more largely insisted on in many worthy treatises on this subject—I would desire those that scruple the lawfulness of all set forms, to look wishly upon those set forms of blessing, prayers, and thanksgiving that are upon scripture record, and were used by the servants of God with his approbation, and then consider whether God would prescribe or accept what is unlawful.  The priests had a form of blessing the people, Num. 6:24.  Moses used, as I hinted, a form of prayer at the remove of the ark, ‘Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee;’ and when it was set down another form, ‘Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel,’ Num. 10:36, which very form was continued and used by David, Ps. 68:1.  Asaph and his brethren had set forms of thanksgiving given them to use in their public service, ‘Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren,’ I Chr. 16:7.  This was the first appointed to be sung in the public service; the several parts thereof were afterwards much enlarged, as you may see by comparing Ps. 105 with the former part of the song in the place fore quoted, and Ps. 96, with the latter part of it.  At the dedication of the temple, Solomon used the very form of words in praising God which his father had penned, II Chr. 7:6.  Good Hezekiah commands the Levites ‘to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David,’ II Chr. 29:30.  This holy man no doubt was able to have poured forth extemporary praises, as it is thought he did in that prayer which he on the sudden, put up on the occasion of that railing letter sent him, II Kings 19:14; yet did not think it unlawful to use a form in his public administration.  Yea, our blessed Saviour—an instance beyond all instances—both gave a form of prayer to his disciples, and himself disdained not to pray three several times one after another the very same form of words, ‘He left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words,’ Matt. 26:44.  And that hymn which he sang with his disciples is conceived by the learned to be that portion of psalms which the Jews used at the celebration of the passover.  (See Beza and Gerhard, Harmo, in locum.)

Public or church prayer required by God, and the reasons why 5/8

4. I come to answer a question or two concerning public prayer.

           (1.) The first question is, Whether it be lawful that the public prayers of the church be performed in a language not understood by the people?

           Answer.  All the offices of the church, and duties performed in its worship, are to be done unto edifica-tion.  This is an apostolical canon.  Now, none can be edified by what he understands not, and therefore it must needs be, as Beza calls the popish Latin service, ludibrium Dei at hominis—a mocking of God and man, for to babble such prayers in the church which the people know not what they mean.  ‘If I pray,’ saith the apostle, ‘in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful,’ I Cor. 14:14.  He means, the congregation are not the wiser for his understanding the prayer he puts up, except he could make them understand it also.  We can no more be edified by another’s intellect than be saved by another’s faith.  When God intended to defeat that bold attempt of those sons of pride who would needs build a tower that should vie with the heavens for height, he did no more but confound their languages that they might not understand one another’s speech, and it was done.  Presently their work ceased.  And as they could not build, so neither can he edify the people that understands not his speech in prayer.  A dumb minister may serve the people’s turn as well as he who by his speech is a barbarian to them.  For the minister’s voice is necessary in his public administrations, as Augustine saith, significandæ mentis suæ causâ, non ut Deus sed ut homines audiant, &c., —to signify his meaning, not that God may hear, for he hears those prayers which the tongue is not employed to express, but that the people may hear, and so join their votes with his to God.  As the minister is to pray for them, so they to pray with him; which they are to testify by their hearty amen at the close.  But this they cannot do, if we believe St. Paul, ‘How shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?’ I Cor. 14:16.  ‘The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth,’ saith Solomon, Prov. 16:23; that is, he will not, as we say, suffer his tongue to run before his wit, but know what he shall speak before he sends his tongue on his errand.  And surely, above all this, wisdom is to be shown in our prayers, wherein we speak not to man but God.  To say amen to that prayer which we understand not—what is it but to offer the sacrifice of fools?  Holy matter in prayer is the incense to be offered, the tongue is the censer; but the affections of the devout soul bring the fire to the incense before it can ascend as a sweet perfume into the nostrils of God.  Now, if the intellect want light to understand what the matter of the prayer is, the affections must either be cold or wild; and wild fire is unfit to offer up the incense of prayer with.  It is not enough that the praying soul be touched with some devout affections, but that these affections be suitable to the matter of the prayer, yea, arise from the sense it hath thereof.

           (2.) The second question is, Whether a set form of prayer be lawful to be used in the church?

           If it be unlawful, it is because, by the use of a set form in prayer, some command of God is transgres¬sed; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

           Now, it will trouble those who decry all set forms —how holy soever the matter of them be—to show any command upon Scripture record that forbids the praying by a set form, or that disallows its use either in express terms or by necessary consequence.  It will be granted, yea must, that the Scripture is a perfect rule in this particular duty of God’s worship, as well as in other.  But among all the precepts and rules in the book of God, we find none that commands we should pray by a conceived form, and not by a set form.  We are commanded who to pray to, to God, and none other, Ps. 44:20; in whose name we are to pray, I Tim. 2:5; Eph. 5:20; we are bound up to the matter of our prayer, what we are to ask, I John 5:14; and lastly, in what manner we are to pray—we must pray ‘with understanding,’ John 4:22; I Cor. 14:16; Heb. 11:6; ‘in faith,’ James 1:6; Heb. 11:4, with sincere fervency, Jer. 29:12; in a word, which comprehends all in one, we are to pray ‘in the Spirit,’ Eph. 6:18; in the Holy Ghost,’ Jude 20.  Now he that can do all this need not fear but he prays lawfully, and consequently accept-ably.  And we confess this may be done by one that prayeth with a set form, or else we must very boldly charge many eminent saints in scripture for praying unlawfully.  Who dares say that Solomon praised God unlawfully when he used the very form which David his father had penned? or, that Moses did not pray in the Spirit, because he prayed in a constant form at the setting forward of the ark, and at its being set down again?  Thus you have seen what God hath prescribed to our praying acceptably; and if it had been of such dangerous consequence to have prayed by a set form, as to make our prayers abominable, would God have omitted to warn his people of it, especially when he foresaw that his churches generally in their assemblies would make use of them, as they have done for thirteen or fourteen hundred years? But may we not rather, yea undoubtedly we ought to conclude, that seeing the Lord in his word descends not to prescribe what the outward frame and order of our words in prayer should be, whether conceived ex tempore, or cast into a form beforehand—only gives general rules that all things should be done decently, that we be not rash with our mouth, or our heart hasty to utter anything before God, and such like that are applicable to both—I say we should conclude both are lawful and warrantable, the Scripture having determined neither the one way nor the other.  And therefore to put religion in one, so as to condemn the other as unlawful, looks—as a learned holy pen hath it—too like superstition, seeing God himself hath laid no bond upon the conscience either way.

Public or church prayer required by God, and the reasons why 4/8

           (3.) For the saints’ safety and defence against their enemies.  Paul rejoiced at the order and steadfastness of the Colossian saints, Col. 2:5.  Order is a military word, and denotes cohortem ordine apto conglobatam—an army compact, and cast into a fit order that every part is helpful to each other for its defence.  And such an army are the saints when they stand in communion together according to divine rule.  Our blessed Saviour, when departing from earth to heaven, what course took he to leave his disciples in a defensive posture after he was gone?  Doth he send them home to look every one to himself?  No, but to Jerusalem, there to stand as it were in a body by joint communion, Acts 1.  The drop is safe in the river, lost when severed from it; the soldier safe when marching with the army, but snapped when he straggles from it.  Cain, looking upon himself as an excommunicated person from the church of God, expected some great evil, as well he might, would befall him. Therefore the gracious soul, meant by the spouse, is brought in asking where the assembly of the faithful is, that joining herself to it she may be protected in a rime of danger: ‘Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?’ Song 1:7.

           (4.) Because of the great delight he takes in the joint prayers and praises of his people.  We need not detract from the excellency of private devotions, to magnify the public prayers of the church.  Both are necessary, and highly pleasing to God.  Yet it is no wrong to the private devotions of a particular saint, to give the precedency to the public prayers of the church.  God himself tells us he ‘loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob,’ Ps. 87:2. No doubt the prayers which the faithful put up to heaven from under their private roofs were very acceptable unto him; but, if a saint's single voice in prayer be so sweet to God's ear, much more the church choir—his saints' prayers in consort together.  A father is glad to see any one of his children, and makes him welcome when he visits him, but much more when they come together: the greatest feast is when they all meet at his house.  The public praises of the church are the emblem of heaven itself, where all the angels and saints make but one consort.  There is a wonderful prevalency in the joint prayers of his people.  When Peter was in prison, the church meets and prays him out of his enemies’ hands.  A prince will grant a petition subscribed by the hands of a whole city, which may be he would not at the request of a private subject, and yet love him well too.  There is an especial promise to public prayer, Matt. 18:20: ‘Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’  Non dicit ero, non enim tardat vel cunctatur, sed sum jam illic, invenior præsens gratia et favore singulari, eo quod summopere me delectet hujusmodi concordia—he doth not say, I will, for he makes no delay or demur upon the business: but I am there—let them come as soon as they will—present by my special favour and grace, because this concord in prayer highly pleaseth me.  It is the gloss of Lucas Brugens upon the place.

Public or church prayer required by God, and the reasons why 3/8

3. Why God requires a public worship or a joint service of his people in communion together, and why this particular duty of prayer.

           (1.) As a free and open acknowledgment of their dependence on and allegiance to God.  It is most reasonable we should own the God we serve, even in the face of the world, and not, like Nicodemites, carry our religion in a dark lantern.  He is unworthy of his master’s service that is ashamed to wear his livery, and follow him in the street with it on his back.  ‘Thou hast avouched,’ saith Moses to Israel, ‘the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice.  And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people,’ Deut. 26:17, 18.  Even heathens understand this much, that they owe a free profession and public service to the god they vouch: ‘All people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever,’ Micah 4:5.  Now by walking in the name of God, they mean they will invocate his name, and vouch him by a public worship, as you may see by ver. 1, 2, of that chapter.  And this is a gospel prophecy concerning the last days; where, by the way, we may take notice of the folly and pride of those that cast off public ordinances, and private also, from a pretence of their high attainments, leaving these duties of religion as strings for those that are yet children to be led by.  This is horrible pride and ignorance to have such a high opinion of themselves.  But were they so perfect as they falsely imagine themselves, and needed not any further teaching, yet ought they still to vouch God by worshipping of him?  The ground from which divine worship becomes due to God, is his own infinite perfections, and our dependence on him as the author of our beings and fountain of our bliss.  Hence it is, that angels and saints in heaven worship him, though in a way suitable to their glorified state.  Some ordinances, indeed, fitted to the church militant on earth, shall there cease.  But a worship remains: yea, it is their constant employment.  Saints on earth serve God always, but cannot always worship, therefore they have stated times appointed them.  Now to cast off the worship of God is to renounce God himself, and communion with his church both on earth and in heaven. ‘But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain,’ Isa. 65:11.  They did not give him his public worship, and he interprets this as a casting him off from being their God.  Sometimes, I confess, the church doors are shut by persecutors, and, when this flood is up, the ways to Zion mourn; yet then we are to lament after the Lord and his ark.  Holy David was no stranger to private devotions, yet could not but bewail his banishment from the public: ‘My flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary,’ Ps. 63:1, 2.

           (2.) To preserve love and unity in the church. God is one, and dearly loves oneness and unity among his people.  The reason he gives why he would have the curtains of the tabernacle coupled together, that it might be ‘one’ tabernacle, Ex. 36:13-18.  The fastening of these curtains so lovingly together for this end, that the tent might be one, signified the knitting and clasping together of the saints in love.  Now, though this be effected principally by the inward operation of the Holy Spirit upon their hearts, for he alone can knit souls and knead them into one lump; yet he useth their joint communion in ordinances as a happy means through which he may convey and de-rive his grace that fastens them in love together. These are the ligaments that tie one member to another in this mystical body.  And do we not see that Christians, like members of the natural body, take care for, and sympathize with, one another, so long as they are united in one communion?  But when these ligaments are cut, communion in worship is broke; then we see one member drops from another, and little care for or love to each other is to be found among them.  The apostle saw good reason to join both these in one exhortation: ‘Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,’ Heb. 10:24, 25.  As if he had said, If you cannot agree to worship God one with another, you will have little love one for another.  When the Jews’ staff of ‘beauty’ was cut asunder, the staff of ‘bands’ did not last long unbroken, Zech. 11:10.  Religion hath its name â religando —from binding back; it is a strong binder.  Break the beautified order of church communion, and a people will soon fall all to pieces.  It is observable how endearing conversation and communion is in things of an inferior nature.  Scholars that go to school together, those that board in the same house, collactanei—that suck the same milk, twins that lie together in the same belly, they have a mutual endearment of affection each to another.  How influential then must church communion needs be where all these meet? —when they shall consider they go to the same public school of the ministry, sit at the same table of the sacrament, suck the same breasts of the ordinances, and lie together in the bosom, yea womb, of the same church.  This was admirably seen in the primitive Christians, who, by fellowship in ordinances, were inspired with such a wonderful love to one another, that they could hardly find their hearts in their own breasts: ‘All that believed were together, and had all things common; and continuing with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,’ Acts 2:44, 46.  But when a breach was made in the church’s communion, then love caught her cold, and grew upon Christians as divisions increased.  Now one would think the cause of our disease, being so easily known, the cure should not be so hard, as, alas! at this day we find it.

Public or church prayer required by God, and the reasons why 2/8

2. Prayer is part of that religious worship which the church is to perform to God in her public assem¬blies, yea, a principal part, put therefore frequently for the whole, ‘The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord,’ Zech. 8:21, 22. It is a prophecy how believers in gospel times should zealously provoke one another to go to the assemblies of the church—of which Jerusalem was a type—there to pray and wor¬ship God together.  ‘It is written,’ saith our Saviour, ‘My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer,’ Mark 11:17.  This was partially performed when converts in the apostles’ days did flock to Jeru¬salem, there to worship God.  Sed perfectè impletum est illud in Christi ecclesia ex omnibus gentibus collectâ &c.—it is more fully accomplished in the church of Christ, gathered out of all nations, that should keep up the worship of God in their assemblies.  St. Luke forgets not to mention this of prayer amongst the other duties and offices of primitive Christians in their assemblies, ‘And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers,’ Acts 2:42.  By continuing stedfast ‘in the apostles’ doctrine,’Mr. Perkins understands their attendance on the apostles’ sermons; by ‘fellowship,’ understands their contributions to the poor, which were gathered at their assemblies, a work very fit for that place, ‘for with such sacrifices God is well pleased,’ Heb. 13:16; by ‘breaking of bread,’ the celebration of the Lord’s supper; and by ‘prayers,’ those which they put up together in communion at their church meetings.  Nor is this of prayer crowded last, because the least duty of the company, but rather because it hath a necessary influence to them all. The word and sacraments, which God useth to sanctify his people by, are themselves sanctified to us by prayer. And St. Paul, when he hath shown, I Tim. 1, what doctrine ministers are to preach in the church, he, ch. 2, directs them what to insist chiefly on in their public prayers: ‘I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty,’ I Tim. 2:1, 2.  This the church of Christ ever esteemed a principal part of their public worship.  Tertullian, speaking of the assemblies of the church, saith, coimus in cætum et congregationem, ut ad Deum quasi manu facta precationibus ambiamus orantes, hæc vis Deo grata est—we meet in the congregation that we may by our fervent prayers environ God, as an army doth a castle, and this holy fore with which we assault heaven pleaseth him.  I proceed to the third head, to give some account.

Public or church prayer required by God, and the reasons why 1/8

           Second.  Social or joint prayer may be public in the church.  We mean by this, that prayer offered in and by the church assembled together for the worship of God.  In handling of it I shall endeavour these five things, to show—1. That God requires a public worship of his people.  2. That prayer is a part of this public worship he commands.  3. Why God requires a public worship, and in particular, public prayer.  4. I shall resolve a question or two concerning public prayer.  5. I shall make some applicatory improve¬ment of this head.

1. That God requires a public worship of his people. This word, cultus, or worship in general, is obsequium alicui præstitum juxta excellentiam ejus —worship is that honour and service which we give to anyone according to his excellency.  And that is threefold—civil, moral, or divine.  Civil worship is the due honour and service we pay to a person in place and power over us, as prince, father, or master.  Moral, is that due reverence and respect which we pay to a person that hath any excellency of virtue or place, without authority over us.  Thus we give honour and veneration both to the saints living on earth with us, and to the saints and angels in heaven.  Religious or divine worship is the honour and service we give to that Being who, we believe, is the author of our beings and fountain of our happiness.  Now this Being is God, and he only.  To him therefore, and him alone, is religious worship due.  ‘Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.  Ye shall not go after other gods,’ Deut. 6:13, 14.  This religious worship of the true God comes under divers distinctions, inward and outward, private and public. The public worship of God is the present subject of our discourse—that, I mean, which the congregation performs to him in their religious assemblies, called ‘the congregation of saints,’ Ps. 89:5; and, ‘the assembly of saints,’ ver. 7.  The church of God on earth began in a family, and so did the worship of God.  But when the number increased, the worship of God became more public: ‘Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord,’ Gen. 4:26; that is, they began publicly, saith Mercer.  Seth and other of the religious seed began to have their holy assemblies for the service of God (Willet, in locum).  It is observable how God at the promulgation of the law on Sinai, when he first formed the Israelites into a polity, took special care for erecting a public worship to his name.  That was the ‘day of their espousals,’ Jer. 2:2.  And then he instituted a solemn form of public worship, with exact rules how it should be performed.  The same care took our Lord Jesus for his gospel church, in appointing both church ordinances and officers to dispense the same.

A word to those heads of families who do have the worship of God in their houses 2/2

4. Be very choice whom thou makest a member of thy family.  Get, if thou canst, such under thy roof as may give a lift with thee in thy family worship.  Though it be not thy sin to pray with a wicked wife and servant; yet is it thy sin to make choice of such for thy relations, if otherwise thou canst help it.  Yet, alas! how little is this considered, though the blessing and comfort of the family be deeply concerned there­in!  A little beauty, honour, or pelf do too oft blind the eyes and bribe the judgments of those we may hope to be themselves gracious, that they can yoke themselves with such as are very unmeet to draw with them in heaven way and work.  David knew that Mi­chal came of a bad stock, but haply hoped to bring her over to comply with him in the service of God, and we see what a grievous cross she proved to him. Solomon tells us of some that trouble their own house, Prov. 15:27.  He that for carnal respects takes a wicked wife into his bosom, or servant into his family, is the man that is sure to do this.  Haply when he would pray and praise God, his wife, like Job’s, will bid him curse.  When he is at duty she will despise him in her heart, and make a mock of his zeal, as Mi­chal did of David’s.  And so they who, for some natural abilities they see in a servant, venture on him, though wicked and ungodly, pay dearly for it.  Such often bring with them that plague of profaneness which infects the rest; so that, what they earn their masters with their hands, they rob them of with their sins, which brings the curse of God to their family. Who that is wise would build a house with timber that is on fire?  If the servant thou entertainest be wicked, fire is in him that will endanger thy house.  Make it therefore thy care to plant a godly family.  This was David’s resolution—haply he saw the evil of his former choice: ‘Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.  He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight,’ Ps. 101:6, 7. Then the music will be sweet in thy family duties, when thou canst get a consort into thy house; such whose souls are in tune for those holy services thou art to join with them in.
5. Keep a diary of thy family sins and mercies, that so neither the one may escape thy confession and humiliation, nor the other thy grateful recognition.  If this were observed, we should not come with such jejune and barren hearts to the work, as now, alas! most do.  Take some time to affect thy heart with both of these.  The brokenness of thy heart who pray­est, will conduce much towards the same disposition in those that join with thee.  Nothing melts metal sooner than to pour on it {that} which is melted. The drowsy speaker prays oft the rest asleep that join with him.  Take heed, therefore, of formality; this is the canker which eats out the very heart of religious du­ties.  Remember thou art to thy family what the minister is to the public assembly.  As the deadness of his heart in prayer and preaching hath a bad opera­tion upon his people, to make them like himself, so hath thine on thy family.  Thou dost not only suffer a personal loss to thyself, but wrongest the rest of thy company.  As when thou wastest thy estate, thy wife, children, servants, and all fare the worse, and must pinch for it; so when thou chokest up thy heart with inordinate cares of the world, or any other way indis­posest thyself by thy sinful walking for the duty of prayer, thy whole family goes by the loss with thee.

           6. Observe the fittest seasons for duty in thy family, when with most freedom and the least distur­bance it may be performed.  In the morning take the opportunity before a throng of worldly business crowds in upon thee.  In some families, I have ob­served, where they are in great employments, that if duty be delayed till some worldly occasions be des­patched, then, either it hath been shut out, or shut up in such straits of time that the slighty slovenly man­ner of performing it hath proved little better than the total neglect.  To prevent this disorder, it is best to forestall the world's market, betimes in the morning to set upon the duty, and offer up to God the first-fruits of the day, before our thoughts meet with a di­version.  We read that the Israelites gathered their manna early ‘in the morning,’ and ‘when the sun waxed hot it melted,’ Ex. 16:21.  I would wish, espe­cially, such who have multiplicity of worldly occa­sions, to take their time for communion with God early, while their thoughts are more compact, before they are hot in their worldly business, lest they then find their thoughts so diffused and scattered among other businesses, as will not easily be gathered into a close and united attendance upon God in the duty. Again, when night comes, delay not the work till ye are more fit to go to your pillow than to your cushion, to sleep than to pray.  If the eye sleep, the soul can­not well wake.  Especially consider your servants that labour hard in the day; O do not expose them to the temptation of drowsy prayers!  If our hearts took de­light in the work, we would plot and contrive which would be the best time for communion with God, even as lovers do how and when they may most privately meet together.

A word to those heads of families who do have the worship of God in their houses 1/2

           Use Fourth.  To you that have set up this duty in your families, a few words of counsel for the more holy management thereof.

1. Think it not enoughto prove thee a saint that thou prayest in thy family; you may set up the wor­ship of God in your house and not enthrone God in your hearts.  God forbid that you should bless your­selves in this, and dub yourselves saints because of this.  Alas! you are not as yet got so far as some hypo­crites have gone.  The duty is good, but the outward performance of it doth not demonstrate any to be so. There are many turning to hell nearer heaven than this.  From the act therefore, look to the end thou proposest to thyself in it.  He is a foolish archer that shoots his arrow before he hath taken his aim aright. The question God asks is, ‘Dost thou at all pray to me, even to me?’  Thou mayest possibly affect others with thy praying, yea, be instrumental to break their hearts by thy confessions, and refresh their spirits by the sweet expressions that flow from thee, thyself playing the hypocrite all the while.  It behooves thee therefore to consider what is the weight and spring which sets this duty agoing in thy family.  Is it not to gain an opinion of being religious in others’ thoughts? If so, thou playest at small game.  Indeed, religion were a sorry thing if this were all to be got by it. When thou hast obtained this end it will not ease thee of one stitch of conscience, nor quench one spark of hell’s tormenting fire for thee.  But if this be it thou huntest after, it is a question whether thou believest there be such a place or no.  these few principles well girded by faith about the loins of thy mind—that there is a God, and he is a rewarder of those that dili­gently seek him; that heaven is prepared for the sin­cere, and hell gapes for the hypocrite—would be enough to set thy heart right in the duty.  Though the traveller minds not much his way where he appre­hends no danger, yet, when he comes to pass over a narrow bridge, where a wry step may hard his life by falling into a deep river that runs on each hand, he will surely watch his eye that is to guide his foot.  This is thy case.  Prayer is a solemn work as any thou canst go about in thy whole lifetime.  A by‑end in this may hazard thy soul as much as a wry look thy body in the other.  We need do no more to lose our souls than to seek ourselves.
2. Take heed thou blottest not thy holy duties with an unholy life.  If thou meanest to foul thy hands with sin’s black work in the day, why dost thou wash them in the morning with prayer?  It is to no purpose to begin with God and to keep the devil com­pany all the day after.  Religious orders in thy house and a disordered conversation ill agree.  O! do not render the worship of God base to the thoughts of thy servants and family.  Those that like the wine will yet nauseate it when brought in a cup that is nasty and unclean.  The duties of God’s worship command a reverence even from those that are carnal, but if per­formed by those that are loose and scandalous they grow fulsome.  Eli’s sons made the people loathe the Lord’s sacrifices.  By thy religious duties thou settest a fair copy.  O do not write it in sinking paper.  It is but a while thou art seen upon thy knees; and a little seeming zeal at thy devotion will not gild over a whole day's sinful miscarriage spent in passion, idleness, riot, or any other unholy course.  It is said Christ preached with power and ‘authority, not as the scribes,’ Matt. 7:29.  Not but that they had authority to preach, for they sat in Moses’ chair; but because they lost that reverence, by not walking suitably to their doctrine, which their place and work would have giv­en them in the consciences of their hearers.  ‘They said and did not,’ and thereby rendered their doctrine ineffectual.  If thou wouldst pray with authority and power, enforce thy duties with purity of life.
3. Preserve peace and unity in thy family.  A brawling family cannot be a praying family.  The apostle exhorteth husband and wife to love and unity, lest their prayers be ‘hindered,’ I Peter 3:7.  Conten­tions in a family, they both hinder the spirit of prayer, and also the answer to our prayers.

           (1.) They hinder the spirit of prayer.  The Spirit of God is a Spirit of peace and love, and therefore delights not to breathe in a troubled air.  The ready way to send him going is to brawl and chide.  ‘Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,’ saith the apostle, Eph. 4:30.  And that we may not, hear what is his counsel: ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.’  When these are gone, then (and not before) look for his sweet company.  You may as well dwell comfortably together with your house on fire, as pray so together when you in the house are on fire.

           (2.) Contentions hinder the answer to our prayers.  If we pray in anger, God cannot be pleased. ‘The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.’  A loud wind beats down the smoke.  Our prayers are compared to incense, but they will never ascend to heaven till this storm be laid.  Go to pray in this plight, and God will bid you come when you are better agreed.  The Spirit will not help in such prayers; and if the Spirit hath no hand in the inditing, Christ will have no hand in presenting the prayer.  And if Christ present it not, to be sure the Father will not receive it, for ‘through him we have an access by one Spirit unto the Father,’ Eph. 2:18.

A word to those heads of families that have not the worship of God in their houses

           Use Third.  Unto you that are heads of families, but yet have not had a heart to set up the worship of God in them.  I am afraid God hath little from you in your closets who hath none in your families.  It is no breach of charity to suspect your care for your own souls that show none for your relations.  If ever thou hadst been acquainted with God thyself and tasted any sweetness in secret communion with him, couldst thou thus rob thy family of so great a blessing?  Could you find such a treasure, and hide it from them you love so well?  Have they not souls as precious in their bosoms as thy own?  Art thou not willing they should find the way to heaven as well as thyself?  Yea, art thou not God's feoffee in trust to take care of their souls as well as of their bodies?  Dost thou owe no more to thy child and servant than to thy hog or horse?  Their bodies are looked to, and wilt thou do no more for the other?  How knowest thou but thy holy example in the duties of God’s worship among them may leave such impressions on their hearts as shall never be worn off to their dying day?  Did you never hear any, to the praise of God, acknowledge that the first turn towards heaven they ever had was by living in such a godly family, where, with the wor­ship of God, a savour and secret sense of the things of God did secretly steal into their hearts?  Certainly were our youth more acquainted with the duties of re­ligion in private, the minister’s work would be much facilitated in the public.  By this the consciences of many would be preserved tender, and so become pli­able to the counsels of the word preached; whereas now the devil hath a sad advantage—from the irre­ligion and atheism that is in most families—to harden their hearts to such a degree as renders them almost impenetrable.  It is no wonder to see that tree thrives not which stands but little in the sun; and as little wonder to see them continue profane and wicked that but once in a week come under the beams of an or­dinance, and then {neither} see nor hear any more of God till the Sabbath comes about again.

           Alas! how is it like the spark should then be found alive which had all along the week nothing to keep it from dying?  One well compareth the public ministry to the mason that builds the house, and family governors to them that make the brick.  Now, if you, by neglecting your duty, bring clay instead of brick, you make the minister’s work double.  The truth is, the neglect of family worship opens a wide flood‑gate to let in a deluge of profaneness into the church.  Thou livest now without the worship of God in thy family, and haply in a few years from under thy one hive swarms many other families, children or servants, and it is most like they will follow thy copy. Indeed, it were a wonder that they who are taught no better should do otherwise; and so irreligion is like to spread apace.  When thy head is laid in the dust thy profaneness is not buried in thy grave with thee.  No, thou leavest others behind to keep it alive.  O how dismal is it to lay the foundation of a sin to many generations!  The children unborn may rise up and curse such.  If I had heard my father pray, may the child say in a dying hour, or had been led into the acquaintance of the worship of God by his example, then had not I lived like a heathen as I have done. Well, as you would not have your children and serv­ants meet you in the other world with their mouths full of outcries and accusations—or if this, because it seems further off, dread you not, as you would not have them prove a plague and scourge to you in this world—let not your family government be irreligious. It is just that God should suffer thy servant to be un­faithful to thee in thy estate, who art so to his soul; that thy children when old should forget their duty to thee, that didst bring them up like heathens in their youth without learning them their duty to God.[

Counsel to those that live in praying families

           Use Second.  A word of counsel to you whom God hath planted in religious families.

1. Bless God for casting thy lot in so pleasant a seat and fruitful a soil for thy soul, where thou mayest suck in the sweet air of God’s Spirit that breathes from thy godly parents or other governors at the throne of grace from day to day; that thou art not wedged into some blind atheistical family, there to live with a godless crew, among whom thou mightest have passed thy days without any knowledge of thy Maker, and with them have been involved in that curse of God which is in the house of the wicked, and hangs like a black cloud in the threatening, ready to pour down upon the families that call not upon his name.  Look round thy neighbourhood and see how many families there are who live like brutes, as in so many dark caves and dens, where none of that heav­enly light is seen, from one end of the year to the other, which shines on thy face every day.  What nur­ture and breeding should thy soul have had under the tutoring of such parents and masters, who themselves live ‘without God in the world?’  The queen of Sheba counted them happy that stood before Solomon, not so much that they might see his pomp, but hear his wisdom.  O happy thou—if grace to know thy privi­lege—that thou ministerest unto a godly master, art under gracious parents, or yoked to a holy husband, from whose devout prayers, pious counsels, and Christian examples, thou mayest gain more than if they had the wealth, delicacies, and preferments of Solomon’s court to confer upon thee.

           2. Look you make improvement of this spiritual advantage, or else it will go worse with you than others.  Rebellious Israel is told, ‘They shall know that they had a prophet among them.’  The meaning is, they shall know it to their cost; and so shall those that have lived in families, under such governors who went before them, and, as it were, chalked out a way to heaven by their godly example, lamenting over their precious souls so oft with their prayers and tears.  If such miscarry, they shall know to their terror what families they once live in but had not a heart to prize or improve the mercy.  God forbid that any of you should find the way to hell out of such doors, and force your way to damnation through such means af­forded to prevent it.  What will Cain answer when his father that begat him shall bear witness against him, and say, ‘Lord, this wicked child of mine never learned his atheism of me.  I brought him to thy wor­ship and taught him thy fear, but he liked it not, and first proved a murderer and then an apostate.  First, he behaved himself wickedly in thy service, and then ran out of thy doors and cast it quite off.’  What will then the flouting wife of David—who, though of a wicked stock, was privileged with so gracious a hus­band—say when she shall be accused for making him her laughing‑stock for his zeal in the worship of God? Or how will the wicked children of the same holy man who walked with such uprightness in his house look their godly father on the face at the great day? You, my children, said dying Mr. Bolton, dare not, I believe, meet me at the day of judgment in an unre­generate state.  The weight of such holy men’s prayers and admonitions will then sink their ungodly rela­tions deeper into hell than others who drop thither out of dark and blind families.