is better than a thousand spent otherwhere; perceivings E R M. that he biddeth us welcome, that he treateth us XV. kindly, that he fendeth us away refreshed with sweeteft comforts, and rewarded with most excellent benefits; this will not only reconcile our hearts to devotion, but draw us into a cordial liking and earnest defire thereof; fuch as the Pfalmift expreffeth, when he faith, My foul longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts Pl. Ixxxiv. of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the" living God. This will engage us into strong refolutions of conftantly practifing it; fuch as the fame holy person again declareth in these words; I love thePf. cxvi. 1, Lord, becaufe he hath beard my voice and my fupplica-2· tions: Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. Hence, inftead of a fufpicious eftrangedness, a fervile dread, or an hoftile difaffection toward God, there will spring up an humble confidence, a kindly reverence, a hearty love toward him; which will upon all occafions drive us to him, hoping for his friendly fuccour, longing after his kind embraces. So will the frequency of devotion render it facile and pleasant. Whereas, on the contrary, difufe thereof will make it at any time hard and irksome; ftrengthening and increafing our natural averfenefs thereto: performing it feldom, we fhall never perform it well, with that attention, that affection, that promptitude, that willingness and alacrity, which are due thereto. According to fo many fenfes, in fo many refpects, may we, and should we obferve this precept. From thus praying continually there can be no good exception or just excufe. The most common pleas that will be alledged for the omiffion thereof are two; one drawn from external avocations, the other from internal indifpofitions obftructing it both of which are fo far from being good, that being scanned, they will foon appear ferving rather to aggravate than to excufe or abate the neglect. I. I cannot, faith one, now attend to prayers, becaufe SER M. caufe I am not at liberty, or at leifure, being urgentxv. ly called away, and otherwife engaged by important affairs. How much a flam this apology is we shall presently descry, by afking a few questions about it. 1. Do we take devotion itfelf to be no bufinefs, or a business of no confideration? Do we conceit, when we pay God his debts, or discharge our duties toward him, when we crave his aid or mercy, when we folicit the main concernments of our foul, (yea, of our body alfo and its eftate,) that we are idle or mifemployed; that we lavish our time, or lofe our pains? 2. What other affairs can we have of greater moment or neceffity than this? Can there be any obligation more indifpenfable than is that of yielding due respect and fervice to our Maker, our great Patron, our most liberal Benefactor? Can there be any interest more close or weighty than this, of providing for our fouls' eternal health and happiness? Is not Luke x. 24. this indeed the great work, the only necessary matter, Job xxiii. in comparison whereto all other occupations are mere Airia trifling, or unprofitable fiddling about nothing? What will all other business fignify, what will come of it, if y this be neglected? Bufy we may be, we may plod, Conft. Apoft. We may drudge eternally; but all to no end. Conft.Apoft. ii. 61. our care is in effect improvidence, all our industry may be well reckoned idleness, if God be not ferved, if our fouls are not fecured. J2. υπέργειά εἰ ἡ θρησέβεια. All 3. If we furvey and prize all worldly bufineffes, which among them will appear fo importunate as to demand, fo greedy as to devour, fo worthy at least as to deferve all our time, that we cannot fpare a few minutes for maintaining our most pleasant intercourse, and moft gainful commerce with heaven? What are the great bufineffes of the world? what but fcraping and fcrambling for pelf, contriving and compaffing defigns of ambition, courting the favour and refpect of men, making provision for carnal pleafure, gratifying fond curiofity or vain humour? And do do any of these deserve to be put into the fcale s ER M. againft, fhall all of them together be able to fway xv. down our spiritual employments? Shall these images, thefe fhadows of bufinefs, fupplant or crowd our devotion; that which procureth wealth ineftimably precious, pleasure infinitely fatisfactory, honour incomparably noble above all this world can afford? If the expence of time be, as the Philofopher faid, Theophr. πολυτελέςατον ἀνάλωμα, the moft precious expence that can be; how can it better be laid out than upon the worthieft things, fuch as devotion alone can afford the purchale and poffeffion of? True virtue, found wifdom, a quiet confcience, and fteady tranquillity of mind, the love and favour of God, a title unto endlefs joy and blifs, are purely the gifts of heaven; and thence they will not defcend of themselves, but prayer muft fetch them down. If nothing then in the world be comparable to thofe things, how can any time be fo well fpent as in prayer, which acquireth them; which also best secureth whatever we have, and is the readieft way to procure whatever we want? 4. Should we not farther, honestly comparing things, eafily difcern, that it is no fuch indifpenfable business, but rather indeed fome base dotage on lucre, fome inveigling bait of pleasure, fome bewitching transport of fancy, that crofleth our devotion? Is it not often a complimental vifit, an appointment to tattle or to tipple, a match for fport, a wild ramble in vice or folly, that fo deeply engageth us to put off our duty? 5. Yea, is it not commonly floth rather than activity, an averseness from this rather than an inclination to any other employment, which diverteth us from our prayers? Is not, I fay, the true reafon why we pray fo feldom, not because we are very bufy, but because we are extremely idle; fo idle, that we cannot willingly take the pains to unfcrew our af fections from fenfible things, to reduce our wander SER M. ing thoughts, to compofe our hearts into a right xv. frame, to bend our untoward inclinations to a com pliance with our duty? Is it not because we do not feel that favour and fatisfaction in thefe, which we do in other trivial and worthless employments, nor will be at the trouble to work fuch difpofitions in our fouls? Do we not betake ourselves to other converfations and commerces merely for refuge, fhunning this intercourse with God and with ourselves? Thefe, I fear, are oftener the real caufes of our neglecting devotion, than any fuch mighty avocations which we pretend, 6. But were there indeed not only a counterfeit or imaginary, but a real competition between devotion and other lawful business, which, in reafon, should carry it? in confcience, which of the two fhould be forborne or fufpended? Is it not evidently better, that the purfuit of our temporal interests, whatever they be, fhould be a little checked, than that our affairs of everlasting confequence fhould be quite laid afide? that we fhould venture a small impairing of our eftate, than surely endamage our fouls? that we hazard to difappoint or difplease a man, than dare to affront and offend the Almighty God? 7. Were it not ftrangely abfurd and unhandfome to fay, I cannot wait on God, because I must speak with a friend; I cannot go to church, although God calleth me thither, because I muft hafte to market; I cannot stand to pray, because I am to receive money, or to make up a bargain; I cannot discharge my duty to God, because a greater obligation than that doth lie upon me? How unconceivable an honour, how unvaluable a benefit is it, that the incomprehenfibly great and glorious Majesty of heaven doth vouchfafe us the liberty to approach fo near unto him, to converfe fo freely with him, to demand and derive from his hand the supply of all our needs, and fatisfaction of all our reasonable defires? and is it then juft or feemly, by fuch comparisons to dispa rage rage his favour, by fuch pretences to baffle with hiss ER M. goodness? XV. Put the cafe our prince fhould call for us to speak with him about matters nearly touching his fervice and our welfare; would it be according unto duty, discretion, or decency, to reply, that we are at prefent busy, and have no leifure, and muft therefore hold ourselves excufed; but that, if he will stay awhile, at another time, when we have lefs to do, we fhall be perhaps difpofed to wait upon him? The cafe is propounded by our Lord in that parable, wherein God is reprefented as a great man, that had prepared a feaft, and invited many guests thereto; but they excufed themfelves: One faid, that he had Matt. xxii. purchafed land, and muft needs go out to fee it; another Luke xiv. had bought five yoke of oxen, and must go to prove them ; 16, &c. another had married a wife, and therefore could not come. These indeed were affairs confiderable, as this world anal g τα καὶ πρός hath any; but yet the excufes did not fatisfy; for, Chryf. in notwithstanding, the great perfon was angry, and Joh. Orat. took the neglect in huge difdain. 8. Moreover, if we reflect what vaft portions of time we fquander away upon our petty matters, upon voluptuous enjoyments, upon fruitlefs paftimes, upon impertinent talk; how can we fatisfy ourselves in not allotting competent time for God's fervice, our own falvation, and the future everlasting state? Doth not he, who, with the continuance of our life, bestoweth on us all our time, deserve that a pittance of it fhould be referved for himself? Can all the world duly claim fo great an allowance thereof? May not our foul (which is far our nobleft part, which indeed is all ourselves) justly challenge a good share of our time to be expended on it? or fhall this mortal husk engrofs it all? Muft eternity, which comprehendeth all time, have no time belonging to it, or allotted for its concernments? 9. Again, is it not great imprudence fo to lay our business, that any other matter fhall thwart or thruft out 2, &c. Επειτα τι σκῆψις ταῦ φασις, δε. II. |