led the people into a snare, when he bade them beware of the leaven of the Pharisees' doctrine, yet bade them hear them preach, Matt, xxiii. 3.
Section III. — Of exhortations. First, Make conscience of joininj^ with the church in her public worsliip. Do not think th'ou art left to thy liberty whether thou wilt or not, but bind it upon thy conscience as a duty, for so indeed it is. Vou think it is the minister's duty to dispense ordinances, surely then it is your duty to attend on them. He might as well pray for you at home, as come to church and not find you there. Is there a woe to him if he doth not provide food for your souls, and none to you if you come not to partake of it? And think not you are time enough there, if you hear the sermon, though you miss the jjrayers, which should prepare you for the word, and sanctify the word to you. It is not the way to profit by one ordiiiance, to neglect another. The minister may preach, but God must teach thee to profit. If God opens not thy understanding to conceive of, and thy heart to conceive by the word tluni hearest, no fruit will come of it. Now prayer is the key to open God's heart, as his Spirit is the key to open thine. Secondly, Take heed liow thou comest to, and behavest thyself in prayer.
First, How thou comest to public worship. Take heed thou comest not in thy filthiness ; I mean, that thou regard not iniquity in thy heart. Wash, and then pray ; so David resolves, ' I will wash my hands in innocency, and so compass thine altar,' alluding to the priests that went to the laver before they approached with their sacrifice to the altar, Exod. xl. 31. It was counted a great presumption in one, that he durst come near his prince with a foul breath ; O, what a bold act then it is, to drav/ near to the great God with any sin upon thee ! This is sure to make thy breath in prayer loathsome, and render thee abominable to him. Secondly, How thou behavest thyself in thy duty : be sure it be with a holy reverence.
First, With an inward reverence. God is called the fear of his people, because he is reverenced by them in their approaches to him. Fear is put for the whole worship of God, because no part of it is to be done without a holy trembling ; this, as the grace-note to the music, gives a beauty and acceptableness both to our prayers and praises ; ' Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trem- bling.' Labour to set up a right notion of God in thy mind, as infinitely glori- ous in holiness, majesty, and power. Irreverence is the product of low tlioughts of a person, which makes it impossible that an ignorant soul should truly reverence God, because he knows not what God is. A prince in a disguise is not known, and therefore not entertained where he comes, as when he appears in his royal majestj'. The saints used to awe their hearts into a reverence of God in prayer, by revolving his titles of majesty in their thoughts, Psa. Ixxxix. 6. Secondly, Outward reverence. God is a Spirit, yet he will have the reverence of our body as well as spirit, for both are his ; and especially in public. A prince would not like rude behavioiu- from his servant in his bed-chamber, where none besides himself is witness to it : but much less will he hear it as he sits on his throne before many of his subjects. Now the fittest gesture of body in ^wblic prayer, to express oiu" reverence, is kneeling : ' Come let us worship and bow down; let lis kneel before the Lord,' Psa. xcv. 6. So Paul, taking his leave of the elders of Ephesus, kneeled and jirayed with them all. Acts XX. 36. And all the Christians at Tyriis accompanying Paul to the ship, with their wives and children, 'Kneeled down on the shore and prayed,' Acts xxi. 5. Where that cannot be done, they should stand, if debility of nature hinder not : as for sitting, we do not find it commended in Scripture, as a pray- ing posture , neither have the churches of Christ judged it so. Tertullian saith, that to pray sitting is not according to the church's order : as for the passage, 2 Sam. vii. 18, ' David sat before the Lord,' it may be read, he abode or stayed before the Lord: so the word in other places is taken; as. Gen. xxvii. 44; Lev. xliv. 8 ; 1 Sam. i. 22. Thirdly, Attention and intention of mind, that they may go along with the minister by their devout affections, and witness their consent to the prayers put up, with their hearty Amen, 1 Chron. xvi. 36 ; Noliem. viii. 6 ; ICor. xiv. 16: or else, indeed, they are as a broken string in a concert, that speaks not with the rest, and thereby discomposeth the harmony.
WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, 'J'QJ
CHAPTER XLV.
OF F.XTRAOKDINARY PRAYFR, ITS NATURE, AND I5Y WHOM TO BF. PERFORMED.
Tin; last sort of prayer is extraordinarij pratjer ; for the despatch of wliich I shall answer five questions — What is extraordinary prayer ?