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III. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one fpecial part of religious worshipf, is by God required of all meng; and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the aame of the Son b, by the help of his Spiriti, according to his willk, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perfeverance/; and, if vocal, in a known

between God and man, the man Chrift Jefus. Eph. ii. 18. For thro' him we both have an accefs by one Spirit unto the Father. Col. iii. 17. And whatsoever ye do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, giving thanks to God, and the Father by him.

III. f Phil. iv. 6. Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and fupplication with thankfgiying, let your requests be made known unto God.

༔ Pfal. lxv. 2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee fhall all flesh come.

John xiv. 13. And whatfoever ye fhall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. v. 14. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 1 Pet. ii. 5. Ye alfo as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy prieft. hood to offer up fpiritual facrifices, acceptable to God by Jefus Chrift.

i Rom. viii. 26. Likewife the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itfelf maketh interceffion for us with gronings which cannot be uttered.

* 1 John v. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

Pfal. Ixxiv. 7. For God is the king of all the earth, fing ye praises with understanding. Eccl. v. 1. 1. Keep thy foot when thou goeft to the house of God, and be more rea

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dy to hear, than to give the facrifice of fools: for they confider not that they do evil. v. 2. Be not rafh with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hafty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. Heb. xii. 28, Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may ferve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Gen. xviii. 27. And Abraham anfwered and faid, Behold now, I have taken upon me to fpeak unto the Lord, who am but duft and athes. James v. 16. Confefs your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, James i. 6. But let him afk in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the fea, driven with the wind and toffed. v. 7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Mark, xi. 24. Therefore I fay unto you, What things foever ye defire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye fhall have them. Mat. vi. 12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. v. 14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will alfo forgive you. v. 15. But if ye forgive not men their trefpaffes, neither will your Father forgive your trefpaffes. Col. iv. 3. Continue in prayer, and watch in

the

known tonguem.

IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawfuln, and for all forts of men living, or that fhall live hereaftero; but not for the dead p, nor for thofe of whom it may be known that they have finned the fin unto death q.

V. The reading of the fcriptures with godly fearr; the. found

the fame with thanksgiving. Eph. vi. 18. Praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, and fupplication for all faints.

m 1 Cor. xiv. 14. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my fpirit 'prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

IV. n (1 John v. 14.

See letter k.)

1 Tim. ii. 1. I exhort therefore, that first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: v. 2. for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinefs and honefty. John xvii. 20. Neither pray I for thefe alone, but for them alfo who fhall believe on me through their word. 2 Sam. vii. 29. Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy fervant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord God, haft fpoken it; and with thy bleffing let the house of thy fervant be bleffed for ever. Ruth iv. 12. And let thy house be like the houfe of Pharez (whom Tamar bare unto Judah) of the feed which the Lord fhall give thee of this young wo

man.

p 2 Sam. xii. 21. Then faid his fervants unto him, What thing is this that thou haft done? thou didst faft and weep for the child while it was alive; but when the child was

dead, thou didst arise and eat bread. v. 22. And he faid, While the child was yet alive, I fafted and wept: for I faid, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? v. 23. But now he is dead, wherefore fhould I fast? Can I bring him back again? I fhall go to him, but he fhall not return to me. (With Luke xvi. 25.) But Abraham faid, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedit thy good things, and likewife Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. v. 26. And befides all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed: fo that they who would pafs from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pafs to us, that would come from thence. Rev. xiv. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, Bleffed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, faith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours: and their works do follow them.

q 1 John v. 16. If any man fee his brother fin a fin which is not unto death, he fhall ask, and he fhall give him life for them that fin not unto death. There is a fin unto death: I do not fay, that he fhall pray for it.

V. r Acts xv. 21. For Mofes of old time hath in every city, them that preach him, being read in the fynagogues every fabbath day, Rev.

found preaching and confcionable hearing of the word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith and reverencet; finging of pfalms with grace in the heart; as alfo, the due administration and worthy receiving of the facraments inftituted by Chrift; are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God w: befides religious oaths and vowsy, folemn

i. 3. Bleffed is he that readeth, and they that hear the word of this prophecy, and keep thofe things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

⁄ 2 Tim. iv. 2. Preach the word, be inftant in feafon, out of feafon; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-fuffering and doctrine.

Jam. i. 22. But be ye dcers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own felves. Acts x. 33. Immediately therefore I fent to thee; and thou haft well done, that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. Mat. xiii. 19. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was fown in his heart: this is he, who received feed in the way-fide. Heb. iv. 2. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Ifa. lxvi. 2. For all thofe things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, faith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite fpirit, and trembleth at my word.

v Col. iii. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wifdom: teaching and admonifhing one another in pfalms, and hymns, and

fpiritual fongs, finging with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Eph. v. 19. Speaking to yourselves in pfalms, and hymns, and fpiritual fongs, finging, and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. Jam. v. 13. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him fing pfalms.

Mat, xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoft. (1 Cor. xi. 23, to Verfe 29.) Acts ii. 42. And they continued ftedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

x Deut. vi. 13. Thou fhalt fear the Lord thy God, and ferve him, and fhalt fwear by his name. With Neh. x. 29. They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curfe, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Mofes the fervant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and his judgments and his ftatutes.

y Ifa. xix. 21. And the Lord fhall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians fhall know the Lord in that day, and fhall do facrifice and oblation; yea, they fhall vow a vow, unto the Lord, and perform it. With Eccl. v. 4. When thou voweft a vow unto God, defer not to pay it, for he hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou haft

Chap. XXI. folemn faftings z and thanksgivings upon fpecial occafions a, which are, in their feveral times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner b.

VI. Neither Prayer, nor any other part of religious worfhip, is, now under the gofpel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by, any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed c: but God is to be worshipped everywhere din fpirit and truth e; as in private families ƒ dai

vowed. v. 5. Better is it that thou fhouldft not vow, than that thou fhouldft vow and not pay.

z Joel ii. 12. Therefore alfo now, faith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fatting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Efth. iv. 16. Go, gather together all the Jews that are prefent in Shuthan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night nor day: I alfo and my maidens will faft likewife, and fo will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perifh, I perish. Mat. ix. 15. And Jefus faid unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom fhall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. 1 Cor. vii. 5. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with confent for a time, that ye may give your felves to faiting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your inconti

nency.

(Pfal. cvii. throughout.) Efther ix. 22. As the days wherein the Jews 'refted from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from forrow to joy, and from mourning unto a good day, that they fhould make them days of

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feafting and joy, and of fending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

b Heb. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may ferve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear..

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VI. John iv. 21. Jefus faith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye fhall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerufalem, worthip the Father.

d Mal. i. 11. For from the rifing of the fun even unto the going down of the fame, my name fhall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incenfe fhall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name fhall be great among the heathen, faith the Lord of holts. 1 Tim. ii. 8. I will therefore, that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

e John iv. 13. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worfhippers fhall worship the Father in fpirit and in truth: for the Father feeketh fuch to worship him. v. 24. God is a Spirit, and they that worfhip him, muft worship him in fpirit and in truth.

f Jer. x. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call

not

lyg, and in fecret each one by himself b; so more folemnly in the publick affemblies, which are not carelefly or willfully to be neglected or forfaken, when God by his word or provi dence calleth thereunto i.

VII. As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be fet apart for the worship of God; fo, in his word, by a pofitive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed

not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and confumed him, and have made his habitation defolate. Deut. vi. 6. And thefe words which I command thee this day, fhall be in thine heart. v. 7. And thou fhalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and fhalt talk of them when thou fittest in thine house, and when thou walkeft by the way, and when thou lieft down, and when thou rifeft up. Job i. 5. And it was fo, when the days of their feafting were gone about, that Job sent and fanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings, according to the number of them all: for Job faid, It may be that my fons have finned, and curfed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. 2 Sam. vi. 18. And affoon as David had made an end of offering burntofferings, and peace-offerings, he bleffed the people in the name of the Lord of hofts. v. 20. Then David returned to blefs his houfhold. 1 Pet. iii. 7. Likewise ye hufbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife as unto the weaker veffel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindred. Acts x. 2. A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much

alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

g

Mat, vi. 11. Give us this day our daily bread.

b Mat. vi. 6. But thou, when thou prayeft, enter into thy closet, and when thou haft fhut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in fecret, and thy Father who feeth in fecret fhall reward thee openly. Eph. vi. 18. Praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance and fupplication for all faints.

i Ifa. Ivi. 6. Alfo the fons of the ftranger that join themselves to the Lord, to ferve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his fervants, every one that keepeth the fabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; v. 7. even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make thern joyful in my houfe of prayer: their burntofferings and their facrifices fhall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine houfe fhall be called an house of prayer for all people. Heb. x. 25. Not forfaking the affembling of ourfelves together, as the manner of fome is; but exhorting one an other: and fo much the more, aş ye fee the day approaching. Prov. i. 20. Wisdom crieth without, fhe uttereth her voice in the freets: v.,

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