One hundred and ninety sermons on the hundred and nineteenth Psalm preached by the late reverend and learned Thomas Manton, D.D. ; with a perfect alphabetical table directing to the principal matters contained therein.

Doctrine. Those that make a business of Prayer, will use great Vigilancy, and diligence therein.

I say, That make a business of Prayer, others that use it as a Complement, and customary Formality, will not be thus affected, or do it as a thing by the bye, or a work that might well be spared, do not look upon it as a necessary duty, but if a mans heart be in it, he will be early at work, and follow it close, morning and night: his business is to maintain Communion with God, his desires will not let him sleep, and he gets up early to be calling upon God; Psal. 88. 13. But unto thee have I cryed, O

Lord, and in the morning shall my Prayer prevent thee. Thus will good men even break their sleep, to give themselves to Prayer, and calling upon the Name of God. So Isa. 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night, and with my spirit within me will I seek thee early. A man that hath an earnest desire after God, he will be at it night and day; when others are taking their Rest, their seeking of God is early and earnest: but where such strong desires are not, God is little minded and regarded; and of all businesses, Prayer seemeth that which may be best spared.

That I may fully Commend Davids Practice to you, I shall observe in this his Diligence,

• I. That it was a Personal, Closet, or Secret Prayer, I cryed; I alone, with thee in Secret.
• II. That it was an early Morning Prayer; I prevented the dawning of the Morn∣ing.
• III. That it was a Vehement and Earnest Prayer; for 'tis expressed by crying, which as Chrysostome saith, noteth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Chrys. in Psal. 5. He proveth it by that of God to Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Exod. 14. 15. And when Moses was silent, yet he cryeth; for crying noteth the Affection of the Mind, not extension of the Voice. Where I shall note, that it was an earnest prayer, though private; and earnest, though as yet he could get no Answer.
• IV. That it was the Prayer of a Publick Person, of a King, and a King intangled in Wars, whose Calling exposed him to a Multitude of business, and distractions; yet he had his times of Converse with God: take all this together and the pattern will be more sit to be commended to your Imitation.

I. It was a Personal or Secret Prayer; I cryed, I alone, and without Company. Our Saviour that doth in Matth. 18. 19, 20. incourage us to publick Prayer, by the blessed effect of such Petitions, where two or three do agree to ask any thing of God, in the name of Christ: he doth suppose that his Disciples will make Conscience of per∣sonal, and solitary prayer, and therefore giveth directions, and Incouragement about it; Matth. 6. 6. But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which seeth in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret, will re∣ward thee openly. He taketh it for granted that every one of his Disciples is sufficiently convinced of being often with God in private, and pouring out his heart to God alone: Tis not if, but when, as supposing they will be careful of this; 'tis not plurally and collectively, when ye pray, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 when thou prayest; elsewhere the Context speaketh of publick prayer, or the Assemblies of Saints, and of Family Worship, but here he speaketh of personal prayer. Church prayer hath a special blessing when with a combined force, we besiege Heaven; as the Petition of a Shire and County, is more than a private mans Supplication; but yet this is not without its Blessing. God is with you in private, pray to thy father in secret, and he that seeth in secret, observeth the carriage and posture and frame of thy spirit; all thy fervour and uprightness of heart is known to him; that which is the Hypocrites fear, that God seeth in secret, is the Saints Comfort, that God seeth in secret: it bindeth Condemnation upon the thoughts of wick∣ed men, 1. Iohn 3. 21. but is their support, Iohn 21. 17. Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth the heart, knoweth the mind of the Spirit. He knoweth the brokenness or unbrokenness of the Heart, he can pick out the very language of thy sighs and groans; know where thou art, and how thou art imployed. Acts 9. 11. Arise and go into the street which is called streight, and inquite in the house of Judas for one Saul of Tarsus, for behold he prayeth. In such a street, in such an house, in such a Chamber of the house, there is one a praying: a notable place to express Gods seeing in secret, where we are, what we do, and how affected. And then his reward is another incouragement, he will reward thee: openly grant thee, what thou prayest for, or bless thee for the conscionable performance of this duty. Openly, either by a sensible Answer of thy prayers, as Dan. 9. 20, 21, 22. or with an evident Blessing, as Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, in the eyes of the World. God highly favoured them; a secret prayer hath an open blessing: or in convincing the Consciences of men; Pharaoh sendeth for Moses and Aaron when in distress; the Consciences of wicked men are convinced that Gods praying Children have special Audience with him, no Magicians sent for then, but Moses and Aaron. Thus God may reward them openly; 1 Sam. 2. 30. Those that honour me, I will honour. But chiefly at the day of Judgment; Luk. 14. 44. He shall be recompenced at the resurrection of the just. Then is the great reward of Christians, and most publick: then shall every

man have praise of God, 1 Cor. 4. 5. Thus you see how our Lord incourageth us to Closet Prayer: but let us see other Arguments to engage us to this Duty:

1. All the precepts of Prayer do include Closet-prayer: Continue in prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving, Col. 4. 2. Pray without ceasing, 1 Thes. 5. 17. First, Gods precepts fall upon single persons, before it falleth upon Families and Churches: for God considereth us first as persons apart, and then in our several Combinations and Societies, in joyning with others; the Duty is rather imposed upon us, then taken up by Voluntary choice; and that only at stated times, when they can conveniently meet. If we are to continue in prayer, and to pray without ceasing, we are to make consci∣ence our selves of being often with God. Every person that acknowledgeth a God, that hath a Father in Heaven, must come and profess his dependance upon him.

2. The Example of Christ, which beareth the force of a Law in things Moral. We read often of Christs praying, Mark 1. 35. He went out into a solitary place to pray. And Matth. 14. 23. And Luke 6. 12. we read, he prayed a whole night to God; now let us improve this Instance. Christ had no such need of Prayer, as we have, the Godhead dwelt in him bodily; nor such need of retirement, his Affections were al∣waies in frame, yet he went out from the company of his Disciples to pray alone to God. This Pattern is very ingaging, for if we have the Spirit of Christ, we will do as Christ did; and very encouraging, for by submitting to this Duty, he sanctified it for all: his steps drop fatness, and left a blessing and vertue behind him. And it assureth us of his Sympathizing with us, he is acquainted with the heart of an earnest supplicant, and 'tis some Comfort against our imperfections, when we are with God, and our hearts are as heavy as a log, 'tis a Comfort to think of this particular part of his Righteousness, by which our defects are covered.

3. I shall urge it from Gods End in pouring out the Spirit, that we may pray apart, and mourn apart over our distempers and personal necessities: Zech. 12. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Many will say they have no gifts; certainly they that feel their necessities, will speak of them in one fashion or another: But this cuts off the objection, the Spirit is given to help thee, I will pour upon them the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, and they shall mourn apart. Such is Gods condescension to the Saints, that he hath pro∣vided for them, not only an Advocate, but a Notary: A Notary to draw up their Petitions, and an Advocate to present them in Court. And surely the gifts of the Spirit should not lie by idle, and useless.

4. I might urge you too from the practice of the Saints, who are called Gods suppli∣cants; Zeph. 3. 9. the generation that seek him; Psal. 24. 6. They delight in Gods Company, and cannot be content to stay away long from him. Daniel had his three times a day, Dan. 6. 10. So David, Psal. 55. 17. Evening and morning and noon, will I pray, and cry aloud, and he shall hear my Voice. And David, Seven times a day will I praise thee, Psal. 119. 164. And Cornelius prayed to God alwaies, Acts 10. 2. not only with his Family, but sometimes alone for his Family. They that have an habit of prayer, will be thus affected; now to be altogether unlike the People of God, giveth just cause of suspicion.

5. Shall I add our own private Necessities, which cannot be so feelingly spoken to by others, do challenge such a Duty at our hands; or it may be are not so fit to be divulged and communicated to them; 1 Kings 8. 38. There is the plague of our own hearts. Paul had his thorn in the Flesh, 1 Cor. 12. 7. I sought the Lord thriee. No Nurse like the Mother; none so fit feelingly to lay forth our Case to God as our selves: private prayer 'tis an help to inlargement of heart, for the more earnest men are, the more they desire to be alone. Ier. 13. 17. My soul shall weep sore in secret places. Christ went from his Disciples in his Agony, when he would pray more earnestly; Luk. 22. 41, 42. Strong affections are loth to be disturbed, and seek retirement: Iacob sent away his Company when he wrestled with God, Gen. 23. 24. Oh! then let all this be considered by you, if you neglect Closet addresses to God, you wrong God and your selves: You wrong God, because 'tis a necessary part of the Creatures Ho∣mage to God; and you wrong your selves, because such duties bring in a great deal of comfort and peace to the Soul, and many sweet and gracious experiences, which are not vouchsafed else-where. Bernard saith, The Churches Spouse is Bashful, and Christ will not communicate his Loves in Company. You are to use acquaintance with God, and so peace shall come to us; Iob. 22. 21. It argueth little friendship to God, when we seldom come at him, and maintain no personal Commerce with him. When we pray with others, we cannot so well tell who is heard, as when we pray alone, and see

what God will do for our Souls. Ps. 116. 1. I will love the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my Supplication. You sought earnestly for such a thing, and the Lord heard you. To conclude all, A man will not pray with any savour and delight in publick, that doth not pray in secret. I observe in Ezekiel's Vision the Lord removed from the Temple by degrees; First from the holy place to the Altar of Burnt-offerings, then to the Threshold of the house, then to the Mountain on the East-side of the City, there it stood hovering as loth to be gone: So first God is cast out of the Closet, private intercourses are neglected; then out of the Family, and then out of the Congrega∣tion; and then publick Ordinances are laid aside as useless, then are men given up to a strange giddy and vertiginous Spirit, and all manner of Prophaneness. As a Tree dies by degrees, first bears not Fruit, then no Leaves, then no Bark; so carnal Chri∣stians die by degrees.

II. It was an early Morning Prayer; I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried. I would not lay a burden upon any ones Conscience; so God have his due at any time of the day, 'tis enough. In colder Climates, those of a weaker constitution may not be able to rise so soon, and therefore if any other time of the day be fittest for Commerce, all circumstances considered, it cometh to the same issue. Yet that the morning is our golden time, and should not be neglected out of sluggishness, what ever dispensation there be for weakness, these Considerations may evince.

1. The Example of Christ, and his Saints; we read of our Lord Jesus Christ, Mark 1. 35. That in the morning, rising a great while before day, he went out and prayed. This Example bindeth those to receive it that can receive it; if you would take the opportunity of the Morning, it deserves to be considered by us how willing Christ was to deny his Natural Rest, to be with God in private. And have not we more need? And accordingly the Saints have practised this; Psal. 5. 3. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord, in the morning I will direct my prayer to thee, and look up: Upon which Chrysostom saith, Before thou washest thy hands, wash thy soul by Prayer. So again, Psal. 59. 16. I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning. So would David begin his day with praises of God, and prayers to him. So 1 Sant. 1. 19. And they rose up early, and worshipped before the Lord. That was their first work, and they were be∣times at it. So the primitive Christians, their hymnos Antelucanos, they sung Psalms to God and Christ in the morning early, as their Persecutors informed against them. See Tertul. Apol. Euseb. &c. Now this is of some significancy to Christians.

2. Because when ever we have strong Affections to any thing, we make it our morning work, be it good or bad: Good; so Mary and Mary Magdalen came ear∣ly to the Sepulchre of Christ, Matth. 28. the Disciples when they came to wait for the promise of the Spirit, they met betimes, for the Holy Ghost fell upon them in the morn∣ing; Act. 2. 15. For these men are not drunk, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day; which was about Nine of the Clock: and some good time had been spent before, as appears by this speech that was uttered. So Hosea 5. 16. In their afflictions they will seek me early. This is their first and chiefest work: that which urgeth the heart most, we shall think of in the Morning. The Objects that have made deepest impression upon our Spirits, will present themselves before any images be received from abroad. Prov. 6. 22. Bind my Law upon thy heart; when thou walkest, it shall talk with thee, &c. Abraham when he went about the work of offering his son Isaac, he rose early in the Morning; Gen. 22. So, for bad things; if a man be Worldly, his Worldly Desires and Affections compel him to rise early for their satisfaction; Psalm 127. 3. The Drunkard is thinking early of his morning draught, to be filled with Wine; Isa. 15. 11. Wo to them that rise up early to follow strong drink. The People when they were mad upon the Calf, Exod. 36. 6. They rose up early in the morning and offered burnt-offerings to it. Whatsoever hath secured its Interest in the Soul, will first urge us; so if Prayer be our chief pleasure, it will urge us to be up betimes with God: our Delights and Affections sollicit us in the Morning.

3. 'Tis the choicest time of the day, and therefore should be allotted to the most serious and necessary imployment. 'Tis the choicest time, partly with respect to the Body, because the Body is then best refreshed, and our Vigour repaired, which is lessened and spent with the business of the day: Our Memories quickest, Senses rea∣diest, natural Faculties most acute. And partly, with respect to the Mind; our Morning thoughts are our Virgin thoughts: more pure, sublime, and defecate, usu∣ally free from Worldly Cares, which would distract us in prayer, and will more in∣croach

upon us by our Worldly business: and the baser Objects which the necessity of our life ingages us to converse with, and be imployed about. Certainly the best time should be taken up about the best business: not in recreations to be sure, for this is to knit pleasure to pleasure, and to wear away the sithe in whetting, not in work∣ing. They are brutish Epicures that rise up from sleep, not to service, but to their sensual Delights and Vanities: as the Scripture brandeth them that eat in the Morning, not for strength, but Excess, Eccl. 10. 16, 17. The Morning is the fittest time for bu∣siness, now what business should we do, but the most weighty, and that which requir∣eth the greatest heedfulness of Soul, which is our communion with God?

4. Consider. 'Tis profitable to begin the day with God, and to season the heart with some gracious exercise; as David, Psal. 139. 18. When I awake, I am still with thee. It sanctifieth all our other business, as the offering the first fruits did sanctifie the whole lump; and to whom should the first fruits of our Reason and Sense restored, be consecrated, but to him that gave us all, and is the Author and preserver of them? When the World gets the start of Religion it can hardly overtake it all the day: the first thoughts leave a powerful Impression upon it. Mich. 2. 1. They devise evil upon their beds, and when the morning is come they practise it. With carnal men sin beginneth in the morning, stayeth in the Heart all day, playeth in the fancy all night: but if you begin with God in the Morning, you take God along with you all the day to your bu∣siness and imployment.

5. This will be some recompence for the time lost in sleeping: half our lives are consumed in it, our time is parted between work and sleep. 'Tis the misery and ne∣cessity we are subject unto, whilest we are in the body, that so much of our time should be spent without doing any thing for God, or shewing any act of Love, and thankful∣ness to him. None of the other Creatures ever stand still, but are alwayes executing and accomplishing the end, for which they were made. And in heaven the blessed Spirits are alwaies beholding the face of God, and Lauding and Blessing his Name; and need not those intermissions, which we bodily Creatures do. Now though this be our Necessity, and so no sin to need the refreshings of sleep, yet because so much of our time is lost, by way of recompence the least that we should do, is to take the next season; and if health and bodily constitution will permit, to prevent the dawn∣ing of the Morning, and to be as early with God as we can. All the time we can well spare should be given to God; do but consider since thou wentest to bed, the Sun hath Travailed many thousand miles to give thee light this Morning, and therefore what a shame it is, that the Sun being continually in so swift motion, should return and find him turning and tossing in his Bed, like a door upon the hinges, Prov. 20. 14. after Nature is satisfied with sleep: And that we should not rise, and own Gods Mercy in the Rest of the Night; and sanctifie the Labours of the day, by some serious address to him. This Meditation is enforced by Augustine, Indecus est Christiano, si radius so∣lis eum inveniat in lecto, posset enim dicere sol, si potestatem loquendi haberet, amplius laboravi heri, quam tu: & tamen cum jam surrexerim, tu adhuc dormis. So Ambrose on this Text, Grave est si te otiosum radius solis orientis in verecundo pudore conveniat, & lux clara inveni∣at occulos somnolento adhuc corpore depressos.

III. 'Twas a Vehement and Earnest Prayer, for saith David, I cryed: Observe,