§. Sect. 1 Of our gesture and voyce in prayer.
ANd these are the essentiall duties belonging vnto prayer, be∣sides which, there are others which are circumstantiall and accidentall, of which, there cannot for the most part be giuen any general and certaine rules, but that they be done in order, after a decent & comely maner, and so as shall be most fit and conuenient for the stirring vp of our deuotion, and the furthering of those internall duties before spoken of, which are essentiall and alwayes necessa∣ry. The first, is the gesture of the body, which ought to be such as may fur∣ther our inward humility, reuerence, and feruency of deuotion; wherin we are to imitate the example of Gods Saints in former times, & the custome of the Church and Country where we liue, vsing those gestures which are vsed in them, to expresse externall worship, humility, and reuerence. As a∣mong vs, standing, kneeling, vncouering of the head, lifting vp of the eyes and hands; and in extraordinary and greater humiliation, prostrating our selues vpon the ground, casting down our eyes, as being ashamed to looke towards heauen, and knocking of the brest, as bewayling the sinfull corrup∣tion therein contained. In all which, our chiefest indeuour must be, that the inward affection and disposition of the heart, do answere vnto the outward gestures of the body, without which they are but hypocriticall shewes. The second, is the voyce which is to be vsed in prayer, so often as conueniently we may, seeing it is one speciall end, for which God hath giuen it vnto vs, that we might by it glorifie him, both in our prayers, and our praises and thanksgiuings. Not that he himselfe needeth it, for he searcheth the secrets of the heart and reines, but for the example and edification of others, as in publike prayer, and for the intention of our owne affections, the attention of our mindes, and stirring vp of our deuotions in our priuate prayers; which notwithstanding must be done with this caution, that seeing priuate prayer must be made in secret, we must not speake alowd in our Closet or Chamber, so as others may heare and vnderstand vs, or at least, we must not doe it to this end, seeing it is but grosse hypocrisie, which we must not on∣ly auoide, but euen the very shew and appearance of it, so farre foorth as it doth not crosse Christian apologie and profession, nor that rule of piety and charity giuen by our Sauiour Christ; Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your Father which is in heauen. For we may easily fall (as diuers doe) into the contrary extreme, who so shun the shew of hypocrisie, that they auoyd all profession of Religion, and are as much ashamed to bee taken in the exercise of prayer, or such like