A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.

§. Sect. 3 Of the extra∣ordinary pray∣ers vpon euery good occasion.

But it is not enough that we vse daily these set, solemne, and ordinary prayers, but we must, as our Sauiour inioyneth vs, Pray alwayes, and as the * 1.1 Apostle speaketh, continually, and without ceasing. That is, we must be rea∣dy to pray, so often as God shall giue vs any occasion, or as the Apostle speaketh, in euery thing; that is, crauing Gods blessing when we vndertake any businesse, and praysing his name for his gracious assistance, whereby we haue beene inabled to atchieue it; crauing his protection at the ap∣proching of any danger, and his helpe and strength for the ouercomming of any difficulty which affronteth vs in our way. In a word, we must pray in season, that is, at our ordinary times, and vpon common occasions; and out of season, that is, extraordinarily, when any speciall and new occasion offereth it selfe vnto vs. Vnto which prayers, there is not required that we should vse our voyce, or gestures of the body, which are vsed in set prayers; or that we should in any continued or long speach of the soule vnto God, expresse our selues in all the parts of prayer: but onely that we vse sudden and short eiaculations, lifting vp our hearts vnto God, and as it were darting vnto the Throne of grace our feruent desires, which we may doe, without being discerned in the middest of a crowd, and without any distraction from our ordinary affaires. And thus Nehemiah prayed vn∣to * 1.2 God in the presence of an heathenish King, for good successe in his suite. Moses in the middest of the Armie for helpe and deliuerance, when * 1.3 as they were pursued by the Egyptians: And our Sauiour Christ him∣selfe, at the graue of Lazarus. And thus are we to pray continually and * 1.4 without ceasing, either in our set and solemne prayers, or these short ex∣pressions of our hearts desires in all companies, vpon all occasions, and at all times; not onely in the day time, but euen in the night also, either ri∣sing with Dauid to praise God, when our hearts are rauished with the ioy∣full apprehension of some extraordinary benefits; according to that, At * 1.5 midnight will I rise to giue thankes vnto thee, because of thy righteous Iudge∣ments; or with the Church in the Lamentations, to craue helpe and deli∣uerance when we lie vnder the waight of some grieuous afflictions. Arise (saith she) cry out in the night, in the beginning of the watches, powre out thine * 1.6

heart, like water, before the face of the Lord, &c. And this if wee doe, our prayer will be more feruent and effectuall, our senses and soules being se∣questred from worldly affaires, and not incumbred and interrupted in these holy exercises, with any earthly distractions. Or at ordinary times, and vpon vsuall occasions, lifting and raising vp our hearts and minds vnto God, when we wake out of our sleepe, praysing him for all his mercies and goodnesse, and namely, for the rest which he hath giuen vs, and desiring the continuance of his loue and fauour, with all the signes and testimo∣nies of it. But heere our chiefe care must bee, that by this continuall cu∣stome and daily practice, we doe not grow to a lesse esteeme of this high and holy duty, that our hearts be not negligent and carelesse in the per∣formance of it, and so our prayers become cold and formall, and perfor∣med more for custome then for conscience, but that wee pray with our whole hearts, in zeale and feruency of Spirit, accounting it the highest priuiledge in the world, that we haue daily and continually such sweete entercourse and communion with God, and such free accesse vnto the Throne of grace, at all times, and vpon all occasions, to make our suites and requests knowne vnto our Soueraigne King and gracious Father, with assurance to haue them heard and granted. The which must inflame our deuotion and zeale, and cause vs to powre forth our hearts vnto God; without which, the prayer of the lips, wanting the fire of zeale and deuo∣tion, will become (as the Wise man speaketh) the sacrifice of fooles. And * 1.7 therefore we must with Dauid, powre out our soules vnto God; and with the * 1.8 afflicted Church, lift vp our hearts with our hands vnto the Lord of heauen; or else we can haue no assurance to be heard, seeing these onely who thus doe * 1.9 haue the promise; according to that of the Psalmist; The Lord is nigh vnto * 1.10 all them that call vpon him, to all that call vpon him in truth. And if we would haue the sacrifice of our prayers accepted of God, we must not only offer vnto him our outward members and parts, but wash also our inwards, our * 1.11 hearts and affections, and so offer our selues as a whole burnt offering vnto God. And whilst we stretch out our hands, our hearts also must be inlar∣ged * 1.12 with thirsting desires, after the liuing waters and springs of Gods gifts and graces, like vnto the thirsty land.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luk. 18. 1. 1. Thes. 5. 17. Ʋers. 18.
• * 1.2

  Nehem. 2. 4.
• * 1.3

  Exod. 14. 15.
• * 1.4

  John 11. 38, 41.
• * 1.5

  Psal. 119. 62.
• * 1.6

  Lam. 2. 19.
• * 1.7

  Eccl. 5. 1.
• * 1.8

  Psal. 42. 4.
• * 1.9

  Lam. 3. 41.
• * 1.10

  Psal. 145. 18. Esa. 29. 13.
• * 1.11

  Leuit. 1. 13.
• * 1.12

  Psal. 143. 6.