Epitome ugaiainonton logon, or, A taste of the truth as it is in Jesus consisting of ten questions and answers, and a brief exposition upon the same : whereunto are added ten generall directions ... intended chiefly for the benefit of my countreymen, kindred, and acquaintance in Lancashire / composed by John Jackson, M.A.

TO MY Loving Countreymen in Generall, Who desire to serve God in Spirit and in Truth: And in Speciall to my Beloved Kinsfolk and Acquaintance at Hathornwait in Over-Wiredale, and in other places in Lancashire.

Dear Friends,

I Observing in the severall places where I have lived among you, and in other countries: Some to pray Popishly (even among us Protestants) the Pater-noster, &c. Ave Maria, &c. and other Latine forms: Some grossely ignorantly, The Belief, the Lords Prayer, the ten Command∣ments,

without understanding rightly one sentence thereof: Some meerly for∣mally, by prayers in books, or by what they have got out of books, without pray∣ing, or praising God for any thing, more then is set down in a form: Some rash∣ly, and more formally then sincerely, without remembring that God is in hea∣ven before they call upon him: And the most of people to be formall in holy du∣ties; I, I say, observing these things, have given you these Directions as a help and furtherance to make you sincere in prayer, and in all other duties to God; For, I would not have you taken off, but directed in duty. And whereas I advise you to meditate of such and such things before prayer, and to take such and such words to your selves to pray with, and to follow such and such a method in keeping of a Fast, and a day of thanksgiving, and in the performance of other ho∣ly duties; My meaning is, that you meditate of those or the like things, or of those or the like Scripturall subjects: That you take those or the like words of Scripture to pray with: That you follow that or the like method in your Religious performances; For

I doe not recommend them unto you as formes for you to tie your selves unto, but as exemplary rules for you to medi∣tate, pray, and perform duty by, that you may be taken off, from formality, and carried on to sincerity in your en∣trance upon, in your continuance in, and in your finishing of duty. I have not directed you to any thing to my know∣ledge that may limit the spirit, or any way hinder its free workings: For the spirit helpeth not by miracle, but by means, (a) minding us of some promises and principles of Scripture in the act of prayer, and quickning us to beleeve more, to love more, and to pray for more then we were able to think upon; and so the spirit helpeth our infirmities in, af∣ter, and above means, but not without means, no more then it helpeth Pagans and Heathens that know not so much that there is a holy Ghost. And there∣fore I counsell you to make use of these and all other helps, as if you were there∣with to pray in your own strength; and to trust and rely upon God for his spirit, as if you used no means at all; And I beseech as many of you as are most a∣gainst these Directions, and most for

forms of prayer, that you would be plea∣sed to consider how that every time that you are solemnly to pray in your closet, you have new sins to confesse (b) new mercies to blesse God for (c) new wants to ask, which are not particularly set down in any form of prayer; (d) So as that you cannot sincerely serve God in private by forms of prayer, I mean so as to tie your selves unto them. Thus commending the successe of these my endeavours unto God, and the benefit of them unto you. I rest,

Your Friend, and Countreyman, JOHN JACKSON.

Notes

• The occasi∣on that mo∣ved me to give these Directions.
• The scope of these Di∣rections is, to take peo∣ple off, from formality in duty.
• (a)

  Matth. 6.9. to 14. Rom. 8 26. How the spi∣rit helpeth our infirmi∣ties in prayer,
• Note.
• (b)

  1 Ioh. 1.8.
• (c)

  Lam. 3.23
• (d)

  Matth. 6.11, 12.