AN EXHORTATION For publike PRAYER.

WHen as I call to minde the times paſt when Common and publike Prayer was uſed on Sunday, Wedneſday, and Friday, in this Land, how mercifull GOD was unto us, in hearing our Prayers, and bleſſing our Land with peace and plenty. Very comely it was to ſee, rich and poore, old and young, to joyne together in Gods true publike worſhip and ſervice: and well for us it was when wee could imitate the Angels in heaven, for they performe publike worſhip and praiſe in heaven, as you may read, Revel. 5. 11. And I beheld, and I heard the voyce of many Angels round about the Throne, and the Beaſts and Elders, and the number of them was2 ten thouſand times ten thouſand: And after this I beheld, and loe a great multitude which no man could number, of all Nations and Kinred, and people and Tongues ſtood before the Throne, and before the Lambe, clothed with white robes, and palmes in their hands, and cryed with a loud voyce, ſaying, Salvati­on unto our God which ſitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lambe, and all the Angels ſtood round about the Throne, and about the Elders, and the foure Beaſts, and fell before the Throne on their faces, and worſhiped God, ſaying. Amen: bleſſing, and glory, and wiſdome, and thankſgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be given unto God, for ever, and ever, Amen, Revel. 9. 10, 11, 12.

But in hell is quite contrary, malice and curſing is the•e: Then let the Church Militant pray and give thanks in the great congregation, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, and come before his pre­ſence with praiſe. Let the people praiſe thee, ô God, let all the people praiſe thee, call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee. Gen. 4. ult. In the gener ation of Seth, men began to call upon the name of the Lord. My houſe is called the houſe of prayer, ſayth our Saviour. Now Peter and John went up together into the Temple at the houre of prayer, Acts 3. 3. By which it appeares there was a ſet houre appointed for prayer.

And after the reading of the Law and the Pro­phets, the Ruler of the Synagogue ſent unto them ſaying, ye men and brethren, If you have a word of exhortation for the people, ſay on, Act. 13. 15. 3And again ſayth Paul, exhort therefore that firſt of all Supplication and Prayer, Interceſſion and giving of thanks be made for all men, for Kings and for all that are in authority, that we may live a godly and quiet life in all godlineſſe and hone­ſty, for this is good and acceptable in the ſight of God our Saviour, 2 Tim. 1, 2, 3. Verſes.

This Scripture will reach to publike Prayer, and be acceptable unto God when it is performed in the name of Jeſus Chriſt our Saviour, for wee muſt needs judge that there is many of Gods dear children in a publike Congregation, as well as the Miniſter, whom the Lord delighteth in, and will be by his omni-preſence ▪ in the midſt of them, and accept of their prayer in mercie, and will increaſe their faith and knowledge by it, as well as by preaching: For the light of the Holy Ghoſt comes by Prayer, as our Saviour ſayth, your heavenly Father will give the Holy Ghoſt to them that earneſtly aske him.

But ſome preciſe man will ſay, there is wicked men there which turne away their eares and their heart from hearing the Law, and therefore their Prayer is abominable.

I anſwer, Our Saviour ſayth, the Sheepe and goats are together, the tares and the wheat muſt grow together unto the time of harveſt.

And I anſwer alſo, that the Lord doth heare the Prayers of ungodly men, and doth ſomtimes ſend earthly bleſſings, and ſometimes remove earth­ly puniſhments.

The Lord ſaw the humiliations of Ahab, and therefore ſtaid the judgement for a time. The Lord ſaw the repentance of the men, women, and children of Nineveh, and their earneſt Prayers, and removed the judgement. The Lord heard the cry of Iſmael and ſent ſent water, and bleſt him with earthly bleſſings.

Then let us pray in our Churches, and confeſs our ſins upon our knees, and hope for mercie in Chriſt Jeſus, and then let us give thanks unto God Almighty, It is right and meet ſo to doe: Like as the hart deſireth after the water brooks, ſo longeth my ſoule after thee, ô God, my ſoule is athirſt for God yea even for the living God. When ſhall I come to appeare before the preſence of God? my teares have been my meat day and night, while they daily ſay un­to me, where is now thy God? Now when I thinke thereupon, I poure out my heartby my ſelfe: For I went with the multitude, and brought them forth into the houſe of God, in the voyce of praiſe and thankſgiving.

Among ſuch as keep holyday, Gentlemen and Brethren, I pray conſider this Scripture, the two and fortieth Pſalme, which you have read already. What lamentable moan King David makes all this Pſalme over: becauſe hee is forced by his enemies from the publike place of Gods worſhip before e­ver the Temple was built, this man was a man af­ter Gods own heart, he was one of the thankfulleſt men that ever lived upon the earth, and God Al­mighty did heare his private prayers, reſtored him5 to be King, and hee and his ſon to budd that fa­mous Temple of Jeraſalem, for Gods true pub­like worſhip and ſervice, which laſted in that place firſt and laſt above a thouſand yeers. And it is well known unto the learned, that publike and common Prayer hath beene uſed in all ages ſince Chriſt was upon the earth, but at the laſt was abuſed by the Papiſts by an humble and refined Idolatry, in mediating to the Virgin Mary, and to the Saints de­parted, which was againſt Gods commandements, though the Heathen Idolatry ſeemed more rude when they worſhipped Diana and Jupiter. But in King Edward the Sixth's time publike prayer was reformed, and Chriſt Jeſus was ſet up, the only Mediatour betweene God and man, untill the ha­tred of the Papiſts took it away in Queen Maries days. Then after five years God Almighty raiſed Queen Elizabeth to ſet up Gods publike worſhip arightagain, which brought great joy and honour unto this Land: but now (alas) our ſins hath cau­ſed God Almighty to ſuffer it to be taken away: the Lord forgive the blind zeal of them that took it away. Can any underſtanding men deny theſe lines to be truth, grounded upon Gods word, both by the old and new Teſtaments. Therefore my de­ſire is, that no man eſteem this book as a Pamph­let, but the words of truth and ſoberneſſe. And my deſire is firſt to God Almighty, that ſome godly form of Prayer may be reſtored into our Churches again, that rich and poor, old and young may pub­likely and earneſtly call upon God in the name of6 Chriſt Jeſus, and not leave all to their Miniſters, and be careleſſe or ſleep the while, as many do now adays, for every man muſt be ſaved by his own faith. And for my part, I have found my heavy ſpirit much enlarged by the voice of the multi­tude, and the fitter for private Prayer and Thankſ­giving: therefore I humbly deſire, and my petiti­on is, if accidentally this book ſhall come into the hands of any Member of the Honourable Houſes, that they will ſpeak for ſo good a work, and your Petitioner ſhall thank God for it.