A Collection of Private Devotions for the Hours of Prayer

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1867 edition. Excerpt: ... A COLLECTION OF PRIVATE DEVOTIONS TOR THE HOURS OF PRAYER. OP THE ANCIENT AND ACCUSTOMED TIMES OP PRAYEB IN GENERAi. At all times and in all places to give thanks and praise unto Almighty God our heavenly Father, with all manner of devout prayer and supplication, is no more than our very meet, right, and hounden duty. But inasmuch as the common employments of inostTi and the natural infirmities of all sorts of people he Bo great, that, whiles they have this body of flesh upon them, they cannot possibly attend the heavenly exercise of prayer and thanksgiving without any intermission at all, it hath therefore been the custom of religious and godly persons in all ages, to appoint themselves certain set Times And Houhs of the day, wherein to perform their devotions. By which means it came to pass, that, as other careless people spent the whole day either in their own affairs or pleasures, these men bestowed it, or the chief and more eminent parts of it at least, in the affairs and service of God. They that understood Christ's parablea so as if "men ought always to pray," and to do nothing else, mistook the matter, and were put into the catalogue of heretics for their labour. They, on the other side, that went about to take away all set times of prayer, to maintain their affected liberty, and to do it only when they list, have deserved no less blame, and incurred no milder censure. Wise a Luke xviii. 1. men have gone an even path, and, expounding the Scripture for continual praj-er, by the continual practice of the Church, have neither one 'way nor other offered any violence to devotion. The practice, then, of old hath been, so to keep up prayer that men might keep up themselves withal. TJireeb times a-day to perform this duty, and...