An earnest EXHORTATION For the public reading of COMMON-PRAYER.  
OR, The excellency of Divine Service proved by Scripture.  
In which is contained, strong and undeniable arguments, out of the Old and New Testaments, for the commendation of Common Prayer.  
Showing that the Church Militant here upon earth, doth by it most imitate the Church triumphant in Heaven.  
Written by a well wisher to King and Kingdom. T. H.  Quati's, Divine Fa●. lib. 2. Fa●. 81. 
The Book of Common-Prayer excels the rest;  
For Prayers that are most Common are the best.  
Printed and published according to Order.  
London, Printed for H. T. Anno Domi●●. 1647.   

AN EXHORTATION For public PRAYER.  
WHen as I call to mind the times past when Common and public Prayer was used on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday, in this Land, how merciful GOD was unto us, in hearing our Prayers, and blessing our Land with peace and plenty. Very comely it was to see, rich and poor, old and young, to join together in God's true public worship and service: and well for us it was when we could imitate the Angels in heaven, for they perform public worship and praise in heaven, as you may read, Revel. 5. 11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne, and the Beasts and Elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand: And after this I beheld, and lo a great multitude which no man could number, of all Nations and Kindred, and people and Tongues stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation unto our God which sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb, and all the Angels stood round about the Throne, and about the Elders, and the four Beasts, and fell before the Throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying. Amen: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, 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, o 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 generation of Seth, men began to call upon the name of the Lord. My house is called the house of prayer, saith our Saviour. Now Peter and John went up together into the Temple at the hour of prayer, Acts 3. 3. By which it appears there was a set hour 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. And again saith 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 godliness 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 public Prayer, and be acceptable unto God when it is performed in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour, for we must needs judge that there is many of God's dear children in a public 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 mercy, 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 saith, your heavenly Father will give the Holy Ghost to them that earnestly ask him.  
But some precise man will say, there is wicked men there which turn away their ears and their heart from hearing the Law, and therefore their Prayer is abominable.  
I answer, Our Saviour saith, the Sheep 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 hear the Prayers of ungodly men, and doth sometimes send earthly blessings, and sometimes remove earthly punishments.  
The Lord saw the humiliations of Ahab, and therefore stayed 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 Ishmael 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 mercy in Christ Jesus, and then let us give thanks unto God Almighty, It is right and meet so to do: Like as the hart desireth after the water brooks, so longeth my soul after thee, o God, my soul is athirst for God yea even for the living God. When shall I come to appear before the presence of God? my tears have been my meat day and night, while they daily say unto me, where is now thy God? Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heartby myself: For I went with the multitude, and brought them forth into the house of God, in the voice of praise and thanksgiving.  
Among such as keep holiday, Gentlemen and Brethren, I pray consider this Scripture, the two and fortieth Psalm, which you have read already. What lamentable moan King David makes all this Psalm over: because he is forced by his enemies from the public place of God's 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 hear his private prayers, restored him to be King, and he and his son to bud that famous Temple of Jerasalem, for God's true public worship and service, which lasted in that place first and last above a thousand years. And it is well known unto the learned, that public and common Prayer hath been 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 God's commandments, though the Heathen Idolatry seemed more rude when they worshipped Diana and Jupiter. But in King Edward the Sixth's time public prayer was reform, and Christ Jesus was set up, the only Mediator between God and man, until the hatred of the Papists took it away in Queen Mary's days. Then after five years' God Almighty raised Queen Elizabeth to set up Gods public 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 God's 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 soberness. 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 publicly and earnestly call upon God in the name of Christ Jesus, and not leave all to their Ministers, and be careless 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 fit 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.   
FINIS.