DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3689#0162
160 *A Serious Call to
147th, are such as wonderfully set forth the glory of God ; and
therefore you may keep to any one of them, at any particular
hour, as you like: Or you may take the finest parts of any
Psalms, and so adding them together, may make them fitter for
your own devotion.
Chapter XVI.
^Recommending devotion at nine o'clock in
the mornings called in Scripture the third
hour of the day. The subject of these
prayers is humility.
I AM now come to another hour of prayer, which in
Scripture is called the third hour of the day; but
according to our way of numbering the hours, it is called
the ninth hour of the morning.
The devout Christian must at this time look upon him-
self, as called upon by God to renew his acts of prayer, and
address himself again to the throne of grace.
There is indeed no express command in Scripture to repeat
our devotions at this hour. But then it is to be considered also,
that neither is there any express command to begin and end the
day with prayer. So that if that be looked upon as a reason for
neglecting devotion at this hour, it may as well be urged as a
reason, for neglecting devotion both at the beginning and end of
the day.
But if the practice of the saints in all ages of the world, if the
customs of the pious Jews and primitive Christians be of any
force with us, we have authority enough to persuade us, to
make this hour a constant season of devotion.
The Scriptures show us, how this hour was consecrated to
devotion both by Jews and Christians; so that if we desire to
number ourselves amongst those whose hearts were devoted
unto God, we must not let this hour pass, without presenting us
to him in some solemnities of devotion. And besides this
authority for this practice, the reasonableness of it, is sufficient
to invite us to the observance of it.
For if you were up at a good time in the morning, your first
devotions will have been at a proper distance from this hour;
you will have been long enough at other business, to make it
147th, are such as wonderfully set forth the glory of God ; and
therefore you may keep to any one of them, at any particular
hour, as you like: Or you may take the finest parts of any
Psalms, and so adding them together, may make them fitter for
your own devotion.
Chapter XVI.
^Recommending devotion at nine o'clock in
the mornings called in Scripture the third
hour of the day. The subject of these
prayers is humility.
I AM now come to another hour of prayer, which in
Scripture is called the third hour of the day; but
according to our way of numbering the hours, it is called
the ninth hour of the morning.
The devout Christian must at this time look upon him-
self, as called upon by God to renew his acts of prayer, and
address himself again to the throne of grace.
There is indeed no express command in Scripture to repeat
our devotions at this hour. But then it is to be considered also,
that neither is there any express command to begin and end the
day with prayer. So that if that be looked upon as a reason for
neglecting devotion at this hour, it may as well be urged as a
reason, for neglecting devotion both at the beginning and end of
the day.
But if the practice of the saints in all ages of the world, if the
customs of the pious Jews and primitive Christians be of any
force with us, we have authority enough to persuade us, to
make this hour a constant season of devotion.
The Scriptures show us, how this hour was consecrated to
devotion both by Jews and Christians; so that if we desire to
number ourselves amongst those whose hearts were devoted
unto God, we must not let this hour pass, without presenting us
to him in some solemnities of devotion. And besides this
authority for this practice, the reasonableness of it, is sufficient
to invite us to the observance of it.
For if you were up at a good time in the morning, your first
devotions will have been at a proper distance from this hour;
you will have been long enough at other business, to make it