Prayer is the language of the soul. It is a privilege as well as a duty. Jonathan Edwards said that the absence of prayer was one of the marks of a nominal Christian, a hypocrite, that they were deficient in the duty of prayer. Here are three Puritan treatises on prayer:
John Preston: The Saints' Daily Exercise is the first modern printing of this classic work. The Puritans, seeing all of life as a spiritual battle, also saw prayer as one of the main weapons of spiritual armor. Preston gives us five sermons on 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray continually." He shows, first, what prayer is, and then teaches us what it is to pray continually.
Nathaniel Vincent: The Spirit of Prayer was first published in 1684. In the preface to that edition he wrote: "Prayer is an ordinance that God has appointed, and it is a great privilege that we are allowed to pour out our souls before Him. His hand is not shortened, His ear is not heavy. Now the Father of mercies is upon the mercy seat. Now the Lord Jesus is willing to be your Advocate, and to intercede for you. Now the Spirit of grace is ready to help our infirmities."
Samuel Lee, an English Puritan who came to America after the ejection of 1662, writes on Secret Prayer, or "closet prayer," as the Puritans called it. This is a treatise on Matthew 6:6.
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