for Non-subscription to the Book and Ceremonies and to prosecute divers private Christians for Non-observation or else their opposition to the Ceremonies therein contained Insomuch that many like the children of faithfull Abraham forsook their owne country and fathers house and went into a strange Land viz. into America to the end they might have their consciences freed from these yoaks and burdens as they thought intolerable Besides in divers places the Ministers were forbidden to exercise their own gift of Prayer and others did voluntarily suffer parts and gifts to dry up for want of using because they had this book at hand in all their administrations Further it was observed many of the people did so idolize it that they judged no other way of worshipping God like it or to be allowed by men and accepted by God but that To prevent these or such like mischiefs and inconveniencies for the future as also it may be for that some judged it not necessary if tolerable that all men should be bound to use Crutches because some could not well goe without them and also that they might bring the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland to the neerest conjunction and uniformity in Religion particularly in a Directory for worship catechizing according to their Covenant newly entred into with the Kingdome of Scotland lately set all on a flame with a Service-book which in some things was more though in others lesse liable to exception than the English Liturgy sent thither from hence by the Archbishop of Canterbury I say for these or the like reasons the Assembly advised and the Parliament which the King had confirmed by Act thought good by an Ordinance to lay aside wholly the Common-prayer-book judging it as lawful to doe it as was for Hezekiah to break in pieces the Brazen Serpent made by Moses when once abused to Idolatry The Parliament having thus removed the Booke by an Ordinance or two who were we that we should resist God and them and hazard our own and the Kingdomes and Churches peace to maintain a Form when as without charity all Prayers whether with or without a Form or Book are lost If it shall be further objected that the Service-book was setled by an Act and removed or abolished by an Ordinance To this all I think good to answer here at present is this That I have heard that an Ordinance of Parliament was of validity to suspend an Act And that that Ordinance of Parliament hath not been as yet suspended nor the Act for the Liturgy hitherto revived by any other Act. Let this suffice to justifie our non-using of the English Liturgy III. I come now to my last Observation that is to justifie our continued use of the Lords Prayer And here let me minde you that the same reverend godly and learned Assembly which judged it expedient to take away the Common-prayer did yet recommend the Lords prayer to be used in the prayers of the Church because it is take their owne words in the Directory Not onely a pattern of Prayer but it selfe a most comprehensive Prayer As the same measure may be a standard to frame and try other measures by and may besides be used to measure withall So may this Prayer of our Lord be used both as a Pattern of prayer to frame our prayers by as a Standard to examine them by and as a Prayer it selfe also And truly if our Saviour had meant this Prayer onely for a pattern and that it should be unlawful to uss it as a Prayer I believe him so plain and so good a speaker for never man spake like him and in his mouth was found no guile that he would never have answered such a request Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples in such expresse language When ye pray say Our Father c. without some caution limitation or restriction to prevent mistakes For had it been possible that when our Lord said When ye pray say Our Father c. that his sense and meaning should be when ye pray ye must not say Our Father c. ye must not say these words at any time or in any case but onely pray alwaies after this patterne we may suppose the holy Ghost would have added some explanation or interpretation as in other cases viz. John 7.38 39. and John 2.20 21. the rather considering there is no room here as in other places for a figurative sense and that it is the office of the holy Ghost to lead us into all truth and so to preserve us from error and that the words are so plaine a forme of Prayer and so plain for the using of them so that plainer needed not upon supposition that it was the minde of Christ that these words should be used as a Prayer Let us reason the matter a little what can be said against using this Prayer of Christ now which might not have been objected or pretended by Aaron and his Sons for their not using the forme of blessing prescribed of old Numb 6.23 24. Yea how shall we now justifie our practice of blessing or praying for a blessing in the words of the Apostle Paul in the close of our Sermons if it be utterly unlawfull to pray unto God in the words of our Lord Jesus in the beginning of our Sermons What is the Disciple come to be above his Master and the Servant above his Lord Again how can we think that God that hears our prayers who have not the Spirit in such a measure as the Apostles had should not regard his Sons prayer should therefore not heare his childrens prayers because presented unto him in his owne and onely Son's words Yea will God the Father heare our prayers indited by the holy Spirit not hear us when we pray that which his Son made put in our hands hearts And did not the same holy Spirit that indited our prayers indite the prayer of Christ too and do not we who have the Spirit by measure receive of Christs fulnesse as all other graces so also the spirit of Grace and Supplication I dare say that the holy Ghost is not therefore out of love out of conceit with his own conceptions because they are not new Must all our prayers necessarily be put up in our Saviours name if they finde acceptance if they be heard and answered and must they in no wise at no time in any case be sent up in his owne words or will Jesus Christ the great Favourite and Master of Requests in heaven refuse to present our Petitions because of his own drawing or inditing Must we alway when we pray pray after this manner and must we never when we pray say Our Father c If one be Scripture is not the other also yea doubtlesse both and in both we have the minde of Christ for he that said that said this also Must we alway keep to Christs sense and meaning and yet never use his words but our
owne Surely we cannot have better matter better method better words than is contained in Christs owne Prayer Let us therefore not so requite the kindness of Christ in teaching us a form of prayer and his condescention in allowing us to pray after this pattern and giving us his spirit to help us in prayer as wholly to lay aside the very words of Christ but as we judge it lawful to praise God in the words of David so let us not scruple the praying unto God in the words of the Messiah the Son of David yea Davids Lord. Let us thus honour our Lord and Master as by reading his Word so by praying his Prayer I shall now come to endeavour to remove some of those rubs or stumbling-blocks I mean Objections which already lye or possibly may be cast in the way to hinder this Doctrine from having a cleare passage amongst us Obj. If Christs meaning was that we should say these words when we pray then we must alway say these words and no other words when we pray and so if this text make the saying of this Prayer lawfull it makes all other Prayers besides this unlawfull Answ It doth not follow that if we may say these words then we may say no other or that we must necessarily rehearse these very words as oft as we goe to prayer I le instance in two parallel texts Our Saviour saith Mat. 6.6 But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy doore pray c. It doth not hence follow that we must never pray but privately or privately but in our closet or with our doores shut and yet we may pray in our closets and with our doores shut Our Saviour prayed oft in the Mount of Olives Again our Saviour saith Luke 12.13 When thou makest a dinner or a supper call not thy friends nor thy brethren neither thy kinsmen nor thy rich neighbours lest they also bid thee again and a recompence be made thee But when thou makest a feast call the poore the maimed the blind From hence it follows that we may call the poore the blind the halt the maimed when we make a feast and yet from hence it doth not follow that we must never make a feast but they must be called or none else but such And so because our Lord saith when ye pray say Our Father c. I gather I think rationally that we may say these words and yet conceive it unreasonable that then we may say no other or that we must say these words as often as we pray The King was bound to read in the book of the Law all the daies of his life and yet he might and was to do other things besides read in the book of the Law and might without sin read in other books daily besides the book of the Law Affirmative precepts bind semper but not ad semper and so though we should say it was a commandement of Christ When ye pray say c. as it looks more like a Precept Injunction or command than a Prohibition yet it followes not that we must pray no other prayer or never pray but that we must adde this Prayer also I say we may pray saying these very words because Christ saith When ye pray say And I say we may pray in other words after this pattern or model because I read Mat. 6.9 After this manner pray ye Our Father c. And because I read that the Apostles prayed other prayers Acts 4.24 25. and in many other Scriptures If any say But we never read that the Apostles used this Prayer at all To this I return answer That though we read not that they ever did use this Prayer yet we no where read in Scripture that they did not and we have the authority of the Ancients that they did use it and particularly in the consecration of the elements in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Hieron adversus Pelag. Greg l. 7 â—p 63. Again it followes not because the Scripture is silent as to the Apostles practise whether they used or not used the Lords Prayer that therefore they did not use it at all To plough a little as to the substance of what I say with Monsier de Spaign's Heifer in answer to this Objection We never read that the Apostles baptized any in the name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost shall we therefore believe they did not or that is was unlawfull for them to doe so Because our Saviour saith Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and the holy Ghost I conclude that they might lawfully and so may we now use that very form of words in Baptisme notwithstanding that I read not in the holy Scriptures of any baptised in that form but the Scriptures speak expresly of some who were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus either by some of Johns Disciples or by the Apostle Paul Acts 19.5 but it no where records the baptisme of any expresly in the other forme Now because of this practise of the Church I collect they sinned not who baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus and because of Christs command Mat. 28. latter end I believe it very lawfull to baptize in the name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost and that it is now lawfull and I think most expedient at least to say no more to baptize now in this same form of The Father the Son and the holy Ghost And so in the present case although I read not in Scripture that the Disciples did use the Lords Prayer for a Prayer yet it seemes very strange if they never should our Saviour speaking so expresly When ye pray say Our Father c. yet I judge it lawfull for them and so for us to use it because of this text yea I will adde that put the case those who had the extraordinary miraculous assistance of the holy Ghost in praying did not actually use this very forme yet I think it lawfull and expedient for us to use it who have necessarily no such infallible assistance and guidance in our prayers Obj. But the Evangelist Matthew chap. 6.16 and this Evangelist Luke here set down the Lords Prayer with some difference In the one it is Forgive us our sins for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us in the other it is Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors In the one For thine is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory for ever is added to the Petitions in the other it is omitted from hence it may be gathered that we are not to use the very words for if so which forme should we follow Ans I answer with Mr. de Spaign the Evangelists and the Apostle Paul relate Christs words in the celebration of the Lords Supper diversly may we not therefore use the words of any of them yes surely of any one of them
what gifts He addes to him shall one give of the gold of Sheba And according to his word the Queen of Sheba gave King Solomon Gold even to an hundred and twenty talents and of Spices very great store and pretious Stones and yet I have not told you the halfe of Solomons treasury he had an Exchequer of prayers far beyond all gold and pretious stones For when his dying Father as some thinke by the Spirit of Prophecy had blessed him with that wealth he addes that which excelleth all the gold and riches of both the Indies Prayer also shall be made for him continually Psal 72.10 11 15. Again this Royall Prophet when he speakes unto God in prayer hath yet that holy boldnesse as to liken his prayers to Incense to Sacrifice to the evening Sacrifice which because it did most punctually typifie Jesus Christ who was offered up about the time of the Evening Sacrifice might in that respect have the preheminence Psal 141.2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up my hands as the evening sacrifice In all this David sinned not nor spake to God foolishly or unadvisedly with his lips for prayer is as a sweet incense before God in the language of the Old and New Testament Malach. 1.11 Revelat. 8.3 4. And according to the price and value this holy Prophet set on the duty was his practice of it sometimes he prayed thrice a day sometimes seven times a day perhaps thrice a day was his ordinary daily course and seaven times was his practice upon Sabbaths and Festivals Againe sometimes he prayes at midnight and rises to the duty sometimes early in the morning his prayers prevent the dawning of the day Understand this of continued prayer As for Ejaculations sudden short dartings and breathings of his soule after God this kind of prayer was his element the aire his soule delighted to breath in the pulse of his soule beat this way and thus his heart panted toward God continually not onely seven times a day but seventy times seven times When his body was at rest in his bed his soule was fully imployed in following hard after God He makes his bed as it were a Bethel a house of prayer and when the time of feasting is over or ceaseth even in the night watches when he is on his bed then hath he meat to eat which the world knowes not then he doth not as some dreame of a feast but hath his soul satisfied wiâ—h holy meditations as with marrow and fatnesse A second eminent instance we have in Daniel who as before so after the decree was signed by Darius that whosoever should ask any petition of any God or Man save of the King for thirty daies space should be cast into the den of Lions went into his house and his windowes being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime saith the text Dan. 6.10 It was not the den of Lions could scare him from his wonted devotions and prayers three times a day There were four circumstances which considering that his enemies were many and mighty and such as did watch for his halting did notably commend his zeale 1. He prayed with the window of his chamber open towards Jerusalem though he was at Babylon a ceremony then used because of the Temple there a type of Christ and because of Solomons prayer in case they were in captivity 1 Kings 8.48 If they pray toward their land the city which thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for thy name then heare thou their prayer c. 2. He prayed kneeling he did not omit his wonted humble gesture though a circumstance or cermony no not when his life was in danger and this posture might possibly help to betray him Could he have satisfied himself to pray in his bed for these thirty daies as thousands amongst us do all the daies of their lives if they pray at all saying 'T is good sleeping in a whole skin Why should I stir out of bed to pray there is a Lion in the way it may indanger my life I say could he have done thus probably the sparing his knee might have help'd to have saved his head 3. 'T is not unlikely that his prayer was vocall that he used his voice in this prayer he would not be silent though he knew he should be an offender a traytour for his words that what his Enemies heard him say in his private chamber in a corner they would publish on the house top and punish in the Lions den 4. It may seem that he continued his prayers till his enemies came and found him Dan. 6.11 and yet possibly might have some intimation or notice of their coming before they apprehended him He would not forbeare continued prayer for a moneth nor abate the ceremony of kneeling nor the circumstance of his voice nor change his times of prayer all into the night time nor cut them off by halfs in the day no though his life lay at stake The Lions roared yet Daniel did not feare And as for the New-Testament Saints the Disciples and followers of Christ as their Lord and Master was a man of many prayers so were they of his houshold and retinue It was the cognizance and character of converts in the Primitive times They continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers Act. 2.41 42. yea 't is brought as a convincing argument of the reality of Saul's coversion to Paul froÌ„ a persecutor to be a professor a chosen vessel unto Christ Behold he prayeth We are not to imagine but that whilst he was a Pharisee he prayed often But now he prayed more earnestly more from the heart and it may be with strong cries and teares to him that was able to enlighten his darknesse I mean to cure his blindnesse both of soul and body and to save him both from the shadow of death and from utter darknesse Now he prayes to the Lord Jesus Christ whom formerly he persecuted I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Now he prayed after another manner than ever he did before Nor ought it to seem a wonder that Gods children Christians of all men should be most zealous and excellent at prayer if we consider 1. The example of their Lord and Master Jesus Christ 1. Hee was often at prayer witnesse his usuall Oratory Mount Olivet He was zealous at it witnesse his transfiguration on Mount Tabor whilst he was praying and a second kind of transfiguration of his in the Garden when being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly and sweat great drops of blood trickling downe to the ground Luke 22.44 2. If we consider the many precepts and exhortations to this duty Pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5.17 Pray all manner of prayer Eph. 6.18 and Luke 18.1 Jesus Christ spake a parable to the end men should
pray alwaies and not faint 3. The encouraging promises they have to this performance Ask and ye shall have seeke and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened Mat. 7.7 Luke 11.9 Mark 11.2 4. and againe Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall aske the Father in my name he will give it you John 16.23 24. 4. If we consider how great things Prayer hath done for them wee our selves might Christians say have heard with our eares and our Fathers have told us what wonders it hath done in our daies and in the times before us How it hath like a General commanded the Host of Heaven the Sun Moone and Starres either to stand still or go back and to fight in their courses against Gods enemies They know that this is it which like the key of David opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens This is the key of Heaven the key of hearts the key of the barren Womb and of the Grave it opens and shuts all these I had almost said it is the key of Hell too of the bottomlesse pit for there it locks up the Devils that they cannot tempt us and this is it which some Christians have used Luther for one to unlock Hell yea the Devils Cabinet and to recover thence those bonds whereby some have in writing under hand seale given their souls to the Devil Prayer which is our famiar converse with God makes a Christians soule shine The soul of a praying Saint is sometimes whilst he is praying in a sort transfigured as Christs body was on Mount Tabor When Moses fasted and prayed forty daies and forty nights his face was not at all disfigured he did not appeare unto men to fast but on the contrary his face did shine so gloriously that the Israelites were not able to behold him but through a vaile Exod. 34.33 34 35. Observe that at the former forty daies being in the Mount with God whilst God did as it were preach to Moses in the delivery of the Law we read of no such glory abiding on Moses face when he came downe but now when Moses went up the second time und continued interceding for Israel forty days and forty nights at his coming down the skin of his face did shine so that Aaron and Israel were afraid to come nigh him Exod. 34.28 29 30. The name of a praying Christian may be like the name of the Angel which appeared to Manoah and his wife Judges 13.18 it may be Peli wonderfull for how oft have many of them done wonderously as that Angel did for many of them at their departure hence have breathed out their soules in fervent prayer When the flame of their fervent prayers went up to Heaven from the altar of their hearts their soules like the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the Altar Yea as Elijah went up once in a fiery Chariot so do Christians in a sort daily sometimes seven times a day and sometimes seventy times seven times This chariot of Prayer hath foure wheeles Prayers Supplications Intercessions Thanksgiving And let me say the spirit of a living Christian is in these wheeles and when these are lift up from the earth towards heaven then are the living christians in their soules lifted up also What shall I say more of the praise of Prayer for time would faile me to tell of Abraham Isaac and Jacob of Moses Aaron and Sampson of Samuel also and of the Prophets who through prayer subdued enemies wrought righteousnesse obtained promises stopped the mouths of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the armies of the Aliens women received their dead also to life again c. And now Brethren to the end we may have our conversation such as becomes the Gospel of Christ to the end we may live peaceable and quiet lives in all godlinesse and honesty here on earth and see the face of God and enjoy his presence for ever in heaven I exhort that Prayers Supplications Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made by all men for this is the will of God our Saviour who would have all men to pray and to come to the experimental knowledge of this truth that Gods children or people are a praying Generation or that right Christians are praying Christians Pray therefore my beloved brethren all manner of prayer pray set or continued prayer pray continually sending up every where holy Ejaculations towards heaven Pray when thou art alone in thy closet or secret chamber pray with thy family wife children servants pray in the publick Assemblies in the great Congregation And now as the Apostle Paul to his Thessalonians chap. 4.9 10. As touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another And indeed ye doe it but we beseech you brethren that ye increase more and more So my hearty desire is that I could say concerning all kinde of prayer in secret in the family in the congregation concerning prayer ye have no need that I preach unto you for ye your selves are taught of God thus to pray And indeed you doe it but we beseech you brethren that ye increase more and more 1. Let your closet or secret chamber be perfumed with the sweet incense of Prayer morning and evening Let God have his morning evening sacrifice at least This is but reasonable service Say not thou art so spirituall already that thou art above this and all other Ordinances Be not deceived God is not mocked except thou couldst be except thou wast better than Emanuel God-man thou oughtest to pray for so did our Lord Jesus Christ If thou dost altogether restrain prayer before God thou art so far from being of the highest forme of Christians that thou hast in this denied the Faith and art worse than an infidell thou hast denied the faith and art worse than the Devil for the Devils prayed unto Christ that he would not command them to go out into the deep and that he would suffer them to enter into the herd of Swine Luke 8.31.32 Say not I am an unregenerate person a sinner and God heareth not sinners and if you should pray your prayer would be turned into sin and therefore 't is to no purpose to pray if the sacrifice of the wicked be an abomination to the Lord then his Prayer or Incense is not like to prove a sweet savour in Gods nostrills or an odour of a sweet smell unto him I grant that it is true that God doth not heare grievous sinners impostors and Sabbath-breakers so as at their prayer to cure one that was born blinde But yet I say God that heares the cry of Nature even of the young Ravens when they cry for food he doth sometimes heare the prayers of meere natural men King Jehoahaz was one that did evil in the
purposes about or concerning Prayer If the promise of the teaching of the holy Ghost if those Scriptures Ye have an anointing that teacheth you all things and when he comes he shall lead you into all truth doth not discharge us from the use of mens teaching us and preaching unto us and from our own reading the holy Scriptures the doctrine of the Prophets of our Saviour Christ of his Apostles no more doth the other promise of the spirit of Prayer take away all use of Scripture-prayers especially of our Lords Prayer The promise of baptizing with the holy Ghost when it was fulfilled did not make void or take away Baptisme of water no more doth the promise of the holy Ghost to help us to pray and in prayer take away the use of the Lords Prayer It was the work of the holy Ghost to teach and to help Christians to offer up this Prayer and all other their prayers in the name merits and mediation of Jesus Christ to stir up in them good and holy desires agreeable to the requests or petitions continued in this prayer and to descend to many particular desires and petitions and to expresse those desires in proper words and significant expressions all which desires were summarily comprehended in the Petitions and words or expressions of the Lords prayer I say this was the office and work of the holy Ghost which doth in no wise take away all lawfull use of the Lords prayer as a prayer For surely the holy Spirit will not therefore refuse to assist us when we pray this prayer because it is a prayer made by Jesus Christ and registred in the holy Scriptures written by those who were full of and moved by the holy Ghost in that work Nor doe I believe that God the holy Ghost who is the God of Order and not of Confusion will suggest or infuse into us such desires as shall necessarily turn us out of the Lords prayer whilest we are using it in a right manner It is not probable that the holy Spirit will turn us out of the road wherein the Sonne appointed us to goe to the Father And I pray what desires are there that are holy just and good such are all the desires of which the holy Ghost is authour but are comprehended in this prayer Doubtlesse as the Spirit of the Prophets in the Apostles dayes was subject to the Prophets so t is no disparagement to the spirit of prayer which Christians have in these dayes to be regulated by the spirit of prayer which was in Christ and so consequently by that forme which he hath left us Must the whole congregation be tyed up to the forme of the speaker whether Minister or other in prayer and may he in no wise be guided by Christs Prayer Beloved brethren whilst ye so judge are ye not partiall in your selves and to your selves If it be asked what 's the reason that when we have been praying a long time either according to a premeditated forme or a conceived prayer or in a mixt way betwixt both for the things contained in the Lord prayer we yet conclude our prayers with the Lords prayer Is not this a vaine repetition Answ For as much as when we have prayed our best we may have failed in something our prayer may have been defective imperfect It is not therefore vaine but to purpose and very reasonable to rehearse that prayer wherein is nothing defective nothing superfluous nothing out of its due place and order Nor is this an Innovation it was the practice of the antient Church Quam totâ—m pâ—titionem fere omnis Ecclesia Dominica oratione concludit if we will believe Austin in his 59. Epistle q. 5. where he tells that the Church did generally conclude their prayers and blessings at the consecration and distribution of the Elements at the Lords Supper with the Lords Prayer And it hath been observed that they who wholly omit or disuse the Lords Prayer as a prayer doe seldome follow the Lord Christ fully in it as a patterne namely in this particular they seldome plead with God for forgivenesse of sinnes with this argument as or because we forgive those who trespasse against us and doe not alwaies pray against Temptation If they seek to justifie their not using the Lords Prayer and their not imitating it in the former of these particulars lest they should occasion many to pray against themselves because they cannot finde in their hearts to forgive their brethren To this we reply that all our prayers ought to be according to this modell or pattern themselves being Judges To the Lords Prayer bring we all our prayers if they are not according to this rule it is because as to that thing wherein they are irregular or not conforme hereto the true spirit of prayer is not in them 2. If we will not heare Gods Commandement to forgive our brethren how should we expect God should heare our prayers for forgivenesse we must both pray and practise according to Gods will if we would have our wills done if we would have God fulfill our desires 3. The crookedness of mens hearts and waies can be no right rule for Gods Minister in publick prayer but the Word of God and prayer of our Lord Christ 4. The using of this prayer may be instead of a Sermon to such malitious ones to minde them of and move them to forgivenesse However I doubt not but some of the Israelites might be guilty of some of those sins against which the curse was denounced by the Priests on Mount Ebal and to which the Congregation said Amen Obj. Papists and profane ignorant Protestants make an ill use of this good prayer make a kind of Idoll of it and therefore we should lay it aside after the example of Hezekiah who demolished the brazen Serpent when it was abused to Idolatry 2 King 18.4 Answ Some mens abuse of naturall things must not hinder or prejudice others in their right to use them lawfully much lesse must mans abuse annull or make void Gods Institutions Our Saviour sanctifyed the Sabbath although the Jewes were superstitious in their manner of observation of it We must not lay aside the first part of the Gospell written by the holy Evangelist John because it hath been abused in charmes c. And we may still use the words of Christ This is my body in celebration of the Lords Supper notwithstanding that Papists thereupon ground Transubstantiation and Artolatry or worship of the bread believing it to be the body of Christ corporally and not only Sacramentally As the Apostle Paul to Timothy 1 Epist Chap. 1.8 saith of the law of God The law is good if a man use it lawfully So say I of the prayer of our Lord The Prayer is good if a man use it lawfully If the meer abuse of things should take away all lawfull use of them we should soon be deprived of the benefit both of Gods creatures and of his ordinances
we must no more use bread and wine and water those necessary things either in or out of the Sacrament The instance of the brazen Serpent comes not up fully to the matter in hand For first now there was no possible use of it for that end to which at first God ordained it to be made Num. 21.8 9. And God did never appoint that this should be continued as a monument of that mercy Again the memoriall of the miraculous cure once wrought upon those that looked upon this brazen Serpent was sufficiently preserved in being registred by Moses Gods pen-man or Secretary in the records of the holy Scriptures And Lastly Hezekiah did remove and abolish this brazen Serpent without sin But as for the Lords prayer the case is otherwise in all these or the like particulars It is now of use both as a pattern and as a prayer It is made a portion of the holy Scriptures and so heaven and earth must passe away rather then a jot or tittle of this Prayer If this prayer should be wholy laid aside there is besides no such perfect compleat forme of prayer and rule or touchstone of prayer as this extant in all the Scriptures And lastly the Lord would not hold him guiltlesse who should blot this prayer out of the book of the Scripture But he may justly feare to have his name blotted out of the book of life Our Lord Jesus himself was a Stone of stumbling a rock of offence to many but to them that believe he was and is a choyse stone a precious foundation corner Stone c. And so I say of the Lords Prayer it may perhaps be a stone of stumbling an occasion of fall to some but to them that beleive and use it in faith it is precious and whoever so prays this prayer need never be ashamed of it Obj. Many finde by experience that their hearts are dull dead or very formall as in the use of other formes so of this also Answ Concerning formes in generall I say as before that formes of Prayer are better than no prayer at all and concerning this prayer if our hearts be dead in the using of it I dare say the fault is in us not in the Prayer It may be our hearts are dead at the reading of a Chapter what is the Scripture therefore a dead letter and must it therefore cease in the Church Oh let us never accuse Christs Prayer or Preaching of deadnesse to excuse the sinfull deadnesse of our owne hearts Our Lord Jesus himselfe prayed in the garden thrice saying the same words Mat. 26. and with as much Affection and Devotion and Life the last time as the first Let us goe and doe likewise How is it that our Devotion flags not that our hearts wander not in the joyning with one that prayes a conceived prayer for a quarter halfe an houre or more and yet cannot hold up or keep close to the duty for a moment or two whilst our Lords owne Prayer is rehearsing I should rather thinke that if our hearts have not been duly affected or that there hath been any errour whilst the Minister hath been praying according to his ability that the using of the Lords Prayer and joyning in that perfect forme with double with seven-fold diligence zeale and holy affections in the close of all is very commendable as both pious and prudent for in the generall Petitions of this Prayer are contained all the lawfull particulars both for the Church and every member of it which were mentioned in the foregoing prayer But here I must enter my Caveat I would not be interpreted by what I have said for I doe in no wise meane it God forbid to poure cold water upon any fervent or zealous desires whilst we joyne with others praying according to the gift pretending thereby to reserve all the heat and zeal of our soule for the offering up of the Lords Prayer nor doe I meane farre be it from me to justifie any irreverent gesture by-thoughts or loose and cold affections during the time the Minister or other is exercising his gift in conceived prayer Obj. But the Apostles in their writings when they exhort to prayer and give rules and directions about it never recommend unto us the use of this prayer Ans All that the Apostles did or said is not written Sure I am they have given no rule or direction against the using of this prayer and if it be true which some say that the Evangelist Luke had the Gospell he wrote from the Apostle Paul it is some evidence that the Apostle himselfe was not against the using of this prayer else probably he would not have told him such words as these When ye pray say c. without adding some caution or interpretation to prevent mistake The Apostle Paul speaks sometimes concerning Baptisme but never treats of that forme of words I baptize thee in the name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost What may we not therefore baptize in that forme of words Surely we may and Mat. 28.19 shall be our sufficient warrant Againe the holy Apostles Col. 3.16 Ephes 5.18 19. James 5.13 give order for and direction about singing of Psalmes but neither there nor elsewhere tell us we are to sing Davids Psalmes or what other Psalmes we should sing doth it thence follow we may not sing the Psalmes of David or other spirituall Songs recorded in the holy Scriptures But put the case that some Christians in those dayes had said to the Apostle Paul teach us to sing Psalmes or teach us Psalms to sing as David the sweet singer of Israel of old taught the people of God and his answer to them had been in such words as these when ye sing sing one of the Psalmes of David one of those songs of Sion or else he himself had composed a Psalme and added this Preface to it or direction concerning it when ye sing sing after this manner or when ye sing sing c. Had not this been sufficient to ground thereupon the lawfulnesse of singing Davids Psalmes or that particular Psalmes so composed and subjoyned by the Apostle I believe it had And now if any ask How often we should pray the Lords prayer To this my Answer is That the holy Ghost in the Scriptures hath left this undetermined as also how oft we are to read the sixt Chapter of the Gospel written by the Evangelist Mathew and this eleventh Chapter of the Gospel according to the Evangelist Luke or any other particular Chapter in the Scriptures as also it is undetermined how oft we are to sing the 92. Psal entitled a Psalme for the Saboth day or any other Psalme I find these things left to Christian prudence and so I shall still leave them not being willing to binde mens consciences wherein God hath left us free as for this I know of no Commandement from the Lord. But herein I give my advice desiring and praying for that mercy