regard it Esa. 66. 2. To him will I look even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit Psal. 34. 18. The Lord is near to them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy places with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of them that be contrite Esa. 57. 15. Ecclus 35. 17. The prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds and will not depart till the most High shall behold to execute judgement c. But to speak more particularly Humility hath the promise both of temporall benefits Prov. 22. 4. The reward of humility is riches glory and life and spirituall Prov. 3. 34. grace Prov. 11. 4. wisdome Prov. 22. 4. the fear of God and finally blessednesse Matth. 5. 3. And therefore let us follow the counsel of James chap. 4. 10. to cast down our selves before the Lord and he will lift us up and of Peter 1. epist. 5. 6. to deck our selves inwardly with lowlinesse of mind for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble In the examples also of the godly we may observe that the most holy men have most abased themselves when they have come into Gods presence Abraham the father of the faithfull making request to God in behalf of the Sodomites acknowledgeth himself to be but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 27. Jacob who was called Israel because by his wresting in prayer he prevailed with God confesseth himself lesse then the least of Gods mercies Gen. 32. 10. David a man according to Gods own heart in the humility of his soul desireth the Lord not to enter into judgement with him c. Psal. 143. 2. And 2. Sam. 6. 22. he professeth that he would be vile before the Lord. Isaiah the prophet at whose prayer the sunne went back being admitted into the presence of God crieth out that he was a man of polluted lips Daniel a man greatly beloved humbly acknowledgeth his sinnes and refuseth to come in his own worthinesse Dan. 9. 18. and likewise Ezra chap. 9. 6. The Centurion of whom our Saviour testifieth that he had not found the like faith in Israel Matth. 8. 8. professeth himself to be unworthy that Christ should come under his roof The woman of Syrophenicia to whom our Saviour gave testimonie that great was her faith confesseth her self to be but as a dog in comparison of the Israelites Mat. 15. 27. The repenting prodigall received to favour confesseth himself unworthy to be called a son Luke 15. 21. The Publicane who went home justified shewed great signes of humilitie Let us therefore avoiding the proud conceit of all Pharisaical Popish justitiaries who are not afraid to present themselves before God trusting in their own merits follow the advice of Paul Rom. 12. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as some expound it to go the same way with the humble so we shall come to the same end of the way which is the salvation of our souls the which unlesse we be humble even as children we cannot attein But he that is humble as a child shall be the greatest in the kingdome of heaven Matth. 14. 3 4. Now these two graces whereof I have last spoken faith and humilitie must necessarily go together For we must not be so humbled in regard of our unworthinesse in our selves but that notwithstanding we are to trust in Gods mercy accepting of us in Christ we are so to have affiance in the mercies of God merits of Christ that we disclaim all worthines in our selves Here therefore they offend 1. Who come to God in a Pharisaicall conceit of their own worthinesse for which they presume to be heard If it be obiected that the faithfull sometimes alledge their own pietie in their prayers as an argument to obtein their desires as David Psal. 86. 2. Hezekiah Isa. 58. 3. I answer 1. They alledge their own pietie as a gift of God and testimonie of his favour to confirm their faith not ascribing it to their own desert but to the favour grace of God by which they do confesse that they are what they are 1. Cor. 15. 10. For it is the nature of true faith to strip him where it is of all praise that all glory may be given unto God Psal. 115. 1. Non dignitatem suam sed dignationem Divinam allegant They alledge not their own dignitie but Gods acceptance 2. Because the promises of hearing our prayers are restrained to the godly they alledge their piety as a testimonie to their own souls that the promise belongeth to them 1. John 3. 22. Non hoc dico quin accepta gratia fiduciam donet orandi Sed non oportet ut in ea constituat quisquam fiduciam impetrandi Hoc solum conferunt haec promissa dona ut ab eadem misericordia quae tribuit haec sperentur etiam ampliora that is I do not say this because grace received doth give confidence in praying For none ought in it to place their trust of obteining But these gifts promised do onely conferre this that of that mercy which giveth these things we may also hope for greater More particularly for Davids pâ—…ayer Preserve my soul for I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one on whom thou hast shewed great mercie save thy servant that trusteth in thee For Gods promise is not to fail them that put their trust in him For Hezekiah The Lord had promised David That his sonnes if they walked before him in uprightnesse should not want a sonne to succeed them in the crown Whereas therefore the prophet Isaiah brought this message to Hezekiah being sick that he should die having yet no issue he desireth the Lord to remember that he had walked uprightly before him and therefore intreateth the Lord that according to his promise he might not die without a sonne to succeed him and so obteined the lengthening of his dayes for fifteen yeares in which time God granted him a sonne to succeed him 2. Those that pray ambitiously to be seen and praised of men for such hypocrites have their reward Matth. 6. 5. Nisi humilitas omnia quaecunque bene fecimus praecesserit comitetur consecuta fuerit praeposita quam intueamur apposita cui adhaereamus imposita quâ reprimamur j am nobis de aliquo bono facto gaudentibus totum extor quet è manu superbia Vitia quippe caetera in peccatis superbia verò etiam in rectè factis timenda est nè illa quae laudabiliter facta sunt ipsius laudis cupiditate amittantur Unlesse humilitie do precede accompanie and follow all whatsoever we have well done and be preposed that we may behold it and apposed that we may adhere unto it and imposed that
truth being not willing to obtein that which we our selves do ask Duties respecting the matter And therefore as it is the duty of every one to make this prayer so none of us ought to think our selves exempted from doing the will of God Neither may we think it sufficient in words to professe God and in prayer to crave good things of him unlesse we be carefull in our lives to do his will Not every one that saith Lord Lord c. Matth. 7. 21. yea those that make a profession of religion and obedience as though they would perform obedience to Gods will and yet do it not are many times further from salvation then open sinners as appeareth by the parable of the two sonnes and the application thereof Matth. 21. 28 29 30. Neither may we think that we shall obtein our prayers unlesse we be desirous to perform Gods will For if we will not do his will why should we think that he will do ours Prov. 28. 9. John 9. 31. We know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth If we ask any thing saith S. John 1. Epist. 3. 22. we receive it from him because we keep his commandments and do those things which are acceptable in his sight If therefore we be desirous and carefull to obey Gods will we need not doubt having these testimonies of a true faith but that both we and our prayers are acceptable unto God For our selves our Saviour affirmeth that those be his brothers and sisters that do the will of his Father that is in heaven Matth. 12. 50. And the holy Ghost giveth this testimony unto David that he was a man according to Gods own heart who would do all his will Acts 13. 22. And elsewhere the Scriptures ascribe blessednesse to those that do the will of God Luke 11. 28. For our prayers John 15. 7. Psal. 34. 15 17. And as we are to do the will of God in generall so more especially those branches of his will which after a more speciall manner are called his will His will is if we would be saved we should come to the knowledge of his truth and not live in ignorance 1. Tim. 2. 4. that we should turn unto him and not go on in our sinnes Ezek. 33. 11. that we should believe in Christ 1. John 3. 23. that we should be sanctified dying unto sinne and living unto righteousnesse 1. Thess. 4. 3. Mich. 6. 8. 1. Pet. 2. 15. that we should be patient in troubles and thankfull unto him in all things 1. Thess. 5. 18. And as we are to do the will of God so must we deny our own wills and renounce the desires of the world Duties respecting the manner And as touching the manner We are not to rest in opere operato in the deed done but as we pray that we may do the will of God on earth as the angels do it in heaven so must we endeavour to imitate their manner of obedience And albeit we cannot attein to that full perfection which is in them yet we are to strive towards it and therefore we are not to content our selves with that smal measure whereunto we have atteined but still we are to labour that we may grow up in grace seeing whilest we live here we are in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and growing age But let us come unto particulars 1. The Angels do the will of God in knowledge and so must we or else all our worship of God is but will-worship and all our religion but superstition Knowledge is the stern without which we rove and wander like a ship wanting a stern it is the light without which we walk in darknesse not knowing whither we go Without knowledge we have no faith and without faith it is impossible to please God And therefore miserable is our estate if we please our selves in ignorance 2. The Angels do the will of God sincerely uprightly labouring alwayes to approve their obedience to the Lord so must we obey the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not with eye-service as men-pleasers but from our soul and heart Ephes. 6. 6. Rom. 6. 17. in singlenesse and uprightnesse of heart labouring to approve not onely our outward actions but also our inward affections and cogitations to the Lord knowing that he looketh not as man looketh but he especially respecteth the heart and according to the disposition of the heart esteemeth of men Without this uprightnesse all our obedience is but hypocrisie and all the graces which we seem to have but glorious sinnes c. 3. The Angels do the will of God willingly and chearfully their whole delight being to do Gods will so must we worship the Lord with upright hearts and willing minds 1. Chron. 28. 9. knowing that forced obedience proceeding onely from servile fear as it is violent so it is but momentany and therefore but counterfeit But we must worship the Lord in faith love and hope and consequently chearfulnesse willingnesse and delight for when the love of God is shed abroad in mens hearts by the holy Ghost men have assurance that their obedience and service is acceptable unto God and so they are encouraged in all chearfulnesse to offer their obedience as a free-will-offering to the Lord. First To whom much is forgiven they love much Luke 7. 47. and secondly those that have true love to them the commandments of God are not grievous 1. John 5. 3. the yoke of Christ is light Nihil difficile 〈◊〉 anti Nothing is hard to a lover To Jacob his seven yeares troublesome service seemed to be short and pleasant Gen. 29. 20. If therefore we truly love God we will take delight to do his will And thirdly if we have assured hope of salvation by Christ and live in expectation of happinesse we shall contemne all the difficulties of this life as not worthy the glory that shall be revealed and joyfully proceed in our way to life because of the joy that is set before us Let us therefore hold fast by this anchor for if we leave this hold we shall eftsoon fall away into worldlinesse whither the surges of worldly desires carry us And in this behalf as we are to imitate the example of the Angels so also of Jesus Christ whose meat it was to do his Fathers will John 4. 34. and therein also was his delight Psal. 40. 8. Facere voluntatem tuam Deus mi delector O my God I delight to do thy will Psal. 122. 1. Isai. 54. 13. 4. The holy Angels do the will of God readily speedily so ought we without delay put in execution the cōmandments of God behaving our selves towards our heavenly Master as the Centurions servants to their master Matth. 8. 9. Doth the Lord call thee thou must answer with David the type of Christ Ecce venio Behold I come Psal. 40. 7.
made a separation between you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare And then he descendeth to particulars For this mercy of hearing our prayers is not onely denied unto ungodlinesse in generall but also to particular sinnes as contrariwise it is promised to particular graces which being linked together in a golden chain are each of them severall evidences of a true faith As first to Cruelty Oppression Isa. 1. 15. Though ye make many prayers I will not hearé for your hands are full of bloud And not to cruelty onely but also to Unmercifulnes Want of pitie towards the poore For he that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall cry himself and not be heard Pro. 21. 13. Whereas contrariwise those that be mercifull shall find mercy with God Matth. 5. 7. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he will say Here I am Isa. 58. 9. If we love not in word and tongue alone but in deed and truth hereby we may have confidence before God 1. John 3. 18 19. Secondly to Want of love in forgiving offenses and contrariwise Mark 11. 25. When ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses But if ye do not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses Thirdly to the Not-hearing or hearkening to the word of God For as we heare so we shall be heard Prov. 28. 9. He that turneth away his eare from hearing the law his prayer shall be abominable For as we speak unto the Lord in prayer so the Lord speaketh unto us in the preaching of the word and therefore good reason it is that if we will not heare the Lord when he speaketh unto us he should not heare us when we speak unto him as the Prophet Zacharie saith chap. 7. 13. It is come to passe that as he cried and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord. On the other side If the word of Christ abide in us we may ask what we will and it shall be granted us John 15. 7. If men harden their hearts against the word of God the wisdome of God hath threatned not to heare them Prov. 1. 24. He covereth himself with a cloud that our prayer should not passe through Lam. 3. 44. But if men humble themselves before God and tremble at his word being of humble and contrite hearts the Lord hath promised to heare Psal. 66. 2. and 34. 18. and 51. 17. The prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds Ecclus 35. 17. If men choose not the fear of the Lord the Lord will not heare them Prov. 1. 28 29. on the other side He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he will also heare their cry and will save them Psal. 145. 19. Neither doth the Lord refuse to heare those alone who are open and notorious sinners but those also which making outward profession of pietie do play the hypocrites Job 27. 9. Will God heare the cry of the hypocrite when trouble cometh upon him To which purpose there is a notable saying of David Psal. 66. 18. If I regard wickednesse in my heart saith he the Lord will not heare me Whereas contrariwise if men would walk uprightly before God he would denie unto them nothing that is good Psal. 84. 11. Wherefore it behoveth every one that nameth the name of Christ to depart from iniquitie 2. Tim. 2. 19. and to purge his hands from sinne Jam 4. 8. and to wash them in innocencie Psal. 26. that so he may without doubting lift up holy hands unto the Lord 1. Tim. 2. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 2. 22. Heb. 10. 22. with true hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Mala conscientia januam nobis claudit An evil conscience shutteth the gate against us Calv. Institut 3. 20. 7. § But against this doctrine it may be objected That the Lord many times heareth the wicked when they call upon him and therefore that the promises made to prayer are not peculiar to the godly but common to them with the wicked For answer hereunto we are to remember That prayers are made unto God either for spirituall blessings belonging to a better life or for temporall blessings apperteining to this corporall life The former are peculiar to the children of God as belonging to their inheritance and are never bestowed on the wicked who never have so much grace as truly to desire them and therefore if they do at any time ask them they do pray in hypocrisie asking with their lips that which they do not desire with their hearts nor labour for in their lives As for temporall benefits I cannot deny but that the Lord many times in respect of them doth grant unto the wicked their hearts desire But yet even in these also there is great difference betwixt the Lord his hearing of the godly and the wicked For in temporall matters the Lord heareth men either as a gracious and loving Father or as a mercifull Creatour or as a severe Judge 1. In speciall favour as a gracious Father in Christ he heareth his faithfull children ever subordinating their good to his own glory not alwayes satisfying their carnall or worldly desires but alwayes granting their requests as shall be most for his glory and their spirituall and everlasting good under which conditions our prayers for temporall blessings ought alwayes to be framed and being so conceived they are ever granted 2. As a mercifull Creatour the Lord heareth men crying unto him in their extremity And thus he heareth all sorts of men but especially the godly for he is the saviour that is the preserver of all men but chiefly of the faithfull 1. Tim. 4. 10. The godly have a promise of deliverance when they call upon God Psal. 50. 14 15. and 145. 19. and 91. 15. and 34. 17 19. So have not the wicked Psal. 51. 16. and 18. 41. Yea in many places as ye have heard he threatneth that when they cry unto him in their trouble he will not heare them The affliction and deliverance of the godly do both turn to their singular good Rom. 8. 28. and being delivered they glorifie God consulting with themselves what to render unto the Lord for his benefits and taking the cup of salvation that is of thanksgiving for their salvation and deliverance Psal. 116. 12 13. The wicked not being bettered by their affliction are many times delivered according to their desire the Lord giving them over as incorrigible Isa. 1. 5. Jer. 2. 30. and when they are delivered they seek not to glorifie God nor repent of their sinnes but return to their vomit making shew of repentance no longer then the hand of God is upon them And so both their affliction and deliverance through their own default turneth to their
thereby we may be repressed pride will wring out of our hand all we have done whilest we rejoyce of our doing any good deed For other viâ—…es are to be feared in our sinfull actions but pride onely is to be feared in our good deeds lest those things which are laudably done be lost by our greedie coveting of praise 3. Those that pray with spirituall pride and ostentation as the Brownists being proud that they are able to conceive as it were ex tempore a prayer unto God and with such varietie as to use no set form nor twice to use the same words 4. Those that by their prayer look to satisfie for their sinnes and to merit at the hands of God as the Papists For prayer made with such a proud conceit is abominable unto God CHAP. XX. Of Reverence required in prayer and Heartinesse THe second thing required in the heart is a reverence of the Majesty of God to whom we speak according to Davids both advice Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoyce with trembling and practice Psal. 5. 7. I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercie that is trusting therein and in the fear or reverence of thee will I worship towards thy holy temple That we are thus to call upon God I shall not need to prove For if when we are to speak to a Prince we are touched with great reverence of an earthly Majestie how are we to be affected when we speak unto God And if the blessed angels being in Gods presence and sounding forth his prayse are described in the Scriptures as having six wings whereof two pair serve to cover their face their feet Isa. 6. 2 3. thereby betokening their wonderfull reverence of God how much more should we who inhabit these houses of clay subject to infirmities and corrupted with sinne be strucken with an awfull reverence of God If therefore we did but seriously consider That we are to speak vnto God and did set him before our eyes who is in Majestie most glorious and therefore to be reverenced for power omnipotent and therefore to be feared Luke 12. for greatnesse or infinitenesse rather in every place and therefore present with us to heare what we say and to behold what we do for knowledge omniscient and a searcher of the heart and therefore throughly acquainted with what disposition and affection we do come before him for holinesse and justice a most pure Spirit and therefore will be worshiped in spirit truth finally who is as Malachi speaketh our Father and therefore to be reverenced our Lord and therefore to be feared chap. 1. 6. If I say we did set him before our eyes and our selves in his presence as we ought alwayes to do but especially when we call upon him it cannot be but that we shall be touched with great reverence of his glorious Majestie and therefore shall behave our selves accordingly doing speaking thinking nothing but that which may become his presence and whereof we may be bold to admit him to be the hearer and the judge all light behaviour all wandring thoughts being far removed and abandoned and we for the time being elevated above all earthly cogitations and having our conversation in heaven supposing as Chrysostome saith our selves to be in the midst of the Angels and performing the like exercise with them You see our duty But what is our practice Do not we vile wretches when we present our selves before the Lord behave our selves many times with lesse reverence or regard then if we were speaking to a mortall man that is our superiour Insomuch that we hold it for good advice as indeed it is respecting our weaknes In such sort to speak to men as if God did heare us so to speak to God as if man did heare us And is not this an evidence that we are carnall that our hearts are affected with no more then our senses apprehend and that we want those eyes of faith which Moses had Heb. 11. 27. whereby we might be moved to behave our selves in the presence of God as seeing him that is invisible Now to move us both to humilitie and reverence let us consider as Solomon adviseth Eccles 5. 1 2. that God to whom we speak is in the heaven full of majestie and power which consideration our Saviour also teacheth us to have in the beginning of our prayer Matth. 6. 9. and we which do speak are on the earth base and vile not onely in respect of our mould being but dust and ashes but especially in respect of our sinnes whereby we have made our selves unworthy to appear in his presence And unto both these we are excited Psal. 95. which is prefixed as a preparative to our Liturgie v. 6. Come let us worship and fall down let us kneel before the Lord our maker For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hands The third thing is heartinesse devotion or ardour of the mind when we are throughly affected with those things whereof we speak calling upon God with our whole hearts For if that be good counsel which the wise Solomon giveth That what we do we do it with all our might Eccles 9. 10. it is especially to be followed in prayer wherein we are not to be cold or carelesse This heartinesse in prayer is fervencie or earnestnesse of desire in thanksgiving alacritie and chearfulnesse the former arising from the sense of our want the latter from the sense and experience of Gods goodnesse towards us And it is that which giveth wings to our prayers and causeth them to ascend before God This is called lifting up our prayer Isai. 37. 4. Jer. 7. 16. Here therefore two things are to be avoided The first is coldnesse when men call upon God without sense either of their wants in prayer or of Gods blessings in thanksgiving calling upon God for fashion or custome sake usu magis quà m sensu or antes praying rather out of use then sense Such a prayer wanting lively affections is dead and therefore counterfeit and hypocriticall and a mere bodily worship For this is to call upon God with our mouthes but not with our hearts this is to pray without desire and to give thanks without grace in our hearts The other is taedium in orando wearinesse in praying That is when mens hearts being set on other matters all time that is bestowed in prayer is thought too long and therefore the prayer as it is unwillingly begun so is it wearisomely performed the end of the prayer many times being more desired then the end for which prayer was ordained But our invocation must be as a free-will-offering and our service of God must be performed with a willing mind neither is that to be accounted a service of the soul which is without either the understanding as I said before or the will CHAP. XXI Of the Gesture to be used in prayer HItherto
3. 38. and the Angels Job 1. By adoption in Christ Ephes. 1. 5. So every believer is born of God 1. John 5. 1. For to so many as believe in Christ God hath given this priviledge to be the sonnes of God John 1. 12. And in this sense is every faithfull man to call God Father But here it may be demanded Whether the whole Trinitie is called upon in the name of Father or the first Person alone The word Father is attributed unto God two wayes either essentially or personally Essentially when he is so called in respect of the creatures 1. Cor. 8. 6. Personally when it hath relation to the other Persons the Sonne and the holy Ghost In this place it hath relation to the creatures So Deut. 32. 6. Isai. 63. 16. But howsoever the whole Trinity is our Father so to be worshipped of us yet this speech is more peculiarly directed to the first Person the fountain of the Godhead who is the Father of Christ Ephes. 3. 14. and in him our Father John 20. 17. yet so as in worshipping him we joyntly worship the other two who as they are â—…ll one in essence coequall and coeternall concurring also in all actions towards us so they are altogether to be worshipped O God thou Father of Christ and in him our Father who givest the Spirit of thy Sonne whereby we cry Abba Father to thee we present our prayers in the name of thy Son craving the help of the holy Ghost The second Person is called our Father Isai. 9. 6. so may the holy Ghost who doth regenerate us Deut. 32. 6. and to either of them may our prayers be directed Acts 7. 59. So that our prayer may be directed to any or to all the Persons 2. Cor. 13. 13. or to two of them 1. Thess. 3. 11. We are taught to whom to direct our prayers namely to God alone For seeing our Saviour hath commanded us when we pray to say Our Father it is evident that we break the commandment if we direct our prayers to any to whom we may not say Our Father c. Which title without blasphemy we cannot attribute to any but onely to the Lord who is our heavenly Father Jer. 31. 9. Sum Israeli Pater I am a Father to Israel Secondly whereas by nature we are the children of wrath and yet commanded to call upon God as our Father we are taught in whose name we are to come unto God Not in our own names or worthinesse Dan. 9. 18. for then we shall find him a Judge rather then a Father but onely in the name and mediation of Christ Eph. 3. 12. in whom he is our Father and in whose name he hath promised to grant whatsoever we ask according to his will It is well said of Calvine Cùm Deum Patrem vocamus Christi nomen praetendimus When we call God Father we pretend the name of Christ. 3. We are taught that the help of the holy Ghost is necessary in prayer For how should we which were children of wrath dare to call God our Father or be assured that we be his children By the holy Ghost who is the spirit of adoption beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God we cry in our hearts Abba Father Rom. 2. 15 16. For if none can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost then much lesse can a man call upon God as his Father in Christ except he be endued by the holy Ghost We must therefore as the Apostle teacheth us Ephes. 2. 18. call upon God the Father in the name of the Sonne by the assistance of the holy Ghost so shall we though unworthy and unable to call upon God in Christ be accepted and by the holy Ghost be enabled to pray according to God Here therefore first are they refuted who think they may lawfully direct their prayers either to Angels or Saints to whom the name Father is opposed Isai. 63. 16. or to their images sâ—…ying to a stock or stone Our father Jer. 2. 27. If God be our heavenly Father who is more willing to give good things then any earthly parents and also all-sufficient why should we seek to any other unlesse we can either accuse him of unkindnesse or object want of power unto him Secondly if God be our Father in Christ then ought we with boldnâ—…sse to come unto the throne of grace through him Ephes. 3. 12. Neither do we need any other mediation then of the Sonne who is the onely Mediatour as of redemption so also of intercession 1. Tim. 2. 5. contrary to the doctrine of the Papists who teach men to use the mediation of Saints Whereas our Saviour John 16. 26. having commanded us to pray in his name addeth I say not that I will intreat the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you Duties in Prayer IF God be our Father we must come 1. In reverence as unto our heavenly Father 2. In dutifull thankfull and sonne-like affection acknowledging his mercy of Adoption who when we were by nature children of wrath adopted us to be his sonnes and if sonnes then heirs Behold what love the Father hath shewed on us that we should be called the sonnes of God 3. In faith and assurance not onely that we and our prayers are accepted in Christ but that our prayers shall be granted unto us of our Father as may be most for his glory and our good And that we may come in faith let us consider First that without faith we are no sonnes of his but children of wrath Ephes. 2. 3 12. and if we believe we are the sonnes of God John 1. 12. and of the houshold of faith Secondly that if God be our Father in Christ he will grant us what good thing soever we ask For 1. he is affected as a good Father towards his children yea his love towards us is so much greater then the love of earthly parents as his goodnesse and mercy is greater Isai. 63. 16. Psal. 27. 10. Isai. 49. 15. Matth. 7. 11. Luke 11. 13. 2. In that he is our Father he hath given us the greatest gift that can be imagined and therefore will not deâ—…y the lesse Pater quid 〈◊〉 filiis qui jam 〈◊〉 quòd pater est What will the father deny to his sons who hath vouchsafed already to be our Father For if he have sâ—… loved us that he gave his Son for us that in him we might be adopted his children how shall hâ—… not with him give us all good things Rom. 8. 32. 3. In that he hath vouchsafed us this great love to be our Father and that we should be his children he hath also made us his heirs provided us an inheritance in heaven For as he gave his Sonne in pretium for a price so he reserveth himself in praemium for a reward If therefore it be our Fathers
Doth the Lord bid thee seek his face answer with that heavenly echo of the Psalmist Psal. 27. 8. Thy face Lord will I seek It is the will of God that thou shouldst turn unto him break off without delay the course of thy sinne and turn unto the Lord. Knock at the doore of thy heart Open thine immortall gate that the King of glory may come in Doth he call thee to repentance to day If yee will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Deferre not repentance but to day before to morrow repent Seek the Lord whilest he may be found and call upon him whilest he is near Isai. 55. 6. Doth he call us to triall and affliction let us take up our crosse and follow him submitting our selves willingly to his will 1. Sam. 3. 18. Acts 21 14. 2. Sam. 15. 26. 5. The Angels do the will of God fully accomplishing whatsoever the Lord commandeth so ought we to do it fully and not by halves otherwise he will say to us as to them of Sardis Revel 3. 2. I have not found thy works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complete before God Remember the example of Herod Mark 6. 20. who albeit hearing John Baptist he did many things and heard him gladly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet because hâ—… continued in that sinne of incest his partiall obedience did nothing avail him He that keepeth all the law and faileth in some one commandment is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. And he that truly repenteth of any one sinne repenteth of all Where there is upright obedience there is intire obedience but where there is halving there is halting between God and Mammon between Christ and Antichrist The covetous man thinketh well of himself because he is not a whoremaster or a drunkard the riotous person thinketh well of himself that he is not covetous no extortioner c. the Pharisee because he is no Publicane Luke 18 c. Many separate justice and holinesse c. But herein we are as much as we are able to follow the example of Christ who did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3. 15. For if we will be men according to Gods own heart we must desire and endevoúr to do all his will Acts 13. 22. 6. The Angels of the Lord do his will constantly never giving over untill they have accomplished the will of the Lord so must we be constant persevering in obedience being not weary of weldoing knowing that we are redeemed of the Lord to worship him c. all the dayes of our lives Luke 1. 74. Our obedience must not be like the morning mist. Remember that religion is a way to the end whereto we cannot come untill the end of our lives and therefore if we set down our staff before we come to the end and will go no further what will all our former pains avail us If we run in this race and faint before we come to the goal how shall we hope to obtein the garland Be faithfull unto death saith our Saviour and I will give thee the crown of life Revel 2. 10. and Matth. 24. 13. He that continueth to the end he shall be saved 7. Lastly the holy Angels do the will of God faithfully and in all their doings seek the glory of God that sendeth them not assuming unto themselves any part of the praise So must we 1. Cor. 10. 31. For if therein we shall seek our own praise or other sinister respects we have our reward Thus must we truly in our lives desire and endevour to do the will of God on earth as the Angels do it in heaven otherwise when we make this prayer we do ask with our mouthes that which we desire not with our hearts Here therefore is discovered the hypocrisie of many men who pray that they may do the will of God which they will not do God would have thee to turn unto him thou prayest that thou mayest do the will of God and yet wilt not turn to him c. What is this then but to mock God when thou askest that of him which thou hast neither desire nor purpose to do But here especially appeareth the hypocrisie of obstinate and stiff-necked sinners who will seem so forward as to desire that they may do the will of God even as the Angels do it in heaven and yet in very truth obey the will of God no otherwise on earth then the devils in hell who although they oppose themselves against the revealed will of God yet willingly though unwittingly perform his secret will which no creature is able to disannull If therefore we would be thought to pray in truth let us desire and endeavour to do that in our lives which in prayer we ask and desire So having imitated the obedience of the Angels on earth we shall be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels and fellow-citizens with the Saints and Angels in heaven c. The fourth Petition HItherto we have spoken of those petitions which immediately concern the glory of God Now we are to come unto those which more nearly appertein unto our good Howbeit mediately also they are referred to Gods glory which must be the main end of all our desires for whatsoever we are to ask for our selves we are to desire no otherwise but as it is subordinate to Gods glory Spirituall graces and salvation we are to desire for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy in our salvation And because a Christian man is bound to believe that the Lord harh ordained him to salvation therefore salvation and those spirituall graces which are necessary thereunto may be asked absolutely as being subordinate to Gods glory with which he joyneth the salvation of the chosen Temporall benefits are to be asked conditionally so farre forth as they serve for Gods glory and our spirituall good Gods glory is to be sought for even in our eating and drinking and whatsoever we do 1. Cor. 10. 31. Nay our life it self is no otherwise to be desired then it is referred to Gods glory Psal. 80. 19. Preserve O Lord our life and we will call upon thy name Psal. 119. 175. Let my soul live and it shall praise thee Isai. 38. 18 19. Psal. 6. 5. and 30. 9. and 50. 15. Sufficientia vitae saith Augustine rectè appetitur non propter seipsam quidem sed ut eam habentes commodiùs Deo serviamus Sufficiencie for life is rightly desired not for it self but that we may more commodiously serve God Now these petitions are of two sorts For in them we ask either temporall benefits concerning the body for the maintenance of this life present or spirituall blessings in heavenly things concerning the soul for the obteining of a better life Of both which we have a promise 1. Tim. 4. 8. and therefore are to pray for both The prayer for temporall blessings is conteined in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give us this
happy whose sins are forgâ—…ven but those that are poore in spirit are happy Matth. 5. 3. therefore their sinnes are forgiven Whereas contrariwise if we be proud and have a Pharisaicall conceiâ—… of our selves it is a fearfull signe that we remain in our sinnes John 9. 41. Luke 18. 14. II. If we would have forgivenesse of our sinnes we must believe in Christ. For by faith alone we have jusâ—…ification and remiâ—…sion of sinnes Acts 26. 18. because faith alone apprehendeth the merits and righteousnesâ—…e of Christ whereby we are justified Now this and the former must go together We must be cast down in our selves acknowledging our selves that we are no better in our selves then the firebrands of hell and yet withall we must relie upon Christ and his merits being perswaded that notwithsâ—…anding our manifold sinnes yet the Lord will receive us iâ—…to his love and favour imputing unto us the righteousnesse of his Sonne and coveâ—…ing us therewith as with a garment If thus we believe in Christ we need not doubt of the pardon of our sins because Christ having satisfied the justice of his 〈◊〉 for all the sinnes of 〈◊〉 which believe in him the remission therefore of sinnes to them that believe is a work not onely of mercy but also of justice 3. If we would truly make this prayer viz. in hatred of sinne have any assurance to our own souls that our sinnes are forgiven we must repent of those sinnes which we desire to be remitted and forsake those sinnes which we would have the Lord forgive Ezek. 18. 21 22. At what time soever c. Prov. 28. 13. He that confesseth his sinnes and forsaketh them c. And therefore as Isaiah exhorteth chap. 55. 7. let the wicked forsake his way c. If therefore we would effectually crave the pardon of our sins we must have a true purpose of heart and resolution to forsake them And if we would have assurance that according to our prayer our sinnes be forgiven we must have a true endeavour to leave them and to perform the contrary duties If therefore we have neither purpose in our hearts nor â—…ndeavour in our lives to forsake our sinnes we may not look that the Lord will pardon them If in my heart I regard wickednesse c. Psal. 66. 18. For the Lord heareth not sinners that is who do not repent of their sinnes nor have a true purpose to leave them John 9. 31. Prov. 28. 13. 4. If we make this prayer in faith and truly believe in God for the forgivenesse of our sinnes this perswasion will have this effect in us to make us fear to sinne and by sinne to displease and dishonour God There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared Psal. 130. 4. The bounty of the Lord must draw us to repentance Rom. 2. 4. Nay further those that believe their sinnes are forgiven them and are perswaded of Gods love and favour shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost they cannot choose but love him much who hath forgiven them much Luke 7. 47. and shew forth their love in keeping his commandments 5. If in prayer we unfeignedly desire faith and assurance of the forgivenesse of our sinnes then we will be most carefull in our lives to use and to use aright the means of begetting and increasing this faith as the hearing of the word receiving of the Sacraments c. 6. If we truly desire reconciliation with God in Christ then will we seâ—… in all things to please him For if we please our selves in displeafing him as the very nature of sinne is to displease God how can we perswade our selves that we are reconciled unto God or desire so to be 7. If we would have any assurance that our sinnes are forgiven we must be ready to forgive our neighbours the offenses which they commit against us For if ye saith Christ Matth. 6. 14. forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye do not c. But of this more in the reason Here therefore is discovered the hypocrisie of those men 1. who crave pardon of sinne in a Pharisaicall conceit of their own perfection freedome from sinne 2. who have no true hatred of sinne nor purpose to leave it 3. who please themselves in displeasing God and yet would seem to desire reconciliation with God 4. who desire faith and yet neglect and contemne the means 5. who with the ungracious servant looking to have pardon of ten thousand talents of his master would not remit a small debt to his fellow-servant Matth. 18. 28. whom he ought to have loved for his Masters sake c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These words are a solemn profession unto God of our brotherly love serving both to confirm our faith in obteining pardon and also to 〈◊〉 our love to God who hath forgiven us much in the love of our brethren for his sake For whereas divers men making this prayer for pardon of sinne either do not believe at all the pardon of their sinne or else deceive themselves with an opinion of faith not loving him of whom they look for pardon nor their brethren for his sake but with the ungracious servant Matth. 18. 28. exact small debts of their brethren and revenge offenses committed against them as though they could love God and yet hate their brother therefore our Saviour teacheth us to adde to the petition this protestation that if we be able to make it in truth we may be assured of the forgivenesse of our sinnes and not be deceived as many are in our assurance First therefore because we are so full of infidelity and diâ—…idence that we are hardly brought to believe in particular the forgivenesse of our own sinnes and consequently to make this prayer in faith our Saviour teacheth us to use this notable argument not so much to move God as to confirm our selves drawn from the lesse to the greater As we â—…lso forgive c. or as it is more plainly set down in Luke For even we also forgive c. And the reason standeth thus If we who have not so much pitie in regard of thine abundant mercy as is a drop of water in comparison of the Ocean sea if we I say be readie to forgive the offenses and injâ—…ries done against us then no doubt thou wiâ—… forgive our offenses which we from the bottom of our hearts confesse unto thee with deprecation of pardon But even we Lord whose mercy is as nothing in comparison of thine arâ—… readie to remit offenses committed against us and therefore as we earnestly crave pardon so we do unfeignedly believe that thou wilt forgive us our sinnes The connexion of the proposition is necessarie For as we say Quod in minori valet valet etiam in majori That which is of force in the lesser is of force also in the greater If a drop of pity in us doth wash
things apperteining to his glory and our good The phrase of invocating or calling upon the name of God sometimes signifieth the profession of the true religion whereby we take the name of God upon us and are called after his name as Gen. 48. 16. and 4. 16. Isa. 63. 10. Acts 9. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 2. And first as touching the name This part of Gods worship is usually in the Scriptures expressed by the phrase of calling upon the name of God and therefore is fitly called invocation that is calling upon God whether it be by way of praying or praysing In which generall sense the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tephillat is sometimes used 1. Sam. 2. 1. Psal. 86. 1. Isa. 56. 7. Domus orationis oratio and invocatio in Latine and by a Synecdoche prayer in the English tongue though properly it signifieth that species or kind of invocation whereby we crave any thing at the hands of God By a Metonymie of the signe it is sometimes called the lifting up of the hands Psal. 141. 2. and 44. 20. sometimes the lifting up of the eyes Psal. 123. 1. more properly a lifting up of thé heart unto God Psal. 25. 1. whereof the other are but signes Which must teach us when we pray to lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens as Jeremie speaketh Lam. 3. 41. So much of the name In the definition the nature of Invocation is set forth both the generall which Logicians call the genus and proper in that which is called the difference The generall in that I call it a religious speech For of religious speech there are two speciall sorts the one of man â—…nto man in the name of God and in the stead of Christ which is preaching the other of man unto God in the name and mediation of Christ which is prayer or invocation And both of them somewhere in the Scriptures are expressed by one and the same name of prophesying which for Preaching is used 1. Cor. 14. 3 4. and elsewhere for Invocation both in the sense of praying 1. Kings 18. 29. with 26. and of praysing 1. Chron. 25. 1 2 3. First I say it is a speech And because the religious speech is the chief speech which we can use therefore as preaching is called Sermo so prayer is of the Latines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called Oratio But where I say prayer is a speech you are to understand that whereas there is a twofold speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 outward and inward the inward being also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech conceived in the mind the outward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech uttered with the voice prayer is not the outward speech chiefly or onely but the inward of the soul either alone when in prayer the voice is not used as Gen. 24. 45. Exod. 14. 15. 1. Sam. 1. 13. and is called oratio mentalis which is usuall in meditation and is sometimes so called or chiefly when the voice is used as most commonly it is Whereupon some define prayer to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the speech or communication of the soul with God others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ascending of the mind unto God In which respect the holy Ghost calleth it the lifting up of the heart unto God Psal. 25. 1. and the pouring forth of the soul before the Lord Psal. 62. 8. 1. Sam. 1. 15. As for that prayer which is onely the outward speech of the mouth without the inward of the heart it is not a prayer in truth but a meer lip-labour For to call upon God in truth is to pray with our souls and to call upon him with our hearts to lift up our hearts and to poure forth our souls before the Lord as I shall shew more fully hereafter But I adde that it is a religious speech to note that prayer is a part and indeed a principall part of that religious adoration and worship which we ow unto God and consequently to teach us that it is a dutie to be performed religiously and devoutly as intending thereby an holy and acceptable service unto God So that true prayer is not a bare reading or recitall of any form of prayer without understanding withou affection without devotion without faith but a religious service devoutly offered unto God out of an upright and pure heart 2. Tim. 2. 22. Psal. 119. 7. The proper nature of Invocation is described in the rest of the definition conteining six substantiall points necessarily required in all prayer viz. Quis Quem Cujus nomine Quomodo Cujus ope De quibus that is Who must pray Whom we must pray unto In whose name In what manner By whose help and For what For in all invocation that shall be acceptable unto God there is required 1. That the person which prayeth be faithfull 2. That the partie to whom we pray be the onely true God 3. That the prayer be made in the name of Christ For sinne having made a separation between God and us there is no accesse for us unto God in our own name 4. For the manner that it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God Rom. 8. 27. or as S. John speaketh more fully 1. Epist. 5. 14. according to the will of God that is that in our invocation or prayer we perform those things which God hath willed and required in his word to be performed in prayer 5. Because we are not able of our selves to perform any of those things which God hath required I adde that we are to call upon God by the help of the holy Ghost 6. And lastly I shew that the object of our invocation that is the things concerning which we do speak unto God in prayer are good things apperteining to his glorie and our good as namely and especially the benefits and blessings of God for which we do either pray unto him or praise him Of these six in order And first for the partie which is to pray When I say that prayer is a speech of the faithfull you are to understand 1. That we speak of prayer as it is officium viatorum a duty injoyned unto men living here upon earth as pilgrimes in the Church militant unto whom alone the doctrine of Invocation doth appeâ—…tein and not as it is exercitium spirituum beatorum the exercise of the Saints and Angels in the Church triumphant in heaven to whom neither the commandments injoyning this duty nor the promises made to prayer nor the directions which teach how to pray are directed For although the word of God hath revealed that they are conversant in the one part of invocation that is in praising glorifying God wherein we are to imitate them that we may do this will of God 1. Thess. 5. 18. as the Saints and Angels do it in heaven yet as touching the other part which is
what horrible impudencie and impietie is it to obtrude such prayers upon God not onely as acceptable service unto him but as satisfactory and meritorious by which they can merit nothing but damnation and for the wickednesse whereof they shall never be able to satisfie but with endlesse torments Let this suffice us that prayer is of so great profit and admirable efficacie that our prayers rightly conceived and made are alwayes heard and granted that besides the benefit of obteining our prayers have their reward with God and notable fruits conferrâ—…ng and increasing Gods graces in us CHAP. VIII Of a threefold necessitie of prayer NOW I come to the necessitie of prayer which is necessary by a threefold bond of necessitie 1. Necessitate praecepti necessitie of precept as being a dutie most straitly injoyned and a principall part of that worship and service which we ow unto God This necessitie is not absolute but if we will avoid his curse Jer. 10. 25. 2. Necessitate medii necessitie of the means as being the means ordained by God for the obteining of all good things which he hath either purposed or promised to bestow upon us for our good so that if we ask aright we have if we ask not we have not as S. James saith chap. 4. 3. Necessitate signi necessitie of the signe as being a necessarie signe and cognizance of all true Christians who are described in the Scripture to be such as call upon the name of God As contrariwise the foolish Atheist who saith in his heart There is no God is deciphered by this note that he doth not call upon the Lord Psal. 14. 4. In which respects the holy man Daniel held the performance of this dutie so necessary that when the king had published a decree which might not be revoked That whosoever should ask a petition of either God or man save of the king for thirtie dayes he should be cast into the lions den he chose rather to be cast into the den of the lions then to omit this dutie but thirty dayes Dan. 6. neither did he omit it one day see vers 10. CHAP. IX Who are to perform the dutie of prayer ANd thus you have heard that it is required of all to call upon God Now let us consider what is required in all those that do call upon him That I expressed in the definition when I defined prayer to be a speech of the faithfull or as the holy Ghost styleth them also the righteous the godly the Saints of God Where by the way note that all faithfull and true Christians are righteous are godly are the Saints of God And thus are they to be qualified who will either pray unto God or praise him For prayer the holy Ghost saith that every one that is godly shall pray unto God Psal. 32. 6. and the prayer of a righteous man availeth much Jam. 1. 16. For praise and thanksgiving unto God be glory in the Church saith the Apostle Ephes. 3. 21. that is in the company of the faithfull And so David Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his give thanks at the remembrance of his holinesse Psal. 30. 4. It is true that all the works of God do praise him as the matter of his praise but the Saints do blesse him as the instruments of his praise Psal. 145. 10. For both see Psal. 50. 14 15 16. where the Lord as he commandeth the faithfull to whom his speech is directed v. 5 7. to offer unto him thanksgiving and to call upon him in the day of trouble so he taketh exception against the wicked But unto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee But here we are carefully to consider who are the godly and righteous lest we exclude from hope of being heard those whom the holy Ghost doth not exclude There is therefore a twofold righteousnesse mentioned in the Scriptures the one Legall the other Evangelicall According to the legall righteousnesse none can be said to be righteous who doth not perfectly and perpetually perform whatsoever the law which is the Divine rule of perfect righteousnesse doth prescribe For if a man do not abstein from all things forbidden if he do not also the things commanded if he do not all and that in that manner and measure which the law prescribeth if he do not continue in doing all the things required but breaketh the course of his obedience by any one sinne though but of omission though but in thought he is notwithstanding all his obedience by the sentence of the law not onely a sinner but also accursed Gal. 3. 10. By this righteousnesse no man since the fall of Adam could be said to be righteous Christ onely excepted but we had all need to pray with David Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified viz. by the works of the law Gal. 2. 16. For there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7. 20. Yea in many things we offend all saith S. James chap. 3. 2. And if we say we have no sinne saith S. John 1. epist. 1. 8. we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Wherefore the law concludeth all under sinne and consequently under the curse Gal. 3. 22. So that there is no man so godly and righteous but in himself by the sentence of the law he is a sinner Which serveth notably to confute the Popish hypocrites which teach that none are justified but such as are formally just by a righteousnesse inherent in and performed by themselues that is habituall and actuall according to the law of God and that no man who is a sinner in himself by reason of sinne inherent can be said to be justified But whatsoever Pope-holy men do conceive of themselves we must confesse with the forenamed Apostles that we are sinners in our selves and had need daily to pray as our Saviour taught them for the forgivenesse of our sinnes and so to appeal from the sentence of the Law to the promise of the Gospel for the law hath concludâ—…d all under sinne that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3. 22. The Evangelicall righteousnesse is that which without the Law is revealed in the Gospel whereby men that are sinfull in themselves I mean believing sinners and penitent sinners are accepted of God as righteous in Christ. And it is twofold For it is either imputed to a believing sinner as the righteousnesse of justification or infused and so inherent in a repentant sinner as the righteousnesse of sanctification The former is perfect and not inherent being the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith The other is inherent but not perfect being our new obedience wrought in us by
ruine Notwithstanding deliverance out of affliction when men cry unto God is a common benefit the Lord hearing and delivering men of all sorts as a mercifull Creatour and Preserver as is testified Psal. 107. where it is often repeated that divers sorts of men when they cry unto the Lord in their trouble he doth deliver them out of their distresse But because many are unthankfull thâ—… 〈◊〉 Ghost doth as oft repeat this exclamation O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders which he doth for the sonnes of men For though the Lord doth hate the wicked in respect of their sinnes and therefore many times doth refuse to heare and to deliver them yet he loveth them as his creatures and therefore sometimes as a mercifull Creatour he doth deliver them And thus he promiseth to heare the cry of the poore the fatherlesse and the widow because he is mercifull Exod. 22. 23 27. Psal. 22. 24. And howsoever the cry of men in distresse cannot many times besaid to be a prayer but onely that voice which the extremity of their grief expresseth from them yet it is vox creaturae clamantis ad Creatorem the voice of the creature crying to the Creatour and the Lord as a mercifull Creatour heareth the same So he is said to have heard the cry of the child Ishmael Gen. 21. 17. And thus also he heareth the cry of the young ravens and lions and of the rest of the creatures giving them their sood in due season Psal. 147. 9. and 104. 21 27 28. and 145. 15. Which I do the rather note for the comfort of the faithfull For if the Lord doth heare the cry not onely of carnall men but also of those creatures which want reason yea sometimes of the devil himself Mark 8. 12. Job 1. and 2. how shall he not heare the cry of his own children 3. As a severe Judge the Lord heareth the wicked granting unto them temporall things in his wrath which it were better for them to want Thus he granted flesh to the impenitent Israelites fed them with quails but while the flesh was betâ—…een their teeth he struck them with a grievous plague and they were burned in Kibroth-hattaavah that is the graves of lust Num. 11. 31. So in his anger when they would needs have a king he granted a king unto them 1. Sam. 8. 7. Hos. 13. 11. And thus when worldlings whose hearts are wholly addicted to earthly things desiring and begging them the Lord in his anger giveth them over to their own lusts and satisfieth their desire giving them their portion in this life Psal. 17. 14. where they receive their good things Luke 16. 25. and all the consolation they are to look for Luke 6. 24. whereas to them that first seek Gods kingdome and his righteousnesse he doth not onely give that which principally they seek but also by way of advantage over and besides he giveth them temporall blessings as shall be most convenient for them So that in spirituall things the wicked are not heard but the godly In temporall when he seemeth to denie the request of the godly he heareth them in speciall mercie though not ad voluntatem yet ad utilitatem not to their will but profit and when he seemeth to grant the prayer of the wicked he heareth them in judgement ad voluntatem though not ad utilitatem to their will not their profit impiis concedens iratus quae piis negat propitius granting in his wrath that to the wicked which in his mercy he denieth to the godly CHAP. XI That God alone is to be called upon HAving spoken of the person which doth invocate we are now to intreat of the party who is called upon that is God Where we are to shew two things 1. That God alone is religiously to be called upon 2. That in our prayers we are so to conceive of God as he hath revealed himself in his word Both which points are of great moment for if we do religiously invocate any besides the true God we commit sacrilegious idolatry or if we shall conceive of God either in respect of his nature or of the persons otherwise then he hath revealed we shall in stead of the true God worship an idole of our own brain That God is to be called upon I have already shewed and it needeth no further proof Call upon me saith the Lord Psal. 50. 15. When ye pray say Our Father Luke 11. 2. The true worshippers shall worship the Father John 4. 23. But that God alone is to be called upon religiously though it follow upon the former for God will be worshipped alone or not at all praecept 1. yet it is gainsaid by the Antichristian church the mother of spirituall fornications which in this part of Gods worship addeth to him both Angels and Saints departed For the confutation of which blasphemous errour I will first prove in generall That God alone is to be called upon and then particularly That neither Angels nor Saints are For first Whomsoever we do religiously invocate him do we worship and adore For invocation is a principall part of worship and adoration as I have shewed the Lord esteeming the sacrifice of praise and prayer above all outward sacrifices of the law Psal. 50. But God alone is religiously to be worshipped and adored For the exhibiting of religious worship unto any that is not God is idolatrie such as is religious adoration invocation by prayer and thanksgiving reposing our affiance and trust vows oathes sacrifices offered to any creature 1. Sam. 7. 3. Direct your hearts unto the Lord serve him onely Matth. 4. 10. Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou worship or serve Against which allegation they do object That the words do appropriate not adoration but Divine worship unto God so that notwithstanding this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adoration may be given to the creature though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divine worship be reserved as peculiar unto God Rhem. in Matth. 4. 10. For answer of which shift we must consider what the tempter demanded of Christ vers 9. All these things will I give thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if thou shalt fall down and worship me which demand our Saviour might have yeilded unto if he had allowed this Popish distinction But it appeareth by his answer that there is no such difference to be made betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is between Divine worship and religious adoration For he would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is adore the tempter as he required because he must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is worship God alone thereby plainly shewing that if he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he should also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or adoration may be either civill which may be performed to creatures Gen. 23. 7 12. or religious
faith For there is no warrant in the Scripture for such a prayer no doctrine which teacheth it no precept that injoyneth it no promise to confirm it no example to commend it And this is confessed by Eckius viz. That neither it is warranted or taught in the Old Testament because the people were prone to idolatry and the fathers deceased were in Limbo nor in the New lest the Gentiles should return to their old idolatry and lest the Apostles should seem to direct Christians to invocate them after their decease And therefore by their own confession no testimonie of Scripture can be alledged to this purpose Neither can such prayer be made in hope because none but God is either omniscient or omnipresent to know the wants or heare the desires of men in all places calling upon them nor omnipotent to grant their desires Hereunto may be added the testimonies of the Fathers Origen Contra Celsum lib. 8. Solus adorandus est Deus God onely is to be worshipped Eusebius De praeparat Evang. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 Deum adorare didiciâ—…us We have learned to worship God onely Nazianzen De Spir. sanct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If it be to be adored why is it not to be worshipped if it be to be worshipped how is it not God Ambrose De Spiritu lib. 3. 12. Neque adorandum quicquam prater Deum legimus We do not reade of any thing which ought to be worshipped except God alone Cyrill Thesaur lib. 2. 1. Vnanatur a Deiâ—…atis est quam solummodo ador are oportet There is one nature of the Deitie which alone ought to be worshipped CHAP. XII That we ought not to invocate any creature THus have I shewed in generall That no creature is to be called upon Now more specially That neither Angels nor Saints Civil honour indeed is due to both as to our fellow-citizens of the same city but religious honour done to either is idolatry First for Angels Our fellow-servants are not to be adored of us Angels are our fellow-servants being ministring spirits sent forth into the ministery for their sake that shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. And by this reason the angel Revel 19. 10. and 22. 19. disswadeth S. John from adoring him and in both places appropriateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adoration to God Likewise the Apostle admonisheth the Colossians chap. 2. 18. to take heed that none bercave them of their prize which is their salvation under shew of humiliâ—…ie as the Papists do as though it were too much boldnesse to go directly to Christ commending unto them the worshipping of angels whereunto those countreys of Phrygia were very much addicted as Theodoret sheweth in Col. 2. And therefore it was decreed in the councel of Laodicea the mother-citie of those parts that no man should pray unto angels Moreover he that is the authour and fountain of all good things and is onely able of himself to help us he is to be invocated and not those who being but his instruments are not able to help us otherwise then he appointeth But God is the authour and fountain of all good James 1. 17. Our onely help and refuge Psal. 46. 1. and 124. 8. The angels are but his instruments who neither can nor will help us further then God himself appointeth Objection out of Jos. 5. 13. and Judg. 13. 20. That Joshua and the parents of Samson worshipped the angels which appeared unto them He that appeared unto them was not a created angel but the Angel of the great covenant the second Person in Trinity who oftentimes in assumed forms appeared to the Patriarchs He that appeared to Joshua calleth himself the Prince of the Lords armies Jos. 5. 14. and 6. 2. he is called the Lord. He which appeared to Samsons parents being demanded his name said it is Wonderfull which is the name of Christ Isa. 9. 6. And such was their opinion of him for Manoah calleth him God and his wife termeth him Jehovah Now that Saints are not to be prayed unto it shall appear by these reasons I. To them which neither heare us nor know us prayer is made in vain But the Saints departed neither heare us nor know us That they do not heare us it is manifest For what is it which they do heare the voice of the mouth or the speech of the heart If the voice of the mouth then the voice which moveth the aire for a small distance and so vanisheth shall not onely pierce all the regions of the aire but the heavens also where the aire which is the medium ceaseth If the speech of the heart then are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searchers of the heart and therefore gods for it is a property peculiar to the Lord 1. Kings 8. 39. Jer. 17. 9. Acts 1. 24. That they know us not it is testified by Isaiah chap. 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knoweth us not Eccles 9. 5. The Papists except First That the Saints having the blessed vision of God they do see in speculo Trinitatis the things done in earth By which reason they should know all things which God himself doth know neither should the day of judgement be hid from them But this glasse is a forgerie of their own brain For if they say it is the essence of the whole Deitie then is it most simple and unvariable if the glory or splendour of God whereby he enlighteneth the place of the blessed it will no more follow that they beholding this light should see those things which God beholdeth then that he which looketh on the sunne should see all that the sunne shineth upon Secondly That God acquainteth them with our prayers made to them which they understanding become intercessours for us unto God But what a foolish circumstance is this They will not have us go directly unto God or our Saviour but as in Princes courts to some that are neare unto them that they may mediate our cause and in the upshot we cannot go directly unto them I mean the Saints but God himself must be fain to be a mediatour between us and them to acquaint them with our prayers that so they may pray unto him for us Thirdly That they do not worship the Saints as gods but as the friends of God As if a woman taken in adultery should alledge for her self that she loved the adulterer not as her husband but as her husbands friend For religious worship doth as properly belong unto God as conjugall love unto the husband But do not they give Divine worship to the Saints whom they invocate prescribing thereby unto them omnipresence omniscience omnipotencie and thereby also professing themselves to repose their trust in them For when they pray to Saints departed do they speak unto them as present or as absent If as to present they being in heaven they on the earth dispersed in many places countreys then
it to his servants But the holy Ghost teacheth the contrary Heb. 7. 25. that Christ is therefore able perfectly and fully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save those which by him do come to God because he liveth ever to make intercession for them Yea the Scripture every where directeth us unto Christ and to no other mediatour and therefore to no other must we flie Ephes. 3. 12. Heb. 4. 16. and 7. 19. Christ is the onely way and the onely accesse unto God Those that leave this way and this accesse they have no way nor accesse to God with hope or comfort or if any will go to God any other way in stead of a throne of grace they shall find a tribunall of justice and terrour and in stead of a mercifull Father a just terrible Judge Our Saviour Christ in plain terms saith John 14. 6. No man cometh to the Father but by me and the Apostle 1. Tim. 2. 5. That as there is but one God so but one Mediatour between God and man the man Christ who is both God and man For as S. Augustine The Mediatour between God and man ought to have something like to God something like to man lest being in both like to men he should be farre from God or being in both like to God he should be farre from men and so â—…hould be no Mediatour But Christ alone is both God and man and therefore he alone is Mediatour The high Priest in the law was a type of Christ but the high Priest in type was mediatour both of redemption and expiation in offering sacrifices and of intercession in making prayers for the people to which purpose bearing the names of the twelve tribes he entred into the holy place to make intercession for them therein representing Christ who being entred into the heavenly sanctuary maketh intercession for us But to what purpose do they flie to other mediatours is it because the mediation of Christ is not sufficient or is it because the Saints are in greater favour with God or lastly because the Saints are more favourable to us then our Saviour Christ If the first they denie Christ to be a perfect Saviour which the Apostle affirmeth Heb. 7. 25. If the second they denie him to be the Sonne of God in whom he is well pleased with the Saints themselves If the third they deny him to be their loving and mercifull Saviour who hath loved us with the greatest love unto which the love of the Saints being compared is as a little spark to agreat flame or a drop of water to the great sea He took our nature and infirmities that he might have compassion on us Heb. 2. 17 18. and 4. 15 16. He graciously inviteth us to come unto him and who do come he promlseth not to reject Matth. 11. 28. John 6. 37. Injurious therefore and blasphemous are they against Christ esteeming him as austere and seeking to the Saints as more propitious especially when they commit the administration of justice to Christ and of mercy to his mother and therefore appeal from the tribunal of his justice to the throne of his mothers mercy But besides the horrible superstition and idolatry besides the sacrilegious injurie offered unto Christ besides their own infidelitie and unthankfulnesse towards Christ it is extreme folly and madnesse rather to seek to other mediatours seeing in Christ nothing is wanting which is required in a perfect Mediatour For by his all-sufficient merits he hath satisfied the justice of God so that for his merits we may trust to be heard He is in highest favour with God in whom the Lord graciously accepteth whomsoever he loveth therefore we may be bold to pray that for his sake we may be heard He heareth our prayers is acquainted with our persons and wants and he is most gracious and favourable in commending our suits unto God He hath commanded us to call upon God in his name and hath promised that we shall obtein Whereas the Saints have no merits to plead for themselves and much lesse for others but those of Christ. In Christ they are loved and graciously accepted They heare not our prayers neither are acquainted with our persons or wants and all the love they have is but a small reflexion of the beams of Christs love shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost neither have they either by commandment or promise moved us to seek to their mediation but alwayes have directed us unto Christ. If it be objected That for Abrahams or Davids fake the Lord is said or requested to do something In these examples not the merits of those Saints but the covenant of grace which the Lord made with them is interposed If they plead antiquitie for their using the mediation of Saints the first that brought in this superstition into the East-churches was Petrus Cirapheus the heretick about the yeare 500 and in the West Gregory about the yeare 600. The Scriptures in this case give us the like counsel to that which was given to Themistocles For having occasion to use the favour of Admetus the King of the Molossi who was offended with him he asked counsel of the Queen how he might obtein the Kings favour and being instructed by her when the King returned from the Temple held the Kings sonne between his arms as desiring that for his sake he would receive him into favour by which means the King was pacified towards him CHAP. XV. That we must pray onely in the name of Christ. BUt to leave them For our own instruction we are to learn that we are alwayes to call upon God in the name of Christ. Now they are said to pray in the name of Christ who believing in him and reposing their affiance in the merits and intercession of Christ do desire the Lord that not respecting their own unworthinesse or demerits he would be pleased to heare them for Christs sake and for his merits and intercession accept of their prayers The which includeth two things 1. A desire that for Christs sake we may be heard 2. A belief that for Christs sake we shall be heard Of the desire we are here to speak of the belief or faith afterwards That we are thus to pray in the name of Christ is proved 1. by the commandment of Christ John 16. 24. 2. by his promise John 16. 23. and 14. 13 14. 3. by his prediction John 16. 26. 4. by the practice of the faithfull not onely since the ascension of Christ who have alwayes used to conclude their prayers with this clause per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum through our Lord Jesus Christ but also before the incarnation Dan. 9. 17. for the Lords sake And this was diversly figured in the law For 1. Whereas by the propitiatory which covered the ark Christ was represented therefore the faithfull when they were to pray turned their face towards the place where the ark remained 2. Hereunto tended their sacrifices which
were a figure of Christs sacrifice that for the merit thereof the prayers of them which did offer the sacrifice might be accepted 3. Thirdly as the high Priest once a yeare entred the sanctuary bearing on his shoulders the names and on his breast twelve stones the tokens of the twelve tribes prayed for the people who stood in the courts of the house even so Christ being entred into the heavenly sanctuary maketh intercession for us Heb. 10. 19. Apoc. 8. 3 4. Therefore as Augustine saith If you require a priest he is above the heavens where he maketh intercession for thee who in earth died for thee He is the onely way by whom we have accesse unto God John 14. 6. he is the onely Mediatour by whom we have accesse with boldnesse Ephes. 3. 12. he alone in whom God is well pleased with us and appeased towards us Rom. 3. 25. so that coming in his name neither the sense of the dreadfull majestie of God nor the conscience of our own unworthinesse shall dismay us He is the altar Heb. 13. 10. on which the sacrifice of our prayer or praise being offered is thereby sanctified vers 15. He is as Ambrose saith our mouth by which we speak unto the Father our eye by whom we see the Father our right hand by which we offer our selves to the Father without whose intercession neither we nor the Saints have ought to do with God And herein especially the prayers of true Christians do differ from the prayers of others that we call upon God in the name and mediation of Christ alone The use of all is Heb. 4. 16. and 10. 19. that seeing we have such an high Priest who maketh intercession for us that we should with boldnesse and assurance of faith offer up our prayers unto God For 1. the Spirit of Christ helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8. 26. 2. God the Father justifieth and accepteth of us in Christ v. 33. Who therefore shall lay any thing to our charge who can condemn us seeing Christ died for our sinnes and rose again for our justification and now sitteth at the right hand of God making intercession for us v. 34. and with the odours of his own sacrifice perfumeth our prayers making them acceptable unto God Revel 8. 3 4. CHAP. XVI Of the manner how we are to call upon God IN the fourth place we are to intreat of the manner how we are to call upon God The manner is set down Rom. 8. 27. according to God that is as S. John speaketh according to the will of God 1. John 5. 14. So I said in the definition That invocation is a religious speech of the faithfull made unto God in the name of Christ according to the will of God where by the will of God we are to understand not his secret will and counsel which we know not but his will revealed in his word Prayer is therefore made according to the will of God when in our prayer those things are performed which God in his word prescribeth to be performed in prayer This and the former point are of great moment for when a man prayeth and is not heard it is as Bernard saith because aut praeter verbum petis aut propter verbum non petis that is because thou prayest either beside the word or not for the word whereas on the other side we have this confidence in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us 1. John 5. 14 15. Now for the manner of prayer there are duties to be performed not onely in the action it self but also out of the action that is to say both before and after In the action of invocation the duties respecting the manner belong either to the internall form or externall The former are the inward duties of the soul the latter the outward speech and gesture of the bodie Unto the speech referre words quantitie qualitie voice In the soul we are to consider what is required first in generall and then in particular In generall it is required that our invocation be a speech of the soul and therefore as I said in the beginning some define prayer that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the communication of the soul with God Others that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the ascending of the mind unto God David expresseth his prayer to be a lifting up of his soul unto God Psal. 25. 1. and 86. 4. and elsewhere he calleth it a pouring forth of the soul before the Lord as Anna also speaketh 1. Sam. 1. 15. So that true prayer is not the lifting up of the voice of the eyes or hands alone but a lifting up of the heart with the hands unto God that is in the heavens Lam. 3. 41. To the same purpose in the Scriptures we are directed to pray in the heart Col. 3. 16. and in the spirit that is the soul Ephes. 6. 18. to pray with the whole heart Psal. 111. 1. that is with an upright heart Psal. 119. 7. with unfeigned lips Psal. 17. 1. in truth that is in sinceritie and uprightnesse of heart Psal. 145. 18. The necessitie of this praying in truth appeareth 1. By testimonie of our Saviour Christ John 4. 24. God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth 2. By all those testimonies even now cited wherein we are stirred up to lift up our hearts and to poure forth oursouls c. 3. If the Apostle require servants to perform their duties to their masters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as unto the Lord how much more is it our duty to the Lord himself to perform our service from our hearts 4. The uprightnesse and sinceritie of the heart is the soundnesse of all our worship and service of God without which it is hypocrisie therefore David professeth that he would call upon God with an upright heart Psal. 119. 7. and with lips unfeigned Psal. 17. 1. and to the same purpose we are exhorted to seek the Lord with an upright heart Deut. 4. 29. Jer. 29. 13. 5. The promise of hearing our prayer is restrained to this praying in truth Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is near to all that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth for bodily exercise profiteth little 1. Tim. 4. 8. and the Lord respecteth especially the voice of the heart As for those that call upon him with their lips and not with their hearts the Lord abhorreth their prayer and taketh himself to be abused by them and therefore he reproveth them by his Prophet Isaiah chap. 29. 13. This people cometh near me with their lips but their heart is farre from me and elsewhere he complaineth of the hypocrites of his people that when they howled unto him they cried not with their hearts which he calleth speaking lies Hos. 7. 13 14. for what else doth a man but lie when he speaketh otherwise then he thinketh
This divorce of the heart and the tongue in all speech even betwixt men is detestable Psal. 12. 2. it is called speaking with a heart and a heart But when men speak so unto God it is ridiculous and impious ridiculous because they go about to deceive God who beholding he heart as well as the tongue seeth them dance as it were in a net impious because it is not to lie unto men but unto God Both which folly and impietie the Psalmist noteth in the Israelites Psal. 78. 36. That when the hand of God was upon them slaying divers of them they sought him and called upon him neverthelesse they did flatter or go about to deceive him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him Here therefore two faults are to be avoided the one praying with feigned lips the other praying with wandring thoughts He is said to pray with feigned lips whose lips agree not with his heart nor his words with his desires and thoughts So saith Beda Labiis dolosis or at quis cùm vox oris non convenit voci cordis A man prayeth with deceitfull lips when the voice of the mouth agreeth not with the voice of the heart This is to pray with an heart and an heart and thus prayeth every one which asketh that with his mouth which he doth not desire with his heart and pretendeth that in his prayer which he doth not intend which promiseth that in his prayer which he meaneth not to perform or praiseth God for that whereof his conscience doth not acknowledge either God to be the giver or himself the receiver This is the condition of all impenitent sinners to play the hypocrites before God in all their prayers concerning spirituall things We must learn therefore with David to pray with unfeigned lips Psal. 17. 1. and to praise God with an upright heart Psal. 119. 7. For if it be the propertie of a sound Christian to speak unto his neighbour the truth which is in his heart Psal. 15. how much more shall we think it to be our dutie when we call upon God who trieth the heart and searcheth the reins to speak from the ground of our hearts And if we will not stick to speak dissemblingly unto the Lord who seeth our thoughts long before Psal. 139. 2. what hope is there that we will make conscience to speak the truth unto men who see no further then our mouthes Let us therefore avoiding this leaven of hypocrisie which sowreth our prayers imbrace integrity and uprightnesse of heart setting the Lord before our eyes and behaving our selves in our prayer as those who sought to approve themselves to him who trieth the heart Thus seeking the Lord with upright hearts we shall be sure to find him and calling upon him in truth we shall obtein our desires The second thing to be avoided is praying with wandring thoughts Which fault ariseth partly from the suggestions of Satan who is most busie to withdraw our minds from this heavenly exercise partly from our own spirituall sluggishnesse and carnall securitie and the worldly vanitie of our minds whereby it cometh to passe that we behave our selves as those who neither have reverence of the majesty of God to whom we speak nor sense of those things whereof we speak For if we considered that we are speaking to the most mighty and glorious God could we imagine that we ought to think of any thing rather then of that which we speak unto him Do not men as it were gather their wiâ—…s and cogitations together so that no part thereof be derived to any thing else when they do speak before any whom they do reverence Or if our affections were unfeignedly set upon those heavenly things whereof we speak would we suffer our cogitations to wander about trifles on the 〈◊〉 Wherefore as at all other times so especially when we pray we must as the Wise man adviseth above all observations observe and keep our hearts Prov. 4. 23. that they wander not from God for as Bernard saith nihil corde fugacius nothing is more fugitive then the heart and that with David 2. Sam. 7. 27. we may find our heart to call upon God And to the same purpose let us pray that as at all times so especially in prayer the Lord would knit our hearts unto him Psal. 86. 11. that they go not astray after vanities Let us resist the suggestions of Satan let us shake off our own sluggishnesse and to that end let us set before us the infinite majestie of God to whom we speak the excellencie and necessitie of those graces for which we pray and give thanks lâ—…t us also pray with David Psal. 141. 3. that the Lord would set a watch before our mouthes and keep the doore of our lips that neither our minds go a whoring after vanities nor our tongues which should be as the pen of a ready writer be rash to utter any thing before God and to utter nothing but that which the minâ—… doth indite And therefore we must take heed that the speech of the mouth do not go before but alwayes follow the conceit of the mind For many times it cometh to passe that as the musicians fingers will run over a song which he hath been used to play although his mind be otherwise occupied so in prayer the tongue will run over that form of words which it hath been used to utter though the mind be roving about other matters But this ought not so to be for howsoever the Schoolmen do not require an actuall intention of the mind in prayer but onely a purpose to pray in the beginning therein framing their doctrine to their practice and not their practice to Gods word yet seeing this kind of prayer proceedeth from the mouth and not from the heart it is but lip labour in the sight of God For as Cyprian saith Quae est enim segnitia abalienari capi ineptis cogitationibus profanis cùm Deum deprecaris quasi sit aliud quod magis debeas cogitare quà m quod cum Deo loquaris Quomodo tâ—… audiri à Deo postulas cùm teâ—…ipse non audias Vis enim Deum memorem tui cùm rogas eùm tu ipse memor tui non sis that is What a negligent sloth is this to be alienated and carried away with foolish cogitations and profane when thou prayest unto God as though there were something else which thou oughtest rather to think on then of that whereof thou speakest with God How dost thou desire that God should heare thee when as thou dost not hâ—…are thy self For wilt thou have God mindfull of thee when thou askest seeing thou art not mindfull of thy self And so G. Baldwin Quomodo se audiri postulat â—…ui seipsum non audit quidloquatur ignorat Nunquam enim orare dicitur qui flexis genibus orat si vagatione distrahatur Nihil igitur
aliud cogitare debet animus orantis quà m quod precatur that is How doth he desire to be heard who doth not heare himself is ignorant of what he speaketh For he cannot be said to pray who prayeth with bended knees if he be distracted with wandring thoughts and therefore the mind of him that prayeth ought to think of nothing else then what is prayed And likewise Chrysostome Si corpore humi prostrato ore incassum nugante mens totam domum forum circumeat quomodo talis dicere poterit quòd in conspectu Dei precatus sit Nam orat in conspectu Dei totam colligens animamsuam nil habens cum terra commune sed in ipsum se transferens coelum omnem ex animo pellens humanam cogitationem that is If the bodie lying prostrate upon the ground and the mouth vainly trifling the mind wandreth throughout the whole house and market how can such a one say that he prayeth in Gods sight For he prayeth in the sight of God who recollecteth his whole soul that he may have nothing to do with the earth but may wholly raise himself into heaven and banish all humane cogitations out of his mind And to conclude let the absurditie of the fault it self and the grosse abusing of the majestie of God breed in us a lothing of this fault and a care to shun it For when at any time our minds have wandred in prayer let us endeavour to joyn into one speech the prayer of the mouth and the speech of the heart both which do sound in the eares of the Lord and then consider whether we would make such a speech I say nor according to Malachi's rule to our Prince but to any man whom we regard which we are not abashed to offer unto the Lord. And thus have you heard the two faults opposed to praying in truth whereof the former is a note of hypocrites and impenitent sinners the latter though a foul fault and carefully to be avoided yet incident to the children of God For even in this sense the best of us may complain with David that our heart forsaketh us Psal. 40. 12. and as Augustine citeth out of Ambrose Ipso in tempore quo elevare mentem paramus insertis inanibus cogitationibus adterrena plerunque dejicimur In the very time wherein we indeavour to lift up our minds vain thoughts being inserted we are for the most part cast down unto earthly things Wherein if we please our selves and are satisfied with such wandring prayers as though suâ—…h wandring thoughts were not to be regarded as the Schoolmen teach we also play the hypocrites in our prayers and speak in vain in the aire without fruit or efficacie for such a prayer is dead and withour life But if we come with upright hearts intending a religious service unto God though sometimes our devotions be hindred with wandring thoughts yet if we be grieved for them and pray and strive against them this infirmitie through Gods mercy and intercession of Christ shall not be imputed unto us CHAP. XVII Of knowledge which is required necessarily in prayer THus much of that which is generally required in the soul Now let us see what is more particularly required in the mind and in the heart In the mind two things are required Knowledge and Faith Knowledge 1. Of God to whom we pray and of his will according to which we are to pray 2. Of that which we in our invocation do utter in the presence of God First there is required knowledge and acknowledgement of the true God and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent otherwise we are subject to the censure of our Saviour given to the Samaritanes John 4. 22. You worship you know not what First we must know God before we can believe in him and we must believe in him or else we cannot call upon him Rom. 10. 14. Therefore David exhorteth his sonne Solomon â—… Chron. 28. 9. first to know then to worship the God of his fathers with a willing mind and an upright heart For all worship of God which is not guided by knowledge is mere will-worship and superstition Neither is that to be accounted religion or pietie which proceedeth from ignorance as the Papists hold ignorance to be the mother of devotion But that devotion is blind superstition Knowledge is as it were the 〈◊〉 which guideth us in the right way of serving God according to his word without which we wander into will-worship and superstitious inventions And theresore as of God there is knowledge required so also of his will revealed in his word For we can have no assurance that we shall be heard unlesse we pray according to his will 1. John 5. 14. Neither can we pray according to his will unlesse in some measure we do know it Col. 3. 16. Secondly there is required knowledge and understanding of that which we do pray otherwise we are subject to our Saviours reproof Matth. 20. 22. You ask you know not what Prayer not understood is the lifting up of the voice and not of the soul unto God and a pouring forth of our breath and speaking into the aire and not a pouring forth of our hearts and souls unto the Lord for as Augustine saith Seeing as it is Psal. 89. 16. Beatus populus qui intelligit jubilationem Curramus ergò saith he ad hanc beatitudinem intelligamus jubilationem non eam sinâ—… intellectu fundamus Quid opus est jubilare non intelligere jubilationem ut vox nostra sola jubileâ—… cor non jubilet Sonus enim cordis intellectus est that is Blessed is the people which understandeth the joyfull sound Let us therefore haste saith he after this happinesse let us understand this joyfull sound and not vent it our without understanding What use is there of a joyfull sound and not to understand it that our voice onely should make this joyfull sound and not our heart For the sound of the heart is understanding Wherefore the Apostle Col. 3. 16. exhorteth us that the word of God dwell in us plenteously in all wisdome teaching and admonishing our selves in psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. Where the Apostle as he doth in generall require in every Christian a plentifull knowledge of the word of God to direct him in his worship of God so he teacheth us the use of our Psalmes and songs which we sing unto the Lord to wit that we and those that heare us may be instructed and edified thereby which without understanding of that which is said cannot be done as the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 14. And to the same effect doth the Prophet David exhort us Psal. 47. 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words though diversly translated do in every sense require understanding in those that call upon God whether you read it Sing praises every one that hath understanding or sing
that sometime it is put for prayer Ephes. 3. 14. and by the practice of the godly as of Solomon 2. Chron. 6. 12 13. Daniel chap. 6. 10. Ezra chap. 9. 5. Stephen Acts 7. 60. Peter Acts 9. 40. Paul Acts 20. 36. and finally by the example of all examples Christ himself Luke 22. 41. Which serveth to confute certain hereticks called Agnoetae who alwayes stood in prayer holding it unlawfull to kneel 4. Prostration or falling on the ground or falling on the face A gesture of the greatest humiliation but not in use among us or in these parts of the world but used by Moses and Aaron Num. 16. 22. and 20. 6. by Joshua chap. 5. 14. by Ezekiel chap. 9. 8 11 13. and by our Saviour Christ Matth. 26. 39. 5. Sitting Which though among us it do not seem a fit gesture in publick prayer yet privately it hath been and may be used Examples of David 2. Sam. 7. 18. of Elias 1. Kings 19. 4. and when he put his face between his knees praying earnestly for rain Jam. 5. 18. he prayed sitting as Augustine saith Sedens oravit Elias quando pluviam orando impetravit Elias prayed sitting when by prayer he obteined rain 6. Lying in bed So David Psal. 6. 6. and Hezekiah Isai. 38. 2. and is usually practiced by the faithfull not onely in their sicknesse but at other times 7. Walking riding journeying Gen. 24. 12 36. Jehoshaphat in his chariot 2. Chron. 18. 31. The gesture of the parts First the uncovering of the head in men which among us is an usuall signe of reverence In the female sex it is otherwise in which the covering of their head and face is noted in the Scriptures to have been a token of subjection 1. Cor. 11. 4 7. But in men it is a fit gesture to betoâ—…en their reverence being the uncovering and so 〈◊〉 of the highest and chiefest part and by some is 〈◊〉 depositio magnificentiae the laying aside of magnificence as we see in the foure and twenty elders Apoc. 4. 10. which fell down and cast their crowns before the throne 2. Of the eyes as the lifting up or casting down of them The former is most usuall betokening the lifting up of our hearts unto God and our faith in expecting help from him and is sometime put for prayer it self Psal. 123. 1 2. Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens Behold as the eyes of servants c. Psal. 141. 8. But mine eyes are unto thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust Psal. 25. 15. 2. Chron. 20. 12. To omit other examples Christ himself is ofen noted in the Gospel to have lift up his eyes to heaven when he called upon God as Matth. 14. 19. John 11. 41. and 17. 1. The casting down of the eyes is a note of great dejection and humiliation whereby we being confounded in our selves as knowing our selves unworthy to look up unto heaven do cast down our eyes on the earth Example the Publicane Luke 18. 3. Of the hands As â—… the Lifting up stretching forth of the hands A gesture fit to expresse our humilitie our earnest affection as being the gesture of suppliants and earnest suiters as also to testifie our faith and hope and to signifie the lifting up of our souls And it is a gesture of such moment that it also is put for prayer Exod. 9. 33. Psal. 28. 2. and 44. 20. and 63. 4. and 88. 9. Isai. 1. 15. Examples in Moses Exod. 9. 29 33. and 17. 11. David Psal. 141. 2. and 143. 6. Solomon 1. Kings 8. 22 54. It is commanded Psal. 134. 2. Lam. 2. 19. and 3. 41. The other gesture of the hands is the Knocking of the breast Which is most fit in deprecation for thereby is signified both our acknowledgement of guilt and an earnest desire of pardon as Luke 18. 13. and 23. 48. Thus have you heard the several gestures Among which I would commend unto you as fit most usually and ordinarily to be observed uncovering of the head in men standing or rather if we may conveniently kneeling lifting up of the hands and of the eyes to heaven For whereas in the soul are required faith humilitie reverence and ardour of affection which we are to expresse in the bodily gestures whereby we give God honorem signi the honour of the signe these gestures are most fit to expresse these inward graces For the uncovering of the head signifieth reverence and humility which also are more expressed by kneeling Faith and hope is represented in the lifting up of the eyes hands in which also as in kneeling the ardour of affection is expressed But here our greatest care must be because it is easie to observe these outward gestures to give God in truth the inward worship of the soul as well as the outward of the body which without the other is hypocriticall And therefore as we uncover our heads so to lay aside all opinion and conceit of our own worthinesse and with all reverence to set our selves in the presence of God and as we kneel outwardly so to bow the knees of our hearts and to humble our souls before the Lord and with our eyes and hands to lift up our souls unto God who is in the heavens And withall we must be carefull to lift up pure and innocent hands to God 1. Tim. 2. 8. For if our hands be stained with sinne or polluted with bloud the Lord will not heare Isai. 1. 15. Quid manuum in oratione vult extensio Hae multis sceleribus ministerium exhibent propterea jubemur eas extollere ut orationis ministerium sit eis vinculum nequitiae à malitiaseparatio ut cùm rapturus vel oppressurus vel alterum sis percussurus recorderis quòd has ad Deum pro patronis emissurus es per has illud spirituale sacrificium offerre debeas nec illas confundere nec actionis pravae ministerio fiduci à privare Eas igitur emunda per eleemosynam per misericordiam per indigentiam tutelam ità eas offer ad orationem that is What meaneth the stretching out of the hands in prayer These offer their service to much wickednesse and therefore we are commanded to lift them up that their ministery in prayer may be unto them a bond to tie them from wickednesse and a separation from maliciousnesse That when thou art about to use rapine or oppression or to strike another thou mayest remember that thou must lift up these hands to God for thy patrones and benefactours and that with them thou must offer unto God a spirituall sacrifice and therefore oughtest not to confound or disable them nor spoil them of their confidence by making them instruments in an evil action Cleanse them therefore by aâ—…ms by mercy and defense of the needy and so offer and lift them up in prayer CHAP. XXII Of the Voyce to
be used in prayer COncerning the voice it may be demanded whether it be needfull in prayer seeing the Lord heareth as well and regardeth more the prayer of the heart then the voyce of the mouth And this doth Elias signifie 1. Kings 18. 27. when he mocketh Baals priests saying Cry aloud he is a god insinuating that if he were a god he could heare them though they did not cry aloud I answer That the voyce is needfull not in respect of the Lord who heareth and respecteth especially the cry of the heart but in respect of us and others with whom we pray therefore is to be used when it may conveniently for the reasons before alledged Indeed sometimes in the private prayer of one alone it is more convenient to use the inward speech of the heart alone when the outward speech of the tongue cannot be used but that it shall be heard or perceived of others For private prayer must be made in secret as Christ commandeth Matth. 6. 6. lest we pray or at least seem to pray that we may be heard or seen of men When as therefore we are occasioned to pray by our selves alone in presence of others we must pray in the closet of our heart using no voyce nor making any outward shew of prayer and the Lord which seeth the secrets of the heart will reward openly Thus Abrahams servant standing at the well unto which was ordinary resort prayed in his heart Gen. 24. 45. and Moses being among the people Exod. 14. 15. and Nehemiah being in the Kings presence Neh. 2. 4. and Annah the mother of Samuel in the presence of Eli 1. Sam. 1. 13. Otherwise in private prayer it is most convenient and in prayer with others whether in the Church or family it is necessary that the voice in prayer should be used for otherwise those that are present cannot consent to our prayers and say Amen neither can they be edified thereby unlesse they heare and understand the prayer Our duty is as I have said before to worship God both in body and soul And as we are to glorifie God with all our members and powers so especially by our tongue and speech For therefore hath God given us the facultie of speech above other creatures that we might not onely be the matter of his glory as they are but also the instruments to sound forth his praise And therefore is our tongue called our glory Psal. 16. 7. and 108. 1. because it is that instrument by which we are to set forth Gods glory Moreover as the gesture of the body so much more the voyce of the tongue doth serve both to stirre up the affections of the heart and also to contein the cogitations from wandring about other matters And of such moment is the voice in prayer as that first the voice or cry with the voice is put sometime for the prayer it self 1. Sam. 7. 8 9. Psal. 66. 17. and 77. 1. and 142. 1. Secondly the holy Ghost in many places where he speaketh of invocation is carefull to mention the voice as in the places even now cited out of the Psalmes and elsewhere as Psal. 71. 23 24. and 119. 171. my lips shall utter praise For which cause prayer and prayse are called the calves of our lips Hos. 14. 2. Thirdly David prayeth Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal. 51. 14 15. But here we must alwayes remember that with our voice we must lift up our hearts to God and that the cry of the voyce must proceed from the cry of the heart For the Lord respecteth the heart and if the cry come not from thence he will not heare it Hos. 7. 13 14. no though men should cry loud in his eares Ezek. 8. 18. The voyce used in prayer is either inarticulate or articulate The inarticulate is that which is uttered in sighing groning and weeping For the children of God many times do best expresse their desires by sighs and grones and tears The which proceed from an humble and fervent spirit and are wrought in us by the spirit of God which teacheth us to pray with sighs that cannot be expressed Rom. 8. 26. And he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the spirit v. 27. For as David saith Psal. 38. 9. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groning is not hid from thee Thou tellest my wandrings put my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book Psal. 56. 8. Plerunque hoc negotium plùs gemitibus quà m sermonibus agitur plùs sletu quà m affatu For the most part this businesse is acted more with grones then with words more with weeping then with speech Hezekiah professeth that he did chatter like a crane or a swallow and did mourn like a dove Isai. 38. 14. The articulate voice is the externall speech it self whereby the prayer is expressed Wherein we are to consider two things the words which be uttered and the language wherein they are uttered In the words we are to consider the quantitie the qualitie and the form For the quantity We must not affect prolixity as though for the multitude of our words we did look to be heard Neither may we use any superfluity of words or idle repetitions First because our Saviour Christ forbiddeth all battology in our prayers Matth. 6. 7. which Theophylact interpreteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 futilitie Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idle and unseasonable speech But the meaning may best be gathered from the notation for as the Etymologist saith the word is compounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Battus a certain Grecian who was accustomed to adorn images with long and tedious inscriptions which were full of vain repetitions For so Ovid also speaketh of him Montibus inquit sc. Battus erant erant in montibus illis and therefore he saith it signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbosity Which agreeth with the exposition of Christ who is the best expounder of himself For in the words following he calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But when ye pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the meaning of our Saviour is in prayer to use multitude of words and idle repetitions with this conceit That for the multitude of our words we shall be heard Secondly For the reason which our Saviour giveth Christians in their prayer must not be like to the heathen The heathen affected prolixitie and used superfluity of words and idle repetitions with this perswasion that for their much babling they should be heard But why must not Christians be like the heathen Because the God on whom we call is most unlike The heathen might well imagine concerning their gods the best whereof were men deceased that by multitude of words they
meditated of Psal. 142. 2. Effundam coram eo meditationem meam I will poure out my meditation before him There is such affinity between meditation and prayer that the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth either of both to meditate or to pray and therefore Gen. 24. 63. some reade that Isaac went out to meditate others to pray And it is likely that he did both first meditate and theâ—…â—…ay Now the end of this preparation being to make us fit to perform such duties as are required in prayer our meditation must be referred thereunto And first if we find ourselves backward in the duty it self we may meditate on those reasons which before we used to this purpose And that we may perform it in an holy manner we must stirre up our hearts as David doth in many places as Psal. 103. 1. that so we may call upon God with our hearts And if our knowledge be so small that we are not able to conceive a prayer of our selves but must be fain to use a form prescribed by others we must before hand meditate thereof that we may be able both to understand it and to use it aright And that we may pray in faith we are to meditate on the promises of God made to our prayers and on the mediation and intercession of our Saviour Christ on which our faith is to be grounded Likewise we are to meditate on our own unworthinsse that so we may pray in humilitie of the glorious Majestie of God our heavenly Father that we may call upon him in reverence of the excellency profit necessitie of those blessings for which we either pray or give thanks that so we may pray with fervencie and give thanks with alacrity And further if we conceive a prayer before not used we are to meditate not onely of the matter but also of the manner and order of our speech that we may be able to say with David My heart is prepared so is my tongue I will now call upon the name of the Lord. And thus much of Preparation After the actioâ—… 〈◊〉 ought to be such a disposition as the severall kind of invocation doth especially require Whereof in due place In the mean time this admonition in generall may be given That when we have at any time called upon God we take heed that we do not end our prayers as we end epistles with a Vâ—…le bidding the Lord Farewell till the time of prayer come again as though we had then ended our task and had performed all the service we ow unto God in the mean time neither thinking of God or godlinesse but following our own corrupt wayes For howsoever we cease to speak unto God for a time yet we cease not to be in his sight and presence and therefore cannot do as untoward children and unchast wives who though in absence they have behaved themselves lewdly yet approve themselves to their parents and husbands by their demure carriage in presence But we are continually in Gods sight and presence and therefore if after we have called upon God we play the lewd children even in his sight and go a whoring after vanities in his presence how cannot this but greatly amaze us against we shall pray again and put us out of hope to be heard Wherefore the frequent exercise of prayer is a notable bridle to restrain us from sinne whether you respect that which is past or that which is to come For when a man is about to commit sinne let him call to mind his prayer past Am I that man who so lately called upon God making such shew of pietie pretending a zeal of Gods glory in advancing his kingdome and doing his will c. or that which is to come With what face can I appear before God guilty of such offenses with what affiance can I lift up these cyes unto God that behold vanities these hands unto God that commit such sinnes c. Let us therefore with David use to meditate If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Psal. 66. 18. following the advice of the Apostle 2. Tim. 2. 19. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquitie For not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven Matth. 7. 21. Inefficax est petitio cùm precatur Deum sterilis oratio i. sine operibus Petition is uneffectuall when we call upon God with a barren prayer that is without good works And thus much of the manner of Invocation CHAP. XXV Of the matter and subject of our prayers and what is required thereunto namely that it be good and according to Gods will NOw followeth the matter or the subject that is the things for which we either do pray or give thanks Concâ—…rning which this is to be noted in generall That we have a sound perswasion grounded on the word of God that they be lawfull and good First because what is not of faith is sâ—…n Rom. 14. 23. Secondly for what we do elther pray or give thanks to God thereof we acknowledge God to be the authour but it is blasphemous to make God the authour of that which is wicked unlawfull Thirdly prayers must be made in faith viz. that God accepteth our prayers and will grant them unto us This faith must be grounded on Gods promise and God promiseth to give good things to them that ask Matth. 7. 11. Evil things are not within the compasse of Gods promise for the foretelling of that which is evil is rather a threatnâ—…ng then a promise Fourthly the assurance that we have to be heard is when we ask any thing according to Gods will 1. John 5. 14. but to ask evil things is not according to Gods will Fifthly they that call upon God for evil things are like the wicked Psal. 50. who think that God is like unto them Sixthly if we ask good things we have assurance to be heard Matth. 7. 11. 1. John 5. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For our direction in this behalf our Saviour Christ hath prescribed a most perfect form of pray er which is summa petendorum the summe of things to be desired So that whatsoever may be referred thereunto we may be assured is according to Gods will but what cannot be referred to some part of the Lords prayer that our Saviour hath not taught us to ask nor the Father promised to give There remaineth the last point For now it may be demanded How we being so corrupt and sinfull in our selves should be able to pray according to the will of God Of our selves indeed we are not able to think a good thought and much lesse to conceive an acceptable prayer Of our selves we cannot say that Jesus is the Lord and much lesse call upon God as our Father in Christ But the Spirit of God helpeth our
Psal. 84. 1. O Lord of hosts how amiâ—…ble are thy taberâ—…acles My soul longeth yea and fainteth that I might come to the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cry out after the living God In the third verse he seemeth to envie the sparrows and the swallows which had liberty to lay their young ones there where he had no accesse And then he cryeth out abruptly with a 〈◊〉 patheticall exclamation O thine altars Jehovah my King and my God! In the three next verses he pronounceth them happy not onely that dwell in the Lords house to praise him but also those who have liberty to come to the Church although it were by tedious and troublesome journeys both in respect of the way and the weather thereby signifying that he would think himself happy if he might have liberty to come to the assembly although he went through thick and thin and that no way or weather should hinder him And again v. 10. he saith that one day spent in the house of the Lord is better then a thousand elsewhere and that he had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of iniquity Thus we see Davids affection to the assembly of the Saints when he might not enjoy them And as he placed happinesse therein when he wanted them so when he injoyed them his chief joy was therein Psal. 122. 1. I rejoyced when they said to me We will go to the house of the Lord. Reade 2. Sam. 6. 14 16. When the ark of the Lord was to be brought to the city of David David for exceeding great joy danced and leaped before the ark with all his might as if he had not been his own man insomuch as his wife despised him v. 20. derided him O how glorious was the king of Israel this day which was uncovered to day in the sight of the maids of his servants as a fool uncovereth himself If we were men according to Gods own heart as David was we would have the like estimation of the assemblies of the Saints both when we could not frequent them most earnestly to desire them and when we have liberty with wonderfull â—…hearfulnesse and alacrity to frequent the Churches as for other exercises of religion so for prayer In respect whereof it is called the house of prayer Isai. 56. 7. Neither must our private prayer exempt us from the publick For although it be an excellent exercise and in no case to be omitted yet if it come in comparison it must give place to the publick But the frequenting of the publick assemblies is especially to be understood on the Sabbath on which is mercatura animae the merchandise of the soul and the market-place is the Church Now as we are to frequent the publick assemblies so we must be carefull before we come thither to prepare our selves according to the counsel of the Wise man Eccles 4. 17. to look to our feet that is to our affections lest me offer the sacrifice of fools and to lift up holy hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without wrath or doubting 1. Tim. 2. 8. And also when we are there to behave our selves both in soul and body as I have shewed before labouring also inwardly for unanimity that we may call upon God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one mind and heart To unanimity is the promise made Matth. 18. 19. If two of you shall consent c. as the Primitive Church did Acts 1. 14. and 4. 24. and outwardly for uniformity so farre forth as it is joyned with decency and order and severed from superstition Concerning the voice which I said was alwayes to be used in publick prayer we are to know If it be uttered in one voice as in praier the mouth of the people ought to be the minister because it is part of prophâ—…cie and the Apostles Acts 6. 4. make it part of their function If by the voice of many as in singing For singing also is warranted in the word of God both by the example of Christ Mark 14. 26. by the commandment of the Apostle Col. 3. 16. Ephes. 5. 19. of James ch 5. 13. then such singing is to be used as we may sing with grace in our hearts and spirits with understanding to instruct and edifie both our selves and others But we may not so sing as that neither we our selves can attend to the matter nor they which heare us understand what is said That both unanimitie and uniformitie may be used it is fit that there should be see forms of publick prayer for then may the people best joyn their consent and desire of heart when they know before-hand the very form of the request Indeed to that which they understand they may at the end of the prayer say Amen but when they know before-hand what shall be asked there may be a better concurrence between the prayer of their heart and the speech of the minister who is the mouth Private prayer is either the prayer of a familie or of some one To the former doth the promise of Christ also appertein When two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Matth. 18. 20. And it is so much to be preferred before the other as it seemeth to draw nearer to publick prayer And therefore it is the duty of an houshoulder to call his familie together and to pray with them The prayer of some one man is properly called private For privi with the ancient Latinists is the same with singuli That which properly is required in this prayer is this that it be private as that we be not heard to pray of any man This is done either when we are alone and ordinarily or in the sight of others upon occaâ—…ions offered If when we are alone we must neither be heard nor seen of any but obey the commandment of Christ Matth. 6. 6. When thou prayest enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut thy doore pray unto thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly And therefore we are to be carefull to contein our voyce within the compasse of the private place wherein we pray For otherwise we break the commandment of Christ and it is all one as if we prayed openly For as Tertullian saith petitiones suâ—…s quid minùs 〈◊〉 quà m si in publico orent What do they lesse in their petitions then if they prayed in publick Again if we so pray privately as that either we be seen or heard of men our prayers wil not be void of ostentation But as we are to avoid evil so we are to shun all appearaâ—…ce of evil Now to pray for ostentations sake is a thing â—…imply evil and forbidden by our Saviour Christ Matth. 6. 5. And therefore we are to forbear not onely from it but also from the shew therof If privately thou art to pray upon
effectuall prayer For what we ask we desire and what we desire we want Neither can we fervently ask that we do not earnestly desire and we cannot earnestly desire that whereof we feel no want The whole needeth not the Physician as our Saviour saith Luke 5. 31. And as the Philosophers teach Nihil appetit quod habet Nothing affecteth what it hath therefore this I said is presupposed If any want wisdome saith S. James let him ask it For if he find not himself to want it in whole or in part he is not to ask it unlesse he will mock God who will not be mocked Gal. 6. 8. Here therefore they offend I. In respect of temporall things who trusting in their own means and relying upon their own store do not find themselves to stand in need of Gods help neither do depend upon the providence or blessing of God in the use of the means For such when they pray unto God for these things as namely to give them this day their daily bread they do not pray in truth because they do not unfeignedly desire that whereof they find no want II. In respect of spirituall things two sorts of men offend First those that are carnally secure who although they be wretched and miserable poore blind and naked yet being lukewarm with the Laodiceans Rev. 3. 17. feeling no want think they are rich and need nothing Secondly those who are righteous in their own conceit as Pharisaicall and Popish justitiaries For both these and the other feeling no want either pray not at all or if they do pray it is but for fashions sake and therefore praying usu magis quà m sensu out of custome rather then sense their prayer is not acceptable unto God and like lukewarm water to the stomach Wherefore it behoveth us to labour that we may have a true sense of our wants Which I speak especially in respect of spirituall graces for when we are pinched with bodily wants we are many times but too sensible thereof But of spirituall wants many have no sense and being miserable they feel no misery First therefore it is good to be perswaded that this sense of our wants is necessary for us For without it neither will we seriously seek unto the Lord neither will he seem to regard us We will not earnestly seek unto him for what we do not want we do not desire and what we do not desire that we do not ask except it be for fashion And how can we look that the Lord will compati that is have compassion on us when we do not pati or feel any want How can we desire him â—…isereri to have mercy on us when we do not esteem our selves miseri to whom mercy belongeth for thence hath misericordia the name Yea if we be rich and full in our own conceits the Lord will send us away empty Luke 1. 55. remaining in our sinne Luke 18. 14. exposed to his curse Luke 6. 24 25. Whereas on the other side if we be humbled with the sense of our want the Lord will have speciall regard unto us Isai. 66. 2. and 57. 15. and be near unto us in all our desires Psal. 34. 18. Yea such he calleth to him Matth. 11. 28. such he promiseth to heare Psal. 10. 17. â—…ohn 7. 37. such he pronounceth blessed Matth. 5. 3 4 5. Secondly that we may attein to this sight and sense of our misery and wants we are to look into the glasse of the law which will reveal unto us our misery both in respect of our sins and also of the punishment due for the same c. Thirdly for as much as the sight and sense of our misery is the gift of God and work of his spirit we are to pray unto God that he will anoint the eyes of our minds with the eye-salve of his spirit Revel 3. 18. that we may see our sins and that he would touch our hearts with the finger of his spirit as he struck the rock in the wildernes that they may melt within us as the heart of Josias did at the reading of the law 2. Kings 22. 19. and be resolved into a fountain of tears by which we may bewail our sinnes whereby we have displeased and dishonoured God From this sense of our wants ariseth the second thing that is an earnest desire to have our wants supplyed And this is of such force in prayer that it seemeth to be nothing else but the expressing of our desire and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of such efficacie â—…n prayer that some place the efficacie of prayer therein so reade the words of S. James ch 5. 16. The effectuall â—…ervent prayer of a righteous man avaâ—…leth much others The prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent But though it be not the onely cause of efficacy yet it is one of the principall for as Augustine saith Dignior scquitur effectus quem ferventior affectus praecedit A more worthy effect followeth which a more fervent affection precedeth This praying with earnest desire is commended to us in the word of God by divers significant phrases For besides that it is called crying unto the Lord and crying mightily Jon. 3. 8. lifting up of our prayer Iâ—…ai 38. 14. this is also to poure forth our souls before the Lord like water Lam. 2. 19. In which sense the Isâ—…elites are said 1. Sam. 7. 6. to have drawn water from the fountain of their hearts and poured it out before the Lord. This is to pray with grones unspeakable Rom. 8. 26. which the holy Ghost stirreth up in us and is therefore an evident token of the child of God indued with the Spirit of adoption which is also the spirit of grace and supplication making us when we look upon him whom we have pierced by our sinnes to lament and mourn as a man mourneth for his first-begotten Zech. 12. 10. For as Augustine saith Plerunque hoc negotium plùs gemitibus quà m sermonibus agitur 〈◊〉 plùs quà m 〈◊〉 For the most part this businesse is effected better with grones then words with weeping rather then speaking This is to pray with Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceedingly r. Thess. 3. 10. This is with Epaphras Col. 4. 12. as it were to wrestle with the Lord which the Apostle commendeth to the Romanes chap. 15. 30. By which kind of wrestling Jacob prevailed with God as Hosea teacheth chap. 2. 3 4. and was therefore called Israel Gen. 32. This is that prayer of the humble which pierceth the clouds Ecclus 35. 21. This fervent desire therefore is fervently to be desired of us and happy are they which have atteined to it Matth. 5. 6. The means to attein unto it are First because it is the work of Gods spirit to beg it of him by prayer Secondly to labour after a true sense of our wants Thirdly in our preparation to meditate on the excellency
16. unto the wicked saith God What hast thou to do to declare my statutes and to take my covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and castest my words behind thee Sacrifices are to be offered by none but priests and all the faithfull and they onely are a royall priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1. Pet. 2. 5 9. Revel 1. 6. This duty is necessarily required of all and cannot without sinne be omitted by any but cannot be acceptably performed but by the faithfull And therefore the faithfull are in a speciall manner exhorted to this duty Psal. 30. 4 and 145. 10. and 149. 5 6. And this sheweth the necessity of faith in Christ and repentance towards God Again those which give thanks must be joyfull and rejoyce in the Lord but the wicked cannot rejoyce in the Lord neither ought they whilest they continue in their sinnes to be joyfull yea our Saviour denounceth à wo to such laughers Luke 6. The faithfull therefore alone are exhorted as to rejoyce alwayes so in all things to give thanks 1. Thess. 5. 16 18. Psal. 132. 9 16. and 149. 2 3 5 6. and 33. 1. Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for prayse is comely for the upright Secondly as prayer so also thanksgiving is to be offered unto God alone as the authour and principall giver of all good things Jam. 1. 17. Psal. 50. 14. Col. 3. 17. Ephes. 5. 20. We may and ought to be thankfull unto men as unto the instruments of God as Rom. 16. 4. And to be unthankfull is a great fault 2. Tim. 3. 2. But if neglecting God we give thanks unto men as the authours we commit sacrilegious idolatry in robbing God of his honour and giving it unto men In this sense prayse and thanksgiving is a sacrifice which must be offered to the Lord alone and in this sense his name alone is to be exalted Psal. 148. 13. and therefore they which so give thanks to men or rest in the means they sacrifice unto them and make them their God they sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their drag Hab. 1. 16. Eph. 5. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto God and the Father Thirdly Thanksgiving as well as Prayer is to be offered unto God in the name of Christ Ephes. 8. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ Jesus Ephes. 3. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through Christ Jesus Rom. 1. 8. 7. 25. Col. 3. 17. Heb. 13. 15. For we are an holy priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1. Pet. 2. 5. Revel 8. 3. Fourthly for the manner There is required in the soul 1. in generall that our thanksgiving be a speech of the soul and not of the lips alone David therefore in some places stirreth up his soul to prayse God Psal. 103. 1 2. and 104. 1. And elsewhere he professeth that he would prayse God with his whole heart Psal. 9. 1. and 86. 12. and 111. 1. that is with an upright heart Psal. 119. 7. To which purpose Paul also exhorteth us to sing in our hearts unto God Ephes. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. To little purpose serveth the outward melody of the voyce unlesse there be a concent thereof with the heart We must therefore be carefull to sing Davids Psalmes with Davids affections but we may not sing or praise God either with feigned lips or with wandring thoughts 2. In the mind there is required first Understanding Psal. 47. 7. Col. 3. 16. and secondly Faith whereby we are to be perswaded that this our service and sacrifice of praise is acceptable unto God in Christ without which our thanksgiving cannot be as it ought chearfull unlesse we be perswaded by faith of Gods goodnesse towards us how can we be thankfull to him 3. In our heart it is required that our praise or thanksgiving be humble reverent and hearty Humble that we may ascribe the whole praise unto God unto whom alone it is due and assume no part thereof unto our selves Psal. 115. 1. Reverent for without reverence we cannot give unto the Lord the praise that is due unto his name Psal. 29. 2. nor ascribe unto him eternall kingdome power and glory We must in our thanksgiving rejoyce in God but we must rejoyce in reverence Psal. 2. 11. and 95. 2 6. performing therein a religious service and worship to God Hearty with all our heart and that in particular with thankfulnesse and chearfulnesse without which our thanks will be either cold or counterfeit See Psal. 68. 26. And as for bodily duties The voyce in more speciall manner is required in thanksgiving Therefore our tongue is called our glory because by it we are to glorifie God We are not by silence to smother Gods prayse but as we are inwardly thankfull so must we testifie our inward thankfulnesse by our outward thanksgiving And in this kind of Invocation especially is singing warranted and commended unto us in the Scriptures not onely of the Old Testament but also of the New Jam. 5. 13. Ephes. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. Matth. 26. 30. Acts 16. 25. Fifthly this invocation also is to be performed by the help of the holy Ghost For naturally we are tongue-tied in Gods prayses but it is the spirit of God that doth open our lips that our mouth may shew forth his prayse Psal. 51. 15. It is the spirit of grace which maketh us to sing with grace in our hearts Sixthly and lastly our thanksgiving must be for good and lawfull things otherwise we go about to make God the authour of evil CHAP. XXXVI Speciall duties required in thanksgiving THe duties specially required in Thanksgiving do concern either the manner how or the time when or the object for which we are to give thanks For the manner there are duties required both in the action it self and out of it that is before and after In the action there are duties required both inward and outward The inward are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thanksfulnesse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chearfulnesse The former is required Col. 3. 16. that we should sing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with grace in our hearts For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and gratia do signifie both the benefit and the thanks as when we say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratia gratiam parit A good turn begetteth thanks And in this sense the word grace is used for Thanksgiving at meals The grace therefore that is required in the soul is Thankfulnesse For outward thanksgiving without inward thankfulnesse is counterfeit and hypocriticall There is no doubt but that habendae sunt gratia quas agimus we must have thankfulnesse when we give thanks And as prayer is the expressing of our desire so thanksgiving is the testifying of our thankfulnesse And therefore as they play the hypocrites which pray for that which they do not desire so likewise they which give thanks for
is ex opere operato meritorious as though our Saviour Christ had prescribed these words to be used as a charm c. First whereas our Saviour Christ propoundeth this form we may be assured that it is a perfect pattern of prayer that nothing ought to be asked which is not in it conteined For in him are all the treasures of the wisdome and knowledge of God Col. 2. 3. He knoweth what is acceptable unto God what is needfull for us therefore in this prayer is conteined whatsoever is either fit for God to grant or for us to ask By this then as a pattern we are to form our prayers and as by a rule we are to examine them May the things which we desire be referred to these petitions then may we boldly ask them Can they not be referred then do we not pray according to Gods will and therefore can have no assurance that we shall be heard Secondly whereas Christ teacheth his disciples to pray herein he giveth an example to be imitated of Ministers sc. that as they teach other things so also to pray John Baptist Luke 11. 1. taught his disciples to pray whereupon Christs disciples desire him in like manner to teach them Wherein also they are to be an example to be imitated of all learners As the Father in the family or the Pastour in the Church ought to teach so the child in the house the hearer in the Church ought to be desirous to learn how to pray Thirdly it sheweth that of our selves we know not how to pray For if we should be left to our own affections and desires we should ask many times those things which would tend to Gods dishonour and our own hurt As appeareth by Socrates who wanting this direction of our Saviour Christ knew not what to ask but groping in darknesse desired in generall terms that those things which are good he would give them whether they asked them or no and would deliver them from evil things although they should ask them Plato in Alcib 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Jupiter King give unto us good things whether we ask or ask them not but put away from us evil things though we pray for them And therefore our Saviour Christ thought it necessary to teach us how to pray Again hence ariseth great comfort to Gods children For whereas the word of God assureth us whatsoever we shall ask according to his will it shall be given us 1. John 5. 14. we may assure our selves that we so pray when we follow Christs direction Neither need we doubt but the Lord acknowledging the voice of his own Sonne as Cyprian saith our prayers shall be acceptable unto him Lastly seeing our Saviour Christ hath commanded us to pray and taught us how we are unexcusable if we neglect this duty One thing further is to be considered in the words as they are set down by Luke When ye pray say Whether speech in prayer be alwayes necessary There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either inward or outward speech and prayer is either vocall or mentall And the Lord heareth the cry of the heart and our secret grones are not hid from him Psal. 38. 10. Howbeit the voyce is to be used so oft as it may conveniently both for the attention of the mind and intension of the affections c. NOw let us come to the Lords Prayer it self In which is lively though summarily set down unto us the practice of that doctrine which heretofore we have learned concerning prayer For as we have been taught that Prayer and Thanksgiving are to be joyned together so here with the Petitions is joyned a Thanksgiving wherein we are taught to ascribe unto the Lord eternall kingdome power and glory which words almost David useth in his solemn thanksgiving 1. Chron. 29. 11. Again whereas we have been taught that unto prayer are required duties before we pray and also in prayer it self both here are prescribed Before we are to use preparation wherein we are to meditate of such things as are fit to stirre up those graces in us which in prayer are to be expressed In prayer two things are to be expressed an hungring and thirsting desire of grace and the speciall assent of faith For the stirring up of both which it is fit to meditate upon the fatherly love and almighty power of God which our Saviour hath taught us to prefix before the prayer it self In prayer two things especially are to be expressed 1. An hungring and thirsting desire of the grace and blessing of God 2. A speciall assent of faith that our request shall be granted Therefore the prayer it self is divided into Petitions and Conclusion the desire being especially expressed in the Petitions the Conclusion conteining 1. a confirmation 2. a testification of our faith in the word Amen Of the Lords prayer therefore there be two parts the Preface and the Prayer it self consisting of Petitions and the Conclusion conteining a Confirmation of our faith joyned with the praysing of God and also a Testification both of our faith and the truth of our desire in the word Amen In expounding the Lords Prayer we will observe this order First we will expound the words and shew the true meaning of thē then we will inferre the uses of Doctrine Confutation Instruction in the duties of prayer and of our lives and lastly of Reproof whereby shall be detected the hypocrisie of worldly men who using these words do not pray in truth Whereas our Saviour doth not abruptly propound the Petitions but prefixeth a solemn Preface we are taught before we call upon God to use some preparation The preface conteineth a description of God to whō we pray taken 1. from his relation to us that he is Our Father 2. from the place wherein his majesty doth especially appear that he is in heaven the former signifying especially his love the other his power Of which two if in our preparation we do duly meditate our desire will be kindled and our faith confirmed considering that he to whom we pray is both able and willing to grant our requests Our Father SOme do expound these words as though they were a rhetoricall proeme which we use to win Gods favour But we use words in our prayer not that God but that we may be moved and affected First we call him Father whereof we are first to seek the meaning and then the use By the name of Father God alone is understood For as our Saviour saith Matth. 23. 9. we must call no man father because we have but one Father who is in heaven Joh. 8. 41. We have one Father which is God A good profession if it had bene uttered with a good conscience Now God is said to be a Father two wayes by Creation and Adoption By creation as Isai. 64. 8. So Adam is said to be the sonne of God Luke
birds fowls of heaven and the wicked spirits in heavenly places Ephes. 6. 12. and 2. 2. The second is that heaven wherein the starres are which are called the host of heaven The third is the seat of the blessed and throne of God called Coelum empy reum because of the light 1. Tim. 6. 16. paradise 2. Cor. 12. 4. and the third heaven in respect of the two lower and in the same sense the heaven of heavens Psal. 115. 16. 1. Kings 8. 27. God is all in all But this place is especially to be understood of the third heaven which is the place of the Lords habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. How is God said to be in heaven seeing he is everywhere If God be everywhere then is he also in heaven But God is said to be in heaven not that he is included therein 1. Kings 8. 27. and therefore not circumscriptivè by circumscription as the body of Christ nor definitivè definitively as the finite spirits but he is there and everywhere repletive filling all places Jer. 23. 23. but yet so as he is every-where totus wholly But yet after a more speciall manner he is said to be in heaven Because there especially he manifesteth his glory there he is seen face to face there he communicateth himself thence he sendeth down his blessings judgements Rom. 1. 18. thence he speaketh to men thence Christ descended thence the holy Ghost Matth. 3. thither Christ ascended there he sitteth and thence he returneth to judgement And as the soul is said to be tota in toto tota in qualibet parte all in the whole and in every part all and yet in respect of the chief operations is said to be seated in the head as it were the heaven of this Microcosme so God who is everywhere wholly both in the world and out of it is said to be in heaven Heaven is his throne Isai. 66. 1. there he prepared his seat Psal. 103. 19. there he sitteth Psal. 2. 4. that is the habitation of his holinesse c. Isai. 63. 15. the place of his habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. Secondly when Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heavens he meaneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heavenly as Matth. 6. 26. And he is called heavenly because the shallownesse of our minds cannot better conceive of the unspeakable glory and excellent majestie of God then under this name For nothing more excellent and glorious is subject to our sense then the heaven Whereas therefore the Scriptures give this title to God they teach us to ascribe unto him majestie glorious essence omnipresent power infinite wisdome unspeakable mercy endlesse The sense therefore of these words is this Thou that sittest upon heaven as thy throne glorious in majestie infinite in essence power wisdome and mercy Vses concerning prayer I. THe adoration of images reliques condemned we are taught to lift up our mind eyes hands to God being in heaven We may therefore say as Psal. 121. 1. Should I lift mine eyes to images whence then should I have help my help is from God Therefore as Psal. 123. 1. To thee I lift up mine eyes O thou who dwellest in the heavens II. We are taught not to direct our prayer towards any certain place as the Jews towards the temple but we may turn any way towards God in heaven And if we are not bound to look towards any certain place much lesse to go on pilgrimage to it III. Neither must our minds go on pilgrimage whilest we are praying but above the earth and all earthly cogitations our minds with our hands are to be lifted up unto the heavens Lam. 3. 4. Psal. 25. 1. as at all times so especially in the time of prayer our conversation ought to be in heaven IV. When we are commanded to call God our heavenly Father we are taught to abandon all base conceits concerning God Psal. 50. 13. and to ascribe unto him incomprehensible glory and majesty infinite power and essence wisdome unsearchable mercy endlesse Majesty as sitting upon the heaven as upon his throne the earth being his footstool Isai. 66. 1. Which must teach us reverence and not rashly to utter any thing before God For God is in heaven full of majestie and glory and thou upon earth dust and worms meat Eccles 5. 1. Power that is Might infinite omnipotencie Right infinite and authority universall Potentia Power Psal. 115. 3. Our God is in heaven whatsoever he will he doeth Which must teach us to pray with affiance being assured that our heavenly Father is able to do for us according to yea above our requests yea above our thought Ephes. 3. 20. Thus Jehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. 6. Art not thou God in heaven so as power is in thine hand which none can resist Potestas Authority So faith Jehoshaphat Art not thou God in heaven and dost not thou rule over all nations So Psal. 103. 20. The Lord hath established his seat in heaven and his kingdome is over all On him therefore our trust must be reposed by whose providence and power all things are governed in heaven and in earth For hereby we learn that the Lord is not onely able in respect of his might but hath right also to bestow upon us any good thing Audacter Deum roga nihil illum de alieno 〈◊〉 Beg boldly of God seeing thou canst ask nothing of him which belongeth to another Infinite essence and omnipresence for so is the heaven said to be his throne as that the earth also is his footstool and so is he in both as that he is also everywhere and in every place totus For we may not think that God is farre from us Acts 17. 27. because he is said to be in heaven as the wicked imagine Job 22. 13. but we must acknowledge that he is alwayes present with us Psal. 139. 7 8 9 c. and as it is Psal. 145. 18. Deut. 4. 7. near unto us when we call upon him yea where two or three are gathered together in his name he is in the middest of them Matth. 18. 20. If therefore thou prayest in secret the Lord heareth thee Matth. 6. 6. if in the closet of thine heart without any speech he heareth the voyce and cry of the heart Exod. 14. 15. 1. Sam. 1. 13. Assure thy self therefore that thou speakest not into the air or utterest thy words in vain but that thou pourest forth thy requests into the bosome of the Lord. Wisdome unsearchable For as the heavens are high above the earth so are the Lords thoughts above ours Isai. 55. 9. We must therefore submit our selves to his will which is most wise and just neither let us circumscribe him but rather resigne our selves unto him who best knoweth what is fit for us Mercy unspeakable Whereby all these attributes are effectuall to our good For if earthly parents do know to give good things to their children much more doth our heavenly
signifieth his attributes which are nothing but himself For the justice of God is the just God the wisdome of God is the wise God the mercy of God is the mercifull God c. And these also are the name of God as appeareth Exod. 33. 19. and 34. 5 6 7. For this is the name which he proclaimeth The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth c. Secondly the name of God signifieth that whereby God is named whereby he is either renowned or known The name of renown is his glory which is as it were his good name For so in great persons their good name is their glory and renown and therefore they are said in the Scriptures to be men of name Gen. 6. 4. In this sense the word name is used Gen. 11. 4. That we may get us a name Gen. 12. 2. I will make thy name great Jer. 13. 11. name praise and glory Deut. 26. 19. The name of God therefore signifieth that whereby he is renowned and acknowledged to be glorious that is his glory So Exod. 9. 16. Psal. 8. 1. Again the name of God signifieth that whereby he is known to wit not onely his Titles which more properly are called his name and by which he is known but also the Means whereby he is known The titles are the names of the Godhead of the attributes and of the Persons Of the Godhead as Jehovah Lord God c. Exod. 3. 15. This is my name Exod. 6. 3. Psal. 83. 18. Attributes as Wisdome Mercy Justice Majesty c. Persons as Father Christ Jesus Saviour holy Ghost c. The means whereby God is known are either peculiar to the Church or common unto all Of the first sort are his word and religion therein prescribed The word of God is called his name as Acts 9. 15. to carry my name c. and 21. 13. 1. Tim. 6. 1. with Tit. 2. 5. Rom. 2. 24. Psal. 22. 22. Heb. 2. 12. So is the doctrine of religion and worship of God Mich. 4. 5. We will walk in the name of our God 1. Kings 5. 3 5. to build a house unto the name of God The common means are the works of God The works of Creation Psal. 19. 1. Rom. 1. 19 20. In respect whereof he is called the Creatour of heaven and earth As also of Administration as his blessings and judgements In respect whereof he is called the Governour and Judge of the world Exod. 34. 7. All these doth the name of God signifie To sanctifie signifieth either to make holy or to acknowledge declare holy In the first sense things are said to be sanctified and in themselves being not holy to be made holy which are set apart to holy uses as the Sabbath the Temple Priests Christians consecrated and set apart to the worship and service of God In which sense the name of God which is most holy Psal. 111. 9. cannot be said to be sanctified 2. To sanctifie is to acknowledge declare holy as wisdome in the like phrase of speech is said to be justified Luke 7. 35. and God to be magnified and glorified And thus the name of God is sanctified either by us or by God himself Num. 20. 12 13. By us I mean our selves and others for whom also we pray when as the name of God is most holy and reverend so we in our hearts acknowledge and that effectually in our tongues professe in our deeds use it as most holy reverend By God himself his name is sanctified when either he manifesteth the glory of his mercy and justice or else freeth it from the pollutions of men especially when men neglect it and removeth the impediments Num. 20. 12 13 First we pray that Gods name may be sanctified of us that is That God would vouchsafe unto us his grace that we may give unto the Lord the honour due unto his name Psal. 29. 2. that as his name is most excellent holy glorious and reverend so his prayse may be unto the ends of the earth Psal. 48. 11. We sanctifie the name of God which is most holy and reverend and glorious Deut. 28. 58. whenas in our hearts words and deeds we do use it holily and reverently But to speak more especially according to the significations of the name of God The names of God first signifie himself and his attributes which are himself which we desire in this prayer that we may sanctifie in our hearts tongues and lives In our hearts we sanctifie God as Peter exhorteth 1. Epist. 3. 15. when as 1. we do acknowledge and that effectually That there is a God That this God is such an one as he hath revealed himself in his word most wise most just most mercifull infinite in power essence and continuance c. 2. When in our minds we think and conceive nothing of God but that which beseemeth his glorious majestie that is when we alwayes think and conceive of God most holily and reverently In our mouthes 1. When we confesse and acknowledge and professe God and his attributes c. Rom. 10. 10. 2. When we speak of God and his attributes holily and reverently In our lives when the knowledge of God and his attributes is effectuall to bring forth in us a conversation answerable thereunto Knowest thou there is a God worship him That he is a Spirit worship him in spirit and truth That he is just fear him That he is mercifull love him That he is omnipresent behave thy self as in his presence That he is omnisufficient repose thy trust in him That he is omniscient and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a searcher of the heart approve thine heart to him c. Thus then we desire that the name of God in the first sense may be sanctified by us The uses 1. Concerning prayer THat we may pray fervently we must have a feeling of our want as our ignorance of God here we pray for knowledge of God without which we cannot acknowledge him the vanity of our minds thinking amisse of God Job 1. 5. our irreverent speech of God our not sanctifying of God in our lives a fault incident to the best Num. 20. 12. For who can say that he hath loved and feared God c. as he ought and behaved himself alwayes as in Gods presence 2. Concerning our lives The use concerning our lives That as in our prayers we desire so in our lives we endeavour thus to sanctifie God For if we our selves will not endeavour thus to do it sheweth that we have no true desire hereof but pray in hypocrisie with feigned lips Their hypocrisie therefore here is detected who desiring with their mouth that they may sanctifie God will think that there is no God Psal. 14. 1. will think basely of him Psal. 50. 21. or deny his providence mercy and justice Psal. 10. 11. who use to speak unreverently of God and his attributes to murmure against his justice
That we may walk worthy our calling 2. Wants to be bewayled 1. Irreverence in using the titles of God 2. Rash swearing 3. Not walking worthy our calling Vses in our lives As we pray that we may sanctifie the name of God so must we be carefull in our lives 1. To be mindfull of God and to mention him in matters serious to a good end after a reverent manner We mention not our prince without some shew of reverence how much more ought we to bow the knees of our hearts when we mention the glorious name of our God Example Rom. 9. 5. 2. To use blessing and not cursing Rom. 12. 14. 3. To swear by the Lord alone in truth judgement and righteousnesse 4. To labour by all means to walk worthy our calling even as it becometh the saints Ephes. 5. 3. Otherwise if our practice be and we continue therein either not to mention God at all which the Scriptures call the forgetting of God and it is a signe that God is not in their thoughts in whose mouthes he is not seeing out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh or else by mentioning his name to pollute it either in respect of the matter mentioning it in jests and ridiculous matters And in the name of God O God O Lord Good God Jesu Lord Mercy God c. or of the manner either by carelesse light and unreverent using of Gods name without fear or conscience sense or regard of God or by superstitious using of the titles doing more reverence to the words then unto God himself and sticking not to blaspheme his name by wicked swearing like to the souldiers Matth. 27. 39. Or in respect of the end when the name of God is mentioned to wicked yea to devilish ends as inchantments c. or by cursing which is a most horrible profaning of Gods name or by wicked swearing or by living unworthy their calling for so they take the name of Christ upon them in vain and profane it Considering Luke 1. 73. Tit. 2. 14. 2. Tim. 2. 19. In vain therefore they professe themselves the sonnes of God whilest they behave themselves as the sonnes of men Gen. 6. 2. or rather as the sonnes of the devil And besides they cause the holy name of Christ to be blasphemed If this I say be our practice and we continue therein and yet pray that we may sanctifie the name of God we play the hypocrites IV. How the name of God as it signifieth his Word is sanctified FOurthly the name of God doth signifie his word whereby he is especially known Which is sanctified by the Ministers when it is purely powerfully and profitably taught by the people when it is heard with reverence attention good conscience and purpose to practice it by all when in our hearts we do holily meditate thereon and are inflamed with a desire of practicing it Psal. 119. In our tongues when we apply it to those uses whereunto it is profitable 2. Tim. 3. 16. In our lives when we knowing it do perform it Vses in prayer Wants to be bewailed 1. The want of preaching where it is wanting 2. The neglect and contempt of the word a capitall sinne of these times 3. The little practicing of it where it is known especially in these dayes ubi scientiae multum conscientiae parùm where there is much science little conscience Vses in our lives In our lives we are to endeavour to sanctifie the word of God if Ministers by dividing it aright if people by saving hearing thereof by meditating on it by desire to do it by applying it to its right uses by yielding simple obedience unto it Otherwise if we desire it may be sanctified and yet we profane it and please our selves in so doing either preaching it unprofitably or hearing it without reverence attention or purpose to practice it if neither in our hearts we care to know nor have desire to practice it if we abuse it to confirm errours and confute the truth to impenitencie jests superstition and charms c. if we profane it either by neglect or contempt Mal. 1. 12. Amos 2. 7. Prov. 30. 9. Levit. 22 31 32. in word we desire to sanctifie it but in deed profane and pollute it V. How the name of God is sanctified as it signifieth the Doctrine of religion FIfthly it signifieth the doctrine of religion and the worship of God In which respect his name is sanctified when as we walk in his name Mich. 4. 5. For religion is the way by which we go to heaven Isai. 30. 21. and therefore in the Scriptures is often called the way When as therefore we walk in this life so as that our life doth answer to our profession it is in this sense said to signifie the name of God As we professe the Christian religion so our life is answerable to our profession if denying all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2. 12 13. Our religion is the truth in Christ which if we be truly taught we must put off the old man Ephes. 4. 20 c. Our religion is the light and we professe our selves children of the light and so must we walk Ephes. 5. 8 10 11. In this way we must walk in respect of God uprightly in respect of men inoffensively Duties in prayer Wants to be bewailed 1. Our backwardnesse in religion 2. Our hypocrisie 3. Our scandalous conversation Duties in our lives In our lives we are to desire and to endeavour that we may adorn the profession of religion by renouncing all ungodlinesse c. to set God before our eyes that we may walk uprightly as in his sight to walk inoffensively Heb. 12. 13. Otherwise if we professe religion and renounce not our sinnes nor put off the old man if we call our selves the children of the light and yet walk in darknesse we profane the name of God and his religion And this is done 1. In respect of God by hypocrisie 2. Tim. 3. 5. when as the profession of religion is pretended to worldly or wicked respects 2. In respect of men by the profane and dissolute life of common Christians and by the falls and scandals of them that would seem the best professours If we continue in this course and please our selves therein we cannot make this prayer in truth c. VI. How the name of God signifying his works is hallowed SIxthly the name of God signifieth his Works whereby he is known and that both of creation and administration The creatures are sanctified First by an holy and religious meditation and mentioning of them 1. To the glory of God acknowledging in them the wisdome justice power and goodnesse of God glorifying him being known in his works as God Rom. 1. 21 22. 2. To our good when we imitate and flie such things
he cometh we shall appear with boldnesse 1. John 2. 28. but otherwise with unhappy Felix we shall tremble at the very mentioning of judgement so farre shall we be from truly desiring and at the sight thereof we shall depart from Christ ashamed desiring the mountains to fall upon us Revel 6. 16. Wherefore to conclude If we will truly make this petition in our daily prayers we must every day so behave our selves as if Christ were presently to come to judgement And in this behalf let us imitate S. Hierome So oft saith he as I consider that day my whole body trembleth for whether I eat or drink or do any thing else that terrible trumpet soundeth in mine eares Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Arise ye dead and come unto judgement VI. We must live as having our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversation in heaven from whence we look for a Saviour minding heavenly things and not being addicted to the world or the desires thereof but living as pilgrimes on the earth c. The hypocrisie of men is here detected who either 1. make this prayer having not this desire or 2. live as if they were out of hope as all those do that go on in their sinnes without remorse for how can he truly hope for the end that careth not for the means Doth not the holy Ghost say That without holinesse we shall never see God Heb. 12. 14. That without regeneration we shall never enter into the kingdome of heaven John 3. 3 5. Therefore we cannot hope that Christ his coming will be to our everlasting salvation if we continue in our sinnes neither can we truly and earnestly desire his coming except we have that hope neither can we truly make this prayer except we have this unfeigned desire 3. Those that are wedded to the world and are so farre from desiring the hastening of Christs coming that they do not onely desire to live here alwayes but also so behave themselves as if they meant alwayes to abide here placing their paradise upon the earth and not caring for the kingdome of heaven The third Petition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The order THis petition is a consequent of the former For then doth God reigne in the hearts of men when they subject and submit themselves to his will Therefore as in the former petition we desired that the Lord would reigne in us so here we pray that we may shew our selves to be his subjects by performing his will For these two are relatives if he our King then we his subjects And therefore hereby we may discern whether the Lord doth reigne in us if we have a true desire and endeavour to do his will And therefore our Saviour Christ Matth. 6. 33. as he doth bid us to seek first and principally the kingdome of God so also his righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will signifieth three things either 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which willeth or 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—…illing or 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing willed 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which willeth in the creatures is the faculty of the mind whereby it willeth But in God whose nature is most simple and in whom there is nothing which is not himself it is his essence In this sense 〈◊〉 Dei eâ—… esâ—…entia Dei vâ—…lens the will of God is the â—…ssence of God willing 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the williâ—…g in the creatures is the act or function of willing proceeding from the faculty But in the Lord both the act of willing and the faculty whereby he willeth is his essence Therefore as his essence is one and eternall so his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his willing is one and eternall and without succession And therefore whatsoever God hath willed doth or shall will that he willeth with one and the same everlasting act of willing For as uâ—… actu intelligendi unóque intuitu omnia intelligit so also uno actâ—… volendi omnia vult qua vult for as with one act of understanding and one view he understandeth all things so with one act of willing he willeth all that he willeth Out of which appeareth the unchangeablenesse of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his willing For whereas in ours there is a change when either we will that which before we did not or leave to will that which before we desired God by one eternall act of willing willeth all things and therefore neither beginneth to will that which before he did not nor leaveth to will that which once he willed The consideration whereof ought to be 1. A stay and comfort to Gods children in any distresse seeing there doth nothing happen unto them which the Lord hath not willed from everlasting and that for his glory and their good 2. An argument of thanksgiving unto the Lord who before we were willed so well unto us 3. A confirmation of faith in his promises because whâ—… he loveth he loveth to the end neither is he as man that he should repent For howsoever repentance be sometime ascribed unto him yet this and the like passions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are spoken after the manner of men but must be understood according to the majesty of God And as sometimes repentance is affirmed of God so also many times it is denied Where it is denied it is to be ascribed to the immutability of his will where 〈◊〉 is affirmed 〈◊〉 actiâ—…is to the efficacy of his action 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing willed which oâ—…tentimes in the Scriptâ—…re is called his will John 6. 39 40. 1. Theâ—… 4. 3. And in this sense the testament is called the will of the testatour The thing that God willetâ—… properly and per se is good howsoever unproperly by accidâ—…nt he willeth that which is evil non quidâ—…m faoere sed fieri not to do it but to 〈◊〉 it to be done as it is râ—…ferred to good ends viâ—… his glory and our good Bonum est esse malum It is good there should be evil that both the glory of Gods â—…cy in saving â—…s and of his justice in pâ—…ishing oâ—…r sinnes in Christ might appear But 〈◊〉 the Lord willeth not it but the end as when a man is content that some part of â—…is body should be seared he doth not properly desire the searing of the part but the health of his body The things willed are either God himself and those things which pertein to himself as his glory c. or the creatures and such things as belong unto them Himself he willeth most properly for if bonum cognitum known good be the proper object of will then primum supremum bonum the first and supreme good which is himself is most properly the object thereof His creatures he willeth and such things as concern them as means referred to this end Rom. 11. 36. Prov. 16. 4. Himself he willeth by
absolute necessity not indeed of constraint but of nature for most willingly he willeth His creatures he willeth most freely having liberty either to will them or to nill them Howbeit things willed come to passe by necessity not absolute but ex hypothesi voluntatis Divinae on the condition of Gods will Now God willeth the means not thereby to perfect the end which is himself or to purchase any good to himself for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most perfect and doth not stand in need of any of his creatures Psal. 16. 2. but he willeth them propter se communicandum that they by the communication of himself unto them may be perfected Omnia ordinantur infinem ut à fine perficiantur All things are ordained unto an end that from the end they may be perfected So that he willeth and willeth well to his creatures for their good and not for his own which commendeth the riches of his love towards us But to proceed Those things that God willeth concerning his creatures are either quae fieri vult de creaturis aut quae fieri vult à creaturis the things that he will have done concerning the creatures or the things which he will have done of the creatures the knowledge of both which must be sought after so farre forth as it hath pleased him to reveal the same or promised to reveal it Deut. 29. 29. Rom. 12. 2. That which is voluntas beneplaciti concerning the creatures is the will of his good pleasure which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 11. 25 26. and decretum Dei the decree of God The which is partly secret which the Lord will not have foreknown and therefore we must religiously adore it not curiously search it Rom. 11. 33 34. Acts 1. 7. John 21. 23. partly revealed And this decretum Dei decree of God is either universall concerning the government of the world or more speciall concerning the salvation of the elect or damnation of the reprobate The former revealed in part both beforehand to the Prophets and also by the events the latter revealed by his Sonne in the Gospel John 6. 40. Eph. 1. 5. What this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good pleasure of God is not onely towards the elect in generall but also towards himself every Christian ought to know For besides that it is declared in the Scriptures sealed by the Sacraments confirmed by his daily benefits the holy Ghost also revealeth this knowledge unto us 1. Cor. 2. 10 12. Rom. 8. 39. Gal. 20. 20. 2. Tim. 1. 12. Rom. 5. 5. The will which God willeth to be performed of us is voluntas signi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is well-pleasing Col. 1. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is acceptable Ephes. 5. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That will of God which is good acceptable and perfect Rom. 12. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This will we are bound to know Eph. 5. 17. because he hath revealed it in his word because we are to practice it and according to it as the rule of justice are to frame and fashion our wills not onely to will the same things but also after the same manner with love unfeigned to the same ends seeking the glory of God and the good of our brethren And of this will doth our Saviour speak This in generall is whatsoever the Lord requireth of us either in the Law or Gospel But more specially there are some branches thereof recorded in the word of God As it is the will of God that so many as shall be saved being adulti come to age shall come unto knowledge of his truth 1. Tim. 2. 4. that a sinner should convert unto him Ezech. 33. 11. that we should believe in Christ 1. John 3. 23. that we should be thankfull unto him for his mercies 1. Thess. 5. 18. that we should be sanctified 1. Thess. 4. 3. and by weldoing stop the mouthes of the ignorant 1. Pet. 2. 15. that we should patiently and chearfully suffer affliction Matth. 16. 24 25. Unto this will of God are opposed the flesh which is enmity against God the desires of the world the will of Satan which is sinne and whatsoever is an enemie to the performance of this will And therefore as we are taught to pray that Gods will may be done so also that these things which be contrary and are impediments may be removed Thy will which is not onely just but also the rule of all justice Not our will nor the will of Satan or of the world For here we are taught to pray that our words and our lives may be framed according to the will of God which is the rule of justice and that we may have grace to deny our selves and our own will renounce the desires of the world resist the will of the devil that he would create new hearts in us and establish us by his free Spirit that we may will and desire such things as are acceptable unto him And surely if our Saviour Christ whose will was pure said Not my will but thine be done how much more ought we so to desire Fiat be done But here it may be demanded Whether the will of the Lord be alwayes performed or not and if it be to what end serveth this prayer and if not how can that be verified Isai. 46. 10. Consilium meum stabit omnem voluntatem meam faciam My counsel shall stand and I will do all my will The will of God is diversly taken in the scriptures For sometime it signifieth the decree of God whereby he willeth simply and absolutely Which is called voluntas Absoluta Beneplaciti Consequens Efficax Invicta the Absolute will of his Good pleasure Consequent Effectuall and Unresistable This will of God is alwayes performed Psal. 115. 3. Quaecunque vult facit he doth whatsoever he will and 135. 6. Isai. 46. 10. Omnis mea voluntas fiet All my will shall be done Neither is any thing able to resist this will Isai. 14. 26 27. Rom. 9. 19. Which also is proved by his omnipotencie And therefore we may truly say that voluntas Dei est omnium rerum necessitas the will of God is the necessity of all things and that in respect hereof all things come to passe necessarily howsoever in respect of secondary causes some things are necessary and some contingent And this will is so effectuall and invincible that whatsoever happeneth cometh to passe according to the will of God who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will Ephes. 1. 11. yea the very enemies of God when they do most oppose themselves against the will of God do unwittingly perform it Acts 4. 28. But hence arise two objections 1. If that which the wicked do happen according to the will of God how can they be said to sinne Sinne is not the transgression of the secret and hidden will of God which cannot be hindred but
the Father hath already given unto us In the second petition we desire that we may be drawn out of the power of darknesse and given unto Christ that he may rule in us by his word and Spirit Neither as I think would Christ have taught us to say Give us that bread of ours but rather that bread of thine For we are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor 3. 22. and he is that bread of God which came down from heaven Neither would he teach us to ask this bread for a day but rather for ever And as touching the body of the prayer which is a summe not of all Divinity as they imagine but onely of those things which we are to ask as the Decalogue is the summe agendorum of things to be done and the Creed credendorum of things to be believed it may not be thought that in this perfect summe our Saviour Christ hath omitted any thing which we are to ask But if you shall not expound this petition of temporall blessings you cannot comprehend them in any other petition for to say that they â—…e comprehended in the first it is too violent an exposition As for the Papists that expound this petition of the Sacrament of the Altar they are more absurd For besâ—…des the reasons alledged they contradict themselves both by a divers exposition translating the same word Luke 11. 3. daily and by their practice For if the people arâ—… to ask that bread every day then are they bound in conscience to give it them every day whereas indeed they give it unto them but once a yeare Others derive the word of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is used five times in the Acts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scilicet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the day following For of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adventare to come the participle is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now if you expound the word crastinus the sense will not agree that we should ask to morrows bread to day especially seeing our Saviour biddeth us not to care for the morrow But if you expound it as some do succedaneus that succeedeth which is all one in sense with quotidianus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 daily the sense will well agree viz. That we ask that bread which daily we stand in need of cujus successione atque accessione quotidie egemus whose succession and accession we daily need Others expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scilicet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convenieâ—…t for substance and being as Suidas Basil in his short 252 questions expoundeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that breâ—…d which fitteth our substance for the maintenance of this temporary life So Theophylact and Euthymius Gr. Schol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convenient for our substance and being So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our daily bread signifieth that portion of temporall things which thou hast assigned as most fit and convenient for us Sic Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interpretatur panem cibarium vel panem nobis sustentandis idoneum So Beza interpreteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bread fit for meals or convenient to sustein us This exposition I take to be the safest not onely because it is made by the Greek writers whose judgement in this case we are rather to follow then the Latines but also because it agreeth with the Syriack interpretation Da nobis panem necessitatis nostrae But especially because it fully agreeth with that prayer of Agur Pro. 30. 8. Give me not poverty nor riches but nourish me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cibo dimensi mei vel pane praescripti vel portione quam assignasti mihi With the bread which thou hast allowed me or with meat appointed for my portion or give me the portion which thou hast assigned me as Gen. 47. 22. or as the LXXII interpret Give me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 August Constitue mihi quae necessaria sunt sufficienter Give me those things which are necessary in a sufficient measure Now whereas the Lord Jesus doth direct us thus to pray he teacheth us to avoid two extremâ—…ties that we neither covet abundance nor affect poverty according to Agurs prayer Prov. 30. 8. Give me not poverty nor riches but feed me with food convenient for me For those that desire either of these know not their own infirmity Wealth many times is accompanied with these vices 1. Pride oblivion and contempt of God Deut. 8. 11 14 17. and 32. 15. 2. Chron. 32. 25. August Divitiarum morbus superbia Pride is the disease of riches 2. Disdain and contempt of our brethren Luke 16. Dives 3. Security Psal. 30. 6. Luke 12. 19. 4. Confidence in riches Psal. 49. 6. Job 31. 24. 1. Tim. 6. 17. 5. The choking of Gods word in them Matth. 13. 6. The nailing of men unto the earth setting their heart and affections upon their pelf Psal. 62. 10. whereby it cometh to passe that they serve Mammon And these corruptions are not onely incident to the wicked but sometimes also to the children of God And therefore the Lord many times denieth prosperity to his children for their good and granteth it to the wicked who have their portion in this life Psal. 17. 17. Luke 16. 25. On the other side poverty is accompanied many times with 1. murmuring against God 2. repining at the better estate of others 3. distrust in Gods providence 4. using of unlawfull means 5. abandoning of all religion taking a desperate course of life as though they were perswaded that they have served God for nought Agur therefore finding these infirmities in himself which indeed naturally are in us all desireth the Lord that he would give unto him neither poverty nor riches left saith he I be full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord or lest I be poore and steal and take the name of my God in vain Prov. 30. 8 9. Here therefore two sorts of men are condemned 1. Those worldlings who covet after abundance of wealth not knowing that they further and increase their condemnation 2. Those superstitious Papists that vow voluntary poverty whereby they become unthankfull to God and unprofitable to men But our Saviour teacheth us to follow the middle course and commendeth to us a moderate desire of that which is necessary and convenient for us both for our own sustenance and also relief of others Now the same measure is not necessary and convenient for all men in respect of themselves For there is a necessity 1. of Nature quatenus homo as we are men 2. of Person quatenus solus est vel familiam habet as a man is alone or hath a family 3. of State quatenus est persona publica vel privata as he is a publick or private person The necessity of nature which is content with a little is satisfied with food and raiment 1. Tim. 6. 8.
hoard up for many years The fifth petition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And forgive us our trespasses even as we forgive them that trespasse against us IN the former petition we were taught to ask temporall blessings for the maintenance of this present life Now in this petition and in the last our Saviour teacheth us to ask spirituall blessings for the obteining of a better life Of spirituall blessings in this life there be two chief heads whereunto all the rest may be referred viz. our justification and sanctification For in these two the covenant of grace and the benefits which in this life we receive by Christ do consist Heb. 10. 16 17. This is the covenant that I will make with them after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my laws in their hearts and in their minds I will write them and their sinnes and iniquities I will remember no more And the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham concerning the promised seed was this That he would give us that we being delivered out of the 〈◊〉 â—…f 〈◊〉 enemies that is Ephes. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. having by Christ remission of our sinnes and justification we should worship him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1. 73 74 75. And these are the benefits which should be preached in Christs name repentance and forgivenesse of sinnes Luke 24. 47. Seeing therefore the summe of all the benefits which in this life we receive by our blessed Saviour consisteth in these two we may be resolved that in these two the happinesse of a Christian in this life doth consist For whereas the Lord sware to Abraham that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed Gen. 22. 18. Zâ—…chary being filled with the holy Ghost expoundeth that blessednesse to confist in these two Luke 1. 73. And indeed whereas there are two degrees of our happinesse the one begun in this life the other complete in the life to come that is to be esteemed our happinesse in this life whereby the perfect happinesse of the life to come is obteined Now whom God hath chosen and called to salvation them he justifieth and whom he justifieth c. Rom. 8. 30. And this appeareth to be true also in the particulars Psal 32. 1. Revel 20. 6. Seeing therefore the benefits which we have by Christ in this life and consequently our happinesse consisteth in those spirituall graces which our Saviour here teacheth us to crave of God it followeth necessarily that both in our affections we should desire and in our judgements esteem these spirituall graces farre above all earthly and temporall things esteeming all other things as 〈◊〉 and duâ—…g yea as losse in comparison thereof Phil. 3. 8 9 10. For what will all temporall benefits avail us if God do not forgive our sinnes and stablish us by his free Spirit Surely no more then the good pasture profiteth the beast that is fatted for the slaughter And therefore as these blessings are absolutely necessary to our salvation and of farre greater value then all temporall benefits so are they absolutely to be craved of God and with greater fervencie and affection But let us consider the order and the coupling of this petition with that which went before and also that which followeth Our Saviour teacheth us in the former place to crave temporall benefits as the lesse that our faith having been exercised in the lesse might be confirmed in the greater that is that we having learned to depend upon Gods providence for our maintenance in this life might the more firmly relie upon him for our justification and salvation for if we have not learned to trust in him for the lesse it is not likely that we should believe in him for the greater The order in respect of that which followeth standeth thus We are taught to desire freedome from the guilt of our sinnes before deliverance from the corruption because our reconciliation with God in Christ and justification by faith in order of nature goeth before our sanctification howsoever in time the beginning of our sanctification concurreth with justification From whence ariseth both an instruction for carnall men and a consolation for the godly For if justification goeth before sanctification then it is certain that we cannot be sanctified unlesse first we be justified and reconciled unto God in Christ. And this order the holy Ghost teacheth us Luke 1. 74. That being redeemed c. For untill our reconciliation as we our selves are enemies so all our actions are hatefull unto God And therefore men had not need to please themselves in their naturall estate and by their security suffer as much as in them lieth the bloud of Christ to fall upon the ground but rather to be most forward carefull and desirous to be reconciled unto God in Christ and that his merits and righteousnesse may be imputed unto them considering that whatsoever they do before they be reconciled unto God and justified is no better but sin whereby they hoard up wrath against the day of wrath c. The consolation which ariseth from hence is most singular For if men cannot die unto sinne unlesse first they be justified then those that labour to forsake their sinnes and truly purpose amendment of life and endevour to please God in dying to sinne and living to righteousnesse may be assured that they are justified by faith and reconciled to God in Jesus Christ c. And so much of the order Let us now consider of the coupling of this petition both with that which went before and also that which followeth with the former Give us this day our daily bread And forgive c. Which teacheth us that we should not so wholly be addicted to the commodities of this life but that we should withall and most principally labour for spirituall graces perteining to a better life There be many saith the Psalmist which say Who will shew us any good that is any worldly profit c. but as touching the forgivenesse of their sinnes and their reconciliation with God in Christ as touching the application of Christs death and resurrection not onely to their justification but also their sanctification of these things they have no care nor desire c. But howsoever the world saith Who will shew us any good yet we must say But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Shew thou thy self favourable and mercifull in forgiving our sinnes for that will bring peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost far exceeding all worldly comforts We must therefore not onely labour for the meat which perisheth but much more for the meat which endureth to everlasting life John 6. 27. For what would it profit us if we could gain the whole world if our sinnes being not forgiven us we should be amerced with the losse of our souls Mark 8. 36. With the latter Forgive
we have by them displeased and dishonoured God And to increase this godly sorrow in us we are First to consider and meditate of Gods manifold benefits undeservedly bestowed upon us and our unthankfull behaviour towards him c. Secondly we are to desire the Lord that he would poure upon us the spirit of deprecation that we may with bitternesse bewail our sinnes whereby we have so violated the justice of God that nothing could be found sufficient to appease or to satisfie the same but the death of Christ whom we by our sins have pierced Zech. 12. 10. Thirdly we are to consider the misery whereunto our sinnes make us subject both in this life and in the world to come In all which respects we must esteem our sinnes as a most heavy burden and being weary thereof we are by prayer to come unto the Lord that we may be eased thereof Matth. 11. 28. Neither are we to bewail our sinnes alone but as we are to pray for the pardon of other mens sinnes so are we also to mourn for the iniquities of the place and time wherein we live Ezek. 9. 8. Psal. 119. 136 158. 2. We are to bewail the hardnesse of our hearts that we cannot so bewail our sinnes as we ought 3. Our want of faith and assurance of the remission of our sinnes The graces which we desire are 1. Remission of sinnes and justification viz. that God would cancell the bill of debt Col. 2. 14. that he would take away our sinnes and cast them into the bottom of the sea Mich. 7. 18 19. that he would impute the merits and obedience of Christ unto us And secondly because we receive remission of sinnes and are justified by faith by which we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ to our justification and without which the merits of Christ are not communicated unto us therefore we desire not onely that he would forgive us our sinnes but also that he would work in us a true faith whereby we may have assurance of the pardon of our sinnes and peace of conscience 3. Because our faith is weak therefore we are to pray for the increase thereof Luke 17. 5. and also that God would blesse unto us the means of the begetting and increasing of our faith 4. Because reconciliation and adoption are unseparable companions of justification we therefore must also pray that he would receive us unto his love and favour and give us his spirit of adoption that howsoever we be by nature the children of wrath yet being reconciled unto him in Christ we may have the testimony of his Spirit testifying to our spirits that we are the children of God 5. We pray not onely for righteousnesse and assurance of justification and peace of conscience arising from thence Rom. 5. 1. but also for the joy of the holy Ghost proceeding from them both Rom. 14. 17. Now that we may with fervencie beg these graces of God we must besides the sight and sense of our sinnes and the misery which they bring upon us consider the necessity of these graces First of remission of sinnes because sinne maketh a separation between God and us Isai. 59. 1. and maketh us subject both to the curse of God in this life and after and therefore above all things in the world we are to desire freedome from our sinnes without which our estate is most miserable c. and without which we cannot be saved Contrariwise in remission of sinne consisteth happinesse Psal. 32. 1 2. Secondly of faith without which the benefits of Christ are not effectuall to our justification sanctification or salvation By it we are made partakers of all the benefits of Christ to our justification and salvation In which respect the same benefits in the Scriptures which proceed from Christ are also ascribed unto faith Upon which follow reconciliation peace with God and joy in the holy Ghost and the beginning of eternall life it self in this life As we must pray for the forgivenesse of our sins in fervencie so also in faith that as we unfeignedly desire pardon of sinnes reconciliation with God so we are truly to believe that the Lord will heare our prayer that he will receive us unto mercy and at the length grant unto us the certificate of his Spirit the Spirit of adoption For that which he hath commanded us to ask he hath promised to give He commandeth us to ask remission of sinnes justification the Spirit of adoption c. therefore consequently we are stedfastly to believe that we shall obtein them The forgivenesse of sinnes is a chief part of the covenant of grace Heb. 10. 17. The Spirit of adoption is expressely promised to those that ask him Luke 11. 13. There 〈◊〉 that we pâ—…ay with perseverance never ceasing day by day to call upon God for the forgivenesse of our sinnes 〈◊〉 â—…rtificate of the holy Spirit assuring us thereof untill the Lord say unto our souls I aâ—… your 〈◊〉 and â—…hed abrâ—…ad his love in our hearts Neither are we then to cease from this prayer but as we sinne daily so are we daily to crave forgivenesse and as our faith is weak and mixt with doubting so daily to dâ—…sire the increase thereof c. Duties to be performed in our lives If we would make this prayer with upright hearts or would either hope to obtein this request or assurance that our prayer is heard I. We must be adorned with 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 5. 5. whereby we must acknowledge our selves so deeply indebted unto the Lord by reason of our manifold sinnes that he may mâ—…st justly glorifie his name in our endlesse coâ—…fusion and thâ—…t in respect thereof we are not worthy to â—…ook up unto heaven or to breathe in the aiâ—…e or to live upon the earth and that therefore it is thâ—… 〈◊〉 mercy of the Lord that we are not consâ—…ed For if we have humble and contrite hearts the Lord will be ready to heare our prayer and to pardon our sinnes The Lordreâ—…isteth the proud but he giveth grâ—…ce to the humble Jam. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5. The sacrifices of God are a 〈◊〉 spirit â—… conâ—…ite and c. Psal. 51. 17. Psal. 34. 18. Example in the humbled Publicane Luke 18. 14. For Câ—…rist 〈◊〉 not to câ—…ll 〈◊〉 righteoâ—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to repentance Matth 9. 13. Luke 4. 18. Matth 11. 28. Whom doth he call with promise to ease them of the burden of 〈◊〉 but thâ—…se that 〈◊〉 under the burden of sinne and are weary thereof If therefore God hath given thee an humble heart thou mayest be encouraged to come untâ—… him for grace and pardon of sinnes For as iâ—… was sâ—…d of the blind man so it may be said of every onâ—… that is poore in spirit Be oâ—… good comfort he 〈◊〉 â—…hee But as humility maketh us fit to receive Gods gâ—…ace in the pardoning of our sinnes so is iâ—… also a good signe that our sinnes are pardoned For they onely are
his power to do but when he doth abandon all purpose and desire of revenge all hatred and ill will towards his brother in respect of the offense If this be true then belike no man may complain to the Magistrate or seek his remedy by law when he hath susteined injury or wrong Although we are to forgive from our heart every one that oâ—…endeth us yet we may in some 〈◊〉 complain unto the Magistrate and seek remedy by law if these cautions be observed 1. That it be not done in anger or malice or desire of revenge which commonly are the grounds of mens going to law but that it be done with a charitable mind towards the society where we live towards our brother who hath offended us and towards our selves First towards the society 1. If the offense be such as according to the laws of the society is to be punished by order of justice for that punishment it is not in our power to remit 2. If the offense be dangerous to the society either in respect of Gods judgement or in respect of contagion then is it good the fault should be punished that evil may be taken from among us and the judgement of God prevented and others may see and fear and fearing their punishment may not follow their example in which respects most meet and necessary it is that the insolency and outrage of wicked men should be restrained Secondly as touching the party If he cannot be reclaimed by private means we are to seek that by publick authority he may be reclaimed and brought to repentance and we are to take heed lest by our patience our neighbour become worse Thirdly concerning our selves We may provide for our safetie for the time to come rather then by too much bearing to expose our selves to the wrongs and injuries of the wicked For if it were not lawfull for godly men to complain to the Magistrate c. there would be no measure nor no end of indignities offered unto them And albeit we are to esteem every wrong offered unto us as an affliction laid upon us by the Lord and are therefore to bear it patiently not seek to wreak our selves upon our brother who is but the instrument or rod by whom the Lord doth correct us yet we are in this as in all other afflictions to use such means as the Lord doth offer unto us of deliverance out of the same and not be like wayward children which having taken a fall will not rise The means which God hath appointed in this behalf is the publick authoritie of the magistrate who is the minister of God for the good of them that do well as for the rest he beareth not the sword for nought but is the minister of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an avenger unto wrath unto those that do evil Rom. 13. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As signifieth not equalitie For as the heavens are higher then the earth so doth his mercy excell the greatest love amongst men as the love of the father Matth. 7. 11. and of the mother Isai. 49. 15. And by how much his love is greater by so much he is the slower to wrath or revenge Hos. 11. 9. I will not exercise my fierce wrath in destroying Ephraim for I am God and not man Had our Saviour been but a man as his Apostles were but men although good men he would perhaps have been as ready to call down fire from heaven upon the Samaritanes as they Luke 9. 54. Had the Lord who was offended been no more mercifull towards Niniveh then the Prophet Jonah whom they had not offended Niniveh had been destroyed Jonah 4. 1. Therefore equality is not here to be understood but likenesse For although we cannot be equall with the Lord yet we must be like him And as it is Matth. 5. 48. â—…e ye perfect as your heaveâ—…ly Father iâ—… perfect But our perfection consisteth in uprightnesse And therefore although we cannot forgive and love in the like measure yet we must in like quality that is in truth So that the meaning is We desâ—…e the Lord to forgive us for even we also unfeigâ—…dly forgive our brethren Whenas therefore we do professe that we do so forgive as we desire to be forgiven and that we desire so to be forgiven as we forgive this teacheth us that our forgivenesse and reconciliation with our brethren should not be from the teeth outward and by halves but sincere intire Many men will speak friendly to their neighbour when malice is in their hearts Psal. 28. 3. and are contented that a skin should be drawn over their festred malice making out wardly a shew of reconciliation and forgivenesse whenas inwardly they retein a secret grudge in their hearts And again others will say Well I may forgive him but I shall never forget him c. But these men rather call for vengeance then mercie at Gods hands desiring so to be forgiven as they forgive And therefore as we desire the Lord not onely in word but also in deed and in truth to forgive us so must we forgive our brethren that have offended us even from our hearts Matth. 18. 35. And as we desire that the Lord would not onely forgive the punishment but also forget the fault it self and cast it into the bottom of the sea Mich. 7. 19. so must we also forgive and forget the wrongs done unto us So much of the words Vses The use which from hence ariseth is threefold viz. of Instruction Consolution and Reproof For I. those who either desire to make this prayer aright or hope to have their prayer heard are here taught how to behave themselves towards their brethren namely that they be in charity with all men and if it be possible and as much as in them lieth to be â—…t peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all men Rom. 12. 18. For whereas it cannot be avoided but that in this life we shall both sinne against God and offend one another therefore our Saviour hath taught us to joyn these two together the desiring of peace of conscience and reconciliation with God and the seeking of outward peâ—…ce and reconciliation with men And first he that hath offended his brother his duty is to seek reconciliation with him before he can look for reconciliation with God as our Saviour teacheth Matth. 5. 23. 24. If thou bring thy gift to the â—…tar seeking reconciliation with God and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee that is that thou hust offended thy brother for which thou hast made him no satisfaction leave there thine offering c. So in the Law the Lord ordâ—…ined that whosoever had offended his neighbour and came to seek reconciliation with God by offering sacrifice he should first make his brother amends whom he had offended the same day that he offered for his trespasse Lev. 6. 5. and then forgivenesse is
promised of the Lord v. 7. Out of our Saviours words Luke 17. 3 4. it may be gathered that it is the duty of him that hath offended to acknowledge his fault with promise of amendment to him that is offended And this duty though-very late was performed by Josephs brethren Gen. 50. 17. But many when they have offended a man they do hate him so much the more as Amnon did Thamar 2. Sam. 13. 15. and are further from reconciliation then the party offended Because they having deserved ill of him as their conscience telleth them therefore they expect ill from him and consequently hate him And of such the Italian proverb is true He that offendeth will never forgive But these men that will not forgive them whom they have offended of all others are farthest from pardon because they be farthest from repentance Now let us consider how we are to behave our selves towards them that offend us Our duty standeth on foure degrees First if the offense be not notorious to take no notice of it but to dissemble it and to passe by it For as Solomon saith Prov. 10. 12. Hatred stirreth up contention but love covereth the multitude of offenses and Prov. 19. 11. The discretion of a man maketh him slow to anger and it is his glory to passe by an offense Examples in Saul 1. Sam. 10. 27. and David Psal. 38. 13 14. Our first duty therefore when we are wronged is not to fret and fume storm and chafe and much lesse to proceed to brawling or blows For as Solomon saith Indignation resteth in the bosome of fools Eccles 7. 10. but he that is slow to anger is wise Prov. 14. 29. And to moderate our anger and desire of revenge let us consider these two things 1. That thy brother which offendeth thee is the rod of God c. 2. That as thou forgivest so thou must look to be forgiven If when thou art wronged thou chafest and stormest and presently revengest thy self when thou makest this prayer thou dost desire the Lord so to deal with thee that is when thou offendest presently to be revenged of thee The second duty is when we have been offended not to retein anger purpose or desire of revenge but freely and from our hearts to forgive one another Lev. 19. 18. Rom. 12. 19. Ephes. 4. 32. Col. 3. 13. And thus we are to forgive our brother openly if he acknowledge his fault and repent and that so oft as he seeketh reconciliation though it be seven times a day Luke 17. 3 4. If he do not ask forgivenesse but rather persist in hating and wronging us yet are we in our hearts to forgive him and to desire his good and to pray for his amendment Matth. 5. 44. Unto the performance of this duty we are to be moved by these arguments First if we will not forgive our neighbour the Lord will not forgive us Matth. 6. 15. Mark 11. 25 26. 2. If we retein anger and desire of revenge with what face can we pray unto the Lord to forgive us our great debts that will not for his sake remit those pettie debts of our brother And to this purpose notable is that saying of the sonne of Sirach Ecclus 28. 1 2 3 4 5. He that revengeth shall find vengeance from the Lord and he will surely keep his sinnes in remembrance Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee so shall thy sinnis also be forgiven when thou prâ—…est One man beareth hatred against another and doth he seek pâ—…rdon from the Lord He sheweth no mercy to a man which is like himself and doth he ask forgivenesse of his own sinnes If he that is but flesh nourish hatred who will intreat for pardon of his sinnes Therefore Paul exhorteth us to pray lifting up pure hands without anger 1. Tim. 2. 8. and Peter signifieth that anger interrupteth this exercise of prayer 1. Pet. 3. 7. 3. If we do not forgive our brother in making this prayer we desire that the Lord would execute his vengeance upon us rather then crave forgivenesse c. For this cause as Augustine exhorteth we are above all other sinnes to lay aside anger and hatred when we come to pray For this prayer obteineth pardon for other sinnes but for this sinne it doth not but rather pulleth down vengeance upon him that desireth revenge As for those reasons which we pretend for our anger hatred and desire of revenge they are most vain especially if we compare the debts of our brethren to us with those which we desire to be forgiven of the Lord. For some will alledge The offenses which he hath committed against me are great and I cannot put them up But they are nothing to those sinnes which thou hast committed against God 2. Yea but he hath touched my good name And thou by thy sinnes hast dishonoured God and hast caused his holy name to be blasphemed 3. Yea but he is mine inferiour c. And what art thou to God 4. Yea but the offenses which he hath committed against me are maâ—…y and he never maketh an end of doing me wrong But nothing so many as thy sinnes are against God neither dost thou put an end to thy sinning 5. Yea but I have deserved well of him But not so well as God hath deserved of thee 6. Yea but I have sought to win him with kindnesse And hath not the Lord by his mercies invited thee to repentance 7. Yea but he hath been often admonished of his fault Not fo oft as thou Furthermore as thy brother offendeth against thee so for the most part thou offendest against him either by giving him occasion of evil or by anger and impatience conceived against him therefore the debt being mutuall thou shouldst be ready to strike off thine own debt by pardoning of him And although perhaps thou hast not deserved so ill of him yet thou hast deserved worse of the Lord who by him as his instrument correcteth thee and therefore must â—…ay as Mich. 7. 9. I have sinned and therefore I will bear the anger of the Lord. The third degree is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forgetfulnesse That we should not onely forgive but also forget the offenses done against us as we desire that the Lord would forget the sinnes which we have committed against him And therefore this art of oblivion which Themistocles wished we are to beg of the Lord. The fourth is by Christian â—…harity to labour to win him and to overcome evil with goodnesse Rom. 12. 21. And this love must be exercised 1. by doing good to him that hath deserved ill Psal. 25. 21 22. for thereby also we shall resemble the goodnesse of the Lord who although he hath been diversly offended yet first seeketh reconciliation with us 2. in commending them to God in our prayers Matth. 5. 44. II. The second use is consolation to them who are ready to forgive
some bodily trouble or danger with the hazard of their souls Sometimes he clotheth sinne with the cloke of vertue So much breifly shall serve to have spoken of tentations as they are provocations to evil Against which we pray not that we be not tempted but that the Lord would not in his fierce wrath for a punishment of our sinne lead us into tentation nor give us over to our own concupiscences to be hardned in sinne or to the world to be carried away with the desires thereof or to the devil to be overcome in tentation to be carried away captive to the performance of his will For howsoever men willingly run into these tentations as the beast goeth chearfully to the slaughter yet there can be no greater judgement inflicted upon a man in this life then to be given over to his own lusts or to the allurements of the world or tentations of the devil Now this giving over men in tentation is that which our Saviour calleth leading into tentation Of which we are now to speak Lead us not into or rather bring or carrie us not into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where first we must note the person to whom we speak secondly the thing against which we pray The person Dâ—… not thou lead us Which when some have considered they have chosen rather to read thus And do not thou permit or suffer us to be led into tentation But we must not teach our Saviour to speak but rather with humilitie learn the true meaning of his speech Yea but say they this prayer is superfluous For God tempteth no man as James saith chap. 1. 13. It is one thing to tempt and another thing to lead into tentation as it is one thing to execute punishment on an evil-doer and another to deliver him over to an executioner the one is the act of the judge the other of the hangman Yea but we must understand this of permission onely or else we shall make God the authour of sinne God doth not onely permit men to be tempted but also leadeth into tentation The like phrases are usuall in the Scriptures Exod. 7. 3. Indurâ—…vit â—…r Pharâ—…onis he haâ—…dened 〈◊〉 heart Isai. 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou â—…ade â—…s â—…rre frâ—… thy â—…ayes â—…nd hardenâ—…d our heart from thy fear Rom. 1. 24 26 28. 2. Thess. 2. 11. God shall send them strong delâ—…sion All which words â—…o signifie not onely a permission but also a work of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet notwithstanding he is not the authour of sinne In every tentation even unto evil God hath an hand And the same tentation which proceedeâ—…h from Satan or our own corruption may also be said to come from God But in the same tentâ—…tion we are to distinguish the work of God which is good from the work of the flesh or of the devil which is evil As it cometh from God it is either a triall or a chastisement which are works of mercy or a punishment which is a work of justice But as it cometh from Satan or the flesh it is a provocation unto evil and therefore a â—…inne Such is the wisdome and goodnesse of the Lord that he knoweth by evil instruments to effect his own good work The tentation of Job proceeded from God and from Satan God by that means tried his patience the devil provoked him to impatience and despair When David numbred the people it is said that God moved him so to do 2. Sam. 24. 1. and Satan provoked him to number the people 1. Chron. 21. 1. Gods work was a chastisement of David and punishment of the people Satans work an incitation to sinne When Pharaoh deteined the people of Israel it is said that God hardned his heart and that Pharaoh hardned his heart Exod. 8. 15 32. and 9. 34. As it came from God it was a punishment as from himself a fruit of his own flesh and so a sinne Again we must further distinguish betwixt the tentation of God and of the flesh and the devil The flesh when it tempteth sendeth forth evil concupiscences which allure men to evil and withdraw from God Jam. 1. 14. The devil when he tempteth casteth into mens minds either by himself or by means ill motions and suggestions God doth not instill into mens minds ill motions as the devil and the flesh do But he is said to tempt in these respects 1. By offering the occasion or the object of sinne for our triall howsoever we through our own corruption or instigation of Satan take occasion by the triall of sinning 2. By withholding and withdrawing his grace which he is not bound to vouchsafe unto any but in justice might deny to all 3. By giving them over either to their own lusts or to the tentations of the devil who is his executioner as a just punishment of their former sinnes And in this sense God is said to harden mens hearts not that he maketh them of soft hard but being hard already giveth them over to their own corruptions and the tentations of Satan further to be hardned which hardnesse they further gather to themselves willingly committing sinne with greedinesse Now this the Lord may do most justly For when men have hardned themselves what should bind God to soften them He hath mercy on whom he will by softning them and whom he will not have mercy on them in justice he hardneth And who shall constrain him to shew mercy in softning where in justice he may harden This must teach us 1. not to dispute with God but to justifie him in all his judgements which in justice he might exercise upon all howsoever in mercy he spareth some and 2. to be thankfull unto him for vouchsafing us to be in the number of those whom in mercy he so softeneth when in justice he might have hardned us Thus we see in what sense the Lord is said to lead men into tentation not that he suffereth them onely to be led but also that he giveth them over to be tempted and in the tentation to take the foil 2. Whereas our Saviour teacheth us thus to pray That the Lord would not lead us into tentation we gather this consolation That howsoever we are assaulted continually by the flesh the world and the devil yet we shall not be overcome except the Lord himself lead us into tentation Satan goeth about continually like a roring lion seeking whom he may devoure but he cannot tempt except it please God to bring us upon the stage as he did Job nor in tempting overcome us unlesse the Lord give us over into his hands For he that is in us is greater then he that is in the world 1. John 4. 4. And if we be born of God the evil one shall not touch us to hurt us 1. John 5. 18. The devil desireth to sift and to winnow us as wheat but our Saviour hath prayed for those that believe in him
that our faith may not fail Luke 22. 32. The devils could not enter into the herd of swine without speciall leave Neither could Satan touch the cattel of Job untill he had commission from God and further then his tedder he cannot go Seeing therefore in all tentations the Lord ruleth the action and overruleth the tempter our duty is in all tentations to flee unto him praying that he will not lead us into tentation So much of the person to whom we make this request Let us now consider the thing against which we pray That we be not led into tentation Our Saviour doth not teach us to pray that we be not tempted at all For it is not an evil thing to be tempted simply but rather to the children of God a good and a necessary thing James biddeth the faithfull rejoyce when they fall into tentations Jam. 1. 2. He that is not tempted saith the sonne of Sirach he knoweth but a little 34. 10. and as Augustine No man knoweth himself unlesse he be tempted Besides we are not souldiers under the banner of Christ unlesse we fight with the flesh the world and the devil and we fight not with them unlesse we be tempted of them neither must we look to be crowned unlesse first we strive Nay if we be not tempted it is a signe that he needeth not assault us Lastly all tentations turn to the good of those that love the Lord Rom. 8. serving either to humble them by the sight of their weaknesse 2. Cor. 12. 9. or to prevent sinne in them making them more wary and circumspect for the time to come or to manifest Gods graces in them that they may be found approved and so become happy For as James saith chap. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth tentation for when he shall be found approved he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to those that love him We do not therefore pray that we be not tempted but that we be not led into tentation that is That when we are tempted the Lord would not leave us unto our selves nor give us over to the tempter nor suffer us to be overcome in the tentation nor to be tempted above our power but that it would please him to stablish us by his free spirit and minister strength unto us giving with the tentations an issue that we may bear them And so our Saviour expoundeth himself in the words following But deliver us from evil Which as hath been said are the exposition of the former Tertullian Clausula hâ—…c interpretatur quid sit Nè nos inducas in tentationem hoc est sed erue nos a malo This clause interpreteth what this is Lead us not inâ—… tentatiâ—… that is bâ—… deliver us from evil By evil we are to understand all the enemies of our salvation the flesh world and devil sinne and hell and all punishments of sinne but especially the devil who in the Scriptures is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the evil one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deliver signifieth two things 1. To keep and preserve to protect and defend from evil that we fall not into it In which sense Christ is said to deliver us from the wrath which is to come 1. Thess. 1. 10. And our Saviour making the same prayer useth in stead of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep or preserve John 17. 13. 2. Cor. 1. 10. Which argueth that of our selves we lie open and naked to our spirituall enemies unlesse it please the Lord to keep and to protect us from them 2. It signifieth to deliver and as it were to pull us out of the hands that is power of our spirituall enemies as the word is used Luke 1. 74. Maâ—…th 27. 43. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him deliver him Rom. 7. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who will deliver me 2. Tim. 4. 17 18. Which teacheth us 1. that naturally we are in subjection to our spirituall enemies 2. that it is not in our power to free our selves out of this bondage but it is the mercifull work of the Lord of whom we are the therefore taugâ—…t to crave deliverance This deliverance which we crave is either incâ—…oate in this life or perfect in the life to come both by Christ Luke 1. 74. Duties in prayer I. To pray against tentation Luke 22. 40. 2. Cor. 12. 8. to escape it II. To pray in fervencie and faith Wants to be bewailed I. The malice and power of our spirituall enemies that fight against us Ephes. 6. 12. The flesh sending forth concupiscences which fight against the soul the law of our members carrying us captive unto sinne The world by her enticements alluring unto evil and carrying us out of the way 1. Cor. 7. 31. by her terrours terrifying from good by bad example seducing us The devil our mortall enemie going about like a roring lion seeking whom he may devoure 1. Pet. 5. 8. II. Our weaknesse to resist our negligence in not preparing and arming our selves against tentations but rather by idlenesse and securitie sweeping and preparing a room for the tempter Luke 11. 25. III. Our pronenesse to sinne our quailing in tentations our running into tentations and seeking baits of sinne IV. Our subjection to sinne and Satan Rom. 7. 14. and exhibition of our members as instruments to the tempter V. The evil of sinne with which we are corrupted and the evil of punishment which we have deserved VI. Our inability in our selves to free us from these evils Contrary graces to be desired In sense of which wants we are with fervencie to crave the contrarie graces Which we are to distinguish according to the former distinctions of tentations and evils from which we desire to be preserved and delivered And first for the tentations of God or trials we do not pray against them but rather for them I. That the Lord would trie us Psal. 26. 2. and 139. 23. and II. That when he doth prove us we may be approved or if it please him by the tentation to discover unto us our weaknesse he would turn it to our good Deut. 8. 16. that both in respect of our former weaknesse we may be humbled and for the time to come be made more circumspect But as touching those tentations which are provocations unto evil we pray against them I. in generall That our hearts may not be inclined to any evil Psal. 141. 4. and therefore that the Lord would neither give us over to the tempter to be overcome nor suffer us to be tempted above our power neither leave us to our selves and forsake us in the tentation but that it would please him to stablish us by his free spirit Psal. 51. 14. and assist us with his grace which will be sufficient for us 2. Cor. 12. 9. that being confirmed and strengthened by him 1. Pet. 5. 10. we may not fall away in the time of tentation Luke 8. 13. but may be able
meant honour and praise 1. Tim. 1. 17. For to him belongeth the glory honour and prayse of bestowing all good things He is the fountain and authour of every good gift Jam. 1. 17. His is the glory of hearing and granting our prayers Psal. 65. 2. And to his glory whatsoever we ask according to his will doth especially tend Therefore as by his kingdome aâ—…d power he is able so for his glory he is ready and willing to grant our requests which we make according to this direction of our Saviour For what Christ hath taught us to ask in his name that the Lord hath promised to give for his sake in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen to his glory 2. Cor. 1. 20. This therefore serveth to confirm our faith For doubtlesse such things as tend to his glory he will grant especially considering it is his glory to heare the prayers of his servants and seeing to him belongeth the glory of giving every good gift but these things which we ask according to our Saviours direction do tend to the glory of God and to that end we ask them therefore we may be assured that he will grant our requests so far forth as they stand with his glory Now whereas our Saviour directed us to make this our first suit That Gods name may be glorified and now teacheth us to make his glory the reason of our prayers this sheweth That the glory of God should be the main end of all our desires for which wâ—… should affect them and unto which when we have obteined them we should referre them 1. Chron. 16. 35. Psal. 50. 15. And forasmuch as the glory is the Lords which he will not have communicated to any other Isai. 42. 8. therefore we are to call upon him alone as being the onely fountain of every good gift the onely hearer of our prayers Of which glory we rob the Lord if we direct our prayers to any other And as we are not to give his glory to any other so we are not to take it to our selves For seeing the glory is the Lords therefore vainglorious persons seek to rob God of that glory which is proper to him and to assume it to themselves But we must say with David Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord c. and with Daniel chap. 9. 7. Righteousnesse O Lord belongeth unto thee and to us shame c. But we ascribe unto the Lord not onely kingdome power and glory but also an everlasting kingdome an eternall power and immortall glory For as Moses saith Psal. 90. 2. He is God from everlasting to everlasting he is King for ever Therefore he hath right not onely in this life to crown us with his blessings but after this life he hath an everlasting kingdome to bestow upon us Luke 12. 32. unto which he is able and willing to bring us by his power everlasting to the immortall glory of his mercy Now these reasons as they must be propounded in faith so also with chearfulnesse as a consequent thereof And when they are chearfully uttered they are not onely reasons of our requests but also a notable form of praysing God which our Saviour hath taught us to joyn with our prayer And so the holy Ghost hath directed us elsewhere as Col. 4. 2. Phil. 4. 6. And that this is a form of prayse and thanksgiving appeareth by other places of Scripture where the men of God setting themselves of purpose to prayse God have used the very like form As David 1. Chron. 29. 10 11 12. and Psal. 145. 10. and 11. 12 13. Revel 7. 12. Jude v. 25. Revel 4. 11. Vses Duties concerning prayer 1. That we pray to God and him alone Whereof a reason is conteined in these words For his is the kingdome c. 2. That we pray in faith seeing our heavenly Father whose is the kingdome power and glory is both able and willing to grant our requests 3. That with our prayer we joyn prayse and thanksgiving which in this short form is not omitted Duties in our lives 1. To arrogate nothing to our selves but to ascribe all kingdome power and glory to the Lord Psal. 29. 1 2. and 115. 1. and of all good things received to ascribe the praise to God 2. If God be our King then must we behave our selves as dutifull and obedient subjects If his be the power then are we both to fear him and to trust in him If his be the glorie then of him must we beg all good things and to his glory must all be referred If his power kingdome and glorie be everlasting then are we taught whom to fear whom to serve whom to trust in namely him that is able not onely in this life to blesse us but also after to crown us with immortall glorie in his eternall kingdome If we serve the flesh the devil the world we shall have the momentanie fruition of sin and after this life is ended eternall torments God liveth for ever as to crown eternally the godly so to punish the wicked eternally He then will exclude them out of his kingdome and will be of power to destroy both body and soul in hell and he will glorifie his justice in their endlesse confusion Hypocrisie discovered But here the hypocrisie of men is to be discovered who ascribe kingdome to God and yet obey him not power and fear him not glory and glorifie him not and they adde all these reasons to their petitions as if they should say Thou Lord wilt grant our requests for thine is the kingdome power and glory for ever and yet do not believe that the Lord will grant their requests Amen And so much of the confirmation of our faith Now followeth the testification both of our faith and of the truth of our desire in the word Amen For it importeth the assent of the heart to the words of our mouth and it signifieth truly or even so or as the Grecians sometimes translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So be it The meaning of it is thus much as if we should say As I have made these requests unto thee O Lord so do I both unfeignedly desire the performance of them Let them O Lord be granted 1. Kings 1. 36. and also truly believe that thou in thy goodtime wilt grant my desires so farre forth as they stand with thy glory and my good and in this perswasion I rest attending thy good pleasure And as I have ascribed unto thee kingdome power and glorie so I do both unfeignedly acknowledge that thine alone is the kingdome c. and also heartily desire that I and all others may truly and effectually ascribe unto thee everlasting kingdome power and glorie For being annexed unto prayer it signifieth both the truth and earnestnesse of our desire and also the assent of faith laying hold on the promises of God made in Christ to our prayers And being added to thanksgiving it signifieth both the â—…ath
of our assertion in ascribing praise to God and also a true desire and zeal of Gods glory Hence therefore we may learn again those duties which heretofore have been taught 1. That we call upon the Lord with unfeigned lips and upright hearts truly desiring those things with our hearts which we ask with our mouthes and being truly thankfull for those things for which we give thanks 2. We must strive against our infidelitie and doubting Psal. 42. 12. and must truly believe that the Lord will grant our requests so farre forth as they stand with his glorie and our good otherwise we cannot say Amen 3. We are to rest in the good pleasure of God with assurance expecting his grace and help Psal. 123. 2. and 3. 4 5. and 4. 9. And thus our Saviour hath taught us with this word to seal up our prayer Which therefore is not unworthily of some called Signaculum orationis Dominicae the seal of the Lords prayer For he that truly believeth that the Lord doth heare him and goeth away resting in his goodnesse putting his Amen to Christs Amen John 16. 23. he hath set to his seal that God is true in his promises and that to the Lord belongeth kingdome power and glory for ever But here see the hypocrisie of men who say Amen but pray not from their hearts nor truly desire that which with words they ask nor are thankfull for that for which they would seem to give thanks neither do they believe that God will grant their requests and therefore though they say Amen yet therein they lie unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS The method observed in this tractate Of prayer The definition of Prayer Of the name of Invocation Prayer Of the generall nature of Prayer Psal. 5. 1. Damasc. De Orthodoxa side lib. 3. cap. 24. The proper nature of Invocation What is required in all invocation acceptable to God De orando Deo lib. 1. cap. 1. Isa. 64. 7. 1. Reason taken from the law of nature 2. Because it is the end of our creation and redemption 3. Because it is injoyned in the morall law Object Answ. Esth. 4. Special commandments injoyning prayer 1 From the excellency of it Lib. De orand p. 120. 2. From the profit of it August Chrysost. Atâ—…anas De Psal. 68. 1. Whether prayer be efficacious to obtein ouâ—… desires Object 1. Answ. Epist. 121. ad Probam Object 2. Hunnius De Providentia Answ. Arist. Phys. 2. Tâ—… Aquin. 2. 2. quâ—… 83. 2. c. Jam. 5. 16. Rom. 10. 12. Jer. 25. 11 12 Bellarm. Dâ—… bonis operib in particul lib. 1. cap. 3. Of the efficacy of prayer in respect 1. of the â—…lements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. of the heavens and heavenly bodies 3. of men 2. Kings 6. Chrysost. De orat lib. 2. cap. 1. 4. of sicknesse death and devils 5. of God prayer is of greatest essicacie The uses A threefold limitation of Gods promise to heare 1. God heareth not the impenitent sinners 2. That we must pray according to Gods will Object Answ. What in particular is required to â—…ffectuall prayer The third limitation in respect of the things prayed for Two benefiâ—…s accrewing by prayer Rom. 8. 26. The Papists confuted who hold that prayer is satisfactorie and meritorious That the righteous onely are admitted to pray There is a twofold 〈◊〉 Legall Evangelical what it is Hab. 2. 4. Isa. 59 1 2. John 9. 31. That the impenitent is not able truly to utter any petition in the Lords Prayer That all promises are limited with the condition of faith and repentance Object Answ. God heareth not the wicked for spirituall blessings That God often heareth the wicked for temporall benefits and how God heareth the wicked as a severe Judge August ad Probam Epist 121. 1. Reason An objection of the Rhemists answered The distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discussed De civit Dei lib. 10. cap. 1. Ails 20. 10. 1. Thess. 1. 9. Rom. 7. 6. and 12. 11. Quaest. super â—…xod lib. 2. 94. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suid 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason Jer. 2. 27. Thom. part 3. quaest 25. aâ—…t 4. 5. Reason Heb. 11. 6. Rom. 14. 23. That Angels ought not to be worshipped 1. Reason Vide Ambros in Rom. 1. pag. 177. 2. Reason Object Answ. That Saints departed ought not to be invocated 1. Reason 1. Exception of the Papists The glasse of the Trinity forged A second pretense of the Papists answered A third pretense avoided 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason Object Answ. 1. Object Answ. In Apolog. Rom. 1. 23. Psal. 106. 20. Whether it be lawfull to direct our prayers unto any one person in the Trinitie Whether Christ as Mediatour is to be invocated That we must worship Christ in his whole person and not in his manhood alone Ad Theodos. De rect fide 1. Tim. 1. 5. The Papists make two sorts of mediatours Object Answ. How the Saints in heaven may be said to pray and for what Contra Epist. Parmen lib. 2. cap. 8. The holy Ghost joyneth intercession and redemption both in one Contra Parmen lib. 2. Epist. cap. 8. The high Priest a type of Christ. 1. In respect of the soul in truth and uprightnesse of heart That our prayer must be the speech of the soul. Psal. 62. 8. The necessity of praying in truth proved by divers reasons Ephes. 6. 6. Praying with feigned lips to be avoided and what it is 2. We must not pray with wandring thoughts Serm. de Orat Domini Inter Orthodoxogr 1399 Tom. 4. Homil 79. 641. B. in F. Contra Julian lib. 2. ex Ambros. De suga seculi First we must know God 2. We must know Gods will and pray according unto it In Psal. 99. The doctrine and practice of the church of Rome confuted who presse prayer in an unknown tongue Concil Trid. sess 22. can 9 The Papists shifts avoided which they use to â—…lude the Apostles words 1. Cor. 14. Object Answ. vers 14. Object Answ. Lib. De Magistro cap. 1. That the people ought to understand publick prayers Basil. in des breb. 278. De Genes ad literam lib. 12. cap. 8. In 1. Cor. 14. De Tristib lib. 5. cleg 11. Contra Celsum lib. 8. Chemnit Exam par 2. 172. a. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Of private prayers in an unknown tongue and the evils thereof In Psal. 1â—… Expos. 2. Prayer unprofitable in our mother-tongue if we pray not with understanding Psal. 5. 7. A double faith required in invocation 1. Thess. 5. 17 18. That we must pray in faith proved 1. By testimonies 2. By reasons Ephes. 3. 12. Object Answ. Tom 3. 632. The necessitie and profit of humility proved by testimonies and â—…xamples Examples of the humility of the godly Luke 18. 13. Faith and humility must be joyned together Object Answ. Bernard De triplici modâ—… orationis serm 5. fol. 22. D. August Epist
back this I knâ—…w for God is for me Psal. 86. 7. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee for thou wilt answer me In the merits of Christ whereby we are accepted and in his intercession whereby our prayers are made acceptable Heb. 10. 22. And in this sense also we are to pray in the name of Christ that is not onely with desire that for Christs sake we may be heard but also with perswasion and some measure of assurance that for Christs sake we shall be heard John 16. 23. To call upon God in the name of Christ implyeth two things 1. To desire that for Christs sake we may be heard 2. To believe that for Christs sake we shall be heard That we are thus to pray in faith appeareth both by testimonies reasons Rom. 10. 14. How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed Heb. 11. 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God For as Bernard saith How shall be please God whom God doth not please for he that believeth not maketh God a liar 1. God is to be worshipped with a willing mind and chearfull heart 1. Chron. 28. 9. which cannot be done in prayer unlesse we be perswaded that our prayers are accepted of God 2. There is no accesse unto God but by Christ John 14. 6. nor to Christ but by faith To come unto God Heb. 11. 6. and unto Christ is to believe in him John 6. 35. Through Christ we have boldnesse and entrance with confidence but it is by faith in him 3. What benefit we reap by Christ we receive by faith For which cause the same benefits which we have by Christ are ascribed to faith And therefore as without Christ we can do nothing John 15. 5. nothing belonging to a spirituall life which may be acceptable to God so without faith we can do nothing and much lesse pray as we ought For without faith we are without Christ and by faith we are ingrafted into him I believed and therefore I spake that is with faith I called upon God Psal. 116. 10. 4. It is the prayer of faith which is available and acceptable Jam. 5. 15 16. 5. The promises made to prayer are to be understood with the condition of faith Matth. 21. 22. If ye believe Which may be understood of this more generall faith or the speciall This is hard to be performed by a sinfull man c. impossible to be performed by a Papist without speciall revelation For he cometh in his own worthinesse yet knoweth not whether he be worthy or not Qualis erit ista oratio O Domine ego quidem an exaudire me velis dubius sum sed quia anxietate premor ad te confugio si dignus sum mihi succurras What a kind of prayer is this O Lord I am doubtfull whether thou wilt heare me or no But because I am pressed with anxietie I flie unto thee and if I be worthy help me Vide Calv. Instit. 3. 20. 12. But we know that in our selves we are unworthy and yet believe that in Christ we are accepted Our faith is grounded not on our own worthinesse in our selves but on the love and promises of God and on the merits and intercession of Christ. For though we be sinners in our selves yet believing in Christ God the Father justifieth us Though we know not how to pray or what to ask as of our selves yet God the Spirit maketh intercession for us in helping our infirmities and teaching us to pray according to God And though our praiers be unperfect and unworthy to be offered to God yet Christ our Saviour sitteth at the right hand of his Father making intercession for us Rom. 8. 26 27 33 34. and perfuming the incense that is the prayers of the faithfull with the odours of his own sacrifice Revel 8. 3. CHAP. XIX Of Humility required in prayer HItherto we have spoken of the mind Now we are to enquire what is required in the heart In the heart three things are requisite humilitie reverence and heartinesse The first respecting our selves the second God the third the things for which we do invocate For the first That properly is said to be humile which is even with the ground Where therefore it is required that we should humble our selves before the Lord when we call upon him it is meant that we should abase our selves as it were to the ground to which purpose the faithfull were wont in the Eastern Churches to cast themselves down to the ground when they called upon God laying aside all manner of conceit of our own worthinesse whereby we might be lifted up in our selves and acknowledging our own nullitie and unworthinesse in our selves to appear in the presence of God For compared unto God we are as nothing or as lesse then nothing Isa. 40. 17. And therefore when our Saviour took upon him our nature he is said as it were to have annihilated himself Phil. 2. 7. For this cause prayer in Hebrew is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath affinitie with the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which fignifieth to fall or cast down our selves To teach us to humble our selves before God when we call upon him And to the same purpose Augustine defineth prayer thus Oratio est mentis devotio i. conversio in Deum per pium humilem affectum Prayer is the devotion of the mind that is a conversion unto God by an holy and humble affection How necessary and profitable this is to be indued with humility when we call upon God may appear both by the testimonies of Gods word and examples of the godly Psal. 10. 17. Lord thou hearest the prayer of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilâ—… cause thine eare to heare Psal. 7. 12. He forgetteth not the cry of the humble Luke 18. 9. our Saviour telleth us a parable of a Pharisee and a Publicane which went to pray The Pharisee cometh in a conceit of his own worthinesse the Publicane in conscience of his sinfulnesse The Pharisee in a brave manner thanketh God that he was not a sinner like other men the Publicane in most humble manner acknowledgeth himself to be a sinner and craveth pardon for his sin But what was the issue of their prayer Which speedeth better the humble sinner or the proud justitiarie The Publicane goeth home justified the Pharisee remaineth in his sin according to that John 9. 41. And the reason is because as our Saviour saith every one that exalteth himself shall be brought low and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted To this accordeth Psal. 138. 6. The Lord is high yet he beholdeth the lowly but the proud he knoweth a farre off Psal. 51. 17. The sacrifices of the Lord that is that which he esteemeth above all sacrifices are a contrite spirit a broken and contrite heart he will not despise meaning that he doth in speciall manner