vse of all may bee referred to two heads I. To let vs see why carnall men for we will begin with them are not heard in their prayers It is not possible they should That a man may bee heard at any time these six things must ordinarily concurre I. He must speake II. To some III. His words must bee intelligible IV. His voyce must be audible V. The meane betweene the speaker and the hearer must be indifferent VI. And lastly the hearer must set himselfe to heare as well as the speaker doth to speake These doe not concurre spiritually no not one of them can bee found in the praiers of carnall men I. They speake not For though their lips walke and their mouthes vtter many words yet are none of them true words of praier Because they doe not expresse that spiritual feeling and gracious affection of the heart which is required II. Those superficiall and liuelesse words which they vtter are not spoken to God Because eyther they know him not at all and so make an idoll of him or rather an idoll like him Or knowing how he is reuealed in the Word they cannot apply him to themselues as their God and Father in Christ and otherwise hee is not the obiect of prayer III. Their words are not intelligible Because 1. Either they come not neere themselues and their owne estate as confessing sinne they lay not theirs open desiring mercies they conceiue either not at all or not aright of their owne wants c 2. Or if they doe in termes yet carelesly or sensually in a word neuer ayming at the right ends of any thing IV. Their voyce is not audible wanting the proiectiue power of Faith and Zeale to send it into the Lords eares V. The meane betweene the Lord and a carnall man is not indifferent For looke how wide the East is frō the West so far are they separated yea further For the Lord is infinitely displeased with him VI. Lastly the Lord doth not set himselfe to heare nay hee turneth away his eare and hee will not heare As hee saith by Isaiah h Esa 1.15 When you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you and though you make many praiers I will not heare Vse 2 II. The other vse of this discourse is to teach vs how to pray Touching which these sixe things are to be considered I. He that would pray must be regenerate Otherwise he hath no accesse to God nor abilitie to call vpon God neither shall he finde acceptance with God II. Labour for an order and method Of which something hath beene spoken before III. For matter we must daily take a suruay of our estate For our confession must bee exercised about either those things wherein the Lord is good vnto vs or about those euils wherinto we haue fallē or whereunto wee are subiect c. And this suruey must bee by the helpe of Conscience IV. For words and termes wee must search the Scriptures and reade the Formes of Prayer set forth to the same purpose And referre them to their proper heads As for example Concerning God in himselfe we finde him thus set forth 1. God i Rom. 16.27 onely wise 2. God k Act. 15.8 which knoweth the harts 3. Whose is euery beast of the forrest l Ps 50.10 and the cattell vpon a thousand hills 4. From whom m Iam. 1.17 commeth euery good gift and euery perfect gift 5. Who onely hath immortality n 1. Tim. 6.16 dwelling in the light which no man can approach vnto which no man hath seene nor can see c. Concerning what he is vnto vs in Christ he is said to be 1. Mercifull and Gracious o Exod. 34.6 long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands c. 2. The God of peace p Rom. 16.20 3. The God of our Lord Iesus Christ q Ephe. 1.17 the Father of glory 4. The Father of our Lord Iesus r 2. Cor. 1.3.4 Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comforts who comforteth vs in all our tribulation 5. God euen our Father ſ 2. The. 2.16 which hath loued vs and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace c. Concerning sins they are contained in the Decalogue or tenne Commandements except those against the Euangelicall commandement Repent and beleeue the Gospell and are laid open euery-where in the Scriptures And especially we may finde a multitude of them heaped vp together by inductions in these places Psal 15. 1. Cor. 6.9 Gal. 5.19.20.21 Ephes 4.25.26.27.28.29.30.31 Coloss 3.5.8.9 Iam. 3.14 Reu. 22.15 All which or any to know how they concerne vs we must lay them to our liues For the guilt of sinne wee are taught to confesse 1. That we are wretched t Rom. 7.14 2. Yea wretched u Reuel 3.17 and miserable poore blind and naked 3. O my God * Esra 9.6 I am ashamed and blush to lift vp my face to thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our head and our guiltinesse is growne vppe vnto the heauens c. For the punishment 1. Thou our God x Esra 9.13 hast punished vs lesse then our iniquities deserue 2. It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed y Lam. 3. because his compassions faile not 3. The wages z Rom. 6.23 of our sinnes is death c. For pardon 1. Hide thy face from my sinnes a Ps 51.9 and blot out all mine iniquities 2. That he would blot out b Esa 44.22 as a thicke cloud our transgressions and as a cloud our sinnes To goe ouer euery head and at large were too much for so small a Treatise V. We must digest these termes into the order and forme propounded to our selues VI. Then the Spirit putting into them the life of faith maketh a prayer A Three-fold Analysis of the Lords Prayer A three-fold Analysis of the Lords Prayer HAuing Finished this short discourse because the Lords Prayer is both the complete treasury as likewise the absolute patterne of prayer I haue annexed this three-fold Analysis following And First This is common to them all That the prayer consisteth of I. A Preface II. The body of Prayer III. The Conclusion The Preface is contained in these words Our Father which art in Heauen Wherein is prefixed the Obiect of Prayer God described by that which he is I. Relatiuely II. Simply Relatiuely to his Church apprehended in generall Father and applyed particularly Our Simply in himselfe Iehouah that keepeth mercy and couenant and El-shaddai God all-sufficient both being inferred by that hee is said to be in Heauen In the body of the prayer are laid downe I. The Petitions the speciall obiects of our affections II. The Reasons The speciall obiects of our Faith Not the reasons simply but that which may be conceiued of God in them For onely God is faiths obiect And these reasons are three
And therefore hee saith not to his Disciples ioyntly I goe to our Father but distinctly I goe to my Father n Ioh. 20.17 and to your Father A Father to both but in diuers respects to him by generation to them by adoption By Creation God is a Father to all his creatures One God and Father of all saith the Apostle o Ephes 4.6 And Adam p Luk. 3. is called the sonne of God But Father is not so taken here The couenant is broken on our parts and his image is defaced And there is no specialtie of creation that will hold plea but all make directly against vs. Therfore in the third place God is a Father by adoption viz. to that peculiar companie which is according to the election of grace who hold all things by vertue of the Euangelicall couenant hauing disclaimed the vnwarrantable right of Creation and sued out a fine of recouerie from God in Iesus Christ by heartie prayer and faith vnfained Adoption is to make choice of another mans child to be ours and so to make him our heire or ioynt-heire Now wee were all estranged and cut off from God in Adam and became the bastards of that grand-Fornicatour the Diuell and old Strumpet the world Insomuch that wee must all confesse that our first Father was an Amorite and our Mother a Hittite q Ezek. 16.3 But it pleased the Lord to chuse out of this forlorne companie a number to himselfe to make them a holy nation a royall Priesthood a peculiar people euen partakers of the adoption of Sonnes Here then by Father is meant God in Christ who hath in him I. Chosen vs before time II. Redeemed vs in time III. And made vs in part personally partakers of both abounding toward vs in all wisedome and prudence r Eph. 1.8.9 hauing made knowne vnto vs the mysterie of his will CHAP. II. The causes of Prayer The Causes of prayer THe Causes of Prayer are foure I. The Efficient II. The Matter III. The Forme IV. The End I. Efficient The maine Efficient in respect of 1. The Forme 2. The Matter Euery one that praieth must stand in the state of election the which maketh 1. The Lord fit to be praied to 2. The person fit to pray 3 The things fit to be praied for c. The Efficient or cause making prayer is Principall or lesse-principall The lesse-principall is either Impulsiue or adiuuant Here then are three things to bee handled in generall I. The Main-efficient II. The Motiues III. The meanes of performance The Principall or maine-efficient of Prayer in respect of the Forme is the Spirit of God by his grace teaching and enabling yea praying in vs Rom. 8.26 The Principall Efficient in respect of the matter is the Person praying Who in respect of the Lawes exaction is euery man All are bound to pray Want of grace doth disable but exempt none But in respect of ability it is only the elect called iustified and sanctified In a word The adopted ones of God In which state that euerie one must stand which prayeth we may see if we consider the vse of it in respect of I. The Obiect God to whom we pray II. The Person praying III. The Things desired in Prayer For the First Not God simply but God a Father reconciled and made at one with vs is our obiect And therefore not being within Adoption there is no right relation betweene God and vs. This was intimated by the vaile a Exod. 24. which excluded the people of the Iewes out of the Holy of Holies Into the which saith the Apostle b Heb. 10.16.20 Wee haue liberty to enter in the bloud of Iesus by the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh Heere wee may take notice of three faults in prayer I. Many pray to the Lord but put no difference betweene his being in himselfe and what hee is to his Church in Christ But so they pray to God it serues II. Many conceiuing aright of God in generall as a Father are not perswaded neither labour to be perswaded in speciall that he is their Father They hope well but naught can they beleeue They but goe to God by heare-say III. Some doe perswade themselues that God is their Father Not from the earnest of the Spirit but rather from the ignorance of sinne want of due examination and from carnall presumption Againe This Adoption is of absolute vse in respect of the Person praying Because I. Hence ariseth his abilitie to call God Father and poure out his heart aright before him For otherwise as there is an antipathy betweene the Lord and his heart so likewise hee wanteth that new tongue requisite in euery one that would cal vpon the Lord without which his wordes are barbarous and not of the right dialect of Canaan For which cause the Lord calleth the Iewes crying howling c Hos 7.14 II. Without this Adoption his Person is in disgrace and his offering must needs be reiected as d Gen. 4. Cains was III. Heereby wee are made fit obiects of Gods blessings The which we are not vnlesse we be his adopted ones called c. For I. Otherwise the Lord hath made no promise to vs. If ye abide in mee saith Christ e Ioh. 15.7 and my words abide in you yee shall aske what yee will and it shall be done for you II. Otherwise we haue no part in Christs Prayer I pray for them saith Christ f Ioh. 15.7.20 I pray not for the world and who they are wee may see after Neither saith hee pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue on mee through their word III. The Lord giueth all things for the glory of his name Now wouldst thou not willingly giue a man a staffe to strike thy selfe with And canst thou looke that GOD will giue thee any good thing to dishonour him withal whiles thou art out of Christ called and like a distempered stomacke turns wholsome meat into noysome humors Lastly by the vertue of this adoption the things wee desire and want are made fit obiects to bee prayed for being all of them parcels of our spirituall inheritance as also such as with comfort we may be thankefull for §. 2. The Impulsiue or mouing cause worketh from within or from without The Motiues working 1. Frō within 2. From without Those which worke from within inciting and mouing vs to praier are I. Conscience of our duty as prayer is commanded vs by God II. Loue of God as it is a conference with God III. Zeale as it is a sacrifice to God IV. A Christian loue of our selues as by it we receiue supply from God V. Hope as we haue a promise to be heard of God Quest How commeth it to be peculiar to grace to moue vs to pray and that nature hath no hand in it Answ I answere I. Nature in our wants
respecteth naturall inconueniences as they endanger the state of the outward man Grace looketh higher and conceiueth in these the chastisement of God with many spirituall euils II. Nature vpon the sight of our wants stirreth vs vp to vse naturall meanes and if to praier yet as morally considered as the Philosopher cried Being of beings haue mercie vpon mee Ens entium miserere mei But grace draweth vs vnto GOD in Christ vsing secondary meanes in submission to his commaund for conscience sake The Impulsiue causes working from without and stirring vs vp to prayer are especially these I. The word of God and it mouing vs three waies namely by I. Commandement II. Promise III. Examples of the children of God and aboue all of Christ our Head therein recorded II. Our miserable condition by reason of sinne as namely I. Our wants that of our selues wee haue nothing II. Our weaknesse that by our selues wee can get nothing III. Our vnworthinesse that for ourselues that is our owne sakes we can looke for nothing III. The worth of prayer whose 1. Priuiledge 2. Power 3. Profit is exceeding great as we may see afterwards IV. Accidents of mercie and iudgement which befall vs. As at the deliuerance of Israel whē Pharaoh his hoste were ouerthrowne in the sea g Exod. 15.1,2 c. Moses and the children of Israel praised the Lord. And whē the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir came against Iehosaphat hee proclaimed a fast h 2. Chron. 20.3,4,5 c. and Iudah gathered themselues together to aske helpe of the Lord. §. 3. The meanes of performance and they such as doe 1. Fit vs before 2. Serue in the performāce 3. Further. The Adiuuant or helping causes are such as doe I. Fit vs before II. Serue in the performance III. Further. The things that doe before hand fit vs for prayer are I. The word of God in generall II. More particularly the Lords Prayer The Formes of godly affected men helping withall III. Meditation And we are to meditate especially of three things I. Of God in himselfe and in his couenant to vs. II. Of our own estate III. Of the manner of pouring out our hearts before God by prayer The benefits of Meditation in this case are especially these I. It affoordeth matter II. It prepareth the mind III. It possesseth vs better with that which we are to exhibite to the Lord and so maketh way for affection IV. It rangeth vs within compasse The helping causes of vse in the performance are the instruments therein vsed The which are either naturall or spirituall The naturall are three I. The heart conceiuing or consenting II The minde contriuing III. The mouth vttering The spiritual instrument is faith i Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued The things that doe further vs in prayer are I. The prayers of the Church for vs. And for this cause the Prophet and King Dauid commendeth a Psalme to the people to be vsed for him Wherein they are taught to say k Psal 20.2,3,4 The Lord heare thee c. When Moses his hands were heauy l Exod. 17.12 Aaron and Hur staied them II. Fasting Defraud not one another saith the Apostle m 1. Cor. 7.5 except it be with consent for a time that yee may giue your selues to fasting and prayer So Anna n Luke 2. serued God with fastings and prayers Quest Are all bound to fast Answ The vse of fasting In a generall humiliation vnder Gods iudgements it is most meete that all should fast For though fasting be not simply required as of the essence of the dutie to be performed yet it is required by ineuitable consequence as an appendix For I. The Lord requireth in such cases o Ierem. 8.6 a due consideration of his iudgement for sinne and that out of his deepe displeasure II. He requireth then a thorough humiliation His sacrifice must bee at all times much more at that time a broken p Psal 51.17 and a contrite hart III. We should iudge our selues that we be not iudged of the Lord. And therefore the King of Niniue commaunded q Ion. 3.5,7 not onely that men should fast but withall that neither beast heard nor flocke should taste anie thing feed nor drinke water But for our ordinarie conuersation touching both persons and times I answere with the Apostle r Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the Holy Ghost Earthly foode is subordinate to these If therfore meate and drinke further righteousnes c. wee may nay we must eate and drinke But if they hinder or if abstinence would further as there is a time to eate so we must finde a time to fast Quest Whether is it lawfull to eate during the time of a fast Answ If otherwise wee be not able to continue wee may The Apostles position is our warrant The kingdome of God is not meate and drinke Alwaies prouided that the meate for both quantitie and qualitie doe argue meere necessitie When Moses his hands were heauie ſ Exod. 17.8 c. he vseth meanes of helpe But what such as did affoord neither state nor pleasure They tooke a stone saith the text and put it vnder him and hee sate thereon §. 4. II. Materiall and I. Of Prayer and 1. The first matter 2. The second or proportioned II. Of praying We come now to the matter And that of Prayer and of Praying The matter of praier is to be considered as the first or as the second or proportioned matter The first matter of Prayer consisteth in the desires of our hearts Poure out saith the Psalmist t Psal 62.8 your heart before him And againe u Psal 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee The second or proportioned matter of prayer consisteth in these desires and motions of the heart contriued in that forme wherein wee doe fit our selues to make our case knowne vnto and to deale with the Lord in this holy dutie And though the Lord do please in his Christ to heare faithfull praier bee it neuer so confused yet should we labour to performe it in the best manner For our God is the God of order Now not to tye thee Reader to one strict forme but yet to prescribe a few rules that thou maist at the least pray in some forme for thy direction if herein thou beest defectiue consider these eight particulars following I. Propound God in Christ setting him forth so in words as thou art taught to conceiue of him in the Scriptures and as best befitteth thy case II. Then deale concerning sinne as that which especially troubleth thee and maketh thee vnapt to ask and vncapable to receiue any good thing touching which thou must deale by way of 1. Confession of the act and the euill both of guilt and desert of punishment 2. Petition of forgiuenes and acceptance 3. Profession of
thankfulnesse and amendment III. Desire spirituall blessings All which the Apostle Iames * Iames 1.5 comprehendeth vnder Wisdome IV. Then temporall V. As wee pray for our selues so must wee also for others VI. As we desire what we want so must we remember to bee thankfull for what we haue VII We may vse reasons from the promises examples of Gods dealings with others our owne experience c to strengthen our faith VIII As faith in the promise is shewed in the beginning by such termes as these Our gracious and merciful father in Iesus Christ c so must our hope of the performance be manifested in the Conclusiō The which is ordinarily by this terme Amen The Matter of praying consisteth in three things I. A lifting vp of the minde vnto God Let vs lift vp saith Ieremy our heart with our hands x Lam. 3.41 vnto GOD in the heauens II. A fixing of the minde vpon GOD. Vnto thee saith the Psalmist y Ps 123.1.2 lift I vp mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heauens Behold as the eyes of seruants looke vnto the hand of their masters and as the eyes of a maiden vnto the hand of her mistresse so our eyes waite vpon the Lord our God vntil that he haue mercy vpon vs. III. A pouring out of our hearts before the Lord. Trust in him at all times ye people saith the Psalmist z Psal 62.8 poure out your heart before him Againe a Ps 142.2 I poured out my complaint before him I shewed before him my trouble §. 5. III. The forme of prayer Faiths double worke in praier Three degrees of this latter worke of faith The Forme of Prayer is in these words as a Father as hath beene shewed before in the definition And it consisteth in the apprehension and application of the promises made to vs in Iesus Christ as appeareth by that of the Psalmist b Ps 62.8 Trust in him at all times ye people poure out your hart before him and of Iames c Iam. 1. But let him aske in faith nothing wauering And heerein faith performeth a double worke I. The one is wherby we are assured that the promises as they are true in themselues being in Christ yea and in him Amen so doe they belong vnto vs as the adopted sonnes of God And in this respect Christ teacheth vs in his Prayer to beginne with our Father II. The other is whereby wee assure our hearts that through Christ in these our requests put vp according to his will we are heard of God and shall haue yea haue the requests that we haue desired of him And therefore Christ teacheth vs in his Prayer to conclude with Amen And of this latter worke of Faith there are three degrees I. The first is to carry our prayers to the Angell d Reuel 8. to bee put into the golden Censor That is to apply to our prayers the powerful intercession of Iesus Christ our High Priest ouer the house of God assuring our selues that it is able to make supply of all our wants that much incense wherewith he is furnished being giuen vnto him that hee might offer it with the prayers of all the Saints II. To see our prayers euaporate and fume vp out of the Angels hand in the smoake of the incense into the nostrils of the Lord. That is to beleeue that by the vertue of Christs intercession our prayers doe most sweetly ascend before the Lord. And so as it were euen beholding the Lord looke cheerefully vpon vs in his Christ smelling a sacrifice of peace III. To heare peaceable and comfortable words frō the throne of grace That is to haue vpon the former a true and comfortable assurance of the performance of what wee haue prayed for in matter of petition and of the acceptance of our thankefulnesse §. 6. IV. The End of prayer I. In generall II. In speciall The ends of Prayer follow And they are to be considered I. In generall as it is a dutie II. In speciall as it is the dutie of Prayer The ends of Prayer in generall are I. The glory of God II. The discharge of our dutie III. For heauenly and comfortable conuerse with God IV. That our sacrifices might in this as in other holy duties be before the Lord. The ends of Prayer in speciall may bee referred to sixe heads namely being considered in respect of I. God the Father II. Christ III. The Holy Ghost IV. The Word V. Our selues VI. Prayer it selfe VII The things aymed at in Prayer The End in regard of God the Father is to I. Acknowledge him the fountaine of all goodnes from whom as the Apostle witnesseth commeth euery good giuing and euery perfect gift II. For the hallowing and sanctifying of his great Name in most speciall manner III. In submission to his speciall command In all which the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are not excluded neither the Father from them in these two following The End in regard of Christ is that wee might be partakers of his fulnesse The End in regard of the Holy Ghost is to vse the meanes whereby hee may be pleased to worke in and vpon vs. The End in regard of the Word is to be partakers of the benefit of the Gospell qualifying the seuere but most iust rigour of the Law The Ends in regard of our selues that is considered in this relation are I. For the supply of our necessities and to expresse our thankefulnesse II. To disloade our cares and troubles III. To waken and stirre vp in vs the graces of God The End in respect of Prayer it selfe is not for the worth of it to purchase any thing But we vse it in submission to Gods command as a meanes whereby wee receiue and bring home to vs the good things which Christ hath purchased and God promised Lastly wee doe vse it that wee may more comfortably take what we get for for blessings CHAP. III. The Effects of Prayer THE Effects of Prayer follow namely what Prayer worketh And they may be considered in regard of I. God II. The things aymed at in prayer III. Our selues Effects considered in regard of 1. God 2. The things aimed at Prayer considered in regard of God produceth a double effect I. It honoureth the Lord. Who so offereth praise saith the Lord a Psa 50.23 glorifieth mee II. It preuaileth powerfully euen with the Lord himselfe As to insist vpon some particulars I. It chaungeth the Lords threatnings Ion. 3.8.10.11 II. It keepeth the Lord with vs. Mal. 1.10.11 III. It calleth the Lord backe when hee is gone from vs. Exod. 33.13.14.15.16.17 IV. It turneth away his wrath when he would in iudgement burst in vpon vs Psalm 106.23 Ezech. 22.30 The Effects of Prayer in respect of the things aymed at may be referred to foure heads I. It preuenteth the dangers that we feare As destruction b Ion. 3.8.10 from Niniuee and the sword c Esa 38.14.15.16.17.18 c. from Ierusalem It staied