prayeth in feruencie of spirit e Dan. 9. 19. O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord hearken and doe Where the doubling and trebling of their requests argueth the feruencie of their Praiers The two blind-men mentioned by S. Mathew hearing that Iesus passed by cried out saying f Mat. 20. 30. 31 Haue mercie on vs O Lord thou sonne of Dauid And when the multitude rebuked them it s said They cryed the more saying haue mercie on vs O Lord thou sonne of Dauid Thus earnestly did the woman of Canaan pray for her daughter Shee comming vnto Christ g Mat. 15. 22. cried vnto him saying haue mercie on me O Lord thou sonne of Dauid my daughter is grieuously vexed with a Deuill But he answered her not a word Then his Disciples pittying her spake vnto him in her behalfe beseeching him to helpe her and he giues a cold answere saying h Ver. 24. I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Notwithstanding this she commeth againe and cries vnto him saying i Ver. 25. 29. 27. Lord helpe me but he answered and said It is not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs And she replied saying truth Lord yet the dogs eate of the crummes which fall from their masters table By which it is euident that his woman was verie feruent in making her petition and verie earnest with the Lord for the obtaining of her request And although at the first the Lord did not grant her request yet at the last he did though Christ did at the first refuse to giue her of the childrens bread yet at the length k Tamâ—n dedit quia illa etiam vehementer exegit Chrys in Math. Hom. 23. he did giue her because as a Father saith shee did so earnestly craue it Elias also is an example vnto vs of praying feruently St Iames saith l Jam. 5. 17. 18. Elias was a man subiect to the likâ— passions as we are and he praied earnestly that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeeres and sixe moneths And he praied againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruit Elias praied and the Lord heard his Praier But how did Elias pray he praied earnestly He m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayed and prayed he praied with great feruencie Thus it is manifest by the Scriptures that feruencie is required in praying And here it is to be considered that this feruencie in praying is shewed and appeareth diuers waies Sometimes by the lifting vp of the hands as Dauid doth saying n Psal 28. 2. heare the voice of my supplications when I crie vnto thee When I lift vp my hands toward thy hâ—ly Oracle Sometimes by lifting vp of the eies and looking vp to heauen Which also Dauid vsed o Psal 5. 3. In the morning saith he will I direct my praier vnto thee and will looke vp Sometimes with smiting on the breast as did the Publicane who p Luk. 18. 13. smote vpon his breast saying God be mercifull to me a sinner Sometimes this feruencie of praier is expressed by crying a lowd as we may finde Dauid in sundrie Psalmes praying crying to the Lord in his Praier q Psal 18. 6. In my distresse saith he I called vpon the Lord and cried vnto my God So the Niniuites in their distresse fasted and praied and in their praiers r Ion. 3. 8. cryed mightily vnto God Sometimes this feruencie is shewed by teares and weeping so Christ Iesus our Sauiour in his Agonie praied with teares as witnesseth the Apostle Å¿ Heb. 5. 7. who in the daies of his flesh saâ—th he when he had offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares And sometimes a feruent praier may be made with fewer outward signes and with lesse noise euen with inward groanes and sighes without voice and words heard when the heart being deuoutâ—y affected sendeth forth requests vnto the throne of grace such was the Praier that Moses made when the Lord said vnto him t Exod. 14 15. wherefore criest thou vnto me We finde not that Moses vttered any words when he praied onely his heart prayed and that earnestly and the lowd crie of his heartie Prayer entred into the eares of the Lord. Such was the praier of deuout Hannah of whom it is said u 1. Sam. 1. 13. shee spake in her heart onely her lips mooued but her voice was not heard Hannah spake not alowd when shee praied onely her heart praied and that feruently S. Luke recordeth that a x Luk. 7. 37. 38. woman in the citie which was a sinner that notorious sinfull woman stood at Christ's feete behinde him weeping And by the ansâ—ere of our Sauiour Christ vnto her y Ver. 48. Thy sins are forgiuen it is euident that she wept for her sinnes and praied earnestly for the pardon of her sinnes yet we heare no words that she vttered onely her eies wept and her heart praied z Legâ—mus quae â—â—cit noâ— lâ—gimuâ— quae dixit Stell in Lu. We read saith one what she did but we read not what she said This dutie of praying is performed oftimes more with sighs and groanes then with words and more with weeping then with speaking Now whereas in praying it is required that we pray feruently the consideration hereof serues to stirre vp Vse our deuotion to enflame our zeale to make vs more earnest in Praier For as it hath beene shewed before in the kinds of Praier there is a luke-warme Prayer some in praying are neither hote nor cold but luke warme neither so cold in deuotion as to make no praier at all nor yet so hote in deuotion as to make an earnest Prayer But such luke wâ—rme Prayers are vneffectuall and obtaine nothing at Gods hands but the praier that obtaineth any thing of God is the effectuall feruent and earnest Prayer The feruent Prayer is such as is able to pierce the clouds neither can the stormie winds blow it away nor the thicke clouds keepe it backe nor yet the spirits in the aire hinder the passage of a feruent earnest and deuout prayer but it mounteth vp to the throne of grace and returneth not emptie of the blessings of God Whosoeuer then would obtaine mercie with the Lord and find grace to helpe in time of neede must come to the Lord by Prayer but he must not content himselfe to pray sleightily and carelesly but feruently and earnestly striuing with God by earnest Prayer as Iacob wrestled with the Angell and preuailed to whom he also said a Gen. 32. 26. I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me b Haec vis Deo grata est Chrys in Mat. Hom. 23 This forcible striuing with God by earnest Prayer is as a Father saith acceptable and well pleasing vnto God Like as a Father when his child commeth vnto him to
they be offered vp in the name of Iesus Christ For this cause Christ is called the b Reuel 8. 3. Angell hauing the golden censer offering vp vnto God the sweete Incense of the prayers of the Saints acceptable vnto God through the mediation of Christ Christ is likened vnto the c Gen. 28. 12. ladder which Iacob saw which stood on the earth and whose top reached to heauen and the Angels of God were ascending and descending on it For Christ Iesus our Mediatour is the onely way and meanes whereby our prayers doe ascend vp to heauen and appeare before the throne of God and by whom also the blessings of God do descend downe vpon vs. For it is not of our deseruing but for the merits and through the mediation of Iesus Christ that we receiue all good blessings whatsoeuer whether for our soules or bodies The vse hereof is three-fold Vse 1 First for instruction Seeing that we are to make our To conclude our prayers in the name of Christ prayers in the name of Christ it teacheth vs to conclude our Prayers whether publique or priuate alwayes in the name of Iesus Christ Secondly for confutation of their errour who thinke Vse 2 that they may pray in some other name then in the Against those who relie vpon the intercession of Saints name of Christ who preferre their petitions to the heauenly King in the name of some Saint hoping thereby to haue their prayers heard this hath no warrant in Gods word nay rather Gods word teacheth vs the contrarie as expressely in that saying of our Sauiour Christ Whatsoeuer ye shall aske tho Father in my name he will giue it you He saith not whatsoeuer you shall aske in the name of an Angell or in the name of any Saint as Abraham Isaak or Iacob or the virgin Marie or Peter or Paul but whatsoeuer you shall aske in my name The holy name Iesus is the name whereby we are onely saued and there is no other name vnder heauen whereby we can be saued and the name Iesus is the name in which God is well pleased and accepteth our petitions which wee make according to his will The Scripture pointeth vs out no more Mediatours but one d 1. Tim. 2. 5. there is one God saith S. Paul and one Mediatour betweene God and men the man Christ Iesus And we acknowledge according to the Scriptures no more Intercessours but one onely Christ Iesus e Rom. 8. 34. It is Christ saith the Apostle that died yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for vs. To which agreeth the saying of St Augustine who in his Meditations saith f Quem enim alium dirigam intercâ—ssorem 〈◊〉 nescio nisi hunc qui est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris qui sedet ad dextram tâ—am interpellans pro nobis Aug. Medit. c. 5. I know none other whom I may make my intercessour vnto thee but onely him euen Iesus Christ who is the propitiation for our sinnes who fitteth at thy right hand making intercession for vs. Vse 3 Thirdly this ministreth consolation vnto vs for Consolation that praying in the name of Christ God will grant our lawfull requests hereby we haue assurance that if we pray vnto God in the name of Iesus Christ we shall obtaine our lawfull requests made according to the will of God For so hath Christ promised g Iob. 16. 23. Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you He saith he will giue it you There 's the promise which God will performe for Christs sake To call vpon God in the name of his sonne Christ Iesus is acceptable and well pleasing vnto God h Quid euim est dulcius quam genitorem in nomine vnigeniti inuocare patrem in recordatione filij ad pietatem in flectere Aug. Medit. c. 5. For what can be more pleasing as S. Augustine againe saith to a Father then for the offender to vse the mediation of his sonne to intreat fauour in the name of his only begotten son though the father cannot endure to looke vpon the offender yet he is pleased to looke vpon him for his sonneâ— sake the louing countenance of the son doth pacifie the anger of the father toward the offender It is so with vs we are offenders such as by our sinful life haue offended our heauenly father we haue no meanes to pacifie his wrath neither haue we any assurance to obtaine any fauour at Gods hands whom we haue so angred by our sinnes but onely by the mediation and intercession of Christ Iesus the onely begotten sonne of God and our alone and onely Sauiour And we haue sure confidence that we shall speed well in our requests which we make vnto God in the name of Christ and that what we aske the father in his name he will giue it vs because Christ is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs as saith the Apostle i Heb 7. 25. He is able to saue them to the vttermost that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them CHAP. XVII Of the Efficacie and power of praier THE Eight thing in the treatise of Praier is concerning the Efficacie and power of praier 8 The Efficacie and power of praier That the praier of a righteous man framed after the manner prescribed is of great efficacie and preuaileth much with God is euident by that saying of S. Iames a Iam. 5. 16. The effectuall feruent praier of a righteous man auaileth much And how much the feruent praier of a righteous man auaileth will appeare more euidently if we consider it in a twofold respect for the feruent Twofold For. Prayer auaileth much praier of a righteous man auaileth much both Extraordinarily and Ordinarily First Extraordinarily praier hath auailed much and 1 Extraordinarily and that hath wrought wonders First in the heauens aboue and that First in the Firmament causing the Sunne Mooue 1 In the heauens as to stay their course and to stand still So effectuall was the praier of Ioshua For he prayed that the b 1 sh 10. 12. 13. Sunne might stand still vpon Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of 1 In the firmament Aialon And the Lord heard his prayer and the Sunne stood still and the Moone staied vntill the people had auenged themselues vpon their enemies Yea the Sunne stood still in the midst of heauen and hasted not to goe downe about a whole day Secondly in the Regions of the Aire and 2 In the regions of the aire as First in the vppermost region causing fire to descend downe from heauen so at the praier of Elijah the Prophet c 1 King 18 36. 37. 38. The fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice 1 In the vppermost region and the wood and the
stones and the dust and licked vp the water that was in the trench Secondly in the lower regions as to stay the heauens from rayning a long time together and againe to open the windowes of heauen to bring downe raine Such 2 In the lower regions power had Elias also as witnesseth S. Iames d Iam. 5. 17. 18. Elias was a man subiect to the like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not raigne and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeares and sixe moneths And he praied againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruit thus in the heauens aboue Secondly Prayer hath auailed much in the watâ—rs to stay their violent force from drowning the seruants of 2 In the waters the Lord which efficacie was in the praier of Ionah who being in the e Jon. 1. 17. Belly of the fish three dayes and three nights Yea euen f Ion 2. 1. 2. 3. 5. 10. In the deepe in the midst of the seas the flouds compassing him about all the billowes and waues passing ouer him and the weedes being wrapt about his head then he praied vnto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly And the Lord heard him and the Lord spake vnto the fish and it vomited out Ionah vpon the dry land Thirdly in the earth causing springs of waters to appeare 3 In the earth in dry places yea making the hard rocks to gush out water in abundance As at the praier of Moses for when the people murmured for want of water g Exod. 17. 4. 56. Moses cried vnto the Lord And the Lord answered him and bade him smite the rocke and there should come water out of it that the people might drinke and Moses did so in the sight of the Elders of Israel Lastly praier hath bene of force to cast out the fiercest 4 In hell ouer the euill spirits Diuells of hell when our sauiour Christ had cured the Iunatike and had cast out the Diuell which thing the disciples could not doe and demanded of Christ saying h Mat. 17. 19. 20. 21. Why could not wee cast him out Iesus said vnto them Because of your vnbeleife c. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting Thus prayer auaileth extraordinarily Secondly ordinarily a righteous mans prayer auaileth 2 Ordinarily Twofold much both for The remoouing of euill and for The procuring of good and that in regard of both 1 In regard of the Bodie and that Bodie and Soule First praier auaileth much for the remoouing of euill from the body whether it be 1 Remoouing euills from the Bodie Twofold A common calamitie or Anie priuate affliction For the First praier auaileth much to deliuer from common calamities which may hurt a mans bodie or 1 Common calamities happen to his temporall state as from the sword famine pestilence or any grieuous plague From the sword from the hand of the enemie as it deliuered Hezekiah king of Iudah from the power of Senacheriâ— King of Assyria for hauing receiued a most blasphemous Letter from the King of Assyria he i 2. Kin. 19. 14. 15 went vp into the house of the Lord and spâ—ead it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and the Lord heard his Prayer and his prayer so preuailed with the Lord that the Lord sent his Angell to fight for Hezekiah against his enemies for k Veâ— 35. it came to passe that night that the Angell of the Lord went out and sinote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand Prayer also auaileth much in the time of famine and dearth wherefore the Lord saith l Isa 41. 17. when the poore and needie seeke water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will heare them as if he had said if there be scarcitie and dearth in the land let the people pray vnto me and I will heare them So also in the time of plague and pestilence prayer auaileth much with God for the turning away of the heauy hand of the Lord thus the plague was stayed in Israel when m Num. 16. 46. 47. 48. Aaron tooke his censer and put sire therein from the Altar and put on incense and made an attonement for the people he stood betweene the dead and the liuing and the plague was stayed This sweete incense is holy and deuout Prayer ascending vp to the throne of God able to stay the plague And prayer auaileth against any other iudgement that hangeth ouer a people as the Niniuites elcaped a great iudgement threatned against them and the Lord was mooued to n Ion. 3. 8. 9. 10. turne away from his fierce anger when the Lord saw that they repented and cryed mightily vnto God Thus prayer auaileth in common calamities Secondly Prayer auaileth much in priuate afflictions 2 Priuate afflictâ—ons to helpe and deliuer vs in time of perill and danger in time of sicknesse and from the danger of death Dauid sheweth vs that being in distresse he prayed vnto the Lord and the Lord heard him o Psal 18. 6. In my distresse saith he I called vpon the Lord and cryed vnto my God he heard my vâ—ice out of his temple and my crie came before him euen into his eares And prayer is an effectuall meanes to preserue and saue in the time of sicknesse so S. Iames saith p Iam. 5. 15. the Prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp by this means it pleased the Lord to saue Hezekiah's life for Hezekiah being q Isa 38. 1. 2 4. 5. sicke vnto death prayed vnto the Lord and the Lord heard his prayer and added vnto his dayes fifteene yeeres Thus praier auaileth for the remoouing of euill from the bodie and temporall state Secondly prayer also auaileth much for the procuring 2 Procuring good to the bodie of good to the bodie and temporall state for by praier it is that the Lord giueth vs things needfull for this present life as food and raiment and things conuenient for the preseruation of this life S. Iames saith r Iam. 1. 17. Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights and againe he saith Å¿ Jam. 4. 2. 3. ye lust and haue not ye kill and desire to haue and cannot obtaine ye fight and warre yet ye haue not because ye aske not Ye aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse that ye may consume it vpon your lusts Where the Apostle sheweth that the way and meanes to obtaine good things blessings and benefits at the hands of God is by Prayer asking them of God but so as we aske aright and aske things needfull to a good end not prodigally to waste and consume them vpon our lusts Thus praier auaileth concerning the bodie and temporall
that we should haue accesse vnto the throne of grace and should haue communication with the Lord. For as a meane subiect would count himselfe a happie man if he might finde such fauour with his Soueraigne Lord the King as that he might haue free accesse into his presence and libertie to make any lawfull request vnto the King with assurance that the King would heare him and grant his petition so a poore Christian whatsoeuer his estimation be in the world concerning his spirituall state is a happie man for he may haue free accesse into the presence of the King of heauen earth he may f Heb. 4. 16. come boldly to the throne of grace may obtaine mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede This exhortation to be deuoutly giuen to call vpon the name of the Lord and to be instant in prayer and supplication vnto God is verie necessarie to be practised of all high and low rich and poore one and other and verie expedient it is for Ministers to call vpon the people euerie where and to exhort them to be frequent and feruent in prayer especially in these euill dayes wherein deuotion with many is waxen colde and with some is fallen asleepe and had need to be awaked I haue shewed by the Scriptures that Moses Dauid Daniel Cornelius with diuers others that the Apostles of Christ yea and Christ himselfe haue beene all much giuen to prayer and I read of Iames g Gal. 1. 19. the Lords brother that with praying much and often h Geâ—ua ipsius in morem camelâ— sensum coâ—tactus amiserint Euseb l. 2 c. 23. his knees were waxen so hard by reason of kneeling much that they were as hard as camels knees so that he had no feeling of any paine when he prayed kneeling vpon his knees That was a happie age and those were blessed times for then men had hard knees and soft hearts but in these euill dayes its contrarie for manie in these our daies haue soft knees and hard hearts In those better times good men were as Cornelius was i Act. 10. 2. deuout men fearing God giuing much almes to the people and praying to God alway But in these dayes manie of vs come farre short of Cornelius his deuotion for he gaue much almes to the people and prayed to God alway I feare it may be truely said of manie amongst vs that they giue few almes to the people and pray to God seldome Wherefore if any haue hitherto beene negligent and slacke in performing this religious dutie of Prayer either publiquely or priuately let them pray and the Lord grant they may pray that the Lord would enflame their hearts with zeale and deuotion that hee would k Zach. 12. 10. powre vpon them the spirit of grace and of supplications and that hee would send his holy Spirit into their hearts to l Rom. 8. 26. helpe their infirmities To teach them to pray as they ought and to m Ver. 15. crie Abba Father And whosoeuer they are that haue alreadie addicted themselues to this holy and heauenly dutie of prayer let them bee encouraged to perseuere and pray that they may haue grace to be constant and to continue therein And now I conclude with the exhortation of Saint Paul n Coless 4. 2. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing ioyning thereunto the like exhortation of Saint Peter o 1. Pet. 4. 7. the end of all things â—s at hand be ye therefore sober and watch vnto Prayer Now the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation confirme and strengthen our faith till the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and grant that through his grace we may be brought to true and vnfained Repentance and that by the guiding of his holy Spirit we may walke in holy obedience to his heauenly will all the dayes of our life that we may sincerely deuote our selues to Prayer and calling vpon the name of the Lord that so at our last end we may be receiued into the Celestiall Paradisc through the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen ⸪ Deus qui dedit velle dedit etiam perficere Benedictus Deus FINIS
Eternall glorie ibid. Vse 1. To trie our selues whether wee bee come to Amendmenâ— of life pag. 214. Vse 2. Against those who onely câ—ase from some euill but doe no good pag. 216. 6. Perseuerance in grace Or Continuance in well-doing to the end chap. 10. Therein two things 1. That a Christian may perseuere and continue to the end For 1. A good and sound Christian shall not be mooued p. 218 2. God that hath giuen grace will finish it ibid 3. They that are iustified shall bee glorified ibid. 4. The Elect are reserued vnto saluation in Heauen ibid. 2. Motiues to perswade to perseuerance foure 1. God requireth it p. 219. 2. Holy men haue continued in their goodnesse vnto the end ibid. 3. The necessitie thereof two-fold 1. All that begin well doe not end well p. 219. 2. Except wee continue to the end we cannot obtaine the crowne of life p. 220. 4. The Benefit thereof four-fold 1. Saluation ibid. 2. A Kingdome ibid. 3. A Crowne ibid. 4. Eternall life ibid. Vse Against those who fall backe from grace and goodnesse p. 221. 4. The time of Repentance Chap. 11. three-fold 1. The time of this present life p. 223. Vse Against Purgatorie ibid. 2. The time of grace p. 224. Vse Not to harden our hearts against the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance ibid. 3. The time present p. 225. Vse Against those that deferre their Repentance pag. 226. And they that defer their Repentance doe foolishly For 1. Thereby a sinner longer continueth in his sinnes pag. 226. 2. No man is certaine of the time to come p. 227. 3. Hee that deferreth his repentance till olde age is then vnfit to repent ibid. 4. No man is sure that hee shall haue grace to repent heereafter p. 228 5. He that hath serued sin all his life time knoweth not whether God will accept his seruice in his old age p. 229. 5. Impediments which hinder sinners from Repentance chap. 12. And they are foure 1. Doing euill and escaping pag. 231. two-fold 1. In their owne experience pag. 231. 2. In the example of others pag. 233. Vse Against those that doe euill and thinke alwayes to goe vnpunished ibid. 2. Presuming on Gods mercy cha 13. Where consider two things 1. That God is onely mercifull to penitent sinners p. 234. 2. As God is mercifull so hee is also iust pag. 235. Vse Against those that presume on Gods mercy ibid. 3. Custome in sinning Chap. 14. Vse Not to accustome our selues to any sinne p. 237. 4. Hope of long life chap. 15. Vse Not to deferre our Repentance vpon hope to liue long p. 239. 6. Motiues and perswasions to Repentance Chap. 16. And they are foure 1. Testimonies of Scripture p. 240. 2. Examples of penitent sinners ibid. Vse To reprooue Those who are willing to imitate the Saints in their sinnes but not in their repentance p. 241. 3. The necessity of Repentance cha 17. In regard of 1. The Benefits of God p. 243. Vse Gods benefits should worke in vs repentance and binde vs to obedience p. 244. 2. The patience and long suffering of God chap. 18. Vse Against those who abuse the patience of God p. 246. 3. The shortnesse of mans life Chap. 19. pag. 248. Vse Against those who spend the short time of their life ill pag. 250. 4. The certainty of death ibid. 5. The vncertainty of the day and houre of death p. 251. Vse To prepare for the day of death ibid. 6. The certainty of the Iudgement to come chap. 20. pag. 252. Vse To cast our account and to make our reckoning afore-hand pag. 254. 7. The vncertainty of the day of Iudgement ibid. Vse Against those who thinke that Christ will still deferre his comming to Iudgement pag. 255. 8. The punishment of impenitent sinners Chap. 21. three-fold 1. Temporall three-fold in 1. Body pag 258. 2. Goods pag. 259. 3. Both. ibid. Vse To cease to doe euill that it may bee well with vs and ours p 260. 2. Spirituall ibid. Vse To pray that God would soften our hard hearts pag. 261. 3. Eternall chap. 22. Where two things 1. The place two-fold 1. From whence the wicked shall bee excluded p. 262. 2. Whither the wicked shall bee cast pag. â—65 2. The greatnesse grieuousnesse of the punishment of the wicked in Hell Where their torment shal be 1. Vniuersall ibid. 2. Easelesse p. 264 3. Hoâ—elesse ibid. 4. Remedilesse p. 265. 5. Endlesse For 1. Hell-fire can neuer be quenched ibid. 2. After the Resurrection the bodie shall bee incorruptible ibid. Vse 1. Against those who liue so as if there were no Hell pag. 266. Vse 2. To feare God ibid. 4. The Benefit of Repentance chap. 23. two-fold 1. It remooueth iudgements three-fold 1. Temporall p. 268. 2. Spirituall ibid. 3. Eternall pag. 269. Vse That wee may escape the iudgement of God wee must repent of our sinnes ibid. 2. It procureth blessings chap. 24. three-fold 1. Temporall pag. 271. 2. Spirituall ibid. 3. Eternal where of 1. The excellency of the place of happinesse p. 272. 2. The greatnes of their happines For 1. They shall bee partakers of glory p. 273. 2. They shall see God in his glory p. 274. 3. They shall bee with Christ ib. 4. They shal haue blessed company ibid. 5. They shal haue eternall felicity p. 275. 6. They shall haue no euill nor want any good thing pag. 275. Vse 1. To repent of our sinnes and amend our waies if we would bee either happy on earth or blessed in Heauen pag. 276. Vse 2. Consolation to the righteous which are afflicted in this life pag. 277. THE ANALYSIS OF THE THIRD BOOKE Of the way to the Celestiall Paradise Concerning Prayer THE third booke consisteth of 2. parts 1. The Preface containing two things 1. The order of the Treatise Chap. 1. pag. 279. 2. The partition thereof pag. 280. 2. The subiect matter wherin tenne things are to be considered 1. What Prayer is Chap. 2. p. 281. 2. The diuers sorts and kinds of Prayer threefold in regard of 1. The matter of prayer fourefold 1. Supplications pag. 282. 2. Prayers ibid. 3. Intercessions ib. 4. Thankesgiuings pag. 283. 2. The affection of him that prayeth prayer is fourefold 1. Fearefull ib. 2. Luke-warme ibid. 3. Rash ibid. 4. Feruent ibid. 3. The place of prayer two-fold 1. Publique ibid. 2. Priuate two-fold in the 1. House p. 284. 2. Chamber or secret place i. 3. The persons who prayer doth concerne chap. 3. and they are 3. 1. The persons praying therin two things 1. All are bound to pray without exception pag. 248. 2. Wee our selues must please God before our prayers can bee acceptable to God To which 2 things are required 1. Faith p. 285. 2. Repentance For Sin not repented of hindreth Prayer and that 2 wayes 1. In generall ibid. 2. In particular as 1. Idolatry pag. 286. 2. Cruelty and vnmercifulnes ibid. 3. Wrath. ibid. 4. Vaine-glory ibid. 5. Hypocrisie p. 287. 6. Want of pitie
on earth or blessed in Heauen we desire to be blessed with temporall and spirituall blessings and to be patakers of eternall happinesse For thougâ— temporall blessingâ— be common to all to good and bad yet the blessing of God vpon the outward blessings which God bestoweth is giuen onely to them that repent of their sinnes to them that feare the Lord and â—eâ—d a godly life aâ— it is said in the Psalmes n Psâ—l 34. 9. There is no want to them that feare him Againe o Psal 84. 11. No good thing will he with-hold from them that walkâ— vprightly For spirituall blessings mercie pardon and forgiuenes of sinnes these belong to none but to penitent sinners to such as hâ—ue repâ—â—ted oâ— their sinnes and are washed from their wickedâ—â—sse as appeareth in that large promise of meâ— forgâ—uenesse in Esay p Isay 1. 18. Though your sinnâ—s be as carlet they shall as white as snowe though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll But to whom is this gracious promise made but to penitent sinners Euen to such as haue washed and cleansed their â—eâ—â—ts from wickednesse to such as haue put away the euiâ—l of their doings from before the eyes of the Lord and to suâ—h â—â— haue ceased to doe euill and hâ—ue learned to doe welâ— for to such the Lord saith Comâ— nâ—w and let vs reason tâ—gâ—ther sâ—ith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet c. And as for eternâ—ll blessednesse and euerlasting happâ—nâ—sse none can be paâ—takers thereof but penitent sinners The kingdome oâ— heâ—uen is giuen to no wicked and vngodly man onely they which haue repented of their sinnes and are washed from their wickednesse shall enter into the kingdome of heauen As it is said in the Reuelation q Reu. 21. 27. There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defilâ—th neither whatsoeuer worketh abhomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambes booke of life Againe it is said r Reu. 22. 14. 15. Blâ—ssed are they that doe his commaundements that they may haue right to the tree of lift and may enter in through the gates into the Cittie For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoeuer loueth and maketh a lye Wherefore it greatly stands vs in hand to repent of our sinnes to wash and cleanse our hearts from wickednesse to amend our wayes and to walke in obedience to Gods commandements to serue the Lord and to feare him if wee desire either to be happy on earth or blessed in heauen As the Apostle also exhorteth vs saying Å¿ Hâ—b 12. 28. Wherfore we receiuing a kingdome which cannot be mooued let vs haue grace whereby we may serue God acceptably with reuerence and godly feare Vse 2 Secondly whereas true penitent sinners haue the Consolation to the righteous which are afflicted in this life promise not onely of temporall benefitâ— and spirituall blessings but also of eternall happinesse and euerlasting felicity in the kingdome of heauen this doth minister great consolation to the righteous which are afflicted and troubled in this present life for though they endure sorrow and sicknesse paine and griefe though they suffer tribulation or persecution or whatsoeuer affliction they vndergoe it is but for this present life it is but for a short time it is but for a moment it wil haue an end And then after that this short life is ended the righteous which haue patiently suffered with Christ shal also raigne with Christ and shall inherite a kingdome The time shal come that they shal haue no paine nor sorrow but shall enter into eternal ioy shall be partakers of euerlasting glory shall liue blessedly for euer in heauen So saith S. Paul t Rom. 8. 17. And if children then heires heires of God and ioynt-heires with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together This was Dauids comfort in his afflictions u Psal 27. 13. I had fainted saith he vnles I had belieued to see the goodnes of the Lord x Anciently expounded Heauen Aug. Hug. in the Land of the liuing This comforted S. Paul in all his tribulations and sufferings as he himselfe witnesseth saying y 2 Tim. 4 6. 7. 8 I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departing is at hand I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith henceforth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue mee at that day and not to me onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing And this ought to be our great consolation comfort in all distresse knowing that glory in heauen will be a full recompence for all our sufferings As S. Paul also saith z Rom. 8. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be reuealed in vs. a 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for vs a farre more exceeding eternall waight of glory The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE WAY TO THE CELESTIALL PARADISE Concerning Prayer Which is the third meanes whereby a Sinner may be saued and come to life euerlasting CHAP. I. The Preface with the Partition of the whole Treatise of Prayer The order of this Treatise THe a Rom. 11. 13. Apostle of the Gentiles writing to the Romanes saith b Rom. 10. 13. 14. whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued How then shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a Preacher Which Rhetoricall gradation is adorned with these fiue beautifull ascending steps First Christ must be preached Secondly being Preached men beginne to heare of Christ Thirdly hearing of Christ they beleeue in him Fourthly beleeuing in Christ they beginne to call vpon the name of the Lord. Fiftly by calling vpon the name of the Lord they ascend vp to the highest step saluation After that a man by hearing the word preached hath gotten faith and is brought to Repentance then and not before is he sit to make an acceptable Prayer vnto God for except the heart be purified by faith and purged by Repentance God will not regard our prayers but will hide his eyes and stop his eares when we crie vnto him but a sinner hauing true faith to beleeue in Christ and through true and vnfained Repentance hauing his sinnes washed away in the bloud of Christ may boldly come to the throne of grace with assurance to preuaile with God not onely for temporall blessings but for spirituall graces and not onely for grace in this life but also for glorie and saluation in the life to come For whosoeuer shall call
them so Steuen said concerning his enemies Lord lay not this sinne to their charge x Mat. 5. 46. If ye loue them which loue you what reward haue you Doe not euen the Publicans the same It 's a small matter for a man to loue one that loueth him againe and to wish well to him that wisheth well to him againe this verie Publicanes can doe any man may doe this But he is a worthie Christian he is a good man indeede that can loue his enemies that can wish well to him that wisheth no good to him againe and that can pray for his enemies such men are rare on earth few such are to bee found and yet we ought so to striue against our inward corruptions against our anger and hatred and desire of reuenge that we might both forgiue our enemies and pray for our enemies if we will be the followers of Christ and the children of our heauenly Father CHAP. VI. Of praying for the dead HItherto hath beene shewed that we are to pray 2 Not for the dead And Therein three things for the liuing It remaineth in the second place to entreate of Prayer for the dead And therein I will shew First how the present Romish Church holdeth and maintaineth Prayer for the dead Secondly I will declare in what sence the auncient Fathers haue mentioned and they themselues somtimes vsed Prayer for the dead Thirdly I will vse reasons to disswade all men from praying for the dead as the Romists doe For the first a Bellarm. de Purgator Cardinall Bellarmine giueth vs a cleare 1 How the present Romish Church holdeth and maintaineth Prayer for the dead light to know how in what sence the present Romish Church holdeth and maintaineth Prayer for the dead for he tells vs that there are three places of receptacle Heauen Hell and Purgatorie besides his faigned Limbus for three sorts of people departing hence that is to say the iust and righteous ones the wicked and vngod ly and they that are of a middle sort beleeuers but yet such as are not throughly cleansed from their sinnes As for the iust and righteous he doubts not but their soules goe straight to Paradise to Heauen as the soules of the Apostles Martyrs c. As for the wicked and vngodly impenitent sinners and Infidels hee maketh no question of them but that they goe downe to Hell neuer to be deliuered All the question is of the third sort those of the middle sort which are neither very good nor very euill but such as die in their veniall sinnes or haue not satisfied for the temporall punishment of their mortall sinnes and therefore such must be cast into the fire of Purgatorie to purge them more from their sins and as it were to scoure away their drosse till they haue satisfied the iustice of God partly by their owne sufferings and partly by the prayers fastings almesdeeds of others and such like This is the Faith of the present Romane Church concerning Prayer for the dead so that the praiers of the Romists which they make for the dead are chiefely intended for the soules of their friends in Purgatorie that thereby they may procure some mitigation of their paines and bring as they imagine some ease to their tormented soules The second thing concerning Prayer for the dead is 2 In what sence the auncient Fathers haue mentioned sometimes vsed prayer for the dead to shew in what sence the auncient Fathers haue mentioned in their writings and sometimes vsed themselues Praier for the dead Diuerse iudicious and learned b D. Mort. in his Protest Appeale l. 2. c. 8. Lanch de natura Dei l. 4. c. 4. Perk problâ—m â—itul prâ—s promort Diuines consent in this that the auncient Orthodoxall Fathers neuer vsed or spake of Prayers for the dead to the end that they might haue remission of their sinnes after this life that they might be purged from their sinnes or be deliuered from the paines of Purgatorie but the Prayers made for the dead in auncient time were for other ends and chiefely they were either prayses and thankesgiuings to God for their departure out of this miserable sinfull and wretched life and forgiuing them eternall life in the heauens or else they were Prayers made in regard of the Resurrection of their bodies that the Lord would send them a speedie and ioyful Resurrection and these Prayers which were made for their friends departed were not made in regard of any miserie of the present state of their soules but for the glorifiing of their bodies in the Resurrection of the iust that then their glory might be encreased and that they might receiue fullnesse of glorie both in their bodies and in their soules And this is not a meere opinion and bare coniecture but this is according to sound iudgement gathered from the writings of the Fathers themselues St Ambrose prayeth for the Emperour Theodosius after his death saying c Darequiem perfectam seruo tuo Theodosiâ— requiem quam praeparasti sanctis tuis Amb. orat funeb de obit The dos Giue perfect rest to thy seruant Theodosius euen that rest which thou hast prepared for thy Saints Thus he prayeth and yet afterwards saith d Manet in lumine Theodosius sanctorum caetibus gloriatur ibid. Theodosius is in light and is glorified amongst the company of the Saints So St c Lib Confess Austine prayeth for his Mother being dead and yet is perswaded that the Lord hath heard him and granted his request and that shee is in glorie So Eusebius reporteth that f Preces pro auima Imperatoris Deo fundebant Euseb de vita Constant l. 4. cap. 71. Prayers were made for Constantine the Christian-Emperour after his death which prayers were but either thankesgiuings lauding and praising God for deliuering him out of this miserable life crowning him with glorie in the heauens or prayers for the fulnesse of glorie in the Resurrection of the iust and they did not pray for any ease to his soule from the flames of Purgatorie for as the same Author reporteth g Omnes beatum Imperatorem acceptumque Deo praedicabant ibid. c. 69. all men did say that the Emperour was blessed and accepted of God It is manifest then by these Fathers that the custome of the auncient Church of God in praying for the dead was not to procure ease to bring refreshing to their soules in Purgatorie or to deliuer them out of Purgatorie seeing that they acknowledge that their friends for whom they prayed were in light were in glorie and were blessed 3 Reasons wherfore we are not to pray for the dead as the Papists doe at this day In the third place I yeeld these reasons wherefore we are not to pray for the dead as the Romists vse Prayer for the dead at this day First The Scripture acknowledgeth but two places as receptacles for the soules of men after this life Heauen and Hell
place for the seruice of God was the Temple at Ierusalem For there in a more speciaâ—l manner God promised his presence as is euident by Salomons praier which he made vnto the Lord at the dedication of the Temple and by the Lords answer thereunto For Salomon praieth on this manner a 1 King 8. 28. 29. 30. Haue thou respect vnto the prayer of thy seruant and to his supplication O Lord my God to hearken vnto the cry and to the prayer which thy seruant prayeth before thee to day that thine eyes may be open towards this house night and day euen toward the place of which thou hast said my name shall be there that thou maist hearken vnto the praier which thy seruant shall make towards this place And hearken thou to the supplication of thy seruant and of thy people Israel when they shall pray towards this place and heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place and when thou hearest forgiue And the Lord graciously answered Salomon and said b 1 King 9. 3. I haue heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me I haue hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my Name there for euer mine eyes my heart shall be there perpetually To the Iewes this Temple that Salomon built was the place of Gods worship hither the people brought their sacrifices and burnt offrings here the people made their praiers twice a day And hither came all the c Deut. 16. 16. males three times in a yeare to worship God And at other times when they prayed they looked towards the Temple at Ierusalem where the Lord had promised his presence as may be gathered from these words of Salomons praier d 1 King 8. 29. Hearken thou to the supplication of thy seruant and of thy people Israel when they shall pray towards this place and by that which is mentioned concerning Daniels praying vnto his God e Dan. 6. 10. His windowes being open in his chamber toward Ierusalem he kneeled vpon his knees three times a day and prayed In a word the Temple at Ierusalem was the place where the Lord manifested his presence in a more glorious manner then in any other place in the whole earth be sides It may here be demaunded where is now the publique Quest place of Gods worship for as for Ierusalem it is defaced it s f Luk. 19. 44. layd euen with the ground And as for the Temple it is destroied and there is not one stone left vpon another neither is the Lords presence so graciously there now as it was in the dayes of Salomon and in the daies of the Kings of Iudah which succeeded him I answere that the Temple at Ierusalem was to continue not for euer but onely for a time euen till Christ Answ came And after Christ then the Temple at Ierusalem ceased to be any more the certaine set place of Gods publique worship as our Sauiour Christ saith to the woman of Samaria g Ioh. 4. 21. Woman belieue me the houre commeth when ye shall neither in this mountaine nor yet at Ierusalem worship the Father And againe h Ver. 23. The houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth Againe our Sauiour Christ saith i Math. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Now whereas God is still to be worshipped and that Christians are to worship God not onely in priuate but also in publique its necessary that Christian people haue decent places for the publike worship of God which places are our materiall Churches It is apparent that the Iewes euen whiles that the Temple stood had their k Luk. 4. 15. 16. Synagogues in their Cities whither the people which were not nigh to Ierusalem came to worship God and where l Acts. 15. 21. Moses was preached being read in the Synagogues euery Sabboth day So the ancient Christians had their m Euseb eccles hist l. 9. c. 10. Oratories that is houses of prayer Which were the Lords houses And as the Synagogues were to the Iewes and Oratories to the Christians in the first times such are our materiall Churches to vs in our times So that when Christian people are assembled together in the name of Christ to pray vnto God to praise God to heare his holy word and to be partakers of the Sacraments then we may truely say of the publique place as Iacob said of Bethel n Gen. 28. 16. 17. Surely the Lord is in this place And againe How dreadfull is this place This is none other â—â—t the house of God and this is the gate of heauen The consideration of this that there is in the time of the Gospell a publique place for the publique worship of God euen the materiall Church which may be called the house of God and the house of Prayer serues Fiâ—st for instruction and that Vse 1 First to teach vs to bee deligent in frequenting and 1 To frequent the house of God comming to the house of God duely and diligently to resort to the publique place of Gods worship to â—oyne with the congregation in praying and praising God in hearing the word and receiuing the Sacrament This dutie the Prophet Esay teacheth vs saying o Isa 2. 2. It shall come to passâ— in the last days that the mountaine of the Lords house shall bee established in the top of the mountaines and shall bee exalted about the hils and all nations shall flow vnto it And many people shall goe and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and hee will teach vs of his wayes and wee will walke in his pathes The mountaine of the Lord was the Temple of the Lord at Ierâ—salem which stood vpon p 2 Chron. 3. 1. mount Moriah whiâ—her the Iewes came to worship God but now the mountaine of the Lord is exalted aboue the hills and all Nations flow vnto it Now the mountaine of the Lord is where the Gospell is preached and in euery place where the name of the Lord is called vpon The Church of England is the mountaine of the Lord and our particular Churches where the Congregation is assembled together for the worship of GOD are holy mountaines And therefore all that be zealous of the Lord alâ— that loue the Lords house and all that delight to bee in the holy mountaine of the Lord should frequent the house of God and bee willing and ready to come vp to the publique place of Gods worship and not onely be forward themselues to come to the house of the Lord but to call vpon their Children and Seruants and to say to their friends and neighbours Come yee and lâ—t vs goe vp to the Mountaine of the Lord to the house of thâ— God of Iacob and he will teach vs of
least of all thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant So Daniel confesseth saying u Dan. 9. 7 8. O Lord righteousnes belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs confusion of faces c. And againe he saith O Lord to vs belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers because wee haue sinned against thee This was the humilitie of the Centurion who said vnto Christ x Mat. 8. 8. Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe And of the prodigall sonne humbling himselfe before his Father and saying y Luk 15. 21. Father I haue sinned against heauen and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne And this humility in prayer is acceptable with God and is of great force to mooue the Lord to be mercifull vnto vs to encline his eares to our prayers to heare vs and helpe vs in the time of our neede as the Lord promiseth Salomon saying z 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people will humble themselues and pray c. then will I heare from heauen and will forgiue their sinne and will heale their Land And the wise Sonne of Sirach saith a Ecclus. 35. 17. The prayer of the humble pierceth the clowdes The consideration of this inward humility required Vse in praying serues to reprooue the hypocrisie of those Against those who giue vnto God onely outward worship who in their worshipping of God giue vnto the Lord but onely outward worship they are content according to vsuall custome to bare the head to bow the body and bend the knee as others doe but for humbling of the soule bowing of the heart contrition of spirit and drawing vp of the thoughts vnto God these with many are not or but sleightly performed But what shall it profit thee O man or what reward shalt thou haue if thou vncouerest thy head and couerest thy sinnes if thou bowest thy body and doest not humble thy soule if thou bendest thy knee and hast within thee a hard and stubborne heart or what great thing doest thou if thou onely bringest thy bodie neere vnto God and honourest him with thy lips and tongue when as thy heart is farre from God The outward humbling of the bodie alone may content men but cannot please God the inward humilitie of the heart is most acceptable to God but both ioyned together are best pleasing both to God and man and this of humility in praying The 4 thing required in the framing of our praiers is 4 The auoiding of vaine repetitions in praying Twofold that we be carefull to auoide vaine repetitions And this fault of vsing vaine repetitions stands in two things First in a vaine and idle repeating of the same things making the same petitions againe and againe this is properly called Battologie or vaine repetition 1 Battologie Secondly in multitude of words regarding more the multitude of words and length of time in praying then either the matter of prayer or the sence 2 Polylogie of the words vttered in praying this is properly called Polylogie or much talking Both which are reprooued by our Sauiour Christ saying b Math. 6 7. When ye pray vse not vaine repetitions aâ— the heathen doe For they thinke that they shall Vaine repetition to be auoyded For. be heard in their much speaking Now in praying we must auoide vaine repetitions and much speaking First because that therein there is much labour of the lips but little moouing of the heart which is a thing displeasing 1 It is but lip labour vnto God Secondly because this is the manner of the heathen which know not God wherefore saith our Sauiour 2 It is heathenish when ye pray vse not vaine repetitions as the heathen doe Thirdly God doth not heare men the sooner because of their much speaking and many words for the heathen 3 God doth not therefore the sooner heare them thinke saith our Sauiour that they shall be heard for their much speaking They thinke so but it is not so Fourthly it is not needfull to vse vaine repetitions in praying to the Lord nor to wearie him with much talking 4 It is not needfull for the Lord knoweth what things we stand in need of before we pray as our Sauiour also saith c Math. 6. 8. Be not therefore like vnto them that is the heathen for your Father knoweth what things ye haue need of before ye aske him The consideration of the vnlawfulnesse of vsing vaine Vse repetitions and much speaking in prayer serues to reprooue First those who tie themselues to a set number of praiers 1 Against those who tie themselues to an often repeating of the same prayers and to a strict obseruation of repeating often ouer their praiers as the Lords prayer yea those which are no prayers as the Aue and the Creed the one being but a Salutation and the other a confession of our Faith Secondly here they are reprooued who in their conceiued 2 Against those who in their conceiued praiers vse often repetitions praiers either through want of knowledge or affecting length of time vse many words and often repetitions of the same things and for the most part disorderly placed Here it may be demanded whether the vsing of long Quest prayers be lawfull or whether long-praying be not forbidden vnder that which our Sauiour calleth much speaking I answer if any one vse many words to prolong the time pleasing himselfe in the multitude of words and Answ priding himselfe in this that he is able to hold out long in praying though it be with sundry repetitions of the same things this is sinnefull but a long praier is not simplie vnlawfull And that is not properly said to bee a long prayer wherein there is nothing d Loâ—ga non est in quâ— nihil redâ—ndat superfluous nor idle but that is a long prayer which abounds with superfluity of speech hauing little matter but manie words and many repetitions of the same things that 's a long and a tedious Praier CHAP. XV. Of Feruencie and Perseuerance in Prayer THE fift thing necessarily required in praying 5 Feruencie in Prayer is Feruencie in Prayer Of which Saint Iames saith a Iam. 5 16. the effectuall feruent Prayer of a righteous man auaileth much Praier auaileth much but what praier is it that auaileth much It is the feruent and earnest Praier We haue sundrie examples in the Scriptures of this feruencie in praying Dauid praieth thus b Psal 17. 1. Heare the right ô Lord attend vnto my cry giue eare vnto my Prayer that goeth not out of fained lips Againe hee prayeth saying c Psal 130. 2. Lord heare my voice let thine eares bee attentiue to the voice of my supplications And againe d Psal 39. 12. heare my Praier O Lord and giue eare vnto my crie hold not thy peace at my teares So Daniel
either to pray vnto God or to praise God Secondly the word of God if we meditate thereon 2 Concerning the word of God will stirre vs vp to praier whether we meditate on the law or the Gospell If on the law and the iudgements threatned against impenitent sinners the consideration thereof may moue vs to pray that we may haue grace to repent vs of our sinnes that so we may escape those iudgments threatned against vs and if we meditate on the Gospell and consider the promises of mercie and saluation made to all that truly beleeue and repent the consideration thereof may mooue vs to pray that we may haue grace to beleeue and to repent that so we may be partakers of those sweete and comfortable promises Thirdly meditations vpon the workes of Creation 3 Concerning the workes of Creation may stirre vs vp to Inuocation and calling vpon the name of the Lord either to pray to God for some blessing or to praise God for his goodnesse whether we consider the things created In heauen or In Earth or Threefold In the Seas and waters For so the Psalmist hath distinguished the workes of Creation p Psal 146. 6. Which made heauen and earth the Sea and all that therein is Touching the First The workes of creation in the 1 In the heauens heauens may stirie vs vp to call vpon the name of the Lord. As when we thinke on the Angels in heauen consider how they are q Heb. 1. 14. Ministring Spirits ready to r Psal 103. 20. doe his commandements hearkning to the voice of his word It should cause vs to pray that we also may endeauoure to lead such an angelicall life here on earth as that we be carefull to doe the will and obey the commandement of the Lord as the Angells doe When we looke vp to the heauens aboue see the firmament and behold the Sunne the moone and the starres those glorious lights the beholding thereof may cause vs to praise God for giuing vs sinfull men such glorious-bright-shining lampes to lighten vs in this vale of miserie as also to pray that after this life ended we may shine in the heauens as those glorious lights now shine for Daniel saith ſ Dan. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starrs for euer and euer And our sauiour Christ saith t 〈◊〉 13. 43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sunne in the kingdome of their father When we looke vp and see the cloudes we may meditate on Christs second u Mat 24. 34. Commming in the cloudes of heauen and how we shall be x 1 Thes 4. 17. caught vp in the cloudes and then pray that we may be ready and prepared * Versab to meete the Lord in the aire that so we may euer be with the Lord. When we heare it thunder and see the lightning flash in our faces we should meditate on the mighty voice of the Lord and the sound of the last y Vers 16. trumpe which shall cause the dead to rise as also of the suddainnesse of Christs second comming to iudgement compared to z Mat. 24. 27. lightning and then pray that we be not found sleeping but a Luk. 12. 36. 37 watching like to good seruants which Watch and wait for the Lords comming When we see the dew raine falling vpon the earth and perceiue that thereby the drie earth is refreshed bringeth forth hearbes and grasse and corne for the vse of man and beast we may meditate on the dew of grace and the sweete and comfortable raine of Gods word dropping vpon the hearts of men and refreshing their soules and then pray that as the raine falling vpon the earth maketh it fruitfull so the word of God dropping vpon our hearts may soften our hard and stonie hearts and make vs fruitfull in good workes When we consider the b Math. 6. 26. Foules of the aire how they sow not neither doe they reape nor gather into barnes and yet as our sauiour Christ saith Your heauenly father feedeth them we may meditate on the prouidence of God of his goodnesse prouiding for all liuing creatures and then pray that we may rest vpon God and depend vpon his prouidence for the things of this present life as foode and raigment and all other things needfull for the preseruation of our life c 1 Pet. 5. 7. Casting all our care on God and praying that we may d Math. 6. 33. First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse that all needfull thing may be added vnto vs. Thus meditations to stirre vp our deuotion may be taken from things aboue Secondly from things on earth as when we looke 2 On the earth vpon trees consider how some trees beare good and plentifull fruite others either no fruite or bad fruite we may meditate on the seuerall sorts of men in the world and thinke with our selues how good men are like good trees doing good and bringing forth in their liues the fruit of holinesse and righteousnesse contrariwise that wicked men are like bad trees yeelding either no fruite or no good fruite who either liue Idly and are vnprofitable members doing no good or bringing forth e Isa 5. 4. wilde grapes liue wickedly and doe naughtily offending God and wronging men then pray that we may be good trees bringing forth good fruite because Iohn Baptist saith f Math. 3. 10. Euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fier When we looke vpon the grasse in the field or flowers in the garden we may be put in mind of our mortalitie and shortnesse of life for as the Prophet Esay sayth g Isa 40. 6. All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the field The grasse withereth the flower fadeth And when we are thus meditating on our mortalitie and shortnesse of life then we should pray that we may at all times be readie and prepared for the day of our death for we are but as the grasse and as the flower we know not how soone we may be cut downe pluckt vp and withered when we thinke or looke on beasts and cattell they may stirre vp our deuotion as when we perceiue the h Isa 1. 3. Oxe knowing his owner and the asse his masters crib as saith the Prophet we should pray that the Lord would make vs obedient and thankfull vnto God lest we be worse then the Oxe or the asse When we see a Lambe brought to the slaughter and the sheepe lying vnder the hand of the shearer dumbe we may meditate on the meeknesse patience of Christ our Sauiour in suffering for as the Prophet Esay saith i Isa 53. 7. he was oppressed he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a Lambe to the
46. l. 24. the for their p. 58. l. 19. do for doth p. 103. l. 34 of for in p. 114. l. 28. present for patient p. 124. l. 22. then for they and l. 23. blot out that p. 128. l. 23. read in Christ p. 140. l. 15. a religious for in a righteous Lib. 2. p. 152. in marg for Bern. r. â—â—z p. 155. l. 3. waile for bewaile p. 170. in marg the letters d e f are misplaced p. 1â—8 l. 6. griefe for griâ—ue p. 182. l 22. blot out to p. 184. l. 23. and for are p. 191. in marg soluendâ—â— for solùm dic p. 192. l. 30. thoughts for thoughtest p. 202 l. 18. for hypocrisie r. in hypocrisie p â—17 l. 25. continueth for commeth p. 221. l. 13. from for to p. 223. in marg after â— delere is wanting and l. 29. continueth for continuance Lib. 3. p. 281. l. 21. name for man p. 289. l. 21. be for is p. 328. l. 25. in the middle of the line blot out shall p. 330. in marg Hoas for Hâ—ushold prayer p 342. l. 15. read a gesture p. 355. l 2. waueth for wauereth p. 380. l. 26. are men for men are p. 387. in marg John 1. for 17. THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE WAY TO THE CELESTIALL PARADICE Concerning Faith in IESVS CHRIST Which is the first and principall meanes wherby a Sinner may be saued and come to life euerlasting CHAP. I. The preface shewing in generall the way to the Celestiall Paradice and the meanes of obtaining euerlasting life with the diuision of the whole Treatise I Am the Way the Truth and the Life Ioh. 14. 6. saith our Sauiour No man commeth vnto the Father but by mee The way that leadeth to the Celestiall Paradice is Christ called by the Apostle the new and the liuing way For he saith a Heb. â—0 1â— We haue boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Iesus Christ by a New and Liuing Way which he hath consecrated for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh There are many b Joh. 14 2. mansions in the Lords house which is aboue in the heauenly City the City of God many pleasant places and sweet roomes are prepared for Gods Elect there to solace themselues after the manifold afflictions of this troublesome life But forasmuch as the way to Heauen is not a c Mat. 7. 13. 14. broad but a narrow way not a soft pleasant delightfull way but vneuen hauing many hard steps and vnpleasant paths rough wayes and high mountaines to passe ouer before wee can come to the high mountaine of Heauen for d Acts 14. 22. through much tribulation wee must enter into the Kingdome of God for this cause Christ Iesus our blessed Sauiour who is a Guide to the blinde and an Instructor to the simple stands as a Guide at the entrance into the way of life and saith I am the Way I am the true and liuing Way if you know not the way I will be your Guide follow me I am the Way If you haue gone astray and wandred from the right way follow me I am the Truth I will lead you in the true way And if you haue gone so farre in the broad way that leadeth to destruction that you are neere to the gates of death ô turne againe I am the liuing Way follow mee and I will lead you to lâ—fe euerlasting So mercifully speakes our mercifull Sauiour to sinners that are out of the right way and whereas through the disobedience of the first Adam the e Gen. 3. 24. entrance into the earthly Paradice was stopt and the gate shut the second Adam Christ Iesus hath giuen vs entrance into the Holiest He hath opened the gate of the heauenly Paradice with his owne bloud f Sanguis Christi est clauis Paradisi The bloud of Christ is the key â—f Paradice for we haue entrance into the Holiest by the bloud of Iesus Christ is the Way Hee is the true Way the new and the liuing Way g Nique enim alia ventenâ—i via est Chrys Hom. 72 in Joh. There is no other way but by Christ saith S. Chrysostome h Ponit tres graduâ— ac si principium se esse dicoreâ— aâ— mâ—dium finem vnde sequitur ab ipso incipâ—â—ndum esse in eodem pergendum desinendum Calu. in Ioh. c. 14. Christ is the Beginning the Middle and the End of this celestiall and heauenly Way and therefore whosoeuer will come to Heauen must begin in Christ goe on in Christ and end in Christ Now as the way is so must our walking bee in the way the way is spirituall and our comming to God and walking in the way to the Kingdome of Heauen is not with corporall and bodily feet but with spirituall and our spirituall feet on which wee must walke in the way that leadeth to the Kingdome of Heauen are thâ—â—e two Repentance and Prayer and Faith is the staffe to hold vs vp in our heauenly iourney And hee that hath Faith in his heart Repentance in his life and Prayer in his mouth walkes as a true Israelite to the land of Canaan with his shooes on his feet and his staffe in his hand These three are all of absolute necessity in this our long pilgrimage to the celestiall Paradice No man can walke on one leg alone and two will be weary and faint except a man haue a staffe in his hand to case an support him to helpe and further him in his way Repentance alone is but as one leg to walke on for a sinner that hath repented of his sinnes and is in some measure â—eformed in his life yet because no man in this life is perfectly sanctified through ignorance or infirmity and by occasion he hath his often slips many failings and some falls into sinne and therefore hath neede of Prayer as another leg to support him that hee may repaire and renue his Repentance by deuouâ— Praier confessing his sinnes praying for the pardon of his sinnes and crauing ayde from aboue that hee may bee able hence-forward to striue against his corruptions to ouercome sinne and to walke in newnesse of life And forasmuch as through often sinning Deuotion may wax cold Prayer may faint and there may fall a drowzy security vpon the soule so that a man may wax weary of well-doing for this cause a sinner hath need of Faith to purifie the heart to stirre vp his Zeale and Deuotion to make him pray more earnestly and to cause him to walke more circumspectly redeeming the time and to serue the Lord hence forward in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life So then there is but one right way to the celestiall Paradice there is but one direct way to Heauen and that way is Christ Whosoeuer goeth out of that way cannot come to Heauen And our walking in that way is First by Faith apprehending Christ for our Iustification The parts of
this Treatise and applying to our selues the promises of the Gospell made vnto vs in Iesus Christ Secondly by Repentance hauing our sinnes washed away in the bloud of the Lambe Iesus Christ Thirdly by Prayer calling vpon God in the name of Iesus Christ CHAP. II. Of the order of the Treatise shewing that Faith must goe before Repentance and Prayer vpon which they depend Proouing also that Faith in Christ is a sure and certaine meanes of obtaining saluation and eternall life THe first and principall meanes of obtaining saluation The order of this Treatise and the most direct way that wee can goe to Heauen is by Faith in Iesus Christ True it is without Repentance we cannot be saued and without Prayer we cannot come neere vnto God yet Repentance separated from faith in Christ is no true Repentance no better then the Repentance of a Matth. 27. 3. Iudas and Prayer if it proceede not from a heart purified by faith in Christ is no effectuall prayer no better then the prayer of the b Luk. 18. 11 11 14. Pharisies and c Matth. 6. 5. Hypocrites But true and sound Repentance proceedes from true sauing faith and feruent deuout prayer comes from a beleeuing heart as the Apostle saith d Rom. 10. 14. how shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And that faith in Iesus Christ is the true and sure meanes whereby wee may bee saued and come to life euerlasting may euidently appeare First by these Testimonies of Scripiure the faithfull and true Witnesse saith e Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And againe f Verse 18. He that beleeueth on him is not condemned but hee that beleeueth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeued in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God S. Paul saith thus to the Ephesians g Ephes 2. 8. by grace are yee saued through faith where he sheweth that our saluation is not of our selues but by grace and through faith So speakes the Apostle to the Hebrewes concerning the celestiall rest typed out by the rest of Canaan h Heb. 3. 18. 19. to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that beleeued not so wee see that they could not enter in because of vnbeleefe Secondly by the example of the keeper of the prison conuerted by Pauls preaching vnto him Iesus Hee sayd to the Apostles Paul and Sylas i Act. 16. 30. 31. Sirs what must I do to be saued and they said beleeue on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy house There was a time when it was sayd k Leuit. 18. 5. Gal. 3. 12. the man that doth these things shall liue in them but now in the blessed time of the Gospell the word of saluation is this l Iob. 3. 16. Acts 16. 31. hee that beleeueth shall liue It was once sayd Doe this and liue it is now sayd Beleeue and liue This was that word of vnspeakable comfort to the Keeper of the prison a man in wofull case concerning his soule for being euen at his wits end and not knowing what to doe nor what meanes to vse to come to saluation the Apostle raiseth him vp with this Euangelicall consolation Beleeue and bee saued Beleeue on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy house CHAP. III. Containing the partition of the first booke concerning Faith in Iesus Christ HAuing prooued that Faith in Iesus Christ is the first and principall meanes whereby wee are to bee saued and to come to life euerlasting I am now by Gods assistance and through the gracious guiding of his holy Spirit to entreat of this subject Faith in Iesus Christ In handling whereof I will obserue this order I will shew First the diuerse significations of the word Faith The partition of the first booke and what is meant by Faith in this Treatise Secondly the diuers sorts and kindes of Faith and which is the true Faith Thirdly that there is but one true sauing Faith and what it is Fourthly wherein true Faith consisteth Fiftly who are partakers of the true Faith whether all haue it or but some and who they are Sixtly the necessity of hauing the true sauing Faith Seuenthly the benefits whereof they are partakers who haue the true Faith Eightly how the true sauing Faith may be procured Ninthly how true Faith being procured may for euer be preserued Tenthly the signes and markes of true Faith by which it may bee knowne whether a man haue the true sauing Faith whereby hee may bee saued and come to life euerlasting These are the seuerall things necessarily to bee handled in the Treatise of Faith of which in their order as I haue propounded them And first I will shew what is meant by Faith in this Treatise CHAP. IV. Of the diuerse significations of the word Faith and what is meant by Faith in this Treatise THe first generall point in the Treatise of Faith is to shew the diuerse significations of Faith The diuers significations of Faith in the Scriptures Faith signifieth First fidelity and truth in performing of promises and that both in regard of God and men of God a 1 Thess 5. 24. Faithfull is he saith S. Paul that calleth you who also will doe it God is faithfull that is true in his word he will keepe his promise if he say it he will doe it So also in regard of men Faith sometimes signifieth fidelity in performance of promises one to another So it is vsed in that saying of our Sauiour Christ to the Scribes and Pharises b Matth. 23. 23. Yee haue omitted the waightier matters of the Law Iudgement Mercy and c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith Secondly the doctrine of the Gospell so it is vsed by the Apostle to the Galatians d Gal. 1. 23. Hee which persecuted vs in time past now preacheth the Faith Thirdly that knowledge wherby a man knowes how to discerne of things concerning the lawfull vse of them or abstaining from them and that with a safe conscience so it is vsed in that saying of S Paul to the Romanes e Rom. 14. 23. He that doubteth is damned if hee eat because hee eateth not of Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne Fourthly a confidence and perswasion of the power of God for the obtaining of some temporall blessing as bodily health and that by miraculous and wonderfull meanes which was the Faith of those that came to Christ and the Apostles diseased and went away helped and healed of their infirmities As the woman with the bloudy issue to whom Christ sayd f Matth. 9. 22. Daughter be of good comfort for thy faith hath made thee whole And the Cripple whom Paul healed concerning whom it is said g Act. 14
is the true knowledge of God this is eternall life to know thee the only true God in the later part there is contained the mystery of the incarnation of Christ and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent And because the true sauing faith which brings life eternall c In two things stands in these two the knowledge of God and of Iesus Christ for this cause one saith that d Fides est vita aeterna Bren. in Ioh. 17. Faith is life eternall Because by faith we apprehend Christ and possesse Christ who is our Righteousnesse our Saluation and our Life Againe concerning the former the knowledge of God S. Paul saith e Heb. 11. 6. he that commeth to God must beleeue that God is Of the later the knowledge of Christ our 1 In the right knowledge of the true God Which knowledge of God is two-fold Sauiour Christ himselfe saith f Ioh 14. 1. Yee beleeue in God beleeue also in mee The first thing then wherein true faith consisteth is the right knowledge of the true God Now the knowledge of God is two-fold Generall and 1 The generall knowledge of God two-fold Particular The generall knowledge of God is also two-fold The first generall knowledge of God is to know and 1 To know that there is a God Which may be knowne acknowledge that there is a God which generall knowledge of God men may attaine vnto not onely by the cleere light of the Scriptures but by the very light of Nature and not onely by the Word of God but also by the workes of the Creation First by the very light of Nature men haue a generall 1 By the light of Nature knowledge that there is a God for naturally the knowledge of God is written in the mindes of men and euery mans conscience doth couince him that there is a God and no nation was euer so rude and barbarous but hath acknowledged that there is a God as some Heathen men themselues haue testified Of this generall knowledge of God the Scripture speakes thus g Rom. 1. 19. that which may be known of God is manifested in thē for God hath shewed it vnto them Againe the Apostle saith h Rom. 2. 14 15. When the Gentiles which haue not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these hauing not the Law are a Law vnto themselues which shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts the meane while accusing or else excusing one another Secondly men may come to this generall knowledge 2 By the workes of the creation of God by the workes of the Creation when men lift vp their eyes towards the Heauens and behold the Firmament the Sunne the Moone and the Starres those rious lights and consider the excellent frame of Heauen Earth take a view of the things contained therein they may in the workes of God as in a faire large booke read in capitall letters that there is a God which made Heauen and Earth the Sea and all things therein Of which the Apostle thus speaketh to the Romanes i Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearely seene being vnderstood by the things that are made euen his eternall power and God-head The consideration of this generall knowledge of Vse God that there is a God both by the light of Nature Against Atheists which deny God and by the book of the Creatures may serue for the iust reprehension of Atheists who deny God Of which there are three sorts The first are such as deny God in heart 1 In heart The second which deny God in words The third which deny God by their works Touching the first sort There are some so much wanting in the knowledge of God and so farre from acknowledging the very true God that they deny God and though some dare not be so wicked to blaspheme the Deity with open mouth to say there is no God yet in their hearts they thinke so and say so secretly within themselues Of such it is sayd in the Psalmes k Psal 14. 1. the foole hath sayd in his heart There is no God This Atheisme of the heart is when men conceiue euill thoughts and imaginations against God as when they see the diuerse conditions of men in the world and marke how some liue in prosperity and others in aduersit◠how some flow in wealth and others spend their dayes in misery how for the most part wicked men flourish and haue what their heart can wish and good men are afflicted they begin to thinke with themselues if there be a God where is his Prouidence that should rule and gouerne all things in the world why doth God suffer things to bee so heere the foole saith in his heart there is no God because he cannot discerne the Prouidence of God which extends it selfe to all things in the world so that not so much a◠a Sparrow can fall to the ground l Matth. 10. 29. without your father as saith our Sauiour When men see and perceiue that wicked and vngodly men through pride exalt themselues aboue others and grow to be oppressors of the poore wronging the righteous hurting the fatherlesse and the widdowes they say within themselues where is the Iustice of God if God be a iust God why are not such wicked men punished why doth not some iudgement fall vpon such cruell oppressors thus the foole saith in his heart there is no God because hee hath not patience to waite the appointed time of Gods Iustice to see the end of the wicked and to consider that though the wicked prosper for a time yet the Lord hath set them m Psal 73. 18. in slippery places and in the end will cast them downe Further when wicked men commit sinne and doe not feele the hand of God vpon them punishing and plaguing them for their sinnes they begin to deny the knowledge of God and the presence of God and conceiue wicked thoughts against God that God sees not that God knowes not all the wickednesse that they do and therfore they are bold to continue in sinne and to goe on in their vngodly course of life and say n Psal 10. 11. in their heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will neuer see it Again o Verse 13. he hath sayd in his hert thou wilt not require it Moreouer they say p Psal 73. 11. How doth God know is there knowledge in the most High now to deny the prouidence of God the Iustice of God the knowledge of God and presence of God to deny that God knowes all things and sees all things is to deny God Wherefore to the end that this sinne of Atheisme in the heart may be remedied it behooues euery one to looke carefully to his heart to watch ouer his heart that no such wicked thought against God
doe arise in the heart and if at any time such euill thoughts doe arise to labour to suppresse and beat them down by acknowledging Gods diuine prouidence that hee rules and gouernes all things in the world and that most wisely by acknowledging Gods Iustice in punishing sinners and rewarding euery man according to his deedes by acknowledging Gods omniscience and omnipresence that God knowes and sees all things that are done vpon the face of the earth according to that saying of Salomon q Prou. 15. 4. the eyes of the Lord are in euery place beholding the euill and the good And therefore not to bee so foolish nor so sinfully wicked as to say with the foole though it bee in his heart There is no God The second sort of Atheists are they which in plaine 2 In words words deny God The former did but thinke euill against God they sayd but in their heart there is no God But these blaspheme God with their mouths r Psal 73. 9. They set their mouth against the Heauens These kinde of Atheists are a most wicked generation hauing mouthes full of blasphemies odious to God and hatefull to good men Traytors they are to Gods Maiesty they deny Gods Supremacy they deny God to be supreme Gouernour of the world attributing all things to Nature These deserue rather to be punished then confuted But if the Atheist would diligently consider the glorious Reasons against Atheisme frame and orderly composing of the things in Heauen and Earth if he would lift vp his eyes towards the Heauens aboue and take a diligent view of the things below hee should bee stricken with admiration and say Å¿ Psal 104. 24. O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all Besides the Atheist might know that there is a God by his Prouidence so wisely and orderly gouerning all things in the world Indeede we see that there is a naturall course of things in heauen and earth the Sunne knoweth his rising and falling Summer and Winter keepe their naturall course but there is a first Moouer euen that Heauenly Moouer who sits in his throne in the highest Heauens and giues motion to the things in heauen and earth whose name is t Exod. 3. 14. I am who hath a being of himselfe giues being to all creatures in whom we liue and mooue and haue our being and that must needes bee God who rules and gouernes all things in their naturall course Lastly let the Atheist knocke at the doore of his owne conscience and aske what that meaneth that at the hearing of thunder-claps at the flashing of lightning and at the mighty moouing of the earth hee is so afrayd and trembleth Yea let him aske againe and enquire what that meaneth that the worme is still gnawing and biting and will giue him no rest And his owne conscience will tell him that in all these there is something aboue nature that there is a God who sheweth his mighty power in the clowds and by the same mighty power shaketh the foundations of the earth that there is a God who because hee is a iust God will not suffer wicked men to goe vnpunished and the gnawing worme of a guilty conscience in the meane time will giue the sinner no rest but accuseth him of the transgression of the Law of God his owne conscience is as a Sergeant arresting him and summoning him to appeare before Gods Tribunall Seat there to answer for the deedes that hee hath done The Atheists owne conscience telleth him that there is a God so that he may say u Psal 58. 11. Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that iudgeth in the earth The third sort of Atheists are they who deny God 3 By their deeds by their deedes of which denying of God S. Paul speakes to Titus x Tit. 1. 16. They professe that they know God but in workes they deny him being abominable and disobedient and vnto euery good worke reprobate Heere is mention of denying God but who deny him they that professe they know God How may that bee that they which professe God should also deny God they professe him in words but deny him in deedes Such Atheists as these there were in the Apostles time I would there were not cause to complaine of such in our time Many yea the most men professe that they know God they acknowledge there is a God and they acknowledge that God is to be worshipped yet many deny God by their workes Consider this first in prophane people Demand of the greatest Swearer Prophaner of the Saboth Quarreller Adulterer Drunkard c. whether he know God Hee will professe that he knowes God but look to his deeds and you shall finde that they are vile and abominable his workes are such and his manner of life such as if he rather thought in his heart there were no God neither God nor Deuill neither Heauen nor Hell Secondly consider this in Hypocrites they professe that they know God they worship God publikely and it may be priuately too in the Church and in the house they read the Scriptures heare the Word and receiue the Sacraments in a word they will not be behinde in any outward religious duty of piety and holinesse And all this is godly and religious What then is wanting one thing is wanting the practice of godlinesse a good life a godly conuersation answerable to their profession this is wanting For consider in regard of the performance of the duties of piety how some doe all in outward shew and for vaine-glory pray and fast to be seen of men and giue almes to haue praise of men consider their workes of righteousnesse their dealing towards men how farre they are from doing vnto others as they would that men should do vnto them further let it be obserued how diuerse will take their times and opportunities when they are out of the company of the godly they be for all companies to doe as others doe to sweare among Swearers to game with Gamesters to drinke with Drunkards to bee partakers with the Adulterers and as the saying is among Good-fellowes to play the Good-fellow to carowse and drinke healths c. and by these things it may euidently appeare that though they professe they know God yet by their works they deny him These are no good Christians no sound Professours because their words and their workes doe not agree together their conuersation is not answerable to their profession but these are Hypocrites yea Atheists denying God They professe that they know God but in workes they deny him To conclude seeing that wicked life and a bad conuersation rankes a man either amongst the prophane or amongst Hypocrites and such as deny God my exhortation to all that know God aright and to those that make a good profession is that of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians y Let your conuersation be as it becommeth
b Psal 51. 10. Create in me a cleane heart O God And renue a right spirit within me And againe c Ver. 12. restore me the ioy of saluation As though to outward seeming grace had beene quite lost Yet the Spirit was not altogether quenched in him for it stirres him vp to pray and to call vpon the name of the Lord. d Electi excidunt propter peccatum gratia Dei fide sed 1. non omni 2. non in perpetâ—um Pola Synt. l. 6. c. 43. The elect by reason of sinne doe fall from the grace of God and from faith but they neuer fall quite away from all faith and all grace neither doe they fall away or loose their Faith for euer They that haue true faith cannot loose it totally and They that haue true faith cannot vtterly fall away For finally neither can their Faith vtterly faile and perish for these reasons First their saluation is decreed in heauen and they 1 The decree of Gods election is sure haue a sure foundation the purpose of Gods election is sure and immutable according to that saying of the Apostle Paul e 2. Tim. 2. 19. the foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale the Lord knoweth them that are his Secondly they are built vpon a rocke which Rocke 2 They are built vpon a Rocke is Christ and therefore cannot fall as our Sauiour saith f Mat. 7 24. 25. whosoeuer heareth these sayings and doth them I will liken him vnto a wise man which built his house vpon a rocke and the raine descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat vpon that house and it fell not for it was founded vpon a rocke Thirdly they are ingrafted into Christ g Ioh. 15. 5. I am the vine 3 They are ingrafted into Christ saith Christ ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth fruit Yea the faithfull the true beleeuers are members of Christ and Christ is h Ephe. 1. 22. 23. the head ouer all things to his Church which is his bodie as long as the branches haue the vine to nourish them they grow and flourish and as long as the members of the body haue the head to giue them motion and strength so long they mooue and retaine strength now Christ is the true vine and the true head to the Church to all the faithfull and therfore its impossible that the members of Christ should perish or that their faith should vtterly faile as long as they be in Christ Fourthly the elect haue the promise of the Lord for the preseruation of their faith and perseuerance to the 4 They haue Gods promise not to fall away for euer end so that they cannot perish nor their faith vtterly faile By the Prophet Hosea the Lord saith i Hos 2. 19. I will betroth thee vnto me for euer By Ieremie he saith k Ier. 31. 3. I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue And againe he saith l I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart l Ier. 32. 4â— from me And Christ saith m Io. 10. 27 28. my sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand Fiftly Christ hath prayed for the elect for all that 5 Christ hath praied for the elect that they may perseuere to the end shall beleeue in him that their faith may not faile but that they may perseuere and continue to the end and Christ's prayer is effectuall for all that shall beleeue in him n Luk. 22. 31. 32 The Lord said Simon Simon behold Sathan hath desired to haue you that he may sift you as Wheat but I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and Christ prayeth vnto his Father saying o Ioh. 17. 20 21 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue on me through their word that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs Againe be sayth p Ver. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast giuen me be with me where I am that they may behold my glorie which thou hast giuen me Sixtly the elect are within the compasse of the golden 6 The elect are within the golden chaine of saluation chaine of mans saluation and therefore their faith cannot vtterly faile neither can they finally fall away For the Apostle saith q Rom. 8. 30. Moreouer whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified This chaine of mans saluation reacheth from heauen to the earth and from the earth to heauen againe God holdeth both the ends of this chaine in his hands The first linke of this chaine is Election that 's in heauen The second is effectuall vocation the third is iustification the fourth is sanctification these are on earth these are the middle part of the chaine these compasse in all them that are ordained to saluation and the fift linke of this chaine is glorification which end of the chaine God hauing in his hand those that are predestinate and called and iustified and sanctified he drawes vp into heauen to sit there in glorie and not all the tyrants and wicked men of the world nor all the Deuils in hell are able to breake asunder any one of the linkes of this chaine which is in Gods hands And therefore they that are within the compasse of this chaine are sure to be saued and to be receiued vp into glory Seeing then that the faith of Gods elect hath a sure foundation is as a house builded vpon a Rocke seeing all the elect are ingrafted into Christ are members of Christ seeing the Lord in the Scriptures hath made faithfull promises of our perseueraÌ„ce in faith that Christ himself hath made an effectuall Prayer to his Father for all that beleeue in him and seeing that all they who are elected called and iustified shall be glorified I conclude that the faith of Gods elect can neuer vtterly faile they that are endued with true iustifying faith shall neuer finally fall away But against this doctrine of perseuerance in grace and the perpetuall faith of the elect sundry obiections are made amongst which these are chiefe First from the saying of the Prophet Ezekiel r Ezâ—k 18. 26. When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and Obiect 1 committeth iniquitie c. It is obiected that if a righteous man may turne away from his righteousnesse it seemes that a man hauing iustifying faith may fall away To which I answere two things First by Righteousnesse in the words of the Prophet is not meant that righteousnesse Answ 1 of Christ by which we are
They were stoned they were sawen asunder were tempted were slaine with the sword they wandred about in sheepe-skinnss and goat-skinnes being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in deserts and in mountaines and in dens and in caues of the earth And they that suffered such things were no euill doers they were the seruants of the Lord Iesus they beleeued in Iesus and they suffered such things for the name of Iesus as a testimonie of their faith in Iesus Thus first the Scripture exhorteth vs to patience in suffering The second motiue to perswade vs to patience in suffering 2 The necessitie of afflictions afflictions I take from the necessity of afflictions Afflictions are very necessarie for Christians and For afflictions are therefore are to be endured with patience for First they are trials of our faith and patience God 1 Trials of our faith and patience trieth his children with many afflictions and hard trials trying thereby the constancie of their faith and patience So he tried Abrahams faith when he commanded him to offer his x Gen. 22. 1. 2. sonne his onely sonne Izaak And S. Iames saith y Iam. 1. 3. the triall of your faith worketh patience Afflictions are as necessarie for a Christian as the furnace is for gold of which Solamon hath a Prouerbe z Pro. 17. 3. the fining pot is for siluer and the furnace for gold but the Lord trieth the hearts As the Gold smiths fire trieth which is good gold separating the gold from the drosse so the fire of affliction trieth who is a good christian and who is not discerneth who hath faith and patience and who hath not The Psalmist saith a Psal 66. 10. 11. Thou O God hast prooued vs thou hast tryed vs as siluer is tryed And it followeth thou layedst affliction vpon our loynes The later words expound the former the Lord trieth and prooueth vs by laying affliction vpon vs. How can a mans patience be seene but in time of affliction he is not the patient man who can onely speake of patience and commend patience for a vertue and perhaps exhort others to patience but when affliction is vpon a mans selfe when the burthen of affliction lies heauie vpon his owne shoulders and presseth him downe if he can then struggle against afflictions if he can shew the strength of hiâ— faith and patience to beare the afflictions that lie vpon himselfe patiently and if he can now shew patience himselfe when God trieth his patience this is patience indeede Thus afflictions are necessarie for the triall of our faith and patience Secondly afflictions are necessary to cleanse and purifie 2 Meanes to cleanse our hearts from sinne our hearts to purge our hearts of inward corruptions and to scoure out the filthinesse of sinne that stickes in the heart For this cause afflictions are compared to fire that purgeth and purifieth the Lord shewed Ezekiel the great filthinesse and vncleannesse of the Inhabitants of Ierusalem by a boyling pot whose scum was in it b Ezek. 24 3 4 5 6. Wo to the bloudy City to the Pot whose scum is therein and whose scum is not gone out of it By which was signified that there was much filthinesse amongst the people which must be consumed by the fire of affliction and tribulation Wherfore Iob who was exceedingly afflicted and as it were cast into the very fire of affliction saith c Job 23. 10. When he hath tryed me I shall come forth as gold Afflictions are as necessary for the soule as physicke is for the body If the body bee ouerpressed with grosse and â—uâ—ll humors its necessary that it be purged by phyâ—icke so the souâ—e that is oppressed with the euilâ— humoâ—â—s of sinne with the filthinesse and vncleannes of vâ—câ— iniquity must be purged by afflictions to recouer the health of the soule d Tunc anima purgatur cum propter Deum tribulatur Chrysost ad pop Antiocâ— Hom. 66. The soule is then purged when it is troubled by afflictions and suffers for God The aire if it were not cleansed with windes would prooue infectious the body of man if it want exercise breeds ill humours and standing waters gathers filth so it iâ— with the soule if some windes of afflictions doe not blow vpon vs if we be not exercised with some crosse and be not troubled with some sort of tribulations wee shall abound with the ill humours of vice and iniquity and our hearts will bee a very puddle of filthinesse and vncleannesse Yea without afflictions we shall be euen like Moab of whom it is sayd c Ier 48. 11. Moab hath beene at ease from his youth and he hath setled on his lees and hath not beene emptied from vessell to vessell neither hath he gone into captiuity therefore his taste remained in him and his sent is not changed Thirdly afflictions are necessary for except we suffer 3 Without suffering afflictions we cannot come to Heauen for Christ we cannot raigne with Christ We are spirituall souldiers of Iesus Christ now a man is f 2 Tim. 2. 5. not crowned except he striue lawfully If we would ouercome we must striue if wee would bee crowned in Heauen wee must endure the hardnesse of afflictions on earth and if we would weare the crowne of glory wee must bee content to carry the crosse on our shoulders and to goe after Christ bearing his reproch S. Paul saith g Rom. 8 17. And if wee be children then heires heires of God and ioynt-heires with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that wee may bee also glorified together No glory in heauen without some sufferings on earth But h 2 Tim. 2. 12. if wee suffer wee shall also raigne with him Suffering for Christ goeth before raigning with Christ The way to heauen is by afflictions and tribulations i Acts 14. 22. We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God If we will come to heauen we must goe as the Israelites went k Psal 66. 12. through fire and through water that is through hard and great afflictions the Israelites are promised the land of Canaan but first they endure much hardnesse in Aegypt they must passe thorow the red sea goe thorow a wildernesse fight many battels and ouercome many enemies before they enioy the promised land Heauen is our promised land but before we can come thither wee must endure much trouble in the world passe thorow a sea of troubles go thorow a wildernesse of thorny tribulations fight many battels against our spirituall enemies the flesh the world and the Deuill and by Faith get the victory and ouercome before wee can sit with Christ in his Throne As Christ also saith l Reu. 3. 21. To him that ouercommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne euen as I also ouercame and am set downe with my Father in his Throne Fourthly if we haue
frugall and sparing life heeleapes ouer the meane Liberality and fals into the extreme vice of couetousnesse Hence commeth oppression extremeracking wringing and wronging of the poore before such an one vndid himselfe now he vndoes others Such are they also in these daies who are so farre out of loue with popish fasting that they fast not at all thinke so euill of popish giuing of almes that they themselues are waxen cold in charitie and are such enemies to popish mumbling vp of prayers in an vnknowne language that in the meane time their owne deuotion is cold yea some so abhorre idoles that they are fallen into the other extreame to commit sacriledge so that it may be said vnto them as the Apostle saith l Rom. 2. 22. thou that abhorrest idoles doest thou commit sacriledge Thirdly this also reproues those who doe not turne 3 Against those who turne to sinne againe from sinne to God but after that they haue made some outward fained hypocriticall shew of repentance and seemed to be washed from their filthinesse turne to sin yea to the same sinne againe This is to be like Pharoah who when the deuouring Locusts were in the land confessed and said m Exod. 10. 16. I haue sinned against the Lord but no sooner was the iudgement remooued but his n Exod. 20. heart was hardned and he sinned againe Like to backsliding Israell of whom the Pasâ—mist saith o Psal 78. 34. 35. 36. 37. When he shew them then they sought him and they returned and inquired early after God c. neuerthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed vnto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him Thus Sea men on the land drinke excessiuely but being on the sea in the midst of a mightie storme crie vnto God and seeme to be holy but the storme being past and they now arriued at the Hauen where they would be fall to their old custome of drinking againe Those that returne to the same sin againe S. Peter compares to the dogge and to the swine p 2. Pet. 2. 22. It is happened vnto them according to the true Prouerbe The dogge is turned to his owne vomite againe and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire q Isa 1. 16. Wash you make you cleane sayth the Prophet Esay some sinners wash and are cleane some againe wash but are not cleane r Lauatur mundus est qui praeterita plangit slenda itâ—rum non commâ—â—iâ— lauatur non est mundus qui plâ—ngit qua gessiâ— nec deseriâ— post lachrymas ea quae destâ—uerit repeâ—it Mag. sent l. 4. d. 14. cap. 1. he is washed and made cleane as one saith who mournes and laments for his sinnes past and doth not afterward commit sins to be lamented and wept for and that sinner is washed but is not cleane who mourneth and sorroweth for his sinnes which he hath committed but yet doth not leaue nor forsake them but fals againe into the same sins which he had formerly lamented And * Inanis est poenitentia quam sequenâ— culpa coinquinat Aug. Soliloq that repentance as one againe saith is but vaine which is defiled againe with after-sinnes But let all such know that their case is dangerous except they be conuerted and turned from their sinnes after a better manner by returning vnto the Lord forsaking their euill wayes and resoluing to lead a new life For as Saint Peter saith * 2. Pet. 2. 20. If after they haue escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ they are againe intangled therein and ouercome the latter and is worse with them then the beginning CHAP. IIII. Of the manner how a Sinner may truly repent shewing what things are necessarily required to true and sound repentance and first of the knowledge of Sinne. HItherto of the parts of Repentance The third thing in the Treatise of Repentance is concerning 3 How a sinner may truly repent what things are required thereunto the manner how a Sinner may truly repent and of the things necessarily required to true and sound Repentance a Prou. 15. 24. The way of life sayth Solamon is aboue to the wise that he may depart from hell beneath Heauen is aboue hell is beneath all men on earth are trauelling towards one of these two places either heauen aboue or hell beneath the way that leadeth to hell is a b Mat. 7. 13. 14 broad way and hath a wide gate but the way to heauen is a narrow way and hath a strait gate as our Sauiour hath said the way to hell is all c Facilis est descensus auerni descending and therefore more easie to fall into it but the way to heauen is all ascending and therefore the harder to approach vnto Now in both wayes there are steps and degrees In the way that tendeth towards hell there are sixe steps and degrees by which the Six steps going downe to hell sinner doth descend and goeth still more and more downward towards the pit of hell and they are obserued to be these The first is an enticing of the heart to a liking of sin 1 An enticing of the heart â—o a liking of sinne â—nd a voluntarie delight therein suggested by Sathan with a voluntarie delight in the same For first Sathan puts an euill thought into the mind of man and tempteth the sinner to doe euill and though the sinner doe not presently giue full consent of heart to doe that wickednesse suggested yet his heart is enticed and drawne towards it to approue and like well of it yea to delight in it of this St Iames saith thus d Iam. 1. 14. euery man is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and enticed The second is a consent vnto sinne with the heart 2 The hearts consenting vnto sinne In the former the heart did but approue and allow of the temptation and at the most but delight and please it selfe in it but here the heart giueâ— full consent to practise and put in execution the wickednesse which Sathan hath suggested The third is the doing of euill the actuall committing 3 Doing of euill of sinne that which S. Iames cals the e Iam. 1. 15. bringing forth of sinne The fourth is continuance in euill doing 4 Continuance in euill The fift is custome in sinning when a sinner hath so long continued in the practise of any sinne that now it is a vsuall thing with him it s growne to a custome with 5 Custome in sinning him and therefore can hardly leaue it The sixt is obstinacie in sinne when a sinner is growne 6 Obstinacie in sinne to a hardnesse of heart so that he is obstinate and wilfull in sinning when as he doth obstinately continue in â—in hauing an impenitent heart and will not be reformed When a sinner
God daily doe vs good feeding and nourishing vs prouiding things needfull for vs graciously preseruing and defending vs and shall we still vexe and grieue the Lord by our sinnefull course of life hath he not mercifully giuen his Son Christ Iesus to die for vs to saue our soules and shall we foolishly runne headlong into sinne to the vtter destruction and willfull casting away of our soules O consider this yee that set light by the benefits which God hath done for vs. As Moses vpon the rehearsall of the benefits of the Lord done for Israel speakes thus vnto them i Deut. 10. 12. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to loue him and to serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule So I say vnto thee O man to whom the Lord hath shewed great mercy and goodnesse vpon whom hee hath bestowed incomparable benefits whom God hath created redeemed and doth continually preserue what doth the Lord thy God require of theâ— for creating redeeming and preseruing thee but to repent of thy former sinnefull life and to turne to thâ— Lord thy God What doth hee require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to â—oue him and to serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule CHAP. XVIII Of the patience and long-suffering of God and how it ought to lead vs to Repentance SEcondly in regard of the patience and long-suffering 2 The patience and long-suffering of God of God its necessary for a sinner to cease from his sinnes to repent to turne from sinne and to turne vnto the Lord for the patience and long-suffering of God is exceeding great towards a sinner The Scripture witnesseth the great patience of God Dauid saith a Psal 103. 8. The Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger Of the Iewes the Lord saith thus by Esay b Isa 65. 2. I haue spread out my hands all the day vnto a rebellious people St. Paul plainely calls God c Rom. 15. 5. the God of patience The patience of God was great to Niniuch giuing them d Ioh. 3. 4. fortie dayes space to repent And to the Iewes e Act 13. 18. fortie yeares suffering their manners in the Wildernesse But his patience was exceeding great to the olde world giuing them an f Gen. 6. 3. hundred and twenty yeares space to repent How patient the Lord is to sinners how slow hee is to wrath and how he forbeares to punish sinners Chrysostome sheweth comparing the destruction of Iericho with the Creation of the world g Cum struit Deus velociter struit When God buildâ—th saith hee hee buildeth swiftly but when he destroyeth he destroyeth slowly Cum destruit tarde destruit velox Deus struens tarde destruens c. Chrys de panit Hom. 5. God is swift in rearing vp slow in pulling downe In six daies he made the world in six daies he created heauen and earth the Sea and all things therein but God who in a short time made such a great and glorious frame of Heauen and Earth and created such an innumerable companie of Creatures yeâ— purposing to destroy but one Citie in the world Iericho hee tooke the space of seauen daies h Quare num potentia imbecillier sed clementia diutius tolerat Chrys ibid. What was it because hee could not destroy lericho in shorter space No. Hee could haue destroyed it in a moment but hereby he shewed his clemencie his patience his forbearance and long-suffering Now whereas the Lord is so patient and long-suffering towards sinners it should be a forcible motiue to perswade euery sinner to repent of his sinnes to liue no longer in sinne but to turne from sinne and to turne to the Lord that so the Lord might be gracious and mercifull vnto him Thus saith the Prophet Esay i Isay 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord waite that hee may bee gracious vnto you The Lord is gracious and mercifull hee waiteth for our repentance and expecteth when a sinner will turne vnto him that vpon his repentance the Lord may be gracious vnto him and shew mercie vpon him So exhorteth the Prophet Ioel k Joel 2. 13. Rent your heart and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God for hee is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the euill So S. Peter saith l 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long-suffering to vs-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Wherefore is it that the Lord is patient and long-suffering it is because the Lord is so gracious and mercifull that hee would not haue sinners to perish in their sinnes but rather that they should come to repentance and be saued So then the patience and long-suffering of God should bring sinners to repentance Which serues to reprooue those who abuse the patience Vse and long-suffering of God to licenciousnesse to Against those who abuse the Patience and long-suffering of God wantonnesse and wickednes Because the Lord is gracious and mercifull patient and long-suffering therefore sinners ought to repent and turne to the Lord that he might shew mercy vpon them but wicked and vngodly men perceiuing that they doe wickedly and that God layes no punishment vpon them but suffers them to goe vnpunished Hence they take occasion to sinne the more and so abuse the patience of GOD which should lead them to repentance as the Apostle reasoneth against such a sinner m Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance The sinner that despiseth the patience and long-suffering of God being nothing mooued to repentance for all the patience and long-suffering of Almighty God shewed vnto him is like to an vngracious Childe who hauing done euill and being reprooued of it by his Father and admonished to amend regardeth not his Fathers admonition maketh light of his words and the more that his Father fauours and spares him the worse he growes So a wicked and vngodly man liuing in sinne regardeth not the admonition of the Lord setteth light by the word of God calling him to repentance despiseth the patience and long-suffering of God yea and the longer that the Lord suffers him forbears to punish him the worse he growes It is as the Prophet Esay saith n Isay 26. 10. Let fauour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnes The Iewes in their affliction remembring their sins say o Lam. 3. 22. It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed And surely if we call to mind our manifold sins iniquities which wee daily commit
vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued After Faith and Repentance then Order requires that I entreate of Prayer In handling whereof I will shew The partition of this Treatise First what Prayer is Secondly the sorts and kinds of Prayer Thirdly the persons whom Prayer doth concerne Fourthly the subiect or matter of Prayer Fiftly the time of Prayer Sixtly the place of Prayer Seauenthly the manner how we are to pray aright Eightly the efficacie and power of Prayer Ninthly the helpes and furtherances of Prayer Tenthly I will vse motiues to perswade vnto Prayer These are the things whereof by the guiding of Gods holy Spirit I purpose to entreate And first I will shew what Prayer is CHAP. II. Shewing what Prayer is with the diuerse sorts and kinds thereof PRayer is a religious worship of God whereby we 1 What Prayer is doe with all humilitie and lowlinesse of heart make knowne vnto God the secrets of our heart through the direction of the Spirit of God calling vpon God in the name of Christ in faith according to his will First I say that Prayer is a religious worship of God for it is a a Inâ—â—â—â—tiâ— potissima est pars cuâ—tus Dei Bucan de orate principall part of the worship of God in so much that in the Scriptures it is sometimes vsed for the b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro toto Dei cultu accipitur Buca ibid. whole worship of God So St Paul describes the worshippers of God by their inuocation and calling vpon God saying c 1. Câ—r 1. 2. vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints with all that in euery place call vpon the name of Iesus Christ our Lord. So Ananias saith of Saul d Act. 9. 13. 14. Lord I haue heard by many of this name how much euill he hath done to thy Saints at Ierusalem and here he hath authoritie from the chiefe Priests to binde all that call on thy name That is all that beleeue in Christ all that professe the Gospell of Christ all that worship God and call vpon God in the name of Christ Secondly I say that in Prayer we make knowne vnto God the secrets of our hart for Prayer is a diuine speech a holy and heauenly talking with God whereby we open our minds vnfold our thoughts and reueale our griefes vnto God yea manie secret things lie hid in the heart which we will not and are afraid or ashamed to make knowne vnto men yet we may safely and doe securely make manifest vnto God by Prayer and as God vouchsafeth to speake vnto vs by preaching so he is pleased to suffer vâ—to speake vnto him and to vtter the secrets of our heart by praying Wherefore one saith e Oratio tuâ— locâ—tio est ad Deum Quando legis Deus tibi lequitur quando oras cum Deo loqueris Aug. in Psal 85. thy Prayer is a speaking vnto God When thou readest the Scriptures God speaketh vnto thee when thou prayest thou speakest with God Thirdly in Prayer I mention the Spirit of God as our guide our teacher and helper Fourthly I say that in praying we must call vpon God for our prayers must be made and directed vnto God and to him alone Lastly our prayers vnto God must be made in humilâ—tie in the name of Christ in faith and according to Gods will which because they belong to the manner of framing our Prayers aright the handling of them more at large with diuerse other things also belonging thereunto I referre to their proper places in the Treatise following and come to the Second thing propounded in this Treatise which is 2 The diuerse sorts and kinds of Prayer Three-fold concerning the diuerse sorts and kindes of Prayer For Prayer is diuerse in regard of First the subiect matter of Prayer Secondly the affection of him that prayeth Thirdly the place of Prayer First Prayer in regard of the subiect matter thereof In regard of is foure-fold 1 The matter of Prayer Foure-fold The first is a Prayer made for the remouing of euils these kinde of Prayers are called deprecations or supplications 1 Supplications The second is a Prayer made for the procuring of good things for the obtaining of blessings needfull for 2 Prayers our soules or bodies Such Prayers are called precations petitions and by a generall name Prayers The third is a Prayer made for the good of others 3 Intercessions when we come vnto God by prayer in the behalfe of others as we would doe for our selues in the like case These kinde of Prayers are called intercessions The fourth is a calling vpon God with an acknowledgement 4 Thanksgiuings of Gods goodnesse towards vs for blessings and benefits receiued These kinde of Prayers are called Thankesgiuings These foure sorts of Prayers St Paul setteth downe in his first Epistle and second Chapter to Timothie saying f 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men Secondly Prayer in regard of the affection of him 2 The affection of him that prayeth Fourefold that prayeth is foure-fold The first is a fearefull Prayer when he that prayeth feareth and doubteth lest he shall not be heard this is not a godly Prayer neither is the partie that prayeth so 1 A fearefull Prayer well affected in Praying because St Iames bids vs g Iam. 1. 6. aske in Faith nothing wauering The second is a luke-warme Prayer such a Prayer as commeth from one that hath little deuotion in praying 2 A luke-warme Prayer and small feeling of what he prayeth for neither is this a good Prayer because S. Paul saith h 1 Cor. 14. 15. I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the vnderstanding also The third is a rash Prayer when any one prayeth vnaduisedly 3 A rash Prayer not considering aforehand to whom he prayeth nor for what he prayeth onely he rashly casteth out words which come from his lips and were not first in his heart Neither is this a good kind of Prayer because Salomon saith i Eccles 5. 2. be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hastie to vtter any thing before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy words be few The fourth is a feruent Prayer when one prayeth 4 A feruent Prayer with zeale and feruencie of spirit without fainting and without ceasing This is the best kinde of Prayer This is that which St Iames so commends k Iâ—m 5. 16. The effectuall feruent 3. The place of Prayer Two fold Prayer of a righteous man auaileth much Thirdly Prayer in regard of the place is two-fold The one publique in the Church before the Congregation 1 Publique and assemblie of the people The other priuate and that 2
vpon him but we haue also his promise for audience if we call vpon him in our trouble he hath 2 God promiseth to heare vs promised to heare vs and to deliuer vs out of trouble So hath the Lord said k Psal 50. 15. Call vpon me in the day of trouble I will deliuer thee saith the Lord as if he had said goe to none other in the time of thy trouble neither seeke thou helpe and deliuerance from any other but in the day of thy trouble come vnto me seeke vnto me cry and call vpon me and I will deliuer thee for there is none besides me that can deliuer thee out of thy trouble The Lord our God is not like the Gods of the heathen which haue l Psal 115. 6. eares and heare not hee is not like to Baal vpon whom his Prophets m 1 Kin. 18. 26. called from morning euen vntil noone saying O Baal heare vs but there was no voice nor any that answered To whom Elijah the Prophet of the Lord said in derision of their God Baal Cry alowd for hee is n Vers 27. a God either he is talking or pursuing or he is in a iourney or peraduenture he sleepeth and must be awaked But so is not our God whom we worship for our God is in heauen beholdeth the things on earth he made the eare and he heareth he is neither busie in talking nor pursuing his enemies nor in his iourney nor yet sleeping for o Psal 121. 4. he that keepeth Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth as saith the Psalmist but the p Psal 34. 15. eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their cry Thirdly we are sure that the Lord our God is both able 3 God is both able and willing to heare vs. and also willing to heare vs able for q Psal 94. 9. he that planted the eare shall he not heare and willing for r Psal 145. 18. the Lord is nigh to all that call vpon him to all that call vpon him in truth Wherefore I conclude that we are to make our prayers to none other in heauen or in earth but to God and to him alone Vse This serues to reprooue those who make praiers to Against those which make prayers vnto Saints Reasons not to pray vnto Saints For Saints departed vse their mediation to God for helpe in trouble For First it hath beene prooued before that God hath commanded vs to call vpon him in the day of trouble but we haue no commandement in all the Scripture that enioynes vs to pray to any Saint not to S. Peter nor to 1 It s not commanded S. Paul nor to the Virgin Marie for that Å¿ Luke 1. 28. Aue haile Marie c. is no praier but a salutation of the Angell It is no forme of praier for vs to vse to the Virgin but it was a salutation of the Angell Gabriel whom the Lord sent to doe a message to the Virgin Marie and therefore not to be vsed of vs as a prayer And seeing that we haue no warrant in the word of God to pray vnto Saints it is a bold and rash presumption for vs to pray vnto any Saint whatsoeuer though it were to the Virgin Mary There were certaine in the dayes of Epiphanius who adored the Virgin Marie and offered vnto her But Epiphanius iudgeth them as heretiks and confuteth them saying t Reuera virgo erat ipsa virgo honorata sed non ad adorationem nobis data verum ipsa adorans â—um qui eâ— ipsa carâ—e genitus de calis vero è sinâ—â— patris venerat Epiph. coâ— Collyridian The Virgin indeed was a Virgin and honoured but was not giuen to vs to be adored but she her selfe did adore him which tooke flesh of her but came from heauen from his fathers bosome And so we acknowledge the Virgin is to be honoured but not to bee worshipped and adored and therefore no prayer to be made vnto her Secondly It hath beene prooued that if we pray vnto 2 Wee haue no promise of helpe from any Saint to God he promiseth to heare vs and to deliuer vs but we haue no promise in the word of God that any of the Saints no not the Virgin Marie her selfe will or can helpe and deliuer vs in the time of our trouble Thirdly the Saints departed doe not know our particular 3 The Saints departed doe not know our particular wants wants neither doe they hearken and attend to the praiers of particular men as it is manifest by the praier of the people of God in Esay saying u Isa 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel acknowledge vs not thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy name is from euerlasting Heere the people pray not to Abraham nor to Isaak nor to Iacob but to the Lord and the reason is because they are sure that the Lord heareth them and remembreth them though Abraham and Israel that were dead were ignorant of them and acknowledged them not It is manifest then that Abraham and Isaak and Iacob that Peter Paul and the Virgin Marie and all the Saints departed though they be Saints in glory yet because they are but Saints and not Gods they are ignorant of vs they know not our particular wants and distresses and it is onely the Lord that is our Father and remembreth vs and heareth and helpeth vs in our trouble and therefore we are not to pray either to Abraham or to any of the Saints but onely to the Lord our God our Father and our Redeemer Fourthly we cannot pray vnto Saints but wee must 4 To pray to Saints is to belieue in them to put trust confidence in them beleeue in them according to that saying of the Apostle o How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Where S. Paul giueth vs to vnderstand that before we can call vpon the Lord wee must first belieue in him and so for Saints if wee call vpon Saints and x Rom. 10. 14. pray vnto them to helpe vs in our trouble we must first belieue in them wee must put trust and confidence in them that they can helpe vs. Now this is contrarie to the truth of Gods word for wee are to belieue in none saue onely in God neither ought wee to put our trust and confidence in any saue onely in the Lord our God But they that maintaine and vse prayer to the Saints Obiect make this defence for themselues We say they pray to Saints vsing them as Mediatours to God because wee acknowledge our selues to bee farre vnworthy to come directly vnto God but haue accesse vnto God by the mediation of Saints To which I answere Answ First here is feare where no feare is Are wee afraid to come vnto God to call vpon his name Behold hee biddeth vs call
either to be with h Diues in hell torments 1 The Scripture acknowledgeth but two places after this life or with Lazarus in Abrahams bosome that is in ioy and felicity now they that are in heauen are in so great ioyes alreadie that they cannot be bettered till the day of the resurrection when they shall haue fulnesse of glory both in bodie and soule and they that are in hell cannot by h Luk. 16. 22. 23 any prayers be deliuered thence as Abraham tells Diues i Ver. 26. betweene vs and you there is a great gulfe fixed so that they which would passe from hence to you cannot neither can they passe to vs that would come from thence From Hell there is no redemption Secondly whereas the Romish Church teacheth and 2 All the faithfull and true beleeuers are cleansed from their sinnes in this life holdeth that they that are cast into Purgatorie are of the faithfull sort beleeuers the Scripture prooueth that all the faithfull all true beleeuers are washed and cleansed from their sinnes in this life and are therefore blessed after this life For S Iohn saith k 1. Ioh. 1. 7. the bloud of Iesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth vs from all sinne St Paul saith l Rom. 8. 1. there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Christ himselfe saith m Ioh. 5. 24. He that heareth my word and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death vnto life And a voice from heauen saith vnto Iohn n Reu. 14. 13. Write blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them Now seeing that the state of the faithfull beleeuers is such that they are cleansed and purified from their sinnes in the bloud of Christ seeing there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ seeing they that beleeue in Christ shall not come into condemnation but passe from death to life and seeing that all the faithfull are blessed when they die and their workes follow them that is they haue the reward of their workes then it is euident that they goe not to any place of torment before they come to heauen but vpon their dissolution they ascend to heauen and are with Christ 3 The canonicall Scripture doth not mention prayer for the dead Thirdly the Canonicall Scripture doth not so much as mention Prayer for the dead no not in those places where there is mention of sacrifices and prayer yea mention of the death of the righteous but rather the contrarie S. Paul to the Thessalonians saith o 1. Thes 4. 13. I would not haue you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleepe that ye sorrow not euen as other which haue no hope Where the Apostle giueth vs to vnderstand that if our friends departed were in any place of torment if they were in paine and miserie then indeed we had cause to sorrow and mourne to pray and to doe any thing that might procure them ease but saith the Apostle I would not haue you to sorrow as men without hope as if he had said If you haue hope that your friends departed are at rest haue ease and shall rise againe to glorie why then doe you sorrow for them as they that haue no hope either of their present rest or future Resurrection to glorie you should rather reioyce for that they are at rest Fourthly though it cannot be denied but that Prayer 4 Prayer for the dead though it be auncient yet is it neither Apostolicall nor yet vsed by the most auncient orthodoxall Fathers of the Church as it is by the Romists at this day for the dead is an auncient custome long vsed in the Church yet notwithstanding I say First that it commeth short of that antiquitie to be an Apostolicall doctrine For before p Tertul. de coro mil. Turtullians time there 's little or no mention of Prayer for the dead and he himselfe acknowledgeth that it hath no firme foundation in the Scriptures but onely from Tradition and custome Secondly the auncient Fathers did not vse Prayer for the dead as the Romish Church doth vse it at this day namely for the easing of soules in Purgatorie and to deliuer them from thence but for other ends as hath bin sufficiently declared before And the auncient Fathers if they be rightly vnderstood doe nothing at all confirme the doctrine of the present Romish Church concerning their manner of praying for the dead The consideration hereof serues Vse 1 First to reproue those who when they speake of their Against those that pray for mercie to the soules of their friends departed friend departed pray that God would haue mercie on their soules for although the Prayers of the auncient Church for the soules of the dead might receiue some tollerable interpretation before Purgatory was beleeued yet now since that the Romish Church hath deuised a Purgatorie and that it is held amongst them as an article of faith it is dangerous to make such a Prayer For this kinde of Prayer that God would haue mercy on his soule howsoeuer it may demonstrate the affection of him that prayeth for his friend departed yet may it be offensiue two wayes First by taking Gods name in vaine through a too frequent and common vsing of it in ordinarie communication as the manner of some is Secondly by an opinion of supposing his friend to be in Purgatorie for in praying for mercie to his soule hee supposeth or at least breeds an opinion in the mindes of the hearers that he doth suppose that the soule of his friend departed is in the paines of Purgatorie and hath neede of mercie to be shewed to his soule whereas it is certaine that the faithfull departed out of this life haue obtained mercie before they yeeld vp the Ghost and they are purged cleansed from their sins in the bloud of Iesus Christ Secondly hence we learne that although it be vnlawfull Vse 2 to pray for any one departed in particular for his It is no superstition to laud and praise God for the departure of our Christian friends ease in or deliuerie out of Purgatorie yet it is no superstition to laud and prayse God for the departure of our Christian friends out of the miseries of this mortall life nor yet to wish to vs and them in generall the hastning of Christ's second comming to iudgement that we with them and they with vs may haue a glorious Resurrection and enioy perfect blessednesse both in bodie and soule For q Perk. Cathol reform de Purgator this is included in that Petition r Mat. 6. 10. Thy kingdome come And this is that sweete and pleasant voice of the Bridegroome Christ Iesus and of the Bride the spouse of Christ the Church of God and euery faithfull soule Å¿
cleansed hath his prayse for that perceiuing himselfe healed hee c Luk. 17. 15. 16 turned backe and with a lowd voice glorified God and fell downe on his face at his feete giuing him thankes But the other nine which returned not to giue God thankes are iustly reprooued by our Sauiour d Ver. 17. were there not tenne cleansed but where are the nine Certainly if we doe well waigh and seriously consider the great blessings and vnspeakeable benefits of almightie God towards vs sinfull men there is none but onely a verie vnthankfull man that will not be mooued with heart and voice to prayse God and to expresse his thankfulnesse by holy obedience in his life and conuersation for we cannot but confesse that the Lord did at the first create man in his e Gen. 1. 27. owne image and when as through the sinne and transgression of our first parents we had brought vpon our selues miserie death and damnation except some remedie were found out for our restauration and saluation then f Ephe. 2 4. God who is rich in mercie for his great loue wherewith he loued vs sent vs a g Mat. 1. 21. Sauiour euen h 1. Joh. 4. 9. his onely begotten Sonne that we might liue through him And that we might haue i Rom. 3. 24. redemption through Iesus Christ which redemption was wrought by the death of Christ and the shedding of his most precious bloud as St Peter witnesseth saying k 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by tradition from your fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ so great was our offence so hainous our transgression that it cost the precious bloud of Christ to redeeme our soules It is the Lord our God that first formed vs in our mothers wombe he brought vs to light he hath preserued our liues since our birth he it is that daily and yeerely prouideth for vs foode and raiment and things necessarue for this present life he it is that giueth vs health and strength of bodie he it is that hath and doth deliuer vs from many perils and dangers and preserueth vs from our enemies both corporall and spirituall yea he it is that giueth vs foode for our soules the bread of life that giueth vs habitation on earth and hath l Joh. 14. 2. prepared for vs mansions dwelling places in heauen In a word he hath giuen vs his Sonne and with him all things as saith the Apostle m Rom. 8. 42. He that spared not his owne Sonne but deliuered him vp for vs all how shall he not with him also freely giue vs all things Now what shall we render vnto the Lord for all these his benefits done vnto vs Shall we recompence him with vnthankefulnesse Shall we requite him with vndutifulnesse disobedience and rebellion And shall we reward euill for good O ingratitude nay rather let vs render him the calues of our lips Let vs take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord and let vs offer to the Lord the sacrifice of thankesgiuing CHAP. IX Of the Time of Prayer THe fift thing in the Treatise of Prayer is concerning 5 The time of Prayer the Time of Prayer when and at what times we are to make supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes vnto God The time of Prayer I consider two wayes Considered two wayes First in regard of the present day 1 in regard of the present day Secondly in regard of the present neede For the first Euery day must haue his time of Praier The Lord requireth at our hands praier euery day and I find that holy men of God religious and deuout men the seruants of the Lord haue vsed to pray often in the day some more and some lesse times in the day In the old Testament the Priests offered sacrifice twice a day morning and euening as the Lord gaue commandement a Exod. 29. 38. 39. Now this is that which thou shalt offer vpon the Altar two lambes of the first yeere day by day continually The one lambe thou shalt offer in the morning and the other lambe thou shalt offer at euen And they vsed to burne Incense twice a day morning and euening as the Lord also appointed b Exod. 30. 7. 8. And Aaron shall burne thereon sweete Incense euery morning when he dresseth the Lampes hee shall burne Incense vpon it And when Aaron lighteth the Lampes at euen he shall burne Incense vpon it Now the deuout praiers of the Saints are Incense wherefore Dauid saith c Psal 141. 2. let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense Yea and the people assembled themselues together to pray twice a day for thus it is said of the people in the dayes of Zacharius the Priest d Luk. 1. 9. 10. according to the custome of the Priests office his lot was to burne Incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord and the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of Incense Now whereas it was the custome of the Priests to offer sacrifice and to burne incense twice a day morning and euening and that the people were praying without at the time of Incense it is apparent that the people came together to pray twice a day To such diligent seruice of God the people were tyed in former times Daniel vsed to pray three times a day which he ceased not to doe no not when the decree was signed against him for euen then e Dan. 6. 10. he went into his house and his windowes being open in his chamber toward Ierusalem hee kneeled vpon his knees three times a day and prayed and gaue thankes before his God as he did aforetime Dauid also vsed to pray three times a day and he names the three set times morning and euening and at noone so he saith f Psal 55. 17. Euening and morning and at noone will I pray In the new Testament there is often mention of our Sauiour Christ's praying sometimes we find him praying early in the morning for S. Marke saith that g Mar. 1. 35. in the morning rising vp a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitarie place and there prayed Sometimes late in the euening S. Mathew saith h Mat. 14 23. when he had sent the multitudes away he went vp into a mountaine apart to pray and when the euening was come he was there alone And sometimes he spent the whole night in Prayer For S. Luke saith that i Luk. 6. 12. he went out into a mountaine to pray and continued all night in Prayer to God S. k Chry. de crando Deum l. 1. Chrysostome agreeing with these Scriptures teacheth vs a necessity of praying manietimes in the day morning and euening and all times in the day whensoeuer we receiue our meate In
striue against Answ them to be displeased at them to striue against them and to driue them away as e Gen. 15. 11. Abraham droue away the Fowles which would haue deuoured his sacrifice For to giue a willing consent vnto wandring thoughts and worldly cogitations which arise in the minde at the time of praier and to please our selues therewith is sinfull it sheweth small deuotion and argueth little or no preparatio before hand but to haue a sence feeling of our wandring thoughts withall to dislike theÌ„ to striue against them to labour to driue them away is a signe of grace and argueth a heart deuoutely affected CHAP. XIIII Of Humilitie in praying and of auoiding vaine repetitions THe third thing required in praying is Humilitie 3 Humilitie in praying Twofold And humiltie in praying is two fold The one is outward The other Inward First of outward Humilitie Outward humilitie in 1 Outward humilitie Shewed by out ward gestures as praying is shewed by our outward gesture Now the Scripture mentioneth diuers sorts of gestures which haue beene vsed in praying but the Scripture doth not binde vs by precept to the strict obseruance of any certaine gesture in praying onely it lets vs see by examples what hath been the custome of the Church of God concerning gesture in praying 1 Standing First Standing hath beene a gesture vsed in prayer a Luk 18. 11. The Pharisee stood and prayed And of the Publican it s said that he was b Vers 13. standing a farre off And I finde it decreed in a generall Councell that according to the custome of the Churches the people c Pâ— siantes ad orationem vâ—ta Domino reddamus Concil Nicen 1. Can. 20. should pray standing Secondly Kneeling is a gesture commended vnto vs by the practise of godly and deuoute men Salomen in his prayer at the dedication of the Temple kneeled 2 Kneeling downe and praied for it is said d 1 Kin. 8. 54. When Salomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication vnto the Lord he arose from before the altar of the Lord from kneeling on his knees Dauid saith e Psal 95. 6. O come let vs worship and bow downe let vs kneele before the Lord our maker So Daniel f Dan. 6. 10. kneeled vpon his knees three times a day and prayed And Paul when he was ready to take ship g Acts. 21. 5. kneeled downe on the shore and prayed And Christ himselfe h Luk. 32. 41. kneeled downe and prayed Thirdly Lifting vp of the hands is gesture vsed in 3 Lifting vp of the hands prayer Dauid vsed it for he saith i Psal 28. â— Heare the voice of my supplications when I crie vnto thee when I lift vp my hands towards thy holy Oracle And St. Paul saith k 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray euery where lifting vp holy hands Fourthly Looking vp to heauen is a gesture vsed in 4 Looking vp to Heauen prayer this gesture our Sauiour Christ vsed when hee sed the fiue thousand with fiue loaues and two fishes l Math 14. 19. Looking vp to heauen hee blessed and brake and gaue the looues to his Disciples and the Disciples to the multitude Besides these to pray m â— Cor. â—1 4. bareheaded to n Luk 18. 13. smite vpon the breast testifying thereby the sorrow and griefe of the heart and such like are outward gestures vsed in prayer But notwithstanding this diuersity of gesture in praying and that a Christian hath more libertie for his gesture in priuate yet both in publique and priuate wee are to vse such outward gesture as may manifest the inward humilitie of the heart and in publique wee are to conforme our selues to the same gesture which is vsed in the Church where we liue lest vsing a gesture different from that which is receiued and vsed in the Church wee giue occasion of offence and the rather because the Apostle speaking of the well ordering of the Church saith o 1 Cor. 14. 40. Let all things be done decently and in order Now for a man in time of publique prayer to vse a gesture different from the rest of the Congregation as to sit when the rest kneele to be couered when the rest are baâ—â—headed c. is no decency nor order but vnseemlinesse and disorder The consideration of this diuersity of gesture in praiing Vse and that a Christian is not limitted to the vsing of Consolation to sicke persons and lame people this or that certaine gesture at all times doth yeeld consolation to all sicke persons and lame people to all that are so holden with infirmitie in their limbes or are so weake in body that they cannot bow their body nor bend their knees according to the vsuall custome of the Church for God doth not somuch regard the outward gesture of bowing the body and bending the knee as the bowing and bending of the heart and therefore if the heart be right in the sight of God and if the minde be attentiue in praying God will not despise the prayer of him that prayeth though hee doe not kneele If through sicknesse or infirmity he cannot bend the knee of his body it is sufficient before God if hee bend the knee of his heart And therefore we finde Dauid praying and that earnestly with teares not kneeling vpon his knees but lying vpon the p Psal 6. 6. bed of his sicknesse so likewise Hezekiah being q 2 Kin. 20. 1. 2. sicke vnto death turned his face to the wall and prayed vnto the Lord. And it is recorded of Iacob that when he blessed the two sonnes of Ioseph Ephraim and Manasses that is when he prayed to God to blesse them and foretold their future state hee r Gen. 48. 2. 15. sate vpon the bed Necessity then dispenseth with the outward gesture in prayer And this of outward humility in praying The other kinde of Humility in praying is Inward 2 Inward humilitie which inward humility is the humblenesse of the heart the lowly bowing of the heart and the bending of the knees of the heart Of this humility it is that the Lord speakes to Salomon saying Å¿ 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselues and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes then will I heare from heauen and will forgiue their sinne and will heale their Land If the people in their distresse would haue the Lord to be gracious and mercifull vnto them and deliuer them they must pray but they must pray with humility and humblenes of mind they must bring downe the stubbornnesse of their heart humble their soules they must humble themselues and pray And this is done by an humble acknowledgement of our owne vnrighteousnesse wickednesse and vnworthinesse As Iacob doth saying t Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the
vntill this houre and at the ninth houre I prayed in my house by which it is euident that Cornelius did not onely fast but also prayed when he fasted he spent the day of his fast in holy thoughts in heauenly meditations and deuour prayer Secondly vpon the day of our fast we ought to doe workes of Charitie to feed the hungrie to cloath the 2 To do workes of charitie naked to reliue the oppressed c. i Isa 58. 6. 7. Is not this the fast that I haue choson saith the Lord to loose the bands of wickednesse to vndoe the heauie burdens and to let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake euery yoake Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that are cast out to thy house When thou seest the naked that thou couer him and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh That is a good fast when as to our fasting we ioyne mercie and charitie No man should fast out of a couetous minde to spare the more but so much as he spareth by fasting he should giue to the poore Lastly if our fast be a priuate fast we must fast in secret 4 To fast in secret and not like the Pharisies desire to be seene and knowne of men that we fast It is sufficient that our fasting be knowne vnto God of this our Sauiour Christ saith k Math. 6. 16. 17. 18 when ye fast be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces that they may appeare vnto men to fast verily I say vnto you they haue their reward But thou when thou fastest annoint thy head and wash thy face that thou appeare not vnto men to fast but vnto thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly This of the right manner of fasting The second thing in fasting is the right vse and end 2 The right end of fasting Twofold of fasting The ends whereunto fasting serueth are two The first is to tame the flesh and to bring the bodie vnder S. Paul sayth l 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keepe vnder my bodie and bring it 1 To tame the flesh into subiection and how he kept vnder his bodie and how he brought it into subiection he sheweth when he saith I was m 2 Cor. 11. 27. in wearinesse and painfulnesse in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakednesse By these meanes Paul humbled his bodie and brought it vnder The second end of fasting iâ— to humble the soule Of 2 To humble the soule which Dauid saith n Psal 35. 13. I humbled my soule with fasting When the Lord humbleth vs with any crosse and affliction we should then humble our soules vnder the hand of God by fasting weeping and mourning as saith the Lord by the Prophet Ioel o Ioel. 2. 12. therefore also now saith the Lord turne ye euen to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning These are the right ends of fasting The third thing which I obserued in a religious fast 3 Fasting how a helpe and furtherance to Prayer is that fasting after the right manner and for the right ends is a great helpe and furtherance to our prayers For First Fasting is a meanes to prepare vs the better to prayer and to stirre vp our deuotion the more in calling 1 Stirring vp our deuotion vpon the name of the Lord it is said of p Luk. 2. 36. 37. Anna an auncient widdow in Israel that shee serued God with fastings and prayers night and day She both fasted prayed the more diligently that shee fasted the more deuoutly shee prayed So Dauid saith q Psal 35. 13. I humbled my soule with fasting and my prayer returned into mine owne bosome The humbling of his soule with fasting gaue good successe to his Prayer Wherefore S. Chrysostome saith that r Jeiunium est schola precum Chry. de â—eiuâ— fasting is the Schoole of Prayer For by fasting we learne to pray The leane fowle ouerflieth the Hawke whereas the fat one is soone ouertaken so the soule of a Christian that is humbled with fasting doth more easilie mount vp towards heauen by diuine contemplation and heauenly meditation and more easily escapeth the temptation and snare of the Deuill Secondly fasting is a verie great helpe and furtherance 2 Helping to get the masterie ouer some great sinne to Prayer As when a sinner hath committed some great sinne hainous transgression or is troubled with some raigning sinne it may be that Prayer alone will not serue to obtaine remission and to driue out that rebellious master-sinne but to the end that such a sinner may more fully expresse his true and vnfained repentance by godly sorrow and heartie mourning for his sinnes that he may the more humbly confesse his sins and more earnestly crie and call for mercie that he may turne away the displeasure of almighty God and that he may obtaine mercie and finde fauour with God hee must ioyne to his Prayer fasting So Å¿ 2. Sam. 12. 16. Dauid besought God for the child and Dauid fasted and went in and lay all night vpon the earth Dauid prayed for the child when it was sicke Dauid besought God for the childe and to the end that his prayer might be more effectuall he humbled his soule with fasting Fasting was a meanes to helpe and further his prayer Some sinnes are like that kinde of Deuils which could not be cast out but by t Mat. 17. 21. Prayer and fasting Some sinnes will not easily be cast out of men hearts but with much adoe with much sorrow and manie teares with fasting and praying Now whereas fasting performed after a right manner Vse and to right ends is such a helpe and further ance to praier Against those who cannot endure to fast the consideration hereof serues to reprooue manie in our age and time who cannot away with fasting And they are specially of two sorts either belly-gods whose mindes are so much vpon their belly and take so great delight in pampering the flesh that nothing almost can so disquiet and discontent them as that their hoâ—low paunch should misse it vsuall filling or they are nice and daintie ones such as fare delicately and feed curiously fasting say they is an enemie to health it filles the bodie full of winde vpon which manie iâ—firmities may grow but remember ô man whosoeuer thou art consider that Diues who u Luk. 16. 19. fared sumptuously euery day is now in x Ver. 23. 24. hell in torments and cannot obtaine so much as a drop of water to coole his tongue And heare all ye nice and daincie ones who are so afraid of hurting your bodies with fasting are you so good Physicians for your bodies and haue you no skill nor care to phisicke your
Psal 51. 5. shapen framed and borne in sinne and conceiued in iniquitie And we were y Ephe. 2. 3. by nature children of wrath And therefore we haue great need of bettering our state both in regard of our soules and bodies Now S. Iames telleth vs that z Iam. 1. 17. Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights All good blessings and benefits needfull for vs come from God our heauenly Father who is aboue and the meanes to bring them downe vnto vs is by Prayer and ordinarily without prayer we obtaine nothing Wherefore S. Iames saith a Iam. 4. 2. ye haue not because ye aske not And for this cause it is that our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to pray to our Father which is in heauen that he would b Mat. 6. 11. 12. giue vs our daily bread and forgiue vs our daily sinnes Secondly Prayer is verie necessarie for vs for we liue 2 We are in continuall feare of perils and dangers in continuall feare of petills and dangers outward and inward When we rise in the morning we know not the dangers which may befall vs before the euening night and day we are subiect to many perils and dangers to sundrie afflictions tribulations and temptations we haue manie enemies the flesh fighting against the spirit and entising vs to sinne the world alluring vs to vanity and we haue a most sore and cruell c 1. Pet. 5 8. aduersarie the Deuill who as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom hee may deuoure And for this cause we had need to be d 1. Pet. 47. sober and watch vnto Prayer To e Mat. 26. 41. watch and pray that we enter not into temptation And to f Ephe. 6. 18. pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit Thirdly such is the necessitie of prayer that except a 3 Except a man exercise himselfe to Prayer he is dead being aliue man pray vnto God and call vpon his name he hath no true life of grace in him but is as a dead man in Gods account howsoeuer he be aliue to the world S. Paul saith g 1. Tim. 5. 5. 6. shee that is a widdow indeede and desolate trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night day but shee that liueth in pleasure is dead while shee liueth In which words the Apostle opposeth a widdow spending her dayes in supplications and prayers to a widdow liuing in pleasure And as shee that liueth in pleasure is dead while shee liueth so on the other-side shee that deuoutly giueth her selfe to supplications and prayers is aliue and shee liues the best and happiest life the life of grace to which agreeth the saying of S. Chrysostome h Quisquiâ— non orat Deum nee diuino colloquio cupit assi luè frui is mori nuâ— est et vita carâ—ns Chrys de orando Dâ—um l. 1. whosoeuer doth not pray vnto God and doth not desire to haue diuine and heauenly communication with God the same is as a dead man without life Such a one hath no true life for he liues without God and without Christ who is i Joh. 14. 6. the way the truth and the life Fourthly the neglect of Praier is a note and badge 4 The want of prayer is a marke of wicked and vngodly men of wicked and vngodly men the Prophet Dauid saith k Psal 14. â— haue all the workers of iniquitie no knowledge who eat vp my people as they eate bread and call not vpon the Lord Iob describeth the wicked not onely by their prosperous state in this world but also by their â—ilfull ignorance by their carelesse neglect of the seruice of God and their contempt of Prayer For he saith of them l Job 21. 14. 15. they say vnto God depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes what is the almightie that we should serue him And what profit should we haue if we pray vnto him Now then if this be a marke of wicked and vngodly men of profane people that haue little or no feare of God before their eyes not to pray vnto God then certaine it is most necessarie for all that desire to feare God and would be of the number of the righteous to be diligent and carefull to serue God to pray vnto him and to call vpon his name Such is the necessitie of Prayer Fourthly the consideration of the good which wereceiue 4 The benefit of Prayer by making our prayers and supplications vnto God should perswade vs to pray vnto God and to call vpon his name For First if we pray vnto God and call vpon his name the 1 God hath promised to heare our Prayers and grant our requests Lord hath promised to heare vs and grant our requests m Psal 50. 15. call vpon me saith the Lord in the day of trouble I will deliuer thee And Dauid saith n Psal 65. 2. O thou that hearest prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come And our Sauiour Christ saith o Mat. 7. 7. Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Dauid prayeth and was heard p Psal 18. 6. In my distresse saith he I called vpon the Lord and cryed vnto my God he heard my voice out of his Temple and my crie came before him euen into his eares Hezekiah prayed and the Lord heard him and sent him this word by the Prophet q Isa 38. 5. Goe and say to Hezekiah thus saith the Lord the God of Dauid thy Father I haue heard thy prayer I haue seene thy teares Cornelius also hath witnesse from heauen that God heard his praier for an Angell is sent vnto him which said r Acts. 10. 31. Cornelius thy praier is heard thus the Scripture doth make it manifest that God heareth our praiers And this is an exceeding great benefite that we make our praiers to such a God that is both able to heare vs and not like the Gods of the heathen which haue eares and heare not and is also willing to heare vs for he bids vâ— seeke vnto him and call vpon him And albeit Å¿ Ioh. 9. 31. God heareth not sinners and wicked men Yet if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth And t 1 Ioh. 5. 14. If we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. Yea and u Iohn 16. 23. Whatsoeuer we shall aske the father in his name that is in the name of Christ he will giue it vs. So that a righteous man praying aright shall be heard for How God heareth our prayers the Lord hath promised to heare him to helpe him and to deliuer him But this hearing of the righteous is after a twofold manner First oftimes and for the most part God so heareth 1 He giueth vs
are called by my Name shall humble themselues and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes then will I heare from heauen and will forgiue their sinne and will heale their land Fiftly Prayer is the best helpe in temptation 5 In temptation either to be freed from the temptation or to obtaine grace and strength from God not to be ouercome of the temptation It was Pauls helpe when he had that q 2. Cor. 12. 7. thorne in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet him in which case he prayed to the Lord and that with feruencie and perseuerance for saith he r Ver. 8 9. for this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me And he said vnto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenesse Sixtly Prayer is a helpe in time of sicknesse it deliuereth 6 In sicknesse from corporall infirmities Wherefore Saint Iames saith Å¿ Iam. 15. 4. 15. Is any sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him annointing him with oile in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp It helped Hezekiah in his sicknesse for Hezekiah being t Isa 38. 1. 2. c. sicke vnto death prayed vnto the Lord and the Lord heard his prayer and lengthened his dayes adding vnto his dayes fifteene yeeres Lastly Prayer helpeth not onely to ease and heale the 7 Prayer is a remedie to cuâ—e the sicke soule sicke bodie but also to cure the sicke soule This was Dauids remedie when his soule was sicke and diseased with sinne as his bodie was through infirmitie saying u Psal 6. 1. 2. 3. haue mercie vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed My soule is also sore vexed but thou O Lord how long Returne O Lord deliuer my soule oh saue me for thy mercies sake And againe he praieth saying x Psal 41. 4. O Lord be mercifull vnto me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee And Chrysostome agreeing with these Scriptures saith that Prayer is a y Animis aegrotantibus pharmacum Chrys de orando Deum lib. 1. medicine to sicke soules This is the second benefit of prayer it is a helpe in trouble Thirdly the Prayer of a righteous man framed according to the right manner formerly mentioned is a 3 Saluation promised to them that call vpon the name of the Lord. meanes to procure not onely temporall benefits and spirituall graces but also saluation for so is the promise z Rom. 10. 13. whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued For as the promise is made concerning them that beleeue in Christ that a Ioh. 3. 16. whosoeuer beleeueth in him shell not perish but haue euerlasting life and concerning them that repent that if they b Act. 3. 19. repent and be conuerted their sinnes may be blotted out and their soules saued so likewise concerning Prayer the promise is that Whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saued The consideration of this that Prayer is so great a Vse 1 helpe in trouble yea in all manner of tribulations and Against those who in time of trouble seeke not vnto the Lord but either put their trust in lawfull meanes or seeke helpe by vnlawfull meanes afflictions serues First to reproue those who in time of trouble seeke other helpe then from God and trust in meanes yea and vse such meanes as God hath not appointed and do not seeke to the Lord by prayer and supplication As some in their sicknesse seeke to the Physician they call earnestly vpon him and pray him to doe his best for them but doe not so earnestly call vpon God and pray vnto him to be fauourable vnto them to pardon their sinne and first to heale their soule that so their bodie may be healed Such are like to King Asa who c 2. Chro. 16. 12. in his disease sought not to the Lord but to the Physicians And this was imputed vnto Asa for sinne and it remaineth a blemish vpon his name to this day for although it be lawfull to seeke to the Physician and to vse his helpe yet to trust in the helpe of the Physician more then in the helpe of God and to seeke first and rather to the Physician then vnto God is sinnefull for God is our best helpe and our best Physician without whose helpe the helpe of the Physician is nothing worth Others there are who being sore sicke or any whit strangely diseased or visited with a lingring disease seeke not to God as to the best and chiefest helpe nor yet to the Physician as to the lawfull meanes but seeke and send to witches and wizards to forcerers and charmers like to King Ahaziah who being d 2. Kin. 1 2. sicke sent messengers and said vnto them Go enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recouer of this disease This was Ahaziah's sinne and this is the sinne of all those who in their distresse seeke not to the Lord neither seeke helpe by lawfull meanes but seeke helpe by vnlawfull and deuillish meanes contrarie to the charge and commaundement of the Lord which he giueth vnto his people saying e Leuit. 19. 31. Regard not them that haue familiar spirits neither seeke after Wizards to be defiled by them I am the Lord your God Secondly seeing that we haue so many motiues to Vse 2 peswade vs to pray as the testimonies of Scripture examples To giue our selues denoutly to Prayer of holy and deuout men yea and of Christ himselfe seeing that the necessitie of Prayer is so great that without Prayer we can obtaine no good thing seeing we are in continuall perill and danger seeing they that do not pray vnto God are as dead men among the liuing and seeing that the want of Prayer is a marke of wicked and vngodly men Furthermore considering the great good and benefit which we haue by Prayer seeing that the Lord heareth vs and granteth our lawfull requests seeing that prayer is the best helpe in trouble the best weapon against our enemies the best ransome in captiuitie the best prouider in famine the best remedie against the pestilence the best Physicke in sicknesse the best comfort in temptation the best meanes to cure the body and heale the soule and seeing that whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saued the consideration of these things should be of great force to mooue and perswade vs to dedicate our selues to the seruing of God to giue our selues deuoutly to prayer to inuocation and calling vpon the name of the Lord accounting it our health our ioy and happinesse that we so wretched and miserable creatures should be admitted into the presence of so great a King as the King of Kings