were a figure of Christs sacrifice that for the merit thereof the prayers of them which did offer the sacrifice might be accepted 3. Thirdly as the high Priest once a yeare entred the sanctuary bearing on his shoulders the names and on his breast twelve stones the tokens of the twelve tribes prayed for the people who stood in the courts of the house even so Christ being entred into the heavenly sanctuary maketh intercession for us Heb. 10. 19. Apoc. 8. 3 4. Therefore as Augustine saith If you require a priest he is above the heavens where he maketh intercession for thee who in earth died for thee He is the onely way by whom we have accesse unto God John 14. 6. he is the onely Mediatour by whom we have accesse with boldnesse Ephes. 3. 12. he alone in whom God is well pleased with us and appeased towards us Rom. 3. 25. so that coming in his name neither the sense of the dreadfull majestie of God nor the conscience of our own unworthinesse shall dismay us He is the altar Heb. 13. 10. on which the sacrifice of our prayer or praise being offered is thereby sanctified vers 15. He is as Ambrose saith our mouth by which we speak unto the Father our eye by whom we see the Father our right hand by which we offer our selves to the Father without whose intercession neither we nor the Saints have ought to do with God And herein especially the prayers of true Christians do differ from the prayers of others that we call upon God in the name and mediation of Christ alone The use of all is Heb. 4. 16. and 10. 19. that seeing we have such an high Priest who maketh intercession for us that we should with boldnesse and assurance of faith offer up our prayers unto God For 1. the Spirit of Christ helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8. 26. 2. God the Father justifieth and accepteth of us in Christ v. 33. Who therefore shall lay any thing to our charge who can condemn us seeing Christ died for our sinnes and rose again for our justification and now sitteth at the right hand of God making intercession for us v. 34. and with the odours of his own sacrifice perfumeth our prayers making them acceptable unto God Revel 8. 3 4. CHAP. XVI Of the manner how we are to call upon God IN the fourth place we are to intreat of the manner how we are to call upon God The manner is set down Rom. 8. 27. according to God that is as S. John speaketh according to the will of God 1. John 5. 14. So I said in the definition That invocation is a religious speech of the faithfull made unto God in the name of Christ according to the will of God where by the will of God we are to understand not his secret will and counsel which we know not but his will revealed in his word Prayer is therefore made according to the will of God when in our prayer those things are performed which God in his word prescribeth to be performed in prayer This and the former point are of great moment for when a man prayeth and is not heard it is as Bernard saith because aut praeter verbum petis aut propter verbum non petis that is because thou prayest either beside the word or not for the word whereas on the other side we have this confidence in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us 1. John 5. 14 15. Now for the manner of prayer there are duties to be performed not onely in the action it self but also out of the action that is to say both before and after In the action of invocation the duties respecting the manner belong either to the internall form or externall The former are the inward duties of the soul the latter the outward speech and gesture of the bodie Unto the speech referre words quantitie qualitie voice In the soul we are to consider what is required first in generall and then in particular In generall it is required that our invocation be a speech of the soul and therefore as I said in the beginning some define prayer that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the communication of the soul with God Others that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the ascending of the mind unto God David expresseth his prayer to be a lifting up of his soul unto God Psal. 25. 1. and 86. 4. and elsewhere he calleth it a pouring forth of the soul before the Lord as Anna also speaketh 1. Sam. 1. 15. So that true prayer is not the lifting up of the voice of the eyes or hands alone but a lifting up of the heart with the hands unto God that is in the heavens Lam. 3. 41. To the same purpose in the Scriptures we are directed to pray in the heart Col. 3. 16. and in the spirit that is the soul Ephes. 6. 18. to pray with the whole heart Psal. 111. 1. that is with an upright heart Psal. 119. 7. with unfeigned lips Psal. 17. 1. in truth that is in sinceritie and uprightnesse of heart Psal. 145. 18. The necessitie of this praying in truth appeareth 1. By testimonie of our Saviour Christ John 4. 24. God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth 2. By all those testimonies even now cited wherein we are stirred up to lift up our hearts and to poure forth oursouls c. 3. If the Apostle require servants to perform their duties to their masters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as unto the Lord how much more is it our duty to the Lord himself to perform our service from our hearts 4. The uprightnesse and sinceritie of the heart is the soundnesse of all our worship and service of God without which it is hypocrisie therefore David professeth that he would call upon God with an upright heart Psal. 119. 7. and with lips unfeigned Psal. 17. 1. and to the same purpose we are exhorted to seek the Lord with an upright heart Deut. 4. 29. Jer. 29. 13. 5. The promise of hearing our prayer is restrained to this praying in truth Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is near to all that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth for bodily exercise profiteth little 1. Tim. 4. 8. and the Lord respecteth especially the voice of the heart As for those that call upon him with their lips and not with their hearts the Lord abhorreth their prayer and taketh himself to be abused by them and therefore he reproveth them by his Prophet Isaiah chap. 29. 13. This people cometh near me with their lips but their heart is farre from me and elsewhere he complaineth of the hypocrites of his people that when they howled unto him they cried not with their hearts which he calleth speaking lies Hos. 7. 13 14. for what else doth a man but lie when he speaketh otherwise then he thinketh
that sometime it is put for prayer Ephes. 3. 14. and by the practice of the godly as of Solomon 2. Chron. 6. 12 13. Daniel chap. 6. 10. Ezra chap. 9. 5. Stephen Acts 7. 60. Peter Acts 9. 40. Paul Acts 20. 36. and finally by the example of all examples Christ himself Luke 22. 41. Which serveth to confute certain hereticks called Agnoetae who alwayes stood in prayer holding it unlawfull to kneel 4. Prostration or falling on the ground or falling on the face A gesture of the greatest humiliation but not in use among us or in these parts of the world but used by Moses and Aaron Num. 16. 22. and 20. 6. by Joshua chap. 5. 14. by Ezekiel chap. 9. 8 11 13. and by our Saviour Christ Matth. 26. 39. 5. Sitting Which though among us it do not seem a fit gesture in publick prayer yet privately it hath been and may be used Examples of David 2. Sam. 7. 18. of Elias 1. Kings 19. 4. and when he put his face between his knees praying earnestly for rain Jam. 5. 18. he prayed sitting as Augustine saith Sedens oravit Elias quando pluviam orando impetravit Elias prayed sitting when by prayer he obteined rain 6. Lying in bed So David Psal. 6. 6. and Hezekiah Isai. 38. 2. and is usually practiced by the faithfull not onely in their sicknesse but at other times 7. Walking riding journeying Gen. 24. 12 36. Jehoshaphat in his chariot 2. Chron. 18. 31. The gesture of the parts First the uncovering of the head in men which among us is an usuall signe of reverence In the female sex it is otherwise in which the covering of their head and face is noted in the Scriptures to have been a token of subjection 1. Cor. 11. 4 7. But in men it is a fit gesture to betoâ—…en their reverence being the uncovering and so 〈◊〉 of the highest and chiefest part and by some is 〈◊〉 depositio magnificentiae the laying aside of magnificence as we see in the foure and twenty elders Apoc. 4. 10. which fell down and cast their crowns before the throne 2. Of the eyes as the lifting up or casting down of them The former is most usuall betokening the lifting up of our hearts unto God and our faith in expecting help from him and is sometime put for prayer it self Psal. 123. 1 2. Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens Behold as the eyes of servants c. Psal. 141. 8. But mine eyes are unto thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust Psal. 25. 15. 2. Chron. 20. 12. To omit other examples Christ himself is ofen noted in the Gospel to have lift up his eyes to heaven when he called upon God as Matth. 14. 19. John 11. 41. and 17. 1. The casting down of the eyes is a note of great dejection and humiliation whereby we being confounded in our selves as knowing our selves unworthy to look up unto heaven do cast down our eyes on the earth Example the Publicane Luke 18. 3. Of the hands As â—… the Lifting up stretching forth of the hands A gesture fit to expresse our humilitie our earnest affection as being the gesture of suppliants and earnest suiters as also to testifie our faith and hope and to signifie the lifting up of our souls And it is a gesture of such moment that it also is put for prayer Exod. 9. 33. Psal. 28. 2. and 44. 20. and 63. 4. and 88. 9. Isai. 1. 15. Examples in Moses Exod. 9. 29 33. and 17. 11. David Psal. 141. 2. and 143. 6. Solomon 1. Kings 8. 22 54. It is commanded Psal. 134. 2. Lam. 2. 19. and 3. 41. The other gesture of the hands is the Knocking of the breast Which is most fit in deprecation for thereby is signified both our acknowledgement of guilt and an earnest desire of pardon as Luke 18. 13. and 23. 48. Thus have you heard the several gestures Among which I would commend unto you as fit most usually and ordinarily to be observed uncovering of the head in men standing or rather if we may conveniently kneeling lifting up of the hands and of the eyes to heaven For whereas in the soul are required faith humilitie reverence and ardour of affection which we are to expresse in the bodily gestures whereby we give God honorem signi the honour of the signe these gestures are most fit to expresse these inward graces For the uncovering of the head signifieth reverence and humility which also are more expressed by kneeling Faith and hope is represented in the lifting up of the eyes hands in which also as in kneeling the ardour of affection is expressed But here our greatest care must be because it is easie to observe these outward gestures to give God in truth the inward worship of the soul as well as the outward of the body which without the other is hypocriticall And therefore as we uncover our heads so to lay aside all opinion and conceit of our own worthinesse and with all reverence to set our selves in the presence of God and as we kneel outwardly so to bow the knees of our hearts and to humble our souls before the Lord and with our eyes and hands to lift up our souls unto God who is in the heavens And withall we must be carefull to lift up pure and innocent hands to God 1. Tim. 2. 8. For if our hands be stained with sinne or polluted with bloud the Lord will not heare Isai. 1. 15. Quid manuum in oratione vult extensio Hae multis sceleribus ministerium exhibent propterea jubemur eas extollere ut orationis ministerium sit eis vinculum nequitiae à malitiaseparatio ut cùm rapturus vel oppressurus vel alterum sis percussurus recorderis quòd has ad Deum pro patronis emissurus es per has illud spirituale sacrificium offerre debeas nec illas confundere nec actionis pravae ministerio fiduci à privare Eas igitur emunda per eleemosynam per misericordiam per indigentiam tutelam ità eas offer ad orationem that is What meaneth the stretching out of the hands in prayer These offer their service to much wickednesse and therefore we are commanded to lift them up that their ministery in prayer may be unto them a bond to tie them from wickednesse and a separation from maliciousnesse That when thou art about to use rapine or oppression or to strike another thou mayest remember that thou must lift up these hands to God for thy patrones and benefactours and that with them thou must offer unto God a spirituall sacrifice and therefore oughtest not to confound or disable them nor spoil them of their confidence by making them instruments in an evil action Cleanse them therefore by aâ—…ms by mercy and defense of the needy and so offer and lift them up in prayer CHAP. XXII Of the Voyce to
birds fowls of heaven and the wicked spirits in heavenly places Ephes. 6. 12. and 2. 2. The second is that heaven wherein the starres are which are called the host of heaven The third is the seat of the blessed and throne of God called Coelum empy reum because of the light 1. Tim. 6. 16. paradise 2. Cor. 12. 4. and the third heaven in respect of the two lower and in the same sense the heaven of heavens Psal. 115. 16. 1. Kings 8. 27. God is all in all But this place is especially to be understood of the third heaven which is the place of the Lords habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. How is God said to be in heaven seeing he is everywhere If God be everywhere then is he also in heaven But God is said to be in heaven not that he is included therein 1. Kings 8. 27. and therefore not circumscriptivè by circumscription as the body of Christ nor definitivè definitively as the finite spirits but he is there and everywhere repletive filling all places Jer. 23. 23. but yet so as he is every-where totus wholly But yet after a more speciall manner he is said to be in heaven Because there especially he manifesteth his glory there he is seen face to face there he communicateth himself thence he sendeth down his blessings judgements Rom. 1. 18. thence he speaketh to men thence Christ descended thence the holy Ghost Matth. 3. thither Christ ascended there he sitteth and thence he returneth to judgement And as the soul is said to be tota in toto tota in qualibet parte all in the whole and in every part all and yet in respect of the chief operations is said to be seated in the head as it were the heaven of this Microcosme so God who is everywhere wholly both in the world and out of it is said to be in heaven Heaven is his throne Isai. 66. 1. there he prepared his seat Psal. 103. 19. there he sitteth Psal. 2. 4. that is the habitation of his holinesse c. Isai. 63. 15. the place of his habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. Secondly when Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heavens he meaneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heavenly as Matth. 6. 26. And he is called heavenly because the shallownesse of our minds cannot better conceive of the unspeakable glory and excellent majestie of God then under this name For nothing more excellent and glorious is subject to our sense then the heaven Whereas therefore the Scriptures give this title to God they teach us to ascribe unto him majestie glorious essence omnipresent power infinite wisdome unspeakable mercy endlesse The sense therefore of these words is this Thou that sittest upon heaven as thy throne glorious in majestie infinite in essence power wisdome and mercy Vses concerning prayer I. THe adoration of images reliques condemned we are taught to lift up our mind eyes hands to God being in heaven We may therefore say as Psal. 121. 1. Should I lift mine eyes to images whence then should I have help my help is from God Therefore as Psal. 123. 1. To thee I lift up mine eyes O thou who dwellest in the heavens II. We are taught not to direct our prayer towards any certain place as the Jews towards the temple but we may turn any way towards God in heaven And if we are not bound to look towards any certain place much lesse to go on pilgrimage to it III. Neither must our minds go on pilgrimage whilest we are praying but above the earth and all earthly cogitations our minds with our hands are to be lifted up unto the heavens Lam. 3. 4. Psal. 25. 1. as at all times so especially in the time of prayer our conversation ought to be in heaven IV. When we are commanded to call God our heavenly Father we are taught to abandon all base conceits concerning God Psal. 50. 13. and to ascribe unto him incomprehensible glory and majesty infinite power and essence wisdome unsearchable mercy endlesse Majesty as sitting upon the heaven as upon his throne the earth being his footstool Isai. 66. 1. Which must teach us reverence and not rashly to utter any thing before God For God is in heaven full of majestie and glory and thou upon earth dust and worms meat Eccles 5. 1. Power that is Might infinite omnipotencie Right infinite and authority universall Potentia Power Psal. 115. 3. Our God is in heaven whatsoever he will he doeth Which must teach us to pray with affiance being assured that our heavenly Father is able to do for us according to yea above our requests yea above our thought Ephes. 3. 20. Thus Jehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. 6. Art not thou God in heaven so as power is in thine hand which none can resist Potestas Authority So faith Jehoshaphat Art not thou God in heaven and dost not thou rule over all nations So Psal. 103. 20. The Lord hath established his seat in heaven and his kingdome is over all On him therefore our trust must be reposed by whose providence and power all things are governed in heaven and in earth For hereby we learn that the Lord is not onely able in respect of his might but hath right also to bestow upon us any good thing Audacter Deum roga nihil illum de alieno 〈◊〉 Beg boldly of God seeing thou canst ask nothing of him which belongeth to another Infinite essence and omnipresence for so is the heaven said to be his throne as that the earth also is his footstool and so is he in both as that he is also everywhere and in every place totus For we may not think that God is farre from us Acts 17. 27. because he is said to be in heaven as the wicked imagine Job 22. 13. but we must acknowledge that he is alwayes present with us Psal. 139. 7 8 9 c. and as it is Psal. 145. 18. Deut. 4. 7. near unto us when we call upon him yea where two or three are gathered together in his name he is in the middest of them Matth. 18. 20. If therefore thou prayest in secret the Lord heareth thee Matth. 6. 6. if in the closet of thine heart without any speech he heareth the voyce and cry of the heart Exod. 14. 15. 1. Sam. 1. 13. Assure thy self therefore that thou speakest not into the air or utterest thy words in vain but that thou pourest forth thy requests into the bosome of the Lord. Wisdome unsearchable For as the heavens are high above the earth so are the Lords thoughts above ours Isai. 55. 9. We must therefore submit our selves to his will which is most wise and just neither let us circumscribe him but rather resigne our selves unto him who best knoweth what is fit for us Mercy unspeakable Whereby all these attributes are effectuall to our good For if earthly parents do know to give good things to their children much more doth our heavenly
we have by them displeased and dishonoured God And to increase this godly sorrow in us we are First to consider and meditate of Gods manifold benefits undeservedly bestowed upon us and our unthankfull behaviour towards him c. Secondly we are to desire the Lord that he would poure upon us the spirit of deprecation that we may with bitternesse bewail our sinnes whereby we have so violated the justice of God that nothing could be found sufficient to appease or to satisfie the same but the death of Christ whom we by our sins have pierced Zech. 12. 10. Thirdly we are to consider the misery whereunto our sinnes make us subject both in this life and in the world to come In all which respects we must esteem our sinnes as a most heavy burden and being weary thereof we are by prayer to come unto the Lord that we may be eased thereof Matth. 11. 28. Neither are we to bewail our sinnes alone but as we are to pray for the pardon of other mens sinnes so are we also to mourn for the iniquities of the place and time wherein we live Ezek. 9. 8. Psal. 119. 136 158. 2. We are to bewail the hardnesse of our hearts that we cannot so bewail our sinnes as we ought 3. Our want of faith and assurance of the remission of our sinnes The graces which we desire are 1. Remission of sinnes and justification viz. that God would cancell the bill of debt Col. 2. 14. that he would take away our sinnes and cast them into the bottom of the sea Mich. 7. 18 19. that he would impute the merits and obedience of Christ unto us And secondly because we receive remission of sinnes and are justified by faith by which we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ to our justification and without which the merits of Christ are not communicated unto us therefore we desire not onely that he would forgive us our sinnes but also that he would work in us a true faith whereby we may have assurance of the pardon of our sinnes and peace of conscience 3. Because our faith is weak therefore we are to pray for the increase thereof Luke 17. 5. and also that God would blesse unto us the means of the begetting and increasing of our faith 4. Because reconciliation and adoption are unseparable companions of justification we therefore must also pray that he would receive us unto his love and favour and give us his spirit of adoption that howsoever we be by nature the children of wrath yet being reconciled unto him in Christ we may have the testimony of his Spirit testifying to our spirits that we are the children of God 5. We pray not onely for righteousnesse and assurance of justification and peace of conscience arising from thence Rom. 5. 1. but also for the joy of the holy Ghost proceeding from them both Rom. 14. 17. Now that we may with fervencie beg these graces of God we must besides the sight and sense of our sinnes and the misery which they bring upon us consider the necessity of these graces First of remission of sinnes because sinne maketh a separation between God and us Isai. 59. 1. and maketh us subject both to the curse of God in this life and after and therefore above all things in the world we are to desire freedome from our sinnes without which our estate is most miserable c. and without which we cannot be saved Contrariwise in remission of sinne consisteth happinesse Psal. 32. 1 2. Secondly of faith without which the benefits of Christ are not effectuall to our justification sanctification or salvation By it we are made partakers of all the benefits of Christ to our justification and salvation In which respect the same benefits in the Scriptures which proceed from Christ are also ascribed unto faith Upon which follow reconciliation peace with God and joy in the holy Ghost and the beginning of eternall life it self in this life As we must pray for the forgivenesse of our sins in fervencie so also in faith that as we unfeignedly desire pardon of sinnes reconciliation with God so we are truly to believe that the Lord will heare our prayer that he will receive us unto mercy and at the length grant unto us the certificate of his Spirit the Spirit of adoption For that which he hath commanded us to ask he hath promised to give He commandeth us to ask remission of sinnes justification the Spirit of adoption c. therefore consequently we are stedfastly to believe that we shall obtein them The forgivenesse of sinnes is a chief part of the covenant of grace Heb. 10. 17. The Spirit of adoption is expressely promised to those that ask him Luke 11. 13. There 〈◊〉 that we pâ—…ay with perseverance never ceasing day by day to call upon God for the forgivenesse of our sinnes 〈◊〉 â—…rtificate of the holy Spirit assuring us thereof untill the Lord say unto our souls I aâ—… your 〈◊〉 and â—…hed abrâ—…ad his love in our hearts Neither are we then to cease from this prayer but as we sinne daily so are we daily to crave forgivenesse and as our faith is weak and mixt with doubting so daily to dâ—…sire the increase thereof c. Duties to be performed in our lives If we would make this prayer with upright hearts or would either hope to obtein this request or assurance that our prayer is heard I. We must be adorned with 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 5. 5. whereby we must acknowledge our selves so deeply indebted unto the Lord by reason of our manifold sinnes that he may mâ—…st justly glorifie his name in our endlesse coâ—…fusion and thâ—…t in respect thereof we are not worthy to â—…ook up unto heaven or to breathe in the aiâ—…e or to live upon the earth and that therefore it is thâ—… 〈◊〉 mercy of the Lord that we are not consâ—…ed For if we have humble and contrite hearts the Lord will be ready to heare our prayer and to pardon our sinnes The Lordreâ—…isteth the proud but he giveth grâ—…ce to the humble Jam. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5. The sacrifices of God are a 〈◊〉 spirit â—… conâ—…ite and c. Psal. 51. 17. Psal. 34. 18. Example in the humbled Publicane Luke 18. 14. For Câ—…rist 〈◊〉 not to câ—…ll 〈◊〉 righteoâ—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to repentance Matth 9. 13. Luke 4. 18. Matth 11. 28. Whom doth he call with promise to ease them of the burden of 〈◊〉 but thâ—…se that 〈◊〉 under the burden of sinne and are weary thereof If therefore God hath given thee an humble heart thou mayest be encouraged to come untâ—… him for grace and pardon of sinnes For as iâ—… was sâ—…d of the blind man so it may be said of every onâ—… that is poore in spirit Be oâ—… good comfort he 〈◊〉 â—…hee But as humility maketh us fit to receive Gods gâ—…ace in the pardoning of our sinnes so is iâ—… also a good signe that our sinnes are pardoned For they onely are
things apperteining to his glory and our good The phrase of invocating or calling upon the name of God sometimes signifieth the profession of the true religion whereby we take the name of God upon us and are called after his name as Gen. 48. 16. and 4. 16. Isa. 63. 10. Acts 9. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 2. And first as touching the name This part of Gods worship is usually in the Scriptures expressed by the phrase of calling upon the name of God and therefore is fitly called invocation that is calling upon God whether it be by way of praying or praysing In which generall sense the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tephillat is sometimes used 1. Sam. 2. 1. Psal. 86. 1. Isa. 56. 7. Domus orationis oratio and invocatio in Latine and by a Synecdoche prayer in the English tongue though properly it signifieth that species or kind of invocation whereby we crave any thing at the hands of God By a Metonymie of the signe it is sometimes called the lifting up of the hands Psal. 141. 2. and 44. 20. sometimes the lifting up of the eyes Psal. 123. 1. more properly a lifting up of thé heart unto God Psal. 25. 1. whereof the other are but signes Which must teach us when we pray to lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens as Jeremie speaketh Lam. 3. 41. So much of the name In the definition the nature of Invocation is set forth both the generall which Logicians call the genus and proper in that which is called the difference The generall in that I call it a religious speech For of religious speech there are two speciall sorts the one of man â—…nto man in the name of God and in the stead of Christ which is preaching the other of man unto God in the name and mediation of Christ which is prayer or invocation And both of them somewhere in the Scriptures are expressed by one and the same name of prophesying which for Preaching is used 1. Cor. 14. 3 4. and elsewhere for Invocation both in the sense of praying 1. Kings 18. 29. with 26. and of praysing 1. Chron. 25. 1 2 3. First I say it is a speech And because the religious speech is the chief speech which we can use therefore as preaching is called Sermo so prayer is of the Latines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called Oratio But where I say prayer is a speech you are to understand that whereas there is a twofold speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 outward and inward the inward being also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech conceived in the mind the outward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech uttered with the voice prayer is not the outward speech chiefly or onely but the inward of the soul either alone when in prayer the voice is not used as Gen. 24. 45. Exod. 14. 15. 1. Sam. 1. 13. and is called oratio mentalis which is usuall in meditation and is sometimes so called or chiefly when the voice is used as most commonly it is Whereupon some define prayer to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the speech or communication of the soul with God others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ascending of the mind unto God In which respect the holy Ghost calleth it the lifting up of the heart unto God Psal. 25. 1. and the pouring forth of the soul before the Lord Psal. 62. 8. 1. Sam. 1. 15. As for that prayer which is onely the outward speech of the mouth without the inward of the heart it is not a prayer in truth but a meer lip-labour For to call upon God in truth is to pray with our souls and to call upon him with our hearts to lift up our hearts and to poure forth our souls before the Lord as I shall shew more fully hereafter But I adde that it is a religious speech to note that prayer is a part and indeed a principall part of that religious adoration and worship which we ow unto God and consequently to teach us that it is a dutie to be performed religiously and devoutly as intending thereby an holy and acceptable service unto God So that true prayer is not a bare reading or recitall of any form of prayer without understanding withou affection without devotion without faith but a religious service devoutly offered unto God out of an upright and pure heart 2. Tim. 2. 22. Psal. 119. 7. The proper nature of Invocation is described in the rest of the definition conteining six substantiall points necessarily required in all prayer viz. Quis Quem Cujus nomine Quomodo Cujus ope De quibus that is Who must pray Whom we must pray unto In whose name In what manner By whose help and For what For in all invocation that shall be acceptable unto God there is required 1. That the person which prayeth be faithfull 2. That the partie to whom we pray be the onely true God 3. That the prayer be made in the name of Christ For sinne having made a separation between God and us there is no accesse for us unto God in our own name 4. For the manner that it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God Rom. 8. 27. or as S. John speaketh more fully 1. Epist. 5. 14. according to the will of God that is that in our invocation or prayer we perform those things which God hath willed and required in his word to be performed in prayer 5. Because we are not able of our selves to perform any of those things which God hath required I adde that we are to call upon God by the help of the holy Ghost 6. And lastly I shew that the object of our invocation that is the things concerning which we do speak unto God in prayer are good things apperteining to his glorie and our good as namely and especially the benefits and blessings of God for which we do either pray unto him or praise him Of these six in order And first for the partie which is to pray When I say that prayer is a speech of the faithfull you are to understand 1. That we speak of prayer as it is officium viatorum a duty injoyned unto men living here upon earth as pilgrimes in the Church militant unto whom alone the doctrine of Invocation doth appeâ—…tein and not as it is exercitium spirituum beatorum the exercise of the Saints and Angels in the Church triumphant in heaven to whom neither the commandments injoyning this duty nor the promises made to prayer nor the directions which teach how to pray are directed For although the word of God hath revealed that they are conversant in the one part of invocation that is in praising glorifying God wherein we are to imitate them that we may do this will of God 1. Thess. 5. 18. as the Saints and Angels do it in heaven yet as touching the other part which is
faith For there is no warrant in the Scripture for such a prayer no doctrine which teacheth it no precept that injoyneth it no promise to confirm it no example to commend it And this is confessed by Eckius viz. That neither it is warranted or taught in the Old Testament because the people were prone to idolatry and the fathers deceased were in Limbo nor in the New lest the Gentiles should return to their old idolatry and lest the Apostles should seem to direct Christians to invocate them after their decease And therefore by their own confession no testimonie of Scripture can be alledged to this purpose Neither can such prayer be made in hope because none but God is either omniscient or omnipresent to know the wants or heare the desires of men in all places calling upon them nor omnipotent to grant their desires Hereunto may be added the testimonies of the Fathers Origen Contra Celsum lib. 8. Solus adorandus est Deus God onely is to be worshipped Eusebius De praeparat Evang. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 Deum adorare didiciâ—…us We have learned to worship God onely Nazianzen De Spir. sanct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If it be to be adored why is it not to be worshipped if it be to be worshipped how is it not God Ambrose De Spiritu lib. 3. 12. Neque adorandum quicquam prater Deum legimus We do not reade of any thing which ought to be worshipped except God alone Cyrill Thesaur lib. 2. 1. Vnanatur a Deiâ—…atis est quam solummodo ador are oportet There is one nature of the Deitie which alone ought to be worshipped CHAP. XII That we ought not to invocate any creature THus have I shewed in generall That no creature is to be called upon Now more specially That neither Angels nor Saints Civil honour indeed is due to both as to our fellow-citizens of the same city but religious honour done to either is idolatry First for Angels Our fellow-servants are not to be adored of us Angels are our fellow-servants being ministring spirits sent forth into the ministery for their sake that shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. And by this reason the angel Revel 19. 10. and 22. 19. disswadeth S. John from adoring him and in both places appropriateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adoration to God Likewise the Apostle admonisheth the Colossians chap. 2. 18. to take heed that none bercave them of their prize which is their salvation under shew of humiliâ—…ie as the Papists do as though it were too much boldnesse to go directly to Christ commending unto them the worshipping of angels whereunto those countreys of Phrygia were very much addicted as Theodoret sheweth in Col. 2. And therefore it was decreed in the councel of Laodicea the mother-citie of those parts that no man should pray unto angels Moreover he that is the authour and fountain of all good things and is onely able of himself to help us he is to be invocated and not those who being but his instruments are not able to help us otherwise then he appointeth But God is the authour and fountain of all good James 1. 17. Our onely help and refuge Psal. 46. 1. and 124. 8. The angels are but his instruments who neither can nor will help us further then God himself appointeth Objection out of Jos. 5. 13. and Judg. 13. 20. That Joshua and the parents of Samson worshipped the angels which appeared unto them He that appeared unto them was not a created angel but the Angel of the great covenant the second Person in Trinity who oftentimes in assumed forms appeared to the Patriarchs He that appeared to Joshua calleth himself the Prince of the Lords armies Jos. 5. 14. and 6. 2. he is called the Lord. He which appeared to Samsons parents being demanded his name said it is Wonderfull which is the name of Christ Isa. 9. 6. And such was their opinion of him for Manoah calleth him God and his wife termeth him Jehovah Now that Saints are not to be prayed unto it shall appear by these reasons I. To them which neither heare us nor know us prayer is made in vain But the Saints departed neither heare us nor know us That they do not heare us it is manifest For what is it which they do heare the voice of the mouth or the speech of the heart If the voice of the mouth then the voice which moveth the aire for a small distance and so vanisheth shall not onely pierce all the regions of the aire but the heavens also where the aire which is the medium ceaseth If the speech of the heart then are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searchers of the heart and therefore gods for it is a property peculiar to the Lord 1. Kings 8. 39. Jer. 17. 9. Acts 1. 24. That they know us not it is testified by Isaiah chap. 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knoweth us not Eccles 9. 5. The Papists except First That the Saints having the blessed vision of God they do see in speculo Trinitatis the things done in earth By which reason they should know all things which God himself doth know neither should the day of judgement be hid from them But this glasse is a forgerie of their own brain For if they say it is the essence of the whole Deitie then is it most simple and unvariable if the glory or splendour of God whereby he enlighteneth the place of the blessed it will no more follow that they beholding this light should see those things which God beholdeth then that he which looketh on the sunne should see all that the sunne shineth upon Secondly That God acquainteth them with our prayers made to them which they understanding become intercessours for us unto God But what a foolish circumstance is this They will not have us go directly unto God or our Saviour but as in Princes courts to some that are neare unto them that they may mediate our cause and in the upshot we cannot go directly unto them I mean the Saints but God himself must be fain to be a mediatour between us and them to acquaint them with our prayers that so they may pray unto him for us Thirdly That they do not worship the Saints as gods but as the friends of God As if a woman taken in adultery should alledge for her self that she loved the adulterer not as her husband but as her husbands friend For religious worship doth as properly belong unto God as conjugall love unto the husband But do not they give Divine worship to the Saints whom they invocate prescribing thereby unto them omnipresence omniscience omnipotencie and thereby also professing themselves to repose their trust in them For when they pray to Saints departed do they speak unto them as present or as absent If as to present they being in heaven they on the earth dispersed in many places countreys then
Father Matth. 7. 11. This thereforè must not discourage us that he sitteth above in heaven in the high throne of his majestie 〈◊〉 though he dwelleth above yet he mercifully abaseth himself to behold the things which be in heaven and in earth Psal. 113. 5 6. He looketh down from the high place of his holinesse even from heà ven doth the Lord look down upon earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliver the children of death Psal. 102. 19 20. Neither ought his power to terrifie us for he useth it to our good Deut. 33. 26. â—…e rideth or sitteth upon the heavens for our help Him therefore let us exalt who rideth on the highest heavens Psal. 68. 4. Here therefore is discovered the hypocrisie of those men who calling upon God as their Father in heaven lift not up their hearts to heaven but let them lie groveling on the earth who imagine God to be like themselves who without reverence speak unto him or use vain babbling who trust not in his power nor acknowledge his presence with them unreverently behaving themselves because they see him not that submit not themselves to his fatherly wisdome nor rest in his mercy and goodnesse Vses in our lives First if our Father be in heaven who also hath begotten us to an heavenly inheritance then we who are the children of God are in this world pilgrimes from God and from our countrey and therefore ought not to mindearthly things but have our conversation in heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. Secondly if God our Father be full of maiesty and power we ought to fear him and to stand in aw Thirdly if omnipotent let us rest confidently under his protection neither let the fear of any danger draw us unto sinne for God is able to deliver us Dan. 17. And on the other side let us fear to sinne for he is able to destroy both body and soul in hell Matth. 10. 28. If God be omnipresent let us behave our selves as in his presence and walk before him in uprightnesse of heart If our heavenly Father be most wise and mercifull let us cast our care upon him in all our necessities depending on him As for those that are mere worldlings terrae filii who neither stand in aw of his majesty nor trust in his power nor walk as in his presence nor depend upon his fatherly goodnesse they cannot but in hypocrisie call God their heavenly Father Now if we joyn these two together of which we have spoken severally That God is our Father and therefore willing to heare us and also in heaven and therefore able to grant our desires there will be no place left to diffidence and distrust seeing God is both willing and able to grant our requests Therefore we ought not to be distrustfully carefull but with confidence and assurance that we shall be heard to make our requests known unto God Phil. 4. 6. seeing as Fulgentius saith Deus multus est ad ignoscendum in hoc multo nihil deest in quo omnipotens misericordia omnipotentia misericors est God is much in forgiving in this much nothing is missing in whom is omnipotent mercy and mercifull omnipotence The consideration of either of these may stirre up a man to pray but if he doubt of either I see not how he can pray in faith The leper Mark 1. 40. being perswaded of Christs power desireth him to make him clean the father of him that was possessed Mark 9. 22. having some good opinion of Christs willingnesse intreated his help for the dispossessing of the unclean spirit But because the one was not assured of his willingnesse the other of his power they make but doubtfull prayers If thou wilt thou canst make me clean If thou canst do any thing help us But we may be assured of both in our heavenly Father and therefore are to be encouraged to pray in faith c. The division of the Petitions HItherto we have spoken of the preface Now we are to proceed unto the petitions Which are in number six but yet in respect of the objects they may be distinguished into two sorts For either they concern more properly and immediately the glory of God without respect of our own profit or else our own good and mediately the glory of God For in the three former we say Thy name Thy kingdome Thy will in the three latter us and our c. Those that concern Gods glory are indeed most profitable for us for with his own glory he joyneth the good and salvation of the elect For if we glorifie the name of God he will glorifie us if we be subjects of the kingdome of grace we shall be inheriters of the kingdome of glory if we do the will of God upon earth we shall enter into the kingdome of heaven But in propounding these petitions we are not to respect our own profit but the glory of God Those which immediately concern our own good must also mediately respect the glory of God whereunto if our good be not referred it is not good Those which immediately concern the glory of God are set down in the first place By which order our Saviour Christ teacheth us to preferre Gods glory before our own good yea if they should come in comparison before our own salvation Exod. 32. 32. because Gods glory is the end and therefore better then those things which are referred thereunto For which cause not onely in order of petitions but also in the measure of our affections the glory of God must be preferred before our own good Ideóque in tribus primis petitionibus oratio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est cùm posteriores conjunctionibus colligantur And therefore in the three first petitions there is no copulative when as the three latter are tied together with conjunctions In the three first petitions we desire either the glory of God it self as the end or else the means whereby his glory is procured the end in the first petition the means in the other two For then is God glorified when his kingdome is advanced and his will fulfilled This order teacheth us that the main end of all our desires and actions should be the glory of God I. Petition FIrst of the first petition Wherein we are to learn the meaning of the words and then to consider the uses which arise from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hallowed be thy name The name of God signifieth both God himself and his attributes which â—…re himself and also that whereby he is named In the former sense the word name is often used to signifie the persons named as Acts 1. 15. and 4. 12. Revel 3. 4. and 11. 13. So the name of God is put for God himself Joel 2. 23. Deut. 28. 58. Hereupon the Hebrews use to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is His name is himself and he is his name And hereunto belong those places in which the name of God
repent hereafter as well c. If to amendment of life he telleth them that if they be elected they may live as they list if rejected they cannot be saved If to humiliation that it is a doctrine that belongeth to notorious sinners c. Moreover he opposeth himself to the Ministers and their ministery Zech. 3. 1. he suborneth false teachers and is a lying spirit in their mouthes Therefore we pray that the Lord would bind Satan dissolve his works and tread him under our feet Rom. 16. 20. The second is the world and the lusts thereof which choke the seed of Gods word Matth. 13. 22. the glorious shew of this world 1. Cor. 7. 31. By these Satan as by nails naileth men to the earth that they cannot mind heavenly things By them as baits he allureth to sinne as snares entangleth to perdition Which make men citizens of the earth and misse of their freedome in heaven which cause men place their paradise upon the earth and not to care for the kingdome of heaven For a man cannot serve God and Mammâ—…n or be a worldling and yet a subject of this kingdome which make worldly men sell their birthright with Esau c. therefore we pray that the Lord would deliver us from the evil world Gal. 1. 4. wain us from it that we may renounce all worldly lusts that we may use the world so as we abuse it not 1. Cor. 7. 31. that the world may be crucified unto us and we to the world Gal. 6. that by faith we may over come the world 1. John 5. 4. and that we may behave our selves not as worldlings minding earthly things but as pilgrimes on the earth and citizeâ—…s of heaven and fellow-citizens of the saints Ephes. 2. 19. whos 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversation is in heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. The third is our Flesh that is our own corrupt nature the wisdome whereof is enmity against God which lasteth against the spirit which sendeth out continuall lusts as it were sparkles out of a furnace which fight against our souls which the devil abuseth as his bawd to pollute us and to beget in us all manner of sinnes which bring forth death Therefore we pray that the Lord would reigne in us by his Spirit that we may not be carnall but spirituall that we may not walk after the flesh but after the spirit that as being pilgrimes on earth but citizens of heaven we may abstein from fleshly lusts c. 1. Pet. 2. 11. that we may crucifie the flesh and the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. In a word we desire that the Lord would confound the kingdome of darknesse whereby the devil ruleth in the hearts of men using for his instruments or souldiers the lusts of the world and of the flesh The outward enemies of Gods kingdome But these were spirituall enemies And we are not onely to pray against them but also against the outward enemies of the Church which is the kingdome of God And these are either open and professed enemies as the Turks and Infidels the great Turk being that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Abaddon that maketh havock of the Church Revel 9. 11. or else close and covert enemies which under the name and profession of Christ oppugne the kingdome of Christ as Antichrist his Synagogue that is the Pope and the Church of Rome For notwithstanding all their glorious profession that they and they alone are the Church of God yet these are they that say We will not have this man to reigne over us but having received the mark of the beast are in subjection to the Pope under penalty of dâ—…nation And he sitteth in or rather sets himself against the Church usurping sovereigne authority and sitting as God in the throne of Christ he deteineth the people in ignorance making them believe that their implicite faith will save them and so they lead them blindfolded after them as it were in a string to perdition For whose law reigneth amongst them Gods or their own The breach of whose law more severely punished To whose government are they subject Gods or their own What doctrine do they teach the word of God or the inventions of men The word of God which is his sceptre do they not suppresse this light of mens souls do they not hide it from the people under a strange language as it were under a bushel do they follow the Lambe that have received the mark of the beast and persecute with fire and sword all true professours c. Well against these enemies both secret and open covert and discovered that is Gog and Magog Revel 20. we are taught to pray that being subdued that is either converted or subverted the Church and kingdome of God may be advanced Besides these enemies there are also other impediments of the kingdome of God opposite to the outward means As to the preaching of the word 1. The insufficiency of Ministers not able to teach 2. Their negligence and idlenesse 3. Their causelesse non-residencie and covetous multiplying benefices with cure 4. The want of maintenance by impropriations and corruption of Patrones All these we are to pray that they may be removed and a free passage to his word granted Impediments opposite to government are either no government but confusion in the Church and Commonweal or else corrupt government the rulers hindring rather then promoting the kingdome of Christ. We see then what we desire when we pray that the kingdome of grace may come viz. That where it is not it may be erected and where it is it may be continued and enlarged That he would blesse preserve and protect his Church That the Lord would rule and reigne in us by his word and Spirit That he would effectually call those which belonging to his election are not called That he would justifie us by faith sanctifie us by the holy Ghost and make us and all his meet to be partakers with the Saints in light That we may more and more feel in our selves the fruits of this kingdome righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost and to this end That he would give a free passage to his word and send faithfull labourers into his harvest blessing them and their ministery and also the seed-plots thereof That he would establish an holy government in the Church and Commonwealth and blesse the governours c. That he would grant unto it the effectuall operation of the holy Spirit making the outward means profitable That he would confound the kingdome of darknesse sinne Satan and Antichrist That the devil may be trod under our feet the world crucified unto us and we to the world the flesh with the lusts thereof mortified That we may renounce and forsake according to our vow in baptisme the flesh the world and the devil That all other impediments of his kingdome of grace and our salvation being removed we may be preserved blamelesse to the coming of Christ