thereof as they are the instruments so also the indices and manifesters of our souls and therefore the signes of those graces which we contein in our souls must when they may conveniently be expressed in the body and that for these reasons 1. As at the first the Lord created and afterwards redeemed both our souls and bodies so must we worship him in both 1. Cor. 6. 20. therefore where the worship of God may be performed in both conveniently both must be used 2. In the two first commandments where the Lord forbiddeth this outward worship which we call honorem signi to be given to any other there he requireth that it should be performed to himself and he is jealous thereof And so in other places as the yielding of outward worship to any other is condemned Isai. 2. 9. Psal. 44. 20. and the deniall thereof commended Dan. 3. in the three children 1. Kings 18. 19. so the performance thereof unto God is commanded Isai. 45. 23. Psal. 95. 1 2 6. 3. Neither is it for nothing that the holy Ghost where mention is made of invocation is so carefull every-where almost to speak of the voice of the mouth and gesture of the bodie Yea so much he seemeth to esteem the outward worship that as the signe many times is put for the thing signified so the voice of the mouth and gesture of the bodie are oftentimes put for invocation it self as we shall shew in the particulars 4. The gesture and voice do greatly serve to help both the atteâ—…tion of the mind and intention of the affections as every mans experience can testifie In publick prayers they are also good means to excite and stirre up one another In the outward worship to be performed in invocation we are to consider the gesture of the body and the speech of the mouth For neither of which can there any certain universall rule be prescribed as necessarie to be observed alwayes in private prayer In publick prayer we are to follow the custome of the Church where we live if it be without scandal and superstition For as there is commanded inward unanimitie in the publick assemblies so also outward unifâ—…mity and to dissent from the Church in these outward things being as I said free from scandal and superstition is schismaticall Now the Church is to direct it self by the examples of the godly recorded in the Scriptures and practice of the Primitive Church First for gesture Concerning which thus much in generall may be prescribed 1. That it be decent and comely according to the generall rule 1. Cor. 14. 40. The which decencie is for the more part to be measured according to the custome of the countrey 2. That it be correspondent to the affections and disposition of the soul serving as to expresse so also to incite and inlarge the same otherwise the devoutest gestures are but histrionicall that is hypocriticall The varietie of gestures mentioned in the Scriptures do shew that we are not perpetually tied to any particular as necessary in it self but that in themselves they are indifferent and arbitrarie if not determined and prescribed by the Church By the examples of the godly in the Scriptures admonemur saith Augustine non esse scriptum quomodo corpus constituatur ad or andum dummodo animus Deo praesens peragat intentionem suam We are admonished that it is not written how the bodie is to be disposed to pray so that the mind present with God do perform its intention But first I will shew the varietie of gestures which have been and may be used and then I will commend that which is most convenient to be observed usually The gestures to be considered in prayer are either of the whole body or of the parts As 1. the turning of the body towards some part of the heavens east or west c. Among the Jews it was required and observed that wheresoever they were when they prayed they turned themselves towards the temple wherein was the ark which was a type of Christ in whom alone we are to come unto God If therefore they were in the east from it they were to turn into the west and to pray towards the east turning their backs towards the temple was a fault Ezek. 8. 16. Daniel when the edict was given against prayer went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem â—…e kneeled upon his knees three times a day and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime Dan. 6. 10. And this was first intended in the building of the temple and placing of the ark there 1. Kings 8. 29 30 35 38 44 48. where Solomon by the spirit prayeth that if any being absent from the temple should pray towards it they might be heard The ancient Christians prayed towards the east Dâ—…mascene saith Tradâ—…tionem esse Apostolicam ut ad orientem conversâ—… precemur That it is an Apostolicall tradition that we should pray turning our selves to the east And to that end the Churches were built east and west In which respect we are in publick prayer to conform our selves to their practice putting no superstition therein But in it self the thing is indifferent which way we turn our selves because God who is in heaven is every-where present and heaven it self is every way alike distanâ—… from us and Christ our Saviour to whom we are to turn in our prayer as the Jews to the temple is ascended into heaven and thither are we to direct our prayers as the Jews did to the temple 2. Standing For that is a token both of reverence and of service as 2. Kings 5. 25. 1. Sam. 16. 21 22. 1. Kings 10. 8. Job 29. 8. Dan. 1. 4. Psal. 135. 2. and 134. 2. This gesture is used by Abraham Gen. 18. 22 23. 19. 27. by Jehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. 5. by the Publicane Luke 18. 13. by Stephen Acts 7. 59. approved by our Saviour Christ Mark 11. 25. When ye stand praying and practiced by him John 11. 41. 3. Kneeling Which is a fit gesture to signifie our humilitie and earnestnesse also in prayer and is warranted both by the word of God as Psal. 95. 6. Isai. 45. 23. insomuch 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 Agnoeâ—…ae 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. 23. and 20. 6. by Joshua chap. 5. 14. by Ezekiel chap. 9. 8
excluded from private prayer But to apply the former distinction to private prayer also and first for statae That our infirmity may be helped and our backwardnesse in this duty relieved we are to appoint to our selves some certain houres in the day which we will not let passe without invocation on the name of God but yet so as we place no religion in one time more then in another as the Papists do in their canonicall houres as though God were more ready to heare one time of the day then another This practice which I have named the most holy men of God have used As David Psal. 55. 17. In the morning at noon â—…nd in the evening will I pray And Daniel chap. 6. 10. used to pray three times in the day Which practice of theirs we are thus to imitate 1. to pray in the morning before we go about the works of our calling 2. in the mid-day in the time of intermission of our works and thirdly at evening before we take our rest and besides whensoever we take meaâ—… we are to use both prayer and thanksgiving 1. Tim. 4. 4 5. 2. Concerning vagae We are to follow the advice of the Apostle Col. 3. 17. In every thing which we do in word or deed both to take it in hand by calling upon the name of the Lord and to end it with thanksgiving Not that we are alwayes to use the voice and gesture of the body for sometime it is sufficient to lift up the soul unto the Lord Which kind of short prayers among the ancient Fathers were called ejaculations And thus if we shall use statae vagae orationes stinted and unstinted prayers omitting no just occasions we shall perform the commandment 1. Thess. 5. 17. but otherwise we shall break the same and in so doing we shall incurre the wrath of God CHAP. XXVIII Concerning the place of prayer THirdly concerning the place To no one certain place is that promise made that then was made to the temple of Jerusalem viz. That whatsoever men in their extremitie should ask of God in it God would grant it in his holy habitation in the heavens Jesus the Messias then looked for whose presence was sought in the mercy-seat and between the Cherubims is now entred between the veil that is in the heaven and there abideth onely Mediatour for us unto whom from all the coasts of the earth we may lift up pure hands with assurance that we shall be heard Howsoever the Israelites under the Law were tyed to pray either in the temple and tabernacle Deut. 12. 5 14. Psal. 99. 6. or else towards the same 2 Chron. 7. 38. 1. Kings 8. 44 48. Psal. 138. 2. Dan. 6. 10. yet now all such distinction and difference of place being but ceremoniall is abolished For that one place of prayer and sacrifice was a type of Christ Jesus the alone altar and the praying in or towards the same did figure out thus much That onely in the mediation of Jesus Christ who is the onely Mediatour both of redemption and also of intercession we are to call upon the Lord Wherefore seeing these were but shadows and ceremonies of things to come and seeing the substance and truth it self Jesus Christ is already exhibited whereunto the shadows and ceremonies do and ought to give place we are not now tied to one place more then another as one being more typically holy then another In the 4. of John v. 21 22 23 24. our Saviour himself resolveth this doubt for when the Samaritane had demanded of him which is that place wherein God is to be worshipped the mount Gerizzim where the Samaritanes temple was or the mount Moriah whereon the temple of Solomon was built Christ giveth her this answer That now the time was come wherein all these differences of places being but ceremoniall were taken away that now the Lord was no more to be worshipped by ceremonies but in spirit and truth and therefore that it was lawfull to worship God not onely in Jerusalem oâ—… in mount Gerizzim but also in other places The Prophet Malachi seemeth to foretell the same chap. 1. 11. For so the Lord speaketh by him From the rising of the sunne to the going down of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered in my name c. But most plain is that 1. Tim. 2. 8. where the Apostle willeth that men should pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every place lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting So that there is no such difference of place but that we may lawfully call upon God in any place Which also is confirmed unto us by the practice of Christ and his Apostles who did not onely pray in the temple but without distinction in other places as in the mountain in the desert in the garden in private houses on the house-top on the sea-shore and where not Hence appeareth the vanity of Pilgrimages Which were used either because the places were more holy to which they went then others or because the Lord was nearer to them there then elsewhere The former reason I have already confuted and the latter is more absurd For is the Lord present at Jerusalem and is he absent in England nay Do not I â—…ill heaven and earth saith the Lord Jer. 23. 24. And doth not the Psalmist say Psal 138. 8. If I ascend into heaven thou art there if I lie down in hell thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea yea thither shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand hold me Seeing therefore that the Lord is every where present to heare us we may call upon him in any place and the rather because our bodies are the temples of God and we our selves priests and Christ Jesus dwelleth in our temples upon whom as being our onely altar we may offer up incense that is our prayers Revel 5. 8. Psal. 141. 2. So that wheresoever we are we have temples wherein to call upon the Lord. Now howsoever this which I have said be in generall true of Invocation both publick and private yet it is to be understood of publick with this distinction For publick prayer is to be considered according to the state of the Church If the Church be either in persecution or warfare wheresoever the assembly meeteth to that purpose there may they lawfully pray As namely in persecution in private houses or in secret places for the assembly not the place maketh prayer publick But if the Church be in flourishing and quiet estate there ought some publick places as Churches to be appointed for that purpose wherein the congregation ordinarily is to be assembled not for any greater holinesse in the Churches then in other places for the assembly sanctifieth the place and not the place the assembly but onely for good orders sake and politie of the Church CHAP.
no sense of their own misery c. 3. Those that seek not the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse but set themselves to seek their own carnall and worldly desires 4. Those magistrates ministers people that seek not the advancement of Christs kingdome in themselves contemning the word quenching the spirit nor yet in others As for those Magistrates who in stead of cherishing the Church do persecute it in stead of advancing Gods kingdome do deface it erecting superstition and idolatry suppressing vertue advancing vice or those Ministers that deprive the people of the food of their souls and like dry nurses hunger-starve them or those men whosoever that labour to withdraw men from allegeance unto God all those oppose themselves to the kingdome of grace and therefore being enemies in making this prayer do ask their own confusion For our Saviour Christ sheweth himself to be a King as well in subduing his enemies as in preserving his subjects Psal. 110. 1. Psal. 2. 6. 5. Those that follow the temptations of the devil the desires of the world and lusts of the flesh and please themselves in so doing they are not guided by the Spirit of Christ but are enemies to his crosse Phil. 3. 19. and souldiers in Satans camp As therefore we desire the kingdome of grace so let us seek it c. Of the coming of the kingdome of glory which we here desire Thirdly we desire that the kingdome of glory may come that is that the number of the elect being accomplished and all Gods enemies subdued Christ would hasten his coming to judgement to our full redemption and glorification that God may be all in all Here therefore we pray 1. That God would hasten the coming of Christ unto judgement and to that end would accomplish the number of the elect and subdue all his enemies under his feet 2. That this kingdome may come unto us and that it may be possessed of us and to that end would make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light and would free and keep us from all evil unto his own everlasting kingdome 2. Tim. 4. 18. and would by his power through faith preserve us unto everlasting life 1. Pet. 1. 5. Vses 1. Dutie in our lives We must earnestly desire the coming of Christ and believe that it shall come and that to our salvation 2. Wants to be bewailed First the want of faith by reason of the conscience of our manifold sinnes which make a separation between God and us and make the remembrance of the judgement terrible unto us so that we cannot desire the coming of Christ to judgement as we ought Secondly the worldlinesse of our minds in that we are all more or lesse overtaken of the desires thereof and not so wained from the world as becometh pilgrimes on earth so that many of us are so farre from desiring another life that they could be content to live here for ever Thirdly our sinnes must be as an heavie burden unto us that being weary we may earnestly desire to be dissolved and so disburdened of them Rom. 7. 23 24. Phil. 1. 23. Fourthly we must bewail and be weary of the sinnes of the world whereby Gods name is dishonoured his kingdome hindred his will neglected that so we may truly desire that an end may be put to these evil dayes and may say How long Lord holy and true Revel 6. 10. We must believe 1. That Christ will come to judgement and that there will be a kingdome of glory after this life for these two articles of our faith are here presupposed For if we be in the number of those mockers of whom Peter foretold 2. Epistle 3. 4. that believe not this second coming of Christ c. we shall but mock God if we make this petition 2. That Christ will come to our salvation and that we shall be inheritours of that kingdome for we cannot else truly desire his coming c. Duties in our lives I. We must give all diligence to make our calling and election sure For by this means an entring shall be ministred unto us abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of the Lord c. 2. Pet. 1. 10 11. II. If we pray in faith that our request may be granted we must expect Christs second coming And we must expect it with faith fervency patience and vigilancie With faith that is with perswasion assurance that Christ will come to our full redemption For wheÌ„ a man can truly say by faith that our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversation is in heaven he will also adde with the Apostle from whence we look for a Sâ—…viour Phil. 3. 20. and consequently expect it with chearfulnesse and not with unhappy Felix tremble at the mention of judgement For howsoever it shall be a day of unspeakable terrour to the wicked yet to the godly it shall be a day of singular comfort For then the Lord shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Revel 7. 17. For which cause it is called the time of refreshing Acts 3. 19. And therefore our Saviour Christ Luke 21. 28. biddeth the faithfull to lift up their heads c. because the day of their full redemption both body and soul draweth near Secondly we must expect with earnest desire 1. eternall life 2. the coming of Christ Tit. 2. 13. For how can a man faithfully expect and certainly look for happinesse who doth not also earnestly desire it therefore the Apostle saith that we who have the first-fruits of the Spirit do sigh within our selves expecting the adoption that is the heavenly inheritance whereunto we are adopted and the redemption of our body at the second coming of Christ Rom. 8. 23. Secondly we are with desire to expect the second coming of Christ looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God 2. Pet. 3. 12. But there are many who with Balaam desire salvation but how few that desire the second coming of Christ Yet this is made a note of a true Christian to love and desire it 2. Tim. 4. 8. For as Th. Aquinas saith Qui diligit amicum cum desiderio exspectat eum He that loveth his friend expecteth him with longing desire And also they who believe that Christ is their Saviour they will also desire his coming And as the creature earnestly waiteth for that time which Acts 3. 21. is called the time of the restitution of all things which now are subject to vanity Rom. 8. 20. for then the heaven earth shall be renewed 2. Pet. 3. 13. so we also who have the first-fruits of the Spirit sigh within our selves waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our bodies Rom. 8. 23. Then is the time of Christs marriage with his Church and of our conformation with him in glory 1. John 3. 2. For when he shall appear we shall be like unto him If then the second coming of Christ shall be a day of refreshing of
glory 2. Cor. 1. 20. This therefore serveth to confirm our faith For doubtlesse such things as tend to his glory he will grant especially considering it is his glory to heare the prayers of his servants and seeing to him belongeth the glory of giving every good gift but these things which we ask according to our Saviours direction do tend to the glory of God and to that end we ask them therefore we may be assured that he will grant our requests so far forth as they stand with his glory Now whereas our Saviour directed us to make this our first suit That Gods name may be glorified and now teacheth us to make his glory the reason of our prayers this sheweth That the glory of God should be the main end of all our desires for which we should affect them and unto which when we have obteined them we should referre them 1. Chron. 16. 35. Psal. 50. 15. And forasmuch as the glory is the Lords which he will not have communicated to any other Isai. 42. 8. therefore we are to call upon him alone as being the onely fountain of every good gift the onely hearer of our prayers Of which glory we rob the Lord if we direct our prayers to any other And as we are not to give his glory to any other so we are not to take it to our selves For seeing the glory is the Lords therefore vainglorious persons seek to rob God of that glory which is proper to him and to assume it to themselves But we must say with David Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord c. and with Daniel chap. 9. 7. Righteousnesse O Lord belongeth unto thee and to us shame c. But we ascribe unto the Lord not onely kingdome power and glory but also an everlasting kingdome an eternall power and immortall glory For as Moses saith Psal. 90. 2. He is God from everlasting to everlasting he is King for ever Therefore he hath right not onely in this life to crown us with his blessings but after this life he hath an everlasting kingdome to bestow upon us Luke 12. 32. unto which he is able and willing to bring us by his power everlasting to the immortall glory of his mercy Now these reasons as they must be propounded in faith so also with chearfulnesse as a consequent thereof And when they are chearfully uttered they are not onely reasons of our requests but also a notable form of praysing God which our Saviour hath taught us to joyn with our prayer And so the holy Ghost hath directed us elsewhere as Col. 4. 2. Phil. 4. 6. And that this is a form of prayse and thanksgiving appeareth by other places of Scripture where the men of God setting themselves of purpose to prayse God have used the very like form As David 1. Chron. 29. 10 11 12. and Psal. 145. 10. and 11. 12 13. Revel 7. 12. Jude v. 25. Revel 4. 11. Vses Duties concerning prayer 1. That we pray to God and him alone Whereof a reason is conteined in these words For his is the kingdome c. 2. That we pray in faith seeing our heavenly Father whose is the kingdome power and glory is both able and willing to grant our requests 3. That with our prayer we joyn prayse and thanksgiving which in this short form is not omitted Duties in our lives 1. To arrogate nothing to our selves but to ascribe all kingdome power and glory to the Lord Psal. 29. 1 2. and 115. 1. and of all good things received to ascribe the praise to God 2. If God be our King then must we behave our selves as dutifull and obedient subjects If his be the power then are we both to fear him and to trust in him If his be the glorie then of him must we beg all good things and to his glory must all be referred If his power kingdome and glorie be everlasting then are we taught whom to fear whom to serve whom to trust in namely him that is able not onely in this life to blesse us but also after to crown us with immortall glorie in his eternall kingdome If we serve the flesh the devil the world we shall have the momentanie fruition of sin and after this life is ended eternall torments God liveth for ever as to crown eternally the godly so to punish the wicked eternally He then will exclude them out of his kingdome and will be of power to destroy both body and soul in hell and he will glorifie his justice in their endlesse confusion Hypocrifie discovered But here the hypocrisie of men is to be discovered who ascribe kingdome to God and yet obey him not power and fear him not glory and glorifie him not and they adde all these reasons to their petitions as if they should say Thou Lord wilt grant our requests for thine is the kingdome power and glory for ever and yet do not believe that the Lord will grant their requests Amen And so much of the confirmation of our faith Now followeth the testification both of our faith and of the truth of our defire in the word Amen For it importeth the assent of the heart to the words of our mouth and it signifieth truly or even so or as the Grecians sometimes translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So be it The meaning of it is thus much as if we should say As I have made thâ—…se requests unto thee O Lord so do I both unfeignedly desire the performance of them Let them O Lord be granted 1. Kings 1. 36. and also truly believe that thou in thy good time wilt grant my desires so farre forth as they stand with thy glory and my good and in this perswasion I rest attending thy good pleasure And as I have ascribed unto thee kingdome power and glorie so I do both unfeignedly acknowlcdge that thine alone is the kingdome c. and also heartily desire that I and all others may truly and effectually ascribe unto thee everlasting kingdome power and glorie For being annexed unto prayer it signifieth both the truth and earnestnesse of our desire and also the assent of faith laying hold on the promises of God made in Christ to our prayers And being added to thanksgiving it signifieth both the truth of our assertion in ascribing praise to God and also a true desire and zeal of Gods glory Hence therefore we may learn again those duties which heretofore have been taught 1. That we call upon the Lord with unfeigned lips and upright hearts truly desiring those things with our hearts which we ask with our mouthes and being truly thankfull for those things for which we give thanks 2. We must strive against our infidelitie and doubting Psal. 42. 12. and must truly believe that the Lord will grant our requests so farre forth as they stand with his glorie and our good otherwise we cannot say Amen 3. We are to rest in the good pleasure of God with assurance expecting his
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 out 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 exhoâ—…ted 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 sarre from mâ—… and elsewhere he complaineth of the hypocrites of his people that when they howled unto him they cried not with their hearts which he calleth speaking lies Hos. 7. 13 14. for what else doth a man but lie when he speaketh otherwise then he thinketh This divorce of the heart and the tongue in all speech even betwixt men is detestable Psal. 12. 2. it is called speaking with a heart and a heart But when men speak so unto God it is ridiculous and impious ridiculous because they go about to deceive God who beholding he heart as well as the tongue seeth them dance as it were in a net impious because it is not to lie unto men but unto God Both which folly and impietie the Psalmist noteth in the Israelites Psal. 78. 36. That when the hand of God was upon them slaying divers of them they sought him and called upon him neverthelesse they did flatter or go about to deceive him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their
omnem ex animo pellens humanam cogitationem that is If the bodie lying prostrate upon the ground and the mouth vainly trifling the mind wandreth throughout the whole house and market how can such a one say that he prayeth in Gods sight For he prayeth in the sight of God who recollecteth his whole soul that he may have nothing to do with the earth but may wholly raise himself into heaven and banish all humane cogitations out of his mind And to conclude let the absurditie of the fault it self and the grosse abusing of the majestie of God breed in us a lothing of this fault and a care to shun it For when at any time our minds have wandred in prayer let us endeavour to joyn into one speech the prayer of the mouth and the speech of the heart both which do sound in the eares of the Lord and then consider whether we would make such a speech I say not according to Malachi's rule to our Prince but to any man whom we regard which we are not abashed to offer unto the Lord. And thus have you heard the two faults opposed to praying in truth whereof the former is a note of hypocrites and impenitent sinners the latter though a foul fault and carefully to be avoided yet incident to the children of God For even in this sense the best of us may complain with David that our heart forsaketh us Psal. 40. 12. and as Augustine citeth out of Ambrose Ipso in tempore quo elevare mentem paramus insertis inanibus cogitationibus ad terrena plerunque dejicimur In the very time wherein we indeavour to lift up our minds vain thoughts being inserted we are for the most part cast down unto earthly things Wherein if we please our selves and are satisfied with such wandring prayers as though such wandring thoughts were not to be regarded as the Schoolmen teach we also play the hypocrites in our prayers and speak in vain in the aire without fruit or efficacie for such a prayer is dead and without life But if we come with upright hearts intending a religious service unto God though sometimes our devotions be hindred with wandring thoughts yet if we be grieved for them and pray and strive against them this infirmitie through Gods mercy and intercession of Christ shall not be imputed unto us CHAP. XVII Of knowledge which is required necessarily in prayer THus much of that which is generally required in the soul Now let us see what is more particularly required in the mind and in the heart In the mind two things are required Knowledge and Faith Knowledge 1. Of God to whom we pray and of his will according to which we are to pray 2. Of that which we in our invocation do utter in the presence of God First there is required knowledge and acknowledgement of the true God and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent otherwise we are subject to the censure of our Saviour given to the Samaritanes John 4. 22. You worship you know not what First we must know God before we can believe in him and we must believe in him or else we cannot call upon him Rom. 10. 14. Therefore David exhorteth his sonne Solomon 1. Chron. 28. 9. first to know then to worship the God of his fathers with a willing mind and an upright heart For all worship of God which is not guided by knowledge is mere will-worship and superstition Neither is that to be accounted religion or pietie which proceedeth from ignorance as the Papists hold ignorance to be the mother of devotion But that devotion is blind superstition Knowledge is as it were the stern which guideth us in the right way of serving God according to his word without which we wander into will-worship and superstitious inventions And therefore as of God there is knowledge required so also of his will revealed in his word For we can have no assurance that we shall be heard unlesse we pray according to his will 1. John 5. 14. Neither can we pray according to his will unlesse in some measure we do know it Col. 3. 16. Secondly there is required knowledge and understanding of that which we do pray otherwise we are subject to our Saviours reproof Matth. 20. 22. You ask you know not what Prayer not understood is the lifting up of the voice and not of the soul unto God and a pouring forth of our breath and speaking into the aire and not a pouring forth of our hearts and souls unto the Lord for as Augustine saith Seeing as it is Psal. 89. 16. Beatus populus qui intelligit jubilationem Curramus ergò saith he ad hanc beatitudinem intelligamus jubilationem non eam sine intellectu fundamus Quid opus est jubilare non intelligere jubilationem ut vox nostra sola jubilet cor non jubilet Sonus enim cordis intellectus est that is Blessed is the people which understandeth the joyfull sound Let us therefore haste saith he after this happinesse let us understand this joyfull sound and not vent it out without understanding What use is there of a joyfull sound and not to understand it that our voice onely should make this joyfull sound and not our heart For the sound of the heart is understanding Wherefore the Apostle Col. 3. 16. exhorteth us that the word of God dwell in us plenteously in all wisdome teaching and admonishing our selves in psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. Where the Apostle as he doth in generall require in every Christian a plentifull knowledge of the word of God to direct him in his worship of God so he teacheth us the use of our Psalmes and songs which we sing unto the Lord to wit that we and those that heare us may be instructed and edified thereby which without understanding of that which is said cannot be done as the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 14. And to the same effect doth the Prophet David exhort us Psal. 47. 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words though diversly translated do in every sense require understanding in those that call upon God whether you read it Sing praises every one that hath understanding or sing praises understandingly or with understanding or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also signifieth as appeareth by the titles of divers psalmes sing a Psalme of instruction whereby you may according to the exhortation of the Apostle Col. 3. instruct and edifie your selves and others Here therefore two sorts of men are condemned the first of those who pray in an unknown tongue the second of them who praying in their own tongue do not understand their own prayer The former fault is commited in the Church of Rome both in publick and private prayers And first for publick the Church of Rome hath ordained that all the publick Divine service in the West-churches should be done in the Latine tongue And although
prayer made with such a proud conceit is abominable unto God CHAP. XX. Of Reverence required in prayer and Heartinesse THe second thing required in the heart is a reverence of the Majesty of God to whom we speak according to Davids both advice Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoyce with trembling and practice Psal. 5. 7. I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercie that is trusting therein and in â—…he fear or reverence of thee will I worship towards thy holy temple That we are thus to call upon God I shall not need to prove For if when we are to speak to a Prince we are touched with great reverence of an earthly Majestie how are we to be affected when we speak unto God And if the blessed angels being in Gods presence and sounding forth his prayse are described in the Scriptures as having six wings whereof two pair serve to cover their face their feet Isa. 6. 2 3. thereby betokening their wonderfull reverence of God how much more should we who inhabit these houses of clay subject to infirmities and corrupted with sinne be strucken with an awfull reverence of God If therefore we did but seriously consider That we are to speak vnto God and did set him before our eyes who is in Majestie most glorious and therefore to be reverenced for power omnipotent and therefore to be feared Luke 12. for greatnesse or infinitenesse rather in every place and therefore present with us to heare what we say and to behold what we do for knowledge omniscient and a searcher of the heart and therefore throughly acquainted with what disposition and affection we do come before him for holinesse and justice a most pure Spirit and therefore will be worshiped in spirit truth finally who is as Malachi speaketh our Father and therefore to be reverenced our Lord and therefore to be feared chap. 1. 6. If I say we did set him before our eyes and our selves in his presence as we ought alwayes to do but especially when we call upon him it cannot be but that we shall be touched with great reverence of his glorious Majestie and therefore shall behave our selves accordingly doing speaking thinking nothing but that which may become his presence and whereof we may be bold to admit him to be the hearer and the judge all light behaviour all wandring thoughts being far removed and abandoned and we for the time being elevated above all earthly cogitations and having our conversation in heaven supposing as Chrysostome saith our selves to be in the midst of the Angels and performing the like exercise with them You see our duty But what is our practice Do no we vile wretches when we present our selves before the Lord behave our selves many times with lesse reverence or regard then if we were speaking to a mortall man that is our supeâ—…iour Insomuch that we hold it for good advice as indeed it is respecting our weaknes In such sort to speak to men as if God did heare us so to speak to God as if man did heare us And is not this an evidence that we are caâ—…nall that our hearts are affected with no more then our senses apprehend and that we want those eyes of faith which Moses had Heb. 11. 27. whereby we might be moved to behave our selves in the presence of God as seeing him that is invisible Now to move us both to humilitie and reverence let us consider as Solomon adviseth Eccles 5. 1 2. that God to whom we speak is in the heaven full of majestie and power which consideration our Saviour also teacheth us to have in the beginning of our prayer Matth. 6. 9. and we which do speak are on the earth base and vile not onely in respect of our mould being but dust and ashes but especially in respect of our sinnes whereby we have made our selves unworthy to appear in his presence And unto both these we are excited Psal. 95. which is prefixed as a preparative to our Liturgie v. 6. Come let us worship and fall down let us kneel before the Lord our maker For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hands The third thing is heartinesse devotion or ardour of the mind when we are throughly affected with those things whereof we speak calling upon God with our whole hearts For if that be good counsel which the wise Solomon giveth That what we do we do it with all our might Eccles 9. 10. it is especially to be followed in prayer wherein we are not to be cold or carelessâ—… This heartinesse in prayer is servencie or earnestnesse of desire in thanksgiving alacritie and chearfulnesse the former arising from the sense of our want the latter from the sense and experience of Gods goodnesse towards us And it is that which giveth wings to our prayers and causeth them to ascend before God This is called liâ—…ting up our prayer Isai. 37. 4. Jer. 7. 16. Here therefore two things are to be avoided The first is coldnesse when men call upon God without sense either of their wants in prayer or of Gods blessings in thanksgiving calling upon God for fashion or custome sake usu magâ—…s quà m sensu orantes praying rather out of use then sense Such a prayer wanting lively affections is dead and therefore counterfeit and hypocriticall and a mere bodily worship For this is to call upon God with our mouthes but not with our hearts this is to pray without desire and to give thanks without grace in our hearts The other is taedium in orando wearinesse in praying That is when mens hearts being set on other matters all time that is bestowed in prayer is thought too long and therefore the prayer as it is unwillingly begun so is it wearisomely performed the end of the prayer many times being more desired then the end for which prayer was ordained But our invocation must be as a free-will-offering and our service of God must be performed with a willing mind neither is that to be accounted a service of the soul which is without either the understanding as I said before or the will CHAP. XXI Of the Gesture to be used in prayer HItherto we have spoken of those things which in the action of Invocation are required in the soul. Now we are to speak of those things which are required in the body For though bodily exercise being severed from the inward worship is little worth yet being joyned with the inward it is of some moment For where the Lord commandeth any duty or forbiddeth any sinne there also he commandeth or forbiddeth the signes and appearances thereof and therefore where he requireth the inward worship of the soul in prayer as honorem facti the honour of the deed there also he requireth the outward of the body when it may be conveniently exercised as honorâ—…m signi the honour of the signe Now our bodies and members
private prayer of one alone it is more convenient to use the inward speech of the heart alone when the outward speech of the tongue cannot be used but that it shall be heard or perceived of others For private prayer must be made in secret as Christ commandeth Matth. 6. 6. lest we pray or at least seem to pray that we may be heard or seen of men When as therefore we are occasioned to pray by our selves alone in presence of others we must pray in the closet of our heart using no voyce nor making any outward shew of prayer and the Lord which seeth the secrets of the heart will reward openly Thus Abrahams servant standing at the well unto which was ordinary resort prayed in his heart Gen. 24. 45. and Moses being among the people Exod. 14. 15. and Nehemiah being in the Kings presence Neh. 2. 4. and Annah the mother of Samuel in the presence of Eli 1. Sam. 1. 13. Otherwise in private prayer it is most convenient and in prayer with others whether in the Church or family it is necessary that the voice in prayer should be used for otherwise those that are present cannot consent to our prayers and say Amen neither can they be edified thereby unlesse they heare and understand the prayer Our duty is as I have said before to worship God both in body and soul And as we are to glorifie God with all our members and powers so especially by our tongue and speech For therefore hath God given us the facultie of speeâ—…h above other creatures that we might not onely be the matter of his glory as they are but also the instruments to sound forth his praise And therefore is our tongue called our glory Psal. 16. 7. and 108. â—… because it is that instrument by which we are to set forth Gods glory Moreover as the gesture of the body so much more the voyce of the tongue doth serve both to stirre up the affections of the heart and also to contein the cogitations from wandring about other matters And of such moment is the voice in prayer as that first the voice or cry with the voice is put sometime for the prayer it self 1. Sam. 7. 8 9. Psal. 66. 17. and 77. 1. and 142. 1. Secondly the holy Ghost in many places where he speaketh of invocation is carefull to mention the voice as in the places even now cited out of the Psalmes and elsewhere as Psal. 71. 23 24. and 119. 171. my lips shall utter praise For which cause prayer and prayse are called the calves of our lips Hos. 14. 2. Thirdly David prayeth Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal. 51. 14 15. But here we must alwayes remember that with our voice we must lift up our hearts to God and that the cry of the voyce must proceed from the cry of the heart For the Lord respecteth the heart and if the cry come not from thence he will not heare it Hos. 7. 13 14. no though men should cry loud in his eares Ezek. 8. 18. The voyce used in prayer is either inarticulate or articulate The inarticulate is that which is uttered in sighing groning and weeping For the children of God many times do best expresse their desires by sighs and grones aâ—…d tears The which proceed from an humble and servent spirit and are wrought in us by the spirit of God which teacheth us to pray with sighs that cannot be expressed Rom. 8. 26. And he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the spirit v. 27. For as David saith Psal. 38. 9. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groning is not hid from thee Thou tellest my wandrings put my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book Psal. 56. 8. Plerunque hoc negotium plùs gemitibus quà m sermonibus agitur plùs sletu quà m affatâ—… For the most part this businesse is acted more with grones then with words more with weeping then with speech Hezekiah professeth that he did chatter like a crane or a swallow and did mourn like a dove Isai. 38. 14. The articulate voice is the externall speech it self whereby the prayer is expressed Wherein we are to consider two things the words which be uttered and the language wherein they are uttered In the words we are to conâ—…ider the quantitie the qualitie and the form For the quantity We must not affect prolixity as though for the multitude of our words we did look to be heard Neither may we use any superfluity of words or idle repetitions First because our Saviour Christ forbiddeth all battology in our prayers Matth. 6. 7. which Theophylact interpreteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 futilitie Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idle and unseasonable speech But the meaning may best be gathered from the notation for as the Etymologist saith the word is compounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Battus a certain Grecian who was accustomed to adorn images with long and tedâ—…ous inscriptions which were full of vain repetitions For so Ovid also speaketh of him Montibus inquit sc. Battus erant erant in montibus illis and therefore he saith it signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbosity Which agreeth with the exposition of Christ who is the best expounder of himself For in the words following he calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But when ye pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the meaning of our Saviour is in pâ—…ayer to use multitude of words and idle repetitions with this conceit That for the multitude of our words we shall be heard Secondly For the reason which our Saviour giveth Christians in their prayer must not be like to the heathen The heathen affected prolixitie and used superfluity of words and idle repetitions with this perswasion that for their much babling they should be heard But why must not Christians be like the heathen Because the God on whom we call is most unlike The heathen might well imagine concerning their gods the best whereof were men deceased that by multitude of words they might be perswaded and that alwayes they did not hearken unto them as being otherwise imployed as Elias telleth Baals priests 1. Kings 18. 27. and therefore thought it needfull to repeat the same things oft that if they did not heare them at one time they might at another As we see those priests of Baal to call upon him from morning v. 26 29. untill the time of the evening sacrifice crying again and again O Baal heare us But the true God on whom we call he is our heavenly Father and therefore for his love most ready and willing to heare us even before we call upon him Isai. 65. 24. And for his knowledge he knoweth what we stand in need of before we pray as
believeth make hast but as it is Psal. 123. 2. waiting upon the Lord untill he have mercie upon us knowing as Jeremy speaketh Lam. 3. 26. that it is good both to trust and to wait for the salvation of the Lord being assured that the Lord who is a present help in the time of need will in his good time grant our requests And therefore we are exhorted Heb. 4. 16 to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace that we may obtein mercy and find grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for opportune help And because we have need of this patience Heb. 10. 36. we are to stirre up and encourage our selves thereto Psal. 27. 13 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage c. Sixthly if having persisted in prayer and long expected the Lords leisure we yet have not obteined our suit insomuch that the Lord may seem rather wholly to deny it then for a time to delay it we are to rest in the good will and pleasure of God being perswaded that he hath heard our prayers in a better manner then we desired hearing us though not ad voluntatem yet ad utilitatem that is for our profit tâ—…gh not according to our will after the manner of wise and carefull parents who will not give to their children what they ask but what is profitable and of good Physicians who will not grant their patients what they desire but what is expedient And therefore we are in this case to be disposed as Augustine directeth us Si quid contra quod oramus acciderit patienter ferendo in omnibus gratias agendo hoc potiùs oportuisse quod Dei non quod nostra voluntas habuit minimè dubitare debemus by patient bearing it if any thing happeneth contrary to that which we have prayed for and in all things giving thanks neither ought we to doubt but that it is better that should come to passe which God willeth then what we desired And this is true not onely in temporall benefits which it is good sometime to want but also in spirituall which are not necessary to salvation As for example A man being troubled with some infirmitie which is as a prick in his flesh moving him to sinne prayeth unto God to be delivered from it but howsoeuer his prayer in desiring to be freed from evil is acceptable unto God yet it may be he will not grant it the deniall being more for his glory and our profit for his glory because his power is manifested in our weaknesse to make us work out our salvation with fear and trembling to make us more circumspect of our wayes knowing that we carry such an enemy about us as if we stand not upon our guard will be ready to foil us Example hereof in Paul 2. Cor. 12. 7 8 9. And this ought to be our disposition when our requests do seem not to be granted But if contrariwise the Lord hath heard our prayers and granted our requests then are we First to be thankfull unto God for his goodnesse Psal. 28. 6. and 66. 20. and 118. 21. Dan. 2. 23. Gen. 24. 26. John 11. 41. Secondly our love of God must be increased and our faith confirmed with greater confidence to make our prayers unto him for the time to come Psal. 116. 1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard the voyce of my supplications because he hath inclined his care unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live CHAP. XXXII Distinctions of prayer in regard of the object NOw this kind of invocation admitteth some distinctions in regard of the object which is either Personall or Reall In regard of persons we pray either for our selves or concerning others howbeit when we pray for our selves we are also ordinarily to pray for others as our Saviour hath taught us The prayer which concerneth others is properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intercession and it is either for them 1. Tim. 2. 1. or against them Rom. 11. 2. The others for whom we are to pray are either deceased or living The deceased are either the elect which are happie in heaven or the reprobate damned in hell For the elect in generall we do pray in the second petition of the Lords prayer that the whole number of the elect being accomplished the Lord would hasten the second coming of Christ for our and their full redemption that both they and we may both in body and soul enjoy the felicitie of our blessed Saviour and by him the fellowship of the whole Trinity to our complete and eternall happinesse As touching the reprobate in hell we are not to pray for them but rather against them which we do in generall and by consequence in the same petition In particular we are not to pray for any deceased For either they be in heaven and then our prayer is needlesse or in hell and then it is bootlesse For as touching the purgatorie-fire it was but a smoke and therefore vanished or at the most a devised fire serving for the Popes kitchin and the inriching of the Popish clergie Furthermore as he that prayeth in particular for the saints in heaven wrongeth them as supposing that they need his prayer so he that prayeth for any of the reprobate in hell wrongeth himself for such a prayer being without warrant and therefore not of faith yea expressely against the Scriptures which teach that out of hell there is no redemption is turned into sin For what warrant have we to love where we know that God doth hate or to make intercession for them to whom the intercession of Christ doth not belong But we know not whether they be in heaven or in hell But this we are to know Whether they be in heaven or hell we are not in particular to pray for them If we know not their estate we are in charity to hope the best of those which die in the church for whom being in heaven we can by prayer procure no particular blessing Concerning those that are alive We are commanded in the word of God to pray one for another Jam. 5. 16. for all the Saints Ephes. 6. 18. for the whole brotherhood of Christians as our Saviour hath taught us Our Father Give us c. The which as it doth teach us our duty so to them that do it it ministreth comfort Frater si pro te solo or as solus or as pro te si pro omnibus omnes or ant pro te Brother if thou prayest for thy self alone then thou alone prayest for thy self if thou prayest for all then all pray for thee And not onely for the faithfull are we to pray but for all men in generall that is for men of all sorts and conditions those onely excepted who have sinned against the holy Ghost for whom there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearfull expectation of judgement and violent fire which shall consume
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 waâ—…k 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 conjunctionâ—… 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 are 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 signifieth his attributes which are nothing but himself For the justice of God is the just God the wisdome of God is the wise God the mercy of God is the mercifull God c. And these also are the name of God as appeareth Exod. 33. 19. and 34. 5 6 7. For this is the name which he proclaimeth The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth c. Secondly the name of God signifieth that whereby God is named whereby he is either renowned or known The name of renown is his glory which is as it were his good name For so in great persons their good name is their glory and renown and therefore they are said in
follow him submitting our selves willingly to his will 1. Sam. 3. 18. Acts 21 14. 2. Sam. 15. 26. 5. The Angels do the will of God fully accomplishing whatsoever the Lord commandeth so ought we to do it fully and not by halves otherwise he will say to us as to them of Sardis Revel 3. 2. I have not found thy works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complete before God Remember the example of Herod Mark 6. 20. who albeit hearing John Baptist he did many things and heard him gladly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet because he continued in that sinne of incest his partiall obedience did nothing avail him He that keepeth all the law and faileth in some one commandment is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. And he that truly repenteth of any one sinne repenteth of all Where there is upright obedience there is intire obedience but where there is halving there is halting between God and Mammon between Christ and Antichrist The covetous man thinketh well of himself because he is not a whoremaster or a drunkard the riotous person thinketh well of himself that he is not covetous no extortioner c. the Pharisee because he is no Publicane Luke 18 c. Many separate justice and holinesse c. But herein we are as much as we are able to follow the example of Christ who did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3. 15. For if we will be men according to Gods own heart we must desire and endevour to do all his will Acts 13. 22. 6. The Angels of the Lord do his will constantly never giving over untill they have accomplished the will of the Lord so must we be constant persevering in obedience being not weary of weldoing knowing that we are redeemed of the Lord to worship him c. all the dayes of our lives Lâ—…ke 1. 74. Our obedience must not be like the morning mist. Remember that religion is a way to the end whereto we cannot come untill the end of our lives and therefore if we set down our staff before we come to the end and will go no further what will all our former pains avail us If we run in this race and faint before we come to the goal how shall we hopâ—… to obtein the garland Be faithfull unto death saith our Saviour and I will give thee the crown of life Revel 2. 10. and Matth. 24. 13. He that continueth to the â—…nd he shall be saved 7. Lastly the holy Angels do the will of God faithfully and in all their doings seek the glory of God that sendeth them not assuming unto themselves any part of the praise So must we 1. Cor. 10. 31. For if therein we shall seek our own praise or other sinister respects we have our reward Thus must we truly in our lives desire and endevour to do the will of God on earth as the Angels do it in heaven otherwise when we make this prayer we do ask with our mouthes that which we desire not with our hearts Here therefore is discovered the hypocrisie of many men who pray that they may do the will of God which they will not do God would have thee to turn unto him thou prayest that thou mayest do the will of God and yet wilt not turn to him c. What is this then but to mock God when thou askest that of him which thou hast neither desire nor purpose to do But here especially appeareth the hypocrisie of obstinate and stiff-necked sinners who will seem so forward as to desire that they may do the will of God even as the Angels do it in heaven and yet in very truth obey the will of God no otherwise on earth then the devils in hell who although they oppose themselves against the revealed will of God yet willingly though unwittingly perform his secret will which no creature is able to disanull If therefore we would be thought to pray in truth let us desire and endeavour to do that in our lives which in prayer we ask and desire So having imitated the obedience of the Angels on earth we shall be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels and fellow-citizens with the Saints and Angels in heaven c. The fourth Petition HItherto we have spoken of those petitions which immediately concern the glory of God Now we are to come unto those which more nearly appertein unto our good Howbeit mediately also they are referred to Gods glory which must be the main end of all our desires for whatsoever we are to ask for our selves we are to desire no otherwise but as it is subordinate to Gods glory Spirituall graces and salvation we are to desire for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy in our salvation And because a Christian man is bound to believe that the Lord harh ordained him to salvation therefore salvation and those spirituall graces which are necessary thereunto may be asked absolutely as being subordinate to Gods glory with which he joyneth the salvation of the chosen Temporall benefits are to be asked conditionally so farre forth as they serve for Gods glory and our spirituall good Gods glory is to be sought for even in our eating and drinking and whatsoever we do 1. Cor. 10. 31. Nay our life it self is no otherwise to be desired then it is referred to Gods glory Psal. 80. 19. Preserve O Lord our life and we will call upon thy name Psal. 119. 175. Let my soul live and it shall praise thee Isai. 38. 18 19. Psal. 6. 5. and 30. 9. and 50. 15. Sufficientia vitae saith Augustine rectè appetitur non propter seipsam quidem sed ut eam habentes commodiùs Deo serviamus Sufficiencie for life is rightly desired not for it self but that we may more commodiously serve God Now these petitions are of two sorts For in them we ask either temporall benefits concerning the body for the maintenance of this life present or spirituall blessings in heavenly things concerning the soul for the obteining of a better life Of both which we have a promise 1. Tim. 4. 8. and therefore are to pray for both The prayer for temporall blessings is conteined in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give us this day our daily bread But first let us consider the order of the petition in respect both of those which go before and also which follow In respect of the antecedents our Saviour speaketh Matth. 6. 33. First seek the kingdome of God which is that which we desire in the second petition and his righteousnesse which we desire in the third and then all these things which we begge in the fourth shall be cast unto us Therefore preposterous is their care and study who first labour for temporall benefits and post off the seeking of Gods kingdome and his righteousnesse untill the end of their dayes c. And whereas this petition is set after the third we are taught before we ask
grace and help Psal. 123. 2. and 3. 4 5. and 4. 9. And thus our Saviour hath taught us with this word to seal up our prayer Which therefore is not unworthily of some called Signaculum orationis Dominicae the seal of the Lords prayer For he that truly believeth that the Lord doth heare him and goeth away resting in his goodnesse putting his Amen to Christs Amen John 16. 23. he hath set to his seal that God is true in his promises and that to the Lord belongeth kingdome power and glory for ever But here see the hypocrisie of men who say Amen but pray not from their hearts nor truly desire that which with words they ask nor are thankfull for that for which they would seem to give thanks neither do they believe that God will grant their requests and therefore though they say Amen yet therein they lie unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS The method observed in this tractate Of prayer The definition of Prayâ—…r Of the name of Invocation Prayer Of the generall nature of Prayer Psal. 5. 1. Daâ—…asc Oâ—…thodoxa â—…ide lib. 3. cap. 24. 〈◊〉 propâ—…r nature oâ—… Inâ—…ocation What is required in all invocation acceptable to God De 〈◊〉 Deo lâ—…b 1. cap. 1. Isa. 64. 7. 1. Reason takâ—…n from the law of nâ—…ture 2. Because it is the end of our creation and redemption 3. Because it is injoyned in the morall law Object Answ. Esth. 4. Special commandments injoyning prayer 1 From the excellency of it Lib. De 〈◊〉 p. 120. 2 From thâ—… profit of it August Chrysost. 〈◊〉 De Psal. 6â—… 1. Whether prayer be efficacious to obtein our desires Object 1. Answ. Epiâ—…t 121. ad Probam Object 2. Hunnius De Providentia Answ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Th. 〈◊〉 2. 2. 〈◊〉 83. 2. c. Jam. 5 16. Rom. 10. 12. Jer. 2â—… 11 12 Bellarm. De bonis operib in particul lib. 1. cap. 3. Of the efficacy of prayer in respect 1. of the elements * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. of the heavens and heavenly bodies 3. of men 2. Kings 6. Châ—…ysost De oâ—…at lib. 2. cap. 1. 4. of sicknesse death â—…nd devils 5. of God prayer is of greatest efficacie The uses A threeâ—…old limitation of Gods promiâ—…e to heare 1. God heareth not the impenitent sinners 2. That we must pray according to Gods will Object Answ. What in particular is required to effectuall prayer The third limitation in respect of the things prayed for Two benefits accrewing by prayer Rom. â—… 26. The Papists confuted who hold that prayer is satisfactorie and meritorious That the 〈◊〉 onely 〈◊〉 admitted to pray Thâ—…e is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Legall Evangelical what it is Hâ—…v 2. 4. Iâ—… 59 1 2. John 9. 31. That the impenitenâ—… is not able truly to uttâ—… any petition in the Lorâ—…s Prayer Thâ—…t all promises are limited with the condition of fâ—…ith and repâ—…ntance Object Answ. God heareth not the wicked for spirituall blessings Thâ—…t God often heareth the wicâ—…ed for tâ—…mporall 〈◊〉 and how God heareâ—…h the wicked as a 〈◊〉 Judge August ad Pâ—…bam Epiâ—…t 121. 1. Reasâ—…n An obâ—…ction of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discussed De civit Dei lib. 10 â—…p 1. Aâ—… 20. 10. 1. Thess. 1. 9. Rom. 7. 6. and 12. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. lib. 2. 94. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reasâ—…n Jer. 2. 27. Thom. part 3. quâ—…t 25. 〈◊〉 4. â—… Reason 〈◊〉 11. 6. 〈◊〉 14. 23. That Angels ought not to be worshipped 1. Reason â—…ide Amâ—… in Rom. 1. pag. 177. 2. Reason Object Answ. That Saints departed ought not to be invocated 1. Reason 1. Exception of the Papists The glasse of the Trinity forged A second 〈◊〉 of the Papists 〈◊〉 A third pâ—…etense avoided 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason Object Answ. 1. Object Answ. In Apoleg Rom 1. 23. Psal. 106 20. Whether it be lawfull to direct our prayers unto any one person in the Trinitie Whether Christ as Mediatour 〈◊〉 to be invocated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worship Christ in his whole person and not in his manhood alone Ad Theoduâ—… De rect fide â—… 〈◊〉 â—… Thâ—… Pâ—…pists make two sorts of medâ—…atours Object Answ. How the Saints in heaven may be said to pray and for what 〈◊〉 Epist. 〈◊〉 lib. 2. cap. 8. The holy Ghost joyneth intercession and redemption both in one Contâ—…a Parmen lib 2. Epist. cap. 8. The high Priâ—…st a type of Christ. 1. In respect of the soul in tâ—…uth and uprightnesse â—…f heart That our prayer must be the speech of the soul. Psal. 62. 8. The necessity of praying in truth provâ—…d by â—…ivers reasons Ephes. 6. 6. Praying witâ—… feigned lips to be avoided and what it is 2. We must not pray with wâ—…ndring tâ—…oughts Serâ—… de Orat Domini Inter Ortâ—…doxogr 1399. Tom. 4. Homil 79. 641 B. in F. â—…entra Julian lib. 2. ex Ambros. De suga seculi First we must know God 2. We must know Gods will and pray accorâ—…ing unto it In Psal. 99. The doctrine and practice of the church of Rome confuted who prâ—…sse prayer in an unknown tongue Concil Trid. sess 22. can 9 The Papists shifts avoided which they use to clude the Apostles words 1. Cor. 14. Object Answ. vers 14. Object Answ. Lib. De Maâ—… cap. 1. That the people ought to understand publick prayers Basil. in desbreb 278. De Genes ad literam lib. 12. cap. 8. In 1. Cor. 14. De 〈◊〉 lib. 5. cleg 11. Contra Celsum lib. 8. Chemnit Exam par 2. 172. a. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Of private prayers in an unknown tongue and the evils thereof In Psal. 18. Expos. 2. Prayer unprofitable in our mother-tongue if we pray not with understanding Psal. 5. â—… A double faith required in invocation 1. Thess. 5. 17 18. Tâ—…at we must pray in faâ—…th proveâ—… 1. By tâ—…timonies 2. By reasons Ephes. 3. 12. Object Answ. Tem 3. 632. The necessitie and profit of humility proved by 〈◊〉 and â—…xamples Examples of the humility of the godly Luke 18. 13. Faith and humility must be joyned together Object Answ. Bernard De triplici modo orationis seâ—…m 5. â—…ol 22. D. August Epist 56. Meditations to stirre up reverence Of heartinesse ferven cie and devotion râ—…quired in prayer The signes of worship ought outwardly to be expressed with our bodies and the reasons why 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason Of the geâ—…ures which ought to be used in prayer Ad Simplician lib. 2. qu. 4. Toâ—… 4. Vide Damas. De oâ—…thod fide lib. 4. cap. 13. 1. Praying towards the 〈◊〉 2. Standing 3. Kneeling Conâ—…erre 1. Kings 8. 22. with v. 54. and 2 Chron. 6. 12 13. Damasc. De haeres 4. Prostration 5. Sitting Ad Simplic lib. 2. quaest 4. 6. Lying in bed 7. Walking riding c. Of the gesture of the severall parts 1. The uncovering of the head in men 2. Of the