come all that wee can pray for in this world is that God would bestow vpon vs the goods of our bodyes soules all outward blessings necessarie for the body and all inward graces conuenient for the soule and all that wee can desire in the world to come is aeternall Blessednesse that God as he hath giuen vs the kingdome of grace so he would giue vs the kingdome of glory that he would in his good time bring vs out of this transitory world to his perpetuall kingdome there to raigne with him world without end And therfore wee pray Thy kingdome come There is nothing else that wee can pray for All our prayers tend to this end that whilst wee liue in this world wee may haue sufficient nourishment for our bodyes spirituall foode for our soules and in the world to come wee may haue life euerlasting And in begging of these three things three things must be auoided in the first Superfluitas in the second Impuritas in the third Arrogantia In the first superfluitie we must aske of God those things onely which be necessary for our bodies In the second Impuritie we must not aske and beg of God spirituall graces to brag and boast of them In the third Pride and arrogancie not seeking saluation in our owne works and merits but in the mercies of God and in the merits of our Sauiour and Redeemer Christ Iesus In the first in begging of things for the bodie we must auoide superfluitie for God will not grant our greedy desires neither will he listen vnto our prayers if we doe not aske those things which be meete for him to giue and conuenient for vs to receiue In oratione saith Zegedine duo spectanda In prayer there are two things to be considered necessitas vel decorum the necessitie of those things which we aske and the comelinesse and meetnes of them the necessitie that is those things which concerne the sustentation the nourishment the health the freedome and liberties of our bodies Foode and clothing health and liberty is necessarie for our bodies and these things must be asked of God and so much of them as will suffice and no more If we aske more then will suffice to spend vpon our pleasures or to satisfie our lusts we shall not be heard because we aske amisse Yee aske and receiue not saith S. Iames 4.3 because you aske amisse that yee might consume it on your lusts We must pray as our Sauiour Christ commandeth vs Fanem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie Giue vs this day our daily bread that is giue vs those things which be sufficient both for our bodies and soules giue vs the staffe of bread which is sufficient for our bodies giue vs Christ which is the bread of the faithfull the foode of our soules giue vs panem praeter panem super panem aboue bread and besides bread Da nobis vtrumque panem corporis animae giue vs foode both for the body and soule This I take to be the meaning of the words in generall But if we come to handle the words in particular we shall finde that these three words panem nostrum quotidianum affords vs three speciall doctrines fit for our purpose for whereas he saies Pan m he bids vs aske for bread which is the common sustinance for our bodies he would haue vs to be content with that which the Lord sends and not to lust after the flesh pots of Egipt to be fed with delicates and fare deliciously euery day for if wee haue bread if we haue wherewithall to satisfie our hunger to quench our thirstes and to clothe our bodyes wee must learne with the Apostle Paule therewithall to be content And whereas he saith panem nostrum our bread he would haue vs to be content with that which is ours which is our owne and not too greedily desire that which is other mens he would not haue vs to liue vpon vsurie oppression theft deceipt falshood he would not haue vs so much as to couet our neighbours goods neitheir Oxen nor their asses their man-seruants or their maide seruants their wiues or their cattle nor any thing which belongs vnto them much lesse by force or violence by craft or cunning to steale or to purloine any thing from them but to be content with that which is our owne desiring of the Lord only panem nostrum our bread and no more And wheras he saith panem nostrum quotidianum our daily bread he would not haue vs be too carefull for the time to come for what wee shall eat and what wee shall drinke and where withall wee shall be clothed but to take that which is present thankfully confidently reposing and putting our trust in the Almighty that no want shall happen vnto vs in regard wee haue him for our louing father who will be as carefull ouer vs as wee can be ouer our selues neither would he haue vs to be gluttons and drunkards and eate and drinke as much in one day as would serue for many dayes but he would haue vs to be sober and temperate and take no more in the day then will serue for the day auoiding all superfluitie taking that only which is necessarie no more we must vse no more wee must pray for if wee do our p ayers shal be in vaine wee shall not be heard because wee aske amisse And as wee must respect the necessi ie so also must wee keepe a decorum in our prayers Wee must aske of God that which is meete for him to giue and conuenient for vs to receiue all superstitious all wicked vniust curious rash presumptuous vnprofitable prayers must be laide a side and in all our prayers the special thing wee must aime at is the glory of God that those things which wee pray for may be to Gods glory and our owne comfort The prayer of the mother of Zebedeus children was vnlawfull because it was full of ambition for shee dreaming of a temporall kingdome desired of our Sau our Christ honor and preferment for her sonns that the one might sitt on his right hand th' other on his left hand in his kingdome Mat the. 20.21 Our Saviour Christ answered her with Nescitis quid petitis you know not what you aske rebuking them for their presumption for asking those things which were not meete for him to giue and conuenient for them to receiue The request also of Herodias daughter who asked of the king Iohn Baptists head was not to the glory of God but altogether abominable and vnlawfull and if we must not desire of men those things which be vnlawfull much lesse of our heauenly father Yf shee might not aske Iohn Baptist head of the king who was her mothers enemie much lesse ought wee to desire of God the hurt destruction or confusion of our enemies as they bee our owne enemies Indeed if in being our enemies they be the enemies of God then wee may pray with the prophet Dauid Oh
Lord confound our foes let shame and confusion smite them so that they may not be able to preuaile against thee and against thine anointed but the deprecations that wee daily vse the curles and the plagues which wee pray for to light vpon one anothers heads nay and vpon our selues be most fearefull and most abominable we pray the plague the pox the gallowes sudden death and a l manner of punnishments to light vpon our selues and others whereas if God were not more mercifull in hearing and granting then wee be in desiring there is no day but many of vs should be consumed there is no hower but many of vs should perish there is no minute of an hower but many of vs should haue one punishment or other light vpon vs Epicurus was wont to say as * Maximius Maximius reports breui spatio homines omnes perituros esse si hominum preces sequeretur deus that in a little time all men should perish and vtterly be consumed if God should grant all men their desires and his reason is this quoniam multa acerba alij in alios precantur because men pray so bitterly one against another If he might say so in his time well wee may say so in our times vpon whome the latter ends of the world be come amongst whome iniquitie abounds for whereas wee should pray for our enemies and for one another either wee neglect it and pray not at all or else wee pray for curses to light vpon them witnesse the continuall common deprecations which be as rise in mens mouthes as their ordinary talking For which of vs amongst vs I speake of the most part of vs doth not curse his enemie nay curse his friend nay the fruit of our owne bodies wee do not spare but many of vs commonly curse and bann our owne children nay our selues wee curse wishing plagues to light vpon our bodyes our soules wee do not spare but many of vs commonly wish damnation vnto them which prayers and curses if the Lord should heare as no question but he doth heare them but if he should grant them fearefull and lamentable were our estates beloued he doth grant them many times according to our owne harts desire our bodyes consume and come to vntimely ends our wealth decayes and no way prospers our children turne disobedient riotous vnruly and euill conditioned our soules are finally 〈◊〉 in hell fire how fearefull and lamentable be these our prayers and yet how ordinarily do wee vse them which of vs if wee examine our selues be free from them take heed and take the psalmists councell stand in awe and sinne not Be carefull how thou makest such prayers vnto God for as sure as he liueth in heauen he will heare them and will send such plagues curses vpon thee and thine as thou desirest vnlesse thou speedily repent such prayers wee must not vse for they be neither meet nor conuenient meete for God to heare conuenient for vs to receiue rather let vs pray with the heathen man Da bona siue petare deus seu nulla petare procul a nobis mala quaeque petentibus aufer mala siue petare nega seu nulla petare Grant oh Lord that wee may pray for such things as be to thy glory or else that wee may not pray at all and remoue farre from vs wee beseech thee all wicked prayers either deny vs those things which be hurtfull and not conuenient for vs or else grant that wee may make no such prayers vnto thee And as in praing for temporary matters wee must respect the necessitie keepe a Decorum so in praying for spirituall graces and for life euerlasting wee must respect th' end why we pray and the manner how wee pray wee must not pray for spirituall graces to the end wee may be puffed vp and so bragg and boast of them as Hypocrits doe for then the Lord will not heare vs neither must wee seeke the kingdome of heauen relying vpon our owne workes and merits as did the proud Pharisie for then the Lord will not regard vs but with the Apostle Paule let vs begg for the graces need full for our soules in all simplicitie and with the Publican for the kingdome of heauen in all humilitie and then the Lord will giue vs those things which we desire and then he will heare vs in those things which we pray for Aske saith Christ and it shall be giuen you Thus much for the first thing obserued in the invitation Quid what we must aske the second thing obserued is Quomodo how we must aske For as the Lord will not heare vs if we doe not aske those things which be meet and conuenient so he will not grant our requests vnlesse we pray as we ought to doe therefore it is very necessarie for vs to learne how to pray Now if we will pray as we ought to do we must pray after this manner Innocenter humiliter fideliter amanter constanter and audacter innocently humbly faithfully louingly constantly and boldly for if with our prayers these six vertues be not ioyned Innocencie humilitie faith charitie constancie and courage our prayers can be to no effect neither can they enter into the Lords eares For the two first Innocencie and Humilitie be the wings of prayer whereby our prayers pierce the skies and ascend to heauen gates The second two Faith and Charitie be the keyes of heauen gates to let in our prayers when they are ascended and the third two Constancie and boldnes be prayers aduocates to deliuer our praiers vnto the Lords eares and to plead for such things as we pray for Now if they want Innocencie or humilitie our prayers cannot ascend for they cannot flie without wings neither will one winge suffice them to flie withall If they want faith and charitie they cannot enter into heauen gates although they do ascend for heauen gates cannot be opened without these two keyes neither can one key open them And if they want constancie and boldnes they cannot enter into the Lords eares for vnlesse these two preferre them the Lord will listen to no petitions neither dare one of these come in Gods presence without the other So that we may see if any one of these vertues be wanting we had as good not to pray at all for our prayers shall be in vaine and if with our prayers these six vertues be ioyned pray for what we will secundum voluntatē according to his will our prayers shall be heard our requests shall be granted he himselfe doth promise it Aske saith Christ it shall be giuen you First say we must pray with innocencie with pure hearts cleane hands innocent tongues with hearts purified from idle thoughts and world y cogitations Longe est enim à Deo animus qui in oratione cogitationibus saeculi est occupatus For that heart is farre from God which in the time of prayer is busied with the cares of this world With
he hath it and whatsoeuer we can desire it is in his hand to giue Wouldst thou haue life and dost thou desire to see long dayes wouldst thou faine go to heauen and dost thou not know the way dost thou desire to search the scriptures and wouldst faine be acquainted with the truth aske them of God he can giue thee them he can giue thee life he can shew the way vnto heauen acquaint thee with the truth for Ego sum vita via veritas He himselfe is the way the truth the life none can go vnto the father but by him Ioh. 14.6 Dost thou want the sight of the body the light of thine eyes which is more pretious vnto thee then all the gold pretious things in the world goe vnto the fountaine of light go vnto God he can giue thee it Est enim lux à Deo splendens vt inaccessibilis dicatur for he is a light so gloriously shining that no mortall man can or euer could once behold or come neere him Dost thou want reason wouldst faine haue vnderstanding IntellectuÌ„ tibi dabo saith the Lord in the Psalmes I will giue thee wisdom If thou beest hungry he is the bread of life vnto whom if thou goest thou shall neuer hunger Ioh. 6.35 If thou beest thirst he is the true vine of which whosoeuer tasteth shall neuer thirst Ioh. 15 1. whereupon saith S. Amb Christê° via est oÌ„nibê° si vulnera curare desideras medicê° est si fabribê° aestuas fons est si grauaris iniquitace iustitia est si auxilio iudiges viriê° est si morieÌ„ times vita est si coetuÌ„ desideras vta est si tenebras fugis lux est si cibuÌ„quaeris alimeÌ„tuÌ„ est Christ is all vnto all if thou art wounded and desirest to be healed he is a phisition if thou art possessed with a burning feuer he is the fouÌ„taine wherein thou maist coole thee if with Mary Magdalen thou hast seuen deuills in thee he is thy righteousnesse which must cleanse thee from thy filthynesse if thou beest oppressed wantest one to succour thee he is thy power that must defend thee if thou fearest death he is the life if thou wouldest obteine heauen he is the way if thou fliest darknesse he is the light if thou beest hungrie he is thy food therefore saith S. Augustin cur per mult a vagaris homuÌ„cio quaerenda bona anima corporis quaere vnum bonuÌ„ in quo sunt omnia bona suffiâ—it ibi enim est quicquid amas quicquid desideras Wherefore dost thou o man saith he weary thy selfe in going about seeking for the goods of the body and the soule seeke one thing which is Christ in whom is all things thou hast enough for in him is all things that thou louest all things that thou desirest he will deny thee nothing that thou doest faithfully call vnto him for he has all things he can do all things thou canst not aske that thing at his hand which he will not grant thee if with feruent prayer thou desirest it For so great is the force of prayer that ther is nothing that can withstand it if prayer once command it be it a thing vnpossible it must obey contrary to all naturall reason if Paule be in prison and pray for deliuerance the prison doores must open of their owne accord and his bands fall from him contrary to all expectation The childe of God must haue deliuerance or else the foundation of the prison must be shaken by the power of heaueÌ„ Acts. 16.26 If Peter be in prison another child of God although he be kept watched by two soldiers bouÌ„d with to chaines the prison doores watched by two soldiers bound with two chaines the prison dores watched by the prison keeper yet if the church that is the children of God pray for him the angell of the Lord must come himselfe the child of God must be loosed and Peter do the souldiers what they can with their wepons the bands what they can with their strengths the prison doores what they can with their bolts the prison keepers what they can with there narrowe watching must be deliuered must go out of prison conducted by the Angell Act 12.7 The Israelites being oppressed by the Philistins 1. Sam. 7.8 they come to Samuell desire him to pray crie vnto the Lord for them Samuell cried vnto the Lord and the Israelites were deliuered as you may reade in the 10. verse The Lord sent his thunder which fought for theÌ„ after a most wonderfull manner that scattered theÌ„ so that they all lay slaine before Israell And Iosua by his prayer Ios 18.14 made the sun to stand still in the firmament after it had runne his ordinarie course he made it I say stand still to giue him light vntill hee had made an end of slaying his enemies O potens praecatio O powerfull praier that cammandes all things It commandes the Angells in heauen for at the prayer of Hezekia 2. king 19.35 The Angell of the Lord smote a hundred fowerscore fiue thousand of the souldiers of blaspheming Saneherib in one night so that in the morning they were all found dead corpses It commandes the heauens for at the prayer of Elias the heauens were locked vp for three yeares six months so that no raigne fell vpoÌ„ the earth in all that time againe he praied the heauen gaue raigne the earth brought forth her fruit Iames. 5.17 It commands God iudgments for at the prayer of Aaron the plague that great iudgment of God being begun among the Israelites ceased Numb 16.47.48 It coÌ„mandeth Gods afflictions for at the prayer of Moses Miriam was healed of her leprosie Numb 12.14 And at the prayer of the man of God Ieroboams hand that was dried vp was restored 1. King 13.6 It commands the barren wombe for Anna being childlesse praiing vnto the Lord obteyned a sonne 1. Sam. 1.20 It commands life for at the praier of Eliah the widdowes sonne of Zarepthah being dead was restored vnto life 1. King 17. At the prayer of Elisha the Shunamites sonne being dead was reuiued 2. King 4.35 And at the prayer of Paule the sleeper which fell downe dead was caried away aliue Act 20.9 Superat tentameÌ„ta inimicorum vincit demones superat immundos spiritus It beats downe the temptations of our enemies ouercomes deuills driues away vncleane spirits dominum mundi flectere vota valent Martial lib. 8. epig ad Domit. Praier commands God himselfe makes God obedient vnto mans voice and when our praiers cannot come vnto Gods eares it brings Gods eares vnto our prayers Aske therfore and it shall be giuen thee what soeuer thou dost aske his promise is generall he will keepe nothing from thee if thou do'st faithfully pray for it Therefore in all thy needs extremities pray pray thou shalt haue help If thou beest in prison pray for liberty if thou beest oppressed pray for succour if thou hast enemies pray for deliuerance if there be famine pray for plenty in the time of the plague pray if wee want raigne pray if thou art diseased pray if thou art afflicted pray if thou art childlesse pray if thou art tempted pray pray thou shalt haue what thou wilt for Aske it shal be giuen thee saith christ And so much for the generalitie of the thing promised which is laid downe in this word It It shall be giuen you Now a word or two of the certainty of it and so I will conclude If he were not able to giue vs those things which we aske or if he were vnwilling to grant our desires then we might well feare the obtaining of our requests but he is able to help vs he is willing to heare vs as we haue heard in the two last points if he were a stranger vnto vs or an enemy against vs that might breed suspition in vs or if he were only a familiar friend or a neere kinsman still we might doubt of the matter but he is no stranger neither is he an enemy for he is of our familiar acquaintaÌ„ce with whom whensoeuer we pray we talk familiarly as S Aug saith vpon the 85 Psalm Oratio tua locutia est ad deuÌ„ quaÌ„do legis deus tibi loquitur quando oras tu cuÌ„ deo loqueris Thy prayer saith he is a talking vnto God wheÌ„ thou readest theÌ„ God speaks vnto thee but wheÌ„ thou prayest then thou talkest with God Nay he is not only our familiar acquaintance but he is also nere vnto vs as nere as possible can be for he is our father our father by creatioÌ„ our father in education our father in instructioÌ„ our father in compassioÌ„ our father in correctioÌ„ our father in adoption as M. Boys wittily obserues in his exposition on the Lords prayer He is our father and therfore wisheth vs well he is our father in heauen where there is all good things nothing wanting can giue vs all good things Therfore I wil end with this admonition of S. Bern Nemo nostruÌ„ parui peÌ„dat orationeÌ„ suaÌ„ dico cuiÌ„ vobis quod ipse ad queÌ„ oramê° non parui peÌ„dat eaÌ„ postquaÌ„ egressa est ab ore nostro ipse scribit ipsaÌ„ in libro suo vnuÌ„ è duobê° indubitanter sperare possimus quoniam aut dabit quod petimê° aut quod novit vtiliê° Let no man set lightly by his praier for I say that God doth greatly esteem of it after it is once out of our mouthes doth write it in his book without all doubt we shall haue one of two either we shall haue that which we pray for or else we shall haue that that is more profitable for vs. FINIS