A TREATISE OF PRAYER Two Quaeries resolved touching formes of Prayer And Six Quaeries relating specially to the LORDS PRAYER That the Reader may have full Resolution specially to the fourth of these Queries relating to the Lords Prayer he shall finde in the end of this Treatise That Holy and Learned Mans judgement Dr Owen as to that matter in his Answer to Mr Biddles second question of Prayer Pag. 667 668 669. They who aske not for the Spirit that they may pray in the Spirit are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brutes and Mutes Chry A Malefactor expecting his sentence to death needs not man or booke to prompt him how to plead for his life He that can reade himselfe Cast and condemned by sinne needs not a booke to prompt him how to plead his pardon Paris of Divine Rhetor Compare with this Jer 3. 13. and Rom 10. 9 10. The Lords Prayer is the mould wherein all the Churches prayers are cast moulded and formed Bez Luk. 11. 2. See to it that God be as well pleased with thee calling Him Father as thou art well pleased to call Him Father Cyp Sermon the sixt upon the Lords prayer â— Thou shalt call me My father and shalt not turne away from Me Jer 3. 19. that is I will put filiall affections awfull thoughts constant resolutions into thy heart and thou shalt not turne away from Me London Printed by M. S. for Henry Cripps in Popes-head-Alley 1656. THE FOURTH TREATISE OF PRAYER Two Queries touching formes of Prayer and six relating to the Lords Prayer I. Whether a wicked man may say that prayer II. Whether our Lord gave His Disciples this prayer that they should pray to His Father in those very words III. Whether a Godly man takes it into his Closet IV. Whether it be comely for a Godly Minister to take it into his pulpit V. Whether John taught his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say VI. Whether a Godly parent can teach his childe to pray by giving him any forme of prayer And in speciall by teaching his childe to say the Lords Prayer The Negative in all these is under our Maintenance CHAP. I. WEE shall not enter into the Common place of prayer it is not a place to say much of it and to say little is to say little more than nothing at all It is being mounted on the wheele of Faith the great Engine of the world and wheeles all about there it is an Appeale to God in the Name and Mediation of Christ A committing the cause and Condition of His Church and of His Truth the concernements thereof in Generall His owne in speciall to Him and so takeing fast hold of the Allmightie the Allsufficient God in Christ it hath an Omnipotency in it and can doe what God Himselfe is pleased to doe all things that stand with His good will and pleasure for the support and supply of His Church every faithfull soule there And the carying on of His Truth whereby immortality and light is brought to light in the soule In a word It is the breathing-in and-out of the Spirit of God and of Glory It is that which fetcheth-in all from God through the hand of Christ by the Spirit And the Returne of All to God the first spring and fountaine of all by the same way of Conveyance For he or she that Remembers they have all from God cannot forget to Returne all to Him The Disciple hath all by askeing and it is but aske and have the same he asketh or that which is better he writeth uponall he hath Asked of God The Gift of God His Lord and Master Psal 2. Math. 26. had nothing but by askeing Aske of Me and I will give thee And that He the Mediator of His Church giveth-out unto His people at this present He asketh His Father first Surely the Saint must aske in Faith if he will receive in mercy for so he asketh His Lords leave and acknowledgeth Him to be Lord of the Mannour of 〈◊〉 and Earth To shutt up this and to proceed to what we cheifly intend in this place Prayers are the Embassadours of the pooâ—â— empty soule to God for supply from the aboundant Riches of His grace We say a poore empty Spirit for that is full of prayer and much supplication The poore man Prov. 18. 23. speakes supplications 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intreaties that is his Character and his Dialect But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no sense of povertie there is no prayer for there is a 〈◊〉 temper Rich enough and wanting Revel 3. nothing That person prayeth not or not to purpose it is but a Custome onely and a forme Now we crave leave to put two Questions and humbly to give our perswasion in way of Answer unto both SECT I. 1. WHether persons full of themselves as we are all by nature wholy emptie and swept of all Goodnesse and garnished with noysome lusts the furniture and rich garnish of Math. 12. 44. the uncleane Spirits house whether these are like to helpe themselves by useing sett formes of Prayer 2. Whether Babes in Christ newly converted ones renewed in the Spirit of their mindes have need of formes those crutches and helpes of devotion when they are addressing themselves unto their God Quest â— The first Whether unreasonable and wicked men as all are that have not faith can helpe themselves in this their condition by useing sett formes of prayer Answ To this we humbly give our opinion That they cannot helpe themselves at all but the more they use them the more they are disadvantaged by them the more indisposed to and putt further off from the power of Godlinesse For First The reason of this we take from the Philosophers knowne rule which indeed we thinke falls-in with common Experience That habits whether in good things or in evill are acquired and improved both by continuall exercise These things which we learne for practise we learne by practise as saith learned Dâ— Wilkins Now for any one to habituate or accustome himselfe to formes of prayer that is to prayers made or written by another and said by himselfe shall find himselfe as unable and as hard a matter to come off from them yet off he must come iâ— ever he looke to find acceptance with his God as it is with an Ethiopian to change his skin or the Leopard his spots O! we are much taken with and hardly taken off from formes of prayer we have been accustomed to from our youth up and never found these did the flesh any hurt putting it to Cost as these never did the spirit or hid-man of the heart any good So then these formes of prayer we come with before God doe more indispose us to God and estrange us from Him And it is not good to accustome our selves to that we must leave at last and come off from if ever good be wrought in us or by us Secondly Because we may say of these formes of prayer as is
what lost-ones they are in themselves and that they must be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power if they know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and be found in Him which may put them upon praying that they may profit by hearing Indeed we would take off these sensuall persons not having the Spirit from praying by the booke and Reading the Holy Scriptures as they read them and apply themselves to the hearing Gods Word in season and out of season and attend upon the moovings of the Holy Spirit upon the Word preached which is the Chariot of the Spirit therewith for so it is appointed of God the good Spirit comes into the heart as the Sunne into the house workes Faith there and makes us light in the Lord so as now we can see clearely how to pray and how to read and set our seale to it whereas before we did not pray nor did read the booke neither did we looke thereon * Revel 5. 4. See Bright We say it againe this is the Counsell which hath been given to us and through mercy we have received it and therefore we would give it to others who may be as we were when time was as much versed in reading the Holy Scriptures as they are in praying and all this while as we did slighting the place appointed for Hearing and despising the Word preached there Thus then as we were saying we would advise them to frequent Sermons and give all Diligence to profit thereby we meane to get faith by hearing that therewith they may mixe that they heare and make it profitable unto them For if we enquire at the Holy Oracle we beleeve it will resolve us as to Reading the Holy Scriptures before we have profited by Hearing That the word of God preached which is called we thinke The sword of the Spirit is as different from the Word read in our house as is a sword in the hand of a Mighty man different in point of working or making execution upon our lusts from the sword lifted-up in Georges hand upon a signe-post Give we then all Diligence in Hearing that we may read and pray at home with understanding This is our Counsell and this our Conclusion That whosoever rejecteth it multiplies Transgressions as he multiplies prayers and praises Nor can he think and shew himselfe a man That he shall be taught of the Father who heareth not His Word or that Christ appeares in the presence of God for him in heaven when he visibly and apparently appeares against Him on earth turning His Word behind his back and setting his heart against it We proceed to the second Querie SECT II. Q II. WHether Babes in Christ newly converted ones renewed in the spirit of their mindes have need of formes those commonly called crutches and helpes of Devotion when they appeare before their God Answ We humbly conceive no If they that were Lame before cannot now leape like an Hart yet they can goe to God without a Crutch And this we thinke the Scripture holds forth before us that the Adopted of God in Christ His Sonnes and Daughters have out-growne their Crutches and helpes of Devotion though some of them but Babes in Christ For whensoever The Spirit tells a person he is the sonne or daughter of God having wrought faith in his heart The second thing the Spirit doth it teacheth him to pray that is to Call God Father which is the voice of Gods Spirit in a sanctified soule It enableth him Gâ—la 4. 6 to Cry Abba Father to pray earnestly to be fervent in prayer They were cold prayers before but a lip-labour onely But the Spirit comeing-in to witnesse with his Spirit and bringing faith with Him makes the Childe to goe to God and looke upon Him as a Father whose favour he doubts not off or if he doe he would have his doubts resolved and his evidences cleared and for this he cries and is not helped at all as we conceive by any set forme which heateth the Spirit no more than the Censer is without fire for the Holy Ghost having sanctified the heart and put it into a whole-frame of Grace The heart speakes to God as it is quickned acted and moved by the Spirit of God And herein we would appeale to the experience and practise of all that are but Babes in Christ whether ever they were gainers by any formes of Devotion prayers sett before them And if they say no then they will not be easily perswaded to pray by those formes from which they gaine nothing but more dullnesse drossinesse and indisposednesse in their Spirits It is our perswasion That a child of God who is afflicted with the sense of sinne and affected with the sense of a pardon had rather speake five words to God with his understanding and sutable affections than ten thousand words prompted or suggested to him by a visible Books are a memory without us and memory is a book within us booke before his eye or an invisible his memory And more acceptance should he find with his God He hath told his errand in his owne words perhaps he wants words and can but chatter like a Crane It is as was said a prayer notwithstanding and may crie aloud in the eares of his God It is delivered with understanding with suitable affections with Humility an excellent ingredient in prayer with an inward sense of his Condition It is a good prayer sure and finds acceptance with his God We are generally deceived about prayer It is thinke we a worke of memorie of a good witt a readie invention a voluble tongue This makes an excellent prayer in the esteeme of a mans selfe and in the account of others But this is not prayer Prayer is the worke Mr. Ford. p. 629. 525 526 545 546. of Gods Spirit in a sanctified heart and feeles no need of Crutches to support and beare it up Heaven-ward these help us not we find when we are lame it is granted these hinder us when we are sound The Lord Christ is the Churches Advocate by Office The Spirit her Advocate by Energie and operation All the prayers Rom. 8. 26. which prevaile with God are formed wrought and fashioned in our hearts by the Spirit of God Now we suppose here is a Bâ—be in Christ as weake as Babes are notwithstanding he hath Bez no need of a forme he is in Christ and therefore hath the Spirit of Christ and therefore in the Spirit he can pray The Spirit helpeth his infirmities Rom 8. 26. helpeth The Greek word is very emphaticall a De-compound helpeth as a Father helpeth the little Child at a burden The Child onely puts to his hand the Father his strength Indeed the Father doth all so doth the Spirit in this Babe and if any thing else come to helpe with Him He will not helpe at all If the Crutch doe any
he would not doe in good things that doth he The godly man sometimes doth the Commands of the flesh which are most contrary to the Commands of Christ but what He hates that doth he This is the point and so we have done A Brutish Pastour and a brutish people are so farre from doeing the Commands of Christ That they hate to doe it with their whole heart and with their whole soule and it were absurd to say or thinke the contrary When ye pray say this prayer after your owne The Lord Christ commands no such thing neither ever came it in His heart for could we suppose our Lord had commanded so to doe The Pastour after Gods owne heart had never omitted it The Brutish one had never said it unlesse as a Parret his chaire he had not said it like a Clarke as now he sayes it nor done it so as he doth the wills of the flesh This is the second Thirdly We would aske this Godly Minister what good he finds by adding this prayer to the end of his own which we would suppose was wrought in him and out from him by the Spirit of God We know Cui bono is the greatest enquiry and in this Case what Spirituall advantage by so doing what hath this advantaged the Spirit God's Spirit or his owne renewed by the same Spirit We passe this leaving it upon his thoughts having spoken so much thereunto before onely this we would adde It is you know a sure saying That every act of Grace extends grace in the heart of a Disciple as every act of sin extends sin in the sinner for grace as corruption gaines by acting Now it is left upon your thoughts whether you have found grace hath been extended in your heart by the addition of this prayer to the end of your owne Fourthly What good doth he doe by repeating this prayer or what advantage is it to his hearers Certainly a Godly Minister should looke to that whereby he may profit his people The Preacher was wise and how did he evidence his wisdome He Eccles 12. 9. still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out he would not speake a word sure but to profit and the building up of his people Two great workes he is continually versed and exercised in being charged upon him praying and preaching Acts 6. ◠and how studiously carefull is he being the peoples mouth to God and God's mouth to the people that not one word passe from his mouth which makes not for the good of his people and for the clearing of his account at the great Day He remembers well before Whome he is and to Whome he speakes in prayer and from Whome he speakes in preaching And he considers as he can the infinite distance betwixt Majestie and Nothing and now how fixedly doth he looke to Him who is the Middle person and having laid His hand upon Both stands as a screen betwixt everlasting Burning and this peice of dried stubble as in it selfe considered and so rolling himselfe upon This one Mediatour and casting himselfe into the hands of His Spirit and trusting in His supply he falls to his worke and now what advantage hath hee or have his hearers by addition of this prayer that is the Question and the answer thereunto you must make unto your God onely this which we have heard we will say more which you know is a Ministers Motto or should be Nusquam doceo ubi non moveo Nusquam moveo ubi non doceo I never teach savingly where I doe not move or stirre feelingly that is praevailingly nor doe I ever so move where I doe not so teach so we leave this upon your thoughts and proceed to one Reason more Fifthly To our seeming it is a very sinfull doeing to adde this prayer to the end of our owne and this upon a threefold account First You glad the hearts of them that should not be gladded the wicked we meane if yon have not heard it said by them we have once and againe What a Brave Minister have we to day Why he said the Lords prayer twice to day and oh how sweetly did he say it and that was all they observed for the addition of that prayer rendred him so gracious in their eyes and his Sermon so sweet Certainly we must not glad the hearts of wicked ones for then we glad That Wicked-One Secondly Ye must not make the wicked Blaspheme in Calling God Father and Christ accursed but this they will doe in spight of your heart for they and they onely will say it after you and if they should be asleep as Commonly they are all the time of your praying yet they will awaken at this prayer or if while you are running it over with the speed of a good Clark they should chance to nod at the first or second Petition yet they will be perfectly awaked at that signall Conclusion AMEN But wee forbeare for Nemo libentèr moratur in asperis Thirdly Yee sad them whome the Lord would not have sadded yee sad the hearts we thinke of all the truly Godly there They cannot endure to heare the Name of God prophaned That sweetest Name Father Blasphemed their onely Lord called accursed They cannot endure it it is more greivous to them to heare this within the meeting place than see their filthy Conversation without We tell you againe The Truely Godly cannot endure to heare this they can with much more patience heare their Earthly father abused c. But their heavenly Father Who loved them and Gave His Son unto them and them unto His Son and this Son of God Who taking their nature hath redeemed their Soules from all adversitie washing them in His owne blood we were saying they cannot endure to heare their Father Blasphemed nor their Lord called accursed nor that Signall Word Amen ecchoed forth by persons little better than Quakers and Ranters damnable Hereticks wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly But wee have done These are our Reasons why a Godly Minister may not adde the Lord s prayer to th' end of his owne Onely you will remember here what an Excellent Man said It is Better to occasion wrath in the Bad than greife in the Good CHAP. VIII And fift Querie Q. V. WHether John the Baptist taught his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say And which may be queried thereupon Whether a Parent can teach his child to pray by setting formes of prayer before him whereafter to pray As thus for wee would be cleare as to the holding-forth our meaning and perswasion in this matter here Child is a forme of prayer when you pray say as you see here is prescribed unto you That this ought to be we meane That a child may and ought be taught to pray by formes of prayer set before him is affirmed and argued from Johns practise with his Disciples Now our perswasion is That John did not give his
said of the wicked themselves these are sensuall not having the Jude 19. Spirit though we may suppose them very exactly composed and by the most accomplished Men we meane by Holy men having the Spirit For though they might pray in prayer wrought by the Spirit for that very thing Yet being written before their eyes and prayed by the booke visible or invisible we meane the memory there is no more spirit and life therein than there is in a dead letter Indeed we may call these prayers flesh being written with inke which profiteth nothing it is the Spirit that quickneth And thereby that is by the Spirit of God His people call Him Father and Jesus their Lord. But praying without the Spirit and wholy carelesse to aske after the Spirit calling for it in prayer we are never more likely than at such a time and when we are upon that solemne worke never more likely than then to call Christ accursed Could we say Abraham's Isaac's Jacob's â— Cor. 12. 3. prayers with Paul's prayers c. And have not that Spirit by which they prayed our prayers would become as we beleeve in the eares of our God but as sounding brasse or a tinkling Cymball Thirdly We may Consider this All that God giveth to us or workes for us He doth all by the Hand of His Spirit So also All that His people give backe againe to Him or worke for Him They doe it by the speciall helpe of the Spirit too Therefore it is they see so much need of the Spirit and call so earnestly for a supplie from the same Quest 1. But it may be said how shall sensuall men not having the Spirit call for the Spirit unlesse as they are taught to doe it in other's words Answ This is a lesson can never be taught by man not by all or any prayers suggested to us by Man That every one of us by Nature is the Devill 's house emptied and swept of all Goodnesse brim-full of all filthinesse adorned and garnished with noisome lusts the ornament and garnish of that house the Devill calls his owne this we thinke no man questioneth Now if all this were debated upon and set downe prayer-wise according to the exactest forme It could not accomplish the thing what is it to say in another's words I am a sinner or I have sinned though saying Job 5. 20. so much he had said all if his heart had said it and not another for him freely feelingly sincerely and beleivingly So then one word spoken in desire and endeavour from the heart as aforesaid hath more virtue and efficacy in it than a thousand words suggested to us by the eyes or memory onely Certainly we must confesse sinne in our owne words our Confession will not be accepted else as we must forsake sin in our workes they that confesse and forsake sin are the same Quest 2. But is there not a double use of these set formes of prayer first for directing of our desires secondly for execiteing our affections Answ We humbly conceive there is not a single use of them not first for the directing our desires These are all inward and are moved by a principle within never stirred to move after God Christ Grace Glory till there be some inward sense or feeling of the want and necessitie of haveing God in Christ and all the needs of the soule supplyed by Him Sense of want is the Giving of Desire Now we cannot see how this inward sense can be wrought in the Soule by a forme of words lying before us any more than painted bread can stirre-up desire or satisfie desire being stirred-up As no outward thing can inwardly defile for all reall and truely called defilement is within and from within else the Devill himselfe could not defile us so no outward thing can inwardly purifie and then not purifying it can give but poore directions to our desires Secondly Nor are they of use as we conceive for the exciteing our affections These are warme and hott and doe heate and warme but still by some workings from within first Affection is like fire it is hot it selfe first before it heate others We must be affected before we can affect Now we cannot see how a dead powerlesse forme which as one hath it nourisheth the hid-man of the heart no more than stock-fish nourisheth the bodie and that gives no more nourishment saith Erasmus than a stone does can excite affections unlesse to it selfe because so exceeding pleasing to flesh and blood never crossing in the least the Desires of the same Quest 3. But is not this to take the generalitie of men quite off from praying Answ No to our seeming it putts them on upon prayer to pray that they may be enabled to pray in a deepe sense of sinne and the need they have of the blood of Christ to purifie their hearts and pacifie their Consciences all which they are to pray for Quest 4. But pray they cannot unlesse they pray by the booke visible or invisible Answ To this we say That to our seeming if they doe pray by the booke they doe not pray at all in Gods account And truely those men are bâ—lder with God than they durst be with men had they offended a great Lord they must acknowledge the offence with their owne mouthes and not another for them and have righted their offended Lord if he would have it so with their owne hands and glad with all their hearts that the offended Lord would be so accorded But we are bold with God though who made us so but our owne shamelesse impudent Spirits We can offend God sinning against Him and confesse it by a proxi in his words who did not give the offence We sin with our owne mouthes and will confesse with anothers mouth may not the Lord say offer this to your Governour see whether he will Mal 1. 18. accept of your Person Quest 5. But this will be said still if they may not pray by the booke they cannot pray at all so the Lord God shall have no service from them at all Answ Indeed the Lord God to Whome all we are and have and can is due hath no service none at all from a wicked man his lusts are deepe sharers here for they have all as once so they say still It is in vaine to serve the Lord. But all the Disservice Mal. 3. 14. they can doe they doe unto the Lord even all they can against Him because they know Him not for this is a Ruled Case or a knowne Conclusion The more we know of God the more we honour Him and our selves the lesse And the lesse we know of God the lesse we honour Him and our selves the more As God riseth in our thoughts so we fall and as we rise in our owne thoughts so God falls We would adde this That the hardnesse of our hearts appeares in nothing more than in these stout words We cannot pray our Spirits are so
to His Disciples that they should pray this prayer tying themselves to the very words â—â— it for indeed wee 〈◊〉 worthy Hilds words to be the out-lashing of his pen starting aside as the ablest pen may doe from its very scope and maine intendment Which was to shew That our blessed Saviour praescribed to His Disciples a forme of prayer which should be to them and His whole Church a rule and sampler according to which all our prayers should be made Which is the same with learned Beza's latine note for it is not in the English Perfecta Christianae precationis formula 〈◊〉 typus a most perfect forme of Christian prayers and the very type and mould wherein to cast all our prayers which words have no agreement with those that went before not onely to be nor with those that follow tying themselves to the very words of it very crosse as wee sayd are these latter words to the good mans scope and intendment as they are to excellent Perkins words The Lords prayer is as it were a direction and samplar to teach us how and in what manner wee ought to pray None is to imagine wee are bound to use these words and none other For the meaning of Christ is not to bind us to the words but to the matter and manner and to the like affections in prayer Thus wee have heard what others say now wee crave leave to cast in our owne thoughts here and to give our opinion That our blessed Saviour prescribing this prayer did not intend That any one of His Disciples should pray unto the Father in these very words SECT I. FOr first The whole carriage of this prayer from the Alpha to the Omega from the beginning to the end and closing words thereof argueth it to be of generall concernment to the whole Church of God more relating that way to the good of the Body than to the peculiar good of any member thereof though wee know this cannot be severed the good of the whole and of the part for that which is good for the Body is good for the member too and what is good for the member is good for the whole Body as what is good for the Bee-hive is good for the Bee and what is good for the Bee is good for the Bee-hive Yet wee conceive when a Disciple comes before God hee spreads before Him his peculiar case and saith not our Father but my Father not others cases but his owne This wee conceived relates to the Church in generall but a Disciples prayer relates to himselfe in speciall and his owne concernments though he can no more forget the Church of Christ than he can to eat his bread or his right hand forget its cunning SECT II. AGaine our thoughts are That the scope and intendment of this prayer is mainly to be looked after And tells the Disciple what he is mainly to tend unto and bend against be his prayer long or never so short Viz The Hallowing the great and glorious Name of God in the laying himselfe out to the utmost for the advancement of the kingdome of Christ in his owne heart His interest there and thorow the world and the throwing downe the kingdome of sin and Satan there and here and every where This wee conceive was our Lords maine scope in prescribing His Disciples this prayer And this must be the Disciples scope in the moulding their petitions thereafter SECT III. WEE cannot conceive that this prayer should be put into the Disciples mouthes to say it in those words and yet they never sayd it so farre as wee can heare not one of the Apostles nor Disciples in those dayes yet wee meete with many of their prayers nor any of the Blessed Martyrs that wee read of and we have read some volumnes of them SECT IV. ANd lastly the height and depth length and breadth of the Contents in this prayer which wee thinke the understanding of an Angell cannot comprehend makes us beleive That the Lord intended not That His Disciples should huddle it-up as he reads it Nor can we think That any true Disciple in the world that shall well ponder on the matter and weigh the contents thereof with all his heart and soule which every true Disciple doth not doe will say that Prayer after the manner Sing ye praises with understanding so put-up your petitions with understanding It is good to be full of affection but it is best to worke in the full Assurance of understanding Affections without understanding are blind understanding without affection is lame the want of eyther run's us upon a thousand inconveniences But if any dutie then that of prayer calls-up all our Affections It calls for a worke of the understanding also Now we thinke no godly man's understanding though his onely is opened renewed and sanctified is able to goe along with this manner of saying it as he reads it he will make a pause sure at the ontrance My Father We have told you our thoughts as to this matter Onely we entreat the Reader to observe what he met with in the first Chapter second and third section and in the second Chapter specially the fourth paragraph there together with the first paragraph in the Chapter following which we thinke refers much to that which precedeth as to that which followes CHAP. VI. Q. 3. Q. III. WHether a Godly person he or she brings this prayer into the Closet with them there and then humbling themselves before their God We told you we maintained the Negative our Reasons are SECT I. ANd the first we would onely offer to your Consideration being rejected by the godly Learned yet we conceive no reason is given for their refusing of it That which is a patterne to make all prayers by should not be used as a prayer To this the onely Answer is Therefore the rather it may be used as a prayer But this makes no proofe nor doe the words following That sure it is Antient and worthy Divines have reverenced it as a prayer choosing rather to use those words than any other And so many worthy Divines doe now and yet by so doing prove nothing to the purpose We will offer but a word in it and tell you what we conceive that the Argument is very strong The patterne to make all prayers by is not to be used as a prayer for if wee use the patterne for our prayer wee shall never pray according 1 John 3. 2. to the patterne As the Disciples doe not stint themselves with any degree of holinesse Gods owne purity being their Copie so neither can they stint themselves in prayer the Lords owne prayer being their patterne We proceed SECT II. WEE thinke it cleane besides the scope and intendment of our Blessed Saviour in giving His Disciples this Prayer if they shall plead their case with Him in those very words Now in this Case we cannot reach our Lord's mind nor eye His scope but by observing what He did
and surely these will not endure to be bounded within a sett forme nor can they have acceptance with their God But that person Man or Woman who brings that Prayer before his God Cannot praise Him for that he hath received and what hath he and hath not received for himselfe and for all his for all which God must be praised Prayer and thankes are like the Double motion of the Lungs as Dr. G of prayer pag. 61. saith that Learned Holy Man the Aire that is sucked in by prayer is breathed forth againe by thankes Secondly Nor can he pray unto Him for supply of what is wanting keeping himselfe to that forme of prayer and speaking to his God in these very words The Disciples of Christ are very wanting at least none knows their wants or sees their wants or feel's their wants as these doe And theâ— none pray's for the supply of their wants as these doe these poore ones and needie ones Indeed the Hebrew word for poore as we have heard springs from a roote signifying Desire And the Reason is as one sayth Mr. Caryl Job 5. 15. 298. because poore men are commonly rich in desires They that are full of sensible wants are full of earnest wishes And the Reason why povertie of Spirit in our Spirituall Estate is pronounced a Blessing is because the poore in Spirit are full of Desires after Spirituall Riches They are ever craveing and seeking to be filled with that fullnesse which is in Jesus Christ with Grace for Grace they would have the Image of every Grace in Christ engraven upon their Soules or in an holy Covetousnesse they would be as rich in Grace as Christ is These are the words of that Excellent Man before cited more there are and tend much as to give instruction so to our scope and purpose That a Disciples prayer whereby he makes knowne his Requests to God cannot possibly be encircled or pent-up within that Compasse of six lines which may be utternd in so many breathings or within the space of one Minut's time for we thinke within that space of time and lesse that prayer may be said or rather hudled as within two Minut's-time the 67 â—h Psalme may be said over and over whereby as you may remember Bellarmine could measure the huge body of the Sunne and the quicknesse of his race For I observed said he the first peering of the Sunne on our side of the Globe and by that time I have said that Psalme over twice the Sunne is up and in a full body appeares to us So then in twelve breathings the Psalme is said over and over and in six breathings the prayer is said And is not this to the heart of a wicked man In lesse than a minutes time and that is the smallest parcell of time he can begin and end his prayer which being the Lords Prayer he hath said it as well as the best Clarke in the Nationall Church and yet he prayed no more than that Pillar of Antichrist in his time prayed while he read over that Psalme But to proceed in this a little farther A Disciples Prayer wherein he himselfe tells his whole mind to God it is not uttered in six breathings Certainly he hath much upon his spirit when he comes before his God We will put a question here and give you leave to Answer it What would this Disciple have more than he hath that he is still begging he hath all God and all he is compleate in Christ and now what can he need It is granted unto him being one of the Number to be arraied in fine linnen cleane and white which is the Righteousnesse of Saints his Defence is the Munition of Rockes The promise is made good unto him Bread shall be given him his waters shall shall be sure that is he Isai â—3 16. Cal shall want nothing for this life nor for that which is to come What would this man have more You are we hope a Disciple and not of the common Ranke or stamp of Disciples that have no more to shew for their Disciple-ship but that they were borne and Baptized in a Nationall Church But you are borne againe and made a Disciple indeed And then you can make answer and tell us what this Disciple would have more by what your selfe would have he sees his Lord in the shade he would see him in the Sun-shine he would stand more in the Sun-shine of Gods favour That Sun-shine upon him never wearieth with its beame The more it is the more refreshing it is More of the light of thy countenance more and more good Lord Shew me Thy selfe more clearely let me have a fuller sight of Thee and in-sight into my selfe for I would abhorre my selfe more I would repent more We verily beleive That You being a Disciple doe pray after that manner And yet you find not a word of all this in the Lord's Prayer we meane explicit there or expressed Implyed it is and much more in that one sweet word Father We take leave to proceed yet farther and so to trie your Discipleship You beleive on the Name of the Son of God you know Him who is eternall life yet so sure as you are a Disciple you goe on praying That you may beleive on the Name of the Sonne of God 1 Joh 5. 13. You doe beleive and yet you would beleive you doe beleive and this shall save you from all evill for as you know full well and doe teach it your people It is not this or that Degree of faith which saveth but the truth of faith though but as the least graine or lowest degree thereof Yet you rest not here nor will you suffer your people to rest for he that sits downe at the lowest degree of Grace it may be doubted he hath no grace at all and shall become a Christian indeed when an Ape becomes a Man or a He that hath true grace may goe to heaven ceâ—tainly but he who hath strong Grace only goeth to Heaven comfortably Mr. Jen on Jude pag. 165. Nominall Disciple because Baptized in England becomes a reall Saint Grace is still aspiring higher and higher so are you being a gracious Man you doe beleive then we beleive you would beleive more strongly that you might act more vigorously in the whole worship of your God Specially in those simple Duties which none but the Disciple performeth flesh and blood can doe nothing at them as to love God To Trust him To depend on him To have joy and delight in Him To have Communion with Him To take Him for your portion and inheritance and to be all in all to Him These are simple Duties are acts of the soule not compounded of matter and forme And these you are able to doe through Him that strengthen's you But this you 1 Joh. 5. 13. could not doe but that you are still aspiring after a full assurance of hope And for this you bow your knee before
your Heavenly Father day and night for so true Disciples use to doe but then they bound not themselves within the Lords Prayer More should be added to this paragraph but that we have been large in it Sometimes this Disciple looseth the sight of his God A Child of Light and walkes in Darknesse of discomfiture and sorrow And what sayes he then to his God Whome perhaps his evidences being now so blurred and blotted he cannot call Father There is a Cup of trembling in his hand there are sad apprehensions in his heart what says he now to his God No man can tell but the Man in his Case nor perhaps he neither for he cannot tell himselfe He is in the same case his Lord and Master was in before him and that is his Comfort if he could see it he shall be brought out of it anon with joy and gladnesse but this is his case at present his soule is troubled and what shall he say John 12. 27. We will cast a vaile over this and passe on Curae parvae loquuntur inâ—èntes stupent but certainly he prayes rather the Spirit within him and no set forme in the world helps him with a word here much lesse with a groane Once more and so to come to a period or full stop here This Disciple now on his knees as we suppose him to be spreadeth the concernments of his Churches before his God as neare and deare to him as his owne he cannot keepe silence being a faithfull Remembrancer This takes up some time also and more words than are numbred up in six lines and so much to our fourth Reason why a true Disciple brings not this prayer with him when he kneeles before his God Before we proceed we would make answer to that we have heard argued for the bringing the Lords Prayer before the Lord It is this Quest When a Disciple hath but little time and can speake but few words then he may draw-up all into a narrow roomth and say the Lords Prayer onely may he not Answ To this we say first That a Disciple Remember you still that we doe not meane a Disciple at large a member of the Nationall Church because he was Baptized therein and received into that huge we had almost said and let it goe Monstrous Body to whome Duty is a burden and sin light with whome praying time is waste-time that takes up more time than saying the Lords prayer we doe not meane him he is not in our thoughts unlesse it be to mourne over him and your selfe that account him such we meane a Disciple indeed and what we were saying of him we are speaking out That a Disciple indeed prayeth indeed and being a man of much Grace heares much and reads much meditates much and prayes much he is a man of much prayer he spends much time to gett Grace to make him rich to God to get strength in the inward man to passe through all varietie of afflictions for all this he prayes unto his God at the least Psal 55. 17. Dan. 6. 10. twice a day we verily beleive thrice as others have done before him It may be said this spends much time whereunto it may be answered That no time is better spent than that which is spent in Calling upon God if called upon in truth It hinders not in our Buisinesse though it seeme to hinder and though it takes these are Excellent Preston's words so much from the heape yet indeed it increaseth the heape The baiting of the horse hinders not the journey nor the oileing of the wheele nor the whetting of the Sithe though there be a stop in the worke for a time yet as our Common saying is A whet is no let and praying time as it may be improved is the most gaineing time One houres Communion Dr. G. with God may in a moment bring in more sweetnesse than all other gaineings can doe to Eternity The words of that Excellent Man Dr G We would conclude That a Disciple holds on a Constant Course in prayer He would rather forget to eate his bread than forget to pray to Him to praise Him for his bread As he hath stated times for eaâ—ing and drinking so hath he for praying and praiseing and if he finds not a fit season for eating yet he will for praying He thinks much and often upon Glorious Preston's words The neglect of prayer uncovers the roofe as it were and the Curse is rained downe upon our Tables upon our meate and drinke upon all our endeavours and all the enterprizes we take in hand Thus with the outward man And the losse we suffer in the inward man upon the neglect of this Dutie is very great that being ready still to be distempered to goe out of order to contract hardnesse and soile for it falls out with a mans heart as it doth with a garden that is neglected it will quickly over-runne with weedes if you looke not diligently to it and the way to looke to it is Constancy in this Duty there is much more to excellent purpose But 2 now suppose some great buisinesse comes to hand there is none greater than Prayer and the Disciple hath but a moments time to breath forth unto his God What will he pray in prayer we meane what words will he use Happily such like words as these Lord heare Lord forgive Cause the light of Thy Countenance to shine upon us and take away that which more than Ecclâ—pseth it from us Truely We cannot tell what he will say if you can tell you may tell us But we are verily perswaded he â—ill not say the Lords prayer what ever his time be more or lesse And this is our Confidence in this matter Now wee proceed SECT V. WE suppose this will be granted having its ground in the word of God That so soone as a Child Calls God Father Luke 15. 18. and Christ Lord he remembers he hath sinned against Him That is all we will say he hath sinned against Him And now what shall he doe here is guilt Contracted and filth too who knowes how much and now what shall he doe to have the Guilt remooved and his Conscience pacified his filth purged and his Conscience purified what shall he doe surely he hath no way to take but to flie as the Man-slayer whome blood pursued to the Citie of Refuge unto the fountaine opned for sin and uncleannesse and Entreate for all comes-in at the doore of free Grace that he may be put into the Jordan of Christ His Blood Well this shall be in good time but not yet to his sense and feeling for we enquire not what was done in Heaven before time was but what is done on Earth and within the heart to make all sure there we were saying he having taken a right Course and waiting at a sure doore he shall have a pardon sealed to his Soule anon in his Lords good time But yet what shall he doe for surely
Disciples nor should a parent give his child any forme of prayer whereafter to pray And if he shall so doe we are inclined to thinke he hath not by so doing taught his child to pray we meane by giving the child a forme whereafter to pray We will heare as hitherto we have don what we have heard said for the holding forth the Affirmative and First This is forced against us without any shew of reason as we conceive That we allow not a parent to teach his child to pray Truely we would not say it for a world for we know it is a parents Duty to teach his Child to pray and to make it their very worke and their buisinesse that their Child may be still Learning at that high worke Secondly But this cannot be done but by giving them a forme of words wherebyto pray We think yes it may by Gods blessing upon the Parents faithfull and Constant endeavour this way and that a forme of prayer prescribed will rather hinder than further the worke as was said before Thirdly But ye in so saying doe Crosse I verily beleive the practise of most the Godly all over the world It is but your Faith and it is quickly said and impossible to be Proved That most of the Godly give their Children formes of prayer to teach them to pray though you doe so you will not conclude that others so doe You may be as was said norma publica as a patterne or standard to your owne people and Children not so to others Fourthly We are sure we have a sure patterne for it John Baptist himselfe We had rather you had said we have a sure word for it from the Lord God Himselfe Yet we refuse not this patterne As farre from Despising what John the Baptist did as we are from rejecting what John the Baptist said And this you say John did he Luke 11. 1. taught his Disciples to pray we yeild it and that every Godly parent is to make him his patterne in teaching his Child to pray Fifthly Theâ— he must give his Child a forme of prayer not possible else to teach him to pray Besides so taught John his Disciples to pray as worthy Hild sayes by giving them formes of prayer to say We move heavily here because against the Streame even of the Learned in this very matter John's teaching his Disciples to pray Yet if we have the Mind of Gods Spirit and the tide of the Scriptures with us we shall hold-on our course and attaine our end anon To this wee say then That it is very possible to teach a child to pray without giving them formes of prayer to say And so wee are perswaded John taught his Disciples to pray wee would be rightly understood here speaking after the manner of men and according to the possibilitie our heavenly Father for his onely Sonnes sake hath made possible unto men It is not cleare to us nor doe wee thinke it possible for any man to make it cleare to himselfe from the word of God That John taught his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say He taught them to pray that is out of all question for so wee read and so he did his dutie and full-up to his charge But that he gave them formes of prayer to say this is of mans adding and upon an ungrounded supposition as wee conceive That it was not possible for John but by those formes to teach his Disciples to pray Wee conceive yes And that John in those dayes and that a godly parent in these our dayes can skill better to teach his child to pray without formes of prayer than with them Surely John did teach his Disciples To Whome they were to addresse themselves in prayer after he had told them first what a solemne and sacred worke it was And then acquainted them with the New and living way unto the Father through Whome and John 14. 6. Heb. 7. 19. 10. 19 20. Eph. 2. 18. by Whose hand introduction or hand-leading they have accesse unto the Father He manifested unto them as he could for that was his great worke to doe The Messias he shewed Him openly before them and what lost ones they were without Him And what glorious creatures they are being found in Him not having their owne righteousnesse which more insnareth the soule and indangereth it also than the grossest sins doe It is a grave and weightie Dr G trial gr 1. 53. speech which that excellent man hath There is no danger to be lifted-up hy the righteousnesse of another for it is without us wee can't vainly boast of it for that faith that apprehends it emptyes us first of our selves and goeth out to another for it But sanctification being a worke wrought in us wee are apt to doate on that as too much upon any excellency in our selves Surely John beate them off from their owne righteousnesse the putting any confidence in their flesh he clubbed downe that Monster for so Luther calls it he treated much with them as wee reade about Repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and dealt with them much specially with his Disciples in this what blind poore naked emptie ones they must be in their owne sense and feeling before it can ever enter into their thoughts to pray for the anoynting with eye-salve that they may see a far-off or before they will looke after faith which pitcheth the soule upon Christ and then fetcheth in all that maketh truly rich and putteth upon the soule the glorious cloathing of the Saints emptieth the soule and then fills it with the fulnesse of God through Jesus Christ Thus wee conceive and by no other meanes did John teach his Disciples to pray Wee cannot reach to his words and may seeme too bold in making offer that way But thus wee conceive and wee say it againe John taught his Disciples to pray And not by prescribing them certain formes of prayer to say when they come before their God And this wee conceive to be the ready way a godly parent takes now to teach his childe to pray to his God What way must he take This he may know better than wee But he must teach the childe to know God first or if to pray first then to pray that he may know Him beleeve in Him and obey Him And this the parent cannot well teach the childe till he hath taught the poore simple creature to know it selfe first in some measure and what need he hath of a God in Christ for so the parent dropps into the childe as he can a little vessell and a lesse mouth to receive in and how much falls by and how little is in when it is there in such matters as these are But this wee were saying the godly parent endeavours to doe now a little and then a little A little more knowledge of himselfe what he is in the first Adam as he was borne in the world a childe