the PhysitiaÌ„ who being thus sought is euer readie at hand and expecteth no reward but our new obedience and to obserue the diet he prescribeth namely to sinne no more with a caueat lest a worse thing happen vnto vs. Wee must not onely not doe euill but we must do good we must not only flie vice but follow vertue which rules implie al the duties that a Christian man ought to performe towards God and his neighbour among which prayer being the cheefest is cheefly required which if it bee enkindled by the fire of Gods spirit produceth such a spirituall zeale in our affections as begetteth that loue whence proceedeth our true obedience to God and the deâ—ire to doe good to our neighbors which are diuine vertues inseparable For hee that loueth God cannot buâ— loue his neighbour also CHAP. XXIX Wee ought to pray as well for our neighbours as for our selues The vse of prayer is two-fold publique and priuate Meditation enkindleth prayer AS prayer to God and loue to our neighbour go necessarily together how can a Christian man then pray to God for himselfe therein forget hâ—s brother whom God commandeth him to loue as himselfe wherein is included not only his naturall brother and priuate friend but all men in general but especially the Church of Christ and the members of the same And therefore it is to be considered that the vse and exercise of praier is two-fold priuate and publique The priuate prayer is the exercise of a faithfull man sequestred froÌ„ the societie of men pouring forth his faithfull â—upplications vnto God in secret and that not of set custome but in affections sanctified vnto the Lord onely and that especially in such times as when he feeleth the spirit of God enkindling in him a kind of inward and spirituall desire thereunto which to a man exercised in this diuine worke is as sensibly felt and perceiued as the beating of his pulse When hee feeleth this heauenly fire begin to waxe hote within him let him not delay to feed it with its proper fuell Meditation and Prayer for by experience the godly man cannot but find that Meditation is as the spiritual bellowes that increaseth the feruencie of prayer Euen as one sparke of fire beeing connexed to the fuell capable or combustible with gentle blowing makes a flame so the least portion of spirituall zeale beginning but to moue in the heart of the beleeuer being by little little cherished by silent but heauenly eleuatioÌ„ of the mind to God breedeth in the end such a powerfull operation as the tongue that was before dumbe and could not moue zealously to vtter and the heart that was before dull could not conceiue what to speake shall so sweetly concurre that without all difficultie and harshnes such a sweet sacrifice shall ascend from the hart to the lips and from the heart and lippes to the heauens as the tongue it selfe cannot expresse the sweetnesse it bringeth vnto the soule For that spirit that first kindled the desire administreth the matter for the heart to conceiue and frameth the wordes that the lips doe vtter in farre more diuine manner then the wisest carnall man could euer deuise or speak and it bringeth with it more ioy true consolation then gold or the most precious earthly thing And more solide and sound peace to the conscience then the tongue of man is able to vtter It is the most truely approoued remedy against all the griefes and troubles of the minde It easeth the afflictions crosses torments and persecutions of the bodie And were it possible that this sacred gift could be obtained by carnal meanes and the carnall man knew the vertue sweetnesse of it he would sel all his earthly possessions to buy it CHAP. XXX How when and where priuate prayers are to be made An erronious conceit of priuate prayer What sweetnesse priuate prayer brings to the soule THE priuate prayer before mentioned is not alwayes made in a Closset or Chamber Although Christ willeth vs when wee pray to enter into our chamber and there to pray to him in secret The mening wherof is that wee should not bee seene Pharisaically to make our priuate prayers in a publike manner as to bee seen of men The open fields is as a priuate Closset to him that sequestreth himselfe froÌ„ the societie of men for that holy purpose as it is supposed Isack did when hee met Rebecca his wife Sometimes this prayer is made euen in the middest of ill-disposed companie and in the very act of most serious businesse though not ceremoniously as vpon the knee bare headed striking the breast or lifting vp the eyes or hands which are externall gestures most meete to be vsed in prayer But places times and persons are to be considered for the outward gesture but the inward heart and the sanctified affection without any outward appearance of prayer may secretly send vp vnto God inward sighes and desires which may preuaile with God as did Anna Moses Nehemiah Hee that made the heart knoweth it how it is prepared within looketh not to the lippes how they moue as Helie did to Annaes but to the heart as Christ did to Zacheus The place where and the time when touching our priuate prayer are not much materiall so the occasion be rightly considered For in the time of vnseasonable wet to pray for raine in time of sufficiencie to pray for increase were absurde But as the occasion doth offer it selfe in whatsoeuer place at whatsoeuer time in whatsoeuer manner diuine reuerence to God considered it is accepted with God Daniel praied among the Lions in the den Ieremie in the dungeon the three children in the Ouen Dauid in the Wildernesse Gedion at his threshing Elisha at the plough Wheresoeuer we are and whatsoeuer we doe in our vocations we are in the presence of God may there then send forth our silent preuailing praiers and Christ the mediator will present them as sweet odors before our God in Heauen Ioseph Paul Peeter Silas Iohn Baptist found the Lord in their prisons It is a fond conceipt of some men that thinke there is no place fit no not for priuate prayer but the Temple nor God any where else to bee found or prayed vnto but in and towards the East as if he were not aswell in the west vpon al the points degrees of the Compasse In the Zenith ouer our heads and with the Antipodes directly vnder vs Before vs behind vs on our right hand and on our left In the Sea with Peter In the Whales bellie with Ionah In shipwrack with Paul And therefore wee may conclude that there is no place where God is not So we may pray euery where And if our prayer be faithfull he heareth vs walking working riding sitting yea and in our familiar talking the minde may haue her affections in Heauen the soule may cast forth certaine inward holy desires and yet the
against these spirituall enemies reade Eph. 6. 16. 17 18. CHAP. XXXII The presence of God himselfe is promised in publike praier how he is present which the carnall man apprehendeth not the discontinuance of prayer publique or priuat dangerous AS touching publique prayer our Sauiour giueth vs such an encouragement to moue vs thereunto both of his owne presence and of the assurance of obtaining what we ask as it is more then wonderfull that meÌ„ should shew themselues so baâ—kward as not to desire to meete Christ in such holy Assemblies as are graced with his owne presence Where two or three are gathered together in my name saith Christ I will bee there in the middest of them And whatsoeuer they shall aske with one accord in my name it shall be granted vnto them No man is so impious as to bring in question whether this can or will prooue true or not that Christ should come downe and be in the society of men For we may assure vs that God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost being all one the Father is where the sonne is the holy Ghost where the father and the sonne are And Christ promising to send the Comforter the holy Ghost after his departure performed it in clouen tongues and he is with vs namely with his Church to the end of the world and consequently the father and the sonne the Trinitie in Vnitie I will pray the Father saith Christ and he shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth so called because hee inspireth the truth into vs and teacheth vs to crie Abba father whether in priuate or publike assemblies gathâ—red together in the name of Christ. Hee then being the spirit of Christ and being all one with Christ being with vs and dwelling in vs it can not be denied but Christ is with vs according to his promise namely with the faithfull assembled in his name whoÌ„ the world namely carnall men of the world know not But yee saith Christ to the faithfull know hum for he dwelleth in you I will not leaue you comfortlesse but I will come to you Againe he saith I am in my father and I in you and you in me Seeing then that all holy assemblies gathered together to heare God speake vnto them and againe that they together may speake vnto God are not left without the glorious presence of God himselfe how are they to be condemned that frame vnto themselues or rather â—orge by the suggestion of Sathan cases as it were of conscience to abiure the companie euen of Christ himselfe Sathan beleeueth the word of God to be true and yet laboureth the contrarie in men inclinable to doubt and causeth many to misconceiue of the sense which he himself knowes to be otherwise then he would haue them to beleeue And as he can make no vse of any part of the word of God to his owne neyther would hee that any should eyther heare the word truely expounded or assemblies to concurre rightly in prayer to their saluation And therefore whosoeuer findeth in himself the lest motion of doubting of Gods performance of his promises made vnto the faithfully praying or an vnaptnesse and vnwillingnesse rather then a zealous inclination to pray either in priuat to himselfe in publique with the Congregation or with his family priuately assembled may iustly feare that Sathan hath wouÌ„d himselfe into his affections and if he preuent him not speedily and resist him faithfully by prayer he will not leaue vntill hee haue gotten command of the whole house of his soule and will expulse all godly cogitations holy affections and sanctified desires and will suffer none to be entertained but infidelity sinne and fearefull apostacie Will not these daungers mooue men to repaire vnto the house of God with diligence and zeale there faithfully to ioyne in prayer with Gods children and attentiuely to heare the word preached which begetteth faith the fountaine whence doe flow all holy and spirituall exercises of the godly soule There is no other way to seeke saluation but in and by the word of God nor any other in and by whom we can be saued but in and by Christ who hauing so louingly called vs and by promise of his own presence intreated vs to communicat in holy exercises with him and his elect who wil or can rest so carelesse of his owne saluation as wilfully or negligently to estrange himself from this holy communication with God himselfe in prayer publique or priuat Publique prayers are so called because they are pronounced distinctly with an audible voice in the hearing and to the vnderstanding of a whole Congregation assembled And these praiers commonly tend to publique and common ends as for the obtaining of some generall good to the whole Church preuenting of some generall daÌ„ger or remouing of some generall euill And this although it be properly meant of parochial CongregatioÌ„s who assemble themselues by course on the Sabbath and other set dayes making their supplications publiquely for themselues and others according to generall occasions after a common manner yet are houshold assemblies said to pray publiquely wherein the Master of the Family is to conuent such as are vnder his charge and publikely together with them to pray vnto God as well for the vniuersall good of the Church whereof they are members for the Common-weale wherin they liue as subiects as for themselues And the promise of Christs presence holdeth true as well in this latter wherein two or three onely gather together in his name as where infinit numbers are assembled CHAP. XXXIII Priuat prayer in som respects at som times more comfortable to a priuate man then publique The neglect of publique praier in priuat families condemned for where God is not there Sathan is serued THe same that hath been formerly said of priuate prayer may bee affirmed of publique although the first bee more ordinary then the second not being limited to times certain but attendeth all occasions and yeeldeth more comfort to the troubled spirit of some priuate man that dareth to vnfolde that vnto GOD in secret which hee would blush to reueale vnto man were hee neuer so neere and deere vnto him much lesse would he publish it in a publique assembly willingly And this kind of prayer also is of that condition that where it is enkindled and cannot haue free vtterance by the lips by reason of company but is pent vp in the breast it laboreth with such spirituall violence in the sanctified soule as it makes the very heart within a man as it were to ake and rent in sunder thorough the ardent eleuation of the spirit vnto God And it is the surest trial of true religion In publique assemblies sometimes hypocrisie beareth a farre greater sway then it can doe in the priuat man who knoweth that the weight of spirituall ioy it bringeth vnto and leaues in his soule through prayers
Prayer into our mouths vnreuerently inconsideratly and without faith or feeling and without due conceiuing and rightly vnderstanding what euery Petition concerneth and importeth as some doe But wee must especially in priuate or publike Prayer vnto God and aboue all other vse this most heauenly Prayer with a sincere and truely sanctified zeale About the vse of this praier there hath beene of late a friuolous needlesse question raised by men of too precise an opinion who affirme it not necessarie to vse this praier in the bare words as Christ set it down A conceit without reason or religioÌ„ Others hold it verie sufficient of it selfe without eyther any other Prayer or enlarging the same according to the measure of the spirit that the man that praieth hath Which last opinion although more tollerable then the first I holde erronious For we know that the Apostles themselues the Disciples of Christ after they had learned this Prayer prayed often in other words albeit the Lords Prayer bee the rule and the sum of all other Prayers And so no doubt it is not only not vnlawfull but an especiall fruit and effect of faith to pray according to our occasions and to frame words as the Spirit of God shall giue vtterance who although we know not teacheth vs how to pray but this must alwaies be done according to the tenour of the Lords Prayer And therefore howsoeuer weake and imperfect our Prayers may seemâ—e to bee vnto our carnall part in respect of the phrase yet our spirits being directed by Gods Holy Spirit powreth forth Prayers truely vnderstood of him by whose spirit wee are enabled to pray And GOD granteth our requests according as hee seeth fit for vs. The vse of this Prayer of Prayers is farre more common then commonly rightly vnderstood For euery word therein implieth matter of great importance yet passeth the lips oftentimes before it come at much lesse before it bee truely digested in the heart and therefore witâ—ereth without fruit as plants without natural soile and van sheth in the aire euen with the sound Others in like sort like Parrots patter forth Pater noster c. know no more what the words import theÌ„ the senselesse Parrot And yet they thinke it a worke of great deuotion to tumble out a set number of such fruitlesse faithlesse prayers not vnderstood as were the time spent in cordiall and heartie prayers indeed could not be but much profitable Such are to be pitied and prayed for if they would but yeilde their eares to heare their hearts to vnderstand and indeuour to practise CHAP. XXXV The summe of the lords prayer briefly explained HOW many doe duly consider the efficacie of the word Our And yet it carrieth in it as it were the seale of our adoption in Christ for if God bee our Father then are we his children but by adoption If his children then are we to loâ—â— and obey our faâ—â—er If we obey him we acknowledge his Commaundements iust who hauing commanded vs to loue our brethren how can we come vnto our Heauenly father but bee put in mind by this word Our that our brethren haue also an interest in oâ—r Prayers whom if we forget we cannot but acknowledge that wee also forget who is our Father Againe how can children loue their father and not hate what he loueth not If wee loue what hee misliketh as the workes of the flesh the vanities of the World and the pleasures which our Father hath forbidden how and with what face can wee come cal him Our Father Or beg any thing with hope to receiue it at his handes whom wee cannot but confesse wee rather flatter then feare or loue The wordes which art in heauen intimate vnto vs that we call not vpon any earthly Prince or mortall Monarch but vpon the inuisible and immortall God whose dwelling is in the Heauens at his hands only we seeke whatsoeuer we need both heauenly and earthly thinges And as hee our Father is in Heauen whome wee loue so should â—ur minds and cogitations mâ—unt vp aboue the earth vnto the heauens where our beloued sitteth in glorie And although we bee in bodie in the earth our soules in an earthly Tabernacle yet should that our spiritual part be euermore conuersant as it were with him in the heauens as children of our heauenly Father For hee that findeth not here in himselfe such spirituall motions as may assure him that hee in some measure partaketh of a kind of felt heauenly blessednesse shall neuer hereafter partake of our heauenly Fathers glorie And therefore as we are bold in Christ our elder brother to present our selues before his Maiestie rendring vnto him his owne namely the lesson that he himselfe taught vs let vs not come to him as Trewants nor able to yeeld a reason vnto our selues of euery branch of the lesson hee gaue vs to learne But let vs set it before the eyes of our vnderstandings eyther as a glâ—sse to see our ignorance and deformities or to make it a law vnto our selues to shape all our prayers to him and our conuersations thereby to Gâ—ds glorie and our owne internall comfort What a lesson doe these words Hallowed bee thy name teach vs what occasion may wee hereby take to reproue our selues for many with the â—lippâ—s pronounce Hallowed be thy name that thinke or doe nothing lesse profaning the name of God by their sinnes which they should seeke by all meanes to glorifie as by obedience to his lawes by louing him for his own sake by praying vnto him and beleeuing in him But contrarily we disobey his will wee loue not his word we beleeue not his promises wee seeme to pray vnto him with the lips our hearts farre from him Also wee pray that his Kingdome may come namely that his Word may worke and take effect in euery mans heart to the sauing of their soules And yet most of vs are as farre from regarding it as wee rather contemne it and resist it seeming as it were vnwilling that the Spirit of God should dwell and rule in our heartes as may appeare by our common disobedience vnto the Scepter of his Kingdome the Gospell of Christ. Wee pray likewise Thy will be done And yet we do nothing lesse then obey it We begge our daily bread at the hands of God And yet wee trust him not but rather our owne prouisions our wit and policies our friendes and carnall meanâ—s coueting to lay vp in store for many yeares as the rich man did mentioned in the Gospell Arguing thereby that wee thinke in our hearts that if our owne care in getting were no surer meane of prouision of our daily necessaries then the promise and prouidence of God wee should want manie thinges and not obtaine sufficient meanes to maintaine our estate leaue vnto our children merely contrarie to the counsell of Christ who willeth vs not to be ouer-carefull for tomorrow
prepensed custome vsing onely the Lords Prayer the Beliefe and the Salutation of the blessed Virgin and otherset prayers in an vnknowen language with so many superfluous iterations and needlesse repetitions as the heart busied with retayning the number of the prayers seldome or neuer apprehendeth what the mouth vttereth neither truly vnderstand they what they speake praying in a language they know not And so turne their deuotions into sinne being made without vnderstanding and consequently not of faith Moreouer they vse in their prayers a kind of humblenesse which God requireth not superstitiosly pretending the auoyding of presumption in going immediately to God and therefore they came to God in the name of strange mediatours namely to the blessed Virgin to Angels and to Saints departed prying them by their merits to intercede for them to Christ that he may pray to his father for them What a needlesse circumstance is this Hath not Christ our Sauior louingly willed vs to come immediatly and freely to him who is the sole and onely mediatour vnto God our heauenly Father for all that faithfully and immediatly come vnto him There is none in and by whom we can be saued releiued or defended but in and by the man Christ Iesus He willeth vs not to vse that kind of humblenesse which should imply pride or any breach of promise in himselfe as it followes if wee think it too much presumption to come immediatly to him but first to goe and to pray vnto his blessed Mother Angel or Saints as if he himself were of the cōceit and humour of earthly Princes It is far from him his children may freely come to him he disdayneth them not for their basenes and therefore desireth not to bee sued vnto by more glorious persons whom they pretend he loueth better But this doth argue that we thinke He will not bee as good as his wrod where he saies Come vnto me all yee that are heauy laden and I will refresh you Which is to make God a Iyer and Christ to haue died in vaine Hee saith not come to me by the meanes of my blessed Mother holy Saints or Angels And therfore this is but a forged humblenesse and a falselie coyned meane to come to Christ but faith onely is the meane to assure vs that hee is our onely Aduocate to the father to whom wee come by Christ only and alone That praier that men make to God in the name of any besides Christ is not only no prayer but a meere derogation of the principal part of his office of being our only Mediatour Moreouer to goe to any besides Christ argueth a doubt that either he cannot or wil not be as good as his promise where he saith Whatsoeuer ye aske my father in my name shall be giuen you These kinds of prayers are grounded vpon a zeale without knowledge and consequently without faith and so become sinne vnto them that thus superstitiously pray And I can not but confesse also that the most religious praiers that godliest men haue made nay the very praier that Christ himselfe hath taught vs although most hard in it selfe may become vnprofitable vnto them by proceeding from an vnbeleeuing vnfeeling or vnreformed heart or proceeding onely from the lippes passing from the mouth into the Ayre and vanishing with the soud Such prayers as they proceede from vnbeleeuing hearts are like vnto Cayns offering howsoeuer foolishly accounted deuotion these are but the sacrifices of fooles who would be seene to offer acceptable incensce and behold hypocrisie they would seeme to glorifie God and behold blasphemy There is a kinde of prayer which God requireth and accepteth and is onely proper to the truly godlie And that is made somtimes in words sometimes by sighes and groanes which cannot be expressed and sometimes in silence without vttering any sound yet all very auailable with God who seeing and serching the heart knoweth what we inwardly desire and seeth wherof we haue need And these secret and silent prayers proceeding from a faithfull heart are far more effectuall then the verball praiers which the vnbeleeuer may vse with the like words as the godly do and to the same seeming ends And yet the same prayer is not to them both the selfe same praier the one hauing but the shadow the other the substance the one praying but with the lippes the heart estranged the other with the spirit and vnderstanding Therefore is the one of no force and the other truly effectuall These two kindes of prayers may be resembled vnto two pieces of Ordnance whereof the one is charged with powder onely The other with powder and a bullet Eyther of them takes fire a like and that which hath no bullet giues as great an outward and audible report as the other But the first batters not as doth the second although they seeme to ayme both at one mark So hee that hath not vnderstanding and faith may haue the like fire of necessity to enkindle the powder of desire but can neuer perse the cloudes the throne of grace with the bullet of liuely faith though the tongue thunder out as loud and clamorous acclamations as the other yet the other carries with it both powder and bullet both voice of the tongue and deuotion of the heart powerfully to worke the intended effect with God And the force of the other perisheth with the sound CHAP. II. It is vaine to vse many words in Prayer without spirituall feeling and great arrogancy to presse into the presence of God without premeditation with a definition of prayer HE that duly and with true vnder-standing considereth the force and effect of faithfull prayer and how vaine and vnprofitable it is to powre forth a multitude of words without spirituall feeling of his owne necessities As the causes mouing him to pray the matter wherefore hee praieth the parties to whom and in whom hee prayeth and with what zeale and affection he praieth without◠consideration of these hee may feare to presse into Gods presence presuming without premeditation deliberation holy preparation to approch the maiesty of God Wee shame to approch a King or great personage without recounting before hand how to behaue our selues as touching our gestures and how to place our speech to be seene formall in all the circumstances of our behauiour fearing least we should be obserued vnciuill rash or defectiue in our cariage How dare wee then thrust our selues abruptly into the presence of the King of kings without diuine preparation◠Our words and gestures must be agreeable to a holy and sanctified affection our hearts must be humble otherwise wee cannot come as petitioners but rather as insolent and proud vsurpers although our words seeme neuer so milde For if the heartfrom whence ought to proceed our requests be not truely humbled and rightly qualified God will neuer haue respect vnto our prayers And therefore if wee duly consider That Prayer is an humble request made vnto God in Christ with
the duetie that God commands to make heauenly friends with their earthly Mammon Therfore our Sauiour pronounceth such impossibilitie for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heauen euen because of his couetousnesse and oppression and because of his securitie and seldome or neuer faithfully seruing the liuing God and againe denounceth woes against them for that they haue their consolation in this world not for that they oppresse the poore and get their goods by vnlawfull meanes but because they haue their coÌ„solation namely their carnall delights and pleasures and not their spirituall ioy and inward comfort of the holy Ghost heere in this life Therefore behoueth it rich men to beware they place not their hearts consolation vpon these worldly fleeting vanities but according to diuine counsaile If riches encrease not to set their mindes vpon them but to vse them as they vsed them not For it is not meerely riches that maketh the vser but the abuser of them vnhappie And therefore as there may be a poore man proude and couetous euen in his small portion so may there be a rich maÌ„ poor in his owne conceit and so bestowe and distribute his goods as not onely not a woe but a blessing shall be pronounced vnto him as to the poor beleeuing in God for our Sauiour to encourage all as well poore as rich rightly affected and to stirre them vp to obedience and prayer saith Reioyce be glad for I haue prouided for â—ou a Kingdome CHAP. VI. The force of liuely faith and how hard a thing it is truly to apprehend the misterie of Christ and how easie historically to discourse thereof THE promises of future happinesse are able to stirre vp the dullest heart to waite and worke out his saluatioÌ„ with fear trembling with loue and obedience in faith prayer and yet it seemeth Not manie wise not many mighty not many rich beleeue this promise They seem rather to be leue a bond a statute a pawn or the promise of a rich maÌ„ then they wil giue credit vnto God vpon his oath who yet neuer was found to promise any thing but what he performed to the good of euery one that beleeuing asketh any thing fit for him to receiue he deceiueth no man that trusteth his bare word Abraham might haue cast many doubts being in a profane and Idolatrous countrey brought vp without the written will of God being called thence by an inuisible power to repaire into a remote country vnknowne and the conditions of the people strange vnto him But he contrarily cast off all difficulties and confidently resolued against his owne naturall reason and will of all his friends and familiars and betooke him to the iourney and ceased not till he came to Canaan Who would not haue consulted with his kinsfolks frends Who would not haue looked for better assurance of good successe before hee would haue aduentured to forsake his countrey and friends and betake himselfe to the hazard of such an attempt But he knew that he that called him was iust and what hee had promised hee was able to performe and would neither faile him nor forsake him Hee wauered not as the most of vs do touching heauen and heauenly things promised how can we affirm we beleeue it and yet giue our selues ouer to the world It is not indeed euery mans case to know the mysterie of Christ but in a kinde of generall apprehension as hee is deliuered in the outward word according to the Historie But to beleeue that he came in the flesh without man to containe two natures vnder one visible forme that hee was God equall with the father and man like vnto vs that he cancelled the hand-writing that was against vs that in him we are reconciled again to God the father that he sits at God's right hand a mediator for vs and that all beleeuers shall ascend and rest with him in glorie that our bodies that are corrupt shall either die and putrifie or be changed and in fine be glorified in the heauens And to apply all this to our owne selues through faith cannot but goe so farre beyond the ordinarie capacities of naturall men as the God of heauen is aboue the God of the ayre For as Christ said vnto Peter flesh and bloud reueiled not vnto him what Christ was neither can the natural man apprehend this heauenly mysterie and therefore cannot beleeue the promise of saluation to the comfort of his own soule and consequently cannot pray to God in Christ. He can speake of and dispute and beleeue the whole Historie of Christ both how he was promised and prophesied how he was crucified and can relate euery Article of Christian beleefe And so farre the diuels know beleeue and tremble But this is the peculiar portion of Gods children truly to depend vpon Christ thorough faith grounded vpon knowledge as beleeuing that heauen is his portion is the gift of God in Christ who being the liuely image of God the father teacheth vs to know God in the Trinitie and the Trinitie in vnitie whom who so knoweth not and by knowing him loueth him and in louing him obeyeth him and in oâ—beying him beleeueth him and in beleeuing him dooth not pray vnto him howsoeuer they seeme to vpholde their knowledge defend their obedience and bragge of their prayers they are all but counterfeit For no truly spirituall exercise can bee performed or diuine grace obtained but by a man spiritually qualified and beloued of God and who loueth God for vnlesse we feele in our selues the loue of God towards vs wee can neuer loue God for he loueth vs first and by the third person of the Trinitie worketh loue in vs towards him and loue being the band of obedience and obedience the marke of our election and coÌ„sequently the seale which hath the image of our Redeemer whereby our adoption to bee the sonnes of God is confirmed to euery one that beleeueth Not to euery one that pretendeth to loue obey and serue him but to him only whose heart is right before the Lord who heareth the word beleeueth the spirit that wrote it and bringeth forth the fruits of it namely to doe what is therin commanded and to auoyde things forbidden therein he euen he is the vndoubted adopted sonne of God and whatsoeuer he asketh the father by the spirit in the sonne hee shall receiue it for he hath the promise of the blessings of this life and the life to come Contrariwise such as neither yet haue nor desâ—re to haue thiâ— feeling this faith and this dependance on God howsoeuer they pretend that they are the sonnes of God for that they can only talke like and performe some outward duties as the true sonnes of God do yet let them not deceiue themselues they are not yet out of the lees of their originall neither haue they remission of their actuall sins but the Bond is yet against them depending vncancelled though they associate the
our most comfort and spirituall contentment it is the last matter thought vpon they beginne at the wrong end they first seek the world and worldly things and then as leisure will serue they will seeke heauen holy things where we should seeke heaueâ— and the kingdom thereof first and then by diuine promise all things els shold be administred vnto vs. But the reason why som men are so backward in seeking God to bee guided by him in these high occasions may seeme to grow from a conceit that if they should vnfolde their desires to God who seeth all their hidden and polliticke equiuocations he would find that their outward prayers to him and their inward hearts towards him would appeare so farre vnlike as he would haue no respect vnto their offerings and therefore couet rather to conceale their counsailes from God and climbe vp to the obtaining of their high purposes by the scale of their owne deuises saying in their hearts How doth he know it Thou foole if thy heart condemne thee is not God greater then thy heart and knoweth al things But if thy heart conâ—demne thee not thou hast then boldnesse towards God If then thou haue boldnesse thou mayest freely repaire to the Throne of his grace and as he hath communicated vnto vs all his counsaile shall we bee scrupulous to let him know ours What is it that the poorest and basest seeming childe of God may not freely speake vnto him Who of the ancient godly fathers did not discouer their own imperfectioÌ„â— Peter blushed not to acknowledge the deniall of his Master with bitter teares Dauid was not ashamed not onely to confesse but to inroll the acknowledging of his sins with his owne hand to the end that all his godly posteritie might learne not to hide their faults from God but to make them knowne to men S. Paul likewise thought it not any disparagement to his credite being an Apostle that Hee was a man solde vnder sinne that hee was buffeted of Sathan that hee did what hee would not and could not doe what he would None diuinely enlightned by taâ—â—ing of and beleeuing the good word of God that euer coueted to conceale their imperfections from God knowing assuring themselues that he is mercifull and forgiueth the sinnes of the truely penitent Against thee against thee onely saith Dauid I haue sinned and done euill in thy sight Hee was a great King chosen after Gods owne heart yet not ashamed to acknowledge a greater King whom hee as much feared to offend as the most dutifull child the most stern and seuere father and therefore was bold with the confession of his sinnes to ioyne prayer for the remission thereof and obtained it I am but dust and ashes saith Abraham I am not worthy the least of Gods mercies saith Iacob my fathers house saith Gideon is the least of all Israel I am not worthie saith S. Paul to bee called an Apostle yea he confessed himselfe the chiefest of all sinners These examples of humilitie may be preuayling motiues to moue vs to imitate them and to beware how wee follow their contraries in pride as Nabuchadnezzer Senacherib Pharaoh and such like imps of insolencie who althogh they were Kings of greatest greatnes we the meanest of men yet if wee imbrace not humilitie wee may bee found as hautie as the hautiest of them For they had their pride but according to the measure of their greatnesse and so may the meanest exceed in pride beyond the measure of his best means They thought themselues not onely not inferiour but equall nay aboue God in power and therefore had none aboue them to obey and consequently none to whom they were bound to pray And whosoeuer exalteth himselfe aboue that which he is be he the highest or the basest among men hee equalizeth the proudest of the former in their vnlimited desires For as the former rebellious Potentates banded themselues against God in their impious blasphemies and as Nimrod threatned to scale the heauens by his haughtie Babel so no doubt but the meanest proud man that ambitiously aduanceth his heart aboue that which indeed he is and to attain vnto heauen without obedience and prayer vnto God hee is as high a rebell in his heart as eyther Nabuchadnezzar Senacherib or Pharaoh and his reward in the wrath of God shall be as great as was theirs or Nimrods CHAP. XII Murtherous hearts hautines and pride may lurke vnder the habit of outward humblenesse MAny such rancke and rebellious spirits walk in the habite of outward humblenesse as that Dominus Dominantium that calls himselfe Seruus seruorum Dei hee that saith he is the seruant of the seruants of God and yet Antichristianlike endeuours to set vp and supplant Princes And his Votaries of pouertie and voluntarie beggerie are not many of them fit and inclinable to any impious and most treasonable actions how haue their handes in shew lifted vp towards heauen bin imbrued in the bloud of Princes in the earth If their couert and concealed workes of darknes were discouered if their infernall stratagems were reuealed and their desires knowne to mortal men as they are found out and seene by God they could not appeare but meere monsters such as was Balthazer the murtherer of the Prince of Orange the Frier that miscreant Reualiack that foiled their fists in the bloud of the two last Kings of France and yet had euery of them his pretence of great deuotion in attempting and perpetrating these capitall villanies They pray they receiue their sacrifice and haue promise of they beleeue to bee registred and canonized among the Saints in heauen and yet fellow-murtherers with Iudas with whom they shall partake their euerlasting reward without more serious sorrow and truer repentance for their villanies then any of them seemed at their deaths to professe Are these the instruments that are vsed by the Pope the pretended Vicar of Christ to support his humble ambition and ambitious humblenes Must these be the Axes and Hammers to cut and break down Princes and to confound Kings and Kingdomes not concurring with his vsurped Antichristian insolencie Where is then the effect of their great penance much fasting many praiers and infinit sectaries and their deuotions Are these their meritorious workes Cannot they defend their Antichristian superstitions without the murthering of Gods owne annointed without treasons rebellions massacres sheddings of bloud Who doth not then abhorre their impieties And who obserueth the least of these committed by any true member of that Church which this malignaÌ„t Church holdeth hereticall And yet all men see how it hath been defended from all their diuellish complotments by no other meanes but by faith in God and prayer to God Haue not their most hellish attempts many pretences of a holy beginning A set coÌ„uocation of preaching and prayer imposition of hands vowing of helpes conioyning of forces and whatsoeuer else may serue to the perpetration of any bloudie
what time soeuer he asketh hee receiueth whensoeuer hee seeketh he findeth and when soeuer he knocketh he is admitted into the presence of God And whatsoeuer misery befalleth him in this life hee feeleth it not so vnsauorie to himselfe as other men conceiue it that beholde and obserue it in him As our Sauiour told his Disciples that hee had meate to eate which they knew not of so hath euerie sanctified regenerate man comfort that carnall men know not of which giueth him such sweete feeling of present happinesse through the assurance of his future promised glorie that he seemeth through the abuÌ„dance of his consolations rapt as it were alreadie out of this earthly Tabernacle into the heauen of heauens where he hath his conuersation in the spirit with-God though hee corporally remaine in this inferiour world CHAP. XV. True contentment not gotten by nature but by grace which produceth prayer the onely meane to obtaine all good SPiritual coÌ„tentmeÌ„t none can attaine vnto by his owne naturall powers and therefore there is a spirituall meane to be vsed for the obtayning thereof which the Apostle reaches saying Let your requests be shewed vnto God in prayer And Who so lacketh wisedome let him ask of God which giueth to al men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him This wisedome is not the wisedome of the world but the knowledge how when and what to ask to conform vs to the likenes of him that hath begotten vs anew who hath left vs an example that wee should follow as deare children If then we be the children of God Co-heirs with him of that heauenly Kingdom shal we not with him walke as becommeth children of such a father Shal our head weepe and lament for our sinnes Shall be suffer for our transgressions and shall wee laugh and reioyce in the vanities of this life and yet think to partake with Christ of his purchased Kingdome Hath he so farre purchased for vs as we need neyther suffering nor patience faith nor prayer Shall we think our selues like that vnspotted Lambe of God and yet defile our bodies soules by committing sinne vpon sin How can we then come vnto our father which is in heauen where no profane thing can haue any being If God heareth not sinners where shall the sinfull mans prayers appeare And how can he haue his conuersation in heauen as S. Paul had or walke with God as Henoch did whose soule and spirituall part which ought to ascend by the wings of faith towards heaueÌ„ is pressed downe by a most vgly and filthy dunghill the bodie clogged with the masse of sinne Cast off therefore all carnall and vncleane affections purifie clense your hearts by liuely repentance that the sauing bloud of the Lambe being sprinkled vpon the dore posts of our beleeuing hearts the holy spirit of God may enter and teach our spirits rightly to crye Abba father So shall wee apprehend that sacred renewing grace that shall breede this most sweet and heauenly change namely to make vs of the children of wrath the children of loue of the children of disgrace the childreÌ„ of glorie which change is not nor can be where faith faileth which faith is not obtained in respect of our prayers or any desert of our selues but only and altogether of the free fauor and good will of God in Christ in whoÌ„ for whom and by whom we haue promise to obtaine the fulnesse of spirituall contentment CHAP. XVI God being wisedome it selfe knowes how to deal with vs for our best aduantage and his own glorie which aboue all things wee must respect in all our prayers GOd being wisedome it selfe knoweth better then we what is fiâ—test for vs to receiue and for him to giue in both which his glorie must goe with our desires as it will of necessitie in his giuing And if wee seeke not his glory in all our demands we breake the order prescribed namely to doe all to the glorie of God much more then should our prayers which are the highest seruice wee can doe vnto God tend to the honour of his Maiestie beyond the desire of supply in our owne necessities and that is in making our prayers vnto him to be confident that he is iust and will according to his promise satisfie our iust desires so farre as may bee most for our benefite For we cannot truly iudge what is most expedient for vs we may aske for and think that best for vs which God in his wisedom knoweth most inconuenient and that to bee hurtfull euill for vs which hee seeth to be most for our good It is therefore agreeable to the right rule of true faith to subiect our wills to the wil of God and to frame all our petitions according to the rule of his word which teacheth vs to aske corporal things with condition that he be pleased therewith and spirituall heauenly things as the graces of the spirit with a full assurance to receiue And the more constant and earnest we be and the more we presse God to giue them so much the more it pleaseth him as to importune him to giue vs power to mortifie our corrupt affections to kill sinne both in our harts and members to begge the increase of faith obedience loue towards God and our neighbours peace in our selues and with all men patience in suffering Gods corrections gentlenesse meekenesse temperance To aske these absolutely and constantly is pleasing vnto God is acceptable vnto him wherein yet we are to beware that wee aske not spirituall gifts to carnal ends as did Simon the Magician but to Gods glorie as Salomon asked wisedome For the holy Scriptures teach vs that God suffereth many profane men to vsurpe spiritual functions as preaching prophecying and casting out Diuels to whom yet God wâ—â—l say Depart from me I know you not The like may be said of praying namely of meere babling with the tongue without the consent of a feeling faith full heart And in all these to shew more outward sinceritie then to haue inward sanctity is meere hypocrisie CHAP. XVII Three principall motiues to stirre vp men to pray wherof the chiefest is necessitie THere bee three principall motiues to stirre vp Christians to prayer first Gods commandement Pray continually 1. Thess. 5. 17. secondly the promise And ye shall receiue Matth. 7. 7. The third and last motiue is our owne necessities and they are infinite Daniel prayed â—o be preserued among the Lyons the three children froÌ„ the fire Hezekiah from death Ionah to bee deliuered from the bowels of the Whale Susanna to be freed from the vniust accusation of the lasciuious and false Iudges Dauid to be deliuered from the malice of Saul Necessitie hath so manie branches as men are subiect to seuerall dangers which are infinit and therefore a motiue of great force and yet without Gods assistance they can obtain no ease For the more a man strugleth to free himselfe from
holy and diuine sparke and if a man wilfully quench it not this seed being watered by hearing and reading of the word by faith and prayer may take roote bud and bear fruit howsoeuer weakly in the beginning As an infant at the first quickening in the womb of the mother which time brings to more maturity and perfection and commeth into the world felt and sâ—en so this diuine seed by degrees commeth to be liuely in operation and the small sparke becommeth a flame and in fine enkindleth an admirable weight of zeal For to him that hath to him shall be more giuen and by continuance and practise he shall finde himselfe a new man more and more euerie day furnished with diuine gifts Nothing is perfected the first day that hath growing and increase All spirituall graces haue their beginnings weake and among al the other fruits of the spirit of God none is more excellent more sweet more auailable to saluation then is continuall faithfull prayer which is not the first day in perfection but by little and little it becomes more and more feruent and as it increaseth so draweth it with it a wonderful increase of the knowledge of all things necessarie to saluation So that I may conclude to the comfort of all true Christiansâ— That he that can pray faithfully hath all things both in heauen and earth lacking nothing necessarie for hee hath God and he that cannot nor will endeauour to learne how to pray hath nothing yet that he ought to haue 1. CHRON. 28. 9. The Lord searcheth all harts and vnderstandeth al the imaginations of thoughts If thou seeke him hee will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for euer FINIS A MORNING PRAIER TO BEE VSED IN PRIVATE FAMILIES O Lord who takest euermore charge of thy people giuing them euer in due time what in thy wisedome thou knowest necessary for them we acknowledg thy great goodnesse toward vs O Lord in deliuering vs this night from dangers and in giuing vs competent reâ—â— Thou hast of thine aboundant mercie raised vs this morning in safetie Looke not wee beseech thee vpon our pollutions the printes whereof through our corruptions we haue left behind vs in our beds Take from vs and from euery one of vs we beseech thee the filthie garmens of sinâ—e shame and confusion wherewith wee were conceiued and borne and cloth vs with thy rightteousnesse and saluation in Iesus Christ. Blesse vs and we shall be blessed teach vs wisedome to choose what is good and to auoid euil and all the occasions of sinning this day Thou Lord hast pleasure in righteousnesse And they are only blessâ—d in whose hearts are thy wayes take away from vs stonie hearts and giue vs heartes of flesh Let our heartes cleaue vnto thee and neuer be estranged from thee for Sathan malitiously goeth about to draw vs from thee by his continuall practises suggestions temptations and raiseth his instruments to intrap vs and snare vs. But bee vnto vs O Lord a strong defence And howsoeuer our Aduersarie indeuoureth to blemish vs and to pollute vs with his inchantments transforme vs wee beseech thee into thy owne Image from glorie to glorie by thy spirit And as thou hast banished the night and darkenesse and giuen vs corporall light So Lord giue vs the light of truth Thou giuest sight to the blind banish our spirituall darknes Thou makest the Lame to goe take from vs all impediments which this day may offer themselues to hinder our found and holy walking before thee in sincere conuersations Thou turnest a barraine wildernes into a fruitfull Land and againe thou makest a fruitful LaÌ„d barrain for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Make fruitful our barraine heartes in al goodnesse and spiritual graces sow the good seed of liuely faith aud true obedience in vs and water it by thy holy Spirit that wee may bring forth the fruites of a holy and sanctâ—fied life Turne the Wildernes of our profane conueâ—sations into a Garden of godly vertues Thou hast raised vs from the deadnesse of our corporall sleepe this morning breath now into our dull drowsie soules thy sacred spirit that we may be so reuiued and spiritually cheered that wee may with holy and heauenly ioy and comfort betake vs to our corporall businesses giue vs strength of bodie the vse of our limbes senses giue vs vnderstanding hearts to performe our duties diligently faithfully and truly in our callings And let all thinges prosper vnto vs this day that wee shall take in hand for we acknowledg that it is thy goodnesse that hath kept vs this night past for which wee yeeld thee all humble thankes beseeching thee to bee with vs this day guard keep vs whatsoeuer thou hast giuen vs for wee recommend our selues our souâ—es our bodies and goods into thy holy protection keeping this day And remooue from vs Lord that curse that in seeing we shuld not see and in hearing wee should not vnderstand but quicken vs according to thy louing kindnesse that wee may loÌ„g for thy word make it sweet vnto vs by a sanctified desire to heare and a holy zeale to practise this day and euer the testimonies of thy mouth AMEN Our Father c. Lord increase our faith An Euening Prayer for priuat Families MOst gracious merciful euerliuing most louing Lord God wee are heere gathered together before thee to yeeld thee thaÌ„ks for thy goodnesse mercies this day past vouchsafed vnto vs weake and vnworthy of so great a fauour at thy hands by reason of our manifold sins offences committed against thee For by nature Lord we can doe nothing but displease thee By the transgression of the first man Adam wee haue all sinned now by the merits of the second man Christ let vs be made righteous let the perfection of his obedience satisfie for the imperfection of ours Our disobedience hath beene intollerable our rebellions horrible and our seruing of thee this day past punishable The thoughts of our hearts haue been sinfull the wordes of our mouthes deceitfull the workes of our hands hatefull Such and so euill haue we euer been that what we should haue done we haue left vndon what we shold not haue don we haue don it with eagernes greedines and thus profanely haue we passed this day now come to an end O remeÌ„ber not Lord our offences reward vs not according to our euil imaginations mark not what we haue spoken amisse nor punish vs according to our workes this day Create in vs wee beseech thee cleane hearts renew right spirits within vs fill our heads with fountains of teares that we may night day recount bewaile our sinnes in the bitternes of our harts Let this be the last day the last houre the last momeÌ„t of our wilfull offending thy Maiestie and let vs not carrie thine indignation for our sinnes to our beddesâ— but let vs instantly cast off our