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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17326	An exposition of the Lords Prayer made in diuers lectures, and now drawne into questions and answers for the greater benefite of the simpler sort: whereunto is prefixed a briefe treatise of prayer for all men. Published at the request of diuers godly and well disposed: by W. B. minister of the Word at Reading in Barkshire.	Burton, William, d. 1616.	1594 (1594)	STC 4174; ESTC S116670	83,241	268

are the Lords but the Lord himselfe doth it therefore followe that wee must pray that all may bee saued What for those whom God will not haue saued God forbid Our Sauiour Christ that was as wise and as charitable as they that hold this poynt hath taught vs to pray otherwise When you pray say Thy will be done that is Lord saue those whom thou wilt saue and not whom thou wilt not saue So that our prayers wee see must bee grounded vpon Gods will and not vpon our owne willes If then he will not saue all we must not pray against his will that he would saue al For then in stead of saying thy will be done wee should pray thus or to this effect Lord wee knowe that thou hast decreed and appoynted from euerlasting whom to glorifie in thy kingdome and whom to cast downe to hell for euer and we know that thy counsell shal stand for so sayth thy word but yet for all that wee haue a minde and desire to haue all men saued therefore alter thy decree and change thy purpose that is bee contrarie to thy selfe and so not thy will but ours be done From such kind of praying or rather blasphemous and presumptuous prating the Lord deliuer vs giue vs grace to pray as his word doth teach vs to pray that is in our prayers to referre our willes to Gods will and not to presume to craue that which God will neuer graunt But for as much as God hath his number in al parts of the world who are knowne to himselfe and Christian charitie which is a most liuely fruite of faith bindeth vs to pray for the whole Church of Christ which is Catholike that is scattered vpon the face of the whole earth which Church likewise is sometime visible sometime inuisible vnto men and sometime more visible and sometime lesse visible as in the dayes of Elias when the Lord had 7000. in Israel more then Elias sawe as sharpe sighted as he was and because all are not called at one houre but some to day some to morrowe some at one time and some at another therefore it is lawfull for vs to pray for thē thus That in Spayne Portingale Rome Turkie Iewrie and in al other places of the world yea and of those which doe now persecute Gods Church as sometime Paul did so many of them as doe belong to Gods eternall election it would please his Maiestie to conuert by the preaching of his word and the effectuall working of his holy spirite in their hearts or by such meanes as shall seeme good to his diuine Maiestie in his best appoynted time And as for the rest which doe not belong to his eternall election and couenant of grace we are to pray that his will may bee done vpon them and he may bee glorified in his iudgements vpon thē as he was glorified in the ouerthrow of Pharao and his host But the matter must not bee so lightly carried away for they that hold the contrarie seeme to haue scripture to beare them out which if they did vnderstand and apply so well as they can auouch it al should bee well The common alleadged place is out of 1. Tim. 2. 4. God wil that al men shall be saued and come to the knowledge of the trueth Now for an answere this I say that that place must of necessitie bee vnderstood either of the reuealed will of God or of his secret will If this place bee vnderstood of Gods reuealed will set downe in his word then the sense is this that God doth call all men by the preaching of his word to the knowledge of his trueth and to eternall life if they beleeue in Christ and this saluation is offered to all men though al men beleeue not For by this meanes the reprobate and vnbeleeuers are shewed what they shuld doe and so are left without excuse in the day of iudgement But God doth not giue them grace to repent and beleeue as hee doth to the elect because he hath otherwise decreed of them and if he doth not who shall compell him so to doe or who shal complaine iustly against his diuine Maiestie seeing as the Lord is bound to no man If that place be vnderstood of the secret will of GOD then the sense is three-fold First God will that all men shall be saued that is God in his eternall counsell according to his good pleasure hath decreed of all sorts and degrees of men to saue some of Iewes and Gentiles some of Kings and Princes some of subiects and commons some of learned and vnlearned some of rich and poore some of Captaines and soldiers some of Marchants Marriners some of Craftsmen and Husbandmen some and of all sorts of all estates and of all degrees and conditions of men some shalbe saued which agreeth with the saying of S. Iohn in the Reuelation who sayth That he sawe a great multitude of all nations and kindreds and languages follow the lambe that is Iesus Christ and stood before the throne and praised him that sate vpon the throne And the cause of the Apostles writing thus to Timothie was for that the Church of God liued thē vnder Nero a wicked Prince and cruell tyrant and an enemie to the Gospell of Christ in so much as some doubted whether he were to be prayed for or no therfore the Apostle puts them out of doubt for that matter and sheweth that prayers must be made for Kings and Princes and all men and therefore for their Prince though he were a wicked enemie for that of all men and all sorts of men God hath his number and what could they tel whether he were one of that number or no therfore they were to pray for him There is a seconde sense or meaning of those words deliuered by the learned and that is this God will that all men shall be saued c. That is so many as are saued are saued by the will of GOD for as much as none are saued against his will And that this may likewise bee the Apostles meaning it may appeare by another place of scripture like vnto that It is in Iohn 1. 9. where the Euangelist speaking of the Sonne of God he sayth thus He was the true light that lighteneth euery man that commeth into the worlde meaning indeede that whosoeuer is lightened is enlightened by the Sonne of God not that euery one particularly that commeth into the world is lightened none excepted for there bee some in the world which remaine in darknes and the Gospell is hidden from them such as the god of this world hath blinded that is the diuel hath blinded their eyes that the light should not shine vnto them as the Apostle sheweth And this is no otherwise spoken then wee vse in our common manner of speaking For if there bee but one man in a towne that reacheth Grammar wee say such a man teacheth all the towne Grammar meaning that all

looke stedfastly for the performance of his promises our obedience while wee doe that which hee hath commaunded vs. Ob. Gods deer●e is vnchangeable and therefore to pray is in vaine Answ. Nay therefore we are sure to be heard because his counsell and purpose is immutable for according to his promise hee will heare our praiers alwaies prouided that our prayers bee agreeable to his will so that this serueth rather to make vs more willing and earnest in prayer because wee haue Gods commaundement for our warrant and his promise for our encouragement Q. When is thankesgiuing to bee made A. At all times and in all our prayers for wee haue occasion of it wheresoeuer we looke and seeing the Lord neuer ceaseth to doe good vnto vs therefore wee must not cease to speake good of his name Of the diuers sortes of Prayer Q. HOw many sortes of Prayer bée there A. Although we haue set downe but two in generall yet vnder them are contained many particular kindes Q. Show which those be A. Petition is two folde 1. In respect of others 2. In respect of our selues Q. Petition in respect of others of how many sortes is it A. It is of two sortes either for them or against them Q. Petition for others how many waies is it A. It is either generall or speciall Q. How generall A. When it is made for the whole Church of God militant vpon the face of the whole earth as in Psalme 28. 9. Saue thy people and blesse thine inheritance feede them also and exalte them for euer Q. How is it speciall A. When it is made for particular Churches or persons Q. Where finde you that prayers haue béene made for particular Churches A. In Rom. 1. 9. 10. Paul saith that continually in all his prayers hee prayed for the Church which was then at Rome And in Philip. 1. 3. 4. Hee saith that in like manner he remembred the Church of the Philippians Q. Where finde you any praying for particular persons A. Dauid prayed for his childe The Centurion for his seruant The womā of Canaā for her daughter The congregation for Peter in prison And Saint Iames saith The prayer of a righteous mā auaileth much if it be feruent Q. When is prayer to bée made against others A. 1. When we see Gods glory by others defaced 2. When wee our selues are iniuried and oppressed by others Q. How proue you the first A. In Esa. 37. 17. Hezekiah hearing the railings and blasphemies of Rabsakah who was sent by Senacherib for that purpose fell to prayer saying Encline thine eare O Lord and heare open thy eyes O Lord and see and heare all the wordes of Senacherib who hath sent to blaspheme the liuing God Act. 4. 24. And when they heard it they lift vp their voyces to God with one accord c. Q. How proue you the second A. In Exo. 22. 23. If you vexe or trouble such that is the widdowe or fatherles childe they shall call and crie vnto me and I will surely heare their crye Apoe 6. 9. I sawe vnder the altar the soules of them that were killed for the word of God and for the testimonie which they maintained and they cried with a loude voyce saying How long Lord holy and true doest not thou iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Alexander the Coppersmith hath done me much harme saith S. Paul the Lorde rewarde him according to his workes See also in Luke 18. 7. 8. Q. What say you of Prayers which respect our selues A. In them we desire of the Lord two things in generall 1. To turne away euill things from vs and this is called deprecation 2. To grant vs good things which we stand in neede of this is called petition Q. Where haue we any examples of the first A. Salomon prayed Remoue from me vanitie c. Iacob prayed in like manner I pray thee deliuer mee from the hand of my brother Esaw for I feare him c. Q. Where finde you any of the latter A. In Salomon when he saide giue me foode conuenient And in Abrahams seruant who prayed and saide O Lorde God of my master Abraham I beseech thee send me good speed this day and shew mercie c. Q. When we haue occasion to pray against euils calamities what course is best to be taken A. In these prayers the saints in times past haue vsed two things which doe also belong to vs 1. A confession of their sinne whereby they deserued that punishment which was vpon them 2. A lamentation of their present estate thereby to set an edge vpon their prayers Q. How proue you this A. In Dan. 9. 5. We haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements for we would not obey thy seruants the Prophets which spake in thy name to our Kinges to our Princes to our Fathers and to all the people of the land O Lord righteousnes belongeth vnto thee and vnto vs open shame as appeareth this day c. Q. When wee praye for any good thing which wée want what must wée doe A. Wee must acknowledge our owne vnworthienes and craue it in the name and worthines of the Lorde Iesus Q. When God hath graunted our requests what is then to be done A. We are then to returne thankes vnto the Lord for the same as Abrahams seruant did as Deborah did as Moses the Israelites did as Hanna did as the Leper did and as all the faithfull doe Q. But in whose name must wée returne our thankesgiuing in our owne or in some bodies else A. It must not bee in our owne name but in the name and mediation of Iesus Christ in whome God is well pleased and in whome all our seruice and sacrifices of prayers and praises must be accepted or else they are most abominable in his sight Of the place of Prayer Q. WHere must all these kindes of prayer be made A. The place is either generall and vncertaine according to necessitie and occasion or speciall and certaine according to order and custome Q. How generall A. In euery place or in any place it is lawfull to praye if occasion doe serue as Abrahams seruant prayed in the fielde Daniel in the Lyons denne Paul in prison Dauid in the wildernes and to this agreeth the Apostle whe● hee saith Let men praye euery where lifting vp pure handes without wrath or doubting Q. What place call you a speciall place for prayer that is according to order A. It is of two sortes either publique or priuate Q. Which call you publique prayer A. That is when the Churche of God is mette in a publique place with a publique consent for publique benefites Q. Where haue you a warrant for that A. Iehosaphat proclaymed a fast