for all but the carnall man hath many Gods the Monie in his Chest his Friends that his Mammon hath got him his Corne in his Barnes his Cattle in the Fields his Plate and Iewels his Wit and Pollicy are the Gods of worldly men in them they trust and by som or one of them they hope to be relieued or steeded in whatsoeuer desperate occasion and therfore seeke they not the helpe of the inuisible God by fruitlesse Prayer as they deeme it But the faithfull man in deede knoweth these to be deceiuing Gods flattering Gods like vnto Ionahs Gourd that seemed faire for a day and when it should most haue sheltred him it withered by the worme at the roote So haue all these vain-glorious Gods their wormes that worke at their roote who wither when they that trust in them haue most neede of their helpe like the Manna that the Israelites gathered ouer night and kept till morning which withered stank when they thought to eat it Euen so do Friends faile Riches Strength and Pollicie deceiue them that trust to them or in thē And it is to bee admired that so many men not onely instructed by the Word of God but also by so many experiences which they euery day see that all the glorie of the world and vanities thereof are but deceiuing dreames and yet that they should suffer themselues to be bewitched with their flatteries inchantments like the followers of Vlysses transformed into beasts by the charmes of Circes who honour that which is to bee contemned and contemne God who aboue all friends riches whatsoeuer means is to bee loued embraced beleeued and praied vnto CHAP. IV. The faithfull mans God is the onely liuing God and in him is his chiefe good the carnall men haue manie Gods the ends of both THE friends the riches and whatsoeuer good the faithfull man hath or hopeth for is in heauen The Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost one Al-sufficient God the Angels heauenly societie these are will be for euer his and will neuer faile nor forsake him He that created him he will keepe him he that redeemed him he will iustifie him hee that sanctified him hee will reach him to pray to the Father in the Sonne hee will assist our spirits who know not how or for what to pray he will help our infirmities enkindle our godly desires he will make such a sacred vnion between himselfe and our spirits as wee shall become one with him and God the Father and the Sonne being one with the Holy Ghost shall in the consent of the sacred Trinitie beget vs anew giue vs new hearts new affections new loue liuely faith and furnish vs with all the graces of right regeneration yea wee shall become like vnto our elder brother and euen here in earth partake of heauenly consolation The Angels shall administer vnto vs all holy aide and support vs in all our waies walkings according to the good pleasure of GOD who giueth them charge ouer his children These are the goods of the godly Oh the sweet operation of liuely faith begotten by the promise of God in Christ made in his word it begetteth Praier and Praier truely powred forth by lippes vndefiled in the affection of a right qualified heart vnto God the Father in his Son doth truly assure vs of Gods presence and present reliefe in all our necessities more fully and more truely then all the false Gods and vaine goods of carnall men and their meanes What worldly or carnall aide had the three children in the Furnace What arme of flesh deliuered Daniel from the Lions What earthly helpe had that great God to ouerthrow the Armie of Senacherib Many in like dangers haue beene saued relieued and deliuered without humane aide The examples are infinite in Scriptures wherof the miracles done in leading the children of Israel out of Egypt through the Wildernesse their plantation in and vpon the borders of Canaan and the life of Ioseph may serue to satisfie any beleeuing man For neither were friends nor wealth nor strength nor pollicie aiding this great God in his works of greatest wonder Who then will preferre these base earthly deceiuing Gods and flattering goods before the good God of Israel Or who will trust any God but the God of Hoasts Haue any of the Gods of the Nations deliuered his land out of the hands of the King of Ashur Where is the God of Hamath and of Arpad Where is the God of Sepharnaim Hena Iuah Which of the Gods of worldly carnall men haue deliuered their most humble suppliants out of any their troubles or rid them or preuented any of their dangers It is a most execrable blasphemie against the God of heauen to preferre worldly goods and carnall meanes before the helpe loue and fauour of the God of Gods and of goodnesse as manie do testified by their works though they would seeme to shew the contrarie How did wicked Rabshakeh raile vpon the liuing God from Senacherib his master And did not the Angell of the Lord that night destroy one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand men of the Hoast of Ashur Here was the force of flesh confounded and Senacherib himself was slain by Adramelech and Sharazer his owne sonnes as hee was worshipping Nisroche his God in the Temple of the Idoll Who then seeing the successe of mans carnal confidence Idolatrous zeale will not seeke the God of heauen for succor in danger for reliefe in want and for comfort in all distresses what man of common sense obserueth not manie precedent examples of the weaknes and vncertaintie of carnall meanes And yet how many are there to be found in these times of common carnall securitie that do seek their helpe at God by humble and faithfull Praier doe they not rather depend vpon the broken Reede of their owne felt outward meanes and therfore despise the seruice of God and contemne his weake children The Glutton would not pitty Lazarus the false Iudges did accuse Susanna the rich will striue to wrong the poore and wrest Iustice vniustly by the meanes of their corrupting Mamon seldome or neuer considering that there is a God that careth for the poore who is able to raise vp a Daniel to cleere Susannaes innocencie a Salomon to decide the doubts arising by false pretences There is great difference betweene the pretended happinesse of the rich and poore And so much differ the felicitie of the one and other the one is great and fearefull to the poore and hath his felicitie in this life the other is despised of the rich and hath his miserie here but the first passeth from his mirth to mourning from his wealth to want from his glorie to griefe from a glorious life to an eternall death But the second is taken frō his basenesse to glorie from miserie to comfort from griefe to grace and from a kinde of worldly death to celestiall and endlesse life For it is
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
sonnes of God and not only in humane affairs conuerse but in diuine dueties communicate with them as in hearing the word preached in the sacraments and in publique prayer They are yet but bastards no children they neuer truely tasted of the milke of Christs spouse nor euer drew the life of grace out of her breasts no more then did Cham in the Arke with Noah Ismael in the house with Abraham Esau in the company of Iacob who inwardly did not partake of their fathers vertues of obedience faith and continual praier vnto God the God of their fathers CHAP. VII Naturall fathers cannot beget children good or euill of their owne wils but they that are begotten anew of God are only good and like vnto God before whom the vnregenerate howsoeuer seeming holy are hypocrits EArthly fathers coÌ„monly beget childreÌ„ of their owne corporall likenes but the godliest father cannot propagate in his children the graces of the spirit neyther can profane fathers by their sinnes make their children sinners For it is found by experience that good fathers haue often wicked and wicked fathers godly children But the children of God begotten anew by the holy Ghost can neuer fall from being like vnto him that begat him And therefore doe they much dishonour God who in wordes professe they are his sonnes and yet in their actions they resemble the image of Sathan It were a great blemish vnto a godly man to be wrongfully supposed the father of a wicked sonne much more is God dishonoured by such as would seeme to be but are not of his seed For they that are of God indeed cannot but in some measure resemble him in being righteous as he is righteous that is By casting off the olde man which is corrupt through deceiueable lust and to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines This casting off and putting on doeth teach vs that there is in vs somthing that befits vs not to retaine if we will be the true sonnes of God not by reputation among men but by imputation in Christ. What is to be cast off and what to bee put on is plainly expressed in the Apostles wordes before mentioned namely to cast off all deceiueable lusts which includeth all things forbidden and to put on righteousnesse which implieth a spirituall indowment of al heauenly graces among which none is of that singular force vertue and effect as is zealous and heartie prayer in faith vnfained which none can effectually make but such as haue put on this new man for the olde man knoweth not how to pray being clothed with corruption and blinded with the mist of ignorance The new man only shaped in holinesse knoweth to whom when in whom for what and how to pray all which circumstances are duly to be considered in prayer and yet neither of these dooth the naturall that is the old man truly apprehend and consequently the lip-labor that he pretendeth to bestow in prayer is not onely not profitable but sinfull CHAP. VIII Carnall wisedome hath not chiefe place of counsell in the regenerate man he dependeth on God and not on the meanes in any enterprise FRiends we obserue do most vsually communicate together not by way of dissimulation but by sincere affection and one is ayded and comforted of another according to the occasions each propoundeth to other And shal we think that that man that loueth God will estrange his occasions from the counsaile of God Will hee deliberate of any matter of importance but will first consult with the Oracle of Gods mouth And will hee not impart his occasions by powring them forth vnto him in praier assuring himselfe that God againe will answer him by his holy spirit and by him certifie his spirit what he shall doe and what course hee shall take both for the atchieuing of the good he desireth for the auoyding the danger he feareth No carnall counsel whatsoeuer not warranted by the word shall be admitted to that consultation or resolution he will abandon all carnall respects and onely holde himselfe to diuine direction hee will not vse humane wisedome but as it were a hand-maide to diuine prudence It may serch and find out such wants and corporall necessities as are fit in spiritual vnderstanding to be supplied but leaueth the execution to diuine wisdome which produceth faith and faith prayer for the obtayning thereof at the hands of God And as Abraham left his seruants and Asses behinde him when he went to offer vp his sonne so doth this heauenly wisedome leaue all carnall respects behinde when it approcheth towards God to offer the sacrifice of prayer or praise Contrariwise it is too manifest that the most carrie their carnall vanities with them eueÌ„ to the Altar making their petitions partly in the flesh and partly in the spirit in part beleeuing and in part doubting halting before God and yet seeming to walk vprightly before men who iustifie or coÌ„demne the outward action not seeing the inward heart To pray vnto God with the lippes for any corporall benefit and yet to haue the eye of the hart fixed in confidence vpoÌ„ naturall means is a kinde of spirituall adultery For what man is hee that hauing a wife outwardly affable vsing wordes of loue vnto him and yet her heâ—rt set vpon another man will not thinke her a faithles and vnchaste wise And is God lesse iealous think we who craueth our hearts when we shall worship him in words and outward shew of works when our consciences cannot but tell vs that we aske that of God which we inwardly beleeue more probable and possible to be obtained by meanes without him Is not this a falsifying of our faith and dissembling of our prayers Is not this a manifest breach of the law that saies we shal haue no other Gods but Iehouah as also not to take his name in vaine as they do that call vpon him with the lips their hearts farre from him The Iewes thinking to make themselues strong by the Egyptians and other carnall meanes left their dependancie on God therfore did God denounce his iudgements against them Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh any kind of carnal meanes his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord hee shall not see when any good commeth How can he then attribute praise or prayer vnto God for whatsoeuer successe when he groundeth his hope on earthly meanes and not on God Nay though hee pray vnto God and yet dependeth more and puts more hope on secondarie meanes if he find that come to passe that hee desired how can hee but yeeld part of the praise vnto the mediate cause wherein hee in part trusted and so derogate the praise due vnto God who is eyther all or no part of the cause of that wished successe For although God vse naturall instruments to effect his will not onely in relieuing his children when they pray vnto
corrupt affectioÌ„s and by truly and vnfeinedly repeâ—ting obtaine remission in the merits and mediation oâ— Iesus Christ the rightâ—ous who is a propitiation for ouâ— sinnes Giue vs grace Lord to dâ—aw neere vnto thee for thou hast promised to preserue the state of the righteous and all that forsake thee shal be coÌ„founded Be thou therfore our strong rocke wherunto we may alwaies resort Haue mercie vpon vs O L. haue mercie vpon vs giue vs helpe in trouble for â—ain is the helpe of man Giue vs a holy feare of thy great and glorious Name for great O Lord is thy goodnes which thou hast laide vp for them that feare thee Knit our hearts vnto thee through faith in loue that we may be of the number of them that shall partake of thy glorie with Christ that where thou art there we may bee to behold thy glorie Increase our faith open the eyes of our dimme and dull vnderstanding that wee may â—ee the wonderfull workes of thy mercies towards vs euen in the darknesse of our corporall liues when our naturall eyes shall bee shut vp with the feeblenesse of our bodies by sleepe thou sleepest not nor slumberest but waâ—chest ouer thine and sufferest no man to doe them violence thou preseruest them in thy prouidence thou defendest them vnder the shadow of thy wings not onely in their corporall employments and bodily labours but when they are in their deepest forgetfulnesse of their owne dangers and of weakest abilitie to helpe themselues in the deadnesse of sleepe Preserue vs Lord be watchfull ouer vs let thy holy Angels attend about our beddes let them be thy ministers of our safetie let not our sleepe be dangerous but comfortable vnto vs let not our delight be set on that sluggish ease and slothfull wallowing in our beds as breedeth diseases and corrupt humors But as sleepe is the fruite of our corrupt nature which without rest cannot continue so let vs vse it as matter of necessitie not of wantonnesse carnall contentment Saue vs from that curse of the wicked that we should wax worse and worse and that though wee haue liued long after the vanities of the flesh let vs not end in the same though we haue not as wee ought brought forth the fruits of the spirit let vs now begin to liue in him and our spirits be ruled directed salted and seasoned by thy holy and sanctifying spirit so though our mortall bodies sleepe our sanctified spirits may watch for the comming of the bridegroome that we be not found like the foolish Vâ—rgins with emptie and blind Lamps but prepared to meete the Lambe in the cloudes with ioy among the rest of thy Saints In the meane time keep vs we recommend our selues and all that we haue into thy gracious keeping in that thy deerest Sonne our Sauior Christ Iesus to whom with thee thy holy Spirit bee praise eternally Amen Our Father c. Lord increase our faith The neglect of true prayer much to be condemned 1. Cor. 14. 15. Prayer in an vnknowne tongue not onely not auayl-able but sinfull Mat. 6. 7. Needlesse humblenesse Zeale without knowledge The prayer which God accepteth The deffinition of prayer How the carnal man commeth vnto God and how and when he prayeth The confidence of worldly men a 1. Sam. 17. 51. b Exod. 14 11. c 2. King 19. 35. d 2. Sam. 17. 23. e Est 7. 9. f Dan. 4. 29. g Dan. 5. 6. The spirituall maÌ„ hath but one the carnall many Gods The carnall mans gods wither like Ionahs Gourd Sweet is the operation of faith in God God workes without humane meanes Great difference betweene the happines of the godly poore and wâ—cked rich Not to iudg of men by their states rich or poor 1. Cor. 4. 7. 8 True and false wisedome 1. Cor. 3. 9. Iob 5. 13. The hypocrite only deceiueth himselfe What rich man deserueth commendation and admiration Whâ— it is hard for a rich man to be saued The force of beleeuing God vpon his promise Euery man beleeueth not the mysterie of Christ. Who is truly adopted in Christ to be the childe of God and 〈◊〉 not Eph. 4. 22. What we ought to put on and cast off Carnall wisedome a hand-maide to diuine prudence To pray to God and to beleeue in meanes is spirituall adulteriâ— Esa. 2. 21. A curse on them that leaue God to depend on other meanes Ier. 17. 5. God works by meanes without against meanes How the soule must be qualified in time of prayer Nature teacheth vs not to pray but the spirit of God The will peruerts the mind 1. Ioh. 3. 20. Act. 20. 27. We ought to vnfold our imperfections to God yea and to men vpon occasion The basest may be as proude as the most arrogant Murtherers of Kings haue a shew of humblenesse and deuotion Psal. 32. 1. Cor. 1. 26. The most glorious in the world are not alwayes the most godly The true comfort of a Christian. Phil. 4. 6. Iam. 1. 5. 1. Pet. 2. 21. Eph. 5. 1. God is best pleased with fâ—ithfull râ—ligious importunitie Necessitie hath many branches and man hath no pâ—wer to help himselfe in any The woÌ„derfull effects of faith and how it fares with them that faint Prayer performeth greater things by weakest meanes and incredulitie preuenteth most easie things God blesseth and punisheth many for one God denieth what we aske and giueth vs better in fleed It is enough for a Christian to referre the issue of his petitionsâ— vnto God Rom. 8. The faithfull man exercised in prayer findeth things succeed better then he expected 1. Kin. 17. 4 The grosse opinion of some who acknowledg no differeÌ„ce between the godly and the wicked Men not fearing God run into many absurdities by the suggestion of Sathan Esa. 31. If a word of conditioÌ„ Esa. 45. Ingratitude will rise in iudgement against vs. We forget Gods goodnesse in giuing vs worthiest King Iames The powder-treason As the cause of the Church is generall so should our prayers be generall wher praier is neglected there cannot but follow punishment The carnall man feeleth not sinne to be sinne Man is enemie to himselfe permitting the house of his soule to be robbed Men are become defenders of their grossest sinnes The strange metamorphosis of some men of this age to be lamented None can foretell what will become of this obdurate age God hath a iudgement against vs for sinnes God will not be appeased by any carnall meanes God wil not put his cause to be determined by man The deformities of mens and womens attires Pride more to be abhorred then the Diuell to be feared As God hath loued vs so must we loue him againe In the time of Q Marie Q. Eliz. Carnall sophistrie Repentance the â—â—eanes to please God being angry for sinne 1. King 9. 8. 9. How wee ought to appease God 2. Chro. 20. 3 Priuate praier Meditation the bellowes to enkindle prayer Nehem. 2. 4. Luc. 19. 2. A preposterous kind of prayer Hindrances to praier 1. Thes. 2. 18 3. 5. Eph. 4. 27. Eph. 6. 11. Zech. 3. 1. Mat. 4. Luc. 22. 31. Nothing more wouÌ„deth SathaÌ„ then faithfull praier and therefore he coueteth to hinder it 1. Cor. 16. 13. Ioh. 14. Sathan beleeuâ—th that hee would haue other men to doubt of It is a dangerous thing to abandon the assemblies of Gods people Publique prayer why so called Fathers Masters of Families reproued for their neglect of prayer with their families Not to serue God but on the Sabbath day is wilfull ignorance and negligence 1. Cor. 15. 34 Mat. 26. 41. The Saboth prophaned more then other daies 1. Pet. 4. 8. We should especially serue God for that we liue in the last age of the world Opinions about the vse of the Lords Prayer The Lords praier the rule of all other praiers The Lords prayer is to be rightly vnderstood What the Word Our importeth Which art in Heauen Hallowed be thy name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done Giue vs our daily bread Forgiue vs our sinnes as we forgiue Leade vs not into temptation As many petitions as are in the Lords prayer so many instructions wâ— haue by them to liue godly Prayer increaseth 〈◊〉 knowlâ—dge 1. Cor. 2. 12. The spirit of God teacheth al â—aithfull duâ—â—es the 〈◊〉 whereof is 〈…〉 prayer Som affirm they cannot pray with comfort The force of prayer increaseth by degrees
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
him but also in punishing the wicked when they offend yet are these meanes onely of and by God working not as man willeth but as God foreseeth fit for the good of the one punishment of the other God vsed clay to cleere the eies of the blinde man if the blinde man had yeelded the thanks to the clay as the cause of his sight though hee had likewise giuen praise vnto God hee had robbed God of his right For to allow vnto God a fellow-helper were to argue him of himselfe insufficient as som most fearfully belch forth a most superstitious praier saying God and our Lady do this or that or preuent this or that whereby they eyther make God no God or a God not absolute in power nor without a cooperator complete which cannot bee but most horrible blasphemie I hereby yet inferre not that it is vnlawfull to giue reuerence vnto the means which God vseth for our good as Dauid did to Ionathan yet no further but as to the instruments without which God might haue effected his worke eyther by other meanes or without any meanes nay against means as not tied to any secondary meanes of necessitie Hezekiah being healed with a cluster of figges did not perswade himself that nothing else could haue done the cure but that whatsoeuer God had made the mediate cause howsoeuer contrarie to the opinion that man might haue of the thing it would haue wrought the same effect For he is able by weakest means to performe the greatest worke as it appeared by the ouerthrow of the wals of Iericho with the sound of Rams hornes And as he worketh by meanes so sometimes without meanes euen by his word as in healing the Cananitish woman and the Centurions seruant nay such is his absolute power as he worketh as familiarly and easily against meanes as in bringing water out of the hard drie Rocke making the waters to diuide as the red Sea and Iordan in making the Sunne to stand still in Gâ—beon and the Moon in the valley of Aialon at the prayer of Iosuah and causing the Sunne to goe backe in his sphere contrarie to and against his naturall motion at the prayer of Hezekiah The holy Scriptures are full of such sweete examples of the absolute power of God who to effect them requires necessarily no other human meanes but faithfull praierâ— not the praier which passeth onely the lips the affections of the heart being extrauagant but that prayer which proceedeth from the sanctified soule well and rightly tuned in all her faculties the vnderstanding thinking on nothing but on God the will onely louing him the memory coueting to retaine nothing but him the desire aspiring to no other happinesse but what he hath promised vs in his word In this maner were our holy fathers qualified and in this sweete consent of the affections poured they forth the concordant harmonious praiers that wrought these former most admirable supernaturall effects in altering the naturall course of those creatures which he himselfe set in the firmament neuer to be moued to the end of the world CHAP. IX It is a dangerous thing to pray vnto God vnprepared but most safe sweet vpon diuine premeditation arising of grace not of nature HOw can this but moue a kind of feare in men who presume to thrust themselues into the presence of God vttering praiers in wordes their vnderstandings being carried from God through the vanities of this life their wills beeing besorted with the loue of carnall things and their desires thirsting after worldly aduancements Are these mens prayers of force to cast downe holdes to alter the natural course of things or can they obtaine any thing at the handes of God but reproofe But men that are wise in Christ enlightned with the diuine spirit feele motiues in themselues of another kinde not staying below their affections set vpon the golden Calfe at the foot of mount Sinai but they aâ—cend vp in their harts to the holy mount of Grace and there conuerse they familiarly with the true God leauing the flesh pots the Onyons and Gourds of Egypt and feede on the heauenly Manna Angels bread the bread of life whereby they becom so rapt vp from earth and earthly things as they haue their conuersations alreadie in the heauens by their heauenly communication with God in their spirits Their prayers sweet conference with God for the time ended they then returne to the performance of their lawfull affaires and therein walke as it were with God liuing so sincerely with and among men in the feare and loue of God as if they were in the reall presence of God To this degree of perfection none can attaine by his naturall vnderstanding or will but by the administration of the spirit of God only who teaches vs how to pray God commaundeth all men to pray and yet giueth not all men the gift of true praier and therefore euerie man is bound to aske of God power to aske although it may seem strange to a carnall man to aske power to performe the selfe-same thing that hee performeth in asking But it is to be considered that there is a verball and lip-kind of asking and there is a cordiall heartie praying and he that doeth it not from the heart may vtter it with the lippes and in words may seeme to pray and yet the heart remaine estranged and full of rancor and euill affections But such is the force of â—iuely faith that it cannot conceale it selfe for if it bee in the heart it will shew it selfe in the efficacie of prayer which praier onely hath the promise to obtaine beeing made in the name of Christ to God hath the promise to be granted for his sake by God For in Christ are the promises made vnto vs both of spirituall and corporall blessings and in him and by him sealed vnto vs and confirmed so as there is no cause of doubting left vnto the faithfully asking alwayes prouided that he ask not the thing the graunting whereof is not warranted in the word of God that hath made vs a generall warrant of granting whatsoeuer wee aske with restriction yet that it bee agreeable to his wil which also includeth all things that he seeth best for vs to receiue For such is the wisedome prouidence and loue of God towards vs that like a father he will not giue vnto his children a Scorpion in stead of Fish he will not giue them hurtfull things instead of helpfull And therfore it behoueth vs to inform our selues by his word what is consonant and what dissonant to his will that we may auoide to aske forbidden things with boldnes aske things lawfull In the prayer which Christ taught vs we pray Thy will be done wee must not therefore wilfully attempt to aske much lesse to do any known thing to the contrarie But such is our corruption as howsoeuer we seem willing that the will of God should be done we yet retaine a
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
inflamed by the holy spirit of Christ and powerfully vttered priuatly vnto God in Christ whether in silence in sighes or words cannot be expressed to the capacity of a carnall man and therefore it may seem that priuat praiers in priuat cases somtimes work more effectually to the comfort of the soule then the publik But in cases more generall when the more faithfull soules conioyne in effectuall prayer so much the more auaileable is their prayer with God Fathers of children and Masters of families who content themselues onely with a bare seruâ—ng of God in shew once in the week on the Sabbath day are to bee reproued who seem to hold it a needlesse and superfluous worke to trouble themselues their families morning or euening in prayer and exhortation to the feare of God and dehorting them from sin which times they haue assigned in their opinions to more profitable vses both for themselues their seruants forgetting or not vnderstanding that in euery Christian family eyther God or Sathan is serued Christ or Belial obeyed sanctity or sinne embraced For there is no priuat person but is or holdeth of one of these coÌ„sequently no societie but partaketh of the fruits arising of good or euill If then either priuat man or publike assembly be it prouinciall parochiall or domesticall do forget this most high dutie of seruing the liuing God it followeth of necessitie that a contrary power hath there the command and nothing more discouereth to which any of the former lend their obedience then the fruits that eyther of them produceth if carnall effects as louing the world the pleasures of the flesh and the vanities of this life it argueth that priuat man or that society to be profane If it were sufficient to serue God on the sabbath what needed the Apostle to aduise vs to pray coÌ„tinually and the commandement of Christ Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation to loue righteousnesse and to slie sinne How doe they awakeâ—or watch that slumber from Saboth to Saboth Are they not all that time in darknesse not vsing the duties of the light Christ is the light in whome whosoeuer liueth not hee is in darknesse And hee that hath but one day of light in seuen How great is his darknesse It is true this day the Saboth was set apart by God that in it men should imploy themselues to serue and to glorifie him And in that day they shuld not only not doe but also not thinke of anie Worldly affaires But are not some so far from celebrating the name and seruice of God that day as they prophane it aboue all other dayes doe they not turne the glorie of God into wantonnes to banquetting dicing dauncing drunkennesse gluttonie and to what sinne not This commonly is the day that many appoint for merrie companie to laugh and to be jouiall as they call it without meane or modestie And yet this day is sufficiently kept holy as they thinke if they spend an houre in the fore part of the day and halfe an houre in the after-noone in the Church though all the rest be consumed in most lasciuious vanities and carnall occasions How can this discharge the duty of a Christian that hath no care to serue God any other day in the weeke Doe we not credit the premonition of the Apostle Saint Peter that the end of all thinges is at hand And how follow wee his counsell namely to bee sober watching in prayer To whom speaketh the Apostle this to his Countrimen the Iewes only no euen to vs that are come as it were to the Worlds period And therefore high time it is for vs to looke vp to watch pray to liue religiously and soberly least that the Master of this great family come suddenly and find vs buffeting one another blaspheming swaggering drunken faithlesse insolent couetous and few or none doing the seruice of our Master It wil bee a dreadfull sight to see him come with his iron rod in his hand to crush his enemies in peeces The salt of the earth hauing lost it saltnesse shall bee cast to the dung-hill The Tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast in the fire The Magistrates saltnesse is profession of the Gospell and the execution of Iustice. The saltnesse of the Minister is the true preaching of the word and example of godly life The saltnesse of Fathers is their sincere conuersation before their children and the educating them in the feare of God and holy life The saltnesse of Masters of Families is to liue honestly religiously aud gouerning their charge in the feare of God And vnder these four estates of men are all conditions comprehended subiects vnder Kings children vnder fathers and young men vnder tutors and gouernours Euery of these in their places of superioritie and inferioritie haue their seuerall duties and all vnder one God whome they ought all to obey Superiours in rightly commanding and inferiors in duly obeying Neyther of these duties can bee rightly performed without knowledg of the wil of God by his word This knowledge is not perfect without practise This practise is imperfect without faith And faith is known by the fruits the chiefe whereof is loue And this loue most shineth and sheweth it selfe in doing good to all but especially to them of the family of faith The greatest good that can bee done to the Church of God is Prayer And therefore Saint Paul willeth to pray continually not for our selues onely but for Kinges al the members of Christs mysticall bodie Kings and Magistrates ought to imitate Dauid to accompanie the people to the house of the Lord Fathers and Masters ought to pray with and for their Children and Families not on the Saboth day only but with all perseuerance Some refer the duty of praier only to the Minister and thinke it a kinde of vsurpation of the Ministers office to pray for or with any but for himselfe contrarie to the precept of Saint Paul Who willeth that all men make prayers in all places heauing vp pure handes without strife or enuying vnto the Liuing God Where it appeares that vnder the word all Men Kings Princes Nobles and men of all degrees faculties and functions are comprehended and because they shall not thinke there is no place but the materiall temple he commands that dutie to bee performed in all places euen in euery particular house with caution that it bee done without strife and enuying free from vaine ostentation and desire of popular glorie CHAP. XXXIIII The true vse of the Lords Prayer about which friuolous questions haue risen It is the rule of all other prayers and euery petition ful of high matter of instruction THE most absolute praier and the most ordinarie which not only the Primitiue but the Moderne Christian Churches their members haue in vse is the Prayer that Christ taught his Disciples But wee must take heed wee doe not take this
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