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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	able_a	power_n	zion_n	82	3	9.0531	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68718	A key of heaven the Lords Prayer opened, and so applied, that a Christian may learne how to pray, and to procure all things which may make for the glorie of God, and the good of himselfe, and of his neighbour : containing likewise such doctrines of faith and godlines, as may be very usefull to all that desire to live godly in Christ Iesus.	Scudder, Henry, d. 1659?; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1633 (1633)	STC 22122; ESTC S1717	241,855	822

so well conceited of his Poperie as he looketh to winne heaven by it Ioh 16.2 The persecutour thinketh he doth God good service in molesting such as feare him The swearer thinketh his speech doth not sound well and is without all grace if it be not filled up with oathes The covetous the voluptuous the vaine-glorious all of them applaude themselves in their wayes as if they were good though as Solomon saith the issue there of is the way of death Pro. 14.12 It standeth sin upon that the devill and wicked men should transforme themselves and transforme sin and put some goodly painting upon it to make it seeme good else no reasonable man could be brought to commit it for the will of man doth by vertue of its meere nature so perfectly abhorre evill it being the proper object of detestation that it would alwayes shunne it therefore there is put an appearance of good upon it wherby it may deceive But woe be unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse Isa 5 2● Vse 2 Doth Christ call sinne evill then let us beleeve him and not our owne lying hearts nor yet the father of lyes who would beare us in hand that sinne is not evil But let us alwayes conceive of every sinfull act as 〈◊〉 evil naughtie hurtfull act and let it be our greatest care to avoid sinne Oh if we could represent the acts of sinne under the name of an evill act unto our apprehensions our will would at the first motion loathe and detest it more then it doth a toad and a serpent and would either kill it or runne from it Whensoever therefore wee are tempted unto sinne let us see it as it is a most evill thing let us account of it as it is a most evill thing And whatsoever colours be set upon it or whatsoever good meanes it is called by if the thing so called be a transgression of Gods law let us call it a most evill and most abhominable thing Yea we must conceive of every sinfull action and must account it a greater evill then the eternall torments of hell For the least evill of sinne is greater then the greatest evill of punishment for the greatest punishment is an effect of Gods righteous hand but the least sin is contrary to God it is very enmitie unto his holinesse If sinne might appeare to everie reasonable soule to be as it is such an evill as hath beene said it would worke griefe and repentance of sinnes past and hatred and departing from sinne for ever afterward Vse 3 Lastly how thankfull should all Gods children be to him because he doth preserve and deliver us out of sinne out of the great evill every day and wee have his word that he will continue this grace untill we shall be presented to himselfe without any spot of this evill in the day of the Lord He doth not only pardon us and free us from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes but which is no lesse mercy he doth deliver us from the power of sin he delivereth us from evil We must therefore magnifie the Lord and say Who is a God like thee Mica 7.19 who doest not onely pardon but wilt subdue our iniquitie And with David let us call upon our soules to praise God because as he forgiveth all our iniquities so also he healeth all our diseases that is Psal 103.3 he doth sanctifie us delivering us from all evill For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glorie for ever These words containe the reason of all the petitions it is delivered in an exact forme of thanksgiving so that it doth excellently serve both to confirme the faith of him that prayeth and to give glory unto him that is prayed unto The Evangelist Saint Luke doth not mention this clause It is probable that when our Saviour did teach his disciples in private at the request of one of his disciples he did onely teach them how to make petitions but when hee taught them in publicke he did adde this clause to teach them as well how to praise him and give him thanks as to pray unto him and make requests It is sufficient for our learning that any one Evangelist hath recorded it In this clause wee have the note that sheweth that these words are a reason of the former requests in the word for Then wee have the arguments or grounds of the reason which are taken from certaine respe●● in God which do minister matter of faith assuring them that they had cause to aske and expect of God all the former petitions and do also minister matter of praise shewing what cause there is why all glorie should be given unto him These respects of God are three Soveraigntie Power Glory which are set forth by the appropriating particle thine whereby these three Kingdome Power and Glory are ascribed as proper to God Thine is kingdome c. and also with the copulative and conjoyning the two latter respects or priviledges in God with the former and the power and the glory All which three are illustrated by their continuance for ever Kingdome signifieth Gods absolute soveraigntie over all things to whom onely it appertaineth of right to forgive and to give at his pleasure therefore they make their suite unto him Power signifieth that all-sufficiencie in God whereby he is able to do all things according to the good pleasure of his will Many have kingdome so that it pertaineth to them to help their subjects but want power as it was with the King of Israel who said in the famine 2 Kin. 2.27 If the Lord do not helpe whence shall I helpe But as it belongeth unto God to heare the petitions of his subjects so he hath power to grant whatsoever they shall have need of hence the petitioner gathereth assurance that he shall have his petitions granted Glory is that high estimation honour and praise which is due to any person for their worth and goodnesse this is originally in God as well as soveraigntie and power and in that respect is appropriated to him Wherefore when it is said Thine is the glory thus much is implied that as all glorie and praise is due to him so they do now give it to him And if he shall grant their requests it will be for his glory therefore they are bold to make these petitions and hope to speed in their suites whereas though it appertaineth unto God and he were able yet if the things asked were not for his honour and glory he would never grant them For ever is to be applied unto kingdome power and glorie namely it doth now and shall alwayes belong to his prerogative royall because kingdome is his to heare the petitions of his people He is now and shall for ever be able to helpe them he now hath and shall for evermore have glorie and praise ascribed unto him for granting their requests

and left them in God hath commanded them to pray and so he may doe justly for in Adam they were able to performe it so that if they doe not pray they incurre Gods displeasure and cannot looke to receiue any thing in mercy and with a blessing from the Lord and if they doe pray their prayer is abhominable because they have not Gods Spirit neither can they offer their prayers upon the Altar Christ Iesus by whom onely all prayers are accepted For all that are not indued with his spirit Rom. 8.9 are not his When these aske God regardeth it not Ob. The wicked notwithstanding are in Scripture oft said to pray Answ This is because they utter words of prayer and because sometimes they are heartie and earnest in their desires but these desires are lonely naturall and out of selfe-serving no service of God in his account Ob. If it be said the wicked have had their prayers granted Sol. I answer God heareth prayers two waies in mercy and in wrath Hee may replenish their table whith may bee to them a snare and hee can give them prosperity which will be their ruine Hee giveth it to them many times in wrath as he gave a King to the children of Israel Thus they may see Hos 13.10 that whether they pray or not their case is wofull because they cannot in faith say Our Father Are wicked men then Quest exempted from this duty of prayer By no meanes Answ for prayer is a worship and service of God required in the Commandements and is a duty implanted in nature Were it not better for wicked men not to pray at all Quest sith as hath beene said they cannot pray acceptably and that their prayers are abhominable No for their not praying at all Answ is a greater sinne then to pray in an ill manner All the faults concerning prayer may in a sort be charged upon him that prayeth not at all for hee neither prayeth to the true God nor prayeth good matter nor in a good manner c. A wicked man though he faile much in prayer yet not so much as when hee prayeth not at all It is the note of an Atheist not to pray at all Psal 14.4 Quest What are they to doe doth God cast them upon a necessity of sinne Answ God forbid The wicked themselves while they continue in sinne have put themselves into this straight But there is a way to help all namely to doe as Saint Peter did counsell Simon Magus Act. 8.22 saying repent of this thy wickednesse and pray first repent then pray Isai 1.13.15.16.18 Thus saith God to those for whose wickednesse he said that their incense was an abhomination and that hee would not heare their prayers Wash you make you cleane c. then come and let us reason together c. then come and pray No man then is put upon a necessity of sinne Let the most wicked man in the world be convinced of his sinne let him repent thereof and confesse it let him beleeve in Christ who came into the world to save sinners then he is qualified for prayer and shall be accepted of God when he doth pray Are the prayers of men unregenerate of no use Quest are they not all accepted To this I answer Answ I doubt not but that the prayers of unregenerate men when they are from the heart may in some sort be acceptable so farre forth as thereby to obtaine many good things of God as health deliverance from evils threatned or already afflicted and such like For God that heareth the Ravens when they cry will much rather heare men when they cry though they be not his children But as the prayers of a true childe of God differeth from the prayers of him that is unregenerate so is the acceptance with God also different Their difference shall appeare thus Difference betweene the prayers of the wicked and godly and of their different acceptance First a true childe of God doth in prayer call God Father with faith and holy confidence with the affections of a childe For when hee asketh forgivenesse of his sinne it is with griefe that he hath by his sinne offended his Father and it is with an heartie purpose not to offend him againe Also when he prayeth for health liberty grace or for any other good thing it is with a desire that in the injoyment of them he may the better please and honour his heavenly Father But a wicked man calleth God Father onely for forme and in presumption and hee doth not pray unto him with a childelike but either with a servile affection as a malefactor before a Iudge 1 King 21.27 as Ahab did or with a carnall affection in his desire of the good gifts of God and the good things of this life that therewith he may like those reproved by Saint Iames imploy them for the satisfying of some or other of his lusts Iam. 4.3 Secondly the childe of God prayeth chiefly and most heartily for spirituall things as for faith for forgivenesse of sinnes for holinesse for Gods favour and for those things which concerne Gods kingdome and glory But the unregenerate man prayeth chiefly and most heartily for Corne and Wine for temporall things and it may be for heaven and happinesse with Balaam in generall wishes Numb 23.10 but not particularly and unfainedly for graces whereby he may forsake his beloved sin and may live holily unto the end of his dayes Thirdly the prayers of the godly when they are made in sinceritie are like all other their good workes they have a supernaturall goodnesse in them being the acts of the regenerate part through the spirit and are performed to a supernaturall end But the prayers of the wicked though in some things they are unfained yet at best they are but naturall desires not intended as a service of God but onely as a meanes to serve their own turnes in those things which they know can be obtained by no other meanes Now touching the acceptance of prayers with God Those which his children make though they be not without much imperfection yet because they be the prayers of men reconciled to God by Christ and doe proceed from hearts purified by faith and because they are put up in the name of Christ they become acceptable through him so farre as to procure not onely temporall good things but also such as are spirituall and eternall And these things they obtaine of God as from a loving Father and as a fruit of his speciall promise and out of his speciall grace and love to them in Christ Iesus As for the prayers of the wicked because God and his ordinance of prayer is thereby in some part honoured they are in some part accepted so farre that many times they procure temporall good things but it is onely temporall good things such as are common to the elect and reprobate which hee giveth to them not as a loving Father

and glory of that former government is due unto him for ever Moreover it must be considered that as he is head of his Church hee must needs have more glory and joy when that all the members of his body shall be perfectly glorified 1 Cor. 12.26.27 than he could have when in state of his Mediatour-ship onely some of his members were glorified and they also then glorified but in part A King 's onely sonne being imployed by vertue of a commission as his Viceroy to subdue and regaine to 〈…〉 a rebellious kingdome when he hath fully effected it he is to deliver up that kingdome with his commission which when he hath done it pleaseth his father to ease him of further care and to cause him all his life time to live in triumph seating him next to himselfe in his kingdome This latter condition is no lesse honourable and glorious but is much more happy and joyous than the former Like to this is the state of Christ as man after the delivering up of his kingdome in the state of glorious subjection That which is desired concerning Gods kingdome is that it may come To come properly is an action of such creatures which have power of moving whereby they being absent or farre off doe approach and become present Here it is taken metaphorically importing first a desire of continuance and establishment of so much of the kingdome as is come already Secondly the comming and being of his kingdome where it is not yet erected Thirdly the growth towards perfection of those things which are come in truth but not in perfection of degrees Fourthly the consummation and perfect comming of all things that belong to the glory of Gods kingdome The last is when as things concerning this kingdome are come in their being they may so farre as may bee profitable to us come to our knowledge Iob 26.14 for without this comming also wee cannot so well glorifie God in hallowing his Name Therefore it is that every speciall manifestation of Christs glory when it appeareth to men may bee called a comming of his kingdome Thus Christ's revealing some glimpse of his glory is called the comming of the kingdome of God with power Mat. 9.12 These senses of this word come are so subordinate and agreeing one to another that it comprehendeth them all So that when we say Thy kingdome come it is as if we said O Lord who art the onely Potentate and King of kings declare make thy Name knowne to be holy by shewing thy selfe to bee the absolute Soveraigne over all by sustaining preseruing and disposing of all things in the world so as both thy glory may appeare and as it may make for the kingdome of grace And grant that all thine ordinances and meanes of gathering establishing thine Elect may be set up in their puritie and power to the effectuall calling ordering and perfecting of thy people untill thou have glorified thy selfe in bringing them all to eternall glory Be pleased likewise to remove and beate downe whatsoever power doth let and doth exalt it selfe against thee and thy kingdome untill thou hast glorified thy selfe in the eternall shame and destruction of thine enemies Thy kingdome come The petition being thus interpreted we may from the whole scope of it conclude Doct. All Christians should unfainedly desire that God would shew himselfe to be the absolute soveraigne Lord God both in the administration of his kingdome of power over all creatures and in setting up and establishing his kingdome of grace to the utter overthrow of his enemies and bringing of his Elect in Christ to the kingdome of glory What David doth praise God for that all must pray for that as hee saith Psal 145.11 They may speake of the glory of his kingdome and talke of his power He saith elsewhere O God shew thy selfe Psal 94.1 1 King 18.36.37.38.39 Elijah prayeth Let it be knowne this day that thou art God in Israel and that thou art the Lord God and hast turned their heart back againe Which request he granted by sending fire which consumed the offering whereat the people cryed saying The Lord he is God the Lord hee is God Expresse charge is given by the Prophet saying Ye that are the Lords remembrancers keepe not silence and give him no rest till hee establish ●sa 6● 6.7 and till he make Ierusalem a praise in the earth Doe good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem Psal 51.18 saith David The Apostle exhorteth the Thessalonians to pray for the Ministers that the word of the Lord might have free course and be glorified and that they might be delivered from unreasonable men 2 Thes 3.1.2 The soules staine for the word of God say How long Rev. 6.9.10 O Lord holy and true c. Lastly as Christ saith I come quickly so Iohn and all which love his appearing say Amen Come Lord Iesus Rev. 22.20 The generall reason why the comming of the kingdome of power grace and glory is desired is because they are involved one in another and neither of them is fully come and the comming of them doe admirably set forth the glory of God The reasons why each is particularly to be desired follow Reason 1 The continuance of Gods governement and wise disposing of all things is to be desired because first thereby hee doth shew forth his eternall power and Godhead in such great letters Rom 1.19.20 that men may learne to glorifie him for his infinite wisedome power and goodnesse Psal 19 1● For the heavens declare the glory of God The varietie order and use of the creatures doe shew that in wisedome hee hath made them all Psal 104.24.25 These workes of God in giving all things meate in due season and preserving of the creation doe shew to the sonnes of men the glorious majestie of his kingdome and doe witnesse that the Lord onely is the living and true God Act. 14.15.17 Secondly the powerfull and Reason 2 wise providence of God in sustaining and governing the world doth afford both matter and meanes for the kingdome of grace For the propagation increase of mankind is Gods nurserie in which grow many stockes though crab-stockes whereof hee will ingraft whom he pleaseth into his Sonne Christ Iesus make them trees of righteousnesse This generall government also is as it were God's schoole wherein he doth educate and traine up men to civilitie to trades and arts which are excellent mediate helps to sustain the materials and to build up the frame of the Church of God For these causes Gods generall and common providence is to be prayed for Reason 3 Thirdly if the Lord doe not beare up the pillars of the earth Psal 75.3 the whole frame thereof will be dissolved if hee doe not order and dispose of all things in the world and if he doe not renew the face of the earth there will be nothing

and evill thoughts when he should pray Reas 2 Guiltinesse of conscience especially upon the committing of some grosse sinne together with ignorant conceits of God that his thoughts are like mens thoughts Isa 55.8 implacable and unapeazeable this maketh many a man afraid to looke God in the face This was Davids case Many because they have praied Reas 3 long and as they think have not beene heard hence they are discouraged and out of heart to pray any more So many things as hath before Reas 4 beene shewed are required to make a praier acceptable that it is hard to observe them all when we pray Satan doth Spite nothing Reas 5 more then heartie and faithfull prayer for by it his kingdome is undermined overthrowne and by it he himselfe is cast out of his possession and kept out wherefore it standeth him upon to use all his methodes and devices to hinder a man and either altogether put him by the duty it selfe or so distemper him with evill suggestions doubts false feares presumptions or some other hindrance that he shall be heartlesse faithlesse or meerely formall and hypocriticall in prayer making him content himselfe with the worke done but altogether carelesse how it be done Vse 1 This truth justly reproveth all such as thinke it an easie matter to pray therefore never prepare themselves before nor yet are watchfull over themselves when they are in the act of prayer but patter over certaine words of prayer thinke they shall go to heaven by their good prayers Indeed it is an easie matter to say our prayers you may teach a childe to say them but to pray our prayers aright as hath beene taught before out of the Lords Prayer is found by all experienced Christians to be no easie thing Ob. This doctrine touching the difficultie of prayer is enough to discourage men altogether from prayer Sol. By no meanes for prayer is a necessarie dutie and must bee done and withall it is a most profitable duty and will quit all a mans paines Besides it is not so hard to be done but that it is possible nay certaine that by the help of the Spirit of prayer it may be done in an acceptable manner In these cases knowledge of the difficulties do whet on desire and resolution and doth stirre up care and circumspection it is farre from discouraging any from the worke Wherefore the next use is let Vse 2 none be discouraged from praier because of the hardnesse of the worke Breake through all lets for pray you must Gen. 32.26 Hos 12.3.4 Jacob by much and strong wrastling did prevaile at last Do in the matter of prayer as men use to do in difficult workes Set to it with all care and watchfulnesse Set to it with all the strength which you have and which you can get We must do like those which whet and sharpen their tooles which are blunt and dul We must fetch prayers as David used to do out of meditations If wee shall raise up our mindes to heavenlinesse and get our faith in God strengthened and if we pray for the spirit of prayer and if wee will joyne with the spirit in prayer then much of the difficultie will be taken off The principall helpe to prayer next that of Gods help by his Spirit is the strength exercise of our faith Yea the Spirit of God doth both worke it and worke by it in prayer Means to strengthē faith in prayer We may strengthen our faith in prayer by these considerations First from Gods generall goodnesse to every creature He is good to all Psa 145 9. and his tender mercies are over all his workes He giveth the beasts their food he feedeth the young ravens that cry Psa 147.9 Will hee not much more heare man when hee prayeth unto him He hath heard wicked men such as Ahab Manasses and others Secondly consider that God is all-sufficient and able to help Thirdly consider the universality of his promise made to them that pray and the extent of his mercie towards them He saith every one that asketh receiveth Thus David strengtheneth his faith in prayer saying Be mercifull to me O Lord for I crie unto thee daily Psal 86.3.5 for thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to whom even to all that call upon thee This warrant to pray and these grounds of faith everie man as he is a creature hath in common with all men whereby he may be encouraged to pray and to expect a gracious audience But every childe of God who beleeveth in Christ in whom is the Spirit of God to sanctifie and cleanse the heart causing him to will and to endeavour in all things to please God all such have more peculiar grounds of faith expectation to be heard when they pray These may and must looke into the evidences of their adoption and sonne-ship They must consider whether they do not beleeve in Christ by such a faith which worketh by love but they must not say they have not this faith when their conscience can tell them that it is their desire that it may workby love and that it is their griefe when they faile in their duties of love to God or man now if they by faith have interest in Christ then they may know they are the sonnes and daughters of God Now when we can make good our title to God that we can call him by the spirit of adoption Rom 8.15.16 Father when we can with sonne-like affection call him our Father which art in heaven we may hereby strengthen our faith and assure our selves that he will both enable us to pray and will graciously heare and grant our prayers Is it so difficult a thing to Vse 3 pray aright then is it thus with any man or woman that in prayer they have found that their hearts have beene enlarged their spirits raised up their thoughts gathered in and composed their mindes intentive and attentive their faith strengthened and their conscience eased upon this their heartie and devout powring out their soule unto God O then let them blesse God for it for by his grace they have done a great and difficult worke they have done a blessed and most happie worke It is our great faults that we can onely complaine of our defects in prayer and not also take notice of and be thankfull to God for his helpe in our prayers Which fault if wee would amend we should finde lesse defect and more helpe from God in our prayers hereafter One thing yet remaineth to bee spoken of in a word or two before I conclude which is to answer this question Quest What are wee to doe after we have endevoured to pray aright Answ I answer first wee must not bee carkingly carefull abo●● those things concerning which we have prayed Thus much the Apostle implyeth when he saith Phil. 4.6.7 Be carefull in nothing but in every thing by prayer and

therefore they pray unto him The meaning of these words may bee thus expressed O Lord God which art King of kings and rulest over all we have none either in heaven or in earth to whom we may make our requests but thee for thine is the kingdome it belongeth to thy place of soveraigntie to provide for thy name and honour by advancing thy kingdome by causing thy will to bee done and by preserving and receiving into favour and by giving grace to thy people Thou Lord art able to fulfill all this that we have asked and we do yeeld thee as is most due the glory of thy soveraigntie and power and if thou shalt please to grant these our requests as thou shalt therein deserve so we shall bee readie to give unto thee all glory everlasting wherefore wee are bold to aske and to expect the granting of them For thine c. In the entrance into prayer Christ taught his disciples to represent God to their thoughts under such titles and names whereby they might confirme their faith in prayer and here in the close and end of prayer he doth wish them to presse and urge God from consideration of his soveraigntie power and glory from whence they may encourage themselves by good reasons both to aske and looke for what they have asked whereby we learne The Lord would have his children Doct. 1 have good ground and reason for the petitions they aske of him and would have them uttered unto him in their prayers Thus did Jacob when he prayed to bee delivered out of the hands of his brother Esau saying Gen 32.9.10.11.12 O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isack the Lord which saidst unto mee Returne into thy country and to thy kindred and J will deale well with thee I am not worthy of the least of al the mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Deliuer me I pray thee from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau for I feare him lest hee will come and smite me and the mother with the children And thou saidst I will surely doe thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the sea In this prayer Iacob gathereth reasons from the covenant between God and his fathers from Gods commandement and his obedience therto from his acknowledgement of Gods mercie and his owne unworthinesse from the relation he had to God being his servant from the condition of his adversary he being his inraged brother Esau from the extream danger hee and his wives and children were in lastly from a promise that God had made to him in respect of his posterity which could not be fulfilled if Esau should have destroyed Jacob and all his children Vpon all these reasons hee doth ground that petition Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau In like manner Salomon confirmeth his faith in the beginning of his prayer 1 King 8.23.24.25.26 And it is ordinary with David throughout the Psalmes Reas 1 Though God need no reasons either to informe him of their need or to move him to supply their need for he knoweth every mans case better then himselfe and is more readily inclined of himselfe to helpe then any man can be ready to aske yet he doth delight that his children should yeeld reasons of their requests because therein they shew proof of their knowledge faith confidence and other graces which is much pleasing to their Father Reasons in prayer doth much Reas 2 confirme faith in us and stir up good affection in prayer For when a man can assure himselfe he hath good warrant to aske and to hope to obtaine hee can breake through all the discouragements which the divell or a mans owne heart can cast in to hinder him Hereby all praying without Vse 1 understanding be the intention of the heart never so good must be judged to be faultie for hee that knoweth not what hee asketh can never give reasons why he asketh Vse 2 This reproveth all rash and inconsiderate entrances and proceedings in prayers which is when men are led therein onely by custome or present sense of necessities but never exercise their faith in uttering any reasons of their requests Hence it is that they are so weake in faith and so cold in devotion and heartlesse in their prayers because they doe not establish their faith and put life to their affections by uttering of apt reasons of their present petitions Vse 3 Whosoever therfore would make a prayer in faith and fervencie must follow our Saviours direction the examples of godly in Scripture who have gone before us in giving reasons of their requests For it doth please God to heare his children reason it out with him Wherefore hee doth sometimes of set purpose seeme not to heare but rather seemeth to deny his children that pray unto him because hee would have them answer all doubts and resist all impediments and be more importunate with him in giving reasons why they should be heard Thus the Lord dealt with the woman of Canaan first he seemed not to heare her then when he heard he seemed to deny her suite and yeelded a reason of his deniall Mat. 15.25 28. yet all this was but to make triall of her faith which when she shewed by her importunate continuance of her suit and wise answering of Christs objection saying Truth Lord yet the dogs do eate of the crums which fall from their masters table shee thereupon received of him a commendation of her faith saying O woman great is thy faith and withall obtained her request even to the full for he said Be it unto thee even as thou wilt Reasons of our petitions may be taken from Gods nature from his promise from our capablenesse to have our prayers granted either because wee are in Christ and are his servants and doe pray in his name or they may bee taken from our need of helpe or from that experience wee have had of helpe in time past or from the thanks and glory that we doe give and will give if it shall please the Lord to grant our requests If from these such like grounds out of Scripture we shall wisely make choise of reasons befitting our present occasions and shall use them understandingly not so much to informe or perswade God what hee should give as to inform and perswade our selves how to aske we shall be much holpen in our praying and God will bee well pleased with our prayers The reason of the asking the aforesaid petitions is set downe in a forme of praise and thanksgiving from which wee may observe Christians must in their prayers Doct. 2 as well offer praise unto God as make requests Wee must as well giue him glory and thanks as pray to him to give us grace or any other good thing Thus saith David Thine O Lord is greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the majestie Thine is the kingdome O