is the onely obiect of our prayers Call vpon mee saith hee in the Psalmes q Ps 50. And our Sauiour teacheth vs in that his vniuersall forme of prayer to say Our Father which art in heauen And that by Father he meaneth only God doth euidently appeare I. By things desired viz. the hallowing of his name the cōming of his Kingdome c. II. By the Reasons For thine is the Kingdome c. III. By his speech to his Disciples elsewhere r Mat. 23.9 Call no man your Father vpon the earth for there is but one your Father which is in Heauen This is his direction And otherwise to pray then Christ hath taught vs is saith Chrysostome ſ Ser. 6. De Orat. Dom. Aliter orare quà m docuit Christus non ignorantia sola est sed culpa not only an errour but a fault For the confirmation heereof I will keepe me within the limits of this discourse The reasons then are these Argu. 1 I. From the notation God is onely to be prayed vnto Because wee are onely liable to his iudgement For what need I regard to sue for peace to him in whose danger I am not or to appeale from him who hath no power to proceed against mee or to plead my pardon before him who hath no authoritie to condemne or acquit me And as the Apostle witnesseth t There is one that iudgeth me the Lord. Argu. 2 II. From the Principall Efficient Because it is the Spirit that helpeth our infirmities teaching vs yea praying for vs whom to make a petitioner to Saints or Angels or any creature were horrible blasphemy Argu. 3 III. From the Forme Faiths apprehension and application being the Forme of Prayer God is onely to be praied vnto as hee alone from whom wee haue the word of promise the ground of faith and who can search our hearts and see our faith All the promises looke this way The Father promiseth deliuerance t Ps 50. if wee call vpon him The Sonne assures vs n Ioh. 16.23 that hee will doe whatsoeuer we aske the Father And the Holy Ghost doth testifie vnto vs that u 1. Ioh. 5.15 we shall haue the requests we doe aske of him And for the latter The Lord doth appropriate to himselfe the searching of the heart x Ier. 17.10 I the Lord search the heart Argu. 4 IV. From the End Prayer must be made onely to him to whom so doing God may be glorified our dutie discharged the promise come in force and such meanes bee vsed as the Lord hath appointed All which are when we pray to God not one particular being otherwise attained vnto Argu. 5 V. From an inseparable adiunct of Prayer We must onely pray to him to whom diuine adoration is due wherein wee doe abase our selues and exalt the Person to whom we pray Now that both this doth inseparably accompany prayer appeareth in that the Apostle describeth prayer y Ephes 3.14 onely by the outward gesture whereby this adoration is expressed For this cause I bow my knees saith hee vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ as also that all diuine adoration is peculiar to the Lord may bee seene in the second commaundement where it is forbidden so much as to bow down and worship any thing besides the Lord. And thus the Church in her purer times did vse this dutie As to content vs with one testimony wee may see in the Epistle written in the name of the Church of Smyrna Euseb Eccles hist lib. 4. cap. 15. touching the martyrdome of that renowned Polycarpus mentioned by Eusebius Being ignorant saith the Church speaking of their aduersaries that we can neuer forsake Christ which died for the saluation of the whole world that wee can worship none other For wee worship Christ as the Sonne of God the Martyrs we loue as Disciples and followers of the Lord and that worthily for the inuincible good loue they beare to their King and master whose companions and disciples we desire to be §. 5. 3. To whom and that 2. His name or God in his name The other point is how God is our Obiect and that is in his name For Prayer is a calling vpon the name of God I will take the cup of saluation saith the Psalmist z Ps 116.13 and call on the name of the Lord. And the Apostle saith a Rom. 10.13 Whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shal be saued The name of God is any significant title attributed to him for our capacitie I. Then Prayer is not a confused calling vpon God But he that prayeth must know how the Lord hath reuealed himselfe in the word that so accordingly hee may conceiue of him How shall they call on him saith the Apostle b Rom. 10.14 in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard 2. II. In the second place wee must not onely know GOD to whom wee pray in some good measure But wee are also to consider those proprieties in GOD which doe the best sort with our matter As if our speech concerne the searching of our hearts and the Lords knowing of our sinnes wee must consider his omniscience If our misery to be confessed and how he might deale with vs then wee are to consider his iustice If pardon his mercie If helpe his power If faith and hope his vnchangeable veritie c. An example hereof wee haue in Dauid c Psal 4 1. Heare me calling O God of my righteousnesse saith hee thou hast set me at libertie in a straite be gracious vnto mee and heare my prayer Here the Psalmist three wayes affected considereth the Lord answerably in three proprieties I. As an innocent hee doth consider the Lord as Patrone of Innocents and innocent causes Heare me calling O God of my righteousnesse II. Being in miserie and great distresse he calleth to minde the gracious prouidence of the Lord confirmed by the experience of former deliuerance Thou hast set me at libertie in a straite III. In the sense of his frailties from which none are free and for which the Lord might iustly reiect him hee appealleth vnto mercie Be gracious vnto mee and heare my prayer And thus doing wee shall finde the relation betweene the proprieties in God and their obiects in vs a powerfull meanes to moue vs touching humiliation or consolation And thus much for the obiect of Prayer to wit God and that in his name that is so conceiued and called vpon as he hath pleased for our direction and comfort to make himselfe knowne vnto vs. §. 6. How to conceiue of God in praier Here before we proceed we will answere two Questions The first whereof is this Quest How should a man conceiue of God in prayer Thou must touching thy praying note three things I. Thy presenting thy selfe II. Thy Prayer III. Thy actions and iestures Answ God is the obiect of all these but
THE CHARIOT and Horsemen of ISRAEL A Discourse of Prayer shewing what it is as also the meanes to attaine to the practise of it AN EXERCISE SO RARE in the world and yet so requisite as few vse it aright and none may omit it By HENRY LANGLEY Minister of the Word of God at Treswell in the County of Nottingham IAM 4.2,3 Ye fight and warre yet ye haue not because ye aske not Yee aske and receiue not because yee aske amisse AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Edmund Weauer 1616. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE EDMVND Lord SHEFFEILD Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter Lord President of his Maiesties learned Counsell established in the North and Lord Lieutenant there Grace and Peace in Iesus Christ THere be two points Right Honourable as witnesseth that worthie Oratour a Cic. Offic. lib. 2. to bee obserued in committing things to publique view That they bee not satis nota sufficiētly knowne before and that they bee Cognitione digna worthie to bee knowne If the first they are tedious If not the second they are odious If either idle at the least if not naught If both both idle and naught I hope this little Treatise need feare iust exception on neither part Many I confesse haue written on this Subiect and iustly may it bee asked what I haue found which in their learned labours hath not alreadie been brought to light yet dare I professe that this small Tractate absit inuidia verbo will affoord vnto the illiterate some things for manner at the least if not likewise for matter worth the reading And for Prayer The nature of it is high it being a peculiar fruite of the Spirit the Immunities great the power wonderfull and the profit incomparable As did not this succeeding discourse shew it I could discouer at large In a word It is the Chariot and Horsemen of Israel Why want wee necessaries for soule and body seeing the earth is the Lords yea the Heauens and the Heauen of Heauens and our God is abundant in goodnesse and truth Wee pray not Why are we with Ephraim in crosses as a cake vnturned b Hos 7.8 We pray not Why are the Heauens as brasse and the earth as yron Why is there such decay frō yeere to yeere in our stocke and complaining in our streetes We pray not For could the carnall man pray and did the man already regenerate vse this dutie as hee ought mercies would be more plentifull iudgements not so vsuall and the rod of the wicked would not bee suffered to lie so long vpon the lot of the righteous Requisite is it therefore and of speciall consequence that wee learne this great lesson taught so carefully of Iohn to his disciples and begged so instantly of Christ by his dis◅ples I meane How to pray The Doctrine is here handled the which out of my thankfull remembrance of the many fauours receiued from your Lordship for my quiet libertie in my Ministrie and preferment as also in respect of the reuerend opinion which the Church of God hath a long time and I hope shall haue occasion to doe no lesse vnto the end conceiued of your Lordshippes Christian affection towards God and godlinesse I do humbly dedicate vnto your Honour Now the God of peace c Heb. 13.20,21 that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the euerlasting couenant make you perfect in euery good worke to doe his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glorie for euer and euer Amen Your Honours in the Lord most humbly HENRY LANGLEY The particulars of this Discourse CHAP. I. I. The definition shewing what prayer is II. The Notation whence the terme is fetched in Hebrew III. The Genus of Prayer viz. Inuocation and what Prayer hath in commō with the other kinds of Inuocation the which are An Oath A Vow IV. What it chalengeth to it self in speciall noted here handled after in the doctrine of the forme more at large V. How God is our Father considered as the Obiect of Prayer CHAP. II. The Causes of Prayer or the things whereby Prayer commeth to be that which it is And they are foure I. The Efficient and therein 1. The maine efficient and that in respect of both the Forme of prayer Matter of prayer Where is handled the state of Adoption in which euery one that prayeth is of necessitie to stand because otherwise God becommeth not fit to bee prayed to Man fit to pray nor the things wee want fit to bee prayed for 2. The Motiues working from Within Without 3. The meanes of performance and they such as doe Fit vs before Serue in performance Further. II. The Matter whereon our prayers are made and of praying or of exhibiting our prayers to God III. The Forme the soule of prayer ministring life vnto it And therein is considered Faiths two-fold worke 1. The one whereby wee are assured that the promises as they are true in Christ so doe they concerne vs. 2. And wee shall haue these requests put vp according to his will IV. The Ends or wherefore wee doe pray and they are considered 1. Either simplie 2. Or in respect of God the father Christ The holy Ghost The Word Our selues Prayer The things our prayers doe concerne CHAP. III. The Effects of prayer considered in regard of 1. God 2. The things aimed at 3. Our selues CHAP. IV. The Subiect of Prayer and that I. Receiuing the which is Mentall Verball Locall II. Whereabout Prayer is exercised consisting in Things Persons Where is handled For whom we are to pray Through whom we are to pray To whom we are to pray And there withall is shewed how we are 1. To conceiue of God in prayer 2. To direct our prayers to him CHAP. V. The Adiuncts of Prayer considered I. Simply II. In respect of these foure things viz. The person praying The Ends of praier The Subiect The Time CHAP. VI. The distribution of Prayer into I. The parts the which are Confession Petition Thankesgiuing II. The kinds considered in respect of the Effects of Prayer Subiect of Prayer Obiect of Prayer THE CHARIOT and Horsemen of ISRAEL The Preface MAster say the Disciples to our Sauiour teach vs to pray a Luke 11.1 as Iohn also taught his Disciples Whence it appeareth that though the Holy Ghost be our schoolemaster teaching vs what to pray as we should yet for the guiding our desires in things warrantable expressing our mindes in fitting termes and the cōtriuing our matter in order and forme In a word for the doctrine of prayer we may and should bee helped wherein wee are defectiue by ordinarie meanes I haue therefore aduentured vpon it A Subiect as worthie to bee well knowne so no lesse weightie to be throughly handled My purpose is not to enter into any large discourse but summarily to runne ouer these sixe heads following namely
case is with vs. First we doe confesse how wee doe conceiue of the Lord. O Lord of boasts saith Hezekiah a Esa 37.16 God of Israel that dwellest betweene the Cherubims thou art the God euen thou alone of all the Kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heauen and earth so Gen. 32.9 Psal 51.6 In the second place we doe confesse how the case is with vs. And this consisteth in the confession I. Of our wants viz. I. Sinne as Dauid b Ps 51.4 Against thee thee only haue I sinned II. The inconueniences troubles arising from sin As the same Dauid else-where c Ps 6.2.3 Haue mercy vpon mee O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed my soule is also sore vexed And againe d Ps 25.16.17 Turne thee vnto me and haue mercy vpon me for I am desolate and afflicted The troubles of my heart are inlarged III. How short wee are of what the Lord requireth of vs. Behold saith the Psalmist e Psal 51.5.6.7 I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did my mother conceiue mee Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts II. Of Gods goodnesse considered as I. bestowed on vs II. or promised to vs. And both in I. spirituall things As in that thanksgiuing of our Sauiour f Luk. 10.21 I thanke thee O father of heauen and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them vnto babes euen so father for so it seemed good in thy sight 2. Or in temporall things as Iacob g Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe I passed ouer this Iorden and now I am become two bands This our Confession as I said must be free namely I. In our confession of the Lord shewing 1. A heart disclaiming all other helpes as vaine 2. A resolute setting-vp of the Lord to bee our God sole and all-sufficient 3. A comfortable conceit of his gracious disposition towards vs in his Christ Wherefore we will not hide from our God how the case is with vs. II. In our confession of our wants shewing 1. Our vnfained hatred of sinne which we will in no-wise conceale 2. Our loue of good things for which cause wee will acknowledge our defects 3. Our zeale of Gods glorie euerie way exalting him by all meanes debasing our selues III. In our confession of mercies receiued shewing 1. An acknowledgement of our vnworthinesse to haue the least of them 2. Inabilitie to get them were not our good God so bounteous and free-hearted toward vs. 3. The great neede wee haue of them and consequently the exceeding benefit and sweete that wee haue found by them Insomuch that our soules are filled by reason of them h Psal 63.5 as with marrow and fatnes §. 2. II. The second part of prayer which consisteth in I. Petition 1. Supplicatiō 2. Precation 3. Intercession How intercession is vsed in that 1. to Tim. the 2. The other part is a dealing with God concerning the things confessed in the two latter places And that by way of I. Petition II. Thankesgiuing These strictly accepted are kinds of prayer and not parts Supplicatiō Petition and Intercessiō being seuerall praiers but we vsing them ioyntly I so call them The first is agreeable to our confession of our wants The other to the confession of good things receiued The acknowledgement of God in the first place what he is in himselfe and to vs is the propounding of God and placing him as our obiect and the ground of our dealing with him in both these cases I meane both in petition thanksgiuing Let vs come to the particulars Petition is a calling vpon the name of God as a Father desiring reliefe in respect of our wants And it is subdiuided by the Apostle to Timothie i 1. Tim. 2.1 into three branches I. Supplication II. Precation * Called also Prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. Intercession Supplicatiō is an humble request vnto God for remission and reconciliation vpon the conscience of that state wherein we stand by reason of sinne Precation is a suite exhibited to the Lord for his good blessings and fauours concerning both soule and body Intercession is vsually taken for a request put vp for others And so indeed it is ordinarily vsed in the Scriptures But it seemeth to be otherwise taken here My reason is because that if this be the proper acception of it in this place giuing it the difference from supplication and precation then they two are to be performed for others respecting onely euery mans owne particular But the Apostle commandeth that supplication and precation be performed for others also In a word hee willeth that all the foure duties be performed for all men Againe Intercession seemeth to bee taken heere for such a dutie as may bee performed of a man for himselfe For the Apostle doth not here command the duties simply but he inlargeth them in respect of the obiect willing that they should performe them not only for themselues and some few others to wit beleeuers but that withall they ought to remember all men and as Persons of most speciall respect Kings and all that are in authoritie To shew briefly then what I thinke I take it to be a dutie to be performed in the case of iudgements and corrections For Intercession is a comming betweene as partie and partie so part and part As to interrupt a man in his speech is intercession And onely in the case of iudgement wee labour to interrupt the Lord stepping with our repētance and humble inuocation betweene his threatnings the accomplishment or betweene the desert of sin iustly prouoking him and the punishment or when hee hath entred into iudgement with vs by holy interpellation betweene the beginning and consummation of his punishments thereby labouring to breake off the course of those proceedings And the Apostles method seemeth to fauour this exposition For hee setteth supplication in the first place which is a dealing with the Lord in the case of forgiuenes c. Then precation whereby we desire blessings whereof daily and hourely wee haue neede And in the last place intercession whereby wee deale with the Lord but now and then The which is in the case of iudgement when the Lord pleaseth to correct §. 3. II. Thanksgiuing The vse of thanksgiuing Reasons to moue vs to the performance of it The other branch in generall to be considered is thankesgiuing added by the Apostle in that former place to Timothie And that it is a part of prayer howsoeuer many make it a distinct thing from prayer as appeareth both in the new Testament and the old In the old in that song of Hannah k 1. Sam. 2.1 where it is said that she prayed and yet as is plaine to be seene it was a song of thanksgiuing