How good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to joyn together in prayer God hearkens and heares and a booke of remembrance shall be written for them that speak often one to another as those converts doe Zech. 8.2 Come let us goe speedily to pray before the Lord I will goe also One soul well tuned in prayer maâ—es good musick in Gods ears Mâ— Cobbet of Prayer but he delights much saith a reverend Author I say most in prayers in consort when two or three when two or three thousand gather together and agree to ask any thing in the name of Christ The Church on earth is never so like the Church in heaven as when the four living Creatures and the four and twenty Elders i e. when Pastors and People having Harps in their hands that is being prepared to praise God and golden vials full of Odours or Incense that is being prepared to pray unto him when all these meet together thus to worship the Lamb Rev. 5.8 Let Christians say it is good for us to be here it is best for us to be here How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts this is none other than the Suburbs of Heaven than the gate than a corner of Heaven than a Heaven upon Earth Pray therefore all manner of prayer but especially in publique with the Assemblies of Gods people I shall adde but one thing more in this particular and that is to beseech you not to diminish ought of this service not to clip Gods Tribute-mony or to offer an imperfect Sacrifice unto God but at all times but especially on the Lords day let us come together at the beginning and tarry till the end of publique Prayers God will not allow the Prince of his people to absent himself or to delay his coming to publique Worship or to depart untill the Conclusion Ezek. 46.10 And now if there be any here who shall say in their hearts Wee have high thoughts of Prayer and a good minde to the duty but alas we are not able to compose a Prayer of our selves we cannot goe to prayer except some lead us by the hand we know not what to say as we ought except some put words in our mouths To these the second Observation may give satisfaction which speaketh on this wise saying II. It is lawfull to pray with or by a Set forme of Prayer Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to his will in the name of Christ with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies This is the definition of Prayer given by the late Reverend Assembly in their shorter Catechisme And in this we have contained all the Essentials of Prayer and all this may be done whether we make use of a written or printed book or rehearse a Prayer out of our memory D. W. Gâ—ft of Prayer that invisible book or whether we may by immediate and sudden suggestion or according to the sudden conceptions and dictates of our own hearts I say therefore that it is neither absolutely necessary in it self nor utterly unlawfull to use a Set form of Prayer Confident I am that Prayer with or by a Form is better than no prayer at all and that if all those persons amongst us who are not able to pray by immediate suggestion or sudden conception or who cannot by study premeditation compose such a Prayer as they dare offer up to God especially before others if these would make use of some Forms of wholsome desires framed by others and if being Masters of Families they would morning and evening ingage themselves to seek God with their families in this way God might and should have honour thereby and they receive blessing from God This lawfulnesse of Set Formes may be evinced by holy Scriptures by the practise of the Church of God Jewish and Christian The Apostle Paul in his first Epistle to Timothy ch 2.1 makes four sorts or parts of Prayer Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks and we have patternes or ground for Set Formes of all these in the Scriptures For the first sort of Prayer wherein we desire the averting of evils both of sinne and punishment we have ground to do this in or by a prescribed form of words for so God injoyned in the case of an uncertain murder Deut. 21.7 8. that the Elders of the city that is next to the slain man should wash their hands over an Heifer which was to be beheaded in the valley and that they or the Priests in their name and roome should answer and say Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seene it Be mercifull O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israels charge Again the Prophet Hosea exhorting Israel to return unto the Lord chap. 14. beginning saith Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips c. from which two texts I think it more reasonable to inferre or conclude that they might without sin say those very words which were put into their mouths than to say they should sinne if they should pray in that very form of words 2. We have in the Scripture formes of Prayer or petitions for the obtaining of good things A Forme used by Moses one who had abundance of spirit at the setting forward of the Ark and at the resting of the Ark Numb 10.35 36. And another Form prescribed to Aaron and his Sons in blessing the people Numb 6.23 24 25 26. And we have a Form of Prayer also injoyned to him that paid his third yeare tithes Deut. 26 13 14 15. 3. A ground for a forme of Intercession and that too upon a publique Fast day we have in Joel chap. 2.17 Let the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare the people O Lord and give not thy heritage to reproach that the Heathen should rule over them wherefore should they say among the people where is now their God I doe not believe that these were all the words they did or might say unto God on a day of Humiliation but I think I have more reason hence to gather that they might lawfully have used this form of words in their Prayers that day than any man hath to conclude the contrary 4. A ground for Set forms of Praise or Thanksgiving we have in those many admirable formes of praise composed by David Asaph and other holy men and sung at the Tabernacle and Temple and that too in the times of Hezekiah's reformation 2 Chron. 29.30 and left upon record in the book of Psalmes Mr. Mede calls the booke of Psalmes the Jewish Liturgy and truly therein we have Formes of all these four sorts of Prayer There are Prayers for averting evill for obtaining of good
for Non-subscription to the Book and Ceremonies and to prosecute divers private Christians for Non-observation or else their opposition to the Ceremonies therein contained Insomuch that many like the children of faithfull Abraham forsook their owne country and fathers house and went into a strange Land viz. into America to the end they might have their consciences freed from these yoaks and burdens as they thought intolerable Besides in divers places the Ministers were forbidden to exercise their own gift of Prayer and others did voluntarily suffer parts and gifts to dry up for want of using because they had this book at hand in all their administrations Further it was observed many of the people did so idolize it that they judged no other way of worshipping God like it or to be allowed by men and accepted by God but that To prevent these or such like mischiefs and inconveniencies for the future as also it may be for that some judged it not necessary if tolerable that all men should be bound to use Crutches because some could not well goe without them and also that they might bring the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland to the neerest conjunction and uniformity in Religion particularly in a Directory for worship catechizing according to their Covenant newly entred into with the Kingdome of Scotland lately set all on a flame with a Service-book which in some things was more though in others lesse liable to exception than the English Liturgy sent thither from hence by the Archbishop of Canterbury I say for these or the like reasons the Assembly advised and the Parliament which the King had confirmed by Act thought good by an Ordinance to lay aside wholly the common-prayer-Common-prayer-book judging it as lawful to doe it as was for Hezekiah to break in pieces the Brazen Serpent made by Moses when once abused to Idolatry The Parliament having thus removed the Booke by an Ordinance or two who were we that we should resist God and them and hazard our own and the Kingdomes and Churches peace to maintain a Form when as without charity all Prayers whether with or without a Form or Book are lost If it shall be further objected that the Service-book was setled by an Act and removed or abolished by an Ordinance To this all I think good to answer here at present is this That I have heard that an Ordinance of Parliament was of validity to suspend an Act And that that Ordinance of Parliament hath not been as yet suspended nor the Act for the Liturgy hitherto revived by any other Act. Let this suffice to justifie our non-using of the English Liturgy III. I come now to my last Observation that is to justifie our continued use of the Lords Prayer And here let me minde you that the same reverend godly and learned Assembly which judged it expedient to take away the Common-prayer did yet recommend the Lords prayer to be used in the prayers of the Church because it is take their owne words in the Directory Not onely a pattern of Prayer but it selfe a most comprehensive Prayer As the same measure may be a standard to frame and try other measures by and may besides be used to measure withall So may this Prayer of our Lord be used both as a Pattern of prayer to frame our prayers by as a Standard to examine them by and as a Prayer it selfe also And truly if our Saviour had meant this Prayer onely for a pattern and that it should be unlawful to uss it as a Prayer I believe him so plain and so good a speaker for never man spake like him and in his mouth was found no guile that he would never have answered such a request Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples in such expresse language When ye pray say Our Father c. without some caution limitation or restriction to prevent mistakes For had it been possible that when our Lord said When ye pray say Our Father c. that his sense and meaning should be when ye pray ye must not say Our Father c. ye must not say these words at any time or in any case but onely pray alwaies after this patterne we may suppose the holy Ghost would have added some explanation or interpretation as in other cases viz. John 7.38 39. and John 2.20 21. the rather considering there is no room here as in other places for a figurative sense and that it is the office of the holy Ghost to lead us into all truth and so to preserve us from error and that the words are so plaine a forme of Prayer and so plain for the using of them so that plainer needed not upon supposition that it was the minde of Christ that these words should be used as a Prayer Let us reason the matter a little what can be said against using this Prayer of Christ now which might not have been objected or pretended by Aaron and his Sons for their not using the forme of blessing prescribed of old Numb 6.23 24. Yea how shall we now justifie our practice of blessing or praying for a blessing in the words of the Apostle Paul in the close of our Sermons if it be utterly unlawfull to pray unto God in the words of our Lord Jesus in the beginning of our Sermons What is the Disciple come to be above his Master and the Servant above his Lord Again how can we think that God that hears our prayers who have not the Spirit in such a measure as the Apostles had should not regard his Sons prayer should therefore not heare his childrens prayers because presented unto him in his owne and onely Son's words Yea will God the Father heare our prayers indited by the holy Spirit not hear us when we pray that which his Son made put in our hands hearts And did not the same holy Spirit that indited our prayers indite the prayer of Christ too and do not we who have the Spirit by measure receive of Christs fulnesse as all other graces so also the spirit of Grace and Supplication I dare say that the holy Ghost is not therefore out of love out of conceit with his own conceptions because they are not new Must all our prayers necessarily be put up in our Saviours name if they finde acceptance if they be heard and answered and must they in no wise at no time in any case be sent up in his owne words or will Jesus Christ the great Favourite and Master of Requests in heaven refuse to present our Petitions because of his own drawing or inditing Must we alway when we pray pray after this manner and must we never when we pray say Our Father c If one be Scripture is not the other also yea doubtlesse both and in both we have the minde of Christ for he that said that said this also Must we alway keep to Christs sense and meaning and yet never use his words but our
Dominicam idcirco mox post precem dicimus quòd nos Apostolorum fuit ut ad ipsam solummodò orationem oblationis hostiam consecrarent Greg. Epist lib. 7. Epist 63. And to say the truth I have not read or heard that ever any of the Fathers or Councils judged it either unlawfull or inexpedient to use the Lords Prayer for a Prayer And now Sir having by this time I suppose sufficiently tried if not tired your patience in detaining you so long a spectator of our contests with this half doZen of errors I shall adde no more but desiring that this Epistle may remain as a publique acknowledgement or expresse of gratitude for those Respects and Favours wherewith you have been pleased to oblige our Brackley-society I shall onely bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus for you that you may be the blessed of the Lord and your off-spring with you and particularly sith you are one who can say Amen to the Prayer of Moses for Levi Deut. 33.11 and to the Prayer of Christ Mat. 6.9 c. and Luke 11.1 2 c. that you may beare a part in the Song of Moses and of the Lamb. Sir this is and shall be the heartie prayer of Your very humble Servant in the Lord Tho Hodges Decem. 1. 1655. A TREATISE OF PRAYER And particularly An Apology for the use of the Lords Prayer On LUKE 11.1 2. And it came to passe that as he was praying in a certain place when he ceased one of his Disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples And he said unto him when ye pray say Our Father c. GOd having but one Son made him a Minister of the Circumcision that is he ordained him a preacher of the truth to his own people the Jewes This man was not meerely as other Priests taken out from amongst men but that in all things he might have the preheminence he was taken from amidst the persons of the ever blessed Trinity to deale in things pertaining unto God And now being made an Officer in the Church it behoved him to wait on his office and to fulfill his Ministry which he had received of the Lord. And accordingly he did he gave himselfe continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the word and so he became an example and pattern to his Apostles which they did follow Acts 6.4 and to all Ministers that come after that they should tread in his steps And upon occasion of his frequent going to prayer at a certain time when he had been about that holy performance one of his Disciples whether one of the Apostles for they were all called Disciples or one of the seventy Disciples or some other of his followers I determine not but one of them desires of him to teach them to pray as John Baptist had taught his Disciples It may seem either that this Disciple was not present at our Saviours Sermon on the Mount wherein as you have it Mat. 6.9 he taught his Disciples and in them all Christians to pray after this manner Our Father c. or else that he did not apprehend our Lords meaning at that his first delivery of this form of Prayer but took it for a model or pattern of Prayer onely And as probably the chief Masters or Rabbies amongst the Pharisees had framed certain formes of prayer for their Disciples and John the Baptist had given his a forme of prayer suitable likely to their present condition wherein it may be one great request was that the Messiah whom John preached and they expected and longed for might suddenly come into his Temple So this Disciple prayeth Christ to prescribe his Schollars and followers a form also both as a badge and cognizance of being his Disciples and as a help and furtherance to them in their devotions Possibly the Liturgy of the Scribes and Pharisees might now be leavened with evil as well as their Sermons Observable it is that our Saviour sometime adviseth on this wise saying the Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses chaire whatsoever they say unto you that observe and do but we never finde that he counselled to pray their prayers And again it may be that the form which John Baptist the Lord Christ his Harbinger taught his Disciples to prepare the way for Christ was not sufficiently accommodated or fitted to the condition of them who believed him already come followed him professed Faith in him and were ready to or actually did preach him Upon these or such like considerations this Disciple might make this motion to our Saviour saying Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples and occasion our Lord more plainly and fully to expresse himself concerning the use of that form of prayer formerly delivered now not to say as before After this manner pray yee but when ye pray say Our Father c. It is the saying of learned Mr. Mede As the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh because the thing was established by God so the Lords Prayer was twice delivered that we might not scruple the using but know it for a truth that Jesus Christ did recommend it to his Church to be used as a forme of prayer and not a patterne of prayer onely Let this serve for the occasion and scope of the words There are three observations which I shall raise and prosecute in part in my treating on this text 1. Gods Children or People or right Christians are a praying generation 2. It is lawfull to use a Form of Prayer 3. It is lawful to use this Form the Lords Prayer for a Prayer I. Of the first Gods Children or right Christians are a praying generation That John the Baptist the Elijah who was for to come was also noted for prayer I gather hence because 't is said that hee taught his Disciples to pray And that they viz. his Schollers or Disciples learnt this lesson and practised this duty seems implied in the same phrase And as for Christ himself the onely begotten Son of God and his Disciples the adopted children of God that they were men of many prayers those who much frequented and highly valued this Ordinance the very words of the text import or at least insinuate From these premises I inferre my first conclusion and ground my following discourse thereupon I shall endeavour to shew what Prayer is That all men ought to pray That the children of Men as well as the children of God That very Heathens without the pale of the Church and profane or scandalous Persons Formalists and Hypocrits within do sometimes pray That Gods own People his dear Children or right Christians are most frequent and most excellent at prayer They take the most pains about it and the greatest pleasure in it Prayer is a making of our requests known unto God It is an offering up of the first born of our soules i. e. of our desires unto God To pray well there is nothing required
things for the good state of the Church besides severall Hymnes and spirituall Songs sung to the praise of God Again I never read or heard that the Jews before Christ or since judged all formes of Prayer unlawful but I have read that the Jewes untill the time of our Saviour did use the Prayer of Moses viz. the 90. Psal I have read that our Saviour conformed himself in the celebration of the Passover unto divers customes of the Jewes and that instituting and celebrating the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the close of the Paschal Supper he and his Disciples sung the same Hymn or Psalme See Dr. Lightfoot of the Passeover after it or at the conclusion which the Jews used to do in the end of the Passeover Moreover it is observed that the Jewes who lived in the dayes of Adrian the Emperour viz. in the beginning of the second Century complained of the taking away their Liturgy and therefore they had one And lastly the Moderne Jews use set forms of Prayer in their Synagogues So that certaine it is that the judgment of the Jews both Ammi and Lo-Ammi before and since their rejection is for the lawfulness of set formes of Prayer Come we to the Christian Church she hath been so farre from condemning all formes as utterly unlawfull that for about twelve hundred yeares Concil Carth. 3. can 23. Concil Milen 2. can 12. Cassand 1. in Liturgy she hath thought it expedient to use them in publique Divine worship And if we will believe Beza in his notes upon 1 Cor. 11.31 the Apostle Paul did not hold it unlawfull for ordinary Pastors in Churches constituted to use set forms in the publique Assemblies Suppose extraordinary Officers of the Church at such times as they were extraordinarily moved to pray preach and praise God by Psalmes in those primitive times were also assisted extraordinarily by the miraculous motions influences and gifts of the holy Ghost to doe all this without any form prescribed by others or composed by their owne study or premeditation yet this hinders not but that those who had not those extraordinary effusions and assistances of the holy Ghost or at such times as they were not so extraordinarily moved and influenced even in those dayes might and we since may without sin prepare Prayers Sermons and Psalms with study and premeditation or may make use of Scripture Prayers Sermons and Psalmes in the worship and service of God It is true that our Saviour bids his Disciples when they are brought before Governors and Kings for his sake to take no thought not to premeditate how or what they shall speak For it shall be given them in that same hour what they shall speak For it is not ye that speak saith he but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you Mat. 10.18 19 20. Mark 13.11 Luke 12.11 But I no where read when ye come before God in prayer the great Ruler and Governor of the World Take no thought neither do ye premeditate but whatsoever shall be given you in that same hour that speak ye for it is not ye that speak but the holy Ghost Indeed the Disciples had a promise of the Spirit who is a spirit of Prayer and of Prophecy but of neither in such a manner as universally to forbid as unlawful or unnecessary all care study fore-thought or premeditation what to pray or what to preach But grant they had these extraordinary infusions alwaies in praying and preaching so as no study or fore-thought was at all necessary yet now those extraordinary assistances ceasing it may sure be lawfull for us to expect the fulfilling the promise of the Spirit to help us in prayer and preaching that we may doe both as workmen that need not to be ashamed but so as to concur with our endevours and not his gifts to be alwaies suddenly infused without all thought or study of our own Moreover let me adde this that the opinion of the unlawfulnesse of formes of Prayer is a Novel opinion and in comparison but of yesterday I no where read or remember I am sure that it was the tenet of the Albigenses or Waldenses those antient witnesses against Antichrist that Wickliff Huss Jerom of Praguâ— Luther Melanchthon Calvin Bucer Paulus Fagius Cranmer Latimer Bradford Ridley Hoopen Knox Gilpin Fox most of them Martyrs many Confessors all enemies to the Papacy and Reformers of the Church of latter times Further I no where read that Cartwright Dr. Reyn. Dr. Burgess Hildersham Greenham M. Bains Mr. Bifield Mr. Dod Dr. Sibs men eminent for their gifts and graces and all or most such as were accounted no grrat friends to the Hierarchy and Ceremonies ever condemned all formes of Prayer as unlawfull although possibly some of them might scruple some things in the English Liturgy or judge the rigid imposing of it to the depriving of many parishes of the sincere Milke of the Word too harsh measure from them who should have been Nursing fathers to the Church Certain it is that in and after the Reformation from Popery the Reformed Churches generally obtained the use of set formes in publique Divine Worship that the Churches of England and of Scotland till of late had the Churches of France Geneva the lower and upper Germany still have set formes of Prayer either imposed or allowed at least for the Minister to use in publique Divine Administrations It shall suffice me at present if what hath been already said in this matter satisfie not to recommend dissenting Christians to Mr. Perkins Dr. Preston and Mr. Ball all men of eminency for their excellent graces parts learning and all express Assertors of the lawfulnesse of praying with or by a form See the life of Dr. Preston by Mr. Ball. M. Perkins holds a man may pray when he reads a Prayer out of a book Dr. Preston allowes the use of set formes of Prayer and answers the Objection about quenching of the Spirit And Mr. Ball hath written a Treatise justifying in part the late Liturgy Obj. But 't is easie to fore-see an Objection which some may be apt to make Why doe you seeme to build againe the things you have so lately destroyed Why did you shut the Liturgy out of the Church if you can so readily open a doore for Set Formes Answ The Liturgy or Common-prayer was taken away if we may believe the Assembly who advised the removall thereof in their Preface of the Directory substituted in its roome not as judged by them simply unlawful but for the abuse of it for divers inconveniences which had and they thought still might attend the continuance of it It was observed that ill use was made of the Service-book to justle out preaching in divers places and of the Ceremonies therein injoyned to cast out many eminently godly and able Preachers out of their Churches and Livings for non-conformity thereunto and to keep out others very hopefull Instruments from the work of the Ministry
according to the Directory So here it doth not follow that we may not use the words of either of the Evangelists but on the contrary that we may indifferently use the words of either and so may pray either in the form of words recorded by the Evangelist Matthew or else according to this form in the text We think it not unlawfull but expedient in the celebration of the Lords Supper to retain the words of some of the Evangelists or of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 11. upon that occasion And so I see no sufficient reason but we may and that it is expedient to use Christs owne words either at his first or second delivery of it either as recorded by one or the other Evangelist And lastly who knowes but Jesus Christ speaking Syriack the language then commonly used by the Jewes might expresse himselfe in the same Syriack words at both times and yet the Evangelists render the same diversly in another tongue keeping still the same sense as the same Greek words may be truly translated and yet rendred in English in severall or diverse words but all to the same sense Obj. But it is our duty to pray in the Spirit in the holy Ghost and so as the holy Spirit immediately moves us or suggests to us for matter and words and method and so we are not to be tied to any form of prayer Possibly this was and might be used for a time namely till Christ was glorified and the holy Ghost given as Johns form might last till Jesus Christ gave a new one so this form of prayer might be of use untill the coming down of the holy Ghost to teach Christians to pray of themselves without this or any other form Ans To this Objection I say three things 1. That we are now to pray in the holy Ghost in a right sense but not in the sense and manner above alleadged And so to say no more did those before Christs coming 2. That we may truly pray in the Spirit according to our duty although we use the Lords Prayer 3. The coming of the holy Ghost hath not taken away the Lords Prayer but that notwithstanding it may be used in the prayers of the Church and her Members until Christ come again Of the first All Christians 't is true must pray in the Spirit as all Ministers of Christ are to preach in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and in words which the holy Ghost teacheth and yet this hinders not but we may and must study and premeditate for our Sermons not alway expecting extraordinary supplies from the holy Ghost so as that it should be given us always in that houre what to preach and it should not be we that preach or speak but the holy Ghost in us The holy Ghost hath made known to us the minde of God in the Scriptures we are to study them and the matters contained in them and to preach the Word of God Scripture-truthes plainly and affectionately as those who have found favour to be taught of God to have our understandings opened to understand the Scriptures to have our wills bowed to Gods revealed will and our affections warmed with love to the truth and zeale for it and as those who have in themselves experimented those things which they declare unto others Besides Ministers may and ought to read the holy Scriptures and in so doing although for the present they are tied unto words yet this doth in no wise quench the Spirit the Scriptures themselves being dictated by the Spirit so when we pray we are to pray in the Spirit that is for such things and in such a manner as the holy Ghost teacheth in the Scriptures of truth we are to pray in faith to come to God in Christs name merits mediation trusting to be heard and answered for Christs sake with earnestnesse and importunity and so with such sighs and groans which are unutterable which cannot sufficiently be expressed in words 2. As Believers before Christ particularly Moses and Aaron had the Spirit and his help and assistance in prayer so far as was requisite notwithstanding they sometimes used prescribed forms of Gods own inditing appointing And as Iesus Christ himself prayed in the spirit when he prayed in the words of David Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me So those that are Christs may pray also in the spirit in the using the prayer of Christ that being a Prayer for matter method words composed by him who had the Spirit without measure recorded in the very form of a Prayer and with this preface When ye pray say c. by the holy Ghost that is by the Evangelist moved and assisted infallibly by the holy Ghost If that place be urged 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray with the spirit and with understanding also I answer it followes I will sing with the Spirit and with understanding also So that if the former part could possibly with any good reason be expounded so as to debarre us from the use of the Lords prayer the latter will exclude Davids and all Scripture-Psalmes too out of the Church But the sense and meaning of that place is of another importance as appeares by the context and that may seem to be this I will not make use of the extraordinary gift of the Spirit inabling me to speak in an unknown or strange language either in praying to or praising of God in the Church where it is not understood by the unlearned and therefore cannot be to edification My own spirit or I may indeed pray according to the inward man and make use outwardly of the gift of Tongues that gift of the holy Ghost in praying but I make no use of my understanding to the benefit of others I resolve therefore so to pray and so to sing as I may be understood by others even as if I had no such gift of Tongues as a man would pray that hath not that gift of tongues which is an extraordinary gift of the Spirit 3. I come to my third Proposition and that is to prove that the coming of the holy Ghost doth not take away the use of the Lords Prayer as a Prayer And were it so as is presumed in the Objection that it was given onely for that time untill the coming of the holy Ghost and that it was out of date in the day of Pentecost even this Evangelical form of prayer like the legall observations I say were it so then the use of the Lords Prayer should cease both as a pattern and as a form of prayer it should neither be any more since Pentecost a Directory or Liturgy But the truth is that the promise of the holy Ghost to teach Christians to pray and the gift of the holy Ghost so promised doth not necessarily take away all helps or directions from Christ or from the Scriptures of the Prophets so that they should thenceforth be void and of none effect to all intents and
we must no more use bread and wine and water those necessary things either in or out of the Sacrament The instance of the brazen Serpent comes not up fully to the matter in hand For first now there was no possible use of it for that end to which at first God ordained it to be made Num. 21.8 9. And God did never appoint that this should be continued as a monument of that mercy Again the memoriall of the miraculous cure once wrought upon those that looked upon this brazen Serpent was sufficiently preserved in being registred by Moses Gods pen-man or Secretary in the records of the holy Scriptures And Lastly Hezekiah did remove and abolish this brazen Serpent without sin But as for the Lords prayer the case is otherwise in all these or the like particulars It is now of use both as a pattern and as a prayer It is made a portion of the holy Scriptures and so heaven and earth must passe away rather then a jot or tittle of this Prayer If this prayer should be wholy laid aside there is besides no such perfect compleat forme of prayer and rule or touchstone of prayer as this extant in all the Scriptures And lastly the Lord would not hold him guiltlesse who should blot this prayer out of the book of the Scripture But he may justly feare to have his name blotted out of the book of life Our Lord Jesus himself was a Stone of stumbling a rock of offence to many but to them that believe he was and is a choyse stone a precious foundation corner Stone c. And so I say of the Lords Prayer it may perhaps be a stone of stumbling an occasion of fall to some but to them that beleive and use it in faith it is precious and whoever so prays this prayer need never be ashamed of it Obj. Many finde by experience that their hearts are dull dead or very formall as in the use of other formes so of this also Answ Concerning formes in generall I say as before that formes of Prayer are better than no prayer at all and concerning this prayer if our hearts be dead in the using of it I dare say the fault is in us not in the Prayer It may be our hearts are dead at the reading of a Chapter what is the Scripture therefore a dead letter and must it therefore cease in the Church Oh let us never accuse Christs Prayer or Preaching of deadnesse to excuse the sinfull deadnesse of our owne hearts Our Lord Jesus himselfe prayed in the garden thrice saying the same words Mat. 26. and with as much Affection and Devotion and Life the last time as the first Let us goe and doe likewise How is it that our Devotion flags not that our hearts wander not in the joyning with one that prayes a conceived prayer for a quarter halfe an houre or more and yet cannot hold up or keep close to the duty for a moment or two whilst our Lords owne Prayer is rehearsing I should rather thinke that if our hearts have not been duly affected or that there hath been any errour whilst the Minister hath been praying according to his ability that the using of the Lords Prayer and joyning in that perfect forme with double with seven-fold diligence zeale and holy affections in the close of all is very commendable as both pious and prudent for in the generall Petitions of this Prayer are contained all the lawfull particulars both for the Church and every member of it which were mentioned in the foregoing prayer But here I must enter my Caveat I would not be interpreted by what I have said for I doe in no wise meane it God forbid to poure cold water upon any fervent or zealous desires whilst we joyne with others praying according to the gift pretending thereby to reserve all the heat and zeal of our soule for the offering up of the Lords Prayer nor doe I meane farre be it from me to justifie any irreverent gesture by-thoughts or loose and cold affections during the time the Minister or other is exercising his gift in conceived prayer Obj. But the Apostles in their writings when they exhort to prayer and give rules and directions about it never recommend unto us the use of this prayer Ans All that the Apostles did or said is not written Sure I am they have given no rule or direction against the using of this prayer and if it be true which some say that the Evangelist Luke had the Gospell he wrote from the Apostle Paul it is some evidence that the Apostle himselfe was not against the using of this prayer else probably he would not have told him such words as these When ye pray say c. without adding some caution or interpretation to prevent mistake The Apostle Paul speaks sometimes concerning Baptisme but never treats of that forme of words I baptize thee in the name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost What may we not therefore baptize in that forme of words Surely we may and Mat. 28.19 shall be our sufficient warrant Againe the holy Apostles Col. 3.16 Ephes 5.18 19. James 5.13 give order for and direction about singing of Psalmes but neither there nor elsewhere tell us we are to sing Davids Psalmes or what other Psalmes we should sing doth it thence follow we may not sing the Psalmes of David or other spirituall Songs recorded in the holy Scriptures But put the case that some Christians in those dayes had said to the Apostle Paul teach us to sing Psalmes or teach us Psalms to sing as David the sweet singer of Israel of old taught the people of God and his answer to them had been in such words as these when ye sing sing one of the Psalmes of David one of those songs of Sion or else he himself had composed a Psalme and added this Preface to it or direction concerning it when ye sing sing after this manner or when ye sing sing c. Had not this been sufficient to ground thereupon the lawfulnesse of singing Davids Psalmes or that particular Psalmes so composed and subjoyned by the Apostle I believe it had And now if any ask How often we should pray the Lords prayer To this my Answer is That the holy Ghost in the Scriptures hath left this undetermined as also how oft we are to read the sixt Chapter of the Gospel written by the Evangelist Mathew and this eleventh Chapter of the Gospel according to the Evangelist Luke or any other particular Chapter in the Scriptures as also it is undetermined how oft we are to sing the 92. Psal entitled a Psalme for the Saboth day or any other Psalme I find these things left to Christian prudence and so I shall still leave them not being willing to binde mens consciences wherein God hath left us free as for this I know of no Commandement from the Lord. But herein I give my advice desiring and praying for that mercy