bee unarmed if it bee hee will present one lewd object or Job 31. 1. Deut. 16. 19. other to thy sight to allure thee if it bee thy eare he will make it listen after bad counsel Prov. 17. 14. if the tongue hee will make that a world of mischeefe if the hand hee will make it ready Jam. 3. 5. to act all sorts of mischeefe if the foote hee will make it swift Prov. 13. 4 to shed bloud if a Ship do but spring a little leake at any part of her she will in short time bee over-whelmed If thou dost but leave any part of thy soule ungarded sinne will presently enter in and being once in sinke thee into the nethermost pit of hell Stand therefore and watch when the howre of thy visitation cometh watch and see the kindnesse of Ps 17. the Lord be ready at all assayes to repell these grand and potent enemyes Lastly I will now shew thee being thus armed and prepared how thou must use and put on thy armes and that must bee with prayer praying alwayes with all prayer and Prayer to bee used at the putting on the Armor supplication for all saynts praying unto God that hee would send thee his spirit Prayer is the meanes and the manner how the weapons should bee used It will not bee amisse then to shew the use of prayer First how thou must pray Secondly when thou must pray Thirdly to induce thee the more to it I will shew the power and efficacy of prayer For the first of these how thou must pray and in this How to pray thou art commanded to use three motions Aske and you Math. 7. 7. shall have seeke and you shall find knock and it shall bee openeâ— unto you here is first Gods parâ— to thee secondly thy part to God thy part to God lyes in these words Aske Seeke Knock thus explaned aske with the mouth seeke with the heart knock with the hand First aske with the mouth God created the lippes and doth therefore require the lippes Joakin the Father of the Virgin Mary said cibus potusque erit mihioratio Prayer shall bee meate and drinke to mee If thou wouldst but make prayer to bee foode and meate and drinke to thee thou wouldst find it more excellent nourishment to thy soule then any corporall foode can possibly bee to thy body and as there is difference betwixt the soule and body the one being mortall the other immortall the one corporall the other spirituall Difference betwixt the foode of the body and the soule the one temporary the other eternall so there is a great difference also betwixt the foode of the one and the foode of the other the bodily or corporall foode goes in at thy mouth to nourish thee here in this world but the spirituall foode of the soule which is Prayer doth proceede out of thy mouth to keepe thee not only in this world but to bring thee to heaven in the world to come The Righteous mans prayer is his delight and of prayer Prov. 15. 8 there bee three kinds The first is Prayer meerely Three sorts of prayer mentall The second is Prayer meerely vocall The third is Prayer botâ— mentall and vocall These three sorts of Prayeâ— have reference to the three motions Aske Seeke Knock Prayer meerely vocall is to pray with the tongue without the heart this is that sort which God doth so much abhorre to mumble over a few prayers and yet not know what wee say our selves Appropinquant ore sue labiis suis honorant me cor autem à me procul amovent They come neere unto mee sayth God with theyr Esay 29. â—5 mouth and honour mee with theyr lippes but theyr heart is farre from mee they put that farre from God which he doth most love and that 's the heart Lip labour is nothing worth Lip-service to God abhominable in Gods eye without the heart â—hat makes the lip acceptable here are a sort of people â—hat make their lips theyr owne saying who is Lord over â—s but that 's not the way to â—ome acceptable to God to make theyr prayers to become as sweete smelling incense before him or to become so powerfull as to pull a blessing â—ut of Gods hand if thou desirest therefore to pray aright 〈◊〉 with the mouth seeke with the heart knock with the hand The second kind of Prayer Ps 12. 4. Second sort of prayer is prayer meerely mentall that is meditation to meditate or pray with the heart without the tongue this is allowed by God and approved by him in the practise of all the Prayer mentall by God approved saynts When the children of Israel were passing through the red Sea seeing Pharaoâ— hoast behind them and 〈◊〉 Sea before them murmureâ— agaynst Moses but what diâ— Moses hee cryed unto thâ— Exod. 14. 14. Lord. Cur ad me clamas whâ— cryest thou unto mee Saytâ— God whereas it is not expressed that Moyses sayd any thing at all only it was his inward and ardent prayers to God in the behalfe of the children of Israel pray then with thy heart and pray with thy understanding also and if place and time will admit 1 Cor. 14. 15. pray with thy heart and tongue together The third kind of Prayer is mixt Prayer both mentall and Third kind of Prayer mentall and vocall vocall included in the words Aske Seeke Knock for to aske with the mouth to seeke with the heart and to knock with the hand is that which God so much calls for wee will render sayth the Prophet Hosea the Calves of our lippes Hos 14. 2. that is both the heart and the tongue Thus I have breefely shewed thee what is thy part to God which is to aske and to aske aright now I will shew thee what is Gods part to thee and that is to give Petite vobis dabitur Aske and you shall have do but aske and he will give every one that asketh receiveth and every Math. 7. 8. one that seeketh findeth whatsoever you aske in prayer if Joh. 15. 7. you beleeve you shall receive it what then will this gift bee what is it that thou shalt receive blessings spirituall blessings temporall the gift of God is eternall life through Rom. 6. 23 Jesus Christ our Lord. The second branch or motion of Prayer is thou must Seocnd motion of prayer to seeke with the heart seeke with the heart for the asking of the mouth hath never prevayled without the seeking of the heart but the seeking of the heart hath oftentimes prevayled without the asking of the mouth let not then thy heart goe a wandring after the pleasures of the world when thou art at thy devotions God doth promise to bee found of those that seeke with the heart If thou wilt seeke Deut. 4. 19 him hee will bee found of thee as David instructed his sonne Solomon and agayne those
last great Idoll of the world how do men gape after it whence comes it It comes neyther from the East nor from the West nor from the South sayth the Psalmist but why did hee leave out the North Ps 75. 6 to shew that much might bee done by endeavour by use of meanes but for all that God would have one place to come in at seeke then after God for in having him thou hast all things I will now shew thee the third motion or particular of prayer and that is thou must knock with the hand as much The third motion of prayer is to knock with the hand Jam. 4. 5. as one should say doe as you say as thou sayst well so thou must doe well shew thy faith by thy workes let thy Religion shine through thy life and conversation Bee not like those that pray and practise not God will certaynely abhor such because their hands are embrued in blood If that a subject Esay 1. 15. should offer up a Petition to the king having his hands bloodâ—ly dyed in the blood of his sonne dost thou thinke that hee would accept of it by no meanes hee would surely bee so farre from acceptance that hee would make him feele the severity of law And thus it is if thou shouldst offer up thy prayers to the King of Kings with thy hands embrued in the bloud of his sonne the Lord of life still crucifying Heb. 6. him afresh by thy sinnes which are as so many speares thrust into his pretious side doest thou thinke hee would accept of it I trow not knock then with a Religious hand if ever thou desirest Math. 7. 8. God to open unto thee Aske and thou shalt bee sure of temporall things seeke and God wil give thee spiritual blessings so knock and hee will give thee eternall lifeâ— that is hee will open the gates of heaven and give thee everlasting happinesse more then thy heart can wish or thy tongue desire Now these three motions Aske Seeke Knock being put together make up that third kind of prayer which I have heretofore discover'd already But before I passe any further mee thinks I heare thee whisper this Objection Object which not only thou but many thousands object unto themselves viz. that there were some that did knock and yet they were not opened unto Luke 13. 24. Luk. 13. 24. To this I answer Answer they did not knock with a Religious hand not with the hand of faith they had no oyle in their Lamps It is not enough to say well but to do well not to have Religion only at the tongues end but to have it truly in the practise of it those had Lampes but no oyle Religion Math. 25. 1. without practise and that 's the Reason they were excluded they are not Nominals but Reals that are admitted into Gods Grammar There are some that shal knock and say Lord Lord have wee not prophesyed in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils Math. 7. 23 and in thy name done many wonderful things some agayne shall knock alowde and call strongly to the Lord saying Lord Lord open unto us Orationis instantia est pulsatio Luk. 13. 25 Prayer is indeed a spirituall knocking and this prayer of these damned ones was a well compacted one if it had come from beleevers for First thing they desired was Res optima the opening of heaven and prayer is able to doe it prayer is an excellent picklock thus did Eliah and the Theife on the Crosse open heaven Secondly theyr Prayer was modus optimus a Prayer of unity they all beganne to say and it was a prayer of fervency they were hot in the pursuite like the children of Israel in extremity they cry aloud to the Lord for releife there 's the unity of their prayer Thirdly it was scopus optimus the best object on which they could fasten themselves they go to the Fountayne-head they ingeminate the word Lord Lord and it is that word where all good men beginne their prayers Prayer is called a Conference with God if it hath not relation to God it hath not the definition of prayer they of Rome pray to Saynts and Angels but it is most sure that if it bee not Domine it cannot bee Domina if hee that cals out Lord Lord shall not enter then hee that prayes to my Lady wil hardly find admission therefore this prayer of theirs was well terminated and in that regard a good prayer But what of all this here 's goodly blossoms but no fruite at all these things are seemingly good but all these will not serve the turne that which doth follow poysoned all the rest which may bee reduced into these 4 heads First it was Oratio extorta the feare of Iudgment brought them to it in this life God often called unto them but they would not heare they thought as too many do that a Lord have mercy upon mee at their death would have done it but now to their ruine they behold hell open to receive them heaven shut upon them they there for cry out Lord Lord open c. Secondly it was Oratio hypocritica it had all forme but not the least power of Godlinesse in it a Godly man cals Lord and Piety doth ingeminate the word but these damned creatures could not say with David my Lord and my God but this prayer of theirs as it was verball so not cordiall as verball not reall they had despised Christ in this life they would not have him but Barrabas not his saving grace but their owne vile affections and now when their workes as fruits of their faith should have pleaded for them now it is that they belch out hypocriticall expressions for the obtayning of that which their owne incredulity had in this life forfayred Thirdly it was Oratio arrogans a most saucy arrogant Prayer what did they thinke that God would bee pleased with sounds they cry aloude unto God it is true if a man bee deafe wee stretch out our throates unto him but what presumption was this to call out thus unto God who is nigh unto all them that seeke Ps 34. 18. him hoc non est â—rare omnipotentem sed derogare but there is a worse thing in it then all this they came cloathed with their sinnes before him whose pure eyes can endure no uncleanesse they did dye in their sinnes and filthinesse and then were past washing or cleansing it was therefore Opus audaciae an audacious prayer Fourthly it was Oratio intempestiva an unseasonable Prayer when the gate is shut one minute is too late momentum est unde pendet aeternitas there is a moment of time whereon depends eternity but that must bee in this life for God heares prayers only in a time accepted here is the place and here is the time too hereafter is neyther place nor time serò levavit dives oculos prayer is a grace of the way not of the
Country prayers hereafter are turned into prayses this prayer of theirs must needes therefore bee unseasonable now you have the Reason why Christ knoweth them not knock they may but let them knock never so long Christ will not open because Math. 7. 22. they are workers of iniquity Knock therefore with the hand of faith as hard as thou canst even at this beautifull gate and say with the Psalmist Arise Lord why sleepest thou Ps 44. 23. then thou shalt have this blessed answer returned I will arise and sleepe no longer and will open unto thee so that I say Aske and have Ps 12. 5. Math. 7. 8. seeke and find knock and it shall bee opened unto thee Thus I have shewed thee the three kinds of prayer wherein there is thy part to God and Gods part to thee The manner how to pray I have also shewed thee the manner how thou must pray now I will proceede to the second branch that is the time when thou must pray pray alwayes that is to have a heart alwayes composed to 1 Thes 5. 17. prayer Leave then that fond excuse which too many now a dayes make to themselves to put off prayer and say that by reason of theyr employments they have no time for prayer just may it bee with God to send a Plague of Pestilence upon such carnall Gospellers which may hinder their employments that they may have vacant time enough to call unto him and â—o bee left voyd of excuse but if thou wilt have thy proceedings prosperous pray if thou desirest to spend thy time wel pray bee it for peace bee it in warre bee it in time of pestilence bee it for superiors bee it for inferiors be it for things spirituall or things temporall bee it for the state of the whole Church bee it for any particular member therein afflicted bee it to be freed from those Divine Service of the Church most usefull troubles which the crafts and assaults of the Devill or man shall worke agaynst thee pray stil and excellent are those formes which the Liturgy of our Church presents unto thee upon these and all other occasions whatsoever Thou mayst Dan. 6. 10. reade how that the Prophet Daniel prayed three times a Ps 119. 164. Act. 10. 3. day David prayed seaven times a day S. Paul gave himselfe continually to prayer S. James his knees were hardned like the hoofes of a horse by constant kneeling in prayer Prayer an excellent way to prevayle but the knees of most men in these dayes are like those of Elephants not able to how at all how many are there that pray not once a day not once a weeke nay how many thousands that call not to God at all how do they thinke that God will defend them Certainly he will not do thou therefore get thy selfe within the compasse oâ— his protection pray powre out thy Soule before God and if conveniency of place will not admit the expression of thy mouth use holy meditations Col. 4. 2. which is a kinde of talking with God but withall pray alwayes and watch in the Great need of Prayer at all times same In the time of warres there is alwayes a sentinell watching to prevent the sodaine incursion of the Enemy and sure I am that thou art alwayes at enmity with the Divell he still strives to assault thee thou hast need therefore to be still upon thy guard stand out in defiance looke to him close or else he will creepe in at one loope hole or other but as in wars the watch seeing the Enemyes approach gives notice to the Generall do thou likewise if the Devill chance by some nonslight or other to come so neere as to close with thee call to Christ Jesus that great Captaine Heb. 2. 10. of thy salvation under whose banner all true Christians fight and have vowed to continue his faithfull souldiers to their lives end at whose very appearance that grand Enemy of Mankind will make a sodaine retrayte not daring like a Dunkerker to board a ship that is thus mand and provided with ammunition I have now shewed thee how to pray and when to pray now for thyâ— greater encouragement in the combat I will declare the power and efficacy of prayer The very meanest and silliest beast in all the wildernesse is not so much appalled at the roaring of the Lyon as the Devill that roaring lyon is affrighted at the prayers of a true Christian and why because he knowes them to be so prevalent with God Prayer is so forcible that nothing can withstand it by it Daniel stopt the mouthes of the Lyons and by it Jonah Dan. 6. 22. opened the mouth of the Whale By Prayer Eliah Jonah 3. 8. locked up the heavens so that it did not raine upon the earth Jam. 5. 17. for the space of three yeeres and six months and then againe by Prayer hee made raine to descend from heaven upon the Earth in great abundance so that the Earth brought forth its encrease It was the Prayer of Joshua that made that nimble post of Heaven who like a Gyant deleghts to runne his course to stand stone still in the middest of the firmament when David was at his wits Josh 20. 12 end and did but pray that the wicked counsell of Achitophell might come to nought God stept in with comfort and caused Achitophels 2. Sam. 17. counsell to end in a halter The Apostles being met together did by prayer make the very house crack where they were Prayer is of that force that it will conquer Act. 4. 31. Gods attrybutes it will lay hold on Gods arme even that arme which hath done such wonders of old and will hold it and as Iacob R. H. did never let him go till he Gen. 32. 26 give a blessing It will fetch God downe from heaven S. Paul knew it well enough Our saviour was so powerfull in prayer whilest he was in the Examples of praying men garden that he fetcht down Angels therewas never but one Transfiguration that was occasioned by prayer St. Stephen by it got St. Pauls Conversion and by the same way St. Paul had his eye sight restored his understanding enlightned Act. 9. 11. by prayer Moses was called filius precuÌ„ the sonne of prayer if Moses did but pray Gods anger was appeased and the Plagues from Pharaoh were Exod. 33. 8. sodainly removed By devout Prayer the pestilent affections of the mind are healed the bodily passions cured Prayer is avertue that prevaileth against all temptations against all cruell assaults of infernall spirits against the delights of this lingring life and the violent motions of the flesh So St. Jerome by prayer saith Cassiodore the anger of God is asswaged pardon is procured punishment avoyded and Antisthens large rewards obtayned nay a very Heathen himselfe could say thus much that the surest way for men to avoyd
the danger of their enemies was to be busily occupied in devout Praier It is the only ladder to climbe up to Heaven by In the time of persecution no better way Prayer the onely way to the throne of grace then by Prayer it is via aequissima The most equall way for where Prayer is the Advocate God is the Vmpire it is via tutissima the most safe way all humane dependances may be intercepted but nothing can hinder prayer from its ascent to heaven it is a strong peece of armor that will stand out the shock of any feirce encounter whatsoever Prayer is also via mitissima the mildest way it is armor but for defence only and lastly is via promptissima the most ready way other wayes may admit of delayes there may be rubbes in the way but Prayer is swift Prayer wil make way through all difficulties is violent in its motion it is in heaven before it is out of the lips no persecution can stop it not any afflections can intercept it the tongue the lips may faile in their Office but no cruelty can once reach the duty of Prayer if persecution be a batching Prayer can prevent it if the Cloudes of affliction beginne to overcast Prayer can make them wast a way as the morning deaw but admit that persecution Hos 6. be come that thy soule is as it were drenched in affliction Prayer can divert them and though the sunne set in sorrow yet joy comes in the morning when freinds faile then comes in God with consolation so that I say in all things pray be conversant in prayer if any thing trouble thee pray still the holy Martyrs when they wrote any letters to their freinds they concluded with this word Pray thrice repeated Pray Pray Pray to intimate the continuall comfortable use of Prayer Now I have shewed thee the Christian Armour with the manner how thou shouldest use it now I will discover the Adversaries against whom thou must fight but first give mee leave to counsell thee as the Apostle doth to stand Ephes 6. 14. 1. Cor. 16. 13. Gal. 5. 1. â— Phil. 4. 1. fast in the fayth and quit thy self like a man stand fast also in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made thee free and againe I say stand fast in the Lord stand therefore ready stand sure and stand to the end and then be assured of a victorious Conquest in the conclusion The first Enemy that presents himself in the lists is the The first Enemy the World world how potent this Enemy is many in the world can testify who are yet captivated by pleasures of it not being able to helpe themselves but live and dye profest slaves to their great Lord and Master This Enemy the World is with out thee whereas the Flesh is within thee and the Devill about thee yet they have clapped hands together they joyne their forces together to deceive to intrap and to entice the very children of God to their most wicked allurements Looke therefore about thee and first see whether all be well at home whether thou beest at peace within thy selfe whether any inbred corruption lyeth lurking in thy heart that is a friend to the world looke to The flesh a private Enemy thy own flesh that false seeming freind of thine least it doe betray thee do not connive at the flesh if thou dost it will be a ready way to have thy throat cut for this one enemy within thee is more then tenne without thee like Jehohanan and Shimeon who did almost as much hurt to Jerusalem within as Titus and all his warlike Souldiers did without or like those Traytors in the Trojan horse fifty of them will do more hurt in one night then tenne thousand open enemyes in tenne yeeres An Enemy besieging a Town the besieged within shut up the gates lock up all the ports and keepe a constant watch COR Civitas Omnipotentis Regis and ward that no man may come in to discover their strength do thou likewise shut up the gates of thy heart the gates of the City of the great God that no rotten or evill communication may proceede from it out of thy mouth 1. Cor. 6. 19. or that no allurements of the world come into it to betray it but alwayes keepe it unspotted and pure like to the Temple of the holy Ghost Now having given thee an Item of the impediments in this battle discovered the sly ambushments of the Enemy in setting thy selfe agaynst thy self I will shew thee a way how to wayle thy selfe and to come off victoriously and thus it is Let not thy conscience bee spotted and defiled with sinne if Hic â—murus aheneus esto Nil tonscire sibi it be it will fly in thy face and so become one of thy greatest opposers on the contrary having thy conscience pure how uncontroulably dost thou come on how victoriously dost thou come off in this Christian combat live then in a good conscience before Act. 13. 1. God exercise thy selfe alwayes to have a good conscienct voyd Act. 16. of offence toward God and towards man purge thy conscience Heb. 9. 14. 2. Tim. 1. 3. 4. 2. from dead workes serve God with a pure conscience not having thy conscience seared with a hot iron having thy conscience Mens conscia recti thus qualifyed come what will come thou needest not feare at all let the Flesh come let the Devill come let the World come let them all come they shall not be able to touch one haire of thy head or do thee the least harme possible Now thou art come to joyne battle with this Enemy the World that the world is an Enemy is without all doubt hee that seekes to deprive and cozen thee of thy estates and never leaves till hee have brought thee to beggery cannot certaynely bee thy freind such is the World that seekes to deprive thee of thy heavenly state and so bring thee to misery Alas what is the world but vanity of vanityes Eccles 1. 2. Solomon found it Prov. 30. 8. so and thereupon advised to remove farre off all vanity denounceth a Judgement agaynst Esay 5. 19. those that draw iniquity 1 Cor. 3. 20. with Cart-ropes of vanity yet the very thoughts of man à re vayne and the imaginations Rom. 1. 21 of a man are vayne so naturall is it for a man to live in vanity but for thy part cast these cords off for the frindship of this world is Jam. 4. 4. Enmity with God here thou hast as it were presented unto thee the effigies of the world The world nothing else but vanity now I will shew thee the glory thereof Let a man hold up the richest colour agaynst the sunne as Skarlet Purple or the like nay let a man that delights in gay cloathing make himselfe never so fine and go never so costly and let him bee beset