ABBA FATHER OR A PLAINE AND short direction concerning Priuate Prayer Also SVNDRY GODLY ADmonitions concerning Time and the well vsing of it By ELNATHAN PARR Minister of the Word Rom. 8.15 Ye haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Ephes 5.16 Redeeme the time because the dayes are euill LONDON Imprinted by F. K. for Samuel Man and are to be sold at the signe of the Swan in Pauls Church-yard 1618. TO THE VERY HONORABLE and most worthy Lady the Lady Iane Cornwaleys wife to the very Noble and Religious Gentleman Master NATHANAEL BACON Esquire Grace and Peace PRaier is the true Christian proper element without which hee can no more liue then without fire Breath is the instrument of the life of the body Prayer is the breath of the soule I haue obserued in many a difficulty of this breathing which I haue endeauoured according to my simple skill something to remedie by this direction I humbly desire your Ladiship to giue it leaue to passe vnder your worthy Name I confesse it can bee no waies vseful to you but it may bee to weaker Christians who are yet as babes newly beginning to cry Abba Father Herein I present my thankfull mind to your Ladiship whose great fauours and encouragements my deserts can neuer equall I daily pray for your Ladiship that as God hath highly aduanced your Name on earth for godlinesse so he would in the time appointed glorifie your soule in heauen for the merits of your Iesus Your Ladiships deuoted seruant in all humble obseruance ELN PARR TO THE CHRISTIAN READER encrease of all good gifts TO condemne a set forme of prayer argues want of sobrietie and wisdome In publike prayers in the Congregation it is necessary to haue a prescribed forme called Liturgy or Diuine Seruice which for more ease of memory is to be read out of the booke The ancientest Fathers in the peace of the Church haue by their practice so iudged it many Councels haue approued it and the best reformed Churches follow it As for priuate prayer of one Christian alone it is more expedient that it bee vttered without a booke and the most compleat performance of that duty is when a Christian is able not onely to repeate and apply to his owne soule and conscience a prayer conceiued by another but also vpon fit matter and heads suteable to the occasion to conceiue and vtter prayers of his own Yet seeing there are many to whom God hath not giuen memory and vnderstanding fitting to expresse in a continued speech the desires of their hearts for such haue I written this direction The reason why I haue vndertaken this businesse considering there are so many good Prayer-bookes in euery mans hand is first because though it bee cōmendable to vse a booke yet it is more comfortable to pray of our selues whose wants may be such as that we shall hardly finde them sufficiently expressed in any booke for euery man is best acquainted with his owne heart Secondly a man may be cast into prison and his booke taken from him how vncomfortably must he needs passe his time if he cannot pray without his booke The booke cannot be vsed in the darke when we may haue iust occasion to pray The booke may bee forgotten or lost but if thou attainest this gift thou canst neuer loose it vnlesse thou loosest thy selfe For these reasons I commend this Treatise to thee which I could haue amplified further and it may be clothed it with a more elegant stile But I aimed at thy profit remembring that I directed beginners for whom shortnesse and plainnesse are most fitting If thou profitest by this which I heere propound to thee praise God and in thy prayers forget not him who hath at least endeauoured to further thee If thou profitest not yet I haue done my good will for the which I desire thee to loue Thy true friend in Iesus Christ Eln. Parr Abba Father OR A PLAINE AND short direction concerning priuate Prayer PRayer is a holy conference of a godly mind with God whereby beleeuing we aske things necessary and giue thanks for benefits receiued Prayer is either Mentall onely or Vocall also this 1. Extraordinary or 2. Ordinary this 1. Publike or 2. Priuate this 1. Lesse priuate with the familie 2. More priuate by one alone Publike is that which is vsed in the publicke Congregation by the Minister with the people Priuate is that which is vsed by priuate persons in priuate places of this is this present Direction It is a great blessing that God will vouchsafe to attend and receiue our deuotions poured forth in any priuate place Great Personages require places sutable to their Greatnes but thy great God respects not the place how meane so euer but the necessitie of his seruant Where there is a Ieremy a Daniel or a Ionas a dungeon a Lions den the belly of a Whale are godly Oratories But remember that neuer any man prayed well priuately who contemned or neglected the publicke prayers in the Church For the comfortable performance of this priuate seruice two things are to be considered viz. 1. Preparation 2. Execution Preparation is an holy and considerate fitting our selues for this dutie This is necessary in a threefold respect 1. Of the person before whom wee present our selues which is the Almighty 2 Of the importance of the thing it selfe which is a speciall part of diuine worship 3 Of the consequence of this duty which is the obtaining of things needfull for this and a better life Vnto this preparation seuen things belong 1 First a fit place which must bepriuat a Ma. 6.5.6 Christ himselfe went into a mountaine alone to pray b Ma. 14.23 and into a solitary place c Mar. 1.35 So Peter went vp to the vpper part of the house d Act. 10.9 not but that it is lawfull to pray euery where e 1. Tim. 2.8 But priuacy is to be chosen that being sequestred from company we may the more fully descend into our owne hearts and be the freer from ostentation and hypocrisie and from discursation and wandring of mind 2 Secondly a fit time All times are for this exercise f Eph. 6.18 1. Thes 5.17 euen the night is a sweet time for prayer as Dauids midnights practise g Psa 119.62 and our Sauiours whole nights spent in prayer h Luk. 6.12 Lam. 2.19 doe testifie Thou canst not alwaies but at certaine set times speake to great men but thou maist alwaies speak to thy God Yet for set and ordinary prayer some choise of time would be vsed I think it to be most comfortable to begin and end the day with praier as the ordinary sacrifice of the Iewes was morning and euening instituted by God 3. Thirdly a freedom of mind from thoughts of the world and the affaires thereof for earthly things are heauy and their thoughts depressing which hinder the ascēt of the mind to God 4 Repentance and a
cheerefulnesse and reioycing for benefits receiued then it 's not vnsitting that thankes-giuing should bee in the â—â—st place If thou findest thy heart more affected with griefe for sin then if thou pleasest let confession of sin and desire of pardoÌ„ precede Wait vpon God wiâ—â— an honest and reuerâ—â—â— heart and the annoâ—â—ting will helpe thy 〈◊〉 firmities and teach thâ—â— to cry Abba Father An example of the parts before propounded in their order O Lord 1 I confesse that I am a vile sinner 2 I beseech thee of 1 Pardon by Iesâ—â— Christ 2 O Lord giue mee faith that I may feeâ—â— this pardon liuelily in my heart 3 And I beseech thee â—â—ue mee true repenâ—ance to amend my â—icked life that my â—aith may bee seene in the fruits of holy obediâ—nce 4 And whereas thou hast called me to this estate and calling ... Direct mee therein I â—umbly pray thee by â—he wisedome of thy spirit and furnish mee with such necessary gifts that I may discharge my duty to thy glory the good of others and the comfort of mine owne soule 5 And because Satan is a deadly enemie and I am weake O Lord I beseech the forsake mee not in 〈◊〉 houre of tentation 〈◊〉 stablish my heart in grace giue me perseuerance in goodnesse and in the end victory by Iesus Christ 6 This which I beg for my selfe I humbly craue for thy whole Church vpon earth that it may please thee to performe all thy promises to thine elect and to bring vs all to thy heauenly kingdome O Lord thy name be for euer praised for all thy loue and for all my benefits spirituall â—nd temporall thereby â—estowed vpon me And I humbly intreat thee to preserue me in safety this night through my Lord Iesus Christ to whom c. or in whose name c. praying in the words of the Lords prayer The same with the thanksgiuing in the first place O Lord I humbly thanke thee for all thy fauours spirituall and temporall of the least of which I am most vnworthie by reason of my great sinnes for I confesse that I am a vile sinner c. The enlargement of these parts followeth Before we particularly sâ—â—â—k of enlargemeÌ„t be thou admonished of 2. things 1 Feruent praying though short is more accepted then long praying with coldnesse The Publicans prayer Å¿ Luk. 18.13 was short in words but full of sense and desire of more worth with God then all the long praiers of the Pharisies for God measures not our deuotions by the length and by the outward habite of words but by the inward meaning of the spirit So our blessed Sauiour in the garden t Mat. 26.39.42.44 vsed but few words but his desire and the gronings of his spirit wherin is the power of our prayers were vnutterable Hee that vseth many words without the desire of the heart speaketh indeed but prayeth not for prayer is the desire of the heart crying Abba Father words but the expressing of this desire The noyse of our lips without the voice of the heart is no more a true prayer then ringing of belles or babling of a Parrot As a body without a soule much wood without fire a bullet in a gun without powder so are words in prayer without spirit Prayers are as gold in a little quantitie of words there must bee a great value of spirit He that is feruent in the spirit prayes much though he speake little 2 Secondly when thou prayest let thy words follow thy desire If thou findest a dulnesse of spirit and coldnesse of thy affections be the shorter and conclude with a groning of the spirit for thy drowsinesse with a lifting vp thy heart to God that hee would looke mercifully vpon thee and quicken thee Let this bee an occasion to humble thee the more and it will be a meanes to worke thee to more liuelinesse and feruency the next time thou presentest thy selfe before God And if thou bee'st truly humbled it will driue thee to God and thou wilt thinke long till the time come about wherin thou maist complaine and poure forth thy heart before him If thou findest a viuacity and cheerfulnes of minde and the desire of thy heart to be strong and feruent prompting thee with matter and words conclude not thy praiers and praises too soone but let thy soule take her fill of celestiall delicacies in her familiar confereÌ„ce with God If the desire of the heart be weak and faint it is not to bee wearied and oppressed with words The enlargement of the seueral parts in prayer is either 1. Generall or 2. Particular The generall is that which in common belongs to al the parts and it is twofold 1 The vsing of some description of God whom wee inuocate from his Attributes Promises Effects c. Such a beginning hath the Lords Prayer Our Father which art in heauen u Mat. 6.9 Thus began our Sauiour in the Garden * Mar. 14.36 Abba Father all things are possible vnto thee Thus lehosophat begins his prayer x 2. Chron. 20.6.7.8.9.10 Thus Peter and Iohn y Acts 4.24.25.26 looke the places which are to long to be transcribed Such description is to be vsed in the beginning of our Prayers for the helping of our faith and assurance in which we ought to pray and may also be well vsed in any of the seuerall parts when wee would stir vp faith 2 A begging of audience So Dauid a Psa 5.1.2.3 Psal 102.1.2 Psal 140.1.2 Both these are excellently vsed by Hezekiah b 2. Kings 19.15.16 This also may very fitly bee vsed in the conclusion of our prayers as thus Daniel most passionately and feruently endeth c Dan 9.17.18.19 The particular enlargement is of each part by it selfe The arguments ordinarily seruing hereunto are the causes The effects The subiects The adiuncts The contraries Similitudes and comparisons Distributions Testimonies There are certaine ornaments also not to be neglected for the polishing and beautifying our speech in prayer as 1 Comely transitions and passings from one part to another 2 Exclamations wheÌ„ we speak of the goodnes of God thus How great is thy goodnes to them which feare thee d Psal 31.19 When we speake of the promises thus How sweete are thy promises to my mouth e Ps 119.103 When wee speake of our owne wretchednesse thus O wretched man that I am f Ro. 7.24 c. 3 Interrogations as when Dauid lay vnder a great affliction of mind and cried out Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer And will hee shew no more fauour Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to bee mercifull Hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure g Ps 77.7.8.9 The power of these Interrogations Who is able to expresse it Whose heart akeâ— not in the very reading of them How doe they increase our feeling and raise our desires 4 Options or wishes as
if we begge for grace to obey God according to his commaÌ„dements thus O that my waies were directed to keepe thy statutes h Psal 119.5 5 Vowes and promises thus i Psal 51.12.13 Restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation and vphold mee with thy free Spirit Then will I teach transgressors thy waies c. And againe k Vers 14. Deliuer mee O God and my â—ongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousnesse And againe l Vers 15. O Lord open thou my lippes my mouth shal shew forth day praise So also m Psal 119.33.34 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it vnto the end Giue mee vnderstanding and I will keepe thy Law yea I will obserue it with my whole heart 6 Ingeminations thus Dauid also prayeth n Psal 94.1.2 O Lord God the Auenger O God the Auenger shew thy selfe exalt thy selfe O Iudge of the world c. And diuers others of this nature which a deuout hart will easily find out and to this purpose I am perswaded it s very helpesfull to be familiarly conuersant in the Psalmes because Dauid was a man of all other of inflamed affectionâ— and most excelling this way Hee that desires to make trial of this plaine direction and to profit by it may be much holpen by two things 1. Let him indeuour soundly to vnderstand the principles of Religion or else he shall neuer be able to tell what to aske of God 2 Secondly if he can write let him make a book of clean paper and in sundry leaues write in the top the particular parts of prayer with their seuerall branches allowing a whole leafe to each part branch and then whatsoeuer excellent speciall phrase or sentence hee readeth or heareth of any of those parts or branches let him referre it to his proper leafe and place Which course if it bee taken and these plaâ—â—s diligently studied and now and then reuised read ouer wil in my opinion much enable a man vpon any occasion to pray with vnderstanding either alone or with others to their desired comfort If any shall think this way to be too busie and to require too much paines I desire them to remember that no excellent thing can be attained without labour which how great soeuer it should be should not be grutched for the attaining a faculty in this exercise which is the refuge and refreshing of the soule one of the chiefest pieces of a Christians armour o Ephes 5.18 and the meanes whereby all good things are sanctified to our comfortable vse p 1 Tim. 4.5 Seuen yeere is holden but a conuenient terme to learne the children of men earthly manuall trades let not the childe of God account twice so long time to be too much to learne the heauenly Art of outward crying Abba Father Here follow some exampâ—â— of the rules of generall 〈◊〉 particular enlargement â—â—fore deliuered for a taste to a young beginner The general enlargement from a descriptâ—â— of God Description from and begging of Audience thus O q Title Almighty God the r Effect Creatour of heauen and earth and my most mercifull Å¿ Title Father in Iesus Christ which hast gratiously t Promise promised to heare thy children when they pray vnto thee O u Begging of Audience Lord I beseech thee accept heare and grant â—â—e supplication of thy â—â—ruant by Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 such like Examples of particular enlargement 1 Confession of sin may be enlarged first â—y the Adiunct 1. The adi iunct secondly by a distribution of sinne thirdly by the effects c. Thus O Lord I confesse that I am a vile sinner First being ashamed to look vp vnto heauen and vnworthy to liue vpon earth Secondly 2. Distribution for I am guilty of the sinne of Adam and more also I haue committed actuall transgressions without number in breaking thy most holy commandements omitting my duty and doing the contrary many sinnes of ignorance which I pleade not to excuse but to condemne my self who ought to haue knowne thy will and often of knowledge which wounds my soule to remember Thirdly 2. Effect O Lord in thy iustice I haue deferued such plagues both bodily and spirituall temporall and eternall which thy righteous omnipotency can inflict vpon abominable sinners Or such like 2 Petition for pardon may be enlarged First by an ingemination Secondly by the effects adorned with exclamation Thirdly by the contrary Fourthly by a testimony adorned with inrerrogation Fifthly by the meritorious cause Thus. First 1. Ingemination O Lord pardon O Lord forgiue O Lord be mercifull Secondly 2. Effects with exclamation blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man that obtaineth thy fauour Thirdly 3. Contraries O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant reward mee not according to my ill deseruing Turne away thine anger and make thy ioyfull countenance shine into my soule Fourthly 4. Testimony with interrogation is it not thy promise to pardon sinners that seeke thy fauour and to helpe them which call vpon thee O make good thy promise vnto thy seruant Deare Father for Iesus Christ his sake Fifthly 5. Meritorious cause remember his obedience his passion his blood the price wherby I am ransomed and bee reconciled remitting all mine offences or such like 2 Petition for faith may be enlarged First from the efficient cause Secondly from the contrary Thirdly from the effects adorned with vowing c. Thus First 1. Efficient cause O Lord I beseech thee worke in me by thy holy Spirit faith to beleeue the pardon of my sinnes It is not in my power to beleeue it must be thy worke in my soule Secondly 2 Contrary make mee to belieue good Father and helpe my vnbeliefe Thirdly 3. Effect with vowing grant mee a feeling of thy loue in my heart and that peace which passeth all vnderstanding then will I confidently come before thee and praise thee with ioyfull lips or such like 3 Petition for repentance may be enlarged First from the cause Secondly from a distribution adorned with exclamation Thirdly from the contrarie Fourthly from a comparison Thus First holy Father 1. The cause grant that my faith may shew it selfe in the sanctification of my life Secondly 2. Distribution with exclamation and to this end I humbly beseech thee renew in mee thy decaied image and giue me true repentance that I may turne from all my sinnes to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of my life Make me to vnderstand mine owne vilenesse that I may earnestly pray for renouatioÌ„ Ah wretch that I am though I know my selfe to be an horrible sinner and that I haue tenne thousand times deserued damnation yet such is the flintinesse of my heart that I am not sensible of my dangerous and fearefull estate Thirdly 3.
Contrary Abba Father all things are possible to thee manifest I pray thee thy gracious power vpon my heart in mollifying the hardnesse of it Make me to relent and to haue remorse Worke in mee a godly sorrow and such hatred of all sinne that I may for euer abominate it Fourthly 4. Comparison and grant deare Father that I may be able as zealously to follow thy commandements as euer I haue delightfully followed and fulfilled mine owne vnlawfull desires or such like 4 Petition for direction in our personall calling may bee enlarged First from the cause Secondly from the contrarie Thirdly froÌ„ the effect Fourthly from the Adiunct thus First O Lord in as much as thou hast ordained that wee should all liue in some honest calling and that therein wee should shew forth our faith and holy profession I humbly intreat thee to direct me in this my vocation ... Secondly Lord make me conscionable and to abhorre idlenesse Blesse my labours grant that the world carrie not away my heart but that I may so care for the things of this life that I forget not that I am called to thy Kingdome O make me so to liue as one who through thy goodnesse expects that heauenly inheritance Thirdly let my life bee to thy glory the good of others and mine owne eternall comfort Fourthly and in as much as thou hast appointed the Crosse to thy Disciples I beseech thee to sanctifie whatsoeuer trouble it shall please thee to lay vpon me and to giue me patience and such contentednesse with thy holy will that it may not draw me from thee but vnto thee and that vnder the same I may haue cause to reioyce in the experience of thy fauors through Iesus Christ my Lord or such like 5 Petition for perseuerance may be enlarged 1 From the cause 2 From the adiunct 3 From the contraries when speciall instance may bee made of that speciall corruption which we are most subiect vnto thus 1 O Lord let it bee thy good pleasure 1. Cause continually to watch ouer me and to preserue me in the zealous performance of my duty to the end of my daies which without thy helpe I cannot doe 2 For the daies are euill and dangerous 2. Adiunct the occasions and examples of sinne are infinite Lord keepe mee in the faith that I fall not away and preserue mee from the sinnes of these times 3 And more then this 3. Contrary Satan is my deadly enemie seeking to deuoure my soule and I am weake O Lord thou knowest Deare Father confound Satan and confirme my faith so bridle him that he may not haue power ouer me so strengthen mee that I may bee alwaies able to resist and repell him when thou shalt thinke it good to suffer him to tempt mee O Lord forsake mee not faile not of thy promised helpe that I may not faile in my faith and obedience make mee to preuaile and by the might of thy spirit to haue victory in Iesus Christ And whereas I am compassed about with many infirmities specially with ... O Deare God and Father strengthen me here and giue mee power to rule and gouerne my affections and to subdue them all to the obedience of thy holy word through Iesus Christ my Lord. Or such like 6 Petition for the Church may bee enlarged 1 Generally 2 Particularly 1 Generally by desiring the fulfilling of all the promises made vnto it as 1. Defence 2 Destruction of enemies 3 Conuersion of the elect 4 Confirmation of the conuerted 5 Comfort of the afflicted by Common calamities of Body Mind Speciall as persention In affliction of body as sicknesse 1 That God would sanctisie it to the furtherance of their repentance 2 That hee would giue them patience 3 That he would recouer them if it bee his will if otherwise 4 That hee would prepare theÌ„ for a peaceable departure In affliction of mind that God would 1 Pardon their sins 2 Giue them repentance 3 Encrease their faith 4 Defend them from Satan and 5 Giue them an happy issue In Persecution that they may be 1 Assisted with the holy spirit and that they may 2 Boldly glorifie God in witnessing to the truth euen with the losse of their liues 2 Particularly by making mention of the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland that God would 1 Pardon our crying sinnes 2 Hold backe his heauie iudgements deserued 3 Continue his Gospell 4 Preserue our dread Soueraigne Lord King Iames our Noble Queen the hopefull Prince 〈◊〉 c. 5 Blesse the Honourable Councell Nobility Gentry Iudges Iustices the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments the Comminalty And here we are to remember our families parents friends yea our very enemies c. 2 Thankes-giuing may be enlarged by an enumeration of benefits according to the distribution of them before meÌ„tioned and may be notably amplified by the contraries in considering how miserable wee should be in the want of those blessings all or some c. In the conclusion we may remember to aske preseruation for the day or night followingâ— aptly falling into it 〈◊〉 from the mention of the benefits bestowed vpon our bodies in the thankes-giuing 1 For the day taking occasion by similituder to desire grace to walke soberly as in the day 2 For the night by similitude to desire to be preserued from the works of darknesse and from eternall death and that God would giue protection and comfortable refreshing Both for night and day to bee amplified from the shortnesse of â—ife and suddennesse of death and to adde something for preparation thereunto For the life of a Christian â—ought to be a continuâ—ll meditation of death And thus reuerently to shut vp all with the Lords prayer A SHORT PRAIER according to the same order gathered out of diuers places of holy Scripture by which as by a pâ—terne may bee conceiued both the manner and the vse of a Note-booke to be made and kept of those things which we reade concerning the seuerall parts of Prayer O a The preface in a description of God and a begging of audience Lord my God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ b Ephes 3.14 I beseech thee haue respect to the prayer of thy seruant and to his supplication to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which thy seruant prayeth before thee this day c 1. Kin. 8.28 d Confession of sinne O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift vp my face to thee my God for â—ine iniquities are encreased ouer my head and my trespasse is growne vp vnto heauen e Ezra 9.6 f 1. Petition for pardon O Lord forgiue g Dan. 9.19 and cause thy face to shine vpon thy seruant for the Lords sake h Dan. 9.17 Take away all mine iniquitie and receiue me graciously so will I render the calues of my lips i Hos 14.3 k 2. For saith O stir me vp to take hold vpon thee l Esa