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