64.7 I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe m Mark 9.24 and encrease my faith n Luk. 17.5 Seale me to the day of Redemption o Ephes 4.30 and shed abroad thy loue in my heart by thy holy spirit p Rom. 5.5 I humbly beseech thee q 3. For repentance Turne me O Lord vnto thee and I shall bee â—â—â—ned r Lam. 5.21 Create in me a cleaâ—â— heart O Lord and reneâ—â—â— right spirit within me Å¿ Psal 51.10 〈◊〉 take the stony heart out 〈◊〉 my body and giue me 〈◊〉 heart of flesh that I wiâ—â— walke in thy flatutes 〈◊〉 that I may be thy serâ—â—â— and thou mayst be my 〈◊〉 for euermore t Ezech. 11.19.20 u 4. For direction in our personall callings Aâ—â— whereas thou hast caâ—â—â— mee to this estate ... 〈◊〉 Good Lord grant 〈◊〉 grace therin to worketh 〈◊〉 which is good x Ephes 4.28 2 Thes 3.12 with qâ—â—â—etnesse and to eate miâ—â—â—â—owne bread shewing all good conscience that I may adorne the doctrine of God my Sauiour in all things y Tit. 2.15 and in as much as thy disciples must take vp the â—rosse and follow thee z Mat. 16.24 I way thee Deare Father strengthen mee with all might through thy gloriâ—â—â— powâ—e vnto all patiâ—â—ce and long suffering with ioyfulnesse a Col. 1.11 b 5. For perseuerance And because Satan as a râ—ring â—â—ion seeketh to deuour 〈◊〉 O my God tread down â—atan vnder my feet c Rom. 16.20 stablish me in euery good word and work d 2. These 17 and preserue my whole spirit soule and body blamelesse vnto the comming of our 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ c 6. For the Church Doe good thy good pleasure to 〈◊〉 on and build the mallâ—â—â— thy IerusaleÌ„ f Psal 51.18 Good 〈◊〉 preserâ—â— thy little flockâ—â— whom thâ—n hast prâ—â—â—â— the kingdome g Luk. 12.32 h Thankesgiuing I thâ—â—â— thee O Father Lord 〈◊〉 heauen and â—arth i Mat. 11.25 thâ—â— thou hast deliuâ—red 〈◊〉 from the power of darâ—â—â— and translated we into 〈◊〉 kingdome of thine 〈◊〉 Saâ—ue O Lord thou 〈◊〉 been my God from my â—â—â—ther â—wâ—mbe k Psa 22.10 Thou 〈◊〉 â—â—pt mee â—nto this dâ—â—â— thy prâ—â—â—dence thou 〈◊〉 giuen me bread to 〈◊〉 clothes to put on l 〈◊〉 28.20 I hâ—â—â—ly praise thy name and I beseech thee make me dwel 〈◊〉 safety m Psal 4.8 vnder the shadow of thy wings n Psal 17.8 this day or night through Ieâ—is Christ in whose name c. Or to whom with thee O Father Amen Thou maist also make vse of the Lords Prayer excellently to this purpose IT was giuen for a paterne and speciall direction to the Church vpon earth how to pray There can be no better direction for if wee require wisdome wisedome it selfe endited it if perfection it comprehends all the kinds of all things to be prayed for if order the method is diuine if perspicuous breuity so much could not by any onely-created vnderstanding be compacted into so little if force and power there can bee none more effectuall then that which Iesus Christ the Word of the Father hath left and commended to his Church If thou wouldest profitably vse it Obserue bese things 1 Learne throughto vnderstand it 2 Beare in mind the â—uerall petitions with â—â—e it order 3 Note downe in thy memory as thou wert before directed these graces thou crauest in â—uery petition giuing theÌ„ their proper place in thy booke in thy memory and in thy prayer 4 Fourthly take due knowledge of thy wants in euery petition vnder their seuerall heads setting downe the phrases and things thou meetest with al concerning them And specially note vpon thy heart and imprint in it the graces thou most wantest the wants which most doe trouble thee Principally meditate of those graces and labour to bee humbled with the feeling of those wants To helpe thee to spell 〈◊〉 this lesson out of the Lords Prayer After a description of God as before keeping the petitions with their order in thy minde thou maist enlarge theÌ„â—us The 1. Petition Hallowed be thy name 1 Heere thou maist how how God hath commanded and it is our dutie to glorifie his name in regard of our First Creation Secondly preseruation but specially in regard of our Thirdly Redemption 2 Then acknowledge First thy negligence and carelesnesse this way Secondly thy pride in seeking thine owne glory more then Gods Thirdly thy want of zeale Fourthly such sinnes whereby thou hast dishonoured God most causing his name thereby to be blasphemed Thirdly Desire grace the thou maiest chiefly in all thy thoughts words and deeds propound to thy self to glorifie God and to respect his glory more then euen the saluation of thy soule The 2. Petition Thy Kingdome come 1 Enlarge this by a mourning of thy soule vnto God for thy bondage vnder sinne and Satan amplified from the consideration First of our first Creation Secondly of our present traiterous and rebellious disposition by the power of originall sinne which hath wholly possessed all parts of body and soule 2 Desire that God would First rescue and redeeme thee out of the power of Satan and sinne Secondly that hee would by his spirit rule in thy heart casting out the strong man and diuiding his spoyles Thirdly that hee would make the affections subiect to the regiment of his spirit and renew thee according to his image Thou maist make this the place of repentance 3 Here thou maist remember the Church the kingdom of Christ The 3. Petition Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen 1 Here confesse and bewaile First thy readinesse to doe thine owne will yea the will of Satan making these the rule of thy life and not the will of God Secondly thy ignorance of Gods word which is the copie of his will Thirdly thy negligence in hearing of it Fourthly thy contempt shewed in continuance in knowne sins after admonition 2 Then desire grace First to denie thy selfe Secondly to vnderstand the word Thirdly to loue and reuerence it more Fourthly to make it the rule of thy life in as much as it is the scepter of Christs kingdome Fifthly that thy conuersation may bee in heauen after the example of the Angels Sixthly whatsoeuer be the will of God for thee to doe or suffer that thou maist alwaies with patience and contentation say Thy will be done The 4. Petition Giue vs this day our daily bread 1 Here acknowledge that thy life preseruation and all good things come from God 2 Confesse and bewaile thy First couetousnesse Secondly thy vniust dealing to enrich and maintaine thy selfe Thirdly Matth. 6. thy distrust in the good prouidence of God who feedeth the fowles clotheth the Lillies Fourthly thy earthly and worldly mind that cannot sauor ought but earth and earthly things 3 Then desire First the prouidence of God to watch ouer thee for thy preseruation and main
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.