what lost-ones they are in themselves and that they must be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power if they know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and be found in Him which may put them upon praying that they may profit by hearing Indeed we would take off these sensuall persons not having the Spirit from praying by the booke and Reading the Holy Scriptures as they read them and apply themselves to the hearing Gods Word in season and out of season and attend upon the moovings of the Holy Spirit upon the Word preached which is the Chariot of the Spirit therewith for so it is appointed of God the good Spirit comes into the heart as the Sunne into the house workes Faith there and makes us light in the Lord so as now we can see clearely how to pray and how to read and set our seale to it whereas before we did not pray nor did read the booke neither did we looke thereon * Revel 5. 4. See Bright We say it againe this is the Counsell which hath been given to us and through mercy we have received it and therefore we would give it to others who may be as we were when time was as much versed in reading the Holy Scriptures as they are in praying and all this while as we did slighting the place appointed for Hearing and despising the Word preached there Thus then as we were saying we would advise them to frequent Sermons and give all Diligence to profit thereby we meane to get faith by hearing that therewith they may mixe that they heare and make it profitable unto them For if we enquire at the Holy Oracle we beleeve it will resolve us as to Reading the Holy Scriptures before we have profited by Hearing That the word of God preached which is called we thinke The sword of the Spirit is as different from the Word read in our house as is a sword in the hand of a Mighty man different in point of working or making execution upon our lusts from the sword lifted-up in Georges hand upon a signe-post Give we then all Diligence in Hearing that we may read and pray at home with understanding This is our Counsell and this our Conclusion That whosoever rejecteth it multiplies Transgressions as he multiplies prayers and praises Nor can he think and shew himselfe a man That he shall be taught of the Father who heareth not His Word or that Christ appeares in the presence of God for him in heaven when he visibly and apparently appeares against Him on earth turning His Word behind his back and setting his heart against it We proceed to the second Querie SECT II. Q II. WHether Babes in Christ newly converted ones renewed in the spirit of their mindes have need of formes those commonly called crutches and helpes of Devotion when they appeare before their God Answ We humbly conceive no If they that were Lame before cannot now leape like an Hart yet they can goe to God without a Crutch And this we thinke the Scripture holds forth before us that the Adopted of God in Christ His Sonnes and Daughters have out-growne their Crutches and helpes of Devotion though some of them but Babes in Christ For whensoever The Spirit tells a person he is the sonne or daughter of God having wrought faith in his heart The second thing the Spirit doth it teacheth him to pray that is to Call God Father which is the voice of Gods Spirit in a sanctified soule It enableth him Gâ—la 4. 6 to Cry Abba Father to pray earnestly to be fervent in prayer They were cold prayers before but a lip-labour onely But the Spirit comeing-in to witnesse with his Spirit and bringing faith with Him makes the Childe to goe to God and looke upon Him as a Father whose favour he doubts not off or if he doe he would have his doubts resolved and his evidences cleared and for this he cries and is not helped at all as we conceive by any set forme which heateth the Spirit no more than the Censer is without fire for the Holy Ghost having sanctified the heart and put it into a whole-frame of Grace The heart speakes to God as it is quickned acted and moved by the Spirit of God And herein we would appeale to the experience and practise of all that are but Babes in Christ whether ever they were gainers by any formes of Devotion prayers sett before them And if they say no then they will not be easily perswaded to pray by those formes from which they gaine nothing but more dullnesse drossinesse and indisposednesse in their Spirits It is our perswasion That a child of God who is afflicted with the sense of sinne and affected with the sense of a pardon had rather speake five words to God with his understanding and sutable affections than ten thousand words prompted or suggested to him by a visible Books are a memory without us and memory is a book within us booke before his eye or an invisible his memory And more acceptance should he find with his God He hath told his errand in his owne words perhaps he wants words and can but chatter like a Crane It is as was said a prayer notwithstanding and may crie aloud in the eares of his God It is delivered with understanding with suitable affections with Humility an excellent ingredient in prayer with an inward sense of his Condition It is a good prayer sure and finds acceptance with his God We are generally deceived about prayer It is thinke we a worke of memorie of a good witt a readie invention a voluble tongue This makes an excellent prayer in the esteeme of a mans selfe and in the account of others But this is not prayer Prayer is the worke Mr. Ford. p. 629. 525 526 545 546. of Gods Spirit in a sanctified heart and feeles no need of Crutches to support and beare it up Heaven-ward these help us not we find when we are lame it is granted these hinder us when we are sound The Lord Christ is the Churches Advocate by Office The Spirit her Advocate by Energie and operation All the prayers Rom. 8. 26. which prevaile with God are formed wrought and fashioned in our hearts by the Spirit of God Now we suppose here is a Bâ—be in Christ as weake as Babes are notwithstanding he hath Bez no need of a forme he is in Christ and therefore hath the Spirit of Christ and therefore in the Spirit he can pray The Spirit helpeth his infirmities Rom 8. 26. helpeth The Greek word is very emphaticall a De-compound helpeth as a Father helpeth the little Child at a burden The Child onely puts to his hand the Father his strength Indeed the Father doth all so doth the Spirit in this Babe and if any thing else come to helpe with Him He will not helpe at all If the Crutch doe any
admire him also sine modo and without just reason May it not be feared That he feareth not his Maker as he ought nor Considers how soone He can take him away who can give such flattering words or high commendations to that man who hath such low thoughts of our dearest Lord and Saviour To say no more Surely such an honour as this to say what can be said in any subject belongs to that Man who honours God and whom God doth honour whose whole heart is taken-up with the love of Him his tongue with the praise of Him and whole life with the service of Him And blessed be our God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who giveth gifts unto Men plenty of his Spirit and variety of His Graces for the perfecting of His Saints for the worke of the Ministry and for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Having spoken this which every man we thinke that hath read all or any part of this learned mans works as one amongst us hath done will find himselfe pressed to speake and so give that honour to the said excellent Man to say what can be said in any subject his God shall ingage him upon We shall now sett downe what he saith for the readers fuller resolution especially to the fourth Query relating to the Lords prayer as was specified in the Title page Q. ii Did not Christ prescribe a forme of prayer to his disciples so that there remaineth no doubt touching the lawfulnes of using a form A. Luk. 11. 1 2 3 4. Ans If Christ prescribed a forme of prayer to his disciples to be used as a forme by the repetition of the same words I confesse it will be out of Question that it is lawfull to use a forme but that it is lawfull not to use a forme or that a man may use any prayer but a forme on that supposition will not be so easily determined The words of Christ are when you pray say Our Father c. If in this prescription not the matter onely but the words also are attended and that forme of them which followes is prescribed to be used by vertue of this command of Christ it will be hard to discover on what ground we may any otherwise pray seing our Sâ—viours command is positive when you pray say Our Father c. That which M. B. is to prove is that Our Saviour hath prescribed the repetition of the same words ensuing and when he hath done so if so be he can do his conclusion must be that that forme ought to be used not at all that any else may If our Saviour have prescribed us a forme how shall any man dare to prescribe another or can any man do it without casting on his forme the reproach of imperfection and insufficiency Our Saviour hath prescribed us a forme of prayer to be used as a forme by the repetition of the same words therefore we may use it yea we must is an invincible argument on supposition of the truth of the proposition But our Saviour hath prescribed us such a forme c. therefore we may use another which he hath not prescribed hath neither shew nor colour of Reason in it But how will M. B. prove that Christ doth not here instruct his Disciples in what they ought to pray for and for what they ought in prayer to addresse themselves to God and under what considerations they are to looke on God in their approaches to him and the like only but also that he prescribes the words there mentioned by him to be repeated by them in their supplications Luk 11 he bids them say Our Father c. which at large Mat 6. is pray after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to this purpose I doe not thinke the Prophet prescribes a forme of words to be used by the Church when he sayes Take with you words and turne to the Lord and say unto him Take away iniquitie Hos 14. 2 but rather calls them to fervent supplication for the pardon of sin as God should enable them to deale with him And though the Apostles never prayd for any thing but what they were for the substance directed to by this prayer of our Saviour yet we doe not find that ever they repeated the very words here mentioned or once commanded or prescribed the use of them to any of the Saints in their dayes whom they exhorted to pray so fervently and earnestly Nor in any of the Rules and Directions that are given for our praying either in reference to our selves or him by whom we have accesse to God is the use of these words at any time in the least recommended to us or recalled to mind as a matter of dutie Our Saviour sayes when ye pray say Our Father on supposition of the sence contended for and that a forme of words is prescribed I aske whether we may at any time pray and not say so seeing he sayes when you pray say whether we may say any thing else or use any other words whether the saying of these words be a part of the worship of God Or whether any promise of Acceptation be annexed to the saying so whether the spirit of grace and supplication be not promised to all beleivers And whether he be not given them to enable them to pray both as to matter and manner and if so whether the Repetition of the words mentioned by them who have not the Spirit given them for the ends before mentioned be availeable and whether prayer by the Spirit where these words are not repeated as to the letters and Syllables and order wherein they stand be acceptable to God whether the prescription of a forme of words and the gift of a spirit of prayer be consistent whether the forme be prescribed because Believers are not able to pray without it Or because there is a peculiar Holinesse force and energy in the letters words and syllables as they stand in that forme And whether to say the first of those be not derogatory to the Glory of God and efficacy of the Spirit promised and given to Believers and the second to assert the using of a Charme in the worship of God whether in that respect Pater nâ—ster be not as good as Our Father whether innumerable poore so les are not deluded and hardned by satisfying their consciences in and with the use of this forme never knowing what it is to pray in the holy Ghost And whether the Asserting this forme of words to be used have not confirmed many in their Atheisticall blaspheming of the holy Spirit of God and his Grace in the prayers of his people And whether the repetition of these words after men have been long praying for the things contained in them â—s the manner of some is be not so remote from any pretence or colour of warrant in the Scripture as that it is in plaine termes ridiculous When M. Biddle or any on his behalfe hath answered these questions they may be supplyed with more of the like nature and importance An End
said of the wicked themselves these are sensuall not having the Jude 19. Spirit though we may suppose them very exactly composed and by the most accomplished Men we meane by Holy men having the Spirit For though they might pray in prayer wrought by the Spirit for that very thing Yet being written before their eyes and prayed by the booke visible or invisible we meane the memory there is no more spirit and life therein than there is in a dead letter Indeed we may call these prayers flesh being written with inke which profiteth nothing it is the Spirit that quickneth And thereby that is by the Spirit of God His people call Him Father and Jesus their Lord. But praying without the Spirit and wholy carelesse to aske after the Spirit calling for it in prayer we are never more likely than at such a time and when we are upon that solemne worke never more likely than then to call Christ accursed Could we say Abraham's Isaac's Jacob's â— Cor. 12. 3. prayers with Paul's prayers c. And have not that Spirit by which they prayed our prayers would become as we beleeve in the eares of our God but as sounding brasse or a tinkling Cymball Thirdly We may Consider this All that God giveth to us or workes for us He doth all by the Hand of His Spirit So also All that His people give backe againe to Him or worke for Him They doe it by the speciall helpe of the Spirit too Therefore it is they see so much need of the Spirit and call so earnestly for a supplie from the same Quest 1. But it may be said how shall sensuall men not having the Spirit call for the Spirit unlesse as they are taught to doe it in other's words Answ This is a lesson can never be taught by man not by all or any prayers suggested to us by Man That every one of us by Nature is the Devill 's house emptied and swept of all Goodnesse brim-full of all filthinesse adorned and garnished with noisome lusts the ornament and garnish of that house the Devill calls his owne this we thinke no man questioneth Now if all this were debated upon and set downe prayer-wise according to the exactest forme It could not accomplish the thing what is it to say in another's words I am a sinner or I have sinned though saying Job 5. 20. so much he had said all if his heart had said it and not another for him freely feelingly sincerely and beleivingly So then one word spoken in desire and endeavour from the heart as aforesaid hath more virtue and efficacy in it than a thousand words suggested to us by the eyes or memory onely Certainly we must confesse sinne in our owne words our Confession will not be accepted else as we must forsake sin in our workes they that confesse and forsake sin are the same Quest 2. But is there not a double use of these set formes of prayer first for directing of our desires secondly for execiteing our affections Answ We humbly conceive there is not a single use of them not first for the directing our desires These are all inward and are moved by a principle within never stirred to move after God Christ Grace Glory till there be some inward sense or feeling of the want and necessitie of haveing God in Christ and all the needs of the soule supplyed by Him Sense of want is the Giving of Desire Now we cannot see how this inward sense can be wrought in the Soule by a forme of words lying before us any more than painted bread can stirre-up desire or satisfie desire being stirred-up As no outward thing can inwardly defile for all reall and truely called defilement is within and from within else the Devill himselfe could not defile us so no outward thing can inwardly purifie and then not purifying it can give but poore directions to our desires Secondly Nor are they of use as we conceive for the exciteing our affections These are warme and hott and doe heate and warme but still by some workings from within first Affection is like fire it is hot it selfe first before it heate others We must be affected before we can affect Now we cannot see how a dead powerlesse forme which as one hath it nourisheth the hid-man of the heart no more than stock-fish nourisheth the bodie and that gives no more nourishment saith Erasmus than a stone does can excite affections unlesse to it selfe because so exceeding pleasing to flesh and blood never crossing in the least the Desires of the same Quest 3. But is not this to take the generalitie of men quite off from praying Answ No to our seeming it putts them on upon prayer to pray that they may be enabled to pray in a deepe sense of sinne and the need they have of the blood of Christ to purifie their hearts and pacifie their Consciences all which they are to pray for Quest 4. But pray they cannot unlesse they pray by the booke visible or invisible Answ To this we say That to our seeming if they doe pray by the booke they doe not pray at all in Gods account And truely those men are bâ—lder with God than they durst be with men had they offended a great Lord they must acknowledge the offence with their owne mouthes and not another for them and have righted their offended Lord if he would have it so with their owne hands and glad with all their hearts that the offended Lord would be so accorded But we are bold with God though who made us so but our owne shamelesse impudent Spirits We can offend God sinning against Him and confesse it by a proxi in his words who did not give the offence We sin with our owne mouthes and will confesse with anothers mouth may not the Lord say offer this to your Governour see whether he will Mal 1. 18. accept of your Person Quest 5. But this will be said still if they may not pray by the booke they cannot pray at all so the Lord God shall have no service from them at all Answ Indeed the Lord God to Whome all we are and have and can is due hath no service none at all from a wicked man his lusts are deepe sharers here for they have all as once so they say still It is in vaine to serve the Lord. But all the Disservice Mal. 3. 14. they can doe they doe unto the Lord even all they can against Him because they know Him not for this is a Ruled Case or a knowne Conclusion The more we know of God the more we honour Him and our selves the lesse And the lesse we know of God the lesse we honour Him and our selves the more As God riseth in our thoughts so we fall and as we rise in our owne thoughts so God falls We would adde this That the hardnesse of our hearts appeares in nothing more than in these stout words We cannot pray our Spirits are so
5. 18. Jere 3. 13. he can doe very readily I have sinned spoken from him freely feelingly humbly sincerely as David Job the Prodigall now come to himselfe and as the Babe in Christ can speake it is of more account with his God and more prevailing to encline His eare than all the Rhetoricke in the world suggested to this Babe by anothers tongue or pen. Prayer we have heard say is the key that openeth all Gods Treasuries But now another's key be it never so exactly made to argue it by way of a similitude cannot fit the wards of my locke Our plaine meaning is and without a figure A forme of prayer the exactest that ever was made cannot surely fitt my needes cannot speake out the things that I want to the eares of my God or speake out His prayses for what I have received from Him It cannot reach the troubles of my Soule nor can it tell the Consolation there or suppose it could It would not supplie me with the Spirit By whome I must through Christ present all this before my God for what man 1 Cor. 2. 11 12 knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man within him and so forth for it requires our observation through-out We will put a close to this when we have spoken two or three things more very briefly First We conceive that those set formes cannot take any whit with a Babe in Christ one Reason is Because set formes are so taking with us while we are out of Christ we cleave to them as fast as the skin to the flesh or the flesh to the Bone And what we cleave to we plead for Surely it is otherwayes with him or her that is in Christ as the nature is changed so are the actions the desires the affections They remember well they never prevailed any thing by set formes unlesse to the hardening and brawning of their owne hearts The stupifying or deadning of their owne spirits they never prevailed with God to give them a sight of their sinne and forgivenesse of the same for they were never in earnest with Him about this matter if they had they had pleaded with their God in their owne words and not in anothers for them It is the wicked man that sticks to his formes as fast as he cleaves to his sinnes The Babe in Christ not so hee or shee is renewed in the spirit of their minde and therefore stand as much against set formes as the wicked stand for them Secondly Suppose wee for information sake That the person praying hath a sense of the want of that he prayes for That granted we affirme he hath no more need of a set forme teaching him to pray than an hungry man hath to pray for his bread If he hath no sense or feeling of what he prays for which cannot be supposed in a Babe then the set forme of prayer will doe him no good for the forme of prayer is as dead a peice as the heart is and two dead things like two withered stickes cannot enliven and quicken each other Thirdly Wee would appeale to the Conscience of every wicked man seared though it may be as well as to the observation and experience of all the godly that know them and that are acquainted with them whether by their set formes or prayer bookes they have gained more strength against sin or more strength to sin To our seeming the answer must be for so speakes their conversation to the godly that doe observe it by their set formes they have gained more strength to sin thereby their hearts have risen with more opposition against God and indignation against the Godly for it is a ruled case They that sticke fastest to formes of godlinesse are the greatest enemies to the power thereof And this is a knowne Maxime also That a mans lusts are no more shaken by such prayers though he should turne them over as fast as that Antichristian doth his beades than a Giant is shaken by the shaking of a straw in a Pigmies hand Fourthly A forme of prayer is an artificiall prayer made by the art and skill of another and it is but like artificiall breath of bellowes or the like cold whereas naturall breath is hot surely cold praying hath cold working and moves not at all with God as good ask doubtingly as coldly for as the saying is it teacheth God to deny Fifthly Set formes of prayer are too pleasing and sutable to flesh and bloud to be pleasing to God or Good men or to doe the soule any Good That which hath any virtue in it to doe the soule good must hurt the flesh even to a torment that must offend the flesh that doth indeed defend the spirit But this prayer by a prayer-booke doth no more execution upon our lusts than a potgun can against an heard of Harts or a Gun charged with pouder among Armed men It is a lazie sensuall prayer else fleshly mindes would never so plead for it for as was said Give them that which is sweet though it choakes them Per fallacia bona itur ad vera mala through seeming good and pleasant things wee hasten to reall evills As per fallacia mala itur ad vera bona through seeming evill things wee come to true and reall good things It is but a seeming good to please the flesh and but a seeming evill to crosse it as the Babe in Christ doth and wrestleth with God in His strength about it knowing he oweth his flesh nothing but mortification save onely to make it serviceable to his God and his owne soule Sixthly Wee will close with this possibly a Babe in Christ may want convenient utterance by reason of some defect in the tongue or bashfullnesse in the presence of others And upon that account our famous and excellent Perkins but it was forty yeares agoe when formes of prayer were of more account then now they are and the hurt they did not so looked into as now it is and with that allowance you must weigh them if they should not hold waight mooves in this Babes behalfe for a prayer-booke in these very words The Grace and gift of prayer may be shewed in Mr. Ford. 480. reading of a prayer other wayes it would goe very hard with them that want convenient utterance Wee humbly crave leave to say That notwithstanding that want which a Babe in Christ may have there is no want of a prayer-booke though This Babe serveth his God in his spirit who can supply that want yea a greater want than that supposing he could not speake one articulate or distinct word before his God he can pray in his spirit through the mediation of His Son and finde acceptance sure enough his Lord takes not his prayers by number but by waight nay the Lord doth not so much weigh the words of prayer no nor the grace of prayer by the scale as he tryes both by the touchstone Hee not so much regards the number
The Counsell that Daniell gives to Nebuchadnezzar Chap. 4. 27. and the direction Peter gives to Symon Magus Acts 8. 22. cleares this unto us that a wicked mans duty is to repent and pray and doe the workes of righteousnesse though he is no more able of himselfe to doe it than a mountaine can moove and teare it selfe up by the roots and mount up into the Moone or a bramble yeeld grapes or a Thistle figgs or a Serpent spit pearles naturall impotency can give no excuse to willfull neglect A wicked mans necessitie of sinning must not nullifie the Law of God which requireth the doing of these things though not with such an uncleane heart as he doth them The impotency of man must not eyther prejudice Gods authoritie or Diminish his own dutie These are the words of our Learned Rainolds in his Treat pag 246 247. where the Reader may meet with much more giving resolution to the same case with this that a wicked man ought to pray it is his dutie And oh that he could pray for a sight of his sinne and sence of that wrath which he is treasuring-up every day against the day of wrath being busily imployed every houre of the day in damning himselfe that so he might looke after Him whome the Father sanctified and sent into the world to be a propitiation Joh. 6. 36. 1 Joh. 2. 2. for the sinnes thereof and oh that he would pray against the Grand delusion of his desperately wicked heart which will perswade him to beleeve that he lookes after Christ Jesus the Lord for life and immortalitie from Him while yet he lookes not after the meanes but turnes his backe upon the Glorious Gospell whereby He is declared to the world to be a Prince and a Saviour all salvation in Him and none other Name given among Men Acts â— under Heaven whereby we might be saved The desperate heart of man will perswade to turne the Back upon all this The Gospell of the Lord Jesus Christ and yet he shall have Salvation by Him though not receiving His Word To our seeming now this is fully proved That a wicked Man ought to pray though he doth not pray neither can he nor will he unlesse as Pharoah did take away the plague remove this evill of punishment And then perhaps he will crie Lord Lord for possibly he sees death sinne and judgement not as formerly at a distance but neare at hand and upon him and then with Balaam he may say My God And oh that I may dye the death of the Righteous Therefore he that liveth like a Devill would die like a Saint and so he may pray at the houre of his death when his time is gon and the time of Gods patience is spent and the houre of judgement is come but then it will be too late no remedie now but a Torment He must live to God that prayes to God walke with Him and before Him who lookes for speciall mercy from Him For if we expect God should come to us in wayes of mercy we must attend upon Him in wayes of Dutie dealing with us as Creatures endued with Reason understanding wills affections But because all these are miserably depraved he deales with us as such and so depraved wholy dis-inabled in our selves for the useing or improving any the forementioned without speciall Grace from Him which He bestowes upon us in the use of meanes He vouchsafeth to us But though wicked men doe none of this nor is it possible as his estate now is that he can doe it nay it is the abhorring of his soule to doe it for he abhorr's the Lord yet he ought to doe it That is the point and we thinke cleared he ought to pray it is his dutie CHAP. IV. Q. 1. Q. I. BUt whether he may pray the Lords Prayer that is the Question which now we shall endeavour to put out of Question A wicked man ought not to say the Lords prayer he is a proud bold and dareing person he will adventure herein It is probable he know's no other prayer and this he received by Tradition from his Parents who possible knew no other prayer neither But he ought not to say this prayer say we and these are our Reasons for so saying First It is the Churches prayer we meane not a Nationall Church we have not a thought of it when our thoughts are upon This Church the Church of the living God A Nationall Church a huge vast body a Monster rather and as cold as frost which we know congregates fastneth together very heterogenious things which heate seperates we meane not that commonly called a Church which takes-in very heterogenious persons wicked and righteous the Beleiver and the Infidell if not worse the Disciple and the Drunkard the True Saint and the Reall Devill together for these were borne in a Church and quickly after Baptized there and growing up though in their Debauchednesse getting strength therein as yeares come on yet by virtue of their water Baptizement are become visible Saints we meane not these nor that called a Church aâ—d â—ath but a Name onely till the Spirit within gives the thing we meane a company of New Creatures differing as much from the common or Nationall Church as Men doe from Beasts That we may be cleare at this point we meane the Generall Assembly and Church of the first-Borne The Sonnes and Daughters of God begot and borne unto Him in Christ of water and of the Spirit It is their prayer It is the Disciples prayer their's who are disciplined by the Gospell received beleived and obeyed by their Lords appointment it is theirs Both the Scriptures Math 6. 9. Luke 11. 2. we conceive holds it forth clearely pray ye And when ye pray say Our blessed Lord spake to His Disciples here is the mould wherein to cast your prayers this shall be to you a Rule and Sampler according to the which all your prayers shall be framed but of this hereafter It is the Churches prayer the â—eleivers the Disciples and Saints prayer really such and indeed which they can hold forth and have to shew for not onely because they were borne in England and Baptized there a meere vanitie and lesse if lesse can be but they were borne of God through Christ by the Spirit with the Word and so baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost it is their Prayer It is true the wicked man claimes it for his because he was borne and Baptized in this Nation so doth he Childrens Bread too it belongs to him upon the same score But he hath right to neither as we have heard and may yet more fully heare Wee proceed Secondly And humbly offer this to the thoughts of reasonable men can we thinke that our Blessed Lord would put these words into a wicked mans mouth Bid him call God Father Whome he knowes not endeavours not to know nay abhorr's to know He indeed will say for who so willfull as he
as Balaam did My God and as he and he was many My Father Num. 22. 18. Jer 3. 4. But who bad them say so you know the saying It is presumption in the highest degree to speake of God or from God or to God without His leave or command so to doe You say saith the Lord Christ of my Father He is your Father your God but ye John 8 54 55 say presumptuously in so saying He is not the Father of those that know Him not but as He is the Father of the raine But ye have not knowne Him saith the Lord. And not knowing Him how care they how they Rebell against Him Can we thinke that the Son of God while He tabernacled here on Earth would bid notorious Rebells rebelling against the light of their owne Consciences within and of the Word without to call God Father and Him Lord while they were speaking and doâ—ing evill things as they could We humbly conceive It cannot enter into the heart of a Reasonable man to thinke that so our Blessed Saviour would doe He hath resolved the Case Thou shalt call Me my Father and Jer. 3. 1â— shalt not turne away from Me. I will give thee the disposition of a Child or give thee to looke after it before thou shalt with my leave call Me Father I will put filliall-affections awfull thoughts constant Resolutions into thy heart to love feare and serve Me. And then thou shalt call Me Father Thirdly Yet againe Can it enter into our thoughts that our Blessed Saviour should bid a wicked man call Jesus accursed No you will say for who can thinke so we doe If we hold to this That a sensuall man not having the Spirit can call God Father 1 Cor. 12. 3. or Christ Lord No man speaking by the Spirt of God calleth Jesus accursed What they say that speake by another Spirit judge you saith That Learned man The Apostle would say Dr. Kendall Chap. 16. pag. 145. Psal 110. 19 20. They call Jesus accursed And no man can say heartily Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Because as our Learned Reinolds saith other Lords are present with sensuall and wicked men who doe with their owne eyes oversee and by their owne visible power order and direct them in their service It is not possible that they should feare honour and serve Christ which is to say heartily Jesus is the Lord unlesse Christ be in them by His Spirit and they in the faith Sensuall men not having the Spirit may out of externall conformitie to the Discipline and profession under which they live with their mouthes acknowledge Him to be Lord yet their hearts will never tremble and willingly submit themselves to His obedience Their Consciences will never set to its seale to the Spirituall power of Christ over the thoughts desires and secrets yet this is to call Him Lord but by the over-ruling direction of the Holy Ghost Therefore he blasphemes in Calling God Father and Christ accursed he hath no allowance from Christ so to doe it were blasphemy to thinke so and that is our third Reason Fourthly Nor would the Lord Christ put a lie into a man's mouth in bidding him this sensuall man we meane this Legion call God Father when as He is not their Father but they are of Joh. 8. 34. 44. their Father the Devill and doe that which they have seene with their Father even the Lusts of their Father they will doe If it be asked how wicked men see the Devill doe that which they did and doe Worthy Mr Burgesse answers it Because they expresse in their lives such wickednesse as was and is in the Devill even the same things which the Devill would doe and wee should see him doe if he were visible before our eyes Naturae sequitur semina quisque sua As man's Nature is and his principle within such are his actings and doeings without As he is in being such he is in acting If he be in the evill one that is under the power and dominion of an uncleane Spirit most uncleane will his actings Math. 1. 23. 5. 2. Joh. 1. 5. be for he will doe that which he hath seen his Father doe Certainly the Lord will not bid such an uncleane wretch call God Father for that were for the Lord of truth to put a lie into a mans mouth which were Blasphemie to thinke Fifthly Yet againe though as Excellent Turkney hath it out of Morney first Chapter first words A man hath never lesse De veritate Religionis Cap. 1. â— to say than when that which he is to prove or cleare is more certaine and manifest than his proofe Omni luce clarius omni interpretatione notius Notwithstanding we will proceed The Lord Christ would not bid a man we should tremble to speake this or to heare it but sith it is commonly done and in a zeale for our God we would not have it so done being assured from a sure word That a wicked man Blasphemes the Name of his God and hastneth his owne Curse by letting this prayer goe out of his mouth as he doth by taking into his mouth the Bread and Wine at the Lords Table wee were saying The Lord Christ would not bid a man blaspheme This Glorious fearefull Name The Lord his God and so hasten his Curse bringing upon himselfe Deut. 8. swift destruction but so he must that Bids a wicked man say 1 Pet. 2. 1. Isai 52. 5. the Lords Prayer call God Father My Name Continually every day is blasphemed how so or what had they done why they would lie and steale and sweare and yet would come unto Jer. 7. Gods Temple and call upon Him They that did wickedly as they could lyars Cursers opposers of what is Good These are worthy Mr Burgesse's words Yet they will come here and say our Father Nay you cannot meete with any beastly Jer. 3. sinner but his heart is filled with this bold impudency he will say as they did we are Jewes i. e. true beleivers for as that Revel 2 9. Mr Caryll Job 11. 4. 21. Learned man saith under the old Testament-Termes Gospell professours are exprest in the Revelations I am such a one a true Christian for the time was when I was Borne and quickly after Baptized and a visible Saint I was ever since being a member of a Nationall Church and yet this Beast-like man doth not so much as pretend to pietie which yet were double iniquitie for the shew of his countenance doth witnesse against him he declares his sin Isai 3. as Sodom he hideth it not yet so impudent he is he calls God Father And so goes on to the end of his prayer Tell us your opinion here Sir doth not this tread upon the brinks of Blasphemie at least And if it doe so It were blasphemie to thinke That our Saviour Christ would bid a wicked man say that prayer for that were to
something is to be done The Apostles said that Learned Expositour Upon Job 7. 20 p. 691. gave Gospell Counsell yet when men asked them What shall we doe to be saved they said not ye must doe nothing God will save you by His free Grace No they called them to repent and beleive every one of them Sin must be knowne to be sin call it by the worst name you can thinke of then you call it Sin above Rom. 7. measure sinfull and must be acknowledged so to be Onely acknowledge thy iniquitie Know the Plaegue of thine owne heart and Jer. â— 13. 1 Kings â— 38. mourne for thy sinne because Committed against the Lord and doe this as David for his Son every day for every day thou sinnest 1 Sam. 13. 37. Zach 12. and as true Mourners doe mourne bitterly and mourne the more because thou canst not mourne enough This is that the Lord will have the Disciples doe And so now for we must Contract we will conclude That Confession of sin is the great ingredient in prayer for pardon of sin whereunto the Scriptures speake every where Onely Acknowledge Confessing their sinnes And forsaking of sin must goe before pardon of Sin yea and subduing of sin too All this in the strength of God but he must be enquired of touching these matters He will have sin acknowledged He will have sin forsaken put as far away by us as the East is from the West as to our Love to it likeing of it desire after it delight in it So far we must put it away before the Lord will tell us that He hath put our sins so far away from Himselfe and from Psal 103. us That it shall be as possible for the East and West to meet together as for a Man and his sin to hurt him So now wee conclude That this Confession of sin which every man will grant must be with a man 's owne mouth not by any set forme whatsoever is not expressed no not the least sound that way in the Lords prayer Therefore his Disciples indeed what ever your Disciples * doe bring not this Prayer before their God And SECT VI. OUr sixth reason why a Disciple bringeth not this Prayer before his God is because it is already wrought to his hand he need not take any paines about it The least Child in his house that can speake though he cannot read can say it This Disciple that knows in his measure what a Disproportion there is betwixt the Great and Dreadfull God and this worme the Creature yea baser than a worme considered in himselfe because a sinfull Creature or to expresse it in excellent Greenhills words betwixt Majestie and Nothingnesse And that sloath to use the same man's words is a Gulf betwixt this God who is all and this Creature who is nothing at all in himself considered but a thing of nought worse than Nothing This Disciple now knowing all this in his measure dareth not as we suppose and were saying Come before his God with a prayer wrought to his hand but having accesse to the Father through the Mediation of the Sonne by one Spirit he casteth himselfe into the Armes of the Spirit lookes for a supply from Him enableing this Disciple to put-up a prayer wrought James 5. 16. now in him and wrought out from him by the same Spirit This prayer wrought to our hands The Lords Prayer is the exactest peice of worke in sight that ever was But yet this Disciple that saies this prayer if any such there be as many such there be in the Nationall Church is not exact in this prayer for praying this Prayer wrought to his hand he prayes nothing to purpose Nothing wrought in him by the Spirit of God nor wrought-out from him by the same Spirit he doth exercise neither the gift of prayer nor the Grace of prayer Nay he doth not exercise any one facultie of his Soule in saying his prayer wrought to his hand nor any one member of his body unlesse it be his tongue and what is lip-labour before the Lord any more than eye-service before â— Sam. 24. a Man Certainly this Disciple is of David's mind I will not said he offer unto the Lord my God of that which shall câ—st me nothing There is a body-prayer of this we have been speaking hitherto to use that Excellent Expositours Distinction which Upon Job 11. 13 p. 108. is never alone with a Disciple for woe to Body-prayer when it is alone And there is a Soule-prayer which may be alone and 1 Sam. 1. 13. Neh 2. 4. as fervent effectuall both as Hannah's and Nehemiah's prayers were For the soule and spirit of a prayer is the soule and spirit in the strength of God lifted-up in prayer which doth infinitely more in prayer than the body doth yet in saying this prayer the body doth nothing the soule lesse But this is the thing A Disciples Body-prayer wherein he exerciseth himselfe every day and likely thrice a day exerciseth the whole outward-man The hands pray knees pray the eyes pray we have this in the place fore-mentioned gestures are speaking in prayer By these we pray when we hold our peace and lift-up a loud voice when we say never a word but in saying this prayer wrought to our hands the Soule and Body both every power of the one and every member of th' other may fit as still as a stocke onely let the tongue wagge and by helpe thereof say the prayer notwithstanding The tongue is all-sufficient for that worke All the Rest both the powers of the Soule and members of the Body may stand stock-still the while when one member is all-sufficient for the worke what needs more Frustrà sit per plura We had more reasons to give why a Disciple brings not this prayer before his God but we thinke this may suffice onely remember this Fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Wee come now to the fourth Querie CHAP. VII Q. 4. Q. IV. WHether it be comely for a Godly Man and true Minister of Christ to pray the Lords Prayer before his people that is to adde it unto the close of his owne It hath been said by two onely in our heareing The one old enough to make a Minister if yeares would doe it But Tempora certè Virtutem nec prima negant nec ultima donant The other young enough to say no more These two and onely these spake this more than ever we heard spoken by any in the Close of their prayers Thou mayest Lord justly neglect our imperfect prayers if we should neglect to say Thy most perfect prayer Thou hast prescribed to us Commanded us to say If this now can be proved that our Blessed Saviour hath commanded His Ministers to close their prayers with His prayer then The Question is resolved in the Affirmative and put out of all Question That every Godly Minister must close his prayer with the Lord's
prayer Why His Lord commands him and he is not a godly Minister that doth not doe what his Lord Commands But now we are perswaded these are but men's words who are resolved to say something to carry forth their matters before the people though they can prove nothing Nay we are Confident That these two the old Man and the Novice affirming That their Lord commands them to joine His prayer to the end of their owne have spoken Contrary to the mind and will of their Lord and their presumptuous words will be required at their hands And herein we doe appeale to the Godly in all the world Minsters and people And if any amongst them all should affirme it That the joyning of this prayer to the end of his owne is commanded him of his Lord we would appeale from him to our onely Lord God Himselfe the Lord of Glory He hath commanded His Disciples to pray for they shall have nothing as He Himselfe the Mediatour and Advocate of His Church hath not of His Father but by askeing which was said before But if He hath commanded them to pray this very prayer then we would humbly aske why should they pray any other prayer or why doe not they not give this the praecedency before any other prayer this being given them under a speciall command to pray When ye pray say as to our understanding they wrest their Lords words and thwart His scope and intendment wholy more of this hereafter But we come to our undertakeing which is to Maintaine the Negative That it is not comely for a Minister of Christ to joyne the Lords prayer to the end of his owne But first we would heare how they doe maintaine the Affirmative That it is comely for a Minister so to doe And what we have heard alledged for the Maintenance thereof we will take leave to set downe in this place First Godly Ministers say that prayer at the end of their owne We onely reply to that So doe the ungodly and Brutish Ministers too all over your Nationall Church It is their very Sibboleth * You may know a Brutish Pastor as by his walke so also by Judg. 12. pronounceing of that prayer we meane as to the words and syllables there these he can frame to pronounce aright like a Clarke as we say But surely what these Brutish ones doe is not comely for the Godly to doe Nor indeed can we possibly discerne their Godlinesse godly though they may be and we hope are by their so doing Secondly It hath been antiently so done and customarily so now and of course To this we Reply as followeth All this makes nothing in the matters of God Antiquitie though Truth indeed be most Auncient and Custome or mos populi the Mode of the people will plead as hard every whit for the greatest plague of the world for the head that Man of Sin merum scelus as Learned Beza of that Cursed Kingdome For the Shoulders and pillars of the same for all their Cursed doctrines and practises Antiquitie and Custome will plead as hard for all these And for a Service-Booke will-worship too which is as unpleasing to God our Lord as it would be to a Prince if we should pay him money of our owne Coincing for which he would be so farre from thanking us That he would arraigne-us for Traitours As a Minister must not speake from God but the preaching of God even as it is written So nor ought he to speake to God but by the Direction of the same Word Quest But doth not this Cast some blot upon the Vniversities manner and old Customes for Generally the Learned and godly there did conclude their prayers with the Lords prayer And it was so strictly observed That the Country-Minister who never used so to doe in his owne pulpit yet going thither to take his Degree of Bach or Dr It was expected of him he should close his prayer after the usuall manner and that he might not give offence to others so he did though with some offence to himselfe Answ This we thinke cannot be denied no more than can this That from the Prophets in those places Corruption in Doctrine as well as prophanenesse in life went forth into all the Land But we beleive That it is not now as then it was matters are done we hope at least in desire and endeavour in right order and measured forth according to the Standard of Gods Word for it is true we doubt not which one saith of the present state of the Universities There have been more Muses heretofore but never so many Graces as now But if not which God forbid yet non ad Consuetudinem sed ad Norman vivimus And as many as walke according to this Rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God This Rule fixing the eye thereupon and enquiring not what was the Custome of men to doe but what was the mind of God that they should doe And this last said may suffice in way of Answer to that so commonly urged and is thought so Cogent upon Ministers next to the pretended Command of Christ to adde the Lords prayer to th' end of their own That the Assembly of Divines in their Directory for Worship have thought fitting Ministers should close their prayer with the Lords Prayer To that which hath been said we would adde but these two words 1 That we are inclined to thinke That the fiery indignation of the Lord flaming forth against those His enemies who stood-up in their might for that old Directory for Worship commonly called the Service-Booke or Booke of Common-Prayers and pressed it upon Gods people with Arguments Cogent enough and too much with flesh and blood Whereupon it might nay it was said of that said Booke A bloody booke was that Service-booke unto them and accordingly was it dealt with by the powers above us though not full-up to the rate of that bloody persecution was raised against the Godly Ministers by the same We were saying we are inclined to thinke That the Destruction from the Almighty is a terror to Godly Ministers to apply themselves to any other Directory for worship than to the Spirit of God and of Glory Who being the great purchase of Christs blood promise of the Father and prayer of the Son is given to His Church for their Aâ—suffiâ—ient guide onely Help and to make an Aâ—undant supply unto them when they are setting themselves in prayer to make their supplications unto their Father in Heaven 2 The other word we would adde is That when the Ministers of the Gospel and Glory of Christ who have their Mission Commission Institution and Induction chiefly and principally from Him and can shew their Letters Patents for it when these are so hardly Driven as those are who are quite forfaken of the Spirit of God that they may use those platformes of prayer there prescribed or else not pray at all as we heard before then
who knowes how to rule his own house well is in a good posture of spirit to rule well the house of God But this was spoken before in the second Treatise relating to the Lords Supper pag. 19. This wee were saying your ruling well your own house will be a good Testimoriall that you rule well as a good Steward in the House of the living God Therefore we hope you can give good reason for all you doe in your owne house which you order we would hope in desire and endeavour as those whose praise is in the Gospell Probably your reasons are these or such like to these for wee will not mention here any of that which went before one wee would remind you of the same First Can there be a more excellent prayer and more comprehensive than the Lords prayer is Verily No And therefore is it so takeing in the world for if any forme may be used whereafter to pray useing the very same words then this forme above any No prayer being more excellent nor more comprehensive But therefore thinke wee the more unfit to be taught a Child the more unsuitable to his understanding The prayer is excellent considered in it selfe and as you may be able to consider of it but it hath no excellencie with a childe he speakes as a child he understands as a child he thinkes or reasoneth as a childe And with due regard to all this you must speake to him and reason with him in lower matters than are the contents of this prayer Secondly You may say I must reason with him about God and Christ and what manner of person He is and how He is to be served but these are no low matters but high and much above the reach of a childs understanding It is readily graunted Yet you may consider it is one thing to drop-in as into a verie narrow mouthed vessell drop by drop and to powre in all at once wee meane To deale with a childe word after word then to see how the first word taketh before you deale with him about the second And to give him six lines together whereas each line single and apart comprehends more of God and of Christ in it of grace and glory by Him then doe the visible Heavens O the vast comprehension of this Prayer And the shallownesse of a childs shall wee say of a mans comprehension about it You may teach your child to say it so you may your Parrot too and teaching him it altogether to say it as you in your pulpit he will understand it as much as the Parrot doth and by so saying it you shall teach the people to understand it if not all yet but little better also You may put this prayer as to the words of it into the mouth of your childe but he comprehends it no more than doth the darknesse the light Thirdly You may say as wee heare others doe It is a commendable thing and well becomeing a godly parent sure to teach his child to call God father though as Hieron saith he doth but lispe out father You know and you know it for your good To call God father or rather to cry Abba Father is as was said of the Spirits teaching I cannot lispe Abba Father but as He hath adopted mee that is in Jesus Christ in Whome alone He is become the Father of mercies unto mee saith that learned man Dr K Chap 4. â— 115. Yet it is graunted you are to teach your childe to call God father as you can And you have heard of the method or ready way you may take till you know a better in teaching your child that great and high lesson But everie thing is comely in its due time and order Wee conceive you are to teach your child first to call himselfe rebell against this heavenly Father that he was borne into the world with his backe against him being borne a child of wrath assoone as he was a child of a man an enemie to this Father even enmitie it selfe and an hater of Him And then wee take it the child is to be farther questioned and that is the best way of teaching by questioning whether this enmitie is in any measure or degree discovered to him by the Spirit with the Word and shine in him for enmitie cannot become friendship though enemies may be made friends enmitie must be slaine This wee conceive the child must be taught first before he can be taught to call God Father after a due manner and a right understanding SECT IV. NOw wee take leave to give-in our reasons as few and as breifely as wee have taken-in yours Wherefore it is not becomeing a godly parent to teach his child the Lords prayer Wee shall not recall here neither but reminde you onely of what went before that caried verie levell to this verie scope First It is cleane crosse to the right method of teaching to exercise the childes memory first for it is to teach your child as you would teach your Parrot between whom you know to put a wide difference Sith God hath made them so to differ Who teacheth Job 35. 11. us more then the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser then the fowles of heaven You teach a child as becometh a childe to be taught You teach a fowle bird or beast as is comely for them to be taught besides you put a greater difference betwixt earthly and heavenly matters sensuall and spirituall and accordingly you must vary in your teaching This may suffice for the first Secondly You would have your deare childe to be a gainer by your teaching Wee beseech you aske him now you have taught him the Lords prayer what he hath gained by your teaching Our perswasion is you will find his gaine to be but small onely whereas when time was he said it as a child Parrot-like now being growne-up he sayes it with more grace in the eare of the hearer saying it like a Clarke but perhaps with as little grace in the heart as he said in before when he was a child But yet we cannot graunt you That by all your teaching you have taught your child the Lords prayer for if you have taught him to read it he can teach himselfe to say it without your helpe Thirdly You should not doe as all the wicked of the world doe we meane of your Nationall Church who have onely this to shew for their Christianitie and whereby to make full proofe thereof That they were borne in your Church and washed there Wee thinke it is not comely for you to doe as they doe they hold to that Injunction appointed them by their Priest as he by the Bishop whereof hereafter All the wicked persons in your Church we are perswaded not one excepted no not the veriest varlet there but they all teach it their children they shall have it as they themselves had it by tradition from their parents These were taught their Pater noster they understand the
they will for necessitie they say hath no law be so bold or impudent rather to use that prayer also being the most exact forme of all formes But these never were and never shall be so forsaken of their God And in assured Confidence thereof we proceed Thirdly This we have heard some one of us at least alledged for the saying of this prayer There is a sicknesse upon all the faculties of the soule And the memory amidst the Rest is a very sickly weake and infirme thing So as we many-times forget to put up those Requests unto God which were in the purpose of our hearts to doe Now to helpe and succour us in this matter we adjoine the Lords prayer to the end of ours that being compleat as we all know in the whole and in every part and Containes in it as the Creed all things to be beleived so this all things to be desired To this we reply Granting this first That this sicknesse is Epidemicall universally spread over all men and over all in man And the Memory the Soule 's store-house is fearefully tainted with it most unhappily and tenaciously retentive of all that is evill So as what was but once heard seene or done giving pleasure to the flesh will be kept in the Memory and repeated there who knowes how long and how often yet take-it-in by the way as often as any evill seene heard or done is remembred with delight so often is it acted over againe But now when any thing truely Good is Commended to it and received-in of how short continuance it is there If a Hand Allmighty lodgeth it not there and keepeth it there The memory of it selfe and in it's owne nature is a very Step-dame to Good or like a very leaking vessell This is her Sicknesse and if it be not Cured it will be our woe And now to draw nearer to the point in hand we cannot possibly see though we hope we Crie for His eye-salve which onely maketh to see how the sicknesse of the memory causing the praying man to forget what he would have remembred and made his request to God for Can be helped for to this particular we speake by adjoining His Lords prayer We crave leave to aske this Godly Minister what he hath forgot to petition his God in behalfe of the people to whome he is made an Over-seer He hath not Confessed their sinnes so fully nor so feelingly as he should and thought to have done This may be He knew full well some speciall mercies his people had received from God and he quite forgot to render God the praise He knew as well some speciall mercies his people had not and yet felt not any want of them as a seeing eye and heareing eare but he quite forgot here also He was well acquainted with some particular misery that was felt by some one or more of his people being sicknesse and sorrow upon the flesh and another misery he might know of also which is the misery of all miseries because not felt nor feared yet clapt fast upon them perversnesse of Spirit and hardnesse of heart Here the Godly man's memory may falâ—e him also In all these he might not petition God as he ought and haply thought to have done and in some of these perticulars his memory wholy failed him Now he will releâ—ve himselfe and his people whose good he specially intends by saying the Lords prayer But is that the way to releive himselfe or them We humbly offer it to the thoughts of every intelligent Man Will his repeating the Lords prayer before the people help them when they are returned home to Confesse their sin there more fully or feelingly doth that prayer supply them with words that way or to praise God for the mercies they have or to pray unto Him for what they would have for the takeing away the Stone in the heart if it be not all over Stone as desirerously as we would have the Stone taken-out of the Bladder but is there one expresse * word in the Lords prayer that helpes to the putting-up that great petition wee meddle not with what is Comprehended there which exceeds the Comprehension of an Angell but with what is expressed there And to our seeming there is not in that prayer one expresse word there that can helpe the praying man in all or any of those perticulars before-mentioned To close this we conceive it to be thus every godly person going to prayer goes to God in the Name of Jesus Christ Through Him by the Spirit he hath an accesse unto the Father Eph. 2. And oh what a deale of Eloquence and Rhetorick is in this one word Father how it works upon the bowells of the Father upon the bowells of the Child too so as the Child cannot chuse but crave the Father cannot chuse but grant what ever is good for the Child There is a reciprocall worke still a reflexing Act of the soule The Father's bowells yerne towards the Child The Child's bowells yerne towards the Father But we recall our selves being to deliver our thoughts what a Godly Minister doth when he hath entred the pulpit Surely in desire and endeavour he comes wholy off from himselfe he useth all that Ged hath given him and layeth out the very Male of his flocke for that very end given him but he trusteth it not he hath no Confidence in the flesh It is fully and wholy set upon his God He loves to be trusted and cannot be trusted too much as the creature cannot be trusted too little In a word he rolles himselfe upon God putts himselfe as he can into the good Spirits hand Leaves his matters there humblie expects supplies from Him He is in the place where he should be unto which his God hath called him upon his worke which he doth with more Delight than to receive his wages Now he would not doubt but that the good Spirit to Whome he hath committed himselfe and his worke will carry him through it both in praying and preaching And now for now we are closeing the point notwithstanding the sicknesse of his memory and many other his infirmities who knowes how many yet he knowes Whome he hath trusted and upon Whose score and that He is able to leade him unto his worke and to carry him through his worke nor dares he for his life take a dead letter * such a thing is the Lords prayer as uttered by Man as dead as other letters he reades in the same Chapter he will not we were saying take a dead letter to helpe the living Spirit These are our thoughts of this matter Fourthly We have heard in the Last place this alledged for the saying the Lord's prayer at the end of their owne prayer our prayers are very imperfect we all know and God may neglect them therefore wee adde the Lords prayer to the end of our's that perfect and compleate prayer which the Father will not neglect We replie Granting as before
that the prayers of the best men are but imperfect as themselves are very imperfect things Prayer is a mixed or Compounded Dutie for though it be wrought within by the Spirit of God before it be put-out by the tongue yet flesh hath much to doe in it enough to defile it and so the best prayer formed as we heard passeth from us as Wine through a Dunghill therefore these can have no acceptance for the prayers sake nor for his sake that prayeth if that be all which makes for its acceptance it will be neglected sure enough but for His sake onely Whose buisinesse it is now in heaven to take away the Revel 5. iniquity of our holy things and to present our persons and our services pure and spotlesse in His sight And in speciall these prayers as the sweetest odours in the Nostrills of His Father provided still that we loath this uncleannesse that cleaves so fast to our persons and prayers and put it away as a loathed thing Now it shall doe us no hurt nor hinder our prayers neither for it is not what Corruption cleaves to us but whether we cleave to it not the having of it for as sure we have it as it is sure we have flesh but it is the Loveing of it No more sin is imputed by God than is seene and allowed by us So then it is granted That Prayers are very imperfect they receive a tincture of uncleannesse which cleaves to the spirit and mind of a man though renewed that are subservient and instrumentall in this praying worke they are simple duties that are so good that none but the good can doe them and they cannot doe them ill we meane not sinfully though imperfectly as to love God to feare Him to trust Him to rejoyce yea to glory in Him having chosen Him for their portion and set their hearts upon Him To put a close to this also Will the adding that perfect prayer to the end of yours make any thing at all towards the takeing away the uncleannesse of your prayers or helpe at all against the imperfection thereof We take it you must answer one way or other It helps or it doth not helpe if you say it helpeth how absurd were your saying you know Who liveth ever to helpe at this worke and all proud helpers together with Him shall stoop under Him If you say the adding the Lords prayer to the end of yours helpeth not no not at all then you say all the Truth as to this matter but withall we feare you charge your selves with some folly in adding that to your prayers which profiteth not at all being never intended for that end We will conclude with this It profiteth no more than doth dead flesh profit a quickned and quicking spirit So we come to make out the Negative That it is not comely for a Godly Minister to adde the Lords prayer to the end of his owne SECT II. OUr Reasons are these First Their Lord commands them not so to doe for if so an absurditie would follow If their Lord hath commanded them so to doe then sâ—li semper this is the onely prayer they must say and alwayes say for the Command 〈◊〉 of Christ must take place still It is this prayer and no other and not at this time onely but at all times When ye pray say Thus we conceive it must be and this were very absurd and incongruous to common sense and reason The Commands of God in the old Testament as to the Sacraments there and other legall observations of places and of Dayes they had their untill untill the fullnesse of time shall come untill God be manifested in the flesh for these pointed unto Him That was to come â—â—t the Commands of Christ now as we conceive bind us to their observation till His Comming in some glorious way whether to restore His Church Math 17. 11. Acts 3. 21. or make her compleate in Glory is too deepe for our shallownesse But His commands bind us till His Comeing Nothing shall be added to them or taken from them See Hild on Joh 4. pag 187. Secondly If their Lord commands them to say this prayer at the end of their owne then the Godly Ministers all over the Land truely and indeed such could have no more omitted the saying of it than they could forbeare to eate and drinke for the Commands of Christ all and every one doe come with as much force upon their Spirits to doe thereafter as Eating and drinking come upon them when their need is For they have the same mind that is in Christ they delight to doe His will His Command His Law is within their heart the doing of it is their meat and drinke so saith the Spirit now what an absurd thing were this for can it take with a Reasonable man That these words when ye pray say this prayer at the end of youâ—s â—or have not I commanded you have they not My Stamp upon them And yet scarce one Godly Minister among many doe or dare say it at the end of their owne Certainly they would doe the Command of their Lord boldly and constantly and fervently too though it should put them to as much cost the doeing of it as is imaginable yet they would doe it Their Lord hath commanded it This is the poinâ— The Godly Minâ—ster would doe it he could not but doe it were it commanded him of his Lord when ye pray say And it were absurd to say or thinke the Contrary And which we must not forget It were as absurd to thinke that any one Brutish Pastour amidst the Droves and Herds of them â—ould say this prayer suppose now what they pretend our Lord Commanded them so to say when ye pray say this prayer after your owne for it hath My stamp of Command upon it suppose it so to be as they say Then it were absurd to thinke they would say as now they doe willingly and more rejoyceingly it being commanded them of God for all the Commands of God as was said before are an abomination to them they abhorre Christmas day pag. 18 19. to doe them as they Abhorre God their heart stands in the greatest opposition to the Commands of Christ as doe the remotest extreames Heaven and Hell These doe wickedly as they can and cannot but doe it fullfilling all the wills of the flesh and so they will doe that 's the voice of their nature The Godly Man doth foolishly sometimes we meane sinfully against the commands of his Lord but not with full consent of his will he doth it overtaken now or surprized or betrayed but oh he would not doe it that is the voice of Grace The evill man in doeing God's commands is as the good man in doeing the commands of the flesh The evill man does doe God's Commands sometimes he reades and heares and prayes but as unwillingly all this as Haman brought Mordecai on horsebacke through the streets of the Citie that