what gifts He addes to him shall one give of the gold of Sheba And according to his word the Queen of Sheba gave King Solomon Gold even to an hundred and twenty talents and of Spices very great store and pretious Stones and yet I have not told you the halfe of Solomons treasury he had an Exchequer of prayers far beyond all gold and pretious stones For when his dying Father as some thinke by the Spirit of Prophecy had blessed him with that wealth he addes that which excelleth all the gold and riches of both the Indies Prayer also shall be made for him continually Psal 72.10 11 15. Again this Royall Prophet when he speakes unto God in prayer hath yet that holy boldnesse as to liken his prayers to Incense to Sacrifice to the evening Sacrifice which because it did most punctually typifie Jesus Christ who was offered up about the time of the Evening Sacrifice might in that respect have the preheminence Psal 141.2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up my hands as the evening sacrifice In all this David sinned not nor spake to God foolishly or unadvisedly with his lips for prayer is as a sweet incense before God in the language of the Old and New Testament Malach. 1.11 Revelat. 8.3 4. And according to the price and value this holy Prophet set on the duty was his practice of it sometimes he prayed thrice a day sometimes seven times a day perhaps thrice a day was his ordinary daily course and seaven times was his practice upon Sabbaths and Festivals Againe sometimes he prayes at midnight and rises to the duty sometimes early in the morning his prayers prevent the dawning of the day Understand this of continued prayer As for Ejaculations sudden short dartings and breathings of his soule after God this kind of prayer was his element the aire his soule delighted to breath in the pulse of his soule beat this way and thus his heart panted toward God continually not onely seven times a day but seventy times seven times When his body was at rest in his bed his soule was fully imployed in following hard after God He makes his bed as it were a Bethel a house of prayer and when the time of feasting is over or ceaseth even in the night watches when he is on his bed then hath he meat to eat which the world knowes not then he doth not as some dreame of a feast but hath his soul satisfied wiâ—h holy meditations as with marrow and fatnesse A second eminent instance we have in Daniel who as before so after the decree was signed by Darius that whosoever should ask any petition of any God or Man save of the King for thirty daies space should be cast into the den of Lions went into his house and his windowes being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime saith the text Dan. 6.10 It was not the den of Lions could scare him from his wonted devotions and prayers three times a day There were four circumstances which considering that his enemies were many and mighty and such as did watch for his halting did notably commend his zeale 1. He prayed with the window of his chamber open towards Jerusalem though he was at Babylon a ceremony then used because of the Temple there a type of Christ and because of Solomons prayer in case they were in captivity 1 Kings 8.48 If they pray toward their land the city which thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for thy name then heare thou their prayer c. 2. He prayed kneeling he did not omit his wonted humble gesture though a circumstance or cermony no not when his life was in danger and this posture might possibly help to betray him Could he have satisfied himself to pray in his bed for these thirty daies as thousands amongst us do all the daies of their lives if they pray at all saying 'T is good sleeping in a whole skin Why should I stir out of bed to pray there is a Lion in the way it may indanger my life I say could he have done thus probably the sparing his knee might have help'd to have saved his head 3. 'T is not unlikely that his prayer was vocall that he used his voice in this prayer he would not be silent though he knew he should be an offender a traytour for his words that what his Enemies heard him say in his private chamber in a corner they would publish on the house top and punish in the Lions den 4. It may seem that he continued his prayers till his enemies came and found him Dan. 6.11 and yet possibly might have some intimation or notice of their coming before they apprehended him He would not forbeare continued prayer for a moneth nor abate the ceremony of kneeling nor the circumstance of his voice nor change his times of prayer all into the night time nor cut them off by halfs in the day no though his life lay at stake The Lions roared yet Daniel did not feare And as for the New-Testament Saints the Disciples and followers of Christ as their Lord and Master was a man of many prayers so were they of his houshold and retinue It was the cognizance and character of converts in the Primitive times They continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers Act. 2.41 42. yea 't is brought as a convincing argument of the reality of Saul's coversion to Paul froÌ„ a persecutor to be a professor a chosen vessel unto Christ Behold he prayeth We are not to imagine but that whilst he was a Pharisee he prayed often But now he prayed more earnestly more from the heart and it may be with strong cries and teares to him that was able to enlighten his darknesse I mean to cure his blindnesse both of soul and body and to save him both from the shadow of death and from utter darknesse Now he prayes to the Lord Jesus Christ whom formerly he persecuted I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Now he prayed after another manner than ever he did before Nor ought it to seem a wonder that Gods children Christians of all men should be most zealous and excellent at prayer if we consider 1. The example of their Lord and Master Jesus Christ 1. Hee was often at prayer witnesse his usuall Oratory Mount Olivet He was zealous at it witnesse his transfiguration on Mount Tabor whilst he was praying and a second kind of transfiguration of his in the Garden when being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly and sweat great drops of blood trickling downe to the ground Luke 22.44 2. If we consider the many precepts and exhortations to this duty Pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5.17 Pray all manner of prayer Eph. 6.18 and Luke 18.1 Jesus Christ spake a parable to the end men should
purposes about or concerning Prayer If the promise of the teaching of the holy Ghost if those Scriptures Ye have an anointing that teacheth you all things and when he comes he shall lead you into all truth doth not discharge us from the use of mens teaching us and preaching unto us and from our own reading the holy Scriptures the doctrine of the Prophets of our Saviour Christ of his Apostles no more doth the other promise of the spirit of Prayer take away all use of Scripture-prayers especially of our Lords Prayer The promise of baptizing with the holy Ghost when it was fulfilled did not make void or take away Baptisme of water no more doth the promise of the holy Ghost to help us to pray and in prayer take away the use of the Lords Prayer It was the work of the holy Ghost to teach and to help Christians to offer up this Prayer and all other their prayers in the name merits and mediation of Jesus Christ to stir up in them good and holy desires agreeable to the requests or petitions continued in this prayer and to descend to many particular desires and petitions and to expresse those desires in proper words and significant expressions all which desires were summarily comprehended in the Petitions and words or expressions of the Lords prayer I say this was the office and work of the holy Ghost which doth in no wise take away all lawfull use of the Lords prayer as a prayer For surely the holy Spirit will not therefore refuse to assist us when we pray this prayer because it is a prayer made by Jesus Christ and registred in the holy Scriptures written by those who were full of and moved by the holy Ghost in that work Nor doe I believe that God the holy Ghost who is the God of Order and not of Confusion will suggest or infuse into us such desires as shall necessarily turn us out of the Lords prayer whilest we are using it in a right manner It is not probable that the holy Spirit will turn us out of the road wherein the Sonne appointed us to goe to the Father And I pray what desires are there that are holy just and good such are all the desires of which the holy Ghost is authour but are comprehended in this prayer Doubtlesse as the Spirit of the Prophets in the Apostles dayes was subject to the Prophets so t is no disparagement to the spirit of prayer which Christians have in these dayes to be regulated by the spirit of prayer which was in Christ and so consequently by that forme which he hath left us Must the whole congregation be tyed up to the forme of the speaker whether Minister or other in prayer and may he in no wise be guided by Christs Prayer Beloved brethren whilst ye so judge are ye not partiall in your selves and to your selves If it be asked what 's the reason that when we have been praying a long time either according to a premeditated forme or a conceived prayer or in a mixt way betwixt both for the things contained in the Lord prayer we yet conclude our prayers with the Lords prayer Is not this a vaine repetition Answ For as much as when we have prayed our best we may have failed in something our prayer may have been defective imperfect It is not therefore vaine but to purpose and very reasonable to rehearse that prayer wherein is nothing defective nothing superfluous nothing out of its due place and order Nor is this an Innovation it was the practice of the antient Church Quam totâ—m pâ—titionem fere omnis Ecclesia Dominica oratione concludit if we will believe Austin in his 59. Epistle q. 5. where he tells that the Church did generally conclude their prayers and blessings at the consecration and distribution of the Elements at the Lords Supper with the Lords Prayer And it hath been observed that they who wholly omit or disuse the Lords Prayer as a prayer doe seldome follow the Lord Christ fully in it as a patterne namely in this particular they seldome plead with God for forgivenesse of sinnes with this argument as or because we forgive those who trespasse against us and doe not alwaies pray against Temptation If they seek to justifie their not using the Lords Prayer and their not imitating it in the former of these particulars lest they should occasion many to pray against themselves because they cannot finde in their hearts to forgive their brethren To this we reply that all our prayers ought to be according to this modell or pattern themselves being Judges To the Lords Prayer bring we all our prayers if they are not according to this rule it is because as to that thing wherein they are irregular or not conforme hereto the true spirit of prayer is not in them 2. If we will not heare Gods Commandement to forgive our brethren how should we expect God should heare our prayers for forgivenesse we must both pray and practise according to Gods will if we would have our wills done if we would have God fulfill our desires 3. The crookedness of mens hearts and waies can be no right rule for Gods Minister in publick prayer but the Word of God and prayer of our Lord Christ 4. The using of this prayer may be instead of a Sermon to such malitious ones to minde them of and move them to forgivenesse However I doubt not but some of the Israelites might be guilty of some of those sins against which the curse was denounced by the Priests on Mount Ebal and to which the Congregation said Amen Obj. Papists and profane ignorant Protestants make an ill use of this good prayer make a kind of Idoll of it and therefore we should lay it aside after the example of Hezekiah who demolished the brazen Serpent when it was abused to Idolatry 2 King 18.4 Answ Some mens abuse of naturall things must not hinder or prejudice others in their right to use them lawfully much lesse must mans abuse annull or make void Gods Institutions Our Saviour sanctifyed the Sabbath although the Jewes were superstitious in their manner of observation of it We must not lay aside the first part of the Gospell written by the holy Evangelist John because it hath been abused in charmes c. And we may still use the words of Christ This is my body in celebration of the Lords Supper notwithstanding that Papists thereupon ground Transubstantiation and Artolatry or worship of the bread believing it to be the body of Christ corporally and not only Sacramentally As the Apostle Paul to Timothy 1 Epist Chap. 1.8 saith of the law of God The law is good if a man use it lawfully So say I of the prayer of our Lord The Prayer is good if a man use it lawfully If the meer abuse of things should take away all lawfull use of them we should soon be deprived of the benefit both of Gods creatures and of his ordinances
for Non-subscription to the Book and Ceremonies and to prosecute divers private Christians for Non-observation or else their opposition to the Ceremonies therein contained Insomuch that many like the children of faithfull Abraham forsook their owne country and fathers house and went into a strange Land viz. into America to the end they might have their consciences freed from these yoaks and burdens as they thought intolerable Besides in divers places the Ministers were forbidden to exercise their own gift of Prayer and others did voluntarily suffer parts and gifts to dry up for want of using because they had this book at hand in all their administrations Further it was observed many of the people did so idolize it that they judged no other way of worshipping God like it or to be allowed by men and accepted by God but that To prevent these or such like mischiefs and inconveniencies for the future as also it may be for that some judged it not necessary if tolerable that all men should be bound to use Crutches because some could not well goe without them and also that they might bring the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland to the neerest conjunction and uniformity in Religion particularly in a Directory for worship catechizing according to their Covenant newly entred into with the Kingdome of Scotland lately set all on a flame with a Service-book which in some things was more though in others lesse liable to exception than the English Liturgy sent thither from hence by the Archbishop of Canterbury I say for these or the like reasons the Assembly advised and the Parliament which the King had confirmed by Act thought good by an Ordinance to lay aside wholly the Common-prayer-book judging it as lawful to doe it as was for Hezekiah to break in pieces the Brazen Serpent made by Moses when once abused to Idolatry The Parliament having thus removed the Booke by an Ordinance or two who were we that we should resist God and them and hazard our own and the Kingdomes and Churches peace to maintain a Form when as without charity all Prayers whether with or without a Form or Book are lost If it shall be further objected that the Service-book was setled by an Act and removed or abolished by an Ordinance To this all I think good to answer here at present is this That I have heard that an Ordinance of Parliament was of validity to suspend an Act And that that Ordinance of Parliament hath not been as yet suspended nor the Act for the Liturgy hitherto revived by any other Act. Let this suffice to justifie our non-using of the English Liturgy III. I come now to my last Observation that is to justifie our continued use of the Lords Prayer And here let me minde you that the same reverend godly and learned Assembly which judged it expedient to take away the Common-prayer did yet recommend the Lords prayer to be used in the prayers of the Church because it is take their owne words in the Directory Not onely a pattern of Prayer but it selfe a most comprehensive Prayer As the same measure may be a standard to frame and try other measures by and may besides be used to measure withall So may this Prayer of our Lord be used both as a Pattern of prayer to frame our prayers by as a Standard to examine them by and as a Prayer it selfe also And truly if our Saviour had meant this Prayer onely for a pattern and that it should be unlawful to uss it as a Prayer I believe him so plain and so good a speaker for never man spake like him and in his mouth was found no guile that he would never have answered such a request Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples in such expresse language When ye pray say Our Father c. without some caution limitation or restriction to prevent mistakes For had it been possible that when our Lord said When ye pray say Our Father c. that his sense and meaning should be when ye pray ye must not say Our Father c. ye must not say these words at any time or in any case but onely pray alwaies after this patterne we may suppose the holy Ghost would have added some explanation or interpretation as in other cases viz. John 7.38 39. and John 2.20 21. the rather considering there is no room here as in other places for a figurative sense and that it is the office of the holy Ghost to lead us into all truth and so to preserve us from error and that the words are so plaine a forme of Prayer and so plain for the using of them so that plainer needed not upon supposition that it was the minde of Christ that these words should be used as a Prayer Let us reason the matter a little what can be said against using this Prayer of Christ now which might not have been objected or pretended by Aaron and his Sons for their not using the forme of blessing prescribed of old Numb 6.23 24. Yea how shall we now justifie our practice of blessing or praying for a blessing in the words of the Apostle Paul in the close of our Sermons if it be utterly unlawfull to pray unto God in the words of our Lord Jesus in the beginning of our Sermons What is the Disciple come to be above his Master and the Servant above his Lord Again how can we think that God that hears our prayers who have not the Spirit in such a measure as the Apostles had should not regard his Sons prayer should therefore not heare his childrens prayers because presented unto him in his owne and onely Son's words Yea will God the Father heare our prayers indited by the holy Spirit not hear us when we pray that which his Son made put in our hands hearts And did not the same holy Spirit that indited our prayers indite the prayer of Christ too and do not we who have the Spirit by measure receive of Christs fulnesse as all other graces so also the spirit of Grace and Supplication I dare say that the holy Ghost is not therefore out of love out of conceit with his own conceptions because they are not new Must all our prayers necessarily be put up in our Saviours name if they finde acceptance if they be heard and answered and must they in no wise at no time in any case be sent up in his owne words or will Jesus Christ the great Favourite and Master of Requests in heaven refuse to present our Petitions because of his own drawing or inditing Must we alway when we pray pray after this manner and must we never when we pray say Our Father c If one be Scripture is not the other also yea doubtlesse both and in both we have the minde of Christ for he that said that said this also Must we alway keep to Christs sense and meaning and yet never use his words but our
according to the Directory So here it doth not follow that we may not use the words of either of the Evangelists but on the contrary that we may indifferently use the words of either and so may pray either in the form of words recorded by the Evangelist Matthew or else according to this form in the text We think it not unlawfull but expedient in the celebration of the Lords Supper to retain the words of some of the Evangelists or of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 11. upon that occasion And so I see no sufficient reason but we may and that it is expedient to use Christs owne words either at his first or second delivery of it either as recorded by one or the other Evangelist And lastly who knowes but Jesus Christ speaking Syriack the language then commonly used by the Jewes might expresse himselfe in the same Syriack words at both times and yet the Evangelists render the same diversly in another tongue keeping still the same sense as the same Greek words may be truly translated and yet rendred in English in severall or diverse words but all to the same sense Obj. But it is our duty to pray in the Spirit in the holy Ghost and so as the holy Spirit immediately moves us or suggests to us for matter and words and method and so we are not to be tied to any form of prayer Possibly this was and might be used for a time namely till Christ was glorified and the holy Ghost given as Johns form might last till Jesus Christ gave a new one so this form of prayer might be of use untill the coming down of the holy Ghost to teach Christians to pray of themselves without this or any other form Ans To this Objection I say three things 1. That we are now to pray in the holy Ghost in a right sense but not in the sense and manner above alleadged And so to say no more did those before Christs coming 2. That we may truly pray in the Spirit according to our duty although we use the Lords Prayer 3. The coming of the holy Ghost hath not taken away the Lords Prayer but that notwithstanding it may be used in the prayers of the Church and her Members until Christ come again Of the first All Christians 't is true must pray in the Spirit as all Ministers of Christ are to preach in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and in words which the holy Ghost teacheth and yet this hinders not but we may and must study and premeditate for our Sermons not alway expecting extraordinary supplies from the holy Ghost so as that it should be given us always in that houre what to preach and it should not be we that preach or speak but the holy Ghost in us The holy Ghost hath made known to us the minde of God in the Scriptures we are to study them and the matters contained in them and to preach the Word of God Scripture-truthes plainly and affectionately as those who have found favour to be taught of God to have our understandings opened to understand the Scriptures to have our wills bowed to Gods revealed will and our affections warmed with love to the truth and zeale for it and as those who have in themselves experimented those things which they declare unto others Besides Ministers may and ought to read the holy Scriptures and in so doing although for the present they are tied unto words yet this doth in no wise quench the Spirit the Scriptures themselves being dictated by the Spirit so when we pray we are to pray in the Spirit that is for such things and in such a manner as the holy Ghost teacheth in the Scriptures of truth we are to pray in faith to come to God in Christs name merits mediation trusting to be heard and answered for Christs sake with earnestnesse and importunity and so with such sighs and groans which are unutterable which cannot sufficiently be expressed in words 2. As Believers before Christ particularly Moses and Aaron had the Spirit and his help and assistance in prayer so far as was requisite notwithstanding they sometimes used prescribed forms of Gods own inditing appointing And as Iesus Christ himself prayed in the spirit when he prayed in the words of David Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me So those that are Christs may pray also in the spirit in the using the prayer of Christ that being a Prayer for matter method words composed by him who had the Spirit without measure recorded in the very form of a Prayer and with this preface When ye pray say c. by the holy Ghost that is by the Evangelist moved and assisted infallibly by the holy Ghost If that place be urged 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray with the spirit and with understanding also I answer it followes I will sing with the Spirit and with understanding also So that if the former part could possibly with any good reason be expounded so as to debarre us from the use of the Lords prayer the latter will exclude Davids and all Scripture-Psalmes too out of the Church But the sense and meaning of that place is of another importance as appeares by the context and that may seem to be this I will not make use of the extraordinary gift of the Spirit inabling me to speak in an unknown or strange language either in praying to or praising of God in the Church where it is not understood by the unlearned and therefore cannot be to edification My own spirit or I may indeed pray according to the inward man and make use outwardly of the gift of Tongues that gift of the holy Ghost in praying but I make no use of my understanding to the benefit of others I resolve therefore so to pray and so to sing as I may be understood by others even as if I had no such gift of Tongues as a man would pray that hath not that gift of tongues which is an extraordinary gift of the Spirit 3. I come to my third Proposition and that is to prove that the coming of the holy Ghost doth not take away the use of the Lords Prayer as a Prayer And were it so as is presumed in the Objection that it was given onely for that time untill the coming of the holy Ghost and that it was out of date in the day of Pentecost even this Evangelical form of prayer like the legall observations I say were it so then the use of the Lords Prayer should cease both as a pattern and as a form of prayer it should neither be any more since Pentecost a Directory or Liturgy But the truth is that the promise of the holy Ghost to teach Christians to pray and the gift of the holy Ghost so promised doth not necessarily take away all helps or directions from Christ or from the Scriptures of the Prophets so that they should thenceforth be void and of none effect to all intents and