A TRACT OF PRAYER By He. Clapham AT LONDON Printed by W. White dwelling in Cow-lane 1602. ⧠To the Right Woo. M ris Grissell Sheffeild all true happinesse here and in the worlde to come RIght Woo. as I am much to prayse God for your vn-uariable Christian fauours from the very entraunce of my seruice vouchsafed still vnto me So I haue neuer since lacked Will though destitute of Meanes whereby to testifie my summisse duetie But hauing experienced the fruites of that diuine spirit which from Infancie is reported to haue held his succession in you I haue aduentured to offer some signe of gratitude Homely is the Forme but heauenly is the Subiect whereon my Pen runneth What is lacking in the Manner is countenanced in the Matter And so this 2. of December 1602. I ende remayning Your Woo. wherein he shal be able Henoch Clapham A TRACT OF PRAYER An Introduction PRayer is nothing else but a powring foorth of the soules-sense according to the instinct and motion of GOD his holy Spirit And herevpon it is that Moses is sayd to cry Exod. 14. 15. though he vttered no worde and Hannah to pray 1. Sam. 1. 12. though she spake onely in her hart And this is called Prayer Mentall as that which is by mouthes vtterance is called Prayer Vocall That I say this speach of the Soule must be according to the motion of God his Spirit it is because no vtteraunce mentall or vocall is true Prayer otherwise then it is vttered by the Holy Ghostes direction For his office it is to teach vs what to pray And herevpon it is that the Apostle teacheth not onely that God sendes foorth his Sonnes spirit into our hartes vpon the very first action of our Adoption Gal. 4. 6. 9. for teaching vs to Cry that is earnestly to Pray but also to deny that the most learned is able to pray without the direction of that Spirit For thus he sayth The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed Rom. 8. 26. And least any should obiect Alas we speake imperfectly or sigh confusedly he addeth But he that searcheth the hartes knoweth what is the meaning of that Spirit for he maketh request for the Sainctes according to the will of God So that no wordes or sighinges are heere reputed Prayer otherwise then they receiue their character of Christes Spirit Which obserued it conuineeth the Papist and Brownist two extreames of extreame ignoraunce The Papist thinkes if so he say ouer some certaine forme of wordes prescribed in his Iesus or Ladyes Psalter or her etofore drawen by Pope Sixtus or some other idolatrous Woorthie he hath done very well though God knowes he is so farre from following the instinct of Christes Spirit therein as ordinarily he Apishly imitateth some brutish inuention and if it be Latine his owne Spirit he being a common Papist ignorant what his lippes vttereth For the Brownist hee thinkes on the other hand that if he haue vttered a number of words not according to any written forme but of the abundance of his owne hart then he hath performed a worthie worke for no wordes borrowed from else where he holdes can be deliuered for Prayer And herevpon it is that he denyeth to vtter the words in Mat. 6. 9. c. for Prayes as if the same wordes could not bee vsed for Doctrine and Prayer Thus condemning all the Worlde for ignoraunce in Prayer he shewes himselfe to be ignoraunt what is Prayer Prayer as before receiues not his Beeing from Wordes for one can pray truely that is dombe with Zacharie but be they words or sighes or Soules breathinges they be then true Prayer when God his Spirit is one with our Spirit in the vse thereof And therefore to impute any thing to Wordes in that manner as they do is flat Merit-mongry And because in vocall Prayer the selfe same words may againe be vsed in the same and like case our Sauiour who had more varietie of wordes then any Brownist hee repeated the same wordes againe Marke 14. 39. And the Apostle againe and againe in the entraunce of his Epistles Rom. 1. 7. 1. Cor. 1. 3. 2. Cor. 1. 2. Galat. 1. 3. Ephess 1. 2. Philip. 1. 2. Coloss. 1. 2. 1. Thess. 1. 2. 2. Thess. 1. 2. 1. Tim. 1. 2. 2. Tim. 1. 2. Philem. 3. Thus farre was S. Paul from acquaintaunce with Brownisme And yet I could prooue vnto them that some of themselues both publiquely and priuatly haue vsually vsed a flat Forme of Prayer cond by hart But who will easily dispute with Spirits of priuate interpretation Prayer consisting in Sighes new or accustomed in wordes olde or new Etiamsi nihil dictum quod non dictum prius prouided the same be formed by the Holy spirit Some ignorauntly it may be will inferre Then the vnsanctified with Iudas Iscariot pray not truely seeing the Holy Ghost is not giuen them I answeare the vnsanctified person praying with and for others may as did Iudas Iscariot pray truely and may haue glorious effectes following the same as followed Iscariots ministerie so well as the others Mark 6. 13. and Luk. 9. 10. and this because he prayeth according to the motion of the Holy spirit though he enioy not the same Spirit For great is the difference betweene being Acted by him as Balaam was in his ministerie and hauing the Spirit dwelling in one as he doth in the sanctified Rom. 8. 9. This remembred I will as God shall enable in the next place delyuer vnto you an Exposition of the Lordes Prayer and that also in forme of prayer AN EXPLICATION OF THE Lords Prayer OUr Father Father by creation as we were set out of thine hands in our fore-parents Adam and Heuah but more speciallie a Father through the worke of Redemption who as we voluntarily were cast away of the first man hast recouered vs to thy selfe againe by the second Man Christ Iesus his glorious obedience Twise a Father by Nature and Grace but we vtterly vnworthy once of the name of Children so great hath been our transgression both against Nature and Grace As thou teachest mee not to cry My Father as minding either my owne particuler onely or heretically iudging better of my selfe then any others but hast commaunded mee to cry Our Father as a feeling member of that Catholique Church sparsed ouer the earth to whom Christ Iesus is onely Head so hereby thou callest me to ioyne with Fayth Loue that so my Fayth in thy promises may declare it selfe to be true Fayth by the workes that issue therefrom as in other thinges so in the action of Prayer For thou wouldst haue vs to know that all Fayth is but dead which worketh not by Loue First towards the head of our Head Christ Iesus Secondly towardes our fellow members which is the corporation of true beleeuers Our
Father Which art in Heauen and because in Heauen therefore Almightie and Al-sufficient for thy children Beeing a Father thou art willing and being in Heauen thou art able to effect whatsoeuer thou willest and thou willest onely that which shal be good for thy children This we belieue Lord helpe our vnbeliefe And as thou specially declarest thy glory in the Heauens for otherwise thy Essence Beeing is beyond all place because there are the Spirits Angelicall who are more capable of thy glorie so vouchsafe ô heauenly Father for the sake of thy Sonne through whom thou art become our Father to inrich our harts nowe and for euer with diuine thoughtes beseeming the presenting our selues before such a heauenly Father That so by thy grace we may pray in Fayth euen in that Fayth which worketh by Loue the bond of Peace the fulfilling of thy Law the externall badge of thy Sonnes disciples Heauenly Father thy name in proprietie is thine owne selfe and so thou art IEHOVAH the beeing of all beeings deryuing thine owne beeing from none in which respect it is easier to say what thou art not then what thou art for being Infinite thou so canst not in proprietie fall within the compasse of Definition But as thou first assumedst the name Creator in respect of the Creature so therewithall thou after a sort didst make thy selfe Comprehensible who otherwise art Incomprehensible which thou secretly taughtest Moses when for that he was in conceipt finite thou declardst thy self vnto him by thy Back-parts for none can behold thy Face and liue And herevpon it is that thou declarest thy selfe first in the common Creature for the Heauens declare thy glorie the Firmament shewes thy handie worke and the visible creature makes seene thy inuisibles as thine eternall power and Godhead Secondly thou doost make thy selfe knowen by thy Written Worde and Sacramentes In thy Word declaring thy selfe by that name of names Father of our Lord Christ Iesus sealing vp the same in the blessed Sacraments of Baptisme and our Lordes Supper Be it thy name essentiall or relatiue declaring thy Beeing or the Diuine properties in thy Beeing vouchsafe the Grace vnto vs of hallowing the same for though earthly Powers wincke at it thou wilt not holde him guiltlesse that takes thy name in vaine We were first Created into thy name and secondly haue been Baptised into the same But we lost thy Image in the first and haue recouered in the second by thy Grace a new stampe thereof Heauenly Father infuse thy sanctifying grace into the hartes of all thy Children that of the abundance of such a sanctifyed hart the mouth may speake holyly to the prayse of thy name and the edification of many And so shall the pure sacrifice of Prayer and Prayse be offred vp vnto thee in all places That thy Name may be so hallowed Let Thy Kingdome come Thy Kingdome is of another nature then the worlds Kingdomes be They be as Nebuchadnetsars Image made of Gold Siluer Brasse Iron and Clay all which the Corner-stone of our Saluation Christ Iesus dasheth to powder melting before his Kingdome as Waxe before the Sunne Thy Kingdome is Spirituall and specially inward and therefore to the world inuisible This Kingdome of thine thou dost stablish in the Body of thy Church thy Holy Spirit taking vp the Conscience for his Throne there gouerning the Hart of Man by the Scepter of thy Worde Thence thou neuer departest making whatsoeuer is at enmitie with thee thy footestoole casting downe the haughtie imaginations of men and whatsoeuer is within exalted against thee Lord let this Kingdome come this Kingdome of Light for chasing away the powre of darknesse this Kingdome of Grace for dryuing euery vile Canaanite foorth of our Land Let the strong man Sinne be taken and bounde by Him that is stronger and so take vs vp wholly for thine owne Glorie Vnto which good purpose vouchsafe ô heauenly Father to blesse thine owne Ordinaunces Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall The Ciuill thou hast giuen specially for keeping the Body and Flesh of Man-kinde in due order The Ecclesiasticke specially for subduing the Soule and Spirit In the first thou hast these fourtie foure yeeres vpward â—endred our good in the happie and blessed regiment of our dread Soueraigne Elizabeth deputed ouer vs in all causes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall our supreame Gouernesse In the second thou hast for all the time of her gracious regiment sought our saluation comming vnto vs early and late by the ministrie of thy Prophets For all which thy name be euer blessed Heauenly Father vouchsafe accordingly to continue the same mercie by Ciuill Ecclesiasticke gouernment not only to vs but also to our posteritie Dash the Image of Romes Nebuchadnetsar a peeces Let his vnion with Spayne prooue but as a mixture of Iron and Clay and his mixt Idolatrous gouernment let it quickly be consumed Thou who in thy Worde hast promised to stirre vp all these Kings against that Bomish Harlot who first subiected Crowne and dignitie therto Lord hasten the perfecting of that promise Through thy blessing it hath come so to passe with vs and some other our neighbours Lord hasten the conuersion of other Kinges and namely of the King of Spaine that with a right royall resolution they may arise and like true Christian Princes labour to consume that harlotry Synagogue which before hath consumed them and their Kingdomes Destroy the Turkish tyrannie Let the Kingdome of thy Sonne in his Dominious more and more florish Remoue the ceremoniall Vayle of Moses from before the eyes of thy naturall Israel Gather into subiection all of Iewes and Gentiles that appartaine vnto thy Kingdome That so thy Sonne Christ Iesus may come vnto Iudgment he may so deliuer the Kingdome into thine handes and so GOD may be all in all In the meane time Thy Will bee done in the Earth and that in such sort as it is done in the Heauens The Angelicall Spirits in the Heauens are faythfull and flightie in theyr Obedience whereas they were created but once retayning still their first state And wee besides our naturall creation haue put thee to a second busines to the re-creating of vs againe by thy Spirit and Worde by so much the more we owe vnto thee a greater obedience Giue vs the grace therefore togither with the knowledge of thy Wil to be Doers thereof that others so seeing our good workes they may thereby take occasion to glorifie thee our Father which art in heauen But when by thy Grace we shal haue done any part of thy Will let vs not be destitute of that Grace which is declared in thy Angels by couering their Face and Feete Let vs be humble in our owne eyes acknowledging our insufficiencie for contemplating thy glory the insufficiencie of our affections for doing thy Will Let vs neuer be left to our selues that so we shold forget the darknes of our Senses the lamenes of our Affections With which
who only can search the Hart can giue to euerie one the thing is necessarie and gaine Glory to thy selfe in all thy actions And this For euer and euer And because Kingdome Power and Glory is thine always therefore at no time to be giuen wholly or in part to any Angell Saint or other Creature be it otherwise neuer so excellent in our eyes of neuer so high estimate in our minde Amen So it is and So be it ô Father of Heauen for the sake of thy Sonne our onely sauiour and redeemer Christ Iesus To whom togither with thee and the sanctifying Spirit be all kingdome Power and Glorie hencefoorth and for euer Amen A briefe example how it may be reduced to the 10. Commaundementes OUR Father and therefore a transgression for any of vs To haue any other Gods before thy face Which art in Heauen and therefore not to be fashioned by or to any thing aboue or belowe that hath existence amongst the Creatures For as thou art a Iealous GOD so thou must needes punish throughly all such Idolatire Halowed bee thy Name of all thy people who hast commaunded them at no hand To take thy name in vaine Thy Kingdome come as in the due sanctifying of the auncient Sabaoth day in Israell till Christ his Kingdome was established to all nations so now in the holy obseruance of our Lordes day the day of our Sauiours resurrection the day wherein at seuerall times on seuerall persons from morning to late night he powred foorth aboundantly the first fruites of his Spirit Thy Will bee done in Earth as it is done in Heauen by all sorts of Fathers and Mothers Ciuill and Ecclesiasticke with due referrence of duetie from inferiours to such superiours that so a better Blessing then that of Canaan euen of Heauens Rest it may be giuen vnto them Giue vs this day our dayly-bread that so by thy Grace we may not onely not murder but also truely mayntaine life in our selues and others Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. We haue trespassed in thought worde and deede against all the former and other thy Commaundements Lord vouchsafe to seale perfectly to our soules the remission of them all euen as by thy Grace we finde a true though not perfect readines to forgiue to others theâ—r trespasses Lead vs not into tentation but deliuer vs from euill Tempted we shal be to breake all thy Ten Lawes specially the very tenth in coueting things which appertaine to others For thy Sonnes sake delyuer vs from all such euill For thine is the Kingdome Power and Glorie for euer and euer Kingdome is thine and therfore thou callest people out of the seruitude of sinne to serue thee Power is thine and this thou shewest by pulling thy Israel out of the handes of Hels Pharaoh and the Glorie due to thee in all our obedience thou wilt not part it with any other For all homage of body and soule is due to thee who hast purchased vs to the prayse and glory of thy name And this for Euer and euer Amen Heauenly father It is so and euer graunt Grace to vs all that it may be so Amen 1. Thess. 5. 17. Pray continually FINIS Imprinted at London by William White 1602. What Prayer is The Papists errour for Prayer The Brownistes error for Prayer * Namely Our Father which art in Heauen c * Namely Abba Father all things are posible c. * Namely Grace be with you peace from God c. Nothing now sayd that hath not been sayd afore The first Branch of the Introduction to Prayer Our Father For further explication hereof the wise-spirited may vnder them words relate to the first Commaundement Thou shalt not haue other Gods before my face The second branch of the Introduction Which art in Heauen This may relate to the seconde CoÌ„mundement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe a grauen thing nor c. The first direct Petition Halowed be thy name Hereto the third Commandement may be applyed Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for c. The second Petition Thy Kingdome come This casteth eye backe to the fourth CoÌ„maundement Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbaoth day to sanctifie iâ— c. The third Petition Thy Will be done in Earth c. This relateth to the fifth Com. Honor thy Father and thy Mother that Ià à ricun they may prolong thy dayes vpon y â— earth which y â— Lo. thy GOD giues thee The fourth Petition Giue vs this day our c. Hereto the sixt CommandemeÌ„t Thou shalt not murther The fifth Petition And forgiue vs our trespasses c. Herto the breach of all the Commaundementes may be referred The sixth Petition And lead vs not into tentation but. c. Hereto all but specially the tenth com Thou shalt not couet c. The Reason of offering Prayer only to GOD The first branch For thine is y e Kingdome Heere may be remembred the kingdome of Aegipt from whence Israel is fetched The second branch of the Reason The Power Heereby that Power whereby that Church was deliuered The third Branch And the Glory Heere may be râ—â—â—rdated the glorie which God gayned in ouerthrowing Aegipt in the red Sea And all this intimated in that preface to the Commaundementes Exod. 20. 2. The fourth branch in coÌ„mon with the third The subscription of Fayth Amen This may relate to Israels subscription vnto the Law Thus the Law sent people to Prayer and Prayer respecteth the obseruatioÌ„ of the law and the fulfilling of all in Christ through whom God is become Our Father