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
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
A TREATISE OF PRAYER Two Quaeries resolved touching formes of Prayer And Six Quaeries relating specially to the LORDS PRAYER That the Reader may have full Resolution specially to the fourth of these Queries relating to the Lords Prayer he shall finde in the end of this Treatise That Holy and Learned Mans judgement Dr Owen as to that matter in his Answer to Mr Biddles second question of Prayer Pag. 667 668 669. They who aske not for the Spirit that they may pray in the Spirit are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brutes and Mutes Chry A Malefactor expecting his sentence to death needs not man or booke to prompt him how to plead for his life He that can reade himselfe Cast and condemned by sinne needs not a booke to prompt him how to plead his pardon Paris of Divine Rhetor Compare with this Jer 3. 13. and Rom 10. 9 10. The Lords Prayer is the mould wherein all the Churches prayers are cast moulded and formed Bez Luk. 11. 2. See to it that God be as well pleased with thee calling Him Father as thou art well pleased to call Him Father Cyp Sermon the sixt upon the Lords prayer â— Thou shalt call me My father and shalt not turne away from Me Jer 3. 19. that is I will put filiall affections awfull thoughts constant resolutions into thy heart and thou shalt not turne away from Me London Printed by M. S. for Henry Cripps in Popes-head-Alley 1656. THE FOURTH TREATISE OF PRAYER Two Queries touching formes of Prayer and six relating to the Lords Prayer I. Whether a wicked man may say that prayer II. Whether our Lord gave His Disciples this prayer that they should pray to His Father in those very words III. Whether a Godly man takes it into his Closet IV. Whether it be comely for a Godly Minister to take it into his pulpit V. Whether John taught his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say VI. Whether a Godly parent can teach his childe to pray by giving him any forme of prayer And in speciall by teaching his childe to say the Lords Prayer The Negative in all these is under our Maintenance CHAP. I. WEE shall not enter into the Common place of prayer it is not a place to say much of it and to say little is to say little more than nothing at all It is being mounted on the wheele of Faith the great Engine of the world and wheeles all about there it is an Appeale to God in the Name and Mediation of Christ A committing the cause and Condition of His Church and of His Truth the concernements thereof in Generall His owne in speciall to Him and so takeing fast hold of the Allmightie the Allsufficient God in Christ it hath an Omnipotency in it and can doe what God Himselfe is pleased to doe all things that stand with His good will and pleasure for the support and supply of His Church every faithfull soule there And the carying on of His Truth whereby immortality and light is brought to light in the soule In a word It is the breathing-in and-out of the Spirit of God and of Glory It is that which fetcheth-in all from God through the hand of Christ by the Spirit And the Returne of All to God the first spring and fountaine of all by the same way of Conveyance For he or she that Remembers they have all from God cannot forget to Returne all to Him The Disciple hath all by askeing and it is but aske and have the same he asketh or that which is better he writeth uponall he hath Asked of God The Gift of God His Lord and Master Psal 2. Math. 26. had nothing but by askeing Aske of Me and I will give thee And that He the Mediator of His Church giveth-out unto His people at this present He asketh His Father first Surely the Saint must aske in Faith if he will receive in mercy for so he asketh His Lords leave and acknowledgeth Him to be Lord of the Mannour of 〈◊〉 and Earth To shutt up this and to proceed to what we cheifly intend in this place Prayers are the Embassadours of the pooâ—â— empty soule to God for supply from the aboundant Riches of His grace We say a poore empty Spirit for that is full of prayer and much supplication The poore man Prov. 18. 23. speakes supplications 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intreaties that is his Character and his Dialect But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no sense of povertie there is no prayer for there is a 〈◊〉 temper Rich enough and wanting Revel 3. nothing That person prayeth not or not to purpose it is but a Custome onely and a forme Now we crave leave to put two Questions and humbly to give our perswasion in way of Answer unto both SECT I. 1. WHether persons full of themselves as we are all by nature wholy emptie and swept of all Goodnesse and garnished with noysome lusts the furniture and rich garnish of Math. 12. 44. the uncleane Spirits house whether these are like to helpe themselves by useing sett formes of Prayer 2. Whether Babes in Christ newly converted ones renewed in the Spirit of their mindes have need of formes those crutches and helpes of devotion when they are addressing themselves unto their God Quest â— The first Whether unreasonable and wicked men as all are that have not faith can helpe themselves in this their condition by useing sett formes of prayer Answ To this we humbly give our opinion That they cannot helpe themselves at all but the more they use them the more they are disadvantaged by them the more indisposed to and putt further off from the power of Godlinesse For First The reason of this we take from the Philosophers knowne rule which indeed we thinke falls-in with common Experience That habits whether in good things or in evill are acquired and improved both by continuall exercise These things which we learne for practise we learne by practise as saith learned Dâ— Wilkins Now for any one to habituate or accustome himselfe to formes of prayer that is to prayers made or written by another and said by himselfe shall find himselfe as unable and as hard a matter to come off from them yet off he must come iâ— ever he looke to find acceptance with his God as it is with an Ethiopian to change his skin or the Leopard his spots O! we are much taken with and hardly taken off from formes of prayer we have been accustomed to from our youth up and never found these did the flesh any hurt putting it to Cost as these never did the spirit or hid-man of the heart any good So then these formes of prayer we come with before God doe more indispose us to God and estrange us from Him And it is not good to accustome our selves to that we must leave at last and come off from if ever good be wrought in us or by us Secondly Because we may say of these formes of prayer as is
while He tabernacled among men He put up many prayers to His Father and indeed though Lord of all yet as Mediator of His Church and so a servant to His Father in the Churches behalfe He could have nothing nor Psal 2. 8. Maâ—â— â—6 5â— Heb. 7. 25. hath He to this day but He must aske for it And among all these prayers we read not and quod non ligitur non creditur That this sacred prayer came-out of His sacred lips any more than once Nor have we observed it from the mouths of any of His Apostles or other of His Deare Children Yet we read of their prayers and though short yet were they moulded after this manner That the throne of His Glory may be advanced in their Hearts And that the world and all that which mightily opposeth the lifting-up of the same may be throwne-downe Crushed to the earth and ruined but never heard we this Prayer from their lips nor from any of the Blessed Martyrs Now certainly these being of the Number of That Virgin Company follow their Leader and Commander though haud passibus aequis yet they follow Him and did eye marke and behold His Blessed scope and intendment in all He did or spake SECT III. THe Disciple doth not as we thinke bring this Prayer before His Lord for this were to limit and stint himselfe and so to Restraine prayer which sure was far from the Intent of our Lord to prescribe so Contrary to the workings of His own Spirit in the hearts of His Chosen These find a restraint upon themselves as often as they find not the Blessed Spirit enlargeing of them to pray and then humbled they are when Comforted they cannot be But it is far from them as it was from the Mind of Christ prescribing this prayer to stint themselves so many words and no more as acceptable with their God as so many Ave-Maries and Pater-nosters given out by Number you know by whome A naturall prayer put-up by the strength of Nature is a stinted and a limited prayer But a Spirituall prayer as a Disciples prayer is hath alwayes an Infinitenesse in it his spirit being right set is enlarged to a kind of Infinitenesse in Gods Service There is a Naturall Bias in his soule which inclines him to a limited prayer But we know the strength of the Arme takes away that Bias So the strength of the Inward man takes away this Bias. Though this Disciple is not able to doe what is actually infinite yet his desire is infinite in this That being to deale with an Infinite God were he able to doe ten thousand times more than he doth yet his heart would doe more Oh that I could doe more As he growes in grace so his desire after grace is enlarged as much as a wicked man is after the world and sin he enlargeth his desire as hell and a godly man enlargeth his as Heaven He limits not himselfe Those desires are boundlesse which the Holy Spirit enlargeth to a kinde of Infinitenesse Causing those to Center in the infinite Love of God unto them through Jesus Christ and this is our third Reason SECT IV. THese Disciples have their stated and set times for prayer every day It is true they pray Continually or without Ceasing Acts 10. 2. 1 Thes 5. 17. Prayer never Ceaseth to goe-forth till the grace desired comes-in Though the words of prayer cease in the mouth yet the grace of prayer ceaseth not in the heart But they have their stated times for prayer and the very flower and creame of time it shall be which is appointed for that high Service from hence we prove That the Disciple brings not this prayer before his God He hath more to say and must take more time for it than is taken-up in repeating these words They have many more words to utter before their God we say not than are contained in that prayer for all the Angells in Heaven cannot readily tell us and explaine to us the Contents thereof or what is contained therein but many more â—ords than numerically word for word are Contained therein Therefore he must take time for it and if we may so say the firstling thereof As he prayes to God continually so he praises God continually prayers and praises goe together very few breathings goe betwixt but be they few or many the Disciple takes time for it No sooner is he awake in the morning but he ascribeth to God the Glory Who alone gâ—ve him sleepe which all created strength could not doe and awakned him out of sleepe else he had slept on till the Great Day of the Lord God had come he praiseth his God for this in the Name of Jesus Christ And no sooner is he set upon his leggs but he is upon his knees praising Him with heart and voice That set him on his leggs whereas He might have laid him restlesse upon his pillow where many an head lyeth akeing But how if he be awakned with paine and sorrow upon the flesh to take it-in by the way Notwithstanding he finds matter of praise and his heart enlarged that way He can sing the high prayses of his God for those glorious excellencies that are in Himselfe and for the Emanations or flowings forth of the same by Jesus Christ in the exceeding aboundant riches of His goodnesse to His beloved ones in and through Him and to himselfe in speciall For though his flesh feeles paines upon it yet saith the Spirit I am not sicke mine iniquitie is forgiven my sin is pardoned Hitherto he never found That his Heavenly Father did him any hurt by afflicting him but good a great deale Which may mind you of him Chrysostome tells us off who was acquainted with greifes in his measure as his Lord and Master was in His Churches stead and for her sake that they may never have any hurt therefrom and never came before his God but the first words he spake were praises to his God for his paines and sorrows upon the flesh to use his own words for his hell here as well as for his Heaven hereafter And you may remember another A very good Man who enjoyed health and wealth all was prosperous with him for fiftie yeares together and after the Date of those yeares he had scarce a Comfortable day to the houre of his death But this is for our Learning how praise-full was he That his God spared him so many good dayes and instructed instructed him to that Discretion as to make an improvement of them therein to lay-up as we say for a rainy day or spending time and to beare his Crosses now they are come willingly and more rejoyceingly for he found no losse by them Indeed this is the Glorious Priviledge of Disciples really and indeed such Amidst all their Crosses they find not one Losse But this is it we were prooving There must be time for this praiseing the Lord and these must be uttered with a Man 's own mouth
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
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
he would not doe in good things that doth he The godly man sometimes doth the Commands of the flesh which are most contrary to the Commands of Christ but what He hates that doth he This is the point and so we have done A Brutish Pastour and a brutish people are so farre from doeing the Commands of Christ That they hate to doe it with their whole heart and with their whole soule and it were absurd to say or thinke the contrary When ye pray say this prayer after your owne The Lord Christ commands no such thing neither ever came it in His heart for could we suppose our Lord had commanded so to doe The Pastour after Gods owne heart had never omitted it The Brutish one had never said it unlesse as a Parret his chaire he had not said it like a Clarke as now he sayes it nor done it so as he doth the wills of the flesh This is the second Thirdly We would aske this Godly Minister what good he finds by adding this prayer to the end of his own which we would suppose was wrought in him and out from him by the Spirit of God We know Cui bono is the greatest enquiry and in this Case what Spirituall advantage by so doing what hath this advantaged the Spirit God's Spirit or his owne renewed by the same Spirit We passe this leaving it upon his thoughts having spoken so much thereunto before onely this we would adde It is you know a sure saying That every act of Grace extends grace in the heart of a Disciple as every act of sin extends sin in the sinner for grace as corruption gaines by acting Now it is left upon your thoughts whether you have found grace hath been extended in your heart by the addition of this prayer to the end of your owne Fourthly What good doth he doe by repeating this prayer or what advantage is it to his hearers Certainly a Godly Minister should looke to that whereby he may profit his people The Preacher was wise and how did he evidence his wisdome He Eccles 12. 9. still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out he would not speake a word sure but to profit and the building up of his people Two great workes he is continually versed and exercised in being charged upon him praying and preaching Acts 6. ◠and how studiously carefull is he being the peoples mouth to God and God's mouth to the people that not one word passe from his mouth which makes not for the good of his people and for the clearing of his account at the great Day He remembers well before Whome he is and to Whome he speakes in prayer and from Whome he speakes in preaching And he considers as he can the infinite distance betwixt Majestie and Nothing and now how fixedly doth he looke to Him who is the Middle person and having laid His hand upon Both stands as a screen betwixt everlasting Burning and this peice of dried stubble as in it selfe considered and so rolling himselfe upon This one Mediatour and casting himselfe into the hands of His Spirit and trusting in His supply he falls to his worke and now what advantage hath hee or have his hearers by addition of this prayer that is the Question and the answer thereunto you must make unto your God onely this which we have heard we will say more which you know is a Ministers Motto or should be Nusquam doceo ubi non moveo Nusquam moveo ubi non doceo I never teach savingly where I doe not move or stirre feelingly that is praevailingly nor doe I ever so move where I doe not so teach so we leave this upon your thoughts and proceed to one Reason more Fifthly To our seeming it is a very sinfull doeing to adde this prayer to the end of our owne and this upon a threefold account First You glad the hearts of them that should not be gladded the wicked we meane if yon have not heard it said by them we have once and againe What a Brave Minister have we to day Why he said the Lords prayer twice to day and oh how sweetly did he say it and that was all they observed for the addition of that prayer rendred him so gracious in their eyes and his Sermon so sweet Certainly we must not glad the hearts of wicked ones for then we glad That Wicked-One Secondly Ye must not make the wicked Blaspheme in Calling God Father and Christ accursed but this they will doe in spight of your heart for they and they onely will say it after you and if they should be asleep as Commonly they are all the time of your praying yet they will awaken at this prayer or if while you are running it over with the speed of a good Clark they should chance to nod at the first or second Petition yet they will be perfectly awaked at that signall Conclusion AMEN But wee forbeare for Nemo libentèr moratur in asperis Thirdly Yee sad them whome the Lord would not have sadded yee sad the hearts we thinke of all the truly Godly there They cannot endure to heare the Name of God prophaned That sweetest Name Father Blasphemed their onely Lord called accursed They cannot endure it it is more greivous to them to heare this within the meeting place than see their filthy Conversation without We tell you againe The Truely Godly cannot endure to heare this they can with much more patience heare their Earthly father abused c. But their heavenly Father Who loved them and Gave His Son unto them and them unto His Son and this Son of God Who taking their nature hath redeemed their Soules from all adversitie washing them in His owne blood we were saying they cannot endure to heare their Father Blasphemed nor their Lord called accursed nor that Signall Word Amen ecchoed forth by persons little better than Quakers and Ranters damnable Hereticks wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly But wee have done These are our Reasons why a Godly Minister may not adde the Lord s prayer to th' end of his owne Onely you will remember here what an Excellent Man said It is Better to occasion wrath in the Bad than greife in the Good CHAP. VIII And fift Querie Q. V. WHether John the Baptist taught his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say And which may be queried thereupon Whether a Parent can teach his child to pray by setting formes of prayer before him whereafter to pray As thus for wee would be cleare as to the holding-forth our meaning and perswasion in this matter here Child is a forme of prayer when you pray say as you see here is prescribed unto you That this ought to be we meane That a child may and ought be taught to pray by formes of prayer set before him is affirmed and argued from Johns practise with his Disciples Now our perswasion is That John did not give his