Downame - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133 .D76 C551 1608 v.1

Efa:::9.r3a, 3,11m z.8, 66 _ OfPrayer. great power andcunning politic ofour fpirituall erenvies, wet are earnefllie topray that the Lord wil not leade vs into temptation ; or ifhe doe, yet that he v'iI1 not fuffer vs to fall therein and'to be oucrthro ine. And thofe our prayersmuff not onely bee publike in the Church, but alto private in our chambers ; neither mull wee be alwaies begging thefe bene- fits at Gods hand, but hauing obtained thetn,wemuff be as roadie to giue hiin thankes, and toafcribe the glorie ofall unto him, who is theauthor andbefiovv er ofall vertue and grace which is in vs ; and focalling vponGod with all man- ner cfprayer, he will becontinually roadie to ailifl vs in our fpirituall combat. The third thing required,is, thatwee pray inor the fpi- rit,for the wordherevied may fignifieboth.Firfi therforewe mullpray in the fpirit;towhich is required,firfi,that wepray with vnderfianding ; inwhich refpeel the ignorant Papifis offend,whopray inanvnknowne tongue; and the ignorant Proteflants ado, who though they pray in their owne lan- guage, yet knownot the feule and meaning of that they fpeake. Secondly,that-we pray with attentiueminds, icyning our hearts withour tongues,and thoughts with words; to which is oppofed theprayer ofthe lippes alone, when as wee draw neere vntoGod withour inouthes, our hearts in the meane timebeing farre from him,as it is Efa.29.1 3. Which kindof prayer is odious and abominable vntoGod : for what more groffe difcord then when the tongue andhart difagreefrom one. another; which fhonld be tuned in vnifone ? And as the carcafe being feuered from the foule is prefentlie corrupt and flinketh ; fo the-prayerofthe lipsbeing feuered from the prayer ofthe heart,which is the life and route ofit, is but a dead carcafe ofprayer, and flinketh in Gods nofircls. Thirdly,thatwepraywith a pure confcience and faith vn-- faitied, iiicing vppure hands to God, Nvithout wrath ordoubting, a<iitis i:Tim :2.8. to which is oppofed prayer proceeding from apolluted confcience,when as men liue in their finnes without any-true forow for thofe which arc pail, oranie fin- ccrepwpofe.to fort ke them in the time to come; which prayers . '4.i

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