Babington - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .B23 1615

lipon the Lords Piver. alfo euident as they ought not to bee in a orange tongue, forafmtreh as in this place the Spirit of truth telleth vs,fuchPraycrs are oot hard acall indeed, as are not vnderltood when they are-heard. Secondly, if the Pipe or Harpe bee notvnderftood for want of diftin Pon in 1 i Reafo ; the founds, the hearer is without benefit of that found, and the infrunrent is not vfedasit ought to be, men fo, ifthe tongue wherein Prayersarepowred foorth to the Lord be not vnderltood, the hearer ofthatfound is without profit , and that found is not well vfed in that order. The Trumpet alto vfedxoiìgnifie un- to Souldiers when and how to prepare themfelues to the Battaile,if it glue anvn- certaine found, there is no preparation made : euen fo againe is the tongue or fpeech which wee vfe in Prayer, the meanes to ilír vsvp to that fpirituall exercife and to performs the fame , and therefore if it bee not vnderltood, it leaueth vs wronged as did the other, andthe dune required of vs is not done. Vnlelfewee can fay, that Souldiers that heare the Trumpet and -not vnderftandmg what it meaneth, tonne euery man his way from his fellow, doe well. Thirdly , the holy Prayers of the Church ought not to be fpoken into the Very g. wind that is invaine. But lò they are (faith the Lord) ifthey be made in a tongue ;. Reafn. that is not vnderltood, and therefore they ought not to be fo. Fourthly, neither llrould the minder be a Barbarian to his people in the houle 4,''Won. ofGodand duety of Prayer, thatis, one that is not vnderltood, and therefore might aswell hold his peace as fpeake, neither ought anyman or woman privatcly be fo to themlelues : But except we know the power ofthe voice, faith the Scrip- Verfe. 1 t. ture, that is, except we vnderfland what is prayed,that isfo, namely,both he a Bar- barian tovs,& we to our felues: therfore the tongue fhold not be vnknowntovs. Fiftly, ifwe pray in a ftrange tongue, our vnderflanding is without profit and g. Reafon. fruit faith the Apoftle , and that ought not tobefo. But when we pray we oughtVerfe,14. to pray with our fpiritandwith our vnderllanding, alto we ought to fingwith out -Ves-fe. 15: fpirit &with our anderflauding alfo,Therfore we may not pray in a (}range tong. Sixtly, our prayers ought to be fo made that all the company may anfavere 6. Reafon. Amen, but ifthey be in a it range tongue faith the fame fcripture againe, hee thát Verfe 16, pccupieththe place ofthe vnlearnedcan n ot fo aufwere, becaufe he knoweth not -what thou fayefl,Therefore they ought not to be fo. Seuenthly, the Apoftelepropoundetfvhimfelfe for an example and faith, that 7. Reafes. notwithltandinghe was able to fpeake more languages then they all, yet had hee Yerfe. to. rather in the Church fpeake flue words with his vnderflandingthat he might alto inflru&lothers, then ten thoufand wordes in aflrange tongue. And what care tbinke we Ihould bein vs to follow his praChfe Shall he be the deere one of the Lord in fo dooing, and wee fo alfo in hauing no fuck care nor confcience, but e- ven flat contrary, to fpeake rather ten thoufand words that we do not know, nei- ther profite otherby, than fiusthat doe both ? Let vs confider it, and felting a- fide all froward wilfulnesand damnable preiudiceofa truth, take heed betimes. Prayer is a fwee-t obedience to the Lord if it be aright, make it not adifobedience to his will your felfe by dooing it wrong. Many are the'bleflingspromifed to it, turne not thole bleflìngs into a curie by a flubborne hart that wil notbe iniiruc- ted. Laflly,weedifienot our felues by fisch unknown Prayero,w Nth yet we ought Verf 8. to do, afwell in our priu ate exercife, asthe publikeminifler his whole people in a Verfe publique place, all things beeing c6mmanded of God privatelyandopenlyto bedone to edifying, andthe reafon being all one, namely, our benefit and theirs beforethe Lord, therefore ,e flrould not viethem. Thus is the Lord againll# it, & h is word. Let vs now confidermen,& in them ei- thertheir praflife ortheir iudgenient,& fee if this kind ofpraying maybe warran- ted thatway. Concerningthefir flthen,.maywefindanyPatriarke or Prophet, The prallife any feruantofGodwhatfoeuer, eitheir in the old Teltttnent, or new, that vfed pf.the gedy thus topray in altrangetongue? No, ao,it is-well known that from the ves-y cs-e.- ageinft rhi anon error.

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