Downame - BV209_D69_G6_1640_v1

of Faith required in prayer. lot fay. For the prayer which is made without under- Prayer un- ftanding is alto without faith, without feeling,with- profitablé it our mosher- out true devotion : neither is it a lifting up of the tongtlt it mind but of the voyce unto God, and a bare reci- we Pray not tall of a fet form of words without any inward á with grace; fuch as parrots might be taught to make. Wherein many are fo grofï'e that they ufe the Creed and the ten Commandments for prayers, and recite them with the like devotion as they do the Lords prayer. I deny not but that it is good for the fimpler fort to meditate both of the Creed & of the Deca- logue, the one conteining the fumme of that which we are to believe, the other comprifing the fumme of that which we are to do; & likewife to pray unto God that he would increafe our faith in the one and our obedience to the other, But neither of both is to be ufed as a form ofprayer,becaufe in neither we do either ask any thing which we want, or give thanks for that which we have received. Let men therefore which would call upon God, labour for knowledge and underftanding. For a prayer of five words (fuch as was the Publicanes prayer, Deus, propitius eJio mihi peccatori, God be mercifull unto me a finner, uttered with underftanding is better then a prayer of an houre long not underftood. CHAP. XVIII. of faith which is required in prayer. Econdly, in the mind is required faith. For faith being a perfwafion,and therefore called dsrs, the PJt1..7. proper feat thereof is the mind. Howfoever it is to H 3 be