X 54. An Lx/ofitiovi upon toe ¿or .r pr er. cerne what arethe thoughts anddelires ofour hearts : and becaufe inuocation is apart ofdiuine wor(hip,and therefore peculiartoGod alone. Obieclioa. What needeanymanprayvntoGod, confidering hec knows what we want before we aske,and is readie and willing to giuethat which we crane. Anfiv. Wepray not forthis end to rnanifet+our cafe toGod as though heknew itnot,or towhine andprocure his fauour and good will,butfor other weightieends. Firft, thatwee might Phew our fubmitsron and obedience to God,becaufe hebath giuenvs a dire& commandement topray, and it mu(t beobeyed. Secondly,that wee mayby inuocation{hew foorth that we doe in deede beleeue andrepent : becaufeGod bath made the promife ofremifsion of firmes and ofall good blefsrngs to fuch as doe indeedcrepent andhumble themfelues vnder the handofGod, and by true faith apprehend andapplie the promifesofGodvnto themfelues. Thirdly, wee pray toGod that weemay(as ourdutie is) acknowledge him tobe theFountaine, author, and giuer ofeuery good thing. Laflly,that wee might eafeour minds bypowring out ourhearts before the Lord : for to thisend path he made moll fweete and comfortable promifes : Pro. i 6.3. Pfal3 7.5. ObieElion. What needemenvfe prayer, confidering God in his eternal! counfell bathcertainly determined what (hall come to paffe ? e4nfwer. As Goddetermines whatthings (hall come topaffe:fo hedothwithall determine the meanes whereby the fame things are efie6ted. Before all woridsGodde- creed that men fhouid huevpon earth, and heedecreed likewife, that meare, afrinkeand clothing (hould beevfed that lifemight bepreferucd. Nowprayer is oneofthe molt excellent meanes whereby fundrie things are brought to paffe : therefore Gods eternall counfell touching things tocome,dothnot ex- clude ayerand likemeanes,but rather include and impliethe fame. The fecond queffion is,what kindofaótion prayer-is ? Anfwer. I:t isno Iip labour,it is the putting vp ofa fute vntoGod, and thisanion is peculiartothe very heart ofa man Rom. 8.z6. Thefpirit makes regtsegfor vs.Buthow?with roves in the heart. Exod. r 4. t S. The Lord faith toMofes,Why crier them? Yet there is no mentionmade thatMofes fpake anyword at all : the Lord no doubt, accepted the inwardmourning anddefireofhis heartforacrie.Pfal.3 8. io and 11.4. The thirdeye ilion is,what is the forme or ruleaccording towhich wee arc to pray? Anf. It is the reuealed Na &wordofGod. Aman inhumbling his foule before God,is not topray as his afreaions carriehim,& for what he lift: but all is tobe done according to the expre%word. So as thofc things which Godbathcommandedvs to ante,weeare toaske,and thofe things which he bathnot commanded vs to aske, weeare in nowife topray for. r John5.14. 7 his is the afffaar ancewhich we basteofhim,t hat ifweeask! any thingaccording. N biswill, heheareth vs. This then is a fpeciallclaufetobeemarked, that men mull pray in knowledge, not in ignorance. Herewey the cafe ofpoorc igno- rant
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