£;xpoflironvpon the Lordsprzier. 187 forme. What is the caute why the Lord doth of defrrc his blefsings after our- prayers?Nocaufe,but that hemight (hirevsvptobemore carneïI tocrievn- to the Lord.Exod.32.I o. WhenMofes praied toGod in thebehalfe oftheIf- raelitt s,the Lord aufweres, Let one alone : as though hispraiczs did bi :'de the Lord,andhinder hint from executinghis judgements. Wherefore this isgood aduife,far all Chriti ianmen to continueand tobe zealous inprayer.If thou be an ignorant rnan,for (hai ne learne to (;ray, feeing it is Gods comntande ent, makecnnf_ienceofit. We fee that there is noman,vnieshebe defperatly \vie- ked,butwill make forne confciencc ofkilling and healing : and.w by is this ? Becaufe it is Gods commandement,Thou Ihalt not kill,thou llha';t.not l.eale.. Well then,thisalío is Gods coimnandement,to pray.Let this coníderation breed in theta confcier ceofthis durie : andalthough thycorrupt nature (hall draw thee away fiom it,yet fl nine to the contrarie,and know it certainly, that the breachofthiscommaundetnent makes thee as well guiltieof damnation beforeGodasany other. rúrthermore,thisMutt hea rnotiue toprick thee for- ward tothisdutie, :hat as Cod cotntriauttds vs to pray, fo allò hegiucs the fpi- rit ofprayer,whereby thecomma iidement is made catiie vntovs. If the Lord had commanded a thi.n:; inipóisible,then there had been forne caufe of dill couragetnent, but comnnatunding a thing through thegraceofhis fpirit very eafieand profitable: howmuch moreare we bound to obedienceofthe fame? Agaiate,.praier is the key wherebywee open the treafuresof G O D,andpull dèw;,e his mercies upon vs. For as thepreachingoftheword fattest() declare and to conveyvntovs Gods graces: fo inprayerwecome tobade a liuely fee- ling dale fame in ourhearts. And Farther, this mull Moo=vstoprayer,fee- ing in that, wee haue Ettniliaririe withGods maieflie. It isan high fauour for a man to bee fatnliar witha prince; how much more thento beefatniliar with the kingofkings themightie lehoti ?This then canbeeno burthen or trouble 'vnto vs,being one ofthemanyprerc%atiues that Godbeflowesonhis Church; For in thepreaching oftheword, it pleated God to talke tovs, and in praieri, Goddealt vouchfrfcvsthis honour;to fpeake,and as it were familiarly to talke with him,noras to a fearefull Iudgc,but a.; to a lowingand merciful] God. Confider alai that prayer is aworthi L meanesofdefence,notonef tov, but, aliö to the Churchand them that are abfent. Byit e/1?ofesfloodin the breach, which Gods wrath had made into the peopleoflfrael, and flayed the fame, Pfalnn.i o6.verf.23,By this, Chriflian men fight asvaliant champions agatna theirone corruptions,and all other fpiriv_tail enemies, Ephe.6 verf. r 8. Infi- nit were it to (hew howmany blefsings theLord bath beflowed on his fer wantsby prayer. In aword, Luthe,whot itpleafedGod to vfe as a worthiein- Itrtttnent for the re;loriagoftheGolpell, te(lifiethofhimfelfe, that hawing this grace giuen him to call vpon the nameofthe Lordhe hadmore. revealed vnto himofGods tructh byprayer,theu by reading and audit.. TheIecond roynt of thecommaaudcment, is topray after themanner pro- 'pounded in the Lo: dsprayer. Where it is to beenoted,thatthc.Lordsprayer is,.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=