"4 n ispe ttzon upon t e Lor's l'ryrrc 2. Graces to bedefrcd 1.1Eteby weare taught, whatgraceweare to f?hewe inpraier. Weemuffla- bour to give a {lent to Gods promifes when wee pray,and tlriue againtf doubtingand vnbelcefc.Mar.9.xi. Lord, lbe.'eeue,Lordhelpe mine vnbelefe. Pfa1/4z a r. cvht' art thou cafi Lunemy faille? andwhyart thoudijj ieteti in the'zrai an God. Many there are that .sill Bandvpon the ilrengthoftheirfaith,and plead for thetnfeluesthat they neuer doubted,but they arefarcewide : for true faithbee- innimperfect, is aiwaiesaccompanied with do ibting more or letle. VVhere. fore theheart that neuerfelt doub iná;, is not filled with fàith,but with prefum- pion . As fc,r them hich are moletled with doubtings, and contplaine of them, they hauelcfle caufe to fcare: for as fire and water doenever friuetill theymeet: no moredoth doubting and faith,till faithbe wrought intheheart. To cnnclude,wee fee what anexcellent workepraier is : inwhich, two moft excellent gracesof a Chatian man be (hewed forth , hungringafter mercie, 2nd faith, wherebywee beleeue theobtaining ofit.This might mooueawn to learne to pray, praier beingthecxercife ofgrace. Ofthevfe ofthe Led: Prayer. 'rHeprincipali vfe of the Lords praier, is todiretl ods Church inmaking their praiers in all places, at all tines, andvpon all occafions,though their praiers should be innumerable : andvnleffe,theybe framed afterthis praier, they cannot be acceptable veto God. In the vfingofit fordirecrlion there be three things required. t . Thefirft is the knowledgeof the I.ordspraier,and all the parts thereof. He that wouldprayby it,muflvnderfland the meaning ther- of, the wants therein tobe bewailed , and the gracestobe defired, for which end ithathbene expounded.2. Knowing this there is inthe fecondplace re- quired thus much skill, that heebe able to referre euerywantand gracetoone of the fixe petitions : for example,feeling in himfelfe prideofheart, hemutt be able to fay, this isa wantin the firs}petition : and feeling a rebellionand flow- nes in doingGodsCommandements, hemuff be able to fay, this is afinne to bepraied againfl in the third petition. Thus euery want he mutt referre tohis properhead : againe,he muttreferre euerygrace tobedefired to one ofthe fixe petitions : asflrength in temptation to the fixt : affiancein Gods prouidence to the fourth : knowledgeofGod to the first, &c. and fo in the refl. 3. I n the third place,hemuff beforehepray, confider whatbe his wants and imperfe- lionswhichmots troublehim, as alto the graces which hee would obtaine: then for the helpingofhis memorv,he muff go to thepetitions , & hemull let thofe ¡flings first inhismind,which côcerne the first petitió:& thofewhichcó- tern the fecôdpetitiô,tnuffhaue thefecád place in hismind,& fohemutt pro treedinorderas heThal haueoccafion.Thus amäkeepinginmind the orderof the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=