AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER IN THE WAY OF CATECHISME: feruing for ignorant peopl~,byW. Ptrkins. Vl/&tthew6. 'lltrfog, After this man,ner therefore pray ye : Our FAther, &c. Hn occafion, and foalfo the A though hceknewitnot, towinaodprocurc cohereceof thefe words with his fauour & good wt.l, but for other weighty theformer is this : The Euaneods.Frrfl,thatwemtghtfhewourfubmi!Sion gelifl Matthew fetting downe & obedieceto God, becaufe he bathgiuen vs the fermons and fayings of a direa commandementtopray, & it mu(\ be~ Sauiour Chrift,keepes not obeied. Secondly, that we maybyinuocation thiscourfe to propound euery thing as it was !hew forth thatwe doe indeed beleeueandrcdo,Je or fpoken; but fometirnes he fetsdowne pen~: becaufc Godhathmade rhe promifeof that firll:, which was done lall:, and that !all: remifsion oflinnes & of all good blefsings roj which ms done before:accordingas the fpifuch as doeindeed repent and humble dJem-j rit ofGod direaedhim.Which thing isverifduos vnder the hand ofGod, & by true faitbl lied in thefc words, where the prayer is menapprehend and apply the promifes ofGod vn-l tioned ; yet the 0ccalion wherefore our Sa- B ro themfelues. Thirdly,wee pray to God that uiour Chrifl taught his Difciplcs to pray, is we may (as our duty is) acknowledge him to not here fpccified. But inS. Luk.n.r.the ocbe the fountaine, author and giuer ofcuery cafionofthcfe wotdsiseuidenr.For there it is good thing. La!lly, that wee might cafe onr faid, that the difciplcs ofour Sauiour knowmindes by powringoutour hearts beforethe ing that Iohn taught his difciples to pray, Lord:forthisendhathhemademoll:fwetl& mado requefl to their mafler, that he ~ould comfortable promifcs. Prou.I6· 3• Pfal.37·5· doe the tame to them likewife. Obie(f.. Whatneed menvfc prayer,confideThefe fewwords fet before the praycr,arc a ring God inhis eternall counfell bath certaincommaundement, and it prefcribes vn,to vs lyderermined what !hall come to pa!fe! An[. twodurics:thc firll:,to pray;the fecond,to pray As God determines what things !hall co!llt afterthemancrfollowing. Touchingthelirfi to pa!fc; fo he doth withall determine the point, coolidering very few among the peoRleanes whcrby rhe fame things are cffcded. ' ,pleknowhow toprayarighr,wemull:learne c Before all worlds God decreed that mea~ wh1t it is to pray. fhouldliue vpon earth, and bee d<crecd li.'«- Tom.-1k.!; pr"J 1 er, Uto put 'Vf ourreq11eft tfA God wifc,that mt~te,d~inke,and cloathing fhould . accordi''t to hU word ftom aco"1trite heart, beyfed,that hfe m1ght bepreferued.Nowprail in thenarne of Chri.ft , with ajfnrance to bee er IS one ofthe mo!t excellent ll)eanes whetheard. by fundry thingsare brought repllfo: thereI For the better opening ofthefe words, we fore Gods tttrnall counfell touching thing£, arc to confider fixe quefHons. The firfl is, to to come, doth nor exclude prayer and lik<:[ whomwe aret~pray. The anfwer is,to God meanes, butrathor include& imply the fame- t alone. Rom. IO· 14· HowJ1><iltheycallonhim The fccond que(\ion is, wharkindofatl:ioot in whomthey /wee not belecutdl &c. Markehow praier is?An. It is no lip-labor:it isthe puttin.d ' inuocationand faith arc linked togither. And vpofafuit vnto God,& this atl:ion is peculiatj Paulsrcafon may be framed rhus: la whom to the very heart ofa man. RJ.8.>6. Thejpirit l wee put our affiance o'r beleefe, to him alone 0 f114k!srequej/jor'lls.But how?withgr~anCI intbt mufl we pray: but we beleeue onely in God: heart.Exe.r4.1 5.the Lorcl faith toMojis,WhJ therefore we mufr onely pray to him. As for criejf thax? yet there is no mentionmade that Saintsor Angels, theyareinnowifctobecal- .;Mofts fpake any word at allz the Lord oo led vpon; becaufe not the leall: title of Gods doabt, accepted the inward mourninganddeword prefcribes vsfo todo:becaufetheycanlire ofhis heartfor .crie.ifa/,,S.ro.and.r>·5 "or helCeour prayers, and difcerne what are The third queflion is, what is the forme or the thoughts and d<tires of our hearts: and rule according to which we are to pray/ An[. becaufe inuocation isapart<>fJiuine worlhip, It is the reo 'aled will and word ofGod. A andthcrefore pecu!hrroGo~alone. man in humbling his foule before God., ;,, ObieEJ. What nccdc any man ro pray vnto notro pray as his affi:ctionscarrie him, & fOri God, conGdering hee knoweswhat we w1ot whathe lifl: bur all is robedone according to; before weeaske , and is readyand willing eo the txpreffC word. So as thofe things which I giucthacwhkh wccrauc?Aufw. We pray not God hath eo n·nanded vs ro aske, wee arc fort~~ ~n~ t~m:mifd1:~~u cafe to God , as to aske, and thofe things which hcc ~~ ----------------------------------------------~c~o~nm~·-,a~
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