' rUln Expifition The ground ofthis faith is recociliationwith God, andthe affurancc thereof. Forvnlelfea manbe in cofcience in fome meafure pcrfwaA fl?eake,and as itwere familiarly to talke with h1m, andnetastoafearefuiJiudge butasro louing and mercifull God, ' a ded that all his fins are pardoned, and that he f}andsrecancilcd to Godin Chrifr, he cannot bcleeue any other promifes reuealcd in the word;nor tbat any ofhis praicrs lhalbeheard. Thus muchofthe definition ofprayer:now letvsfeewhat vfcmay be made ofthis com– mandement, proyytthus. ScciGg our faaiaur: commands his difciples, and fo eucn vs alfo to pray ro God , ltisour duty notonlytopre– fent our prayers to God , b•t alfo t9 doe ir cheerefully and earncf\Ly. Rom. t; ·30- Alfo brethren] befeechy•M th•tyswouldf/riuewith me by pr•yert• Godf.,. me. What is thecaufewhy B the Lord doth often defer his bldsings after our prayers?nocaufe, butthathemightfrirre vs vp to boe more earnefr to crie vnto the Lord. Exo.3o.m. WhenMofos praied toGod inthe behalfc ofthe Ifraclites, the Lord an– fwers,Leeme•lone; asthough hisprayersdid -' bind the Lord, & hinder himfrom executing hisiudgements: wherforethisis good aduife, for all chrifrian men to continue andto be zea– lous in prayer. Ifthoube an ignorant man,far lhamelearneto pray,feeing itis Gods coman– demet,ma!<ec6fcienceofit.We feethat tl!ere is no man,vnles hebedefperatdy wicked, but wilmake fome c6fcicceof kil~&flealing: andwhy is this? Becaufe it is CSo<ls comman– dement,ThoujluJtnot i(!II;Thoujlulltnotfte.te_ c Well then, thisalfois Godscommaunde– mcnt, topr•y. Letthis confideration breed in thee a confcience of;this daty, and although thy corrupt narure lhal draw thee away from it,yet!triuc to the contrary, and know it cer– tain!y, thatthe breachofthis commanlie111ent makes thee aswcl guilty ofdamnation before Godasanyorher. Furthermore; this muit be amotiue to pricke thee forward to thisdaty, that as God commaftdS vs to pray, fo alfo hee giues the fpirit ofprayer,wherbythecomman– dement is made caftevntovs. Ifthe Lord had cornmaded athing impofsible, then there had bin fome caufe ofdifcouragement, but com– manding athing through the grace of his fpirit very ealie and profitable: bow mach more D are we bound to obedienceof the fame? A– g:rine, prayer is the key'whereby we open the treafuresof God, &puldownhis merciesvp– onvs.For as the preachingofthe word femes todeclare& to conuey vnto vs Gods graces; fc inprayer we come to hanc aliuelyfee.ling of the fame in our hearts. And further,thls mu!t moouevstepraier,feeing init we haue famili– arity with Godsmaie!l:ie. It is an high fauour for aman to be ·familiar with a Prince; how much more then to be familiar with the king ofkings the mighty leh•••h? Thisthen can be no burther>or'troublc vnto vs, being one of the maine prerogatiues that God bc!towes on hi< Church. For in the preaching of the word,it plcafeth God to talke to vs, and ·in praier,God dot!. vouchfafc vs this honour,to Con!ideralfo thatprayeris a worthy means ofdefence, not onely to vs, but alfoto the Church .and them that are abfent. By it M•– fesft•o~lll the bre•rh, whichGods wrath had made mto the people oflfrael, and fraied the fame.~fal.J06·13· Bythis,Chrifrianmetight ,a~valiant chapions again!t their own corrup– tions &al other fpiritual enemies, Eph-6. 1 8. Infinite were it to !hew how many blefiings the.Lord bath be!towed on his feruants by pra~er.Inaword,Lurher,whom itpleafedGnd to vfe asa wotthy inflrumet for the refloring oftheGofpell, reflifiethofhimlflfe, thatha– umg this gracegiucn him tocal vpon the name oftbeLord , hu hAd morereutaktlv,nrohim 0 G1dstruthbypr'!J<r,thm byrtding ~VJdftudie:"l . The kcond point of the commandcmcnt, IS to prayafrer the manner propounded in the Lordsprayqr. Where iris tobenottd,that the Lords pfaieris·adireaion, & as it were fam– plarto teach vs howand in what manner we ought topray. None isto imagine that weare boundtovfc thcfe wordsonly, & none other. For themeaningof Chriftis not tobind vs to the word,but tothe matter& to themaner,& to the like alfeaionsin praying. Ifthis were notfo,theprayers ofGodskruants fetdown in the bookesofthe old&newTe!tamentlhould all be faulty , bccaufc they arc not kt downe inthe very fume wordswith the Lords praier, nay this prayeris not fer downe in the &me wordsaltogitherbyMdttht)l'andLuke. And wheras limdry men inour Church,hold itvnlawfulto vfe thisvery forme ofwords,as rhey arckt down by our Sauiour Chirfr, fora prayor;they 3re far deceiued,aswilappearc by theirreafons.Firfl(faythey)itis aScripture,& therefore,not to be vfed as apraier. I anfwer, that the fame thing may bee tile Scripture of God, and alfothe prayer ofman, elsthe prai– ers ofM•fet,DANid,andP•HI,being fet downe in the Scriptures,ceafe to be praicrs. Againe (fay they)thatin prayer we are to cxpretfeour waGts in particular, and the graces whichwe dcfire:now in thefe words al things tobe prai– ed for, arroncly in generall propounded. I anfwcr , that the maine wants that are in any man, and the principallgracesofGodtobe defired, are fet downe inthe petitions ofthis praier in particular- Thirdly, they plead that the patterne to make a! prayen by,lbould not bevfed as apraier.I anfwer,thatrhercforethe ·ratherit may be vfed asa prayer: and fureitis thatancient & worthy DiuineshauereuerCH– ccd it as apraicr; choofiggrather to vfe rhefe words then an.v other,tuCypriAn.SermAelrllt· D1minic, AndTmuHirm,/ib.defuga inperflq••· tione.And .AIIguj1.Serm.J>6·detempore, Whet– fore theopinion is full of ignorance& errour. We!,whereas our Sauiour firfr giues a com– maundement to pray J and then after gmes a dircaion for the keepingofit, this hedothto fiirre -~-------------------·· •
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