<Vpon the Lords Prayer. nochil~e {olikehisfather as we arelike him; A 1It is a miferable kinde·of prayingto call God and in this ellate wecontinually rebell again!l: ~·Father,and withall to doubt whether. he be a God for the di•ell hathall the heart, OUJ" Father.Jndeedlttstruethatdoubtswdlqften who!~ ioy is to f<rue and pleafe him. A m.an ·arifc, bm it is our dut}" to !l:riue again£1: them; that is to pray mu£ltlunkcon thts,and ber.ne· aRd not to yeeld to them.Yea tm(f"y they)to uei:l tbereat. And happy,yea athoufand ttmes be ccrtame ofGods mercy IS. p;efumptton. I h•PPY arc they, who haue grace giuen them anfwe;, tflt be preii1mpt1on,1t.ts an holy pre· to fee their e£late and bewaile it. And furfomptton, becaufe God bath btdden vs to eaU ther, it is not fufficient to confeffeour finnes him Father. · agtin£l our mercifull Father, but we mull fer down with our feluesneuer in ll1ch fort roof– fend him agairie,and to leadea new life. This point is very profitable for thefe times. For many therebee when any croffe a..dfickne!Te comes on them, will pray and promife repen– tance >nd all obedience to Gods word, if it fhall pleafe God todeliuerthem: butthis vfu– ally is but in hypocrifie, they diffemble with God and man. For wloentheirficknes ispall, likea dogge thathad beene in rhe.water!they fhake their eares, and runne ltwght wuh all greedineCie to their former linnes~ Is this to <:!IIGodFacherl No, hethatdoththislhall nothauc God to be his Father: but the man that is wounded in his foule for his offence• pa!l:, and carriethapurpofe in.his heartneuer wittingand willinglyto offend God ag,aine. Our Father. . I. The meaning; THus much ofthe argument ofrelation : now kt vs proceed.It is furthcrfaid,Om· B Fath•r.Andhe is fo tearmed,becaufe he is the FatherofChd£l by nature;and in him the Fa– ther ofcuery beleeuer:yea ofthe whole bodie ofthe Church. 7· La£lly, here we aretoobferue, t_hat he which would pray, mu£1: be end•ed wt.th the fpirit ofadoption: the adions whereofin the matter of prayer are twofold. The fir!t, to moouethe heartto cry& callon G.,d as a Fa– ther.Itis no eafie thingto pray: forto a man of himfelfe it is aseafie to mooue the whole earth with his hand: how then comes it that we prav?It is abkff,d work ofthe fpiri:.Rom. 8.r s.rve h:~ue rectiuedthe fPirit of adoptiOwher... bywecry,Abba,thatufath<r. AndRom-8-26. Li/z.®i[e the[pirit helpeth our inftrmiti<sfor we fl...Rej/. Whether may itbe lawful! forvs!n. .Prayertofay,notour Father, but my ~ather.?. AnfA chii£lian may in priuate prayet fty,M• Father. This is warraNted by the example o'f our ~auiour,MtU.2.6·39· Omy Fath"jfitbee poffibl<,let t hu cuppa!fefrome. AndMat. 17-46 MYGOd,my God,.whyhajl thouforfoktnme? and ThomMp.rayed, My Lol'd,andmj God.!oh. 20. t8 AndPa•l,t.Cor.t 4·'fgiHethanJi.!tomyGod, &c. AndGo~spromife is,fer.3•19· Thoujhali calm•,myFather.ThemeaningofChrifl is not to bind vstothefe words, but to teach vsthat C inourprayerswemufl:nothaue regard toour felues only, but alfo toour brethren,& there– fore when wee pray for them in our priuate prayets, as for our felues, we put inpractife the true m~aningofthefe words. •· Thevfts. 1 k;ro1v not!vhattopray asweought:butthe fPirit it I fil{e m<k£tb requej/. And Zach.U.I(>.the ho· ly Gho£l is called the(Pirit ofgrace,. and if de– precati.onsar,dpr'!_Yers. Well then, the mln that would pray, mull haue Gods Spirit to bee his fchoole-ma£ler, to teach him to pray with I groan.es and fighes of the heart; for the words '· ·make not the prayer, but the groanes and de– fires of his heart: & a man praies for nomore D then he defires withthe heart, and heewhich I defires nothing praies not ata!,butfpends lip– labour. The kcond workc ofthe fpirit,is to affiJre"Vsin our confciences that we are in the ltateofgrace,reconciled toGod. Rom. 8. r6. TbeJPirit.of•tbpiionbeartth wirnejfowithourfPi· rits~that 1vearethechildren I!/ God. And this in– ward certificateoftlic fpiritin al·exercifes of! inuocation is very nece!larie : for hee which , wants ~his' affurancc;ifhc be fecure & benum-1 med jrrbisfins,wil not, and ifhe be touched in I Coofcience for them, fer his life dares oot call ' God Farher.Aifo thdconfutes the opinion of the Church ofRome, which teaches, that ma I is t<>doubt whether he be adoptedor no. For how canaman truly col.God Father,when.he doabts whetherhe be the child ofGodor no? When wepuy, we mull not make reque{l only for our felues >nd our own goo<f, but for others alfo; as the Church & people ofGod, perlivadin~our (elues that we alfo arc parta– kers ofthetr praiers: and for the better clea– ring ofthis point, let vs fearch who they arc for whom we are to pray. Ofmen there be two forts, fonie liuing,foine dead. Ofthefc two kinds,the liuing are to be praied for,& there is no ~uying for the dead. A manthat is·dead,knowes wbat 0Jall be his eltatceternally:ifhedieda wicked perfo,that isJao vnrepentant finnel', his ftate fuall be ac~ cording in eternall torment: ifhc died,hming repented of his finne•, then he !hall rert wit'1 God in his kingdome.eApoc.x4·'3·Biejfedare they which dieinthe Lord,for they rejlfrom their labour~,&theirwor/i.!foll•wthe. Gal.G.t o.While we htU1~ time Jet vs dogeodto allmen. Where we may note that there ts a time , namely, after death, when we cannot doe good to othrts. Againe,ofthe liuing,fome are ourenemies, llc fome ourfriends:our friends are they which areofth~ fame rcligion,affcetion,and difpofi– tio.Foes are either priuate orpublike.Publike foe.~,.arc ~ithcr enemies eo our coui1try, as ty– rants,trattours,&c.or enemies to onr rcligibn" as le(ves,Turkes, Papi£ls, Infidels, Athei£ls; F f Now i
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