A Guide to Go to God, Petition 6 · Section 244 – Section 245
§. 244. Of the grounds of Faith, whereby we may expect the obtaining of what we pray for.
Q. HOw may we beleeue the obtaining of thoſe things which we pray for?
A. By praying for ſuch things as we know to be promiſed. Gods promiſes are the true and proper ground of a ſound faith. Whatſoeuer is ſuppoſed to bee beleeued without a promiſe, is but ſuppoſed, or rather preſumed: it is not rightly and truly beleeued.Pſal. 119. 49. The Pſalmiſt hauing deſired God to remember his promiſe made vntounto him, thus ſaith, VponUpon it thou haſt cauſed me to hope, or to truſt. The ground then of his confidence was Gods promiſe.Of abſolute and conditionall promiſes, and of the vſe of faith in them, See the whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 16. Treat. 2. Part▪ 6. §. 75. 76. 77. Of Faith. Now becauſe Gods promiſes are of diuers kinds (ſome things being abſolutly promiſed, others but conditionally) as Gods promiſes be made, ſo muſt our faith be ordered. Abſolute promiſes muſt be beleeued abſolutly: conditionall promiſes, with ſubmiſſion to Gods wiſedome in granting, or not granting what we pray for. S. Paul hauing prayed for the Philippians, and knowing that he prayed for ſuch things as God had abſolutely promiſed, thus manifeſteth his ſtedfaſt faith,Phil. 1. 6. I am confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good worke in you, Rom. 1. 10.will performe it vntill the day of Ieſus Chriſt. —15. 32.But when he deſired to come to the Romans, he referred that matter to the will of God, to be ordered therein, as it ſhould ſeeme good to God.2. Sam. 15. 25, 26 So did Dauid in his deſire of returning to his kingdome, and to the Tabernacle and Arke of God, when by the treaſon of Abſolom he was forced from all.
Concerning the Petitions of the Lords Prayer they are moſt of them abſolutely promiſed: euen all of them but the fourth.
1. For hallowing Gods Name, God himſelfe hath ſaid, I hauehave both glorified my Name, and will glorifie it.Ioh. 12. 28.
2. For the comming of his kingdome, Chriſt hath ſaid, The gates of hell ſhall not preuaile againſt my Church.Mat. 16. 18.
3. For doing his will, this is a branch of the new Couenant which by Chriſts death is made abſolute,Ier. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. Ez…k. 36. 27.And againe, I will put my Spirit within you, and cauſe you to walke in my Statutes, and you ſhall keepe my iudgements and do them.
5. For pardoning ſinne, this is another branch of the foreſaid new Couenant,Ier. 31. 34. I will forgiue their iniquitie, and I will remember their ſinne no more.
6. For not leading into temptation, but deliuering from euill, the Apoſtle ſaith,1. Cor. 10. 13. God will not ſuffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able: but will with the temptation make a way to eſcape.
4. For daily bread,Phil. 4. 12. God can inſtruct vsus, both to be full, and to be hungry, both to abound and to ſuffer need. Yea he can ſo giuegive, and ſo take away, as to miniſter thereby to his Saints matter of bleſſing him,Iob 1. 21. as Iob did.
Well therefore may we ſay Amen to all the Petitions of the Lords Prayer: to thoſe fiue, which are of bleſſings abſolutely promiſed, with an aſſured faith of obtaining the very things which are prayed for. To that wich is not ſo abſolutely promiſed (which is the fourth) with ſuch a ſubmiſſion of our ſelues wholy to Gods good pleaſure, as to beleeue that God will do that which he in his wiſedome ſeeth to be beſt for vsus. That he will giuegive ſuch temporall bleſſings as he knoweth to be good for vsus: or giuegive vsus ſuch grace as ſhall enable vsus to beare the want of ſuch things as he denieth vsus. What God denieth to the Prayers of his Saints, he knoweth that it is good for them to be without it. He therefore that is well inſtructed in Gods wiſedome, and aſſured of his louelove, will without queſtion thinke it much better to hauehave that which God knoweth to be hurtfull, or vnmeet for him, to be denied, rather then granted vntounto him.
If that which we pray for, bee not at the firſt granted, wee ought to perſiſt, and hold on in praying for it, asoGen. 32. 26. Iaakob, who ſaid to the Angell of the Couenant the Lord Ieſus Chriſt (pHoſ. 12. 4. Of perſeuering in Prayer, See the whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 18. Treat. 3. § 141. &c. with whom by Prayer he wreſtled) I will not let thee go, except thou bleſſe me. And in this perſeuerance in Prayer we muſt alſo waite, and with patience expect a gratious anſwer of our humble and faithfull ſupplications ordered according to the will of God. This is the expreſſe charge of the Prophet,qHab. 2. 3. Though it tarrie, waite for it. This is the propertie of true faith. ForrIſa. 28. 16. Of waiting, See The whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 17. Treat 1. Part. 7. §. 9. …. Hope. He that beleeueth will not make haſte.
§. 245. Of ſetting AMEN in the laſt place.
Q. VVHy is AMEN ſet in the laſt place?foreign. Cyri…. Catech myſt. 5.
A. 1. To ſhew the extent of it.
2. To ſhew the vſe of it.
For the extent of AMEN, It muſt be applyed to the whole Prayer that goeth before it, and to eueryevery part and particle thereof. Therefore in reciting the particular curſes of the Law, *Deut. 27. 15. &c.AMEN was expreſly added to eueryevery particular curſe. Though ſo expreſly by an audible voice it be not alwaies added to eueryevery clauſe of eueryevery Prayer, yet the mind giuing aſſent, and the heart inclining a deſire, and mind and heart yealding faith to the whole and to eueryevery part, Amen, after all is vttered is a teſtification of as much. Thus then by ſaying AMEN when all the Lords Prayer is ended, we ſhew that our aſſent, deſire and faith is extended to praiſe, as well as to Petition: and, among Petitions, to ſuch as tend to Gods glorie, as our owne good: and, of them which tend to his glorie, to that which maketh to the proſperous encreaſe of his Church, as well as to that whereby his Name is hallowed: yea and to that which tendeth to the doing of his will, and that in the manner of doing it, as it is done in heauen, as well as in the matter thereof: and among the Petitions that tend to our good, as well to them which concerne our ſpirituall well-fare as to that which concerneth our temporall well-fare: and of thoſe which promote our ſpirituall well-fare, as well to that whereby our ſanctification is craued, as to that whereby we deſire to be iuſtified: and in that of our iuſtification, of our profeſſion of forgiuing our debters, as well as to our ſupplication for Gods diſcharge of our debts to him: and in that of our ſanctification, both to preſeruation from Satans aſſaults, and alſo to recouer out of his ſnares, and full deliuerie from all euill: yea in eueryevery Petition to others good, as well as to our owne. Were Amen placed in any other place then in the very end of a prayer, euen after all is finiſhed, it could not hauehave ſo large an extent.
2. For the vſe of AMEN, It is a recapitulation, or collection into a briefe ſumme, of all that hath gone before, ſo as it being vttered when the prayer is finiſhed, it ſheweth that when all particulars hauehave been in ſpeciall mentioned, we muſt as in a generall view caſt our mind vponupon them all againe, and reuiew our deſire of them: As Salomon did more amply and expreſly. For after he had finiſhed his long, pithy, powerfull prayer which he made at the dedication of the Temple, with a new and freſh deſire hee compriſeth the ſumme of all, and thus commendeth it to God,1. King. 8. 59. Let theſe my words wherewith I hauehave made ſupplication before the Lord be nigh vntounto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintaine the cauſe of his ſeruant, and the cauſe of his people Iſrael, at all times, Prayer muſt not be abruptly broken of….as the matter ſhall require. As the Preface therefore prefixed before the Lords Prayer, teacheth vsus not raſhly but aduiſedly, with due preparation to come into Gods preſence and to pray to him, ſo AMEN, being added after the Prayer, teacheth vsus, not abruptly but circumſpectly, with due conſideration of all that hath bene prayed, to depart out of Gods preſence, and to breake off Prayer. Whenſoeuer we preſent any Prayer to the the diuine Maieſtie let vsus ſo do. AMEN.
FINIS.