A Godly Letter to the Faithful in London, Prayer – Part 9
☞A godly prayer.
AH Lorde / moſte ſtronge and mightye God / which deſtroyeſt the coū ſayles of the vngodly / and ryddeſt awai the tyrauntes of thys worlde / out of the earth at thy pleaſure / ſo that no counſaill or force cā teſiſte thyne eternal counſaill and euerlaſting determination / we thyne poorē creatures and humble ſeruauntes / do moſte inſtantly deſyre the for the louelove that thou haſt to thyne welbeloued / and onelyonly begotten ſoune oure Lorde and ſauiour Ieſus Chriſt / that thou wilt loke vponupon thyne cauſe / for it is tyme o Lorde / and bringe to naught all thoſe thinges that are or ſhalbe apoynted / determined and fully agreed agaynſte the and thy holy woorde / let not the enemyes of thy trueth to miſerablye oppreſſe thy word & thy ſeruaūtes / which ſeke thy glorie / tender the aduancement of thy pure religion / & aboue all thinges wiſhe in their hartes that thy holy name may onelyonly be glorefied amonge all nations. Geue vntounto thy ſeruaūtes the mouth of thy truthe & wyſedom / whiche no man maye reſiſte: And althoughe we hauehave moſte iuſtly deſerued thys plague and famyn of thyne worde / yet vponupon our trew repentāce / graunte we beſeke the / we maye be thereof releaſed / and here we promiſe before thy deuyne maieſtie / better to vſe thy gyftes then we hauehave done / and more ſtrayghtlye to ordre oure lyues / accordinge to thy holye will and pleaſure / and we will ſynge perpetuall prayſes too thy moſte bleſſed name / worldes withoute ende / throughe Ieſus Chriſte oure Lorde. Amen
FINIS.
GOD IS MY HELPER.
¶A confeſſion & declaratiō of praiers added thervnto / by Ihon Knox / miniſter of chriſtes moſt ſacred Euangely / vponupon the death of that moſte verteous and moſte famous king Edward the VI. kynge of Englande / Fraunce and Ireland / in whiche confeſſion / the ſayde Ihon doth accuſe no leſſe hys owne offences / then the offences of others / to be the cauſe of the awaye takinge / of that moſte godly prince / nowe raininge with Chriſt whyle we abyde plagues for our vnthā fulneſſe.
¶Imprinted in Rome, before the Caſtel of ſ. Aungel / at the ſigne of ſainct Peter. In the monethmonth of Iuly / in the yeare of our Lorde. 1554. (?)
A declaration of prayer / made by Ihon Knox.
VNtoUnto the ſmall and diſperſed flocke of Ieſus Chriſt / How neceſſary is the right inuocatiō of Gods name / otherwiſe called perfit prayer / becō meth no chriſtiā to miſknow.Prayer ſprī geth out off true fayth. Rom. 10. Seyng it is the very braūch / which ſprigeth forth of tru faith. Wherof / yf man be diſtitute / notwithſtāding he be induid with whatſoeuer other vertues / yet in the preſens of God is he reputid for no Chriſtian / Men negligēt ī praier are not perfit in fayth.therfore a manifeſt ſigne vnderſtād nothing of perfyt fayth / for yf the fyre may be without heate / or the burning lampe without lighte / then true fayth maye be without feruēt prayer. But becauſe in tymes paſſed was / and yet alas / within ſmal multitude is / that recoued to be prayer / whiche in the ſighte of God was and is nothing leſſe. I intende ſhortly too touch the circonſtaunce of prayer.
¶What prayer is.
wHo wil praye / muſt knowe and vnderſtande that praier is an eruſt & familiar talking with God / to whom we declare our miſeries / whoſe ſupporte and helpe / we implore and deſyre in our aduerſities / & whom we laude & prayſe for our benefytes receiued.Vvhat prayer contayneth. So that prayer contayneth the expoſition of our dolours / the deſyre of Gods defence / and louinge of his magnificēt name / as the Pſalmes of Dauid clearly teacheth.
¶What is to be obſerued in prayer.
THat this be moſt reuerētly done ſhould prouoke vsus the conſideracion / in whoſe preſens we ſtande / to whome we ſpeke / and what we deſyre / ſtandinge in the preſence of the omnipotent creator of heauen & earth / and of all the contentes therof / to whome aſſiſt & ſerue a thouſande thouſande of aungels / Daniel. 3 Iob. 16.geuing obedience to his eternal maieſtie / & ſpeking vntounto hym / who knoweth the ſecretes off our hartes / diſſimulation & lyes are alwayes odious / & hated. And aſking that thing / which without we receiue of all other creators we are moſt miſerable / diligētly ſhould we attēde that ſuche thinges as maye offende his godly preſence to the vttermoſt of our power be remoued. And fyrſt that worldly carēs / & fleſhly cogitacions / ſuche as drawe vsus from contemplacion of God be expellid from them / that it may frely without interrupcion call vppon God.Note. But howe diffyſed & harde is this one thing in prayer to performe / knoweth no mā better / then ſuch as in their prayers / not content to remayne within the bandes of their owne vanitie / but as it were rauiſhed / do intēde to a pure worde of God / aſking not ſuch thinges as the blinde & foliſh reaſon of mā deſireth / but what may be pleſaunt & acceptable in Gods preſens.Petre. 5 Our aduerſary ſathā / at all tymes cōpaſſing vsus about / is neuer more buſy then when we adreſſe & bēde vsus to prayer / for o / how ſecretly & ſubtilly crepeth he in oure breſtes / & calling vsus backe frō God / cauſeth vsus to forget what we hauehave to do.
¶Let euer man iudge his owne hart.
SO that frequently / when we with all reuerince ſhould ſpeake to God / we fynde oure harts talkīg with the vanites of the world or with the foliſh imaginacions of our own cō ſent / ſo that without the ſprete of God.
¶How the ſprete maketh interceſſion for vsus.Roma. 8.
SVportinge oure infirmities / mightely making interceſſion for vsus / with inceſſable grō nes / which can not be expreſſed with toūge / hope is there none / that any thing we can deſire / according to Gods wil. I meane not that the holy ghoſt mournes or prayes / but that he ſterith vp our myndes / geuing vntounto vsus a deſire or boldnes for to pray / & cauſeth vsus to mourne when we are extracted & plucked there from / which thinges to conceiue / no ſtrength of man ſuffiſeth / neither is able of it ſelfe.Who prayeth not. Hereof it is playne / that ſuch as vnderſtāde not what they praye / or expoūdes not / or declare not the deſire of their hartes / clearly in Gods preſens. And in tyme of praier / to their poſſibilite with out their expell vaine cogitacions from their myndes profyt / nothinge in prayer.
¶Why we ſhould pray / and alſo vnderſtande what we do praye.
Obiectiō BVt ſome wil obiect & ſay: albeit / we vnderſtād not what we do pray / ye God vnderſtādeth / who knoweth the ſecret of our hartes / knoweth alſo what we nede / although we expounde not or declare our neceſſites vntounto hym. Such mē verely declareth them ſelfs / neuer to hauehave vnderſtāding / what profit prayer ment / nor too what ende Ieſus Chriſt cōmaundeth vsus to pray. Which is firſt that our hartes may be enflamed with continuall feare / honor & louelove of God / to whome we runne for ſupporte & helpe / when ſoeuer daunger or neceſſitie requireth / that we ſo lerninge to notefye oure deſiers in his preſence / may teache vsus what is earneſtly to be axed / & what not. Secōdarely that we knowing our peticions to be graūted by God / to hym alone we muſte referre & geue lande and prayſe. And that we euer hauing his infinite goodnes / fixid in our myndes / may conſtantly abide to receiue that / which with feruent prayers we deſier / Vvhif God deffereth to graunt our praierfor ſometime God deffereth or prolōgeth to graunt oure peticions / for the excerciſion & trial of our faythe / & not that he ſlepeth / or is abſente frome vsus at any tyme / but that with more gladnes we mighte receiue that / whiche with longe expectacion we hauehave abyden / that therby we aſſured of his eternall prouidence / (ſo farre as the infirmetie of our corruptie & moſt weked nature wil permitte) doubte not / but his merciful hande ſhal releaf vsus in moſte vrgent neceſſite & extreme tribulaciō. Therefore ſuch men as teacheth vsus / that neceſſarely it is not required that we vnderſtād not what we pray / becauſe God knoweth what we nede wold alſo teach vsus / that neither we honor God nor yet referre / or geue vntounto hī thākes for benefites receiued / for howe ſhall we honor and prayſe hī / whoſe goodnes & liberalite we know not / how ſhal we know / oneles we receiue / and ſometime hauehave experiens. And howe ſhall we know that we hauehave receiued / onleſſe we know verely what we hauehave aſked.
The ſeconde thinge to be obſerued in perfit prayer is / that ſtanding in the preſens of God / we be found ſuch as beryes to his holy law reuerence / Prou. 18.earneſtly repēting our iniquite paſſed and intēding to leade a new lyfe / for otherwiſe in vayne are all our prayers / as it is written / who withdrawes his ear / that he wil not hear the lawe of God / his oration or prayer ſhalbe abhominable. And alſo ye ſhall multeply your prayers / & I ſhal not heare / becauſe your handes are full of bloude / that is off all crueltie and miſcheuous workes. And the ſprete of God appeareth by the mouthe of the blynde / Ioh. 9.whome Ieſus Chriſt doth illuminate by theſe wordes / we knowe that God heareth no ſynners / that is ſuch as glories / & do continew in iniquites.
¶Whē ſinners are not hard of God
SO that of neceſſite true repētaūce moſt nedes be had / & paſſe before perfitte prayer / or ſyncere inuocaciō of gods name. And vntounto theſe two preſidēces muſt be annexed the thride which is the directiō of our ſelfs in godes preſence. Vtterly refuſing & caſtīg of own iuſtice with all cogitaciōs & opinion therof / that nothinge proceding of our ſelfes / that we ſhould be harde / for all ſuche as auaunce / boaſt or depende any thing vponupon their own iuſtice / from the preſence of his mercye / repellith & holdeth with the hygh proude phareſey. And therfore the moſte holy men / we fynde in praiers moſt deiected & hūble.Pſal. 79. Dauid ſayeth: o Lorde our ſauiour help vsus / for the glory of thy own name deliuer vsus / be mercifull vntounto oure ſynnes for thy owne name. Remēber not oure olde iniquities / but haſt thou o Lorde / & let thy mercy preuent vsus. Ieremie ſayeth: yf oure iniquities beare teſtimoni againſt vsus / do thou accordyng to thy owne name. And behold I ſay / thou art crabbid / O Lorde / becauſe we hauehave ſynned / & are repleniſhed with all wickednes.Eſay. 64 And oure iuſtice is like a filthy clothe. &c. But now O Lord / thou art our father / we are claye / thou arte the worke mā / & we the workemāſhip of thy hādes.Daniel. 9 Be not crabid O Lord / remember not our iniquities for euer. And Daniel greatly cōmēdid of God / maketh in his prayer moſt hūble cōfeſſiō in theſe wordes / we be ſinners / & hauehave offeded / we hauehave done vngodly / & fallē frō thy cōmaūdemēt / but not in our own righteouſnes make we our prayers before the / but thy moſt rych & great mercy brīg we forth for vsus. O Lord heare / Lord be merciful / & ſpare vsus Lord / attēd / helpe & ceaſe not my God / euē for thy names ſake / do it for thy people & thy citie called after thy name. Behold / that in theſe prayers is no mēciō of their own iuſtice / their owne ſatiſfaction / or their owne merites / but moſt humble confeſſion / procedinge frō a ſorowfull and penitent harte / hauing nothinge wherupon it might depende / but the mercy of God alone / who had promiſed to be their God that is their help / cōfort / defendor / & deliuerer (as he hath alſo don to vsus by Ieſus Criſt) in tyme of tribulacion.Note. And therfore / they / diſpayrid not / but after knowlege of ther Sinnes / callid for mercy & obtayned theſame / wherfore it is playne / that ſuche men as in theyr prayrs / hauehave reſpecte to any vertue / proceding of them ſelffe / thinkinge therby theyr prayrs to be accepted / neuer prayd aright.
¶What faſtinge almoſes dedes are without praye.
ANd albeit to feruent prayer be Ioynyd / faſtinge / waking and almoſ dede / yet are none of theſe the cauſe / that God dothe except our prayrs but they are ſpurres which ſuffer vsus not to vary / but make vsus more able to continew in prayr / Pſal. 38.86.which the mercy of God dothe accepte. But here maye it be obiectid / Dauid praythe / kepe mi lyfe o Lorde for I am holy / o Lorde here my iuſtice and ſuffer me not to be confoundid / 4. reg. 20and Ezechius remēbre Lorde I beſeche the / that I hauehave walked righteouſly before the / and that I hauehave wrought that which is good in thy ſight. Theſe wordes are not ſpokē of mē glorious / neither yet truſting in ther owne workes.Note we But here in they teſtefy them ſelfes to be the ſonnes of God by regeneraciō / to whom he promiſid alwayes to be merciful / & at al tims to hear theyr praiers.
¶The cauſe of ther boldnes was Ieſus Criſt.
ANd ſo theyr wordes ſpringe a wontyd / conſtante and feruent faythe / ſurely beleuinge that as God of hys infinitie mercy / had callid them to his knowlege / not ſufferinge them to walke after theyr owne natural wickednes / but partly had through them to confirme them to his holy lawe / and that for the promiſed ſedes ſake / ſo mighte he not leaue them deſtitute or comfort / conſolacion and defence / in ſo great and extreme neceſſite. And ſo theyr iuſtice a leage they not to glory therof / or to put truſt therin / but to confyrme and ſtrengthen them ſelfes in Godes promyſes / and this conſolation I wolde wyſhe to al Chriſtians in theyr prayers / a teſtimony of good conſcience to aſſure them of Godes promiſes / but to obtayne what they aſke muſt depende vponupon his mercy / al opinion and through of our own iuſtice layd aſide. And more ouer Dauid in the wordes aboue compareth hym ſelfe with Kinge Saule / and with the reſt of his enemies / who wrōgfully did perſecute hym / deſyiringe of God that they preuayle not agaynſte hym (as who ſaye) iniuſtlye doo they perſecute me & therfore according to my innocenſi defende me / for otherwyſe he confeſſith him ſelf mooſt greuouſly to hauehave offendid God / as in the precident places he clearly teſtifieth.
¶Ipocriſie is not alowid with god.
THirdly in prayer is to obſerued / that what we aſke of God / that we moſte erniſtly deſier / the ſame knowleginge vsus to be indigent voyde therof / and that God allone may graunte the peticion of our hartes.mark wel For nothyng is more odious before God then Ipocriſie and diſſimulaciō (that is) whan mā dothe aſke of God a thinge / wherof he hathe no neade / or that he beleueth to attayne / by others then by God allone. As if a man aſke of God remiſſion of his ſinnes / thinkinge neuertheleſſe to obtayne theſame by his owne workes / papiſtical pardōs / merytes of maſſes / or whatſoeuer other meanes / dothe mocke God / and in ſuche cauſes doth a greate number offende principally / the mighte and riche of the earth / who for a common confuetude & cuſtome / wil pray this parte of Godes prayer geue vsus this day our dayly breade / Dayly bread.that is a moderate and reſonable ſuſtentacion / & yet theyr owne hartes will teſtefy that they neade not ſo to pray / ſeinge they abounde in al wordly ſolace and felicitie. I meane not that riche men ſhould not pray this parte of prayer / but I wolde they vnderſtode / what they ougt to pray in it (wherof we intende after to ſpeake) and that they aſked nothinge wherof they felt not them ſelfs maruelous ind…gent and nedeful, / for oneleſſe we cal in verite / he wil not graunte / & without we ſpeake with oure hole harte / we ſhall not finde him. The fourthe rule / neceſſary to be folowed in prayer / is a ſure hope to obtayn what we aſke for nothing more offendeth God / then when we aſ…e doubtyng wether he wil graunte oure peticions / for in ſo doinge we doubt if G…d be true / if he be mighty and good.Iaco. 1. Suche faythe Iames obtayne nothynge of God / and therfore Iheſus Chriſte commaundeth that we fyrmly beleue to obtayne whatſoeuer we aſke / for al thinges is poſſible vntounto hym that beleueth / and therfore in our prayrs alwayes is to be expellid deſperacion.Note wel I meane not that any mā in extreamite of troble / cā be without a preſent dolour / and without a greater feare of troble to folow.
Sporris ſtire vsus to prayerTroble & feare are the very ſpures to pray for when man compaſſid aboute with vehement calamyte / and vexid with continual ſolicitude / hauinge by healpe of man / no hope of deliueraunce with ſore oppreſſed an puniſhed harte / ferynge alſo greater puniſhement to folow frome the depe pyt of trybulacion / dothe cal to God / for comforte and ſupporte.