A Spiritual Propine of a Pastor to his People, Poem 5
The Author to the Reader, anent the Commendatorie Sonnets.
J Pat my papers in su… Pastors hand
To be perus de, and censur'd sikkerlie.
When they returnd, I lurke on them and …ande
Them weill be-deckt with Sonnets as you sie.
Take not their praises (Reader) meaned of me:
B…t of the mater quhilk my Muse intreats:
O… that their louelove, would wish my Buik to bie
Als gud indeed, as in their kynd conceates.
For like as honest men of their estates,
Allowes not foolish flattring words and wain…
Sa certainely my ha…t extreamely hates,
Sik praysing as may justly moue disdain.
Think weill of all, this onelyonly they profes.
To prayse the TRVTH that they may it embres.
ANE SHORT EXHORtation to prayer prefixed.
PRay continually, sayes the spirite of God be his Apostle. 1. Thes. 5. 17. And not without cause: for it is the maist Godly, charitable, profitable, comfortable, honourable, and sa the best exercise of al vther, nathing can giuegive God mair his awing glory, procure the weil of our brethren & selues at the handes of the onelyonly giuer of al gud, moderate vsus in prosperity, comfort vsus in aduersity, and make vsus hamely with God, aduising, commoning, cōplaining, rejoycing, sorrowing, intreating, and putting him to charge, as his awin friends & children, louing and familiar, nor faithfull, trewe and earnest Prayer. And therefore aboue all things for thy weil obey the halie Ghaist, exhorting in another place, Phil. 4. 6. Be the same Apostle. Be not ouer carefull of nathing: bot in al things let your requests be knawin to God be prayer and supplications, with giuing of thanks, and the peace of God quhilk passes al vnderstanding, sall keepe your hearts in Christ Iesus. Lay then the right foundation of prayer solidely, to wit, the cōmand & promise of God, saying. Psal. 50. 16. Cal vponupon me in thy neede, and I wil heare thee. And of Christ assuring. Iohn. 16. 23. Verelie, Verelie, I say vntounto you, whatsoeuer yee aske the father in my name, hee sall giuegive it you, aske and yee sal receaue, that your ioy may be full. And Math. 7. Aske and it sall be giuen you, seeke and yee sall finde, knock and it sall be opened vntounto you. What is the man amang you, that if his sonne wil aske him bread, will giuegive him a stone, and if he aske a fish, wil giuegive him a serpent: If then yee that are ill, can giuegive good things to your children: how meikle mair your father that is in heauen sall giuegive good things to them that askes. Without thir warrands obeyed and beleeued, we durst neither come neare God, quha is a consuming fire, nor hope for any thing at his handes: bot obeying thir commands, & fixing our faith firmly on the promises, we may bauldly frequent the throane of grace with certainty to receaue, as God kennis to be gud for vsus.
Prepare thy selfe before thou pray, that thou come not rashly before God, to offer the sacrifice of fooles. Eccle. 4. 17. Be earnest in prayer, and that whilk thou prayes for, namelie, in amending thy waies, preasse for to practise, and sa sall thou finde thy prayer effectuall, be kindely in louelove and affection towardes God and his children, cleaue vntounto God and walke with him continually in thy meditations, yea, euen when thy hands are occupied in thy calling, let thy heart be occupied with thy God, and his gud spirite shal inspire thee maire and maire: and baith teach thee what to pray, and how, and steir thee vp with sighes and sobbes, and zealous motions in the minde that cannot bee expressed be the mouth. And so what euer thy estate be on the earth, thou shalt be with him as it were in heauen, in respect of that contentment, peace, joy, comfort, and consolation whilk shalbe furnished vntounto thee thereby.
Now it is craued of all Christians, that they be acquainted with the voice of Christ, speaking to them by his word, that they may be able to halde purpose & confer in prayer with their God and father, and that in halie and heauenly language & meeter, quhilk onelyonly is pleasaunt before him, and that with such diuersity & aboundance, as times, places, and occasions craues, filling first their necessitie and want, and syne beleeuing his all sufficiencie and readines, to heare and graunt their petitions. Sa that if al had attained to that perfection, quhilk eueryevery one should preasse vntounto, it were superfluous & vnmeete to set down formes of dyted and conceaued prayers. And I would earnestly exhort you deare brethren, sa to heare, reade, studie, and meditate the word of God, that with sanctified zealous & wise heartes, and with holy and diuine language, yee might at al occasiones, as your need and adois craued, speake vntounto your God, and tell him your awin tale without a trinchman, or words put in your mouth be others, with the whilk your minde cannot be mooued before yee read or heare them. But since sa it is, that sum mon altogidder speake be the mouth of others, til being accustomed they learne themselues. And others waulde hauehave sum grounds and formes, whereby to frame and direct their prayers, namely, at the ordinar priuate times of Gods worshipping, as Dauid and Daniel were accustomed at morning, noone, and euening-tyde to pray. That as they hauehave the rule and substance of all lawefull prayer sette downe by our maister Christ: sa they may learne to apply the same to the vse of particular seasons and occasions with thanksgiuing to God, edifying of their houses and companies, and comforte of their awin saules: for helpe therefore of thir defaultes in your children, families, and companies, and many of duplicate page duplicate page your selues; I hauehave conceiued and set downe certaine formes of prayers and thanksgiuing, beseeching you in sick sorte, & sa lang onelyonly to vse these, till it shall please the holy Ghaist, be the exercise of the word of God to instruct and plennish your hearts, so that out of the aboundance thereof your mouths may alwaies speake to the praise of God, edification of others, and your owne perpetuall joy and consolation. For in this maner seemes the Prophet HOSEA, to command the people to take wordes vntounto them, & dite vntounto them a forme of penitent prayer. Cap. 14. Turne Israel vntounto IEHOVAH thy God, for thou hast fallen throw thy iniquitie, take with you words and turne vntounto IEHOVAH, and say vntounto him, forgiue all our iniquitie, bestow thy gudnes on vsus, and we sall repay the calues of our lippes. ASSHVR cannot saue vsus, we sall not ryde on horses, neither sall we say anie mair to the worke of our hand, O our God, for by thee the people or fatherles find merciemercy.