Abba Father, Prayer
A SHORT PRAIER according to the ſame order, gathered out of diuers places of holy Scripture; by which, as by a p… terne, may bee conceiued, both the manner, and the vſe of a Note-booke, to be made and kept of thoſe things which we reade, concerning the ſeuerall parts of Prayer.
OaThe preface in a deſcription of God; and a begging of audience. Lord my God, the Father of our Lord Ieſus ChriſtbEpheſ. 3.14.; I beſeech thee hauehave reſpect to the prayer of thy ſeruant, and to his ſupplication, to hearken to the cry, and to the prayer which thy ſeruant prayeth before thee this dayc1. Kin. 8.28.. dConfeſſion of ſinne.O my God, I am aſhamed, and bluſh to lift vp my face to thee my God: for …ine iniquities are encreaſed ouer my head, and my treſpaſſe is growne vp vntounto heaueneEzra 9.6.. f1. Petition, for pardon.O Lord forgiuegDan. 9.19., and cauſe thy face to ſhine vponupon thy ſeruant, for the Lords ſakehDan. 9.17.. Take away all mine iniquitie, and receiue me graciouſly; ſo will I render the calues of my lipsiHoſ. 14.3.. k2. For ſaith.O ſtir me vp to take hold vponupon theelEſa. 64.7.. I beleeue Lord, helpe my vnbeleefemMark. 9.24, and encreaſe my faithnLuk. 17.5. Seale me to the day of RedemptionoEpheſ. 4.30., and ſhed abroad thy louelove in my heart, by thy holy ſpiritpRom. 5.5. ▪ I humbly beſeech thee.q3. For repentance. Turne me O Lord vntounto thee, and I ſhall bee … nedrLam. 5.21.. Create in me a clea… heart O Lord, and rene… right ſpirit within meſPſal. 51.10.. … take the ſtony heart out … my body, and giuegive me … heart of fleſh, that I wi… walke in thy flatutes, … that I may be thy ſer… and thou mayſt be my … for euermoretEzech. 11.19.20.. u4. For direction in our perſonall callings.A… whereas thou haſt ca… mee to this eſtate (... … Good Lord grant … grace, therin to worketh … which is goodxEpheſ. 4.28. 2 Theſ. 3.12., with q…etneſſe, and to eate mi…owne bread, ſhewing all good conſcience, that I may adorne the doctrine of God my Sauiour in all thingsyTit. 2.15.. and in as much as thy diſciples muſt take vp the …roſſe and follow theezMat. 16.24.. I way thee, Deare Father, ſtrengthen mee with all might, through thy glori… pow…e, vntounto all pati…ce and long ſuffering, with ioyfulneſſeaCol. 1.11.. b5. For perſeuerance.And becauſe Satan as a r…ring …ion, ſeeketh to deuour …, O my God, tread down …atan vnderunder my feetcRom. 16.20.; ſtabliſh me in eueryevery good word and workd2. Theſe. 17, and preſerue my whole ſpirit; ſoule and body, blameleſſe, vntounto the comming of our, … Ieſus Chriſt.c6. For the Church. Doe good thy good pleaſure to … on, and build the mall… thy Ieruſalē fPſal. 51.18. Good … preſer… thy little flock… whom th…n haſt pr… the kingdomegLuk. 12.32.. hThankeſgiuing.I th… thee O Father, Lord▪ … heauen and …arthiMat. 11.25., th… thou haſt, deliu…red, … from the power of dar…, and tranſlated we into … kingdome of thine … Sa…ue. O Lord, thou … been my God from my …ther …w…mbekPſa. 22.10. Thou … …pt mee …nto this, d… thy pr…dence, thou … giuen me bread to … clothes to put onl… 28.20.. I h… …ly praiſe thy name, and I beſeech thee, make me dwel … ſafetymPſal. 4.8., vnderunder the ſhadow of thy wingsnPſal. 17.8., this day (or night) through Ie…is Chriſt; in whoſe name, &c. Or, to whom with thee O Father. Amen.
Thou maiſt alſo make vſe of the Lords Prayer, excellently to this purpoſe.
IT was giuen for a paterne, and ſpeciall direction to the Church vponupon earth, how to pray.
There can be no better direction: for if wee require wiſdome; wiſedome it ſelfe endited it: if perfection; it comprehends all the kinds of all things to be prayed for: if order; the method is diuine: if perſpicuous breuity; ſo much could not by any onelyonly-created vnderſtanding be compacted into ſo little: if force and power, there can bee none more effectuall, then that, which Ieſus Chriſt, the Word of the Father, hath left and commended to his Church.
If thou wouldeſt profitably vſe it, Obſerue beſe things.
1 Learne throughto vnderſtand it.
2 Beare in mind the …uerall petitions, with …e it order.
3 Note downe in thy memory, as thou wert before directed, theſe graces thou craueſt in …uery petition, giuing thē their proper place, in thy booke, in thy memory, and in thy prayer.
4 Fourthly, take due knowledge of thy wants in eueryevery petition; vnderunder their ſeuerall heads ſetting downe the phraſes and things thou meeteſt with al concerning them. And ſpecially note vponupon thy heart, and imprint in it the graces thou moſt wanteſt, & the wants which moſt doe trouble thee Principally, meditate of thoſe graces, and labour to bee humbled with the feeling of thoſe wants.
To helpe thee to ſpell … this leſſon out of the Lords Prayer.
After a deſcription of God, as before, keeping the petitions with their order, in thy minde, thou maiſt enlarge thē …us.
The 1. Petition: Hallowed be thy name.
1 Heere thou maiſt how how God hath commanded, and it is our dutie to glorifie his name, in regard of our
Firſt, Creation.
Secondly, preſeruation; but ſpecially in regard of our
Thirdly, Redemption.
2 Then acknowledge,
Firſt, thy negligence and careleſneſſe this way.
Secondly, thy pride, in ſeeking thine owne glory more then Gods.
Thirdly, thy want of zeale.
Fourthly, ſuch ſinnes whereby thou haſt diſhonoured God moſt, cauſing his name thereby to be blaſphemed.
Thirdly, Deſire grace, ye thou maieſt, chiefly in all thy thoughts, words, and deeds, propound to thy ſelf to glorifie God, and to reſpect his glory more then euen the ſaluation of thy ſoule.
The 2. Petition: Thy Kingdome come.
1 Enlarge this, by a mourning of thy ſoule vntounto God, for thy bondage vnderunder ſinne and Satan, amplified from the conſideration
Firſt, of our firſt Creation.
Secondly, of our preſent traiterous, and rebellious diſpoſition, by the power of originall ſinne, which hath wholly poſſeſſed all parts of body and ſoule.
2 Deſire that God would
Firſt, reſcue and redeeme thee out of the power of Satan, and ſinne.
Secondly, that hee would by his ſpirit rule in thy heart, caſting out the ſtrong man, and diuiding his ſpoyles.
Thirdly, that hee would make the affections ſubiect to the regiment of his ſpirit, and renew thee according to his image.
Thou maiſt make this the place of repentance.
3 Here thou maiſt remember the Church, the kingdom of Chriſt.
The 3. Petition: Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heauen.
1 Here confeſſe and bewaile,
Firſt, thy readineſſe to doe thine owne will, yea the will of Satan, making theſe the rule of thy life, and not the will of God.
Secondly, thy ignorance of Gods word, which is the copie of his will.
Thirdly, thy negligence in hearing of it.
Fourthly, thy contempt ſhewed in continuance in knowne ſins, after admonition.
2 Then deſire grace.
Firſt, to denie thy ſelfe.
Secondly, to vnderſtand the word.
Thirdly, to louelove and reuerence it more.
Fourthly, to make it the rule of thy life, in as much as it is the ſcepter of Chriſts kingdome.
Fifthly, that thy conuerſation may bee in heauen, after the example of the Angels.
Sixthly, whatſoeuer be the will of God for thee to doe or ſuffer, that thou maiſt alwaies with patience and contentation ſay: Thy will be done.
The 4. Petition: GiueGive vsus this day our daily bread.
1 Here acknowledge that thy life, preſeruation, and all good things come from God.
2 Confeſſe and bewaile thy
Firſt, couetouſneſſe.
Secondly, thy vniuſt dealing, to enrich and maintaine thy ſelfe.
Thirdly,Matth. 6. thy diſtruſt in the good prouidence of God, who feedeth the fowles, clotheth the Lillies.
Fourthly, thy earthly and worldly mind that cannot ſauor ought but earth and earthly things.
3 Then deſire,
Firſt, the prouidence of God to watch ouer thee for thy preſeruation and main tenance.
Secondly, faith to reſt vponupon God in all eſtates & not vponupon the meanes.
Thirdly, not to vſe vnlawfull meanes.
Fourthly, that God would bleſſe his gifts vntounto thee, and that thou mayſt vſe them ſoberly and comfortably.
Fifthly, thou mayſt here make vſe of the direction concerning thy perſonall calling.
5 Petition; Forgiue vsus our treſpaſſes, as we forgiue, &c.
1 Here make vſe of the confeſſion of ſin, and petition for pardon, for faith and repentance according to the former direction.
2 Here alſo deſire a charitable heart toward thy neighbours, as thou deſireſt to bee forgiuen, ſo to forgiue others, and to be ready to grant the pardon thou craueſt.
6. Petition; Leade vsus non into tentation: but deliuer vsus from euill.
Here deſire ſtrength againſt Satan his tentations, and againſt all things, whereby thou mayſt be drawne from faith in God and holy obedience, making vſe of that which is in the Petition for perſeuerance according to the former direction.
And for concluſion, as our Sauior concludes with a kind of praiſe to God, ſo doe thou.
The heads of thankfulnes thou mayſt make the graces which God hath giuen thee, according to eueryevery petition.
Firſt, for making thee in any meaſure ſtudious of his glory.
Secondly, for giuing thee his Spirit.
Thirdly, for his word.
Fourthly, for his prouidence ouer thee;
Creating
Preſeruing
thee
Fifthly, for pardon of ſinne: Iuſtification, Sanctification, &c.
Sixthly, for ſtrength in any tentation.
If thou wilt beſtow ſome time and ſtudy to practiſe according to this, I cannot but be perſwaded, that thou ſhalt find much benefit, which God grant.
To conclude, I would admoniſh a learner, of fiue things.
Firſt, enter not vponupon the practiſe here commended, till thou haſt theſe generall proiects perfect in thy head, or ſome other.
Secondly, in the meane time make vſe of ſome good praier-book, and out of it get by hart ſuch prayers as beſt befit thy deuotion and neceſſities; or if thou canſt not reade, vſe ſome others help to reade thē, or repeate them to thee; at leaſt neglect not to ſay vponupon thy knees reuerently the Lords prayer: alwaies prouided, that thou well vnderſtand the meaning of eueryevery petition, or otherwiſe thou ſhalt take GODS name in vaine.
Secondly, giuegive not ouer this courſe, though thou findeſt it hard, but ouercome the difficulty with thy diligence and paines. To giuegive ouer a good exerciſe for difficulties, argues idleneſſe and ſloth.
All good things are hard to vsus, becauſe of our corruption, and prayer of all holy exerciſes the hardeſt: wee muſt force nature.
Children learne not to ſpeake perfectly in a day, or a monethmonth; much leſſe can wee crie Abba Father perfectly and diſtinctly vponupon the ſudden.
Redeeme ſome of the time thou beſtoweſt vponupon thy pleaſures and vanities, and beſtow it this way; it ſhal neuer repent thee.
Fourthly, remember that the Phariſies could make excellent prayers, and the Reprobate can …ie Lord, Lord.
A wicked man may attaine thus farre, as to make prayers very notable: but with feeling and in faith to cry Abba Father, a wicked man cannot. This is prayer, and a certaine token of Adoption, the other is not.
Fifthly, labor to hauehave grace in thy heart; and whatſoeuer thou askeſt in prayer, practiſe in life.
He that prayes for the pardon of his ſinnes, and for grace to liue well, and yet neither endeuoureth to auoid ſin, or to practiſe pietie, mockes God, and ſhall not goe vnpuniſhed.
Liue as thou prayeſt, that thou mayeſt liue euer.
So be it.
PSAL. 66.18.
If I regard wickedneſſe in my heart, the Lord will not beare me.
2. TIM. 2.19.
Let eueryevery one that calleth on the name of Chriſt depart from iniquitie.
Now to the only wiſe God, who is able to doe aboue all wee aske or thinke, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt, bee praiſe in the Church throughout all generations for euer. Amen.
FINIS.