Abba Father, Title page – To the reader
ABBA FATHER: OR, A PLAINE AND ſhort direction concerning Priuate Prayer.
Alſo, SVNDRY GODLY ADmonitions concerning Time, and the well vſing of it.
By ELNATHAN PARR, Miniſter of the Word.
Rom. 8.15.
Ye hauehave receiued the ſpirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.
Epheſ. 5.16.
Redeeme the time becauſe the dayes are euill.
LONDON Imprinted by F. K. for Samuel Man, and are to be ſold at the ſigne of the Swan, in Pauls Church-yard. 1618.
TO THE VERY HONORABLE and moſt worthy Lady, the Lady Iane Cornwaleys, wife to the very Noble and Religious Gentleman, Maſter NATHANAEL BACON, Eſquire, Grace and Peace.
PRaier is the true Chriſtian proper element, without which hee can no more liue, then without fire: Breath is the inſtrument of the life of the body; Prayer is the breath of the ſoule: I hauehave obſerued in many a difficulty of this breathing, which I hauehave endeauoured according to my ſimple skill, ſomething to remedie by this direction.
I humbly deſire your Ladiſhip to giuegive it leaue to paſſe vnderunder your worthy Name: I confeſſe it can bee no waies vſeful to you; but it may bee to weaker Chriſtians, who are yet as babes newly beginning to cry, Abba Father.
Herein I preſent my thankfull mind to your Ladiſhip, whoſe great fauours and encouragements, my deſerts can neuer equall. I daily pray for your Ladiſhip, that as God hath highly aduanced your Name on earth for godlineſſe, ſo he would in the time appointed, glorifie your ſoule in heauen, for the merits of your Ieſus.
Your Ladiſhips deuoted ſeruant in all humble obſeruance, ELN. PARR.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER, encreaſe of all good gifts.
TO condemne a ſet forme of prayer, argues want of ſobrietie and wiſdome. In publike prayers in the Congregation it is neceſſary to hauehave a preſcribed forme called Liturgy, or Diuine Seruice, which for more eaſe of memory is to be read out of the booke. The ancienteſt Fathers (in the peace of the Church) hauehave by their practice ſo iudged it: many Councels hauehave approued it, and the beſt reformed Churches follow it.
As for priuate prayer of one Chriſtian alone, it is more expedient that it bee vttered without a booke; and the moſt compleat performance of that duty is, when a Chriſtian is able not onelyonly to repeate and apply to his owne ſoule and conſcience a prayer conceiued by another, but alſo vponupon fit matter, and heads ſuteable to the occaſion, to conceiue and vtter prayers of his own. Yet ſeeing there are many to whom God hath not giuen memory and vnderſtanding fitting, to expreſſe in a continued ſpeech the deſires of their hearts; for ſuch hauehave I written this direction.
The reaſon why I hauehave vndertaken this buſineſſe, conſidering there are ſo many good Prayer-bookes in eueryevery mans hand, is, firſt, becauſe, though it bee cōmendable to vſe a booke, yet it is more comfortable to pray of our ſelues, whoſe wants may be ſuch, as that we ſhall hardly finde them ſufficiently expreſſed in any booke: for eueryevery man is beſt acquainted with his owne heart.
Secondly, a man may be caſt into priſon, and his booke taken from him: how vncomfortably muſt he needs paſſe his time, if he cannot pray without his booke. The booke cannot be vſed in the darke, when we may hauehave iuſt occaſion to pray. The booke may bee forgotten, or loſt: but if thou attaineſt this gift, thou canſt neuer looſe it, vnleſſe thou looſeſt thy ſelfe.
For theſe reaſons I commend this Treatiſe to thee, which I could hauehave amplified further, and it may be, clothed it with a more elegant ſtile. But I aimed at thy profit, remembring that I directed beginners, for whom ſhortneſſe and plainneſſe are moſt fitting.
If thou profiteſt by this which I heere propound to thee; praiſe God: and in thy prayers forget not him, who hath at leaſt endeauoured to further thee. If thou profiteſt not; yet I hauehave done my good will, for the which I deſire thee to louelove
Thy true friend in Ieſus Chriſt, Eln. Parr.