A Golden Chain, Part 18 – Part 19
Of the circumstances of praier.
Quest. 1. VVHether a man is to vse a voice in praier? Answ. In publike praier it is requisite that there be a voice: for the minister i… the mouth of the people, and to the praier which he conceiues, they giuegive assent. For priuat praier, vsing of a voice is conuenient; yet so as it may be don… in silence. I. The Lord gaue vsus the voice, as wel as the heart to blesse him withall. Iam. 3.9. II. God created the tongue as well as the heart; and so will bee praised by both. III. The voice often stirres vp the heart: and againe, the vehemencie of affection doth often draw out a voice: the voice then in priuate praier is requisite, yet in some cases may be omitted, for it is not absolutely necessarie. Moses and Anna praied in silence.
Quest. 2. What gesture is to be vsed in praier? Ans. The worde doeth not affoard any particular direction. Our Sauiour and his disciples praied in diuers gestures: kneeling, stāding, groueling, looking to heauen, looking down to the earth, sitting, lying, &c. Luk. 11.41. Act. 7. god respects not the gesture, but the affection of the heart: yet two things must alwaies be in gesture: first, that it bee comely: secondly, that it doe fitly expresse the affection of the heart: as when we aske merciemercy, to look to heauen: when we bewaile our sinnes to looke downward, and to humble our bodies &c.
Question. 3. What place must we praie in? Ans. The place is set downe, 1. Tim. 2.8. We may pray in all places: of which there is no difference. Some wil say, that in the time of the lawe, the tabernacle and temple were places of diuine praier. Ans. The temple and tabernacle were types of Christ and his Church, and the vnitie of it: but nowe, wee hauing the thing it selfe signified thereby, may pray in all places. Our Sauiour praied in the wildernesse, on the Mount, Peter on the house toppe, Paul by the sea shore: yet so, that publique praier must be vsed in publike places, as Churches, Chappels, &c. not because in them is more holines, but for order sake.
Quest. 4. What is the time appointed for praier? Ans. Pray continually, 1,5,7. that is, vponupon all occasions: or when a man beginnes any businesse, whether it be in word or deede, Coloss. 3. 17. or as Daniel, who praied thrise eueryevery day, Dan. 6.11. or as Dauid, who praied at euening and morning, and noone-tyde. Psal. 55. 18. and seuen times a …aie: that is, many. Psal. 119.140. Thus wee shall pray continually. EueryEvery day affoards three speciall occasions. 1. The entrance to our callings in the morning. 2. The receiuing of Gods creatures at noone-tyde. 3. The going to rest at night. Againe, beside set & solemne praiers, there be certaine kinds of short praiers which the fathers call Eiaculationes, that is, the liftings vp of the heart into heauen secretly and suddainly: and this kind of praying may be vsed as occasion is offered enery houre in the daie.
Quest. 5. Whether may we pray for all men or no? Ans. We may and wee may not. We may, if all men, or mankind be taken distributiuely, or seuerally. For there is no particular countrie, kingdome, towne, person, but wee may make praiers for it. And though men be Atheists, Infidels, Heretikes, yea deuils incarnate, yet for any thing we knowe, they may belong to the election of God: except they sinne against the holy ghost, which sinne is very seldome & hardly discerned of men. And in this sence must the commandement of Paul be vnderstood: I exhort therfore that first of all supplications, praiers, &c. be made for all men. 1. Tim. 2.1. We may not pray for all men, if all men or mankind be taken collectiuely, that is, if all men be considered wholly togither as they make one bodie or company, and be taken as we say, in grosse. For in this bodie or masse of mankind there be some, though they be vnknowne to vsus, yet I say, there be some whome God in his iust iudgement hath refused, whose saluation by praier shall neuer be obtained.
Quest. 6. Whether is it possible for a man to pray in reading of a praier? Answer. It pleaseth some to mooue this question; but there is no doubt of it. For praier is a part of Gods worship, and therefore a spirituall action of the heart of man standing specially in a desire of that which we want, and faith whereby we beleeue, that our desire shall be granted. Nowe the voice or vtterance, whether it be in reading or otherwise, is no part of the praier, but an outwarde meanes whereby praier is vttered and expressed. Therefore there is no reason why a forme of praier being read, should cease to be a praier, because it is read; so be it the spirit of grace and praier be not wanting in the partie reading and the hearers. Obiect. To reade a sermon is not to preach: and therefore to read a praier is not to pray. Ans. The reason is not like in both. For the gift of preaching or prophecie can not bee shewed or practised in the reading of a sermon: and for this cause the reading of a sermon is not preaching or prophesie: but the grace and gift of praier may bee shewed in reading of a praier: otherwise it would goe very hard with them that want conuenient vtterance, by reason of some defect in the tongue, or by reason of bashfulnesse in the presence of others.
Of Gods hearing our praiers.
HItherto we hauehave spoken of the making of praier to god, a word or twain of Gods hearing our praiers.
Quest. How many waies doth God heare mens praiers? Ans. Two waies. The first in his merciemercy, when he graunts the requests of such as call vponupon him in the feare of his name. Secondly, hee heares mens praiers in his wrath. Thus he gaue the Israelites Quailes according to their desire. Psal. 78.29.30.31. Thus often men curse themselues, and wish that they were hanged or dead: and accordingly they hauehave their wish.
Quest. 2. Why doth God deferre to heare the praiers of his seruants? Ans. First, to prooue them by delay. Secondly, to exercise their faith. Thirdly, to make them acknowledge that the things which they receiue are Gods gifts, & not frō thēselues. Fourthly, that graces quickly giuen might not be lightly esteemed. Fiftly, that an hungring after grace might be sharpned & increased.
Question. 3. After what manner doth God heare his seruants prayers? Answer. Two waies. First, by graunting the thing which was asked according to his will. Secondly, by denying the thing desired, and by giuing something proportionall to it. Thus God denies temporarie blessings, and in the roome therof giues eternal in heauen. Thus he refuseth to remooue the crosse from his seruants, and giues in stead therof strength and patience. Christ praied that the cuppe might be remooued. It was not remooued, yet he in his mā hood was inabled to beare the wrath of God. When Paul praied three times that the pricke in the flesh might be remooued, it was answered, My strength is sufficient for thee.
Quest. 4. Why doth not God alwaies heare mens praiers? Ans. There be many causes of this. The first, because oftentimes we know not to aske as we ought, Math. 20.22. The second, because we aske amisse, Iam. 4.3. The third, because otherwhiles the things which we aske, though they be good in themselues, yet they are not good vntounto vsus, and for that cause are withheld. 2. Cor. 12.7. The last, because God will for some long time deferre the granting of that which we aske, that he may stirre vp our faith and hope, and our diligence in praier: and that we might the better esteeme of the gifts of God when we hauehave them, and shew our selues more thankfull.