Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Application – Part 17
Of the vse of the Lords praier.
THe principal vse of the Lords prayer is, to direct God his Church, in making their praiers in all places, at al times, and vponupon all occasions, though their praiers should be innumerable: and vnles they be framed after this, they can not be right.
In the vsing of it for direction, there be three thinges required. 1 The first is, the knowledge of the Lordes prayer, and al the partes thereof. He that would pray by it, must vnderstād the meaning therof, the wants therein to be bewailed, and the graces to bee desired, for which end it hath bin expounded. 2. Knowing this, there is in the seconde place required thus much skil, that he be able to referr euerie want & grace to one of the sixe petitions: for example: feeling in himselfe pride of heart, he must be able to say, this is a want in the first petition: and feeling a rebellion & slownes in doing Gods commandment, he must be able to say, this is a sin to be prayed against in the 3. petition. Thus, eueryevery want he must refer to his proper hed; again, he must refer eueryevery grace to be desired, to one of the sixe petitions: is strēgth in temptation to the sixt; assiance in Gods prouidence to the fourth; knowledge of God to the first, &c. and so in the rest. 3. In the third place, he must before he pray, consider what bee his wantes and imperfections, which moste trouble him, as also the graces which he wold obtain: then, for the helping of his memorie, he must goe to the petitions, and he must set those thinges first in his mind, which do concern the first petition; and those which concern the second petition, must hauehave the second place in his mind and so he must proceed in order as shall hauehave occasion. Thus a man keeping in minde the order of the petitions as they stand, shall be able by referring eueryevery grace and want vntounto his proper head, to mak a distinct prayer, and to varie it as time, place, and other occasions shall moue him.
Quest. Must we of necessity follow al the petitions in conceiuing a praier? An. No, but only those which doe principallie belong to the time, place & occasion; as Paule maketh a prayer, Col. 1. 9. 10. and all the points of it may be referred to the third and last petitions.
Againe, a Christian man may mak an excellent confession of his sins by this praier, if he shal, keping the order of the petitions, confesse and bewaile the sins which euerie petition requires vsus to pray against: & it serues to mak a thanksgiuing to God: Thus, let a man remember all the graces which he hath receiued from God: let him then refer them to the petitions, and giuegive thankes to God after the order of them, turning eueryevery petition into a thanksgiuing.
Of the circumstances of prayer.
Quest. 1. Whether a man is to vse a voice in prayer? Ans. In publik praier it is requisite that there bee a voice, for the Minister is the month of the people, and to the prayer which hee conceiues, they giuegive assent. For priuate prayer, vsing of a voice is conuenient: yet so, as it may be done in silence. 1. the Lord gaue vsus the voyce, as well as the heart to blesse him withall. Iam. 3. 9. 2 God created the tong as wel as the heart, and so will bee praised by both. 3 The voice often stir▪ vp the heart; and againe, the vehemēcie of affection doth often draw out a voice: the voice then in priuate prayer is requisite, yet in some cases may bee omitted, for it is not absolutely necessarie. Moses and Anna prayed in silence.
Quest. 2. What gesture is to bee vsed in prayer? An. The word doth not affoord any certain direction. Our Sauiour & his Disciples praied in diuers gestures, kneling, standing, groueling, looking to heauen, looking downe to the earth, sitting, lying, &c. Luk. 11. 41. Act. 7 God respectes not the gesture, but the affection of the heart; yet two thinges must be alwaies in the gesture: 1. that it be comelie. 2. that it do fitlie expresse the affection of the hart; as when we ask merciemercy, to look to heauen, when wee bewaile our sins, to look downward, &c.
Question. 3. What place must we pray in? An. The place is set down, 1. Tim. 2. 8. we may pray in all places, of which ther is no difference: Some will say, that in the time of the Law, the Tabernacle and Temple were places for diuine prayer. Ans. The Temple and Tabernacle wer types of Christ, & his Church, and the vnitie of it: but now, wee hauing the thing it selfe, signified thereby, may pray in al places. Our Sauior prayed in the wildernes, on the Mount; Peter on the house top Paule by the sea shore: yet so, that publik praier must be vsed in publike places, as Churches, chappels, &c. not because in them is more holinesse, but for orders sake.
Quest. 4. What is the time appointed for praier? Ans. Praie continuallie. 1. The 5. 7. that is, vponupon al occasions, or whē a man begins any busines, whether it be in word, or deed, Col. 3. 17. or as Daniel, who praied thrise euerie daie. Dan. 6. 11. or as Dauid, who praied at euening morning, and noontide, Ps. 55. 18 and seuen times a daie. vz. many. Psa. 119. 140. Thus we shal pray continuallie. EueryEvery day affoords three especial occasions. 1. The entrance to our callings in the morning. 2. The receiuing of Gods creatures at noonetide. 3. the going to rest at night.
Of Gods hearing our praiers.
HItherto we hauehave spoken of the making of prayer to God: a word or two of God his hearing our prayers.
Question. How many waies doth God hear 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. Psalme 78. 29. 30. 31. Thus often men curse themselues, and wish that they were dead: and accordinglie they hauehave their wish.
Quest. 2. Why doth God defer to hear the praiers of his seruants?
Ans. 1. to prooue them by delay. 2. To exercise their saith. 3. To make them acknowledge, that the things which they receiue, ar gods gifts, and not from themselues▪ 4. That graces quickly giuen might not be lightlie estemed 5. That an hungring after grace, might bee sharpened and increased.
Quest. After what maner doth God hear his seruants prayers. An. Two waies. First, by granting the thing which was asked according to his will. Secondly, by denying the thing desired, and by giuing somthing proportional to it. Thus God denies temporary blessings, and in the roome thereof, giues eternall in heauen. Thus he refuseth to remoue the crosse from his servantes, and giues in stead thereof strength and patience. Christ praied that the cup might bee remooved. It was not remooued, but hee in his manhood was enabled to beare the wrath of God. When
ded in louelove, maie be able to comprehend vvith all Saintes, vvhat is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,
19 And know the louelove of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye maie bee filled vvith all fulnesse of God.
20 VntoUnto him therefore, that is able to doe exceeding aboundant lie, aboue all that vve aske or thinke, according to the power that vvorketh in vsus,
21 Be praise in the Churche by Christ Iesus, throughout all generations for euer, Amen.