The Holy Exercise of Fasting, Guide to prayer – Biblical paraphrase
A direction for Prayer: Fit and conuenient for all thoſe, that being ignorant or vnacquainted with priuate prayer, are deſirous to pray by themſelues.
FIrſt let your ordinary praiers be ſudden: but take ſome time beforehand by meditation to prepare your ſelfe vntounto praier, and let this be the beginning of your praier, that God would prepare your heart vntounto praier. Eccl. 4.17. Math. 6.6. Pſal. 108.1.
Then make an humble confeſſion of your ſinnes vntounto God; and that both generally that you hauehave bene conceiued and borne in, and continually liued in; breaking his holie law daily, in thought, worde, and deed: and of ſome more particularly, wherin you hauehave moſt offended him in any part of your life: Pſa. 40.12. & 51.4.5. & 32.5. Dan. 9.5.6. Acknowledge vntounto God from the bottome of your hart, that for theſe ſinnes of yours, is moſt due vntounto you his heauie wrath and indignation, and all thoſe puniſhments and plagues, which in his Law he hath threatned to bring vponupon ſinners, both in this life & the life to come: and more ſpecially iudge your ſelfe moſt woorthie of thoſe particular iudgements, that any waies you are in danger of, or that you are preſently in Ezr. 9.6.15. Dan. 9.7. &c. Luk. 23.41. Pſal. 130.3.
Pray that in the conſcience of this fearefull eſtate of yours, you may be humbled before God in that maner and meaſure, that ſo great a ſinner ſhould be: and that in all humilitie you might caſt downe your ſelfe in your owne conceit before God, and his holy Angels, and all men, in reſpect of the deſert of your ſinnes ſo much as you ſhould doe, and no more. 1. Cor. 11.31. Math. 11.28. Luk. 15.59.
To this end deſire God to giuegive you a broken and a contrite ſpirite, that your hart being ſoft and tender, his word, both the Law and the curſes thereof, and the Goſpell with the promiſes of the ſame, together with all his workes of iuſtice and mercy, vponupon your ſelfe and vponupon others might worke on your conſcience, as they ought to do. Luk. 18.13. Pſa. 51.17. Eſa. 66.2.
Thus groaning vnderunder the heauie burden of them, deſire God earneſtly for Chriſts ſake to eaſe you of them, and to beſtow vponupon you the free pardon and forgiueneſſe of them: receiuing the ſacrifice of Chriſts death as your full ranſome: and intreat him moſt earneſtly for thoſe ſinnes, that moſt trouble you. Pſal. 25.7.18. & 51.1.2.7. &c. Dan. 9.17. &c.
Beſeech him to releaſe you of all thoſe fearefull iudgements of his, which you hauehave moſt righteouſlie deſerued, both in this world and in the world to come: and eſpecially thoſe which you moſt feare: & that he wold eaſe you of al thoſe publike & priuate calamities, that any wais for your ſinnes you are preſently in. Pſal. 79.8.9. Iona. 3.8. & 1. King. 8.33.36. &c.
Pray for the increaſe of your faith, that you may more and more beleeue the forgiueneſſe of your ſins, by the miniſterie of the Goſpell, & the vſe of his Sacraments: and that you may hauehave ſpeciall faith both in thoſe promiſes, and for the forgiueneſſe of thoſe ſinnes that you deſire moſt of all to be confirmed in. Pſal. 51.1.7.11.15. & 25.7. Mar. 9.24. And then pray for theſe fruites of faith, namely, that you may hauehave peace of conſcience, and quietneſſe of minde, knowing that you are diſcharged before gods iudgement ſeat: and that you may in the feeling of his louelove reioice with an vnſpeakable ioy, both aboue all worldlie ioies, and in the midſt of all worldly ſorrowes: and thirdly, that you may hauehave good hope for the time to come, euen in this world moſt of all of your ſaluation; and that that may ſuffice you. Rom. 5.1. Pſa. 51.8.12. Rom. 15.13. Heb. 6.9.
Aske the daily increaſe of vnfained repentance for al your ſins paſt, and preſent corruptions generally: and more ſpecially for all thoſe, whereof there is moſt cauſe: and not onelyonly that you may be heartily ſorie for thē, but that you may alſo hate and loath them, & ſtriue moſt earneſtly againſt them. Rom. 7.24. Pſal. 51.10. & 2. Cor. 12.8.
That you might heereafter preuaile againſt ſin, and walke in the commandements of God, aske the increaſe of the graces of his holie ſpirit: and theſe not only generally, but ſome more ſpecially by name, whereof you ſtand in moſt neede. Pſal. 119.33.34. &c. Pſal. 51.12.
And that you might obtaine theſe, pray that you may make conſcience to vſe daily all the meanes of your ſaluation, publikely and priuately, as all the exerciſes of the worde and prayer, together with the keeping of a good conſcience, and that God would daily bleſſe them to you for theſe endes. 1. Theſ. 5.19.20. & 1. Tim. 1.19.
Obtaining theſe graces, pray God to bleſſe you in your particular calling: and namely, that therein you may be painefull, and alſo profitable: and for all things that might further you this way. Pſal. 127.1. Prouer. 31.13. &c. 2. Tbeſ. 3.10. &c. Gen. 24.12.
Aske life, and health, and all outward things, as they may moſt further you in the aboue-named: namely as they may make you more fit to ſerue God and to doe good vntounto others: name ſome things, as not onelyonly health, wealth, friends, &c. but others, that you at that time ſtande in moſt neede of. Pro. 30.8.9. Gen. 28.20.21. Iam. 5.17.18.
Therefore pray God to giuegive you them with his fauour: and with his bleſſing: and with the right vſe of them: and with a contented mind: & with faith in Gods prouidence, that you may depend vponupon him. Gen. 28, 20. Deut. 28.2.3. &c. Phil. 4.11.12. Math. 6.25. &c.
Pray God that you may alwaies be prepared for the croſſe, whatſoeuer it ſhall pleaſe him to laie vponupon you: namely, that you may hauehave ſtrength to beare it, patience and cōfort in the midſt of it; & grace to profit by it: eſpecially that you may bee readie euerie houre for death. Math. 16.24. Rom. 8.26.28 Phil. 1. 23. & 2. Cor 5.9. &c.
Then pray for the whole Church of God; and therein for ſome parts eſpecially, as thoſe which are vnderunder the croſſe, and wherein you doe liue; and herein for ſome by name, as the time will permit, and as you hauehave cauſe; as for your Gouernors, high, and low; eccleſiaſticall and ciuill: for your parents, children, friends, and ſuch as hauehave deſired your praiers. Pſa. 122.6.7. Ier. 29 7. Eph. 6.18.19. & 1. Sam. 1.17.
Laſt of all giuegive thankes vntounto God in this maner: firſt for all his benefits vponupon ſoule and body for this life, and the life to come. Pſal. 103.2. & 145.1.2. Secondly for all ſins, which are forgiuen you; which you hauehave beene kept from: and which you hauehave beene recouered out of. Pſalm. 103.3. & 51.15. & 16.7. Thirdly for al euill & puniſhments, which you hauehave eſcaped aboue others: or which you hauehave beene deliuered out of: or which hauehave come vponupon you as fatherly chaſtiſemēts, and in them you hauehave beene comforted. Exod. 15.1.2. Pſal. 107.8.15.25. & 119.67.71.
And in all theſe giuegive thanks for your ſelfe, and for all yours, and for the whole Church of God. 1. Timoth. 2.1.
The continuall vſe of prayer is all in all: for cuſtome as in all other things, ſo in praier, maketh perfect: therefore the more you vſe prayer, the more will God giuegive you the ſpirit of prayer.
Pray alwaies, with all maner prayer and ſupplication in the ſpirit, and watch thereunto with all perſeuerance and ſupplication, for all Saints, and for me. Eph. 6.18.
An order priuatelie to reade ouer with great facilitie the olde Teſtament once eueryevery yere, and the new twiſe.
| CHAPTERS of the Old Teſtam. 777 | CHAPTERS of theNew Teſt. 260. | |
| Morning | Dayes of the weeke | Euening. |
| 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 3 | 7 | 0 |
| The Olde Teſtament thus read ouer once in a yeere. and there will be two dayes to ſpare. | The New Teſtament thus is read ouer twiſe in a yeere, and there will be one day to ſpare. |
The PSALMES 150. Theſe may be read ouer by themſelues, either once in a monethmonth or once in a quarter at the leaſt: which is foure times in the yeere.
1. TIM. 4.13.
GiueGive attendance vntounto reading.
Hee that is deſirous to learne and remember the Word of God, that he might liue according to it, let him conſider of that which is written, Pſalme 119. Part 2.
| THE TEXT. | THE PARAPHRASIS. | ||
| Wherewith ſhall a yoong man clenſe his waies? in taking heed thereto according to thy Word. | 1 | FIrſt of all be perſwaded, that the Word of God is onelyonly that rule, whereby the whole life of eueryevery man, & that in eueryevery thing muſt be ordered: euen the the life of a yong man, who thinketh, that he hath moſt reaſon for himſelfe, why he ſhould be exuſed, as commonly he is moſt diſordered. | |
| With my whole heart I ſought thee: let mee not wander from thy commandement. | 2 | Then vponupon this perſwaſion giuegive your ſelfe vnfainedly to the reading & hearing of Gods Word, as to the meanes whereby he hath appointed to teach you: and pray to God in the diligent vſe of thoſe meanes for his holie ſpirit, that thereby you might come to the true vnderſtanding of his Word. | |
| I hauehave hid thy promiſe in mine heart, that I might not ſinne againſt thee. | 3 | That which you hauehave thus learned, let it not ſwimme aloft in your braine, but be deepelie ſetled and hid in your heart as a treaſure, framing all your affections vntounto it: that ſo you may hauehave it in a readineſſe whenſoeuer you ſhould vſe it: otherwiſe though you know neuer ſo much, it will not keepe you from ſinning againſt God. | |
| Bleſſed art thou O Lord, teach me thy ſtatutes. | 4 | You thus profiting, giuegive thankes to God for that which you learne, becauſe be it neuer ſo little, it is more than many in the world doe know: yet content not your ſelfe with it, as though you had ſufficient, but pray vntounto him to be further inlightened, becauſe it is leſſe | than many others doe, and you your ſelfe ſhould know. |
| With my lippes hauehave I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth. | 5 | But aboue all, be carefull to talke of that vntounto others, which you do dayly learne your ſelfe: and out of the abundance of your heart let your mouth ſpeake. For by teaching others, you ſhall learne your ſelfe. | |
| I hauehave had as great delight in the way of thy teſtimonies, as in all riches. | 6 | That you might do all theſe things, labour to hauehave ioy in the Word, and in all the exerciſes of it, more than in any worldly thing, and be occupied about thoſe things with greateſt delight: for in whatſoeuer we take greateſt delight, that will ſticke faſteſt by vsus. | |
| I will meditate in thy precepts, and conſider thy wayes. | 7 | Laſt of all, meditate & conſider of that with your ſelfe which you hauehave learned, and muſe vponupon it alone, not contenting your ſelfe with the generall rules, but labouring in your conſcience to make the vſe of them profitable to your ſelfe, in the particular practiſe thereof. | |
| I will delight in thy ſtatutes, and I will not forget thy Word. | 8 | Thus doing all theſe things carefully , you ſhall be ſure neuer to forget that which you learne: for though you doe not always remember eueryevery thing, yet God by his ſpirit will call ſo much into your remembrance as is needfull for you to know, and then eſpecially when you hauehave moſt need of it; as in the houre of death, and in the day of temptation: but as you faile in all, or in iny one of theſe, ſo may you feare to faile in the trueth of this promiſe. |
A good helpe for an ill memorie.
End of the text · Nicholas Bownd, The Holy Exercise of Fasting (1604)