An Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Part 4
Of the Conditions of true prayer.
Q. WHat conditions are required in prayer, that it may be acceptable in the sight of God?
A. They are of two sortes.
1. In respect of God, and they are 6.
2. In respect of our brethren.
Q. Which is the 1. condition y• is required in prayer in respect of God.
A. 1. It is necessary that we bring in our prayers true & vnfained repentance,…nce. humbly confessing, & earnestly bewailing our selues, and crauing pardon for our sinnes.
Q. Why is cōfessiō Confession.to God necessary?
A. Because it is as a key to open Gods priuy chāber dore, for our sins hauehave made a wal of seperation between God and vsus, so that this must first bee remoued, before our prayers can ascend to him, or his graces descend vntounto vsus.
Q. Where find you that the Saintes hauehave taken this course in prayer?
A. The saints & holy men hauehave alwaies vsed to confesse their sins to God, making mention of all their fresh sins, & by them bringing to minde their sins done long agone, as Dauid did Psal. 25. 7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth, Psal 25. 7.nor my rebellions. Crauing pardon for murther, & adulterie newly committed, he calles to minde his natural sin and corruption, Psal. 51. 5.Psal. 51. 5. Behold, I was borne in iniquitie, and in sin hath my mother conceiued me.
Q. What may we learne thereby?
A. By this we may learne that when we cānot repent effectually as we would, that then we should presse our selues to repentance, with the remēbrance of our former sins, like him that calleth for more waight, that he may be the sooner dead.
Q. What say you then of impenitent persons which pray, but are neuer touched, not grieued with the féeling of their sinnes?
A. They which continue, and goe forward in sinning without repentance, are not heard.
Q. How proue you that?
A. Dauid sayth: Psal. 66. 18.If I regard wickednes in my heart, the Lord will not heare me.
Salomon sayth: Prou, 15. 8.The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, but the praier of the righteous is acceptable vntounto him.
Againe: Prou. 28. 9.Hee which turneth away his eare from hearing the lawe, euen his prayer shall be abominable. And,
Esai sayth in the person of God, Esa 1. 15.When you shall stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes, and though you make many prayers, I will not heare you, for your hands are full of blood, i. e. full of oppression and crueltie.
The second Condition.
Q. WHat is the second condition?
A. It is a true and liuely fayth.
Q. What meane you by that?
A. I meane that in prayer wee must hauehave a sure and stedfast confidence in the promises of God, that they shall bee performed, yea albeit we can see no naturall reason for it.
Q. Why is it necessary that we hauehave faith in Gods promises when we pray?
A. 1. Because without faith our prayers are but vaine babling.
2. Because prayer is a fruite of faith, and a branch of it, and therefore it is impossible that true prayer should bee without faith.
3. He that doubteth of the promises of God (as the Papistes doe, and teach) doe make God a lyer, and no performer of his promises, which is as great dishonour to him as can be, for then is he not a God, but a very diuell:Ioh. 8. 44. for the diuell is a lyer from the beginning, and the father of lyes.
4 What hope can hee hauehave to obtaine his request, that makes God a lyer? and Iehoua, who is perfect holines, no better then a diuell?
Q. By what Scripture doe you proue that we must pray in faith?
A. In Marke 11. 24. and 1. Iohn. 5. 15. Iames 1. 6.
Q. How shall we know the promises of God?
A. That we may know the promises of God, it will stand vsus in hand to frequent the word preached, which is the onelyonly ordinary meanes to beget faith in vsus: and often to reade the scripture, because they are the storehouse of Gods promises.
Q. What must we doe, when we doe know the promises of God by the word of God?
A. We must beleeue, & embrace them, & euer in prayer charge God with his promises, and make vse of thē in our praiers as Simeon did,Luk. 2. 26. 29. saying: Lord now lettest thou thy serua…t depart in peace according to thy word: i. e. according to thy promise.
Q. May not we use those words of Simeon as a prayer aswell as he?
A. If we be readie to depart as Simeon was, and hauehave such a promise of departure, and in that maner, as Simeon had, we may, or els not.
Q. Why so?
A. Because we must pray for nothing, but wee must hauehave a commandement for it, and a promise to be heard.
The third Condition.
Q. WHat is the third thing that is required in prayer?
A. True humilitie, and reuerence.
Q. Why is that requisite?
A. Because then wee present our selues before the great king of kings, and as beggers, and wee hauehave nothing in vsus that is good, but looke for all graces of him. Yea, we come as theeues, & traitors before our Prince, and therefore we must come with reuerence, and in all lowlines to prostrate our selues before him.
Q. Theu belike we may not come in a confidence of our owne merites and righteousnes?
A. No, al our deserts must be cast away, and we must rely only vponupon the merciemercy of our prince, for if we come arrogantly, we shall rather moue him to anger, then to pittie vsus.
Q. How proue you al this?
A. In 1. Pet. 5. 5.1. Pet. 5. 5. Godresisteth the proude, but giueth grace to the lowly.
The Publicane came in al humility,Luk. 18. 12. 14. whē he durst not lift vp his eyes to heauen but fell downe,Luk. 18. 12. 14. and sayd, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner: and the Lord Iesus sayth hee went home more iustified then the other.
Such humility had the Centurion when he sayd,Luk. 7. 6. Lord I am not worthie thou shouldest enter vnderunder my roofe, &c.
The fourth Condition.
Q. WHat is the fourth?
A. It is also required that our prayers be neither cold, nor fainting, but zealous and earnest, not comming onelyonly from our lippes, but from the bottom of our hearts.
Q. What reason hauehave you for that?
A. Because it is as odious, and vnseemly a thing for a mans heart to be led away in prayer, as for a man that is making his sute to the Prince, to turne his backe vponupon him, or to turne his side to talke to another, as though he regarded him not: for our secretaPsal. 139. 1. 2. 3. 4. thoughtes are so visible vntounto him, as outward gestures are vntounto man.
And againe:Heb. 4. 13. Cold prayers hauehave colde entertainment, for he that craueth coldly, doth but teach the other to denie him his request.
Q. What if wée want this … prayer, or would hauehave this … and zeale encreased in vsus, how may it be done?
A. It may be done two waies.
1. Our hearts must bee in wardly touched with the want of those things which we craue, and for this end, we are seriously and duly to consider by our selues, how necessary those things are which we …ske, and how miserable we are without them.
2. We are to consider our owne wants, our pouertie, weakenes, and inabilitie to accomplish those things which wee aske, without the blessing of God: for if wee care not for those things which we aske, or put any confidence in secundary causes, as strength, friends, riches, &c. it is no meruaile though our prayers be cold.
Q. What other reason hauehave you for this?
A. Hee that desireth meroy must bee touched with the feeling of his miserie, or els, for want of this, our wordes are but winde, our prayers are but pratlings, and our pitifull shewe of mourning is but a shamefull mocking of GOD: this may …
Q. … how for example?
A. As thus, to say (as many doe commonly and customably say, by the booke of common prayer,) That it may please thee to giuegive us grace to amend our liues according to thy holy word, &c. Yet meane nothing lesse, neither doe they knowe wherein they doe amisse, though the wordes in themselues bee good, yet in them that so say them, it is a meere mocking of GOD, and prophaning of his name.
Agayne: to say, Pitifully beholde the sorrowes of our heartes: when their hearts be no whit sorrowfull for their sinnes, it is the like.
Likewise, to say: O Lorde let thy merciemercy bee shewed vponupon vsus, as wee trust in thee: when wee trust in GOD no further then wee see outwarde meanes to helpe vsus withall: though the wordes bee good, yet to them that so vse them, they bee not so: and so I might say of manie moe such prayers.
Q. … such kinde of prayers … and condemned in the worde of God?
A. … 22. the Lorde sayth thus: Your free offring shall … blemish shal … in it: blinde, or broken, or maimed, or hauing a wenne, or skur…i…, or skabbed, these shall ye not offer vntounto the Lord, &c.
Q. But this concerneth the sacrifi…ces of the Iewes, what is this to our prayers?
A. Yes, and it toucheth vsus & our prayers too, for vnderunder those offerings of beasts commanded to the Iewes, were shadowed and figured out the praiers of the faithfull vnderunder the Gospel,Prou. 15. 8. which are called by the needs of sacrifices,Hos. 14. 3. and calues of the lipp…. And therefore wee are to knowe hereby, that as he then could abide no sacrifice that was of the blinde, or broken, or maimed, skuruie, or skabbed, &c. to hauehave it offered vponupon his Altar: so nowe hee can as ill abide our ignorant prayers, or prophane, or cold, or sluggish, or counterfeite prayers to bee offered vntounto him: for he accounteth of them, but as of lame, and skuruie sacrifices, &c. but as then the Lord looked for the best, so doth he ….
The fifth Condition.
Q. What … prayer?
A. It is further required that our prayers be made according to the will of God, and not according to our … …ff… ctions.
Q. What meane you by that?
A. I meane that wee must not appoynt vntounto God, what, and when, and where, and how, and how much, or how little, &c. but all to be as himselfe will in his holy worde.
Q. What if wée pray for spirituall graces, as for faith, repentance, hope, louelove, patience, knowledge, zeale, wisdome, &c.
A. Then wee must pray absolutly without anie condition, because the Lord hath promised to giuegive his spirite vntounto his children, whatsoeuer els they lacke.
Q. What if wée pray for temporall blessings?
A. Then▪ we must pray conditionally, if the Lorde see them good for vsus, and if they may bee for the furtherance of our saluation, & the aduancement of his glory.
Q. How proue you this?
A. In Iam. 4. 3. 1. Ioh. 5. 14.
Q. What if a Christian be in paine, or the Church vnderunder the crosse of persecution, on other affliction, is it not lawfull to pray against those things, & to be deliuered from them?
A. If God may get more glorie by our sufferings, then by our ease & quiet, then wee must not pray against them, but as the Lorde Iesu… did, Iohn 17. 15.Ioh. 17. 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the worlde, but that thou keepe them from euill. So we must pray, not that God would take vsus out of our paine or sufferinges, but that in them he would keepe vsus from euill, as from murmuring against his hād, distrust, impatiencie, despaire, &c.
Q. What say you to the infirmities & weaknesses of Gods children which remaine in their vnregenerate parte, to humble them: whether is it lawfull to pray against them or no?
A. Yes, it is lawfull, because they are sinne, and sometime the Lord doth … some of them, and manie times he … his children their request, when they pray against their infirmities, … his power is made manifest in them, and so his glory … thereby the more aduanced.
Q. But what? doth the … thē giuegive his children leaue …?
A. Not … with his grace he doth …o vphold them, that they shall not fall finally way from him.
Q. How may all this be proue…?
A. By the wordes and witnes of the Apostle who saith thus of himselfe▪ And lest I should be exalted out of measure,2. Cor. 12. 7. …. 9 through the abundance of reuelations; there was giuē vntounto me a pricke in the flesh, the messenger of sathā to buffer me, (by which he meaneth the vnregenerate part of remnants of … in him) because I should not be exalted out of measure. 8. For this thing I be sought the Lord*i. e. oftentimes. thrise, that it might … from me. 9. And he said vntounto me, My grace is sufficient … thee, for my power is … perfect through weaknes.
Q. What do you cōclude vpō this place?
A. I conclude that wee must pray, That Gods name may be hallowed: i. e. that hee may hauehave glory by vsus: but whether it shal be by our infirmities, or without our infirmities hee hath appoynted, and must appoynt that himselfe.
The sixt Condition.
Q. What is the sixt and the last condition that is required in respect of God himselfe?
A. That we continue in prayer, and not giuegive ouer at the first, nor prescribe God a time, but patiently waite his leysure.
Q. How proue you that?
A. Out of Luk. 11 5. 6. 7. &c. by a parable propounded by our Sauiour Christ. 2. Out of Mat. 15. 22. to 1. 29. by the example of the womā of Canaā. 3. out of Ge. 32. 24. to 30. by the example of Iacob, … with the Angel, vntil be receiued a blessing.
Q. … in what respects our prayers must …e like Iacobs wra…ling?
A. There must be, 1. a striuing: 2. a suffering: 3. a deniall of our request: 4. a continuance all repulses notwithstanding: 5. blowes and crosses more then we looked for: 6. perseuerance for all that: 7. a blessing will come in the end.Esa. 62. 6. 7. See more in Esa. 62. 6. 7.
Q. Why dooth the Lorde defer to heare the praiers of his children?
A. For many causes:
1. To try their faith & patience, not that (he) is ignorant of their faith, &c. but to make them more manifest to the world.
2. That they may humble themselues and suspect themselues of some sinne that they hauehave not repented of.
3. To make thē more earnest in praier, for, the more we be denied, the more we do entreat to obtain, if we desire it greatly.
4. That they may make the more account of Gods benefites and graces, when they hauehave them, and may bee the more thankfull for them.
Q. What bee those conditions that bée required in respect of our brethren?
A. In generall it is required,Conditions in respect of our bethren. that wee pray in louelove and charitie towards all men, so far forth as we can.
Q. What brāches hath this general?
A. This generall poynt hath two branches.
1. To forgiue them that offend vsus.
2. To satisfie them that bee offended with vsus.
Q. How proue you the first?
A. Out of Mark 11. 25.
Q. How proue you the second▪
A. Out of Matth. 5. 23. 24.
Q. Why must wée satisfie them that be offended at vsus, before we praye?
A. For two causes.
1. If we hauehave iniuried any in deede, he shall pray to God against vsus, and be heard against vsus, and so his prayer shall counterchecke ours.
2. If our brother hath taken offence vniustly against vsus, before wee gaue any, we must notwithstanding labor to satisfie him, because, while he thinkes euill of mee without cause, his prayers are stained with the blot of vncharitable iudgement, neither can he praye with a quiet minde, and so his prayers are sinne to him: therefore in pitty & compassion towards his soule, we ought to talke with him, and to labour to satisfie him.
Q. What is hée bée such a one as will not be satisfied with any reason?
A. Indeede there bee vnreasonable persons in the world, such as Dauid complained of,Psalm. 120. 7. that when he spake of peace, they made themselues ready to warre: such we must leaue vntounto God, and if they continue so after admonitions giuen by the Church, they are to be cut off,Matth. 18. 17 and cast out by the censures of the Church, vntill they doe repent.
OF THE LORDS PRAYER.
Our Father which art in Heauen,Matth. 6. 9. hallowed be thy name,Luk. 11. 2. &c.
Q. Why is God called a Father?
A. In two respects.
1. Of his naturall sonne Iesus Christ.
2. In respect of his Church.
Q. How is hée called a Father in respect of his Church?
A. In two respects.
1. In respect or our creation.
2. In respect of our adoption. As for preseruation and sanctification, they may be reduced vntounto these two heades.
Q. Is God a Father by creation, of his Church onelyonly?
A. Nay, so hee is a Father of all mankinde▪
Q. Is GOD a Father of all mankinde by adoption?
A. No, so he is a Father of the faithfull onelyonly.
Q. Where finde you that God is called a father, in respect of our Creation?
A. In Mal. 2. 10. Esa. 64. 8. Deut. 32. …. So Adam is called the sonne of God by immediate Creation. Luke. 3. last verse.
Q. Where finde you that GOD is called a Father in respect of adoption?
A. In Esa. 63. 16. Ioh. 1. 12. Rom. 8. 14. Gala. 4. 4. 5. 1. Ioh. 3. 1.
Q. How is hée called a father in this place?
A. Not onelyonly in respect of our creation, but especially in regarde of our adoption.
Q. What is your reason for that?
A. Or else we could hauehave no comfort, by calling him our Father, if hee were not our Father by adoption, but by creation, for then we should not differ from the reprobate, whose Father God is by creation, aswell as of others.
Q. Cannot the reprobate call … their Father, as the elect do… in this place?
A. No, not so: for onelyonly they which are made heires and fellow heires with Iesus Christ, by Gods free grace and fauour, with whom his spirit hath wrought reconciliation, sonnes by adoption I meane can onelyonly call him their Father to their comfort.
Q. Why, if God be the Father of the reprobate by creation, then they are his children, are they not? For there … be no Father without a Childe?
A. It followeth not, for some are called by the name of Father, onelyonly in regarde that they were the authors and in…entors of things: which things cannot properly be called their Children.
Q. Yea? how proue you that?
A. I…ball is called the father of all that dwell in tents,Gen. 4. 20. that is the first inuentor often…s: and yet the tents are not his children.
So Iubal is called the father of such as play vponupon Orgaines, the Harpe,21. i. e. the first inuentor of winde instruments, and yet winde instruments are not his children.
Q. What inferre you vponupon this?
A. Euen so, God is called the Father, euen of the reprobate, because hee first created them, and yet they cannot be called the children of God, except by creation, as Adam was, no more then the tents, and pipes can be called the children of Iaball and Iuball.
Q. It had béene some benefite, and priuiledge if God had béen our naturall Father, but to be our Father by adoption, séemeth to bée no great matter, i… it?
A. Although God bee not our naturall father (for so hee is onelyonly of Christ) but by grace, yet performeth hee …ll the partes of a naturall Father, …tter then any naturall father dooth whatso…er.
Q. The natural Father heareth louelove and affection vntounto his children?
A. So dooth GOD vntounto his, for the Psalmist …aith, As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lorde compassion on them that feare him: See more of this poynte in Esay 49. 1…0 Matth. 7. 9.
Q. The naturall Father proudeth thinges necessarie for this life▪
A. So dooth GOD for his, Matth. 6. 30. 31. 32. And though wee receiue the… of our naturall parents, yet they come from GOD. See more of this poynt, in 2. King. 6. 27.2. King. 6. 27.
Q. The naturall Father brings by his childe in some arte and knowledge to get his liuing by?
A. So dooth GOD by his children Ierem. 31. 33.Iere. 31. 33. I will write my … their hearts, &c. besides that they hauehave the best schoolemaster,Iob. 14. 17. the spirit of God.
Q. The naturall Father defendeth his children from iniuries and wrongs?
A. So dooth God, and willeth vsus to come vntounto him.Luk. 18. Shall not God auenge his elect, which crie vntounto him night and daye?
Hee is therefore called the helper of the helpes, and the widdowe, and a father of the fatherles.
Q. The naturall father chastiseth his children whom he loueth, and if he hath cast any out of his fauour, he lets him alone to doe what he list?
A. So dooth God correct his children whom he loueth,Prouer. 3. 12. and therefore dooth he correct them because he loueth them.Heb. 12. 6.Esa. 1.
But as for the wicked world, & worldlings hee lets them growe in prosperitie, giuing them vp to their owne hearts lust, because hee hath cast them out of his presence and fauour.
Q. The naturall Father prepareth an inheritance for his children?
A. So doth God for his,Luk. 12. 32. Luke 12. 32. It is your Fathers pleasure to giuegive you the kingdome: yea, …. Pet. 1. 4.he hath prouided for vsus an inheritance (as Peter saith) immortall, and vndefiled, that withereth not, which is re…er…d in heauen for vsus.
Q. What vse may we make of this worde, Father in this place?
A. This word Father, may serue to expell all distrust
1. Of Gods fauour and all feare in prayer.
2. It maketh ioye in our hearts, and emboldeneth vsus to goe vntounto the throne of grace.
3. It teacheth vsus,Mal. 1. 6. that we owe him the duetie of children, and that wee must liue like the children of such a father, if wee looke for benefites at his hands.
4. It is auailable to worke patience in vsus in trouble, and affliction, and at such times as our prayers are not graunted at the first,Heb. 12. 7. Heb. 12. 7. If yee endure chastening, God offereth himselfe vntounto you … sonnes.
Q. It shoulde séeme by this preface, that we ought not to pray to the second nor third person in the Trinitie, (that is to say) to the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, but only to the first person, that is the Father: for so are wee taught to pray, Our Father: what say you to that?
A. For the better vnderstanding of this poynt, wee must consider that this word Father, (being spoken of God) is put two wayes in the Scripture, sometime personally, sometime essentially.
Q. What doe you meane when you say it is put personally?
A. It is taken personally, when it is put but for some one of the three persons or beings in the Trinitie, and cannot bee attributed to any of the other persons.
Q. What doe you meane when you say it is put essentially?
A. It is taken essentially when it doth extend to the whole essence of being of the Deitie.
Q. (If you can) make your meaning more plaine?
A. Then more plainly this is my meaning: that wheresoeuer this word Father is attributed vntounto God, being ioyned in the same sentence, with the Sonne, or the holie Ghost, or both, then it is taken personally: that is, it is restrayned to the person of the Father only. But when it is not coupled, nor compared with any of the persons, but is taken simply, without relation to the other persons, then it is taken essentially for the whole Godhead, and for all the persons in the Godhead.
Q. Where is it taken personally?
A. In these places following:
The comforter which is the holy Ghost, whom the father will send in my name,Ioh. 14. 26. he shall teach you, &c.
The father loueth the sonne,Ioh▪ 3. 35. and hath giuen all things into his hands.
If ye then which are euill giuegive good things vntounto the children,Luk. 11. 13. how much more shall your heauenly father giuegive the holy Ghost to them that desire him?
Q. Where is it taken essentially?
A. In these places following:
The fowles of the a…re sowe not,Matth▪ 6. 26. &c. and yet your heauenly father feedeth them.
Wee hauehave had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vsus,Heb. 12. 9. and we gaue them reuerence: should we not much rather be in subiection to the father of spirits, that we might liue?
Q. How is it taken in this prayer?
A. In these words: Our Father which are, &c. it is taken essentially, for the whole deitie, and doth not exclude, but inlcude the Sonne and the holy Ghost, the they are all one in nature and substance with the Father.
Q. If they bee all one in nature and substance, then the second person, Iesus Christ, is called father too, is he not?
A. Yes, he is so called by the Prophet Esai,Esai. 9. 6. To vsus a childe is borne, to vsus a sonne is giuen, &c. and they shal call his name Counsellor, the mightie God, the euerlasting father, &c.
Q. Then it appeareth that wee may also pray to Iesus Christ, and the holie Ghost, and we doe so in this prayer, but can you shew any that hauehave prayed vntounto them by name?
A. Yea, Stephen called on God, and sayd,Act. 7. 59. Lord Iesus receiue my spirit.
And S. Paul pra…ed to the holy Ghost, saying:2. Cor. 13. …. The fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you all.