The Light of Faith, Part 2 · Section 11 – Section 12
§. XI. The fourth, Prayer.
THis rightly performed isOf prayer. the ſoule of the ſoule, becauſe it cauſeth it to liue in God: the exerciſe of all the graces of the ſpirit at once; as faith, hope, louelove, feare to offend, vprightnes of heart, delight in God, and the like, the Chriſtians armou…; the incenſe acceptable to God, the very key of heauen. In this ſeruice of the liuing God, theſe ſpeciall rules muſt be heeded,
1 Thou muſt pray with thy vnderſtanding, that it may not be ſayd to thee, thou knoweſt not what thou askeſt. It is the prime thing to be looked vntounto, that thy vnderſtanding bee not vnfruitfull: for it is not the tumbling ouer a few wordes, without regard of the ſenſe in them, and knowledge of the thing prayed for, that is of any moment, but the powring out of the ſoule in thoſe wordes which alone giues being to our prayers, 1 Sam. 1. 15. Pſa. 142. 2. Lift vp thy heart with thy handes, Lam. 3. 41.
2 Pray with pure heart and hands, 1 Tim. 2. 8. The purity of the heart giueth purity to the hands, both are pure in prayer when they are lifted vp.
1 Without double mindedneſſe, hypocriſie or guile of ſpirit, the ſoule not lifted vp to vanity, Pſal. 24. 4. nor the heart ſet vponupon the louelove of any ſinne; purifie your hearts, ye double minded, and then draw nigh to God, and hee will draw nigh to you. Iam. 4. 8. But if thou wert Dauid himſelf, to whom God gaue his ſure mercies, if thou regard iniquity in thine heart, the Lord will not heare thy prayer, Pſal. 66. 18.
2 Without wrath, for if wee forgiue not, neither will our Father in heauen forgiue vsus, Mat. 6. 14. 15.
3 Without doubting, Iam. 1. 5. Aske and wauer not.
3 Pray with feeling and feruency: foreign.how preuailing is the prayer of a righteous man? it is as an arrow ſhot home to the marke, Iam. 5. 16. A ſpeeding prayer, a labouring and working prayer.
4 Pray in the Holy Ghoſt, Iude 20. Set thy delight on the Almighty, ſo cannot any hypocrite, Iob 27. 10. and cry Abba Father, by the ſpirit of adoption, Gal. 4. 5. with childelike affections and confidence.
5 Pray at all times, pray in proſperity, in aduerſity, pray eueryevery day, pray and reſtraine not prayer before God: why ſhouldeſt thou caſt off his feare? continuing inſtant, Col. 4. 2. Iob 27. 10. The rather ſince our Lord ſaith that this faith he ſhall ſcarce finde when he comes to iudgement, Phil. 4. 7. Luk …8. 8. in no thing be careful, but in all things tell to the Lord thy requeſts.
6 Pray onelyonly in the name of Chriſt, Ioh. 14. 13. and in Ioh. 16. 23. 24. We are not onelyonly commanded to aske in his name, but chidden for our ſlowneſſe to aske, ſeeing we hauehave the Sonne of God our ſpokeſman.
7 Pray all manner of prayer, complaints, confeſſions, ſupplication, petition, thankſgiuings, and remember alwayes giuing of thankes in all thy requeſts Phil. 4. 7. 1 Tim. 2. 1.
8 Pray for all ſorts of men, eſpecially for all in Authority, 1 Tim. 2. 1.
9 Auoide vaine repetitions: God is in heauen, thou art in earth, therefore let thy words bee few. Mat 6. 7. Eccleſ. 5. 2. OnelyOnly ſee they be the true voyce of the heart, and they are not long if thy deſire and feeling giuegive them life, and they are long though neuer ſo ſhort if this be wanting, beware of length in prayer to be ſeene of men, approue thy ſelfe to thy father that ſeeth in ſecret.
I cloſe vp theſe directions with the ſaying of Ambroſe in his booke D… Cain et Abel lib. 2. c. 6.
Si tanquam pubeſcens adol…ſcat fides, qua defectum ſe…eſcentis devotionis ableget & ſpiritu f…r…eat, & congrua diſtinction… teneatur …enſura legitimae diuiſionis & aſſiduitas commendet gratiam, tunc fit illud pingue & tanquam adipale precationis genus, de qu… dicit ſcriptura, impinguaſti in oleo caput meum Sicut n…agni multo lacte pingueſcunt, & ſicut oues benè paſtae adipe …ent, ita Apoſtolico ſucco paſt… fidelium pingu…ſcit oratio, horum ſi deſit aliquid qua ſuprà diximus, ſacrificium non probatur,
If faith grow vigorous as comming to ripe age, ſo that it baniſh the defect of withering deuotion, & waxe hot in ſpirit, and the meaſure of a lawfull diviſion be held by a congruous diſtinction, and aſſidiuity commend the grace of it: then that wel-liking and as it were fatty kind of praying is made, of which the Scripture ſaith thou haſt annointed mine head with oyle. For like as the Lambes grow fat with much milke and as ſheepe well-fed ſhine with fatneſſe, euen ſo batteneth the prayer of beleeuers, fedd with Apoſtolike iuice. If ought of theſe foreſpoken bewanting, the ſacrifice is not allowed.
§. XII. The fifth: feaſting, or ſolemne OffeaſtingThankeſgiuing.
THis duety is performed aright if wee follow theſe three eſſentiall directions.
1 Our feaſting muſt be with praiſe to God, vponupon the recording of ſome fauor and benefit or deliuerance, reioycing in the worke that he hath done, conſidering the workes of his hands. Pſa. 119. 24.
2 It muſt be with liberality to to the poore: that their loines may bleſſe vsus and their cry drowne not the voyce of our ſinging; Nay that the poore may taſt of our goods whereby their heart may be brought to the louelove and ſeruice of ſo gracious a God that delighteth in the proſperity of his ſeruants, and their penury may bee relieued. Heſt. 9 22
3 Obſerue a reſt from labors, elſe cannot our hearts be lifed vp with that ſpirituall ioy and freedome from diſtractions as beſeemeth ſo Angelicall a worke. Reſt take not for Idleneſſe: they are Idle whom the painefulneſſe of action cauſeth to auoid labors whereunto God and nature bindeth them, they reſt which either ceaſe from their worke when they hauehave brought it to perfection, or elſe giuegive ouer a meane labour becauſe a worthier and better is to be vndertaken. God hath created nothing to be idle, or ill imployed.