Aphorisms of Christian Religion, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Of Prayer.
I. APHORISME.
PRayer is a aIohn. 4.24.holy meditation of things pertaining to Gods glory and our ſaluation: and an earneſt bLuke. 18.1. &c.deſire of the ſame, with ſupplication, proceeding from an holy affiance, which (as ſonnes & cHeb. 10.22daughters) the faithfull hauehave in God: whereunto alſo thankes-giuing vntounto God for benefits receiued, is vſually annexed.
II.
Our preſent aPſal. 50.51.neceſſitie which we feele, ought not onelyonly to be a motiue vntounto prayer: but alſo Gods bIbid.commandement, and cIbid. Iohn. 16 24. Mat. 7 7. and chap. 18. 19.promiſe to heare vsus.
III.
We ought then to begge in prayer not only for thoſe things which concerne our owne happineſſe: but alſo that God would giuegive grace that by this ſeruice and aMath. 4.10.worſhip we may truly honour him.
IIII.
Againſt all diſtruſt which may hinder vsus in prayer: we muſt oppoſe Gods holy promiſes, whereby he hath teſtified, that he will heareaPſal. 50.15. Math. 7.7. our prayer.
V.
There be foure rules of prayer. The aDan. 9.3.4.5. &c.firſt that we come to prayer with a mind bMat. 14.23emptied of other cares, and indued with a due reuerence of the maieſtie of God, not daring to beg any thing which God himſelfe doth not permit: the ſecond, that we pray with a true ſenſe c.e. Luk. 18. v. 13.and feeling of our wants, & with an earneſt deſire to obtaine: the third that in prayer we put off all d.e. Luk. 18. v. 13.opinion of our own iuſtice or worthines, and contrarily, that in all humilitie, and free eDan. 9. Pſal. 51.confeſſion of our ſinnes, we flie to Gods mercy, intreating the free pardon and forgiueneſſe of our ſins: the fourth & laſt rule is, that prayer proceed from faith fRom. 10.14 Iames. 1 6. Heb. 10.22. Dan. 9.17. Pſal. 51.9.and aſſurance of Gods grace in Chriſt: aſſuredly truſting that our prayer ſhalbe heard.
VI.
The Lord himſelfe hath giuen vsus aaMath. 6.9. &c. preſcript forme of prayer, which therefore is called the Lordes Prayer. This conſiſteth of a Preface, narration, confirmation and concluſion.
VII.
The Preface is in theſe wordes, Our Father which art in heauen. Wherein we profeſſe our faith, or affiance & truſt we hauehave, as children, in God our heauenly Father, who hath by grace adopted vsus in that his beloued and onelyonly begotten Sonne our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Here alſo to lift vp our minds to God, we make mētiō of the ſeate of Gods maieſtie, that is of heauen, where he giueth his bleſſed Angels the fruition of his preſence, and ſhall giuegive vsus in his good time appointed.
VIII.
The narration containeth ſix petitions: the firſt three, do in ſpeciall manner concerne Gods glory: the other three, reſpect our owne benefite and good.
IX.
In the firſt petitiō (Hallowed be thy name) we are commaunded and taught to aske that, which in the third Commandement we are commanded to do: that is, that we neither thinke nor ſpeake of God, but with great reuerence: and ſo in like manner of his word, and of his workes.
X.
In the ſecond petition: Let thy kingdome come, we beg firſt, that God by the grace of his holy ſpirit, would repreſſe the corrupt affections of our nature, and forme all our ſenſes to the obedience of his will: next that he would curbe and bridle the wicked which fight againſt his kingdome, and that he would gather vntounto himſelfe his elect, and preſerue his Churches: that he would caſt downe the enemies of his Church, and cut them ſhort in all their attempts and deſires: and laſtly, that in his good time, he would make vsus partakers of his glory and heauenly bliſſe.
XI.
The third petition is, Thy will be done in earth as it is heauen. This petition is added to the former, for declaration ſake to helpe our ignorance: for then and there God raigneth in the world, where men ſubmit themſelues, to be ruled by his holy will reuealed in his word. We aske here therefore that the holy ſpirite would rule our harts, and teach vsus, that we may learne to louelove that which God loueth, & to hate that which he hateth: that ſo we may yeeld vntounto him a chearefull and willing obedience as his bleſſed Angels do in heauen.
XII.
The fourth petition is, Geue vsus this day our dayly bread: In this petition we commende our bodies to Gods prouidence, deſiring, that he would feed, cheariſh and preſerue them. And this petitiō, the Lord hath ſet before the other two following, (which concerne not earthly and corporall bleſſings, but ſpirituall and heauenly) to helpe our dulneſſe, and weakneſſe, that ſo by degrees he might lift vp our mindes to ſeeke after thoſe greater bleſſings. And here we be willed to aske of God our bread, that is, ſuch as it ſhall pleaſe our heauenly father to giuegive vsus, for the ſuſtentation of our life: where we ſee this petition is as neceſſarie for the rich as for the poore. Laſtly, theſe wordes, this day, or euerie day, and this Epithet dayly ſerue to moderate our affections and deſires in theſe tranſitorie bleſſings.
XIII.
The fift petition, Forgiue vsus our debtes, as we alſo forgiue our debters: by the word debtes he meaneth our ſinnes, for that we owe the puniſhment of them vntounto God and this Chriſt himſelfe hath borne for vsus, in his death vponupon the croſſe, and ſo hath obtained the pardon of ſinnes for vsus. We begge that the heauenly father would impute vntounto vsus that ſatisfaction & obedience of Chriſt & worke in vsus a ſenſe & a feeling of this imputation, that ſo we may ſweetly reſt in his fatherly fauour in Chriſt, and in his louelove purchaſed for vsus in and by the ſufferings of Chriſt. To this petition is annexed an argument drawen from the like example: that is, the example of our remiſſion in pardoning our neighbour his treſpaſſes: The reaſon of which exāple doth not conſiſt in the merite of our worke, but in the promiſe of Chriſt, ſaying. For aMath. 6.14.15.if ye forgiue men their offences, your heauenly father will alſo forgiue you. But if ye doe not forgiue men their treſpaſſes, no more will your father forgiue you your treſpaſſes. By which wordes it doth manifeſtly appeare, that they onelyonly can be aſſured of the pardon of ſinnes, that are aſſured and know in their conſciences, that they hauehave pardoned their neighbours. The reaſon whereof is this, it can not be, that any man pardon from his hart his brother,Gods louelove is cauſe of our louelove, & our louelove but a ſigne and effect of his louelove. vnleſſe he firſt louelove him: now he can not louelove his brother, which firſt doth not louelove God; and no man can louelove God, which is not perſwaded in his hart, that God of his meere grace hath pardoned him all his ſinnes by and through Ieſus Chriſt. And againe he that is aſſured of this, he can not, but louelove God, and his neighbour in & for the Lord: from which louelove, it can not be, but the pardoning of all offences muſt proceede. Laſtly this argument is alſo noted with theſe wordes as and alſo, foreign. Forgiue vsus, as we alſo forgiue. foreign.Math. 6.12. and Luke. 12. For euen we, &c. Wherefore this word alſo is not well omitted: for we ſay commonly, as we forgiue them that treſpaſſe, &c. for, as we alſo forgiue, &c.
XIIII.
The ſixt and laſt petition is: And leade vsus not into temptation, but deliuer vsus from euill. Where we pray for the aſſiſtance of the holy ſpirite to ouercome the temptations of the deuill, which is here called that euill or wicked ſpirite, foreign.for that by his temptations (for which cauſe he is called the tempter Math. 4.3.) he troubleth and vexeth vsus.
XV.
And thus far of the ſix petitions, contained in the narration, the confirmation followeth in theſe wordes: For thine is the kingdome, and the power, and the glorie for ages, or for euer, in which wordes we ſhew wherefore we hauehave both ſuch boldneſſe to aske, and truſt to obtaine: to wit, for that God wilbe glorified by hauing his kingdome and raigning in vsus: and for that alſo he can effect what he will in heauen and earth.
XVI.
The concluſion is contained in one word, namely the word Amen, which is here a word of wiſhing, ſignifying as much as, truth, So be it, or, Let this be a truth. Wherefore we deſire that whatſoeuer we hauehave prayed for at Gods hands in the ſix petitions, the ſame may be true, & effected by him. And yet there is no inconueniencie to ſay that Amen here, is a word of aſſeueration: for that by faith we be aſſured, that God hath graunted our requeſtes.
XVII.
As for the place of prayer: God in times paſt had appointed firſt his aExod. 26. and 40.Tabernacle, then after that Salomons b1. King. 8. 2. Chron. 7. Act. 8.27. Luke. 18.10. Dan. 6.10.Temple: but Chriſt hath cIohn. 4.21.aboliſhed this ceremonie of that holy place, and Paule d1. Tim. 2.8.biddeth vsus pray in eueryevery place. And ſo Chriſt eMath. 6.6.cō maundeth vsus to pray in our ſecret chambers: and himſelfe went vp to the fMat. 14.23.mountaine alone to pray. And Chriſt alſo doth approue a publique place of cōmon prayer, when he ſaith: VVhere two or gMat. 18.20.three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midſt of them.
XVIII.
There is no certain time in the new Temēt appointed for prayer: yet is it profitable that eueryevery man appoint himſelf ſome aDan 6.10. Pſal. 55.18. Act. 10.9.ordinarie and ſpeciall houre for prayer, as in vpriſing, before and after meats, and when we go to reſt, ſo that this obſeruation of ours be voyde of ſuperſtition, and then ſpecially are we bounde to apply our ſelues to prayer, when we ſee our ſelues, or our brethren in any bPſal. 50.15. Ioel. 2. Ierem. 6.26. Eſt 4.3. & 16.dangers or in any ſpeciall wants: againe, we are alſo bounde to render thankes humbly vntounto God, whē we hauehave receiued any ſpeciall benefite at his handes.cExod. 15. Iude. 5. Pſal. 9.30.34. &c.
XIX.
Moreouer the lifting vp the voyce in prayer, or ſinging, or geſture of the body (as aEphe. 3.14kneeling, b1. Cor. 11.couering the face, the c1. Tim. 2.8.lifting vp of hands and eyes dIohn. 11.41towardes heauen) doe not ſimply commende any mans prayer, but ſo far theſe things pleaſe God, as they proceede from the trueeLuke. 18.11 and 13. affections of the hart.
XX.
Againe, we muſt take heede that we preſcribe not or appoint any certaine aMat. 20.21. Iude. 7.19.circumſtances vntounto God: for we muſt giuegive him b2. Sam. 15.26.leaue to graunt and performe our requeſtes in what manner, time, and place it pleaſeth him.
XXI.
Laſtly, this alſo is to be noted, that we aLuke. 18.1 &c. Luke. 11.8.perſeuer in prayer: and that we conſider not of the hearing of our prayers by our ſenſe or feeling, but by our faith. For albeit we do not alwaies feele that God doth giuegive vsus that we hauehave asked: yet we muſt be aſſured that he doth giuegive & will giuegive, that which is good for our ſaluation.