A Learned and Fruitful Exposition Upon the Lords Prayer, Section 1 – Section 2
OF PRAYER: and what it is.
PRayer, is an earneſt lifting vp of the minde, and calling vponupon God, according to his will with faith, by the helpe and worke of his ſpirit. Pſal. 25.1. Rom. 10.13.14. Math. 21.22. Rom. 8.26.27.
Prayer, is a familiar conference betwixt God and vsus.
Prayer, is as a Letter written vntounto God, wherein we deliuer our minde vntounto him.
OnelyOnly God is to be called vponupon, in whom onelyonly we beléeue. Rom. 10.
1 Firſt, becauſe hée hath ſo commaunded. Pſal. 50.15.
2 Secondly, becauſe hée hath ſo taught. 6.9.
3 Thirdly, becauſe he hath ſo practiſed by example. 26.39.
4 Fourthly, becauſe he hath promiſed to heare our prayers.
5 Fiftly, becauſe the holy Ghoſt teacheth vsus to cry Abba father. Rom. 8.15.
6 Laſtly, becauſe none can heare our prayers and grant our requeſts but God onelyonly. Mat. 6.12.
Wée muſt pray at all times. 1 Theſ. 5.17. It muſt be the Alpha and Omega of all our actions, if wée looke for any good ſucceſſe.
We muſt pray in all places. 1 Tim. 2.8.
There be nine things to be obſerued in prayer.
Before prayer.
Reading, Meditation, and féeling of our Miſery.
In prayer.
Faith, Zeale, and LoueLove.
After prayer.
Watchfulneſſe, Thankeſgiuing, and Practiſe.
Prayer is as a Bunch of Keyes, wherewith Gods children doe open all the dores of heauen, and enter into eueryevery cloſet.
The effects of praier are wonderfull, as appeareth by the prayers of Aſa, Iehoſaphat, Moiſes, Ezechias, Dauid, Elias, Paul, and Silas, the Diſciples. Acts 4.31. and 12.5.7.
The Lords prayer is the perfect patterne of all pr…yers for matter, but not alwaies for words.
The Lords prayer conſiſteth of three Parts.
A Preface.
Sixe Petitions.
A Concluſion.
The Preface teacheth vsus preparation, that wée doe not raſhly, without conſideration, ruſh into the preſence of God, being ſo dreadfull and holy as it is. Eccleſ. 5.1. Pſal. 26.6.
Thrée of the petitions doe concerne Gods glory, and thrée our ſelues.
We muſt pray with greater feruencie of the Spirit for the things which concerne Gods glory, then for thoſe which concerne our owne good, as appeareth by the Methode: and for the things which concerne our owne goods, wée muſt pray with more zeale for heauenly, then earthly things, ſith this hath but one petition, the other two.
Wée muſt pray for the things that concerne Gods glory ſimply▪ aboue any reſpect at all of our owne good, as the Particle (thy) in eueryevery one doth ſhew.
Our.
THis word (our) doth teach, that true charitie and brotherly louelove toward our neighbours is required in prayer, and that in common wée muſt pray one for another,Iam. 5.14. as wée are eueryevery where taught in the Scriptures. In matters of Faith we ſay (I) but in matters of Prayer (our:) for wée muſt louelove our neighbour as our ſelfe, and therefore pray for our neighbour as our ſelfe.
Our Father, our bread, our treſpaſſes, Lead vsus not, Deliuer vsus, &c. doe teach a fellow féeling one of anothers good and hurt.
This word (our) bringeth ſingular comfort to the poore, becauſe Chriſt ſheweth vntounto them that God hath no reſpect of perſons, as though he were more father of the rich, then of the poore, of the noble, then of the baſe, but doth account of all alike, for hée is no reſpecter of perſons.
Queſtion.
Héere a queſtion may be moued, whether in our priuate. Prayers wée ſhould pray in generall, or elſe in ſpeciall tearmes, as vsus, or me, our father, or my father.
Anſwere.
A Chriſtian may in priuate prayer ſay my father, Mat. 26.29. Mat. 27.46. as Thomas ſaid, My Lord, and my God, Iohn 20.28. and Paul, I giuegive thanks to my God▪ Rom. 1.8. and Gods promiſe is, Ier. 3.19▪ Thou ſhalt call mee thy father. For wée are not bound vntounto the words of the Lords Prayer: but if we pray for our brethren, or for our ſelues, we fulfill the meaning of Chriſt.
By the word (Father) is meant the firſt perſon in Trinitie, and ſo it is alwayes taken in the Scriptures when one perſon is conſidered with another, as Math. 28.9. 1 Iohn 5.7.
Sometimes it is taken for the whole Trinitie, as Mal. 2.10. HaueHave we not all one Father?
It is not vnlawfull to pray to the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt, for inuocation belongeth to all the perſons in Trinitie, and not onelyonly to the Father.
Stephen prayed, Lord Ieſus receiue my ſpirit, Acts 7.59.
Paul prayed, Now God our Father, and our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, guide our iourney vntounto you. 1 Theſ. 3.11.
The grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, the louelove of God, and the communion of the holy Ghoſt, be with you. 2 Cor. 13.13.
Men are baptiſed in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghoſt, that is, calling on the name of the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt.
Obiection.
This Prayer is a perfect platforme of all prayers, and héere wée are taught to direct our prayers onelyonly to the Father, therefore it is not lawfull to pray to the Sonne, or the holy Ghoſt.
Anſwere.
The Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt are in diſtinct perſons, yet they are not to be ſeuered or diuided, becauſe they all ſubſiſt in one and the ſame Godhead or diuine nature.
Further, in all outward actions, as in the creation and preſeruation of the world, and the ſaluation of the elect, they are not ſeuered nor deuided: for they all worke together, onelyonly they are diſtinguiſhed in the manner of working. Now if they be not diuided in nature or operation, then they are not to be ſeuered in worſhip.
In this place expreſly wée direct our prayers to the Father, becauſe he is the firſt perſon in order, yet ſo as then wée imply the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt. For we pray to the father, in the name of the Sonne, by the aſſiſtance of the holy Ghoſt.
To what perſon ſo euer the prayer is directed wée muſt alwayes remember in minde and heart to include the reſt.
We may pray vntounto Chriſt, not onelyonly as hée is God, but alſo as hée is the Mediatour, that is, as hée is in perſon conſiſting of two natures, yet as the Deity be the obiect or the thing wée ſet before our eyes in prayer.
All our prayers ought to be in faith, reſpecting Gods promiſe, and Chriſts mediation: and therefore the perſon that prayeth muſt firſt be accepted in Chriſt, before their prayers and ſacrifices can be accepted. Mar. 11.24. Ioh. 14.13. Heb. 7.25. and 11.4.7.