A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer, Title page 1 – To the reader
A GODLY AND LEARNED TREATISE OF PRAYER;
Which both conteineth in it the Doctrine of Prayer, and also sheweth the Practice of it in the exposition of the LORDS PRAYER:
By that faithfull and painfull servant of God GEORGE DOWNAME, Doctr of Divinity, and late L. Bishop of Dery in the Realm of Ireland.
1. THESS. 5. 17, 18.
Pray without ceasing: in every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
¶ Printed at Cambridge by ROGER DANIEL for Nicolas Bourn; and are to be sold at his shop at the South-entrance into the Royall Exchange in London. 1640.
THE DOCTRINE OF PRAYER,
Teaching the nature, efficacie, utilitie, and necessity of this holy duty; by whom, unto whom, and through▪ whom it is to be performed; what things are required that our prayers may be acceptable, both in respect of our souls and bodies, both before, in, and after prayer: and more especially of the parts of Prayer, Petition and Thanksgiving.
LUKE II. 1.
One of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
¶ Printed by Roger Daniel, Printer to the Universitie of Cambridge.
Ann. Dom. MDCXL.
To the Christian Reader.
THere is no duty more excellent in it self or profitable to us then that of Prayer: Wherein we have sweet communion with God and free accesse to the throne of grace, laying open to a gracious Father all our wants and grievances, in hope and confidence to have our suits granted, our sinnes pardoned, our necessities supplyed, and our griefs removed and relieved. It is that hand and key which helpeth to unlock and open the treasury of all Gods graces for the enriching of our souls with all his blessings, the horsmen and chariots of the Israel of God, whereby they get victorie over all their enemies, yea they prevail with God whē he seemeth to oppose against them as an enemie, and to wrestle with them that he may soil and overthrow them, as he did with Jacob. In all which and innumerable other respects as it is to be esteemed the chiefest exercise of a godly and Christian life, which can never be too much practiced, as the Apostle implyeth where he injoyneth us to pray continually, and in all things to give thanks; so can it never be sufficiently insisted upon in the doctrine of it, whereby we are pressed & perswaded to the frequent exercise of it, and taught to perform it in a right and acceptable manner. In which regard though much already hath been excellently spoken and written upon this subject, yet let no man think it superfluous to have more published of this argument; seeing that can never be too much taught, which is never sufficiently learned and loved.
The ensuing Treatises were the labours of that learned, judicious and godly Divine D. Downame, late Bishop of Dery in the Realm of Ireland, my most dear brother, which were penned with his own hand for his private use, but for the publick service of that part of Gods Church over which he was a painfull and faithfull Pastour, conteining the summe of many of his sermons which he preached on this argument. The which if he had been pleased to have polished and perfected with his own learned hand, no doubt much would have been added to their lustre and beautie. Yet seeing this was not done according to his better abilities, I thought it a dammage to Gods people, that they should lose the substance for the want of some circumstance, and have no use of a well-compacted bodie, fit to do God and his Church good service, because it was not decked with gay ornaments. And therefore I have presented it to the view of the world, and indeavoured to perform the dutie of a brother to him that is deceased, though not to raise this spirituall seed to him (for it was of his own begetting and composing) yet to give unto it birth and being in the world, without which it would have proved abortive, and so have been buried in perpetuall oblivion.
The which service I have the more willingly undertaken for the benefit of all that will take pains to peruse this work, because I am now disabled by age and many infirmities to produce any further labours of mine own in this kind; wherein I have not been wanting in my more able and mature times, according to the proportion of my small talent which my great Lord and Master hath entrusted me with: Herein imitating the example of the weaker sex, who after they have been fruitfull in bearing children themselves, and now being come to older age are disabled to have any more conceptions, do some of them become midwives, who are helpfull to those who are young and fruitfull for the bringing of their children into the world.
The Lord, whose onelyonly blessing maketh all our indeavours profitable by giving efficacie unto them by the inward operation of his holy Spirit, blesse these and all other labours of his servants that they may bring forth plentifull fruits for the advancement of his glory and the benefit of all his children, who are willing to make use of them to these ends.
Thine in the Lord Jesus, to do thee any Christian service, JOHN DOVVNAME.