A Practical Discourse of Prayer, Discourse · Part 3 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. How and in what order we are to direct our prayers to the Perſons of the bleſſed Trinitie.
THe laſt Caſe briefly to be ſpoken unto, is, how, and in what order we are to divide our prayers to the perſons of the bleſſed Trinity? and whether we may not ſingle out any one of the perſons, to whom we may direct more immediately ſuch or ſuch a prayer.
This Caſe hath ſome more difficulty in it then the former, yet I wil endeavour to lay down the Anſwer thereunto, as briefly as I can in theſe following concluſions.
1. That in all parts of Divine worſhip, and ſo in this of prayer, the Trinity in Unity, 1 So think of God in prayer as one in Eſſence, yet three in Perſons: and ſo as three in perſons, that he is but one in Eſſence.and Unity in Trinity is to be worſhipped and reſpected; and therefore we are not ſo to fix our thoughts on God as one; but rather to have this meditation and thought attending, that this one God in Eſſence is in perſonal proprieties three ſubſiſtences, really diſtinct nor yet are we ſo to let our thoughts expatiate and feed themſelves in muſings upon the bleſſed perſons as diſtinct in perſonal proprieties, but ſtill with an attending apprehenſion of them as one in Eſſence, one Jehovah, one God and no more. He to whom the Scripture applyeth the property of begetting, he is Jehovah, God the Father, and not the Son, or the Holy Ghoſt, to whom that property in reference to the eternal begotten of God is never aſcribed: he to whom the Scripture giveth the property of being the onelyonly begotten ſon of God; he is Jehovah, God the Son, and no other perſon: the Scripture aſcribing that propriety of Communication of the divine being, in a way of begetting to none other: and ſo he to whom the Scripture applyeth that propriety of proceeding, he and onelyonly he is God the Holy Ghoſt: the Scripture applying to none other of the perſons that propriety of Communication of the Divine being in a way of proceeding, or being as it were breathed forth from the father; and therefore is called his ſpirit, Nom. 8. 11. and from the Son; therefore is called the Sons Spirit, Gal. 4. 6. yet the ſame holy Scripture never mentions but one Jehovah, or any more then one God, even when it mentions him in perſonall diſtinctions three, yet Eſſentially but one, 1 Iohn 5, 7. and no otherwiſe ſurely are we to worſhip him, or to conceive of him in our worſhip. Let the beams of the glorious Unity of the Deity lead us in worſhipping of, or praying unto God, to the conſideration of the bleſſed Trinity; and let the mention or Meditation of the Trinity of the perſons in our prayers lead us forthwith to this glorious Unity in the Deity.
2. In our prayers fix not our eyes or 2 So think in prayer of ſome one Perſon in the Trinity as thereby to be led to the other two.mindes ſo upon one of the glorious Perſons, as not thereby to be led to the contemplation and conſideration of the other; or direct any prayer ſo to one perſon in the bleſſed Trinity, as not to exclude the other: The Father being in the Son, and the Son in the Father, and the Holy Ghoſt in them both: Iohn 14. 10. we cannot look at one, and behold one by a ſpiritual eye, but we muſt eye the other and be led to the other, as our Saviour reaſoneth, to prove that if they had ſeen him, they muſt ſee his Father alſo, verſe 9, 10. compared: They which look at Chriſt as their Mediatour, muſt ſee and eye the Father, as giving of him ſo to be; yea and at the Holy Ghoſt as one who with the bleſſed Father ſent and conſented to his deſignment to that office, as the Lord Chriſt ſaith, Eſa. 48. 16. and now the Lord God and his ſpirit hath ſent me: yea they muſt eye the Holy Ghoſt as that bleſſed ſpirit and more immediate efficient, by whoſe power and grace they thus come to the Lord, and are enabled to pray to him, or look to him; we cannot look aright to the bleſſed Father, but we muſt look to him as it were through the bleſſed Son; neither can we look upon the Son but by the Spirit. As he ſaid in that caſe 1 Cor. 12. 3. ſo may l in this: If we worſhip God as our Father, with whom we have Union and Communion, we beleeve him to be ſo to us in his Son, and that this Union and Communion is effected by the Holy Ghoſt: ſo that if we worſhip God aright, we worſhip each perſon in the Trinity in any one perſon, as Con-cauſes of our Sonſhip, and union with God the Father as firſt in order regenerating and adopting of us, the Son as one in and by whom we are redeemed and reconciled, and for whoſe ſake we are accepted with God, and expect to be heard; the holy Ghoſt as the immediate efficient of and with the bleſſed Father and Son of our calling and adoption, &c. and therefore is he called the ſpirit of Sonſhip, as the Greek word ſignifies, Rom. 8. 15. ſee Tit. 3. 5, 6. and he by whom more immediatly we are enabled to pray to the Father in the name of his bleſſed Son, Rom. 8. 26. true it is that a Chriſtian may not in every particular petition or confeſſion, particularly and diſtinctly conſider of the other two perſons in that one perſon, to whom more properly he directeth his prayer, but yet he muſt in the general bent of his minde and ſpirit do it and intend it.
3. That in order we are firſt to direct 3. Direct we our prayers to the Father as firſt in order of the perſons.our prayers to the bleſſed Father; yet not as firſt or chiefe in honour and dignity above the other two (for even the Son who albeit as man and as Mediatour he be inferiour to the Father, John 14. 28. yet as God and as the Son of God he is equall with him: John 5. 18. Phil. 2. 6. and the Son is to be honoured, as equal with the ſame honour as the Father, Iohn 15. 23.) but as firſt in order of ſubſiſting; according as the Scripture in two places, where the order of the bleſſed perſons is ſet downe, the Father is firſt ſet downe in order of witneſſing, 1 John 5. 7. and in invocation and worſhip. Mat. 28. 19. as firſt in order to be mentioned and invocated: and as he is the firſt in order, who was diſpleaſed, and to whom we are firſt in order reconciled in Chriſt; and who is firſt in order pleaſed on him, Col. 1. 19, 20. yea who firſt in order among the perſons laid the foundation of our Redemption: ibid: and therefore to him is aſcribed the work of giving his Son, John 3. 16. and of ſanctifying or annoynting and appointing the Lord Chriſt to his Office of Mediatour, (albeit, as was ſaid, the holy Ghoſt be not excluded, but included, as acting in the bleſſed work, Eſay 48. 16) ſo are we in that order to worſhip him and to breath after neereſt fellowſhip with him, through Chriſt by the help of his bleſſed ſpirit.
4. In ſingling out any one perſon in 4. In ſingling out ſome perſon in the bleſſed Trinity, let it be the Father moſt uſually.the bleſſed Trinity, we are to pitch moſt uſually upon the Father as he to whom we direct our prayers through the mediation of Chriſt, and by the help of the holy Ghoſt: that is the rule and method preſcribed by Chriſt to aske the Father in his name, Iohn 16. 23. and ſutable is and hath been the uſual practice of the Saints: and yet in ſuch directings of prayers moſt what as to the Father, in the general intention of their ſpirits, do the Saints mind and eye the other two perſons, and include them as joyntly worſhipped; and therefore in their Prefaces of prayer ofttimes mention expreſly, that bleſſed God one in Eſſence, yet three in perſons, as he to whom they ſpeak, and in the cloſe they ſubſcribe glory to the bleſſed Father, Son, and Spirit, three perſons yet one God, &c.
5. We may ſingle out the Son of God the Lord Chriſt, as he to whom we occaſionally 5: We may pray unto Jeſus Chriſt.preſent ſome ſpecial requeſt, either by way of Apoſtrophe, whilſt we are directing our prayers to the Father, or in way of ejaculation: as did Stephen, Acts 7. 59. Lord Jeſus receive my ſpirit: and ſo in the inſtance of that ſhort prayer of the converted thiefe, Luke 23. 42, 43. Lord remember me when thou commeſt into thy Kingdome; and ſo in that ſhort prayer of Iacobs, the Angel which hath delivered me from all evil bleſſe thee, Gen. 48. 16. this Angel was Chriſt: the Father never being called an Angell in Scripture (that I read of) or being ſaid to be ſent of any other of the perſons; nor do I find where the holy Ghoſt is called an Angel, and a created Angel ſurely it was not: It being unlawful to Iacob as well as to any others to worſhip Angels; Col. 2. 18. and in more continued and ſolemne wiſe did Abraham pray to that Angel, which in the ſame chapter is called the Lord; which indeed was Chriſt by the reaſons foregoing: Gen. 18. end, to him did Iacob pray and make ſupplication, by the ſpace almoſt of the whole night, Gen. 32, from verſe 24 to the end, compared with Hoſea 12. 3, 4. yea, he had power over the Angel, to him is the prayer of the afflicted made, Pſal. 102. which was to Iehovah verſe 1. which was God the Son, verſe 24. 25, 26, 27. compared with Heb. 1. 10, 11, 12. read, and peruſe, and conſider the places at your leaſure, and the primitive Saints they are ſaid to call, not ſimply and onelyonly upon the name of the Father, but of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: for it was the Lord Jeſus whom Saul perſecuted that appeared to Saul: Acts 9. 5, 6. and after wards to Ananias verſe 11. it was the Lord whoſe Saints Saul ſo much injured verſe 10, and upon whoſe name ſuch as called, Saul had commiſſion to bind, verſe 14. ſee verſe 15. 17. ſo 1 Cor. 1. 2. and the reaſons hereof are evident.Becauſe 1. Prayer is due to God.
1. Becauſe prayer is a divine worſhip of God as God; and therefore due to the Son, and ſo to the holy Ghoſt as well as to the Father, Rom. 10. 13, 14.
2. We are baptized into the Name of the Sonne, and the Holy Ghoſt, as well as 2. We are baptized into the Sonnes name.into the name of the Father: and therefore both the Sonne and the Holy Ghoſt likewiſe may be particularly and perſonally invocated, and worſhipped as well as the Father.
3. We are to believe in the Sonne, and 3. We are to believe in Chriſt particularly.ſo in the Holy Ghoſt as well as in the Father, and that perſonally and particularly: and therefore ſo are to pray to either, Iohn 14. 1. That which the Apoſtle expoundeth of the Gentiles truſting in Chriſt, Rom. 15. 12. the Prophet expreſſed of their ſeeking to him, Eſay 11. 10. ſo that they are inſeparably due to one and the ſame Chriſt, upon one and the ſame ground. See Rom. 10. 13, 14. before-mentioned. It is ſuppoſed, that he on whom men call, he muſt be believed on, or elſe he cannot be called upon by any; and when the Apoſtle in the verſ. 13. mentions the Name of the Lord, as that which is called upon, he in verſ. 14. expoundeth it to be meant of the Lord himſelfe: to call upon the Lords Name, is to call upon himſelfe.
4. The Lord Chriſt promiſeth that he himſelfe will doe what we aske, Iohn 12. 4. Chriſt promiſeth to hear our prayers.13, 14. and therefore he may be ſought to doe the ſame; and indeed he thereby proveth himſelfe in that Chapter to be equal with the Father, by this argument, becauſe petitions ſhall not onelyonly be granted in his name, but by him: neither doth he make account that this is any diſparagement to the Father, but a glorifying of him: Ibid. I will doe it that my Father may be glorified: What we have ſaid, to prove, that in our prayers we may ſingle out the Sonne of God, may ſerve to prove the ſame may be done to the Holy Ghoſt: and more arguments might have been added if need were.
Againſt this which we have ſpoken, it Object. may be objected: we are to ask all we doe ask in the name of Chriſt; and therefore how can we be ſaid to aske him, or pray to him? Iohn 16. 2.
To which I anſwer: 1. The Lord Chriſt Anſw. is asked or prayed unto in that prayer 1. Chriſt is prayed to in the prayers made to God.that is put up to the Father in his Name, Iohn 16. 23. Chriſt ſpeaking of the time after his Reſurrection and Aſcention, ſaith, In that day ye ſhall ask me nothing: or (which he makes all one) Verily ye ſhall ask the Father nothing in my name, but he will give it you. He is glorified as God, in that all is done with God in his Name, and for his Father. For albeit it be ſometimes ſaid for Abraham and Davids ſake God will doe this or that; yet this is meant in reference to Gods covenant of grace with them, and ſo to Chriſt properly, in whom that Covenant is ratified, Gal. 3. 17. They called on the Name of the Lord Ieſus in all places. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Yet ſurely they brake not that rule. Iohn 16. 23. they called on the Father in Chriſts Name alſo, yet are ſaid to call on Chriſts Name, even in their calling upon God in his Name: and Chriſt as God is alſo called upon, in that his Father as God is alſo called upon.
2. In all externall worſhip of God, one 2. The Trinity undivided in worſhip.perſon of the Trinity being named, the other are underſtood, and are not to be excluded.
3. If Chriſt be conſidered as the Sonne 3. Chriſt is prayed to as God, not as man.of God in Eſſence the ſame with the Father, He is he to whom we come, &c. comming in prayer to the Father: if conſidered as Mediator, God incarnate, God and man, He is he by whom we come to the Father, Heb. 7. 25. & 1 Tim. 2. 5. and look as it is another part of his divine glory aſcribed to him, Phil. 3. 21. which is true of him as the Sonne of God, he by his divine power doth ſubject all to himſelfe: and yet in another conſideration and reſpect, namely, as Mediator, he hath all things ſubjected to him of the Father, 1 Cor. 15. 28. ſo it is here in this part of his glory, as the Son of God he may be, he muſt be prayed to, which is God and man in one perſon; but is not prayed to as man, but as God. So much be ſpoken to this weighty duty of prayer, and to the inceſſant practiſe thereof.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Cobbet, A Practical Discourse of Prayer (1654)