The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
2. Hisexecution and performance of his family exerciſe.THis he did by way of Preparation. Now for execution, in the performance of his family exerciſes, he did diſcharge himſelfe after this manner. After they were come together upon the ringing of the bell, they did all very reverently frame and compoſe themſelves to ſtand in Gods preſence, and then he himſelfe lifting up his heart with his hands unto God in the heavens,Firſt a little ſhort prayer. began his morning exerciſe after this manner, Bleſſed Lord God, and our moſt mercifull father in Chriſt Jeſus, we thy poore children do humbly beſeech thee graciouſly to aſsiſt us by thy holy Spirit, in this our morning exerciſe, that we may faithfully perform the ſame to thy praiſe and our comfort, and that for Chriſt his ſake our onelyonly Saviour and Redeemer, Amen.
This ſet forme of his ſhort prayer before his Morning and evening exerciſe,In a ſet forme. I doe the more willingly ſet downe, that they may ſee how farre they were deceived, and what wrong they did him, who held him to bee an utter adverſary to all ſet formes of prayer, who might alſo have received their anſwer and beene evidently refuted to their faces, if they had but obſerved his ordinary practice, every Lords day in the publike aſſembly, where he did reverently accommodate himſelf to the publike prayers of the Church, and religiouſly joyne together with Miniſter and people, in the celebration of Gods ſervice. Certainly hee was not ignorant,A ſet form of prayer juſtified. that when our Saviour Chriſt taught his Diſciples to pray, hee gave them liberty to call upon the name of God their Father, even in that ſet forme of prayer which he preſcribed, and in the ſame words: when you pray, ſay, Our Father, &c. And yet for all that, he knew well enough that he gave the Spirit of prayer alſo unto them, and unto all believers, children of the ſame Father, that they might enlarge themſelves according to thoſe grounds, and frame all their ſutes after that forme, and therefore hee gave this direction unto them, After this manner pray ye,By our Saviours inſtitution of the Lords prayer, and By his owne practice. Mat. 26.44. Our Father, &c. yea Chriſt hath left us his owne bleſſed example for the warrant of both, when in his Agonyhe praied three times, uſing as the text ſaith, the ſame words: and when, after his farewell ſermon to his Diſciples, hee prayed for himſelfe, his Diſciples, and all true believers, unto the worlds end, in great variety of words, and for many gifts and graces in particular, which yet are not all mentioned, but are all for ſubſtance contained in that patterne of true prayer.
None preciſely bound to the letter of the Lords prayer, but to the matter, al.Peter Martyr hath made a collection of holy prayers out of Davids Pſalmes, and M. Perkins hath gathered together S. Paubs prayers out of his Epiſtles, in both which there is great variety both of matter and words, much exceeding the letter of the Lords prayer: yet is there no Petition, or thankſgiving, in either of them, which may not fitly be reduced to ſome parts and heads of the Lords Prayer. For my part I ſhall never blame him that ſeeketh to help his underſtanding, memory,Set prayer a help. and affection, by ſuch meanes, if he bring new affections, to renewed petitions, and ſet his heart a worke to ſeeke more ſeriouſly for the beſt things, ſuch as the godly labours of good men have in print ſet before him. But if any man will reſt in his booke prayers, and never ſtrive to ſpeake unto God out of his owne heart, by his owne Spirit, which teacheth every true child of God to cry Abba Father, Heart prayer beſt of all. Rom. 8.and helpeth our infirmities, that wee may ſtand before him, as his children: Such a man in my opinion, comes farre ſhort of the power and practice, comfort and fruit, of true prayer, and is not much unlike to an impotent and weake man, that being lame of his limbes, and having meanes of helpe and recovery tendred unto him, had yet ſtill rather uſe a paire of crutches borrowed of his neighbour to goe withall, as he can; than betake himſelfe to his owne legges and feet, to walke in his way which the Lord hath appointed for him, as he might and ought to doe.