Principles of Faith and Good Conscience, Chapter 42
CAP. XLII.
Of Prayer, which is the ſecond means of Grace:
PRayer is an excellent means to obtaine all good things ſpirituall and temporall at Gods hands, Iam. 1.5. Luke 18.1, 2.
Q. What is Prayer?
What it is.A. Prayer is a wreſtling with God or a making known of our requeſts to God with ſupplications for good things according to his will, and giving him the praiſe of all the good we have. Gen: 32.24. Hoſ: 12.4. Phil: 4.6. Neh: 1.8. There be many things required to the making of an acceptable prayer, to a right manner of calling upon God, which ſhall be ſet down as followeth.
Q. To whom muſt we make our prayers?
A. Only to God in the name and mediation of Jeſus Chriſt, Chriſt bids us pray to our Father in heaven. Col. 3.17. Eph. 3.12, 14. 1 Tim. 2.5. Rev. 8.3.
Q. What is it to pray in the name of Jeſus Chriſt?
A. It is not only to ſay thoſe words, [through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord Amen;] 2. Through whom.but it is by faith to plead the grace of the Covenant made with us in Chriſt: [to make him the great Maſter of Requeſts in Heaven; it is an interpoſing and pleading of Chriſts merts with the Father, to ſpeed our deſires.] Acts 4.29, 30. Iohn 16.23. Heb: 3.15.
Q. Why muſt we call upon God alone, and not upon any creature, either Angels, or Saints departed?
A. Becauſe God alone ſearcheth all hearts, knoweth all griefes, hears all prayers, and is alone able to ſatisfy our deſires, and ſupply our wants. [To pray to one doth ſuppoſe in him theſe two things: 1 Omniſcience (that is) knowledge of all hearts, of all our wants, deſires and groanings. 2. Omnipotence (that is) power in his own hands to help,Catechiſmus. Rom part 3. c. 6. and theſe are peculiar to God alone] Pſal. 65.2. 1 Kings 8.39. with 1 Kings 18.26. Acts 1.24. Eſay 63.16. Pſal. 50.15.
Q For what things muſt we pray?
A. Such things as ſtand with God Will, and promiſe to grant: [Look what God promiſeth us,3. Fo… what. and in what manne… he promiſeth any thing, the ſame things and in ſuch manner muſt we beg them i… prayer: ſome things God hath promiſe… abſolutely, and ſome things with reſervatio… to his Fatherly wiſdome, as the thing… themſelves, or the want of them, or th… contrary to them, ſhall make moſt for th… praiſe of his grace, and for final and ſpiritual good.] 1 Iohn 5.14. Rom. 8.27.
Q. For whom muſt we pray?
A. For a all men, the dead b only exempted, 4. For whom.and ſuch as have ſinned againſ… the Holy Ghoſt. a 1 Tim. 2.1. 1 Sam. 15.35 Ier. 28.6 Rom. 10.1. b Eccl. 9.6. Luk… 16 26. c 1 Iohn 5.16. [The ſtate of the dead is unalterable; beſides, we have no example, precept, or promiſe of prayer made for the dead.]
Q. In what manner muſt we pray unto God for theſe things?
A. To a right manner of praying three things are required.5. In what manner. 1. It muſt proceed from the heart renued by the Spirit, and aſſiſted by the Holy Ghoſt in the very act of prayer, Eph. 6.18. Iude v. 20. Gal. 4.6. with Rom. 8.15, 26.1. In the Spirit. [Spiritual prayer is not only oppoſed unto lip-prayer, as when the tongue is exerciſed without the heart and affection, but alſo unto heartieſt prayers of unregenerate perſons; a natural man cannot pray though he cry from the heart as they did, Ion. 1.5. Hoſ. 7.14. Pſal. 78.34, 36. He muſt be a ſpiritual man that can pray aright, and alſo he muſt be aſſiſted in prayer by Gods Spirit, elſe he will make unmeet requeſts and looſe his prayers. Iam. 5.15, 16.
Q. How ſhall I know when I pray in the Holy Ghoſt?
A. By three things:3 things in ſpiritual prayer. Firſt, if the ſenſe & apprehenſion of ſpiritual wants and evils which deſtroy the work of grace, and hinder Chriſts Kingdom in us, do chiefly ſtirre us up to prayer: [That is, prayer in the Holy Ghost, there is a natural, and there is a ſpiritual good and evill.] Pſal. 4.6, 7
Q. How, ſecondly, may it be known?
A. By the kind of our importunity: the deſire is not filled, nor the heart at rest, unleſſe God anſwer us with ſpirituall favours and mercies, no not although all outward good things be granted. [The naturall man regards but little Gods w…l, or his good will; he is at reſt with naturall good things, natural good thing… fill a naturall deſire. &c.] Exod: 33.1.2, 15, 17 with Exod: 34.9, Pſal: 105.4.
Q. How thirdly?
A. In ſpirituall prayer, not only the witt, tongue and memory, and ſuch like good parts of nature are exerciſed, but the graces of the ſpirit, as humility, hope, repentance, faith, &c. [This is prayer in the Spirit,] Pſal: 66.18. Iob: 16.13, 14, 17. Job: 22.27, 28. 2 Chron: …0.6, 7, 10, 12. Ezra 9.6. Pſal. 85.…5, 8. Neh. 1.5, 6, 7, 8, 11.
Q. What ſecond thing is required to a right manner of praying?
A. We muſt pray with feeling of our wants and earneſtneſſe to obtaine. [Senſe of our wants and miſery begets fervency We cannot be earneſt for things which we find no need of,2. With fervency. or thinke to be due to us.] Jo…, 3.8. Rom: 8.26. Heb: 5.7. Iam: 5.16. Ier 29 13. Dan: 9.3.8, 18. Luke 18.1, 5.
Q. What third thing is required to a right manner of praying?
A. We muſt pray in faith (that is) in full aſſurance that the thing we aske is according to gods will,3. In Faith. and that we ſhall obtaine our requeſts ſo far forth as is expedient and beſt for us. [We muſt not doubt of the things we aske, whether we may pray for them or not; nor yet of Gods hearing and anſwering us therein, we pray for many things conditionally, but not doubtfully, &c.] Iam: 1.6, 7. Iohn 5.15. 2 Cor: 12.9.
Q. What ground of aſſurance have we that we ſhall be heard?
A. Gods promiſe of giving ſuch & ſuch things, and of hearing us when we beg them in and through Chriſts mediation. [there is a twofold promiſe: firſt, God promiſeth to give us his ſpirit, to give an heart of fleſh, to give ſtrength againſt temptations and troubles, &c. Secondly, and he hath bid us call upon him for the ſame with promiſe to heare and anſwer us: and this is the ground of our confidence.] Luke 11.9, 13. Pſal. 50.51. Heb. 4.15, 16.