Principles of Faith and Good Conscience, Chapter 43
CAP. XLIII.
Of the parts of Prayer, and of the Lords Prayer.
Q. WHat be the parts of Prayer?
A. Three: Firſt, a particular confeſſion and aggravation of our ſins and miſery before God,1. Confeſſion, or d…prication. with grief and ſhame of heart, and with a purpoſe to leave them. Luke 18.13. Pſal. 51.3, 4, 5. Prov. …8.13. Ez. 9.6, 14. 1 Iohn 1.9. Pſal. 32.5. Luke 15.21.1 Tim. 21.
Q What be the other two parts of Prayer?
A. 2. Petition a and ſupplication for good things to our ſelves or others,2. Petition, & Interceſſion. 3. Thanksgiving. and 3. Thanks-giving, wherein b wee give God the glory of his own excellencies, and of all the good done to us. a 1 Tim. 2.1. Acts 12.5 Luke 23.42. b Hab. 1.12, 13. Num 14.17 Mic. 7.18. Rev. 5.13. 1 Chron. 29.11.14. Pſal. 103.1, 2.
Q. Doe all Gods Children call upon their Father in Heaven?
A. Yes, as the Child will Crave, and make his moane to his Parents, ſo the Children of God be of a ſpiritual craving diſpoſition, whereby the ſoul hangethup on God to receive good things from him [Prayerleſſe people be dead and graceleſſe people.] Gal. 4.6. Zach. 12.10. Pſal. 79.6. Iob 27.10.
Q. When, and how often muſt we pray?
A. We muſt pray continually (that is) conſtantly Morning and Evening, and alſo upon ſpecial occaſions. 1 Theſ. 5.17. Luke 18.1. 1 At ſet times, Acts 3.1. Acts 10 2, 9. Acts 16.13, 16. Pſ. 92.1, 2. And it is a good thing ſo to doe: Pſal. 55.17. with Dan. 6.10. 2 And upon ſpecial occaſions, Dan. 9.2 Acts 12.5. Luke 6.12, 13.
Q But does the Spirit of God come at, and keep ſet houres of prayer? Can prayer at ſet times, be prayer in the ſpirit?
A. Yes, for the ſpirit of Grace is continually abiding in us, and with us, and therefore the ſpirit of ſupplication alſo: David and Daniel, Peter and John, did … want the ſpirit of Prayer, when they kept the houres of Prayer.
Q The Lords Prayer conſiſteth of a Preface and a Body of Petitions; and there be ſix Petitions of the Lords prayer: How be they divided?
A. In the firſt three we begge ſuch things as doe moſt immediately concerne Gods glory: In the three latter, ſuch as concerne our good.
Our Father.
Q. How is God our Father, and why ſo called.
A. Becauſe God is the Father of Chriſt, and in Him ou… Father, having begotten us by the word of truth, and married us unto his own eternall deare ſonne. Eph. 1.3, 5. Gal. 4, 5. Iam. 1.18. Rom. 8.16, 17. Ioh. 20.17. Math. 22.2. Cant: 4.9. Eph: 5.32.
Q. What learne you from this, that Chriſt teacheth us in prayer to call God Father?
A, It teacheth us, that in Prayer we muſt goe to God as to a Father, we muſt conſider God in our minds as a Fath…r to us in Chriſt Jeſus. Eſay 63.15, 16. Luke 15.18. Math: 11.25. Iohn. 17.25. With holy confidence.
Q. Why Father, rather then any other name or title of God?
A. Becauſe Gods Fatherhood in Chriſt is it which doth aſſure our conſciences, and giveth us boldneſſe in prayer, comming to him as a Child to his Father, of whoſe good will he is well perſwaded. Math: 7.9, 11 Eph: 3.12. Pſal: 103.13, Eſay 49.15.
Q. Why is he called our Father
A. Becauſe all the faithfull have one common intereſt and propriety in God, and God in them. Mal. 2.10. Eph: 4.6.
Q. What doe you learn from this, that you are taught to ſay, Our Father?
A. That when we pray we ought to plead and improve all the intereſt we have in God for the obtaining of our deſires. Dan: 9.15, 17 18, 19. 2. Chron: 20 6, 7. Eſay 26.13. Eſay 37.16.20. [O God of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, God of our Fathers, &c.]
Which art in Heaven.
Q. Why is God ſaid to be in Heaven? Is not God every where?
A. Yes, God is every where, filling all things, but in a moſt ſpeciall and glorious manner in Heaven. Ier: 23.24 Pſal: 11.4. Acts 7.49.
Q. Why is God ſet forth unto us by this title, Father in Heaven?
A. To ſhew his excellency, preſence and power, every way able, preſent and ready to heare and help us, as being the beſt Father, the Lord and Maſter of all things. [1. He is the best Father, as heavenly things are better then earthly, 2. He is, whereever we are, 3. And he is the Lord of Heaven and Earth, and from heaven doth command bleſſings.] Lam. 3.41. 2. Chron. 20.6. 1 Kings 8.39. Marke 9 22, 23. John 11.22 29, 40 [This doth wonderfully help our faith that our God is able to forgive ſins, to ſubdue Sathan, to ſave a ſoule; and we may expect any thing at his hands better then from an earthly father; yea if ſome father of ours were in Gods place in Heaven, there were not ſo much comfort in it; the Lords bowels, tenderneſſe, ſweetneſſe, freeneſſe, be as far beyond and above all the love and compaſſion of the beſt natural Parent, as the Heaven is above the Earth. Eſay 5.7, 8, 9. Pſal 123.1. Pſal. 115.3.
Q. What elſe doth Gods being in Heaven teach us?
A. To draw nigh to God in Prayer with all holy reverence: for God is in Heaven, and we on Earth Eccleſ. 5.2. Gen. 1…, 27.