Principles of Faith and Good Conscience, Chapter 48
CAP. XLVIII.
Of the right Ʋſe, and Abuſe of the Lords Prayer.
Q. HOw may a Chriſtian make a right uſe of the Lords prayer?
A. We may uſe it both for a Rule of prayer, to meaſure our requeſts, & make other prayers by; and alſo for a prayer it ſelfe, as it was delivered by Chriſt. [Chriſt puts matter & words into our mouthes: Chriſt taught his Apoſtles to pray, as John taught his Diſciples, (that is) He did not only give Rules of Prayer, & a patterne, but a form for them to uſe,] Mat. 6.7, 9. Luke 11.1, 2. If you ask, May we pray our Father &c? our Lord Chriſt gives the Anſwer, when you pray, ſay, Our Father &c.
Of ſet Formes PrayerQ Is a Set Forme of Prayer lawful, either of our own making, or delivered to us in a book?
A. Yes, it is, elſe Chriſt and the Prophets would never have delivered ſet formes to be uſed by the Church. [God appointed Formes, and therefore formes be not … themſelves unlawful: the prayer is not evill, becauſe it is a formed prayer.] Num: 6.23, 26 Ioel 2 17. 1 Chron. 16.7, 35. 2 Chron. 29.30 He gives the forme, he ſets them the words to be uſed: and it was at a ſolemne Faſt too.
Q. But is a ſet forme of Mans making lawfull to be uſed by us?
A. Yes, If the prayer for matter and ſubſtance be lawful; and ſuch as concernes us, we may ſafely uſe it. [We may uſe the words of Moſes, Daniel, Nehemiahs prayer.]
Q. Is ſtinted prayer lawfull; (that is) ſet prayer, to which one is confined; and tied to uſe no other?Of ſtinted prayer.
A. That's unlawfull both in publick and private: he that confines himſelfe to book-prayers, or to the prayers of others with whom he joynes, or to ſet prayers of his own deviſing, can never diſcharge the duty of right praying. Pſ. 50.15. Jer. 14.7, 21. Ezra 9.6. Dan. 9 5. They changed their Prayers with the occaſions.
Q. Why ſo?
A. Becauſe … prayers muſt be made according to our neceſſities; and neither book, nor men with whom we joyne in prayer, can expreſſe all o u wants and griefs; nor I my ſelfe this day, what I ſhall need pray for to morrow. [Yet it concludes not that ſet prayer, or prayer with others, for ſo much as it doth contain of meet matter to be asked, is hereby unlawfull; Becauſe by ſuch prayers we are not ſti…ted, but have liberty, both the Miniſters in their Congregations, and our ſelves in private, to enlarge our prayers as cauſ… requireth. There is addes between law…ll and ſufficient: ſuch a meaſure of Petitions is ſufficient for the publike, or the family which is not ſufficient every way to all my occaſions: and that prayer may be ſufficient at one time, which is not at another.]
Q. But in praying muſt we not exerciſe the ſpirit of prayer? And can that be done in a ſet or book prayer?
A. Yes, the ſpirit of prayer is, when we begge in faith, with feeling and fervency with ſights and groanes; and that is done when we joyne with others, or uſe ſet formes as well as in ſudden, & ex tempore conceived prayers. [As a Begger in true want, beggs hard if there be any hope of obtaining; and yet peradventure the next day, or to the next man, uſeth the ſame words, or to the like effect: the varying of a phraſe doth not make it the ſpirit of prayer.] Mat. 26.39, 42, 44. with Heb: 5.7. 2 Cor. 13.14. with 2 Theſ. 3.17, 18. Col. 3.16. [The ſongs are not leſſe ſpiritual, becauſe ſet and taken out of the book, if our hearts be affected with the matter.] Eccleſ. 5.2. Job 22.27, 28.
Q. When is the Lords Prayer abuſed?
A. When people ſay it over without underſtanding and affection, or elſe make vaine and needleſſe repetitions of it: [both theſe are a taking of Gods name in vain] 1 Cor. 14.15. Mat. 6.7, 9.
Our duty after Prayer.
Q. What is our duty after we have prayed?
A. 1. We muſt Practiſe what we pray for: our actions muſt not croſſe our prayers. We muſt not pray and ſtill rebell againſt God. Hoſ. 7.14. We muſt joyne our endeavours with our prayers, Gen. 32.9, 11, 12. with Pſ. 13.30. 2 Theſ. 2.2. with 2 Cor. 11.2, 33.
Q. What 2dly muſt we doe after we have prayed?
A. 2. When we have prayed, we muſt obſerve how well our prayers have ſped, how God doth anſwer our requeſts, Pſal. 85.8. Luke 18.5. [There is expectation of anſwer from God to fulfill our deſires; if you knock at ones doore ye liſten for an anſwer: if you preferre a Petition, you will look what anſwer is returned: ſo &c.
Q. How ſhall I know whether my prayer be heard or not? How ſhall I comfort my ſelfe in that caſe?
A. There be foure Rules: Firſt, thinke not thy prayers denied, though they be delayed. [God dealeth after diverſe manners with his ſervants; ſometimes he anſwers preſently, Dan. 9.21, 23. Eſay 65.24. Sometimes he ſeemeth to ſtop his eare, and to deny us for divers reaſons; as 1. Becauſe he loves to hear the voyce of his children crying unto him: 2. Perhaps thou art not ready for the bleſſing, 3. Perhaps it is better thou ſhouldeſt want it. 4. Perhaps thou takeſt a wrong courſe to obtaine it. 5. Perhaps thou preſcribest to God; and God will give thee the bleſſing in a way more for his glory, as Chriſt did.] John 11.3, 6, 15, 40. Gen. 25.21.
Q. What ſecond rule have you?
A. If God give ſome better thing in ſtead of what we beg, or ſtrength to beare the want of our deſires, we muſt not take our ſelves to be denied. 2 Cor. 12.9. Gen. 17.18. 2 Sam. 12.23, 25. Deut. 3.26. Pſal. 3. 4, 5. Pſal. 138.3.
Q. What third rule to judge of Gods acceptance of our prayers?
A. When after prayer we finde our hearts to be drawn to God, and our ſpirits upheld to continue praying, returning to that duty with freſh delight and hopes, that is a ſigne we are heard. [It is a ſigne the begger fares well, where he goeth often. It is a good ſigne, when we ſtill goe to God as to our beſt friend.] Pſal. 116.1, 2. 1 Sam. 1.18, 28.
Q. Particularly touching forgiveneſse of ſinnes, how ſhall I know that my prayer is heard?
A. If I get a victory over my ſin, if the ſenſe of Gods love doth work in me a love to God again, and to the things of God; [that is a ſigne our prayer is heard]. Luke 8.46, 47. Luke 7.47.
Q But if we finde no token of Gods anſwering our prayers, what is to be done?
A. We muſt ſearch if there be any accurſed thing that may hinder our prayers; and alſo we muſt be humbled for our failings in the manner of our duty. Joſh. 7.7, 10, 11. 1 Chron. 15.13. Iam. 4.3 Luke 9.54.