The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 3 · prayer · Question 116 – Question 117
ON THE 45. SABBATH.Queſt. 116. Wherefore is Prayer neceſſary for Chriſtians?
Anſ. Becauſe it is the chiefe part of that thankfulneſſe which God requireth of usaPſa. 50.14, 15. Matth. 17.7, 8.. And alſo becauſe God giveth them onelyonly his grace and holy Spirit, who with unfeigned groanings beg them continually of him, and yield him thanks for thembLuk. 11.9, 13. Matth. 13.12..
The Explication.
MAny Queſtions may be moved concerning Prayer; but the chief Queſtions hereof are foure:
1. What Prayer is, and how many ſorts there are of Prayer.
2. Why Prayer is neceſſary.
3. What is required to true Prayer.
4. What is the forme of Prayer preſcribed.
1. What Prayer is, and how many ſorts of Prayer there are. PRayer is the invocation of the true God, proceeding from an acknowledgement and ſenſe of our neceſſity and need, and from a deſire of Gods bounty, in true converſion of the heart, and in a confidence of the promiſe of grace for Chriſts ſake the Mediatour, begging at Gods hands neceſſary bleſſings, corporall and ſpirituall, or giving thankes unto him for the receit of theſe. Invocation the generall of praierThe Generall of Prayer is Invocation, or, Adoration. But Adoration is oftentimes taken for the whole worſhip of God; becauſe, whom wee worſhip, him wee account for the true God. Prayer is a part of invocation. For Invocation, or, To invocate or call upon God, is, To crave of the true God any thing that is neceſſary, both for the ſoule and body, and to give thankes for benefits received of him. Hereof it is here uſed as the Generall of Prayer. Wherefore Prayer compriſeth theſe two ſpecials or parts;Prayer hath two parts: 1. Petition. 2. Thanksgiving. What Petition is. What Thanksgiving is. What Thankfulneſſe is. namely, Petition, or Prayer in ſpeciall ſo called, and, Thankeſgiving. Petition is a prayer, craving of God bleſſings neceſſary both for the ſoul, and for the body. Thanksgiving is a prayer acknowledging and magnifying benefits received of God, and binding the thankfull party to thankfulneſſe, acceptable to God. Thankefulneſſe in generall is an acknowledgement or profeſſion of the quality and quantity of a benefit received, and a voluntary binding to the performance of duties mutuall, poſſible, and lawfull. Thankfulneſſe therefore containeth two things:Foure ſorts of Prayer. 1. Tim. 2.1. to wit, Truth and Juſtice. Saint Paul maketh mention of foure ſorts of prayer: 1. Deprecations againſt evill things. 2. Petitions for good things. 3. Interceſſions and requeſts for others. 4. Thanksgiving for benefits received, and evils repelled or removed from us. Prayer alſo is diſtinguiſhed with reſpect unto the circumſtances of perſon and place, into private and publike prayer. Private praye is the conference of a faithfull ſoul with God,Private and publike prayer. What private prayer is. craving apart for himſelfe or others, certaine bleſſings or benefits; or giving thankes for ſome received. This is not tyed to words and places. For oftentimes an anguiſhed and penſive heart, inſtead of words, powreth out ſighes and groans only:1 Tim. 2.8. What publike prayer is. and the Apoſtle commandeth, that men pray everywhere, lifting up pure hands. Publike prayer is that which is uttered unto God, undera certaine forme of words by the whole Church, in their aſſemblies, the Miniſter ſaying before them, as in open congregations it is meet hee ſhould. To this is the uſe of our tongue required, and therefore Chriſt ſaid; When yee pray, ſay. For to this end was the tongue eſpecially made, that God might be magnified by it: and, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh. Luke 11.2.Laſtly, hereby others alſo are to be invited to the lauding and praiſing of God.
2. Why Prayer is neceſſary for Christians. THe cauſes for which Prayer is neceſſary, are theſe: 1. The Commandement of God. becauſe God hath commanded, that we call upon him, and will this way chiefly and principally be worſhipped and magnified by us.Pſal. 50.15. Matth. 7.7. Luke 11.2. Call upon mee in the day of trouble. Aske, and it ſhall be given you. When yee pray, ſay, Our Father, &c. 2. Our neceſſity and want: For we receive not of God thoſe bleſſings which are neceſſary for our ſafety and ſalvation, except wee aske them of him. For God hath promiſed them to ſuch only as aske him. So that prayer is as neceſſary for us, as craving of almes is neceſſary for a beggar. Now what wee ſpeak of the neceſſity of prayer, the ſame is alſo to be ſaid of the neceſsity of thankſgiving: For, without giving thanks, we loſe thoſe things that are given, and receive not ſuch things as are to be given, and are neceſſary. The neceſsity of both will eaſily appeare, whether we conſider the effects of faith, or the cauſe of faith, and ſo alſo faith it ſelfe. Faith is kindled or increaſed in no man, who doth not aske it; no man hath faith, who giveth not thanks for it: and they which are indued with true faith, aske the grace of God, and they who have taſted of Gods grace, ſhew themſelves thankfull unto God for it, and doe more and more crave and deſire it. The love of God ſhed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghoſt, Rom. 5.5.which is given unto us. And the holy Ghoſt himſelfe alſo is obtained by petition or prayers; for the holy Ghoſt is given to none, but to him that deſireth him. Obj. 1. But wee ſee the wicked alſo to receive many gifts of the holy Ghoſt, who yet deſire him not: Therefore not onelyonly they that deſire him, receive him. Anſw. The wicked verily receive many gifts, but not thoſe principall gifts, neither thoſe that are proper to the Elect, ſuch as are faith, repentance, and converſion, remiſsion of ſins, regeneration: and further, what gifts the wicked receive, thoſe are not availeable unto them, neither doe they receive them to ſalvation. Repl. Infants crave not the holy Ghoſt: and yet they receive him. Anſ. The holy Ghoſt is not given but to them that aske him, that is, to thoſe of yeeres and underſtanding, who are able to aske him. But even Infants alſo aske and crave the holy Ghoſt after this manner, having, to wit, in poſsibility an inclination to faith, and therefore potentially they aske the holy Ghoſt, or have an inclination to aske him: Out of the mouth of very babes and ſucklings haſt thou ordained thy praiſe. Object. 2. The effect is not before his cauſe.Pſal. 8.2. But prayers are the effects of the holy Ghoſt, inaſmuch as no man can aske the holy Ghoſt, who hath not the holy Ghoſt, and hee alone worketh prayer in us: Therefore the holy Ghoſt is not received by prayer, but is in us before prayer; and ſo by conſequent hee is not given to them onelyonly that aske him, Anſw. The effect is not before his cauſe, that is, in order and nature; but in time they are both together. So the holy Ghoſt, and the asking of him are both together at one time in us, though not in the ſame order and nature. For the holy Ghoſt is in us according to nature before prayer; becauſe wee then firſt begin to deſire him, and to aske him of God, when hee is given unto us. But albeit the holy Ghoſt is according to nature or order firſt in us, yet he is not firſt in us according to time. For as ſoon as the holy Ghoſt is given, we begin to deſire his preſence; and as ſoon as wee deſire and aske him, he is given us: that is, in the ſame moment God worketh in us a deſire of the holy Ghoſt, and giveth him unto us. And indeed hee worketh a deſire of him in us, by commanding us to aske him; and working this deſire in us, he withall giveth him unto us, when wee aske him. For God doth not ſo worke in us, as a ray of the Sun lighteth on a veſſell, to wit, in time, but in an inſtant. For this gift is at once given, taken, and deſired. We might alſo put a diſtinction between the beginning and the increaſe of the ſpirit, becauſe we cannot crave the latter, except we have the former. For no man deſireth him, but hee who hath in himſelfe the beginning of him: but the firſt Solution and Anſwer ſufficeth to ſatisfie this Objection. Whereas then it is ſaid of Chriſt;Luke 11.13. How much more ſhall your heavenly Father give the holy Ghoſt to them that deſire him? this muſt not be underſtood of the increaſe onelyonly, but alſo of the beginning of his gifts and graces.
Queſt. 117. What is required unto that prayer, which ſhall pleaſe God, and be heard of him?
Anſ. That we aske of the only true God, who hath manifeſted himſelf in his WordaRevel. 2.9. John 4.22., all things which hee hath commanded to be asked of himbRom 8.26. 1 John 5.14. James 1.5., with a true affection and deſire of our heartcJoh 4 23.24. Pſal. 145.18., and, through an inward feeling of our need and miſeryd2 Chronic. cap. 20. ver. 12., caſt our ſelves down proſtrate in the preſence of his divine MajeſtyePſal. 2.11. and 34.17. Eſay 66.2., and build our ſelves on this ſure foundationfRom. 10.14. and 8.15, 16. James 1.6., that we, though unworthy, yet, for Chriſts ſake, are certainly heard of GodgJohn 14.13. and 15. ver. 16. and 16.23. Dan. 9.17., even as he hath promiſed us in his WordhMatth. 7.8. Pſalme 27.8. and 143.1..