The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 3 · prayer · Question 118
Queſt. 118. What are thoſe things which he commandeth us to aske of him?
Anſw. All things neceſſary both for ſoule and bodyiJames 1.17. Matth. 6.33.; which our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath compriſed in that prayer which himſelfe hath taught us.
The Explication.
THe condition and circumſtances of true prayer are:Eight conditions of true prayer: A. direction of it to the true God.A direction of it unto the true God, that we make our prayer unto the true God manifeſted in the Church by his Propheticall and Apoſtolike Work, and by his works of Creation, Preſervation, and Redemption of the Church. And this true God is the eternall Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt. As wee have received (ſaith Baſil) ſo are we baptiſed; and as we baptiſed, ſo we beleeve, and as we beleeve, ſo we adore and worſhip the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost. The knowledge of Gods Commandement.The knowledge of Gods Commandement: For without Gods Commandement, we doubt of being heard. But the ſoul that looketh into Gods Commandement, confidently reſolveth that his prayers are acceptable unto God; becauſe the worſhip, which God requireth of us in his Word, cannot be unwelcome or loath ſome to him. Wherefore, when wee pray, wee ought thus to reſolve: I call upon thee, becauſe thou haſt commanded mee. The knowledge of the things wee are to aske.The knowledge of thoſe things which are to be asked. God will not have us direct idle and wandring deſires to him, uncertaine what we would aske: For even a Prince would thinke himſelfe ſcorned, if thou ſhouldeſt kneel before him, and kno…eſt not what to aske. So God will have us conſider and know ſuch things as we are to aske of him, otherwiſe, it is not praying, but mocking of God. Now we of our ſelves know not what to aske; and therefore hath Chriſt preſcribed a forme of prayer, ou… of which wee may learne what things we are to aske of God. We are to aske (that I may ſummarily compriſe them) things both certaine and allowed, and permitted by God.Things to be asked in praver: 1. Spirituall. 2. Corporall. Why ſpirituall, and why corporall things are to be asked. Theſe are of two ſorts: Spirituall and Corporall. God will have us aske both of him: Spirituall things, becauſe they are neceſſary to ſalvation; Corporall things, 1. That the deſire of them may be an exerciſe of our faith, and confirme our truſt and confidence of obtaining things ſpirituall and availeable to ſalvation. The reaſon is, becauſe no man can looke for good and ſaving things at Gods hands, except he have God reconciled unto him. 2. That we may conſider and profeſſe his providence, knowing that nether theſe unneceſſary and corporall things befall us by chance or fortune. A true deſire of the things we aske.A true deſire of thoſe things which are to be asked. God will not have our petition to be hypocriticall or feigned, nor bred in our mouth, but in our heart: he will have us pray with a true affection and deſire of the heart: For it is not the words of the mouth, but the groanes of the heart which make true prayer; as the Lord ſaith to Moſes:Exod. 14.15. Why doeſt thou cry unto mee? when yet Moſes ſpake nothing: Therefore an ardent deſire is to be made the Generall in the definition of all prayer.
A ſenſe and feeling of our owne want. Hom. Odyſſ. 2.A ſenſe and feeling of our owne want. The acknowledgement and feeling of our owne want, is the fountaine from whence our deſire ariſeth. For what thou thinkeſt not thy ſelfe greatly to want, that doeſt thou not earneſtly deſire: Pray; for all ſtand in need of God.
Humiliation.Humiliation, that is, true repentance. We muſt needs have alſo true humility, true ackowledgement of our owne unworthineſſe, or true repentance and converſion; and ſo proſtrate our ſelves in ſuppliant manner before his divine Majeſty: 1. Becauſe God oweth us nothing. 2. Becauſe we are his enemies before our converſion. God doth not heare ſinners, that is, proud ſinners, ſuch as that Phariſee. And,John 9.31. how greatly true humiliation, repentance, or converſion is required to prayer, even that doth ſufficiently ſhew, in that the promiſes of God belong onelyonly to ſuch as are converted. Wherefore,Luke 18.11. without converſion no man can pray according to faith: and without faith no man can be aſſured that he ſhall be heard, neither receiveth he what he asketh. Conſidence in the Mediatour.A confidence in the Mediatiour, that we may reſolve, that both our perſon, and our prayers pleaſe God, not for our owne worthineſſe, but for Chriſts ſake our Mediatour. So Daniel prayeth, that hee may be heard for the Lords ſake: Dan. 9.17. John 16.23. Heb. 13 10.and Chriſt willeth us to pray unto his Father in his Name. Our prayers are to be put on our Altar Chriſt; ſo ſhall they be acceptable to God. Confidence of being heard.Confidence of being heard. In the former, Faith is required, whereby we with full confidence reſolve, that we are through Chriſts merit juſt before God, and that God is reconciled unto us by Chriſt. Here the faith of being heard is required: which cannot ſtand without the former faith of being juſtified. Becauſe yee are ſons, God hath ſent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, which crieth Abba, Father. Hee that cometh to God, must beleeve that God is, and that hee is a rewarder of them that ſeeke him. But here in this full perſwaſion of being heard,A difference of things to be prayed for. wee are to obſerve the difference of ſuch things as are to be deſired. Some gifts are neceſſary to ſalvation, as ſpirituall gifts: Some are corporall, without which wee may be ſaved. Spirituall bleſſings are ſimply to be deſired, with a truſt and full perſwaſion of being heard, even that we ſhall receive them as we deſire, that is, in ſpeciall. But gifts, which are not neceſſary to ſalvation, whether they be corporall, or elſe ſuch ſpirituall, as without which wee may be ſaved, theſe are to be deſired verily, but with a condition of Gods will and pleaſure, that he will give them us, if they ſerve for his glory, and be profitable for us; or that he will give us other of better quality, either at this, or ſome other time. Wee muſt follow, in asking theſe benefits, the Leper, which ſaid: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canſt make mee cleane. For neither doe the Elect, when they aske ſuch things, deſire ſimply to be heard. For oftentimes wee aske things,Matth. 8.2. not knowing what, and what manner of things they be, and ſo neither know wee whether the obtaining of them in ſpeciall (if we ſhould be heard in them) will profit us, or be pernicious and hurtfull to us. Object Hee that asketh doubtfully, asketh not according to faith, neither is heard. Wee aske corporall bleſſings doubtfully, becauſe wee aske them with condition: Therefore not according to faith. Anſw. 1. The Major is either particular, or falſe. For the nature of faith requireth that wee be certaine, not of all corporall benefits, but onelyonly of ſpiri…uall bleſſings, which are neceſſary to ſalvation: as, of remiſſion of ſinnes, and of life everlaſting. In corporall bleſſings it ſufficeth, if faith ſubmit it ſelfe to Gods Word, and crave and looke for ſuch things as are availeable to ſalvation. Anſw. 2. The Minor alſo may be denied. For albeit we aske corporall bleſſings with a condition, yet do we not ſimply doubt of obtaining them: For wee beleeve, that wee ſhall receive thoſe corporall bleſſings which wee aske of God, ſo that they be expedient for us unto ſalvation; and otherwiſe, if they are like to prove hurtfull unto us, wee deſire not to be heard in that which we pray. Therefore, we nevertheleſſe aske in faith, while we ſubmit our ſelves to the Word and Will of God. and deſire to be heard according to his good pleaſure. For faith ſubmitteth it ſelfe to every word and will of God: and the will of God is this, That wee aske ſpirituall things ſimply, and corporall conditionally; and that we reſolve with our ſelves, that we ſhall receive the former in ſpeciall; but the latter as farre forth as they ſerve for Gods glory and our ſalvation. And thus if wee pray, wee doubt not to be heard.
A confidence in Gods promiſe.A confidence and truſt in Gods promiſe, that wee know and think that God hath promiſed to heare as many as call upon him, with thoſe conditions before alledged: Call upon mee in the time of trouble:Pſal. 59.15. Eſay 65.24. ſo will I heare thee, and thou ſhalt praiſe mee. Before they call, I will anſwer: and whiles they ſpeake, I will heare. Without this promiſe of hearing… there is no faith; without faith prayer is but vaine. Except wee give faith and credit to Gods promiſes, and think of them while we are praying, they availe us nothing, neither can we deſire ought with good conſcience: but rather, when after this ſort we know not what we aske, doubting of Gods hearing of our petition, we doe not pray, but mock God. Now the confidence which we have of Gods promiſe in hea…ing us, breadeth in us a certainty of his hearing, and our ſalvation: and this certainty kindleth in us a ſtudy of invocation and of making ſupplications unto God. By theſe conditions and circumſtances of ſincere and true prayer it doth eaſily appeare,A difference between the prayer of the godly and the wicked. how much the praying of the godly and the wicked differ. The godly endeavour to obſerve all theſe conditions in their praying: The wicked contrarily, either omit and neglect them all, or keeping one or two conditions, erre in the reſt. Some erre in the knowledge of the nature and will of God, therein omitting the firſt condition: ſome erre in the things which are to be asked when they aske either evill things, or uncertaine, or nor approved by God. Some aske theſe hypocritically: ſome without a feeling of their want: ſome not with a confidence in the Mediatour: ſome perſiſting in their wickedneſſe, thinke yet that God heareth them: ſome deſire things neceſſary to ſalvation, with a diſtruſt and diffidence: ſome laſtly aske, not thinking of Gods promiſe, and therefore not according to faith.