A Treatise of Prayer, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Q. 3.
Q. III. WHether a Godly perſon he or ſhe, brings this prayer into the Cloſet with them, there and then humbling themſelves before their God.
We told you, we maintained the Negative, our Reaſons are.
SECT. I.
ANd the firſt we would onelyonly offer to your Conſideration, being rejected by the godly Learned, yet we conceive no reaſon is given for their refuſing of it: That, which is a patterne to make all prayers by, ſhould not be uſed as a prayer. To this the onelyonly Anſwer is; Therefore the rather it may be uſed as a prayer. But this makes no proofe, nor doe the words following. That ſure it is, Antient and worthy Divines have reverenced it, as a prayer, chooſing rather to uſe thoſe words than any other. And ſo many worthy Divines doe now, and yet by ſo doing prove nothing to the purpoſe. We will offer but a word in it, and tell you what we conceive, that the Argument is very ſtrong; The patterne to make all prayers by, is not to be uſed as a prayer, for if wee uſe the patterne for our prayer, wee ſhall never pray according1 John 3. 2. to the patterne; As the Diſciples doe not ſtint themſelves with any degree of holineſſe, Gods owne purity being their Copie, ſo neither can they ſtint themſelves in prayer, the Lords owne prayer being their patterne: We proceed.
SECT. II.
WEE thinke it cleane beſides the ſcope and intendment of our Bleſſed Saviour in giving His Diſciples this Prayer, if they ſhall plead their caſe with Him in thoſe very words; Now in this Caſe we cannot reach our Lord's mind, nor eye His ſcope, but by obſerving what He did while He tabernacled among men; He put up many prayers to His Father, and indeed, though Lord of all, yet as Mediator of His Church, and ſo a ſervant to His Father in the Churches behalfe, He could have nothing, norPſal. 2. 8. Ma…. …6. 5…. Heb. 7. 25. hath He to this day, but He muſt aske for it: And among all theſe prayers we read not (and quod non ligitur, non creditur) That this ſacred prayer came-out of His ſacred lips any more than once. Nor have we obſerved it from the mouths of any of His Apoſtles, or other of His Deare Children Yet we read of their prayers, and though ſhort, yet were they moulded after this manner, That the throne of His Glory may be advanced in their Hearts; And that the world, and all that, which mightily oppoſeth the lifting-up of the ſame, may be throwne-downe, Cruſhed to the earth and ruined: but never heard we this Prayer from their lips, nor from any of the Bleſſed Martyrs. Now, certainly, theſe, being of the Number of That Virgin▪ Company, follow their Leader and Commander, though haud paſſibus aequis, yet they follow Him, and did eye, marke, and behold His Bleſſed ſcope, and intendment in all He did or ſpake.
SECT. III.
THe Diſciple doth not, as we thinke, bring this Prayer before His Lord for this were to limit and ſtint himſelfe, and ſo to Reſtraine prayer, which ſure was far from the Intent of our Lord to preſcribe ſo Contrary to the workings of His own Spirit in the hearts of His Choſen; Theſe find a reſtraint upon themſelves, as often as they find not the Bleſſed Spirit enlargeing of them to pray; and then humbled they are, when Comforted they cannot be: But it is far from them, as it was from the Mind of Chriſt preſcribing this prayer, to ſtint themſelves, ſo many words, and no more, as acceptable with their God, as ſo many Ave-Maries and Pater-noſters given out by Number, you know by whome. A naturall prayer put-up by the ſtrength of Nature, is a ſtinted and a limited prayer: But a Spirituall prayer, as a Diſciples prayer is, hath alwayes an Infiniteneſſe in it; his ſpirit being right ſet, is enlarged to a kind of Infiniteneſſe in Gods Service; There is a Naturall Bias in his ſoule, which inclines him to a limited prayer; But we know the ſtrength of the Arme takes away that Bias: So the ſtrength of the Inward man takes away this Bias. Though this Diſciple is not able to doe what is actually infinite, yet his deſire is infinite in this, That being to deale with an Infinite God, were he able to doe ten thouſand times more than he doth, yet his heart would doe more. Oh that I could doe more; As he growes in grace, ſo his deſire after grace is enlarged, as much as a wicked man is after the world and ſin; he enlargeth his deſire as hell, and a godly man enlargeth his as Heaven. He limits not himſelfe; Thoſe deſires are boundleſſe which the Holy Spirit enlargeth to a kinde of Infiniteneſſe, Cauſing thoſe to Center in the infinite Love of God unto them through Jeſus Chriſt; and this is our third Reaſon.
SECT. IV.
THeſe Diſciples have their ſtated and ſet times for prayer every day. It is true, they pray Continually, or without Ceaſing. Acts 10. 2. 1 Theſ▪ 5. 17.Prayer never Ceaſeth to goe-forth, till the grace deſired comes-in: Though the words of prayer ceaſe in the mouth; yet the grace of prayer ceaſeth not in the heart: But they have their ſtated times for prayer, and the very flower and creame of time it ſhall be, which is appointed for that high Service: from hence we prove, That the Diſciple brings not this prayer before his God; He hath more to ſay, and muſt take more time for it, than is taken-up in repeating theſe words; They have many more words to utter before their God, we ſay not, than are contained in that prayer (for all the Angells in Heaven cannot readily tell us, and explaine to us the Contents thereof, or what is contained therein) but many more …ords than numerically word for word are Contained therein; Therefore he muſt take time for it, and, if we may ſo ſay, the firſtling thereof; As he prayes to God continually, ſo he praiſes God continually; prayers and praiſes goe together, very few breathings goe betwixt: but be they few or many, the Diſciple takes time for it. No ſooner is he awake in the morning, but he aſcribeth to God the Glory, Who alone g…ve him ſleepe, which all created ſtrength could not doe; and awakned him out of ſleepe, elſe he had ſlept on till the Great Day of the Lord God had come: he praiſeth his God for this in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt. And no ſooner is he ſet upon his leggs, but he is upon his knees, praiſing Him with heart and voice, That ſet him on his leggs, whereas He might have laid him reſtleſſe upon his pillow, where many an head lyeth akeing. But how if he be awakned with paine and ſorrow upon the fleſh? (to take it-in by the way) Notwithſtanding he finds matter of praiſe, and his heart enlarged that way; He can ſing the high prayſes of his God, for thoſe glorious excellencies, that are in Himſelfe, and for the Emanations or flowings forth of the ſame by Jeſus Chriſt in the exceeding aboundant riches of His goodneſſe to His beloved ones in and through Him; and to himſelfe in ſpeciall; For though his fleſh feeles paines upon it, yet ſaith the Spirit, I am not ſicke, mine iniquitie is forgiven, my ſin is pardoned: Hitherto he never found, That his Heavenly Father did him any hurt by afflicting him, but good a great deale. Which may mind you of him Chryſoſtome tells us off, who was acquainted with greifes in his meaſure, as his Lord and Maſter was (in His Churches ſtead, and for her ſake) that they may never have any hurt therefrom) and never came before his God, but the firſt words he ſpake, were praiſes to his God for his paines and ſorrows upon the fleſh (to uſe his own words) for his hell here, as well as for his Heaven hereafter. And you may remember another, A very good Man, who enjoyed health, and wealth, all was proſperous with him for fiftie yeares together; and after the Date of thoſe yeares, he had ſcarce a Comfortable day to the houre of his death: But this is for our Learning, how praiſe-full was he, That his God ſpared him ſo many good dayes, and inſtructed inſtructed him to that Diſcretion, as to make an improvement of them, therein to lay-up, as we ſay, for a rainy day, or ſpending time, and to beare his Croſſes, now they are come, willingly, and more, rejoyceingly; for he found no loſſe by them. Indeed this is the Glorious Priviledge of Diſciples really and indeed ſuch; Amidst all their Croſſes they find not one Loſſe. But this is it we were prooving, There muſt be time for this praiſeing the Lord, and theſe muſt be uttered with a Man's own mouth; and ſurely theſe will not endure to be bounded within a ſett forme, nor can they have acceptance with their God▪ But that perſon, Man or Woman, who brings that Prayer before his God, Cannot praiſe Him for that he hath received (and what hath he, and hath not received?) for himſelfe, and for all his, for all which God muſt be praiſed. Prayer and thankes are like the Double motion of the Lungs (asDr. G: of prayer, pag. 61. ſaith that Learned, Holy Man) the Aire that is ſucked in by prayer, is breathed forth againe by thankes.
Secondly, Nor can he pray unto Him for ſupply of what is wanting, keeping himſelfe to that forme of prayer, and ſpeaking to his God in theſe very words. The Diſciples of Chriſt are very wanting, at leaſt none knows their wants or ſees their wants, or feel's their wants, as theſe doe; And the… none pray's for the ſupply of their wants as theſe doe, theſe poore ones and needie ones: Indeed the Hebrew word for poore (as we have heard) ſprings from a roote ſignifying Deſire; And the Reaſon is, as one ſayth,Mr. Caryl. Job 5. 15. 298. becauſe poore men are commonly rich in deſires. They that are full of ſenſible wants, are full of earneſt wiſhes. And the Reaſon why povertie of Spirit in our Spirituall Eſtate is pronounced a Bleſſing, is, becauſe the poore in Spirit are full of Deſires after Spirituall Riches. They are ever craveing and ſeeking to be filled with that fullneſſe which is in Jeſus Chriſt, with Grace for Grace; they would have the Image of every Grace in Chriſt engraven upon their Soules; or (in an holy Covetouſneſſe) they would be as rich in Grace, as Chriſt is; Theſe are the words of that Excellent Man before cited; more there are and tend much as to give inſtruction, ſo to our ſcope and purpoſe, That a Diſciples prayer, whereby he makes knowne his Requeſts to God, cannot poſſibly be encircled or pent-up within that Compaſſe of ſix lines, which may be utternd in ſo many breathings, or within the ſpace of one Minut's time; for we thinke within that ſpace of time and leſſe, that prayer may be ſaid, or rather hudled; as within two Minut's-time the 67•h Pſalme may be ſaid over and over, whereby as you may remember Bellarmine could meaſure the huge body of the Sunne, and the quickneſſe of his race; For I obſerved (ſaid he) the firſt peering of the Sunne on our ſide of the Globe, and by that time I have ſaid that Pſalme over twice, the Sunne is up: and in a full body appeares to us: So then in twelve breathings the Pſalme is ſaid over, and over, and in ſix breathings the prayer is ſaid. And is not this to the heart of a wicked man, In leſſe than a minutes time, and that is the ſmalleſt parcell of time, he can begin and end his prayer, which being the Lords Prayer, he hath ſaid it as well as the beſt Clarke in the Nationall Church, and yet he prayed no more than that Pillar of Antichriſt, in his time, prayed, while he read over that Pſalme.
But to proceed in this a little farther; A Diſciples Prayer, wherein he himſelfe tells his whole mind to God, it is not uttered in ſix breathings: Certainly he hath much upon his ſpirit, when he comes before his God. We will put a queſtion here; and give you leave to Anſwer it. What would this Diſciple have more, than he hath, that he is ſtill begging? he hath all, God and all; he is compleate in Chriſt, and now what can he need? It is granted unto him, being one of the Number, to be arraied in fine linnen, cleane and white, which is the Righteouſneſſe of Saints: his Defence is the Munition of Rockes; The promiſe is made good unto him; Bread ſhall be given him, his waters ſhall ſhall be ſure; that is, heIſai …3. 16. Cal: ſhall want nothing for this life, nor for that which is to come; What would this man have more? You are, we hope, a Diſciple, and not of the common Ranke or ſtamp of Diſciples, that have no more to ſhew for their Diſciple-ſhip, but that they were borne and Baptized in a Nationall Church. But you are borne againe and made a Diſciple indeed: And then you can make anſwer and tell us, what this Diſciple would have more, by what your ſelfe would have; he ſees his Lord in the ſhade, he would ſee him in the Sun-ſhine; he would ſtand more in the Sun-ſhine of Gods favour; That Sun-ſhine upon him never wearieth with its beame; The more it is, the more refreſhing it is; More of the light of thy countenance, more and more good Lord; Shew me Thy ſelfe more clearely: let me have a fuller ſight of Thee, and in-ſight into my ſelfe; for I would abhorre my ſelfe more, I would repent more. We verily beleive, That You, being a Diſciple, doe pray after that manner. And yet you find not a word of all this in the Lord's Prayer, we meane, explicit there, or expreſſed; Implyed it is and much more in that one ſweet word, Father. We take leave to proceed yet farther, and ſo to trie your Diſcipleſhip.
You beleive on the Name of the Son of God; you know Him, who is eternall life; yet ſo ſure as you are a Diſciple, you goe on praying, That you may beleive on the Name of the Sonne of God. 1 Joh 5. 13.You doe beleive, and yet you would beleive; you doe beleive, and this ſhall ſave you from all evill; for as you know full well, and doe teach it your people, It is not this or that Degree of faith, which ſaveth, but the truth of faith, though but as the leaſt graine or loweſt degree thereof: Yet you reſt not here, nor will you ſuffer your people to reſt; for he that ſits downe at the loweſt degree of Grace, it may be doubted, he hath no grace at all, and ſhall become a Chriſtian indeed, when an Ape becomes a Man; or aHe that hath true grace may goe to heaven ce…tainly; but he who hath ſtrong Grace only goeth to Heaven comfortably. Mr. Jen: on Jude pag. 165. Nominall Diſciple, becauſe Baptized in England, becomes a reall Saint. Grace is ſtill aſpiring higher and higher, ſo are you, being a gracious Man; you doe beleive, then we beleive, you would beleive more ſtrongly, that you might act more vigorouſly in the whole worſhip of your God; Specially in thoſe ſimple Duties, which none but the Diſciple performeth, fleſh and blood can doe nothing at them; as to love God; To Truſt him; To depend on him; To have joy and delight in Him; To have Communion with Him; To take Him for your portion, and inheritance, and to be all in all to Him; Theſe are ſimple Duties, are acts of the ſoule, not compounded of matter and forme, And theſe you are able to doe through Him, that ſtrengthen's you: But this you1 Joh. 5. 13. could not doe, but that you are ſtill aſpiring after a full aſſurance of hope; And for this you bow your knee before your Heavenly Father day and night, for ſo true Diſciples uſe to doe; but then they bound not themſelves within the Lords Prayer.
More ſhould be added to this paragraph; but that we have been large in it. Sometimes this Diſciple looſeth the ſight of his God, A Child of Light and walkes in Darkneſſe of diſcomfiture and ſorrow. And what ſayes he then to his God? Whome perhaps, his evidences being now ſo blurred and blotted, he cannot call Father. There is a Cup of trembling in his hand, there are ſad apprehenſions in his heart; what ſays he now to his God? No man can tell, but the Man in his Caſe; nor perhaps he neither; for he cannot tell himſelfe. He is in the ſame caſe his Lord and Maſter was in before him, and that is his Comfort, if he could ſee it; he ſhall be brought out of it anon with joy and gladneſſe: but this is his caſe at preſent, his ſoule is troubled, and what ſhall he ſay? John 12. 27.We will caſt a vaile over this and paſſe on, Curae parvae loquuntur in…èntes ſtupent; but certainly he prayes, rather the Spirit within him; and no ſet forme in the world helps him with a word here, much leſſe with a groane, Once more and ſo to come to a period, or full ſtop here: This Diſciple now on his knees; as we ſuppoſe him to be, ſpreadeth the concernments of his Churches before his God, as neare and deare to him as his owne, he cannot keepe ſilence being a faithfull Remembrancer: This takes up ſome time alſo, and more words, than are numbred up in ſix lines; and ſo much to our fourth Reaſon, why a true Diſciple brings not this prayer with him when he kneeles before his God. Before we proceed we would make anſwer to that we have heard argued for the bringing the Lords Prayer before the Lord; It is this;
Queſt. When a Diſciple hath but little time, and can ſpeake but few words, then he may draw-up all into a narrow roomth, and ſay the Lords Prayer onelyonly, may he not?
Anſw: To this we ſay firſt, That a Diſciple (Remember you ſtill▪ that we doe not meane a Diſciple at large, a member of the Nationall Church, becauſe he was Baptized therein; and received into that huge, we had almoſt ſaid, and let it goe, Monſtrous Body, to whome Duty is a burden, and ſin light, with whome praying time is waſte-time, that takes up more time than ſaying the Lords prayer, we doe not meane him, he is not in our thoughts, unleſſe it be to mourne over him, and your ſelfe, that account him ſuch, we meane a Diſciple indeed, and what we were ſaying of him, we are ſpeaking out) That a Diſciple indeed, prayeth indeed, and being a man of much Grace, heares much, and reads much, meditates much, and prayes much: he is a man of much prayer; he ſpends much time to gett Grace, to make him rich to God, to get ſtrength in the inward man, to paſſe through all varietie of afflictions; for all this he prayes unto his God, at the leaſtPſal. 55. 17. Dan. 6. 10. twice a day, we verily beleive thrice, as others have done before him.
It may be ſaid, this ſpends much time; whereunto it may be anſwered, That no time is better ſpent, than that, which is ſpent in Calling upon God, if called upon in truth. It hinders not in our Buiſineſſe, though it ſeeme to hinder and though it takes (theſe are Excellent Preſton's words) ſo much from the heape, yet indeed it increaſeth the heape; The baiting of the horſe hinders not the journey; nor the oileing of the wheele, nor the whetting of the Sithe; though there be a ſtop in the worke for a time, yet as our Common ſaying is, A whet is no let; and praying time as it may be improved, is the moſt gaineing time. One houres Communion Dr. G.with God may in a moment bring in more ſweetneſſe, than all other gaineings can doe to Eternity; The words of that Excellent Man Dr G: We would conclude, That a Diſciple holds on a Conſtant Courſe in prayer: He would rather forget to eate his bread, than forget to pray to Him, & to praiſe Him for his bread. As he hath ſtated times for ea…ing and drinking, ſo hath he for praying and praiſeing; and if he finds not a fit ſeaſon for eating, yet he will for praying He thinks much and often upon Glorious Preſton's words: The neglect of prayer uncovers the roofe as it were, and the Curſe is rained downe upon our Tables, upon our meate and drinke, upon all our endeavours, and all the enterprizes we take in hand: Thus with the outward man. And the loſſe we ſuffer in the inward man, upon the neglect of this Dutie is very great, that being ready ſtill to be diſtempered, to goe out of order, to contract hardneſſe and ſoile; for it falls out with a mans heart; as it doth with a garden, that is neglected, it will quickly over-runne with weedes, if you looke not diligently to it▪ and the way to looke to it, is Conſtancy in this Duty—there is much more to excellent purpoſe.
But (2) now ſuppoſe, ſome great buiſineſſe comes to hand (there is none greater than Prayer) and the Diſciple hath but a moments time to breath forth unto his God. What will he pray in prayer? we meane, what words will he uſe? Happily ſuch like words as theſe; Lord heare, Lord forgive, Cauſe the light of Thy Countenance to ſhine upon us; and take away that, which more than Eccl…pſeth it from us; Truely We cannot tell what he will ſay, if you can tell, you may tell us. But we are verily perſwaded, he …ill not ſay the Lords prayer, what ever his time be more or leſſe; And this is our Confidence in this matter. Now wee proceed.
SECT. V.
WE ſuppoſe this will be granted, having its ground in the word of God, That ſo ſoone as a Child Calls God Father,Luke 15. 18. and Chriſt Lord, he remembers he hath ſinned againſt Him; That is all we will ſay, he hath ſinned againſt Him; And now, what ſhall he doe? here is guilt Contracted, and filth too, who knowes how much? and now what ſhall he doe to have the Guilt remooved, and his Conſcience pacified, his filth purged, and his Conſcience purified; what ſhall he doe? ſurely he hath no way to take, but to flie, as the Man-ſlayer, whome blood purſued to the Citie of Refuge, unto the fountaine opned for ſin and uncleanneſſe, and Entreate (for all comes-in at the doore of free Grace) that he may be put into the Jordan of Chriſt His Blood. Well, this ſhall be in good time, but not yet to his ſenſe and feeling (for we enquire not what was done in Heaven before time was, but what is done on Earth, and within the heart, to make all ſure there) we were ſaying, he, having taken a right Courſe, and waiting at a ſure doore, he ſhall have a pardon ſealed to his Soule anon, in his Lords good time. But yet what ſhall he doe? for ſurely ſomething is to be done. The Apoſtles (ſaid that Learned Expoſitour)Upon Job 7. 20 p. 691. gave Goſpell Counſell, yet when men asked them, What ſhall we doe to be ſaved? they ſaid not, ye muſt doe nothing, God will ſave you by His free Grace; No, they called them to repent and beleive every one of them. Sin muſt be knowne to be ſin (call it by the worſt name you can thinke of, then you call it Sin) aboveRom. 7. meaſure ſinfull, and muſt be acknowledged ſo to be; OnelyOnly acknowledge thy iniquitie. Know the Plaegue of thine owne heart and Jer. …. 13. 1 Kings …. 38.mourne for thy ſinne, becauſe Committed againſt the Lord; and doe this as David for his Son every day, for every day thou ſinneſt;1 Sam. 13. 37. Zach 12. and as true Mourners doe, mourne bitterly; and mourne the more becauſe thou canſt not mourne enough. This is that the Lord will have the Diſciples doe. And ſo now, for we muſt Contract, we will conclude; That Confeſſion of ſin is the great ingredient in prayer for pardon of ſin, whereunto the Scriptures ſpeake every where. OnelyOnly Acknowledge: Confeſſing their ſinnes; And forſaking of ſin muſt goe before pardon of Sin; yea and ſubduing of ſin too: All this in the ſtrength of God; but he muſt be enquired of touching theſe matters; He will have ſin acknowledged; He will have ſin forſaken, put as far away by us, as the Eaſt is from the Weſt, as to our Love to it, likeing of it, deſire after it, delight in it: So far we muſt put it away, before the Lord will tell us, that He hath put our ſins ſo far away from Himſelfe and fromPſal. 103. us; That it ſhall be as poſſible for the Eaſt and Weſt to meet together, as for a Man and his ſin, to hurt him. So now wee conclude, That this Confeſſion of ſin, which every man will grant, muſt be with a man's owne mouth, not by any ſet forme whatſoever, is not expreſſed, no not the leaſt ſound that way, in the Lords prayer, Therefore his Diſciples indeed, what ever your Diſciples* doe, bring not this Prayer before their God. And
SECT. VI.
OUr ſixth reaſon, why a Diſciple bringeth not this Prayer before his God, is, becauſe it is already wrought to his hand: he need not take any paines about it; The leaſt Child in his houſe, that can ſpeake, though he cannot read, can ſay it. This Diſciple, that knows in his meaſure, what a Diſproportion there is, betwixt the Great and Dreadfull God; and this worme, the Creature, (yea baſer than a worme, conſidered in himſelfe, becauſe a ſinfull Creature) or, to expreſſe it in excellent Greenhills words, betwixt Majeſtie and Nothingneſſe; And that ſloath to uſe the ſame man's words, is a Gulf betwixt this God who is all, and this Creature who is nothing at all, in himſelf conſidered, but a thing of nought, worſe than Nothing; This Diſciple now knowing all this in his meaſure, dareth not, as we ſuppoſe, and were ſaying, Come before his God with a prayer wrought to his hand, but having acceſſe to the Father, through the Mediation of the Sonne, by one Spirit, he caſteth himſelfe into the Armes of the Spirit, lookes for a ſupply from Him, enableing this Diſciple to put-up a prayer wroughtJames 5. 16. now in him, and wrought out from him by the ſame Spirit. This prayer wrought to our hands, The Lords Prayer, is the exacteſt peice of worke in ſight that ever was: But yet this Diſciple that ſaies this prayer (if any ſuch there be, as many ſuch there be in the Nationall Church) is not exact in this prayer; for praying this Prayer, wrought to his hand, he prayes nothing to purpoſe; Nothing wrought in him by the Spirit of God nor wrought-out from him by the ſame Spirit; he doth exerciſe neither the gift of prayer, nor the Grace of prayer. Nay, he doth not exerciſe any one facultie of his Soule in ſaying his prayer wrought to his hand, nor any one member of his body, unleſſe it be his tongue; and what is lip-labour before the Lord, any more than eye-ſervice before… Sam. 24. a Man? Certainly this Diſciple is of David's mind; I will not, ſaid he offer unto the Lord my God of that which ſhall c…ſt me nothing. There is a body-prayer, of this we have been ſpeaking hitherto (to uſe that Excellent Expoſitours Diſtinction) whichUpon Job 11. 13 p. 108. is never alone with a Diſciple, for woe to Body-prayer, when it is alone. And there is a Soule-prayer, which may be alone, and1 Sam. 1. 13. Neh: 2. 4. as fervent & effectuall both as Hannah's and Nehemiah's prayers were; For the ſoule and ſpirit of a prayer, is the ſoule and ſpirit in the ſtrength of God lifted-up in prayer, which doth infinitely more in prayer than the body doth; yet in ſaying this prayer the body doth nothing, the ſoule leſſe. But this is the thing; A Diſciples Body-prayer (wherein he exerciſeth himſelfe every day, and likely thrice a day) exerciſeth the whole outward-man: The hands pray, knees pray, the eyes pray, (we have this in the place fore-mentioned) geſtures are ſpeaking in prayer. By theſe we pray when we hold our peace, and lift-up a loud voice, when we ſay never a word; but in ſaying this prayer wrought to our hands, the Soule and Body both, every power of the one and every member of th' other may fit as ſtill as a ſtocke; onelyonly let the tongue wagge, and by helpe thereof ſay the prayer notwithſtanding. The tongue is all-ſufficient for that worke; All the Reſt both the powers of the Soule, and members of the Body, may ſtand ſtock-ſtill the while; when one member is all-ſufficient for the worke what needs more? Fruſtrà ſit per plura. We had more reaſons to give why a Diſciple brings not this prayer before his God; but we thinke this may ſuffice; onelyonly remember this, Fervent in ſpirit, ſerving the Lord. Wee come now to the fourth Querie.