A Treatise of Prayer, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Q. 1.
Q. I. BUt whether he may pray the Lords Prayer that is the Queſtion, which now we ſhall endeavour to put out of Queſtion, A wicked man ought not to ſay the Lords prayer; he is a proud, bold, and dareing perſon, he will adventure herein. It is probable he know's no other prayer, and this he received by Tradition from his Parents, who poſſible knew no other prayer neither. But he ought not to ſay this prayer, ſay we, and theſe are our Reaſons for ſo ſaying.
Firſt, It is the Churches prayer, we meane not a Nationall Church, we have not a thought of it, when our thoughts are upon This Church, the Church of the living God; A Nationall Church a huge vaſt body, a Monſter rather; and as cold as froſt, which we know congregates, & faſtneth together very heterogenious things, which heate ſeperates; we meane not that commonly called a Church, which takes-in very heterogenious perſons, wicked and righteous, the Beleiver and the Infidell, if not worſe; the Diſciple and the Drunkard; the True Saint and the Reall Devill together, for theſe were borne in a Church, and quickly after Baptized there, and growing up, though in their Debauchedneſſe▪ getting ſtrength therein▪ as yeares come on; yet by virtue of their water Baptizement are become viſible Saints: we meane not theſe, nor that called a Church, a…d …ath but a Name onelyonly, till the Spirit within gives the thing; we meane a company of New Creatures, differing as much from the common or Nationall Church, as Men doe from Beaſts: That we may be cleare at this point, we meane the Generall Aſſembly, and Church of the firſt-Borne, The Sonnes and Daughters of God; begot and borne unto Him in Chriſt of water and of the Spirit; It is their prayer; It is the Diſciples prayer, their's, who are diſciplined by the Goſpell, received, beleived, and obeyed; by their Lords appointment it is theirs. Both the Scriptures (Math: 6. 9. Luke 11. 2.) we conceive holds it forth clearely, pray ye; And when ye pray, ſay. Our bleſſed Lord ſpake to His Diſciples, here is the mould wherein to caſt your prayers; this ſhall be to you a Rule and Sampler, according to the which all your prayers ſhall be framed; but of this hereafter. It is the Churches prayer, the …eleivers, the Diſciples, and Saints prayer really ſuch and indeed, which they can hold forth and have to ſhew for, not onelyonly, becauſe they were borne in England and Baptized there (a meere vanitie, and leſſe if leſſe can be) but they were borne of God through Chriſt, by the Spirit with the Word, and ſo baptized with fire, and the Holy Ghoſt, it is their Prayer. It is true the wicked man claimes it for his, becauſe he was borne and Baptized in this Nation; ſo doth he Childrens▪ Bread too, it belongs to him upon the ſame ſcore. But he hath right to neither, as we have heard, and may yet more fully heare. Wee proceed.
Secondly, And humbly offer this to the thoughts of reaſonable men, can we thinke that our Bleſſed Lord would put theſe words into a wicked mans mouth? Bid him call God Father, Whome he knowes not, endeavours not to know, nay abhorr's to know? He indeed will ſay, for who ſo willfull as he, as Balaam did, My God, and as he, and he was many, My Father. Num. 22. 18. Jer: 3. 4.But who bad them ſay ſo? you know the ſaying; It is preſumption in the higheſt degree to ſpeake of God, or from God, or to God, without His leave or command ſo to doe; You ſay, ſaith the Lord Chriſt of my Father, He is your Father, your God but yeJohn 8 54, 55 ſay preſumptuouſly in ſo ſaying; He is not the Father of thoſe that know Him not, but as He is the Father of the raine; But ye have not knowne Him, ſaith the Lord. And not knowing Him, how care they, how they Rebell againſt Him? Can we thinke that the Son of God, while He tabernacled here on Earth, would bid notorious Rebells, rebelling againſt the light of their owne Conſciences within, and of the Word without to call God Father, and Him Lord, while they were ſpeaking and do…ing evill things, as they could?
We humbly conceive, It cannot enter into the heart of a Reaſonable man to thinke that ſo our Bleſſed Saviour would doe. He hath reſolved the Caſe; Thou ſhalt call Me my Father, and Jer. 3. 1….ſhalt not turne away from Me. I will give thee the diſpoſition of a Child, or give thee to looke after it, before thou ſhalt, with my leave, call Me Father: I will put filliall-affections, awfull thoughts; conſtant Reſolutions into thy heart, to love feare and ſerve Me. And then thou ſhalt call Me Father.
Thirdly, Yet againe, Can it enter into our thoughts, that our Bleſſed Saviour ſhould bid a wicked man call Jeſus accurſed? No; you will ſay, for who can thinke ſo? we doe, If we hold to this, That a ſenſuall man not having the Spirit, can call God Father, 1 Cor. 12. 3.or Chriſt Lord: No man ſpeaking by the Spirt of God calleth Jeſus accurſed. What, they ſay, that ſpeake by another Spirit, judge you, ſaith That Learned man; The Apoſtle would ſay,Dr. Kendall, Chap. 16. pag. 145. Pſal: 110. 19, 20. They call Jeſus accurſed. And no man can ſay (heartily) Jeſus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghoſt. Becauſe, as our Learned Reinolds ſaith, other Lords are preſent with ſenſuall, and wicked men, who doe with their owne eyes overſee, and by their owne viſible power order, and direct them in their ſervice. It is not poſſible, that they ſhould feare honour and ſerve Chriſt (which is to ſay heartily Jeſus is the Lord) unleſſe Chriſt be in them by His Spirit, and they in the faith. Senſuall men not having the Spirit may, out of externall conformitie to the Diſcipline and profeſſion under which they live, with their mouthes acknowledge Him to be Lord, yet their hearts will never tremble and willingly ſubmit themſelves to His obedience; Their Conſciences will never ſet to its ſeale to the Spirituall power of Chriſt over the thoughts, deſires, and ſecrets (yet this is to call Him Lord) but by the over-ruling direction of the Holy Ghoſt; Therefore he blaſphemes in Calling God Father, and Chriſt accurſed: he hath no allowance from Chriſt ſo to doe, it were blaſphemy to thinke ſo; and that is our third Reaſon.
Fourthly, Nor would the Lord Chriſt put a lie into a man's mouth in bidding him, this ſenſuall man, we meane this Legion, call God, Father; when as He is not their Father, but they are of Joh. 8. 34. 44.their Father the Devill, and doe that, which they have ſeene with their Father, even the Luſts of their Father they will doe. If it be asked how wicked men ſee the Devill doe, that which they did and doe? Worthy Mr Burgeſſe anſwers it; Becauſe they expreſſe in their lives ſuch wickedneſſe, as was and is in the Devill, even the ſame things which the Devill would doe, and wee ſhould ſee him doe, if he were viſible before our eyes. Naturae ſequitur ſemina quiſ que ſua. As man's Nature is, and his principle within, ſuch are his actings and doeings without; As he is in being, ſuch he is in acting; If he be in the evill one, that is, under the power and dominion of an uncleane Spirit; moſt uncleane will his actingsMath. 1. 23. 5. 2. Joh. 1. 5. be, for he will doe that which he hath ſeen his Father doe: Certainly the Lord will not bid ſuch an uncleane wretch call God Father; for that were for the Lord of truth to put a lie into a mans mouth, which were Blaſphemie to thinke.
Fifthly, Yet againe, though as Excellent Turkney hath it out of Morney firſt Chapter firſt words; A man hath never leſſeDe veritate Religionis. Cap. 1. …. to ſay than when that, which he is to prove or cleare is more certaine and manifeſt than his proofe. Omni luce clarius, omni interpretatione notius; Notwithſtanding we will proceed. The Lord Chriſt would not bid a man, (we ſhould tremble to ſpeake this, or to heare it, but ſith it is commonly done, and in a zeale for our God we would not have it ſo done being aſſured from a ſure word; That a wicked man Blaſphemes the Name of his God, and haſtneth his owne Curſe, by letting this prayer goe out of his mouth; as he doth by taking into his mouth the Bread and Wine at the Lords Table) wee were ſaying, The Lord Chriſt would not bid a man blaſpheme This Glorious & fearefull Name, The Lord his God; and ſo haſten his Curſe, bringing upon himſelfeDeut. 8. ſwift deſtruction; but ſo he muſt that Bids a wicked man ſay 1 Pet. 2. 1. Iſai. 52. 5.the Lords Prayer; call God Father; My Name Continually every day is blaſphemed? how ſo, or what had they done? why, they would lie, and ſteale, and ſweare, and yet would come untoJer. 7. Gods Temple, and call upon Him; They that did wickedly as they could, lyars, Curſers, oppoſers of what is Good (Theſe are worthy Mr Burgeſſe's words) Yet they will: come here and ſay our Father. Nay you cannot meete with any beaſtlyJer. 3. ſinner, but his heart is filled with this bold impudency, he will ſay as they did we are Jewes▪ i. e. true beleivers (for as thatRevel. 2 9. Mr Caryll. Job 11. 4. 21. Learned man ſaith, under the old Teſtament-Termes, Goſpell profeſſours are expreſt in the Revelations) I am ſuch a one, a true Chriſtian, for the time was, when I was Borne, and quickly after Baptized, and a viſible Saint I was ever ſince being a member of a (Nationall) Church, and yet this Beaſt-like man, doth not ſo much as pretend to pietie; which yet were double iniquitie; for the ſhew of his countenance doth witneſſe againſt him, he declares his ſin Iſai. 3.as Sodom, he hideth it not; yet ſo impudent he is, he calls God, Father. And ſo goes on to the end of his prayer. Tell us your opinion here Sir, doth not this tread upon the brinks of Blaſphemie at leaſt? And if it doe ſo, It were blaſphemie to thinke, That our Saviour Chriſt would bid a wicked man ſay that prayer, for that were to bid him blaſpheme the Name of his God, fearefull and glorious.
Sixthly, And in the laſt place, to bid him ſay this prayer, were to bid him haſten his owne Curſe, and to bring upon himſelfe ſwift deſtruction, which he muſt needs doe continually, and dayly blaſpheming that holy and ſacred Name, which yet he takes into his mouth, and ſayes before the Lord and His people, Hallowed be Thy Name; As if a Malefactor ſhould ſet▪ himſelfe before his Judge, and remember the Judge of the Murther which he had committed, and call-down vengeance upon himſelfe: So doth every wicked man that calls God Father, and continues to rebell againſt Him; he minds God, as we may ſay, to inflict the Curſe upon him, which he hath deſerved, which certainly ſhall be done ſo ſoone, as he hath filled-up the Meaſure of his Blaſphemies: Wee leave it to your judgement, Sir; ſo you will rule it by the Scriptures, whether a wicked man doth not haſten his Curſe by letting this prayer goe out of his mouth? Whence have and ſtill doe iſſue forth ſo many vaine, lying, and deceitfull words, and Curſed Oaths, as he doth by takeing into his mouth the Bread and Wine at the Lords Table? We ſhall ſpeake more to this in the next Treatiſe where we ſhall hold-forth this undoubted ſigne of a faithfull Miniſter, whom Satans tongue (in his inſtruments and ſervants) is ſtill diſquieting, and as they poſſibly can, vexing and tormenting, becauſe the tongue of this good Miniſter is ſtill, and ſtill will be vexing and tormenting him and them: But if aRev. 11. 10. Miniſters tongue will not torment Satan, Satans tongue will not torment him. There we ſhall alſo commend unto your reading, and, if you pleaſe, to your tranſlating Iſidor: Peluſiot's Epiſtle to his friend about this prayer, that ſo your Saint (that hath no more to plead for his Saint-ſhip, but that he was borne in ſinne, ſo he will acknowledge, onelyonly he is cleanſed from it, and he hopes thorowly purged by Baptiſme quickly after he was borne, and can ſay this prayer before your face in the Congregation:) Wee were ſaying, That ſo your Saint may, by Gods bleſſing upon your inſtruction of him at that point, your ſelfe being better informed about it firſt, may conſider, at what an high degree of blaſphemy he hath arrived, that dares ſay that prayer before his God, while his heart riſeth-up in Rebellion againſt Him.
Here wee would add this, that the more excellent your prayer is, and this is excellency in the abſtract, the more unbecoming a loathſome perſon it is, as a pearle in a ſwines ſnout; But this isProv. 13. 5. not the worſt, the more excellent and ſoveraigne a thing is, being received or uſed after the due manner, and according as God hath appointed it to be received or uſed, the more deadly it workes; the more diſtractive it is, the more it haſteneth the curſe upon the ſpirit, and bringeth-on deſtruction ſwiftly, being prophaned, and blaſphemed by uncleane lips, and hands; Wee might make inſtance in the Word of God deſpiſed, and rejected; caſt behind the backe, it is a ſavour of death unto death; at once it kills twice, like the ſtrongeſt poyſon mixt with the ſtrongeſt wine, the very ſent kills, or as the wine received at the Lords Table by a viſible ſenſuall perſon not having the Spirit: See by their out-workes, what dreadfull workings the wine hath upon their ſpirits! But looke to the thing in hand, and here is a loathſome perſon, and delights in his loathſomeneſſe, which ſhould be loathſome to him, yet he ſayes the Lords prayer. Now obſerve him in his walke, his curſed act…gs therein, and tell your ſelfe whether the curſe of God, which … hath been plucking downe upon himſelfe with both hands, …: as with cart-ropes, doth not cleave as faſt to him as his heart cleaveth to his ſinne?
Wee thinke wee have made ſufficient proofe, That a wicked man ought not to ſay this prayer, certainly he hath no warrant from our Lord and Saviour ſo to doe; But ſince hee will doe it on his owne head, as we ſay, and ſo is carried head-long towards his curſe, meeting it as it were halfe way; wee have read how hee curſeth himſelfe by calling Chriſt accurſed; and how he hath drawne upon himſelfe ſwift deſtruction; And wee have been the longer at this point, That all that ſee this man with his curſe upon him, cloathed with it as with a Garment, eating his meat, as was ſayd, as a ſwine doth his, rolled up in dirt, may ſee and fly away, as hee will doe, that heares, and feares, and will no more preſumptuouſly call God Father, as the wicked man doth, while, with a high hand, and an uncovered head, hee acteth villany againſt the Lord. Wee will cloſe this with worthy Mantons words; I have read of a Jewell, ſayth he, that being put into a Upon James 5. 16.dead mans mouth, looſeth all its efficacie; Prayer is ſuch a Jewell in a dead mans mouth, it is of no power nor efficacie, but to haſten his ruine and utter deſtruction.