GOd having but one Son, made him a Minister of the Cir­cumcision, that is, [Page 2] he ordained him a preacher of the truth to his own peo­ple the Jewes. This man was not meerely as other Priests taken out from a­mongst men; but that in all things he might have the preheminence, he was ta­ken from amidst the per­sons of the ever blessed Trinity, to deale in things pertaining unto God. And now being made an Officer in the Church, it behoved him to wait on his office, and to fulfill his Ministry which he had received of the Lord. And accordingly he did; he gave himselfe continually to Prayer, and to the Ministry of the word; and so he became an example and pattern to [Page 3] his Apostles which they did follow, Acts 6.4. and to all Ministers that come after, that they should tread in his steps. And, upon occasion of his frequent going to pray­er, at a certain time, when he had been about that ho­ly performance, one of his Disciples (whether one of the Apostles, for they were all called Disciples, or one of the seventy Disciples, or some other of his followers, I determine not; but one of them) desires of him to teach them to pray as John Baptist had taught his Di­sciples. It may seem either that this Disciple was not present at our Saviours Sermon on the Mount; wherein, as you have it, [Page 4] Mat. 6.9. he taught his Disciples, and in them all Christians, to pray after this manner, Our Father, &c. or else, that he did not apprehend our Lords mea­ning at that his first delive­ry of this form of Prayer, but took it for a model, or pattern of Prayer onely. And as (probably) the chief Masters, or Rabbies a­mongst the Pharisees, had framed certain formes of prayer for their Disciples, and John the Baptist had given his a forme of pray­er, (suitable, likely to their present condition, wherein it may be one great request, was that the Messiah, whom John preached, and they expected, and longed [Page 5] for, might suddenly come into his Temple:) So this Disciple prayeth Christ to prescribe his Schollars and followers a form also; both as a badge and cognizance of being his Disciples, and as a help and furtherance to them in their devotions. Possibly the Liturgy of the Scribes and Pharisees might now be leavened with evil, as well as their Sermons: Observable it is, that our Saviour sometime adviseth on this wise, saying, the Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses chaire, whatsoever they say unto you, that ob­serve and do: but we never finde that he counselled to pray their prayers. And again, it may be that the [Page 6] form which John Baptist, the Lord Christ his Harbin­ger, taught his Disciples, to prepare the way for Christ, was not sufficiently accom­modated, or fitted to the condition of them, who believed him already come, followed him, professed Faith in him, and were rea­dy to, or actually did preach him. Upon these, or such like considerations, this Disciple might make this motion to our Saviour, saying, Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Di­sciples, and occasion our Lord more plainly and ful­ly to expresse himself con­cerning the use of that form of prayer formerly delivered, & now not to say, [Page 7] as before, After this man­ner pray yee; but when ye pray, say, Our Father, &c. It is the saying of learned Mr. Mede, As the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh, because the thing was established by God; so the Lords Prayer was twice delivered, that we might not scruple the using, but know it for a truth, that Jesus Christ did recommend it to his Church to be used as a forme of prayer, and not a patterne of prayer onely.

Let this serve for the oc­casion, and scope of the words. There are three ob­servations which I shall raise and prosecute in part, in my treating on this text:

• [Page 8]1. Gods Children, or People, or right Christians, are a praying generati­on.
• 2. It is lawfull to use a Form of Prayer.
• 3. It is lawful to use this Form, the Lords Prayer, for a Prayer.

I. Of the first, Gods Chil­dren, or right Christians, are a praying generation. That John the Baptist (the Elijah who was for to come) was also noted for prayer, I gather hence, be­cause 'tis said, that hee taught his Disciples to pray: And, that they, viz. his Schollers, or Disciples, learnt this lesson, and pra­ctised this duty, seems im­plied in the same phrase. [Page 9] And, as for Christ himself, the onely begotten Son of God, and his Disciples the adopted children of God; that they were men of many prayers, those who much frequented, and high­ly valued this Ordinance, the very words of the text import, or at least insinu­ate.

From these premises I in­ferre my first conclusion, and ground my following discourse thereupon.

I shall endeavour to shew what Prayer is; That all men ought to pray; That the children of Men, as well as the children of God; That very Heathens, with­out the pale of the Church, and profane, or scandalous [Page 10] Persons, Formalists, and Hypocrits within, do some­times pray; That Gods own People, his dear Chil­dren, or right Christians, are most frequent and most excellent at prayer; They take the most pains about it, and the greatest pleasure in it.

Prayer is a making of our requests known unto God. It is an offering up of the first born of our soules, i. e. of our desires unto God.

To pray well, there is nothing required (saith one) but to desire well. Senhault. ex. Aug.

Nature and Scripture both oblige and prompt men to pray. Prayer is a duty which all men owe to God; a duty whereby we [Page 11] acknowledge our continu­all dependance upon him; his fulnesse, self-sufficiency, and all-sufficiency; and our own emptinesse, and necessity. He is our Sove­raign Lord, and we are his Subjects; and this homage and tribute we owe him; we hold all of him, and this quit-rent, this pepper-corn, we are bound to pay him.

It is not Gods knowing all things, the very thoughts and desires of our hearts long before, so that hee needs not that any man should tell him in prayer; it is not the irrevocableness of Gods decrees, that our prayers cannot change them, or him; It is not mans inability naturally, to [Page 12] ask aright; It is neither Gods perfections, nor Mans imperfections, that do ab­solve men from this duty. Again, no mans piety can exempt him, nor can any mans impiety excuse him from it. And lastly, there is none so rich, but he must; and none so poore, but he may, offer unto God this morning and evening, this daily sacrifice. God, the Lord and master of this great house, the world, doth not allow the Israelite to take the bread upon his table, nor the Canaanite to gather the crums under the table without first asking his leave, or giving him thanks.

Prayer is the voyce of [Page 13] nature, 'tis her strugling and striving to be rid of her burden. Meere naturall men, yea very Heathens, when they are in distresse, will call upon their gods, though very stocks and stones.

If a man cannot pray, let him goe to Sea, and in a storme Ionahs heathen Marriners will teach him to call upon his God. Afflicti­ons, necessities will drive men generally unto Prayer, for relief, and succour. And yet because, many call upon false gods, or upon the true God in a false manner, either not praying con­stantly, or not in faith and with good Affections, or asking things not conveni­ent, [Page 14] instead of an egge a Scorpion, or, if good things, yet to an evill end, viz. That what they get by Prayer they may consume on their lusts. Therefore the Holy Ghost, in the Scri­pture, brands so many for men that call not upon God. And the very truth is, were it not to stop the mouth of naturall conscience, or to get or keep a name of be­ing religious in the world, or that hereby they thinke to merit Gods favour or countenance, so far as to be blessed in this life, or to hire or bribe God, the Judge of all the world, not to doe right, i. e. not to punish them in the world to come; I say, that [Page 15] were it not for some one, or more of these causes, I be­lieve that God, who is a God hearing prayers, would have none to heare, either from meere Heathens, or unrege­rate Christians; his doors would be empty of these clients, these Suitors would not come at him. They goe not to Prayer with so much chearfulnes, as some go to prison, as others to execution: they come unwillingly, they are de­tained before the Lord like Doeg, with much weari­nesse, like a sick Stomach at a full table, they are glad when the duty is done, and they again at liberty, like an Apprentice, that is [Page 16] freed from his master. These things therefore conside­red, it is no wonder that God delights not in their Prayers, Quo modo te audiri à Deo postu­las, ùn tu ipse non au­dias? Cyp. de Orat. Dom. who delight not at all in the duty themselves. How should God take pleasure in those Prayers, which those that make them scarce heare or mind themselves, and are glad, when they have rid their hands of them? and which they would never bestow a look after, but meerly for ease and advantage.

But is this the manner of the people of God? of the Disciples of Christ? Are the children of God as blame-worthy, as faulty in this matter as the children of men? If I should say this, [Page 17] I should verily be guilty of rash, and false judgment thus to accuse and condemn wrongfully the generati­on of the Righteous: for they are men and women of another temper, frame, manner of spirit and car­riage in their addresses un­to the most high God in Prayer.

These are they, that ac­count Prayer their especiall priviledge, that make it their daily exercise, that looke on their incomes by Prayer, as their best reve­nues. These go to Prayer, as a Favourite to Court, to see and wait on his Sove­raigne, and whole face he sees as an Angell of God. These go to Prayer with [Page 18] delight, and have more So­lid joy therein, than the voluptuous man hath in all his sports and pleasures. These go to this duty as an hungry man to a meale, to a feast, expecting to have their Soules satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse. Unre­generate men, at best, go to it but as to the taking of Physick, as to a potion, which they would never take but for meer necessity, but for their healths sake. Lastly, these go to Prayer, as a trades-man into his shop, to meet with a good cu­stomer; as a merchant to the Exchange, to get a bar­gaine; as the merchant in the Parable goes to the field wherein was the [Page 19] pearle of price. To make all this appeare, let me in­stance in two or three, both of the Old and of the New Testament: for both they that went before Christ, and they that followed af­ter him, cryed Hosanna, or save us we pray thee; I mean, they were much taken, yea much taken up, with this holy performance.

Ile instance first in David, a man after Gods own heart; he made Prayer his Cordiall in all his troubles and afflictions, Psal. 42.7, 8, 9, 10. & Psal. 55.16, 17. his Castle to retire unto from the face of his ene­mies. Psal. 109.4. They are my adversaries, but I give my self unto prayer; as [Page 20] Luther used to say, of later daies, when he was ill dealt withall by men: Well, Ile tell God of it. When they that sate in the gate, i. e. Judges and Rulers, spake against David, and when the drunkards made songs of him, what doth he doe, but fall to his prayers. As for me (saith he, Psal. 69.12, 13.) my prayer is unto thee, O Lord. I dare say, he esteemed it more honour to lye prostrate at the Throne of Gods grace, praying, than they could do to sit on the bench on the throne of iniquity, to censure, to judge him. And his meditations, i. e. his prayers, I am confident, were sweeter to him than [Page 21] the drunkards cups and songs, were, or could be to them. The value he set on prayer ye may guesse from hence, that he layes up a prayer, he leaves a prayer for his son Solomon, as well as any other treasure what­soever, Psal. 72. and in that Psalm, or Prayer, he layes a Foundation and Prophe­cy of the greatnesse of So­lomons Kingdome, saying, The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring pre­sents, the Kings of Seba and Sheba shall offer gifts. If you aske, what gifts? He addes, to him shall one give of the gold of Sheba. And accor­ding to his word, the Queen of Sheba gave King Solomon Gold, even to an [Page 22] hundred and twenty ta­lents, and of Spices very great store, and pretious Stones; and yet I have not told you the halfe of Solo­mons treasury, he had an Exchequer of prayers far beyond all gold and preti­ous stones: For when his dying Father, as some thinke, by the Spirit of Pro­phecy, had blessed him with that wealth; he addes, that which excelleth all the gold and riches of both the Indies, Prayer also shall be made for him continually, Psal. 72.10, 11, 15. Again, this Royall Prophet, when he speakes unto God in prayer, hath yet that holy boldnesse as to liken his prayers to Incense, to Sa­crifice, [Page 23] to the evening Sa­crifice, which because it did most punctually typifie Je­sus Christ, who was offered up about the time of the Evening Sacrifice, might in that respect have the preheminence. Psal. 141.2. Let my prayer be set forth be­fore thee as incense, and the lifting up my hands as the evening sacrifice. In all this David sinned not, nor spake to God foolishly or unadvisedly with his lips; for prayer is as a sweet in­cense before God, in the language of the Old and New Testament. Malach. 1.11. Revelat. 8.3, 4.

And, according to the price and value this holy Prophet set on the duty, [Page 24] was his practice of it: sometimes he prayed thrice a day, sometimes seven times a day; perhaps thrice a day was his ordinary daily course, and seaven times was his practice upon Sabbaths, and Festivals. A­gaine, sometimes he prayes at midnight, and rises to the duty; sometimes early in the morning, his prayers prevent the dawning of the day. Understand this of continued prayer: As for Ejaculations, sudden short dartings, and breathings of his soule after God, this kind of prayer was his ele­ment, the aire his soule de­lighted to breath in, the pulse of his soule beat this way, and thus his heart [Page 25] panted toward God conti­nually, not onely seven times a day, but seventy times seven times. When his body was at rest in his bed, his soule was fully im­ployed in following hard after God. He makes his bed, as it were, a Bethel, a house of prayer; and, when the time of feasting is over, or ceaseth, even in the night watches, when he is on his bed, then hath he meat to eat which the world knowes not, then he doth not, as some, dreame of a feast, but hath his soul satisfied wi [...]h holy medita­tions, as with marrow and fatnesse.

A second eminent instance we have in Daniel, who, as [Page 26] before, so after the decree was signed by Darius (that whosoever should ask any petition of any God or Man, save of the King, for thirty daies space, should be cast into the den of Li­ons) went into his house, and, his windowes being open in his chamber to­wards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime, saith the text, Dan. 6.10. It was not the den of Lions could scare him from his wonted devo­tions and prayers three times a day. There were four circumstances which (considering that his ene­mies were many, and migh­ty, [Page 27] and such as did watch for his halting) did notably commend his zeale.

1. He prayed with the window of his chamber open towards Jerusalem, though he was at Babylon; a ceremony then used, be­cause of the Temple there, a type of Christ, and be­cause of Solomons prayer, in case they were in captivity, 1 Kings 8.48. If they pray toward their land, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name, then heare thou their prayer, &c.

2. He prayed kneeling; he did not omit his wonted humble gesture, though a circumstance or cermony, [Page 28] no not when his life was in danger, and this posture might possibly help to be­tray him. Could he have satisfied himself to pray in his bed for these thirty daies (as thousands amongst us do all the daies of their lives, if they pray at all) saying, 'Tis good sleeping in a whole skin; Why should I stir out of bed to pray? there is a Lion in the way, it may indanger my life; I say, could he have done thus, probably the sparing his knee might have help'd to have saved his head.

3. 'Tis not unlikely, that his prayer was vocall, that he used his voice in this prayer; he would not be silent, though he knew he [Page 29] should be an offender, a traytour, for his words; that what his Enemies heard him say in his private chamber, in a corner, they would publish on the house top, and punish in the Lions den.

4. It may seem, that he continued his prayers, till his enemies came and found him, Dan. 6.11. and yet, possibly, might have some intimation, or notice of their coming, before they apprehended him. He would not forbeare continued prayer for a moneth, nor abate the ceremony of kneeling, nor the circum­stance of his voice, nor change his times of prayer all into the night time, nor [Page 30] cut them off by halfs in the day, no though his life lay at stake. The Lions roared, yet Daniel did not feare.

And as for the New-Testament Saints, the Di­sciples, and followers of Christ; as their Lord and Master was a man of many prayers, so were they of his houshold and retinue. It was the cognizance and character of converts in the Primitive times, They con­tinued in the Apostles do­ctrine and fellowship, and breaking of bread, and pray­ers, Act. 2.41, 42. yea, 'tis brought as a convincing argument of the reality of Saul's coversion to Paul, frō a persecutor to be a pro­fessor, a chosen vessel unto [Page 31] Christ, Behold he prayeth. We are not to imagine, but that, whilst he was a Phari­see, he prayed often: But now he prayed more ear­nestly, more from the heart, and, it may be, with strong cries and teares, to him that was able to enlighten his darknesse; I mean, to cure his blindnesse, both of soul and body, and to save him both from the shadow of death, and from utter dark­nesse. Now he prayes to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom formerly he persecu­ted, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. Now he prayed after another manner, than ever he did before.

Nor ought it to seem a wonder, that Gods chil­dren, [Page 32] Christians of all men, should be most zealous and excellent at prayer, if we consider, 1. The example of their Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

1. Hee was often at prayer; witnesse his usu­all Oratory, Mount Oli­vet. He was zealous at it; witnesse his transfiguration on Mount Tabor, whilst he was praying, and a second kind of transfiguration of his in the Garden, when being in an Agony he pray­ed more earnestly, and sweat great drops of blood trickling downe to the ground, Luke 22.44.

2. If we consider the many precepts, and exhortations, to this duty. Pray without [Page 33] ceasing, 1 Thes. 5.17. Pray all manner of prayer, Eph. 6.18. and Luke 18.1. Jesus Christ spake a parable, to the end men should pray al­waies, and not faint.

3. The encouraging pro­mises they have to this per­formance. Ask, and ye shall have; seeke, and ye shall finde; knock, and it shall be opened, Mat. 7.7. Luke 11.9. Mark 11.2, 4. and againe, Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall aske the Father in my name, he will give it you, John 16.23, 24.

4. If we consider, how great things Prayer hath done for them, wee our selves, might Christians say, have heard with our eares, [Page 34] and our Fathers have told us, what wonders it hath done in our daies, and in the times before us: How it hath, like a General, com­manded the Host of Hea­ven, the Sun, Moone, and Starres, either to stand still, or go back, and to fight in their courses against Gods enemies. They know, that this is it, which, like the key of David, opens, and no man shuts, and shuts, and no man opens. This is the key of Heaven, the key of hearts, the key of the barren Womb, and of the Grave; it opens and shuts all these. I had almost said, it is the key of Hell too, of the bot­tomlesse pit; for there it locks up the Devils, that [Page 35] they cannot tempt us: and this is it which some Chri­stians have used ( Luther for one to unlock Hell, yea, the Devils Cabinet, and to re­cover thence those bonds, whereby some have in wri­ting, under hand & seale, gi­ven their souls to the Devil. Prayer, which is our fami­ar converse with God, makes a Christians soule shine. The soul of a praying Saint is sometimes, whilst he is praying, in a sort transfigured, as Christs bo­dy was on Mount Tabor. When Moses fasted and prayed forty daies, and for­ty nights, his face was not at all disfigured, he did not appeare unto men to fast, but, on the contrary, his [Page 36] face did shine so gloriously, that the Israelites were not able to behold him, but through a vaile, Exod. 34.33, 34, 35. Observe, that at the former forty daies be­ing in the Mount with God, whilst God did, as it were, preach to Moses in the de­livery of the Law, we read of no such glory abiding on Moses face, when he came downe; but now, when Moses went up the second time, und continued inter­ceding for Israel forty days and forty nights, at his co­ming down the skin of his face did shine; so that Aaron and Israel were afraid to come nigh him, Exod. 34.28, 29, 30. The name of a praying Christian may be [Page 37] like the name of the Angel, which appeared to Manoah and his wife, Judges 13.18. it may be Peli, wonderfull; for how oft have many of them done wonderously, as that Angel did? for ma­ny of them, at their depar­ture hence, have breathed out their soules in fervent prayer. When the flame of their fervent prayers went up to Heaven, from the altar of their hearts; their soules, like the Angel of the Lord, ascended in the flame of the Altar. Yea, as Elijah went up once in a fiery Chariot, so do Chri­stians, in a sort, daily, some­times seven times a day, and sometimes seventy times seven times. This chariot of [Page 38] Prayer hath foure wheeles; Prayers, Supplications, In­tercessions, Thanksgiving: And, let me say, the spirit of a living Christian is in these wheeles; and, when these are lift up from the earth, towards heaven, then are the living christians, in their soules, lifted up also.

What shall I say more of the praise of Prayer? for time would faile me to tell of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; of Moses, Aaron, and Sampson; of Samuel also, and of the Prophets, who, through prayer, sub­dued enemies, wrought righteousnesse, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of Lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped [Page 39] the edge of the sword, out of weaknesse were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the Aliens, wo­men received their dead al­so to life again, &c.

And now, Brethren, to the end we may have our conversation such as be­comes the Gospel of Christ, to the end we may live peaceable and quiet lives in all godlinesse and honesty, here on earth, and see the face of God, and enjoy his presence for ever in heaven; I exhort, that Prayers, Sup­plications, Intercessions, and giving of Thanks, be made by all men; for this is the will of God our Saviour, who would have all men to [Page 40] pray, and to come to the experimental knowledge of this truth, that Gods chil­dren, or people, are a pray­ing Generation, or that right Christians are pray­ing Christians.

Pray, therefore, my belo­ved brethren, all manner of prayer: pray set, or continu­ed prayer, & pray continual­ly, sending up every where holy Ejaculations towards heaven. Pray when thou art alone, in thy closet, or secret chamber: pray with thy family, wife, children, ser­vants: pray in the publick Assemblies, in the great Congregation.

And now, as the Apostle Paul to his Thessalonians, chap. 4.9, 10. As touching [Page 41] brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another. And in­deed ye doe it,— but we be­seech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more: So my hearty desire is that I could say, concerning all kinde of prayer, in secret, in the family, in the con­gregation; concerning pray­er, ye have no need that I preach unto you, for ye your selves are taught of God thus to pray; And indeed you doe it, but we beseech you bre­thren, that ye increase more and more.

1. Let your closet, or secret chamber, be perfumed with the sweet incense of Prayer, morning and evening. Let [Page 42] God have his morning & e­vening sacrifice, at least. This is but reasonable service.

Say not, thou art so spi­rituall already, that thou art above this, and all other Ordinances. Be not decei­ved, God is not mocked; except thou couldst be, ex­cept thou wast better than Emanuel (God-man) thou oughtest to pray; for so did our Lord Jesus Christ. If thou dost altogether re­strain prayer before God, thou art so far from being of the highest forme of Christians, that thou hast, in this, denied the Faith, and art worse than an in­fidell: thou hast denied the faith, and art worse than the Devil, for the Devils [Page 43] prayed unto Christ, that he would not command them to go out into the deep, and that he would suffer them to enter into the herd of Swine. Luke 8.31.32.

Say not, I am an unrege­nerate person, a sinner, and God heareth not sinners; and, if you should pray, your prayer would be tur­ned into sin; and there­fore 'tis to no purpose to pray; if the sacrifice of the wicked be an abomination to the Lord, then his Pray­er or Incense is not like to prove a sweet savour in Gods nostrills, or an odour of a sweet smell unto him. I grant, that it is true, that God doth not heare grie­vous sinners, impostors, [Page 44] and Sabbath-breakers, so as at their prayer to cure one that was born blinde. But yet I say, God that heares the cry of Nature, even of the young Ravens, when they cry for food, he doth sometimes heare the prayers of meere natural men. King Jehoahaz was one that did evil in the sight of the Lord; a wicked man he was, and yet he be­sought the Lord, 2 Kings 13.4. and he hearkened unto him.

Again, I say, unto unre­generate persons, it is their duty to pray, 'tis their sin if they doe not. It is not their sin simply to pray, but they sin indeed, whether they eat, or drink, or sleep, or plough, or pray, because [Page 45] they do not these things to the glory of God; but they sin more, who will nei­ther lift up their hands to heaven, nor put their hand to the plough, nor exercise themselves in some honest calling. Let thy plough as soone stand still, because the ploughing of the wic­ked is sinne, as thy pray­ers cease before the Lord therefore. But God forbid, that thou shouldst sinne a­gainst God, in ceasing to pray for thy own soul, & for others also, although thou beest unregenerate. I dare confidently say, that no man is ever the farther off from finding grace, because he doth in a way of prayer diligently seek for it. Prov. [Page 46] 2.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Ezek. 36.25, 26, 27, 37. Mat. 7.7. If once God bow thy heart to pray in good earnest, there's hopes he will incline his eare to heare. Only, see thou henceforth regard not iniquity in thy heart, if thou expectest that God should regard thy Prayer.

2. Pray with your families; thus dedicating your houses daily unto the Lord. The Jews, at their first entrance, or taking possession of a new house to dwell in it, did use to pray, feast, and sing Psalmes; hence the title of the thirtieth Psalme, A Psalm and Song at the dedi­cation of the house of David. Christians, let your houses be dedicated houses, houses [Page 47] of prayer, and singing of Psalmes to all that dwell therein Let God have his morning and evening Sa­crifice every day. Christi­ans either have, or ought to have, a Church in their houses; your houses should be Seminaries, and Nurse­ries for the Congregation; where God should have a Church, let not the Devill have a Chappell. Instead of praying, reading, and singing of Psalmes, let there not be heard cursing, roa­ring, and revelling: doe not open your doores to be a randevouz for Devils, a habitation for Ziim and Iim, and every unclean spi­rit. We heare little now of Fairies, and Hobgoblins, [Page 48] of Spirits walking in hou­ses; I hope one reason is, because the worship of God is set up in many hou­ses. Therefore it is that Dagon falls down, because the Ark of God, the Ordi­nances of God, are brought into the house. Let all that come under your roofe, say, Surely the feare of God is in this place, this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

God ordained in the be­ginning, that the first-born of every family should be the King, or Governour, and the Priest to offer sa­crifice. God provided a Magistrate, and a Minister in every house. I perswade my selfe, that one great [Page 49] cause, why many men are no more masters in, or of their own houses, or that they finde so much trouble and d [...]sturbance in their govern­ment, from wife, children, servants, is this, because they seperate those things which God hath joyned together; they will be Kings to over­rule their Families, but they will not be Priests unto God, to offer unto him the sacrifice and incense of Praise and Prayer, with, and for their families; they would be Masters, but they refuse to be Ministers in their own houses.

Where there is most praying to, and blessing of God together in families; I dare warrant there's the [Page 50] least brawling and cursing of one another. Those that serve God together most, will least seek to domineere one over another. But no mervail you cannot agree all the day, in and about your own work, when you did not agree in Gods work together in the mor­ning.

I finde in the Scriptures, that God required one great act of religious wor­ship to be performed in private houses, namely, the Passover. And they say, that the Jewes, in their publick mournings, did use to shut themselves up in their hou­ses with their families, and there, upon some extraor­dinary occasion, they might [Page 51] fast, pray, and mourn. See Zech. 12.12, 13, 14. Now if they held it lawfull to worship God in such great and extraordinary acts of devotion, in their private houses, and that too, the Temple standing: Then let not the calling the family together, to pray, read, and sing Psalmes, now in Go­spel times, be censured for an unlawfull Assembly, nor any man be in danger to be called in question for such daily exercises, there being sufficient cause whereby we may give account of such meetings, in every place, every day.

Yea, let me exhort you, not onely to make Prayer your ordinary, your every­day-work; [Page 52] but that, when ever the Bridegroom is ta­ken from you, when Christ with-drawes his presence, or hides his face from your family, that then you that are the children of the Bride-chamber would fast and pray in those dayes. I dare boldly say, that one speciall way and meanes to keep hunger, or fasting through necessity, or to keep mourning, or eating your bread with sorrow, and mingling your drinke with teares, out of your houses; and to celebrate a continuall feast, to have peace of conscience, and the joy of the holy Ghost amongst you in your dwel­lings, is, to bring in prayer, [Page 53] ordinary and extraordina­ry, under your roofe: As God blessed Potiphar's house for Joseph's sake, and the house of Obed-Ed [...]m for the Ark's sake, so, be assured, he will blesse you and your houses, if you would open your doores to entertain Family-prayer throughout all your dwel­lings; that imprecation, or curse of the Prophet, should never come nigh your hou­ses, Poure out thine indigna­tion upon the Heathen, and upon the families that call not upon thy name: your houses should never be Beth avens, i. e. houses of iniquity, and vanity; your places, Bochims, places of weeping; your fields Ach [...]el­dama's, [Page 54] fields of blood; your valleys, valleys of Achor, valleys of trouble; if you would daily, by pray­er, consecrate them Be­thels, that is, houses of God. Let none scruple to pray with their family, be­cause, it may be, some of them are not Saints; for this is the way to make them all so. And I never read, that our Lord Jesus refused to be present at the Passe­over, which yet was not celebrated without prayers, because that Judas, a Devil, was there. But this I read, that our Lord prayed in the presence of many thou­sands, Iohn 6.26, 27. al­though some of them were such as laboured more for [Page 55] the meat that perisheth, than for that which endu­reth to everlasting life. ver. 66.

3. Pray in publique: do not forsake the assembling your selves together, the praying to God, and prai­sing of him in the great Congregation. The glory of a King is the multitude of his Subjects: And God is most honoured, when thousands, and ten thou­sands of his Saints come to­gether into his Courts, to bow and kneele before him in prayer. David was glad, when they said, Come, let us goe into the house of the Lord. How good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to joyn together [Page 56] in prayer? God hearkens and heares, and a booke of remembrance shall be writ­ten for them that speak of­ten one to another (as those converts doe, Zech. 8.2.) Come, let us goe speedily to pray before the Lord; I will goe also. One soul well tuned in prayer, ma [...]es good musick in Gods ears; M [...]. Cobbet of Prayer. but he delights much (saith a reverend Author) I say most, in prayers in consort, when two or three, when two or three thousand, ga­ther together, and agree to ask any thing in the name of Christ. The Church on earth is never so like the Church in heaven, as when the four living Crea­tures, and the four and [Page 57] twenty Elders, i e. when Pastors, and People, having Harps in their hands, that is, being prepared to praise God, and golden vials full of Odours or Incense, that is, being prepared to pray unto him, when all these meet together, thus to wor­ship the Lamb, Rev. 5.8. Let Christians say, it is good for us to be here, it is best for us to be here. How amiable are thy Taberna­cles, O Lord of Hosts! this is none other than the Su­burbs of Heaven, than the gate, than a corner of Heaven, than a Heaven up­on Earth. Pray therefore all manner of prayer, but especially in publique, with the Assemblies of Gods people.

[Page 58]I shall adde but one thing more in this particular, and that is to beseech you, not to diminish ought of this service, not to clip Gods Tribute-mony, or to offer an imperfect Sacrifice unto God; but at all times, but especially on the Lords day, let us come together at the beginning, and tarry till the end of publique Prayers. God will not allow the Prince of his people to absent himself, or to delay his coming to publique Worship, or to depart un­till the Conclusion. Ezek. 46.10.

And now, if there be any here, who shall say in their hearts, Wee have high thoughts of Prayer, and a [Page 59] good minde to the duty; but alas, we are not able to compose a Prayer of our selves, we cannot goe to prayer except some lead us by the hand, we know not what to say as we ought, except some put words in our mouths. To these the second Observation may give satisfaction, which speaketh on this wise, say­ing,

II. It is lawfull to pray with, or by a Set forme of Prayer.

Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies. This is the [Page 60] definition of Prayer given by the late Reverend As­sembly, in their shorter Catechisme. And in this we have contained all the Es­sentials of Prayer: and all this may be done, whether we make use of a written, or printed book, or rehearse a Prayer out of our memo­ry, D. W. G [...]ft of Prayer. that invisible book; or whether we may by imme­diate, and sudden sugge­stion, or according to the sudden conceptions and dictates of our own hearts.

I say, therefore, that it is neither absolutely necessa­ry in it self, nor utterly un­lawfull, to use a Set form of Prayer. Confident I am, that Prayer, with, or by a Form, is better than no [Page 61] prayer at all; and that, if all those persons amongst us, who are not able to pray by immediate suggestion, or sudden conception, or who cannot by study, & pre­meditation compose such a Prayer, as they dare offer up to God, especially be­fore others, if these would make use of some Forms of wholsome desires, framed by others, and if, being Masters of Families, they would, morning and eve­ning, ingage themselves to seek God with their fami­lies in this way, God might, and should have honour thereby, and they receive blessing from God.

This lawfulnesse of Set Formes may be evinced by [Page 62] holy Scriptures, by the pra­ctise of the Church of God, Jewish and Christian.

The Apostle Paul in his first Epistle to Timothy, ch: 2.1. makes four sorts, or parts, of Prayer; Suppli­cations, Prayers, Interces­sions, and giving of Thanks; and we have patternes, or ground, for Set Formes of all these in the Scriptures.

For the first sort of Pray­er, wherein we desire the averting of evils, both of sinne and punishment, we have ground to do this, in, or by, a prescribed form of words; for so God injoy­ned in the case of an uncer­tain murder, Deut. 21.7, 8. that the El­ders of the city, that is, next to the slain man, should [Page 63] wash their hands over an Heifer, which was to be beheaded in the valley, and that they, or the Priests in their name, and roome, should answer, and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seene it; Be mercifull, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israels charge. Again, the Prophet Hosea exhorting Israel to return unto the Lord, chap. 14. beginning, saith, Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto him, take away all iniquity, and re­ceive us graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips, &c. from which two [Page 64] texts, I think it more rea­sonable to inferre, or con­clude, that they might, without sin, say those very words which were put into their mouths; than to say they should sinne if they should pray in that very form of words.

2. We have in the Scri­pture formes of Prayer, or petitions for the obtaining of good things: A Forme used by Moses, one who had abundance of spirit at the setting forward of the Ark, and at the resting of the Ark, Numb. 10.35, 36. And another Form prescri­bed to Aaron and his Sons, in blessing the people, Numb. 6.23, 24, 25, 26. And we have a Form of [Page 65] Prayer also injoyned to him that paid his third yeare tithes. Deut. 26 13, 14, 15.

3. A ground for a forme of Intercession, and that too upon a publique Fast day, we have in Joel, chap. 2.17. Let the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar, and let them say, Spare the people, O Lord, and give not thy he­ritage to reproach, that the Heathen should rule over them; wherefore should they say among the people, where is now their God? I doe not believe, that these were all the words they did or might say unto God on a day of Humiliation; but I think I have more reason hence to gather, that they [Page 66] might lawfully have used this form of words in their Prayers that day, than any man hath to conclude the contrary.

4. A ground for Set forms of Praise, or Thanks­giving, we have in those many admirable formes of praise composed by David, Asaph, and other holy men, and sung at the Tabernacle and Temple, and that too in the times of Hezekiah's reformation, 2 Chron. 29.30. and left upon record in the book of Psalmes. Mr. Mede calls the booke of Psalmes the Jewish Litur­gy; and truly therein we have Formes of all these four sorts of Prayer. There are Prayers for averting [Page 67] evill, for obtaining of good things, for the good state of the Church; besides, se­verall Hymnes, and spiritu­all Songs, sung to the praise of God.

Again, I never read, or heard, that the Jews, before Christ, or since, judged all formes of Prayer unlawful: but I have read, that the Jewes, untill the time of our Saviour, did use the Prayer of Moses, viz. the 90. Psal. I have read, that our Savi­our conformed himself, in the celebration of the Pass­over, unto divers customes of the Jewes, and that insti­tuting and celebrating the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, in the close of the Paschal Supper, he and his [Page 68] Disciples sung the same Hymn or Psalme, See Dr. Lightfoot of the Passeover. after it, or at the conclusion, which the Jews used to do in the end of the Passeover. More­over, it is observed, that the Jewes, who lived in the dayes of Adrian the Empe­rour, viz. in the beginning of the second Century, complained of the taking away their Liturgy; and therefore they had one. And lastly, the Moderne Jews use set forms of Pray­er in their Synagogues: So that certaine it is, that the judgment of the Jews, both Ammi, and Lo-Ammi, be­fore, and since their reje­ction, is for the lawfulness of set formes of Prayer.

Come we to the Christi­an [Page 69] Church; she hath been so farre from condemning all formes, as utterly un­lawfull, that, for about twelve hundred yeares, Concil. Carth. 3. can 23. Concil. Milen. 2. can. 12. & Cassand. 1. in Liturgy. she hath thought it expedient to use them in publique Di­vine worship. And, if we will believe Beza, in his notes upon 1 Cor. 11.31. the Apostle Paul did not hold it unlawfull, for ordi­nary Pastors, in Churches constituted, to use set forms in the publique Assemblies. Suppose extraordinary Of­ficers of the Church, at such times as they were extraor­dinarily moved, to pray, preach, and praise God by Psalmes, in those primitive times, were also assisted ex­traordinarily by the mira­culous [Page 70] motions, influences, and gifts of the holy Ghost, to doe all this without any form, prescribed by others, or composed by their owne study, or premeditation: yet this hinders not, but that those who had not those extraordinary effusi­ons and assistances of the holy Ghost, or at such times as they were not so extraordinarily moved and influenced, even in those dayes might, and we since may, without sin, prepare Prayers, Sermons, and Psalms, with study and pre­meditation; or may make use of Scripture, Prayers, Sermons, and Psalmes, in the worship and service of God. It is true, that our [Page 71] Saviour bids his Disciples, when they are brought be­fore Governors and Kings for his sake, to take no thought, not to premedi­tate how, or what they shall speak; For it shall be given them in that same hour what they shall speak; For it is not ye that speak, saith he, but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you, Mat. 10.18, 19, 20. Mark 13.11. Luke 12.11. But I no where read, when ye come before God in prayer, the great Ruler and Governor of the World, Take no thought, neither do ye pre­meditate, but whatsoever shall be given you in that same hour, that speak ye, for it is not ye that speak, but the [Page 72] holy Ghost. Indeed the Di­sciples had a promise of the Spirit, who is a spirit of Prayer, and of Prophecy; but of neither in such a manner, as universally to forbid as unlawful, or un­necessary, all care, study, fore-thought, or premedi­tation, what to pray, or what to preach. But grant they had these extraordina­ry infusions, alwaies in praying and preaching, so as no study, or fore-thought was at all necessary; yet now, those extraordinary assistances ceasing, it may sure be lawfull for us to expect the fulfilling the promise of the Spirit, to help us in prayer and prea­ching, (that we may doe [Page 73] both as workmen that need not to be ashamed) but so, as to concur with our ende­vours, and not, his gifts to be alwaies suddenly infu­sed, without all thought or study of our own.

Moreover, let me adde this, that the opinion of the unlawfulnesse of formes of Prayer, is a Novel opinion, and, in comparison, but of yesterday. I no where read, or remember, I am sure, that it was the tenet of the Albigenses, or Waldenses, those antient witnesses a­gainst Antichrist, that Wic­kliff, Huss, Jerom of Pragu [...], Luther, Melanchthon, Cal­vin, Bucer, Paulus, Fagi­us, Cranmer, Latimer, Bradford, Ridley, Hoopen, [Page 74] Knox, Gilpin, Fox, most of them Martyrs, many Confessors, all enemies to the Papacy, and Reformers of the Church of latter times. Further, I no where read, that Cartwright, Dr. Reyn. Dr. Burgess, Hilder­sham, Greenham, M. Bains, Mr. Bifield, Mr. Dod, Dr. Sibs, (men eminent for their gifts and graces, and all, or most, such as were accounted no grrat friends to the Hierarchy, and Ce­remonies) ever condemned all formes of Prayer as un­lawfull, although possibly some of them might scruple some things in the English Liturgy, or judge the rigid imposing of it, to the de­priving of many parishes of [Page 75] the sincere Milke of the Word, too harsh measure from them who should have been Nursing fathers to the Church. Certain it is, that in, and after the Reformation from Popery, the Reformed Churches generally obtained the use of set formes in publique Divine Worship; that the Churches of England, and of Scotland, till of late, had, & the Churches of France, Geneva, the lower and upper Germany, still have set formes of Prayer, either imposed, or allowed, at least, for the Minister to use, in publique Divine Ad­ministrations.

It shall suffice me at pre­sent, if what hath been al­ready [Page 76] said in this matter, satisfie not, to recommend dissenting Christians to Mr. Perkins, Dr. Preston, and Mr. Ball, all men of emi­nency for their excellent graces, parts, learning, and all express Assertors of the lawfulnesse of praying with or by a form. See the life of Dr. Preston by Mr. Ball. M. Perkins holds, a man may pray, when he reads a Prayer out of a book. Dr. Preston al­lowes the use of set formes of Prayer, and answers the Objection about quenching of the Spirit. And Mr. Ball hath written a Treatise ju­stifying, in part, the late Liturgy.

Obj. But 'tis easie to fore-see an Objection which some may be apt to make. [Page 77] Why doe you seeme to build againe the things you have so lately destroyed? Why did you shut the Liturgy out of the Church, if you can so readily open a doore for Set Formes?

Answ. The Liturgy, or Common-prayer, was taken away (if we may believe the Assembly, who advised the removall thereof in their Preface of the Dire­ctory substituted in its roome) not, as judged by them simply unlawful; but, for the abuse of it, & for di­vers inconveniences which had, and, they thought, still might attend the conti­nuance of it.

It was observed, that ill use was made of the Ser­vice-book, [Page 78] to justle out preaching in divers places; and of the Ceremonies therein injoyned, to cast out many eminently godly and able Preachers out of their Churches and Livings, for non-conformity there­unto; and to keep out others, very hopefull In­struments, from the work of the Ministry, for Non-subscription to the Book and Ceremonies; and to prosecute divers private Christians for Non-obser­vation, or else their oppo­sition to the Ceremonies therein contained. Inso­much that many, like the children of faithfull Abra­ham, forsook their owne country and fathers house, [Page 79] and went into a strange Land, viz. into America, to the end they might have their consciences freed from these yoaks and burdens, as they thought, intole­rable.

Besides, in divers places, the Ministers were forbid­den to exercise their own gift of Prayer; and others did voluntarily suffer parts and gifts to dry up for want of using, because they had this book at hand in all their administrations. Fur­ther, it was observed, many of the people did so ido­lize it, that they judged no other way of worshipping God like it, or to be allow­ed by men, and accepted by God, but that.

[Page 80]To prevent these, or such like mischiefs, and inconve­niencies, for the future, as also, it may be, for that some judged it not necessa­ry, if tolerable, that all men should be bound to use Crutches, because some could not well goe without them, and also that they might bring the Churches of England, Scotland, and Ireland, to the neerest con­junction and uniformity in Religion, & particularly in a Directory for worship, & catechizing, according to their Covenant newly en­tred into with the King­dome of Scotland, lately set all on a flame with a Ser­vice-book, (which, in some things, was more, though [Page 81] in others lesse liable to ex­ception than the English Liturgy) sent thither from hence by the Archbishop of Canterbury. I say for these, or the like reasons, the Assembly advised, and the Parliament, which the King had confirmed by Act, thought good, by an Ordi­nance, to lay aside wholly the Common-prayer-book, judging it as lawful to doe it, as was for Hezekiah to break in pieces the Brazen Serpent, made by Moses, when once abused to Ido­latry.

The Parliament having thus removed the Booke by an Ordinance, or two, who were we that we should resist God and [Page 82] them, and hazard our own, and the Kingdomes, and Churches peace, to main­tain a Form, when as, with­out charity, all Prayers, whether with, or without a Form, or Book, are lost.

If it shall be further ob­jected, that the Service-book was setled by an Act, and removed or abolished by an Ordinance: To this, all I think good to answer here at present, is this, That I have heard, that an Ordinance of Parliament was of validity to suspend an Act; And that that Ordinance of Parliament hath not been as yet su­spended, nor the Act for the Liturgy hitherto revi­ved by any other Act.

[Page 83]Let this suffice to justifie our non-using of the En­glish Liturgy.

III. I come now to my last Observation, that is, to justifie our continued use of the Lords Prayer. And here let me minde you, that the same reverend, godly, and learned Assembly, which judged it expedient to take away the Common-prayer, did yet recommend the Lords prayer to be used in the prayers of the Church, because it is (take their owne words in the Directory) Not onely a pat­tern of Prayer, but it selfe a most comprehensive Prayer.

As the same measure may be a standard, to frame and try other measures by, [Page 84] and may besides be used to measure withall: So may this Prayer of our Lord, be used, both as a Pattern of prayer to frame our pray­ers by, as a Standard to examine them by, and as a Prayer it selfe also. And truly, if our Saviour had meant this Prayer onely for a pattern, and that it should be unlawful to uss it as a Prayer, I believe him so plain, and so good a spea­ker, (for never man spake like him, and in his mouth was found no guile) that he would never have an­swered such a request, Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples, in such expresse language, When ye pray, say, Our Father, &c. [Page 85] without some caution, li­mitation, or restriction, to prevent mistakes. For had it been possible, that, when our Lord said, When ye pray, say, Our Father, &c. that his sense and meaning should be, when ye pray, ye must not say Our Father, &c. ye must not say these words at any time, or in any case, but onely pray al­waies after this patterne; we may suppose the holy Ghost would have added some explanation, or inter­pretation (as in other ca­ses, viz. John 7.38, 39. and John 2.20, 21.) the ra­ther considering there is no room here, as in other places, for a figurative sense; and, that it is the [Page 86] office of the holy Ghost, to lead us into all truth, and so to preserve us from er­ror; and, that the words are so plaine a forme of Prayer, and so plain for the using of them, so that plainer needed not, upon supposition that it was the minde of Christ that these words should be used as a Prayer.

Let us reason the matter a little, what can be said against using this Prayer of Christ now, which might not have been objected, or pretended by Aaron and his Sons, for their not using the forme of blessing pre­scribed of old, Numb. 6.23, 24. Yea, how shall we now justifie our practice of [Page 87] blessing, or praying for a blessing in the words of the Apostle Paul, in the close of our Sermons; if it be utterly unlawfull to pray unto God in the words of our Lord Jesus, in the be­ginning of our Sermons? What, is the Disciple come to be above his Master? and the Servant above his Lord? Again, how can we think, that God, that hears our prayers, who have not the Spirit in such a measure as the Apostles had, should not regard his Sons prayer? should therefore not heare his childrens prayers, be­cause presented unto him in his owne and onely Son's words? Yea, will God the Father heare our prayers, [Page 88] indited by the holy Spirit, & not hear us when we pray that which his Son made, & put in our hands & hearts? And, did not the same holy Spirit that indited our pray­ers, indite the prayer of Christ too? and do not we, who have the Spirit by measure, receive of Christs fulnesse, as all other graces, so also the spirit of Grace and Supplication? I dare say, that the holy Ghost is not therefore out of love, out of conceit with his own conceptions, because they are not new? Must all our prayers necessarily be put up in our Saviours name, if they finde acceptance, if they be heard and answe­red, and must they in no [Page 89] wise, at no time, in any case, be sent up in his owne words? or will Jesus Christ, the great Favourite, and Master of Requests in hea­ven, refuse to present our Petitions, because of his own drawing or inditing? Must we alway, when we pray, pray after this manner, and must we never, when we pray, say, Our Father, &c? If one be Scripture, is not the other also? yea, doubt­lesse both, and in both we have the minde of Christ: for he that said that, said this also. Must we alway keep to Christs sense and meaning, and yet never use his words, but our owne? Surely, we cannot have better matter, better me­thod, [Page 90] better words than is contained in Christs owne Prayer. Let us therefore not so requite the kindness of Christ, in teaching us a form of prayer, and his condescention in allowing us to pray after this pat­tern, and giving us his spi­rit to help us in prayer, as wholly to lay aside the very words of Christ; but, as we judge it lawful to praise God in the words of Da­vid, so let us not scruple the praying unto God in the words of the Messiah, the Son of David, yea, Davids Lord. Let us thus honour our Lord and Master, as by reading his Word, so by praying his Prayer.

I shall now come to en­deavour [Page 91] to remove some of those rubs, or stumbling-blocks, I mean Objections, which already lye, or pos­sibly may be cast in the way, to hinder this Do­ctrine from having a cleare passage amongst us.

Obj. If Christs meaning was, that we should say these words when we pray, then we must alway say these words, and no other words, when we pray; and so if this text make the say­ing of this Prayer lawfull, it makes all other Prayers besides this unlawfull.

Answ. It doth not fol­low, that if we may say these words, then we may say no other; or, that we must necessarily rehearse [Page 92] these very words, as oft as we goe to prayer. Ile in­stance in two parallel texts. Our Saviour saith, Mat. 6.6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and when thou hast shut thy doore, pray, &c. It doth not hence follow, that we must never pray, but privately, or privately but in our closet, or with our doores shut: and yet we may pray in our closets, and with our doores shut. Our Saviour prayed oft in the Mount of Olives. Again, our Saviour saith, Luke 12.13. When thou makest a dinner, or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours, lest they [Page 93] also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee: But when thou makest a feast, call the poore, the maimed, the blind. From hence it follows, that we may call the poore, the blind, the halt, the maimed, when we make a feast; and yet from hence it doth not follow, that we must never make a feast but they must be called, or none else but such. And so, because our Lord saith, when ye pray say, Our Father, &c. I gather, I think, rational­ly, that we may say these words; and yet conceive it unreasonable, that then we may say no other, or that we must say these words as often as we pray. The [Page 94] King was bound to read in the book of the Law all the daies of his life; and yet he might, and was to do, other things besides read in the book of the Law, and might, without sin, read in other books daily, besides the book of the Law. Affirmative pre­cepts bind semper, but not ad semper: and so, though we should say it was a com­mandement of Christ, When ye pray, say, &c. (as it looks more like a Precept, Injunction, or command, than a Prohibition) yet it followes not, that we must pray no other prayer; or, never pray but that we must adde this Prayer also. I say we may pray, saying [Page 95] these very words, because Christ saith, When ye pray, say; And I say, we may pray in other words, after this pattern, or model, be­cause I read, Mat. 6.9. Af­ter this manner pray ye, Our Father, &c. And because I read that the Apostles prayed other prayers, Acts 4.24, 25. and in many other Scriptures.

If any say, But we never read that the Apostles used this Prayer at all.

To this I return answer, That, though we read not that they ever did use this Prayer, yet we no where read in Scripture that they did not; and we have the authority of the Ancients, that they did use it, and [Page 96] particularly in the conse­cration of the elements in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. Hieron. adversus Pelag. Greg l. 7. [...]p. 63. Again, it followes not, because the Scripture is silent, as to the Apostles practise, whether they used or not used the Lords Pray­er, that therefore they did not use it at all (To plough a little as to the substance of what I say with Mon­sier de Spaign's Heifer, in answer to this Objection.) We never read that the Apostles baptized any in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost; shall we therefore believe they did not, or that is was unlawfull for them to doe so? Because our Saviour saith, Goe teach all nations, [Page 97] baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and the holy Ghost. I conclude, that they might lawfully, and so may we now, use that very form of words in Baptisme; notwithstanding that I read not in the holy Scriptures of any baptised in that form, but the Scri­ptures speak expresly of some who were baptized in the name of the Lord Je­sus, either by some of Johns Disciples, or by the Apo­stle Paul, Acts 19.5. but it no where records the ba­ptisme of any, expresly, in the other forme. Now be­cause of this practise of the Church, I collect, they sinned not who baptised in the name of the Lord Je­sus; [Page 98] and, because of Christs command, Mat. 28. latter end, I believe it very law­full to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost: and, that it is now lawfull, and, I think, most expedient, at least, (to say no more) to baptize now in this same form of The Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost. And so in the present case, al­though I read not in Scri­pture, that the Disciples did use the Lords Prayer for a Prayer, (yet it seemes very strange if they never should, our Saviour spea­king so expresly, When ye pray, say, Our Father, &c.) yet I judge it lawfull for them, and so for us, to use [Page 99] it, because of this text; yea, I will adde, that put the case those who had the ex­traordinary miraculous as­sistance of the holy Ghost in praying, did not actually use this very forme, yet I think it lawfull and expedi­ent for us to use it, who have necessarily no such in­fallible assistance and gui­dance in our prayers.

Obj. But the Evangelist Matthew, chap. 6.16. and this Evangelist Luke here, set down the Lords Prayer with some difference. In the one it is Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive eve­ry one that is indebted to us; in the other it is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. In the one, For [Page 100] thine is the Kingdome, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, is added to the Peti­tions; in the other it is omitted: from hence it may be gathered, that we are not to use the very words; for, if so, which forme should we follow?

Ans. I answer with Mr. de Spaign, the Evangelists, and the Apostle Paul, re­late Christs words in the celebration of the Lords Supper diversly: may we not therefore use the words of any of them? yes surely, of any one of them, accor­ding to the Directory. So here it doth not follow, that we may not use the words of either of the Evangelists; but, on the contrary, that [Page 101] we may indifferently use the words of either; and so may pray, either in the form of words recorded by the Evangelist Matthew, or else according to this form in the text. We think it not unlawfull, but expedient, in the celebration of the Lords Supper, to retain the words of some of the Evan­gelists, or of the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. 11. upon that occasion. And so I see no sufficient reason, but we may, and that it is expedi­ent to use Christs owne words, either at his first, or second delivery of it, either as recorded by one, or the other Evangelist. And lastly, who knowes but Jesus Christ, speaking [Page 102] Syriack, the language then commonly used by the Jewes; might expresse him­selfe in the same Syriack words at both times; and yet the Evangelists render the same diversly in ano­ther tongue, keeping still the same sense; as the same Greek words may be truly translated, and yet rendred in English in severall, or diverse words, but all to the same sense.

Obj. But it is our duty to pray in the Spirit, in the holy Ghost, and so as the holy Spirit immediately moves us, or suggests to us, for matter, and words, and method; and so we are not to be tied to any form of prayer. Possibly this [Page 103] was, and might be used for a time, namely, till Christ was glorified, and the holy Ghost given; as Johns form might last till Jesus Christ gave a new one, so this form of prayer might be of use untill the coming down of the holy Ghost, to teach Christians to pray of them­selves, without this, or any other form.

Ans. To this Objection I say three things:

1. That we are now to pray in the holy Ghost, in a right sense, but not in the sense and manner above alleadged: And so (to say no more) did those before Christs coming.

2. That we may truly pray in the Spirit, accor­ding [Page 104] to our duty, al­though we use the Lords Prayer.

3. The coming of the ho­ly Ghost hath not taken away the Lords Prayer; but that, notwithstanding, it may be used in the pray­ers of the Church, and her Members, until Christ come again.

Of the first, All Christi­ans ('tis true) must pray in the Spirit, as all Ministers of Christ are to preach in the evidence and demon­stration of the Spirit, and in words which the holy Ghost teacheth; and yet this hinders not but we may, and must, study and premeditate for our Ser­mons, not alway expecting [Page 105] extraordinary supplies from the holy Ghost, so as that it should be given us always in that houre what to preach, and it should not be we that preach, or speak, but the holy Ghost in us. The holy Ghost hath made known to us the minde of God in the Scriptures: we are to study them, and the matters contained in them, and to preach the Word of God, Scripture-truthes, plainly and affectionately, as those who have found favour to be taught of God, to have our under­standings opened to under­stand the Scriptures, to have our wills bowed to Gods revealed will, and our affe­ctions warmed with love to [Page 106] the truth, and zeale for it, and as those who have in themselves experimented those things which they de­clare unto others. Besides, Ministers may, and ought to read the holy Scriptures; and in so doing, although for the present they are tied unto words; yet this doth in no wise quench the Spirit; the Scriptures them­selves being dictated by the Spirit: so, when we pray, we are to pray in the Spi­rit, that is, for such things, and in such a manner, as the holy Ghost teacheth in the Scriptures of truth; we are to pray in faith, to come to God in Christs name, merits, mediation, trusting to be heard and [Page 107] answered for Christs sake, with earnestnesse and im­portunity, and so with such sighs and groans which are unutterable, which cannot sufficiently be expressed in words.

2. As Believers before Christ, particularly Moses and Aaron, had the Spirit, and his help and assistance in prayer (so far as was requisite) notwithstanding they, sometimes, used pre­scribed forms of Gods own inditing & appointing: And as Iesus Christ himself prayed in the spirit when he prayed in the words of David, Psal. 22.1. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? So those that are Christs, may pray also in the spirit, [Page 108] in the using the prayer of Christ, that being a Prayer, for matter, method, words, composed by him who had the Spirit without measure, & recorded in the very form of a Prayer, and with this preface, When ye pray, say, &c. by the holy Ghost that is, by the Evangelist moved and assisted infallibly by the holy Ghost.

If that place be urged, 1 Cor. 14.15. I will pray with the spirit, and with un­derstanding also. I answer, it followes, I will sing with the Spirit, and with understanding also. So that, if the former part could possibly, with any good reason, be expounded so as to debarre us from the [Page 109] use of the Lords prayer; the latter will exclude Da­vids, and all Scripture-Psalmes too, out of the Church. But the sense and meaning of that place is of another importance, as ap­peares by the context; and that may seem to be this, I will not make use of the extraordinary gift of the Spirit, inabling me to speak in an unknown, or strange language, either in praying to, or praising of God in the Church, where it is not understood by the unlear­ned, and therefore cannot be to edification. My own spirit, or I, may indeed pray, according to the in­ward man, and make use, outwardly, of the gift of [Page 110] Tongues, that gift of the holy Ghost in praying; but I make no use of my under­standing to the benefit of others: I resolve therefore so to pray, and so to sing, as I may be understood by others, even as if I had no such gift of Tongues, as a man would pray that hath not that gift of tongues, which is an extraordinary gift of the Spirit.

3. I come to my third Proposition, and that is, to prove that the coming of the holy Ghost doth not take away the use of the Lords Prayer, as a Prayer. And were it so, as is presu­med in the Objection, that it was given onely for that time untill the coming of [Page 111] the holy Ghost, and that it was out of date in the day of Pentecost; even this Evangelical form of prayer, like the legall observations. I say, were it so, then the use of the Lords Prayer should cease, both as a pat­tern, and as a form of pray­er; it should neither be any more, since Pentecost, a Directory, or Liturgy. But the truth is, that the promise of the holy Ghost to teach Christians to pray, and the gift of the holy Ghost so promised, doth not (necessarily) take a­way all helps, or directi­ons from Christ, or from the Scriptures of the Pro­phets, so that they should thenceforth be void, and of [Page 112] none effect, to all intents and purposes about, or concerning Prayer. If the promise of the teaching of the holy Ghost; if those Scriptures, Ye have an a­nointing that teacheth you all things; and, when he comes he shall lead you into all truth, doth not discharge us from the use of mens teaching us, and preaching unto us, and from our own reading the holy Scriptures, the doctrine of the Pro­phets, of our Saviour Christ, of his Apostles; no more doth the other promise, of the spirit of Prayer, take away all use of Scripture-prayers, especially of our Lords Prayer. The pro­mise of baptizing with the [Page 113] holy Ghost, when it was fulfilled, did not make void, or take away Baptisme of water: no more doth the promise of the holy Ghost, to help us to pray, and in prayer take away the use of the Lords Prayer. It was the work of the holy Ghost to teach, and to help Chri­stians to offer up this Pray­er, and all other their prayers in the name, merits, and mediation of Jesus Christ, to stir up in them good and holy desires, agreeable to the requests, or petitions, continued in this prayer, and to descend to many particular desires and petitions, and to ex­presse those desires, in pro­per, words, and significant [Page 114] expressions; all which de­sires were summarily com­prehended in the Petitions, and words or expressions of the Lords prayer. I say, this was the office and work of the holy Ghost; which doth in no wise take away all lawfull use of the Lords prayer as a prayer: For surely the holy Spirit will not therefore refuse to as­sist us when we pray this prayer, because it is a pray­er made by Jesus Christ, and registred in the holy Scriptures, written by those who were full of, and mo­ved by the holy Ghost in that work.

Nor doe I believe, that God the holy Ghost, who is the God of Order, and [Page 115] not of Confusion, will sug­gest or infuse into us such desires, as shall necessarily turn us out of the Lords prayer, whilest we are using it in a right manner. It is not probable, that the ho­ly Spirit will turn us out of the road wherein the Sonne appointed us to goe to the Father. And I pray, what desires are there, that are holy, just, and good (such are all the desires of which the holy Ghost is authour) but are comprehended in this prayer? Doubtlesse as the Spirit of the Prophets, in the Apostles dayes, was subject to the Prophets: so tis no disparagement to the spirit of prayer, which Christians have in these [Page 116] dayes, to be regulated by the spirit of prayer which was in Christ; and so, con­sequently, by that forme which he hath left us. Must the whole congregation be tyed up to the forme of the speaker, whether Minister or other in prayer; and may he in no wise be gui­ded by Christs Prayer? Be­loved brethren, whilst ye so judge, are ye not parti­all in your selves, and to your selves?

If it be asked, what's the reason, that when we have been praying a long time, either according to a premeditated forme, or a conceived prayer, or in a mixt way betwixt both, for the things contained in the [Page 117] Lord prayer, we yet con­clude our prayers with the Lords prayer, Is not this a vaine repetition?

Answ. For as much as when we have prayed our best, we may have failed in something; our prayer may have been defective, imperfect; It is not there­fore vaine, but to purpose, and very reasonable, to re­hearse that prayer, where­in is nothing defective, no­thing superfluous, nothing out of its due place and or­der.

Nor is this an Innovati­on, it was the practice of the antient Church, Quam to­t [...]m p [...]titio­nem fere omnis Ecclesia Dominica oratione concludit. if we will believe Austin in his 59. Epistle q. 5. where he [Page 118] tells, that the Church did generally conclude their prayers and blessings, at the consecration and distri­bution of the Elements, at the Lords Supper, with the Lords Prayer.

And it hath been obser­ved, that they who wholly omit, or disuse the Lords Prayer, as a prayer, doe seldome follow the Lord Christ fully in it as a pat­terne; namely, in this par­ticular, they seldome plead with God for forgivenesse of sinnes, with this argu­ment, as, or because we forgive those who trespasse a­gainst us; and doe not al­waies pray against Temp­tation. If they seek to ju­stifie their not using the [Page 119] Lords Prayer, and their not imitating it, in the former of these particulars, lest they should occasion many to pray against them­selves, because they can­not finde in their hearts to forgive their brethren.

To this we reply, that all our prayers ought to be according to this modell or pattern, themselves being Judges. To the Lords Prayer bring we all our prayers; if they are not according to this rule, it is because, as to that thing wherein they are irregular, or not conforme hereto, the true spirit of prayer is not in them.

2. If we will not heare Gods Commandement, to [Page 120] forgive our brethren, how should we expect God should heare our prayers for forgivenesse? we must both pray, and practise ac­cording to Gods will; if we would have our wills done, if we would have God fulfill our desires.

3. The crookedness of mens hearts and waies, can be no right rule for Gods Minister in publick prayer, but the Word of God, and prayer of our Lord Christ.

4. The using of this prayer, may be instead of a Sermon, to such malitious ones, to minde them of, and move them to forgive­nesse. However, I doubt not but some of the Israe­lites, might be guilty of [Page 121] some of those sins, against which the curse was de­nounced by the Priests on Mount Ebal, and to which the Congregation said Amen.

Obj. Papists, and pro­fane ignorant Protestants, make an ill use of this good prayer, make a kind of Idoll of it; and therefore we should lay it aside, after the example of Hezekiah, who demolished the bra­zen Serpent, when it was abused to Idolatry, 2 King. 18.4.

Answ. Some mens abuse of naturall things, must not hinder or prejudice others, in their right to use them lawfully; much lesse must mans abuse, annull or [Page 122] make void Gods Instituti­ons. Our Saviour sanctifyed the Sabbath, although the Jewes were superstitious in their manner of observati­on of it. We must not lay aside the first part of the Gospell, written by the ho­ly Evangelist John, because it hath been abused in charmes, &c. And we may still use the words of Christ, This is my body, in celebration of the Lords Supper; notwithstanding that Papists thereupon ground Transubstantiati­on, and Artolatry, or wor­ship of the bread; belie­ving it to be the body of Christ corporally, and not only Sacramentally. As the Apostle Paul to Timothy, [Page 123] 1 Epist. Chap. 1.8. saith of the law of God, The law is good if a man use it law­fully: So say I of the prayer of our Lord, The Prayer is good, if a man use it law­fully. If the meer abuse of things should take away all lawfull use of them, we should soon be deprived of the benefit, both of Gods creatures, and of his ordi­nances: we must no more use bread, and wine, and water, those necessary things, either in or out of the Sacrament. The instance of the brazen Serpent, comes not up fully to the matter in hand. For first, now there was no possible use of it, for that end to which at first God ordained [Page 124] it to be made; Num. 21.8, 9. And God did never ap­point, that this should be continued as a monument of that mercy. Again, the memoriall of the miracu­lous cure once wrought, up­on those that looked upon this brazen Serpent, was sufficiently preserved, in being registred by Moses, Gods pen-man, or Secreta­ry, in the records of the ho­ly Scriptures. And Lastly, Hezekiah did remove and abolish this brazen Serpent without sin. But, as for the Lords prayer, the case is o­therwise in all these or the like particulars. It is now of use, both as a pattern and as a prayer. It is made a portion of the holy Scri­ptures, [Page 125] and so heaven and earth must passe away ra­ther then a jot or tittle of this Prayer. If this prayer should be wholy laid aside, there is, besides, no such perfect compleat forme of prayer, and rule or touch­stone of prayer, as this, ex­tant in all the Scriptures. And lastly, the Lord would not hold him guiltlesse who should blot this prayer out of the book of the Scri­pture: But he may justly feare, to have his name blotted out of the book of life. Our Lord Jesus him­self was a Stone of stum­bling, & a rock of offence, to many; but to them that believe he was, and is, a choyse stone, a precious [Page 126] foundation, corner Stone, &c. And so I say of the Lords Prayer, it may per­haps be a stone of stum­bling, an occasion of fall to some; but to them that be­leive, and use it in faith, it is precious, and whoever so prays this prayer need ne­ver be ashamed of it.

Obj. Many finde by ex­perience, that their hearts are dull, dead, or very for­mall, as in the use of other formes, so of this also.

Answ. Concerning formes in generall, I say as before, that formes of Prayer are better than no prayer at all; and concerning this prayer, if our hearts be dead in the using of it, I dare say, the fault is in us, [Page 127] not in the Prayer. It may be our hearts are dead at the reading of a Chapter; what, is the Scripture there­fore a dead letter? and must it therefore cease in the Church? Oh, let us never accuse Christs Pray­er, or Preaching, of dead­nesse, to excuse the sinfull deadnesse of our owne hearts. Our Lord Jesus himselfe prayed in the gar­den thrice, saying the same words, Mat. 26. and with as much Affection, and De­votion, and Life, the last time as the first. Let us goe and doe likewise. How is it that our Devotion flags not, that our hearts wan­der not in the joyning with one that prayes a conceived [Page 128] prayer for a quarter, halfe an houre, or more; and yet cannot hold up, or keep close to the duty, for a mo­ment or two, whilst our Lords owne Prayer is re­hearsing? I should rather thinke, that, if our hearts have not been duly affect­ed, or that there hath been any errour, whilst the Mi­nister hath been praying according to his ability, that the using of the Lords Prayer, and joyning in that perfect forme, with double, with seven-fold diligence, zeale, and holy affections in the close of all, is very commendable, as both pi­ous and prudent: for in the generall Petitions of this Prayer, are contained [Page 129] all the lawfull particulars, both for the Church, and every member of it, which were mentioned in the foregoing prayer. But here I must enter my Caveat: I would not be interpreted by what I have said, for I doe in no wise meane it, God forbid, to poure cold water upon any fervent or zealous desires, whilst we joyne with others praying according to the gift, pre­tending thereby to reserve all the heat and zeal of our soule for the offering up of the Lords Prayer; nor doe I meane, farre be it from me, to justifie any irreverent gesture, by-thoughts, or loose and cold affections, during the time the Mini­ster, [Page 130] or other, is exercising his gift in conceived pray­er.

Obj. But the Apostles in their writings, when they exhort to prayer, and give rules and directions about it, never recommend unto us the use of this prayer.

Ans. All that the Apostles did, or said, is not written. Sure I am they have given no rule or direction against the using of this prayer: and, if it be true which some say, that the Evangelist Luke had the Gospell he wrote from the Apostle Paul; it is some evidence, that the Apostle himselfe was not against the using of this prayer; else, probably, he would not have told [Page 131] him such words as these, When ye pray, say, &c. without adding some cau­tion or interpretation, to prevent mistake. The Apo­stle Paul speaks sometimes concerning Baptisme; but never treats of that forme of words, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost. What, may we not there­fore baptize in that forme of words? Surely we may, and Mat. 28.19. shall be our sufficient warrant. A­gaine, the holy Apostles, Col. 3.16. Ephes. 5.18, 19. James 5.13. give order for, and direction about singing of Psalmes; but neither there, nor else­where tell us we are to sing [Page 132] Davids Psalmes, or what other Psalmes we should sing: doth it thence fol­low, we may not sing the Psalmes of David, or other spirituall Songs recorded in the holy Scriptures? But put the case that some Christians in those dayes had said to the Apostle Paul, teach us to sing Psalmes, or teach us Psalms to sing, as David the sweet singer of Israel of old taught the people of God; and his answer to them had been in such words as these, when ye sing, sing one of the Psalmes of David (one of those songs of Sion) or else he himself had compo­sed a Psalme, and added this Preface to it, or dire­ction [Page 133] concerning it, when ye sing, sing after this man­ner; or, when ye sing, sing, &c. Had not this been sufficient to ground there­upon the lawfulnesse of singing Davids Psalmes, or, that particular Psalmes so composed and subjoyned by the Apostle? I believe it had.

And now if any ask, How often we should pray the Lords prayer? To this my Answer is, That the holy Ghost in the Scriptures hath left this undetermi­ned; as also, how oft we are to read the sixt Cha­pter of the Gospel written by the Evangelist Mathew, and this eleventh Chapter of the Gospel according to [Page 134] the Evangelist Luke, or any other particular Chapter in the Scriptures; as also, it is undetermined, how oft we are to sing the 92. Psal. entitled a Psalme for the Saboth day, or any other Psalme. I find these things left to Christian prudence; and so I shall still leave them; not being willing to binde mens consciences, wherein God hath left us free; as for this, I know of no Commandement from the Lord. But herein I give my advice, desiring and praying for that mercy from the Lord, that in this, and all other things, I may be found faithfull. If as often as Gods people meet together to worship God [Page 135] publiquely, and especially upon the Lords day, this prayer also might be offe­red up to God, being a Sacrifice and Incense which our high Priest hath conse­crated to God and his Fa­ther, and to our God and our Father; I should think it might be a good supple­ment of the defects, and some emendation of the errors in our prayers. E­specially in such dayes of division as ours are; where­in good men are split into so many several parties and opinions, in matters of Church and State, that whilst some holy men in their hearts say Amen to some prayers (put up in their name by the Mini­sters) [Page 136] others, as holy as they, in their hearts say God forbid, or, that be far from us. This is a pub­lique Prayer, and no pri­vate Christian but ought to say Amen unto it. However we are divided in more particular Requests, wee ought all to concenter and agree in these generall ne­essary things herein pray­ed for. Forasmuch there­fore, as when we come to­gether in the Church to pray, there are too too often divisions amongst us, though we are together in one place, yet not with one heart; and because the promise is especially to two or three that agree toge­ther, to ask any thing; and [Page 137] to pray with divided hearts, this is, in a sense, not to pray, this is, not to seek the Lord in due order; to reforme, in some measure at least, these abuses in prayer, I should recommend to all the Churches of Christ, and to every Christian in them, this one prayer, the Lords prayer, to which Christi­ans of all Nations, Tongues and Languages, may agree to say Amen. For I have received of the Lord, that which I delivered unto you; how that the Lord Jesus, the same time, when he was by one of his Disci­ples in effect asked this question, how we should pray, saying, Lord teach us [Page 138] to pray as John also taught his Disciples; he said, When ye pray, say, &c..

Obj. Are these things so? why then do you not justi­fie prescribed, and imposed Liturgies, or forms of Pray­er?

Answ. I shall not so far lanch forth into that con­troversie now, as either to commend, or condemne them: yet this I say, that this was made by an infal­lible Spirit. And againe, concerning this, our Savi­our Christ hath said that which he never said concer­ning any other; After this manner pray ye; or, when ye pray, say, Our Father, &c.

I shall conclude all with [Page 139] some use of the Doctrine.

1. And first, As the An­gel said to Joseph concer­ning the blessed Virgin Ma­ry, whilst he thought of putting her away privily, Feare not Joseph, thou son of David, to take unto thee Mary, thy espoused wife, for that is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost. So say I to all those just ones, who have had thoughts of put­ting away this prayer pri­vily; feare not to take un­to you this prayer, which you have loved, and as it were espoused, for that which is conceived in it is of the holy Ghost.

But be not ye as the Pa­pists are, who think to [Page 140] make satisfaction to God, and merit at his hand, by the often repetition of their Pater Noster, &c. although without faith, without un­derstanding, without holy affections.

And againe, doe not ye slight other prayers, made according to this modell or patterne, by them who have the spirit or gift of prayer; and above all things, my brethren, be­ware of blaspheming the spirit of prayer, or pray­ing by the Spirit, accoun­ting and calling it vaine babling.

2. And you who have the gift of prayer, so that ye have no need that any [Page 141] one teach you, so that ye can goe without crut­ches, and swimme with­out bladders; I meane, pray without using formes, made by other men; yet be not ye therefore lifted up, or puffed up. And againe, be circumspect, and never presume to utter any thing before the Lord in publique, which will not hold weight, if weighed in the balance of the Sanctu­ary. So speak to God, as considering that men also heare you. And, if ever you should have any thing amisse in your prayers, either for matter, or for manner of expression; lay not this at the doore of the [Page 142] Spirit; but rather father it thy selfe, own it, though with sorrow, as a brat of thy owne naughty heart, or extravagant fancy. And farther, having such a gol­den talent as the gift of prayer, labour to improve for thy Masters, and the Churches, and thy owne advantage. And if yee would be mighty in prayer, be much in the study of the Scriptures, in prayer and meditation. The best way to the throne of Grace, lyes by the Oracles of God: And neglect not to eye and follow the cloud of Incense, that is, the prayers of Saints in Scripture, which ascend to heaven, when [Page 143] you would goe to God in prayer: And you who have the gift of prayer, pray for the Grace also; and that more earnestly, because one dramme of Grace is worth many ta­lents of Gifts.

3. You who have not the gift of Prayer, so as to compose a Prayer, but have need that some one teach you; To the Lords prayer, to the prayers of David, Hezekiah, Daniel, the Apostle Paul, &c. in Scripture; and to other formes of prayer framed by other men according to Scripture-patternes, and after this manner pray ye, &c. As to formes of pray­er, [Page 144] composed by men of a fallible spirit; use them as learners to swim use blad­ders, so as they may be able at length to swimme without them; use to goe to prayer with them, as children use first to go by a bench, or forme, so that after a while, you may, as they, go without them; use them not as old men use staves, or crutches, ne­ver likely to lay them a­side.

4. As for those who pray not, alone, and with their families, (if they be Masters of families) pre­tending they know not how to pray; this Doctrine renders them in excusable, [Page 145] they must needes become silent before God. What can they say for them­selves? If they say, they cannot go, behold God al­lows them crutches to help their weaknesse. Brethren, if you have but a good will to come to draw nigh to God in prayer, behold Jesus Christ stretches out his hand to direct you; he hath left you this prayer, as legs to go withall to his Father; you may be wel­come to God and Christ. If you come but born upon the shoulders of prayers made by others, if you cannot come alone of your selves: goe therefore to others to teach you to [Page 146] pray, as this Disciple did to Christ; and let all Mi­nisters, Parents, and Ma­sters, imitate our Lord Je­sus Christ in the text, and his forerunner; teaching their people, children, ser­vants to pray, as John and Christ taught their Disci­ples.

5. Last of all, let us that use the Lords prayer ordi­narily, make it the patterne of our practise, as well as of our prayers. Let us doe as we say, as we pray. Let us endeavour, that Gods name may be hallowed, or glorified, by us and others, that the Kingdome of sin (which is indeed the Devils Kingdome) may be thrown [Page 147] down to the ground, down to the nethermost Hell; that our Lord Jesus by his good Word and holy Spi­rit, may set up his throne in our hearts, and in the world, farre above the thrones of all the Kings of the earth, the Prince of the aire, and all the powers of darknesse. Endeavour we our selves, and perswade we, and help we others to do the will of God on earth readily, cheerfully, constantly, as the Saints and Angels doe it in hea­ven. And we that every day pray for daily Bread, let us take some honest calling and course to get it. Operantibus dabitur: [Page 148] your labour shall not be in vaine: And content we our selves so with daily Bread, with the portion for the day, as to take or ad­mit no carking, or distra­cting thoughts for to mor­row. Let us (who pray God to forgive us our offences against him, as we forgive our brethren their offences against us) let us be sure that we do not play the Hypocrites, or dally with God, lest our prayer be turned into sin, lest our prayer to God prove like the petition of Adonijah, for Abishag the Shunamite to be his wife; lest it cost us our lives, lest God answer and say, [Page 149] you have spokn this a­gainst your owne lives, against your owne soules; you will not forgive your brethren Mites, and there­fore I will never forgive you Millions of talents. Let not us who pray to God, not to lead us into temptation, goe presently and tempt the very De­vill, the Tempter, to tempt us, by throwing our selves upon occasions of sinning. Whilest we pray, deliver us from evill, from all evill of sinne and punish­ment, and particularly, from that evill one the Devill, see that we run not headlong into any sin (as a horse rusheth into the [Page 150] battaile) knowing that in so doing, we cast our selves into the Lions den, yea, into the mouth of the roaring Lion, Devill, and as much as in us lieth, in­to hell it selfe, that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. And let us, that fill our mouthes with Ar­guments, to plead and wrestle with God as Prin­ces in prayer, from his Kingdome, Power, and Glory, i. e. his ability to help us; Let us, with our very hearts, and lives, as well as with our lips, praise him with the song of Mo­ses, Rev. 15.3, 4. and of the Lamb; a­scribing to him alwayes the Kingdome, the Power, and [Page 151] Glory, for ever and ever: Thus sealing up our Pray­er with a reall AMEN.