What Prayer is. PRayer, is nothing else but a powring foorth of the soules-sense ac­cording to the instinct and motion of GOD his holy Spirit. And herevpon it is, that Moses is sayd to cry (Exod. 14. 15.) though he vttered no worde: and Hannah to pray (1. Sam. 1. 12.) though she spake onely in her hart. And this is called Prayer Mentall; as that which is by mouthes vtterance, is called Prayer Vocall.

That I say this speach of the Soule [Page] must be according to the motion of God his Spirit: it is, because no vt­teraunce mentall or vocall is true Prayer, otherwise then it is vttered by the Holy Ghostes direction: For his office it is to teach vs what to pray. And herevpon it is, that the Apostle teacheth, not onely that God sendes foorth his Sonnes spirit into our hartes vpon the very first action of our Adoption, (Gal. 4. 6. 9.) for teaching vs to Cry; that is, ear­nestly to Pray: but also to deny, that the most learned is able to pray with­out the direction of that Spirit. For thus he sayth: The Spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what to pray as we ought, but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs, with sighes which cannot be expressed. Rom. 8. 26.

And least any should obiect: Alas, we speake imperfectly, or sigh con­fusedly; he addeth: But he that sear­cheth [Page] the hartes, knoweth what is the meaning of that Spirit: for he maketh request for the Sainctes, according to the will of God. So that no wordes or sighinges are heere reputed Prayer, otherwise then they receiue their character of Christes Spirit.

Which obserued, it conuineeth the Papist and Brownist (two ex­treames) of extreame ignoraunce. The Papist thinkes,The Papists errour for Prayer. if so he say ouer some certaine forme of wordes pre­scribed in his Iesus or Ladyes Psalter; or her etofore drawen by Pope Sixtus or some other idolatrous Woorthie, he hath done very well; though (God knowes) he is so farre from follo­wing the instinct of Christes Spirit therein, as ordinarily he Apishly imi­tateth some brutish inuention: and (if it be Latine) his owne Spirit (he be­ing a common Papist) ignorant what his lippes vttereth. For the Brownist, The Brow­nistes error for Prayer. [Page] hee thinkes on the other hand, that if he haue vttered a number of words, not according to any written forme, but of the abundance of his owne hart, then he hath performed a wor­thie worke: for no wordes borro­wed from else where, he holdes can be deliuered for Prayer. And here­vpon it is, that he denyeth to vtter the words inNamely, Our Father which art in Heauen, &c Mat. 6. 9. &c. for Pray­es: as if the same wordes could not bee vsed for Doctrine and Prayer. Thus condemning all the Worlde for ignoraunce in Prayer, he shewes himselfe to be ignoraunt what is Prayer.

Prayer (as before) receiues not his Beeing from Wordes: for one can pray truely that is dombe with Za­charie: but be they words or sighes, or Soules breathinges; they be then true Prayer, when God his Spirit is one with our Spirit in the vse there­of: [Page] And therefore to impute any thing to Wordes in that manner as they do, is flat Merit-mongry.

And because in vocall Prayer, the selfe same words may againe be vsed in the same and like case, our Sauiour (who had more varietie of wordes then any Brownist) hee repeated the same wordes againe,Namely, Abba, Father all things are posible. &c. Marke. 14. 39. And the Apostle againe and againe in the entraunce of his Epistles,Namely, Grace be with you & peace from God. &c. Rom. 1. 7. 1. Cor. 1. 3. 2. Cor. 1. 2. Galat. 1. 3. Ephess. 1. 2. Philip. 1. 2. Coloss. 1. 2. 1. Thess. 1. 2. 2. Thess. 1. 2. 1. Tim. 1. 2. 2. Tim. 1. 2. Philem. 3. Thus farre was S. Paul from acquaintaunce with Brownisme. And yet I could prooue vnto them, that some of themselues both publiquely and priuatly, haue vsually vsed a flat Forme of Prayer cond by hart. But who will easily dispute with Spirits of priuate inter­pretation?

[Page] Nothing now sayd, that hath not been sayd afore. Prayer consisting in Sighes new or accustomed: in wordes olde or new (Etiamsi nihil dictum quod non dictum prius) prouided the same be formed by the Holy spirit. Some ignorauntly (it may be) will inferre: Then the vnsanctified (with Iudas Iscariot) pray not truely, seeing the Holy Ghost is not giuen them. I answeare: the vnsanctified person praying with and for others, may (as did Iudas Iscariot) pray truely; and may haue glorious effectes fol­lowing the same, (as followed Isca­riots ministerie, so well as the others, Mark. 6. 13. and Luk. 9. 10.) and this, because he prayeth according to the motion of the Holy spirit, though he enioy not the same Spirit. For great is the difference betweene being Acted by him, (as Balaam was in his ministerie) and hauing the Spirit dwelling in one; as he doth in [Page] the sanctified, Rom. 8. 9.

This remembred, I will (as God shall enable) in the next place, dely­uer vnto you an Exposition of the Lordes Prayer, and that also in forme of prayer.

The first Branch of the Intro­duction to Prayer. OUr Father: Note: Our Father. For further expli­cation hereof, the wise-spirited may vnder them words, relate to the first Commaundement: Thou shalt not haue other Gods before my face. Father by cre­ation, as we were set out of thine hands in our fore-parents Adam and Heuah: but more speciallie a Father through the worke of Redemption: who as we voluntarily were cast away of the first man, hast recouered vs to thy selfe againe by the second Man, Christ Iesus his glorious obedience. Twise a Father, (by Nature, and Grace:) but we vtterly vnworthy once of the name of Children: so [Page] great hath been our transgression, both against Nature and Grace.

As thou teachest mee not to cry My Father, as minding either my owne particuler onely: or hereti­cally iudging better of my selfe then any others: but hast commaunded mee to cry, Our Father, as a feeling member of that Catholique Church, sparsed ouer the earth, to whom Christ Iesus is onely Head: so hereby thou callest me to ioyne with Fayth, Loue: that so my Fayth in thy pro­mises, may declare it selfe to be true Fayth by the workes that issue there­from: as in other thinges, so in the action of Prayer. For thou wouldst haue vs to know, that all Fayth is but dead, which worketh not by Loue: First towards the head of our Head, Christ Iesus: Secondly, towardes our fellow members, which is the corporation of true beleeuers.

[Page] The second branch of the Intro­duction.Our Father, Which art in Heauen: Note: Which art in Heauen. This may relate to the seconde Cōmundement. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe a grauen thing, nor, &c. and because in Heauen, therefore Almightie and Al-sufficient for thy children. Beeing a Father, thou art willing: and being in Heauen, thou art able to effect whatsoeuer thou willest: and thou willest onely that which shalbe good for thy chil­dren. This we belieue; Lord helpe our vnbeliefe. And as thou specially declarest thy glory in the Heauens, (for otherwise thy Essence & Beeing is beyond all place) because there are the Spirits Angelicall; who are more capable of thy glorie: so vouchsafe ô heauenly Father, (for the sake of thy Sonne, through whom thou art be­come our Father) to inrich our harts [Page] nowe and for euer with diuine thoughtes, beseeming the presenting our selues before such a heauenly Fa­ther: That so by thy grace, we may pray in Fayth: euen in that Fayth which worketh by Loue, the bond of Peace, the fulfilling of thy Law, the externall badge of thy Sonnes disciples.

The first direct Pe­tition,Heauenly Father,Note: Halowed be thy name. Hereto the third Commandement may be applyed: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine, for, &c. thy name in propri­etie, is thine owne selfe: and so thou art IEHOVAH, the bee­ing of all beeings, de­ryuing thine owne beeing from none: in which respect it is ea­sier to say what thou art not, then what thou art: for being Infinite, thou so canst not in propri­etie fall within the compasse of De­finition. [Page] But as thou first assumedst the name Creator, in respect of the Creature: so therewithall thou after a sort, didst make thy selfe Compre­hensible, who otherwise art Incom­prehensible: which thou secretly taughtest Moses, when (for that he was in conceipt finite) thou declardst thy self vnto him by thy Back-parts: for none can behold thy Face, and liue. And herevpon it is, that thou declarest thy selfe; first in the com­mon Creature (for the Heauens de­clare thy glorie, the Firmament shewes thy handie worke; and the visible creature makes seene thy in­uisibles, as thine eternall power and Godhead:) Secondly, thou doost make thy selfe knowen by thy Writ­ten Worde and Sacramentes: In thy Word, declaring thy selfe by that name of names, Father of our Lord Christ Iesus: sealing vp the same in the bles­sed [Page] Sacraments of Baptisme and our Lordes Supper.

Be it thy name essentiall or relatiue, (declaring thy Beeing, or the Diuine properties in thy Beeing) vouchsafe the Grace vnto vs, of hallowing the same: for, though earthly Powers wincke at it, thou wilt not holde him guiltlesse that takes thy name in vaine. We were first Created into thy name, and secondly haue been Baptised into the same: But we lost thy Image in the first, and haue reco­uered in the second (by thy Grace) a new stampe thereof. Heauenly Fa­ther, infuse thy sanctifying grace into the hartes of all thy Children, that of the abundance of such a sanctifyed hart, the mouth may speake holyly to the prayse of thy name, and the edifi­cation of many. And so shall the pure sacrifice of Prayer and Prayse, be of­fred vp vnto thee in all places.

[Page] The second Petition.That thy Name may be so hallowed, Let Thy Kingdome come. Note: Thy King­dome come. This casteth eye backe to the fourth Cōmaun­dement. Re­member thou keepe holy the Sabbaoth day, to sanctifie i [...]. &c. Thy King­dome is of another nature then the worlds Kingdomes be. They be as Nebuchadnetsars Image, made of Gold, Siluer, Brasse, Iron and Clay: all which, the Corner-stone of our Saluation, (Christ Iesus) dasheth to powder; melting before his Kingdome, as Waxe before the Sunne. Thy Kingdome is Spirituall, and specially inward: and therefore to the world inuisible. This Kingdome of thine, thou dost stablish in the Body of thy Church: thy Holy Spirit taking vp the Conscience for his Throne, there gouerning the Hart of Man, by the Scepter of thy Worde. Thence thou [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] neuer departest, making whatsoeuer is at enmitie with thee, thy foote­stoole: casting downe the haughtie imaginations of men, and whatsoe­uer is within, exalted against thee.

Lord, let this Kingdome come? this Kingdome of Light, for chasing away the powre of darknesse: this Kingdome of Grace, for dryuing euery vile Canaanite foorth of our Land. Let the strong man Sinne, be taken and bounde by Him that is stronger: and so take vs vp wholly, for thine owne Glorie.

Vnto which good purpose, vouch­safe (ô heauenly Father) to blesse thine owne Ordinaunces Ciuill and Eccle­siasticall. The Ciuill thou hast giuen specially for keeping the Body and Flesh of Man-kinde in due order: The Ecclesiasticke, specially for sub­duing the Soule and Spirit. In the first, thou hast these fourtie foure [Page] yeeres & vpward, [...]endred our good, in the happie and blessed regiment of our dread Soueraigne Elizabeth, de­puted ouer vs in all causes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall, our supreame Gouer­nesse. In the second, thou hast for all the time of her gracious regiment, sought our saluation, comming vnto vs early and late by the ministrie of thy Prophets: For all which, thy name be euer blessed.

Heauenly Father, vouchsafe ac­cordingly to continue the same mer­cie by Ciuill & Ecclesiasticke gouern­ment, not only to vs, but also to our posteritie. Dash the Image of Romes Nebuchadnetsar a peeces. Let his vnion with Spayne, prooue but as a mixture of Iron and Clay: and his mixt Idolatrous gouernment, let it quickly be consumed. Thou who in thy Worde hast promised to stirre vp all these Kings against that Bomish [Page] Harlot, who first subiected Crowne and dignitie therto: Lord hasten the perfecting of that promise. Through thy blessing, it hath come so to passe with vs, and some other our neigh­bours. Lord hasten the conuersion of other Kinges, (and namely of the King of Spaine) that with a right roy­all resolution, they may arise, and like true Christian Princes, labour to consume that harlotry Synagogue, which before hath consumed them and their Kingdomes.

Destroy the Turkish tyrannie: Let the Kingdome of thy Sonne in his Do­minious more and more florish. Re­moue the ceremoniall Vayle of Moses from before the eyes of thy naturall Israel. Gather into subiection all of Iewes and Gentiles, that appartaine vnto thy Kingdome: That so thy Sonne Christ Iesus may come vnto Iudgment; he may so deliuer the [Page] Kingdome into thine handes, and so GOD may be all in all.

The third Petition.In the meane time, Thy Will bee done in the Earth: Note: Thy Will be done in Earth, &c. This relateth to the fifth Com. Honor thy Father and thy Mother, that [Iààricun] they may prolong thy dayes vpon y^• earth which y^• Lo. thy GOD giues thee. and that in such sort, as it is done in the Hea­uens. The Ange­licall Spirits in the Heauens, are fayth­full and flightie in theyr Obedience: whereas they were created but once, retayning still their first state. And wee, besides our na­turall creation, haue put thee to a se­cond busines, to the re-creating of vs againe by thy Spirit and Worde: by so much the more we owe vnto thee a greater obedience; Giue vs [Page] the grace therefore, togither with the knowledge of thy Wil, to be Doers thereof: that others so seeing our good workes, they may thereby take occasion to glorifie thee our Father which art in heauen. But when (by thy Grace) we shal haue done any part of thy Will, let vs not be destitute of that Grace, which is declared in thy Angels by couering their Face and Feete. Let vs be humble in our owne eyes, acknowledging our insufficien­cie for contemplating thy glory: the insufficiencie of our affections for do­ing thy Will. Let vs neuer be left to our selues, that so we shold forget the darknes of our Senses, the lamenes of our Affections. With which conside­ratiō, giue vs not only therefore not to be idle, but also wynged & speedie executors of thy gracious Will, re­uealed to vs from thine owne Word.

And besides the common duties of [Page] Christianitie, vouchsafe the grace vn­to vs, duely to consider our particu­ler place & calling: that so the Maie­strate may haue grace to gouerne rightly with his Sword: the Minister may be faithful in ruling by the Word: the Artificer and Trades-man may shew himselfe a true Christian in the very particulars of their vocation: that Fathers and Maisters, to children and seruants: seruants, children, and subiectes to their superiors, may all be carefull in these very places, to be faythfull doers of thy Will; as the hea­uenly powers in their roomes, are euer prest to act thy diuine pleasure. Heauenly Father, vouchsafe vs the grace alwayes to make such holy vse of the Angels their glorious exam­ple, that so in word and deed, we may euer glorifie thy name put vpon vs: first in Creation: secondly in Bap­tisme: lastly in our Profession.

[Page] The fourth Petition.Vnto the (Father) it is best knowen what is necessarie for the Day: to thee there­fore we crie: Giue vnto vs this day, our dayly-bread. Note: Giue vs this day, our, &c. Hereto the sixt Commandemēt. Thou shalt not murther. If thou giue it, it shalbe good for vs, be it more or lesse, (for it is not in the quantitie, but in thy blessing) & with litle thou woul­dest haue vs contented; in teaching vs to craue only Bread. Nor can it be so little as the best of vs deserue (for we merit not the Crummes that fall from thy Table,) ô how large then is thy mercie, who besides Bread, hast af­foorded many other Creatures often for our Tables, with variety of Ray­ment for our Bodyes: Yea, how great is thy mercie, seeing we may say particulerly with Dauid: Thou hast prepar'd a table before mee in the [Page] sight of mine aduersaries: thou hast an­noynted mine Head with Oyle, my Cup running ouer: For oft the aduersaries of Godlynes haue laboured (so much as in them was) to depriue vs of Na­tures sustentation: but in mercie thou hast annulled their deuises, giuing vs in their very sight (to the griefe of their hartes) not onely Food, but also soueraigne delightes of Nature, and that with inundation.

Thou in mercie hauing giuen it, thou so (in Christ Iesus) hast sealed it vp for our owne. Whereby hath falne out, that in our much and little, we haue a true peace-able conscience: Otherwyse (O Lord) if we eate, drinke, and cloath'd our selues in iudgment, what better were we, though we gayned the world there­by?

And the prouidence (ô heauenly Father) which watcheth ouer our [Page] bodyes nouriture by this Bread, vouchsafe it may watch ouer our soules, by administring the Bread of eternall lyfe, which is the Merits of thy Sonne, offred in thy Worde, and sealed vp in the Sacramentes. That being so fedde in body and soule, we may both in body and soule cheere­fully prayse thee.

The fifth Petition.We haue trespas­sed against thee ô hea­uenly Father:Note: And forgiue vs our tres­passes, &c. Herto the breach of all the Com­maundementes may be referred. first, in not hauing Beliefe in thy Promises, who notwithstanding hast declared thy selfe to be not only a Father; but also, an Heauenly, al-sufficient Fa­ther. We haue secondly sinned a­gainst thee, in not declaring the truth of our Fayth by the wotkes of Loue [Page] towards our fellow members. We haue thirdly trespassed against thee in taking thy name in vaine. We haue trespassed fourthly against thee in set­ting our selues against the thinges of thy Kingdome. We haue transgressed fifthly against thee in not dooing thy will, when once it hath been reuealed vnto vs. We haue sinned against thee also in the abuse of Bread, and all other externall necessaries. Our trespasses against thee are innumera­ble: neither are we able to answere for one sinne amongst a thousande. Good Lord therefore be mercifull vnto vs in the remission of all our sinnes: which remission, proceedeth of thine owne free Grace, sealed vp in Christ Iesus: whereto man is not able to adde one farthing by way of satisfaction.

Forgiue vs our trespasses, as we forgiue them that trespasse [Page] against vs. To whom thou sealest (by the testimonie of thy Spirit) the forgiuenes of sinne, to them thou gi­uest a true guift (though not absolute) of willingnes to pardon the trespas­ses of their brethren. So that by our readinesse to remit the offences of others, thou wouldst haue vs to take knowledge of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, which thou hast remitted vnto vs. And seeing thou in the first place hast been willing to passe by our Offences, compared vnto Ta­lents: What are wee in the second place, that we should take our bro­ther by the throate for a few Pence, (trifles vnto vs, in regarde of our debtes to thy infinite Maiestie) and so call vpon him for satisfaction to the vttermost farthing? No (ô hea­uenly Father) doe rather vouchsafe vnto vs, a gentle, meeke, humble, and louing hart, by the which we may be [Page] ready to loose much of our externall right for Peace sake, rather then (by seeking our owne) to kindle conten­tion: by the which we may be wil­ling to deale mercifully with others, euen as we would be glad to receiue mercie at thy handes.

The sixth Petition.Finally, we beseech thee, not to lead vs into tentation, but deliuer vs frō euill. Note: And lead vs not into ten­tation, but. &c. Hereto all: but specially the tenth com. Thou shalt not couet. &c. It shalbe necessarie (ô Lord) that sometimes wee bee tempted in­wardly (as were thy seruants Dauid, Iere­mie, and others:) but in such time of tentation, sweete Father delyuer vs from euill: Giue vs (as thou didst to thy seruant Paul) a happie is [...]ue out of that tentation. Sometimes it shal­be [Page] necessare, that thou tempts vs outwardly, as thou didst Abrahā in offring his only beloued Sonne Isaac: as thou didst Iob in the losse of his Substaunce, Children, and bodyes health. Yet (Heauenly Father) wee beseech thee in such Tentation, to be mercifull vnto vs, to ridde vs from the power of the Tentation, to dely­uer vs from Euill.

The Reason of offering Prayer only to GOD: The first branch.These our Petiti­ons we offer vp one­ly to thee: because, Thine is the king­dome. Note: For thine is y^e Kingdome. Heere may be remembred the kingdome of Aegipt, from whence Israel is fetched. Scepter, Go­uernment, Regi­ment, are all thine. As in the Churche where euery soule willingly bowes before thee, as their fatherly King: so, in swaying of euery creature, [Page] (euen reprobate Men and Angels) causing them will they, nill they, to execute thy diuine pleasure. In the first, for the declaration of thy mercy: in the second, for the manifestation of thy exact iustice.

The second branch of the Reason.Nor is it any mar­uell, seeing thine is The Power. Note: The Power. Heereby that Power whereby that Church was deliuered. All Power in Heauen and Earth is thine. Power of Deuils and their instrumentes, is nothing else but a sparckle of thy Power, borrowed of thee, what time thou meanest to cor­rect thy Children, or else to iudge transgression in the reprobate. Till thou graunted such Power, Satan could not touch Iob, either in his sub­staunce, children, or person: no, nor beeing discharged, could he enter so­much [Page] as into a Swine. Thou onely hast the Power to helpe vs; to thee therefore we direct our Prayers.

The third Branch.And this the rather, because Thine is the Glorie. Note: And the Glory. Heere may be r [...] ­ [...]rdated the glorie which God gayned in ouerthrowing Aegipt in the red Sea. And all this intimated in that preface to the Com­maundementes. Exod. 20. 2. Part thy Glorie with any other thou ô God) wilt not. And this is a great part of thy Glory to haue Prayer offered vp vnto thee: as bee­ing HE, who only can search the Hart, can giue to eue­rie one the thing is necessarie, and gaine Glory to thy selfe in all thy acti­ons.

The fourth branch in cōmon with the thirdAnd this For euer and euer. And because Kingdome, Power, and Glory, [Page] is thine always: therefore at no time to be giuen wholly, or in part, to any Angell, Saint, or other Creature, be it otherwise neuer so excellent in our eyes: of neuer so high estimate in our minde.

The sub­scription of Fayth. Amen. Note: Amen. This may relate to Israels subscription vnto the Law. Thus the Law sent people to Prayer: and Prayer respecteth the obseruatiō of the law, and the fulfilling of all in Christ through whom God is become Our Father. So it is: and, So be it (ô Fa­ther of Heauen) for the sake of thy Sonne our onely sauiour and redee­mer Christ Iesus. To whom, to­gither with thee and the sanctifying Spirit, be all king­dome, Power, and Glorie: hencefoorth and for euer: Amen.

OUR Father:: and therefore a transgression for any of vs To haue any other Gods before thy face. Which art in Heauen: and therefore, not to be fashioned by or to any thing aboue or belowe, that hath existence amongst the Crea­tures. For as thou art a Iealous GOD, so thou must needes punish throughly all such Idolatire. Halo­wed bee thy Name of all thy peo­ple: who hast commaunded them at no hand To take thy name in vaine. Thy Kingdome come: as, in the due sanctifying of the auncient Saba­oth day in Israell, till Christ his King­dome was established to all nations: [Page] so now, in the holy obseruance of our Lordes day, the day of our Saui­ours resurrection; the day wherein at seuerall times, on seuerall persons, (from morning to late night) he powred foorth aboundantly the first fruites of his Spirit. Thy Will bee done in Earth, as it is done in Heauen; by all sorts of Fathers and Mothers Ciuill and Ecclesiasticke: with due referrence of duetie from inferiours to such superiours; that so a better Blessing then that of Ca­naan (euen of Heauens Rest) it may be giuen vnto them. Giue vs this day, our dayly-bread: that so by thy Grace, we may not onely not murder, but also truely mayntaine life in our selues and others. For­giue vs our trespasses, as we for­giue them that trespasse against vs. We haue trespassed in thought, worde, and deede, against all the for­mer [Page] and other thy Commaunde­ments. Lord vouchsafe to seale per­fectly to our soules the remission of them all, euen as (by thy Grace) we finde a true (though not perfect) rea­dines to forgiue to others the [...]r tres­passes. Lead vs not into tenta­tion, but deliuer vs from euill.. Tempted we shalbe to breake all thy Ten Lawes: specially the very tenth, in coueting things which appertaine to others. For thy Sonnes sake de­lyuer vs from all such euill. For thine is the Kingdome, Power, and Glorie, for euer and euer. Kingdome is thine, and therfore thou callest people out of the seruitude of sinne, to serue thee. Power is thine, and this thou shewest by pulling thy Israel out of the handes of Hels Pha­raoh: and the Glorie due to thee in all our obedience, thou wilt not part it with any other. For all homage [Page] of body and soule is due to thee; who hast purchased vs, to the prayse and glory of thy name. And this for Euer and euer. Amen. Heauenly father, It is so: and euer graunt Grace to vs all, that it may be so. Amen.