SECT. I.

1. WHether persons full of themselves, as we are all by na­ture, wholy emptie and swept of all Goodnesse, and garnished with noysome lusts, the furniture and rich garnish ofMath. 12. 44. [Page 3] the uncleane Spirits house, whether these are like to helpe them­selves by useing sett formes of Prayer?

2. Whether Babes in Christ, newly converted ones, renewed in the Spirit of their mindes, have need of formes, those crutches and helpes of devotion, when they are addressing themselves un­to their God?

Quest. [...]. ‘The first; Whether unreasonable and wicked men, as all are, that have not faith, can helpe themselves in this their condition by useing sett formes of prayer?’

Answ: To this we humbly give our opinion, That they cannot helpe themselves at all, but the more they use them, the more they are disadvantaged by them, the more indisposed to, and putt fur­ther off from the power of Godlinesse. For

First, The reason of this we take from the Philosophers knowne rule, which indeed we thinke falls-in with common Ex­perience, ‘That habits, whether in good things or in evill, are acquired and improved both by continuall exercise.’ These things, which we learne for practise, we learne by practise, as saith learned D [...] Wilkins. Now for any one to habituate or accustome himselfe to formes of prayer, that is, to prayers made or written by another, and said by himselfe, shall find himselfe as unable, and as hard a matter to come off from them (yet off he must come i [...] ever he looke to find acceptance with his God) as it is with an Ethiopian to change his skin, or the Leopard his spots. O! we are much taken with and hardly taken off from formes of prayer, we have been accustomed to from our youth up, and never found these did the flesh any hurt, putting it to Cost; as these never did the spirit or hid-man of the heart any good. So then these formes of prayer we come with before God, doe more indispose us to God, and estrange us from Him: And it is not good to accustome our selves to that, we must leave at last, and come off from, if ever good be wrought in us or by us.

Secondly, Because we may say of these formes of prayer, as is said of the wicked themselves, these are sensuall not having the Jude 19. Spirit: though we may suppose them very exactly composed; and by the most accomplished Men, we meane, by Holy men, having the Spirit. For though they might pray in prayer, wrought by the Spirit for that very thing; Yet being written before their [Page 4] eyes, and prayed by the booke visible or invisible, we meane the memory, there is no more spirit and life therein, than there is in a dead letter. Indeed we may call these prayers flesh, being writ­ten with inke which profiteth nothing, it is the Spirit that quick­neth; And thereby, that is by the Spirit of God, His people call Him Father, and Jesus their Lord. But praying without the Spi­rit, and wholy carelesse to aske after the Spirit, calling for it in prayer, we are never more likely than at such a time, and when we are upon that solemne worke, never more likely than then to call Christ accursed. Could we say, Abraham's, Isaac's, Jacob's [...] Cor. 12. 3. prayers, with Paul's prayers, &c. And have not that Spirit, by which they prayed, our prayers would become as we beleeve, in the eares of our God, but as sounding brasse or a tinkling Cym­ball.

Thirdly, We may Consider this. All that God giveth to us, or workes for us, He doth all by the Hand of His Spirit: So also, All that His people give backe againe to Him, or worke for Him, They doe it by the speciall helpe of the Spirit too; Therefore it is they see so much need of the Spirit, and call so earnestly for a sup­plie from the same.

Quest: 1. But it may be said, how shall sensuall men, not ha­ving the Spirit call for the Spirit; unlesse as they are taught to doe it in other's words?

Answ: This is a lesson can never be taught by man, not by all or any prayers suggested to us by Man; That every one of us by Nature is the Devill's house emptied and swept of all Goodnesse, brim-full of all filthinesse, adorned and garnished with noisome lusts, the ornament and garnish of that house the Devill calls his owne; this we thinke no man questioneth. Now if all this were debated upon and set downe prayer-wise, according to the ex­actest forme, It could not accomplish the thing: what is it to say in another's words, I am a sinner, or I have sinned, though, sayingJob 5. 20. so much, he had said all, if his heart had said it, and not another for him, freely, feelingly, sincerely and beleivingly: So then one word spoken in desire and endeavour from the heart, as aforesaid, hath more virtue and efficacy in it, than a thousand words sug­gested to us by the eyes or memory onely. Certainly we must confesse sinne in our owne words, our Confession will not be ac­cepted [Page 5] else; as we must forsake sin in our workes; they, that con­fesse and forsake sin, are the same.

Quest: 2. But is there not a double use of these set formes of prayer? first, for directing of our desires? secondly, for execite­ing our affections?

Answ: We humbly conceive there is not a single use of them; not first for the directing our desires. These are all inward and are moved by a principle within, never stirred to move after God, Christ, Grace, Glory, till there be some inward sense, or feeling of the want, and necessitie of haveing God in Christ, and all the needs of the soule supplyed by Him. Sense of want is the Giving of Desire. Now we cannot see how this inward sense can be wrought in the Soule, by a forme of words lying before us, any more than painted bread can stirre-up desire, or satisfie desire be­ing stirred-up. As no outward thing can inwardly defile, for all reall and truely called defilement is within and from within, else the Devill himselfe could not defile us; so no outward thing can inwardly purifie; and then, not purifying, it can give but poore directions, to our desires. Secondly, Nor are they of use, (as we conceive) for the exciteing our affections: These are warme and hott and doe heate and warme, but still by some workings from within first. Affection is like fire, it is hot it selfe first, before it heate others; We must be affected before we can affect. Now we cannot see how a dead powerlesse forme (which as one hath it, nourisheth the hid-man of the heart, no more than stock-fish nou­risheth the bodie, and that gives no more nourishment, saith E­rasmus, than a stone does) can excite affections, unlesse to it selfe, because so exceeding pleasing to flesh and blood, never crossing in the least the Desires of the same.

Quest: 3. But is not this to take the generalitie of men quite off from praying?

Answ: No: to our seeming it putts them on upon prayer, to pray that they may be enabled to pray in a deepe sense of sinne, and the need they have of the blood of Christ to purifie their hearts, and pacifie their Consciences; all which they are to pray for.

Quest: 4. But pray they cannot, unlesse they pray by the booke, visible or invisible.

Answ: To this we say, That to our seeming if they doe pray by the booke, they doe not pray at all in Gods account. And truely those men are b [...]lder with God than they durst be with men; had they offended a great Lord, they must acknowledge the offence with their owne mouthes, and not another for them, and have righted their offended Lord, if he would have it so, with their owne hands; and glad with all their hearts, that the offended Lord would be so accorded; But we are bold with God though who made us so, but our owne shamelesse impudent Spi­rits? We can offend God sinning against Him, and confesse it by a proxi, in his words who did not give the offence. We sin with our owne mouthes, and will confesse with anothers mouth: may not the Lord say, offer this to your Governour, see whether he will Mal: 1. 18. accept of your Person?

Quest: 5. But this will be said still, if they may not pray by the booke they cannot pray at all so the Lord God shall have no service from them at all?

Answ: Indeed the Lord God, to Whome all we are, and have, and can, is due, hath no service, none at all from a wicked man, his lusts are deepe sharers here, for they have all; as once so they say still, It is in vaine to serve the Lord. But all the DisserviceMal. 3. 14. they can doe, they doe unto the Lord, even all they can against Him, because they know Him not; for this is a Ruled Case, or a knowne Conclusion; ‘The more we know of God, the more we honour Him, and our selves the lesse; And the lesse we know of God, the lesse we honour Him, and our selves the more; As God riseth in our thoughts, so we fall, and as we rise in our owne thoughts, so God falls.’ We would adde this, That the hardnesse of our hearts appeares in nothing more than in these stout words, We cannot pray, our Spirits are so barren; These are stout words indeed, and argue the stoutest heart, and much pride of Spirit, as usually spoken by proud Men; It is as if so be a man should say; I sinne and I will sinne: But I will not say unto God I have sinned, what shall I doe? If He will take my Confession from another's-mouth, let Him take it; I will not confesse my selfe a sinner, with my owne Mouth; nor will I aske Him pardon. These are as stout words, to our seeming, as can be spoken; upon the Readers thoughts we leave them. When we have added this [Page 7] more; As we are Creatures, and have our dependance upon God, every moment we are obliged to pray unto Him: As sinfull Crea­tures, such as sin and Satan can make us, we are obliged to con­fesse unto Him with our own Mouths. We would answer a Que­stion one or two more before we give Resolution to the other Case.

Quest: 6. ‘But would not praemeditated formes prevent many rude, Crude or indigested expressions?’

Answ: Yes sure, with those, that know not in the world how to pray without them; If sensuall men not having the Spirit, wholy carried by sense, and minding nothing above the place their foote treades on, if these should pray without the booke, possibly, as their parts might be, low and meane, they would use strange and uncouth expressions. But they, who set themselves before their God, and expect the supplies of His Spirit from Him, looking upon their owne strength as rottennesse, to be rested on; knowing they cannot thinke a good thought, as of themselves, and would not for a world utter rash words in His presence; surely they shall finde the assistance they looke for, and such a supplie as shall be best for them; And if they rise not from their knees more comforted, They shall be more humbled, which is as good; for a groane from the heart is as good as a teare from theThe Spirit of adoption may be in a groane as well as in a prayer. Mr. Ford. sp. Ador. 480. eye; And they shall be kept from speaking that in prayer, which is unbecomeing their God to heare; or the Asking of that, which is unbeseeming their God to grant. But we would add this, which we thinke more properly relates to the Resolution of this Que­stion. A wicked mans prayer, we meane him, who is resolved to goe-on in his wickednesse, comes from his necessities, feare and dread being before him, trouble and anguish upon him, perhaps and terrour within him, looking upon death now not at a di­stance, but as the King of terrours, requiring his soule of him, and killing him with death: his prayer now, as we were saying, comes from his necessities, not from his heart, therefore shall not come neare Gods heart (to speake after the manner of men) And then it is all one whether he pray by the book, or by his owne Spirit, the one as the other hath the same acceptance with God. Deare children, followers of God alwayes, are alwayes heard, though they doe but chatter like a Crane. And children of Belial, who never [Page 8] heard God speaking unto them in His Word, are not heard of God, for He heareth not such sinners, who wallow in their sinne as doth a swine in the myre, and returne unto it as doth a dog to his vomit. Whether then their expressions are exact, and as well composed as words in print can be: or rude, indigested or incom­posed, it is much the same, and comes to as much as nothing. Such a wicked-mans praying is but tatling, and babling; or to speake as the holy Scripture doth, It is as the roaring of Beares, or howling of Doggs, Isa. 59. 11. Hos. 7. 14.

Quest: 7. Moreover, It is said, doe not they, who dare not bring praemeditated formes before their God, rush upon dutie, without useing the Common meanes of fitting themselves, and so tempt God?

Answ: To this we say, that to expect any thing from God, without useing the meanes allowed by God, as helpes that way, were to tempt God and provoke Him to His face; Therefore doubtlesse it is the wicked man that rushes upon Dutie, not be­thinking himselfe before-hand unto what a glorious presence he is come, and what is the worke he is to engage upon, and what the danger is of miscarrying; He that thinkes of none of all this, he Rusheth upon Dutie; And indeed what needs the meditation of what I am to speake unto God, when it is suggested unto me? I can reade it with mine eyes, and see my selfe speake? But that man, that prayeth in the Spirit, though he doth make a totall re­signation of himselfe unto the hands of the Spirit, expecting His immediate suggestions, Yet so as he hath omitted no meanes be­fore to fit and prepare for that high service; as thoughts of him­selfe and his nothingness; of the glorious Name of God, and all his expectations, therein and from the same: These things toge­ther with the word of God, he gives himselfe to, meditates upon, and is wholy in it, and is so as the season fitts, he addresseth him­selfe before his God: He knowes, That, that glorious promise, Math: 10. 19. Take no thought how or what ye shall speake, for it shall be given you in the same houre; relateth to extraordinary ser­vices, when God calls forth unto them, that then they may expect extraordinarie assistance. But when he may use Common and or­dinarie means of Gods appointment to prepare him for this pray­ing worke, and should be negligent in the use thereof, which [Page 9] through grace he cannot br, then it were a great presumption to depend upon extraordinary helpe; So now before we come to give some resolution to the Second Querie, we would in the close of this, give-in some Counsell, which we hope shall be well agree­ing with the word of God, to them, who being sensuall not ha­ving the Spirit, must needs be wholy unacquainted, with the Lord and Christ, who is the way, the Truth, and the life, and yet hap­ly, they pray to God, and praise Him, as ordinarily as they rise­up from their Beds, and Tables; lye downe upon the one, and sit at the other. This is the Counsell we would give, That they would cease from their formes of praying, or from praying by a forme, which differs as much from praying in the Holy Ghost, as doth the Sunne in the firmament, from the Sunne painted on a signe-post: And apply themselves to hearing the Word, whereby faith cometh-in to the soule; so may they, by the blessing of God, attaine to the knowledge of Him, to whom they are praying; and of Him in whose Name they must pray, and find accesse unto the Father; of Him also through whose intercession within us the prayer is formed (Rom. 8. 26.) and so finds acceptance, by the Mediation of that Advocate with-out us, at the right hand of the Father, being as sweet Odours now, all that from the flesh adhe­ring to them, being seperated from them. Hereby also, we meane by diligent hearing the Word preached, they may attaine to a knowledge of themselves, what lost-ones they are in themselves, and that they must be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power, if they know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and be found in Him; which may put them upon praying that they may profit by hearing. Indeed we would take off these sensuall persons, not having the Spirit from praying by the booke; and Read­ing the Holy Scriptures, as they read them; and apply themselves to the hearing Gods Word in season and out of season, and attend upon the moovings of the Holy Spirit, upon the Word preached, which is the Chariot of the Spirit, therewith (for so it is appoin­ted of God) the good Spirit comes into the heart, as the Sunne into the house; workes Faith there, and makes us light in the Lord: so as now we can see clearely how to pray, and how to read, and set our seale to it; whereas before we did not pray, nor [Page 10] did read the booke, neither did we looke thereon Revel. 5. 4. See Bright.. We say it againe, this is the Counsell, which hath been given to us, and, through mercy, we have received it, and therefore we would give it to o­thers, who may be (as we were when time was) as much versed in reading the Holy Scriptures, as they are in praying, and all this while, as we did, slighting the place appointed for Hearing, and despising the Word preached there. Thus then, as we were say­ing, we would advise them to frequent Sermons, and give all Dili­gence to profit thereby, we meane, to get faith by hearing, that therewith they may mixe that they heare, and make it profitable unto them. For if we enquire at the Holy Oracle, we beleeve it will resolve us, as to Reading the Holy Scriptures before we have profited by Hearing, That the word of God preached, which is called, we thinke, The sword of the Spirit, is as different from the Word read in our house, as is a sword in the hand of a Mighty man, different, in point of working, or making execution upon our lusts, from the sword lifted-up in Georges hand upon a signe-post. Give we then all Diligence in Hearing, that we may read and pray at home with understanding. This is our Counsell, and this our Conclusion, That, whosoever rejecteth it, multiplies Trans­gressions, as he multiplies prayers, and praises. Nor can he think, and shew himselfe a man, That he shall be taught of the Father, who heareth not His Word: or that Christ appeares in the pre­sence of God for him in heaven; when he visibly and apparently appeares against Him on earth, turning His Word behind his back, and setting his heart against it. We proceed to the second Querie.

SECT. II.

Q: II. ‘WHether Babes in Christ, newly converted ones, renewed in the spirit of their mindes, have need of formes, those commonly called crutches and helpes of Devotion when they appeare before their God?’

Answ: We humbly conceive, no: If they that were Lame be­fore cannot now leape like an Hart, yet they can goe to God without a Crutch. And this we thinke the Scripture holds forth before us, that the Adopted of God in Christ, His Sonnes and [Page 11] Daughters, have out-growne their Crutches and helpes of De­votion, though some of them but Babes in Christ. For whensoe­ver The Spirit tells a person, he is the sonne or daughter of God, having wrought faith in his heart; The second thing the Spirit doth, it teacheth him to pray, that is, to Call God Father, which is the voice of Gods Spirit in a sanctified soule; It enableth himG [...]la. 4. 6▪ to Cry Abba Father: to pray earnestly, to be fervent in prayer; They were cold prayers before, but a lip-labour onely; But the Spirit, comeing-in to witnesse with his Spirit, and bringing faith with Him, makes the Childe to goe to God, and looke upon Him as a Father, whose favour he doubts not off; or if he doe, he would have his doubts resolved, and his evidences cleared; and for this he cries; and is not helped at all, as we conceive, by any set forme, which heateth the Spirit no more than the Censer is without fire; for the Holy Ghost having sanctified the heart, and put it into a whole-frame of Grace; The heart speakes to God as it is quickned, acted, and moved by the Spirit of God: And herein we would appeale to the experience and practise of all, that are but Babes in Christ, whether ever they were gainers, by any formes of Devotion, prayers sett before them? And if they say, no; then they will not be easily perswaded to pray by those formes, from which they gaine nothing but more dullnesse, drossinesse and indisposednesse in their Spirits. It is our perswa­sion, That a child of God, who is afflicted with the sense of sinne, and affected with the sense of a pardon, had rather speake five words to God with his understanding and sutable affections, than ten thousand words prompted or suggested to him by a visi­bleBooks are a memory with­out us, and memory is a book within▪ us. booke, before his eye, or an invisible, his memory; And more acceptance should he find with his God. He hath told his errand in his owne words; perhaps he wants words and can but chatter, like a Crane: It is, as was said, a prayer notwithstanding, and may crie aloud in the eares of his God; It is delivered with under­standing, with suitable affections▪ with Humility, an excellent in­gredient in prayer, with an inward sense of his Condition; It is a good prayer sure and finds acceptance with his God. We are ge­nerally deceived about prayer, It is, thinke we, a worke of memo­rie, of a good witt, a readie invention, a voluble tongue, This makes an excellent prayer in the esteeme of a mans selfe, and in [Page 12] the account of others; But this is not prayer; Prayer is the worke, Mr. Ford. p. 629. 525, 526 545, 546. of Gods Spirit, in a sanctified heart, and feeles no need of Crutches to support and beare it up Heaven-ward; these help us not we find, when we are lame; it is granted, these hinder us when we are sound; The Lord Christ is the Churches Advocate by Office; The Spirit her Advocate by Energie and operation. All the pray­ers,Rom. 8. 26. which prevaile with God are formed, wrought and fashioned in our hearts by the Spirit of God. Now we suppose here is a B [...]be in Christ, as weake as Babes are, notwithstanding he hathBez▪ no need of a forme; he is in Christ, and therefore hath the Spirit of Christ, and therefore in the Spirit he can pray. The Spirit hel­peth his infirmities▪ Rom: 8. 26. helpeth. The Greek word is ve­ry emphaticall, a De-compound, helpeth as a Father helpeth the little Child at a burden; The Child onely puts to his hand, the Father his strength. Indeed the Father doth all, so doth the Spi­rit in this Babe: and if any thing else come to helpe with Him, He will not helpe at all. If the Crutch doe any thing, the Spirit will doe nothing. He is an helpe sufficient of Himselfe, The Spi­rit will not helpe with a Crutch. When the Spirit of God sets home our miserie and extreame necessitie, we cannot want wittie words and Ingenious expressions. Grande doleris ingenium est mi­seris (que) venit solertia rebus: misery felt is full of ingenuity, and e­nergie too: ‘It will tell it's tale well enough; the man is sensible of his wants, you need not supplie him with words. If a poore Tenant, finding he hath a hard bargaine, comes to his Land­lord, Let him alone for telling his tale, (said excellent Sibs) you may warrant his abilitie that way; he will lay open the state of his wife and Children, and the ill yeare he hath had; he will be eloquent enough.’ There is no man that hath an humble and broken heart (though he be never so illeterate) but he will have a large heart to God in this kinde. The great worke in our selves is, for the working whereof we must attend the Spi­rits worke in the Use of the meanes, is a true sense of our owne ne­cessitie: See D. in W. p. 27. And then we shall not need, as the sentenced Malefactor needs not, Any Master to teach us how to supplicate; nor any booke out of which we might learne a fitt forme of petitioning. The apprehension of our present danger will make us both im­portunate and eloquent, in the desire of mercy. A spring of De­sire ariseth from the sense of want.

SECT. III.

THus we have told our Apprehension in this matter; It were no [...] faire dealing now, if we should conceale from the Rea­der, that the Godly learned have spoken much in favour of set formes of prayer; And the latest, we thinke, that have written for them, is Reverend Hilderson; ‘I doe not denie, saith he, but a weake Christian may use the helpe of a good prayer booke; In thisPsal. 51. 63. case better to pray with a booke, than not to pray at all. Certainly 'tis a Spirit of Errour that hath taught the world otherwise. First our Blessed Saviour prescrib'd to His Disciples a forme of prayer, not onely to be to them, and to His whole Church, a Rule and Samplar, according to which all our prayers should be framed; but even for them, and to say it, tying themselves to the words of it. Luk. 11. 2. It is cleare also that John taught his Disciples to pray, by giving them formes of Prayer to say, And the best reformed doe now and ever have, used prescript formes of Prayers, and have judged them of great use and ne­cessitie for the Edification of the Church:’ Reverend Hilderson's words all these; A man, as all know, of pretious note and ac­count in the Church, and so with all, we thinke, that feare their God; we would be numbered amongst them in this matter; but for our Reason, now that the Lord hath, we hope, sanctified it; and our Judgement, we reserve it as a Chast Virgin for the Lord; our meaning is, we will not give up our judgement to any man; In desire and endeavour, through Grace, we will lay that levell to the Rule of God's Word. We will not, we are sure we ought not to call any man on Earth Father or Master, That is, we will give no man power on Earth over our Judgements and Consci­ences, such the Father hath (or seeme to take) over the person of his Child. We are to follow none but as they follow Christ,Math. 23. 8, 9. no [...] ought we to be commanded by any, that Command not from His mouth; our Leaders must le [...]d to Him, our Commander must command for Him, else we must not be lead, or Commanded byIsa. 55. 4. them. My Conscience, as one [...]aith, is Gods throne, I cannotMr. Ford. sp. of Ad. p. 4 [...] [...]. answer it to God, if I permit (any man) much lesse Satan to u­surp it▪

So now it will be expected we should give some account of our dissenting from those Learned and Godly men in point of set formes of prayers. For the same we have read from worthy Hild. First [...]ol p 348. Saints e [...]o p. 80. we may read from others the excellent of the Earth, Perkins; Preston. These were for sett formes; Therefore We professe we are in some kinde of paine, while we are declareing our Judge­ment, which will be somewhat differing from theirs in this point, these being as is well knowne in all the Earth eminently Learned and Godly. But for the last of these, That excellent Preacher in his time, Dr: Preston, it may be noted, That he alloweth the practise of the primitive times, and of our times, in reference to their Litur­gies onely, in their publike meeting places; And tells us, it is not enough to be present at and joyne in these prayers, but we must Goe to God in secret, and ‘he that is exceeding weake,’ that is hisSee Mr. Ford of Adop: 525, 526. 545, 545. expression, may use a prop to helpe him, as a Child that cannot goe, he meanes a sett forme of prayer for a time; In the next place it may be observed of them both, That they take in this obi­ter, and as it were upon the by; It was not to their scope, and therefore not in their purpose or intention to plead by way of Ar­gument for set formes to bring with us, when we goe to prayer, that is, to God; Onely worthy Hild: as was sayd, speakes more for set formes than any we have met with, Mr Rogers himselfe not excepted▪ so we take leave to examine the proofe he makes, these are his words, for we know there is much notice taken of them.

‘I dare not Deny, but a weake Christian (him we called by Scripture allowance a Babe in Christ) may use the helpe of a good prayer-booke:’ This is taken-up at a very cheap rate, without the price of a proofe; or if you will call it a proof, this it is; Better to pray in a Booke, than not to pray at all.

This we take to be, as, we thinke, the Schollars phrase it, Peti­tio principij, a mere begging of the Question, It asserteth some­thing, but proves nothing; It asserts this, That if a Babe in Christ, a truely converted one, have not a booke to pray by, he cannot pray at all, whence he inferr's, 'tis better to pray in a booke, than not to pray at all.

Now we have asserted the Contrary, and doe assert it still, That a Babe in Christ would pray to his Heavenly Father in the [Page 15] Name of Christ, though there were not a set forme of prayer in the world.

And we would humbly add what we conceive to be a truth, if there were as many set formes of prayers, that the world it sel [...]e could not containe the bootes written thereof, yet all these, alltoge­ther, or apart, could not give the least helpe to the Devotion of this Babe in Christ. All those would not make him crie in prayer Abba Father. But this one Charge against himselfe, which surely2 Sam. 12. 13. Job 7. Luke 5. 18. Jere: 3. 13. he can doe very readily, I have sinned, spoken from him freely, feelingly, humbly, sincerely as David, Job, the Prodigall now come to himselfe, and as the Babe in Christ can speake it, is of more ac­count with his God, and more prevailing to encline His eare, than all the Rhetoricke in the world, suggested to this Babe by ano­thers tongue or pen. Prayer, we have heard say, is the key that openeth all Gods Treasuries; But now another's key, be it never so exactly made (to argue it by way of a similitude) cannot fit the wards of my locke; Our plaine meaning is, and without a fi­gure; A forme of prayer, the exactest that ever was made, can­not surely fitt my needes, cannot speake out the things, that I want, to the eares of my God; or speake out His prayses, for what I have received from Him. It cannot reach the troubles of my Soule, nor can it tell the Consolation there; or suppose it could, It would not supplie me with the Spirit, By whome I must, through Christ, present all this before my God; for what man 1 Cor. 2. 11, 12 knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of man within him? and so forth, for it requires our observation through-out. We will put a close to this, when we have spoken two or three things more very briefly.

First, We conceive that those set formes cannot take any whit with a Babe in Christ, one Reason is, Because set formes are so taking with us while we are out of Christ, we cleave to them as fast as the skin to the flesh, or the flesh to the Bone; And what we cleave to, we plead for. Surely it is otherwayes with him or her, that is in Christ; as the nature is changed, so are the actions, the desires, the affections. They remember well they never pre­vailed any thing by set formes; unlesse to the hardening and braw­ning of their owne hearts; The stupifying or deadning of their owne spirits; they never prevailed with God to give them a sight [Page 16] of their sinne, and forgivenesse of the same; for they were never in earnest with Him about this matter; if they had, they had pleaded with their God in their owne words, and not in anothers for them.

It is the wicked man that sticks to his formes as fast as he cleaves to his sinnes; The Babe in Christ not so; hee or shee is renewed in the spirit of their minde, and therefore stand as much against set formes, as the wicked stand for them.

Secondly, Suppose wee, for information sake, That the per­son praying hath a sense of the want of that he prayes for, That granted, we affirme, he hath no more need of a set forme, teach­ing him to pray, than an hungry man hath to pray for his bread; If he hath no sense or feeling of what he prays for, which cannot be supposed in a Babe, then the set forme of prayer will doe him no good; for the forme of prayer is as dead a peice as the heart is, and two dead things, like two withered stickes, cannot enliven and quicken each other.

Thirdly, Wee would appeale to the Conscience of every wick­ed man, seared though it may be, as well as to the observation and experience of all the godly that know them, and that are ac­quainted with them; whether by their set formes or prayer bookes they have gained more strength against sin, or more strength to sin? To our seeming the answer must be (for so speakes their con­versation to the godly that doe observe it) by their set formes they have gained more strength to sin, thereby their hearts have risen with more opposition against God, and indignation against the Godly; for it is a ruled case, They that sticke fastest to formes of godlinesse, are the greatest enemies to the power thereof. And this is a knowne Maxime also, That a mans lusts are no more shaken by such prayers, though he should turne them over as fast as that Antichristian doth his beades, than a Giant is shaken by the shak­ing of a straw in a Pigmies hand.

Fourthly, A forme of prayer is an artificiall prayer made by the art and skill of another, and it is but like artificiall breath of bellowes, or the like, cold, whereas naturall breath is hot; surely cold praying hath cold working; and moves not at all with God; as good ask doubtingly as coldly, for, as the saying is, it teacheth God to deny.

Fifthly, Set formes of prayer are too pleasing and sutable to flesh and bloud, to be pleasing to God, or Good men or to doe the soule any Good. That which hath any virtue in it to doe the soule good, must hurt the flesh, even to a torment; that must of­fend the flesh that doth indeed defend the spirit. But this prayer by a prayer-booke doth no more execution upon our lusts, than a potgun can against an heard of Harts, or a Gun charged with pou­der among Armed men. It is a lazie sensuall prayer, else fleshly mindes would never so plead for it; for as was said, Give them that which is sweet, though it choakes them, Per fallacia bona itur ad vera mala, through seeming good and pleasant things, wee hasten to reall evills: As per fallacia mala itur ad vera bona, through seeming evill things wee come to true and reall good things. It is but a seeming good to please the flesh, and but a seeming evill to crosse it, as the Babe in Christ doth, and wrestleth with God in His strength about it, knowing he oweth his flesh nothing but mortification, save onely to make it serviceable to his God, and his owne soule.

Sixthly, Wee will close with this; possibly a Babe in Christ may want convenient utterance, by reason of some defect in the tongue, or bashfullnesse in the presence of others. And upon that account, our famous and excellent Perkins (but it was forty yeares agoe, when formes of prayer were of more account then now they are, and the hurt they did, not so looked into, as now it is, and with that allowance you must weigh them if they should not hold waight) mooves in this Babes behalfe, for a prayer-booke, in these very words; ‘The Grace and gift of prayer may be shewed in Mr. Ford. 480. reading of a prayer,’ other wayes it would goe very hard with them, that want convenient utterance.

Wee humbly crave leave to say, That notwithstanding that want, which a Babe in Christ may have, there is no want of a prayer-booke though; This Babe serveth his God in his spirit, who can supply that want, yea a greater want than that, suppo­sing he could not speake one articulate or distinct word before his God, he can pray in his spirit through the mediation of His Son, and finde acceptance sure enough; his Lord takes not his prayers by number, but by waight; nay, the Lord doth not so much weigh the words of prayer, no nor the grace of prayer by the scale, as he [Page 18] tryes both by the touchstone; Hee not so much regards the num­ber as the truth of prayers, and these may be but breathings after God and Christ, yet they have a voice as loud in Gods eare as is thunder in ours.

Wee will draw to a close; Who ever hath the spirit of Grace hath also the spirit of supplication, who may be in a groane, as well as in a prayer. Whence we may conclude, That he who hath this spirit, hath no need of a prayer-booke whereafter to pray. If you grant, he hath th' one in his heart, he will disdaine, we thinke, to take the other into his hand. The Good Spirit is his Great Helper at this great and high service, when he is engageing upon it. Take this withall, if please you, it pleaseth this Babe very well,Non actibus sed finibus pensantu [...] officia. for it makes much for his comfort; ‘That his Duties are weigh­ed, and reckoned upon, not by their Acts, but by their ends.’

SECT. IV.

WEE have humbly given our opinion, in way of satisfacti­on to those two Queries, relating to prayer, under that Generall notion. And here wee have forborne to reply any thing to the customes and practises of primitive times, and times more lately by-past; for (first) They plead for formes of prayer in their publique places, wee plead against the use of them in our private Closets. (Secondly) Againe, wee are to walke close up to the rule of Gods word, and not by the practise and precepts of men, whereunto something hath been hinted before more than once. (thirdly) Wee have replyed nothing to Johns teaching his Disciples to pray by giving them a forme of prayer to say, which is not so cleare to us, that so he did, but wee may speake more to it hereafter.

SECT. II.

THus wee have dealt faithfully in setting downe what we find pleaded for the saying of the Lords prayer. Yet we hope to acquit our selves of both these, Ignorance and Errour, in the words of truth and sobernesse, though our Judgements bend from M^r Hilds words. That our Saviour gave his Disciples that prayer to say, tying themselves to the very words: nor can we fall in with these ancient Divines, choosing rather to use those words in prayer than any other. Wee shall in all humility and modesty interpose our judgement against this, without making the least reflection upon the good knowledge, excellent learning and Godlinesse of these two men, the one famous for all these all over this Nation, the other over all the Christian world; And therefore how loath are wee to make mention of these things: But that here is a ne­cessitie for it, because they that are such sticklers for formes of [Page 20] prayer, and are resolved to bare themselves up upon those crut­ches. They also, who, as far can be observed, never used any o­ther prayer but the Lords prayer, doe catch at such sayings as these, coming from such excellent men, when they slightingly passe over what they may find in every page for their edification; wee were saying, full loath we are to meddle in these things, but for the reason above-said; Though wee hope wee shall doe but our duty herein, which is to bring the sayings of men to the sayings of God; The words of men, to the words of God, as to their standard or scale, where they must be weighed in the ballance of the Sanc­tuary.

SECT. III.

HEE is a perfect man that slips not with his tongue; and as perfect is hee, that slips not with his pen, Dabimus veniam petimus (que) vicissim, wee give and wee crave the same pardon. But still wee take leave to doe our dutie, finding wee have such war­rant for it, to examine the forementioned words by the touch­stone of Gods word. Those brave and generous Bereans did shewAct. 17. 11, 12 themselves to be such, by inquiring into, and questioning the A­postles words, who yet, if any in the world, might have been be­leeved upon his ipse Dixit, his owne word for it, that Apostle might; It was enough that Paul sayd it; no, not enough, for these truely wise Bereans; they have a sure word to goe by, and to that word they will bring the Apostles words, to inquire of them whe­ther they be the words of truth, as wee doe inquire whether it be true gold by the touchstone and fining pot; They that receive the word with all readinesse of mind, will with the same readinesse search the Scriptures dayly, whether those things be so or no. And behold a blessed effect of this; Many of them beleeved. Wee think this was spoken before, If so, so much the more wee should observe it.

SECT. IV.

BEfore we proceed to our next Chapter, we desire the Rea­der to observe for the close of this; That these excellent men have but spoken their owne words, and given us their owne per­swasion, [Page 21] as to the matter of our enquiry, onely the later of them tells us the Judgement of others, Cyprian, Tertullian, and Augu­stine, these chose rather to pray in these very words: But what is this to us, if we cannot understand our Lords words as they did? In­deed we find Cyprian hath a whole Sermon of the Lords prayer, which in order is his sixt. And it was so cleare to him, All were to pray in those very words; that he concludeth That to pray in any other words, argueth not onely ignorance but a sin. Yet these are but words, spoken onely not weighed, and in darke times com­pared with ours. And, we think, there are some other words in the said Sermon more to be taken notice of, which are these; ‘The New man, now borne againe, and like the Prodigall, come Homo novus re­natus quando Deum, patrem dicimus, quas [...] fil [...] Dei agere debemus, ut quo­modo nobis pla­cemus de Deo▪ patre sic sibi placeat & ille de nobis. to himselfe, and returned to his Father, the first word he speakes is Father. And now he is declared a Son, he carries himselfe like a child. Whence he infers it should be our great Care so to doe, That as it pleaseth us well to Call God Father; so it may please Him as well to call and acknowledge us His children: which falls-in fully with what we reade, Jer: 3. 19. Thou shalt call Me my Father, and shalt not turne away from Me; that is as before explained, I will give thee the Disposition of a childe, when I give thee leave to call Me Father.’ This now we have cited out of Cyprian, tendeth much, we think, both to our edifi­cation, and information, that we may know how to ballance his words, and, by the just weight we find in the later, make allow­ance for the lightnesse of the former. And all this we shall be able to doe, we meane, we shall be edified and fully informed in these and all other matters necessary to salvation, when we shall humbly yeeld-up our selves into His Hands who leads into all Truth, and will not suffer us to be lead by our own humours or principles. So wee proceed according to our proposed Method, to Answer some Queries about the Lords prayer, where these matters will fall-in in their due place and order.

SECT. I.

FOr first; The whole carriage of this prayer, from the Alpha to the Omega, from the beginning to the end, and closing words thereof, argueth it to be of generall concernment to the whole Church of God, more relating that way to the good of the Body, than to the peculiar good of any member thereof: though wee know this cannot be severed, the good of the whole, and of the part; for that, which is good for the Body, is good for the member too; and what is good for the member, is good for the whole Body; as what is good for the Bee-hive, is good for the Bee, and what is good for the Bee, is good for the Bee-hive; Yet wee conceive when a Disciple comes before God, hee spreads before Him, his peculiar case, and saith, not our Fa­ther, but my Father; not others cases, but his owne. This wee conceived relates to the Church in generall; but a Disciples prayer relates to himselfe in speciall, and his owne concernments, though he can no more forget the Church of Christ, than he can to eat his bread, or his right hand forget its cunning.

SECT. II.

AGaine, our thoughts are, That the scope, and intendment, of this prayer, is mainly to be looked after, And tells the Disciple what he is mainly to tend unto, and bend against, be his [Page 34] prayer long, or never so short, Viz, ‘The Hallowing the great and glorious Name of God, in the laying himselfe out to the ut­most for the advancement of the kingdome of Christ, in his owne heart, His interest there, and thorow the world; and the throwing downe the kingdome of sin, and Satan there, and here and every where.’ This wee conceive was our Lords maine scope in prescribing His Disciples this prayer; And this must be the Disciples scope in the moulding their petitions thereafter.

SECT. III.

WEE cannot conceive that this prayer should be put into the Disciples mouthes to say it in those words; and yet they never sayd it so farre as wee can heare, not one of the Apo­stles, nor Disciples in those dayes, yet wee meete with many of their prayers: nor any of the Blessed Martyrs that wee read of, and we have read some volumnes of them.

SECT. IV.

ANd lastly, the height and depth, length and breadth of the Contents in this prayer, which wee thinke the understand­ing of an Angell cannot comprehend, makes us beleive; That the Lord intended not, That His Disciples should huddle it-up as he reads it; Nor can we think, That any true Disciple in the world, that shall well ponder on the matter, and weigh the contents thereof with all his heart and soule (which every true Disciple doth not doe) will say that Prayer after the manner; Sing ye praises with understanding: so, put-up your petitions with under­standing. It is good to be full of affection, but it is best to worke in the full Assurance of understanding. Affections without under­standing, are blind; understanding without affection is lame; the want of eyther run's us upon a thousand inconveniences. But if any dutie, then that of prayer calls-up all our Affections; It calls for a worke of the understanding also. Now, we thinke, no godly man's understanding (though his onely is opened, re­newed and sanctified) is able to goe along with this manner of saying it, as he reads it; he will make a pause sure at the ontrance▪ [Page 35] My Father. We have told you our thoughts, as to this matter. Onely we entreat the Reader to observe what he met with in the first Chapter second and third section, and in the second Chapter, specially the fourth paragraph there; together with the first para­graph in the Chapter following, which we thinke, refers much to that which precedeth, as to that which followes.

SECT. I.

ANd the first we would onely offer to your Consideration, being rejected by the godly Learned, yet we conceive no reason is given for their refusing of it: ‘That, which is a patterne to make all prayers by, should not be used as a prayer.’ To this the onely Answer is; ‘Therefore the rather it may be used as a prayer. But this makes no proofe, nor doe the words following. That sure it is, Antient and worthy Divines have reverenced it, as a prayer, choosing rather to use those words than any other.’ And so many worthy Divines doe now, and yet by so doing prove no­thing to the purpose. We will offer but a word in it, and tell you what we conceive, that the Argument is very strong; The pat­terne to make all prayers by, is not to be used as a prayer, for if wee use the patterne for our prayer, wee shall never pray according1 John 3. 2. to the patterne; As the Disciples doe not stint themselves with any degree of holinesse, Gods owne purity being their Copie, so neither can they stint themselves in prayer, the Lords owne prayer being their patterne: We proceed.

SECT. II.

WEE thinke it cleane besides the scope and intendment of our Blessed Saviour in giving His Disciples this Prayer, if they shall plead their case with Him in those very words; [Page 36] Now in this Case we cannot reach our Lord's mind, nor eye His scope, but by observing what He did while He tabernacled among men; He put up many prayers to His Father, and indeed, though Lord of all, yet as Mediator of His Church, and so a servant to His Father in the Churches behalfe, He could have nothing, norPsal. 2. 8. Ma [...]. [...]6. 5 [...]. Heb. 7. 25. hath He to this day, but He must aske for it: And among all these prayers we read not (and quod non ligitur, non creditur) That this sacred prayer came-out of His sacred lips any more than once. Nor have we observed it from the mouths of any of His Apostles, or other of His Deare Children Yet we read of their prayers, and though short, yet were they moulded after this man­ner, ‘That the throne of His Glory may be advanced in their Hearts; And that the world, and all that, which mightily op­poseth the lifting-up of the same, may be throwne-downe, Crushed to the earth and ruined:’ but never heard we this Prayer from their lips, nor from any of the Blessed Martyrs. Now, cer­tainly, these, being of the Number of That Virgin▪ Company, fol­low their Leader and Commander, though haud passibus aequis, yet they follow Him, and did eye, marke, and behold His Blessed scope, and intendment in all He did or spake.

SECT. III.

THe Disciple doth not, as we thinke, bring this Prayer before His Lord for this were to limit and stint himselfe, and so to Restraine prayer, which sure was far from the Intent of our Lord to prescribe so Contrary to the workings of His own Spirit in the hearts of His Chosen; These find a restraint upon themselves, as often as they find not the Blessed Spirit enlargeing of them to pray; and then humbled they are, when Comforted they cannot be: But it is far from them, as it was from the Mind of Christ prescribing this prayer, to stint themselves, so many words, and no more, as acceptable with their God, as so many Ave-Maries and Pater-nosters given out by Number, you know by whome. A naturall prayer put-up by the strength of Nature, is a stinted and a limited prayer: But a Spirituall prayer, as a Disciples pray­er is, hath alwayes an Infinitenesse in it; his spirit being right set, is enlarged to a kind of Infinitenesse in Gods Service; There is a [Page 37] Naturall Bias in his soule, which inclines him to a limited prayer; But we know the strength of the Arme takes away that Bias: So the strength of the Inward man takes away this Bias. Though this Disciple is not able to doe what is actually infinite, yet his desire is infinite in this, That being to deale with an Infinite God, were he able to doe ten thousand times more than he doth, yet his heart would doe more. Oh that I could doe more; As he growes in grace, so his desire after grace is enlarged, as much as a wicked man is after the world and sin; he enlargeth his desire as hell, and a godly man enlargeth his as Heaven. He limits not himselfe; Those desires are boundlesse which the Holy Spirit enlarg­eth to a kinde of Infinitenesse, Causing those to Center in the infinite Love of God unto them through Jesus Christ; and this is our third Reason.

SECT. IV.

THese Disciples have their stated and set times for prayer eve­ry day. It is true, they pray Continually, or without Cea­sing. Acts 10. 2. 1 Thes▪ 5. 17. Prayer never Ceaseth to goe-forth, till the grace desired comes-in: Though the words of prayer cease in the mouth; yet the grace of prayer ceaseth not in the heart: But they have their stated times for prayer, and the very flower and creame of time it shall be, which is appointed for that high Service: from hence we prove, That the Disciple brings not this prayer before his God; He hath more to say, and must take more time for it, than is taken-up in repeating these words; They have many more words to utter before their God, we say not, than are contained in that prayer (for all the Angells in Heaven cannot readily tell us, and explaine to us the Contents thereof, or what is contained therein) but many more [...]ords than numerically word for word are Contained therein; Therefore he must take time for it, and, if we may so say, the firstling thereof; As he prayes to God con­tinually, so he praises God continually; prayers and praises goe together, very few breathings goe betwixt: but be they few or ma­ny, the Disciple takes time for it. No sooner is he awake in the morning, but he ascribeth to God the Glory, Who alone g [...]ve him sleepe, which all created strength could not doe; and awak­ned [Page 38] him out of sleepe, else he had slept on till the Great Day of the Lord God had come: he praiseth his God for this in the Name of Jesus Christ. And no sooner is he set upon his leggs, but he is upon his knees, praising Him with heart and voice, That set him on his leggs, whereas He might have laid him restlesse upon his pillow, where many an head lyeth akeing. But how if he be awakned with paine and sorrow upon the flesh? (to take it-in by the way) Notwithstanding he finds matter of praise, and his heart enlarged that way; He can sing the high prayses of his God, for those glorious excellencies, that are in Himselfe, and for the Emanations or flowings forth of the same by Jesus Christ in the exceeding aboundant riches of His goodnesse to His beloved ones in and through Him; and to himselfe in speciall; For though his flesh feeles paines upon it, yet saith the Spirit, I am not sicke, mine iniquitie is forgiven, my sin is pardoned: Hitherto he never found, That his Heavenly Father did him any hurt by afflicting him, but good a great deale. Which may mind you of him Chry­sostome tells us off, ‘who was acquainted with greifes in his mea­sure, as his Lord and Master was (in His Churches stead, and for her sake) that they may never have any hurt therefrom) and never came before his God, but the first words he spake, were praises to his God for his paines and sorrows upon the flesh (to use his own words) for his hell here, as well as for his Hea­ven hereafter. And you may remember another, A very good Man, who enjoyed health, and wealth, all was prosperous with him for fiftie yeares together; and after the Date of those yeares, he had scarce a Comfortable day to the houre of his death:’ But this is for our Learning, how praise-full was he, That his God spared him so many good dayes, and instructed instructed him to that Discretion, as to make an improvement of them, therein to lay-up, as we say, for a rainy day, or spending time, and to beare his Crosses, now they are come, willingly, and more, re­joyceingly; for he found no losse by them. Indeed this is the Glorious Priviledge of Disciples really and indeed such; Amidst all their Crosses they find not one Losse. But this is it we were proo­ving, There must be time for this praiseing the Lord, and these must be uttered with a Man's own mouth; and surely these will not endure to be bounded within a sett forme, nor can they have [Page 39] acceptance with their God▪ But that person, Man or Woman, who brings that Prayer before his God, Cannot praise Him for that he hath received (and what hath he, and hath not received?) for himselfe, and for all his, for all which God must be praised. ‘Prayer and thankes are like the Double motion of the Lungs (asDr. G: of prayer, pag. 61. saith that Learned, Holy Man) the Aire that is sucked in by pray­er, is breathed forth againe by thankes.’

Secondly, Nor can he pray unto Him for supply of what is wanting, keeping himselfe to that forme of prayer, and speaking to his God in these very words. The Disciples of Christ are very wanting, at least none knows their wants or sees their wants, or feel's their wants, as these doe; And the [...] none pray's for the sup­ply of their wants as these doe, these poore ones and needie ones: Indeed the Hebrew word for poore (as we have heard) springs from a roote signifying Desire; And the Reason is, as one sayth,Mr. Caryl. Job 5. 15. 298. ‘because poore men are commonly rich in desires. They that are full of sensible wants, are full of earnest wishes. And the Rea­son why povertie of Spirit in our Spirituall Estate is pronounced a Blessing, is, because the poore in Spirit are full of Desires af­ter Spirituall Riches. They are ever craveing and seeking to be filled with that fullnesse which is in Jesus Christ, with Grace for Grace; they would have the Image of every Grace in Christ engraven upon their Soules; or (in an holy Covetousnesse) they would be as rich in Grace, as Christ is;’ These are the words of that Excellent Man before cited; more there are and tend much as to give instruction, so to our scope and purpose, That a Disci­ples prayer, whereby he makes knowne his Requests to God, cannot possibly be encircled or pent-up within that Compasse of six lines, which may be utternd in so many breathings, or within the space of one Minut's time; for we thinke within that space of time and lesse, that prayer may be said, or rather hudled; as with­in two Minut's-time the 67^•h Psalme may be said over and over, whereby as you may remember Bellarmine could measure the huge body of the Sunne, and the quicknesse of his race; ‘For I observed (said he) the first peering of the Sunne on our side of the Globe, and by that time I have said that Psalme over twice, the Sunne is up: and in a full body appeares to us:’ So then in twelve breathings the Psalme is said over, and over, and in six breathings [Page 40] the prayer is said. And is not this to the heart of a wicked man, In lesse than a minutes time, and that is the smallest parcell of time, he can begin and end his prayer, which being the Lords Prayer, he hath said it as well as the best Clarke in the Nationall Church, and yet he prayed no more than that Pillar of Antichrist, in his time, prayed, while he read over that Psalme.

But to proceed in this a little farther; A Disciples Prayer, wherein he himselfe tells his whole mind to God, it is not uttered in six breathings: Certainly he hath much upon his spirit, when he comes before his God. We will put a question here; and give you leave to Answer it. What would this Disciple have more, than he hath, that he is still begging? he hath all, God and all; he is compleate in Christ, and now what can he need? It is granted un­to him, being one of the Number, to be arraied in fine linnen, cleane and white, which is the Righteousnesse of Saints: his Defence is the Munition of Rockes; The promise is made good unto him; Bread shall be given him, his waters shall shall be sure; that is, heIsai [...]3. 16. Cal: shall want nothing for this life, nor for that which is to come; What would this man have more? You are, we hope, a Disci­ple, and not of the common Ranke or stamp of Disciples, that have no more to shew for their Disciple-ship, but that they were borne and Baptized in a Nationall Church. But you are borne againe and made a Disciple indeed: And then you can make an­swer and tell us, what this Disciple would have more, by what your selfe would have; he sees his Lord in the shade, he would see him in the Sun-shine; he would stand more in the Sun-shine of Gods favour; That Sun-shine upon him never wearieth with its beame; The more it is, the more refreshing it is; More of the light of thy countenance, more and more good Lord; Shew me Thy selfe more clearely: let me have a fuller sight of Thee, and in-sight into my selfe; for I would abhorre my selfe more, I would repent more. We verily beleive, That You, being a Disciple, doe pray after that manner. And yet you find not a word of all this in the Lord's Prayer, we meane, explicit there, or expressed; Im­plyed it is and much more in that one sweet word, Father. We take leave to proceed yet farther, and so to trie your Disciple­ship.

You beleive on the Name of the Son of God; you know Him, [Page 41] who is eternall life; yet so sure as you are a Disciple, you goe on praying, That you may beleive on the Name of the Sonne of God. 1 Joh 5. 13. You doe beleive, and yet you would beleive; you doe beleive, and this shall save you from all evill; for as you know full well, and doe teach it your people, ‘It is not this or that Degree of faith, which saveth, but the truth of faith, though but as the least graine or lowest degree thereof:’ Yet you rest not here, nor will you suffer your people to rest; for he that sits downe at the lowest degree of Grace, it may be doubted, he hath no grace at all, and shall become a Christian indeed, when an Ape becomes a Man; or aHe that hath true grace may goe to heaven ce [...]tainly; but he who hath strong Grace only goeth to Heaven com­fortably. Mr. Jen: on Jude pag. 165. Nominall Disciple, because Baptized in England, becomes a re­all Saint. Grace is still aspiring higher and higher, so are you, being a gracious Man; you doe beleive, then we beleive, you would beleive more strongly, that you might act more vigorous­ly in the whole worship of your God; Specially in those simple Duties, which none but the Disciple performeth, flesh and blood can doe nothing at them; as to love God; To Trust him; To de­pend on him; To have joy and delight in Him; To have Commu­nion with Him; To take Him for your portion, and inheritance, and to be all in all to Him; These are simple Duties, are acts of the soule, not compounded of matter and forme, And these you are able to doe through Him, that strengthen's you: But this you1 Joh. 5. 13. could not doe, but that you are still aspiring after a full assurance of hope; And for this you bow your knee before your Heavenly Father day and night, for so true Disciples use to doe; but then they bound not themselves within the Lords Prayer.

More should be added to this paragraph; but that we have been large in it. Sometimes this Disciple looseth the sight of his God, A Child of Light and walkes in Darknesse of discomfiture and sor­row. And what sayes he then to his God? Whome perhaps, his evidences being now so blurred and blotted, he cannot call Fa­ther. There is a Cup of trembling in his hand, there are sad ap­prehensions in his heart; what says he now to his God? No man can tell, but the Man in his Case; nor perhaps he neither; for he cannot tell himselfe. He is in the same case his Lord and Master was in before him, and that is his Comfort, if he could see it; he shall be brought out of it anon with joy and gladnesse: but this is his case at present, his soule is troubled, and what shall he say? John 12. 27. [Page 42] We will cast a vaile over this and passe on, Curae parvae loquuntur in [...]èntes stupent; but certainly he prayes, rather the Spirit within him; and no set forme in the world helps him with a word here, much lesse with a groane, Once more and so to come to a period, or full stop here: This Disciple now on his knees; as we suppose him to be, spreadeth the concernments of his Churches before his God, as neare and deare to him as his owne, he cannot keepe si­lence being a faithfull Remembrancer: This takes up some time also, and more words, than are numbred up in six lines; and so much to our fourth Reason, why a true Disciple brings not this prayer with him when he kneeles before his God. Before we pro­ceed we would make answer to that we have heard argued for the bringing the Lords Prayer before the Lord; It is this;

Quest. When a Disciple hath but little time, and can speake but few words, then he may draw-up all into a narrow roomth, and say the Lords Prayer onely, may he not?

Answ: To this we say first, That a Disciple (Remember you still▪ that we doe not meane a Disciple at large, a member of the Nationall Church, because he was Baptized therein; and received into that huge, we had almost said, and let it goe, Monstrous Bo­dy, to whome Duty is a burden, and sin light, with whome pray­ing time is waste-time, that takes up more time than saying the Lords prayer, we doe not meane him, he is not in our thoughts, unlesse it be to mourne over him, and your selfe, that account him such, we meane a Disciple indeed, and what we were saying of him, we are speaking out) That a Disciple indeed, prayeth in­deed, and being a man of much Grace, heares much, and reads much, meditates much, and prayes much: he is a man of much prayer; he spends much time to gett Grace, to make him rich to God, to get strength in the inward man, to passe through all va­rietie of afflictions; for all this he prayes unto his God, at the leastPsal. 55. 17. Dan. 6. 10. twice a day, we verily beleive thrice, as others have done be­fore him.

It may be said, this spends much time; whereunto it may be an­swered, That no time is better spent, than that, which is spent in Calling upon God, if called upon in truth. It hinders not in our ‘Buisinesse, though it seeme to hinder and though it takes (these are Excellent Preston's words) so much from the heape, yet in­deed [Page 43] it increaseth the heape;’ The baiting of the horse hinders not the journey; nor the oileing of the wheele, nor the whetting of the Sithe; though there be a stop in the worke for a time, yet as our Common saying is, A whet is no let; and praying time as it may be improved, is the most gaineing time. ‘One houres Com­munion Dr. G. with God may in a moment bring in more sweetnesse, than all other gaineings can doe to Eternity;’ The words of that Ex­cellent Man Dr G: We would conclude, That a Disciple holds on a Constant Course in prayer: He would rather forget to eate his bread, than forget to pray to Him, & to praise Him for his bread. As he hath stated times for ea [...]ing and drinking, so hath he for praying and praiseing; and if he finds not a fit season for eating, yet he will for praying He thinks much and often upon Glori­ous Preston's words: ‘The neglect of prayer uncovers the roofe as it were, and the Curse is rained downe upon our Tables, upon our meate and drinke, upon all our endeavours, and all the en­terprizes we take in hand: Thus with the outward man. And the losse we suffer in the inward man, upon the neglect of this Dutie is very great, that being ready still to be distempered, to goe out of order, to contract hardnesse and soile; for it falls out with a mans heart; as it doth with a garden, that is neg­lected, it will quickly over-runne with weedes, if you looke not diligently to it▪ and the way to looke to it, is Constancy in this Duty—there is much more to excellent purpose.’

But (2) now suppose, some great buisinesse comes to hand (there is none greater than Prayer) and the Disciple hath but a moments time to breath forth unto his God. What will he pray in prayer? we meane, what words will he use? Happily such like words as these; Lord heare, Lord forgive, Cause the light of Thy Countenance to shine upon us; and take away that, which more than Eccl [...]pseth it from us; Truely We cannot tell what he will say, if you can tell, you may tell us. But we are verily perswaded, he [...]ill not say the Lords prayer, what ever his time be more or lesse; And this is our Confidence in this matter. Now wee pro­ceed.

SECT. V.

WE suppose this will be granted, having its ground in the word of God, That so soone as a Child Calls God Fa­ther,Luke 15. 18. and Christ Lord, he remembers he hath sinned against Him; That is all we will say, he hath sinned against Him; And now, what shall he doe? here is guilt Contracted, and filth too, who knowes how much? and now what shall he doe to have the Guilt remoo­ved, and his Conscience pacified, his filth purged, and his Con­science purified; what shall he doe? surely he hath no way to take, but to flie, as the Man-slayer, whome blood pursued to the Citie of Refuge, unto the fountaine opned for sin and uncleannesse, and Entreate (for all comes-in at the doore of free Grace) that he may be put into the Jordan of Christ His Blood. Well, this shall be in good time, but not yet to his sense and feeling (for we en­quire not what was done in Heaven before time was, but what is done on Earth, and within the heart, to make all sure there) we were saying, he, having taken a right Course, and waiting at a sure doore, he shall have a pardon sealed to his Soule anon, in his Lords good time. But yet what shall he doe? for surely something is to be done. ‘The Apostles (said that Learned Expositour)Upon Job 7. 20 p. 691. gave Gospell Counsell, yet when men asked them, What shall we doe to be saved? they said not, ye must doe nothing, God will save you by His free Grace;’ No, they called them to repent and beleive every one of them. Sin must be knowne to be sin (call it by the worst name you can thinke of, then you call it Sin) aboveRom. 7. measure sinfull, and must be acknowledged so to be; Onely ac­knowledge thy iniquitie. Know the Plaegue of thine owne heart and Jer. [...]. 13. 1 Kings [...]. 38. mourne for thy sinne, because Committed against the Lord; and doe this as David for his Son every day, for every day thou sin­nest;1 Sam. 13. 37. Zach 12. and as true Mourners doe, mourne bitterly; and mourne the more because thou canst not mourne enough. This is that the Lord will have the Disciples doe. And so now, for we must Con­tract, we will conclude; That Confession of sin is the great ingre­dient in prayer for pardon of sin, whereunto the Scriptures speake every where. Onely Acknowledge: Confessing their sinnes; And forsaking of sin must goe before pardon of Sin; yea and subduing [Page 45] of sin too: All this in the strength of God; but he must be en­quired of touching these matters; He will have sin acknowledged; He will have sin forsaken, put as far away by us, as the East is from the West, as to our Love to it, likeing of it, desire after it, delight in it: So far we must put it away, before the Lord will tell us, that He hath put our sins so far away from Himselfe and fromPsal. 103. us; That it shall be as possible for the East and West to meet to­gether, as for a Man and his sin, to hurt him. So now wee con­clude, That this Confession of sin, which every man will grant, must be with a man's owne mouth, not by any set forme what­soever, is not expressed, no not the least sound that way, in the Lords prayer, Therefore his Disciples indeed, what ever your Dis­ciples* doe, bring not this Prayer before their God. And

SECT. VI.

OUr sixth reason, why a Disciple bringeth not this Prayer be­fore his God, is, because it is already wrought to his hand: he need not take any paines about it; The least Child in his house, that can speake, though he cannot read, can say it. This Disciple, that knows in his measure, what a Disproportion there is, betwixt the Great and Dreadfull God; and this worme, the Creature, (yea baser than a worme, considered in himselfe, because a sinfull Creature) or, to expresse it in excellent Greenhills words, betwixt Majestie and Nothingnesse; And that sloath to use the same man's words, is a Gulf betwixt this God who is all, and this Creature who is nothing at all, in himself considered, but a thing of nought, worse than Nothing; This Disciple now knowing all this in his measure, dareth not, as we suppose, and were saying, Come before his God with a prayer wrought to his hand, but having accesse to the Father, through the Mediation of the Sonne, by one Spirit, he casteth himselfe into the Armes of the Spirit, lookes for a supply from Him, enableing this Disciple to put-up a prayer wroughtJames 5. 16. now in him, and wrought out from him by the same Spirit. This prayer wrought to our hands, The Lords Prayer, is the exactest peice of worke in sight that ever was: But yet this Disciple that saies this prayer (if any such there be, as many such there be in the Nationall Church) is not exact in this prayer; for praying [Page 46] this Prayer, wrought to his hand, he prayes nothing to purpose; Nothing wrought in him by the Spirit of God nor wrought-out from him by the same Spirit; he doth exercise neither the gift of prayer, nor the Grace of prayer. Nay, he doth not exercise any one facultie of his Soule in saying his prayer wrought to his hand, nor any one member of his body, unlesse it be his tongue; and what is lip-labour before the Lord, any more than eye-service be­fore [...] Sam. 24. a Man? Certainly this Disciple is of David's mind; ‘I will not, said he offer unto the Lord my God of that which shall c [...]st me nothing. There is a body-prayer, of this we have been speaking hitherto (to use that Excellent Expositours Distinction) whichUpon Job 11. 13 p. 108. is never alone with a Disciple, for woe to Body-prayer, when it is alone. And there is a Soule-prayer, which may be alone, and1 Sam. 1. 13. Neh: 2. 4. as fervent & effectuall both as Hannah's and Nehemiah's pray­ers were; For the soule and spirit of a prayer, is the soule and spirit in the strength of God lifted-up in prayer, which doth in­finitely more in prayer than the body doth; yet in saying this prayer the body doth nothing, the soule lesse. But this is the thing; A Disciples Body-prayer (wherein he exerciseth him­selfe every day, and likely thrice a day) exerciseth the whole outward-man: The hands pray, knees pray, the eyes pray, (we have this in the place fore-mentioned) gestures are speaking in prayer.’ By these we pray when we hold our peace, and lift-up a loud voice, when we say never a word; but in saying this pray­er wrought to our hands, the Soule and Body both, every power of the one and every member of th' other may fit as still as a stocke; onely let the tongue wagge, and by helpe thereof say the prayer notwithstanding. The tongue is all-sufficient for that worke; All the Rest both the powers of the Soule, and members of the Body, may stand stock-still the while; when one member is all-sufficient for the worke what needs more? Frustrà sit per plura. We had more reasons to give why a Disciple brings not this prayer before his God; but we thinke this may suffice; onely remember this, Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Wee come now to the fourth Querie.

SECT. II.

OUr Reasons are these; First, Their Lord commands them not so to doe; for if so, an absurditie would follow; If their Lord hath commanded them so to doe, then s [...]li & semper, this is the onely prayer they must say, and alwayes say; for the Com­mand [...] of Christ must take place still. It is this prayer and no other, and not at this time onely, but at all times, When ye pray say. Thus we conceive it must be, and this were very absurd and in­congruous to common sense and reason. The Commands of God in the old Testament, as to the Sacraments there, and other legall observations of places and of Dayes, they had their untill: untill the fullnesse of time shall come, untill God be manifested in the flesh, for these pointed unto Him, That was to come; [...]t the Commands of Christ now, as we conceive, bind us to their observation till His Comming in some glorious way, whether to restore His Church, Math: 17. 11. Acts 3. 21. or make her compleate in Glory, is too deepe for our shallownesse; But His commands bind us till His Comeing. Nothing shall be added to them or taken from them. See Hild: on Joh: 4. pag: 187.

Secondly, If their Lord commands them to say this prayer at [Page 55] the end of their owne, then the Godly Ministers all over the Land, truely and indeed such, could have no more omitted the saying of it, than they could forbeare to eate and drinke: for the Commands of Christ, all and every one doe come with as much force upon their Spirits, to doe thereafter, as Eating and drinking come upon them when their need is. For they have the same mind that is in Christ, they delight to doe His will, His Command, His Law is within their heart, the doing of it is their meat and drinke, (so saith the Spirit) now what an absurd thing were this, for can it take with a Reasonable man; That these words, when ye pray say (this prayer at the end of you [...]s) [...]or have not I commanded you? have they not My Stamp upon them? And yet scarce one Godly Minister among many doe or dare say it at the end of their owne. Certainly they would doe the Command of their Lord, boldly and constantly, and fervently too; though it should put them to as much cost the doeing of it, as is imaginable, yet they would doe it, Their Lord hath commanded it. This is the poin [...], The Godly Min [...]ster would doe it, he could not but doe it, were it commanded him of his Lord, when ye pray say. And it were ab­surd to say or thinke the Contrary.

And which we must not forget, It were as absurd to thinke, that any one Brutish Pastour, amidst the Droves and Herds of them, [...]ould say this prayer, suppose now, what they pretend▪ our Lord Commanded them so to say, when ye pray say; this pray­er after your owne, for it hath My stamp of Command upon it, suppose it so to be, as they say, Then it were absurd to thinke, they would say, as now they doe willingly and more, rejoyceing­ly, it being commanded them of God; for all the Commands of God, as was said before, are an abomination to them: they ab­horreChristmas day. pag. 18, 19. to doe them, as they Abhorre God▪ their heart stands in the greatest opposition to the Commands of Christ; as doe the re­motest extreames, Heaven and Hell. These doe wickedly as they can, and cannot but doe it, fullfilling all the wills of the flesh, and so they will doe, that's the voice of their nature; The Godly Man doth foolishly sometimes, we meane sinfully against the commands of his Lord, but not with full consent of his will, he doth it▪ over­taken now, or surprized, or betrayed, but, oh! he would not doe it, that is the voice of Grace. The evill man in doeing God's com­mands, [Page 56] is as the good man in doeing the commands of the flesh. The evill man does doe God's Commands sometimes, he reades, and heares, and prayes, but as unwillingly all this, as Haman brought Mordecai on horsebacke through the streets of the Ci­tie, that he would not doe in good things, that doth he. The godly man sometimes doth the Commands of the flesh, which are most contrary to the Commands of Christ, but what He hates that doth he. This is the point, and so we have done, A Brutish Pastour, and a brutish people are so farre from doeing the Commands of Christ, That they hate to doe it, with their whole heart, and with their whole soule; and it were absurd to say or thinke the contra­ry. When ye pray, say (this prayer after your owne) The Lord Christ commands no such thing, neither ever came it in His heart, for could we suppose, our Lord had commanded so to doe, The Pastour after Gods owne heart had never omitted it; The Brutish one had never said it, unlesse as a Parret his chaire, he had not said it like a Clarke, as now he sayes it, nor done it so, as he doth the wills of the flesh. This is the second.

Thirdly, We would aske this Godly Minister, what good he finds by adding this prayer to the end of his own, which we would suppose was wrought in him, and out from him, by the Spirit of God. We know Cui bono? is the greatest enquiry; and in this Case, what Spirituall advantage by so doing? what hath this ad­vantaged the Spirit; God's Spirit, or his owne, renewed by the same Spirit? We passe this, leaving it upon his thoughts, having spoken so much thereunto before; onely this we would adde; It is, you know, a sure saying, That every act of Grace, extends grace in the heart of a Disciple; as every act of sin, extends sin in the sinner; for grace, as corruption, gaines by acting; Now it is left upon your thoughts, whether you have found grace hath been extended in your heart, by the addition of this prayer to the end of your owne?

Fourthly, What good doth he doe by repeating this prayer, or what advantage is it to his hearers? Certainly a Godly Mini­ster should looke to that, whereby he may profit his people. The Preacher was wise; and how did he evidence his wisdome? He Eccles. 12. 9. still taught the people knowledge, yea he gave good heed, and sought out: he would not speake a word sure but to profit, and the build­ing [Page 57] up of his people. Two great workes he is continually versed and exercised in, being charged upon him, praying and preaching, Acts 6. [...]. and how studiously carefull is he, being the peoples mouth to God, and God's mouth to the people, that not one word passe from his mouth, which makes not for the good of his people, and for the clearing of his account at the great Day. He remem­bers well before Whome he is, and to Whome he speakes in pray­er, and from Whome he speakes in preaching. And he considers, as he can the infinite distance betwixt Majestie and Nothing; and now how fixedly doth he looke to Him who is the Middle person, and having laid His hand upon Both, stands as a screen, be­twixt everlasting Burning, and this peice of dried stubble, as in it selfe considered: and so rolling himselfe upon This one Mediatour, and casting himselfe into the hands of His Spirit; and trusting in His supply, he falls to his worke, and now what advantage hath hee, or have his hearers by addition of this prayer? that is the Question, and the answer thereunto, you must make unto your God; onely this which we have heard, we will say more, which you know is a Ministers Motto, or should be, ‘Nusquam doceo, ubi non moveo: Nusquam moveo ubi non doceo, I never teach savingly, where I doe not move or stirre feelingly; that is prae­vailingly: nor doe I ever so move, where I doe not so teach,’ so we leave this upon your thoughts, and proceed to one Reason more.

Fifthly, To our seeming, it is a very sinfull doeing to adde this prayer to the end of our owne, and this upon a threefold ac­count.

First, You glad the hearts of them that should not be gladded, the wicked we meane; if yon have not heard it said by them, we have once and againe, What a Brave Minister have we to day? Why? he said the Lords prayer twice to day (and oh how sweetly did he say it!) and that was all they observed; for the addition of that prayer, rendred him so gracious in their eyes, and his Ser­mon so sweet. Certainly we must not glad the hearts of wicked ones, for then we glad That Wicked-One.

Secondly, Ye must not make the wicked Blaspheme in Calling God, Father; and Christ accursed; but this they will doe in spight of your heart; for they and they onely will say it after you, [Page 58] and if they should be asleep, as Commonly they are, all the time of your praying, yet they will awaken at this prayer, or if, while you are running it over with the speed of a good Clark, they should chance to nod at the first or second Petition, yet they will be per­fectly awaked at that signall Conclusion, AMEN—But wee forbeare—for Nemo libentèr moratur in asperis.

Thirdly, Yee sad them, whome the Lord would not have sad­ded, yee sad the hearts, we thinke, of all the truly Godly there; They cannot endure to heare the Name of God prophaned, That sweetest Name, Father, Blasphemed; their onely Lord, cal­led accursed; They cannot endure it, it is more greivous to them to heare this within the meeting place, than see their filthy Con­versation without We tell you againe; The Truely Godly can­not endure to heare this, they can with much more patience heare their Earthly father abused, &c. But their heavenly Father, Who loved them, and Gave His Son unto them; and them unto His Son: and this Son of God, Who, taking their nature, hath redeemed their Soules from all adversitie, washing them in His owne blood; we were saying, they cannot endure to heare their Father Blas­phemed. nor their Lord called accursed; nor that Signall Word, Amen—ecchoed forth by persons little better than Quakers and Ranters; damnable Hereticks; wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. But wee have done: These are our Reasons, why a Godly Minister may not adde the Lord s prayer to th' end of his owne. Onely you will remember here what an Excellent Man said; ‘It is Better to occasion wrath in the Bad, than greife in the Good.’

SECT. IV.

NOw wee take leave to give-in our reasons, as few and as breifely as wee have taken-in yours; ‘Wherefore it is not becomeing a godly parent to teach his child the Lords prayer.’ Wee shall not recall here neither, but reminde you onely of what went before, that caried verie levell to this verie scope.

First, It is cleane crosse to the right method of teaching to ex­ercise the childes memory first, for it is to teach your child as you would teach your Parrot, between whom you know to put a wide difference, Sith God hath made them so to differ, Who tea­cheth Job 35. 11. us more then the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser then the fowles of heaven. You teach a child as becometh a childe to be taught; You teach a fowle, bird or beast, as is comely for them to be taught; besides, you put a greater difference betwixt earth­ly and heavenly matters; sensuall and spirituall; and accordingly you must vary in your teaching. This may suffice for the first.

Secondly, You would have your deare childe to be a gainer [Page 68] [...] [Page 69] [...] [Page 70] by your teaching. Wee beseech you aske him, now you have taught him the Lords prayer, what he hath gained by your tea­ching? Our perswasion is you will find his gaine to be but small; onely whereas when time was he said it as a child, Parrot-like now, being growne-up, he sayes it with more grace in the eare of the hearer, saying it like a Clarke, but perhaps with as little grace in the heart as he said in before when he was a child. But yet we cannot graunt you, That by all your teaching, you have taught your child the Lords prayer▪ for if you have taught him to read it, he can teach himselfe to say it without your helpe.

Thirdly, You should not doe as all the wicked of the world doe; we meane, of your Nationall Church, who have onely this to shew for their Christianitie, and whereby to make full proofe thereof, That they were borne in your Church, and washed there: Wee thinke it is not comely for you to doe as they doe; they hold to that Injunction appointed them by their Priest, as he by the Bishop, whereof hereafter. All the wicked persons in your Church, we are perswaded, not one excepted, no not the veriest varlet there, but they all teach it their children, they shall have it, as they themselves had it, by tradition from their parents. These were taught their Pater noster; (they understand the Latine as well as the English, and the Greeke too) their Creed, and the ten Commandements; and so much they will teach their children, either by themselves or another, and having learnt so much with­out the booke, they have learnt enough for themselves and their children after them. You that know the Country-folke and their usage, know it so to be, having heard them saying so much you know not how often. You know better, and you must doe better. You would not be numbred among the wicked in after time, you must not doe, as they doe now. And yet to excuse them a little, and blame you more. These, as they conceived, had a command or charge laid upon them, when time was, by their guides and rulers of their Church then; their charge is expresse in these words; ‘At the last end the Priest calling the God-fathers and God­mothers together, shall say th [...] exhortation following, the fullest part whereof is this, Yee shall provide that these children shall learne the Creed, the Lords prayer, and the ten Commandements in the English tongue.’

You will not▪ ground your practise hereupon, for so you would practise after that heathen Priest, whom you may know; This Priest justifies his customes as to Church-matters, by quoteing (as we have heard) the Service-Booke, and those customes in use then, which he followes to a tittle; for as to that sacred Booke, wee cannot tell whether he so much as lookes upon it; certaine it is he hateth the contents there with his heart; for he hateth to heare it, and to be informed by it. You abhorre wee hope, such doeings, which were in use amongst us, when Tyrannie and Pope­rie were in their Tropick, or Zenith, the highest verticall point; then indeed these words were in use, which some will call a com­mand or charge. But so will not you, for you (wee would hope) doe blesse God day and▪ night, who hath delivered His Church (wee meane, not that you call Nationall, for that is in Egypt Acts 7. 39. still, being never out, or if a dayes journey out, yet returning thereunto, and is there in heart, there it would be as before in the Bishops dayes) wee say His Church from out of that more than Egyptian darknesse, whereunto it shall returne no more; being the Vineyard of red wine, which He hath undertaken to water eve­ry moment, and that nothing hurt it, to keepe it night and day.

Fourthly, And in the last place; you should not teach your child that, which you must unteach againe: what is taught and learnt by the precepts of men, must be untaught and unlearnt by the precept of God. But, wee thinke, wee have prooved, That the teaching by formes, is but the teaching of men, and they have their warrant, onely by precept from men: You know what is storied of a godly Matron, after her heart was turned, and sett upon Christ, It was told us once, and wee heard it twice; before she was humbled, as was said of Manasseh, she had taught her chil­dren2 Chr. 33. 19. as you doe, the Lords prayer, and so she confessed, but come­ing to her selfe, or to use her owne words, to her right minde; she endeavoured all she could to unteach them againe; what she ef­fected with all her indeavour is more then wee can tell. But you may tell us when you goe about it, what an hard and difficult worke you shall find it to be to unlearne your children what you have so easily and quickly taught them, (if it had been good, it had not been so easily taught, nor so quickly learnt) In the meane time, wee can tell our selves, That children and grown-folke also [Page 72] are as hardly beat off from their formes, as an hungry Mastyffe is from his prey. Naturally wee cleave as fast to formes of all fa­shions, and these to us, as the flesh cleaveth to the bone, and sinne to the flesh. How hard a thing is it then to leave a forme, and looke to the power? when in leaving this wee must overcome a double Nature, our owne first, and that, which custome hath made our owne, or second Nature, having learnt it from our Cradle, and growne up in the practise of it.

Take heed good Sir, Looke over your scholars, and consider them well, you may teach them in these easie matters, or please you, they can learn without teaching, such easie lessons, six lines in six minutes time; Lenocinante Natura, their nature is a very bawd hereunto, to learne formes, and cleave unto them, when she hath done; but when you come to unlearne them, which you must doe, if ever you learne them right, you shall finde it a worke im­possible to flesh and blood. Why! What thinke you? A childe or a man prayes, as you have taught him, and exactly well he thinkes, for he sayes the Lords prayer (without either feare or wit, because without understanding) Can you thinke now that he will be drawne off from this praying by a forme? why not? be­cause (1) his father taught him so to pray, and he knew well what he did, for he was a Minister of Christ: father and mother are deare names, and what they teach is like to abide with them, speci­ally if it put the flesh to no cost; but however, it is like to sticke, because a lesson from a father comes with authoritie, and so with more advantage to prevaile. (2) Because he can pray by a forme, yet reade nothing to purpose, nor heare any thing to purpose: nor meditate upon any thing to purpose that he heares or reades; this is most pleasing to the flesh. Your child will part as hardly from it as he will part from his skin, yea or from his sinne. Deare Sir, remember what you have read, and adde it, if please you, to all that, which went before; He that reades much, and heares much, and meditates much upon what he reades and heares, he prayes much, (for to meditate and to pray are from the same root) perswade your children to reade much, and heare, and meditate much, that is, to thinke on what they reade and heare (for thoughts are but exercising of the soules faculties, you know) and by the blessing of God with you and them, you may teach them to pray, and to ac­count [Page 73] no more of their formes, one, or more, as to their helpe in that matter, then they doe of anothers mouth and teeth, thereby to chew their meate; or of anothers feet whereby to goe. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, Exod: 30. 9. Mr Ainsworths note there-upon is this; ‘It figured the prayers of the Saints, which must be according to the will of God, by His Spirit, and in faith: not after the tradition of men, or will of the flesh.’

Once more and wee have done; Live well before your chil­dren, wee hope you doe, a readie way also to teach them to pray well, for you know the saying, well living is a well teaching; ‘and the shortest way of teaching; a long way about by pre­cept, a short way by practise or example;’ he that lives well prays well; and he that beleives much, prayes much, though he say not a word. A good life is a good prayer, it is a continued prayer, as you have read. Wee will close with this; ‘Traine up a child (saith the wisdome of God) in his way of Gods prescribing, and when he is old he will not depart from it. As if he had said; He will be the better for it while he liveth. Traine up a child in formesProv. 22. 6. (according to the wisdome of the flesh) and when he is old he will not depart from them;’ As if wee had said, he will be the worse for them while he liveth, if grace interpose not. These are too sweet to the flesh, for the flesh to leave; these are all the comfort the flesh hath while the man is living; but dying shall stand the man in no more stead, than a paper wall can defend a­gainst a Cannon shott, or the Cawle of the heart against the paw of a Lion. Wee will shutt up with this, and so call to remem­brance, That there was an huge great person, who had learnt that in his Cradle, which he could not unlearne on his throne; and it was no small dishonour to him. So may a child be taught a forme of prayer in his cradle, which if, through the favour of the times, he be admitted to the pulpitt, he will use there also; and so exact he will be therein, that all that heare him, may conclude, he was taught that forme from his cradle. It is important sure, and very momentous, else Quintillian (wee rather mention him) had not been so full and large upon it; what choice wee should make of Nurses, because commonly these parle first with the child in the morning, and last at night, and much all the day long. And if they be bad, not knowing their dutie, or carelesse of what they know, [Page 74] wee are like to have, as was once said wirtily, but truely, a child, or a boy of him all his life long—The summe is this; Be well ad­vised about that you teach your child in the morning of his yeares, he will savour of it to the evening of the same. Nurses or mothers, who should make all, commonly marre all, if speciall grace inter­pose not. No more, for this containes much, if not all.

Now we will Contract, what hath been said of this subject prayer, and the scope whereto it tends, and give it in this breif.

We have shewen what a serious worke it is; and what a slight, and vaine thing formes are: wee have declared against a wicked mans prayer; for so the Lord himselfe doth: it is an abomination; yet it is his dutie to pray; though a greater abomination it is to say the Lords prayer.

Wee have shutt it out of the Closet; It is too short for Clo­set-worke. And too long for an after prayer, being, who knowes how full of heavenly sense, and spirituall meaning. Therefore wee have cutt it off from the Ministers prayer in the pulpit; If he will sett it too againe, be it at his pleasure, it may be to his perill.

Wee have questioned it very much, and endeavoured to put it out of question, that John did not teach his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say. Wee have cleared it to be a parents dutie to teach his child to pray; and, as wee could, wee have directed his practise, and concluded, That a parent tea­cheth not his child to pray, that gives him formes of prayer to say, for that they learne without teaching, too prompt and ready that way. The Spirit of the Lord teacheth parent and child to pray; and the first thing the Spirit teacheth, wee thinke, is, to say that they cannot pray; yet wee should tempt God, if wee our selves should not pray, and teach our children so to doe, to pray, that they may be enabled to pray. To shutt up, The God of all graces and father of mercies, in and through His Sonne, gives forth no temporall, much lesse eternall salvation; no common mercy, much lesse any spirituall grace, which is eternall, to His marve­lously Psal. 4. 3. seperated ones, His gratious Saints, but He will stirre them up to inquire after Him first before He gives it; They shall aske before they have; and but aske, and have, yet not for their asking.

Now it is marvelous to consider Satans devises here, that im­placable enemy and adversary of all righteousnesse He perswades [Page 75] the wicked to sit downe fully content with their condition, and satisfied with common mercies, and not pray at all; and if they will be praying; it shall be but [...]prating and babling; A meere prophaneing of Gods Name, if not blaspheming. If they will pray as the most will, they shall pray in anothers words, and no matter in whose name; by a booke or without it, by the memorie, never with the heart, unlesse for the remooving of some plague, felt or feared. But never about the plague of the heart, the plague indeed.

And for these gratious Saints, This adversary shewes himselfe such an one, in no one thing more than in this, To keepe them from praying but if that cannot be, then he imployes all his force poli­cie and might to hinder and interrupt prayer, and for the effecting of this—what will he cast in; and how readily doth flesh com­ply with him▪ But these know whom they have trusted; And that His grace shall be sufficient for them.

AMEN.