VI. prayer SERM. sions be made." These four contain all those sorts of which are contained in the body of the word Orate. Prayer or invocation consists of confession and petition; confession is divided into confessionem fraudis, which the Greeks call oμoλóynois, that is, the confession of sins, whereunto they add supplication to God for pardon, like that of the Lu. 18.13. Publican, "God be merciful to me a sinner." The other kind of confession is confessio laudis, that is, thanksgiving to God for His goodness in pardoning our sins, and bestowing His benefits upon us, which kind of confession is called avтoμoλóynois. This also is a part of prayer, and Phil.1.3.4. ought to go with it, as appears where the Apostle doth "thank God always" for the Churches "in his prayer." Col. 1. 3. Both these the Jews gather from the words Judah and Israel; for Judah is 'confession,' and Israel is the name of 'prevailing' in wrestling with the Angel, as the faithful do Rom. 12. strive with God in prayer. 12. [Vid. S. Aug. Ep. ad Paul. 149. c. 2.] The one they call Tehillah, the other Tephillah. Comprecation is, when we would have our want supplied with good things, which is poσevyn and Tephillah. Intercession is in another kind of prayer proceeding from charity, as the other came from faith, when we do not only confess our own sins but the sins of others, when we pray not only for ourselves but for others; when we praise God not only for His goodness on ourselves, but for others. So it was the charge which God gave by His Prophet Jer. 29. 7. to them in captivity, not only to pray for themselves, but to pray for the prosperity of the city where they were prisoners. As they were to have a care of the commonwealth, so the like is to be had of the Church. Therefore when Peter was Acts 12. 5. in prison, "there was prayer made continually of the Church to God for him." 66 Pray for all saints," saith the Apostle, "and for me especially, that utterance may be given to me," &c. And as for them that have any special place in the Church or commonwealth, so we are bidden to pray for all Eph. 6. 18, 19. such as are in misery, as David teacheth us by his example; who, when his enemies were sick, ceased not to pray for them no less than for himself, but "put on sackcloth, and Ps. 35. 13. humbled his soul with fasting." 20, 21. Unto these kinds of prayer some add two more: the first is, when upon condition that God will grant us our desire, we vow that we will faithfully serve Him afterwards, as Jacob Gen. 28. prayed; the other is a simple prayer or petition uttered in short words, as "Lord have mercy upon me," and such like, [Ps. 6. 2. ] which are nothing else but sparks of that fire which kindleth Ps. 39. 3. within us, whereof David spake, "Hear me, Lord, and that Ps. 143. 7. right soon, for my spirit faileth." In regard of this our weakness, our Saviour hath in a short prayer comprehended whatsoever is needful for us, which brevity IIe used lest if IIe had set a large form of prayer our spirit should be dead, and our devotion key-cold before we could come to the end; and for the same purpose the Church hath prescribed Collects, prayers answerable to that short petition of our Saviour Christ. All these kinds of prayers were used by our Saviour Christ in the days of His flesh, as He took our nature and was the Head of a body. Factus "He was made 2 Cor.5.21. nobis peccatum, pro sin for us," and so did not only confess Himself a sinner, but suffered the wrath of God for it, which made Him cry, Deus Mi, Deus Mi, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Mat. 27.46. Me?""The rebuke of them that rebuked Thee, fell on Me." Rom. 15. 3. Ps. 69. 9. Also he was an example to us of thanksgiving: "I thank u. 10. 21. Thee, O Father, &c." "I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Joh.11. 41, Me." For deprecation, as He was a man: from Me." "Let this cup pass Mat. 26.39. The good He prayed for at the hands of His Father was, Pater glorifica Me eá gloriâ quam habui apud Te, &c., "Father Joh. 17. 5. glorify Me with that glory which I had with Thee before the world was." Touching intercession, He prayeth, Pater ignosce eis. “I Lu. 23, 3-1. pray not for them only, but for all them that shall believe by Joh. 17. 20 their preaching." As He used all these kinds of prayer, so He set them all down in this form of prayer. SERM. VI. The confession of sin, and the supplication for remission, is in the five petitions; the thanksgiving is that doğoλoyia, “For Thine is the Kingdom, power, and glory;" and the good which He desireth is, the sanctification of God's name, the accomplishment of His Kingdom, and the fulfilling of His will, as also a continual supply of all things needful for this present life. The evil from which he prays to be delivered is, first, from sin itself; secondly, from the temptations of sin; thirdly, from evils which are the effects of sin. The third and last point in this text is, that we observe something in this word Dicite; whereof the first is, that here [Mat.6.9.] Christ doth not say, "Say thus," as Matthew the sixth, whereof some gather, that we may frame prayers after the form of the Lord's Prayer, but not use the words themselves; but He saith to His disciples, Dicite, Pater noster, "Say, our Father," &c., that is, we may boldly use the very words of this prayer; and albeit, to set forth the desire of our hearts, we use other forms of prayer, and that in more words, yet we must conclude our prayers with this prayer of Christ. Secondly, when He says Dicite, He doth not say Cogitate, or Recitate, or Murmurate, but Intus dicite et cum ore, for there is a mouth in prayer, et non est oratio sine ore, therefore He alloweth vocal prayer. And as He will have us express the desire of our hearts in words, so the chiefest thing is that our 1 Pet. 2.5. prayers be from the heart; for invocation is "a spiritual sacriRom. 12.1. fice,” “a reasonable service." So both the understanding and reason must be occupied, and also the spirit or inward affection of the heart. Our Saviour requireth both in express Joh. 4. 24. words, "Worship Him in spirit and in truth." "Sing with 1 Cor. 14. understanding." "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also." Ps. 47. 7. 15. r We must not only have a spiritual fervency and zeal, but also must know what we pray for, which is belonging to the understanding; so that if both do not concur, our service is not reasonable, nor our sacrifice of praise spiritual. As for that prayer that comes only from the lips, it may be Isa. 58. 5. said of it as God spake of hypocrites, "Is that the fast that I required?" So of assembling to hear the word, as a people Ezek. 33. useth to do, Is that this which God requireth? "Is this to cat 31.32. 1 Cor. 11. the Lord's Supper?" It is not enough to make long prayers and use many words, there is a spiritual prayer which God will have with our vocal petitions; and therefore, that we may pray with understanding, we have need to be instructed in the sense of the Lord's Prayer. The excellency of this prayer is in regard of Ilim That made it, Who is come from above, Who hath mixed nothing with these petitions that savoureth of the carth; so they are all heavenly, as IIe IIimself is heavenly. Secondly, in respect of the form, which is a most perfect form; it was compiled by Him Who was the wisdom of God, and therefore cannot be but perfect, quia perfecta sunt opera Jehova, “because the [rs. HI. works of the Lord are perfect." Thirdly, in regard of the 1 excellent benefits that are procured to us by it, which are so many as can be desired at the hands of God. the order which Christ keepeth. 66 Fourthly, for If man did make a prayer, he would begin at daily bread; but Christ in this dom of God." teacheth us prayer first to seek the King- Mat. 6. 33. Our first petition must be for the glory of God, and then for our own welfare, chiefly in the world to come, and also in this life; for as we may not pray at all for things that are evil, so in things that are good and lawful we must take heed that we ask not amiss. The petitions, being seven, are divided thus: The first concerns God Himself, the other six concern us. They concern us in a threefold estate: first, of Glory; secondly, of grace; thirdly, of nature. In these petitions that concern us, the evil that we would have removed from us is: first, sin; secondly, temptation; thirdly, evil. The good we desire to be granted to us is: first, that God's Kingdom may be in our hearts; secondly, that His will may be performed of us; thirdly, that He will give us things necessary for this present life. THE LORD'S PRAYER. SERMON VII. SERM. VII. LUKE Xi. 2. Our Father. THIS prayer, penned by our Saviour Christ in the behalf of His disciples and His Church unto the end of the world, standeth first upon an invocation, then upon certain petitions. The invocation is the style or word of salutation, wherein we call upon the Majesty of God. The petitions contain the sum of those things we seek for at the hands of God. That which we have generally to note out of this preface is, that this is one benefit which God vouchsafeth us, that we may pray unto Him and be heard; whereby we are to conceive of Him that He is not like the great monarch to whom no man might presume to speak, except he "hold out his Est. 4. 11. golden sceptre" to him, as it is in Esther. The heavenly Majesty vouchsafeth every man this honour to speak to Him, and the golden sceptre of his word doth allure us thereunto. Secondly, it is a greater benefit to pray to God on this manner, that is, by the name of Father; and therefore by Isa. 65. 24. that which He promiseth the faithful," Before they call I will hear them," we are taught that we are so assured of God's goodwill and favour towards us, even before we open our mouths to ask any thing of Him, that we doubt not to call Him Father; from whence we may reason as the Apostle doth, Rom. 8.32. "Seeing He hath given us His Son, how shall He not with Him give us all things?" So sceing God taketh us for His children, how shall He deny us any thing whereby He may shew Himself a Father? |