An exposition of the Lords Prayer made in diuers lectures, and now drawne into questions and answers for the greater benefite of the simpler sort: whereunto is prefixed a briefe treatise of prayer for all men. Published at the request of diuers godly and well disposed: by W. B. minister of the Word at Reading in Barkshire.

TO THE RIGHT HO∣NORABLE, AND HIS SIN∣gular good Lord, Robert Earle of Essex and Ewe, Vicount Hereford, and Bourghchier, Lord Ferrers and Chartly, Lord Bourchier, and Louaine, Knight of the noble Order of the Gar∣ter, Master of her Maiesties Horse, and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Coun∣cell: W. B. wisheth encrease of al true honor in this life, and eternall fe∣licitie in the life to come.

SOme are desirous (right Honorable) to store vp those things to their fur∣ther benefite, which be∣fore they haue heard to their present comfort, like the good men of A∣thens which sayd to Paul, We will heare thee againe of this matter, Act. 17. At the request of such men I haue yeelded to the publishing of those

Lectures which I made vpon the Lords Prayer: notwithstanding the labours of other reuerend & excel∣lent men, which haue both trauailed farre, and waded deepe in this argu∣ment. And if any man looke for any new matter at my hand, he doth but loose his labour: for I must confesse that I haue walked by their lights, & trode their steps for the greatest part of my iourney: neither haue I taken vpon me to performe any thing by my self more then others haue done, but to ioyne with others in the buil∣ding of the spirituall temple, where∣vnto I haue brought such as I had. And for my owne part, I thinke my selfe most highly bound to praise his heauēly Maiestie, that hath vouchsa∣fed me (the most vnprofitable of al) a place amongst his builders, though I bring but lime & morter to the buil∣ding, and a place amongst his soul∣diers, though I doe but now & then

strike a stroke, or carrie their armour after them, and a place amongst his skilful Archers, though my selfe doe but giue aime at the marke as it were in respect of them that haue pearced it, and gotten the victorie: they are gone before with the vintage, I come after with the gleanings, which may bee as acceptable to some as the har∣uest is to others. And seeing as the Lord blesseth whom he will, and by whom he will, I knowe no cause of discontētednes to remaine vnto any, seeing it is lawfull for euery one to doe what good he can, both by spea∣king and writing, especially in these dayes wherein Sathan beareth such sway, and by his seruants laboureth by all meanes possible to hinder the growth & thriuing of Gods church, to destroy the faith of Gods childrē, to hold al men in miserable blindnes & ignorance: yea, and if it were pos∣sible, to bring to passe that God shuld

haue no true worship, yea no wor∣ship at all done vnto him amongst the sonnes of men. I am bolde my good Lord to offer this small treatise vnto your Honor, both in respect of my bounden duetie, as also for the worthines of the matter handled therein, which sheweth both the matter of prayer, and also the right order and maner of calling vpon the name of God, amongst all estates, at all times, in al places, & for al wants, which is such a poynt of Gods wor∣ship, as who so hath attained vnto the true knowledge, & right practise of the same, hath obtained a great matter, if not the greatest of al in this life. For such a one may haue free accesse to the throne of grace, and stand in the presence of the almigh∣tie, when another shall flie from his presence: such a one may batter and beate downe the walles, the cities, and the holdes of mightie enemies,

when other shall not dare to come neere them: he shall breake the pri∣son doores, and make yron gates to open of their owne accord, when o∣thers shall lye by it: he shall doe as much with one man, as others shall doe with a hundred, and more too: for he shall be able not onely to pre∣uaile against men, yea though they bee many, and mightie, and craftie, but he shall preuaile with God him∣selfe like Iacob, vntill he hath pre∣uailed against Sathan, and all the po∣wer of hell, and gotten the masterie ouer himselfe, euen to the deniall of himselfe, for the trueths sake, which is the greatest victorie that can bee gotten: he shall haue power & skill to tame his owne affections, which is more then the taming of wilde beasts: he shall finde patience in ad∣uersitie, and thankfulnes in prosperi∣tie, and contentation in euery triall: he shall see the mountaines couered

with heauenly souldiers for the de∣fence of Gods people, as Elisha did: he shall raise ••he dead, and water the earth with aboundance of raine, as Elias did: he shal stop the mouthes of the hungrie lions without any vio∣lence, as Daniel did, and quench the flames of fire without any water, as Shedrach and his fellowes did. In a word, the effects of prayer are won∣derfull and infinite: for what may not he haue and effect, that shall but aske and haue?

Who were euer more honoured of men, then they that haue giuen most honour vnto God? And who doe more honor the Lord, then they that doe truely call vpon his name by prayer? who more renowned, and beloued then the godly, and zealous in true religion? And what godlines or religon can there be without the true knowledge and right practise of prayer? who were euer more vali∣ant

in warre, more milde in peace, more cherefull in prison, more sober in libertie, more painefull in health, more comfortable in sicknes, more godly in their life, or more happie in their death, then the faithfull? And who were euer faithfull without prayer, which is the chiefest fruite of faith, & borne with faith, both borne together like twinnes? To whome doth the Lord giue his grace and fa∣uour, but to the humble and lowly? And who were euer truly humbled, but those which by prayer vnto God in the bitter feeling of sinne, haue most confessed, and acknowledged their wantes, their weaknesses, their imperfections, and al their iniquities?

Where did euer the manifolde graces of God meete and dwell, but in the soule of the faithfull, which haue still beene conuersant in calling vpon the name of Iehouah? For hee that hath the spirite of prayer, hath a

speedie messenger continually in a readines, at all needes, to trauell for him betweene heauen and earth, and sometime bringeth with him liuely faith, and true repentance, sometime ioy in the holy Ghost, sometime pa∣tience in affliction, sometime assu∣rance of Gods eternall fauour, some∣time deliuerāce out of danger, some∣time wisdome and discretion, some∣time zeale of Gods glory, and loue to the brethren, sometime one grace, and sometime another, & sometime it causeth all these graces of God to meete together in one man, where they doe reioyce one in another, and one embrace another, like friendes mette at a feast, but the partie that doth entertain them is euer the great∣est gainer. The heauenly art of pray∣er (if I may so call it) is an arte of all artes. He is counted the best Orator that can best perswade, & most moue the affections of men, but hee that

hath learned to praye well, shall per∣swade not men perhaps, but GOD himselfe, and moue him that is the mouer and perswader of all mens heartes and affections. Philosophie searcheth out much by argumentes and demonstrations, but all groun∣ded vpon naturall reason: but prayer seekes out those thinges that reason doubteth, yea and despaireth of, be∣cause it is grounded not vpon reason but vpon faith, which is farre aboue all naturall reason, and is then most busie, & liuely in working whē natu∣ral reasō is at her wits end. Grammar teacheth to speake well, but not the language of Canaan, that is, the holy language of God, as prayer doth. A∣rithmeticke helpeth a man to num∣ber many thinges: but by the arte of prayer we may learne to number our dayes as Dauid desired, which is to apply our heartes to true wisedome, and that is the best numbring. The

best Arithmetician cannot number that which is infinite, not by all his wit and skil compasse all to himselfe that hee hath alwaies numbred: but he that hath learned the arte of pray∣er may comprehend by faith (which doth accompany his prayer) the infi∣nite mercies of God, and appropri∣at•• thē to himselfe. Geometrie mea∣sureth out landes and Lordshippes, countries, and kingdomes, and the whole earth: but what is that to pray∣er? which measureth out heauen and earth and the land of the liuing, but yet no more then faith perswadeth her to bee her owne. Astronomie looketh aloft, and yet no hyer then the starres, measuring out the causes and effects of thinges by the course of nature: but the faithfull which haue the spirite of true prayer, looke vp to God himselfe which is exalted farre aboue the starres, and iudgeth not of thinges by the course of na∣ture,

but by the grace, and gracious promises of God, which doe ouer rule all nature. As for Musick, though it bee excellent, and delighteth the mind, yet is it not to bee compared with the hea•••••••••• arte of praying, which helpe•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 faithfull soule to true comfort in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 middest of the greatest distresses and agonies that can bee. The studie of the scriptures and the knowledge of God, and of al other heauenly thinges, of all know∣ledge is the most excellent (I speake of illumi••ation, which is without sanctification) for that it causeth the minde to mount vp aboue the earth vnto the contemplation of diuine thinges, which other artes and scien∣ces do not, whose matter and subiect is altogether of the earth, and earth∣ly, and leadeth but to the earth: but he that hath the true knowledge, and the right practise of prayer (ioyned with the former) shall enioy God, &

in him all true happines, which is more then to knowe it, or to see it. In a worde, a man may bee a good Grammarian and speake wel, a good Philosopher and dispute wel, a good Rhetorician and perswade well, a good Arithmetician & number wel, a good Astronomer and coniecture well, a good Musitian and play well, a good Politician and liue well, a good Linguist and interprete well, and a good Diuine and preach well, and in all these excell, and yet goe to hell when all is done: but they that haue these, and the spirit of san∣ctification and grace to teach them the right practise of prayer, are most happie: for they haue the key that openeth the doore of Gods liberali∣tie, which will bring them to the full possession of happines. Therfore my good Lord, sith prayer is an exer∣cise of the soule, so princely, so ho∣norable, so heauenly, so mightie, &

euery way so excellent, and renow∣ned as it is, what could I commend vnto your Honour that might better testifie a discharge of dutie in me, or better fit your Honors religious dis∣position, whose heart the Lord hath sanctified to the zealous embracing of his sacred worde and Gospell, and the aduancement of his glorie, in furthering the building vp of his Church. And nowe (hoping for your Honors fauorable acceptance hereof) I commend your Honour vnto the most gracious blessing and protection of the Almightie.

Your Honors most humbly to be commanded, William Burton.