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.

The fifth Condition.

Q. What 〈…〉〈…〉 prayer?

A. It is further required that our pray∣ers be made according to the will of God, and not according to our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ff••∣ctions.

Q. What meane you by that?

A. I meane that wee must not appoynt vnto God, what, and when, and where, and how, and how much, or how little, &c. but all to be as himselfe will in his ho∣ly worde.

Q. What if wée pray for spirituall graces, as for faith, repentance, hope, loue, patience, knowledge, zeale, wis∣dome, &c.

A. Then wee must pray absolutly without anie condition, because the Lord hath promised to giue his spirite vnto his children, whatsoeuer els they lacke.

Q. What if wée pray for temporall blessings?

A. Then▪ we must pray conditionally, if the Lorde see them good for vs, and if they may bee for the furtherance of our saluation, & the aduancement of his glory.

Q. How proue you this?

A. In Iam. 4. 3. 1. Ioh. 5. 14.

Q. What if a Christian be in paine, or the Church vnder the crosse of perse∣cution, on other affliction, is it not law∣full to pray against those things, & to be deliuered from them?

A. If God may get more glorie by our sufferings, then by our ease & quiet, then wee must not pray against them, but as the Lorde Iesu•• did, Iohn 17. 15.* 1.1 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the worlde, but that thou keepe them from euill. So we must pray, not that God would take vs out of our paine or sufferinges, but that in them he would keepe vs from euill, as from murmuring against his hād, distrust, impatiencie, despaire, &c.

Q. What say you to the infirmities & weaknesses of Gods children which re∣maine in their vnregenerate parte, to humble them: whether is it lawfull to pray against them or no?

A. Yes, it is lawfull, because they are sinne, and sometime the Lord doth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 some of them, and manie times he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his children their request, when they pray against their infirmities, 〈…〉〈…〉 his pow∣er is made manifest in them, and so his glo∣ry 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thereby the more aduanced.

Q. But what? doth the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thē giue his children leaue 〈…〉〈…〉?

A. Not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with his grace he doth ••o vphold them, that they shall not fall final∣ly way from him.

Q. How may all this be proue••?

A. By the wordes and witnes of the A∣postle who saith thus of himselfe▪ And lest I should be exalted out of measure,* 1.2 through the abundance of reuelations; there was giuē vnto me a pricke in the flesh, the messenger of sathā to buffer me, (by which he meaneth the vnregenerate part of remnants of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in him) because I should not be exalted out of measure. 8. For this thing I be sought the Lord* 1.3 thrise, that it might 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from me. 9. And he said vnto me, My grace is suf∣ficient 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thee, for my power is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 perfect through weaknes.

Q. What do you cōclude vpō this place?

A. I conclude that wee must pray, That Gods name may be hallowed: i. e. that hee may haue glory by vs: but whether it shal be by our infirmities, or without our infir∣mities hee hath appoynted, and must ap∣poynt that himselfe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioh. 17. 15.
• * 1.2

  2. Cor. 12. 7. ••. 9
• * 1.3

  i. e. often∣times.