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Q. WHat conditions are requi∣red in prayer, that it may be acceptable in the sight of God?
A. They are of two sortes.
Q. Which is the 1. condition y• is re∣quired in prayer in respect of God.
A. 1. It is necessary that we bring in our prayers true & vnfained repentance, hum∣bly confessing, & earnestly bewailing our selues, and crauing pardon for our sinnes.
Q. Why is cōfessiō to God necessary?
A. Because it is as a key to open Gods priuy chāber dore, for our sins haue made a wal of seperation between God and vs, so that this must first bee remoued, before our prayers can ascend to him, or his gra∣ces descend vnto vs.
Q. Where find you that the Saintes haue taken this course in prayer?
A. The saints & holy men haue alwaies vsed to confesse their sins to God, making mention of all their fresh sins, & by them bringing to minde their sins done long a∣gone, as Dauid did Psal. 25. 7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth, nor my rebellions. Crauing pardon for murther, & adulterie newly committed, he calles to minde his natural sin and corruption, Psal. 51. 5. Be∣hold, I was borne in iniquitie, and in sin hath my mother conceiued me.
Q. What may we learne thereby?
A. By this we may learne that when we cānot repent effectually as we would, that then we should presse our selues to repen∣tance, with the remēbrance of our former sins, like him that calleth for more waight, that he may be the sooner dead.
Q. What say you then of impe∣nitent
persons which pray, but are ne∣uer touched, not grieued with the fée∣ling of their sinnes?
A. They which continue, and goe for∣ward in sinning without repentance, are not heard.
Q. How proue you that?
A. Dauid sayth: If I regard wickednes in my heart, the Lord will not heare me.
Salomon sayth: The sacrifice of the wic∣ked is abomination to the Lord, but the prai∣er of the righteous is acceptable vnto him.
Againe: Hee which turneth away his eare from hearing the lawe, euen his prayer shall be abominable. And,
Esai sayth in the person of God, When you shall stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes, and though you make many prayers, I will not heare you, for your hands are full of blood, i. e. full of oppression and crueltie.
Q. WHat is the second condition?
A. It is a true and liuely fayth.
Q. What meane you by that?
A. I meane that in prayer wee must haue a sure and stedfast confidence in the promises of God, that they shall bee per∣formed, yea albeit we can see no naturall reason for it.
Q. Why is it necessary that we haue faith in Gods promises when we pray?
A. 1. Because without faith our pray∣ers are but vaine babling.
2. Because prayer is a fruite of faith, and a branch of it, and therefore it is im∣possible that true prayer should bee with∣out faith.
3. He that doubteth of the promises of God (as the Papistes doe, and teach) doe make God a lyer, and no performer of his promises, which is as great dishonour to him as can be, for then is he not a God, but a very diuell: for the diuell is a lyer from the beginning, and the father of lyes.
4 What hope can hee haue to obtaine his request, that makes God a lyer? and Iehoua, who is perfect holines, no better then a diuell?
Q. By what Scripture doe you proue that we must pray in faith?
A. In Marke 11. 24. and 1. Iohn. 5. 15.
Iames 1. 6.
Q. How shall we know the promises of God?
A. That we may know the promises of God, it will stand vs in hand to frequent the word preached, which is the onely or∣dinary meanes to beget faith in vs: and often to reade the scripture, because they are the storehouse of Gods promises.
Q. What must we doe, when we doe know the promises of God by the word of God?
A. We must beleeue, & embrace them, & euer in prayer charge God with his pro∣mises, and make vse of thē in our praiers as Simeon did, saying: Lord now lettest thou thy serua••t depart in peace according to thy word: i. e. according to thy promise.
Q. May not we use those words of Si∣meon as a prayer aswell as he?
A. If we be readie to depart as Simeon was, and haue such a promise of depar∣ture, and in that maner, as Simeon had, we may, or els not.
Q. Why so?
A. Because we must pray for nothing, but wee must haue a commandement for
it, and a promise to be heard.
Q. WHat is the third thing that is required in prayer?
A. True humilitie, and reuerence.
Q. Why is that requisite?
A. Because then wee present our selues before the great king of kings, and as beg∣gers, and wee haue nothing in vs that is good, but looke for all graces of him. Yea, we come as theeues, & traitors before our Prince, and therefore we must come with reuerence, and in all lowlines to prostrate our selues before him.
Q. Theu belike we may not come in a confidence of our owne merites and righteousnes?
A. No, al our deserts must be cast away, and we must rely only vpon the mercie of our prince, for if we come arrogantly, we shall rather moue him to anger, then to pittie vs.
Q. How proue you al this?
A. In 1. Pet. 5. 5. Godresisteth the proude, but giueth grace to the lowly.
he durst not lift vp his eyes to heauen but fell downe, and sayd, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner: and the Lord Iesus sayth hee went home more iustified then the other.
Such humility had the Centurion when he sayd, Lord I am not worthie thou should∣est enter vnder my roofe, &c.
Q. WHat is the fourth?
A. It is also required that our prayers be neither cold, nor fainting, but zealous and earnest, not comming onely from our lippes, but from the bot∣tom of our hearts.
Q. What reason haue you for that?
A. Because it is as odious, and vnseem∣ly a thing for a mans heart to be led away in prayer, as for a man that is making his sute to the Prince, to turne his backe vpon him, or to turne his side to talke to ano∣ther, as though he regarded him not: for our secreta thoughtes are so visible vnto him, as outward gestures are vnto man.
And againe: Cold prayers haue colde entertainment, for he that craueth coldly,
doth but teach the other to denie him his request.
Q. What if wée want this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 prayer, or would haue this 〈…〉〈…〉 and zeale encreased in vs, how may it be done?
A. It may be done two waies.
Q. What other reason haue you for this?
A. Hee that desireth meroy must bee touched with the feeling of his miserie, or els, for want of this, our wordes are but winde, our prayers are but pratlings, and
our pitifull shewe of mourning is but a shamefull mocking of GOD: this may 〈◊〉〈◊〉
Q. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 how for example?
A. As thus, to say (as many doe com∣monly and customably say, by the booke of common prayer,) That it may please thee to giue us grace to amend our liues ac∣cording to thy holy word, &c. Yet meane nothing lesse, neither doe they knowe wherein they doe amisse, though the wordes in themselues bee good, yet in them that so say them, it is a meere moc∣king of GOD, and prophaning of his name.
Agayne: to say, Pitifully beholde the sorrowes of our heartes: when their hearts be no whit sorrowfull for their sinnes, it is the like.
Likewise, to say: O Lorde let thy mer∣cie bee shewed vpon vs, as wee trust in thee: when wee trust in GOD no further then wee see outwarde meanes to helpe vs withall: though the wordes bee good, yet to them that so vse them, they bee not so: and so I might say of manie moe such prayers.
Q. 〈…〉〈…〉 such kinde of prayers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and condemned in the worde of God?
A. 〈…〉〈…〉 22. the Lorde sayth thus: Your free offring shall 〈…〉〈…〉 blemish shal 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in it: blinde, or broken, or maimed, or hauing a wenne, or skur••i••, or skabbed, these shall ye not offer vnto the Lord, &c.
Q. But this concerneth the sacrifi••••ces of the Iewes, what is this to our prayers?
A. Yes, and it toucheth vs & our pray∣ers too, for vnder those offerings of beasts commanded to the Iewes, were shadow∣ed and figured out the praiers of the faith∣full vnder the Gospel, which are called by the needs of sacrifices, and calues of the lipp••••. And therefore wee are to knowe hereby, that as he then could abide no sa∣crifice that was of the blinde, or broken, or maimed, skuruie, or skabbed, &c. to haue it offered vpon his Altar: so nowe hee can as ill abide our ignorant prayers, or prophane, or cold, or sluggish, or coun∣terfeite prayers to bee offered vnto him: for he accounteth of them, but as of lame,
and skuruie sacrifices, &c. but as then the Lord looked for the best, so doth he 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
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. 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, 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 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.
Q. What is the sixt and the last condition that is required in respect of God himselfe?
A. That we continue in prayer, and not giue ouer at the first, nor prescribe God a time, but patiently waite his leysure.
Q. How proue you that?
A. Out of Luk. 11 5. 6. 7. &c. by a parable propounded by our Sauiour Christ. 2. Out of Mat. 15. 22. to 1. 29. by the example of the womā of Canaā. 3. out of Ge. 32. 24. to 30. by the example of Iacob, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with the Angel, vntil be receiued a blessing.
Q. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in what respects our pray∣ers must ••e like Iacobs wra••••ling?
A. There must be, 1. a striuing: 2. a suffe∣ring: 3. a deniall of our request: 4. a conti∣nuance all repulses notwithstanding: 5. blowes and crosses more then we looked
for: 6. perseuerance for all that: 7. a bles∣sing will come in the end. See more in Esa. 62. 6. 7.
Q. Why dooth the Lorde defer to heare the praiers of his children?
A. For many causes:
Q. What bee those conditions that bée required in respect of our brethren?
A. In generall it is required, that wee pray in loue and charitie towards all men, so far forth as we can.
Q. What brāches hath this general?
A. This generall poynt hath two bran∣ches.
1. To forgiue them that offend vs.
2. To satisfie them that bee offended with vs.
Q. How proue you the first?
A. Out of Mark 11. 25.
Q. How proue you the second▪
A. Out of Matth. 5. 23. 24.
Q. Why must wée satisfie them that be offended at vs, before we praye?
A. For two causes.
Q. What is hée bée such a one as will not be satisfied with any reason?
A. Indeede there bee vnreasonable persons in the world, such as Dauid com∣plained of, that when he spake of peace, they made themselues ready to warre: such we must leaue vnto God, and if they continue so after admonitions giuen by the Church, they are to be cut off, and cast out by the censures of the Church, vntill they doe repent.
••••••nce.
Confession.
Psal 25. 7.
Psal. 51. 5.
Psal. 66. 18.
Prou, 15. 8.
Prou. 28. 9.
Esa 1. 15.
Ioh. 8. 44.
Luk. 2. 26. 29.
1. Pet. 5. 5.
Luk. 18. 12. 14.
Luk. 18. 12. 14.
Luk. 7. 6.
Psal. 139. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Heb. 4. 13.
Prou. 15. 8.
Hos. 14. 3.
Ioh. 17. 15.
2. Cor. 12. 7. ••. 9
i. e. often∣times.
Esa. 62. 6. 7.
Conditions in respect of our bethren.
Psalm. 120. 7.
Matth. 18. 17