A godly and learned treatise of prayer which both conteineth in it the doctrine of prayer, and also sheweth the practice of it in the exposition of the Lords prayer: by that faithfull and painfull servant of God George Downame, Doctr of Divinity, and late L. Bishop of Dery in the realm of Ireland.

Duties in our lives.

IF we call God our Father, we must behave our selves as dutifull and obedient children, 1. Pet. 1. 14. we must walk worthy our calling, Ephes. 4. 1. For see∣ing we have these promises, namely, that God will be a Father unto us, and that we shall be his sonnes and daughters, we ought to cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit, and grow up into all god∣linesse in the fear of God, 2. Cor. 6. 18. and 7. 1. Deut. 32. 6. Nonne ipse Pater tuus, &c. Is not he thy Fa∣ther* 1.1 that hath bought thee? We must honour him, we must fear him, 1. Pet. 1. 17. Neither ought we to fear any thing so much as to displease him. We must love him, and Christ his Sonne, John 8. 42. and for his sake our neighbours, as the sonnes of God and members of Christ, and consequently as our brethren and fellow-members, 1. John 5. 1. We are to imitate our heavenly Father, Matth. 5. 45. Luke 6. 36. We must patiently and meekly bear afflictions as fatherly chastisements, Heb. 12. 6, 7, &c. Other∣wise we shew our selves to be bastards rather then sonnes. We must trust in him, Psal. 27. 10. Isai. 63. 16.

Here therefore is reproved the hypocrisie of those who using these words do not call upon God in their prayers with sonne-like reverence, faith, affection, submission, nor in their lives behave themselves as

Gods children. For though we call upon God as our Father, and yet do not obey him, nor honour him, nor fear him, nor love him, nor follow him, nor submit our selves to his chastisements, nor trust in him, we shew our selves not to be the children of God, but rather of the devil. For our Saviour saith to the Jews affirming that God was their Fa∣ther, His sonnes ye are whose works ye do, John 8. 39, 48. And John also saith, 1. Epist. 3. 8, 9, 10. He that committeth sinne is of the devil: Wh•…•…soever is born of God sinneth not; for his seed remaineth in him, &c. In this the children of God are known and the children of the devil. Whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God; neither he that l•…•…veth not his brother. See Deut. 32. 5, 6.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mal. 1. 6.