Vses concerning Prayer.
FIrst, whereas Christ commandeth us to call God* Father not onely of other faithfull and elect but also ours, he requireth in us when we are to pray a true and justifying faith whereby we are perswaded that God is our Father in Christ, and the spirit of a∣doption, whereby we cry in our hearts, Abba, Father. Therefore that speciall faith which the Papists call presumption, whereby every Christian man believeth that he is adopted in Christ, reconciled to God, and justi∣fied by him, and that for his sake both himself and his prayer is accepted of God, Christ requireth in this place. For unlesse I be perswaded that the Lord is not onely the Father of the rest of the faithfull and elect, but also my Father, I cannot in truth call him our Father. Unto prayer therefore we must bring faith, without which it is impossible to please God.
Secondly, whereas Christ commandeth us to call* upon God not onely for our selves, but also in the Page 239 behalf of the whole fraternitie, which is the univer∣sall Church, Our Father, Give us, &c. he teacheth us to exercise the communion of Saints by mutuall prayers for one another, Ephes. 6. 18. and not onely to have respect to our own good but also to the good of others, 1. Cor. 13. 5. and withall inform∣eth us how we are to be affected towards our bre∣thren when we come to call upon God; that we should desire the same good things for them which we ask for our selves; that we should be touched with a fellow-feeling of their wants, as it becometh those which are not onely the sonnes of the same Father, but also members of the same body, Heb. 13. 3. Therefore as we ought to bring faith to∣wards God, so also charity towards men, that with∣out wrath and dissension we may lift up pure hands unto God, 1. Tim. 2. 8.
But is it not lawfull to say sometimes, My Father,* My God, and to pray for our selves in particular or for some others?
It is lawfull in private prayers to call God thy* Father, so that thou dost not arrogate any thing pe∣culiar to thy self besides or above other faithfull men. For this is the voyce of justifying faith (espe∣cially in the time of temptation, when the faithfull man may seem forsaken of God) to apply unto him∣self in particular that which commonly belongeth to all the faithfull, Psal. 22. 1. Deus meus, My God, my God, &c. John 20. 28. Rom. 1. 8. The Lord instructeth his people thus to call him, My Father, Jer. 3. 4, 19. and Christ his disciples, Matth. 6. 6. Pray to thy Father; and thy Father which seeth in secret, &c.
Page 240It is lawfull also to pray for thy self and for others in particular, so as thou forget not to pray for the whole brotherhood of Gods children. For as when we are commanded to do good to all, but especially to the houshold of faith, Gal. 6. 10. we are bound in particular to do good to those whose wants are known unto us: so when we are com∣manded to pray for all, we are bound in particular to pray for those whose wants are known unto us, and especially for such as do any wayes belong unto us or do desire to be commended in our pray∣ers unto God, Rom. 15. 30. Jam. 5. 14. Ephes. 5. 19. 1. Tim. 2. 1, 2.
Thirdly, whereas we are taught to say, Our Fa∣ther,* Give us, &c. we may gather that this prayer and those that are made to the like effect are the common voyce of the Church and of all the mem∣bers thereof praying mutually for one another: Which affordeth comfort to every one of us; for al∣though the sense of thy own wants & weaknesse in calling upon God doth discourage thee, yet this ought to comfort thee, that this prayer and the like is the common prayer of the Church and of all the faithfull lifting up holy hands in every place, and praying for thee, if thou be a faithfull man, as well as for themselves. Now the prayer of the Church the Lord who is most gracious unto it is ready to heare, Deut. 4. 7. Isai. 65. 24.. and being most faithfull is also willing to perform, Matth. 18. 20. Therefore this serveth, as for instruction, teaching us our duty in calling upon God for one another, so also for our comfort, assuring us that others in like Page 241 sort pray for us, and that we are partakers of all the prayers of the whole Church and all the members thereof.
Fourthly, the hypocrisie of those is condemned who say with the Jews, John 8. 41. We have all one Father, God; but neither have faith in God, nor cha∣rity towards men, nor any fellow-feeling of other mens wants, nor any true desire of their good; who say, Every man for himself, and God for us all.
