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.

Our.

VVHen as our Saviour teacheth us •…•…o say, Our Father, Give us, &c. he may seem to some to have prescribed a form of publick prayer onely. Otherwise why doth he not teach us to say, My Fa∣ther, Give me, &c.? But out of verse 6. it appeareth that he prescribeth this form as well for private as for publick prayer. Now he teacheth us to say, Our Father, Give us, &c. that we may learn it to be our duty to call upon God not onely for our selves but also for others.

But for what others? For all men, 1. Tim. 2. 1. (For God is the Father of all by •…•…reation.) but especially for the faithfull, to whom God is a Fa∣ther by grace of adoption, and they also our bre∣thren in Christ. We are therefore to pray for the

whole brotherhood, which is the universall Church, and the whole company of the faithfull, Psal. 122. 6. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem. For the univer∣sall Church, I say, militant upon earth. For unto the present estate of the Church militant our Savi∣our doth accommodate this prayer: as, that we may do the will of God upon earth as it is in heaven; that he would give us our •…•…ily bread; that he would forgive our sinnes, and no•…•… lead •…•…s into temptation. When as therefore this prayer is used amongst the Papists for the dead, they shew themselves not impious onely but also ridiculous.

Vses concerning Prayer.

FIrst, whereas Christ commandeth us to call God* 1.1 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* 1.2 upon God not onely for our selves, but also in the

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,* 1.3 My God, and to pray for our selves in particular or for some others?

It is lawfull in private prayers to call God thy* 1.4 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.

It 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,* 1.5 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

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.

Vses concerning our lives.

SEeing we have all one and the same Father,* 1.6 Matth. 23. 9. therefore we ought to embrace one another with brotherly love, Ephes. 4. 3, 4, 6. For if God be the Father of us all, then are we all brethren. Which word of love ought to tie us with the bond of love, and break off all dissension, Gen. 13. 8. Acts 7. 26. Mal. 2. 10. And surely if we love not our brethren, the love of God is not in us: For he which lo∣veth him that begetteth, loveth also those that are begot∣ten, 1. Joh. 5. 1. And, Whosoever saith that he loveth God and hateth his brother, he is a liar, 1. John 4. 19, 20. Therefore where is not brotherly love there is not the love of God; where is not the love of God there is no faith; and who hath not faith is not the sonne of God. Therefore the Apostle saith, 1. John 3. 10. In this the children of God are known and the children of the devil; Whosoever doeth not righteous∣nesse is not of God, nor he that loveth not his brother. For if those that be the sonnes of God, as all the faithfull are (and we are to hope well of the most when we speak of particulars) be not our brethren,

and so we esteem them, then are not we the sonnes of God. For if he be our Father, then his children are our brethren; If the sonnes of God be not brethren to us, then are not we his children. If therefore we shall hate the children of God, how can we call up∣on him as our Father?

Secondly, whereas all, as well poore as rich, are* 1.7 commanded to call God Father, this ought to teach the rich, & comfort the poore. The rich ought from hence to learn humility and not to despise the poor∣est Christian, seing they are our brethren by the law of nature, and of the same bloud, Acts 17. the same flesh, Isai. 58. and also by our redemption by Christ they are our brethren in him, sonnes of the same Fa∣ther, and have as good part in Christ, if they be∣lieve, as the best, for God is a Father that respecteth no•…•… persons, Acts 10. 34, 35. 1. Pet. 1. 17. And in Christ there is no difference of rich and poore, bond or free; but we are all one in him, Gal. 3. 28. To which purpose Paul exhorteth Philemon to receive his ser∣vant Onesimus, being now converted, as a brother, v. 17. Let therefore the rich follow the advise, Rom. 12. 16. Example, Job 31. 13, 14, 15. that of the wife 1. Pet. 3. 7. which is to be extended to all Chri∣stians, viz. that they be coheirs. Which doctrine doth not favour the Anabaptists; for although in respect of our spirituall estate there ought to be no respect of persons, Jam. 2. 1. neither is there difference of bond and free in Christ, yet in respect of our out∣ward estate the Lord hath ordained superiours and inferiours, &c. and hath established orders and de∣grees in the outward politie.

The poore also are to comfort themselves with this consideration, that howsoever they be contemn∣ed in the world, yet they are dear in Gods sight. God is their Father as well, or rather of them then of the rich, Psal. 68. 6. and Christ their brother: yea, they are members of Christ, to whom what is done Christ esteemeth as done to himself, Matth. 25. The which is to be understood of the godly poore; for otherwise, as their estate is miserable now, so a thousand times more miserable shall it be in the world to come.

Vses of reproof.

THey are condemned that call God their Father,* 1.8 and yet hate the children of God because they are godly, and deride the name of brethren.

2. Schismaticks, who call God their Father, but denie his children to be their brethren. For they which will have God for their Father, must have the true Church to their mother. And these words, Our Father, are the voyce of the Church, and of all that be of the same brotherhood.

3. Again, when we are bid to say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Our Father, &c. we are taught to direct our prayers unto God immediately, as being present with us. Which confuteth the Papists, who would not have us go directly to God, but to desire Mary, or Peter, &c. to pray for us: whereas this priviledge have all the faithfull, to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace by Christ, Ephes. 3. 12. Secondly, we are to believe that God who is in heaven is also present with us, hearing our prayers: and therefore so ought we to

poure forth our prayers as into his bosome, yea though we pray in secret, Matth. 6. 6. Thirdly, we ought to have the eye of faith to see him that is in∣visible, Heb. 11. so shall we set God before our eyes, and behave our selves as it becometh those that speak to so glorious a Majesty. But most men because they see none present are touched with lesse reverence then if they spake to a mortall superiour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Faith requi∣red in prayer
• * 1.2

  2. We must pray one for another.
• * 1.3

  Quest.
• * 1.4

  Answ.
• * 1.5

  3. An use of comfort, see∣ing all the Church prayeth for us.
• * 1.6

  Brotherly love required of all that pray.
• * 1.7

  2. To teach the rich, and comfort the poore.
• * 1.8

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉