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.

Which art in heaven, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

HEaven is all that space which is above the earth: Of which are three parts, Coelum Aereum, Gen. 1. 8. Aethereum, Empyreum. The first, Air; in which are the birds, fowls of heaven, and the wicked spirits in heavenly places, Ephes. 6. 12. and 2. 2. The second is that heaven wherein the starres are, which are called the host of heaven. The third is the seat of the blessed and throne of God, called Coelum empy. reum, because of the light, 1. Tim. 6. 16. paradise, 2. Cor. 12. 4. and the third heaven, in respect of the two lower; and in the same sense, the heaven of hea∣vens, Psal. 115. 16. 1. Kings 8. 27. God is all in all. But this place is especially to be understood of the third heaven, which is the place of the Lords habitati∣on, 1. Kings 8. 30.

How is God said to be in heaven, seeing he is eve∣rywhere?* 1.1

If God be everywhere, then is he also in heaven:* 1.2 But God is said to be in heaven, not that he is inclu∣ded therein, 1. Kings 8. 27. and therefore not cir∣cumscriptivè, by circumscription, as the body of Christ; nor definitivè, definitively, as the finite spi∣rits;

but he is there and everywhere repletive, filling all places, Jer. 23. 23. but yet so as he is every∣where totus, wholly. But yet after a more speciall manner he is said to be in heaven: Because there especially he manifesteth his glory; there he is seen face to face; there he communicateth himself; thence he sendeth down his blessings & judgements, Rom. 1. 18. thence he speaketh to men; thence Christ de∣scended; thence the holy Ghost, Matth. 3. thither Christ ascended; there he sitteth; and thence he re∣turneth to judgement. And as the soul is said to be tota in toto & tota in qualibet parte, all in the whole, and in every part all; and yet in respect of the chief operations is said to be seated in the head (as it were) the heaven of this Microcosme; so God, who is everywhere wholly both in the world and out of it, is said to be in heaven: Heaven is his throne, Isai. 66. 1. there he prepared his seat, Psal. 103. 19. there he sit∣teth, Psal. 2. 4. that is the habitation of his holinesse, &c. Isai. 63. 15. the place of his habitation, 1. Kings 8. 30.

Secondly, when Christ saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the heavens, he meaneth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, heavenly, as Matth. 6. 26. And he is called heavenly, because the shal∣lownesse of our minds cannot better conceive of the unspeakable glory and excellent majestie of God then under this name. For nothing more ex∣cellent and glorious is subject to our sense then the heaven. Whereas therefore the Scriptures give this title to God, they teach us to ascribe unto him ma∣jestie glorious, essence omnipresent, power infinite, wisdome unspeakable, mercy endlesse.

The sense therefore of these words is this, Thou that sittest upon heaven as thy throne, glorious in maje∣stie, infinite in essence, power, wisdome and mercy.

Vses concerning prayer.

I. THe adoration of images & reliques condemn∣ed,* 1.3 we are taught to lift up our mind, eyes, hands to God being in heaven. We may therefore say, as Psal. 121. 1. Should I lift mine eyes to ima∣ges? whence then should I have help? my help is from God. Therefore as Psal. 123. 1. To thee I lift up mine eyes, O thou who dwellest in the heavens.

II. We are taught, not to direct our prayer to∣wards any certain place, as the Jews towards the temple; but we may turn any way towards God in heaven. And if we are not bound to look towards any certain place, much lesse to go on pilgrimage to it.

III. Neither must our minds go on pilgrimage whilest we are praying; but above the earth and all earthly cogitations our minds with our hands are to be lifted up unto the heavens, Lam. 3. 4. Psal. 25. 1. & as at all times, so especially in the time of prayer, our conversation ought to be in heaven.

IV. When we are commanded to call God our heavenly Father, we are taught to abandon all base conceits concerning God, Psal. 50. 13. and to ascribe unto him incomprehensible glory and majesty, infi∣nite power and essence, wisdome unsearchable, mer∣cy endlesse. Majesty; as sitting upon the heaven as upon his throne, the earth being his footstool, Isai. 66. 1. Which must teach us reverence, and not rash∣ly

to utter any thing before God: For God is in heaven, full of majestie and glory; and thou upon earth, dust and worms meat, Eccles 5. 1.

Power; that is, Might infinite, omnipotencie; Right infinite, and authority universall. Potentia, Power, Psal. 115. 3. Our God is in heaven: whatsoever he will he doeth. Which must teach us to pray with affiance, being assured that our heavenly Fa∣ther is able to do for us according to (yea above) our requests, yea above our thought, Ephes. 3. 20. Thus Jehoshaphat, 2. Chron. 20. 6. Art not thou God in heaven, so as power is in thine hand which none can re∣sist?

Potestas, Authority: So faith Jehoshaphat, Art not thou God in heaven? and dost not thou rule over all nations? So Psal. 103. 20. The Lord hath established his seat in heaven, and his kingdome is over all. On him therefore our trust must be reposed, by whose providence and power all things are governed in heaven and in earth. For hereby we learn that the Lord is not onely able in respect of his might, but hath right also to bestow upon us any good thing. Audacter Deum roga, nihil illum de alieno 〈◊〉〈◊〉,* 1.4 Beg boldly of God, seeing thou canst ask nothing of him which belongeth to another.

Infinite essence and omnipresence; for so is the heaven said to be his throne, as that the earth also is his footstool: and so is he in both, as that he is also everywhere and in every place totus. For we may not think that God is farre from us, Acts 17. 27. be∣cause he is said to be in heaven, as the wicked ima∣gine, Job 22. 13. but we must acknowledge that he

is alwayes present with us, Psal. 139. 7, 8, 9, &c. and, as it is Psal. 145. 18. Deut. 4. 7. near unto us when we call upon him; yea, where two or three are gathered to∣gether in his name, he is in the middest of them, Matth. 18. 20. If therefore thou prayest in secret, the Lord heareth thee, Matth. 6. 6. if in the closet of thine heart without any speech, he heareth the voyce and cry of the heart, Exod. 14. 15. 1. Sam. 1. 13. Assure thy self therefore that thou speakest not into the air or utterest thy words in vain, but that thou pourest forth thy requests into the bosome of the Lord.

Wisdome unsearchable: For as the heavens are high above the earth, so are the Lords thoughts above ours, Isai. 55. 9. We must therefore submit our selves to his will, which is most wise and just: nei∣ther let us circumscribe him, but rather resigne our selves unto him, who best knoweth what is fit for us.

Mercy unspeakable; Whereby all these attri∣butes are effectuall to our good. For if earthly pa∣rents do know to give good things to their children, much more doth our heavenly Father, Matth. 7. 11.

This thereforè must not discourage us, that he sit∣teth above in heaven in the high throne of his maje∣stie: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 though he dwelleth above, yet he mercifully aba∣seth himself to behold the things which be in heaven and in earth, Psal. 113. 5, 6. He looketh down from the high place of his holinesse, even from heàven: doth the Lord look down upon earth; that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner, and deliver the children of death, Psal. 102. 19, 20. Neither ought his power to terrifie us: for he useth it to our good, Deut. 33. 26. •…•…e rideth,

or sitteth, upon the heavens for our help. Him there∣fore, let us exalt who rideth on the highest heavens, Psal. 68. 4.

Here therefore is discovered the hypocrisie of those men who calling upon God as their Father in heaven lift not up their hearts to heaven, but let them lie groveling on the earth; who imagine God to be like themselves, who without reverence speak unto him, or use vain babbling; who trust not in his power, nor acknowledge his presence with them, unreverently behaving themselves because they see him not; that submit not themselves to his fatherly wisdome; nor rest in his mercy and goodnesse.

Vses in our lives.

First, if our Father be in heaven, who also hath be∣gotten us to an heavenly inheritance, then we who are the children of God are in this world pilgrimes from God and from our countrey; and therefore ought not to mindearthly things, but have our con∣versation in heaven, Phil. 3. 19, 20. Secondly, if God our Father be full of maiesty and power, we ought to fear him and to stand in aw. Thirdly, if omnipotent, let us rest confidently under his pro∣tection, neither let the fear of any danger draw us unto sinne; for God is able to deliver us, Dan. 17. And on the other side, let us fear to sinne; for he is able to destroy both body and soul in hell, Matth. 10. 28. If God be omnipresent, let us behave our selves as in his presence, and walk before him in uprightnesse of heart. If our heavenly Father be most wise and mercifull, let us cast our care upon him, in all our

necessities depending on him. As for those that are mere worldlings & terrae filii, who neither stand in aw of his majesty, nor trust in his power, nor walk as in his presence, nor depend upon his father∣ly goodnesse, they cannot but in hypocrisie call God their heavenly Father.

Now if we joyn these two together, of which we have spoken severally, That God is our Father, and therefore willing to heare us; and also in heaven, and therefore able to grant our desires; there will be no place left to diffidence and distrust, seeing God is both willing and able to grant our requests. Therefore we ought not to be distrustfully carefull, but with confidence and assurance that we shall be heard to make our requests known unto God, Phil. 4. 6. seeing, as Fulgentius saith, Deus multus est ad ignoscendum; in hoc multo nihil deest, in quo & omni∣potens misericordia & omnipotentia misericors est: God is much in forgiving; in this much nothing is mis∣sing, in whom is omnipotent mercy, and mercifull omnipotence. The consideration of either of these may stirre up a man to pray: but if he doubt of either, I see not how he can pray in faith. The le∣per, Mark 1. 40. being perswaded of Christs pow∣er, desireth him to make him clean: the father of him that was possessed, Mark 9. 22. having some good opinion of Christs willingnesse, intreated his help for the dispossessing of the unclean spirit: But because the one was not assured of his willingnesse, the other of his power, they make but doubtfull prayers, If thou wilt thou canst make me clean; If thou canst do any thing help us. But we may be assured of

both in our heavenly Father: and therefore are to be encouraged to pray in faith, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Object.
• * 1.2

  Answ.
• * 1.3

  Adoration of images condemned.
• * 1.4

  S•…•…ueca.