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.

What this word come signifieth.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Adveniat. This word Come, is diversly to be expounded according to the divers significati∣ons of the kingdome of God. The universall king∣dome, or kingdome of power, is said to come when it is manifested and made apparent that all things are guided by the power and providence of God.

Here therefore we are taught to pray, That the Lord would vouchsafe to advance his kingdome, & bring all things into subjection under his feet; and also that all men may acknowledge this universall kingdome of God, ruling all things according to the counsel of his will, and may willingly submit them∣selves to the government of this absolute Lord, who hath placed his seat in heaven, and his kingdome ruleth

over all; That he would subdue his enemies, Psal. 110. 2. governing them with an iron rod, Revel. 12. 5. and 19. 15. and bruising them like a potters vessel, Psal. 2. 9. That he would execute his holy and eternall decrees, both in the generall government of the world, and also in the saving of the elect, and de∣stroying the reprobate, to his own glory, working all things according to the counsel of his will. And albeit this kingdome cannot be resisted or hindred maugre all the enemies thereof, yet we are to pray that it may come; and that he would exalt his kingdome, as before glorifie his name: not meaning thereby to move God, but to shew the concurrence of our will with Gods will, and our affection towards the ad∣vancement of Gods kingdome, and zeal towards his glory.

Secondly, the kingdome of grace is said to come unto us, whenas it is either begun & erected in us, or continued and increased amongst us. And in this be∣half we are taught to pray not onely for the coming of this kingdome, but also for the granting of the means whereby it cometh, & also removing the im∣pediments of the coming. I. As touching the coming it self, we are to note out of this word, That we come not to this kingdome of grace of our selves, but this kingdome cometh unto us, and in coming preventeth us, as our Saviour speaketh, Luke 11. 20. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is come upon you: for we naturally are the bondslaves of Satan, and subjects of the kingdome of darknesse; out of which bondage we are not able to come except the Lord do pull us: and as our Savi∣our saith, John 6. 44. No man cometh to the Sonne b•…•…t

whom the Father draweth. Wherein appeareth the undeserved mercy of God in preventing us, in seek∣ing that which was lost, in being found of them that sought him not, in coming to them that neither could nor would (through their own default) come unto him. And secondly, because there must be al∣wayes a daily progresse in this kingdome, and work of grace in this life, therefore we are taught to pray daily that this kingdome may come.

Now let us see how this kingdome cometh, and what it is which here we ask. Of the coming of this kingdome there be three degrees: The first is the pulling and drawing us out of the kingdome of Sa∣tan and power of darknesse unto God; which is our effectuall calling, whereby we are brought from the spirituall bondage of sinne and Satan into the glori∣ous liberty of the sonnes of God, and are made fellow∣citizens of the Saints, & domestici Dei, of the houshold of God, Ephes. 2. 19. And this calling is wrought by this means. First, to us sleeping in our sinnes the word of God is sent to rouse us, the law shewing us our sinnes and the punishments due for them, the Gospel promising salvation upon the condition of faith and repentance. Secondly, the spirit of God concurring with the word inlighteneth our minds to understand the word of God, inclineth our minds to attend thereunto, mollifieth our hard and stony hearts in the sight and sense of sinnes; and then tra∣velling under the burden of them with wearinesse, he stirreth up in us a hunger and thirst after the righ∣teousnesse of Christ and reconciliation with God, and teacheth us to pray with sighs which cannot be expressed.

Secondly, when the Spirit of God applieth the merits and efficacy of Christs death and resurrecti∣on to the justification of the sinner, and by degrees worketh in him faith and assurance of the pardon of his sinnes; whereupon followeth peace of consci∣ence, and joy in the holy Ghost: In which three t•…•…e Apostle saith that the kingdome of God do•…•…h consist, Rom. 14. 17.

Thirdly, when Christ our King ruleth and reign∣eth in our hearts by his word and Spirit, t•…•…aching us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, and to live sober∣ly, justly and holily in this present world, expecting the happy hope and glorious appearance of the great God our Saviour Jesus Christ, Tit. 2. 12, 13. that is, when by his Spirit he applieth the merits of his death to the mortifying of sinne in us, and of his resurrection to raise us up to newnesse of life.

And this we desire not onely for our selves, but also for the whole company of the elect, That the Lord would from all sorts gather his Church, elect∣ing them from the world, engraffing them into his Son, justifying them by faith, and sanctifying them by his Spirit; That he would confirm them by his grace, that they may increase more and more, and be inriched with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things, and finally by the power of God through faith may be preserv•…•…d unto everlasting life, 1. Pet. 1. 5.

And because the Church of God is, as we have said, the kingdome of God, we desire not onely that God would gather his Church, but also that he would inlarge it more and more, by the visible adding unto it those that are to be saved; that he

would prosper and preserve it, Psal. 122. 6. protect and defend it from all enemies both corporall and spirituall; that he would give all graces needfull and expedient unto them. And thus we are to pray that the kingdome of Gods grace may come upon us and upon all his chosen servants.

Notes

• How Gods universall kingdome is said to come.
• How the kingdome of grace co∣meth.
• Three de∣grees of the coming of Christs king∣dome.