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.

Vses. Wants to be bewailed.

Now let us come to the uses. First, our need which we have to make this prayer, by reason of our defection from God in our first parents, and our ori∣ginall sinne derived from them. For before man fell from God by sinne, he was wholly subject to the kingdome of God, and conformable to his will in all righteousnesse and holinesse, his mind inlighten∣ed with knowledge, endued with wisdome, his con∣science pure, his will holy and just, his affections or∣derly, the inferiour powers of his soul subordinate to the superiour, and all to God, the members of the body instruments of holinesse unto righteous∣nesse. But when as man fell from God by sinne, he became the subject of Satan, his mind darkened with ignorance & folly in spirituall things, his con∣science impure, his will not onely unjust but also unable to will that which is good, his affections in∣ordinate, the inferiour faculties rebelling against the superiour, the members of the body instruments of sinne unto iniquity. We therefore that are b•…•…ed and born in this state of disobedience, have great need to pray that the Lord would rule in us, that we may be renewed according to the image of God in holinesse and righteousnesse.

2. Our spirituall servitude and bondage under sinne and Satan: by reason whereof we are not able to come unto God, but must desire that his king∣dome may come unto us. When we ceased to sub∣ject our selves to God, we became the subjects of Satan; when we left to be the servants of righteous∣nesse, we became the servants of sinne; when we left the image of God, we got the image of the devil. Naturally we are wholly carried away by the devil as captives to the obedience of his will, doing no∣thing but sinne, and pleasing our selves therein; think∣ing our selves free, as John 8. being most bond: and therefore if we did feel the power of sinne and Satan reigning in us, we would with great fervency and vehemency of affection desire that the Lord would pull us out of this power of darknesse, and translate us into the kingdome of his Sonne.

3. Our unthankfulnesse unto God that hath brought us out of this bondage into the glorious liber∣ty of the sonnes of God; especially considering he gave himself for us to this end, Luke 1. 74. Tit. 2. 14. 1. Pet. 2. 24. We had need therefore to pray that he would rule in us by his word and Spirit: For professing our selves to be redeemed by Christ, we behave our selves (many of us) as if we still were in the bondage of sinne: For, whom we obey, his ser∣vants we are.

4. Our neglect and contempt of the word.

5. Our refisting the good motions of his Spirit, and striving against the same: our contristation or making heavy the Spirit of God.

6. The remnants of the kingdome of darknesse

or rather ou•…•… heaps of sinnes and corruptions; our conti•…•…uall lusts and concupiscences.

7. Our yielding to the temptations of Satan; our worldly minds following after pleasure, profit, or pre•…•…erment; our not cr•…•…cifying of the flesh, but ra∣ther walking therein.

And as we are to ask good things for others, so must we also bewail their wants. As when we see men plunged in sinne, and carried away headlong to their perdition, as the swine were into the sea, we ought to-lament their desperate estate, Psal. 119. 136, 158. Ezech. 9. 4. We are to bewail all the im∣pediments of the kingdome of Christ, disorder in the Church, confusion in the Commonweal, the want of the word, and causes thereof. Our hearts ought to yern within us, as our Saviours did, Matth. 9. 36. when we see a people living in ignorance and sinne, without means & without God in this world: and therefore for the supply of all these wants, we are in sense thereof to pray fervently, Let thy king∣dome come.