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.

1. Dutie in our lives.

We must earnestly desire the coming of Christ, and believe that it shall come, and that to our sal∣vation.

2. Wants to be bewailed.

First, the want of faith, by reason of the consci∣ence of our manifold sinnes which make a separati∣on between God and us, and make the remem∣brance of the judgement terrible unto us: so that we cannot desire the coming of Christ to judgement as we ought.

Secondly, the worldlinesse of our minds, in that

we are all more or lesse overtaken of the desires thereof, and not so wained from the world as be∣cometh pilgrimes on earth; so that many of us are so farre from desiring another life that they could be content to live here for ever.

Thirdly, our sinnes must be as an heavie burden unto us; that being weary we may earnestly desire to be dissolved, and so disburdened of them, Rom. 7. 23, 24. Phil. 1. 23.

Fourthly, we must bewail and be weary of the sinnes of the world, whereby Gods name is disho∣noured, his kingdome hindred, his will neglected, that so we may truly desire that an end may be put to these evil dayes, and may say, How long, Lord, holy and true? Revel. 6. 10.

We must believe 1. That Christ will come to* 1.1 judgement, and that there will be a kingdome of glory after this life: for these two articles of our faith are here presupposed: For if we be in the num∣ber of those mockers of whom Peter foretold, 2. Epistle 3. 4. that believe not this second coming of Christ, &c. we shall but mock God if we make this petition. 2. That Christ will come to our salvation, and that we shall be inheritours of that kingdome: for we cannot else truly desire his coming, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Things to be believed.