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.

Duties in prayer.

The duties which here we are taught to perform* 1.1 in prayer are either more peculiar to this kind of de∣precation, or common. The former is Confession, which must concurre with Deprecation of pardon, and goeth before pardon; as appeareth Psal. 32. 3, 5. Prov. 28. 13. 1. John 1. 9. Num. 5. 7. Examples; 2. Sam. 12. 13. Luke 15. 21.

Now this confession is to be made of unknown sinnes generally; as Psal. 19. 12. of known sinnes particularly; Isai. 59. 12, 13. And to this end it will be profitable to examine our hearts and our lives by the law of God, taking a view of the duties therein commanded and vices forbidden, that we may par∣ticularly see and acknowledge what duties we have omitted and what vices we have committed.

The common duties; That we pray in fervency,* 1.2

faith, and perseverance. That we may pray in fer∣vency, we must have both a true sense of our wants, and earnest desire to have the same supplyed.

The wants which we are to bewail are, 1. our ma∣nifold sinnes and transgressions, for which we are to be grieved that we have by them displeased and dis∣honoured God. And to increase this godly sorrow* 1.3 in us, we are First, to consider and meditate of Gods manifold benefits undeservedly bestowed upon us, and our unthankfull behaviour towards him, &c. Secondly, we are to desire the Lord that he would poure upon us the spirit of deprecation, that we may with bitternesse bewail our sinnes, whereby we have so violated the justice of God that nothing could be found sufficient to appease or to satisfie the same but the death of Christ, whom we by our sins have pierced, Zech. 12. 10. Thirdly, we are to con∣sider the misery whereunto our sinnes make us sub∣ject both in this life and in the world to come. In all which respects we must esteem our sinnes as a most heavy burden, and being weary thereof we are by prayer to come unto the Lord that we may be eased thereof, Matth. 11. 28. Neither are we to bewail our sinnes alone; but as we are to pray for the par∣don of other mens sinnes, so are we also to mourn for the iniquities of the place and time wherein we live, Ezek. 9. 8. Psal. 119. 136, 158. 2. We are to bewail the hardnesse of our hearts, that we cannot so bewail our sinnes as we ought. 3. Our want of faith and assurance of the remission of our sinnes.

The graces which we desire, are 1. Remission of* 1.4 sinnes and justification, viz. that God would cancell

the bill of debt, Col. 2. 14. that he would take away our sinnes and cast them into the bottom of the sea, Mich. 7. 18, 19. that he would impute the merits and obedience of Christ unto us. And secondly, be∣cause we receive remission of sinnes and are justified by faith, by which we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ to our justification, and without which the merits of Christ are not communicated unto us, therefore we desire not onely that he would forgive us our sinnes, but also that he would work in us a true faith, whereby we may have assurance of the par∣don of our sinnes and peace of conscience. 3. Be∣cause our faith is weak therefore we are to pray for the increase thereof, Luke 17. 5. and also that God would blesse unto us the means of the begetting and increasing of our faith. 4. Because reconciliati∣on and adoption are unseparable companions of ju∣stification, we therefore must also pray that he would receive us unto his love and favour, and give us his spirit of adoption; that howsoever we be by nature the children of wrath, yet being reconciled unto him in Christ, we may have the testimony of his Spirit testifying to our spirits that we are the children of God. 5. We pray not onely for righte∣ousnesse and assurance of justification, and peace of conscience arising from thence, Rom. 5. 1. but also for the joy of the holy Ghost proceeding from them both, Rom. 14. 17. Now that we may with fervencie beg these graces of God, we must besides the sight and sense of our sinnes, and the misery* 1.5 which they bring upon us, consider the necessity of these graces; First, of remission of sinnes; because

sinne maketh a separation between God and us, Isai. 59. 1. and maketh us subject both to the curse of God in this life and after; and therefore above all things in the world we are to desire freedome from our sinnes, without which our estate is most miserable, &c. and without which we cannot be saved. Con∣trariwise, in remission of sinne consisteth happinesse, Psal. 32. 1, 2. Secondly, of faith, without which the* 1.6 benefits of Christ are not effectuall to our justifica∣tion, sanctification, or salvation. By it we are made partakers of all the benefits of Christ to our justifi∣cation and salvation. In which respect the same be∣nefits in the Scriptures which proceed from Christ are also ascribed unto faith. Upon which follow re∣conciliation, peace with God, and joy in the holy Ghost, and the beginning of eternall life it self in this life.

As we must pray for the forgivenesse of our sins in fervencie, so also in faith: that as we unfeignedly desire pardon of sinnes & reconciliation with God, so we are truly to believe that the Lord will heare our prayer, that he will receive us unto mercy, and at the length grant unto us the certificate of his Spi∣rit the Spirit of adoption. For that which he hath commanded us to ask he hath promised to give. He commandeth us to ask remission of sinnes, justifica∣tion, the Spirit of adoption, &c. therefore conse∣quently we are stedfastly to believe that we shall obtein them. The forgivenesse of sinnes is a chief part of the covenant of grace, Heb. 10. 17. The Spi∣rit of adoption is expressely promised to those that ask him, Luke 11. 13.

There 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that we p•…•…ay with perseverance, never ceasing day by day to call upon God for the forgivenesse of our sinnes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…rtificate of the ho∣ly Spirit assuring us thereof, untill the Lord say unto our souls, I a•…•… your 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and •…•…hed abr•…•…ad his love in our hearts. Neither are we then to cease from this prayer: but as we sinne daily, so are we daily to crave forgivenesse; and as our faith is weak and mixt with doubting, so daily to d•…•…sire the increase there∣of, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Duties are 1. more pe∣culiar.
• * 1.2

  2. more common.
• * 1.3

  Meditations to increase our sorrow for sinne.
• * 1.4

  The graces which we desire.
• * 1.5

  The necessi∣ty 1. of the remission of our sinnes.
• * 1.6

  2. of faith.