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.

I. To pray against tentation, Luke 22. 40. 2. Cor. 12. 8. to escape it. II. To pray in fervencie and faith.

Wants to be bewailed.

I. The malice and power of our spirituall ene∣mies that fight against us, Ephes. 6. 12. The flesh sending forth concupiscences which fight against the soul; the law of our members carrying us captive unto sinne: The world by her enticements alluring unto evil, and carrying us out of the way, 1. Cor. 7. 31. by her terrours terrifying from good, by bad exam∣ple seducing us: The devil our mortall enemie, go∣ing about like a roring lion, seeking whom he may de∣voure, 1. Pet. 5. 8. II. Our weaknesse to resist; our negligence in not preparing and arming our selves against tentations, but rather by idlenesse and securi∣tie sweeping and preparing a room for the tempter, Luke 11. 25. III. Our pronenesse to sinne, our quailing in tentations, our running into tentations, and seeking baits of sinne. IV. Our subjection to sinne and Satan, Rom. 7. 14. and exhibition of our members as instruments to the tempter. V. The evil of sinne with which we are corrupted, and the evil of punishment which we have deserved. VI. Our inability in our selves to free us from these evils.

Contrary graces to be desired.

In sense of which wants we are with fervencie to crave the contrarie graces: Which we are to distin∣guish according to the former distinctions of tenta∣tions and evils from which we desire to be preser∣ved and delivered. And first for the tentations of God or trials; we do not pray against them, but ra∣ther for them, I. That the Lord would trie us, Psal. 26. 2. and 139. 23. and II. That when he

doth prove us, we may be approved; or if it please him by the tentation to discover unto us our weak∣nesse, he would turn it to our good, Deut. 8. 16. that both in respect of our former weaknesse we may be humbled, and for the time to come be made more circumspect.

But as touching those tentations which are pro∣vocations unto evil; we pray against them, I. in generall, That our hearts may not be inclined to any evil, Psal. 141. 4. and therefore that the Lord would neither give us over to the tempter to be overcome, nor suffer us to be tempted above our power, neither leave us to our selves and forsake us in the tentation, but that it would please him to sta∣blish us by his free spirit, Psal. 51. 14. and assist us with his grace (which will be sufficient for us, 2. Cor. 12. 9. that being confirmed and strengthened by him, 1. Pet. 5. 10. we may not fall away in the time of tentation, Luke 8. 13. but may be able to withstand our enemies in the evil day, and having fi∣nished all things may stand fast, Ephes. 6. 13. being kept by his power through faith unto salvation, 1. Pet. 1. 5. And II. more specially, 1. against the tentations of the flesh we are to pray, That howsoever sinne dwel in us, yet it may not reigne in our mortall body, that we should obey it in the lusts thereof, or give our members as weapons of unrighteousnesse unto sinne, Rom. 6. 12, 13. And especially, That he would not punish our sinne with sinne, giving us over to our own lusts, Psal. 81. 13. Rom. 1. 24. or to the hardnesse of our own hearts, Ephes. 4. 18. or to a reprobate mind, Rom. 1. 28. to commit sinne with greedinesse. But contrariwise, That

he will give unto us his sanctifying spirit, not onely to fight against the flesh, but also to mortifie our •…•…rthly members, Col. 3. 5. as our inordinate affecti∣ons and evil concupiscence; and to crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof, Gal. 5. 24. and that being re∣newed by his spirit, we may no longer be carnall men but spirituall, walking not after the flesh but after the spirit, Rom. 8. 1.

2. As touching the world; We also pray, That we may not be carried away with the world or overcome thereby, but that by faith we may overcome the world, 1. John 5. 4. And whereas the world is said to tempt in respect either of the men or the things in the world: and whereas the men tempt ei∣ther to evil of punishment and danger by captious questions, or to evil of sinne; either by bad speeches, inticing, incensing, counselling; or lewd examples: We therefore against their captions desire the spirit of wisdome, that we be not insnared; and against their offenses and scandals either in word or deed, constancy & perseverance, that we do not stumble or fall, nor be conformed to the world, Rom. 12. 2. As for the things of the world, they are either the de∣sires thereof, or the terrours and crosses. In re∣spect of the desires of the world, which are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, 1. John 2. 16. the world is said especially to tempt; they being the baits of sinne and snares of the devil. Against these we pray, That we may have grace from above to renounce all worldly lusts, Tit. 2. 12. to be wained from the world, to use it as though we used in not, 1. Cor. 7. 31. to •…•…e cr•…•…cified to the world and the

world to us, Gal. 6. 14. to live as pilgrimes and stran∣gers upon earth and citizens of heaven, minding heavenly things, and contemning all the desires of the world as mere vanities in comparison of heaven∣ly joyes. As touching the crosses and afflictions of this life, which are worthily called tentations; We are to pray, That God will not suffer us to be tempted above our power, &c. 1. Cor. 10. 13. but that the Lord in his good time would either release us from them in whole or in part, or else arm us with patience to bear whatsoever he shall lay upon us, that we may endure tentation, and, being found approved, we may receive the crown of life, Jam. 1. 12. whereof the affli∣ctions of this life are not worthy, Rom. 8. 18.

3. As concerning the tentations of the devil; We desire that the Lord would tread Satan under our feet, Rom. 16. 20. or at the least that it would please him to arm us with the complete armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the cunning sleights, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of the devil, Ephes. 6. 11. and especially with faith, whereby we may quench all the fiery darts of the devil, Ephes. 6. 16.

Now in all these we are to pray, as our Savi∣our teacheth us both by his example, John 17. 15. & by his precept in this place, O Lord, we do not desire not at all to be tempted, but that we may be deli∣vered from evil: that is, from the tyranny of the flesh, that it hold not us captive unto sinne, from the allurements of the world, that they do not draw us unto sinne; from the assaults of the devil, that he prevail not against us, from the punishments of sin, and judgements which by sinne we deserve, so farre

as our deliverance therefrom may stand with Gods glory and our good; and lastly, from the corruption of sinne it self; in regard whereof we desire the Lord would endue us more and more with the Spi∣rit of sanctification, applying unto us the merits and efficacy of Christs death to mortifie our sinne, and of his resurrection to restore us to newnesse of life; wherein we are to proceed from faith to faith, and from one measure of grace to a greater, untill we come to a perfect man in Christ.

And as there are two degrees of our deliverance from these our spirituall enemies: the one begun and imperfect, by sanctification in this life; the other full and perfect in the life to come, which is our full redemption and glorification: So we pray, not one∣ly that we may be freed from our corruptions in part, but also may be fully conformed to the glori∣ous image of the Sonne of God; and therefore pray that we may be delivered from every evil thing, and be preserved to his heavenly kingdome, 2. Tim. 4. 18. whereby it appeareth, that as in the fifth petition we desired pardon of sinne and justification by faith; so here we crave strength against sinne, & freedome from the corruption, and sanctification by Gods Spirit, and finally the end of our faith, which is the sal∣vation of our souls: For when we pray to be deliver∣ed from evil, we desire deliverance also from hell, and consequently salvation in heaven.

Now as these graces are to be asked in fervencie and affection, so also in assurance of faith that we shall be heard. For as the Apostle James chap. 1. 5, 6. teacheth, If any man desire wisdome of God, wise∣ly

to endure tent•…•…tion, he must ask it in •…•…aith. And to this faith the holy Ghost doth most notably encou∣rage us in the Scriptures: Prov. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth unto it, & in edito collocatur, and is placed on high. The Lord, saith Peter, 2. Epist. 2. 9. knoweth to deliver the godly out of tentation. And of our Saviour the Apo∣stle saith, Heb. 2. 18. In that he suffered and was tempt∣ed, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Christ hath overcome our enemies: the devil, Col. 2. 15. the world, John 16. 33. and to this end gave himself for us that he might deliver us from the hands of our spirituall enemies. He that is in us is stronger then he that is in the world, 1. John 4. 4. Neither shall any be able to pull us out of his hands, John 10. 28. Christ, whose prayer is alwayes heard, John 11. 42. hath prayed for us that our faith shall not sail, Luke 22. 32. and that we may be kept from evil, John 17. 15. The Lord hath promised, and is faithfull to perform, that he will not suffer us to be tempted above our power, but with the tentation will give an issue that we may bear it, 1. Cor. 10. 13. And finally, Joel 2. 32. he hath pro∣mised, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Our faith therefore concerning assistance against tentation and deliverance from evil must be grounded not upon any conceit of our own strength or worthinesse, but on the power, mercy, faithfulnesse and truth of God in his promises, and on the mediation and intercession of Jesus Christ.

Notes

• How we are to pray a∣gainst tenta∣tions.
• How we must pray against ten∣tations of the flesh.
• How we must pray against the tentations of the world.
• How we must pray against the tentations of the devil.
• That we must pray for these gra∣ces in assu∣rance of faith.