A most beneficiall , yet easie taske enioyned only for mans good . Almightie God herein dealing with vs , as those Benefactors whose bountie sets the poore a worke for charitie , not profit , not for any aduantage they meane to make of their labour , but what meerely reflects on themselues ; that they may giue them an occasion to earne a liuing . So from the solicitation of our praiers doth God take occasion to extend his mercies vnto vs. Not that our prayers haue any worth or merit , or that they aduantage Him , but our selues : Aug. ser . 29. de verbis Domini Ille quod nos hortatur propter nos hortatur , When he bids vs Pray , he doth but fit vs with a capacity to receiue what he desires to giue .

Hee might indeed bestow vpon vs his Fauours without the suit of our Prayers , but that were a double derogation , first from his Gift , and next from his owne Soueraigntie .

He that can make himselfe so cheape to giue vnask't , certainly giues that which is not worth taking , else hee would neuer make such haste to be rid of it . Thus to fore-stall a suit , instructs him that receiues to neglect , not to thanke the Doner . Suit puts value vpon a gift ; nor is that ware held marketable which proffers it selfe vnto the buyer . There is a modestie to be vsed euen in doing fauours ; for it is an vnmannerly kindnesse that intrudes on the accepter , and an impudent good turne , which like a prostitute wooes him that should receiue it . Such is the curious disposition of man to vnderualew and grow weary of whatsoeuer he comes easily by , Aug. ser . 5. de verb . Dom . Cito data vilescunt . There is no bread so sweet , as what is earned with sweat ; and no gift so prized , as that which is obtained with greatest difficultie . Petronius Arbit . Quicquid quaeritur optimum videtur . Therefore , before God giues , it is fit he vnderstood in a few words the desire of his clyent , lest he should offer a blessing to one that had no will to take it . Dare vult Deus , August . sed non dat nisi petenti , ne det non capienti .

Againe , if God should giue without petition , it were an impeachment to his royaltie . We see ordinarily men are content to enter couenant not to receiue their due vn●esse vpon demand , nor will the Tenant offer his rent , if not first required and called ●o make a tender : and shall wee thinke to receiue from Gods hand mercies which are not due vnto vs ex debito , but ex merâ gratiâ , not of right , but of grace , without entreaty and request ? The most bountifull master that liues , though he lease out his profit , will not lease out his right , & though hee expect no money payment , yet will hee reserue some slight acknowledgement , though but a pepper corne . Kings themselues , when they haue rewarded such as well deserued , by the gift of Manours or Lands , yet will haue those , on whom they confer such fauours , hold them by some seruice , which seruice they will haue acknowledged , by some kinde of homage , by some slight peny-fine , or the like .

't is true , such paiments as a Pepper-corne or a Peny adde nothing to the reuenew of the Temporall Lord , more than the confession of his right and Royaltie , yet are they of such high consequence to those that hold their estates by them , that to comtemne one of those little ones , makes their whole fortune escheat into the power of the Lord . Iust so is it with vs Christians , wee haue a Lord , by whose goodnesse , life and our being are demised vnto vs ; a bountifull Master , who hath endowed vs with all our temporall blessings in this life , and by his promises , giuen our hopes a title to eternall blessings in the life to come . For all which vnprized mercies , he hath reserued nothing to returne vnto himselfe , saue onely the thankfull sacrifice of our prayers . A light and easie payment to God , yet of more weightie consequence on our behalfe , than Ingens auri vis , a Mine of treasure . For Prayers are our Quit-rents , our Homage , our suit-fine , Gerard , Aphorism . Census nostrae subiectionis ; by this seruice doe we hold our estates in his blessings . So long as we pay vnto him these rents of deuotion , so long is our tenure safe , and our title to his goodnesse vnquestionable . Psal . 81 . 1● . Open thy mouth ( in prayers ) and I will fill thee with good things . But when once we shut our mouthes , when we neglect this dutie and seruice , wee then forfeit his fauour in the present , and hazard it in the future .

Such and so great is the necessitie of Prayer . And yet so great is the impudence of the Pelagian , or rather the Deuill , whose feed aduocate he was , to crie downe the vse and exercise of Prayer , which had so often repell'd his assault and foil'd him , that from the proud insolent Sophistrie of Free-will , he would argue it needlesse to trouble God by asking either perseuerance in faith , or conuersion from sinne , whereas it is ( saith he ) in each mans free election and choice , either to stand or fall . An assertion to be hissed at , not answered , being quite contrary to Christs rule , who layes so much weaknesse to our charge , that wee haue not power to thinke well , much lesse to will that which is good , without his assisting grace , nor to auoid one danger hanging ouer vs , without the same grace preuenting . By this Grace are wee elected from the wombe , Psal . 71.6 . and by it also are we holden vp euer since we were borne . 't is his grace that we Pray , and againe 't is his grace which answers our Prayers : like a cloud doth this Grace still hang ouer our heads ; but the dew thereof drops not downe vpon vs , vnlesse first resolued by the breath of our Praiers . Let therefore our Prayers ascend vp vnto him , that so his Grace may descend on vs.

Enough to disproue Pelagius , but not to stop the mouth of other Heretikes , who out of the infallibilitie of Gods prescience , would conclude the act of Prayer needlesse . Whatsoeuer ( say they ) God hath fore-seene , must come to passe , whether wee pray or not , because his knowledge cannot erre . True , but let them know , the same God who fore-saw what should be , fore-saw also that we should pray vnto him ; the act of Prayer being necessary to obtaine and impetrate those things at Gods hands , which he in his mercy fore-saw he should bestow vpon vs. This is Saint Augustines opinion , Aug. de ciuit . Dei lib . 5. cap . 10. Preces valent ad ea impetranda quae se precantibus concessurum praesciuit .

Since then God hath fore-seene a Necessitie of our Prayers , let each one fore-see his owne good so much , as to petition him continually . This act of inuocating him being so necessary to saluation , that without it no meanes to saluation . Alexand . Hales part . 4. ex Aug. Nullum credimus nisi orantem salutem promereri : Almighty God is easie to be found , but hee will first be sought ; and his hand euer open to giue , if deuoutly ask't and intreated . For so is his owne rule , Petite & dabitur vobis : Matth . 7.7 . Aske first , and then haue .

I am now come to consider the Excellence of this act of Prayer , The Excellence of Prayer . which from hence is cleare . Since that , in stead of all the abolished sacrifices of the old Law , this only remaines vnto vs. This is our Morning & Euening sacrifice , our cleansing sacrifice , and our sinne offering Oratio sanat pestes mentis : This cures the maladies of the diseased soule . It is our Incense offering , Spirituale thymiama . And for the greater glory of it , Carthusian obserues that the stile of Incense is attributed to no other Theologicall vertue so truly , as to Prayer : Dionys Carthus . in Matth . Nulla Iustitia thymiamati comparatur nisi sola oratio . Like incense doth it fume vp , making a sweet smell in the nostrills of God . Therefore the Psalmist prayes , Psal . 141.2 . Dirigatur oratio mea tanquam incensum : Which ( saith the Glosse ) was but a figure of Prayer . A Censer full of this Incense religiously offered , diuerts the wrath of God , and interposes it selfe betwixt his anger and those whom it threatens : Numb . 16.48 . euen as Aaron stood in the doore of the Tabernacle , betwixt a displeased God and a wretched people .

Such a strong prerogatiue hath Prayer , which God seemes to acknowledge , when with a familiar anger he chides Moses , for that his Prayers hindered the execution of his vengeance vpon Israel : Exod . 32.11 . Let me alone , that my wrath may wax hot vpon them .

Lastly , in stead of the Eleuatum , the Heaue-offering ; Psal . 141.2 . Eleuatio manuum , the Eleuation of our hands in Prayer now serues . Blessed are they that can lift vp cleane hands in this sacrifice , for they shall surely get the victory . When Moses his hands were held vp , Israel ( you know ) preuailed , but when they were let downe , Amaleck got ground . The morall is thus : When wee pray , our sinnes retire , but when we let that act fall , they charge vs with double force .

But our Prayers are vnweildy and heauy , Mat . 26.40 . witnesse the Disciples singled out to accompany Christ when he prayed in the Garden , who at that time found so heauy a weight of slumber hanging ouer their eye-lids , that they were not able to watch , no not one houre . 't is requisite then they should haue props to beare them vp . As Aaron and Hur were Moses his supporters , so must Faith and Perseuerance be the supports of Prayer ; held vp by these , they ascend boldly and without let vnto the Throne of God ; but if these faile , like dull and lazie mists drawn from the earth , they rise not to any height , but fall backe vpon those places from whence they were exhaled , or vanish with that breath which sent them vp .

Not to insist long on this Encomium of Prayer : It is our scaling Ladder , Ecclus . 35.21 . Oratio iusti penetrat nubes , our Engine of Battery , Mat . 11.12 . by which Heauen is besieged and suffers violence ( as Christ said . ) 't is our weapon with which we wound our enemies , nay , Telum est quo vulneramus cor Dei ; Ambros . ser . 86. with it euen God himselfe is wounded , as the Spouse in the Canticles cryes , Charitate vulneror .

It is a thing so strong and potent , that it preuailes with ( though not against ) the Almighty . Oratio hominis res est omnipotentissima ( t is Luthers Luther . deuout Hyperbole . ) This wrestles with God , Gen. 32.2.24 . as Iacob with the Angell , and will not part without a blessing won from Him . Therefore Saint Hierome saith , Hieron . Epist. Deus ipse qui nullis contra se viribus superari potest , Publicani precibus vincitur : God that cannot by any forces leauied , be ouercome , yet confesses himselfe vanquished by the Publicans prayers .

't is the Rudder which keepes our soules steady , in aquis multis , when crosse winds , and the billowes of persecution beat vpon vs.

't is the Compasse by which wee saile , when all is clouded , no Starre of comfort shining out vnto vs , this holds vs in the right course till we againe discouer mercy . Out of the Deepe haue I called vnto thee and thou heardest me . Psal . 130.1 .

Lastly , 't is our Key which opens the gates of Heauen , be they lockt neuer so fast : Oratio iusti clauis Coeli . Aug. Ser . 226. de tempore . With this Key did Elias open the windowes of Heauen shut vp for some yeeres in drought ; and with this doe we let downe the former and the latter raine on vs. 1 King . 18.45 .

But a Key you know hath many wards , and requires Art to make it , which Art we can no where else learne , but from Him who hath Potestatem clauium , the Keyes of Dauid , to shut and open at his pleasure . Here then let vs borrow our skill , and fashion our Prayers in his Mould , by that excellent patterne here in his Gospell left vnto vs ,

Pray thus . Pray thus .

Out of the forme and fashion of which Prayer I obserue two things . First , Patterne . it was a set forme of Prayer , not made vpon the sudden , but composed with premeditation . Secondly , it was Short and compendious . Both which circumstances are here commended to our imitation and vse ;

Pray thus .

First , it was a set forme . A set forme . The Art of Prayer is not a lesson obuious to all , but full of difficulty : Rom. 8. Saint Paul tels vs , Yee pray not as ye ought , and the Disciples confest their vnskilfulnesse in this act , when they desired their Master to tell them how to pray , as Iohn taught his Disciples . To answer which request of theirs , he dictates vnto them this manner of praying . Prescription is a good warrant , and therefore hee prayes best that prayes by Precedent . Yet it is a disease raigning in many now a daies to affect sudden conceptions of Religion better than mature births : I doe not know what should induce them , vnlesse out of a iealousie lest any should finde out a Newer or Narrower path to Heauen than themselues , they thus forsake the Churches beaten road . For my part , I must needs suspect that these sudden vnsetled fits of praying , that take men like quames , cannot but argue some kinde of crazinesse and distemper , if not in point of Religion , at least in Opinion and Ceremony .

Sure I am God likes not raw Sacrifices no more than rash vowes . Eccles . 5.2 . Bee not rash with thy mouth , and let not thy heart bee hasty to vtter any thing before God . Ecclus . 18.22 . Before thou prayest prepare thy selfe . And Dauid refused to offer vnto God a gift which cost him nothing . 2 Sam . 24.24 . Why then any should presume to tender him a raw vnseasoned meditation that cost no paines nor study in the shaping of it , but , like an Abortiue , is conceiued and borne at the same instant , I cannot see .

Our blessed Sauiour , it should seeme , chose rather to be at a certainty with vs for his seruice , than either to put vs vpon sudden shifts , or stand to the curtesie of any voluntary Motions , or Reuelations , or Enthusiasms of ours for his allowance . To which end he prescribed a constant Method of Prayer , Pray thus . In honour & imitation whereof , our Church hath also fixt and rested vpon a setled course for her Liturgy in the Booke of Common Prayer .

In contempt of both which , howeuer some giddy separated men preferre their owne phantasies , not onely reiecting our Common Prayer , but euen Christs Prayer also ; leauing it out , as a thing not worthy to ioyne with their inuentions , either priuately in their meetings , or publikely in the Pulpit at the end of their Prayers ( a contempt you know contrary to the Canon or good manners ) yet , for all this , I hope there are none here sowred with that Leauen , or that need to bee perswaded whether a stolne and ignorant Conuenticle should sway more in this point , then a learned and reuerend Conuocation .

Hugo Cardin . in Mat . 6. Dimitte , &c. Hugo Cardinal . depriues , in his iudgement , such factious men as these , of either vnderstanding or reference to Christ , Stulti quia non sic orant vt docuit Christus , nec sunt Christi . Carranza . Concil . Tolet . 3. Can . 9. Alphons . à Castro . But the Councill of Toledo depriues those Spanish Priests of their function , who held this Prayer was not to bee vsed daily , but only vpon the Sunday .