A. No Prayer can be acceptable to God, except the Mat ter of it be agreeable to his Will, Jam. iv. 3. Ye ask and receive not, because ye afk amifs, that ye may confume it upon your Lufts. 1 Joh. v. 14, 15. And this is the Confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any Thing according to his Will, be heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we afk, we know that we have the Petitions that we desired of him. Q4. Is it enough to make Prayer acceptable, that the Matter is agreeable to God's Will?

A. No, it is not; for the Manner as well as the Matter, must be fo too, Pfal. lxvi. 18. If I regard Iniquity in my Heart, the Lord will not hear me.

Q. 5. What is the firft Qualification of an acceptable. Prayer, refpecting the Manner of it?

A. That it be fincere, and flowing from the Heart of a regenerate Perfon, Prov. xv. 29. The Lord is far from the wicked; but he beareth the Prayer of the righteous, Jer. xxix. 13. And ye shall feek me, and find me, when ye shall fearch for me with all your Heart.

Q. 6. What is the fecond Qualification of Prayer, respecting the Manner?

A. It must be performed in the Heart of a Child of God by the Spirit of Adoption, Gal. iv. 6. And because ye are Sons, God hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son in our Hearts: crying, Abba, Father, Rom. viii. 26. Likewife the Spirit also. helpeth our Infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh Interceffion for us. with Groanings, which cannot be uttered.

Q. 7. What is the third Qualification of an acceptable Prayer, refpecting the Manner?

A. It must be fervent and importunate, not cold and formal, Jam. v. 16.-The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous. Man availeth much, Matth. vii. 7. Ask, and it shall be given you; feek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto

you.

Q. 8. Wherein doth true Importunity with God in Prayer confift?

A. Not in the Multitude of Words, Matth. vi..7.. But when ye pray, ufe not vain Repetitions as the Heathen do: for. they think they fhall he heard for their much speaking. But in an holy Earnestnefs of Spirit to be heard, Pfal. cxliii. 7...

Hear

A

Hear me fpeedily, O Lord, my Spirit faileth; hide not thy Face from me, left I be like unto them that go down into the Pit. prudent Choice of prevalent Arguments, Job xxiii. 4. I would order my Caufe before him, and fill my Mouth with Arguments. And a refolute Perfiftance in our Requells till they be granted, Ifa. Ixii. 7. And give him no reft, till he establish, and till he make Jerufalem a Praife in the Earth.

Q9. Do not Prayers thus qualified fometimes mifcarry? A. God may delay and fufpend the Anfwer of them for a Time, Pfal. xxii. 2. O my God, I cry in the Day-time, but thou heareft not, &c. But fooner or later, God will always anfwer them, either in the very Thing we afk, 1 John v. 15. We know that we have the Petitions that we defired of him. Or in that which is equivalent or better, Gen. xvii. 18, 19. And Abraham Said unto God, O that Ifhmael might live before thee. And God faid, Sarah thy Wife shall bear thee a Son indeed, and thou shalt call bis Name Ifaac: and I will establish Covenant with him, for an everlasting Covenant, and with bis Seed after him.

my

Q10. Is there no Prayer but what is stated and fixed?

A. Yes, there is fudden and occafional Prayer, which we call ejaculatory: Such was Jacob's, Gen. xlix. 18. I háve waited for thy Salvation, O Lord. And this is exceeding ufeful to maintain conftant Communion with God, and keep the Heart in a fpiritual Frame.

Q.11. Is all ftated and fixed Prayer publick in the Congregation or Church?

A. No, ftated Prayer ought to be in our Families with thofe under our Charge; and in our Closets betwixt God and us alone, Joh. xxiv. 15.-But as for me and my Houfe, we will ferve the Lord. And Matth. vi. 6. But when thou prayeft, enter into thy Clofet, and when thou haft fput thy Door, pray to thy Father which is in Secret, and thy Father which feeth in Secret, fhall reward thee openly.

Q. 12. What infer you from hence?

A. The Restraint of Prayer is not only a great Sin, but an ill Sign of a graceless Heart, Job xv. 4. Yea, thou cafteft off Fear, and refraineft Prayer before God. And that which entails a Judgment and Curfe upon Men, and their Families, Jer. x. 25. Pour out thy Fury upon the Heathen that

know

know thee not; and upon the Families that call not upon thy Name.

Q 13. What is the fecond Inference from the Ordinance of Prayer?

A. That the true Reafon why we enjoy not the Mercies we pray for, is not because God is unwilling to grant Mercies, but because we either neglect Prayer, or miscarry in the Manner of Prayer, Jam. iv. 2, 3. Ye luft, and have not? ye kill and defire to have, and cannot obtain; ye fight and War, yet ye have not; because ye afk not. Ye afk and receive not, becaufe ye afk amifs, that ye may confume it upon your Lufts.

Quest. 99.

Of Direction in Prayer.

W

HAT Rule hath God given for our Direction in the Duty of Prayer !

A. The whole Word of God is of Ufe to direct us in Prayer; but the fpecial Rule of Direction is that Form of Prayer, which Chrift taught his Difciples, commonly called the Lord's Prayer.

Q. I. Do Men need Directions, Rules and Helps in Prayer?

A. They do greatly need them; for in and of our felves we know not what to pray for as we ought, Rom. viii. 26. Likewife the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities: for we know not what we shall pray for as we ought, &c. Nor how to pray in a right Manner, and for right Ends, and a Mistake in either fruftrates our Prayer, Jam. iv. 3. Ye afk and receive not, becaufe ye afk amifs, that ye may confume it upon your Lufts. Q. 2. When do Men mistake in the Matter of their Prayer?

A. They mistake in the Matter of Prayer, when they ask of God Things that are not lawful, good and agreeable to his Will. So the Disciples were ready to do in calling for Fire from Heaven on the Samaritans, Luke ix. 54, 55. And when bis Difciples, James and John faw this, they faid, Lord, wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven, and confume them, even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them, and said, ye know not what Manner of Spirit ye are of.

Q3. When do Men mistake in the Manner of Prayer?

A. They mistake in the Manner when they ask Mercies of God for carnal Ends, to fatisfy their Lufts, Jam. iv. iii. Ye ask and receive not, because ye afk amifs, that ye may confume st upon your Lafts. Or in a drowfy and carelefs Manner, Ifa. Ixiv. 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy Name, that firreth up himself to take hold of thee, &c.

Q4. What Helps hath God afforded us to furnish us to Prayer both in Refpect of the Matter and Manner?

A. The Scriptures abundantly furnish us with all sorts of Helps and Directions for the Matter of Prayer. It directs us both in Confeffion of Sins original and actual, Pfal. li. 4. 5. Behold I was shapen in Iniquity, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and done this evil in thy Sight, &c. Petition and Thanksgiving, Phil. iv. 6. Be careful for nothing, but in every Thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving, be made known unto God.

Q5. Doth it afford us any Help or Direction as to the Manner of Prayer also ?

A. Yes, it doth; and that both as to (1.) our Sincerity in Prayer, Heb. x. 22. Let us draw near with a true Heart in full Affurance of Faith, having our Hearts Sprinkled from an evil Confcience, and our Bodies washed with pure Water. (2.) As to our Humility in Prayer, Pfal. x. 17. Lord thou haft heard the Defire of the Humble, thou wilt prepare their Heart, thou wilt caufe thine Ear to hear. (3.) As to our Faith in Prayer, Jam. i. 6. But let him afk in Faith, nothing wavering, &c. (4.) As to our Fervency in Prayer, Jam. v. 16.-The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous Man availeth

much.

Q. 6. Are these external Rules and Directions fufficient in themselves to enable us to pray acceptably?

A. In Refpect of external Direction they are fufficient, and we need no other outward Rules, than what the Scriptures furnish, but befides that the internal Helps and Affiltances of the Spirit are neceffary to the offering up acceptable Prayer, Rom. viii. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our

Infirmities;

Infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh Interceffion for us, &c.

Q. 7. But doth the Scripture only furnith us with general Rules of Direction for Prayer?

A. No, it furnishes us alfo with an excellent Pattern and Example of Prayer, compofed by Chrift for our Direction, Matth. vi. ix. After this Manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.

Q. 8. Are Chriftians tied by a Neceffity to ufe that Form of Words, or was it only intended for a directory to them ?

A. That Form of Words may be lawfully ufed; but it's plain its Intention was to regulate our Petitions by it; and therefore they that ufe it in Spells and Charms, as the Papifts, or thofe that think nothing is Prayer, but that Form of Words, abuse Christ's Intention in it.

Q. 9. How doth it appear it was not Chrift's Intention, ftrictly to bind us to that very Form of Words in our Prayers?

A. Divines give us thefe Reasons against it; (1.) Becaufe this Prayer is fet down diverfly by the Evangelifts, Matth. vi. 11, 12. Thy kingdom come, thy will be dane in Earth as it in Heaven. And forgive us our Debts, as we forgive our Debtors. And Luke xi. 3, 4. Give us Day by Day our daily Bread, and forgive us our Sins; for we alfo forgive every one that is endebted to us and lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil. (2.) Chrift and his Apostles did not always ufe this Form of Words afterwards, as appears by his Prayer at Lazarus's grave, John 11. and that for his Apoftles, John xvii. (3.) Because these Words, Matth. vi. 9. After this Matter, &c. plainly shew its ufe was intended for a Directory to us.

Q. 10. What is the first Inference from hence?

A. Hence we learn the fulness and compleatnefs of the Scriptures, not only for the guiding and fettling of our Faith in Things that are to be believed, but also of our whole Practice in every Duty we are to perform.

Q. 11. What is the fecond Inference hence?

A. Hence we are informed how neceffary it is to acquaint our felves with the Mind of God, revealed in his Word,

that