A. It is to believe that we receive the promised blessings we -ask, because he has said, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them," Matt. xi. 24. Q. 45. What is it to pray with sincerity and fervency? A. It is to have the heart and affections earnestly intent upon what we are praying for, Psal. xvii. 1. "O Lord, attend unto my cry; give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips." Q. 46. What is that love to God, which should be exercised in prayer? A. It is an ardent desire of his presence, Psal. xxvii. 9. and an unfeigned delight in him, as the most amiable and soul-satisfying object, Psal. Ixxiii. 25. Q. 47. What is it to pray with perseverance, Eph. vi. 18? A. It is to continue instant in prayer, as the word is rendered, Rom. xii. 12; or, to bear up against all discouragements, and not to give over, though we have not a speedy answer or return, Matt. xv. 22-29? Q. 48. Is there any difference betwixt praying with perseverance and "praying always, or without ceasing," 1 Thess. v. 17? A. The difference may lie in this, that to pray with perseverance, is not to weary of the duty, or desist from it, tho' we do not immediately obtain what we are praying for; but to pray always, or without ceasing, is to study to maintain a praying frame, Psal. lxxiii. 23. and not to neglect the seasons of prayer, as they recur upon us, Psal. Ixi. 2. Q. 49. What are the several kinds of prayer pointed at in scripture? A. They are commonly ranked under these three, namely, secret, private, and public prayer. Q. 50. What is SECRET prayer? Q. 53. What is ejaculatory prayer? A. It is a secret and sudden lifting up of the soul's desires to God, upon any emergency that may occur in providence. Q. 54. How may this kind of prayer be gone about? A. Either by a simple thought darted up to heaven, as it would seem Nehemiah did, chap. ii. 4; or by words uttered in the mind, yet so as the voice cannot be heard, as we read that Hannah did, 1 Sam. i. 13. Q. 55. What success have these ejaculatory breathings of the soul met with? A. They have met with very quick and happy returns, as in the instance of Moses, who, in the midst of the people's murmuring at the Red Sea, despatched his desires to heaven, in some short ejaculation, to which the Lord gave a present return, Exod. xiv. 15."Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward,” And the sons of Reuben, &c. when fighting with the Hagarites, 1 Chron. v. 20.-"They cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them." Q. 56. What is the usefulness of ejaculatory prayer? special care, that their prayers be regulated exactly by the revealed will of God; in which case all present will be encouraged to join in every part of the duty. Q. 63. What is requisite for joining in prayer in a right manner? A. It tends to maintain fellow- A. It is highly requisite, in orship with God, without any inter- der hereunto, that there be close ruption of our lawful callings, Psal. attention without wandering, Acts lxxiii. 23: It is also a mean to ii. 42. "And they continued steadrepel sudden temptations, 2 Cor. fastly in-prayers;" that there be xii. 8, 9; and to dispose the heart a lively faith without doubting, for a more solemn performance of James i. 6; and a series of ejacuthe stated duties of prayer and lation concurring with the words praise in the season of them, Psal. of God that may be spoken, 1 xlii. verses 6th and 8th compared. Chron. xvi. 30. Q. 57. What is PRIVATE prayer? Q. 64. What is the SECOND PART A. It is prayer among a few of prayer mentioned in the anChristians, met together for join-swer? ing in that solemn exercise, Rom. xvi. 5. Q. 58. How is it commonly distinguished? er. A. Into family, and social pray Q. 59. What is social prayer? A. It is to pray in a fellowship society of Christians, out of several families, intermixed with spiritual conference upon soul-edifying subjects; and that at such times as they mutually agree among themselves, Mal. iii. 16. A. It is [confession of our sins]. Q. 65. Why is confession of sin mentioned as a part of prayer? A. Because, being sinners, we cannot pray in faith for any promised mercy, without acknowledging our unworthiness of it; or that it is infinitely above our desert, Dan. ix. 18. Q. 66. What then doth the confession of sin necessarily suppose? A. It supposes guilt, and deserved punishment on account of it, Ezra ix. 13. Q. 67. Why is confession of sin necessary in prayer? Q. 60. What is PUBLIC prayer? A. It is the solemn worshipping of God by the church, in her public A. Because we cannot be corassemblies, wherein a pastor, or dial and hearty in asking forgiveone authorised to preach the gos-ness of our sins, unless we are pel, is always the mouth of the people to God, Acts xx. 36. Q. 61. What is it to JOIN in private or public prayer, where one is the mouth of the rest? A. It is to offer up the desires that come from the mouth of the speaker, (for things agreeable to God's will,) as if uttered by ourselves. Q. 62. What is incumbent on those who are the mouth of others in prayer to God? some way affected by a sense of them, Psal. xxv. 11. Q. 68. For what end should we confess our sins in prayer? A. That God may be justified, and have the glory of his judgments, as being all of them just and righteous, Psal. li. 4; and that we may be humbled, and disposed to receive undeserved favours with gratitude, Psal. xxxii. 5. Q. 69. In what manner should A. They are called, to take very we confess our sins? * About family prayer, see on the head, Of Sanctifying the Sabbath. A. With grief and hatred of ous; nevertheless" it is ground of them, Luke xviii. 13; and with thankfulness, if "afterward it full purpose (in the strength of yieldeth the peaceable fruit of grace) to forsake them, Job xxxiv. righteousness," and "be for our profit, and that we may be partakers of his holiness," Heb. xii. 10, 11. 32. Q. 70. What is the THIRD PART of prayer mentioned in the answer? A. It is a [thankful acknowledg Q. 79. Why ought prayer to be ment of his mercies]. joined with a thankful acknow. ledgment of God's mercies? Q. 71. Are prayer and thanksgiving joined together in scripture? A. Yes: Psal. cxvi. 17. "I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord." Q. 72. What is the subjectmatter of thankfulness? A. It is [mercies], or benefits, whether offered or received. Q. 73. Why are the blessings we want called mercies? A. Because having made ourselves miserable by sin, we are most unworthy and undeserving of them, Gen. xxxii. 10. Q. 74. Why called [His] mercies? A. Because God himself is the author of them, and they are his free gift unto us, 1 Tim. vi. 17. Q. 75. What mercies ought we to be thankful for? A. Both for temporal and spiritual; common and special mercies, Psal. cxlv. 9. Q. 76. What is the best evidence of thankfulness to God for his mercies of any kind? A. It is to be thankful for Christ, his unspeakable gift, 2 Cor. ix. 15. Q. 77. When ought we to make thankful acknowledgment to God for his mercies? A. That the mercies we receive may be blessed to us in the use of them; and that we may not, by our ingratitude, provoke God to deny us the mercies we may ask for the future, Isa. i. 15. Q. 80. How may we know if our prayers are accepted and heard? A. If we have been helped to enlargement and importunity in、 prayer, and yet have attained to a holy submission to the will of God, as to the particular we were asking, it is a good evidence that he has heard the voice of our supplication, 2 Chron. xx. 12, 17. Q. 81. How may we know whether mercies come to us in the course of common providence, or as an answer of prayer? A. This may be known both from the manner, and from the time, in which mercies are received. Q. 82. How may it appear from the manner in which mercies are received, that they are in answer to our prayers? A. It may be known by these two signs, namely, if the mercy is granted speedily and unexpectedly, Isa. lxv. 24; and other mercies are conferred together with, and over and above that which we desired, 1 Kings iii. 12, 13. Q. 83. How may it be known from the time in which mercies are received, that they are given in return of prayer? A. At all times, and on all occasions; there being no condition of life, but what has some mixture of mercy in it, Job xi. 6. Psal. ci. 1. Q. 78. Is there ground of thank- A. If they are granted at the fulness under afflictions or chas-time when we need them most, or tisements? at the time when we are most earA. "Though no chastening for nest and importunate about them; the present be joyous, but griev-as Peter's deliverance from prison was on the very night, which Herod had determined should be his last; and likewise when the church was assembled to wrestle in prayer for him, Acts xii. 6, 7, 12. Q. 84. Why doth the Lord de lay mercies, which he designs afterward to confer? A. He delays granting them, that we may be the more thankful for them when they come: and in the mean time to make us more assiduous and ardent supplicants for them, 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. QUEST. 99. What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer? ANSW. The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction, is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called, The Lord's Prayer. Q. 1. Why do we need [direc- | to pray, that the Lord would keep tion] in prayer? A. Because man is naturally a stranger, both to God and himself, being ignorant both of the glorious perfections of God, Rom. iii. 11; and of his own sins and wants, Rev, iii. 17. his church and people, in the day wherein we live, from running into the same snares, and thereby exposing themselves to the same judgments, 1 Cor. x. 11. Q. 5. Of what use in prayer are the doctrines of the word in gene Q. 2. From whence are we to ral? take direction in prayer? A. From [the whole word of God] which is [of use to direct us] therein. Q. 3. Is every part of the word of equal use for our direction in prayer? A. Though "all things in the scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all;" yet there is no part of the word from whence an intelligent person, in a due use of the ordinary means, may not gather something that may be proper matter either for petition, confession, or thanksgiving in prayer, 1 John v. 14. Q. 4. Of what use in prayer, are the sins which we read in scripture, that other churches before us have been guilty of, and the judgments which have been inflicted for the same? A. They are of use to instruct us in the principles of religion, or chain of divine truth; without some knowledge whereof, it is impossible to pray to the edification, either of ourselves or others, Rom. x. 14. Q. 6. Of what use is the doctrine of the blessed Trinity, in particular, for our direction in prayer? A. It is of singular use, to point out the method in which we are to hope for the blessings we pray for, namely, from the Father,. through Christ, by the Spirit, according to Eph. ii. 18. "Through him (that is, through Christ) we have an access by one Spirit unto the Father." Q. 7. Of what use are the offices of Christ, for our direction in prayer? A. They are of use to direct us to pray, that, of God he may be made unto us wisdom, as a pro* Confession, chap. i. sect. 7. A. They are of use to direct us phet; righteousness, as a priest; sanctification, as a king; and com: plete redemption, as being all the three in one person, 1 Cor. i. 30. Q. 8. Of what use are the promises for this end? A. They contain the very matter of prayer; and the pleading of them by faith, is also the right manner in which the duty should be performed, James i. 6. his desires with such words, as are most adapted to his present circumstances. Q. 15. Why then is the Lord's prayer called, in the answer, [THAT FORM of prayer which Christ taught his disciples]? A. Because the words of this prayer, "may be used as a prayer" to God, equally with other scriptures, "so that it be done Q. 9. What is [the special rule of with understanding, faith, reverdirection] for the duty of prayer? ence, and other graces necessary A. It is [that form of prayer which to the right performance of the Christ taught his disciples, common-duty of prayer." ly called, THE LORD'S PRAYER]. Q. 16. How doth it appear, that Q. 10. Why is this called [the this prayer is not designed for a special rule] of direction? form to the precise words whereof Christ's disciples and followers are to be tied strictly down, in all after ages? A. Because there is not any one portion of scripture, where the petitory part of prayer, is so comprehensively, and methodically laid down, as in the Lord's prayer. Q. 11. Could Christ use this prayer for himself? A. No; he could not put up the fifth petition, "Forgive us our debts," because he had no sins of his own to forgive, being "separate from sinners," Heb. vii. 26. Q. 12. Why then is it [commonly called, the LORD'S PRAYER]? A. Because it was dictated by him to his disciples, in answer to their request, Luke xi. 1.—"Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." Q. 13. Whether did Christ prescribe this prayer as a form, or as a pattern? A. He prescribed it as a pattern, for direction in the duty of prayer, Matt. vi. 9. After this MANNER pray ye." A. This plainly appears, from its not containing expressly, all the parts of prayer; and from its not being related by Matthew and Luke in the same manner. Q. 17. What are those parts of prayer which are not expressly contained in the Lord's prayer? A. They are the confession of our sins, and the thankful acknowledgment of God's mercies: neither of which are in express terms, but by consequence only, contained in the said prayer. Q. 18. From what part of this prayer may confession of sins be deduced? A. From the fifth petition; for when we pray, "Forgive us our debts," we, by consequence, confess that we have debts to be forgiven. Q. 19. How is a thankful acQ. 14. What is the difference knowledgment of mercies includbetween a form and a pattern of ed in the Lord's prayer? prayer? A. When we pray, "Hallowed A. A form of prayer is a certain be thy name," we, of consequence, mode of expression, which must make a thankful acknowledgment be used without the least varia- of all these known instances, tion; whereas a pattern is only a wherein God's name has been glodirectory as to the matter, leaving rified: and when we pray, "Give to the suppliant himself to clothe us this day our daily bread, we, *Larger Cat. Quest. 187. |