requests d, pardon the fins e, and fulfil the defires of all fi and only to be believed in g, and worshipped with religious worship b; prayer, which is a fpecial part thereof i, is to be made by all to him alone k, and to none other I.

Q. 180. What is it to pray in the name of Chrift?

A. To pray in the name of Chrift, is, in obedience to his command, and in confidence on his promises, to afk mercy for his fake m; not by bare mentioning of his name n; but by drawing our encouragement to pray, and our boldness, strength, and hope of acceptance in prayer, from Chrift and his mediation o.

of all the children of men. Acts i. 24. And they prayed, and faid, Thou Lord, which knoweft the hearts of all men, fhew whether of these two thou haft chofen, Rom. viii. 27. And he that fearcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh interceffion for the faints according to the will of God,

d Pfal. Ixv. 2. O thou that heareft prayer, unto thee fhall all flesh come. e Mic. vii. 18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and paffeth by the trangreffion of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

f Pfal. cxlv. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. v. 19. He will fulfil the defire of them that fear him: he will also hear their cry, and will fave them.

g Rom x. 14. How then fhall they call on him in whom they have not believed?--

b Matth. iv. 10. Then faith Je fus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan for it is written, Thou fhalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou serve.

1 Cor. i. 2. Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are fanctified in Chrift Jefus, cal

180. m John xiv. 13. And what foever ye fhall afk in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. v, 14. If ye fhall afk any thing in my name, I will do it John xvi. 24. Hither to have ye afked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. Dan. ix. 17, Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy fervant, and his fupplications, and caufe thy face to fhine upon they fanctuary that is defolate, for the Lord's fake.

n Matth. vii. 21. Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the kingdom of hea ven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

o Heb. iv. 14. Seeing then that we have a great High Prieft, that is paffed into the heavens, Jefus the Son of God, let us hold faft our profeffion. v. 15. For we have not an High Prieft, which cannot be touch

Q. 181. Why are we to pray in the name of Chrift? A. The finfulness of man, and his distance from God by reason thereof, being so great, as that we can have no access into his prefence without a mediator p; and there being none in heaven or earth appointed to, or fit for, that glorious work but Christ alone q; we are to pray in no other name but his only r.

182. How doth the Spirit help us to pray?

A. We not knowing what to pray for as we ought, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, by enabling us to underftand both for whom, and what, and how prayer is to be made; and by working and quickening in our hearts (although not in all perfons, nor at all times in the fame measure) thofe apprehenfions, affections, and graces, which

ed with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without fin. v. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 1 John v. 13. Thefe things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. v. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. v. 15. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we defred of him.

181. John xiv. 6. Jefus faith unto him, I am the way, and the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If. lix. 2. But your iniquities have feparated between you and your God, and your fins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Eph. i. 12. In whom we have boldness and accefs with confidence by the faith of him.

are

q John vi. 27. Labour not for the meat which perifheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man fhall give unto you: for him hath God the Father fealed. Heb. vii. 25. Wherefore he is able alfo to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them. v. 26. For fuch an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmlefs, undefiled, feparate from fin ners, and made higher than the heavens; v. 27. Who needeth not daily, as thofe high priests, to offer up facrifice, firft for his own fins, and then for the peoples: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 1 Tim. ii. 5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Chrift Jefus.

I

r Col. iii. 17. And whatfoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Heb. xiii, 15. By him therefore let us offer the facrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his

name.

Rom

are requifite for the right performance of that duty Q183. For whom are we to pray?

A. We are to pray for the whole church of Christ upon earth; for magiftrates v, and minifters w; for ourfelves x, aur brethren y, yea, our enemies z; and for all forts of men living a, or that fhall live hereafterb; but not for the dead,

182. Rom. viii. 26. Likewife the Spirit alfo helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we fhould, pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. v. 27. And he that fear cheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he make eth interceffion for the faints according to the will of God. Pfal. x. 17. Lord, thou haft heard the defire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt caufe thine ear to hear. Zech. xii. 10. And I will pour upon the houfe of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerufalem, the fpirit of grace and of fupplication, and they fhall look upon me whom the have pierced,' and they fhall mourn.

183. Eph. vi. 18. Praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance and fupplication for all faints. Pfal. xxviii. 9. Save thy people and blefs thine inheritance: feed them allo, and lift them up for ever.

v1 Tim. ii. I. I exhort therefore, that first of all,fupplications, prayers, interceffions and giving of thanks be made for all men: v. 2. For kings, and for all that are in autho, rity; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinefs and honefty.

Col. iv. 3. Withal, praying alfo for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to fpeak the mystery of Chrift, for which I alfo in bonds.

am

x Gen. xxxii. 11. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Efan: for I fear him, left he will come and fmite me, and the mother with the children.

y James v. 16. Confefs your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed: The effectual fervent prayer righteous man availeth much.

of a

z Matth. v. 44. But I fay unto you, Love your enemies, blefs them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which defpitefully ufe you, and per fecute you,

1

a t: Tim. ii. 1, 2. (See above inv.) b John xvii. 20. Neither pray! for thefe alone, but for them allo which fhall believe on me through their word. 2 Sam. vii. 29. There fore now let it please thee to bles the houfe of thy fervant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord God, haft spoken it, and with thy bleffing let the houfe of thy fervant be bleffed for

ever.

c 2 Sam. xii. 21. Then faid his fervants unto him, What thing is this that thou haft done? thou didit faft and weep for the child while it was alive, but when the child was dead, thou didst rife and eat bread. v. 22. And he faid, while the child was yet alive, I fafted and wept, for I faid, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? v. 23. But now he is dead, wherefore fhould I faft?

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dead, nor for thofe that are known to have finned the fin unto death d.

Q. 184. For what things are we to pray?

A. We are to pray for all things tending to the glory of God e, the welfare of the church f, our own g or others good b: but not for any thing that is unlawfuli.

Q. 185. How are we to pray?

A. We are to pray with an awful apprehenfion of the majefty of God k, and deep fense of our own unworthiness, neceffities m, and fins n; with penitent 0,

Z z

thankful p, and enlarged hearts q; with underftanding r, faith, fincerity t, fervency v, love w, and perfeverance, waiting upon him y with humble fubmiffion to his will z.

Q. 186. What 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 the duty of prayer a; but the fpecial rule of direction is that form of prayer which our Saviour Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord's prayer b.

Q. 187. How is the Lord's prayer to be used?

A. The Lord's prayer is not only for direction, as a pattern, according to which we are to make other prayers; but may also be used as a prayer, so that it be done

P Phil. iv. 6. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and fupplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

q 1 Sam. i. 15. And Hannah anfwered and faid, No, my lord, I am a woman of a forrowful fpirit: I have drunk neither wine nor ftrong drink, but have poured out my foul before the Lord. 1 Sam. ii. 1. And Hannah prayed, and faid, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies: becaufe I rejoice in thy falvation.

r1 Cor. xiv. 15. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding alfo.

Mark xi. 24. Therefore I fay unto you, What things foever ye defire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye fhall have them. James i. 6. But let him afk in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the fea, driven with the wind, and toffed.

t Pfal. cxlv. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Pfal. xvii. 1. Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give

with

ear unto my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips.

James v. 16.-The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

w 1 Tim. ii. 8. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

x Eph. vi. 18. Praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, and fupplicaon for all faints.

y Micah. vii. 7. Therefore I will look unto the Lord: I will wait for the God of my falvation: my God will hear me.

z Matth. xxvi. 39. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, faying, O my Father, if it be poffible, let this cup pafs from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.