AN INTRODUCTION TO PRAYER.*

ORASMUCH as of ourselves we are destitute of all good things, and utterly void of all necessary helps to salvation; therefore the Lord our God of his own free mercy and goodness offereth himself to us in Christ, and in him he giveth unto us, in the stead of our misery, all felicity; in the stead of our poverty, the unspeakable riches of his grace: he openeth unto us in him the treasures of heaven, to the end that our faith might wholly behold him, and our hope be fully fixed upon him; in whom it hath pleased him that the fulness of his grace should dwell, that from thence we might all draw, as out of a most plentiful fountain, the waters of eternal life. This secret and great mystery is revealed to

Bull's Christian Prayers and Meditations republished by the Parker Society.

such only, whose eyes the Lord hath opened to see light in his light. Therefore since we are taught by faith, that whatsoever we have need of and is wanting in us, the same is laid up with God for us in Christ; it remaineth that we seek in him, and with prayer crave of him, that which we have learned to be in him. Therefore the apostle,* to shew that true faith cannot be separate from the invocation of God, hath set this order, that as faith cometh by the gospel, so by the same faith our hearts are stirred up to call upon the name of God: and therefore he saith that the Spirit of adoption, which sealeth in our hearts the witness of the gospel, raiseth up our spirits that they dare with boldness shew forth their desires; stirreth up in us unspeakable groanings, and causeth us to cry with confidence, Abba, Father. By the benefit of Prayer, therefore, this we get, that we attain to those riches which God hath laid up in store for us; for thereby we have familiar access to God, and boldly entering into the sanctuary of heaven, we put him in mind of his promises. So that now by experience

• Rom. x.

we feel and find that to be true in deed, which by the word we did before but only believe; now we enjoy those treasures by Prayer, which by faith we did but behold, shewed unto us by the gospel of our Lord Jesus. How necessary and profitable this exercise of Prayer is, it appeareth in that the Lord himself witnesseth our whole salvation to consist in the calling upon his name, whereby he is wholly present with us, namely, by his providence and fatherly care, by the which he watcheth over us; by his power, by the which he sustaineth and succoureth us, being weak and every moment ready to perish; and by his goodness and mercy, by the which he receiveth us into favour, being miserably laden and pressed down with sin. Hereby groweth singular rest and quietness to our conscience. For when we have once disclosed to him our necessity and misery, we find most joyful and perfect quietness even in this, that none of our evils are hidden from him, whom we are persuaded to be both most willing and also most able to help us.

Now, that our Prayer may be made in such wise as it ought to be; first, we must see that we be in heart and mind no other

wise framed than becometh those that enter into talk with God, as we are taught, Ecclus. xviii. "Before thou pray, prepare thyself; and be not as one that tempteth God." We must consider, therefore, when we pray, in whose presence we stand, to whom we speak, and what we desire. We stand in the presence of the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, and all things therein contained; to whose eternal majesty innumerable thousands of angels do assist, serve, and obey. We speak unto him who knoweth the secrets of our hearts, before whom nothing is more odious than hypocrisy and dissimulation. We ask those things which be most to his glory and the comfort of our consciences. We must therefore diligently, and with all reverence and godly fear, endeavour ourselves to remove all such things as may offend his divine Majesty, to the uttermost of our power. And first, that we be free from all worldly cares and fleshly cogitations, whereby our minds are carried hither and thither, and being drawn out of heaven and from the pure beholding of God, are pressed down to the earth. We must have our heart not only wholly bent unto prayer, but as much

as is possible, lifted up above itself, even to that purity that is worthy for God. Wherefore, lifting up our minds unto God, we must have a regard that our mouth, spirit, and heart, be elevated together mindfully in faith for God is a spirit, and will be worshipped in spirit and truth, that is, in the godly affections of the heart, and with a true, faithful, and unfeigned worship. And therefore, as at all other times he requireth the heart, so specially in the time of prayer, when we shew ourselves in his presence, and enter into communication with him and thereupon, when he promiseth to hear all those that call upon him, he maketh a restraint, and saith, that call upon him in truth. Seeing therefore* the chief duty of prayer consisteth in the heart, we must with our whole heart pour out our prayers unto God, the searcher of hearts, and with a sincere, unfeigned, and ardent affection and opening of our heart before God (for that is true prayer), call upon him, or else we shall not find him.

And here let us call to mind how unreverently we abuse the great goodness of

What is true Prayer.