1That those Prayers are successful and are sure to speed which are poured out to God as a Father. It's this Title, this relation that giveth life and efficacy to our prayers, Dulce nomen Patris, said he, it works much both in the Father to move his bowels and in the Son to enlarge his affections and hopes; Although that Faith whereby Christ called God Father was not like that in us which we call justifying, in respect of that act, for Christ did not need justification for himself, because there was no sin found in him, yet as faith in the general betokens a fiducial dependence on God, and application of his favour, so Christ did with faith call God Father: Thus at other times we see Christ in his prayers using this compellation as the ground of his being heard, and having all his requests granted him, Luke 23.34▪46. Joh. 11.41. Joh. 12.27, 28. And that we may not think this Prerogative belongs only to him, our Saviour in that Directory of prayer which he hath left, teacheth us to come unto him as unto a Father, and this is the faith we must pray in, else we are sure to be sent away empty. Hence Christ Mat. 6. and Mat. 7, 11. layeth all the ground of confidence and hope to speed on this, because he is our Father, an heavenly Father, far above all earthly Fathers; Nemo tam Pater, as one in another case; I need not tell you that God is a Father, either by Creation, in which sense Paul alloweth that of the Poet, We are his Offspring; for this it makes not any thing to confidence in Prayer, for so the devils and wicked men had their being from God; But 2. He is a Father by grace, by adoption, and reconciliation through Christ; This is the relation that sweetens all, This is that which makes us confident he cannot or will not deny any thing that is good to us; When the Prodigal Son came with this Title in his mouth, Father, 2I have sinned, the bowels of the Father immediately moved, and he runneth to meet him, Luk. 15.18.
1That those Praiers are successefull and are sure to speed which are poured out to God as a Father. It's this Title, this relation that giveth life and efficacy to our praiers, Dulce nomen Patris, said he, it works much both in the Father to move his bowels and in the Sonne to enlarge his affections and hopes; Although that Faith whereby Christ called God Father was not like that in us which we call justifying, in respect of that act, for Christ did not need justification for himself, because there was no sin found in him, yet as faith in the generall betokens a fiduciall dependance on God, and application of his favour, so Christ did with faith call God Father: Thus at other times we see Christ in his praiers using this compellation as the ground of his being heard, and having all his requests granted him, Luke 23.34▪46. Joh. 11.41. Joh. 12.27, 28. And that we may not think this Prerogative belongs only to him, our Saviour in that Directory of praier which he hath left, teacheth us to come unto him as unto a Father, and this is the faith we must pray in, else we are sure to be sent away empty. Hence Christ Mat. 6. and Mat. 7, 11. laieth all the ground of confidence and hope to speed on this, because he is our Father, an heavenly Father, farre above all earthly Fathers; Nemo tam Pater, as one in another case; I need not tell you that God is a Father, either by Creation, in which sence Paul alloweth that of the Poet, We are his Offspring; for this it makes not any thing to confidence in Praier, for so the devils and wicked men had their being from God; But 2. He is a Father by grace, by adoption, and reconciliation through Christ; This is the relation that sweetens all, This is that which makes us confident he cannot or will not deny any thing that is good to us; When the Prodigal Sonne came with this Title in his mouth, Father, 2I have sinned, the bowels of the Father immediatly moved, and he runneth to meet him, Luk. 15.18.
- 1Doct. Those prayers successful that are put up to God as a Father.Doct. Those praiers successefull that are put up to God as a Father.
- 2To open this Consider,
