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A Into family, and focial prayer?

2. 59. What is focial prayer?

A. It is to pray in a fellowship fociety of Chriftians, out of feveral families, intermixed with fpiritual conference upon foul-edifying fubjects; and that at fuch times, as they mutually agree among themfelves, Mal. iii. 16.

26c. What is PUBLIC prayer r?

A. It is the folemn worshipping of God by the church in his public affemblies, wherein a paftor, or one authorised to preach the gofpel, is always the mouth of the people to God, A&ts 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 defires that come from the mouth of the speaker, (for things agreeable to God's will), as if uttered by ourfelves.

62. What is incumbent on thofe who are the mouth of others in prayer to God?

A They are called to take very fpecial care, that their prayers be regulated exactly by the revealed will of God; in which cafe, all prefent will be encouraged to join in every part of the duty.

2. 63. What is requifite for joining in prayer in a right

manner?

A. It is highly requifite, in order hereunto, that there be close attention without wandering, A&ts it. 42. And they continued fieadfastly in prayers; that there be lively faith without doubting, James i. 6.; and a series of ejaculation concurring with the words of God that may be spoken, Chron. xvi. 30.

264 What is the SECOND PART of prayer mentioned in the answer?

A. It is [confeffion of our fins].

9. 65. Why is confeffion of fin mentioned as a part of prayer?

A. Because, being finners, we cannot pray in faith for any promised mercy, without acknowledging our unwor thiness of it; or that it is infinitely above our defert, Dan. ix. 18.

About family prayer, fee on the head of Sanctifying the Sabbath,

Q. 66. What then doth the confeffion of fin neceffarily fuppofe?

A. It fuppofes guilt, and deferved punishment on account cfit, Ezra. ix. 13,

267. Why is confeffion of fin neceffary in prayer?

A. Because we cannot be cordial and hearty in afking forgiveness of our fins, unless we are fome way affected by a fenfe of them, Pfal. xxv. 11,

Q. 68. For what end fhould we confefs our fins in prayer? A. That God may be juftified, and have the glory of his judgements, as being all of them juft and righteous, Pfal. li 4.; and that we may be humbled, and disposed to receive undeferved favours with gratitude, Pfal. xxxii 5.

Q. 69. In what manner should we confefs our fins?

A. With grief and hatred of them, Luke xviii. 13; and with full purpose (in the strength of grace) to forsake them, Job xxxiv. 32.

2. 70. What is the THIRD PART of prayer mentioned in the answer?

A. It is a [thankful acknowledgement of his mercies]. 2.71. Are prayer and thanksgiving joined together in Scripture?

A. Yes: Pfal. cxvi. 17. I will offer to thee the facrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

272. What is the fubject-matter of thankfulness ? A. It is [mercies], or benefits, whether offered or received.

273. Why are blefiings we want called mercies ?

A. Because having made ourselves miferable by fin, we are moft unworthy and undeferving of them, Ger.xxxii. 10 274. Why called [His] mercies ?

A. Becaufe God himself is the author of them, and they are his free gift unto us, 1 Tim. vi. 17.

2.75. What mercies ought we to be thankful for? A. Both for temporal and fpiritual; common and special mercies, Pfal. cxlv. 9.

2.76. What is the best evidence of thankfulness to God for his mercies of any kind?

A. It is to be thankful for Chrift his unspeakable gift, 2 Cor. ix. 15.

Q.77 When ought we to make thankful acknowledgement to God for his mercies?

4. At all times, and on all occafions; there being no

condition of life, but what has fome mixture of mercy in it, Job xj. 6. Pfal. ci. 1.

Q. 78. Is there ground of thankfulness under afflictions or chastisements ?

A. Though no chaftening for the prefent be joyous, but griev ous; nevertheless it is ground of thankfulnets, if afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteoufness, and be for our profit, and that we may be partakers of his holiness, Heb. xii.

IO, II.

279. Why pught prayer to be joined with a thankful acknowledgement of God's mercies?

4 That the mercies we receive may be bleffed to us in the ufe of them; and that we may not, by our ingratitude, provoke God to deny us the mercies we may afk for the future, Ifa. i. 15.

Q8. How may we know if our prayers are accepted and heard?

A. If we have been helped to enlargement and importu. nity in prayer, and yet have attained to a holy fubmiffion to the will of God, as to the particular we are afking, it is a good evidence that he has heard the voice of our fuppli cation, 2 Chron. xx. 12, 17

281. 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 anfwer to our prayers?

4. It may be known by thefe two figns, namely, if the mercy is granted fpeedily and unexpectedly, Ifa. lxv. 24: and other mercies are conferred together with, and over and above that which we defired, Kings iii. 12, 13.

2. 83. How may it be known from the time in which mercies are received, that they are given in return of pray

er?

A. If they are granted at the time when we need them moft, or at the time when we are moft earnest and importunate about them; as Peter's deliverance from prison was on the very night, which Herod had determined, should be his laft; and likewife when the church,was affembled to wrefle in prayer for him, Acts xii. 6, 7, 12.

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284 Why doth the Lord delay mercies, which he de figns 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 affiduous and ardent fupplicants for them, 2 Cor. xii, 8, 9.

99. QUEST What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?

ANSW. The whole word of God is of ufe to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction, is that form of prayer which Chrift taught his difciples, commonly called, The Lord's prayer.

2. 1. Why do we need [direction] in prayer?

A. Becaufe man is naturally a ftranger, both to God and himself being ignorant both of the glorious perfec tions of God, Rom.iii. 11.; and of his own fins and wants, Rev i. 17.

Q: 2 From whence are we to take direction in prayer? A. From [the whole word of God] which is [of use to dire us therein.

23. Is every part of the word of equal use for our di rection in prayer?

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A. Though all things in the fcripture are not alike "plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all *;" yet there is no part of the word from whence an intelligent perfon, in a due ufe of the ordinary means may not gather fomething that may be proper matter either for petition, confeffion, or thanksgiving in prayer, i John v. 14.

24 Of what ufe in prayer, are the fins which we read ia fcripture, that other churches before us have been guilty of, and the judgements which have been inflicted for the fame?

A. They are of ufe to direct us to pray, that the Lord would keep his church and people, in the day wherein we live, from running into the fame fnares, and thereby expofing themfelves to the fame judgements, 1 Cor, x. II.

? Confeffion, chap. i, fect. 7. ¦

25. Of what ufe in prayer are the doctrines of the word in general?

A. They are of use to instruct us in the principles of religion, or chain of divite truth; without fome knowledge whereof, it is impoffible to pray to, the edification, either of ourfelves or others, Rom. x. 14.

26. Of what ufe is the doctrine of the bleffed Trinity, in particular, for our direction in prayer?

A. It is of fingular ufe, to point out the method which we are to hope for the bleflings we pray for, namely, from the Father, through Chrift, by the Spirit, according to Eph. ii. 18. Through him (that is, through Chrift) we have an accefs by one Spirit unto the Father.

27. Of what ufe are the offices of Chrift, for our direction in prayer?

4. They are of use to direct us to pray, that of God he may be made unto us wisdom, as a prophet; righteousness, as a priest; fanctification, as a king; and complete redemption, as being all the three in one perfon, 1 Cor. i. 30.

Q. 8. Of what ufe are the promises for this end?

A. They contain the very matter of prayer; and the pleading of them, by faith, is alfo the right manner in which the duty fhould be performed, James i. 6.

29 What is [the fpecial rule of direction] for the duty of prayer;

A. It is that form of prayer which Chrift taught lis difciples, commonly called, THE LORD'S PRAYER],

2. 1c. Why is this called [the special rule] of direction? A. Because there is not any one portion of fcripture, where the petitory part of prayer, is fo comprehenfively, and methodically laid down, as in the Lord's prayer.

2. 11. Could Chrift ufe this prayer for himself?

A. No: he could not put up the fifth petition, Forgive us our debts; because he had no fins of his own to forgive,. being feparate from finners, Heb. vii. 26.

2.12. Why then is it [commonly called, the LORD'S PRAYEX]

A. Because it was dictated by him to his difciples, in anfwer to their requeft, Luke xi. 1.-Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his difciples.

Q3. Whether did Chrift prescribe this prayer as a form, or as a pattern?

A. He prefcribed it as a pattern, for direction in the duty of prayer, Mat. vi. 9. After this MANNER pray pe.

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