Of Prayer--a Perpetual Exercise Of Faith

1 Of Prayer 2 Chapter 1 FROM the previous part of the work we clearly see how completely destitute man is 3 Chapter 2 To prayer, then, are we indebted for penetrating to those riches which are treasured up 4 Chapter 3 But some one will say, Does he not know without a monitor both what our 5 Chapter 4 Let the first rule of right prayer then be 6 Chapter 5 Both things are specially worthy of notice. 7 Chapter 6 Another rule of prayer is, that in asking we must always truly feel our wants 8 Chapter 7 If it is objected, that the necessity which urges us to pray is not always 9 Chapter 8 The third rule to be added is: that he who comes into the presence of 10 Chapter 9 In fine, supplication for pardon, with humble and ingenuous confession of guilt 11 Chapter 10 Sometimes, however, the saints in supplicating God, seem to appeal to their own righteousness 12 Chapter 11 The fourth rule of prayer is, that notwithstanding of our being thus abased and truly 13 Chapter 12 This necessity our opponents do not at all consider. 14 Chapter 13 And first, indeed in enjoining us to pray, he by the very injunction convicts us 15 Chapter 14 It is strange that these delightful promises affect us coldly 16 Chapter 15 Here, by way of objection, several questions are raised. 17 Chapter 16 It is also of importance to observe, that the four laws of prayer of which 18 Chapter 17 But since no man is worthy to come forward in his own name 19 Chapter 18 And we must carefully attend to the circumstance of time. 20 Chapter 19 Moreover since he himself is the only way and the only access by which we 21 Chapter 20 Moreover, the Sophists are guilty of the merest trifling when they allege that Christ is 22 Chapter 21 In regard to the saints who having died in the body live in Christ 23 Chapter 22 But here stupidity has proceeded to such a length as to give a manifestation of 24 Chapter 23 In endeavouring to prove that such intercession derives some support from Scripture they labour in 25 Chapter 24 They again object, Are those, then, to be deprived of every pious wish 26 Chapter 25 The other passages of Scripture which they employ to defend their error are miserably wrested. 27 Chapter 26 But some seem to be moved by the fact 28 Chapter 27 On the whole, since Scripture places the principal part of worship in the invocation of 29 Chapter 28 But though prayer is properly confined to vows and supplications 30 Chapter 29 This assiduity in prayer, though it specially refers to the peculiar private prayers of individuals 31 Chapter 30 As God in his word enjoins common prayer, so public temples are the places destined 32 Chapter 31 Hence it is perfectly clear that neither words nor singing if used in prayer are 33 Chapter 32 It is certain that the use of singing in churches which I may mention in 34 Chapter 33 It is also plain that the public prayers are not to be couched in Greek 35 Chapter 34 We must now attend not only to a surer method 36 Chapter 35 This form or rule of prayer is composed of six petitions. 37 Chapter 36 The first thing suggested at the very outset is 38 Chapter 37 Nor let us allege that we are justly rendered timid by a consciousness of sin 39 Chapter 38 The instruction given us, however, is not that every individual in particular is to call 40 Chapter 39 This, however, does not prevent us from praying specially for ourselves 41 Chapter 40 The next words are, WHICH ART IN HEAVEN. 42 Chapter 41 The first petition is, HALLOWED BE THY NAME. 43 Chapter 42 The second petition is, THY KINGDOM COME. 44 Chapter 43 The third petition is, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. 45 Chapter 44 Now comes the second part of the prayer, in which we descend to our own 46 Chapter 45 The next petition is, FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS. 47 Chapter 46 The sixth petition corresponds as we have observed to the promise of writing the law 48 Chapter 47 These three petitions, in which we specially commend ourselves and all that we have to 49 Chapter 48 All things that we ought, indeed all that we are able 50 Chapter 49 By this, however, we would not have it understood that we are so restricted to 51 Chapter 50 But although it has been said above sec. 52 Chapter 51 If, with minds thus framed to obedience, we allow ourselves to be governed by the 53 Chapter 52 But if our sense is not able till after long expectation to perceive what the