Gods mercy to vs for the foundation of God is sure and sealed with this seale Dominus novit qui sunt sui But we are admonished by the Apostle to make our calling and election sure not in the decree of God but in our owne perswasion And it cannot bee sure except we vse the meanes ordained to assure vs. But if wee haue truely discouered in our selues the body of sinne and haue opened into God in a contrite confession and haue bewailed them with teares of vnfeined contrition which S. Augustine calleth Sanguinē vulnerati cordis and haue asked God forgiuenesse and cried him mercy from them This is applicatio remedij that there is a ground for our saith to beleeue the pardon of them sealed to vs and not before God testified of Dauid that he was a man after his owne heart yet he sinned soulely and till he had made confession of his sinne and had deplored it penitentially he was not absolued from it Christ told Peter that Sathan desired to sift him but he had prayed that his faith should not faile him That did not make his threefold denyal of his Master no sinne he knew it and remembring himselfe he went forth from the place where hee had done the fault and wept bitterly The rule therefore is that All the promises of God and our faith in those promises haue reference to the holy vse of the meanes ordained by God for establishing our peace with him Therefore in the name of God goe the way that hee hath ordained for you to walke in follow the holy example of all the faithfull seruants of God who haue gone to Gilead for balme when they haue had any soarenes and haue humbly prostrated their diseases before the Physitian who came to comfort them that mourne and to binde vp the broken hearted and say Domine dimitte nobis debita nostra Another duty is to pray only to God for pardon of our sinnes When Christ said to the sick of the palsey Sonne bee of good cheare thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee The Scribes said within themselues This man blasphemeth Our Sauiour defendeth himselfe by lawfull authority The sonne of man hath power on earth to forgiue sinnes S. Marke is more expresse in this relation for these Scribes gaue a reason why they charged Christ with blasphemy saying Who can forgiue sinnes but God only They were in the right for that generall rule that none but God can forgiue sinnes but they mistooke Christ not knowing him to be God God laieth claime to this authority I euen I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And againe I haue blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sinnes returne vnto me for I haue redeemed thee Sing O ye heauens for the Lord hath done it So by the Prophet Ezechiel he saith I will sprinckle cleane water vpon you and yee shall bee cleane from all your filthinesse A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you Dauid stirreth vp himselfe to blesse the Lord for this Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiueth all thy iniquities Therefore our Sauiour sendeth his disciples to our father in heauen to forgiue them their sinnes Contrary to this doctrine is the precept of the Church of Rome which imposeth on the consciences of men a necessity of auricular confession of all mortall sinnes to the Priest for obteining pardon thereof For if only God must forgiue only to God must confession of sins be made The doctrine and practise of auricular confession in the Church howsoeuer pretended by the Councell of Trent to be the institution of Christ yet did it come in when partly humane policy partly superstition corrupted the Church in the doctrine and discipline thereof For in Saint Augustines time it was not heard of who protesteth against it as a thing vnreasonable and thus he disclaimeth it Quid mihi est cum hominibus vt audiant confessiones meas quasi ipsi sanaturi sint omnes languores meos Curiosum genus ad cognoscendam vitam alienam desidiosum ad corrigendam suam Quid a me quaerunt audire qui sim qui nolunt a te audire qui sint The power of forgiuing sinnes is onely in God but he hath left in his Church a ministeriall dispensation of that power by application to true penitents and they that presse it further inuade the rights of God Therefore to rectifie your iudgements in this point concerning men forgiuing of sinnes know that this belongeth to men two wayes 1 In Church discipline it belongeth to the Minister to absolue penitents for as God hath left in the Church the ministerie of exhortation of doctrine of conuiction and of reprehension so hath he left the ministerie of absolution to pronounce his pardon to them that truely repent them of their sinnes If you obiect that any priuate lay-man may assure him that truely repenteth that his sinnes are forgiuen from the certaine warrant of the word of God or a man may assure himselfe hereof by reading and meditation in holy Scriptures I answer that nothing is well done that hath not the warrant of a lawfull calling to authorize it for that is transgression of the ordinance of God The Apostle doth impose it on all sorts of men promiscuously to exhort and instruct one another but none may performe this duty publiquely but they who are called to it For how shall he preach except he be sent He that gaue his Apostles authoritie to goe into all nations to preach and baptize said also to them whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whosoeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained And though the Church of Rome doth reserue certaine cases of absolution onely to the Pope as in the right of Peter vnder colour of whose succession he vsurpeth yet the text is cleare that what Christ spake to Peter he spake to the rest and Saint Basil did so vnderstand him who saith Christus omnibus pastoribus doctoribus ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnes ex aequo soluunt et ligant And their owne Thomas of Aquine saith quilibet sacerdos quantum est ex virtute clauium habet potestatem indifferenter in omnes And the very phrase of Christ not saying to whomsoeuer you declare remission of sinnes they are remitted but whosoeuers sinnes ye remit shewing that Christ in our ministery doth this for nos legatione fungimur pro Iesu Christo euen as if Christ did beseech you by vs. Therefore as the waters of Damascus might bee as cleare and as sweet and as wholesome as the waters of Iordan yet not so effectuall to wash off the leprosie of Naaman because the word of the Lord sent Naaman to that Riuer So though any other man in respect of his knowledge and zeale and good
people in the wildernesse then was a tange of the curse of God for they were to goe forth to gather the Manna and Quailes and after they must dresse it for food and bread is not made without preparation of the earth for the seed semination of it in the ground expectation of the grouth of it and the reaping gathering into the barne dressing of it for the mill grinding of it for the ouen moulding and making it fit for food This bread I vnderstand here meant in this petition da nobis panem And though some of the ancient of fathers haue extended this name of bread to a comprehension of the Eucharisticall bread of which Christ saith I am the bread which came downe from heauen yet I dare not follow them I must confesse that I finde great Authors diuided in iudgement concerning this bread some only vnderstanding the spirituall bread of our soules susteining them to life euerlasting some only vnderstanding the ordinary necessaries of life The greatest shew that is made for this interpretation is that it is not likely in this absolute forme of prayer that Christ would comprehend any motion for things temporall for the body but at second hand and by way of implication or consequence seeing 1 Our Sauiour hath said Seeke yee first the kingdome of God c. et caetera adijcientur 2 The Apostle saith He that hath giuen vs his sonne how should he not together with him giue vs all things And so no need to looke after the necessities of the body but cast that care vpon God But I answere with S. Bernard· Ne mireris quod bona corporis adeo dixerim quaerenda quoniam eius sunt corporalia omnia sicut et spiritualia omnia dona ab eo ergo petendum et sperandum nobis est vnde possimus in eius seruitio sustentari We may as probably conceiue that Christ teaching mortall men to pray in corpore would not suppresse their necessarie desires for the body Others therefore of our ancients as Saint Cyprian and S. Augustine doe much for they doe better vnderstand both the bodily and the spirituall food yet Saint Cyprian doth make the spirituall food chiefest meant here There is an English popish Catechisme which goeth about in the darke published of purpose to corrupt the yong beginners in the very beginnings of their learning by one George Dowley a Priest he doth vnderstand this petition so as meant of the bread of Christs body and of our common bread but principally of the spirituall bread I meruaile that an ordinary Priest of that Church dare adde any thing to the doctrine of the counsell of Trent for in their Catechisme set forth by the authority of Pius 5. then Pope of Rome this petition is vnderstood and interpreted of the corporeall food And Maldonate a learned Iesuite doth very iudiciously remoue the obiections which are made against it It is thought saith Maldonate that this bread is spirituall not corporeall because it is not likely that Christ would teach vs to aske food for the body before the pardon of our sinnes and our deliuerance from euill He answereth it well 1 That Christ doth not regulate our petitions according to the worth and dignity of the things therein desired but rather according to our necessities for this is nature petition Et natura prius vult viuere nos tum bene viuere 2 That this supply doth preuent a great many of sinnes to which else we might fall for if once we haue sufficient for nature with the blessing of God vpon it and our content with it it is enough and we haue our hearts more free and our owne to attend the holy worship and seruice of our God The Trent Catechisme doth giue good proofes that it is fit and necessarie that we doe goe to Almighty God for those things which belong to the sustentation of the body Non enim petimus temporalia haec tanquam bona nostra sed tanquam necessaria nostra saith Saint Augustine 1 That alleadgeth Iacobs prayer If God will be with me and will keepe me in the way that I goe and will giue me bread to eate and rayment to put on 2 The prayer of Agur the sonne of Iakeh feed mee with food conuenient for me The danger of want lest I be poore and steale and take the name of my God in vaine To these we may adde Salomons prayer in the dedication of the Temple wherein is mention of all sorts of temporall supplies to be sought in that house or toward it by prayer All the necessaries of life are here contained vnder the name of Bread food rayment health peace libertie and bread being the chiefest of the necessaries of life is named for them all So when Moses saith Man shall not liue by bread onely all things necessary for mans sustentation in this life are vnderstood And this exposition of the word Bread here doth distinguish this petition from the former for all spirituall graces whatsoeuer that may concerne the aduancement of Gods glory or the fitting of our soules to that are comprehended in the three former petitions especially that which Saint Cyprian and S. Augustine doe make principall in this petition that is the Bread of heauen Christ or the bread of the Sacrament or the obedience of the holy will of God which Christ calleth his meate and drinke for these doe all belong to the hallowing of Gods name the comming and establishing of his kingdome and the doing of his will 2 Da nobis 1 We aske this bread of God which declareth him to be the authour of this gift and the bestower of it vpon man 2 We aske it to be giuen not to me alone euery one for himselfe but all of vs for all nobis 1 We must come to God for bread For though he hath said in sudore vultus tui comedes panem tuum which may make some thinke that the sweat of our faces doth make this bread ours and that our claime to it is from the merite of our labour which maketh it rather earnings and wages then free gift yet if wee well consider wee doe begge of God herein strength to labour for our liuings in some honest vocation and Gods blessing vpon our endeuours without which we cannot sweate and take paines for our liuing The eyes of all things looke vp to thee O Lord thou giuest them meate in due season thou openest thy hand thou fillest all things liuing with plenty He couereth the heauen with clouds he prepareth raine for the earth he maketh grasse to grow vpon the mountaines He giueth to the Beast his food and to the yong Rauens that cry Man holdeth these things of God by the title of obedience on his part of fauour on Gods part obserue it in the sequence first we pray fiat voluntas tua then Da nobis panem for we haue no plea to this fauour but in
high authority of their Master who by this direction may establish the same as a perpetuall law to his Church to be alwayes in force and may endeare to vs the direction as proceeding from one who not only had wisdome to instruct but authority also to establish his holy instruction in the Church for all ages thereof 2 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheweth that they desire to bee learners of the art of prayer of him for who better knoweth what may be obtained of God then he who is in the bosome of his father and who better knoweth that we haue need to demand by prayer then hee who hauing taken to him the similitude of sinfull flesh though without sinne hath with it taken vpon him all our infirmities and was in all things like vnto vs sin only excepted For Such an high Priest it became vs to haue who could haue in himselfe the sense and experience of our infirmities and necessities seeing none but such could well instruct vs in these things Againe seeing all our petitions to the father are deliuered vp to him in his name as he is the great Master of the requests to the great King of glory so it was fit that he should approue our petitions which can by no better meanes be performed then by his direction of them and giuing vs instruction what to request of God Their request is to bee taught by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to pray teach vs the art of prayer for to teach them words to be sayed and repeated is not to teach them to pray but to say prayers They need not goe to so great a Master to learne to say prayers any that can teach to speake or to read may teach that Their request entendeth to the very skill and wisdome of praier They consider that prayer is an addresse of their deuotions to God and therefore it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pray to that is to inuocate the Lord to pray to the father Our lesson then is to make choice of this Doctor of the Church this chiefe Doctor of the chaire more then Seraphicall or illuminate the very light of the world and to borrow our light from this Sol justitiae in all dutyes of piety and charity Indeed his Discite à me fils his schoole with all such disciples as are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all reall parts of Gods worship we are to admit no other direction but his they who direct by his warrant And in that sense he saith Be ye not called Rabbi or teachers for on is your teacher euen Christ one by authority all the rest by deputation The name therefore of teacher is proper only in fulnesse of sense to Christ who in our ministery is the teacher of his Church And though some affecting new formes of speech haue of late called the Ministers of the word Teachers and their sermons teaching in a nice nouelty to auoyd the titles vsed by the Church yet let mee tell them that the names of Preachers and preaching are a great deale more modest and expresse our office better and fuller for Christ is the proper teacher and wee as his curates doe but preach his teachings to his Church And if they accompt it a bold ascription to vs to call vs pardoners though Christ saith whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted They may as well thinke it too much to call vs teachers and our sermons teaching to whom Christ also said Ite docete Though I professe distaste of vpstart nouelties yet I admonish you that the title of teacher is peculiar to Christ and if any be so in loue with that forme of nuncupation as to preferre it before the Church-receiued titles I giue them warning of robbing Christ of his due honour let our teachers and teaching bee vnderstood no otherwise but as the Apostle saith nos legatione fungimur and so are in steed of Christ from whose instructions we must not varie And therefore the wise men of Berea did will to examine the preachings of S. Paul by the Scriptures to see by what warrant he instructed them and to enquire who sent them and put their word into their mouth for if Christ be not the teacher wee must not be Disciples 3 The instance as Iohn also taught his Disciples vide diuis pag. 3. Wherein we haue to consider 1 Who Iohn was 2 That he had Disciples whom he taught 3 He taught them to pray 1 Who Iohn was He was the sonne of Zecharie and Elizabeth borne to them in their old age and sanctified in the wombe to the office of a forerunner to prepare the way for Christ as S. Luke at large reports the storie of his natiuitie Christ saith of him Non surrexit maior amongst all that were borne of women then Iohn meaning in respect of his office for whereas all that went before him preached Christ to come and promised he pointed at Christ then appearing and performed to the Church saying This is he Ecce agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mundi Yet he that is least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he by the kingdome of heauen is meant the cleare preaching of the full Gospell of Iesus Christ and the least of those Preachers who could preach Christ crucified dead and buried raised vp to life and ascended to the Father is greater in the office of ministration of the Gospell then Iohn This Iohn was called the Baptist for that he was the first Minister of that Sacrament and which was to the honour both of the Minister and the Sacrament he baptized Christ himselfe in Iordane at which time both the holy Ghost descended in the forme of a Doue and rested vpon Christ and hee that sent him proclaimed him from heauen his welbeloued Sonne in whom he was well pleased He liued a most holy life seuere and retired saue when he came abroad to teach and baptize he was generally much honoured of the people though some maligned him and in the end he dyed a Martyr for preaching to Herod that it was vnlawfull for him to breake the commandement of God by incestuous commistion with his brother Philips wife By whose suggestion Herodias her daughter begged his head of Herod at a feast vpon aduantage taken of the Kings ouerliberall oath and so he was beheaded in prison thus much the Euangelists doe report of him Whereas Malachie prophecieth of the comming of Eliah the Prophet Behold I will send you Eliah the Prophet before the comming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord. Which many vnderstanding literally haue made themselues beleeue that the same Eliah who was taken vp in a fiery Chariot should come downe againe into the earth before the day of iudgement our Sauiour Christ hath cleared that prophecie folly saying of Iohn This is he of whom it is written I will send my messenger
his name The Lawes of this kingdome are the holy Scriptures and these are called often the kingdome of heauen in their Ministerie for by them the glory and power of Gods kingdome is declared on earth and they are The rod of his mouth The arme of God by which he directeth and aweth all his subiects Therefore the Scepter of this Kingdome is called Sceptrum iustitiae This Kingdome of God is 1 Outward in the visible profession of the same faith and coniunction in one body of a Church and so all that ioyne together in the one worship of the same God professing to be ruled and gouerned by his holy Lawes are the visible kingdome 2 Inward in the hearts of all the elect people of God And so Christ saith Behold the kingdome of God is within you For God reigneth in the hearts and consciences of all his chosen by their faith and obedience and loue and this kingdome is not meate or drinke but it is Righteousnesse Peace and ioy in the holy Ghost 1. Righteousnesse that is the iustification of his subiect by faith whereby Christ is made to vs of God righteousnesse because the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed to vs. 2 Peace for the Gospell of the kingdome is called the Gospell of peace because it filleth vs with peace of conscience in the assurance of the pardon of all our sinnes and it giueth vs a loue of outward peace in the Church knitting vs so together with the bonds of loue that as much as in vs lieth we desire to haue peace with all men 3 Ioy in the holy Ghost for where righteousnesse and peace dwell there is all spirituall ioy The voyce of ioy is in the Tabernacles of the righteous for hauing once tasted how sweete the Lord is then the soule delighteth in the Lord. Then the Statutes of God taste sweeter then hony or the hony combe they are more pretious then all manner of riches they are the very ioy of our hearts Then the feete of them that bring vs glad tydings of peace are beautifull Then the house of Gods worship is the place of our delight we will begge of God that we may dwell there where his honour dwelleth Then we shall loue the holy assemblies and be glad when it is sayd to vs we will goe vp to the house of the Lord our feete shall then stand in the gates of Gods house And the assembly of his armies will seeme to vs to be in perfect beauty Then we shall call the Sabbath of the Lord our delight and we shall make conscience of doing our owne will vpon Gods holy day Then shall we be weaned from the immoderate loue of the world and contentednesse shall meete with godlinesse Then shall we find and tast sweetnesse in afflictons and perciue it good for vs that wee haue beene afflicted and shal reioyce in our sufferings for Iesus Christ so then the kingdome of grace is two fold 1 Generall in the whole body of the Church where Christ reigneth King beeing head of his Church to guide it with his wisedome to saue and defend it by his power to Sanctifie it by his Spirit 2 Particular in euery elect member of the Church where Christ reigneth in the conscience and hid man of the heart gouerning and protecting and teaching and sanctifying the same to himselfe 3. Regnum gloriae 1 Nostrae 2 Dei This is that heauenly inheritance of the Church which Christ hath purchased for all the faithfull of which our Sauiour saith Feare not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome And of this is said Come yee blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Of this Dauid saith I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse and before In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand pleasures for euermore This is a place of glory 1 In respect of the holinesse of the subiects of it for no vncleane thing can enter into it it is called Ciuitas sancta He that is left in Ierusalem and he that remaineth in Sion shall be called holy euen euery one that is written among the liuing in Ierusalem When the Lord shall haue washed away the filth of the daughters of Sion and shall haue purged the bloud of Ierusalem from the middest thereof by the spirit of iudgement and by the spirit of burning 2 It is a kingdome of glorie because all the subiects of it are stripped out of all their infirmities and made like to the glorious Angels of God Yea the Scripture telleth vs more that we shall be like to Christ because we shall see him as he is More it saith that our vile bodies shall be like his glorious bodie Eternall health eternall ioy perfect and full knowledge blessednesse which shall neuer be taken away from vs and a full and finall abolition of all our wantes Here is that Crowne of righteousnesse and the reward of faith and the purchase of our Mediatour Here we are subiects and Kings our subiection is a royaltie for we reigne with Christ and the adoption of children is so complete in heauen and in glory that like the Elder sonne in the parable of the prodigall all that our father hath is ours The kingdome of grace is the way to the kingdome of glory it is the suburbs of this abiding city The kingdome of grace is that kingdome which Christ exerciseth in his Church here and which he deliuereth vp to God his father when the kingdome of glory cometh of which the Apostle saith Then cometh the end when he shall haue deliuered vp the kingdome to God euen the Father when he shall haue put downe all rule and all authority and power For he must reigne till hee haue put downe all his enemies vnder his feete Then shall the sonne also himselfe be subiect to him that put all things vnder him that God may be all in all Where the Apostle sheweth the vtter cessation of the kingdome of grace swallowed vp of this kingdome of glory This place of the Apostle is notable and containeth points of deepe consideration 1 Concerning Christs deliuering vp of the kingdome we must know that Christ is King as God and man so is the head of his Church and this kingdome hee holdeth by vertue of his office as hee is Mediatour between God and man and when that worke is accomplished in the fulnesse of his glory of the elect then that kingdome must cease and be giuen vp into the hands of the Father who gaue him the administration thereof for the gathering together of the Saints and for the bringing of all the elect to him 2 When he saith that Christ shall deliuer vp this kingdome to his Father let no man conceiue that the Father was all this while out of his kingdome and is now by the Sonne restored at
of such offences are properly against our selues Sworne men are bound by vertue of their oath to enquire after such as doe not liue in the obedience of the lawes of the Church and of the Common-wealth their oath is faithfull to present such delinquents to superiour authority that the ecclesiasticall or ciuill Magistrate may proceed against such delinquents to punish them according to law This is the oath of Church officers and of the Sworne-men of the Iewry let me admonish such that they make conscience of that oath for the wisedome of the State hath put them in trust to giue intelligence of law-breakers for the common good that by punishing of offenders the law may stand in full strength In this case let no Sworne-man take vpon him to forgiue an offender by suppressing this sworne intelligence for the faults detected are not personall trespasses done to them but of an higher nature preuarications of the lawes of God of the Church or of the Common-wealth and therefore out of our power to remit them against their oath to conceale them Mercy here is cruell to such as doth deceiue the trust committed to them and breake the oath sworne by the holy name of God for God will not hold such innocent and it is cruelly to society which is best preserued by inquisition and delation of offenders This resolution of this case of conscience doth also cleare another for a Magistrate to whom the supreme and soueraigne authority doth giue subordinate regencie for administration of equall iustice though as a priuate person he ought to remit offences done to him as he would haue God forgiue him yet in offences done against the law he hath rules set him from which hee must not swarue The soueraigne Magistrate doth commit to the subordinate the dispensation of his iustice and to this he is sworne but he reserueth to himselfe the dispensation of mercy to qualifie and mitigate the rigour of law so that remission of offences in that case is out of the power of deputed Iudges Concerning cases of difference betweene man and man the question is whether those that solicite God in this petition may prosecute suits of law one against another seeing wee stand so strictly obliged to forgiuenesse Our answer is that in regard of the many differences which grow betweene men here God hath ordained Magistracie and politicall gouernment to set all to rights and to assigne suum cuique Therefore in all cases of variance we ought to resort to our Iudges and by men experienced in the lawes to alleadge what wee pretend for our right and to submit our selues to their iudicature So as children goe to a father to iudge between them and this may be done in charity of them who seeke for nothing but equall iustice They that mingle trickes of wit vntrue suggestions cunning suppressions of truth corruption of Iudges or witnesses or any other indirect conueyances with their iust cause or bumbast an euill and leane cause with this vniust addition doe highly offend God and abuse the remedy which God hath ordained to establish peace They that malitiously pursue rightfull cases or cunningly colour vnrightfull with the false dye of seeming pretences striue against charity and peace They that reinduce suits of molestation making iust lawes vniust roddes to scourge those whom God would haue spared trespasse loue But in a case of personall iniury by deprauation of our good name by hurt to our persons or to any thing belonging to vs we may charitably forgiue the wrong done to vs and iustly pursue the offender ad dignam emendationem LVC. 11.4 And leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill THis Petition is commonly by our late Writers called the sixt and last Petition of the Lords prayer But the Fathers heretofore haue diuided it into two making seauen petitions whom I follow These foure last petitions are chained together with a coniunction copulatiue Giue vs our daily bread that we may liue and forgiue vs all our sinnes past and present that we may bee reconciled to thee And leade vs not into temptation that we may liue in all godlinesse and honesty hereafter But deliuer vs from the euill one that is from Sathan that hee may haue no power to corrupt our vnderstandings or affections This coniunction is doctrinall 1 It teacheth that wee haue no warrant to pray to God for the necessaries of life except our desire bee to liue well for why should we desire life of God but that we may liue to good workes which God hath ordained for vs that we should walke in them 2 To liue in our sinnes vnrepented of vs vnpardoned of God is to liue most vnhappily therefore the former petition is to reconcile vs to God for all things past amisse and these following petitions serue for preuentions of offences to come O let me liue and I will praise thy name Sinne no more said Christ lest some greater euill fall vpon thee In the storie of the poore widow that was much indebted whom the creditor threatned to take her two sonnes for bondmen in satisfaction of the debt when she made her moane to Elisha that he would take compassion of her Elisha demanded what she had in the house she answered nothing but a pot of oyle he willed her to borrow many empty vessels and she did so and poured out of her pot and filled them all then said the Prophet Goe and sell the oyle pay the debt and liue thou and thy children of the rest In this miracle of Gods mercy our sinnes bee our debts iustice is the creditor which exacteth satisfaction the oyle that must pay the debt is the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men My grace saith Christ to Paul is sufficient for thee Sufficient it is to pay the debt of all our sinnes past sufficient for vs to liue on in the time to come for this oyle we pray in these petitions forgiue vs our sinnes demandeth so much as will pay the debt and leade vs not into temptation desireth enough to maintaine vs for the time to come that we may not runne againe vpon the score in a new reckoning These two cares must not be parted Christ hath put them together Ecce sanus factus es then followeth Noli amplius peccare For without this nothing that we heare from God nothing that we aske of God speedeth with him or vs for Dauid saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart Dominus nom ex audit we must not be like dogs and swine returning c. We must as Saint Peter aduiseth consider that the time past of our life may suffice vs to haue wrought the will of the Gentiles when wee walked in lasciuiousnesse lusts excesse of wine reuellings banquettings c. There must be a forsaking of sinne before there can be a partaking of mercy as Salomon saith who so confesseth and forsaketh sinnes shall haue mercy There be two things
Arias Montanus giues this note vpon these words in Saint Matthew Animaduerte lector hanc clausulam non esse de textu he addeth also that in the Greeke Church the congregation doth neuer repeate this clause but when they haue with the Minister said libera nos a malo The Priest onely pronounceth these words quia tuum est regnum c. And learned Erasmus thinkes that these words might be added to the Lords prayer by the vse of the Church as at the end of the Psalmes we added that holy acclamation of Gloria patri filio spiritui sancto yet neither of these Apocryphicall or without diuine authority for Dauid is said to blesse the Lord before all the congregation saying Thine O Lord is the greatnesse power and glory and the maiesty and the victory for all that is in the heauen and earth is thine Thine is the kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head aboue all Therefore approuing the vse of this conclusion of the Lords prayer we proceed in it 1 And call it by the name which is giuen to it by the holy Ghost our Blessing of God after prayer this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 We will consider it as a motiue to God to grant vs the requests made in the seuen petitions 3 As it is a strengthening of our faith to aske all these things at the hands of God 1 This is a blessing of God We are said to blesse God when we doe praise him and giue him the honour due to his name So Saint Paul meant it Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort And it agreeth well with our duty that we petitioning this father in this prayer for all mercies and all comfort and wrastling with him in our prayer as Iacob did for his blessing vpon vs should also blesse him and praise his name Rea. 1 And for our direction herein we haue our Sicut in coelo in terra for Iohn heard euery creature which is in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth and such as are in the sea saying Blessing honour glory and power bee vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the lambe for euer and euer Rea. 2 Let vs consider what Dauid saith Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised We pray in our first petition Hallowed be thy name for the name of God is great and Dauid saith According to thy name O God so is thy praise vnto the ends of the earth thy hand is full of righteousnesse We labour to open that hand by our prayers that we may partake of his righteousnesse therefore to him belongeth praise for his names sake We are created to this end to glorifie God in our bodies Rea. 3 and in our soules and this is the way to honour him ipse dixit Who so offereth praise glorifieth me Dauid often calleth it Sacrificium laudis And he calleth these kinde of sacrifices the sacrifices of righteousnesse These be called vituli labiorum in Hose they are called fructus labiorum confitentium nomini eius by the author to the Hebrewes The Saints of God haue vsed to cast themselues downe at his feete that in their humiliation he may bee exalted when we kneele or prostrate our selues to one that standeth by vs we make him shew high ouer vs therefore when the Lords faithfull seruants come to him to worship they fall low on their knees before him They euacuate themselues and put off all honour and estimation from themselues to giue it all to him this is blessing of God So doe we in this prayer all petition then confession 2 Consider this as a motiue to God to grant the petitions herein contained 1 Wherein obserue that we haue no arguments to induce God to goodnesse towards vs but such onely as are drawne from himselfe and his owne holy and great attributes Therefore Daniel renounceth all respects drawne from himselfe as vnpleadable Wee doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great mercies therefore he prayeth O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord hearken and doe deferre not for thine owne sake O my God So Nehemiah in his prayer doth make a contrite confession of his sinnes to God and the sinnes of all the people and his plea for mercy and forgiuenesse and for further grace and fauour of God is the promise of God Remember the word that thou commandedst by thy seruant Moses So we pray remember thine owne kingdome thy power and thy glory when we aske of thee these petitions for we haue nothing of our own worth the remembring for whose sake thou shouldest grant our requests 2 Let vs consider how these may be motiues to perswade our God to heare our prayers we doe herein acknowledge and ascribe to God 1 Kingdome as Dauid saith The Lord is King the earth may be glad thereof he is no tyrant but a King to whom belongeth the procuration of the good of his Subiects Hee is our King of old saith Dauid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is therefore the breath of our nostrils he is the common father of vs all ruling vs with authority and loue And because thou art our King we pray thee to glorifie thine owne name in thy Church to let thy kingdome come to it To aduance thy will in it To sustaine vs thy subiects with all the necessaries and conueniences of life To seale thy pardon of all our sinnes To keepe vs from the infection of new sinnes from relapses into our old ones To defend vs from the power of the deuill and to saue vs from any thing that may offend and hurt vs. 2 Power is ascribed to God Wherein we appeale to the omnipotency of our Father we acknowledge him able to doe whatsoeuer hee will in heauen and earth So Nehemiah beginneth his prayer O Lord God of heauen the great and terrible God So began Daniel O Lord the great and dreadfull God This confession of Gods power doth incline the greatnesse and might of God to stoope it selfe to vs for power takes no ioy in aduancing it self against weaknes Amongst men there be of those barbarous and inhumane natures which abuse power to vnmercifull tyranny and oppression but when we confesse the power of God we submit to it and thereby moue the God of power to declare the same to our good He hath power in spirituall graces to bestow them on vs that we may serue him in the hallowing of his name his power can extend his kingdome ouer all his power onely can make vs able to doe his will this power commandeth heauen and earth to minister to our necessities He hath power to pardon all sinnes and to preserue vs from temptation and euill Therefore the consideration of our confession of his power moueth him to grant our requests in all