one flesh The truth of this may appeare by the Lords owne complaint against his people to whom he speaketh as to a wife that had forsaken her husband without a cause on his behalfe Isay 50. 1. Where saith he is that bill of your mothers diuorcement wherby I sent her away As if he should say I gaue her no bill but her departure and separation from mee is by her owne sinnes which phrase sheweth what was the custome of the Iewes in this case II. Point The straitnesse of this law appeares in this that the man onely was permitted to giue this bill vnto his wife but the wife might not giue it to her husband for Moses saith Whosoeuer shall put away his wife neither is there any place in Scripture to prooue that the wife had this libertie so to deale with her husband If it bee asked whether the wife in a iust cause as for adulterie had not the like libertie I answer If we respect Gods institution touching mariage the right of diuorce is equall to them both for in regard of the bond of mariage they are equally bound one to another Here indeed this libertie is permitted onely to the man by this politicke law not that he had more right but to preuent the euill of the hardnesse of his heart who taking displeasure at his wife would rather spill her blood then continue with her If it be alleadged that a man is the womans head I answer that is for regiment and direction in her place but not in regard of breaking the bond of mariage whereby he is bound to his wife as well as she to him as the Apostle teacheth 1. Cor. 7. 4. III. Point The force and effect of this law was this It made the Bill of diuorcement for any cause giuen to be tolerable before men mariage after such a diuorce lawfull and warrantable in the Courts of men Deut. 24. 4. But yet in the court of conscience before God the diuorcement it selfe and second mariages made thereupon were both vnlawfull for God hateth this separation Mal. 2. 15. And whether partie soeuer marieth another vpon this diuorce commits adulterie Matth. 19. 9. This must be remembred for the true vnderstanding of this law of Moses the first words whereof are a permission to this effect If a man do conceiue such a dislike against his wife as that he wil not abide with her but will needes put her away then he may but yet so as hee giue her a bill of diuorce which doth not acquit him before God but before men onely Hauing thus shewed the true meaning of this law it remaineth now to see what the Pharises taught touching diuorce Their doctrine was this that hee which gaue a bill of diuorcement vnto his wife for any light occasion was thereby acquitted from her before God and thereupon might marie another without the guilt of adulterie and also that another man might lawfully marrie her that was thus diuorced That this was their meaning may appeare by the contrarie answer of our Sauiour Christ wherein he crosseth and confuteth this their interpretation in the words following Verse 32. But I say vnto you whosoeuer shall put away his wife except it be for fornication causeth her to commit adulterie and whosoeuer shall marrie her that is diuorced committeth adulterie Here Christ answereth not to Moses law but to the corrupt interpretation of the Scribes and Pharises whereby they depraued that law By fornication Christ meaneth not euery sinne of that kinde but onely the sinne of adulterie or that which is greater in that kind namely incest Adulterie is a sinne that is committed by two parties one whereof is either maried or espowsed as hath beene shewed before Causeth her to commit adulterie That is giueth her occasion to marie againe and so to commit adulterie because their first bond remaineth stil and he that marieth her that is diuorced that is for any small cause not for adulterie he also commits adulterie Here then two points are set downe First that he who puts away his wife for any light cause causeth her to commit adulterie Secondly hee that marieth her that is diuorced committeth adulterie Yet vnto both these Christ putteth an exception in the case of adulterie The Papists and some others would restraine the exception to the first part of the sentence and make it a negation to this effect He that puts away his wife beeing no fornicator c. But the truth is that the exception belongs to the whole answer of our Sauiour Christ denying diuorce saue onely for adulterie and permitting no mariage after diuorcement saue onely where the diuorce is for adulterie First whereas our Sauiour Christ opposeth vnto this politicke law of Moses concerning diuorce the law of nature touching mariage Ge. 2. 24. He giueth vs an excellent distinction between all politicke laws and the law of nature which is the morall law for that is a law of eternall equitie commaunding good and forbidding euill simply without respect of man but politicke lawes are tempered according to the cōditions of men and though they doe not approoue yet sometimes they permit euill for the auoyding of greater mischiefe yea they tolerate that which before God and in conscience is condemned This point must teach vs not to content our selues with performing obedience to the politicke lawes of men for the lawes of men may tolerate that which Gods law doth condemne so the law of this Land in practise tolerates vsurie but vsurers must not hereupon thinke that all is safe well with them and that they sinne not in taking ten in the hundred because the law of the land permits it for our law tolerates that for the preuenting of greater vsurie when as the law of God doth vtterly condemne the same Againe our laws are open for men to goe to law at the first vpon euery light occasion without seeking former means of agreement but yet such men as doe so are guiltie of sinne before God notwithstanding their libertie by our politike lawes Some politike lawes also tolerate contracts of mariage made without consent of parents yet such children sin against the law of God for herein God requires childrens subiection to their parents and gouernours And the like might be shewed in many other points so that it is no sufficient iustification of our actions to say the lawes of men allow vs so to doe Secondly hence we may learne that a man cannot lawfully and with good conscience put away his wife except it be for adulterie the text is cleare both heare and also Math. 19. 7. which confuteth the ciuill laws of some countries the popish constitutions that allow other causes of diuorce besides adulterie Here they obiect sundrie things in their defence against this doctrine As 1. the saying of Christ Whosoeuer forsaketh Father or Mother wife c. shall receiue much reward Math◠19. 29. Here say they is diuorce for
wisdome did take occasion to glorifie God but here is meant the abuse of the sight that is the idle looking or curious looking of men vpon women or women vpon men Now idle looking is when one looketh without iust cause as when a man looketh with intent to lust Thus did the sonnes of God behold the daughters of men Genesis 6. 2. by whose looking came lust and for lust came the flood so Potisers wife first lift vp her eies vpon Ioseph and then lusted after him and Dina Iacobs daughter went out to see the daughters of the countrie and to bee seene againe and so when Shechem saw her hee lusted after her and rauished her so the Prophet Dauid liuing in peace and securitie cast his eie idlie and curiously vpon ' Bathsheba as shee was washing her selfe whereupon he lusted after her and so committed both Adulterie and murther This idle and curious looking Saint Peter calleth an adulterous eie both because it is the beginner of lust and the increaser thereof But this sinne is little regarded and made a small matter with many who can bee content to come with Christian eares into the assemblies and yet will bring with them idle and curious yea adulterous eies but such persons which so abuse their sight to the dishonour of God must know that they are adulterers before God howsoeuer they may perswade themselues that grace enters into their hearts by hearing yet vndoubtedly by their idle and curious eies Sathan enters into their soule and keepes out Gods word whereby the soule should be renued Wee therefore must here bee admonished to take heed how wee vse the sight of our eies especially when wee are in the assemblies of the Saints and holy exercises and to preuent this euill it were to bee wished that men and women would sort themselues and not bee mingled in the congregation vnlesse it were the husband with his owne wife Againe if the idle and curious eie be the beginning of adulterie then wee must learne with care to gouerne our eies as the seruants of God haue done ' Dauid praied the Lord to keepe his eies from regarding vanitie and Iob because hee would auoid vnchast thoughts made a couenant with his eies not to looke on a maide Now as looking to lust is here forbidden so by proportion are all other like occasions vnto adulterie as first reading of vnchast and wanton books of loue matters and vsing light and wanton talke Many are giuen to these kinds of delights but they must know that herein they sinne grieuously for they haue not onely a wanton eie but a lasciuious tongue also Secondly the acting of all such Plaies and Comedies the matter whereof is the representation of the light behauiour of men women for therein are idle and curious lookes set forth to the eie which ought not to be beeing here condemned Thirdly the wearing of vaine and light attire whereby others are prouoked to cast their eies vpon them vnto lust for if the light and wanton eie bee condemned then that which causeth it is much more condemned This ought to bee regarded for light and forraine attire is a secret profession of an vnchaste heart Fourthly mixt dauncing of men and women in time and measure for therein is more occasion and prouocation vnto lust then by the bare beholding of each other with the eie Fiftly euill companie so are the wordes of the Apostle Paul out of an Heathen Poet Euill conuersings corrupt good manners which may well include that vnseemely conuersing of men with women not warranted either by the generall or particular calling Sixtly the pampering of the bodie with daintie meates or strong drinkes this was the sinne of Sodome and it is much more an occasion of lust then the bare sight of the eie Seauenthly Idlenesse and lazinesse in not imploying the bodie in some honest calling for thereby also is lust incited And thus much of the meaning of this commandement forbidding all occasions to adulterie vnder a lustfull eie Now considering that a man is guiltie of adulterie that vseth the occasions thereof hereby we may see that we cannot excuse our selues from the breach of this law for though we be cleane from the bodily outward facte yet who can say My heart is cleane who is free from the occasions thereof as from a wanton eie vaine apparell wanton speech intemperance and the rest all which makes vs culpable of this sinne and therefore wee must laie our hands vpon our mouthes and condemne our selues of guilt before God we must humble our selues acknowledging our sinnes and breaches of this commandement and lastly we must take heede of all occasions that may mooue or incite vs vnto lust or wantonnesse The second point which our Sauiour Christ propoundeth in the interpretation of this law is this that the lust of the heart though it neuer come into acte is Adulterie now that we may know what our Sauiour Christ meaneth by lust sundrie points are to be handled First how lust can bee a sinne considering it is onely a hidden desire of the heart Secondly how lust can bee a sinne of the seauenth commandement seeing it is forbidden in the tenth and thirdly how great a sinne lust is For the first that lust is a sinne is thus prooued Gods Law requireth obedience of the whole man both in soule and bodie and in euery part facultie and power thereof Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength and that obedience which commeth not from the whole man is sinnefull Now when a man conceiueth vnchast thoughts in his heart then his soule and mind his affections haue not done their dutie vnto God and so he sinneth in lusting Yet this doctrine was neuer receiued of all but some haue still excepted against it and their principall reasons are two 1. They say lust is a naturall inclination desire and appetite which was in Adam before his fall and so cannot be a sinne Ans. Lust or appetite in the heart is not simply a sinne for so it is a naturall desire which was in our first parents in their integritie but to lust after that which God forbiddeth that is the sinne as for a man to lust after a woman or a woman after a man not beeing man and wife which we see here Christ condemneth 2. They say God blesseth adulterers and fornicators in their lust with the issue of seed in child-bearing as well as man and wife in lawful mariage and therefore it cannot be a sinne Ans. In adulterie two things may be considered the vnlawfull lust of the heart and the acte of generation now when God giues issue to adulterers and fornicators it is no approbation of their sinnefull lust but onely a common blessing of naturall generation which is his owne ordinance by creation for howsoeuer God approoues
could wish and so might haue continued if he would for hee was the adopted sonne of Pharaohs daughter but yet Moses left them all and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God in Goshen then to enioy all the pleasures of Egypt And this he did because they were but the pleasures of sinne which hee could not enioy vnlesse hee would forsake the true feare and worship of God and all good conscience his example we ought to follow Now that we may auoid all the occasions of sinne and so put in practise this wholesome precept of our Sauiour Christ I wil here intreat of the occasions of sinne and shew withall how they may be auoyded By occasion of sinne I meane any thing that either of it selfe or by mans abuse becomes offensiue and prouoketh vnto sinne In this large acceptance an occasion of sinne extendeth it selfe not onely to such things as are euill but euen to things good and commendable in themselues which by mans abuse cause transgression against God Occasions of sinne are two-fold either giuen or taken An occasion giuen is that thing either word or action that is euill in it selfe the speaking or doing whereof stirres a man effectually to sinne Occasions giuen are two-fold either of one man vnto another or of man vnto himselfe The occasions whereby one man may prouoke another to sinne are many I will reduce them vnto sixe heads The first is badde counsell whereby one man perswadeth another vnto sinne This is a great cause of much euill in the world thus came the fall of our first parents for Sathan perswaded Eue and Eue her husband thus came the crucifying of the Lord of life for the high ' Priests and Rulers perswaded the people to aske Barrabas and to destroy Iesus Hence commeth seeking vnto wisards one friend perswades another for their outward good as they thinke yea from this bad counsel comes the common neglect of all good duties in Gods worship The second is consent or approbation of sinne and it is two-folde secret or open Secret approbation and consent is when men see sinne committed and are not grieued thereat for this cause the Apostle Paul checketh the Corinthians that they were not sorrowfull but rather puffed vp at the facte of the incestuous man whereby they did in some sort hearten him in his sinnes this is a great occasion of sinne in our daies The Prophet Dauid was of another minde his eies gushed out riuers of teares because men brake Gods lawes Open approbation of sinne is when men doe openly countenance sinners and lewd persons which make profession of badde practises this is a great occasion of many horrible impieties hereby the hands of the wicked are strengthened in their wickednesse as the Lord complaineth and this is the sinne of this age for who is so badde that hath not some patrone of his euill and some backe friend to sooth him in his sinne which makes sinne shameles and sinners impudent But all Gods children must follow Elisha who in great feruencie of spirit told Iehoram to his face though he were a king that if it had not bâ—ene for the preseuce of good King Iehosaphat he would not haue looked towards him nor seene him the Lord himselfe will not take the wicked by the hand neither can he endure that his children should helpe the wicked or loue them that hate the Lord. The third occasion giuen is prouocation vnto sinne when either by word or deed men excite or drawe on others to some euill as vnto anger reuenge hatred to drunkennesse or such like and this is a common fault of those that delight in drunken fellowship The fourth occasion is neglect of good duties vnto our brethren as of exhortation admonition instruction or rebuke Ioshua 7. Achan stole the execrable thing for himselfe alone yet all the people are charged with that fault and punished for it the cause was their neglect to keepe one another from that sinne according as God commanded theÌ„ chap. 6. 18. This is a great occasion of impietie among vs if neighbour would admonish neighbour and one brother an other sinne would not be so rife as it is But this dutie is not onely neglected of priuate men one to another but of publike persons who are more bound vnto it The Magistrate is negligent in punishing and the Minister in reproouing sinne and the master of the family carelesse in reforming those that are vnder him which causeth sinne to abound The fift occasion giuen is euill Example in the practise of any sinne whatsoener which may be knowne this is most dangerous like vnto wild fire that inflameth all places whereon it lighteth The truth hereof appeares among vs for let any one man or woman take vp a new fashion in attire and presently the same is generally receiued let a man inuent or sing a leud song and presently it is learned of all euen of little children that can scarse speake whence also comes it that crawling infants should sweare roundly and frame themselues to all impietie when they cannot speake readily but from the bad example of their Elders with whome they are brought vp Now among all men their bad example is most dangerous who make the greater profession of Religion They are like false lights vpon the shoare which lead the shippesvpon the sands And therefore such as shew any care or forwardnes in holy practises of religion must haue speciall watch ouer all their waies that if it be possible they may be blamelesse both in word and deede for all men haue an eye at them and the wicked would gladly spie holes in their coate The last occasion giuen is the priuate slandering of Gods Ministers and the disgracing of their Ministerie this is an offence as generall as the rest and it causeth many to contemne the meanes of their saluation When men meete together their common talke is of the Ministers and of their doctrine not to be edified by mutuall conference but onely to disgrace their persons and to make their ministerie contemptible but they little know what mischiefe this causeth and therefore it ought to be auoided These are occasions of sinning giuen by one man to another for the auoiding whereof which is the plucking out of the eye and cutting off the hand here commanded this Rule must be obserued We must hate and eschew the occasions of sinne as deadly poison and esteeme those persons that giue them vnto vs in that regard as ill as the deuill Thus Christ dealt with Peter his owne disciple when he went about to hinder him from doing his Fathers will in suffering for our sinnes saying Come behinde me Satan considering him in that action as if he had beene the deuill himselfe for we must know that the deuill comes not openly vnto men but cunningly conuaies himselfe in these
want thereof ought not to keepe the godly from this Sacrament for another mans euill conscience cannot defile thy good conscience another mans sinne cannot hurt thee vnlesse thou doe some way communicate with him therein Christ was more carefull in his dutie then euer man was and yet hee communicated with the wicked Iewes Scribes and Pharises in the seruice of God vnder the Law The fourth head from whence offence is taken is the state of the wicked principally in regard of their prosperitie Hence some holy ones suspect their owne estate and religion as either not good or not regarded of God This befell Dauid Psal. 37. when hee sawe the prosperitie of the wicked and their increase in riches with peace and ease hee said Certainly I haue clensed mine heart in vaine â—nd washed my hands in innocencie Hence also Ieremie reasons with God why the way of the wicked should prosper and they bee in wealth that transgresse rebelliously Hence vndoubtedly at this day many call into question the good prouidence of God Now the way to cut off this offence is to enter into the sanctuarie of God as Dauid did that is to come to the assemblies of Gods people where the word is preached for there a man shall see the manifold reasons why God will haue his owne people afflicted also the fearefull end of the pleasures of the wicked namely a fitting of them to further destruction Againe from this same ground doe many rich men take offence for hauing the world at will they blesse themselues with this perswasion that God loues them and thereupon take occasion to condemne all religion and to goe on in the pursuite of worldly profits and delights And this is one maine cause why among the rich we haue so few good and sound Professors because that from a false ground of outward things they perswade themselues of Gods loue fauour But to cut off this offence we must remember that mans case is the more fearefull when he wants all crosses for God chasteneth euery child whom he receiueth Heb. 12. 6. it is a marke of Gods child to be in affliction if he profit thereby the stalled oxe commeth sooner to the slaughter then the oxe that is vnder the yoke and the sheepe that goeth in fat pasture commeth sooner to the shambles then that which goeth on the bare commons so oftentimes God fatteth the wicked with the blessings of this life as hee did the rich glutton that he may more iustly condemne them in the world to come Lastly we must remember what Salomon saith No man knoweth loue or hatred of all that is before him that is of all outward things all things fall alike vnto all both good and bad therfore no man must so blesse himselfe with his outward estate that he be drawne to esteeme of religion as a thing needlesse or superfluous Verse 31. It hath beene said also whosoeuer shal put away his wife let him giue her a Bill of diuorcement 32. But I say vnto you whosoeuer shall put away his wife except it be for fornication causeth her to commit adulterie and whosoeuer shall marie her that is diuorced committeth adulterie Our Sauiour Christ proceeding further to restore the seauenth commaundement to his perfection doth here confute a false interpretation of a Politicke law of Moses giuen by the Scribes and Pharises For this ende first he laies downe the wordes of Moses politicke law but yet so as containing in them the false interpretation of the Iewish teachers ver 31. then hee opposeth the truth of God against their false interpretation and maintaineth the first institution of mariage v. 32. For the first Moses politicke law was That hee which put away his wife should giue her a Bill of diuorce This law the Iewish Teachers did falsly interpret for the better perceiuing wherof these three points are to be handled touching Moses politicke law 1. what kinde of law it was 2. the straitnesse of that law 3. what effect and force it had For the first the law is set downe Deut. 24. 1. when a man marieth a wife and she finde no fauour in his eies because he hath espied some filthinesse in her then let him write her a bill of diuorce and put it in her hand and send her out of his house This law was not morall but ciuill or politicke for the good ordering of the common wealth Now among their particular lawes some were laws of toleration and permission which were such as did not approoue of the euill which they concerned but did onely tolerate and permit that euill which could not be auoided for the preuenting of a greater euil which otherwise would fall out As when the sea hath made â— breach into the land if it cannot possibly be stopped the best course is to make it as narrow as may bee Such was the law concerning vsurie Deut. 23. 20. permitting the Iewes to exercise it vpon a stranger but not towards a brother and the like was the law touching polygamie Deut. 21. 15. If a man had two wiues the one hated the other loued and they both haue borne him children if the first borne be the sonne of the hated though shee were maried to him the latter yet her seed was legitimate and her sonne had the right of the first borne In both which lawes were tolerated that which God condemned onely for the preuenting of a greater euill Vnder this sort comes our law of vsurie for taking tenne in the hundred not approuing but permitting so much for the auoyding of greater vsurie Vnto this kind the Papists would reduce their law of permitting Stewes for the preuenting of greater sinnes but that law can haue no title to such permission for a law of permission is to diminish that euill which by man cannot possibly be cut off altogether now that sinne which they would preuent by their Stewes might be cut off among them if they would giue allowance to Gods owne ordinance of lawfull mariage vnto all sorts and sexes So likewise this law of Moses for diuorce was a law of permission not approouing of the giuing a bill of diuorce for euery light cause but tolerating of it for the preuenting of greater mischeife euen of murther for the nature of the Iewes was this if a man once tooke dislike to his wife he would neuer be at rest till he had shed her blood if they might not bee parted asunder Now this law of diuorce was giuen to restraine this great euill for hereby a man was tolerated to put away his wife when shee found no fauour in his eies lest hee should kill her yet so as he gaue her a bill of diuorce wherein hee must set downe the cause why hee put her away whereby also many were restrained from putting away their wiues because it was a great shame for a light occasion so highly to transgresse Gods holy institution who made them by mariage
in sinne and feeles it not wee therefore must labour to feele in our selues this spirituall bondage vnder sinne and when we feele it we must bewaile it and so shew some life of grace to be in vs. This Paul did Rom. 7. 24. O. wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Looke as the prisoner feeles his bolts and fetters so sensibly should we feele the chaine of sinne wherewith our soules are kept in bondage and till we feele it and bewaile it the kingdome of Christ doth not come vnto vs wee must therefore euery day crie vnto Christ our Lord that he would shew himselfe to be our Redeemer by breaking the fetters of sinne wherewith our soules are kept in bondage and giuing vs that free spirit which may fully erect his blessed kingdome in our hearts for where the spirit is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3. 17. Secondly wee must bewaile the sinnes of all the world in the transgression of Gods law whereby God is dishonoured and his kingdome hindered and the kingdome of darkenesse furthered 2. Pet. 2. 7 8. Iust Lot vexed his righteous soule with the vncleane conuersation of the wicked of his time 1. King 19. 10. When Elias saw the children of Israel forsake Gods couenant breake downe his altars and slay his Prophets with the sword then he became very zealous for the Lord of hosts Psal. 119. 136. Mine eies saith Dauid gush out with riuers of water because they keepe not thy Law Vers. 139. My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy law Mark 3. 5. Christ mourned for the hardnesse of the hearts of the people and Luke 19. 41 42. Hee wept ouer Ierusalem for that they knew not the day of their visitation Now looke how these were affected with the raigning sinnes of their times so must we also mourne for their sinnes that raigne among vs as Atheisine and profanenesse contempt of Gods word blasphemie sabbaoth breaking oppression crueltie and pride all good subiects are grieued much when they see forraine enemies displaie among them banners of victorie how much more then ought the godly to grieue when they see impietie practised with an high hand which is as it were a flagge of defiance in the kingdome of Christ and a speciall ensigne of Satans triumphing in the increase of his kingdome of darkenes When the deuil sees one that hath liued in sinne but cast a looke toward the kingdome of Christ hee rageth greatly and labours by all meanes to turne him backe and when we see those that haue made profession of religion returne againe to the lusts of their former ignorance O it should grieue our soules and cause vs to pray thy kingdome come Doe we perceiue the Turke or Pope or any instrument of Satan either by subtiltie or tyrannie to hinder the Gospel preached which is the scepter of Christs kingdome and the aime of God whereby hee puls men from the kingdome of darkenesse O then we should mourne Or doe we see the want of Gods ordinance in preaching sacraments and discipline which serue for the furtherance of Christs kingdome or the Lords people committed to ignorant or idle Ministers to scandalous teachers either for life or doctrine In all these we haue cause of mourning and they should stirre vp our hearts to crie vnto the Lord Thy kingdome come Use 2. Graces to be desired As we must mourne for the wants and hinderances of Christs kingdome so we must hereby learne to haue our hearts inflamed with spirituall desires after all helpes and furtherances vnto Gods kingdome both in our selues and others as First for the preaching of the Gospel and all other diuine ordinances whereby Gods kingdome is erected and maintained our hearts desire to God must be that these may bee set vp and continued where they are wanting and that God may blesse them where they are vouchsafed Secondly that God would enlighten the eies of our minds that we may see the wonders of his Law as Dauid did that so the Lords ordinance may be blessed vnto vs. Thirdly that we may be wholly subiect vnto Christ and that of conscience not onely in our outward behauiour but in minde and heart in will in all our affections wee must make sure this holy desire bee in vs indeede and therfore must denie our selues and subiect our selues wholly vnto God as a willing people to serue him and none but him and then we may be sure his kingdome is come vnto vs. Fourthly we must desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ in the kingdome of glorie for this end that we may make an ende of sinning and become more obedient subiects vnto Christ yea wholly ruled by him though for the good of others we must be content to liue Fiftly that Christ would come in iudgement when all things shall be subdued vnto God and all his obedient subiects shall be fully glorified This wee may desire in heart though we must leaue the time to Gods good pleasure still waiting for it by faith in his promise Sixtly that God would inlarge his sanctuarie here on earth gather his elect more and more and still defend and maintaine his Church in euery place in the world when these desires affect our soules then doe wee truely say Thy kingdome come 3. Use. Duties to be practised Whatsoeuer we aske in praier that must we endeauour after in life and conuersation else we mocke God saying well and doing nothing First therefore as we say Thy kingdome come so must we seeke to meet it striue to enter into it for this end God giues vs time to liue in this world that here we might enter the gate of grace and wait for the fruition of glorie and therefore we must diligently frequent the suburbs of this heauenly Ierusalem euen the preaching of the word and therein labour both for true humiliation and conuersion or else wee cannot enter into this kingdome Math. 18. 3. Iohn 3. 5. First we must haue the pride of our hearts pulled downe and become as little children beeing humbled in our selues through the knowledge of our sinnes and the feeling of that miserie which is due vnto vs for them yea wee must confesse them vnto God and crie vnto him for mercie and by this meanes lay aside this burden which hinders our entrance into the gate of grace Secondly we must bee conuerted and changed by the renuing of our mindes our hearts must cleaue vnto God and we must carry therein a resolute purpose not to sinne when these things be in vs we enter into Gods kingdome but till we endeauour after them in some truth we say in vaine Thy kingdome come Secondly wee must bee carefull to bring forth the fruites of Gods kingdome for therefore doth he send it among men and for want hereof doth he take it from them Matth. 21. 43. Now these fruits are Righteousnesse peace