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
declare vnto you the whole counsell of God The principall points of our doctrine are what wee must beleeue what wee must doe and what wee must pray for The doctrine of faith the doctrine of good life and the doctrine of prayer Iohn taught all these for 1 He preached Christ to them the ground of faith 2 He exhorted them to repentance and good life 3 He taught them also to pray His example is our direction in all these things You also haue two lessons from hence 1 To stirre vp your selues by the example of other Disciples and other congregations to doe the like if you heare of their diligence in hearing and their proficiencie in learning the duties of Gods worship let their sicut their good example inflame you with holy emulation to make as good a progression in knowledge and piety as they haue made For why should other congregations outlearne you in these necessarie duties doe not you thinke that God will require his good seed of the word sowne in you and examine what you haue done with it 2 You are further to be moued to an holy emulation of Gods graces in your selues to contend with your selues to increase your knowledge adde strength and growth to your iudgement that you may outgrow your owne infancy and minority in that spirituall vegetation which is called incrementum Dei so Andrew that had learned of Iohn comes now to be taught of Christ 3 You haue a faire example to require instruction at the hands of them who haue the ouersight of you you may say to that Archippus as the Disciples of Christ did to Christ teach vs as Iohn taught his Disciples that is you may stirre vp your Minister to teach and instruct you as other faithfull and conscionable Ministers of the word doe instruct their congregations The Apostle biddeth the Colossians say to Archippus Take heed to the ministery which thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it You haue the same right to his labours in his calling as he hath to the tithes of your labours Christs Disciples put him to it to teach them and let all people doe the like to their minister LVC. 11.2 And hee said vnto them when you pray say Our Father c. HEre begins Christs answer to the Disciples motion in which you may obserue 1 That he answers 2 What he answers 1 That he answers The answer of Christ is ready and present declaring that he accepteth the persons and the requests of these petitioners and herein hee comforteth such as cannot pray declaring himselfe readie to teach them if they demand it of him and he comforteth them that pray to him for any thing necessarie that he heareth prayers and granteth requests So that they which pretend they cannot pray haue no excuse for they know where they may be taught euen in this it is but aske and it shall be giuen to you If Iohn taught his Disciples to pray how much more and sooner will Christ teach those that come to him if the lampe shined so cleare to his schollars how much brighter will the shine bee of this Sunne of righteousnesse But as they made this motion for themselues and for vs so Christ taught them in his answere for themselues and for vs and for the whole Church to the worlds end Christ is now sitting at the right hand of his father but this record of his answere to direct vs in prayer liues in this book of the eternall gospell here wee may haue it at a short warning and though Iohns prayer be lost and no monument left of it yet this holy direction contained in his answere to his disciples shall remaine and what he saith to them hee saith to all that haue the same desire and affection to learne to pray When you pray say Our father c. Our comfortable lesson from hence is that it is not labour lost to come to Christ with our petitions to bee instructed as he is the wisdome of the father to teach vs so he is the goodnesse and loue of his father and our father to heare and answere our lawfull and good petitions Which Dauid doth make as an encouragement to all men to pray O thou that hearest prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come This is wisdome to know how to speake and what to aske of God and S. Iames biddeth If any of you lack wisdome let him aske of God who giueth to all men liberally 2 What he answereth When you pray say Our father His answere doth containe a forme of holy prayer to be vsed when you pray wherein two mistakes may wrong the good meaning of our Sauiour 1 If wee thinke this so precise a direction for prayer as that we may neuer vse any other words but these in prayer but that all our prayers must be totidem verbis for that that is not our Sauiours meaning is plain in the doctrine of prayer deliuered by our Sauiour in the sermon which he preached on the mount where hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pray on this manner or to this purpose according to these instructions in this forme contained For I must informe you that the precise frame of the prayer for the words thereof is not punctually the same in S. Matthew and S. Luke which shewes that there is no necssitation of the Church obliging it to the words thereof 2 Another mistake is on the contrary hand when we quite forsake the words which Christ himselfe hath put into our mouthes and esteeme this prayer but as a coppy to write after a mould to make prayers by and not a prayer it selfe This error hath put it selfe in print and some of our nouelists haue taken vpon them to shew reason why this should neuer be vsed for a prayer His late Maiesty of worthy memory giues a quick touch of this erroneous fancy in his learned and godly exposition of the Lords prayer for he saith that the Brownists the authors of this opinion doe approue this prayer for a samplar to make prayers by but refuse it for a prayer because they hold all set formes of prayer vnlawfull His Maiesty saith well that they like praying by descant and not by plainesong by commentary but not by text 1 One reason against the vse of this prayer is because it is Scripture which were a good reason to iustifie the vse of it for that is the vse of Dauids Psalmes and the holy hymnes of Scripture to apply them to our occasion It is Scripture In manus tuas Domine commendo animam meam yet Christ vsed it for a prayer vpon the crosse 2 They alledge that prayer must expresse our wants to God in particular but the Lords prayer is generall Our answer is that both in generall and in particular we must pray to God and therefore our larger prayers doe referre themselues to the generall heads of this prayer and this concludeth them all and this prayer is
There is great cause of iubilation in the Church when the righteous increase therefore there is cause of ioy giuen to the Church when the wicked perish The solution of this doubt dependeth vpon this consideration The enemies of God and of our religion are to be considered two waies 1 As they are the creatures of God and partners with vs of the same nature so they are our owne flesh and no man euer hated his owne flesh thus the persons of all men ought to be deare to vs and their life pretious and their welfare desired 2 As they are by their corruptions turned enemies to God and to his Church so shall not I hate them O Lord which hate thee not their persons but their sinnes their malice against the Church that is odio perfecto odi eos Againe in the destruction of Gods enemies we must consider 1 Who it is that punisheth them for it is the hand of God and this is matter of ioy to the Church it is one of the duties of the Sabbath to reioyce in the operations of Gods hand and this is repeated there for one in the Psalmes for the Sabbath Psal 92.4 Thou hast made me glad through thy worke I will triumph in the worke of thy hands When the wicked spring as the grasse and when all the workers of iniquity doe flourish it is that they shall bee destroyed for euer For loe thine enemies O Lord for loe thine enemies shall perish and all the workers of iniquity shall bee scattered Mine eye also shall see my desire vpon mine enemies c. All which sheweth that the ruine and confusion of Gods enemies is the ioy of the Church as it is the worke of Gods hand for doe we not say Tu Domine fecisti and is it not our prayer fiat voluntas tua and are wee not to reioyce in it when it is done doth not God doe all things well and doe not all things worke together for the good of Gods children 2 We must consider who they be that suffer these are brethren with vs according to the flesh here our bowels yearne and we haue cause to mourne and lament on their behalfe for their sinnes that deserued this iudiciall processe against them He that hath a christall glasse in his hand into which his enemie hath infused poison to destroy him and seeth the glasse broken in his hand discouereth the preseruation of his life by that breaking may he not at the same time be glad that the poison is spilt and sorry that so good a glasse is broken The nature which is impoisoned in Gods enemies is Gods creature if the breaking of this glasse of humane nature doe let the poison fall to the ground is there not cause of ioy for the preuention of that euill and yet cause of griefe for the losse of that vessell by which this worke of mischiefe was to be effected Our elements of which we are composed in the frame of our bodies are mixt and not pure and simple bodies the affections that are in the inferiour part of the soule are also mixt for our best courage is shaken with some feare our hope mingled with some doubt our ioy commedled with sorrow that in the very seruice of God we reioyce with trembling In our intellectuall part our vnderstanding is not cleare of clouds in our spirituall and diuine inspirations by the holy ghost there is aliquid carnis some of the naturall man that eclipseth the light and weakeneth the force of the holy ghost in vs. Therefore as there is cause of ioy so is there cause of griefe in the case of Gods enemies but it is a safe rule alwaies to reioyce in the Lord and to approue admire and blesse the operation of his hands The powder traitours whose zeale of the religion of Rome turned them all into gunpowder and inflamed them to that furie and malice as to destroy the peace and the Religion of this Land with one blast how would they haue ioyed to haue brought forth the mischiefe in full birth which they had conceiued yet the bowels of our compassion were moued towards them to see them dye and suffer the iust reward of their most damnable proiection But the bowels of the wicked are cruell shall I shew you the mercy of a Pope it was Sixtus 5. vpon occasion of the murther of Henry the 3. the French King who in ioy of it being performed treacherously by a Monke set on by himselfe doth make a panegyricall oration in the praise of the Creatour and admireth the excellent worke of God in it quod simplex monachus non mutato habitu nongladio clipeoue armatus ad regem libere penetrauit Is not the folly of this sonne of Belial worthy to be despised that makes this a miracle that a Monke vnarmed and in his own habite wherein no man mistrusted him did commit this treason for so these false Monkes were without suspition admitted to the Kings presence but had he changed his habite and come armed he had beene preuented He reioyceth in the Kings death yet he was no heretique as Rome cals heresie but a sonne of the Pope and he layeth the murther to Gods charge Regem Deus per sacratum virum interfecit the whole oration is extant in print they are all ashamed of it so full it is both of folly and malice Wee may not doe the God whom we worship and serue that vnthankefull iniurie to omit the late fearefull example of his iudgement declared vpon a Popish conuenticle assembled in a priuate meeting to an hereticall Sermon they are blinde that see not the hand of God in it and they that take not warning by it to auoyd the like may tempt the iustice of God to some new execution for he hath treasures of wrath I thinke I speake the charitable thoughts of you all it was a iudgement much to be deplored in respect of them that suffered the same So great a number presently either broken with the ruines of the house or smothered with the closenesse of their owne heapes one vpon another others wounded some dead found some fallen into madnesse We haue cause all of vs to lament the sudden violent death of so many of whom we haue cause to perswade our selues charitably that they had the zeale of God but not according to knowledge and that they were made beleeue that they did God good seruice But how many open Churches did they passe by how many learned Preachers might they haue heard at that time from whose light they might haue borrowed light and in whom they might haue heard Iesus Christ speaking to his Church and declaring the way of saluation they forsooke the houses of God to retire themselues into a chamber where their owne weight was their ruine by the iust hand of God as we must needes confesse for his workes are often secret but alwaies iust Did not the blinde leade the blinde and both fell into the ditch
Ierusalem the spirit of supplications poureth also the spirit of grace to sanctifie the supplications So it is called in Zech. the Spirit of grace and supplications And Dauid can say If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Obserue it in Saint Iames his directions Draw nigh to God and hee will draw nigh to you clense your hands yee sinners and purifie your hearts you double minded When God appeard to Moses in the bush and Moses was approaching to him he heard a voyce saying to him Put off thy shoes from thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground There is no Comming then to God without holinesse without which we may seeke but we shall neuer see the face of God 5 This mention of the heauens here doth put vs in minde of the wisedome of God who of nothing raised vp that glorious frame of those celestiall habitations that high Sanctuary for his owne dwelling for in wisedome he hath made them all Which teacheth vs to beware how we appeare before God in our praiers and holy deuotions not as fooles but as wise Take heed to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God and be more neare to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles They that pray not in wisdome doe offer to God the sacrifice of fooles And Salomon saith God hath no pleasure in fooles There is no folly like to the folly that is vsed in prayer and deuotion when the God of wisedome hath vs in his eye and the iealous God who is tender of his worship discerneth that he is slighted That is one of the sinnes of our time a foolish worship without consideration care or reuerence which turneth our praiers into sinne Hath God any pleasure in the set words of a solemne seruice Did he not blame his owne people Populus hic honorat me labijs suis Dauid admonisheth to sing praises to God with vnderstanding It asketh a great deale of spirituall wisedome to addresse our suites to the Court of heauen where the highest King of glory doth wisely consider all the sonnes of men and beholds with what descretion and wisedome they come before him Take heed therefore that thou forget not our Father to be in heauen Heauen is mentioned for the height of Gods sanctuarie for God is in excelsis which teacheth vs in praier to sublime our soules from the earth and earthly things to an holy eleuation thereto agree those outward formes of lifting vp the eyes in prayer I lifted vp mine eyes to the hills from whence my help commeth Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth And let the lifting vp of mine hands be an euening sacrifice Sursum corda It is the voice of the Church Our Conuersation is in heauen and it is the Apostles counsaile If ye be risen with Christ seeke the things which are aboue and not the things which are below where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God O that I had the winges of a Doue the wings of an Eagle rather to fly high there is the Carcase and thither the Eagles resort Our earthly Parents giue good things to vs but they haue them from hence the bread the fish the necessaries of life Sometimes earthly Parents proue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but our heauenly father is one whose compassion falles not when my father and mother forsaketh me the Lord taketh me vp Doubtlesse thou art our father though Abraham knowes not though Israel be ignorant of vs. Earthly Parents see vs sicke and in prison and in disgrace and in want they can sit downe and droppe their teares and viz their groanes with ours but there is no helpe in them they may be parted from vs by death but our heauenly father shall endure for euer his yeares change not he looked down from the height of his sanctuarie From heauen did the Lord behold the earth to heare the groaning of the prisoners to loose those that are appointed to death 7 The mention of heauen added to the title of our Father doth put vs in minde of his goodnesse for hee dwelleth in that place from which euery good giuing and euery perfect gift doth proceed From whence also we are directed in our Prayers not to aske of this Father that is nothing but good and perfect gifts In temporall benefits we must still haue an eye to the true vse of them to make them serue for spirituall and heauenly vses One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Let our eye be vpon the inheritance and the birth-right and for things temporal so far as they may be adjumenta or oramenta to vs to aduance this final desire of the kingdome of God so farre let vs desire and seeke and vse them Who will petition a King for beades and babies and such trifling things feare nto little flock it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Let our wisedome seeke it where it is to be found in heauen where Iesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of his father and maketh intercession for vs. Why should we aske stones where we may haue bread for asking bread of the finest wheat flower Manna Angels bread 8 The name of our father in the heauens doth put vs in minde of the country which we seeke for we are but Pilgrimes and strangers and we haue no abiding City here we are but soiourners as all our fathers were But we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolued wee haue a building not made with hands but eternall in the heauens For in this we groane earnestly desiring to be cloathed vpon with our house which is from heauen that mortalitie might be swallowed vp of life for Whilest we art at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. We are confident and willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. We sit here weeping by the riuers of Babel If I forget thee O Ierusalem c. Returne to thy rest O my soule Studie those heauens search and finde out the way to them there is one that is gone before to prepare a place there for vs in the many Mansions of his Fathers house and as the Church sweetely Hymneth He hath opened the Kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers by a new and liuing way which hee hath Consecrated for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh Conducting vs to Mount Sion the City of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable companie of Angels To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of
from his way and liue Turne ye Turne ye from your euill wayes for why will yee die O house of Israel So our Sauiour It is not the will of your Father that is in heauen that one of these little ones should perish To declare this to be his will he rose early to send his Prophets to his people to conuert them to him And our Sauiour in the Gospell doth resemble himself to that good shepherd that went into the wildernesse to seeke a straied sheep to bring it backe to the flocke to the woman that lighted a Candle and swept her house and sought diligently till she found her lost groat Both of them made merry when they found what they had lost Such ioy God hath in the conuersion of a sinner When a profane person becommeth holy when a couetous person turneth liberall when a drunkard becometh sober and a glutton temperate when a swearer feareth an oath a lier loueth the truth when a breaker of the Sabbath is glad when it is sayd to him Come let vs goe vp to the house of the Lord and answereth them My feete shall stand in thy gates O Ierusalem When an oppressor turnes mercifull and a proud man humble and a contentious man quiet and peaceable this is as God would haue it and this is ioy to the Almighty and the Angels of heauen reioyce in it for this is the will of God But in the contrarie our sinnes doe grieue the holy one of Israel grieue not the spirit of God our sinnes do ouercharge him hee complaineth that he is like a Cart ouerladen with sheaues Our sinnes put him into a storme of indignation therfore our conuersion is his will 2 Seeing out conuersion beginneth at the abnegation of our selues that also is the will of God he that will be my Disciple saith our Sauiour must forsake all and follow me Sua suos se as Saint Bernard and none is acceptable according to his wil but he that is a new Creature This maketh a perfect conuersion and this incorporateth vs in the body of the Church for God doth not will our forsaking of our selues and renouncing of the world for our hurt and losse but for our greater good that he himselfe may be our rocke and fortresse our refuge and exceeding great reward 3 The will of God is our obedience to his holy lawes which he hath giuen vs as his couenant that in keeping of them it might goe well with vs. His owne mouth hath reuealed his will in this point O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might be well with them and with their children for euer Wherein God is not a seuere exactor of more duetie then we are able to performe but requireth our best endeuour to doe his will and taketh that for pay Neither doth he will this to make profit to himselfe of our obedience but for vs that it may be well with vs and our children for euer 4 The will of God is our holinesse in this obedience that we purge our Conscience from dead workes that we may serue the liuing God That we possesse our vessels that is our bodies in holinesse for they be Vasa animarum a treasure in earthen vessels of great price immortall soules in mortall bodies For this is the will of God euen your sanctification hee giueth the reason of it For God hath not called vs to vncleanesse but to holi 〈…〉 And this was figured in the washings and purifications of the old law and directly commanded by God saying Be ye holy as I am holy But ye are a royall Priesthood Gens sancta 2 The will of God concerning faith is that we beleeue in him and trust him they that know thy name will trust in thee that we cast all our care vpon him that we belieue in him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and this also for our eternall good For so saith our Sauiour And this is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him may haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day This is the law of faith and it is the law of life For it is written The iust man shall liue by faith How needfull this petition is that the will of God may be wrought in vs this way by faith we may soone see 1 If we consider our naturall infidelity for the natural man is so far from beleeuing that he hath not the vnderstanding to discerne those things which belong to the spirit of God neither can hee saith the Apostle for they are spiritually discerned And without faith it is impossible to please God This infidelitie must be purged before the will of God can be done by vs and till this be purged the very preaching of the word the meanes ordained by God to beget faith in vs seemeth foolishnesse For it is as much labour lost to preach spiritual things to a man that hath no faith as to vrge naturall reasons to a man that hath no wit for neither of these vessels be open to receiue any of this pretious liquor stopt with ignorance and vnbeleefe 2 We haue reason to aske this of God because faith is his gift and though he suffereth vs to acquire it by little and little by the hearing of the Word yet the word of God is not any better then litera mortua in it selfe except the holy Ghost do worke by it to beget first then to nourish and encrease our faith 3 Because as Saint Cyprian obserueth well Nobis à diabolo obsistitur quo minus per omnia noster animus atque actus deo obsequatur and therefore he addeth Vt fiat voluntas dei à nobis opus est voluntate dei i. e. ope et protectione quia nemo suis viribus fortis est This is a potent aduersarie hath both his temptations to allure vs and his prouocation to vexe vs wee had need craue ayd against him and God hath laid help vpon one that is mightie to giue vs helpe we had need pray for faith to fasten our hold vpon that helpe If either by fight or flight we can put him off and lay hold vpon the hornes of this altar sub hac indulgentia et misericordia saith Cyprian tuti sumus This enemie hath a great aduantage of vs because of the treason of our owne wils for nothing is more prone and propense to euill then the will of man and there is nothing in man that man loues more then to haue his will euen the regenerate man findeth his will wilfull often and vnruly still We had neede to pray for the will of God to put in to correct and direct our wills 3 The manner how we desire this will of God to be done As in heauen so in earth The 3 first petitions that are addressed mainely to the honour of God end at these
Herod would reward the daughter of Herodias for her dancing he said Aske of me whatsoeuer thou wilt and I will giue it thee Great persons loue to be sued to for their fauours and thinke it an accession to their honour when they haue many petitions Christ would haue vs know that prayer is the key which openeth the full hand of God and that we haue no right to the bread we eate or to any thing wee possesse except we haue first asked it of God by prayer or sanctified it thereby And therefore it is religion and good manners to blesse our tables before we eate with prayer when you reade of Christs eating or feeding of others there looking vp to heauen and blessing goeth before breaking and eating or giuing to eate As if hee would haue vs know that our bread is the gift of God and we must aske it of him and they that haue learnt no other grace before meat to blesse their table and their food if they can say from a deuout heart but this Our father which art in heauen giue vs this day our daily bread no doubt but hee that put that prayer into our hearts and mouthes will see that it shall speed where it goes for hee onely maketh our prayers passable to God and acceptable with him Saint Paul telleth vs that euery creature of God is good for it is sanctified by the word of GOD and prayer Therefore ancient is the practise of sanctifying the table before meate which we call saying of grace Saint Chrysostome mentioneth the grace vsed by the Monkes of Egypt their manner was before their meat was set vpon the boord to repeate ouer the whole Psal 145. And when the meat was set on one said and hee a Priest Christe Deus noster benedic cibo ac potui servorum tuorum quoniam tu es sanctus nunc semper in saecula saeculorum Amen In the middest of the meale they stood all vp and one for the rest repeated these words Benedictus es Domine Deus qui misereris nostri pascis nos à iuventute nostrâ qui das escam omni carni reple gaudio laetitia corda nostra ut semper habentes animum presentibus contentum exuberemus in omne opus bonum in Christo Iesu Domino nostro In the Latine church ancient is this forme of blessing the table The Priest if any be present or the Master of the family if no Priest were in company standing with the guests about the table said Sacerd. Oculi omnium in te sperant Domine Conv. Et tu das escam illorum in tempore opportuno Sacerd. Aperis tu manum tuâ—m Conv. Et imples omne animal benedictione tua Sacerd. Gloria patri filio c. Conv. Sicut erat in principio c. Sacerd. Benedic Domine nos tua dona quae in tua largitate sumus sumpturi Mensae coelestis participes nos faciat rex aeternae gloriae And we may perceiue that the ordinary manner of blessing our tables is taken from these great and good and ancient examples of the seruants of God in times past Let me therefore admonish you in the feare of God not to lay hands vpon the dayly bread till you haue blessed it with prayer that God may feed you and susteine you with his prouisions for vnblest bread is not wholsome 6 Da teacheth vs the necessity of thanksgiuing for if we receiue our food of gift and God doth expect no other pay or reckoning but our thanks Dauid will tell vs that iustos decet laudare Therefore it was frequent also with those aboue named after their meale to stand vp and to render thanks to God for their food The Latine Church Sac. Confiteantur tibi omnia opera tua Con. Sancti tui benedicant tibi Sac. Gloria patri filio c. Con. Sicut erat in principio c. Sac. Agimus tibi gratias omnipotens Deus pre universis tuis beneficijs qui vivis regnas in saecula saeculorum Sac. Benedicam Domino in omne tempus Con. Et semper laus ejus erit in ore meo Sac. In Domine gloriabitur anima mea Con. Audiant mansueti et laetentur Sac. Magnificate Dominum mecum Con. Et exultemus nomini eius in id ipsum Sac Sit nomen Domini benedictum Con. Ex hoc nunc usque in saecula Sac. Deus det nobis suam pacem And this is the forme of blessing the table vsed according to the statutes of the Colledge where I had my breeding euen at this day In the Greeke Church after meales Gloria tibi sancte pater gloria tibi rex quoniam dedisti nobis escas ad laetitiam imple nos etiam spiritu sancto ut in veniamur in conspectu tuo accepti non confusi pudefacti quando reddes unicuique secundum opera sua To which they added Sicut in medio discipulorum tuorum coenantium adfuisti Salvator dicens pax vobis ita veni etiam ad nos et salva nos I shew you these ancient formes vsed in both the Churches both Greeke and Latine to stirre you vp to reuerence and thanksgiuing in the blessing of this bread which you beg of God that wee doe not like bruite beasts receiue our food from God without imploration of his blessing with recognition of his fauour 7 The last duty is a sober vse of our bread let it not be the bread of gluttony or the wine of drunkennesse We must take heed that the gift of God bee not abused to his dishonour lest it turne vnwholsome and vnprofitable for vs. This is the fathers gift and it is the childrens bread it is no meate for dogges that is for greedy and vnthankfull deuourers thereof But a more proper vse of this point will follow vpon the word Daily 3 Da nobis 1 We must herein consider our first respect the beginning of our charity at our owne persons Christ that taught vs to pray teacheth vs to haue care of our owne maintenance and to seeke it of God for it is a true rule Qui sibi nequam cui bonus The Law makes vs a president of loue ut teipsum This doth reproue the Romish doctrine of voluntary pouerty for they taking aduantage of those words of Christ to the yong man Si vis perfectus esse vende omnia et da pauperibus doe count that a worke of super-errogation to doe so to giue away all and liue vpon almes Whereas that was not an euangelicall counsaile as they suggest but a precept and not a precept of obedience but of probation whereby God did proue the heart of that yong man that himselfe might see how his soule did cleaue to the world and the things thereof Or at the most it was but a particular precept giuen to that man and not a generall counsell extensiue to all persons and all ages and times for God would haue vs eat
our owne bread And that is called our owne bread as you haue heard which according to Gods ordinance wee doe labour and sweat for and that is intended in this petition da nobis that is giue it to our honest labours in a lawfull calling The Apostle doth so presse this labour vpon vs that thereby we many acquire both a competency to relieue our owne wants and an ouerplus to giue to such as need and this blessing vpon our honest endeuours is here begged of God The sonne of Iakeh prayeth feed me approuing it lawfull for euery particular person to pray first for himselfe and his owne sustentation This also reproueth the idle and vnthrifty those that take no care for the necessaries of life and those that waste them wee say they are foes to none but themselues but such are friends to none the Apostle calleth them euill beasts slowbellies for with what face can they say da nobis that either refuse or abuse and waste the meanes that should giue them their bread It lost Esau his birthright quia maluit victum accipere quam acquirere Multitudes of these weeds grow vp amongst vs who take no care for their owne bread and cast themselues wilfully vpon the charity of others drinking the sweat of others browes and deuouring the bread of idlenesse the iust lawes of this kingdome doe shut vp our charity against those who liue vpon the spoile and take no care for their owne support Solomon saith rods be for the backs of fooles and our whipping posts are set vp for such and S. Pauls rule is our warrant to let them that will not labour goe without meat And from this head of carelesnesse to get their owne bread come those night burglaries and day pilferies and highway insurrections and cunny catching conueyances to rob such as labour for our owne bread 2 Nobis includeth their owne families which also teacheth vs euery one to haue a care of wife and children to prouide for them how shall wee looke for the honour due to parents and masters of families if wee neglect our necessary care of them The good woman in the Prouerbs is noted for this care She riseth while it is yet night that is before the Sunne and she giueth meat to her houshold and a portion to her maydens and after followeth her houshold are cloathed with double garments The Apostle saith If there be any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold hee denieth the faith and is worse then an infidell The Apostle saith If there be any such for it is presumed that none should be such but such infidels wee haue too many that drinke downe the maintenance of their families at drunken sittings that eat vp their bread from them at gluttenous banquets and feasts that play away the bread of their owne houses in vnthrifty gaming 's that waste the legacies and hereditary dimensions and the wages of their labour vpon harlots The Apostle telleth vs how wee should esteeme them as infidels that deny the faith They haue put out that light of nature which shineth in the beasts of the field in the foules of the ayre for nature teacheth them to take care of their yong they build nests for them they feed them till they can shift for themselues The Hen gathereth her yong ones vnder her wings but these wastfull consumers of their meanes pluck out the feathers from their owne wings that they can neither flye themselues nor shelter their young without naturall affection and of a reprobate sense they stench the congregation where they liue with their noisome and vngodly conuersation But thou man of God flye these things and seeke thy bread for thy selfe for thy family that they may blesse thee 3 This nobis doth put vs in minde that we doe liue in society homo est animal sociale wee must pray for bread for the common-wealth in which we liue non est bonum nisi in communi bono the state in which we liue doth exact this common care of all the parts of the body thereof that we suffer not the society of men to suffer partem patria No states haue euer thriued better then those that haue most studied and laboured the common good and nothing doth sooner bring in an vniuersall miserie then the ouermuch retiring of our care to euery ones particular This hath multiplied grieuances when some particular persons haue found out proiects to heale themselues by wounding of the common-wealth and it is generally prognosticated that many of these grieuances will put forth this spring in our state God giue wisedome and courage and skill to the state-Physitians to heale these sores The King the head of this body must be supported and bread is the care of the state to supply it for this cause pay ye tribute saith the Apostle the necessities of state must be supported for the honour thereof and that the faculties of weldoing may not faile Charity seeketh not her owne things so long as wee labour and pray for the good of our Common-wealth we shall not want bread for in the plenty and peace of our whole land we shall haue both peace and plenty Those that milke the Common-wealth and draw the breasts of it till bloud come are enemies of society and the bread that is thus gotten will be grauell in their mouthes God be mercifull vnto vs to detect and confound all such proiections and let our Common-wealth that hath beene so glorious in the eye of all the world renue her glory thus blemished in late daies 4 This nobis doth especially oblige our care to the members of the mysticall body of Christ all those that are parts of the Church of God that we labour God in our prayers for the prosperity of Sion and for Ierusalems welfare that wee may see the Church of God in prosperity all our life long and that we may procure her good The poore persecuted members of Christ in the bloudie violence put vpon them in France fled hither in multitudes to seeke bread God be euer blessed for the piety and charity of our nation toward them their loines blesse vs and their mouthes testifie for vs that the charitable and hospitall entertainments which they gaue to our fathers in France flying from the persecution of Queene Mary whose garments were dyed in the bloud of Gods Saints were not forgotten The Apostle commendeth this charity to vs with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially to the houshold of faith O Lord let not them want bread that feare thee and call vpon thy name 5 Nobis doth include our Ministers that breake vs the bread of life it is our care and duty to see to them that they want not bread God hath resigned to vs his owne portion and hee that hath set vs a worke hath designed our wages hee would not haue the Altar so leane that hee that attendeth at the