probable he was a person considerable very likely him whom the Jews call Simeon the first who lived at this time and was the son of the most famous Rabbi Hillel (i) Vid. Scultet Exerc. Evang. l. 1. c. 61. and Light-foots Harm on this place who opposed the received opinion of the temporal Kingdome of the Messiah for it is certain our Simeon did so or he had never thus rejoyced over a Messiah presented by so mean Parents in swadling clothes at the gates of the Temple It was not the object that appeared to his eyes but the illumination of the Spirit and the prospect of his Faith that elevated his affections Wherefore we need not pretend to dismiss this holy song by alledging it was an extraordinary occasion for the writings of thâ— Apostles which are daily read among us do as clearly represent him the Saviour of the world to the eye of Faith and set him before us as evidently in the house of God as any bodily sight could do to him and if our minds be inlightened and our faith firm as his we have the same occasion and ought to rehearse it with the same devotion The mercy is made sufficiently plain to us it we were but as apprehensive of the advantages it brings to us and all men as he was I know not why we should wish to live any longer then till we have obtained hopes of a share in it But we have houses to build families to propagate and designs to compleat and all before we are willing to dye We desire something besides nay perhaps more then an Interest in Jesus and therefore we dare not joyn in this noble wiâ—h But he was dead to the world before and had been impatient of a longer stay but only for the promise to have a sight of Jesus in the flesh And when this long-wished for happiness was come to pass his expectations are answered and all his desires filled He values nothing here but humbly craves his dismission His holy soul that came from God can find no rest on the waters of this world and therefore desires to return with an Olive-branch of peace to its dear Lord (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Câ—em Al. Strom. 4o. Mortem Stoici appellare solent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian where it was sure of rest and joy among the best of friends He now desires leave to depart from the flesh which he had long esteemed his Prison wherein he was confined by his infirmities (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Themistius ap Stobae and shut up from beholding the glories of God which he now longs to see more then ever by this last experience of his Truth and Mercy and he knew that death would set him free his desires and joy begin to swell too big to be confined in the walls of flesh and now he is even straitned till he be let loose into the regions of glory to praise him face to face And yet his extasies transport him not beyond the measures of obedience and humility for he first asks his Masters leave nor will he go till he have Commission but he intimates he had stript himself of all worldly desires and had his inner coat his flesh in his hands ready to lay it down and run whenever the watch word (m) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ar. was given His hopes and desires to see his Saviour had alone made his life acceptable and the fulfilling of them makes even death most welcome to him because he knew that Jesus came to disarm death and by satisfying for sin to deprive it of that sting which made it terrible to all men All the sin-offerings of the law were but weak armor to encounter death nor could they so fully purge or appease the Conscience as that it should not accuse in the fatal hour But the perfect Sacrifice of the death of Jesus doth so fully avert Gods wrath that all that believe in him can triumph over death meet it with courage and embrace it with peace as the end of their fears and the entrance into their felicity (n) 1 Cor. 15.55 Non est timendum quod liberat nos ab omni timendo How can he fear death that hath his sins forgiven or how can he doubt Gods mercy that beholds his Son with faith and love or how can he question the truth of Gods Promises that embraces Jesus the greatest of all in his arms He that knows Gods power is persuaded of his love and convinced of his truth can dye in peace and lye down with joy in the assurance of a blessed Resurrection And this we may do for it was only their priviledge who lived then to see Jesus and whoever looked on him so as to dare to dye then must behold him by faith and thus we may see Christ not only with Simeon presented in the Temple but with St. Steven standing at the right hand of God not only in his rising but his full glory Why then are we so fixed to this world so desirous to stay so loath to depart so sad when God calls Oh let us look on this our Redeemer so stedfastly and embrace him so tenderly in our hearts that it may appear he is dearer to us then our very lives Let us love him so intirely that nothing may satisfie us without him and trust so fully in his merits and mercies that we may live chearfully and dye peaceably Let us say with this devout Old man Lord I do now so clearly perceive thy purposes of mercy so confidently believe thy promises of forgiveness and so firmly rely on the hopes of glory that I resolve to be ever thy servant I desire to stay no longer in this world then to get assurances for a better Earths vanities do not make me wish to live nor deaths terrors afraid to dye If thou callest me this day Lord I come I can live with patience or dye in peace for I see him that will preserve me in life or death and gives me hopes that whether I live or dye I am the Lords I was not with Simeon in the Temple to behold my Saviour with my bodily eyes but I have had thy Salvation as clearly manifested in this thy holy word as if I had seen him with my eyes Lord grant me thy holy Spirit that I may behold him with the same faith and embrace him with the same affections that he did and then I shall chearfully joyn in a Nunc Dimittis and being daily ready to dye shall ever be fit to live and thy will shall be done in my life or death Blessed Lord thou hast even to our dayes by these holy writings sufficiently manifested thy Son before all our faces and it is our carelesness ingratitude and unbelief that hides him from our eyes and makes us hug these vanities and fear to leave them But thou hast done thy part and I will praise thee for sending this bright and glorious Sun
thankfulness whether it instruct or reprove us invite us to duty or affright us from sin whether it consist of Promises or Threatnings Precepts or Examples it ought to be concluded with We praise thee O God viz. for illuminating our minds quickning our affections renewing our memory reviving our hopes awakening our sloth or confirming our resolutions Some benefit we have or may have by every one and therefore a Hymn will both refresh us with variety discharge a great obligation to God and prepare us to hear the next Lesson with fresher appetite We have two for our choice that we may suit every Chapter but we shall first consider that which is most usual the Te Deum The Analysis of the first Hymn or the Te Deum This Hymn hath three Parts 1. An Act of Praise containing 1. The Duty performed by us in Praise and Homage 2. The encouragement from others who also Praise him 1. All People of the Earth 2. All the Powers of Heaven Angels Cherubins Seraphins and Apostles Prophets Martyrs All Saints 2. An Act of Confession declaring 1. The Persons confessing viz. The Universal Church 2. The Faith Confessed 1. In the whole Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. Particularly in the Son being an acknowledgement of 1. The glory of his Essence 2. The manner of his Subsistence 3. The humility of his Birth 4. The benefits of his Death 5. The height of his Exaltation 6. The certainty of his Return 3. An Act of Supplication requesting 1. For all the faithfull 1. Present assistance 2. Final acceptance Deliverance from Evil Prosperity Direction support 3. The means to attain both viz. 2. For our selves expressing 1. Who we are His constant servants 2. What we desire Strength against sin pardon for it 3. Why we desire this because 1. Of Gods Mercy 2. Of his Promises 3 Ouâ— humble Expectations A Practical Discourse on the Te Deum § 2. ALthough this Song of Praise be not of Divine Authority yet it is said to have been miraculously composed and first Sung by St. Ambrose and St. Augustine after the Baptism of that illustrious Convert and it is placed among the undoubted works of holy Ambrose who in the times of general Calamity first brought the use of Hymns into the Latine Churches which had been used in the East from the beginning and made several Forms of Praise himself and among the rest this grand and powerful Hymn (y) Grande carmen istud est quo nihil potentius Quid enim potentius quam Confessio Trinitatis quae quotidiè totius populi ore celebratur Certatim omnes student fidem fateri Patrem Filium Spiritum S. nôâ—unt versibus praedicare Ambros in Conc. de Basilicis c. Tom. 5. which its likely he means when he speaks of that Confession of the Trinity in Verse which the people so much delighted in and sung so joyfully every day For this hath ever since been frequently used and highly esteemed in the Church not only for its Authors sake but for its own since it is so rare a piece of choice Devotion The principal scope whereof is to give all glory to God which therefore is interwoven with every part but the nine first versicles are wholly Eucharistical wherein we express our own gratitude and cast our eyes on all Creatures in Heaven and Earth that joyn with us in paying that Duty to heigthen our Devotion before so great a Lord. We have now heard out of Gods sacred Word those gracious invitations and sweet comforts those useful directions and necessary warnings which he therein gives us for all which we give him thanks when we say We praise thee O God We have also heard many instances of his Power and been instructed in his holy commands which engages us to acknowledge his Authority and pay our homage Therefore we promise to be his Servants and seriously acknowledge him to be our Lord which is a mocking of the Divine Majesty (z) Luke 6.46 unless we resolve to do what he hath signified to be his Will But why should we not be sincere in this acknowledgment since it is our honour to serve him whom the Heavens praise and the Earth worships and all the Inhabitants of both are subject to The Earth that is the men that dwell therein in all ages did and in every Nation now do give him honour For there is no time nor Country which hath not afforded many to confess and adore him that fills all places and endureth from everlasting to everlasting But if so many examples our of all mankind will not suffice to make us praise him devoutly and acknowledge him faithfully let us lift up our eyes to the Heavens which are replenished with Creatures more noble and glorious then we yet all these make it their imployment and account it their delight to glorifie his Name And we lately prayed that Gods will might be done on earth as it is in heaven How it is done there this excellent Hymn will shew you It opens Heaven to you nay with the Evangelical Prophet carries you thither to behold their Order Angels and Powers Cherubins and Seraphins Apostles Prophets and Martyrs This shews you their Imployment which is one and that you are now exercised in even to Praiâ—e the Lord every morning (a) Gen. 32.26 Dimitte me quia ascendit columna Aurorae apprepinquat hora Angelorum ad laudâ—ndum Deum Targ. Hierosol or rather every moment with never ceasing voices (b) Voce incessabili in S. Ambrose Nay you may learn their song (c) Isai 6.3 Sanctus Pater Sanctus Filius Sanctus Spiritus Cal. Par. Jon. Iâ—a olim legebal P. Galatinus even that mysterious Anthem to the Trinity by which they confess every Person and adore all So that you may at once learn what to believe and how to worship God Oh let us learn the song we must sing in Heaven when we shall bear a part in that Celestial Quire where all these glorious hosts ever magnifie their great Commander all Creatures of the Earth all the Lights of Heaven and the Innumerable and invincible Legions of Angels are listed under this our Lord fight for him and ever execute his commands Wherefore he is called Lord God of Sabaoth that is of the Armies and Powers of Heaven and Earth And since every one that is under him gives him honour the majesty of his glory must reach as far as his troops extend and they fill both the upper and lower world Joyn with these Angelick hosts now and you shall be joyned to them hereafter be not discouraged at the distance of your nature and Condition for there are alreâ—dy many of our bretheren which were oâ—ce as we are already glorious and admitted to this honour intermixed with this Society Oh see the faithful and painful Apostles see the zealous and holy Prophets behold the triumphant Army of devout and couragious Martyrs how they all rejoyce and sing The
will obtain help from him for us by the power of his undenyable intercession and as a glorious Conqueror commands the Earth and Hell it self So that his might will secure us here and this is our strong Tower in which we believe our selves so safe that upon the confidence thereof we pray for protection and defence and that we may neither fear nor feel harm from any of our opposers and desire this may be granted and decreed in heaven by the mighty interest of our Mediator there and accomplished on earth by the invincible strength of the same Jesus here Amen The Paraphrase of the Collects for Peace O God who by thy constant power and providence art the author of safety and the cause of our peace from without the procurer of amity and lover of concord within thy Church and among thy people Thou art the only true God in knowledge of whom standeth out chief happiness in eternal life and our best means of coming safe thither for thou art the best of all Masters whose service is safe and pleasant because it is perfect freedom from the slavery of Sathan and the fear of his instruments Therefore mighty Lord be pleased to defend us who fly to thy protection and surrender up our selves to thee vowing we are and ever will be thy humble servants Oh keep us safe in soul and body if not from yet however in all assaults which are made upon us by the power malice or cunning of our enemies let their attempts be so constantly frustrated that we under the shadow of thy wings may couragiously proceed in our holy course and surely trusting in thy defence while we are faithful to thy service that we may not so much as fear the power or policy of any adversaries since we have so good grounds to hope thou wilt now and alwaies hear us through the interest and help us through the might of Iesus Christ thy dear son our Lord and only Saviour Amen The Analysis of the third Collect for Grace In this Collect are four parts 1. A confession of the Attributes of God 1. Love O Lord our heavenly Father 2. Power Almigâ—ty and 3. Eternity everlastiâ—g God 2. An acknowledgment of his Providence Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day 3. A Petition for â—is grace 1. To preserve us from evil 1. In general defend us in the same with thy mighty power 2. In particular from 1. Spiritual and grant that this day we fall into no sin 2. Temporal neither run into any kind of danger 2. To help us in doing good that we may be 1 Directed by him but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance 2. Accepted of him to do alwâ—ies that which is righteous in thy sight 4. The means to obtain it through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Practical Discourse on the Collect for Grace § 5. O Lord our heavenly Father almighty and everlasting God Peace without Grace is the nurse of vice the sauce of dangerous pleasures It occasions our forgetfulness of God that gave it and becomes an undisturbed opportunity to prosecute and enjoy those lusts which it is apt to breed So that we must not pray for Peace alone but joyned with righteousness and Grace for these God hath united in Scripture (n) Psal 85.10 2 Cor. 1 2. and we must not separate them in our devotions For which cause this Collect for Grace follows that for Peace Grace alone can make Peace true beneficial and lasting and sin is the great boutefen and the greatest enemy to Peace in the world So that by receiving this Collect devoutly we still improve our former request and if we can obtain such grace as to make us just and charitable meek and patient towards one another this world will be the Type of everlasting Peace We shall neither disquiet our selves nor others while our doings are directed by the wisdome and agreeable to the will of the God of peace Since therefore Grace is so necessary for us we must learn where to seek it and its very name will lead (o) Gratia est gratis data non meritis operantis sed miseratione donantis August Epist 120. us to the free and inexhaustible fountain whence it ever flows even to God who gives to all men liberally and upbraideth no man The very Heathens confessed it the gift of God (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. Mem. Nulla sine Deo mens bona Seneca who will rejoyce to hear such a request from an humble soul that is sensible of its own weakness and desirous of his strength He will be more ready to grant then you can be to ask (q) Luke 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maxim Tyrius in dissert Consider but the Attributes the Church hath prefixed to this Prayer Is not the Lord your heavenly Father and shall not he pitty and love you and delight to do you good Is he not Almighty and therefore able to relieve you and Everlasting the same yesterday today and for ever Being All-sufficient and never to be drawn dry though we come day by day unto him We have no reason to doubt either his sufficiency his might or his mercy and therefore no cause to fear but this Petition shall prevail We are on Earth but we have a Father in Heaven we are weak but our Lord is Allmighty our time is measured by daies and nights and we grow older every day and must at length have our end but we have a God that changeth not but is the same from everlasting to everlasting Let this chear our hearts (r) Psal 102.25 26 27. and give wings to our Petitions and strength to our faith Let us fly to him and rest upon him for we can never come to him for grace but we are sure to find him furnished with it and both able and ready to bestow it upon us § 6. Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day The Mercies of God are new every morning and so ought our Praises to be (s) Lament 3.23 Psal 92.1 2. Occurrere ergo ad solis Ortum ut te Oriens invenint jam paratum Ambr. in Psal 119. offered still with a fresh Devotion to which purpose being now come to the shore it will be a pleasant and profitable prospect to look back on the great deep the darkness of the night which we have passed and now to remember that though we were folded in the arms of sleep the brother of death and were insensible of danger and uncapable of resistance yet we have gone safe through those dismal shades which are the image of hell the embleme of death the opportunity of mischief and the most uncomfortable part of our lives And though the Heathens supposed the Dominion of the Night to belong to the Infernal Powers yet we have found it is under the government of our heavenly Father by whose gracious providence we have been kept therein from
freely to purchase Gods favour but though men be thus appeased yet he must have something he likes better and truly the Sacrifices most likely to be accepted of God who needs no outward things are a broken spirit which trembles at his Anger and hateth it self for its sins and is almost dashed to pieces betwixt fear and sorrow Whoever therefore brings such a broken and a contrite heart let him think it never so vile yet O God thou whose favour such alone desire wilt not despise nor reject but accept and embrace both it and those that bring it 2. If they shall further argue against themselves that they deny not Gods gracious nature but that they fear their iniquities have turned his love into hatred his mercy into fury and his kindness into indignation Behold in the next place a free discovery of what God is to sinners (k) Dan. 9.9 for the Jews were then in captivity but had so grievously offended that Daniel who much desired their restauration scarce knew how to plead for them till at last he finds an Argument in Gods gracious Nature viz. That mercies and forgiveness that is many nay infinite mercies and forgiveness for numberless sins were Gods peculiar possession a principal part of his Name (l) Exod. 34.6 the chiefest of his Attributes and inseparably annexed to his Essence and therefore the sins of his creatures cannot make any change in God Mercy in the creatures is by communication from him but he is the original and fountain which is never dry therefore Daniel confesseth they are sinners but denies that therefore it is impossible to hope for pardon for their evil doings could not rifle his treasures nor rob him of his Attributes nor alter his Nature That continues the same still and therefore there is mercy to be had He confesses them guilty of all sorts of sins that is sins of commission and that even to an absolute rebelling and forsaking of God and apostacy from him (m) LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita Vulg. Vat. by Idolatry and then also Omission and neglect of walking in Gods law though they were taught and instructed in it therefore they deserved no mercy But God is the fountain of mercies still and therefore there is yet hope Other Translations generally read not though but because we have sinned which is but a further illustration of the same sense viz. We may see and be convinced that Mercy is Gods peculiar possession because we have done such vile things and yet he hath spared us that we might by our humiliation give him occasion to forgive us and this his pity in sparing shews his intention of restoring us and therefore should quicken us to address to him who hath it solely in his own power Daniel will not go to the King of Babylon not to the best nor greatest on the earth No Mercy is Gods and so we have the better hope to obtain it Dan. 9.9 Why should we because we have formerly sinned remain hopeless of ever being received since we know that To the Lord Jehovah who is peculiarly our God as inseparably annexed to his Essence and as his own proper possession belongs mercies infinite and forgivenesses more then our sins can need and since they are his we hope we shall have them though we are unworthy for though we have sinned by breaking his laws and rebelled against him by forsaking his Covenant neither have we done what he commanded us nor obeyed the voice of the Lord our God who charged us by his servants to walk in his laws and tread in that plain and pleasant path which he set before us though all this be true we are sorry for it but will not despair because God can yet restore us 3. To enforce both the former and encourage these humble souls whose desires are too big for their faith here is a lively example of one (n) Luke 15.18 19. whose condition was as miserable his faults as great and his reception as unlikely as theirs can be And yet he comes and speeds that you may take example hereby and do likewise The example is that of the prodigal son who had voluntarily forsaken his Fathers house and carried away his full portion which he wasted lavishly and consumed in all manner of riot and excess never thinking of nor regarding his father all the time of his madness till extreme want had restored him to the use of his Reason (o) ver 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad seipsum rediens and put him into his wits again and then he blames himself for lying still either in his sin which is lapsus animae the fall of the soul resolving to arise by repentance or else you may understand his lying along or sitting on the ground to be a posture of sorrow (p) Isa 3.26 But he sees he may sit disconsolate for ever and be no nearer to his fathers house wherefore he resolves to take courage and arise and not sit alwaies bemoaning himself with a vain and ineffective grief but repenting himself to return home His father had not called him nor had he any assurance he should be received only he knew if he sate still he must starve and if he were repulsed he could suffer no more He comes not to make any apology but to bring in accusation against himself he hoped indeed that his offence could not unty the bands of that dear Relation and therefore calls him Father but confesseth he had forfeited the title of Son and not onely broken the law of Nature but of heaven that is of the God of heaven (q) Coelum pro Deo ponitur quoniam est ejus habitaculum Elias Tisb Psal 73.9 who expresly requireth this Obedience He could have wished a return to his Fathers Table but that were Presumption to expect only he hopes he will not see him starve and if he be set with the meanest servants that will be prevented But the Father is readier to hear then the Son to desire and what his unworthiness made him ashamed to ask his Fathers Bounty made him willing to bestow and he that scarce hoped to be admitted a servant is once more owned as a dear son This he found and so shall they that follow his example Luke 15.18 19. Why do I sit still in my sin vainly bemoaning my folly while I am like to starve surely I will take courage and I will arise by repentance and with prayer and supplication make haste and go by faith to my Father who can relieve me and perhaps may have pity on me For to move his bowels toward me as soon as I see him I will fall down and will say unto him Father who didst beget me that am now so wretched I here confess that I have sinned by my ungodly courses against Heaven and the God that dwells there and before thee being so ungrateful for all thy love that I justly deserve to be disowned and
is the Christians highest aim it was Davids prayer (z) Psal 19.14 and the greatest blessing the Priest could wish (a) Numb 6.24 25 26. Psal 20.3 4. that Almighty God might accept them Poor Socrates after many a tedious step in a virtuous but afflicted state (b) An diis placent quae feci nescio hoc autem solum scio me sedulò haec egisse ut placerent could not tell whether he had given content to his Deities or no but whoever of you have the grace of Repentance and the holy spirit are not in those uncertainties but have Enochs Testimony Heb. 11.5 that you do please God § 12. And that the rest of our lives hereafter may be pure and holy this is the second benefit and motive earnestly to pray for these things for so you shall not only be welcomed at present with a gracious smile but all your lives long be reputed as the friends of God and by his help shall be preserved as pure as a true Repentance hath made you and as holy as those are who are under the Guard of the Spirit of holiness Pray therefore with all your soul for a true Repentance or else as soon as your soul is washed it will return to its impure wallowings and all your labour is in vain hitherto (c) 2 Pet. 2.22 laterem lavare for a feigned repentance will send Absolom away for a while but upon the next Enterview will hurry us with more passion into his embraces whereas the deep wounds of the true penitent make sin hateful to him while he lives and he that gets on a white garment with so much difficulty will not easily sully it but carefully preserve it pure as his tears have made it And upon the same ground be very pressing for the holy spirit Which if you can obtain you shall not only be preserved from the spots of sin but shall shine with the lustre of a holy life for our goodness is apt to vanish (d) Hos 6.4 we are wavering and soon weary unless we have that establishing spirit (e) Psal 51.14 David prays for and then all duties will be easie and we shall be strong for love and the sense of his assistance will carry us cheerfully through them all so as to be our pleasure not burden and when we are arrived to this nothing can bribe us to forsake them Oh happy soul that is thus begun to be restored to that purity and holiness which are part of Gods Image (f) Ephes 4.24 and parcels of the Divine Perfections blessed is he that is so far advanced that God is not like to forsake him because he hath made him holy pure and a fit temple for the inhabitation of his spirit nor is he likely ever to forsake that God whose mercy hath saved him whose grace doth refresh him whose waies please him and his glorious bounty which faith discovers doth still allure him to press forward to neerer unions and unseparable connexions no state under the Sun is to be longed and wished for like this which a true Repentance and Gods holy Spirit brings us to § 13. So that at the last we may come to his eternal joy through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen There is nothing more desirable then the sweet peace of a good Conscience but only that which is the end and perfection thereof and that is that happiness which is infinite and endless which the Scripture calls an eternal and everlasting joy (g) Isai 35.10 Chap. 61.7 51.11 which neither men nor devils can lessen or interrupt much less put a period to it And if God give us true Repentance it will preserve us from the sins which forfeit this and if he add his holy spirit it will safely lead us into those paths of righteousness which lead thither where we can desire no more because we have all that is desirable There are no cares to disturb no fears to allay nor sorrows to abate those ravishments of delight for ever there is joy which far surpasseth the half-sad and mixed pleasures which this world hath being nothing else but pure joy which pleaseth by its own excellence and by having no fears nor possibility of defailance in degree or continuance we tast something of it in the charming calm of a strong faith and a quiet conscience with undeceived expectations of Gods love but this is but the land-skip of our heavenly Canaan which Jesus hath purchased for us and God the Father will grant unto us and the most holy Spirit will be our guide thither (h) Psal 51.14 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole glorious Trinity is concerned for us and will cooperate with us to put us into possession of them and then rejoyce over us to all eternity The Father who forgave us the Son who dyed for us and the Blessed Spirit who wrought effectually in us will Communicate this their joy with us and to us for ever And lastly to shew that you thankfully follow these Directions of the Ministers and have in your own heart and thoughts most devoutly petitioned God for a true Repentance and his holy Spirit by means whereof all these incomparable benefits may redound to you in testimony I say hereof you sum up all in a Petitionary Amen desiring it may be so and assenting also to the truth of all this It is most true and therefore oh so be it unto you Amen The Paraphrase of the Absolution BE it known to every one of you that hath confessed his sins with an humble lowly Penitent and obedient heart that Almighty God Supreme King of Heaven and Earth whose Royal Prerogative it is fully to acquit or finally to condemn being the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who assumed our nature and suffered for our sins this great God by his Merits is of an angry Judge become a tender Father and hath solemnly sworn he is one who desireth not neither taketh pleasure in the death or damnation of a sinner though never so justly deserving it but rather chuseth to have opportunity to shew mercy and therefore he useth all possible means that he may turn from his wickedness which will bring the sinner into condemnation that by leaving these paths of death he might be forgiven and live in holiness and comfort here and in everlasting glory hereafter And to confirm this his good will and keep penitent sinners from despair he hath given and in holy Scripture communicated Power by vertue of his Supreme Authority and Commandment for the exercise of this power for when poor sinners need comfort he hath given special charge to his Ministers lawfully chosen by himself and those he appoints to be his Ambassadors to declare at all times his willingness to pardon all and pronounce Absolution more particularly and plainly to those that by returning and obedience do own him even to his People being Penitent for all their offences as you now from your
property (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herodot of a King to do what he pleases But as Gods Kingdome is scarce visible upon Earth so neither is the accomplishment of his Will for those that renounce his Authority become Lords (e) Psal 12.4 to themselves and do their own Will even where it displeaseth God and though his Will be at last done upon them in their final ruine yet this is not so properly his Will not voluntas beneplaciti his pleasure no more then the malefactor doth his Princes will when he suffers death by his Laws for a capital crime because he that made that Punishment did appoint it to terrifie from the Crime and it was not his intention any should suffer by it so it is the Will of God that all men should live holily here (f) 1 Thess 4.3 and happily hereafter (g) 1 Tim. 2.4 Vt salvi simus in coelis in terris quia summa est voluntatis ejus salus eorum quos adoptavit Tertull. ut supr and if any will be wicked it is also his will they shall suffer for it but then his will is not properly done on them that suffer but only on supposition they were obstinate sinners which he would not have them to be Wherefore we pray that his first and principal Will may be done in the Conversion and Salvation of all men And having lately viewed the upper part of his Kingdome where they are ever happy by a full and free obedience to his Heavenly Will we long and wish and desire that this lower part of his Kingdome where so many are yet totally in Rebellion and others frequently revolting when they do profess subjection even that this World were modelled by that heavenly pattern (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 40. as exactly as is consistent with the frailty and mutability of such a state for 't is easie to discern that all the miseries in this world spring from our disobedience to the Laws and our acting contrary to the Will of God so that if the corrupt affections of the better sort were subdued and the evil actions of the more impious did cease and all did guide their actions by the will of God we might be very happy even in this world and should begin our Heaven upon Earth so that we also pray that since 't is Gods will for all to live holily (i) Quid autem Deus vult quam incedere nos secundum suam disciplinam Tert. that this will of his may be accomplished and because our Heavenly Father hath innumerable blessed Spirits there to perform his will and they do it cheerfully and readily fully and constantly we see how much our endeavours come short of them and how little reason we have to be puffed up for our imperfect duties which are begun with reluctancy deferred by sloth or interrupted by vanity carried on heavily shaken with fears and sometimes broken off by sin and this prospect doth humble us while we behold them flying on the wings of love and zeal and our selves creeping by fears and uncertainties and it ought to trouble us that we can do the Will of so great and good a Master in no better manner and then we shall strive and pray that we may know Gods will as fully and desire to do it as fervently and be enabled to accomplish it as pleasantly and as constantly as the glorious Hosts of Heaven do both the lights in the lower Orbs which exactly observe the laws of their Creation (k) sicut coelestia semper inconcussa suo volvuntur sidera motu and those glorious Angels and blessed Spirits which in the regions of bliss do delight continually (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Constit l. 2. cap. 56. to serve him Oh what affections are vigorous enough to pray for the same obedience and unity consent and uniformity among Gods Children as is there above where every one moves in his own place without disturbance thwarting or opposition making perfect Harmony and keeping exact peace and this is Gods will But the word be done seems to others to have a passive signification viz. That whatever happens to us or any by the will of God whether good or evil it may not be displeasing to us and this further shews why we prayed his Kingdome might come that so he may administer all things as he pleaseth for we are not jealous as the Subjects of earthly Princes sometimes are least our God should make his will an arbitrary law because his Holiness and Mercy Truth and Justice are his will we are most sure whatever is his will is best for us be it Judgment or Mercy plenty or want health or sickness life or death it is the best for us whether we apprehend it or no and we ought to wish it may be done because we know he wills no evil to us (m) eò nobis benè optamus quod nihil mali sit in Dei voluntate Tert. and if something we think ill descends from him we may say as Melito did to the Emperor about the Persecutions (n) Si quidem te jubente hoc faciunt bonum credamus quicquid justo imperatore jubente committitur Euseb l. 4. Histor Eccl. c. 25. in hoc dicto ad sufferentiam nos ipsos admonemus Tert. If thou commandest them they are good because injoyned by a just Authority surely though it may seem hard at present it is judged fittest for us by him that knows our temper and need so did the Author of this prayer learn submission (o) Matth. 26.42 and illustrated this petition by his example and so St. Paul (p) Acts 21.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. and to murmure against Gods choice was forbidden by a Heathen and is so impious and foolish that it is a wishing God out of his Throne and the reins out of his hands that we might sit there and rule all things by our own will as if we wished our former petition unsaid Sure we must not only cease to be Christians but sober men before we can fancy our selves wiser to contrive and fitter to dispense all things then God himself is Socrates his prayer was for what was convenient not what he might desire (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ap Juvenal Permittes ipsis expendere numinibus quid Conveniat nobis rebusque sit utile nostris that is plainly that Gods will might be done And if we were our own Carvers we should through rashness and folly passion and prejudice ever choose the worst and having such experience of our mistakes Jesus teacheth us to desire God to order us as he pleases and if we can live this petition believeing the pleasure of God to be alwaies best we shall have comfort in all Conditions and shall glorifie God by such noble opinions of his Wisdome and Power of his love and mercy more then by whole burnt-offerings and
(l) John 19.11 and he obtains leave from God sometimes to try us and so Christ was led (m) Matth. 4.1 by the spirit of God as a Champion to combat Sathan in such case our frailty might make us pray and fear that we might not fall by such a tryal But other times God in his displeasure for one sin suffers us to fall into another not by enticing us but by witholding that grace which should restrain our evil desires and loosing Sathans chain and leaving us encompassed with opportunities and engaging circumstances which we are likely to fall by and this the Scripture phraseth Entring into temptation (n) Matth. 26 44. Ne me inducas in manum peccati nec in manum transgressionis Seder Tephil Lusitan and the Jews in their Forms being led into the hand of temptation or sin And let us remember how often by one sin and desires after more we provoke God to expose us to such circumstances as will infallibly bring us into some grievous transgression but our comfort is that God is our guide and he will direct us and lead us in the right way he foresees the enticing baits and evil objects and wicked company which are in ambush for us and if we rely on his mercy and follow his guidance he will conduct us so as to miss them all or give us strength to overcome them though we have neither wisdome to discover nor strength of our own to avoid the danger wherefore we pray him to lead us who can restrain the powers of darkness and desire we may not provoke him to lead us into evil circumstances and dangerous occasions nor let loose our infernal foes nor leave us to our selves which is the prime intent of this Petition in its first Branch As to the last clause of deliverance from Evil Tertullian and many others take it to be a fuller explication of the former (o) Et respondet clausula interpretans quid sit ne inducas hoc est enim sed dâ—vehe nos à malo de Orat. and by Evil understand the evil of sin as if we were not unwilling to be tempted by afflictions or sollicitations if it be our Fathers pleasure provided he would by his grace prevent us from sinning and falling into iniquity by them temptations and tryals if they occasion not our sin may humble us and quicken our prayers mortifie our lusts and exercise all our graces and therefore we only desire whether God or Sathan by his permission try us we may be innocent Or with the Antients we may take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Evil one that is the Devil who is so called in Scripture (p) 1 John 3.12 Ephes 6.16 Matth. 5.3 Castal à Diabolâ— ibi Tert. à maligno 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost and thus we shall avoid a Repetition which cannot be supposed in this compendious form and the sense will be that God would not deliver us up to sin least our enemy the Devil taking advantage thereby seize our hearts when God hath abandoned them and we become his slaves and forfeit to destruction Or lastly we may by Evil understand the effect of sin viz. the evil of Punishment that we may not be drawn into any wickedness nor into that which certainly follows it sickness losses crosses death temporal and eternal which are the wages of sin and of which the Devil is the Executioner so that the two last senses may very well stand together viz. That God would not put us out of his protection nor deliver us up into Sathans power either as a Tempter first to entice to sin nor as a Tormenter afterward to execute and inflict upon us what those sins deserve in this world or the world to come The sum is that Sin is a dreadful thing and gives Sathan power over us and possession of us and makes us liable to be hurried on to more wickedness by banishing Gods holy Spirit and by taking off his favour it opens a way for all the miseries and mischiefs of this world and the next to fall upon us upon the serious consideration whereof we not only crave the remission of past sins but earnestly beg that we may never more fall into transgression and then we doubt not but to be safe from all Evil. § 9. For thine is the Kingdome and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen Some have imagined this Conclusion was added by the Greek Church to this Prayer not spoken by Christ because all the old Latine Copies want it wholly and all the Greek in St. Luke and some in St. Matthew nor is it expounded by the Latine Fathers others plead it is agreeable to the Jewish forms and generally found in the Original of one Evangelist and in the Syriack and Arabick both antient Translations and is expounded by St. Chrysostome and Theophilact But our Church hath chosen a middle way and hath annexed it here in the first repetition of the Lords Prayer and in some other offices in other places hath omitted it not as if it were not of Divine Authority but therein following St. Luke as here St. Matthew And it is very unlikely those holy Fathers should presume to add their own inventions to this Venerable Form of Christs own Composure It is more probable that our Lord delivering this Prayer twice did add the Doxology at the first time which is recorded in St. Matthew and leave it out the second which is set down in St. Luke and hence the Latine Copies which were very confused and full of error might leave it out in both least the Evangelist should seem to differ in so considerable a matter But however it was it is most for our profit to wave these inquiries and labour truly to understand it It is known the Jews concluded all their Prayers with a Doxology or form of praise and Drusius saith in these very words (q) In Matth. 6.13 Quia tuum est regnum in secula seculorum regnabis gloriosè and our Lord Jesus delighted in imitating their customs though here the reason is weighty for a Prayer is scarce compleat without praises (r) Philip. 4.6 with thanksgiving it being sordid to ask all from God and return nothing to him Prayers may seem more necessary but Praises are as much our Duty and more lovely Petitions fit the Earth but the glorifying God is the imitation of the Celestiall Quire who sing a song much like this conclusion of the Lords Prayer (s) Rev. 5.12 13. Chap. 11.15 nos Angelorum Candidati jam hinc coelestem illam vocem in Deum oâ—â—cium futurae claritatis ediscimus Tertul. de Orat. and we do well to learn it here against we come to use it there We began these Devotions with his glory and now we end with it that this may be the beginning and end of all our actions (t) Rom. 11.36 Horat. Od. l. 3. od 6. Hinc
omne princiâ—ium huc refer exitum we now give that to him our selves which we prayed might be offered him from others For the sense of these words they may be an acknowledgment of his infinite perfections who is not praised by flattery but by a bare confession of the truth what he really is and hath in by and from himself and we fall short of what he is and deserves in our most exact acknowledgments for his Kingdome is everlasting and universal his power infinite and unlimited his glory transcendent and incomprehensible we may repeat them but can neither fully comprehend them nor express them but by silence and admiration only we confess our own subjection weakness and misery and ascribe all these to him Kings must lay down their Crowns Mighty men their Strength and the Honourable men of the Earth their glory at his foot-stool These words considered in themselves thus are an Act of Praise but being connected to the prayer by the particle for they are a proper Conclusion to this Divine Prayer and seem to contain a reason of every Petition for we are obliged to pray that his Kingdome may come because he is the right and lawful King of Heaven and Earth and to desire his will may be done because he hath the just Power and Supremacy over all to command what he pleaseth and to wish his name may be hallowed because he is glorious in himself and deserves all possible praises from all the World so likewise in the three last Petitions of him we ask for a Temporal supply because he is the King of all Creatures and all provisions are his of him we beg a Pardon for he only hath full Power and just Authority to dispense it and of him lastly we request deliverance from Sin and Damnation because he may have the same glory from us as he now hath and ever shall have from the blessed Saints whom he hath brought to his heavenly Kingdome or if this seem too nice and we reflect upon the whole prayer together here we are struck with reverence in remembrance of that great King we have spoken to we declare why we make our addresse to him and what ground we have to hope for acceptance with him His is the Kingdome therefore we his poor subjects do petition him and it is his Prerogative to help and by his Supremacy he may do it His is the Power therefore we his weak impotent Creatures look up to him and rely upon him who is able to do all we desire and being Almighty can perform it His is the Glory and therefore we vile sinners that can do nothing without him though we deserve nothing from him yet we present our necessities before him that by his free grace he may have that glory from us which he hath from all others that he hath formerly relieved Leave thy prayers then with much comfort in his hands who is thy Heavenly Father and may do abundantly for thee by his Right and can do it by his Power and will do it for his Glory both this day to morrow and for ever come when thou wilt he is and hath Kingdome Power and Glory from everlasting to everlasting this is no mortal King nor fading Power nor transient glory but all endures longer then thy wants even for ever and ever Oh how hearty an Amen mayest thou say to this Prayer since as thou hast great reason to desire all these things should be granted thou hast as good ground to believe they shall Amen The Paraphrase of the Lords Prayer after the Absolution MOst merciful Lord God who hast owned us for thy Children by Creating us preserving and providing for us and after our manifold disobedience hast by this gracious promise of Pardon again encouraged us to call thee Our Father thy mercy in receiving us exceeds the Compassions of Earthly Parents and thy infinite goodness and power do evidence thy glory and teach us humbly to adore thee which art in Heaven and therefore thou canst do what thou pleasest in all the world But we are so transported with thy admirable pitty towards us and all poor sinners that forgetting our own wants we heartily desire thy glory even that by us and all men hallowed sanctified reverenced and for ever feared may be thy Name from which we have had our help and thy Attributes in which we have our comfort let us ever express a fervent love and dutiful regard to thee and all belonging to thee Oh Lord we lately were as many yet are in rebellion against thee but since we have sound thee so merciful a Prince Oh let thy Kingdome come into all our hearts to rule us by thy grace and to fit us against it shall come in glory for the Crowning of thy servants and the Condemnation of thy Enemies whose misery thou delightest not in but deferrest thy coming because it is thy will we should live in holiness here and happiness hereafter Dear Father let this thy will be done by our obedience to thy Word and submission to thy Providence for then shall all the world be happy when thy good will and pleasure is done by us and on us thy poor Creatures in earth as readily and fully as constantly and cheerfully as it is in heaven by the blessed Saints and Angels whose food it is to execute thy Commands But Lord thou knowest the frailty of our nature and the misery of our Condition which needs continual support and supplies and forceth us to beseech thee who hast all blessings at thy disposal to give us this day which for any thing we know may be our last and therefore we look no further nor ask no more then out daily bread even so much food and raiment health and wealth prosperity and success as thou seest is necessary and convenient for us in this state of life and condition in which thou hast placed us that we may be able to serve thee not encouraged to forget thee or enticed to encrease the number of our sins which are so many already that we must daily acknowledge and bewail them and remembring the vengeance due unto us for them we earnestly beseech thee to pardon and forgive us our trespasses against thy righteous laws and just authority for Jesus sake who hath made satisfaction for them gracious Lord by his Merits forgive us as we by the help of thy grace the injunction of thy Gospel and the example of thy mercy forgive them that trespass against us in fewer and lesser matters we tremble at the remembrance of all those amazing miseries which our former sins made us lyable to Oh let that mercy which moved thee to Pardon us prevail with thee to become our guide and though we deserve to be deserted by thee yet that we may never fall again into those dreadful circumstances lead us not into any dangerous occasions or opportunities of sin but though many snares be laid for us guide us so by thy Providence
It hath ever been and still is the custome for Souldiers when they were about to joyn in battle (a) 1 Sam. 17.20 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Grot. in Josh 6.5 to encourage one onother with a general shout to which we may compare this joyful Acclamation of the Church Militant we being now about to besiege heaven with our Prayers and to assail the gates of hell by holy resolution every Man shews his Own forwardnesâ— and reproves his Neighbours backwardness with O come let us c. which word signifies that zealous speed we are to make that we may set upon these holy offices and this we are commanded to do by the Apostle whenever we use to meet in the house of God (b) Heb. 10.25 especially in Psalms and Spiritual Hymns (c) Ephes 5.19 Coloss 3.15 then we must admonish and encourage one another as the Minister and People do most pathetically in this Psalm stirring up each others hearts in these two first verses to praise God the same thing after the Poetick manner being expressed in divers words from which it appears this Psalm was sitted for the two sides of the Quire and so we still use it The Priest beginning the Exhortation O come let us sing c. and the people answering Let uâ— come c. thereby approving the advice and returning the courteous invitation and both minister and people do mutually pâ—ess the duty and express their joynt resolutions to glorifie God In private it may suffice that our heart and spirit rejoyce in God (d) Luke 1.46 47. but we are now in publique and therefore as God hath bestowed his favours (e) 1 Cor. 6. â—0 on both soul and body we must both in heart and voice glorifie him by both We must sing his Praises and thereâ—y shew even to men who cannot see the heart th â— we are glad and joyâ—â—l in remembring his goodness We mâ—st 〈◊〉 stand mute but our tongues must affect our hearts and the hearts of all about us that every mans light may shine clearly and our neighbours torch may be kindled at our fire till the several sparks of gratitude that lye hid in single hearts be blown up and united into one flame bright as the blaze of the Altar and till we be all turned into holy joy and love which will be the effect of the zealous performing the outward part But we must also be sure to let our heart make a Unison with our tongue (f) Ephes 5.19 c. Rom. 15.6 or else the grunting of swine is not more harsh and unpleasant to our ears then the best harmony of their voices in Gods who only dwell on the sounds and never observe the sense nor excite devout affections as a caution against such formality there are four good considerations proposed in these two Verses First The Person to whom these Praises are addressed unto the Lord who sees our hearts and cannot as men be deceived with Verbal complements Secondly The reason why we praise him because he is the strength of our Salvation a Rock of Defence (g) See Dr. Hammond Annot. on Psal 89. ver 26. l Syr. potentissimus meus liberator LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to us and a mighty Champion for us and powerful rescuer of us on whose power and mercy relies the strength of all our hopes for this world and the next Thirdly The place where we praise him we are before his presence in those Assemblies where he peculiarly manifests himself The Jews were before the Ark but St. Paul teacheth us that we come into the Holiest of all for we Christians are admitted into the Presence-Chamber and if we mock him we do it to his very face Fourthly The manner in which he expects to be praised even that we be glad in him and rejoyce in the Lord not with the mirth of a Theatre loose and voluptuous but with the joys of Cherubins and all those celestial Orders whose joy is kindled from the pure beams of the Divine love These things as seriously thought on as they are frequently repeated would spiritualize our joy and help us both in heart and voice to glorifie the fountain of all good § 3. Ver. III IV and V. For the Lord is a great God c. 'T is impossible we should do any action chearfully till we are informed of the reason why it must be done and when the understanding is convinced fully the Will chuseth freely and then all the faculties of the Soul and members of the Body lend their help readily to put it in execution For which cause these three Verses contain the Reasons and Motives to that duty of praising God in heart and voice to which the former Verses exhort us For as the Subjects of great Princes do celebrate their masters praises with Panegyricks and with loud hyperbole's set forth the greatness of their Power multitude of their Vassals largeness of their Dominions and the excellency of their atcheivements so we being before the King of Kings and our particular benefactor are more firmly obliged to glorifie him and can more justly commend him upon all these accounts then the Favourites of the greatest Monarch upon Earth who are forc't to magnifie small matters and add many to fill up their Lords character but we need only relate the truth even that our God is infinite and immense in himself absolute and supream in his Authority universal and unlimited in his Dominions glorious and admirable in his Works all which will quicken our Praises if we consider them severally as they are laid down in order in these Verses 1. The Lord is a great God Let us view his Essential greatness and Immensity which places him without the bounds of our apprehension but he is so much the more to be esteemed (h) Hoc est quod Deum aestimari facit dum aestimari non capit Tert. Apol. Nec videri potes visu clarior nec comprehendi tactu purior nec aestimari sensu major est idâ—ò sic eum dignè aestimamus dum inestimabilem diximus Cyprian because he cannot be comprehended our senses cannot represent him nor can those thoughts that can measure out heaven and earth contain him who is not so properly said to be in the world as the world in him for he is every where (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. but is confined no where and though to pursue this contemplation would amaze our understandings rather then help our Devotion yet it will teach us humility and to supply with admiration what we cannot conceive clearly nor explicate fully and it will engage us to extol him as much as is possible that our praises may hear some proportion with his greatness Yet let us believe that whatever we say or think of him here is so far short of what he really is that when we are admitted to the Beatifick Vision we shall confess with that Queen that the
Apostles are raviâ—hed with his glory whom they saw in his weaknâ—ss The Prophets are delighted with him whom they prophesied of but never beheld before The Martyrs are transpoâ—ted with his love and forgetting all their torments solace themselves in his joyes and every gaping wound (d) Quot vulnera hiantia tot ora laudantia Deum is a mouth to chant out his Praise Oh what honour is it to serve such a Lord what delight to be admitted to so glorious a society Summon up all the powers and fâ—culties of your souls and as they fill Heaven do yoâ— fill the Earth with setting out the Majesty of his Glory § 3. The second part of this Hymn in the eleven following versicles is a Confession of Faith And eveâ—y Aâ—ticle thereof is a fâ—rther motive to praise God eitâ—er foâ— the gâ—ory of his Essence or the mercy that appears in his works And since we see God at present only by Faith the Profession of that Faith is to us reputed a glorifying of him (e) Rom. 15.6 The Saints and Angels have a fâ—ll view and what they â—o by Joy we do by Faith and holy desires of a nearer union Aâ—d certainly we cannot set out the Majesty of his Glory better then by assenting to that Revelation which his Truth hath made of himself and by confessing him that the glorious Hosts of Heaven adore and the Universal Châ—â—ch doth and ever did acknowledge For so we agree in a sweet harmony with the Saints and Angels in heaven and with all holy men our Bretheren on the earth For the unanimous consent of the Servants is a manifestation of the Masters honour And it is an evidence that our Lord is really such and so glorious as we believe him to be since all unite in the profession of it Aâ—d this holds good most evidâ—ntly in the great mistery of the Trinity which the Celestial Quire owns by their Trisagium Holy Hâ—ly Holy And the Catholick Church hath most unanimously acknowledged most sacredly kept and most courageously defended above all other Articles so that all those agree in this who differ in many other points Let us then chearfully acknowledge the infinite Majesty of the Father who governs all Creatures and declare the honour of his true and only Son whose Glory is great in our salvation Let us confess the Divinity of that holy Spirit who is our Advocate in Heaven and our Comforter (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 u rumque signif Johan 14.16 1 Ep. Johan 2. ver 1. upon the Earth Above all let us be carefull that the humiliation of our mercifull Redeemer do not abate of our esteem To prevent which the Church in this Hymn as also in all her Creeds makes the largest and most particular Confession of the Son of God and we have here a full account of Divinity and Humanity because by the malice of Sathan these have been so confounded and mistaken by so many Heresies and we have also a recital of those works of his which most concern us because it is the interest of us all to know and believe these which more directly tend to our salvation then any other of the works of God and therefore do more strongly engage our gratitude for we shall find abundaâ—t matter of Praise both in what Jesus is in his nature and what he hath done for us He is very God and therefore we give â—im that title which alone belongs to the Lord of hosts and St. Ambrose the best interpreter of this Hymn saith (g) Psal 24 7. 10. Quis est iste Rex gloriae Respondetur à scientibus Dominus virtutùm ipse est Rex gloriae Ergo Dominus virtutùm est ipse filius Ambros de Fide lib. 4. that twenty fourth Psalm was sung by the Angels at our Saviours Resurrection those who came with him calling to those in Heaven to open the gates for the King of Glory who answered them as it is in that Psalm And we may call him the King of Glory both as he is very God and because he hath purchased Glory for us and shall distribute it to us and shall receive glory and praise from us and all that are partakers of it And his glory depends not on our praises but is inseparable from his nature because he is the true and only begotten Son of God not Created as the Angels nor Adopted as Men but by Eternal Generation Coeternal with the Father and Coequal What though he was born in time the Son of Man this doth not take away his Being the Son of God nor change his nature but express his love and engage our affections Dear Jesus whether hath thy love carried thee from Glory to misery from the highest Throne in Heaven to the lower parts of the Earth (h) Ephes 4.9 Pudorem exordii nostri non recusaâ—iâ— sed contumelias naturae nostrae transcurrit Hilar How hast thou pursued â—s through all the stages of our infelicity from the dishonours of the Womb to those of the Tombe not abhorring the meanest place that was pure nor the lowest condition that Innocence could be put into What cause have we to bless thee (i) Ideo quod homo est Christus esse voluit ut homo possit esse quod Christus est who wert pleased to become what we were that we might be not what we deserved but as thou art Holy Saviour we believe and rejoyce in believing that thou wast born like us livedst with us and diedst for us and that death was our life it was shameful and inglorious sharp and tormenting so terrible as might startle a great confidence in a good cause But it was not more bitter to thee then sweet to us We even we Oh Lord had armed Death with a sting sharp and venomous for our sin had provoked the Divine wrath And this sting though with the suffering (k) 1 Cor. 15.57 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devicto mortis aâ—uleo Ambr. of inexpressible dolours thou hast pulled out and having satisfied the Justice of God canst now triumph over death it self and enable us with comfort to say O Death where is thy sting with which thou didst threaten all the World with unavoidable destruction Who can behold what thou hast suffered and we have escaped and not be ravished with thy Love Oh blessed Lord Jesus The way to Heaven was ever open to Innocence but we all had sinned and come short of the glory of God Heaven gates were shut against us and Hells mouth open to receive us And in this estate our life had been worse then death by the dreadful expectations of deserved vengeance and our death had certainly delivered us up to feel what we feared Do we live with any comfort 'T is thou hast removed our fears Can we dye with any peace It is thou alone hast renewed our hopes if any men that are or ever were or shall be are admitted into this Kingdome
condition but wast conceived in tâ—e Virgins womb and born like unto us only void of sin How chearfully didst thou embrace a bitter and bloody Passion to satisfie the Divine Justice provoked by our offences and when thou hadst by suffering the wrath due to us overcome the sharpness of that sting of death which our sins had armed it with the whole world found the benefit of thy Cross For by those merits thou didst open those gates of mercy which iniquity had shut against all mankind for hereby alone admittance into the kingdom of heaven is granted to all believers that are or were or ever shall be hereafter And no such can be excluded for now thou sittest as a glorious conqueror at the right hand of God to intercede that the faithful may have the benefit of thy purchase to keep possession for them and finally to receive them to partake with thee in the glory of the Father which thou now injoyest and canst dispose it to whom thou pleasest To our great comfort therefore we believe that thou who hast been our Redeemer and art our Advocate shalt come with millions of Angels in great glory to try all the world and particularly to be our Iudge with full Power to condemn or acquit us We therefore knowing our guiltiness and that we cannot account to thy Justice do before hand beg thy mercy and most humbly pray thee help thy servants with thy infinite merits and abundant grace and to answer for them whom thou hast so deerly bought and redeemed with thy most precious blood that we may not loose the benefit nor thou the glory of thy gracious purchase Since all men must stand or fall then at thy sentence Oh do thou acquit thy faithful ones and by applying thy merits make them to be numbred with thy Saints that being placed on thy right hand they may have a part with thee and them in Glory unspeakable and everlasting And that thou mayest have mercy on them in thy Kingdom give them here all that may fit them for it and bring them to it O Lord save thy people from all evil which might dishearten or defile them and bless thy Church with all good things which may make it flourish as thine inheritance and encourage it in well-doing Be thou a shepheard to watch over and feed thy servants a King to defend and govern them in all thy holy wayes and when Sathan and his instruments design to cast them down rescue and lift them up by thy grace above their power and malice that they may be safe for ever Particularly be mindful of us in this Congregation who will never forget thee but as we daily taste of thy mercies so Day by day we acknowledge them in thy house and we magnifie thee for them with these sacred hymns Thou art an everflowing spring of comfort therefore we ever praise thee and we worship thy name both now in this world and will glorifie it in thy Kingdom ever world without end And as by our daily paying thee this Tribute of Praise we declare our selves thy servants Vouchsafe O Lord to remember our frailty and by thy grace to keep us this day which we have begun in thy service holy pure and without sin that our present sacrifice may be accepted and our hearts fitly disposed against the next opportunity We have so often fallen into sin and so sadly smarted for our folly that we must now most earnestly beseech thee O Lord to forgive and have mercy upon us for all that is past and again to have mercy upon us and deliver us for the remaining part of our lives We beg compassion of thee in all humility O Lord let thy mercy come to us and lighten upon us not for our merits nor after the proportion of our deserts but our faith even like as we incouraged by thy promises most readily and firmly do put our trust in thee and hope for it And though we do not challenge it by desert yet we believe thou wilt not frustrate any of our expectations for every one of us renouncing all other helps can say O Lord in thee alone have I trusted because I knew thy grace and bounty Let me not now ask in vain Oh let me never be put to shame before the world or the devil nor be confounded by being sent away empty Amen The second Hymn after the First Lesson at Morning Prayer § 5. WE shall briefly pass over this Hymn because it is seldom used and sufficiently plain it being an invitation of all Creatures to praise God And though it be not in the Canon of Scripture yet it is an excellent Paraphrase on the 148 Psalm and comes so near it in words and sense that we must reproach that if we despise this And we have the practice of the Primitive Church to justifie our use of it wherein it was not sung only four times in the year as in the present Roman Church but on all solemn occasions in the assemblies of the faithful from the beginning as Ruffinus and St. Augustine (d) In omni solemnitate in sacâ—is fidelium decantatur Ruffinus l. 2. adv Hieron ap Sixâ— Senens Biblioth Aug. Serm. 47. temp assure us And the duty which it invites us to ought to recommend it which is to praise God for all his works 'T is true they are so excellent that they do of tâ—emselves declare the Power and Wisdom of their great Creator (e) Psal 19.1 Bona enim ex sâ—ipsis vâ—ce â—â—emittunt neque enim Sol vel Luna interprete egeâ—◠〈◊〉 ipsa lux palam testatur quod totum mundum illustrant Philo. And yet since we have benefit by them and understanding to observe and speech to express his glory who made them God calls on us to lend them a tongue to glorifie him with and by so doing we may fill our souls with reverence and noble thoughts of the Lord of all things Our aptness to be forgetful of the rare contrivance and unthankful for the usefulness of his works makes this Hymn often needful but it is alwayes proper to be used after the History of the Creation or the relation of those miracles wherein God useth the Creatures as Instruments of his Justice or Mercy And then we may in this Form learn the order of Gods works for the method is exact and beginning with the Heavens and the hosts thereof descends to the air the Earth and Sea reckoning up all the furniture of them and concluding with a particular exhortation to the Sons of Men who are concerned in them all to give praise to the Lord their maker the Order will inform our understanding the exactness quicken our memory and the comprehensive and devout manner of address will enlarge our affections if we attend it and desire to profit by it and then it will need no other recommendations The Analysis of the Benedictus or first Hymn after the second Lesson In this
which shined on so many millions of wretched Heathens benighted in the darkness of Idolatry and made them Christian I will bless thee for honouring thy antient but despised people who were more enabled by the birth of Jesus then by all their former Royalties and victorious Trophies and instead of the bright Cloud the glory of the Tabernacle thou hast sent him to pitch his tent among them who was the brightness of thy own glory I am ravished to behold so many joyful souls blessing thee for this light which shined on them in their sins and the confines of eternal darkness and converted and translated them into thy marvelous light And all thy holy Saints in all ages have given thee the glory for all those illustrious beams of Love and Charity Piety Justice and Devotion which shine from their lives and are but the reflexion of the rayes of the grace of Jesus This excellent person rejoyced not only in his own felicity but to behold by the Spirit of Prophecy what joy Jesus was like to bring to me and many thousands of Converts and holy Men to the end of the World Wherefore let us be glad and rejoyce with him for our selves and all people for the light that shines upon us and the glory that is round about us and with all our Souls sing Glory be to the Father c. The Paraphrase of the Nunc Dimittis I Desire not to live in this world any longer then I have laid hold of thy Salvation which since thy Word and Spirit hath now discovered to me I have all I can wish for here therefore Lord now lettest thou thy command go forth that thy servant who hath longed hitherto to injoy thee may depart quietly out of this miserable world and be dismissed from the prison of the flesh I can now leave it in peace being assured thou wilt make good all other Promises since in giving thy dear Son thou hast done so exactly according to thy word My desires are satisfied and my faith confirmed as much as is possible in this world For mine eyes inlightened by thy holy Spirit have seen by Faith in thy blessed word him that is my Redeemer and brings thy salvation to me and all the world I cannot contain nor yet express my joy to behold this lovely Peace-maker w ich thou hast not only manifested in the flesh to the infinite delight of thy servants then but prepared by the discovery of thy holy Gospel to appear most gloriously before the face of all people that ever were or shall be This glorious Sun of Righteousness hath shined on all the Earth his word is a light to lighten the dismal regions of the unconverted heathens and the Gentiles that knew not God His doctrine instructed them and hath converted many and his presence and his grace is the honour and the glory of all true believers the joy and comfort of thy people Israel so that we and all the world are bound to praise thee for thy Gospel and thy son here on Earth and to continue our song to all Eternity when thou lettest us depart from hence Amen The last Hymn after the second Lesson viz. the LXVII Psalm § 6. AFter those parts of the Epistles which are more Doctrinal as containing the excellent principles and precepts of the Christian Religion we may seasonably use this rare piece of Davids devotion which contains most passionate wishes for the propagation of the knowledge of these incomparable truths throughout all the world and zealous desires that they may be known to all as they are to us whereby we declare our high esteem of them our hearty thankfulness for them and our sincere desires that all men might have the benefit and God the glory by them which is a seasonable return for those instructions we have now received out of Gods holy word and these very Petitions are an act of Eucharist and Praise The first Verse is the first Request even that God would be gracious to us in forgiving our sins giving us his grace to profit and outwardly expressing the kindness of his heart by the smiles of his countenance The second Verse is the end why we desire this felicity to his Church that the divine goodness to us may invite many Converts in and the encrease of the Church will be our happiness as it is our desire The third Verse is the second Petition that we and all may so discern the excellency of his Laws that he may be universally praised by Jews and Gentiles Verse fourth both for the holiness of his Commands and the righteous administrations of his Providence And to shew how earnestly we desire Gods glory and how constantly it ought to be paid the same Petition is repeated ver 5. And to encourage all to it the blessed effects of this universal praise are added ver 6. and 7. For when we are thankful God will multiply his blessings the Church shall be replenished with grace and fruitful in good works and more will so be drawn to embrace this Sacred Religion Did we thus earnestly beg his grace to prosper his Word to us and heartily Praise him for it our selves and fervently wish the enlargement of Christs Kingdom God the Father and Jesus Christ even our own God and God the Holy Ghost would assuredly bless us To which holy and undivided Trinity be ascribed all Honour Glory and Praise by us and all the World now and for ever Amen SECTION XI The Analysis of the Apostles Creed In this Creed are two parts shewing what we believe 1 Concerning God 1. In general that there is A God One God I believe in God 2. In special as to the Persons of the Trinity 1. Person the Father His Nature the Father Almighty Works Creation Providence maker of Heaven and Earth 2. Person the Son 1. His Name and Offices Prophet Priest and King and in Iesus Christ 2. His Natures both the Divine and his only Son our Lord Humane in his Conception and Birth who was conceived by the holy ghost born of the Virgin Mary 3. His works 1. Redemption by 1. His Passion suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buryed he descended into hell 2. Resurrection the third day he rose again from the dead 3. Ascension and Interces◠he ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty 2. Final Judgement from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead 3. Person whose Name expresseth His Nature a Holy Spirit His Office to sanctifie us I believe in the Holy Ghost 2. Concerning our selves 1. Our Condition as to 1. Union the holy Catholique Church 2. Communion the communion of Saints 2. Our Priviledges 1. As to the Soul the forgiveness of sins 2. As to the Body the resurrection of the body and 3. As to both the life everlasting Amen A Discourse of the Creed § 1. THE Holy Scriptures being a perfect Revelation of all Divine Truth ought to
to pray to my Victorious Redeemer to rescue me from the snares of Sathan whom he hath conquered to obtain my justification in Heaven and to compleat my sanctification on Earth that I may serve him in new obedience and never lye as dead in sin more Art 6. I do also most firmly believe that the work of our Redemption being finished on Earth he ascended as a glorious Conquerour with great triumph into Heaven from whence he came and sitteth there in great glory now interceding for us and pleading his merits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty that we may be admitted thither for his sake Wherefore I am obliged and resolved to lift up my heart to him and trust in him in all my troubles to hope for the acceptance of my services to ascend thither now in my thoughts affections and desires that I may hereafter ascend in Person and have the full prospect and fruition of his glory And I am encouraged to call upon my glorified Mediator that he will preserve me in peace on Earth fill my soul with longings after Heaven and procure my acceptance there And that his power over Men and all Angels and his interest at the Throne of God may be imployed to bring me to himself Art 7. I do also most firmly believe that though Jesus be now in heaven yet at the end of the world from thence he shall come again most gloriously attended with millions of Angels to try and to judge all the world according to their deeds both the quick which shall then be found alive and the dead though departed never so long before Wherefore I am obliged and resolved daily to expect and diligently to prepare for his coming to Judgment by frequently examining and severely judging my self before by careful avoiding that which would then condemn me and by leaving all evil actions of others to receive their sentence at his Tribunal And I am encouraged to make my supplication to my Judge who also is my Saviour that he will forgive me and all my enemies and to beseech him to prepare us for this day by his Grace and to acquit us in it by his infinite merits and then none can condemn us for ever Art 8. Furthermore I believe most firmly in the third Person of the glorious Trinity the Holy Ghost the sanctifying spirit who is very God and by his assistance and blessing on the means of grace doth instruct convert strengthen and comfort all pious and pure souls Wherefore I am obliged and resolved to honour the holy Word of God to attend on all his Ordinances to follow the good motions of this blessed Spirit and in a lively hope and expectation of the assistance thereof to resist all evil and apply my self to all that is good And I am encouraged to pray by the help of this good Spirit for a blessing on the Word and Sacraments and all Religious duties that I may by them become still more wise and holy till I am sanctified throughout in Spirit and Soul and Body Art 9. I do also most firmly believe that God is and ever was acknowledged by and hath and ever will defend the Universal society of Believers in all ages and places called the holy Catholique Church who are all united unto Christ their head by grace and to one another by love as appears by the Communion of Saints in all offices of Piety and Charity among themselves Wherefore I am obliged and resolved to live in unity peace and charity as a useful member of this Church to adhere to the Faith professed by it to joyn in the Ordinances Administred in it and to do good to all that belong unto it And I am encouraged to pray with my bretheren for the encrease safety and peace of this Church for the flourishing of Religion the prosperity of the Princes sâ—ccess of the Ministers and unity of the members thereof that by our Concord and good works we may all appear living members of Christ Art 10. I do also most firmly believe that I and all true Christians upon our unfeigned Faith and hearty Repentance shall obtain the forgiveness of and a Pardon for all our sins through the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus Wherefore I am obliged and resolved never to forsake Christs Church to which this priviledge doth belong diligently to repent of all my Transgressions and chearfully to serve my God without fear neither doubting the truth of his Promise nor the sufficiency of my Redeemers merits And I am encouraged daily to make an humble Confession of my siâ—s with earnest supplications for Absolution and hearty Petitions that I may repent so truly that I may abhor and forsake all iniquity here and be fully acquitted from it at the last and great day Art 11. I do also most firmly believe that not only our souls remain after death but our whole man shall be restored to life again by the resurrection of the body howsoever corrupted or dispersed and its reuniting to the soul at the voice and by the power of the Son of God Wherefore I am obliged and resolved to keep this body in temperance soberness and chastity while I live to resign it chearfully when I dye to be steadfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord since I know my labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. And I am encouraged to pray through the first begotten from the dead for the sanctification of my vile body and a part in the first Resurrection that over me the second death may have no power and that I may be delivered in the greatest miseries of this life and supported under the very Agonies of Death Art 12. And finally I do most firmly believe that the wicked shall remain in endless torments while Gods faithful servants shall enjoy his presence and the society of Saints and Angels in the life whose joys are unspeakable and its glories everlasting which Faith I seal with a most hearty Amen Wherefore I am obliged and resolved to suffer patiently whatever happens in this transitory life to spend the moments thereof well to despise the short and empty pleasures of sin and to esteem nothing too good to loose too difficult to resist or too tedious to perform for the obtaining this happiness And lastly I am encouraged to pray to the purchaser of this Glory to comfort me in all the troubles of this life with the hopes and to carry me through all my duties here by the desires thereof and finally to bring me to the fruition of this bliss the fulfilling of all these hopes and desires hereafter Amen SECTION XII Of the Versicles and their Responsals before and after the Lords Prayer § 1. THe Lord be with you Answ And with thy Spirit If we have sincerely repeated our Creed together we have professed our Faith in God and declared our unity and agreement with one another and then we have cause to hope our Prayers will prevail
and thy gracious Providence we being defended from the Power and malice and preserved in safety from the fear of our enemies may never be hurt terrified or disturbed but may pass our time which thou shalt afford us on this earth in rest from our foes and quietness in our own minds Grant us O Lord therefore this Peace for the sake as it was obtained through the merits of thy Son Iesus Christ our Saviour Amen The Analysis of the third Collect for Aid against all Perils This Collect hath only two Parts 1. The Petitions for 1. Mystically Knowledge Lighten our darkness we beseech thee O Lord Literally Comfort 2. Safety intimating 1. The means by which we must be delivered and by thy great mercy defend us 2. The evils from which from all perils and dangers 3. The time in which of this night 2. The motive urged to obtain them for the love of thy only Son our Saviour Iesus Christ Amen A Practical Discourse on the third Collect at Evening Prayer § 5. LIghten our darkness we beseech thee O Lord The declining of the day doth now mind us of the approaching darkness which will shortly wrap us in the shadows of the night And what Petition more seasonable then with holy David to beseech God to enlighten our darkness (o) Psal 18.28 Vul. Deus meus illumina tenebras meas For the night is sad and terrible in it we can see nothing with our bodily eys to entertain or to cheer us and we seem exposed to all the mischieâ—s (p) Versuta frans callida amat tenebris obtegi Prud. Ovid. Metam 2. Conscia culpae Conspectum lucemque fugit tenebrisque pudorem Celat John 3.20 Job 24.17 of Sathan and those instruments of his who fly the light and hope to cover their sin with this sable Mantle our dangers are many and our fears are sometimes more especially if our eyes be closed by unbelief as well as darkness If we behold not the Divine Providence watching over us and the Angels encamping round about us the very apprehension of the perils of a dismal night may damp our joy and startle our courage and makes us cry out with the Prophets servant (q) 2 Kings 6.15 16 17. What shall we do But let us intreat the Lord to fulfil his promise (r) Psal 112.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 5.17 Psal 97.11 c. Adrian Isagoge that light may arise in our darkness that is in Scripture phrase comfort in our sadness That our hearts may by faith and cheerful thoughts by the assurance of his providence and the operations of his Grace be joyful and pleasant and that the shine of his countenance may make our nights bright as the day illuminated by the Meridian Sun For the inward comforts of Gods Spirit and a sense of his care and favour when the Soul is in fear or sadness do cheer and refresh more then a suddain light doth the wandring Travellour who is misled in a gloomy night These make our dwellings a Goshen while the wicked have thoughts black and dismal and Aegypt is veiled in a horrid shade and terrified with the dark side of the Cloud while the people of God are led all the night thorough with a light of fire so that the darkness and light to them are equally safe and comfortable Or if we desire to spiritualize the Petition more we may take occasion from the approaching night to enlarg our meditations upon our spiritual ignorance and blindness by nature by which our Souls are veiled and in the dark so that we often wander out of the way We stumble in the day and are in danger to run into the shadow of death till the day spring from on high visit us and give us that true knowledg which is usually set out under the name of light (s) Luke 2.32 Hebr. 6.4 illuminati i. e. edocti Wherefore let us humbly beseech our gracious Lord to let the Sun of righteousness arise upon us for whoever follows him doth not wander nor walk in darkness (t) John 8.12 and that we may take heed to Gods holy word as to a light shining in a dark place (u) 2 Pet. 1.19 and a sure guide to true blessedness And then our knowledg shall increase and we shall keep the right path till we arrive to that eternal light which shall never be extinguished When our hearts are clouded with greif shadowed with ignorance and benummed with dreadful â—pâ—rehensions we are taught to lift up our thoughts to the Father of lights and the God of all comfort who dwells in that light to which no mortal eye can approach whose Countenance is cleer as the sun and bright as lightning And if we can by our beseechings obtain his favour to shine upon us no doubt it will turn our night into day our sorrows into the joyes of the Morning While we are in the darksome cell of this lower world we think of our glorified brethren who dwell in a perpetual brightness and everlasting light and we long to be with them when it may please God But in the mean time we hope he will support and recreate us with some glimpses of those beams which they have the constant and full fruition of § 6. And by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night Comfort and safety are those two things which make a happy night And of whom should we ask these but of God the Lord who is a light and defence (x) Psal 84.11 The hopes of his love makes it comfortable But least we should be deceived in that comfort his mercy and power must keep us safe which here we earnestly desire We may easily perceive we are most miserable without his Providence especially in the night season for then Sathan prepares most violently to assault us supposing it is his hour and the power of darkness And alas how easily may we then be enticed with pleasure transported with malice and revenge or disturbed with evil fancies and imaginations When the Soul is heavy the Senses dull the stomack loaden the flesh strong and the reason weak (y) Stomachus aeger mens somnolenta animus occupatus tunc omne nefas suadere contendunt quando nullus arbiter culpae nullus criminis conscius nullus potest esse erro is testis Ambros in 8. par 119. Psal when the Curtain is drawn and we think no eyes see us neither judg witness nor accuser can espy us how open are our Souls then to all Dangerous temptations And yet our temporal concerns are not more safe for how soon may we be seized by diseases or suddain death or made miserable by theives and Robbers burnings or inundations Are not our lives and limbs estate and friends liable to loss and mischief both suddenly and unavoidably Go we then with all speed to our merciful Father and let us represent our condition to him the consideration whereof
will humble us and make our request more zealous and mollifie him and make him more ready to grant them By his great mercy he will be moved to compassion to see us chained by night and sleep helpless and exposed to all mischiefs of soul and body and will send his grace to defend our souls and his Angels to guard our bodies that none of these perils shall hurt us And then our morning Praises must own it as an Act of great pitty How dare you suffer your eyes to sleep in the midst of such armies of Perils before you have besought him that never slumbers nor sleeâ—s to save you from them But if any be so confident it is not courage but desperate stupidity and inconsideration that makes him so daring The good man begs for Protection for this night and so again for the next and every time with a new Devotion having warmed his heart first with apprehensions of his own dangers and insufficiency to escape them § 7. For the love of thine only Son our Saviour Iesus Christ Amen Although with the Disciples we may be somewhat affraid when we enter into the cloud yet we must beware the darkness do not shut up the eye of our Faith by which we may behold him in whom God is well pleased when our bodily eyes are closed And if we discern him by Faith that very sight will make our darkness to be light For we may run to him and approach the Throne of Grace with him in our Armes The Molossian King was by law obliged to grant any Petition offered by one that brought his Son with him And the Kiâ—g of heaven cannot deny us when we most truly and humbly disclaim our own merits and beg his Protection for the love he bears to the holy Jesus who was the delight of his Soul from all eternity and yet â—e became one with us in his incarnation and made us one with him in our regeneration and we are the members of his body and the price of his bloud so that the Father loves us in and for him that have nothing attractive or lovely in our selves Again we intreat him to save us by all the love which Jesus bears unto us to whom we are neer as his own flesh deerer then his own life more esteemed then fallen Angels or a thousand worlds For his delight is with the Sons of men (z) Prov. 8.31 Wherefore we beseech our heavenly Father by that which will moove his bowels towards us by his own everlasting love to us and his affection to his only Son and by the inexpressible love of that his Son to us to give us a night comfortable and safe We are in darkness but our head is in a never ceasing light and he that gave him to redeem us from eternal darkness will not suffer us to perish in spiritual darkness nor leave us exposed to the mischiefs of one night that will so soon be over passed If our affections be as fervent as this argument is foâ—ceable 't is sure this Petition will not be denyed The Paraphrase of the third Collect for Aid against all Perils LEt the assurance of thy Providence the comforts of thy grace and the beams of thy favour Lighten our darkness and remove the discomfort of the approaching night we beseech thee to make in sweet and safe to us O Lord thou Father of lights and by thy great mercy behold and pitty the various miseries and mischiefs that we thy poor helpless Creatures are exposed unto That thou mayest preserve and defend us in our souls and bodies estate and friends from all perils and dangers which might befall us in any part of this night grant this dear Father not for our merits but for the love thou bearest to the person of the only Son and to us for his sake since he is our Saviour even Jesus Christ our Lord and our Redeemer Amen SECTION XVI Of the Collects for the King and the Royal Family The Analysis of the Prayer for the Kings Majesty This Prayer hath two general Parts 1. The Confession of the King of Heaven acknowledging 1. His great goodness O Lord our heavenly Father 2. His Supream Authority high and mighty King of Kings Lord of Lords the only ruler of Princes 3. His Universal Providence who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth 2. The Petitions for his Vicegerent on Earth requesting 1. A special Providence over him most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Soveraign Lord King CHARLES 2. All kinds of blessings â—or him 1. Spiritual 1. Grace aâ—d so replenish him with the grace of thy holy spirit that he may alwaies incline to thy will and walk in thy way 2. Gifts endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts 2. Temporal 1. Prosperity grant him in health and wealth long to live 2. Victory strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies 3. Eternal with the general motive and finally after this life he may attain everlasting joy and felicity through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Practical Discourse on the Prayer for the Kings Majesty § 1. O Lord our heavenly Father The Almighty and Eternal God is without dispute the King of Heaven and Earth and supream governor of all the world But since his throne is in Heaven he is pleased to constitute Princes his Deputies on the Earth which he hath given to the Children of men (a) Psal 115.16 Wherefore since by him Kings reign (b) Prov. 8.15 Nos judicium Dei suscipimus in Imperatoribus qui gentibus illos praefecit id in eis seimus esse quod Deus voluit ideoque salvum volumus esse quod Deus voluit Tertul Apol. c. 32. we submit to his appointment of them and revere his Majesty in them and to him we make our supplications for them who hath power to defend them as well as authority to create them And he must needs have a peculiar regard toward them and love to them because they are anointed by him to administer his rights among us This hath encouraged all Nations to pray for their Governors so universally as if it had been an agreement among all mankind To omit the Heathen sacrifices and Prayers for the Cities and Emperors we shall find two Psalms (c) Psal 20. Psal 72. which were used by the Jews as Forms of Prayer for the King and both by Gods command and the desire of the Princes of the Gentiles who then were rulers over that people supplications were made to God in their behalf (d) Ezra 6.10 Jerem. 29.7 by those Jews who were under their protection But to come nearer we Christians are most expresly commanded by God and his holy Apostle (e) 1 Tim. 2.1 2. In obsequio quotidiano pro regibus pro his qui in sublimitate positi sunt orandum est Chrys in 1 Tim. 2. Pro potestatibus seculi Tertul. Apol. Obsecramus
they are inferior to him in the extent of their dominion as well as in the quality of their dignity power and authority There is a Providence in Scripture attributed to Governors (q) Acts 24.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graec. who as they sit on their thrones above all their subjects so that heigth is the embleme of the advantage they have to behold and a Monitor of the duty lying on them to take care of all that are under their charge But the most vigilant Princes with all their faithful Ministers who are as so many eyes and ears to them find it difficult enough to oversee and provide for the inhabitants of one Kingdome Whereas the King of Kings hath the Heaven for his throne (r) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orpheus Isai 66.1 Psal 97.9 and the Earth for his footstool and as he sits higher so he sees further the◠they From his throne he beholds all the world the meanest are not below his cognizance nor the greatest above his reach He sees and rules all which gave ground to that Egyptian Hieroglyphick which represented God by an eye in a scepter the emblems of Providence and Authority And in the sacred pages the same thing is expressed by the Phrase of Beholding from his Throne (s) Psal 33.14 Isai 63.14 For the Divine Majesty is no idle spectator but improves the heighth of his seat and the universal prospect he hath from thence to the good of all mankind His eye denotes his care for he sees the necessities (t) Psal 34.15 Gen. 22.14 Deus videbit al. providebit and considers the wants and desires of all men and of every particular and orders his supplies accordingly So that his Providence and Dominion is over all the earth and no Monarch need account it a dishonour to bow before this mighty Lord and his glorious throne § 4. Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Soveraign Lord King CHARLES Since all mankind is under the eye and care of God no doubt he hath an especial regard to Kings and Princes on whose safety the welfare of all the rest next under his own providence doth depend (u) Nihil est illi principi Deo acceptius quam concilia coetusque hominûm quae Civitates appellantur earumque rectores servatores hinc profecti hûc revertuntur Cicer. som Scip. He cheifly delights in men as they are united into Societies by charity and laws and for the preservation of these unions his principal care is for those he hath set over them who are the bond of the rest We may therefore cheerfully pray for an especial and more particular providence over our gracious King because God doth usually grant this and because he needs it more then ordinary persons do His duty is more difficult his abundance exposeth him to more temptations and his heigth to more dangers then any of his people and yet his preservation is far more necessary and of universal concernment (x) 2 Sam. 18.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutar. vit Pelopid Cum tot ab hac animâ populorum vita salusque Pendeat Lucan for he is worth ten thousand of us and we had need pray heartily to God to save him who doth defend us all He stands in need of more wisdome to direct him more power to protect him more care to preserve him then other men and therefore we pray that the King of heaven will shew a particular favour to him A pious and religious King doth as earnestly seek and as much valew a favourable look from the Majesty of heaven as any of his Courtiers do a smile from his countenance (y) Psal 84.9 Psal 21.6 Psal 4. ver 7 8. Lord saith holy David look upon the face of thine anointed and thou wilt make me glad with the joy of thy Countenance yea more joyful then the worlding is in the encrease of his admired wealth And methinks it should fill our Souls with awful and noble thoughts of our glorious Lord God to see Kings in the light of whose countenance is life and whose favour is a dew upon the grass (z) Prov. 19.6 Chap. 16.15 courting so humbly and needing so mightily the favour of the Majesty of heaven Let us joyn our most hearty requests that what our deer Soveraign wants and wishes he may have if he were a Saul or a Nero we should sin in ceasing to pray for him (a) 1 Sam. 12.23 But no affections nor passions are too fervent no opportunities too often to call upon God for our gracious King who is our lawful and natural Liege Lord a just possesser of his Crown a worshiper of God a defender of the faith a maker of good laws and an executor of the same who secures our rights protects us from publique enemies and Private fraudes and endeavours to choose fit and faithful governours both for Church and State For such an one we must pray not only out of obedience to God and the Churches order but out of our private love and particular affection as St. Ambrose (b) Meque non solum officio publico debitas pendere preces sed etiam amore privato Amb. ep ad Gr. did for the Emperour Gratian. To quicken us whereunto we may do well to call to mind the miseries of the Church of God under persecuting heathens of old later furious Romanists and the particular calamities of this Church under the late usurpers and then we shall discern what praise we owe to God and what love to our gracious King whose name ought to be so deer to us that in our daily office we should wish it written in heaven and registred in the book of life as well as in the leaves of the Churches devotions § 5. And so replenish him with the Grace of thy holy Spirit that he may alwaies incline to thy will and walk in thy way Grace is so constant a companion and so certain an effect of the Divine favour that the Greek expresseth both by one word So that if we can prevail with God to look favourably on our Soveraign we may be assured he will give bountifully to him And since the first and choicest of his largesses is the Grace of his holy Spirit we first beg that he may have a constant and bountiful supply of that of which he needs a double portion For the temptations of a Prince are many to pride and luxury to carelesness and vanity his faithful friends very few who either will or dare inform or advise him without partiality and self interest his Concerns are weighty since the welfare of Church and State depend upon them his example prevalent and usually made the incouragement of virtue or the excuse of vice All which declares the danger of Governors to be very great to fall into evil waies and their preservation from them to be the greatest blessing wherefore all faithful subjects and good men cease