Gods Will but we must doe it as Angels simply and purely we must doe it onely that we may doe it so doe his will that we may doe the intent of his will and thus if we doe the will of God we shall finde him alwaies one and the same and no variablenesse in him at all nor shadow of change We make a petiâ—ion here that Gods will may be done but should we not have made a petition first that it might bee knowne as David prayed That thy way may bee knowne upon earth for untill we know it how can we doe it how doe we now know it seeing it seemes to many to be yet sub Iudice and so great controversie and division about it as if the descending of the Holy Ghost in fiery and cloven tongues had beene of purpose to foreshew the fiery division that should after follow in the tongues of the Church But should wee not consider that all Gods Law is fu'filled in our love and while in doubtfull controversies wee contend what his will is of this wee bee sure that his will is not we should contend And doe we not finde it true that Nimium Altercando veritas amittitur the very heate of disputation makes our judgements as it were to warpe that though Davâ—d sayd well The zeale of Gods House had eaten him up yet wee cannot say well the zeale of Gods cause hath eaten up our understanding But let it bee granted that we are satisfied concerning the knowledge of his will seeing we have an Oracle for it Gods word is a Lanthorne to our feet and a light to our path yet what reason have we to pray that it may be done in earth as it is in heaven For what doe we know how it is done in heaven and so we pray we know not for what But doe we not know that there are none in heaven but Saints and Angels who are all ministring spirits and being spirits must needs serve God in spirit and Christ fetcheth this argument higher that God himselfe is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth If then wee worship God in spirit and truth wee doe his will in earth as it is in heaven It is not enough to believe Gods will as David sayd I have believed thy Commandements For the divels believe and tremble Nor to remember his will as he also sayd I will never forget thy precepts for such was hee of whom God complaines What hast thou to doe to declare mine Ordinances seeing thou hatest to be reformed Nor to approve his Will as David also sayd All thy Commandements are true and I know O God that thy Iudgements are right for this the Israelites did to Moses when they received the law All that the Lord hath commanded we will doe but yet did it not Nor to love his will as he also sayd O how I doe love thy Law for Peter was not without love to Christ even then when he denied him All these are good steppes but they goe not farre enough they are but as to looke our face in a Glasse and so be gonâ— There is no good to bee done with God without doing good and therefore David after these useth alwaies to adde It is my meditation continually and I have refrained my seete from every evill way that I might keepe thy Word and if the nature of our earthen vessels be such that it will not keepe this water of life untainted and in the native purenesse yet it shall be accepted of God if we goe forward and can truely say with David I have applied my heart to fulfill thy Statutes alwaies even unto the end and I desire to doe thy will O God For if unfainedly and seriously we apply our hearts to fulfill his lawes and desire to doe his will and doe it to our power this very applying shall bee counted a fulfilling this desire shall be reckoned for a deed and then we shall doe his will in earth as it is in heaven But whether doe wee make this petition in behalfe of the Will of God to have that enlarged or in behalfe of the earth to have that exalted for it seemes applyable to both sences But alasse what enlargement would it be to the Will of God which is now already done in heaven to have it also to bee done in earth For what is it to adde earth to heaven but to adde as it were a droppe to the Sea but it is a great exaltation to the earth to have the Will of God done in it as it is in heaven seeing to have power to doe the Will of God is the largest franchise that can bee granted of God and if it might bee fully enjoyed would make the earth an equall match with heaven But though it be now prayed for yet it cannot be expected till the time come of which St. Peter speakes We expect a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteoâ—nesse for then heaven and earth shall bee even matches and it will bee a new world and newes indeed to have righteousnesse dwell here where dwelleth nothing now but cruelty and oppression For alas poore earth Thou art condemned for man to thornes and thistles and in revenge thereof thou bringest forth men full of thistles and thornes that as thou skratchest and tearest them so they skratch and teare one another and there will be no help for this till the time come that the Creature also shall bee delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God and then will be the full accomplishment of this petition By this petition wee know that Gods will is done in heaven and here wee pray it may bee done in earth but seeing the petition is chiefely referred to the honour of God why doe wee not pray it may bee done in hell also seeing hell is a large and spacious place as it is sayd Tophet is made deepe and large for by leaving this out we leave out a spacious circuit where his Will may be done and so abridge him in the extent of his command But is it not that wee therefore pray not his will may be done in hell because indeed there are no doers there but all sufferers they are all there in bonds and bound from action and if we should understand it of doing his will passively by suffering patiently that cannot be done there neyther seeing impatience is eyther one of their Torments or one of their tormentors We justly therefore name not that place in our prayer because there are no persons in it that are capable of our prayer And yet God hath a Will that is done even there enough for his honour Voluntas Beneplaciti Not that he is pleased with the damned but that he is pleased with their damnation but wee meddle not with this will and therefore meddle not with this place
my Father but I doe not duly pray if I say not Our Father Wee have not done with saying Our Father untill we have said Which art in Heaven that so his humility may bring us to his Majesty his love may lead us to his bounty for as before he abased himselfe in Name to exalt us so here he streightens himselfe in Place to enlarge us and to make us desirous of Heaven as of the only home for his children he restraineth himselfe to Heaven as to the onely mansion of his being But is not this word Heaven as strangely placed here amongst these words as Heaven it selfe is placed above in the height of the Firmament For what words of greater neerenesse then Father and Children yet what words of greater separation then Heaven and Earth who neerer to us then Our Father what further from us then to be in Heaven but least these words Our Father should breed too great a familiarity in us these words Which art in Heaven are justly inferred to make us keepe a distance And yet in truth it is such a distance as doth not so much divide us as that which is strange the very familiarity doth estrange us For as considering God in heaven we have just cause to be astonished with admiration at the greatnesse of his Maiesty So considering him our Father we have iuster cause to admire him with astonishment for the greatnesse of his love and so while familiarity where it findeth effects of defect breeds cause of contempt Here where it finds cause of admiration it breeds effects of Respect And may we not finde some other treasure wrapt up in these words Which art in Heaven For when we say Our Father It carries the mind in an ambiguity and if we apply it to God This is yet a transcendent and gives no period to our understanding but when we adde Which art in Heaven This both determines the ambiguity and limits the transcendency and so the mind hath something now in certaine whereupon to fixe it selfe which though it afford not a visible symbole to represent Gods person to our sight which the Israelites sought so grossely in their golden Calfe and many since doe seeke as vainely in their painted and carued Images yet it affords the visible place of Gods presence and this serves sufficiently both to elevate the mind and also to fixe the understanding for we no sooner have a thought of God but the mind hath presently recourse to Heaven as fixing it selfe upon the place where he is visible seeing upon the visibility of himselfe it cannot And is it not another cause why we say Which art in Heaven to make us know that God is no where to be spoken withall but in Heaven For if our thoughts when we pray stay groveling about the earth and our words rather fall from our mouthes then rise from our hearts hough God no doubt may heare such prayer by the extent of his Power yet he heares it not graciously by extending his grace for Earth is not the place where he gives Audience but he hath placed his Throne in Heaven where hee sits both in Maiesty and in mercâ— and though his mercy continually descend to us yet his Maiesty requires we should come thither to him For as to pray to any but God is Coram non Iudice so to pray any where but in Heaven is Coram non Tribunali Although therfore our feet be fastned to the earth and cannot ascend yet our hearts are at liberty and may and must indeed ascend if we will truely pray for this ascending of the soule in praying is the soule of praying which puts a life into our words thoughts and carries them thither where it is it selfe and as the brethren of Ioseph could finde no favour without bringing their brother Beniamin with them so our hearts are the Beniaâ—in wee must bring to God without which neither our words are gracious in his hearing nor our selves acceptable in his sight Wherefore O my soule when thou goest to pray put away from thee all carnall cogiâ—ations and raise thy selfe up by ascending into heaven Fixing thy selfe stedfastly upon the Throne of God and never once offer to open thy mouth untill thy heart be first fixed there that thou mayst present thy suit unto him pure freed as in earthen Vessels it can from Earthly mixture and then as thy heart hath ascended up to Heaven so the blessings of Heaven shall descend upon thee and either bring with them the things thou prayest for or greater for never any Heart did knocke at Heaven gate which had it not opened nor sought any thing in Heaven which it did not finde For though his Maiesty make his mercy to keepe state yet his mercy makes his Maiesty to becom gracious and he never denyed the suite of any that came so farre as Heaven to aske it But thou art not O Lord in Heaven onely who art in all places wholly and though no where as contained yet every where as present and though thou takest up no roome with thy being and power yet thou fillest all roomes with thy power and being But when we say Which art in Heaven we must not stay at the Heavens where we see with our eyes the two great Eyes of Heaven the Sunne and the Moone nor yet at the starry Heaven though that be the uttermost object of our sight but there are other Heavens which Salomon cals the Heavens of Heavens whose height is so great that it may rather be admired then can be conceaved yet are they not high enough to hold God but David is faine to goe higher and saith He is exalted above the Heavens and though the highest Heavens have their bounds yet this exaltation hath none but how high soever we conceave it is still higher then that we conceave And why then doe we say Which art in Heaven Not that he is no where else but that he is no where else in so great glory And is he not in as great glory on Earth seeing it is said as well of Earth as of Heaven Heaven and Earth are full of the maiesty of thy glory Nay is he not in hell also in great glory seeing David saith If I goâ— dowâ— into Hell thou art there also and God is no where without his glory but is glorified in the punishment of the damned as he is in the happinesse of the Angels We may therefore understand it that God is therefore said to bee in Heaven because hee is there visibly present and amongst his most glorious Creatures And this is a reason why not onely properly but properly onely God is said to be in heaven seeing in this manner he never was on earth nor can be for No man can see God and live much lesse can he be in this manner in Hell for how can the vision of God which is the cause of all happinesse bee had there where nothing is had but
anguish and torment but in Heaven it is had for not onely the Angels but the Saints of God behold his Face and this is that which makes the heavens to be a heaven of heavens for the heavens which his hands made shall be dissolved but the heavens which his Face makes shall bee for ever and were able to make even hell also to bee a heaven if that were capable to receive it But how doe we know that God is any more in heaven then any where else or that he is in heaven or any where else at all O my soule take heed of comming so neere to be the foole that David speakes of though thou say not in thy heart There is no God yet to let thy tongue but make it a question For doth not David tell us that the heavens tell â—s The Heavenâ— declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handyworkeâ— as much as to say The heavens declare that there is a glorious God and the Firmament is a worke that sheweth him to be the workman The heavens indeed declare it so plainely by the heavenly bodies that in them as in plaine letters and characters we may even reade not onely that God is but that he is there But if the heavens declare it never so plainely and we will not take notice or believe their declaration what are we the better For wilt thou believe that the Starres which thou seest as small as sparkes are bigger yea much bigger then the whole earth and then what a world of worlds must there be in the starry heaven which yet are all as nothing compar'd to the magnitude of the greater heavens Wilt thou believe that the motion of the Sunne which yet seemes to stand still is swifter yea manifold swifter then a â—let from a Canon and yet is slownesse compar'd to the swiftnesse of the Primum Mobile Wilt thou believe that the earth as great as it is is yet but a point or centre to the starry heaven and that the starry heaven is so high above us that though the sight of our eyes can reach unto it in an instant yet the swiftnes of a hundred miles a day cannot reach unto it in a thousand yeeres yet is hard by compar'd to the distance of the highest heavens All which and many the like though they exceed our capacity yet they exceed not our knowledge and though they be so strange that theymake both art suspected nature astonished yet are they so certain that they are demonstrable And this is a great ascent from earth to heaven yet an easie one for we know these wonders of the heavenly bodies as perfectly bâ—ing on earth as if we were in heaven to see them But it is a farre greater ascent from heaven to God and yet a farre easier For who can chuse but know the first cause to be omnipotent which hath made second causes so excessively potent Who can chuse but acknowledge the Creatour to bee infinite who hath made Creatures that to our capacity are themselves infinite And therefore the authour of the Booke of Wisedome speaking in proofe of the deity waiveth all other reasons and insists upon this That by the greatnesse of the creatures and of their beauty the Creatour being compared with them may bee considered God indeed hath reserved the sight of himselfe untill our eyes shall put on Immortality but the sight of his dwelling hee hath afforded to our mortall eyes that though in it we cannot see his person yet by it we may be assured of his being and of his being there For as when wee see a building of invaluable valew we presently conceive it to be the Pallace of a Prince so when we see the Frame of heaven so full of wonders where Sâ—arres are but as dust and Angels are buâ— servants where every word is unspeakeable and everâ— motion is a miracle we may plainely know it to â—e the dwelling of him whose name is Wonderfull For who is fit to inhabit such a house but hee onely who inhabiteth eternity and who fit to be Master of such servants but he who was a Master before he had servants that is he onely who onely is But why doth God write himselfe of heaven which how glorious soever it be is but of a late building For no doubt God had a dwelling and a place to bee in before hee made heaven and he should rather write himselfe of his ancient mansion place then of his new seate But O my soule be sober For where thou thinkest that God had a place to be in before he made heaven thou art even in that deceived for how could he have a place to be in when place it selfe had yet no being For as heaven and earth were twinnes created both at once so time and place were twinnes made both together and all of them for the use of the creatures none of them for any use to God for God being eternall hath no use of time and being infinite can have no place but out of eternity by his omnipotent Power he produced Time and out of infinitenesse he produced place for no use to himselfe but in relation to his creatures If therefore thou wouldst comprehend where God was before he made heaven thou must comprehend infinitenesse which were not infinite if it could be comprehended And yet as no place is great enough to hold God so none is small enough to exclude him for he is place to himselfe he is place himselfe as David saith Thou art my place to kide me in and it is one of the names which the Iewes attribute to God that he is called Maquom that is to say Place Yet it is happy for us that God writes himselfe to be in heaven because we know now where to finde him least otherwise we might wander infinitely in the search of him and be never the neere not that heaven limits Gods ubiquity but that it regulates our capacity for as one sayd well in another sence Qui ubique est nusquam est so certainely if we knew nothing of Gods being any where but that he is every where we might easily fall into the errour to thinke hee were no where Iustly therefore doth God write himselfe of heaven now that he stiles himselfe Our Father seeing he therefore made heaven because he intended to be our Father that there might bee one House to hold both Him and his Children and that where he is wee might bee also for to be with God where God was before he made the world or where he now is above or without the world is utterly impossible for men or Angels to attaine to But why say we Our Father which art in heaven and say not rather Our heavenly Father seeing by that we tell onely where God is but by this we might tell what he is By that we name onely his place but by this we might name his substance But we must
where there is no other will done Wee learne by this Petition what it is wee must doe when wee come to Heaven and doth not this make men carelesse whether ever they come there or no for seeing the Will of God is so unpleasing a thing to doe heere how can they thinke it will be any better or be ere a whit mended to doe it there and therefore if there bee nothing gotten by going to Heaven but doing of Gods will they thinke themselves better as they are and would bee glad to tarry heere still where they may doe their owne wills But O my soule is not this to bee starke dead in sinne For it there were any sence of life or any life of sence remaining in us we could not choose but see the beauty and tast the sweetnesse and smell the Odour of doing Gods Will. Sweeter saith David then the hony or the hony combe More beautifull saith Salomon then the rowes of Iewells or then chaines of Gold More fragrâ—t saith hee also then an Orchard of Pomegranats or then Myrrhe and Aloes with all the spices O thou eternall light and life of all things so enlighten the eyes and quiâ—ken the senses of my soule and body that I may both see the Beauty and Tast the sweetnesse of doing thy will I shall not then neede any greater motives of longing to be in heaven then that I may be as able as willing who now am scarce willing but altogether unable to doe thy Will But why doe wee pray that Gods Will may be done in Earth which is done in Earth already and that by Creatures which one would thinke were never able to doe it Hee hath set bounds to the Sea which it must not passeâ— and the Sea as raging as it is and provoked by all the Rivers of the Earth that come running into it as it were for the nonce to make it passe his bounds yet keepes it selfe precisely within the limits He hath appointed the earth to stand still and not to move and the earth though but hanging in the Ayre and nothing at all to hang upon yet offers not so much as once to stirre He hath chargedthe Trees to bring forth fruit and the Trees though even killed with cold of winter and threatned with tempests of the spring yet take heart to come forth and seeme to rejoyce they can doe as they are bidden The very beasts though never so wilde and savage yet observe the properties of their kind and none of them encroach upon the qualities of another And why all this but onely to doe the Will of God And that which may seeme more strange the Flowers come out of the durty earth and yet how neate and cleane Out of the unsavoury earth and yet how fresh and fragrant Out of the sowre earth and yet how mellifluous and sweet Out of the duskish earth and yet how Orient and Vermillian Out of the unshapen earth and yet in what dainty shapes in what curious formes in what enammelings and Dyapers of beauty as if the earth would shew that for all her being cursed she had something yet of Paradise left and why all this but onely to doe the Will of God And why then should there be complaining as though the Will of God were not done in earth O wretched man It is onely thy selfe that is out of tune in this harmony Man that should be best is of all the worst that should bee cleanest is of all the foulest that should be most beautifull is of all the most deformed most full of graces yet most voyde of grace of most understanding to direct his will yet of least will to follow the direction of understanding Man endued with celestiall qualities yet leaves them all to encroach upon the qualities of every beast upon the obscenity of swine in drunkennesse upon the greedinesse of Cormorants in covetousnesse upon the craftinesse of Foxes in fraud upon the cruelty of Tygers in malice as if he would strive to exceede his first parents in transgressing and try whether God had any greater punishment left then casting out of Paradise that if Christ would have served us in our kinde and as we deserve he needed not have gone for patterns to Heaven he might have found patterns good enough for us amongst the meanest creatures of the earth and as he told the Pharisees the Queene of the South should rise up against them in Iudgement so he might have told us the Flowers the Trees the Beasts shall all rise up in Iudgement against Man that we had more need to say O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night then after Trees and Beasts have done Gods Will to come after them all with but onely saying Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven But how doe these Petitions hang together or how is not this directly contrary to that which went before For there we desire a Kingdome that we may doe what we list and here we desire subjection and to be at anothers command Yet here is no contrariety for there we desire to raigne over our owne wills and here we desire to be subject to his will and this subjection is our true reigning this service our perfect freedome Or is it not rather a straighter Obligation For by the comming of his Kingdome we may be thought onely subjects at large but by submitting our selves to his will we are servants by vow that seemes to referre to Gods promise to the Israelites Yee shall be to mee a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation this seemes to referre to the peoples answere to God All that the Lord hath spoken we will doe And so there is no contrariety betweene the petitions but the latter is a consectary to the former But is it not rather that wee overshoote our selves and make it here a suite to bee made bond-slaves for what is it but slavery when wee can never have our wills but must live alwaies subject to the will of another especially where there is so great an antipathy as betweene Gods Will and ours But O my soule consider how wretched a thing thine owne will is how blessed a thing the Will of God is and be not here a Dogmatist but an Empyricke rather hearken not to thy reason which oftentimes is but a Parasite to thy sence but looke upon experience which rightly discerned will make thee alwaies to discerne the right Hath not misery alwaies followed the doing of our owne will happines alwaies the doing of Gods Will Our first parents left Gods Will to doe their owne will in eating the forbidden fruit and what fruite followed but the utter undoing of themselves and all their followers Cain left Gods Will to doe his owne will in killing his brother and what became of him but that hee became a vagabond lived like a beast and came at last to be killed for a
it is strucken downeward the higher it rebounds upward so the lower thy prayers take their rising from thy heart the higher they ascend up into the eares of God Stoope therefore O my soule and bee sure to bee humble and so thou mayst be sure to command faile â—ot to be lowly and so thou shalt not faile to be exalted be content to be strucken the harder downeward and so thou shalt make the higher bound upward into Heaven But will not this be a dry diet to have onely bread and no drinke to it Did it not even choake the Bethulians and almost wither the Israelites in the Wildernesse Or why should we thinke to have drinke without asking more then bread Is it for that wee sinned first in eating and therefore are punished with begging for bread to eate Or is it that Christ keeps within his compasse and teacheth us to aske for bread from heaven who was himselfe the bread that came downe from heaven Or is it as Christ sayd of the poore that water we have alwaies with us but bread wee have not alwaies such indeed may bee the mazes of thoughts when they wander in darknesse but by the light of the first cause wee shall see the true cause that Christ who is himselfe verbum Abbreviatum makes this prayer for us in a kinde of Hierogliphicks where one character stands for many things and if Moses comprehended all Elementar matter as fire ayre water under the one word of earth why may not Christ comprehend all temporall things under the one word of bread and indeed in this sence oftentimes the Scriptures use it as when wee read in Ezekiel that one of the sinnes of Sodome was fulnesse of bread wee must not thinke that their excesse was onely in eating of dry bread but that they exceeded in the superfluity of all meates and drinkes adding thirst to drunkennesse and making themselves Artificiall stomackes with devises of gluttony But why then should hee use so many words even five whole petitions in expressing spirituall Graces Is â—t not that temporall things like foule cloathes or ragges may well enough bee wrapped up in one bundle together but spirituall graces as things more precious require more roome and being to make us without spot are themselves to bee made up without wrinkle Yet may it perhaps not bee without mistery also that Christ teacheth us here to aske onely for bread as he promiseth us in heaven to give us onely drinke to shew that this life and the next are both but one meale and that we cannot drinke with him in his Fathers Kingdome unlesse wee first eate him here the bread which came downe from heaven But doth not this petition seeme to be out of his right place and doth it not come in before his time seeing Forgivenesse of trespasses is a more excellent gift then giving of bread and in all reason that which is first in excellency should also be first in order Yet we shall finde reason for this ordering of these petitions and the lawes of true Heraldry no way transgressed For as Rachel sayd to Iacob Give me children or else I die so wee much more justly say to God Give us bread or else we die So that as Nature is before Grace and life before a happy life It must needs be reasonable that asking for bread which nature cals for to supply the defects of life should goe before Forgiving of trespasses which Grace cals for to supply the defects of a hapy life and as there is this reason in respect of our selves so their is a stronger reason in respect of God for nothing can more admirably set forth the admirable goodnesse of Gods Nature then the very scituation of these petitions For by this bounty is placed before his mercy and it comes to passe that the Sunne shines upon the good and the bad and the raine fals upon the just and unjust And even for us it is a most happy marshalling of the petitions for if God should never give us any thing but when he hath nothing to forgive us he should never give us seeing our life is a perpetuall encrease of our debts and while wee aske him to Forgive us even in that we commit somthing that needs forgivenes It is proper to this petition that it is not proper to any one sort of creatures but is common to all and therefore though it stand in a valley yet it hath the largest prospect And it may be called the petition of providence for where all the other are intentive to the care of another life this onely is appoynted to make provision for the present life Here now would bee competition for place betweene the two that follow but that Repentance is in wonderfull grace with God and hath the Angels also for speciall friends and therefore hath precedence For when we say Forgive us our trespases is it not plainely the prayer of penitent sinners who are alwaies confessing their sinnes and professing their amendment imploring Forgivenesse and deploring their owne weakenesse all which and onely which are the parts of this petition And therefore this petition if wee did well should not bee spoken with words but with sighes for what can come from a broken heart but sighes and untill the heart bee broken this petition will never bee truely sound And least our owne sighes should not bee sufficient the Spirit it selfe makes request for us with sighes that cannot be expressed which though it bee true of all the other petitions yet most properly of this For if sorrow griefe feare shame all of them great and all of them together deserve sighing they are all here met or are all heere to meete in this Petition There is a word which though it be no part of the petition yet because it brings the petition in it is not it selfe to be left out namely the conjunction And which in all the former petitions was never used because indeed there was no use of it For they went all singly by themselves as chiefly referred to the honour of God who is Actus simplicissimus and chiefely fitted for the mouthes of Angels who are substantiae simplices but now that we are come to the Petitions for the onely use of men now there is use of this conjunction for all blessings in this world are tied as it were by linkes together are not good but in conjunction therefore this conjunction And is now here used that as the first use of it that ever was was to joyne the bodies themselves of heaven earth together so the use of it here is to joyne the blessings of heaven earth together for as an earth without a heaven would have made but a miserable world so these earthly blessings without the heavenly will make but a miserable man And therefore wee have no sooner sayd Give us this day our daily bread but it presently followes And forgive us our
us if it be not more admirable unworthinesse in us that we admire it not which is so admirable But it may be no question why we admire it not because without question we apprehend it not for if we did truely apprehend what it is to be the sonnes of a Father which is in heaven wee could not chuse but skorne all humane things as meane all earthly things as base and thinke it a shame for them who shall one dâ—y come to fit with him in his Throne to lie alwaies grovling about his Footstoole But the Angels apprehended it and therfore admired it and as holy as they were some of them could not chuse but envy it and from our rising tooke their fall Which fell out well for ouâ— experience for by the consideration of their falling we come to conceive a certainety to see plainly a probability of our own rising For why is it more sâ—range that heavy things should ascend then that light things should descend that men who are of Earthy mould should bee liftâ—d up into the highâ—st Heavens then that Angels who are of Heavenly substance were cast downe into the nethermost earth unlâ—sie we thinke that Gods love towards children is not so powerfull as his anger against servants or that his arme is not so strong in lifting up as in casting downe Wherefore O my soule if thou wonder how it will be possible for â—his heavy body of thine to be raysed out of the dust and to rise to so high a place as heaven thou mayst leave thy wondring if thou doe but consider how it was possible that the light substances of the Angels were cast downe into so lâ—w a place as hell For as God brought a grossenesse upon the lightnesse of their suâ—stances which made them descend so he will bring a lightnesse upon the grossenesse of our bodies which will make us ascend But it was after the fall of Angels that God said to man Earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne but not a word spoken of his comming to heaven It is true for those words were spoken by God as a Iudge Our comming to Heaven is not spoken by him but as a Father and those words are reserved for his Son the Word it selfe to deliver to us and indeed the word delivered them to us in Deed when the word was made flesh for when the Sonne of God â—ook upon him our flesh then our flesh tooke notice of being made the sonnes of God and then the Kingdome of heaven was preached to all believers and this dignity of our Nature is a maine object of the divels envy for why else should the devill beare more malice to men then to all other creatures as we see apparantly he doth for he will never goe into swine if he can possibly ' get into men and when he doth goe it is but to hurt men that when hee cannot hurt them in their persons he will yet like lame malice doe them what hurt he can in their goods Thus the greatnesse of this dignity which wee cannot see in the light we may discerne in the darke for how can we chuse but know it to be exceeding great which nourisheth malice even in divels For certainely if the divels knew nothing of any such dignity ordained for men in the world to come they would never doe as they doe never trouble themselves so much to trouble men so much in this present life thereby to hinder them from the glory to come And are not some men beholding to the divell in this who seeking to hinder us from the glory to come in the life hereafter makes it manifest that there is a glory to come in a life hereafter from which we may be hindred Which if some men otherwise will not easily believe yet this way at least they can hardly deny And even this were enough to breed this faith in an Infidell that there shall be certainely a life after this seeing wee may bee sure the divell would never take such paines for nothing he is not so idle to be so busie for trifles and he would never be so violent in seeking to draw men into sinne if there were not some great matter to be gotten by their sinning And what can the divell get by the sinnes of men but onely the satisfying of his owne malice and how is his malice satisfied but in their miseries and what miseries have wicked men in this life who are rather the favourites of the world and as David saith They are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued like other men There must therefore undoubtedly be another world where wicked men shall bee miserable and where the divels malice shall take effect For though the hurt of the divell be all taken in this life yet it is not fully felt till another life which if there were none It should bee skarce felt at all For as a man that is wounded in his heate feeles not the wound till he come to be cold so we skarce feele the wounds of the divell as long as the heat of life is in us but when we come to bee cold and are laid in the cold earth then begins the smart of his wounds and then we feele it when we seeme to bee past all feeling and if this were not so there should be none in the world more happy then the wicked there should bee none more miserable then the godly there should be none a verier foole then the divell we may therefore be as affured that there is a life to come after this as we are assured that the divell is no fâ—ole that godly men are not miserable that wicked men are not nor can be happy And though it bee no thanke to the divell that we learne this from him yet it will be worth thankes if we can learne it for who that is truely perswaded of a life after this where the godly shall be happy and the wicked miserable will not endeavour and with all earnestnesse endeavour to leade his life so that he may die the death of the righteous and not suffer the transitory things of this world which are but as a messe of Iacobs Potage to withdraw his minde from the respect of his Birth-right which is to sit with Christ at his Fathers Table But for all this are we indeed satisfied in our consciences that God is our Father and that we are his Children may we not be mistaken as the Iewes were who thought themselves sure enough that Abraham was their father yet Christ proves plainly they were deceived For if saith he yee were the children of Abraham yee would doe the workes of Abraham which because they did not doe they could be none of his children for all their boasting And doth not God say the same to us If I be your father where is my love and to love God in Gods owne exposition is to keepe his Commandements If therefore we
they were but as Moses himselfe had a veile over his face so Moses his words had a veile over their meaning and by this meanes Blindnesse came upon Israel For they tooke that for their Iourneys end which Moses intended but for a bayting place He allowed them liberall baytes at first to make them the more cheerefully goe on their Iourney but they like foolish Travellors that make a dwelling of their Inne tooke such pleasure in their baytes that they never once thought of going any further As therefore God sayd of the ceremonies hee appoynted to the Iewes that hee had given them Statutes that were not good not good indeed to them that understood them not nor could observe them so we may perhaps say of these baytes that God had given them blessings that were not good not good indeed to them that understand them not nor can tell how to use them But now the veile is layd aside the baytes cleane taken away and those blessings of Moses removed a fourme lower for they were to them the very face of the promise but are to us onely the backeparts they were to them as the first fruits but are to us as onely gleanings after the Vintage and therfore though David in the old Testament never saw the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging their bread yet Christ in the new Testament could tell us of one Lazarus who for all his being righteous was faine to lie begging his bread at Dives gate God in his goodnesse is willing to try alwaies to see if any way he can bring us to goodnesse He allowed liberall baytes at first to make them the more cheerefully goe on their journey That succeeded not he hath taken away those baytings now to maâ—e us the more intentive to our journeys end Those blessings were promised by the mouth of Moses a servant Our blessings are promised by the mouth of Christ a sonne They trusted to the blessings promised to the person of Abraham we trust to the blessings promised to the seed of Abraham as it is said And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed This is that seed by vertue whereof we stand here as Gods Children and have the honour to call him Father and by which we are borne againe to a new hope of recovering our old inheritance though that be long since removed up to heaven as appeares by the words of Christ to the Thiefe on the Crosse This day thou shalt bee with me in Paradise that wee can never hope to have a Paradise here on earth any more And now O my soule seeing thou dwellest in a house whose windowes are made to looke upward make use of those lights and afford not the Earth so much as a looke but stand gazing to see Christ Ascending into Heaven whither he is gone not onely to take possession himselfe but to provide a place for thee in that Inheritance and give not over gazing untill an Angell assure thee that this Iesus which is taken up from you shall so come as ye have seene him goe into heaven and till then possesse thy selfe in patience and let these meditations be thine ankers that if thou dyest in thy youth thou dost but goe the sooner to God that thou mayest bee the longer with him If thou die for hunger thou dost but goe fasting to God that thou mayst have the better stomacke to the heavenly Banquet if thou sterve for want of clothes thou dost but goe naked to God that thou mayest bee the readyer for putting on the Wedding Garment If thou die with torment thou dost but follow Christ to God that having followed him here the Sheepe before the Shearer thou mayst follow the Lambe wheresoever he goeth And seeing thou desirest to be a Lazarus in Abrahams bosome thou must first be contented to be a Lazarus at Dives gate and as thou tremblest to thinke of being a Dives in hell to want a cup of water to coole thy tongue so thou mayst tremble as much to be a Dives on earth to fare deliciously every day And as for the fawning pleasures of the world consider the fearefull judgements that are passed upon them Woe unto you rich men for ye shall howle and mourne Woe unto you great men for the mighty shall be mightily tormented Woe unto you that live in pleasures for how much yee receive in pleasures here so much shall be added to your torments hereafter Wherefore O my soule close up all with this Corollary that the forbearing thy portion in this world with Christ gives thee right in Christ to have a portion in heaven and that the enduring of miseries which cannot long endure is a way to passe to that felicity which shall never passe away A little hath beene sayd of infinite much that may be sayd concerning the Preface It followes now to speake of the Prayer it selfe which is digested into a structure and composition so absolute and yet so rare that whilst it stretcheth it selfe to all it is comprehended but of a few whilst the simplest in it may see their defects the wisest by it may amend their defects and if understanding be necessary to learn other lessons this Lesson is necessary to learne understanding If a man shall thinke of mending the Penning of this prayer he may as well thinke of mending the framing of the world which if he should goe about to make proofe of in particular he would in general make himselfe ridiculous For if he should adde any thing hee would make it superfluous if diminish defective if alter deformed and such a one would he prove that should presume upon mending these Petitions seeing there is nothing that concernes eyther the life present or the life to come nothing that concernes eyther Grace or Glory nothing that concernes eyther Antidote or Physicke for eyther soule or body but it is all here and all so fully and perfectly here that whatsoever the wit of man shall devise further to these ends will be but as branches out of these roots or as deductions out of these principles and may adde in bulke but not in weight And he should not erre that would affirme that Christ shewed himselfe as perfectly to be God by making this Prayer as by doing his miracles For to let passe the many causes of admiration in it that it is so compendious and yet so copious that it is so plaine and yet so intricate that it is so familiar and yet so sublime that it is of so few parts and yet so compleate all which are characters of Divinity who could have given warrant to the sonnes of men to call the God of heaven their Father but he only who is the Son of God and God himselfe we call God Almighty by his owne warrant to Abraham and we call him Iehovah by the same warrant to Moses but we cannot call him Father but onely by this warrant from Christ who
it then that his voyce was obeyed when there was nothing to obey it as when he said Let there be light and there was light But lastly if men be so set upon their profit that they will doe nothing without a fee Is not this fee enough for them that by it they are admitted into the Quier of Angells but much more that by it they attaine to their perfection for if every thing be then perfected when it attainâ—s its end then certainely are our tongues and indeed our soules perfected when they hallow Gods name for this is their end Wherefore O my soule let not offences belonging onely to the name of God be slighted as onely nominall but let them be accounted as indeed they are of all other the most reall and as it is the first petition in thy prayer so let it be the first care in thy heart that thou speake nothing by which his name may be prophaned that thou doe nothing by which it may be blasphemed For though God require a strict observance of all his Commandements yet he professeth not so punctually to hold the breakers guilty in any as in this and therefore when in two notorious crimes adultery and murther he spared David yet in this that through them his name was blasphemed he would not hold him guiltlesse but made him pay for it with the death of his deere Sonne And indeed if we marke this petition well we shall find a peculiar Majesty an extraordinary Preheminence in it above all the other For it is not onely the Primum Mobile from which all the other have their motions but it is the centre also to which all the other bend their motions For when we say Thy Kingdome come It is but to come that we may hallow Gods name when we say Thy will be done it is but for this that we may hallow Gods Name when we pray for daily bread it is but to strengthen us that we may hallow Gods name when we say Forgive us our trespasses it is but to clense us that we may hallow Gods name when we say Lead us not into temptation it is but to remove impediments that we may hallow Gods name O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world And where we have a triviall yet true saying amongst us A good beginning makes a good ending it can in nothing more lively be exemplified then in the marshalling of these petitions for he that makes his beginning at the hallowing of Gods name may be sure to make his ending in the deliverance from evill and though it be a blasphemous fable of the Iewes that Christ learned in the Temple the name of God by the vertue wherof he wrought all his Miracles yet from this blasphemy we may draw this verity that it is indeed the name of God by the transcendent power whereof all miracles are wrought O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world It was this name in which when Davids enemies came about him like Bees yet iâ— this name they were exstinct It was this name in which when divels possessed both soules and bodies of men yet in this name they were ejected It was this name for whose sake the lsrâ—lites were preserved in the wildernesse the three children in the fiery Furnace Daniel in the Lions Denne and Ionas in the Whales belly O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world It is this name at the sound whereof the Mountaines smoke the foundations of the earth are shaken the divels in hell tremble It is this name by vertue whereof the bodies of the dead are raised the soules of the Saints are glorified the happinesse of the Angels is eternised O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world that if wee were as Iames and â—ohn and had voices like Thunder yet we could never hallow this name loude enough If we were as Methusalem and had breathes like eternity yet we could never hallow this name long enough If we were as Salomon and had the tongues of Angels yet we could never hallow this name worthily enough O Lord our God how excellâ—nt is thy Name in all the world Wherefore O my soule doe thou by this name of God as David in the 119 Psalme doth by the Law of God whereof he seemes so jealous and so loath to leave it that the word is no sooner out of his mouth but he fnâ—heth it in againe and there is â—ot so short a sentence in all this long Psalme but the Law of God is a word in it And so doe thou by the name of God let it evermore be in thy mouth but ever more be in thy heart that thou make it not a common name but keepe it holy for if thou take it not in vaine to Gods dishonour thou shalt be sure not to take it in vaine to thy owne benefit for God will plentifully blesse it and the next newes thou shalt heare of will be the comming of his Kingdome And that wee may know Gods Name to bee a substance rather than a Word or a Word of substance wee shall finde it to bee hallowed or prophaned by Actions rather then by words or by words that make Actions as Abraham hallowed Gods Name when hee offred his sonne Isaac because hee beleeved that hee was faithfull that had promised but Moses hallowed it not at Meriba when he said to the people Now yee Rebels shall we bring you water out of this Rocke Not that Moses himselfe doubted but that hee spake unadvisedly with his lips and made the people doubt hee doubted and so whilst God honoured him by manifesting his new Name of Iehovah he forgot to honour God by magnifying his old Name of Saddai And if Moses for want of perfitnesse in this Petition were hindred from entring into the Terrestriall Canaan was it not to be a Type for us that wee for want of perfitnesse in it may bee hindred from entring into the Heavenly Canaan O then my Tongue make thee perfit in repeating it and O my heart make thee perfit in recording it and O my life bee thou perfit in acting it that when yee have done with saying Hallowed be thy name in Earth amongst men yee may be admitted to say Holy Holy Holy in heaven amongst Angells If Gods Name were to be hallowed with multiplicity of words there are men of Incessant Tongues like the Priests of Baal that stood bawling to their Idoll from morning till night that were likely to doe it Or if it were to bee hallowed with eloquence of words there are men of curious language that would bee as fit to doe it as the old Oratours were to make their Panegyricks to Princes Or if it were to be done with great and mighty words there are roaring men in the world might bee as able to hallow it as Goliah the Philistine was to blaspheme it
but none of these have coales from the Altar and the hallowing of Gods Name is a sacrifice and must be done with fire a fire of feare and reverence bâ—rning in the heart and sending forth flames of holy and devout thoughts in the minde of godly and sanctified communications in the tongue of lowly and chast aspects in the Eyes of Innocency and deeds of charity in the hands and when every part both of body and soule hath thus contributed its heate there will then be made as perfect a sacrifice to hallow Gods Name as the sacrifice of peace offring which Salomon offred at the 〈◊〉 of the Temple It is a 〈◊〉 â—couragement to men for doing of anything whâ—ther can see apparent reasons whâ— they â—oe it â—us what reasons doe wee see heâ—re for hallowing of Gods Name O my soule art thou so blinde of sight so dull of understanding Hast thou said Our Father which art in Heaven and dost thou consider his love as being our Father his Majesty as being in Heaven and dost thou complaine for want of reasons to hallow his Name as a Father he hath created and begotten us hee hath Elected and Adopted us he hath preserved and redeemed us and have we not reason then to hallow his Name as creatures as living creatures as reasonable creatures as servants as children as heires as bondmen freed as leapers cleansed as dead men revived borne anew if we should set our selves to reckon them up all It is not the stars of heaven that would be counters enow to summe them And if his love afford us so many reasons doth not his Majesty afford us as many more he is in heaven not with in heaven within it but not contained contained but not defined He is in heaven and that makes the Sun so bright which without his being there should have no brightnes He is in heaven and that makes the heavens so glorious which without his being there should have no glory Doe we see how bright the Sunne is and doe we not coÌ„sider how great his brightnes is that made the Sunne Doe we see how glorious the heavens are and doe we not consider how great his glory is that made the heavens He is in heaven that he may looke downe in mercy upon us on earth he is in heaven that we may looke up in faith to him in heaven he is in heaven to let us downe the Angels ladder from heaven he is in heaven to draw us up to be as Angels in heaven if we should stand to finde out all the reasons which may be drawne from the consideration of his Majesty for the hallowing of his Name It would not be be a worke for time but for eternity for as wee know not where to begin in that which is incomprehensible so we should never know how to end in that which is infinite O my Lord God so enlighten my understanding that I may see the reasons of hallowing thy Name so sanctifie my nature that I may above reason be able to hallow it We say here Hallowed be thy Name but might we not say better with David Laudate Dominumomnes Angeliejus Praise the Lord all yee Angels For so we should commit Gods honour to the care of Angels who we may be sure would alwaies be carefull of it whereas now leaving it indefinite while it is committed to none it may be omitted by all But is it not that David could goe no higher then Angels for hallowing of Gods Name In concreto but Christ teacheth us here to goe higher in Abstracto for creatures how eminent soever are yet but limited and limited as well in action as in essence where the hallowing of Gods Name is in it selfe unlimmitted therefore we justly abstract it from all matter of the instrument which necessarily inferreth a restraint and leave it indefinite which is capable of being infinite But is this petition seated onely on mount Gerizim to warrant David to say If any man seeke the Lord and love his salvation let him rejoyce alwaies and be glad and say continually The Lord be magnified and doth it not as well reach to mount Eball and warrant the Church to proclaime If any man with Goliah defie the armies of Israel and vilifie Gods power let him be Anathema For Hallowed he thy Name If any man with Rabsakeh seeke to withdraw the peoples hearts from trusting in the living God let him be Anathema for Hallowed be thy Name If any man with Iulian shall say in dâ—rision of Christ Vicisti Galilaee let him be Anathema for Hallowed be thy Name And let Anathemaes be still proclaimed against all the blasphemers of Gods Name till there be no more left that two Mountaines at last may meet Eball with Gerizim and Hell it selfe be forced with griefe to houle what with joy it cannot sing Hallowed be thy Name We have thought this petition most proper to be sayd of Angels but may we not appropriate it to our selves exclude the Angels from saying it at all Indeed as it is here placed perhaps we may For having called God Our Father and this petition comming so immediatly upon it we seem to pray that his Name of Father may be hallowed by us if we understand it so what have the Angels to do to say it They may say Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath and so hallow him in his Name of Lord as Servants but to hallow him in his Name of Father as Sons they cannot Not but that the Angels are the Children of God by creation and grace of holinesse but that they are not the Sons of God by regeneration and grace of â—option this dignity is only proper to men as being members of Christ who tooke our nature upon him and not that of Angels But seeing David hath brought into this Quier not onely the Angels in Heaven but the Heavens themselves not only the Trees and Cedars of the Mountaines but the Mountaines themselves not only beasts and creeping things of the earth but the earth it selfe Let not us so streighten the Name of God as that we leave out Angels who are our sweetest Quiristers nor yet other Creatures who are our loudest voyces seeing loudnesse also hath a place in this Musicke as David saith Sing yee loud unto the Lord all the earth least seeking to â—ncrease our own dignity by propriety of the song we detract from Gods glory by restraint of the fingers And enter not O my soule into the shame to thinke that where all other creatures doe directly sing it we onely doe but make suit to sing it and it is thought in us a good degree of doing it if we can but onely pray to doe it And indeed we have need to pray to doe it seeing praying to doe it is all in effect we can doe of it to any purpose For our hallowing can be but as our understanding is and our understanding can
the helpe of Abraham For Abraham was Gods Friend and men will doe much for their friends how much more will God This also hath been and is still the ignorant fancy of some men therefore ignorant because Abraham is ignorant of us and knowes us not and seeing while hee lived hee came short by Tenne in helping the Sodomites whom hee knew he is like to come much shorter now in helping of uswhom hee doth not know But would it not be sufficient to pray for the ayde of Angells as God promised Moses that his Angell should goe with him and wee may be sure that God knew well what Assistance would serve Of this Errour it seâ—ms by Saint Paul some Colossians were in danger but wee see Moses would not trust to that helpe neither but flatly refused it It seemes he took Gods offer but as a try all and unlesse God would goe himselfe hee thought it no boore for him to stirre And indeed who can thinke it reasonable for Sonnes to rely upon their Fathers Servants For wee fight not with flesh and blood but with principalities and Powers and seeing we have a Kingdome to assault us wee must likewise have a Kingdome to assist us Neither our owne Forces Nor Succour of Saints Nor ayde of Angells will stand us in stead God himselfe must goe forth with our Armies or wee shall never be able to overcome And if we place the emphasis upon the first word It may then raise our minds to this meditation There are many competitors for this Kingdome to rule over us but above all though the basest of all the bramble satan catcheth hold of us to get it God is the trne Olive tree but he cannot take it upon him unlesse he should leave his fatnesse Hee is the true Figge-tree but he cannot be King over us unlesse he should leave his sweetnesse and that fatnesse and that sweetnesse he left the Father when he gave his Sonne the Sonne when he gave his life and now let all the Trees of the wood rejoyce for Thou O Lord art wâ—rthy to receive all glory and honour and power and the Lord shall raigne for ever And what then shall we render for this inestimable favour in taking us to be his subjects O let us offer him not onely the tenths of our labours but the first fruits of our affections let us open not onely the doores of our lips but the gates of our hearts that this King of glory may come in And when thou vouchsafest O my Lord to come with thy high Majesty under my low roofe and to worke a miracle by having that greatnesse which the world containeth not contained in the little corner of my breast Vouchsafe also to send thy Grace for the Harbinger of thy Glory seeing there can no roome be dressed up against thy comming but onely by thy comming and no place can be reckoned fit for thee untill it be made fit by thee Possesse me wholly O my soveraigne raigne in my body by obedience to thy Lawes and in my soule by confidence in thy promises Frame my tongue to praise thee my knees to reverence thee my strength to serve thee my desires to cover thee and my heart to embrace thee that as thou hast formed me to thine Image so thou mayst frame mee to thy will and as thou hast made mee a vessell by the stamp of thy Creation to serve thee on earth so thou may est make me a vessell of honour by the priviledge of thy grace to serve thee in thy Kingdome In some the world Governes and he who is Prince of this world the divell and this government is a very â—yranny the people here are not Subjects but slaves they have fetters on all their faculties and if they â—oe not feele them it is because they are past feeling The avre of this place is onely Fogges and Mists which both blind their eyes and infect their spirits and makes it their Paradise to be wallowing in puddle He is no true Pâ—nce but an usurper and therfore rules all by force and falsehood He takes upon him to be their Pilot launcheth them out into the maine and then leaves them to stormes and temâ—ests and their Haven is to split against the Rockes So here is no being for thee O my soule thou hadst need to make haste hence and to seeke thee out some better harbour In some the flesh governes and they which be Ladies of the flesh Pride and Lust and this government is a very Anarchy Every base fancy hath an even sway with noble reason Wisdome here is not justified of her children they may speake the language of Canaan but they are all natives of Sodome their eyes are seeled up yet their flight is onely downe hill for they are travelling to the bottomles Pit So this O my soule is no place for thee neyther No resting for thee here seeing here is no rest but all in motion and all motion here is commotion In some the spirit governes and he who is the Father of spirits God himselfe and this government is a perfect Kingdome He hath Majesty for his Crowne Mercy for his seate and Iustice for his Scepter He hath wisedome for his Counsailour Almightinesse for his guard and Eternity for his date He hath heaven for his Pallace the earth for his Footstoole and hell for his prison He hath lawes to which nature assents and reason subscribes that doe not fetter us but free us for by them nature gets the wings of grace and transcends the earth Reason gets the eyes of fayth and ascends up to heaven He hath a yoke indeed but it is easie a burthen but it is light his reward is with him and his worke before him He is established in this soveraignty not by his subjects election of him but by his election of his subjects not as rayfing himselfe to a higher title but as humbling himselfe to a lower calling and as not receiving it from a Predecessor who is before all so never leaving it to a successour who is after all This is the place where my soule shall dwell here will I pitch my Tabernacle Onely O Lord let me be taken into the number of thy subiects and endue mee with the priviledges of thy Kingdome and I will freely and faithfully serve thee for ever Other Lords besides thee have heretofore ruled us but now we will remember thee onely and onely thy Name When we make this petition to God that his Kingdome may come we should doe well to remember a petition which God makes to us My sonne give me thy hâ—art For unlesse we give God our hearts whither can wee thinke this Kingdome should come For if it come to the eares as oftentimes it makes offer at the hearing of Gods Word it findes that onely a Thorough-fare which lies open on every side and no fit place to make a residence in and
him without more a doe This day thou shalt bee with me in Paradise Wherefore O my soule observe here first what thou promisest God to observe Forgive them that trespasse against thee I doe here therefore forgive all the world If any man have done me wrong if any man have intended me evill I doe freely and fully from my heart forgive him And then observe what Christ teacheth thee to observe seeke all meanes to be reconciled to thy neighbour I doe here therefore desire forgivenesse of all the world if I have done wrong to any man if I owe any thing to any man which I am not able to pay I am infinitely grieved and heartily sorry and humbly from my heart entreate him to forgive me And when thou hast done this thou hast yet a City of refuge to flie unto God and to him confesse thy sinnes and desire forgivenesse I doe here therefore prostrate my selfe before thee O God I confesse and acknowledge the heynousnesse of my sinnes and I most humbly from my heart entreate thee to forgive me This done O my soule thou mayst rise from the earth and take comfort and mayst be bold to say The Lord is my helper I will not feare what man shall doe unto mee For thou mayst be sure that God will use eyther hisauthority to the world to make it forgive thee or his prerogative over the world and forgive thee himselfe But is it not strange this petition should come in so late which one would thinke should have beene the first For how can we expect a donative before a pardon that any thing should be given us unlesse our sinnes be first forgiven us Is it not that the foure first petition are very ancient and were sayd of our first parents even in Paradise and in them we alter nothing but the tunes for they were to them songs but are to us supplications They were to them Himns but to us are Dirges but the two latter are wholly new and come but now in and therefore take their place as they come For they are indeed the meere reparations of our first Parents ruines and had both of them beene altogether needlesse if they had not both of them beene altogether gracelesse And yet there appeares another reason For wee have asked to hallow Gods Name and that his Kingdome may come and that his Will may bee done and that he would give us bread to eate and now it seemes by our asking for temporall things which is the last care of a Christian man that Christ would have made an end of the Prayer heere if it had beene possible but it would not be For our hallowing Gods Name is but imperfect his Kingdome comes to us but in part his Will though it bee done as it is in Heaven yet it is done in earthen Vessels and therefore after all this there is no remedy we must needs come to this at last and aske forgivenesse or else all that went before will not serve the turne for which this Prayer is intended And may it not be another reason why this petition comes in so late and is placed amongst the last to shew that Repentance comes never too late so it come at last and therefore Christ makes this one of our last petitions as washing the Disciples feete was one of his last acts the very embleme of this petition Yet wee may observe how dangerous a thing this late repentance is for though Peter no doubt had often sayd with David Wash mee thorowly from my sinnes yet when it grew so late before Christ came to wash him indeed hee would have put it off if Christ had not put him on with an extraordinary motion But may we not seeme here to be at a stand For here are many petitions but wee can see none of asking for faith as Christ prayed for Peter That his faith might not faile and the Apostles prayed O Lord increase our faith and is it not strange that in this principall prayer we should not pray for that which is the principall that all our petitions should be for workes and none of them for fayth Is it for some such reason as Moses had who describing the creation of the world and the making of all creatures yet speaketh nothing of the making of Angels though of all creatures the principall Or is it that Christ makes this a Prayer not a Catechisme and a prayer for the Faithfull not for Infidels for He that comes to God must believe that God is and that hee is a rewarder of them that seeke him Or is it that wee cannot pray for fayth but it must bee needs eyther without cause or without effect and so be eyther needlesse or fruitlesse For if we have favth already it is needlesse to aske it and if we have it not it is in vaine to aske it seeing what we aske not in fayth St. Iames tels us we shall not obtaine and if we aske it in fayth wee then have faith to aske it before wee aske it But will it not bee better not to looke out reasons why wee doe not aske it but rather to shew reasons that we doe aske it and aske it we doe indeed not verbally but really For doe we not pray for fayth when we pray for the hallowing of that which cannot be hallowed but by the tongue of fayth the Name of God Doe we not pray for fayth when wee pray for the comming of that which cannot come but upon the feete of fayth the Kingdome of God Doe wee not pray for fayth when we pray for the doing of that which cannot bee done but by the strength of fayth the Will of God Doe we not pray for fayth when we pray for the having of that which cannot bee had but by the hand of fayth forgivenesse of our finnes Certainely seeing we pray for the causes and the effects for the roote and the fruits of fayth it is not the want of naming fayth that can bee a reason to make us doubt that we pray not for fayth no more then the want of naming Christ in this prayer is any reason to prove that wee pray not here in the Name of Christ. It is proper to this petition that where all the other are absolute this onely is conditionall and where the other are onely contemplative this is both contemplative and active for it is to be done as well as to be layd And where all the other petitions looke God in the face and expect to receive something at his hands this only with the Publicane presumes not to looke up to Heaven neyther aspires to taste of Gods bounty but onely of his mercy And yet as dejected as it seemes it hath greater spirits at least speakes greater words then all the rest for where the other doe but onely sue for grace to be enabled to doe good workes this undertakes to doe good workes at its owne perill and where the other expect Gods
bread and this likewise was figured by the next favour shewed to the Israelites his sending downe of Manna day by day from Heaven and his bringing water out of the Rocks The next Petition is for sanctification when our wills are made conformable unto his and though by his Adoption we are children yet by our owne Vow are servants â—nd this also was Figured in the Israelites by his giving of the Law when God said to them ye shall be to me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation and they againe answered God All that the Lord hath spoken we will doe The next Petition is for the comming of his Kingdome which is not onely wages as to servants but an Inheritance as to children For it is not only said Euge bone serve but venite Benedicti Patris and this was also figured in the Israelites when God distributed amongst them the Kingdomes of the Heathen and every Tribe had their stations assigned them in the land of Canaan some by Geometricall proportion and some by Arithmeticall The last Blessing is our first Petition when we shall come to be as Angels and when our Hallowing of Gods Name which is now our worke shall be our happinesse and this was also Figured in the Israelites when they rested in Canaan and subduing their Enemies round about them had nothing but songs of Praise and Thanksgiving for the Blessings they enioyed After this there is no more Figure for we are come to that which cannot be Figured there shall be no more use of the Name of Father for we shall Haliow God in his proper Name and as hee is in himselfe and our charity shall bee in that we shall then love God Not as Misericordem Not as Bonum nobis but as Bonum and not onely love him for himselfe but not love our selves but for him that it is no merveile Saint Paul leaves Faith and Hope behind this Charity seeing They are onely for our selves This only for God and great reason for God shall then be All in All. And now before we make an end to speake of Hallowing Gods Name It may not be unfit to consider the Three First Petitions as they are onely Hallowings or Alleluiahs for observing the difference of the songs we shall perceive the difference of the singers The First when we say Hallowed be thy Name is the Alleluiah of Angels and we may truely say is Canticum Canticorum the song of songs not only because it is sung without ceasing but because it shall be sung without Ending and is both the cause and the effect both the signe and the substance of our Eternall Happinesse The Second when we say Thy kingdome come is the Alleluiah of the Saints in Heaven and is an aspyring to the First but in aspiring in a very neere degree Neere in Dystance though remote in Existence for they are an assurance of Attayning and doe but tarry the time but the time will not be till Time will not be The Third when we say Thy will be done is the Allelujah of the Saints on Earth and is an aspiring to the second but an aspiring in a remote degree for while they are in the world they are subiect to all the rubs of the world while they live in the Flesh to all infirmities of the Flesh yet they have a confidence though no assurance or an assurance though but in confidence and therefore are remisse but not dejected Bold but not presumptuous not out of heart but not out of feare And may it not here be observed that as we beginne in saying Hallowed be thy Name so we end in a kinde of facting the Hallowing it and our first and last words are all for his Glory who is the first and the last and these three Attributes seeme to answer to our th ree first Petitions Hallowed be thy Name for Thine is the Glory Thy Kingdome come for Thine is the Kingdome Thy will be done for Thine is the Power and we seeme to sing not only in the first an unisonewith the Angels but in all the Three the same Ditty with the Saints in Heaven for their Allelujah is Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power and ours here Thine is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory that having sung the Song of Saints and Angels here on Earth we may be admitted into the Qâ—ire of Saints and Angels in Heaven and sing eternally Thou art moâ—thy O Lord toreceave Glory and Honour and Power For Thine is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen And now O my soule Consider how perfect this Prayer is where are the Petitions of Men and Angels the Petions of the Church Militant and Triumphant the Petitions of Innocent Infants Paenitent sinners and Faithfull Beleevers And then harken what Musicke it makes in Gods Eares how Pleasing where the songs are all of Christs owne setting how Melodious where they are all so sweet singers how loud where there are so many voyces especially when this Chorus Cantantium this Quire of singers which hitherto have sung their parts a part shall all ioyne their voyces together in that sacred Antheme For Thine is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory and so End all in that which is the End of all and is it felfe without End The Glory of God FINIS Esa. 1.1 Heb. 2.9 Esa. 59.10 Mal. 2.8 Eph. 4.19 Fph. 3.12 Heb 4.16 Heb. 8.9 â—oh 16.14 Colos. 2.3 Ier. 8.6 Deut. 1.45 Zach. 7.13 Ier. 11.11 Esa. 1.15 Colos. 1.20 Mat. 21.22 Esa. 51.16 Luk. 18.1 Exod 16. 8. 1 Thes. 15.17 Levit 6. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 10. Ezekiel 36 37. Hosea 14. 3. Psal. 87.7 Psal. 10â— 1 Psal. 87.7 Iam. 1.6 Psal. 65.2 Luk. 18.13 Psal. â—4 10 Psal. 84.1 Psal. 94.2 Mat. 6. 〈◊〉 I am 3. 41. Psal. 139. 7. 〈◊〉 23 24. Châ—o 2. 6. Psal. 57.5 Eph. 4.10 Psal. 19.1 Rom. 1.20 Wisd. 13.50 Nah. 3.1 Psal. 32.7 Ioh. 14.3 Psal. 66.9 Exod. 〈◊〉 .15 15.3 Psal 104. 2. Zach. 14.9 Esa. 42. 16. Psal. 113 6. Esa. 53.3 ler. 51.53 lob 20.6 Heb. 9. 11. Iob 4. 19. Reâ— 3. 21. Psal. 73. 5. lob 21. 7 8. Ioh. 8.39 Ioh. 4 19. Ioh. 6. 44. Deut 13.13 Mal. 1.6 Ezek 20.25 Psal 37.25 Ioh. 14.3 Isa. 13.7 Luke 6.24 Wis. 6.6 Revel 18.7 Psal. 19. 7.99 130. Ecâ—lef 18. 6. Psal 83. 18 Psal. 27. 4. Luk. 10.42 Math. 5.45 Iohn 1. 12. Rom. 8.14 Luke 11.13 Revel 11.4 Isa. 11. 2. Colos. 2.14 Revel 1. 18. Psal 142. 7. Esa. 42. 7. Psal. 51.10 Eccles. 18.1 Mal. 1 〈◊〉 Iudg. 13.18 Psal. 103. 1. Psalm 8. Psal 118. 12. Num. 20.10 Psal. 106.33 Num. 20.12 1 Kin. 8. 65. P Sal. 40.16 Psal. 148. Psal. 118. Exod. 33.21 Revel 4.3 Revel 4.10 Revel 6.10 Math. 5.3 Iam. 4.4 Ioh. 17.16 Revel 3.20 Esa. 41.8 Esa. 63. 16. Col. 2.18 Exo. 33.15 Eph. 2.12 Esa. 26.13 â—udg 9.14 Zach. 4.11 1 Chro. 16.33 Psal. 96.12 Psal. 24.9 Esa. 47.7 Esa. 40.10 Esa. 16.13 Prov. 13.26 Luk. 17. 21. Revel 7.16 Psal. 125.6 〈◊〉 Revel 7.17 Revel 6.11 〈◊〉 Cor. 6.3 Iohn 15.11 Iohn 16.22 Mâ—r. 2.2 Iohn 12.13 Rev. 6.11 Rev. 5.4 Rom. 5.5 Psal. 135.6 Esa. 14.24 46.10 Ier. 42.6 Psal. 49. 20. 73. 22. Esa. 1. 3 Esa. 1.13 Mal. 3.6 Psal. 6.27 Col. 5.9 Psal. 69.9 Psal. 119.105 Iohn 4. 24. Psal 119.66 Psal. 50. 16. Exod. 19.8 Psal. 119.112 2 Pâ— 3. 13. Psal. 14. 3,4 Esa. 1.23 Mic. 〈◊〉 7.2 Rom. 8.21 Esd. 30.33 Cant. 1.10 Cant. 4.13 Ier. 9.1 Exod. 19.6 Ier. 10.23 24.7 Ier. 3.7 Ier. 3.20 Lam. 5â—21 Esa. 40.10 Esa. 4.10 1 Cor. 9.17 Iohn 16.17 Wisd. 11.25 lam 1.18 Math. 5.48 Mal. 3.14 Esa. 61.3 Psal. 104.21 Psal. 147.9 Psal. 65.9 Hos. 2.22 Psal. 78.25 Psal. 145.15 Gen. 2â— 20. Hab. 1.16 Eccles. 6.2 Eccles. 11.1 2 King 7. Deut. 11.14 Esa. 21.12 Psal. 127.2 Eccles. 5.12 1 King 19. 8. Psal. 90. 31. Rev. 10.6 Esa. 60.19 Math. 6.34 1 Tim. 5.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 14.11 Eccles. 5.11 Ecclus. 30.15 Psal. 4.7 Mark 14.3 lam 4.10 Esa. 10.23 Ezek. 16.49 Math. 26.29 Gen. 30.1 Rom. 8.26 â—en 1.x Revel 〈◊〉 Ioh. 8.10 â—oh 1.9 leâ— 8.22 1 Cor. 1â— 44 Luk. 1.6 â—l 18.24 2 Cor. 1.23 5.5 Mich 7.9 Psal. 103.12 Esa. 38.17 â—sa 64.6 Psal. 40. â— Psal. 103. Psal. 136. Psal. 19.11 â—l 15.17 â—od 34.6 Math. 6.12 Lâ—k 11.2 Cal. 6.5 Math. 6.14 Luk. 14.17 â—oh 13 35. Esa. 58.5 Ioh. 22.3 Psal. 16.2 Psal. 18.25 Ezck. 25.12 Exod. 32.3 Phil. 1.15 Psal. 44.22 Acts 21.23 Psal. 68.19 1 Sam. 15.22 Ioh. 1.16 Psal. 25.11 Iob 13.27 Manass. Psal 38.4 Gen. 4 10. Psal. 25.11 Psal. 6.4 Psal. 110.1 Ioh. 11.14 1 lim 2.6 Esa. 53.12 Ioh. 1.6 Psal. 109.7 Esa. 29.13 Heb. 12.29 Ioh. 1.9 Mark 6.5 Math. 18.23 psal 51.4 Psal. 10.4 37.33 Rom. 12.9 Psal. 97.1 2 Sam. 24.13 Psal. 56.4.11 Heb. 13.6 Ier. 15 11. Psal. 51.2 Mark 22.32 Heb. 11.6 1 Cor. 1.8 ler. â—1 9 Ioh. 16.33 Gal. 5.29 Gal. 3.24 Psal. 119 37. Psal. 26.1 2 Psal. 31.3.51 lâ—b 1 11. Iob 1.8 Iam. 1. â— 1 Cor. 10.13 Prov 30.8 Ioh. 17.20 Psal. 68.18 Iam. 1.14 Luk. 22.31 1 Pet. 5.8 Psal. 26.2 Psal. 141.4 Esa. 37.3 Psal. 18.48 Psal. 49.15 Ier. 9.4 Eccles. 6.13 1 Pet. 5.8 Exod. 14.4 Exod. 15.2 Psal. 118.14 Esa. 12.2 1 Sam. 2.30 Heb. 6.11.18 Psal. 16.9 Ioh. 19 2â— Gal. 5.5 Tit. 3 7. Math 22.32 Num. 26.54 lesnua 21.44