of the Infidels 2. Again This flesh its originall is earth the minde of man a kin to an heavenly being which hath caused some to harbour this conceit that by Earth may be meant this flesh of ours or part unregenerate by Heaven the minde or part regenerate to which if we condescend we must thus then read this petition Thy will be done by the flesh as it is by the minde by the flesh which serves the Law of sin as by the minde which serves the law of God Here are two parties in this Isle of Man the one holds of God in Heaven the other of the Devill in Hell and as Israel was divided betwixt Rehoboam and Jeroboam so this Isle of man is made a divident All is not for God a corrupt part takes part with the Devill This is it shall make me petition God His Vote that as that part of my minde which is regenerate so more of me may subscribe to do Gods will 3. Some by Earth may understand the Church militant while by Heaven Christ the head of the Church triumphant and would have this the meaning of this petition Thy will be done by the Church in Earth as it is done by thy Son in Heaven Here we pray the Chuch on earth may take Christ in Heaven for a sampler and that we the members of this his Church would make his will our rule O God we of thy Church will study to do thee service yet confesse The Avowry we have every day cause to beg we may come nigher the sampler of true obedience Christ Jesus This distinguishing upon the three words which seemed difficult to be understood is the porter hath brought the sense of this petition to the sense of your hearing The genuine meaning is a collect of what said and now we have speld let us put together Prime loco here we beg of God he would inable us men on earth to do his will as do the Angels in heaven Which is Alacriter Joyfully Celeriter Readily Not by constraint as some come to the Church more for fear than love not latchingly as those who came into the vineyard at the eleventh hour meaning to have much for doing little when we go about Gods businesse we must be merry countenanced and nimble footed look blithely and dispatch speedily These two they crown the action and shewes the willingnesse of the whole man to serve his Maker such a suppliant though he cannot lay claim to ought by his own merit yet may presume of Gods mercy whereas a grumbling servant a delatory delayer when as he thinks he hath done Gods work may be payed in the Devils coyn As what we must do must be what God wils so all we do be dispatcht Angel-like with alacrity with celerity this is the choice sense of this petition And yet here is involved a boon for Infidels to do Gods will as do the faithfull for this flesh of ours to inlaw it self to the Lord as doth the minde regenerate Lastly that this Church of Gods upon earth may conforme it self to the will of God as did the Head Christ And now what we have said The Supplicat that it may be and really performed Dear Father grant us thy children this one boon that thy will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven We are next to produce the Doctrines to finde them out we will be beholding to the division of this petition dissecting it self into two parts 1. The subject matter 2. The restrictive manner The subject matter prayed for is Thy will be done in Earth The restrictive manner as it is in Heaven What God wils we pray we may do yet not as we will but as the same is done in Heaven The first part of the petition petitions us to take these particulars into our considerations 1. Whose will it is we must beg ability to actuate it is gods not ours the Prououne * Thy possessive will depose this is true 2. The ubi or place where it is here in Earth this place must be no priviledged place Gods will must be done in Earth First we pray for ability to actuate Gods will here is no noise of ours but Gods as if ours unworthy or our selves self-wil'd and led more by foolish fancy than rectified reason Every begger affects his own brat how ever deformed for this cause here is expresse charge and from the Kings own son to sute God to give us grace to place his issue before our imp and that not the off-spring of us our wils But O Lord that thy will be prefer'd O it comes hardly off with us to doe what God wils Doct. apparent by this petition put up Christ prayed not My will but thy will be done And that he might sub-set his inferior or natural appetite to save life to Gods decreed will to lay down his life for us all Rom. â— What the law of nature without a taunt might plead for Christ prayes it may not stand against Gods determinate counsell It gives us just cause of surmise now nature is corrupt it is untoward And we forward enough to will what God would not The modest petition of my Messias without sin The Avowry shall make me sinfull man confesse my refractorinesse to do the will of the Lord. Let us now walk on to the ubi the place where Gods will is to be done in Earth This life time is no priviledged time for following our own wils and appetites Doct. we have here a being and here an abiding and for a better end none on earth have leave to live as they list and do what they like There is not a day exempt from Gods service to serve the Devill All our daies we must devote to God and live to him religion in the name of God claims a right in thy youth and age Till earth to earth that is all this life we must subscribe to what God hath willed we should do here while we stay hear what we must do Gods will in Earth as it is in Heaven But what continually to be in our devotion is this your meaning What I have said is no enemy to honest pastime nor yet to Christian imployment But as Schoole-boyes the most their time is set apart to ply and con A little time is licensed to recreate them in So God and the lessons he hath to teach us require the major part The minor part there is a connivence for pursuance of pleasure profit alwaies provided so it be in the Lord. I will minde what I am made for and while I have to do with the world The Avowry call to minde my life must be devoted unto the Lord. Now I come to the Doctrines deductible from the restrictive manner we must beg of God ability to do his will in Earth as it is in Heaven See you not Heaven is set to be Earths pattern Doct. and men on earth to learn of Angles in Heaven
met with I dare not promise much it is presumption nor underprize my pains since some say it is a slie vain-glory a begging by refusing I much desire you would not discourage these my first endeavours and if you chance to spie a blemish in Venus her face not to eye it more than all her beauty which if you doe you have got a bargain but lost a chapman every one can say it is an easier thing to finde fault with than to mend And he that will mend what here 's amisse hath leave to finde fault with what he list I speak not this to make a variance but salve a difference assuring my self he is not a Scholar that will carp I have put my self to the worlds wide venture and aime at my * Scholars Coat to defend my cause Humorous heads who have more words than wit and censures than solidity they can gain nought at my hands by their opprobries these have a good word for none not then for me It is the ingenuous auspicious Reader I relie on for his favour whose favourable report shall make my printed paper his debtor and my self his devoted To the Author of the Prayer THE Author of the Book in all humility begs leave to dedicate these few ensuing lines to the Author of this Prayer Christ Jesus God blessed for ever Amen O my God and my King the holy Pen-man of this most holy prayer thou art one who wa st who art to be forever God and yet man man and yet God In thee the Godhead is hominified in thee the manhood is deified thou art an immense Majesty present with us in earth and at the same time Lord President in Heaven Thou art one in person yet hast two natures one of the three Persons yet all the three but one in substance begot before all Time born in the dispensation of Time not to encrease thy honour but to set us from thrall Thou taughtest Exemplo Thou taughtest Praecepto Voce By learning us Prece By praying for us Thou prayedst to thy Father for us Thou preachedst to us how we should pray to thy Father not as we will but as thou hast wil'd thou teachest us what to say and we are bound to say thy prayer Thou hast taught us how to pray so ties us not at all times to the same words O thou wisdome of the Father let me learn wisdome from thy lips Who to furnish the meanest of * In Understanding men prescribes them a Plat-forme who so sets down a plat-form as licenses the more gifted to exercise their gift of prayer Thy prayer O Christ is not given to stint the spirit thy prayer is lent to support it Blessed be thou my God and my Christ who hast not only purchased for us to be cal'd Gods Sons but taught us to say Our Farther Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I give over thy prayer I honour its Author I reverence its matter I admire its method it was made by Christ God made by Christ for man usefull for all men never could so much be contained in so narrow a room but that of Gods making the Sons penning the Holy Ghost his inspiring Let the Enthusiasts slight it the fratra cilli lay it by as men conceiving they are come to an acme of perfection yet such as fail I finde in the best of my expressions that let them be the protasis this shall be the apodosis and if with my own I begin with our Lords * Prayers I desire to make an end the Lords Prayer is the summary of all things necessary and when I have prayed for all I can in this as in a glasse my Christ lets me see the face of all my desires while I am expounding this sacred Prayer Lord let thy sacred Spirit descend down upon me so shall thy Name be honoured and I inabled to discharge this great work I have in hand O thou who madest this prayer make me understand its meaning and while I am in hand with this work blow the spark of my meditations into a flame let my paraphrase be set Carbo lampas a light shinning and lamp burning by this light guide babes in knowledge on to a set form of prayer by it confute all Hereticks who deny a set form of prayer O my Christ I will shut up my too much boldnesse of speech to thee with admiration of thee who art all in all unto us all bread to feed us wine to cherish us the white robe to cover us thou hast slain our sins by thy passion quickned us to a life of grace by thy Resurrection provided a mansion for us by thy Ascension we may enter in for thou art the door no danger by the way for our Christ is the way we can have no better assurance then from him is the truth nor let us fear the sting of death for we are servants to the Lord of life to him who is the way the truth and the life O my Saviour I blesse God for thee I glory in thee I cast my self upon thee upon the bended knee of my body I beg thy blessing praying in thy own words saying thy own Prayer Our Father which art c. The Author of the Book his Speech to the Prayer O All heavenly Prayer the very language of the Lord Jesus the Christian * A good Word till abused Directory The Rubricks Epitomy short in words copious in matter which gives God his Due begs all needfull for us all all thy precious petitions it is my every daies prayer may be writ with the pen of a Diamond in my heart O Divine Prayer I am purposed to give thee every morning the visit every night to hold conference with thee the first to salute the last to take my leave of Thou hast taught me to blesse God my here welfare my hereafter happinesse what to seek a Kingdome how to ensure it by doing what thou wilt as thou wilt O most holy prayer which suites God for us all and for all needfull which teaches us how to unravell our debts and discharge them to prevent sin by praying against sin yea prayes in the midst of our temptations for safe deliverance Thou art magnum in parvo yet sayest little yet when we have said all we can we can say no more I admire thy brevity short yet sweet few words yet full as the Patriarchs sacks understood we at length what thou comprehendest in short we would every day lengthen our esteem of thee lessen our opinion of our own barren expressions But I am sorry thou art so slighted by those who think themselves none-such and for my part I would be very sorry to be such as they are O most sacred Prayer whither wilt thou go the Enthusiast his hasty conceptions will be thy death the Sectarian Minister for fear of popular displeasure is feared to acknowledge thee in the Pulpit yet thou hast one
Doct. thus we are taught to speak it shewes what we should be resolute for the advancement of Gods honour Secondly it shewes what to be fear'd we are such as stand need to be made mend our pace with the spurre of command The quere was and long since Shall I come unto you with a red the Romans bundle of wands we stand in need of yea by an imperious mandate to be pusht on to the work as much as Israel was to his task Well The Avowry while in the tract of piâ—ty I am learn'd to march on for the honour of my God This Mandate shall make me suspect my pace and that with Lots it is lingring The Matter commanded is to hallow Gods Name apparent by this said Hallowed be thy Name This is first cared for Doct. to shew our care in chief should be for Gods honour as in part you were forepossest God that made man last this man is to honour him first and be the foremost There 's good reason this last should be first in honouring God the first of creatures and his first of works Let us lead the Round so the dance be Davids and fall to this labour before trying oxen seeing farmes or marrying wives though these earthly things we have leave to think on yet not first to think on Gods honour must go before mans good or goods The fourth and fifth petitions bear me witnesse this ought to take place in our hearts then those Self-love forbids what I say grace serves an injunction on us to doe it and warnes us to preferre God before our selves our pleasures our profits our lives yet further went Moses Exod 32.32 Paul stept on as farre as he Rom. 9.3 Such well wishers to Gods renown as they preferr'd it before their own salvation These superlative affections shall make me set back my own suit The Avowry at least till God be served This sacred Theorem is full foully faln out with such as have in their mindes Vse Meum and Tuum before on their tongue ends Maries Magnificat it is naturall for our love to descend but supernaturall for it to ascend it fals upon earth must be heav'd up to heaven and therefore we rouse you up with a sursum corda lift up your hearts we will shake hands and be friends so you will do as you say lift them up unto the Lord. I am resolv'd upon it by Gods good assistance The Avowry to banish out of my heart earthly Mammon lest the love of Earth and earthing in it make me out of love with our Lord and honouring him The Cases of Conscience are knocking at the door of our hearts and if you please we will call them in and hear what they have to say It 's this 1. That many neglect to hallow Gods Name whilest his Titles Attributes and Word are misused and men misuse themselves their works testifying to their teeths their disglorying God But it 's desired to particularize and poll out who they are that neglect to hallow Gods name First such as in stead of reverent taking Gods Titles in their mouthes Swear by his Name Vainly Commonly Idolatrously Perniciously Now who these are I will tell you who can inform you 1. One called common discourse 2. Intelligencer is the Alehouse 3. Lives in Pharaohs house he was an honest mans son his name is Joseph the son of Jacob. 4. Informer points at Ahabs two false witnesses two sons of B lial I will resolve to set a watch over my tongue The Avowry not come at Belshazzars house not live in Potiphars nor yet to have the least acquaintance with Jesabels pickthanks Lest while I gain credit with an earthly Queen The Collect the King of Heaven come to losse by me lest while I honour Pharaoh I dishonour God lest while I please my palat my tongue offend an lastly lest while I talk much my Masters Name be taken in vain 2. Such neglect to hallow Gods Name who wrong Gods Attributes or Properties of Mercy Properties Justice Who wrongs them Quest I will tell you Res and first for his Mercy 1. The first his name is Inconsideration what God hath done for us men as the Father made us his Son redeemed us the holy Ghost came to be our Comforter To ruminate upon it what Heaven hath done for Earth would make us who are but earth glorifie the God of heaven The want of this is the death of that and makes me while I gain much marre my market and turn bankrupt out Well The Avowry for my own part I am resolved upon it to ponder in heart what God hath done for me in hand lest my not notice taking of his mercy make me owner of no more 2. The second is an ungratefull person akin to many of our countrymen he is call'd unthankfulnesse for Gods benefits confer'd upon us we have them who have received thousands of favours at Gods hands give not God a good word for it health and wealth food and raiment peace and long daies they have had time enough to do it but they are akin to the nine Lepers who take all will part with nought no not so much as thanks Ingratitude is a beastly vice Hist The Stork in Norway when her brood is hatcht in token of hatred to ingratitude leaves her Landlord one of her young ones let fooles of the earth learn of fowles of the air Again no sin offers more indignity to Gods mercy shewed us in Christ Jesus than unthankfulnesse this wretched impe of the Devill hath done much mischief to that pious property of God I am resolved to part with the one The Avowry that I may enjoy the other and study to be thankfull lest God cease to be mercifull 3. There 's a third offers much wrong to Gods Mercy call's Conceit a conceit we are something when nothing and have deserved the good turns God hath done for us when nought lesse A peculiar overprise may hinder a speciall blisse Sentences when we make our challenge by due what we have got ere long we shall be set without it There 's no greater enemy to Gods Mercy than mans merit one much crackt of yet cannot go while we countenance that Romish bastard Merit we make Mercy whose off-spring is from God go pack and get her gone I am resolved not to fancy that Chimeara conceit of merit The Avowry lest while I fall in love with mans merit Gods Mercy depart from me Who wrongs Gods Justice Quest 1. One who is a very naturall Res call'd fond fancy or a foolish fancy that God is a meer compound of mercy while we humour our selves God is more mercifull than just we lose his mercy but his justice meets with us and yet this superplus conceit of the one vilely vilifies the other in this Presumption hath gotten the master head over Despair while warn'd Gods mercy more to be hoped in than his justice fear'd if
of daies when I am first in my own thoughts I am the last in Gods Book Let me set my self and all my wants a while aside till God be served let his glory be my aime in prime the second place will serve all my needs In glorifying thee a glorious good redounds to me I will not clip thy coine of glory lest I go not for currant in thy kingdome of grace O that thou wouldest inlarge my heart to give thee praise lest the want of this Foreman cause the rest of the Jurore my petitions to be excepted against in the presence of thee the Judge of Heaven and Earth The second Petition THe second Petition now succeeds by name Thy Kingdome come I will God willing speak upon The Number The Nature of the words to be explained First for number here is but one word difficult to be understood two in the former one here Can we learn no lesson from Gods plaining his speech O it shewes us 1. The more we acquaint our selves with God Three Intracts more plainly he will speak to us 2. As we grow in devotion we shall grow in understanding 3. That Gods Word with modesty the more we dive into it the more knowledge God gives to hold up our heads from drowning in the gulf of false exposition I am resolved to hold out my Rosary The Avowry with the Collect. reinforce my genius to peruse the Scriptures and all to prevent misprision augment my talent and enucleate the Text. Here is only one word to be explained Kingdome This word may be taken four waies 1. For the Scripture thus Mat. 21.43 where said Auferetur a vobis regnum Dei The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you 2. For the visible Church thus Mat. 5.19 where said He that shall break one of the least of these Commandements and teach men so shall be call'd the least in the Kingdome of Heaven 3. It may be taken for the grace of God Luk. 17. where said The Kingdome of God is within you 4. For the Church triumphant Mat. 8.11 where said Many shall come from the East and the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven Now all may be here meant though in prime but one 1. And then we pray in this Petition That Gods Word and its understanding may come among us 2. That upon earth there may be a fellowship of faithfull professors visible 3. That Gods grace sent by that sayne his Spirit in that Charriot the ministery of his Word may visit our hearts 4. That these daies of misery being perioded Gods Kingdome of glory we may be seated in it In one word we pray for four things 1. That the word of God and its sound may be heard in our land 2. That we may be Gods visible Church on earth 3. For Gods grace 4. And for heaven at our ending Of this last what hopes without that precedent A circumvolution of the four fold sense Again its presumption to brag of grace and live without the Church Lastly it we aime at all we must doe a somewhat more It you purpose to be members of the Church be inspired with the Spirit hereafter have heaven let the Word of God dwell plentifully in your hearts I am resolved for my own part to make much of Gods Word The Avowry with the Collect. a mean to make me a member of the Church aequire grace and gain heaven You may be bad ground and sown with this seed A review the Word where this seed Interpretation 1. the Word for so it s call'd Luk. 8. is not sown that most fertile soils manured with Ethicks and the humane arts brings out but figtree-like cursed fruit Hence it is we pray way may be made for the Word of God and it may come ut adveniat hoc regnum that the kingdome may come So the Latine signifies which makes us sensible of Two things Extracts two 1. Our Condition 2. That in Expectation 1. Of our Condition that we are dronish in our devotion and love our ease more than our gains apparent while we pray Thy Kingdome come to us we walk not on to it 2. This in the second place makes us sensible of what in expectation That since advenit verbum the Word is come into our towns oratories ears that now prayed for is that the Word may enter into our hearts I am resolved to take notice of my backwardnesse in devotion The Avowry and all to make me more eager now this * Messenger sayne Gods Word is come to open the door of my heart and give it harbour Now this word its hieroglyphick or resemblance is a Kingdome for whilest we pray Gods Kingdome may come we mean Gods Word the word of truth And in these particulars the resemblance holds 1. For Kingdome like Resembances Gods Word is of power to correct instruct and reprove 2. It 's of force sufficient to make all outlawes inlaw themselves to Gods Law 3. Hath strength enough to meet in the field and to oppose all opposers be they Schismaticks or Hereticks Schismaticall in Discipline or Hereticall in Doctrine 4. The Nerves of a Kingdome are meat and ammunition such is the Word we live by it Deut. 8.3 it is call'd the sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 hath in it to feed at home and defend abroad 5. The best of Kingdomes Canaan had its commendation for abounding with milk and honey such is this whole land the word and therefore call'd sincere milk 1 Pet. 2.2 And therefore aver'd when the Prophet Ezekiel had put in his mouth a morsell of this earth that it was in his mouth as honey for sweetness Ezek. 3 3. I have travel'd through the land of the Philistims and the wildernesse of Sin A Supplicat But now O Lord strengthen my resolution to set up my resting place of abode in this * he means the word Taught Kingdome That here we pray for is a visible Church Interpretation 2. thy Kingdome come that is Lord let us enjoy a Church visible This interpretation I next bring in for that unmeet to be a Church untill it have received Gods good word Here we have leave to pray as against an Elias his paucity and the 7000. inforc't concealment So for liberty to continue daily in the Temple and to finde the favour to preach and hear the Gospell Act. 2.46 47. We pray then in this petition and it 's allowed for God by this second Exposition 1. That God may adde daily unto the Church Extracts two such as shall be saved 2. For the flourishing estate of the Church to the outward eye of the world Divers can endure the Queens * Church Daughter to be all glorious within but not that her Raiment should be of pure gold They cry all for sincerity within will tolerate no honourable train without Others would have the Church in worse case
question 2. For Immensity that beg'd is a Kingdome the Kingdome of heaven Hence take notice Doct. He that prayes for heaven prayes for no small thing 1. For spaciousnesse For spaciousnesse speciousnesse it hath no fellow he that stands upon his pantables is never so high in his own conceit might there have room enough to turn him in Again though straight be the way yet wide is this high land Heaven It is verily imagined that look how much wider is the world than the least prison so much is heaven bigger than earth And if divers stars as the Astronomers teach be bigger than the whole earth of what immense unmeasurable bignesse are the Heavens in which are fixt so many millions of stars 2. For speciousnesse 2. For speciousnesse it 's neither the wavie Curtains of the air the flowery Carpet of the earth nor yet the whole hoast of Creatures have half that lustre spendor as in heaven There 's to be seen that City whose pavement is of pure gold and as it were transparent glass The four and twenty Elders with their Crowns on their heads twelve thousand of every Tribe following the Lamb. Yea it was there St. Paul saw such things for state not sit to be spoken of or uttered I am resolved to make strong suit to God The Avowry and be earnest in prayer with him and all that I may have an inheritance in that place so spacious specious The object Heaven I must now part with it yet it is my hopes I shall once meet with it and to the purpose The Act is next in sight let it come a Boon we beg of God O God thy Kingdome come as much as Let thy Kingdome come The note is worth writing down in the table books of your remembrance It is this Doct. we have not heaven in hand we must yet wait for it here we may make our claim hereafter we take livery and seisin he that hath the most in hand hath not this while this life lasts a bar is put in hindring our possession of the Kingdome of heaven It was never heard corruption could inherit incorruption we must have patience and wait till this corruptible put on incorruptibility and this our mortall immortality after our change we shall finde a change and forgo earth and own heaven This life-time is a school-time whilest it lasts we though schoole-boyes may be heirs and have right to inherit but while school-time not admit to take this our estate in possession there 's not an heaven upon earth Four sorts of Seekers and Missers It 's not to be found at Dives his board though the Epicure be gone thither to meet with it 2. Nor yet at Belshazzars feast all there in sight is pot-luck and wit-lack 3. Our impropriators are seeking for Heaven in the Chancell and Parsonage house among the gleabe and tithe but I never heard of any had so good hap as whilest he was robbing Gods house to hit on Gods Kingdome 4. The Usurer makes his gold his God and it makes me imagine he thinks his counting-house his heaven without all doubt it is his conceit he shewed himself a wise man in getting so much but a fool for thinking too well of it Saul while he sought his fathers Asses hit of a Kingdome here are a company imagine they have found the Kingdome however we have hit upon the Asses A word is enough to the wise we befoole our selves if we whilest earth humour our selves we have heaven let us wait for the time in the mean time possesse our souls with patience neither conceiting we have heaven nor yet despairing of what to come For my own part The Avowry I am resolved to comfort my heart with what I may have yet not mis-spell posse for esse nor take a reversion to come for a plenary possession in present The next part of my method obliges me to bring in some cases of conscience and so draw more close home to this petition The Cases are three 1. Case the first is this whether do any doubt there be such a thing as prayed for cald Kingdome of Heaven or the Heavenly Kingdome Know it some beleeve no more than they see some say they beleeve more than they do The one his eye is the founder of his faith the other his beleef is no better than lip-labour the incredulous Atheist the hyppocriticall Formalist the one is an open enemy the other a close underminer and both ill willers to this Thesis vid. that there is such a thing as an heavenly Kingdome 1. There is such a fool as hath said in his heart there is no God no marvell he swear there is no heaven of all fools this is the fondest Had this fellow had Martyr Stevens eyes in his head he might happily have been made see more and beleeve not so little But every one cannot have an eye like an eagle yet some we see have no more wit than they stand in great need of whilest not faith like a grain of mustard seed 2. The bare Formalist sayes that in publick he doubts of in private vid. whether such a thing as cald the Kingdome of Heaven he can be content to pray for it doth not much beleeve it But I am resolved on it The Avowry as there is provided an Hell for miscreant beleevers so an Heaven for Gods elect Saints in Christ Jesus Yea and for my own part The Collect I professe I will never wilfully deny with the profane Atheist nor covertly make doubt with the bare Formalist of the reall existence and being of the Kingdome of Heaven Second Case is this 2. Case Whether shall all living go to heaven I am no Hickman who beleeves an universality of salvation nor no Novatian debars all such as have sinned mortally post baptismum from being saved the former is too charitable the latter too severe as not all shall be saved so no all those * he means who have committed actuall sin after Baptisme be damned But come let us neither with the one be too strait-laced nor with the other divulge our opinion to smell of Libertinisme We must let these * he means into heaven In to confound the Novatian and send Judas to his proper * Hell place to confute Hickman I have a record can witnesse with me Case resolved there is a sort shal not inherit the Kingdome of heaven Paul hath copied it out and you shall finde it in that first Epistle of his to the Corinthians chap. 6. vers 9 10. If you be such you must not inherit which who is not I would know the man A Soliloqium O my soul shall I conceal the truth what a lust hast thou had to actuate how hath conceived lust contaminated though not brought forth yet brought my Christ to aver it He that looks after a woman to lust after her in heart hath commit adultery Let Christ be true
highest price like the dunghill cock the precious sone For my own part I am resolved The Avowry to beg of God by the foolishnesse of preaching to expell out of my soul this foolish naturall left this naturall spiritual foolishnesse be my hinderance to do Gods will in Earth as it is in Heaven The second Vice we are warned to banish is spirituall Cowardize Cowardizes Character a childe of the Devils own begetting he dare not * Peter resist the Devil and he will flie from you stand his ground and this his brat is skar'd with every bugbear I wonder a coward got pranking into the heart except to hide him It is this spirituall cowardize in abstracto which hath prevail'd to call back resolution his nigh admittance to the heart and alliance in bloud to all in the Isle of Man makes this weakling thus strong the feebler he is the more potent in power a paradox in nature yet verified for truth How doth this one spirituall Cowardize infeeble the heart stonish the understanding and make will which would do good retreat O experience can teach what harm this one doth a Christian made the seven thousand in Israel hide their heads and when Baal was to be worshipped not a man for God to be known to the Prophet The fear of the arme of man is an enemy to the will of God and his will is little set by when the word of man strikes a terrour O the noise of Gebal and Ammon and Amalek if that daunt down goeth Gods cause A heartlesse proffessor the lesse his heart the stronger is his party to with-let what God would let this Cowardize be billeted in the heart and there quarter and this one will be the death of all the horse * Gods gifts and graces men of Israel they will fall in a swound suddenly retreat and in their retreat get their death-blow But in contempt and scorn of this unchristian-like cowardize which will not go on when God commands this shall be my Motto I weigh not what man can do unto me For this dastard I have a dare and Joshuas I will wounds him to the death For my own part by Gods good assistance The Avowry I am resolved upon it to quit my self like a man lest while I harbour an unmanlike heart my heart fall off to do Gods will in Earth as it is in Heaven A Divine Contemplation upon the Third Petition Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Here I see what I should do but I Lord how I fail in the performance Thou O God hast set me a pattern but I come as far short of the sampler as the Heavens are distant from the Earth I can soon learn to know what I should do all my life is too little to learn to doe what I know O God my God though thou hast given mee an understanding heart yet I finde in me my flesh a perverse will even one who is wonderfully unwilling to do thy will in Earth as it is in Heaven What hast thou left undone to teach me to do thy will The Law of Nature the Law of Moses the Gospell of Christ Jesus they spell and put together thy good will and pleasure Thou hast given me these to teach me Angels to guide me and all to lead me to know and do thy will in Earth as it is in Heaven If I would plead igrance thy unwritten Law in my heart condemns thy written Word the Law and Gospell bear witnesse against me Nor is this all but those my samplers thy Angels shall one day cry to thee to take vengeance on me O how ought my heart to relent when in secret I think upon it what pains thou hast taken and yet how unprofitable a scholar I have been in thy schoole Those to whom thou givest much of them much is expected I have received a large portion of instruction but O the lesson of obedience is not yet taken out Dear Father I confesse my wickednesse in thy presence I pray thee have merey upon me have mercy upon me and after the multitude of thy many mercies in Christ Jesus forgive me all my sins and trespasses O the thought what 's to be done and how it 's to be done assures me I am * he means without mercy undone This is thy Will and these are my Works Was ever light and darknesse truth and falshood more opposite the one to the other Had I but half an eye I might see what will be my end without amendment O thou who delightest not in the death of a sinner heal the disease in my soul my soul is sick to death yet Lord say the word and thy servant shall be healed O thou Physitian of souls give me a potion of faith faith to beleeve and the cure is wrought It cannot be my acting but any beleeving how Christ hath exactly acted my part must make my weak works well and gain them my Gods good liking Let my belief in thee beget a willingnesse in me to do thy will Then my God for Christ his sake will accept of my will for the deed Tack up then my Soul and look up to that brazen Serpent Christ In him and by him thou hast done the deed yet when all is done say it is no morel but Christ who dwelleth in me But if out of Christ thou art out of hopes to do Gods will in Earth as it is in Heaven The naturall man is the impotent man and can neither the Quid nor Quale It 's no marvell for saith S. Paul He perceives not the things of God O my soul while thou art in the state of corrupted nature thou art in an hell of disobedience Let the noise of the Law awake thee the voice of the Gospell allure thee to march out of Egypt out of Sodome out of thy naturall state and condition Soul why standest thou gazing while in Nature nought can be done neither what God wils nor as he wils O thou God of all Spirits create in me a new heart take me out of the old Adam engraffe me in the new make me a branch of that Vine Joh. 15. and I shall bring forth clusters of ⋆ grapes Of my self I have no power to bring forth only in Christ I live and move in an Angelicall sampler of obedience I must go out of my self ere I can get into the footsteps of they Angels Let the Archangel of the Covenant enable my feeble soul to do thy will in Earth as it is in Heaven The fourth Petition THe fourth Petition presents it self before your presence in which a Boon is put up for man to God witnessed while said Give us this day our daily Bread Here I finde one only word needs explaining Bread we want of our wils if we have not Bread every day in our mouthes our head-pieces must now give it harbour that as the materiall bread pleases the palat so the marrow A
my own part I will pray my God to inrich me with Sincerity and Lest I lose it The Avowry to guard my heart about with vigilancy The first grace we have in Commendum Sincerities Character is Sincerity a true upright Nazarite without fraud or covin This is one perswades us to speak as we think and think as we speak to do as we say and all we say to do our lips and hearts must be made kinde friends say well and do well walk hand in hand together God delights not in specious pretences where there is no such meaning he would have us be what we seem to be not say one thing and think another not cry Hail Master when we come to hale away the Master I am resolved to affect sincere dealing when I deal with Ged The Avowry and to have my heart intent on that which my tongue bath undertaken to indite Vigilancies Character The second Grace which this petition petitions us to give harbour is Vigilancy there are others call it Watchfulnesse we may mean well yet have the foil and fall without we entertain this Man at armes to aide us An eye over all ill willers of the great Gods renown inables me while I spie much to prevent more I have a Fabius for an Hannibal an honourable personage able to deliver my soul from the snare of the fowler And that I be not intrapt in the ambushment of disrespecting God The Avowry I am resolved to set a watch over my waies words and thoughts The Vices prohibited The Vices two the graces have given us information of them And they be two Hypocrisie And they be two Security Hypocrisie The Parallel one never walks in his own clothes Security one cares not what he pucs on ought or nought Hypocrisie who never speaks as he thinks Security who never parts with his old thoughts let all the world say what they will That first is fair spoken and badly meaning This latter means as ill makes no matter who knowes it It is Hypocrisie is quick of hearing every peal rings him into the Church It is Security is deaf whom all the peals of Church ordinance cannot get him to come on and in and hear and be saved For my own part I am resolved to send a defiance to these two The Avowry and ever to stand upon my guard against them considering the one dissembles in all his actions and the other weighs not the outrages that he acts to the dishallowing the Divine Majesty The first Vice we are warned to set a packing Hypocrisies Character is Hypocriticall dissimulation or dissembling Hypocrisie This is one goes in the guise of an Angell of light but is a Devill incarnate hath ora Virginum ungues vulturum speaks full fair means no such matter brings to the. Church a face like a Saint but is cloven footed O Hypocrisie is a seafaring man which rowes one way looks another Sometimes our next neighbour discoverable while lends God his lips whilest his heart is far from him A vice hath got pranking up into our lofts and pews God keep it out of the Pulpit Truth is we are all too ready to welcome dissimulation while all too prone to professe more than we practise I am resolved for the honour of God and glory of his name The Avowry to shut my door upon Joab and Judas lest a worthy in Israel be wronged by me The second vice which is forbid is Security Securities Character a carelesse companion say what you will unto him one weighs not who enters in so he be not intermedled with if you let him take out his nap God will be injured by him while no judgement is feared our God is dishonoured the not fear of God is a fearfull dishonouring God I have heard say the let passe of perill is the inlet of profanenesse and none are more profane than those cryers Et quando ad nos venit God hath other things to do then to take post and high it in hast to see what we doe Let the carnall heart with Solomons sluggard yet take a nap in the duffie downy bed of carnall security yet that my God may and by me be rightly honoured I am resolved to beg of God to awake me out of my sin The Avowry and give me a call as he did Samuel A Divine Contemplation upon the first Petition Hallowed be thy Name Soar aloft my soul and eye nos what is on Earth but the God of Heaven Thou art at this time to be one of the Quire of Angels take thy tune not in Basso but in Alto and give all laud and glory and praise to him who sits upon the Throne Let thy prayers begin with praise the subject be thy God the object his Attributes the end adoration of his Name Come poor soul let me schoole thee and tell thee when thou art first in thy own thoughts thou art furthest from Gods acceptance the Ear of gracious audience is shut till the tongue tuned to the glory of God be first heard The Angels Ditty hath taught me my duty first to sing glory to God then to pray for peace upon earth good will towards men Give me leave to contemplate upon the Power Might Majesty and Dominion of that Dominus Dominantium A forethought what he is how great he is how good he is is the wheel turnes about my heart from all earthly vanity It is a service well pleasing to God profitable to my soul When I have given God his due honour I may better expect my Masters reward O my God and my King though I be subject to do it yet by thy grace prevent my unmannerly suting thee my God and Saviour Let not the eager desire I have either after goods or forgivenesse make me forget in the first place to give all glory and praise to thy Name O let me give thee praise then beg thy mercy Let me first sound out thy glory that done put up my own petitions to thy Divine Majesty Though I can adde nought to thy holinesse to thy honour to thy power yet I can adde to those celestiall Attributes my acknowledgement how thou art a God most holy most honourable most powerfull As Confession must precede Absolution so my God and my Chirst confession who thou art what thou art must be sent on before to usher in my Home resenting supplication O I will or I dare to pray for my self pray that thy great Name thou great God may be hallowed not by augmentation but promulgation of it from Dan to Beersheba Let the trumpet of my lips first sound thy praise that done let my tongue crave A somewhat for my self Let the first * He mess his first petition born be my prayer to God for God then let the needy ones my own petitions come out after who are borne to nought yet by begging may get a Blessing of old Isaac the ancient
than Nebuchadnezzars Image an head of clay and arms of iron Supremacy they wish not well the Clergy they make no more count of than iron metall or S. Judes trees as if our silver Chalices brought in wooden priests nay rather our rich Tithes have brought in a Sect a sort of devillish damnable Church Robbers who mean to go to heaven another way than ever their deceased ancestors those went by building Churches these by robbing the Chruch of her Tithes I wonder that these should make such a shew of holinesse when so full of sacriledge they abhorre Idols and yet c. But come what is it here we pray for in this petition while heard saying Thy Kingdome come State of the Church That is Lord let there be a visible Church upon Earth yea let the Church seem when Seen 1. Like a Kingdome not like a carrion with nothing on but skin and bone We have a company of poor Vicars and Curats in our Countrey will swear she is almost as ill like 2. Not like a solitary Cottage with nought left and as few in it Nay as a Kingdome hath a superplus of inhabitants and habitations so all good Christians ought to pray may be the state of this our Church Kingdome like the professors innumerable Kingdome like the Churches profits proportionable To what purpose patter they over this prayer whose exorbitant lives are the death of those should be subjects of this Kingdome the Church the visible Church They prate they pray not who pray for the coming of this Kingdome that is the visibility of the Church But while they have an eye on the Steeple lay unlawfull hands on the Tithes and leave not this innocent * The Church Ewe till they have shorn off her fleece and left her as sore wounded as was the poor Traveller God she may once meet The Supplicat with an honest Samaritan may shew her some compassion That here we pray for Interp. 3. is the grace of God as a visible Church so invisible grace by means of the one we are able to manage our selves maugre all mutinous mankinde and by this other to support our spirituals against that unclean spirit with seven worse than himself spoke of Mat. 12.47 Now this exposition I set here after the other for that in ordinary we must first have a subject or in hopes of an adjunct a being in the Church or the least expectance of our well being I mean of our being true sanctified members of the Church That then which according to this Exposition we pray for while we say Thy Kingdome come is that God would beslow his grace upon us A magazine of Grace a magazine full of which you have laid up in Gal. 5.24 That I infer is since by Kingdome may be meant the grace of God 1. That grace is of great force Extracts two 2. He that is inricht with it may thank God for it The first deduction my Master Christ made good when he said to Paul My grace is sufficient of thee The latter that demand determins Quid habes quod non accepisti the question putting it out of question that God is the author of every good and perfect gift And new O Lord give me of thy grace The Supplicat and I will fight it out against the greatest Goliah that cometh down to upbraid the Israel of my God By this Kingdome Interp. 4. may be meant the Kingdome in heaven or Church the Kingdome in heaven or Church triumphant and this I place after the Kingdome of Grace Quod non possumus venire ad deum per gloriam nisi ipseprimo veniat ad nos per gratiam If thus we interpret this petition this is the meaning Lord we thy Church on earth desire a fight and seat in thy Church in heaven and that we of thy Church Militant may be made members of thy Church Triumphant Cujus erit possessio sine timore usus sine fastidio refectio sine cibo In which kingdome thou maist live without fear eat without surset be fed full fat and fair need not go down to Egypts barns to buy bread nay what being an indenized Citizen in the heavenly Kingdome canst thou want Desirest thou Beauty Three Extracts fulgebunt justi sicut Sol. 2. Or agility of Body eris sicut angeli 3. Or long life ibi erit aeterna sanitas there thou shalt live for ever O my soul obtain this boon Solilequium and in getting it thou gainest all I will ever pray for Heaven The Avowry since having I cannot want what is in most repute upon earth The third part of my method warns me to forrage these words and gather up of them the points of Doctrine which grow upon them To help us do this we must make use of the division of this petition into parts naturally it dissects it self into two parts In Objectum In Actum The Object of the petition is Gods Kingdome The next in sight is the Act let is come thy Kingdome come Or Lord let thy Kingdome come The object of our supplicat is O God thy Kingdome Take it by way of superexcellency as primarily meant of Gods Kingdome in Heaven to which the Word points the Church leads and their parts to prepare us for Gods heavenly Kingdome While the Word begets the. Church brings out and Grace trains up us mortals making us fit to be made immortall inhabitants of that everlasting Kingdome Gods Kingdome the Kingdome of Heaven which is here described By its Propriety By its Immensity By its Propriety Thy. By its Immensity Kingdome A word avouches Heaven carries the Bole and Bulk of a Commonveal 1. The propriety prayes us to take notice Doct. 1 Heaven is Gods own this Pronoun * Thy. possessive pleads Gods right to it and estates him in it This earth God hath bestowed on us Heaven he hath reserved for himself and to it he hath right Ratione Creationis Gods title to Heaven Ratione Possessionis 1. By right of Creation a Deo creatur God made Heaven Gen. 1. 2. By right of possession est Dei sedes it 's Gods Seat Isa 6.1 66.1 And to shew Gods absolute power over and owning Heaven you shall read in the Revelations how the Elders in heaven reverence him And in the second of Luke how a multitude of heavenly souldiers praise him singing and all to the honour of the great God A song of 3 parts in Alto. Basso Medio 1. In Alto Heavens prisksong Glory be to God on high 2. In Basso Peace upon earth 3. In Medis Good-will towards men To let passe his souldiers love his Elders reverence his long possession and from first creating make up a good plea and intitle God to the Kingdome of Heaven He that hath made thus much The Avowry and is owner of no lesse for my own part I am resolved upon it his right of inheriting not once to
am resolved never to write without a censure by some But know you it the letters in this one word involve a mysterie while all the letters in Amen make up mane Mane Mane Mane the Adverb Mane the Verb. Mane the Adverb which signifies Early Mane the Verb which bids bide by it stay at it That notes out the Time This the Terme The time I must begin to pray is betime The Term without interim The time the term of prayer Amen point forth Forth with 's the time Epigr. the terme no ending hath Now T'le begin to day to pray not rest Early lately prayer I 'le make my feast Mane invites bias come come quickly pray Mane gives charge we stay start not away Amen in one comprises both these two And to our tasks our bea rt doth bend doth bow This divine fancy hath brought out two twins I mean two heavenly mediations and this is the fist part of my method and the perfecter of my promise But I will extract them and more properly from this very last word of our Lords Prayer which word being Amen I look not at as taken adverbialiter for them commonly it begins the verse this ends the prayer yet when Amen is so used it signifies Verily very 2. I look not at this present at this words as taken verbaliter so it is set at end our Church Collects and sounds as much as So bet it But let me look at this Amen as taken nominaltter for a noon for him who is the truth for Christ From this exposition wich is the most lofty and warranted out of the Revelations I will extract two Meditations Rev. 3.14 For the first What doth Amen signifie Christ Christ who is α and ohgr the first and the last from all eternity and to last everstingly and with this sacred sound shut I up my prayer that this is thus this Amen is my witnesse The first meditation rises from hence is this Since we end our prayer with him was from the beginning Joh. 1.1 1. Meditate how this puts us in mind to have Timely thoughts mane early to fall to prayers Was Christ from the beginning and shall I deferrer of praying till the evening * Of my life What a late prayer to an early rising Lord such a prayer suites not so early an one as this Amen let this timely Lord have timely petitions put up unto him Meditate how our first work must be to fall to prayers A duty there 's no dispensation for a task haste must not hinder a businesse about which let us lay all our heads betimes begin you old men in the morning you young men ere old you younglings in your side-coates Meditate upon 't how you cannot begin too soon to serve God for Samuel the young and Josias at ten are tendring their service So soon as spring grasse growes This time of grace is spring-time let 's see prayers put up as thickly quickly as grasse growes else the work of nature will overgrow this gift of grace and there be found more barrennesse in the womb of thy heart than in the heart of the Earth Beloved bear it about in your remembrance how 1. We all are found guilty by Law Motives to further this first mediatation and what so soon as we can speak shall we not pray Mercy good Lord 2. We may be executed when God will call and shall we then neglect time to call on God 3. We have nought of our own as poor as the poor half-hunger-starved prodigall and shall we deferre a day to beg a somewhat O! our want may set us to this work to pray 4. We are beforehand with God for a thousand favours and say we begin to retaliate to God thanks to day we hall scarse for all this have day enough O! Gods bounty our want The Collect the uncertainty of life the certainty we are guilty give a loud shout in our eares and cry To prayers to paryers By the grace of God I am resolved The Avowry and do mean this mane shall make me a morning man yea my eyes to prevent the night-watches till I have donemy devotion You see now what you should doe first fall to prayers ere you open shops or you make a bargain this should be first done pray to God let me gripe you 1. What say you now to those who with Martha are trouble about many things yet leave undone this unum necessarium praying it may be they think to wax wealthier by working than talking it holds in temporals not in spirituals 2. What say you now to those must be roaring of their peals of Ordnance on the Lords days when all the Bels in the Church have rung them a peal to come to prayers It may be they think there 's more to be got by the sword than the Word as wise as he is he 's deceiv'd thinks so Religion is not so far gone down dike so much foot-hold in our Island Atheisme I hope shall never have 3. What say you now to those whom an early chapman makes them put off God to another time It may be they think more to be got by trucking and lying then beggin but remember the begger is in Abrahams bosome but as for all liars their portion is damnation 4. What say you now to those who all their lives have made shew of Religion but that 's all are not the men men take them for The Hieroglyphick of these outside Saints is a Gallant in a Busse-coat that never fought These look like Saints militant yet never fought with Beasts at Ephesus They gild over their spirituall cowardize with divine formalities These are they accuse us for being overmuch ceremonious and yet themselves have no more but the form of godlinesse I speak not of all yet of the most of all almost all of that Sect society think themselves something when nothing They are taxt for 't by St. Paul Ephes But let me tell these conceited professors I say not proficients in their profession but such as only professe they are proficients in grace and godlinesse yet go as flowly on to Heaven as that Beast of which it is reported he goes but a yard betwixt sun and sun This is it I am to tell you Religion never makes a man have too good a conceit of himself true zeal is no braggadochio he that thinks there is none bettern there is none worse a windy professor is commonly a gracelesse Gospeller Be thou the proud Pharisee I le be the poor Publican and while thou vauntest what thou canst do I am resolved to be sorry I can do no better But come a word or two with thee who hath the forme of godlinesse deniest the poor of it who talkess like a Saint livest like a devill in private you 'l not deny it Know 't God of all kindes of creatures most dislikes Harpyes which have ora virginum ungues vulturum Virgins looks Vultures clawes