the spirit of regeneration In respect of the former it is said that the righteous man shall live by his faith In respect of the latter that he is a righteous man which worketh righteousnesse And this twofold righteousnesse must of necessitie concurre in the same partie c. By the doctrine therefore of the Gospel he is a righteous a godly man a Saint of God who doth believe and repent And this is to be understood not onely of those who are indued with perfect faith and repentance or the higher degrees thereof but even of the lowest degrees of true faith and unfeigned repentance So that whosoever truly assenting in his judgement to the promises of the Gospel concerning salvation by Christ doth earnestly in his heart desire to be made partaker of Christ and hiâ—… merits and unfeignedly resolveth in his will to acknowledge Christ to be his Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation he doth believe to justification And whosoever being displeased with himself for his sinnes doth unfeignedly desire and truly purpose amendment of life he doth repent to sanctification And he that but thus believeth and repenteth is within the latitude of those faithfull and righteous men whose prayers are acceptable unto God and whose persons are accepted yea blessed of him Matth. 5. 3 4 5. and 11. 28. Psal. 34. 18. Examples of Manasseh 2. Chron. 33. 13. the Publicane Luke 18. And these beginnings of faith and repentance do alwayes concurre in our regeneration or conversion unto God For in regenerating us the holy Ghost doth ingenerate in us the grace of faith and contrariwise CHAP. X. None but the faithfull can pray effectually and acceptably NOw how necessarie it is that he which prayeth acceptably should be a righteous or faithfull man indued with some measure of true faith and unfeigned repentance it may appear both by manifest reasons and manifold testimonies of holy Scriptures wherein the promise of hearing the prayer is restrained to the righteous and all hope of being heard denied to the wicked First then it is necessary that he who calleth upon God should be indued with faith For how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10. 14. and Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. and likewise with repentance For unlesse a man repent he reteineth a purpose to go on in sinne and this his impenitencie or sinne not repented of is as a wall of separation between God and him God heareth not impenitent sinners as hereafter we shall shew Secondly before our prayers or other actions can be accepted of God our persons must be accepted in Christ Neither can the fruit be good while the tree is bad neither can we hope to prevail with God by intreaty whiles we do not desire to be reconciled unto him but as we were born the children of wrath so his wrath abideth upon us John 3. 36. and we do continue in our enmitie against God Thirdly there is no accesse to God but through Christ by the holy Ghost Ephes. 2. 18. and 3. 12. But the unbelieving and impenitent sinner as he hath no part in Christ so is he void of the holy Ghost Fourthly it cannot be but that the prayer of the unbelieving and impenitent sinners is very absurd and odious in Gods sight because they ask many â—…imes such things as they do not desire and promise such things as they do not mean to perform and bear the Lord in hand that they be such men then whom they are nothing lesse going about to deceive the Lord with their mouthes and with their lips speaking lies unto him Psal. 78. and in all their prayers and praises concerning spirituall things playing the notorious hypocrites before God For the manifestation whereof let us take a brief survey of the Lords prayer whereof the impenitent sinner is not able to utter one word aright and if not of that then of none for that is the summe of all First therefore they call God their Father in Christ when as they are nothing lesse then his children For he that committeth sinne is of the devil 1. John 3. 8. and his children they are whose works they do John 8. They say Our Father Give us as though in brotherly love they prayed for the whole brotherhood of the faithfull whereas they being void of Christian charitie seek onely themselves and have no part in the communion of Saints They direct their prayers to God who is â—…n heaven infinite in majestie glory and power themselves being on earth vile and base creatures Eccles 5. as if they came in great humility in respect of their own unworthinesse and reverence in respect of the glorious majestie of God whereas indeed they rush into the presence of God with lesse regard and speak unto him with lesse reverence then they would to a mortall man who is but a little their superiour They call him Father noting his love which art in heaven noting his power as if they believed that their prayers should be granted as being assured that God is both willing and able to grant their desires and yet have no faith in God and therefore call not upon him aright in whom they have not believed In the first place they beg the advancement of Gods glory as if that were more deare unto them then their own good whereas in truth they have no zeal of Gods glory but unto it preferre the obteining of any worldly and sinfull desire They pray that his name may be sanctified which they do daily pollute with their mouthes and by their lives do cause it to be blasphemed They desire that his kingdome may câ—…me and that his will may be done as though they did first seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse whereof indeed they have no studie or care but are wholly addicted to worldly desires They pray that the kingdome of grace may be advanced and that God would rule and reigne in them by his Spirit according to his word when they are in the number of those who say We will not have this man to reigne over us resisting the spirit and casting the word behind their backs They pray that the kingdome of glory may be hastened by the speedy coming of Christ unto judgement and yeâ—…desire nothing lesse then the second coming of Christ. They desire that Gods will may be done which themselves will not do The will of God is their conversion and sanctification that they should abstein from those sinnes whereunto they are more specially addicted but though they know it to be the will of God that they should turn unto him they will not turn that they should leave their speciall sinnes they will not leave them as the drunkard his drunkennesse the whoremaster his fornication c. and yet like egregious hypocrites do pray that they may do the will of God as it is done in heaven that is after an angelical manner readily
faith For there is no warrant in the Scripture for such a prayer no doctrine which teacheth it no precept that injoyneth it no promise to confirm it no example to commend it And this is confessed by Eckius viz. That neither it is warranted or taught in the Old Testament because the people were prone to idolatry and the fathers deceased were in Limbo nor in the New lest the Gentiles should return to their old idolatry and lest the Apostles should seem to direct Christians to invocate them after their decease And therefore by their own confession no testimonie of Scripture can be alledged to this purpose Neither can such prayer be made in hope because none but God is either omniscient or omnipresent to know the wants or heare the desires of men in all places calling upon them nor omnipotent to grant their desires Hereunto may be added the testimonies of the Fathers Origen Contra Celsum lib. 8. Solus adorandus est Deus God onely is to be worshipped Eusebius De praeparat Evang. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 Deum adorare didiciâ—…us We have learned to worship God onely Nazianzen De Spir. sanct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If it be to be adored why is it not to be worshipped if it be to be worshipped how is it not God Ambrose De Spiritu lib. 3. 12. Neque adorandum quicquam prater Deum legimus We do not reade of any thing which ought to be worshipped except God alone Cyrill Thesaur lib. 2. 1. Vnanatur a Deiâ—…atis est quam solummodo ador are oportet There is one nature of the Deitie which alone ought to be worshipped CHAP. XII That we ought not to invocate any creature THus have I shewed in generall That no creature is to be called upon Now more specially That neither Angels nor Saints Civil honour indeed is due to both as to our fellow-citizens of the same city but religious honour done to either is idolatry First for Angels Our fellow-servants are not to be adored of us Angels are our fellow-servants being ministring spirits sent forth into the ministery for their sake that shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. And by this reason the angel Revel 19. 10. and 22. 19. disswadeth S. John from adoring him and in both places appropriateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adoration to God Likewise the Apostle admonisheth the Colossians chap. 2. 18. to take heed that none bercave them of their prize which is their salvation under shew of humiliâ—…ie as the Papists do as though it were too much boldnesse to go directly to Christ commending unto them the worshipping of angels whereunto those countreys of Phrygia were very much addicted as Theodoret sheweth in Col. 2. And therefore it was decreed in the councel of Laodicea the mother-citie of those parts that no man should pray unto angels Moreover he that is the authour and fountain of all good things and is onely able of himself to help us he is to be invocated and not those who being but his instruments are not able to help us otherwise then he appointeth But God is the authour and fountain of all good James 1. 17. Our onely help and refuge Psal. 46. 1. and 124. 8. The angels are but his instruments who neither can nor will help us further then God himself appointeth Objection out of Jos. 5. 13. and Judg. 13. 20. That Joshua and the parents of Samson worshipped the angels which appeared unto them He that appeared unto them was not a created angel but the Angel of the great covenant the second Person in Trinity who oftentimes in assumed forms appeared to the Patriarchs He that appeared to Joshua calleth himself the Prince of the Lords armies Jos. 5. 14. and 6. 2. he is called the Lord. He which appeared to Samsons parents being demanded his name said it is Wonderfull which is the name of Christ Isa. 9. 6. And such was their opinion of him for Manoah calleth him God and his wife termeth him Jehovah Now that Saints are not to be prayed unto it shall appear by these reasons I. To them which neither heare us nor know us prayer is made in vain But the Saints departed neither heare us nor know us That they do not heare us it is manifest For what is it which they do heare the voice of the mouth or the speech of the heart If the voice of the mouth then the voice which moveth the aire for a small distance and so vanisheth shall not onely pierce all the regions of the aire but the heavens also where the aire which is the medium ceaseth If the speech of the heart then are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searchers of the heart and therefore gods for it is a property peculiar to the Lord 1. Kings 8. 39. Jer. 17. 9. Acts 1. 24. That they know us not it is testified by Isaiah chap. 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knoweth us not Eccles 9. 5. The Papists except First That the Saints having the blessed vision of God they do see in speculo Trinitatis the things done in earth By which reason they should know all things which God himself doth know neither should the day of judgement be hid from them But this glasse is a forgerie of their own brain For if they say it is the essence of the whole Deitie then is it most simple and unvariable if the glory or splendour of God whereby he enlighteneth the place of the blessed it will no more follow that they beholding this light should see those things which God beholdeth then that he which looketh on the sunne should see all that the sunne shineth upon Secondly That God acquainteth them with our prayers made to them which they understanding become intercessours for us unto God But what a foolish circumstance is this They will not have us go directly unto God or our Saviour but as in Princes courts to some that are neare unto them that they may mediate our cause and in the upshot we cannot go directly unto them I mean the Saints but God himself must be fain to be a mediatour between us and them to acquaint them with our prayers that so they may pray unto him for us Thirdly That they do not worship the Saints as gods but as the friends of God As if a woman taken in adultery should alledge for her self that she loved the adulterer not as her husband but as her husbands friend For religious worship doth as properly belong unto God as conjugall love unto the husband But do not they give Divine worship to the Saints whom they invocate prescribing thereby unto them omnipresence omniscience omnipotencie and thereby also professing themselves to repose their trust in them For when they pray to Saints departed do they speak unto them as present or as absent If as to present they being in heaven they on the earth dispersed in many places countreys then
they ascribe unto them omnipresence if as to absent they ascribe to them omniscience Both which are blasphemous Besides when they invocate they ascribe omnipotencie to them and therefore repose their trust in them But God alone is to be trusted in because he alone is omnipotent and cursed is he that trusteth in man Jer. 17. 5. II. Again mere men are not religiously to be adored It is Peters reason Acts 10. 26 and Pauls Acts 14. 15. If Christ himself had been but a mere man or a creature though a god by creation yet ought not he religiously to be adored and much lesse the Saints who are but the servants of Christ. Therefore the ancient Fathers termed the Arians who supposed Christ to be God by creation and yet worshipped him idolaters and the Nestorians likewise who supposed the humanitie of Christ to be a distinct person from the Sonne of God III. To leave God who hath commanded us to call upon him and hath promised to heare us and is most willing and onely able to help us and to run to the Saints who neither have commanded us as having no such authoritie nor have promised to heare and help us as having no such power yea are so farre from hearing and helping that they neither know us nor our desires and so farre from commanding us to call upon them as they have forbidden us so to do and alwayes directed us to call upon God Acts 10. 26. and 14. 15. is a thing in-religion impious and in reason absurd IV. To call upon Saints is a thing most injurious unto God and Christ our Saviour derogatorie from the glory of God as though they were either more ready to heare or more willing or more able to help us or that we had more confidence in their love then in the mercies of God and intercession of Christ our Saviour But it is lawfull to intreat the Saints upon earth to pray for us why then may we not desire the Saints in heaven much more to pray to God for us To intreat the Saints living on earth to pray for us hath warrant in the Scriptures as having been a dutie injoyned by God Gen. 20. 7. Job 42. 8. Jam. 5. 14 16. and also practiced by the faithfull Rom. 5. 30. Ephes. 6. 19. But praying to Saints departed hath no warrant in the Scriptures as the Papists themselves are forced to confesse Nay it is directly forbidden and those which do it commit two evils forsaking God the fountain of living waters and digging out to themselves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water Jer. 2. 13. They worship the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 25. praeterito Creatore passing by the Creatour ut Hilarius interpretatur De Trinitate lib. 12. 2. The Saints living with us are acquainted with our persons and our wants and therefore may pray in particular for us and so cannot the Saints departed 3. The request made in this behalf to the faithfull living is a civil intreaty of a Christian duty but as it is made to the Saints departed it is a religious invocation of them to do that for us which is the peculiar office of the Mediatour Neither do they onely intreat the Saints to pray for us and desire God that for the merits intercession of the Saints he would grant their desires which is to give the office of Christ to them But also they desire the Saints themselves to bestow upon them such blessings as they desire both spirituall and temporall and to avert from them such evils as they fear Wherein the Papists have made the Saints to succeed the heathen gods ascribing unto them their severall offices and functions insomuch that there is no countrey citie or town but hath certain Saints to patronize them as the heathen had their tutelares deos no trade or occupation which hath not a peculiar Saint no kind of cattel or tame fowl which have not their patrones no kind of disease but some Saint or other is called upon for the curing thereof as the dii averrunci or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the heathen So that if there were no other fault in Popery their idolatry were sufficient cause of separation from them But the Saints departed do pray for us therefore we ought to pray unto them It may well be supposed that the Saints departed do pray in common for the faithfull upon the earth as fellow-members of the same bodie But they are not acquainted with particular persons or their particular wants or desires or if they were yet it would not follow that we should pray to them no more then we are bound to invocate religiously the Saints upon earth whom we know according to their dutie do pray for us August contra Faust. Manich lib. 20. c. 21. Colimus martyres â—…o cultu dilectionis societatis quo in hac vita coluntur sancti homines We worship the martyrs with that worship of love and societie with which even in this life holy men are worshipped Notwithstanding the Papists think this consequence to be so strong as they take it for granted that if the Saints make intercession for us we must pray to them Insomuch that Bellarâ—…ine when he would prove against our King That invocation of Saints was taught by the ancient Fathers in stead of that he proveth ridiculously the intercession of Saints for us CHAP. XIII That we must conceive of God in prayer as he hath revealed himself in his word SEeing then the Lord alone is to be called upon religiously it remaineth that we consider how we are to conceive of God when we do call upon him viz. not according to the fansies of our own brain but as he hath revealed himself in his word both in respect of the Divine nature and also the Divine persons In respect of his nature that he is a spirit invisible and incomprehensible omnipotent and infinite most holy wise just and mercifull c. And in regard of the Divine persons that being a God in essence substance one and indivisible he is notwithstanding distinguished into three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who as they be not in nature disjoyned so are they not to be severed in their worship but the Unitie in Trinitie and Trinitie in Unitie is to be worshipped and adored Whosoever therefore in respect of Gods nature do circumscribe God worshipping him under any form whether outwardly expressed or inwardly conceived as namely in the form of an old man c. in stead of the true God they do worship an idole Such was the erroneous conceit of the Anthropomorphites and such is the superstitious worship of the Papists at this day Likewise in respect of the persons whosoever shall call upon God as not distinguished into three persons howsoever they may professe that they invocate one onely true God maker of heaven and earth yet they do not worship the
signifieth his attributes which are nothing but himself For the justice of God is the just God the wisdome of God is the wise God the mercy of God is the mercifull God c. And these also are the name of God as appeareth Exod. 33. 19. and 34. 5 6 7. For this is the name which he proclaimeth The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth c. Secondly the name of God signifieth that whereby God is named whereby he is either renowned or known The name of renown is his glory which is as it were his good name For so in great persons their good name is their glory and renown and therefore they are said in the Scriptures to be men of name Gen. 6. 4. In this sense the word name is used Gen. 11. 4. That we may get us a name Gen. 12. 2. I will make thy name great Jer. 13. 11. name praise and glory Deut. 26. 19. The name of God therefore signifieth that whereby he is renowned and acknowledged to be glorious that is his glory So Exod. 9. 16. Psal. 8. 1. Again the name of God signifieth that whereby he is known to wit not onely his Titles which more properly are called his name and by which he is known but also the Means whereby he is known The titles are the names of the Godhead of the attributes and of the Persons Of the Godhead as Jehovah Lord God c. Exod. 3. 15. This is my name Exod. 6. 3. Psal. 83. 18. Attributes as Wisdome Mercy Justice Majesty c. Persons as Father Christ Jesus Saviour holy Ghost c. The means whereby God is known are either peculiar to the Church or common unto all Of the first sort are his word and religion therein prescribed The word of God is called his name as Acts 9. 15. to carry my name c. and 21. 13. 1. Tim. 6. 1. with Tit. 2. 5. Rom. 2. 24. Psal. 22. 22. Heb. 2. 12. So is the doctrine of religion and worship of God Mich. 4. 5. We will walk in the name of our God 1. Kings 5. 3 5. to build a house unto the name of God The common means are the works of God The works of Creation Psal. 19. 1. Rom. 1. 19 20. In respect whereof he is called the Creatour of heaven and earth As also of Administration as his blessings and judgements In respect whereof he is called the Governour and Judge of the world Exod. 34. 7. All these doth the name of God signifie To sanctifie signifieth either to make holy or to acknowledge declare holy In the first sense things are said to be sanctified and in themselves being not holy to be made holy which are set apart to holy uses as the Sabbath the Temple Priests Christians consecrated and set apart to the worship and service of God In which sense the name of God which is most holy Psal. 111. 9. cannot be said to be sanctified 2. To sanctifie is to acknowledge declare holy as wisdome in the like phrase of speech is said to be justified Luke 7. 35. and God to be magnified and glorified And thus the name of God is sanctified either by us or by God himself Num. 20. 12 13. By us I mean our selves and others for whom also we pray when as the name of God is most holy and reverend so we in our hearts acknowledge and that effectually in our tongues professe in our deeds use it as most holy reverend By God himself his name is sanctified when either he manifesteth the glory of his mercy and justice or else freeth it from the pollutions of men especially when men neglect it and removeth the impediments Num. 20. 12 13 First we pray that Gods name may be sanctified of us that is That God would vouchsafe unto us his grace that we may give unto the Lord the honour due unto his name Psal. 29. 2. that as his name is most excellent holy glorious and reverend so his prayse may be unto the ends of the earth Psal. 48. 11. We sanctifie the name of God which is most holy and reverend and glorious Deut. 28. 58. whenas in our hearts words and deeds we do use it holily and reverently But to speak more especially according to the significations of the name of God The names of God first signifie himself and his attributes which are himself which we desire in this prayer that we may sanctifie in our hearts tongues and lives In our hearts we sanctifie God as Peter exhorteth 1. Epist. 3. 15. when as 1. we do acknowledge and that effectually That there is a God That this God is such an one as he hath revealed himself in his word most wise most just most mercifull infinite in power essence and continuance c. 2. When in our minds we think and conceive nothing of God but that which beseemeth his glorious majestie that is when we alwayes think and conceive of God most holily and reverently In our mouthes 1. When we confesse and acknowledge and professe God and his attributes c. Rom. 10. 10. 2. When we speak of God and his attributes holily and reverently In our lives when the knowledge of God and his attributes is effectuall to bring forth in us a conversation answerable thereunto Knowest thou there is a God worship him That he is a Spirit worship him in spirit and truth That he is just fear him That he is mercifull love him That he is omnipresent behave thy self as in his presence That he is omnisufficient repose thy trust in him That he is omniscient and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a searcher of the heart approve thine heart to him c. Thus then we desire that the name of God in the first sense may be sanctified by us The uses 1. Concerning prayer THat we may pray fervently we must have a feeling of our want as our ignorance of God here we pray for knowledge of God without which we cannot acknowledge him the vanity of our minds thinking amisse of God Job 1. 5. our irreverent speech of God our not sanctifying of God in our lives a fault incident to the best Num. 20. 12. For who can say that he hath loved and feared God c. as he ought and behaved himself alwayes as in Gods presence 2. Concerning our lives The use concerning our lives That as in our prayers we desire so in our lives we endeavour thus to sanctifie God For if we our selves will not endeavour thus to do it sheweth that we have no true desire hereof but pray in hypocrisie with feigned lips Their hypocrisie therefore here is detected who desiring with their mouth that they may sanctifie God will think that there is no God Psal. 14. 1. will think basely of him Psal. 50. 21. or deny his providence mercy and justice Psal. 10. 11. who use to speak unreverently of God and his attributes to murmure against his justice
of the revealed will of God which he hath propounded as a rule to square our actions by and therefore sinne is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the transgression of the law Ad legem testimonium To the law and testimony 2. If all things come to passe as God hath willed and decreed then sinne also and how then is not God the authour of sinne Some things God hath decreed to do some things he hath decreed to suffer to be done Of those things which he hath decreed to do his will is the efficient cause as of his creatures and all good things Of those things which he hath onely decreed should be effected by such and such causes his will is not the cause as namely sinne And howsoever sin is evil yet it is good that sinne should be for the manifestation of the glory both of the mercy of God and also of his justice and therefore though the Lord doth not velle peccatum per se will sinne properly by it self yet he doth will it per accidens by accident as it is referred to good ends Again sinne may be considered as it is malum culpae or malum poenae an evil of fault or evil of punishment Sinne as it is a punishment is a work of justice in him that punisheth for it is just that he that doth commit malum culpae the evil of fault should suffer malum poenae the evil of punishment as it is therefore a punishment i. a work of justice and not sin it is willed of God the authour of all good In sin as it is malum culpae the evil of fault three things do concurre actus macula reatus the act stain guilt The action is materiale peccati the matter of sin the corruption is formale peccati the form of sin reatus est obligatio ad poenam the guilt is the obligation to punishment the which is just as the punishment it self The action as it is an action severed from the corruption is good Omne ens quatenus ens est bonum Every being as it is a being is good and God is the authour of it for in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17. 28. But of the corruption wherewith the action is stained God is not the cause For unto every action concurreth the first cause and some secondary cause depending from him as being the instrument of the first The which instrument being bad as many times it is there is a double work in the action one of the first cause good the other of the instrument evil God then is the cause of the action but not of the corruption but yet useth ordereth disposeth the corruption of the instrument for the execution of his own good work When the Lord gave his Sonne to death he used Judas as his instrument The action is the delivering of Christ which as it came from God was a most glorious work John 3. 16. Rom. 8. 32. But quem Deus tradidit Judas prodidit whom God delivered Judas betrayed When God will chastise his servant he useth some wicked man as his instrument to afflict him This affliction as it cometh from God is castigatio a chastisement but as from the instrument persecutio rapina c. persecution rapine c. A man that rideth on a lame horse is the cause why he goeth but not why he halteth Again Deus non est autor ejus cujus est ultor God is not the authour of that of which he is the punisher and revenger Thus we see that howsoever God doth voluntarily permit sinne and also useth ordereth and disposeth the same to good ends for such is his wisdome that he knoweth how to use that well which is evil yet he cannot be said properly to will sinne which he hateth or to be the authour of it which he revengeth For this priviledge Gods will hath Whatsoever it willeth it is therefore good but sinne as it is sinne cannot be good But to return to my purpose That this absolute will of God be performed we need not to pray unlesse it be to shew our affection to Gods glory and conformity submission to his will As in the time of affliction The will of the Lord be done Neither indeed doth our Saviour speak of it as appeareth by the clause following in earth as it is in heaven Secondly therefore the will of God which he requireth to be done of his creatures quatenus praecipit vel prohibet so farre forth as he commandeth or forbiddeth which is therefore called voluntas Revelata Conditionalis Signi Antecedens Inefficax non quatenus promittit vel minatur absque conditione est decreti revelatio the Revealed will Conditionall of the Signe Antecedent Inesficacious not as he promiseth or threatneth and without condition is the revelation of the decree Now the word of God is called voluntas signi the will of the signe because it signifieth what our duty is and what is acceptable unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and conditionall because it doth not shew simply what God will have done but upon condition Si vis ad vitam ingredi serva mandata Si vis servari crede If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments If thou wilt be saved believe and inefficax uneffectuall because it is not alwayes performed Fit voluntas Dei de omnibus non ab omnibus The will of God is done concerning all though not of all To do the will of God is in respect of the matter to perform that which he commandeth after the same manner to the same end that he appointeth but if you look into our weakenesse this doing of Gods will by us is especially to be understood of the will and endeavour which the Lord in his children accepteth as the deed Precamur optamus ut non tantùm faciat Deus quod vult sed nos facere possimus quod vult We pray and wish not onely that God do what he will but that we may be able to do what he will Whereas therefore this will of God is contemned of men oppugned by the flesh the world the devil and yet must of necessity be obeyed of us if either we would be subjects of the kingdome of grace or inheritours of the kingdome of glory great cause there is why we should instantly make this prayer c. In earth that is by us men on earth and consequently as Paul speaketh Tit. 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this present world So as Oecumenius saith on that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this life susteineth the fight but the life to come shall receive the reward In this life eternall life is either won or lost In this life we must do the will of God or else we shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven Matth. 7. 22. According to that which every man doth in the flesh shall he be judged 2. Cor. 5. 10. And therefore
obteining remission both to faith and to prayer which they ascribe to the Sacraments especially of Baptisme for sinnes going before and Penance for sinnes following after Baptisme which they hold do free from sinne and conferre the grace of justification ex opere operato whereunto they require neither prayer nor faith nor any other good motion or disposition in the party save onely that he do not ponere obicem peccati mortalis put in the way the barre or stop of mortall sinne affirming that the Sacraments do contein grace as vessels and that they are physicall causes of grace justifying by efficacie put into them by God as the heat of fire is the cause of burning abusing that place Acts 22. 16. Be baptized and wash away thy sinnes having called on the name of the Lord. But let us come to their objections To the first I answer That we do teach that remission of sinnes is obteined by prayer and that to that end our Saviour hath taught us to crave remission and hath acquainted us with the example of the Publicane who by prayer obteined justification as David Manasseh and the faithfull and penitent sinners in all ages have done which hindreth not but that we are justified by faith alone For it is not every prayer but the prayer of faith as S. James calleth it which is impetratory I say it is the prayer of faith which by prayer obteineth pardon To the second Where our Divines define faith to be a full and certain perswasion of Gods love towards us in Christ forgiving our sinnes c. they define it in the highest degree and perfection thereof whereunto we must alwayes aspire But there are two principall degrees of faith The first is an assent to the truth of Gods word and more especially to the promises of the Gospel assuring salvation to all that believe in Christ. This assent in the judgement to the Law and Gospel if it be true lively and effectuall worketh in the heart and will a lothing of our sinnes a resolution to leave them a desire of grace and a hungring and thirsting after Christs righteousnesse and a resolution to acknowledge Christ to be our Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation And howsoever those who have but this degree cannot say that they are assured of forgivenesse and salvation yet their desire of grace proceeding from this lively faith expressed in their prayer is acceptable before God and obteineth that which is desired Now they which have this degree must proceed to the second For seeing the promises belong to them concerning justification and salvation they ought to apply them to themselves And look how sure a man may be that he believeth that is giveth a true and lively assent to the doctrine of the Gospel so sure ought he to be of the remission of sinnes and salvation by Christ. And of this assurance there are degrees according to the measure of grace received To conclude therefore this point We ascribe to faithfull prayer efficacie to obtein that which we desire in the name of Christ according to the will of God and by the Scriptures do demonstrate the efficacie of prayer which now we are to shew by the wonderfull effects which by prayer have been brought to passe CHAP. V. Of the great and wonderfull efficacie of prayer AS first in the elements the earth the water the aire the fire At the prayer of Moses the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up Korah Dathan and Abiram with their families Numb 16. At his prayer also the hard rocks sent forth rivers of waters Exod. 17. Samson having slain a thousand Philistines with the jaw-bone of an asse Judg. 5. 18 19. whereupon the place was called Lehi which signifieth a jaw-bone and being ready to perish with thirst by prayer obteined a well of living water which continued to posteritie which the Lord opened unto him in Lehi not the jaw-bone but the place so called which for a perpetuall monument of the efficacie of prayer he called En-hakkore the fountain of him that prayed At the prayer of Moses Exod. 14. the waters of the red sea gave place to the Israelites and overwhelmed their enemies But come we to the aire Elias being a man* subject to the like passions with us which the Apostle James noteth chap. 5. 17 18. that we might in like manner hope to be heard prayed a prayer that is prayed effectually that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth for three yeares and six moneths and he prayed again and the heavens that is the aire gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit Concerning fire we have two examples of the same Elias the former 1. Kings 18. where by prayer he brought down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice the latter 2. Kings 1. where also by prayer he brought down fire from heaven to destroy the two captains with their fifties But leaving the elements let us in our cogitations ascend into heáven For most admirable is that example Josh. 10. 15. where at the prayer of Joshua for he is said to have spoken to the Lord and the Lord to have hearkened to his voice the sunne stood still in the middest of heaven for the space of one whole day untill the Israelites were avenged on their enemies And no lesse admirable is that example of the Prophet Isaiah 2. Kings 20. 11. at whose prayer not onely the shadow in the sunne-diall but the sunne it self in the firmament went back ten degrees Isa. 38. 8. Ecclus 48. 23. Neither is the efficacie of prayer seen upon those creatures alone which are without sense but upon those also which are indued with sense and reason Jonah when he was swallowed up of the whale and lay in the belly thereof as in a grave for the space of three dayes and three nights having cried to the Lord de profundis he was restored safe to land Jonah 2. As touching men the efficacie of prayer appeareth in the deliverance not onely of particular men but also of whole cities and countreys from the fury and force of their enemies were they never so mightie or so many When Peter was by Herod cast into prison and kept by foure quaternions of souldiers lying in the night before he should be put to death between two souldiers bound with two chains the keepers also before the doore keeping the prison at the instant prayer of the Church which effectually prayed for his deliverance the Lord sent his angel to set him at libertie Acts 12. 5. Elias the Prophet being armed with the spirit of prayer when Ahaziah the king had sent three captains of fifties one after another to apprehend him he not onely brought down fire from heaven to destroy the two first with their fifties as I said before but also he brought the third captain upon his knees humbly intreating him that his own life and the lives of all his companie might be precious
were a figure of Christs sacrifice that for the merit thereof the prayers of them which did offer the sacrifice might be accepted 3. Thirdly as the high Priest once a yeare entred the sanctuary bearing on his shoulders the names and on his breast twelve stones the tokens of the twelve tribes prayed for the people who stood in the courts of the house even so Christ being entred into the heavenly sanctuary maketh intercession for us Heb. 10. 19. Apoc. 8. 3 4. Therefore as Augustine saith If you require a priest he is above the heavens where he maketh intercession for thee who in earth died for thee He is the onely way by whom we have accesse unto God John 14. 6. he is the onely Mediatour by whom we have accesse with boldnesse Ephes. 3. 12. he alone in whom God is well pleased with us and appeased towards us Rom. 3. 25. so that coming in his name neither the sense of the dreadfull majestie of God nor the conscience of our own unworthinesse shall dismay us He is the altar Heb. 13. 10. on which the sacrifice of our prayer or praise being offered is thereby sanctified vers 15. He is as Ambrose saith our mouth by which we speak unto the Father our eye by whom we see the Father our right hand by which we offer our selves to the Father without whose intercession neither we nor the Saints have ought to do with God And herein especially the prayers of true Christians do differ from the prayers of others that we call upon God in the name and mediation of Christ alone The use of all is Heb. 4. 16. and 10. 19. that seeing we have such an high Priest who maketh intercession for us that we should with boldnesse and assurance of faith offer up our prayers unto God For 1. the Spirit of Christ helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8. 26. 2. God the Father justifieth and accepteth of us in Christ v. 33. Who therefore shall lay any thing to our charge who can condemn us seeing Christ died for our sinnes and rose again for our justification and now sitteth at the right hand of God making intercession for us v. 34. and with the odours of his own sacrifice perfumeth our prayers making them acceptable unto God Revel 8. 3 4. CHAP. XVI Of the manner how we are to call upon God IN the fourth place we are to intreat of the manner how we are to call upon God The manner is set down Rom. 8. 27. according to God that is as S. John speaketh according to the will of God 1. John 5. 14. So I said in the definition That invocation is a religious speech of the faithfull made unto God in the name of Christ according to the will of God where by the will of God we are to understand not his secret will and counsel which we know not but his will revealed in his word Prayer is therefore made according to the will of God when in our prayer those things are performed which God in his word prescribeth to be performed in prayer This and the former point are of great moment for when a man prayeth and is not heard it is as Bernard saith because aut praeter verbum petis aut propter verbum non petis that is because thou prayest either beside the word or not for the word whereas on the other side we have this confidence in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us 1. John 5. 14 15. Now for the manner of prayer there are duties to be performed not onely in the action it self but also out of the action that is to say both before and after In the action of invocation the duties respecting the manner belong either to the internall form or externall The former are the inward duties of the soul the latter the outward speech and gesture of the bodie Unto the speech referre words quantitie qualitie voice In the soul we are to consider what is required first in generall and then in particular In generall it is required that our invocation be a speech of the soul and therefore as I said in the beginning some define prayer that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the communication of the soul with God Others that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the ascending of the mind unto God David expresseth his prayer to be a lifting up of his soul unto God Psal. 25. 1. and 86. 4. and elsewhere he calleth it a pouring forth of the soul before the Lord as Anna also speaketh 1. Sam. 1. 15. So that true prayer is not the lifting up of the voice of the eyes or hands alone but a lifting up of the heart with the hands unto God that is in the heavens Lam. 3. 41. To the same purpose in the Scriptures we are directed to pray in the heart Col. 3. 16. and in the spirit that is the soul Ephes. 6. 18. to pray with the whole heart Psal. 111. 1. that is with an upright heart Psal. 119. 7. with unfeigned lips Psal. 17. 1. in truth that is in sinceritie and uprightnesse of heart Psal. 145. 18. The necessitie of this praying in truth appeareth 1. By testimonie of our Saviour Christ John 4. 24. God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth 2. By all those testimonies even now cited wherein we are stirred up to lift up our hearts and to poure forth oursouls c. 3. If the Apostle require servants to perform their duties to their masters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as unto the Lord how much more is it our duty to the Lord himself to perform our service from our hearts 4. The uprightnesse and sinceritie of the heart is the soundnesse of all our worship and service of God without which it is hypocrisie therefore David professeth that he would call upon God with an upright heart Psal. 119. 7. and with lips unfeigned Psal. 17. 1. and to the same purpose we are exhorted to seek the Lord with an upright heart Deut. 4. 29. Jer. 29. 13. 5. The promise of hearing our prayer is restrained to this praying in truth Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is near to all that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth for bodily exercise profiteth little 1. Tim. 4. 8. and the Lord respecteth especially the voice of the heart As for those that call upon him with their lips and not with their hearts the Lord abhorreth their prayer and taketh himself to be abused by them and therefore he reproveth them by his Prophet Isaiah chap. 29. 13. This people cometh near me with their lips but their heart is farre from me and elsewhere he complaineth of the hypocrites of his people that when they howled unto him they cried not with their hearts which he calleth speaking lies Hos. 7. 13 14. for what else doth a man but lie when he speaketh otherwise then he thinketh
thereby we may be repressed pride will wring out of our hand all we have done whilest we rejoyce of our doing any good deed For other viâ—…es are to be feared in our sinfull actions but pride onely is to be feared in our good deeds lest those things which are laudably done be lost by our greedie coveting of praise 3. Those that pray with spirituall pride and ostentation as the Brownists being proud that they are able to conceive as it were ex tempore a prayer unto God and with such varietie as to use no set form nor twice to use the same words 4. Those that by their prayer look to satisfie for their sinnes and to merit at the hands of God as the Papists For prayer made with such a proud conceit is abominable unto God CHAP. XX. Of Reverence required in prayer and Heartinesse THe second thing required in the heart is a reverence of the Majesty of God to whom we speak according to Davids both advice Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoyce with trembling and practice Psal. 5. 7. I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercie that is trusting therein and in the fear or reverence of thee will I worship towards thy holy temple That we are thus to call upon God I shall not need to prove For if when we are to speak to a Prince we are touched with great reverence of an earthly Majestie how are we to be affected when we speak unto God And if the blessed angels being in Gods presence and sounding forth his prayse are described in the Scriptures as having six wings whereof two pair serve to cover their face their feet Isa. 6. 2 3. thereby betokening their wonderfull reverence of God how much more should we who inhabit these houses of clay subject to infirmities and corrupted with sinne be strucken with an awfull reverence of God If therefore we did but seriously consider That we are to speak vnto God and did set him before our eyes who is in Majestie most glorious and therefore to be reverenced for power omnipotent and therefore to be feared Luke 12. for greatnesse or infinitenesse rather in every place and therefore present with us to heare what we say and to behold what we do for knowledge omniscient and a searcher of the heart and therefore throughly acquainted with what disposition and affection we do come before him for holinesse and justice a most pure Spirit and therefore will be worshiped in spirit truth finally who is as Malachi speaketh our Father and therefore to be reverenced our Lord and therefore to be feared chap. 1. 6. If I say we did set him before our eyes and our selves in his presence as we ought alwayes to do but especially when we call upon him it cannot be but that we shall be touched with great reverence of his glorious Majestie and therefore shall behave our selves accordingly doing speaking thinking nothing but that which may become his presence and whereof we may be bold to admit him to be the hearer and the judge all light behaviour all wandring thoughts being far removed and abandoned and we for the time being elevated above all earthly cogitations and having our conversation in heaven supposing as Chrysostome saith our selves to be in the midst of the Angels and performing the like exercise with them You see our duty But what is our practice Do not we vile wretches when we present our selves before the Lord behave our selves many times with lesse reverence or regard then if we were speaking to a mortall man that is our superiour Insomuch that we hold it for good advice as indeed it is respecting our weaknes In such sort to speak to men as if God did heare us so to speak to God as if man did heare us And is not this an evidence that we are carnall that our hearts are affected with no more then our senses apprehend and that we want those eyes of faith which Moses had Heb. 11. 27. whereby we might be moved to behave our selves in the presence of God as seeing him that is invisible Now to move us both to humilitie and reverence let us consider as Solomon adviseth Eccles 5. 1 2. that God to whom we speak is in the heaven full of majestie and power which consideration our Saviour also teacheth us to have in the beginning of our prayer Matth. 6. 9. and we which do speak are on the earth base and vile not onely in respect of our mould being but dust and ashes but especially in respect of our sinnes whereby we have made our selves unworthy to appear in his presence And unto both these we are excited Psal. 95. which is prefixed as a preparative to our Liturgie v. 6. Come let us worship and fall down let us kneel before the Lord our maker For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hands The third thing is heartinesse devotion or ardour of the mind when we are throughly affected with those things whereof we speak calling upon God with our whole hearts For if that be good counsel which the wise Solomon giveth That what we do we do it with all our might Eccles 9. 10. it is especially to be followed in prayer wherein we are not to be cold or carelesse This heartinesse in prayer is fervencie or earnestnesse of desire in thanksgiving alacritie and chearfulnesse the former arising from the sense of our want the latter from the sense and experience of Gods goodnesse towards us And it is that which giveth wings to our prayers and causeth them to ascend before God This is called lifting up our prayer Isai. 37. 4. Jer. 7. 16. Here therefore two things are to be avoided The first is coldnesse when men call upon God without sense either of their wants in prayer or of Gods blessings in thanksgiving calling upon God for fashion or custome sake usu magis quà m sensu or antes praying rather out of use then sense Such a prayer wanting lively affections is dead and therefore counterfeit and hypocriticall and a mere bodily worship For this is to call upon God with our mouthes but not with our hearts this is to pray without desire and to give thanks without grace in our hearts The other is taedium in orando wearinesse in praying That is when mens hearts being set on other matters all time that is bestowed in prayer is thought too long and therefore the prayer as it is unwillingly begun so is it wearisomely performed the end of the prayer many times being more desired then the end for which prayer was ordained But our invocation must be as a free-will-offering and our service of God must be performed with a willing mind neither is that to be accounted a service of the soul which is without either the understanding as I said before or the will CHAP. XXI Of the Gesture to be used in prayer HItherto
that sometime it is put for prayer Ephes. 3. 14. and by the practice of the godly as of Solomon 2. Chron. 6. 12 13. Daniel chap. 6. 10. Ezra chap. 9. 5. Stephen Acts 7. 60. Peter Acts 9. 40. Paul Acts 20. 36. and finally by the example of all examples Christ himself Luke 22. 41. Which serveth to confute certain hereticks called Agnoetae who alwayes stood in prayer holding it unlawfull to kneel 4. Prostration or falling on the ground or falling on the face A gesture of the greatest humiliation but not in use among us or in these parts of the world but used by Moses and Aaron Num. 16. 22. and 20. 6. by Joshua chap. 5. 14. by Ezekiel chap. 9. 8 11 13. and by our Saviour Christ Matth. 26. 39. 5. Sitting Which though among us it do not seem a fit gesture in publick prayer yet privately it hath been and may be used Examples of David 2. Sam. 7. 18. of Elias 1. Kings 19. 4. and when he put his face between his knees praying earnestly for rain Jam. 5. 18. he prayed sitting as Augustine saith Sedens oravit Elias quando pluviam orando impetravit Elias prayed sitting when by prayer he obteined rain 6. Lying in bed So David Psal. 6. 6. and Hezekiah Isai. 38. 2. and is usually practiced by the faithfull not onely in their sicknesse but at other times 7. Walking riding journeying Gen. 24. 12 36. Jehoshaphat in his chariot 2. Chron. 18. 31. The gesture of the parts First the uncovering of the head in men which among us is an usuall signe of reverence In the female sex it is otherwise in which the covering of their head and face is noted in the Scriptures to have been a token of subjection 1. Cor. 11. 4 7. But in men it is a fit gesture to betoâ—…en their reverence being the uncovering and so 〈◊〉 of the highest and chiefest part and by some is 〈◊〉 depositio magnificentiae the laying aside of magnificence as we see in the foure and twenty elders Apoc. 4. 10. which fell down and cast their crowns before the throne 2. Of the eyes as the lifting up or casting down of them The former is most usuall betokening the lifting up of our hearts unto God and our faith in expecting help from him and is sometime put for prayer it self Psal. 123. 1 2. Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens Behold as the eyes of servants c. Psal. 141. 8. But mine eyes are unto thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust Psal. 25. 15. 2. Chron. 20. 12. To omit other examples Christ himself is ofen noted in the Gospel to have lift up his eyes to heaven when he called upon God as Matth. 14. 19. John 11. 41. and 17. 1. The casting down of the eyes is a note of great dejection and humiliation whereby we being confounded in our selves as knowing our selves unworthy to look up unto heaven do cast down our eyes on the earth Example the Publicane Luke 18. 3. Of the hands As â—… the Lifting up stretching forth of the hands A gesture fit to expresse our humilitie our earnest affection as being the gesture of suppliants and earnest suiters as also to testifie our faith and hope and to signifie the lifting up of our souls And it is a gesture of such moment that it also is put for prayer Exod. 9. 33. Psal. 28. 2. and 44. 20. and 63. 4. and 88. 9. Isai. 1. 15. Examples in Moses Exod. 9. 29 33. and 17. 11. David Psal. 141. 2. and 143. 6. Solomon 1. Kings 8. 22 54. It is commanded Psal. 134. 2. Lam. 2. 19. and 3. 41. The other gesture of the hands is the Knocking of the breast Which is most fit in deprecation for thereby is signified both our acknowledgement of guilt and an earnest desire of pardon as Luke 18. 13. and 23. 48. Thus have you heard the several gestures Among which I would commend unto you as fit most usually and ordinarily to be observed uncovering of the head in men standing or rather if we may conveniently kneeling lifting up of the hands and of the eyes to heaven For whereas in the soul are required faith humilitie reverence and ardour of affection which we are to expresse in the bodily gestures whereby we give God honorem signi the honour of the signe these gestures are most fit to expresse these inward graces For the uncovering of the head signifieth reverence and humility which also are more expressed by kneeling Faith and hope is represented in the lifting up of the eyes hands in which also as in kneeling the ardour of affection is expressed But here our greatest care must be because it is easie to observe these outward gestures to give God in truth the inward worship of the soul as well as the outward of the body which without the other is hypocriticall And therefore as we uncover our heads so to lay aside all opinion and conceit of our own worthinesse and with all reverence to set our selves in the presence of God and as we kneel outwardly so to bow the knees of our hearts and to humble our souls before the Lord and with our eyes and hands to lift up our souls unto God who is in the heavens And withall we must be carefull to lift up pure and innocent hands to God 1. Tim. 2. 8. For if our hands be stained with sinne or polluted with bloud the Lord will not heare Isai. 1. 15. Quid manuum in oratione vult extensio Hae multis sceleribus ministerium exhibent propterea jubemur eas extollere ut orationis ministerium sit eis vinculum nequitiae à malitiaseparatio ut cùm rapturus vel oppressurus vel alterum sis percussurus recorderis quòd has ad Deum pro patronis emissurus es per has illud spirituale sacrificium offerre debeas nec illas confundere nec actionis pravae ministerio fiduci à privare Eas igitur emunda per eleemosynam per misericordiam per indigentiam tutelam ità eas offer ad orationem that is What meaneth the stretching out of the hands in prayer These offer their service to much wickednesse and therefore we are commanded to lift them up that their ministery in prayer may be unto them a bond to tie them from wickednesse and a separation from maliciousnesse That when thou art about to use rapine or oppression or to strike another thou mayest remember that thou must lift up these hands to God for thy patrones and benefactours and that with them thou must offer unto God a spirituall sacrifice and therefore oughtest not to confound or disable them nor spoil them of their confidence by making them instruments in an evil action Cleanse them therefore by aâ—…ms by mercy and defense of the needy and so offer and lift them up in prayer CHAP. XXII Of the Voyce to
might be perswaded and that alwayes they did not hearken unto them as being otherwise imployed as Elias telleth Baals priests 1. Kings 18. 27. and therefore thought it needfull to repeat the same things oft that if they did not heare them at one time they might at another As we see those priests of Baal to call upon him from morning v. 26 29. untill the time of the evening sacrifice crying again and again O Baal heare us But the true God on whom we call he is our heavenly Father and therefore for his love most ready and willing to heare us even before we call upon him Isai. 65. 24. And for his knowledge he knoweth what we stand in need of before we pray as our Saviour sheweth v. 8. Which may be a third reason Fourthly Solomon Eccles 5. 1 2. dehorteth from the same fault by two reasons First God is in heaven and thou on earth therefore let thy words be few God sitteth in the heavens as his throne full of majestie power and glory and we are on the earth base and vile being as nothing in comparison of him therefore in great humility and reverence we are to speak unto him framing and moderating our speech so as there be nothing idle or superfluous therein For when a man is to speak to his prince or any whom he doth reverence he will labour that his speech may be pithy avoiding all vain idle and superfluous talk Fifthly Because in multitude of words folly is committed For as multitude of businesse causeth dreams so multitude of words argueth folly v. 2 3. Sixthly If in our speech with men there wanteth not iniquitie in multitude of words as Solomon saith Prov. 10. 19. and if of every idle word men must give an account at the day of judgement as our Saviour testifieth Matth. 12. 36. If it be true as one saith Non est ejusdem multa opportunadicere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. sejuncta sunt haec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much more are these true of our speech with God wherein all superfluitie of idle words is joyned with irreverence and abuse of the majestie of God Seventhly Plato though an heathen Philosopher yet in his wisdome for which he was called divine he saw that brevitie and pithinesse in prayer was to be affected rather then prolixitie and therefore preferreth the short prayer of the Lacedemonians That God would give them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 farre before the longer prayers of the Athenians wherein they studying to be long uttered many things which neither became the majestie of God nor were expedient for themselves and therefore he saith as if he had read that counsel of Solomon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But never did the heathen so grossely offend in their battologie as the Papists at this day who numbring upon their beads their prayers which themselves understand not perswade themselves that the more often they do repeat their Pater-nosters and their Ave-Maries the more satisfactory and meritorious their prayer is before God yea and to the greater multitude of such idle repetitions the Popes have granted the greater indulgences For whereas according to the invention of Dominick their rosary or string of beads consisteth of 55 beads whereof five that is every eleventh be greater to signifie that to every Pater-noster they must recite ten Ave-Maries they have devised since that time the Ladies Psalter conteining three rosaries that is besides fifteen Pater-nosters an hundred and fifty Ave-Maries according to the number of Davids Psalmes Not to speak now of that Ladies Psalter in which what is spoken in Davids Psalmes of God or Christ our Lord is transferred to the virgin Mary most sacrilegiously and blasphemously to the saying whereof divers Popes have given large indulgences which in all arise to threescore thousand yeares pardon What then is it not lawfull to make long praiers I answer That prayer is not condemned of battologie or too much prolixity wherein nothing is superâ—…uous neither is made with that opinion that for the lengths sake it shall be heard Where is variety of good matter uttered with the attention of the mind and vigour of affection there the longer we continue in prayer the better it is We are exhorted in the Scriptures to continue iâ—… prayer and to watch in the same with thanksgiving Col. 4. 2. and our Saviour himself to give us example sometime continued in prayer whole nights Absit ab oratione saith Augustine multalocutio sed non desit multa precatio si fervens perseverat intentio Let much speech be absent from prayer but let not much praying be wanting if the intention persevere to be fervent But we are to moderate the length of our prayers according to the measure of grace received of faith and devotion appearing both in the attention of the mind and intention of the affections for as Augustine saith Intentio sâ—…eut non est obtundenda si perdurare non potest ità si per duraverit non cit ò est relinquenda As the intention is not to be dulled if it cannot hold out so if it can last it is not to be easily left Howbeit men may pray long and continue in prayer though their prayers be not long To which purpose Chrysostome giveth this advice Deum orans non longos extendat sermones nec in longum orationem producat sed pauca simplici á que dicat verba Non enim in verborum multitudine sed in mentis solertia positum est ut exaudiatur Oportet igitur orantem neque longos extendere sermones jugiter orare Breves enim frequentes orationes fieri Christus Paulus praeceperant parvis ex intervallis Nam si sermonem in longum extenderis in negligentiam frequenter lapsus multam diabolo surrependi facultatem deder is supplantandi abducendi cogitationem ab his quae dicuntur Si verò continuas crebras orationes facias totumque tempus interpolans frequentiâ facilè poteris modestiam exhibere ipsas orationes cum multa facies solertia He that prayeth unto God let him not make long speeches nor draw out his prayer into length but let him utter few and simple words For his hope of being heard is not placed in multitude of words but in the right disposition of the mind Therefore he that prayeth must not extend his speech to a great length in a continued prayer For our Saviour Christ and S. Paul have injoyned short and frequent prayers to be made with small pauses between them for if thou draw out thy speech in a continued length thou wilt become negligent and wilt give great occasion to the devil of stealing in and of supplanting thee and of withdrawing thy thoughts from those things which are spoken But if thou continuest and makest many prayers and throughout the whole time dost refresh them with frequencie thou mayest use moderation and make thy prayers with much skill Agreeable
would call upon God seven times a day that is many times Psal. 119. 164. In another place he saith that he would pray in the morning in the evening and at noon And again for the morning Psal. 5. 3. and in another place that he would prevent the morning watch For the noon Acts 10. 9. For the night our Saviour gave us a precedent Luke 6. 12. where it is said that he spent the whole night in prayer unto God And to omit other speciall times There is none so unseasonable as midnight yet often in this time have the godly given themselves unto prayer Psal. 119. 62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee And so did Paul and Silas Acts 16. 25. So that we see no time excluded from private prayer But to apply the former distinction to private prayer also and first for statae That our infirmity may be helped and our backwardnesse in this duty relieved we are to appoint to our selves some certain houres in the day which we will not let passe without invocation on the name of God but yet so as we place no religion in one time more then in another as the Papists do in their canonicall houres as though God were more ready to heare one time of the day then another This practice which I have named the most holy men of God have used As David Psal. 55. 17. In the morning at noon and in the evening will I pray And Daniel chap. 6. 10. used to pray three times in the day Which practice of theirs we are thus to imitate 1. to pray in the morning before we go about the works of our calling 2. in the mid-day in the time of intermission of our works and thirdly at evening before we take our rest and besides whensoever we take meat we are to use both prayer and thanksgiving 1. Tim. 4. 4 5. 2. Concerning vagae We are to follow the advice of the Apostle Col. 3. 17. In every thing which we do in word or deed both to take it in hand by calling upon the name of the Lord and to end it with thanksgiving Not that we are alwayes to use the voice and gesture of the body for sometime it is sufficient to lift up the soul unto the Lord Which kind of short prayers among the ancient Fathers were called ejaculations And thus if we shall use statae vagae orationes stinted and unstinted prayers omitting no just occasions we shall perform the commandment 1. Thess. 5. 17. but otherwise we shall break the same and in so doing we shall incurre the wrath of God CHAP. XXVIII Concerning the place of prayer THirdly concerning the place To no one certain place is that promise made that then was made to the temple of Jerusalem viz. That whatsoever men in their extremitie should ask of God in it God would grant it in his holy habitation in the heavens Jesus the Messias then looked for whose presence was sought in the mercy-seat and between the Cherubims is now entred between the veil that is in the heaven and there abideth onely Mediatour for us unto whom from all the coasts of the earth we may lift up pure hands with assurance that we shall be heard Howsoever the Israelites under the Law were tyed to pray either in the temple and tabernacle Deut. 12. 5 14. Psal. 99. 6. or else towards the same 2 Chron. 7. 38. 1. Kings 8. 44 48. Psal. 138. 2. Dan. 6. 10. yet now all such distinction and difference of place being but ceremoniall is abolished For that one place of prayer and sacrifice was a type of Christ Jesus the alone altar and the praying in or towards the same did figure out thus much That onely in the mediation of Jesus Christ who is the onely Mediatour both of redemption and also of intercession we are to call upon the Lord Wherefore seeing these were but shadows and ceremonies of things to come and seeing the substance and truth it self Jesus Christ is already exhibited whereunto the shadows and ceremonies do and ought to give place we are not now tied to one place more then another as one being more typically holy then another In the 4. of John v. 21 22 23 24. our Saviour himself resolveth this doubt for when the Samaritane had demanded of him which is that place wherein God is to be worshipped the mount Gerizzim where the Samaritanes temple was or the mount Moriah whereon the temple of Solomon was built Christ giveth her this answer That now the time was come wherein all these differences of places being but ceremoniall were taken away that now the Lord was no more to be worshipped by ceremonies but in spirit and truth and therefore that it was lawfull to worship God not onely in Jerusalem or in mount Gerizzim but also in other places The Prophet Malachi seemeth to foretell the same chap. 1. 11. For so the Lord speaketh by him From the rising of the sâ—…nne to the going down of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered in my name c. But most plain is that 1. Tim. 2. 8. where the Apostle willeth that men should pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every place liâ—…ting up holy hands without wrath or doubting So that there is no such difference of place but that we may lawfully call upon God in any place Which also is confirmed unto us by the practice of Christ and his Apostles who did not onely pray in the temple but without distinction in other places as in the mountain in the desert in the garden in private houses on the house-top on the sea-shore and where not Hence appeareth the vanity of Pilgrimages Which were used either because the places were more holy to which they went then others or because the Lord was nearer to them there then elsewhere The former reason I have already confuted and the latter is more absurd For is the Lord present at Jerusalem and is he absent in England nay Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Jer. 23. 24. And doth not the Psalmist say Psal 138. 8. If I ascend into heaven thou art there if I lie down in hell thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea yea thither shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand hold me Seeing therefore that the Lord is every where present to heare us we may call upon him in any place and the rather because our bodies are the temples of God and we our selves priests and Christ Jesus dwelleth in our temples upon whom as being our onely altar we may offer up incense that is our prayers Revel 5. 8. Psal. 141. 2. So that wheresoever we are we have temples wherein to call upon the Lord. Now howsoever this which I have said be in generall true of Invocation both publick and private yet it is to
speciall eye to some particulars whom perhaps we maligne Judg. 5. 31. Psal. 31. 17. Deut. 27. 15 c. to the end of the chapter 1. Cor. 16. 22. Anathema Maranatha Again those that are directed against particular men sometimes they are as Augustine saith verba praedicentium the words of those who foretell rather then vota imprecantium the wishes of them that imprecate as Gen. 9. 25. Psal. 109. 7 8. with Acts 1. 20. Jos. 6. 26. with 1. Kings 16. 34. And such are the words denounced by our Saviour to Chorazin and Bethsaida Matth. 11. 21. against the Pharisees Matth. 23. and Luke 11. 42 c. against Judas Matth. 26. 24. As touching the rest of the curses which the holy men of God in the Scriptures have denounced against the wicked wishing the ruine and destruction of their persons we are to hold that howsoever they were warrantable in them yet not imitable of us They by the spirit of God were inlightened certainly to know discern those against whom they make such imprecations to have been the desperate enemies of God appointed to destruction Secondly they were moved not with private hatred but with a pure zeal of Gods glory to which the love of our neighbour must give place desiring that God might be glorified in the confusion of his obstinate enemies But as for us who neither have the like certainty of knowledge nor the like purity of zeal our safest course is altogether to abstein from imprecations directed against the persons of men knowing that when curses do proceed from private hatred and malice they are most horrible profanations of the name of God whereby malicious men go about to make God the executioner of their malice and therefore we are charged not to curse but to blesse 1. Pet. 3. 9. even those that curse or persecute us Rom. 12. 14. Matth. 5. 44. Cursed therefore are they which use cursing Psal. 109. 17. especially if they curse any of the heirs of the promise to whom God hath made this promise Blessed be he that blesseth thee and cursed be he that curseth thee Gen. 12. 3. and 27. 29. CHAP. XXXIII Of the reall object of prayer or the things to be prayed for THe object reall or the thing which we do ask is either undetermined and not particularly expressed or else it is determined and expressed in particular The former when in generall or in indefinite terms we desire the Lord to heare us Psal. 4. 1. Heare me when I call have mercy upon me and heare my prayer Psal. 5. 1 2. and 28. 1 2. and 54. 2. and 55. 1 2. and 61. 1. and 86. 1. and 88. 2. and 102. 1 2. and 130. 1 2. and 141. 1 2. and 143. 1. The object determined is either the glory of God or our own good The advancement of Gods glory is to be asked both absolutely and first Absolutely I say without any condition or respect of our own good which we must subordinate to the glory of God and not the glory of God to it If therefore the glory of God and our own good come in comparison or in question whether should give place we ought to preferre the glory of God before our own salvation Example Exod. 32. 32. Rom. 9. 3. For the glory of God is the chief end and our good is no otherwise to be desired then it is referred thereunto But as we are to ask it absolutely so also first First both in order as our Saviour hath taught us this being the first petition of the Lords prayer and first in degree that is chiefly because the end is alwayes better and more excellent then those things which are referred to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The things which we crave for our selves under which word I comprehend all men is either the bestowing continuing and increasing of some good or else deliverance or preservation from evil In which regard prayer is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precatio boni prayer for good or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deprecatio mali deprecation of evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayer is the desiring of good concerning holy things made unto God saith Basil. Phil. 4. 6. 1. Tim. 2. 1. It was said before that the matter or object of our prayer must be good how then can prayer admit a distinction in respect of good and evil The avoiding or taking away of evil is good Amotio mali habet rationem boni Removing of evil hath the reason of good And as the Oratour saith Bellum est cavere malum It is a good thing to shun evil And hereupon the benefits of God are distinguished into positive which are reall benefits and privative which is deliverance or preservation from evil The good things which we crave for our selves belong either to the obteining of a better life or for the mainteining of this life the former are commonly called spirituall blessings and the latter temporall The spirituall blessings I mean so many as are necessary to salvation we are to ask absolutely because such spirituall blessings are absolutely subordinated to Gods glory and mans salvation And secondly among those things which we crave for our selves they are first to be desired and sought Matth. 6. 33. And that order our Saviour observeth in the Lords prayer teaching us after the glory of God in the next place to seek our own chiefest good For by the kingdome of God we are to understand both the kingdome of glory and the kingdome of grace The kingdome of glory cometh to us in our glorification the kingdome of grace in our vocation whereby we are brought out of the kingdome of Satan into Gods kingdome and secondly in our justification whereby we are both indued with the priviledges of his kingdome which are the righteousnesse of God imputed peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. and also intituled unto the kingdome of heaven And by doing the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven is meant the righteousnes of God so farre as it is by us to be performed or the righteousnesse of sanctification which is both the cognizance of all true subjects of the kingdome of grace and the proper note of all the heirs of the kingdome of glory Acts 26. 18. and 20. 32. As touching temporall benefits Some have denied that they are to be asked of God as the Marcionites and Manichees others have doubted concerning the same as Chrysostome and Basil as being unworthy either for us to seek and ask of God or for him to give unto us But our Saviour when he biddeth us first seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse implyeth that temporall things are to be sought also in a secondary respect For as Lyra saith Primum relativè dicitur ad secundum Cùm ergò dicit Primò quaerendum significavit quòd hoc posteriùs quaerendum non tempore sed dignitate id est secundariâ quâdam ratione
known unto us so when we are commanded to pray for all we are bound in particular to pray for those whose wants are known unto us and especially for such as do any wayes belong unto us or do desire to be commended in our prayers unto God Rom. 15. 30. Jam. 5. 14. Ephes. 5. 19. 1. Tim. 2. 1 2. Thirdly whereas we are taught to say Our Father Give us c. we may gather that this prayer and those that are made to the like effect are the common voyce of the Church and of all the members thereof praying mutually for one another Which affordeth comfort to every one of us for although the sense of thy own wants weaknesse in calling upon God doth discourage thee yet this ought to comfort thee that this prayer and the like is the common prayer of the Church and of all the faithfull lifting up holy hands in every place and praying for thee if thou be a faithfull man as well as for themselves Now the prayer of the Church the Lord who is most gracious unto it is ready to heare Deut. 4. 7. Isai. 65. 24. and being most faithfull is also willing to perform Matth. 18. 20. Therefore this serveth as for instruction teaching us our duty in calling upon God for one another so also for our comfort assuring us that others in like sort pray for us and that we are partakers of all the prayers of the whole Church and all the members thereof Fourthly the hypocrisie of those is condemned who say with the Jews John 8. 41. We have all one Father God but neither have faith in God nor charity towards men nor any fellow-feeling of other mens wants nor any true desire of their good who say Every man for himself and God for us all Vses concerning our lives SEeing we have all one and the same Father Matth. 23. 9. therefore we ought to embrace one another with brotherly love Ephes. 4. 3 4 6. For if God be the Father of us all then are we all brethren Which word of love ought to tie us with the bond of love and break off all dissension Gen. 13. 8. Acts 7. 26. Mal. 2. 10. And surely if we love not our brethren the love of God is not in us For he which loveth him that begetteth loveth also those that are begotten 1. Joh. 5. 1. And Whosoever saith that he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a liar 1. John 4. 19 20. Therefore where is not brotherly love there is not the love of God where is not the love of God there is no faith and who hath not faith is not the sonne of God Therefore the Apostle saith 1. John 3. 10. In this the children of God are known and the children of the devil Whosoever doeth not righteousnesse is not of God nor he that loveth not his brother For if those that be the sonnes of God as all the faithfull are and we are to hope well of the most when we speak of particulars be not our brethren and so we esteem them then are not we the sonnes of God For if he be our Father then his children are our brethren If the sonnes of God be not brethren to us then are not we his children If therefore we shall hate the children of God how can we call upon him as our Father Secondly whereas all as well poore as rich are commanded to call God Father this ought to teach the rich comfort the poore The rich ought from hence to learn humility and not to despise the poorest Christian seing they are our brethren by the law of nature and of the same bloud Acts 17. the same flesh Isai. 58. and also by our redemption by Christ they are our brethren in him sonnes of the same Father and have as good part in Christ if they believe as the best for God is a Father that respecteth noâ—… persons Acts 10. 34 35. 1. Pet. 1. 17. And in Christ there is no difference of rich and poore bond or free but we are all one in him Gal. 3. 28. To which purpose Paul exhorteth Philemon to receive his servant Onesimus being now converted as a brother v. 17. Let therefore the rich follow the advise Rom. 12. 16. Example Job 31. 13 14 15. that of the wife 1. Pet. 3. 7. which is to be extended to all Christians viz. that they be coheirs Which doctrine doth not favour the Anabaptists for although in respect of our spirituall estate there ought to be no respect of persons Jam. 2. 1. neither is there difference of bond and free in Christ yet in respect of our outward estate the Lord hath ordained superiours and inferiours c. and hath established orders and degrees in the outward politie The poore also are to comfort themselves with this consideration that howsoever they be contemned in the world yet they are dear in Gods sight God is their Father as well or rather of them then of the rich Psal. 68. 6. and Christ their brother yea they are members of Christ to whom what is done Christ esteemeth as done to himself Matth. 25. The which is to be understood of the godly poore for otherwise as their estate is miserable now so a thousand times more miserable shall it be in the world to come Vses of reproof THey are condemned that call God their Father and yet hate the children of God because they are godly and deride the name of brethren 2. Schismaticks who call God their Father but denie his children to be their brethren For they which will have God for their Father must have the true Church to their mother And these words Our Father are the voyce of the Church and of all that be of the same brotherhood 3. Again when we are bid to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Father c. we are taught to direct our prayers unto God immediately as being present with us Which confuteth the Papists who would not have us go directly to God but to desire Mary or Peter c. to pray for us whereas this priviledge have all the faithfull to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace by Christ Ephes. 3. 12. Secondly we are to believe that God who is in heaven is also present with us hearing our prayers and therefore so ought we to poure forth our prayers as into his bosome yea though we pray in secret Matth. 6. 6. Thirdly we ought to have the eye of faith to see him that is invisible Heb. 11. so shall we set God before our eyes and behave our selves as it becometh those that speak to so glorious a Majesty But most men because they see none present are touched with lesse reverence then if they spake to a mortall superiour Which art in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HEaven is all that space which is above the earth Of which are three parts Coelum Aereum Gen. 1. 8. Aethereum Empyreum The first Air in which are the
birds fowls of heaven and the wicked spirits in heavenly places Ephes. 6. 12. and 2. 2. The second is that heaven wherein the starres are which are called the host of heaven The third is the seat of the blessed and throne of God called Coelum empy reum because of the light 1. Tim. 6. 16. paradise 2. Cor. 12. 4. and the third heaven in respect of the two lower and in the same sense the heaven of heavens Psal. 115. 16. 1. Kings 8. 27. God is all in all But this place is especially to be understood of the third heaven which is the place of the Lords habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. How is God said to be in heaven seeing he is everywhere If God be everywhere then is he also in heaven But God is said to be in heaven not that he is included therein 1. Kings 8. 27. and therefore not circumscriptivè by circumscription as the body of Christ nor definitivè definitively as the finite spirits but he is there and everywhere repletive filling all places Jer. 23. 23. but yet so as he is every-where totus wholly But yet after a more speciall manner he is said to be in heaven Because there especially he manifesteth his glory there he is seen face to face there he communicateth himself thence he sendeth down his blessings judgements Rom. 1. 18. thence he speaketh to men thence Christ descended thence the holy Ghost Matth. 3. thither Christ ascended there he sitteth and thence he returneth to judgement And as the soul is said to be tota in toto tota in qualibet parte all in the whole and in every part all and yet in respect of the chief operations is said to be seated in the head as it were the heaven of this Microcosme so God who is everywhere wholly both in the world and out of it is said to be in heaven Heaven is his throne Isai. 66. 1. there he prepared his seat Psal. 103. 19. there he sitteth Psal. 2. 4. that is the habitation of his holinesse c. Isai. 63. 15. the place of his habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. Secondly when Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heavens he meaneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heavenly as Matth. 6. 26. And he is called heavenly because the shallownesse of our minds cannot better conceive of the unspeakable glory and excellent majestie of God then under this name For nothing more excellent and glorious is subject to our sense then the heaven Whereas therefore the Scriptures give this title to God they teach us to ascribe unto him majestie glorious essence omnipresent power infinite wisdome unspeakable mercy endlesse The sense therefore of these words is this Thou that sittest upon heaven as thy throne glorious in majestie infinite in essence power wisdome and mercy Vses concerning prayer I. THe adoration of images reliques condemned we are taught to lift up our mind eyes hands to God being in heaven We may therefore say as Psal. 121. 1. Should I lift mine eyes to images whence then should I have help my help is from God Therefore as Psal. 123. 1. To thee I lift up mine eyes O thou who dwellest in the heavens II. We are taught not to direct our prayer towards any certain place as the Jews towards the temple but we may turn any way towards God in heaven And if we are not bound to look towards any certain place much lesse to go on pilgrimage to it III. Neither must our minds go on pilgrimage whilest we are praying but above the earth and all earthly cogitations our minds with our hands are to be lifted up unto the heavens Lam. 3. 4. Psal. 25. 1. as at all times so especially in the time of prayer our conversation ought to be in heaven IV. When we are commanded to call God our heavenly Father we are taught to abandon all base conceits concerning God Psal. 50. 13. and to ascribe unto him incomprehensible glory and majesty infinite power and essence wisdome unsearchable mercy endlesse Majesty as sitting upon the heaven as upon his throne the earth being his footstool Isai. 66. 1. Which must teach us reverence and not rashly to utter any thing before God For God is in heaven full of majestie and glory and thou upon earth dust and worms meat Eccles 5. 1. Power that is Might infinite omnipotencie Right infinite and authority universall Potentia Power Psal. 115. 3. Our God is in heaven whatsoever he will he doeth Which must teach us to pray with affiance being assured that our heavenly Father is able to do for us according to yea above our requests yea above our thought Ephes. 3. 20. Thus Jehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. 6. Art not thou God in heaven so as power is in thine hand which none can resist Potestas Authority So faith Jehoshaphat Art not thou God in heaven and dost not thou rule over all nations So Psal. 103. 20. The Lord hath established his seat in heaven and his kingdome is over all On him therefore our trust must be reposed by whose providence and power all things are governed in heaven and in earth For hereby we learn that the Lord is not onely able in respect of his might but hath right also to bestow upon us any good thing Audacter Deum roga nihil illum de alieno 〈◊〉 Beg boldly of God seeing thou canst ask nothing of him which belongeth to another Infinite essence and omnipresence for so is the heaven said to be his throne as that the earth also is his footstool and so is he in both as that he is also everywhere and in every place totus For we may not think that God is farre from us Acts 17. 27. because he is said to be in heaven as the wicked imagine Job 22. 13. but we must acknowledge that he is alwayes present with us Psal. 139. 7 8 9 c. and as it is Psal. 145. 18. Deut. 4. 7. near unto us when we call upon him yea where two or three are gathered together in his name he is in the middest of them Matth. 18. 20. If therefore thou prayest in secret the Lord heareth thee Matth. 6. 6. if in the closet of thine heart without any speech he heareth the voyce and cry of the heart Exod. 14. 15. 1. Sam. 1. 13. Assure thy self therefore that thou speakest not into the air or utterest thy words in vain but that thou pourest forth thy requests into the bosome of the Lord. Wisdome unsearchable For as the heavens are high above the earth so are the Lords thoughts above ours Isai. 55. 9. We must therefore submit our selves to his will which is most wise and just neither let us circumscribe him but rather resigne our selves unto him who best knoweth what is fit for us Mercy unspeakable Whereby all these attributes are effectuall to our good For if earthly parents do know to give good things to their children much more doth our heavenly
Father Matth. 7. 11. This thereforè must not discourage us that he sitteth above in heaven in the high throne of his majestie 〈◊〉 though he dwelleth above yet he mercifully abaseth himself to behold the things which be in heaven and in earth Psal. 113. 5 6. He looketh down from the high place of his holinesse even from heà ven doth the Lord look down upon earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliver the children of death Psal. 102. 19 20. Neither ought his power to terrifie us for he useth it to our good Deut. 33. 26. â—…e rideth or sitteth upon the heavens for our help Him therefore let us exalt who rideth on the highest heavens Psal. 68. 4. Here therefore is discovered the hypocrisie of those men who calling upon God as their Father in heaven lift not up their hearts to heaven but let them lie groveling on the earth who imagine God to be like themselves who without reverence speak unto him or use vain babbling who trust not in his power nor acknowledge his presence with them unreverently behaving themselves because they see him not that submit not themselves to his fatherly wisdome nor rest in his mercy and goodnesse Vses in our lives First if our Father be in heaven who also hath begotten us to an heavenly inheritance then we who are the children of God are in this world pilgrimes from God and from our countrey and therefore ought not to mindearthly things but have our conversation in heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. Secondly if God our Father be full of maiesty and power we ought to fear him and to stand in aw Thirdly if omnipotent let us rest confidently under his protection neither let the fear of any danger draw us unto sinne for God is able to deliver us Dan. 17. And on the other side let us fear to sinne for he is able to destroy both body and soul in hell Matth. 10. 28. If God be omnipresent let us behave our selves as in his presence and walk before him in uprightnesse of heart If our heavenly Father be most wise and mercifull let us cast our care upon him in all our necessities depending on him As for those that are mere worldlings terrae filii who neither stand in aw of his majesty nor trust in his power nor walk as in his presence nor depend upon his fatherly goodnesse they cannot but in hypocrisie call God their heavenly Father Now if we joyn these two together of which we have spoken severally That God is our Father and therefore willing to heare us and also in heaven and therefore able to grant our desires there will be no place left to diffidence and distrust seeing God is both willing and able to grant our requests Therefore we ought not to be distrustfully carefull but with confidence and assurance that we shall be heard to make our requests known unto God Phil. 4. 6. seeing as Fulgentius saith Deus multus est ad ignoscendum in hoc multo nihil deest in quo omnipotens misericordia omnipotentia misericors est God is much in forgiving in this much nothing is missing in whom is omnipotent mercy and mercifull omnipotence The consideration of either of these may stirre up a man to pray but if he doubt of either I see not how he can pray in faith The leper Mark 1. 40. being perswaded of Christs power desireth him to make him clean the father of him that was possessed Mark 9. 22. having some good opinion of Christs willingnesse intreated his help for the dispossessing of the unclean spirit But because the one was not assured of his willingnesse the other of his power they make but doubtfull prayers If thou wilt thou canst make me clean If thou canst do any thing help us But we may be assured of both in our heavenly Father and therefore are to be encouraged to pray in faith c. The division of the Petitions HItherto we have spoken of the preface Now we are to proceed unto the petitions Which are in number six but yet in respect of the objects they may be distinguished into two sorts For either they concern more properly and immediately the glory of God without respect of our own profit or else our own good and mediately the glory of God For in the three former we say Thy name Thy kingdome Thy will in the three latter us and our c. Those that concern Gods glory are indeed most profitable for us for with his own glory he joyneth the good and salvation of the elect For if we glorifie the name of God he will glorifie us if we be subjects of the kingdome of grace we shall be inheriters of the kingdome of glory if we do the will of God upon earth we shall enter into the kingdome of heaven But in propounding these petitions we are not to respect our own profit but the glory of God Those which immediately concern our own good must also mediately respect the glory of God whereunto if our good be not referred it is not good Those which immediately concern the glory of God are set down in the first place By which order our Saviour Christ teacheth us to preferre Gods glory before our own good yea if they should come in comparison before our own salvation Exod. 32. 32. because Gods glory is the end and therefore better then those things which are referred thereunto For which cause not onely in order of petitions but also in the measure of our affections the glory of God must be preferred before our own good Ideóque in tribus primis petitionibus oratio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est cùm posteriores conjunctionibus colligantur And therefore in the three first petitions there is no copulative when as the three latter are tied together with conjunctions In the three first petitions we desire either the glory of God it self as the end or else the means whereby his glory is procured the end in the first petition the means in the other two For then is God glorified when his kingdome is advanced and his will fulfilled This order teacheth us that the main end of all our desires and actions should be the glory of God I. Petition FIrst of the first petition Wherein we are to learn the meaning of the words and then to consider the uses which arise from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hallowed be thy name The name of God signifieth both God himself and his attributes which â—…re himself and also that whereby he is named In the former sense the word name is often used to signifie the persons named as Acts 1. 15. and 4. 12. Revel 3. 4. and 11. 13. So the name of God is put for God himself Joel 2. 23. Deut. 28. 58. Hereupon the Hebrews use to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is His name is himself and he is his name And hereunto belong those places in which the name of God
in them as the holy Ghost hath appointed Secondly by a holy and sanctified use The creature is sanctified by the word and prayer 1. Tim. 4. 5. Col. 3. 17. Duties in prayer Wants to be bewailed 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the hardnesse and senselesnesse of our hearts in not seeing and acknowledging the goodnesse wisdome and power of God in his creatures Mark 6. 52. 2. Our jesting at some of his works as at the form or countenance of some man c. 3. Our suffering of the brute creatures to go beyond us as the crane and swallow in knowing their times and seasons the ant in diligence the trees and plants in bringing forth fruit 4. Our irreligious use of the creatures or abusing them to be the instruments of sinne Duties in our lives 1. Holy meditation and mentioning of the works of God to his glory and our spirituall good To his glory for so must we meditate and speak of the creatures as that the wisdome goodnesse and power of God shining in them be acknowledged that we knowing him by his works may glorifie him as God To our good by meditating in such things as are to be followed or eschewed in them 2. The pure and holy use of the creature sanctified by the word and prayer c. Otherwise if we knowing God by his works shall not glorifie him Rom. 1. 21. if we shall play the Momes in detracting from the works of God or mocking the same if we shall abuse his creatures to superstitious wicked and profane uses and please our selves in so doing we are to take heed lest in making this prayer we be found mockers of God Now follow the works of administration which are his blessings or judgements towards our selves or others His blessings on our selves are sanctified 1. in our hearts when we are truly thankfull for them 2. in our tongues when we give thanks Psal. 124. 6. and shew forth his benefits Psal. 66. 16. and 71. 8 18. 3. in our deeds when we referre the good things received to his glory and the good of others and when by them we are brought to repentance Rom. 2. 4. The blessings of God on others are sanctified when we rejoyce with them 1. Cor. 12. 26. and glorifie God in them Psal. 35. 27. Gal. 1. 24. The judgements of God on our selves are sanctified when they have the like effect in us that they had in Job that is First when we are humbled under the hand of God and brought to repentance Job 1. 20. and 42. 6. Secondly when we bear them patiently Job 1. 21. Thirdly when we blesse God in them and for them v. 21. The judgements of God on others are sanctified when by consideration thereof we fear to sinne when we shew forth the justice of God in the punishment of the wicked Psal. 58. 11 12. when we condole with the just Wants to be lamented First unthankfulnesse in that neither in our hearts we have the chearfull sense of Gods goodnesse in his benefits nor in our tongâ—…es return praise to him nor in our deeds bring forth the fruits nor yet by them are brought to repentance Secondly our not acknowledging Gods graces in others or depraving or lessening them or envying their good Thirdly our senselesnesse in affliction Jer. 5. 3. Fourthly impatience Isai. 22. 12 13. Fifthly murmuring Sixthly not to be terrified by the example of others but rather pleasing our selves Luke 13. 1. Seventhly not condoling but rather rejoycing in other mens evils as laughing at fools Duties in our lives To be thankfull to God for his benefits To expresse our thankfulnesse by thanksgiving by referring them to the glory of God by repentance To rejoyce with others To glorifie God in them To make right use of his chastisements on our selves and others Otherwise if we shall be proud of those good things which we have as though we had not received them not giving God the glory nor referring them to his glory and the good of others but contrariwise abusing them to the dishonour of God and the hurt of others as many do their learning wit riches strength c. If we shall deprave Gods mercies in others or envie them If in the judgements of God upon our selves we shall harden our hearts with Pharaoh If we shall impatiently bear them and murmure against the severity of God If with Belteshazzar we shall not be moved with the example of others Dan. 5. 22. If we shall make a sport of other mens calamities we are farre from that desire of sanctifying Gods name which in this prayer we pretend Secondly in these words we pray that the Lord would sanctifie his name The which petition we are the rather to make because his glory is so little regarded amongst men And in this sense our prayer is the same with that of our Saviour John 12. 28. Father glorifie thy name or with that of David Psal. 57. 6 11. Be thoâ—… exalted Lord above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth or that Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord not unto us c. The Lord doth sanctifie his name I. When he doth shew forth and manifest the excellencie and glory of his name that is of his attributes and perfections as wisdome power c. but especially by making manifest the glory of his mercy and justice Of mercy by preserving his Church and multiplying his blessings upon the faithfull Ezech. 36. 21. For the glory of his own name he preserved his Church amongst the heathen and promised to reduce them into their own countrey not for their sakes but his holy names sake v. 22. and then v. 23. I will sanctifie my great name which was polluted amongst the heathen namely because of the affliction of his people v. 20. and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord saith the Lord God when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes c. So 2. Thess. 1. 12. Of his justice and power in executing his judgements on transgressours and on the wicked and overthrowing the enemies of his Church When Nadab and Abihu had offered strange fire contrary to the commandment of God and were destroyed by fire from heaven he said I will be sanctified in them that come near me that is By executing judgement even against those that are near to me I will make manifest the glory of my justice and before all the people will I be glorified Levit. 10. 3. Isai. 5. 15 16. By the judgements of God executed upon the wicked it is said that man shall be humbled and brought low but the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgement and the holy God shall be sanctified in justice Ezech. 28. 22. Thus saith the Lord God Behold I come against thee Sidon and I will be glorified in the midst of thee and they shall know that I am the Lord when I shall have executed judgements in her and shall be sanctified in her For I
repent hereafter as well c. If to amendment of life he telleth them that if they be elected they may live as they list if rejected they cannot be saved If to humiliation that it is a doctrine that belongeth to notorious sinners c. Moreover he opposeth himself to the Ministers and their ministery Zech. 3. 1. he suborneth false teachers and is a lying spirit in their mouthes Therefore we pray that the Lord would bind Satan dissolve his works and tread him under our feet Rom. 16. 20. The second is the world and the lusts thereof which choke the seed of Gods word Matth. 13. 22. the glorious shew of this world 1. Cor. 7. 31. By these Satan as by nails naileth men to the earth that they cannot mind heavenly things By them as baits he allureth to sinne as snares entangleth to perdition Which make men citizens of the earth and misse of their freedome in heaven which cause men place their paradise upon the earth and not to care for the kingdome of heaven For a man cannot serve God and Mammâ—…n or be a worldling and yet a subject of this kingdome which make worldly men sell their birthright with Esau c. therefore we pray that the Lord would deliver us from the evil world Gal. 1. 4. wain us from it that we may renounce all worldly lusts that we may use the world so as we abuse it not 1. Cor. 7. 31. that the world may be crucified unto us and we to the world Gal. 6. that by faith we may over come the world 1. John 5. 4. and that we may behave our selves not as worldlings minding earthly things but as pilgrimes on the earth and citizeâ—…s of heaven and fellow-citizens of the saints Ephes. 2. 19. whos 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversation is in heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. The third is our Flesh that is our own corrupt nature the wisdome whereof is enmity against God which lasteth against the spirit which sendeth out continuall lusts as it were sparkles out of a furnace which fight against our souls which the devil abuseth as his bawd to pollute us and to beget in us all manner of sinnes which bring forth death Therefore we pray that the Lord would reigne in us by his Spirit that we may not be carnall but spirituall that we may not walk after the flesh but after the spirit that as being pilgrimes on earth but citizens of heaven we may abstein from fleshly lusts c. 1. Pet. 2. 11. that we may crucifie the flesh and the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. In a word we desire that the Lord would confound the kingdome of darknesse whereby the devil ruleth in the hearts of men using for his instruments or souldiers the lusts of the world and of the flesh The outward enemies of Gods kingdome But these were spirituall enemies And we are not onely to pray against them but also against the outward enemies of the Church which is the kingdome of God And these are either open and professed enemies as the Turks and Infidels the great Turk being that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Abaddon that maketh havock of the Church Revel 9. 11. or else close and covert enemies which under the name and profession of Christ oppugne the kingdome of Christ as Antichrist his Synagogue that is the Pope and the Church of Rome For notwithstanding all their glorious profession that they and they alone are the Church of God yet these are they that say We will not have this man to reigne over us but having received the mark of the beast are in subjection to the Pope under penalty of dâ—…nation And he sitteth in or rather sets himself against the Church usurping sovereigne authority and sitting as God in the throne of Christ he deteineth the people in ignorance making them believe that their implicite faith will save them and so they lead them blindfolded after them as it were in a string to perdition For whose law reigneth amongst them Gods or their own The breach of whose law more severely punished To whose government are they subject Gods or their own What doctrine do they teach the word of God or the inventions of men The word of God which is his sceptre do they not suppresse this light of mens souls do they not hide it from the people under a strange language as it were under a bushel do they follow the Lambe that have received the mark of the beast and persecute with fire and sword all true professours c. Well against these enemies both secret and open covert and discovered that is Gog and Magog Revel 20. we are taught to pray that being subdued that is either converted or subverted the Church and kingdome of God may be advanced Besides these enemies there are also other impediments of the kingdome of God opposite to the outward means As to the preaching of the word 1. The insufficiency of Ministers not able to teach 2. Their negligence and idlenesse 3. Their causelesse non-residencie and covetous multiplying benefices with cure 4. The want of maintenance by impropriations and corruption of Patrones All these we are to pray that they may be removed and a free passage to his word granted Impediments opposite to government are either no government but confusion in the Church and Commonweal or else corrupt government the rulers hindring rather then promoting the kingdome of Christ. We see then what we desire when we pray that the kingdome of grace may come viz. That where it is not it may be erected and where it is it may be continued and enlarged That he would blesse preserve and protect his Church That the Lord would rule and reigne in us by his word and Spirit That he would effectually call those which belonging to his election are not called That he would justifie us by faith sanctifie us by the holy Ghost and make us and all his meet to be partakers with the Saints in light That we may more and more feel in our selves the fruits of this kingdome righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost and to this end That he would give a free passage to his word and send faithfull labourers into his harvest blessing them and their ministery and also the seed-plots thereof That he would establish an holy government in the Church and Commonwealth and blesse the governours c. That he would grant unto it the effectuall operation of the holy Spirit making the outward means profitable That he would confound the kingdome of darknesse sinne Satan and Antichrist That the devil may be trod under our feet the world crucified unto us and we to the world the flesh with the lusts thereof mortified That we may renounce and forsake according to our vow in baptisme the flesh the world and the devil That all other impediments of his kingdome of grace and our salvation being removed we may be preserved blamelesse to the coming of Christ
And also they who believe that Christ is their Saviour they will also desire his coming And as the creature earnestly waiteth for that time which Acts 3. 21. is called the time of the restitution of all things which now are subject to vanity Rom. 8. 20. for then the heaven earth shall be renewed 2. Pet. 3. 13. so we also who have the first-fruits of the Spirit sigh within our selves waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our bodies Rom. 8. 23. Then is the time of Christs marriage with his Church and of our conformation with him in glory 1. John 3. 2. For when he shall appear we shall be like unto him If then the second coming of Christ shall be a day of refreshing of full redemption of Christs marriage with his Church then those who hope to be partakers of these benefits are espoused unto Christ by faith will with as earnest desire expect his second coming as the loving bride doth the marriage-day Wherefore as it is Revel 22. 17. the Spirit and the bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and v. 20. Come Lord Jesu come quickly And so the Lord hath taught us here to pray And therefore if we will pray unto the Lord in truth we must labour to attein unto this assurance of faith that being assured of Gods everlasting love towards us in Christ we may earnestly desire the Lord that an end being put to these evil dayes he would hasten the coming of Christ. Neither let us think that we have well profited in the school of Christ untill we do with desire expect his coming Thirdly we must expect with patience For he that is saved in hope as all the faithfull are in this life expecteth with patience that which he hopeth for For hope is not of that which is seen If therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 25. we hope for that which we see not we do by patience expect it And surely in respect of this coming of Christ to our salvation we had need of patience Heb. 10. 36. For as Peter hath prophesied of these last dayes there are come mockers walking after their lusts who say Where is the promise of his coming 2. Pet. 3. 4. but the holy Ghost answereth Heb. 10. 37. Yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Dearly beloved saith the Apostle Peter 2. Epist. 3. 8 9. be not ignorant of this one thing that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day The Lord is not slack as concerning his promise as some men account slacknesse but is patient towards us and would have none to perish but would have all men come to repentance viz. that the whole company of the elect may be fulfilled Therefore as Isaiah saith Qui crediderit nè festinet Let not him that believeth make haste For seeing the Lord in patience towards us deferreth his coming and the fulfilling of his promise we ought with patience to expect it Sustine ipsum saith Augustine sustinuit te If he waited patiently untill thou shouldest amend thy bad life then do thou also patiently wait untill he crowneth thy good life Fourthly we must expect the coming of Christ with vigilancie having our loyns girt and our lights burning like the vigilant servants Luke 12. 35 36 37 40. and the wise virgins Matth. 25 not like the ungodly servant who saith in his heart My master deferreth his coming c. Luke 12. 45. nor the foolish virgins who sleeping in securitie and contenting themselves with the shining lamp of an outward profession at the coming of the bridegroom were shut out III. The third duty So to live in this expectation as that neither prosperity nor adversity shall be able to remove us from the love of God being stayed with the anchor of hope Heb. 6. 19. apprehending and expecting the heavenly joyes set before us in respect whereof all the prosperity and pleasures of this life are to be contemned and all adversities patiently to be indured For those that have this assured expectation contemne all the prosperity of the world as mere vanity in respect of the glory that shall be revealed and therefore are crucified to the world and mind heavenly things c. Again this expectation swalloweth up the sense of all temporall afflictions as experience hath taught us in the martyrs For the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8. 18. Therefore as the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 12. 1 2. let us having such a cloud of martyrs with patience runne the race that is set before us looking to Jesus c. Jacob for the promised reward viz. the marriage of Rachel thought his seven yeares troublesome service to be but eaâ—…ie and short how much more ought we chearfully to bear all the afflictions of this life as light and momentany in respect of that superexcellent weight of glory And for this cause also we are to comfort our selves in all distresses in the expectation of a better life IV. We must walk worthy of God who hath called us to his kingdome and glory 1. Thess. 2. 12. and live as it becometh those that have this hope 1. John 3. 3. For every one that indeed hath this hope namely that he shall be like the Sonne of God purifieth himself as he is pure that he may be in some measure like to him in grace in this present world as he hopeth to be like him in glory in the life to come And let us remember that if we have hope for the end we must be carefull of the means as being the necessary forerunners of glorification faith repentance sanctification And in this expectation must the duties of piety justice and sobriety be performed Tit. 2. 13. V. We must so live as if we were alwayes ready to meet Christ Jesus in the clouds and to this end set before us continually Christ sitting in judgement that we may alwayes labour to be such as then we desire to appear that we depart not from Christ ashamed 1. John 2. 28. And surely what can be more forcible to draw men to repentance and to stirre them up to vigilancie then the meditation of the judgement to come a continuall expectation of Christ coming in the clouds Recordare novissima Remember thy end saith he Ecclus 7. 36. and thou shalt not sinne For where this cogitation is once settled that we shall appear before the judgement-seat of Christ it will not suffer a man to be in quiet untill he be settled in such a state as that he may with boldnesse appear before the Judge Therefore the coming of Christ to judgement is used as a forcible argument to draw us to repentance Acts 17. 30. 2. Pet. 3. 10 11 12 c. These things if we do we shall with chearfulnesse expect the coming of Christ and when
he cometh we shall appear with boldnesse 1. John 2. 28. but otherwise with unhappy Felix we shall tremble at the very mentioning of judgement so farre shall we be from truly desiring and at the sight thereof we shall depart from Christ ashamed desiring the mountains to fall upon us Revel 6. 16. Wherefore to conclude If we will truly make this petition in our daily prayers we must every day so behave our selves as if Christ were presently to come to judgement And in this behalf let us imitate S. Hierome So oft saith he as I consider that day my whole body trembleth for whether I eat or drink or do any thing else that terrible trumpet soundeth in mine eares Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Arise ye dead and come unto judgement VI. We must live as having our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversation in heaven from whence we look for a Saviour minding heavenly things and not being addicted to the world or the desires thereof but living as pilgrimes on the earth c. The hypocrisie of men is here detected who either 1. make this prayer having not this desire or 2. live as if they were out of hope as all those do that go on in their sinnes without remorse for how can he truly hope for the end that careth not for the means Doth not the holy Ghost say That without holinesse we shall never see God Heb. 12. 14. That without regeneration we shall never enter into the kingdome of heaven John 3. 3 5. Therefore we cannot hope that Christ his coming will be to our everlasting salvation if we continue in our sinnes neither can we truly and earnestly desire his coming except we have that hope neither can we truly make this prayer except we have this unfeigned desire 3. Those that are wedded to the world and are so farre from desiring the hastening of Christs coming that they do not onely desire to live here alwayes but also so behave themselves as if they meant alwayes to abide here placing their paradise upon the earth and not caring for the kingdome of heaven The third Petition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The order THis petition is a consequent of the former For then doth God reigne in the hearts of men when they subject and submit themselves to his will Therefore as in the former petition we desired that the Lord would reigne in us so here we pray that we may shew our selves to be his subjects by performing his will For these two are relatives if he our King then we his subjects And therefore hereby we may discern whether the Lord doth reigne in us if we have a true desire and endeavour to do his will And therefore our Saviour Christ Matth. 6. 33. as he doth bid us to seek first and principally the kingdome of God so also his righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will signifieth three things either 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which willeth or 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—…illing or 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing willed 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which willeth in the creatures is the faculty of the mind whereby it willeth But in God whose nature is most simple and in whom there is nothing which is not himself it is his essence In this sense 〈◊〉 Dei eâ—… esâ—…entia Dei vâ—…lens the will of God is the â—…ssence of God willing 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the williâ—…g in the creatures is the act or function of willing proceeding from the faculty But in the Lord both the act of willing and the faculty whereby he willeth is his essence Therefore as his essence is one and eternall so his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his willing is one and eternall and without succession And therefore whatsoever God hath willed doth or shall will that he willeth with one and the same everlasting act of willing For as uâ—… actu intelligendi unóque intuitu omnia intelligit so also uno actâ—… volendi omnia vult qua vult for as with one act of understanding and one view he understandeth all things so with one act of willing he willeth all that he willeth Out of which appeareth the unchangeablenesse of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his willing For whereas in ours there is a change when either we will that which before we did not or leave to will that which before we desired God by one eternall act of willing willeth all things and therefore neither beginneth to will that which before he did not nor leaveth to will that which once he willed The consideration whereof ought to be 1. A stay and comfort to Gods children in any distresse seeing there doth nothing happen unto them which the Lord hath not willed from everlasting and that for his glory and their good 2. An argument of thanksgiving unto the Lord who before we were willed so well unto us 3. A confirmation of faith in his promises because whâ—… he loveth he loveth to the end neither is he as man that he should repent For howsoever repentance be sometime ascribed unto him yet this and the like passions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are spoken after the manner of men but must be understood according to the majesty of God And as sometimes repentance is affirmed of God so also many times it is denied Where it is denied it is to be ascribed to the immutability of his will where 〈◊〉 is affirmed 〈◊〉 actiâ—…is to the efficacy of his action 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing willed which oâ—…tentimes in the Scriptâ—…re is called his will John 6. 39 40. 1. Theâ—… 4. 3. And in this sense the testament is called the will of the testatour The thing that God willetâ—… properly and per se is good howsoever unproperly by accidâ—…nt he willeth that which is evil non quidâ—…m faoere sed fieri not to do it but to 〈◊〉 it to be done as it is râ—…ferred to good ends viâ—… his glory and our good Bonum est esse malum It is good there should be evil that both the glory of Gods â—…cy in saving â—…s and of his justice in pâ—…ishing oâ—…r sinnes in Christ might appear But 〈◊〉 the Lord willeth not it but the end as when a man is content that some part of â—…is body should be seared he doth not properly desire the searing of the part but the health of his body The things willed are either God himself and those things which pertein to himself as his glory c. or the creatures and such things as belong unto them Himself he willeth most properly for if bonum cognitum known good be the proper object of will then primum supremum bonum the first and supreme good which is himself is most properly the object thereof His creatures he willeth and such things as concern them as means referred to this end Rom. 11. 36. Prov. 16. 4. Himself he willeth by
Doth the Lord bid thee seek his face answer with that heavenly echo of the Psalmist Psal. 27. 8. Thy face Lord will I seek It is the will of God that thou shouldst turn unto him break off without delay the course of thy sinne and turn unto the Lord. Knock at the doore of thy heart Open thine immortall gate that the King of glory may come in Doth he call thee to repentance to day If yee will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Deferre not repentance but to day before to morrow repent Seek the Lord whilest he may be found and call upon him whilest he is near Isai. 55. 6. Doth he call us to triall and affliction let us take up our crosse and follow him submitting our selves willingly to his will 1. Sam. 3. 18. Acts 21 14. 2. Sam. 15. 26. 5. The Angels do the will of God fully accomplishing whatsoever the Lord commandeth so ought we to do it fully and not by halves otherwise he will say to us as to them of Sardis Revel 3. 2. I have not found thy works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complete before God Remember the example of Herod Mark 6. 20. who albeit hearing John Baptist he did many things and heard him gladly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet because hâ—… continued in that sinne of incest his partiall obedience did nothing avail him He that keepeth all the law and faileth in some one commandment is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. And he that truly repenteth of any one sinne repenteth of all Where there is upright obedience there is intire obedience but where there is halving there is halting between God and Mammon between Christ and Antichrist The covetous man thinketh well of himself because he is not a whoremaster or a drunkard the riotous person thinketh well of himself that he is not covetous no extortioner c. the Pharisee because he is no Publicane Luke 18 c. Many separate justice and holinesse c. But herein we are as much as we are able to follow the example of Christ who did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3. 15. For if we will be men according to Gods own heart we must desire and endevoúr to do all his will Acts 13. 22. 6. The Angels of the Lord do his will constantly never giving over untill they have accomplished the will of the Lord so must we be constant persevering in obedience being not weary of weldoing knowing that we are redeemed of the Lord to worship him c. all the dayes of our lives Luke 1. 74. Our obedience must not be like the morning mist. Remember that religion is a way to the end whereto we cannot come untill the end of our lives and therefore if we set down our staff before we come to the end and will go no further what will all our former pains avail us If we run in this race and faint before we come to the goal how shall we hope to obtein the garland Be faithfull unto death saith our Saviour and I will give thee the crown of life Revel 2. 10. and Matth. 24. 13. He that continueth to the end he shall be saved 7. Lastly the holy Angels do the will of God faithfully and in all their doings seek the glory of God that sendeth them not assuming unto themselves any part of the praise So must we 1. Cor. 10. 31. For if therein we shall seek our own praise or other sinister respects we have our reward Thus must we truly in our lives desire and endevour to do the will of God on earth as the Angels do it in heaven otherwise when we make this prayer we do ask with our mouthes that which we desire not with our hearts Here therefore is discovered the hypocrisie of many men who pray that they may do the will of God which they will not do God would have thee to turn unto him thou prayest that thou mayest do the will of God and yet wilt not turn to him c. What is this then but to mock God when thou askest that of him which thou hast neither desire nor purpose to do But here especially appeareth the hypocrisie of obstinate and stiff-necked sinners who will seem so forward as to desire that they may do the will of God even as the Angels do it in heaven and yet in very truth obey the will of God no otherwise on earth then the devils in hell who although they oppose themselves against the revealed will of God yet willingly though unwittingly perform his secret will which no creature is able to disannull If therefore we would be thought to pray in truth let us desire and endeavour to do that in our lives which in prayer we ask and desire So having imitated the obedience of the Angels on earth we shall be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels and fellow-citizens with the Saints and Angels in heaven c. The fourth Petition HItherto we have spoken of those petitions which immediately concern the glory of God Now we are to come unto those which more nearly appertein unto our good Howbeit mediately also they are referred to Gods glory which must be the main end of all our desires for whatsoever we are to ask for our selves we are to desire no otherwise but as it is subordinate to Gods glory Spirituall graces and salvation we are to desire for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy in our salvation And because a Christian man is bound to believe that the Lord harh ordained him to salvation therefore salvation and those spirituall graces which are necessary thereunto may be asked absolutely as being subordinate to Gods glory with which he joyneth the salvation of the chosen Temporall benefits are to be asked conditionally so farre forth as they serve for Gods glory and our spirituall good Gods glory is to be sought for even in our eating and drinking and whatsoever we do 1. Cor. 10. 31. Nay our life it self is no otherwise to be desired then it is referred to Gods glory Psal. 80. 19. Preserve O Lord our life and we will call upon thy name Psal. 119. 175. Let my soul live and it shall praise thee Isai. 38. 18 19. Psal. 6. 5. and 30. 9. and 50. 15. Sufficientia vitae saith Augustine rectè appetitur non propter seipsam quidem sed ut eam habentes commodiùs Deo serviamus Sufficiencie for life is rightly desired not for it self but that we may more commodiously serve God Now these petitions are of two sorts For in them we ask either temporall benefits concerning the body for the maintenance of this life present or spirituall blessings in heavenly things concerning the soul for the obteining of a better life Of both which we have a promise 1. Tim. 4. 8. and therefore are to pray for both The prayer for temporall blessings is conteined in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give us this
we have by them displeased and dishonoured God And to increase this godly sorrow in us we are First to consider and meditate of Gods manifold benefits undeservedly bestowed upon us and our unthankfull behaviour towards him c. Secondly we are to desire the Lord that he would poure upon us the spirit of deprecation that we may with bitternesse bewail our sinnes whereby we have so violated the justice of God that nothing could be found sufficient to appease or to satisfie the same but the death of Christ whom we by our sins have pierced Zech. 12. 10. Thirdly we are to consider the misery whereunto our sinnes make us subject both in this life and in the world to come In all which respects we must esteem our sinnes as a most heavy burden and being weary thereof we are by prayer to come unto the Lord that we may be eased thereof Matth. 11. 28. Neither are we to bewail our sinnes alone but as we are to pray for the pardon of other mens sinnes so are we also to mourn for the iniquities of the place and time wherein we live Ezek. 9. 8. Psal. 119. 136 158. 2. We are to bewail the hardnesse of our hearts that we cannot so bewail our sinnes as we ought 3. Our want of faith and assurance of the remission of our sinnes The graces which we desire are 1. Remission of sinnes and justification viz. that God would cancell the bill of debt Col. 2. 14. that he would take away our sinnes and cast them into the bottom of the sea Mich. 7. 18 19. that he would impute the merits and obedience of Christ unto us And secondly because we receive remission of sinnes and are justified by faith by which we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ to our justification and without which the merits of Christ are not communicated unto us therefore we desire not onely that he would forgive us our sinnes but also that he would work in us a true faith whereby we may have assurance of the pardon of our sinnes and peace of conscience 3. Because our faith is weak therefore we are to pray for the increase thereof Luke 17. 5. and also that God would blesse unto us the means of the begetting and increasing of our faith 4. Because reconciliation and adoption are unseparable companions of justification we therefore must also pray that he would receive us unto his love and favour and give us his spirit of adoption that howsoever we be by nature the children of wrath yet being reconciled unto him in Christ we may have the testimony of his Spirit testifying to our spirits that we are the children of God 5. We pray not onely for righteousnesse and assurance of justification and peace of conscience arising from thence Rom. 5. 1. but also for the joy of the holy Ghost proceeding from them both Rom. 14. 17. Now that we may with fervencie beg these graces of God we must besides the sight and sense of our sinnes and the misery which they bring upon us consider the necessity of these graces First of remission of sinnes because sinne maketh a separation between God and us Isai. 59. 1. and maketh us subject both to the curse of God in this life and after and therefore above all things in the world we are to desire freedome from our sinnes without which our estate is most miserable c. and without which we cannot be saved Contrariwise in remission of sinne consisteth happinesse Psal. 32. 1 2. Secondly of faith without which the benefits of Christ are not effectuall to our justification sanctification or salvation By it we are made partakers of all the benefits of Christ to our justification and salvation In which respect the same benefits in the Scriptures which proceed from Christ are also ascribed unto faith Upon which follow reconciliation peace with God and joy in the holy Ghost and the beginning of eternall life it self in this life As we must pray for the forgivenesse of our sins in fervencie so also in faith that as we unfeignedly desire pardon of sinnes reconciliation with God so we are truly to believe that the Lord will heare our prayer that he will receive us unto mercy and at the length grant unto us the certificate of his Spirit the Spirit of adoption For that which he hath commanded us to ask he hath promised to give He commandeth us to ask remission of sinnes justification the Spirit of adoption c. therefore consequently we are stedfastly to believe that we shall obtein them The forgivenesse of sinnes is a chief part of the covenant of grace Heb. 10. 17. The Spirit of adoption is expressely promised to those that ask him Luke 11. 13. There 〈◊〉 that we pâ—…ay with perseverance never ceasing day by day to call upon God for the forgivenesse of our sinnes 〈◊〉 â—…rtificate of the holy Spirit assuring us thereof untill the Lord say unto our souls I aâ—… your 〈◊〉 and â—…hed abrâ—…ad his love in our hearts Neither are we then to cease from this prayer but as we sinne daily so are we daily to crave forgivenesse and as our faith is weak and mixt with doubting so daily to dâ—…sire the increase thereof c. Duties to be performed in our lives If we would make this prayer with upright hearts or would either hope to obtein this request or assurance that our prayer is heard I. We must be adorned with 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 5. 5. whereby we must acknowledge our selves so deeply indebted unto the Lord by reason of our manifold sinnes that he may mâ—…st justly glorifie his name in our endlesse coâ—…fusion and thâ—…t in respect thereof we are not worthy to â—…ook up unto heaven or to breathe in the aiâ—…e or to live upon the earth and that therefore it is thâ—… 〈◊〉 mercy of the Lord that we are not consâ—…ed For if we have humble and contrite hearts the Lord will be ready to heare our prayer and to pardon our sinnes The Lordreâ—…isteth the proud but he giveth grâ—…ce to the humble Jam. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5. The sacrifices of God are a 〈◊〉 spirit â—… conâ—…ite and c. Psal. 51. 17. Psal. 34. 18. Example in the humbled Publicane Luke 18. 14. For Câ—…rist 〈◊〉 not to câ—…ll 〈◊〉 righteoâ—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to repentance Matth 9. 13. Luke 4. 18. Matth 11. 28. Whom doth he call with promise to ease them of the burden of 〈◊〉 but thâ—…se that 〈◊〉 under the burden of sinne and are weary thereof If therefore God hath given thee an humble heart thou mayest be encouraged to come untâ—… him for grace and pardon of sinnes For as iâ—… was sâ—…d of the blind man so it may be said of every onâ—… that is poore in spirit Be oâ—… good comfort he 〈◊〉 â—…hee But as humility maketh us fit to receive Gods gâ—…ace in the pardoning of our sinnes so is iâ—… also a good signe that our sinnes are pardoned For they onely are
his power to do but when he doth abandon all purpose and desire of revenge all hatred and ill will towards his brother in respect of the offense If this be true then belike no man may complain to the Magistrate or seek his remedy by law when he hath susteined injury or wrong Although we are to forgive from our heart every one that oâ—…endeth us yet we may in some 〈◊〉 complain unto the Magistrate and seek remedy by law if these cautions be observed 1. That it be not done in anger or malice or desire of revenge which commonly are the grounds of mens going to law but that it be done with a charitable mind towards the society where we live towards our brother who hath offended us and towards our selves First towards the society 1. If the offense be such as according to the laws of the society is to be punished by order of justice for that punishment it is not in our power to remit 2. If the offense be dangerous to the society either in respect of Gods judgement or in respect of contagion then is it good the fault should be punished that evil may be taken from among us and the judgement of God prevented and others may see and fear and fearing their punishment may not follow their example in which respects most meet and necessary it is that the insolency and outrage of wicked men should be restrained Secondly as touching the party If he cannot be reclaimed by private means we are to seek that by publick authority he may be reclaimed and brought to repentance and we are to take heed lest by our patience our neighbour become worse Thirdly concerning our selves We may provide for our safetie for the time to come rather then by too much bearing to expose our selves to the wrongs and injuries of the wicked For if it were not lawfull for godly men to complain to the Magistrate c. there would be no measure nor no end of indignities offered unto them And albeit we are to esteem every wrong offered unto us as an affliction laid upon us by the Lord and are therefore to bear it patiently not seek to wreak our selves upon our brother who is but the instrument or rod by whom the Lord doth correct us yet we are in this as in all other afflictions to use such means as the Lord doth offer unto us of deliverance out of the same and not be like wayward children which having taken a fall will not rise The means which God hath appointed in this behalf is the publick authoritie of the magistrate who is the minister of God for the good of them that do well as for the rest he beareth not the sword for nought but is the minister of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an avenger unto wrath unto those that do evil Rom. 13. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As signifieth not equalitie For as the heavens are higher then the earth so doth his mercy excell the greatest love amongst men as the love of the father Matth. 7. 11. and of the mother Isai. 49. 15. And by how much his love is greater by so much he is the slower to wrath or revenge Hos. 11. 9. I will not exercise my fierce wrath in destroying Ephraim for I am God and not man Had our Saviour been but a man as his Apostles were but men although good men he would perhaps have been as ready to call down fire from heaven upon the Samaritanes as they Luke 9. 54. Had the Lord who was offended been no more mercifull towards Niniveh then the Prophet Jonah whom they had not offended Niniveh had been destroyed Jonah 4. 1. Therefore equality is not here to be understood but likenesse For although we cannot be equall with the Lord yet we must be like him And as it is Matth. 5. 48. â—…e ye perfect as your heaveâ—…ly Father iâ—… perfect But our perfection consisteth in uprightnesse And therefore although we cannot forgive and love in the like measure yet we must in like quality that is in truth So that the meaning is We desâ—…e the Lord to forgive us for even we also unfeigâ—…dly forgive our brethren Whenas therefore we do professe that we do so forgive as we desire to be forgiven and that we desire so to be forgiven as we forgive this teacheth us that our forgivenesse and reconciliation with our brethren should not be from the teeth outward and by halves but sincere intire Many men will speak friendly to their neighbour when malice is in their hearts Psal. 28. 3. and are contented that a skin should be drawn over their festred malice making out wardly a shew of reconciliation and forgivenesse whenas inwardly they retein a secret grudge in their hearts And again others will say Well I may forgive him but I shall never forget him c. But these men rather call for vengeance then mercie at Gods hands desiring so to be forgiven as they forgive And therefore as we desire the Lord not onely in word but also in deed and in truth to forgive us so must we forgive our brethren that have offended us even from our hearts Matth. 18. 35. And as we desire that the Lord would not onely forgive the punishment but also forget the fault it self and cast it into the bottom of the sea Mich. 7. 19. so must we also forgive and forget the wrongs done unto us So much of the words Vses The use which from hence ariseth is threefold viz. of Instruction Consolution and Reproof For I. those who either desire to make this prayer aright or hope to have their prayer heard are here taught how to behave themselves towards their brethren namely that they be in charity with all men and if it be possible and as much as in them lieth to be â—…t peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all men Rom. 12. 18. For whereas it cannot be avoided but that in this life we shall both sinne against God and offend one another therefore our Saviour hath taught us to joyn these two together the desiring of peace of conscience and reconciliation with God and the seeking of outward peâ—…ce and reconciliation with men And first he that hath offended his brother his duty is to seek reconciliation with him before he can look for reconciliation with God as our Saviour teacheth Matth. 5. 23. 24. If thou bring thy gift to the â—…tar seeking reconciliation with God and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee that is that thou hust offended thy brother for which thou hast made him no satisfaction leave there thine offering c. So in the Law the Lord ordâ—…ined that whosoever had offended his neighbour and came to seek reconciliation with God by offering sacrifice he should first make his brother amends whom he had offended the same day that he offered for his trespasse Lev. 6. 5. and then forgivenesse is
to withstand our enemies in the evil day and having finished all things may stand fast Ephes. 6. 13. being kept by his power through faith unto salvation 1. Pet. 1. 5. And II. more specially 1. against the tentations of the flesh we are to pray That howsoever sinne dwel in us yet it may not reigne in our mortall body that we should obey it in the lusts thereof or give our members as weapons of unrighteousnesse unto sinne Rom. 6. 12 13. And especially That he would not punish our sinne with sinne giving us over to our own lusts Psal. 81. 13. Rom. 1. 24. or to the hardnesse of our own hearts Ephes. 4. 18. or to a reprobate mind Rom. 1. 28. to commit sinne with greedinesse But contrariwise That he will give unto us his sanctifying spirit not onely to fight against the flesh but also to mortifie our â—…rthly members Col. 3. 5. as our inordinate affections and evil concupiscence and to crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. and that being renewed by his spirit we may no longer be carnall men but spirituall walking not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. 1. 2. As touching the world We also pray That we may not be carried away with the world or overcome thereby but that by faith we may overcome the world 1. John 5. 4. And whereas the world is said to tempt in respect either of the men or the things in the world and whereas the men tempt either to evil of punishment and danger by captious questions or to evil of sinne either by bad speeches inticing incensing counselling or lewd examples We therefore against their captions desire the spirit of wisdome that we be not insnared and against their offenses and scandals either in word or deed constancy perseverance that we do not stumble or fall nor be conformed to the world Rom. 12. 2. As for the things of the world they are either the desires thereof or the terrours and crosses In respect of the desires of the world which are the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1. John 2. 16. the world is said especially to tempt they being the baits of sinne and snares of the devil Against these we pray That we may have grace from above to renounce all worldly lusts Tit. 2. 12. to be wained from the world to use it as though we used in not 1. Cor. 7. 31. to â—…e crâ—…cified to the world and the world to us Gal. 6. 14. to live as pilgrimes and strangers upon earth and citizens of heaven minding heavenly things and contemning all the desires of the world as mere vanities in comparison of heavenly joyes As touching the crosses and afflictions of this life which are worthily called tentations We are to pray That God will not suffer us to be tempted above our power c. 1. Cor. 10. 13. but that the Lord in his good time would either release us from them in whole or in part or else arm us with patience to bear whatsoever he shall lay upon us that we may endure tentation and being found approved we may receive the crown of life Jam. 1. 12. whereof the afflictions of this life are not worthy Rom. 8. 18. 3. As concerning the tentations of the devil We desire that the Lord would tread Satan under our feet Rom. 16. 20. or at the least that it would please him to arm us with the complete armour of God that we may be able to stand against the cunning sleights 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the devil Ephes. 6. 11. and especially with faith whereby we may quench all the fiery darts of the devil Ephes. 6. 16. Now in all these we are to pray as our Saviour teacheth us both by his example John 17. 15. by his precept in this place O Lord we do not desire not at all to be tempted but that we may be delivered from evil that is from the tyranny of the flesh that it hold not us captive unto sinne from the allurements of the world that they do not draw us unto sinne from the assaults of the devil that he prevail not against us from the punishments of sin and judgements which by sinne we deserve so farre as our deliverance therefrom may stand with Gods glory and our good and lastly from the corruption of sinne it self in regard whereof we desire the Lord would endue us more and more with the Spirit of sanctification applying unto us the merits and efficacy of Christs death to mortifie our sinne and of his resurrection to restore us to newnesse of life wherein we are to proceed from faith to faith and from one measure of grace to a greater untill we come to a perfect man in Christ. And as there are two degrees of our deliverance from these our spirituall enemies the one begun and imperfect by sanctification in this life the other full and perfect in the life to come which is our full redemption and glorification So we pray not onely that we may be freed from our corruptions in part but also may be fully conformed to the glorious image of the Sonne of God and therefore pray that we may be delivered from every evil thing and be preserved to his heavenly kingdome 2. Tim. 4. 18. whereby it appeareth that as in the fifth petition we desired pardon of sinne and justification by faith so here we crave strength against sinne freedome from the corruption and sanctification by Gods Spirit and finally the end of our faith which is the salvation of our souls For when we pray to be delivered from evil we desire deliverance also from hell and consequently salvation in heaven Now as these graces are to be asked in fervencie and affection so also in assurance of faith that we shall be heard For as the Apostle James chap. 1. 5 6. teacheth If any man desire wisdome of God wisely to endure tentâ—…tion he must ask it in â—…aith And to this faith the holy Ghost doth most notably encourage us in the Scriptures Prov. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth unto it in edito collocatur and is placed on high The Lord saith Peter 2. Epist. 2. 9. knoweth to deliver the godly out of tentation And of our Saviour the Apostle saith Heb. 2. 18. In that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Christ hath overcome our enemies the devil Col. 2. 15. the world John 16. 33. and to this end gave himself for us that he might deliver us from the hands of our spirituall enemies He that is in us is stronger then he that is in the world 1. John 4. 4. Neither shall any be able to pull us out of his hands John 10. 28. Christ whose prayer is alwayes heard John 11. 42. hath prayed for us that our faith shall not sail Luke 22. 32. and that
we may be kept from evil John 17. 15. The Lord hath promised and is faithfull to perform that he will not suffer us to be tempted above our power but with the tentation will give an issue that we may bear it 1. Cor. 10. 13. And finally Joel 2. 32. he hath promised that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Our faith therefore concerning assistance against tentation and deliverance from evil must be grounded not upon any conceit of our own strength or worthinesse but on the power mercy faithfulnesse and truth of God in his promises and on the mediation and intercession of Jesus Christ. Duties to be performed in our lives I. Generall 1. To avoid tentations and occasions of evil To shake off slothfulnesse and diligently to employ our selves either in good exercises or in the works of our callings 2. To resist tentations and to withstand them 3. To be vigilant and watchfull Mark 13. 33. 1. Pet. 5. 8. Ephes. 5. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walk circumspectly to shake off security to keep a watch over our senses To make a covenant with our eyes Job 31. 1. To desire the Lord to turn away our eyes from beholding vanities Psal. 119. 37. 4. To get unto us the whole armour of God as the shield of faith c. Ephes. 6. 12 13 18. 1. Thess. 5. 8. II. More particular 1. To deny our selves to crâ—…cifie the flesh and not to satisfiâ—… the lusts thereof to abstein from fleshly lusts 1. Pet. 2. 11. 2. To renounce the world and the desires thereof 1. John 2. 15 16. 3. To resist the devil not to yield to his motions but rather practice the contrary not to believe his perswasions 1. Pet. 5. 9. Jam. 4. 7. 4. To hate all sinne as we desire to be delivered from all To retein no one sinne with Herod To think no sinne small To abstein also from all shew of evil 1. Thess. 5. 22. To desire full deliverance Phil. 1. 23. Cupio dissolvi I desire to be dissolved Rom. 7. 24. Quis me liber abit Who shall deliver me Hypocrisie discovered Here then is discovered the hypocrisie of those 1. Who pray that God would not lead them into tentation and themselves runne into tentation as those that go to playes and give themselves to idlenesse 2. Who by security and idlenesse make preparation for the unclean spirit Matt. 12. 44. 3. Who take thought for the flesh to satisfie the lâ—…sts thereof Rom. 13. 14. 4. Who are addicted to the world and the desires thereof as pleasures profits 1. Tim. 6. 9. Those that will be rich fall into tentation c. and preferments 5. Who have made a covenant with hell Isai. 28. 15. who pray to be delivered from sin and yet will not forsake their sinne as their drunkennesse whoredome usury c. but harden their hearts and therefore shall fall into evil Prov. 28. 14. who are so farre from desiring full deliverance from evil by their dissolution and translation out of this life that rather they have placed their paradise here upon earth The Conclusion HItherto we have spoken of the petitions Now followeth the Conclusion of the Lords prayer in these words For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie for ever and ever Amen For howsoever this clause is omitted of the Latine interpreters and is rejected by Erasmus yet was it added by our Saviour and registred by Matthew For first the Greek copies have it secondly the Syriack Paraphrast translateth it thirdly the Greek writers expound it as Chrysostome and Theophylact and fourthly it is not onely consonant with the rest of the Scriptures but also in this prayer hath a necessary use For we have heard that praise is to be joyned with prayer and in prayer two things required fervencie and faith Now as the petitions especially conteined a specification of our desires so this conclusion conteineth partly a confirmation of our faith joyned with praysing God in these words For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glorie for ever and ever and partly a testification both of our faith and of the truth of our desires in all the former petitions in the word Amen Our Saviour teacheth us to confirm our faith by three reasons For that they be reasons the word For signifieth And reasons they are not so much to perswade God that he would grant our requests as to perswade and assure our selves that we shall obtein The reasons are taken neither froÌ„ our own worthinesse nor from the dignitie of our prayers for if our faith were to be grounded thereon we should neither dare to pray nor hope to be heard but from the nature attributes of God that we might know that the obteining our requests dependeth not upon our own worth but on the power and goodnesse of God The reasons I say are drawn from three attributes of God viz. his eternall Kingdome eternall Power eternall Glorie His is the kingdome therefore he hath right to give us whatsoever we desire His is the power and might therefore he is able to grant our requests His is the glory both of giving all good things and also of all good things given and thereunto our requests do tend and therefore he is ready and willing to grant our requests for the manifestation of his own glorie And this we shall the easier believe if we consider to whom we ascribe these things namely to our heavenly Father whose seat is in heaven and his kingdome ruleth over all Psal. 103. 19. who is in heaven and doth what he will Psal. 115. 3. who sitteth on the heavens as his throne full of majestie and glory and rideth on the heavens for our help Neither doth the right power and glory of giving benefits temporall and concerning this life alone belong unto God but also of everlasting blessings in heavenly things after this life is ended For his is the eternall kingdome eternall power and eternall glorie signified in those words for ever and ever which are to be referred to all the three attributes What kingdome here signifieth But first of his kingdome Which here signifieth 1. generally the universall kingdome of God which some call the kingdome of his power whereby he ruleth and governeth all things Psal. 103. 19. 2. Chron. 20. 6. and in regard whereof the right of all things belongeth to him Deut. 10. 14. Psal. 24. 1. This then teacheth us two things 1. That our heavenly Father is the absolute Lord and owner of all his creatures who as he is the Creatour so is he also the possessour of heaven and earth in whose hand all good things are to bestow as it pleaseth him This therefore must encourage us with assurance of faith to make our requests to our heavenly Father of whom we cannot ask any good thing whether spirituall or temporall which is not his to bestow And therefore it is well said of Seneca Audacter Deum
whilest we have time let us do good remembring that the Lord hath placed us here on the earth for a short time to do his will which time if we let passe without repentance and turning to God and doing his will afterwards it will be too late As it is in heaven that is as the Angels in heaven do perform it And they perform Gods will Psal. 103. 20 21. 1. Scienter knowingly 2. Sincerely and uprightly 3. Willingly and chearfully 4. Readily expecting the beck of the Lord Matth. 18. For which cause they are said to stand before the Lord Dan. 7. 10. Revel 5. 11. 5. Speedily without delay For which cause wings are attributed unto them 6. Fully and not by halves 7. Constantly till the Lord bid them cease 8. Faithfully doing all to Gods glory assuming no glory to themselves Revel 19. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As here signifieth not equality but similitude as 1. John 3. 3. For if we should understand it of equality we should pray for an impossibility Eccles 7. 20. No man on the earth doth good and sinneth not True it is indeed that we should contend and aspire towards angelicall perfection although whilest we are on the earth we cannot attein thereunto In this petition therefore we pray that we may perform the will of God on earth after an heavenly and angelicall manner Of this obedience there are two degrees the matter and manner First we will speak of the obedience it self and then of the manner Of the matter of obedience As touching the former Whereas our Saviour teacheth us thus to pray it is evident that of our selves we are not able to do his will and therefore the doctrine of Freewill is here refuted Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both to will and to do of his good pleasure Vt voluntatem Dei faciamus facit hoc ipse Dâ—…us in nobis God himself doeth this in us that we do the will of God Wants to be bewailed The defects therefore which we are to bewail are these 1. Our inability through our own default to perform obedience to the will of God 2. Our pronenesse to sinne and to transgresse the will of God being stirred thereunto by every occasion By our corrupt nature we are as apt to sinne as a bird to flie 3. The frowardnesse of our wills rebelling against the will of God Rom. 7. 23. and our preposterous affections the law in the members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The carnall mind is enmitie against God Rom. 8. 7. 4. The disobedience also of others must wring tears from us Psal. 119. 136. 5. Our impatience in troubles 2. In respect of the matter wants to be bewailed In respect of the matter we are to bewail our imperfect obedience our righteousnesse being like a polluted cloth Velle praestò est sed perficere bonum non invenio To will is present but I find not how to perform that which is good Rom. 7. 18. Our best actions if God should enter into judgement with us are not justifiable The Graces which we ask We ask 1. in respect of obedience it self That the Lord would vouchsafe us this grace to deny our selves our own wills and affections which are opposite to his will Matth. 16. 24. 2. That we may labour in all things to perform simple obedience to the Lord Heb. 13. 21. more especially That he would convert us and we shall be converted Ezek. 33. 11. 3. That he would bring us to the knowledge of his truth 1. Tim. 2. 4. 4. That he would give us faith which is the gift of God 1. John 3. 23. 5. That he would make us thankfull 1. Thess. 5. 18. 6. That he would sanctifie us 1. Thess. 4. 3. 7. That he would arm us with patience that in all afflictions we may say with Christ Not my will O Father but thine be done Matth. 26. 39 42. 8. That we may not be in subjection to sinne and Satan and carried away captive to the obedience of his wilâ—… 2. Tim. 2. 26. but that he would renew stablish and guide us by his free spirit that we may will and do those things which are acceptable in his sight 9. That we may not be carried away with the world or conformed thereunto but transformed by the renewing of our minds and that we may prove what is the good will of God acceptable and perfect And 10. That we may give up our selves a lively holy and acceptable sacrifice unto God that is our reasonable service of him Rom. 12. 1 2. 2. Of the manner of our obedience As touching the manner We are here taught that we are not to rest in opere operato in the deed done but that we are to be carefull as of the matter so also of the manner It is not sufficient that we do the will of God unlesse we do it after a spirituall manner 2. Chron. 25. 2. Many think if they heare it is sufficient and care not how but Christ saith Luke 8. 18. Take heed how ye heare Therefore we must pray That we may do the will of God as the angels do it in heaven with knowledge faithfulnesse sincerity uprightnesse with willingnesse alacrity chearfulnesse readily speedily fully constantly doing all to the glory of God And whereas he hath appointed us to salvation that we may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the angels Matth. 22. 30. that it may please him to begin our conformity with the angels in this life These wants then we are to bewail and these graces we are to crave in this petition Duties in prayer Further we are in these words taught to perform these duties in prayer 1. That we pray according to Gods will 1. John 5. 14. asking such things onely as he hath promised to grant Otherwise in this petition we pray against our own desires namely that not our will but the will of God may be performed 2. That in our prayers especially for temporall matters we do humbly and willingly submit our selves to his will and wholly resigne over our selves to his good pleasure saying with our Saviour Christ Not my will c. because we ought to be assured that as for his wisdome he knoweth what is best for us so also for his fatherly love he is most ready to grant good things unto us Matth. 7. 11. Rom. 8. 32. and therefore if he deny our requests that the deniall is better then the grant And we are to remember that here we pray not that God would alter his will according to ours but contrariwise that our will may be conformable unto his Duties in our lives As we pray that we may do Gods will on earth as the angels do it in heaven so must we have a true desire an unfeigned care and an upright endeavour in our selves to perform holy obedience to Gods will Otherwise how can we perswade our selves that we pray in