Anna Simeon continued dayly in the temple praying the tēple then to those men was the conuenienst place to praier so thought the good so the bad so the beléeuer so the infidel so the Publican so the Pharisie what a strange Cockatrice egge hath the madnesse of certaine Scismatikes hatcht amongst vs they wil come forsooth to the church but not to prayer O how much impiety O how much profanenes hath the liberty licencionsnes of this our age brought forth we read of certen of the aūtient fathers that they made their knées as hard as Camels hoofes with continuall praying we read of S. Ierome in moderate fastings wonderfull humiliations of himselfe in watchings praiers we haue S. Austins meditations soliloquia solitary spéeches which he vsed vnto God we see oratoria not auditoria oratories churches Colleges chappels so many signes tokens of our parents manificence vneōparable deuotion these men thought these to be the godly exercises of religion to water their couch day night for the sins they had committed with Dauid to chastice the rebellions of the flesh with saint Paul to meditate vpon their fraile state miserable conditiō with holy Iob to intertain poore néedy naked distressed soules into their houses at their tables with faithfull Abraham al these are forgottē nay which I speake with the griefe of my soule they account them vanity superstition men thinke that they are come to the very mount Nebo the height of religion if so be they are come to the church turned ouer their bookes found the text looke on the preacher marke his diuision heard the sermon where is wounding of the conscience where is compunction of that heart where is mortification of the flesh where is detestation of sin where is satisfactiō for the wrong to thy brother where is pitty compassion where are sighes where are teares where are strong cries gronings where is the wish of the prophet Ieremy to haue riuers of waters in your heads to wéepe day and night for the manifold sinnes ye committed against the maiesty of god The end of preaching is to teach men to liue wel vertuous heare S. Paul The grace of God bringeth saluatiō vnto al men hath appeared reacheth vs there is the preaching what to do mary to deny vngodlinesse worldlines then we should liue soberly iustly godlily in dispraise of the world make not thy porch bigger then thy house it is a foolish kinde of building it is the property of an Athenian to know much and do litle it is the duty of a christian to heare often and do stil that is to pray stil for it is written pray continually This is the perfume made of the gal liuer of the fish in the tooke Iob. which driueth away al kind of diuels Exterminabit omne genus demoniorum al kind of diuels al Tob. 6. kind of plots al kind of practises al kind of treasons all kind of treacherers oh as the Angel acuised Toby in that place that you would giue vs leaue and so you do which stand vp in these pulpits as vpon the bankes and speake in your eares which lept too too many times beyond your bounds like to the great fish of Tybris vsed to deuoure to take hold of your soules to pack your affections from the fluxible watry cogitations of al worldly affaires vnto the immoueable centers of heauenly meditations to sette your gaules and your liuers and your bowels and your entralls that is your hearts and affections vpon the burning coals of the incomparable loue of God and Iesus Christ his Son vndoubtedly this wil not only make a persume which wil driue away all manner of diuels from vs but will make for your good to the good of Gods glory and the good of the Church and the good of this noble Kingdome a most swéete adoriferous sauour in the nosestrills of God I will speake what I intend more plainly Your sacred presence most dread and mightie Soueraigne at the morning and euening Sacrifice will induce others to present themselues they will come they will runne they will prostrate themselues they will worship they will adore in the holy Sanctuarie of God the swéete odor of the oyntments of this your gratious deuotion hath and doth and will drawe on others yea many others for to follow yea the strange children will be brought to follow vnto whom all that euer we could doe both our preaching and praying were the sauour of death vnto death euen an abhominatiō for this cause of set purpose haue I compiled this Sermon according to the measure of grace which is giuen vnto me haue preached the same in the eares of Maiestie the holinesse of holinesse which was ānointed with the fulnesse of all graces confirme continue your gratious heart in this most holy and Christian exercise of pietie and godlinesse that that may be spoken and written spoken to them that are liuing and written to the posterities to come of the most religious King Iames that was spoken and written of the most zealous king Iosias that 2. Reg. 23. you may match him in all things euen by being a king as young and yonger then he like vnto him was there not any before him neither arose there any after him which turned vnto the Lord his GOD with all his heart with all his minde and with all his soule to loue him and to feare him and to serue him and here imitating the wise gouernour reserued the best Wine for the last I end Now vnto God immortall inuisible and onely wise the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost thrée persons in trinitie one God in vnitie be rendred all power dominion glory maiestie and seruice for euer and for euer Amen FINIS
But principally in asking graces the name of father implieth two things which we ought alwayes to set before our eyes in prayer to wit the power of God the will of God the might of God and the mercy of God his great abilitie and his great loue for so it falleth out amongst men in asking any thing of a man I consider whether he can do it of his power and if he can do it of his power whether he will do it of his loue and so it is with God Therefore these two conceits of power and will of might mercie Mary Magdalen had when she prayed Ioh. 11. in the behalfe of her brother Lazarus Lord he whom thou louest is sick Lord is a name of power therefore thou canst he whom thou louest therefore I am to perswade my selfe that in mercy thou wilt restore him These two conceits of power and will the Leaper had when he prayed Lord if thou wilt thou canst make Math. 9. me cleane vis there is the will potes there is the power and our Sauiour answered to both to the will volo to the power mundare in the Imperatiue moode These two conceits of power and will of might and mercie our Sauiour himselfe had when he praied Father althings are possible vnto thee if thou wilt let this cup passe away from me All things are possible vnto Math. 27. thée there is the power if thou wilt there is the loue Here the Prophet Dauid doth will that men ioyne together in their prayers these two Semel loquutus est Psalm 62. Dominus duo haec audiui God spake once and heard these two things from his mouth Power belongeth vnto God and mercie vnto the Lord for that he will render to euery one according to his workes note it God speaketh onely one thing he willeth me in my prayers to call him father but by this one word father he will haue me to vnderstand two things his power his loue his might his mercy And as touching the power who is more able then the father 1. The father can do euery thing in his sonne 2. The father of the houshold in the familie 3. The father of heauen in heauen 4. The father of the world in the world 5. The father of all can do euery thing in all And as touching the will who loueth more then a father and what naturall father so much as our spirituall and heauenly father Math. 6. If you being euill saith our Sauiour Christ can giue your children good things if so bee they aske them how much more shall your heauenly father giue you good things if so be you desire them Wherefore as the wittie Bées when they go about to make their swéete hony-combes licke first vpon the swéetest flowers of the fields and gardens of the world and then carry the swéete ioyce into their hiues so before you enter to your prayers fixe your cogitations vpon these two swéet flowers of power and loue which you finde in the name of the father and then carrie the pure ioyce of them into the inward hiues of your soules and consciences and so shall you make a most precious hony-combe of all spirituall deuotion The consideration of these two things will bréed in vs two other things 1. humilitie out of the consideratiō of the power of a father 2. Confidence out of the consideration of the loue of a father A most potent father but to so great mightinesse what profound humilitie will be sufficient The Prophet Dauid to humble himselfe in his Prayers sometimes reckoneth vp his naturall defects as where he Psalm 22. saith I am a worme and no man a very scorne and derision amongst men sometimes his originall sinne as where he saith I was borne in wickednesse and in Psalm 51. sinne hath my mother conceiued me Sometimes his actuall sinnes as where he saith We haue sinned with Psal 110. our Fathers we haue done wickedly And how many things are there to humble vs before the maiestie of God speake we one word make we one becke thinke we one thought but in God and from God in him we liue and moue and haue out being O poore wretched miserable beggers that we are that which a great King said of himselfe may be said of any Ego autē mendicus sum let vs aske then as beggers acknowledging Psalm 29 our déepe sores wounds of sin crauing like beggers knéeling like beggers following like beggers importaning like beggers let vs aske the father petite patrē let vs aske that father w e great renerence euen for this because hee is a father of great power pater potestatis aske the father w e great reuerēce because he is a father of great power aske the father w e great cōfidence because he is a father of much merey Pater misericordiarum Eph. 2. Confidence and assurance in asking graces is the only strength marrow as it were of all our prayers therefore the holy Ghost saith Si fiduciam habemus apud Deum if wée haue confidence with God what soeuer wée 1. Ioh 2. aske we shall obtaine now the name of a father implyeth all confidence 1. The father is mercifull therefore Saluum me fac propter misericordiam tuam 2. Great are the merits of the sonne of so louing a father therefore Respice in faciem Christitui 3. True are the promises of the father therefore fulfill thy word vnto thy seruant Vt in sermonibus tuis iustificeris 4. Can my faults can my defects can my vanities set a barre against me and the father I set against my faults the mercy of the father against my defects the merits of the sonne against my vanities the inward comfort and consolation of the holy Ghost and therefore I implore I beséech I intreat I importune I am instant in season and out of season onely let not my heart condemne mee of any soule or grosse thing and then praying to the father in Thrists name and for such a thing as I ought to do I shall be sure to obtaine so the holy Scripture Si cor nostrum nos non reprehendit tunc fiduciam habemus apud Deum 1. Ioh. 2. Haue you euer marked that when you would looke vpon the sunne your eyes béeing not able to behold so great a light yee vse the defence of your hands and the same sunne causeth the reflection of a shadow from both your hands vnto your breasts I must tell you God the Father is the true bright cleare sunne vnto whom you may not approach with so confident an eye to aske graces without the interposition of these two hands of power and leue which you haue in the name of Father and the interposition of these too will cause a shadow to reflect vpon your breast that is will worke in you good desires good purposes and vertuous actions whiles out of the consideration of the power of the father
the fatnes of the earth the fertility of a plentiful soile we eate our bread in plentiousnes are fully satisfied the lord hath blessed vs at home abroad in all the workes and labours of our hands al the deuises executions of our counsels that which is more then all this he hath chosen vs to be a holy and peculiar people vnto himselfe hath imparted vnto vs his law commandement O how beautifull therfore are thy tents O Iacob thy habitations O Englād as the walles are they stretched forth as the gardens by that riuer side as the Alloe trees which the lord hath planted as the Cedar trees by the riuers of water and therefore we care not although the Pope curse vs the more the pope Numb 22. doth curse vs the more the L. doth blesse vs therefore no doubt the L. doth blesse vs because the pope doth curse vs. All the woorkes of God are done how soeuer they bée done in mercie or in iustice to the honor of Gods glory Now the end why he hath done these and more then these for vs is that we may know the righteousnes of the Lord how good and gracious our God is to vs that hée hath not immeasurably grieued vs aboue that we can conueniently beare that he hath kept vs frō the noysomnes of pestilence biting téeth of famine violence of sword that he hath fréed vs from the bondage slauery of our consciences in comparison whereof the making of bricke in Egipt had bin very tollerable that he hath giuen vs a most milde a most peaceable a most religious Moyses to gouerne vs a learned sufficient Cleargie to instruct vs that he hath defealed and disappointed cleane both Balaac Moab and all their heathenish deuises and that he hath turned the curse of Balaim into blessngs and hath done for vs more then for any other nation vnder heauen all this hee hath done that we may know the righteousnes of the Lord. O that we were wise then would we vnderstand this we would consider our latter ende why should God thus hem vs in on euery side why should he set vs still as a signet on his right hād why should he thus tender vs as the apple of his eye why should he deale otherwise with vs then with the rest of the nations our part our messe hath bin Beniamins messe fiue times asmuch as the rest of our brethren In euery one of these things God knocketh still at the doore of euery one of our consciences he would come in to vs he would sup with vs he hath besought vs for these many yeares euē as a father his children as a mother her daughters as a nurse her babes that we would be his people as he is our God that we would be his children as he is our father or despise we the riches of the bountifulnes and patience and long sufferance of God not knowing that the bountifulnes of God leadeth vs to repentance or if not so I feare me he may say of vs as heretofore he did say of thē he that should haue bin vpright when he waxed fat sporned with his héele thou art fatte thou art grosse thou art loaden with fatnes therefore they forsooke God that made them and regarded not the strong hold of his saluation God hath as aboundantly blessed vs as euer he did the Jewish nation with whom he contested so earnestly in this place if wee deale as vnthākfully with him as they did before vs we which know what hath befallen them cannot be ignorant what in time may befall vs. God of his infinite mercie for his deare son Iesus Christ his sake graunt that our end be not worse then our beginning and continuance hitherto hath bin thou O Lord hast sent forth strength for vs stablish the thing which thou hast wrought in vs for thy temple sake O Lord God at Ierusalem O giue saluation vnto Israel out of Sion perpetuate the same kéepe vs preserue vs vnder the shadowe of thy wings from this time forth for euermore If it be thy will from the noysomnes of Pestilence that it neuer infect vs from the biting teeth of famine that they neuer deuour vs from the violence of Sword that it neuer come neere vs as by a mighty hand thou hest deliuered vs from the bondage and slauery of our consciences so keepe vs good lord we pray thee in this freedome liberty of the gospel which we al enioy vnder our milde Moyses that hee may long raigne ouer vs vnder a faithfull cleargie that they may carefully instruct vs. O let that malice of the wicked come once to an end the pestilent deuises of Balaac and the deuilish imprecations of Balaim and blesse thou thy people greater blessings O Lord then we haue already receiued wee cannot aske or desire we pray O Lord for the continuance of these things and graunt our request O Lord euen for thy deare sonnes sake vnto whom with the holy and blessed spirit 3. persons in Trinity one God in vnity be rendred all power dominion glory maiestie and seruice for euer and euer Amen The second Sermon Text. Ioh. 16. verse 23. Whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in the Sonnet name shall be giuen vnto you A Promise wée haue in these words more excellent more certaine and more vniuersall then euer as yet hath come or euer at any time can come out of the mouth of any prince or Monarch vniuersall for that it promised all and excluded nothing more certaine for that he promiseth which neuer deceiued Dabit vobis what so frée as gift most high and excellent because he promised to giue from the highest a Patre from the Father Out of the coafer the treasure may be taken the coafer is as it were the Father the treasure is all grace quicquid the Key in nomine meo will open to this treasure From the cipher letter the sense is to be found the letter is as it were the father therefore aske the father the sense is all grace quicquid the expositor in nomine meo will finde out the sense Therefore that yée pray and pray effectually in your prayers 1. Know whom you are to aske 2. What things you are to aske 3. And what maner you are to aske 1. Whom you must aske the father petite patrem 2. What things you must aske quid or quicquid that which is worthy of the name of a thing 3. In what maner in nomine meo in the sonnes name of euery one of these and first of the person whom we must aske and that is the father petite patrem The most mercifull name of father in holy Scripture giueth vs many things to vnderstand in God to wit assentialitie eternitie antiquitie 1. Generation spiration production 2. Predestination prouidence gouernment 3. Creation disposition distinction 4. Adoption guvernation education 5. Instruction redargution correction many more remaine
for that maiestie tooke vpon it humility power tooke vpon it infernitie The mightie GOD became the prince of peace the wounderfull became the councellor Ego dominus et ego dominus became misericors et miserator Dominus powred forth vpon men vpon Angles vpon Saints vpon sinners vpon bonde vpon frée vpon male and female powred forth from heauen vnto earth from the east to the west from the Iewes to the gentles from the Grecians to the Barbarians from the knowen word to the vnkowen world from Ierusalem to Tubal and Iapan the Isles a farre off powred forth like the oyle of the widowes cruse of Saâ—repta tooke greater aduantage for of one Christ is risen a whole world of Christians powres forth like the pretious oyntment which ranne downe Arons beard vnto the skirts of his garment for we haue all receiued of his fulnesse grace for grace powred forth for the holy oyntment of the Arke of Gods Testament the sauor and swéetnesse of that oyntment drew on all the Iewes to follow the Arke and the swéete sauor of Christs vertues had drawne on all the world in the name of the sonne to worship the father Petite in nomine meo Aske in my name a name of greatnesse a name of maiestie a name of saluation a name of glory a name of greatnesse his name shall be called wonderfull counsellor the mightie God the euerlasting father the prince of peace a name of Maiestie at the name of Iesus Christ euery knée shall bowe the things in heauen the things in earth and things vnderneath the earth a name of saluation there is no name giuen vs vnder heauen by the which we may be saued but only in the name of the Lord Iesu Christ a name of glory in him are hid all the treasures of wisdome knowledge and vnderstanding because it pleaseth the father that in him all fulnesse should dwell Petite in nomine meo aske in my name which hath bin derided by the Gentles scorned of the Iewes abused of the Heretickes persecuted by tyrants and trembled at by the diuels but within short time shall eate idolatry from the Gentles superstition from the Iewes the Church vsurped from the heretickes the fiercenesse to shed blood from tyrants and the very seates of heauen from the reprobate flocks of diuels Aske in my name and yee shall receiue and my heauenly father Dabit vobis shall giue vnto you You will say perchance yée haue asked many times in this name yet haue not béene heard but I say vnto you that yée were more then heard when as it séemed vnto you yée were not heard Foure wayes there bée by the which God imparteth his fauour and goodnesse and graces vnto vs. 1. By deferring grace 2. By changing grace 3. By denying grace And 4. by kindling our zeale to aske grace What saith the zealous man and woman that they haue praied for feruor of spirit and could not be heard yée but if God hath giuen vnto them to be sorrowfull with a godly sorrow for the wante of this feruour behold grace granted vnto them by deferring of grace 2. What say the sonnes of Zebedie that they haue asked dextram sinistram and could not be heard yée but if God hath giuen vnto them to drinke of the bitter cup of his passion that for this they might receiue a greater crowne of glory behold grace giuen by changing of grace 3. What sales the luxurious what say the wantons what say the ambitious what say the couetous that they haue asked pleasures and honours and riches and could not be heard I but if God had giuen them they would haue mispent them vpon the lewd shamefull lusts behold grace here giuen by denying of grace 4. What say the hipocrits the worldlings the Athiests that they haue prayed in his name and could not be heard I but they prayed faithlessely I but they praied coldly I but they prayed Kemissely when they shall pray faithfully and feruently and deuoutly they shall be heard behold grace here granted in quickning our zeale to aske grace And surely that oftentimes yée aske and do not receiue yée séeke and doe not finde yée knocke and it is not opened vnto you either it is because when yée pray yée curse and that is to say the Popes and deuils Pater noster or else it is because yée aske amisse as Saint Iames saith or else it is because although yée aske honest things enough yet not according to Gods will as Saint Paul did or else it is because yée pray vainly as Zebedeus the wise did or else it is because yée pray proudly as the Pharasies did or else it is because yée pray with your hands full of bloud as the Iewes did or else it is because yée pray ignorantly as the Papists did or else it is because yée pray faithlessely and coldly as the Athiests doe If any fault be the defect is on our side on Gods part this promise remaineth firme quicquid petieritis whatsoeuer yée shall aske the father in the sonnes name shall be giuen vnto you O most powerfull and profitable and holy prayer the comfort of the soule the key to grace the Ladder to heauen the entrie to saluation a most rich field of Manna a most endlesse fountaine of Paradice the heart of the spirit the spirit of the life the life of him that liueth well Now the reason why I haue thus magnified and extolled this holy exercise of prayer is to diminish and abate the credit of a certaine new-fangled and ouerlicentious opinion which is of late conceiued amongst men to wit that all the chiefe parts and points of the christian religioÌ„ consisteth in the reading of scriptures frequenting of Lectures and hearing of Sermons and here it is necessarie that I preface least I be mistaken Therfore as S. Iames is not to be vnderstood to dispraise faith when as he preferred charitie before it in respect of continuance nor almes déeds nor martyrdom when as he preferred charitie before them both in respect of the dayly vse nor the operation of great and mightie workes and the speculation of high knowledge when as he preferred charitie before them both in respect of pietie no more would I be thought to dispraise reading of Scriptures frequenting of Lectures and hearing of Sermons when as I preferred prayer before them all in respect of the vncessant vse we haue of it in the dayly seruice of God let euery thing be placed in his proper roome and order because they are giuen and procéede all from him which liketh so well of order that he vouchsalfeth to be called the God of order Surely as touching reading of Scriptures hearing of Sermons we must néedes confesse both these to be great helps vnto the man of God in that cause of saluatioÌ„ Whence is faith but of hearing whence is hearing but of the word howbeit let the vngenerate man heare the Apostles preach strange tounges he estéemes them as dronkennesse let