him a Serâ—â—â—… Or if he ask an Egg will he give him a Seâ—â—â—â—… Thereupon he made this Inference If then you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to him that asketh it Yea he having given his only Son for us when we were his enemies why should we distrust that he will give us all other good things being reconciled unto him by his pretious blood For we have not onely this GOD Almighty to our Father by Creation as all other Creatures have which obligeth us relatively both to him and to them but we are his Children also by Adoption admitted thereunto by Grace through his best beloved Son Jesus thereto begotten by Faith in him and he having drawn up a Petition for us taught us how to exhibit it and warranted us to prefer it unto him as our Father what should discourage us from it or what can reasonably incline us to any other Form or Course The tenderness which we know to be in a good natural Father is a strong Argument to preserve us from despairing to obtain any thing in his power which he knows needful But GOD is more truely our Father then our Fathers in the flesh for without his concurrence in our Generation we had neither been conceived nor born into the world or if his providence had not given us shape nourishment and preservation till the birth and he knoweth and still mindeth what he begets whereas our fleshly fathers seldom minde more then the satisfying of their fleshly desires when they beget us and know not what they beget until they see it brought forth Isaith saith 63. 16. unto God Doubtless then art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer and thy Name is everlasting These considerations with the many demonstrations which we have had of Gods infinite Love Wisdom and Power may assure he is neither ignorant of what is best for us nor unable nor unwilling to confer it 6. Though this be sufficiently demonstrated it may be yet further illustrated and ascertained by contemplating this short Preface for to incourage us in this Duty and to increase and strengthen our Faith in prosecution thereof He whom we are to sollicite is said to be Our Father which is in Heaven Not the Father of our Flesh onely the best of which Fathers is both imperfect and partial even in the exercise of natural affections toward his own children neither equally distributing it among them nor able to bestow upon them whom he most loves all those things which he knows necessary nor is wise enough to know what is best for them nor sure of his own being so long as his Children may want his protection or continuing assistance to provide for them whereas Our Father by this Prayer invoked is evidenced by the relative Pronoun WHICH considered with the words next preceding and following it to have an eternal Al-sufficiency to grant whatsoever is asked For this word ART being a Verb of the present Tense comprehending all Time past present and to come denotes that Time if Eternity may be so called which is GODS Time onely and which belongs to none but to him who is Eternity it self For we cannot say truely of or to any other He is or Thou art because before we can speak or think out these words he of whom or to whom we speak is in somewhat changed from what he was though it is not perceived Therefore when Moses asked of GOD what he should answer if Pharaoh demanded who sent him God said Tell him I AM sent thee and when GOD speaketh of himself as GOD the Father in the first Person he said I AM the Lord thy God when he speaketh to his Son the second Person he saith Thou ART my beloved Son c. and when the Holy Ghost the third Person is spoken of it is said He IS the Comforter c. all being in the present Tense which is Eternal This sence being collected by me from the connection of these words in this Preface Our Father which art in heaven much fortifies my Faith in their use and that which I extract from the last word in this Preface adds a little more thereunto 7. For Heaven which is the place of our Fathers residence to whom this Prayer is to be made may somewhat more illustrate his Almightiness and mindes us to approach his Presence with awful reverence though that Appellative may embolden us also in our Addresses Heaven is that Beauty of Holiness Joy and Glory wherein GOD dwelleth It is an Infinite Object supernaturally intelligible whereof I cannot apprehend so much by any natural means to me knowable as by turning my Intellectual Eye into my self to contemplate that unbounded Heaven which appears within me for that receptacle seems to me infinitely more large then that Heaven which I see above me and round about me with corporeal eyes and he who looking that way finds GOD to have therein an habitation shall see more of him and of heaven then by any other prospect whilst he is in the flesh and thereby know more of Hell also if God be not there as in his own place Yet Heaven is improperly conceived to be a circumscribed place the better to suit it to humane Capacities which cannot apprehend Objects beyond the extent of our narrow understandings But so much thereof as is visible may give us intellectual Notions in some degree of his glorious and inexpressible Majesty to whom we pray when we consider That Heaven is his Throne and Earth his Foot-stool as also That the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him and from thence we may infallibly conclude that we can have no secret sufferings oppressions or afflictions whatsoever which he cannot take notice of in his Residency or any Oppressors so powerful or highly exalted that he cannot reach them to deliver us from them in regard he is both Vbiquitary and so Inthroned that neither we or they can be concealed from his Eye or secured from his Hand which is manifested by these words Psalm 139. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I free from thy Presence If I ascend into Heaven thou art there If I descend into Hell thou art there If I take the wings of the morning dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea Even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand uphold me If I say darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me c. Which Scripture infers that our Heavenly Father being every where His residence in Heaven is not exclusive to His residence in all other places at the same time For we must not imagine he is so in Heaven as a circumscribed Body is in a finite place as all Created things are or as the soul is in the body which is said to be wholly in the
gathering ought as Bees do from flowers growing without me but spinning out like the Silk-worm that onely which God had stored up within me And having put into words that which was as it were distilled out of my heart by fire as were my Remembrances to this Nation in the great Pestilence this time forty years I do now as a Testimonial of my thankfulness bequeathe it to my friends by whose Charity I was then and heretofore seasonably furnished with such necessaries as have hitherto preserved me and mine from likely rnine and in the first place offer it for a Thank-Oblation to God who enabled me to finish it during those few days which I might probably have conceived would have concluded my life GOD the Father GOD the Son GOD the Holy Ghost one Eternal Deity always joyntly co-operating intrinsecally by invisible workings and distinctly in what is externally personated by a triple manifestation thereof to our humane Capacities sanctifie me and all my thoughts words and actions to his glory now and for ever Amen THE PREFACE OF The LORDS PRAYER Offering many Particulars to consideration pertinent to other Duties an Objects of our Christian Faith as well as to the true understanding and right use of that Prayer without imposing upon any ought more then he shall conscientiously believe till convinced by better informatiion which the Author humbly prays all his Readers to remember for prevention of uncharitable Prejudice Matthew 6. 9. After this manner pray ye or as it is written Ink. 12. 2. When ye pray say Our Father which are in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen OUr blessed Redeemer having in the words next preceding these reprehended these who used such vain Repetitions in praying as the Heathens did who thought to be heard for their much babling or that God else knew not or would not heed their wants It pleased him for preventing such practices and misapprehensions to leave this Catholick Form and Pattern of Prayer and Praise to his Apostles and his Church for all future Generations including therein one conditional Petition not grantable without performance of that condition required to wit the forgiveness of our sins which condition is both Affirmatively and Negatively declared in these words next following If you forgive men their Trespasses then will your heavenly Father forgive you But if you forgive not them then will not your heavenly Father forgive you This precaution is heedfully to be observed at all times lest our Prayers be turned into sin and we imprecate a Curse upon our selves instead of a Blessing For God is Love and whosoever brings a Petition into his Presence with a malitious or implacable heart toward his Brother or Neighbour shall have all his suits rejected and his sins even his sins formerly forgiven recharged upon him and be laid in prison until he hath pay'd the utmost farthing of his debts That qualification for Prayer is in this Generation very defective in a great number And perhaps it proceeds from a want of Charity in this kinde whereof their own consciences accuse them that so many have neglected the use of this Prayer even because they cannot forgive as they would be forgiven and therefore are afraid to speak in that Form of words not considering that God remembers that condition though they mention it not in their prayers nor peradventure observe that though God sets before us his Love and free forgiveness to be a Pattern whereto he requires conformity as near as possible we can he is not so severe as to expect our forgiveness should equal his in perfection but onely in that proportion which our finite and frail nature is capable of This Hint is proper to the Fifth Petition yet not impertinently here offered to remembrance because peradventure some may meet it here upon the threshold who will never look further into the Book 2. The Texts of Holy Scripture prefixed to this Prayer contain a Precept or Injunction teaching how to pray it For the Evangelist Matthew saith After this manner pray ye and St. Luke says When ye pray say thus Our Father c. whereof little more need to be said then what the words and authority of the Author sufficiently explains and warrants to take away all scruple of praying both in the same words and according to their Genuine sence in such other words as the Spirit of God shall dictate unto our understandings upon such occasions as are offered for the two Evangelists by the words afore-specified the one biddding us to pray in this manner and the other to say thus makes this assertion doubtless and they are very ignorant who shall either suspect the lawful use of a Form so authorized or that the help to Devotion thereby intended was not as well vouchsafed to direct and inlarge our conceptions in whatsoever is pertinent to the duty of Prayer as to restrain us from vain Tautologies or other superfluous impertinencies 3. As it is hinted in my preceding Preamble our humane Capacity is not capable of spiritual Objects or to communicate them intelligibly to each other unless they are imbodied in some sensible Form Therefore in that respect this may be called the Body of Prayer and I finde it consists of a Preface six Petitions and an Epilogue or Conclusion The Preface is comprehended in these words Our Father which art in Heaven in which there are several particulars observable first that this Prayer is not singly personated by this word MY but by the Pronoun Collective OUR comprehending many persons mysteriously incorporated which implies that it is not to be offered up to God by Individual persons or congregations with respect to themselves onely or to their personal duties or necessities but with regard also to the whole Catholick Church-Militant and to the necessities of every member thereof in being or in a potentiality of being yea in some respects with regard to those Saints whose quondam visible being is at an end for a while considering their Resurrection to life Eternal with all the Priviledges of the Everlasting Kingdom petitioned for in this Prayer belonging to the Quick and Dead and concerns their Bodies now in the Grave no less then their bodies who yet live and therefore they are to be comprehended In our Prayers in such respects with those also who were or shall be as well as on the behalf of our selves and of those who yet live in regard they are Objects of the Universal Faith Charity and Resurrection as well as we and their Resurrections no less necessary to be pray'd for then the Kingdom to come though both will come to pass notwithstanding we pray not for them This Doctrine will not be justly offensive to
any but to such as are very ignorant or prepossessed with much prejudice For this intends not prayers for the Dead according to the superstitious practice of the Church of Rome nor upon such considerations nor to such purposes as when they pray for Souls departed out of this life But the Saints now at rest from their Labours and bodily endeavours having still potentially at least a spiritual Communion with us and we with them as members of Christs Mystical Body and who having as much right as we to what appertains to the eternal Kingdom are no more to be excluded totally out of our Prayers who yet live then we were out of their Prayers and the Petitions of the Catholick Church before we were born it being to me doubtless that their Devotions were then exhibited on our behalf by the Example of Christ our Head of whom it is testified John I7 I9 that when he prayed for his Apostles he said I pray not for these alone but for them also who shall believe on me through their word This Prayer extends also to the preservation of all other Creatures which being as it were the Sons of God by Creation are said to groan together with us Rom. 8. 20. Even they receive benefit with us by this prayer toward their subsistance and perpetuity which is metaphorically signified by daily bread For a natural Instinct inclines them to demonstrate in some sort that which is equivalent with a desire of what is wanting though they neither know what they lack or whence it comes Even the vegetative Plants and Herbs evidence it by their drooping when they have over-much or too little rain or fair weather and by their refreshment with showres or heat so do the Beasts also when none being present to relieve them they bellow and lift up their voices in their kinde for want of meat For these respects the scope which this Prayer hath in my understanding inclines my desire in the use thereof to extend it to all things and persons that were are or shall be for procuring of whatsoever is therein explicitely or implicitely comprehended as having an Universal Relation For Priviledges there are which the Saints Universally enjoy by a Spiritual Communion not heeded by the world which will be demonstrated more at large by my Meditations upon the twelve Articles of our Faith commonly called the Apostles Creed if God gives me time and means to make it publick and if I recover that part of it which was taken from me and being but short notes to bring things to remembrance will be of no use to those who have them 4. By the right use of this Prayer every Member of Jesus Christ is united in his Mediation the whole agreeing with the Head and with each other in all Requests without contradiction whereof I know not how we could have had an assurance save by this Medium For the speaking it in several Languages Times or Places makes no essential difference or material dis-junction nor do the involuntary mistakes or infirmities of the weakest Members render their Sacrifice unacceptable or ineffectual because he to whom their Addresses are made can and doth reconcile such differences and the whole Body being ingratiated by the dignity of that Head the most ignorant and insensible parts thereof if they separate not themselves willfully and maliciously are partakers of that Faith which is in the whole and of whatsoever is imparted thereto or conferred thereupon by the merit and mediation of their Head and Mediator yea as truely as the Inferiour members of our Natural Bodies whilst they continue in their places injoy the benefits to them pertaining and so far forth as they are capable of them as the Tongue Eyes Ears and Heart though the other can neither speak see hear or understand as these do And the knowledge of this may be a great means of consolation to many a poor weak Member of Christ who is sensible of his personal defects It is also by this participation onely that we make good our affectionate desires and verbal ingagements or promises to pray for our Friends or Relations in their several necessities absent or present which we cannot so often and so particularly remember as we would if it were not done by an Universal concurrence in this mode of praying to our heavenly Father before whom that which was but once prayed for in Faith continues always as if we were always praying it and as if it were the joynt-act of the whole Catholick Church for which respect neither should a due application of this Prayer be neglected or the great advantages thereby vouchsafed be unthankfully heeded Moreover by Christs teaching us in this Form of Prayer to say Our Father and not My Father I do conceive that in all our Desires and Petitions we ought to have still heed and regard to the necessities and welfare of others as aforesaid as well as to our own especially of our Brethren relating to the same Father though for the present they be rebellious children and that we should be wary we seek not the advance of a self-interest by a Publick detriments or to the wrong of any private person or to the infringement of Christian Charity the want whereof makes all Prayers ineffectual to them who shall so pray 5. The Father there meant to whom our Addresses are to be made and said to be in Heaven is the first Person of the Holy Trinity the other two Persons to wit the Son and Holy Ghost being implicitely to be understood as one with him in the same Deity and we being a Brotherhood relating to the same Father warrants the fore-going Interpretation God is the Father of all corporeal and spiritual created Beings and by that Appellative we are incouraged to hope and believe that we shall obtain whatsoever we petition for in this Prayer taught us by his best beloved Son even to the utmost extent thereof though we our selves neither know or can minde all that is comprehended in those words because as it is said Rom 8. 26. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities making intercession for us with groanings that cannot be expressed This Form containeth nothing repugnant to his Fathers Will and Christ hath assured us That whatsoever we shall ask of his heavenly Father in his Name shall be obtained and doubtless it will be no bar to this assurance when we ask according to his own direction yet knowing our infirmities to confirm us in that belief without wavering he hath made it probable by Inferences drawn from our common experience Luke 11. The one from that prevalency which constant importunity hath upon such Friends as have but little sence of our necessities and the other drawn from the good effects which proceed even from our imperfect natural affections who are but earthly Fathers For said he If a Son shall ask bread of any of you who is a Father will he give him a stone If he shall ask Fish will he give
Persons and things are distinguished each from other and whereby it may be ascertained who or what it is whereof we speak to which purpose though there is no Name pronounceable by Men or Angels which can define God as he is it hath pleased him to make himself in part known by several Names and Attributes some communicable and some incommunicable to any Creature as I could demonstrate by enumerating those Names of GOD which are mentioned in Holy Scripture But I will wave that and insert so much onely as I conceive tends to an intelligent use of this Prayer Our English-tongue as well as the Hebrew hath a Tetragrammaton whereby GOD may be Named to wit GOOD which seems by our Saviours words to be incommunicable to any other for said he There is none GOOD but GOD. He and his Name are one He is Goodness Wisdom Power and Love it self in the abstract with whatsoever is superlatively excellent and by his Name I understand his Eternal Essence and all his incommunicable Attributes to be meant as also that in them he is to be sanctified and honoured And whereas we are commanded Not to take his Name in Vain I conceive that intends as well affirmatively the hallowing of it according to this Prayer as negatively forbidding the prophanation thereof which consists not onely in calling him by Name as it were to witness the Truth of what we affirm or deny but also in praying unto him with due Reverence in Faith with an undoubted belief of his Promises with a true sence of that which we petition for and with heedfulness that we profess his Name in sincerity and not formally alone as many do who are called Christians without regard to conform to the Doctrine and Practice of his Evangelical Law which is the greatest prophanation of GODS Name and more dishonour thereto then all the revilings and Blasphemies of Jews Turks and Heathens 4. The word Hallowed or Sanctified is ambiguous having various significations and is derived from a Primitive Root used in so differing a sence that it is sometimes applyed to persons who are as much disaffected and contrary to each other as most differing things are to wit SAINTS and SEPARATISTS for to separate is to sanctifie and to sanctifie is to separate But herein is the difference between the Saint and the Separatist as the words are now used The first willingly separates himself from the mystery of Iniquity and as much as in him lyeth from all the Errrors Vanities and wickednesses of the world with an upright heart The other wilfully separates from the Truth and from the Societies of all the Faithful professors thereof for meer carnal ends with a perverse heart and as there are many Canonized and reputed Saints who are nothing less so there are many branded for Schismatical Separatists who are far from deserving it To be Hallowed or Sanctified according to our common acceptation of these words is to be separated from that which is called prophane or common to be used in the service of God or to some other end which is esteemed more honourable then that for which it was formerly employ'd though perhaps it is thereby sometimes more prophaned and dishonoured The Israelites now called Jews were separated or Hallowed as we term it from all other Nations to be a peculiar people to God and are still by some called the holy people though as we mean by Holy I know no Nation in the world less meriting that Title no not his Holiness of Rome But that which I understand by Hallowing or Sanctifying the Name of GOD and what we ought to contribute thereunto is to magnifie him to speak of his Excellency upon all occasions to separate it in our esteem and love of his Perfection so far from and above all other imaginable and real Objects whatsoever that they shall be rather despised and hated then admitted to any degree of estimation answerable thereto I have no means at this time of my recluse to take advice from the Dead or the Living from Books or men and therefore cannot inform my self how the School-men understand this Term or any other part of this Prayer and perhaps it would but make me the less diligent to harken what the Spirit of GOD speaketh to my heart By help of that Spirit it seemed unto me discovered that there is a Triple Holiness or separation considerable in relation to God touching which I may perhaps deliver that which many will not approve nevertheless I will freely declare my judgement as I usually do in such matters God seems unto me Sanctified and separated by way of superexcellency from all other who are called Lords or Gods from all created Essences from all intelligible Beings and from all the potentialities which were are or shall be in material and intelligible Essences united together and is one eternal Being Hallowed by three glorious Manifestations Holy Holy Holy Lord GOD the Father GOD the Son and GOD the Holy Ghost co-equal and co-eternal This I believe in order to the sanctification or hallowing of GODS Name and much more then I can express yet this peradventure is more then the capacity of many can apprehend 5. I will therefore endeavour to sute to the meanest Capacitie what I think petitioned for in this Clause and declare what I conceive is required from us toward sanctifying the Name of our heavenly Father both negatively and affirmatively We must not imagine this daily duty is required of us because Gods Name cannot otherwise be perfectly sanctified or that we merit ought from him by so praying For his Name shall be Hallowed whether we neglect or perform that duty and when we have thereunto contributed all that we can we are unprofitable servants This is mentioned in our daily Addresses to keep us mindeful of what we ought to desire and endeavour toward that which will be done whether we desire it or not and that those invaluable blessings which God of his free Grace hath promised for performances which in themselves are worth less then nothing may be conferred upon us by his Mercy without infringement of his Justice His Name is so pure in it self that no pollutions of ours can defile it because they revert always back upon our selves if we wilfully asperse it and all that we can do toward the hallowing of it is as I said before to speak well of his Name and to magnifie it above all other Names which when we so do his acceptance onely makes it valuable There is no other Name by which Men or Angels are saved or by which they can be preserved from relapse and therefore all knees in Heaven and Earth ought to bow thereunto with reverence I mean to the Essential Name not to the literal expression or vocal sound thereof which is an Idolatrous or at least a superstitious Fancy as is the ascribing of a Divine Holiness to any humane Medium intended to be but instrumental to bring us to him who is
most Holy yea it is Idolatrous though that adoration be given to a Creature separated from all other by as glorious a sanctification as the Blessed Virgin Maries and the rest of GOD'S most eminent Saints 5. Our Saviour hath wrapt up implicitely our Interest with our heavenly Fathers in this Petition For as in the First Commandment of the Decalogue GODS injoyning us to have no other Gods but himself onely intended thereby our Good as well as his own Glory so did his Son Jesus Christ in teaching us to pray that our Fathers Name may be Hallowed for as by obedience to the first Commandment and separating him and our selves from all false reputed gods with whatsoever else we affect more then God and by ascribing and performing Divine Worship to him alone we shall not onely prevent the ascribing his incommunicable Attributes to base unworthy Creatures abominable Idols and Devils as the Heathen did and thereby avoyd that dishonouring of him by Hallowing persons places or things common into a partnership with the Divinity of God as it is usual with some in these times But we shall also escape thereby many mischievous disadvantages and receive great benefits For mankinde was plunged into manifold perplexities fears despairs and deceiveable hopes by that multiplicity of false gods which the First-times had forged to the inslaving and destruction of their consceiences and persons for they not knowing how to please one of their faigned gods without incurring the disfavour of another it occasioned perpetual anxieties and insupportable burthens by erecting and furnishing magnificent Temples offering frequent Hecatombs and other costly Sacrifices visiting Oracles and Shrines giving rich presents with innumerable other superstitious Ceremonies to pacifie and ingratiate themselves with those Hobgoblings which their own deluded fancies had created and set up to be adored And no fewer are their distractions and the mischiefs on them incumbent in these days who have in another mode Separated Canonized and Hallowed as they call it Persons Places and things common to participate with GOD and his CHRIST in that which is proper and communicable to no other They have consecrated for Saints and presumed to give them Thrones in Heaven who for ought any man living knows may be Devils in Hell They have Hallowed unto them Temples Oratories Shrines Altars and temporary possessions They have made them their Patrons and the peculiar protectors of their Countries Families Persons and Affairs yea and of their Religion though they never professed or favoured it They have separated them from all other and Hallowed them to be their personal Advocates making them equal with Jesus Christ in his Mediatorship yea sometimes preferred them before him They have dedicated unto them days times their goods possessions yea and their Children to pass through the Fire of their superstitious Orders and Observations as the Israelites did their Children to Moloch out of a slavish fear which nevertheless accompanies them to their Graves They have hazzarded and many of them lost their lives by long Pilgrimages inhumane penances and other such like improfitable undertakings thought to be Meritorious which God required not at their hands but abhors them expecting no more but those reasonable Services which he himself hath commanded and may be performed with acceptance through his promised assistance and with ease and comfort both to soul and body in all such duties as he injoyns and in all such trials as he exposeth us unto And when it succeeds otherwise to our temporal or spiritual damage it it because we Hallow such things as are not to be Hallowed and neglect to Hallow GODS Name as we ought to do above all other Names and things yea the Hallowing of so many other Names and things instead of out Heavenly Fathers Name which should singly and solely be separated and sanctified hath been the prime cause of all those many Sects Heresies Treacheries Divisions Quarrels Wars and Murthers among Nations Neighbours and Brethren throughout the World and the respect of Christ to us as well as to the glory of his Father in teaching us to pray for the sanctifying of his Name is an evidence of his great love and Mercy to mankinde The second Petition Thy Kingdom come 1. THis Petition consists of but of three words yet affords much to be considered for every word hath an emphasis which makes their connexion to imply many observable Particulars besides that sence which is plainly expressed to wit that there is a Kingdom yet to come which we ought to pray for The middle word shews that there is such an expectant Kingdom The first word THY that it is his Kingdom to whom we pray The last word COME that it is to be expected I will begin with the word KINGDOM A Kingdom is among men a Government belonging to a single Person whom the Latines called REX Ã regendo of governing and implies one qualified for that Duty We in English call him a King which is a word derived from what is signified by these two Old Saxon words united Kan and Ken that is to be Able and to Know or Power and Wisdom thereby implying that a King who will Govern well ought to be endowed with Prudence and Power For true Wisdom whose Original is the fear of GOD includes Justice Mercy Magnanimity Sanctified policy Constancy Temperance with all other virtuous qualifications and by Powre is intended all means whatsoever whereby those Virtues may be put into execution for discharge of his office that thereby the Kings of the Earth might officiate as much as is possible in imitation of their Soveraign the Supream King of Heaven and Earth I know no people under Heaven except these Nations within our Brittish Isles who have a Word or Title for their Supream Governor in their own Language which so truely constitutes him a Regulated Monarch and whose signification so mindes and obligeth him to Govern accordingly For these words Emperour Grand-Seignior Prince Duke or such-like with those words whereby in the Languages of other Countries they intend him who with us is called a King signifie nothing but an absolute Superiority and priority of Dignity without intimating ought purposed thereby for the welfare of their Subjects as the common interpretations of so many of those Appellations as I know do declare Such Names were at first ascribed either by base flatterers or else assumed to themselves by those who affected and usurped an exorbitant arbitrary Power in the exercise whereof the signification of their Tiles were an incouragement seeming to oblige them to no more then to Govern by their will and pleasure only Whereas the word King in our tongue implies that our Soveraign should be both Wise and Powerful and as wise as powerful Wisdom comprehending Justice Mercy and all other Virtues and our Law presupposing him also so to be at all times because to be otherwise destroys the essentiality of Kingship hath in it this fundamental Maxime A King can do no wrong Such as
those little innocent Children to whom Christ said the Kingdom of Heaven appertains 11. And whereas we hear many such sayings as these or to the like effect The way is broad that leadeth to destruction and the Gate so streight which gives admittance to Salvation that few enter in thereat That many are called but few chosen That though the People were as the sands of the Sea a small number should be saved That the Righteous in respect of the Wicked were but as here and there an Olive-berry upon the boughs after gathering-time or as a few Grapes after the Vintage with such-like asseverations These I acknowledge to be true yet my belief is notwithstanding all this that a far greater number shall be saved then condemned at the last Judgement For I cannot believe these expressions have respect to all Mankinde dispersed throughout the world from the beginning to the end thereof but as relating comparatively to those onely who are and were Members of those visible Churches and Provinces of Christs visible Kingdom upon earth to whom the ordinary means of Salvation were and are dispensed whether Jews or Christians the greatest number of whom for their wilful neglect of that means for their turning the Grace of God into wantonness for their seeking gain by pretended Godliness and for their meer formality and hypocrisie shall be shut out of that Kingdom whereof they judged themselves to be sole Inheritors and all the rest of the world to be cast-aways So did many Jews believe of themselves heretofore and so do many Christians now who will at last finde it to be a spirit of self-love which possessed them producing no better fruit then the Apples of Sodom are said to be These as I conceive are those of whom the sayings in holy Scripture aforementioned shall be verified and of whom onely they were intended These reputing themselves the onely Children of the Kingdom boast of their Priviledges such as the having Abraham to their Father The Temple of the Lord or the Word and Sacraments of the Gospel among them how much soever abused or neglected and these alone are concerned in those places of holy Scripture which declare the paucity of that number who shall be chosen in comparison of them who are called and the paucity of those among them who shall be saved in respect of their numerousness who shall perish by their neglecting or abusing those advantages which were put into their hands I conceive to be thereby meant For I cannot think that such sayings had a purposed relation to them unto whose knowledge that means neither came nor was likely to come whilst they lived after they were born into the World Such in particular as are many millions of Heathens in the remotest parts of the world As also little Children dying before they are capable of understanding what they hear and who must inavoydably and everlastingly perish if God hath provided no other means of their Salvation by Christ then such a way of preaching it as is vouchsafed to us 12. Therefore in my judgement they should have little hope of pardon for their many actual transgressions who knowing God hath provided means of life and nourishment for Children in the Mothers Womb when they can neither breath nor eat as when they are born if they shall not believe that God who is infinite in Mercy hath not provided as sufficient a means to nourish their Souls and Bodies to eternal Life who by Death in their infancy or otherways are without their personal default incapable of the ordinary means It is in my understanding so great an injury to the Goodness and Mercy of God to affirm he hath exposed to everlasting destruction all those Innocents by leaving them totally without remedy that they seem to me incapable of Forgiveness through Gods Mercy to them until they repent of their blasphemous mis-belief of his Fatherly compassion who hath given them no just cause to imagine he neglects to make provision for the wellfare of all his impotent Children Therefore that we may not obstruct the Forgiveness of our Debts and Trespasses which we pray for or charge God with so much cruelty as to expose his own Children by Creation at least to be a prey to the Devil and which is more abominable to teach other men to believe be hath eternally decreed the Reprobation of all Mankinde except a very few in comparison of the rest I will endeavour to make it more evident though I have alledged much to this purpose already that a very few shall be everlastingly damned in respect of them who shall be saved by the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ and that this is sufficiently provided for by GODS eternal Decree of Election and Reprobation which hath by many been misunderstood to the dishonour of his Divine Justice contrary to the light of Reason renewed and santified by Grace and to that illumination which is added thereunto by Gods Word and Spirit And though to make odious that Doctrine which I assert it is called Heresie Arminianism Popery and what else they please who oppose it I hope it shall be so generally received that all good Christians will ere long be ashamed of it and make it appear so wicked that it will hardly be believed by many in future times if there were not so many great Volumes written to uphold their error For who in Reason can believe that he who created all things in Love by Love and to be beloved of his Creatures for whose good he created them did fore-intend to make the greatest number of them everlastingly miserable and design them to that unhappiness before they had being or possibility to do good or evil yea that he necessitated them to do that evil for which they should be condemned what love was there in this or what love could be expect from those who should be taught thus to believe or what Truth is in such Teachers who incourage their Disciples to think so of him who hath said and sworn he desired not the Death of sinners but that they should repent and live Verily if there be any madness in Bedlam more extravagant then this I am greatly deceived 13. It is true that God hath absolutely predestinated some to Salvation and ordained some to condemnation of old with respect to their Qualifications in time and to a Covenant between him and them but none absolutely to condemnation nor either with respect or disrespect to their persons before time or before they had a temporary being though he fore-knew what the one and the other would be David tell us in his fourth Psalm who they are whom God Elected even the GODLY that is such as he fore-saw would hear heed and be conformable to the dictates of his Word and Spirit and who when he had inlightned their understanding and renewed their wills would endeavour perseverance to the end according to the power he gave them not trusting to that obedience or to any
and infirmities and therefore gratiously provided this Expedient for preventing such errors and the whole Catholick Church hath found just Cause to praise him for that Condescention being one special means to preserve the principal Worship of God from being totally adulterated or else quite buried under the rubbish of humane Inventions as it was when Heathenish Idolatries first crept in and as now it is where the mystery of Iniquity is almost at highest For though the spirituality and true life of Religion and Divine Worship consisteth not altogether in outward Formalities yet unless it hath some bodily existence and external Clothing whereby it may be made perceptible and apprehensive in some degree by our humane Faculties it could neither be known or long retained though there may be some intellectual glimmerings thereof in such as are supernaturally illuminated much less could it be communicated from man to man by those corporeal Organs which are the Mediums whereby the affections and inclinations of our souls are made known to our selves and other men upon which considerations I am perswaded that they who totally neglect and they who superstitiously affect his Form of Prayer are equally reproveable I acknowledge there is in many an excellent gift of extempore vocal Prayer pertinent to the stirring up of Devotion and Pious Affections in themselves and other men and with much reverence I comply therewithal and assent thereto when I am admitted to partake in their Devotions yea and without envying Gods dispensations to them by whom I see my self to be far excelled For he who dispenseth his Gifts as he pleaseth made Aaron who was inferiour to Moses in other Graces superiour to him in vocal expressions I ingenuously confess my self also to be sometimes ashamed to be silent where such duties are performed but my natural modesty and my want of memory or somewhat worse renders me fearful to speak before an Assembly Perhaps my secret pride tempts me to preserve by silence a better opinion in others of my ability in that kinde then I have But whatsoever occasions it in me I suspect that better men then I are otherwhile liable to the same temptation through the same defect and may have need of premeditated words To say the whole Truth my verbal Devotions are frequently so broken into dis-joynted parts and so dissatisfactory to my self that I cannot hope they will be plausible to my hearers unless I had time to put them into better order which when I have done in the best mode I can I think defective until I have perfited my Devotions with that Prayer whereupon I have grounded my ensuing Meditations and am perswaded that Form is not always added superstitiously to other Prayers and that their Devotions are acceptable who in sincerity and with a true desire to express their necessities or thankfulness to God offer up unto him their prayers or praises in words wanting Grammatical coherence and in such Language as they are able For if we are pleased to hear our little Children stammer out their wants and affections in such imperfect terms as they are capable of though it be nonsence much more doth our Heavenly Father who better knows our Infirmities and requires no more of any man then he hath given him take delight in their good endeavours who prosecute them as they are able though in much childish weakness which appears by his Sons care taken to prevent the despising and offending of such by their stronger brethren He knew also that the most perfect could not attain to that perfection without means of improvement and therefore left them this Form of Prayer which if right use be thereof made may be to the wisest of them great advantages many wayes 4. I know well that not a few who seem to have acquired most perfections and to be better qualified for performance of such Duties then many of their brethren are otherwhile fain to use set Forms of Prayer composed by their National Churches or by particular pious men and I suppose it to be a great weakness in them who for no other respect are offended thereat or with such as therein joyn For if it be allowable to joyn in a vocal extempore Prayer with him the scope of whose Petitions we cannot know until we hear them and whose Prayers are at that time a set Form to his Auditory if not to him who speaks them doubtless we may with less scruple pray with another whose words we know beforehand and wherein we finde nothing repugnant to this Patern left us by our Saviour In such Prayers or Praises whether publick on private Extempore or set Forms I can joyn with any person or Congretion professing Faith in Jesus Christ so they be not wittingly willingly malitiously and impenitently scandalous in Doctrine or manners though there may be some deficiency or superfluity in Words or Forms and in such conrformities I demean my self without giving cause of disturbance to their Devotions with whom I communicate yea and without uncharitably censuing them in my heart as to that which is contrary to my Judgement For I know the best men and the best humane Forms have their defects and that their duties and divine Mysteries are known to them but in part Therefore when in their Preachings or Divine Worshippings I hear and heed ought which to my understanding is not Orthodox or comely or expressions insisted upon or attributes given to persons or things of whose truth I am not certain then instead of absolute compliance therein I waving that lift up my heart in secret to God beseeching him to pardon what is misdone or missaid by others or misunderstood by me if I have misapprehended their pious meanings 5. The Forms of Prayer and Praises dictated by the Holy Ghost and recorded in the Psalmes or other Books of Holy Scripture I can use without scruple in the same words either in the Original or in any other Language that I undersand as occasions require but not without premeditating the distinct Mysteries in them contained whereby I may be conscientiously satisfied what particular Mystery is touched in the whole and in every particle lest as I said before I may sometimes blaspheam or curse instead of praying by misapplying that to one which is properly appliable to another And those Maledictions to my own Enemies which are intended onely to the Adversaries of Christ or left I take those Attributes to my self in my single Capacity which are properly due to none but to Jesus Christ and to me and others no otherwise then as we are Members of his Mystical Body This is not so much heeded by some as it ought to be who make frequent use of Davids Psalmes at adventure in their publick and private Devotions With much precaution therefore I endeavour as I am able to pray and praise GOD in those words of his own which I finde recorded in the Old Testament with respect to what was Legally and to what was evangelically to be
the king is such is the Kingdom or Government and such will be the people as we find it to have been in all the Kingdoms of the Earth But the King and Kingdom for whose coming we pray are stablished by Wisdom and Power so perfect that no wrongs can be done by the King thereof nor any suffered by those who are under him by any unrighteous Law in that Kingdom and happy are those Kings and the Subjects of those Kingdoms who endeavour to Govern and Obey according to the righteousness of that King and the Constitutions of his Kingdom so near as they shall be able To that end the same Kingdom is partly come into those in this Generation who belong thereunto to shew it forth to Kings and Subjects in the Kingdoms of this wold by their Doctrine Life and Conversation that the Contemners thereof may be inexcusable For though it seems to be a Kingdom not now in being but to come hereafter it is an Eternal Kingdom which now is always was and ever shall be without beginning or ending and is termed a Kingdom to come in respect of that more full manifestation which it shall have here upon Earth and within the Saints who are and shall be sharers therein reigning together with Christ Some call it the fifth Monarchie as it is in relation to those Monarchies prophesied of by Daniel but it is the first that ever was and the last that ever shall be in Heaven or Earth and is such a Kingdom as we are not able in the state wherein we yet be to conceive much less to express in that mode wherein it shall be manifested though we have many metaphorical descriptions of it whereby we may apprehend so much of the Glory of it as may make us believe and expect it with joy 2. The Soveraignty of this Kingdom was eternally in the Deity before all worlds and after the Creation was joyntly and distinctly exercised by the Father Son and Holy Ghost according as the Manifestations thereof were decreed before time and evidenced by occurrences in the progress of Time Thereof I will declare so much as God hath revealed unto me by his Word and Spirit During that intelligible point of Time which was called Beginning being the first of those five Notions wherein I conceive all things to be included to wit Eternity Beginning Time End and Everlasting even in that Moment of Beginning and immediately after the Angels and Adam were created and Fell the Prince of the Spirits elapsed began to Usurp a part of Gods Kingdom by that permissive Power which he still retained and he forthwith practised upon innocent Man on whom God had conferred a Vicegerency under himself over all subcelestial Creatures And Adam being compounded of those Elements which rendred him subject to mutability the Devil prevailing by subtlety drew him to disobedience and rebellion which God foreknowing might had he so pleased either have prevented it or in a moment destroyed the Vsurper with all his Confederates But this consisted not with his Eternal Decree whereby mankinde was to have experience in a natural way of that Good and Evil which our First-Parents desired to know Therefore according to the same Decree God suffered that part of his Kingdom which was to be visible on Earth to be for a while shared between two contradictory Powers the Devil to continue in possession of what he had Usurped and his Eternal Son to whom the whole Kingdom by right appertained to exercise also his Kingly Office therein so far forth as neither his Interest with that which is really good might be totally destroyed not the Devils power so limited that the utmost extent of evil might not be fully known so here hath been ever since two Militant Kingdoms upon the Earth contending for Superiority 3. The Incarnate Son of GOD was first externally inaugurated when it was said that The seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head and the Messiah was then spiritually conceived by Faith in the hearts of Adam and Eve and there began this Kingdom to be first in the earth though the seed of the Serpent did also fructifie by that seminal corruption which he had injected to make entrance for his Kingdom And when their two first Children being born into the world Had attained ability to demonstrate unto which Kingdom they adhered the Contest which hath ever since been maintained between them did presently begin Cain slew his Brother Abel upon that quarrel and the consequence thereof together with Cains male-contented Demeanour gave occasion of GODS declaring somewhat unto him which I conceive to be pertinent to their consideration whose Faith and Patience were to be exercised under tyrannous Governments in all future Generations until his Son shall bring them to an end by assuming the whole Kingdom For before Cain had slain his Brother God said That he should Rule over him and his desire be subjected unto him Moreover after the murther was committed and when GOD had so cursed Cain for it who was the first Tyrannous abuser of his Authority that by the judgement of his own conscience he seemed worthily exposed to slaughter by every one who met him God nevertheless affirmed that whosoever slew him his blood should be avenged sevenfold upon the slayer and it is written that God set a Mark upon him to prevent his slaughter from whence it may be inferred as I think that all Private persons ought to be wary they lay not violent hands upon those to whom God hath subjected them how wicked soever they be lest that Mark be fouud upon them which renders them liable to a seven-fold Vengeance 4. The visible Kingdom of GOD our Father How it was conferred upon his Son What opposition it should have in the world by Kings and Nations The Vanitie of their Reasons of State the fruitlesness of the Plots Counsels and confederacies of the people The establishment of his Throne upon his holy Mountain the spiritual Sion in despight of opposition The proclamation of what was eternally decreed concerning it The Vniversality and powerfulness of his Domion How it will beseem all earthly Kings and their subordinate Judges and Officers to demean themselves under him VVhat will befal to them who shall be rebellious or refractory and the happiness of all those who shall do homage unto him and be obedient as they ought to be All this was foretold in the second Psalm which is a Literal not a Typical Prophecy of the Kingdom of Christ the true David Yet this Kingdom had for a long time a very slow increase was confined to a very narrow circuit and hath been from that time hitherto also of small estimation in respect of the Kingdoms of this World except onely in the days of Enos and Noah for in the days of Enos it is recorded that men began to call upon the Name of the Lord and in the time of Noah this King of kings assumed the sole Government of his
that he should immediately expire his soul Yet there was no water entred into the Ship This he told me in such a manner as if he had been then sensible of that distemper by his misapprehension Much more therefore may our Fancies delude us by Spiritual misapprehensions if we be not watie of surprizes especially when such imaginary Objects and false Representations of our frail deluded senses are heightned by that which is cunningly suggested by the Devil Perhaps it will be thought by some that in this and some other Expressions I ramble from the matter in hand But be it known that the way of a Contemplative Soul being like that of an Eagles in the Aire which is the Hieroglyphick thereof tends directly toward what it seeks though it appears not so to the beholders and to what quarter soever it flies minds that Carkas which is the true nourishment thereof 19. Having declared what Kingdom that is which we pray for I will now shew unto whom it belongs which is evidenced by this pronoun THY. It may be collected from what I have already expressed Yet that whereunto my Meditation thereupon leads me will not be useless The word THY implies that this Kingdom is our Fathers to whom we pray Not a Kingdom to be possessed by a single Person whom we know not who perhaps may be a Stranger and a Tyrant or such a one who will suppose as most earthly Kings do that it was conferred upon him meerly for his own sake without respect to the welfare of the people under his Jurisdiction as if the Commonalty of all Nations had been born to no other purpose but to be inslaved to their Will or to be Servants at best to advance their Pomp and to be serviceable to their Lusts But this is not to be feared when this Kingdom shall come We know whose the Kingdom is and who shall Reign over it It is our Fathers Kingdom and that assures us as is before hinted that in praying for it we petition for that which tends not only to our Fathers Honor but to our own Preferment also We have no possibility to be totally freed from the Tyrannies of Temporary Governments and Governours but by the coming of this Kingdom For neither Democracy nor Aristocracy nor a Monarchy regulated nor any other humane Form of Government how often soever we change Persons is free from corruptions or the increase of them likely to have a stop until this Kingdom comes which were it but in respect of that alone will make us partakers of the greatest Temporal Mercy that may be enjoyed upon the Earth next to our deliverance from Sin For so intolerable are the Deficiencies and Oppressions of Supream Governours throughout most Kingdoms of the World in relation both to Temporal and Spiritual Interests that some Nations care not who comes to Reign over them so they may be delivered from their present Tax-masters Yea are contented to be invaded by Strangers to be beaten by their Enemies and to adventure whatsoever they will impose upon them because they believe it cannot be worse with them then it is or probably will be though they have had long time experience that Seldom comes a better This sad condition the Subjects of this expected Kingdom shall be delivered from when it comes Our Father hath made us free Denizens thereof Co-heirs with his Eternal Son and given us Thrones with Him by an unquestionable unrepealable Decree written and signed with the precious Blood of our Eldest Brother whose Love did voluntarily purchase it for us at that dear Rate It cannot be expressed in words to set forth how much he tendred our Welfare in prescribing this Prayer or how strongly it obligeth us to make a thankful and right use of it 20. Thy Kingdom COME The last word in this Petition is not so to be so understood in the Future Tense as if the Kingdom thereby prayed for had not a being heretofore and at this present upon Earth For it is in part already Demonstrated to be otherwise All therefore which will be further necessary to be insisted upon to that purpose resulting from this word COME is to mind us that this Kingdom is not yet so perfectly manifested as it shall be when that long Day is begun in which the great Assize will be holden wherein the King of this Kingdom shall come to Judge the quick and the dead I do already contemplatively behold it approaching by the Eie of my Soul But that Eie is so dim and my Body so frail that my Heart is unable to comprehend much less my Tongue or Pen to express that little which I conceive thereof But of that unutterable mystery I can truly say this that whosoever endeavours to declare in what manner Christ shall come and Reign upon Earth undertakes a work like his who strives to put the whole Ocean into a Nut-shel and that if the glory of this Kingdom were comprehensible by us in this estate wherein we now are it would not be answerable to the expectation I have of it For the most excellent External things which we can either enjoy or know in the flesh are insufficient to illustrate the perfection of it by way of allusion For the clearest Notions of such spiritual Objects which we may attain unto will be dissatisfactory to the Soul until it is in a glorified Body Nevertheless we may be made so apprehensive by Grace and Faith of the Kingdom to come that we may by Patience Meekness Humility and Love wait contentedly for what is promised and be preserved in a constant expectation thereof until it comes whatsoever Clouds are evaporated from Humane Ignorance and whatsoever Mists may be raised by the Devil to make us doubtful thereof And this we are to Communicate to each other so far forth as it is revealed by the Word and Spirit of God to confirm the belief and expectation of this Kingdom For though they were reputed Hereticks termed Millenaries who professed the personal Reign of Christ upon Earth and that according to St. John Rev. 20. 4. the Saints should Reign with Christ a 1000 Years Yet after the Testimony of the two Witnesses was finished which as I conceive was when the two Testaments were compleated with a Malediction upon them who should take from or add ought thereunto Rev. 21. 18 19. that Opinion was received for Orthodox by the Primitive Christians till the Beast which rose out of the bottomless pit made war against them and slew them For many of the eminent Doctors and Martyrs in the first Ages were of that Judgment to wit Ireneus Justine Martyr Tertullian Origen Cyprian and divers other Christians both Learned and Unlearned And I find by examining it that most Heresies sprung from real Divine Truths misunderstood by humane Ignorance and rashness Such Mysteries being like the most excellent strains of Musick in this respect that as when the Voice or a String is under or overmuch strained though but a
the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinity and shall be until the King of that Kingdom appears again to personate his distinct Office with the Father and the Holy Spirit who have always an intrinsecal co-operation with him What I further apprehend concerning their joynt-acting in and concerning this Kingdom I will offer to consideration though such speculations may perhaps appear Novelties For sometimes great Fires are kindled by little obscured sparks and my Rush-candle may perhaps occasion the enlightning of many Torches hereafter when my snuff is burnt out There is an Interweaving of many dark expressions in the Apoculypse of St. John concerning this and other sublime Mysteries to him delivered wherein things preceding have relation to things following and some things following to those which precede by way of supplement as I conceive and some also having reference both to what was precedent and subsequent Thus under correction I apprehend and that among such the binding of Sathan for a thousand years is one having respect as well to the restraining of him from setting up his Mystery of Iniquity until the LET should be taken away which was before the Bottomless Pit was opened as a relation unto the time wherein he should be restrained a thousand years from deceiving the Nations after the BEAST the false Prophet and the whole Mystery of Antichristianism should be destroyed by the coming of Christ to personate his Kingship upon earth For it was a thousand years after our Saviours Ascention and after the Roman Empire was at highest and began to decline before the Beast which arose out of it could ascend to his height which consumed all the number of years alotted to that Empire until the Beast last mentioned arose This time was enigmatically presignified by M. the first and greatest Numeral belonging to that Empire the remainder of their Numerals to wit DCLXVI presaged the time alotted to the second Beast the last Relick of that Monarchy mystically represented by that part of Daniel's Image which was composed of Iron and Clay For though I must confess I have no Precedent for what I declare my Judgement to be nor any other warrant but what hath been spoken to my own heart in private I do conceive which I have heretofore published effect upon several occasions that God though it seems they took no notice of it gave that Empire a Mysterious hint in their own Numerals how long it should last after it was at highest both in the main of its first Institution and in that which should arise out of it until the total extirpation thereof branch and root All the said Numerals joyned together in order beginning at the greatest and ending at the least being these M.D.C.L.X.V. and I make one thousand six hundred sixty six The thousand years were consumed before the second Beast which is the Mystery of Iniquity was compleated and then that usurped the whole power of his Predecessor and the remaining Numerals make up DCLXVI which is the number of a Man to wit the Mystical man of sin and will be the whole time limited as I conceive for his wicked Raign after he came to his highest exaltation and as I take it we are to begin to reckon this double number from Christs death and passion or Ascention not from his Birth because the Roman Empire was not at his highest till then and declined not until it had Crucified the Lord of Life And if so we may guess within a short time how long that Mystery may continue if we knew certainly how many years Christ lived upon the earth and if Chronologers have rightly computed preceding times from his Birth till this year 1665 and that time as I have already said may be about four or five and thirty years yet to come I will not so absolutely determine it as once heretofore I did being a little-over heated with Zèal upon occasion given to treat of that time For Christ having intimated that a compleat certainty of it is not revealed to any man in the flesh I wave that peremptory expression though I still believe it will be about that time and perhaps God sometimes permitteth such casual slips when they are not purposed to keep his Children quiet when they desire things before they can be had as we do our Children by suffering them to please themselves with uncertain harmless hopes When the number of the Beast is finished I do believe there will be a space of time in which that which is truely Good shall be as well made known at Evil hath now been almost six thousand years and that the time thereto allotted is that seventh Mysterious Day or Sabbath which the Lord our GOd hallowed when he had finished his six days works and that the Jewish sabbaths of dayes and years were but Types of the great sabbath separated from the other six parts of time and sanctified by GOD for himself and his chosen people to rest in and is called a Day by him with whom A thousand years is but as yesterday it being usual in holy scripture to signifie many years and times consisting of many ages by the denomination of a day or days as in Daniel a time of many Generations then to come by 1335 dayes Dan. 12. 12. and in the Revelation 11 by 1260 days and in the same Chapter by three day and a half and it signifies the whole time of Christs Kingdom upon earth in that place where it is said Abraham desired to see his day and saw it For he fore saw it by Faith 24. Six days of a thousand years apiece as I conceive was alotted for the men of this VVorld to prosecute therein those works which they thought they had to do and were alotted both for their Probation and to acquite as aforesaid that experimental knowledge which was desired by our First-parents And in that space of time both good and evil men who were Vicegerents or Subjects either of the Kingdom of God or of the Prince of this world were permitted to be active for their several Interests according to their distinct inclinations and to pursue them so far forth as that good or evel which was in them would extend But neither the Righteousness which was in the best is sufficient in it self to perfect their desired Kingdom nor the wickedness which is in the worst enongh to establish their Dominion because the restraining power of him who is the Supream Governour of all things would not permit the Adversaries of his Kingdom to be so wicked as they would have been in acting destructively thereunto though the wickedness of their Will wanted nothing to compleat of demonstrate their personal untighteousness of that perfection of Evil which was in them But when the great Sabbaths of years is come in which the supream Kings of both are to manifest and exercise their Powers in another mode then heretofore or at this present to wit during the last thousand years or seventh part of time
it will then evidently and universally appear whether of the two is most powerful and that neither the Evil which is it the worst men or the Good which is in the best men could thitherto or shall at that day do any works of their own which they think they had to do that will be prevalent to those evili or good ends which they proposed to establish their respect 〈◊〉 Kingdoms For then will be the Day of his Power whose Kingdom was lirerally prophesied of in the 110 Psalm and the Will of his willing ones be accepted instead of working Their King alone be the able to conquen all his Adversaries letting loose the Devil to use the utmost of his Usurped power will break the Head of Malignity together with all the Kings of the opposing Kingdoms and then his Subjects the Spiritual seed of the true Abel and Abraham by Faith who for the most part of the former six thousand years have been subjected in their temporary concernments to Cain and his Successors and ever since his time been persecuted in relation to their worship of God and their King shall be totally set at liberty for ever and rest and Reign with him in that Kingdom judging those Kings and Nations by whose Tyranny they were oppressed and against whom the Supream-Judg of that Kingdom which they despised and we pray for shall pronounce this sentence of Condemnation Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire 25. But though we believe there is such a Kingdom to come shall fully know the nature of it whose it is what advantages we may have by it which are innumerable and intimated in this Evangelical promise Seest first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be Ministred unto you if we do our formally seek it for carnal ends only it will nothing avail us when it comes openly into the Earth until it comes into our hearts also A Dominiou is there to be exercised and it is the first place into which the Kingdom of Heaven enters upon Earth Every Saint hath a Kingship there to be managed whereby he must have a Probation and be prepated for a Throne in that which will Universally appear that will be performed by cherishing those Virâ—â—â—â— which may make his Microcosme or little World a true Province of that large Kingdom expected and by subjecting to Reason and to the Evangelical Laws all those natural Desires Passions and Affections which have been Rebellious and Repugnant to the Purity and Justice thereof subduing and keeping them under by a spiritual Militia We ought therefore to endeavour it diligently and to take heed that we let not in the kingdom of the Devil instead of Christs or admit into us the Kingdoms of this world For most men are deluded with false appearances in this case whereof I have had had experiments a long time in relation to my self and if I shall be credited may say much to prevent those fallacies in others Hear then with seriousness what I shall now express to that purpose I will begin with some of those deceivable Marks whereby very many think they are made Children of God and Inheriters of his Heavenly Kingdom before they have any evidences thereof but such as these ensuing whose invalidity let them consider They had an Initiation into the Kingdom by being Baptized with water in the Name of the Father Son and the Holy Ghost and had God-fathers and God-mothers who for obtaining that Priviledg promised many things in their Names to be performed on their behalf But so were many thousands who being heedless of such promises seem by their Lives and Conversations to be Children of the Devil and belonging to this kingdom They have been outwardly partakers of the Lords Table so was Judas by what seems a probability thereof as well as the rest of the Apostles yet we know he was reprobated They have done Miracles so did Simon Magus Jannes Jambres and others yet were Impostors They have caft out Devils in Christs Name so did some to whom he will say I know ye not They have Prophecied concerning him so did Balaam and Caiaphas They have builded goodly Temples so did Herod whose like was not in the world yet he was a Tyrant and murthered the innocent Children and John the Baptist They have maintained many such Priests and Prophets as they affected so did Jezabel yet was a Strumpet and became Dogs meat They were frequent hearers of them who preached the Gospel so are many who are no Doers of what they hear and some who came but to intrap the Ministers of God as others did to insnare Christ or else came to see and be seen or more to be reputed Religious then with sincere Devotion They have been Preachers of the Gospel and Assertors of the Truth so have not a few been who held and professed it in unrighteousness or preached rather to uphold contention then to edifie their hearers and who through neglect of endeavouring mortification in themselves have been Reprobates when they preached Salvation to others They have fasted much given Alms and said many long Prayers so do Hypocrites and so did the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees oft devouring VVidows houses under those pretences They have undergone severe penances and grievously afflicted themselves so did the Priests of Baal heretofore and so do many superstitious Romanists and others at this day They have been sufferers so have Malefactors been Innocent Heathens and in finite numbers who probably 〈◊〉 evidence within themselves or sence of the Kingdom we pray for Other such-like Marks I could enumerate wherewith multitudes are deluded VVe must therefore finde out better Marks to ascertain us That the Kingdom of God is within us and these that follow will also be such demonstrations thereof as if we be not Traytors to our selves may make it unquestionably known to be within us 26. If the Kingdom of Christ be within us we shall feel that we love him who is King thereof with all our hearts yea more then our selves we shall be obedient to all his Commands and Laws to our utmost power Zealous of his Honour and of magnifying his Name and maintaining all the Prerogatives of his Kingdom even to the loss of our lives if need be and sorry when we fail therein through infirmity we shall love our selves no more then to make it a true Rule whereby to measure out the love we owe unto our Neighbours and Brethren VVe shall always have as well a charitable Love for our Enemies as an affectionate love for our Relations and square out all Actions by the Evangelical Law of that Kingdom VVe shall do good for evil bless them that curse us pray for them who persecute us forgive as we would be forgiven be merciful to all Gods creatures according to their kinds use them with sobriety and thankfulness and be afflicted for it in our hearts when we are knowingly or ignorantly defective in these of any other duties as soon as
we have cognizance thereof or suspect our selves to have been any way faulty VVe shall arrogate nothing to our own endeavours when we have done the best we can but ascribe all the honour and merit of what is performed to our Heavenly Father and Creator his Son our Redeemer and to the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier who are as it were the Triumvirate by whom this Kingdom is governed When we finde these marks upon us the willingness of our hearts will be accepted as a compleat performance of the whole Law and we shall have an undoubting assurance that this Kingdom is in such a measure within us as will ripen to perfection in due time Al this we may finde implicitely contained in those Benedictions recorded in the Gospel with promises annexed by our Saviour to the qualifications there mentioned Matthew 5. 3. c. Blessed are the poor in Spirit for their's is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Blessed are they who are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce then and be glad for great is your reward in heaven so persecuted they the Prophets which were before These are not my words but his even the King of this Kingdom who will make them good and as I said before whosoever shall finde these foresaid marks upon him may be confident that the Kingdom of Heaven is within him The third Petition Thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heaven 1. WHen with perfect assent thereunto in heart as well as in words we can say this Petition our work will soon be at an end for we shall then be called home by our Heavenly Father and there will be no more need of such things as are prayed for in the three following Petitions Let us well consider therefore what we ask for in these words They amount in effect to a true self denial which is the most difficult thing in the world for flesh and blood to submit unto yet may possibly be made easie if it were well considered that it brings with it the greatest advantages that we can Petition or endeavour for by any faculty that we can call our own seeing God who can and doth renew the Will and inclines us thereto when we pray that his VVill may be rather fulfilled then our own hath promised assistance It begins to be easie to a regenerated heart when it knows that GODS Will and Righteousness are one and that our Will and Wickedness also are one as it is meerly our own will and brings us into all the mischiefs which befal both in this world and the world to come if we are swayed wholly thereby In this Petition as in the former we ask together with what tends to Gods glory that which will both prevent our destruction here and procure our eternal happiness hereafter He that knows God as he may do by what he hath manifested of himself and of his goodness toward all Mankinde need never to be afraid to submit his own will to his yea Body Soul and all that is most dear and pretious in his own esteem to be disposed of at his pleasure This knowledge and confidence is ordinarily begotten in most men of understanding by reading and hearing his Word preached but sometimes especially in them whose natural Faculties are defective it is wrought by a spiritual Instinct â—â—isensibly working in the Soul a conformity to the VVill of God which is always the same though to us it seems to change as we are changed He hath not as some say who delude themselves and others by sophisticated distinctions a secret and a revealed VVill contradictory to each other yea so contradictory that they may be rather judged two wills then One This false opinion causes many to be distrustful of Gods good meaning towards Mankinde fearful he will reprobate them when they have done all they can to please him and consequently though they profess the contrary and speak many good words of him blaspheam his goodness imputing that unto him which belongs to the Devil and themselves onely They who make unto themselves such a GOD cannot be better then he and I shall not wonder if they cannot pray heartily that his will may be done 2. To excuse themselves there be some of these who in effect do irreverently say thus unto God in their hearts VVho hath resisted thy VVill Thou knowest that by the sin of our Fathers and by thy eternal Decree of Election and Reprobation the greatest part of mankinde is left in or rather thrown into so sad a depraved condition that we are neither free to will or to do what thou requirest This is impudently to belie and blaspheam GOD For when he said that The seed of the VVoman should break the Serpents head he sanctified the whole humane Nature into a capability of performing so much as he requires absolutely at our hands and hath ever since and will for ever at first or at last so inlighten every man who comes into the world vouchsafing according to his promise such a renewing of the will and such a perpetual co-assistance for askng to perform what shall be accepted for the deed to all them who shall not wilfully malitiously and finally resist his Grace that no deficiency in him can be justly laid to his charge in relation to our misdoings as it will be manifested when all hidden things are discovered at the last judgment Indeed as we are meerly in our depraved Nature we can neither do or will ought that is acceptably good but as we are in grace we may For then to will is freely present with us and our doings perfected by the Merits of Christ yea our misdoings are often by him improved both to his Glory and our Salvation not that we should sin that Grace may abound but that abounding Grace may keep us from sin If we had not a Free will in sufficient measure to do or leave undone to chuse or refuse then were our faculties inferiour to those of beasts which do chuse or leave such means of preservation as are set before them nay were this liberty taken away or quite lost we could not be justly reputed righteous or wicked by our meer personal default in respect of any thing which we will or do or leave undone Wise men do not endeavour to force a Beast to that whereunto he is not naturally inclined much less to that whereunto he hath a Natural Antipathy and destroy him for not doing
undefiled and so visibly made known to be such that none shall be distrustful of each others Integrity An universal Love shall cement together inseparably every precious Stone of that building Yea a Love excluding all the Fear Jealousie and Envie which might imbitter their Injoyments and Affections into whom that Kingdom is come For though there will be a differing Glory as among the Stars which excel one another the least shall be as fully and as highly contented with his measure of Joy and his degree of exaltation as he that is greatest and every one take as much pleasure in the Glorification of others as in his own Much more might be said to this purpose and to give some hints whereby it may be known of what Nature this Kingdom is and when it is come into us But this and that which the Spirit of God will further dictate as need shall require will be sufficient to raise an apprehension to make us confident that when his Kingdom comes upon Earth his will shall be here done as it is in Heaven 17. Nevertheless it seems impossible to some that the Will of God should be fulfilled in Earth as it is in Heaven and so it would be unless it shall he more gloriously manifested then either now or heretofore and we should not have been taught so to pray if it were not to be expected in another mode Our Father had the same Kingdom upon Earth from the first Creation thereof and the Reign of his Anoynted Son was more visible when he first came in the flesh then in preceding Ages But it is said to be a Kingdom yet to come in regard of that more evident manifestation which it shall still have from time to time and especially after the six Mystical Dayes of a thousand years a piece are finished During that space the Devil called the Prince of this world and his Vicegerents are to exercise a power by Divine permission that the evil whereof our first Parents desired Knowledg might be as far forth made known to their whole Posterity as might be permitted with preservation of the humane Nature from being utterly destroyed And that when the great Sabbath of Years came the Beauty and Perfection of GOODNESS might be thereby the more Illustrated as the Day is by the darkness of the Night and as well known to Mankind as evil hath been and shall be experimentally manifested before the Mystical week is compleated For though the Devil lied when he tempted the Son of God with an offer of all the Kingdoms of the Earth in saying all those were given unto him Yet some appearance of Truth may seem to have been therein if we consider what Arbitrary power his Vicegerents have Arrogated and Exercised by their being accomptable to none in this life for their Mis-governments For many of them have been the most wicked men in the world chief Actors in bringing the knowledg of evil to perfection by making it as well felt as intelligibly known and They and the Nations under their Governments have mutually so corrupted each other that the greatest benefit we have now hope of by their Counsels Reasons of State and Arbitrary Actings is this their Wickedness ere long will be so fully Ripe that it will bring hither that King and Kingdom whereby we shall perfectly know and enjoy that GOODNESS which will root all wickedness out of the Earth and perhaps be an occasion of cutting that time of their Tyrannie somewhat shorter then it might else have been according to that Scripture where it is said that the dayes of Antichrists last cruelty should be shortned for the sake of his Elect. 18. The Kingdom we pray for now is and hath been in some proportion both visibly and invisibly upon the Earth in all Ages and his will there done according to the similitude expressed in this Prayer and in the Children thereof so far forth as they were and are capable And whereas it is said When Christ cometh shall he finde faith upon Earth as it may also be questioned whether when he cometh he shall find in any man an absolute Resignation of his will to GODS It implies not in my understanding either an universal Nagative or Affirmative but that he shall then finde both Faith and Self-denial in some For as there is an Old Will and an Old Earth by Nature in man which he had from Adam so there is also a New Earth and a New Heaven or will in man partly come and more perfectly to come into us and into the world by Christ between whom there is and shall be a continual warfare until Christs personal coming They in whom the first natural Earthlyness and will are predominant shall have no such faith or willingness found in them when Christ comes But he shall then find both such a Faith and such a Will as is expected in all those into whom that new Earth and that new Heaven is come which is predicted in the Revelations to St. John for that is a mystical Expression of that Kingdom which shall descend both into our Microcosme or little World and appear gloriously in this great World Into this Kingdom there shall enter no imperfect or unclean thing the Glory and Honour of all Nations shall be brought into it The fearful whose cowardise makes them Apostatize in persecution Unbelievers Murtherers Whoremongers Sorcerers Idolaters and Liers shall be shut out of it for this Kingdom shall not need as do the Kingdoms of this world to be supported by publishing Lies by depressing Truths by Dissemblings false Accusations Plottings Perjuries Oppressions and such like The City and Royal Palace thereof shall be more strongly fortified and more gloriously beautified then we are able to imagine or conceive by all those excellent Metaphorical Allusions to the most precious Earthly things whereby St. John as is before hinted hath endeavoured to raise us up to some apprehension by Faith which cannot be made known so excellent as it is by any VVords or natural Demonstrations Our Father the King of Righteousness even the Lord GOD Almighty is sole King thereof to whom we may with that perfect Joy and Love which casteth out Fear say Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven which short Petition comprehends all that is contained in this brief Prayer relating either to God or our selves as this Prayer contains implicitely all that is absolutely to be prayed for by the most exact Publike Liturgies and by all the Prayers of every Congregation and Individual person upon Earth Nevertheless remember this that though this is so Universal a Prayer as aforesaid and though God knows what we want before we ask it yet our insisting upon particulars is necessary to keep us mindful of our duties to God heedful of those wants which we have in our selves and diligent upon all occasions to seek and ask supply from him only in VVords and Musings regulated by this Prayer believing that we have attained