preface it selfe Our Father vvhich art in heuen It contains a descriptiō of the true Iehoua to whom we pray and that by two arguments the first is drawen from a relation Our Father the second is taken frō the subiect or place Which art in heuen Father 1. The meaning IN the opening of this word or title of God two questions are to be opened 1. Quest. Whether by this title Father is signified the whol Trinitie or some one person thereof Ans. Otherwhiles this name is attributed to all the persons in Trinitie or any of them Malac. 2. 10. Haue we not all one Father c. Luk. 3. 38. Which was the sonne of Adam which was the sonne of God And in Isai. 9. 6 christ is called the father of eternitie because al that ar truly knit to him and born a new by him they are eternally made the sons of God Again oftentimes it is giuen to the first persō in trinitie as in those places where one person is conferred with another And so in this place principally for some speciall respects this title agrees to the first person For first he is the father of Christ as he is the eternall worde of the father and that by nature because hee is of the same essence with him Secondly he is father to Christ in respect of his manhood not by nature or adoption but by personall vnion because the humane nature doeth subsist in the person of the word Thirdly hee is a father to all the faithfull by adoption in Christ. 2. Question Whether we are to pray to the Sonne and holy Ghost as to the Father Ans. Inuocation belonges to all the three persons in Trinitie and not only to the father Act. 7. 59. Steuen praieth Lord Iesus receiue my spirit 1. Thes. 3. 2. Now God our father and our Lord Iesus Christ guide our iourney vnto you 2. Cor. 13. 13. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the communion of the holy Ghost be vvith you Some say this praier is a perfect platforme of all praiers and in it wee are taught to direct our praiers to the Father not to the Son or holy spirit I answer the Father Sonne and holy Ghost are three distinct persons yet they are not to be seuered or diuided because they al subsist in one and the same Godhead or diuine nature And further in all outward actions as in the creation and preseruation of the world and the saluation of the elect they are not seuered or deuided for they al work together onely they are distinguished in the maner of working Now if they be not deuided in nature or operation then they are not to be seuered in worship And in this place we direct our praiers to the father because he is the first in order yet so as then we imploy the Son and holy Ghost For we pray to the father in the name of the Sonne by the assistance of the holy Ghost And to what persone soeuer the praier is directed we must alwaies remember in minde and heart to include the rest 2. The Vse THe vses of this point are manifolde 1. First whereas we are taught to com to God as to a father and therefore in the name of his Son our Sauiour Christ wee learne to lay the first ground of all our praiers in the holding maintaining of the vnion and distinction of the three persons in Trinitie This being the lowest and the first foundation of praier it is requisite that al which woulde pray aright should haue this knowledge rightly to beleeue of the Trinitie to know how the three persons agree and how they are distinguished the order of them how the Father is the first the Sonne the second the holy Ghost the third and therefore how the father is to be called vpon in the name of the Sonne by the holy Ghost Hence it is manifest that ignorant and sillie people which do not so much as dreame of the vnion distinction and order of the persons in Trinitie mak but cold and slender kind of praying 2. Secondly we may learn hereby that we are not in any wise to inuocate Saintes and Angels but onely the true Iehoua The reason stands thus This praier is either a perfect platform for all praiers or not to say it were not were an injurie to our Sauiour Christ to say it is so is also to grant that it doth fully set downe to whome al praiers are to be made Papistes that are the great patrons of invocation of Saints in their reformed breuiaries and missales deal very fōdly for first they pray to Mary that she would pray to Christ for them and when they haue so done like Iuglers they come to Christ and pray vnto him that hee would accept Maries praier for them 3. Thirdly we learne that there can be no intercessour betweene God and vs but onely Christ. For here we ar taught to come to God not as to a Iudge but as to a kind and louing Father Now he is a father to vs onely by Christ as for Angels and Saints al creatures they are not able to procure by any meanes that God shoulde become a father no not so much as to one man 4. Againe if the God to whom we pray be a father we must learn to acquaint our selues with the promises which hee hath made in his word to quicken our hearts in praier vnto him For this word Father implies redines and willingnes in God to heare and be mercifull to our praiers And a father cannot but must needs mak some promises of fauour to those that be his children and therefore it cannot be that he should call God truly his father which hath not in his heart this assurance that God will fulfill his promises vnto him Promises made to praier these and such like are to bee marked as follow 2. Chron. 7. 14. If my people among vvhome my name is called vpon do humble themselues and pray seek my presence and turne from their wicked waies then I will heave in heuen be mercifull to their sinnes 2. Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while you be with him and if ye seeke him he will be found of you Isai. 65. 24. Before they call I wil answere and whiles they speak I vvill heare Mat. 7. 7. Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shal find knock and it shall be opened Luk. 11. 13 If ye vvhich are euil can giue good gifts vnto your children how much more shal your heauenly father giue the holy ghost to them that desire him Rom. 10. 12. Hee that is Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call on him Iam. 4. 8. Drawe neere vnto God and he will draw neere vnto you 5. If God be a father who is called vpon then praier is the note of Gods Child S. Luke and S. Paul set out the faithfull seruants of God by this note Act. 9 14. He hath
authoritie to binde al that cal on thy name 1. Cor. 1. 2. To them that are sanctified by Iesus Christ saints by calling with all that call on the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And contrariwise Psal. 14. 4. It is made one of the properties of an Atheist Neuer to cal on the name of God And such persons as neither wil nor can or vse not hartely to pray to God they may say that they are perswaded there is a God but in their doings they bear themselues as if there wer no God 6. He which would pray aright must be like the prodigall childe that is he must not onely confesse his sin saying Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee c. but also haue a ful purpose neuer after to offend his Father For how can a Childe call him father whome hee cares not continually to displease through his lewd conditions He cannot do it neither can any Father delight in suche a child therefore in praier we must call to minde our lewdnes and rebellions against our heauenly Father and with the Publican in heuines of soule say Lord be mercifull to me a sinner He which can truly do this is a kind child If we consider our selues as we are by nature wee are the children of the deuill noe childe so like his Father as wee are like him and in this estate we continually rebel against God for the Deuill hath al the heart our whol joy is to serue and please him A man that is to pray must think on this and be heauy for it And happy yea a thousand times happy ar they who haue grace giuen them to see this their state to bewaile it And further it is not sufficient to confesse our sinnes against our mercifull Father but wee must set downe with our selues neuer in such sort to offend him againe and to leade a newe life This point is very profitable for these times For many there be when any crosse or sicknes comes on them they will pray and promise repentance and all obedience to Gods worde if it shall please God to deliuer them but this vsually is but in hypocrisie they dissemble with God and men For when their sicknes is past like a dogge that hath bene in the water they shake their eares and runne streight with all greedinesse to their former sinnes Is this to call God father No hee that doth this shall not haue God to be his father but the man that is wounded in his soul for his offēces past and carrieth a purpose in his heart neuer wittingly and willingly to offend God againe 7. Lastly here we ar to obserue that he which would pray must be indued with the spirit of adoptiō the workes whereof in the matter of praier are twofold The first to moue him to crie and call on God as a father It is no easie thing to pray For to a man of himselfe it is as easie to mooue the whole earth with his hand how then comes it that we pray It is a blessed worke of the spirit Rom. 8. 15. Wee haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby vve crie Abba that is Father and Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee knowe not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it self maketh request And. Zach. 12. 10. the holy Ghost is called the spirit of grace and deprecations or praiers Wel then the man that woulde pray must haue Gods spirite to bee his schoolmaster to teach him to pray with grones and sighes of the hart for the wordes make not the praier but the grones desires of the hart and a man praies for no more then he desires with his heart and hee which desires nothing praies not at all but spends liplabor The second work of the spirit is to assure vs in our consciences that we are in the state of grace reconciled to God Rom. 8. 16. The spirit of adoption beareth witnes with our spirits that we are the children of God And this inward certificate of the spirit in all exercises of invocation is very necessarie for hee which wants this assurance if hee be secure and benummed in his sinnes will not and if he be touched in conscience for them for his life hee dare not cal God Father Also this confutes the opiniō of the church of Rome which teacheth that a man must doubt whether hee be adopted or no. For howe can a man trulie cal God Father when he doubts whether he be the child of God or no. It is a miserable kinde of praying to call God Father and to doubt whether he be a father Indeede it is true that doubts will often rise but it is our dutie to striue against them and not to yeeld vnto them Yea but say they to be certain of Gods mercy is presumption I answere if it be presumption it is an holy presumption because God hath bidden vs call him father Our Father The meaning THus much of the argument of relation now let vs proceede It is further said Our Father Quest. Whether may it bee lawfull for vs in praier to say not our father but my father Ans. A Christian may in priuate praier say My Father This is warranted by the example of our Sauiour Mat 26. 39. O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me And Mat. 27. 46. My God my God whie hast thou forsaken mee The meaning of Christe is not to binde vs to these wordes but to teache vs that in our praiers wee must not haue regard to our selues onely but also to our brethren therefore when we pray for them in our priuate praiers as for our selues wee put in practise the true meaning of these wordes 2. The Vses 1 VVHen we pray we must not make request onlie for our selues our own good but for others also as the Church and people of GOD perswading our selues that we also are partakers of their praiers and for the better clearing of this point let vs search who they are for whome we are to pray Of men there be two sortes some liuing some dead Of these two kindes the liuing are to be praied for and there is no praying for the dead A man that is dead knowes what shall be his estate eternally if he died a wicked person his state shall be according in eternall torments if hee died godly then he shall rest with God in his kingdom Apoc. 14. 13. Blessed are they vvhich die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their vvorkes follow them Gal. 6. 10. While vve haue time let vs do good to al men Where we may note that there is a time namelie after death when we cannot Againe of the liuing some are our enemies and some our frends Our frends are they which are of the same religion affection disposition Foes are either priuate or publike publike foes are either enemies to our country as tyrants traitors c. or enemies
AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAIER IN the way of Catechisme By William Perkins EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT Walde-graue Printer to the Kings 〈◊〉 1593. TO THE RIGHT honourable Edward Lord Russell Earl of Bedford grace and peace be multiplied RIGHT honourable if you consider what is one of the cheife ornaments of this noble state vnto which God hath aduanced you It will appeare that there is none more excellent then the spirit of grace and praier For what doth your heart affect would you speake the languages Behold by praier you may speake the most heauenly toung that euer was euen the language of Canaan Would you haue the valor of knighthood By praier you may stand in the place where Gods hand hath made a breach and do as much as all the Chariots horsmen in a kingdome Would you enjoy Gods blessings which you want By praier you may as it were put your hād into the cofers of Gods treasures and inriche your selfe Do you desire the fauour of Monarks and Princes By praier you may come in presence and haue speeche with Iehoua the King of heauen and earth Lastly would you knowe whether now liuing you be dead that being dead you may liue for euer By praier a man may knowe whether he be dead to sinne dead to the world liue to God liue to Christ and liue eternally Praier then being so excellent a point of Religion I am imboldened to commend this small treatise your honour not so much for itselfe as because it doth set out the matter and true maner of inuocation of Gods holy name And I hope for your fauour in accepting of it the rather because I doubt not but your desire is to be answerable to your most honourable and for Religion most worthie ancestors in the care of maintaining and countenancing any good thing that may any whit serue for the furthering of the gospell of Christ. Now Iesus Christ our Lorde and God euen the Father which hath loued vs and giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace stablish your Honor in euerie good word and worke to the end Your H. to command William Perkins AN EXPOSITION of the Lords prayer in the way of Catechisme By M. Perkins Matth. 6. ver 9. After this maner therefore pray yee Our Father c. THe occasion and so also the coherence of these wordes with the former is this The Evangelist Matthew setting downe the Sermons and sayings of our Sauiour Christ keeps not this course to propounde euery thing as it was done or spoken but sometime he settes down that first which was done last and that last which was done before according as the spirit of God directed him Which thing is verified in these wordes where the praier is mentioned yet the occasion wherfore our Sauiour Christ taught his disciples to pray is not here specified But in Saint Luke 11. verse 1. the occasion of these wordes is euident For there it is said that the disciples of our Sauior knowing that Iohn taught his disciples to pray made request to their master that he would do the same to them likewise These few words set before the praier are a commandement and it prescribes vnto vs two duties the first to praie the second to pray after the manner following Touching the first point considering verie fewe among the people know how to pray aright we must learne what it is to pray To make praier is to put vp request to god acording to his word from a contrite hart in the name of Christ with assurance to bee hard For the better opening of these words we are to consider six questions The first is to whome wee are to pray The answer is to God alone Rom. 10. 14. Howe shal they cal on him in whome they haue not beleeued c. Marke how inuocation and faith are linked together And Paules reson may be framed thus In whome we put our affiance or beleif to him alone must we pray but we beleue only in God therefore wee must onely praie to him As for Saints or Angels they are in no wise to be called vpon because not the least title of Gods worde prescribes vs so to doe because they cannot heare our praiers and discerne what are the thoughts and desires of our harts and because invocation is a parte of diuine worship and therefore peculiar to God alone The second question is what kinde of action prayer is Answer it is no lip-labour it is the putting vp of a sute vnto God and this action is peculiar to the verie hart of a man Rom. 8. 26. The spirite makes request for vs But how with grones in the hart Exod. 14. 15. The Lord said to Moses Why criest thou Yet there is no mentiō made that Moses spake any word at all the Lorde no doubt accepted the inward mourning and desire of his hart for a crie The third question is what is the forme or rule according vnto which we are to pray Answer It is the reueiled wil and word of God A man in humbling his soule before God is not to pray as his affections carrie him and for what he list but all is to be done according to the expresse worde So as those things which God hath cōmanded vs to ask wee are to aske and those thinges which hee hath not commanded vs to ask we are in no wise to pray for 1. Iohn 5. 14. This is the assurance vvhich vvee haue of him that if wee aske any thing according to his will hee heareth vs. This then is a speciall clause to be marked that men must praye in knowledge not in ignorance Here weigh the case of poore ignorant people they talke muche of praying for themselues others they imagine that they pray verie deuoutlie to God but alas they doe nothing les because they knowe not what to ask acording to Gods will They therefore must learne Gods worde and pray according to the same else it will prooue in the end that all their praying was nothing but as mocking and flat dishonoring of God The fourth question is with what affection a man must pray Answer Prayer must proceed from a broken and contrite hart This is the sacrifice which God accepteth Psalm 51. verse 17. When Ahab abased himselfe though he did it in hypocrisie yet God had some respect vnto it 1. King 21. verse 29. Saith the Lorde to Eliah seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me This contrition of heart stands in two thinges The first of them is a liuely feeling of our own sinne miserie and wretched estate howe that we are compassed about with inumerable enemies euen with the Deuill and all his Angels within a bound even with huge seas of wants and rebellious corruptiōs whereby we most grieuouslie displease God are vile in our own eies Being therefore thus beset on euerie side wee are to be touched with the sense of this our gret miserie And he that wil pray aright
to our religion as Iewes Turks Papists Infidels Atheists Nowe towards all these how ought a man to behaue himselfe in prayer Ans. Hee is to pray for them all Mat. 5. 44. Praie for them vvhich hurt you and persecute you 1. Tim. 2. 1. I exhort that praiers intercessions c. Be made for all men for kinges c. Yet when Paul gaue this commandement we read not that there wer any ChristiaÌ„ kings but all Infidels And the Iewes are commanded to pray for Babylon where they were captiue Ieremie 29. 7. And seeke the prosperitie of the Cittie whither I haue caused you to bee carried captiue and praie vnto the lord for it Quest. Howe and in what maner are we to pray for our enemies Ans. We are to pray against their sinnes counsels enterprises but not against their persons Thus praied Dauid against Achitophell 2. Sa. 15. 31. Lord I praie thee bring the counsell of Achitophell to foolishnes And thus did the Apostles pray against their persecuters Act. 4. 29 O Lord behold their threatnings and graunt vnto thy seruants with all boldnes to spâ—ake thy word Question Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies in which he praieth for their vtter confusion as Psal. 59. 109. c. the like is done by Paul Gal. 5. 12. 2. Tim. 4. 14. And Peter Act. 8. 20. though afterwards hee mitigates his exexcration But how could they do it Ans. 1. They were indued with an extraordinarie measure of Gods spirit and hereby they were enabled to discerne of the estate of their enemies certainly to judge that their wickednes and malice was incurable and that they shuld neuer repent And the like praiers did the primatiue Church coÌ„ceiue against IuliaÌ„ the Apostata because they perceiued him to be a malicious and desperate enemie 2. Secondly they were indued with a pure zeal against their enemies intending nothing else but the glory of God Now for vs it is good that we should suspect our zeal because sinister affections as hatred enuie emulation desire of reuenge wil mingle themselues with our zeal Question How far forth may we vse those Psalmes in which Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies Ans. They are to be read and song with these caueats 1. Wee are to vse those imprecations indefinitely against the enemies of God and his Church for wee may perswade our selues that alwaies there be some such obstinate enemies but we must not apply them particularly 2. Secondly wee must vse them as Augustine saith as certaine prophetical sentences of the holy Ghost pronouncing the last sentence of destruction of final impenitent sinners which oppose themselues against Gods kingdom Thirdly they may be vsed against our spiritual enemies the flesh the deuil and his Angels the world 2. Furthermore whereas we ar taught to say Our father this serues to put vs in minde that in praying to God we must bring loue to meÌ„ with vs. We must all be as the children of one father louingly disposed one to another For how shuld he call God his father who wil not take the child of God for his brother Mat. 5. 23. When thou art to offer thie gifte vnto God if thou haue ought against thie brother first be reconciled and then come and offer thy gift So also Esay 1. 15. the Lorde saith that when they pray vnto him hee will not heare Why because their hands were ful of blud In these times many men can be conteÌ„t formally to praie but yet they will not leaue bribing oppression deceit vsurie c. The common song of the worlde is euerie man for himselfe and God for vs all this is the common loue and care that men haue eche to other The praiers of such are abhominable euen as the sacrifice of a dog as Esay saith For howe can they call God their Father that haue no loue to their brethren 3. Thirdly hence we may learn that God is no accepter of persoÌ„s For this praier is giuen to all men of what state or degree soeuer All then aswell poore as rich vnlearned as learned subjectes as rulers may say Our father It is not with the Lord as it is with the worlde but all are his Children that doe beleeue The poore man hath as good interest in Gods kingdome and may call God Father as well as the King Which art in heauen 1. The meaning QVestion Howe may God bee said to be in heuen seeing he is infinite and therefore must needes be euery where 1. King 8. 27. The heauens of heauens are not able to containe him Answer 1. God is saide to be in heauen because his majestie that is his power wisedome justice mercy is made manifest from thence vnto vs. Psalme 115. 3. Our God is in heauen and doth vvhatsoeuer he will Psal. 2. 4. He that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne and the Lord shall haue them in derision Esay saith 66. 2. Thus saith the Lord Heauen is my throne and the earth is my footstoole 2. After this life hee wil manifest the fulnes of his glorie there to his Angels and Saints 2. The Vse 1. HEereby first we learn that Romish pilgrimages wherby men went from place to place to worship God are vain and foolish The God to whome wee must pray is in heauen Nowe let men trauell to what place or countrey they will they shall not come the neerer to heauen or neerer to God by traueling seeing the earth is in euerie part alike distaÌ„t from heuen 2. Secondly this ouerthrowes popish Idolatrie as woorshipping of Crosses Crucifixes Roods c. to put vs in mind of God Christ. Wee are taught to lift vp our eies to heuen seeing God is there and how can we do this as long as our mindes and eies are poring vpon an image made by mans arte 5. Againe wee are here admonished to vse the action of praier with as great reuerence as possible may be Wel reasons Salomon Eccle. 5. 1. Be not rash with thy mouth to speak a vvord before God Why he is in heaven thou art in earth therfore let thy vvords be few This reuerence must appeare in holines of minde and affection and in al comlines of gesture And for this cause al wandering bythoughts and all vaine babling is to be auoided But how goes the case with vs that on the times appointed come to the asseÌ„blies to pray Many by reason of their blindenes pray without vnderstanding Many when they are present at praier yet haue their hearts occupied about other matters about their goods and worldly busines such men haue no joye or gladnes in praying it is a burdeÌ„ to them Many come to the assemblie for custom only or for fear of punishment if they might be left free they could find in their harts not to pray at all But let all suche meÌ„ know that this maner of praiing is a very greenous sinne nay greater then mocking of father or mother killing or stealing for it is
as litle gods though to the world we shew it not This hidden pride when other sinnes die it begins to get strength and to shewe it selfe and it appeares in vaine thoughts continuallie on euery occasion ascending in the minde As maye appeare in the Pharisie whose thoughts were these wheÌ„ he praied thus within himselfe O God I thank thee that I am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publican c. And as this was in him so it is in vs till God giue grace for so that men may haue praise glory in the world they care not for God his glorie though it be defaced Wee must therfore learn to discerne this hidden corruption and to mourn for it for it doeth poison hinder al good desires of glorifying God so long as it may preuaile in the hart 2 Secondly we are taught here to bewaile the hardnesse of our hearts whereby we are hindred from knowing God aright and from discerning the glorie of God in his creatures Mark 6. 52. The Disciples through the hardnesse of their hartes could not see Gods power in the miracle of feeding many thousands with a few loues though themselues were instrumentes of it and the food did increase in their hands Our redeÌ„ption what a wonderfull work is it but how few consider of it or regarde it If wee see a man haue more wit wealth or honour than we haue wee straight woonder at him but beholding Gods creatures we see nothing in them because we do not goe higher to acknowledge the loue power wisedome and iustice of the Creator And this is the cause why Gods name is so slenderly honoured among men 3 The third corruption is our great ingratitude for the Lorde hath made heauen and earth and all other creatures to serue mâ—n yet he is the most vnthankful of al creatures Bestow manie iewels or a kinges ransome on a dead man he wil neuer returne anie kindnes so men being dead in sinne deale with God Commonlie men are like the swine that run with their groines and eat vp the mast but neuer looke vp to the tree from whence it falleth But the godlie are with Dauid to feele this want in themselues and to beseech God to open and as it were to vnlocke their lippes that they may indeuour to be thankfull to God Psal. 51. 15. 4 The fourth is the vngodlines and the innumerable wantes that be in our liues and the sinnes committed in the world Psal. 119. 136 Mine eies saith Dauid gush out with riuers of waters because men keepe not thy lawes The reason is because he which liues in sin reproches Gods name euen as an euill child dishonors his father Now some wil say that this cannot be because our sinnes cannot hurt God Aâ— Yet they are a cause of slandring Gods name among men for as we honour him by our good workes so we dishonour him by our offences Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen 4 Graces to be desired 1 The graces to be desired and to be prayed for at Gods hand are three The first is the knowledge of God that is that we might know him as he hath reueiled himself in his word works and creatures For how shal anie glorifie God before he know him Our knowledge in this life is imperfect Exo. 23. Moses may not see Gods face but his hinder partes 1. Cor. 13. 12. Wee may see God as men doe through spectacles in his word sacraments and creatures And therefore as Paule prayed for the Colossians Col. 1. 10. that they might increase in the knowledge of God so are wee taught to pray for our selues in this petion 2. A zeale for Gods glorie Psal. 69. 9. The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp Psal. 45. 1. My heart shall vtter or cast vp a good matter I vvill speake in my workes of the king Here the Spirit of God borrowes a comparison froÌ„ men thus As he which hath somewhat lying heauie in his stomâ—cke is neuer at quiet till hee haue cast it vp euen so the care desire to glorifie Gods name must lie vpon a mans heart as an heauie burthen and he is not to bee at ease and quiet with himself till he be disburdened in sounding forth Gods praise Luther saith wel that this is sancta crapula that is an holy surfet and it is no hurt continuallie to haue our harts ouercharged thus 3 A desire to lead a godlie and syncere life as before Gods Majestie We see men that are in some great calling vnder honourable personages wil so order and behaue theÌ„selues as they may please and honour their maisters euen so must our liues bee well ordered and we are to labour to walk worthie of the Lord as Paul speaketh that we may honour our heauenly father Thy kingdome come 1 The Coherence THis petition dependes on the former most excellentlie For in it is laid downe the meanes to procure the first Gods name must be hallowed among men but how is it done by the erecting of Gods kingdome in the heartes of men We cannot glorifie God vntill he rule in our hearts by his word and Spirite 2 The meaning Thy This word doth put vs in mind that there is two kingdoms one Gods that is the kingdome of heauen the other the deuils called the kingdom of darknesse Col. 1. 13. For when all had sinned in Adam God laid this punishmeÌ„t on all that seeing they could not be content to obey their Creator they should be in bondage vnder Sathan So that by nature we are all the children of wrath and the deuill holds vp the scepter of his kingdome in the heartes of men This kingdome is spirituall and the pillers of it are ignorance errour impietie and all disobedience to God in which the deuill whollie delights which also are as it were the lawes of his kingdome Blind ignorant people can not abide this doctrine that the deuill should rule in their hearts they spit at the naming of him say that they defie him with all their heartes but whereas they liue in sinne and practise it as occasion is offered though they can not discerne of themselues yet they make plain proofe that they line in the kingdome of sinne and darknes and are stat vessels of Sathan shal so continew till Christ the strong man come and binde him and cast him out And this is the estate of all the children of Adam in themselues Wherfore our sauiour in this petition teacheth vs to consider our naturall estate and to pray that he would giue vs his Spirit to set vs at libertie in the kingdome of his owne Sonne Kingdome Gods kingdome in scriptures is taken two waies First generallie and so it signifieth that administration by which the Lord gouerneth all thinges yea euen the deuilles themselues of which kingdome mention is made in the end of