if we repeate the same words to iterate the same petitions to God why is it more blameable in vs then in Christ himselfe who in the Garden is said to haue vsed three times seuerally the same words not the same petition onely Or then in Saint Paul who when Sathan buffeted him did three times pray the same prayer as hee confesseth Neither can I be perswaded that the contrite Publican in the Gospell did giue ouer with once saying Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner no question he often pressed his humble suit The practise of the Church of Rome to say ouer so many Pater nosters like Parrets not vnderstanding what they say or thinking that God will take his seruice and our deuotions by number without weight is an abhominable abusing of the Maiestie of God and of the holy exercise of prayer it is also a foolish beguiling of themselues But the often repeating this prayer or any other made by the rule of this or any one petition of this is a good signe of that importunity which Christ commendeth in prayer and which we finde effectuall by the euents thereof in the parable of the Widow and vniust Iudge and of him that borrowed loaues of his neighbour It is a rule of charitie to make the best construction we can of any thing that is done or said by our neighbour and therefore in the directions of the holy Church of which we are members and parts and into which by our Baptisme we are admitted it is both piety and charity to make the best of all and not to abuse our wit to finde faults we are very happy in this that God hath by his owne Sonne taught vs both what good things to aske of God and in what fit words and I dare presse the frequent vse hereof vpon warrant of this plain and cleare text Quando oratis dicite quandocunque oratis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may beare a siquando Here is the wood for our sacrifice the very matter of prayer prouided to our hands and methodically put in order we haue rather the sacrifice it selfe prepared and nothing wanteth but fire from heauen to enflame it that is our holy zeale and that may be had for asking if by faith we demand it of God Plato finding that the people of his time were very ill instructed how to pray and did many times desire things to their owne hurt taught them this forme of prayer from an old Poet Iuppiter rex optima nobis vouentibus non vouentibus tribue mala autem poscentibus quoque abesse iube But we may say of Christ hee hath shewed thee O man what is good what thou maist boldly aske by faith he hath drawne thy petition himselfe and puts thee on vpon thy suit that thou shalt neither goe on thine owne head nor in thine owne name ne pecces lingua tua I will yet adde one note Christ saith when ye pray as putting it for granted that you thinke vpon it as a necessary duty that you resolue vpon it as a fit seruice of God to pray So when you Fast saith hee doe thus as supposing that you will finde times for these things if you make no conscience of prayer this direction is of no vse to you To pray you haue heard is an holy serious act of religion and a principall part of Gods worship when you really doe that say thus if it be but saying of prayers as good let it alone It is to no purpose to teach men how to pray that haue no meaning or purpose to pray neither is it to any purpose to teach them the way to heauen that set their faces not to Ierusalem but to Babylon It is a great fault in them that doe not pray and yet say Our father as all they doe whose tongues repeat the words and yet neither their vnderstandings are instructed either in the matter or order of the petitions nor their affections once moued at any thing they say This is a direction for none but such as desire to learne it for none but such as desire to make vse of it that is for such as would poure sorth their hearts and open their desires to God When you meane to doe so you may either vse these very words or you may frame your petitions in this order or if you haue any one of these petitions alone to sollicite God in this may be your rule and direction I must therefore call vpon you to pray and in your prayer to follow this holy direction and to make you more able for it I haue vndertaken to interpret this holy prayer to you wherein you shall see what you may aske and you must keepe you so precisely to this rule as not to dare to aske any thing else for Christ would not say when you pray say Our father but that he meaneth to giue you a full instruction and to set you in a good and perfect way of prayer Whatsoeuer you aske more then this or beside this is sinne and prouoketh God against you Our Father which art in heauen I come now to the prayer it selfe and herein I will not forsake a path so well beaten before me by so many great and learned iudgements both ancient and of yesterday who diuide this whole prayer into three parts 1 An inuocation in the first words 2 Petitions in the body of it 3 A conclusion giuing reason of both 1 Of the Inuocation This hath three words in it which containe the three parts of the inuocation 1 Father shewing who it is to whom our praiers are directed 2 Our expressing the interest that wee haue in him 3 In heauen pointing to the place from whence we looke for helpe and where this our heauenly father is 1 Father herein consider 1 Who is meant in that title 2 Why he is inuocated vnder that title 1 Who is meant No doubt is made that this praier is addressed to God and it is cleare that in this we are by Christ onely directed to God for when they sayd doce nos orare they desired the full instruction in all things concerning praier and when Christ answered them pray our Father he gaue them a full direction in which it is necessary mainely that they be taught to whom they must pray and if Christ doe onely direct them to God wee may conclude that none but God may be called vpon in our praier Our reasons for this onely inuocation of the name of God are 1 From this direction for if any else be to be inuocated Christ himselfe hath not giuen a full instruction who directeth vs onely to our Father in heauen But it is sinnefull to charge the wisedome of God with defect in his directions for if we aske wisedome of God hee giueth it abundantly as S. Iames saith this had beene short of giuing wisedome abundantly for he hath not giuen
although they went too farre in this opinion of the force of imitation wee may truely charge a great deale euen the most of our euill vpon it It giueth all Superiors warning to obserue their whole carriage warily For children wil take great notice what their Parents say or doe the eyes of the Hand-maid vpon the hand of her Mistresse the eyes of Pupils on their Tutors of Subiects to their Soueraigne and their good example may doe much good their ill example may corrupt and peruert much here Christs example of praying did put them all vpon it to make a motion concerning praier Obserue also a modest ciuill manner obserued amongst them though there were many of them I suppose the full number of his Disciples yet but one speaketh for all It is a good precept of the Apostles and applyable to all conuersations of men Let all things be done decently and in good order In our publique meetings where all of vs doe come to moue our God in petitions for things necessary for vs it were a rude and vnciuill confusion if we should all speake at once euery man the desire of his heart therefore the Minister is appointed to speake for vs all and we as before declare our consent of hearts either in some short eiaculation of prayer or in our deuout Amen 3 The motion it selfe Lord teach vs to pray Wherein obserue 1 That they found it a necessary duty to pray 2 That they found themselues not well instructed in that duty and therefore desired to be taught 3 That they resort to their Master and intreate him to teach them 1 They finde it a necessary duty If there had beene no other prouocation but the example of their faithfull Master that had beene sufficient to proue to them the necessitie of this duty 1 I cannot conceiue of these Disciples that they were vtterly ignorant of this duty before because I know that prayer which is the inuocation of power able to helpe vs as we beleeue is a suggestion of nature for as no man is simpliciter atheos but beleeues in some deity whose power is sufficient to protect them from euill and to giue them supply of their wants so naturall reason directeth to seeke that protection and supply by way of petition and therefore in the ship that transported Ionah in the storme euery man called vpon his god Euery man had a god to whom he might flye in time of need and danger and in that extremitie to that god euery man directed his prayer therefore the Disciples could not be ignorant of this duty which is a lesson taught in the schoole of nature 2 The practise of the Church taught them the vse of prayer there was Domus orationis and men vsually went vp thither to pray The Scribes and Pharises were great examples of frequent of long prayers Neither can I suspect these Disciples strangers to the better examples of the holy men and women of foregoing times whose holy deuotion and worship of God those Bookes of Scripture which then were read publiquely in their Synagogues did sufficiently declare But all this is helped and their affections be now by Christs example stirred to apprehend the necessity therof more then before Examples be of great vse in this kinde Beloued this is a necessary point to be taught and beleeued whosoeuer shall desire to be instructed in the doctrine of prayer let him be first perswaded of the necessity of this duty Two things doe make this duty of prayer necessary in the Church and amongst the holy seruants of God 1 The ordinance of God who hath commanded it 2 Our owne necessities which are no other way to be relieued 1 Concerning Gods ordinance We finde it often commanded in Scripture in direct termes and it is implied in the two great Commandements of the Law for not onely obedience is commanded therein but all those holy duties also by which our obedience may be any waies furthered and that giues great place in the precept to prayer seeing that is the chiefest meanes by which we doe obtaine that ability by which the law of God is in any measure fulfilled And therefore it is a note of the faithfull that they be viri orationum and where God giueth his spirit there is prayer for his is a spirit of grace and supplications Vnder the name of prayer is comprehended the whole duty of Christian religion for the Apostle saith Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Which words are taken from the Prophet Ioel as the margent of the Bibles directeth you And it is vrged also by the Apostle Saint Peter And the Apostle doth well declare that prayer is the chiefe part of Gods worship by that gradation for no man praieth aright but he that beleeueth and none beleeueth but hee that hath heard and none can heare without a Preacher none can Preach except he be sent In which gradation you may obserue the whole worke of mans guiding to saluation is accomplished in prayer For first God sendeth his Minister to Preach his word to his Church he is not disobedient to the heauenly calling but goeth on the errand of God and preacheth in season and out of season The faithfull heare the word from him faith commeth by this hearing and doth bring forth this ripe fruit of inuocation so that the worke of meanes is compleate in prayer and saluation followeth which maketh prayer the summe of Christian duty and to stand there for the whole exercise and practise of religion In the contrary Dauid describing the vngodly by many notes doth conclude with this as the last and strongest proofe to conuince them of vngodlinesse They call not vpon the name of the Lord. The reason on Gods part is for by prayer God is honoured This declareth him to be God when the eyes of all things looke vp to him when wee seeke his face and confesse him the onely giuer of euery good and perfect gift this is a sacrifice of righteousnesse With such sacrifices GOD is pleased so that our Sauiour pressed no doctrine more by precept then prayer in three seuerall words commanding the same thing Petite quaerite pulsate And to encourage the seruice hee directeth vs both in the matter and forme of praier and in the way and meanes to the Father in his name and he fortifieth the precept with full and gratious promises made to them that doe pray to him And the Apostles doe so much vrge this duty Saint Paul to pray continually to put our whole strength to prayer Saint Iames vrgeth the same precept and sheweth that wisedome is obtained by prayer and declareth what it is that makes many prayers miscarry when we aske amisse But the feruent prayers of the iust doe speed alwaies 2 Another matter that necessitateth the duty of prayer is that God hath left vs no other reuealed meanes to obtaine supply of our wants but by prayer insomuch as
we examine you what is meant by the name of God what it is to hallow it what is meant by the kingdome of God and how would you haue it come c. If you doe not vnderstand what you aske of God in these petitions are you any better then those byrds that are taught to speake but cannot vnderstand And doe not the Papists pray to as good purpose in Latine as you in English if you vnderstand not what you aske Therefore for your better information resort to such as Christ hath left in his Church to instruct you and say doce me orare For if you vnderstand not your selues in your petitions neither will God vnderstand you 2 We must pray with reuerence This must be inward of the soule and outward of the body The soule must compose it selfe in holy feare to this conference with God lest when we doe seeke for mercy from him we awake his power and iustice against our selues Our prayer applyeth it selfe that way from whence our helpe commeth and Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth Prayer is called the calling vpon the name of the Lord and David saith holy and reuerent is his name The old law amongst the heathen for their homely gods was Deos castè adeunto There is in God greatnesse which filleth vs with feare and goodnesse which filleth vs with hope the inward reuerence that we must bring with vs to prayer must be a mixt composition of the heart partly put on with hope and partly stopped with feare for all feare will keep vs away from God and all hope will make vs too bold when we come to him To this must be added to expresse this outward reuerence for the body must not sit out in this holy seruice that is the temple of the holy ghost euery whit of it must shew reuerence I deny not but the heart may pray reuerently to God in inward deuotion when no appearance thereof comes abroad in voice in posture in gesture in countenance But ordinarily the prostration of the body or geniculation the lifting vp of the eyes and hands haue beene the expressions of prayer in great examples And the consideration of the great and high Maiestie of God may well stoope vs to these reuerend formes which ought not to be forborne where with conuenience they may be vsed for God challengeth it as a part of his honour To mee shall euery knee bow and he giues it in reward to his sonne that at his name euery knee shall bow and euery tongue shall confesse to him 3 In perfect sense of our want 1 For if we pray for good things wee must feele the want of them and rightly vnderstand that neither wee can well be without them neither are we able to receiue them any where else then from the open giuing hand of God neither can we desire them of him by any meritorious seruice we can performe to him rather wee deserue all ill at his hands malum poenae to reuenge in vs malum culpae Neither can we haue them from him but by way of petition as he hath commanded vs. 2 If we pray against euill wee must feele our selues iustly imbarqued in the feare or smart thereof and that none but the preseruer of man can either preuent the euill that we feare or subuent vs in the euill wee feele none but he can defend vs against it or protect vs in it or deliuer vs from it Therefore we must heartily affect the good that we pray for and perfectly abhorre the euill against which we pray 4 We must pray in feruencie of spirit so the Apostle admonishing vs to many holy duties addeth this Continuing instant in prayer for qui timidè rogat docet negare and therefore hee requireth vs to be feruent in the spirit olla feruens seipsum purgat The prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent It is noted in the best example of all that Christ in the daies of his flesh offered vp his prayers and supplications to his Father with strong cries and teares the Euangelist addeth with sweat trickling downe his face of water and bloud which was like the plague of fire mingled with haile amongst the Egyptians for that shower of water and bloud which Christ wept from his agonized body did lay and calme the storme of Gods indignation against sinne and did burne vp and drown the proud Prince of darkenesse that he was neuer able to preuaile against the Church and death was swallowed vp in victory The greatest prayer is that holy fire with which the Church fighteth against Sathan and therefore feruent prayer is by Saint Augustine called Deo sacrificium oranti subsidium daemonibus flagellum They that offer vp to God their prayers in the heate of fury as the two sonnes of thunder let fire come from heauen and consume the Samaritans and that vent the bitternesse of their intemperate spleene in curses and imprecations to Gods dishonour and the breach of charity they do offer strange fire and this offering doth expose the offerers thereof to the fire of Gods fury This feruor is in respect of the holinesse of God 5 We must pray in sincerity of heart not in hypocrisie the sincere heart is in good earnest with God and therefore is importunate resembled therefore to hunger 〈…〉 man which indangereth miscarrying if it be not satisfied There is no way for prayers that come of some double hearts God is one and Cor simplex that is sine plicis is his delight this in respect of the wisedome of God 6 We must pray in faith Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith And Saint Iames Let him aske in faith nothing wauering for hee that wauereth is like a waue of the sea driuen with the wind and tossed for let not that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord. The ground of this faith is the goodnesse and truth of God whose promise bindeth him to grant all that wee aske of him in the name of his Sonne 7 Wee must pray in the mediation of Iesus Christ for if we consider the greatnesse and glory of God it is such that the Angels when they stand before God doe couer their faces with their wings therefore there is no appearing for vs sinfull men in the presence of that glorious Maiestie of our selues but we must goe by the way of a Mediatour to him This was figured in the old law in the High Priest who did beare the names of the children of Israel before the Lord. Aaron was a figure of Iesus Christ who is declared our onely Mediatour for there is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus Quid est dulcius quam genitorem in nomine vnigeniti inuocare Aug. med cap. 5. So much of the world as acknowledge
shall dye in our sinnes who then shall haue pitty on vs 7 If we forgiue not as we would be forgiuen will he not say to vs Oughtest not thou to haue forgiuen thy fellow seruant as I forgaue thee and he will require the vtmost farthing of our debt of vs. 8 If he leade vs into temptation and suffer our owne corruptions to guide vs or Sathans temptations to preuaile against vs how shall we be able to keepe faith and a good conscience 9 If hee doe not either preuent euils comming or support in euils incumbent or deliuer vs out of them how can we subsist in them Therefore our double Amen is requisite in all these 1 Signaculum sidci that we beleeue a necessitie of obtaining all these for Gods glory and our good 2 Votum desiderij that wee expresse an earnest and feruent desire to preuaile with God in all these 1 We must pray that his name may bee hallowed that 2 We may be partakers of his kingdome 3 We must desire that his will may be done that we may eate of his bread 4 We must desire forgiuenesse of sinnes past and protection against all after temptations that we may be deliuered from all euils of punishment and that Sathan may not touch vs. Leaue out nothing hee is our father of whom wee aske and he hath a full hand and our prayers will open it They whose hearts doe say Amen to some part of this prayer and their zeale tooleth in the rest obtaine nothing of God but pro corona fidei they haue poenam perfidiae How many be there in the world that cry heartily panem nostrum quotidianum and libera nos a malo who neither care for the name the kingdome nor the will of God they neither feele any inconuenience in sinne nor feare rather like temptations which haue a pleasing relish Like those that dye with tickling Others presse the first petition slightly concerning the name of God because they are profane and sweare by it They will allow God a kingdome and take it away by disobeying his will Bread they would haue but they thinke much to bee limited to aske for the day They like the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes but not the sicut nos They feare not temptation euils they deprecate But Amen to all is our lesson 3 Amen to the conclusion i. In faith beleeuing kingdome power and glory to be his Amen So is it In zeale desiring that God may euer haue all due ascriptions Amen So be it 3 By whom it must be said All that pray must say Amen for as we pray one for another so one with another We haue one God one faith in that God one Baptisme into that faith one Eucharist the seale of the couenant one word the rule of faith and manners one prayer and one Amen They that bring their bodies without their hearts doe increase the company but they doe not mend the quire Cardinall Bellarmine confesseth vsum respondendi Amen antiquissimum in ecclesia But to come to Church onely to heare prayers and not to pray to pray and not to seale it with an Amen is to prophane the seruice and worship of God We are or should be an holy Priest-hood to offer vp vnto God the sacrifice of praise and the incense of prayers with one voyce one heart as Zeph. saith with one shoulder Multorum preces impossibile est contemni So all the congregation and euery part of it must say Amen to all the prayers and to euery petition of them And that was the reason why our holy Church did so dispose of the common prayers that the people should haue their part in sundry short eiaculations that their deuotions might be set a worke to ioyne with the Minister whereas in other reformed Churches the congregation hath nothing to say but Amen This was so well obserued in the Church in Saint Ieromes time that the people made the Church ring againe with the loud voyce of their ioynt Amen hee saith ad similitudinem coelestis tonitrui reboauit And the Iewes of old in their Synagogues did redouble it Amen Amen 4 How we must say Amen Caninius in voces novi testamenti saith there is 1 Amen pupillum a non intelligentibus 2 Surreptum spoken in hast before the prayer ended 3 Otiosum of them that minde it not 4 Iustorum and that must be said 1 With knowledge They that know thy name will trust in thee If we know what we pray for Who is the giuer of it For whose sake we aske it For what vse What need we haue say Amen heartily They that pray in a strange tongue pray without knowledge therefore God will say to the Church of Rome nescitis quid petatis They that say this prayer and vnderstand it not sinne as much in Our Father as they in Pater noster If God should say to them as Philip to the Eunuch intelligis quid dicis would they not say how can I without a teacher You haue beene taught take heed that you learne for All ignorant deuotion is no better then taking the name of God in vaine 2 Amen must be said with the spirit These two vnderstanding and the spirit must not be parted in our prayers I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the vnderstanding also As the Hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God So O God thou art my God early will I seeke thee my soule thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is This spirit is willing though the flesh be weake Our prayer is directed to him who is called the God of spirits who is also a spirit and to be serued in spirit and in truth This is the holy fire from Gods Altar which inflameth deuotion euen the zeale of this spirit this fireth the incense of our prayers and makes them ascend The Amen of the lips is thus welcome to God Populus hic honorat me labijs But let our soules and all that is within vs say Amen euen the hid man of the heart and God will answer vs with his Amen 3 Amen with faith Three things there are in God for faith to fasten on 1 Quia fidelis Dauid vrgeth him vpon that point Heare my prayer O Lord giue eare to my supplications in thy faithfulnesse answere me We pray in confidence of Gods promise for hee is faithfull that promised Saint Peter calleth him a faithfull Creator Commit the keeping of your soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull Creator 2 Quia potens We may say boldly with the paralitike Domine si vis potes me mundum facere Apud deum nihil est impossibile Omnia tibi seruiunt Amen may rest in that power which ruleth ouer all and doth quicquid vult 3 Quia volens The first compellation in this prayer is proofe enough of this quia
the Lord say spare thy people O Lord. And the people declare their assent to his praiers by their ioynt Amen The Iewes vttered this with great zeale and therefore doubled it saying Amen Amen They had foure sorts of Amen at praiers whereof three they condemned and refused 1 Was that Amen which was giuen to praiers that they vnderstood not they called it Iethima like to the Amen in the latine seruice which the people doe not vnderstand onely they know when the praier is ended and for fashion sake they say Amen 2 Was that Amen surreptum which was vttered before the praier was finished which shewed a wearinesse they would faine haue it done 3 Otiosum when the people did ioyne only in the Amen at the close and took no regard to the praier going before which is the most general fault of congregations 4 Tzaddik the Amen of the iust whose hearts following the voyce of the prayer quite through the mind and intention zealously affixed to the holy worship concluded with an Amen And Saint Ierome commending the deuotion of Christians in his time doth say that the noise of the Church at this Amen was reboatus Amen ad similitudinem coelest is tonitrui The proper places for these publike meetings be those houses of God which are consecrated to praier our Churches and Oratories and Chappels Priuate praier doth not discharge vs of the duty of publike praier with the Church though some schismatickes and separatists too confident in their owne gift of praier and ill affected to the Church seruice and vncharitably preiudicate against their brethren doe despise our Church praiers and thinke their duty sufficiently discharged in their priuate deuotions For in all ages of the Church since Christ Christians as they were able did striue to erect houses of prayer Temples for the publike conuentions of people to the worship of God They begun this euen in the time of their persecution and euer since they haue had the estimation of Religion and deuotion that haue aduanced any such workes for the accommodating of congregations to this worship as our Church Homily of prayer hath very fully and profitably exprest This prayer of Christ here mentioned was priuate and though he retired from his Disciples as it may bee conceiued to some priuate place yet they take notice of his errand and thereupon followeth 2 The motion following When he ceased one of his Disciples said to him Lord teach vs to pray Wherein I obserue 1 The discreet seasonablenesse of the time for this motion quando cessauit 2 The manner of it one of his Disciples 3 The motion it selfe doce nos orare 1 Of the seasonablenesse of the motion When he ceased after his praier was ended and that he returned to his Disciples this was moued Christ withdrawing from them to this priuate place to pray did admonish them of his desire to be priuate and therefore in good manners they would not interrupt him with vnseasonable Interpellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 It is our lesson from hence not to giue ouer our prayers to God till wee haue brought our seruice to a pawse it is one of the quarrels against our Church seruice the longsomnesse of it yet the whole seruice at the longest distinctly read may bee well comprehended within an houre and Christ speaketh it passionately and taking it vnkindely Could you not watch with mee one houre Let vs not be weary of well doing Thou louest to bring all thy businesse to a full end that concerneth thy estate or thy delight and wilt thou slight the greatest worke of all which crowneth all the rest with the blessing of God by thy vnconstant and vnfixt indeuotion thinke not the time long that thou spendest in conference with thy God finish thy holy worke with him and then returne to thy occasions as Christ did 2 It is our lesson from the example of these Disciples not to interrupt the deuotions of others not to hinder their praiers it is a kinde of quenching of the spirit in our selues and others to disturbe deuotion or to interpose in an vnseasonable time to hinder Gods seruice It is obserued in Samuel that when he had assembled the people in Mispeh to pray to the Lord and to offer sacrifice that the Philistins hearing of their meeting came vpon them neither Samuel nor the people gaue ouer the seruice that they were then about but rather the more earnestly applied it for The children of Israel said vnto Samuel cease not to cry vnto the Lord our God for vs and hee will saue vs out of the hand of the Philistins and God answered their praiers and desires with desired successe But Saul contrarily vpon the comming of the Philistines against Israel and being then with the Priest to haue consulted with God about that assault hearing of their neere approach said to the Priest Withdraw thy hand and interrupted the consultation and went immediately to the battaile which though it succeeded well for Israels sake yet Saul did quench his owne spirit in neglecting the ordinance of God and hindering the Priest of the Lord in his holy office Amongst our selues let vs take warning not to doe any thing that may disturbe one anothers priuate or publike deuotions If we haue any thing to say to one that is praying let vs after this example of these disciples tarry the time till it come to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men will take it ill to be troubled in the time of their game or in the presse of a serious businesse or in some earnest conference or in the times of their refection these are no fit times of interpellation who dares take off or call aside a subiect that is speaking to a King who is a man and shall we withdraw one that is in speech with almighty God Doe not say now is best talking with him he is in a good minde For I say vnto you hee that prayeth to God as hee should is not his owne man for the time he is in the spirit and hath abstracted himselfe from the world and euen from himselfe to attend vpon God Therefore prayer is called a pouring forth of our soules before God 2 The manner of this suite One of his Disciples One of them but it is not said which of them but one of them it appeares in the behalfe of the rest of them with himselfe and so Christ did vnderstand him and therefore in answer he said to them verse 2. when ye pray It seemeth by this that the example of Christ tooke amongst them for whilest Christ was from them praying we finde it agreed vpon amongst them to make this motion Obserue in this the power of a good example for when it is in the eyes of them that desire to serue God aright it worketh in them an affection of imitation There were heretiques that denied any originall sinne by propagation but charged all the euill that corrupteth man vpon imitation surely
what God hath directly promised to vs yet hee requireth vs to demand this of him by prayer whether it be for giuing vs good things or for remouing euill from vs. God himselfe doth giue it a cause of his indignation against Iacob Thou hast not called vpon me O Iacob therefore I haue giuen Iacob to the curse and Israel to reproach God in fauour meant to forgiue the friends of Iob who had not spoken right of him as Iob had done and therefore he blameth them and sheweth his anger kindled against them yet notwithstanding hee directeth them the way of their reconciliation to him They must offer sacrifice to God for themselues and Iob must pray for them Him I will accept saith God so his prayer preuailed for them with God The like fauour God meant to Abimelech yet hee passed it to him by prayer by the prayer of Abraham He is a Prophet he shall pray for thee viues Pharaoh himselfe could discerne that there was no way out of the plague that oppressed Egypt but by prayer and therefore he saith to Moses Intreate the Lord that he may take away the Frogges from me and my people It is obiected that the wicked of the earth doe possesse many great fauours of God and in more plenty then the iust and yet they neither pray for what they want nor giue thankes for what they receiue and indeed God is not in all their waies Let not this quench our zeale or abate any thing from the reuerent frequencie of this holy duty for God the Father hath two manners and kindes of distribution and dispensation of his fauours amongst the children of men here on earth 1 God bestoweth his gifts as a faithfull Creator and so he is conseruer of his creatures by a generall prouidence and thus he letteth his Sunne shine and his raine fall vpon the iust and vniust thus he openeth his hand and filleth all things with plenty 2 God bestoweth other fauours as a mercifull Father for Iesus Christs sake and with those fauours his blessing goeth forth and passeth vpon them onely that feare him for seeing he hath ordained Christ his Sonne to be the way of his blessing all the benefits that he bestoweth on man without the mediation of Iesus Christ doe come without his blessing The vngodly of the earth doe receiue many of Gods common gifts but not by the way of grace therefore they are without his blessing so that we cannot esteeme the owners thereof rich seeing the blessing of God maketh man truely rich But whatsoeuer the vngodly possesse is to them vnsanctified therefore let not our eye be set vpon that which they haue and enioy to enuy their prosperity rather let vs consider the want of Gods blessing to lament their miserie and let Saint Paul teach vs that The good things which God bestoweth on his deare children are sanctified by the word of God and by prayer Thus the gifts of God are made blessings to vs the holy Ghost hath an hand in the dispensation of them to Gods glory in vs the aduancement of our saluation The difference betweene these two receiuers doth appeare to vs 1 In the effect that these gifts worke in them 2 In the vse to which they are applied 1 For the effect Where God for Christs sake doth bestow and wee doe receiue good things from him there followeth contentation which euer accompanieth godlinesse but the vngodly man is neuer satisfied 2 For the vse The iust man applieth all the gifts of God to three ends 1 To the glory of God for he vseth the gifts of God as the faculties of well doing whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God 2 To the good of our neighbour for that is the law proximum tuum vt teipsum so that in the Church of God there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and both our spirituall and temporall gifts doe by communion of charity so participate themselues to our brethren and sisters as the stomach in the body receiueth in nourishing food not for it selfe onely though into it selfe first but for the good of the whole body 3 Because the end of our creation was not for this life and we haue here no abiding city therefore the faithfull doe apply all the gifts of God as helpes to the prosecution of eternall life whereas the vngodly finde them impediments to them the cause is for they make them the end of their labours and fixe their hearts vpon them The doctrine of the necessity of prayer is thus cleared from the Commandement by which it is imposed and from our necessities no other way to be relieued 2 In the next place I obserued in those Disciples that they found themselues not well instructed in that seruice of God and therefore desire to be taught And this is a common defect for although by a naturall instinct we know that good things are sought by prayer and the wants and griefes which we doe feele will easily breake forth into words yet the Apostle saith Wee know not what wee should pray for as we ought I vnderstand that the Apostles doe here desire to be instructed 1 In the matter of prayer what to aske 2 In the manner of it as they ought But because this motion doth arise from a sense of defect in themselues we know not saith Saint Paul 1 Then of that sense 1 Euery man hath this defect for flesh and bloud is not wise enough to pray prayer is the worke of a better spirit then that which enliues and actuates our mortall bodies it is the worke of the holy Ghost the same spirit that is the spirit of grace is also the spirit of supplications But euery man doth not feele this defect for many doe ouerweene their ability this way and despise the helpe of all set prayers and take vpon them to be able without any other directions to tell their owne tales to God Almighty and vpon this ability which they conceiue in themselues for this seruice they doe neglect the publique meetings of our Church to our common prayers I iudge not their sufficiencie that way but I must admonish you that you doe mistrust it euery man in himselfe so farre as to put all the feare and holy reuerence you can to this worke For if we be carefull in petitions to great personages and Princes to weigh our words and to aduise with our best care both what and how we desire This holy seruice of God which is so maine a part of Gods worship cannot bee vndertaken with too much feare and reuerence wee cannot come too prepared to this conference with our God They that are sensible hereof as no doubt these Apostles were doe well to desire to be taught Wee had need to bee taught our owne and it is not quenching the spirit in our brethren to admonish them of this naturall vnfitnesse that is in vs to pray
one God but know not this way to him by Iesus Christ may aske but they shall neuer receiue they may seeke but shall neuer finde they may knocke but it shall neuer be opened to them Christ saith I am the way no man commeth to the Father but by me The Papists doe forsake this way in their multiplicitie of Mediatours for though they beare the world in hand that they acknowledge but one Mediatour of satisfaction that is Christ many Mediatours of intercession that is Angels and Saints the prayers that their Liturgies doe vent declare against them that they inuocate the Father in the mediation of Saints by way of satisfaction forasmuch as they plead with God the merits of Saints and ascribe as much efficacie to the milke of the Virgin Mother of our Lord as to the bloud of her Sonne This in a Booke allowed by authority which concludeth with this blasphemous peremptory prayer to God O Lord thou must pardon mee I cry aloud it is not bloud will serue my turne I long for milke But concerning intercession Christ himselfe hath reuealed no other way but quicquid petierit is patrem in nomine meo and in that we rest 8 We must pray in fit forme of words It is not euery mans abilitie to expresse the desires of the heart in a good composition of fit words wee must neither be ouernice as if we conceiued that God would bee taken with the oratorie and rhetorique of words and sentences with the musicke of fine and choice phrases figuratiue and affected flourishes of humane eloquence neither must we be ouer homely and rude and vnmannerly to sollicite God in such language as wee dare not tender to men sad and serious graue and gratious must our prayers be that they may declare an holy reuerent zeale with true and sanctified iudgement For neither courting with elegancies of wit and speech nor slighting with vnkempt and homely rusticity which with some doth passe for plainenesse doth please our God there is an art of praying as well as of speaking and the Disciples would learne the Grammer thereof We teach children how to aske our blessing how to call for such things as they shall need and we can minister vnto them and no mans owne iudgement without good information can direct him in the great duty of holy prayer which is our inuocation of God our asking him blessing and forgiuenesse our praising of his name 9 We must pray in methode for seeing God is our principall delight wee must first seeke the honour of God and seeing our selues are next to vs wee must let our charity beginne at home and so passe to our neighbours and seeing the soule is more excellent then the body wee must first desire spirituall then temporall gifts as Christ seeke ye first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof You see that the mysterie of godlinesse in prayer is great and deepe and that we had need to be well directed to doe it aright Many turne this great part of Gods holy worship into sinne by being vntaught or not hauing well learned the doctrine of prayer it will be worth our consideration to take a short notice of the common faults committed in prayer 1 Prayer is of no validitie with God if it come from sinners God heareth not sinners If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me therefore wee must purge our conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Vnderstand this comfortably that it is meant of knowne sinnes vnrepented such as know themselues faulty and doe not vse the best meanes to reforme themselues and to forsake sinnes cannot pray to bee heard In this case are all they that liue in the continuall practise or by the daily gaine of a sinne 2 Prayer is vnacceptable si timida if wee come to God as seruants not as sonnes there is an holy feare that maketh vs come reuerently that is a great ingredient in our preparation to prayer there is a seruile feare which breedeth in vs despaire we pray but haue no hope of successe 3 Si tumida Proud beggars shall bee said nay the Pharisee came proudly to God to giue him an inuentory of his virtues as one saith as if a wounded man should come to a surgeon and shew him all his sound parts and conceale his wound They that demand heauen of God as wages due to the merit of their works pray proudly and they shall haue what they deserue to their shame and smart 4 Si anxia God loues not that wee should come to him in distraction full of the cares of the world for they hinder deuotion the heart that sendeth forth welcome prayers preuailing with God must be established with grace This holy ballast doth make vs steddy our own vanities put vs to the tosse of euery waue 5 Si multiloqua for God loues not babling the iuyce of grace is not prest out with the weight of words it was one of the follies of the heathen by our Sauiour reproued Thou art on the earth he to whom thou prayest is in heauen Sint verba pauca 6 Si nimium festina It was a good old counsell festina lentè nimis properè minùs prosperè Wee must be content to awaite the good leisure of God for the holy one will not be limited I wayted patiently vpon the Lord and he enclined his eare to me and heard me Qui credit non festinat Idoneus promissor est fidelis redditor tu tantum esto pius exactor 7 Si intempestiva There is a season for all things the foolish virgins lost it and they knockt too late And Peter was too soone faciamus hic tria tabernacula Seeke the Lord whilest he may be found 8 Si carnalis If we haue care to the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof As they that being in the chase of some high preferment doe pray God for the successe they desire and their thoughts are fastned on the good meat they will eate the good cloathes they will weare the great traine that they will keep whom they will aduance whom they will oppresse You speed not saith S. Iames because you aske amisse to spend it vpon your lusts if such speed in their suites it is a gift giuen to the owner of it for his hurt And now I thinke you will confesse that it is a great wisdome to be taught how to pray and if you loue your bodies or soules God or your neighbour you will not leaue till you haue learned how to pray 3 They come to Christ to teach them Therein the whole Christian Church was beholding to them for by this meanes we come to an absolute direction for prayer that will hold out and keepe in fashion till time be no more Donec cesset oratio And the word vsed in compellation which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praeceptor but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth fit well to expresse the
full euen in particular petitions 3 They plead that this is not to be vsed for a prayer because it is but the patterne by which prayers are to be made which we answere thus 1 It is vntrue that this is onely a patterne to make prayers by it is a prayer also 2 It is no good consequence because it is a patterne therefore it is not a prayer for it is plaine that it is both and it is a sinne against holy Scripture to abridge the full vse of it We alleadge for the vse of it 1 The plaine precept of our Sauiour Pray Our father c. not thus only but this and so long as wee doe what he commandeth we cannot doe amisse 2 The excellency of it from the author for it was dictated from Christ himselfe who best knoweth how to direct and is best acquainted with the stile of heauen 3 The excellency of it from the matter containing in it the summe of all things to bee desired of God by vs. 4 The excellency from the method of it containing the perfect order of those things which are to bee desired which first 5 The excellency of it for vse being a short and compendious composition easie to be remembred and repeated 6 The excellency of it for perspicuity and plainnesse being easie to such as desire to informe themselues what and how to pray 7 The excellency of it in the continuall practise of the Church euer since it was taught first by Christ in all the ages of the Church and the best examples of all times S. Cyprian speaketh to so good purpose for the vse of this prayer as I shall thinke his words worthy your hearing and consideration Quae potest esse magis spiritualis oratio quà m quae à Christo nobis data est à quo nobis spiritus sanctus missus est Quae vera magis apud Deum precatio quà m quae à filio qui est veritas de ejus ore prolata est Oremus itaque fratres dilectissimi sicut magister Deus docuit Amica familiaris rogatio est Deum de suo rogare ad aures ejus ascendere Christi orationem Agnoscat pater filij sui verba cum precem faciamus Qui habitat intùs in pectore ipse sit in voce cum ipsum habeamus advocatum apud patrem pro peccatis nostris quando pro delictis nostris peccatores nos petimus advocati nostri verba promamus Nam cum dicat quodcunque petieritis in nomine meo dabit vobis quantò efficaciùs impetramus quod in nomine ejus petimus si petamus ipsius oratione You see in this learned father and godly martyr that the vse of this prayer is both commanded earnestly and iustified by strong reasons effectually S. Aug. preaching vpon this prayer doth fall into admiration of it saying O verè coelestis oratio quae tota est oratio De tempore serm 126. Therefore Master Calvin learnedly and iudiciously falleth also into admiration of the louing kindnes and fauour of Christ to vs Dum unigenitus Dei filius nobis verba in os suggerit quae mentem nostram omni haesitatione expediant He also calleth it formam and regulam of praying for indeed it is both So I hope I haue satisfied you in the point of lawfulnesse to vse these very words in prayer 3 I must adde yet another rub in our way before I come to the words of the prayer The King complaineth in his exposition hereof that in the conference at Hampton Court wherein the chiefe agents on the behalfe of those who tooke exceptions to our Liturgy were heard and their grieuances there laid open this was one that the Lords prayer is so often repeated in our common seruice as it is indeed After the confession and absolution and againe in the Letany And amiddest the seruice after the lesson againe before the ten commandements bee read it is appointed to be repeated His Maiesty thinks they that dislike the often vse of it would haue as little of it as they could and peraduenture none of it if they durst appeare to their secret dislike Let me be accomptable to you why this prayer is so often vsed in our Church seruice Durandus saith well that it is Sal omnium diuinorum officiorum And so interspersed seasoneth euery part of our seruice 1 After confession of our sinnes to God and the absolution of the penitent pronounced to the comfort of all that haue repentingly confessed their sinnes This prayer hath good place for how shall we better begin our directions in Gods house of prayer then with the prayer that his Sonne the Master of this house hath taught vs. This is vsed at first for the sanctifying of vs to the holy seruice then begun for comming there to feed our soules with the bread of life it is grace before our spirituall meat 2 When we haue heard the word of God in the Psalmes and Lessons the Priest in the name of God blesseth the people and they him and they returne to their deuotions in prayer which we also resume beginning at that prayer which doth regulate all the rest it craueth a blessing vpon the word which wee haue heard and it putteth vs on with more earnestnesse and encrease of zeale to prostrate our wants before God And therein wee shew our obedience in praying the words of Christ and after our holy wisdome in our other praiers composing them according to the rule of that prayer 3 The Letany contaīneth a full exposition of the Lords prayer beeing the most diuine composition that euer the sanctified heart of man composed besides the holy canonicall Scripture fit for all times for all persons and therefore wee conclude that with the Lords prayer as the Well head from whence euery drop of it deriued it selfe It is also appointed to be repeated before the tenne Commandements as a preparatiue to the hearing of the law of God that we may seeke from God all necessarie graces both spirituall and temporall whereby we are inabled to the faithfull keeping of the law in affection and holy obedience True it is that if wee doe but onely say ouer the words of this praier and doe not zealously apply it to these occasions it is a vaine lip-labour and God is much dishonoured in it therefore doe but wisely consider the holy vse that may be made of it and Gods seruice shall be much aduanced in the reuerend vse of it Another reason for the frequent vse of this praier is in respect of the full contents of it for it is so large and extendeth it selfe to so many necessary graces desired as no mans memory can so soone present them to his affection to send vp our petitions to God for them all in the flames of zeale and deuotion all at once wee haue therefore no better way then to frame our requests according to euery petition and then to returne with the same words to God But what
it sufficiently if more be added to his instructions 2 Wee must in praier begge nothing but good and perfect gifts which I thinke none will deny And it is folly to begge those of any one or more who are not able to giue them therefore S. Iames doth direct vs to God because Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lights in spinis non quaeris vnas 3 Praier is a principall part of Gods worship and therefore onely proper to God according to his law Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 4 Inuocation and faith are ioyned together we may not pray but to him in whom we must beleeue so the Apostle How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued Where the Apostles argument is plainely vrged that people did not beleeue in God therefore they did not pray Which consequence sheweth that where there is no beleeuing there is no praier for faith must goe before praier so Saint Iames let him aske in faith And I hope no good Christian will hold it lawfull to beleeue in any but God therefore Our father which art in heauen which begins our praier answereth to I beleeue in God the Father Almighty which beginnes our Creed Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer 5 Praier is not lawfully directed to any but to him who knoweth what we stand in need of And this none but Almighty God knoweth therefore he onely is to be called vpon I take this argument from our Sauiour your heauenly father knoweth what things yee haue need of before yee aske him Therefore babble not in long praiers hee onely knoweth whether our praiers be for such things as wee haue need of for no other things may be desired of him in our praier but what we need this none of our fellow creatures can perfectly know yea our selues want many things and are not alwayes sensible of our wants and sometimes we doe falsely flatter our selues that wee haue those things which we want as the Church of Laodicea thought her selfe rich and happy being poore and miserable 6 It is fit that we direct our prayers to such a one who is able to releeue vs against all opposition this no creature can doe for Sathan and all the euill angels which continually pursue vs to annoy vs and to hinder our good will certainly preuaile against vs if wee haue no strength but our owne and the assistance of our fellow-creatures to aide vs. But our God is the rock and fortresse of his Church which is impregnable he opens his hand and all the kingdome of Sathan cannot shut it hee stretcheth out his hand and the powers of darknesse can neither shrinke vp nor shorten it for who hath resisted his right hand None can hinder the dispensation of his bounties none can stoppe the decourse of them to vs none but himselfe can take them from vs. 7 Prayers must be directed to him only who alone heareth the prayers of all them that pray all the world ouer It were a lamentable state of man if his danger be at hand and his remedy farre off if hee feele his misery and his mercy be to seeke no Dauid saith O thou that hearest prayers vnto thee shall all flesh come To what creature can we ascribe this vbiquity this omniscience this omnipotence that we should pray to him and all things but God are creatures therefore none but God to be prayed to I will vrge the argument of Moses the man of God concerning all other inuocations of any but this liuing God Aske now of the dayes that are past which were before thee since the day that God created man vpon the earth and aske from the one side of heauen to the other Search the liuing booke of Gods truth the canon of faith and manners from the first in principio to the last amen and see if there be either precept or example of any other inuocation then that which Christ here teacheth of God only Examples and instructions are frequent for this inuocation none against it therefore no other inuocation but this pleadable I deny not but the Church of Rome hath both doctrine and practise against this truth of the word of God and it is no newes for their kingdome is of this world and it were much out of their way that all the world should beleeue that the way to God is open in the only mediation of Christ Iesus for all that wee would haue either giuen or forgiuen vs therefore they maintaine prayer to Angels and to Saints Which they haue long laboured to defend but their pretended proofes haue beene euer so learnedly and fully reproued by the patrons of the truth that any indifferent minded man might see the light euen through the mists which they cast vpon it and poore shifts haue they made to put off the shame of their foyle I will giue you instance In the controuersie betweene Bishop Iewell and Harding The Bishop doth presse him with this their blasphemous prayer to the Virgin Mary Salva omnes quae te glorificant Hard. Our meaning is pray for vs to God that we may be saued Were not words taught vs to expresse our meaning doe these words import any such thing as their glosse putteth vpon them But because wee liue now in the times wherein the Papists make more bold then euer they durst these 60. yeares and more and because his Maiestie hath left their doctrines open to our confutation though for some reason of State their persons are priuiledged from the iustice of the lawes of the state Seeing praier is a chiefe part of our holy seruice of God and it belongeth to vs to teach the doctrine of praier it is fit that we be setled in iudgement in this first point to whom we must pray Wherein because there is a difference betweene the Papists and vs let vs set that to rights first In a late pocket Pamphlet which smels yet of the Presse dispersed to corrupt the religion of such as are either vngrounded or giddie it is vndertaken to bee proued out of the Kings Bible in English 1 That Angels may be praied to 2 That Saints may be inuocated 1 For inuocation of Angels 1 It is alleadged that Iacob blessing the sonnes of Ioseph vsed these words The Angell which redeemed mee from all euill blesse the lads What is this but a calling vpon the Angell and as much is it a praier as the former wherein hee inuocateth the name of God who fed him all his life long The state of this question lyeth in the search and finding out what Angell Iacob meaneth in that benediction His words are plaine the Angell that redeemed him from all euill and will it not fall out to be the
pray continually biddeth if it be possible as much as in you is haue peace with all men for the God of peace must be sought in peace and it is a note of the vngodly The way of peace they haue not knowne Therefore before thou fall downe before the face of God in prayer empty all malice out of thy heart and remember that thy father is thy brothers father and the communion of charity doth giue him a share in all thy holy prayers and deuotions But this neglected will fall so heauy vpon vs before we haue done this prayer that God shall condemne vs from our owne mouthes when we desire to be forgiuen as we doe forgiue Here arise certaine quaeres 1 Is it not lawfull to pray saying My father giue mee No doubt it is and without preiudice of christian charity for we haue the warrant both of reason precept and example for it 1 Of reason the common right of all doth not impeach the particular right of each in this Father this name is borrowed from nature whereby euery childe is warranted to call My father without inuasion of the right of his brethren to that title 2 Of precept God himselfe saith But I said how shall I put thee among the children and I said thou shalt call me my Father 3 By example Christ O my Father if it be possible transeat calix iste Thomas My Lord my God Indeed we haue each of vs our particular occasions to repaire to God and desire his helpe in which cases we may either plead the common interest that we haue in God as members of his Church vnder the name of our Father as here or we may by faithfull zeale inuocate him in our owne right to him by Iesus Christ saying My father so the Sonne of God is my Redeemer and Mediatour the holy ghost my sanctifier and preseruer 2 Seeing our Father is a name of such charity as doth combine vs in loue and well-wishing may it be lawfull to vse imprecations to pray against any The content of this word our doth include all men for all men are by creation and by conseruation and protection the Sonnes of God and God onely knowes of these who are his we know that there is no vniuersall grace Christ hath said many called few chosen so that mankinde is diuided into two portions Gods friends Gods enemies But they be all our fellow creatures and the law of charity doth binde vs to the loue of their persons so farre forth praying for them as may stand with the maintenance of Gods glory Indefinitely we may pray against all the deuices of the wicked that God would make them frustrate as he did the counsell of Achitophel so Dauid Lord I pray thee turne the counsell of Achitophel into foolishnesse We heare that Antichrist is Gods profest enemie we may pray for his confusion for wee may hate where God hateth Whence the enemies of our Church wish the light of the Gospell quenched and the superstition of the Church of Rome and her abhominable idolatry reuiued amongst vs we may lawfully pray to God against their machinations that hee would confound their counsels We haue seene what they would haue done in their Powder Treason we may see how they fell into the pit that they digged we may say with Deborah and Barack So let all thine enemies perish O Lord. Finally whosoeuer are not the sonnes of God either in present admission or in his holy election wee may pray against them that God would glorifie himselfe in their confusion and vtter destruction Generally against all impenitent sinners whom God hath giuen ouer to a reprobate sense we pray to be preserued from their society and from all infection by them and against their prosperity as hurtfull to the Church of God 3 Seeing the law of charity doth thus binde vs all one to another In christian loue that wee must pray for all men in our owne particular quarrels one with another is it lawfull to pray against our enemies Our answere is that Christ hath made it a law to his Church in the exposition of the second great Commandement concerning the loue of our neighbour But I say vnto you loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despightfully vse you and persecute you that you may be children of your Father that is in heauen whereby he putteth all them out of the number of the children of God that doe not pray for their enemies and if no children we cannot say our Father Therefore our Church in the holy Letanie thereof prayeth charitably and according to this holy rule That it may please thee to forgiue our enemies persecutors and slanderers and to turne their hearts And by this charitable Shiboleth we are distinguished from the heathen and Publicans from the pharisaicall interpreters of that law who haue said Thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie They that seeke and loue the peace of God doe desire the sauing of the enemy the destruction of the enmity Our enemie is one of the medicines of our life hee serueth vs to good vse to exercise our patience and our charity and wisedome to keepe vs in awe that wee giue no aduantage against our selues if naturally we loue not physicke yet for healths sake we out of iudgement doe approue it and take it patiently 4 Whether we may reioyce at the destruction of our owne enemies or the enemies of our religion and state 1 The very title of our father which doth vnite vs in one bond of common brotherhood doth so enioyne vs to wish the common good of all Adams children that the ruine of any part of this building ought to bee a griefe to all the rest so that nature biddeth vs not to reioyce in the destruction of any man quia homo hee is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and can the members suffer and the whole body not ake for it 2 There is some remaine of the image of God in all the enemies of God which is louely and ought to bee deare to vs the defacing whereof is such a griefe that though Samuel knew that God had wisely and iustly reiected Saul yet he could not chuse but mourne for him and when Dauid saw that Saul was dead hee bewailed his death bitterly though he got a kingdome by it and when he heard that his traitour sonne and subiect Absolon was dead he deplored his death with great passion and much tendernesse 3 The precept of Christ Be ye mercifull as your heauenly father and his critis filij patris vestri by shewing loue to enemies doth also teach vs to take the fall euen of Gods enemies to heart But it is obiected against this that Salomon saith when the wicked perish there is shouting he giueth a good reason for it for when they perish the righteous increase
seeth not and he walketh in the Circuite of heauen These are grosse and carnall opinions of God that his high habitation in heauen doth make him a stranger to vs and our wayes or maketh our prayers imperssions to him Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God farre of This title of Gods being in the heauens doth not clip the winges of his presence spread and dilated ouer all the world Whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whither shall I fly from thy presence If I ascend vp into heauen thou art there If I make my bed in hell thou art there c. We must therefore search the reasons why God whose presence filleth all places is here called vpon as dwelling in the heauens He is said to be in the heauens in respect of his Maiestie and glory for as the throne of an earthly Prince is his highest place of greatnesse and glory so we can best conceiue God in his glory when wee cast our selues downe before him sitting vpon his throne so Christ saith Heauen is Gods throne and the earth is his footstoole So Dauid The Lords throne is in Heauen his eyes will consider his eye-liddes will try the children of men This teacheth vs to come before God in our praiers with all humble reuerence feare as before a Prince of highest glory sitting in the thron where he iudgeth right They forget this who come before him and present him with their rude and vndigested extemporall euaporations of their desires daring to petition the highest Maiestie with their vnstudied vnpremeditated supplications Salomon presseth this consideration thus Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hastie to vtter any thing before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy words be few If the Maiestie of earthly Princes do make thee study thy petitions and take counsaile what thou shalt desire and in what wordes and that thou weighest euery word in it that thou maiest giue no offence doe not make too bold with God who though he be thy father yet is he an heauenly glorious God whose seat is aboue all The sweet and gracious name of a father may peraduenture make vs too bold and therefore this addition of Maiestie is put to it to temper and moderate our presumption and to awe vs. 2. This mention of heauen in Gods title is a remonstrance of Gods omni-videncie for hee is aboue as in speculo in a watch tower from whence hee discerneth all that is done all the world ouer So Dauid Out of heauen did the Lord behold the earth his eye is ouer all the world Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened vnto the eyes of him with whom we haue to doe The Lord is in his holy temple He seeth all mens hearts and discerneth from what affectiōs their praiers are breathed forth into his hearing He seeth who come to him who neglect him he discerneth what it is that bringes to him whether our necessities and wants only or our loue to him he discerneth what vse we intend to make of his gifts if we preuaile with him how we will take it if we speed not in our suites for he knoweth all our thoughts long before So that we are hereby stirred vp to a further conscience of reuerence holy deuotion in our praiers for that we appeare in his presence whose searching doth so narrowly suruey vs from the height of his Sanctuary 3. This mention of the heauens in his title doth expresse the high power of God for what doth more expresse him to vs in fulnesse of omnipotency then this high throne of his greatnesse established in heauen The Heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-worke This addes yet more to our feare for that power is not to be dallied with The Lord killeth and maketh aliue hee bringeth downe to the graue and bringeth vp By strength no man shall preuaile Here is no contesting with this power and no resisting his right hand our father which art in the heauens Take heed that the presumption on the name of Father doe not dash thee against the rocke of his power for There is no rocke like our God Dauid hath secretly directed vs herein But there is forgiuenesse with thee that thou maist be feared This is the best composition of the heart that prayeth to God to loue and hope and beleeue and approach and sue and all with feare for feare will keepe vs within boundes that we offend not Now that we haue both these considerations in sight together in this compellation of our father in heauen we haue also matter of faith as well as feare There be two doubtes which may be cast in prayer which are both remoued in this title and our faith established against them 1. That of the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane He confest him a Lord he belieued of his power but his doubt was of his will But seeing he is our father there can be no cause of that doubt 2. That of Israel Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse here is doubt of the power of God and this is cleared when we confesse that our father is in heauen For his being in heauen which we here confesse is not a bare habitation there for so the Angels of God are in heauen but it acknowledgeth his Creation of the heauens his possession of them his dominion ouer them the heauens are his imperiall chamber wherein he sitteth as supreme Monarch in most absolute and independent omnipotenc y As Dauid He hath done whatsoeuer he would in heauen and in earth and in all deepe places There be two great hinderances to the preuailance of our praiers 1. Nimia trepidatio when we are too much cast down with the terrour of Diuine Maiestie that is healed in Our father 2. Nimia oscitatio when we beare our selues too bouldly vpon the confidence of his fauour and that is quash tif we consider him in the heauens the place of his high glorie 4 This mention of heauens doth call vs to the consideration of the holinesse of God for that is called the Lords Sanctuarie the Sanctum sanctorum and into that shall enter nothing that is vncleane Therefore in the law so many washings and clensings were in vse so many preparations for any speciall resort to God the people called vpon to sanctifie themselues for God that openeth his hand and filleth our empty vessels as the pottes at the marriage in Cana to the brimme will not powre his pure graces into vncleane vessels And hee that is pure and holy will not receiue the praiers that come from an vncleane and pudled spring of flesh and bloud hee that poureth on the house of Dauid and the inhabitants of
words and therefore some haue conceiued that these words haue their seuerall reference to each of the three petitions and are not a proper appendix to this alone but to the rest Hallowed be thy name in earth as it is in heauen so in the two following I approue the necessary implication of it in them all but I take it where I find it and it is a full Sicut a compleat example For in heauen are the Angels of God and Dauid saith of them faciunt voluntatem ejus there are the soules of iust men made perfect and now euer since his ascensiō there sitteth at the right hand of God he that taught vs to pray this prayer Who came into the world of purpose to do the wil of his father that sent him he continueth the office yet in heauen A mediator making intercession to the Father for his Church a mighty protector sending his Angels as ministering spirits for the good of them whom he hath called of purpose So that the example is full Iesus Christ the Angels in what difference so euer of ranke or degree the soules of the iust who are also tanquam angeli dei all these obey and fulfill the will of God in perfect obedience to the vttermost of what is exacted of them We pray fiat sicut That is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grudgingly but as Saint Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the Lord who knowes when he hath seruice that is due to him 1 They do the will of God willingly that is their meat and drinke as Christ said of himselfe here they haue no body of sinne to resist them they haue no flesh to oppresse and burthen them no temptation can fasten vpon them they alwaies behold the face of God attending vpon him to be commanded by him 2 They are exprest to vs as hauing winges wherein the holy Ghost doth declare to our apprehension the quicke readinesse of their expedition in the seruice of God So let Gods will bee done on earth speedily So Dauid I made hast and delaied not to keepe thy Commandements 3 They doe the will of God first for indeed they haue nothing else to doe here on earth wee haue many occasions for the necessities of the body to entertaine time and endeauour and God is so tender of our necessities as to dispense with his law in compassionate support of them But the Angels and heauenly spirits haue no other busines in heauen but to attend the will of God and to doe it at first their nature is so perfectly diuine that they are onely gouerned by the will of God there is nothing concerning themselues to be desired but the aduancement of Gods kingdome ouer all 4 They doe the whole will of God in full obedience For Dauid saith They doe Gods Commandements by obeying the voyce of his Word That is the right way of obedience to be directed by the voyce of the Word of God and to doe so as hee commandeth all that he biddeth Here note that this Sicut doth not imply aequalitatem that we should performe it in the same fulnesse of perfect complete obedience as they do which is impossible for them that dwell in houses of clay and who carrie about them Corpus peccati but qualitatem similitudinem so farre as in holy imitation wee can follow them as Iulus followed Aeneas Sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis This is the heroicall spirit of the elect of God they are therby carried towards perfection what they faile either in act of obedience or in endeuour of seruice that they supply with feruencie of holy desire God heareth the desires of the poore This is further holpen by our griefe of heart and holy sorrow for our weakenesse and holy indignation against our iniquities that hinder this obedience and holy carefulnesse to amend it and holy prayers to God to assist our endeuour herein It is obserued of Lot when hee laboured the conuersion of the Sodomites that his righteous soule was vexed from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes This also pleaseth God that our hatred of sinne in our selues and others do declare that wee seeke for the fulnesse of obedience that the will of God may be fulfilled according to the great example of heauenly seruice 4 What dueties are taught here 1 We must labour for the knowledge of the will of God so saith the Apostle That yee may prooue what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God That is first concerning the secret will of God wee must know that it is absolute not to be changed by God not to be resisted by man but implicitly to be yeelded vnto although we know it not we beleeue it doth decree all things out of wisedome and Counsaile with iustice and goodnesse and all for the best and when God shall by euents declare it to vs wee must know that God is to be praised and thanked for it How therefore we must remember in our deuotions to referre our petitions to this absolute will of God so that our petitions must be with reseruation of that will saluo semper decreto diuino For so Christ prayed his father to take the cup of his passion from him he hath warrant from the following petition to pray against all euill and against Sathan the suggester of it Libera nos a male But because it pleaseth God for some iust motiues in himselfe to determine the exercise of the patience of his Church in afflictions or for some other reason alwayes iust though often secret to let that euill come vpon vs against which we pray therfore our will in this stoopeth to the absolute will of God with that exception of our Sauiour Father if thou be willing remoue this cup from me neuerthelesse not mine but thy will be done Seeing this secret and absolute will of God is within himselfe the Saints of God by a generall warrant for prayer for all things needfull doe goe to God often for such things as in that free and absolute will he hath decreed not to grant and this may be done without sinne in the faithfull and without preuarication of this vnreuealed will of God So we pray for the peace of Ierusalem that is the Church of God when yet God may finde it fit in his wisedome to send the sword amongst them as we see in the Churches of Bohemia both the Palatinates and the French Protestants God hath declared his will to vs in that which they haue suffered and in that which as yet they endure vnder the Popish tyranny of those Iesuited Princes by whom the religion and truth of God is opprest Yet we pray still for their deliuerance from the hand of their enemies but neither disliking the effects nor doubting the wisedome nor quarrelling the counsell of God in this decree but submitting to it So we pray often for the recouerie of our
and euery perfect gift is from aboue from the father of lights If thou goe to the earth and say to it giue me bread it will answer thee as Iacob answered Rahel when shee said giue me children Am I in Gods stead If thou goe to the King and say da mihi panem will he not answere thee as the King of Israel answered the poore petitioner in the famine of Samaria If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence shall I helpe thee There is no fruit of our praying and crying till our petition come to this giuer I will heare saith the Lord I will heare the heauens and they shal heare the earth the earth shall heare the Corne and the Wine and the Oyle and they shall heare Israel There is no giuer but he and all those who on earth doe giue are but his stewards and giue in his name and for his sake When the heathen went to Iupiter for raine to Aeolus for windes to Neptune for safety and good passage at sea to Ceres for corne to Bacchus for wine c. What did they worse I may say they did not so ill as the Church of Rome now in the inuocation of Saints for the heathen had not the way to the father by Iesus Christ reuealed to them his name is now knowne to vs and the Church of Rome pretendeth to know and confesse and honour it they confesse vnum est Orco poena polo gloria vita solo Yet hauing the knowledge and of God in the face of Iesus Christ in some measure they seeke out other benefactors to whom they say da nobis What difference is there betweene the heathen women in child-bearing crying out Casta faue Lucina and the Popish women calling vpon the Virgin Mary to helpe them in their throwes and pangs as the supreme Midwife of the Church So they inuocate Saint Sebastian and Saint Roch in pestilence Raphael in dolore oculorum Apollonia in dolore dentium Michael in warre c. Is not this to turne God out of his place and to giue his power of giuing all good things away from him to creatures Indeed they haue no reason to goe to God for any thing or to say to him da nobis because they giue not him the honour due to his holy and vndoubted rights But Christ our Sauiour doth direct vs to whom wee shall goe for our bread and we haue none in heauen to repaire to but to him and none in earth that we esteeme with him and to him onely we say da nobis 3 This prayer to God to giue doth teach vs to confesse and to depend vpon the prouidence of God not onely his generall prouidence by which hee regardeth the whole creature but his particular prouidence by which euery particular creature is conserued and supported it is he that cloatheth euery Lily it is hee that feedeth euery sparrow it is hee that numbreth all the haires of our head And though we must labour and sweat for our bread though wee haue rich reuenues and plentifull meanes for our reliefe yet there is no trust to be giuen to these outward helpes our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth This prouidence of God hath an eye to behold our wants hath a store of all sorts of blessings to furnish him with fit gifts to bestow where he thinketh fit hath bowels of compassion to pittie our wants and hath an open hand to distribute his fauours amongst the sonnes of men This prouidence of God is the Barne and Wine-presse of the faithfull to feed them it is their harbenger to lodge them it is their Physitian to heale all their diseases 4 This Da doth teach vs to loue the goodnesse of God to vs of whom our bread is to bee had of gift what a stirre had he in the Gospell to get vp his neighbour at night to lend him some bread to entertaine a stranger withall but we may come at all times to God and to pray him to giue Euen they that will giue nothing themselues nor part with a bit of their great loafe to their hungry brother but like Naâ—al grudge to part with any thing from themselues yet they cry vpon God to haue their bread giuen to them by him They that sell and make prize of all offers in Church and Common-wealth and will not open their mouthes in a charitable or iust mediation for their neighbour but in Iudas his tune quid mihi dabis yet they come to God for their bread of gift this is the cheapest and frankest vtterer of his fauours that euer was to whom we pray it is he that saith Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eate yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price Wherefore doe you spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently vnto me and eate yee that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse How are we said to buy and yet to haue all these things freely giuen but because wee doe giue vp our prayers for our bread and we buy them with our petitions as Christ petite pulsate quaerite This is more then the holy father of Rome will say for his indulgencies and pardons praying will not carry them they that will haue them must pay for them and many hard shifts his agents are put to to vent his spirituall treasures and to force them vpon the poore people that had rather want them then come to their price But God who is rich in mercy and needeth nothing of our goods God who is good and doth good standeth not vpon such termes with vs his sonne who is in his bosome and best knoweth both his meanes and his minde bids vs call for our bread of gift This should moue vs to a reuerent regard of our duty of obedience to him to worship and serue him onely to haue no other God but him to defie idolatry to honour his name to sanctifie his Sabboth He hath not less himselfe without witnesses in that he doth good and giues vs raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse 5 Da teacheth vs the necessitie of prayer wee must aske of God Christ in our flesh would lose nothing for want of asking who in the daies of his flesh offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death And his father that loued him as twice from heauen he proclaimed yet saith to him Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee aske of me and I shall giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance c. When he meant Salomon a good turne the freest and greatest offer that was euer made to man yet he put him to it aske what I shall giue thee When
Herod would reward the daughter of Herodias for her dancing he said Aske of me whatsoeuer thou wilt and I will giue it thee Great persons loue to be sued to for their fauours and thinke it an accession to their honour when they haue many petitions Christ would haue vs know that prayer is the key which openeth the full hand of God and that we haue no right to the bread we eate or to any thing wee possesse except we haue first asked it of God by prayer or sanctified it thereby And therefore it is religion and good manners to blesse our tables before we eate with prayer when you reade of Christs eating or feeding of others there looking vp to heauen and blessing goeth before breaking and eating or giuing to eate As if hee would haue vs know that our bread is the gift of God and we must aske it of him and they that haue learnt no other grace before meat to blesse their table and their food if they can say from a deuout heart but this Our father which art in heauen giue vs this day our daily bread no doubt but hee that put that prayer into our hearts and mouthes will see that it shall speed where it goes for hee onely maketh our prayers passable to God and acceptable with him Saint Paul telleth vs that euery creature of God is good for it is sanctified by the word of GOD and prayer Therefore ancient is the practise of sanctifying the table before meate which we call saying of grace Saint Chrysostome mentioneth the grace vsed by the Monkes of Egypt their manner was before their meat was set vpon the boord to repeate ouer the whole Psal 145. And when the meat was set on one said and hee a Priest Christe Deus noster benedic cibo ac potui servorum tuorum quoniam tu es sanctus nunc semper in saecula saeculorum Amen In the middest of the meale they stood all vp and one for the rest repeated these words Benedictus es Domine Deus qui misereris nostri pascis nos à iuventute nostrâ qui das escam omni carni reple gaudio laetitia corda nostra ut semper habentes animum presentibus contentum exuberemus in omne opus bonum in Christo Iesu Domino nostro In the Latine church ancient is this forme of blessing the table The Priest if any be present or the Master of the family if no Priest were in company standing with the guests about the table said Sacerd. Oculi omnium in te sperant Domine Conv. Et tu das escam illorum in tempore opportuno Sacerd. Aperis tu manum tuâ—m Conv. Et imples omne animal benedictione tua Sacerd. Gloria patri filio c. Conv. Sicut erat in principio c. Sacerd. Benedic Domine nos tua dona quae in tua largitate sumus sumpturi Mensae coelestis participes nos faciat rex aeternae gloriae And we may perceiue that the ordinary manner of blessing our tables is taken from these great and good and ancient examples of the seruants of God in times past Let me therefore admonish you in the feare of God not to lay hands vpon the dayly bread till you haue blessed it with prayer that God may feed you and susteine you with his prouisions for vnblest bread is not wholsome 6 Da teacheth vs the necessity of thanksgiuing for if we receiue our food of gift and God doth expect no other pay or reckoning but our thanks Dauid will tell vs that iustos decet laudare Therefore it was frequent also with those aboue named after their meale to stand vp and to render thanks to God for their food The Latine Church Sac. Confiteantur tibi omnia opera tua Con. Sancti tui benedicant tibi Sac. Gloria patri filio c. Con. Sicut erat in principio c. Sac. Agimus tibi gratias omnipotens Deus pre universis tuis beneficijs qui vivis regnas in saecula saeculorum Sac. Benedicam Domino in omne tempus Con. Et semper laus ejus erit in ore meo Sac. In Domine gloriabitur anima mea Con. Audiant mansueti et laetentur Sac. Magnificate Dominum mecum Con. Et exultemus nomini eius in id ipsum Sac Sit nomen Domini benedictum Con. Ex hoc nunc usque in saecula Sac. Deus det nobis suam pacem And this is the forme of blessing the table vsed according to the statutes of the Colledge where I had my breeding euen at this day In the Greeke Church after meales Gloria tibi sancte pater gloria tibi rex quoniam dedisti nobis escas ad laetitiam imple nos etiam spiritu sancto ut in veniamur in conspectu tuo accepti non confusi pudefacti quando reddes unicuique secundum opera sua To which they added Sicut in medio discipulorum tuorum coenantium adfuisti Salvator dicens pax vobis ita veni etiam ad nos et salva nos I shew you these ancient formes vsed in both the Churches both Greeke and Latine to stirre you vp to reuerence and thanksgiuing in the blessing of this bread which you beg of God that wee doe not like bruite beasts receiue our food from God without imploration of his blessing with recognition of his fauour 7 The last duty is a sober vse of our bread let it not be the bread of gluttony or the wine of drunkennesse We must take heed that the gift of God bee not abused to his dishonour lest it turne vnwholsome and vnprofitable for vs. This is the fathers gift and it is the childrens bread it is no meate for dogges that is for greedy and vnthankfull deuourers thereof But a more proper vse of this point will follow vpon the word Daily 3 Da nobis 1 We must herein consider our first respect the beginning of our charity at our owne persons Christ that taught vs to pray teacheth vs to haue care of our owne maintenance and to seeke it of God for it is a true rule Qui sibi nequam cui bonus The Law makes vs a president of loue ut teipsum This doth reproue the Romish doctrine of voluntary pouerty for they taking aduantage of those words of Christ to the yong man Si vis perfectus esse vende omnia et da pauperibus doe count that a worke of super-errogation to doe so to giue away all and liue vpon almes Whereas that was not an euangelicall counsaile as they suggest but a precept and not a precept of obedience but of probation whereby God did proue the heart of that yong man that himselfe might see how his soule did cleaue to the world and the things thereof Or at the most it was but a particular precept giuen to that man and not a generall counsell extensiue to all persons and all ages and times for God would haue vs eat
God against it Seeing the conscience of our frailties doth awake vs to a more watchfull custody of our heart and obseruation of our wayes Therefore as some sharpe fits of an ague in the spring proue medicinall to our bodies So in our spring of grace our infirmities well considered proue physicke to our soules because they make vs remember whereof we are made and shew vs the vse of those meanes which God hath ordained for our recouery such are hearing of the Word meditation in it prayer to God for his blessing vpon vs and such like holy munitions against Sathan 2 These remaines of sinne doe shew vs what neede we haue of a Iesus to saue vs from them that wee may cry with Saint Bernard O Iesu esto mihi Iesus For if any thing will cast vs down at the feete of God and open our hearts and mouthes to say Our father which art in heauen forgiue vs our trespasses this will doe it when we behold these remaines of euill disposition after our repentance But it is obserued that all this labour which we put vpon men for search of their conscience for confession and compunction for sinne and newnesse of life needeth not Seeing God seeth no sinnes in his elect and they are so reconciled to God that they cannot fall from grace For if they be the sheepe of Christ no man or deuill can take them out of his hand This is a flattering heresie which vnder a colour of establishing the decree of Gods election of grace doth destroy the truth of Gods word and nourisheth sinne The Apostle saith If we say we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. If we confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse If we say we haue not sinned wee make him a lyar and his word is not in vs They obiect from the same Apostle he saith we know that he which is borne of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seed remaineth in him and hee cannot sinne because he is borne of God Is the Apostle contrary to himselfe Not so for he declareth what sinne it is of which hee speaketh that he which is borne of God cannot commit All vnrighteousnesse is sinne And there is a sinne not vnto death In which words he distinguisheth sinne from sinne for in the former verse he saith There is a sinne vnto death I say not that hee shall pray for it This distinction cleareth the point for sinne is of two sorts 1 Not vnto death 2 Vnto death When the Apostle saith We make God a lyar and deceiue our selues if we say we haue no sinne hee meaneth that of the sinnes of infirmity which are not vnto death because these the elect of God doe confesse to God penitently and he is faithfull and iust to forgiue them vpon their repentance And when he saith Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not neither can sinne hee meaneth that sinne that is vnto death The elect cannot sinne vnto death But when he saith He that committeth sinne is of the Deuill he meaneth such as sinne obstinately and with an high hand and a stiffe neck impenitently which is to death So then to the point of their tenet God doth not see sinne in his elect is a true position cum grano salis if we vnderstand it thus God seeth no sinne in them vnto death no such sinne as either they will conceale from him but they will by confession lay open before him no such sinne as he will punish with aeternall death but hee will forgiue it them But what is the way of their peace Euery man that hath this hope purifieth himselfe euen as he is pure The manner of our purifying our selues is also exprest I will take it as I finde it in the text Whosoeuer abideth in him sinneth not He that doth righteousnesse is righteous euen as hee is righteous Not in aequality as righteous as he but in imitation and by imputation of his righteousnesse This doing of righeeousnesse hee distributeth into the loue of God whom we haue not seene and the loue of our neighbour whom we haue seene This he calleth Keeping of the commandements and doing those things that are pleasing in his fight And this commandement is double 1 Of faith to beleeue on the name of his sonne Iesus Christ 2 Of loue one to another There is also before required on our part our confession on Gods part his absolution Gods absolution consisteth of two parts 1 His pardon of our sinnes that is his releasing vs from the punishment of them 2 His purging and clensing vs from the pollution of them As you haue heard if wee confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse He addeth hereunto prayer Whatsoeuer we aske we receiue of him So that to gather vp all into a short compendium thus it is with vs The elect of God are all sinners The way to helpe it is 1 Search and confession 2 Faith in the sonne of God 3 Obedience to the Law of God 4 Prayer to God for pardon of our sinnes And therefore when Christs holy disciples desired him to teach them to pray hee bade them say dimitte nobis debita nostra shewing that they were debtors and not able to pay the debt but needed to desire of God to pardon it And from hence the whole doctrine of repentance from dead works comes which needed not if the elect had no sinne But it is obiected 1 That Christ hath satisfied his father for the sinnes of all the elect for so saith Isaiah He was wounded for our transgression he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes are we healed And God laid on him the iniquity of vs all What need we then pray for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes which are already forgiuen 2 Remission of our sinnes is one the articles of our faith if we beleeue that our sinne are forgiuen already why doe we yet pray to haue them forgiuen To both we answere That Christ hath indeed answered for all the sinnes of his Church and the elect of God doe beleeue it But this satisfaction of Christ is performed to none but such as both search their heart for sinne and finde it and confesse it and come to him by prayer to aske it Come to me all yee that are weary and heauy laden and I will ease you This coming is by repentance of sinnes by saith of the remission of them and by prayer for the remission of them I confesse that there needeth no more deprecation of the wrath of God to establish the decree of
Dauid saith O thou that hearest prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come Vpon which words Saint Augustine quare omnis caro quia carnem assumpsit Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same but Verily he tooke not on him the nature of Angels but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham The sinne of Angels for many reasons is an vnpardonable sinne a sinne vnto death and Saint Iohn saith I say not that thou pray for it 1 Because all men deriue themselues from one Adam he stood or fell for the whole species If God should haue beene extreame to marke and punish all that was amisse who could haue stood the Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men and found not one that did good not one and if God had not in iudgement thought vpon mercy all mankinde must needs haue perished in their sinnes But God at once creating innumerable Angels euery one stood or fell to his owne proper good or euill 2 The euill Angels corrupted themselues but man was by their suggestion and temptation corrupted and sinnes selfe-growing selfe-sowne are more prouoking then such as come by iniection and insinuation from without 3 The Angels ambition was to bee like God in his omnipotencie which is an incommunicable propertie of diuine essence and cannot bee imparted to any creature but man desired onely to be like God in his omniscience which we knost was committed to the soule of Christ in our nature 4 The Angels being intellectuall spirits and dwelling in the presence of God and enioying the full light of glory next to God would not offend by errour or ignorance but their transgression must needs be damnable apostacie from God and malitious opposition against God which is the sin against the holy Ghost not to bee 〈…〉 The schoole saith there be three sorts of will 1 Of God who neuer turneth 2 Of Angels which may turne but cannot returne 3 Of men who turne and returne But the Angels obstinacie is without returne Therefore those Misericordes as Augustine doth call them who deeme a possibilitie of the recouery of deuils to the fauour of God and of their saluation doe deceiue themselues and abuse the patience and ouerweene the mercy of God But we ought to pray one for another so Saint Iames admonisheth pray one for another that you may be healed for the effectuall feruent prayer of the righteous man auaileth much It is not vnprobable that the prayer of Christ father forgiue them serued effectually to the conuersion of the Centurion and the prayer of Stephen for the conuersion of Saul who kept the garments of them that stoned him God himselfe declared to the friends of Iob that Iob should pray for them to him and he promised to accept his face Or if you will looke higher God in a dreame reproued Abimelech for Sarah Abrahams wife and hee said to him Now therefore restore the man his wife for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee and thou shalt liue There is great reason why wee should pray for the pardoning of one anothers sinnes 1 Out of the zeale of piety to God that his name may be hallowed that his kingdome may bee reuealed and established that his will may bee done Vnrighteousnesse and sinne doe hinder the glory of God in all these So that if it were possible to root out all sinne nothing were more to bee desired that God might not be eclipsed in any of his glory 2 Out of charity to them that sinne that we may so beare one anothers burthens and endeuour the healing of their soares they be deuils and not men that would haue their brethren perish in their sinnes 3 Out of charity to our selues that 1 We may adde to our owne glory in heauen and encrease our owne ioy in the full society of the communion of Saints 2 That we may make our owne liues on earth more happy liuing amongst such as doe feare the Lord and hauing our conuersation amongst such as are purified which remoueth the two dangerous infections of euill counsell and euill example which corrupt many 4 Out of an holy indignation against sinne as being a thing of it selfe hatefull and abominable and extremely dangerous to both liues 5 Out of a sanctified malice against Sathan who raigneth in all the sonnes of disobedience whose pardon if we could obtaine of God by our prayers hee should haue no subiects 6 Out of faith in the sufficient sacrifice of Christ for when all of vs pray for the forgiuenesse of all mens sins we shew that the fountaine which God hath opened to the house of Dauid and to the Inhabitants of Israel for sinne and for vncleanenesse can neuer be drawne dry that there is water enough therein to wash vs all throughly to wash vs all cleane and to purge vs all from all sinnes This including all men in our prayers for the pardon of sinnes doth blame all those who by their euill example or by their counsaile doe prouoke or intice others to sinne How canst thou say to God dimitte nobis when thou giuest thy neighbour strong drinke â—â—ll 〈…〉 When thou tellest him tales in the whisper of secrecie to enfire him against his brother When thou by secret detraction dost make him appeare worse then he is When thou reioycest in his sinnes that they are the occasion of his ruine When thou makest thy selfe sport with the sinnes of thy brother all such reioycing is contrary to this petition and God will tell thee that thou art not in good earnest with him when thou prayest to haue him pardoned with thee and in good earnest hee that heareth thy prayers will not pardon thee the sinne of this petition I conclude this point of our duty 1 Search thy wayes for sinne 2 Confesse 3 Be contrite 4 Amend thy life 5 Seeke this pardon onely from God 6 Pray in charity and the Lord giue thee thy hearts desire and fulfill all thy counsaile 2 From the condition annexed to this petition as we forgiue them that are our debters or if wee reade it as a reason or motiue to put home the petition for pardon for we forgiue 1 We are taught to take notice of our naturall corruption which is such as we cannot liue in society one with another but one way or other we shall be offensiue one to another Our Sauiour therefore teacheth vs in this petition not to seeke the pardon of our owne sinnes to God but in the way of peace If we finde continuall need of Gods mercy to vs we must be mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull for that is his law proximum vt teipsum It is a great inducement to God to perswade our preuailing with him in this suite if wee see our hearts doe freely forgiue iniuries done to vs therefore when Christ taught vs this prayer this petition aboue all
the rest is resumed and more prest then the rest both in the affirmatiue and in the negatiue 1 In the affirmatiue for if ye forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you 2 In the negatiue But if ye forgiue not men their trespasses neither will your father forgiue you your trespasses The reason is because this pardoning of wrongs done to vs is a supernaturall grace and doth testifie of vs that we haue the image of God in vs for naturally we returne euill for euill eye for eye tooth for tooth one euill word one euill worke for another Therefore to fixe this holy duty in vs our Sauiour bindes vs to it by this petition to looke for no more mercy in heauen then we doe shew to our brethren here on earth with whom we liue The parable of our Sauiour doth make this reasonable our debt to God is 10000. Talents our neighbours debt to vs 100. pence the oddes is great if wee would be forgiuen this great summe should not we forgiue that small debt We are apt to aggrauate the wrongs we suffer one from another and to extenuate the offence that wee doe to God But be it that from our neighbour we suffer in our good name let vs consider how much the glorious name doth suffer from vs in our swearing and blaspheming in our euill conuersation which causeth the name of God to bee euill spoken of amongst those that are without yet we would make God beleeue that nothing is so deare to vs as his holy name because we make it our first petition Hallowed be thy name Be it that our neighbour offend vs in our goods by taking vniustly from vs that which belongs to vs let vs consider that we haue nothing but from the hand of God and all that we possesse is his and wee can call no more ours then what hee giueth and we vse to his glory and the maintenance of our life in sobernesse and honesty In all that we spend from these vses wee our selues are not owners but vsurpers of all that we so misemploy and for 100. pence that we lose of our right by the iniury of men we mis-spend of Gods treasure 10000. Talents lewdly and dishonourably to him offensiuely to our owne soules and iniuriously to our brethren Compare all that pride and gluttony and drunkennesse and vanity and wantonnesse and contention spendeth prodigally all that couetousnesse congesteth and hideth from the vse of thy brother wretchedly with that which either thine owne necessities or thy christian charity doe demand of thee thou shalt finde that the wrong thou dost doth more exceed the wrong thou sufferest in thy goods then 10000. talents doe exceede 100. pence Be it that thy brother wrong thee in thy friends by seeking to distast them to thee dost not thou by euill conuersation corrupt the affections of thy brother to alienate his heart from the holy seruice of thy God If thy brother seeke thy life dost not thou in thy rebellion against God offend thy God in a more high degree vngodding of him and taking away his honour which is his life and destroying in thy selfe and in thy brother the image of God Therefore consider thy selfe maior parcas insane minori The God to whom thou prayest is the God of peace the Gospell which thou professest is the Gospell of peace the kingdome that thou seekest is the kingdome of peace the way to it is via pacis It was a good obseruation of King Henry 7. that the proclamation of Christ comming into the world was peace vpon earth and the legacie of Christs going out of the world was pacem meam do vobis and thence he concluded that the life of a Christian man should be a prosecution of peace The Apostle doth presse it earnestly If it be possible as much as lyeth in you liue peaceably with all men The soule of man doth not animate and quicken the members that are cut off from the body neither doth the holy Ghost quicken the members of the Church that are not vnited to the Church Therefore peace-makers are called the sonnes of God for so doth God loue peace that hee gaue his onely Sonne By him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his crosse both the things on earth and the things in heauen The Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is one of the hardest lessons that is taught in the schoole of Christ to forgiue our enemies and most contrary it is to flesh and bloud Saint Peter thought hee had offered faire when hee asked Christ quoties how often he should doe it and then added vsque ad septies but Christ made nothing of it non dico vsque ad septies Therefore as when we haue a worke to doe that requireth force wee put our whole strength to it so the Apostle biddeth as much as in vs lyeth to striue for peace Our Sauiour by this petition doth tell vs plainely that his care in this precept is not all for our neighbour that he may be forgiuen his trespasse It concernes vs our selues so neare as the forgiuing of our owne sinnes doth import for if we cannot plead our actiue pardon we cannot desire this passiue pardon we must be pardoners if we will be pardoned It is true that in the parable the Master pardoned his seruant his debt to him first but when after he heard complaint that his seruant would not forgiue his fellow his small debt he reuoked the pardon and redemanded the debt Therefore our Sauiour would haue vs worke sure first to forgiue trespasses done to vs then to pray for forgiuenesse of our trespasses 2 Where we say forgiue vs as we forgiue wee doe make profession of our forgiuenesse of our debtors that is of such as haue trespassed vs. Which admonisheth vs to be sincere in our forgiuenesse as Christ saith if ye from your heart forgiue for we pray to him who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a seer who seeth our hearts and knoweth whether we deale faithfully and sincerely with him or not therefore let vs consider how we would be forgiuen of God that we may so forgiue 1 We would be forgiuen presently 2 We would be forgiuen heartily 3 We would be forgiuen totally 4 We would be forgiuen so as there should remaine no roote of bitternesse in stocke to make a new quarrell which we call forgiuing and forgetting it is not forgiuenesse if all that meete not so 1 Some delay the pardon of their brethren and so liue in prosecution of reuenge and in retribution of euill for euill and when they haue either failed of their reuenge or effected it then they forgiue When God sent Nathan to reproue Dauid for his double sinne Dauid charged with this debt confessed it at the first voyce of reprehension and Nathan replyed to him The Lord also hath