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
1 I obserue how quickly vpon the forbearance of the law the Papists doe take aduantage to congregate themselues into assemblies and to make open profession of their opposition to vs. 2. How readie the treacherous Priests who haue fallen from vs by Apostasie are to confirme the Apostasie of such as are gone from vs to tempt others not established 3. Another speciall obseruation in that conuenticle was the time when this suddaine destruction came vpon Papists it was by their new computation of the yeare in the Gregorian Calender on their fift day of Nouember So that God would haue them tast of his iustice with a touch and remembrance of that dismall day which their religion had dessigned to our ruine now they haue their fift of Nouember as well as we but with so mercifull a difference on our part so iust a difference on their part that when they shall thinke of our fift of Nouember they may see their owne hand plotting mischiefe Gods hand detecting and defeating it and their fift of Nouember will acknowledge no hand but of Almighty God in the whole worke of their destruction Their intendment forged in hell was to haue wrought vpward to blow vp all this execution from the hand of God wrought downeward in the fall On our fift of Nouember the great assembly of the State which maintaine true Religions was aimed at On their fift of Nouember a priuate Conuenticle hereticall changelings and such as haue denied the faith of Christ here rightly and sincerely taught were hit And as their day intended the sodaine death of some of their owne friends to make those whom they hated more sure So it is to be feared that some of our owne Protestants somewhat too curious to pry somewhit too daring to aduenture into the tents of the enemie did pay deare for their ouer curious diligence in ioyning themselues with vnlawfull assemblies The vse of those fearefull examples of Gods iustice vpon those that forsake the true Church of God is not to reioyce in their destruction But secondly to remember the threatning Word of our Sauiour Except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish For God wanteth not matter of iust quarrell against the best of vs all to punish vs also and to make vs examples of his iust vengeance if he were not our Father louing and indulgent toward vs for Christs sake in whom he loueth and spareth and forbeareth vs and we haue no other way to keepe him a father but by our true repentance of our sinnes and obedience to his holy Word 2. It is a warning to vs seeing he that we pray to is our father in a speciall reference to all the sincere professours of the holy truth of God without schisme heresie or superstition that therefore we keepe our selues in the vnity of the Church not forsaking the assemblies of our brethren whom either faction or superstition hath separated from vs. These sinners against their owne soules are a dangerous societie let vs haue nothing to doe with them in their hereticall seperations the very eye vpon them may bee dangerous for these are the windowes of the body Mors intrat per fenestras Dauids Prayer is Auerie oculos meos ne videant vanitatem And let not vs say aperiam oculos meos vt videam If we take hurt by looking on we may too late complaine with him in the Poet Cur aliquid vidi Cur noxia lumina feci Is it not safer to avoyd poyson then to drinke it in vpon confidence of our antidote 3. Let the name of our Father moue a compassion in vs towards our brethren staggering in Religion to confirme them fallen from vs to reduce them to the vnity of our Church this partly by our earnest prayers to God for them partly by our wholesome and good counsailes giuen to them partly by the example of our good life directing them when they shall be witnesses of our conformity in life with the doctrine of our faith may be happily performed with much more ioy then we can take in the ruine and destruction of them though they be a generation that doth not set their hearts aright and in whose sight our liues are nothing pretious Till God do declare them his enemies let vs hope and iudge the best of them but the time shall come when God will come himselfe to purge his floore and to diuide betweene the Chaffe and the Wheat betweene the good graine the tares then those whom God shall cast off as his enemies the communion of Saints shall know them and they shall haue warrant to reioyce in their eternall destruction and they shall haue commandement from the iudge of quicke and dead to triumph ouer them Reioyce ouer her thou heauen and yee holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath auenged you on her And in the next Chapter there is an Halleluiah sung in heauen and God is praised for the destruction of Babylon that is the kingdome of Antichrist Let vs with praier striue with God so long as we liue to encrease the number of his faithfull ones to dilate the boundes of his Church and to adde to it dayly such as may be saued with vs. And let vs with patience awaite the iustice of God which in the last day will be reuealed when the sheepe and goats shall be parted and when God shall declare both with whom we shall reioyce in the communion of his Saints and ouer whom we shall triumph in the Synagogue of Sathan then shall the glorie of God both wayes delight vs and we shall haue our desire vpon all Gods enemies Which art in heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who art in the heauens The name of heauen in Scripture is giuen at large to all that space that is aboue the earth so that the ayre where the fowles doe flye is called heauen and they volatilia coeli the planets and the fixed starres are heauenly bodies and there is an heauen farre aboue all heauens to which Christ is said to be exalted We comprehend all in this word for God is dwelling in them all Yet we must take heed that we confine not our God to any certaine place for he is infinite and incomprehensible himselfe telleth vs so Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord doe not I fill heauen and earth saith the Lord Salomon confesseth when he had built God an house at Ierusalem Behold the heauen and heauen of heauens cannot containe thee how much lesse this house that I haue builded Else what comfort had we to pray or hope to bee heard if we did not beleeue the omnipresence of God Eliphaz in Iob doth dispute this point Is not God in the height of heauen and behold the height of the starres how high they are And thou saist how doth God know can hee iudge through the darke cloudes Thicke cloudes are a courening to him that he
Ierusalem the spirit of supplications poureth also the spirit of grace to sanctifie the supplications So it is called in Zech. the Spirit of grace and supplications And Dauid can say If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Obserue it in Saint Iames his directions Draw nigh to God and hee will draw nigh to you clense your hands yee sinners and purifie your hearts you double minded When God appeard to Moses in the bush and Moses was approaching to him he heard a voyce saying to him Put off thy shoes from thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground There is no Comming then to God without holinesse without which we may seeke but we shall neuer see the face of God 5 This mention of the heauens here doth put vs in minde of the wisedome of God who of nothing raised vp that glorious frame of those celestiall habitations that high Sanctuary for his owne dwelling for in wisedome he hath made them all Which teacheth vs to beware how we appeare before God in our praiers and holy deuotions not as fooles but as wise Take heed to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God and be more neare to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles They that pray not in wisdome doe offer to God the sacrifice of fooles And Salomon saith God hath no pleasure in fooles There is no folly like to the folly that is vsed in prayer and deuotion when the God of wisedome hath vs in his eye and the iealous God who is tender of his worship discerneth that he is slighted That is one of the sinnes of our time a foolish worship without consideration care or reuerence which turneth our praiers into sinne Hath God any pleasure in the set words of a solemne seruice Did he not blame his owne people Populus hic honorat me labijs suis Dauid admonisheth to sing praises to God with vnderstanding It asketh a great deale of spirituall wisedome to addresse our suites to the Court of heauen where the highest King of glory doth wisely consider all the sonnes of men and beholds with what descretion and wisedome they come before him Take heed therefore that thou forget not our Father to be in heauen Heauen is mentioned for the height of Gods sanctuarie for God is in excelsis which teacheth vs in praier to sublime our soules from the earth and earthly things to an holy eleuation thereto agree those outward formes of lifting vp the eyes in prayer I lifted vp mine eyes to the hills from whence my help commeth Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth And let the lifting vp of mine hands be an euening sacrifice Sursum corda It is the voice of the Church Our Conuersation is in heauen and it is the Apostles counsaile If ye be risen with Christ seeke the things which are aboue and not the things which are below where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God O that I had the winges of a Doue the wings of an Eagle rather to fly high there is the Carcase and thither the Eagles resort Our earthly Parents giue good things to vs but they haue them from hence the bread the fish the necessaries of life Sometimes earthly Parents proue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but our heauenly father is one whose compassion falles not when my father and mother forsaketh me the Lord taketh me vp Doubtlesse thou art our father though Abraham knowes not though Israel be ignorant of vs. Earthly Parents see vs sicke and in prison and in disgrace and in want they can sit downe and droppe their teares and viz their groanes with ours but there is no helpe in them they may be parted from vs by death but our heauenly father shall endure for euer his yeares change not he looked down from the height of his sanctuarie From heauen did the Lord behold the earth to heare the groaning of the prisoners to loose those that are appointed to death 7 The mention of heauen added to the title of our Father doth put vs in minde of his goodnesse for hee dwelleth in that place from which euery good giuing and euery perfect gift doth proceed From whence also we are directed in our Prayers not to aske of this Father that is nothing but good and perfect gifts In temporall benefits we must still haue an eye to the true vse of them to make them serue for spirituall and heauenly vses One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Let our eye be vpon the inheritance and the birth-right and for things temporal so far as they may be adjumenta or oramenta to vs to aduance this final desire of the kingdome of God so farre let vs desire and seeke and vse them Who will petition a King for beades and babies and such trifling things feare nto little flock it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Let our wisedome seeke it where it is to be found in heauen where Iesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of his father and maketh intercession for vs. Why should we aske stones where we may haue bread for asking bread of the finest wheat flower Manna Angels bread 8 The name of our father in the heauens doth put vs in minde of the country which we seeke for we are but Pilgrimes and strangers and we haue no abiding City here we are but soiourners as all our fathers were But we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolued wee haue a building not made with hands but eternall in the heauens For in this we groane earnestly desiring to be cloathed vpon with our house which is from heauen that mortalitie might be swallowed vp of life for Whilest we art at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. We are confident and willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. We sit here weeping by the riuers of Babel If I forget thee O Ierusalem c. Returne to thy rest O my soule Studie those heauens search and finde out the way to them there is one that is gone before to prepare a place there for vs in the many Mansions of his Fathers house and as the Church sweetely Hymneth He hath opened the Kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers by a new and liuing way which hee hath Consecrated for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh Conducting vs to Mount Sion the City of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable companie of Angels To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of
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
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
from his way and liue Turne ye Turne ye from your euill wayes for why will yee die O house of Israel So our Sauiour It is not the will of your Father that is in heauen that one of these little ones should perish To declare this to be his will he rose early to send his Prophets to his people to conuert them to him And our Sauiour in the Gospell doth resemble himself to that good shepherd that went into the wildernesse to seeke a straied sheep to bring it backe to the flocke to the woman that lighted a Candle and swept her house and sought diligently till she found her lost groat Both of them made merry when they found what they had lost Such ioy God hath in the conuersion of a sinner When a profane person becommeth holy when a couetous person turneth liberall when a drunkard becometh sober and a glutton temperate when a swearer feareth an oath a lier loueth the truth when a breaker of the Sabbath is glad when it is sayd to him Come let vs goe vp to the house of the Lord and answereth them My feete shall stand in thy gates O Ierusalem When an oppressor turnes mercifull and a proud man humble and a contentious man quiet and peaceable this is as God would haue it and this is ioy to the Almighty and the Angels of heauen reioyce in it for this is the will of God But in the contrarie our sinnes doe grieue the holy one of Israel grieue not the spirit of God our sinnes do ouercharge him hee complaineth that he is like a Cart ouerladen with sheaues Our sinnes put him into a storme of indignation therfore our conuersion is his will 2 Seeing out conuersion beginneth at the abnegation of our selues that also is the will of God he that will be my Disciple saith our Sauiour must forsake all and follow me Sua suos se as Saint Bernard and none is acceptable according to his wil but he that is a new Creature This maketh a perfect conuersion and this incorporateth vs in the body of the Church for God doth not will our forsaking of our selues and renouncing of the world for our hurt and losse but for our greater good that he himselfe may be our rocke and fortresse our refuge and exceeding great reward 3 The will of God is our obedience to his holy lawes which he hath giuen vs as his couenant that in keeping of them it might goe well with vs. His owne mouth hath reuealed his will in this point O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might be well with them and with their children for euer Wherein God is not a seuere exactor of more duetie then we are able to performe but requireth our best endeuour to doe his will and taketh that for pay Neither doth he will this to make profit to himselfe of our obedience but for vs that it may be well with vs and our children for euer 4 The will of God is our holinesse in this obedience that we purge our Conscience from dead workes that we may serue the liuing God That we possesse our vessels that is our bodies in holinesse for they be Vasa animarum a treasure in earthen vessels of great price immortall soules in mortall bodies For this is the will of God euen your sanctification hee giueth the reason of it For God hath not called vs to vncleanesse but to holi 〈…〉 And this was figured in the washings and purifications of the old law and directly commanded by God saying Be ye holy as I am holy But ye are a royall Priesthood Gens sancta 2 The will of God concerning faith is that we beleeue in him and trust him they that know thy name will trust in thee that we cast all our care vpon him that we belieue in him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and this also for our eternall good For so saith our Sauiour And this is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him may haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day This is the law of faith and it is the law of life For it is written The iust man shall liue by faith How needfull this petition is that the will of God may be wrought in vs this way by faith we may soone see 1 If we consider our naturall infidelity for the natural man is so far from beleeuing that he hath not the vnderstanding to discerne those things which belong to the spirit of God neither can hee saith the Apostle for they are spiritually discerned And without faith it is impossible to please God This infidelitie must be purged before the will of God can be done by vs and till this be purged the very preaching of the word the meanes ordained by God to beget faith in vs seemeth foolishnesse For it is as much labour lost to preach spiritual things to a man that hath no faith as to vrge naturall reasons to a man that hath no wit for neither of these vessels be open to receiue any of this pretious liquor stopt with ignorance and vnbeleefe 2 We haue reason to aske this of God because faith is his gift and though he suffereth vs to acquire it by little and little by the hearing of the Word yet the word of God is not any better then litera mortua in it selfe except the holy Ghost do worke by it to beget first then to nourish and encrease our faith 3 Because as Saint Cyprian obserueth well Nobis à diabolo obsistitur quo minus per omnia noster animus atque actus deo obsequatur and therefore he addeth Vt fiat voluntas dei à nobis opus est voluntate dei i. e. ope et protectione quia nemo suis viribus fortis est This is a potent aduersarie hath both his temptations to allure vs and his prouocation to vexe vs wee had need craue ayd against him and God hath laid help vpon one that is mightie to giue vs helpe we had need pray for faith to fasten our hold vpon that helpe If either by fight or flight we can put him off and lay hold vpon the hornes of this altar sub hac indulgentia et misericordia saith Cyprian tuti sumus This enemie hath a great aduantage of vs because of the treason of our owne wils for nothing is more prone and propense to euill then the will of man and there is nothing in man that man loues more then to haue his will euen the regenerate man findeth his will wilfull often and vnruly still We had neede to pray for the will of God to put in to correct and direct our wills 3 The manner how we desire this will of God to be done As in heauen so in earth The 3 first petitions that are addressed mainely to the honour of God end at these
Gods mercy to vs for the foundation of God is sure and sealed with this seale Dominus novit qui sunt sui But we are admonished by the Apostle to make our calling and election sure not in the decree of God but in our owne perswasion And it cannot bee sure except we vse the meanes ordained to assure vs. But if wee haue truely discouered in our selues the body of sinne and haue opened into God in a contrite confession and haue bewailed them with teares of vnfeined contrition which S. Augustine calleth Sanguinē vulnerati cordis and haue asked God forgiuenesse and cried him mercy from them This is applicatio remedij that there is a ground for our saith to beleeue the pardon of them sealed to vs and not before God testified of Dauid that he was a man after his owne heart yet he sinned soulely and till he had made confession of his sinne and had deplored it penitentially he was not absolued from it Christ told Peter that Sathan desired to sift him but he had prayed that his faith should not faile him That did not make his threefold denyal of his Master no sinne he knew it and remembring himselfe he went forth from the place where hee had done the fault and wept bitterly The rule therefore is that All the promises of God and our faith in those promises haue reference to the holy vse of the meanes ordained by God for establishing our peace with him Therefore in the name of God goe the way that hee hath ordained for you to walke in follow the holy example of all the faithfull seruants of God who haue gone to Gilead for balme when they haue had any soarenes and haue humbly prostrated their diseases before the Physitian who came to comfort them that mourne and to binde vp the broken hearted and say Domine dimitte nobis debita nostra Another duty is to pray only to God for pardon of our sinnes When Christ said to the sick of the palsey Sonne bee of good cheare thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee The Scribes said within themselues This man blasphemeth Our Sauiour defendeth himselfe by lawfull authority The sonne of man hath power on earth to forgiue sinnes S. Marke is more expresse in this relation for these Scribes gaue a reason why they charged Christ with blasphemy saying Who can forgiue sinnes but God only They were in the right for that generall rule that none but God can forgiue sinnes but they mistooke Christ not knowing him to be God God laieth claime to this authority I euen I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And againe I haue blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sinnes returne vnto me for I haue redeemed thee Sing O ye heauens for the Lord hath done it So by the Prophet Ezechiel he saith I will sprinckle cleane water vpon you and yee shall bee cleane from all your filthinesse A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you Dauid stirreth vp himselfe to blesse the Lord for this Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiueth all thy iniquities Therefore our Sauiour sendeth his disciples to our father in heauen to forgiue them their sinnes Contrary to this doctrine is the precept of the Church of Rome which imposeth on the consciences of men a necessity of auricular confession of all mortall sinnes to the Priest for obteining pardon thereof For if only God must forgiue only to God must confession of sins be made The doctrine and practise of auricular confession in the Church howsoeuer pretended by the Councell of Trent to be the institution of Christ yet did it come in when partly humane policy partly superstition corrupted the Church in the doctrine and discipline thereof For in Saint Augustines time it was not heard of who protesteth against it as a thing vnreasonable and thus he disclaimeth it Quid mihi est cum hominibus vt audiant confessiones meas quasi ipsi sanaturi sint omnes languores meos Curiosum genus ad cognoscendam vitam alienam desidiosum ad corrigendam suam Quid a me quaerunt audire qui sim qui nolunt a te audire qui sint The power of forgiuing sinnes is onely in God but he hath left in his Church a ministeriall dispensation of that power by application to true penitents and they that presse it further inuade the rights of God Therefore to rectifie your iudgements in this point concerning men forgiuing of sinnes know that this belongeth to men two wayes 1 In Church discipline it belongeth to the Minister to absolue penitents for as God hath left in the Church the ministerie of exhortation of doctrine of conuiction and of reprehension so hath he left the ministerie of absolution to pronounce his pardon to them that truely repent them of their sinnes If you obiect that any priuate lay-man may assure him that truely repenteth that his sinnes are forgiuen from the certaine warrant of the word of God or a man may assure himselfe hereof by reading and meditation in holy Scriptures I answer that nothing is well done that hath not the warrant of a lawfull calling to authorize it for that is transgression of the ordinance of God The Apostle doth impose it on all sorts of men promiscuously to exhort and instruct one another but none may performe this duty publiquely but they who are called to it For how shall he preach except he be sent He that gaue his Apostles authoritie to goe into all nations to preach and baptize said also to them whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whosoeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained And though the Church of Rome doth reserue certaine cases of absolution onely to the Pope as in the right of Peter vnder colour of whose succession he vsurpeth yet the text is cleare that what Christ spake to Peter he spake to the rest and Saint Basil did so vnderstand him who saith Christus omnibus pastoribus doctoribus ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnes ex aequo soluunt et ligant And their owne Thomas of Aquine saith quilibet sacerdos quantum est ex virtute clauium habet potestatem indifferenter in omnes And the very phrase of Christ not saying to whomsoeuer you declare remission of sinnes they are remitted but whosoeuers sinnes ye remit shewing that Christ in our ministery doth this for nos legatione fungimur pro Iesu Christo euen as if Christ did beseech you by vs. Therefore as the waters of Damascus might bee as cleare and as sweet and as wholesome as the waters of Iordan yet not so effectuall to wash off the leprosie of Naaman because the word of the Lord sent Naaman to that Riuer So though any other man in respect of his knowledge and zeale and good