they ascribe unto them omnipresence if as to absent they ascribe to them omniscience Both which are blasphemous Besides when they invocate they ascribe omnipotencie to them and therefore repose their trust in them But God alone is to be trusted in because he alone is omnipotent and cursed is he that trusteth in man Jer. 17. 5. II. Again mere men are not religiously to be adored It is Peters reason Acts 10. 26 and Pauls Acts 14. 15. If Christ himself had been but a mere man or a creature though a god by creation yet ought not he religiously to be adored and much lesse the Saints who are but the servants of Christ. Therefore the ancient Fathers termed the Arians who supposed Christ to be God by creation and yet worshipped him idolaters and the Nestorians likewise who supposed the humanitie of Christ to be a distinct person from the Sonne of God III. To leave God who hath commanded us to call upon him and hath promised to heare us and is most willing and onely able to help us and to run to the Saints who neither have commanded us as having no such authoritie nor have promised to heare and help us as having no such power yea are so farre from hearing and helping that they neither know us nor our desires and so farre from commanding us to call upon them as they have forbidden us so to do and alwayes directed us to call upon God Acts 10. 26. and 14. 15. is a thing in-religion impious and in reason absurd IV. To call upon Saints is a thing most injurious unto God and Christ our Saviour derogatorie from the glory of God as though they were either more ready to heare or more willing or more able to help us or that we had more confidence in their love then in the mercies of God and intercession of Christ our Saviour But it is lawfull to intreat the Saints upon earth to pray for us why then may we not desire the Saints in heaven much more to pray to God for us To intreat the Saints living on earth to pray for us hath warrant in the Scriptures as having been a dutie injoyned by God Gen. 20. 7. Job 42. 8. Jam. 5. 14 16. and also practiced by the faithfull Rom. 5. 30. Ephes. 6. 19. But praying to Saints departed hath no warrant in the Scriptures as the Papists themselves are forced to confesse Nay it is directly forbidden and those which do it commit two evils forsaking God the fountain of living waters and digging out to themselves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water Jer. 2. 13. They worship the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 25. praeterito Creatore passing by the Creatour ut Hilarius interpretatur De Trinitate lib. 12. 2. The Saints living with us are acquainted with our persons and our wants and therefore may pray in particular for us and so cannot the Saints departed 3. The request made in this behalf to the faithfull living is a civil intreaty of a Christian duty but as it is made to the Saints departed it is a religious invocation of them to do that for us which is the peculiar office of the Mediatour Neither do they onely intreat the Saints to pray for us and desire God that for the merits intercession of the Saints he would grant their desires which is to give the office of Christ to them But also they desire the Saints themselves to bestow upon them such blessings as they desire both spirituall and temporall and to avert from them such evils as they fear Wherein the Papists have made the Saints to succeed the heathen gods ascribing unto them their severall offices and functions insomuch that there is no countrey citie or town but hath certain Saints to patronize them as the heathen had their tutelares deos no trade or occupation which hath not a peculiar Saint no kind of cattel or tame fowl which have not their patrones no kind of disease but some Saint or other is called upon for the curing thereof as the dii averrunci or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the heathen So that if there were no other fault in Popery their idolatry were sufficient cause of separation from them But the Saints departed do pray for us therefore we ought to pray unto them It may well be supposed that the Saints departed do pray in common for the faithfull upon the earth as fellow-members of the same bodie But they are not acquainted with particular persons or their particular wants or desires or if they were yet it would not follow that we should pray to them no more then we are bound to invocate religiously the Saints upon earth whom we know according to their dutie do pray for us August contra Faust. Manich lib. 20. c. 21. Colimus martyres â—…o cultu dilectionis societatis quo in hac vita coluntur sancti homines We worship the martyrs with that worship of love and societie with which even in this life holy men are worshipped Notwithstanding the Papists think this consequence to be so strong as they take it for granted that if the Saints make intercession for us we must pray to them Insomuch that Bellarâ—…ine when he would prove against our King That invocation of Saints was taught by the ancient Fathers in stead of that he proveth ridiculously the intercession of Saints for us CHAP. XIII That we must conceive of God in prayer as he hath revealed himself in his word SEeing then the Lord alone is to be called upon religiously it remaineth that we consider how we are to conceive of God when we do call upon him viz. not according to the fansies of our own brain but as he hath revealed himself in his word both in respect of the Divine nature and also the Divine persons In respect of his nature that he is a spirit invisible and incomprehensible omnipotent and infinite most holy wise just and mercifull c. And in regard of the Divine persons that being a God in essence substance one and indivisible he is notwithstanding distinguished into three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who as they be not in nature disjoyned so are they not to be severed in their worship but the Unitie in Trinitie and Trinitie in Unitie is to be worshipped and adored Whosoever therefore in respect of Gods nature do circumscribe God worshipping him under any form whether outwardly expressed or inwardly conceived as namely in the form of an old man c. in stead of the true God they do worship an idole Such was the erroneous conceit of the Anthropomorphites and such is the superstitious worship of the Papists at this day Likewise in respect of the persons whosoever shall call upon God as not distinguished into three persons howsoever they may professe that they invocate one onely true God maker of heaven and earth yet they do not worship the
Father Matth. 7. 11. This thereforè must not discourage us that he sitteth above in heaven in the high throne of his majestie 〈◊〉 though he dwelleth above yet he mercifully abaseth himself to behold the things which be in heaven and in earth Psal. 113. 5 6. He looketh down from the high place of his holinesse even from heà ven doth the Lord look down upon earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliver the children of death Psal. 102. 19 20. Neither ought his power to terrifie us for he useth it to our good Deut. 33. 26. â—…e rideth or sitteth upon the heavens for our help Him therefore let us exalt who rideth on the highest heavens Psal. 68. 4. Here therefore is discovered the hypocrisie of those men who calling upon God as their Father in heaven lift not up their hearts to heaven but let them lie groveling on the earth who imagine God to be like themselves who without reverence speak unto him or use vain babbling who trust not in his power nor acknowledge his presence with them unreverently behaving themselves because they see him not that submit not themselves to his fatherly wisdome nor rest in his mercy and goodnesse Vses in our lives First if our Father be in heaven who also hath begotten us to an heavenly inheritance then we who are the children of God are in this world pilgrimes from God and from our countrey and therefore ought not to mindearthly things but have our conversation in heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. Secondly if God our Father be full of maiesty and power we ought to fear him and to stand in aw Thirdly if omnipotent let us rest confidently under his protection neither let the fear of any danger draw us unto sinne for God is able to deliver us Dan. 17. And on the other side let us fear to sinne for he is able to destroy both body and soul in hell Matth. 10. 28. If God be omnipresent let us behave our selves as in his presence and walk before him in uprightnesse of heart If our heavenly Father be most wise and mercifull let us cast our care upon him in all our necessities depending on him As for those that are mere worldlings terrae filii who neither stand in aw of his majesty nor trust in his power nor walk as in his presence nor depend upon his fatherly goodnesse they cannot but in hypocrisie call God their heavenly Father Now if we joyn these two together of which we have spoken severally That God is our Father and therefore willing to heare us and also in heaven and therefore able to grant our desires there will be no place left to diffidence and distrust seeing God is both willing and able to grant our requests Therefore we ought not to be distrustfully carefull but with confidence and assurance that we shall be heard to make our requests known unto God Phil. 4. 6. seeing as Fulgentius saith Deus multus est ad ignoscendum in hoc multo nihil deest in quo omnipotens misericordia omnipotentia misericors est God is much in forgiving in this much nothing is missing in whom is omnipotent mercy and mercifull omnipotence The consideration of either of these may stirre up a man to pray but if he doubt of either I see not how he can pray in faith The leper Mark 1. 40. being perswaded of Christs power desireth him to make him clean the father of him that was possessed Mark 9. 22. having some good opinion of Christs willingnesse intreated his help for the dispossessing of the unclean spirit But because the one was not assured of his willingnesse the other of his power they make but doubtfull prayers If thou wilt thou canst make me clean If thou canst do any thing help us But we may be assured of both in our heavenly Father and therefore are to be encouraged to pray in faith c. The division of the Petitions HItherto we have spoken of the preface Now we are to proceed unto the petitions Which are in number six but yet in respect of the objects they may be distinguished into two sorts For either they concern more properly and immediately the glory of God without respect of our own profit or else our own good and mediately the glory of God For in the three former we say Thy name Thy kingdome Thy will in the three latter us and our c. Those that concern Gods glory are indeed most profitable for us for with his own glory he joyneth the good and salvation of the elect For if we glorifie the name of God he will glorifie us if we be subjects of the kingdome of grace we shall be inheriters of the kingdome of glory if we do the will of God upon earth we shall enter into the kingdome of heaven But in propounding these petitions we are not to respect our own profit but the glory of God Those which immediately concern our own good must also mediately respect the glory of God whereunto if our good be not referred it is not good Those which immediately concern the glory of God are set down in the first place By which order our Saviour Christ teacheth us to preferre Gods glory before our own good yea if they should come in comparison before our own salvation Exod. 32. 32. because Gods glory is the end and therefore better then those things which are referred thereunto For which cause not onely in order of petitions but also in the measure of our affections the glory of God must be preferred before our own good Ideóque in tribus primis petitionibus oratio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est cùm posteriores conjunctionibus colligantur And therefore in the three first petitions there is no copulative when as the three latter are tied together with conjunctions In the three first petitions we desire either the glory of God it self as the end or else the means whereby his glory is procured the end in the first petition the means in the other two For then is God glorified when his kingdome is advanced and his will fulfilled This order teacheth us that the main end of all our desires and actions should be the glory of God I. Petition FIrst of the first petition Wherein we are to learn the meaning of the words and then to consider the uses which arise from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hallowed be thy name The name of God signifieth both God himself and his attributes which â—…re himself and also that whereby he is named In the former sense the word name is often used to signifie the persons named as Acts 1. 15. and 4. 12. Revel 3. 4. and 11. 13. So the name of God is put for God himself Joel 2. 23. Deut. 28. 58. Hereupon the Hebrews use to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is His name is himself and he is his name And hereunto belong those places in which the name of God
his power to do but when he doth abandon all purpose and desire of revenge all hatred and ill will towards his brother in respect of the offense If this be true then belike no man may complain to the Magistrate or seek his remedy by law when he hath susteined injury or wrong Although we are to forgive from our heart every one that oâ—…endeth us yet we may in some 〈◊〉 complain unto the Magistrate and seek remedy by law if these cautions be observed 1. That it be not done in anger or malice or desire of revenge which commonly are the grounds of mens going to law but that it be done with a charitable mind towards the society where we live towards our brother who hath offended us and towards our selves First towards the society 1. If the offense be such as according to the laws of the society is to be punished by order of justice for that punishment it is not in our power to remit 2. If the offense be dangerous to the society either in respect of Gods judgement or in respect of contagion then is it good the fault should be punished that evil may be taken from among us and the judgement of God prevented and others may see and fear and fearing their punishment may not follow their example in which respects most meet and necessary it is that the insolency and outrage of wicked men should be restrained Secondly as touching the party If he cannot be reclaimed by private means we are to seek that by publick authority he may be reclaimed and brought to repentance and we are to take heed lest by our patience our neighbour become worse Thirdly concerning our selves We may provide for our safetie for the time to come rather then by too much bearing to expose our selves to the wrongs and injuries of the wicked For if it were not lawfull for godly men to complain to the Magistrate c. there would be no measure nor no end of indignities offered unto them And albeit we are to esteem every wrong offered unto us as an affliction laid upon us by the Lord and are therefore to bear it patiently not seek to wreak our selves upon our brother who is but the instrument or rod by whom the Lord doth correct us yet we are in this as in all other afflictions to use such means as the Lord doth offer unto us of deliverance out of the same and not be like wayward children which having taken a fall will not rise The means which God hath appointed in this behalf is the publick authoritie of the magistrate who is the minister of God for the good of them that do well as for the rest he beareth not the sword for nought but is the minister of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an avenger unto wrath unto those that do evil Rom. 13. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As signifieth not equalitie For as the heavens are higher then the earth so doth his mercy excell the greatest love amongst men as the love of the father Matth. 7. 11. and of the mother Isai. 49. 15. And by how much his love is greater by so much he is the slower to wrath or revenge Hos. 11. 9. I will not exercise my fierce wrath in destroying Ephraim for I am God and not man Had our Saviour been but a man as his Apostles were but men although good men he would perhaps have been as ready to call down fire from heaven upon the Samaritanes as they Luke 9. 54. Had the Lord who was offended been no more mercifull towards Niniveh then the Prophet Jonah whom they had not offended Niniveh had been destroyed Jonah 4. 1. Therefore equality is not here to be understood but likenesse For although we cannot be equall with the Lord yet we must be like him And as it is Matth. 5. 48. â—…e ye perfect as your heaveâ—…ly Father iâ—… perfect But our perfection consisteth in uprightnesse And therefore although we cannot forgive and love in the like measure yet we must in like quality that is in truth So that the meaning is We desâ—…e the Lord to forgive us for even we also unfeigâ—…dly forgive our brethren Whenas therefore we do professe that we do so forgive as we desire to be forgiven and that we desire so to be forgiven as we forgive this teacheth us that our forgivenesse and reconciliation with our brethren should not be from the teeth outward and by halves but sincere intire Many men will speak friendly to their neighbour when malice is in their hearts Psal. 28. 3. and are contented that a skin should be drawn over their festred malice making out wardly a shew of reconciliation and forgivenesse whenas inwardly they retein a secret grudge in their hearts And again others will say Well I may forgive him but I shall never forget him c. But these men rather call for vengeance then mercie at Gods hands desiring so to be forgiven as they forgive And therefore as we desire the Lord not onely in word but also in deed and in truth to forgive us so must we forgive our brethren that have offended us even from our hearts Matth. 18. 35. And as we desire that the Lord would not onely forgive the punishment but also forget the fault it self and cast it into the bottom of the sea Mich. 7. 19. so must we also forgive and forget the wrongs done unto us So much of the words Vses The use which from hence ariseth is threefold viz. of Instruction Consolution and Reproof For I. those who either desire to make this prayer aright or hope to have their prayer heard are here taught how to behave themselves towards their brethren namely that they be in charity with all men and if it be possible and as much as in them lieth to be â—…t peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all men Rom. 12. 18. For whereas it cannot be avoided but that in this life we shall both sinne against God and offend one another therefore our Saviour hath taught us to joyn these two together the desiring of peace of conscience and reconciliation with God and the seeking of outward peâ—…ce and reconciliation with men And first he that hath offended his brother his duty is to seek reconciliation with him before he can look for reconciliation with God as our Saviour teacheth Matth. 5. 23. 24. If thou bring thy gift to the â—…tar seeking reconciliation with God and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee that is that thou hust offended thy brother for which thou hast made him no satisfaction leave there thine offering c. So in the Law the Lord ordâ—…ined that whosoever had offended his neighbour and came to seek reconciliation with God by offering sacrifice he should first make his brother amends whom he had offended the same day that he offered for his trespasse Lev. 6. 5. and then forgivenesse is
we may be kept from evil John 17. 15. The Lord hath promised and is faithfull to perform that he will not suffer us to be tempted above our power but with the tentation will give an issue that we may bear it 1. Cor. 10. 13. And finally Joel 2. 32. he hath promised that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Our faith therefore concerning assistance against tentation and deliverance from evil must be grounded not upon any conceit of our own strength or worthinesse but on the power mercy faithfulnesse and truth of God in his promises and on the mediation and intercession of Jesus Christ. Duties to be performed in our lives I. Generall 1. To avoid tentations and occasions of evil To shake off slothfulnesse and diligently to employ our selves either in good exercises or in the works of our callings 2. To resist tentations and to withstand them 3. To be vigilant and watchfull Mark 13. 33. 1. Pet. 5. 8. Ephes. 5. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walk circumspectly to shake off security to keep a watch over our senses To make a covenant with our eyes Job 31. 1. To desire the Lord to turn away our eyes from beholding vanities Psal. 119. 37. 4. To get unto us the whole armour of God as the shield of faith c. Ephes. 6. 12 13 18. 1. Thess. 5. 8. II. More particular 1. To deny our selves to crâ—…cifie the flesh and not to satisfiâ—… the lusts thereof to abstein from fleshly lusts 1. Pet. 2. 11. 2. To renounce the world and the desires thereof 1. John 2. 15 16. 3. To resist the devil not to yield to his motions but rather practice the contrary not to believe his perswasions 1. Pet. 5. 9. Jam. 4. 7. 4. To hate all sinne as we desire to be delivered from all To retein no one sinne with Herod To think no sinne small To abstein also from all shew of evil 1. Thess. 5. 22. To desire full deliverance Phil. 1. 23. Cupio dissolvi I desire to be dissolved Rom. 7. 24. Quis me liber abit Who shall deliver me Hypocrisie discovered Here then is discovered the hypocrisie of those 1. Who pray that God would not lead them into tentation and themselves runne into tentation as those that go to playes and give themselves to idlenesse 2. Who by security and idlenesse make preparation for the unclean spirit Matt. 12. 44. 3. Who take thought for the flesh to satisfie the lâ—…sts thereof Rom. 13. 14. 4. Who are addicted to the world and the desires thereof as pleasures profits 1. Tim. 6. 9. Those that will be rich fall into tentation c. and preferments 5. Who have made a covenant with hell Isai. 28. 15. who pray to be delivered from sin and yet will not forsake their sinne as their drunkennesse whoredome usury c. but harden their hearts and therefore shall fall into evil Prov. 28. 14. who are so farre from desiring full deliverance from evil by their dissolution and translation out of this life that rather they have placed their paradise here upon earth The Conclusion HItherto we have spoken of the petitions Now followeth the Conclusion of the Lords prayer in these words For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie for ever and ever Amen For howsoever this clause is omitted of the Latine interpreters and is rejected by Erasmus yet was it added by our Saviour and registred by Matthew For first the Greek copies have it secondly the Syriack Paraphrast translateth it thirdly the Greek writers expound it as Chrysostome and Theophylact and fourthly it is not onely consonant with the rest of the Scriptures but also in this prayer hath a necessary use For we have heard that praise is to be joyned with prayer and in prayer two things required fervencie and faith Now as the petitions especially conteined a specification of our desires so this conclusion conteineth partly a confirmation of our faith joyned with praysing God in these words For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glorie for ever and ever and partly a testification both of our faith and of the truth of our desires in all the former petitions in the word Amen Our Saviour teacheth us to confirm our faith by three reasons For that they be reasons the word For signifieth And reasons they are not so much to perswade God that he would grant our requests as to perswade and assure our selves that we shall obtein The reasons are taken neither froÌ„ our own worthinesse nor from the dignitie of our prayers for if our faith were to be grounded thereon we should neither dare to pray nor hope to be heard but from the nature attributes of God that we might know that the obteining our requests dependeth not upon our own worth but on the power and goodnesse of God The reasons I say are drawn from three attributes of God viz. his eternall Kingdome eternall Power eternall Glorie His is the kingdome therefore he hath right to give us whatsoever we desire His is the power and might therefore he is able to grant our requests His is the glory both of giving all good things and also of all good things given and thereunto our requests do tend and therefore he is ready and willing to grant our requests for the manifestation of his own glorie And this we shall the easier believe if we consider to whom we ascribe these things namely to our heavenly Father whose seat is in heaven and his kingdome ruleth over all Psal. 103. 19. who is in heaven and doth what he will Psal. 115. 3. who sitteth on the heavens as his throne full of majestie and glory and rideth on the heavens for our help Neither doth the right power and glory of giving benefits temporall and concerning this life alone belong unto God but also of everlasting blessings in heavenly things after this life is ended For his is the eternall kingdome eternall power and eternall glorie signified in those words for ever and ever which are to be referred to all the three attributes What kingdome here signifieth But first of his kingdome Which here signifieth 1. generally the universall kingdome of God which some call the kingdome of his power whereby he ruleth and governeth all things Psal. 103. 19. 2. Chron. 20. 6. and in regard whereof the right of all things belongeth to him Deut. 10. 14. Psal. 24. 1. This then teacheth us two things 1. That our heavenly Father is the absolute Lord and owner of all his creatures who as he is the Creatour so is he also the possessour of heaven and earth in whose hand all good things are to bestow as it pleaseth him This therefore must encourage us with assurance of faith to make our requests to our heavenly Father of whom we cannot ask any good thing whether spirituall or temporall which is not his to bestow And therefore it is well said of Seneca Audacter Deum
which we in our selves are not able to give them So that the oration of an oratour is efficax in respect of the inward efficacie when therein is performed what art requireth in respect of the outward when it perswadeth and that efficacie dependeth on the hearers pleasure But prayer which is effectuall in it self alwayes prevaileth with God In particular that we pray in truth fervencie and faith In truth for to that is the promise restrained Psal. 145. 18. In fervencie Jam. 5. 16. In faith Mark 11. 24. Jam. 1. 5 6 7. Without the first prayers are dead without the second cold without the third uneffectuall for it is the prayer of faith which is effectuall Jam. 5. 15. For the end Jam. 4. 3. Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amisse that ye might consume it on your lusts The end must be good or the prayer is bad The end must be that God may be glorified Psal. 50. 15. The third limitation is in respect of things God hath promised to give good things to them that ask Matth. 7. 11. But if the thing which thou desirest be not good either in it self as if it be unlawfull or not to thee as if it be unprofitable it is not within the compasse of the promise nor ought to be within the compasse of thy desire Or if it be good perhaps it is not yet good for thee to have it but in due time thou shalt find grace In the former case the Lord seemeth to denie in the letter to delay our suits and yet in both he doth grant our prayer if it be rightly conceived For first we must not circumscribe God or prescribe unto him the time and means but so desire that our request may be granted as he shall judge most fit both for his glorie and our good Secondly when as the good things which we ask are either necessarie to salvation or otherwise the former we are to ask absolutely and absolutely we are to believe that we shall obtein them Yea know this for thy comfort that if God hath given thee grace to ask spirituall and saving graces effectually thou hast alreadie obteined for the 〈◊〉 desire of any grace is the beginning of that grace which is so desired But those blessings which are not necessary to salvation whether spirituall or â—…emporall we are not to ask absolutely but with condition if the obteining thereof may be for Gods glory and our good So shall we be surâ—… to obtein our desires of the Lord who alwayes heareth his children if not ad voluntatem according to their will yet ad 〈◊〉 for their profit as wise parents deal with their children seeming many times to denie to his children in fatherly love that which in anger and indigâ—…ation he granâ—…eth to others Perhaps therefore as Augustine saith negat tibi propitius quod allis concâ—…dit iratus In mercie he denieth that to thee which in anger he granteth unto others And therefore the hearing of our prayers is not to be measured by sense but by faith CHAP. VII Of the profit of prayer THe third question Whether any further profit is to be expected from prayer besides obteining our requests The profit is twofold the one of reward freely bestowed by God on him that calleth on his name the other the increase of grace wrought in them by Gods Spirit who give themselves to prayer As touching the former Though by reason of our wants and imperfections in prayer the Lord if he should deal in rigour with us might justly reject our prayers yet such is his mercie that he doth not onely cover our wants and for the intercession of Christ accepteth our prayer but also granteth our desire and not onely that but because prayer is a dutie of pietie and a principall part of that worship whereby we gloâ—…lfie God he doth graciously reward it godlinesse having the promise of this life and that which is to come Our Saviour therefore promiseth Matth. 6. 6. that when we call upon God though it be but in secret and private prayers and much more in publick our heavenly Father will reward us openly The Lord is rich to all that call upon him for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10. 12 13. For the other By the frequent and religious exercise of this dutie our faith and affiance in God is increased our experience of his bountie and goodnesse towards us in hearing us confirmed our love to his majestie augmented Psal. 116. 1. our hope nourished our patience exercised By it we grow in acquaintance with God and tast how good and gracious the Lord is By it we learn being Gods daily suiters so to behave our selves as not to be ashamed to appear before him By it we elevate our minds above earthly cogitations to mind things that are above and to have our conversation in heaven By it we grow into assurance of our election because the same spirit which is the spirit of supplication is also the spirit of adoption whereby we cry in our hearts Abba Father and which testifieth to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God and if sonnes then also heirs c. But the Papists not content herewith ascribe two other fruits to their prayers that they are also Satisfactorie for their sinnes and Meritorious of eternall life Satisfactorie as being penal works and therefore both voluntarily undertaken and by their Priests injoyned by way of penance So that this exercise which is so honourable and so profitable as you have heard being also a chief prerogative to the faithfull to have free accesse to God is to them a punishment or work of penance to satisfie for sins But their prayers performed with these conceits of satisfaction and merit are sacrilegious and derogatorie to the all-sufficient satisfaction and merit of Christ though otherwise they were commendable But the impietie of their assertion will better appear if we take a brief survey of their prayers For first whereas our prayers ought to be directed unto the Lord alone they pray to Saints and Angels yea before images and crosses and by their prayers commit most horrible idolatry 2. Neither do they pray in the name and mediation of Christ alone but unto him joyn other mediatours of intercession by whose merits and intercession they desire and hope to be heard 3. The most of them pray without understanding for that which they utter in prayer as praying in an unknown language and consequently pray without attention or actuall intention which they say needeth not without faith or hope without reverence 4. They number their prayers upon beads oftentimes by most grosse â—…attologie repeating the same words perswading themselves that the more Pater nosters Ave Maries and Creeds for those also are prayers with them they shall mumble upon their beads the more satisfactory and meritorious their prayers be Now their prayers being thus every way abominable and odious
chearfully speedily uprightly faithfully constantly fully when as in truth they do the will of God no otherwise then the devils in hell which howsoever in respect of their intent rebell against the will of God yet if you respect the event they become maugre their spite the instruments to bring to passe that which God hath willed and decreed They crave bread at the hands of God as if a small thing would content them when they desire excesse of riches neither can be satisfied with abundance They crave daily bread or as the word signifieth such a portion of temporall blessings as God shall judge most expedient for them as if they meant not to be their own carvers but in these outward things resigned themselves into the hands of God and submitted themselves to his fatherly providence when they are such as have set down with themselves that they will be rich 1. Tim. 6. and will come to great matters whether God give them good means or not and will frame their own fortune They beg for a day as if they would depend upon God for tomorrow yet distrustfully hoard up for many yeares They desire temporall things to be given them of God and yet seek them by wicked and unlawfull means They desire God to remit their sinnes as if they repented of them which they still retein as if they did in mockery desire the Lord to forgive the sinnes which they will not forgo Yea they desire the Lord in hypocrisie so to forgive them their trespasses as they forgive those that trespasse against them when as they nourish hatred and a desire and purpose of revenge so in stead of obteining mercy and forgivenesse at Gods hands they call for the fierce wrath and vengeance of God to be executed upon them They desire that God will not lead them into tentations and yet themselves run into tentations and seek occasions of evil They desire that they may be delivered from evil and yet wilfully go on in evil and will not be reclaimed as though they had made a covenant with hell They ascribe kingdome to the Lord and yet will not obey him as his subjects power and yet neither fear nor trust in him glory yet do not glorifie him They subscribe to their prayers and say Amen as though they unfeignedly desired and assuredly believed that their requests should be granted when as they neither desire that which in hypocrisie they ask nor believe the granting of that which without faith they have begged And finally in all these requests they draw neare to the Lord with their mouth and with their lips do honour him but they remove their hearts farre from him Isa. 29. 13. It is evident therefore that as the prayer of the righteous is acceptable to God as the evening sacrifice Psal. 141. 2. so the prayer of the wicked is detestable unto him Which may further be proved by expresse testimonies of the holy Scriptures The sacrifice of the wicked saith Solomon is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable unto him Prov. 13. 9. and again v. 29. The Lord is farre from the wicked but he heareth the prayers of the righteous The same doth David testifie Psal. 34. 15 16. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his eares are open to their crie but the face and angry countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth The man which had been blind John 9. 31. delivereth this as a received truth in the Church of the Jews This we know saith he that God heareth not sinners that is impenitent sinners but if a man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will him he heareth Wherefore it is manifest that the promises made to them that call upon God are restrained and as it were appropriated to the godly And therefore whosoever desireth to pray unto God with hope to be heard must turn unto the Lord by repentance and lay hold upon Christ by faith unfeignedly purposing amendment of life For the name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth unto it and is exalted or set in safetie Prov. 18. 10. But it will be objected That the promises are generall and therefore belonging to all they are not to be restrained to some I answer That they and all other promises of the Gospel are to be understood with the condition of faith and repentance which many times are expressed and where they are not they are alwayes to be understood as restraining the promises to the faithfull For whereas Joel saith chap. 2. 30. that whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved our Saviour restraineth it to the righteous Matth. 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord that is which calleth upon me shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven and the Apostle Rom. 10. 13 14. to the faithfull But how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed And whereas our Saviour saith That whatsoever ye shall ask in my name the Father will grant it John 16. 23. that also is restrained in the 1. epistle of John 3. 22. to the righteous Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things which are pleasing in his sight And so our Saviour John 17. 7. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you As for the wicked the Lord denieth to heare them though they cry loud in his eares and make many prayers unto him Isa. 1. 15. When ye spread forth your hands saith the Lord to the impenitent Jews I will hide mine eyes from you yeâ—… when ye make many prayers I will not heare whom notwithstanding upon their repentance he promiseth to heare and to receive into favour v. 16 17 18. So in Ezek. 8. 18. Though they cry in mine â—…ares with a loud voice yet will I not heare them Psal. 18. 41. Micah 3. 4. They shall cry unto the Lord but he will not heare them he will even hide his face from them for their wickednesse Jer. 14. 12. When they fast I will not heare their cry Neither doth he onely refuse to heare them but the godly also praying for them 1. Sam. 16. 1. Jer. 15. 1. Ezek. 14. 14 20. and therefore forbiddeth many times the godly to pray in their behalf Jer. 14. 11. or if they do he protesteth that he will not heare them Jer. 7. 16. and 11. 14. When as therefore impenitent sinners do call upon God and are not heard let them not think that the Lord is not able to heare or help them Behold saith the Prophet Isaiah chap. 59. 1. the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save nor his eare heavy that he cannot heare but your iniquities have
made a separation between you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare And then he descendeth to particulars For this mercy of hearing our prayers is not onely denied unto ungodlinesse in generall but also to particular sinnes as contrariwise it is promised to particular graces which being linked together in a golden chain are each of them severall evidences of a true faith As first to Cruelty Oppression Isa. 1. 15. Though ye make many prayers I will not hearé for your hands are full of bloud And not to cruelty onely but also to Unmercifulnes Want of pitie towards the poore For he that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall cry himself and not be heard Pro. 21. 13. Whereas contrariwise those that be mercifull shall find mercy with God Matth. 5. 7. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he will say Here I am Isa. 58. 9. If we love not in word and tongue alone but in deed and truth hereby we may have confidence before God 1. John 3. 18 19. Secondly to Want of love in forgiving offenses and contrariwise Mark 11. 25. When ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses But if ye do not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses Thirdly to the Not-hearing or hearkening to the word of God For as we heare so we shall be heard Prov. 28. 9. He that turneth away his eare from hearing the law his prayer shall be abominable For as we speak unto the Lord in prayer so the Lord speaketh unto us in the preaching of the word and therefore good reason it is that if we will not heare the Lord when he speaketh unto us he should not heare us when we speak unto him as the Prophet Zacharie saith chap. 7. 13. It is come to passe that as he cried and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord. On the other side If the word of Christ abide in us we may ask what we will and it shall be granted us John 15. 7. If men harden their hearts against the word of God the wisdome of God hath threatned not to heare them Prov. 1. 24. He covereth himself with a cloud that our prayer should not passe through Lam. 3. 44. But if men humble themselves before God and tremble at his word being of humble and contrite hearts the Lord hath promised to heare Psal. 66. 2. and 34. 18. and 51. 17. The prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds Ecclus 35. 17. If men choose not the fear of the Lord the Lord will not heare them Prov. 1. 28 29. on the other side He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he will also heare their cry and will save them Psal. 145. 19. Neither doth the Lord refuse to heare those alone who are open and notorious sinners but those also which making outward profession of pietie do play the hypocrites Job 27. 9. Will God heare the cry of the hypocrite when trouble cometh upon him To which purpose there is a notable saying of David Psal. 66. 18. If I regard wickednesse in my heart saith he the Lord will not heare me Whereas contrariwise if men would walk uprightly before God he would denie unto them nothing that is good Psal. 84. 11. Wherefore it behoveth every one that nameth the name of Christ to depart from iniquitie 2. Tim. 2. 19. and to purge his hands from sinne Jam 4. 8. and to wash them in innocencie Psal. 26. that so he may without doubting lift up holy hands unto the Lord 1. Tim. 2. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 2. 22. Heb. 10. 22. with true hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Mala conscientia januam nobis claudit An evil conscience shutteth the gate against us Calv. Institut 3. 20. 7. § But against this doctrine it may be objected That the Lord many times heareth the wicked when they call upon him and therefore that the promises made to prayer are not peculiar to the godly but common to them with the wicked For answer hereunto we are to remember That prayers are made unto God either for spirituall blessings belonging to a better life or for temporall blessings apperteining to this corporall life The former are peculiar to the children of God as belonging to their inheritance and are never bestowed on the wicked who never have so much grace as truly to desire them and therefore if they do at any time ask them they do pray in hypocrisie asking with their lips that which they do not desire with their hearts nor labour for in their lives As for temporall benefits I cannot deny but that the Lord many times in respect of them doth grant unto the wicked their hearts desire But yet even in these also there is great difference betwixt the Lord his hearing of the godly and the wicked For in temporall matters the Lord heareth men either as a gracious and loving Father or as a mercifull Creatour or as a severe Judge 1. In speciall favour as a gracious Father in Christ he heareth his faithfull children ever subordinating their good to his own glory not alwayes satisfying their carnall or worldly desires but alwayes granting their requests as shall be most for his glory and their spirituall and everlasting good under which conditions our prayers for temporall blessings ought alwayes to be framed and being so conceived they are ever granted 2. As a mercifull Creatour the Lord heareth men crying unto him in their extremity And thus he heareth all sorts of men but especially the godly for he is the saviour that is the preserver of all men but chiefly of the faithfull 1. Tim. 4. 10. The godly have a promise of deliverance when they call upon God Psal. 50. 14 15. and 145. 19. and 91. 15. and 34. 17 19. So have not the wicked Psal. 51. 16. and 18. 41. Yea in many places as ye have heard he threatneth that when they cry unto him in their trouble he will not heare them The affliction and deliverance of the godly do both turn to their singular good Rom. 8. 28. and being delivered they glorifie God consulting with themselves what to render unto the Lord for his benefits and taking the cup of salvation that is of thanksgiving for their salvation and deliverance Psal. 116. 12 13. The wicked not being bettered by their affliction are many times delivered according to their desire the Lord giving them over as incorrigible Isa. 1. 5. Jer. 2. 30. and when they are delivered they seek not to glorifie God nor repent of their sinnes but return to their vomit making shew of repentance no longer then the hand of God is upon them And so both their affliction and deliverance through their own default turneth to their
and that as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be reserved as proper to God The like distinction they have forged between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Service and Worship whereof the former as they say may be given to the creatures the latter onely to God If by these words they distinguished civill worship from religious as Augustine doth they might be born with For as he saith both is servitus Sed ea servitus quae debetur hominibus secundùm quam praecipit Apostolus SERVOS DOMINIS SUIS SUBDITOS ESSE DEBERE alio nomine Graecè nuncupari solet scilicet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ea verò servitus quae pertinet ad colendum Deum dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both is Service But that service which is due to men according to which the Apostle commandeth servants to be subject to their masters in the Greek it is used to be called by another name to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that service which belongeth to the worship of God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But when under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they would cloke religious service performed to creatures they are intolerable For between religious service and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no difference and both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are alike in the Scriptures ascribed to God both of them used as the translation of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 23. 33. SI SERVIERIS DIIS EORUM Hîc Graecus saith S. Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habet non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unde intelligitur quia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debetur Deo tanquam Domino 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verò non nisi Deo tanquam Deo IF THOU SERVEST THEIR GODS Here the Greek hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence it is understood that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is due to God as unto our Lord but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to none but God as God Lodovicus Vives in August De civit Dei lib. 10. cap. 1. saith Valla docet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idem esse utrumque significare Servitutem Suidas ait 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 servitus mercenaria Lev. 23. 7. opus servile dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 18. 21. Desemine tuo non dabis servire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 juxta Septuaginta Valla saith be teacheth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the same and that both do signifie Service And Suidas saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is service for a reward or mercenarie service Lev. 23. 7. a servile work is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and chap. 18. 21. Thou shalt not give any of thy seed to serve the prince or the idole Molech which service the Septuagint expresseth by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 8. 3. But if a difference between these words is to be urged it will be found that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the greater and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lesse the former being derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a bond-slave the latter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth an hired servant For Suidas telleth us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is service for a reward And so by this distinction they shall gain thus much That they give the greater to the creatures and reserve the lesse for God Neither can this distinction be applyed to either of these places alledged 1. Sam. 7. 3. Matth. 4. 10. in both which the vulgar Latine hath servire in the former eique soli servite and serve ye him alone where the Greek also hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the latter eique soli servies and thou shalt serve him alone Secondly he that is to be called upon is to be believed in Rom. 10. 14. How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed God alone and none but God is to be believed in Psal. 73. 25. whom have I in heaven but thee According to the Creed the object of our faith is God and the Church but with this difference that we believe in God but as touching the Church we do not say that we believe in it for the Church is not God but domus Dei as Augustine hath observed but onely that we believe the holy catholick Church Now if we are not to believe in the Church much lesse in the members thereof whether they be of the Church militant or triumphant Thirdly no part of Gods glory is to be communicated to any thing else Isa. 42. 8. My glorie will I not give to another To be a hearer and granter of our requests is a great part of Gods glory Psal. 65. 3. O thou that hearest the prayer to thee shall all flesh come and in the conclusion of the Lords prayer thine is the glory namely of hearing and granting our prayers And therefore this glory is not to be communicated to any other and consequently no other is to be called upon Fourthly the commandment of Christ is broken if in prayer we call upon any to whom we may not say Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come c. For thine is the kingdome c. When ye pray say Our Father Luke 11. 2. But without horrible blasphemie we cannot use this form of words to any but onely to God therefore if we call upon any other we break the commandment of Christ. If the Papists alledge that in their prayers they usually do say their Pater noster I confesse they do but in so doing they commit blasphemous idolatry saying this prayer to the Rood or to the Crosse which they worship cultu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying with the old idolaters to a piece of wood Pater mâ—…us es Thou art my father and before the images not onely of men but also of women departed Fifthly all acceptable prayers are made in faith that they are accepted and in hope that they shall be granted For without faith it is impossible to please God and what is not of faith is sinne and prayer which is made without hope is in vain But those prayers that are made to God and they onely are made in faith and hope In faith because God hath commanded us to call upon him and hath promised to heare us In hope because God to whom we pray is omnipresent and therefore is acquainted with our wants and secret desires Psal. 38. he is omnipotent and therefore able to do for us exceâ—…dingly above all that we can ask'or think Ephes. 3. 20. and for his bounty and goodnesse more ready to heare and to grant then we are to ask Isa. 65. 24. On the other side prayers made to creatures are made neither in
true God but an idole for the true God is the Father the Sonne and holy Ghost Forasmuch therefore as the Jews and Turks do not worship the Trinity they are not worshippers of the true God but as our Saviour said of the Samaritanes They worship they know not what John 4. not acknowledging the true God nor Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 5. 23. He that honoureth not the Sonne honoureth not the Father and Whosoever denieth the Sonne hath not the Father 1. John 2. 23. Here therefore it may be demanded That seeing we are to worship the holy Trinitie whether it be lawfull to direct our prayers to some one person as to the Father to the Sonne or to the holy Ghost He that acknowledgeth the Trinitie when in his prayers he nameth one onely person he doth not exclude the other persons but rather includeth thē For in every person or supposite that is named the Divine nature is presupposed so that when the Father is nominated Christ and so the holy Ghost is the same God which is invocated and therefore as there is one essence of all the persons so one worship Furthermore concerning our Saviour Christ it may also be demanded That seeing God is the onely object of religious invocation whether he being the mediatour between God and man is to be invocated and if he be how and in what respect we are to call upon him That he is to be called upon as our Lord and Saviour in whose name we are baptized in whom we believe and trust there is no doubt All men must honour him as they honour the Father John 5. 23. and All the angels must adore him Heb. 1. 6. and to his name must every knee bow Phil. 2. 10. Examples Stephen Acts 7. 59. Thomas John 20. 28. the Apostles Luke 24. 52. But all the question is Whether we are to call upon Christ as God alone or as man alone or as both God and man Since our Saviour Christ was incarnate and did personally and inseparably unite unto himself the humane nature his whole person as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Immanuel God manifested in the flesh is to be worshipped by one and the same act of invocation and worship without separation or division The Papists have found out a peculiar worship for the humanitie of Christ and for the blessed Virgin which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the humanitie of Christ as it doth not subsist of it self so are we not severally to worship it with Nestorius but the whole person both God and man But yet so as that our prayer be not directed to the humanity which is a creature but to the Sonne of God having assumed and united unto himself the humane nature So saith Cyrill Non igitur tanquam hominem adoramus Emmanuelem Absit Deliramentum enim hoc esset deceptio ac error In hoc enim nihil differremus ab his qui creaturam colunt ultra Conditorem Factorem that is We do not therefore worship our Emmanuél as man alone God forbid For this were a dotage a false conceit and errour neither should we in this differ from those which worship the creature more then their Creatour and Maker To conclude this second point Whereas the whole world almost is overflown with idolatry as with an universall deluge the Paganes invocating a multitude of false gods the Jews and Turks worshipping one God but not in the Trinitie of persons nor acknowledging Jesus Christ the Papists which call themselves the Catholick Church invocating besides the true God a multitude of angels and Saints images the crosse and Eucharist and in their prayers representing the invisible and incomprehensible God in a visible form notwithstanding God in his great mercy hath taken us who professe the reformed religion into the ark of his Church teaching us by his word and spirit to call upon him the true God in the name of Christ his Sonne himself also being near unto us as he was to the Church of Israel in all that we call upon him for Deut. 4. 7. CHAP. XIIII That Christ alone is the Mediatour of intercession as well as redemption HAving spoken of the subject of invocation viz. men and the object viz. God we are now in the third place to enquire how it cometh to passe that man being stained and polluted with sinne and by reason thereof an enemie to God should have any accesse unto God or be admitted to any speech with him who is most just and terrible a consuming fire hating all iniquitie with perfect hatred Indeed it must be confessed that sinne maketh a separation between God and man and that both we are unworthy in our selves to appear before God and our prayers also by reason of our manifold wants and corruptions unworthy to be offered unto him And therefore of necessitie a mediatour was to come between God and man who reconciling us unto God and covering our imperfections might make both our persons and our prayers acceptable unto God And for as much as it was needfull that the justice of God should be satisfied in the same nature wherein he had been offended neither could obedience be performed to the law given to man nor the punishment due to the sinnes of man be satisfied but by man neither could the righteousnesse be meritorious for all nor the price of ransome sufficient if the person which should perform both were not God It was likewise needfull that the mediatour who should reconcile us unto God and make us and our prayers acceptable unto him should be both God and man therefore God in his unspeakable mercy hath appointed and given his onely begotten Sonne to be our Mediatour Advocate and Intercessour who having assumed our nature should therein satisfie his justice and appease his wrath and having performed perfect obedience for us and given himself a ransome for our sinnes should ascend into heaven and there sitting at the right hand of the Father should make intercession for us that both the persons of such as believe in him and their prayers which call upon God in his name should be accepted of him But as in the former points we were forced to prove two things not onely that God is to be invocated but that he alone is to be called upon and not Saints and Angels so in this we are by the like superstition of the Papists compelled to demonstrate two things first that Christ is the onely Mediatour of intercession and secondly that we are alwayes to call upon God in his name For as they invocate others besides God and so are indeed worshippers of more gods so have they appointed other mediatours and intercessours besides Christ. And the reason is alike in both But the Apostle teacheth us That as there is but one God so there is but one Mediatour between God and man the man Christ. The Papists make two sorts of mediatours the one
of redemption the other of intercession and they do confesse in word that Christ is the onely Mediatour of redemption but of intercession they adjoyn other mediatours unto him viz. the Saints departed Here therefore I will shew two things 1. That they seem to acknowledge other mediatours of redemption and so in deed overthrow that which in word they confesse 2. That none can be mediatour of intercession who is not also of redemption For as touching the first in many of their authorized prayers they desire God to have mercie on them in forgiving their sinnes and in giving unto them good things as well spirituall as temporall for the merits and intercession of the Saints and so plainly thrust the Saints into the office of Christ. And not onely so but they invocate also the Saints as they do Christ to bestow good things upon them and to avert evil from them substituting them as I have shewed before into the room of the tutelar gods of the heathen But let us see whether there be any mediatours of intercession who are not also of redemption We denie not but that in a large sense they may be called mediatours and intercessours who are medii inter namely between God and man So Moses is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3. 19. Deut. 5. 5. and 27. 31. Pastours likewise and preachers who are both the mouth of God to the people in preaching and of the people to God in prayer But they are not in that sense intercessours as we acknowledge Christ and the Papists do esteem the Saints that we for their merits intercession should hope to be heard In like manner the Saints upon earth who in mutuall charity do pray and make intercession one for another as they are required 1. Tim. 2. 1. Jam. 5. 15 16. may be called intercessours but such as whose intercession dependeth wholly upon the intercession of Christ and whose prayers are alwayes made in his name Why then may not the Saints in heaven be esteemed intercessours For the intercession of Saints departed there is no testimonie of Scripture It is not to be doubted but that they do use to invocate the name of God by praise and thanksgiving bearing a part as it were in the quire of Angels And it is not unlikely but that they pray for that which is wanting unto them whilest their bodies sleep in the dust that is their full redemption that the number of the elect being accomplished the Lord would hasten the second coming of Christ for their full redemption In which prayer also they pray for us as we also do for them and in regard thereof we are as well intercessours for them as they for us It is also probable that they being members of the same mysticall bodie indued with perfect charitie do in generall pray for their fellow-members upon earth But that in particular they pray for any of us it is improbable because they know not our persons nor heare our prayers nor understand our particular wants or if they did yet would it not follow that either we should pray to them as I have shewed before or that we should desire the Lord for their merits and intercessions to grant our desires Neither is it to be doubted but what praises or prayers they utter unto God they offer them onely in the name and mediation of Christ desiring that for his merits and intercession their invocation may be accepted And in this sense Christ alone is the Mediatour of intercession So Augustine speaking of those words of S. John 1. Epist. 2. 1. saith John doth not say You have an advocate for so should he separate himself from sinners nor doth he say You have me for a mediatour as Parmenianus in a certain place maketh the Bishop a mediatour between God and the people for then what good and faithfull Christian could indure him who would look upon him as an Apostle of Christ and not as Antichrist And again All Christians do mutually commend themselves unto God in their prayers pro quo autem nullus interpellat sed ipse pro omnibus hic unus verúsque mediator est that is but for whom none intercedeth but he for all he alone is the true Mediatour Now that Christ is the onely Mediatour of intercession as wel as of redemption it is evident because these being the two parts of his mediation and not two sorts of Mediatours the latter of intercession dependeth on the other of redemption as being the representation of it unto God and the application thereof to the faithfull the dignitie I say efficacy and vertue of his intercession dependeth on the merits of redemption For had Christ not been the Mediatour of redemption he could not have been the Mediatour of intercession For when it is said that Christ maketh intercession for us in heaven we are not thus to understand it that he falleth down upon his knees and prayeth to God for us John 16. 26. I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you but that sitting at the right hand of his Father he representeth his own merits unto him and offereth the prayers of the faithfull unto God perfumed with the odours of his own sacrifice as he is described Revel 8. 3 4. So Anselme in Rom. 8. Vnigenitum Filium pro hominibus interpellare est apud coaeternum Patrem seipsum hominem demonstrare The onely begotten Sonne is said to make intercession for men when he sheweth himself man before his coeternall Father And the Apostle describeth his intercession to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his appearing in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 24. The holy Ghost therefore joyneth both the parts together 1. Tim. 2. 5. where speaking professedly of prayers and saying that Christ is the onely Mediatour between God and man he addeth who gave himself a ransome for all So 1. John 2. 1 2. If any man sinne we have an advocate Christ Jesus the righteous he is the propitiation for our sins He onely is the advocate because he onely can plead his merits for us He onely is perfectly fully just he onely is the propitiation for our sinnes And as he is the onely Intercessour because he is the onely Saviour Acts 4. 12. so is he the perfect Saviour because he ever liveth to make intercession for us Heb. 7. 25. For whereas they ordain other intercessours for whose sake they desire to be heard they do it altogether without warrant of Scriptures wherein there is no doctrine no precept no promise no example to warrant it and consequently such prayer cannot be made in faith neither can it please God And with what forehead can they take from Christ his office and the honour thereof which he purchased with his bloud and without any warrant from him assigne it to others as though Christ having for a short time exercised the office of mediation should to the end of the world have resigned
meditated of Psal. 142. 2. Effundam coram eo meditationem meam I will poure out my meditation before him There is such affinity between meditation and prayer that the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth either of both to meditate or to pray and therefore Gen. 24. 63. some reade that Isaac went out to meditate others to pray And it is likely that he did both first meditate and theâ—…â—…ay Now the end of this preparation being to make us fit to perform such duties as are required in prayer our meditation must be referred thereunto And first if we find ourselves backward in the duty it self we may meditate on those reasons which before we used to this purpose And that we may perform it in an holy manner we must stirre up our hearts as David doth in many places as Psal. 103. 1. that so we may call upon God with our hearts And if our knowledge be so small that we are not able to conceive a prayer of our selves but must be fain to use a form prescribed by others we must before hand meditate thereof that we may be able both to understand it and to use it aright And that we may pray in faith we are to meditate on the promises of God made to our prayers and on the mediation and intercession of our Saviour Christ on which our faith is to be grounded Likewise we are to meditate on our own unworthinsse that so we may pray in humilitie of the glorious Majestie of God our heavenly Father that we may call upon him in reverence of the excellency profit necessitie of those blessings for which we either pray or give thanks that so we may pray with fervencie and give thanks with alacrity And further if we conceive a prayer before not used we are to meditate not onely of the matter but also of the manner and order of our speech that we may be able to say with David My heart is prepared so is my tongue I will now call upon the name of the Lord. And thus much of Preparation After the actioâ—… 〈◊〉 ought to be such a disposition as the severall kind of invocation doth especially require Whereof in due place In the mean time this admonition in generall may be given That when we have at any time called upon God we take heed that we do not end our prayers as we end epistles with a Vâ—…le bidding the Lord Farewell till the time of prayer come again as though we had then ended our task and had performed all the service we ow unto God in the mean time neither thinking of God or godlinesse but following our own corrupt wayes For howsoever we cease to speak unto God for a time yet we cease not to be in his sight and presence and therefore cannot do as untoward children and unchast wives who though in absence they have behaved themselves lewdly yet approve themselves to their parents and husbands by their demure carriage in presence But we are continually in Gods sight and presence and therefore if after we have called upon God we play the lewd children even in his sight and go a whoring after vanities in his presence how cannot this but greatly amaze us against we shall pray again and put us out of hope to be heard Wherefore the frequent exercise of prayer is a notable bridle to restrain us from sinne whether you respect that which is past or that which is to come For when a man is about to commit sinne let him call to mind his prayer past Am I that man who so lately called upon God making such shew of pietie pretending a zeal of Gods glory in advancing his kingdome and doing his will c. or that which is to come With what face can I appear before God guilty of such offenses with what affiance can I lift up these cyes unto God that behold vanities these hands unto God that commit such sinnes c. Let us therefore with David use to meditate If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Psal. 66. 18. following the advice of the Apostle 2. Tim. 2. 19. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquitie For not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven Matth. 7. 21. Inefficax est petitio cùm precatur Deum sterilis oratio i. sine operibus Petition is uneffectuall when we call upon God with a barren prayer that is without good works And thus much of the manner of Invocation CHAP. XXV Of the matter and subject of our prayers and what is required thereunto namely that it be good and according to Gods will NOw followeth the matter or the subject that is the things for which we either do pray or give thanks Concâ—…rning which this is to be noted in generall That we have a sound perswasion grounded on the word of God that they be lawfull and good First because what is not of faith is sâ—…n Rom. 14. 23. Secondly for what we do elther pray or give thanks to God thereof we acknowledge God to be the authour but it is blasphemous to make God the authour of that which is wicked unlawfull Thirdly prayers must be made in faith viz. that God accepteth our prayers and will grant them unto us This faith must be grounded on Gods promise and God promiseth to give good things to them that ask Matth. 7. 11. Evil things are not within the compasse of Gods promise for the foretelling of that which is evil is rather a threatnâ—…ng then a promise Fourthly the assurance that we have to be heard is when we ask any thing according to Gods will 1. John 5. 14. but to ask evil things is not according to Gods will Fifthly they that call upon God for evil things are like the wicked Psal. 50. who think that God is like unto them Sixthly if we ask good things we have assurance to be heard Matth. 7. 11. 1. John 5. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For our direction in this behalf our Saviour Christ hath prescribed a most perfect form of pray er which is summa petendorum the summe of things to be desired So that whatsoever may be referred thereunto we may be assured is according to Gods will but what cannot be referred to some part of the Lords prayer that our Saviour hath not taught us to ask nor the Father promised to give There remaineth the last point For now it may be demanded How we being so corrupt and sinfull in our selves should be able to pray according to the will of God Of our selves indeed we are not able to think a good thought and much lesse to conceive an acceptable prayer Of our selves we cannot say that Jesus is the Lord and much lesse call upon God as our Father in Christ But the Spirit of God helpeth our
is ex opere operato meritorious as though our Saviour Christ had prescribed these words to be used as a charm c. First whereas our Saviour Christ propoundeth this form we may be assured that it is a perfect pattern of prayer that nothing ought to be asked which is not in it conteined For in him are all the treasures of the wisdome and knowledge of God Col. 2. 3. He knoweth what is acceptable unto God what is needfull for us therefore in this prayer is conteined whatsoever is either fit for God to grant or for us to ask By this then as a pattern we are to form our prayers and as by a rule we are to examine them May the things which we desire be referred to these petitions then may we boldly ask them Can they not be referred then do we not pray according to Gods will and therefore can have no assurance that we shall be heard Secondly whereas Christ teacheth his disciples to pray herein he giveth an example to be imitated of Ministers sc. that as they teach other things so also to pray John Baptist Luke 11. 1. taught his disciples to pray whereupon Christs disciples desire him in like manner to teach them Wherein also they are to be an example to be imitated of all learners As the Father in the family or the Pastour in the Church ought to teach so the child in the house the hearer in the Church ought to be desirous to learn how to pray Thirdly it sheweth that of our selves we know not how to pray For if we should be left to our own affections and desires we should ask many times those things which would tend to Gods dishonour and our own hurt As appeareth by Socrates who wanting this direction of our Saviour Christ knew not what to ask but groping in darknesse desired in generall terms that those things which are good he would give them whether they asked them or no and would deliver them from evil things although they should ask them Plato in Alcib 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Jupiter King give unto us good things whether we ask or ask them not but put away from us evil things though we pray for them And therefore our Saviour Christ thought it necessary to teach us how to pray Again hence ariseth great comfort to Gods children For whereas the word of God assureth us whatsoever we shall ask according to his will it shall be given us 1. John 5. 14. we may assure our selves that we so pray when we follow Christs direction Neither need we doubt but the Lord acknowledging the voice of his own Sonne as Cyprian saith our prayers shall be acceptable unto him Lastly seeing our Saviour Christ hath commanded us to pray and taught us how we are unexcusable if we neglect this duty One thing further is to be considered in the words as they are set down by Luke When ye pray say Whether speech in prayer be alwayes necessary There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either inward or outward speech and prayer is either vocall or mentall And the Lord heareth the cry of the heart and our secret grones are not hid from him Psal. 38. 10. Howbeit the voyce is to be used so oft as it may conveniently both for the attention of the mind and intension of the affections c. NOw let us come to the Lords Prayer it self In which is lively though summarily set down unto us the practice of that doctrine which heretofore we have learned concerning prayer For as we have been taught that Prayer and Thanksgiving are to be joyned together so here with the Petitions is joyned a Thanksgiving wherein we are taught to ascribe unto the Lord eternall kingdome power and glory which words almost David useth in his solemn thanksgiving 1. Chron. 29. 11. Again whereas we have been taught that unto prayer are required duties before we pray and also in prayer it self both here are prescribed Before we are to use preparation wherein we are to meditate of such things as are fit to stirre up those graces in us which in prayer are to be expressed In prayer two things are to be expressed an hungring and thirsting desire of grace and the speciall assent of faith For the stirring up of both which it is fit to meditate upon the fatherly love and almighty power of God which our Saviour hath taught us to prefix before the prayer it self In prayer two things especially are to be expressed 1. An hungring and thirsting desire of the grace and blessing of God 2. A speciall assent of faith that our request shall be granted Therefore the prayer it self is divided into Petitions and Conclusion the desire being especially expressed in the Petitions the Conclusion conteining 1. a confirmation 2. a testification of our faith in the word Amen Of the Lords prayer therefore there be two parts the Preface and the Prayer it self consisting of Petitions and the Conclusion conteining a Confirmation of our faith joyned with the praysing of God and also a Testification both of our faith and the truth of our desire in the word Amen In expounding the Lords Prayer we will observe this order First we will expound the words and shew the true meaning of thē then we will inferre the uses of Doctrine Confutation Instruction in the duties of prayer and of our lives and lastly of Reproof whereby shall be detected the hypocrisie of worldly men who using these words do not pray in truth Whereas our Saviour doth not abruptly propound the Petitions but prefixeth a solemn Preface we are taught before we call upon God to use some preparation The preface conteineth a description of God to whō we pray taken 1. from his relation to us that he is Our Father 2. from the place wherein his majesty doth especially appear that he is in heaven the former signifying especially his love the other his power Of which two if in our preparation we do duly meditate our desire will be kindled and our faith confirmed considering that he to whom we pray is both able and willing to grant our requests Our Father SOme do expound these words as though they were a rhetoricall proeme which we use to win Gods favour But we use words in our prayer not that God but that we may be moved and affected First we call him Father whereof we are first to seek the meaning and then the use By the name of Father God alone is understood For as our Saviour saith Matth. 23. 9. we must call no man father because we have but one Father who is in heaven Joh. 8. 41. We have one Father which is God A good profession if it had bene uttered with a good conscience Now God is said to be a Father two wayes by Creation and Adoption By creation as Isai. 64. 8. So Adam is said to be the sonne of God Luke
3. 38. and the Angels Job 1. By adoption in Christ Ephes. 1. 5. So every believer is born of God 1. John 5. 1. For to so many as believe in Christ God hath given this priviledge to be the sonnes of God John 1. 12. And in this sense is every faithfull man to call God Father But here it may be demanded Whether the whole Trinitie is called upon in the name of Father or the first Person alone The word Father is attributed unto God two wayes either essentially or personally Essentially when he is so called in respect of the creatures 1. Cor. 8. 6. Personally when it hath relation to the other Persons the Sonne and the holy Ghost In this place it hath relation to the creatures So Deut. 32. 6. Isai. 63. 16. But howsoever the whole Trinity is our Father so to be worshipped of us yet this speech is more peculiarly directed to the first Person the fountain of the Godhead who is the Father of Christ Ephes. 3. 14. and in him our Father John 20. 17. yet so as in worshipping him we joyntly worship the other two who as they are â—…ll one in essence coequall and coeternall concurring also in all actions towards us so they are altogether to be worshipped O God thou Father of Christ and in him our Father who givest the Spirit of thy Sonne whereby we cry Abba Father to thee we present our prayers in the name of thy Son craving the help of the holy Ghost The second Person is called our Father Isai. 9. 6. so may the holy Ghost who doth regenerate us Deut. 32. 6. and to either of them may our prayers be directed Acts 7. 59. So that our prayer may be directed to any or to all the Persons 2. Cor. 13. 13. or to two of them 1. Thess. 3. 11. We are taught to whom to direct our prayers namely to God alone For seeing our Saviour hath commanded us when we pray to say Our Father it is evident that we break the commandment if we direct our prayers to any to whom we may not say Our Father c. Which title without blasphemy we cannot attribute to any but onely to the Lord who is our heavenly Father Jer. 31. 9. Sum Israeli Pater I am a Father to Israel Secondly whereas by nature we are the children of wrath and yet commanded to call upon God as our Father we are taught in whose name we are to come unto God Not in our own names or worthinesse Dan. 9. 18. for then we shall find him a Judge rather then a Father but onely in the name and mediation of Christ Eph. 3. 12. in whom he is our Father and in whose name he hath promised to grant whatsoever we ask according to his will It is well said of Calvine Cùm Deum Patrem vocamus Christi nomen praetendimus When we call God Father we pretend the name of Christ. 3. We are taught that the help of the holy Ghost is necessary in prayer For how should we which were children of wrath dare to call God our Father or be assured that we be his children By the holy Ghost who is the spirit of adoption beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God we cry in our hearts Abba Father Rom. 2. 15 16. For if none can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost then much lesse can a man call upon God as his Father in Christ except he be endued by the holy Ghost We must therefore as the Apostle teacheth us Ephes. 2. 18. call upon God the Father in the name of the Sonne by the assistance of the holy Ghost so shall we though unworthy and unable to call upon God in Christ be accepted and by the holy Ghost be enabled to pray according to God Here therefore first are they refuted who think they may lawfully direct their prayers either to Angels or Saints to whom the name Father is opposed Isai. 63. 16. or to their images sâ—…ying to a stock or stone Our father Jer. 2. 27. If God be our heavenly Father who is more willing to give good things then any earthly parents and also all-sufficient why should we seek to any other unlesse we can either accuse him of unkindnesse or object want of power unto him Secondly if God be our Father in Christ then ought we with boldnâ—…sse to come unto the throne of grace through him Ephes. 3. 12. Neither do we need any other mediation then of the Sonne who is the onely Mediatour as of redemption so also of intercession 1. Tim. 2. 5. contrary to the doctrine of the Papists who teach men to use the mediation of Saints Whereas our Saviour John 16. 26. having commanded us to pray in his name addeth I say not that I will intreat the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you Duties in Prayer IF God be our Father we must come 1. In reverence as unto our heavenly Father 2. In dutifull thankfull and sonne-like affection acknowledging his mercy of Adoption who when we were by nature children of wrath adopted us to be his sonnes and if sonnes then heirs Behold what love the Father hath shewed on us that we should be called the sonnes of God 3. In faith and assurance not onely that we and our prayers are accepted in Christ but that our prayers shall be granted unto us of our Father as may be most for his glory and our good And that we may come in faith let us consider First that without faith we are no sonnes of his but children of wrath Ephes. 2. 3 12. and if we believe we are the sonnes of God John 1. 12. and of the houshold of faith Secondly that if God be our Father in Christ he will grant us what good thing soever we ask For 1. he is affected as a good Father towards his children yea his love towards us is so much greater then the love of earthly parents as his goodnesse and mercy is greater Isai. 63. 16. Psal. 27. 10. Isai. 49. 15. Matth. 7. 11. Luke 11. 13. 2. In that he is our Father he hath given us the greatest gift that can be imagined and therefore will not deâ—…y the lesse Pater quid 〈◊〉 filiis qui jam 〈◊〉 quòd pater est What will the father deny to his sons who hath vouchsafed already to be our Father For if he have sâ—… loved us that he gave his Son for us that in him we might be adopted his children how shall hâ—… not with him give us all good things Rom. 8. 32. 3. In that he hath vouchsafed us this great love to be our Father and that we should be his children he hath also made us his heirs provided us an inheritance in heaven For as he gave his Sonne in pretium for a price so he reserveth himself in praemium for a reward If therefore it be our Fathers
birds fowls of heaven and the wicked spirits in heavenly places Ephes. 6. 12. and 2. 2. The second is that heaven wherein the starres are which are called the host of heaven The third is the seat of the blessed and throne of God called Coelum empy reum because of the light 1. Tim. 6. 16. paradise 2. Cor. 12. 4. and the third heaven in respect of the two lower and in the same sense the heaven of heavens Psal. 115. 16. 1. Kings 8. 27. God is all in all But this place is especially to be understood of the third heaven which is the place of the Lords habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. How is God said to be in heaven seeing he is everywhere If God be everywhere then is he also in heaven But God is said to be in heaven not that he is included therein 1. Kings 8. 27. and therefore not circumscriptivè by circumscription as the body of Christ nor definitivè definitively as the finite spirits but he is there and everywhere repletive filling all places Jer. 23. 23. but yet so as he is every-where totus wholly But yet after a more speciall manner he is said to be in heaven Because there especially he manifesteth his glory there he is seen face to face there he communicateth himself thence he sendeth down his blessings judgements Rom. 1. 18. thence he speaketh to men thence Christ descended thence the holy Ghost Matth. 3. thither Christ ascended there he sitteth and thence he returneth to judgement And as the soul is said to be tota in toto tota in qualibet parte all in the whole and in every part all and yet in respect of the chief operations is said to be seated in the head as it were the heaven of this Microcosme so God who is everywhere wholly both in the world and out of it is said to be in heaven Heaven is his throne Isai. 66. 1. there he prepared his seat Psal. 103. 19. there he sitteth Psal. 2. 4. that is the habitation of his holinesse c. Isai. 63. 15. the place of his habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. Secondly when Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heavens he meaneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heavenly as Matth. 6. 26. And he is called heavenly because the shallownesse of our minds cannot better conceive of the unspeakable glory and excellent majestie of God then under this name For nothing more excellent and glorious is subject to our sense then the heaven Whereas therefore the Scriptures give this title to God they teach us to ascribe unto him majestie glorious essence omnipresent power infinite wisdome unspeakable mercy endlesse The sense therefore of these words is this Thou that sittest upon heaven as thy throne glorious in majestie infinite in essence power wisdome and mercy Vses concerning prayer I. THe adoration of images reliques condemned we are taught to lift up our mind eyes hands to God being in heaven We may therefore say as Psal. 121. 1. Should I lift mine eyes to images whence then should I have help my help is from God Therefore as Psal. 123. 1. To thee I lift up mine eyes O thou who dwellest in the heavens II. We are taught not to direct our prayer towards any certain place as the Jews towards the temple but we may turn any way towards God in heaven And if we are not bound to look towards any certain place much lesse to go on pilgrimage to it III. Neither must our minds go on pilgrimage whilest we are praying but above the earth and all earthly cogitations our minds with our hands are to be lifted up unto the heavens Lam. 3. 4. Psal. 25. 1. as at all times so especially in the time of prayer our conversation ought to be in heaven IV. When we are commanded to call God our heavenly Father we are taught to abandon all base conceits concerning God Psal. 50. 13. and to ascribe unto him incomprehensible glory and majesty infinite power and essence wisdome unsearchable mercy endlesse Majesty as sitting upon the heaven as upon his throne the earth being his footstool Isai. 66. 1. Which must teach us reverence and not rashly to utter any thing before God For God is in heaven full of majestie and glory and thou upon earth dust and worms meat Eccles 5. 1. Power that is Might infinite omnipotencie Right infinite and authority universall Potentia Power Psal. 115. 3. Our God is in heaven whatsoever he will he doeth Which must teach us to pray with affiance being assured that our heavenly Father is able to do for us according to yea above our requests yea above our thought Ephes. 3. 20. Thus Jehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. 6. Art not thou God in heaven so as power is in thine hand which none can resist Potestas Authority So faith Jehoshaphat Art not thou God in heaven and dost not thou rule over all nations So Psal. 103. 20. The Lord hath established his seat in heaven and his kingdome is over all On him therefore our trust must be reposed by whose providence and power all things are governed in heaven and in earth For hereby we learn that the Lord is not onely able in respect of his might but hath right also to bestow upon us any good thing Audacter Deum roga nihil illum de alieno 〈◊〉 Beg boldly of God seeing thou canst ask nothing of him which belongeth to another Infinite essence and omnipresence for so is the heaven said to be his throne as that the earth also is his footstool and so is he in both as that he is also everywhere and in every place totus For we may not think that God is farre from us Acts 17. 27. because he is said to be in heaven as the wicked imagine Job 22. 13. but we must acknowledge that he is alwayes present with us Psal. 139. 7 8 9 c. and as it is Psal. 145. 18. Deut. 4. 7. near unto us when we call upon him yea where two or three are gathered together in his name he is in the middest of them Matth. 18. 20. If therefore thou prayest in secret the Lord heareth thee Matth. 6. 6. if in the closet of thine heart without any speech he heareth the voyce and cry of the heart Exod. 14. 15. 1. Sam. 1. 13. Assure thy self therefore that thou speakest not into the air or utterest thy words in vain but that thou pourest forth thy requests into the bosome of the Lord. Wisdome unsearchable For as the heavens are high above the earth so are the Lords thoughts above ours Isai. 55. 9. We must therefore submit our selves to his will which is most wise and just neither let us circumscribe him but rather resigne our selves unto him who best knoweth what is fit for us Mercy unspeakable Whereby all these attributes are effectuall to our good For if earthly parents do know to give good things to their children much more doth our heavenly