air next us Mat. 6.26 The birds of Heaven labour not 6. Heavenly creatures as inanimate so animate as Angels Job 15.15 The Heavens are not clear in his sight 7. A great height thus Deut. 1.28 The cities are walled up to Heaven 8. The bodies of the Saints here God is said to abide ut in Coelo 1 Cor. 3. 1 Cor. 6. I finde only these 8 acceptations of Heaven in the holy Bible and though one be but meant I will give you two to make choice of far distant both significant the one * Above supra the other * Below infra the one the place of the Church triumphant the other the mysticall subject of the Church militant first then by Heaven may be meant the seat of the blessed that majesticall place of magnificence as I may so say Gods chief Mannor House in the Highlands Or if you minde not to look so high you have nigher at hand an Heaven the righteous Saints on earth they are the Temple of the living God yea and he dwels in them and walks in them here it is God dwels these are his Temples Gods house above is Heaven and his Heaven below the Saints The letter makes us subscribe to the first exposition the Spirit causes our acknowledgement of the second Dame Nature hath set her hand to the one it s the Lady Grace perswades us to confesse this other And ut potenter God is said to dwell above sic virtualiter here below his Highland House Heaven displayes his power This his * The Saints on earth house in these Netherlands his efficacious work in us Well while I acknowledge the sense litterall The Avowry I will not let passe the sense mysticall viz. that by Heaven may be meant the elect on earth Nor wants there some semblance betwixt the Saints and Heaven they shine sicut luminaria in mundo and as the Heavens lend us light so are the Saints will'd to let their light shine before men and ut sol in Coelo sic mundi in mundo as the Sun is the lightest part of Heaven so of these saies our Saviour Vos estis lux mundi Ye are the light of the world the Death of these is like the Suns Eclipse the Life of these that high noon or Sun at height which is a guide to all that are not blinde O ye Saints The radiant rayes of your good works have given me cause to conjecture how like you is that Heaven whither you are a going as also to presume I have not much miss't of Heaven while met with such so like it But come what may these two interpretations put us in minde of The first of something which concerns God The second of something which concerns our selves The first doth divulge what God himself is The second what we ought to be Our God his abode is in heaven The Extract which proclaims he is an immortall Majesty dwelling in light inaccessible By Heaven likewise may be meant us men in whom God dwels as in an house Extract O what ones then behoves it us to be The wicked are the Devils house to which he is return'd Mat. 12. Look at his house though a base beggerly one yet loe how it 's kept fine and neat swept and garnisht formality garnisht with the gilt of hypocrisie And yet to consider how we let this mansion house of Gods in the Isle Man lies full of Mamholes we may be ashamed of it in very deed we let all lie forlorne To please our friends against they come we make all trim Lord why should we not do as much to please the Lord And yet in every corner of that Hall Heart you may spie an ash-heap of evill imaginations Gen. 6. That back room Memory is fill'd with old ill done deeds That upper room Judgement with error and heresie Those out houses Ears are fil'd with rubbish of newes State newes what done in Court Countrey newes how rules price of Corn ribauldry newes obscene songs our Eyes are full of vanity our Tongues full of deceit and now while neither in-room nor out-room soul nor body is trim'd up nor cleansed how can the Lord take delight to dwell in us A fair caveat to go make fit to dresse our house yea all in this Isle of Man I am resolved against my Lord come The Avowry to make ready lest my Lord and Master take dislike with his own and in stead of taking it up for an house of prayer he leaving it it become a den of theeves Thus much for the Preface Now I purpose Deo juvante God enabling to speak upon that post-put and first of the Petitions and in brief to make this my method to take notice of 1 Their Division 2 Their Equality 3 Their Order 4 Their Precedency 5 Subject matter mued up in each Petition First for their Division they are of two severall sorts or kindes the first sort of them concern God Second our selves Secondly for Equality they are three and three three concern God and three man Thirdly for Order this order is observed Gods three precede mans mans three come behinde Gods ours are set after his his before ours Fourthly their Precedency prayes us to take a view of each particular Petition as set before one another Fiftly their matter makes us privie to what is begged of God in each of these petitions in speciall For the first these Petitions are divided into two sorts First sort or kinde are divine and cast a glance at Heaven The second sort are humane and cast a glance at earth first looks at God the other at us 1. Now this Division implies an union Three Extracts and that when we send out our supplications abroad we let them walk hand in hand Such a compound should be our Prayers Petitions sharing out requests meet for God and us joyntly 2. By this Division we are taught man was not made for himself he is to pray as well for Gods glory as his own good many remember themselves forget God in their prayers few remember God but themselves in their prayers A Sect here found fault with A platform which teaches them a better lesson yea this division of these Petitions into two sorts or kindes the one concerning God the other us tels us That who prayes aright must pray for Gods glory as well as for his own good 3. Thing this Division informes us of is that as discords make the sweetest harmony so prayers sound best in Gods ears which consist of sharps and flats risings and fallings which are now in alto as high as Heaven Anon in Basse as low as earth I mean prayers consisting of two parts Gods glory who lives above Mans good who dwels below he that would avoid the name of simple must make his prayer a compound of these two severall sorts of simples And thus while God and he meet in prayer it 's my hopes they shall do the like in
for him brings all home and makes it man 's own How can Christs fulfilling the Law be made mine Object Let me aske thee Did not one sin Res and all became guilty Wilt thou not then admit this ones righteousnesse is able to make many righteous If thou wilt not I will prove it by an undeniable witnesse Est Deus test is God is my witnesse whilest he saith * Isa 53.11 By my righteous servant shall many be made righteous that place will perswade thee to subseribe to what delivered The sin of one brought death upon all and the righteousnesse of one should it restore life but to one since the sin of the first Adam was made mine why may not the righteousness of thesecond Adam be made to appertain to me The disobedience of one hath spoiled me and shall not the obedience of another better me It is my beleef and this my beleef is grounded upon Gods word that as by one man came sin into the world so by that one man Christ righteousnesse And as we whilest Adam did transgresse were reputed for transgressors so we Christ fulfilling Gods Law are reputed to do what is Gods will in the Law The honour of the deed is dayed us yet not by the Law of Works but by the Law of Faith in Christ Jesus while our belief in him estate us in his Works The Avowry For my onw part I am resolved upon it to beg of God the gift of faith which can interest me in that I never swet for yea and though I fail in much make me reputed one who hath done Gods will in earth as it is in Heaven We stand in need of two Graces to put ut this Petition Wisdome * Graces two Resolution Wisdome to discern what is Gods will The Paralle Resolution to do as God wils By the advice of wisdome I make my choice By Resolutions assistance I follow the chace Wisdome discovers Resolution pursues and what that first presents this latter laies hold on This is hath made me resolve upon it The Avowry to duplicate my Boon and to beg of God both these Graces that so I may be enabled both to discern and do Gods will in Earth as it is in Heaven The Grace in chief Wisdomes Character when I say this petition I stand in need of is Wisdome as hard to be found as the Philosophers stone the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God and it we oft meet This sacred wisdome we seldome meet with yet when we meet with it it makes us much set by tels us among many proffers which to be preferred in an harvest of imployment whose work we must do when many masters at whose bid we must be In a case of doubt lo the best resolver when cross commands lo the sole dictator and one upon whom rests the Spirit of the Almight This is one can acquaint Earth with Heavens minde sent out Gods from the Devils gives us Gods in the winde wils us to outrun the Devils yea one can sever out from the droke of lustfull command the pure grain of Gods good will and pleasure The Sun seems a little body of light in this great world Wisdome is that great body of light in this * Man little world it gives more light to the soul than the sun to the Body The one lets us see what 's betwixt heaven and earth the other lets us see the will of God in heaven down to earth Since it is wisdome hath the spirit of discerning The Avowry I am resolved when I pray to beg the grace of wisdome that so I may discern Gods will which is to be done is Earth as in Heaven The second grace prayed for in this petition Resolutions Character is Resolution one of the worthies of Israel who makes his way through an hoste of Philistims a May at armes and means to do what bid or die i th' field this resolution is of an high spirit and will on at what perill soever He is more taken with the deed than danger and hath ever shewed himself a man of action you cannot take him off on what bent but in despight of the devill he will do what God commands he weighs not who gainsaies but goes on he makes his way through a sea of troubles and marches on through a wildernesse of stinging serpents he stands to his Commander Christ though beset with staves and clubs and if his honour be call'd to the Bar his worship will be hard by want this assistant resolution and thy endevour will perish in the blossome and though it bud will never bring out unto perfection I will by Gods good assistance hold on my resolution The Avowry and resolve while I live yea all my life resolve to do Gods will in earth as it is in heaven The Vices prohibited are two The Vices Foolishnesse Cowardize Foolishnesse The Parallel which wants wit Cowardize which wants heart Foolishness which cannot what God wils Cowardise which dare not what God wils The one of those Vices is deficient in wisdome the other in fortitude While that first hath heart to attempt wants judgement to go about That second hath judgement to goe about wants heart to attempt Since the onset of either disinables me to do whatsoever God wils The Avowry I am resolved to pray my God to give me heart I attempt and judgement to go about yea and to do his will in Earth as it is in Heaven Foolishnesse is the Vice I am here forewarn'd of Foolishnesses Character and a vice for which S. Paul did blame the Galatians It is spirituall foolishnesse I now speak of which is the Devils purveyor but the souls improverisher one makes God neglected his precept be passed by and his will lightly lookt on This vice will not let in master overcharge his head piece makes him let of or ought put in its resetter is troubled with * hemeans that 's good nought for hath not so much wit yet incumbred but not about what bid and busie but to no purpose he findes himself enough to do whilest he doth nought and makes others jest his earnest he mindes all but Gods will for his wit will not serve him to see what God wils he hath this part of an innocent in the swadling belt the infants head as if begun newly to live yet all his life he is to learn he is yet to go to the school and let him have never so good a Master he proves a bad scholar you may as well hold your tongue as tell him of heaven and certifie him what is Gods good pleasure and it 's all lost labour I know one in spirituals so foolish as when bid say his Lords Prayer he told his Minister he was brought up with hard labour not used to learn to give you it in his own English such bible bables How doth this vice underprize that of
to carry my self to God The Avowry like a son to his Father lest God our Father whilest he provides a portion for his other children disinherit me his son Object What is the inheritance Res A crown of immortall glory But demanded Object What may occasion God to disinherit me of it The case of disinheriting To this I answer If thou be a natural If the son be a naturall the father doth disinherit him it holds likewise in spiritualibus though thou canst prove that God 's thy Father and he confesse thou art his son yet thou shalt never heir one of his mansion-houses in heaven if thou be a Naturall 1. Two sorts of Fooles By this Naturall I understand either Davids fool who hath said in his heart there is no God Psa 14.1 Or 2. Pauls Naturall 1 Cor. 2.14 the naturall man who perceives not the things of God Here are two sorts of Fools The Atheistical Fool. The Carnall minded Fool. The childe which doth deny his father why should his father let him inherit here is Davids fool The sonne which heeds not his fathers instructions doth run the same fortune here is Pauls Naturall or the carnall minde fool Well that I may not befool my self The Collect and so become uncapable to be heir heir of God and joynt heir with Christ Jesus I will both confesse a God and acquaint my self with his most sacred word But inquiry must be made why we say not My but Our Our Father The reason is tripartite Propter pacis conservationem Propter superbiae expulsionem Propter mului auxilii subventionem And first Propter pacis conservationem to make us keep the K. peace Did not this We be brethren allay the quarrell betwixt Lot and Abraham The remembrance that we came from one The Product makes us all as one and live in unity Secondly Propter superbiae expulsionem to expell pride An acknowledgement we have all in common one common parent occasions whilest in the world promoted in the heart humility This paternall Tie The Product which links in alliance poor and rich swayes down aspiring hearts He means than the meanest whilest it forces this confession * We are no better Thirdly Propter mutui auxilii subventionem to procure us one anothers aid and assistance when we consider we have all one Father Lord The Product how it will work with us to relieve one another and do our best devoir to fetch him fair off who is left in a forlorne hope The Collect I will use this phrase * Our of speech in my prayer that for the time I pray I may be put in minde To doe good to all subject my thoughts and live in peace The Preface profest to tell us Two things What God was Where he was The first part of its promise it hath performed The second it is now about it that now the preface is going to do is to tell us where This father of ours is in heaven Apparent while said Our Father which art in Heaven That here I take notice of is 1. Mans parle with God 2. Gods place of abode Mans parle with God the word Art ensures it Gods place of abode we have here espied its Heaven Our Father thou art in Heaven For the first this word Art is vox loquentis the sound or voice of one speaking to another not of another but to another And now since the party speaking is man the party bespoken God since it 's man that prayes God that is prayed to since man goes not about to get to Gods speech by Angels or Saints but at first Gods self is spoke to which is apparent by this Art this shewes the priviledge of such as live within the pale of the Church Note We may all of us have free accesse to God himself Moses had he been alive would have deposed it The Angels stand before his face and we may call on the Lord and he will hear saies Dawid I cal'd on the name of the Lord and he heard me That I note is Note We may call on God and he will be within our call It 's a comfort Audience and Dispatch Of the first * Audience we are here insured which furthers dispatches businesse It shall be my greatest comfort in my greatest want that my prayers goe straight to God Thou art his childe how will he commiserate thee He is thy Father how will he tender thy cause No sooner hast thou spoke it but he hears it It was the misery of a great Emperor that three daies he lay at the Popes gate Penitentiall-wise and could have no audience My God and my Lord is more lowly who at first grants us accesse Now to the place of Gods abode or residence of which I will speak A Parte ante A Parte post A parte ante conjunctim A parte post divisim A parte ante conjunctim as Heaven glances back upon the foreword Father A parte post divisim in respect of the last word Heaven For the first the place of Gods abode it is Heaven God our Father thou art in Heaven That Gods our father it shewes his willingnesse to help us That he is in Heaven it shewes his ablenesse to help us I have viewed the Preface from Dan to Beersheba from one end to the other and it tells me he that would get good by prayer must be perswaded God is both willing and able to help him if he were willing not able alas his wishes could doe me no good if he were able and not willing all his might were not worth a mite to me Now that he is both willing and able I am sure he will do for me all he can and it 's enough If thou mean to be bettered by prayer come not despairing neither of Gods Will nor Can. I read of a couple the one doubting of Gods willingnesse the other of his ablenesse Mat. 8. 2. saith the Leper Master if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Mar. 9.22 The man whose son was possest said If thou canst do any thing for us help us He that makes such Ifs and And 's in his prayers God will give him such an Item it will not well please him Now will I speak of Gods place of abode a parte post divisim as led to it by the last word in this Preface Heaven Our Father it 's thou we pray to who art in Heaven I will make this my method give you 1. Severall acceptations 2. Tell you which is meant 3. Shew what it may put us in minde of 1. The word Heaven signifies the God of Heaven Luk. 15.21 where said Father I have sinned against Heaven 2. The seat of the blessed Mat. 5. 19. Where said Great is your reward in Heaven 3. The visible Church on earth Rev. 12.7 There was a great battle in Heaven 4. The Spheres and Orbs Psal 19.1 The Heavens declare 5. The
my own part I will pray my God to inrich me with Sincerity and Lest I lose it The Avowry to guard my heart about with vigilancy The first grace we have in Commendum Sincerities Character is Sincerity a true upright Nazarite without fraud or covin This is one perswades us to speak as we think and think as we speak to do as we say and all we say to do our lips and hearts must be made kinde friends say well and do well walk hand in hand together God delights not in specious pretences where there is no such meaning he would have us be what we seem to be not say one thing and think another not cry Hail Master when we come to hale away the Master I am resolved to affect sincere dealing when I deal with Ged The Avowry and to have my heart intent on that which my tongue bath undertaken to indite Vigilancies Character The second Grace which this petition petitions us to give harbour is Vigilancy there are others call it Watchfulnesse we may mean well yet have the foil and fall without we entertain this Man at armes to aide us An eye over all ill willers of the great Gods renown inables me while I spie much to prevent more I have a Fabius for an Hannibal an honourable personage able to deliver my soul from the snare of the fowler And that I be not intrapt in the ambushment of disrespecting God The Avowry I am resolved to set a watch over my waies words and thoughts The Vices prohibited The Vices two the graces have given us information of them And they be two Hypocrisie And they be two Security Hypocrisie The Parallel one never walks in his own clothes Security one cares not what he pucs on ought or nought Hypocrisie who never speaks as he thinks Security who never parts with his old thoughts let all the world say what they will That first is fair spoken and badly meaning This latter means as ill makes no matter who knowes it It is Hypocrisie is quick of hearing every peal rings him into the Church It is Security is deaf whom all the peals of Church ordinance cannot get him to come on and in and hear and be saved For my own part I am resolved to send a defiance to these two The Avowry and ever to stand upon my guard against them considering the one dissembles in all his actions and the other weighs not the outrages that he acts to the dishallowing the Divine Majesty The first Vice we are warned to set a packing Hypocrisies Character is Hypocriticall dissimulation or dissembling Hypocrisie This is one goes in the guise of an Angell of light but is a Devill incarnate hath ora Virginum ungues vulturum speaks full fair means no such matter brings to the. Church a face like a Saint but is cloven footed O Hypocrisie is a seafaring man which rowes one way looks another Sometimes our next neighbour discoverable while lends God his lips whilest his heart is far from him A vice hath got pranking up into our lofts and pews God keep it out of the Pulpit Truth is we are all too ready to welcome dissimulation while all too prone to professe more than we practise I am resolved for the honour of God and glory of his name The Avowry to shut my door upon Joab and Judas lest a worthy in Israel be wronged by me The second vice which is forbid is Security Securities Character a carelesse companion say what you will unto him one weighs not who enters in so he be not intermedled with if you let him take out his nap God will be injured by him while no judgement is feared our God is dishonoured the not fear of God is a fearfull dishonouring God I have heard say the let passe of perill is the inlet of profanenesse and none are more profane than those cryers Et quando ad nos venit God hath other things to do then to take post and high it in hast to see what we doe Let the carnall heart with Solomons sluggard yet take a nap in the duffie downy bed of carnall security yet that my God may and by me be rightly honoured I am resolved to beg of God to awake me out of my sin The Avowry and give me a call as he did Samuel A Divine Contemplation upon the first Petition Hallowed be thy Name Soar aloft my soul and eye nos what is on Earth but the God of Heaven Thou art at this time to be one of the Quire of Angels take thy tune not in Basso but in Alto and give all laud and glory and praise to him who sits upon the Throne Let thy prayers begin with praise the subject be thy God the object his Attributes the end adoration of his Name Come poor soul let me schoole thee and tell thee when thou art first in thy own thoughts thou art furthest from Gods acceptance the Ear of gracious audience is shut till the tongue tuned to the glory of God be first heard The Angels Ditty hath taught me my duty first to sing glory to God then to pray for peace upon earth good will towards men Give me leave to contemplate upon the Power Might Majesty and Dominion of that Dominus Dominantium A forethought what he is how great he is how good he is is the wheel turnes about my heart from all earthly vanity It is a service well pleasing to God profitable to my soul When I have given God his due honour I may better expect my Masters reward O my God and my King though I be subject to do it yet by thy grace prevent my unmannerly suting thee my God and Saviour Let not the eager desire I have either after goods or forgivenesse make me forget in the first place to give all glory and praise to thy Name O let me give thee praise then beg thy mercy Let me first sound out thy glory that done put up my own petitions to thy Divine Majesty Though I can adde nought to thy holinesse to thy honour to thy power yet I can adde to those celestiall Attributes my acknowledgement how thou art a God most holy most honourable most powerfull As Confession must precede Absolution so my God and my Chirst confession who thou art what thou art must be sent on before to usher in my Home resenting supplication O I will or I dare to pray for my self pray that thy great Name thou great God may be hallowed not by augmentation but promulgation of it from Dan to Beersheba Let the trumpet of my lips first sound thy praise that done let my tongue crave A somewhat for my self Let the first * He mess his first petition born be my prayer to God for God then let the needy ones my own petitions come out after who are borne to nought yet by begging may get a Blessing of old Isaac the ancient
of daies when I am first in my own thoughts I am the last in Gods Book Let me set my self and all my wants a while aside till God be served let his glory be my aime in prime the second place will serve all my needs In glorifying thee a glorious good redounds to me I will not clip thy coine of glory lest I go not for currant in thy kingdome of grace O that thou wouldest inlarge my heart to give thee praise lest the want of this Foreman cause the rest of the Jurore my petitions to be excepted against in the presence of thee the Judge of Heaven and Earth The second Petition THe second Petition now succeeds by name Thy Kingdome come I will God willing speak upon The Number The Nature of the words to be explained First for number here is but one word difficult to be understood two in the former one here Can we learn no lesson from Gods plaining his speech O it shewes us 1. The more we acquaint our selves with God Three Intracts more plainly he will speak to us 2. As we grow in devotion we shall grow in understanding 3. That Gods Word with modesty the more we dive into it the more knowledge God gives to hold up our heads from drowning in the gulf of false exposition I am resolved to hold out my Rosary The Avowry with the Collect. reinforce my genius to peruse the Scriptures and all to prevent misprision augment my talent and enucleate the Text. Here is only one word to be explained Kingdome This word may be taken four waies 1. For the Scripture thus Mat. 21.43 where said Auferetur a vobis regnum Dei The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you 2. For the visible Church thus Mat. 5.19 where said He that shall break one of the least of these Commandements and teach men so shall be call'd the least in the Kingdome of Heaven 3. It may be taken for the grace of God Luk. 17. where said The Kingdome of God is within you 4. For the Church triumphant Mat. 8.11 where said Many shall come from the East and the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven Now all may be here meant though in prime but one 1. And then we pray in this Petition That Gods Word and its understanding may come among us 2. That upon earth there may be a fellowship of faithfull professors visible 3. That Gods grace sent by that sayne his Spirit in that Charriot the ministery of his Word may visit our hearts 4. That these daies of misery being perioded Gods Kingdome of glory we may be seated in it In one word we pray for four things 1. That the word of God and its sound may be heard in our land 2. That we may be Gods visible Church on earth 3. For Gods grace 4. And for heaven at our ending Of this last what hopes without that precedent A circumvolution of the four fold sense Again its presumption to brag of grace and live without the Church Lastly it we aime at all we must doe a somewhat more It you purpose to be members of the Church be inspired with the Spirit hereafter have heaven let the Word of God dwell plentifully in your hearts I am resolved for my own part to make much of Gods Word The Avowry with the Collect. a mean to make me a member of the Church aequire grace and gain heaven You may be bad ground and sown with this seed A review the Word where this seed Interpretation 1. the Word for so it s call'd Luk. 8. is not sown that most fertile soils manured with Ethicks and the humane arts brings out but figtree-like cursed fruit Hence it is we pray way may be made for the Word of God and it may come ut adveniat hoc regnum that the kingdome may come So the Latine signifies which makes us sensible of Two things Extracts two 1. Our Condition 2. That in Expectation 1. Of our Condition that we are dronish in our devotion and love our ease more than our gains apparent while we pray Thy Kingdome come to us we walk not on to it 2. This in the second place makes us sensible of what in expectation That since advenit verbum the Word is come into our towns oratories ears that now prayed for is that the Word may enter into our hearts I am resolved to take notice of my backwardnesse in devotion The Avowry and all to make me more eager now this * Messenger sayne Gods Word is come to open the door of my heart and give it harbour Now this word its hieroglyphick or resemblance is a Kingdome for whilest we pray Gods Kingdome may come we mean Gods Word the word of truth And in these particulars the resemblance holds 1. For Kingdome like Resembances Gods Word is of power to correct instruct and reprove 2. It 's of force sufficient to make all outlawes inlaw themselves to Gods Law 3. Hath strength enough to meet in the field and to oppose all opposers be they Schismaticks or Hereticks Schismaticall in Discipline or Hereticall in Doctrine 4. The Nerves of a Kingdome are meat and ammunition such is the Word we live by it Deut. 8.3 it is call'd the sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 hath in it to feed at home and defend abroad 5. The best of Kingdomes Canaan had its commendation for abounding with milk and honey such is this whole land the word and therefore call'd sincere milk 1 Pet. 2.2 And therefore aver'd when the Prophet Ezekiel had put in his mouth a morsell of this earth that it was in his mouth as honey for sweetness Ezek. 3 3. I have travel'd through the land of the Philistims and the wildernesse of Sin A Supplicat But now O Lord strengthen my resolution to set up my resting place of abode in this * he means the word Taught Kingdome That here we pray for is a visible Church Interpretation 2. thy Kingdome come that is Lord let us enjoy a Church visible This interpretation I next bring in for that unmeet to be a Church untill it have received Gods good word Here we have leave to pray as against an Elias his paucity and the 7000. inforc't concealment So for liberty to continue daily in the Temple and to finde the favour to preach and hear the Gospell Act. 2.46 47. We pray then in this petition and it 's allowed for God by this second Exposition 1. That God may adde daily unto the Church Extracts two such as shall be saved 2. For the flourishing estate of the Church to the outward eye of the world Divers can endure the Queens * Church Daughter to be all glorious within but not that her Raiment should be of pure gold They cry all for sincerity within will tolerate no honourable train without Others would have the Church in worse case
than Nebuchadnezzars Image an head of clay and arms of iron Supremacy they wish not well the Clergy they make no more count of than iron metall or S. Judes trees as if our silver Chalices brought in wooden priests nay rather our rich Tithes have brought in a Sect a sort of devillish damnable Church Robbers who mean to go to heaven another way than ever their deceased ancestors those went by building Churches these by robbing the Chruch of her Tithes I wonder that these should make such a shew of holinesse when so full of sacriledge they abhorre Idols and yet c. But come what is it here we pray for in this petition while heard saying Thy Kingdome come State of the Church That is Lord let there be a visible Church upon Earth yea let the Church seem when Seen 1. Like a Kingdome not like a carrion with nothing on but skin and bone We have a company of poor Vicars and Curats in our Countrey will swear she is almost as ill like 2. Not like a solitary Cottage with nought left and as few in it Nay as a Kingdome hath a superplus of inhabitants and habitations so all good Christians ought to pray may be the state of this our Church Kingdome like the professors innumerable Kingdome like the Churches profits proportionable To what purpose patter they over this prayer whose exorbitant lives are the death of those should be subjects of this Kingdome the Church the visible Church They prate they pray not who pray for the coming of this Kingdome that is the visibility of the Church But while they have an eye on the Steeple lay unlawfull hands on the Tithes and leave not this innocent * The Church Ewe till they have shorn off her fleece and left her as sore wounded as was the poor Traveller God she may once meet The Supplicat with an honest Samaritan may shew her some compassion That here we pray for Interp. 3. is the grace of God as a visible Church so invisible grace by means of the one we are able to manage our selves maugre all mutinous mankinde and by this other to support our spirituals against that unclean spirit with seven worse than himself spoke of Mat. 12.47 Now this exposition I set here after the other for that in ordinary we must first have a subject or in hopes of an adjunct a being in the Church or the least expectance of our well being I mean of our being true sanctified members of the Church That then which according to this Exposition we pray for while we say Thy Kingdome come is that God would beslow his grace upon us A magazine of Grace a magazine full of which you have laid up in Gal. 5.24 That I infer is since by Kingdome may be meant the grace of God 1. That grace is of great force Extracts two 2. He that is inricht with it may thank God for it The first deduction my Master Christ made good when he said to Paul My grace is sufficient of thee The latter that demand determins Quid habes quod non accepisti the question putting it out of question that God is the author of every good and perfect gift And new O Lord give me of thy grace The Supplicat and I will fight it out against the greatest Goliah that cometh down to upbraid the Israel of my God By this Kingdome Interp. 4. may be meant the Kingdome in heaven or Church the Kingdome in heaven or Church triumphant and this I place after the Kingdome of Grace Quod non possumus venire ad deum per gloriam nisi ipseprimo veniat ad nos per gratiam If thus we interpret this petition this is the meaning Lord we thy Church on earth desire a fight and seat in thy Church in heaven and that we of thy Church Militant may be made members of thy Church Triumphant Cujus erit possessio sine timore usus sine fastidio refectio sine cibo In which kingdome thou maist live without fear eat without surset be fed full fat and fair need not go down to Egypts barns to buy bread nay what being an indenized Citizen in the heavenly Kingdome canst thou want Desirest thou Beauty Three Extracts fulgebunt justi sicut Sol. 2. Or agility of Body eris sicut angeli 3. Or long life ibi erit aeterna sanitas there thou shalt live for ever O my soul obtain this boon Solilequium and in getting it thou gainest all I will ever pray for Heaven The Avowry since having I cannot want what is in most repute upon earth The third part of my method warns me to forrage these words and gather up of them the points of Doctrine which grow upon them To help us do this we must make use of the division of this petition into parts naturally it dissects it self into two parts In Objectum In Actum The Object of the petition is Gods Kingdome The next in sight is the Act let is come thy Kingdome come Or Lord let thy Kingdome come The object of our supplicat is O God thy Kingdome Take it by way of superexcellency as primarily meant of Gods Kingdome in Heaven to which the Word points the Church leads and their parts to prepare us for Gods heavenly Kingdome While the Word begets the. Church brings out and Grace trains up us mortals making us fit to be made immortall inhabitants of that everlasting Kingdome Gods Kingdome the Kingdome of Heaven which is here described By its Propriety By its Immensity By its Propriety Thy. By its Immensity Kingdome A word avouches Heaven carries the Bole and Bulk of a Commonveal 1. The propriety prayes us to take notice Doct. 1 Heaven is Gods own this Pronoun * Thy. possessive pleads Gods right to it and estates him in it This earth God hath bestowed on us Heaven he hath reserved for himself and to it he hath right Ratione Creationis Gods title to Heaven Ratione Possessionis 1. By right of Creation a Deo creatur God made Heaven Gen. 1. 2. By right of possession est Dei sedes it 's Gods Seat Isa 6.1 66.1 And to shew Gods absolute power over and owning Heaven you shall read in the Revelations how the Elders in heaven reverence him And in the second of Luke how a multitude of heavenly souldiers praise him singing and all to the honour of the great God A song of 3 parts in Alto. Basso Medio 1. In Alto Heavens prisksong Glory be to God on high 2. In Basso Peace upon earth 3. In Medis Good-will towards men To let passe his souldiers love his Elders reverence his long possession and from first creating make up a good plea and intitle God to the Kingdome of Heaven He that hath made thus much The Avowry and is owner of no lesse for my own part I am resolved upon it his right of inheriting not once to
question 2. For Immensity that beg'd is a Kingdome the Kingdome of heaven Hence take notice Doct. He that prayes for heaven prayes for no small thing 1. For spaciousnesse For spaciousnesse speciousnesse it hath no fellow he that stands upon his pantables is never so high in his own conceit might there have room enough to turn him in Again though straight be the way yet wide is this high land Heaven It is verily imagined that look how much wider is the world than the least prison so much is heaven bigger than earth And if divers stars as the Astronomers teach be bigger than the whole earth of what immense unmeasurable bignesse are the Heavens in which are fixt so many millions of stars 2. For speciousnesse 2. For speciousnesse it 's neither the wavie Curtains of the air the flowery Carpet of the earth nor yet the whole hoast of Creatures have half that lustre spendor as in heaven There 's to be seen that City whose pavement is of pure gold and as it were transparent glass The four and twenty Elders with their Crowns on their heads twelve thousand of every Tribe following the Lamb. Yea it was there St. Paul saw such things for state not sit to be spoken of or uttered I am resolved to make strong suit to God The Avowry and be earnest in prayer with him and all that I may have an inheritance in that place so spacious specious The object Heaven I must now part with it yet it is my hopes I shall once meet with it and to the purpose The Act is next in sight let it come a Boon we beg of God O God thy Kingdome come as much as Let thy Kingdome come The note is worth writing down in the table books of your remembrance It is this Doct. we have not heaven in hand we must yet wait for it here we may make our claim hereafter we take livery and seisin he that hath the most in hand hath not this while this life lasts a bar is put in hindring our possession of the Kingdome of heaven It was never heard corruption could inherit incorruption we must have patience and wait till this corruptible put on incorruptibility and this our mortall immortality after our change we shall finde a change and forgo earth and own heaven This life-time is a school-time whilest it lasts we though schoole-boyes may be heirs and have right to inherit but while school-time not admit to take this our estate in possession there 's not an heaven upon earth Four sorts of Seekers and Missers It 's not to be found at Dives his board though the Epicure be gone thither to meet with it 2. Nor yet at Belshazzars feast all there in sight is pot-luck and wit-lack 3. Our impropriators are seeking for Heaven in the Chancell and Parsonage house among the gleabe and tithe but I never heard of any had so good hap as whilest he was robbing Gods house to hit on Gods Kingdome 4. The Usurer makes his gold his God and it makes me imagine he thinks his counting-house his heaven without all doubt it is his conceit he shewed himself a wise man in getting so much but a fool for thinking too well of it Saul while he sought his fathers Asses hit of a Kingdome here are a company imagine they have found the Kingdome however we have hit upon the Asses A word is enough to the wise we befoole our selves if we whilest earth humour our selves we have heaven let us wait for the time in the mean time possesse our souls with patience neither conceiting we have heaven nor yet despairing of what to come For my own part The Avowry I am resolved to comfort my heart with what I may have yet not mis-spell posse for esse nor take a reversion to come for a plenary possession in present The next part of my method obliges me to bring in some cases of conscience and so draw more close home to this petition The Cases are three 1. Case the first is this whether do any doubt there be such a thing as prayed for cald Kingdome of Heaven or the Heavenly Kingdome Know it some beleeve no more than they see some say they beleeve more than they do The one his eye is the founder of his faith the other his beleef is no better than lip-labour the incredulous Atheist the hyppocriticall Formalist the one is an open enemy the other a close underminer and both ill willers to this Thesis vid. that there is such a thing as an heavenly Kingdome 1. There is such a fool as hath said in his heart there is no God no marvell he swear there is no heaven of all fools this is the fondest Had this fellow had Martyr Stevens eyes in his head he might happily have been made see more and beleeve not so little But every one cannot have an eye like an eagle yet some we see have no more wit than they stand in great need of whilest not faith like a grain of mustard seed 2. The bare Formalist sayes that in publick he doubts of in private vid. whether such a thing as cald the Kingdome of Heaven he can be content to pray for it doth not much beleeve it But I am resolved on it The Avowry as there is provided an Hell for miscreant beleevers so an Heaven for Gods elect Saints in Christ Jesus Yea and for my own part The Collect I professe I will never wilfully deny with the profane Atheist nor covertly make doubt with the bare Formalist of the reall existence and being of the Kingdome of Heaven Second Case is this 2. Case Whether shall all living go to heaven I am no Hickman who beleeves an universality of salvation nor no Novatian debars all such as have sinned mortally post baptismum from being saved the former is too charitable the latter too severe as not all shall be saved so no all those * he means who have committed actuall sin after Baptisme be damned But come let us neither with the one be too strait-laced nor with the other divulge our opinion to smell of Libertinisme We must let these * he means into heaven In to confound the Novatian and send Judas to his proper * Hell place to confute Hickman I have a record can witnesse with me Case resolved there is a sort shal not inherit the Kingdome of heaven Paul hath copied it out and you shall finde it in that first Epistle of his to the Corinthians chap. 6. vers 9 10. If you be such you must not inherit which who is not I would know the man A Soliloqium O my soul shall I conceal the truth what a lust hast thou had to actuate how hath conceived lust contaminated though not brought forth yet brought my Christ to aver it He that looks after a woman to lust after her in heart hath commit adultery Let Christ be true
and all men lyars his ipse dixit is sufficient and must make such who hope the best fear the worst who is he can excuse himself as not conscious or dare professe he never did no not one of those works * Gal. 5.19 20. of the flesh If thou sayest thou hast then hear what God hath to say unto * Vers 21. thee they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God O my God and my Christ preserve me from sin The Supplicat lest my sin debarre me of thy Kingdome But what shall all they be damned Object that do these sinfull works of the flesh Now give heed to what sall be said my answer I mean to poise in even scales and let neither Hickmans tongue nor Novatus his pen I mean neither presumptuous thoughts nor despairing imaginations have the draught one of the other All that live and die in the prequoted sins Res shall be damned it 's thy sin makes thee guilty it 's thy persevering in thy sin that damns thee the act of evill makes thee damnable the act of evill makes thee damnable the continuance in thy evill carries thee down into hell the Law is a Book-case which opened by Gods Counsellor Moses findes thee guilty The Gospell is a Writ call'd Melius ad inquirendum and thou shouldst fare better if thou livedst not still as ill For by own part by Gods good assistance The Avowry I am resolved upon it what I have done to do no more lest a worse turn betide me and as I cannot assoil my soul of evill no more am I resolved to hold on my evill courses Third Case is this 3. Case Who shall be admitted into the Kingdome of Heaven 1. My answer is this Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into thr Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven God loves not him is nought but winde thou maist speak like an Angell and go to the Devill know it God is better pleased with deeds than words works among hand please him at heart let me tell thee if thou neglect to do that God bids then look not to come where God lives we must be men of action if we mean to go to Heaven yea and the square of our work be Gods will For my own part The Avowry I am resolved upon it to beg of God ability what I say to doe and that which at large I professe at leastwise in some poor measure I may practise 2. Persever anti dabitur to him that is faithfull to the end God will give a Crown of life O hold out and have Heaven the promise is not past to him who is to day a Protestant to morrow a Papist nor yet to him that begins in the Spirit ends in the fesh nor yet to him who puts his hand to the plow and puls it back nor yet to Sir Henry Horspur who puts on fast at first is soon tired who like the bird Glott is Hist flies fiercely in the forenoon but in the afternoon lags and comes behinde The Woodcocks flight is unfortonate to make such hast and so soon be tired mistake me not I dislike not your taking up your dough on your shoulders and in haste to high out of Egypt That I inveigh against is your not holding out to your journeys end but sitting down with Gad and Reuben on this side Jordan For my own part I am resolved by Gods good assistance The Avowry as I have begun so to go on yea with Elias to hold out my pace till I come to that heavenly Horeb the Kingdome of Heaven 3. Petenti dabitur aske and you shall have Let us pray for what we want and we cannot want what we pray for dumb men get no land The land of * Heaven Canaan in it expect no portion if not bespoke He that speaks to God by prayer comes to him like a begger is sent away like a King with a Kingdome It 's no time now to be tongue-tide when hearty prayer procures thus much For my own part The Avowry I am resolved upon it never to give over praying to God lest my forbearing to pray deprive me of Gods Kingdome 4. Vincenti dabitur He that can conquer earth sahll own heaven command O man thy self and heaven is at thy command never am I so sure of an excelse * The Kingdome of heaven fortune as when my lofty imaginations I bring low If I can over-rule my self here it is Gods will I shall rule with him in heaven Here is a * this flesh Goliah I must overmaster or no hopes to succeed in the Kingdome he that inthrals-himself to his lust hath got a new keeper and one will keep him from going to heaven For my own part The Avowry I will do my best devoir not to let sin reign im my mortall body lest my letting it here keep a quarter exclude my doby and soul out of heaven The fist moity of my method is this to divulge what graces we have from this petition given in Commendum They be two Faith Patience Graces two The Paralle Faith to beleeve the Kingdome to come Patience to wait till it do come Faith whose eye is ever intent upon on a remote object Patience who only eyes and none else but it owner It is Faith which estates me in the heavenly Kingdome It is Patience which procures my stay till the Kingdome come The first Faith makes my tack good This latter Patience the * This life interim no annoyance I am resolved to be earnest with my God The Avowry to give me two such gifts of grace as both assure me of * kingdome of heaven that I want and without the least repining overcomes mean man to wait the Lords leisure Faith is that Jacob's Ladder Faiths Character by which I ascend up from off earth into heaven It is Faith intitles me to a Kingdome in reversion though I have not a mole-hill in possession Faith is the evidence of things not seen and as needfull as is Evidence to lay claim by to an inheritance as requisite is faith for a suppliant to estate him in the Kingdome of Heaven He that with an honest heart to God will put up this petition stands need of Faith to beleeve an heaven Though my reason fails me to comprehend my faith overcomes me to beleeve a Kingdome to come my common sense can reach no higher than to sublunaries it 's my faith reaches to Celestials my prayer is neither pithy nor patheticall if my reason be nor interlared with faith I prate I pray not if I sall short to beleeve an heaven And here though I have leave to live in an earthly Kingdome want faith and I shall never enjoy the Kingdome of Heaven as my tongue must be guided by reason so my heart led on by saith or
highest price like the dunghill cock the precious sone For my own part I am resolved The Avowry to beg of God by the foolishnesse of preaching to expell out of my soul this foolish naturall left this naturall spiritual foolishnesse be my hinderance to do Gods will in Earth as it is in Heaven The second Vice we are warned to banish is spirituall Cowardize Cowardizes Character a childe of the Devils own begetting he dare not * Peter resist the Devil and he will flie from you stand his ground and this his brat is skar'd with every bugbear I wonder a coward got pranking into the heart except to hide him It is this spirituall cowardize in abstracto which hath prevail'd to call back resolution his nigh admittance to the heart and alliance in bloud to all in the Isle of Man makes this weakling thus strong the feebler he is the more potent in power a paradox in nature yet verified for truth How doth this one spirituall Cowardize infeeble the heart stonish the understanding and make will which would do good retreat O experience can teach what harm this one doth a Christian made the seven thousand in Israel hide their heads and when Baal was to be worshipped not a man for God to be known to the Prophet The fear of the arme of man is an enemy to the will of God and his will is little set by when the word of man strikes a terrour O the noise of Gebal and Ammon and Amalek if that daunt down goeth Gods cause A heartlesse proffessor the lesse his heart the stronger is his party to with-let what God would let this Cowardize be billeted in the heart and there quarter and this one will be the death of all the horse * Gods gifts and graces men of Israel they will fall in a swound suddenly retreat and in their retreat get their death-blow But in contempt and scorn of this unchristian-like cowardize which will not go on when God commands this shall be my Motto I weigh not what man can do unto me For this dastard I have a dare and Joshuas I will wounds him to the death For my own part by Gods good assistance The Avowry I am resolved upon it to quit my self like a man lest while I harbour an unmanlike heart my heart fall off to do Gods will in Earth as it is in Heaven A Divine Contemplation upon the Third Petition Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Here I see what I should do but I Lord how I fail in the performance Thou O God hast set me a pattern but I come as far short of the sampler as the Heavens are distant from the Earth I can soon learn to know what I should do all my life is too little to learn to doe what I know O God my God though thou hast given mee an understanding heart yet I finde in me my flesh a perverse will even one who is wonderfully unwilling to do thy will in Earth as it is in Heaven What hast thou left undone to teach me to do thy will The Law of Nature the Law of Moses the Gospell of Christ Jesus they spell and put together thy good will and pleasure Thou hast given me these to teach me Angels to guide me and all to lead me to know and do thy will in Earth as it is in Heaven If I would plead igrance thy unwritten Law in my heart condemns thy written Word the Law and Gospell bear witnesse against me Nor is this all but those my samplers thy Angels shall one day cry to thee to take vengeance on me O how ought my heart to relent when in secret I think upon it what pains thou hast taken and yet how unprofitable a scholar I have been in thy schoole Those to whom thou givest much of them much is expected I have received a large portion of instruction but O the lesson of obedience is not yet taken out Dear Father I confesse my wickednesse in thy presence I pray thee have merey upon me have mercy upon me and after the multitude of thy many mercies in Christ Jesus forgive me all my sins and trespasses O the thought what 's to be done and how it 's to be done assures me I am * he means without mercy undone This is thy Will and these are my Works Was ever light and darknesse truth and falshood more opposite the one to the other Had I but half an eye I might see what will be my end without amendment O thou who delightest not in the death of a sinner heal the disease in my soul my soul is sick to death yet Lord say the word and thy servant shall be healed O thou Physitian of souls give me a potion of faith faith to beleeve and the cure is wrought It cannot be my acting but any beleeving how Christ hath exactly acted my part must make my weak works well and gain them my Gods good liking Let my belief in thee beget a willingnesse in me to do thy will Then my God for Christ his sake will accept of my will for the deed Tack up then my Soul and look up to that brazen Serpent Christ In him and by him thou hast done the deed yet when all is done say it is no morel but Christ who dwelleth in me But if out of Christ thou art out of hopes to do Gods will in Earth as it is in Heaven The naturall man is the impotent man and can neither the Quid nor Quale It 's no marvell for saith S. Paul He perceives not the things of God O my soul while thou art in the state of corrupted nature thou art in an hell of disobedience Let the noise of the Law awake thee the voice of the Gospell allure thee to march out of Egypt out of Sodome out of thy naturall state and condition Soul why standest thou gazing while in Nature nought can be done neither what God wils nor as he wils O thou God of all Spirits create in me a new heart take me out of the old Adam engraffe me in the new make me a branch of that Vine Joh. 15. and I shall bring forth clusters of ⋆ grapes Of my self I have no power to bring forth only in Christ I live and move in an Angelicall sampler of obedience I must go out of my self ere I can get into the footsteps of they Angels Let the Archangel of the Covenant enable my feeble soul to do thy will in Earth as it is in Heaven The fourth Petition THe fourth Petition presents it self before your presence in which a Boon is put up for man to God witnessed while said Give us this day our daily Bread Here I finde one only word needs explaining Bread we want of our wils if we have not Bread every day in our mouthes our head-pieces must now give it harbour that as the materiall bread pleases the palat so the marrow A
considerale we beg pf God to forgive us our trespasses after what manner as we forgive them that trespasse against us 1. We will cast a glance at this last part of the petition as all the words have relation to what foregoing 2. As one only of them to one foregoing for the first we beg forgivenesse as we do forgive Christ commands thus to aske forgivenesse of our trespasses at Gods hands as we forgive our neighbours that trespasse against us and it shewes Doct. We shall be forgiven as we do forgive It is our own metwand our sins must be measured our by it is our own scales our sins must be weighed our with as we weigh out to others down weight of recompense for their trespassing us as we cut them out by the standard a retaliation of justice for wrongs offered us even as we do to others so shall it be done to us Christ himself saith With what measure ye mete out to others it shall be meted out to you as if Christ had said if ycu look for satisfaction for man wronging you so will God for wronging him it you put up not calling to account so will the good God even strike off your reckoning O! our hearty forgiving our neighbours the trespasses they have commited against us binds Gods hands he cannot take vengeance on us for our trespasses against him Vse A passage prayes us as we tender our own good to be good one to another The adage was Homo homini lupus if it still be so let me tell thee est lupus in fabula he that is a wolf to his brother holds a wolf byth'ear and while he looks to right his wrong doth himself the injury how may this work like good physick upon all Gods good people and purge out the old * Malice leaven of the Pharisees Three assurances we forgive 1. Let us forgive one another not by piecemeal but by wholesale The crosse week chapmen the Londoners little set by 2. Let us forgive not for a time but all our life time this * Termi for life durante vita makes us free-holders and in heaven 3. Let us forgive not in word but in deed and from the heart This reality with man shall make me a man with my God and God to forgive me my trespasses as I forgive others that trespasse against me And now if we had no more to move us to a composure of all differences among us then this the forgivenesse of our sins Lord how should it work with us Let this cause us to shake hands and be hearty good friends here live in peace that hereafter we may live in glory here love one another that in heaven we may be beloved of our Lord. I will conclude with David in admiration of the worlds concord Psal 134. Ecce quam bonum quam jucundum Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwell together in unity There is one word yet to be weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary in this last part of the petition against one other in the forepart of the petition Trespasse with Trespasses The first word is of more * Trespasses weight the latter is the * Trespasse lighter what a pressure implies the former predicating and in the plurall of mans many fins against God how light is this latter which predicates of man damnifying man whilest that without count this within count whilest this latter finite the former infinite Doct. The phrase implies not only God will forgive much for a little but also that our sinfull trespasses against God are more in number by far than our neighbours trespasses against us The one is infinite all the other but as one How do this lead us by the hand to see the goodnesse of God to us humane creatures he puts up much will we do so our sins against him exceed all number and all damage all men living do us shall we then seek revenge he forgives much for little shall I to satisfie me a little lose that much I am resolved both to confesse my many sins against my God The Avowry as also to comfort my heart for That ensured Upon what termes will God forgive us our sins and trespasses Object Let me be sorry for my sins Res and God is just to forgive me all my sins Let a serious contrition go before and a plenary pardon posts after if I here can finde a sorrowfull soul I am sure to meet with a mercifull redeemer I must lament for that I have brought out a sinfull burden then my sin shall be no burden to my conscience let me grieve for that constrained to live with Meseck it 's the way for me to be delivered from the Tents of Kedar O Lord I was shapen in sin and in iniquity did my mother conceive me I can no way have washt off me these my leprous spots till I reckon up all my sins in the bitternesse of my soul all my lise I have fed upon the delicious pasture of deceitfull sin I shall surfeit upon it without I take a large taste of the bitter herbes of true repentance yet more this my sorrow must be of the best else I am as bad as the worst if I counterfeit with God on earth I cannot go for currant with him in heaven such then as hath been my sin Three manner or kindes of repentance such let be my sorrow 1. Timely good Christian seek thy Creator in the day of thy youth O deferre not to do that which must be done or thou art and for ever undone I confesse true repentance is never too late repentance yet late repentance is seldome true repentance one at last gasp repented that hou maist not despair but one therefore do not presume He that may have assurance of his pardon to day and puts it off till to morrow it is an even wager he shall be denied that to morrow he sets so light to day Since God hath given me time God give me grace to make use of my time yea to day while it is day to turn unto the Lord our God 2. Do thou sorrow in abundance for thy sins You have read how Mary she wept much for she had sinned much we say A large sore must have a large plaister as there must be a diet drink of faith inwardly given so a searcloth of sorrow applyed to the partill-affected our sins are out of number our sighs must be past count when God sets down our misdeeds in figures and we our repentance in ciphers there is not expectance of forgiveness It is time therefore considering how long and how oft we have spoke the speech of Ashdâ—d to go tune our voices to Jeremiah's Lamentations lamentations weeping and mourning Be now for a short momentary lifetime a Benoami a son of sorrow thou shalt and for ever be a Benjamin thy fathers darling O blessed are they that mourn for theirs is the
Kingdom 3. Repent cordially from the bottone of the heart repent The Tree Mallabon brings out but one apple in a year Hist but it growes up from the root utinam a corde fructificarmeur would God and from the root the heart we would bring out fruit worthy of the name of repentance Saies God My Son give me thy heart it is a little legacy but very well liked of it is the wheel in the clock makes all move and do their duty my knee bow my tongue confesse my eye water and all the man put on a mourning suit where this inward sorrow is the outward man conformes presently outward duties are so far from superstition that they are inavoidable waiters upon that man whose heart doth act the part of true repentance and as salt so hearty repentance seasons all my undertakings it is the best evidence to testifie my sins are forgiven me Is this 2. Case If a thief upon the gallowes who cries he forgives all the world and doth remit the ill turns done to him will God his I am not of opinion that his release can gain Gods acquittance yet know I it without he forgive his neighbour God will not forgive him what is forgivenesse but bonum opus a good work which through the wicked liver cannot be saved by yet not without I thus then determine this Case the thief must forgive if he will be forgiven yet the naked act is not enough this plain stuffe is nought without it be well watered I mean his forgivenesse must be rawed and streamed with tears of true repentance for his own offence committed against our good God Let me see such a thief and to dye to day and I dare say that night he shall be with Christ in paradise I will die in hopes of Gods forgivenesse The Avowry for that I can forgive my neighbour yet never conceit my sinfull score is crost out till my true repentance bear witnesse Will God forgive him 3. Case forgives not his neighbour Christolog faith Qui sio petit iste se etiam accusat He that so prayes himself accuses and there needs no other witnesse to condemn him he desires God to deal with him as he deals with others whom while he seeks to be revenged of puls on his own head the vengeance of God God who in all things else is our director in forgiving would have us to be his pattern Man God means to make his sampler by to forgive And as man forgives man so will God man it is but a veil for mischievous villany which the Councell of Trent hath found out who by the parties in the petition professe is meant the Church avouching this is the petitions meaning That we desire God to forgive us our trespasses against him as we that is say they the Church forgives others Thus they referre that to the species predicates of the individuall and by this their glosse lay the reins in the neck of malice making no matter of private malice since the universall Church remits him whom I malice But I am resolved I will never rest content The Avowry for that the Church is at unity with him hath done me wrong till I my self forgive him my self hath done me wrong The Graces which this petition commends unto us Are two Purity The Graces two Humanity Purity within the house The Parallel Humanity without doors Purity the souls consort Humanity the bodies beautifier By Purity I am enabled to carry fair to God By Humanity to be boneer to my neighbour It is that first reconciles me to God in Christ This other appeases me towards all of my kinde How much pains ought I to take to enjoy the society of such two as can quiet heaven with earth and us who are earth one with another I am resolved to affect being holy as God is holy The Avowry that so my Creator and I his creature may be kinde I will also resolve upon it to give entertainment to humane courtesie since my kindenesse to man makes my God more remisse to me The first Grace given in Commendum by this fist petition Purities Character is Purity one who took Angels for his fast friends but found in them no stedfastnesse Adam for his nigh alliance but never since he wore his first breeches this is he many make shew of love to that 's all are lip-friends not heart-friends entertains this Purity like a kinsman that is as far off as Adams and yet this is that one own brother to the Queens daughter who is all glorious within of full bloud to the spouses best beloved so rarely qualified O Purity was it not thou didst keep my Christ company in his journey from heaven to earth whose us possesse thee who came from heaven At Christ his Crosse we took acquaintance our acquaintance we must now go renew it yea be renewed according to the inner man Whatne men ought we to be shaving put on the linnen Ephod purity of heart which is Gods gist mans blisse and the Devils undoer Let me keep Purity company I stand in need of much to be forgiven my needs will be lesse Let me be never so deep a debtor to God and the income of this one strikes off all my reckoning say I have trespassed God and exceedingly here is he can end the quarrell God who is much displeased that I have lived ill is twice as well pleased that I live better he looks not at what I was but what I am and my now conformity perswades him not to question my past impiety He sets his estimate of goodnesse on us by the time present and if he now finde us holy our past unrighteousnesse he forgives I will beg of God the grace of Purity The Avowry that so my now reformed life may ensure me even in this life of the forgivenesse of all my sins and trespasses The second Grace recommended to us Humanities Character is Humanity a vertue veiled under an earthly vizard whose glorious splendor Lord let it shine through me and glent on all What makes me more manlike then Humanity and affiances me more than this to all others This is the tie of humane nature the Make-friend among men and that one which cancels all unkindnesses when dabate makes discord this makes friends when spleen spits venome this sucks it out when wrong bids right it this bids put all up How lightsome doth humanity make me a plausible pleader and advises if possible to have peace with all men it vowes my quiet in minde recompenses the offer'd me injuries by others let me thus overcome And it 's with honour repay favours for frowns good words for ill deeds yea pray for my very enemies O Stephen I will take thee for my pattern and beslow Lay it not to their charge on those who take up stones to stone me Behold the Dove which hath no gall it is Humanity the innocent Ewe which opens
met with I dare not promise much it is presumption nor underprize my pains since some say it is a slie vain-glory a begging by refusing I much desire you would not discourage these my first endeavours and if you chance to spie a blemish in Venus her face not to eye it more than all her beauty which if you doe you have got a bargain but lost a chapman every one can say it is an easier thing to finde fault with than to mend And he that will mend what here 's amisse hath leave to finde fault with what he list I speak not this to make a variance but salve a difference assuring my self he is not a Scholar that will carp I have put my self to the worlds wide venture and aime at my * Scholars Coat to defend my cause Humorous heads who have more words than wit and censures than solidity they can gain nought at my hands by their opprobries these have a good word for none not then for me It is the ingenuous auspicious Reader I relie on for his favour whose favourable report shall make my printed paper his debtor and my self his devoted To the Author of the Prayer THE Author of the Book in all humility begs leave to dedicate these few ensuing lines to the Author of this Prayer Christ Jesus God blessed for ever Amen O my God and my King the holy Pen-man of this most holy prayer thou art one who wa st who art to be forever God and yet man man and yet God In thee the Godhead is hominified in thee the manhood is deified thou art an immense Majesty present with us in earth and at the same time Lord President in Heaven Thou art one in person yet hast two natures one of the three Persons yet all the three but one in substance begot before all Time born in the dispensation of Time not to encrease thy honour but to set us from thrall Thou taughtest Exemplo Thou taughtest Praecepto Voce By learning us Prece By praying for us Thou prayedst to thy Father for us Thou preachedst to us how we should pray to thy Father not as we will but as thou hast wil'd thou teachest us what to say and we are bound to say thy prayer Thou hast taught us how to pray so ties us not at all times to the same words O thou wisdome of the Father let me learn wisdome from thy lips Who to furnish the meanest of * In Understanding men prescribes them a Plat-forme who so sets down a plat-form as licenses the more gifted to exercise their gift of prayer Thy prayer O Christ is not given to stint the spirit thy prayer is lent to support it Blessed be thou my God and my Christ who hast not only purchased for us to be cal'd Gods Sons but taught us to say Our Farther Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I give over thy prayer I honour its Author I reverence its matter I admire its method it was made by Christ God made by Christ for man usefull for all men never could so much be contained in so narrow a room but that of Gods making the Sons penning the Holy Ghost his inspiring Let the Enthusiasts slight it the fratra cilli lay it by as men conceiving they are come to an acme of perfection yet such as fail I finde in the best of my expressions that let them be the protasis this shall be the apodosis and if with my own I begin with our Lords * Prayers I desire to make an end the Lords Prayer is the summary of all things necessary and when I have prayed for all I can in this as in a glasse my Christ lets me see the face of all my desires while I am expounding this sacred Prayer Lord let thy sacred Spirit descend down upon me so shall thy Name be honoured and I inabled to discharge this great work I have in hand O thou who madest this prayer make me understand its meaning and while I am in hand with this work blow the spark of my meditations into a flame let my paraphrase be set Carbo lampas a light shinning and lamp burning by this light guide babes in knowledge on to a set form of prayer by it confute all Hereticks who deny a set form of prayer O my Christ I will shut up my too much boldnesse of speech to thee with admiration of thee who art all in all unto us all bread to feed us wine to cherish us the white robe to cover us thou hast slain our sins by thy passion quickned us to a life of grace by thy Resurrection provided a mansion for us by thy Ascension we may enter in for thou art the door no danger by the way for our Christ is the way we can have no better assurance then from him is the truth nor let us fear the sting of death for we are servants to the Lord of life to him who is the way the truth and the life O my Saviour I blesse God for thee I glory in thee I cast my self upon thee upon the bended knee of my body I beg thy blessing praying in thy own words saying thy own Prayer Our Father which art c. The Author of the Book his Speech to the Prayer O All heavenly Prayer the very language of the Lord Jesus the Christian * A good Word till abused Directory The Rubricks Epitomy short in words copious in matter which gives God his Due begs all needfull for us all all thy precious petitions it is my every daies prayer may be writ with the pen of a Diamond in my heart O Divine Prayer I am purposed to give thee every morning the visit every night to hold conference with thee the first to salute the last to take my leave of Thou hast taught me to blesse God my here welfare my hereafter happinesse what to seek a Kingdome how to ensure it by doing what thou wilt as thou wilt O most holy prayer which suites God for us all and for all needfull which teaches us how to unravell our debts and discharge them to prevent sin by praying against sin yea prayes in the midst of our temptations for safe deliverance Thou art magnum in parvo yet sayest little yet when we have said all we can we can say no more I admire thy brevity short yet sweet few words yet full as the Patriarchs sacks understood we at length what thou comprehendest in short we would every day lengthen our esteem of thee lessen our opinion of our own barren expressions But I am sorry thou art so slighted by those who think themselves none-such and for my part I would be very sorry to be such as they are O most sacred Prayer whither wilt thou go the Enthusiast his hasty conceptions will be thy death the Sectarian Minister for fear of popular displeasure is feared to acknowledge thee in the Pulpit yet thou hast one
he reaches out to lay hold on his babe God who is Father of us all alwaies knowes our mischances he needs be told by none bid by none go help us The truth is our help standeth in the Lord our God who made both heaven and earth and blessed be his name world without end Secondly God is our Father and as it puts us in hopes of his love compassion fear we fall best help so the title bindes us to do all is beseeming to be done to a Father nought else It 's inquired what is that 1. Aske him blessing 2. Do him reverence 1. The title Father adviseth us to crave Gods blessing O saith Esau to Isaae father blesse me even me also He will not leave him till he blesse him Esau his earnest suit shall teach me to make an high estimate of Gods blessing yea to esteem of Gods blessing better than Jasons golden Fleece He speaks it in respect of his high esteem he hath of Gods blessing above all else he wants or yet the great Chams Tree full of Pearls hanging by clusters I stand in need of much yet give me this and beleeve me I have got more than all else I want Our little ones desire twice a day our blessing gentle monitors which in a still voice solicite us to crave Gods blessing God is our Father we our childrens we look they should aske us blessing as much God expects of us 2. The word Father puts us in mind we must behave our selves reverently towards God and at two times in speciall When we speak to God When God speaks to us 1. For the first I have oft admired of that carriage of Elisha to Elias who thus cryed out after him O my Father my Father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof If Gods good Prophet have such high stiles much more owe we to God himself First our honourable additions such as Almighty and most merciful Father it were well they were cald in to be witnesses when we speak to God that it 's with all reverence Again let our reverence be made to appear by bespeaking God in a low voice the high God loves to be bespoke in a low language cum plurima humilitate with much humility When we speak to him let us take our termes with us when of our selves say as did the Prophet I am a worm and no man as did the Patriarch Minor sum Domine I am lesse a Lord than the least of thy mercies God our Father cannot abide to hear us his sons and daughters mouth the word Merit Let me tell thee and truly he that will tell God he deserves heaven God will do him no more but justice yet reward him with hell For my own part The Avowry I had rather cry when I pray God be mercifull to me a sinner then to brave it out Lord I am not as this Publican yea and by professing of meritlesse I will gaine the more 2. You must reverence God your Father speaking to you this he doth so oft as we do as St. Paul saith We are Gods Embassadors and God intreats you by us whilest you hear us preach the word of God God expects you hear it with all reverence as words proceeding forth of his own lips and yet we have a sort who neither the four and twenty Elders who vaild their Crowns and laid them at his feet nor yet the Abissines who pull off the shooes in the Church-porch as they go in can move them to come mannerly into Gods house the Church to hear him Howsoever those saucy sons of Zebedees wives and their mother came to speak a good word for them they should misse their * Gods Fathers blessing The next thing to be prosecuted and explained is intimated in the word Our This is the relation we have to God he is Our Father I will not here speak upon the divers waies how the word Father is taken only so much say as may direct us to this possessive our God is call'd Our Father Distinctivè Our Father Praerogativè And first by way of Distinction And that tripartitely 1 Generaliter 2 Specialiter 3 Singulariter 1. Generaliter so God is the Father of us all all our Fathers for this read Deut. 32.6 Is not he thy Father hath he not made thee 2. Specialiter sic Justorum per adoptionem so God is the Father of us his adopted for this read Mat. 5.48 Be ye perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect 3. Singulariter so God is Christs Father by eternall generation and so the word is used Mat. 11.27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father A review God generally is all our Fathers first by creating us Specially our Father only on whom he hath bestowed a portion of grace Singularly God is Christs Father no so ours as his for Christ is his eternall off-spring without beginning Now we see here why not Christ but Christians say this prayer for that God is our Father not as his Secondly why the adopted saints say Our Father for that they are all his adopted children Thirdly why we admit even of the most wicked with us to say our Lords prayer for that he is Father of good and bad all our Fathers by creation All the world by creation have a like relation unto God and may call him our Father All sanctified Saints have a more nigh tie to God and may call him our Father by creation by adoption yet more then the elect in speciall or the world in generall may Christ say and call God my Father not by creation not by adoption but by generation Straight then is the tye of God the Father to Christ his Son for Gods naturall Son Next is the relation of the Saint to God who is his Father by adoption The most remote relation is that of the wicked to God who is called their father for that he made them so did he the beasts of the field and fowls of the air All then this word our our Father as used by the wicked can put them in hope of is Gods generall providence to provide for them as his other creatures That which the word our our Father as used by the elect ought to put us in hopes of is Gods speciall providence that he will be with us to deliver us out of all our trouble The word our our Father as used by the elect in speciall world in generall not by Christ in particular protests he that is our Father yet he is Christs Father after a more miraculous manner than any other And yet to our comfort this possessive our proclaimes God is not a step-father but our own Our Father O how doth prayer link us on earth to the God of heaven makes us of as nigh alliance as father and son own father and own son Now since so nigh a tie our carriage is base if our Father disinherit us I am resolved for my own part
he shall then have his will Hence it is for it we first pray and it coming among us for by Gods Kingdome may be meant Gods Kingdome of Grace that is his Church consisting of a multitude of beleeving Christians till the King of Heaven have a Dominion of such subjects on earth there 's no need to hope for much lesse to pray for his will may be done Before a Prince come to sway the Scepter he may command and be withstood when his kingdome is come his will shall be done Thus authority must precede command and a power over be had or the precept be obeyed An occasion made Christ will we should pray first for Gods regality That his Kingdome may come or he would a word to be spoke of it That his will should be done And thus I come to the third Petition in the Lords Prayer 3. Petit. which is this Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven this third petition precedes that fourth in which we pray for all things necessary for this life now I say this third hath prehemency of place before that fourth and it is to certifie us he that would have granted all necessaries for this life must first with Christ saying pray and praying say Father not my will but thy will be done The Petition for begging ability to do Gods will is set before the petition for getting goods A good monitour which shall make me It s Extract to get what I want to doe what God wils By these petitions placing I am informed the performance of Gods will guides on to the attainment of whatsoever needfull for the life of man This I am taught while thus learnt to pray first Thy will be done Then Give us our daily Bread And thus I come to the fourth Petition for bodily sustenance 4. Petit. which is set before our petitioning God for the remission of sins nor can I for certain determine what should be Christs meaning in placing a petition for our bodily good before the petitions for the remission of the sins of our souls yet I verily imagine to shew he would have mans naturall life first supplyed with what needfull and then set down what he should crave to get a life God gave leave on its behalf first to petition Or else it may be Christ did it to detect what man most longed for goods more than forgivenesse we have a better appetite to Bread corporall than spiritual and love Meat more than Manna It s Extract This petition then had this place signed perchance covertly to discover man is more sensible of bodily want than of those sores the sins of his soul and that he hath a greedier desire to have this worldly goods than to discharge his old debts in which cast by the default of Adam and himself Well while I cast my eye upon the situation of this petition I will not forget what I am taught when I come to suit God most runneth in our mindes these bodies of ours and the begging bodily necessaries daily Bread for bodies sustenance But come while I have seen Christ by placing this petition picture out mans own minde which runs upon the world so by that which followes Christ tels me what man more needs whilest I in stead of this one petition for the body Christ causes two petitions to be put upon his poor souls behalf The first of which two but fift by descent 5. Petit. from the preface is this Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that c. I am as yet to look at nought save this petitions precedency it 's set down before And lead us not into temptation now the precedency of this petition to that following It s Extract foreshewes it 's neither the sin which hangs on nor hanging over but what past and commit we are first to aske God forgivenesse for what first perpetrated God must first be petitioned to passe it by The placing this petition before implies it's sin past most endamnifies us more than either the marching on towards us of temptations or the now leâ—gre of evill lusts O my God The Avowry whilest I cannot forget what I now do I will call to minde what long since I have committed And now the last petition hath none to precede 6. Petit. nor is it the least for that the last placed for in this last petition we beg a double boon deliverance from future and present evill Thus what may seem by undersetting to be set light for last this last comprises in it a double boon that so it may have a like renown or else perchance it possesses this place that ever in this upshot of our devotions we should bear in minde what is the upshot of this prayer a petition for preservation now the Lord preserve us and defend us Again perchance this petition is last set down which involves a duplicated request to teach us As at the beginning so even to the end of our prayers we must be very earnest with God in our suit And now to period all these passages all and every of these petitions comprehend more matter than my tongue can utter or the eye of reason can discern when I have seen all I can I may say as did the blinde Lord that I may receive my sight Moses upon Mount Nebo saw the good land but could not from it make a full discovery of all the good things in it no more though walkt up to the Mount of Meditation and I see this fertile soile am I able to judge of all the hidden Treasure buried in the bowels of these petitions what I see I have set down and in writing that so not my own only but other catechumenists may bear it in their remembrance This Lords prayer contains 6. petitions like 6. shires in which I spie a world of rarities come let us range among them As I enter into the frontiers of the first petition these words I finde written to the honour of the great God and our Father Hallowed be thy Name such a land such a language this little prayer is Gods little Isle the first words the inhabitants have on their tongue ends are these Hallowed be thy Name Thus they are learnt at first to speak and say Hallowed be thy Name a pretty speech as concise as the Laconians as significant as Caesars three words Here is magnum in parvo much prayed for in few words we pray to God for God sinfull man that Holinesse it self may be hallowed a petition whose subject matter my methodobliges me to unfold and to shew unto you what is meant by this said Hallowed be thy Name In speaking upon the subject matter of these six petitions this method through one through all I mean to observe 1. Explain the words 2. Give you the full meaning of every petition 3. Collect some naturall observations 4. Extract out some Cases of Conscience 5. Shew what grace waits
Doct. thus we are taught to speak it shewes what we should be resolute for the advancement of Gods honour Secondly it shewes what to be fear'd we are such as stand need to be made mend our pace with the spurre of command The quere was and long since Shall I come unto you with a red the Romans bundle of wands we stand in need of yea by an imperious mandate to be pusht on to the work as much as Israel was to his task Well The Avowry while in the tract of piâ—ty I am learn'd to march on for the honour of my God This Mandate shall make me suspect my pace and that with Lots it is lingring The Matter commanded is to hallow Gods Name apparent by this said Hallowed be thy Name This is first cared for Doct. to shew our care in chief should be for Gods honour as in part you were forepossest God that made man last this man is to honour him first and be the foremost There 's good reason this last should be first in honouring God the first of creatures and his first of works Let us lead the Round so the dance be Davids and fall to this labour before trying oxen seeing farmes or marrying wives though these earthly things we have leave to think on yet not first to think on Gods honour must go before mans good or goods The fourth and fifth petitions bear me witnesse this ought to take place in our hearts then those Self-love forbids what I say grace serves an injunction on us to doe it and warnes us to preferre God before our selves our pleasures our profits our lives yet further went Moses Exod 32.32 Paul stept on as farre as he Rom. 9.3 Such well wishers to Gods renown as they preferr'd it before their own salvation These superlative affections shall make me set back my own suit The Avowry at least till God be served This sacred Theorem is full foully faln out with such as have in their mindes Vse Meum and Tuum before on their tongue ends Maries Magnificat it is naturall for our love to descend but supernaturall for it to ascend it fals upon earth must be heav'd up to heaven and therefore we rouse you up with a sursum corda lift up your hearts we will shake hands and be friends so you will do as you say lift them up unto the Lord. I am resolv'd upon it by Gods good assistance The Avowry to banish out of my heart earthly Mammon lest the love of Earth and earthing in it make me out of love with our Lord and honouring him The Cases of Conscience are knocking at the door of our hearts and if you please we will call them in and hear what they have to say It 's this 1. That many neglect to hallow Gods Name whilest his Titles Attributes and Word are misused and men misuse themselves their works testifying to their teeths their disglorying God But it 's desired to particularize and poll out who they are that neglect to hallow Gods name First such as in stead of reverent taking Gods Titles in their mouthes Swear by his Name Vainly Commonly Idolatrously Perniciously Now who these are I will tell you who can inform you 1. One called common discourse 2. Intelligencer is the Alehouse 3. Lives in Pharaohs house he was an honest mans son his name is Joseph the son of Jacob. 4. Informer points at Ahabs two false witnesses two sons of B lial I will resolve to set a watch over my tongue The Avowry not come at Belshazzars house not live in Potiphars nor yet to have the least acquaintance with Jesabels pickthanks Lest while I gain credit with an earthly Queen The Collect the King of Heaven come to losse by me lest while I honour Pharaoh I dishonour God lest while I please my palat my tongue offend an lastly lest while I talk much my Masters Name be taken in vain 2. Such neglect to hallow Gods Name who wrong Gods Attributes or Properties of Mercy Properties Justice Who wrongs them Quest I will tell you Res and first for his Mercy 1. The first his name is Inconsideration what God hath done for us men as the Father made us his Son redeemed us the holy Ghost came to be our Comforter To ruminate upon it what Heaven hath done for Earth would make us who are but earth glorifie the God of heaven The want of this is the death of that and makes me while I gain much marre my market and turn bankrupt out Well The Avowry for my own part I am resolved upon it to ponder in heart what God hath done for me in hand lest my not notice taking of his mercy make me owner of no more 2. The second is an ungratefull person akin to many of our countrymen he is call'd unthankfulnesse for Gods benefits confer'd upon us we have them who have received thousands of favours at Gods hands give not God a good word for it health and wealth food and raiment peace and long daies they have had time enough to do it but they are akin to the nine Lepers who take all will part with nought no not so much as thanks Ingratitude is a beastly vice Hist The Stork in Norway when her brood is hatcht in token of hatred to ingratitude leaves her Landlord one of her young ones let fooles of the earth learn of fowles of the air Again no sin offers more indignity to Gods mercy shewed us in Christ Jesus than unthankfulnesse this wretched impe of the Devill hath done much mischief to that pious property of God I am resolved to part with the one The Avowry that I may enjoy the other and study to be thankfull lest God cease to be mercifull 3. There 's a third offers much wrong to Gods Mercy call's Conceit a conceit we are something when nothing and have deserved the good turns God hath done for us when nought lesse A peculiar overprise may hinder a speciall blisse Sentences when we make our challenge by due what we have got ere long we shall be set without it There 's no greater enemy to Gods Mercy than mans merit one much crackt of yet cannot go while we countenance that Romish bastard Merit we make Mercy whose off-spring is from God go pack and get her gone I am resolved not to fancy that Chimeara conceit of merit The Avowry lest while I fall in love with mans merit Gods Mercy depart from me Who wrongs Gods Justice Quest 1. One who is a very naturall Res call'd fond fancy or a foolish fancy that God is a meer compound of mercy while we humour our selves God is more mercifull than just we lose his mercy but his justice meets with us and yet this superplus conceit of the one vilely vilifies the other in this Presumption hath gotten the master head over Despair while warn'd Gods mercy more to be hoped in than his justice fear'd if
we relie on Gods mercy too much we wrong Gods justice not a little I will poise my Spirit betwixt hope and fear The Avowry and to ballance even while I hope for mercy fear justice 2. Wrongs God Justice are two brothers both sons to carnall security The name of the one is call'd Carelesse heed taking of Gods proceeding against malefactors The name of the other is Non-notice taking of the generall Assize to be holden when every one must answer for all he hath done in the flesh as avow'd 2 Cor. 5.10 Gods justice is much dishonoured while men neither minde what inflicted nor what is threatned against impenitent sinners We love to dandle in our hands Gods staffe or support will not cast so much as an eye at the Rod of his wrath God hath holden his corrections these many years prescribing divers their penances Measels Small Pox Plague and the Sword dipt in bloud have all certified thousands have taken pennance in white sheets God it is to be feared is about opening a vein and putting us to a new penance non flumine sed sanguine This was upon the first entrance of the Scots And what shall be the end of these things it 's not hid from us it 's upon record that without repentance we shall perish All this is true which blazes O God how thou art just Luk. 13.5 yet how little is thy justice feared O it is our carelesse passing by of Gods visitation past and to be holden which makes us set his * Justice corrections light and live so loosly lewdly I will call to minde what horrid punishments I have seen The Avowry and pray I may beleeve what denounc'd A mean while I admire Gods mercy to make me fear his Justice 3. Such neglect to hallow Gods Name who wrong Gods word Who be they Quest There are three offer it injury Res one is very many unwritten Traditions full cousin-german to old wives tales whose word is in credit with Papists not Protestants will be taken in Spain and Rome but in none of our K. Dominions our sacred Synods did never give them hearing and yet Tridentinum concilium una cum veteris novique Testamenti libris traditiones etiam pari pietatis affectu reverentia suscipit ac veneratur The Councell of Trent esteems unwritten Traditions as highly as the old and new Testament Vox Dei vox hominis are in the weigh scales what a wrong is this to Gods word for mans word to parragaud with it for unwrittn traditions to face it out they will be as well trusted as Gods own written word I will make a more high estimate of Gods Word than all other The Avowry lest while I admit of a parity to honour Earth I dishonour heaven 2. Ignorance is another doth offer much wrong to Gods good Word men esteem not what they know not a barly corn is better lik'd by the midden Cock than a pearl It was but an Asse fell to the thistle and left the fertile soile Heraclitus laught at him Hist we will be sorry for these who are so very ignorant they know not they know nought their grosse ignorance hath made them undervalue that inestimable word the Word of God insomuch divers have better appetites to hear a play acted then a Chapter read or a Sermon preached especially by an orthodox Divine For my own part I am resolved The Avowry to fall in love with knowledge lest my want of knowledge diminish my love to the Word of God 3. The world is a third that wrongs Gods Word not a little Gods Word hath no greater enemy than this world Lord how many fly draw offs hath it to withdraw us from reading it hearing it medicating on it How doth it shuffle by all religious duties proponing either pleasure and go to the womans house in the Proverbs or profit and go to Mammons or ease and stay at home all Sermon time he that will be counselled by the world was never known to wish the Word well Well though the wicked so far make use of God and his Word The Avowry as that he may enjoy the world and its goods I am resolved only so far to make use of this world and its good things as that I may enjoy God and his Word 4. They neglect to hallow Gods Name who live but lewdly the honour of the Prince is laid to the stake when the subjects are exceeding lews and live wickedly But who hinders our country men from living well and doing good works Quest which others seeing should cause them to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven There are six of them Res 1. Insensiblenesse of sins 2. Want of true faith 3. Want of charity 4. Incredulity that God will not repay back 5. Love of this world 6. Fear to need Six Orators and all to draw us from good works and since I cannot stay to decipher to you out nor portray the perfect portracture of these wicked wretches I will send you to a sort of my very good friends who are able to rid you of all those idle consorts 1. Repair to a troubled conscince one can free thee from an insensiblenesse of sin 2. Repair to Abraham who against hope beleeved I mean to a true and lively faith this will send misbelief a packing 3. Hast thee on to the house of unity thou shalt there meet with brotherly love will banish malice 4. Go me on from hence and get to speak in private with Consideration I mean consider with thy self what largesses received already Hear is one will thrust Diffidence by the head and shoulders out of the door of thy heart 5. There is a fift his name I have forgotten yet his Motto is this I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ This is he is only able to drive away and cause to depart out of thine heart and in post-hast love of this world 6. Let Solomon be the sixt whose very language the creatures neither spin nor labour is of strength sufficient to free the from that slavish bondage in which thou wert to fear fear to need Since I have these six to oppose those six The Avowry I am resolved to fight under the banner of Gods Graces lest poor soul be ensnared in the ginne of hellish vice The fist moiety of my method warns me to give a call upon those graces prayed for in this petition yea and to provide them house-room in my heart Graces two They be two Sincerity They be two Vigilancy Sincerity The Parallel a Jonadab whose heart is upright Vigilancy a David whose eyes prevent the night watches Behold the Mine without drosse Sincerity The Court of Guard which guards it Vigilancy That 's my riches Sincerity This their keeper Vigilancy How much do I want and want that * Sincerity First How much may I lose and let go this * Vigilancy Latter For
else in vain I say this petition my faith must be founded on Gods Words and his Word is the wafter transports faith to my ear All said is true and for certain Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word preach'd it is then hearing brings beleeving and what I only hear of I am ensur'd of belief yea though I cannot set my eye on the Kingdome to come the eye of faith makes conspicuous what my bodily eye cannot discern He that hath not faith to belleve what here prayed for may pray all his life yet misse what he prayes for For my own part The Avowry while I pray with my tongue I will beleeve with my heart lest my want of beleef bereave my prayer of a blessing Secondly Grace given here in Commendum Patiences Character is Patience a meer stranger whom we have oft heard of and I Wish we were better acquainted with one deceives the time and brings a dismall day to an happy end one can make us content with what in hand till we acquire what we are to have and assures us of that hereafter which yet we never had when we rush fast on with more hast than good speed It is Patience perswades us to take time and wait the Lords leisure Behold a curious colour of a fiery spirit and the best delayer of the burning feaver of present desire When I long for what I want here is one overcomes me to wait till my want be supplyed and where as by promise I have past me heaven Patience advises to passe by the present expectance in hopes of future performance O thou qualifier of my desire who wils me not yet to look for yet still to hope for in whose repute is neither time past nor present but to come Since thou canst procure me time to stay The Avowry I am resolved to wait yea and possesse my soul with patience till it be Gods good pleasure to give me the Kingdome The sixt moity of my method wils me to give you warning what Vices are prohibited in this petition They be two Misbelied The Vices two Impatience The Parallel Misbelief all doubts Impatience all anger Misbelief which comdemns before the Assize Impatience which is provoked before cause It is Misbelief makes me misse of that I might have It is Impatience purveys for me what I would not have I lose by the one Heaven I get by the other au Enemy It is this hath made me resolve upon it The Avowry to banish both since both enemies impatience to my here-peace misbelief to my hereafter-happinesse Misbelief is of nigh alliance to incredulous Thomas Misbeliefs Character one is more sway'd by his own will than Gods Word An Heretick in judgement and since condemned to hell beleeves no Heaven A licentious libertine who lives as he list while he list not beleeve A lover of this world more than the world to come whose love so dotes on what he hath as makes him doubt of what to be * Heaven had Other limbs of the Devill offer the Kingdome of Heaven violence but this eldest son of Beliall labours utterly to deface that all glorious * Bilief that Heavenis Architecture It is misbelief abrases heaven out of mens thoughts copes mens thoughts and makes them earth in the burrow of terrene felicity as though this world were the chiefest good as though there were no heaven but on earth O how this Vice disglories God and robs him of his Crown Throne and Kingdome I am ever resolved to live at oddes with him is so great an enemy of the Kings The Avowry and to dilate my dear affection to Gods Kingdome I will ever live at deadly feude with infidelity Impatiences Character The second Vice this petition warns us to banish is Impatience one I must go talk with yet care not much for his company This is filius ante diem a base bred brat brought out before due time a hasty fellow and too forward mindes not what is prayed for must be stayed for and that bad desert must rest content with after owning This is he is more forward than wise and would have what none here living have Heaven in hand How do we wrong our Fortune when we will needs have it before our time Though I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ yet will I wait till the Lord give and the Lord take I will not unmannerly haste God till he please lest I displease God with my haft we must first work then have wages yet some would have wages ere they work yea be glorified ere have suffered as if Christ wore not a Crown of Thornes before a Crown of Glory Let me resolve upon it to abandon all impatience The Avowry and suffer till the eleventh hour since afterwards in hopes to have payed at the evening of my life a penny of glory in the Kingdome to come A Contemplation upon the second Petition Thy Kingdome Come Can I say this petition and not sigh to think how far from home An high fortune and yet but in expectation O I would not pray for that I want but that I want what I pray for It is my misery that I dwell with Meseck I should be happy could I get to Zoar O the day of my deliverance is not yet come while here I abide my day is turned into night after this transitory mometary life time my night of sorrow shall be turned into a day of everlasting joy Let me poyse my soul betwixt fear and hope and fear while that I hope yet hope in the midst of fear I will not despair for a Kingdome 's to come I will not presume since there is a cast at hazard who shall inherit How slow-footed is my soul must the Kingdome come to thee Wilt thou not go on to it Let me advance on to grace and glory will give me meeting let me not go down to Pall Lud Tubal nor yet to Javan of the Gentiles let me with the two men go up unto the Temple The Church way is the way to the Kingdome come I see I must take pains and walk on to the Church militant I shall never else be a member of the Church Triumphant O Lord let that Kingdome thy Word dwell plentifully in me then shall thy kingdome of glory be inherited by me But O my soule take some more solace in these high fortunes to be had in future Thou hast a sons portion in hand thou shalt have a Princes patrimony in reversion O let me presse on then to the prize of my high calling I am called on to be a Kings and to enjoy a Kingdome shall I trifle away time till it be past time there is but one way and it is a narrow way but one gate and it is a strait gate which leads unto this Kingdome Let me not be numbred among the foolish virgins who stayed behinde till the door was shut
But O with Mephibosheth I am lame Lord that my ankle bones may receive strength suffer me not with Gad and Ruben to stay on his side Jordan ferry my soul through a sea of tears to a land of joy while here I am by the banks of Babel and cannot tune that instrument my Heart to warble our an Israelitish note bring thy servant to that place of eternall blisse and then O God and my King my lips shall shew forth thy praise and my spirit shall rejoyce in God my Saviour The third Petition NOw succeeds the third Petition Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven The old method shall still be observed First to explain the words difficult to be understood This is the third petition and here are three words to be explained in it The first word difficult to be understood is the word Will it hath been a received opinion Gods will is twofold Secret Revealed Gald by the Schoole men Voluntas finis Voluntas medii The first is the will of God concerning the end The second the will of God concerning the means leading to the end The first of these hath relation to the glorified in heaven the punished in hell The other to the Saints exercising gracious life but never to sinners living a lewd life To bring these home to the Petition here we pray for Gods will to be done that voluntus finis segregatim it may stand with the secret will of God in his good time to glorifie those predestinated Non conjunctim we call not of him to will the punishing of the reprobate in hell Secondly we pray to God his will may be done that is voluntas medii the overture of the means of grace may be offered to us and we lay hold of it yet was it never Gods will that the means sins which bring men to hell that they should actuate and abominable and blasphemous were it to pray for it 1. We pray then that Gods will may be done that is that it may be his actuated will that such as he in secret hath predestinated may be glorified we pray not it may be Gods will any to be damned We pray that the revealed means of grace mediums to glory may be proffered and profitable to all but the means leading to Hell which are sins God never wills have we any cause then to pray him to will them It is Gods will and we pray for it the means of grace not the means to damn man The first God wils not the latter It is Gods will and we pray for it the glorifying man in heaven not the punishing any in hell both which God wils only the first we pray for But to leave these acute passages primarily as I conceive Gods revealed will we pray may be perfected that it may be done which looks ad Deum Hominem The object of Gods revealed wil. Being twofold respectu Sui respectu Nostri We pray the will of God quatenus ad Deum speciat may be done by him as that whereas he hath willed it he may do it convert the Gentiles call home the Jewes and let the sound of his Word go through all nations And yet S. Cyprian perswades me this is not the will we are will'd to pray may be accomplished who saith Non petimus ut Deus faciat quod vult sed ut nos facere possimus quod Deus vult we do not pray in this petition that God would bring to passe what he hath said he would do but here we pray for an ability for us to do as God wils Respectu nostrum we pray what is Gods will we may have power and strength to do it Thy will O Lord not my will thy will only not thine and mine thy will let it be done though I have been unwilling Whatsoever God in his word wils we must pray for ability to do it And thrust back will the naturall our will the corrivall wilfull will would bear all the sway stet proratione voluntas like good subjects let Gods will stand for a Law with us That we pray for then and it is allowed for good in this petition is that Gods will may by us be accomplished The two then in the scales are Gods will and mans work this is to be directed by that preponed As if what man did should sent of what God willed as if what is Gods will may be our work Well then I will not live in any notorious sin Res lest while I say this petition and desire power to performe I blaspheme Secondly I have learnt out a fit mate to match with my works it is Gods will Lord that we could spie these two and for ever together our works then would have no such adulterous off-spring For my own part I am resolved The Avowry the will of God shall be the square of my work neither will I undertake to do that work is opposite against Gods good will and pleasure The second word to be explained is Earth apparent while prayed Thy will be done in Earth such may be the stones as be we if God will such were we as the earth at the beginning There being such consanguinity betwixt that we tread on and we that tread on it may put us and in doubt what is meant whilest said Thy will be done in Earth That in chief is that Gods written will may be done In this Earth pro loco by us who are Earth pro materia Here we pray that all the inhabitants upon the earth may apply their best endevours to do what God wils were our practise sutable to our prayers our prayers protest we should all the practis of Divine duties Well The Avowry while we put up this petition for all on Earth to do Gods will I will call to minde what we all should do but bemoan our tongues and lives are at oddes But while we talk of Earth Heaven must not be forgotten which is the third word to be explained And as by Earth is meant men on earth so by Heaven Angels in Heaven And are Angels set to be mens samplers pretty patterns and could we take them out our Master Christ would take it for well done O thou who made us in thy own likenesse The Supplicat vouchsafe of thy wonted goodnesse that thy will may be done by us as by the Angles Nor is this all other acceptations are at hand would you be pleased to accept of them 1. Some understand by Earth Infidels by Heaven the faithfull The faithfull are the lowest region of Gods Heavenly Kingdome The Infidels are the upper regiment of the Devils earthly dominion and yet it is prayed for that Gods will may be done by the one as by the other by the Infidels as by the faithfull O my God His Vote for all that all thy servants study to do thy will yet will I beg that that many may be made more by the conversion
of the Infidels 2. Again This flesh its originall is earth the minde of man a kin to an heavenly being which hath caused some to harbour this conceit that by Earth may be meant this flesh of ours or part unregenerate by Heaven the minde or part regenerate to which if we condescend we must thus then read this petition Thy will be done by the flesh as it is by the minde by the flesh which serves the Law of sin as by the minde which serves the law of God Here are two parties in this Isle of Man the one holds of God in Heaven the other of the Devill in Hell and as Israel was divided betwixt Rehoboam and Jeroboam so this Isle of man is made a divident All is not for God a corrupt part takes part with the Devill This is it shall make me petition God His Vote that as that part of my minde which is regenerate so more of me may subscribe to do Gods will 3. Some by Earth may understand the Church militant while by Heaven Christ the head of the Church triumphant and would have this the meaning of this petition Thy will be done by the Church in Earth as it is done by thy Son in Heaven Here we pray the Chuch on earth may take Christ in Heaven for a sampler and that we the members of this his Church would make his will our rule O God we of thy Church will study to do thee service yet confesse The Avowry we have every day cause to beg we may come nigher the sampler of true obedience Christ Jesus This distinguishing upon the three words which seemed difficult to be understood is the porter hath brought the sense of this petition to the sense of your hearing The genuine meaning is a collect of what said and now we have speld let us put together Prime loco here we beg of God he would inable us men on earth to do his will as do the Angels in heaven Which is Alacriter Joyfully Celeriter Readily Not by constraint as some come to the Church more for fear than love not latchingly as those who came into the vineyard at the eleventh hour meaning to have much for doing little when we go about Gods businesse we must be merry countenanced and nimble footed look blithely and dispatch speedily These two they crown the action and shewes the willingnesse of the whole man to serve his Maker such a suppliant though he cannot lay claim to ought by his own merit yet may presume of Gods mercy whereas a grumbling servant a delatory delayer when as he thinks he hath done Gods work may be payed in the Devils coyn As what we must do must be what God wils so all we do be dispatcht Angel-like with alacrity with celerity this is the choice sense of this petition And yet here is involved a boon for Infidels to do Gods will as do the faithfull for this flesh of ours to inlaw it self to the Lord as doth the minde regenerate Lastly that this Church of Gods upon earth may conforme it self to the will of God as did the Head Christ And now what we have said The Supplicat that it may be and really performed Dear Father grant us thy children this one boon that thy will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven We are next to produce the Doctrines to finde them out we will be beholding to the division of this petition dissecting it self into two parts 1. The subject matter 2. The restrictive manner The subject matter prayed for is Thy will be done in Earth The restrictive manner as it is in Heaven What God wils we pray we may do yet not as we will but as the same is done in Heaven The first part of the petition petitions us to take these particulars into our considerations 1. Whose will it is we must beg ability to actuate it is gods not ours the Prououne * Thy possessive will depose this is true 2. The ubi or place where it is here in Earth this place must be no priviledged place Gods will must be done in Earth First we pray for ability to actuate Gods will here is no noise of ours but Gods as if ours unworthy or our selves self-wil'd and led more by foolish fancy than rectified reason Every begger affects his own brat how ever deformed for this cause here is expresse charge and from the Kings own son to sute God to give us grace to place his issue before our imp and that not the off-spring of us our wils But O Lord that thy will be prefer'd O it comes hardly off with us to doe what God wils Doct. apparent by this petition put up Christ prayed not My will but thy will be done And that he might sub-set his inferior or natural appetite to save life to Gods decreed will to lay down his life for us all Rom. â— What the law of nature without a taunt might plead for Christ prayes it may not stand against Gods determinate counsell It gives us just cause of surmise now nature is corrupt it is untoward And we forward enough to will what God would not The modest petition of my Messias without sin The Avowry shall make me sinfull man confesse my refractorinesse to do the will of the Lord. Let us now walk on to the ubi the place where Gods will is to be done in Earth This life time is no priviledged time for following our own wils and appetites Doct. we have here a being and here an abiding and for a better end none on earth have leave to live as they list and do what they like There is not a day exempt from Gods service to serve the Devill All our daies we must devote to God and live to him religion in the name of God claims a right in thy youth and age Till earth to earth that is all this life we must subscribe to what God hath willed we should do here while we stay hear what we must do Gods will in Earth as it is in Heaven But what continually to be in our devotion is this your meaning What I have said is no enemy to honest pastime nor yet to Christian imployment But as Schoole-boyes the most their time is set apart to ply and con A little time is licensed to recreate them in So God and the lessons he hath to teach us require the major part The minor part there is a connivence for pursuance of pleasure profit alwaies provided so it be in the Lord. I will minde what I am made for and while I have to do with the world The Avowry call to minde my life must be devoted unto the Lord. Now I come to the Doctrines deductible from the restrictive manner we must beg of God ability to do his will in Earth as it is in Heaven See you not Heaven is set to be Earths pattern Doct. and men on earth to learn of Angles in Heaven
our betters it is no scorn to take them for our samplers such are Angels Os homini sublime dedit saith the Poet God hath made man to look up as ever to have an eye on his masters such are the Angels Gods servants but our Schoolemasters and as the Master is more perfect in the Lecture than the shooleboy so they than we We desire to know they do know we desire to do what we know The Parallel it is they can do what God hath made known unto them in our works are many weaknesses in theirs not the least of imperfection we procrastinate they cry haste haste for his Majesties service yea their wings witnesse their readiness willingnesse I will resolve upon it The Avowry while earth to cast an eye at Heaven and to make those all * The Angels glorious creatures the samplers of my readinesse willingnesse to do the wil of my Father which is in Heaven Again the three persons by turns have all of them undertaken to teach us Angels scholars in their uppermost Lecture are set to be our samplers to guide our * Our wils and affections feet in the waies of God That I note is this We have divers schoolemasters Doct. God the head who teacheth us by his Word Angels in Heaven who teach us by their Examples Nay nigher the very creatures the poor pismire we are bid to go to her and learn Five things I inferre from this Thesis First God would we were good scholars so much pains is to make us profit Secondly we can want no teaching no whilest a God Angels or any creatures Thirdly there are no few lessons to learn where many messengers many messages Fourthly we are hard of learning with Fambo some are nineteen year a learing one line Fifthly here may be a strong surmise by these many eyes over us we would play the Trewants in very deed man naturally hath no heart to what 's good But since I have so much teaching The Avowry I am resolved by Gods good assistance not to lose my time byt ot minde what it is my Master hath to say unto me The Cases of Conscience are the fourth moity of my method which are three First is this Whether is a perfect obedience to Gods will required I. Case To this question I give this resolution Christ would never have set us to pray for it if God had not look'd for it it were needlesse for man to pray for so much if his Creator would be content with ought lesse I am injoyned by God to do what my Christ wils me to pray I may do A perfect obedience then is required at our hands and we must do what God wils as doe the Angels Since now O Lord The Avowry I have thus much to do I will dismisse my worldly businesse to follow this my heavenly calling We have seen what we should do 2. Case now let us see what it is we are able to do and so I come to the second Case Whither are we able to do all God doth will 1. My answer is negative No apparent first by our every day confession we break all Gods commandements 2. By Esays evidence we are all unclean all our righteousnesse is like unto filthy rags 3. By our prayer put up we need not beg that which is within our reach it is that we pray for we have no power over my beseeching God to grant shewes my want and since I pray for ability to do Gods will it assures me the good I would I cannot I will confesse my frailty The Avowry and alwaies acknowledge though to will be present with me yet I finde no means to performe that which is good And so I come to the third Case 3. Case how we are made capable to attain to do what God doth will wee ‖ should doe To this I answer To will is of our own power but to will what we should and do it is God the instrument is ours the right use of it from God In me is a something vid. to will That it object is good I may thank God for it of whom is both the will and the deed that is the willing good and doing the good I have willed But my last avowry prefers a quere to be discust and tels us even man in the state of grace who hath a will to do good findes no means to finish the work he hath willed But know it that is not meant of a totall defect but a plenary performall though he faile in most not in all It seems then by Gods good aid Gods childe may both will and do good yet not all the good God doth will in his Law To this I answer God hath a twofold Law There is Lex Operum Lex Fidei the Law of works the Law of Faith The Law of Works requires an exact fingular obedience at all times in all places to all particular statute Lawes enacted by the Lord I pray for this cannot attain to it height pray for progresse though fail to fulfill The Law of Faith requires a full beleef what I cannot do my Christ hath done it for me for which I pray and may attain But can you prove a man may be made righteous without the Law of Works that is without exact keeping all the Commandements Beleeve not me Res but S. Paul who * Rom 3.21 22. saith the righteousnesse of God without the Law that is without the Law of Works is made manifest even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith in Christ Jesus unto all and upon all them that beleeve here are Faith and Works met they are at ods about reconciling man to God But here is one inspired with Gods own Spirit Paul the Apostle he certifies us it 's not works the Law of Works but faith the Law of Faith which justifies and makes the beleever reputed a fulfiller of Gods will The Law of Moses had been able to have saved us if we had been able to have observed it now that we cannot observe the Old Law of Moses God hath made a New Law we shall be saved by beleef in Christ Jesus and this is cal'd the New Covenant When God gave out the Law of Works first it was not to save any by it for God knew none could do what he commanded but the Law of * The ten Commandements Works was given First to discover mans infirmities Three ends of the Law to discover to humble to guide on like a glasse in which to let him see the warts and wens growing upon the face of his Conscience Secondly that Law was given to humble man whileft seeing he had injoyned so much and had fail'd in all Thirdly that Law was given to be a Schoolmaster to teach man the way to his Master which Master is our Lord and Saviour who hath done for man what man cannot for himself whose beleef Christ hath done it
Paraphrase upon the petition what we pray for I mean its meaning may satisfie our understanding here we pray for bread that God would give us bread this day bread daily bread our daily bread for substance bread for proportion this day bread for condition such as we use daily for appropriation our daily bread A Review not sell but give not one but us not us here but us all not this meals meat but this daies meat not this daies only but daily not that 's anothers but that 's ours A paradox our need is daily our daily need daily bread the daily bread we need is this day our daily bread this is it we beggers beg of our good Rabboni give us this day our daily bread this last word bread is the first word I will fall in hand with I hope all your stomachs in like sort stand to it There are three sorts of Bread as Bonaventure well observes Corporall Spirituall Eternall The Corporall Bread is Simple and Single or Mixt and Miscellan 1. By Corporall Bread fimply understood I mean bodily Bread made to feed on and sustain life with and thun the word is used Mat. 15.33 where it is said by Christs Disciples Whence should we have so much bread in the wildernesse as to fill so great a multitude and this I call feeding Bread The mixt corporall Bread made as it were of Miscellan by it I mean Bread made up of a proper and signification not only such bread as we eat but all things necestary for this life and thus Bread is taken Exod. 23.25 where said I will blesse thy Bread Prov. 20.13 I will satisfie thee with Bread by it is meant God will give a supply of all earthly necessaries for this life 2. There is a Sacramental * Spiritual and Sacramentell bread that this is so turn to 1 Cor. 10.16 The Bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ And this I call signifying Bread or Bread symbolicall 3. There is a third bread bread Eternall to prove this turn to Joh. 6. where said Ego sum panis vivus I am the living bread this bread is Christ A piece of this bread who so tastes of shall never hunger and this I call the lasty Bread Now here we pray for corporall Bread bodily sustenance sacramentall Bread to have still a taste of that consecrated shive which shewes out Christs death Here we pray for that eternal Bread for Christ that God would give us Christ interesting us in him all his Birth Death Resurrection Ascension And thus while we say this petition 1. We pray for Bread to nourish our bodies 2. The Sacrament to strengthen our feeble faith 3. For Christ to feed our souls to life everlasting And these are the three sorts of Bread shadowed out by the three loaves in the Gospell the first loaf whereof can suffice humane life the second loaf conserve spiritual life the third loaf preserve life eternal Now Lord ever give us of this Bread The Supplicat that so Lord here we may live live well and live with thee hold out the life of nature The Collect live the life of grace and attain to the life of glory a All these three sorts of Bread are included yet all as I suppose are not intended not the Sacramentall Bread for that was askt in the second petition As it is conjectured by some viz. Bread i th' Church keeping by which I mean not Shewbread provided for Priests but Communion-bread equally by us Ministers distributed to the receivers nor yet is the Bread eternall here meant for here we pray but for a daies Bread that lasts for ever this ends with supper The Bread then primarily here meant is corporall Bread not restrained literally to bodily Bread only as meat for the belly this is not all we here pray for but the Bread here meant is corporall Bread meant at large figuratively And the petition involves a Boon that God would bestow on us all things necessary for this life And so I come to give you the sense and meaning of this fourth petition Give us this day our daily Bread That is Good father of us all be pleased to bestow on us all things necessary for this life yea whatsoever thou seest in thy wisdome behoovefull for us Lo an immense Boon begged in one line all we want and in word a short expression but a large look for not much said yet much craved apparent whilest only bread askt and in asking it all neceffaries But how comes so much meant when so little said here is only Bread askt can it involve all things else 1. I answer this is named in stead of all propter excellentiam quod instar omnium want it we had as good want all no comfort can be taken and take this away neither in apparell pleasure profit diet or ought indeed it is one gives a relish to all earthly blisse 2. We name Bread for all propter capacitatem give us food to live by and while life is preserved threr is a step on to what not to the attaining of every good and perfect gift of God Temporary as health wealth c. 3. Propter singularitatem it is the staffe of life and notes out he that God gives food to gives him as great a blessing as is upon earth I will though I have no more God The Avowry praise for what I have and account his dole of Bread a blessing supper exceeding The Doctrines deducible from this The petition The Doctrines now next come in the division of the petition into parts must help us to make privy search to finde them out the parts of the petition are two Which tell us Of whom we beg Which tell us What we beg 1. He of whom we beg it is God our Father 2. That we beg is this day our daily Bread For quiddity it is Bread or such Bread we use daily For quality daily Bread or such Bread we use daily The quidddity beg'd being Bread prayes us to take notice of these Two Panis quantus Panis cujus Panis quantus how much Bread is beg'd but a daies Bread for this daies Bread Panis cujus Note who owes Bread beg'd it is ours we pray God to give us ours that what is ours by the law of man by the Law of man we owning it the God of heaven may interest us in it confirming our earthly possenssion by his heavenly blessing I will endevour to increase my earthly talent The Avowry yet never conceit my title is good to it untill the Lord confirme my humane get by his heavenly grant We have taken a generall view let us now take a speciall survey of every parcell of this petition The first part of its division certifies us of whom we beggers beg all earthly necessaries It is of God the Father He is the full furnisht house-keeper we the poor needy ones and we are come
riches that riches might not be counted evill things riches are given to wicked men and then the name of good thing they are deprived and thus when the elect doth get it is no hurt when the wicked it is no good a passage may moderate our admiration considering since those their goods are no good things so cal'd not so being so esteemed not so indeed the default being in the occupiers not that in occupation which no marvell the wicked own in such abundance since their very selves have spoiled their nature and as wares of no worth as counteerfeit coin they keep them making a great shew of them but no true use of them like he that hath a bag of bad coin which serves to rattle not to run for currant Secondly know good Christian the wicked who have so much have it for a short space saith David I looked at the wicked and he flourished like a green bay tree I looked again and he was not lo in a very trice the case is altered his house desolate his children vagabonds and in the next generation his name is quite blotted our what he hath is only durante vita for his life at longest which what is it but a span for length a post for speed thus as a thing of no continuance he enjoyes his joy and his term is ended with Fonas gourd or say his means stay by him he cannot long stay by it but must be gone and depart Thou sayest the wicked hath more than thou that servest and fearest the Lord alas when one hath all his estate laid on an heap it makes a fair shew but that in shew is all In very deed the wicked hath all his portion in this life nought is behinde whereas the heir Gods childe thinks himself of better estate with a scant allowance while he doth remember what to have hereafter and thus with the purchaser he is content with a clod in hand though Tenant at will like the wicked have in occupation the whole earthly demeane O he is overgladded with it to think upon it that sod of earth ensures him of the fee-farm heaven like the bite of bread the body of Christ For my own part The Avowry I will not weigh what I have but what it is I have ensures me of nor will I judge of Gods kindnesse by earthly courtesies while Gods little ensures his largious Is this 3. Case With what cautions may I pray for riches this case speaks home not ot our possessing them but our praying for them and know it as there is a danger in their use so in our asking when we come to put up this petition our tongues are oft too glib and our hearts over intent now lest while we expect a good we get harm observe these cautions in praying for worldly riches 1. Pray for a mediocrity Three Cautions for as too little discourages so too much makes proud and puffes up Hagar was sensible of this and therefore begs neither riches nor poverty he knew extreme want was an hinderance to the practise of piety and therefore beg'd a somewhat he knew much misled and withdrew from God and therefore beg'd not abundance let me tell thee and for the truth of God he whose tongue is all in it superlatives for this world his heart harbours diminutive desires to inherit the world to come when I take leave to aske much my much endamnifies me mightily when I cry Da Domine quod vis my God tees my needs and that he gives Physicians say a grain of Opium procures sleep more danger and death so a little of these called Opes riches are beneficiall to nature whereas a superplus is dangerous oft death I am resolved to petition God for a little of wordly riches since helpfull The Avowry not for excessive riches since ensured exceeding hurtfull 2. Pray not for riches in the first place we are allowed to beg them of God but God will not they be first beg'd he would have our prayers witnesse we do not overprize these worldly riches and to testifie our desire to have to aske yet so to aske as to divulge our affections are not set on things below He that commands me first to seek the kingdome of Heaven hath schooled me to pray for this earth in the second place I may spoil my petition by misplacing and in stead of a blisse be answered with a Nescio vos he that hath given me leave to sue to him for health wealth honour counts it his dishonour that any should aske his Kingdome after them commonly what is first on my tongue end is first in my minde and it is apparent my minde is most on the world whilest my tongue imprimis petitions God for it This is the bewrayer of my unlawfull desire and that it is more than beseemìng the spoil prayer viz. to pray for goods before Gods Kingdome I am resolved upon it The Avowry to put earth after till Heaven be prayed for and to make my prayer legitimate I will first set my affections on things above then on things below 3. Pray for riches respectively Caut. 3. not simply as a help on not as an hinderance which like poyson if qualified may do good if not nought more dangerous Pray for riches to be to thee not as the broken reed of Egypt which if thou leane on runs into thy hand but as the poor pilgrims staffe which he uses when he is half tired to ease himself on and as the weak pilgrim who waxes weary desires his staffe to lean on and go with so know it we are pilgrims and strangers our home farre off our * Affections feet sore surbet we would on but unable and it is lawfull for us to call for this staffe of maintenance to ease us and further us in our heavenly pilgrimage if the world encumber we must lay the very thoughts of it by if it further we may pray for it yet as the pilgrim makes use of his staffe not for it self but as a support to set forward a safegard to defend so we must pray to God to put this rod and staffe into our hand which as Davids staffe was a comfort for defence and furtherance The Supplicat the Lord grant such to us may be our earthly riches I am resolved to sipplicate my God for riches and for no other end The Avowry than to make use of as pilgrims doe their staves yea not for the love of them but the help I have by them to go more actively on in the path of pious duties The graces which this petition commends unto us Are two The Graces 1. Confidence 2. Contentation 1. Confidence The Parallel which perswades me to beleeve my God can provide for mee 2. Contentation which makes me rest satisfied with that God gives Confidence a grace which looks upward unto God Contentation a grace which looks down at me may self Confidence a grace
ascending Contentation a grace reglenting That first is stella erratica and courses on from me to my Maker That latter is stella fixa and I am the orbe in which it doth move I am resolved to keep these celestiall stars The Avowry radiant in the orbe my heart that so they may lend light for me man to walk unto my Maker Confidence is a grace transcendent Confidences Character whose giver is God whose receiver is man whose object that which man doth want the want of that I would sets a work my confidence and whilest I have no more it is this grace Confidence assures me my God will provide and sufficient This is the horne of mans hope and the incredible creditor of the great God whose word we take power we relie on mercy we hope for and all this is brought to passe by the Rhetoricall oratory of that only one Confidence O Confidence it is thou that ensurest me how ever it go yet it will go well with me in the end how oft haft thou made me to cast my eye on my God and with Abraham gainst hope to beleeve with just Job in the face of death to despise its malice and in my most horrid perillous dangers to fear nought but stoutly to cry it out Lo though the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him This fiducia spei sets me to work and makes me relie on my God for reward to hope for the water of the well of Bethlthem and to land at Candan in despite of all opponents This Christian confidence is filius nobilis of a great bloud and allied to the best it is the eldest son of Faith Hopes fastest friend and Charities chiet companion the Physician that prescribes them cordials and heals the running issues which sore vex these Theologicall vertues it is my confidence in God strengthens my feeble faith keeps my hope from headach and makes my charity to actively agill that able to walk on to heaven I am resolved by Gods good assistance The Avowry ever to retain the grace Confidence since while I keep Confidence in the house my heart the chief of my family Faith Hope and Charity though they le sick yet their sicknesse shall not be a sicknesse unto death 2. Contentation is a grace of a rare vertue Contentations Character this makes the poor man rich the captive conqueror and the opprest take all for well done let me welcome this one which supplies all my worldly needs and vowes he that hath most hath not more this is that one which makes my little more and the more I see others have the lesse it owner to repine my forked heart it is this that fils and makes what ever it is to fully satisfie I had rather own this one than Croesus his wealth Jasons golden fleece or the great Chams tree full of pearls hanging by clufters what will all I have do me good and go without it the more I have the more I will crave till contentation stop my mouth A grace which whilest I look upward at the wealthier walks further from from me a grace which no gainer way I can get to than by oft walking by the poor mans door O the thought not how many richer but how many poorer paddles me out the track to meet with contentation This is the perswafive orator makes Kings content with their confines Rectors with their Tenths Lawyers with their Fees Gentlemen with their Incomes Tradesmen with reasonable gain and quiets the poor cottager within his thatched house in a word this is the pacifier of all people which quiets the world with me and me with my means I am resolved to beg of God the gift of Contentation since want this The Avowry and I can have no peace upon earth The Vices Two Vices are here prohibited Diffidence Covetousnesse The Parallel Diffidence a vice which doubts of all Covetousnesse a vice which wishes all Diffidence a vice which looks for nought Covetousnesse a vice which would scape nought It is Diffidence hath an evill heart It is Covetousnesse hath an evill eye The former vice offers violence to my Maker This latter to my neighbour Whilest the one makes me distrust God the other heart-eat my neighbours goods For my own part by Gods good assistance I am resolved upon it The Avowry to banish out of the coasts of my heart Diffidence Covetousinesse lest letting them ledger in my Isle I be taken for a common enemy to God and man 1. Diffidence is a vice we are to finde out and set a packing Diffidences Character as I am informed it s dieted at the Noblemans house of Samaria countenanced by all Israel it 's yet alive and hath made a march from Canaan to this our Kingdome So many as dare not relye on God so many have given it welcome this is a vice offers injuries to Gods velle and posse and makes a doubt of Gods willingnesse ablenesse to provide for us it is not only mans ill desert begot this diffidence but mans subordinate conceit of the worth of God is this sinfull vices sire This Diffidence makes the carnall wretch that he dare part with noughts for fear he want and willeth him to hold what he hath for no more is to be had This is Gods Embaser its owner under and the poors impoverisher a vice which makes the poor be sent away without it owner be out of all hopes of more and God accounted of as one not able to make me a man * of means Of all vices this is the most villanous which dispoyles God of his power the poor of our dole the distrustfull soul of all heavenly supply What a masse of mischief doth this one make me the God of heaven to withhold from me and my own heart to distrust of better How is my heart drowned with Diffidence and my God displeased while I want an heart to relie on him This is the vice which would perswade me my want is more than God hath to instore and will needs avouch the good God can do me no good The object of Diffidence is sometimes Gods mercy which it despairs of sometimes earthly means of which it puts us out of all hopes this is an enemy to all worldly felicity and my felicity in the world to come it makes me uncapable of Gods dole on earth and Gods glories in Heaven For my own part The Avowry by Gods good assistance I am resolved to part with him hinders me from having a part in Gods mercy glory and to set this vice a packing which perswades me to think my God will not hath not wherewith in this life to supply my needs Covetousnesses Character 2. Covetousnesse is the vice to which Ahab who was sick for Naboths vineyard and Judas who betrayed Jesus for 30. pence were partners this is one would have all he can lay his hands on and though he have much yet more
offered our neighbour God wronging man injuring the one by ungracious sinning the other by unjust dealing The neglect of religious duties ushers in trespasses against God the want of civillized morality makes me to trespasse man and whilest we trample underfoot the two great Commandements of the Law viz. Love God above all the greatest the second like to that thy neighbour like thy self we break a gap open by which we come to commit grievous trespasses against God and man In a word my inner man is a God trespasser my outward it is the man trespasser and as man is visible so the the trespasse against man is commonly discernible and as God is invisible so my trespasse against God more commonly is covert and this is that makes one so sore fret at the other we so little fear and yet here is but one name for two to note out sins nature that it is a trespasse aggravated for that against God which how insufferable is this soul trespassing God since a bodily wrong there is this adoe to make us put it up O! man it is the nature of him Note oft to offend his God and make it a matter of nought but if injured by his like to make it a matter of moment And so much as God must be ingaged to forgive all or he a trifle all his sinfull trespasses as he the terrene trespasse against him And thus I go on having done with the explication of the words * Trespasses and trespasse ambiguous To give you the Sense and meaning of this fifth Petition it 's this If a man would have his sins committed against God forgiven him he must not nick on the score the ill turns his neighbour doth him God will have us even on earth or else he will be at oddes with us in Heaven The truth is he will not be friends with us till we shake hands one with another my sinfull debt runs on to God and increases if the wrong my neighbour hath done me be not blotted out of my debt-book * Memory I will therefore forgive man The Avowry that I may be forgiven of God and release my just cause of grievance against my neighbour lest whilest I work my private spleen I procure Gods endlesse wrath He that for an halfpenny would have a broken head A review of the point in hand I had rather be master of his wealth than wit There are a sort as much overseen who say they care not what come of it they will be revenged they get costs and damage but soon may count their gains A miserable gains when the recovery of their damage divulges there 's a writ of enquiry sent exforo Coeli for God to be satisfied in strict point of justice for all their trespasses committed against him I will cresse out my debt-book The Avowry and tean in pieces my processe lest my toe strict calling to account every idle word and prosecuting frivolous suits in Law debar me of tho benefit of the Gospell I mean the forgivenesse of my sins Having sented the Sense let us go collect the points of Doctrine deducible from this fift petition The Division will direct us the readiest way to do this which prayes us for our furtherance in so good a work to take notice of these two 1. The materia or matter which we pray for it is Gods forgiving us our trespasses against him 2. The modus or manner to be forgiven as we forgive others that trespasse against us This is it we first pray for that God our Father would forgive us our trespasses 1. The party we supplicate is God the Father 2. The Delinquents or offenders craved forgivenesse for are us 3. That we would were forgiven us are by nature trespasses Which for Plurality are many Propriety ours Now few yet set fasts nor some mans but every mans as in speciall this mans so in common all mens And as all are interessed so all in too many too many are all our sins and trespasses But come let us cast a glance at him to whom we pray for forgivenesse of sins The party supplicated to forgive sins is God this leads us by the hand to see this for the truth of God That it is God can forgive us our sins and trespasses Doct. a plain Doctrine yet pleasant yet not more pleasant than prositable who hath this power if not God Christ would never have advised us to pray to God for forgivenesse if he could not have forgiven us He that made me so good when nought now I am nought no doubt can make me good And as when I had little God gave me much so now I owe much he it is can remitit to a little remission of sins is an article of my Creed Though the Papists have rased the second Commandement out of the * ten Cómandements Decalogue we are not very kinde but we 'l fall foully out if they offer like violence to this article of remission I will confesse the faith The Avowry and maintain this for truth that it is only God can forgive us our sins and trespasses As he so only he which what power then he hath left to the Church I will defer the decision of that so much quered I mean our absolution to a case of conscience * But the case could not gain an imprimatur The * Offenders delinquents craved forgivenesse for are us not us here but us all wheresoever whosoever This us is an universall and reaches from Dan to Beersheba It predicates of all people and proclaims every singular sould is a sinner you must not doubt of this Doct. since the Law hath concluded all under sin we are all such sinfull trespassers against God that if we come to be tryed by the law we shall be fore't to cry out to the * Christ judge for the benefit of our * Gospell book We read Gen. 5.6 that the imaginations of our hearts are continually evill and as after a stone be cast into a pond Simil. one bubble begets another and so circular bubbles till all be set with beastly bubbles so ever since that infernall originall sin was hurl'd by Adams hand into mans heart our hearts have risen up with bubbles of beastly vices and they have not left to spread till they have wholly overspread all this pond the heart Look as a fountain whose springs ever cast up an incessantly so it is with the heart its springs are opened will never be shut But what springs up waters of Mera * Evill thoughts brackish unsavory and unwholsom till heal'd by the Lord. You 'l scarce beleeve what a corrupt fountain is the heart of of man but turn to Mat. 15.19 there you may see what springs out of it Out of the heart cometh evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies Here are seven springs and not one wholesome one among them all here are
seven measures of seed i th' sprout yet all that comes up are tares sown by the envious man Here are seven sheaves ripened and fit to be inn'd and not one ear of good grain to be seen in any of them What degenerate ground is this heart of man how much brings it out and how little to be set by We are Gods husbandmen but alas how have we let lie * Unhusbanded uncultured this vineyard of the Lords Heart It 's not one but all of us have need with strong cries to beseech the Master of the vineyard not to lay it to our charge but forgive us our trespasses 3. Now I come to that we pray God to forgive us our trespasses he that hath as mean fight as the man Mark 8. who saw men as trees may see by trespasses are meant sins In two things our sins resemble trespasses that which I already have noted and again desire you to take notice of is this 1. That our sins are of the nature of trespasses for as unneighbourly trespasses sow dissension betwixt man and man so our sins betwixt God and us they are just cause of grievance and urge him to commence a sute against us in his court of justice 2. As he that trespasses his neighbour his neighbour may recover damage so our sins cast us in damage And it is no little amounting to more then all our goods to the losse of our lives to the first death death of body and without God be mercifull and remit to that second death death eternall a paslage would be well thought on which may make us admire how much our milde and mercifull God puts up at our hands we may say God is a good neighbour who bears so much with us and that earth hath no cause to complain of heavens hard neighbourhood I am resolved to take notice that so maity sins are so many trespasses committed against God The Avowry That so my notice taken of my sin may work a wonderfull amazement in me at Gods mercy I have diverse yet to go visit and I will on next in sight are a sort of our overnigh alliance even our trespasses 1. Which for plurality are many for trespasses 2. For propriety they are ours our trespasses and we own them First for plurality they are many what need I collect that so apparent and from the text Doct. It s many sins of which we are conscious would you make a privie search through soul survey life and conversation I might spare pains to bring in witnesse or would we Christians tread in the steps of Phoeylides the Heathen Hist who every night ere he went to bed recounted over thrice all the evill that day he had done O what a sort of all sorts of sins would be within sight as many might we spie as the hairs of our head sand on the shore stars in the firmament the misery of a man is he is a sinfull creature his greater misery is Mans greatest misery he takes on notice of his sins How hath the God of this world blinded the eye of our understanding Juglers make what not seem to be Satan what is as not to be that enemy which lives in our own house is the Devils fast friend our evill heart this labours to hide from us all our evill deeds If there be a wonder upon earth it is this The worlds wonder That man who is all sin sees no sin and as he that is drunk tell him of it he will scarce beleeve it Simil. but will walk out and vaunt and vault as if none such so is it with us all we are drunk but not with wine have swallowed with the Leviathan an Ocean of sin yet we walk and jet abroad as if not such sinners as God knowes we are I am in hast yet amresolved The Avowry to try my heart and search my reins yea to sift out my conversation and all to finde out those I am sure do harbour * In my heart here even a multiplicity of sins and tresyasses Judge how much should be our sorrow Vse since our sins so many let us go weep with Rachel let our weeping be like the weeping of Hadadrimmon in the vally of Megiddo we read how Mary wept much for she had sinned much and shall we sin much and sorrow little God forbid Let every sin cause us to shed a tear which if we did I am perswaded we might sail to heaven by a sea of tears what a shame then for our tears as yet not to have watered our cheeks pray to God those * Tears Ezek. 47. temple waters may rise and increase from the ankles to the knees from the knees to the loynes from the loins to be a river impassable Take my word for it there was never any went to heaven by dry land there is no way to heaven but by water It 's the water of tears through which we must sail which the deeper the lesse danger the faster they flow the more secure is the * The penitent sinner passenger from being run a ground on shelves and shallowes and sands I am resolved to fear a shallow The Avowry when not fea rt a deep and to think my self never more safe from being a cast away than when I have store of sea room of watry tears to steer in This for the plurality the propriety is the next in sight intimated in this word Our Forgive us our trespasses This * Our possessive protests sin is allied in full bloud to Adams brood It is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh it is a branch sprouts from us the bole a slip and we the knot a spread weed and our heart is the ground hath given it nutriment groweth faddoming The bark hath not nigher relation to the bole the sap to the heart of oake than our sins to us we are become one incorporated body of one name nation family nay more it s we are sins procreating parents and like none more then the viper Hist we bring them out which bring us to our deaths yet while there is the least life in us these our off-spring will not be shak't off they foot it after us as Cains dog did after him seem we to deny these to be our imps they will not be said but rame it out we are thy works and we will follow thee Vse This clamour of sinfull works after us may cause us to vail our top-sail not too much to stand upon our pantables If the fruit be bad the tree's not good bitter fruit a bitter root what we are would God we had hearts to consider For my own part I am resolved The Avowry as to beleeve what I may be ly grace so to remember what I am by nature yea to bear in minde the whole posterity of Adam are incorporated into evill The modus or manner is the last parcell in this petition
tanta sit voluptas quid si potiar in English if there be such pleasure in the thought will there not be more if the sin be bodily committed yea thou thy self knowest thou hast thus chopt Logick and framed this kinde of Syllogism which when it hath gotten the consent of seduced reason then our fleshly lust hath brought us to that haft that we want nought but opportunity to do all the evill bodily And thus I have led you on and let you see Lusts march through that Isle the Soul and in a mysterie how far our Lust leads us on to do evill 1. It turns our heart to it The Collect 2. Makes us like it 3. Then consent to it 4. Then dwell in that delight 5. Then stray from God and dote on it 6. Then in heart resolve upon it hofaciam I will do it Thus farre as saith S. James every man is led away by his own concupiscence and inticed to do evill A misery incident to all men living a misery from which in full we cannot be delivered during this life a misery none is morefearfull yet the least suspected a misery is the root of all bodily abominations A misery which let it reinforce us all to fall to prayer and pray to God not to lef sin reign in our mortall bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof Second Case of Conscience is this 2. Case to be rightly informed what counter-works had need be made to prevent lusts march through the heart of man at leastwise to prevent its march in full force I have counter-works in readinesse agianst each of lusts six daies march and first against turning the heart towards evill 1. Meditate a look back again may be a break fortune remember Lots wife 2. Meditate every turn from God towards sin is a turn face to hell and who that 's wise would part with so fair an object for so foul a fight 3. Mediatate every turn to sin is like a gap made in the vineyards fence like a close leak in a ship at sea which sinks the vessell soul suddenly 4. Meditate no sooner lookest thou back to sin but Devill steals into thy soul 5. Meditate Hist sin is like the * Aspedigorgon serpent bred in the Temple of Lucea which was the present death of him turn'd his eye to it Now by these meditations like so many strong works you may stop lusts first daies march I mean turning heart towards Sin But say this first daies march be made and lust rise up to make the second daies march I have counter-works to stop lusts second daies march through soul I mean preventions against liking sin 1. Meditate sin is the Beares birth shapelesse an ugly monster never of Gods making this will prevent liking it 2. Meditate the more thou fallest in love with earth the lesse God in heaven is loved O ye cannot love God serve God and Mammon know 't one Dalila is a damnable draw off from our duties of Christianity 3. Meditate it is sins sweet brings a smart and the end of these things is death 4. Meditate if I like sin I am in the minde that none is in that 's good God threw it out of heaven spurn'd it out of Paradise and shall I take pleasure in that my God is and that irreconcilably displeased with God forbid But say this second daies march be made and lust rise up to make the third daies march I have Counter-works to stop Lusts third daies march through the soul I mean preventions against consenting to evill 1 Meditate every consent is a stab and wounds to the heart 2. Meditate how thou of a freeman art made a bond and slave and led captive by consenting to thy lust 3. Meditate how Eve fared after she had consented she lost her Eden 4. Meditate consent makes conscious and before thou actuate the sin makes thee liable to the sentence of death and damnation But say this third daies march be made and lust rise up to make the fourth daies march I have Counter-works to stop lusts fourth daies march through soul I mean preventions against letting evill thoughts be welcome long into the heart which is the fashioning of sin in womb of the soul 1. Meditate when sins birth is thy death is thou givest sin a being and it deprives thee of being a Saint in Heaven 2. Meditate that which thou bearest in the womb of thy soul his name is Esau who for a messe of pottage will wave the heavenly inheritance 3. Meditate thou hast him in thy womb will root out thy name 4. Meditate the welcome into the world of this one will eat thee out of house and harbour leave thee not a bit of bread in the strength whereof to walk up to the heavenly Horeb. But say this fourth daies march be made and lust rise up to make the fist daies march I have counterworks to stop lusts fist daies march through soul I mean preventions against heart-wandring after sin 1. Meditate sin is that Ignis fatuus that flame sent from hell to lead the will and make thee lose the way to heaven 2. Meditate the longer thou padlest sins steps the further thou hast to thy journeys end I mean further off from heaven 3. Meditate white thy thoughts wander after sin thou art looking for one to be thy Butcher O was there ever madnesse like this for men to run upon their own death 4. Meditate the pursue of sin is the turn-back of grace and to goe back to Egypt is to turn back of Canaan But say lust hath had leave to make five dayes march through heart and by this mean made thee turn to evill The Col. like of it assent to it dwell upon the thought of it as also thy soul to gad and wander after the thought of thy sinne Know 't and to thy comfort I have yet counterworks to beat lust back and stop him from his sixt daies march in which if with-held he is neither absolute conqueror nor thou wholly overcome These counterworks are so many gracious preventions fortified with Canons of proof heavenly Meditations to beat lust back from hoc faciam resolving to act the evill 1. Meditate upon it thou art going down the lowest rung of damnation save one and that is doing the sin step one step further and thou art in an hell upon earth 2. Meditate how soul is evill already and as though there were not enough ill must I go make all worse misuse both soul and body and make them a den of theeves a cage for unclean birds 3. Meditate that the punishment first threatned was for bodily acting evill witnesse that Gen. 2.27 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death O how great a preservative would this be to keep us from doing evill bodily to consider it is that height of evill that duplicated sin of soul with body procures Gods heavie judgements For my own part
to all advantages and goes out like a * As if all over harnest a capo pe Curasier when as bare of Armour as the * Other Horsmen have on no harnesse Crabats who have on no harnesse This is the vice makes us trust too much to our strength and conceit we are able to conquer when not to keep it makes us adventure on once * Upon sin more and when it is past to presse on again and play a game at hazard for heaven and stake soul though sure to lose it This is the vice which swears we shall enjoy an everlasting inheritance though we want the * Faith and good works evidence and get in good time to heaven though we be running to hell the quite contrary way They say the knight of the Sun walks and vaults as if a Prince and mighty potentate when hath not so much money as to discharge the three penny ordinary And thus presumption carries a high sayle in a low winde and speaks in buffe when a begger makes shew of what not Being full cousin to the adverb Quasi may chance to look like a wise man that 's all is a fool whose fond head if we be led by it our whole bodies and souls will fare the worse for it This is it hath made me resolve upon it The Avowry to be earnest with my God to give me more grace than to be sway'd by this gracelesse one Presumption which fool if I follow in his folly sure I am to be led into Temptation The second Vice I am her forewarned of is Ignorance Ignorances Character This imp is the off-spring of the old world who were manying and giving in marriage being ignorant what would betide them till drowned in the floud Behold the sea-wreck is fast fested in our main Continent The blinde byard discerns not what commit and therefore considers not what to come That naturall to whom the Gospell is a riddle and the Law one of its light acquaintance This is the vice is a proficient in Temporals a dolt in Spirituals and the very vice which makes men merry when there is no cause for it hope well when at deaths door and doubt nought when nought but danger This is that one makes us mistake our master and to serve in stead of the true God the god of this world our bellies as if made to eat and end our backs as if true happinesse did consist in soft raiment Our lusts as if my mind to me a Kingdome it is this vice and none but this makes me take quid pro quo falshood for truth shadowes for substances and what now for all to come while I harbour this harlotary vice I cannot but commit the evill of sin yet this is the vice leaves me not so much wit as to dread the evill of punishment This is it hath made me resolve upon it * The Avowry to beg of God to bestow upon me saving knowledge able to expell out of my soul dammable Ignorance which if left in the heart behinde it is impossible to deliver us from Evill The Contemplation O how do I see in the Idea of my enlightned understanding how my standing guilty of sin petitions to have me punished Had this punishment been bodily sensen of pain my pains and griefs had been more senfible than they are Now as yet that my body scapes let me not conceit all 's exempt from punishment nor yet while God spares * The body part that part doth acquit the whole O poor soul shalt thou live in me and there be no more love in me to thee let me be sensible of a something goes beyond sense and bear it in mind there 's soul punishment as hereafcer in hell so here on earth There 's a net set Temptation and soul 's led into Temptation an evill one Sin and it 's to be feared soul will be delivered up to evill How is my soul catcht in * Actuall evill that tortured by * Temptation this it hath faln soul and fared full ill * Evill intrapt and stript My sin occasioned my insnaring and to go still on in sin that 's my judgement To be guilty of sin causes my summons still to run on This my punishment which the lesse man mindes the more is his misery and the sooner he suffers and suffers and doth it not astonish The world is grown carelesse of that we ought to have the greatest care Who is he doth care for souls ill fare we sin yet doe not dream to go on in sin is to go down to execution That we are sinfull men all grant This we pray against is falling again into sin The first fals out by natures fault that we are sinners The last fals out by Gods judgement That still we walk in the counsell of the ungodly When I consider of this me thinks I see How misetable is man by Adam How miserable his sin commit hath made him For Adams sin man 's to be arraigned for a felon For mans own sinfull works it is God who suffers man to be led into that strong hold Temptation and delivered up to evill Hels pains is the fruit of all sins * That is to be led into temptation This the effect of mans foregoing sin for which first Adam was to be blamed for which second my self and none else living nor yet doth God enforce man to sin but mans originall sin frees God for delivering man from actuall Evill O the thought of this strikes like a dagger to the heart and may make the best of us have bleeding souls and consciences To meditate on it God's not tyed to relieve us to deliver us when I know what already I am guilty of drawes down a doom to sin the sense of my bad deserts shall bring me every day to my knees and make me beg of God as for my self so for all our Lords leige people that he would not lead us into Temptation but deliver us from Evill The Reasons ANd now if you do well consider all the waies I was to walk thorow I nothing doubt but you will grant I have made as much hast as did the Israelites in their passage through the Red sea The Preface is past The third part of our Lords Prayer the Petitions perused the Reasons next suceed of which not much yet a few words with your leaves upon which give me leave to descant in short then discourse at large as it were first to run division after to end with plain song The last clause in the third * In earth as it is in heaven petition may so you please be read at end of every of the first three petitions And these three Reasons may likewise satisfie for that superplus And do as much service to every of these three last petitions And thus Christ * By in earth as it is in heaven before hath set us down a platform for
a parte ante so a parte post for ever to endure for long beyond all time are to last Gods Kingdome Power Glory Yea world without end Longer than all the Kingdomes upon Earth longer than Sun and Moon longer than the sons of men All these wax old as doth a garment and after these perish it 's these three which break out and bud afresh like Aarons Rod. And yet if there be ought on earth to resemble their ever being Being it is Man not man living to die but dying to live not this his corruptible life but his life everlasting We had a beginning shall never have an ending and this no end of ours is like theirs but their beginning is like to Gods who is without beginning O how long since they were how long yet to last O ever everlastingly Such a King such a Kingdome Ever everlasting Such a Lord and such his Power Ever everlasting Such a State and such his state of Glory its Glory Ever everlasting Let me not doubt to get if I goe to him who hath enough to give a Kingdome and for Ever Let me not fear forgivenesse but beg of him hath power to grant it Power for Ever Let me not be discomforted but still live in hopes of deliverance since he is my friend will rescue who stands upon his Honour and Glory and that for Ever The Divine Contemplation upon the first Reason For thine is the Kingdome Loe have I not hopes of a supply I beg a boon of the King I had not turned a suppliant but that he whom I invocate is owner of a Kingdome O God and my King give me what I beg since thou hast enough to bestow without diminishing thy store look not at me an unworthy begger but consider how much I want and how much thou haft thou canst give to none more poor I can crave of none hath more to give I pray the Father let thy wealth supply my want since all my want may easily be supplyed with thy wealth I have been the Prodigall I have spent my portion I have fed on husks I am now in a sad and sorrowfull estate O like a father whose bowels earn with compassion say to my soul Welcome my son my son I will own thee I will enrich thee thou hast spent me much I have yet much more more to give than thou canst spend there are treasures at my right hand for evermore O thou who ownest even all who art Lord Paramount of heaven and earth I commend all my needs to thy bounteous liberality thou wilt help for art mercifull thou canst help for hast and a Kingdome Dear Father since thou ownest so much make me master of a little of one poor mansion for thine is the Kingdome I have no nothing and canst thou deny me thou hast a Kingdome and wilt thou not give me O give me what I want since what I want thou hast and much more abundance be so good to me since there is enough for thee a magazine to supply my want and maintain thy train I have a strong saith to beleeve thou wilt my illuminate reason assures me thou canst now thy submiss son and servant is begging shut not up thy mercifull compassion For thine is the Kindome The Divine Contemplation upon the second Reason For thine is the Power What were it to own a Kingdome and want power to dispose of it I serve a Master hath enough and power enough he hath a Kingdome and all in it and all at his command Angels in heaven the hearts of Kings upon earth and the very Devils in hell I am now ready to sing a Gloria patri all glory honour and praise be given to him who sits upon the Throne who sits betwixt the Cherubims and clasps the heavens in his hands who dashes the heathen in pieces like a potters vessell who hath put a stand to the sea and his hook in the nosthrils of the Leviathan such a Prince is my Master and such a Master do I serve who can what he will O will what thou canst even the saving my soul in the great day of the Lord Jesus But I have many enemies the world about me the Devill beheath me the flesh within me all are combining my destruction many to one and that one a weakling lame with Jacob limping with Mephibosheth What shall I now go do shall I despair no against hope I will hope I will put my considence in the God of Israel and why for have faith to beleeve thine is the power to vanquish power to deliver power to exalt out of the dust dunghill to a crown of immortall glory O God and my King I will fight with beasts at Ephesus go out against great Goliah encounter the unclean spirit with seven worse than himself I am sure to be more than conqueror so I fight under thy Banner for thine is the power to subdue Hell death and the Devill Othou the preserver of men be thou my Lord Protector and I doe not fear the fury of all the furies of Og and Magog I aske nought without thy reach I crave nought more than thou canst give give me strength to fight thy battell ability to hold out in the day of Temptation then Lord will I not fear the Tempter since I am sure thou hast the sole power to support The Divine Contemplation upon the third Reason For thine is the Glory It 's an happy exchange when both parties fare the better canst thou give me nought but thou gettest by giving Lord supply thou my wants and take thou the honour of it I have nought to retaliate yet still I receive give me more of that I want Mercy and take what is due to thee thy Glory I am imboldned still to beg since my begging inhances the honour of thy name who will not give to gain give me what I want and the supply of my want shall be the Trumpet of thy praise It is my shame I am become so destitute of all good that I am supplyed by the Lord for it all glory be to the Lord. Thus our God casts his bread upon the waters not many daies after findes it we receive it in lumps of Mercy he findes it in a whole patch of Glory he gives what we need he receives what he stands no need of and thus he helps us poor despicable creatures and thus he heaps up a full measure of glory upon himself Ride on O Lord with thine honour be thou to us a God of compassion and inhaunce in the sight of the Heathen thy own Honour While thou doest good to man thou unmaskest thy Majesty among men Lord stretch out thy hand to do us good yea give us Grace and take thou the Glory A Divine Contemplation upon Ever I cannot see how this can be Thy Kingdome Power and Glory from all eternity I had a beginning in Time and therefore uncapable to conceivean Eternity before all Time O now that Reason
Amen the Son yet there 's a blush But take Amen for vox praeterea nihil wherein then lies the resemblance 1. God is Alpha and Omega This Amen is Omega for alwaies last 2. God comprehends all sic Amen omnia praedicta Amen comprehends all mens votes and supplicats 3. God undestands all Tongues and Languages and Amen it 's well known is no stranger to none of them 4. God is every where sic Amen in una quaque regione you may finde Amen in every nation 5. God is the very same yesterday to day and to morrow Et hoc verbum Amen semper idem ejus nomen nunquam amittitur and to shew it is no changeling it is set next secular seculorum Since this Amen blushes noble a personage The Avowry this shall make me ponder in minde ere I say with my tongue Amen In the next place Amens three significations maintain this Amen blushes the three persons Father Sonne Holy Ghost And first God the Father while by Amen is meant an oath it 's the sole decider of all in Earth so he in Heaven Secondly God the Son Amen is like him if not him Dum hoc verbum est veritas Thirdly God the Holy Ghost while as he so this Amen is signum the mark the seal seals all assuredly I will ever have in high esteem that prayer upon whose last word is imprint the Character of the ever blessed Trinity The Avowry And now if you chance to dislike the allusion dislike not my endevour which is to satisfie as some with common Cates so some with a novelty Bit you know ere cloth be taken away novelties are expected or never Let each take a morsell of the meat will best digest with him and not condemn the Cateror for that at cost with variety We see the dish set up upon the long board of your understanding cal'd Amen Let us all close up our stomachs with this Amen A very taste whereof hath put the people of God in minde of one God And God the Father Sonne Holy Ghost My vote for all Gods people shall be this His vote that while to their prayers end they have in their mouthes and bear in their mindes God so that God would be ever pleased to grant all their prayers put up unto him The third part of my method moves me to give you the compleat character of this one Amen Amens Character I mean its description in decurt short significant sentences Amen then as you have heard is an Hebrew by Nation a Laconian by Language and a traveller by nature hath talkt with sundry of sundry nations and when they have said all they can gives them it all over in a word This is hath marcht through all the provinces in the Christian world yet in the rear never in the front The Officer at armes who drawes up the broad Body into a little circle The son of Mars makes an end of all he is plac't the lowest yet is of greatest account for comprehends quic quid in buccam venit the last yet the first while from the first to the last all hangs dependency upon this one Amen This is the pacifier of the people which makes them of one minde the little map deciphers out their unanimous universall agreement the prosective glasse in which I see a fort gone farre before The notary bears in minde every petition put up Lo the repeater over of our prayers which bindes all us to bear in minde all said This Amen is a memento for man and a testis to God our remembrance of what spoke and the witnesse betwixt God and us we meant as we spoke this is he saies little yet saies much while gives us magnum in parvo much in a little a word of weight which if pondered weighs as heavie as the whole prayer Behold the nut is nought but kernell the fountain is sea-full and the ship is full fraught this is it fils and full the magazine mans understanding and hath to lay up a somewhat lest in the out-room memory Will must not be a wanting lest there be a want when search is made for what came aboard I will board the booty in this bottome The Avowry and desite my God to give me understanding to conceive and memory to bear in minde all lies hid in this howle Amen But come what is it lies here hid Sub tegmine Deus sub tegmine Christus as much Amen signifies God Christ Christ God himself saies I am the Amen If you end with God and Christ have nought to do with the Devill have you Christ in your mouthes keep then Satan out of your hearts Thou never with a good heart sayest this prayer but this last word shuts door upon the Devill Principium a Jove finis Jesu thou beginnest with the Father endest with the Son Without doubt the Spirit is thy guide and teaches thee to pray teaches thee thus to pray teachers thee * Pater noster this to say let me tell thee to have God in thy mouth the Son on thy tongue end makes probable proof the holy Ghost is in thy heart So on the other side to slight such a prayer which begins with our Father ends with the Son maketh it more than probable the Spirit of the Lord is departed from that suppliant take it for a maxime in Divinity he that wilfully refuses to say Christs Prayer is not inspired with christs Spirit Let me tell you I can see no other cause why any should lay aside our Lords Prayer unlesse unwilling to use the name God the Father at the first and God the Son at the end in their Rosary The Jewes were so fear'd to take Gods Name in vain that they used another word in stead it may be we have such a piour people who fear to sin if they should do what Christ bids them doe Say the Lords Prayer yet since Amen is in stead of Christ there is no excuse neither ever took I those men to be squeasie stomach who can strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel who make scruple to say Christs prayer yet stick not to rob Christs Church in one work who destroyed her Discipline defaced her Doctrine unhallowed her sacred Sacraments and doe to many of Gods Embassadors as Hanun did with Davids cut off their garments to the hams Beleeve me those who have such strong stomachs to the maintenance of the Ministry I never knew bear any good will to the Doctrine of the Church They will cry Amen sooner to the one then the other I will leave them and pray for them the Lord awake them out of that surreptitious sin Sacriledge And thus I passe on to the fourth part of my method which desires since the subject is short you would give me leave to extract an heavenly fancy from the letters in this last word of our Lords Prayer I know some will carp at it but for my own part I
Of all kinde of pictures Nebuchaanezars whose head was of gold armes of filver belly of brasse legs of iron feet of clay The Ferriman rowes one way looks another way It 's commendable in his sea-calling not in the calling of Christians Sodoms Apples were fair to the eye but being touch't turned to ashes O what a misery is this to seem to be and not to be Pageants please spectators eyes you have another to please even your Father which is in heaven who tries the heart and searches the reins I approve of a glorious profession let not that be all beware of hypocrisie a white Devill makes as fair shew and comes to the Church and as ost with a white apron as in a white surplice Either be what thou seemest to be orelse shew thy self in thy own colours Straight what crookt conversation conscience that without doors this within else the one will be odious to man both to God Bear 't in minde man judges of the heart by thy words and deeds and thou maist decived him God judges of thy words and actions by thy heart and him thou canst not deceive Though some of you amongst so many it 's to be feared some be akin to the Adverb Quasi as it were but such so zealous yet it 's my hopes there 's but a few such dossemblers among you I should be sorry there should be above one Judas in the house of Jesus A second meditation this Amen gives birthdome and I thus deduct it from it Amen which signifies Christ is as a so w as from everlasting so to last and everlastingly Parallel thy prayer with its Author yea sample the one by the other there is no end of him let there be no end of thine O pray continually Mane the verb gives us it in command Let us hold out our prayers as Joshua did his spear lift up our voice unto the Lord as Moses did his hand let the waters of Eloim be our prayers embleme ever overflowing let the continue motion of the Sun move us continually to move in the sphere of prayer Why should I not lengthen my devotion to God since Gods calling on me and so oft ere I would give heed assures me I shall not be heard for a word when I call on him God hath cal'd on us a thousand times and we would never hear him turn'd deaf ear to him and think we to have God at a whistle when we call Too much we take upon us too little we set by the Lord shall we be so coy Why then should he be so kinde He cals we care not and for a call is there cause for us to exact his audience Dust and ashes is too presumptuous to deny so oft to expect an answer and for no more Must we turn deaf ear to God and must God be bound to hear us for a word With the sweat of our browes we are to earn our bread And for a word and away think we to get bread of life of the Lord of life Away unworthy wretches let the septuplate sound of the Trumpets prompt us on to lift up our voice like a Trumpet to the Lord and aloud and oft The fearfull Hare for the safegard of her life makes many doubles doubra lesse there must be doubling of our Prayers to winde us our of danger of death and Death stand we not in awe of thee I fear not to die but to dye eternally which let my prayers increase as the waters did under the threshold of the Temple Ezek. 47. Then will I not doubt by this sea of deep sounding supplications to be ferried over and set a shore at the gates of New Jerusalem I come to a second Reason 2. Hold out your prayers since its importunity will prevail Have you not heard if one word will not a second onset may do it if not a second a third O! continuall droppings of supplications can cause Gods heart thou hast hardned against thee give again Gutta cavat lapidem the stone is hollowed with incessant drops the unjust judge is move with the importunity of the poor widow shee 's not heard at first cries again again neglected and again cries out upon the unrighteous judge whose ears so much she troubles for her cause he never weighs till all he begs he grants That the parable imports is importunity seldome gets a may say and if not with the unrighteous Judge much lesse with the Judge of heaven and earth This is it hath made me resolve upon it to fall to prayers again and if I gain not what I goe about not to let God rest at quiet till my suit be signed 3. This is Gods own counsell pray continually what shall his counsell be no command a shame so much should be injoyned and so little done here is a long task and a lazie genration some never laying their hands to this labour I mean praying in private neither with their private families nor in their private closets Some disdaining to joyne with us in Common-prayers I mean in the Church in publick What 's the cause Where 's the defect wherein smell they either of Heresie or Superstition would God any loved me so well they would tell me and where and wherein I am not so obstinate but I would give him hearing and thanks if he deserve it In time I may meet with such a Goliah but I trust I need not fear his weavers beam But as for those cry out of all printed prayers I cannot but cry out of them and tell them to their teeths while they cry out of superstition in many things they are too superstitious and in speciall while they imagine there 's no printed prayer meet to have an Amen but it made and extemporary I have heard of two sorts of prayers have been mightily discommended by a Sect suppose themselves none-such and I would be sorry to be such as they are Prayer in print for private use our printed prayers used in publick For the first what thinkest thou all have the gift of prayer There 's one spirit but divers gifts every one the Text plain it hath not all of them what then must he do wants the gift of expressing himself to God by prayer these humorous heads debar such poor souls from pen'd prayers and leave them in a worse case than the Philistims lest the Israelites without an instrument to whet their blunted goads and mattocks For the second Church prayers why relishest thou not a pew-prayer as well as a pulpit-prayer O! the ones in print but the other is pend and by the spirit I tell thee and note it an extemporary pulpit-prayer made by the Minister in respect of thee is a set form of prayer and my reason to prove it is this for that thy spirit is bound to say Amen to what he hath dictated And now since both are set forms in respect of the people this i th' pulpit that i th' pew why maist not thou say Amen