will humble us and make our request more zealous and mollifie him and make him more ready to grant them By his great mercy he will be moved to compassion to see us chained by night and sleep helpless and exposed to all mischiefs of soul and body and will send his grace to defend our souls and his Angels to guard our bodies that none of these perils shall hurt us And then our morning Praises must own it as an Act of great pitty How dare you suffer your eyes to sleep in the midst of such armies of Perils before you have besought him that never slumbers nor sleeâ—s to save you from them But if any be so confident it is not courage but desperate stupidity and inconsideration that makes him so daring The good man begs for Protection for this night and so again for the next and every time with a new Devotion having warmed his heart first with apprehensions of his own dangers and insufficiency to escape them § 7. For the love of thine only Son our Saviour Iesus Christ Amen Although with the Disciples we may be somewhat affraid when we enter into the cloud yet we must beware the darkness do not shut up the eye of our Faith by which we may behold him in whom God is well pleased when our bodily eyes are closed And if we discern him by Faith that very sight will make our darkness to be light For we may run to him and approach the Throne of Grace with him in our Armes The Molossian King was by law obliged to grant any Petition offered by one that brought his Son with him And the Kiâ—g of heaven cannot deny us when we most truly and humbly disclaim our own merits and beg his Protection for the love he bears to the holy Jesus who was the delight of his Soul from all eternity and yet â—e became one with us in his incarnation and made us one with him in our regeneration and we are the members of his body and the price of his bloud so that the Father loves us in and for him that have nothing attractive or lovely in our selves Again we intreat him to save us by all the love which Jesus bears unto us to whom we are neer as his own flesh deerer then his own life more esteemed then fallen Angels or a thousand worlds For his delight is with the Sons of men (z) Prov. 8.31 Wherefore we beseech our heavenly Father by that which will moove his bowels towards us by his own everlasting love to us and his affection to his only Son and by the inexpressible love of that his Son to us to give us a night comfortable and safe We are in darkness but our head is in a never ceasing light and he that gave him to redeem us from eternal darkness will not suffer us to perish in spiritual darkness nor leave us exposed to the mischiefs of one night that will so soon be over passed If our affections be as fervent as this argument is foâ—ceable 't is sure this Petition will not be denyed The Paraphrase of the third Collect for Aid against all Perils LEt the assurance of thy Providence the comforts of thy grace and the beams of thy favour Lighten our darkness and remove the discomfort of the approaching night we beseech thee to make in sweet and safe to us O Lord thou Father of lights and by thy great mercy behold and pitty the various miseries and mischiefs that we thy poor helpless Creatures are exposed unto That thou mayest preserve and defend us in our souls and bodies estate and friends from all perils and dangers which might befall us in any part of this night grant this dear Father not for our merits but for the love thou bearest to the person of the only Son and to us for his sake since he is our Saviour even Jesus Christ our Lord and our Redeemer Amen SECTION XVI Of the Collects for the King and the Royal Family The Analysis of the Prayer for the Kings Majesty This Prayer hath two general Parts 1. The Confession of the King of Heaven acknowledging 1. His great goodness O Lord our heavenly Father 2. His Supream Authority high and mighty King of Kings Lord of Lords the only ruler of Princes 3. His Universal Providence who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth 2. The Petitions for his Vicegerent on Earth requesting 1. A special Providence over him most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Soveraign Lord King CHARLES 2. All kinds of blessings â—or him 1. Spiritual 1. Grace aâ—d so replenish him with the grace of thy holy spirit that he may alwaies incline to thy will and walk in thy way 2. Gifts endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts 2. Temporal 1. Prosperity grant him in health and wealth long to live 2. Victory strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies 3. Eternal with the general motive and finally after this life he may attain everlasting joy and felicity through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Practical Discourse on the Prayer for the Kings Majesty § 1. O Lord our heavenly Father The Almighty and Eternal God is without dispute the King of Heaven and Earth and supream governor of all the world But since his throne is in Heaven he is pleased to constitute Princes his Deputies on the Earth which he hath given to the Children of men (a) Psal 115.16 Wherefore since by him Kings reign (b) Prov. 8.15 Nos judicium Dei suscipimus in Imperatoribus qui gentibus illos praefecit id in eis seimus esse quod Deus voluit ideoque salvum volumus esse quod Deus voluit Tertul Apol. c. 32. we submit to his appointment of them and revere his Majesty in them and to him we make our supplications for them who hath power to defend them as well as authority to create them And he must needs have a peculiar regard toward them and love to them because they are anointed by him to administer his rights among us This hath encouraged all Nations to pray for their Governors so universally as if it had been an agreement among all mankind To omit the Heathen sacrifices and Prayers for the Cities and Emperors we shall find two Psalms (c) Psal 20. Psal 72. which were used by the Jews as Forms of Prayer for the King and both by Gods command and the desire of the Princes of the Gentiles who then were rulers over that people supplications were made to God in their behalf (d) Ezra 6.10 Jerem. 29.7 by those Jews who were under their protection But to come nearer we Christians are most expresly commanded by God and his holy Apostle (e) 1 Tim. 2.1 2. In obsequio quotidiano pro regibus pro his qui in sublimitate positi sunt orandum est Chrys in 1 Tim. 2. Pro potestatibus seculi Tertul. Apol. Obsecramus
Deum pro tranquillitate mundi pro Regibus Cyril catech 5. Pro fidelissimis Deo dilectis Imperatoribus Liturg. Chris Memento Domine piissimi fidelissimi Imperatoris Basil in Liturg. to Pray for Kings and all in authority So that it was ever a part of the Churches Publique Devotions to intercede for the Emperours and Princes even while they were enemies to the Faith as all Antiquity doth evince Much more when the Powers of the world became Christian for then they named them in their offices with titles expressing the dearest affection and most honourable respect And surely since we meet in Publique to pray especially for Publique mercies there is not any temporal blessing that is of so universal concern as that we should have righteous and religious Kings guided by wise councels and living in prosperity and Peace For this as the Apostle himself observes (f) Illorum namque salus est nostra tranquilitas Theophil in 1 Tim. 2. Ostendit in nostrum lucrum cadere ipsorum incolumitatem Oecum in loc is every mans advantage The government of a Heathen or a Tyrant is better then Anarchy Change or Confusion And if the Preservation of such were advantageous to Christianity how much more then are we obliged to call upon our heavenly Father for the welfare of Christian Kings who are Fathers of their Country and nursing Fathers to the Church (g) Numb 11.12 Isai 49.23 who execute justice and defend Religion and do good to all quiet and peaceable men Therefore we here call God our heavenly Father to signify it will be a great demonstration of his love to us and Care of us if he please to preserve our Prince whom he hath set over us § 2. High and mighty King of Kings Lord of Lords the only Ruler of Princes We ought to beware that while we give Caesar his due we rob not God of his The splendour of Royal Majesty might be apt to dazle us and make us imagine it had no superior nor needed no supporter To prevent which the Church hath selected out of holy Writ those glorious Attributes of God which declare him to be higher then the Kings of the Earth (h) Psal 89.27 We see every head uncovered before mortal Princes and every knee bending to them which shews they are high in dignity but (i) Eccles 5.8 there is one higher then they who hath greater reverence paid him by Angels then these by their most dutiful subjects If Earthly Kings be judged mighty in Power because of their guards and revenues their forts and armies then who can estimate his power and might against whom such preparations are nothing since he speaks in thunder and can arm all the hosts of heaven nay the meanest creatures upon earth to destroy the highest and mightiest of the sons of men Yet if Kings and their people do confess with holy David that he is the most high and to be feared (k) Psal 47.2 his might shall be the support of their dignity and their power which is assuredly the wisest course for they can never be higher then when they submit to the most high nor stronger then when they trust in the Almighty He who is not only above them as being higher in dignity and greater in power but supream over them a King of Kings and Lord of Lords (l) Dan. 2.47 1 Tim. 6.15 who hath not only some petty Princes of a few Provinces his homagers which is all the greatest Empires in the world can boast of but all mortal Princes are his Vice-gerents since he hath and ever had the absolute disposâ—l of all the Kingdoms upon Earth setting up one and pulling down another as it pleaseth him It may be accounted di honour to a Prince to crave aid of his equal but let not the greatest Monarch blush to bend his knee to the supream Majesty of Heaven whose Vassals and Homagers are all the Governors of this lower world who wear their Crowns by his donation and must resign them at his command How can Kings or Subjects want relief that humbly and earnestly sue to this blessed only Potentate the King of Kings If we that are by the supream disposer of all things placed under Authority want any thing in or for our Governors let us apply our selves to him who is the only Ruler of Princes and hath the hearts of Kings in his hands (m) Prov. 21.1 he can persuade convince and turn them when they will not take advice from their inferiors And he only is the judge of their actions since they are his servants and substitutes to their own master they must stand or fall and are only accountable at his tribunal (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xiphilin Vide Psal 51.4 Neque enim ullis ad poenam vocantur legibus tuti imperii potestate homini ergo non peccavit cui non tenebatur obnoxius Ambros de loc Nulla creatura judicat regem sed solus Deus ss b. Pirk. Aboth And therefore we have so much the more need to pray for them to their great Lord that he would direct them to do well and to execute justice and guide them who are to rule us that this their mighty power may be our safety and our peace for if it should be otherwise which God forbid we neither will nor can oppose them having no other arms against our Prince but prayers and tears (o) Lachrimae meae arma mea sunt aliter nec debeo nec possum resistere Ambros Orat. in Auxent l. 5. But why should we doubt since we Pray to him that can over-rule the greatest Kings and will not suffer this unless it be as a just punishment to our iniquities Finally let all this create in every soul most honourable opinions of this great God and fill every heart with reverence that is before him when we see our dread Soveraign and all the mighty Monarchs of the Christian world doing obeisance to his footstool and laying down their Crowns at his feet acknowledging they received their dominions from him and hold them by his favour and declaring they trust not in the multitude of their people strength of their Cities nor prudence of their Counsels but though they have Armies and Navies terrible and numerous and Revenues unaccountable they come to the Throne of our God to Petition for his help And all their faithful subjects attend on them and joyn with them who then would not fear before him and trust in him express all possible lowliness in his presence and give him all imaginable glory who liveth and reigneth over all from the beginning and shall do so for ever and ever § 3. Who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth It is an infallible maxime that the less is alwaies blessed of the greater (p) Heb. 7.7 Wherefore being to beg a blessing from the King of Heaven for the Rulers of this World we must first acknowledge
high did thus descend to Earth it was to be hoped men would shake off their sloth and since he sent them so fair a notice that they would not be surprised in their carelesness but appear in an Equipage suiting the greatness of his Majesty the dearness of his love and the excellency of his design (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo de Cher. that was to come And this made the good man rejoyce hoping when they saw their danger and were shewed their Redeemer they would fly into his arms for remission and grace and if they did so he is glad for their advantage However he praises God for his mercy since he hath done his part And we have still the same cause of rejoycing for that which was then done by an Agent extraordinary is now performed by the Ministers and Ambassadors of Chriâ—t and by the Gospel you have now heard which being ever resident among us prepare a lodging for Jesus in your hearts when he comes in the Spirit to offer his grace to you Thus he is set before you not to be gazed at but to be entertained And if you upon the warning prepare for him by Repentance you shall also have Remission and then you may with Zachary bless God for the knowledge of Salvation that the Gospel gives unto you And that the exhortations of Ministers and summons of Gods word may not be as ineffectual to us as those of this great Prophet were to the Jews consider the first cause of all this Mercy both of Gods sending his son to us and giving us so many warnings to receive him It was the bowels of Gods tender mercies (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulg. Viscera Misericordiae viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affectus Matris erga foetum è Visceribus suis prodeuntem Jerem. 31.20 which yearned to behold us in the hands and under the sword of the merciless executioner and moved him to send his son to rescue us by suffering the stroke for us It was not our merits but our misery not our deserts but distress that prevailed with him we were worthy to dye yet his heart relented and he could not see us bleed and shall we be unmoved to behold him bleed for us and will we dye for all this we were indeed in darkness and could not see our danger and if we had fallen into the pit then it had been our calamity but now the morning appears John teaches Ministers Preach and Christ himself the Sun of Righteousness (c) Malach. 4.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut LXX Jerem. 23.5 Zachar. 3.9 malè Bez. germen conser ver 79. Jesai 9.2 Camer Grotius Christus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur à Patribus Judaei horoscopum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocare solent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.2 Syr. vert 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scaliger began to spring from the East then and now if we perish 't is our willfulness and deserves no pitty Oh what hath God done to shew us the right way sending first the morning Star the Harbinger of the Suns approach (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. and when the Heathens were benighted in Idolatry the Jews with evil principles worse practises and sad afflictions then did our Sun display his Beams from on high for he rose not from the Earth but his rising was his fall his course a descent from Heaven to us and if Zachary is so rejoyced with the glimpses we should much more with the Meridian glory he now shines in Let us not only rejoyce in his light for a season but walk by it and if we be in darkness it will shew us our Condition and then guide us into the right way this light will first Convert us and then conduct us The Apostle thought it was high time to awake then (e) Rom. 13.11 12. and sure it is more so now for if in the light of knowledge in the day we do the works of darkness that very light which we refuse to direct us as a guide shall discover us to our shame But take warning and let not this light be set up in vain who would not most thankfully follow a friendly light offered to him in an unknown dark and dangerous way The Devil will lead you up and down after the Ignis fatuus of Enthusiasm and your own imagination till you sink into destruction but this Gospel is a true light be thankful for it for its precepts are tâ—e Beams of the Sun of Righteousness and do not only admire but follow it and it will not only shew you where you are but carry you where you should be even to everlasting joy and peace Amen The Paraphrase of the Benedictus PRaised and Blessed be the Lord of hosts the God of Israel even of all true believers for he hath shewed us in holy Gospel how he remembred our misery beheld our distress and in pitty sent his son from heaven who hath visited in his Incarnation and redeemed by his death us and all his people throughout the world He hath relieved us when we had no means of help and hath raised up the greatest deliverer that ever was to be a mighty Salvation for us even his Eternal and only Son made man descending as was promised of the tribe of Judah to succeed in the house and restore the Kingdome of his servant David and make it an everlasting Dominion Hereby our God hath not only helped us but manifested his own truth for now he hath make good his Word and done as he spake by his Spirit in the mouth of all his messengers the holy Prophets which have been sent to give notice of this great mercy at sundry times since the world began It rejoyceth our souls to see the fulfilling of that which they so often comforted Gods people with by assuring them that we and they should be delivered by an invincible Redeemer from our enemies Sin and Sathan and nobly rescued from the hands and out of the Power of those that had enslaved us and of all that hate us and seek our ruine This is the blessed time in which the God of truth was pleased to perform the glorious work of our Redemption which was the mercy so much desired by and so graciously promised to our forefathers now he hath vouchsafed to call to mind and to remember the engagements he made to them in his holy Covenant and made them good before our eyes Our gracious Lord is as sure to perform his word as he was ready to promise and we now rejoyce in the verification of the Oath which he unchangeably sware to our forefather Abraham to assure him that he would give us who are his seed by faith his own dear Son for our Redeemer And now what doth the Lord our God require in return for all his mercy and truth but that we being delivered by the death of Jesus from the wrath of God and rescued out of
us that the constant opposition of the Popes to the Emperors had occasioned it to pass for a Proverb proprium est Ecclesiae edisse Caesares that it was natural to the Church to hate the Emperor Which how justly it is said of the Roman Church the world knows But 't is sure nothing is more contrary to the principles and practise of this our Church who may rejoyce and glory in her fervent love of her gracious King her devout prayers for him and her constant loyalty to him and his Royal Progenitors So that I hope it may be more justly said that it is natural to the true Sons of the Church of England to love the King Whoever loves the peace of the Church doth heartily pray for the flourishing of the Crown because they live and grow together and he that is a friend to one cannot be a foe to the other His friends are our friends and his enemies our enemies For whoever attempts to smite the Shepheard (n) Si quis ovem jugulat gregem imminuit at qui pastorem tolà t omnes dissipat Chrys in 1 Tim. 2. seeks to destroy the flock and he is a mortal foe to the whole nation (o) In reos majestatis publicos hostes omnis homo miles est Tertul. I know nothing so common with rebels and usurpers as to pretend love to those they would stir up against their lawful Prince but it appeares to be ambition and covetousness in the later end and such persons design to rise by the fall of many thousands Or it Religion should be the ground of the quarrel besides our late sad experience Reason will tell us that War and faction injustice and cruelty can never lodge in those brests where that pure and peaceable quality doth dwell If it be a forreign Prince that opposeth our King he is a Robber and unjust to invade his neighbours rights if he be a Subject who riseth against his Soveraign he hath renounced Christianity with his allegiance and is to be esteemed a troubler of our Israel (p) Nisi falior Vsurpator bellum infert Imperator jus suum tuetur Ambr. Therefore whosoever they be that are enemies to the King or whatsoever the pretence be we wish they may never prosper in that black impiety of unjust invasion or unchristian rebellion And how exactly our fidelity and our devotions in this agree with the rites and manners of the first and best Christians may appear to any discerning person (q) Pro pâ—â—ssimo à Deo conservando Imp. nostro oâ— nique palatio exercitat ejus prâ— quo pugnare Dominum Deum nostrum dignetur subjicere sub pedibus ejus omnem hostem hellatorem Liturg. S. Basil ita ferè Lit. Chrys Exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum Tertul. Apol. c. 30. ut subjectas habeant gentes ut amotâ perturbatione seditionis succedat laetitia Ambr. in 1 Tim. 2. We know the Emperors when Heathens and afterwards obtained many and great Victories by the Christians prayers for which cause one of the Legions (r) Euseb Eccles hist l. 5. c. 5. was sirnamed the thundering Legion and let us pray in hope our prayers shall not be less effectual for a Prince of the right Faith that so the enemies of his soul and of his life the enemies of his Crown and dignity may either be converted or discovered defeated and deservedly punished and then we may live in love and peace and give the glory of our safety to him who strengthens the hands and hearts of all faithful subjects and gives the Victory to his Anointed § 9. And finally after this life that he may attain everlasting joy and felicity through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Having now wished our Prince all the happiness which this world is capable of we must remember he is mortal and though never so dear to us he must be taken from us His health must end in sickness his wealth in a Sepulchre his life and his glories here must have an end For he that conquers all other enemies must add to the number of deaths trophies and fall under the hand of the last enemy Wherefore we do most heartily pray that an earthly and transient prosperity may not be all his portion but that he may so please God in the Administration of this temporal Authority that when all these things cease he may be admitted to that never ceasing felicity of Heaven to reign in a glorious eternity crowned with that Crown of life which fadeth not away which doth so infinitely transcend all that an earthly Diadem can afford that the greatest Monarchs have renounced th ir Crowns and Scepters and all the pleasures and magnificence of their Courts and sought after it in the retirements of a poor obscurity accounting it a blessed exchâ—nge to part with Earth for Heaven Temporals for Eternals There is now nothing further in this world we can desire and therefore we pray that our dear Soveraign may never be so deceived with the glories of this golden Crown as to forget much less neglect or despise to seek for that glorious Crown which is richer sweeter and safer a thousand times but that he may be happy both in this world and the next through Jesus Christ who is the blessed and only potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords by his merits alone those whose swords can cut them a passage to an earthly throne must be admitted to reign in glory and he must intercede for those to whom the world make their Petitions they who by their interest and power can have or do any thing here must be there accepted through Jesus Christ as well as the meanest of their Subjects Wherefore in his name we ask and by his mediation we hope to obtain that our beloved Prince may be prosperous and holy wise and couragious that he may have a healthful body a pious Soul a quiet mind faithful counsellors loyal Subjects conquering armies a long life abounding with riches and honour and at the end of these transient glories a never ceasing joy in the Kingdom of heaven and let every good Subject and good Christian whoever loves the Church and respects his Country say Amen Let us pray thus and live thus to the honour of God the establishment of Religion and the welfare of both King and people Amen The Paraphrase of the Prayer for the Kings Majesty O Lord our heavenly Father who art most high in dignity and mighty in power To whom should we pray for our earthly Governours but to thee the Supreme King of Kings and the absolute Lord of Lords from whom they derive their authority and to whom alone they are accountable since thou art the only Ruler of the hearts and examiner of the actions of Princes we acknowledg thee the King of all the world who dost from the highest heaven thy throne by â—hy all-sufficient providence take care of and with thy
esteem it while it promotes your Imitation of so excellent a Patern I shall add no more but to beg my Imperfections may take Sanctuary in the integrity of my Purposes which have armed me against all Detractions because my Aim is the Glory of God the encrease of Piety and the Peace of this Church for the obtaining whereof the Prayers as well as the Patronage of your Lordship are most earnestly requested by My Lord Your Honours most obliged and Most faithful Servant Thomas Comber THE PREFACE THere are two principal ends of the Worship of God The glory of him that is Worshiped and the benefit of the Worshipers And these two are so inseperably united that St. Augustine (a) Credendum est totum quod recte colitur Deus homini prodesse non Deo Aug. Civ Dei l. 10. cap. 5. reduceth both to one assuring us that all the advantage accrues to us But whether we look on them single or conjoyned no part of Divine Worship doth so much express and advance Gods glory nor so directly tend to Mans good as Publique Prayer in which we make the most universal solemn acknowledgments of our Obligations unto and Dependence upon the Supreme Lord of all the World and by which all the servants of God in all times places and circumstances do with one heart and voice by common consent (b) Publica est nobis COMMUNIS ORATIO quando oramus non pro uno sed pro toto populo oramus quia totus populus unum sumus Cyprian reveal their wants and obtain supplies for them So that we may call this the Life and Soul of Religion the Anima Mundi that universal Soul which quickens unites and moves the whole Christian World Nor is the case of a private Man more desperate when he breaths no more in secret Prayer then the condition of a Church is where Publique Devotions cease St. Hierome out of Hippolitus puts the cessation of Liturgie (c) Hieron Com. in Dan. as a principal sign of the coming of Antichrist And nothing more clearly shews a profane generation (d) Gen. 4.26 Chal. Par. Tunc profani fuerunt homines ut non Orarent in nomine Domini edit Ven. the very title of wicked men in Scripture (e) Psal 14.4 53.4 being that they call not upon God 'T is well if any of us can excuse our selves but the general neglect of daily Prayers (f) In the Rubrick before the Morning Prayer by Ministers who are both desirous and bound to perform them doth too sadly testify they are tired out with the peoples constant absence and all together witnesseth an Universal decay of true Piety Perhaps the dishonour that is cast upon God and Religion while there is no apparent testimonies that they value either will not move these disregarders and neglecters since they live so that a Stranger could not imagine they had any God at all But I hope they have yet so much Charity for themselves that it may startle them to consider what mischiefs are hereby brought upon themselves and others Wherefore let them ask the cause of all that Atheism and Prophaneness Luxury and Oppression Lying and Deceiving Malice and Bitterness that is broke in upon us to the torment and disquiet of the whole World Let them ask why they plague others with their sins and others requite them again and it will appear that all this is come upon us because we forget God and Heaven Death and Judgment which daily prayers would mind us of Our Souls are fixed to the Earth because we lift them not up to Heaven We have neither grace to do good nor resist Sin because we never ask it and we can have as little hopes of Glory as we have signs of grace because we do not prepare for it But if these evils be too thin and spiritual let it be enquired whence our National and personal calamities proceed Epidemical diseases Warrs and pestilences Whence comes the Multiplication of Heresies the prevalency and pride of the Enemies of the true Religion The Jews will tell you Jacob's Voice in the Synagogue (g) Omni tempore quo Jacobi vox est in synagogis non sunt ibi manus Esau Prov. Rab. lib. Musar keeps off Esau's hands from the People We have disrespected and slighted God and his VVorship and he may justly put us out of his Protection who do not duly pay our homage to him and go away (h) Si Deus s b. synagogam intrat nemo inventus est abiit iratus ut Isai 50.2 Buxtorf syn ex Rh. displeased and then we lye open to all evil when our defence is departed from us and they that provoke him so to do are enemies to themsâ—â—â—â— and to the Church and state where they live indeed the worst Neighbours (i) Quisquis incolit civitatem in quâ extat synagoga et eam tecum non adiit is est Vicinus malus R. Nath. de latr But notwithstanding all this while all sober and devout Men lament this Epidemical iniquity and groan under the sad effects thereof passionately wishing a speedy remedy the Offenders grow bold by their numbers and hardened by this evil custome till they now despise a reproof and deny this Negligence to be a sin because they have no mind to amend it But these are of two kinds 1. Those that make their business their Apology and suppose it is unreasonable to expect them every Day at Common Prayer and judge it sufficient to say they cannot come 2. Those which have learned to despise or hate the Prayers of the Church and to scorn that which their Fore-fathers generally better then they did heartily serve God by and yet these account it their Virtue to abstain from them and having sufficiently undervalued these Devotions stampt by Publick Authority they imagine they may say innocently enough they wil not come But if to disparage our Rule did take off our Obligation to walk by it Scorners then were the least of sinners But neither the excuses of the one can cover his Covetousness and Irreligion nor the confidence of the other shelter his Pride at the last and dreadful day So that I suppose it may be a friendly office and will be so accepted to warn all such of the unsafe grounds they relye upon to prove their innocency in forbearing Publique Prayers And this I shall do by representing with all Moderation 1. The reasonableness of our being present at Daily Prayers to those who say they cannot 2. The Excellency of the Liturgie to those who say they will not come And this I am obliged to do to smooth the way to the Temple for in vain do we shew how men may be devout there if they excuse or deny Coming thither And we must not so confine our Charity to these within the walls as to forget those without We love the one best but we must pitty the other also and endeavour to
wherein the Messias and our Saviour of the world was to set up a spiritual kingdome in the hearts of men it was necessary for all that desired to become his subjects to renounce those lusts to which they had been enslaved and to prepare his way by repentance or else they must remain slaves still and this reason urgeth us now as strongly as ever because our Lord Jesus doth every day now by his Word and Embassadours proclaim liberty to us and offers to become our King but in most of our hearts sin hath usurped his throne and therefore we must first exclude that and if we repent not it seems we love the slavery of Sathan better then the liberty of the Sons of God and do declare we will not have Christ to reign over us and though he may for a while connive at this affront yet remember there is another kingdome of heaven at hand even the kingdome of glory wherein all that shall then have rejected Christ for their King shall be utterly destroyed (p) Luke 19.27 and condemned to unspeakable and endless torments And this ought to fill such lazy persons with fear because for any thing they know the end of all is near at hand however 't is secret that you might not delay and will be sudden when it doth come and if it surprize us we can never repent more and if this world should last 10000 years more it is nothing to us for this kingdome of heaven begins with us when we leave this world and therefore who knows how near the kingdome of heaven may be Matth. 3.3 I see you have committed many sins and do still go on in them and so are neither fit for that grace which is offered you here nor to appear in that judgment which must pass upon you hereafter Wherefore I charge you all repent ye of all your wickednesses and confess them seriously and forsake them speediâ—y for the kingdome of Jesus Christ the eternal Son of the God of heaven is now to be set up in the hearts of all true penitents and for others their death is not 〈◊〉 off and the kingdome of glory is at hand and wiâ—â— surprize them in their trifâ—ing intentions to their utter ruine A Meditation preparatory to Prayer for the quickening of such as neglect repentance IT had been well for my soul if all this while my safety had been equal to my confidence for none ever thought themselves more secure though there was no other ground for it but only because I was resolved not to take the pains to behold my danger I have multiplied my transgressions and lived in sins unamended yea unrepented of and therefore have had the drawn sword of the divine vengeance hanging over my guilty head by the slender thred of my uncertain life which every thing can snap asunder and I have seemed wilfully to shut my eyes chusing rather to feel it and the eternal smart of it then to behold this dreadful sight which would long since have terrified me into amendment and snatched me from under the approaching ruine what prodigious folly hath seized on me what stupid laziness hath benummed me are the pains of escaping greater then the pains of suffering or will the blow be lighter because I resolve neither to see it nor avoid it awake my soul awake while there is a possibility to prevent thy ruine thy sins are so numerous and so hainous that thou canst be ignorant of them the threatnings of Gods wrath are so plain and so positive that thou mayst see they aim at thee thy conscience cryes so loud that thou canst not but hear it and Gods holy spirit pleads so powerfully that thou must take as much pains to exclude these friends as would serve to turn out thy enemies Surely God gave me not wit and understanding to invent a plausible cover for the eyes of my conscience or to contrive bulworks of excuses to intrench my sins in safety and yet I unhappy wretch have been ingenious in nothing so much as in plotting the ruine of my soul and designing to perish undisturbed Behold and blush where holy David lyes covered with shame drowned in tears and overwhelmed with sorrow not able through sear and terror to take his eye of that one offence whilst thou a far greater sinner art careless and unconcerned He sets his before his own face and God throws them behind his back but I who cast them behind me and strive to bury them in oblivion and inconsideration shall have them set before my face when the sight of them cannot conduce to the obtaining of my pardon but the aggravating my eternal misery the sight of them indeed is most unpleasant the object odious and ungrateful but the benefit will abundantly recompence the trouble and if I behold them now so as to repent of them I shall see them no more for ever I will imitate therefore this holy man and ever view the guilt and the danger of them that I may humbly confess them and obtain a pardon for them my wretched heart hath taken pleasure in committing them and it shall have vexation in reflecting on them for I will not take my eyes off from them till the horrid aspect of my grievous iniquities have humbled my soul for them and turned my heart against them The blessed Jesus that sees the hearts and knows the necessities of all hath given a universal command of repentance to all men which yet methinks seems peculiarly directed to me who have neglected this necessary duty hitherto Thou oh Lord seest my danger and pittieth my approaching ruine I bow my head and heart and neither dare nor can disobey so gracious and loving advice so useful and necessary a warning Thy bare word had been sufficient to command obedience from those who expect salvation by thee but thou art pleased farther to convince me I do believe dear Jesus the benefit is great if I shall turn now while thy grace is so freely offered to all people I know the danger is dreadful if I defer any longer since 't is certain thy Kingdome shall come but uncertain how soon either death shall arrest me or judgment surprize me in such delayes I have cause to bless thee that neither of these have happened yet since I have so justly provoked thee by excluding so gracious a King out of my heart rather then I would be at the trouble of preparing for thee yet Lord thou callest still and now I am making what haste I can oh remember not how long I have stayed but consider how little time I have left and by the help of thy grace make my work short and easie proportionable to my time and strength I confess I knew before but I never considered till now and now I dare not stay but through thy help now I come oh do not cast me off for thy mercies sake Amen § VII Lastly If any by dayly use of these offices begin to grow
3.8 So that being compassed with so much guilt and finding no help on Earth it becomes the Soul in this fear with Jehosophat 2 Chron. 20.12 to fly to heaven and say I have no might O God against this great Multitude of transgressions that is set in array against me neither know I what to do but my eyes are upon thee my onely refuge and last hope and unless I find health and help in thee I must inevitably Perish But Lord do not cast me off but have mercy c. But although this sense be very genuine we may take the freedome for the inlarging our thoughts and assisting our Devotions to pursue the Metaphor and explaine it in that manner as a generall inference c. § 8. But thou O Lord have mercy upon us miserable sinners When we have thus discovered our deplorable condition we must not run away from God by the entertainment of despairing thoughts both because it is impossible to escape him (q) Non est quo fugias à Deo irato nisi ad Deum placatum August in Psal 7. and by attempting to fly from God we run into the evils we fear and hasten from him that alone can help us to what we desire and need Let us come therefore but not with the Pharisees I thank thee (r) Luke 18.11 but with the Publicans Lord be merciful as the Church from his Example hath taught us And when we are before him let us not ask any favours till we have begged a removal of the evils which are upon us viz. The guilt the punishment and the dominion of sin which are here so contrived into three Petitions that every one is joyned with a Motive to enforce it so that our Misery pleads for Mercy our free Confession cries for a removal of the Punishment and our hearty Reformation begs deliverance from all our contracted Indispositions The first thing in our view is our present Misery which is so plain we cannot over look it and so great we cannot but feel it and we are taught to beseech our God to look upon it for Misery is the proper object of Mercy (s) Misericordia est alienae miseriae quaedam in nostro corde compassio qua utique si possumus subvenire compellimur August Civ Dei l. 9. c. 5. That benigne Attribute is ever looking upon the Creatures present sufferings without reflecting on the deserts of the sufferer and is moved with the sight of a distressed Person whatever be the cause of his calamity Therefore when nothing else in God can give any comfort to a poor sinking sinner that knows he is not more miserable then he hath made himself by his wickedness then he can lay hold of this The Publican that dares not look up to heaven can yet say Miserere and as Mercy is the sinners chiefest comfort so it is that Attribute that moves God to forgive and pardon (t) Rom. 11.32 Hebr. 8.12 Psalm 51.1 2. so that to beg for mercy and desire forgiveness are all one as in that eminent Penitential Psalm David begins with Have mercy on me and immediately explains it by the removing his offences in like manner here we pray for pardon in our Have mercy on us because Mercy is the Almoner to distribute this principal act of Divine bounty and grants out all pardons It is not from any desert in us but a meer compassion of our distress and a pure act of Free grace that disposeth God to take away sin * Isai 43.25 We have no friend in the Court of Heaven to obtain it but Mercy and no Argument to plead for it but Misery if we come with We have prayed fasted waited (u) Isai 58.3 we seem to apply our selves to Gods Justice But he that from a heart secretly groaning under the apprehensions of its distress cries out for Mercy because he is Miserable he shall pierce Mercies ears and cause her to open her compassionate eyes to see and stretch out her gracious hand to help and if she be thy Advocate she will cause the bowels of the Almighty to yearn upon thee (x) Jerem. 31.20 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vide 1 Reg. 3.26 prop. viscera matris vel iâ—volnera quibus foetus in utero continetur at saepe pro misericordid Dei with the same affection that the tender Mother did when she heard the cryes of her poor sprawling infant under the merciless sword of the bloody executioner But then you must be sure first to view your sin and danger fully that you may be fully convinced of your Misery and cry in a pungent sense thereof most earnestly Lord have Mercy for otherwise this will be a feigned cry and an intolerable abuse of this sweet Attribute what can provoke God more then for a man to call Mercy forth which is ready enough to come and then through impenitence or laziness or not discerning our need of it to send it back empty alas such are more miserable because they see not their misery (y) Nihil est miserius misero non miserante seipsum and they are never like to be delivered from that misery because by these feigned calls they have so often mocked God and affronted this their only friend that if at last they call in earnest when Death is before their eyes Mercy then will not come § XI Spare thou them O God that confess their faults The elder brother that knew the fidelity and constancy of his service expects a large reward but the poor Prodigal that was conscious of his offences will esteem it a high favour to escape a severe Chastisement and utter exclusion from his Fathers house and presence they that are not sensible of their guilt fear not punishment and esteem a deliverance scarce worth the asking But he that considers the multitude of his own offences and Gods abhorrency of them and remembers the terrors of his threatnings and strictness of his justice the fierceness of his anger when he begins and the impossibility of avoiding that stroke which no place can hide him from (z) Josh 8.20 Non erat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in eis Manus ad pugnandum vel pedes ad fugiendum RR. LXX Vulg. Masius Nen erat iis locus ut Deut. 2.37 C. P. J. nostr Vers Non erant in eis vires ita Drus no hands resist no feet fly from nor no strength endure To this poor soul Gods pity is desirable and it is accounted a great mercy he hath not yet felt the weight of Gods wrath such an one begs earnestly he never may feel it or however not sink eternally under it he can pray as heartily before the stroke come as otheâ—s when the smart extorts it from them When the Israelites heard the cry of Egypt and saw the slaughter of so many first born (a) Exod 12.13 Fagius in locum they then thought it a mercy not to be slain worthy the celebrating with
his promise but for the confirmation of our Faith and as a condescention to our infirmity Indeed all Gods words are most true but not many have an Oath annexed as this hath which he that will not have us swear but upon weighty Occasions would not have added but because the belief of this is the Foundation of all Religion since no man can begin to seek to God till he believe he delights in Mercy (k) Heb. 11.6 and is willing to receive those that turn to him wherefore let us not doubt so great and necessary a truth confirmed with his Oath (l) O beatos nos quorum causa Deus jurat O miserrimos si nec Deo juranti credimus Tert. de poenit who assures us he wills not the death of a sinner (m) LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vatab. num desidero aut volo with his Will nor desires it as we do those things we have pleasure in but is even forced to it against his inclination Which gracious nature of God is here set before the sinners eyes to discover what probability there is for his granting out such a Commission because he that desireth not the death of such will not withold Mercy nay he will by the offer of a Pardon prevent it for this phrase means he desires the life even the everlasting life of all penitents (n) Negatio mali in S. S. notat accumulationem boni Job 3.18 Job 11.26 vide 1 Tim. 2.4 1 Thess 5.9 and if the assurance of Remission will support them and give them encouragement to seek for happiness they shall not want it For to do good is the Nature of God he doth this willingly and readily without the consideration of merit or expectation of reward but Punishments are Extorted from him (o) Lam. 3.33 Vatab. ex corde non est proprium Dei affligere castigare homines sed alienum by mens wickedness and when he inflicts them he expostulates with himself like an indulgent Father about to correct a disobedient child (p) Hos 11.8 Ezek. 33.11 So that it is no incredible thing that he should send a Pardon it is the device of Sathan to picture the Almighty so dreadful that he may be a terror to his Supplicants to make men fear and hate and fly from him rather then serve or love him But God is love and especially kind to Men (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato 1 John 4.8 who have no reason to dishonour God by dismal apprehensions of him Remember I beseech you the Price payed for you the Covenant made with you the Promises given to you call to mind how justly frequently and easily he might have cut you off if he had not designed to be Reconciled and think of the earnestness of his invitations continuance of his patience the arts of his providence and all other means used to preserve you and then blush at your selves for having ever had hard thoughts of God or doubting he would not Absolve you Whoever hath so conceived of God is as bad as an Atheist for he takes away Gods Being and this his goodness as if like the Scythian Deities (r) Meliùs esset nullos credere Deos quam esse putare sed sanguine caesorum hominum laetatos existimare Plutar. de Superstit Scyth Gallorum he rejoyced in humane Sacrifices and we our selves had rather be reported dead then traduced living but though this unbelief do attempt to dishonor God the mischief lights upon it self for God is glorious still in Mercy and he that does not believe it is void of love and hope weak in Faith full of fears and dismal expectations (s) Et faciunt animos humiles formidine divum Depressosque premunt ad terram Luc. and when he that is perswaded of Gods mercy can rejoyce in hearing this Absolution the other quarrels with the Messenger or suspects the Master and tortures himself with endless scruples § 5. But rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live We must be cautious while we endeavour to prevent despair that we encourage not presumption and least any should think when they hear of Gods kindness to sinners that he will allow them their sins (t) Rom. 6.1 this is added to shew that he so desires our happiness as the end that he desires our holiness as the only way thither he would have us live viz. in Eternal glory but his desires cannot be accomplished if we continue in our wickedness because then God is obliged in justice to destroy us therefore he labours to turn us from those evil ways which end in death and to bring us into the safe paths of holiness which are the beginning of Heaven upon earth for the felicity of Heaven is but an addition to and the perfection of that begun holiness in vain therefore does any trust to this Mercy of God who lives wickedly still for what Father would spare his offending Child or what Prince pardon his rebellious Subject but upon condition they will not renew the same Crimes it is possible indeed to deceive men into Remission when the offenders mean not to reform Caesar was stab'd by Brutus a reconciled enemy whom he had adopted for his son Cicero was beheaded by Popilius whom he had saved from publique justice But the All-seeing God knows your purposes and can tell what you will do hereafter so that you deceive your selves in hoping for forgiveness while you remain impenitent but you cannot deceive him to make him grant to it he will not make his mercy the support of your iniquity and it would undo (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 3. sinners if he should too easily forgive such mercy before true repentance would make sin cheap and encourage men to do wickedly Wherefore he sends his Ambassadors to proclaim his gracious intentions of saving you least any should grow desperate with Cain (x) Gen. 4.13 and as the hardened traitor resolve to dye in their rebellion but these Ministers of God are first to turn (y) Acts 3. ult men from their iniquities and if they prevail in that they have a Pardon ready sealed and can assure them of life everlasting and that God who punisheth unwillingly will freely forgive he must either condemn or save you it is most evident he had rather give you life and will rejoyce if you accept it and if you miss it it is because you had rather sin and dye not because he had rather you should so perish § 6. And hath given Power and Commandement to his Ministers Whoever hath a just right and absolute Authority may either exercise it in Person or Depute others by communicating to them their Power subordinately and then these substitutes have a Ministerial right so far as their Commission extends a Temporal Prince can do thus and choose which of his Subjects he pleaseth to act thus in his Name and by
officia Dei honor in patre fidei testimonium in nomine oblatio obsequii in voluntate commemoratio spei in regno petitio vitae in pane exomologesis debitoâ—um in deprecatione sollicitudo tentationum in postulatiene tutelae Tertul de Orat. here is our belief of his goodness our persuasion of his love our desire after his holiness our subjection to his Authority and hope of his Kingdome our willingness to suffer and readiness to do his will here we declare our dependance on his Providence and contentedness with his dispensations our Penitence for former sins and resolutions of amendment our sense of our own frailty and our trust in his mercy and grace and all this ending with acts of Faith and Love joy and praise Devotion and Adoration So that this Divine Form is fitted for all times and all places and all persons The ignorant must use it because he may understand it the knowiâ—g that they may understand it better the sinner that he may be holy the holy man least he become a sinner the rich prays thus for the sanctification of his gifts the poor for the supply of his wants in private it extends to particular needs in publique it unites us all into one soul and makes us equally desire (r) Non singulis privatam precem mandavit sed Oratione communi concordi prece pro omnibus jussit orare Cypr. Epist 8. others good with our own being indited in a publique stile so that though it be useful every where yet it is especially fitted for the Assemblies of the Church where all Antiquity used it as the Salt of all other offices (s) Sat omnium divinorum oâ—â—ctorumâ— and we in Imitation of them for our Church prescribes it after the Absolution for acceptance after the word of God read and the recital of the Creed for assistance in holiness and confirmation in Faith in the Letany for deliverance from evil in the Communion Service to dispose us for a penitent hearing of the Laws of God never too often nor never superfluously as you may observe afterwards for how can we too often joyn his most perfect Prayer to ours that are so imperfect since by him both we and our prayers are alone made acceptable Those that presented Petitions to the Roman Emperors drew them up by the direction of some judicious Lawer but we have this Sacred Form from the wonderful Counsellor who came out of the Bosom of God and knew his treasures as well as our wants he best could inform us what was fit for us to ask and what most likely for him to grant he was to go to Heaven to be our Advocate there and he hath taught us this that there may be a Harmony between our requests and his What zeal and height of devout affections are sufficient to offer up this Prayer with drawn up by the great Master of Requests and orderer of all entercourse between God and Man how sure is this of acceptance (t) Animata suo privilegio ascendit coelum commendans patri quae filius docuit Tertull. which is stamped with his Image signed with his hand and sent in his name his Power will make it prevalent and Gods love to his dear Son most acceptable (u) Dum prece Oratione quam filius docuit ad patrem loquitur faciliùs audiamur Cypr. for what can pierce the ears sooner or melt the heart of a tender Father more readily then the voice of his only and Beloved Son use it therefore Reverently and heartily and doubt not to be heard The Division of the Lords Prayer The Lords Prayer hath three Parts 1. The Preface or Compellation 2. The six Petitions which concern Expressing 1. Charity to Men Our 2. Faith in God Father 3. Fear of God which art in Heaven Either Gods Glory by 1. The Reverence of his Attributes hallowed be thy Name 2. The Exercise of his Authority thy Kingdome come 3. The fulfilling of his Will thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heaven Or our own good in 1. Temporal supplies give us this day our daily bread 2. Remission of sins past and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us 3. Deliverance for the future from Sin and lead us not into temptation Punishment but deliver us from evil Being an acknowledgement of God 1. As Supreme for thine is the Kingdome 2. As Omnipotent the Power 3. As Gracious and the Glory 4. As Eternal for ever and ever Amen 3. The Conclusion or Doxology A Practical Discourse on the Lords Prayer § 2. OUr Father which art in Heaven This was the usual Preface to the Jewish Forms of Prayer who stiled God their Father which was in heaven (x) Pater noster qui es in coelis fac nobis gra iam Sed. Tephil Lusitan Deus noster qui in coelo unicus es in lib. Musar But since they owned not God the Son they could not justly call God Father and being in bondage to the Law (y) Galat. 4.6 Servis â—ancillis non permissum Abba vel Immaâ— Dominis suis dicere in Gem. they were Servants rather then Sons and such by their own rule might not call their Masters by the name of Father This Appellation suiteth us better who are by Jesus adopted to be the Sons of God and by his Spirit who obtained that priviledge we are taught to cry Abba Father (z) Gal. 4.6 he that is the eternal Son of God himself who hath alone right to this Name hath put the words in our mouths and what fitter words to begin our Prayers then these two which include the principal requisites of Prayer Faith and Charity no man can call God his Father but by Faith and he must be in Charity that can add Our Father which cannot be said devoutly but by him that is free from wrath to man or doubting (a) 2 Tim. 2.8 'T is certain God is our Father for he hath created us after his own Image and begotten us again by the washing of Regeneration he feeds and cloths us preserves and provides for us he teacheth us what is right and correcteth us when we do amiss and Finally he hath done like a Father in providing an eternal inheritance for us (b) 2 Cor. 12.14 even such as men make for their Children (c) 2 Sam. 7.19 G. P. Talis enim est provisio humana He hath ever expressed a Fatherly love to us and care of us and tenderness toward us and this Jesus obligeth us to acknowledge (d) Isai 63.16 that while we call him Father we may be gratefull to him and have the affections of Children upon us when we come to him in our needs trusting in his mercy persuaded of his All-sufficiency rejoycing in hope and filled with love and joy and comfortable expectations because we are going to our Father and least if we were uncharitable to our Bretheren that unlikeness to
God should confute our calling him Father (e) Matth. 5.45 Psal 145.9 who is loving to every man we must by adding Our shew a universal charity to all the world not arrogantly confining this priviledge to our selves and out of pride or passion excluding others from it but we must comprehend all men within it as our bretheren sons of the same Father making a Common Prayer to the Common Father of all mankind not looking sordidly to our selves alone but as members of the same Mistical body (f) 1 Cor. 12.25 having a feeling of each others wants and desiring the Preservation of the whole rather then our private satisfactions we must therefore when we begin this Prayer lay aside all malice and envy and with loving hearts joined hands and united voices address our selves as so many deer Brothers and Sisters to Our Father so shall we cause the Angells to Sing Ecce quam bonum (g) Psal 133.1 how pleasant a thing it is and no Musick will be more pleasing in the ears of our heavenly Father But many Children have gone to their earthly Parents in their needs and found no relief where they had no means to help and could no otherwise know the love of their deer Fathers then by a sigh or a tear Oh my poor Child I cannot help thee whereas we need not fear such Returns for our Father reigns in Heaven the Center of all happiness so that he can do what he pleases (h) Psal 115.3 for Omnipotence and All-sufficiency are annexed inseparably to that Royal Throne Our Lord Jesus presents us with the seat of his glory to mind us to acknowledge his Dominion and Power and to adore his Infiniteness and Immensity for he whom we pray to hath all things under him to be ordered by his will and all Creatures even millions of blessed Angels to execute his Commands and this should heighten our minds to ask things more excellent then the perishing vanities of this world this remembrance that he is in Heaven should strengthen our Faith in his Power and Mercy for what can we his Children want on Earth who have a Father in Heaven that can do all things and who is so full of goodness that he is not moved by all his glory to despise us but whatever advantages he hath his love makes them all ours and he is in Heaven now but he intends to bring us thither to him yet while we are upon Earth we must approach with lowly addresses and all reverence because we come before him who is in Heaven adored by the blessed Angels with prostrations and veiled faces § 3. Hallowed be thy Name The glory of God which is the principal end of our Creation ought to be the first in our desires and we are doubly obliged to desire the honour of his name both because he deserves it upon the account of his glorious Perfections so that all the Earth is bound to adore the Name of him that dwells in Heaven and also because he is our Father (i) Nullum probrum intollerabilius ignominia parentûm Quis non commotus est c. Grot. ex Eurip. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if we so much desire the honour of our Natural Fathers that no good Child can endure to hear them reproached how much more should we long after our Heavenly Fathers glory and pray that none might abuse his sacred Name which if we be his true Sons will be unsufferable to us how can we but desire it may be treated by us and all men at all times with that reverence and Religious respect that befits so great a Majesty who is separated from this lower World as far as Heaven is above the Earth and therefore his Name is to be esteemed as no common thing but separated and set apart which is the meaning (k) Levit. 20.24 Deut. 26.28.19 Sanctificatio est seperatio per modum excellentiae Rab. D. Kimhi in Isai 56.2 of hallowing of it the regarding it as a thing truly excellent and so it is in it self so holy that it cannot be profaned by Men nor Devils so as to loose any part of its essential purity any more then the Suns illustrious beams are polluted with the evaporations of a filthy dunghill the blasphemies of hell it self cannot prejudice Gods name any more then the barkings of Dogs and howling of evening Wolves do to the splendor of the Moons shining and for this cause it were needless to pray that Gods name might either be or remain holy but only that being holy in it self it may by us and all men be looked on as infinitely above us and used with reverence and an awful regard Now this Name of his is himself and all that is his it is himself as he can be known (l) Rom. 1.19 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by us for it is his Attributes and all that his name is called upon all that represents him to us or relates to him his Works his Worship his Sabbaths his Vice-gerents and Officers in Church and State and all that is given to him or his and since we cannot behold Gods Essence which is incomprehensible our Reverence to him will appear by our respect to his Name which is all we have of him with us here on Earth Then his name is hallowed by us and all people when we love his Goodness trust in his Mercy believe his Promises fear his Threatnings acknowledge his Wisdome and adore his Power and live answerable to his Attributes When we praise him for his works speak well of all he doth and worship him with Humility and Faith true affections and hearty desires when we keep his Sabbaths obey Kings his substitutes respect Ministers his messengers love his people and inviolably preserve all consecrated things and finally when we demean our selves towards God and all that is his as may suit so great a Majesty and so gracious a Father and further we must be careful that since we are called by the name of Christ that we do not profane that holy name (m) 2 Tim. 2.19 by wicked lives but be moved to strive to shew our Reverence and admiration of so holy a Name (n) Sanctificetur nomen tuum per opera nostra quocunque tempore facimus quod bonum rectum est Sanctificamus nomen ejus magnum Drus ex lib. Musar in Matth. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Alex. by becoming holy and seperating from all sin as his name is seperated from all pollution it becomes us who are honoured with his name in whatever we do or speak or think to be careful that by defiling and abusing our selves we cast not dishonour on him that hath condescended to such a relation Oh let us beware we do nothing wilfully to occasion Religion to be slandered by the enemies thereof for otherwise our lives will be a contradiction to our Prayers § 4. Thy Kingdome come It is the Observation of every good
man that although God is and ever shall be a glorious King (o) Psal 10.16 and Psal 29.10 in deluvium Deus sedit h. e. Perditis omnibus creaturis tamen regnum ejus manet R.R. whatever become of this lower world yet the devils hate him and wicked men rebel against him and their own corruptions will not fully submit to him and all this while the great King of Kings seems to connive at all seldome exercising his power to subdue or his justice to punish and destroy his enemies so that the whole world abounds with Impiety and Confusion and then what wonder if the Children of God who know their Fathers Power and goodness do earnestly desire he may more visibly reign amongst men for his glory and their own good in particular and the benefit of all the World for his Kingdome is Regimen Paternum and consequently our interest (p) Illi deputamus quod ab illo expectamus Tertul. and our happiness and therefore our Prayer for when our Heavenly Father doth thus exercise his Authority then his faithful servants shall be secured from their enemies supplied in all their needs and satisfied in all their desires Now the Kingdome of God or Heaven (q) Vide Supra Ch. p. 1. §. 6. signifies either his Kingdome of Grace or that of Glory His Kingdome of Grace we pray may come in a double sense 1. By an outward profession viz. That the Gospel may be embraced in all the world even there where now they are slaves to the Devil and their own lusts who are servants to the Prince of darkness (r) Ephes 2.2 doing his work observing his Laws and paying him Tribute by Sacrifices as their Leige Lord we pray that these poor Souls may be Converted believe and be Baptised renouncing their old Master and professing themselves Subjects of Jesus and of the great King of all the World 2. We pray his Kingdome of grace may come by a real subjection where his Soveraignity is owned because without this an outward possession is but like the mockery of the cruel Jews who saluted him hail King and then smote him on the face and so doth every professed Christian that lives wickedly Wherefore we pray That his Kingdome may be within us as well as among us (s) Luke 17.21 and whereas now his Laws are broken his Messengers despised his People abused and his Enemies cherished that by the power of his grace in all our hearts our unruly passions may be tamed our rebellious lusts mortified and our naughty desires extinguished till we all own his Authority fear his displeasure and obey his Edicts as we ought to do and if any be so obstinate as still to refuse him for their King (t) Luke 19.14 we pray that our Lord Jesus would exercise his royal power in punishing all such that others may see and fear (u) Psal 58. ult and every good man desires for himself this righteous Prince (x) Psal 45.6 may subdue every opposing thought in his heart (y) 2 Cor. 10.5 and may have the absolute command over all the members of his body and faculties of his soul and then he hopes his corruption will be restrained his graces quickened and all his inward man in much better order he knows if Christ rule in his heart he shall have more freedome comfort and peace then ever he had before Oh it were happy for the Christian world and every truly Christian soul if Our Fathers Kingdome were set up in all our hearts since we all own it with our mouths Lord let thy Kingdome of grace thus come Secondly the Children of God pray for his kingdome of glory viz. for that visible and glorious manifestation of the Kingdome of Jesus when he shall come to dispense his glorious rewards and finall Pardon to his faithful servants and admit them to be sharers in his joy and partners in his Kingdome and to pronounce the fearful doom upon his obstinate and miserable enemies to make them suffer the just deserts of their wilfull opposition and desperate Rebellion in unexpressible and eternal torments In which acts the glory of his kingdome the mightiness of his power the truth of his word the infiniteness of his love to his own and the exactness of his justice to his enemies shall be so clearly demonstrated to all the world that his faithful ones shall be rapt with joy and wonder and glorifie him for it to all eternity Here alass they serve there they shall reign here they are despised and afflicted vext with their own corruptions grieved for the sins of others poor and disconsolate full of cares and fears which when Christs Kingdome comes shall not only be done away but exchanged for endless glory and boundless felicity And who can blame them who are weary with slavery (z) Optamus maturiùs regnare non diutiùs servire Tert. de Or. Regnum Dei Volum Christianorum confusio nationum exultatio Angelorum idem ibid. to wish for liberty and long for that happy day which is the end of all their evils and the beginning of that incomparable joy that never shall have end Let ungodly persons fear and tremble at this dreadful day to them let their tongue falter when they wish for it and their own confusion the holy ones of God can joyn with their bretheren under the Altar in saying Come Lord Jesus come quickly the sooner he comes the sooner shall their souls be delivered and their desires satisfied in seeing and enjoying their Lord and deer Redeemer 'T is true when a good man considers how dreadful vengeance will then seize on sinners out of pitty to them that pitty not themselves they pray that these desperate sinners may first submit to his Kingdome of grace and are well pleased with the deferring of that day (a) 2 Pet. 3.9 Pro morâ finis Tert. ibid. and can pray with the Primitive Christians for the putting that time further off though it be to their own loss because so God will be more glorified and Heavens Quire fuller and the Musick sweeter the more are brought home therefore they pray that though the Kingdome of Glory be their happiness yet the Kingdome of Grace may first come into the hearts of all that will receive it § 5. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven As Gods Kingdome doth alwaies abide so his will is ever done and so it may seem superfluous to request it may be done because it is the Rule by which all Creatures act and they all do bring about (b) Psal 115.3 Rom. 9.19 his Will when they interd it and when they do not and God himself alwaies doth his own Will (c) Deo non posse nolle est posse ville Tertull. in Prax. which is the limit of his infinite power for he can do and doth what he will and thus we had sufficiently asked it before in thy Kingdome come because this is the
to desire God to be unjust But our Lord Jesus who payed our scores hath sent us to his Father with these words in our mouths and he calls them truly Our Trespasses to shew his love in redeeming us and Gods mercy in forgiving us not to make us fear them as unpardonable for when we remember our Redeemer we have lively hopes in the midst of our humble acknowledgments because he that payed our Debt makes the same request in heaven for us That God would clear us and charge our iniquities upon him But because we are so apt to remember our needs and forget our duty to pray for good things to our selves and neglect the doing them to others our master hath annexed one of the greatest duties of the Gospel so close to this necessary and desirable request that we cannot ask forgiveness of God but we must promise the same to our neighbours that so Christ may make peace in Earth as well as Heaven we must declare not only to lay as de our groundless prejudices against our bretheren bâ—t to q it all pretences of malice or revenge even to those who have not payed us the returns of love and duty where they were obliged to it and to our enemies that have wronged and harmed us by thought word or deeds Not that our Pardon from God depends absolutely on this or is merited by it but because it is most reasonable that we who request forgiveness of our offences against God should forgive the lesser debts (s) Veniam det facile cui veniâ est opus Ecclus 28.3 Matth. 18.24 cum 28. 10000 Tal. h. e. nostrae monet 1870500 lb 100 Denar h. c. 3. lb 2. sol 6. den vide Waser de Num. ap Critic of our bretheren to uâ— which are fewer in number smaller in valew committed against a meaner person and commonly upon some provocation on our part He that doth so strictly exact his due in these petty injuries deserves to be strictly accounted with himself and may blush to ask of so great a God to abate of his rigour when he a mortal creature will not do it to his Equall how can such a malicious person be sensible of the kindness which God sheweth in forgiving him when he is a stranger to those compassions such a mans person must be hatefull to our Heavenly Father because he is so unlike him (t) Matth. 5.45 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 al. lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grot. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libanius Sophist and his request odious because it is unreasonable and impudent Wherefore take heed least by your malice and uncharitableness you involve your selves into the wrath of God for your own greater injuries and offences § 8. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Temptation doth not in its prime sense in Scripture signifie a sollicitation to evil but any kind of tryal (u) 2 Cor. 13.5 Heb. 11.29 and is expressed both by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duae sunt tentationes una quae decipit altera quae probat secundum eam quae decipit Deus neminem Tentat Aug. Tract 43. in order to the discovery of what we are whether it be done by a Friend as when God tempted Abraham Gen. 22.1 or glorified him as some read with a design to manifest the strength of his Faith or by an enemy as when Sathan desired to sift St. Peter (x) James 1.13 not to purifie him but to manifest that mixture of chaff he could find in him and because evil objects shew what we are and declare us to be evil if we comply with them therefore the setting evil things before us to draw us into sin are also called Temptation but God never tempts thus he may try us by Afflictions and put us in the fire as Gold (y) 1 Pet. 1.6 7. to separate us from our dross nay he will do it (z) Zechar. 13.9 and it is a sign of his love (a) Heb. 12.6 and ought to be a cause of our joy (b) James 1.2 and David begs it as a favour (c) Psal 139.23 Nor do any but cheats and hypocrites fly this tryal or fear to be inquired into Gods Children are willing their Father should try them and tempt them here with intentions of mercy rather then to pass the severe Tryal before the last Tribunal and as to these tryals and temptations Christ would rather teach us to pray to be supported under and carried through them then never to be lead into them which if Gods grace be with us may be for our advantage and honour and his glory Wherefore by Temptation here we are rather to understand the being enticed to commit sin or however a trying whether we will sin and thus it well follows the former Petition (d) Vt non de remittendis tantum sed etiam de avertendis in totum delictis supplicaremus Tert. de Or. Illud ut praeterita eâ—pientur hoc ut futura vitentur Oros de liber arb for having considered the heinous nature and dangerous consequents of former sins and prayed for the forgiveness of them if we spoke that out of a real fear of those dreadful miseries we cannot but desire we may never more fall into such desperate circumstances and to quicken this request let us consider Our enemies are many and mighty vigilant and politick that we are naturally easie and willing to be deceived rash in our choices heedless of danger neither considering before nor examining afterwards and so shall certainly fall every moment it God in mercy do not help us and if we be humble and fear and heartily call for aid against sin (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian l. 4. c. 12. although we should fall some times we declare our hatred of it and if we be not totally free yet we manifest a desire to be free from all and for this we rely not on our own strength but as Jesus hath taught us humbly beg strength from Heaven every day against it But some may wonder why we desire God would not lead us c. sure he that hates sin so perfectly and so lately forgave us will not tempt us to commit more (f) James 1.13 't is most true Sathan is the Tempter (g) Matth. 4.3 and so his name Sathan in Hebrew signifies he being miserable by sin (h) Solatium perditionis suae perdendis hominibus operatur Lact. de orig er desires to make men partners with him in sin and misery by working on those lusts (i) Jam. 1.14 which do draw us into sin But the Devil himself is under the Command of the Almighty who sets him bounds that he cannot pass and gives permission to him to tempt us (k) Job 1.12 Chal. P. Exiit Sathanas cum licentiae à coram Domino so that he could have no power against us except it were given him from on high
omne princiâ—ium huc refer exitum we now give that to him our selves which we prayed might be offered him from others For the sense of these words they may be an acknowledgment of his infinite perfections who is not praised by flattery but by a bare confession of the truth what he really is and hath in by and from himself and we fall short of what he is and deserves in our most exact acknowledgments for his Kingdome is everlasting and universal his power infinite and unlimited his glory transcendent and incomprehensible we may repeat them but can neither fully comprehend them nor express them but by silence and admiration only we confess our own subjection weakness and misery and ascribe all these to him Kings must lay down their Crowns Mighty men their Strength and the Honourable men of the Earth their glory at his foot-stool These words considered in themselves thus are an Act of Praise but being connected to the prayer by the particle for they are a proper Conclusion to this Divine Prayer and seem to contain a reason of every Petition for we are obliged to pray that his Kingdome may come because he is the right and lawful King of Heaven and Earth and to desire his will may be done because he hath the just Power and Supremacy over all to command what he pleaseth and to wish his name may be hallowed because he is glorious in himself and deserves all possible praises from all the World so likewise in the three last Petitions of him we ask for a Temporal supply because he is the King of all Creatures and all provisions are his of him we beg a Pardon for he only hath full Power and just Authority to dispense it and of him lastly we request deliverance from Sin and Damnation because he may have the same glory from us as he now hath and ever shall have from the blessed Saints whom he hath brought to his heavenly Kingdome or if this seem too nice and we reflect upon the whole prayer together here we are struck with reverence in remembrance of that great King we have spoken to we declare why we make our addresse to him and what ground we have to hope for acceptance with him His is the Kingdome therefore we his poor subjects do petition him and it is his Prerogative to help and by his Supremacy he may do it His is the Power therefore we his weak impotent Creatures look up to him and rely upon him who is able to do all we desire and being Almighty can perform it His is the Glory and therefore we vile sinners that can do nothing without him though we deserve nothing from him yet we present our necessities before him that by his free grace he may have that glory from us which he hath from all others that he hath formerly relieved Leave thy prayers then with much comfort in his hands who is thy Heavenly Father and may do abundantly for thee by his Right and can do it by his Power and will do it for his Glory both this day to morrow and for ever come when thou wilt he is and hath Kingdome Power and Glory from everlasting to everlasting this is no mortal King nor fading Power nor transient glory but all endures longer then thy wants even for ever and ever Oh how hearty an Amen mayest thou say to this Prayer since as thou hast great reason to desire all these things should be granted thou hast as good ground to believe they shall Amen The Paraphrase of the Lords Prayer after the Absolution MOst merciful Lord God who hast owned us for thy Children by Creating us preserving and providing for us and after our manifold disobedience hast by this gracious promise of Pardon again encouraged us to call thee Our Father thy mercy in receiving us exceeds the Compassions of Earthly Parents and thy infinite goodness and power do evidence thy glory and teach us humbly to adore thee which art in Heaven and therefore thou canst do what thou pleasest in all the world But we are so transported with thy admirable pitty towards us and all poor sinners that forgetting our own wants we heartily desire thy glory even that by us and all men hallowed sanctified reverenced and for ever feared may be thy Name from which we have had our help and thy Attributes in which we have our comfort let us ever express a fervent love and dutiful regard to thee and all belonging to thee Oh Lord we lately were as many yet are in rebellion against thee but since we have sound thee so merciful a Prince Oh let thy Kingdome come into all our hearts to rule us by thy grace and to fit us against it shall come in glory for the Crowning of thy servants and the Condemnation of thy Enemies whose misery thou delightest not in but deferrest thy coming because it is thy will we should live in holiness here and happiness hereafter Dear Father let this thy will be done by our obedience to thy Word and submission to thy Providence for then shall all the world be happy when thy good will and pleasure is done by us and on us thy poor Creatures in earth as readily and fully as constantly and cheerfully as it is in heaven by the blessed Saints and Angels whose food it is to execute thy Commands But Lord thou knowest the frailty of our nature and the misery of our Condition which needs continual support and supplies and forceth us to beseech thee who hast all blessings at thy disposal to give us this day which for any thing we know may be our last and therefore we look no further nor ask no more then out daily bread even so much food and raiment health and wealth prosperity and success as thou seest is necessary and convenient for us in this state of life and condition in which thou hast placed us that we may be able to serve thee not encouraged to forget thee or enticed to encrease the number of our sins which are so many already that we must daily acknowledge and bewail them and remembring the vengeance due unto us for them we earnestly beseech thee to pardon and forgive us our trespasses against thy righteous laws and just authority for Jesus sake who hath made satisfaction for them gracious Lord by his Merits forgive us as we by the help of thy grace the injunction of thy Gospel and the example of thy mercy forgive them that trespass against us in fewer and lesser matters we tremble at the remembrance of all those amazing miseries which our former sins made us lyable to Oh let that mercy which moved thee to Pardon us prevail with thee to become our guide and though we deserve to be deserted by thee yet that we may never fall again into those dreadful circumstances lead us not into any dangerous occasions or opportunities of sin but though many snares be laid for us guide us so by thy Providence
scribam aut quid omnino non scribam hoc tempore nescio Tacit Annal. not knowing what to answer being full of inward confusion And sin hath this effect not only on evil men but as much if not more on the best whose ingenuity produceth a shame that will stop their mouths as much as the wicked mans terrors of which the famous Origen is an instance who having been compelled to sacrifice once (i) Epiphan Panar l. 2. Tom. 1. haeres 64. was long after struck dumb with reading the 16 verse of the 50th Psalm But unto the ungodly saith God what hast thou to do c. and broke off with tears not able to proceed further which least it should happen to us and a guilty conscience should spoil the musick of our Praises or seal up our lips in Prayer we here do beseech him by speaking peace to our souls to give us such hope of his forgiving mercy that whereas our fear shame and grief makes us stand mute as so many guilty persons before him we may have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a freedom of speech in his presence when by the comforts of his Spirit the terrors of offending slaves are changed into the liberty of reconciled sons which mercy if he grant you do all engage to use it to his glory and resolve it shall kindle the flames of gratitude and love in all your hearts and your mouths shall bear witness to it as you are praising him for other things you will think of this pardoning mercy and redouble your Eucharistical gratulations and no doubt this Petition shall be heard for you desire it not only for your own benefit but to fit you to set forth his praise We have cauâ—e when we go about to glorifie God to cry out we are of unclean lips (k) Isai 6.5 but if God send hopes of remission when the Seraphim toucheth our lips and taketh away our iniquity then we shall be fit for all holy duties and with that Prophet readily say Here I am Lord send me § 3. O God make speed to save us O Lord make haste to help us These words are frequently repeated in the Book of Psalms and are not much varied from that form of Exclamation (l) Psal 118.25 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obsecro Jehovah serva nunc Jun. Trem. which the Jews contracted into Hosanna which signifies Save now Lord we beseech thee but the old Latine Liturgies (m) Deus in adjutorium meum intende Psal 70.1 vid. Graec. V. D. D. Duport 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut LXX do assure us it is taken out of the 70th Psalm though it be found also Psal 40. ver 13. and there you may behold David surveying his sins more numerous then his hairs more weighty then his heart could bear terrified with which sad spectacle he breaks out into this passionate ejaculation and it may well befit our mouths who so lately have been Confessing our offences and it contains all that any penitent sinner about to put up his Petitions need sue for by way of Preparation viz. Deliverance and safety from evil and help in that which is good We suppose our selves like a besieged City our sins behind threaten us and our corruptions have blocked us up before and fear is on every side yet still the way to heaven is open and we send these Prayers upwards to the place where the King of Heaven resides for a speedy rescue to be granted to his distressed subjects (n) 1 Sam. 11.4 2 Chron. 20.12 when we look back and see our innumerable iniquities we cry out O God make speed c. when wee look forward to all those duties which we are to do and the great opposition we are sure to meet with we say Oh Lord make hast c. Our guilt will make speed to pursue us and Sathan to destroy us and evil thoughts to hinder our Devotions wherefore we must beg that our gracious God will also make hast to save and help us just now when we are in danger and need and it will double (o) Bis dat qui ciâ—ò dat Senec. the kindness we need not fear he will call these speedy cries impatience or presumption but prudent fear of our imminent danger and a right apprehension of our urgent necessities and for our comfort let us remember they that are the most liberal are the most speedy (p) Proprium est libenâ—èr facientis ciâ—â— facere Sen. in doing good he that we make request to hath charged us (q) See Prov. 3.8 never to put off a necessitous person till the morrow if we have it in our power as he ever hath it in his to help us wherefore be assured he will save and help thee this day and by the speed of his help give thee cause in the next place to sing Glory be to the Faâ—her c. § 4. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Although the words of this excellent Hymn are not in Scripture yet it is a Paraphrase on the Song of the Seraphims (r) Isai 6.3 Vnde hymnum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 originem duxisse fertur in Eccl. Graec. and is expresly grounded on Gods word (s) 1 John 5.7 not only as it is an act of Adoration to Almighty God but as it is a particular address to each person of the blessed Trinity who being equal in their Godhead are equally to be worshiped which if it were needful might be fully proved but it is sufficiently done already This truth indeed by the malice of the Devil and the envy of ambitious and wicked men hath met with more opposition then all other Christian Doctrines the Arrians Sabellians Eunomians Apollinarists Macedonians and almost all Hereticks denied either the Divinity of one or Equality of all the Persons but the Church got this advantage (t) Multa quippe ad fidem Catholicam pertinentia dum haereticorum callidâ inquietudine agitantur ut adversùs eos defendi possint considerantur diligentiùs intelliguntur clariùs instantiùs praedicantur Aug. de Civ Dei Lib. 16. cap. 2. by it that this fundamental article was more narrowly examined clearly explained and fully proved then otherwise it had been and among other good effects of these bad causes was the composure of this Eucharistical Hymn as some think or rather the enjoyning it in daily use which I rather believe for there are many footsteps of it before Arrius time or any of those Councels which condemned him and though before the danger of this heresie every one of the Fathers had a form of Doxology of his own yet with little variety of words they all expressed the same thing viz. to ascribe all honour and glory to the three Persons of the glorious Trinity Nay these very words are set down by Clemens of Alexandria
(u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexandr Paedag. as the Christians form of praising God above 100 years before the Councel of Nice An. 190. besides it appears it was used in the service of the Church before or somewhat very like it (x) Gloria Deo Patri honor item adoratio cum filio collegâ unà cum Sancto vivificatore Spiritu Athanasius because the Arrians did alter the antient form into Glory be to the Father by the Son and in the holy Ghost for which they are sharply reprehended by the Orthodox Fathers who afterward annexed it to their publique Devotions in this Form in which we now have it All which doth not only prove the Antiquity of it but teach us that it may serve for two purposes first as a form of Praising God and glorifying every Person of the Trinity which was the first design of those that invented it Secondly as a shorter Creed and declaration of our Faith in the Trinity in Unity which was the use it was fitted to afterwards I wish we might have no occasion to make use of it in the second sense as a Teste for Hereticks though the Disciples of Socinus and Fanatick Enthusiasts do even still deride or deny this mistery but if there were no such it might still serve its principal end to be a Form of ascribing all Praise and Glory to the Supreme Being and an Act of Adoration to each Person which we are obliged particularly to pay because every one of the Persons in the Trinity hath done peculiar benefits for us so that it is our Duty to Praise the Father for our Creation the Son for our Redemption the Holy Ghost for our Sanctification The Father hath sent us into the world and preserves and provides for us in it The Son hath lived with us and died for us and being returned to his Glory is still mindful of us The Holy Ghost doth come to us and stay with us as a guard and a guide a comforter and an advocate cleering our minds cleansing our hearts quickening our affections and enforcing our prayers and shall we not then be highly ungrateful if we pay not a particular tribute to every Person in special as well as to all in general Remember the Angels sung praise to the undivided and ever-blessed Trinity in the morning of the Creation the beginning of all time (y) Job 38.7 and they and all the world do it now and both men and Angels shall continue this Jubilee to eternity As long as goodness endures (z) Omnes tam orationes quam oblationes cessabunt in seculo futuro sed oblatio gratiarum nunquam cessabit R.D.K. Psal 100.4 gratitude and praise cannot cease This was and is and ever shall be done in all ages and generations (a) Psal 145.4 The Patriarchs and Prophets did it in the beginning of the Church the Apostles and Martyrs in the first planting of the Gospel All these though removed to heaven continue to sing praises to the Trin-une God there as we and all Pious Christians do here and there will never want tongues in Heaven nor Earth to sing this gratulatory Hymn for all generations Observe further the Comprehensiveness of these few words which extend to all things as well as to all times and persons and present at once to our view all the Mercies of God past present and to come and are an acknowledgment that all the good that ever was or shall be done or is now enjoyed in heaven or earth hath proceeded from this all-sufficient and ever-flowing fountain to whom this tribute of praise is and was and ever will be due Behold then oh pious soul a glorious Quire of Angels Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Saints and Martyrs in Heaven with all holy Men and Women in all the world at once with united voices and joyful hearts to sing this triumphant Song let this inspire thee with holy raptures and extasies of Devotion to bear a part here on earth and when thou art taken hence thy place shall be supplied by the succeeding generations and thou shalt be advanced to a state as endless as his mercy where thou shalt praise him to eternity What better form can we have to glorifie God by then this which is a declaration of our faith a discharge of our homage in which we acknowledge his former mercies and confess his present favours to us and all the world and glorifie him for both we hope in him for those that are to come expecting all from him and resolving upon those returns of Eucharist which we will for ever make to him How can this be done too often or repeated too frequently surely his mercies are more frequent then our praises can be Those that censure this as a vain repetition would ill have digested the hundred blessings (b) Deut. 10.12 R. R. legunt pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro quid leg centum unde unusquisque benetur centum benedictiones quotidiè reddere which the Jews are bid to say every day and might be offended at Davids seven times a day (c) Psal 119.64 and St. Pauls charge to rejoyce alwaies (d) 1 Thess 5.18 Philip. 4.4 but as God never thinks it too often to relieve us let us never think his praises too many tedious or impertinent but in Psalms Letanies and every thing let us give thanks and when Gloria Patri is not in our mouths let it be in our heart that we may never forget his benefits To this we shall only add the particular reason why the Church hath placed it in the close of the penitential part of daily Prayer and that is in imitation of holy David who commonly when he hath made his Confession and declared his distress (e) Psal 6.9 and 130.7 and begged pardon and deliverance turns his petitions into Praises because of his lively hope of acceptance so we being full of hopes that our gracious Father will forgive us for his Sons sake by the Ministry of his spirit We I say do now give glory to the Father who granteth this Absolution to the Son who purchased and obtained it and to the Holy Ghost who sealeth and dispenseth it to us and we also call to mind those innumerable instances of the like infinite mercies to poor sinners which have been and ever shall be to the worlds end and what heart can conceive or tongue express that exstasy of ravishing pleasures which we shall feel at the last day when we and all true Penitents that ever were or shall be shall all joyn in singing songs of praise to our deer Redeemer whom we shall love much because much is forgiven us we can foresee those Anthems which shall then be sounded on the battlements of Heaven by millions of glorious souls rescued from destruction and we by Faith have such a sense hereof that we begin now that Song that we shall sing for evermore § 5. Praise ye the Lord the Lords
one half was never told us (k) 1 Kings 10.6 7 8. 2. And a great King above all Gods Let us take notice of his Supremacy over all not only Men but Gods for though there be no other God but he alone yet there are many to whom that name is given (l) 1 Cor. 8.5 Idolaters give it to deceased Heroes and Devils of which Eusebius out of Hesiod reckons 30000 and St. Augustine advances the sum to 300000 every one of which was honoured with magnificent Temples sumptuous Altars costly and pompous Rites and Sacrifices curious Images and rich Statues they were attended with millions of Priests maintained at the publique charge inriched with large Donatives advanced to the highest dignities and all this done by Kings and Emperors Senators and Philosophers The Greatest Richest and Wisest in the World in honour of a Creature nay a Devil which are but the slaves to our great and glorious God and if such honours are payed them what doth he that is both their and our Master deserve from us Oh ye Christians when ye go about to praise the true God behold the smoaking Altars and bleeding Sacrifices the triumphant processions and solemn addresses which are paid so freely by the slaves of Gods Vassals and be ashamed of your rude and cheap worshipings attend the pleasing harmony of rarest voices and sweetest instruments which wait upon the hymns of those that tremble at the name of your Lord and blush to offer up either flat or feigned gratulations as you have the greatest God so he deserves the noblest adorations Again Angels are called Gods (m) Psal 8.6 and Psal 97.7 compared with Heb. 1.6 and it may be applied to them they are so glorious that those holy men to whom they have appeared could scarce refrain from giving them Divine Adoration they are truly admirable for the brightness of their presence the swiftness of their motion clearness of their knowledge and greatness of their power Yet these are but the officers of his Courts and Executors of his Will who pay him their duty with loud praises vailed faces and submiss prostrations Now if the Attendants be bright as the Sun quick as Lightning and powerful as Thunder what is he that is their Lord what Songs of Eucharist doth he deserve Lastly the Governors of this World are also called by the name of Gods but they are his Creatures and they have no power but from him (n) Exod. 21.6 Psal 82.1 and 1â—8 1 no honour but as they administer his Rights and represent his Person and can you see their large â—etinues and solemn observances or hear the strained praises which their flattering Parasites cast upon them who are your Lords servants and Tributaries and will you give less to the King of Kings the Lord of Men and Devils Angels and the highest of the Rulers of this earth 3. In his hand are all the corners of the earth and the strength of the hills is his also Let us take a prospect of the Vastness and Immensity of his Empire which hath no other limits then those of the Universe for both Sea and Land are in his hand that is in his power and under his command and at his disposal so are the most hidden and secret corners (o) Abstrusissima terrae Vatab. of the earth into which mans eye cannot search and also the inaccessible tops of the loftiest mountains (p) Lassitudines Montiâ—m Heb. to climb which would tire the strongest and are seldome reckoned among the Dominions of earthly Kings being either fortified by Robbers and so impregnable or deserted by the husbandman and so unserviceable Yet the darkest Caverns and highest rocks and mountains which own no other Lord even they are his his eyes discern the one and his power can reach the other His dominion reacheth to the corners or uttermost parts of the Earth as some here read (q) LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulg. fines Psal 139.7 so far as no Princes Armies could penetrate nor perhaps people inhabite yet these parts of the World are his and those vast mountains whose Immoveableness is the emblem of his unshaken and eternal principality are as so many natural bulwarks for the defence of his Kingdome which takes in the inhabitants of Heaven the armies of the Abyss and is large as the World strong as the most inassailable mountains This King of Kings and Lord of the Universe may challenge the most hearty and humble praises from his servants which we might further from their Allegorical Exposition of these words who apply them to the several conditions of men (r) Psal 72.3 and 148.9 for although he be so great the meanest and poorest are not below his notice and though he condescend so far yet the very richest and greatest terrible as the hills of the Robbers are not above his power but he rules and orders all so that nothing happens to Kings or slaves but by his permission and therefore he may expect Glory from all sorts of men 4. The Sea is his and he made it and his hands prepared the dry Land Let us consider the greatness of his works and we shall see the Arch of Heaven the Pillars of the Earth and the Fountains of the great deep were contrived by his wisdome and finished by his power so that without boasting he may say of this goodly Fabrick as the vain Assyrian did of his Royal City (s) Dan. 4.30 and none can contradict him The words Sea and Land are the two constituent parts and put for the whole and these are his by right of Creation which sure is the justest Title But therefore is the making of the Sea and adorning the dry land here mentioned because there is a special mark of his Wisdome and Providence in making that separation observed by the very Heathens (t) See Grotius de Verit. Relig. Christianae lib. 1. cap. 7. For he hath bound that unfixed Element in a girdle of sand which it cannot break and not only restrained it from overflowing us but made it serve our necessities and lend its help for the entercourse and mutual supplies of the most distant Nations And by these two words of Sea and Land we musâ— understand all the furniture of both which yield us such variety of provisions all these are Gods Creatures but by him freely assigned to our use desiring no other Tribute from us but to pay those Praises to our bountiful Lord and noble Benefactor which none of the dumb creatures can do and if he have also given us tongues we shall be most ingrateful if we glorifie him not with them Thus we have lead you in these Meditations to discover the glories of Gods Kingdome as Philo tells of his Prophet who upon a sight of the whole was asked before the Creation of Man if there wanted any thing to compleat so brave a work he answered there needed nothing but one to explain that goodly Work and glorifie
baseness and unworthiness mightily convinced that God hath often done good to us and others and deeply affected with the freeness frequency and fulness of his mercies and favours for here we are to exercise love and gratitude and to imitate the Quire of heaven who survey the whole world and pay the tribute of glory to him whose mercy and goodness they see and admire in every thing and so may we and then our souls shall readily comply with Davids courteous invitations to bless the Lord. Oh my God I behold what thou dost for all mankind and I feel what I have received I confess my unworthiness and admire thy goodness in all things And then the Glory be to the Father c. is a recapitulation of all those foregoing causes of glorifying every Person in the glorious Trinity or all of them and must be an acknowledgment that all mercies are dispensed to us by the Father for the Sons sake through the Ministry of the Holy Spirit and upon this account all honour and glory is and was and ever shall be due to Father Son and Holy Ghost O my ingrateful heart which sees so much cause of praising God every day for his works and his goodness to others and for what we have experience of and yet hath not learned fully to love God and constantly to praise him Come to the sweet singer of Israel he will excite thee by his example in every thing to give thanks learn of him to rejoyce with them that rejoyce learn of him to love and sing Glory be c. and thou shalt sing new songs in the New Jerusalem for ever By such means as these we ought to tune our hearts for this heavenly musick if we would have it please God and profit us and if by the help of Gods good spirit we have in some measure well performed this our next care must be that we loose not those good affections 3. Therefore endeavour to nourish these holy flames on the altar of thy heart by a holy life such as the inspired Penmen of these Psalms lead themselves (r) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas and such as they exhort others to and so shalt thou be every day fit to joyn in this office and be alwaies prepared to accompany the Church with suitable affections to all the several parts of Psalmody Remember these Anthems are designed not only to raise Devotion in publique but to assist holiness in private (s) Verba vivenda non legenda and by letting thee feel the comfort of that in Gods house which may strengthen thee to do his will afterwards and to set us all upon our guard against sin and Sathan who design to discompose our minds by presenting sensual pleasures and carnal allurements but you that have tasted sweeter and nobler delights will certainly despise those vain and empty pretenders to satisfaction and wish no other joy then to praise God among his servants on Earth here and among his Saints in Heaven hereafter And if this be your desire the constant use of these Psalms will make them so familiar that you will never want holy Meditations ejaculations answers to Sathans temptations and Mementoes of a holy life which is the only way that leads to the happiness you desire SECTION VIII Of the Lessons § 1. BEfore we begin to read or hear the holy Scripture it will be useful that we consider first their own excellency to engage our love to them Secondly The Providence of God in the Composing and Preserving them to excite our Reverence Thirdly The Care of the Church in fitting them to our use to encourage our diligence First The Scripture must needs be excellent because it is the Revelation of the whole Will of God so far as is necessary for our Salvation And we believe as God hath taught us and with the Primitive Church (t) 2 Tim. 3.15 In qâ—ibus invenâ—untur illa omnia quae continent f dâ—m moresque vivendi Aug. doc Chris l. 2. c. 17. Sacrae divinitùs inspiraâ—ae Scripturae per se abunde sufficiunt â—d veritatis indicationem Athan. in Idol Antiquam fidei Regulam Euseb hist lib. 5. that it is the compleat Repository of all Divine truths that concern faith or manners and therefore we own it to be the Rule of our lives and the foundation of our Faith and in all our considerable (u) Sancta Synodus Christum assessâ—rem capitis loco adjunxit Veneâ—ondum enim Evangelium inâ— Sancto throno collocavit Cyâ—ill See Dr. Cosens History of the Canon controversies we place it in the Throne as the Councels of Ephesus and Aquileia did for the moderator and determiner of such doubts and differences This is the guide of our Consciences the ground of our hopes the evidence of our inheritance and the Law by which we shall be judged at the last day (x) John 5.45 Revel 20.12 Wherefore it is the duty (y) John 5.39 and interest (z) 2 Tim. 3.15 of every Christian to be conversant in them according to the command of Jesus and the example of all Gods servants who studied them more then any other writings So that Sr. Basil and his friend used no other Book but wholly meditated in this for thirteen years And if it were possible we should exercise our selves in it day and night (a) Josh 1.8 Deut. 17.19 R. Ismael à sororis filio rogatus quodnam tempus Graecorum lectioni impenderet Resp Nullum nisi potest inveni itempus quod nec ad diem neque ad noctem pertinebat è Talin Masius in Jos 1. that is alwaies But however we must spend so much time upon them that we may be alwaies furnished with precepts to direct promises to encourage and examples to quicken us to do all good and also with Prohibitions to restrain threatnings to affright and presidents to warn us from all evil waies whatsoever And being so constantly useful and so able to shew us all that is necessary to be known believed or to be done we should love them and delight to hear them and know them because ignorance of these Sacred Oracles will lay us open to errors in Judgments (b) Mark 12.24 and wickedness in Practice (†) Psal 119.3 and finally prove the ruine of our Souls § 2. Secondly we must remember it is no ordinary regard which we must give to these holy Pages because God is the Author and his Spirit the enditer of them and in his infinite wisdome and love he hath committed his Will to writing that it might not be corrupted or impaired by the prejudices the malice or forgetfulness of men as all Traditions generally are For the matter of it he could have filled it with amazing Mysteries but consulting our good rather then his own greatness he condescends to our capacities (c) Lex loqui ut nobiscum linguâ â—lioâ—um hominum Lumen supernum nunquam descendit sine indumento Proverb
thankfulness whether it instruct or reprove us invite us to duty or affright us from sin whether it consist of Promises or Threatnings Precepts or Examples it ought to be concluded with We praise thee O God viz. for illuminating our minds quickning our affections renewing our memory reviving our hopes awakening our sloth or confirming our resolutions Some benefit we have or may have by every one and therefore a Hymn will both refresh us with variety discharge a great obligation to God and prepare us to hear the next Lesson with fresher appetite We have two for our choice that we may suit every Chapter but we shall first consider that which is most usual the Te Deum The Analysis of the first Hymn or the Te Deum This Hymn hath three Parts 1. An Act of Praise containing 1. The Duty performed by us in Praise and Homage 2. The encouragement from others who also Praise him 1. All People of the Earth 2. All the Powers of Heaven Angels Cherubins Seraphins and Apostles Prophets Martyrs All Saints 2. An Act of Confession declaring 1. The Persons confessing viz. The Universal Church 2. The Faith Confessed 1. In the whole Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. Particularly in the Son being an acknowledgement of 1. The glory of his Essence 2. The manner of his Subsistence 3. The humility of his Birth 4. The benefits of his Death 5. The height of his Exaltation 6. The certainty of his Return 3. An Act of Supplication requesting 1. For all the faithfull 1. Present assistance 2. Final acceptance Deliverance from Evil Prosperity Direction support 3. The means to attain both viz. 2. For our selves expressing 1. Who we are His constant servants 2. What we desire Strength against sin pardon for it 3. Why we desire this because 1. Of Gods Mercy 2. Of his Promises 3 Ouâ— humble Expectations A Practical Discourse on the Te Deum § 2. ALthough this Song of Praise be not of Divine Authority yet it is said to have been miraculously composed and first Sung by St. Ambrose and St. Augustine after the Baptism of that illustrious Convert and it is placed among the undoubted works of holy Ambrose who in the times of general Calamity first brought the use of Hymns into the Latine Churches which had been used in the East from the beginning and made several Forms of Praise himself and among the rest this grand and powerful Hymn (y) Grande carmen istud est quo nihil potentius Quid enim potentius quam Confessio Trinitatis quae quotidiè totius populi ore celebratur Certatim omnes student fidem fateri Patrem Filium Spiritum S. nôâ—unt versibus praedicare Ambros in Conc. de Basilicis c. Tom. 5. which its likely he means when he speaks of that Confession of the Trinity in Verse which the people so much delighted in and sung so joyfully every day For this hath ever since been frequently used and highly esteemed in the Church not only for its Authors sake but for its own since it is so rare a piece of choice Devotion The principal scope whereof is to give all glory to God which therefore is interwoven with every part but the nine first versicles are wholly Eucharistical wherein we express our own gratitude and cast our eyes on all Creatures in Heaven and Earth that joyn with us in paying that Duty to heigthen our Devotion before so great a Lord. We have now heard out of Gods sacred Word those gracious invitations and sweet comforts those useful directions and necessary warnings which he therein gives us for all which we give him thanks when we say We praise thee O God We have also heard many instances of his Power and been instructed in his holy commands which engages us to acknowledge his Authority and pay our homage Therefore we promise to be his Servants and seriously acknowledge him to be our Lord which is a mocking of the Divine Majesty (z) Luke 6.46 unless we resolve to do what he hath signified to be his Will But why should we not be sincere in this acknowledgment since it is our honour to serve him whom the Heavens praise and the Earth worships and all the Inhabitants of both are subject to The Earth that is the men that dwell therein in all ages did and in every Nation now do give him honour For there is no time nor Country which hath not afforded many to confess and adore him that fills all places and endureth from everlasting to everlasting But if so many examples our of all mankind will not suffice to make us praise him devoutly and acknowledge him faithfully let us lift up our eyes to the Heavens which are replenished with Creatures more noble and glorious then we yet all these make it their imployment and account it their delight to glorifie his Name And we lately prayed that Gods will might be done on earth as it is in heaven How it is done there this excellent Hymn will shew you It opens Heaven to you nay with the Evangelical Prophet carries you thither to behold their Order Angels and Powers Cherubins and Seraphins Apostles Prophets and Martyrs This shews you their Imployment which is one and that you are now exercised in even to Praiâ—e the Lord every morning (a) Gen. 32.26 Dimitte me quia ascendit columna Aurorae apprepinquat hora Angelorum ad laudâ—ndum Deum Targ. Hierosol or rather every moment with never ceasing voices (b) Voce incessabili in S. Ambrose Nay you may learn their song (c) Isai 6.3 Sanctus Pater Sanctus Filius Sanctus Spiritus Cal. Par. Jon. Iâ—a olim legebal P. Galatinus even that mysterious Anthem to the Trinity by which they confess every Person and adore all So that you may at once learn what to believe and how to worship God Oh let us learn the song we must sing in Heaven when we shall bear a part in that Celestial Quire where all these glorious hosts ever magnifie their great Commander all Creatures of the Earth all the Lights of Heaven and the Innumerable and invincible Legions of Angels are listed under this our Lord fight for him and ever execute his commands Wherefore he is called Lord God of Sabaoth that is of the Armies and Powers of Heaven and Earth And since every one that is under him gives him honour the majesty of his glory must reach as far as his troops extend and they fill both the upper and lower world Joyn with these Angelick hosts now and you shall be joyned to them hereafter be not discouraged at the distance of your nature and Condition for there are alreâ—dy many of our bretheren which were oâ—ce as we are already glorious and admitted to this honour intermixed with this Society Oh see the faithful and painful Apostles see the zealous and holy Prophets behold the triumphant Army of devout and couragious Martyrs how they all rejoyce and sing The
Apostles are raviâ—hed with his glory whom they saw in his weaknâ—ss The Prophets are delighted with him whom they prophesied of but never beheld before The Martyrs are transpoâ—ted with his love and forgetting all their torments solace themselves in his joyes and every gaping wound (d) Quot vulnera hiantia tot ora laudantia Deum is a mouth to chant out his Praise Oh what honour is it to serve such a Lord what delight to be admitted to so glorious a society Summon up all the powers and fâ—culties of your souls and as they fill Heaven do yoâ— fill the Earth with setting out the Majesty of his Glory § 3. The second part of this Hymn in the eleven following versicles is a Confession of Faith And eveâ—y Aâ—ticle thereof is a fâ—rther motive to praise God eitâ—er foâ— the gâ—ory of his Essence or the mercy that appears in his works And since we see God at present only by Faith the Profession of that Faith is to us reputed a glorifying of him (e) Rom. 15.6 The Saints and Angels have a fâ—ll view and what they â—o by Joy we do by Faith and holy desires of a nearer union Aâ—d certainly we cannot set out the Majesty of his Glory better then by assenting to that Revelation which his Truth hath made of himself and by confessing him that the glorious Hosts of Heaven adore and the Universal Châ—â—ch doth and ever did acknowledge For so we agree in a sweet harmony with the Saints and Angels in heaven and with all holy men our Bretheren on the earth For the unanimous consent of the Servants is a manifestation of the Masters honour And it is an evidence that our Lord is really such and so glorious as we believe him to be since all unite in the profession of it Aâ—d this holds good most evidâ—ntly in the great mistery of the Trinity which the Celestial Quire owns by their Trisagium Holy Hâ—ly Holy And the Catholick Church hath most unanimously acknowledged most sacredly kept and most courageously defended above all other Articles so that all those agree in this who differ in many other points Let us then chearfully acknowledge the infinite Majesty of the Father who governs all Creatures and declare the honour of his true and only Son whose Glory is great in our salvation Let us confess the Divinity of that holy Spirit who is our Advocate in Heaven and our Comforter (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 u rumque signif Johan 14.16 1 Ep. Johan 2. ver 1. upon the Earth Above all let us be carefull that the humiliation of our mercifull Redeemer do not abate of our esteem To prevent which the Church in this Hymn as also in all her Creeds makes the largest and most particular Confession of the Son of God and we have here a full account of Divinity and Humanity because by the malice of Sathan these have been so confounded and mistaken by so many Heresies and we have also a recital of those works of his which most concern us because it is the interest of us all to know and believe these which more directly tend to our salvation then any other of the works of God and therefore do more strongly engage our gratitude for we shall find abundaâ—t matter of Praise both in what Jesus is in his nature and what he hath done for us He is very God and therefore we give â—im that title which alone belongs to the Lord of hosts and St. Ambrose the best interpreter of this Hymn saith (g) Psal 24 7. 10. Quis est iste Rex gloriae Respondetur à scientibus Dominus virtutùm ipse est Rex gloriae Ergo Dominus virtutùm est ipse filius Ambros de Fide lib. 4. that twenty fourth Psalm was sung by the Angels at our Saviours Resurrection those who came with him calling to those in Heaven to open the gates for the King of Glory who answered them as it is in that Psalm And we may call him the King of Glory both as he is very God and because he hath purchased Glory for us and shall distribute it to us and shall receive glory and praise from us and all that are partakers of it And his glory depends not on our praises but is inseparable from his nature because he is the true and only begotten Son of God not Created as the Angels nor Adopted as Men but by Eternal Generation Coeternal with the Father and Coequal What though he was born in time the Son of Man this doth not take away his Being the Son of God nor change his nature but express his love and engage our affections Dear Jesus whether hath thy love carried thee from Glory to misery from the highest Throne in Heaven to the lower parts of the Earth (h) Ephes 4.9 Pudorem exordii nostri non recusaâ—iâ— sed contumelias naturae nostrae transcurrit Hilar How hast thou pursued â—s through all the stages of our infelicity from the dishonours of the Womb to those of the Tombe not abhorring the meanest place that was pure nor the lowest condition that Innocence could be put into What cause have we to bless thee (i) Ideo quod homo est Christus esse voluit ut homo possit esse quod Christus est who wert pleased to become what we were that we might be not what we deserved but as thou art Holy Saviour we believe and rejoyce in believing that thou wast born like us livedst with us and diedst for us and that death was our life it was shameful and inglorious sharp and tormenting so terrible as might startle a great confidence in a good cause But it was not more bitter to thee then sweet to us We even we Oh Lord had armed Death with a sting sharp and venomous for our sin had provoked the Divine wrath And this sting though with the suffering (k) 1 Cor. 15.57 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devicto mortis aâ—uleo Ambr. of inexpressible dolours thou hast pulled out and having satisfied the Justice of God canst now triumph over death it self and enable us with comfort to say O Death where is thy sting with which thou didst threaten all the World with unavoidable destruction Who can behold what thou hast suffered and we have escaped and not be ravished with thy Love Oh blessed Lord Jesus The way to Heaven was ever open to Innocence but we all had sinned and come short of the glory of God Heaven gates were shut against us and Hells mouth open to receive us And in this estate our life had been worse then death by the dreadful expectations of deserved vengeance and our death had certainly delivered us up to feel what we feared Do we live with any comfort 'T is thou hast removed our fears Can we dye with any peace It is thou alone hast renewed our hopes if any men that are or ever were or shall be are admitted into this Kingdome
benedicam tibi laudabo nomen tuum c. Vulg. Lat. only altering the Tense and Person Lord help us for we are thy servants paying thee the daily tribute of Praise Whatever thou bestowest on us will not be forgotten nor buâ—ied in ungratefull silence We meet in thy house every day to magnifie thee in this manner and to set our the glory of thy Name in every thing thou dost for u. Withold not thy mercy for we will not withold thy Praise and since we resolve daily to do the work of Angelâ— Lord keep us pure as they are for praise is neither seemly nor acceptable in the mouth of a sinner Let not us who are thy servants in the morning be the devils slaves before night (z) Coepisti meliùs quam desinis ultima primis Distant but preserve us holy all day that our afternoon sins may not rob us of the benefit of this dayes Praises nor indispose us against the next morning when our duty will return Dear Jesus look on our frailty and strengthen us look on our guilt and misery and Pardon us We cry earnestly and double our request Jesus Master (a) Math. 20.30 31. have mercy on us have mercy on us for our needs are great and pressing unless we find mercy for former sins we must be condemned by thee and except we obtain mercy for future assistance we shall be overcome by Sathan Oh shut not out our Prayer consider not our merits but our distress we know we deserve nothing but we have great hopes such is thy transcendent goodness that we shall have what we desire Those that were better then we have put words in our mouths who in the Psalms (b) Psal 33.22 Sit misericordia tua Domine super nos quemadmodum speravimus in te Psal 31.1 In te Domine speravi non confundar in aeternum Vulg. Lat. did not urge thee as if they had been worthy but only trusted in thy mercy and so do we We rely not on our selves or any Creature but on thee alone for we know thou canst help us and we have a persuasion thou wilt All the world sees by our daily attendance on thee that all our expectations are from thee Oh do not disappoint those hopes that are grounded on thy tender mercy least Sathan upbraid us and the world slight us (c) Ezra 8.22 Psal 22.7 8. and then which way can we look Lord be it unto us according to our Faith Amen Amen The Paraphrase of the Te Deum WE Praise thee most heartily for all we have learned out of thy holy Word O God and it shall be our care as it is our duty to observe thy Will since we acknowledge thee to be the Lord to whom we owe all Duty and Obedience We esteem it our happiness and honour to be accounted thy servants who art Lord of all the world and aâ—l the earth with its Inhabitants joyns with us and doth worship thee who aâ—t from Eternity and in all ages hast been acknowledged to be the Father everlasting Nor doth this lower world alone own thy Supremacy but Praise is given to thee by the several Orders of all Anâ—â—â—s who with harmonious voices cry aloud in proclaiming thy glory which is ever set forth by all the hosts of the Heavens the Thrones Dominions Principalities and the Powers that are therein To thee O God triumphant Hymns are sung in that Celestial Quire For the Cherubin on one side and the Seraphin on the other with ravishing melody chart thy Praise and in their mysterious adorations they continually do cry one to another Holy Father Holy Son Holy Spirit three Persons but one Lord thou art tâ—e most mighty God of Savaoth the supream commander of all the hosts of Heaven of us and the innumerable myriods of blessed Spirits Thou makest us happy with beholding and the Sons of men with expecting thy glory so that all the Inhabitants of Heaven and Earth rejoyce in thee because all parts of the Universe are full of those manifestations of thy power and goodness which declare the majesty of thy glory Thus the Angels sing and for our great comfort many of our bretheren now glorified bear a part with them The glorious company of the Apostles who Preached Christ and with unwearied diligence and patience admirable courage and fidelity shewed he was come to save the world these are now in those regions of bliss and there for ever praise thee As also all those harbingers of thy Sons comming inspired at sundry times and in divers manners these are now met in glory and make up the goodly fellowship of the Prophets whose words we read on earth but they now are happy in beholding him of whom they foretold and now continually praise thee To all which blessed numbers are added those undaunted Legions who sealed the truth of the Prophets predictions and the Apostles preaching with their blood even The noble army of Martyrs who conquered infidelity and cruelty by Faith and Patience these now are passed from torments to their reward and they with all other Saints and Angels with united hearts and voices sweetly praise tâ—ee Oh Lord we long to be there that we might see thee as clearly and praise thee as heartily as they do But since we can now know thee only by Faith we must glorifie thee by agreeing with The holy Church even our faithful bretheren throughout all the world in the Confession of that True Faith whereby every good Christian doth acknowledge thee to be what thou hast revealed thy self to be in thy holy word We believe in that Trinity which the Angels worship even in thee the Father who by creating and governing all the World declaredst thy self to be of an infinite Majesty And we believe in him that is equal in glory with thee and one in nature thine honourable true and only begotten Son who hath redeemed us that we of slaves of Sathan might be thy adopted Sons We do believe and acknowledge also the Holy Ghost to be very God equal to and with the Father and the Son and is the advocate for us in Heaven and the Comforter of us on the Earth And these Three Persons are One God Thy grâ—cious condescension O blessed Jesus shall not Eclipse thy Divine Perfection for though thou camest in our likeness to Redeem us yet we believe thou art equal with the Father and the King of Glory for thou ever wa st most glorious in thy self and thou O Christ art anointed of God a King and Priest for ever From eternity thou art God neither hadst thou thy beginning when thou wast made the Son of Man for thou art the everlasting Son begotten of the Father before the world began Yet blessed be thy name thou didst change thy Glory for Misery and sufferedst thy Eternity to be measured by time for when thou tookest upon thee that glorious design to deliver man from eternal death thou didst not abhor the meanest
advantage which occasions that joy wherefore we are most of all obliged to rejoyce with the blessed Virgin both as she was the Mother of our Redeemer according to the flesh and because we may be so according to the spirit the Lesson we now heard is out of the Old Testament and as there we find the Records and Examples of the Divine Mercy to the Pious and humble and of his Vengeance upon the Proud and arrogant so here we find a Form of Praise for those dispensations of Gods Providence and since all the deliverances of Gods people there related are founded on this mercy of our Redemption or flow from it or are directed to it this Hymn will teach us to turn the Old Testament into Gospel and with the holy Patriarchs (l) Gen. 49.18 Non expecto redemptionem Sampsonis quae est salus transitoria sed expecto redemptionem Messiae filii David Targ. ever to apply all to this great salvation of which all other mercies were but types Behold then the Mother of Jesus saying to you Oh praise the Lord with me (m) Psal 34.4 and let us magnifie his name together let us shew forth the greatness of his power and goodness for we cannot set out his Perfections with any advantage nor represent him greater then really he is as we often magnifie one another but then we magnifie the Lord when we declare what we apprehend him to be and let us advance his glory as high as is possible for there is no danger of exceeding our Praises will be short but they must be real wherefore before we can bear a part in this Anthem we must get our souls affected with a sense of his infinite Power and our minds exalted with the belief of his excellent mercy so our praise shall be no complement but our soul and spirit shall bear their part and our thanksgiving may be real as his favours are let his wonderful love present it self to your affections and bring out your wonder and joy your hopes and desires to behold the sweetness till these passions begin to be enamoured on it and moved by it and then they will carry a lovely notion and fair Idea of it to the mind and so effectually recommend it that the whole inward man shall be ravished with the beautiful prospect and every faculty of the soul and part of the affections shall unite into a devout celebration of the divine love and mercy Behold the holiest of Women observe where she fixes her eye and whether she directs her Praises she rejoyceth not in her own excellencies nor doth she magnifie her self but God her Saviour which may check our vanity who are so apt in a prosperous success and unexpected exaltation to sacrifice to our own deserts (n) Hoc ego feci non fortuna dict Timoth. ducis to crown our selves though we snatch it from the head of Heavens King but sure since he gives the blessing he deserves the honour (o) Tuum Domine est bonum tua itaque est gloria Qui enim de bono tuo gloriam sibi quaerit non tibi fur est latro similisque diabolo qui voluit furare gloriam tuam August Soliloqu c. 15. and he that paies it not is a double thief and steals the gift and the glory also for both are his She that was the Mother of Jesus after the flesh thinks it no disparagement to confess her Son to be her Saviour but rejoyceth that he was so let not us then think we are saved from temporal evils or can be from eternal death without him and let us esteem it a greater honour to us and a surer ground of our rejoycing that the most high God is become our Salvation then if we had our strength in our own hands § 2. There is nothing gives the dimensions of Gods love to us more truly then the sight and sense of our vileness when we behold our selves so low and despicable as indeed we are then the glories of the Divine Majesty in stooping to us and looking on us in our low estate will shine in their native lustre when we see how worthless we are and what favour we have obtained beyond our expectations as much as our deserts then our souls will magnifie the Lord in the apprehensions of his greatness and our spirits rejoyce in the admirable goodness of God our Saviour Thus the blessed Virgin was inspired with these Seraphical extasies of joy by looking on the mean Condition in which this infinite mercy surprised her she was not arrived to the honour of marriage and in the opinion of the daughters of Jerusalem who esteemed it a huge reproach and a great affliction (p) 1 Sam. 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX pro sterilitate ut Gen. 29.32 to be without Children her estate was disgraceful and her fortunes were really dishonourable for though she sprung from the blood Royal of Judah yet she was then a poor obscure maid unknown to the world but regarded by him that loves to lodge in the lowest hearts (q) Isai 57.15 of the poor and pious as well as in the highest heavens she was in her lowest estate the Lords hand-maid and devoutly served him day and night and her Piety sanctified her Poverty and drew the eye of God to regard her as he will the meanest of us if our obedience equal hers and especially if our minds be as low as our estate is for so was this excellent Virgins who by lowliness here means not her humility for it had argued Pride to have so high a conceit of her lowliness of mind as to believe it obliged Gods favour there it was her meanness and poverty (r) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abjectionem humilem conditionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verò humilitatem significare asserit Erasmus which she so freely confesseth and heartily praiseth God for regarding No doubt her humility was eminent in her afflicted condition for when she was advanced to be the Mother of the Worlds Saviour she seeks no greater honour then to be stiled the hand-maid of the Lord ver 38. Oh Blessed Soul that was ever the same neither dejected in her affliction nor puffed up with her exaltation but serves God chearfully in the one and praises him heartily for the other She beholds an infinite and lasting honour prepared for her not alone among the daughters of one place or Generation (s) Gen. 30.13 Syr. pro gloriâ med for she was to be the Mother of a Universal and Everlasting blessing which all former ages had desired and all future times should rejoyce in and Both would proclaim her happy above all Women who should be the Instrument of this Mercy And yet she resigns all this glory to him that gave it her and declares whence she received it (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophilac in loc that not her name but his may have the glory and sure she deserves
which shined on so many millions of wretched Heathens benighted in the darkness of Idolatry and made them Christian I will bless thee for honouring thy antient but despised people who were more enabled by the birth of Jesus then by all their former Royalties and victorious Trophies and instead of the bright Cloud the glory of the Tabernacle thou hast sent him to pitch his tent among them who was the brightness of thy own glory I am ravished to behold so many joyful souls blessing thee for this light which shined on them in their sins and the confines of eternal darkness and converted and translated them into thy marvelous light And all thy holy Saints in all ages have given thee the glory for all those illustrious beams of Love and Charity Piety Justice and Devotion which shine from their lives and are but the reflexion of the rayes of the grace of Jesus This excellent person rejoyced not only in his own felicity but to behold by the Spirit of Prophecy what joy Jesus was like to bring to me and many thousands of Converts and holy Men to the end of the World Wherefore let us be glad and rejoyce with him for our selves and all people for the light that shines upon us and the glory that is round about us and with all our Souls sing Glory be to the Father c. The Paraphrase of the Nunc Dimittis I Desire not to live in this world any longer then I have laid hold of thy Salvation which since thy Word and Spirit hath now discovered to me I have all I can wish for here therefore Lord now lettest thou thy command go forth that thy servant who hath longed hitherto to injoy thee may depart quietly out of this miserable world and be dismissed from the prison of the flesh I can now leave it in peace being assured thou wilt make good all other Promises since in giving thy dear Son thou hast done so exactly according to thy word My desires are satisfied and my faith confirmed as much as is possible in this world For mine eyes inlightened by thy holy Spirit have seen by Faith in thy blessed word him that is my Redeemer and brings thy salvation to me and all the world I cannot contain nor yet express my joy to behold this lovely Peace-maker w ich thou hast not only manifested in the flesh to the infinite delight of thy servants then but prepared by the discovery of thy holy Gospel to appear most gloriously before the face of all people that ever were or shall be This glorious Sun of Righteousness hath shined on all the Earth his word is a light to lighten the dismal regions of the unconverted heathens and the Gentiles that knew not God His doctrine instructed them and hath converted many and his presence and his grace is the honour and the glory of all true believers the joy and comfort of thy people Israel so that we and all the world are bound to praise thee for thy Gospel and thy son here on Earth and to continue our song to all Eternity when thou lettest us depart from hence Amen The last Hymn after the second Lesson viz. the LXVII Psalm § 6. AFter those parts of the Epistles which are more Doctrinal as containing the excellent principles and precepts of the Christian Religion we may seasonably use this rare piece of Davids devotion which contains most passionate wishes for the propagation of the knowledge of these incomparable truths throughout all the world and zealous desires that they may be known to all as they are to us whereby we declare our high esteem of them our hearty thankfulness for them and our sincere desires that all men might have the benefit and God the glory by them which is a seasonable return for those instructions we have now received out of Gods holy word and these very Petitions are an act of Eucharist and Praise The first Verse is the first Request even that God would be gracious to us in forgiving our sins giving us his grace to profit and outwardly expressing the kindness of his heart by the smiles of his countenance The second Verse is the end why we desire this felicity to his Church that the divine goodness to us may invite many Converts in and the encrease of the Church will be our happiness as it is our desire The third Verse is the second Petition that we and all may so discern the excellency of his Laws that he may be universally praised by Jews and Gentiles Verse fourth both for the holiness of his Commands and the righteous administrations of his Providence And to shew how earnestly we desire Gods glory and how constantly it ought to be paid the same Petition is repeated ver 5. And to encourage all to it the blessed effects of this universal praise are added ver 6. and 7. For when we are thankful God will multiply his blessings the Church shall be replenished with grace and fruitful in good works and more will so be drawn to embrace this Sacred Religion Did we thus earnestly beg his grace to prosper his Word to us and heartily Praise him for it our selves and fervently wish the enlargement of Christs Kingdom God the Father and Jesus Christ even our own God and God the Holy Ghost would assuredly bless us To which holy and undivided Trinity be ascribed all Honour Glory and Praise by us and all the World now and for ever Amen SECTION XI The Analysis of the Apostles Creed In this Creed are two parts shewing what we believe 1 Concerning God 1. In general that there is A God One God I believe in God 2. In special as to the Persons of the Trinity 1. Person the Father His Nature the Father Almighty Works Creation Providence maker of Heaven and Earth 2. Person the Son 1. His Name and Offices Prophet Priest and King and in Iesus Christ 2. His Natures both the Divine and his only Son our Lord Humane in his Conception and Birth who was conceived by the holy ghost born of the Virgin Mary 3. His works 1. Redemption by 1. His Passion suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buryed he descended into hell 2. Resurrection the third day he rose again from the dead 3. Ascension and Interces◠he ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty 2. Final Judgement from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead 3. Person whose Name expresseth His Nature a Holy Spirit His Office to sanctifie us I believe in the Holy Ghost 2. Concerning our selves 1. Our Condition as to 1. Union the holy Catholique Church 2. Communion the communion of Saints 2. Our Priviledges 1. As to the Soul the forgiveness of sins 2. As to the Body the resurrection of the body and 3. As to both the life everlasting Amen A Discourse of the Creed § 1. THE Holy Scriptures being a perfect Revelation of all Divine Truth ought to
to pray to my Victorious Redeemer to rescue me from the snares of Sathan whom he hath conquered to obtain my justification in Heaven and to compleat my sanctification on Earth that I may serve him in new obedience and never lye as dead in sin more Art 6. I do also most firmly believe that the work of our Redemption being finished on Earth he ascended as a glorious Conquerour with great triumph into Heaven from whence he came and sitteth there in great glory now interceding for us and pleading his merits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty that we may be admitted thither for his sake Wherefore I am obliged and resolved to lift up my heart to him and trust in him in all my troubles to hope for the acceptance of my services to ascend thither now in my thoughts affections and desires that I may hereafter ascend in Person and have the full prospect and fruition of his glory And I am encouraged to call upon my glorified Mediator that he will preserve me in peace on Earth fill my soul with longings after Heaven and procure my acceptance there And that his power over Men and all Angels and his interest at the Throne of God may be imployed to bring me to himself Art 7. I do also most firmly believe that though Jesus be now in heaven yet at the end of the world from thence he shall come again most gloriously attended with millions of Angels to try and to judge all the world according to their deeds both the quick which shall then be found alive and the dead though departed never so long before Wherefore I am obliged and resolved daily to expect and diligently to prepare for his coming to Judgment by frequently examining and severely judging my self before by careful avoiding that which would then condemn me and by leaving all evil actions of others to receive their sentence at his Tribunal And I am encouraged to make my supplication to my Judge who also is my Saviour that he will forgive me and all my enemies and to beseech him to prepare us for this day by his Grace and to acquit us in it by his infinite merits and then none can condemn us for ever Art 8. Furthermore I believe most firmly in the third Person of the glorious Trinity the Holy Ghost the sanctifying spirit who is very God and by his assistance and blessing on the means of grace doth instruct convert strengthen and comfort all pious and pure souls Wherefore I am obliged and resolved to honour the holy Word of God to attend on all his Ordinances to follow the good motions of this blessed Spirit and in a lively hope and expectation of the assistance thereof to resist all evil and apply my self to all that is good And I am encouraged to pray by the help of this good Spirit for a blessing on the Word and Sacraments and all Religious duties that I may by them become still more wise and holy till I am sanctified throughout in Spirit and Soul and Body Art 9. I do also most firmly believe that God is and ever was acknowledged by and hath and ever will defend the Universal society of Believers in all ages and places called the holy Catholique Church who are all united unto Christ their head by grace and to one another by love as appears by the Communion of Saints in all offices of Piety and Charity among themselves Wherefore I am obliged and resolved to live in unity peace and charity as a useful member of this Church to adhere to the Faith professed by it to joyn in the Ordinances Administred in it and to do good to all that belong unto it And I am encouraged to pray with my bretheren for the encrease safety and peace of this Church for the flourishing of Religion the prosperity of the Princes sâ—ccess of the Ministers and unity of the members thereof that by our Concord and good works we may all appear living members of Christ Art 10. I do also most firmly believe that I and all true Christians upon our unfeigned Faith and hearty Repentance shall obtain the forgiveness of and a Pardon for all our sins through the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus Wherefore I am obliged and resolved never to forsake Christs Church to which this priviledge doth belong diligently to repent of all my Transgressions and chearfully to serve my God without fear neither doubting the truth of his Promise nor the sufficiency of my Redeemers merits And I am encouraged daily to make an humble Confession of my siâ—s with earnest supplications for Absolution and hearty Petitions that I may repent so truly that I may abhor and forsake all iniquity here and be fully acquitted from it at the last and great day Art 11. I do also most firmly believe that not only our souls remain after death but our whole man shall be restored to life again by the resurrection of the body howsoever corrupted or dispersed and its reuniting to the soul at the voice and by the power of the Son of God Wherefore I am obliged and resolved to keep this body in temperance soberness and chastity while I live to resign it chearfully when I dye to be steadfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord since I know my labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. And I am encouraged to pray through the first begotten from the dead for the sanctification of my vile body and a part in the first Resurrection that over me the second death may have no power and that I may be delivered in the greatest miseries of this life and supported under the very Agonies of Death Art 12. And finally I do most firmly believe that the wicked shall remain in endless torments while Gods faithful servants shall enjoy his presence and the society of Saints and Angels in the life whose joys are unspeakable and its glories everlasting which Faith I seal with a most hearty Amen Wherefore I am obliged and resolved to suffer patiently whatever happens in this transitory life to spend the moments thereof well to despise the short and empty pleasures of sin and to esteem nothing too good to loose too difficult to resist or too tedious to perform for the obtaining this happiness And lastly I am encouraged to pray to the purchaser of this Glory to comfort me in all the troubles of this life with the hopes and to carry me through all my duties here by the desires thereof and finally to bring me to the fruition of this bliss the fulfilling of all these hopes and desires hereafter Amen SECTION XII Of the Versicles and their Responsals before and after the Lords Prayer § 1. THe Lord be with you Answ And with thy Spirit If we have sincerely repeated our Creed together we have professed our Faith in God and declared our unity and agreement with one another and then we have cause to hope our Prayers will prevail
Festivals Good Friday Turks Sundaies and Festivals Good Friday Infidels Sundaies and Festivals Good Friday Hereticks Sundaies and Festivals Good Friday 2. Such as are in the Church 1. The whole body that it may be kept in 1. Truth Sundaies and Festivals St. John Good Friday 5. Epiphany 2. Unity Sundaies and Festivals St. Simon and Jude 3. Peace Sundaies and Festivals 5. Trinity 16. Trinity 22. Trinity 2. The Ministers that they may be Fit Sundaies and Festivals St. Matthias Diligent Sundaies and Festivals St. Peter Successful Sundaies and Festivals 3. Advent SECTION XIV Of the two Collects peculiar to the Morning Prayer The Analysis of the second Collect for Peace In this Collect are five parts 1. The Person to whom we make this request 1. His Nature O God who art 2. His Attributes the Autâ—or of peace and lover of concord 2. The reasons why we make it taken from 1. Our happiness in knowing him in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life 2. Our priviledge in serving him whose service is perfect freedom 3 The request it self specifying 1. The thing desired defend 2. The Persons by whom us thy humble servants 3. The time when in all assaults of our enemies 4. The ends for which we make it 1. The securing our Faith that we surely trusting in thy defence 2. The removing our fears may not fear the Power of any Adversaries 5 The means by which we hope to prevail through the might of Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Practical Discourse on the Collect for Peace § 1. O God who art the author of peace and lover of concord Peace hath alwaies been reputed the chiefest of earthly blessings both because of its own excellâ—ncies and because it is the Parent and the Nurse of all other comforts So that in the sacred dialect (u) Num. 6.26 in salutationibus Pax est Gen. 29.6 comprehendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drusius Si non pax nihil Adag Hebr. ap Fagium peace is used to signifie all good things â—lenty and prosperity health and joy and the undisturbed fruition of all these It is the felicity indeed of Earth â—here all is nothing without it and the Type of Heaven where all is comprehended in it wherefore the Christiaâ—s according to Gods command (x) Heb. 12.14 Jerem. 29.7 Psal 122.6 orbem quietum Tertul. Apolog. Pro arcendis hostibus vel auferendis vel temperandis adversis ut pro gentium pace salute Cypi Epist ad Demetr did ever follow it in their lives and â—eg it in their Prayers both as to the Heathens under whom they lived and the Church of God And in obedience to the Divine Command and imitation of such examples we also make it a part of our daily Office to pray for Peace And sure none can approach the throne of grace to ask this blessing with greater encouragements then we have For as the Church intimates our God is the author of Peace (y) Isâ—i 45.7 Matth. 5.9 and owns the peace-makers for his Children And instead of that dreadful title the Lord of hosts is in the New Testament (z) Rom. 15.33 Chap. 16.20 Philip. 4.9 ever stiled the God of Peace because he loves it and procures it (a) Psal 46.9 and commands us to make it and seek it with all men So that this Petition can never be rejected which is no more then Lord give us that which is agreeable to thy nature pleasant in thy sight and which we by thy command continually do follow after And as he delights to preserve his servants in Peace from all enemies without so also to behold them live in unity and concord within among themselves Hence he also commends and commands this (b) Psal 68.6 133.1 2. Rom. 15.5 6. Acts 2.44 and did so firmly bind the souls of the first believers in the bands of amity and concord that all the powers of darkness could not dissolve those holy combinations Wherefore set these Attributes of God before you when you are to beg for Peace and let them encourage you to ask chearfully and teach you as you desire to please him to endeavour after Peace and Concord in your lives that your actions may not contradict your Prayers wherein you own your selves sons of the God of peace § 2. In knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life whose service is perfect freedom It will further encourage our request if we here make humble acknowledgments of and pleasing reflexions upon our happiness in having relation to such a God the perfect knowledge of whom is the felicity of the Saints of Heaven (c) John 17.3 and his worship and service the safety of his holy ones on earth It is the most ravishing of all the delights of Eternity for blessed spirits to take a full prospect of the immense treasures of the unexpressible love of the God of Peace and to behold how he rejoyces over the endearing Concord and inseparable mities of his chosen ones in his everlasting peace And that little discovery which he hath mâ—de to us in this imperfect state of his power and providence his care and love his delight in our concord and procuring our peace even this is the greatest help to bring â—s to those endless joys For when we behold the miseries of the world the rage of wicked men and the malice of Sathan we might in despair 〈◊〉 escape them comply with them for our present safety and so lose our eternal happiness But only that we know him who is able to secure us and delights in our peace and therefore we fly to him call upon him and incourage our selves in him in the greatest appearance of danger and thereby are kept through Faith unto salvation and brought at last to that eternal life which we should scarce dare to hope for but by our knowledge and experience of his power and mercy This is the reason why we now entreat him for peace whom we know to be the Author of Peace even that we may improve our knowledge of him to be a means to bring us to that never ceasing peace in his heavenly Kingdom and to shew us from whom we must seek protection all the way And further we declare that we neither are nor desire to be masters of our selves For our liberty consists not in being subject to no superior but in that we are the servants (d) John 8.32.36 1 Cor. 7.22 Dion Drus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 14. of so almighty and gracious a master who preserves us a thousand times safer then if we were left to our selves We are now directly engaged in his service and therefore under his immediate proteâ—â—ion so that now we have a perfect freedom even from the very fears of any harm from the worst of our enemies We that trembled like slaves and bowed our necks to sinful complyances in every appearance of danger do now pray most chearfully for peace and are as free men
will obtain help from him for us by the power of his undenyable intercession and as a glorious Conqueror commands the Earth and Hell it self So that his might will secure us here and this is our strong Tower in which we believe our selves so safe that upon the confidence thereof we pray for protection and defence and that we may neither fear nor feel harm from any of our opposers and desire this may be granted and decreed in heaven by the mighty interest of our Mediator there and accomplished on earth by the invincible strength of the same Jesus here Amen The Paraphrase of the Collects for Peace O God who by thy constant power and providence art the author of safety and the cause of our peace from without the procurer of amity and lover of concord within thy Church and among thy people Thou art the only true God in knowledge of whom standeth out chief happiness in eternal life and our best means of coming safe thither for thou art the best of all Masters whose service is safe and pleasant because it is perfect freedom from the slavery of Sathan and the fear of his instruments Therefore mighty Lord be pleased to defend us who fly to thy protection and surrender up our selves to thee vowing we are and ever will be thy humble servants Oh keep us safe in soul and body if not from yet however in all assaults which are made upon us by the power malice or cunning of our enemies let their attempts be so constantly frustrated that we under the shadow of thy wings may couragiously proceed in our holy course and surely trusting in thy defence while we are faithful to thy service that we may not so much as fear the power or policy of any adversaries since we have so good grounds to hope thou wilt now and alwaies hear us through the interest and help us through the might of Iesus Christ thy dear son our Lord and only Saviour Amen The Analysis of the third Collect for Grace In this Collect are four parts 1. A confession of the Attributes of God 1. Love O Lord our heavenly Father 2. Power Almigâ—ty and 3. Eternity everlastiâ—g God 2. An acknowledgment of his Providence Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day 3. A Petition for â—is grace 1. To preserve us from evil 1. In general defend us in the same with thy mighty power 2. In particular from 1. Spiritual and grant that this day we fall into no sin 2. Temporal neither run into any kind of danger 2. To help us in doing good that we may be 1 Directed by him but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance 2. Accepted of him to do alwâ—ies that which is righteous in thy sight 4. The means to obtain it through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Practical Discourse on the Collect for Grace § 5. O Lord our heavenly Father almighty and everlasting God Peace without Grace is the nurse of vice the sauce of dangerous pleasures It occasions our forgetfulness of God that gave it and becomes an undisturbed opportunity to prosecute and enjoy those lusts which it is apt to breed So that we must not pray for Peace alone but joyned with righteousness and Grace for these God hath united in Scripture (n) Psal 85.10 2 Cor. 1 2. and we must not separate them in our devotions For which cause this Collect for Grace follows that for Peace Grace alone can make Peace true beneficial and lasting and sin is the great boutefen and the greatest enemy to Peace in the world So that by receiving this Collect devoutly we still improve our former request and if we can obtain such grace as to make us just and charitable meek and patient towards one another this world will be the Type of everlasting Peace We shall neither disquiet our selves nor others while our doings are directed by the wisdome and agreeable to the will of the God of peace Since therefore Grace is so necessary for us we must learn where to seek it and its very name will lead (o) Gratia est gratis data non meritis operantis sed miseratione donantis August Epist 120. us to the free and inexhaustible fountain whence it ever flows even to God who gives to all men liberally and upbraideth no man The very Heathens confessed it the gift of God (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. Mem. Nulla sine Deo mens bona Seneca who will rejoyce to hear such a request from an humble soul that is sensible of its own weakness and desirous of his strength He will be more ready to grant then you can be to ask (q) Luke 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maxim Tyrius in dissert Consider but the Attributes the Church hath prefixed to this Prayer Is not the Lord your heavenly Father and shall not he pitty and love you and delight to do you good Is he not Almighty and therefore able to relieve you and Everlasting the same yesterday today and for ever Being All-sufficient and never to be drawn dry though we come day by day unto him We have no reason to doubt either his sufficiency his might or his mercy and therefore no cause to fear but this Petition shall prevail We are on Earth but we have a Father in Heaven we are weak but our Lord is Allmighty our time is measured by daies and nights and we grow older every day and must at length have our end but we have a God that changeth not but is the same from everlasting to everlasting Let this chear our hearts (r) Psal 102.25 26 27. and give wings to our Petitions and strength to our faith Let us fly to him and rest upon him for we can never come to him for grace but we are sure to find him furnished with it and both able and ready to bestow it upon us § 6. Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day The Mercies of God are new every morning and so ought our Praises to be (s) Lament 3.23 Psal 92.1 2. Occurrere ergo ad solis Ortum ut te Oriens invenint jam paratum Ambr. in Psal 119. offered still with a fresh Devotion to which purpose being now come to the shore it will be a pleasant and profitable prospect to look back on the great deep the darkness of the night which we have passed and now to remember that though we were folded in the arms of sleep the brother of death and were insensible of danger and uncapable of resistance yet we have gone safe through those dismal shades which are the image of hell the embleme of death the opportunity of mischief and the most uncomfortable part of our lives And though the Heathens supposed the Dominion of the Night to belong to the Infernal Powers yet we have found it is under the government of our heavenly Father by whose gracious providence we have been kept therein from
they are inferior to him in the extent of their dominion as well as in the quality of their dignity power and authority There is a Providence in Scripture attributed to Governors (q) Acts 24.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graec. who as they sit on their thrones above all their subjects so that heigth is the embleme of the advantage they have to behold and a Monitor of the duty lying on them to take care of all that are under their charge But the most vigilant Princes with all their faithful Ministers who are as so many eyes and ears to them find it difficult enough to oversee and provide for the inhabitants of one Kingdome Whereas the King of Kings hath the Heaven for his throne (r) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orpheus Isai 66.1 Psal 97.9 and the Earth for his footstool and as he sits higher so he sees further the◠they From his throne he beholds all the world the meanest are not below his cognizance nor the greatest above his reach He sees and rules all which gave ground to that Egyptian Hieroglyphick which represented God by an eye in a scepter the emblems of Providence and Authority And in the sacred pages the same thing is expressed by the Phrase of Beholding from his Throne (s) Psal 33.14 Isai 63.14 For the Divine Majesty is no idle spectator but improves the heighth of his seat and the universal prospect he hath from thence to the good of all mankind His eye denotes his care for he sees the necessities (t) Psal 34.15 Gen. 22.14 Deus videbit al. providebit and considers the wants and desires of all men and of every particular and orders his supplies accordingly So that his Providence and Dominion is over all the earth and no Monarch need account it a dishonour to bow before this mighty Lord and his glorious throne § 4. Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Soveraign Lord King CHARLES Since all mankind is under the eye and care of God no doubt he hath an especial regard to Kings and Princes on whose safety the welfare of all the rest next under his own providence doth depend (u) Nihil est illi principi Deo acceptius quam concilia coetusque hominûm quae Civitates appellantur earumque rectores servatores hinc profecti hûc revertuntur Cicer. som Scip. He cheifly delights in men as they are united into Societies by charity and laws and for the preservation of these unions his principal care is for those he hath set over them who are the bond of the rest We may therefore cheerfully pray for an especial and more particular providence over our gracious King because God doth usually grant this and because he needs it more then ordinary persons do His duty is more difficult his abundance exposeth him to more temptations and his heigth to more dangers then any of his people and yet his preservation is far more necessary and of universal concernment (x) 2 Sam. 18.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutar. vit Pelopid Cum tot ab hac animâ populorum vita salusque Pendeat Lucan for he is worth ten thousand of us and we had need pray heartily to God to save him who doth defend us all He stands in need of more wisdome to direct him more power to protect him more care to preserve him then other men and therefore we pray that the King of heaven will shew a particular favour to him A pious and religious King doth as earnestly seek and as much valew a favourable look from the Majesty of heaven as any of his Courtiers do a smile from his countenance (y) Psal 84.9 Psal 21.6 Psal 4. ver 7 8. Lord saith holy David look upon the face of thine anointed and thou wilt make me glad with the joy of thy Countenance yea more joyful then the worlding is in the encrease of his admired wealth And methinks it should fill our Souls with awful and noble thoughts of our glorious Lord God to see Kings in the light of whose countenance is life and whose favour is a dew upon the grass (z) Prov. 19.6 Chap. 16.15 courting so humbly and needing so mightily the favour of the Majesty of heaven Let us joyn our most hearty requests that what our deer Soveraign wants and wishes he may have if he were a Saul or a Nero we should sin in ceasing to pray for him (a) 1 Sam. 12.23 But no affections nor passions are too fervent no opportunities too often to call upon God for our gracious King who is our lawful and natural Liege Lord a just possesser of his Crown a worshiper of God a defender of the faith a maker of good laws and an executor of the same who secures our rights protects us from publique enemies and Private fraudes and endeavours to choose fit and faithful governours both for Church and State For such an one we must pray not only out of obedience to God and the Churches order but out of our private love and particular affection as St. Ambrose (b) Meque non solum officio publico debitas pendere preces sed etiam amore privato Amb. ep ad Gr. did for the Emperour Gratian. To quicken us whereunto we may do well to call to mind the miseries of the Church of God under persecuting heathens of old later furious Romanists and the particular calamities of this Church under the late usurpers and then we shall discern what praise we owe to God and what love to our gracious King whose name ought to be so deer to us that in our daily office we should wish it written in heaven and registred in the book of life as well as in the leaves of the Churches devotions § 5. And so replenish him with the Grace of thy holy Spirit that he may alwaies incline to thy will and walk in thy way Grace is so constant a companion and so certain an effect of the Divine favour that the Greek expresseth both by one word So that if we can prevail with God to look favourably on our Soveraign we may be assured he will give bountifully to him And since the first and choicest of his largesses is the Grace of his holy Spirit we first beg that he may have a constant and bountiful supply of that of which he needs a double portion For the temptations of a Prince are many to pride and luxury to carelesness and vanity his faithful friends very few who either will or dare inform or advise him without partiality and self interest his Concerns are weighty since the welfare of Church and State depend upon them his example prevalent and usually made the incouragement of virtue or the excuse of vice All which declares the danger of Governors to be very great to fall into evil waies and their preservation from them to be the greatest blessing wherefore all faithful subjects and good men cease
which hath enabled us with one accord and a fervent devotion to make our Addresses to thee with new affections even in the presenting these our daily and common supplications unto thee we confess thou hast helped us to ask and therefore hope thou intendest to give and the rather because thou hast assured us and dost promise that when two or three even the smallest number of the faithful in obedience to thy command are gathered together to offer up their united prayers to the Father in thy name they shall find thee present in the midst of them for thou wilt grant their requests Wherefore since we have called upon thee by thine aid and are assembled in thy name fulfill now O Lord unto us this gracious promise and mercifully accept the desires and meditations which have been sent from the hearts the prayers and Petitions uttered from the mouths of thy Servants supplying their wants with the best things and at the fittest times as may be judged by thy infinite wisdome most expedient for them But however thou dealest in all other things let the interest of our souls be secured both here and hereafter by thy granting us in this world daily experiments and further knowledg of thy truth in the fulfilling of thy promises and the granting of our prayers that so we may never forsake thee here and in the world to come our happiness shall be compleated by thy bringing us then to life everlasting through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Blessing taken out of 2 Corinth 13. ver ult § 9. THe grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen In all Religious Assemblies it hath been the custome to dismiss the people with a Blessing which was wont to be pronounced by the principal Person present (k) Heb. 7.7 sometimes by the King (l) 2 Sam. 6.18 1 Kings 8.55 but most commonly by the Priests (m) Numb 6.23 24 ver c. whose office was to bless in the Name of the Lord. And therefore under the Law there was a particular form of Benediction which the Jews to this day observe so religiously that they believe it ought to be repeated in the Holy Tongue (n) Fagius in Numb 6. Buxtorf Synag c. 14. See Nehem. 8.6 and to be received by the People with all reverence bowing their heads and prostrating their bodies so that no man may presume to look upon the Priests hands when they are stretched out to give it because they say then the glory of God rests upon them And in the Christian Church also they ever concluded with a blessing 't is likely the same we now use being endited by the Holy Spirit and used by St. Paul in the close of his Epistle to the Corinthians concerning which it was ordered that the Assembly should bow their heads (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Constit Ante benedictionem sacerdotis egredi populus non presunat Concil Agath can 31. when it was pronounced and decreed by a Councel that none might depart out of the Church till it was given But to give a greater strength to these Orders let us consider the excellency of this Divine Blessing and sure its own perfections will oblige us to stay for it and engage us to receive it with all devotion and reverence The legal Benediction was no more but a wish for temporal felicity but this contains the whole order of our salvation and brings in the glorious Trinity with the several gifts of each Person to make us compleatly happy The Father indeed is first in order but we begin with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that is the benefits purchased by his Passion because that is the first mover in our acceptance and obtains both the love of God the Father and the Communication of the Holy Ghost What can the pious soul ask or desire which is not comprehended in this Blessing here is the grace of the Son to pardon our sin the love of the Father to supply our wants the fellowship of the Blessed Spirit to strengthen our weakness The first to redeem us the second to justifie us the third to sanctifie us and all these not only at this present but to be confirmed to us and remain with us even when we are gone from the holy place in life and death and for ever Nor are these only desired but they are pronounced over us by the Embassador of God whom he hath sent to bless in his name and this Minister of Heaven being cheared with observing our Devotion doth from his soul wish and Ministerially as far as in him lies dispense these unspeakable blessings to us And what he doth on Earth shall be ratified in Heaven to every truly holy man Oh let us bow our heads and open our hearts to receive this universal blessing as from God himself and depart from the holy place full of comfort and joy that we have such a preservative against all evil and such a guide and encouragement to all good even the blessing of God to be with us and remain upon us for ever and to this let all the people say Amen The Blessing Paraphrased LEt The Grace and all the benefits of the death of our Lord Iesus Christ merit our Absolution and the love of God the Father seal our justification and the fellowship and Communication of the Graces of the Holy Ghost perfect our sanctification And let all these at present be with us and rest upon us all evermore Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS ERRATA The Reader is desired to excuse and amend the following Errata occasioned by the Authors great distance from the Press PReface page 8. read Pet. p. 8. marg l. 12. r. infirmorum p. 12. l. 5. r. recover it ib. marg l. 3. r. confectus p. 18. l. 2. r not approach p. 21. l. 1. r. had need be p. 22. marg l. 13. r. accipiat ib. l. 21. r. Magistri ib. l. 23. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 29. marg l. 3. r. Acies p. 32. l. 21. r. not be p. 35. l. 14. marg r. Quinque p. 43. l. 3. r. Sec. 1. § 5. p. 22 p. 66. marg l. 8. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 70. marg l. 4. r. tribus p. 72. l. 22. r. bloodshot p. 81. marg l. 10. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 90. marg l. 13. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 94. l. 12. r. in your p. 96. l. 4. r. sectile p. 105. marg l. 8. r. ignoscentium p. 114. marg l. 1. r. r. Lev. 10.13 p. 118. l. 29. r. it act ib. marg l. 11. r. nisi p. 129 marg l. 12. r. Med. p. 174. l. 24. r. reference p. 184 l. 30. dele 11 p. 199. marg l. 14. r. è p. 216. marg l. 13. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 229. l. 35 r. his Divinity p 259. l. 21. r. therefore it p. 260. marg l. 13. r. hi veâ—o p. 269. marg l. 1. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 271. l. 3. r. enobled p. 313. marg l. 3. r. Prus ib. marg l. ult r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 315. l. 31. r. the other p. 319. l. 15. r. reciting p. 320. marg l. 18. r. occurre p. 349. marg l. 17. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
all-seeing eye behold all the dwellers upon earth especially thine anointed ones on whose safety the welfare of the rest depends In all loyal affection to our King we most heartily intreat thee and in all lowly regard to thy glorious Majesty we beseech thee by thy particular providence to defend and with thy especial love and favour to behold thy servant and our most gracious Soveraign Lord King Charles that in his safety and happiness we may have peace and comfort and so replenish him with all holy and virtuous qualities by filling his heart with the grace of thy holy Spirit to make him a most religious Prince that he may in his counsels and intentions alwaies incline to choose that which is agreeable to thy will and in his actions and undertakings ever follow the rule of thy word and walk in thy way And that he may be fitted for the due Administration of so great a charg endue him plenteously with the spirit of wisdom and courage and such an extraordinary measure of all heavenly Gifts as may declare him thy anointed And that he may be every way blessed grant him in health and safety plenty and wealth long to live and prosperously to reign over us direct prosper and strengthen him and his armies that he may vanquish and overcome the policies and forces of all his and our enemies who attempt to disturb our peace And finally since the greatest of men the best of Kings and the longest of worldly joys are finite grant to our dear Soveraign that after this life finished in virtue and honour he may attain a Crown of glory in the Kingdome of everlasting joy and felicity which was purchased by the merits and must be obtained through the mediation of Iesus Christ our Lord to all which we most heartily say Amen be it so The Analysis of the Prayer for the Royal Family This Prayer hath three Parts 1. The Person to whom we Pray described by His Power Almighty God His Goodness the fountain of all goodness 2. The Persons for whom we Pray we humbly beseech thee to bless our gracious Queen Catherine Iames Duke of York and all the Royal Family 3. The blessings desired for them 1. Spiritual gifts and grace Endue them with thy holy Spirit enrich them with thy heavenly grace 2. Temporal prosperity prosper them with all happiness 3. Eternal glory and bring them to thine everlasting Kingdom through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Practical Discourse on the Prayer for the Royal Family § 10. ALmighty God the fountain of all goodness we humbly beseech thee to bless our gracious Queen Catherine Iames Duke of York and all the Royal Family There is as near an alliance between this and the former Prayer as between the persons for whom they are made so that there will be little to be added except where this hath something peculiar And first it deserves our notice that God is called here the fountain of all goodness which is the explication of those Scripture Phrases the well-spring of life and living waters (s) Psal 36.9 Jer. 2.13 and is an acknowledgment that the God we pray unto is absolute and independent having all goodness in and from himself and also inexhaustible for though he bestows his blessings liberally and constantly upon all creatures yet he suffers no diminution nor decay Wherefore though we have now been petitioning for a King who needs extraordinary assistances and large measures of all kinds of blessings yet we know this Ocean cannot be drawn dry but can supply the Branches as well as the root and make all that stock grow and flourish together The Queen and heir to the Crown are the fountains from which we hope blessings shall be derived upon after Generations But here we behold there is a higher fountain which must first replenish them with all that goodness which they convey to us The ancient Church in their prayers did desire the welfare of the Palace and the imperial family (t) Domum tutam Pertul Pro omni palatio Liturg. S. Basil Pontifices eorumque exemplo caeteri sacerdotes cum pro incolumitate principis vota susâ—iperent Neronem quoque Drusum iisdem diis commendavere Tacit Annal. l. 4. Vt pro Domino Imperatore cum suâ prole orationes oblationes augeantur Concil Rhemense can 40. Ezra 6.10 as well as the safety of the Emperour And the practice of the heathens as well as the Canons of the Christians do make it appear fit and rational But if reasons do outweigh examples we may add that we are many waies obliged to pray for the Queen and the Royal family 1. In regard to the glory of God whose honour is advanced by holy example of persons so illustrious whose dignity when it is adorned with piety and goodness may bring virtue into repute and engage many to imitate them 2. In duty to the Kings majesty whose comfort will be encreased both in the holiness and prosperity of persons so neerly related to him and so dearly beloved by him 3. Thirdly in affection to our Country who in this and future generations will have cause to bless God for these prayers if they become prevalent because these are the hopes of succeeding times and our children may be happy in the religious education of such as are to be the pillars of Justice and Patrons of the Church hereafter David had not been so curious in Solomons education but that he knew it was not the Princes personal concern alone but interest of the whole Nation and of all Gods people The Persian Kings desired the Prayers of the Jews for their sons Ezra 6.10 and chose four of their most wise and virtuous Nobility to whom the education of the Prince was committed who as Clem. Alexandrinus tells us were called the Royal tutors and we hope the care of those concerned shall be joiâ—ed to the Churches prayers and then this Petition shall be prevalent § 11. Endue them with thy holy Spirit enrich them with thy heavenly grace Prosper them with all happiness and bring them to thine everlasting Kingdom through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen These particulars are a comprehension of the same blessings in other words which before we desired for the King even spiritual temporal and eternal felicity The persons we pray for are Royally descended nobly educated replenished with all honourable endowments with great riches and vast possessions yet although they need none of the wealth or honours of this world we may wish them greater and better things viz. that their virtue may be parallel to their descent and their graces equal (u) Nemo in nostrûm gloriam vixit nec quod ante nos fuit nostrum est animus facit nobilem Sen. Ep. 44. nay excel all other endowments that they may be rich in good works so as to gain the love of God and of all good men these in the first place to which we desire it may please God to superadd