everywhere then is he also in heaven But God is said to be in heaven not that he is included therein 1. Kings 8. 27. and therefore not circumscriptivè by circumscription as the body of Christ nor definitivè definitively as the finite spirits but he is there and everywhere repletivè filling all places â—…er 23. 23. but yet so as he is every-where totus wholly But yâ—…t after a more speciall manner he is said to be in heaven Because there especially he manifesteth his glory there he is seen face to face there he communicateth himself thence he sendeth down his blessings judgements Rom. 1. 18. thence he speaketh to men thence Christ descended thence the holy Ghost Matth. 3. thither Christ ascended there he sitteth and thence he returneth to judgement And as the soul is said to be tota in toto tota in qualibet parte all in the whole and in every part all and yet in respect of the chief operations is said to be seated in the head as it were the heaven of this Microcosme so God who is everywhere wholly both in the world and out of it is said to be in heaven Heaven is his throne Isai. 66. 1. there he prepared his seat Psal. 103. 19. there he sitteth Psal. 2. 4. that is the habitation of his holinesse c. Isai. 63. 15. the place of his habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. Secondly when Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heavens he meaneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heavenly as Matth. 6. 26. And he is called heavenly because the shallownesse of our minds cannot better conceive of the unspeakable glory and excellent majestie of God then under this name For nothing more excellent and glorious is subject to our sense then the heaven Whereas therefore the Scriptures give this title to God they teach us to ascribe unto him majestie glorious essence omnipresent power infinitâ—… wisdome unspeakable mercy endlesse The sense therefore of these words is this Thoâ—… that sittest upon heaven as thy throne glorious in majestie infinite in essence power wisdome and mercy Vses concerning prayer I. THe adoration of images reliques condemned we are taught to lift up our mind eyes hands to God being in heaven We may therefore say as Psal. 121. 1. Should I lift mine eyes to images whence then should I have help my help is from God Therefore as Psal. 123. 1. To thee I lift up mine eyes O thou who dwellest in the heavens II. We are taught not to direct our prayer towards any certain place as the Jews towards the temple but we may turn any way towards God in heaven And if we are not bound to look towards any certain place much lesse to go on pilgrimage to it III. Neither must our minds go on pilgrimage whilest we are praying but above the earth and all earthly cogitations our minds with our hands are to be lifted up unto the heavens Lam. 3. 4. Psal. 25. 1. as at all times so especially in the time of prayer our conversation ought to be in heaven IV. When we are commanded to call God our heavenly Father we are taught to abandon all base conceits concerning God Psal. 50. 13. and to ascribe unto him incomprehensible glory and majesty infinite power and essence wisdome unsearchable mercy endlesse Majesty as sitting upon the heaven as upon his throne the earth being his footstool Isai. 66. 1. Which must teach us reverence and not rashly to utter any thing before God For God is in heaven full of majestie and glory and thou upon earth dust and worms meat Eccles 5. 1. Power that is Might infinite omnipotencie Right infinite and authority universall Potentia Power Psal. 115. 3. Our God is in heaven whatsoever he will he doeth Which must teach us to pray with affiance being assured that our heavenly Father is able to do for us according to yea above our requests yea above our thought Ephes. 3. 20. Thus Jehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. 6. Art not thou God in heaven so as power is in thine hand which none can resist Potestas Authority So saith Jehoshaphat Art not thou God in heaven and dost not thou rule over all nations So Psal. 103. 20. The Lord hath established his seat in heaven and his kingdome is over all On him therefore our trust must be reposed by whose providence and power all things are governed in heaven and in earth For hereby we learn that the Lord is not onely able in respect of his might but hath right also to bestow upon us any good thing Audacter Deum roga nihil illum de alteno rogaturus Beg boldly of God seeing thou canst ask nothing of him which belongeth to another Infinite essence and omnipresence for so is the heaven said to be his throne as that the earth also is his footstool and so is he in both as that he is also everywhere and in every place totus For we may not think that God is farre from us Acts 17. 27. because he is said to be in heaven as the wicked imagine Job 22. 13. but we must acknowledge that he is alwayes present with us Psal. 139. 7 8 9 c. and as it is Psal. 145. 18. Deut. 4. 7. near unto us whâ—…n we call upon him yea where two or three are gatherâ—…d together in his name he is in the middest of them Matth. 18. 20. If theresore thou prayest in secret the Lord heareth thee Matth. 6. 6. if in the closet of thine heart without any speech he heareth the voyce and cry of the heart Exod. 14. 15. 1. Sam. 1. 13. Assure thy self therefore that thou speakest not into the air or utterest thy words in vain but that thou pourest forth thy requests into the bosome of the Lord. Wisdome unsearchable For as the heavens are high above the carth so are the Lords thoughts above ours Isai. 55. 9. We must therefore submit our selves to his will which is most wise and just neither let us circumscribe him but rather resigne our selves unto him who best knoweth what is fit for us Mercy unspeakable Whereby all these attributes are effectuall to our good For if earthly parents do know to give good things to their children much more doth our heavenly Father Matth. 7. 11. This therefore must not discourage us that he sitteth above in heaven in the high throne of his majestie for though he dwelleth above â—…t he mercifully abaseth himself to behold the things which be in heaven and in earth Psal. 113. 5 6. He looketh down from the high place of his holinesse even from heaven doth the Lord look down upon earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliver the children of dâ—…th Psal. 102. 19 20. Neither ought his power to terrifie us for he useth it to our good Deut. 33. 26. Herideth or sitteth upon the heavens for our help Him therefore let us exalt who rideth on the highest heavens Psal. 68. 4. Here therefore
thee yet this ought to comfort thee that this prayer and the like is the common prayer of the Church and of all the faithfull lifting up holy hands in every place and praying for thee if thou be a faithfull man as well as for themselves Now the prayer of the Church the Lord who is most gracious unto it is ready to heare Deut. 4. 7. Isai. 65. 24. and being most faithfull is also willing to perform Matth. 18. 20. Therefore this serveth as for instruction teaching us our duty in calling upon God for one another so also for our comfort assuring us that others in like sort pray for us and that we are partakers of all the prayers of the whole Church and all the members thereof Fourthly the hypocrisie of those is condemned who say with the Jews John 8. 41. We have all one Father God but neither have faith in God nor charity towards men nor any fellow-feeling of other mens wants nor any true desire of their good who say Every man for himself and God for us all Vses concerning our lives SEeing we have all one and the same Father Matth. 23. 9. therefore we ought to embrace one another with brotherly love Ephes. 4. 3 4 6. For if God be the Father of us all then are we all brethren Which word of love ought to tie us with the bond of love and break off all dissension Gen. 13. 8. Acts 7. 26. Mal. 2. 10. And surely if we love not our brethren the love of God is not in us For he which loveth him that begetteth loveth also those that are begotten 1. Joh. 5. 1. And Whosoever saith that he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a liar 1. John 4. 19 20. Therefore where is not brotherly love there is not the love of God where is not the love of God there is no faith and who hath not faith is not the sonne of God Therefore the Apostle saith 1. John 3. 10. In this the children of God are known and the children of the devil Whosoever doeth not righteousnesse is not of God nor he that loveth not his brother For if those that be the sonnes of God as all the faithfull are and we are to hope well of the most when we speak of particulars be not our brethren and so we esteem them then are not we the sonnes of God For if he be our Father then his children are our brethren If the sonnes of God be not brethren to us then are not we his children If therefore we shall hate the children of God how can we call upon him as our Father Secondly whereas all as well poore as rich are commanded to call God Father this ought to teach the rich comfort the poore The rich ought from hence to learn humility and not to despise the poorest Christian seing they are our brethren by the law of nature and of the same bloud Acts 17. the same flesh Isai. 58. and also by our redemption by Christ they are our brethren in him sonnes of the same Father and have as good part in Christ if they believe as the best for God is a Father that respecteth not persons Acts 10. 34 35. 1. Pet. 1. 17. And in Christ there is no difference of rich and poore bond or free but we are all one in him Gal. 3. 28. To which purpose Paul exhorteth Philemon to receive his servant Onesimus being now converted as a brother v. 17. Let therefore the rich follow the advise Rom. 12. 16. Example Job 31. 13 14 15. that of the wife 1. Pet. 3. 7. which is to be extended to all Christians viz. that they be coheirs Which doctrine doth not favour the Anabaptists for although in respect of our spirituall estate there ought to be no respect of persons Jam. 2. 1. neither is there difference of bond and frâ—…e in Christ yet in respect of our outward estate the Lord hath ordained superiours and inferiours c. and hath established orders and degrees in the outward politie The poore also are to comfort themselves with this consideration that howsoever they be contemned in the world yet they are dear in Gods sight God is their Father as well or rather of them then of the rich Psal. 68. 6. and Christ their brother yea they are members of Christ to whom what is done Christ esteemeth as done to himself Matth. 25. The which is to be understood of the godly poore for otherwise as their estate is miserable now so a thousand times more miserable shall it be in the world to come Vses of reproof THey are condemned that call God their Father and yet hate the children of God because they are godly and deride the name of brethren 2. Schismaticks who call God their Father but denie his children to be their brethren For they which will have God for their Father must have the true Church to their mother And these words Our Father are the voyce of the Church and of all that be of the same brotherhood 3. Again when we are bid to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Father c. we are taught to direct our prayers unto God immediately as being present with us Which confuteth the Papists who would not have us go directly to God but to desire Mary or Peter c. to pray for us whereas this priviledge have all the faithfull to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace by Christ Ephes. 3. 12. Secondly we are to believe that God who is in heaven is also present with us hearing our prayers and therefore so ought we to poure forth our prayers as into his bosome yea though we pray in secret Matth. 6. 6. Thirdly we ought to have the eye of faith to see him that is invisible Heb. 11. so shall we set God before our eyes and behave our selves as it becometh those that speak to so glorious a Majesty But most men because they see none present are touched with lesse reverence then if they spake to a mortall superiour Which art in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HEaven is all that space which is above the earth Of which are three parts Coelum Aereum Gen. 1. 8. Aethereum Empyreum The first Air in which are the birds fowls of heaven and the wicked spirits in heavenly places Ephes. 6. 12. and 2. 2. The second is that heaven wherein the starres are which are called the host of heaven The third is the seat of the blessed and throne of God called Coelum empy reum because of the light 1. Tim. 6. 16. paradise 2. Cor. 12. 4. and the third heaven in respect of the two lower and in the same sense the heaven of heavens Psal. 115. 16. 1. Kings 8. 27. God is all in all But this place is especially to be understood of the third heaven which is the place of the Lords habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. How is God said to be in heaven seeing he is everywhere If God be
is discovered the hypocrisie of those men who calling upon God as their Father in heaven lift not up their hearts to heaven but let them lie groveling on the earth who imagine God to be like themselves who without reverence speak unto him or use vain babbling who trust not in his power nor acknowledge his presence with them unreverently behaving themselves because they see him not that submit not themselves to his fatherly wisdome nor rest in his mercy and goodnesse Vses in our lives First if our Father be in heaven who also hath begotten us to an heavenly inheritance then we who are the children of God are in this world pilgrimes from God and from our countrey and therefore ought not to mindearthly things but have our conversation in heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. Secondly if God our Father be full of maiesty and power we ought to fear him and to stand in aw Thirdly if omnipotent let us rest confidently under his protection neither let the fear of any danger draw us unto sinne for God is able to deliver us Dan. 17. And on the other side let us fear to sinne for he is able to destroy both body and soul in hell Matth. 10. 28. If God be omnipresent let us behave our selves as in his presence and walk before him in uprightnesse of heart If our heavenly Father be most wise and mercifull let us cast our care upon him in all our necessities depending on him As for those that are mere worldlings terrae filii who neither stand in aw of his majesty nor trust in his power nor waâ—…k as in his presence nor depend upon his fatherly goodnesse they cannot but in hypocrisie call God their heavenly Father Now if we joyn these two together of which we have spoken severally That God is our Father and therefore willing to heare us and also in heaven and therefore able to grant our desires there will be no place left to diffidence and distrust seeing God is both willing and able to grant our requests Therefore we ought not to be distrustfully carefull but with confidence and assurance that we shall be heard to make our requests known unto God Phil. 4. 6. seeing as Fulgentius saith Deus multus est ad ignoscendum in hoc multo nihil deest in quo omnipotens misericordia omnipotentia misericors est God is much in forgiving in this much nothing is missing in whom is omnipotent mercy and mercifull omnipotence The consideration of either of these may stirre up a man to pray but if he doubt of either I see not how he can pray in faith The leper Mark 1. 40. being perswaded of Christs power desireth him to make him clean the father of him that was possessed Mark 9. 22. having some good opinion of Christs willingnesse intreated his help for the dispossessing of the unclean spirit But because the one was not assured of his willingnesse the other of his power they make but doubtfull prayers If thou wilt thou canst make me clean If thou canst do any thing help us But we may be assured of both in our heavenly Father and therefore are to be encouraged to pray in faith c. The division of the Petitions HItherto we have spoken of the preface Now we are to proceed unto the petitions Which are in number six but yet in respect of the objects they may be distinguished into two sorts For either they concern more properly and immediately the glory of God without respect of our own profit or else our own good and mediately the glory of God For in the three former we say Thy name Thy kingdome Thy will in the three latter us and our c. Those that concern Gods glory are indeed most profitable for us for with his own glory he joyneth the good and salvation of the elect For if we glorifie the name of God he will glorifie us if we be subjects of the kingdome of grace we shall be inheriters of the kingdome of glory if we do the will of God upon earth we shall enter into the kingdome of heaven But in propounding these petitions we are not to respect our own profit but the glory of God Those which immediately concern our own good must also mediately respect the glory of God whereunto if our good be not referred it is not good Those which immediately concern the glory of God are set down in the first place By which order our Saviour Christ teacheth us to preferre Gods glory before our own good yea if they should come in comparison before our own salvation Exod. 32. 32. because Gods glory is the end and therefore better then those things which are referred thereunto For which cause not onely in order of petitions but also in the measure of our affections the glory of God must be preferred before our own good Ideóque in tribus primis petitionibus oratio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est cùm posteriores conjunctionibus colligantur And therefore in the three first petitions there is no copulative when as the three latter are tied together with conjunctionâ—… In the three first petitions we desire either the glory of God it self as the end or else the means whereby his glory is procured the end in the first petition the means in the other two For then is God glorified when his kingdome is advanced and his will fulfilled This order teacheth us that the main end of all our desires and actions should be the glory of God I. Petition FIrst of the first petition Wherein we are to learn the meaning of the words and then to consider the uses which arise from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hallowed be thy name The name of God signifieth both God himself and his attributes which are himself and also that whereby he is named In the former sense the word name is often used to signifie the persons named as Acts 1. 15. and 4. 12. Revel 3. 4. and 11. 13. So the name of God is put for God himself Joel 2. 23. Deut. 28. 58. Hereupon the Hebrews use to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is His name is himself and he is his name And hereunto belong those places in which the name of God signifieth his attributes which are nothing but himself For the justice of God is the just God the wisdome of God is the wise God the mercy of God is the mercifull God c. And these also are the name of God as appeareth Exod. 33. 19. and 34. 5 6 7. For this is the name which he proclaimeth The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth c. Secondly the name of God signifieth that whereby God is named whereby he is either renowned or known The name of renown is his glory which is as it were his good name For so in great persons their good name is their glory and renown and therefore they are said in
to be performed after prayer 144 25. Of the Subject matter of our prayers and what is required thereunto namely that it be good and according to Gods will 146 That being unable to pray we are assisted by the Spirit 147 Chap. 26 Of the circumstances of prayer 150 Of Publick prayer 151 Of Private prayer in the family and alone 154 27. Of the time of prayer 156 The Euchetae confuted 157 28. Concerning the Place of prayer 161 The vanity of Pilgrimages 163 29. Of Prayer or Petition and what is required unto it 164 Prayer and thanksgiving must be joyned 165 What things are required in prayer 167 We must pray in sight and sense of our wants 169 We must pray with fervency of deâ—…ire 172 30. Of Faith which is chiefly required in prayer 173 We must pray in faith and submission to Gods will 176 31. Of duties to be performed after prayer 178 32. Distinctions of prayer in regard of the object 181 For whom we must pray 184 Of prayer against others 188 Of Imprecations 189 33. Of the reall object of prayer or the things to be prayed for 191 We must pray for temporall blessings 193 34. Of Deprecation 195 Of Confession of our sinnes 196 How this Confession is to be made 197 35. Of Thanksgiving 201 What is required in Thanksgiving 202 36. Speciall duties required in Thanksgiving 206 37. Of the outward expressing inward thankfulnesse by praysing God 212 38. Duties to be performed before after thanksgiving 216 ¶ The chief things handled in the second part of this Treatise viz. The exposition of the Lords Prayer THe generals of Invocation applyed to the Lords Prayer 226 The Preface 231 How God is called Father ibid. Of the name Father and what duties it teacheth us 234 What is meant by the word Our 237 The meaning of these words Which art in heaven 244 The division of the Petitions 251 The meaning of the first Petition 252 How Gods name is sanctified by us 255 How Gods name signifying his Glory is sanctified by us 257 How it is sanctified signifying his Titles 259 How it is sanctified signifying his Word 263 How it is sanctified signifying the Doctrine of religion 264 How it is sanctified signifying his Works 265 How God himself sanctifieth his name 269 The second Petition handled 271 What Gods kingdome is 272 What it is for Gods kingdome to come 275 Christs kingdome cometh by means 279 The impediments of Gods kingdome to be prayed against 282 Uses concerning the coming of Gods kingdome 289 Of the coming of the kingdome of glory 293 We must expect and pray for the second coming of Christ 294 How we must expect the second coming of Christ 298 The third Petition explained 301 Of the will of God and things which he willeth 303 How Gods will is done on earth 307 How Gods will is done on earth as in heaven 310 The matter and manner of our obedience 314 315 Wherein our obedience resembleth that of the Angels 319 The exposition of the fourth Petition 324 Why we ask temporall blessings before spirituall 325 What is meant by Bread 327 What is meant by daily bread 330 How God is said to give us daily bread 333 c. Duties to be performed by them that ask daily bread 339 340 c. The fifth Petition expounded 350 We must be justified before we can be sanctified 352 That our sinnes are debts 355 What is meant by forgiving our trespasses 359 By this petition we are put in mind of our misery and Gods mercy 361 No man can satisfie Gods justice for his sinnes 362 Severall duties arising out of the fifth petition 368 369 Our forgiving no cause of Gods forgiving us 376 How we can be said to forgive 379 Reasons moving us to forgive 385 c. The sixth petition expounded 390 Those whom God pardoneth the devil tempteth 391 The necessity of this prayer Not to be lead into temptation 392 Of probations and trialls 1. by prosperity 2. by afflictions 394 395 Of divers sorts of temptations 396 1. Of the flesh ibid. 2. Of the world 397 3. Of the devil 400 Of the divers sorts of the devils temptations 401 c. How God may be said to tempt 406 Satan can neither tempt or overcome without Gods permission 409 That temptations are good for Gods children 410 How we must pray against the temptations of the flesh the world and the devil 413 414 415 c. The Conclusion of the Lords Prayer both authenticall and necessary 419 Our faith confirmed by this Conclusion 420 What is meant by thine is the kingdome 422 423 What is meant by the power and the glory 424 425 Everlasting kingdome power and glory belongeth to God 427 What the word Amen signifieth 429 CHAP. I. Of the definition of prayer and of the persons who are to pray AMong all the duties of Christianitie as there is not any more honourable in it self more glorious to God more profitable and necessary for us then the exercise of prayer and invocation so is there none wherein we do more need direction and instruction and consequently nothing wherein my labour in speaking and yours in hearing may better be imployed For as Chrysostome saith Pulcherrima est scientia veréque Christiano homine digna quae docet rectè precari That is the most excellent knowledge and truly worthy a Christian man which teacheth rightly to pray In treating whereof I purpose by the help of God to observe this order First I will set down the doctrine of invocation and then explain that absolute form or pattern of prayer prescribed by our Saviour Christ wherein the practice of the doctrine is conteined The doctrine must first be generall and common to both the sorts of invocation viz. prayer and thanksgiving and then speciall and peculiar to either The generall doctrine consisteth of such points as are either more substantiall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or accidentall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The substantiall points are all of them comprised in this definition Invocation or prayer is a religious speech of the faithfull directed unto God in the name of Christ framed according to the will of God by the help of the holy Ghost concerning good things apperteining to his glory and our good The phrase of invocating or calling upon the name of God sometimes signifieth the profession of the true religion whereby we take the name of God upon us and are called after his name as Gen. 48. 16. and 4. 16. Isa. 63. 10. Acts 9. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 2. And first as touching the name This part of Gods worship is usually in the Scriptures expressed by the phrase of calling upon the name of God and therefore is fitly called invocation that is calling upon God whether it be by way of praying or praysing In which generall sense the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tephillat is sometimes used 1. Sam. 2. 1. Psal. 86. 1. Isa. 56. 7. Domus orationis
oratio and invocatio in Latine and by a Synecdoche prayer in the English tongue though properly it signifieth that species or kind of invocation whereby we crave any thing at the hands of God By a Metonymie of the signe it is sometimes called the lifting up of the hands Psal. 141. 2. and 44. 20. sometimes the lifting up of the eyes Psal. 123. 1. more properly a lifting up of the heart unto God Psal. 25. 1. whereof the other are but signâ—…s Which must teach us when we pray to lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens as Jeremie speaketh Lam. 3. 41. So much of the name In the definition the nature of Invocation is set forth both the generall which Logicians call the genus and proper in that which is called the difference The generall in that I call it a religious speech For of religious speech there are two speciall sorts the one of man unto man in the name of God and in the stead of Christ which is preaching the other of man unto God in the name and mediation of Christ which is prayer or invocation And both of them somewhere in the Scriptures are expressed by one and the same name of prophesying which for Preaching is used 1. Cor. 14. 3 4. and elsewhere for Invocation both in the sense of praying 1. Kings 18. 29. with 26. and of praysing 1. Chron. 25. 1 2 3. First I say it is a speech And because the religious speech is the chief speech which we can use therefore as preaching is called Sermo so prayer is of the Latines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called Oratio But where I say prayer is a speech you are to understand that whereas there is a twofold speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 outward and inward the inward being also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech conceived in the mind the outward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech uttered with the voice prayer is not the outward speech chiefly or onely but the inward of the soul either alone when in prayer the voice is not used as Gen. 24. 45. Exod. 14. 15. 1. Sam. 1. 13. and is called oratio mentalis which is usuaîl in meditation and is sometimes so called or chiâ—…fly when the voice is used as most commonly it is Whereupon some define prayer to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the speech or communication of the soul with God others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ascending of the mind unto God In which respect the holy Ghost calleth it the lifting up of the heart unto God Psal. 25. 1. and the pouring forth of the soul before the Lord Psal. 62. 8. 1. Sam. 1. 15. As for that prayer which is onely the outward speech of the mouth without the inward of the heart it is not a prayer in truth but a meer lip-labour For to call upon God in truth is to pray with our souls and to call upon him with our hearts to lift up our hearts and to poure forth our souls before the Lord as I shall shew more fully hereafter But I adde that it is a religious speech to note that prayer is a part and indeed a principall part of that religious adoration and worship which we ow unto God and consequently to teach us that it is a dutie to be performed religiously and devoutly as intending thereby an holy and acceptable service unto God So that true prayer is not a bare reading or recitall of any form of prayer without understanding without affection without devotion without faith but a religious service devoutly offered unto God out of an upright and pure heart 2. Tim. 2. 22. Psal. 119. 7. The proper nature of Invocation is described in the rest of the definition conteining six substantiall points necessarily required in all prayer viz. Quis Quem Cujus nomine Quomodo Cujus ope De quibus that is Who must pray Whom we must pray unto In whose name In what manner By whose help and For what For in all invocation that shall be acceptable unto God there is required 1. That the person which prayeth be faithfull 2. That the partie to whom we pray be the onely true God 3. That the prayer be made in the name of Christ For sinne having made a separation between God and us there is no accesse for us unto God in our own name 4. For the manner that it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God Rom. 8. 27. or as S. John speaketh more fully 1. Epist. 5. 14. according to the will of God that is that in our invocation or prayer we perform those things which God hath willed and required in his word to be performed in prayer 5. Because we are not able of our selves to perform any of those things which God hath required I adde that we are to call upon God by the help of the holy Ghost 6. And lastly I shew that the object of our invocation that is the things concerning which we do speak unto God in prayer are good things apperteining to his glorie and our good as namely and especially the benefits and blessings of God for which we do either pray unto him or praise him Of these six in order And first for the partie which is to pray When I say that prayer is a speech of the faithfull you are to understand 1. That we speak of prayer as it is officium viaâ—…orum a duty injoyned unto men living here upon earth as pilgrimes in the Church militant unto whom alone the doctrine of Invocation doth appertein and not as it is exercitium spirituum beatorum the exercise of the Saints and Angels in the Church triumphant in heaven to whom neither the commandments injoyning this duty nor the promises made to prayer nor the directions which teach how to pray are directed For although the word of God hath revealed that they are conversant in the one part of invocation that is in praising glorifying God wherein we are to imitate them that we may do this will of God 1. Thess. 5. 18. as the Saints and Angels do it in heaven yet as touching the other part which is prayer or petition for what or for whom they pray in particular the Spirit of God in the Scriptures hath not revealed and it is but foolish curiositie to seek to be wise above that which is written For herein especially is that verified Quâ—… supra nos nihil ad nos that is Things above us belong not unto us much lesse ought we with the superstitious Papists upon an erroneous conceit of theirs I mean the Saints and Angels in particular that is such Saints and Angels praying for us in particular ground an idolatrous practice of our praying unto them But of this also more hereafter 2. Seeing we consider it as the dutie of the living Isa. 38. 19. we are more particularly to consider both who in this world
are required to pray and also what is required in them that do pray This dutie is required of all men living without exception All are to call upon God And that their prayer may be accepted of God it is required of all that they should have faith For as much therefore as we are to define prayer as it is effectuall and acceptable for that cause I defined it to be the speech of the faithfull not but that all are bound to pray but that none pray effectually and acceptably but they onely that believe Concerning the partie therefore which is to call upon God I am to shew these two things 1. That it is required of all to pray 2. That it is required of all which do pray that they be faithfull The former I am the rather in this place to perform lest when I have defined Quid sit and so taught how we are to pray I leave place to the question An sit Whether we are to pray at all or not For howsoever it is a great honour and favour for a sinfull man who is but dust and ashes as Abraham upon this occasion confesseth Gen. 18. 27. that the Lord should admit him to familiar speech with his great and glorious Majestie For as Chrysostome saith Quis non admiraretur tantam benignitatem quam in nos declarat Deus qui nos mortales dignos habuerit qui cum ipso colloquamur nostr áque vota apud ipsum deponamus that is Who would not admire this so great goodnesse which God declareth towards us who esteemeth mortalls worthy to talk with him and to lay before him all our suits and that he should be near unto us in all that we do call upon him for Deut. 4. 7. and therefore a thing greatly to be desired and highly to be esteemed of us yet naturally men abhorre from the performance of this dutie which caused the Prophet Isaiah to complain that there was none that called upon the name of the Lord. The reason is because sinne having made a separation between God and us the man whose conscience condemneth him of sinne unrepented of as not being reconciled unto God flieth from his presence as the guilty person or malefactour from the sight of the judge so farre is he from presenting himself voluntarily before the Lord as we see in the examples of our first parents Gen. 3. 8. in Peter before his effectuall calling who perceiving by the miraculous draught of fish the Divinitie of our Saviour Christ desireth him to depart from him for I saith he am a sinfull man in the Gergasines or Gadarenes who being strucken with fear at the miraculous dispossessing of the legion of devils besought our Saviour to depart out of their coasts Matth. 8. 34. Luke 8. 37. It shall be needfull therefore to use some reasons and motives to move us to the performance of this dutie CHAP. II. Reasons moving to the dutie of prayer FIrst therefore the law of nature teacheth all men this principle That there is a God and that this God is to be called upon and worshipped For which cause all nations being never so barbarous though they know not the true God yet by the instinct of nature think themselves bound to call upon that which they suppose to be God If therefore those nations which did not call upon the true God whom indeed they did not know are subject to the curse of God Psal. 69. 6. Jer. 10. 25. how shall they escape the curse of God who knowing him do not call upon him for by their not calling upon him they do deny him Tit. 1. 16. and therefore this is observed as a note of the foolish Atheist who saith that there is no God that he doth not call upon the Lord Psal. 14. 4. Secondly It is a principall part of that worship of God for which the nature of man was at the first created according to his image and for which it was redeemed viz. that we might worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse and therefore those who will not call upon him rob God of that honour that is due unto him and as much as in them lyeth go about to frustrate that end for which they were created and redeemed So principall that sometimes the duty of invocation is put for the whole worship of God as Gen. 21. 33. 26. 25. as if it were all in all In which regard the temple which was provided for Gods worship was called the house of prayer Esa. 56. 7. And no marvell for by this one duty of invocation we exercise and testifie our religion our faith our love both of God and man our affiance and hope c. Thirdly It is injoyned in the morall law of God which is generall and perpetuall and is therefore also required in the gospel And if you ask in what part of the law I answer In both tables as a duty of religion to God and of charity to our neighbour for whose good we either pray or give thanks In every commandment as the common means whereby we are enabled to perform the severall duties and to attein those vertues which are therein prescribed But chiefly it is commanded in the commandments of the first table the obedience whereof in a great part consisteth herein For hereby God is worshipped in the spirit or inwardly praecept 1. adored in the body or outwardly praecept 2. sanctified or glorified in the mouth praecept 3. and a good part of the sanctifying of the sabbath praecept 4. standeth in this Now if any man shall object That he is a sinfull man and that by his sinne he hath made himself unworthy to tread upon the earth or to look up unto heaven and much more unworthy to present himself before the Lord with hope to be heard and consequently that it were great presumption for him to call upon the Lord I answer That it were indeed greater presumption to come before God then it was to rush into the presence of the kings of Persia were it not that the Lord did in like manner hold out unto us the sceptre of his word therein by his manifold commandments injoyning us this duty and by his gracious promises encouraging us thereunto This therefore may be a fourth argument or motive For if God hath commanded us to call upon him and hath promised to heare us in obedience to his commandment and in faith in his promises we are to call upon him being assured that he who hath commanded us to pray and hath promised to heare will graciously accept our prayers The speciall commandments are dispersed in many places of the scripture and so likewise the promises I will cite a few places where they are conjoyned Psal. 50. 14 15. Offer unto God thanksgiving and call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Matth. 7. 7 8. Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find
called on the name of the Lord. But let us come to their objections To the first I answer That we do teach that remission of sinnes is obteined by prayer and that to that end our Saviour hath taught us to crave remission and hath acquainted us with the example of the Publicane who by prayer obteined justification as David Manasseh and the faithfull and penitent sinners in all ages have done which hindreth not but that we are justified by faith alone For it is not every prayer but the prayer of faith as S. James calleth it which is impetratory I say it is the prayer of faith which by prayer obteineth pardon To the second Where our Divines define faith to be a full and certain perswasion of Gods love towards us in Christ forgiving our sinnes c. they define it in the highest degree and perfection thereof whereunto we must alwayes aspire But there are two principall degrees of faith The first is an assent to the truth of Gods word and more especially to the promises of the Gospel assuring salvation to all that believe in Christ. This assent in the judgement to the Law and Gospel if it be true lively and effectuall worketh in the heart and will a lothing of our sinnes a resolution to leave them a desire of grace and a hungring and thirsting after Christs righteousnesse and a resolution to acknowledge Christ to be our Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation And howsoever those who have but this degree cannot say that they are assured of forgivenesse and salvation yet their desire of grace proceeding from this lively faith expressed in their prayer is acceptable before God and obteineth that which is desired Now they which have this degree must proceed to the second For seeing the promises belong to them concerning justification and salvation they ought to apply them to themselves And look how sure a man may be that he believeth that is giveth a tâ—…e and lively assent to the doctrine of the Gospel so sure ought he to be of the remission of sinnes and salvation by Christ. And of this assurance there are degrees according to the measure of grace received To conclude therefore this point We ascribe to faithfull prayer efficacie to obtein that which we desire in the name of Christ according to the will of God and by the Scriptures do demonstrate the efficacie of prayer which now we are to shew by the wonderfull effects which by prayer have been brought to passe CHAP. V. Of the great and wonderfull efficacie of prayer AS first in the elements the earth the water the aire the fire At the prayer of Moses the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up Korah Dathan and Abiram with their families Numb 16. At his prayer also the hard rocks sent forth rivers of waters Exod. 17. Samson having slain a thousand Philistines with the jaw-bone of an asse Judg. 5. 18 19. whereupon the place was called Lehi which signifieth a jaw-bone and being ready to perish with thirst by prayer obteined a well of living water which continued to posteritie which the Lord opened unto him in Lehi not the jaw-bone but the place so called which for a perpetuall monument of the efficacie of prayer he called En-hakkore the fountain of him that prayed At the prayer of Moses Exod. 14. the waters of the red sea gave place to the Israelites and overwhelmed their enemies But come we to the aire Elias being a man subject to the like passions with us which the Apostle James noteth chap. 5. 17 18. that we might in like manner hope to be heard prayed a prayer that is prayed effectually that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth for three yeares and six moneths and he prayed again and the heavens that is the aire gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit Concerning fire we have two examples of the same Elias the former 1 Kings 18. where by prayer he brought down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice the latter 2. Kings 1. where also by prayer he brought down fire from heaven to destroy the two captains with their fifties But leaving the elements let us in our cogitations ascend into heaven For most admirable is that example Josh. 10. 15. where at the prayer of Joshua for he is said to have spoken to the Lord and the Lord to have hearkened to his voice the sunne stood still in the middest of heaven for the space of one whole day untill the Israelites were avenged on their enemies And no lesse admirable is that example of the Prophet Isaiah 2. Kings 20. 11. at whose prayer not onely the shadow in the sunne-diall but the sunne it self in the firmament went back ten degrees Isa. 38. 8. Ecclus 48. 23. Neither is the efficacie of prayer seen upon those creatures alone which are without sense but upon those also which are indued with sense and reason Jonah when he was swallowed up of the whale and lay in the belly thereof as in a grave for the space of three dayes and three nights having cried to the Lord de profundis he was restored safe to land Jonah 2. As touching men the efficacie of prayer appeareth in the deliverance not onely of particular men but also of whole cities and countreys from the fury and force of their enemies were they never so mightie or so many When Peter was by Herod cast into prison and kept by foure quaternions of souldiers lying in the night before he should be put to death between two souldiers bound with two chains the keepers also before the doore keeping the prison at the instant prayer of the Church which effectually prayed for his deliverance the Lord sent his angel to set him at libertie Acts 12. 5. Elias the Prophet being armed with the spirit of prayer when Ahaziah the king had sent three captains of fifties one after another to apprehend him he not onely brought down fire from heaven to destroy the two first with their fifties as I said before but also he brought the third captain upon his knees humbly intreating him that his own life and the lives of all his companie might be precious in his sight 2. Kings 1. Elisha also upon whom the spirit of Elias was doubled when Ben-hadad king of Syria had sent an armie of men with horses and chariots to apprehend him the armie having by night environed the citie where the Prophet was and besieged it by prayer he had them in his power striketh them blind leadeth them to Samaria and having by prayer opened their eyes that they might see their present danger he victualleth them and sendeth them away as vanquished Now for the defense and deliverance of whole peoples and common-wealths such is the efficacie of prayer that those who are indued with the spirit of supplication may not unworthily with Elias and Elisha be called the horsemen and chariots of Israel By prayer Asa 2.
to be made partaker of Christ and hiâ—… merits and unfeignedly resolveth in his will to acknowledge Christ to be his Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation he doth believe to justification And whosoever being displeased with himself for his sinnes doth unfeignedly desire and truly purpose amendment of life he doth repent to sanctification And he that but thus believeth and repenteth is within the latitude of those faithfull and righteous men whose prayers are acceptable unto God and whose persons are accepted yea blessed of him Matth. 5. 3 4 5. and 11. 28. Psal. 34. 18. Examples of Manasseh 2. Chron. 33. 13. the Publicane Luke 18. And these beginnings of faith and repentance do alwayes concurre in our regeneration or conversion unto God For in regenerating us tâ—…e holy Ghost doth ingenerate in us the grace of faith and contrariwise CHAP. X. None but the faithfull can pray effectually and acceptably NOw how necessarie it is that he which prayeth acceptably should be a righteous or faithfull man indued with some measure of true faith and unfeigned repentance it may appear both by manifest reasons and manifold testimonies of holy Scriptures wherein the promise of hearing the prayer is restrained to the righteous and all hope of being heard denied to the wicked First then it is necessary that he who calleth upon God should be indued with faith For how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10. 14. and Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. and likewise with repentance For unlesse a man repent he reteineth a purpose to go on in sinne and this his impenitencie or sinne not repented of is as a wall of separation between God and him God heareth not impenitent sinners as hereafter we shall shew Secondly before our prayers or other actions can be accepted of God our persons must be accepted in Christ Neither can the fruit be good while the tree is bad neither can we hope to prevail with God by intreaty whiles we do not desire to be reconciled unto him but as we were born the children of wrath so his wrath abideth upon us John 3. 36. and we do continue in our enmitie against God Thirdly there is no accesse to God but through Christ by the holy Ghost Ephes. 2. 18. and 3. 12. But the unbelieving and impenitent sinner as he hath no part in Christ so is he void of the holy Ghost Fourthly it cannot be but that the prayer of the unbelieving and impenitent sinners is very absurd and odious in Gods sight because they ask many times such things as they do not desire and promise such things as they do not mean to perform and bear the Lord in hand that they be such men then whom they are nothing lesse going about to deceive the Lord with their mouthes and with their lips speaking lies unto him Psal. 78. and in all their prayers and praises concerning spirituall things playing the notorious hypocrites before God For the manifestation whereof let us take a brief survey of the Lords prayer whereof the impenitent sinner is not able to utter one word aright and if not of that then of none for that is the summe of all First therefore they call God their Father in Christ when as they are nothing lesse then his children For he that committeth sinne is of the devil 1. John 3. 8. and his children they are whose works they do John 8. They say Our Father Give us as though in brotherly love they prayed for the whole brotherhood of the faithfull whereas they being void of Christian charitie seek onely themselves and have no part in the communion of Saints They direct their prayers to God who is in heaven infinite in majestie glory and power themselves being on earth vile and base creatures Eccles 5. as if they came in great humility in respect of their own unworthinesse and reverence in respect of the glorious majestie of God whereas indeed they rush into the presence of God with lesse regard and speak unto him with lesse reverence then they would to a mortall man who is but a little their superiour They call him Father noting his love which art in heaven noting his power as if they believed that their prayers should be granted as being assured that God is both willing and able to grant their desires and yet have no faith in God and therefore call not upon him aright in whom they have not believed In the first place they beg the advancement of Gods glory as if that were more deare unto them then their own good whereas in truth they have no zeal of Gods glory but unto it preferre the obteining of any worldly and sinfull desire They pray that his name may be sanctified which they do daily pollute with their mouthes and by their lives do cause it to be blasphemed They desire that his kingdome may come and that his will may be done as though they did first seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse whereof indeed they have no studie or care but are wholly addicted to worldly desires They pray that the kingdome of grace may be advanced and that God would rule and reigne in them by his Spirit according to his word when they are in the number of those who say We will not have this man to reigne over us resisting the spirit and casting the word behind their backs They pray that the kingdome of glory may be hastened by the speedy coming of Christ unto judgement and yet desire nothing lesse then the second coming of Christ. They desire that Gods will may be done which themselves will not do The will of God is their conversion and sanctification that they should abstein from those sinnes whereunto they are more specially addicted but though they know it to be the will of God that they should turn unto him they will not turn that they should leave their speciall sinnes they will not leave them as the drunkard his drunkennesse the whoremaster his fornication c. and yet like egregious hypocrites do pray that they may do the will of God as it is done in heaven that is after an angelical manner readily chearfully speedily uprightly faithfully constantly fully when as in truth they do the will of God no otherwise then the devils in hell which howsoever in respect of their intent rebell against the will of God yet if you respect the event they become maugre their spite the instruments to bring to passe that which God hath willed and decreed They crave bread at the hands of God as if a small thing would content them when they desire excesse of riches neither can be satisfied with abundance They crave daily bread or as the word signifieth such a portion of temporall blessings as God shall judge most expedient for them as if they meant not to be their own carvers but in these outward things resigned themselves into the hands
heare the desires of men in all places calling upon them nor omnipotent to grant their desires Hereunto may be added the testimonies of the Fathers Origen Contra Celsum lib. 8. Solus adorandus est Deus God onely is to be worshipped Eusebius De praeparat Evang. 4. 5. Solum Deum adorare didicimus We have learned to worship God onely Nazianzen De Spir. sanct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If it be to be adored why is it not to be worshipped if it be to be worshipped how is it not God Ambrose De Spiritu lib. 3. 12. Neque adorandum quicquam praeter Deum legimus We do not reade of any thing which ought to be worshipped except God alone Cyrill Thesaur lib. 2. 1. Vnanatura Deitatis est quam solummodo adorare oportet There is one nature of the Deitie which alone ought to be worshipped CHAP. XII That we ought not to invocate any creature THus have I shewed in generall That no creature is to be called upon Now more specially That neither Angels nor Saints Civil honour indeed is due to both as to our fellow-citizens of the same city but religious honour done to either is idolatry First for Angels Our fellow-servants are not to be adored of us Angels are our fellow-servants being ministring spirits sent forth into the ministery for their sake that shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. And by this reason the angel Revel 19. 10. and 22. 19. disswadeth S. John from adoring him and in both places appropriateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adoration to God Likewise the Apostle admonisheth the Colossians chap. 2. 18. to take heed that none berâ—…ave them of their prize which is their salvation under shew of humilitie as the Papists do as though it were too much boldnesse to go directly to Christ commending unto them the worshipping of angels whereunto those countreys of Phrygia were very much addicted as Theodoret sheweth in Col. 2. And therefore it was decreed in the councel of Laodicea the mother-citie of those parts that no man should pray unto angels Moreover he that is the authour and fountain of all good things and is onely able of himself to help us he is to be invocated and not those who being but his instruments are not able to help us otherwise then he appointeth But God is the authour and fountain of all good James 1. 17. Our onely help and refuge Psal. 46. 1. and 124. 8. The angels are but his instruments who neither can nor will help us further then God himself appointeth Objection out of Jos. 5. 13. and Judg. 13. 20. That Joshua and the parents of Samson worshipped the angels which appeared unto them He that appeared unto them was not a created angel but the Angel of the great covenant the second Person in Trinity who oftentimes in assumed forms appeared to the Patriarchs He that appeared to Joshua calleth himself the Prince of the Lords armies Jos. 5. 14. and 6. 2. he is called the Lord. He which appeared to Samsons parents being demanded his name said it is Wonderfull which is the name of Christ Isa. 9. 6. And such was their opinion of him for Manoah calleth him God and his wife termeth him Jehovah Now that Saints are not to be prayed unto it shall appear by these reasons I. To them which neither heare us nor know us prayer is made in vain But the Saints departed neither heare us nor know us That they do not heare us it is manifest For what is it which they do heare the voice of the mouth or the speech of the heart If the voice of the mouth then the voice which moveth the aire for a small distance and so vanisheth shall not onely pierce all the regions of the aire but the heavens also where the aire which is the medium ceaseth If the speech of the heart then are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searchers of the heart and therefore gods for it is a property peculiar to the Lord 1. Kings 8. 39. Jer. 17. 9. Acts 1. 24. That they know us not it is testified by Isaiah chap. 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knoweth us not Eccles 9. 5. The Papists except First That the Saints having the blessed vision of God they do see in speculo Trinitatis the things done in earth By which reason they should know all things which God himself doth know neither should the day of judgement be hid from them But this glasse is a forgerie of their own brain For if they say it is the essence of the whole Deitie then is it most simple and unvariable if the glory or splendour of God whereby he enlighteneth the place of the blessed it will no more fellow that they beholding this light should see those things which God beholdeth then that he which looketh on the sunne should see all that the sunne shineth upon Secondly That God acquainteth them with our prayers made to them which they understanding become intercessours for us unto God But what a foolish circumstance is this They will not have us go directly unto God or our Saviour but as in Princes courts to some that are neare unto them that they may mediate our cause and in the upshot we cannot go directly unto them I mean the Saints but God himself must be fain to be a mediatour between us and them to acquaint them with our prayers that so they may pray unto him for us Thirdly That they do not worship the Saints as gods but as the friends of God As if a woman taken in adultery should alledge for her self that she loved the adulterer not as her husband but as her husbands friend For religious worship doth as properly belong unto God as conjugall love unto the husband But do not they give Divine worship to the Saints whom they invocate prescribing thereby unto them omnipresence omniscience omnipotencie and thereby also professing themselves to repose their trust in them For when they pray to Saints departed do they speak unto them as present or as absent If as to present they being in heaven they on the earth dispersed in many places countreys then they ascribe unto them omnipresence if as to absent they ascribe to them omniscience Both which are blasphemous Besides when they invocate they ascribe omnipotencie to them and therefore repose their trust in them But God alone is to be trusted in because he alone is omnipotent and cursed is he that trusteth in man Jer. 17. 5. II. Again mere men are not religiously to be adored It is Peters reason Acts 10. 26 and Pauls Acts 14. 15. If Christ himself had been but a mere man or a creature though a god by creation yet ought not he religiously to be adored and much lesse the Saints who are but the servants of Christ. Therefore the ancient Fathers termed the Arians who supposed Christ to be God by creation and yet
worshipped him idolaters and the Nestorians likewise who supposed the humanitie of Christ to be a distinct person from the Sonne of God III. To leave God who hath commanded us to call upon him and hath promised to heare us and is most willing and onely able to help us and to run to the Saints who neither have commanded us as having no such authoritie nor have promised to heare and help us as having no such power yea are so farre from hearing and helping that they neither know us nor our desires and so farre from commanding us to call upon them as they have forbidden us so to do and alwayes directed us to call upon God Acts 10. 26. and 14. 15. is a thing in religion impious and in reason absurd IV. To call upon Saints is a thing most injurious unto God and Christ our Saviour dâ—…ogatorie from the glory of God as though they were either more ready to heare or more willing or more able to help us or that we had more confidence in theiâ—… love then in the mercies of God and intercession of Christ our Saviour But it is lawfull to intreat the Saints upon earth to pray for us why then may we not desire the Saints in heaven much more to pray to God for us To intreat the Saints living on earth to pray for us hath warrant in the Scriptures as having been a dutie injoyned by God Gen. 20. 7. Job 42. 8. Jam. 5. 14 16. and also practiced by the faithfull Rom. 5. 30. Ephes. 6. 19. But praying to Saints departed hath no warrant in the Scriptures as the Papists themselves are forced to confesse Nay it is directly forbidden and those which do it commit two evils forsaking God the fountain of living waters and digging out to themselves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water Jer. 2. 13. They worship the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 25. praeterito Creatore passing by the Creatour ut Hilarius interpretatur De Trinitate lib. 12. 2. The Saints living with us are acquainted with our persons and our wants and therefore may pray in particular for us and so cannot the Saints departed 3. The request made in this behalf to the faithfull living is a civil intreaty of a Christian duty but as it is made to the Saints departed it is a religious invocation of them to do that for us which is the peculiar office of the Mediatour Neither do they onely intreat the Saints to pray for us and desire God that for the merits intercession of the Saints he would grant their desires which is to give the office of Christ to them But also they desire the Saints themselves to bestow upon them such blessings as they desire both spirituall and temporall and to avert from them such evils as they fear Wherein the Papists have made the Saints to succeed the heathen gods ascribing unto them their severall offices and functions insomuch that there is no countrey citie or town but hath certain Saints to patronize them as the heathen had their tutelares deos no trade or occupation which hath not a peculiar Saint no kind of cattel or tame fowl which have not their patrones no kind of disease but some Saint or other is called upon for the curing thereof as the dii averrunci or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the heathen So that if there were no other fault in Popery their idolatry were sufficient cause of separation from them But the Saints departed do pray for us therefore we ought to pray unto them It may well be supposed that the Saints departed do pray in common for the faithfull upon the earth as fellow-members of the same bodie But they are not acquainted with particular persons or their particular wants or desires or if they were yet it would not follow that we should pray to them no more then we are bound to invocate religiously the Saints upon earth whom we know according to their dutie do pray for us August contra Faust. Manich lib. 20. c. 21. Colimus martyres eo cultu dilectionis societatis quo in hac vita coluntur sancti homines We worship the martyrs with that worship of love and societie with which even in this life holy men are worshipped Notwithstanding the Papists think this consequence to be so strong as they take it for granted that if the Saints make intercession for us we must pray to them Insomuch that Bellarmine when he would prove against our King That invocation of Saints was taught by the ancient Fathers in stead of that he proveth ridiculously the intercession of Saints for us CHAP. XIII That we must conceive of God in prayer as he hath revealed himself in his word SEeing then the Lord alone is to be called upon religiously it remaineth that we consider how we are to conceive of God when we do call upon him viz. not according to the fansies of our own brain but as he hath revealed himself in his word both in respect of the Divine nature and also the Divine persons In respect of his nature that he is a spirit invisible and incomprehensible omnipotent and infinite most holy wise just and mercifull c. And in regard of the Divine persons that being a God in essence substance one and indivisible he is notwithstanding distinguished into three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who as they be not in nature disjoyned so are they not to be severed in their worship but the Unitie in Trinitie and Trinitie in Unitie is to be worshipped and adored Whosoever therefore in respect of Gods nature do circumscribe God worshipping him under any form whether outwardly expressed or inwardly conceived as namely in the form of an old man c. in stead of the true God they do worship an idole Such was the erroneous conceit of the Anthropomorphites and such is the superstitious worship of the Papists at this day Likewise in respect of the persons whosoever shall call upon God as not distinguished into three persons howsoever they may professe that they invocate one onely true God maker of heaven and earth yet they do not worship the true God but an idole for the true God is the Father the Sonne and holy Ghost Forasmuch therefore as the Jews and Turks do not worship the Trinity they are not worshippers of the true God but as our Saviour said of the Samaritanes They worship they know not what John 4. not acknowledging the true God nor Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 5. 23. Hc that honoureth not the Sonne honoureth not the Father and Whosoever denieth the Sonne hath not the Father 1. John 2. 23. Here therefore it may be demanded That seeing we are to worship the holy Trinitie whether it be lawfull to direct our prayers to some one person as to the Father to the Sonne or to the holy Ghost He that acknowledgeth the Trinitie
omnem ex animo pellens humanam cogitationem that is If the bodie lying prostrate upon the ground and the mouth vainly trifling the mind wandreth throughout the whole house and market how can such a one say that he prayeth in Gods sight For he prayeth in the sight of God who recollecteth his whole soul that he may have nothing to do with the earth but may wholly raise himself into heaven and banish all humane cogitations out of his mind And to conclude let the absurditie of the fault it self and the grosse abusing of the majestie of God breed in us a lothing of this fault and a care to shun it For when at any time our minds have wandred in prayer let us endeavour to joyn into one speech the prayer of the mouth and the speech of the heart both which do sound in the eares of the Lord and then consider whether we would make such a speech I say not according to Malachi's rule to our Prince but to any man whom we regard which we are not abashed to offer unto the Lord. And thus have you heard the two faults opposed to praying in truth whereof the former is a note of hypocrites and impenitent sinners the latter though a foul fault and carefully to be avoided yet incident to the children of God For even in this sense the best of us may complain with David that our heart forsaketh us Psal. 40. 12. and as Augustine citeth out of Ambrose Ipso in tempore quo elevare mentem paramus insertis inanibus cogitationibus ad terrena plerunque dejicimur In the very time wherein we indeavour to lift up our minds vain thoughts being inserted we are for the most part cast down unto earthly things Wherein if we please our selves and are satisfied with such wandring prayers as though such wandring thoughts were not to be regarded as the Schoolmen teach we also play the hypocrites in our prayers and speak in vain in the aire without fruit or efficacie for such a prayer is dead and without life But if we come with upright hearts intending a religious service unto God though sometimes our devotions be hindred with wandring thoughts yet if we be grieved for them and pray and strive against them this infirmitie through Gods mercy and intercession of Christ shall not be imputed unto us CHAP. XVII Of knowledge which is required necessarily in prayer THus much of that which is generally required in the soul Now let us see what is more particularly required in the mind and in the heart In the mind two things are required Knowledge and Faith Knowledge 1. Of God to whom we pray and of his will according to which we are to pray 2. Of that which we in our invocation do utter in the presence of God First there is required knowledge and acknowledgement of the true God and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent otherwise we are subject to the censure of our Saviour given to the Samaritanes John 4. 22. You worship you know not what First we must know God before we can believe in him and we must believe in him or else we cannot call upon him Rom. 10. 14. Therefore David exhorteth his sonne Solomon 1. Chron. 28. 9. first to know then to worship the God of his fathers with a willing mind and an upright heart For all worship of God which is not guided by knowledge is mere will-worship and superstition Neither is that to be accounted religion or pietie which proceedeth from ignorance as the Papists hold ignorance to be the mother of devotion But that devotion is blind superstition Knowledge is as it were the stern which guideth us in the right way of serving God according to his word without which we wander into will-worship and superstitious inventions And therefore as of God there is knowledge required so also of his will revealed in his word For we can have no assurance that we shall be heard unlesse we pray according to his will 1. John 5. 14. Neither can we pray according to his will unlesse in some measure we do know it Col. 3. 16. Secondly there is required knowledge and understanding of that which we do pray otherwise we are subject to our Saviours reproof Matth. 20. 22. You ask you know not what Prayer not understood is the lifting up of the voice and not of the soul unto God and a pouring forth of our breath and speaking into the aire and not a pouring forth of our hearts and souls unto the Lord for as Augustine saith Seeing as it is Psal. 89. 16. Beatus populus qui intelligit jubilationem Curramus ergò saith he ad hanc beatitudinem intelligamus jubilationem non eam sine intellectu fundamus Quid opus est jubilare non intelligere jubilationem ut vox nostra sola jubilet cor non jubilet Sonus enim cordis intellectus est that is Blessed is the people which understandeth the joyfull sound Let us therefore haste saith he after this happinesse let us understand this joyfull sound and not vent it out without understanding What use is there of a joyfull sound and not to understand it that our voice onely should make this joyfull sound and not our heart For the sound of the heart is understanding Wherefore the Apostle Col. 3. 16. exhorteth us that the word of God dwell in us plenteously in all wisdome teaching and admonishing our selves in psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. Where the Apostle as he doth in generall require in every Christian a plentifull knowledge of the word of God to direct him in his worship of God so he teacheth us the use of our Psalmes and songs which we sing unto the Lord to wit that we and those that heare us may be instructed and edified thereby which without understanding of that which is said cannot be done as the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 14. And to the same effect doth the Prophet David exhort us Psal. 47. 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words though diversly translated do in every sense require understanding in those that call upon God whether you read it Sing praises every one that hath understanding or sing praises understandingly or with understanding or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also signifieth as appeareth by the titles of divers psalmes sing a Psalme of instruction whereby you may according to the exhortation of the Apostle Col. 3. instruct and edifie your selves and others Here therefore two sorts of men are condemned the first of those who pray in an unknown tongue the second of them who praying in their own tongue do not understand their own prayer The former fault is commited in the Church of Rome both in publick and private prayers And first for publick the Church of Rome hath ordained that all the publick Divine service in the West-churches should be done in the Latine tongue And although
our Saviour sheweth v. 8. Which may be a third reason Fourthly Solomon Eccles 5. 1 2. dehorteth from the same fault by two reasons First God is in heaven and thou on earth therefore let thy words be few God sitteth in the heavens as his throne full of majestie power and glory and we are on the earth base and vile being as nothing in comparison of him therefore in great humility and reverence we are to speak unto him framing and moderating our speech so as there be nothing idle or superfluous therein For when a man is to speak to his prince or any whom he doth reverence he will labour that his speech may be pithy avoiding all vain idle and superfluous talk Fifthly Because in multitude of words folly is committed For as multitude of businesse causeth dreams so multitude of words argueth folly v. 2 3. Sixthly If in our speech with men therâ—… wanteth not iniquitie in multitude of words as Solomon saith Prov. 10. 19. and if of every idle word men must give an account at the day of judgement as our Saviour testifiâ—…th Matth. 12. 36. If it be true as one saith Non est ejusdem multa opporâ—…na dâ—…ere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. sejuncta sunt haec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much more are these true of our speech with God wherein all superfluitie of idle words is joyned with irreverence and abuse of the majestie of God Seventhly Plato though an heathen Philosopher yet in his wisdome for which he was called divine he saw that brevitie and pithinesse in prayer was to be affected rather then prolixite and therefore preferreth the short prayer of the Lacedemonians That God would give them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 farre before the longer prayers of the Athenians wherein they studying to be long uttered many things which neither became the majestie of God nor wâ—…re expedient for themselves and therefore he saith as if he had read that counsel of Solomon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But never did the heathen so grossely offend in their battologie as the Papists at this day who numbring upon their beads their prayers which themselves understand not perswade themselves that the more often they do repeat their Pater-nosters and their Ave-Maries the more satisfactory and meritorious their prayer is before God yea and to the greater multitude of such idle repetitions the Popes have granted the greater indulgences For whereas according to the invention of Dominick their rosary or string of beads consisteth of 55 beads whereof five that is every eleventh be greater to signifie that to every Pater-noster they must recite ten Ave-Mariâ—… they have devised since that time the Ladies Psalter conteining three rosaries that is 〈◊〉 fifteen Pater-nosterâ—… an hundred and fifty Ave-Maries according to the number of Davids Psalmes Not to speak now of that Ladies Psalter in which what is spoken in Davids Psalmes of God or Christ our Lord is transferred to the virgin Mary most sacrilegiously and blasphemously to the saying whereof divers Popes have given large indulgences which in all arise to threescore thousand yeares pardon What then is it not lawfull to make long praiers I answer That prayer is not condemned of battologie or too much prolixity wherein nothing is superfluous neither is made with that opinion that for the lengths sake it shall be heard Where is variety of good matter uttered with the attention of the mind and vigour of affection there the longer we continue in prayer the better it is We are exhorâ—…ed in the Scriptures to continue in prayer and to watch in the same with thanksgiving Col. 4. 2. and our Saviour himself to give us example sometime continued in prayer whole nigâ—…ts Absit ab oratione saith Augustine multalocutio sed non desit multa precatio si fervens perseverat intentio Let much speech be absent from prayer but let not much praying be wanting if the intention persevere to be fervent But we are to moderate the length of our prayers according to the measure of grace received of faith and devotion appearing both in the attention of the mind and intention of the affections for as Augustine saith Intentio sicut non est obtundenda si perdurare non potest ità si 〈◊〉 non â—…itò est relinquenda As the intention is not to be dulled if it cannot hold out so if it can last it is not to be easily left Howbeit men may pray long and continue in prayer though their prayers be not long To which purpose Chrysostome giveth this advice Deum orans non longos extendat sermones nec in longum orationem producat sed pauca simpliciáque dicat verba Non â—…nim in verborum multitudine sed in mentis solertia positum est ut exaudiatur Oportet igitur orantem neque longos extendere sermones jugiter orare Breves enim frequentes orationes fieri Christus Paulus praeceperant parvis ex intervallis Nam si sermonem in longum extender is in negligentiam frequenter lâ—…psus multam diabolo surrependi facultatem dederis supplantandi abducendi cogitationem ab his quae dicuntur Si verò continuas crebras orationes facias totumque tempus interpoâ—…ans frequentiâ facilè poteris modestiam exhibere ipsas orationes cum multa facies solertia He that prayeth unto God let him not make long speeches nor draw out his prayer into length but let him utter few and simple words For his hope of being heard is not placed in multitude of words but in the right disposition of the mind Therefore he that prayeth must not extend his speech to a great length in a continued prayer For our Saviour Christ and S. Paul have injoyned short and frequent prayers to be made with small pauses between them for if thou draw out thy speech in a continued length thou wilt become negligent and wilt give great occasion to the devil of stealing in and of supplanting thee and of withdrawing thy thoughts from those things which are spoken But if thou continuest and makest many prayers and throughout the whole time dost refresh them with frequencie thou mayest use moderation and make thy prayers with much skill Agreeable to which advice was the practice of the faithfull in Egypt of whom Augustine Dicuntur fratres in Aegypto crebras quidem habere orationes sed eas tamen brevissimas raptim quodammodo jaculatas né illa vigilanter erecta quae oranti plurimùm necessaria est per productiores moras evanescat atque hebetetur intentio The brethren in Egypt are reported to have made many prayers but withall such as were very brief and in a manner suddenly darted lest that intention vigilantly raised which is very necessary to him that prayeth should by long continuance vanish and be blunted And herein our Saviour Christ hath given us a precedent Matth. 26. 39 42 44. Wherefore howsoever some do carp at the short prayers in
excluded from private prayer But to apply the former distinction to private prayer also and first for statae That our infirmity may be helped and our backwardnesse in this duty relieved we are to appoint to our selves some certain houres in the day which we will not let passe without invocation on the name of God but yet so as we place no religion in one time more then in another as the Papists do in their canonicall houres as though God were more ready to heare one time of the day then another This practice which I have named the most holy men of God have used As David Psal. 55. 17. In the morning at noon â—…nd in the evening will I pray And Daniel chap. 6. 10. used to pray three times in the day Which practice of theirs we are thus to imitate 1. to pray in the morning before we go about the works of our calling 2. in the mid-day in the time of intermission of our works and thirdly at evening before we take our rest and besides whensoever we take meaâ—… we are to use both prayer and thanksgiving 1. Tim. 4. 4 5. 2. Concerning vagae We are to follow the advice of the Apostle Col. 3. 17. In every thing which we do in word or deed both to take it in hand by calling upon the name of the Lord and to end it with thanksgiving Not that we are alwayes to use the voice and gesture of the body for sometime it is sufficient to lift up the soul unto the Lord Which kind of short prayers among the ancient Fathers were called ejaculations And thus if we shall use statae vagae orationes stinted and unstinted prayers omitting no just occasions we shall perform the commandment 1. Thess. 5. 17. but otherwise we shall break the same and in so doing we shall incurre the wrath of God CHAP. XXVIII Concerning the place of prayer THirdly concerning the place To no one certain place is that promise made that then was made to the temple of Jerusalem viz. That whatsoever men in their extremitie should ask of God in it God would grant it in his holy habitation in the heavens Jesus the Messias then looked for whose presence was sought in the mercy-seat and between the Cherubims is now entred between the veil that is in the heaven and there abideth onely Mediatour for us unto whom from all the coasts of the earth we may lift up pure hands with assurance that we shall be heard Howsoever the Israelites under the Law were tyed to pray either in the temple and tabernacle Deut. 12. 5 14. Psal. 99. 6. or else towards the same 2 Chron. 7. 38. 1. Kings 8. 44 48. Psal. 138. 2. Dan. 6. 10. yet now all such distinction and difference of place being but ceremoniall is abolished For that one place of prayer and sacrifice was a type of Christ Jesus the alone altar and the praying in or towards the same did figure out thus much That onely in the mediation of Jesus Christ who is the onely Mediatour both of redemption and also of intercession we are to call upon the Lord Wherefore seeing these were but shadows and ceremonies of things to come and seeing the substance and truth it self Jesus Christ is already exhibited whereunto the shadows and ceremonies do and ought to give place we are not now tied to one place more then another as one being more typically holy then another In the 4. of John v. 21 22 23 24. our Saviour himself resolveth this doubt for when the Samaritane had demanded of him which is that place wherein God is to be worshipped the mount Gerizzim where the Samaritanes temple was or the mount Moriah whereon the temple of Solomon was built Christ giveth her this answer That now the time was come wherein all these differences of places being but ceremoniall were taken away that now the Lord was no more to be worshipped by ceremonies but in spirit and truth and therefore that it was lawfull to worship God not onely in Jerusalem oâ—… in mount Gerizzim but also in other places The Prophet Malachi seemeth to foretell the same chap. 1. 11. For so the Lord speaketh by him From the rising of the sunne to the going down of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered in my name c. But most plain is that 1. Tim. 2. 8. where the Apostle willeth that men should pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every place lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting So that there is no such difference of place but that we may lawfully call upon God in any place Which also is confirmed unto us by the practice of Christ and his Apostles who did not onely pray in the temple but without distinction in other places as in the mountain in the desert in the garden in private houses on the house-top on the sea-shore and where not Hence appeareth the vanity of Pilgrimages Which were used either because the places were more holy to which they went then others or because the Lord was nearer to them there then elsewhere The former reason I have already confuted and the latter is more absurd For is the Lord present at Jerusalem and is he absent in England nay Do not I â—…ill heaven and earth saith the Lord Jer. 23. 24. And doth not the Psalmist say Psal 138. 8. If I ascend into heaven thou art there if I lie down in hell thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea yea thither shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand hold me Seeing therefore that the Lord is every where present to heare us we may call upon him in any place and the rather because our bodies are the temples of God and we our selves priests and Christ Jesus dwelleth in our temples upon whom as being our onely altar we may offer up incense that is our prayers Revel 5. 8. Psal. 141. 2. So that wheresoever we are we have temples wherein to call upon the Lord. Now howsoever this which I have said be in generall true of Invocation both publick and private yet it is to be understood of publick with this distinction For publick prayer is to be considered according to the state of the Church If the Church be either in persecution or warfare wheresoever the assembly meeteth to that purpose there may they lawfully pray As namely in persecution in private houses or in secret places for the assembly not the place maketh prayer publick But if the Church be in flourishing and quiet estate there ought some publick places as Churches to be appointed for that purpose wherein the congregation ordinarily is to be assembled not for any greater holinesse in the Churches then in other places for the assembly sanctifieth the place and not the place the assembly but onely for good orders sake and politie of the Church CHAP.
of God in the Scriptures have denounced against the wicked wishing the ruine and destruction of their persons we are to hold that howsoever they were warrantable in them yet not imitable of us They by the spirit of God were inlightened certainly to know discern those against whom they make such imprecations to have been the desperate enemies of God appointed to destruction Secondly they were moved not with private hatred but with a pure zeal of Gods glory to which the love of our neighbour must give place desiring that God might be glorified in the confusion of his obstinate enemies But as for us who neither have the like certainty of knowledge nor the like purity of zeal our safest course is altogether to abstein from imprecations directed against the persons of men knowing that when curses do proceed from private hatred and malice they are most horrible profanations of the name of God whereby malicious men go about to make God the executioner of their malice and therefore we are charged not to curse but to blesse 1. Pet. 3. 9. even those that curse or persecute us Rom. 12. 14. Matth. 5. 44. Cursed therefore are they which use cursing Psal. 109. 17. especially if they curse any of the heirs of the promise to whom God hath made this promise Blessed be he that blesseth thee and cursed be he that curseth thee Gen. 12. 3. and 27. 29. CHAP. XXXIII Of the reall object of prayer or the things to be prayed for THe object reall or the thing which we do ask is either undetermined and not particularly expressed or else it is determined and expressed in particular The former when in generall or in indefinite terms we desire the Lord to heare us Psal. 4. 1. Heare me when I call have mercy upon me and heare my prayer Psal. 5. 1 2. and 28. 1 2. and 54. 2. and 55. 1 2. and 61. 1. and 86. 1. and 88. 2. and 102. 1 2. and 130. 1 2. and 141. 1 2. and 143. 1. The object determined is either the glory of God or our own good The advancement of Gods glory is to be asked both absolutely and first Absolutely I say without any condition or respect of our own good which we must subordinate to the glory of God and not the glory of God to it If therefore the glory of God and our own good come in comparison or in question whether should give place we ought to preferre the glory of God before our own salvation Example Exod. 32. 32. Rom. 9. 3. For the glory of God is the chief end and our good is no otherwise to be desired then it is referred thereunto But as we are to ask it absolutely so also first First both in order as our Saviour hath taught us this being the first petition of the Lords prayer and first in degree that is chiefly because the end is alwayes better and more excâ—…llent then those things which are referred to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The things which we crave for our selves under which word I comprehend all men is either the bestowing continuing and increasing of some good or else deliverance or preservation from evil In which regard prayer is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precatio boni prayer for good or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deprecatio mali deprecation of evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayer is the desiring of good concerning holy things made unto God saith Basil. Phil. 4. 6. 1. Tim. 2. 1. It was said before that the matter or object of our prayer must be good how then can prayer admit a distinction in respect of good and evil The avoiding or taking away of evil is good Amotio mali habet rationem boni Removing of evil hath the reason of good And as the Oratour saith Bellum est cavere malum It is a good thing to shun evil And hereupon the benefits of God are distinguished into positive which are reall benefits and privative which is deliverance or preservation from evil The good things which we crave for our selves belong either to the obteining of a better life or for the mainteining of this life the former are commonly called spirituall blessings and the latter temporall The spirituall blessings I mean so many as are necessary to salvation we are to ask absolutely because such spirituall blessings are absolutely subordinated to Gods glory and mans salvation And secondly among those things which we crave for our selves they are first to be desired and sought Matth. 6. 33. And that order our Saviour observeth in the Lords prayer teaching us after the glory of God in the next place to seek our own chiefest good For by the kingdome of God we are to understand both the kingdome of glory and the kingdome of grace The kingdome of glory cometh to us in our glorification the kingdome of grace in our vocation whereby we are brought out of the kingdome of Satan into Gods kingdome and secondly in our justification whereby we are both indued with the priviledges of his kingdome which are the righteousnesse of God imputed peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. and also intituled unto the kingdome of heaven And by doing the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven is meant the righteousnes of God so farre as it is by us to be performed or the righteousnesse of sanctification which is both the cognizance of all true subjects of the kingdome of grace and the proper note of all the heirs of the kingdome of glory Acts 26. 18. and 20. 32. As touching temporall benefits Some have denied that they are to be asked of God as the Marcionites and Manichees others have doubted concerning the same as Chrysostome and Basil as being unworthy either for us to seek and ask of God or for him to give unto us But our Saviour when he biddeth us first seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse implyeth that temporall things are to be sought also in a secondary respect For as Lyra saith Primum relativè dicitur ad secundum Cùm ergò dicit Primò quaerendum significavit quòd hoc posteriùs quaerendum non tempore sed dignitate id est secundariâ quâdam ratione illud tanquam bonum nostrum hoc tanquam necessarium nostrum necessarium autem propter illud bonum FIRST is relatively spoken with reference to a latter And therefore when he saith that we must seek it first he implyeth that this is to be sought afterwards not in respect of time but dignity that is in a secondary respect that as our good this as necessary For whereas it may be objected that temporall benefits are not quaerenda sed adjicienda quaesitis not to be sought but to be added to things sought I answer That God hath promised to adde these things but not to those that tempt God in neglect of prayer and other means but to such as seek them in
chearfulnesse their thanks are not hearty but cold and counterfeit So much of the inward duties CHAP. XXXVII Of the outward expressing inward thankfulnesse by praysing God THe outward duty is to expresse our inward thankfulnesse and chearfulnesse Our thankfulnesse by celebrating and praysing the name of God extolling his goodnesse recounting his mercies and exciting others to prayse God Our chearfulnesse jubilando by making a joyfull noyse and singing unto God Psal. 100. 1. and 81. 1. Jam. 5. 13. Now because naturally we are backward in the performance of this duty insomuch that scarce one of ten can be found to return prayse and thanks unto God as appeareth in the story of the ten lepers Luke 17. 17. I will therefore use some arguments to move us thereunto And first that threefold argument Psal. 147. 1. Praise ye the Lord for it is good to sing prayses to our God for it is pleasant and prayse is comely I. It is good For it is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us 1. Thess. 5. 18. It is the commandment of God in many places Psal. 50. 14. And the same is testified Psal. 92. 1 2. II. It is pleasant Psal. 135. 3. For it is an exercise wherein not onely the faithfull on earth do especially rejoyce but also the Saints and Angels in heaven who enjoy perpetuall joy and happinesse rejoycing and reposing therein a part of their happinesse III. It is decent or comâ—…ly 1. in respect of God to whom all glory and praise is due and it is therefore just to give unto him the glory and praise which is due unto his name Psal. 92. 2. in respect both of his attributes and works Praise the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for evâ—…r Psal. 136. 1 2 c. Secondly in respect of the faithfull Psal. 33. 1. For what can more become those who by Christs benefit are become priests to offer spirituall sacrifices unto God then to sacrifice praise unto him 1. Pet. 2. 5. Revel 1. 5. By him therefore let us offer continually the sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of our lips confessing to his name Heb. 13. 15. To these we may adde another ternion of arguments That praise and thanksgiving is an exercise it self most Excellent to God most Honourable to us most Necessary 1. The excellency of it may appear by comparing it first to the sacrifices of the Law For the sacrifice of praise the calves of our lips is farre preferred before the sacrifices of goats and bulls Psal. 50. 14. secondly with Prayer for as it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive Acts 20. 35. so a more excellent thing to give thanks then to beg and crave Again what more excellent thing can be done on earth then that which is the exercise of the Saints and Angels in heaven and therefore to praise God is not onely an excellent but also a blessed exercise wherein the faithfull have reposed happinesse Psal. 84. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will be still praysing thee 2. Praise is Honourable to God Psal. 50. 23. He that sacrificeth praise he honoureth me God so highly esteemeth his praises proceeding from us as if thereby something were added to his glory to which being infinite nothing can be added Therefore the praysing of God in the Scriptures is called bl ssing Psal. 103. 1. the magnifying of God Luke 1. 46. and the glorifying of his name Matth. 9. 6. the making of his praise glorious Psal. 66. 2. or as some reade appone gloriam nomini ejus appoint glory to his name not that our praises indeed do make him great or glorious or adde to the glory of his name for his name is exalted above all praise Nehem. 9. 5. but that to incourage us to this duty he is pleased so to term the setting forth of his praise and the declaring or celebrating of his glory 3. It is Necessary 1. Necessitâ—…te praecepti by necessity of precept Psal. 50. 14. 1. Thess. 5. 18. the which imposeth necessitatem officii the necessity of duty and the rather because we are priests ordained to offer spirituall sacrifices 1. Pet. 2. 5. Revel 1. 3. Heb. 13. 15. because in our daily prayers we desire that we may glorifie his name and therefore in our lives are to endeavour it We desire also that his will may be done but this is the will of God 1. Thess. 5. 18. Would we as we pray do the will of God as it is done in heaven then must we be frequent in sounding forth his praise for this is the exercise of the Saints and Angels in heaven II. Necessitate medii by necessity of the means as a necessary means in respect both of our good and Gods glory 1. Of our good for new blessings because it is the condition upon which the Lord promiseth to heare and deliver us Psal. 50. 15. And in this respect thanksgiving is also profitable because God will honour them that honour him 1. Sam. 2. 30. The readiest way to obtein new blessings is to give thanks for the old not that by giving thanks we deserve better and greater blessings as the Papists reach for this i before confuted 2. In respect of Gods glory which is the sovereigne end of all All creatures do set forth Gods glory Psal. 19. 1. and 148. The dumbe creatures as Basil saith are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 silent praysers piercing preachers of Gods hidden works but much more men who set forth Gods praise not onely as the matter but as the instruments of his praise Psal. 145. 10. Our speech was given us to glorifie God therefore our tongue is our glory So that they are worse then bruit creatures who are mute in Gods praises Yea such necessitie there is of praysing and glorifying of God that if men should be silent God would make the stones to sound forth his praise III. Necessitate signi by the necessitie of the signe For it is necessary not onely that we should be thankfull unto God for his mercies but also that we should expresse our thankfulnesse And for as much as we cannot reserre or recompense Gods bounty for our goodnesse will not reach to him Psal. 16. 3. It remaineth therefore that we must agere gratias that is give thanks For if we should enter into consultation with our selves and deliberate what course we should take to testifie our thankfulnesse our resolution must be the same with that of David Psal. 1 16. 12 17. Seeing then this is the onely thing besides the glorifying of God by a godly conversation that we can do to expresse our thankfulnesse we are very unthankfull if we be defective herein CHAP. XXXVIII Of the duties which ought to be performed before and after thanksgiving and of the object and time DUties to be performed out of the action both before and after Before Preparation Psal. 108. 1. and 57. 7.
the flesh and spirit and grow up into all godlinesse in the fear of God 2. Cor. 6. 18. and 7. 1. Deut. 32. 6. Nonne ipse Pater tuus c. Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee We must honour him we must fear him 1. Pet. 1. 17. Neither ought we to fear any thing so much as to displease him We must love him and Christ his Sonne John 8. 42. and for his sake our neighbours as the sonnes of God and members of Christ and consequently as our brethren and fellow-members 1. John 5. 1. We are to imitate our heavenly Father Matth. 5. 45. Luke 6. 36. We must patiently and meekly bear afflictions as fatherly chastisements Heb. 12. 6 7 c. Otherwise we shew our selves to be bastards rather then sonnes We must trust in him Psal. 27. 10. Isai. 63. 16. Here therefore is reproved the hypocrisie of those who using these words do not call upon God in their prayers with sonne-like reverence faith affection submission nor in their lives behave themselves as Gods children For though we call upon God as our Father and yet do not obey him nor honour him nor fear him nor love him nor follow him nor submit our selves to his chastisements nor trust in him we shew our selves not to be the children of God but rather of the devil For our Saviour saith to the Jews affirming that God was their Father His sonnes ye are whose works ye do John 8. 39 48. And John also saith 1. Epist. 3. 8 9 10. He that committeth sinne is of the devil Whosoever is born of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him c. In this the children of God are known and the children of the devil Whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother See Deut. 32. 5 6. Our WHen as our Saviour teacheth us to say Our Father Give us c. he may seem to some to have prescribed a form of publick prayer onely Otherwise why doth he not teach us to say My Father Give me c. But out of verse 6. it appeareth that he prescribeth this form as well for private as for publick prayer Now he teacheth us to say Our Father Give us c. that we may learn it to be our duty to call upon God not onely for our selves but also for others But for what others For all men 1. Tim. 2. 1. For God is the Father of all by creation but especially for the faithfull to whom Gâ—…d is a Father by grace of adoption and they also our brethren in Christ. We are therefore to pray for the whole brotherhood which is the universall Church and the whole company of the faithfull Psal. 122. 6. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem For the universall Church I say militant upon earth For unto the present estate of the Church militant our Saviour doth accommodate this prayer as that we may do the will of God upon earth as it is in heaven that he would give us our daily bread that he would forgive our sinnes and not lead us into temptation When as therefore this prayer is used amongst the Papists for the dead they shew themselves not impious onely but also ridiculous Vses concerning Prayer FIrst whereas Christ commandeth us to call God Father not onely of other faithfull and elect but also ours he requireth in us when we are to pray a true and justifying faith whereby we are perswaded that God is our Father in Christ and the spirit of adoption whereby we cry in our hearts Abba Father Therefore that speciall faith which the Papists call presumption whereby every Christian man believeth that he is adopted in Christ reconciled to God and justified by him and that for his sake both himself and his prayer is accepted of God Christ requireth in this place For unlesse I be perswaded that the Lord is not onely the Father of the rest of the faithfull and elect but also my Father I cannot in truth call him our Father Unto prayer therefore we must bring faith without which it is impossible to please God Secondly whereas Christ commandeth us to call upon God not onely for our selves but also in the behalf of the whole fraternitie which is the universall Church Our Father Give us c. he teacheth us to exercise the communion of Saints by mutuall prayers for one another Ephes. 6. 18. and not onely to have respect to our own good but also to the good of others 1. Cor. 13. 5. and withall informeth us how we are to be affected towards our brethren when we come to call upon God that we should desire the same good things for them which we ask for our selves that we should be touched with a fellow-feeling of their wants as it becometh those which are not onely the sonnes of the same Father but also members of the same body Heb. 13. 3. Therefore as we ought to bring faith towards God so also charity towards men that without wrath and dissension we may lift up pure hands unto God 1. Tim. 2. 8. But is it not lawfull to say sometimes My Father My God and to pray for our selves in particular or for some others It is lawfull in private prayers to call God thy Father so that thou dost not arrogate any thing peculiar to thy self besides or above other faithfull men For this is the voyce of justifying faith especially in the time of temptation when the faithfull man may seem forsaken of God to apply unto himself in particular that which commonly belongeth to all the faithfull Psal. 22. 1. Deus meus My God my God c. John 20. 28. Rom. 1. 8. The Lord instructeth his people thus to call him My Father Jer. 3. 4 19. and Christ his disciples Matth. 6. 6. Pray to thy Father and thy Father which seeth in secret c. It is lawfull also to pray for thy self and for others in particular so as thou forget not to pray for the whole brotherhood of Gods children For as when we are commanded to do good to all but especially to the houshold of faith Gal. 6. 10. we are bound in particular to do good to those whose wants are known unto us so when we are commanded to pray for all we are bound in particular to pray for those whose wants are known unto us and especially for such as do any wayes belong unto us or do desire to be commended in our prayers unto God Rom. 15. 30. Jam. 5. 14. Ephes. 5. 19. 1. Tim. 2. 1 2. Thirdly whereas we are taught to say Our Father Give us c. we may gather that this prayer and those that are made to the like effect are the common voyce of the Church and of all the members thereof praying mutually for one another Which affordeth comfort to every one of us for although the sense of thy own wants weaknesse in calling upon God doth discourage
the waters of Strife did not sanctifie the Lord by believing and acknowledging his omnipotent power then the Lord did sanctifie his name himself Num. 20. 12 13. Lev. 22. 32. Neither shall ye pollute my holy name but I will be hallowed amongst the people of Israel So when Herod would not give the glory to God the Lord glorified himself in his destruction In the second place therefore we pray in zeal of Gods glory That howsoever men pollute and profane his holy name yet he would glorifie it and manifest the praise both of his mercy in blessing and preserving his Church and also of his justice in executing his judgements upon the wicked and enemies of his Church by removing the impediments by freeing it from the pollution of men and mainteining his glory Duties 1. Zeal of his glory that he may sanctifie it whatsoever become of me 2. Fear to profane his name seeing he will be sanctified c. V. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy kingdome come What Gods kingdome is THe first petition conteined the main scope of all our desires This and the next contein the way and means whereby that end is to be atchieved for then is God glorified when his kingdome is advanced and his will is performed The meaning of the words Thy kingdome come We must know that there are two kingdomes in the world ruling in the minds and hearts of men the one of darknesse the other of light the one of Satan the other of God Col. 1. 13. unto the one of which every man in the world is subject The kingdome of Satan and darknesse is whereby the children of disobedience being blindfolded and bewitched of the devil go on and continue in ignorance and sinne to their own perdition The prince of this kingdome is Satan the prince of the air Ephes. 2. 2. and God of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. John 12. 31. The subjects are all men by nature untill they be brought out of this kingdome of Satan into the kingdome of God and then is the kingdome of God said to come to them But in this subjection do none finally remain but the reprobate who are the children of disobedience in whom Satan worketh effectually Ephes. 2. 2. and blindeth their minds that the light of the glorious gospel of the kingdome of God shine not unto them 2. Cor. 4. 4. and carrieth them away captive to the obedience of his will 2. Tim. 2. 26. The law of this kingdome whereby he ruleth is sinne Hujus regni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The law of this kingdome is to be without law This sin reigneth in the mortall bodies of men mâ—…king them give up their members to be instruments of sinne unto iniquity Rom. 6. 12 13. untill it please God to let his kingdome come upon them ruling them by his word and spirit The end of this kingdome is endlesse perdition 2. Thess. 1. 9. and against this kingdome are we taught to pray in this place c. The other is the kingdome of God And this is either universall or speciall The universall is that whereby the Lord ruleth over all things even over his enemies whereunto all things are subject and from which subjection nothing can exempt it self This of Divines is called regnum potentiae the kingdome of power whereof the holy Ghost speaketh Psal. 99. 1 2. and 145. 13. and in the clause of this prayer For thine is the kingdome But most plainly Psal. 103. 19. The Lord hath established his throne in heaven and his kingdome is over all This kingdome nothing can resist nothing can hinder no not although all creatures should band themselves together against it The speciall kingdome of God is that whereby he ruleth not over all men in generall but onely over the Church that is the company of the elect And as there be two parts of the Church the one militant upon the earth the other triumphant in heaven so are there two parts of Gods kingdome the first of grace the Church militant the second of glory the Church triumphant The former is the blessed estate of Christians in whom he reigneth in this life for it doth not consist in meat and drink or in any temporall or worldly thing but it is righteousnes that is assurance oâ—… justification and peace of conscience arising from thence Rom. 5. 1. and joy in the holy Ghost a consequent of both the other Rom. 14. 17. The latter is the glorious and blessed estate of the faithfull after this life where they shall have the fruition of God in whose presence there is fulnesse of joy c. Of these two the former is the way to the latter therefore whosoever would be an inheritour of the kingdome of glory in heaven must first be a subject of God in the kingdome of grace in this life Luke 22. 30. and therefore out of the Church there is no salvation And on the other side whosoever is a true subject of God in the kingdome of grace shall be an heir of glory in heaven and therefore to them that be true members of the Church there is no condemnation And this David teacheth us Psal. 15. 1. Who shall sojourn c. both parts of that question concerning one and the same man The kingdome of grace is that government whereby the Lord doth effectually rule in our hearts by his word and Spirit working in us his own good work of grace and making us fellow-citizens and meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 19. Saints in light Col. 1. 12. In this kingdome the Prince is the Lord who exerciseth this kingdome by his Sonne Psal. 96. 10. and 97. 1. and 110. 1. The people are the Church which is therefore called the kingdome of heaven Matth. 5. 19. and the particular subjects are all true Christians The sceptre of this kingdome is the word of God Psal. 110. which is also the law whereby he reigneth and is therefore called the word of the kingdome Matth. 13. 19. the gospel of the kingdome of God Mark 1. 14. The preaching of which word and gospel is also called the kingdome of heaven Matth. 13. 11. and 22. 2 c. Where by the way we may note that where the word of God and gospel of the kingdome is truly preached there is the kingdome consequently the Church of God and therefore that may be also verified of us which our Saviour Christ speaketh of the Jews that the kingdome of God is amongst us Luke 17. 21. This preaching of the word is also called the arm of God Isa. 53. 1. whereby he pulleth men out of darknesse into light and out of the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. But especially the Lord ruleth in our hearts by his Spirit drawing us unto his Sonne bending and bowing us to the obedience of his word inlightening our minds and sanctifying our hearts and leading us
they cannot mind heavenly things By them as baits he allureth to sinne as snares entangleth to perdition Which make men citizens of the earth and misse of their freedome in heaven which cause men place their paradise upon the earth and not to care for the kingdome of heaven For a man cannot serve God and Mammon or be a worldling and yet a subject of this kingdome which make worldly men sell their birthright with Esau c. therefore we pray that the Lord would deliver us from the evil world Gal. 1. 4. wain us from it that we may renounce all worldly lusts that we may use the world so as we abuse it not 1. Cor. 7. 31. that the world may be crucified unto us and we to the world Gal. 6. that by faith we may overcome the world 1. John 5. 4. and that we may behave our selves not as worldlings minding earthly things but as pilgrimes on the earth and â—…itizens of heaven and fellow-citizens of the saints Ephes. 2. 19. whos 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oonversation is in heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. The third is our Flesh that is our own corrupt nature the wisdome whereof is eâ—…mity against God which lusteth against the spirit which sendeth out continuall lusts as it were sparkles out of a furnace which fight against our souls which the devil abuseth as his bawd to pollute us and to beget in us all manner of sinnes which bring forth death Therefore we pray that the Lord would reigne in us by his Spirit that we may not be carnall but spirituall that we may not walk after the flesh but after the spirit that as being pilgrimes on earth but citizens of heaven we may abstein from fleshly lusts c. 1. Pet. 2. 11. that we may crucifie the flesh and the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. In a word we desire that the Lord would confound the kingdome of darknesse whereby the devil ruleth in the hearts of men using for his instruments or souldiers the lusts of the world and of the flesh The outward enemies of Gods kingdome But these were spirituall enemies And we are not onely to pray against them but also against the outward enemies of the Church which is the kingdome of God And these are either open and professed enemies as the Turks and Infidels the great Turk being that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Abaddon that maketh havock of the Church Revel 9. 11. or else close and covert enemies which under the name and profession of Christ oppugne the kingdome of Christ as Antichrist his Synagogue that is the Pope and the Church of Rome For notwithstanding all their glorious profession that they and they alone are the Church of God yet these are they that say We will not have this man to reigne over us but having received the mark of the beast are in subjection to the Pope under penalty of damnation And he sitteth in or rather sets himself against the Church usurping sovereigne authority and sitting as God in the throne of Christ he deteineth the people in ignorance making them believe that their implicite faith will save them and so they lead them blindfolded after them as it were in a string to perdition For whose law reigneth amongst them Gods or their own The breach of whose law more severely punished To whose government are they subject Gods or their own What doctrine do they teach the word of God or the inventions of men The word of God which is his sceptre do they not suppresse this light of mens souls do they not hide it from the people under a strange language as it were under a bushel do they follow the Lambe that have received the mark of the beast and persecute with fire and sword all true professours c. Well against these enemies both secret and open covert and discovered that is Gog and Magog Revel 20. we are taught to pray that being subdued that is either converted or subverted the Church and kingdome of God may be advanced Besides these enemies there are also other impediments of the kingdome of God opposite to the outward means As to the preaching of the word 1. The insufficiency of Ministers not able to teach 2. Their negligence and idlenesse 3. Their causelesse non-residencie and covetous multiplying benefices with cure 4. The want of maintenance by impropriations and corruption of Patrones All these we are to pray that they may be removed and a free passage to his word granted Impediments opposite to government are either no government but confusion in the Church and Commonweal or else corrupt government the rulers hindring rather then promoting the kingdome of Christ. We see then what we desire when we pray that the kingdome of grace may come viz. That where it is not it may be erected and where it is it may be continued and enlarged That he would blesse preserve and protect his Church That the Lord would rule and reigne in us by his word and Spirit That he would effectually call those which belonging to his election are not called That he would justifie us by faith sanctifie us by the holy Ghost and make us and all his meet to be partakers with the Saints in light That we may more and more feel in our selves the fruits of this kingdome righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost and to this end That he would give a free passage to his word and send faithfull labourers into his harvest blessing them and their ministery and also the seed-plots thereof That he would establish an holy government in the Church and Commonwealth and blesse the governours c. That he would grant unto it the effectuall operation of the holy Spirit making the outward means profitable That he would confound the kingdome of darknesse sinne Satan and Antichrist That the devil may be trod under our feet the world crucified unto us and we to the world the flesh with the lusts thereof mortified That we may renounce and forsake according to our vow in baptisme the flesh the world and the devil That all other impediments of his kingdome of grace and our salvation being removed we may be preserved blamelesse to the coming of Christ and may be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Vses Wants to be bewailed Now let us come to the uses First our need which we have to make this prayer by reason of our defection from God in our first parents and our originall sinne derived from them For before man fell from God by sinne he was wholly subject to the kingdome of God and conformable to his will in all righteousnesse and holinesse his mind inlightened with knowledge endued with wisdome his conscience pure his will holy and just his affections orderly the inferiour powers of his soul subordinate to the superiour and all to God the members of the body instruments of holinesse unto righteousnesse But when as man fell from God by sinne
venite ad judicium Arise ye dead and come unto judgement VI. We must live as having our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversation in heaven from whence we look for a Saviour minding heavenly things and not being addicted to the world or the desires thereof but living as pilgrimes on the earth c. The hypocrisie of men is here detected who either 1. make this prayer having not this desire or 2. live as if they were out of hope as all those do that go on in their sinnes without remorse for how can he truly hope for the end that â—…areth not for the means Doth not the holy Ghost say That without holinesse we shall never see God Heb. 12. 14. That without regeneration we shall never enter into the kingdome of heaven John 3. 3 5. Therefore we cannot hope that Christ his coming will be to our everlasting salvation if we continue in our sinnes neither can we truly and earnestly desire his coming except we have that hope neither can we truly make this prayer except we have this unfeigned desire 3. Those that are wedded to the world and are so farre from desiring the hastening of Christs coming that they do not onely desire to live here alwayes but also so behave themselves as if they meant alwayes to abide here placing their paradise upon the earth and not caring for the kingdome of heaven The third Petition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The order THis petition is a consequent of the former For then doth God reigne in the hearts of men when they subject and submit themselves to his will Therefore as in the former petition we desired that the Lord would reigne in us so here we pray that we may shew our selves to be his subjects by performâ—…g his will For these two are relatives if he our 〈◊〉 then we his subjects And therefore hereby we 〈◊〉 discern whether the Lord doth reigne in us if we havâ—… a true desire and endeavour to do his will And theâ—…fore our Saviour Christ Matth. 6. 33. as he doth â—…id us to seek first and principally the kingdome of God so also his righteousnessâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will signifieth three things either 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which willeth or 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the willing or 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing willed 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which willeth in the creatures is the faculty of the mind whereby it willeth But in God whose nature is most simple and in whom there is nothing which is not himself it is his essence In this sense Voluntas Dei est essentia Dei volens the will of God is the essence of God willing 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the willing in the creatures is the act or function of willing proceeding from the faâ—…ulty But in the Lord both the act of willing and the faculty whereby he willeth is his essence Therefore as his essence is one and eternall so his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his willing is one and eternall and without succession And therefore whatsoever God hath willed doth or shall will that he willeth with one and the same everlasting act of willing For as uno actu intelligendi unóque intuitu omnia intelligit so also uno actu volendi omnia vult quae vult for as with one act of understanding and one view he understandeth all things so with one act of willing he willeth all that he willeth Out of which appeareth the unchangeablenesse of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his willing For whereas in ours there is a change when either we will that which before we did not or leave to will that which before we desired God by one eternall act of willing willeth all things and therefore neither beginneth to will that which before he did not nor leaveth to will that which once he willed The consideration whereof ought to be 1. A stay and comfort to Gods children in any distresse seeing there doth nothing happen unto them which the Lord hath not willed from everlasting and that for his glory and their good 2. An argument of thanksgiving unto the Lord who before we were willed so well unto us 3. A confirmation of faith in his promises because whom he loveth he loveth to the end neither is he as man that he should repent For howsoever repentance be sometime ascribed unto him yet this and the like passions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are spoken after the manner of men but must be understood according to the majesty of God And as sometimes repentance is affirmed of God so also many times it is denied Where it is denied it is to be ascribed to the immutability of his will where it is affirmed efficaciae actionis to the efficacy of his action 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing willed which oftentimes in the Scripture is called his will John 6. 39 40. 1. Thess. 4. 3. And in this sense the testament is called the will of the testatour The thing that God willeth properly and per se is good howsoever unproperly by accident he willeth that which is evil non quidem facere sed fieri not to do it but to permit it to be done as it is referred to good ends viz. his glory and our good Bonum est esse malum It is good there should be evil that both the glory of Gods mercy in saving us and of his justice in punishing our sinnes in Christ might appear But properly the Lord willeth not it but the end as when a man is content that some part of his body should be seared he doth not properly desire the searing of the part but the health of his body The things willed are either God himself and those things which pertein to himself as his glory c. or the creatures and such things as belong unto them Himself he willeth most properly for if bonum cognitum known good be the proper object of will then primum supremum bonum the first and supreme good which is himself is most properly the object thereof His creatures he willeth and such things as concern them as means referred to this end Rom. 11. 36. Prov. 16. 4. Himself he willeth by absolute necessity not indeed of constraint but of nature for most willingly he willeth His creatures he willeth most freely having liberty either to will them or to nill them Howbeit things willed come to passe by necessity not absolute but ex hypothesi voluntatis Divinae on the condition of Gods will Now God willeth the means not thereby to perfect the end which is himself or to purchase any good to himself for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most perfect and doth not stand in need of any of his creatures Psal. 16. 2. but he willeth them propter se communicandum that they by the communication of himself unto them may be perfected Omnia ordinantur in finem ut à sine
the cause as namely sinne And howsoever sin is evil yet it is good that sinne should be for the manifestation of the glory both of the mercy of God and also of his justice and therefore though the Lord doth not velle peccatum per se will sinne properly by it self yet he doth will it per accidens by accident as it is referred to good ends Again sinne may be considered as it is malum culpae or malum poenae an evil of fault or evil of punishment Sinne as it is a punishment is a work of justice in him that punisheth for it is just that he that doth commit malum culpae the evil of fault should suffer malum poenae the evil of punishment as it is therefore a punishment i. a work of justice and not sin it is willed of God the authour of all good In sin as it is malum culpae the evil of fault three things do concurre actus macula reatus the act stain guilt The action is materiale peccati the matter of sin the corruption is formale peccati the form of sin reatus est obligatio ad poenam the guilt is the obligation to punishment the which is just as the punishment it self The action as it is an action severed from the corruption is good Omne ens quatenus ens est bonum Every being as it is a being is good and God is the authour of it for in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17. 28. But of the corruption wherewith the action is stained God is not the cause For unto every action concurreth the first cause and some secondary cause depending from him as being the instrument of the first The which instrument being bad as many times it is there is a double work in the action one of the first cause good the other of the instrument evil God then is the cause of the action but not of the corruption but yet useth ordereth disposeth the corruption of the instrument for the execution of his own good work When the Lord gave his Sonne to death he used Judas as his instrument The action is the delivering of Christ which as it came from God was a most glorious work John 3. 16. Rom. 8. 32. But quem Deus tradidit Judas prodidit whom God delivered Judas betrayed When God will chastise his servant he useth some wicked man as his instrument to afflict him This affliction as it cometh from God is castigatio a chastisement but as from the instrument persecutio rapina c. persecution rapine c. A man that rideth on a lame horse is the cause why he goeth but not why he halteth Again Deus non est autor ejus â—…ujus est ultor God is not the authour of that of which he is the punisher and revenger Thus we see that howsoever God doth voluntarily permit sinne and also useth ordereth and disposeth the same to good ends for such is his wisdome that he knoweth how to use that well which is evil yet he cannot be said properly to will sinne which he hateth or to be the authour of it which he revengeth For this priviledge Gods will hath Whatsoever it willeth it is therefore good but sinne as it is sinne cannot be good But to return to my purpose That this absolute will of God be performed we need not to pray â—…nlesse it be to shew our affâ—…ction to Gods glory and conformity submission to his will As in the time of affliction The will of the Lord be done Neither indeed doth our Saviour speak of it as appeareth by the clause following in earth as it is in heaven Secondly therefore the will of God which he requireth to be done of his creatures quatenus praecipit vel prohibet so farre forth as he commandeth or forbiddeth which is therefore called voluntas Revelata Conditionalis Signi Antecedens Inefficax non quatenus promittit vel minatur absque conditione est decreti revelatio the Revealed will Conditionall of the Signe Antecedent Inefficacious not as he promiseth or threatneth and without condition is the revelation of the decree Now the word of God is called voluntas signi the will of the signe because it signifieth what our duty is and what is acceptable unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and conditionall because it doth not shew simply what God will have done but upon condition Si vis ad vitam ingredi serva mandata Si vis servari crede If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments If thou wilt be saved believe and inefficax uneffectuall because it is not alwayes performed Fit voluntas Dei de omnibus non ab omnibus The will of God is done concerning all though not of all To do the will of God is in respect of the matter to perform that which he commandeth after the same manner to the same end that he appointeth but if you look into our weakenesse this doing of Gods will by us is especially to be understood of the will and endeavour which the Lord in his children accepteth as the deed Prâ—…camur optamus ut non tantùm faciat Deus quod vult sed nos facere possimus quod vult We pray and wish not onely that God do what he will but that we may be able to do what he will Whereas therefore this will of God is contemned of men oppugned by the flesh the world the devil and yet must of necessity be obeyed of us if either we would be subjects of the kingdome of grace or inheritours of the kingdome of glory great cause there is why we should instantly make this prayer c. In earth that is by us men on earth and consequently as Paul speaketh Tit. 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this present world So as Oecumenius saith on that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this life susteineth the sight but the life to come shall receive the reward In this life eternall life is either won or lost In this life we must do the will of God or else we shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven Matth. 7. 22. According to that which every man doth in the flesh shall he be judged 2. Cor. 5. 10. And therefore whilest we have time let us do good remembring that the Lord hath placed us here on the earth for a short time to do his will which time if we let passe without repentance and turning to God and doing his will afterwards it will be too late As it is in heaven that is as the Angels in heaven do perform it And they perform Gods will Psal. 103. 20 21. 1. Scienter knowingly 2. Sincerely and uprightly 3. Willingly and chearfully 4. Readily expecting the beck of the Lord Matth. 18. For which cause they are said to stand before the Lord Dan. 7. 10. Revel 5. 11. 5. Speedily without delay For which cause wings are attributed unto them 6. Fully and not by
halves 7. Constantly till the Lord bid them cease 8. Faithfully doing all to Gods glory assuming no glory to themselves Revel 19. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As here signifieth not equality but similitude as 1. John 3. 3. For if we should understand it of equality we should pray for an impossibility Eccles 7. 20. No man on the earth doth good and sinneth not True it is indeed that we should contend and aspire towards angelicall perfection although whilest we are on the earth we cannot attein thereunto In this petition therefore we pray that we may perform the will of God on earth after an heavenly and angelicall manner Of this obedience there are two degrees the matter and manner First we will speak of the obedience it self and then of the manner Of the matter of obedience As touching the former Whereas our Saviour teacheth us thus to pray it is evident that of our selves we are not able to do his will and therefore the doctrine of Freewill is here refuted Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both to will and to do of his good pleasure Vt voluntatem Dei faciamus facit hoc ipse Deus in nobis God himself doeth this in us that we do the will of God Wants to be bewailed The defects therefore which we are to bewail are these 1. Our inability through our own default to perform obedience to the will of God 2. Our pronenesse to sinne and to transgresse the will of God being stirred thereunto by every occasion By our corrupt nature we are as apt to sinne as a bird to flie 3. The frowardnesse of our wills rebelling against the will of God Rom. 7. 23. and our preposterous affections the law in the members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The carnall mind is enmitie against God Rom. 8. 7. 4. The disobedience also of others must wring tears from us Psal. 119. 136. 5. Our impatience in troubles 2. In respect of the matter wants to be bewailed In respect of the matter we are to bewail our imperfect obedience our righteousnesse being like a polluted cloth Velle praestò est sed perficere bonum non invenio To will is present but I find not how to perform that which is good Rom. 7. 18. Our best actions if God should enter into judgement with us are not justifiable The Graces which we ask We ask 1. in respect of obedience it self That the Lord would vouchsafe us this grace to deny our selves our own wills and affections which are opposite to his will Matth. 16. 24. 2. That we may labour in all things to perform simple obedience to the Lord Heb. 13. 21. more especially That he would convert us and we shall be converted Ezek. 33. 11. 3. That he would bring us to the knowledge of his truth 1. Tim. 2. 4. 4. That he would give us faith which is the gift of God 1. John 3. 23. 5. That he would make us thankfull 1. Thess. 5. 18. 6. That he would sanctifie us 1. Thess. 4. 3. 7. That he would arm us with patience that in all aâ—…lictions we may say with Christ Not my will O Father but thine be done Matth. 26. 39 42. 8. That we may not be in subjection to sinne and Satan and carried away captive to the obedience of his will 2. Tim. 2 26. but that he would renew stablish and gâ—…ide us by his free spirit that we may will and do those things which are acceptable in his sight 9. That we may not be carried away with the world or conformed thereunto but transformed by the renewing of our minds and that we may prove what is the good will of God acceptable and perfect And â—…o That we may give up our selves a lively holy and acceptable sacrifice unto God that is our reasonable service of him Rom. 12. 1 2. 2. Of the manner of our obedience As touching the manner We are here taught that we are not to rest in opere operato in the deed done but that we are to be carefull as of the matter so also of the manner It is not sufficient that we do the will of God unlesse we do it after a spirituall manner 2. Chron. 25. 2. Many think if they heare it is sufficient and care not how but Christ saith Luke 8. 18. Take heed how ye heare Therefore we must pray That we may do the will of God as the angels do it in heaven with knowledge faithfulnesse sincerity uprightnesse with willingnesse alacrity chearfulnesse readily speedily fully constantly doing all to the glory of God And whereas he hath appointed us to salvation that we may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the angels Matth. 22. 30. that it may please him to begin our conformity with the angels in this life These wants then we are to bewail and these graces we are to crave in this petition Duties in prayer Further we are in these words taught to perform these duties in prayer 1. That we pray according to Gods will 1. John 5. 14. asking such things onely as he hath promised to grant Otherwise in this petition we pray against our own desires namely that not our will but the will of God may be performed 2. That in our prayers especially for temporall matters we do humbly and willingly submit our selves to his will and wholly resigne over our selves to his good pleasure saying with our Saviour Christ Not my will c. because we ought to be assured that as for his wisdome he knoweth what is best for us so also for his fatherly love he is most ready to grant good things unto us Matth. 7. 11. Rom. 8. 32. and therefore if he deny our requests that the deniall is better then the grant And we are to remember that here we pray not that God would alter his will according to ours but contrariwise that our will may be conformable unto his Duties in our lives As we pray that we may do Gods will on earth as the angels do it in heaven so must we have a true desire an unfeigned care and an upright endeavour in our selves to perform holy obedience to Gods will Otherwise how can we perswade our selves that we pray in truth being not willing to obtein that which we our selves do ask Duties respecting the matter And therefore as it is the duty of every one to make this prayer so none of us ought to think our selves exempted from doing the will of God Neither may we think it sufficient in words to professe God and in prayer to crave good things of him unlesse we be carefull in our lives to do his will Not every one that saith Lord Lord c. Matth. 7. 21. yea those that make a profession of religion and obedience as though they would perform obedience to Gods will and yet do it not are many times further from salvation then open sinners as appeareth by the parable of the two
sonnes and the application thereof Matth. 21. 28 29 30. Neither may we think that we shall obtein our prayers unlesse we be desirous to perform Gods will For if we will not do his will why should we think that he will do ours Prov. 28. 9. John 9. 31. We know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth If we ask any thing saith S. John 1. Epist. 3. 22. we receive it from him because we keep his commandments and do those things which are acceptable in his sight If therefore we be desirous and carefull to obey Gods will we need not doubt having these testimonies of a true faith but that both we and our prayers are acceptable unto God For our selves our Saviour affirmeth that those be his brothers and sisters that do the will of his Father that is in heaven Matth. 12. 50. And the holy Ghost giveth this testimony unto David that he was a man according to Gods own heart who would do all his will Acts 13. 22. And elsewhere the Scriptures ascribe blessednesse to those that do the will of God Luke 11. 28. For our prayers John 15. 7. Psal. 34. 15 17. And as we are to do the will of God in generall so more especially those branches of his will which after a more speciall manner are called his will His will is if we would be saved we should come to the knowledge of his truth and not live in ignorance 1. Tim. 2. 4. that we should turn unto him and not go on in our sinnes Ezek. 33. 11. that we should believe in Christ 1. John 3. 23. that we should be sanctified dying unto sinne and living unto righteousnesse 1. Thess. 4. 3. Mich 6. 8. 1. Pet. 2. 15. that we should be patient in troubles and thankfull unto him in all things 1. Thess. 5. 18. And as we are to do the will of God so must we deny our own wills and renounce the desires of the world Duties respecting the manner And as touching the manner We are not to rest in opere operato in the deed done but as we pray that we may do the will of God on earth as the angels do it in heaven so must we endevour to imitate their manner of obedience And albeit we cannot attein to that full perfection which is in them yet we are to strive towards it and therefore we are not to content our selves with that smal measure whereunto we have atteined but still we are to labour that we may grow up in grace seeing whilest we live here we are in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and growing age But let us come unto particulars 1. The Angels do the will of God in knowledge and so must we or else all our worship of God is but will-worship and all our religion but superstition Knowledge is the stern without which we rove and wander like a ship wanting a stern it is the light without which we walk in darknesse not knowing whither we go Without knowledge we have no faith and without faith it is impossible to please God And therefore miserable is our estate if we please our selves in ignorance 2. The Angels do the will of God sincerely uprightly labouring alwayes to approve their obedience to the Lord so must we obey the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not with eye-service as men-pleasers but from our soul and heart Ephes. 6. 6. Rom. 6. 17. in singlenesse and uprightnesse of heart labouring to approve not onely our outward actions but also our inward affections and cogitations to the Lord knowing that he looketh not as man looketh but he especially respecteth the heart and according to the disposition of the heart esteemeth of men Without this uprightnesse all our obedience is but hypocrisie and all the graces which we seem to have but glorious sinnes c. 3. The Angels do the will of God willingly and chearfully their whole delight being to do Gods will so must we worship the Lord with upright hearts and willing minds 1. Chron. 28. 9. knowing that forced obedience proceeding onely from servile fear as it is violent so it is but momentany and therefore but counterfeit But we must worship the Lord in faith love and hope and consequently with chearfulnesse willingnesse and delight for when the love of God is shed abroad in mens hearts by the holy Ghost men have assurance that their obedience and service is acceptable unto God and so they are encouraged in all chearfulnesse to offer their obedience as a free-will-offering to the Lord. First To whom much is forgiven they love much Luke 7. 47. and secondly those that have true love to them the commandments of God are not grievous 1. John 5. 3. the yoke of Christ is light Nihil difficile amanti Nothing is hard to a lover To Jacob his seven yeares troublesome service seemed to be short and pleasant Gen. 29. 20. If therefore we truly love God we will take delight to do his will And thirdly if we have assured hope of salvation by Christ and live in expectation of happinesse we shall contemne all the difficulties of this life as not worthy the glory that shall be revealed and joyfully proceed in our way to life because of the joy that is sâ—…t before us Let us therefore hold fast by this anchor for if we leave this hold we shall eftsoon fall away into worldlinesse whither the surges of worldly desires carry us And in this behalf as we are to imitate the example of the Angels so also of Jesus Christ whose meat it was to do his Fathers will John 4. 34. and therein also was his delight Psal. 40. 8. Facere voluntatem tuam Deus mi delector O my God I delight to do thy will Psal. 122. 1. Isai. 54. 13. 4. The holy Angels do the will of God readily speedily so ought we without delay put in execution the coÌ„mandments of God behaving our selves towards our heavenly Master as the Centurions servants to their master Matth. 8. 9. Doth the Lord call thee thou must answer with David the type of Christ Ecce venio Behold I come Psal. 40. 7. Doth the Lord bid thee seek his face answer with that heavenly echo of the Psalmist Psal. 27. 8. Thy face Lord will I seek It is the will of God that thou shouldst turn unto him break off without delay the course of thy sinne and turn unto the Lord. Knock at the doore of thy heart Open thine immortall gate that the King of glory may come in Doth he call thee to repentance to day If yee will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Deferre not repentance but to day before to morrow repent Seek the Lord whilest he may be found and call upon him whilest he is near Isai. 55. 6. Doth he call us to triall and affliction let us take up our crosse and
follow him submitting our selves willingly to his will 1. Sam. 3. 18. Acts 21 14. 2. Sam. 15. 26. 5. The Angels do the will of God fully accomplishing whatsoever the Lord commandeth so ought we to do it fully and not by halves otherwise he will say to us as to them of Sardis Revel 3. 2. I have not found thy works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complete before God Remember the example of Herod Mark 6. 20. who albeit hearing John Baptist he did many things and heard him gladly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet because he continued in that sinne of incest his partiall obedience did nothing avail him He that keepeth all the law and faileth in some one commandment is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. And he that truly repenteth of any one sinne repenteth of all Where there is upright obedience there is intire obedience but where there is halving there is halting between God and Mammon between Christ and Antichrist The covetous man thinketh well of himself because he is not a whoremaster or a drunkard the riotous person thinketh well of himself that he is not covetous no extortioner c. the Pharisee because he is no Publicane Luke 18 c. Many separate justice and holinesse c. But herein we are as much as we are able to follow the example of Christ who did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3. 15. For if we will be men according to Gods own heart we must desire and endevour to do all his will Acts 13. 22. 6. The Angels of the Lord do his will constantly never giving over untill they have accomplished the will of the Lord so must we be constant persevering in obedience being not weary of weldoing knowing that we are redeemed of the Lord to worship him c. all the dayes of our lives Lâ—…ke 1. 74. Our obedience must not be like the morning mist. Remember that religion is a way to the end whereto we cannot come untill the end of our lives and therefore if we set down our staff before we come to the end and will go no further what will all our former pains avail us If we run in this race and faint before we come to the goal how shall we hopâ—… to obtein the garland Be faithfull unto death saith our Saviour and I will give thee the crown of life Revel 2. 10. and Matth. 24. 13. He that continueth to the â—…nd he shall be saved 7. Lastly the holy Angels do the will of God faithfully and in all their doings seek the glory of God that sendeth them not assuming unto themselves any part of the praise So must we 1. Cor. 10. 31. For if therein we shall seek our own praise or other sinister respects we have our reward Thus must we truly in our lives desire and endevour to do the will of God on earth as the Angels do it in heaven otherwise when we make this prayer we do ask with our mouthes that which we desire not with our hearts Here therefore is discovered the hypocrisie of many men who pray that they may do the will of God which they will not do God would have thee to turn unto him thou prayest that thou mayest do the will of God and yet wilt not turn to him c. What is this then but to mock God when thou askest that of him which thou hast neither desire nor purpose to do But here especially appeareth the hypocrisie of obstinate and stiff-necked sinners who will seem so forward as to desire that they may do the will of God even as the Angels do it in heaven and yet in very truth obey the will of God no otherwise on earth then the devils in hell who although they oppose themselves against the revealed will of God yet willingly though unwittingly perform his secret will which no creature is able to disanull If therefore we would be thought to pray in truth let us desire and endeavour to do that in our lives which in prayer we ask and desire So having imitated the obedience of the Angels on earth we shall be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels and fellow-citizens with the Saints and Angels in heaven c. The fourth Petition HItherto we have spoken of those petitions which immediately concern the glory of God Now we are to come unto those which more nearly appertein unto our good Howbeit mediately also they are referred to Gods glory which must be the main end of all our desires for whatsoever we are to ask for our selves we are to desire no otherwise but as it is subordinate to Gods glory Spirituall graces and salvation we are to desire for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy in our salvation And because a Christian man is bound to believe that the Lord harh ordained him to salvation therefore salvation and those spirituall graces which are necessary thereunto may be asked absolutely as being subordinate to Gods glory with which he joyneth the salvation of the chosen Temporall benefits are to be asked conditionally so farre forth as they serve for Gods glory and our spirituall good Gods glory is to be sought for even in our eating and drinking and whatsoever we do 1. Cor. 10. 31. Nay our life it self is no otherwise to be desired then it is referred to Gods glory Psal. 80. 19. Preserve O Lord our life and we will call upon thy name Psal. 119. 175. Let my soul live and it shall praise thee Isai. 38. 18 19. Psal. 6. 5. and 30. 9. and 50. 15. Sufficientia vitae saith Augustine rectè appetitur non propter seipsam quidem sed ut eam habentes commodiùs Deo serviamus Sufficiencie for life is rightly desired not for it self but that we may more commodiously serve God Now these petitions are of two sorts For in them we ask either temporall benefits concerning the body for the maintenance of this life present or spirituall blessings in heavenly things concerning the soul for the obteining of a better life Of both which we have a promise 1. Tim. 4. 8. and therefore are to pray for both The prayer for temporall blessings is conteined in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give us this day our daily bread But first let us consider the order of the petition in respect both of those which go before and also which follow In respect of the antecedents our Saviour speaketh Matth. 6. 33. First seek the kingdome of God which is that which we desire in the second petition and his righteousnesse which we desire in the third and then all these things which we begge in the fourth shall be cast unto us Therefore preposterous is their care and study who first labour for temporall benefits and post off the seeking of Gods kingdome and his righteousnesse untill the end of their dayes c. And whereas this petition is set after the third we are taught before we ask
1. 28. to commit sinne with greedinesse But contrariwise That he will give unto us his sanctifying spirit not onely to fight against the flesh but also to mortifie our earthly members Col. 3. 5. as our inordinate affections and evil concupiscence and to crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. and that being renewed by his spirit we may no longer be carnall men but spirituall walking not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. 1. 2. As touching the world We also pray That we may not be carried away with the world or overcome thereby but that by faith we may overcome the world 1. John 5. 4. And whereas the world is said to tempt in respect either of the men or the things in the world and whereas the men tempt either to evil of punishment and danger by captious questions or to evil of sinne either by bad speeches inticing incensing counselling or lewd examples We therefore against their captions desire the spirit of wisdome that we be not insnared and against their offenses and scandals either in word or deed constancy perseverance that we do not stumble or fall nor be conformed to the world Rom. 12. 2. As for the things of the world they are either the desires thereof or the terrours and crosses In respect of the desires of the world which are the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1. John 2. 16. the world is said especially to tempt they being the baits of sinne and snares of the devil Against these we pray That we may have grace from above to renounce all worldly lusts Tit. 2. 12. to be wained from the world to use it as though we used it not 1. Cor. 7. 31. to be crucified to the world and the world to us Gal. 6. 14. to live as pilgrimes and strangers upon earth and citizens of heaven minding heavenly things and contemning all the desires of the world as mere vanities in comparison of heavenly joyes As touching the crosses and afflictions of this life which are worthily called tentations We are to pray That God will not suffer us to be tempted above our power c. 1. Cor. 10. 13. but that the Lord in his good time would either release us from them in whole or in part or else arm us with patience to bear whatsoever he shall lay upon us that we may endure tentation and being found approved we may receive the crown of life Jam. 1. 12. whereof the afflictions of this life are not worthy Rom. 8. 18. 3. As concerning the tentations of the devil We desire that the Lord would tread Satan under our feet Rom. 16. 20. or at the least that it would please him to arm us with the complete armour of God that we may be able to stand against the cunning sleights 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the devil Ephes. 6. 11. and especially with faith whereby we may quench all the fiery darts of the devil Ephes. 6. 16. Now in all these we are to pray as our Saviour teacheth us both by his example John 17. 15. by his precept in this place O Lord we do not desire not at all to be tempted but that we may be delivered from evil that is from the tyranny of the flesh that it hold not us captive unto sinne from the allurements of the world that they do not draw us unto sinne from the assaults of the devil that he prevail not against us from the punishments of sin and judgements which by sinne we deserve so farre as our deliverance therefrom may stand with Gods glory and our good and lastly from the corruption of sinne it self in regard whereof we desire the Lord would endue us more and more with the Spirit of sanctification applying unto us the merits and efficacy of Christs death to mortifie our sinne and of his resurrection to restore us to newnesse of life wherein we are to proceed from faith to faith and from one measure of grace to a greater untill we come to a perfect man in Christ. And as there are two degrees of our deliverance from these our spirituall enemies the one begun and imperfect by sanctification in this life the other full and perfect in the life to come which is our full redemption and glorification So we pray not onely that we may be freed from our corruptions in part but also may be fully conformed to the glorious image of the Sonne of God and therefore pray that we may be delivered from every evil thing and be preserved to his heavenly kingdome 2. Tim. 4. 18. whereby it appeareth that as in the fifth petition we desired pardon of sinne and justification by faith so here we craâ—… strength against sinne freedome from the corruption and sanctification by Gods Spirit and finally the end of our faith which is the salvation of our souls For when we pray to be delivered from evil we desire deliverance also from hell and consequently salvation in heaven Now as these graces are to be asked in fervencie and affection so also in assurance of faith that we shall be heard For as the Apostle James chap. 1. 5 6. teacheth If any man desire wisdome of God wisely to endure tentation he must ask it in faith And to this faith the holy Ghost doth most notably encourage us in the Scriptures Prov. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth unto it in edito collocatur and is placed on high The Lord saith Peter 2. Epist. 2. 9. knoweth to deliver the godly out of â—…entation And of our Saviour the Apostle saith Heb. 2. 18. In that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Christ hath overcome our enemies the devil Col. 2. 15. the world John 16. 33. and to this end gave himself for us that he might deliver us from the hands of our spirituall enemies He that is in us is stronger then he that is in the world 1. John 4. 4. Neither shall any be able to pull us out of his hands John 10. 28. Christ whose prayer is alwayes heard John 11. 42. hath prayed for us that our faith shall not fail Luke 22. 32. and that we may be kept from evil John 17. 15. The Lord hath promised and is faithfull to perform that he will not suffer us to be tempted above our power but with the tentation will give an issue that we may bear it 1. Cor. 10. 13. And finally Joel 2. 32. he hath promised that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Our faith therefore concerning assistance against tentation and deliverance from evil must be grounded not upon any conceit of our own strength or worthinesse but on the power mercy faithfulnesse and truth of God in his promises and on the mediation and intercession of Jesus Christ. Duties to be performed in our lives I. Generall 1.
come uponus and upon all his chosen servants The means are to be prayed for of the coming of Christs kingdome II. Now because this kingdome cometh by means we are also to pray for them The means are either outward or inward The outward are the preaching of the word and Christs government by his minâ—…ters The preaching of the word which is the Gospel of the kingdome of God is such a notable means of the coming of the kingdome that it is called the kingdome of God For whereas there be three degrees of this coming our Vocation Justification and Sanctification every one of them ordinarily is wrought by the preaching of the word We are called outwardly by the Gospel We are justified by faith faith cometh by hearing of the word Rom. 10. 17. We are sanctified by the word of truth by the preaching of the word we are begotten unto God Therefore we are to pray that the word of God may have a free passage and be glorified 2. Thess. 3. 1. and also that the preaching of the word and Gospel be not taken from us or as Matth. 21. 43. that the kingdome of God be not taken from us but continued to us and our posterity And because there cannot be preaching of the word except there be preachers Rom. 10. 14. we are taught to pray Matth. 9. 38. that God would send forth labourers into his harvest that he would furnish them with Vrim and Thummim gifts sufficient Ephes. 6. 19. that he would clothe them with righteousnes Psal. 132. 9. that he would open unto theÌ„ a doore of the word that they may speak the mysterie of Christ Col. 4. 3. And because there cannot be ordinarily learned guides and scribes taught unto the kingdome of God except they be first trained up in good literature we are to pray also for the Universities and schools of the prophets which are the seminaries and seed-plots of the Church The second outward means is the government of Christ by his servants both in the Church and Commonwealth In the Church by the Ministers and governours exercising in the name of Christ admonition suspension excommunication For whom we are to pray That they may execute their offices according to the will of God as shall most serve for the advancement of the spirituall kingdome of Christ and defacing of the kingdome of sin and Satan That the people submit themselves to the censures of the Church and be reclaimed thereby In the Commonwealth by Magistrates who are Gods ministers also c. Rom. 13. whom God hath advanced that they might be nursing-fathers and nursing-mothers to the Church Isai. 49. 13. For whom also we are to pray 1. Tim. 2. 2. That after the example of David Josias Ezechias they may reform religion defend the truth profession of it suppresse idolatry and superstition punish sinne c. That the subjects may live in all obedience unto them as unto the ordinance of the Lord. The inward means is the operation of Gods Spirit in the souls of men For it is the Spirit of God which maketh the outward means effectuall and without which neither the preaching of the word nor the other means of government will any whit prevail 1. Cor. 3. 7. Deut. 29. 4. It is the Spirit of God who in the ministery of the word knocketh at the doore of our hearts and inlighteneth our minds to understand it John 16. 13. he leadeth us into all truth 1. John 2. 20 27. he teacheth us he openeth our hearts to listen unto it as he did the heart of Lydia Acts 16. 14. he maketh the word the savour of life unto life For without the Spirit the word is a dead letter the Scripture a sealeâ—… book without him we cannot say that Jesus is Christ without him we cannot pray c. He mollifieth our hearts and worketh in us that godly sorrow working repentance never to be repented of which stirreth up in us earnest desires and maketh us to call upon God with sighs unspeakable and is therefore called the Spirit of supplication He worketh in us the assurance of our reconciliation with God which we call faith and is therefore called the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father c. He sanctifieth us throughout mortifying sinne and raising us up into newnesse of life Ezech 36. 26 27. working in us all sanctifying and saving graces and is therefore called the Spirit of grace and so every grace is called by the name of the Spirit because it is a gift of the Spirit as the Spirit of wisdome and revelation Ephes. 1. 17. Isai. 11. 2. In this petition therefore we desire that the Lord would grant us his Spirit which he hath promised Luke 11. 13. and that by this Spirit he would rule and reigne in us and quicken us that being animated thereby we may behave our selves as members of Christ c. ruled and guided by his sanctifying Spirit The impediments of Gods kingdome to be prayed against III. Lastly because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it come seemeth to import and presuppose some obstacles and impediments whereby this kingdome is hindered we do also pray that these may be removed The impediments are these First the three main enemies of our salvation are also the chief oppugners of the kingdome of grace the Devil World and Flesh. The devil seeketh by all means the ruine of the Church in generall Revel 12. and also of the particular members Whilest this strong man possesseth his hold that is every naturall man all things are at quiet but when the Lord by his word and Spirit draweth any out of the kingdome and power of darknesse then he bestirreth him and by all tentations both by himself and his instruments he seeketh to entangle him in sinne When the seed of the word is sown in the hearts of men he carrieth it away as the birds do the corn which fall on the wayes Matth. 13. 19. or he blindfoldeth them that they shall not see the light of the gospel Ephes. 4. 4. or if they understand it he carrieth them away captive to the obedience of his will If they be called to repentance he perswadeth them to deferre it They may repent hereafter as well c. If to amendment of life he telleth them that if they be elected they may live as they list if rejected they cannot be saved If to humiliation that it is a doctrine that belongeth to notorious sinners c. Moreover he opposeth himself to the Ministers and their ministery Zech. 3. 1. he suborneth false teachers and is a lying spirit in their mouthes Therefore we pray that the Lord would bind Satan dissolve his works and tread him under our feet Rom. 16. 20. The second is the world and the lusts thereof which choke the seed of Gods word Matth. 13. 22. the glorious shew of this world 1. Cor. 7. 31. By these Satan as by nails naileth men to the earth that