gathering ought as Bees do from flowers growing without me but spinning out like the Silk-worm that onely which God had stored up within me And having put into words that which was as it were distilled out of my heart by fire as were my Remembrances to this Nation in the great Pestilence this time forty years I do now as a Testimonial of my thankfulness bequeathe it to my friends by whose Charity I was then and heretofore seasonably furnished with such necessaries as have hitherto preserved me and mine from likely rnine and in the first place offer it for a Thank-Oblation to God who enabled me to finish it during those few days which I might probably have conceived would have concluded my life GOD the Father GOD the Son GOD the Holy Ghost one Eternal Deity always joyntly co-operating intrinsecally by invisible workings and distinctly in what is externally personated by a triple manifestation thereof to our humane Capacities sanctifie me and all my thoughts words and actions to his glory now and for ever Amen THE PREFACE OF The LORDS PRAYER Offering many Particulars to consideration pertinent to other Duties an Objects of our Christian Faith as well as to the true understanding and right use of that Prayer without imposing upon any ought more then he shall conscientiously believe till convinced by better informatiion which the Author humbly prays all his Readers to remember for prevention of uncharitable Prejudice Matthew 6. 9. After this manner pray ye or as it is written Ink. 12. 2. When ye pray say Our Father which are in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen OUr blessed Redeemer having in the words next preceding these reprehended these who used such vain Repetitions in praying as the Heathens did who thought to be heard for their much babling or that God else knew not or would not heed their wants It pleased him for preventing such practices and misapprehensions to leave this Catholick Form and Pattern of Prayer and Praise to his Apostles and his Church for all future Generations including therein one conditional Petition not grantable without performance of that condition required to wit the forgiveness of our sins which condition is both Affirmatively and Negatively declared in these words next following If you forgive men their Trespasses then will your heavenly Father forgive you But if you forgive not them then will not your heavenly Father forgive you This precaution is heedfully to be observed at all times lest our Prayers be turned into sin and we imprecate a Curse upon our selves instead of a Blessing For God is Love and whosoever brings a Petition into his Presence with a malitious or implacable heart toward his Brother or Neighbour shall have all his suits rejected and his sins even his sins formerly forgiven recharged upon him and be laid in prison until he hath pay'd the utmost farthing of his debts That qualification for Prayer is in this Generation very defective in a great number And perhaps it proceeds from a want of Charity in this kinde whereof their own consciences accuse them that so many have neglected the use of this Prayer even because they cannot forgive as they would be forgiven and therefore are afraid to speak in that Form of words not considering that God remembers that condition though they mention it not in their prayers nor peradventure observe that though God sets before us his Love and free forgiveness to be a Pattern whereto he requires conformity as near as possible we can he is not so severe as to expect our forgiveness should equal his in perfection but onely in that proportion which our finite and frail nature is capable of This Hint is proper to the Fifth Petition yet not impertinently here offered to remembrance because peradventure some may meet it here upon the threshold who will never look further into the Book 2. The Texts of Holy Scripture prefixed to this Prayer contain a Precept or Injunction teaching how to pray it For the Evangelist Matthew saith After this manner pray ye and St. Luke says When ye pray say thus Our Father c. whereof little more need to be said then what the words and authority of the Author sufficiently explains and warrants to take away all scruple of praying both in the same words and according to their Genuine sence in such other words as the Spirit of God shall dictate unto our understandings upon such occasions as are offered for the two Evangelists by the words afore-specified the one biddding us to pray in this manner and the other to say thus makes this assertion doubtless and they are very ignorant who shall either suspect the lawful use of a Form so authorized or that the help to Devotion thereby intended was not as well vouchsafed to direct and inlarge our conceptions in whatsoever is pertinent to the duty of Prayer as to restrain us from vain Tautologies or other superfluous impertinencies 3. As it is hinted in my preceding Preamble our humane Capacity is not capable of spiritual Objects or to communicate them intelligibly to each other unless they are imbodied in some sensible Form Therefore in that respect this may be called the Body of Prayer and I finde it consists of a Preface six Petitions and an Epilogue or Conclusion The Preface is comprehended in these words Our Father which art in Heaven in which there are several particulars observable first that this Prayer is not singly personated by this word MY but by the Pronoun Collective OUR comprehending many persons mysteriously incorporated which implies that it is not to be offered up to God by Individual persons or congregations with respect to themselves onely or to their personal duties or necessities but with regard also to the whole Catholick Church-Militant and to the necessities of every member thereof in being or in a potentiality of being yea in some respects with regard to those Saints whose quondam visible being is at an end for a while considering their Resurrection to life Eternal with all the Priviledges of the Everlasting Kingdom petitioned for in this Prayer belonging to the Quick and Dead and concerns their Bodies now in the Grave no less then their bodies who yet live and therefore they are to be comprehended In our Prayers in such respects with those also who were or shall be as well as on the behalf of our selves and of those who yet live in regard they are Objects of the Universal Faith Charity and Resurrection as well as we and their Resurrections no less necessary to be pray'd for then the Kingdom to come though both will come to pass notwithstanding we pray not for them This Doctrine will not be justly offensive to
whole and in every part thereof For though that illustrates GODS being in his whole Creation as the soul thereof and as truely as any similitude can it nevertheless cometh far short of expressing it to our understandings who are so ignorant of our own Beings that most are doubtful whether the soul be in the body or the body in the soul In my private Judgement I think the soul contains the body and was partly thereto induced by this accidental experience A Gentlewoman of my Acquaintance had her Leg cut off close below the Knee who many years after that Leg was buried seemed to be so sensible of motion in her Feet and Toes and of itchings in the Leg and Foot that sometimes before she was aware what she did she would suddenly reach down her hand to scratch the place as if her Leg had still been there and then laugh at her mistake From whence I collect that her soul still extended an animating Faculty to the whole dimension of her body when a part thereof had been long cut off is rather the container of the body then contained therein because though that part had no being wherein that operation might be actually exercised as in a part of the body the soul was as intire as before This digression I leave to be considered by others as their Judgement shall incline them and perhaps it may be of some use 8. Indeed our Almighty Fathers residence in heaven and his universal Presence is unexpressable therefore we must like weaned Children in this and in all other such like Mysteries meekly submit to such illustrations as God hath vouchsafed and makes us capable of without admitting impertinent curiosities contenting our selves with those dispensations which will then be rendred sufficient for us and make that acceptable to him which we shall believe and do upon that account And if we be but as wary as we may be of what he hath revealed to preserve us from worshipping him according to our own Fancies we shall not be guilty of such gross Idolatries or Superstitions as they are who make to themselves graven Images or such spiritual Ideas as may derogate from the Majesty of God and obscure the knowledge of him revealed in his Word to their own confusion and cause others to the hazzard of their Souls and Bodies to sin against their own Consciences by compelling or alluring them to disobey God rather then men which mischieves cannot be avoyded by those who are not at all times careful to examine and try all spirits by the true Standard not onely their own Light and the Lights which are set up by humane Authorities but those Revelations also that seem to be Angelically inspired what Infallibility soever shall be to them ascribed For the Devil can transform himself into an Angel of Light and these later times are so full of Delusions and Impostures that none shall escape them but they who unfeignedly and diligently endeavour thus to do therewith imploring Gods promised assistance and trusting thereupon To these are due the promises both of this life and of that which is to come and they shall obtain their desire at full in due time upon earth or have what is here wanting supplied with a superabundance upon their souls hereafter Other speculative Notions I might express by contemplating Heaven the place of Gods Residence and such as are warrantable by his Word and Spirit but they cannot be yet born and I fear I have already or may in what follows express so much more then some will be pleased withal that I shall loose more Friends then I gain by it but I will discharge my Conscience and Gods Will be done Let other men do so without any sinister self-ends and I shall take no offence thereat This is part of that which I express or implicitely contemplate when I repeat the preface to the Lords Prayer Now I proceed to the Petitions The first Petition Hallowed be thy Name 1. THis Prayer consists of six Petitions The first three do principally relate to the Glory of God Not that he needs our Prayers for the advancement thereof for he being Eternally and all-sufficiently glorified in and by himself these Petitions have the first place in our Devotions for our Avail and for the better preparing way to obtain that which is pertinent to our selves and which cannot in equity be granted until we are in some degree qualified by conforming our wills and affections 〈◊〉 the Minde of God lest the granting of our Natural desires in temporary things before they are sanctified by the obtaining of some spiritual gifts to the abating of that Antipathy which is in us to the purity of Gods Divine Nature might totally obstruct the obtaining what we pray for and be more mischievous then the denyal thereof as questionless all temporal blessings would be if conferred upon us before we shall somewhat sympathize with our Heavenly Father and shew it forth by affecting and seeking the accomplishing of that which he willeth and worketh which Medium if well considered will appear to be both willed and prosecuted by him for our advantage in the composure of this Prayer though the sanctifying of his Name the Advent of his Kingdom and the compleating of his Will seems in terminis to be the whole scope of the first three Petitions For the glorifying the Name of our Father will be an honor to us who are his Children The coming of his Kindom will bring us deliverance from those Tyrants by whom we are oppressed and the fulfilling of Gods Will here on earth as it is in heaven will both free us from their Impostures who impose upon us an obedience to their Arbitrary wills in the place of his and inlarge us from that slavish bondage of sin whereinto we are brought by seeking the accomplishment of our own carnal will Thus all things being done according to Gods VVill Heaven will begin to appear upon Earth where mans wickedness and wilfulness hath begun to make Hell This exceeding Love of God to mankinde in requiring no performances at our hands for the glorifyâ—â—g of himself but what may conduce to our happiness also should move us by his exemplary Love so unfeignedly to love him and one another for his sake that it may be accepted of as a fulfilling of his whole Law For the same Philanthrophy which is evidenced by his vouchsafing this Form of Prayer was manifest also in the Law of the Ten Commandments the first Table whereof relating primarily to himself is as pertinent to that which tends to the preservation and happiness of the humane Nature as that which is contained in the second Table if not more as I have made it evident by my Meditations upon the Decalogue 2. Hallowed be thy Name This is the first Petition and for the better understanding of what is therein prayed for the meaning of these two words HALLOWED and NAME must be explained and made known A Name is that whereby
interpreted by the Spirit and cherished by that Anointing Oyl which the foolish Virgins never had in their Vessels nor they who pretend they have it to sell I heartily pray we may be found among those wise Virgins who were watchful that we may distinguish the Bridegrooms voice from Impostors lest we be shut out from entering when he cometh 11. I hereby intend nothing in opposition to them who believe the Rumors aforementioned but leave them to credit them as they are perswaded until they find cause to the contrary expecting from them the like indulgence to me For if I hear unquestionably that such a remainder of Israel by Miracles and Divine instinct are come into their antient Inheritance shall there be setled by way of preparation Then having Repentance wrought in them shall have their eyes opened to see by Faith and confess with their mouthes that Jesus Christ whom their brethren betrayed sold and crucified was their promised King I shall know it is of God and rejoyce in it as much as any But till then I shall be warie of giving credit to what I hear and wish all other men so to do least they be deluded by mistaking the meaning of those Prophets who foretold the bringing back the Captivated Israelites to their Country thinking those Predictions which were fulfilled before and at Christs first coming are still expectant as relating to their Temporal Kingdom For I believe that the gathering together of the dispersed Israelites presaged by the Prophets intended not those only which were Jews according to the Flesh but those Jews and Gentiles who are the spiritual seed of Abraham by Faith dispersed throughout the World and such Jews as Paul meant Rom. 2. 28 29. where he saith He is not a Jew who is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outwardly in the flesh but he is a jew who is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart and in the Spirit not in the Letter which being so we may justly suspect they have mistaken the meaning of the Prophets who apply their predictions to such a carnal Restauration of the jews as is now expected That mistake as I believe might be cured by observing that immediately after such Prophecies as foretold their temporal Restauration the coming of Christs Kingdom is frequently presaged in the Texts following in the same Chapters If there seem to be any Prophesie which predicts such a returning of the jews as is now looked for after the Birth Death and Ascension of our Redeemer Let it be well considered whether it means any more then a returning to their Countrey by way of Preparation to their Spiritual returning unto the Kingdom of their rejected King or whether as I rather believe the main intent of all the Prophets who Prophesied ought in relation to what should be after Christs Ascention when the Partition-Wall was broken down and Jews and Gentiles made one people had not respect to Christs Kingdom only on Earth as it should be manifested at his first coming or at the second till the end of the World Isaiah in his 60. Chapter and to the end of his Prophesie and Daniel in the last of his Prophesie concur with St. John in the last of his Revelation in predicting the glory of that Spiritual Kingdom which though it be upon Earth will not be an Earthly Kingdom nor so inglorious as that will be at best in respect thereof which shall be confined to Sion and Jerusalem in the Land of Canaan For When the new Heaven and the new Earth shall be created the old Name shall be left as a curse and the Servants of the Lord called by a new Name Esa 65. This and other Prophesies concerning Christs Kingdom to come upon Earth are as I understand him well considered by my good friend Mr. T. M. of W. Senior in a Tract of his which I have lately seen with respect to the Jews temporary condition and Country so far forth as they seem to concern them by way of preparation to what shall be hereafter For their antient Country being as I think a part of that Garden which God planted Eastward in Eden shall no doubt when Christs Kingdom more visibly appears have many Prophesies there locally and literally as well as spiritually fulfilled and my intent is not to contradict what other men believe of that Mysterie but rather to prevent such mistakes as may be repugnant to the Essentiality thereof When I contemplate the said Kingdom of Christ and his personal Reign here on Earth looking backward and forward upon that Experimental knowledg of good and evil which Mankind is likely to acquire in the Six days of a 1000 Years apiece and the Knowledg also which will be gotten in that seventh part of time wherein Christ shall come both to the full Illustration and destruction of all that is Evil and to the plenary Demonstration and Perfection of all that is Good for restoring the Saints who shall live and reign with him to that Paradisical Estate out of which our first Parents were excluded When I say I contemplate this I have such a strong desire to express what I glimmeringly apprehend of it that being unable to perform it it makes me so sick and faint in Body and Spirit when I attempt it that I am forced to desist from those contemplatings to recover strength lest distracted by the variety of Notions I might in that weakness either extend my expressions to more then this Generation can yet bear or to that which may be misapprehended being forced to cry out in my heart with St. Paul Oh the depth of the riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments And his Wayes past finding out 12. I set no bounds to Gods Mercy nor am hopeless of the extent thereof to any whilst they are in the flesh until they have utterly excluded themselves by wilful malicious and final obstinacy and who they are I cannot certainly know Therefore neither judge peremptorily of any or neglect to pray for them No not to pray for the persons of Antichristian Prelates who have perverted the true intent of Evangelical Episcopacy which I reverence For I believe it possible for some of them to repent and be saved though they are the worst of all men who seem to be Members of Christs Visible Church Nor am I incredulous that there are were and shall be in every Age a Remnant of those called Jews though the worst of all men without the Visible Church preserved according to the Election of God and brought into Christs Fold But whether there shall be such an Vniversal return as some think I am yet doubtful it being nothing pertinent to my personal saving Faith For though it was expedient as David Prophetically prayed in the 59 Psalm that they should be scattered and not utterly rooted out to preserve Gods people mindful both of his Mercy and Severity yet by the words of
will now speak it Paraphras'd in the Metrical words and Language of my English Muse. Our Father who in Heaven doth reside Thy Name for evermore be sanctifi'd Thy Kingdom come Thy Will on earth be done Even as it is in Heaven by every one This present day with daily bread relieve us As others we forgive our sins forgive us And when thou leadest us into temptation Form Evil then vouchsafe us preservation For thine the Kingdom Power and Glory be For ever and belong to none but thee A Hymn of Praise to GGD for his abatement of the late raging Pestilence containing some Cautionary acknowledgements of our undeserving so great a Mercy It may be sung to the Tune of the 148 Psalm repeating the last strain of that Tune COme my sad Brethren come And both with heart and voice In God now let us whom He hath redeem'd rejoyce They who have been In those Depths where great wonders were His power have seen And so have we For us he hath preserved from death This day to see 2. That Angel of the LORD Which David hov'ring saw With his unsheathed sword Thereby to put in aw Jerusalem Ev'n he hath here put us in fear Who frighted them And in this place Hath slaughtered more then heretofore In so short space 3. Before us and behinde And likewise on each side We empty dwellings finde Where thousands liv'd and dy'de In every streèt Both night and day in sad aray The Mourners meet He that did rise At Morning well ere Noon his Knell Tells us he dies 4. VVith one stroke some he slew Some thrice were sick and well And some he did pursue VVho by the fourth stroke fell Thus in pure Love Mercies and threats God oft repeats Our hearts to prove Gives and withdraws And then proceeds as what succeeds Doth give him cause 5. This Angel spared neither Good Bad nor young nor old But cram'd them all together VVithin one earthen Mold But blest are they VVho then to rest in peace with Christ Were took away Secured from All Evils here that present were And those to come 6. Blest be his Name who thus Of them disposed hath And till this day to us Vouchsafes Reprieves from death Oh! sing his praise And thus to do Lord minde us too Throughout our days That we may more Henceforth fulfil thy sacred VVill Then heretofore 7. Our Vows are now at pawn And though we merit nought That hand thou hast withdrawn Which here such slaughters wrought The Storm 's allayd But still some Drops in our best hopes Make us afraid And loe the Course Which we are in augmenting sin Makes that fear worse 8. Thy Judgements we apply To that which we design Even when on us they lye As if they were not thine Thine Arm we hide To cloud thy deeds in their proceeds Truth is bely'd So far are they From penitence whom impudence Doth lead astray 9. How few O GOD how few Thy Love and Patience heed How doth sin still renew How doth it still exceed Nor we who saw What thou hast done think thereupon VVith prudent aw And fear we may That few will come much better'd home Who fled away 10. Oh! turn us Lord to thee Before we stray so far That turn'd we cannot be Till quite consum'd we are Thy Messenger Doth waiting stand at thy command Still lingring here And unless we Our lives repent will back be sent And fiercer be 11. God other Judgements hath And they draw neer us too To execute his wrath Where this Plague shall not go And if they come Ere Course we take our peace to make Black is our Doom For they will spoil All that is left yet unbereft Throughout this Isle 12. Yea but that some we have As I hope still we shall For whose sake God will save From what may else befal He then will strike Our sinful Land with his own Hand Gomorrah like But in him trust And you shall finde he is as kinde As he is Just The Warning-piece to London printed by an imperfect Copy these five following Stanza's being found in the hands of several Friends who had them in Manuscript above three years now past it was desired they might be here inserted that they who so pleased might add them to their Printed Book This comes in between the 1 2 Stanza 2. THy seeming Pious Holy-days In which the Vulgar much delights Are kept as little to Gods praise As heathenish Baccanalian Rites The Feast-days which thou dost pretend In honour of our Saviours Birth Thou dost in lawless gaming spend In drunken Riot and vain mirth Whereas if then thou fedst the poor Thy Feasting him would honour more This between the 7. 8. Stranza 8. I thence collect that though in thee A secret Burning doth appear Consumed at once thou shalt not be As Sodom and Gomorrah were From house to house in various wise Gods Judgement rather will proceed And those by some and some surprise Who of his Mercies take no heed That he may quite consume the dross And purge the Silver without loss This between the 13 14. 16. Know that thy Walls thy lofty Towers Thy strongest Gates fast lock'd and barr'd Thy Martial and thy Civil powers Are of themselves a â—â—ender Guard Thy Armies and tâ—y Trained-bands Though raised form'd and paid by thee Are at the Lord of Hosts commands To punishsin wheree'er it be And whilst that still increaseth more Strength makes them weak and Riches poor 17. Unless thy Palaces God builds On them is lost both cost and pain Unless that he the City shields Thy watch-men watch the same in vain To rise betimes and sit up late Or eat thy daily Bread with care Secures not peace life or estate Save where Gods Benedictions are 'T is he alone who safe doth keep Both when we wake and when we sleep This between the 15 16. My Warning men to take more heed When of their harm I was affraid Was parallel'd with their mis-deed Who to betray them had assaid If thus I fare for words well meant If Love must be repaid with wrongs To evil deeds with ill intents What recompence of right belongs If this with Friends for Justice goes What can expected be from Foes FINIS
little it makes a harsh discord So a little varying from the Truth makes a damnable errour Now perhaps that which I have here casually inserted concerning the two Witnesses being my private Judgment wherein I know no Antient or Modern Interpreter concurring may seem a presumption But I have given such Reasons of what I believe concerning them in a Tract intitled Parallelogrammaton whereof part was imprinted when I was close Prisoner in the Tower and the rest taken out of my Chamber by the Gentleman Jaylor there amounting to almost a 100. pages that I conceive it will make it more probable that those Witnesses are both slain and risen again then any thing yet alledged to the contrary and therefore if those papers be not freely restored I will revive them God vouchsafing me time and enablement And if what I have thereby and hereby expressed concerning the said two Witnesses and the Nation of the Jews with what might be added were well considered it would not as I believe be so generally believed as it is that Christs coming personally into his Kingdom upon Earth is deferred either because the Jews are not yet called or the Witnesses not yet slain and raised up again 21. That there is such a Mysterie to be manifested as the Kingdom to come there need to be no better evidence thereof then the Witness which the Spirit of God beareth unto it in our hearts by concurring with that rational faculty in our Souls which distinguisheth us from brutish Animals Common Reason dictates that whatsoever a friend of whose true worth we have had long experience in all changes shall warrant us to ask in his Name of another person in whom he hath an undoubted interest we may confidently petition for it and it were a great injury done to his Love and Dignity if we should suspect he did advise to ask for that which was not grantable or unlikely to be obtained The same Reason tells us that if a gratious earthly Prince hath been openly Scorned Dishonored Reviled Betrayed and every way inhumanely abused It is just he should in the same place be as openly and as much as is possible vindicated and glorified to the shame of his malitious impenitent Enemies How much more just then is it that the Eternal Son of God Lord of lords and King of kings should be glorified in his own Kingdom upon Earth in the fight and presence of his Saints Angels and all those by whom he was causlesly dishonoured betrayed and most cruelly and ingratefully recompenced with evil for good with hatred for Love and with all manner of Indignities for incomparable well deservings If this be just with men shall the righteous Judge and King of Heaven and Earth do less Justice on the behalf of his only Son If herein we distrust not our own Reason we should less suspect it when we have a Warrant above Reason to ascertain it which we likewise have out of the Word of God As for the witness which some conceive the Spirit of God beareth to the Light which is within them by extraordinary Revelations I must leave it to the soul and conscience of every individual man to try and examine them as they are enabled For that cannot be known or judged of by any but by them to whom they are revealed and by that Spirit which reveals them if they proceed from God VVhere he speaks not it will be in vain for any other to speak and until the Revelation of that aforementioned shall in some measure come into mens hearts We do but cast pearls to Swine and shall be in danger to be torn by them or else reputed madmen and Phaenaticks babling we know not what This also is to be considered that though the perfect manifestation of this Kingdom be not come down Universally upon earth yet it is come or shall come in a degree toward perfection first or last explicitely or implicitely into all to whom that Kingdom belongs before they depart out of this life He that shall come will come and not tarry beyond his time blessed be his Name and he hath given us sufficient earnests thereof 22. It is said Acts 1. 11. Ye men of Galilee Why stand ye gazing up into heaven This same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven There is also a cloud of other Testimonies bearing witness to this Kingdom particularly in the last Chapter of Daniel in the three last Chapters of the Apocalypse in the twentieth of Matthew in the Psalms and in well-nigh all the Prophets which I cannot now enumerate or insist upon left I should interrupt or distract the Meditations of my soul by Withdrawing my heart from those inflowings which now press upon it and perhaps consume that little time which I have to finish what I have begun In those Scriptures that which concerns this Kingdom and the King thereof the manner of their approach the signs fore-shewing it the effects of it and many particulars and circumstances pertinent to those Mysteries assisting us to obtain cognizance of them so far forth as will be needful both by literal and allegorical expressions are sufficient to evidence their essentiality to all those who observe and consider them with diligence and meekness to the right end Yea it will resolve their scruples whom an over-curious prying into the manner of Christs future personality upon the earth have made doubtful what to believe if they shall in humility well consider the difference which is between Spiritual and Natural Bodies or of what our future change will make us capable when that time cometh VVe have a dim glimmering demonstration thereof helping us to discern much beyond and above our Natural expectations by the transfigurations of our Saviour upon a Mountain in the sight of Peter John and James to whom Moses and Elias appeared to be talking with their Master For though the Natural state wherein his Disciples then were was not fully capable of that Mystery which they heard and saw they perceived enough to make them very well pleased with what they apprehended as appeared by their words And if we had no other Argument whereby we may be ascertained that there will be such a Kingdom upon earth then the Petition next following Thy will be done in earth as it in heaven it will sustice for it is impossible Gods will should be so done upon earth unless Christs Kingdom should come hither as we believe nor would Christ have taught us to pray for that which should never be or impossible to be performed 23. The Administration of this Kingdom upon earth was always in part visible somewhere and to some ever since the time of Christs Ascention And though it was much obscured soon after when the mystery of iniquity began to work and more when it was at highest yet even then it was very powerful by secret operations through the Administration of
it will then evidently and universally appear whether of the two is most powerful and that neither the Evil which is it the worst men or the Good which is in the best men could thitherto or shall at that day do any works of their own which they think they had to do that will be prevalent to those evili or good ends which they proposed to establish their respect 〈◊〉 Kingdoms For then will be the Day of his Power whose Kingdom was lirerally prophesied of in the 110 Psalm and the Will of his willing ones be accepted instead of working Their King alone be the able to conquen all his Adversaries letting loose the Devil to use the utmost of his Usurped power will break the Head of Malignity together with all the Kings of the opposing Kingdoms and then his Subjects the Spiritual seed of the true Abel and Abraham by Faith who for the most part of the former six thousand years have been subjected in their temporary concernments to Cain and his Successors and ever since his time been persecuted in relation to their worship of God and their King shall be totally set at liberty for ever and rest and Reign with him in that Kingdom judging those Kings and Nations by whose Tyranny they were oppressed and against whom the Supream-Judg of that Kingdom which they despised and we pray for shall pronounce this sentence of Condemnation Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire 25. But though we believe there is such a Kingdom to come shall fully know the nature of it whose it is what advantages we may have by it which are innumerable and intimated in this Evangelical promise Seest first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be Ministred unto you if we do our formally seek it for carnal ends only it will nothing avail us when it comes openly into the Earth until it comes into our hearts also A Dominiou is there to be exercised and it is the first place into which the Kingdom of Heaven enters upon Earth Every Saint hath a Kingship there to be managed whereby he must have a Probation and be prepated for a Throne in that which will Universally appear that will be performed by cherishing those Virâ—â—â—â— which may make his Microcosme or little World a true Province of that large Kingdom expected and by subjecting to Reason and to the Evangelical Laws all those natural Desires Passions and Affections which have been Rebellious and Repugnant to the Purity and Justice thereof subduing and keeping them under by a spiritual Militia We ought therefore to endeavour it diligently and to take heed that we let not in the kingdom of the Devil instead of Christs or admit into us the Kingdoms of this world For most men are deluded with false appearances in this case whereof I have had had experiments a long time in relation to my self and if I shall be credited may say much to prevent those fallacies in others Hear then with seriousness what I shall now express to that purpose I will begin with some of those deceivable Marks whereby very many think they are made Children of God and Inheriters of his Heavenly Kingdom before they have any evidences thereof but such as these ensuing whose invalidity let them consider They had an Initiation into the Kingdom by being Baptized with water in the Name of the Father Son and the Holy Ghost and had God-fathers and God-mothers who for obtaining that Priviledg promised many things in their Names to be performed on their behalf But so were many thousands who being heedless of such promises seem by their Lives and Conversations to be Children of the Devil and belonging to this kingdom They have been outwardly partakers of the Lords Table so was Judas by what seems a probability thereof as well as the rest of the Apostles yet we know he was reprobated They have done Miracles so did Simon Magus Jannes Jambres and others yet were Impostors They have caft out Devils in Christs Name so did some to whom he will say I know ye not They have Prophecied concerning him so did Balaam and Caiaphas They have builded goodly Temples so did Herod whose like was not in the world yet he was a Tyrant and murthered the innocent Children and John the Baptist They have maintained many such Priests and Prophets as they affected so did Jezabel yet was a Strumpet and became Dogs meat They were frequent hearers of them who preached the Gospel so are many who are no Doers of what they hear and some who came but to intrap the Ministers of God as others did to insnare Christ or else came to see and be seen or more to be reputed Religious then with sincere Devotion They have been Preachers of the Gospel and Assertors of the Truth so have not a few been who held and professed it in unrighteousness or preached rather to uphold contention then to edifie their hearers and who through neglect of endeavouring mortification in themselves have been Reprobates when they preached Salvation to others They have fasted much given Alms and said many long Prayers so do Hypocrites and so did the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees oft devouring VVidows houses under those pretences They have undergone severe penances and grievously afflicted themselves so did the Priests of Baal heretofore and so do many superstitious Romanists and others at this day They have been sufferers so have Malefactors been Innocent Heathens and in finite numbers who probably 〈◊〉 evidence within themselves or sence of the Kingdom we pray for Other such-like Marks I could enumerate wherewith multitudes are deluded VVe must therefore finde out better Marks to ascertain us That the Kingdom of God is within us and these that follow will also be such demonstrations thereof as if we be not Traytors to our selves may make it unquestionably known to be within us 26. If the Kingdom of Christ be within us we shall feel that we love him who is King thereof with all our hearts yea more then our selves we shall be obedient to all his Commands and Laws to our utmost power Zealous of his Honour and of magnifying his Name and maintaining all the Prerogatives of his Kingdom even to the loss of our lives if need be and sorry when we fail therein through infirmity we shall love our selves no more then to make it a true Rule whereby to measure out the love we owe unto our Neighbours and Brethren VVe shall always have as well a charitable Love for our Enemies as an affectionate love for our Relations and square out all Actions by the Evangelical Law of that Kingdom VVe shall do good for evil bless them that curse us pray for them who persecute us forgive as we would be forgiven be merciful to all Gods creatures according to their kinds use them with sobriety and thankfulness and be afflicted for it in our hearts when we are knowingly or ignorantly defective in these of any other duties as soon as
we have cognizance thereof or suspect our selves to have been any way faulty VVe shall arrogate nothing to our own endeavours when we have done the best we can but ascribe all the honour and merit of what is performed to our Heavenly Father and Creator his Son our Redeemer and to the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier who are as it were the Triumvirate by whom this Kingdom is governed When we finde these marks upon us the willingness of our hearts will be accepted as a compleat performance of the whole Law and we shall have an undoubting assurance that this Kingdom is in such a measure within us as will ripen to perfection in due time Al this we may finde implicitely contained in those Benedictions recorded in the Gospel with promises annexed by our Saviour to the qualifications there mentioned Matthew 5. 3. c. Blessed are the poor in Spirit for their's is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Blessed are they who are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce then and be glad for great is your reward in heaven so persecuted they the Prophets which were before These are not my words but his even the King of this Kingdom who will make them good and as I said before whosoever shall finde these foresaid marks upon him may be confident that the Kingdom of Heaven is within him The third Petition Thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heaven 1. WHen with perfect assent thereunto in heart as well as in words we can say this Petition our work will soon be at an end for we shall then be called home by our Heavenly Father and there will be no more need of such things as are prayed for in the three following Petitions Let us well consider therefore what we ask for in these words They amount in effect to a true self denial which is the most difficult thing in the world for flesh and blood to submit unto yet may possibly be made easie if it were well considered that it brings with it the greatest advantages that we can Petition or endeavour for by any faculty that we can call our own seeing God who can and doth renew the Will and inclines us thereto when we pray that his VVill may be rather fulfilled then our own hath promised assistance It begins to be easie to a regenerated heart when it knows that GODS Will and Righteousness are one and that our Will and Wickedness also are one as it is meerly our own will and brings us into all the mischiefs which befal both in this world and the world to come if we are swayed wholly thereby In this Petition as in the former we ask together with what tends to Gods glory that which will both prevent our destruction here and procure our eternal happiness hereafter He that knows God as he may do by what he hath manifested of himself and of his goodness toward all Mankinde need never to be afraid to submit his own will to his yea Body Soul and all that is most dear and pretious in his own esteem to be disposed of at his pleasure This knowledge and confidence is ordinarily begotten in most men of understanding by reading and hearing his Word preached but sometimes especially in them whose natural Faculties are defective it is wrought by a spiritual Instinct â—â—isensibly working in the Soul a conformity to the VVill of God which is always the same though to us it seems to change as we are changed He hath not as some say who delude themselves and others by sophisticated distinctions a secret and a revealed VVill contradictory to each other yea so contradictory that they may be rather judged two wills then One This false opinion causes many to be distrustful of Gods good meaning towards Mankinde fearful he will reprobate them when they have done all they can to please him and consequently though they profess the contrary and speak many good words of him blaspheam his goodness imputing that unto him which belongs to the Devil and themselves onely They who make unto themselves such a GOD cannot be better then he and I shall not wonder if they cannot pray heartily that his will may be done 2. To excuse themselves there be some of these who in effect do irreverently say thus unto God in their hearts VVho hath resisted thy VVill Thou knowest that by the sin of our Fathers and by thy eternal Decree of Election and Reprobation the greatest part of mankinde is left in or rather thrown into so sad a depraved condition that we are neither free to will or to do what thou requirest This is impudently to belie and blaspheam GOD For when he said that The seed of the VVoman should break the Serpents head he sanctified the whole humane Nature into a capability of performing so much as he requires absolutely at our hands and hath ever since and will for ever at first or at last so inlighten every man who comes into the world vouchsafing according to his promise such a renewing of the will and such a perpetual co-assistance for askng to perform what shall be accepted for the deed to all them who shall not wilfully malitiously and finally resist his Grace that no deficiency in him can be justly laid to his charge in relation to our misdoings as it will be manifested when all hidden things are discovered at the last judgment Indeed as we are meerly in our depraved Nature we can neither do or will ought that is acceptably good but as we are in grace we may For then to will is freely present with us and our doings perfected by the Merits of Christ yea our misdoings are often by him improved both to his Glory and our Salvation not that we should sin that Grace may abound but that abounding Grace may keep us from sin If we had not a Free will in sufficient measure to do or leave undone to chuse or refuse then were our faculties inferiour to those of beasts which do chuse or leave such means of preservation as are set before them nay were this liberty taken away or quite lost we could not be justly reputed righteous or wicked by our meer personal default in respect of any thing which we will or do or leave undone Wise men do not endeavour to force a Beast to that whereunto he is not naturally inclined much less to that whereunto he hath a Natural Antipathy and destroy him for not doing
if she would cast her self into the bosome of their Church as they perswaded her to do And it appeared by her own expressions that a secret spiritual pride made her to glory in those voluntary sufferings as more to be depended on then Christs But I hope this spirit of delusion will be cast out of her when she is better informed for by trusting to false lights and by admitting a self-merit of being divinely illuminated and called to the highest Form of Sanctity not onely produceth a melancholly madness and many wicked fooleries to the scandalizing of Piety with the sincere professors thereof and to the advancement of the mystery of Iniquity whose abetters do secretly sowe and cherish the seeds of Impostures every where to that end 15. Nevertheless we must not exclude these out of our charitable hope and care nor disaffect their persons though we approve not their follies For even the Apostles misapprehended the nature of Christs Kingdom until they were perfectly inlightned and affected vain superiority as it seems by the Sons of Zebedeus when they got their good old Mother to intreat their Master that one of them might sit at his right hand and the other at his left yea they were tempted by the spirit of persecution when they would have had fire called down from Heaven and God doth now as heretofore permit errors and vouchsafe signal cautionary dispensations as the sins and errors of the times require to be sometimes personated by his servants in such manner that they seem ridiculous and offensive to good men and are in the Kingdom of this world reputed Fools and Phanaticks These things I have so well considered that I am afraid to indulge my own will so far forth as to pray absolutely for those lawful things which are most pleasing to my flesh and seem very pertinent to my natural well-being because I finde not my self wise enough to know how much either of sufferings or ease are best for me or what I might well use or abuse if I should be mine own chuser Therefore I pray absolutely for nothing save Gods Grace but bound my Petitions with this Clause Thy Will be done And this is now made easie because as I have often professed I want nothing with a repining sence of want so long as God is pleased to with-hold it from me in regard I am sure he knows what is best for me and hath love enough to vouchsafe it in that measure and at that time wherein it shall so be I naturally feel pains and desire ease as much as other men I perceive as well as they when my Field wants Rain or fair weather am as desirous of those good gifts whereby I might benefit my self or others and cannot root out of my heart a natural desire of desirable Objects yet I permit not my desire to be further inclinable thereto then shall consist with Gods Will and am assured it is then more acceptable then when we have no temptation or desire to the contrary For what obedience is there in him who shuns those forbidden things which he naturally abhors to do or in him who is constantly obedient to those commands onely which he is most inclinable to do There is more submission due to Gods Will then this even an absolute submission in that whereto our natural will is most violently prone And God hath so far forth freed the will of every Man born of a Woman ever since it was promised That the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head That by his promised assisting Grace which never shall be wanting to them who ask it in Faith he may not withstanding any permissive power in the Devil or any irresistible defect in himself conform to the Will of God when by his VVord and Spirit the choice of good or evil death or life is to him offered For if it be not so man can have in him no more sin or righteousness then a stone This I believe and all they who believe this are in a good forwardness toward submitting their will to Gods 16. How Gods will may be done by us on earth as it is in heaven according to our measure I wil endeavour to demonstrate as well as I can We may collect from his holy VVord being interpreted by his holy Spirit which makes no part repugnant to the whole and main scope thereof that when the Kingdom of Christ is come to a perfect manifestation upon Earth the VVill of God will be there as perfectly fulfilled as in heaven because all the Subjects of that Kingdom being One with the King thereof and the whole extent of it with all therein though infinite being seen in him and fully known to all the will of every Creature shall be swallowed up in his and he be all in all This superintelligible Mystery cannot be fully demonstrated to our apprehension as we now are So much onely we are capable of as that we may know the deficiencies of our own will with the hazzards of adhering thereto and become thereby inclinable to resigne our selves to God at first perhaps through fear and at last for love But when that manifestation comes they who are of his houshold and Kingdom will abhor every thing how pretious soever it hath been that may divide or take up any part of that love which is due to their heavenly Father hate all who love him not as perfectly as natural men hate their personal Enemies renounce all things even themselves if cause be for his sake with whatsoever may not consist with the purity and glory of that Kingdom They being all of one Minde there will be no disputes as now about Doctrines and Disciplines no arrogating an exorbitant judging power over persons and Causes whereof they have neither perfect cognizance nor lawful jurisdiction no such unnecessary arguings as are here concerning Faith and Works or whether Repentance be before Faith with such like trifling Questions as have not a little disturbed the Peace and Concord which ought to be preserved For though Spiritual Graces appear to have precedency in time one before the other in regard we cannot take notice of such Objects one view or in what order they are wrought within us Yet all that which is by degrees manifested in time as pertinent to our Spiritual well-being is in one moment conceived in us by the Holy Ghost as the Soul is together with the Body in the womb of a Woman When the Kingdom we look for is come upon Earth there will be no such distinct Interests as are now here All things will be common in a more excellent manner then in the times of the Apostles and no such Self-seekings and Hypocrisie as was then discovered in Ananias and Saphira because as it is mystically expressed in the Revelation of St. John the very pavement of the City of our King will be pure and transparent gold which presignified as I conceive that all mens walkings will be then perfectly
undefiled and so visibly made known to be such that none shall be distrustful of each others Integrity An universal Love shall cement together inseparably every precious Stone of that building Yea a Love excluding all the Fear Jealousie and Envie which might imbitter their Injoyments and Affections into whom that Kingdom is come For though there will be a differing Glory as among the Stars which excel one another the least shall be as fully and as highly contented with his measure of Joy and his degree of exaltation as he that is greatest and every one take as much pleasure in the Glorification of others as in his own Much more might be said to this purpose and to give some hints whereby it may be known of what Nature this Kingdom is and when it is come into us But this and that which the Spirit of God will further dictate as need shall require will be sufficient to raise an apprehension to make us confident that when his Kingdom comes upon Earth his will shall be here done as it is in Heaven 17. Nevertheless it seems impossible to some that the Will of God should be fulfilled in Earth as it is in Heaven and so it would be unless it shall he more gloriously manifested then either now or heretofore and we should not have been taught so to pray if it were not to be expected in another mode Our Father had the same Kingdom upon Earth from the first Creation thereof and the Reign of his Anoynted Son was more visible when he first came in the flesh then in preceding Ages But it is said to be a Kingdom yet to come in regard of that more evident manifestation which it shall still have from time to time and especially after the six Mystical Dayes of a thousand years a piece are finished During that space the Devil called the Prince of this world and his Vicegerents are to exercise a power by Divine permission that the evil whereof our first Parents desired Knowledg might be as far forth made known to their whole Posterity as might be permitted with preservation of the humane Nature from being utterly destroyed And that when the great Sabbath of Years came the Beauty and Perfection of GOODNESS might be thereby the more Illustrated as the Day is by the darkness of the Night and as well known to Mankind as evil hath been and shall be experimentally manifested before the Mystical week is compleated For though the Devil lied when he tempted the Son of God with an offer of all the Kingdoms of the Earth in saying all those were given unto him Yet some appearance of Truth may seem to have been therein if we consider what Arbitrary power his Vicegerents have Arrogated and Exercised by their being accomptable to none in this life for their Mis-governments For many of them have been the most wicked men in the world chief Actors in bringing the knowledg of evil to perfection by making it as well felt as intelligibly known and They and the Nations under their Governments have mutually so corrupted each other that the greatest benefit we have now hope of by their Counsels Reasons of State and Arbitrary Actings is this their Wickedness ere long will be so fully Ripe that it will bring hither that King and Kingdom whereby we shall perfectly know and enjoy that GOODNESS which will root all wickedness out of the Earth and perhaps be an occasion of cutting that time of their Tyrannie somewhat shorter then it might else have been according to that Scripture where it is said that the dayes of Antichrists last cruelty should be shortned for the sake of his Elect. 18. The Kingdom we pray for now is and hath been in some proportion both visibly and invisibly upon the Earth in all Ages and his will there done according to the similitude expressed in this Prayer and in the Children thereof so far forth as they were and are capable And whereas it is said When Christ cometh shall he finde faith upon Earth as it may also be questioned whether when he cometh he shall find in any man an absolute Resignation of his will to GODS It implies not in my understanding either an universal Nagative or Affirmative but that he shall then finde both Faith and Self-denial in some For as there is an Old Will and an Old Earth by Nature in man which he had from Adam so there is also a New Earth and a New Heaven or will in man partly come and more perfectly to come into us and into the world by Christ between whom there is and shall be a continual warfare until Christs personal coming They in whom the first natural Earthlyness and will are predominant shall have no such faith or willingness found in them when Christ comes But he shall then find both such a Faith and such a Will as is expected in all those into whom that new Earth and that new Heaven is come which is predicted in the Revelations to St. John for that is a mystical Expression of that Kingdom which shall descend both into our Microcosme or little World and appear gloriously in this great World Into this Kingdom there shall enter no imperfect or unclean thing the Glory and Honour of all Nations shall be brought into it The fearful whose cowardise makes them Apostatize in persecution Unbelievers Murtherers Whoremongers Sorcerers Idolaters and Liers shall be shut out of it for this Kingdom shall not need as do the Kingdoms of this world to be supported by publishing Lies by depressing Truths by Dissemblings false Accusations Plottings Perjuries Oppressions and such like The City and Royal Palace thereof shall be more strongly fortified and more gloriously beautified then we are able to imagine or conceive by all those excellent Metaphorical Allusions to the most precious Earthly things whereby St. John as is before hinted hath endeavoured to raise us up to some apprehension by Faith which cannot be made known so excellent as it is by any VVords or natural Demonstrations Our Father the King of Righteousness even the Lord GOD Almighty is sole King thereof to whom we may with that perfect Joy and Love which casteth out Fear say Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven which short Petition comprehends all that is contained in this brief Prayer relating either to God or our selves as this Prayer contains implicitely all that is absolutely to be prayed for by the most exact Publike Liturgies and by all the Prayers of every Congregation and Individual person upon Earth Nevertheless remember this that though this is so Universal a Prayer as aforesaid and though God knows what we want before we ask it yet our insisting upon particulars is necessary to keep us mindful of our duties to God heedful of those wants which we have in our selves and diligent upon all occasions to seek and ask supply from him only in VVords and Musings regulated by this Prayer believing that we have attained
to the highest perfection attainable in this life when we can say unfeignedly Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven The fourth Petition Give us this day our daily bread c. 1. NOw I come to those Petitions that immediately concern our selves which we are never so sure to obtain as when we have first sought the Kingdom of heaven for God hath promised it upon that condition and I have had a personal experience of his faithful performance though I have been a very negligent Seeker Therefore that we loose not our labours when we come to be Petitioners for what is deficient as to our solves I wish we might all turn true Seekers In the first of these three following Petitions we ask that which is necessary to preserve our subsistence and well-being in Soul and Body In the second Petition we pray for the pardon of our Debts and Trespasses In the third and last for deliverance from temptations and from those Evils which they may else bring upon us In the few words whereof the first of these Petitions consists many things are offered to consideration First that God our heavenly Father is the general Provider and Restorer of all good and necessary things for we are not taught to pray unto one who hath not wherewith to supply our wants The earth is the Lords with all the fulness thereof He giveth meat unto all Creatures in due season opening his hand and filling them with that which is good None of his Children needs to despair or seek unto his Enemies for relief or to supply their wants by evil or unlawful means For he feedeth Sparrows which are of little value and Lyons and Ravens when they are hungry yea Tyrants and Oppressors how much more then will he feed his own Children when they ask for Bread We are not to pray for it as due by merit but to obtain it in free Alms Nor are we to ask it as the Prodigal Son did his for a Childe's portion For that was intrusted with our First-Parents who spent it and left us more in debt then we had ever been able co pay and liable to have been everlasting Slaves and Prisoners if our Eldest brother had not set us free which obligeth us to perpetual thankfulness and unfeigned Love For the Prodigals Elder brother was not so kinde to him VVe have also obtained besides our share in a joynt Stock personal individual Portions from our Heavenly Father by his Mediation to supply that which we lost in Adam with an invaluable Overplus This we have so badly husbanded by our own defaults and live also among so many Thieves and Cheaters that we are every day in danger to be undone and starved both in Body and Soul if we had not so kinde a Father and so loving a Brother perpetually making Intercession for us It behoves us therefore to be very heedful that we wilfully displease not this gratious Father and loving Brother by preferring the meat that perisheth before that super-substantial Bread of Life which came from Heaven and was broken for our nourishment here upon earth and may be obtained for asking We ought to take heed also that we dishonour him not as our First-Parents did by believing his Enemies or by seeking to them or to such false gods as men often make unto themselves or seek unto him by Saints or Angels not by him accepted for Mediators to obtain our needful Requests to the undervaluing of his Sons Mediatorship lest when we stand in greatest need his and our Father justly turn us away in displeasure as he did the Israelites to those Idols in whom they trusted 2. Then whereas it is said Give us this day our daily bread I take notice from these words this day that we are every day obliged to make our Addresses to God for such things as are daily needful which the Emphasis of the said words imply as also that according to our Saviours counsel we should not perplex our selves with a vexatious caring for the time to come in regard every day brings care enough to provide for the necessities thereof Ye the intended not thereby that we should be negligent in adding our endeavours to Gods providence he offering opportunities honestly to inlarge his gifts beyond the present days want on in laying up that surplusage to make provision for future necessities and contingencies or for those of our Relations or others who are unable to provide for themselves or of getting wherewithall to distribute relief to them for whose sakes he doth make us his Stewards in that which he giveth over and above our daily bread For it is the Will of God that we should make use of the present day without vexations care to husband well our Talents and Callings to improve Gods daily Blessings not onely to supply our personal necessites but that we might have somewhat also of that which God gives us over and above our daily Bread to be dispensed by our hands to those whom he intendeth to relieve by our charity in imitation of his Universal Love who vouchsafeth Rain both on the just and unjust and expects though we should be merciful in the first place to them of his houshold that in their extream wants we should extend our charity even to the worst of men And we finde by experience that benefits and kindnesses to those who knew they had deserved none from us but the contrary rather do work sometimes more upon them toward the reformation of their manners then Reproofs or good Counsel For though we are not to give holy things or the Childrens bread to Dogs yet they who seem worthy of no more regard then Dogs are not utterly to be neglected because many of them have a precious Seed in them hidden from others as appears by the Canaanitish woman who besought him for her daughter vexed with a Devil and by his deportment toward her for after his Disciples had affronted her with disrespect and he provoked her by making shew of neglect also yet he granted her desire with a singular approbation of her Faith John 15. 22. We enough likewise to be heedful that not so much as the Crums or Fragments of what God giveth us may be cast away or spoiled by our negligence or improvidence when we our selves are full because the least of his Mercies are pretious and that which we despise may be both comfortable and acceptable to some therefore our Saviour commanded the broken meat remaining of those few Loaves and two Fishes where with he had fed so many thousands should be gathered up that nothing might be lost 3. I observe from this word Give that we must not onely expect what we ask for of free gift as aforesaid and not as merited but crave it in humility also as needy beggers ought to do for a proud begger is abominable and few will given an Almes to him that asks with insolence and pride nor will beggers always ask that with
him a Serâ—â—â—… Or if he ask an Egg will he give him a Seâ—â—â—â—… Thereupon he made this Inference If then you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to him that asketh it Yea he having given his only Son for us when we were his enemies why should we distrust that he will give us all other good things being reconciled unto him by his pretious blood For we have not onely this GOD Almighty to our Father by Creation as all other Creatures have which obligeth us relatively both to him and to them but we are his Children also by Adoption admitted thereunto by Grace through his best beloved Son Jesus thereto begotten by Faith in him and he having drawn up a Petition for us taught us how to exhibit it and warranted us to prefer it unto him as our Father what should discourage us from it or what can reasonably incline us to any other Form or Course The tenderness which we know to be in a good natural Father is a strong Argument to preserve us from despairing to obtain any thing in his power which he knows needful But GOD is more truely our Father then our Fathers in the flesh for without his concurrence in our Generation we had neither been conceived nor born into the world or if his providence had not given us shape nourishment and preservation till the birth and he knoweth and still mindeth what he begets whereas our fleshly fathers seldom minde more then the satisfying of their fleshly desires when they beget us and know not what they beget until they see it brought forth Isaith saith 63. 16. unto God Doubtless then art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer and thy Name is everlasting These considerations with the many demonstrations which we have had of Gods infinite Love Wisdom and Power may assure he is neither ignorant of what is best for us nor unable nor unwilling to confer it 6. Though this be sufficiently demonstrated it may be yet further illustrated and ascertained by contemplating this short Preface for to incourage us in this Duty and to increase and strengthen our Faith in prosecution thereof He whom we are to sollicite is said to be Our Father which is in Heaven Not the Father of our Flesh onely the best of which Fathers is both imperfect and partial even in the exercise of natural affections toward his own children neither equally distributing it among them nor able to bestow upon them whom he most loves all those things which he knows necessary nor is wise enough to know what is best for them nor sure of his own being so long as his Children may want his protection or continuing assistance to provide for them whereas Our Father by this Prayer invoked is evidenced by the relative Pronoun WHICH considered with the words next preceding and following it to have an eternal Al-sufficiency to grant whatsoever is asked For this word ART being a Verb of the present Tense comprehending all Time past present and to come denotes that Time if Eternity may be so called which is GODS Time onely and which belongs to none but to him who is Eternity it self For we cannot say truely of or to any other He is or Thou art because before we can speak or think out these words he of whom or to whom we speak is in somewhat changed from what he was though it is not perceived Therefore when Moses asked of GOD what he should answer if Pharaoh demanded who sent him God said Tell him I AM sent thee and when GOD speaketh of himself as GOD the Father in the first Person he said I AM the Lord thy God when he speaketh to his Son the second Person he saith Thou ART my beloved Son c. and when the Holy Ghost the third Person is spoken of it is said He IS the Comforter c. all being in the present Tense which is Eternal This sence being collected by me from the connection of these words in this Preface Our Father which art in heaven much fortifies my Faith in their use and that which I extract from the last word in this Preface adds a little more thereunto 7. For Heaven which is the place of our Fathers residence to whom this Prayer is to be made may somewhat more illustrate his Almightiness and mindes us to approach his Presence with awful reverence though that Appellative may embolden us also in our Addresses Heaven is that Beauty of Holiness Joy and Glory wherein GOD dwelleth It is an Infinite Object supernaturally intelligible whereof I cannot apprehend so much by any natural means to me knowable as by turning my Intellectual Eye into my self to contemplate that unbounded Heaven which appears within me for that receptacle seems to me infinitely more large then that Heaven which I see above me and round about me with corporeal eyes and he who looking that way finds GOD to have therein an habitation shall see more of him and of heaven then by any other prospect whilst he is in the flesh and thereby know more of Hell also if God be not there as in his own place Yet Heaven is improperly conceived to be a circumscribed place the better to suit it to humane Capacities which cannot apprehend Objects beyond the extent of our narrow understandings But so much thereof as is visible may give us intellectual Notions in some degree of his glorious and inexpressible Majesty to whom we pray when we consider That Heaven is his Throne and Earth his Foot-stool as also That the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him and from thence we may infallibly conclude that we can have no secret sufferings oppressions or afflictions whatsoever which he cannot take notice of in his Residency or any Oppressors so powerful or highly exalted that he cannot reach them to deliver us from them in regard he is both Vbiquitary and so Inthroned that neither we or they can be concealed from his Eye or secured from his Hand which is manifested by these words Psalm 139. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I free from thy Presence If I ascend into Heaven thou art there If I descend into Hell thou art there If I take the wings of the morning dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea Even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand uphold me If I say darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me c. Which Scripture infers that our Heavenly Father being every where His residence in Heaven is not exclusive to His residence in all other places at the same time For we must not imagine he is so in Heaven as a circumscribed Body is in a finite place as all Created things are or as the soul is in the body which is said to be wholly in the
Persons and things are distinguished each from other and whereby it may be ascertained who or what it is whereof we speak to which purpose though there is no Name pronounceable by Men or Angels which can define God as he is it hath pleased him to make himself in part known by several Names and Attributes some communicable and some incommunicable to any Creature as I could demonstrate by enumerating those Names of GOD which are mentioned in Holy Scripture But I will wave that and insert so much onely as I conceive tends to an intelligent use of this Prayer Our English-tongue as well as the Hebrew hath a Tetragrammaton whereby GOD may be Named to wit GOOD which seems by our Saviours words to be incommunicable to any other for said he There is none GOOD but GOD. He and his Name are one He is Goodness Wisdom Power and Love it self in the abstract with whatsoever is superlatively excellent and by his Name I understand his Eternal Essence and all his incommunicable Attributes to be meant as also that in them he is to be sanctified and honoured And whereas we are commanded Not to take his Name in Vain I conceive that intends as well affirmatively the hallowing of it according to this Prayer as negatively forbidding the prophanation thereof which consists not onely in calling him by Name as it were to witness the Truth of what we affirm or deny but also in praying unto him with due Reverence in Faith with an undoubted belief of his Promises with a true sence of that which we petition for and with heedfulness that we profess his Name in sincerity and not formally alone as many do who are called Christians without regard to conform to the Doctrine and Practice of his Evangelical Law which is the greatest prophanation of GODS Name and more dishonour thereto then all the revilings and Blasphemies of Jews Turks and Heathens 4. The word Hallowed or Sanctified is ambiguous having various significations and is derived from a Primitive Root used in so differing a sence that it is sometimes applyed to persons who are as much disaffected and contrary to each other as most differing things are to wit SAINTS and SEPARATISTS for to separate is to sanctifie and to sanctifie is to separate But herein is the difference between the Saint and the Separatist as the words are now used The first willingly separates himself from the mystery of Iniquity and as much as in him lyeth from all the Errrors Vanities and wickednesses of the world with an upright heart The other wilfully separates from the Truth and from the Societies of all the Faithful professors thereof for meer carnal ends with a perverse heart and as there are many Canonized and reputed Saints who are nothing less so there are many branded for Schismatical Separatists who are far from deserving it To be Hallowed or Sanctified according to our common acceptation of these words is to be separated from that which is called prophane or common to be used in the service of God or to some other end which is esteemed more honourable then that for which it was formerly employ'd though perhaps it is thereby sometimes more prophaned and dishonoured The Israelites now called Jews were separated or Hallowed as we term it from all other Nations to be a peculiar people to God and are still by some called the holy people though as we mean by Holy I know no Nation in the world less meriting that Title no not his Holiness of Rome But that which I understand by Hallowing or Sanctifying the Name of GOD and what we ought to contribute thereunto is to magnifie him to speak of his Excellency upon all occasions to separate it in our esteem and love of his Perfection so far from and above all other imaginable and real Objects whatsoever that they shall be rather despised and hated then admitted to any degree of estimation answerable thereto I have no means at this time of my recluse to take advice from the Dead or the Living from Books or men and therefore cannot inform my self how the School-men understand this Term or any other part of this Prayer and perhaps it would but make me the less diligent to harken what the Spirit of GOD speaketh to my heart By help of that Spirit it seemed unto me discovered that there is a Triple Holiness or separation considerable in relation to God touching which I may perhaps deliver that which many will not approve nevertheless I will freely declare my judgement as I usually do in such matters God seems unto me Sanctified and separated by way of superexcellency from all other who are called Lords or Gods from all created Essences from all intelligible Beings and from all the potentialities which were are or shall be in material and intelligible Essences united together and is one eternal Being Hallowed by three glorious Manifestations Holy Holy Holy Lord GOD the Father GOD the Son and GOD the Holy Ghost co-equal and co-eternal This I believe in order to the sanctification or hallowing of GODS Name and much more then I can express yet this peradventure is more then the capacity of many can apprehend 5. I will therefore endeavour to sute to the meanest Capacitie what I think petitioned for in this Clause and declare what I conceive is required from us toward sanctifying the Name of our heavenly Father both negatively and affirmatively We must not imagine this daily duty is required of us because Gods Name cannot otherwise be perfectly sanctified or that we merit ought from him by so praying For his Name shall be Hallowed whether we neglect or perform that duty and when we have thereunto contributed all that we can we are unprofitable servants This is mentioned in our daily Addresses to keep us mindeful of what we ought to desire and endeavour toward that which will be done whether we desire it or not and that those invaluable blessings which God of his free Grace hath promised for performances which in themselves are worth less then nothing may be conferred upon us by his Mercy without infringement of his Justice His Name is so pure in it self that no pollutions of ours can defile it because they revert always back upon our selves if we wilfully asperse it and all that we can do toward the hallowing of it is as I said before to speak well of his Name and to magnifie it above all other Names which when we so do his acceptance onely makes it valuable There is no other Name by which Men or Angels are saved or by which they can be preserved from relapse and therefore all knees in Heaven and Earth ought to bow thereunto with reverence I mean to the Essential Name not to the literal expression or vocal sound thereof which is an Idolatrous or at least a superstitious Fancy as is the ascribing of a Divine Holiness to any humane Medium intended to be but instrumental to bring us to him who is
most Holy yea it is Idolatrous though that adoration be given to a Creature separated from all other by as glorious a sanctification as the Blessed Virgin Maries and the rest of GOD'S most eminent Saints 5. Our Saviour hath wrapt up implicitely our Interest with our heavenly Fathers in this Petition For as in the First Commandment of the Decalogue GODS injoyning us to have no other Gods but himself onely intended thereby our Good as well as his own Glory so did his Son Jesus Christ in teaching us to pray that our Fathers Name may be Hallowed for as by obedience to the first Commandment and separating him and our selves from all false reputed gods with whatsoever else we affect more then God and by ascribing and performing Divine Worship to him alone we shall not onely prevent the ascribing his incommunicable Attributes to base unworthy Creatures abominable Idols and Devils as the Heathen did and thereby avoyd that dishonouring of him by Hallowing persons places or things common into a partnership with the Divinity of God as it is usual with some in these times But we shall also escape thereby many mischievous disadvantages and receive great benefits For mankinde was plunged into manifold perplexities fears despairs and deceiveable hopes by that multiplicity of false gods which the First-times had forged to the inslaving and destruction of their consceiences and persons for they not knowing how to please one of their faigned gods without incurring the disfavour of another it occasioned perpetual anxieties and insupportable burthens by erecting and furnishing magnificent Temples offering frequent Hecatombs and other costly Sacrifices visiting Oracles and Shrines giving rich presents with innumerable other superstitious Ceremonies to pacifie and ingratiate themselves with those Hobgoblings which their own deluded fancies had created and set up to be adored And no fewer are their distractions and the mischiefs on them incumbent in these days who have in another mode Separated Canonized and Hallowed as they call it Persons Places and things common to participate with GOD and his CHRIST in that which is proper and communicable to no other They have consecrated for Saints and presumed to give them Thrones in Heaven who for ought any man living knows may be Devils in Hell They have Hallowed unto them Temples Oratories Shrines Altars and temporary possessions They have made them their Patrons and the peculiar protectors of their Countries Families Persons and Affairs yea and of their Religion though they never professed or favoured it They have separated them from all other and Hallowed them to be their personal Advocates making them equal with Jesus Christ in his Mediatorship yea sometimes preferred them before him They have dedicated unto them days times their goods possessions yea and their Children to pass through the Fire of their superstitious Orders and Observations as the Israelites did their Children to Moloch out of a slavish fear which nevertheless accompanies them to their Graves They have hazzarded and many of them lost their lives by long Pilgrimages inhumane penances and other such like improfitable undertakings thought to be Meritorious which God required not at their hands but abhors them expecting no more but those reasonable Services which he himself hath commanded and may be performed with acceptance through his promised assistance and with ease and comfort both to soul and body in all such duties as he injoyns and in all such trials as he exposeth us unto And when it succeeds otherwise to our temporal or spiritual damage it it because we Hallow such things as are not to be Hallowed and neglect to Hallow GODS Name as we ought to do above all other Names and things yea the Hallowing of so many other Names and things instead of out Heavenly Fathers Name which should singly and solely be separated and sanctified hath been the prime cause of all those many Sects Heresies Treacheries Divisions Quarrels Wars and Murthers among Nations Neighbours and Brethren throughout the World and the respect of Christ to us as well as to the glory of his Father in teaching us to pray for the sanctifying of his Name is an evidence of his great love and Mercy to mankinde The second Petition Thy Kingdom come 1. THis Petition consists of but of three words yet affords much to be considered for every word hath an emphasis which makes their connexion to imply many observable Particulars besides that sence which is plainly expressed to wit that there is a Kingdom yet to come which we ought to pray for The middle word shews that there is such an expectant Kingdom The first word THY that it is his Kingdom to whom we pray The last word COME that it is to be expected I will begin with the word KINGDOM A Kingdom is among men a Government belonging to a single Person whom the Latines called REX Ã regendo of governing and implies one qualified for that Duty We in English call him a King which is a word derived from what is signified by these two Old Saxon words united Kan and Ken that is to be Able and to Know or Power and Wisdom thereby implying that a King who will Govern well ought to be endowed with Prudence and Power For true Wisdom whose Original is the fear of GOD includes Justice Mercy Magnanimity Sanctified policy Constancy Temperance with all other virtuous qualifications and by Powre is intended all means whatsoever whereby those Virtues may be put into execution for discharge of his office that thereby the Kings of the Earth might officiate as much as is possible in imitation of their Soveraign the Supream King of Heaven and Earth I know no people under Heaven except these Nations within our Brittish Isles who have a Word or Title for their Supream Governor in their own Language which so truely constitutes him a Regulated Monarch and whose signification so mindes and obligeth him to Govern accordingly For these words Emperour Grand-Seignior Prince Duke or such-like with those words whereby in the Languages of other Countries they intend him who with us is called a King signifie nothing but an absolute Superiority and priority of Dignity without intimating ought purposed thereby for the welfare of their Subjects as the common interpretations of so many of those Appellations as I know do declare Such Names were at first ascribed either by base flatterers or else assumed to themselves by those who affected and usurped an exorbitant arbitrary Power in the exercise whereof the signification of their Tiles were an incouragement seeming to oblige them to no more then to Govern by their will and pleasure only Whereas the word King in our tongue implies that our Soveraign should be both Wise and Powerful and as wise as powerful Wisdom comprehending Justice Mercy and all other Virtues and our Law presupposing him also so to be at all times because to be otherwise destroys the essentiality of Kingship hath in it this fundamental Maxime A King can do no wrong Such as
the king is such is the Kingdom or Government and such will be the people as we find it to have been in all the Kingdoms of the Earth But the King and Kingdom for whose coming we pray are stablished by Wisdom and Power so perfect that no wrongs can be done by the King thereof nor any suffered by those who are under him by any unrighteous Law in that Kingdom and happy are those Kings and the Subjects of those Kingdoms who endeavour to Govern and Obey according to the righteousness of that King and the Constitutions of his Kingdom so near as they shall be able To that end the same Kingdom is partly come into those in this Generation who belong thereunto to shew it forth to Kings and Subjects in the Kingdoms of this wold by their Doctrine Life and Conversation that the Contemners thereof may be inexcusable For though it seems to be a Kingdom not now in being but to come hereafter it is an Eternal Kingdom which now is always was and ever shall be without beginning or ending and is termed a Kingdom to come in respect of that more full manifestation which it shall have here upon Earth and within the Saints who are and shall be sharers therein reigning together with Christ Some call it the fifth Monarchie as it is in relation to those Monarchies prophesied of by Daniel but it is the first that ever was and the last that ever shall be in Heaven or Earth and is such a Kingdom as we are not able in the state wherein we yet be to conceive much less to express in that mode wherein it shall be manifested though we have many metaphorical descriptions of it whereby we may apprehend so much of the Glory of it as may make us believe and expect it with joy 2. The Soveraignty of this Kingdom was eternally in the Deity before all worlds and after the Creation was joyntly and distinctly exercised by the Father Son and Holy Ghost according as the Manifestations thereof were decreed before time and evidenced by occurrences in the progress of Time Thereof I will declare so much as God hath revealed unto me by his Word and Spirit During that intelligible point of Time which was called Beginning being the first of those five Notions wherein I conceive all things to be included to wit Eternity Beginning Time End and Everlasting even in that Moment of Beginning and immediately after the Angels and Adam were created and Fell the Prince of the Spirits elapsed began to Usurp a part of Gods Kingdom by that permissive Power which he still retained and he forthwith practised upon innocent Man on whom God had conferred a Vicegerency under himself over all subcelestial Creatures And Adam being compounded of those Elements which rendred him subject to mutability the Devil prevailing by subtlety drew him to disobedience and rebellion which God foreknowing might had he so pleased either have prevented it or in a moment destroyed the Vsurper with all his Confederates But this consisted not with his Eternal Decree whereby mankinde was to have experience in a natural way of that Good and Evil which our First-Parents desired to know Therefore according to the same Decree God suffered that part of his Kingdom which was to be visible on Earth to be for a while shared between two contradictory Powers the Devil to continue in possession of what he had Usurped and his Eternal Son to whom the whole Kingdom by right appertained to exercise also his Kingly Office therein so far forth as neither his Interest with that which is really good might be totally destroyed not the Devils power so limited that the utmost extent of evil might not be fully known so here hath been ever since two Militant Kingdoms upon the Earth contending for Superiority 3. The Incarnate Son of GOD was first externally inaugurated when it was said that The seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head and the Messiah was then spiritually conceived by Faith in the hearts of Adam and Eve and there began this Kingdom to be first in the earth though the seed of the Serpent did also fructifie by that seminal corruption which he had injected to make entrance for his Kingdom And when their two first Children being born into the world Had attained ability to demonstrate unto which Kingdom they adhered the Contest which hath ever since been maintained between them did presently begin Cain slew his Brother Abel upon that quarrel and the consequence thereof together with Cains male-contented Demeanour gave occasion of GODS declaring somewhat unto him which I conceive to be pertinent to their consideration whose Faith and Patience were to be exercised under tyrannous Governments in all future Generations until his Son shall bring them to an end by assuming the whole Kingdom For before Cain had slain his Brother God said That he should Rule over him and his desire be subjected unto him Moreover after the murther was committed and when GOD had so cursed Cain for it who was the first Tyrannous abuser of his Authority that by the judgement of his own conscience he seemed worthily exposed to slaughter by every one who met him God nevertheless affirmed that whosoever slew him his blood should be avenged sevenfold upon the slayer and it is written that God set a Mark upon him to prevent his slaughter from whence it may be inferred as I think that all Private persons ought to be wary they lay not violent hands upon those to whom God hath subjected them how wicked soever they be lest that Mark be fouud upon them which renders them liable to a seven-fold Vengeance 4. The visible Kingdom of GOD our Father How it was conferred upon his Son What opposition it should have in the world by Kings and Nations The Vanitie of their Reasons of State the fruitlesness of the Plots Counsels and confederacies of the people The establishment of his Throne upon his holy Mountain the spiritual Sion in despight of opposition The proclamation of what was eternally decreed concerning it The Vniversality and powerfulness of his Domion How it will beseem all earthly Kings and their subordinate Judges and Officers to demean themselves under him VVhat will befal to them who shall be rebellious or refractory and the happiness of all those who shall do homage unto him and be obedient as they ought to be All this was foretold in the second Psalm which is a Literal not a Typical Prophecy of the Kingdom of Christ the true David Yet this Kingdom had for a long time a very slow increase was confined to a very narrow circuit and hath been from that time hitherto also of small estimation in respect of the Kingdoms of this World except onely in the days of Enos and Noah for in the days of Enos it is recorded that men began to call upon the Name of the Lord and in the time of Noah this King of kings assumed the sole Government of his
Kingdom into his own hands proclaimed his fore-intended Judgements to all his Subjects for their cruelties and rebellions and at the time appointed executed his sentence of Condemnation to the Destruction of all the Oppressors Tyrants and Kingdoms of the Earth by VVater as he will after Christs last coming by Fire and what will then become of his proud and malicious Enemies it may easily be foreseen 5. A while after the Deluge during the Paternal Kingship of Noah the Kingdom of our Father prevailed but within a few years after the Flood the kingdom of the Devil begun to be again inlarged and that of GOD to be thrust into a little Room and for some Generations to be visible in a few Families onely so obscured that the world took small notice thereof uutil the times of Moses and Josuah in whose days the judgements executed upon Pharaoh and on the Cananites made it evidently manifest that there was a more Powerful King then those who usurped the Kingdoms of the Earth And though this Kingdom was again after that obscured several times by their wickedness who professed obedience thereto yet the power of it appeared more and more especially during the Reign of David Solomon Jehosophat Ezekias and other Kings of Judah yea and was much heeded by the prevalency which it had in some degree upon Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus and Darius three of the greatest Earthly Monarchs who were constrained to confess the power of their Supream Soveraign and it had some other manifestations thereof before the true King thereof appeared in the Flesh But then it began to shew it self in another mode so differing from all temporary Kingdoms that it seemed to the men of the world to have nothing in it like a Kingdom and the King thereof to be nothing less then a King For a mean Carpenter was his reputed Father a poor Virgin was his true Mother when he was born she had no Pallace but a despicable Inne to give her entertainment No Chamber to lodge in but a Stall with Beasts No Cradle under a rich Canopy to lay this King in but a Manger No Heralds but Shepherds to proclaim his Birth and call him a high and mighty Prince as is usuall at the Birth of Kings But that defect was recompenced with a Complement more Magnificent then the Nativity-Ceremonies of all other Kings put together For a glorious Angel brought them a Commission to publish it A Celestial Army celebrated his Birth with a Nativity-Song and the kings of the East came to do him homage and brought him presents being directed unto him by a Star 6. When years had rendred him fit to exercise his Kingship according to what was proper to the Initiation thereof he had no great Pallace to dwell in no not a place wherein to rest his head He had no Princes Dukes Marquesses or Earls to attend him but a few despised Fisher-men instead of a triumphant Chariot he rode through jerusalem upon the silly Foal of an Ass and instead of a Foot-cloth the people put their Garments under him When he came to be Inthroned with his Title in three Languages written over his head his Royal Apparel was a Purple Robe contemptuously cast upon him he was scornfully saluted as King in mockage onely reviled and spit upon To be a Septer they gave him a Reed instead of a golden wreath beset with pretious Stones they Crowned him with sharpe Thorns his Throne was a Cross whereto they nailed his hands and his feet There he gave up his Ghost and having no Sepulchre of his own was buried in another mans Grave This is quite contrary to the mode and pomp of the Kings and Kingdoms of this world yet even then as at his Birth his dignity was extraordinarily evidenced for by the power of his Almighty God-head he to the affrighting of his Enemies obscured the Sun by a a supernatural Eclipse he rent the Vail of the Temple shook the whole Globe of the Earth raised the Dead but of their Graves and himself again to life conquered Death and Hell shewed himself alive to his Disciples ascended up to Heaven in their sight and when the Devil and his confederates supposed his Kingdom to be everlastingly at an end it became so signally powerful in that external weakness and contempt whereby it seemed to be disabled if not annihilated that it destroyed all the sumptuous Temples of the Gentles with those gods which they therein worshipped yea the Temple and Religion of his Crucifiers who boasted and trusted in the holiness thereof and this King and Kingdom will at last utterly root out of the world that mystery of iniquity which hath been raised up since the subversion of heathenish and Jewish Opposers thereof even that great Malignant Kingdom with all the supporters and vassals thereof which hath now tyrannized in several forms over the Saints and Subjects of the King of kings almost six thousand years But notwithstanding all this Christs now pretended Vicar though he calls himself the servant of the servants of God and makes counterfeit shews of humility as many others do is not contented with such a Kingdom and therefore hath reduced his into such a one as makes it apparent he hath accepted of as much as he could get of that offer with Christ refused when the Devil tendered unto him the Kingoms of the world with all the glory of them on condition he would fall down and worship him 7. It seems by what is recorded of the Tribe of Issacher to their commendation 1 Chro. 12. that we are to take notice of what concerns the times wherein we live and perhaps it will not be impertinent to the Kingdom here mentioned to add what I am inclined to express by occasion of Letters and Reports much credited concerning an Army of Israelites repairing toward the Ancient Habitation of their Fore-fathers which was heretofore a visible Province of that Kingdom until the Inhabitants for their Treason and Murther committed against their Soveraign Lord or the greatest party of that Nation were thereupon rejected and scattered through the world to wander as Vagabonds like Cain their Type without any certain abiding place That is the condition of those who at this day are called Jews but whether they are assuredly the Off-spring of the Patriarks Abraham Isaac and Jacob neither I nor they know as I believe For I understand not how they in these parts of the world commonly reputed to be of the Tribe of Judah and of those other Tribes which adhering thereto continued in their own Country until about forty years after the Crucifying of their Messiah can possibly know whether they are Jews or not so considering that throughout Europe as Histories inform us they were not onely banished and expelled from place to place but the Records of their Genealogies taken away also and burnt A great number likewise if not the greatest number of those whom we term Jews are probably such Natives of the Countries wherein
reverent esteem of Gods Justice and Mercy as also to make us heedful what may be a help or hinderance to preserve us willing and constant in praying Gods will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven I am so large in this and some other seeming digressions because I sometimes finde that the furthest way about is the nearest way home 5. It hereby partly appears why we should absolutely refer our will to Gods and pray for the accomplishment thereof in all things and on all men without exception and that we have no other means to be freed from being inslaved by the corrupt arbitrary will of Tyrants or from being in a worse bondage to our own will Oh! that we could consider as we ought to do how we are insensibly drawn by evil Customes and bad Examples to fall away by degrees into a Reprobated sense yielding first to one vain act which we think so innocent that it conduceth to no evil then to another and another after that till at last the grossest wickedness is rushed into without stop Yea into that which a while before we thought to be both foolish and wicked and condemned and derided in other men Thus it fares even with some who have been in a good measure inlighted and purged from many gross corruptions for when the Will is in some degree renewed and the sing he Talent which was formerly neglected and abused somwhat improved which might have been multiplied according to what was required aswell as his who had five they seeing their Houses swept and garnished admit instead of the Devil which was cast out such a spirit of pride with his Associates as makes their later ends worse then their beginnings GOD having delivered all men from the guilt of Adams transgression by Christs giving every one wherewith to perform his duty renewing also his Grace to many more then once or twice after they have forfeited it very hazzardous if not damnable is their condition who presumptuously offend so Gracious a Master Let us therefore watch and pray that we fall not irrecoverably into temptation and surprize even for our own sakes at least until Self-love shall be improved into a True love of him who loved us first and seeing nothing can be more mischievous unto us then our Self-will let us not only pray heartily that Gods will may be done but endeavour so to submit our wills to his that his will and ours may be one 6. Before this can be possible those Obstructions must be removed which the World the Flesh and the Devil have raised up within us to keep our Will from union with Gods to wit a believing the suggestions of the Serpent as our first Parents did when they were seduced and tempted by a desirable Object and by his misrepresenting unto them the Fore-knowledge and Fore-determination of God as also by insinuating a want of Love or Good meaning toward Mankind in that which he willed and prohibited when any are thus prepossessed it must be one as strong as the Almighty who can cast out those Devils and cast out they must be before they can heartily pray Gods will may be done For who can perswade those men by Arguments or move them by Threatnings to commit themselves and all other things to his will whose Justice is made doubtful or of whose Love to him in particular he is uncertain or by such means only assured as may be questionable and are communicated to Reprobates as well as to the Elect considering also what fair appearances there are of their good effects sometimes even upon Hypocrites when they are but false counterfeited works These Obstructions alone are enough to hinder the conforming of our will to Gods if they be not removed Therefore though these are not all I will assay the removing of them before I proceed further And in regard it is said that the perswasions of our own hearts are as good as many Counsellers and not altogether useless though deceitful when their single advice is wholly depended upon I will precaution a little by the way concerning that It is true that every Vnregenerated mans heart is fraudulent in his Natural estate Yet when it is Regenerated and depends not upon self-Apprehensions by the meer natural Light which is therein but seeks after and receives with Approbation that Divine Light which is offered and communicated thereto by the Word and Spirit of GOD it is essentially efficient both to the rectifying and conforming of our WILL to and with that Object whereunto we ought to adhere and then more to be depended on then the Authority of all the wisest men in the World without that Evidence For when God hath prevailed to perswade the heart by such a concurrence of Lights it will not then deceive any but be as infallible as the white Sione which is known to none but to him that hath it I know no means how in these dayes we may be assured such Revelations are of God as that was when he commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac For how strongly soever our hearts may be inclined thereunto we having now our Communion with God in another mode all Inspirations repugnant to what is revealed in the Law and Prophets interpreted by his Evangelical Word and Spirit are to be rejected as diabolical suggestions 7. The Law is our School-master to bring us to Christ but it will never bring us into him until his Love opens the door which he hath freely opened keeps it open and offers entrance to all who desire and seek it yea and to some before they sought it And when being entred we there behold his Beauty and feel the fervour of his Love it so inflames our love to him if not prepossessed and bewitched with other affections that our will doth Zealously and contentedly cleave unto him VVe may preach the Law and pronounce Judgements as some have done till they have brought Despair and Hell into the Souls of many but that begets more fear then love or at best more love to our selves then unto him or more cautiousness then willingness until Evangelical Lenitives be therewith applyed It is the making known Christs meek condescentions long-sufferings and the superexcellent Amiableness of his Love and tender Mercies that soonest and most effectually work in us repentance of our sins and that confidence in him which will incline us without a reserve to pray absolutely to his and our Fa-Father that his will may be done But some have taken a course direct contrary and made such Representations of God that I conceive their Doctrine to be the greatest obstruction of all other to praying absolutely that his VVill may be done in earth as it is in heaven It will never be a motive thereunto to tell men that before all worlds when there was no man to resist his will or desirous of a being whereby he might have had a possibility of resisting it or to offend him in any manner God fore-decreed
so far as he may be capable thereof should finde Hell to be a Heaven if he were there and that Heaven would be a Hell unto him if he could possibly get thither with self-confidence and with his own Natural will because it is not the place wherein we are that can make us happy or unhappy but that which we carry thither within our selves Yet I would have no man in these concernments trust to me or to any other farther then he hath assurance in his conscience by the same witnesses for the Light within us may deceive though attested by all humane Authorities without the VVord yea and the VVord written hath such variety of senses and Interpretations put upon it that it must be ascertained by the Spirit also and every Spirit tryed by the VVord with a conscientious heed how every part thereof may agree together in one sence without contradiction for some words wherewith we are best acquainted even in our Mother-tongue have such various significations that I am forced to many tedious circumlocutions to prevent misunderstanding and yet am often misunderstood But by the Lights aforementioned united together I having examined the Objections and answers of dissenting Parties am so infallibly convinced of the Oneness and Righteousness of Gods will as also that he hath no respect or disrespect of Persons without regard to their qualifications that I know he hath necessitated or constrained none to be wicked that he reprobateth no Righteous man who wilfully discontinueth not to be Righteous or any wicked man who abhors and finally forsakes his wickedness or any whosoever who doth not wittingly wilfully despightfully and finally sin against the Holy Ghost which so strengthens my belief of his perfect Goodness Justice and Mercy and so inclines me to love him with all my heart and with all my strength that in all things I can absolutely without the least scruple pray and say unto him Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven 13. To confirm me and others in this free Resignation of our wills to the VVill of God revealed in his VVord I may add this out of my own experience and I hope it is a sanctified experience which perhaps may have as good effects on some other as it hath had on me Our Natural will as it stands inclinable when it hath no better guide then the single Light within us is usually carried on so violently to accomplish the fulfilling thereof even as to things which are good in themselves that they may have an evil consequence This appears by these particular Instances we may have a will to be endowed with the best Spiritual Gifts to be righteous according to the strictness of the Moral Law To be patient and constant in sufferings to be careless of the preferments riches and pleasures of this world to be eminent in the mortifying of the flesh by fasting and penances voluntarily undergone to be frequent in hearing praying and external performances of pious Duties with such like thereupon perswading our selves we do it to serve please and honour God and that thereby we merit his Favour whereas if we narrowly examine our hearts we shall finde perhaps that our principal aim proceeded from self-love and to acquire thereby a Righteousness and perfection of our own wherein to rest and glory and that we desire not so much to be conformable according to our proportion unto Christ in his obedience and sufferings not of pure Love to him as that we might be sharers with him in the meritoriousness thereof falsly supposing his obedience righteousness sufferings would not be sufficiently satisfactory without our doing and suffering such things in our own persons to compleat our justification This if we be not heedful will lye hid in our hearts when we profess the contrary with our mouths And I have often observed as well in my self as in others that this may puff us up with a spirit of prides to such a high conceit of our selves and beget in us such an uncharitable or low esteem of others that when we seem to be purged from gross carnal sins we may be polluted with spiritual wickednesses more mischievous unto our souls because they not appearing to be so sinful as they are will be the more difficultly repented and we the more hardly disinsnared from them For I have heeded that many being intangled by these having run through the profession and practice of the Doctrines and Disciplines of most Sects to get the repute of a supereminent Sanctity could never settle any where until they fell back again into the pollutions of the flesh in a more gross manner then at first or else stumbled into the Church of Rome which admits them gladly because the ambition of her Children is the same and their Justification and Righteousness depends very much on their own merits 14. Many such Vertigoes and Impostures I have in my time heard of and seen acted by self-will'd persons pretending to extraordinary Revelations which had no ground but their own Fancies and overweening One supposing himself called to gather together the dispersed Jews and carry them into Palestine their ancient Inheritance hath to that end made ridiculous preparations Another of no mean parts had fancied a certain day in which Christ should be seen coming again in the Clouds got up into a high place the better to behold his approach having forgotten that it was said his second coming should be like the Lightning out of the East shining into the West A woman blasphemously termed her self the Virgin Mary and found some foolish enough so to repute her Another would be thought the VVoman in the VVilderness mentioned in the Revelation of St. John fleeing thither from the Dragon others infatuated by the like spirit of delusion have gone naked through the streets and into publick Assemblies to be signal to the Nation Two lately assumed the Title and Office of the two VVitnesses prophesied of in the Apocalypse and had giddy followers though they brought no testimonial thereof but such vanities as deserved contempt Another was perswaded to be the Angel flying through the midst of heaven to preach the everlasting Gospel and we had one who presumed wickedly to personate Jesus Christ Yea whilst I was writing these Meditations I was visited by a person in other respects sober and of good understanding who professing her self to be guided by no Example or Rule but what was inwardly revealed unto her told me she was assured by Revelation that she should be the greatest sufferer that ever was in the world and indeed if all be true which she declared unto me of her sufferings many years by voluntary watchings fastings cold hunger nakedness and pilgrimages into forraign parts without any provision for her passage or support which so multiplied her sufferings that as she said the Spanish Inquisitors in whose power she then was told her that she should be reputed one of the most glorious Saints in her time