Lord and Saviour should direct us so strictly to pray to God and him only to no other whom we cannot call by this title Our Father which art in heaven Religious prayer and Invocation is a Divine Honour it is proper to God who saith Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and we cannot give Gods glory to another without the guilt of Idolatry To pray unto Saints or Angels implies an adoring them as Omnipotent able to help us Omnipresent and Omniscient capable of hearing us wherever and whensoever we call upon them And can we he sure of either of these or are they possible where have we any precept or direction in all the Scriptures to make our Addresses and Supplications unto them or any example of any Saints that have done it before us or any promise of their hearing our prayers or helping our necessities or of our obtaining what we ask of them or by their Mediation And having none of these how can we pray to them in duty or in Faith But this we can do to God and to him only Our Father which is in Heaven For being Our Father he is gracious and of great kindness having Fatherly bowels ready and willing to hear and help us and being Our Father in Heaven He is Almighty the Great giver of all goodness and therefore able to hear and help us And therefore to him alone let us make our prayers and supplications saying with Holy David Psal 25.1 Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul Psal 121.1 2. I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help My help cometh from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth Q. What is the meaning then of this Preface Our Father which art in Heaven A. It teaches me to call upon God as my Lord God Our Heavenly Father who is the Giver of all Goodness and so assures me that he both will and can hear and help me Catechist Your Catechism here gives you a very short but pithy explanation of this Title of the Great God as the Hearer of prayers Psal 65.2 Our Father which art in Heaven Therein every one calls upon God in such words as S. Thomas expresseth his faith in Joh. 20.28 My Lord and my God Thou in whom I have a special interest as my God Yet mark it not so mine but that he is also others Our heavenly Father For I am in Charity to look upon others as my Brethren having a filial relation also to God as well as my self Now as I said in that He is our Father This assures us that he is ready and willing to hear and help us as any Father will do for his children for so Christ argues Matth. 7.9 10. If a child ask bread of his father will he give him a stone or if he ask a fish will he give him a Scorpien Will he not give him all good things and things needful and profitable for him Hon much more will God as a Father give us all good things that we ask him For Psal 103.13 As a Father pitieth his children so doth the Lord them that fear him And then that he is Our Heavenly Father this assures us of his power and ability that he can help us For Psal 99.1 The Lord is great in Sion and he is high above all people Psal 97.1 The Lord reigneth let his Children rejoyce For nothing then can harm them without his leave and providence Psal 2.1 Even when the Heathen rage and the Kings of the Earth bandy together against the Lord and against his Anointed he that setteth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn The Lord shall have them in Derision He that dwells in Heaven Pray how dwells the Lord there Surely not so there but that he is in all places Omnipresent Jer. 23.23 Am I God at hand and not afar of saith the Lord Do not I fill heaven and Earth saith the Lord But he is in Heaven because there is the Habitation of His throne of Majesty Psal 97.2 And there and from thence he more especially manifesteth his exceeding great power and glory So is he Our Father in heaven in that sence and as our Catechism adds by way of explanation He is therefore the Giver of all Goodness of all good things Jam. 1.17 Every good and every perfect gift comes from above even from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shaddow of turning So much of the Preface now to the petitions Q. How many petitions are there in the Lords prayer A. Six Three with relation to Gods glory and three to our own benefit Q. Why are we taught to pray first for what respects Gods Glory before we pray for things relating to our own benefit A. To teach us that we ought to make Gods Glory the great end of our prayers as well as of all our Actions and in all cases to prefer it before all things whatsoever Catechist Gods glory is the great end of our Creation and of whatever God doth that the whole Earth may be full of his Glory Isaiah 6.3 Solomon saith Prov. 16.4 The Lord made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil that is to glorifie his justice in them Now what is Gods end in all his doings should be Our great end and aim in all our prayers and all our actions 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God For the first Petition then Hallowed be thy name You may observe in the first place that your Catechism explains Hallowing Gods Name to be as much as worshipping him which we often also express by glorifying or honouring him and taking due notice thereof I ask you first Q. Are we able to Worship Honour or Glorifie God as we ought to do A. No. Q. How ought we to Worship or Honour or Glorify God A. Above all Beings in heart word and deed Catechist Do but remember the Apostle's expression to this purpose 1 Cor. 6.20 We must glorifie God with our Bodies and with our spirits which are his Now alas this we sinful corrupt degenerate mankind are in no wise able to do until he regenerate and renew us in the words of his Covenant his Covenant of Grace Ezek. 11.19 Put a new heart and a new spirit within us take from us the stony heart and give us an heart of flesh In a word till he put his Spirit his Spirit of Grace within us to cause us to walk in his Statutes and in his Judgments Q. What desirest thou therefore in this petition Hallowed be thy Name A. I desire God to send his Grace to me and to all people that we may worship him as we ought to do Q. Dost thou desire this or any other Blessing of God for thy self only A. No I desire it for all people and whatever Blessing I desire for my self in any petition in Christian Charity I pray the same
not see him saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord. And of this Attribute and perfection the sweet singer of Israel thus descants Psal 139.7 8 9. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit and whither shall I flee from thy presence If I go up unto heaven Thou art there If I make my bed in hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me And he there teaches us this lesson that all both young and old have this always in their minds to restrain them from every sinful thing even when they are alone and in secret places and no eye sees them That yet God always sees them ver 12. Even the darkness hides not from thee but the night is as clear as the day darkness and light are both alike to thee And therefore whenever we are tempted to sin and whatsoever conveniency of secrecy we may have for it we should always say to ourselves as Joseph did to his Mistriss Gen. 39.9 How can I do this wickedness and sin against God and that even in his sight For Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open in the sight of him with whom we have to do Now these same Texts that prove Gods Omnipresence they also prove his fourth Attribute Omniscience That He sees and knows all things And as for the next Attribute His perfect Goodness you may remember what your Saviour said Matth. 19.17 There is none Good but one that is God i. e. None deserving this Title of Good in strictness but he Psal 119.6 He is Good and doth Good and that continually And who that is wise will not love and serve and strive to please so Good a God As for the last Attribute which I named perfect Holiness this the Heavenly Inhabitants the Cherubins and Seraphins adore continually crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts The whole earth is full of his glory Isa 6.3 Rev. 4.8 And being Holy he cannot be the Author of any Moral evil of any evil of sin Jam. 1.13 Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God for God cannot be tempted to evil neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Nor doth he approve nor delight in any evil but will surely visit it Hab. 1.13 He is a God of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Psal 2.3 Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evil dwell with thee We therefore that profess to believe in and worship so Holy a God must be Holy as he is Holy in all manner of conversation and Godliness 1 Pet. 1.15 16. we must with David Psal 139.12 hate all sin as God hateth it with a perfect hatred These are the chief Divine Attributes and perfections not excluded but implied in what the Creed expresly mentions Almighty now Q. How did God manifest Himself Almighty A. By making of Heaven and Earth Q. What mean you by heaven and earth A. The whole world and all things therein Catechist That of the Apostle Col. 1.10 is full to the purpose By him were all things Created that are in Heaven and in the Earth whether they be thrones or Dominions or principalities or powers All things were created by him Q. What mean you by making these A. Not only creating them but also his Preservation and Providence whereby he Governs and disposes them Catechist He is not only as Joh. 2.10 intitles him the preserver of men but David saith also Ps 36.6 Thy mercy O Lord is in the Heavens thy Faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds O Lord thou preservest man and beast He preserves them and he provides for them all Psal 145.15 The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Yea and he Governs all the world and all Actions and Accidents in it Dan. 4.35 He doth whatsoever he will in the Army of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his Hand or say unto him What dost thou Even the most Casual and Accidental things are ordered and overruled by him Prov. 16.33 The Lot is cast into the lap but the whole Disposal thereof is of the Lord. Such is Gods providence preserving providing for and governing and disposing of all his Creatures Q. Of what matter did God make the world A. Of nothing Q. By what means did God make the world A. By his word only Catechist See Heb. 11.3 Through Faith we understand that the worlds were formed by the Word of God So that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear For Gen. 1.3 He said Let there be Light and there was light And so of all the rest Ps 33.9 He spake the word and all was done He commanded and they stood fast Q. For what end did God make the world A. For his own Glory Catechist For the glory of his Wisdom Power and Goodness which therefore we should Meditate upon with Isaac when we view his innumerable Creatures and consider the operations of his hands Hence that of Solomon Prov. 16.4 The Lord made all things for himself even the wicked for the day of evil i.e. to manifest the glory of his justice in them Q. Which is Gods chief work excelling all other Creatures A. Next to Angels Mankind and he made all the rest for the use and Benefit of man Catechist The Psalmist admires this Psal 8.4 5 6. Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him Thou hast made him little lower than the Angels and crowned him with glory and honour Thou madest him to have Dominion over the works of thine hands and put all things under his feet All sheep and Oxen yea and the beasts of the field the Fowls of the air and the Fishes of the Sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the Sea Q. In what estate did God at first make man A. In a state of Innocency Holy and Happy Q. How then came sin into the world A. By Adams fall Catechist These and the following Questions and Answers are necessary to shew you how all mankind came to stand in need of Jesus Christ the second person in the Blessed Trinity coming in the flesh to be their Redeemer Eccl. 7.29 This I have found out saith Solomon That God made man upright but they sought out many inventions The History whereof you have in the second and third Chapters of Genesis The summ whereof is this God gave our first Parents a special Commandment for the proof of their Obedience viz. not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil with this Sanction In the day thou eatest thereof Thou shalt die the death But they listned to the Temptations
for others also Catechist Therefore observe as the latter petitions run not Give me but give us not Forgive me but forgive us so this and the two following petitions run in the third person and two of them in the Passive voice It is here not let me nor yet let us only Hallow thy name but Hallowed be thy name so that as on the one hand Our prayers should answer our duties which in this case is to glorifie God with our whole man in heart word and deed so do they on the other hand answer Gods promises and that is a full one in the P. Malachi to this purpose chap. 1.11 From the rising of the Sun even to the going down of the same Gods name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense and a pure offering shall be given to his Name Go on then to the next petition Thy Kingdom come Q. What is implied in this petition Thy Kingdom come A. That we and all men are by nature under the bondage and Dominion of sin and Satan and that we are not of ourselves able to rescue ourselves from them Catechist We are by nature not only of our Father the Devil doing his will as Christ told the Jews because his works we do Joh. 8.44 but we are also his Subjects nay his Vassals and Bondslaves For 2 Pet. 2.19 Of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bendage Rom. 7.14 We are sold under sin Eph. 2.2 The Prince of the power of the Air is the Spirit that ruleth in all the Children of disobedience He ruleth in them by sin reigning in them For Rom. 6.16 His Servants we are to whom we obey whether of sin unto death or of Obedience unto righteousness Q. What desirest thou therefore of God in this petition A. That God would rescue us from the Dominion of sin and Satan and that his Kingdom of Grace may take place in us and that God would fit us for and hasten his Kingdom of Glory Q. How doth your Catechism express this A. I desire God to send his Grace to me and to all people that we may serve him as we ought to do Catechist In respect of the former branch of your Answer that God would rescue us from the Dominion of sin and Satan in us and that his Kingdom of Grace may take place and be rooted in us I conceive this petition is equivalent to what the Apostle declares to be the design of the Gospel in the world Act. 26.18 That God would open mens eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive for giveness of Sins and an inheritance among them that are Sanctified by faith that is in Christ Jesus or it is just what Zacharias hath in his Song Luk. 1.74 That God would grant unto us and unto all men that being delivered from the hands of our Enemies Our spiritual Enemies We and they may all serve him in Holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives And then in respect of the latter Gods fittting us for and hastning his Kingdom of Glory this petition may receive Light from that promise of Christ Rev. 22.20 Surely I come quickly for thereunto we are directed to say from the bottom of our hearts even so Come Lord Jesus Come quickly For that is the great thing which we Christians should love and look and long for even his appearing as may be seen in diverse Texts Particularly Titus 1.13 and 2.12 13. Q What is implied in the third petition Thy Will be done A. That we are naturally apt to do the Will of the Devil the World and the flesh but to rebel against Gods Will of Commandment and to murmur at his Will of Providence Catechist There is a twofold Will of God what he commandeth in his word and What he ordereth in his Providence And by corrupt nature we rebell against hoth especially the former being prene to all evil and averse to all good conceived in sin and born in iniquity Ps 51.5 Having our understandings darkned and being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in us because of the blindness of our hearts Q. What desirest thou therefore of God in this petition A. That we may be both able and willing to obey his Will revealed in his Word and in all things submit to his Providence Q. How is this expressed in your Catechism A. I desire God to send his grace to me and to all people that we may obey him as we ought to do Catechist That is that we may follow Christs example herein who said Ps 40.8 I am content to do thy will O God yea thy law is in my heart And for his works of Providence that we may with Holy David when any evil happens to us from the Lord lay our hands upon our mouths and say nothing that is not repine or murmur at what God doth because it is Gods doing For in all cross accidents and occurrences we should see Gods hands as Job did chap. 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Q. How ought we to obey him A. As they do it in Heaven Q. What means that clause in Earth as it is in Heaven A. Therein I desire that we may obey Gods Will with that sincerity chearfulness and constancy wherewith the Angels do it in Heaven though we cannot with the same perfection Catechist You remember how the Psalmist describes those Heavenly Inhabitants Ps 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that fulfil his Will or Commandment hearkning to the voice of his word And from thence they have the name of Seraphims from their Alacrity and Zeal in Glorifying God and doing his Will and pleasure For God made them ministring spirits to minister to them that shall be heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 And such is their zeal and fervency herein that they are said to be a flame of fire That therefore is our prayer in this petition that God would inspire us with the like fervency chearfulness and constancy in our Obedience So much for those petitions that relate to Gods glory Now follow those that relate to our own temporal and Spiritual Benefit Q. What is implied in the fourth petition Give us this day our daily Bread A. That no man can maintain himself by all his own care and labour without the Blessing of God upon both Catechist Our Saviour saith Matth. 6.32 That Our Heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of these things that is somewhat to eat and somewhat to drink and somewhat to put on food and raiment These bodies of ours must have their proper aliment and cannot subsist without them From whence Solomon saith The bread of the needy is his life He that withholds it from him is a man of blood But these things so needful we cannot get by all our labours without
Gods gift and Blessing Ps 127.2 It is in vain to rise up early and sit up late and eat the bread of carefulness if God do not bless the house and all in it Nor can they could we get them at all nourish us without that blessing of God For Deut. 8.3 Man liveth not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God that is by his word of Blessing upon it So true it is that in him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 this is implied in the Petition Q. What dost thou therefore pray for in this fourth petition A. That God would bless all our lawful endeavours and so send us all things needful both for our Bodies and our Souls Catechist You may remember Agurs prayer Prov. 30.8 which is in other words the same with this Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me lest being rich I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord or being poor I steal or be tempted to do unjustly taking the name of God in vain And since our souls have their proper food and nourishment as well as Our Bodies even the Word and Sacraments the Church therefore teaches you that you herein pray for the continuance of these also even what is needful for the nourishing our Souls to eternal life Some of the Fathers therefore by daily bread understood the Holy Sacrament Q. What is implied in the fifth petition Forgive us our Trespasses c. A. That we are by our sins Debtors to Gods Justice and liable to Condemnation Q. Can any man living satisfie Gods Justice for this debt A. No nor all the world Catechist Alas We sin daily and in many things offend all Jam. 3.2 And by every sin become debtors to Gods justice and are guilty of death For Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death It being said by the just God from the Beginning Gen. 2.17 In the day thou sinnest thou shalt die the death And as no man can satisfie Gods Justice for sin for his own sin so Psal 49.7 None can redeem his brother nor pay to God a ransom for him He that satisfies for others sins must have no sin of his own How should they answer for others who are themselves guilty Q. What dost thou therefore pray for in this fifth Petition A. I pray unto God that he will for the merits of Christs Satisfaction be merciful unto us and forgive us our sins Catechist What we pray for here is just what God promiseth in his new Covenant Jer. 31.34 I will forgive their iniquites and remember their sins no more Now this was a Covenant of mercy made in Christ upon his undertaking to satisfie Gods Justice for our sins saying Psal 40.7 Lo I come to do thy Will O God For thus Ps 85.10 in him and by him Mercy and Truth met together Righteousness and peace kissed each other Col. 1.20 He made peace through the blood of his Cross For 1 Joh. 2.2 He became a propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole world For his sake therefore it is that we hope and pray for mercy and forgiveness Q. What mean you by forgiveness of sins A. A free and full acquitting us of their guilt and punishment Catechist Free therefore do we Protestants utterly disclaim all opinion of Merit which is indeed utterly inconsistent with the words Mercy and Forgiveness Rom. 3.24 We are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus And it s a full Forgiveness therefore we also deny the Papists opinion of Purgatory pains to satisfie for our sins by enduring a temporal punishment for them For when God forgives he will not again exact the debt in part or whole he saith in his Covenant of Grace and Mercy I will so forgive their sins as to remember them no more Q. Who are they that may expect such Forgiveness at the hands of God A. True penitents only that are so sorry for their sins as to forsake them and such as from their hearts forgive others their injuries and offences against themselves Catechist For the former I refer you to what I taught you upon the Article of Forgiveness in your Creed And for forgiving of others it is so necessary to qualifie us for Gods pardon that Christ tells us plainly what we must look for Matth. 6.14 If ye forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will forgive you yours but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses So much for this petition also Q. What is implied in the Sixth petition Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil A. Our greatest Misery in this life to wit that Satan the world and the flesh are always tempting us to sin and we ourselves are prone to yield to and unable of ourselves to resist any temptation Catechist We must as the Apostle Gal. 6.1 warns us look upon ourselves as surrounded with temptations Consider ourselves lest we be tempted And therefore as Christ exhorts Mark 14.38 Watch and pray lest we enter into Temptation And alas in regard of them we have no reason to be in love with but even to be weary of this Life saying with David Ps 120.5 Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech and have my habitation in the tents of Kedar For 1 Pet. 5.8 Our adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour And he makes use of all the good and evil things of this world to be snares to us to intangle us in one or other sin or wickedness and our flesh is weak and our own hearts treacherous too willing to yeild themselves a prey to that Ghostly enemy The Great Devourer Q. What must we in justice expect if we either yeild to commit sin to which he tempts us or continue in it A. All Evils of Punishment both in this Life and the Next Catechist Prov. 13.21 Evil pursueth sinners Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and vnrighteousness of men For he hath spoken it Rom. 2.6 That he will render to every man according to his works Ver. 9. To them who obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish to every soul that doth evil Jew or Gentile These things are implied in the petition Now then Q. What dost thou pray for in this petition A. That God would assist us by his Holy Spirit to resist and overcome all Temptations and either to keep us from being tempted to sin or from falling into sin or from living impenitently in it so that we may escape his punishments Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Catechist Need have we to pray and that continually for the Almighty Guidance and Assistance of Gods Holy Spirit in this our Spiritual warfare for we are poor weak and frail Creatures of ourselves The spirit being willing