art in heauen that is to say in a place deuoyde of labour and trouble We do not cal vpon the dead saintes or vppon such as are not able to helpe themselues when they stand in néed Wee runne not vnto those which either for their care and office in the common wealth or for their age are called fathers We make not our petition to Iupiter to Neptune to Mars or to other vaine gods which Sathan the enimie of thy diuine maiestie hath set vp in the worlde whome once almoste to name is great wickednes being false gods opposed agaynst the greatnesse of thy goodnesse and wisdom Some thinke their riches in their chest or bestowed vpon possessions to bee their father which are subiect to a thousand chances perils Some think their power and might which standeth on the loue and fauour of their subiects to be their father then the which thing nothing is more instable Other some thinke the grace and fauor of the prince being a man and by nature mortall in power weake and in will mutable to bee their father Thus euerie one maketh that vanitie wherein he foolishlie trusteth to be his father But we vppon whome through thy rich liberalitie thou hast vouchedsafe the dignitie of sonnes lifting vppe our eies vnto heauen doo call thee our Father and doo beg and craue of thee which arte in heauen whose presence notwithstanding dooth fulfill the whole world But the seat of thy kingdome for the excellencie of the place is saide to bee fixed and sette in heauen This heauen for the forme and beautie thereof and also for the appointed order which keepeth continually a certaine course dooth shewe foorth the highnesse of thine essence the greatnes of thy power and the immortalitie of thy nature O miserable men which hauing gotten so great a Father doo runne as yet to other Fathers of whom they may bee ashamed and from whom we receiue nothing but infirmitie euill and miserie But from thée the true father commeth power goodnesse and felicitie I am able sayth thy Apostle to doe all things through the helpe of Christe which strengtheneth me And in another place complaning of his weaknes thou spakest to him from heauen saieng My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weakenesse Thou art in heauen for vs that wee may know there to find thee our Father and that there a refuge is prepared for vs of the which we can not be disappoynted neither by deceipt nor by the force of enimyes All thinges are there secure safe because thou art there Thou art a moste mightie king and omnipotent God And yet to manie héere on earth thou art neither a king nor a God For euerie one maketh a king and a god to himselfe after his owne fantasie O Father which art in heuen the maker of all things and moste mightie Lorde hear vs we beséech thee which are héere troubled and turmoiled in earth which are trauellers and pilgrimes therein not onelie for a time but for the most part for a small moment of time Our Father is in heauen therefore our inheritance and happinesse is there why then doo wee seeke it on earth where there is nothing to be found but the naturall fruits of the earth as sickenesses cares troubles sorrowes greefes and vexations Make vs O Lorde to séeke thée in the heauens of sempiternall rest where thou hast prepared for vs all blessedfulnes Lift vp our hearts O heauenlie Father wee beséech thee vnto those heauens and inflame our mindes with the loue and desire of those good thinges which thou hast there prepared for vs the greatnes excellencie where of surmounteth the vnderstanding capacitie of man For the which blessed bee thy name for euermore Amen 1 Hallowed be thy Name THat is the true proper name belonging to euerie thing by which name the vertue and inclination of the same thing is declared but who shall giue vnto thee O Lord a conuenient and proper name the greatnes of whose essence neither the mindes of men nor of angels is able to comprehende Yet wee vnderstande that to be thy name by which wee may best comprehende thee As when in thy worde thou art called Schaddai that is to saie All sufficient Iehouah that is to saie Of thy selfe euerlasting Thou art also called immortall the king the Lorde and the maker of all things Thou art called most righteous moste wise and the most mercifull Sauiour And therefore wee saie with the Prophet in the Psalme O God according vnto thy name so is thy praise vnto the worldes end Hallowed bee this thy name in vs O Father that wee maye thinke nothinge more sacred more holie and blessed than the same that we may worship thée and submit our selues onelie to thy name Sende downe wee beséech thee into our hearts thy heauenlie light of true knoledge that we may call vppon thee alone that wee may looke to be holpen by thy helpe and aid alone and that wee put not our trust in other momentanie temporall transitorie and deceyueable helpes but that we may haue our whole confidence onlie in thee which alone canst and wilt and art wont to helpe Glorifie thy name O Father in vs by the Gospell of thy sonne Christ and by the same also finishe the woorke which thou hast begun in vs that we may perseuere in the way of godlinesse to the ende of our life that so abiding in thy name wee may also bee sanctified by thée Sanctifie thy name so in vs O heauenly Father that we may be able to teach others not onelie in worde but also in example of godlie life that thy holie name bee not euill spoken of among the gentils who séeing our corrupte life maie take occasion thereby to condemne thy holy gospel because we which are the professors thereof are not hallowed in our conuersation But make our light so shine before men that they seeing our good works may glorifie thee our heauenlie Father And to the ende thy name may be magnified thoroughout the whole worlde make O Lord all those whom thou hast chosen partakers with vs of this felicitie Spread forth the bright beames of thy light vpon mankind illumine their mindes inflame their affections that all as it is méet and right may sanctifie thy name not in profession onely but also in the true loue of godlinesse For then shall thy name bee hallowed when thy sonne Iesus Christ our onelie Sauiour which is thy glorie is thus knowne To whome with thée and the holie ghost be all honour and glorie world without end Amen 2 Thy kingdome come RAigne thou O lord in vs rule and gouerne vs wee beséech thee for our subiection to thee is a moste happie fréedome By the fall of our first parents wee are made thrall to sinne death and the deuill the power of whose kingdome wee doo too often féele in vs. But thou hast ordained and appoynted thy beloued Sonne to treade down the
of the worlde O holie ghost the sweet comforter O the diuine essence thrée persons and one God haue mercie vpon me most vile caitife and miserable sinner I haue offended both against heauen earth more than my toong can expresse Whither then may I go or whither should I flie To heauen I may be ashamed to lift vp mine eies and in earth I finde no place of refuge or succour To thée therfore O Lord do I come to thée doo I humble my selfe saieng O Lord my God my sinnes be great but yet haue mercy vpon me for thy great mercie The great mysterie that God became man was not wrought for little or few offences Thou diddest not giue thy sonne O heauenlie Father vnto death for small sinnes onelie but for all the greatest sinnes of the world so that the sinner returne to thee with his whole heart as by grace first receyued from thée I doo héer at this present Wherefore haue mercie vpon me O God whose propertie is alwaies to haue mercy haue mercie vppon mee O Lorde for thy great mercie I craue nothing O Lord for my owne merits but for thy names sake that it may be hallowed thereby and for thy déere son Iesu Christes sake And therfore I continue forth my crie vnto thee from the bottom of my heart saieng Our father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name c. Our Father TO none doth this name Father more truelie belong then vnto thée O God our father For both they which haue begotten vs fostered vs do bring vs vp and also our spirituall pastors which do instruct vs are called fathers But thou O Lord art the father of all creatures which are vpon the earth whome thou hast made of somewhat as thou madest man but of nothing which none else coulde do These thou dooest féede and preserue which else shoulde returne to their nothing againe These thou dooest gouerne teach and stirre vp to do their seuerall and proper offices Thou hast made all things therefore thou art the father of all but more speciallie man whom thou hast formed after thine owne similitude and image Thou dooest rule and gouerne all thinges as thy seruants but man as thy sonne To other liuing creatures thou hast giuen out of thy plentifull storehouse good giftes but vppon man thou hast powred them forth with full hande and hast adorned him with a liuing soule of all giftes one of greatest excellencie Thou doost driue forward al other creatuers as it were with a certain secret spurre but thou gently teachest and instructest vs. Other creatures thou dooest violentlie draw but vs thou doost fatherly teach and direct In al these fatherlie properties we wonder at thy power and adore and worship thy wisedome But amongst al thy fatherly mercies there is one which with great delectation wee consider as more profitable for vs namely our adoption by which thou hast made vs thy sonnes thorough Iesus Christ the sonne of the omnipotent essence and diuine nature Wonderfull is this goodnes of Christ and most swéet is his loue toward vs who wil not haue vs to be terrified with seruile feare and therefore hath not taught vs to cal thee his father Our lord which is a name of power but Our father which is a name of loue He concealeth thy greatnes and setteth forth thy goodnes the sooner to allure vs. What man considering rightlie his vile nature and corrupt will dare cal thee father except thou command him What vngratious and inferiour seruaunt will presume to call his king father except he be beside himselfe But how much greater difference is there betweene thée and vs then betweene a mortal king and a seruant which do not differ in condition of nature but onely in state of fortune We compared with thee in nature are most far different Thou art the essence and the incompresensible fulnes of all things which art all in all and wee are vtterlie nothing And in condition of worthinesse and excellencie wee being with thée compared are vnhappie and most miserable bondslaues of sin and the diuell which is the most vile and execrable state but thou art the most blessed lord of al. We are ignorance and darknesse but thou art wisedome and light Thy excellencie is infinit our shame and reproch more than can be expressed mans mind is not able to comprehend the difference betwéene thée and vs. But thy onlie sonne hath giuen vs boldnes to call thee Our father that we by adoption might be made partakers of that excellent dignitie to be called sonnes through his fauour and grace which he alone in right of his diuine nature possesseth Nowe howe more néerelie and trulie art thou the father of all those that are baptised in thy name and that are purged and clensed by the bloud of thy sonne Christ to whome beeing reconciled with thee and receiued into thy fauour thou hast giuen the earnest of Euerlasting blisse the loue of thee and an assured faith and confidence in thee and thereby perfect peace and rest of conscience Oh howe often do we féele to our great comfort thy fatherlie goodnesse Thou dooest giue vs light in darkenesse thou holdest vs vp when we stumble and are readie to fall thou turnest from vs manie wicked euils which hang ouer our heades and changest them into good and in all goodnes thou doost establish and preserue vs. What dooe our fathers helpe vs which are onelie fathers in name by whom wee haue nothing but that which hirelings and seruants haue that is to say the necessaries of this present life But this is the true fatherhood wherof we may rightlie reioyce by which we haue an euerlasting inheritance Oh woonderfull clemencie of thy son Christ which vouchsafed on vs the dignitie of his proper inheritance What wilt thou not giue O father vnto thy sons now which thou shalt thinke profitable for them We haue attained the greatest gifte that thou shouldest bee called and be indéed our father how then can we misse and bee destitute of thy fatherlie affection and liberalitie towardes vs And forasmuch as wee all which truelie are called Christians are knit togither in one knot of loue and are therfore members of one bodie and so one thing therefore that which wee aske for our selues wee craue of thee O Father for our brethren also And for this cause wee call thee iointlie togither Our father Beséeching thée that as thou vouchestsafe to be called of vs Our father so thou wilt make vs thy obedient children that not with mouth alone but with heart and mind wee may truelie feare thée serue thee loue thee and call thee our father to the honour and glorie of thy holie name Amen Which art in heauen THou art alone O Lord and we are not That being which we haue is heere in Earth that is to saie in the middest of manie tempestes and floudes of all manner of calamities wherewith we are continuallie turmoiled But thou both art and also
serpents head that thou alone in vs mightest haue the preheminence and that we might bee made partakers of the blessed inheritance of thy heauenlie kingdome Of this kingdome thou haste long since spoken by the mouthes of thy holie Prophets As that thou hast set thy king vppon Sion thy holie Mountaine and that thy throne O God is for euer and euer and the Scepter of thy kingdome a Scepter of righteousnesse To this kingdome of thy welbeloued son thou hast translated vs from the kingdome of darkenesse setting vs frée from the penaltie of sin and deliuering vs into the glorious libertie of thy sonnes Who then shall be able to laie anie thing to our charge It is thou O god which doost iustifie who shall then condemne It is Christ thy sonne and our king and Sauiour that died for vs nay rather which is risen againe and sitteth at thy right hande making intercession continuallie to thee for vs to bring vs vnto that heauenlie kingdome By this kingdome thou hast giuen vs euen in this life peace of conscience righteousnesse and reioicing in the holie ghost Encrease this ioy in vs O Lorde that our whole delight may bee to serue thée in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of our life Keepe vs O Lord from the poyson of false doctrine idolatrie superstition and incredulitie by which sathan vpholdeth his tyrannicall kingdome Mortifie and subdue in vs all carnall desires and lusts by thy holie spirite and by the same abandon out of our mindes vncleane thoughts breake the snares of sinne that the whole kingdome of the deuill may be destroied in vs. Renue thy kingdome in vs O heauenly Father we humblie beséech thee by giuing vnto vs the true knowledge of thée and thereby a liuelie faith in thy sonne Christ and regenerate vs by his holie spirit and word that by the obedience of faith wee maie wholelie be subiect vnto thée alone Make vs O Lorde to despise the glorie pompe and plesures of this worldly kingdome which sathan promiseth to the worshippers of him that we may still desire from our hearts euen as the Hart desireth the water Brookes the fruition of thy heauenlie kingdome The glorie and pleasures whereof are eternall and most delectable But the pleasures of this life momentanie and vaine and yet mixed with manifolde myseries Heere wee are vexed with tyrannies of beastes and of men The earth the water and fire as wearie of vs continuallie warreth agaynst vs. Those good creatures which thou hast giuen vs manie times through our sinnes are hurtfull and noysome vnto vs yea we are disquieted with our own bodies and with our own affections As menne therefore wearie of this wretched worldlie kingdome and desiring to be dissolued from the burthen of the flesh we heartilie praie thee that thy celestiall kingdome may come for our deliuerance where there is no hunger no nakednes no labour no infirmiite no sickenesse no infamie no hatred no enimie no dissimulation no warre no sorrow no moorning no feare no death All thinges are there ioyfull and full of blisse saluation and peace are euerie where and whatsoeuer happines may be wished for in such wise as neither the eie hath séene nor the eare hath heard nor at anie time hath entred into the heart of man Let this thy kingdome come O heauenly father we humblie pray thée For all the afflictions of this life are not so grieuous vnto vs as the ioy of this kingdome delights vs. Therefore with sighes and groues wee desire that this thy kingdom may come vppon vs as the reward of our conflict as the garlande and crowne of our course as the happie hauen of rest after our tossing on the surging Seas of this world which thou shalt giue vs for the merits of thy déere sonne Iesus Christ to whom with thée and the holie Ghost be all honor praise and glory world with out end Amen 3 Thy will be doone OUr knowledge our vnderstanding and our wil by naturall corruption O Lord is blind dul and rebellious against thy holie will insomuch that the naturall man vnderstandeth not heauenlie thinges nor desireth the participation of thy euerlasting kingdome but is an enimie vnto the same Therefore thy sentence remaineth true at what time thou saiedst Man is but flesh and all the imaginations of mans heart are euill For this cause we pray as thy beloued sonne hath taught vs héere that not ours but Thy will be doone Thy will is iust holie good and full of sauing health euen as thou art the bottomlesse well of all goodnesse and righteousnesse it selfe And as thou art our louing and most mercifull Father so there is no cause whie we shoulde doubt of thy good will which surmounteth the louing kindnesse of all earthlie fathers Thy will O god is omnipotent and euerlasting without shadowe of change thou wilt doo whatsoeuer séemeth good vnto thee and thy will shall stande for euer and euer and the thoughts of thy hart throughout alages Giue vs grace louing Father wee beseech thée that as we are ignorant of this thy secret will so we may alwayes humblie like obedient children submit our selues vnto the same to bee ordered thereby as shall séeme best to thy diuine wisedome But at this time O Lord especiallie wee pray for the execution of thy reuealed will which thy onely begotten son our sauiour hath manifested vnto vs in his most holy gospell and which at this day is reuealed vnto vs by the preaching of the same that wee might bee saued through Iesus Christ in whom thou hast chosen vs from euerlasting that wee might bee heires of his kingdome For this is thy wil saith our sauior christ that euerie one which beléeueth in the son should haue eternall life Giue vs fayth therefore O heauenlie Father wee beseech theee that this thy will may bee perfected and accomplished in vs that wee may tend vnto that end whereunto thou hast appointed vs That wee may beléeue in thee feare thee and loue thee for thy so great and fatherlie mercyes in Iesus Christ our Sauiour powred vpon vs. Let this thy most holie and holsome will be fulfilled in vs that being iustified through the merits of thy beloued sonne and thorough faith in him we may bee ioyned with thée Furthermore thy will is O god that they which are redéemed by thy sonne and doo stedfastlie beleeue in him should shew themselues obedient thankefull and readie to walke in his commaundements and that wee beeing wholie consecrated vnto him shoulde giue our selues to innocencie and puritie should not anie more defile our bodies with the filthines of sins which hee hath made the temples of the holie ghost For this is thy will O God euen our holinesse that wee should abstaine from fornication that euery one of vs should kéepe our vessell in sanctification and honour and not to walke in the lust of concupiscence as do the heathen which know not thee And as thou O father wouldest haue vs