else in vain I say this petition my faith must be founded on Gods Words and his Word is the wafter transports faith to my ear All said is true and for certain Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word preach'd it is then hearing brings beleeving and what I only hear of I am ensur'd of belief yea though I cannot set my eye on the Kingdome to come the eye of faith makes conspicuous what my bodily eye cannot discern He that hath not faith to belleve what here prayed for may pray all his life yet misse what he prayes for For my own part The Avowry while I pray with my tongue I will beleeve with my heart lest my want of beleef bereave my prayer of a blessing Secondly Grace given here in Commendum Patiences Character is Patience a meer stranger whom we have oft heard of and I Wish we were better acquainted with one deceives the time and brings a dismall day to an happy end one can make us content with what in hand till we acquire what we are to have and assures us of that hereafter which yet we never had when we rush fast on with more hast than good speed It is Patience perswades us to take time and wait the Lords leisure Behold a curious colour of a fiery spirit and the best delayer of the burning feaver of present desire When I long for what I want here is one overcomes me to wait till my want be supplyed and where as by promise I have past me heaven Patience advises to passe by the present expectance in hopes of future performance O thou qualifier of my desire who wils me not yet to look for yet still to hope for in whose repute is neither time past nor present but to come Since thou canst procure me time to stay The Avowry I am resolved to wait yea and possesse my soul with patience till it be Gods good pleasure to give me the Kingdome The sixt moity of my method wils me to give you warning what Vices are prohibited in this petition They be two Misbelied The Vices two Impatience The Parallel Misbelief all doubts Impatience all anger Misbelief which comdemns before the Assize Impatience which is provoked before cause It is Misbelief makes me misse of that I might have It is Impatience purveys for me what I would not have I lose by the one Heaven I get by the other au Enemy It is this hath made me resolve upon it The Avowry to banish both since both enemies impatience to my here-peace misbelief to my hereafter-happinesse Misbelief is of nigh alliance to incredulous Thomas Misbeliefs Character one is more sway'd by his own will than Gods Word An Heretick in judgement and since condemned to hell beleeves no Heaven A licentious libertine who lives as he list while he list not beleeve A lover of this world more than the world to come whose love so dotes on what he hath as makes him doubt of what to be * Heaven had Other limbs of the Devill offer the Kingdome of Heaven violence but this eldest son of Beliall labours utterly to deface that all glorious * Bilief that Heavenis Architecture It is misbelief abrases heaven out of mens thoughts copes mens thoughts and makes them earth in the burrow of terrene felicity as though this world were the chiefest good as though there were no heaven but on earth O how this Vice disglories God and robs him of his Crown Throne and Kingdome I am ever resolved to live at oddes with him is so great an enemy of the Kings The Avowry and to dilate my dear affection to Gods Kingdome I will ever live at deadly feude with infidelity Impatiences Character The second Vice this petition warns us to banish is Impatience one I must go talk with yet care not much for his company This is filius ante diem a base bred brat brought out before due time a hasty fellow and too forward mindes not what is prayed for must be stayed for and that bad desert must rest content with after owning This is he is more forward than wise and would have what none here living have Heaven in hand How do we wrong our Fortune when we will needs have it before our time Though I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ yet will I wait till the Lord give and the Lord take I will not unmannerly haste God till he please lest I displease God with my haft we must first work then have wages yet some would have wages ere they work yea be glorified ere have suffered as if Christ wore not a Crown of Thornes before a Crown of Glory Let me resolve upon it to abandon all impatience The Avowry and suffer till the eleventh hour since afterwards in hopes to have payed at the evening of my life a penny of glory in the Kingdome to come A Contemplation upon the second Petition Thy Kingdome Come Can I say this petition and not sigh to think how far from home An high fortune and yet but in expectation O I would not pray for that I want but that I want what I pray for It is my misery that I dwell with Meseck I should be happy could I get to Zoar O the day of my deliverance is not yet come while here I abide my day is turned into night after this transitory mometary life time my night of sorrow shall be turned into a day of everlasting joy Let me poyse my soul betwixt fear and hope and fear while that I hope yet hope in the midst of fear I will not despair for a Kingdome 's to come I will not presume since there is a cast at hazard who shall inherit How slow-footed is my soul must the Kingdome come to thee Wilt thou not go on to it Let me advance on to grace and glory will give me meeting let me not go down to Pall Lud Tubal nor yet to Javan of the Gentiles let me with the two men go up unto the Temple The Church way is the way to the Kingdome come I see I must take pains and walk on to the Church militant I shall never else be a member of the Church Triumphant O Lord let that Kingdome thy Word dwell plentifully in me then shall thy kingdome of glory be inherited by me But O my soule take some more solace in these high fortunes to be had in future Thou hast a sons portion in hand thou shalt have a Princes patrimony in reversion O let me presse on then to the prize of my high calling I am called on to be a Kings and to enjoy a Kingdome shall I trifle away time till it be past time there is but one way and it is a narrow way but one gate and it is a strait gate which leads unto this Kingdome Let me not be numbred among the foolish virgins who stayed behinde till the door was shut
Heaven There go at least two things to make up whatsoever is Matter and Form and it 's not one but two joyn together to procreate this prayer Petions Divine Humane God and man must be in conjunction that as for matter so for form a right prayer may be brought out it must bear in its front the Image of God and us And therefore he that hath made a prayer and not praised God hath produced a body without life He that praises God never praies at all for himself gives a form to a nothing Single petitions for Gods glory only or for Mans good alone are no better then Zeuxis Berries they have a being but imaginary A right prayer is produced whose form is Gods praise whose matter is mans necessity Well I am resolved while I pray for my self to remember God in my prayers and while I beg God may be honoured to crave somewhat for my self He cannot wish anothers happinesse that wils not his own welfare nor is there hopes that man shall fare well at Gods hands who forgets to give God his honour A passage The Avowry which I protest shall cause me to poise my prayers in even scales and hang them even betwixt heaven and earth The second thing worth your consideration is the Equality of these two sorts or kindes of Petitions They are three and three three concerning God three concerning man as many for God and his glory as man and his good as many for man and his good as God and his glory here are petitions as even divided as Canaan was to Israel as the Israelites had their Manna none have too much none too little each alike alike pittance God and man the like measure number while three belong to God three to man Three Extracts 1. Heaven will not be behinde incourtesie but what respect we who are but earth offer God God gives leave of requitall unto us O Humanity worthy to be admired when Gods Son proffers as much kindnesse to us mortals as we mortals tender the immortall God 2. That secondly I surrender up to the use of your remembrance is Gods readinesse to repay for parity no ofter can we ingage our selves to honour God but God is as oft in readinesse to recompense and if we come with our request for the advancement of Gods glory he will allow us to put in another for our benefit A passage I professe shall make me give God more since I may get as much 3. This license or leave for our Petitions to equalize Gods avows Christ who pen'd this prayer had one eye looking about how to help us as the other how God should be honoured The even number proclaims Christs dear love he bore as the Creator so the creature O my God and my Christ A Soliloquium let me weigh thy affections beyond desert while my desert doth merit no parallell with thy Father I now come to the third thing nemarkable in these petitions and that is their order how these petitions are set down The three which concern God first our three are set down after Ride on O Lord with thy honour The first triumphant entrance it's Gods the Trumpetters blaze this are his three first petitions his precede ours follow what shall it teach us nought doubtlesse lessons worth our learning 1. This order for priority protests Two Extracts first thing God hath a care of is his honour himself saies My honour I will not give to another He is Lucifers brother would enthronize himself in Gods honour an Haman hanging is too good for him that thinks himself worthy the Kings honour we have a sort of proud Hamans would be jetting in Ahashuerohs his cloathes of state a company of saucy beggers would be served before their Master But as a begger before he begs bids God blesse Master and Mistresse and then asks his almes so this great Master God is first to be blest or poor man who comes naked into Gods Hall should dare to aske him any thing thus if he doe he is like to fare better thus if not God will not take it for well done 2. Again this order of setting down the three Petitions which concern Gods honour first learns us a mean how to obtain a Boon for our selves It s thus first by tendring God due reverence Zebedees sons had not learnt this manner and it may be mist therefore what they would have had A forethought for our seles fixt before the thought of Gods worship It is the cause while we look at much we catch little A worldling that will thrive hath himself first in his thoughts An heavenling that will get what he doth want God is first in his minde and on his tongue end A spirituall bankrupt then breaks when he doth aim to receive all before he doth disburse ought Well I will pray my God to accept of a talent of worship or I will dare to petition him for a fee-farm of eternity his praises I will place before they will make room in his presence for those needy ones my petitions A poor man who hath noblemen to be his spokesmen to his Prince is in hopes to be heard It 's we who are poor and needy and naked our noble spokesmen who move the King of Heaven in our behalf are petitions commendatory of his Majesty after they be come in who indeed are of a very nigh alliance to our Lord. Then our heavenly Prince will be pleased to give us audience to read our petitions and subsign them O that we would weigh this well For my own part The Avowry I will not forget first to do God reverence lest my neglect cause his after deniall of my suit Fourthly my method obliges me to speak of these petitions precedency as every one of these Petitions precede one another I mean go before one another we must begin with the first hold on to the Jast and see if we can spie why thus Christ set these petitions in their places In the first petition 1. Petit. we pray for the hallowing of Gods name In brief that the name of the great God may be among us in high esteem This is it is first taken care for and first prayed for to put us in minde His name its Honour It s Extract he doth more set by then all else he hath more than his Kingdome Truth is God weighs the honour of his name above a world of wealth and therefore in the first petition Gods name and its renown is first prayed for then his Kingdome but in the second place in the second petition which is this Thy Kingdome come This is it we are commanded next to intercede for 2. Petit. that Gods Kingdome may come and that before that Petition Thy will be done The cause It s Extract because here impossible the will of God should be done till his kingdome of faithful subjects first flourish Let God here first have his Church and
of daies when I am first in my own thoughts I am the last in Gods Book Let me set my self and all my wants a while aside till God be served let his glory be my aime in prime the second place will serve all my needs In glorifying thee a glorious good redounds to me I will not clip thy coine of glory lest I go not for currant in thy kingdome of grace O that thou wouldest inlarge my heart to give thee praise lest the want of this Foreman cause the rest of the Jurore my petitions to be excepted against in the presence of thee the Judge of Heaven and Earth The second Petition THe second Petition now succeeds by name Thy Kingdome come I will God willing speak upon The Number The Nature of the words to be explained First for number here is but one word difficult to be understood two in the former one here Can we learn no lesson from Gods plaining his speech O it shewes us 1. The more we acquaint our selves with God Three Intracts more plainly he will speak to us 2. As we grow in devotion we shall grow in understanding 3. That Gods Word with modesty the more we dive into it the more knowledge God gives to hold up our heads from drowning in the gulf of false exposition I am resolved to hold out my Rosary The Avowry with the Collect. reinforce my genius to peruse the Scriptures and all to prevent misprision augment my talent and enucleate the Text. Here is only one word to be explained Kingdome This word may be taken four waies 1. For the Scripture thus Mat. 21.43 where said Auferetur a vobis regnum Dei The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you 2. For the visible Church thus Mat. 5.19 where said He that shall break one of the least of these Commandements and teach men so shall be call'd the least in the Kingdome of Heaven 3. It may be taken for the grace of God Luk. 17. where said The Kingdome of God is within you 4. For the Church triumphant Mat. 8.11 where said Many shall come from the East and the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven Now all may be here meant though in prime but one 1. And then we pray in this Petition That Gods Word and its understanding may come among us 2. That upon earth there may be a fellowship of faithfull professors visible 3. That Gods grace sent by that sayne his Spirit in that Charriot the ministery of his Word may visit our hearts 4. That these daies of misery being perioded Gods Kingdome of glory we may be seated in it In one word we pray for four things 1. That the word of God and its sound may be heard in our land 2. That we may be Gods visible Church on earth 3. For Gods grace 4. And for heaven at our ending Of this last what hopes without that precedent A circumvolution of the four fold sense Again its presumption to brag of grace and live without the Church Lastly it we aime at all we must doe a somewhat more It you purpose to be members of the Church be inspired with the Spirit hereafter have heaven let the Word of God dwell plentifully in your hearts I am resolved for my own part to make much of Gods Word The Avowry with the Collect. a mean to make me a member of the Church aequire grace and gain heaven You may be bad ground and sown with this seed A review the Word where this seed Interpretation 1. the Word for so it s call'd Luk. 8. is not sown that most fertile soils manured with Ethicks and the humane arts brings out but figtree-like cursed fruit Hence it is we pray way may be made for the Word of God and it may come ut adveniat hoc regnum that the kingdome may come So the Latine signifies which makes us sensible of Two things Extracts two 1. Our Condition 2. That in Expectation 1. Of our Condition that we are dronish in our devotion and love our ease more than our gains apparent while we pray Thy Kingdome come to us we walk not on to it 2. This in the second place makes us sensible of what in expectation That since advenit verbum the Word is come into our towns oratories ears that now prayed for is that the Word may enter into our hearts I am resolved to take notice of my backwardnesse in devotion The Avowry and all to make me more eager now this * Messenger sayne Gods Word is come to open the door of my heart and give it harbour Now this word its hieroglyphick or resemblance is a Kingdome for whilest we pray Gods Kingdome may come we mean Gods Word the word of truth And in these particulars the resemblance holds 1. For Kingdome like Resembances Gods Word is of power to correct instruct and reprove 2. It 's of force sufficient to make all outlawes inlaw themselves to Gods Law 3. Hath strength enough to meet in the field and to oppose all opposers be they Schismaticks or Hereticks Schismaticall in Discipline or Hereticall in Doctrine 4. The Nerves of a Kingdome are meat and ammunition such is the Word we live by it Deut. 8.3 it is call'd the sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 hath in it to feed at home and defend abroad 5. The best of Kingdomes Canaan had its commendation for abounding with milk and honey such is this whole land the word and therefore call'd sincere milk 1 Pet. 2.2 And therefore aver'd when the Prophet Ezekiel had put in his mouth a morsell of this earth that it was in his mouth as honey for sweetness Ezek. 3 3. I have travel'd through the land of the Philistims and the wildernesse of Sin A Supplicat But now O Lord strengthen my resolution to set up my resting place of abode in this * he means the word Taught Kingdome That here we pray for is a visible Church Interpretation 2. thy Kingdome come that is Lord let us enjoy a Church visible This interpretation I next bring in for that unmeet to be a Church untill it have received Gods good word Here we have leave to pray as against an Elias his paucity and the 7000. inforc't concealment So for liberty to continue daily in the Temple and to finde the favour to preach and hear the Gospell Act. 2.46 47. We pray then in this petition and it 's allowed for God by this second Exposition 1. That God may adde daily unto the Church Extracts two such as shall be saved 2. For the flourishing estate of the Church to the outward eye of the world Divers can endure the Queens * Church Daughter to be all glorious within but not that her Raiment should be of pure gold They cry all for sincerity within will tolerate no honourable train without Others would have the Church in worse case
than Nebuchadnezzars Image an head of clay and arms of iron Supremacy they wish not well the Clergy they make no more count of than iron metall or S. Judes trees as if our silver Chalices brought in wooden priests nay rather our rich Tithes have brought in a Sect a sort of devillish damnable Church Robbers who mean to go to heaven another way than ever their deceased ancestors those went by building Churches these by robbing the Chruch of her Tithes I wonder that these should make such a shew of holinesse when so full of sacriledge they abhorre Idols and yet c. But come what is it here we pray for in this petition while heard saying Thy Kingdome come State of the Church That is Lord let there be a visible Church upon Earth yea let the Church seem when Seen 1. Like a Kingdome not like a carrion with nothing on but skin and bone We have a company of poor Vicars and Curats in our Countrey will swear she is almost as ill like 2. Not like a solitary Cottage with nought left and as few in it Nay as a Kingdome hath a superplus of inhabitants and habitations so all good Christians ought to pray may be the state of this our Church Kingdome like the professors innumerable Kingdome like the Churches profits proportionable To what purpose patter they over this prayer whose exorbitant lives are the death of those should be subjects of this Kingdome the Church the visible Church They prate they pray not who pray for the coming of this Kingdome that is the visibility of the Church But while they have an eye on the Steeple lay unlawfull hands on the Tithes and leave not this innocent * The Church Ewe till they have shorn off her fleece and left her as sore wounded as was the poor Traveller God she may once meet The Supplicat with an honest Samaritan may shew her some compassion That here we pray for Interp. 3. is the grace of God as a visible Church so invisible grace by means of the one we are able to manage our selves maugre all mutinous mankinde and by this other to support our spirituals against that unclean spirit with seven worse than himself spoke of Mat. 12.47 Now this exposition I set here after the other for that in ordinary we must first have a subject or in hopes of an adjunct a being in the Church or the least expectance of our well being I mean of our being true sanctified members of the Church That then which according to this Exposition we pray for while we say Thy Kingdome come is that God would beslow his grace upon us A magazine of Grace a magazine full of which you have laid up in Gal. 5.24 That I infer is since by Kingdome may be meant the grace of God 1. That grace is of great force Extracts two 2. He that is inricht with it may thank God for it The first deduction my Master Christ made good when he said to Paul My grace is sufficient of thee The latter that demand determins Quid habes quod non accepisti the question putting it out of question that God is the author of every good and perfect gift And new O Lord give me of thy grace The Supplicat and I will fight it out against the greatest Goliah that cometh down to upbraid the Israel of my God By this Kingdome Interp. 4. may be meant the Kingdome in heaven or Church the Kingdome in heaven or Church triumphant and this I place after the Kingdome of Grace Quod non possumus venire ad deum per gloriam nisi ipseprimo veniat ad nos per gratiam If thus we interpret this petition this is the meaning Lord we thy Church on earth desire a fight and seat in thy Church in heaven and that we of thy Church Militant may be made members of thy Church Triumphant Cujus erit possessio sine timore usus sine fastidio refectio sine cibo In which kingdome thou maist live without fear eat without surset be fed full fat and fair need not go down to Egypts barns to buy bread nay what being an indenized Citizen in the heavenly Kingdome canst thou want Desirest thou Beauty Three Extracts fulgebunt justi sicut Sol. 2. Or agility of Body eris sicut angeli 3. Or long life ibi erit aeterna sanitas there thou shalt live for ever O my soul obtain this boon Solilequium and in getting it thou gainest all I will ever pray for Heaven The Avowry since having I cannot want what is in most repute upon earth The third part of my method warns me to forrage these words and gather up of them the points of Doctrine which grow upon them To help us do this we must make use of the division of this petition into parts naturally it dissects it self into two parts In Objectum In Actum The Object of the petition is Gods Kingdome The next in sight is the Act let is come thy Kingdome come Or Lord let thy Kingdome come The object of our supplicat is O God thy Kingdome Take it by way of superexcellency as primarily meant of Gods Kingdome in Heaven to which the Word points the Church leads and their parts to prepare us for Gods heavenly Kingdome While the Word begets the. Church brings out and Grace trains up us mortals making us fit to be made immortall inhabitants of that everlasting Kingdome Gods Kingdome the Kingdome of Heaven which is here described By its Propriety By its Immensity By its Propriety Thy. By its Immensity Kingdome A word avouches Heaven carries the Bole and Bulk of a Commonveal 1. The propriety prayes us to take notice Doct. 1 Heaven is Gods own this Pronoun * Thy. possessive pleads Gods right to it and estates him in it This earth God hath bestowed on us Heaven he hath reserved for himself and to it he hath right Ratione Creationis Gods title to Heaven Ratione Possessionis 1. By right of Creation a Deo creatur God made Heaven Gen. 1. 2. By right of possession est Dei sedes it 's Gods Seat Isa 6.1 66.1 And to shew Gods absolute power over and owning Heaven you shall read in the Revelations how the Elders in heaven reverence him And in the second of Luke how a multitude of heavenly souldiers praise him singing and all to the honour of the great God A song of 3 parts in Alto. Basso Medio 1. In Alto Heavens prisksong Glory be to God on high 2. In Basso Peace upon earth 3. In Medis Good-will towards men To let passe his souldiers love his Elders reverence his long possession and from first creating make up a good plea and intitle God to the Kingdome of Heaven He that hath made thus much The Avowry and is owner of no lesse for my own part I am resolved upon it his right of inheriting not once to
concern God and three men 34. Three Extracts ibid. The Petitions precedency or their going before one another pag. 38 The subject matter of the 6 petitions compar'd to 6. shires pag. 44 Two words to be explained pag. 46 The Sense of the petition pag. 49 The Collect of all said ibid. Two Doctrines in generall pag. 51 Doct. 1. We must be resolute for Gods honour pag. 53 Doct. 2. There 's a backwardnesse in the best of us to this duty ibid. Doct 3. Our care in Christ should be for Gods honour pag. 54 The cases of Conscience pag. 56 Three slight Gods word pag. 61 The graces two Sincerity Vigilancy pag. 66 The Contemplation The second Petition pag. 71 Kingdome taken four wayes pag. 76 Interp. 1. By Kingdome may be meant Word pag. 78 The word and kingdome alike in five things pag. 79 Interp. 2. By Kingdome may be meant the Church pag. 80 Interp. 3. By Kingdome may be meant Gods grace pag. 83 Interp. 4. By Kingdome may be meant Heaven pag. 84 The fourth Interpretation compendiously couched together pag. 86 Doct. 1. Heaven is Gods own pag. 86 Doct. 2. He that prayes for heaven prayes for no small thing pag. 88 Doct. 3. We have no heaven in hand pag. 89 1. Case of conscience whether any doubt there be such a thing as called Kingdome for heaven pag. 91 2. Case whether shall all living go to heaven pag. 92 3. Case who shall be admitted into this Kingdome of heaven pag. 95 The Contemplation The third Petition pag. 105 A twofold will of God pag. 108 Doct. 1. It comes hardly of with us to do Gods will pag. 119 Doct. 2. This life time is no priviledge time for following our own will and appetite ibid. Doct. 3. Heaven is set to the earths pattern pag. 121 Doct. 4. We have diverse School-masters pag. 122 The Contemplation The fourth Petition pag. 135 A paraphrase upon the fourth Petition pag. 140 Doct. 1. It is God can supplie all our wants pag. 147 Doct. 2. We have no right to ought till begg'd it pag. 149 Doct. 3. Our request for the world be limited otherwise will burst to be boundlesse pag. 151 Doct. 4. My state to my estate is not good till God confirme it pag. 153 Doct. 5. Our request for the world must be moderate pag. 154 1. Case of conscience How cometh it to passe that I who oft pray get so little pag. 156 2. Case How cometh it to passe that the wicked who pray not get much eartly meanes and much more then the Godly pag. 159 3. Case With what cautions may I pray for riches pag. 162 The contemplation The fift Petition pag. 174 The word Trespasse hath a double object God Man pag. 179 Doct. 1. It is God can forgive us our sins pag. 184 Doct. 2. Every sigular soul is a sinner pag. 285 Doct. 3. It s many sins of which we are conscious pag. 288 A simile taken from a Drunkard pag. 289 Doct. 4. Sin in allied in full bloud to Adams posterity pag. 190 Doct. 5. We shall be forgiven as we do forgive pag. 192 Doct. 6. God will forgive much for a little pag. 195 Doct. 7. Our Trespasses against God far exceed our neighbours Trespassing us ibid. The Contemplation The sixt Petition pag. 112 Temptation the bait pag. 215 Evill is the hook ibid. Doct. 1. In word to prayer pag. 231 Doct. 2. Loe a very wound we must have a care to keep far from pag. 232 Doct. 3. The Devill and sin our worst of enemies pag. 234 Doct. 4. Naught is more evill then the Devill and Sin pag. 236 The case of conscience after what manner doth lust intice us to sin and draw us on from serving God to become servants of sin pag. 237 The Character of Timidity pag. 254 The Character of Prespicacity pag. 255 The Parallell betwixt Presumption pag. 257 The Parallell betwixt Ignorance pag. 257 The Character of Presumption pag. 258 The Character of Ignorance pag. 259 The perpetuity of Gods Kindome Power Glory pag. 277 Read the Contemplations upon the three reasons Kingdome Power Glory pag. 280 A contemplation upon Ever the fourth part of our Lords Prayers pag. 285 The conclusion Amen Amen an Hebrew pag. 289 Two Contemplations pag. 290 Amen a native in every Nation pag. 291 The reasons why admitteds in every language ibid. A review of the three Reasons pag. 292 The Carnotensian Cannon ibid. Amens first sense pag. 293 The extract ibid. The taxation pag. 294 His supplicat ibid. Amens second sense ibid. St. Austins saying pag. 295 The ministers replication pag. 296 The hearers rejoynder pag. 297 His supplicat ibid. Amens third sense ibid. Pater noster Amen it s thereefold signification ibid. It 's taken pro juris jurandi nota pag. 298 The taxation ibid. His supplicat pag. 299 It signifies ipsam veritatem ibid. Three inferences pag. 300 The body of Moses and the name Jusus ibid. This Amen is sometime taken pro signo subseripri onis pag. 401 Three inferences ibid. A tripertite gain got by saying Amen pag. 303 The Avowry with the Collect ibid. A mans semblance pag. 304 The semblance between God and Amen pag. 305 It holds in five things ibid. Amen its three significations blush the three Persons ibid. Amens Character pag. 307 A divine fancie upon Amen pag. 311 Two twins or two meditations pag. 313 Four motives pag. 314 Meditation and what it is pag. 319 The meditation exemplified ibid. Three reasons to force on the meditation ibid. The fearfull haire pag. 320 Old Church prayer neither smels of Heresie nor Superstition pag. 322 A Contemplation upon Amen pag. 325 FINIS ERRATA PAg. 16. line 16. for of meritlesse read I mirit lesse p. 16. l. 14. s ther r. there p. 37. l. 11. f. sons r. wife p. 37. l. 12. f. this manner r. these manners p. 70 l. 6. f. whilest r. but p. 81. l. 4. f. God r. god p. 93. l. 6. f. beleevers r. misbeleevers p. 95 l. 20. f. by r. my p. 101. l. 14. f. secondly r. second p. 107. l. 20. f. and r. I p. 144. l. 26. f. a word r. p. 149. l. 19. r. of p. 161. l. 23. f. Hagar r. Agur p. 171. l. 17. f. under r. undoer p. 177. l. 12. f. Solomon r. Agur p. 195. l. 10. f. doer r. doth p. 211. l. 3. f. pursed r. perused p. 212. l. y. next 10 the word closed add to my neighbour p. 241. l. 2. p. 243. l. to put out of put must be added in the begimming of the line p. 310. l. 19. f. stomach r. stomach't
riches that riches might not be counted evill things riches are given to wicked men and then the name of good thing they are deprived and thus when the elect doth get it is no hurt when the wicked it is no good a passage may moderate our admiration considering since those their goods are no good things so cal'd not so being so esteemed not so indeed the default being in the occupiers not that in occupation which no marvell the wicked own in such abundance since their very selves have spoiled their nature and as wares of no worth as counteerfeit coin they keep them making a great shew of them but no true use of them like he that hath a bag of bad coin which serves to rattle not to run for currant Secondly know good Christian the wicked who have so much have it for a short space saith David I looked at the wicked and he flourished like a green bay tree I looked again and he was not lo in a very trice the case is altered his house desolate his children vagabonds and in the next generation his name is quite blotted our what he hath is only durante vita for his life at longest which what is it but a span for length a post for speed thus as a thing of no continuance he enjoyes his joy and his term is ended with Fonas gourd or say his means stay by him he cannot long stay by it but must be gone and depart Thou sayest the wicked hath more than thou that servest and fearest the Lord alas when one hath all his estate laid on an heap it makes a fair shew but that in shew is all In very deed the wicked hath all his portion in this life nought is behinde whereas the heir Gods childe thinks himself of better estate with a scant allowance while he doth remember what to have hereafter and thus with the purchaser he is content with a clod in hand though Tenant at will like the wicked have in occupation the whole earthly demeane O he is overgladded with it to think upon it that sod of earth ensures him of the fee-farm heaven like the bite of bread the body of Christ For my own part The Avowry I will not weigh what I have but what it is I have ensures me of nor will I judge of Gods kindnesse by earthly courtesies while Gods little ensures his largious Is this 3. Case With what cautions may I pray for riches this case speaks home not ot our possessing them but our praying for them and know it as there is a danger in their use so in our asking when we come to put up this petition our tongues are oft too glib and our hearts over intent now lest while we expect a good we get harm observe these cautions in praying for worldly riches 1. Pray for a mediocrity Three Cautions for as too little discourages so too much makes proud and puffes up Hagar was sensible of this and therefore begs neither riches nor poverty he knew extreme want was an hinderance to the practise of piety and therefore beg'd a somewhat he knew much misled and withdrew from God and therefore beg'd not abundance let me tell thee and for the truth of God he whose tongue is all in it superlatives for this world his heart harbours diminutive desires to inherit the world to come when I take leave to aske much my much endamnifies me mightily when I cry Da Domine quod vis my God tees my needs and that he gives Physicians say a grain of Opium procures sleep more danger and death so a little of these called Opes riches are beneficiall to nature whereas a superplus is dangerous oft death I am resolved to petition God for a little of wordly riches since helpfull The Avowry not for excessive riches since ensured exceeding hurtfull 2. Pray not for riches in the first place we are allowed to beg them of God but God will not they be first beg'd he would have our prayers witnesse we do not overprize these worldly riches and to testifie our desire to have to aske yet so to aske as to divulge our affections are not set on things below He that commands me first to seek the kingdome of Heaven hath schooled me to pray for this earth in the second place I may spoil my petition by misplacing and in stead of a blisse be answered with a Nescio vos he that hath given me leave to sue to him for health wealth honour counts it his dishonour that any should aske his Kingdome after them commonly what is first on my tongue end is first in my minde and it is apparent my minde is most on the world whilest my tongue imprimis petitions God for it This is the bewrayer of my unlawfull desire and that it is more than beseemìng the spoil prayer viz. to pray for goods before Gods Kingdome I am resolved upon it The Avowry to put earth after till Heaven be prayed for and to make my prayer legitimate I will first set my affections on things above then on things below 3. Pray for riches respectively Caut. 3. not simply as a help on not as an hinderance which like poyson if qualified may do good if not nought more dangerous Pray for riches to be to thee not as the broken reed of Egypt which if thou leane on runs into thy hand but as the poor pilgrims staffe which he uses when he is half tired to ease himself on and as the weak pilgrim who waxes weary desires his staffe to lean on and go with so know it we are pilgrims and strangers our home farre off our * Affections feet sore surbet we would on but unable and it is lawfull for us to call for this staffe of maintenance to ease us and further us in our heavenly pilgrimage if the world encumber we must lay the very thoughts of it by if it further we may pray for it yet as the pilgrim makes use of his staffe not for it self but as a support to set forward a safegard to defend so we must pray to God to put this rod and staffe into our hand which as Davids staffe was a comfort for defence and furtherance The Supplicat the Lord grant such to us may be our earthly riches I am resolved to sipplicate my God for riches and for no other end The Avowry than to make use of as pilgrims doe their staves yea not for the love of them but the help I have by them to go more actively on in the path of pious duties The graces which this petition commends unto us Are two The Graces 1. Confidence 2. Contentation 1. Confidence The Parallel which perswades me to beleeve my God can provide for mee 2. Contentation which makes me rest satisfied with that God gives Confidence a grace which looks upward unto God Contentation a grace which looks down at me may self Confidence a grace
grant of the fift petition to keep us from prison spoke of Mat. 5. This is the argument and with such a good nature as our good God it will work The third pair is the third Petition 3. Pair and the third Reason Lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from evill This is the third petition concerns us for thine is the glory that 's our Reason to perswade Gods subsigning How well are these matcht * Intimated in the sixt Petition fear of captivity and * Intimated in the last Reason ensured triumph shame and confusion of face and all honour and laud and praise we weaklings who stand in jeopardy and that worthy who by relieving the distrest enlarges his glory Their Embleme is the Forlorn hope The sixt Petition and the last Reasons Embleme and their down-bearing Generall come to relieve them or if you like it not The three hundred Lappers by all like-i lihood destinated to dye and Gideon their noble Captain by the help of whom they did escape and conquer The first is the Semblance of the evill likely to betide us imported in this last petition The other of our God and his renown and glory Our state we stand in is very dangerous This is the argument used tol gain Gods grant of the sixt Petition Thy renowned glory shall yet be made more glorious by our deliverance yea to thee for the deliverance of us shall be given all honour laud and glory This is the argument and with such a good nature as our good God it will work Again cast your eyes upon the three last Petitions and these three Reasons for now that I have cul'd them out by couples I mean to put them into a file of four And to make up my first file The three last Petitionsand the Reasons put into a file of four I must go place together the first of the last three Petitions and the three Reasons Then the second and the three over once more Then the third and the three the third time The first file These are of it The first is this Petition Give us this day our daily Bread The second is the first Reason For thine is the Kingdome The third is the second Reason the Power The fourth is the third Reason and Glory Their discourse 1. The Petition prayes God to supply wants bodily 2. The Reasons second the suit and avouch there is cause To give what we aske Since we are in * Poverty indigency and thou hast it for a Kingdome and canst it for of Power and gettest by it the Glory These three Reasons are the three men at Armes which cry of on our Generalissimo God to subsigne what prayed for in the Petition The effect of the discourse There is hopes of an happy issue of the suite for bodily necessaries since these are met for the good of us And it 's said When two or three be gathered together God will be in the midst of them to hear them The second file These are of it The second of the last three Petitions and these three Reasons reranged here are all our old souldiers all I say save one which is this Petition Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us Second third and fourth are the three Reasons For thine is the Kingdome For thine is the Power For thine is the Glory Their discourse The Petition prayes God to forgive us our sins and trespasses The Reasons second the suit and vow there is Reason for God to doe what we desire Since we stand need of thy forgivenesse who hast enough for a Kingdome canst forgive for of power gettest by forgiving the Glory These three Reasons are the three men at Armes which cry on our Generalissimo God to subsign what prayed for in the Petition The effect of their discouse There is hopes of an happy issue of the suit for remission of sin since these three are met for the good of us And it 's said When two or three be gathered together God will be in the midst of them to consider of their suit The third file These are of it The third of the last three Petitions and it is the last of all the Petitions The three Reasons come in as incessantly weary to make up this broken file Here 's all our old souldiers all save one which is this Lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from evill The other three are the three Reasons have been twice in action By name Kingdome Power Glory Their discourse The Petition prayes God not to lead us into Temptation but deliver us from Evill The Reasons second the suite and vows there is reason for it Let us not be delivered captive up to the world flesh or Devill Since thou hast enow to rescue for a Kingdome sull canst deliver for of Power and since the lesse thou lettest us be led into Temptation the more is thy renown and Glory These are the three men at armes which cry on our Generalissimo God to subsign what prayed for in the Petition The effect of the discourse There is hopes of an happy issue out of all our Temptations and a free deliverance from them since these three are met together for the good of us And it is said where two or three be gathered together God wil be in the midst of them to sign their Petitions The third thing to be done is to take into consideration the perpetuity of Gods Kingdome Power Glory intimated in the word Ever yea it is this Ever hath set me this task truthis Iwant eyes to look back and view the beginning or ending of any one of these * Kingdome Power Glory three And yet we are cal'd on to cast an eye back upon both their beginning and ending and to look at those three as farre as our sight is able to reach and that a Parte ante Parte post And first a parte ante fuit ab initio Pegnum Potestas Gloria Thy Kingdome Power and Glory have been from the beginning what can I compare these to and not impair their perpetuity They are of standing with the Trinity of their year before the Heavens were saith God I was and then these were thy Kingdome Power Glory We have matcht them with him owns them and they are his and with him were from all eternity Gods Kingdome is from everlasting Dan. 3. His power is of no lesse length for that named the strength of his arm And Manasses prayer proclaims his glory hath been and forever A gradation And thus he had a Kingdome or the world was laid or its foundation and power or he shewed his power in casting down from heaven the proud Luciferian fry and Glory or ever an Angell could tune his voice to sing a Gloria patri or an Hallelujah Ask the daies of old they will tell you these three are their elder brothers and as they are thus anciently descended
a parte ante so a parte post for ever to endure for long beyond all time are to last Gods Kingdome Power Glory Yea world without end Longer than all the Kingdomes upon Earth longer than Sun and Moon longer than the sons of men All these wax old as doth a garment and after these perish it 's these three which break out and bud afresh like Aarons Rod. And yet if there be ought on earth to resemble their ever being Being it is Man not man living to die but dying to live not this his corruptible life but his life everlasting We had a beginning shall never have an ending and this no end of ours is like theirs but their beginning is like to Gods who is without beginning O how long since they were how long yet to last O ever everlastingly Such a King such a Kingdome Ever everlasting Such a Lord and such his Power Ever everlasting Such a State and such his state of Glory its Glory Ever everlasting Let me not doubt to get if I goe to him who hath enough to give a Kingdome and for Ever Let me not fear forgivenesse but beg of him hath power to grant it Power for Ever Let me not be discomforted but still live in hopes of deliverance since he is my friend will rescue who stands upon his Honour and Glory and that for Ever The Divine Contemplation upon the first Reason For thine is the Kingdome Loe have I not hopes of a supply I beg a boon of the King I had not turned a suppliant but that he whom I invocate is owner of a Kingdome O God and my King give me what I beg since thou hast enough to bestow without diminishing thy store look not at me an unworthy begger but consider how much I want and how much thou haft thou canst give to none more poor I can crave of none hath more to give I pray the Father let thy wealth supply my want since all my want may easily be supplyed with thy wealth I have been the Prodigall I have spent my portion I have fed on husks I am now in a sad and sorrowfull estate O like a father whose bowels earn with compassion say to my soul Welcome my son my son I will own thee I will enrich thee thou hast spent me much I have yet much more more to give than thou canst spend there are treasures at my right hand for evermore O thou who ownest even all who art Lord Paramount of heaven and earth I commend all my needs to thy bounteous liberality thou wilt help for art mercifull thou canst help for hast and a Kingdome Dear Father since thou ownest so much make me master of a little of one poor mansion for thine is the Kingdome I have no nothing and canst thou deny me thou hast a Kingdome and wilt thou not give me O give me what I want since what I want thou hast and much more abundance be so good to me since there is enough for thee a magazine to supply my want and maintain thy train I have a strong saith to beleeve thou wilt my illuminate reason assures me thou canst now thy submiss son and servant is begging shut not up thy mercifull compassion For thine is the Kindome The Divine Contemplation upon the second Reason For thine is the Power What were it to own a Kingdome and want power to dispose of it I serve a Master hath enough and power enough he hath a Kingdome and all in it and all at his command Angels in heaven the hearts of Kings upon earth and the very Devils in hell I am now ready to sing a Gloria patri all glory honour and praise be given to him who sits upon the Throne who sits betwixt the Cherubims and clasps the heavens in his hands who dashes the heathen in pieces like a potters vessell who hath put a stand to the sea and his hook in the nosthrils of the Leviathan such a Prince is my Master and such a Master do I serve who can what he will O will what thou canst even the saving my soul in the great day of the Lord Jesus But I have many enemies the world about me the Devill beheath me the flesh within me all are combining my destruction many to one and that one a weakling lame with Jacob limping with Mephibosheth What shall I now go do shall I despair no against hope I will hope I will put my considence in the God of Israel and why for have faith to beleeve thine is the power to vanquish power to deliver power to exalt out of the dust dunghill to a crown of immortall glory O God and my King I will fight with beasts at Ephesus go out against great Goliah encounter the unclean spirit with seven worse than himself I am sure to be more than conqueror so I fight under thy Banner for thine is the power to subdue Hell death and the Devill Othou the preserver of men be thou my Lord Protector and I doe not fear the fury of all the furies of Og and Magog I aske nought without thy reach I crave nought more than thou canst give give me strength to fight thy battell ability to hold out in the day of Temptation then Lord will I not fear the Tempter since I am sure thou hast the sole power to support The Divine Contemplation upon the third Reason For thine is the Glory It 's an happy exchange when both parties fare the better canst thou give me nought but thou gettest by giving Lord supply thou my wants and take thou the honour of it I have nought to retaliate yet still I receive give me more of that I want Mercy and take what is due to thee thy Glory I am imboldned still to beg since my begging inhances the honour of thy name who will not give to gain give me what I want and the supply of my want shall be the Trumpet of thy praise It is my shame I am become so destitute of all good that I am supplyed by the Lord for it all glory be to the Lord. Thus our God casts his bread upon the waters not many daies after findes it we receive it in lumps of Mercy he findes it in a whole patch of Glory he gives what we need he receives what he stands no need of and thus he helps us poor despicable creatures and thus he heaps up a full measure of glory upon himself Ride on O Lord with thine honour be thou to us a God of compassion and inhaunce in the sight of the Heathen thy own Honour While thou doest good to man thou unmaskest thy Majesty among men Lord stretch out thy hand to do us good yea give us Grace and take thou the Glory A Divine Contemplation upon Ever I cannot see how this can be Thy Kingdome Power and Glory from all eternity I had a beginning in Time and therefore uncapable to conceivean Eternity before all Time O now that Reason
failes lea Faith support And since O my King and my Christ it is thou hast said it I am resolved never to dispute it thou hast given me an ear to hear give me an heart to beleeve the eternity of thy Kingdome Power and Glory were this within the reach of reason I stood in no need of faith since it is above my Reason Lord I beleeve help my unbelief But come with the eye of faith let me look back and take a view of what was is and to be for ever Thy Kingdome Thy Power Thy Glory Three that ever were and three that ever owned a Trinity of persons a Trinity of Majesty and that for ever For Ever this is a note above the Musicians Ela a point without the sea-mans compasse a letter more than in our Christ-crosse-row yea a word which as yet never could the heart of man fathom Give me leave to admire this heavenly language which we mean mortals cannot learn and as becometh a Christian to subscribe not like an Atheist deride this high mysterie of eternity Loe the vast distunce betwixt the Creator and the creature as in parity of nature so in Eternity of Time I am a childe but as of yesterday and to last little longer than Plintes * Generated at morn dead at night flies But thou arta God whose Dominion had no beginning hath no ending The Persian the Parthian the Roman Empire we read and finde their α their ω but when thine first begun O God there is no Historian sets it down no Arithmetician can reckon nor no Divine is able to prognosticate they are all silent swallowed up with the thought of their eternity Mans imagination can wander and in an instant take a survey in the Idea of his understanding of all that ever was from the year of our Lord to the year of the Creation there is the Hercules pillar he can go no further for all his hast there he takes up his rest non datur ultra here all his thoughts stint as the Goal not to be gone beyond but what is this world of Time to this Ever and everlasting The thoughts of man are but a span in comparison of Eternity All the Kingdoms of the world are in their swadling belt compared with the perpetuity of Gods Kingdome Power and glory they had no beginning Miraculum miraculorum they shall have no ending for in secula seculorum O my soule servest thou such a King who owns such a Kingdome such a Potentate whose Power is so expanded such a Soveraign whose Glory darkens the Sun and is more aged then the whole Creation yea whose All is everlasting cast down thy self at his sacred footstool acknowledge his greatnesse thy own meannesse what thou art as nought what he is that divine Deity from everlasting to everlasting whose Kingdome Power and Glory are for Ever Amen THis Ever must not be an everlasting subject but be ended with Amen And so I come to the conclusion The fourth part of my method the conclusion Amen Amen the fourth and last part of this prayer This is the upshot and end of it We have now got from Dan to Beersheba from the hithermost to the utmost part of this prayer All of it hath been surveyed and all the worthies in it all save this one Amen 1. Let me tell you what Countrey-man is this Amen 2. Why made a native in every nation 3. Since a stranger come from far be pleased I may be to you his interpreter and tell you what he means First this Amen if you look at him prima ab origine from his first original Amen an Hebrew he is neither Greek nor Latine but a Hebrew lad and the last begot of the line of Heber and as ancient as the tongue in which the Old Testament was writ All this prayer else is of the linage of the Grecians This one only Amen is of the line of the Hebrewes And with this * Hebrew word Amen Jew Jesus shuts up the womb of his Prayer How in a mysterie do I meet with this contemplation Two Contemplations that the Jewes towards the End may get good by Christ and praying to him And that he who mixt the two tongues in compiling this prayer compiled this his prayer for the good of Jew as Gentile latet secretum in this Hebrew word hath laid hid this secret unseen till this time Well The Avowry while I period this prayer with this Amen this last word shall put me in minde of Gods first * Jewes love yea that there is hopes of the Jewes home coming and that those that are not Gods people may come to be cal'd the people of the Lord. Again this Amen is akin to the holy Tongue and with that tongue this prayer is perioded 2. How in a mysterie am I led to contemplate Contemplat 2. my heart to the end of my prayer should be heavenly since my tongue presumes to close it up with the holy Language I am resolved by Gods good assistance The Avowry my heart shall have a sent of such as is this last word here uttered And that as the last word of this my prayer is part of the holy Tongue so such as is that tongue such shall be my Heart Holy The second thing I promis'd was to 0110 2 shew why this Amen Amen a native in every nation is made a native in every nation I mean admit into every speech all Countries and Nations using it as usually naturally as their own naturall language so that now it is naturalized through the whole Christian world It s common traffique with all forts of Languages will witnesse this Austin gives this Reason Reas I ne vilesceret nudatum that it should not being made bare by interpretation become more vile among the people And therefore all keep to one and the same word Amen ut honorem haberet velati secreti to give honour to it as to a vailed secret It may be it is thus kindely entertained into all languages to note out hereby the consent of all nations Christian in the worship of God Or else this remainder of the holy Tongue is * Spred diffusive That the prophesie of Esa 19.18 may the fulfilled That the Gentiles should speak the language of Canaan A word then to be used by Jewes A review of the three Reasons by Gentiles and since by all nations by all the natives in those nations By the Ideot by the Learned This I beleeve let the Carnotensian * It forbids any of them to say Amen because they all count thēselves learned and for that it 's said that the Idcot say Amen Canon say what it will a word whose common use declares our serving one God in common And while we all in common conclude una voce as one with one and the self same Amen It hath made me admit to prayers with me the very wicked Let the proud
he shall then have his will Hence it is for it we first pray and it coming among us for by Gods Kingdome may be meant Gods Kingdome of Grace that is his Church consisting of a multitude of beleeving Christians till the King of Heaven have a Dominion of such subjects on earth there 's no need to hope for much lesse to pray for his will may be done Before a Prince come to sway the Scepter he may command and be withstood when his kingdome is come his will shall be done Thus authority must precede command and a power over be had or the precept be obeyed An occasion made Christ will we should pray first for Gods regality That his Kingdome may come or he would a word to be spoke of it That his will should be done And thus I come to the third Petition in the Lords Prayer 3. Petit. which is this Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven this third petition precedes that fourth in which we pray for all things necessary for this life now I say this third hath prehemency of place before that fourth and it is to certifie us he that would have granted all necessaries for this life must first with Christ saying pray and praying say Father not my will but thy will be done The Petition for begging ability to do Gods will is set before the petition for getting goods A good monitour which shall make me It s Extract to get what I want to doe what God wils By these petitions placing I am informed the performance of Gods will guides on to the attainment of whatsoever needfull for the life of man This I am taught while thus learnt to pray first Thy will be done Then Give us our daily Bread And thus I come to the fourth Petition for bodily sustenance 4. Petit. which is set before our petitioning God for the remission of sins nor can I for certain determine what should be Christs meaning in placing a petition for our bodily good before the petitions for the remission of the sins of our souls yet I verily imagine to shew he would have mans naturall life first supplyed with what needfull and then set down what he should crave to get a life God gave leave on its behalf first to petition Or else it may be Christ did it to detect what man most longed for goods more than forgivenesse we have a better appetite to Bread corporall than spiritual and love Meat more than Manna It s Extract This petition then had this place signed perchance covertly to discover man is more sensible of bodily want than of those sores the sins of his soul and that he hath a greedier desire to have this worldly goods than to discharge his old debts in which cast by the default of Adam and himself Well while I cast my eye upon the situation of this petition I will not forget what I am taught when I come to suit God most runneth in our mindes these bodies of ours and the begging bodily necessaries daily Bread for bodies sustenance But come while I have seen Christ by placing this petition picture out mans own minde which runs upon the world so by that which followes Christ tels me what man more needs whilest I in stead of this one petition for the body Christ causes two petitions to be put upon his poor souls behalf The first of which two but fift by descent 5. Petit. from the preface is this Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that c. I am as yet to look at nought save this petitions precedency it 's set down before And lead us not into temptation now the precedency of this petition to that following It s Extract foreshewes it 's neither the sin which hangs on nor hanging over but what past and commit we are first to aske God forgivenesse for what first perpetrated God must first be petitioned to passe it by The placing this petition before implies it's sin past most endamnifies us more than either the marching on towards us of temptations or the now leâ—gre of evill lusts O my God The Avowry whilest I cannot forget what I now do I will call to minde what long since I have committed And now the last petition hath none to precede 6. Petit. nor is it the least for that the last placed for in this last petition we beg a double boon deliverance from future and present evill Thus what may seem by undersetting to be set light for last this last comprises in it a double boon that so it may have a like renown or else perchance it possesses this place that ever in this upshot of our devotions we should bear in minde what is the upshot of this prayer a petition for preservation now the Lord preserve us and defend us Again perchance this petition is last set down which involves a duplicated request to teach us As at the beginning so even to the end of our prayers we must be very earnest with God in our suit And now to period all these passages all and every of these petitions comprehend more matter than my tongue can utter or the eye of reason can discern when I have seen all I can I may say as did the blinde Lord that I may receive my sight Moses upon Mount Nebo saw the good land but could not from it make a full discovery of all the good things in it no more though walkt up to the Mount of Meditation and I see this fertile soile am I able to judge of all the hidden Treasure buried in the bowels of these petitions what I see I have set down and in writing that so not my own only but other catechumenists may bear it in their remembrance This Lords prayer contains 6. petitions like 6. shires in which I spie a world of rarities come let us range among them As I enter into the frontiers of the first petition these words I finde written to the honour of the great God and our Father Hallowed be thy Name such a land such a language this little prayer is Gods little Isle the first words the inhabitants have on their tongue ends are these Hallowed be thy Name Thus they are learnt at first to speak and say Hallowed be thy Name a pretty speech as concise as the Laconians as significant as Caesars three words Here is magnum in parvo much prayed for in few words we pray to God for God sinfull man that Holinesse it self may be hallowed a petition whose subject matter my methodobliges me to unfold and to shew unto you what is meant by this said Hallowed be thy Name In speaking upon the subject matter of these six petitions this method through one through all I mean to observe 1. Explain the words 2. Give you the full meaning of every petition 3. Collect some naturall observations 4. Extract out some Cases of Conscience 5. Shew what grace waits