irrecoverably lost and are delivered into chains of darkness reserved for the judgment of the great day Man received Laws both moral and positive by which he was bound to perform perfect and perpetual obedience or else to suffer death yet man being tempted by the Devil fell and by one man sin entered into the world and by sin death and death passed over all men in that all men have sinned This was the just judgment of God who cursed the Serpent and the Devil punished man and woman yet promised them a Saviour the seed of the woman who should break the Serpents head and take away his kingdom and power over mankind This was the judgment of the supream Lord whereby many of the Angels continuing obedientin the day of their great trial were confirmed in an estate of holiness and bliss the apostate wretches were condemned to eternal death and so fell as never to rise again yet man had hope of recovery because God by his infinite mercy was willing to prevent his eternal ruine I believe that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life This Son who is our Redeemer is that word whereby all things in Heaven and Earth even the Principalities Powers Thrones and Dominions of Heaven were created who is the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person This word issued out of Eternity and in fulness of time was made flesh dwelt amongst men who saw his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Son of God full of Grace Truth So that he is truly God and truly Man in whom conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary we have One Person Two Natures eternally distinct and inseparably united He was conceived at Nazareth bornat Bethlehem saved in Egypt from bloody Herod and brought up in the place of his conception and his very birth was matter of joy and melody to the Angels of Heaven This Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ promised of old the seed of the Woman of Abraham of David according to the flesh and was anointed with the Holy Ghost above his fellows and was made King Priest and Prophet above all other Kings Priests and Prophets that he might govern us by his Power direct and teach us by his Wisdom and sanctifie us for ever by his own Sacrifice first offered for sinful men and then pleaded in Heaven 〈…〉 s all penitent Believers I believe that Jesus Christ the Word made flesh did humble himself very low took upon him the form of a servant and became obedient unto death the death of the Cross and both in life and death did manifest his Divine excellency and glorifie his heavenly Father In the day of his humiliation he did hunger thirst fast pray weep and took upon him the infirmities of man yet without sin and was mortal His conversation was holy and spotless and was so ordered that both in life and death he was a Mirrour of all heavenly Virtues His Doctrine whereby he revealed the Mysteries of Heavens Kingdom was pure and full of profoundest Wisdom and of sovereign power to save mens souls and his words such as never man spake and were confirm'd by signs and wonders and glorious miracles by which he declared himself to be the Son of the living God He by himself his Apostles and other assistants whom he had chosen and qualified for this work began to gather Disciples and lay the foundation of his everlasting Kingdom yet notwithstanding these so many Divine excellencies he suffers many indignities from his unworthy and ungrateful Brethren whom he loved above all other People in the world though he was a Son yet he learned obedience by the things he suffered For many did not believe in him many were offended with him The ambitious covetous corrupt hypocritical High-Priests Rulers Scribes Pharisees Sadduces being discovered unto the people and by him reproved for their sins and deserted by many of the people did envy him hate him persecute him revile him blaspheme him and designed his death which they often and many ways attempted and in the end prevailed In the last night of his mortal life on earth after the eating of the Passover the institution of the Sacrament of his blessed body and blood his consolatory speech unto his Disciples his heavenly prayer he enters into the fatal place and garden where his greatest sufferings began Then upon his serious consideration and lively apprehension of the bitter Cup he was to drink and the fearful passion and tempattion now at hand he falls into a grievous and extreme Agony wherein with earnest prayers tears and loud cries he desires his heavenly Father to spare him and to let the Cup pass from him yet so that he wholly resigns himself unto his will He desires his Disciples especially three of them to watch with him and to pray for an hour yet they fail him he falls upon the ground deprecates the Cup three several times sweats drops as it were of bloud and at length an Angel was sent from heaven to comfort the Lords of Angels so deeply was he humbled so greatly was he afflicted so much was he difcomforted while he prepares himself to encounter the powers of Hell and expiate the sin of man This woful fit was no sooner passed over but he is betrayed into the hands of sinners apprehended bound brought before the Council accused condemned as a plasphemer worthy of death and so the judg of Men and Angels was judged he is hoodwink't buffeted blasphemed spit upon and most fearfully aboused and being formerly betrayed by s and now with cursing swearing and forswearing denyed by S. Peter and forsaken of all his Disciples As for this he is brought before Pilate falsly charged with heinous crimes yet justified as having done nothing worthy of death The Judge is afraid to condem him willing to release him scourgeth him and at the importuniy of his bloudy enemies he at length condems him to the cruel cursed ignominious death of the Cross and delivers him to the Souldiers who deride him abuse him torment him and lead him to the place of execution There he is stripped crucified endures open shame cruel pains revilings bitter taunts from the High-Priests the People the Malefactors crucified with him and the Souldiers yet he reviles not again nor threatens but in respect of wrong received he is silent and dumb as the sheep before the shearer prays for his enemies provides for his disconsolate Mother comforts such as do bewail him and foretells their future misery In the height of his passion he cries out such was the extremity My God my God why hast thou forsaken me commends his Spirit into his Fathers hands and so dies This suffering and death was such as never any before it never any after it like unto it So much was signified at that time when the Heavens were darkned
was worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing And as he was only worthy so God his Father alone was able to give so great power for it was given which implies that Christ as man had it not of himself it was not an original and primitive but a delegate and derivative power 2. He was no usurper he did not glorifie himself he had a fair and clear title by donation from the universal supream and eternal Soveraign who might justly dispose of it as he pleased he was decreed to this place from of old designed to it from his Birth and Conception and began to act in it after his Baptism But upon his resurrection he was declared more solemnly to be King and Priest The words of the decree and patent were these Psal. 2. 7 8. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee for then God set him his King upon his holy hill of Zion gave him the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession And as by these words he was made King so by the same he was made Priest for so we read Heb. 5. 5. He glorified not himself nor took upon him to be high Priest but he was made such by him who said Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee This day is the day of resurrection and for God to beget him that day was not only to raise him from the dead but to create him universal King and Priest When he was ascended into heaven he was set at the right hand of God took more full possession of his Kingdom and by oath was confirmed an eternal Priest and from that time began to exercise his universal power to command the Angels and to rule over men Sect. 3. The end wby Christ signified unto them the receiving of this power was 1. To let them know that now in part he had received his glorious reward for his deep humiliation and great service performed upon the Cross and the time of his full glorification was at hand and that suffering was the way to glory 2. That he had full power to grant them a large commission and therefore as his Father sent him so he sends them and as he could so he would make good whatsoever they did according to this patent for upon this universal power received by Christ depends the ministry of the Gospel and the efficacy of Word and Sacraments which must continue unto the worlds end and by vertue thereof the Apostles and their successours shut and open the gates of heaven and what they bind or loose on earth is ratified in heaven and this is the great comfort to the universal Church and especially to the Ministers thereof that the blessed Lord and Saviour who hath made so many and great promises is enabled by this great power to make them all good Chap. 2. Ver. 19. Of Christs mandate Sect. 1. NOw follows the second commission granted by Christ unto his Apostles wherein we have the institution of the Ministry for the dispensation of Word and Sacraments tending to the conversion edification and eternal salvation of sinful man and in the text with the words following three things are observable 1. The party granting the commission 2. The parties to whom it s granted 3. The parts of it 1. The party granting it is Christ as risen from the dead having received all power in heaven and earth and ready to ascend into heaven that he might send down the Holy Ghost to enable the persons commissioned more fully to discharge their trust 2. The parties to whom it was granted were first the Apostles and in them all Ministers lawfully called to succeed them in the dispensation of the Word and Sacraments 3. The parts of the commission are two 1. A mandate 2. A promise 1. The mandate we have in these words Go teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you This mandate in respect of the matter hath four parts 1. They must go to all Nations 2. They must preach and disciple them 3. They must baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost 4. They must teach them to observe all the commandments of Christ. The promise also for the matter is twofold for Christ engageth himself unto them for 1. His presence and assistance I will be with you 2. The continuance of his presence and assistance for he will be with you to the worlds end The mandate did give them power and bound them to exercise it The promise did encourage to go on with the work and gave them hope of success The mandate bound them to Christ the promise bound Christ to them The words of the mandate and promise may be reduced to three propositions or divine axioms The 1. Christ grants a commission to the Apostles 2. In this commission â—se commands them to go disciple baptize teach all Nations 3. He promiseth certainly to be with them always unto the worlds end The 1. Christ grants a commission to the Apostles is to be handled briefly to make way for the enisung discourse A commission issuing out from some eminent power hath two effects for it 1. Gives authority and power to the party commissioned 2. Binds to exercise that power according to the instructions given This Authority and the obligation usually follow upon a Mandate for when God or higher powers command any under their power to do any thing expressed in the mandate then the party commanded hath not only power but is bound to do it when Christ therefore as universal Lord and Soveraign had signified his will and pleasure unto the Apostles and expressed what their work was this signification was not only a sufficient warrant for the dispensation of Word and Sacraments in the administration of his heavenly Kingdom but also bound to the performance of their duty And now if they do any thing specified in the mandate it must needs he valid according to the Constitution of the universal Empire and they must be indemnified as no ways guilty of presumptuous usurpation or intrusion into their Office And if they be diligent and faithful in their place and perform their duty they may make a good account and expect a reward By vertue of this mandate the Apostles received an extraordinary and all Ministers duly qualified elected approved an ordinary power And it s a great comfort and content unto a Minister when he can truly say and his conscience testifie it I did not go before I was sent and the word of the Lord came to me before I did presume to declare it to others I did not assume power before it was given me neither have I done any thing for which I have not my Masters command As Christ gave so the Apostles received this commission yet
the Earth did quake the Rocks did rend the Graves were opened the Veil of the Temple was rent in the midst from the top to the bottom to signifie that the great High-Priest having offered himself by the eternal Spirit without spot was entring with his own Blood into the Holy Place of Heaven to obtain eternal Redemption and the expiation of mans sin for ever The very frame of Heaven and Earth seem'd to be shaken in the time of this great suffering men were astonished women wept many beat their breasts the Centurion who had the charge of this execution was convinced that the party executed was the Son of God Our blessed Saviour suffered this death with unparallell'd patience meekness he laid down his life willingly in obedience to his heavenly Father and out of love and a longing desire of sinful mans salvation No man could take it from him till the hour was come and he was willing to part with it because he as a Priest and general head and representative of mankind offered his life unto his heavenly Father as supreme Judge as a ransom for sinful man therefore his death was the greatest Sacrifice and the highest piece of service and obedience that ever was performed and was so highly accepted of God that it made him propitious satisfied his Justice merited his favour to sinful man made his sin pardonable and his salvation possible upon fairest terms whil'st he was by his own blood entring the sacrary of heaven his side is pierced and out of the same issue water and blood His body is taken from the Cross decently interred in a new Sepulchre where never any man was laid before his soul abides for a time separate and under the power of death and his humiliation did continue till the Resurrection and by his burial he hallows the grave to all believers By this Humiliation thus finished the foundation of our eternal salvation is laid and a way prepared and opened for a passage into heavens Kingdom I believe that Jesus Christ who was thus humbled who suffered cruel pains and was delivered to death for our transgressions was raised for our justification and so to communicate the mercies merited by his death converts us and procures the actuall remission of all the sins of such as repent and believe in him and by his life saves such as he had reconciled by his death He that did rise was the very same who died upon the Cross and the same body and soul which were separated by Death were united again by Resurrection as man he was raised as God he raised himself he rose never to die again but to live for evermore The time was the third day according to the predictions and prefigurations of old and the decree of God's eternal wisdom God did not suffer his Holy One to see corruption The manner of this Resurrection was glorious God then shook the Earth sent from Heaven an Angel appearing in great glory who terrified the Guard rouls away the stone which closed up the Sepulchre and made way for Christs Disciples to come freely and see that he was not there The Graves were opened divers of the Saints raised and appear'd in the holy City Death was conquered and divers of his Captives rescued out of his hands This his Resurrection was made manifest by testimony of Angels and of divers others who saw him spake with him and were assured of it he appears unto many and that many times and especially to the eleven Apostles who saw him heard him did eat and drink with him touched him with their hands To these he unfolds the Mysteries of his Kingdom gives them commission to go into all Nations and commands them to stay at Jerusalem till they received the Holy Ghost according to the promise of his Father God by thus raising him did manifest that he had accepted his Sufferings and Death as a full propitiation of the sins of men and by saying Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee made him universal King and Priest fully consecrated for ever He rose as head and representative of mankind especially of his Church and became not only the pattern but the first fruits and cause of our Resurrection so that as in Adam dying all died so in Him rising we shall all be made alive first to newness of life then to eternal glory The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead shall raise us from the death of sin unto newness of life and raise our bodies to immortality forty days he stays on Earth to comfort his Disciples strengthen their Faith make evident his Resurrection and give orders for the administration of his future Kingdom then he ascends from Mount Olivet in a Cloud up into the Heaven of Heavens Men and Angels being witnesses according to a former Vision that one like the Son of man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came unto the ancient of days and that the Angels brought him peace before him He ascended that he might fulfill all things send down the Holy Ghost enjoy full joy in his Fathers presence and pleasures at his right hand for ever make intercession for his Saints prepare eternal blessed mansions for them raise up their thoughts and affections to that heavenly estate he had merited and prepared for them that where he is our hearts might be also and that he might receive a place at his Fathers right hand so it was prophesied of old that when the Son of man was brought before the ancient of days there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People and Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroy'd For his Father said unto him Sit at my right hand till I make thy foes thy footstool and gave him a name above all names and set him far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come He was solemnly invested with a supreme universal power above all men and Angels established in his Kingdom confirmed by Oath in his everlasting Priesthood sent down the holy Ghost the Gospel the rod of his power went out of Zion he reigned in the midst of his enemies and many thousands did willingly submit unto him and his people for number were like drops of dew which fall from the womb of the morning When all things are fulfilled all enemies subdued the number of his Saints finished he will come from Heaven to determine of the final estate of men and Angels and judg both quick and dead And then he will deliver up his Kingdom to the Father that God may be all in all I believe that the Holy Ghost which is One God with the Father and the Son and is the Spirit of the Father and the Son by whom all things in Heaven and
our Saviour Jesus Christ and do his Commandments and never suffer our Baptism to be brought as a witness against us in the great day of our final Trial and Account 2. Let us consider the nature and qualities of these Commandments for there are no penal Statutes imposed by an arbitrary Power intending to oppress us and undo us There is no injustice can be charged upon them they are no ways defective but perfect every way in respect of the end for which they were given they are holy just and good Laws of Equity Wisdom and given out of dearest love directing us to Heaven and everlasting happiness and in keeping them there is great content Nothing is so grievous to Gods Saints as to transgress them and to keep them is the joy and delight of their hearts 3. The reward which Christ doth promise is excellent and far greater than man could expect or hope for rich prizes high preferments glorious rewards work strangely upon the hearts of mortal men and cause them to venture life and limb and many times Soul and all yet if any man could gain the Kingdom of the World and all the Glory thereof yet this is nothing to the reward of this obedience the least work of obedience shall be rewarded a cup of cold water shall not be forgotten and this reward is certain most certain as depending upon the promise of an Almighty Lord who can do what he will and will do what he hath promised and the time will not be long before it shall be rendred and received For he that shall come will come and will not tarry and it shall be eternal and eternally enjoyed and let all those who are obedient rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is their reward in Heaven 4. Yet if reward should not move us so much yet love should even constrain us and we should have no power to resist it Christ loved us and gave himself for us and greater love greater gifts there cannot be Therefore let us consider whose commandments these are which we must observe Are they not the commands of Christ our dearest Saviour who hath redeemed us with his precious blood is the propitiation for our sins and pleads his blood for us in Heaven and shall he love us so much and shall not we love him again O let us love him love him so much as nothing more and if we love him we will keep his Commandments and the more we love him the more obedient we shall be to the laying down of our liveâ— Though we love him much yet he loveâ— us more and though we should perform the obedience of Angels yet we canno◠〈◊〉 him seeing therefore that we ha 〈…〉 so solemnly engaged our selves by our Baptism to this obedience the Laws are so just and tending effectually to our eternal good the reward which God hath promised is so glorious and it is our Saviour who loved us so much who commands us therefore let us be obedient in all things to the end and let this be our great business Sect. 4. The second part of the Proposition is concerning the Ministers duty which is to teach the persons baptized to do whatsoever Christ hath commanded them In this we must consider 1. The persons teaching 2. The persons to be taught 3. The act and work of teaching 4. The matter to be taught or the heads of the Doctrine First The persons teaching are first the Apostles and after them their successors whose duty is not only to disciple the Nations and baptize them but also to inform them of the Laws of Christ for they must not only begin the work of Grace but must go on and finish they must not only lay the foundation but build on and consummate the work The business of Pastors and Teachers is not only to bring men to the amity of Faith but to perfection in Christ. Seconly The persons to be taught are such as having professed their Faith and premised obedience were baptized already and so admitted into the Church The former teaching respected them as out of the Church and tended to prepare them for Baptism and Admission This latter considers them as in the Church and tends to the further edification The end of the former was regeneration and conversion and the end of the latter is spiritual nutrition and confirmation For the subject of this teaching are such as as had promised but as yet not performed obedience such as were but babes and children whose condition required a tender and continual care in their teachers And though they know some of the Commandments by a general and imperfect knowledge yet they had not so clear and distinct knowledge of many of them in particular and did need not only instruction but exhortation 3. Therefore this teaching was not a bare instruction for to inform their understandding but also exhortation to stir them up diligently constantly and zealously to observe the Commandments made known unto them and besides with exhortation sometimes must be some admonition and reproof with directions in particular cases First knowledge was necessary for how can they obey when they know not the particular commands to be obey'd and to what purpose is knowledge though never so clear and distinct if they do them not When our Saviour had given his Apostles a commandment and improved it by his own example he adds If you know these things blessed are ye if ye do them 13. 17. So that it 's plain that the end of this teaching is the doing and observation of Christ's Commandments and therefore as they must represent them clearly to their understanding so they must press the obedience upon the strongest motives and let them know that though their knowledge should be sufficient and they should have perfect directions yet without the continual supply of God's Grace they will not be able to perform any thing and from all this we may observe that profession and knowledge will not be sufficient to Salvation This is the reason why the Apostles do labour so much not only to confirm their Disciples and Conâ—â—rts but also exhort them to obedience profession and practice must go hand in hand and never part assunder profession and knowledge without obedience is but hypocrisie an outward form and shadow of Christianity without the soul and power but where obedience accompanies profession it will be an evidence of the sincerity of their Faith and of their happy condition that they are passed from death to life 4. The principal thing in this Proposition is the matter of this teaching and that is the observation of all Christ's Commandments The matter of the former Doctrine was Truths to be believed and professed the matter of this latter is Commandments to be known and obeyed 2. These Commandments must not be the Traditions Superstitions and inventions of men nor the Laws and Edicts of Temporal Princes but they must be the Commandments of Christ. 3. They must be all the
of Christ as before his Ascension or explicitly as after They must be made especially by us Christians in the name of Christ who by his blood hath satisfied Gods justice made him propitious the Throne of grace accessible hath merited all mercies promised to be our Advocate and to sollicite our cause in heaven and procure for us whatsoever we ask in his name They must also be made by the Spirit who alone doth sanctify us and qualifie our hearts for this duty and enables us to perform it so as that it may be effectual and when we know not how to pray as we ought he stirs up in us sighs and groans which cannot be uttered by which he makes intercession for us to the Father who not only understands these dark expressions but is much moved and affected with them So that a Christian effectual prayer is a presenting of our petitions to God the Father in the name of Christ by the Spirit And how powerful must that prayer be which is offered to the Father in the name of his Son by the power and grace of his Spirit A prayer may be made inwardly in the soul without any words of the Mouth and it may be â—o qualified as to prevail very much with God who principally looks at the heart It may be made outwardly and that without any understanding sense and inward affection and this is but a Carkase of prayer and not regarded of God though delivered in most excellent expressions and as it were in the language of Angels This outward prayer whether said or sung in Prose or Verse if made in publick or in company must be in a language and in terms more easily understood by the people with whom we pray that they may say Amen which they cannot if they understand not And though they understand yet if their hearts be not affected with the matter and rightly disposed towards God it s to no purpose For all outward prayer should be joyned with the inward and issue from an heart rightly disposed A prayer of a righteous man may sometimes be ineffectual because it s not made by him as righteous Sect. 2. These things concerning prayer in general observed I proceed unto the Lords prayer we find many particular prayers praises and thanksgivings in the Scripture and many forms both for publick and private devotion taken out of this blessed Book yet all these seem to be but so many branches of that excellent form which our Saviour taught his Disciples wherein he contracted the substance of all lawful prayers and that in an excellent method It was taught and prescribed in the days of his humiliation and was suitable unto their present light and condition For herein he gives no direction how to ask any thing in his name and the reason was he was not yet glorified nor made Advocate general in heaven nor possessed of his glorious Kingdom This may seem to be intimated in that petition Thy Kingdom come For then to him and so to them it was to come In it we may observe 1. The Entrance or Preface 2. The Body and Matter 3. The Conclusion In the entrance we may take notice of 1. The parties who must perform this duty 2. The parties for whom Prayer must be made 3. The party to whom Prayer must be made 4. The qualification of the Prayer it self 1. The parties who must perform this duty are persons living on Earth who have not lost their interest in God upon whom all and every one depends and our necessities are many and great and prayer is Ordained as a means whereby all things we need may be obtained and that more certainly because we have a Promise Besides its an universal Command and all Men are bound in that respect to pray and by prayer to worship and glorifie God For by it we acknowledge that God is the supreme Lord the fountain of all goodness the Father of Mercies willing freely to give us what we need and that we are miserable and indigent persons and that God is no ways bound to relieve us or supply our wants but only he promised to hear and help and this promise was freely made Some will not pray some cannot some can pray but not effectually yet all these are bound to pray and therefore their sin or misery must be very great 2. The persons for whom we must pray are our selves and all others who are capable of any benefit by our prayers For we are directed to say Our Father and in this word Our we include our selves and others too As we must love our Neighbour as our selves so we must pray for our Neighbour as for our selves And by Neighbour we must understand not only our Acquaintance and Friends but strangers and Enemies For we must pray for them which despitefully use us So Christ prayed for such as did Crucifie him saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do yet as we must love some more then others so we must pray more especially for some then others most of all for the Church and our persecuted Brethren For Christian charity in our prayers doth enlarge it self and abhors partiality and self-love 3. The person to whom we must pray is God and God is our Father in heaven Father is a word of power and pity Father in heaven is a term of supreme power and infinite pity And if all the power and pity of all Fathers even the best were united in one yet all were nothing to the pity and power of our God This Father loved us and gave his Son for us when we were Enemies and called us when we were dead in Sins and Trespasses greater love never was manifested to any creature and greater love to any creature there cannot be And how much must he love us when once we begin to love him as our God! What cannot a Father in heaven what will not a father in Christ do for his Children seeing in him meet in one power and pity might and mercy greatness and goodness which include all his perfections Thus we must conceive of God to whom we address our selves to whom we direct our prayers 4. The qualifications of prayers are many 1. One is faith whereby we believe that he is present in all places at all times hears all prayers knows all things and with what heart we pray that he is just holy wise of infinite goodness and unspeakable mercy in Christ who makes intercession for us in heaven that his power is Almighty and his dominion over all things is supreme 2. In respect of his infinite and eternal excellency and supreme dominion we must come into his presence with all humility and reverence adoring his eternal Majesty 3. As he is holy we must be holy and draw near with pure and upright hearts 4. As he is just we must petition for just things 5. As he is a father we must be obedient Children 6. As he is full of love so we must
very little our imperfections many yet we must desire and endeavour to be perfectly obedient to the end 4. We pray Give us this day our daily Bread In the former part of this form of prayer we sought of God spiritual blessings and such as tended more immediately to Gods glory and our salvation And in this we sue for temporal mercies and the necessary comforts of this life whilst we are seeking a better and the order here observed by our Saviour doth teach us that we must prefer spiritual graces before temporal blessings and seek Gods Kingdom and his righteousness first which if we do we may more certainly expect our daily Bread according to his promise In the words we have 1. Bread 2. Our daily Bread 3. This day 4. Our petition for this to be given us 1. By bread is meant all necessary comforts of this life which are given us that we may more chearfully and freely without distraction serve our God seek his Kingdom and do his will Bread which is the staff of Life and hath great affinity with Mans Body is only namely to signifie that we must not seek unnecessary dainties rarities variety superfluity and abundance to expend them in maintaining our Pride pomp and pleasure These necessaries signified by bread are private or publick temporal Commodities Goods Blessings as health food raiment house lands cattle and other things whereby Man 's life is preserved and also good government peace seasonable and plentiful times safety quiet enjoyment of that we have and Gods blessing upon our labours 2. Our daily bread that is the bread of our indigency which we daily want so the Syriack our Bread for to morrow so the Arabick our Food of every day so the Ethiopick our Bread which is necessary for the day The meaning of all is that by daily bread is meant a competent portion of necessaries fit for the preservation of our lives so that we need not perish or be distracted with fear of want 3. This day that is the present time of our life and doth imply that our life is not long neither must we expect to live many daies and though we have not provision beforehand but from hand to mouth as the Proverb is yet we should be content and trust in God we must not perplex or distract our selves with thoughts of future times nor promise to our selves long life and torment our souls with needless and ineffectual cares as tho we had no faith no Father in heaven no Interest in him or think that he that feeds the Ravens who make no provision for time to come nor have any thing laid up in store will be so careless of us as to see his Children want bread 4. We in these words petition our heavenly Father to give us this bread This implies 1. That we have nothing not one morsel of bread but from our God 2. That he gives us this and all things necessary freely we do not deserve or buy it but beg it at his hands therefore 1. we seek it of him by prayer for our selves and others 2. That he would continue to provide for us still 3. That he would bless that which he gives and we possess unto us for if he give it not we have nothing if he continue it not it s easily took from us and tho we be as rich as Job yet we may be as poor as he was in a day have much this hour and have nothing the next and that our best and most wholsom food without his blessing can do us no good 4. We pray that God would deliver us from Diseases sickness famine nakedness sword oppression drought inundation unseasonable times and all such things as deprive us of our daily bread and because we never knew what want of bread is nor ever considered how much we depend for these things upon our God therefore we so little prize these earthly comforts and are unthankful for these mercies 5. We must with our prayers labour and use lawful means for the attaining of these things be provident frugal liberal charitable and expend as much as we can spare in pious uses and then that Father who will give us Eternal will surely give us Temporal blessings he that will give us an heavenly kingdom will give us earthly necessaries and he that hath given us Christ will with him give us all things 5. We pray for forgiveness of our sins in these words Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us Here begins the deprecatory part of this prayer whereby we seek deliverance from evil and that which is contrary to our happiness This kind of prayer is sometimes joyned with weeping fasting complaints lamentations and confession of sins The first evil is that of sin past which remains in the guilt for to understand this petition we must consider 1. Trespasses 2. Our trespasses 3. The forgiveness of trespasses 4. The party forgiving 5. The party capable of forgiveness 1. By trespasses we must understand sin and disobedience to Gods Laws the word which in St. Matthew signifies debts is expounded in Luke by a word which signifies sins and all sins are debts or rather contract debts for first we owe unto God obedience and by the Law are bound to perform it but if we pay not this but prove disobedient we run into another debt and owe a punishment to God and by the same law are bound to suffer it for we are bound unto obedience by the precept and to punishment by the commination of the law When sin is once past the guilt thereof which is an obligation unto punishment remains The punishments which man deserves and God doth threaten are not only bodily and temporal but spiritual and eternal The reason and cause why sin doth render the sinner liable to the displeasure of God and to so many and fearful penalties not only of the loss of all those mercies God hath promised but of suffering of all those evils God doth threaten is because it is so base and vile and so unworthy and unbeseeming so noble a creature as man is by Gods creation that it must needs offend God pollute man and debaâ—e him very much its contrary to Gods justice and holiness and includes in it a contempt of Gods power and of his law which is a mirrour of wisdom and righteousness The sins of men are many and of different sorts there is sin original sin actual sin of omission sin of commission sin against the law of nature sin against the law of grace and a great inequality between these actual transgressions some less some more hainous and such as may be several wayes fearfully agravated and the more of will there is in any sin the more grievous it is 2. These sins and trespasses are said to be Ours so that we are chargeable with them and punishable for them For though the Devil may tempt us yet he cannot force us cannot necessitate us Though