When first I pursed Gods Debt-book I gave it for granted I was bankrupt The condition of the obligation revives my drooping spirit O my God I am deep in arrears to three give me grace to make thee my pattern in forgiving and the debt 's discharged But O how happy am I have met with so good a Creditor I van have much forgiven for a little I now see I had been utterly undone had I not faln into the hands of a most mercifull redeemer O God my God I will eye my misery the more I shall admire thy mercy But what am I a sinner whom have I offended God How oft it is past count O this piece of my prayer protests the best of us have finned against God and exceedingly This is my grief My sins can not be numbred This is my Joy They can be forgiven Well I will not sin that grace may abound yet rejoyce my soul and again I say rejoyce that Gods grace is sufficient for thee The petition is a prospective glasse And lets me see My hard fortune that a sinner My goodhap how to be assoyled It is a picture Look here at it and I am any ugly creature Hold it close then I look like the Kings son O mighty God thou shewest thy wisdome in the discovering my deformities thou shewest thy goodnesse in insuring me the cure of my sore Unhappy I who have sinned against thee how happy I who for forgiving Man can have God to forgive me This is no strange newes to hear I am a sinner This is the wonder that upon these termes God grants forgivenesse It was Elisha his saying to Naaman Wash and be clean and it is Christ hath said it Forgive and thou shalt be forgiven O the depth of the wisdome of our God! He hath found out the way to keep heaven and earth in peace One of us with another and himself with us all God will be friends with us so we will be friends among our selves But O my native soil hast thou not cause to fear the wrath of my God when such superlative hatred in the land For the divisions of Ruben are great grief of heart Thou who hast the hearts of Kings and Commons at thy disposall incline our hearts unto a peace say to the devouring sword it is sufficient let us not increase our sins by increasing our malice lest our malice to men make our God to hate us The sixt Petition THe river which runneth by Chester changeth her channell every moneth in like sort the stream of our discourse hath found out a new channell it is a drain of Christs own making and the Jordan we mean to bathe in Give me leave as did the Angell a while to move in this * Petition pool the troubling of this water-work may work a cure upon some and make them more sensible I mean of the sense and meaning of this petition Yet here are two passages to be opened that done we may march on without stop or let to the meaning of this petition What are these two passages but two words we must passe by by fine force that is by the power and help of explication Temptation is the one word Evill is the other into the first of which we beg to God not to lead us and from that other to deliver us and thus we have to do with two two worse than which rake hell and they have no fellowes for the one is the bait and the other is the hook by Temptation we are drawn on by Evill we are hung on the hooks of vice Lo the lure to intice Temptation and the net to intrap Evill Since such is our danger let us fall to prayer and pray to God not to lead us into Temptation but deliver us from evill Now that you may know what temptation is here prayed against know it Temptation is Probationis Perditionis Commonly call'd the Temptation on the right hand and Temptation on the left hand The right hand Temptation or Temptation celestial is when God tempts man which what is his Temptation but his making a triall of mans obedience sometimes by sacrificing as Abraham sometimes by advising to sell all and give it to the poor as the rich young man in the Gospell sometimes by our suffering crosses and calamities to be laid upon us as on Just Job all of which Temptations count it saith S. James exceeding joy when you are thought worthy to fall into them these are not evill of themselves but approved proofs to discover to the world what we are and to us our selves whether God hath a part or no in us against such we pray not in this petition There are Temptations of a lower and baser descent sublunary Temptations call'd Temptations on the left hand Now these are of two sorts either Temptations Ad extra or Ad intra Ad extra are two 1. Terrestriall 2. Infernall Terrestriall are 1. Forein 2. Civill 1. Terrestriall forein Temptation ad extra is when man tempts God tempting that is making an experiment whether he be of power can know or be present Gods omnipotence omniscience omni-presence we so often tempt as call in question his Can his privity his presence This is an immediate presumptuous act of man against God to cry out Can God provide bread in the wildernesse doth God see or regard or is God among us Three sentences which savours of the language of Ashdod and * Make known divulge man tempts God with an high hand while his power he questions Psal 78.18 19. his knowledge Psal 94.7 his presence Exod. 17.7 I am ever resolved The Avowry to pray my God to free my from being insnared in that sin of Temptation which makes the creature doubt of the power privity The Collect and presence of the Almighty 2. There is a Terrestriall civill Temptation ad extra which is when man tempts man Thus did the Pharisees Christ and the woman in the Proverbs the young youth subtle questions passing pleasant proffers are the midwives give birth to these Temptations divers have had their bosomes full of these Temptations wherein men make shew more of their wit than grace and women more of their courtesie than honesty I will pray my God The Avowry as from presuming to tempt him so likewise that none neither by subtill craft nor proff red kindenesse may tempt or draw me on to do evill 2. The next kind of Temptation is infernall which is when the devill of hell tempts man on earth 1 Thes 3.5 that he tempts us S. Paul can witnesse how he doth it that 's most covert The dispute is not de facto that 's granted de modo that 's the doubt and scarce discoverable of this so secret and slie a work of the Devil let me say somewhat since on all sides acknowledged Satan tempts us to sin 1 Chron. 3.1 since by so few the manner of his march up to our hearts is
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
and all men lyars his ipse dixit is sufficient and must make such who hope the best fear the worst who is he can excuse himself as not conscious or dare professe he never did no not one of those works * Gal. 5.19 20. of the flesh If thou sayest thou hast then hear what God hath to say unto * Vers 21. thee they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God O my God and my Christ preserve me from sin The Supplicat lest my sin debarre me of thy Kingdome But what shall all they be damned Object that do these sinfull works of the flesh Now give heed to what sall be said my answer I mean to poise in even scales and let neither Hickmans tongue nor Novatus his pen I mean neither presumptuous thoughts nor despairing imaginations have the draught one of the other All that live and die in the prequoted sins Res shall be damned it 's thy sin makes thee guilty it 's thy persevering in thy sin that damns thee the act of evill makes thee damnable the act of evill makes thee damnable the continuance in thy evill carries thee down into hell the Law is a Book-case which opened by Gods Counsellor Moses findes thee guilty The Gospell is a Writ call'd Melius ad inquirendum and thou shouldst fare better if thou livedst not still as ill For by own part by Gods good assistance The Avowry I am resolved upon it what I have done to do no more lest a worse turn betide me and as I cannot assoil my soul of evill no more am I resolved to hold on my evill courses Third Case is this 3. Case Who shall be admitted into the Kingdome of Heaven 1. My answer is this Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into thr Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven God loves not him is nought but winde thou maist speak like an Angell and go to the Devill know it God is better pleased with deeds than words works among hand please him at heart let me tell thee if thou neglect to do that God bids then look not to come where God lives we must be men of action if we mean to go to Heaven yea and the square of our work be Gods will For my own part The Avowry I am resolved upon it to beg of God ability what I say to doe and that which at large I professe at leastwise in some poor measure I may practise 2. Persever anti dabitur to him that is faithfull to the end God will give a Crown of life O hold out and have Heaven the promise is not past to him who is to day a Protestant to morrow a Papist nor yet to him that begins in the Spirit ends in the fesh nor yet to him who puts his hand to the plow and puls it back nor yet to Sir Henry Horspur who puts on fast at first is soon tired who like the bird Glott is Hist flies fiercely in the forenoon but in the afternoon lags and comes behinde The Woodcocks flight is unfortonate to make such hast and so soon be tired mistake me not I dislike not your taking up your dough on your shoulders and in haste to high out of Egypt That I inveigh against is your not holding out to your journeys end but sitting down with Gad and Reuben on this side Jordan For my own part I am resolved by Gods good assistance The Avowry as I have begun so to go on yea with Elias to hold out my pace till I come to that heavenly Horeb the Kingdome of Heaven 3. Petenti dabitur aske and you shall have Let us pray for what we want and we cannot want what we pray for dumb men get no land The land of * Heaven Canaan in it expect no portion if not bespoke He that speaks to God by prayer comes to him like a begger is sent away like a King with a Kingdome It 's no time now to be tongue-tide when hearty prayer procures thus much For my own part The Avowry I am resolved upon it never to give over praying to God lest my forbearing to pray deprive me of Gods Kingdome 4. Vincenti dabitur He that can conquer earth sahll own heaven command O man thy self and heaven is at thy command never am I so sure of an excelse * The Kingdome of heaven fortune as when my lofty imaginations I bring low If I can over-rule my self here it is Gods will I shall rule with him in heaven Here is a * this flesh Goliah I must overmaster or no hopes to succeed in the Kingdome he that inthrals-himself to his lust hath got a new keeper and one will keep him from going to heaven For my own part The Avowry I will do my best devoir not to let sin reign im my mortall body lest my letting it here keep a quarter exclude my doby and soul out of heaven The fist moity of my method is this to divulge what graces we have from this petition given in Commendum They be two Faith Patience Graces two The Paralle Faith to beleeve the Kingdome to come Patience to wait till it do come Faith whose eye is ever intent upon on a remote object Patience who only eyes and none else but it owner It is Faith which estates me in the heavenly Kingdome It is Patience which procures my stay till the Kingdome come The first Faith makes my tack good This latter Patience the * This life interim no annoyance I am resolved to be earnest with my God The Avowry to give me two such gifts of grace as both assure me of * kingdome of heaven that I want and without the least repining overcomes mean man to wait the Lords leisure Faith is that Jacob's Ladder Faiths Character by which I ascend up from off earth into heaven It is Faith intitles me to a Kingdome in reversion though I have not a mole-hill in possession Faith is the evidence of things not seen and as needfull as is Evidence to lay claim by to an inheritance as requisite is faith for a suppliant to estate him in the Kingdome of Heaven He that with an honest heart to God will put up this petition stands need of Faith to beleeve an heaven Though my reason fails me to comprehend my faith overcomes me to beleeve a Kingdome to come my common sense can reach no higher than to sublunaries it 's my faith reaches to Celestials my prayer is neither pithy nor patheticall if my reason be nor interlared with faith I prate I pray not if I sall short to beleeve an heaven And here though I have leave to live in an earthly Kingdome want faith and I shall never enjoy the Kingdome of Heaven as my tongue must be guided by reason so my heart led on by saith or
But O with Mephibosheth I am lame Lord that my ankle bones may receive strength suffer me not with Gad and Ruben to stay on his side Jordan ferry my soul through a sea of tears to a land of joy while here I am by the banks of Babel and cannot tune that instrument my Heart to warble our an Israelitish note bring thy servant to that place of eternall blisse and then O God and my King my lips shall shew forth thy praise and my spirit shall rejoyce in God my Saviour The third Petition NOw succeeds the third Petition Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven The old method shall still be observed First to explain the words difficult to be understood This is the third petition and here are three words to be explained in it The first word difficult to be understood is the word Will it hath been a received opinion Gods will is twofold Secret Revealed Gald by the Schoole men Voluntas finis Voluntas medii The first is the will of God concerning the end The second the will of God concerning the means leading to the end The first of these hath relation to the glorified in heaven the punished in hell The other to the Saints exercising gracious life but never to sinners living a lewd life To bring these home to the Petition here we pray for Gods will to be done that voluntus finis segregatim it may stand with the secret will of God in his good time to glorifie those predestinated Non conjunctim we call not of him to will the punishing of the reprobate in hell Secondly we pray to God his will may be done that is voluntas medii the overture of the means of grace may be offered to us and we lay hold of it yet was it never Gods will that the means sins which bring men to hell that they should actuate and abominable and blasphemous were it to pray for it 1. We pray then that Gods will may be done that is that it may be his actuated will that such as he in secret hath predestinated may be glorified we pray not it may be Gods will any to be damned We pray that the revealed means of grace mediums to glory may be proffered and profitable to all but the means leading to Hell which are sins God never wills have we any cause then to pray him to will them It is Gods will and we pray for it the means of grace not the means to damn man The first God wils not the latter It is Gods will and we pray for it the glorifying man in heaven not the punishing any in hell both which God wils only the first we pray for But to leave these acute passages primarily as I conceive Gods revealed will we pray may be perfected that it may be done which looks ad Deum Hominem The object of Gods revealed wil. Being twofold respectu Sui respectu Nostri We pray the will of God quatenus ad Deum speciat may be done by him as that whereas he hath willed it he may do it convert the Gentiles call home the Jewes and let the sound of his Word go through all nations And yet S. Cyprian perswades me this is not the will we are will'd to pray may be accomplished who saith Non petimus ut Deus faciat quod vult sed ut nos facere possimus quod Deus vult we do not pray in this petition that God would bring to passe what he hath said he would do but here we pray for an ability for us to do as God wils Respectu nostrum we pray what is Gods will we may have power and strength to do it Thy will O Lord not my will thy will only not thine and mine thy will let it be done though I have been unwilling Whatsoever God in his word wils we must pray for ability to do it And thrust back will the naturall our will the corrivall wilfull will would bear all the sway stet proratione voluntas like good subjects let Gods will stand for a Law with us That we pray for then and it is allowed for good in this petition is that Gods will may by us be accomplished The two then in the scales are Gods will and mans work this is to be directed by that preponed As if what man did should sent of what God willed as if what is Gods will may be our work Well then I will not live in any notorious sin Res lest while I say this petition and desire power to performe I blaspheme Secondly I have learnt out a fit mate to match with my works it is Gods will Lord that we could spie these two and for ever together our works then would have no such adulterous off-spring For my own part I am resolved The Avowry the will of God shall be the square of my work neither will I undertake to do that work is opposite against Gods good will and pleasure The second word to be explained is Earth apparent while prayed Thy will be done in Earth such may be the stones as be we if God will such were we as the earth at the beginning There being such consanguinity betwixt that we tread on and we that tread on it may put us and in doubt what is meant whilest said Thy will be done in Earth That in chief is that Gods written will may be done In this Earth pro loco by us who are Earth pro materia Here we pray that all the inhabitants upon the earth may apply their best endevours to do what God wils were our practise sutable to our prayers our prayers protest we should all the practis of Divine duties Well The Avowry while we put up this petition for all on Earth to do Gods will I will call to minde what we all should do but bemoan our tongues and lives are at oddes But while we talk of Earth Heaven must not be forgotten which is the third word to be explained And as by Earth is meant men on earth so by Heaven Angels in Heaven And are Angels set to be mens samplers pretty patterns and could we take them out our Master Christ would take it for well done O thou who made us in thy own likenesse The Supplicat vouchsafe of thy wonted goodnesse that thy will may be done by us as by the Angles Nor is this all other acceptations are at hand would you be pleased to accept of them 1. Some understand by Earth Infidels by Heaven the faithfull The faithfull are the lowest region of Gods Heavenly Kingdome The Infidels are the upper regiment of the Devils earthly dominion and yet it is prayed for that Gods will may be done by the one as by the other by the Infidels as by the faithfull O my God His Vote for all that all thy servants study to do thy will yet will I beg that that many may be made more by the conversion