they have benefit by this excellent part of holy Writ 4ly The Prophesies are the Predictions of ruine from the mouth of God to all wicked men both heathens and enemies of Gods people and also those that then gloried in that name as we do now but continued in the practice of all iniquity How sadly do the Prophets complain of such what terrible Menaces and piercing reproofs do they give them Yet every where intermixed with earnest invitations to amendment and pressing exhortations to sincere reformation and the practice of that hearty obedience which the Letter of the Law expressed not as an introduction to the Gospel and coming of Jesus which is here set out in all its glory And when we behold that both those heathen Nations and the Jews themselves have pulled utter ruine on themselves by their contempt of the Promises and verified the Threatnings by their disobedience to these warnings we ought to fear and grow wise by their Calamity and take heed to answer our profession with a holy life and cast off all those destructive sins or we may be sure these Prophecies shall once more be fulfilled in our inevitable destrâ—ction And for the more Mysterious Prophesies (s) S. Propheta audivit nâ—n intellexit quid faâ—ient hi qui signatum librum usque ad tempus consummationis mulâ—is obscuritatibus inâ—â—luâ—um praesumptione mentis edissâ—runt Hieron in Dan. we need not curiously pry into them noâ— know particularly to what Church or Persons to fix the woes therein denounced but rather applying them to our own lusts let us take courage from the assurance of victory under Christs Kingdome to mortifie and subdue them That as God hath sent him to us in the Flesh and so far made good these predictions so we may admit him to reign in our hearts and then we shall experience the truth of that triumph joy and peace which is promised to wait upon his Government and also avoid all the terrors that are denounced against the workers of iniquity § 8. The New Testament is read for the Second Lessons because it is the perfection of the Law the substance of the types and the fulfilling of all the Prophecies and because it hath manifested the reward more fully it heightens and improves the duties (t) Lex vetus ligat manum lex nova ligat animum for since to us mâ—ch is given much may justly be required And if so clear a discovery of Gods infinite love will not work upon us we are strangely obdurate But we hope better things will be effected 1. By the History of the Gospel 2. By the Epistles Fifthly Therefore that we may apply and improve the Gospel let us consider it as an exact account of all that Jesus did and suffered for us Here is a Relation of his mean and humble birth a record of his holy and afflicted life a register of his Miracles a summary of his Sermons and a most moving description of his painful and Meritorious death Let us therefore in hearing these Lessons imagine our selves of his retinue as if we were giving audience to his voice or beholding his wonders of goodness and might Let us carry our Pride to his Nativity our idleness to his industrious doing good to all our anger to his meekness our revenge to his gentleness and love of his enemies that they may blush and dye when they see their deformity by so sweet a pattern See and wonder admire and love and strive to imitate your dear Saviour in kindness and charity mercy and pitty diligence and piety patience and constancy faith and zeal and rejoyce to have him presented to you thus because your Captain is your Companion (u) Tunc enim promptius iâ—unt Milites cum Dux sit Socius and hath done himself what he requires of you The servant of Wenceslaus following his Royal and devout Master barefoot in a deep snow to a house of Prayer in a Winter night when he began to tire beheld his Prince and with shame and love recruited his tired spirits and every look gave him a new life So would the sight of Jesus beget in us did we view him with that affection and steddiness as we ought if we have a due love for Christ it will not only be pleasant but profitable thus daily to hear of him For his Sermons will convert us his Conversation engage us to love him more his Example will invite and enflame us and his Death will above all tye our souls to him and make our sins as odious as the worst instruments of that black cruelty thus we may live like him dye with him and rise again to newness of life Lastly those sacred Epistles are used which do further explain the Mysteries of the Divine Love and the Covenant of Grace declaring Gods designs in it and expectations from us and the preparations made for us with incomparable cautions against the deceits of Sathan cruelty of Persecutors and falshoods of hereticks together with variety of Promises Exhortations and Directions so closely united and so majestically expressed that it requires a quick apprehension and a solid jâ—dgment to unravel all the mysteries in them and yet they that avoid curiosity and self-conceit and bring humility love and holy resolutions such cannot be more effectually improved in knowledge and piety by any part of Scripture And this rule must be observed by all in the Offices of Religion when we hear Gods word that we do not pursue difficulties and unprofitable disputes but apply the holy Scripture to profit by it And certainly he best understands it who by it learns to bridle his passions bound his desires conquer his appetites to fear God love his neighbour and to be careful of his own Immortal soul and if we make this use of the words of God we shall have good cause to joyn in the next duty of giving praise to him that made them and assists us that we may profit by them SECTION IX Of the Hymns for the Morning Prayer § 1. THere is not in the whole Circle of Christian Duties any more universal then Praise For because in every thing God shews mercy we must in every thing (x) 1 Thess 5.18 give thanks So that Hymns of Praise are ever seasonable especially in the house of God where they are to be intermixed with every part of Divine Service to make it pleasant to us and delightful to him we worship We are to bless God for our bodily food how much more then for the food of our souls the providing of which for us is the greatest mercy next to that of giving the Eternal word to us For if God had not written his Word for us we should not have seen either our sin or our danger our duty nor our assistance our Deliverer nor our reward and shall we not Praise him for this shining light And particularly what Chapter is there but it contains a peculiar reason of our
See how he hath glorified himself in giving the world such a manifestation of his truth as will stop the mouths of his enemies and for ever strengthen the faith of his humble servants For now he hath made good all his words and Promises his Covenant and Protestations in the first and greatest blessing of all (r) 2 Cor. 1.20 and so given that as an earnest of all the rest The night seemed long and the people of God themselves began to fear and the wicked to deride their expectation But now we will trust in him even though he defer we will wait on him for we find he will not forget his promises nor falsifie his word Oh let us rejoyce in the God of truth who hath sent this mighty Salvation to us which is the instrument of our safety and the evidence of his truth and on both accounts the cause of our rejoycing § 7. But in the midst of our Joy we must not forget our Dâ—ty nor so please our selves with the delightful view of our advantage by this glorious Redemption as to pass by the design of God in giving it least we think Jesâ—s came to set us free from death and let us loose to sin He came to free us from the slavery which we were fâ—llen into uâ—der Sathan but not to discharge â—s of our duty to himself Nay to encrease the obligation for by redeeming us from captivity and death he ingaged us to serve him all our lives which the laws of Nations (s) Redemptus ab hostibus r demptori serviat denec pre ium reddiderit Grot. de jur B. P. l. 3. c. 9. §. 10. as well as common gratitude doth inform us of And if he had not rescâ—ed nor yet purchased us yet we are bound to serve God as we are his Creatures and as he is Supream Lord and law-giver to all the World But then we coâ—ld not have payed that duty withoâ—t fears aâ—d terrors both becaâ—se of the Tyrants w om we were enslaved to and the Mâ—jesty we had offended against And therefore witho t a Redeemer our seâ—vice to God either would have â—â—en neglected or have been â—ccompanied with such â—â—emblings aâ—d anxieties so devoid of faith or love oâ— hope that it would have appeared necessaâ—y and consâ—rained not voluntary or free and consequently it would be unacceptable to God and unprofitable to us His mercy therefore is designed to remove our fears and not to quit us of our Obedience but to make it more easie and pleasant by appeasing Gods wrath restraining Sathans power and encreasing our strength So that now when we apply our selves to the duties of Religion we need not be discouraged at our former guilt he will cleanse us amazed at Gods justice he will satisfie it affrighted at Sathans malice he will restrain it We need not be disheartned at the difficulty he will help us nor doubtful of the event he will procure acceptance and reward He hath taken off the terrors of an offending slave and left us no fear but that which is useful the fear of an ingenious and a dutifâ—l Child (t) Non sicut feram timeo patrem timeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 2o. who out of love to his Father is afraid to offend him or come short in his duty to him And this blessed Condition to be able to serve God with Faith and Hope freedom and chearfulness is the great comfort of every truly pious soul and if we be such we shall reckon the convenience to do our duty among the chiefest of our felicities and praise God as much for the Power to do good as for any other blessing Lâ—t us then who pretend to more Gospel then any had then imitate this blessed man who in praising God for the Redemption seems speedily to pass over all the benefits of Pardon and reconciliation and glory it self aâ—d chuseth above all to bless God for affording us opportunity and freedom to serve him As if holiness and undisturbed obedience were the most desirable thing in the world and the Heaven which Jesus brings Let us behold our duty and rejoyce in that more then in our pardon and ease and then we shew a noble love And let this deliverance produce its due effect in us even to make us use our hopes and comforts to quicken our love and our obedience And so this Hymn shall not only be a form of Praise but a tutor to instruct us what returns we ought to make even to walk holily in our duties to God and righteously in our conversation with men (u) Titus 1.11 Resolving that neither ease nor pretended gain shall intice us back to our chains nor all Sathans menaces shall affright us from our gracious Master whom we must now serve not with such outward shews (x) Coloss 3.22 as if we only courted human approbation but with such sincerity as may declare he hath won our hearts and engaged our affections while we live Therefore our ear must be bored to signifie we will now hear his word obey his will and never leave so sweet and dear a Master And when we have a while found and considered the easiness of his service the greatness and readiness of his assistance the infiniteness and endlesness of his rewards we shall have cause to glorifie God for sending Jesus to bring us into this estate and think all our duty too little to express our obligation and see reason to put it into our Benedictus that of slaves of Sathan we are become Gods free men § 8. God hath not only expressed his love in raising up a Saviour for us but in making him known to us And since our obedience was designed least ignorance should make Apology (y) Rom. 10.14 15. the divine care did order it should be proclaimed to all the world It was foretold at a great distance by the Prophets to comfort the former ages And when it was just approaching it was by a special Harbinger pointed out as near at hand to awaken mens expectations and summon them to prepare so that it is sure it was the great interest of all mankind or else it had not been ushered in by so many warnings I doubt not but holy Zachary now felt the Etymology of his sons Name and the truth of the Angels Promise (z) Luke 1.14 gaudium exultaâ—io Not so much that he had a son as in tâ—e joy he conceived that he was to be the messenger of the Lord of hosts the Herald and Harbinger to the most high And yet he rejoyceth not so much in the particular priviledge of his son as the general benefit which the world might receive by his message And therefore he blesseth God for his duty as well as his office For when such a messenger came to assure them of the approach of the so long expected Messiah and much desired Salvation and to let the world know for what purposes the most
which hath enabled us with one accord and a fervent devotion to make our Addresses to thee with new affections even in the presenting these our daily and common supplications unto thee we confess thou hast helped us to ask and therefore hope thou intendest to give and the rather because thou hast assured us and dost promise that when two or three even the smallest number of the faithful in obedience to thy command are gathered together to offer up their united prayers to the Father in thy name they shall find thee present in the midst of them for thou wilt grant their requests Wherefore since we have called upon thee by thine aid and are assembled in thy name fulfill now O Lord unto us this gracious promise and mercifully accept the desires and meditations which have been sent from the hearts the prayers and Petitions uttered from the mouths of thy Servants supplying their wants with the best things and at the fittest times as may be judged by thy infinite wisdome most expedient for them But however thou dealest in all other things let the interest of our souls be secured both here and hereafter by thy granting us in this world daily experiments and further knowledg of thy truth in the fulfilling of thy promises and the granting of our prayers that so we may never forsake thee here and in the world to come our happiness shall be compleated by thy bringing us then to life everlasting through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Blessing taken out of 2 Corinth 13. ver ult § 9. THe grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen In all Religious Assemblies it hath been the custome to dismiss the people with a Blessing which was wont to be pronounced by the principal Person present (k) Heb. 7.7 sometimes by the King (l) 2 Sam. 6.18 1 Kings 8.55 but most commonly by the Priests (m) Numb 6.23 24 ver c. whose office was to bless in the Name of the Lord. And therefore under the Law there was a particular form of Benediction which the Jews to this day observe so religiously that they believe it ought to be repeated in the Holy Tongue (n) Fagius in Numb 6. Buxtorf Synag c. 14. See Nehem. 8.6 and to be received by the People with all reverence bowing their heads and prostrating their bodies so that no man may presume to look upon the Priests hands when they are stretched out to give it because they say then the glory of God rests upon them And in the Christian Church also they ever concluded with a blessing 't is likely the same we now use being endited by the Holy Spirit and used by St. Paul in the close of his Epistle to the Corinthians concerning which it was ordered that the Assembly should bow their heads (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Constit Ante benedictionem sacerdotis egredi populus non presunat Concil Agath can 31. when it was pronounced and decreed by a Councel that none might depart out of the Church till it was given But to give a greater strength to these Orders let us consider the excellency of this Divine Blessing and sure its own perfections will oblige us to stay for it and engage us to receive it with all devotion and reverence The legal Benediction was no more but a wish for temporal felicity but this contains the whole order of our salvation and brings in the glorious Trinity with the several gifts of each Person to make us compleatly happy The Father indeed is first in order but we begin with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that is the benefits purchased by his Passion because that is the first mover in our acceptance and obtains both the love of God the Father and the Communication of the Holy Ghost What can the pious soul ask or desire which is not comprehended in this Blessing here is the grace of the Son to pardon our sin the love of the Father to supply our wants the fellowship of the Blessed Spirit to strengthen our weakness The first to redeem us the second to justifie us the third to sanctifie us and all these not only at this present but to be confirmed to us and remain with us even when we are gone from the holy place in life and death and for ever Nor are these only desired but they are pronounced over us by the Embassador of God whom he hath sent to bless in his name and this Minister of Heaven being cheared with observing our Devotion doth from his soul wish and Ministerially as far as in him lies dispense these unspeakable blessings to us And what he doth on Earth shall be ratified in Heaven to every truly holy man Oh let us bow our heads and open our hearts to receive this universal blessing as from God himself and depart from the holy place full of comfort and joy that we have such a preservative against all evil and such a guide and encouragement to all good even the blessing of God to be with us and remain upon us for ever and to this let all the people say Amen The Blessing Paraphrased LEt The Grace and all the benefits of the death of our Lord Iesus Christ merit our Absolution and the love of God the Father seal our justification and the fellowship and Communication of the Graces of the Holy Ghost perfect our sanctification And let all these at present be with us and rest upon us all evermore Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS ERRATA The Reader is desired to excuse and amend the following Errata occasioned by the Authors great distance from the Press PReface page 8. read Pet. p. 8. marg l. 12. r. infirmorum p. 12. l. 5. r. recover it ib. marg l. 3. r. confectus p. 18. l. 2. r not approach p. 21. l. 1. r. had need be p. 22. marg l. 13. r. accipiat ib. l. 21. r. Magistri ib. l. 23. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 29. marg l. 3. r. Acies p. 32. l. 21. r. not be p. 35. l. 14. marg r. Quinque p. 43. l. 3. r. Sec. 1. § 5. p. 22 p. 66. marg l. 8. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 70. marg l. 4. r. tribus p. 72. l. 22. r. bloodshot p. 81. marg l. 10. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 90. marg l. 13. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 94. l. 12. r. in your p. 96. l. 4. r. sectile p. 105. marg l. 8. r. ignoscentium p. 114. marg l. 1. r. r. Lev. 10.13 p. 118. l. 29. r. it act ib. marg l. 11. r. nisi p. 129 marg l. 12. r. Med. p. 174. l. 24. r. reference p. 184 l. 30. dele 11 p. 199. marg l. 14. r. è p. 216. marg l. 13. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 229. l. 35 r. his Divinity p 259. l. 21. r. therefore it p. 260. marg l. 13. r. hi veâ—o p. 269. marg l. 1. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 271. l. 3. r. enobled p. 313. marg l. 3. r. Prus ib. marg l. ult r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 315. l. 31. r. the other p. 319. l. 15. r. reciting p. 320. marg l. 18. r. occurre p. 349. marg l. 17. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
humbly submit these Prayers to the Judicious Correction of the Reverend Fathers of the Church desiring nothing may be said which dissents from the Doctrine and Discipline now established for if it do it is without the Authors knowledge and against his Judgment And finally as to all sober and devout Christians he wisheth the same Charity may guide their eyes and fill their hearts in their perusal which guided his hand in the Composal of these lines and then he hopes for a fair interpretation which these following Sections may need since they are drawn up not for the Study but the Temple not for Criticks but Asceticks (u) Malo ut me reprehendant Grammatici quam ut non intelligant populi D. August nor to make men more learned but more devout They are intended to wait upon you to the house of God and entertain you there till Prayers begin that you may by perusing some parts hereof be fitly disposed for them which is almost one half of the Duty (x) Dimidium facti qui bene coepit habet But the Preface is grown too long and must not be enlarged by Apologies but concluded with this hearty wish May the God of Peace give us all meek Hearts quiet Spirits and devout Affections and free us from sloth and prejudice that we may have full Churches frequent prayers and fervent Charity and that uniting in our Prayers here we may all joyn in his Praises hereafter for Jesus sake Amen SECTION I. OF THE PREPARATION TO Publick PRAYER § 1. PRAYER is an Elevation of the Soul to contemplate the beauties of the Diviâ—e Nature that by beholding such transcendent perfections it may learn to love desire to please and delight to imitate so great and exact a pattern and consequently is a duty of the highest concernment for it is an Honour and a Benefit to us and yet it is accepted by God as our homage and the testimony of our observance It is a high favour to be admitted to have familiar converse * Job 15.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulg. Ang preces prâ—p sign Colloquium familiare Drusius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 7. with the King of Kings and a huge advantage to have so frequent admission to the Fountain of all goodness But then it is difficult as well as fair and requires so much attention and serenity zeal and vigour humility and faith love and admiration that it cannot either be well done or kindly accepted without some preceding Preparation for these Souls of ours are so drenched in Matter and so generally taken up with the consideration of outward things partly by the condition of our Nature but principally by the frequency of our conversing with the Cares and Pleasures of the lower World that we find our Minds exceedingly pressed down with the weight of them when we would lift them up to God but as those Fowls whose wings are not proportionable to the weight of their bodies do usually run some paces before they can rise from the earth to begin their flight so the Church teacheth us first to prepare our hearts before we begin to pray The Jews are taught when they enter their Synagogues to stand silently a while in the posture of Prayer before their Devotion is begun (a) Buxtorf Synag Judaic c. 5. and one of their Masters told his Schollars this was the Way to obtain Eternal life (b) Quum vultis orare cogitate prius coram quo stetis Dict. R. Eleaz. Talmud tract Mosi Beruch And the Primitive Christians had a preparatory preface (c) Sacerdos ante Orationem Praefatione praemissâ parat fratrum mentes Cyprian de Orat. dominic to their Publick Prayers as long ago as the time of the famous Cyprian In imitation whereof we are appointed to exercise our Souls in the meditation of these Sentences of Scripture with the Exhortation subjoyned that we may thereby become more fit to pray The Israelites in the oblation of their First-fruits had a form of Gods own appointment Deut. 26.5 wherein they were minded of their former Poverty and that Illustrious Heathen Temple had this Inscription in letters of gold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Worshippers by a true consideration of themselves might approach with all humility to their supposed Deities And surely it is more requisite for us who worship the True God to reflect upon the vast Disproportion between our selves and him which is as great as between finite and infinite mortal and immortal holy and impure and so we may be convinced of the necessity of being most lowly and reverent before him The frailties of our bodies and the infirmities of our Nature the defects of our Faculties and the misery that cleaves both to Soul and Body doth command us to be humble in the presence of God But that which will lay us lowest of all in oâ—r own thoughts is the remembrance of our Sins which do principally if not alone alienate us from God for he that pityeth our Miseries doth hate our Sins and he that caused the Leper to be banished out of the City admitted the Lame Man to the beautiful gate of the Temple Wherefore our Spiritual Guides present us with these in the first place both to allay our Pride and to engage our Care to remove them by Repentance before we begin to pray because else we know our prayers cannot be heard (d) Psalm 66.18 Joh. 9.31 Is 59.16 for Joshua himself cannot be heard while the Sin of Israel was not taken away (e) Joshua 7.10 and he meets with a check in his Devotion because he presumed to pray before he had removed the Accursed thing Now since none of us are innocent it follows that none must come to petition God till they have prepared themselves by Repentance and he that doth not this continues in sin still and if so there is a Moral impossibility such a mans prayers should prevail for they are either a heap of contradictions or a contexture of indignities against the God of heaven for such men bewail that in words which they love in their heart and ask forgiveness where they are neither sensible of an offence nor will own the pardon as a favour they accuse themselves for what they did willingly and never condemned themselves for it but will reiterate upon the first opportunity they petition their enemy and ask for what they hate and flatter him whom they fear perhaps but do not love and require thingâ— that they hope he will not give and if they ask any thing seriously it is either inconsiderable or with evil designs and so becomes a provocation (f) Quas nisi seductis nequeas committere divis Now can an All-seeing eye discern this without indignation will not an Almighty hand be lifted up to destroy them who both delude themselves and mock the King of Glory let us beware least we experience the truth of this in our eternal ruine We
thee nor their danger to me and therefore I have not fully renounced them nor yet absolutely returned to thee and thy wayes and therefore thou hast not blessed my Confessions which have rather been looked on by me as an indulgence to go on since my former offences were so easily pardoned then an engagement to forsake my iniquities But now I know my vileness in making so slight addresses for so great a favour and my solly to cheat my self of so considerable a blessing and my sloth to slip so many fair opportunities by my deceitful behaviour before thee O Lord I have deceived my self and I am hugely ashamed that having offended so dear a Father I have been no more really concerned and having so gracious a God to turn to I am yet so far distant from thee by pretending to turn to thee If I want pardon or peace the blame must lye upon my own negligence for thou art apt to give and ready to forgive long before thou punishest sinners but soon entreated to receive Penitents and doest most joyfully lay aside thy resolutions of judgment when we perform our purposes of amendment Oh my soul will not this real goodness of thy God shame thy hypocrisie will it not pierce thy heart to see whom thou hast offended and thaw thy hopes to behold whom thou art turning to His holiness is mixed with long suffering his justice with mercy his decrees allayed with limitations and is it fit to approach him without love or fear hopes or desires gratitude or admiration or is the forgiveness so mean a favour that it deserves no more hearty applications sure enough my hypocrisie hath hindered my pardon wherefore I begin to detest it and hereafter I will look more to the dispositions of my heart then the posture of my body I will set him before me whose love I have abused and whose patience I have tyred who is so gracious to spare me and so willing to be reconciled to me a most ungrateful wretch that so when I come to him I may have my eyes filled with tears my cheeks with blushes and my heart with sorrow I will remember who I am that go that I may be humble what I go for that I may be earnest and who I go to that I may be full of faith and hope so shall my addresses not be in vain but all these gracious attributes shall be made good to me Amen Having thus applyed these Portions of holy writ to your own souls we must desire you will observe that to these Sentences of Gods Word is annexed by the Church a pertinent exhortation least any should not sufficiently undrestand these places or not carefully practice what they know to be required by them The Words of Scripture are first laid down to shew we impose not this Duty of Confession upon you but that God requires it and then the Minister proceeds to this pious inference from them that so what God commands may be rightly understood and particularly applyed and duly practised by all people and no man may plead ignorance or forgetfulness to excuse him from this necessary Duty to which we are directed in the following Words SECT II. Of the Exhortation after the Sentences The Analysis or Division of the Exhortation The parts of this Exhortation are three 1. A loving Compellation Dearly beloved brethren the Scripture c. 2. A Profitable instruction in which is shewed 1. That we must confess Affirmatively to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness Negatively and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them The Reason Because we are before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father 2. How we must confess 1. With a sense of sin but confess them with an humble lowly 2. A sorrow for it Penitent 3. Resolutions against it and obedient heart 3. Why we must confess For pardon to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same by his infinite goodness and mercy 4. When we must confess 1. in general alwayes Although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God Yet ought we most chiefly so to 2. In particular in publick where we meet Do when we assemble and meet together 1. To render thanks for the great benefits we have received at his hands 2 To set forth his most worthy praise 3. To hear his most holy Word 4. To ask those things which are requisite and necessary as well for the body as the * soul 3 An earnest supplication in which there is 1. The person exhorting * Wherfore I pray and beseech you 2. The parties exhorted as many as are here present 3. The thing requested to accompany me to the throne of the heavenly grace 4. The manner of doing this Internally with a pure heart Externally and humble voice saying after me A Practical Discourse on the Exhortation § 1. Dearly beloved Brethren The Minister begins with this affectionate and courteous salutation after the example of S. Paul S. Peter and S. John who frequently begin their Exhortations in their Epistles in this language the better to engage their attention for which cause it is used here not as an idle complement but a significant indication from whence this Admonition proceeds viz. from love For he that loveth the souls of his people and hears what God expects from them and sees the danger of their neglect cannot in pity suffer them to go on and perish without warning or instruction and the people may see he hath no ends of his own but is engaged by his love to become their Moâ—itor as they are his deerly beloved Brethren Wherefore the Admonitions of Ministers should ever be accepted as the effects of their true affection to us though it proves too often otherwise for flatterers and dissemblers that will extenuate or connive at our faults are usually listed among our friends But those who discover our danger and reprove our vices and advise us to amend these we hate as Ahab did Micaiah for men are so foolish or unworthy as not to distinguish between the reproaches of an Enemy and the reproofs of a Friend because when we have done evil there is some disgrace in either but the management and design are directly contrary (a) Probra tam amicus quam inimicus objicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Paedag l. 1. c. 9. and if any reproof proceed from kindness surely it must be this which comes from him that is your spiritual Father yet salutes you as Brethren and reckons himself under the same obligation and toucheth your offences with so much tenderness only his Master hath charged that he shall reprove you and not hate you in heart (b) Levit. 19.17 for the neglect of this duty would argue he hated you and cared not to see you perish § 2. The Scripture moveth us in sundry places We may easily foresee if the Minister did only by his own authority command us to repent his words would
ad Dist 1. de Poen Negatur remissio iis quibus noluerunt sacerdâ—tes remittere Bellarm. supr as the Audian hereticks of Old and Donatus disciples (m) Optat. Mil. in Parmen l. 5. did contrary to the Antient Church of Christ (n) Homines autem in remissionem peccatorum ministerium suum exhibent non jus alicujus potestaris exercent Ambros de Spir. S. l. 3. c. 19. nay to their own Opinions (o) Vid. Biol in 4 Dist 14. Quaes 2. and practices (p) secundum quod potestas mihi tradita sâ— extendit quantum debeo possum in vet form Indulg P. Martin in former times and therefore we may and must declare our abhorrency of these evil uses of Absolution though in that sober moderate and useful manner we do perform it we do not vary from the prime intention of Christs commission and the Practice of Antiquity Absolution was instituted by Jesus and if it have been corrupted by men we will cast away the Corruptions not the Ordinance it self §. 2. The Analysis or Division of the Absolution The Absolution contains these three things * ☜ 1. The Commission in which is shewed 1. From whom That God who is 1. Able Almighty God 2. Willing as the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and who wouldest not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live 2 To whom Ministers And hath given Power and Commandment to his Ministers 3. For whom his people To declare and pronounce to his People being Penitent 4. About what The Absolution and Remission of their sin ☞ * 2. The execution of it by declaring 1. Who giveth He viz. Almighty God 2. What is given viz. Deliverance from the guilt and punishment Pardoneth and Absolveth 3. To whom 1. How many all them 2. How qualified 1 that truly Repent and 2 Vnfeignedly believe his holy Gospel 3. The Application or a direction to Prayer shewing 1. For what we must Pray Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us 1. true Repentance 2. and his holy Spirit 2. Why we must Pray viz. for 1. Present acceptance that those things may please him which we do at this present and 2. Future assistance that the rest of our lives hereafter may be pure and holy so 3. Endless happiness that at the last we may come to his eternal joy 3. How we must Pray for them through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Practical Discourse on the Absolution § 3. ALmighty God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ There is nothing in the world more desirable then the peace of a good Conscience especially to those who have felt the smart of it when it is disquieted by sin The Pardon of sin which removes those terrors is most welcome news to such and the Messengers most acceptable (q) Rom. 10.15 but he that hath been truly humbled will make a stop either out of Doubting or Admiration (r) Luke 1.34 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non dubitantis sed admirantis Grot. when a Nathan is sent from God to tell him of Pardon (s) 2 Sam. 12.13 he would wish it might be according to that sweet word only the greatness of his desires awaken some little jealousies least the message be too good to be true and therefore no wonder if they ask us by what Authority we do this (t) Matth. 21.23 we answer we are but Deputed servants (u) Heb. 5.4 in all we do much more in this transcendent part of our office (x) 2 Cor. 5.8 we therefore shew our Commission from Almighty God whose Power none can Question it being a Part of his Name (y) Exod. 34.7 to be the Pardoner of Iniquity Transgâ—ession and Sin of all sorts in thought word and deed His Laws indeed forbid sin and his Word decrees punishment for it but this doth not tye his hands nor take away his Priviledge (z) Deus cum legem peneret non ademit sibi omnem potestatem sad habet ignoscendi licentiam Lactant. to forgive by which he indeed shews himself Almighty (a) Imperatori licet sententiam revocare reumque mortis absolvâ—re ipsi ignoscere quia non est subjectus legibus qui habet potestatem leges ferre August 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supreme Lord of all the World above us and his own Laws so that he can dispense with them he that bound can loose without appeal or controul (b) Revel 3.7 we come from him who is the offended Party and the Judge who if he please to forgive can do it so fully that neither Men nor Devils can call you to a further account (c) Rom. 8.33 Now if this term of Almighty prove dreadful as representing an Almighty justice who remits not without blood Heb. 9.22 Then the poor soul will ask with Isaac (d) Gen. 22.7 8. where is the Lamb I answer God hath provided and in the next words behold the Lamb of God Jesus Christ for your comfort this Almighty is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and in him the Father of Mercies and God of all comforts (e) 2 Cor. 1.3 in that being satisfied with that all-sufficient sacrifice he can be just and yet forgive us (f) 1 John 1.9 he that sends us can do it by his supremacy easily may do it by his Covenant in Christ Jesus justly will do it through his love to us in him certainly And now methinks the Pious man should be transported with extasies of Reverence and Love Reverence to this Mighty God Love to this merciful Father Behold that glorious God whose Anger thou hast provoked and whose Commissions for thy final ruine were issuing out to be executed by the destroying Angel he is now the Father of Jesus and for his sake and at his intreaty hath sealed thy Pardon and Cancelled that Warrant signed for thy Execution (g) Ezek. 18.4 and sent thee a full and free Absolution by the hands of a Messenger of Peace What posture is lowly enough to receive it what love great enough to return for it Oh blessed Change Now thou seest what Jesus hath done for thee look not so much at the hand that brings it as the Power that sent it and the Merits that Purchased it so shall thy Faith be firm thy comfort sweet and thy peace durable so that nothing but wilful renewed affronts against him that sent it can alter thy Pardon abate thy joy or disturb thy happy peace § 4. Who desireth not the death of a sinner These are the very words of God himself Ezek. 18.23 and for better confirmation they are again repeated Chap. 33. vers 11. and are strengthened by an Oath which he is pleased to take by his life that is himself (h) Heb. 6.13 Not that he needs such bonds (i) Num. 23.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. Deus loquitur nobiscum linguâ filiorum hominum R. R. to keep him to
officia Dei honor in patre fidei testimonium in nomine oblatio obsequii in voluntate commemoratio spei in regno petitio vitae in pane exomologesis debitoâ—um in deprecatione sollicitudo tentationum in postulatiene tutelae Tertul de Orat. here is our belief of his goodness our persuasion of his love our desire after his holiness our subjection to his Authority and hope of his Kingdome our willingness to suffer and readiness to do his will here we declare our dependance on his Providence and contentedness with his dispensations our Penitence for former sins and resolutions of amendment our sense of our own frailty and our trust in his mercy and grace and all this ending with acts of Faith and Love joy and praise Devotion and Adoration So that this Divine Form is fitted for all times and all places and all persons The ignorant must use it because he may understand it the knowiâ—g that they may understand it better the sinner that he may be holy the holy man least he become a sinner the rich prays thus for the sanctification of his gifts the poor for the supply of his wants in private it extends to particular needs in publique it unites us all into one soul and makes us equally desire (r) Non singulis privatam precem mandavit sed Oratione communi concordi prece pro omnibus jussit orare Cypr. Epist 8. others good with our own being indited in a publique stile so that though it be useful every where yet it is especially fitted for the Assemblies of the Church where all Antiquity used it as the Salt of all other offices (s) Sat omnium divinorum oâ—â—ctorumâ— and we in Imitation of them for our Church prescribes it after the Absolution for acceptance after the word of God read and the recital of the Creed for assistance in holiness and confirmation in Faith in the Letany for deliverance from evil in the Communion Service to dispose us for a penitent hearing of the Laws of God never too often nor never superfluously as you may observe afterwards for how can we too often joyn his most perfect Prayer to ours that are so imperfect since by him both we and our prayers are alone made acceptable Those that presented Petitions to the Roman Emperors drew them up by the direction of some judicious Lawer but we have this Sacred Form from the wonderful Counsellor who came out of the Bosom of God and knew his treasures as well as our wants he best could inform us what was fit for us to ask and what most likely for him to grant he was to go to Heaven to be our Advocate there and he hath taught us this that there may be a Harmony between our requests and his What zeal and height of devout affections are sufficient to offer up this Prayer with drawn up by the great Master of Requests and orderer of all entercourse between God and Man how sure is this of acceptance (t) Animata suo privilegio ascendit coelum commendans patri quae filius docuit Tertull. which is stamped with his Image signed with his hand and sent in his name his Power will make it prevalent and Gods love to his dear Son most acceptable (u) Dum prece Oratione quam filius docuit ad patrem loquitur faciliùs audiamur Cypr. for what can pierce the ears sooner or melt the heart of a tender Father more readily then the voice of his only and Beloved Son use it therefore Reverently and heartily and doubt not to be heard The Division of the Lords Prayer The Lords Prayer hath three Parts 1. The Preface or Compellation 2. The six Petitions which concern Expressing 1. Charity to Men Our 2. Faith in God Father 3. Fear of God which art in Heaven Either Gods Glory by 1. The Reverence of his Attributes hallowed be thy Name 2. The Exercise of his Authority thy Kingdome come 3. The fulfilling of his Will thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heaven Or our own good in 1. Temporal supplies give us this day our daily bread 2. Remission of sins past and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us 3. Deliverance for the future from Sin and lead us not into temptation Punishment but deliver us from evil Being an acknowledgement of God 1. As Supreme for thine is the Kingdome 2. As Omnipotent the Power 3. As Gracious and the Glory 4. As Eternal for ever and ever Amen 3. The Conclusion or Doxology A Practical Discourse on the Lords Prayer § 2. OUr Father which art in Heaven This was the usual Preface to the Jewish Forms of Prayer who stiled God their Father which was in heaven (x) Pater noster qui es in coelis fac nobis gra iam Sed. Tephil Lusitan Deus noster qui in coelo unicus es in lib. Musar But since they owned not God the Son they could not justly call God Father and being in bondage to the Law (y) Galat. 4.6 Servis â—ancillis non permissum Abba vel Immaâ— Dominis suis dicere in Gem. they were Servants rather then Sons and such by their own rule might not call their Masters by the name of Father This Appellation suiteth us better who are by Jesus adopted to be the Sons of God and by his Spirit who obtained that priviledge we are taught to cry Abba Father (z) Gal. 4.6 he that is the eternal Son of God himself who hath alone right to this Name hath put the words in our mouths and what fitter words to begin our Prayers then these two which include the principal requisites of Prayer Faith and Charity no man can call God his Father but by Faith and he must be in Charity that can add Our Father which cannot be said devoutly but by him that is free from wrath to man or doubting (a) 2 Tim. 2.8 'T is certain God is our Father for he hath created us after his own Image and begotten us again by the washing of Regeneration he feeds and cloths us preserves and provides for us he teacheth us what is right and correcteth us when we do amiss and Finally he hath done like a Father in providing an eternal inheritance for us (b) 2 Cor. 12.14 even such as men make for their Children (c) 2 Sam. 7.19 G. P. Talis enim est provisio humana He hath ever expressed a Fatherly love to us and care of us and tenderness toward us and this Jesus obligeth us to acknowledge (d) Isai 63.16 that while we call him Father we may be gratefull to him and have the affections of Children upon us when we come to him in our needs trusting in his mercy persuaded of his All-sufficiency rejoycing in hope and filled with love and joy and comfortable expectations because we are going to our Father and least if we were uncharitable to our Bretheren that unlikeness to
property (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herodot of a King to do what he pleases But as Gods Kingdome is scarce visible upon Earth so neither is the accomplishment of his Will for those that renounce his Authority become Lords (e) Psal 12.4 to themselves and do their own Will even where it displeaseth God and though his Will be at last done upon them in their final ruine yet this is not so properly his Will not voluntas beneplaciti his pleasure no more then the malefactor doth his Princes will when he suffers death by his Laws for a capital crime because he that made that Punishment did appoint it to terrifie from the Crime and it was not his intention any should suffer by it so it is the Will of God that all men should live holily here (f) 1 Thess 4.3 and happily hereafter (g) 1 Tim. 2.4 Vt salvi simus in coelis in terris quia summa est voluntatis ejus salus eorum quos adoptavit Tertull. ut supr and if any will be wicked it is also his will they shall suffer for it but then his will is not properly done on them that suffer but only on supposition they were obstinate sinners which he would not have them to be Wherefore we pray that his first and principal Will may be done in the Conversion and Salvation of all men And having lately viewed the upper part of his Kingdome where they are ever happy by a full and free obedience to his Heavenly Will we long and wish and desire that this lower part of his Kingdome where so many are yet totally in Rebellion and others frequently revolting when they do profess subjection even that this World were modelled by that heavenly pattern (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 40. as exactly as is consistent with the frailty and mutability of such a state for 't is easie to discern that all the miseries in this world spring from our disobedience to the Laws and our acting contrary to the Will of God so that if the corrupt affections of the better sort were subdued and the evil actions of the more impious did cease and all did guide their actions by the will of God we might be very happy even in this world and should begin our Heaven upon Earth so that we also pray that since 't is Gods will for all to live holily (i) Quid autem Deus vult quam incedere nos secundum suam disciplinam Tert. that this will of his may be accomplished and because our Heavenly Father hath innumerable blessed Spirits there to perform his will and they do it cheerfully and readily fully and constantly we see how much our endeavours come short of them and how little reason we have to be puffed up for our imperfect duties which are begun with reluctancy deferred by sloth or interrupted by vanity carried on heavily shaken with fears and sometimes broken off by sin and this prospect doth humble us while we behold them flying on the wings of love and zeal and our selves creeping by fears and uncertainties and it ought to trouble us that we can do the Will of so great and good a Master in no better manner and then we shall strive and pray that we may know Gods will as fully and desire to do it as fervently and be enabled to accomplish it as pleasantly and as constantly as the glorious Hosts of Heaven do both the lights in the lower Orbs which exactly observe the laws of their Creation (k) sicut coelestia semper inconcussa suo volvuntur sidera motu and those glorious Angels and blessed Spirits which in the regions of bliss do delight continually (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Constit l. 2. cap. 56. to serve him Oh what affections are vigorous enough to pray for the same obedience and unity consent and uniformity among Gods Children as is there above where every one moves in his own place without disturbance thwarting or opposition making perfect Harmony and keeping exact peace and this is Gods will But the word be done seems to others to have a passive signification viz. That whatever happens to us or any by the will of God whether good or evil it may not be displeasing to us and this further shews why we prayed his Kingdome might come that so he may administer all things as he pleaseth for we are not jealous as the Subjects of earthly Princes sometimes are least our God should make his will an arbitrary law because his Holiness and Mercy Truth and Justice are his will we are most sure whatever is his will is best for us be it Judgment or Mercy plenty or want health or sickness life or death it is the best for us whether we apprehend it or no and we ought to wish it may be done because we know he wills no evil to us (m) eò nobis benè optamus quod nihil mali sit in Dei voluntate Tert. and if something we think ill descends from him we may say as Melito did to the Emperor about the Persecutions (n) Si quidem te jubente hoc faciunt bonum credamus quicquid justo imperatore jubente committitur Euseb l. 4. Histor Eccl. c. 25. in hoc dicto ad sufferentiam nos ipsos admonemus Tert. If thou commandest them they are good because injoyned by a just Authority surely though it may seem hard at present it is judged fittest for us by him that knows our temper and need so did the Author of this prayer learn submission (o) Matth. 26.42 and illustrated this petition by his example and so St. Paul (p) Acts 21.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. and to murmure against Gods choice was forbidden by a Heathen and is so impious and foolish that it is a wishing God out of his Throne and the reins out of his hands that we might sit there and rule all things by our own will as if we wished our former petition unsaid Sure we must not only cease to be Christians but sober men before we can fancy our selves wiser to contrive and fitter to dispense all things then God himself is Socrates his prayer was for what was convenient not what he might desire (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ap Juvenal Permittes ipsis expendere numinibus quid Conveniat nobis rebusque sit utile nostris that is plainly that Gods will might be done And if we were our own Carvers we should through rashness and folly passion and prejudice ever choose the worst and having such experience of our mistakes Jesus teacheth us to desire God to order us as he pleases and if we can live this petition believeing the pleasure of God to be alwaies best we shall have comfort in all Conditions and shall glorifie God by such noble opinions of his Wisdome and Power of his love and mercy more then by whole burnt-offerings and
to desire God to be unjust But our Lord Jesus who payed our scores hath sent us to his Father with these words in our mouths and he calls them truly Our Trespasses to shew his love in redeeming us and Gods mercy in forgiving us not to make us fear them as unpardonable for when we remember our Redeemer we have lively hopes in the midst of our humble acknowledgments because he that payed our Debt makes the same request in heaven for us That God would clear us and charge our iniquities upon him But because we are so apt to remember our needs and forget our duty to pray for good things to our selves and neglect the doing them to others our master hath annexed one of the greatest duties of the Gospel so close to this necessary and desirable request that we cannot ask forgiveness of God but we must promise the same to our neighbours that so Christ may make peace in Earth as well as Heaven we must declare not only to lay as de our groundless prejudices against our bretheren bâ—t to q it all pretences of malice or revenge even to those who have not payed us the returns of love and duty where they were obliged to it and to our enemies that have wronged and harmed us by thought word or deeds Not that our Pardon from God depends absolutely on this or is merited by it but because it is most reasonable that we who request forgiveness of our offences against God should forgive the lesser debts (s) Veniam det facile cui veniâ est opus Ecclus 28.3 Matth. 18.24 cum 28. 10000 Tal. h. e. nostrae monet 1870500 lb 100 Denar h. c. 3. lb 2. sol 6. den vide Waser de Num. ap Critic of our bretheren to uâ— which are fewer in number smaller in valew committed against a meaner person and commonly upon some provocation on our part He that doth so strictly exact his due in these petty injuries deserves to be strictly accounted with himself and may blush to ask of so great a God to abate of his rigour when he a mortal creature will not do it to his Equall how can such a malicious person be sensible of the kindness which God sheweth in forgiving him when he is a stranger to those compassions such a mans person must be hatefull to our Heavenly Father because he is so unlike him (t) Matth. 5.45 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 al. lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grot. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libanius Sophist and his request odious because it is unreasonable and impudent Wherefore take heed least by your malice and uncharitableness you involve your selves into the wrath of God for your own greater injuries and offences § 8. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Temptation doth not in its prime sense in Scripture signifie a sollicitation to evil but any kind of tryal (u) 2 Cor. 13.5 Heb. 11.29 and is expressed both by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duae sunt tentationes una quae decipit altera quae probat secundum eam quae decipit Deus neminem Tentat Aug. Tract 43. in order to the discovery of what we are whether it be done by a Friend as when God tempted Abraham Gen. 22.1 or glorified him as some read with a design to manifest the strength of his Faith or by an enemy as when Sathan desired to sift St. Peter (x) James 1.13 not to purifie him but to manifest that mixture of chaff he could find in him and because evil objects shew what we are and declare us to be evil if we comply with them therefore the setting evil things before us to draw us into sin are also called Temptation but God never tempts thus he may try us by Afflictions and put us in the fire as Gold (y) 1 Pet. 1.6 7. to separate us from our dross nay he will do it (z) Zechar. 13.9 and it is a sign of his love (a) Heb. 12.6 and ought to be a cause of our joy (b) James 1.2 and David begs it as a favour (c) Psal 139.23 Nor do any but cheats and hypocrites fly this tryal or fear to be inquired into Gods Children are willing their Father should try them and tempt them here with intentions of mercy rather then to pass the severe Tryal before the last Tribunal and as to these tryals and temptations Christ would rather teach us to pray to be supported under and carried through them then never to be lead into them which if Gods grace be with us may be for our advantage and honour and his glory Wherefore by Temptation here we are rather to understand the being enticed to commit sin or however a trying whether we will sin and thus it well follows the former Petition (d) Vt non de remittendis tantum sed etiam de avertendis in totum delictis supplicaremus Tert. de Or. Illud ut praeterita eâ—pientur hoc ut futura vitentur Oros de liber arb for having considered the heinous nature and dangerous consequents of former sins and prayed for the forgiveness of them if we spoke that out of a real fear of those dreadful miseries we cannot but desire we may never more fall into such desperate circumstances and to quicken this request let us consider Our enemies are many and mighty vigilant and politick that we are naturally easie and willing to be deceived rash in our choices heedless of danger neither considering before nor examining afterwards and so shall certainly fall every moment it God in mercy do not help us and if we be humble and fear and heartily call for aid against sin (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian l. 4. c. 12. although we should fall some times we declare our hatred of it and if we be not totally free yet we manifest a desire to be free from all and for this we rely not on our own strength but as Jesus hath taught us humbly beg strength from Heaven every day against it But some may wonder why we desire God would not lead us c. sure he that hates sin so perfectly and so lately forgave us will not tempt us to commit more (f) James 1.13 't is most true Sathan is the Tempter (g) Matth. 4.3 and so his name Sathan in Hebrew signifies he being miserable by sin (h) Solatium perditionis suae perdendis hominibus operatur Lact. de orig er desires to make men partners with him in sin and misery by working on those lusts (i) Jam. 1.14 which do draw us into sin But the Devil himself is under the Command of the Almighty who sets him bounds that he cannot pass and gives permission to him to tempt us (k) Job 1.12 Chal. P. Exiit Sathanas cum licentiae à coram Domino so that he could have no power against us except it were given him from on high
bless the name of God And be sure you never omit to bear a part your selves in heart or voice or both for so the Church requires and so the people of God in all ages (m) Exod. 15. ver 1. cum 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. canere respondere signif Med. Diatrib have sung their hymns by turns and responses which Ignatius first ordained in Christian Churches (n) Socrat. Hist trip l. 6. c. 8. supposing by this means they might best stir up each others affections and come nearest to the heavenly pattern where the Seraphims cry one to another holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts (o) Isai 6.3 and if we zealously imitate them here we shall be the fitter to bear a part with them in their eternal Hallelujahs But our designed brevity will allow us no further to press these things because our principal aim is to help Devotion not satisfie curiosity and therefore shall betake our selves to the next Section where we must treat of the means to use the daily Psalms to the benefit of our souls § 8. There is not any part of Divine Service that might be of more general advantage then the use of the Psalms if due care were taken by us of three things 1. To be fitly disposed for them before we begin 2. To be suitably affected when we are about them 3. To retain firmly those affections afterwards Concerning each of which something must be said 1. For preparation It is most certain that our hearts are like an Instrument out of tune and if we begin the melody of the Psalms before we have skrewed up our affections and set them to the right key we shall make an unpleasing discord for which cause the foregoing offices of Repentance are prudently appointed to be first performed that we being thereby mollified and wound up into a frame of Devotion may say our hearts are ready to sing and give Praise Psal 108.1 And certainly we shall find the devout performance of the Penitential part will incomparably fit us to say or sing Davids Psalms with Davids Spirit for having confessed humbly and begged forgiveness earnestly and received the news of our Absolution thankfully our hearts will be replenished with contrition and lowliness and we shall find our spirits tender our desires strong our affections elevated and fixed upon those things that are above then the comforts and promises will cheer us our sense of the wants of our bretheren and our own necessities will give wings to all the Petitions our apprehensions of Gods goodness in Christ Jesus will beget such intire love to him that our very souls shall mingle with our praises how easie and how deep impressions will all these make upon the heart of a true penitent which an unrepentant man is not at all affected with Consult but your own Experience which will convince you that when by some sharp affliction or serious preparation before the Sacrament or the like your affections have been moved to a humble and hearty repetition of the publique Confession then your heart is much affected with Davids devout prayers and hearty thanksgivings and you easily apply them to your own concerns without a Monitor and so you might be disposed every day if you did daily confess your sins with the same affections and dispositions But we must prepare not only to sing with the spirit but with understanding also (p) 1 Cor. 14.15 and therefore let us use all means we can (q) I advise those that are of ability capacity and leisure to read the Psalms for the day privately in Dr. Hammonds excellent Paraphrase before they go to Church and for others to use the Lord Hattons Psalms with the Prayers fitted to them in the same manner to know the meaning of these holy Psalms which is not difficult to do especially so far to understand them as to be able to know when David exhorts us or praises God or prays to him that we may joyn with him in a right manner And indeed a diligent attention will make that sufficiently plain especially if we have seriously considered them in private 2. For suitable affections in the Reading or singing of them we must take notice that there is something more required in these Psalms then in other parts of Holy Writ for other parts of Scripture are Read to us and it sufficeth that we be careful to hear them reverently and attentively and willing to be instructed by them and resolved to be obedient to them But here we our selves do bear a part and we are to speak them as our own words (r) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idem we must pray for what is there desired and we must praise God for those mercies which are here recorded and this requires both an extraordinary attention and also a suitable disposition of mind to the matter of the Psalm which we are repeating So that it is necessary that we consider the subject of each of these Divine Canticles and endeavour to get our hearts into a temper agreeing (s) Tuum spiritum affectu Psalmi forma si affectus sit amoris ama si timoris time c. Aug. in Psal 30. thereunto and so we shall sing these Psalms with such a spirit as they were composed (t) Ad fruendum hunc thesaurum necesse est eodem spiritu Psalmos dicere quo fuerunt compositi Cassian Collat. 10. c. 10. which blessed frame that Holy Spirit that first indited them can only beget in us and no tongue can tell what infinite delight and ravishing pleasures and mighty advantages we might then find in this imployment wherefore having desired the assistance of the Divine grace be careful first to let your hearts go along with the matter of every Psalm and secondly to apply the Gloria Patri at the end of every Psalm according as the subject doth require in which perhaps these general Directions may be helpful to you Observe there are four sorts of Psalms 1. Psalms of instruction 2. of exhortation 3. of supplication 4. of thanksgiving and though many are mixt composures containing all or most of these yet all that is in any of them may be referred to one of these heads and the devout Christian may learn by the following Rules to suit himself for any of them whether single or together 1. The Psalms of Instruction are plain Explications of and profitable Meditations upon some point of Religion as about the Creation and Works of God (u) Psal 8. and the 104. about his Providence (x) Psal 37. and 139. and 147. concerning Christ his Passion (y) Psal 22. and 69. his Resurrection and Ascension (z) Psal 2. and 16. and 110. or his coming to Judgment (a) Psal 50. and 97. c. Now in these and the like Psalms we must make a hearty confession of our belief in these Articles and be thankful to him that revealed them
and be careful to express those practical inferences that are all along drawn from them in our lives and conversations heartily desiring we may live by these holy principles of truth and in these we must exercise especially Faith and Love concluding them with giving Glory to the Father who hath made us partakers of a right Faith in his Son by his Spirit and remembring that every Person of this Glorious Trinity joyns in these eminent works of Creation Providence Redemption and Sanctification let us heartily praise God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for all that is done or designed for the sons of men Let thy soul say Oh Lord I confess the truth of these things I believe them fully and I admire them highly and will ever love thee for declaring them I acknowledge thy Power in Creating thy Bounty in sustaining thy Wisdome in ordering and thy Mercy in relieving and preserving all the World I discern thy love in our Redemption I hope in thy might for a resurrection to life and I trust in thy Mercy for a share in thy glory Glory be to the Father c. for all this 2. The Psalms of Exhortation which are serious admonitions backed with powerful motives and convincing arguments and cleer examples by which we are stirred either to some Acts of moral Virtue (b) Psal 15. and 101. or to some Duties of positive Religion to fear God or study his Law or observe his Will (c) Psal 1. and 34. and 119. or else we are warned against sin by threatnings and examples (d) Psal 7. and 58. and 64. particularly against distrust in God by the History (e) Psal 78.105 106. of his Providence over his own people That we may profit by these it is requisite that we do weigh the promises and motives to holiness so seriously that we be convinced of our folly in neglecting these duties and resolved to set upon the sincere performance of them and it is necessary that we consider the evils that are appointed for and threatned to all sorts of sins and the sad instances and examples of sinners that have been made miserable thereby till we find our hearts moved with fear and penitence and till we have taken up purposes of speedy forsaking those dangerous courses so that here we are to exercise humility and Repentance fear of God and pious resolutions which being finished in the Doxology is a superadded act of Praise to the Father for sparing us to the Son for interceding for us and to the Holy Ghost for warning and convincing us and this Glory be to the Father c. doth declare you are thankful for the admonition and resolved to take warning and full of hopes of the Divine assistance to help you to forsake the evil and follow the good In these Psalms take the same resolutions which holy David did and encourage your selves with the same hopes love what he loves desire what he longed for believe and expect what he promiseth to himself hate what he hated take warning by what he observed and fear the same sad event if you go on in the same way with those sinners that are made examples to you evermore praising God for these gracious discoveries and saying Glory be c. 3. The Psalms of Supplication which are most ardent Petitions for all good things for your selves your Bretheren and the whole Church in all circumstances and upon all occasions These are private Prayers for Pardon of sin (f) Psal 25. and 51. and 143. for Restauration to Gods favour (g) Psal 4. and 42. and 63. for Patience in trouble (h) Psal 39. and 88. for deliverance from Spiritual or Temporal enemies (i) Psal 55. and 59 and 71. and 74. and also publique Prayers for the King (k) Psal 21. and 72. and for the Church and people of God (l) Psal 68. and 79. and 80. and such like Which that we may be fitly disposed for we must have a quick and feeling sense of our own and our bretherens wants a firm belief of Gods all-sufficiency a strong confidence in the intercession of Jesus Christ and a full persuasion of the acceptableness of these requests which are drawn up by the Holy Ghost And these devout prayers will give us occasion to shew our care of our own souls and our universal charity to all the world our love to Gods Church and our intire dependance on his Power and Mercy and may fitly be closed with a giving Glory to the Father who heareth us to the Son who pleads for us in Heaven and to the Holy Ghost who directs and assists us on Earth and we have cause to bless him who hath heard both our and others Prayers and will do so to the end of the world giving all persons in all ages past present and to come great-cause of Eucharist and thanksgiving for by this Gloria Patri added to our Prayers we declare our confidence and hope that he will grant us our desires who is and was and ever shall be the helper of all that flee to him for succour and we call to mind that many are now praising him in heaven for hearing these very Petitions we now put up Art thou poor or miserable sick or weak despised or slandered persecuted or oppressed here thou mayest breath out thy complaints to him that can help thee or those that are so Art thou under trouble of conscience or fear of Gods anger worsted by temptation or sluggish in holy duties or any waies spiritually indisposed here are most proper and pertinent forms for thy comfort and redress Art thou a well-wisher to all the world a lover of Gods people a friend to the Peace of Kingdoms and a faithful Subject to thy own Prince hast thou any detestation for sinners or desire of their Conversion any pitty for the calamitous and wishes for their deliverance if thou bring a charitable heart thou mayest pray for all or any of these in such prevailing words that ere thou hast done speaking thou mayest have such assurances of a gracious return as to sing Glory be to the Father c. 4. The Psalms of thanksgiving are those joyful songs of Praise and Eucharist and lovely descriptions of the Divine goodness to the World but especially to us and all his own people Such are those wherein God is praised for all his mercies (m) Psal 103. and 136. and 145. for those bestowed on our bodies (n) Psal 116. and 130. health plenty (o) Psal 65. and 104. victories over our enemies (p) Psal 18. and 144. and 149. as also for what he hath done for our souls (q) Psal 66. and 111. and 118. and in these Psalms are most earnest exhortations to joyn in praising his holy Name and most exact Characters of all Gods gracious dealings with us and all mankind wherefore that we may joyn in heart and voice let us bring with us hearts fully sensible of our
Apostles are raviâ—hed with his glory whom they saw in his weaknâ—ss The Prophets are delighted with him whom they prophesied of but never beheld before The Martyrs are transpoâ—ted with his love and forgetting all their torments solace themselves in his joyes and every gaping wound (d) Quot vulnera hiantia tot ora laudantia Deum is a mouth to chant out his Praise Oh what honour is it to serve such a Lord what delight to be admitted to so glorious a society Summon up all the powers and fâ—culties of your souls and as they fill Heaven do yoâ— fill the Earth with setting out the Majesty of his Glory § 3. The second part of this Hymn in the eleven following versicles is a Confession of Faith And eveâ—y Aâ—ticle thereof is a fâ—rther motive to praise God eitâ—er foâ— the gâ—ory of his Essence or the mercy that appears in his works And since we see God at present only by Faith the Profession of that Faith is to us reputed a glorifying of him (e) Rom. 15.6 The Saints and Angels have a fâ—ll view and what they â—o by Joy we do by Faith and holy desires of a nearer union Aâ—d certainly we cannot set out the Majesty of his Glory better then by assenting to that Revelation which his Truth hath made of himself and by confessing him that the glorious Hosts of Heaven adore and the Universal Châ—â—ch doth and ever did acknowledge For so we agree in a sweet harmony with the Saints and Angels in heaven and with all holy men our Bretheren on the earth For the unanimous consent of the Servants is a manifestation of the Masters honour And it is an evidence that our Lord is really such and so glorious as we believe him to be since all unite in the profession of it Aâ—d this holds good most evidâ—ntly in the great mistery of the Trinity which the Celestial Quire owns by their Trisagium Holy Hâ—ly Holy And the Catholick Church hath most unanimously acknowledged most sacredly kept and most courageously defended above all other Articles so that all those agree in this who differ in many other points Let us then chearfully acknowledge the infinite Majesty of the Father who governs all Creatures and declare the honour of his true and only Son whose Glory is great in our salvation Let us confess the Divinity of that holy Spirit who is our Advocate in Heaven and our Comforter (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 u rumque signif Johan 14.16 1 Ep. Johan 2. ver 1. upon the Earth Above all let us be carefull that the humiliation of our mercifull Redeemer do not abate of our esteem To prevent which the Church in this Hymn as also in all her Creeds makes the largest and most particular Confession of the Son of God and we have here a full account of Divinity and Humanity because by the malice of Sathan these have been so confounded and mistaken by so many Heresies and we have also a recital of those works of his which most concern us because it is the interest of us all to know and believe these which more directly tend to our salvation then any other of the works of God and therefore do more strongly engage our gratitude for we shall find abundaâ—t matter of Praise both in what Jesus is in his nature and what he hath done for us He is very God and therefore we give â—im that title which alone belongs to the Lord of hosts and St. Ambrose the best interpreter of this Hymn saith (g) Psal 24 7. 10. Quis est iste Rex gloriae Respondetur à scientibus Dominus virtutùm ipse est Rex gloriae Ergo Dominus virtutùm est ipse filius Ambros de Fide lib. 4. that twenty fourth Psalm was sung by the Angels at our Saviours Resurrection those who came with him calling to those in Heaven to open the gates for the King of Glory who answered them as it is in that Psalm And we may call him the King of Glory both as he is very God and because he hath purchased Glory for us and shall distribute it to us and shall receive glory and praise from us and all that are partakers of it And his glory depends not on our praises but is inseparable from his nature because he is the true and only begotten Son of God not Created as the Angels nor Adopted as Men but by Eternal Generation Coeternal with the Father and Coequal What though he was born in time the Son of Man this doth not take away his Being the Son of God nor change his nature but express his love and engage our affections Dear Jesus whether hath thy love carried thee from Glory to misery from the highest Throne in Heaven to the lower parts of the Earth (h) Ephes 4.9 Pudorem exordii nostri non recusaâ—iâ— sed contumelias naturae nostrae transcurrit Hilar How hast thou pursued â—s through all the stages of our infelicity from the dishonours of the Womb to those of the Tombe not abhorring the meanest place that was pure nor the lowest condition that Innocence could be put into What cause have we to bless thee (i) Ideo quod homo est Christus esse voluit ut homo possit esse quod Christus est who wert pleased to become what we were that we might be not what we deserved but as thou art Holy Saviour we believe and rejoyce in believing that thou wast born like us livedst with us and diedst for us and that death was our life it was shameful and inglorious sharp and tormenting so terrible as might startle a great confidence in a good cause But it was not more bitter to thee then sweet to us We even we Oh Lord had armed Death with a sting sharp and venomous for our sin had provoked the Divine wrath And this sting though with the suffering (k) 1 Cor. 15.57 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devicto mortis aâ—uleo Ambr. of inexpressible dolours thou hast pulled out and having satisfied the Justice of God canst now triumph over death it self and enable us with comfort to say O Death where is thy sting with which thou didst threaten all the World with unavoidable destruction Who can behold what thou hast suffered and we have escaped and not be ravished with thy Love Oh blessed Lord Jesus The way to Heaven was ever open to Innocence but we all had sinned and come short of the glory of God Heaven gates were shut against us and Hells mouth open to receive us And in this estate our life had been worse then death by the dreadful expectations of deserved vengeance and our death had certainly delivered us up to feel what we feared Do we live with any comfort 'T is thou hast removed our fears Can we dye with any peace It is thou alone hast renewed our hopes if any men that are or ever were or shall be are admitted into this Kingdome
probable he was a person considerable very likely him whom the Jews call Simeon the first who lived at this time and was the son of the most famous Rabbi Hillel (i) Vid. Scultet Exerc. Evang. l. 1. c. 61. and Light-foots Harm on this place who opposed the received opinion of the temporal Kingdome of the Messiah for it is certain our Simeon did so or he had never thus rejoyced over a Messiah presented by so mean Parents in swadling clothes at the gates of the Temple It was not the object that appeared to his eyes but the illumination of the Spirit and the prospect of his Faith that elevated his affections Wherefore we need not pretend to dismiss this holy song by alledging it was an extraordinary occasion for the writings of thâ— Apostles which are daily read among us do as clearly represent him the Saviour of the world to the eye of Faith and set him before us as evidently in the house of God as any bodily sight could do to him and if our minds be inlightened and our faith firm as his we have the same occasion and ought to rehearse it with the same devotion The mercy is made sufficiently plain to us it we were but as apprehensive of the advantages it brings to us and all men as he was I know not why we should wish to live any longer then till we have obtained hopes of a share in it But we have houses to build families to propagate and designs to compleat and all before we are willing to dye We desire something besides nay perhaps more then an Interest in Jesus and therefore we dare not joyn in this noble wiâ—h But he was dead to the world before and had been impatient of a longer stay but only for the promise to have a sight of Jesus in the flesh And when this long-wished for happiness was come to pass his expectations are answered and all his desires filled He values nothing here but humbly craves his dismission His holy soul that came from God can find no rest on the waters of this world and therefore desires to return with an Olive-branch of peace to its dear Lord (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Câ—em Al. Strom. 4o. Mortem Stoici appellare solent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian where it was sure of rest and joy among the best of friends He now desires leave to depart from the flesh which he had long esteemed his Prison wherein he was confined by his infirmities (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Themistius ap Stobae and shut up from beholding the glories of God which he now longs to see more then ever by this last experience of his Truth and Mercy and he knew that death would set him free his desires and joy begin to swell too big to be confined in the walls of flesh and now he is even straitned till he be let loose into the regions of glory to praise him face to face And yet his extasies transport him not beyond the measures of obedience and humility for he first asks his Masters leave nor will he go till he have Commission but he intimates he had stript himself of all worldly desires and had his inner coat his flesh in his hands ready to lay it down and run whenever the watch word (m) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ar. was given His hopes and desires to see his Saviour had alone made his life acceptable and the fulfilling of them makes even death most welcome to him because he knew that Jesus came to disarm death and by satisfying for sin to deprive it of that sting which made it terrible to all men All the sin-offerings of the law were but weak armor to encounter death nor could they so fully purge or appease the Conscience as that it should not accuse in the fatal hour But the perfect Sacrifice of the death of Jesus doth so fully avert Gods wrath that all that believe in him can triumph over death meet it with courage and embrace it with peace as the end of their fears and the entrance into their felicity (n) 1 Cor. 15.55 Non est timendum quod liberat nos ab omni timendo How can he fear death that hath his sins forgiven or how can he doubt Gods mercy that beholds his Son with faith and love or how can he question the truth of Gods Promises that embraces Jesus the greatest of all in his arms He that knows Gods power is persuaded of his love and convinced of his truth can dye in peace and lye down with joy in the assurance of a blessed Resurrection And this we may do for it was only their priviledge who lived then to see Jesus and whoever looked on him so as to dare to dye then must behold him by faith and thus we may see Christ not only with Simeon presented in the Temple but with St. Steven standing at the right hand of God not only in his rising but his full glory Why then are we so fixed to this world so desirous to stay so loath to depart so sad when God calls Oh let us look on this our Redeemer so stedfastly and embrace him so tenderly in our hearts that it may appear he is dearer to us then our very lives Let us love him so intirely that nothing may satisfie us without him and trust so fully in his merits and mercies that we may live chearfully and dye peaceably Let us say with this devout Old man Lord I do now so clearly perceive thy purposes of mercy so confidently believe thy promises of forgiveness and so firmly rely on the hopes of glory that I resolve to be ever thy servant I desire to stay no longer in this world then to get assurances for a better Earths vanities do not make me wish to live nor deaths terrors afraid to dye If thou callest me this day Lord I come I can live with patience or dye in peace for I see him that will preserve me in life or death and gives me hopes that whether I live or dye I am the Lords I was not with Simeon in the Temple to behold my Saviour with my bodily eyes but I have had thy Salvation as clearly manifested in this thy holy word as if I had seen him with my eyes Lord grant me thy holy Spirit that I may behold him with the same faith and embrace him with the same affections that he did and then I shall chearfully joyn in a Nunc Dimittis and being daily ready to dye shall ever be fit to live and thy will shall be done in my life or death Blessed Lord thou hast even to our dayes by these holy writings sufficiently manifested thy Son before all our faces and it is our carelesness ingratitude and unbelief that hides him from our eyes and makes us hug these vanities and fear to leave them But thou hast done thy part and I will praise thee for sending this bright and glorious Sun
will obtain help from him for us by the power of his undenyable intercession and as a glorious Conqueror commands the Earth and Hell it self So that his might will secure us here and this is our strong Tower in which we believe our selves so safe that upon the confidence thereof we pray for protection and defence and that we may neither fear nor feel harm from any of our opposers and desire this may be granted and decreed in heaven by the mighty interest of our Mediator there and accomplished on earth by the invincible strength of the same Jesus here Amen The Paraphrase of the Collects for Peace O God who by thy constant power and providence art the author of safety and the cause of our peace from without the procurer of amity and lover of concord within thy Church and among thy people Thou art the only true God in knowledge of whom standeth out chief happiness in eternal life and our best means of coming safe thither for thou art the best of all Masters whose service is safe and pleasant because it is perfect freedom from the slavery of Sathan and the fear of his instruments Therefore mighty Lord be pleased to defend us who fly to thy protection and surrender up our selves to thee vowing we are and ever will be thy humble servants Oh keep us safe in soul and body if not from yet however in all assaults which are made upon us by the power malice or cunning of our enemies let their attempts be so constantly frustrated that we under the shadow of thy wings may couragiously proceed in our holy course and surely trusting in thy defence while we are faithful to thy service that we may not so much as fear the power or policy of any adversaries since we have so good grounds to hope thou wilt now and alwaies hear us through the interest and help us through the might of Iesus Christ thy dear son our Lord and only Saviour Amen The Analysis of the third Collect for Grace In this Collect are four parts 1. A confession of the Attributes of God 1. Love O Lord our heavenly Father 2. Power Almigâ—ty and 3. Eternity everlastiâ—g God 2. An acknowledgment of his Providence Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day 3. A Petition for â—is grace 1. To preserve us from evil 1. In general defend us in the same with thy mighty power 2. In particular from 1. Spiritual and grant that this day we fall into no sin 2. Temporal neither run into any kind of danger 2. To help us in doing good that we may be 1 Directed by him but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance 2. Accepted of him to do alwâ—ies that which is righteous in thy sight 4. The means to obtain it through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Practical Discourse on the Collect for Grace § 5. O Lord our heavenly Father almighty and everlasting God Peace without Grace is the nurse of vice the sauce of dangerous pleasures It occasions our forgetfulness of God that gave it and becomes an undisturbed opportunity to prosecute and enjoy those lusts which it is apt to breed So that we must not pray for Peace alone but joyned with righteousness and Grace for these God hath united in Scripture (n) Psal 85.10 2 Cor. 1 2. and we must not separate them in our devotions For which cause this Collect for Grace follows that for Peace Grace alone can make Peace true beneficial and lasting and sin is the great boutefen and the greatest enemy to Peace in the world So that by receiving this Collect devoutly we still improve our former request and if we can obtain such grace as to make us just and charitable meek and patient towards one another this world will be the Type of everlasting Peace We shall neither disquiet our selves nor others while our doings are directed by the wisdome and agreeable to the will of the God of peace Since therefore Grace is so necessary for us we must learn where to seek it and its very name will lead (o) Gratia est gratis data non meritis operantis sed miseratione donantis August Epist 120. us to the free and inexhaustible fountain whence it ever flows even to God who gives to all men liberally and upbraideth no man The very Heathens confessed it the gift of God (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. Mem. Nulla sine Deo mens bona Seneca who will rejoyce to hear such a request from an humble soul that is sensible of its own weakness and desirous of his strength He will be more ready to grant then you can be to ask (q) Luke 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maxim Tyrius in dissert Consider but the Attributes the Church hath prefixed to this Prayer Is not the Lord your heavenly Father and shall not he pitty and love you and delight to do you good Is he not Almighty and therefore able to relieve you and Everlasting the same yesterday today and for ever Being All-sufficient and never to be drawn dry though we come day by day unto him We have no reason to doubt either his sufficiency his might or his mercy and therefore no cause to fear but this Petition shall prevail We are on Earth but we have a Father in Heaven we are weak but our Lord is Allmighty our time is measured by daies and nights and we grow older every day and must at length have our end but we have a God that changeth not but is the same from everlasting to everlasting Let this chear our hearts (r) Psal 102.25 26 27. and give wings to our Petitions and strength to our faith Let us fly to him and rest upon him for we can never come to him for grace but we are sure to find him furnished with it and both able and ready to bestow it upon us § 6. Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day The Mercies of God are new every morning and so ought our Praises to be (s) Lament 3.23 Psal 92.1 2. Occurrere ergo ad solis Ortum ut te Oriens invenint jam paratum Ambr. in Psal 119. offered still with a fresh Devotion to which purpose being now come to the shore it will be a pleasant and profitable prospect to look back on the great deep the darkness of the night which we have passed and now to remember that though we were folded in the arms of sleep the brother of death and were insensible of danger and uncapable of resistance yet we have gone safe through those dismal shades which are the image of hell the embleme of death the opportunity of mischief and the most uncomfortable part of our lives And though the Heathens supposed the Dominion of the Night to belong to the Infernal Powers yet we have found it is under the government of our heavenly Father by whose gracious providence we have been kept therein from
title and seems to have the same subject with that in the morning Office And indeed Peace is so desirable a blessing that we cannot pray for it too often especially if it be for different kinds of Peace as it is in the present case if we well observe it In the Morning we pray for external in the evening for internal peace In the beginning of the day being to dispatch various affairs and converse with the world we desire to be preserved from the injuries affronts and designs of evil men In the close thereof we request that tranquility of mind that springs from the testimony of a good Conscience that when our hearts lye as easie as our heads our sleep may be sweet and quiet The first kind of Peace sometimes the best of men cannot obtain for the wicked will do wickedly but even then this inward peace will support us and make a calm within when the waves beat most furiously from without So that this is the most necessary and most advantageous Wherefore we are taught to ask this which is called the Peace of God from the God of peace who is here described to us as the author and finisher of all holiness and righteousness the surest and only foundations for a true and lasting peace From which we may learn that there is an inseparable union between righteousness and true peace (z) Fac justitiam habebis pacem tu fortè unam habere vis alteram non vis at osculantur hae amant hae si amicam pacis non amaveris non amabit te pax Aug. Psal 85.10 and that we cannot have that unless it spring from holy desires good counsels and just works If the grace of God work these in us it is not all the slanders (a) Conscia mens recti famae mendadacia ridet Ovid. Bona via gaudium semper habet Isidor Soliloqu the scorn nor injustice of the world can hinder the serene reflexions and inward Peace of a good conscience He that doth not deserve reproach can nobly despise it and he that hath not provoked his neighbour to wrong him by any evil doing can easily bear the greatest of injuries Whereas if all the world be quiet and none disturb the wicked man he makes himself restless (b) Si in mundo non est quod timeant pacem habere putantur sed pax ista cum conscientia semper litigat rixatur intrinsecus cum hostem non habet secum decertat Cassiodor in Psal because there is an enemy within that upbraids him more loudly and wounds him more deeply then he can do the holy man Whoever therefore enquires for true peace let them here behold him in and from whom are all the causes of it with love and admiration And let them acknowledge to his glory and their own comfort that he is the Author and finisher of every good work (c) James 1.17 Philip. 2.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocles He excites our affections to desire it engageth our will to choose it and strengtheneth our hands to perform it There are no holy thoughts in our minds (d) 2 Cor. 3.5 nor good purposes in our hearts (e) Prov. 16.1 nor any righteous actions in our lives (f) Isai 26.12 but it is in and by and through him To him then let us make our supplications that he will fill our hearts with the motions of his holy spirit the first seeds of all vertue and by the continuing influence of the same grace make these holy thoughts spring up into prudent and religious resolutions and determinations and by favourable circumstances and addition of strength ripen them into pious and just works And the fruit hereof will be peace and we may chearfully hope and pray that he that planted the root and sowed the seed will give us the pleasure of the fruit and comfort of the harvest which is the sweetest and most enduring peace And let us beware since we confess this to be the fruit of righteousness that when we seem most earnest in our prayers for this peace we do not wilfully deprive our selves of it and hinder our own wishes by stifling holy thoughts and breaking pious resolutions and neglecting good works For he that cuts the root and lops off the branches must not expect ever to eat of this fruit and if he complains deserves to be silenced as the Author of his own misery § 2. Give unto thy Servants that Peace which the world cannot give To ask a thing inconsiderable of a mighty prince may seem a disparagement because he can as easily bestow a province on a faithful Servant as another can give a small gratuity So when we that are the Servants of the most high make our Petitions it must be for such things as are not in our power nor in the power of any other to bestow Our requests must be proportionable to his infinite bounty rather then our deserts We must ask something which may become his Majesty to give that our Lord may be glorified by the very expectations of his Servants We now desire peace but it is such a Peace as no other hand can dispense a Peace that is not given as the world gives in a feigned Complement or an empty wish at best (g) John 14.27 Homines plerumque frigidae tantum Ceremoniae causâ pacem in ore habent vel si pacem alicui seriò precantur non tamen cam reipsâ dare possunt Calv. in loc but in sincerity and with effect a peace differing from the worlds Peace in its nature causes and Qualities in all which it far excels it This Peace is grounded on the evidence of Faith in that reconciliation which the merits of Jesus have procured (h) Rom. 5.1 2. between the Divine Majesty and our sinful souls from the persuasion whereof ariseth such cleer hopes of pardon such a lively sense of Gods love with such abundant satisfaction therein and such fixed expectations of eternal glory thereby that no ravishments are comparable to the pleasures of it And then it is further comfirmed by the testimony of a good (i) 2 Cor. 1.12 conscience declaring we have endeavoured to walk answerable to this infinite love by a strict observance of all the will of God which occasions such a pleasing calm in our souls and creates so brisk a delight in every review that no tongue can tell the joy of such souls but only theirs that feel it This is the Peace which is so sweet and so unmixed so charming and powerful that no sinful pleasures can entice nor no earthly calamities force a holy man from the embraces of it The Peace of the world if it spring from the friendship and love of men hath innumerable allays For this is sometimes no more but guilded flattery and a cover for more unexpected and dangerous assaults But if true it can neither support you under nor secure you against the anger of God and must
dye when the first of you two lovers descends to the grave If it arise from plenty it will make your delights wormwood to remember how quickly you may be stript of them what excellent things you have given for them and how speedily you must be taken from them however your peace and plenty must expire together Give us then O Lord that Peace which is grounded on thy truth and the merits of Jesus upon a sense of thy love and an experience of thy grace for this can never deceive nor fail us because it ends in everlasting Peace And let us not seek this in the Freindships of the wicked nor the storehouses of pleasure but in Jesus and an holy life in heavenly desires pious resolutions and religious Conversation In which the grace of God will help us for we are his servants and make our applications to him for it and since we seek not as the world seeks no doubt we shall find a Peace so sweet and ravishing as that nothing which the men of this World know can be compared to it § 3. That hoth our hearts may be set to obey thy Commandements It is the Epicure that desires Peace that he may wallow in sinful pleasures But our first and principal end in this Petition is that we may have no interruption to our holiness because our cheif desire is to lead a good life (k) De pace temporis per pacem pectoris transeamus ad pacem aeternitatis Durand lib. 4. cap. 39. And how pleasant will this sound in the ears of him who is the fountain of all holy desires good counsels and just works when we wish peace it self only as a means to righteousness I have observed before that peace first springs from a holy life and now must add that it encreases that holiness to which it owes its Original by a reciprocal gratitude The fear of Gods irrevocable displeasure and the accusations of conscience may discourage and persuade us we cannot safely undertake nor hope to finish a course of piety And then for want of this peace our good desires seldom come so far as religious resolutions seldomer to be righteous actions But this Peace will be as a guard (l) Phil. 4.7 Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praesidio erit cordibus vestris See Rom. 15.13 to exclude these fears to keep us firm in our allegiance to God and to make us abound in hope and constancy to the end For in this we tast the sweetness of Religion the winning and yet solid delights it doth afford And then it will in our thoughts sure be so far esteemed above all other things that nothing can be able to separate us from the love of God (m) Qui in malis fuerit conversus est ad bonum dum gaudet de bonis quae invenit recordatur malorum quae evasit difficulter redit ad malum Opus imperfect in Matth. ap Chrysost hom 2. cap. 2. Thus his favour becomes our joy his Spirit our comforter his grace our help and his glory our reward And would any reject these priviledges and cast away these advantages for honour pleasures profit or friends Break his league with heaven to make such friendships Can any man that ever tasted the living waters of the divine grace long for the corrupt and standing pool of any sublunary contents If we desire our hearts should be so fixed let us beg an experience of this Peace Nothing draws us more powerfully ties more closely nor keeps us constant more surely then this For thus we shall learn to love holiness it self and to welcome all good motions and diligently to improve them till they bring forth their desired fruit § 4. And also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness through the merits of Iesus Christ our Saviour Amen The sum of our happiness on earth is to lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty And if we can obtain the Peace of God we may be happy in both these And since our heavenly Master not only delights in the holiness but hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants we use it as an argument to move him to grant us this Peace by representing that it will compleat our felicity for it will fix our hearts in the obedience of his laws and will make our â—ives most comfortable He must be highly base that will injure and offend an innocent and blameless man a friend of Heaven who deserves and gains the affections of most men (n) Qui infra diligitur idem supra diligitur R. Mos Aeg. Sat fautores semper habet qui recte facit Seneca Yet if such an one be injured he is sure of the aid of an Almighty defender and his own heart being filled with the Peace of God he enjoyes tranquillity in his own brest and is not to be constrained by violence from without not cannot be terrified by any fears within For since his care is to please God he daily experiences that heavens eye is over him and is more and more confirmed that his foundation is sure And thus be it night or day he can pass it over with all inward quietness so that nothing in this world can make such an one miserable Let us be earnest then with the author of all holiness to give us that Peace which may be the nurse and guard of our piety the support and comfort of our lives that our daies may be safe and our nights pleasant and every moment engage us to new acts of Praise And let us beg this Peace for the merits sake of Jesus who hath purchased a Covenant of Peace with his precious blood remembring we deserve by our sins to live in perpetual disturbance but for his sake we may hope for Peace and desire it as the readiest way to temporal yea and to eternal happiness Amen The Paraphrase of the Collect for Peace in the Evening Prayer O God the giver of every good and perfect gift from whom and by whose grace all holy desires first spring up in our hearts and all good Counsels and holy resolutions grow till they bring forth the fruit of righteous actions and all just works both holiness and the truest Peace which flows from it do proceed from thee Wherefore gracious Lord give unto us that acknowledg our selves thy servants such firm persuasions of our reconciliation to thee and such comfortable testimonies of our obedience to thy will that we may ever enjoy that Peace which is so sweet and sure that the world with all its Friendship and Plenty cannot give any Peace worthy to be compared with it Grant us so to tast this delicious fruit of a holy life that both our wavering and inconstant hearts by the experience of this Peace may be set firmly and resolved stedfastly to obey thy commandements to the encrease of our Piety and also that by thee
us that the constant opposition of the Popes to the Emperors had occasioned it to pass for a Proverb proprium est Ecclesiae edisse Caesares that it was natural to the Church to hate the Emperor Which how justly it is said of the Roman Church the world knows But 't is sure nothing is more contrary to the principles and practise of this our Church who may rejoyce and glory in her fervent love of her gracious King her devout prayers for him and her constant loyalty to him and his Royal Progenitors So that I hope it may be more justly said that it is natural to the true Sons of the Church of England to love the King Whoever loves the peace of the Church doth heartily pray for the flourishing of the Crown because they live and grow together and he that is a friend to one cannot be a foe to the other His friends are our friends and his enemies our enemies For whoever attempts to smite the Shepheard (n) Si quis ovem jugulat gregem imminuit at qui pastorem tolà t omnes dissipat Chrys in 1 Tim. 2. seeks to destroy the flock and he is a mortal foe to the whole nation (o) In reos majestatis publicos hostes omnis homo miles est Tertul. I know nothing so common with rebels and usurpers as to pretend love to those they would stir up against their lawful Prince but it appeares to be ambition and covetousness in the later end and such persons design to rise by the fall of many thousands Or it Religion should be the ground of the quarrel besides our late sad experience Reason will tell us that War and faction injustice and cruelty can never lodge in those brests where that pure and peaceable quality doth dwell If it be a forreign Prince that opposeth our King he is a Robber and unjust to invade his neighbours rights if he be a Subject who riseth against his Soveraign he hath renounced Christianity with his allegiance and is to be esteemed a troubler of our Israel (p) Nisi falior Vsurpator bellum infert Imperator jus suum tuetur Ambr. Therefore whosoever they be that are enemies to the King or whatsoever the pretence be we wish they may never prosper in that black impiety of unjust invasion or unchristian rebellion And how exactly our fidelity and our devotions in this agree with the rites and manners of the first and best Christians may appear to any discerning person (q) Pro pâ—â—ssimo à Deo conservando Imp. nostro oâ— nique palatio exercitat ejus prâ— quo pugnare Dominum Deum nostrum dignetur subjicere sub pedibus ejus omnem hostem hellatorem Liturg. S. Basil ita ferè Lit. Chrys Exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum Tertul. Apol. c. 30. ut subjectas habeant gentes ut amotâ perturbatione seditionis succedat laetitia Ambr. in 1 Tim. 2. We know the Emperors when Heathens and afterwards obtained many and great Victories by the Christians prayers for which cause one of the Legions (r) Euseb Eccles hist l. 5. c. 5. was sirnamed the thundering Legion and let us pray in hope our prayers shall not be less effectual for a Prince of the right Faith that so the enemies of his soul and of his life the enemies of his Crown and dignity may either be converted or discovered defeated and deservedly punished and then we may live in love and peace and give the glory of our safety to him who strengthens the hands and hearts of all faithful subjects and gives the Victory to his Anointed § 9. And finally after this life that he may attain everlasting joy and felicity through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Having now wished our Prince all the happiness which this world is capable of we must remember he is mortal and though never so dear to us he must be taken from us His health must end in sickness his wealth in a Sepulchre his life and his glories here must have an end For he that conquers all other enemies must add to the number of deaths trophies and fall under the hand of the last enemy Wherefore we do most heartily pray that an earthly and transient prosperity may not be all his portion but that he may so please God in the Administration of this temporal Authority that when all these things cease he may be admitted to that never ceasing felicity of Heaven to reign in a glorious eternity crowned with that Crown of life which fadeth not away which doth so infinitely transcend all that an earthly Diadem can afford that the greatest Monarchs have renounced th ir Crowns and Scepters and all the pleasures and magnificence of their Courts and sought after it in the retirements of a poor obscurity accounting it a blessed exchâ—nge to part with Earth for Heaven Temporals for Eternals There is now nothing further in this world we can desire and therefore we pray that our dear Soveraign may never be so deceived with the glories of this golden Crown as to forget much less neglect or despise to seek for that glorious Crown which is richer sweeter and safer a thousand times but that he may be happy both in this world and the next through Jesus Christ who is the blessed and only potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords by his merits alone those whose swords can cut them a passage to an earthly throne must be admitted to reign in glory and he must intercede for those to whom the world make their Petitions they who by their interest and power can have or do any thing here must be there accepted through Jesus Christ as well as the meanest of their Subjects Wherefore in his name we ask and by his mediation we hope to obtain that our beloved Prince may be prosperous and holy wise and couragious that he may have a healthful body a pious Soul a quiet mind faithful counsellors loyal Subjects conquering armies a long life abounding with riches and honour and at the end of these transient glories a never ceasing joy in the Kingdom of heaven and let every good Subject and good Christian whoever loves the Church and respects his Country say Amen Let us pray thus and live thus to the honour of God the establishment of Religion and the welfare of both King and people Amen The Paraphrase of the Prayer for the Kings Majesty O Lord our heavenly Father who art most high in dignity and mighty in power To whom should we pray for our earthly Governours but to thee the Supreme King of Kings and the absolute Lord of Lords from whom they derive their authority and to whom alone they are accountable since thou art the only Ruler of the hearts and examiner of the actions of Princes we acknowledg thee the King of all the world who dost from the highest heaven thy throne by â—hy all-sufficient providence take care of and with thy
place (m) Titus 2. ver 11. Vatab. Gratia salutaris c. See Psal 132 ver 16. That the Governours may be prudent the Ministers faithful and the People diligent and all of them ready and vigorous for the duties of Religion and every good work § 3. And that they may truly please thee pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing As the Grace of God is requisite to fit all the members of Christs Church for their several offices and duties so his blessing is necessary to make their labours prosperous Man is called by Philo the coelestial plant having his root reverst (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. de insid pejor and seeming to grow from heaven And herein the comparison holds that as plants require the influence of heaven to quicken them and the dew thereof to moisten them so those which are set in the Church the garden of God require the salutary spirit of grace to make them live and the irrigations of the divine blessing to make them spring and bring forth fruit It is not from our pains nor your diligence alone that success must come not from him that plants nor him that waters but from God that gives the Increase (o) 1 Corinth 3.5 6. Whole buckets of water poured on by the hand of man will not so much refresh the Plant as the gentler showers and dew from above wherefore the dew is used to express plenty and abundant increase (p) Gen. 27.28 Deut. 33.18 and 28. Hoseah 14.5 particularly in knowledg (q) Deut. 32.1 Aegyptii eruditionem indicantes coelum pingunt rorem fundens Caussin Hieroglyph Horax 35. of which the dew falling from the Clouds was the Hierogliphick among the Aegyptians Let us then most passionately gasp for this prolifick dew that we may not only please God by our constant and ready attendances upon Prayers and other offices but truly and throughly please him by our fruitfulness under these means let it appear by our humility and charity our justice and innocence by the success of the Ministers and the improvement of every Congregation that we do not receive the Grace of God in vain For he is ready to give his blessing if we be fit to receive it he will not only sprinkle but pour it on us because we need large measures and that not only at some seldome seasons but continually at both the morning and evening Sacrifice least affliction or temptation should wither us Oh! what Soul doth not long to be thus watered since nothing can fructify without it nor can any thing dye or be barren that doth enjoy it Let us humbly pray that the good orders of our Bishops the prayers and Exhortations of our Ministers and the constant attendancies of our People may be thus watered from above that we may bring forth an hundred-fold and send forth a pleasant favour of good works (r) Et eum à siecitate continuâ immaduerit imbre tunc emittit illum suum habitum divinum ex sole conceptum cui cemparari suavitas nulla potest Plin. lib. 17. c. 5. Genes 27.27 like the fields of Palestina when watered from the coelestial springs And so should every member of Christs Church live and grow and flourish then which nothing is more desirable § 4. Grant this O Lord for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator Iesus Christ Amen We must not allow either the Clergy or People to ask these Petitions with any designs to advance their own glory or to become famous for their gifts or graces For the end must be the manifestation of the glories of our Advocate and Mediator who at his Triumphant Ascension gave divine gifts (s) Ephes 4.8 unto men and accounts those who are endued with them as so many rays of his glory (t) 2 Cor. 8.23 Sunt Christi gloria quia nihil habent nisi dono Christi Calvin It is Jesus who obtains by his pleading at the Throne of grace both the spirit and the blessing for us and it is he that bestows both upon the Church for which he once gave his body and on which he ever sets his love Let him have the Honour of all the holy and religious performances of his Church and let us earnestly desire that by the flourishing of this his body all the world may see the prevalency of his intercession with God the sincerity of his love to his servants his continual care of them and bounty to them which will surely cause all people to advance and magnifie his holy name Nothing is more the Honour of Jesus now in heaven then that his Church be ruled with pious and wise Governours his Ordinances administred by zealous and holy Ministers and all places abounding with religious loyal and charitable People And what argument will sooner open the ears and pierce the heart of the Father of mercies whose great design is to glorifie his dear and only Son This declares that our Petitions herein comply with his eternal purposes We see the dishonour of some distempered members seems to reflect upon the head and we are grieved for it desiring sincerely the holy Jesus may have as he deserves all glory by the holiness and prosperity of his Church and we hope that Heaven will say Amen hereto The Paraphrase of the Prayer for the Clergy and People O Lord who art Almighty in power and everlasting in duration who hast promised to be ever with thy Church we acknowledg thee the God who alone workest wonders in the calling and hast ever shewed great marvels for the preservation thereof in all Ages wherefore we beseech thee to send down from above suitable gifts and graces upon all estates of men in the Catholick Church particularly upon our Bishops to direct them in the governing upon our Ministers and Curates to assist them in the feeding of thy flock and also upon all Congregations of Christian men and women whose souls thou hast committed to their charge and that the account may be given up to the Ministers comfort and the profit of thy Church let them all be inspired with the healthful and saving Spirit of thy grace to fit them for and assist them in all religious duties And that they all in their several places may truly please thee by a right use of this grace do thou plentifully pour upon them in all holy offices the effectual and the continual dew of thy blessing that thy Messengers pains may be successful and thy peoples lives fruitful in all good works Grant this which we ask of thee O Lord not to advance our own fame but for the honour of him that is our Advocate to obtain them of thee our Redeemer and Mediator to dispense them to â—s for the holiness and happiness of thy Church is the glory of thy dear Son Iesus Christ therefore do thou with us and to us say Amen The Analysis of the Prayer of St. Chrysostome In this Prayer are two Parts
since Jesus disdains not the smallest Number The Jewish Masters indeed teach that ten is the least number (d) Quando decem homines intrant domum Synogogae Divinitas est cum illis Dicunt enim in Talm. Decem faciunt coetum Ita Rab. Salom. in Numb 14.27 to make an Assembly fit for the Divine Presence But our gracious Lord descends lower even unto two or three that none might be discouraged by the negligence of their Bretheren And now be we never so few if we be unanimous and devout what comfort will this promise leave upon our spirits in the close of our Prayers which ascend to Heaven with priviledge and authority When they are backed with his promise they cannot fail Who would not lay aside all occasions and run every day to meet with Jesus who is sure to be found in the Temple And who would not love these Devotions in which so many thousands do agree And who that believes the truth of Jesus can doubt of a gracious return to them If you find but few of your bretheren at Church you shall find him whom your soul seeks there and by his grace and his answers you shall find he hath been with you and left a blessing behind him § 7. Fulfil now O Lord the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be most expedient for them Having so good grounds to believe he hath been present with us both from the experience of his assistance and the certainty of his promise we are taught now to speak to the holy Jesus as it were face to face to apply our selves to him as if he stood before us beseeching him who enabled us to put up these requests and hath been among us and heard them all along to make good his promise and as he was nigh unto us when we called on him that he will fulfil the desires of us that fear him (e) Psal 145.18.19 Desires and Petitions are empty things the hunger and thirst of the soul and when the Divine bounty satisfies these desires he is said to fill us for food is not more pleasing to a hungry body then the desire accomplished (f) Prov. 13.19 is to a longing soul Therefore we beseech him who hears the Petitions of our mouths and also discerns the meditations of our hearts that he will fulfil all our wishes as holy David prayes Psal 19.14 And as he often in that Book (g) Psal 20. ver 4 5. Psal 21. ver 2. makes desires and Petitions the two parts of his Prayers so do we taking the Petitions for the words of these holy Forms even that which we have asked with our lips in express terms and by the desires we mean those inlargements of our souls into secret thoughts and affectionate wishes which were too big to be delivered at our mouths but were begotten in our hearts by the spirit of God and perhaps by occasion of some meditations suggested in these Pages Which desires are the wings to our Petitions the life of our sacrifice and the particular application of these general requests to the state of our own souls which he that kneels next to us cannot discern but our Lord Jesus both sees and will fulfil these as well as those Petitions which were the ground of such devout inlargements He will grant both if it be expedient for us but because we are so unable to judge what is for our real advantage we must not too peremptorily require that he should give us all we wish or pray for We may ask for evil things or for good things which may be evil for us (h) Nam pro jucundis aptissima quaeque dabunt Dij caecâ magnaque cupidine ducti Conjugium petimus partumque uxoris at illis Notum qui pueri qualisque futura sit uxor Juven Exorari in perniciem rogantium saeva benignitas or we may desire them unseasonably immoderately or to evil purposes and then it were cruelty to hear us and it is the greatest kindness to deny us Let us therefore learn from the example of Christ himself to submit our will to the will of God (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and learn from a Heathen to give God leave to choose for us who being infinite in wisdome and goodness knows what is fittest for us and when and where in what manner and what measures to bestow it So that if we leave it to him we shall have all mercies with infinite advantages when we are fittest for them and they will do us most good Whereupon we must resolve though our petitions and desires be earnest yet they shall not be arrogant nor presumptuous but shall learn humbly to submit unto and patiently to wait upon our Heavenly Fathers order and appointment § 8. Granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth and in the world to come life everlasting Amen To know God here by Faith and to behold him hereafter and enjoy him is the sum of our true happiness And therefore we need not positively pray for any thing else but may be so far indifferent as to all other things to leave it to our gracious Master to give or deny us those things according as he sees most expedient provided these two be secured to know God here and to enjoy him hereafter These we must crave however and desire all other blessings may be subordinate to these and so given to us that neither of these be hindred or impaired Or we may consider that since Jesus hath promised to hear all these our prayers we beseech him to confirm his word in granting them that we may have a further experimental knowledge of the truth of his promises In this world me need his daily help and do every day most humbly desire it and if he please to answer us according to his promise it will give us such constant and fresh testimonies of his being our true and never failing friend that we shall still trust more strongly in him and come more cheerfully to him till at last nothing can separate us from his love And thus we being daily bound by new experiences of his favour shall become faithful to the death and then we cannot fail of the Crown of life And we may enforce all our foregoing Petitions by representing to the holy Jesus the great advantages we shall have by his daily fulfilling our desires and Petitions for besides the things we ask for hereby we shall acquire such confirmation to our Faith and such evidences of his truth as will secure us in his love while we live in this world and bring us to fulness of glory and felicity in the world to come therefore dear Jesus hear us and answer us to our endless comfort Amen Be it so The Paraphrase of the Prayer of St. Chrysostome WE acknowledge thy goodness O Almighty God who remembring our inability to serve thee hast given us that sweet and efficacious assistance of thy grace at this time
God should confute our calling him Father (e) Matth. 5.45 Psal 145.9 who is loving to every man we must by adding Our shew a universal charity to all the world not arrogantly confining this priviledge to our selves and out of pride or passion excluding others from it but we must comprehend all men within it as our bretheren sons of the same Father making a Common Prayer to the Common Father of all mankind not looking sordidly to our selves alone but as members of the same Mistical body (f) 1 Cor. 12.25 having a feeling of each others wants and desiring the Preservation of the whole rather then our private satisfactions we must therefore when we begin this Prayer lay aside all malice and envy and with loving hearts joined hands and united voices address our selves as so many deer Brothers and Sisters to Our Father so shall we cause the Angells to Sing Ecce quam bonum (g) Psal 133.1 how pleasant a thing it is and no Musick will be more pleasing in the ears of our heavenly Father But many Children have gone to their earthly Parents in their needs and found no relief where they had no means to help and could no otherwise know the love of their deer Fathers then by a sigh or a tear Oh my poor Child I cannot help thee whereas we need not fear such Returns for our Father reigns in Heaven the Center of all happiness so that he can do what he pleases (h) Psal 115.3 for Omnipotence and All-sufficiency are annexed inseparably to that Royal Throne Our Lord Jesus presents us with the seat of his glory to mind us to acknowledge his Dominion and Power and to adore his Infiniteness and Immensity for he whom we pray to hath all things under him to be ordered by his will and all Creatures even millions of blessed Angels to execute his Commands and this should heighten our minds to ask things more excellent then the perishing vanities of this world this remembrance that he is in Heaven should strengthen our Faith in his Power and Mercy for what can we his Children want on Earth who have a Father in Heaven that can do all things and who is so full of goodness that he is not moved by all his glory to despise us but whatever advantages he hath his love makes them all ours and he is in Heaven now but he intends to bring us thither to him yet while we are upon Earth we must approach with lowly addresses and all reverence because we come before him who is in Heaven adored by the blessed Angels with prostrations and veiled faces § 3. Hallowed be thy Name The glory of God which is the principal end of our Creation ought to be the first in our desires and we are doubly obliged to desire the honour of his name both because he deserves it upon the account of his glorious Perfections so that all the Earth is bound to adore the Name of him that dwells in Heaven and also because he is our Father (i) Nullum probrum intollerabilius ignominia parentûm Quis non commotus est c. Grot. ex Eurip. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if we so much desire the honour of our Natural Fathers that no good Child can endure to hear them reproached how much more should we long after our Heavenly Fathers glory and pray that none might abuse his sacred Name which if we be his true Sons will be unsufferable to us how can we but desire it may be treated by us and all men at all times with that reverence and Religious respect that befits so great a Majesty who is separated from this lower World as far as Heaven is above the Earth and therefore his Name is to be esteemed as no common thing but separated and set apart which is the meaning (k) Levit. 20.24 Deut. 26.28.19 Sanctificatio est seperatio per modum excellentiae Rab. D. Kimhi in Isai 56.2 of hallowing of it the regarding it as a thing truly excellent and so it is in it self so holy that it cannot be profaned by Men nor Devils so as to loose any part of its essential purity any more then the Suns illustrious beams are polluted with the evaporations of a filthy dunghill the blasphemies of hell it self cannot prejudice Gods name any more then the barkings of Dogs and howling of evening Wolves do to the splendor of the Moons shining and for this cause it were needless to pray that Gods name might either be or remain holy but only that being holy in it self it may by us and all men be looked on as infinitely above us and used with reverence and an awful regard Now this Name of his is himself and all that is his it is himself as he can be known (l) Rom. 1.19 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by us for it is his Attributes and all that his name is called upon all that represents him to us or relates to him his Works his Worship his Sabbaths his Vice-gerents and Officers in Church and State and all that is given to him or his and since we cannot behold Gods Essence which is incomprehensible our Reverence to him will appear by our respect to his Name which is all we have of him with us here on Earth Then his name is hallowed by us and all people when we love his Goodness trust in his Mercy believe his Promises fear his Threatnings acknowledge his Wisdome and adore his Power and live answerable to his Attributes When we praise him for his works speak well of all he doth and worship him with Humility and Faith true affections and hearty desires when we keep his Sabbaths obey Kings his substitutes respect Ministers his messengers love his people and inviolably preserve all consecrated things and finally when we demean our selves towards God and all that is his as may suit so great a Majesty and so gracious a Father and further we must be careful that since we are called by the name of Christ that we do not profane that holy name (m) 2 Tim. 2.19 by wicked lives but be moved to strive to shew our Reverence and admiration of so holy a Name (n) Sanctificetur nomen tuum per opera nostra quocunque tempore facimus quod bonum rectum est Sanctificamus nomen ejus magnum Drus ex lib. Musar in Matth. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Alex. by becoming holy and seperating from all sin as his name is seperated from all pollution it becomes us who are honoured with his name in whatever we do or speak or think to be careful that by defiling and abusing our selves we cast not dishonour on him that hath condescended to such a relation Oh let us beware we do nothing wilfully to occasion Religion to be slandered by the enemies thereof for otherwise our lives will be a contradiction to our Prayers § 4. Thy Kingdome come It is the Observation of every good
Rab. Sermo enim divinus secundum intelligentiae nostrae naturam se temperat nobis enim non sibi loquitur Hilar. in Psal 26. imitates our Phrases complies with our notions and hath laid down all necessary and fundamental truths so clearly that the meanest may understand them and yet in more curious points hath left such difficulties as may exercise the wits and allay the arrogance of the most knowing men Nor hath he in any part set down all that is directly tending to our salvation but to engage us diligently to read it all hath so prudently dispersed these necessary things that some of them are to be found every where and all in no one place but every part thereof is useful and none of it must be neglected much less contemned (d) Nulla ne verecundia tibi est dicere eorum quae Deus ipse loquitur nullam esse cognitionis utilitatem Chrysost Otiosum autem verbum dicere in S. Scriptura ingens blasphemia est Basil For like high hills the outward barrenness is recompensed by Mines and hidden treasures (e) Matth. 5.18 Non est litera in lege à quâ non pendeant magni montes Dictum Rab. and such the most difficult places yield to those that have skill and patience to dig into them And the Almighty hath not only shewed his care in the forming but also in the preserving of these Sacred Records which though they are the most antient in the world of undoubted credit and have been hated and opposed by Sathan and his instruments the great and wise ones of the world yet time power policy nor malice could never corrupt nor destroy them because God resolved to preserve them for our use upon whom the ends of the World are come § 3. Thirdly The Church hath done her part in complyance with the designs of Gods Mercy and Providence to deliver it safely to us and make it useful for us Hereupon the Catholick and faithful Christians discovered the frauds of Hereticks convinced the minds of unbelievers and sealed the truth of it with their blood And least any should pretend ignorance (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex Strom. 10. the governors and lights of the Church have carefully translated the Original Scripture into all Languages that every Nation might hear in their own Tongue the wonderful works of God Acts 2.11 After which pattern our Church hath made that elaborate exact and faithful Translation into the English tongue the like to which is not in any Nation (g) Anglicanae versionis Authores omni laude majores fuisse arguit accurata illa ad invidiam aliarum gentium elaborata versio Sixt. Amama praef ad Drus And now the Scripture hath learned our Language that it may instruct us in our own words and it must be wilful negligence if we do not understand them To prevent which it is not left to our liberty but we are injoyned to read or hear it every day both at Morning and at Evening Prayer according to the practice of the Jews (h) Acts 13.17 2 Cor. 3.15 Luke 4.7 Nehem. 8.8 who read the Law in their Synagogues however on the Sabbath and on other daies they tasted no food till they had read a Section of it either in publique or private (i) Ita fecerunt Christiani teste Clem. Alexandr and every man knows how solemnly and constantly this hath ever been done in all the Assemblies of the Christian Church (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paulo post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad Act. 9.19 For hence they confirmed their opinions in Doctrine (l) Coimus ad literarum divinarum commemorationem Tertul. Apol. c. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 60. and learned lessons of holiness in conversation I had rather your own Observation should inform you then spend time to tell you how carefully the Church hath selected the most practicall and pertinent Chapters omitting the more difficult or rather remitting them to private consideration where you have more leisure The Lessons suited to the solemn Festivals are determined (m) Nunc interposita est sölemnitas sanctorum dierum quibus certas ex Evangelio lectiones oportet in Ecclesi◠tractari Aug. praef in Johan and do either explain the Mistery relate the History or apply the Example unto us In fine the goodness of God in revealing and his Power in preserving these holy Books as also the Churches courage in defending them exactness in Translating and Prudence in dividing them both shew it is the great concern of all Christians to understand them and fit them so to our use that there is nothing wanting to make us wise to salvation but our diligent endeavour so to profit by them that this Grace of God and care of the Church be not bestowed on us in vain wherefore we shall desire you to observe the following directions § 4. First it is necessary that we humbly and earnestly call for the assistance of the Divine Spirit which as it did first indite so it can best explain these Oracles of Truth and also enable us to practice them And this may be done by a short and pathetical ejaculation while the Minister prepares himself to Read and if we are not ready at making such Forms we may repeat Psalm 119.180 Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Or ver 125. I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies Or if you have time you may pray by that excellent Collect the second in Order for the second Sunday of Advent Blessed Lord God who hast caused all holy Scripture c. Now by these Prayers we own God the fountain of all Wisdome and express our desires to know and do his Will and therefore no doubt they will procure us wisdome and strength Secondly labour to bring a heart purified from the love of all sin for a Lamb only can open the Seals of this Book (n) Revel 5.2 The Mahumetans write on the cover of the Alcoran Non attingat nisi Sanctus Let no unclean Person touch this and since that better agrees to Gods word we shall do well to engrave it on our memories and then we give the signification of that rite of washing the hands before the taking it up which the Christians (o) Chrysost hom 52. in Evang. Johan observed of old and the Turks at this day We cast not our seed into untilled grounds and let us not cast the more precious seed of the Divine word into unhallowed hearts (p) Jerem. 4.3 Matth. 13.4 5 c. least it be choaked with weeds or over-run with thorns or parched for want of root in us The love of sin blinds the eyes vitiates the pallate and alters the object it will make this Divine food nauseous or turn it into the nourishment of corrupt humors He only profits by Gods word that brings a pure and
clean heart He sees Gods will clearly loves it exceedingly closes with it readily because it suits his inclinations and sympathizes with his affections so that it brings its welcome along with it 3. Come with holy desires to learn your duty and stedfast resolutions to practice it The end of writing the Scripture must be our aim in hearing it that we may be wiser and better The Philosopher complained of some that read Plato not to reform their manners but to adorn their discourse (q) Est etiam proh Jupiter qui Platonem legere posiulet non vitae ornandae sed linguae orationis comendae gratiâ non ut modestior fâ—at sed lepidior Taur ap Aul. Gell. no. At. 1.9 but we have juster cause to complain of those that hear Gods holy word to make them more talkative and not more holy It is not Phrases but virtue which we ought to learn there We must like good souldiers stand with our loins girt our arms fixed expecting only the watch word and then we must obey Let us say Spâ—ak Lord for thy sâ—rvant heareth and with St. Paul (r) 1 Sam. 3.10 Acts 9.8 Lord what wouldâ—st thou have me to do And when he hath in his word signified his pleasure our souls must answer (s) Exod. 19.8 All that the Lord hath spoken that will we do It had been a strange presumption in David to have consulted the Oracle about his safety (t) 1 Sam. 23.2 and ver 12. unless he had purposed to obey the Answer And it is an equal affront to the Divine Majesty for us to pretend we come to ask his advice when we have no intentions to follow it § 5. Being thus prepared before by Prayer purity and holy resolutions when the Lessons are begun Fourthly Let us hear them with all reverence according to that excellent example of those devout Jews (u) Nehem. 8.6 who when the Law was read to them lifted up their hands bowed down their heads and fell on their faces And sure we should express such outward respects as may declare we are mindful of the Author of these Proclamations who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Scripture daily salutes us as Ehud did the King of Moab (x) Judg. 3.20 I have a message to thee from God And if the Tyrant at that news rose from his seat shall not he condemn us if we receive it with less signs of regard and reverence But especially let us labour to fill our minds with serious apprehensions that it is the word will and mind of the great God (y) Scriptura est ipsa vox anima Dei. D. Gregor and then we shall express our outward reverence with more ease and sincerity Let us receive it as being truly his (z) 1 Thess 2.13 and it will work as effectually as if it came with the terrors of Mount Sinah or were delivered in Thunder from the battlements of Heaven And the better to affect your heart behold the evident demonstrations that God is in and with them Think how many sad hearts these promises have cheared how many erring and wavering minds these truths have established sow many obstinate sinners these exhortations and threatnings have converted and it will help to give them their due valew in your eyes 5ly Mark them with a most diligent attention as those did our saviours words (a) Luke 19. ult Let your eyes be fixt on the Minister as if you expected to receive something (b) Acts 3.5 Let your ear be open to receive the words and your heart ponder well the sense and be sure you narrowly watch and speedily drive away those evil thoughts which come to devour our sacrifice and carry our souls away we know not whither How deservedly would that poor man want relief who should entertain himself with every Bird within his view at a time of distribution till all were disposed of Yet such is their folly who while they are pursuing every idle thought which Sathan starts loose many sentences which might open their eyes strengthen their hands and comfort their hearts And he knows not what good he deprives himself of that lets the least sentence slip unobserved for the very filings of gold are precious and there is weight in the least tittle of Gods word (c) Matth. 5.18 There are many places which are obscure and by reason of close connexions or speedy transitions are no wayes to be understood without the comparing with what precedes or follows (d) Qui non adveris quid supra infra scriptum sit is pervertit verba Dei viventiâ— Munster so that breaking one link may spoil the chain It is not possible a careless hearer should understand them clearly or apply them prudently or make any future benefit of them but we find by half sentences and slight observation men sâ—ck in errors and evil principles and the same word that cures one kills another (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian in Epict. l. 2. c. 24. It is this negligence and inadvertency that makes the Scripture so little understood so hugely perverted so speedily forgotten and so slowly practiced We have enough to imploy our minds and our time and did we give that heed (f) Qui audierit inveniet Deum qui etiam studuerit intelligere cogetur credere Tert. to Scripture that we do to trifles we might easily understand it and should be engaged to a firmer belief and a more conscientious practice of it § 6. The last part of our care is after the Lessons be ended then sixthly Meditate of them and lay them up in your heart that you may faithfully remember what you have learned and readily bring it forth upon occasion We do not only hear Gods word to stir us into a present Devotion but to fill our Treasures store our Armory and victual our Fort against we be besieged by temptation or affliction (g) Heb. 2.1 Hammond Annot. and 't is not our affections when we hear it so much as our memory of what we hear that thus makes it serviceable to us But we must especially treasure that which is most pertinent to our own condition and as the Jewish Masters love to Allegorize we must not be like the Wine-press which keeps the husks and lets out the pure Wine nor like the Spunge which promiscuously sucks in all nor yet like the Hour-glass which pours out at one side what it received on the other but in hearing we must be like the Fan which retains nothing but the solid Corn. If we have but skill to chuse according to our needs there is in Scripture plenty and variety for all estates and if our arms be fewer yet if they be ready and fit they may be more serviceable then more that are not so well ordered Lastly Begin immediately to put what you hear into practice and then it is out of Sathans reach (h) Is divinas Scripturas rectè