A briefe EXPOSITION OF THE Lords Prayer Wherein the meaning of the words is laid open to the understanding of weake Christians and what the carriage of their hearts ought to be in preferring each Petition By Mr. THO. HOOKER Preacher of Gods Word LONDON Printed by Moses Bell for Benjamine Allen and are to be sold at his shop in Popes head Alley at the signe of the Crown 1645. A briefe EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER IN the Prayer are three things observable 1. The Preface Our Father 2. The Prayer it selfe divided into six petitions 3. The conclusion of faith in the word Amen The soule goes up to heaven and follows the petition hallowed be thy name let it be Lord as thou mayst have glory Looke as a man that darts an Arrow hee puts the utmost of his strength unto it So the word Amen speeds all the rest speeds all and brings a good issue to the soule by all First for the Preface and there we must examin in generall two things the sense and meaning of the words Secondly what ground of incouragement it affords us to seek God And First observe the party sought Father Secondly the excellencie of him which art in heaven Thirdly the interest we have in him he is Our Father Why Quest or in what sense is God called a Father First Resp He is the Father of Christ by eternall generation Secondly he is the Father of men two wayes 1. By creation so the Scripture runnes Job 1.9 the Angels are called the sonnes of God Job 1.9 because they were created by God so God is our Father by creation and thus hee is a Father to the just and unjust Psal 139. Psal 139. I am wonderfully made saith the Text. 2. By adoption and grace in that he doth freely take us to be his sonnes in Christ he puts us into the right of his children as a man puts a stranger into the right of his sonne And thus God is a Father to his chosen onely that looke what Christ hath Rom. 8.17 they have Rom. 8.17 If sonnes then heires we are heires Gods chosen children both these wayes God is our Father Doe we onely pray to the Father Quest in that wee say Our Father No Resp we pray not to the Father only but we pray to the holy Trinity we make mention of the Father only yet we must direct our prayers to one God in three persons in that Godhead however we mention not all yet we direct to all all our petitions the reason is this because otherwise we should have made an Idoll of God I say concerning but of one person we make an idoll of God and call not upon him as he is How may we apprehend of God aright in prayer Quest Thus Resp as God hath revealed himselfe in his Word so we apprehend him not putting any image at all upon him as Instance thus two wayes First he that creates all governs all knowes all sees all by whom I live move and have my being to that God I pray The Scripture hath revealed God thus and he fills heaven and earth c. To that God then that is thus infinite to him I call I goe now no further to the seeing of an image but to an all-seeing God I come Secondly instance thus looke abroad into the creatures and in all you shall see a power and a goodnesse Now from whence came this power The power of Beasts came not from the power of trees and the like but there was a first power which gave all power to the creatures The Creator is infinitely more powerfull then the creature There is goodnesse also in the creatures all that came from the first goodnesse that let out it selfe now that which lets forth it selfe to the creature is in the Creator infinitely above the creature that is the Lord. Thus you must quit your selves of an image he that gives all is above all God gives all therefore he is above all and to that God I put up my petition Why doe we not mention the Sonne and the Holy Ghost as well as the Father Quest Because the Father is the first person in the Trinity Resp and the Fountaine from whence all flowes the Father workes of himselfe the Sonne of him the Holy Ghost from them both therefore we mention him onely though we may mention the other yet we pray onely to the Father How doth this word Father help a man to call on God by Prayer Quest When we conceive of God as a Father Resp it puts us in minde of his mercy that he will pitty us as a Father A man will be reconciled unto his sonne easily and will spare his sonne though he be a prodigall yet a father will passe by and cover all So I pray to a Father did I pray to a Judge that will condemn me or an enemy that would not be reconciled to me little hope I had to speed because I have wronged him yet I will arise and goe to my Father and say Father I have sinned Psal 103.13 As a father pitties his sonne Psal 103. 13. so God pittieth them that fear him He is my child saith God though stubborne and I must look to him When a mans rebellions witnesse against him and Satan vexeth him and saith What dost thou think to have mercy and art so vile True saith the soule I am naught but I goe to a father If a child doe but ayme at a thing the father accepts him if he speak but halfe a sentence the Father interprets it So this is the great incouragement of the faithfull to goe to God that notwithstanding so many failings and though so dead and so barren yet a father beares all The Lord interprets all though but broken speeches he accepts all and regards all We have a Father to to goe to that is willing to passe by many failings Secondly we have a ground of pitty if it be but a sigh he receives it So this may perswade us of the willingnesse of God to help us If a man were to goe to him that is hard-hearted little hope hee had to speed we say he is a cruell man we had as good pull water out of a flint c. A child will not beg of a stranger but will goe to his father so we pray to our Father that is more willing to heare and grant then we are to aske Luke 15. I will goe to my Father saith the Prodigall as who should say I am unworthy yet I goe to a Father Nay the Lord heares before we call he prepares the heart to call and answers what it craves when they aske The father puts into the childs mouth what it shall say and then hee will give it what it craves so God would have us seek for abundance of mercy open thy mouth c. God would faine give but none will crave it is God that must give
a heart to crave and this is got by prayer As water put into a Pumpe will bring forth much waters so pray that you may pray If your earthly father knowes what to give to you how much more can your heavenly Father give you a heart nothing shall be wanting to them that go to God as a father God bowes his care to the prayer of his people he condescends to our weaknesse buckles himselfe to heare us Thirdly we are here to take notice of Gods fatherly providence to provide what may be sutable to our occasions God hath all in store All the beasts of the field are mine he is the God of all comfort herefore he is provident He that provides for the Ravens and causeth the Lillies of the field to grow if God care for these how much more for you Matth. 6. hath the Lord a care for Oxen He that feedeth the Ravens Matth. 6. and clotheth the Lillies he will much more provide for him that calls on him Who then would not have God to his Father As the Father provides for the sonne so God is a provident Father let us walk in his wayes and commit our selves to his providence and care Fourthly this must teach us an awfulnesse to come before him What awe should be in our hearts to come before an heavenly Father Our Father FIrst observe that it is the tearme of relation and it is in two things 1. Consider the sense of the words 2. The Motives For the sense of the words three things are implyed First a proprietie an interest we have to challenge in speciall not as one friend to another or one neighbour to another or the like but he is our Father as we say it is our Land so when we say Our Eather we imply a speciall claime to God all that compassion and mercy in God is mine as Nabal said It is my meat Deut. 32. The word my implyes a possession Deut. 32. Our God is not like the gods of the Heathens and as Job saith My Redeemer liveth Secondly this laying claime to God implyes a communitie to all the houshold of God as the Sun is every mans so God is every mans that is faithfull Thirdly it notes a bond of society between the faithfull children of the same Father This is the meaning of the word Our as the members agtee with the head so they are helpfull so God is helpfull to all his faithfull ones Now the Motives whereby the soule may be furnished to call on God are three First a cheerfull readines to repair unto the Lord 1. Motive why we have an interest in him he is our Father The interest a childe hath in his father stirs him to come readily to his Father he craves not of a stranger as when the childe cryed they did carry him to his mother If any thing befalls the childe he saith I will tell my father and complaine to my mother and the like So aske the childe who will provide for him he saith My father So it is here with our God There is a fresh and living way that is marvellous easie and open Whosoever seeks shall finde whosoever knocks it shall be opened unto him therefore whatever our injuries be we should not complain to the world No poure forth your prayers to your Father and he will be sure to hear you Secondly as there should be a chearie readinesse to come to the Lord 2. Motive so there should be a spirituall boldnes to challenge what may be needfull Among strangers we are strange but amongst friends we are bold we have a right and title to these things and we may be bold with our own Thus David challengeth God As thou art faithful deliver me I am thy servant c. If a servant wants food or raiment he goes to his master So saith David I am thy servant therefore give me understanding that I may live When they bragged of Paul and Apollo saith he All is yours This should comfort our hearts let us claime our portions God is our Father and he will give it therefore be humbled in regard of your weaknesse and unworthinesse and confident in regard of his mercy and walk comfortably in regard of the Lord. If I should see the childe doubt in regard of my readinesse I should wonder Care not saith he it is your owne and he is our Father Marth 6. 32. 3 Motive and all that is in him is ours Matth. 6.32 Thirdly this stirs up our hearts to have a fellow-feeling of our brethrens misery in our prayers therefore God cuts off all in-seekings of our own Our as if he should say Is there never a Joseph in prison never a Daniel in the Lions den remember and pray for them If one suffer all suffers we are all members of one body we should mourne with those that mourne and weep with them that weep Isa Isai 58. 58. Pus up a Prayer for the remnant Oh that our hearts would have a fellow-feeling of their trouble Ephes 6. Paul begs for prayers as for a peny Eph. 6. for me also nay he intreats the Romans to wrastle for him in prayer Which art in Heaven c. FIrst we are to open the sence of the word Heaven secondly the motives to move the heart thereto Whether is God more in Heaven then in any other place Quest No Resp God in regard of his essence is in all places alike he is wholly every where The Godhead is altogether indivisible things of quantity fill a roome but God is indivisible as he is unchangeable so he is a simple being therefore all of God is in the whole compasse of Heaven and Earth Psal 139. If I goe to hell thou art there c. God is in the same manner every where Psal 139. you must conceive no parts in God if God be immense then all of him is every where and altogether in every place All creatures have their being from God he is in them and beyond them he is excluded out of no place included in no place If all of God be in every place Quest why then is he said to be in Heaven onely First Resp because God would manifest the glory of his power more in Heaven then in Earth because we see him not here Acts 17. we grope after him Acts 17. but we know the royalty of a King appears more in Court or Parliament so the excellency of God appears most in Heaven Secondly there are three Heavens the Heaven where the birds are the Heaven where the starres are and the highest Heaven now the third Heaven is meant here for God hath reserved this place as his chair of state the Heavens saith David are the Lords no uncleane thing can come there The Angels sinned and all the visible Heavens are defiled by man the sunne is abased the aire polluted all these creatures that serve man are by man defiled but the
wee must not looke to the quantity not for a month or a quarter but goe to the Lord as to a market let him dispose it or else wee beg one thing and desire another the Lord will be content to give us bread not pearles not to cocker us but to give us what we stand in need of That of Hagar should be our prayer Give me not too much lest I be proud nor too little lest I put forth my hand to wickednesse Prov. 30. but give me food convenient It is better to be at Gods allowance then our owne A childe happily would have a coat foure or five yards too long and to tire him or fire to burne him but a father will not have it too long to tyre him or fire to burne him So our Father wee would over-flow our measures out-run our portions too beyond our need It is with us as it is with dyets sicke men would have hot wines and salt meates and eate excessively but the Physitian orders all his dyet for if hee should have his fill it would kill him A full body and a full stomack would increase the humour So the Lord is a marvelous skilfull Physitian we have proud hearts and would have dainties and if we should have riches as we would God should lose his honour which now he hath by us being kept under hatches therefore the Lord dyets us Divers creatures are kept in divers things Cherries are kept in Sugar but Beefe is kept in salt pickell and not in sugar for otherwise it would stinke Nothing would serve some if the Lord should not dyet them but they would be as proud and as saucie as ever they could therefore the Lord is compelled to dyet them Thus we should be content with the least pittance that the Lord sees fitting for us and he that is thus the Lord will give him enough for his baites in this pilgrimage And thus much for this Petition And forgive us our trespasses c. THis is the fifth Petition touching the good of man There are three Petitions concerning God and three concerning us this life and a better the first we have handled and those that concern our spirituall being follow First for the order Secondly the sense and meaning of the words Thirdly the frame of the heart in putting up this Petition First for the order why it is thus placed justification before sanctification Reason The reason is because sanctification flowes from justification being justified we are sanctified first we are acquitted of our sins whereof we stand guilty before him and then he sanctifies us first this then the other the other are the sprigs and this the main branch we beg for faith c. but they are included in this Secondy for the sense of the words First here is the Petition Forgive us our trespasses Secondly the Reason As we forgive others or For we forgive others that trespasse against us so Lord forgive thou us this is the argument whereby we win the favour of the Lord. What is meant by debts Quest By debts are meant all sinnes Answ all failing of all kindes of omission or commission now they are called debts because we owe all obedience to God to love him above all and our neighbours as our selves and these being the articles of agreement the sleighting and neglect of this brings us into debt with God For first we are bound to these Secondly by breaking these we deserve the punishment due to the breach of it now when we omit any thing we forfeit and are cast behinde hand And thirdly wee are lyable to the execution of the punishment due to us in the breach of this thus sins are debts and debts sinnes of omission or commission What is it to forgive To forgive is this Quest we beg that the Lord would be pleased not to take advantage of us because of our debts Answ nor yet to proceed in the rigour of this Law to do that it requires Now our sins require we should be condemned and executed A malefactors forfeiting his bond is cast in his cause and then cast into the prison and execution sued out for the satisfaction of this debt now we beg of the Lord that he would not condemn us in the Court of conscience nor execute his justice on us this is to forgive and this proceeds from mercy But how can God do thus will this stand with the justice of God Quest not to be satisfied for our faults to pardon without satisfaction No Answ but though the party do not satisfie yet if the surety do it is sufficient so though he doth forgive us yet he looks for it at the sureties hand as the creditor doth not require the debt at the debtors hand but at his hand that is bound to make satisfaction for the debt so the Lord doth not require satisfaction of us as he might to exact the utmost farthing because thou sinnest thou shalt die the LORD will not exact this of us but he requires this satisfaction of the LORD JESUS so that GOD the Father is satisfied though not by us mercy to me and justice to CHRIST mercy on my part and justice on CHRISTS part Thus we see what it is to forgive us that is that the LORD would not arest us but the surety that he would not exact of us but take all of CHRIST Whether are a mans sins forgiven at once Quest or at sundry times At the first time Answ when a man believes in the LORD JESUS CHRIST at that time all his sins past present or to come are remitted The sins he commits after beleeving or in beleeving or before beleeving are all pardoned Justification doth not increase or decrease but sinne it is pardoned at the first act of beleeving Though sanctification may have degrees one man may be more sanctified then another but this hath none but he is fully justified and all his sins past present or to come are pardoned to him in CHRIST all phrases in Scripture implie thus much Jer. 32. I will pardon their sins and remember them no more Ezek. 38. I will blot them out of my remembrance Now the Argument is this I will conclude in divers Propositions First Argum. our Saviour by once suffering suffered for the sins of the Elect past present and to come the infinite wrath of GOD the Father fell on him for my sins now this wrath is all one in him and being all one and infinite and our Saviour suffering this whole and infinite wrath of GOD the Father if he had suffered for 10000. worlds he could have suffered no more Gods wrath could not be but infinite so were his sufferings he might have applyed his suffering to many thousands more if he would and yet have suffered no more Adam's sinne was enough to infect a thousand worlds and our Saviours merits are sufficient for a thousands worlds Secondly those sufferings that he suffered
deale of envie though some mercy yet mingled with a great deale of cruelty and a great deale of darknesse with this little starre-light but the Lord hath all love without any hatred all mercy without any cruelty there is no hinderance in the Lord to hinder him Now the soule saith Lord if I that have a great deale of malice can forgive my brethren then how much more thou that hast all mercy and no spleen if men humble their soules before thee wilt forgive Thirdly that mercy that is in us it is but little but it is infinite in the Lord what we can doe is but the first fruit a drop a graine a mustard-seed but abundant in the Lord. Then the soule saith Lord thou art boundlesse and bottomlesse in mercie how much more wilt thou forgive True LORD the talents and debt whereby we are ingaged unto thee are many and great but if wee poore creatures that have but from the Fountain and that we have is mingled with a great deale of malice and that but a drop and yet can forgive how much more thou that hast all first from thy selfe and purely without all mixture of envie and in an infinite abundance how much more canst thou forgive whom thou wilt therefore LORD forgive us for we forgive others How ought the soule to be framed in putting up this Petition Quest It appeares in foure particulars Answ First the soule must see and acknowledge it selfe guilty of those sinnes that appeare in this life wee must see our selvs stand in need of forgivenes now we cannot doe this till we see our selves faulty He that owes nothing what need he crave forgivenesse So forgivenesse of sinnes implyes that wee are guilty of sinne and lyable to the punishment due to sinne They that confesse sinne and forsake it shall finde mercy pro. 28.14 first finde out thy sins then find Gods mercy 1 Cor. 11. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged He that would have GOD forgive him must not forgive himselfe if we judge our selves GOD will not judge us As a Malefactor that sticks to his owne innocencie and will not acknowledge any guilt in vaine hee desires to bee forgiven So a sinner or Malefactor before GODS Tribunall if hee will not confesse his sinne hee shall never finde mercie at the hand of the LORD Therefore I cannot see how a Papist can beg this when as hee thinkes he can satisfie GODS Justice himselfe Secondly we must labour to have the heart see its owne inabilitie to satisfie for sinne or to beare Gods indictment he shall passe upon the soule that is guilty The soule acknowledgeth it selfe unable to answer one of a thousand Behold saith the Psalmist Lord if thou shouldest enter into judgement who were able to abide it but there is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared Wee are Bankerupts wee cannot answer the debt nor beare the suit if the debtor be able to answer the debt or pay the money hee cares for no kindnesse the sinner is the debtor and if hee can satisfie Gods Justice what need he care If I can abide it what need I crave favour but when it is come to this who can abide it then the LORD will pardon whatsoever is amisse Where-ever the sinner goes he cannot avoid the suit hee needs no pursevant to follow him conscience is arresting the Devill accusing therefore he falls down and cryes mercy mercy to pardon the suit the soule is not able to beare the suit This the Church complaines of Behold our righteousnesse is as menstruous cloath and they Ezek. 36.31 judge themselves worthy to be condemned Now in that I say forgive I imply that I cannot satisfie for sin my selfe Thirdly we should seeke to the free mercie of GOD and of his Grace for what wee need wee should acknowledge his free mercie When the soule sees there is mercie in GOD for him then it is fitted to pray this petition for should I conceive GOD were severe holy just c. though I renounce my sinne yet I could not seek him God is not extreame and rigorous but hee hath mercy in store for those that seeke him in truth and sincerity therefore we should apprehend two things First that God desires not to deale rigorously we should perswade our hearts that God is desirous to welcome our prayers Exod. 34. The Lord is ready to succour our infirmities If we be in misery the Lord will abound in mercy the phrase is multiplying mercy therefore the Apostle calls him the father of mercies and the God of all compassions we have new vexations he hath new compassions nay God hath more good then we can desire he performes more then he promiseth he is abundant in truth above all that he hath revealed himself to be in his Word Isa 55.7 Our God is mercifull and abundant in forgivenesse He multiplies pardons he hath pardons in store mercy to pardon any poore soul But saith the soul what my sinnes committed and continued in marke what he adds though you cannot comprehend it yet he can conceive it his thoughts of mercy are larger in giving then ours in craving Eph. 2. He is able to do above what we can think or aske It was but a cold comfort Isaac gave to Esau he had but one blessing so if Gods mercies come to an end it were but a poor comfort when the soul saith Lord give me and the Lord should say all is drawne dry But there is enough in God to do us good What availes it if a father have a good heart to his child if he hath not to give it what it askes or stands in need of but our heavenly Father abounds in goodnesse Secondly God as he hath abundance of good so he is free and ready to bestow it Esa 55.1 Ho Every one that thirsteth let him buy milke and milke without money or price We would be content to have wine but we have no money to buy it therefore God adds though you be not able to pay for it yet take it Mich. 7.18 Who is a God like our God who pardons sin because mercy pleaseth him The pardoning of our sins is like the overthrowing of Pharaoh in the sea God doth it not because we please him but because his mercy pleaseth him he doth it freely Fourthly we must be content to waite for his mercy that we stand in need of we must both waite for it and be confidently perswaded of it else we crosse the tenure of forgivenesse Heb. 11. God gives mercy to none but those that waite for it In that we aske pardon we are resolved to waite for it for so much is implyed A pardon in law is not authenticall untill it be sealed so God saith he will pardon us but this is not authenticall untill we have set to our seale he saith he will give freely we say we will waite constantly Psal 37.5 Commit thy waies to God and he will care for