against God some against our neighbours and some against our selves In respect of all and every whereof we are every of us debtours unto God and therefore had need to pray that he would forgive us all and every of our debts Psal. 51. 9. which how many and great they are we may easily know if we will diligently look into our obligation and examine our lives by the law of God c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our In this word confession of sinne is included For it is in effect thus much O Lord we have sinned against thee have mercy therefore on us O Lord according to thy goodnesse and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away our offenses Wash us from our iniquities and cleanse us from our sinnes For we acknowledge our transgressions and our sinnes are alwayes before us Psal. 51. 2 3. Therefore with asking of pardon confession of sinne is conjoyned And this form of prayer is prescribed to be used of the perfectest men in this world as of the Apostles because there is no man that doth good vpon the earth and sinneth not Eccles 7. 20. If we say saith the holy Apostle John that we have no sinne we deceive our selves and there is no truth in us If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and to 〈◊〉 us from all iniquity If we say that we have not 〈◊〉 we make him a lâ—…ar and his truth is not in us 1. John 1. 8 9 10. Here therefore both the Catharists which dream of perfection in this life and also the Pelagians and Papists which hold that a man may fully and perfectly keep the law of God in this life are confuted For such cannot make this petition except they will mock God as all those do that have a conceit of their own perfection Which conceit is in not onely the Catharists and Papists but also in the greatest part of ignorant and securâ—… men who affirm that they love God with all their heart and their neighbour as themselves they never did any man hurt they never doubted of their salvation For howsoever the Scripture speaketh of perfect men and such as walked in all the commandments of God yet certain â—…t is that thereby is meant the uprightnesse of their will and endeavour not the perfection of their obedience which uprightnesse notwithstanding the Scripture calleth perfection the Lord accepting the will for the deed so that upright men may indeed be said to be perfect but in affectu potiùs quà m effectu in their affections rather then their actions Forgive The Lord in forgiving sinnes as he is mercifull so is he just 1. John 1. 9. Neither doth he forgive any sinne for which his justice is not satisfied by the obedience and sufferings of Christ Rom. 3. 26. He is therefore said to forgive our sinnes when as he inputeth them not unto us but accepting of the obedience and sufferings of Christ as a full ransome and satisfaction for them washing away our sinnes in his bloud covering them with his righteousnesse imputing our sinnes to Christ and his obedience to us so that we howsoever sinfull in our selves appear righteous before him in Christ. When as therefore we do pray for the forgivenesse of our sinnes we do not so desire him to be mercifull as that we would have him forget his justice but we come unto him in the name and mediation of Christ in whom he is well pleased beseeching him to accept of his obedience sufferings as a full satisfaction for our sinnes For remission of sinnes as it is a free work of mercy in respect of us who neither can deserve pardon nor satisfie his justice so in respect of Christ who hath satisfied for us it is a work of justice Now whereas our Saviour Christ doth teach every one of us every day to ask forgivenesse with assurance to be heard we are put in mind both of our misery and Gods mercy Our misery who day by day commit sinne and therefore have need every day to crave remission of our sinnes Gods mercy and long suffering who though he be offended every day yet he is ready to forgive their sinnes who come unto him by hearty and earnest prayer confessing their sinnes and craving pardon of them But this mercy and long-suffering of God must not encourage us to presume but invite us unto repentance Rom. 2. 4. and 6. 1. Ecclus 5. 4 5 6. Psal. 130. 4. There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared Joel 2. 13. and encourage us to call upon him This long-suffering of God is to be imitated of us For if he be content to forgive us that sinne against him every day then ought we freely to forgive them that offend us c. though it be to seventy times seven times Again if every one of us be he never so righteous is bound to make this prayer that God would freely remit our sinnes then it followeth that none of us can discharge the debt or by any thing which we are able to perform satisfie for our sinnes but either they must be freely remitted for Christs sake or else we must suffer the punishment due for them Divine remission and humane satisfaction cannot stand together We must crave remission therefore we cannot satisfie Remission of sinnes and justification are free Rom. 3. 24. Ephes. 1. 7. Isai. 43. 25. but in satisfaction there is recompense Therefore those that trust to their own merits and use this prayer they mock God and condemn themselves They mock God because they desire him to forgive their sinnes which they do not desire should be forgiven them but trust to satisfie for them They condemn themselves because they confesse themselves to be debtours unto God unlesse he remit their debt and yet stand not to his remission but to their own satisfaction by which they appeal to his justice rather then implore his mercy And that no man can satisfie by any works of obedience the justice of God for his sinnes it may further appear by these reasons 1. Because our best obedience is unperfect and our righteousnesse like unto a polluted â—…lout and therefore if God should enter into judgement with us he might justly condemn us for our best actions as being not performed in that manner and measure which his law requireth and therefore every one had need to pray as Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into judgement c. Secondly because whatsoever obedience we can perform it is a debt and duty Luke 17. 10. When we have done all that is commanded we must say that we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 12. and 13. 8. Gal. 5. 3. Now certain it is that we cannot satisfie debt with debt but notwithstanding our latter obedience we shall be debtours in respect of the former debt unsatisfied Seeing therefore we are not able
life and in the world to come In all which respects we must esteem our sinnes as a most heavy burden and being weary thereof we are by prayer to come unto the Lord that we may be eased thereof Matth. 11. 28. Neither are we to bewail our sinnes alone but as we are to pray for the pardon of other mens sinnes so are we also to mourn for the iniquities of the place and time wherein we live Ezek. 9. 8. Psal. 119. 136 158. 2. We are to bewail the hardnesse of our hearts that we cannot so bewail our sinnes as we ought 3. Our want of faith and assurance of the remission of our sinnes The graces which we desire are 1. Remission of sinnes and justification viz. that God would cancell the bill of debt Col. 2. 14. that he would take away our sinnes and cast them into the bottom of the sea Mich. 7. 18 19. that he would impute the merits and obedience of Christ unto us And secondly because we receive remission of sinnes and are justified by faith by which we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ to our justification and without which the merits of Christ are not communicated unto us therefore we desire not onely that he would forgive us our sinnes but also that he would work in us a true faith whereby we may have assurance of the pardon of our sinnes and peace of conscience 3. Because our faith is weak therefore we are to pray for the increase thereof Luke 17. 5. and also that God would blesse unto us the means of the begetting and increasing of our faith 4. Because reconciliation and adoption are unseparable companions of justification we therefore must also pray that he would receive us unto his love and favour and give us his spirit of adoption that howsoever we be by nature the children of wrath yet being reconciled unto him in Christ we may have the testimony of his Spirit testifying to our spirits that we are the children of God 5. We pray not onely for righteousnesse and assurance of justification and peace of conscience arising from thence Rom. 5. 1. but also for the joy of the holy Ghost proceeding from them both Rom. 14. 17. Now that we may with fervencie beg these graces of God we must besides the sight and sense of our sinnes and the misery which they bring upon us consider the necessity of these graces First of remission of sinnes because sinne maketh a separation between God and us Isai. 59. 1. and maketh us subject both to the curse of God in this life and after and therefore above all things in the world we are to desire freedome from our sinnes without which our estate is most miserable c. and without which we cannot be saved Contrariwiâ—…e in remission of sinne consisteth happinesse Psal. 32. 1 2. Secondly of faith without which the benefits of Christ are not effectuall to our justification sanctification or salvation By it we are made partakers of all the benefits of Christ to our justification and salvation In which respect the same benefits in the Scriptures which proceed from Christ are also ascribed unto faith Upon which follow reconciliation peace with God and joy in the holy Ghost and the beginning of eternall life it self in this life As we must pray for the forgivenesse of our sins in fervencie so also in faith that as we unfeignedly desire pardon of sinnes reconciliation with God so we are truly to believe that the Lord will heare our prayer that he will receive us unto mercy and at the length grant unto us the certificate of his Spirit the Spirit of adoption For that which he hath commanded us to ask he hath promised to give He commandeth us to ask remission of sinnes justification the Spirit of adoption c. therefore consequently we are stedfastly to believe that we shall obtein them The forgivenesse of sinnes is a chief part of the covenant of grace Heb. 10. 17. The Spirit of adoption is expressely promised to those that ask him Luke 11. 13. There remaineth that we pray with perseverance never ceasing day by day to call upon God for the forgivenesse of our sinnes and certificate of the holy Spirit assuring us thereof untill the Lord say unto our souls I am your salvation and shed abroad his love in our hearts Neither are we then to cease from this prayer but as we sinne daily so are we daily to crave forgivenesse and as our faith is weak and mixt with doubting so daily to desire the increase thereof c. Duties to be performed in our lives If we would make this prayer with upright hearts or would either hope to obtein this request or assurance that our prayer is heard I. We must be adorned with humility 1. Pet. 5. 5. whereby we must acknowledge our selves so deeply indebted unto the Lord by reason of our manifold sinnes that he may most justly glorifie his name in our endlesse confusion and that in respect thereof we are not worthy to look up unto heaven or to breathe in the aire or to live upon the earth and that therefore it is the great mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed For if we have humble and contrite hearts the Lord will be ready to heare our prayer and to pardon our sinnes The Lord resisteth the proud but he giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5. The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and c. Psal. 51. 17. Psal. 34. 18. Example in the humbled Publicane Luke 18. 14. For Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matth. 9. 13. Luke 4. 18. Matth. 11. 28. Whom doth he call with promise to ease them of the burden of sinne but those that trâ—…vail under the burden of sinne and are weary thereof If therefore God hath given thee an humble heart thou mayest be encouraged to come unto him for grace and pardon of sinnes For as it was said of the blind man so it may be said of every one that is poore in spirit Be of good comfort he calleth thee But as humility maketh us fit to receive Gods grace in the pardoning of our sinnes so is it also a good signe that our sinnes are pardoned For they onely are happy whose sins are forgiven but those that are poore in spirit are happy Matth. 5. 3. therefore their sinnes are forgiven Whereas contrariwise if we be proud and have a Pharisaicall câ—…ceit of our selves it is a fearfull signe that we remain in our sinnes John 9. 41. Luke 18. 14. II. If we would have forgivenesse of our sinnes we must believe in Christ. For by faith alone we have justification and remission of sinnes Acts 26. 18. because faith alone apprehendeth the merits and righteousnesse of Christ whereby we are justified Now this and the former must go together We must be cast down in our selves acknowledging our selves that we are no better
not find themselves to stand in need of Gods help neither do depend upon the providence or blessing of God in the use of the means For such when they pray unto God for these things as namely to give them this day their daily bread they do not pray in truth because they do not unfeignedly desire that whereof they find no want II. In respect of spirituall things two sorts of men offend First those that are carnally secure who although they be wretched and miserable poore blind and naked yet being lukewarm with the Laodiceans Rev. 3. 17. feeling no want think they are rich and need nothing Secondly those who are righteous in their own conceit as Pharisaicall and Popish justitiaries For both these and the other feeling no want either pray not at all or if they do pray it is but for fashions sake and therefore praying usu magis quà m sensu out of custome rather then sense their prayer is not acceptable unto God and like lukewarm water to the stomach Wherefore it behoveth us to labour that we may have a true sense of our wants Which I speak especially in respect of spirituall graces for when we are pinched with bodily wants we are many times but too sensible thereof But of spirituall wants many have no sense and being miserable they feel no misery First therefore it is good to be perswaded that this sense of our wants is necessary for us For without it neither will we seriously seek unto the Lord neither will he seem to regard us We will not earnestly seek unto him for what we do not want we do not desire and what we do not desire that we do not ask except it be for fashion And how can we look that the Lord will compati that is have compassion on us when we do not pati or feel any want How can we desire him misereri to have mercy on us when we do not esteem our selves miseri to whom mercy belongeth for thence hath misericordia the name Yea if we be rich and full in ouâ—… own conceits the Lord will send us away empty Luke 1. 55. remaining in our sinne Luke 18. 14. exposed to his curse Luke 6. 24 25. Whereas on the other side if we be humbled with the sense of our want the Lord will have speciall regard unto us Isai. 66. 2. and 57. 15. and be near unto us in all our desires Psal. 34. 18. Yea such he calleth to him Matth. 11. 28. such he promiseth to heare Psal. 10. 17. John 7. 37. such he pronounceth blessed Matth. 5. 3 4 5. Secondly that we may attein to this sight and sense of our misery and wants we are to look into the glasse of the law which will reveal unto us our misery both in respect of our sins and also of the punishment due for the same c. Thirdly for as much as the sight and sense of our misery is the gift of God and work of his spirit we are to pray unto God that he will anoint the eyes of our minds with the eye-salve of his spirit Revel 3. 18. that we may see our sins and that he would touch our hearts with the finger of his spirit as he struck the rock in the wildernes that they may melt within us as the heart of Josias did at the reading of the law 2. Kings 22. 19. and be resolved into a fountain of tears by which we may bewail our sinnes whereby we have displeased and dishonoured God From this sense of our wants ariseth the second thing that is an earnest desire to have our wants supplyed And this is of such force in prayer that it seemeth to be nothing else but the expressing of our desire and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of such efficacie in prayer that some place the efficacie of prayer therein so reade the words of S. James ch 5. 16. The effectuall â—…ervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much others The prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent But though it be not the onely cause of efficacy yet it is one of the principall for as Augustine saith Dignior sâ—…quitur effectus quem ferventior affectus praecedit A more worthy effect followeth which a more fervent affection precedeth This praying with earnest desire is commended to us in the word of God by divers significant phrases For besides that it is called crying unto the Lord and crying mightily Jon. 3. 8. lifting up of our prayer Isai. 38. 14. this is also to poure forth our souls before the Lord like water Lam. 2. 19. In which sense the Israelites are said 1. Sam. 7. 6. to have drawn water from the fountain of their hearts and poured it out before the Lord. This is to pray with grones unspeakable Rom. 8. 26. which the holy Ghost stirreth up in us and is therefore an evident token of the child of God indued with the Spirit of adoption which is also the spirit of grace and supplication making us when we look upon him whom we have pierced by our sinnes to lament and mourn as a man mourneth for his first-begotten Zech. 12. 10. For as Augustine saith Plerunque hoc negotium plùs gemitibus quà m sermonibus agituâ—… fletu plùs quam affatu For the most part this businesse is effected better with grones then words with weeping rather then speaking This is to pray with Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceedingly 1. Thess. 3. 10. This is with Epaphras Col. 4. 12. as it were to wrestle with the Lord which the Apostle commendeth to the Romanes chap. 15. 30. By which kind of wrestling Jacob prevailed with God as Hosea teacheth chap. 2. 3 4. and was therefore called Israel Gen. 32. This is that prayer of the humble which pierceth the clouds Ecclus 35. 21. This fervent desire therefore is fervently to be desired of us and happy are they which have atteined to it Matth. 5. 6. The means to attein unto it are First because it is the work of Gods spirit to beg it of him by prayer Secondly to labour after a true sense of our wants Thirdly in our preparation to meditate on the excellency profit and necessity of those things which we crave that so our affections may be inflamed with a desire thereof as also of the necessity of Gods help that except the Lord heare us and help us our case is desperate So David prayeth Psal. 28. 1. and 143. 6 7. Heare me O Lord and hide not thy face else I shall be like to them that go down into the pit Fourthly we are upon extraordinary occasions to joyn fasting with our prayers as we are directed in many places of the Scripture For fasting as it causeth the hunger of the body 〈◊〉 it is an effectuall means to stirre up and increase the hunger of the soul. For which cause the Fathers 〈◊〉 fasting orationis alas the wings of prayer CHAP. XXX Of Faith
a secondary respect Whereunto we may adde the practice of the godly Gen. 28. 20. 1. Kings 8. 33 35 37. Prov. 30. 8. and the precept of our Saviour Christ teaching us to say Give us this day our daily bread It cannot be denied but that in asking temporall things many do erre either asking them chiefly or absolutely but as we must ask and seek them in a secondary respect so also conditionally so farre forth as they stand with the glory of God and our own spirituall good But these outward things are not to be cared for and therefore not to be prayed for Christ doth not forbid curam providentiae sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 curam solicitudinis diffidentiae the care of providence but carking care and diffidence Phil. 4. 6. Be nothing carefull but in all things let your requests be manifested And where they think these things unworthy the Lords gift they must understand that his providence submitteth it self to the lowest creature and he giveth food to all even the basest creatures The mind in and by prayer is to be lifted up to God and not to be depressed to things below But when we pray for temporall things the mind is not elevated but depressed When we so ask temporall things for themselves resting in them as the end our mind is depressed and our heart is set upon them but not so when they are asked as means to further Gods glory and our own spirituall good CHAP. XXXIV Of Deprecation NOw followeth Deprecation which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The evil which we do deprecari that is desire either to be delivered from whether in whole ut avertatur that it may be averted or in part ut mitigetur that it may be mitigated if it be upon us or to be kept and preserved therefrom if we be in any danger thereof ut antevertatur that it may be prevented is either the evil of sinne or the evil of punishment In the former we pray that our sinnes may be removed and taken away that is that we may be delivered either from the guilt of sinne which is our justification or from the fault and corruption which is our sanctification In prayer for the forgivenesse of sinne these things specially are required First in the action it self confession of sinnes And of this Augustine speaketh excellently Hortatur nos saepius Scriptura ad medicamenta fugere confessionis Non quòd Deus indigeat confessione nostrâ c. The Scripture doth often exhort us to flee to the medicine of confession not that God needeth our confession unto whom all things are present which we think speak and do but because we cannot otherwise be saved unlesse we confesse penitently that which we have done amisse negligently He that accuseth himself in his sinnes the devil hath not whereof to accuse him in the day of judgement If at least confessing he do by repenting blot out what he hath done and doth not again renew them c. Let the sinner whilest he liveth confesse the sinnes which he hath committed because confession is fruitlesse in hell neither doth repentance there profit to salvation Behold now is the day of salvation now is the time acceptable to God now is the time of pardon to the penitent but after death there will be a time of vengeance for those that neglect to confesse their sinnes For all wicked men have bitter repentance in torments but it doth not profit theÌ„ for pardon but their conscience toâ—…tureth them for the increase of their pains which they suffer c. All hope of pardon consisteth in confession So Aâ—… fratres in Eremo Serm. 30. O honto ne tardes converti ad Deum c. O man saith he do not delay to turn unto God Examine thy mind search all the secrets of thy heart consider before thou comest to confession that thy heart hath sinned in coveting evil things thine eye in beholding vanity thy mouth in speaking falshood thine eare in hearing lies thy hand in perpetrating blows and murders c. Let therefore thine heart griâ—…ve thine eye weep thy mouth pray without interâ—…ssion thine eare heare the word of God thine hanâ—… give alms c. thy feet come to Church thy knees bow and labour c. And do not deferre it For God hath promâ—…sed pardon to the penitent but he hath not promised life till to morrow to him that delayeth it Thus much Augustine Now this confession is both prositable and necessary It hath the promise of forgivenesse So to the hiding of our sinnes is pardon denied 1. John 1. 8 9. If we deny our sâ—… we deceive our selves and there is no truth in us but we bewray our selves to be hypocrites If we consesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive our sinnes and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that 〈◊〉 and forsaketh them shall have mercy We see this verified in the example of David For while he concealed his sinne the hand of the Lord was heavy upon him to afflict him Psal. 32. 3 4. but when he confessed and acknowledged his iniquity the Lord forgave him his sinne vers 5. Assoon as David reproved by Nathan confessed his sinne the Propher presently assureth him that his sinne was forgiven 2. Sam. 12. Now this confession is to be made of unknown sinnes generally Psal. 19. 13. of known sinnes particularly together with the aggravating circumstances Psal. 51. 4 5. and in both we are freely to acknowledge what we hâ—…ve deserved â—…or the same Ezra 9. 6 7. Dan. 9. 4 5. that judging our selves we may not be judged of the Lord 1. Cor. 11. 31. and that the Lord when he judgeth may be justified Psal. 51. 4. To which purpose we are to abhorre our selves in dust and ashes Job 42. 6. and to behave our selves before the Lord as Benhadad and â—…is followers before Ahab the King of Israel 1. Kings 20. 31. And that this confession may be made accordingly we are in our preparation both to try and examine ourselves by the law of God to find out our sinnes which we are seriously to confesse Lam. 3. 40 41. and also labour that we may see and feel our miserie in respect of them that labouring and being wearied under the burden of them we may out of an humble and contrite soul poure out our supplications unto the Lord. The neglect whereof is reproved Jer. 8. 6. And that we may obtein forgivenesse we are also to come in charitie being as desirous to forgive our brethren that have offended us as we desire to be forgiven of the Lord Matth. 6 14 15. See Ecclus 28. 2 3. 1. Tim. 2. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without wrath And likewise we are to repent of those sinnes the pardon whereof we desire For that is pretended in our asking forgivenesse that is both to be sorie
venite ad judicium Arise ye dead and come unto judgement VI. We must live as having our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversation in heaven from whence we look for a Saviour minding heavenly things and not being addicted to the world or the desires thereof but living as pilgrimes on the earth c. The hypocrisie of men is here detected who either 1. make this prayer having not this desire or 2. live as if they were out of hope as all those do that go on in their sinnes without remorse for how can he truly hope for the end that â—…areth not for the means Doth not the holy Ghost say That without holinesse we shall never see God Heb. 12. 14. That without regeneration we shall never enter into the kingdome of heaven John 3. 3 5. Therefore we cannot hope that Christ his coming will be to our everlasting salvation if we continue in our sinnes neither can we truly and earnestly desire his coming except we have that hope neither can we truly make this prayer except we have this unfeigned desire 3. Those that are wedded to the world and are so farre from desiring the hastening of Christs coming that they do not onely desire to live here alwayes but also so behave themselves as if they meant alwayes to abide here placing their paradise upon the earth and not caring for the kingdome of heaven The third Petition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The order THis petition is a consequent of the former For then doth God reigne in the hearts of men when they subject and submit themselves to his will Therefore as in the former petition we desired that the Lord would reigne in us so here we pray that we may shew our selves to be his subjects by performâ—…g his will For these two are relatives if he our 〈◊〉 then we his subjects And therefore hereby we 〈◊〉 discern whether the Lord doth reigne in us if we havâ—… a true desire and endeavour to do his will And theâ—…fore our Saviour Christ Matth. 6. 33. as he doth â—…id us to seek first and principally the kingdome of God so also his righteousnessâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will signifieth three things either 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which willeth or 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the willing or 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing willed 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which willeth in the creatures is the faculty of the mind whereby it willeth But in God whose nature is most simple and in whom there is nothing which is not himself it is his essence In this sense Voluntas Dei est essentia Dei volens the will of God is the essence of God willing 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the willing in the creatures is the act or function of willing proceeding from the faâ—…ulty But in the Lord both the act of willing and the faculty whereby he willeth is his essence Therefore as his essence is one and eternall so his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his willing is one and eternall and without succession And therefore whatsoever God hath willed doth or shall will that he willeth with one and the same everlasting act of willing For as uno actu intelligendi unóque intuitu omnia intelligit so also uno actu volendi omnia vult quae vult for as with one act of understanding and one view he understandeth all things so with one act of willing he willeth all that he willeth Out of which appeareth the unchangeablenesse of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his willing For whereas in ours there is a change when either we will that which before we did not or leave to will that which before we desired God by one eternall act of willing willeth all things and therefore neither beginneth to will that which before he did not nor leaveth to will that which once he willed The consideration whereof ought to be 1. A stay and comfort to Gods children in any distresse seeing there doth nothing happen unto them which the Lord hath not willed from everlasting and that for his glory and their good 2. An argument of thanksgiving unto the Lord who before we were willed so well unto us 3. A confirmation of faith in his promises because whom he loveth he loveth to the end neither is he as man that he should repent For howsoever repentance be sometime ascribed unto him yet this and the like passions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are spoken after the manner of men but must be understood according to the majesty of God And as sometimes repentance is affirmed of God so also many times it is denied Where it is denied it is to be ascribed to the immutability of his will where it is affirmed efficaciae actionis to the efficacy of his action 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing willed which oftentimes in the Scripture is called his will John 6. 39 40. 1. Thess. 4. 3. And in this sense the testament is called the will of the testatour The thing that God willeth properly and per se is good howsoever unproperly by accident he willeth that which is evil non quidem facere sed fieri not to do it but to permit it to be done as it is referred to good ends viz. his glory and our good Bonum est esse malum It is good there should be evil that both the glory of Gods mercy in saving us and of his justice in punishing our sinnes in Christ might appear But properly the Lord willeth not it but the end as when a man is content that some part of his body should be seared he doth not properly desire the searing of the part but the health of his body The things willed are either God himself and those things which pertein to himself as his glory c. or the creatures and such things as belong unto them Himself he willeth most properly for if bonum cognitum known good be the proper object of will then primum supremum bonum the first and supreme good which is himself is most properly the object thereof His creatures he willeth and such things as concern them as means referred to this end Rom. 11. 36. Prov. 16. 4. Himself he willeth by absolute necessity not indeed of constraint but of nature for most willingly he willeth His creatures he willeth most freely having liberty either to will them or to nill them Howbeit things willed come to passe by necessity not absolute but ex hypothesi voluntatis Divinae on the condition of Gods will Now God willeth the means not thereby to perfect the end which is himself or to purchase any good to himself for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most perfect and doth not stand in need of any of his creatures Psal. 16. 2. but he willeth them propter se communicandum that they by the communication of himself unto them may be perfected Omnia ordinantur in finem ut à sine
the cause as namely sinne And howsoever sin is evil yet it is good that sinne should be for the manifestation of the glory both of the mercy of God and also of his justice and therefore though the Lord doth not velle peccatum per se will sinne properly by it self yet he doth will it per accidens by accident as it is referred to good ends Again sinne may be considered as it is malum culpae or malum poenae an evil of fault or evil of punishment Sinne as it is a punishment is a work of justice in him that punisheth for it is just that he that doth commit malum culpae the evil of fault should suffer malum poenae the evil of punishment as it is therefore a punishment i. a work of justice and not sin it is willed of God the authour of all good In sin as it is malum culpae the evil of fault three things do concurre actus macula reatus the act stain guilt The action is materiale peccati the matter of sin the corruption is formale peccati the form of sin reatus est obligatio ad poenam the guilt is the obligation to punishment the which is just as the punishment it self The action as it is an action severed from the corruption is good Omne ens quatenus ens est bonum Every being as it is a being is good and God is the authour of it for in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17. 28. But of the corruption wherewith the action is stained God is not the cause For unto every action concurreth the first cause and some secondary cause depending from him as being the instrument of the first The which instrument being bad as many times it is there is a double work in the action one of the first cause good the other of the instrument evil God then is the cause of the action but not of the corruption but yet useth ordereth disposeth the corruption of the instrument for the execution of his own good work When the Lord gave his Sonne to death he used Judas as his instrument The action is the delivering of Christ which as it came from God was a most glorious work John 3. 16. Rom. 8. 32. But quem Deus tradidit Judas prodidit whom God delivered Judas betrayed When God will chastise his servant he useth some wicked man as his instrument to afflict him This affliction as it cometh from God is castigatio a chastisement but as from the instrument persecutio rapina c. persecution rapine c. A man that rideth on a lame horse is the cause why he goeth but not why he halteth Again Deus non est autor ejus â—…ujus est ultor God is not the authour of that of which he is the punisher and revenger Thus we see that howsoever God doth voluntarily permit sinne and also useth ordereth and disposeth the same to good ends for such is his wisdome that he knoweth how to use that well which is evil yet he cannot be said properly to will sinne which he hateth or to be the authour of it which he revengeth For this priviledge Gods will hath Whatsoever it willeth it is therefore good but sinne as it is sinne cannot be good But to return to my purpose That this absolute will of God be performed we need not to pray â—…nlesse it be to shew our affâ—…ction to Gods glory and conformity submission to his will As in the time of affliction The will of the Lord be done Neither indeed doth our Saviour speak of it as appeareth by the clause following in earth as it is in heaven Secondly therefore the will of God which he requireth to be done of his creatures quatenus praecipit vel prohibet so farre forth as he commandeth or forbiddeth which is therefore called voluntas Revelata Conditionalis Signi Antecedens Inefficax non quatenus promittit vel minatur absque conditione est decreti revelatio the Revealed will Conditionall of the Signe Antecedent Inefficacious not as he promiseth or threatneth and without condition is the revelation of the decree Now the word of God is called voluntas signi the will of the signe because it signifieth what our duty is and what is acceptable unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and conditionall because it doth not shew simply what God will have done but upon condition Si vis ad vitam ingredi serva mandata Si vis servari crede If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments If thou wilt be saved believe and inefficax uneffectuall because it is not alwayes performed Fit voluntas Dei de omnibus non ab omnibus The will of God is done concerning all though not of all To do the will of God is in respect of the matter to perform that which he commandeth after the same manner to the same end that he appointeth but if you look into our weakenesse this doing of Gods will by us is especially to be understood of the will and endeavour which the Lord in his children accepteth as the deed Prâ—…camur optamus ut non tantùm faciat Deus quod vult sed nos facere possimus quod vult We pray and wish not onely that God do what he will but that we may be able to do what he will Whereas therefore this will of God is contemned of men oppugned by the flesh the world the devil and yet must of necessity be obeyed of us if either we would be subjects of the kingdome of grace or inheritours of the kingdome of glory great cause there is why we should instantly make this prayer c. In earth that is by us men on earth and consequently as Paul speaketh Tit. 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this present world So as Oecumenius saith on that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this life susteineth the sight but the life to come shall receive the reward In this life eternall life is either won or lost In this life we must do the will of God or else we shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven Matth. 7. 22. According to that which every man doth in the flesh shall he be judged 2. Cor. 5. 10. And therefore whilest we have time let us do good remembring that the Lord hath placed us here on the earth for a short time to do his will which time if we let passe without repentance and turning to God and doing his will afterwards it will be too late As it is in heaven that is as the Angels in heaven do perform it And they perform Gods will Psal. 103. 20 21. 1. Scienter knowingly 2. Sincerely and uprightly 3. Willingly and chearfully 4. Readily expecting the beck of the Lord Matth. 18. For which cause they are said to stand before the Lord Dan. 7. 10. Revel 5. 11. 5. Speedily without delay For which cause wings are attributed unto them 6. Fully and not by
newnesse of life In those for whose sinnes he died and rose again for their justification the spirit of Christ is effectuall to apply the merits of his death to the mortifying of their sinnes and the vertue of his resurrection to their vivification which is called the first resurrection And therefore unlesse thou diest to thy sinnes and risest again unto newnesse of life thou canst have no sound assurance that Christ died for thy sinnes and rose again for thy justification And therefore as we desire the pardon of our sinnes so must we labour to renounce them that we may not onely be freed from the guilt but also delivered from the corruptions themselves True repentance as it mourneth for sinnes committed and craveth the pardon of them so is it carefull for the time to come not to commit that which ought to be mourned for Having thus spoken of the order and coherence of this petition we are now to speak of the words themselves In which two things are conteined first a deprecation or request for the pardoning of our sinnes and secondly a reason for the confirmation of our faith in obteining the same In the request it self we are first to speak of the meaning of the words and then to gather from thence such uses as they afford 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debts according to the propertie of the Syrian language in which our Saviour spake signifieth sinnes For the Syrians call him that sinneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is debtour and sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debt as appeareth by the Chaldean paraphrase on Gen 50. 17. Psal. 1. 1. Bezain Matth. 23. 16. But this may be also evidently proved by conference of other places in the new Testament as Matth. 23. 16 18. The Pharisees conceit was that if a man did swear by the temple or the altar that it was nothing but if he did swear by the gold of the temple or the gift upon the altar that then he was a debtour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So in Luke 13. those whom Christ in the second verse calleth sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fourth verse he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debtours So in this chapter our Saviour setting down a proof of the reason of this petition for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 14 15. But most plainly in Luke 11. 4. where the words of this petition are thus set down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And forgive us our sins for we also forgive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one that is in debt to us that is which hath offended us Now the reason why sinnes are called debts is because for our sinnes we ow punishment For as a man having entred into bonds to perform such and such covenants or else to incurre the forfaiture and penalty conteined in the obligation is subject to the forfaiture if he perform not the covenant so we being bound by most strait obligations to perform obedience to all the commandments of God or else to incurre the penalty comprised in the law which is the obligation or handwriting that is against us Col. 2. 14. are subject to the penalty that is the fearfull curse of God both in this life and in the world to come if we perform not the covenants For as in the law there are two things 1. praeceptum commanding or forbidding and 2. sanctio threatning punishment against the â—…nsgression of the precept so in every sinne therâ—… are two things answerâ—…ble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fault transgressing the law and the reatus binding over the transgressour to the punishment In respect of which punishment every offendour of the law is a debtour untill either the debt be remitted him or else he hath born the punishment which is without end Whereas therefore we pray that the Lord would forgive us our debts we do not onely desire that the Lord would forget the fault but also that he would remit the punishment unto which the guilt of our fault doth bind us over And therefore foolish is the opinion of the Papists who hold that the Lord many times forgiveth the fault and reteineth the punishment For sinne is called a debt in respect of the punishment which we ow for it and therefore this debt is not remitted if the punishment be reteined Again the mercy of the Lord pardoneth no sinne for which his justice is not satisfied Neither must we so desire the Lord to be mercifull as that we would have him forget his justice Every sinne therefore as it deserveth death so is it punished with death or else the justice of God is not satisfied It is punished I say by death either in the party himself to whom it is not forgiven or in Christ in the behalf of the party to whom it is forgiven For every sinne therefore that is forgiven Christ hath satisfied the justice of God in bearing the punishment therefore God doth not punish them whose sinnes he forgiveth in Christ neither can it stand with his justice to punish the same sinne twice onâ—… in Christ and again in the faithfull for whom Câ—…rist hath suffered So that we cannot say that the Lord punisheth them whose sinnes he forgiveth except we will affirm either that the Lord is unjust or that the merits of Christ were unsufficient and unperfect both which are blasphemous Therefore as there is no condemnation so there is no punishment to those that are in Christ Jesus Chastised they may be after their sinnes are forgiven for the example of others and their own amendment as David was 2. Sam. 12. but punished they never are The affliction which the children of God do bear is not a punishment to satisfy for their sinne but either a triall or a chastisement either to cure or prevent sinne in them When we are judged we are chastised c. 1. Cor. 11. 32. And as the opinion of the Papists is foolish so the practice of those men is sottish who when they are indebted unto their neighbour or have incurred a forfeiture are never in quiet untill they have got that debt discharged or remitted and yet the same men being in infinite debt to the Lord which although they had the whole world they are not able to discharge notwithstanding take no thought for this debt noâ—… earnestly sue for pardon but securely go on in their sinnes as though by continuall increasing of their debt they should the more easily discharge it much like to him that having got a burden of wood and finding it too heavie should cut down more to adde unto the weight or as it is in the ridiculous proverb of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot carry a goat lay upon me an ox Now these debts are of sundry sorts Some are originall sinnes some actuall some inward others outward some of omission others of commission some of ignorance others of knowledge some of infirmity others of presumption some
in our selves then the firebrands of hell and yet withall we must relie upon Christ and his merits being perswaded that notwithstanding our manifold sinnes yet the Lord will receive us into his love and favour imputing unto us the righteousnesse of his Sonne and covering us therewith as with a garment If thus we believe in Christ we need not doubt of the pardon of our sins because Christ having satisfied the justice of his Father for all the sinnes of them which believe in him the remission therefore of sinnes to them that believe is a work not onely of mercy but also of justice 3. If we would truly make this prayer viz. in hatred of sinne have any assurance to our own souls that our sinnes are forgiven we must repent of those sinnes which we desire to be remitted and forsake those sinnes which we would have the Lord forgive Ezek. 18. 21 22. At what time soever c. Prov. 28. 13. He that confesseth his sinnes and forsaketh them c. And therefore as Isaiah exhorteth chap. 55. 7. let the wicked forsake his way c. If therefore we would effectually crave the pardon of our sins we must have a true purpose of heart and resolution to forsake them And if we would have assurance that according to our prayer our sinnes be forgiven we must have a true endeavour to leave them and to perform the contrary duties If therefore we have neither purpose in our hearts nor endeavour in our lives to forsake our sinnes we may not look that the Lord will pardon them If in my heart I regard wickednesse c. Psal. 66. 18. For the Lord heareth not sinners that is who do not repent of their sinnes nor have a true purpose to leave them John 9. 31. Prov. 28. 13. 4. If we make this prayer in faith and truly believe in God for the forgivenesse of our sinnes this perswasion will have this effect in us to make us fear to sinne and by sinne to displease and dishonour God There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared Psal. 130. 4. The bounty of the Lord must draw us to repentance Rom. 2. 4. Nay further those that believe their sinnes are forgiven them and are perswaded of Gods love and favour shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost they cannot choose but love him much who hath forgiven them much Luke 7. 47. and shew forth their love in keeping his commandments 5. If in prayer we unfeignedly desire faith and assurance of the forgivenesse of our sinnes then we will be most carefull in our lives to use and to use aright the means of begetting and increasing this faith as the hearing of the word receiving of the Sacraments c. 6. If we truly desire reconciliation with God in Christ then will we seek in all things to please him For if we please our selves in displeasing him as the very nature of sinne is to displease God how can we perswade our selves that we are reconciled unto God or desire so to be 7. If we would have any assurance that our sinnes are forgiven we must be ready to forgive our neighbours the offenses which they commit against us For if ye saith Christ Matth. 6. 14. forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye do not c. But of this more in the reason Here therefore is discovered the hypocrisie of those men 1. who crave pardon of sinne in a Pharisaicall conceit of their own perfection freedome from sinne 2. who have no true hatred of sinne nor purpose to leave it 3. who please themselves in displeasing God and yet would seem to desire reconciliation with God 4. who desire faith and yet neglect and contemne the means 5. who with the ungracious servant looking to have pardon of ten thousand talents of his master would not remit a small debt to his fellow-servant Matth. 18. 28. whom he ought to have loved for his Masters sake c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These words are a solemn profession unto God of our brotherly love serving both to confirm our faith in obteining pardon and also to testifie our love to God who hath forgiven us much in the love of our brethren for his sake For whereas divers men making this prayer for pardon of sinne either do not believe at all the pardon of their sinne or else deceive themselves with an opinion of faith not loving him of whom they look for pardon nor their brethren for his sake but with the ungracious servant Matth. 18. 28. exact small debts of their brethren and revenge offenses committed against them as though they could love God and yet hate their brother therefore our Saviour teacheth us to adde to the petition this protestation that if we be able to make it in truth we may be assured of the forgivenesse of our sinnes and not be deceived as many are in our assurance First therefore because we are so full of infidelity and diffidence that we are hardly brought to believe in particular the forgivenesse of our own sinnes and consequently to make this prayer in faith our Saviour teacheth us to use this notable argument not so much to move God as to confirm our selves drawn from the lesse to the greater As we also forgive c. or as it is more plainly set down in Luke For even we also forgive c. And the reason standeth thus If we who have not so much pitie in regard of thine abundant mercy as is a drop of water in comparison of the Ocean sea if we I say be readie to forgive the offenses and injuries done against us then no doubt thou wilt forgive our offenses which we from the bottom of our hearts confesse unto thee with deprecation of pardon But even we Lord whose mercy is as nothing in comparison of thine are readie to remit offenses committed against us and therefore as we earnestly crave pardon so we do unfeignedly believe that thou wilt forgive us our sinnes The connexion of the proposition is necessarie For as we say Quod in minori valet valet etiam in majori That which is of force in the lesser is of force also in the greater If a drop of pity in us doth wash away the offense of our brother how much more shall the multitude of his mercies wash away our offenses And our Saviour reasoneth elsewhere Matth. 7. 11. If yee which are evil can give good things to your children how much more c. If therefore our consciences do testifie unto us the truth of the assumption That we are readie to forgive them that offend us we may also be assured of the truth of the conclusion That God also forgiveth our sinnes 2. Whereas many abuse the mercy of God whereof they presume for the pardoning of their sinnes dealing unthankfully with God in cruelty revenge exercised upon their brethren and so deceive
chearfully to the slaughter yet there can be no greater judgement inflicted upon a man in this life then to be given over to his own lusts or to the allurements of the world or tentations of the devil Now this giving over men in tentation is that which our Saviour calleth leading into tentation Of which we are now to speak Lead us not into or rather bring or carrie us not into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where first we must note the persoâ—… to whom we speak secondly the thing against which we pray The person Do not thou lead us Which when some have considered they have chosen rather to read thus And do not thou permit or suffer us to be led into tentation But we must not teach our Saviour to speak but rather with humilitie learn the true meaning of his speech Yea but say they this prayer is superfluous For God temptâ—…th no man as James saith chap. 1. 13. It is one thing to tempt and another thing to lead into tentation as it is one thing to execute punishment on an evil-doer and another to deliver him over to an executioner the one is the act of the judge the other of the hangman Yea but we must understand this of permission onely or else we shall make God the authour of sinne God doth not onely permit men to be tempâ—…ed but also leadeth into tentation The like phrases are usuall in the Scriptures Exod. 7. 3. Induravit cor Pharaonis he hardened Pharaohs heart Isai. 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us erre from thy wayes and hardened our heart from thy fear Rom. 1. 24 26 28. 2. Thess. 2. 11. God shall send them strong delusion All which words do signifie not onely a permission but also a work of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet notwithstanding he is not the authour of sinne In every tentation even unto evil God hath an hand And the same tentation which proceedeth from Satan or our own corruption may also be said to come from God But in the same tentation we are to distinguish the work of God which is good from the work of the flesh or of the devil which is evil As it cometh from God it is either a triali or a chastisement which are works of mercy or a punishment which is a work of justice But as it cometh from Satan or the flesh it is a provocation unto evil and therefore a sinne Such is the wisdome and goodnesse of the Lord that he knoweth by evil instruments to effect his own good work The tentation of Job proceeded from God and from Satan God by that means tried his patience the devil provoked him to impatience and despair When David numbred the people it is said that God moved him so to do 2. Sam. 24. 1. and Satan provoked him to number the people 1. Chron. 21. 1. Gods work was a chastisement of David and punishment of the people Satans work an incitation to sinne When Pharaoh deteined the people of Israel it is said that God hardned his heart and that Pharaoh hardned his heart Exod. 8. 15 32. and 9. 34. As it came from God it was a punishment as from himself a fruit of his own flesh and so a sinne Again we must further distinguish betwixt the tentation of God and of the flesh and the devil The flesh when it tempteth sendeth forth evil concupiscences which allure men to evil and withdraw from God Jam. 1. 14. The devil when he tempteth casteth into mens minds either by himself or by means ill motions and suggestions God doth not instill into mens minds ill motions as the devil and the flesh do But he is said to tempt in these respects 1. By offering the occasion or the object of sinne for our triall howsoever we through our own corruption or instigation of Satan take occasion by the triall of sinning 2. By withholding and withdrawing his grace which he is not bound to vouchsafe unto any but in justice might deny to all 3. By giving them over either to their own lusts or to the tentations of the devil who is his executioner as a just punishment of their former sinnes And in this sense God is said to harden mens hearts not that he maketh them of soft hard but being hard already giveth them over to their own corruptions and the tentations of Satan further to be hardned which hardnesse they further gather to themselves willingly committing sinne with greedinesse Now this the Lord may do most justly For when men have hardned themselves what should bind God to soften them He hath mercy on whom he will by softning them and whom he will not have mercy on them in justice he hardneth And who shall constrain him to shew mercy in softning where in justice he may harden This must teach us 1. not to dispute with God but to justifie him in all his judgements which in justice he might exercise upon all howsoever in mercy he spareth some and 2. to be thankfull unto him for vouchsafing us to be in the number of those whom in mercy he so softeneth when in justice he might have hardned us Thus we see in what sense the Lord is said to lead men into tentation not that he suffereth them onâ—…ly to be led but also that he giveth them over to be tempted and in the tentation to take the foil 2. Whereas our Saviour teacheth us thus to pray That the Lord would not lead us into tentation we gather this consolation That howsoever we are assaulted continually by the flesh the world and the devil yet we shall not be overcome except the Lord himself lead us into tentation Satan goeth about continually like a roring lion seeking whom he may devoure but he cannot tempt except it please God to bring us upon the stage as he did Job nor in tempting overcome us unlesse the Lord give us over into his hands For he that is in us is greater then he that is in the world 1. John 4. 4. And if we be born of God the evil one shall not touch us to hurt us 1. John 5. 18. The devil desireth to sift and to winnow us as wheat but our Saviour hath prayed for those that believe in him that our faith may not fail Luke 22. 32. The devils could not enter into the herd of swine without speciall leave Neither could Satan touch the cattel of Job untill he had commission from God and further then his tedder he cannot go Seeing therefore in all tentations the Lord ruleth the action and overruleth the tempter our duty is in all tentations to flee unto him praying that he will not lead us into tentation So much of the person to whom we make this request Let us now consider the thing against which we pray That we be not led into tentation Our Saviour doth not teach us to pray that we be not tempted at all For it is not an evil
to be performed after prayer 144 25. Of the Subject matter of our prayers and what is required thereunto namely that it be good and according to Gods will 146 That being unable to pray we are assisted by the Spirit 147 Chap. 26 Of the circumstances of prayer 150 Of Publick prayer 151 Of Private prayer in the family and alone 154 27. Of the time of prayer 156 The Euchetae confuted 157 28. Concerning the Place of prayer 161 The vanity of Pilgrimages 163 29. Of Prayer or Petition and what is required unto it 164 Prayer and thanksgiving must be joyned 165 What things are required in prayer 167 We must pray in sight and sense of our wants 169 We must pray with fervency of deâ—…ire 172 30. Of Faith which is chiefly required in prayer 173 We must pray in faith and submission to Gods will 176 31. Of duties to be performed after prayer 178 32. Distinctions of prayer in regard of the object 181 For whom we must pray 184 Of prayer against others 188 Of Imprecations 189 33. Of the reall object of prayer or the things to be prayed for 191 We must pray for temporall blessings 193 34. Of Deprecation 195 Of Confession of our sinnes 196 How this Confession is to be made 197 35. Of Thanksgiving 201 What is required in Thanksgiving 202 36. Speciall duties required in Thanksgiving 206 37. Of the outward expressing inward thankfulnesse by praysing God 212 38. Duties to be performed before after thanksgiving 216 ¶ The chief things handled in the second part of this Treatise viz. The exposition of the Lords Prayer THe generals of Invocation applyed to the Lords Prayer 226 The Preface 231 How God is called Father ibid. Of the name Father and what duties it teacheth us 234 What is meant by the word Our 237 The meaning of these words Which art in heaven 244 The division of the Petitions 251 The meaning of the first Petition 252 How Gods name is sanctified by us 255 How Gods name signifying his Glory is sanctified by us 257 How it is sanctified signifying his Titles 259 How it is sanctified signifying his Word 263 How it is sanctified signifying the Doctrine of religion 264 How it is sanctified signifying his Works 265 How God himself sanctifieth his name 269 The second Petition handled 271 What Gods kingdome is 272 What it is for Gods kingdome to come 275 Christs kingdome cometh by means 279 The impediments of Gods kingdome to be prayed against 282 Uses concerning the coming of Gods kingdome 289 Of the coming of the kingdome of glory 293 We must expect and pray for the second coming of Christ 294 How we must expect the second coming of Christ 298 The third Petition explained 301 Of the will of God and things which he willeth 303 How Gods will is done on earth 307 How Gods will is done on earth as in heaven 310 The matter and manner of our obedience 314 315 Wherein our obedience resembleth that of the Angels 319 The exposition of the fourth Petition 324 Why we ask temporall blessings before spirituall 325 What is meant by Bread 327 What is meant by daily bread 330 How God is said to give us daily bread 333 c. Duties to be performed by them that ask daily bread 339 340 c. The fifth Petition expounded 350 We must be justified before we can be sanctified 352 That our sinnes are debts 355 What is meant by forgiving our trespasses 359 By this petition we are put in mind of our misery and Gods mercy 361 No man can satisfie Gods justice for his sinnes 362 Severall duties arising out of the fifth petition 368 369 Our forgiving no cause of Gods forgiving us 376 How we can be said to forgive 379 Reasons moving us to forgive 385 c. The sixth petition expounded 390 Those whom God pardoneth the devil tempteth 391 The necessity of this prayer Not to be lead into temptation 392 Of probations and trialls 1. by prosperity 2. by afflictions 394 395 Of divers sorts of temptations 396 1. Of the flesh ibid. 2. Of the world 397 3. Of the devil 400 Of the divers sorts of the devils temptations 401 c. How God may be said to tempt 406 Satan can neither tempt or overcome without Gods permission 409 That temptations are good for Gods children 410 How we must pray against the temptations of the flesh the world and the devil 413 414 415 c. The Conclusion of the Lords Prayer both authenticall and necessary 419 Our faith confirmed by this Conclusion 420 What is meant by thine is the kingdome 422 423 What is meant by the power and the glory 424 425 Everlasting kingdome power and glory belongeth to God 427 What the word Amen signifieth 429 CHAP. I. Of the definition of prayer and of the persons who are to pray AMong all the duties of Christianitie as there is not any more honourable in it self more glorious to God more profitable and necessary for us then the exercise of prayer and invocation so is there none wherein we do more need direction and instruction and consequently nothing wherein my labour in speaking and yours in hearing may better be imployed For as Chrysostome saith Pulcherrima est scientia veréque Christiano homine digna quae docet rectè precari That is the most excellent knowledge and truly worthy a Christian man which teacheth rightly to pray In treating whereof I purpose by the help of God to observe this order First I will set down the doctrine of invocation and then explain that absolute form or pattern of prayer prescribed by our Saviour Christ wherein the practice of the doctrine is conteined The doctrine must first be generall and common to both the sorts of invocation viz. prayer and thanksgiving and then speciall and peculiar to either The generall doctrine consisteth of such points as are either more substantiall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or accidentall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The substantiall points are all of them comprised in this definition Invocation or prayer is a religious speech of the faithfull directed unto God in the name of Christ framed according to the will of God by the help of the holy Ghost concerning good things apperteining to his glory and our good The phrase of invocating or calling upon the name of God sometimes signifieth the profession of the true religion whereby we take the name of God upon us and are called after his name as Gen. 48. 16. and 4. 16. Isa. 63. 10. Acts 9. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 2. And first as touching the name This part of Gods worship is usually in the Scriptures expressed by the phrase of calling upon the name of God and therefore is fitly called invocation that is calling upon God whether it be by way of praying or praysing In which generall sense the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tephillat is sometimes used 1. Sam. 2. 1. Psal. 86. 1. Isa. 56. 7. Domus orationis
of God and submitted themselves to his fatherly providence when they are such as have set down with themselves that they will be rich 1. Tim. 6. and will come to great matters whether God give them good means or not and will frame their own fortune They beg for a day as if they would depend upon God for tomorrow yet distrustfully hoard up for many yeares They desire temporall things to be given them of God and yet seek them by wicked and unlawfull means They desire God to remit their sinnes as if they repented of them which they still retein as if they did in mockery desire the Lord to forgive the sinnes which they will not forgo Yea they desire the Lord in hypocrisie so to forgive them their trespasses as they forgive those that trespasse against them when as they nourish hatred and a desire and purpose of revenge so in stead of obteining mercy and forgivenesse at Gods hands they call for the fierce wrath and vengeance of God to be executed upon them They desire that God will not lead them into tentations and yet themselves run into tentations and seek occasions of evil They desire that they may be delivered from evil and yet wilfully go on in evil and will not be reclaimed as though they had made a covenant with hell They ascribe kingdome to the Lord and yet will not obey him as his subjects power and yet neither fear nor trust in him glory yet do not glorifie him They subscribe to their prayers and say Amen as though they unfeignedly desired and assuredly believed that their requests should be granted when as they neither desire that which in hypocrisie they ask nor believe the granting of that which without faith they have begged And finally in all these requests they draw neare to the Lord with their mouth and with their lips do honour him but they remove their hearts farre from him Isa. 29. 13. It is evident therefore that as the prayer of the righteous is acceptable to God as the evening sacrifice Psal. 141. 2. so the prayer of the wicked is detestable unto him Which may further be proved by expresse testimonies of the holy Scriptures The sacâ—…ifice of the wicked saith Solomon is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable unto him Prov. 13. 9. and again v. 29. The Lord is farre from the wicked but he heareth the prayers of the righteous The same doth David testifie Psal. 34. 15 16. The eyes of the Lorâ—… are upon the righteous and his eares are open to their erie but the face and angry countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth The man which had been blind John 9. 31. delivereth this as a received truth in the Church of the Jews This we know saith he that God heareth not sinners that is impenitent sinners but if a man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will him he heareth Wherefore it is manifest that the promises made to them that call upon God are restrained and as it were appropriated to the godly And therefore whosoever desireth to pray unto God with hope to be heard must turn unto the Lord by repentance and lay hold upon Christ by faith unfeignedly purposing amendment of life For the name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth unto it and is exalted or set in safetie Prov. 18. 10. But it will be objected That the promises are generall and therefore belonging to all they are not to be restrained to some I answer That they and all other promises of the Gospel are to be understood with the condition of faith and repentance which many times are expressed and where they are not they are alwayes to be understood as restraining the promises to the faithfull For whereas Joel saith chap. 2. 30. that whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved our Saviour restraineth it to the righteous Matth. 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord that is which calleth upon me shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven and the Apostle Rom. 10. 13 14 to the fâ—…ithfull But how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed And whereas our Saviour saith That whatsoever ye shall ask in my name the Father will grant it John 16. 23. that also is restrained in the 1. epistle of John 3. 22. to the righteous Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things which are pleasing in his sight And so our Saviour John 17. 7. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you As for the wicked the Lord denieth to heare them though they cry loud in his eares and make many prayers unto him Isa. 1. 15. When ye spread forth your hands saith the Lord to the impenitent Jews I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare whom not withstanding upon their repentance he promiseth to heare and to receive into favour v. 16 17 18. So in Ezek. 8. 18. Though they cry in mine eares with a loud voice yet will I not heare them Psal. 18. 41. Micah 3. 4. They shall cry unto the Lord but he will not heare them he will even hide his face from them for their wickednesse Jer. 14. 12. When they fast I will not heare their cry Neither doth he onely refuse to heare them but the godly also praying for them 1. Sam. 16. 1. Jer. 15. 1. Ezek. 14. 14 20. and therefore forbiddeth many times the godly to pray in their behalf Jer. 14. 11. or if they do he protesteth that he will not heare them Jer. 7. 16. and 11. 14. When as therefore impenitent sinners do call upon God and are not heard let them not think that the Lord is not able to heare or help them Behold saith the Prophet Isaiah chap. 59. 1. the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save nor his eare heâ—…vy that he cannot heare but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare And then he descendeth to particulars For this mercy of hearing our prayers is not onely denied unto ungodlinesse in generall but also to particular sinnes as contrariwise it is promised to particular graces which being linked together in a golden chain are each of them severall evidences of a true faith As first to Cruelty Oppression Isa. 1. 15. Though ye make many prayers I will not heare for your hands are full of bloud And not to cruelty onely but also to Unmercifulnes Want of pitie towards the poore For he that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall cry himself and not be heard
when in his prayers he nameth one onely person he doth not exclude the other persons but rather includeth theÌ„ For in every person or supposite that is named the Divine nature is presupposed so that when the Father is nominated Christ and so the holy Ghost is the same God which is invocated and therefore as there is one essence of all the persons so one worship Furthermore concerning our Saviour Christ it may also be demanded That seeing God is the onely object of religious invocation whether he being the mediatour between God and man is to be invocated and if he be how and in what respect we are to call upon him That he is to be called upon as our Lord and Saviour in whose name we are baptized in whom we believe and trust there is no doub All men must honour him as they honour the Father John 5. 23. and All the angels must adore him Heb. 1. 6. and to his name must every knee bow Phil. 2. 10. Examples Stephen Acts 7. 59. Thomas John 20. 28. the Apostles Luke 24. 52. But all the question is Whether we are to call upon Christ as God alone or as man alone or as both God and man Since our Saviour Christ was incarnate and did personally and inseparably unite unto himself the humane nature his whole person as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Immanuel God manifested in the flesh is to be worshipped by one and the same act of invocation and worship without separation or division The Papists have found out a peculiar worship for the humanitie of Christ and for the blessed Virgin which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the humanitie of Christ as it doth not subsist of it self so are we not severally to worship it with Nestorius but the whole person both God and man But yet so as that our prayer be not directed to the humanity which is a creature but to the Sonne of God having assumed and united unto himself the humane nature So saith Cyrill Non igitur tanquam hominem adoramus Emmanuelem Absit Delir amentum enim hoc esset deceptio ac error In hoc enim nihil differremus ab his qui creaturam colunt ultra Conditorem Factorem that is We do not therefore worship our Emmanuel as man alone God forbid For this were a dotage a false conceit and errour neither should we in this differ from those which worship the creature more then their Creatour and Maker To conclude this second point Whereas the whole world almost is overflown with idolatry as with an universall deluge the Paganes invocating a multitude of false gods the Jews and Turks worshipping one God but not in the Trinitie of persons nor acknowledging Jesus Christ the Papists which call themselves the Catholick Church invocating besides the true God a multitude of angels and Saints images the crosse and Eucharist and in their prayers representing the invisible and incomprehensible God in a visible form notwithstanding God in his great mercy hath taken us who professe the reformed religion into the ark of his Church teaching us by his word and spirit to call upon him the true God in the name of Christ his Sonne himself also being near unto us as he was to the Church of Israel in all that we call upon him for Deut. 4. 7. CHAP. XIIII That Christ alone is the Mediatour of intercession as well as redemption HAving spoken of the subject of invocation viz. men and the object viz. God we are now in the third place to enquire how it cometh to passe that man being stained and polluted with sinne and by reason thereof an enemie to God should have any accesse unto God or be admitted to any speech with him who is most just and terrible a consuming fire hating all iniquitie with perfect hatred Indeed it must be confessed that sinne maketh a separation between God and man and that both we are unworthy in our selves to appear before God and our prayers also by reason of our manifold wants and corruptions unworthy to be offered unto him And therefore of necessitie a mediatour was to come between God and man who reconciling us unto God and covering our imperfections might make both our persons and our prayers acceptable unto God And for as much as it was needfull that the justice of God should be satisfied in the same nature wherein he had been offended neither could obedience be performed to the law given to man nor the punishment due to the sinnes of man be satisfied but by man neither could the righteousnesse be meritorious for all nor the price of ransome sufficient if the person which should perform both were not God It was likewise needfull that the mediatour who should reconcile us unto God and make us and our prayers acceptable unto him should be both God and man therefore God in his unspeakable mercy hath appointed and given his onely begotten Sonne to be our Mediatour Advocate and Intercessour who having assumed our nature should therein satisfie his justice and appease his wrath and having performed perfect obedience for us and given himself a ransome for our sinnes should ascend into heaven and there sitting at the right hand of the Father should make intercession for us that both the persons of such as believe in him and their prayers which call upon God in his name should be accepted of him But as in the former points we were forced to prove two things not onely that God is to be invocated but that he alone is to be called upon and not Saints and Angels so in this we are by the like superstition of the Papists compelled to demonstrate two things first that Christ is the onelâ—… Mediatour of intercession and secondly that we are alwayes to call upon God in his name For as they invocate others besides God and so are indeed worshippers of more gods so have they appointed other mediatours and intercessours besides Christ. And the reason is alike in both But the Apostle teacheth us That as there is but one God so there is but one Mediatour between God and man the man Christ. The Papists make two sorts of mediatours the one of redemption the other of intercession and they do confesse in word that Christ is the onely Mediatour of redemption but of intercession they adjoyn other mediatours unto him viz. the Saints departed Here therefore I will shew two things 1. That they seem to acknowledge other mediatours of redemption and so in deed overthrow that which in word they confesse 2. That none can be mediatour of intercession who is not also of redemption For as touching the first in many of their authorized prayers they desire God to have mercie on them in forgiving their sinnes and in giving unto them good things as well spirituall as temporall for the merits and intercession of the Saints and so plainly thrust the Saints into the office of Christ. And
omnem ex animo pellens humanam cogitationem that is If the bodie lying prostrate upon the ground and the mouth vainly trifling the mind wandreth throughout the whole house and market how can such a one say that he prayeth in Gods sight For he prayeth in the sight of God who recollecteth his whole soul that he may have nothing to do with the earth but may wholly raise himself into heaven and banish all humane cogitations out of his mind And to conclude let the absurditie of the fault it self and the grosse abusing of the majestie of God breed in us a lothing of this fault and a care to shun it For when at any time our minds have wandred in prayer let us endeavour to joyn into one speech the prayer of the mouth and the speech of the heart both which do sound in the eares of the Lord and then consider whether we would make such a speech I say not according to Malachi's rule to our Prince but to any man whom we regard which we are not abashed to offer unto the Lord. And thus have you heard the two faults opposed to praying in truth whereof the former is a note of hypocrites and impenitent sinners the latter though a foul fault and carefully to be avoided yet incident to the children of God For even in this sense the best of us may complain with David that our heart forsaketh us Psal. 40. 12. and as Augustine citeth out of Ambrose Ipso in tempore quo elevare mentem paramus insertis inanibus cogitationibus ad terrena plerunque dejicimur In the very time wherein we indeavour to lift up our minds vain thoughts being inserted we are for the most part cast down unto earthly things Wherein if we please our selves and are satisfied with such wandring prayers as though such wandring thoughts were not to be regarded as the Schoolmen teach we also play the hypocrites in our prayers and speak in vain in the aire without fruit or efficacie for such a prayer is dead and without life But if we come with upright hearts intending a religious service unto God though sometimes our devotions be hindred with wandring thoughts yet if we be grieved for them and pray and strive against them this infirmitie through Gods mercy and intercession of Christ shall not be imputed unto us CHAP. XVII Of knowledge which is required necessarily in prayer THus much of that which is generally required in the soul Now let us see what is more particularly required in the mind and in the heart In the mind two things are required Knowledge and Faith Knowledge 1. Of God to whom we pray and of his will according to which we are to pray 2. Of that which we in our invocation do utter in the presence of God First there is required knowledge and acknowledgement of the true God and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent otherwise we are subject to the censure of our Saviour given to the Samaritanes John 4. 22. You worship you know not what First we must know God before we can believe in him and we must believe in him or else we cannot call upon him Rom. 10. 14. Therefore David exhorteth his sonne Solomon 1. Chron. 28. 9. first to know then to worship the God of his fathers with a willing mind and an upright heart For all worship of God which is not guided by knowledge is mere will-worship and superstition Neither is that to be accounted religion or pietie which proceedeth from ignorance as the Papists hold ignorance to be the mother of devotion But that devotion is blind superstition Knowledge is as it were the stern which guideth us in the right way of serving God according to his word without which we wander into will-worship and superstitious inventions And therefore as of God there is knowledge required so also of his will revealed in his word For we can have no assurance that we shall be heard unlesse we pray according to his will 1. John 5. 14. Neither can we pray according to his will unlesse in some measure we do know it Col. 3. 16. Secondly there is required knowledge and understanding of that which we do pray otherwise we are subject to our Saviours reproof Matth. 20. 22. You ask you know not what Prayer not understood is the lifting up of the voice and not of the soul unto God and a pouring forth of our breath and speaking into the aire and not a pouring forth of our hearts and souls unto the Lord for as Augustine saith Seeing as it is Psal. 89. 16. Beatus populus qui intelligit jubilationem Curramus ergò saith he ad hanc beatitudinem intelligamus jubilationem non eam sine intellectu fundamus Quid opus est jubilare non intelligere jubilationem ut vox nostra sola jubilet cor non jubilet Sonus enim cordis intellectus est that is Blessed is the people which understandeth the joyfull sound Let us therefore haste saith he after this happinesse let us understand this joyfull sound and not vent it out without understanding What use is there of a joyfull sound and not to understand it that our voice onely should make this joyfull sound and not our heart For the sound of the heart is understanding Wherefore the Apostle Col. 3. 16. exhorteth us that the word of God dwell in us plenteously in all wisdome teaching and admonishing our selves in psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. Where the Apostle as he doth in generall require in every Christian a plentifull knowledge of the word of God to direct him in his worship of God so he teacheth us the use of our Psalmes and songs which we sing unto the Lord to wit that we and those that heare us may be instructed and edified thereby which without understanding of that which is said cannot be done as the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 14. And to the same effect doth the Prophet David exhort us Psal. 47. 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words though diversly translated do in every sense require understanding in those that call upon God whether you read it Sing praises every one that hath understanding or sing praises understandingly or with understanding or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also signifieth as appeareth by the titles of divers psalmes sing a Psalme of instruction whereby you may according to the exhortation of the Apostle Col. 3. instruct and edifie your selves and others Here therefore two sorts of men are condemned the first of those who pray in an unknown tongue the second of them who praying in their own tongue do not understand their own prayer The former fault is commited in the Church of Rome both in publick and private prayers And first for publick the Church of Rome hath ordained that all the publick Divine service in the West-churches should be done in the Latine tongue And although
all things to give thanks and not in that place alone but also in divers others as Luke 18. 1. that we must pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes and 21. 36. as also Ephes. 6. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all seasons What then will you say must we do nothing els in the whole course of our life but pray I say not so This was the phantasticall opinion of the fanaticall hereticks the Euchetae which thought they might do nothing else but pray and grounded their hersies upon these places of Scripture But for the answering of them and informing our selves in the truth first we are to search out the true meaning of those places of Scripture First therefore where it is said 1. Thess. 5. 17. that we must pray continually it may be fitly expounded by that in the 18. verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all things for the sense would be the same if we should say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all things pray and continually give thanks that is upon every just occasion pray and give thanks Now that these cannot be understood of perpetuall continuance in prayer excluding all other actions and duties it is plain by this Paul in divers places of his epistles doth professe of himself that he did pray and give thanks alwayes continually without ceasing Rom. 1. 9. Col. 1. 3. 1. Cor. 1. 4. Ephes. 1. 16. Col. 1. 9. 1. Thess. 1. 2. 2. Thess. 1. 3. and yet notwithstanding he neither denied to obey the necessities of nature neither omitted the duties either of his calling or of a godly life Nay he laboured in his calling more then all the rest of the Apostles The like may be said of Cornelius of whom the Scripture doth testifie Acts 10. that he prayed alwayes which is all one with in all things and yet by his calling a Centurion and therefore sometimes in fight and for the duties of a godly life it is said that he was a just man v. 22. and therefore exercised the duties of the second table and gave alms Secondly as touching the place in Luke 18. 1. where it is said that Christ spake a parable to this end that we ought alwayes to pray the holy Ghost expoundeth his meaning in the next words by removing the contrary that we should pray alwayes and not saint So that to pray alwayes in this place is not to saint in prayer Which in other places is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to persevere in prayer as Rom. 12. 12. that is with some pertinacie if I may use this word in the good sense to persevere in prayer And that this is the meaning of the words it appeareth by the scope of the parable it self which is nothing else but this That when we have prayed unto God and he seemeth not to heare us we must not faint and give over but stedfastly persevere untill we have an answer Thirdly for the other places Luke 21. 36. and Ephes. 6. 18. it is not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every time but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every sâ—…son that is upon every just occasion whensoever opportunity is offered To confirm this exposition this reason may be used The Lord in his word inioyneth us a great sort of duties besides Invocation which if we do omit for the omission of them although we should do no hurt we shall be condemned Matth. 25. 42. the sentence of condemnation is pronounced against the wicked for the omission of certain duties which necessarily must be omitted if we should do nothing else but pray Again it is a received distinction That the negative commandments of God do bind both semper ad semper to the absteining froÌ„ those things which are forbidden but the affirmative commandments howsoever they do bind us semper yet for the most part they do not bind us ad semper And therefore although we be alwayes bound to the performance of this duty and never exempted from it yet we are not bound to do it alwayes So that these commandments of continuing in prayer are to be understood of the whole life and not of every moment of time Now that we are alwayes bound to this duty appeareth both by our continuall necessitie to pray in regard first of our necessities and wants both spirituall and temporall secondly of the continuall rage of our spirituall enemies who are never at truce with us except we be at league with them thirdly of innumerable dangers which are alwayes imminent from which by Gods continuall mercy and goodnesse towards us we are delivered for which we must return thanks unto him For if there were no other cause of thanksgiving as there are many but onely this that he hath spared us and not confounded us for our sinnes this were matter sufficient Lam. 3. 22. It is the mercy of the Lord that we are not confounded Now that we may perform these commandments of continuance in prayer it is requisite that we call upon God both ordinarily at set times and extraordinarily as occasion and opportunity is offered And therefore in respect of time prayer is thus distinguished Preces sunt statae vel vagae which distinction belongeth both to publick and private prayer For publick prayer What set houres in the day-time are to be appointed for Divine service it is to be left to the discretion of every Church Onely in the night-time it seemeth inconvenient in the flourishing and quiet estate of the Church that publick assemblies should be held but in time of persecution it is otherwise For vagae They are so often to be used publickly as occasion is offered either by any publick danger and calamity to pray or by some publick blessing of God to give thanks But concerning private prayer there is no time of day naturall which may not be imployed thereunto It hath been the practice of the godly to call upon God both night and day So did David Psal. 22. 2. Annah Luke 2. 37. and not onely she but all right widows of whom Paul fpeaketh 1. Tim. 5. 5. So did Paul himself 2. Tim. 1. 3. 1. Thess. 3. 10. But more specially for the day David saith that he would call upon God seven times a day that is many times Psal. 119. 164. In another place he saith that he would pray in the morning in the evening and at noon And again for the morning Psal. 5. 3. and in another place that he would prevent the morning watch For the noon Acts 10. 9. For the night our Saviour gave us a precedent Luke 6. 12. where it is said that he spent the whole night in prayer unto God And to omit other speciall times There is none so unseasonable as midnight yet often in this time have the godly given themselves unto prayer Psal. 119. 62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee And so did Paul and Silas Acts 16. 25. So that we see no time
for our sinne past and to promise and purpose unfeignedly amendment for the time to come And both these duties of charity and repentance are likewise to be practiced in our lives after we have craved forgivenesse at the hands of God For as touching the dutie of charity in forgiving others If after we have desired forgivenesse and in our conceit have obteined pardon if we deal unmercifully with our brother whom we will not forgive it will be an evidence against us that our sinnes indeed were not pardoned Matth. 18. 23 to 35. And for the other duty of repentance A man cannot have assurance of the forgivenesse of his sinne which he doth continue in For God doth not remit the sinnes which we our selves retein He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. And as we are to pray for the forgivenesse of sinne or taking away of the guilt so we must also pray that we may be delivered from the corruptions and preserved against tentations alluring unto sinne for the time to come And as we are to pray against corruptions and tentations so must we in our lives strive and fight against our corruptions and resist tentations avoyding also occasions of evil otherwise how can we ask that of the Lord which we our selves will not yield unto in our practice So much of prayer against malum culpae the evil of sinne There is also prayer against malum poenae the evil of punishment both spirituall and temporall and also eternall The spirituall is when God doth punish sinne with sinne blinding the eyes of men and hardening their hearts and giving them over to a reprobate sense The temporall when God doth either for chastisement or triall or punishment afflict men with the afflictions and calamities of this life against which sort this kind of deprecation is most usuall Psalmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nè perdas Psal. 57 58 59 75. But in this kind of prayer especially we must wholly submit and resigne our selves unto the good will and pleasure of God who knoweth what is good for us better then our selves with pâ—…tience and comfort to bear what it shall please God to lay upon us after the example of David 2. Sam. 15. 26. and of our Saviour Matth. 26. 39 42. For herein especially that is verified Rom. 8. that we know not what to ask For to be afflicted is not simply evil but contrariwise worketh for the good of them that are afflicted Rom. 8. 28. Insomuch that David professeth that it had been good for him that he had been afflicted Psal. 119. 71. and Jeremy Lam. 3. 27. yea David pronounceth the man blessed whom the Lord doth chastise and nurture in his law Psal. 94. 12. Deprecation of calamities is often joyned with Lamentations particularly bewayling their state and Expostulations Example of the former in the Lamentations of Jeremie Expostulations are vehement interrogations of the afflicted expressed from their grief whereby they expostulate with God concerning the greatnesse or continuance of their afflictions Psal. 22. 1. But here we must take heed that our expostulation be a lively fruit of a strong faith lest perhaps it do degenerate into open murmuring and repining against God David Psal. 22. 1. and our Saviour Christ being assured that the Lord is his God and therefore calling him My God my God expostulateth with him why bâ—…ing hâ—…s God he had forsaken him So much of Petition or Prayer CHAP. XXXV Of Thanksgiving THanksgiving is that invocation whereby we do render due thanks and prayse unto God for his benefits As touching the name This duty is by divers names expressed in the Scriptures Psal. 100. 4. Isai. 12. Psal. 145. 2. As To prayse God Gen. 29. 35. To blesse him Psal. 103. 1 2. and 104. 1. 1. Chron. 29. 13. Jam. 3. 9. To confesse unto him Matth. 11. 25. Hâ—…b 13. 15. To give him thanks Psal. 105. 1. 1. Chron. 16. 8. 1. Thess. 5. 8. Rom. 1. 21. Eph. 5. 20. To magnifie the Lord Luke 1. 46. Act. 10. 46. and 19. 17. To extoll him Psal. 145. 1. To exalt his name Psal. 34. 3. To glorifie him Matth. 9. 8. and 15. 31. Luke 2. 20. To make his name glorious Psal. 66. 1 2. To offer viz. a voluntary oblation â—…hanksgiving and prayse Psal. 50. 14 23. To offer the sacrifice of prayse unto God that is the fruit of our lips confessing to his name Heb. 13. 15. as Hosea speaketh chap. 14. 2. To render the calves of our lips To sacrifice unto God with the voice of thanksgiving Jon. 2. 9. Psal. 116. 17. To sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving The duties required in thanksgiving are either common to it with prayer or proper and peculiar unto it For when I say that thanksgiving is a kind of invocation you are to understand that all those things which were spoken of in the generall treatise are particularly to be applied to thanksgiving The which I will the rather do because commonly those things are delivered not as generall points but as particular to prayer Thanksgiving therefore as well as prayer is a religious speech of the faithfull unto God in the name of Christ made according to the will of God by the help of the holy Ghost concerning good things apperteining to Gods glory and our own good I call it a religious speech because it is a principall part of that religious worship which we ow unto God whereby it is also distinguished from the civill thanksgiving to men and is therefore religiously to be performed In the rest of the definition I noted six things which are essentiall to all invocation and without which it cannot be acceptable unto God First That the party which doth invocate must be faithfull for God heareth not sinners And thanksgiving being a sacrifice the holy Ghost telleth us that the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord Prov. 15. 8. The proper subject of Gods prayse is the Church Eph. 3. 21. To him be prayse in the Church Psal. 65. 1. Praise waiteth for God in Sion The Lord Psal. 50. 14 15. exhorteth his saints and his peculiar people to offer unto him thanksgiving and to call upon him in the day of trouble But v. 16. unto the wicked saith God What hast thou to do to declare my statutes and to take my covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and castest my worâ—…s behind thee Sacrifices are to be offered by none but priests and all the faithfull and they onely are a royall priestâ—…ood to offer up spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1. Pet. 2. 5 9. Revel 1. 6. This duty is necessarily required of all and cannot without sinne be omitted by any but cannot be acceptably performed but by the faithfull And therefore the faithfull are in a speciall manner exhorted to this duty Psal. 30. 4 and 145. 10. and 149. 5 6. And this sheweth the
who are like himself But the faithfull who are at peace with God have also joy in the holy Ghost whereby they do rejoyce in God in all estates not onely in time of peace prosperity but also in time of adversity Rom. 5. 3. Yea the greatest afflictions of this life are to be born of the godly not onely meekly and patiently but also comfortably and thankfuly For 1. as God in all his judgements remembreth mercy so must our faith apprehend his mercy as well as our sense apprehendeth his judgements And therefore we ought to say with Job chap. 13. 15. Though he kill me yet will I trust in him 2. Because the faithfull have this priviledge that as nothing can hurt them Isai. 54. 17. so all things even their afflictions do work together for their good Rom. 8. 28. 3. Because God afflicteth them for their good whether by triall or chastisement 4. Because with the outward affliction he vouchsafeth inward comfort 2. Cor. 1. 5. 1. Sam. 30. 6. Acts 16. 25. Psal. 94. 19. 5. Because the afflictions of the faithfull though for sinne are under their desert and in them the anger of God is carried not against their persons but against their sinne 6. Because of those other favours of God which in their afflictions they do enjoy Desinentes contristari propter ea quae non habemus de rebus praesentibus gratias agere debemus Ceasing to grieve for those things we have not we are to give thanks for things which we presently have 7. Because though positive blessings are wanting yet there are alwayes innumerable privative blessings for which we are to give thanks Consider the evils we have deserved and the dangers whereunto we are exposed Consider that by our sinnes we have deserved all the plagues denounced in the law Deut. 28. 15. not onely in this life but also in the world to come Whilest therefore our condition is better then those in hell we have cause to prayse God who hath not dealt with us after our sinâ—…es nor rewarded us after our iniquities Psal. 103. 10. Lam. 3. 22. Now if they are bound to prayse God that are not consumed how much more have we cause to prayse God whom he hath not onely not consumed but hath heaped and multiplied his mercies upon us both privative and positive And as at all times we are to prayse God so in solemn festivalls ordained to that end such as was that of Purim Esth. 9. and ours of the Fifth of November for our marvellous deliverance from that horrible conspiracy of the Papists by the gunpouder-treason FINIS A GODLY AND FRUITFULL EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER Shewing the meaning of the words and the duties required in the severall Petitions both in respect of prayer it self and also in respect of our lives PHIL. 4. 6. Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God ¶ Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Universitie of Cambridge Ann. Dom. MDCXL MATTH 6. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LUKE 11. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TO call upon the name of God by hearty and effectuall prayer is a duty in it self most excellent to God most glorious to our selves most profitable and necessary But such is the blindnesse and ignorance of our minds the dulnesse and hardnesse of our hearts that we know not either how to pray or what to ask Like to Zebedee's children Matth. 22. 20. We ask we know not what and as Paul speaketh Rom. 8. 26. We know not what to pray as we ought Wherefore our Saviour Christ in abundant mercy towards us that he might relieve our wants in this behalf hath set down a prescript form of prayer whereby we are to frame ours commanding us when we do pray to pray thus In which words as he forbiddeth us not to use this prayer so he doth not alwayes bind us to use the same words For here two extremities are to be avoided the first of the Brownists who think it unlawfull to use the prescript form of these words the second of the Papists who superstitiously insist in the very words and syllables themselves As touching the first Our Saviour commandeth us thus to pray and more plainly Luke 11. 2. When ye pray say Our Father c. Therefore unlesse it be unlawfull to obey the expresse commandment of our Saviour Christ it is lawfull to use these words Secondly the book of Psalmes doth prove that we may have set forms of prayers Psal. 86. is a form of prayer to be used in affliction The 92 is Psalmus in diem Sabbati A Psalme for the Sabbath The 102 Oratio pro paupere A Psalme for a poore man The 136 A solemn form of thanksgiving 2. Chron. 7. 6. and 20. 21. For the second when Christ commandeth to pray thus he doth not tie us to the words but to the things We must pray for such things as herein summarily are conteined with such affections as are herein prescribed For we must understand that our Saviour Christ propoundeth this prayer as a brief summe of all those things which we are to ask For as the Creed is summa credendorum the summe of things to be believed the Decalogue summa agendorum the summe of things to be done so the Lords Prayer is summa petendorum the summe of things to be desired But as all things particularly to be believed are not particularly expressed in the Creed nor all things to be done in the Decalogâ—… so neither are all things particularized in the Lords prayer for which we are to ask And therefore it is lawfull nay expedient and necessary often to descend into the particulars themselves For the proving whereof we have so many arguments as there are prayers of the godly recorded in the word For though all of them may be referred to this prayer or some part thereof yet none of them are conceived in the same words And moreover Matthew and Luke in setting down this prayer are not curious in observing the same words And therefore superstitious is the opinion and practice of the Church of Rome who think that the bare repetition of these words in an unknown tongue without understanding or faith is ex opere operato meritorious as though our Saviour Christ had prescribed these words to be used as a charm c. First whereas our Saviour Christ propoundeth this form we may be assured that it is a perfect pattern of prayer that nothing ought to be asked which is not in it conteined For in him are all the treasures of the wisdome and knowledge of God Col. 2. 3. He knoweth what is acceptable unto God what is needfull for us therefore in this prayer is conteined whatsoever is either fit for God to grant or for us to ask By this then as a pattern we are to form our prayers and as by a rule we are to examine them
temporall benefits to submit our will to the will of the Lord saying with our Saviour Not my will O Father but thine be done As touching those that follow it may be demanded why we are taught to ask for temporall benefits before spirituall blessings Is it because we are more earnestly to desire them Nothing lesse In the spirituall blessings which afterward we ask namely justification and sanctification the happinesse of a Christian man in this life doth consist and therefore they are in judgement to be esteemed and in affection desired above all worldly things which without the spirituall graces are notâ—…ing worth For what will it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul Mark 8. 36. Therefore the Psalmist Psal. 4. 6. saith Many say Who will shew us any good that is worldly profit But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance for so shalt thou give me more joy and gladnâ—…sse then when their wheat and wine did abound So John 6. 27. But the reason why we are first taught to ask temporall things is this 1. Because it is an easier matter to depend upon the providence of God for the maintenance of this life then to rely on his mercy for the salvation of ouâ—… souls and therefore the Lord would have faith trained up by the easier that we may learn to râ—…pose our trust in him for the greater Therfore those which make profession of their faith in God câ—…ncerning their salvation and have not learnâ—…d to rely upon his providence for temporall matters but seek the same by unlawfull means are greatly to fear lest they deceive themselves with an opinion of faith for if they trust him not for the lesse how will they believe him for the greatâ—…r 2. Because the things of this life are amongst those things which we ask of the least value therefore in mâ—…dium quasi agmen conjiciuntur Homerica scilicet dâ—…spositione In medio infirma they are cast as it were into the middle rank according to Homers method placing infirm things in the middle And the rather because in all speeches the heat of affection sheweth it self most in the beginning and in the end And therefore elsewhere this order is inverted Prov. 30. 7 8. The meaning of the words Bread by a Synecdoche signifieth not onely food in which sense it is often used in the Scripture Gen. 31. 54. Exod. 18. 12. but also all other commodities of this life serving either for necessity or Christian delight which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as John speaketh 1. Epist. 3. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 15. 12. the Latines victum So Gen. 3. 19. Prov. 30. 8. Ale me pane demensi mei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feed me with bread of my allowance or portion The reason why the holy Ghost comprehendeth all the commodities of this life under the name of bread is 1. Because of all commodities food is most necessary and among food bread 2. Because he would teach us to moderate our desires Rom. 13. 14. and not to covet after superfluities as the Israelites did after quails and were buried in the graves of lust Num. 11. Sit oratio quae pro temporalibus est circa solas necessitates restricta Let prayer which is for temporall blâ—…ssings be restrained to our necessities alone And so the Syriack readeth Da nobis panem necessitatis nostrae Give us the bread of our necâ—…ssity 3. To teach us contentation that if we have but necessaries as food and raiment yea but bread we should be therewith content 1. Tim. 6. 8. Heb. 13. 5. Phil. 4. 11. If God give more we are to be thankfull if but bread we are to be content John 6. 11. for the five barley-loaves and two little fishes Christ gave thanks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Our bread is that portion of temporall blessings which God hath assigned to every of us to be atteined by good and lawfull means Prov. 30. 8. Whereas our Saviour directeth us to ask for our bread he teacheth us 1. To be content with that lot and portion which God assigneth unto us and not to covet other mens goods 2. That we get our goods by lawfull means Ephes. 4. 28. For that onely is ours which we have got by lawfull means as by inheritance or by the works of our calling c. that we may eat the labours of our own hands Psal. 128. 2. And if we must eat our own bread we must walk diligently in our callings for he that will noâ—… labour let him not eat 2. Thess. 3. 10. And verse 12. he exhorteth them that lived idly and therefore inordinately that they would work with quietnesse and eat their own bread 3. That God would give unto us a profitable use of those things which we have Many men want even that which they have and therefore had need to pray that God would give them even that which is theirs already Eccles 6. 2. A man is not said to have that which he doth not use Matth. 25. But we are to pray not onely that we may use and enjoy his gifts but also that he would blesse the use and fruition of them unto us For when a man doth with comfort enjoy that which he hath it is the gift of God Eccles 3. 12. and 5. 17 18. and therefore to be begged of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our daily bread This word is diversly expounded Some expound it super substantiall or above substance that is that bread which is above all substance and better then all wealth and riches meaning thereby our Saviour Christ which is that bread of God which came down from heaven John 6. 33. But this exposition seemeth to be farre fetched agreeing neither with the words of the Petition nor yet with the whole body of the prayer For first the word it self if you derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth rather agreeing to our substance or added to our substance as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that sense hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insum or adsum not supersum then exceeding above substance as the Greek authours teach Neither do I see how we may aptly desire Christ to be given unto us whom the Father hath already given unto us In the second petition we desire that we may be drawn out of the power of darknesse and given unto Christ that he may rule in us by his word and Spirit Neither as I think would Christ have taught us to say Give us that bread of ours but rather that bread of thine For we are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor 3. 22. and he is that bread of God which came down from heaven Neither would he teach us to ask this bread for a day but rather for ever And as touching the body of the prayer which is a summe not of all Divinity as they imagine but onely of those things which we are to ask
that offendeth will never forgive But these men that will not forgive them whom they have offended of all others are farthest from pardon because they be farthest from repentance Now let us consider how we are to behave our selves towards them that offend us Our duty standeth on foure degrees First if the offense be not notorious to take no notice of it but to dissemble it and to passe by it For as Solomon saith Prov. 10. 12. Hatred stirreth up contention but love covereth the multitude of offenses and Prov. 19. 11. The discretion of a man maketh him slow to anger and it is his glory to passe by an offense Examples in Saul 1. Sam. 10. 27. and David Psal. 38. 13 14. Our first duty therefore when we are wronged is not to fret and fume storm and chafe and much lesse to proceed to brawling or blows For as Solomon saith Indignation resteth in the bosome of fools Eccles 7. 10. but he that is slow to anger is wise Prov. 14. 29. And to moderate our anger and desire of revenge let us consider these two things 1. That thy brother which offendeth thee is the rod of God c. 2. That as thou forgivest so thou must look to be forgiven If when thou art wronged thou chafest and stormest and presently revengest thy self when thou makest this prayer thou dost desire the Lord so to deal with thee that is when thou offendest presently to be revenged of thee The second duty is when we have been offended not to retein anger purpose or desire of revenge but freely and from our hearts to forgive one another Lev. 19. 18. Rom. 12. 19. Ephes. 4. 32. Col. 3. 13. And thus we are to forgive our brother openly if he acknowledge his fault and repent and that so oft as he seeketh reconciliation though it be seven times a day Luke 17. 3 4. If he do not ask forgivenesse but rather persist in hating and wronging us yet are we in our hearts to forgive him and to desire his good and to pray for his amendment Matth. 5. 44. Unto the performance of this duty we are to be moved by these arguments First if we will not forgive our neighbour the Lord will not forgive us Matth. 6. 15. Mark 11. 25 26. 2. If we retein anger and desire of revenge with what face can we pray unto the Lord to forgive us our great debts that will not for his sake remit those pettie debts of our brother And to this purpose notable is that saying of the sonne of Sirach Ecclus 28. 1 2 3 4 5. He that revengeth shall find vengeance from the Lord and he will surely keep his sinnes in remembrance For give thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee so shall thy sinnes also be forgiven when thou prayest One man beareth hatred against another and doth he seek pardon from the Lord He sheweth no mercy to a man which is like himself and doth he ask forgivenesse of his own sinnes If he that is but flesh nourish hatred who will intreat for pardon of his sinnes Therefore Paul exhorteth us to pray lifting up pure hands without anger 1. Tim. 2. 8. and Peter signifieth that anger interrupteth this exercise of prayer 1. Pet. 3. 7. 3. If we do not forgive our brother in making this prayer we desire that the Lord would execute his vengeance upon us rather then crave forgivenesse c. For this cause as Augustine exhorteth we are above all other sinnes to lay aside anger and hatred when we come to pray For this prayer obteineth pardon for other sinnes but for this sinne it doth not but rather pulleth down vengeance upon him that desireth revenge As for those reasons which we pretend for our anger hatred and desire of revenge they are most vain especially if we compare the debts of our brethren to us with those which we desire to be forgiven of the Lord. For some will alledge The offenses which he hath committed against me are great and I cannot put them up But they are nothing to those sinnes which thou hast committed against God 2. Yea but he hath touched my good name And thou by thy sinnes hast dishonoured God and hast caused his holy name to be blasphemed 3. Yea but he is mine inferiour c. And what art thou to God 4. Yea but the offenses which he hath committed against me are many and he never maketh an end of doing me wrong But nothing so many as thy sinnes are against God neither dost thou put an end to thy sinning 5. Yea but I have deserved well of him But not so well as God hath deserved of thee 6. Yea but I have sought to win him with kindnesse And hath not the Lord by his mercies invited thee to repentance 7. Yea but he hath been often admonished of his fault Not so oft as thou Furthermore as thy brother offendeth against thee so for the most part thou offendest against him either by giving him occasion of evil or by anger and impatience conceived against him therefore the debt being mutuall thou shouldst be ready to strike off thine own debt by pardoning of him And although perhaps thou hast not deserved so ill of him yet thou hast deserved worse of the Lord who by him as his instrument correcteth thee and therefore must say as Mich. 7. 9. I have sinned and therefore I will bear the anger of the Lord. The third degree is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forgetfulnesse That we should not onely forgive but also forget the offenses done against us as we desire that the Lord would forget the sinnes which we have committed against him And therefore this art of oblivion which Themistocles wished we are to beg of the Lord. The fourth is by Christian charity to labour to win him and to overcome evil with goodnesse Rom. 12. 21. And this love must be exercised 1. by doing good to him that hath deserved ill Psal. 25. 21 22. for thereby also we shall resemble the goodnesse of the Lord who although he hath been diversly offended yet first seeketh reconciliation with us 2. in commending them to God in our prayers Matth. 5. 44. II. The second use is consolation to them who are ready to forgive the offenses of their brethren For if we do forgive we may be assured that we are forgiven Matth. 6. 14. If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive you For which cause our Saviour Christ pronounceth the mercifull to be blessed because they shall obtein mercy Matth. 5. 7. And undoubtedly the true love of our brother for Gods cause which is especially to be seen in forgiving offenses is an evident argument of the love of God The love of God is a fruit of faith for we love him because we are perswaded that he loved us first and where faith is there is justification and remission of sinnes by imputation
glory 2. Cor. 1. 20. This therefore serveth to confirm our faith For doubtlesse such things as tend to his glory he will grant especially considering it is his glory to heare the prayers of his servants and seeing to him belongeth the glory of giving every good gift but these things which we ask according to our Saviours direction do tend to the glory of God and to that end we ask them therefore we may be assured that he will grant our requests so far forth as they stand with his glory Now whereas our Saviour directed us to make this our first suit That Gods name may be glorified and now teacheth us to make his glory the reason of our prayers this sheweth That the glory of God should be the main end of all our desires for which we should affect them and unto which when we have obteined them we should referre them 1. Chron. 16. 35. Psal. 50. 15. And forasmuch as the glory is the Lords which he will not have communicated to any other Isai. 42. 8. therefore we are to call upon him alone as being the onely fountain of every good gift the onely hearer of our prayers Of which glory we rob the Lord if we direct our prayers to any other And as we are not to give his glory to any other so we are not to take it to our selves For seeing the glory is the Lords therefore vainglorious persons seek to rob God of that glory which is proper to him and to assume it to themselves But we must say with David Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord c. and with Daniel chap. 9. 7. Righteousnesse O Lord belongeth unto thee and to us shame c. But we ascribe unto the Lord not onely kingdome power and glory but also an everlasting kingdome an eternall power and immortall glory For as Moses saith Psal. 90. 2. He is God from everlasting to everlasting he is King for ever Therefore he hath right not onely in this life to crown us with his blessings but after this life he hath an everlasting kingdome to bestow upon us Luke 12. 32. unto which he is able and willing to bring us by his power everlasting to the immortall glory of his mercy Now these reasons as they must be propounded in faith so also with chearfulnesse as a consequent thereof And when they are chearfully uttered they are not onely reasons of our requests but also a notable form of praysing God which our Saviour hath taught us to joyn with our prayer And so the holy Ghost hath directed us elsewhere as Col. 4. 2. Phil. 4. 6. And that this is a form of prayse and thanksgiving appeareth by other places of Scripture where the men of God setting themselves of purpose to prayse God have used the very like form As David 1. Chron. 29. 10 11 12. and Psal. 145. 10. and 11. 12 13. Revel 7. 12. Jude v. 25. Revel 4. 11. Vses Duties concerning prayer 1. That we pray to God and him alone Whereof a reason is conteined in these words For his is the kingdome c. 2. That we pray in faith seeing our heavenly Father whose is the kingdome power and glory is both able and willing to grant our requests 3. That with our prayer we joyn prayse and thanksgiving which in this short form is not omitted Duties in our lives 1. To arrogate nothing to our selves but to ascribe all kingdome power and glory to the Lord Psal. 29. 1 2. and 115. 1. and of all good things received to ascribe the praise to God 2. If God be our King then must we behave our selves as dutifull and obedient subjects If his be the power then are we both to fear him and to trust in him If his be the glorie then of him must we beg all good things and to his glory must all be referred If his power kingdome and glorie be everlasting then are we taught whom to fear whom to serve whom to trust in namely him that is able not onely in this life to blesse us but also after to crown us with immortall glorie in his eternall kingdome If we serve the flesh the devil the world we shall have the momentanie fruition of sin and after this life is ended eternall torments God liveth for ever as to crown eternally the godly so to punish the wicked eternally He then will exclude them out of his kingdome and will be of power to destroy both body and soul in hell and he will glorifie his justice in their endlesse confusion Hypocrifie discovered But here the hypocrisie of men is to be discovered who ascribe kingdome to God and yet obey him not power and fear him not glory and glorifie him not and they adde all these reasons to their petitions as if they should say Thou Lord wilt grant our requests for thine is the kingdome power and glory for ever and yet do not believe that the Lord will grant their requests Amen And so much of the confirmation of our faith Now followeth the testification both of our faith and of the truth of our defire in the word Amen For it importeth the assent of the heart to the words of our mouth and it signifieth truly or even so or as the Grecians sometimes translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So be it The meaning of it is thus much as if we should say As I have made thâ—…se requests unto thee O Lord so do I both unfeignedly desire the performance of them Let them O Lord be granted 1. Kings 1. 36. and also truly believe that thou in thy good time wilt grant my desires so farre forth as they stand with thy glory and my good and in this perswasion I rest attending thy good pleasure And as I have ascribed unto thee kingdome power and glorie so I do both unfeignedly acknowlcdge that thine alone is the kingdome c. and also heartily desire that I and all others may truly and effectually ascribe unto thee everlasting kingdome power and glorie For being annexed unto prayer it signifieth both the truth and earnestnesse of our desire and also the assent of faith laying hold on the promises of God made in Christ to our prayers And being added to thanksgiving it signifieth both the truth of our assertion in ascribing praise to God and also a true desire and zeal of Gods glory Hence therefore we may learn again those duties which heretofore have been taught 1. That we call upon the Lord with unfeigned lips and upright hearts truly desiring those things with our hearts which we ask with our mouthes and being truly thankfull for those things for which we give thanks 2. We must strive against our infidelitie and doubting Psal. 42. 12. and must truly believe that the Lord will grant our requests so farre forth as they stand with his glorie and our good otherwise we cannot say Amen 3. We are to rest in the good pleasure of God with assurance expecting his
meant John 6. 4â—… Cyprian Gal. 6. 10. We must pray according to Gods â—…ll We must do Gods will as the Angels 1. In knowledge Heb. 11. 6. 2. In sincerity 3. Willingly Rom. 8. 18. 4. Readily and speedily 5. Fully and totally 6. Constantly 7. Faithfully The hypocrisie of many discovered How things apperteining to our own good are to be asked The order Why we ask temporall blâ—…ssings before spirituall Vlpian Why all commodities are comprehended under the name of bread Bernard What onâ—… bread signifieth What is mâ—…ant by daily bread Piscat The â—…vils that accompany richâ—…s The evils that accompany poverty The same measure is not convenient for all men In what respect God is said to give God giveth onelv the use of all God onely blesseth us in the use 1. Cor. 13. Quest. Answ. That it is lawfull to provide for the time to come Cautions Object 1. Answ. Object 2. Answ. We ought to ask temporall blessings of God 2. We musâ—… ask them aright 〈◊〉 dutiâ—…s Gâ—…nerall 〈◊〉 Joâ—… 1. 21. The sâ—…cond common duty â—…s Faith 1. â—…enerall 2. speciall Hypocrisie of worldlings discovered Two main benefits required in the two last petitions Justification and Sanctification The order We must be justified before we can be sanctified The connexion with the former petition Psal. 4. 6. The connexion with the latter petition Parts That our sinnes are debts The reason why sinnes are called dâ—…ts The Papiâ—…s confuted who hold that God forgiving the fault reteineth the punishment Their practâ—…ce foolish who dâ—…ferre their râ—…pentance What is meant by ouâ—… trespasses What is meant by this word foâ—…give By this petition we are put in mind of our misery and Godâ—… mercy No man can satâ—…sfie Gods justice for his sinnes proved Reason 1. 2. 3. 4. Object Answ. 1. Duties are 1. more peculiar 2. more common Meditations to increase our sorrow for sinne The graces which we desire The necessity 1. of the remission of â—…ur sinnes 2. of faith 1. We must be adâ—…rned with humility 2. We must believe in Christ. 3. We must repent of our sinnes 4. We must fear by sinne to offend God 5. We must use means to increase 〈◊〉 faith 6. We must labour to please God 7. We must forgive our neighbours Hypocrisie discovered The reason conâ—…rming our faith in the assurance of remission 2. Reason why these words are added Our forgiving no cause of Gods forgiving us What is meant by 〈◊〉 Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Object How we caâ—… be said to forgive Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Object 2. Answ. That it is lawfull to to seek help from the Magistrate with these cautions observed 1. 2. 3. What is meant by As we Not equality but likenesse here to be understood That our forgiving should be sincere and not feigned A threefold use of these words Uses for instruction 1. He that hath offended must seek for reconciliation 2. How we are to behave our selves towards those who have offended us Duty 1. Means â—…o moderate our anger Duty 2. Reasons moving us to forgive 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason Pretenses of those who will not forgive taken away 4. Reason Duty 3. 4. We must labour to win him An use of consolation An use of reproof The coherence and order â—…eing freed from sinne we must become the servants of righteousnes Those whom God pardoneth the devil tempâ—…eth The necessity of this prayer Not to be lead into temptatiâ—…n The latter part of the petition expoundeth the former Of probations and trials Of Gods trialls 1. by prosperity 2. by afflictions Of tentations for and unto evil 1. Of the 〈◊〉 II. of the world 1. By words 2. By example 3. By the desires thereof By evils and crosses III. of the devil 1. Tentations of errours and heresies Of doubtiâ—…g Of presumption Tentations touching obedience 1. in hearing the word 2. in pâ—…ayer 3. in the sacrament Tentations drawing men unto evil Object Answ. Object Answ. How God may be sâ—…id to tempt A consolation Satan can neither tempt nor overcome without Gods permission That it is not evil to be tempted but good to Godâ—… children In Psal. 60. What is meant by Deliver us from evil How we are to pray against taentations How weâ—… must pray against tentations of the flesh How we must pray against the tentations of the world How we must pray against the tentations of the devil That we must pray for these graces in assurance of faith This conclusion authenticall and necessarie Our faith confirmed by this conclusion by three reasons drawn from three of Gods attributes What is meant by â—…hine is the kingdome The kingdome of grace and glory Psal. 24. 1. The 〈◊〉 between the power of God and the creatures Everlasting kingdome power and glory belongeth to God These wordâ—… are a form of praising God What Amen importeth and signifieth Duties to be pâ—…rformed Hieâ—…on Hypocrisie discovered