Paul saith I thanke my God and so doth euery ones faith by this applicatioÌ„ well conclude say God is my father as Ier. 3.4 Therefore from henceforth at least crie vnto me thou art my father and after v. 19. I did take thee for my children and saide Thou shalt call me my father and Math. 6.6 Pray vnto thy father which is in secret and thy father will reward thee So very many profitable instructions are propounded vnto vs in these fewe words of this preface to the Lords praier which may thus also be considered that by the remembrance of those benefits which God hath heretofore bestowed vpon vs God may as it were be mooued to giue and our confidence stirred vp and confirmed to craue other moe necessaries that seeing of meere fauour he hath bestowed vpon vs the chiefest benefite of adoption because he will be our father and also be so called therefore he will giue vs other things needefull Which art in heauen There be some that by occasion of this verbe substantiue es art doe discourse at large about the immutable essence and those names of God I am that I am which is which was which is to come But the Greek words doe neither require nor admit that disputation in this place for the wordes are plaine Our father á½ á¼Î½ τοῖς οá½Ïανοῖς which art in heauen to shew that we doe not call vpon any earthly father but on him who is or who doth dwell in heauen that is an heauenly father For so Christ himselfe expoundeth these wordes Math. 6.26 when he nameth an (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heauenly father And whereas Heauen in Scripture is called the throne the seate mansion or dwelling place of God and in this place we call vpon our father which is in heauen the meaning is not that the infinite essence of God is circumscribed or concluded either in these visible heauens or in the heauen called Empyreum that is the highest heauens so as he is not present else where for it is written 1. King 8. v. 27. and 2. Chro. 2. v. 6. that heauen and the heauen of heauens can not containe him For he filleth heauen and earth Ierem. 23. v. 23. yea he is present in heauen in earth in the sea and in hell Psal 139. v. 7. he is higher then heauen deeper then hell longer then the earth broader then the sea That is he is wholly present euery where within all things and without all things as Gregory saith Neither doe we thinke when we call vpon our father which is in heauen in the preface of this prayer that he is seperated and disioyned from vs which pray from our wants and from our prayers being further absent theÌ„ heauen is distant from the earth Like as the thoughts and the sayings of the wicked are described Iob. 22. v. 13. what should God see he walketh in the circle of the heven and considereth not our affaires For in the 145. Psalme v. 18. it is written The Lord is readie at hand to them that pray euen to them that call vpon him in trueth Deut. 4. v. 29. The Lord our God is neere to all our requests and Mathew 18.20 Where two or three are gathered togither in my name and shall aske any thing there am I in the middle among them Nowe whereas our father of whome we make no doubt but that he is present to our requests is said to be in heauen this the schoole men expound after this sort either that the workes of God doe more gloriously and highly appeare in the beutie magnificence harmony and workemanship of the visible or materiall heauens then in earth or els because in those spirituall heauens as they call them he doth by a full communication of himselfe declare exhibite and shew forth all his glorie power goodnesse magnificence not as here on earth by certain meanes and couerings invisible and by sundry lettes but in full shewe and fruition of sight face to face to be seene and enioyed of the blessed Angels and of elect soules so as the very thing is the happines the ioy saluation the eternall life of the saints But I see not what comfort this meaning can affoard vnto vs which pray here on earth vnder the crosse and in much weakenesse A more plaine exposition is this Because the scriptures doe define of heauen wherein God hath his abode not by any locall scituation but by heauenly diuine glory maiestie power and fidelitie Againe that therefore God is said to be in heauen and to dwell in the heauens in the place of his abode to heare in the dwelling place of his abode 3. King v. 30. because all things are vnder his gouernment he hath all things in his hand and in his power he ruleth all things in all places he is able to doe and he doth whatsoeuer he will by his wisdome he foreseeth knoweth beholdeth and heareth all things and knoweth the way how to helpe them all by his prouidence he careth for all and by his power doth order dispose administer and gouerne all things c. Psal 115. v. 3. Our God is in heauen he doth whatsoeuer be will Psal 103. v. 20. God hath prepared his seate in heauen and his kingdome ruleth ouer all in all places of his dominion 3. King 8. v. 39. thou shalt heare in heaueÌ„ thou shalt be fauour able and shalt forgiue sinnes For thou onely seest and knowest the hearts of all the children of men Psal 113. v. 5. which hath his dwelling on high that he may behold things below in heauen and in earth Psal 102. v. 20. The Lord hath looked down from his high sanctuarie out of heauen did he behold the earth that he might heare the mournings of the prisoner and loose the children of death Psal 11.4 The lords seat is in heauen his eyes looke vnto the poore and his eye lids trie the children of meÌ„ Psal 20. v. 6. he will he are froÌ„ heauen by the mightie helpe of his right hand Isa 63.15 Give heede from heauen and behold where is nowe thy zeale thy strength and the multitude of thy mercies And when the Lord sheweth his diuine glory power and mercy by any famous hearing helpe and deliuerance the scripture saith then God hath exalted or aduanced himselfe aboue the heauens and magnified his mercy vp to the heauens Psal 57. v. 6. and 18. v. 5. and 113. v. 4. his glorie is aboue the heauens Psal 68. v. 19. He hath ascended aboue the heauen of heauens These testimonies of scripture doe plainely expound that phrase where God is said to be or to dwell in heauen The consideration hereof will also further vs to expound the doctrine of Christs ascention or exaltation into heauen of his sitting at the right hand of God in heaueÌ„ly places And thus the meaning of this preface of the Lords prayer is euident for when we say Our father we doe by saith conceiue the readie willing minde and the
HONI SOIT QVI MAâ—â— PENâ—â— Newly translated out of Latine into English Printed by Iohn Legate Printer to the Vniversitie of Cambridge 1598 The Printer to the Reader CHristian Reader although the very name of the author of this exposition vvere a sufficient argument to commend the same vnto thee yet because I haue vndertaken the publishing hereof after so many labours of our ovvne learned and godly countrimen faithfully performed in this kinde I thought it not amisse in a word or two to giue some reason of my fact And first of all the excellencie of this exposition vvhich I commend not so much of mine owne knowledge as vpon the iudgement of very godly and learned men mooued me in this sort to communicate it to the whole countrie The praise vvhich seemeth peculiar vnto it issueth from a double fountaine first from the learned interpretation of the words in their natiue sense secondly from the ample and euideiâ—â— declaration of the true and full meaning of the Spirit of God in euery petition which he hath indeauoured to set downe from the proprietie of the wordes in the Greeke and Hebrew tongue shewing in such sort what blessings we are to aske and what sinnes we must bewaile that not onely the simple by the blessing of God vpon their endeauour may in short time hereby learne to pray in faith and in obedience but the godly also and the learned that haue atteined to further measure of knowledge and of grace may increase their knowledge and further edifie themselues in their most holy faith Thus wishing vnto thee the Spirit of prayer which may teach thee to vse the meanes whereby thou maist pray with the Spirit and with vnderstanding also I take my leaue and here ende AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAIER Our father which art c. THere be not onely cauills of profane men but also conceits in the hearts of the godly themselues which trouble them much against the necessitie and benefit of vsing praier For first if God know what we want before we aske what neede is there or what auaileth it to shew and solicite our suits to him which knoweth them alreadie for such rehearsalls are woont to be troublesome and grieuous S. Hierome answereth very finely That in prayer we are no shewers but suiters and it is one thing to make knowne to him that is ignorant and another thing to intreat and aske of him that knoweth Yet this answer remooueth not all difficultie For our heauenly father doth not onely know what thing we want but also vnasked of his fatherly care and fauour is readie and forward of his owne accord to helpe vs before we aske And therefore it seemeth there is either no benefit or no neede of praying I answer we doe not pray with that intent and for that ende as though we would by our praiers stirre vp God and put him in minde of his dutie beeing negligent and careles of our affaires or otherwise as beeing hard and merciles allure him by our praiers and bring him into an other minde We know indeede that God is readie of his owne accord to giue good things but yet to those which doe repent and humble themselues vnder the mightie hand of God who by faith do seeke knocke and aske And therefore we doe poure out our praiers before God not for that we doubt of his good will but that we may indeede shew our selues to bring true repentance because he hath promised sorgiuenesse of sinnes to them which repent Ezek. 8.23 that he will asswage his iudgements and bestow his blessings Ier. 18.8 and giue grace vnto the humble 1. Pet. 5.5 And that it may appeare that when we call vpon God and thinke vpon his promises we bring with vs and likewise doe exercise true faith because the Lord hath promised all good things to him that doth knocke and aske Math. 7.7 and that we doe come boldly to the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and find grace to helpe in time of need Hebr. 4.16 Againe spirituall blessings can not otherwise be receiued then by faith indeede bodely or outward benefits are oft bestowed vpon the wicked also and yet that those may be profitable vnto vs it is the will of God that we should wait for them by hope and receiue them by faith from his fatherly hand And therefore we pray in faith that we may shew forth our desire to receiue from God not onely corporall blessings but those especially which are spirituall heauenly and eternall And that we would so receiue from God the blessings of this life that by his blessing they may be profitable vnto vs. And because God would haue this glorie giuen to himselfe to be the fountaine the author and giuer of euery good thing Iam. 1.17 that we should wholly relie vpon him we therfore in praier doe testifie that we neither ascribe them to any other nor seek them elswhere but doe wholly hope for expect and require the same from God alone for God hath promised that he will be readie and willing to helpe such Also in our praiers we doe thus lay open our wants and miseries before God not as though we knewe them not but that by pouring out our cares in the Lords boâ—some we may disburden ease our owne soule And the promise is most sweete and comfortable Psal 37.5 and 55.22 1. Pet. 5.7 Roule cast thy waies vpon the Lord and he will haue care and bring it to passe Chrysostome addeth also this reason why we should pray That by often calling vpon God we may become familiar with him Again that we may more highly esteem and more reuerently vse that which God bestoweth vpon vs when we aske and knocke These things are carefully to be thought vpon concerning the necessitie and benefite of praier least that beeing otherwaies too cold and backward vnto praier by these conceits that God is forward to help vs of his owne accord we doe suffer our selues to be withdrawne from the exercise of praier Neither let vs abuse that most sweete sentence of the readie good-will of God toward vs which ought rather to be an incitation and a motiue to excite and confirme our diligence confidence in praier There be some which reason thus or at least doe trouble themselues with those conceits seeing God vnasked and before we pray doth know yea beforehand hath set down appointed what he will doe and what he will giue we doe therefore either aske in vain that which otherwaies should come to passe or els doe wickedly in praying as though we hoped by our praier to turne God from his firme decree and purpose and so make him changeable and vnconstant To this obiection some answer thus If that which we aske be ordained before-hand to be done then we pray vpon good and sure confidence If it be not yet we goe not about to hinder or stoppe the course of Gods predestination because we pray that Gods
remember themselues to poure out the wordes of their prayer not vnto the aire or before any creatures but before the diuine Maiestie whom we come vnto in our praier Eph. 3. v. 14. before whose face we doe appeare Psal 141.2 and Psal 119.58 beseeching him to be neere and present in all our supplications Fourthly the word Father also may very well be vnderstood personally or in relation for the person of the father the mētion and moouing whereof doth necessarily include the Sonne whereto it hath relation And by the spirit of the Sonne we crie Abba Father So that the seuerall persons of the Trinitie in their offices and benefits toward the Church are offered to our consideratiō in the preface of this praier And thus Saint Paul did vnderstand the name Father in prayer indiuerse places and specially Eph. 3.14 For this cause doe I bend my knees vnto the father of our Lord Iesus Christ And Christ himselfe expoundeth Our father when he saith Ioh. 20.17 I ascende vnto my father and your father to my God and to your God Therefore this title comprizeth not onely that the father from eternitie hath begotten his onely begotten Sonne but in respect of the Father it containeth the benefits of our regeneration adoption and calling to an heauenly inheritance In respect of the Sonne the mediatour it containeth the merit office and the benefits of his propitiation reconciliation intercession that it may warne vs of that which the Sonne promiseth Ioh. 16.23 Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you And because a doubting and distrustfull praier obtaineth nothing Iam. 1.6 but as it is written Mark 11.24 I say vnto you what soeuer ye shall desire when ye pray if you shall not vvauer in heart but beleeue that ye shall receiue it they shall be done vnto you So that this title Our father teacheth vs with what faith and confidence we are to pray vnto God to wit not in proud and Pharisaicall presumption for our owne iustice or worthinesse for the works and merits either of our selues or others but with an humble acknowledgement and confession of our owne vnworthines for the merit and intercession of the onely Sonne of God our Mediatour for whome the father hath adopted vs to be sonnes and heires Eph. 1.5 As Daniel saith in his praier We haue sinned and done wickedly we doe not present our supplications before thee in our owne righteousnes but in thy great tender mercies heare vs for the Lords sake Likewise that whereto this title fasher hath relation doth put vs in minde of most sweete consolation Heb. 2.17 That in things concerning God vve haue a mercifull and a faithfull high priest And 1. Ioh. 2.1 If we sinne we haue an advocate with the father who is the propitiation for our sinnes Hebr. 7.25 and 9.24 Euer liuing and appearing in the sight of God for vs to make intercession for vs which by him doe come vnto God For he hath receiued gifts for men Psal 68.19 and he bestoweth the same on vs Eph. 4.11 So by these words that we are not commanded to call God a Lord iust great almightie terrible but our Father is stirred vp in those which pray confidence that they shall be heard and obtaine their requests Hebr. 4.16 Let vs therefore goe boldly to the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede And most sweete is the saying of Bernard That praier which tasteth sweet of a fatherly name giueth me assurance that I shall obtaine all my requests For the title Father affoardeth vs this confidence as Christ himselfe declareth Ioh. 16.23 that our praiers are not either grieuous or vngratefull vnto God but the father so loueth vs that he is delighted with this our dutie if we come vnto him by our praiers and his fatherly minde is carefull for our necessities Matth. 6. v. 32. And of his owne accord is readie and forward to heare and to helpe vs Luk. 11.9 and psal 103.13 As a father hath compassion on his children c. Againe this title teacheth them that pray to consider and trie themselues whether they be indeede the sonnes of God members and brethren of Christ ingraffed of the father For they that goe on in their sinnes without repentance and doe not seeke imbrace Christ by true faith that by him they may be reconciled vnto God cannot call God father So very many things doth this title teach vs. Fiftly whereas we doe not onely say Father but our father this bringeth vs to the consideration of that which Christ saith Ioh. 20.17 I ascend vnto my father and your father to witte that we should conceiue and thînke that God who is by nature the father of Christ is for his sake by grace out father also not by nature but by adoption And least we should thinke that he were onely the father of some few which be indued with great vertues and excellent gifts therefore when we say our father we doe include the whole bodie of beleeuers wherein all the members are not alike The consideration whereof serues to beat downe pride and to worke humilitie in the children of God that haue attained to greater measure of grace that they may not chalenge any thing peculiar to themselues in this fatherhood but reckon themselues among the cōmon flocke of Gods children saying Our father It serueth also to put courage into the weaker sort that they may not thinke themselues to be excluded frō that fatherhood but make account that God is no lesse their father then the father of Marie Iohn Baptist and Paul and therefore are they commanded to say Our father For we pray vnto a father that iudgeth vvithout respect of persons 1. Pet. 1.17 Lastly this very title doth put vs in mind of brotherly loue for if there be one which is our father Math. 23.9 then are we brethren and members one to another Mala. 2.10 Haue we not all one father and one God why then doth euery one despise his brother This also teacheth vs to pray not onely for our owne wants but also to cōmend vnto God in our praier the necessities of our whole brotherhoode and of euery member thereof saying Our father giue vs forgiue vs. Neither neede we to doubt if so be we be members of that bodie but that the common praiers of the whole bodie doe also include our necessities For therefore especially hath he fitted a forme of praier for such an harmonie or consent as himselfe speaketh because he doth principally require our praiers to be common that a few might meete together in his name and agree among themselues what they will aske Math. 18.20 And yet because we are commanded to pray in secret priuately in our chamber therefore when we say Our father it is requisite that euery one doth applie vnto himselfe that common promise of the fatherhoode as Thomas said well My God and my Lord and as
forgiuenes of our debts in this very thing we doe humbly confesse before God against Popish Satisfaction that we cannot make sufficient paiment or satisfaction for our sinnes but altogether haue neede of free pardon for our Mediatours sake And because our sinnes make a separation betvveene God and vs Isa 59.2 therefore we craue in this petition the fauour of God reconciliation and acceptance And whosoeuer seeketh for these things either by satisfactions or by merits otherwise then from the meere mercie of the father for the paiment satisfaction and merit of Christ alone doth not seeke them well neither shall euer attaine vnto them for we are commanded to aske the forgiuenes of our debts and the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forgiue is opposed to our paiment to our recompence and satisfaction and signifieth a free gift For the Greekes translate the Hebrew worde Salach which signifieth to be sauourable and of mercie to pardon by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 9.9 Vnto God belong mercies and pardons Numb 14.19 Pardon the iniquitie of the people according to the multitude of thy mercies Hauing thus expounded these things we may easily obserue what we are to aske in this petition VVe pray therefore because our debts are innumerable infinite and vnmeasurable that God will not enter into iudgement with them that he wil not impure them vnto vs that he will not marke them or require them at our hands but for Christ his sake mercifully to pardon them to cast them behinde his backe euen into the bottome of the sea Isa 53.6 Mich. 7.19 And because the wages of sinne are the displeasure the wrath or anger of God the curse of God and condemnation with the punishments of this curse in bodie and soule in this life and in the life to come euen eternall death we therefore beseech the Lord to asswage his deserued wrath not to kindle it against vs or poure it out vpon vs to lay aside his indignation and embrace vs with fauour and mercie to become and to continue vnto vs a gratious and mercifull father and rewarde vs not according to our sinnes neither lay vpon vs the punishment of his curse nor cast vs into prison till we haue made satisfaction Math. 5.25 and 18.34 but pardoning both the fault and the punishment of our sinnes to set vs free from the bonde or obligation thereto that we may say with Paul Who shall accusevs vvho shall condemne vs It is God that iustifieth and forgiueth who shall condemne Rom. 8.33 And seeing they are not generally debts or sinnes but Our debts therefore euery one that is to pray must consider in each commaundement of the law what sinnes he hath runne into and committed he must distinctly obserue whether they be sinnes of presumption Psal 19.14 or sinnes of infirmitie and weaknes for so shall we rightly pray for pardon according to the difference of our sinnes And because sinne is neuer forgiuen vnles we doe repent Ier. 5.7 and we of our selues are carelesse according to our hard heart which can not repent we doe not weigh and consider and count our sinnes how many how great and how grieuous they be we doe not earnestly grieue for our sinnes nor from our heart detest and forsake them we doe not turne from them but delight in our sinnes and declare the same as Sodome Isa 3.9 we haue not the seare of God before our eyes neither be affected with the sense of Gods wrath therefore wheÌ„ we pray for the pardon of our sinnes we doe withall intreat that God by his spirit would cast out of vs all securitie that sinne may not sleepe or lie dead in vs but may be raised by the Law that he would take from vs our stonie and impenitent heart and giue vnto vs a fleshie and repentant heart which may acknowledge and detest it owne sinnes which may bewaile the same and feare in the sense acknowledgement of the wrath of God And likewise we doe also praie that he would lift vs vp againe by true faith and preserue vs from despaire for by saith we receiue the forgiuenes of our sinnes And because this petition of forgiuenes of sinnes is ioyned by a coniunctioÌ„ copulatiue vnto the fourth petition where we pray for daily bread for the day therefore we are commaunded to make this petition for the pardon of our sinnes euery day and withall we be admonished to take heede that we do not so heape our sinnes that we shall be found in the bookes of Gods iudgement Dan. 7.10 without forgiuenes but we must euery day pray that our daily sinnes may be blotted out that they be not written vvith a penne of yron and that we may not heape vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 And because God hath appointed and ordained certaine meanes whereby he will bestow and we must receiue the forgiuenes of sinnes therefore we doe likewise pray that God would giue vs such a minde whereby we may not contemne or neglect but daily exercise the vse of the kaies of heauen the hearing of the word the vse of the SacrameÌ„ts and other exercises of faith and praier that God vvould not giue vs vp to a reprobate sense voide of all griefe not regarding our sinnes or the wrath of god Rom. 1.28 Eph. 4.17 And lastly we pray that we may not be preuented by death before our sinnes be remitted and forgiuen and that before the ende of this life we may vse those meanes whereby the pardon of our sinnes may ordinarily be graunted vnto vs. These so many and so great blessings must we conceiue in our mind when we pray forgiue vs our sinnes whereby we may plainely see what deuotion and intention of minde is required in the very act of praier Now all these things we must aske for the whole bodie of the Church in generall priuately for our selues and namely for those whose necessitie we know for we say Our debts or trespasses And although the three latter petitions be deprecatorie that is such wherein we pray against euills yet they may be well applied to the foure generall heads set downe in the beginning and so ought to be For as we haue shewed that in the former petitorie d that is such petitions wherin we craue some blessings petitions were contained praiers against euills thanksgiuings and confessions of sinnes so there is the same reason in these deprecatorie they containe in them petitions for some blessings thaÌ„ksgiuings and confessions As we forgiue our debters Luke hath it thus καὶ Î³á½°Ï á¼€Ï…Ï„Î¿á½¶ for we also forgiue Now we must not take the similitude according to Matthew to be equall altogether as though God should forgiue with no more perfect measure of mercie then we forgiue others for the flesh fighteth against the spirit in vs euen then when we are reconciled to our neighbour And God himselfe sheweth inequalitie between them Ose 11.8 I should make thee as Adama and Zeboim but I will