effectuall prayer For what we ask we desire and what we desire we want Neither can we fervently ask that we do not earnestly desire and we cannot earnestly desire that whereof we feel no want The whole needeth not the Physician as our Saviour saith Luke 5. 31. And as the Philosophers teach Nihil appetit quod habet Nothing affecteth what it hath therefore this I said is presupposed If any want wisdome saith S. James let him ask it For if he find not himself to want it in whole or in part he is not to ask it unlesse he will mock God who will not be mocked Gal. 6. 8. Here therefore they offend I. In respect of temporall things who trusting in their own means and relying upon their own store do 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 â—…isereri 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 our 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. â—…ohn 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 â—…n 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 avaâ—…leth 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 scquitur 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 Iâ—…ai 38. 14. this is also to poure forth our souls before the Lord like water Lam. 2. 19. In which sense the Isâ—…elites 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 agitur 〈◊〉 plùs quà m 〈◊〉 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 r. 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
which we in our selves are not able to give them So that the oration of an oratour is efficax in respect of the inward efficacie when therein is performed what art requireth in respect of the outward when it perswadeth and that efficacie dependeth on the hearers pleasure But prayer which is effectuall in it self alwayes prevaileth with God In particular that we pray in truth fervencie and faith In truth for to that is the promise restrained Psal. 145. 18. In fervencie Jam. 5. 16. In faith Mark 11. 24. Jam. 1. 5 6 7. Without the first prayers are dead without the second cold without the third uneffectuall for it is the prayer of faith which is effectuall Jam. 5. 15. For the end Jam. 4. 3. Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amisse that ye might consume it on your lusts The end must be good or the prayer is bad The end must be that God may be glorified Psal. 50. 15. The third limitation is in respect of things God hath promised to give good things to them that ask Matth. 7. 11. But if the thing which thou desirest be not good either in it self as if it be unlawfull or not to thee as if it be unprofitable it is not within the compasse of the promise nor ought to be within the compasse of thy desire Or if it be good perhaps it is not yet good for thee to have it but in due time thou shalt find grace In the former case the Lord seemeth to denie in the letter to delay our suits and yet in both he doth grant our prayer if it be rightly conceived For first we must not circumscribe God or prescribe unto him the time and means but so desire that our request may be granted as he shall judge most fit both for his glorie and our good Secondly when as the good things which we ask are either necessarie to salvation or otherwise the former we are to ask absolutely and absolutely we are to believe that we shall obtein them Yea know this for thy comfort that if God hath given thee grace to ask spirituall and saving graces effectually thou hast alreadie obteined for the 〈◊〉 desire of any grace is the beginning of that grace which is so desired But those blessings which are not necessary to salvation whether spirituall or â—…emporall we are not to ask absolutely but with condition if the obteining thereof may be for Gods glory and our good So shall we be surâ—… to obtein our desires of the Lord who alwayes heareth his children if not ad voluntatem according to their will yet ad 〈◊〉 for their profit as wise parents deal with their children seeming many times to denie to his children in fatherly love that which in anger and indigâ—…ation he granâ—…eth to others Perhaps therefore as Augustine saith negat tibi propitius quod allis concâ—…dit iratus In mercie he denieth that to thee which in anger he granteth unto others And therefore the hearing of our prayers is not to be measured by sense but by faith CHAP. VII Of the profit of prayer THe third question Whether any further profit is to be expected from prayer besides obteining our requests The profit is twofold the one of reward freely bestowed by God on him that calleth on his name the other the increase of grace wrought in them by Gods Spirit who give themselves to prayer As touching the former Though by reason of our wants and imperfections in prayer the Lord if he should deal in rigour with us might justly reject our prayers yet such is his mercie that he doth not onely cover our wants and for the intercession of Christ accepteth our prayer but also granteth our desire and not onely that but because prayer is a dutie of pietie and a principall part of that worship whereby we gloâ—…lfie God he doth graciously reward it godlinesse having the promise of this life and that which is to come Our Saviour therefore promiseth Matth. 6. 6. that when we call upon God though it be but in secret and private prayers and much more in publick our heavenly Father will reward us openly The Lord is rich to all that call upon him for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10. 12 13. For the other By the frequent and religious exercise of this dutie our faith and affiance in God is increased our experience of his bountie and goodnesse towards us in hearing us confirmed our love to his majestie augmented Psal. 116. 1. our hope nourished our patience exercised By it we grow in acquaintance with God and tast how good and gracious the Lord is By it we learn being Gods daily suiters so to behave our selves as not to be ashamed to appear before him By it we elevate our minds above earthly cogitations to mind things that are above and to have our conversation in heaven By it we grow into assurance of our election because the same spirit which is the spirit of supplication is also the spirit of adoption whereby we cry in our hearts Abba Father and which testifieth to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God and if sonnes then also heirs c. But the Papists not content herewith ascribe two other fruits to their prayers that they are also Satisfactorie for their sinnes and Meritorious of eternall life Satisfactorie as being penal works and therefore both voluntarily undertaken and by their Priests injoyned by way of penance So that this exercise which is so honourable and so profitable as you have heard being also a chief prerogative to the faithfull to have free accesse to God is to them a punishment or work of penance to satisfie for sins But their prayers performed with these conceits of satisfaction and merit are sacrilegious and derogatorie to the all-sufficient satisfaction and merit of Christ though otherwise they were commendable But the impietie of their assertion will better appear if we take a brief survey of their prayers For first whereas our prayers ought to be directed unto the Lord alone they pray to Saints and Angels yea before images and crosses and by their prayers commit most horrible idolatry 2. Neither do they pray in the name and mediation of Christ alone but unto him joyn other mediatours of intercession by whose merits and intercession they desire and hope to be heard 3. The most of them pray without understanding for that which they utter in prayer as praying in an unknown language and consequently pray without attention or actuall intention which they say needeth not without faith or hope without reverence 4. They number their prayers upon beads oftentimes by most grosse â—…attologie repeating the same words perswading themselves that the more Pater nosters Ave Maries and Creeds for those also are prayers with them they shall mumble upon their beads the more satisfactory and meritorious their prayers be Now their prayers being thus every way abominable and odious
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with joy Phil. 1. 4. Jam. 5. 13. If any man be merry let him sing Psalmes The holy Ghost in many places hath joyned them together as Psal. 9. 2. and 33. 1. and 81. 1. and 92. 1 4. and 100. 1 2 4. and therefore they ought not to be severed by us It is the duty of the faithfull who have tasted how good and gracious the Lord is to rejoyce in the Lord Psal. 104. 34. and 149. 5. and 32. 11. and 33. 1. Phil. 4. 4. especially when we prayse him and give him thanks For when men are dull neither affected with any sense of Gods goodnesse nor with chearfulnesse their thanks are not hearty but cold and counterfeit So much of the inward duties CHAP. XXXVII Of the outward expressing inward thankfulnesse by praysing God THe outward duty is to expresse our inward thankfulnesse and chearfulnesse Our thankfulnesse by celebrating and praysing the name of God extolling his goodnesse recounting his mercies and exciting others to prayse God Our chearfulnesse jubilando by making a joyfull noyse and singing unto God Psal. 100. 1. and 81. 1. Jam. 5. 13. Now because naturally we are backward in the performance of this duty insomuch that scarce one of ten can be found to return prayse and thanks unto God as appeareth in the story of the ten lepers Luke 17. 17. I will therefore use some arguments to move us thereunto And first that threefold argument Psal. 147. 1. Praise ye the Lord for it is good to sing prayses to our God for it is pleasant and prayse is comely I. It is good For it is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us 1. Thess. 5. 18. It is the commandment of God in many places Psal. 50. 14. And the same is testified Psal. 92. 1 2. II. It is pleasant Psal. 135. 3. For it is an exercise wherein not onely the faithfull on earth do especially rejoyce but also the Saints and Angels in heaven who enjoy perpetuall joy and happinesse rejoycing and reposing therein a part of their happinesse III. It is decent or comely 1. in respect of God to whom all glory and praise is due and it is therefore just to give unto him the glory and praise which is due unto his name Psal. 92. 2. in respect both of his attributes and works Praise the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Psal. 136. 1 2 c. Secondly in respect of the faithfull Psal. 33. 1. For what can more become those who by Christs benefit are become priests to offer spirituall sacrifices unto God then to sacrifice praise unto him 1. Pet. 2. 5. Revel 1. 5. By him therefore let us offer continually the sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of our lips confessing to his name Heb. 13. 15. To these we may adde another ternion of arguments That praise and thanksgiving is an exercise it self most Excellent to God most Honourable to us most Necessary 1. The excellency of it may appear by comparing it first to the sacrifices of the Law For the sacrifice of praise the calves of our lips is farre preferred before the sacrifices of goats and bulls Psal. 50. 14. secondly with Prayer for as it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive Acts 20. 35. so a more excellent thing to give thanks then to beg and crave Again what more excellent thing can be done on earth then that which is the exercise of the Saints and Angels in heaven and therefore to praise God is not onely an excellent but also a blessed exercise wherein the faithfull have reposed happinesse Psal. 84. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will be still praysing thee 2. Praise is Honourable to God Psal. 50. 23. He that sacrificeth praise he honoureth me God so highly esteemeth his praises proceeding from us as if thereby sometâ—…ing were added to his glory to which being infinite nothing can be added Therefore the praysing of God in the Scriptures is called blâ—…ssing Psal. 103. 1. the magnifying of God Luke 1. 46. and the glorifying of his name Matth. 9. 6. the making of his praise glorious Psal. 66. 2. or as some reade appone gloriam nomini ejus appoint glory to his name not that our praises indeed do make him great or glorious or adde to the glory of his name for his name is exalted above all praise Nehem. 9. 5. but that to incourage us to this duty he is pleased so to term the setting forth of his praise and the declaring or celebrating of his glory 3. It is Necessary I. Necessitate praecepti by necessity of precept Psal. 50. 14. 1. Thess. 5. 18. the which imposeth necessitatem officii the necessity of duty and the rather because we are priests ordained to offer spiritâ—…all sacrifices 1. Pet. 2. 5. Revel 1. 3. Heb. 13. 15. because in our daily prayers we desire that we may glorifie his name and therefore in our lives are to endeavour it We desire also that his will may be done but this is the will of God 1. Thess. 5. 18. Would we as we pray do the will of God as it is done in heaven then must we be frequent in sounding forth his praise for this is the exercise of the Saints and Angels in heaven II. Necessitate medii by necessity of the means as a necessary means in respect both of our good and Gods glory 1. Of our good for new blessings because it is the condition upon which the Lord promiseth to heare and deliver us Psal. 50. 15. And in this respect thanksgiving is also profitable because God will honour them that honour him 1. Sâ—…m 2. 30. The readiest way to obtein new blessings is to give thanks for the old not that by giving thanks we deserve better and greater blessings as the Papists teach for this iâ—… before confuted 2. In respect of Gods glory which is the sovereigne end of all All creatures do set forth Gods glory Psal. 19. 1. and 148. The dumbe creatures as Basil saith are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 silent praysers piercing preachers of Gods hidden works but much more men who set forth Gods praise not onely as the matter but as the instruments of his praise Psal. 145. 10. Our speech was given us to glorifie God therefore our tongue is our glory So that they are worse then bruit creatures who are mute in Gods praises Yea such necessitie there is of praysing and glorifying of God that if men should be silent God would make the stones to sound forth his praise III. Necessitate signi by the necessitie of the signe For it is necessary not onely that we should be thankfull unto God for his mercies but also that we should expresse our thankfulnesse And for as much as we cannot referre or recompense Gods bounty for our goodnesse will not reach to him Psal. 16. 3. It
signifieth his attributes which are nothing but himself For the justice of God is the just God the wisdome of God is the wise God the mercy of God is the mercifull God c. And these also are the name of God as appeareth Exod. 33. 19. and 34. 5 6 7. For this is the name which he proclaimeth The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth c. Secondly the name of God signifieth that whereby God is named whereby he is either renowned or known The name of renown is his glory which is as it were his good name For so in great persons their good name is their glory and renown and therefore they are said in the Scriptures to be men of name Gen. 6. 4. In this sense the word name is used Gen. 11. 4. That we may get us a name Gen. 12. 2. I will make thy name great Jer. 13. 11. name praise and glory Deut. 26. 19. The name of God therefore signifieth that whereby he is renowned and acknowledged to be glorious that is his glory So Exod. 9. 16. Psal. 8. 1. Again the name of God signifieth that whereby he is known to wit not onely his Titles which more properly are called his name and by which he is known but also the Means whereby he is known The titles are the names of the Godhead of the attributes and of the Persons Of the Godhead as Jehovah Lord God c. Exod. 3. 15. This is my name Exod. 6. 3. Psal. 83. 18. Attributes as Wisdome Mercy Justice Majesty c. Persons as Father Christ Jesus Saviour holy Ghost c. The means whereby God is known are either peculiar to the Church or common unto all Of the first sort are his word and religion therein prescribed The word of God is called his name as Acts 9. 15. to carry my name c. and 21. 13. 1. Tim. 6. 1. with Tit. 2. 5. Rom. 2. 24. Psal. 22. 22. Heb. 2. 12. So is the doctrine of religion and worship of God Mich. 4. 5. We will walk in the name of our God 1. Kings 5. 3 5. to build a house unto the name of God The common means are the works of God The works of Creation Psal. 19. 1. Rom. 1. 19 20. In respect whereof he is called the Creatour of heaven and earth As also of Administration as his blessings and judgements In respect whereof he is called the Governour and Judge of the world Exod. 34. 7. All these doth the name of God signifie To sanctifie signifieth either to make holy or to acknowledge declare holy In the first sense things are said to be sanctified and in themselves being not holy to be made holy which are set apart to holy uses as the Sabbath the Temple Priests Christians consecrated and set apart to the worship and service of God In which sense the name of God which is most holy Psal. 111. 9. cannot be said to be sanctified 2. To sanctifie is to acknowledge declare holy as wisdome in the like phrase of speech is said to be justified Luke 7. 35. and God to be magnified and glorified And thus the name of God is sanctified either by us or by God himself Num. 20. 12 13. By us I mean our selves and others for whom also we pray when as the name of God is most holy and reverend so we in our hearts acknowledge and that effectually in our tongues professe in our deeds use it as most holy reverend By God himself his name is sanctified when either he manifesteth the glory of his mercy and justice or else freeth it from the pollutions of men especially when men neglect it and removeth the impediments Num. 20. 12 13 First we pray that Gods name may be sanctified of us that is That God would vouchsafe unto us his grace that we may give unto the Lord the honour due unto his name Psal. 29. 2. that as his name is most excellent holy glorious and reverend so his prayse may be unto the ends of the earth Psal. 48. 11. We sanctifie the name of God which is most holy and reverend and glorious Deut. 28. 58. whenas in our hearts words and deeds we do use it holily and reverently But to speak more especially according to the significations of the name of God The names of God first signifie himself and his attributes which are himself which we desire in this prayer that we may sanctifie in our hearts tongues and lives In our hearts we sanctifie God as Peter exhorteth 1. Epist. 3. 15. when as 1. we do acknowledge and that effectually That there is a God That this God is such an one as he hath revealed himself in his word most wise most just most mercifull infinite in power essence and continuance c. 2. When in our minds we think and conceive nothing of God but that which beseemeth his glorious majestie that is when we alwayes think and conceive of God most holily and reverently In our mouthes 1. When we confesse and acknowledge and professe God and his attributes c. Rom. 10. 10. 2. When we speak of God and his attributes holily and reverently In our lives when the knowledge of God and his attributes is effectuall to bring forth in us a conversation answerable thereunto Knowest thou there is a God worship him That he is a Spirit worship him in spirit and truth That he is just fear him That he is mercifull love him That he is omnipresent behave thy self as in his presence That he is omnisufficient repose thy trust in him That he is omniscient and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a searcher of the heart approve thine heart to him c. Thus then we desire that the name of God in the first sense may be sanctified by us The uses 1. Concerning prayer THat we may pray fervently we must have a feeling of our want as our ignorance of God here we pray for knowledge of God without which we cannot acknowledge him the vanity of our minds thinking amisse of God Job 1. 5. our irreverent speech of God our not sanctifying of God in our lives a fault incident to the best Num. 20. 12. For who can say that he hath loved and feared God c. as he ought and behaved himself alwayes as in Gods presence 2. Concerning our lives The use concerning our lives That as in our prayers we desire so in our lives we endeavour thus to sanctifie God For if we our selves will not endeavour thus to do it sheweth that we have no true desire hereof but pray in hypocrisie with feigned lips Their hypocrisie therefore here is detected who desiring with their mouth that they may sanctifie God will think that there is no God Psal. 14. 1. will think basely of him Psal. 50. 21. or deny his providence mercy and justice Psal. 10. 11. who use to speak unreverently of God and his attributes to murmure against his justice
That we may walk worthy our calling 2. Wants to be bewayled 1. Irreverence in using the titles of God 2. Rash swearing 3. Not walking worthy our calling Vses in our lives As we pray that we may sanctifie the name of God so must we be carefull in our lives 1. To be mindfull of God and to mention him in matters serious to a good end after a reverent manner We mention not our prince without some shew of reverence how much more ought we to bow the knees of our hearts when we mention the glorious name of our God Example Rom. 9. 5. 2. To use blessing and not cursing Rom. 12. 14. 3. To swear by the Lord alone in truth judgement and righteousnesse 4. To labour by all means to walk worthy our calling even as it becometh the saints Ephes. 5. 3. Otherwise if our practice be and we continue therein either not to mention God at all which the Scriptures call the forgetting of God and it is a signe that God is not in their thoughts in whose mouthes he is not seeing out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh or else by mentioning his name to pollute it either in respect of the matter mentioning it in jests and ridiculous matters And in the name of God O God O Lord Good God Jesu Lord Mercy God c. or of the manner either by carelesse light and unreverent using of Gods name without fear or conscience sense or regard of God or by superstitious using of the titles doing more reverence to the words then unto God himself and sticking not to blaspheme his name by wicked swearing like to the souldiers Matth. 27. 39. Or in respect of the end when the name of God is mentioned to wicked yea to devilish ends as inchantments c. or by cursing which is a most horrible profaning of Gods name or by wicked swearing or by living unworthy their calling for so they take the name of Christ upon them in vain and profane it Considering Luke 1. 73. Tit. 2. 14. 2. Tim. 2. 19. In vain therefore they professe themselves the sonnes of God whilest they behave themselves as the sonnes of men Gen. 6. 2. or rather as the sonnes of the devil And besides they cause the holy name of Christ to be blasphemed If this I say be our practice and we continue therein and yet pray that we may sanctifie the name of God we play the hypocrites IV. How the name of God as it signifieth his Word is sanctified FOurthly the name of God doth signifie his word whereby he is especially known Which is sanctified by the Ministers when it is purely powerfully and profitably taught by the people when it is heard with reverence attention good conscience and purpose to practice it by all when in our hearts we do holily meditate thereon and are inflamed with a desire of practicing it Psal. 119. In our tongues when we apply it to those uses whereunto it is profitable 2. Tim. 3. 16. In our lives when we knowing it do perform it Vses in prayer Wants to be bewailed 1. The want of preaching where it is wanting 2. The neglect and contempt of the word a capitall sinne of these times 3. The little practicing of it where it is known especially in these dayes ubi scientiae multum conscientiae parùm where there is much science little conscience Vses in our lives In our lives we are to endeavour to sanctifie the word of God if Ministers by dividing it aright if people by saving hearing thereof by meditating on it by desire to do it by applying it to its right uses by yielding simple obedience unto it Otherwise if we desire it may be sanctified and yet we profane it and please our selves in so doing either preaching it unprofitably or hearing it without reverence attention or purpose to practice it if neither in our hearts we care to know nor have desire to practice it if we abuse it to confirm errours and confute the truth to impenitencie jests superstition and charms c. if we profane it either by neglect or contempt Mal. 1. 12. Amos 2. 7. Prov. 30. 9. Levit. 22 31 32. in word we desire to sanctifie it but in deed profane and pollute it V. How the name of God is sanctified as it signifieth the Doctrine of religion FIfthly it signifieth the doctrine of religion and the worship of God In which respect his name is sanctified when as we walk in his name Mich. 4. 5. For religion is the way by which we go to heaven Isai. 30. 21. and therefore in the Scriptures is often called the way When as therefore we walk in this life so as that our life doth answer to our profession it is in this sense said to signifie the name of God As we professe the Christian religion so our life is answerable to our profession if denying all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2. 12 13. Our religion is the truth in Christ which if we be truly taught we must put off the old man Ephes. 4. 20 c. Our religion is the light and we professe our selves children of the light and so must we walk Ephes. 5. 8 10 11. In this way we must walk in respect of God uprightly in respect of men inoffensively Duties in prayer Wants to be bewailed 1. Our backwardnesse in religion 2. Our hypocrisie 3. Our scandalous conversation Duties in our lives In our lives we are to desire and to endeavour that we may adorn the profession of religion by renouncing all ungodlinesse c. to set God before our eyes that we may walk uprightly as in his sight to walk inoffensively Heb. 12. 13. Otherwise if we professe religion and renounce not our sinnes nor put off the old man if we call our selves the children of the light and yet walk in darknesse we profane the name of God and his religion And this is done 1. In respect of God by hypocrisie 2. Tim. 3. 5. when as the profession of religion is pretended to worldly or wicked respects 2. In respect of men by the profane and dissolute life of common Christians and by the falls and scandals of them that would seem the best professours If we continue in this course and please our selves therein we cannot make this prayer in truth c. VI. How the name of God signifying his works is hallowed SIxthly the name of God signifieth his Works whereby he is known and that both of creation and administration The creatures are sanctified First by an holy and religious meditation and mentioning of them 1. To the glory of God acknowledging in them the wisdome justice power and goodnesse of God glorifying him being known in his works as God Rom. 1. 21 22. 2. To our good when we imitate and flie such things
in them as the holy Ghost hath appointed Secondly by a holy and sanctified use The creature is sanctified by the word and prayer 1. Tim. 4. 5. Col. 3. 17. Duties in prayer Wants to be bewailed 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the hardnesse and senselesnesse of our hearts in not seeing and acknowledging the goodnesse wisdome and power of God in his creatures Mark 6. 52. 2. Our jesting at some of his works as at the form or countenance of some man c. 3. Our suffering of the brute creatures to go beyond us as the crane and swallow in knowing their times and seasons the ant in diligence the trees and plants in bringing forth fruit 4. Our irreligious use of the creatures or abusing them to be the instruments of sinne Duties in our lives 1. Holy meditation and mentioning of the works of God to his glory and our spirituall good To his glory for so must we meditate and speak of the creatures as that the wisdome goodnesse and power of God shining in them be acknowledged that we knowing him by his works may glorifie him as God To our good by meditating in such things as are to be followed or eschewed in them 2. The pure and holy use of the creature sanctified by the word and prayer c. Otherwise if we knowing God by his works shall not glorifie him Rom. 1. 21. if we shall play the Momes in detracting from the works of God or mocking the same if we shall abuse his creatures to superstitious wicked and profane uses and please our selves in so doing we are to take heed lest in making this prayer we be found mockers of God Now follow the works of administration which are his blessings or judgements towards our selves or others His blessings on our selves are sanctified 1. in our hearts when we are truly thankfull for them 2. in our tongues when we give thanks Psal. 124. 6. and shew forth his benefits Psal. 66. 16. and 71. 8 18. 3. in our deeds when we referre the good things received to his glory and the good of others and when by them we are brought to repentance Rom. 2. 4. The blessings of God on others are sanctified when we rejoyce with them 1. Cor. 12. 26. and glorifie God in them Psal. 35. 27. Gal. 1. 24. The judgements of God on our selves are sanctified when they have the like effect in us that they had in Job that is First when we are humbled under the hand of God and brought to repentance Job 1. 20. and 42. 6. Secondly when we bear them patiently Job 1. 21. Thirdly when we blesse God in them and for them v. 21. The judgements of God on others are sanctified when by consideration thereof we fear to sinne when we shew forth the justice of God in the punishment of the wicked Psal. 58. 11 12. when we condole with the just Wants to be lamented First unthankfulnesse in that neither in our hearts we have the chearfull sense of Gods goodnesse in his benefits nor in our tongâ—…es return praise to him nor in our deeds bring forth the fruits nor yet by them are brought to repentance Secondly our not acknowledging Gods graces in others or depraving or lessening them or envying their good Thirdly our senselesnesse in affliction Jer. 5. 3. Fourthly impatience Isai. 22. 12 13. Fifthly murmuring Sixthly not to be terrified by the example of others but rather pleasing our selves Luke 13. 1. Seventhly not condoling but rather rejoycing in other mens evils as laughing at fools Duties in our lives To be thankfull to God for his benefits To expresse our thankfulnesse by thanksgiving by referring them to the glory of God by repentance To rejoyce with others To glorifie God in them To make right use of his chastisements on our selves and others Otherwise if we shall be proud of those good things which we have as though we had not received them not giving God the glory nor referring them to his glory and the good of others but contrariwise abusing them to the dishonour of God and the hurt of others as many do their learning wit riches strength c. If we shall deprave Gods mercies in others or envie them If in the judgements of God upon our selves we shall harden our hearts with Pharaoh If we shall impatiently bear them and murmure against the severity of God If with Belteshazzar we shall not be moved with the example of others Dan. 5. 22. If we shall make a sport of other mens calamities we are farre from that desire of sanctifying Gods name which in this prayer we pretend Secondly in these words we pray that the Lord would sanctifie his name The which petition we are the rather to make because his glory is so little regarded amongst men And in this sense our prayer is the same with that of our Saviour John 12. 28. Father glorifie thy name or with that of David Psal. 57. 6 11. Be thoâ—… exalted Lord above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth or that Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord not unto us c. The Lord doth sanctifie his name I. When he doth shew forth and manifest the excellencie and glory of his name that is of his attributes and perfections as wisdome power c. but especially by making manifest the glory of his mercy and justice Of mercy by preserving his Church and multiplying his blessings upon the faithfull Ezech. 36. 21. For the glory of his own name he preserved his Church amongst the heathen and promised to reduce them into their own countrey not for their sakes but his holy names sake v. 22. and then v. 23. I will sanctifie my great name which was polluted amongst the heathen namely because of the affliction of his people v. 20. and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord saith the Lord God when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes c. So 2. Thess. 1. 12. Of his justice and power in executing his judgements on transgressours and on the wicked and overthrowing the enemies of his Church When Nadab and Abihu had offered strange fire contrary to the commandment of God and were destroyed by fire from heaven he said I will be sanctified in them that come near me that is By executing judgement even against those that are near to me I will make manifest the glory of my justice and before all the people will I be glorified Levit. 10. 3. Isai. 5. 15 16. By the judgements of God executed upon the wicked it is said that man shall be humbled and brought low but the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgement and the holy God shall be sanctified in justice Ezech. 28. 22. Thus saith the Lord God Behold I come against thee Sidon and I will be glorified in the midst of thee and they shall know that I am the Lord when I shall have executed judgements in her and shall be sanctified in her For I
will send into her pestilence c. And chap. 38. 22 23. he threatneth to rain fire and brimstone upon Gog and Magog that is both the open and secret enemies of the Church c. Thus saith he will I be magnified and sanctified and known in the eyes of many nations and they shall know that I am the Lord. II. God doth sanctifie and glorifie his name when he doth remove the impediments of his glory as idolatry worshipping of false gods superstition ignorance and giveth a free passage to his Gospel when he taketh away the wicked Psal. 104. 35. III. By freeing it from the abuses pollutions of men and mainteining his own glory When Moses and Aaron at the waters of Strife did not sanctifie the Lord by believing and acknowledging his omnipotent power then the Lord did sanctifie his name himself Num. 20. 12 13. Lev. 22. 32. Neither shall ye pollute my holy name but I will be hallowed amongst the people of Israel So when Herod would not give the glory to God the Lord glorified himself in his destruction In the second place therefore we pray in zeal of Gods ' glory That howsoever men pollute and profane his holy name yet he would glorifie it and manifest the praise both of his mercy in blessing and preserving his Church and also of his justice in executing his judgements upon the wicked and enemies of his Church by removing the impediments by freeing it from the pollution of men and mainteining his glory Duties 1. Zeal of his glory that he may sanctifie it whatsoever become of me 2. Fear to profane his name seeing he will be sanctified c. V. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy kingdome come What Gods kingdome is THe first petition conteined the main scope of all our desires This and the next contein the way and means whereby that end is to be atchieved for then is God glorified when his kingdome is advanced and his will is performed The meaning of the words Thy kingdome come We must know that there are two kingdomes in the world ruling in the minds and hearts of men the one of darknesse the other of light the one of Satan the other of God Col. 1. 13. unto the one of which every man in the world is subject The kingdome of Satan and darknesse is whereby the children of disobedience being blindfolded and bewitched of the devil go on and continue in ignorance and sinne to their own perdition The prince of this kingdome is Satan the prince of the air Ephes. 2. 2. and God of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. John 12. 31. The subjects are all men by nature untill they be brought out of this kingdome of Satan into the kingdome of God and then is the kingdome of God said to come to them But in this subjection do none finally remain but the reprobate who are the children of disobedience in whom Satan worketh effectually Ephes. 2. 2. and blindeth their minds that the light of the glorious gospel of the kingdome of God shine not unto them 2. Cor. 4. 4. aâ—…d carrieth them away captive to the obedience of his will 2. Tim. 2. 26. The law of this kingdome whereby he ruleth is sinne Hujus regni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The law of this kingdome is to be without law This sin reigneth in the mortall bodies of men making them give up their members to be instruments of sinne unto iniquity Rom. 6. 12 13. untill it please God to let his kingdome come upon them ruling them by his word and spirit The end of this kingdome is endlesse perdition 2. Thess. 1. 9. and against this kingdome are we taught to pray in this place c. The other is the kingdome of God And this is either universall or speciall The universall is that whereby the Lord ruleth over all things even over his enemies whereunto all things are subject and from which subjection nothing can exempt it self This of Divines is called regnum potentiae the kingdome of power whereof the holy Ghost speaketh Psal. 99. 1 2. and 145. 13. and in the clause of this prayer For thine is the kingdome But most plainly Psal. 103. 19. The Lord hath established his throne in heaven and his kingdome is over all This kingdome nothing can resist nothing can hinder no not although all creatures should band themselves together against it The speciall kingdome of God is that whereby he ruleth not over all men in generall but onely over the Church that is the company of the elect And as there be two parts of the Church the one militant upon the earth the other triumphant in heaven so are there two parts of Gods kingdome the first of grace the Church militant the second of glory the Church triumphant The former is the blessed estate of Christians in whom he reigneth in this life for it doth not consist in meat and drink or in any temporall or worldly thing but it is righteousnes that is assurance of justification and peace of conscience arising from thence Rom. 5. 1. and joy in the holy Ghost a consequent of both the other Rom. 14. 17. The latter is the glorious and blessed estate of the faithfull after this life where they shall have the fruition of God in whose presence there is fulnesse of joy c. Of these two the former is the way to the latter therefore whosoever would be an inheritour of the kingdome of glory in heaven must first be a subject of God in the kingdome of grace in this life Luke 22. 30. and therefore out of the Church there is no salvation And on the other side whosoever is a true subject of God in the kingdome of grace shall be an heir of glory in heaven and therefore to them that be true members of the Church there is no condemnation And this David teacheth us Psal. 15. 1. Who shall sojourn c. both parts of that question concerning one and the same man The kingdome of grace is that government whereby the Lord doth effectually rule in our hearts by his word and Spirit working in us his own good work of grace and making us fellow-citizens and meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 19. Saints in light Col. 1. 12. In this kingdome the Prince is the Lord who exerciseth this kingdome by his Sonne Psal. 96. 10. and 97. 1. and 110. 1. The people are the Church which is therefore called the kingdome of heaven Matth. 5. 19. and the particular subjects are all true Christians The sceptre of this kingdome is the word of God Psal. 110. which is also the law whereby he reigneth and is therefore called the word of the kingdome Matth. 13. 19. the gospel of the kingdome of God Mark 1. 14. The preaching of which word and gospel is also called the kingdome of heaven Matth. 13. 11.
us our sinnes c. And lead us not into temptation c. Which teacheth us that we are to desire as to be freed from the guilt of our sinnes so also from the corruptions because they are things that are inseparably coupled together forgiving of sinnes in God and forsaking of sinnes in us Therefore those which sever these things as most do deceive themselves Luke 1. 73 74. 2. Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 5. 24. Our Saviour as he is our redemption and justification so also he is our sanctification and therefore that which he did for us in his flesh he worketh in us by his spirit viz. a dying unto sin and a rising again unto 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. Beza in 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 subiect to the penalty that is the fearfull cuâ—…se 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 transgression of the precept so in every sinne there are two things answerable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 once in Christ and again in the faithfull for whom Christ 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 〈◊〉 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 beâ—…r is not a punishment to satisfy for their sinne but either â—… triall or a chastisement either to cure or prevent sinne in them When we are judged we are 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 and yet the same men being in 〈◊〉 debt to the Lord which although they had the whole world they are not able to discharge not withâ—…anding
take no thought for this debt nor 〈◊〉 sâ—…e for pardon but securely go on in their finnes 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 â—…arry a goat lay upon me an ox Now these debts are of sundry forts 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 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 upon the earth and 〈◊〉 â—…ot 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 〈◊〉 purge us from all iniquity If we say that we have not sinne we make him aliar and his truth is not 〈◊〉 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 secure 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 it 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 sâ—…nnes in his bloud covering them with his righteousnesse imputing our sinnes to Christ and his obedience to us so that wâ—… howsoever sinfull in our selves appeaâ—… 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 comâ—… 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 finne against him every day then ought we freely to forgive them that offend us c. though it be to seventy times seven times Agaiâ—… iâ—…e very one of us be he never so righteous is bounâ—…â—…o make this prayer that God â—…ould freely reâ—…it our 〈◊〉 then it followeth that none of us can discharge the debt oâ—… by any thing which we arâ—… able to perform satisfie for our sinnes but eiâ—…her they must be freely remitted for Christs sake or elfe we must suffer the punishment due for them Divine remission and humane satisfaction cannot stâ—…nd together We must crave remisâ—…ion therefore we cannoâ—… satiâ—…fie Remissâ—…on of finnes and justification are free Rom. 3. 24. Ephes. 1. 7. Isai. 43. 25. but in satisfaction there is 〈◊〉 Therefore those that trust to their own merits and use this prayer they mock God and condemn themselves They moâ—…k God because they desire him to forgive their sinnes which they do not desire should be forgiven them but trust to satisfie for tâ—…em 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 ouâ—… righteousnesse like unto a polluted clout and therefore if God should enter into judgement with us he might justly condemn us for our best actions as being
we have by them displeased and dishonoured God And to increase this godly sorrow in us we are First to consider and meditate of Gods manifold benefits undeservedly bestowed upon us and our unthankfull behaviour towards him c. Secondly we are to desire the Lord that he would poure upon us the spirit of deprecation that we may with bitternesse bewail our sinnes whereby we have so violated the justice of God that nothing could be found sufficient to appease or to satisfie the same but the death of Christ whom we by our sins have pierced Zech. 12. 10. Thirdly we are to consider the misery whereunto our sinnes make us subject both in this 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 Contrariwise 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 〈◊〉 that we pâ—…ay with perseverance never ceasing day by day to call upon God for the forgivenesse of our sinnes 〈◊〉 â—…rtificate of the holy Spirit assuring us thereof untill the Lord say unto our souls I aâ—… your 〈◊〉 and â—…hed abrâ—…ad 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 dâ—…sire 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 〈◊〉 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 mâ—…st justly glorifie his name in our endlesse coâ—…fusion and thâ—…t in respect thereof we are not worthy to â—…ook up unto heaven or to breathe in the aiâ—…e or to live upon the earth and that therefore it is thâ—… 〈◊〉 mercy of the Lord that we are not consâ—…ed For if we have humble and contrite hearts the Lord will be ready to heare our prayer and to pardon our sinnes The Lordreâ—…isteth the proud but he giveth grâ—…ce to the humble Jam. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5. The sacrifices of God are a 〈◊〉 spirit â—… conâ—…ite and c. Psal. 51. 17. Psal. 34. 18. Example in the humbled Publicane Luke 18. 14. For Câ—…rist 〈◊〉 not to câ—…ll 〈◊〉 righteoâ—…s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to repentance Matth 9. 13. Luke 4. 18. Matth 11. 28. Whom doth he call with promise to ease them of the burden of 〈◊〉 but thâ—…se that 〈◊〉 under the burden of sinne and are weary thereof If therefore God hath given thee an humble heart thou mayest be encouraged to come untâ—… him for grace and pardon of sinnes For as iâ—… was sâ—…d of the blind man so it may be said of every onâ—… that is poore in spirit Be oâ—… good comfort he 〈◊〉 â—…hee But as humility maketh us fit to receive Gods gâ—…ace in the pardoning of our sinnes so is iâ—… also a good signe that our sinnes are pardoned For they onely are
happy whose sins are forgâ—…ven 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 conceiâ—… 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 jusâ—…ification and remiâ—…sion of sinnes Acts 26. 18. because faith alone apprehendeth the merits and righteousnesâ—…e 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 in our selves then the firebrands of hell and yet withall we must relie upon Christ and his merits being perswaded that notwithsâ—…anding our manifold sinnes yet the Lord will receive us iâ—…to his love and favour imputing unto us the righteousnesse of his Sonne and coveâ—…ing 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 〈◊〉 for all the sinnes of 〈◊〉 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 â—…ndeavour 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 seâ—… in all things to please him For if we please our selves in displeafing 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 〈◊〉 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 diâ—…idence 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 â—…lso 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 injâ—…ries done against us then no doubt thou wiâ—… 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 arâ—… 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
promised of the Lord v. 7. Out of our Saviours words Luke 17. 3 4. it may be gathered that it is the duty of him that hath offended to acknowledge his fault with promise of amendment to him that is offended And this duty though-very late was performed by Josephs brethren Gen. 50. 17. But many when they have offended a man they do hate him so much the more as Amnon did Thamar 2. Sam. 13. 15. and are further from reconciliation then the party offended Because they having deserved ill of him as their conscience telleth them therefore they expect ill from him and consequently hate him And of such the Italian proverb is true He 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 Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee so shall thy sinnis also be forgiven when thou prâ—…est One man beareth hatred against another and doth he seek pâ—…rdon 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 maâ—…y 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 fo 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 â—…ay 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 â—…harity 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
we may be kept from evil John 17. 15. The Lord hath promised and is faithfull to perform that he will not suffer us to be tempted above our power but with the tentation will give an issue that we may bear it 1. Cor. 10. 13. And finally Joel 2. 32. he hath promised that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Our faith therefore concerning assistance against tentation and deliverance from evil must be grounded not upon any conceit of our own strength or worthinesse but on the power mercy faithfulnesse and truth of God in his promises and on the mediation and intercession of Jesus Christ. Duties to be performed in our lives I. Generall 1. To avoid tentations and occasions of evil To shake off slothfulnesse and diligently to employ our selves either in good exercises or in the works of our callings 2. To resist tentations and to withstand them 3. To be vigilant and watchfull Mark 13. 33. 1. Pet. 5. 8. Ephes. 5. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walk circumspectly to shake off security to keep a watch over our senses To make a covenant with our eyes Job 31. 1. To desire the Lord to turn away our eyes from beholding vanities Psal. 119. 37. 4. To get unto us the whole armour of God as the shield of faith c. Ephes. 6. 12 13 18. 1. Thess. 5. 8. II. More particular 1. To deny our selves to crâ—…cifie the flesh and not to satisfiâ—… the lusts thereof to abstein from fleshly lusts 1. Pet. 2. 11. 2. To renounce the world and the desires thereof 1. John 2. 15 16. 3. To resist the devil not to yield to his motions but rather practice the contrary not to believe his perswasions 1. Pet. 5. 9. Jam. 4. 7. 4. To hate all sinne as we desire to be delivered from all To retein no one sinne with Herod To think no sinne small To abstein also from all shew of evil 1. Thess. 5. 22. To desire full deliverance Phil. 1. 23. Cupio dissolvi I desire to be dissolved Rom. 7. 24. Quis me liber abit Who shall deliver me Hypocrisie discovered Here then is discovered the hypocrisie of those 1. Who pray that God would not lead them into tentation and themselves runne into tentation as those that go to playes and give themselves to idlenesse 2. Who by security and idlenesse make preparation for the unclean spirit Matt. 12. 44. 3. Who take thought for the flesh to satisfie the lâ—…sts thereof Rom. 13. 14. 4. Who are addicted to the world and the desires thereof as pleasures profits 1. Tim. 6. 9. Those that will be rich fall into tentation c. and preferments 5. Who have made a covenant with hell Isai. 28. 15. who pray to be delivered from sin and yet will not forsake their sinne as their drunkennesse whoredome usury c. but harden their hearts and therefore shall fall into evil Prov. 28. 14. who are so farre from desiring full deliverance from evil by their dissolution and translation out of this life that rather they have placed their paradise here upon earth The Conclusion HItherto we have spoken of the petitions Now followeth the Conclusion of the Lords prayer in these words For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie for ever and ever Amen For howsoever this clause is omitted of the Latine interpreters and is rejected by Erasmus yet was it added by our Saviour and registred by Matthew For first the Greek copies have it secondly the Syriack Paraphrast translateth it thirdly the Greek writers expound it as Chrysostome and Theophylact and fourthly it is not onely consonant with the rest of the Scriptures but also in this prayer hath a necessary use For we have heard that praise is to be joyned with prayer and in prayer two things required fervencie and faith Now as the petitions especially conteined a specification of our desires so this conclusion conteineth partly a confirmation of our faith joyned with praysing God in these words For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glorie for ever and ever and partly a testification both of our faith and of the truth of our desires in all the former petitions in the word Amen Our Saviour teacheth us to confirm our faith by three reasons For that they be reasons the word For signifieth And reasons they are not so much to perswade God that he would grant our requests as to perswade and assure our selves that we shall obtein The reasons are taken neither froÌ„ our own worthinesse nor from the dignitie of our prayers for if our faith were to be grounded thereon we should neither dare to pray nor hope to be heard but from the nature attributes of God that we might know that the obteining our requests dependeth not upon our own worth but on the power and goodnesse of God The reasons I say are drawn from three attributes of God viz. his eternall Kingdome eternall Power eternall Glorie His is the kingdome therefore he hath right to give us whatsoever we desire His is the power and might therefore he is able to grant our requests His is the glory both of giving all good things and also of all good things given and thereunto our requests do tend and therefore he is ready and willing to grant our requests for the manifestation of his own glorie And this we shall the easier believe if we consider to whom we ascribe these things namely to our heavenly Father whose seat is in heaven and his kingdome ruleth over all Psal. 103. 19. who is in heaven and doth what he will Psal. 115. 3. who sitteth on the heavens as his throne full of majestie and glory and rideth on the heavens for our help Neither doth the right power and glory of giving benefits temporall and concerning this life alone belong unto God but also of everlasting blessings in heavenly things after this life is ended For his is the eternall kingdome eternall power and eternall glorie signified in those words for ever and ever which are to be referred to all the three attributes What kingdome here signifieth But first of his kingdome Which here signifieth 1. generally the universall kingdome of God which some call the kingdome of his power whereby he ruleth and governeth all things Psal. 103. 19. 2. Chron. 20. 6. and in regard whereof the right of all things belongeth to him Deut. 10. 14. Psal. 24. 1. This then teacheth us two things 1. That our heavenly Father is the absolute Lord and owner of all his creatures who as he is the Creatour so is he also the possessour of heaven and earth in whose hand all good things are to bestow as it pleaseth him This therefore must encourage us with assurance of faith to make our requests to our heavenly Father of whom we cannot ask any good thing whether spirituall or temporall which is not his to bestow And therefore it is well said of Seneca Audacter Deum
thoughts 83 84 c. 17. Of knowledge required necessarily in prayer 89 That prayer ought to be made in a known tongue 92 18. Of Faith which is required in prayer 101 19. Of Humilitie required in prayer 106 Faith and Humility must be joyned in prayer 110 20. Of Reverence required in prayer and Heartinesse 113 21. Of the Gesture to be used in prayer 116 22. Of the Voyce to be used in prayer 125 Of Battologie in prayer 129 Of the quantitie and qualitie of our prayers 133 23. Whether a set form of prayer may be used 135 What we are to think of extemporall prayer 137 Of conceived prayers and set forms 139 24. Of things required out of the action of prayer 141 Of Preparation unto prayer 142 Of duties 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 〈◊〉 of prayer 150 Of Pâ—…blick prayer 151 Of Private prayer in the family and alone 154 27. Of the time of prayer 156 The â—…cheta coâ—…fured 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 bâ—… 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 desire 172 30. Of Faith which is chiefly reqâ—…ired 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 thereall 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 Whatis 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 â—…orts of temptations 396 1. Of the â—…lesh ibid. 2. Of the world 3â—…7 3. Of the devil 400 Of the divers â—…orts 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 41â—… Oâ—…r 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 digâ—…a 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
chearfully speedily uprightly faithfully constantly fully when as in truth they do the will of God no otherwise then the devils in hell which howsoever in respect of their intent rebell against the will of God yet if you respect the event they become maugre their spite the instruments to bring to passe that which God hath willed and decreed They crave bread at the hands of God as if a small thing would content them when they desire excesse of riches neither can be satisfied with abundance They crave daily bread or as the word signifieth such a portion of temporall blessings as God shall judge most expedient for them as if they meant not to be their own carvers but in these outward things resigned themselves into the hands 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 sacrifice 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 Lord are upon the righteous and his eares are open to their crie 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 faithfull 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 yeâ—… when ye make many prayers I will not heare whom notwithstanding 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 â—…ares 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 heavy 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 hearé 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 Pro. 21. 13. Whereas contrariwise those that be mercifull shall find mercy with God Matth. 5. 7. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he will say Here I am Isa. 58. 9. If we love not in word and tongue alone but in deed and truth hereby we may have confidence before God 1. John 3. 18 19. Secondly to Want of love in forgiving offenses and contrariwise Mark 11. 25. When ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses But if ye do not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses Thirdly to the Not-hearing or hearkening to the word of God For as we heare so we shall be heard Prov. 28. 9. He that turneth away his eare from hearing the law his prayer shall be abominable For as we speak unto the Lord in prayer so the Lord speaketh unto us in the preaching of the word and therefore good reason it is that if we will not heare the Lord when he speaketh unto us he should not heare us when we speak unto him as the Prophet Zacharie saith chap. 7. 13. It is come to passe that as he cried and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord. On the other side If the word of Christ abide in us we may ask what we will and it shall be granted us John 15. 7. If men harden their hearts against the word of God the wisdome of God hath threatned not to heare them Prov. 1. 24. He covereth himself with a cloud that our prayer should not passe through Lam. 3. 44. But if men humble themselves before God and tremble at his word being of humble and contrite hearts the Lord hath promised to heare Psal. 66. 2. and 34. 18. and 51. 17. The prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds Ecclus 35. 17. If men choose not the fear of the Lord the Lord will not heare them Prov. 1. 28 29. on the other side He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he will also heare their cry and will save them Psal. 145. 19. Neither doth the Lord refuse to heare those alone who are open and notorious sinners but those also which making outward profession of pietie do play the hypocrites Job 27. 9. Will God heare the cry of the hypocrite when trouble cometh upon him To which purpose there is a notable saying of David Psal. 66. 18. If I regard wickednesse in my heart saith he the Lord will not heare me Whereas contrariwise if men would walk uprightly before God he would denie unto them nothing that is good Psal. 84. 11. Wherefore it behoveth every one that nameth the name of Christ to depart from iniquitie 2. Tim. 2. 19. and to purge his hands from sinne Jam 4. 8. and to wash them in innocencie Psal. 26. that so he may without doubting lift up holy hands unto the Lord 1. Tim. 2. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 2. 22. Heb. 10. 22. with true hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Mala conscientia januam nobis claudit An evil conscience shutteth the gate against us Calv. Institut 3. 20. 7. § But against this doctrine it may be objected That the Lord many times heareth the wicked when they call upon him and therefore that the promises made to prayer are not peculiar to the godly but common to them with the wicked For answer hereunto we are to remember That prayers are made unto God either for spirituall blessings belonging to a better life or for temporall blessings apperteining to this corporall life The former are peculiar to the children of God as belonging to their inheritance and are never bestowed on the wicked who never have so much grace as truly to desire them and therefore if they do at any time ask them they do pray in hypocrisie asking with their lips that which they do not desire with their hearts nor labour for in their lives As for temporall benefits I cannot deny but that the Lord many times in respect of them doth grant unto the wicked their hearts desire But yet even in these also there is great difference betwixt the Lord his hearing of the godly and the wicked For in temporall matters the Lord heareth men either as a gracious and loving Father or as a mercifull Creatour or as a severe Judge 1. In speciall favour as a gracious Father in Christ he heareth his faithfull children ever subordinating their good to his own glory not alwayes satisfying their carnall or worldly desires but alwayes granting their requests as shall be most for his glory and their spirituall and everlasting good under which conditions our prayers for temporall blessings ought alwayes to be framed and being so conceived they are ever granted 2. As a mercifull Creatour the Lord heareth men crying unto him in their extremity And thus he heareth all sorts of men but especially the godly for he is the saviour that is the preserver of all men but chiefly of the faithfull 1. Tim. 4. 10. The godly have a promise of deliverance when they call upon God Psal. 50. 14 15. and 145. 19. and 91. 15. and 34. 17 19. So have not the wicked Psal. 51. 16. and 18. 41. Yea in many places as ye have heard he threatneth that when they cry unto him in their trouble he will not heare them The affliction and deliverance of the godly do both turn to their singular good Rom. 8. 28. and being delivered they glorifie God consulting with themselves what to render unto the Lord for his benefits and taking the cup of salvation that is of thanksgiving for their salvation and deliverance Psal. 116. 12 13. The wicked not being bettered by their affliction are many times delivered according to their desire the Lord giving them over as incorrigible Isa. 1. 5. Jer. 2. 30. and when they are delivered they seek not to glorifie God nor repent of their sinnes but return to their vomit making shew of repentance no longer then the hand of God is upon them And so both their affliction and deliverance through their own default turneth to their
true God but an idole for the true God is the Father the Sonne and holy Ghost Forasmuch therefore as the Jews and Turks do not worship the Trinity they are not worshippers of the true God but as our Saviour said of the Samaritanes They worship they know not what John 4. not acknowledging the true God nor Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 5. 23. He that honoureth not the Sonne honoureth not the Father and Whosoever denieth the Sonne hath not the Father 1. John 2. 23. Here therefore it may be demanded That seeing we are to worship the holy Trinitie whether it be lawfull to direct our prayers to some one person as to the Father to the Sonne or to the holy Ghost He that acknowledgeth the Trinitie when in his prayers he nameth one onely person he doth not exclude the other persons but rather includeth thē 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 doubt 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 Deliramentum 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 Emmanuél 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 onely 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 not onely so but they invocate also the Saints as they do Christ to bestow good things upon them and to avert evil from them substituting them as I have shewed before into the room of the tutelar gods of the heathen But let us see whether there be any mediatours of intercession who are not also of redemption We denie not but that in a large sense they may be called mediatours and intercessours who are medii inter namely between God and man So Moses is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3. 19. Deut. 5. 5. and 27. 31. Pastours likewise and preachers who are both the mouth of God to the people in preaching and of the people to God in prayer But they are not in that sense intercessours as we acknowledge Christ and the Papists do esteem the Saints that we for their merits intercession should hope to be heard In like manner the Saints upon earth who in mutuall charity do pray and make intercession one for another as they are required 1. Tim. 2. 1. Jam. 5. 15 16. may be called intercessours but such as whose intercession dependeth wholly upon the intercession of Christ and whose prayers are alwayes made in his name Why then may not the Saints in heaven be esteemed intercessours For the intercession of Saints departed there is no testimonie of Scripture It is not to be doubted but that they do use to invocate the name of God by praise and thanksgiving bearing a part as it were in the quire of Angels And it is not unlikely but that they pray for that which is wanting unto them whilest their bodies sleep in the dust that is their full redemption that the number of the elect being accomplished the Lord would hasten the second coming of Christ for their full redemption In which prayer also they pray for us as we also do for them and in regard thereof we are as well intercessours for them as they for us It is also probable that they being members of the same mysticall bodie indued with perfect charitie do in generall pray for their fellow-members upon earth But that in particular they pray for any of us it is improbable because they know not our persons nor heare our prayers nor understand our particular wants or if they did yet would it not follow that either we should pray to them as I have shewed before or that we should desire the Lord for their merits and intercessions to grant our desires Neither is it to be doubted but what praises or prayers they utter unto God they offer them onely in the name and mediation of Christ desiring that for his merits and intercession their invocation may be accepted And in this sense Christ alone is the Mediatour of intercession So Augustine speaking of those words of S. John 1. Epist. 2. 1. saith John doth not say You have an advocate for so should he separate himself from sinners nor doth he say You have me for a mediatour as Parmenianus in a certain place maketh the Bishop a mediatour between God and the people for then what good and faithfull Christian could indure him who would look upon him as an Apostle of Christ and not as Antichrist And again All Christians do mutually commend themselves unto God in their prayers pro quo autem nullus interpellat sed ipse pro omnibus hic unus verúsque mediator est that is but for whom none intercedeth but he for all he alone is the true Mediatour Now that Christ is the onely Mediatour of intercession as wel as of redemption it is evident because these being the two parts of his mediation and not two sorts of Mediatours the latter of intercession dependeth on the other of redemption as being the representation of it unto God and the application thereof to the faithfull the dignitie I say efficacy and vertue of his intercession dependeth on the merits of redemption For had Christ not been the Mediatour of redemption he could not have been the Mediatour of intercession For when it is said that Christ maketh intercession for us in heaven we are not thus to understand it that he falleth down upon his knees and prayeth to God for us John 16. 26. I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you but that sitting at the right hand of his Father he representeth his own merits unto him and offereth the prayers of the faithfull unto God perfumed with the odours of his own sacrifice as he is described Revel 8. 3 4. So Anselme in Rom. 8. Vnigenitum Filium pro hominibus interpellare est apud coaeternum Patrem seipsum hominem demonstrare The onely begotten Sonne is said to make intercession for men when he sheweth himself man before his coeternall Father And the Apostle describeth his intercession to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his appearing in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 24. The holy Ghost therefore joyneth both the parts together 1. Tim. 2. 5. where speaking professedly of prayers and saying that Christ is the onely Mediatour between God and man he addeth who gave himself a ransome for all So 1. John 2. 1 2. If any man sinne we have an advocate Christ Jesus the righteous he is the propitiation for our sins He onely is the advocate because he onely can plead his merits for us He onely is perfectly fully just he onely is the propitiation for our sinnes And as he is the onely Intercessour because he is the onely Saviour Acts 4. 12. so is he the perfect Saviour because he ever liveth to make intercession for us Heb. 7. 25. For whereas they ordain other intercessours for whose sake they desire to be heard they do it altogether without warrant of Scriptures wherein there is no doctrine no precept no promise no example to warrant it and consequently such prayer cannot be made in faith neither can it please God And with what forehead can they take from Christ his office and the honour thereof which he purchased with his bloud and without any warrant from him assigne it to others as though Christ having for a short time exercised the office of mediation should to the end of the world have resigned
they hope by such lip-labour to satisfie for their sinnes and to merit eternall life 6. How can men either ask with fervencie of spirit or give thanks with alacritie of heart when they do not so much as know whether they pray or give thanks 7. Bodily exercise profiteth little 1. Tim. 4. 8. for God respecteth not the mouth but the heart But this prayer in an unknown tongue is a mere bodily exercise and so in the church of Rome is usually injoyned to penitents as a penall work 8. Battologie is to be avoided in prayer Matth. 6. But this babbling and multiplying of prayers without understanding especially joyned with numbring of them on their beads as though by how much the more and longer so much more meritorious and satisfactorie is most grosse battologie I conclude with the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. 37 38. If any man think himself to be a prophet or spirituall let him acknowledge what the prophet hath written concerning the use of a known tongue in the service of God to be the commandments of God But if any saith he be ignorant let him be ignorant The like may be said of those who praying in their mother-tongue do not understand what they say For the prayer which is made without understanding is also without faith without feeling without true devotion neither is it a lifting up of the mind but of the voyce unto God and a bare recitall of a set form of words without any inward grace such as parrots might be taught to make Wherein many are so grosse that they use the Creed and the ten Commandments for prayers and recite them with the like devotion as they do the Lords prayer I deny not but that it is good for the simpler sort to meditate both of the Creed of the Decalogue the one conteining the summe of that which we are to believe the other comprising the summe of that which we are to do likewise to pray unto God that he would increase our faith in the one and our obedience to the other But neither of both is to be used as a form of prayer because in neither we do either ask any thing which we want or give thanks for that which we have received Let men therefore which would call upon God labour for knowledge and understanding For a prayer of five words such as was the Publicanes prayer Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori God be mercifull unto me a sinner uttered with understanding is better then a prayer of an houre long not understood CHAP. XVIII Of faith which is required in prayer SEcondly in the mind is required faith For faith being a perswasion and therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper seat thereof is the mind Howsoever it is to be granted that where this sound perswasion and assurance is in the mind it worketh affiance and hope in the heart as a proper fruit and necessarie effect thereof And therefore in the phrase of believing in this affiance is implyed For to believe in God is not onely to believe that there is a God and that he is such an one as he hath revealed himself in his word but also that he is such an one to me as that the Father is my Father c. and consequently that therefore I repose my trust and affiance in him In invocation there is a double faith required The one more generall apprehending the main promise of the Gospel whereby we stand righteous before God in Christ whereby we are to be perswaded that both we and our prayers are accepted of God in Christ The other more speciall apprehending the speciall promises made to our prayers whereby we are perswaded that our speciall request shall be granted unto us The former because it doth generally belong to all invocation as well thanksgiving as prayer is now to be intreated of The other specially belongeth to prayer and therefore in the speciall doctrine of prayer is to be considered The former is that perswasion or assurance of the soul whereby we believing in Christ are in the same measure perswaded of Gods love towards us in Christ and therefore are incouraged to come with confidence to the throne of grace not doubting but that both we and our prayers are acceptable unto God in Christ Heb. 4. 16. And this assurance of faith is grounded partly on the will and love of God and partly on the merits and intercession of our Saviour Christ. On the will of God 1. in generall appearing in his commandments injoyning this dutie and his gracious promises For if God hath commanded us to call upon him and hath graciously promised to heare us why should we doubt but that this our service is acceptable unto him 1. Thess. 5. 17 18. Pray continually in all things give thanks for this is the will of God the acceptable will of God in Christ concerning you But chiefly on the promises of God is our faith to be grounded Which promises are either generall and those not onely that he will heare and accept but also graciously reward this exercise of piety performed to him Matth. 6. 4. Godlinesse hath the promise both of this life and of that which is to come or speciall for the granting of that which we desire as Gen. 32. 9 12. Exod. 32. 13. 2. Sam. 7. 27 28. 1. Chron. 17. 25. Secondly in particular that the thing which we either pray or praise be good as being referred to Gods glory and our good For if it be not good we are neither if we have it not to desire it and much lesse to pray for it nor if we have it to praise God as the authour and giver of it We must have warrant in Gods word that the thing for which we call upon God be such as God hath promised to give otherwise our prayer is turned into sinne And in this sense the Apostle saith Let every man be perswaded in his mind for whatsoever is not of saith is sinne Rom. 14. 23. Likewise our faith must be grounded on the love of God and goodnesse First in generall that is Psal. 5. 7. his bounty and readinesse to heare and reward all those that call upon him Heb. 11. 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God For he that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him Rom. 10. 12 13. The Lord is rich towards all that call upon him Psal. 86. 5. Thou art plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee Isa. 65. 24. Secondly in particular to our selves in Christ John 16. 27. Rom. 8. 32. and 5. 5. and 8. 15 16. Psal. 55. 16 17. I will call upon God the Lord will save me Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and he will heare my voice Psal. 4. 3. The Lord will heare when I call unto him Psal. 56. 9. When I cry unto thee then shall mine enemies turn
thereby we may be repressed pride will wring out of our hand all we have done whilest we rejoyce of our doing any good deed For other viâ—…es are to be feared in our sinfull actions but pride onely is to be feared in our good deeds lest those things which are laudably done be lost by our greedie coveting of praise 3. Those that pray with spirituall pride and ostentation as the Brownists being proud that they are able to conceive as it were ex tempore a prayer unto God and with such varietie as to use no set form nor twice to use the same words 4. Those that by their prayer look to satisfie for their sinnes and to merit at the hands of God as the Papists For prayer made with such a proud conceit is abominable unto God CHAP. XX. Of Reverence required in prayer and Heartinesse THe second thing required in the heart is a reverence of the Majesty of God to whom we speak according to Davids both advice Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoyce with trembling and practice Psal. 5. 7. I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercie that is trusting therein and in the fear or reverence of thee will I worship towards thy holy temple That we are thus to call upon God I shall not need to prove For if when we are to speak to a Prince we are touched with great reverence of an earthly Majestie how are we to be affected when we speak unto God And if the blessed angels being in Gods presence and sounding forth his prayse are described in the Scriptures as having six wings whereof two pair serve to cover their face their feet Isa. 6. 2 3. thereby betokening their wonderfull reverence of God how much more should we who inhabit these houses of clay subject to infirmities and corrupted with sinne be strucken with an awfull reverence of God If therefore we did but seriously consider That we are to speak vnto God and did set him before our eyes who is in Majestie most glorious and therefore to be reverenced for power omnipotent and therefore to be feared Luke 12. for greatnesse or infinitenesse rather in every place and therefore present with us to heare what we say and to behold what we do for knowledge omniscient and a searcher of the heart and therefore throughly acquainted with what disposition and affection we do come before him for holinesse and justice a most pure Spirit and therefore will be worshiped in spirit truth finally who is as Malachi speaketh our Father and therefore to be reverenced our Lord and therefore to be feared chap. 1. 6. If I say we did set him before our eyes and our selves in his presence as we ought alwayes to do but especially when we call upon him it cannot be but that we shall be touched with great reverence of his glorious Majestie and therefore shall behave our selves accordingly doing speaking thinking nothing but that which may become his presence and whereof we may be bold to admit him to be the hearer and the judge all light behaviour all wandring thoughts being far removed and abandoned and we for the time being elevated above all earthly cogitations and having our conversation in heaven supposing as Chrysostome saith our selves to be in the midst of the Angels and performing the like exercise with them You see our duty But what is our practice Do not we vile wretches when we present our selves before the Lord behave our selves many times with lesse reverence or regard then if we were speaking to a mortall man that is our superiour Insomuch that we hold it for good advice as indeed it is respecting our weaknes In such sort to speak to men as if God did heare us so to speak to God as if man did heare us And is not this an evidence that we are carnall that our hearts are affected with no more then our senses apprehend and that we want those eyes of faith which Moses had Heb. 11. 27. whereby we might be moved to behave our selves in the presence of God as seeing him that is invisible Now to move us both to humilitie and reverence let us consider as Solomon adviseth Eccles 5. 1 2. that God to whom we speak is in the heaven full of majestie and power which consideration our Saviour also teacheth us to have in the beginning of our prayer Matth. 6. 9. and we which do speak are on the earth base and vile not onely in respect of our mould being but dust and ashes but especially in respect of our sinnes whereby we have made our selves unworthy to appear in his presence And unto both these we are excited Psal. 95. which is prefixed as a preparative to our Liturgie v. 6. Come let us worship and fall down let us kneel before the Lord our maker For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hands The third thing is heartinesse devotion or ardour of the mind when we are throughly affected with those things whereof we speak calling upon God with our whole hearts For if that be good counsel which the wise Solomon giveth That what we do we do it with all our might Eccles 9. 10. it is especially to be followed in prayer wherein we are not to be cold or carelesse This heartinesse in prayer is fervencie or earnestnesse of desire in thanksgiving alacritie and chearfulnesse the former arising from the sense of our want the latter from the sense and experience of Gods goodnesse towards us And it is that which giveth wings to our prayers and causeth them to ascend before God This is called lifting up our prayer Isai. 37. 4. Jer. 7. 16. Here therefore two things are to be avoided The first is coldnesse when men call upon God without sense either of their wants in prayer or of Gods blessings in thanksgiving calling upon God for fashion or custome sake usu magis quà m sensu or antes praying rather out of use then sense Such a prayer wanting lively affections is dead and therefore counterfeit and hypocriticall and a mere bodily worship For this is to call upon God with our mouthes but not with our hearts this is to pray without desire and to give thanks without grace in our hearts The other is taedium in orando wearinesse in praying That is when mens hearts being set on other matters all time that is bestowed in prayer is thought too long and therefore the prayer as it is unwillingly begun so is it wearisomely performed the end of the prayer many times being more desired then the end for which prayer was ordained But our invocation must be as a free-will-offering and our service of God must be performed with a willing mind neither is that to be accounted a service of the soul which is without either the understanding as I said before or the will CHAP. XXI Of the Gesture to be used in prayer HItherto
occasions offered in the presence of others then thou art to pray in the closet of thy heart without using the voice according to the example of Moses Exod. 14. of Abraâ—…ams servant Gen. 24. and Hannah 1. Sam. 1. Neâ—…emiah chap. 2. 4. But this is not to be understood of him who praying in the company of others is as it were the mouth of the rest For we are to conceive of that as of the prayer of the family wherein the voice is necessary CHAP. XXVII Of the time of prayer NOw we are to enquire of the time of invocation when we are to call upon God The holy Ghost telleth 1. Thess. 5. 17 18. that we must pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is continually and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 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 phanâ—…asticall opinion of the fanaticall hereticks the Euchetae which thought they might do nothing else but pray and grounded their heresies 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 faint So that to pray alwayes in this place is not to faint in prayer Which in other places is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to per severe 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 season 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 fort 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 adsemper 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 adsemper 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 â—…pared 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 requifite 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 Prâ—…es sunt statae vel vagae which distinction belongeth both to publick and privâ—…te 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 vagâ—… 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 speaketh 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
when he was forbidden under pain of death to call upon God Dan. 6. of Bartimeus the blind man who calling upon Christ and being therefore rebuked of the people did so much the more cry after him Mark 10. 46 48. of the woman of Syrophenicia who having received divers repulses yet by her importunity obteined her desire Matth. 15. 22. of the Primitive Church Acts 2. 42. and 12. 5. of Cornelius Acts 10. of Paul who prayed without ceasing Fifthly as we are to persist with a kind of importunitie in our prayers so are we with patience to expect the Lords leisure Psal. 40. 1. and 130 5 7. and not to be hasty according to that Isai. 28. 16. Qui crediderit nè festinet Let not him that believeth make hast but as it is Psal. 123. 2. waiting upon the Lord untill he have mercie upon us knowing as Jeremy speaketh Lam. 3. 26. that it is good both to trust and to wait for the salvation of the Lord being assured that the Lord who is a present help in the time of need will in his good time grant our requests And therefore we are exhorted Heb. 4. 16. to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace that we may obtein mercy and find grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for opportune help And because we have need of this patience Heb. 10. 36. we are to stirre up and encourage our selves thereto Psal. 27. 13 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage c. Sixthly if having persisted in prayer and long expected the Lords leisure we yet have not obteined our suit insomuch that the Lord may seem rather wholly to deny it then for a time to delay it we are to rest in the good will and pleasure of God being perswaded that he hath heard our prayers in a better manner then we desired hearing us though not ad voluntatem yet ad utilitatem that is for our profit though not according to our will after the manner of wise and carefull parents who will not give to their children what they ask but what is profitable and of good Physicians who will not grant their patients what they desire but what is expedient And therefore we are in this case to be disposed as Augustine directeth us Si quid contra quod oramus acciderit patienter ferendo in omnibus gratias agendo hoc potiùs oportuisse quod Dei non quod nostra voluntas habuit minimè dubitare debemus by patient bearing it if any thing happeneth contrary to that which we have prayed for and in all things giving thanks neither ought we to doubt but that it is better that should come to passe which God willeth then what we desired And this is true not onely in temporall benefits which it is good sometime to want but also in spirituall which are not necessary to salvation As for example A man being troubled with some infirmitie which is as a prick in his flesh moving him to sinne prayeth unto God to be delivered from it but howsoeuer his prayer in desiring to be freed from evil is acceptable unto God yet it may be he will not grant it the deniall being more for his glory and our profit for his glory because his power is manifested in our weaknesse to make us work out our salvation with fear and trembling to make us more circumspect of our wayes knowing that we carry such an enemy about us as if we stand not upon our guard will be ready to foil us Example hereof in Paul 2. Cor. 12. 7 8 9. And this ought to be our disposition when our requests do seem not to be granted But if contrariwise the Lord hath heard our prayers and granted our requests then are we First to be thankfull unto God for his goodnesse Psal. 28. 6. and 66. 20. and 118. 21. Dan. 2. 23. Gen. 24. 26. John 11. 41. Secondly our love of God must be increased and our faith confirmed with greater confidence to make our prayers unto him for the time to come Psal. 116. 1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard the voyce of my supplications because he hath inclined his eare unto me therefore will I call'upon him as long as I live CHAP. XXXII Distinctions of prayer in regard of the object NOw this kind of invocation admitteth some distinctions in regard of the object which is either Personall or Reall In regard of persons we pray either for our selves or concerning others howbeit when we pray for our selves we are also ordinarily to pray for others as our Saviour hath taught us The prayer which concerneth others is properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intercession and it is either for them 1. Tim. 2. 1. or against them Rom. 11. 2. The others for whom we are to pray are either deceased or living The deceased are either the elect which are happie in heaven or the reprobate damned in hell For the elect in generall we do pray in the second petition of the Lords prayer that the whole number of the elect being accomplished the Lord would hasten the second coming of Christ for our and their full redemption that both they and we may both in body and soul enjoy the felicitie of our blessed Saviour and by him the fellowship of the whole Trinity to our complete and eternall happinesse As touching the reprobate in hell we are not to pray for them but rather against them which we do in generall and by consequence in the same petition In particular we are not to pray for any deceased For either they be in heaven and then our prayer is needlesse or in hell and then it is bootlesse For as touching the purgatorie-fire it was but a smoke and therefore vanished or at the most a devised fire serving for the Popes kitchin and the inriching of the Popish clergie Furthermore as he that prayeth in particular for the saints in heaven wrongeth them as supposing that they need his prayer so he that prayeth for any of the reprobate in hell wrongeth himself for such a prayer being without warrant and therefore not of faith yea expressely against the Scriptures which teach that out of hell there is no redemption is turned into sin For what warrant have we to love where we know that God doth hate or to make intercession for them to whom the intercession of Christ doth not belong But we know not whether they be in heaven or in hell But this we are to know Whether they be in heaven or hell we are not in particular to pray for them If we know not their estate we are in charity to hope the best of those which die in the church for whom being in heaven we can by prayer procure no particular blessing Concerning those that are alive We are commanded in the word of God to pray one for another Jam. 5. 16. for all the Saints Ephes. 6. 18. for the whole brotherhood of
speciall eye to some particulars whom perhaps we maligne Judg. 5. 31. Psal. 31. 17. Deut. 27. 15 c. to the end of the chapter 1. Cor. 16. 22. Anathema Maranatha Again those that are directed against particular men sometimes they are as Augustine saith verba praedicentium the words of those who foretell rather then vota imprecantium the wishes of them that imprecate as Gen. 9. 25. Psal. 109. 7 8. with Acts 1. 20. Jos. 6. 26. with 1. Kings 16. 34. And such are the words denounced by our Saviour to Chorazin and Bethsaida Matth. 11. 21. against the Pharisees Matth. 23. and Luke 11. 42 c. against Judas Matth. 26. 24. As touching the rest of the curses which the holy men of God in the Scriptures have denounced against the wicked wishing the ruine and destruction of their persons we are to hold that howsoever they were warrantable in them yet not imitable of us They by the spirit of God were inlightened certainly to know discern those against whom they make such imprecations to have been the desperate enemies of God appointed to destruction Secondly they were moved not with private hatred but with a pure zeal of Gods glory to which the love of our neighbour must give place desiring that God might be glorified in the confusion of his obstinate enemies But as for us who neither have the like certainty of knowledge nor the like purity of zeal our safest course is altogether to abstein from imprecations directed against the persons of men knowing that when curses do proceed from private hatred and malice they are most horrible profanations of the name of God whereby malicious men go about to make God the executioner of their malice and therefore we are charged not to curse but to blesse 1. Pet. 3. 9. even those that curse or persecute us Rom. 12. 14. Matth. 5. 44. Cursed therefore are they which use cursing Psal. 109. 17. especially if they curse any of the heirs of the promise to whom God hath made this promise Blessed be he that blesseth thee and cursed be he that curseth thee Gen. 12. 3. and 27. 29. CHAP. XXXIII Of the reall object of prayer or the things to be prayed for THe object reall or the thing which we do ask is either undetermined and not particularly expressed or else it is determined and expressed in particular The former when in generall or in indefinite terms we desire the Lord to heare us Psal. 4. 1. Heare me when I call have mercy upon me and heare my prayer Psal. 5. 1 2. and 28. 1 2. and 54. 2. and 55. 1 2. and 61. 1. and 86. 1. and 88. 2. and 102. 1 2. and 130. 1 2. and 141. 1 2. and 143. 1. The object determined is either the glory of God or our own good The advancement of Gods glory is to be asked both absolutely and first Absolutely I say without any condition or respect of our own good which we must subordinate to the glory of God and not the glory of God to it If therefore the glory of God and our own good come in comparison or in question whether should give place we ought to preferre the glory of God before our own salvation Example Exod. 32. 32. Rom. 9. 3. For the glory of God is the chief end and our good is no otherwise to be desired then it is referred thereunto But as we are to ask it absolutely so also first First both in order as our Saviour hath taught us this being the first petition of the Lords prayer and first in degree that is chiefly because the end is alwayes better and more excellent then those things which are referred to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The things which we crave for our selves under which word I comprehend all men is either the bestowing continuing and increasing of some good or else deliverance or preservation from evil In which regard prayer is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precatio boni prayer for good or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deprecatio mali deprecation of evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayer is the desiring of good concerning holy things made unto God saith Basil. Phil. 4. 6. 1. Tim. 2. 1. It was said before that the matter or object of our prayer must be good how then can prayer admit a distinction in respect of good and evil The avoiding or taking away of evil is good Amotio mali habet rationem boni Removing of evil hath the reason of good And as the Oratour saith Bellum est cavere malum It is a good thing to shun evil And hereupon the benefits of God are distinguished into positive which are reall benefits and privative which is deliverance or preservation from evil The good things which we crave for our selves belong either to the obteining of a better life or for the mainteining of this life the former are commonly called spirituall blessings and the latter temporall The spirituall blessings I mean so many as are necessary to salvation we are to ask absolutely because such spirituall blessings are absolutely subordinated to Gods glory and mans salvation And secondly among those things which we crave for our selves they are first to be desired and sought Matth. 6. 33. And that order our Saviour observeth in the Lords prayer teaching us after the glory of God in the next place to seek our own chiefest good For by the kingdome of God we are to understand both the kingdome of glory and the kingdome of grace The kingdome of glory cometh to us in our glorification the kingdome of grace in our vocation whereby we are brought out of the kingdome of Satan into Gods kingdome and secondly in our justification whereby we are both indued with the priviledges of his kingdome which are the righteousnesse of God imputed peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. and also intituled unto the kingdome of heaven And by doing the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven is meant the righteousnes of God so farre as it is by us to be performed or the righteousnesse of sanctification which is both the cognizance of all true subjects of the kingdome of grace and the proper note of all the heirs of the kingdome of glory Acts 26. 18. and 20. 32. As touching temporall benefits Some have denied that they are to be asked of God as the Marcionites and Manichees others have doubted concerning the same as Chrysostome and Basil as being unworthy either for us to seek and ask of God or for him to give unto us But our Saviour when he biddeth us first seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse implyeth that temporall things are to be sought also in a secondary respect For as Lyra saith Primum relativè dicitur ad secundum Cùm ergò dicit Primò quaerendum significavit quòd hoc posteriùs quaerendum non tempore sed dignitate id est secundariâ quâdam ratione
illud tanquam bonum nostrum hoc tanquam necessarium nostrum necessariâ—…m autem propter illud bonum FIRST is relatively spoken with reference to a latter And therefore when he saith that we must seek it first he implyeth that this is to be sought afterwards not in respect of time but dignity that is in a secondary respect that as our good this as necessary For whereas it may be objected that temporall benefits are not quaerenda sed adjicienda quaesitis not to be sought but to be added to things sought I answer That God hath promised to adde these things but not to those that tempt God in neglect of prayer and other means but to such as seek them in 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 tortureth them for the increase of their pains which they suffer c. All hope of pardon consisteth in confession So Ad fratres in Eremo Serm. 30. O homo nè 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 grieve thine eye weep thy mouth pray without intermission thine eare heare the word of God thine hand give alms c. thy feet come to Church thy knees bow and labour c. And do not deferre it For God hath promised 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 profitable 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 sinnes we deceive our selves and there is no truth in us but we bewray our selves to be hypocrites If we confesse 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 confesseth 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 Prophet 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 have deserved for 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 his 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 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 patience 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 being his 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. Heb. 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 thanksgiving 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 sor 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.
birds fowls of heaven and the wicked spirits in heavenly places Ephes. 6. 12. and 2. 2. The second is that heaven wherein the starres are which are called the host of heaven The third is the seat of the blessed and throne of God called Coelum empy reum because of the light 1. Tim. 6. 16. paradise 2. Cor. 12. 4. and the third heaven in respect of the two lower and in the same sense the heaven of heavens Psal. 115. 16. 1. Kings 8. 27. God is all in all But this place is especially to be understood of the third heaven which is the place of the Lords habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. How is God said to be in heaven seeing he is everywhere If God be everywhere then is he also in heaven But God is said to be in heaven not that he is included therein 1. Kings 8. 27. and therefore not circumscriptivè by circumscription as the body of Christ nor definitivè definitively as the finite spirits but he is there and everywhere repletive filling all places Jer. 23. 23. but yet so as he is every-where totus wholly But yet after a more speciall manner he is said to be in heaven Because there especially he manifesteth his glory there he is seen face to face there he communicateth himself thence he sendeth down his blessings judgements Rom. 1. 18. thence he speaketh to men thence Christ descended thence the holy Ghost Matth. 3. thither Christ ascended there he sitteth and thence he returneth to judgement And as the soul is said to be tota in toto tota in qualibet parte all in the whole and in every part all and yet in respect of the chief operations is said to be seated in the head as it were the heaven of this Microcosme so God who is everywhere wholly both in the world and out of it is said to be in heaven Heaven is his throne Isai. 66. 1. there he prepared his seat Psal. 103. 19. there he sitteth Psal. 2. 4. that is the habitation of his holinesse c. Isai. 63. 15. the place of his habitation 1. Kings 8. 30. Secondly when Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heavens he meaneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heavenly as Matth. 6. 26. And he is called heavenly because the shallownesse of our minds cannot better conceive of the unspeakable glory and excellent majestie of God then under this name For nothing more excellent and glorious is subject to our sense then the heaven Whereas therefore the Scriptures give this title to God they teach us to ascribe unto him majestie glorious essence omnipresent power infinite wisdome unspeakable mercy endlesse The sense therefore of these words is this Thou that sittest upon heaven as thy throne glorious in majestie infinite in essence power wisdome and mercy Vses concerning prayer I. THe adoration of images reliques condemned we are taught to lift up our mind eyes hands to God being in heaven We may therefore say as Psal. 121. 1. Should I lift mine eyes to images whence then should I have help my help is from God Therefore as Psal. 123. 1. To thee I lift up mine eyes O thou who dwellest in the heavens II. We are taught not to direct our prayer towards any certain place as the Jews towards the temple but we may turn any way towards God in heaven And if we are not bound to look towards any certain place much lesse to go on pilgrimage to it III. Neither must our minds go on pilgrimage whilest we are praying but above the earth and all earthly cogitations our minds with our hands are to be lifted up unto the heavens Lam. 3. 4. Psal. 25. 1. as at all times so especially in the time of prayer our conversation ought to be in heaven IV. When we are commanded to call God our heavenly Father we are taught to abandon all base conceits concerning God Psal. 50. 13. and to ascribe unto him incomprehensible glory and majesty infinite power and essence wisdome unsearchable mercy endlesse Majesty as sitting upon the heaven as upon his throne the earth being his footstool Isai. 66. 1. Which must teach us reverence and not rashly to utter any thing before God For God is in heaven full of majestie and glory and thou upon earth dust and worms meat Eccles 5. 1. Power that is Might infinite omnipotencie Right infinite and authority universall Potentia Power Psal. 115. 3. Our God is in heaven whatsoever he will he doeth Which must teach us to pray with affiance being assured that our heavenly Father is able to do for us according to yea above our requests yea above our thought Ephes. 3. 20. Thus Jehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. 6. Art not thou God in heaven so as power is in thine hand which none can resist Potestas Authority So faith Jehoshaphat Art not thou God in heaven and dost not thou rule over all nations So Psal. 103. 20. The Lord hath established his seat in heaven and his kingdome is over all On him therefore our trust must be reposed by whose providence and power all things are governed in heaven and in earth For hereby we learn that the Lord is not onely able in respect of his might but hath right also to bestow upon us any good thing Audacter Deum roga nihil illum de alieno 〈◊〉 Beg boldly of God seeing thou canst ask nothing of him which belongeth to another Infinite essence and omnipresence for so is the heaven said to be his throne as that the earth also is his footstool and so is he in both as that he is also everywhere and in every place totus For we may not think that God is farre from us Acts 17. 27. because he is said to be in heaven as the wicked imagine Job 22. 13. but we must acknowledge that he is alwayes present with us Psal. 139. 7 8 9 c. and as it is Psal. 145. 18. Deut. 4. 7. near unto us when we call upon him yea where two or three are gathered together in his name he is in the middest of them Matth. 18. 20. If therefore thou prayest in secret the Lord heareth thee Matth. 6. 6. if in the closet of thine heart without any speech he heareth the voyce and cry of the heart Exod. 14. 15. 1. Sam. 1. 13. Assure thy self therefore that thou speakest not into the air or utterest thy words in vain but that thou pourest forth thy requests into the bosome of the Lord. Wisdome unsearchable For as the heavens are high above the earth so are the Lords thoughts above ours Isai. 55. 9. We must therefore submit our selves to his will which is most wise and just neither let us circumscribe him but rather resigne our selves unto him who best knoweth what is fit for us Mercy unspeakable Whereby all these attributes are effectuall to our good For if earthly parents do know to give good things to their children much more doth our heavenly
and 22. 2 c. Where by the way we may note that where the word of God and gospel of the kingdome is truly preached there is the kingdome consequently the Church of God and therefore that may be also verified of us which our Saviour Christ speaketh of the Jews that the 〈◊〉 of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 17. 21. This preaching of the word is also called the arm of God Isa. 53. 1. whereby â—…e pâ—…lleth 〈◊〉 oâ—…t of darkâ—…sse into ligâ—… and out of the power of Sataâ—… 〈◊〉 God Acts 26. 18. But especially the Lord ruleth in our hearts by his Spirit drawing us unto his Soâ—…e bending and bowing us to the obedience of his word inlightening our minds and 〈◊〉 our hearts and leading us into all truth c. â—…ortifying sinne aâ—…d corruption in us and renewing us unto holinesse of life The end of this kingdome is the kingdome of glory And therefore Christ saith to his Church Luke 12. 32. Fear not little flock c. For therefore doth he pull us out of the kingdome of darknesse and bring us into the kingdome of grace that by faith we may have remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified Acts 26. 18. By reason of the certainty hereof it is said that those that believe have everlasting life John 5. 24. and are translated from death unto life that those whom God hath justified he hath also glorified Rom. 8. 30. The kingdome of glory in respect of us is the blessed estate of the godly in heaven when as God shall be all in all 1. Cor. 15. 28. where God hath prepared such things for them that love him as neither the eye of man hath seen nor eare heard nor c. 1. Cor. 2. 9. What this word come signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adveniat This word Come is diversly to be expounded according to the divers significations of the kingdome of God The universall kingdome or kingdome of power is said to come when it is manifested and made apparent that all things are guided by the power and providence of God Here therefore we are taught to pray That the Lord would vouchsafe to advance his kingdome bring all things into subjection under his feet and also that all men may acknowledge this universall kingdome of God ruling all things according to the counsel of his will and may willingly submit themselves to the government of this absolute Lord who hath placed his seat in heaven and his kingdome ruleth over all That he would subdue his enemies Psal. 110. 2. governing them with an iron rod Revel 12. 5. and 19. 15. and bruising them like a potters vessel Psal. 2. 9. That he would execute his holy and eternall decrees both in the generall government of the world and also in the saving of the elect and destroying the reprobate to his own glory working all things according to the counsel of his will And albeit this kingdome cannot be resisted or hindred maugre all the enemies thereof yet we are to pray that it may come and that he would exalt his kingdome as before glorifie his name not meaning thereby to move God but to shew the concurrence of our will with Gods will and our affection towards the advancement of Gods kingdome and zeal towards his glory Secondly the kingdome of grace is said to come unto us whenas it is either begun erected in us or continued and increased amongst us And in this behalf we are taught to pray not onely for the coming of this kingdome but also for the granting of the means whereby it cometh also removing the impediments of the coming I. As touching the coming it self we are to note out of this word That we come not to this kingdome of grace of our selves but this kingdome cometh unto us and in coming preventeth us as our Saviour speaketh Luke 11. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is come upon you for we naturally are the bondslaves of Satan and subjects of the kingdome of darknesse out of which bondage we are not able to come except the Lord do pull us and as our Saviour saith John 6. 44. No man cometh to the Sonne bâ—…t whom the Father draweth Wherein appeareth the undeserved mercy of God in preventing us in seeking that which was lost in being found of them that sought him not in coming to them that neither could nor would through their own default come unto him And secondly because there must be alwayes a daily progresse in this kingdome and work of grace in this life therefore we are taught to pray daily that this kingdome may come Now let us see how this kingdome cometh and what it is which here we ask Of the coming of this kingdome there be three degrees The first is the pulling and drawing us out of the kingdome of Satan and power of darknesse unto God which is our effectuall calling whereby we are brought from the spirituall bondage of sinne and Satan into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and are made fellow-citizens of the Saints domestici Dei of the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 19. And this calling is wrought by this means First to us sleeping in our sinnes the word of God is sent to rouse us the law shewing us our sinnes and the punishments due for them the Gospel promising salvation upon the condition of faith and repentance Secondly the spirit of God concurring with the word inlighteneth our minds to understand the word of God inclineth our minds to attend thereunto mollifieth our hard and stony hearts in the sight and sense of sinnes and then travelling under the burden of them with wearinesse he stirreth up in us a hunger and thirst after the righteousnesse of Christ and reconciliation with God and teacheth us to pray with sighs which cannot be expressed Secondly when the Spirit of God applieth the merits and efficacy of Christs death and resurrection to the justification of the sinner and by degrees worketh in him faith and assurance of the pardon of his sinnes whereupon followeth peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost In which three tâ—…e Apostle saith that the kingdome of God doâ—…h consist Rom. 14. 17. Thirdly when Christ our King ruleth and reigneth in our hearts by his word and Spirit tâ—…aching us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly justly and holily in this present world expecting the happy hope and glorious appearance of the great God our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2. 12 13. that is when by his Spirit he applieth the merits of his death to the mortifying of sinne in us and of his resurrection to raise us up to newnesse of life And this we desire not onely for our selves but also for the whole company of the elect That the Lord would from all sorts gather his Church electing them from the world engraffing them into his Son justifying them by faith and sanctifying them by his Spirit That he would
of the revealed will of God which he hath propounded as a rule to square our actions by and therefore sinne is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the transgression of the law Ad legem testimonium To the law and testimony 2. If all things come to passe as God hath willed and decreed then sinne also and how then is not God the authour of sinne Some things God hath decreed to do some things he hath decreed to suffer to be done Of those things which he hath decreed to do his will is the efficient cause as of his creatures and all good things Of those things which he hath onely decreed should be effected by such and such causes his will is not 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 cujus 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 unlesse it be to shew our affection 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 Inesficacious 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 Precamur 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 fight 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
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 themselves with a conceit of faith and assurance of the pardon of their sinnes when indeed their sinne is not pardoned therefore our Saviour Christ would have this protestation added that it may be a touchstone to trie whether we have remission of sinne and assurance thereof For as our Saviour saith that he to whom much is forgiven loveth much Luke 7. 47. and he that loveth God truly cannot but love his brother for Gods cause For as John saith 1. Epist. 4. 20. If any say that he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a liar c. and chap 5. 1. Every one that loveth him that hath begotten doth also love him that is begotten of him And Love covereth the multitude of offenses Prov. 10. 12. Therefore if we will not forgive our brethren that offend against us it is an evident argument that we do not love them If we love not our neighbour certain it is that we love not God If we love not God it is a certain signe that we do not believe in him nor are perswaded of his love towards us in the forgiving of our sinnes If we believe not this Christs righteousnesse and merits are not imputed unto us to our justification and remission of our sinnes And therefore if we be not willing and ready to remit offenses committed against us it is a certain signe that our sinnes are not forgiven of God As contrariwise our brotherly love in remitting offenses is a sure token of the forgivenesse of our sins For as our Saviour saith Matth. 6. 14 15. If ye forgive men their offenses then will your heavenly Father also forgive you Some expound these words as if in them we did alledge a cause why God should forgive us or as though our forgiving of our brethren did merit forgivenesse of sinnes at the hands of God As the Papists also expound that speech of our Saviour Luke 7. 47. Many sinnes are forgiven her for she loved much Whereas in truth the love either of God or of our neighbour for Gods cause is an effect and so a signe of Gods love towards us in forgiving our sinnes We love God because he loved us first 1. John 4. 19. And so doth our Saviour in that place argue not from the cause to the effect but from the effect to the cause as also appeareth by the opposition in the latter part of that verse but to whom lesse is forgiven he loveth lesse and by the parable of the two debtours ver 41. whereof he loved more to which more was forgiven So that our love is not the cause of forgivenesse but the forgivenesse of our sinnes is the cause of our love and therefore our love an effect fruit and signe of the forgivenesse of our sinnes Again our justification and remission of sinnes is free proceeding from the mere love of God without any desert of ours Rom. 3. 24. howbeit it is deserved through the merits of Christ. And surely if our forgiving of offenses were the cause why our sinnes be forgiven then may we thank our selves for our justification neither should we need to pray that God would forgive us for Christs merits but for our own deserts And lastly the Apostle Paul exhorteth us to forgive our brethren as to a fruit and effect of Christs forgiving us Ephes. 4. 32. Col. 3. 13. Forgiving one another even as Christ hath freely forgiven you In these words therefore is not set down the cause of the forgivenesse of our sinnes but an argument from the lesse to the greater to confirm our faith in the assurance of the forgivenesse of our sinnes that lesse being also an undoubted fruit and sure signe of the remission of our sinnes But now let us consider the words particularly and so come to the uses By our debters is meant such as have offended or wronged us or as the Apostle speaketh Col. 3. 13. against whom we have any quarrel But what debters am I to forgive may some body say I can be content sometimes to put up an injury at the hands of my better but I cannot brook that my equall should crow over me or that mine inferiour should be too sawcie with me I can be content to remit some offenses but great indignities I cannot put up Answ. Our Saviour speaketh indefinitely and generally without difference of debters so that whosoever is our debter we must forgive him if we would have assurance that God hath forgiven our sinnes But this is more plainly expressed Luke 11. For even we also for give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one that is indebted to us So that our love must not be partiall neither is it if it be indeed for Gods cause in whom we are to love our friends and for whom we are to love our enemies May not a man therefore require and exact his debts of his debter if he would have God forgive his debts Our Saviour doth not speak of the debts of money or goods but of trespasses offenses and wrongs which in the Chaldee and Syriack tongue are called debts c. As for due debts of money and goods them thou mayest exact of those which are able to pay 〈◊〉 so that it be done without using rigour or seeking extremities What is meant by we forgive We forgive God alone forgiveth sinnes how then can we be said to forgive our debters We must distinguish both of the debt which is forgiven and also of forgiving In every offense committed against the neighbour two parties are offended God mediately and the neighbour immediately And so it may be considered either as a transgression of the law of God and so it is properly called sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as it 〈◊〉 or hindreth the neighbour and is called an injury or wrong As therefore it is a transgression of the law of God no man can remit it but as it is an injury or wrong done to a man he may remit it Again God is said to forgive a sinne when he is content not onely to forget the fault but also to forgive the punishment for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to the sinner Man is said to forgive an 〈◊〉 not when he remitteth the punishment due unto it by the law of God for that is not in
some bodily trouble or danger with the hazard of their souls Sometimes he clotheth sinne with the cloke of vertue So much breifly shall serve to have spoken of tentations as they are provocations to evil Against which we pray not that we be not tempted but that the Lord would not in his fierce wrath for a punishment of our sinne lead us into tentation nor give us over to our own concupiscences to be hardned in sinne or to the world to be carried away with the desires thereof or to the devil to be overcome in tentation to be carried away captive to the performance of his will For howsoever men willingly run into these tentations as the beast goeth 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 person to whom we speak secondly the thing against which we pray The person Dâ—… 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 tempteth 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 tempted but also leadeth into tentation The like phrases are usuall in the Scriptures Exod. 7. 3. Indurâ—…vit â—…r Pharâ—…onis he haâ—…dened 〈◊〉 heart Isai. 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou â—…ade â—…s â—…rre frâ—… thy â—…ayes â—…nd hardenâ—…d our heart from thy fear Rom. 1. 24 26 28. 2. Thess. 2. 11. God shall send them strong delâ—…sion All which words â—…o 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 proceedeâ—…h from Satan or our own corruption may also be said to come from God But in the same tentâ—…tion 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 triall 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 â—…inne 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 onely 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
of the coming of Gods kingdome 1. The Devil 2. The World Matth. 6. 24. 3. The Flesh The hypocrisie of many detected Things to be believed We must expect I. with faith II. with earnest desire 1. of eternall life 2. of Christs coming III. With patience qui In Psal. IV. With vigilancy 3. We must remain constant in Gods love 4. We must walk worthy of God 5. We must so live as ready to meet Christ. In Matth. Hypocrisie detected All that God willeth is properly good Of the things which God willeth Quest. Whether Gods will be alwayes done Answ. How can the wicked sin seeing they do Gods will Answ. How sinne is by Gods decree Answ. Gods secret and absolute will is not here meant John 6. 4â—… Cyprian Gal. 6. 10. We must pray according to Gods will 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 ordâ—… Why we ask temporall blessings before spirituall Ulpian Why all commoditieâ—… are comprehendedunder the name of bread Bernard What ouâ—… bread signifieth What is meant by daily bread Piscat The evils that accompany riches The evils that accompany poverty The same measure is not convenient for all men In what respect God is said to give God giveth onely the usâ—… 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 must ask them aright Peculiar duties Generall duties Joâ—… 1. 21. The second common duty is Faith 1. generall 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 debts The Papists confuted who hold that God forgiving the fault reteineth the punishment Their practice foolish who deâ—…rre their repentance What is meant by our trespasses What is meant by this word foâ—…give By this petition we are put in mind of our misery and Gods mercy No man can satisfie Gods justice for his sinnes proved Reason 1. 2. 3. â—… 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 our sinnes 2. of faith 1. We must be adorned with humility 2. We muâ—…t believe in Christ. 3. We must repent of our sinnes 4. We must fear by sinne to offend God 5. We muâ—…t use means to increase our faith 6. We must labour to please God 7. We must forgive our neighbours Hypocrisie discovered The reason confirming our faith in the assurance of râ—…mission 2. Reason why these words are added Our forgiving no cause of Gods forgiving us What is meant by debters Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Object How we can 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 soek for 〈◊〉 2. How we are to behave our selves towards those who have offended us Duty 1. Means to 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 Being freed from sinne we must become the servants of righteousnes Those whom God pardoneth the devil tempteth 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 afflictionâ—… Of tentations for and unto evil I. Of the flesh 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 doubting Of presumption Tentations touching obedience 1. in hearing the word 2. in prayer 3. in â—…he sacrament Tentations drawing men unto evil Object Answ. Object Answ. How God may be said to tempt A consolation Satan can neither tempt nor overcome without Gods permission That it is not evil to be tempted but good to Gods children In Psal. 60. What is meant by Deliver us from evil How we are to pray against tentations How we 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 thine is the kingdome The kingdome of grace and glory Psal. 24. 1. The difference between the power of God and the creatures Everlasting kingdome power and glory belongeth to God These words are a form of praising God What Amen importeth and signifieth Duties to be performed 〈◊〉 Hypocrisie discovered