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A12554 A paterne of true prayer A learned and comfortable exposition or commentarie vpon the Lords prayer: wherein the doctrine of the substance and circumstances of true inuocation is euidently and fully declared out of the holie Scriptures. By Iohn Smith, minister and preacher of the Word of God. Smyth, John, d. 1612. 1605 (1605) STC 22877.1; ESTC S117609 137,387 190

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as the world endureth in that outward polity and forme of gouernment established by the word 1. Corinth 15. It lasteth for euer euen so long as God is God in the most gracious and glorious regiment thereof in heauen these outward meanes ceasing What is the place of this Kingdome There are two places the one is this world where the Church is militant fighting against her enemies the other is heauen where the Church is triumphant raigning for euer What are the offices and officers of this Kingdome The offices and officers besides these that were temporarie and extraordinarie as Prophets Apostles Euangelists are these following The first office is teaching and that officer is called a Doctor The second is exhorting and that officer is called a Pastor The third office is ruling and that officer is called an Elder in the Church of England he is called a Bishop The fourth office is distributing and that officer is called a Deacon The fifth office is shewing mercie which officer is called a widow These are all set downe Rom. 12.7.8 The questions that are betweene the reformed Churches concerning these offices and officers I of purpose spare to handle being both vnfit to debate them and loth to offend onely I wish that such controuersies might be ended by Councels and that the peace of the Church might be kept Who is the Deputie or Vicar of this King There is no one person Christs Lieutenant for wee renounce the Pope who is Antichrist but we acknowledge euery King in his Kingdome the supreme Gouernor in all causes and ouer all persons aswell ecclesiasticall as ciuill next and immediatly vnder Christ which Prince hath authoritie to substitute ecclesiastical Magistrates according to the word for the polity of the Church in the exercising of iurisdiction visitation of Churches and ordination of Ministers which persons in England are called Bishops What are the properties or qualities of this Kingdome It is spirituall not worldly and exercised vpon the conscience wherein it differeth from the ciuill state Thus we see what Gods kingdome is How Gods Kingdome commeth now we are further to enquire how Gods Kingdome is said to come namely 1. When it is erected or established where before it was not 2. When it is enlarged and increased where before it was 3. When it is repaired or restored from some former decayes 4. When it is perfected and accomplished fully of each something First How Gods Kingdome is erected Gods Kingdome is erected and set vp generally and specially generally when it is entertained by publike consent in a countrie or Kingdome and that is when the Magistrate by law doth establish the worship of God according to the word and execution is done accordingly and when the Ministers in their ministerie teach and minister the word and worship of God established Specially the Kingdome of God is established or erected when men by the word of God are conuerted to the faith and outwardly make profession thereof Thus Gods Kingdome is set vp Hovv Gods Kingdome is enlarged Secondly Gods Kingdome is enlarged both when there are new subiects made when as before they were enemies that is to say when there are added to the Church such as shall be saued or when they that are ordained to life euerlasting beleeue as also when the former subiects are confirmed and bettered that is when such as are within the Church and doe beleeue grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ Hovv Gods Kingdome is repaired Thirdly Gods Kingdome is repaired from two great ruines and downefals especially the one of doctrine the other of manners and they are both of them vniuersall and particular for there are some which depart totally from the whole doctrine of the saith of Christ as when a Christian becommeth a Turke and some depart onely from some particular doctrines as they in the kingdome of Antichrist Againe there are some which being baptized and professing Christ powre out themselues afterward to all manner of licentious wickednes others fall into some particular sinnes as adultery with Dauid Now if a man recouer againe from false doctrine as from Turcisme or Papisme that repayre is dogmaticall but if a man recouer by repentance from lapse into sinne that repaire may be called morall all which kindes both of Apostacie and backsliding and of repairing and restauration may sometime befall a whole kingdome or common-wealth aswell as particular families or persons Hovv Gods Lastly Gods Kingdome is perfected and fully accomplished at two times Kingdome is perfected The first time is the day of a mans death the second time is the last and general day of iudgment The day of death is the speciall perfection of this kingdome in the subiect that dieth for then grace is perfected and consummated The day of iudgement is the generall perfection of this kingdome in all the subiects thereof which shall either die or be changed suruiuing at that day The speciall perfection of this kingdome is the glorie of the soule only in sanctification and saluation the generall perfection of this kingdom is the glorie both of bodie and soule of the whole man which then shall perfectly according to the measure be sanctified and glorified Thus we see how the kingdome of God commeth Hauing now deliuered the meaning of this second petition it followeth according to the order propounded to speake of the contents thereof in the supplication deprecation and thanksgiuing and first of the supplication which is the third generall The things which wee aske at Gods hands in this petition 3 The supplication of the second petition 1 Tim. 2.3 1. Godly Magi●t●ates further Gods kingdom are these following the first concerneth the Common-wealth viz. 1. Godly Magistrates for whom the Apostle willeth to pray teaching that it is a thing good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour so to doe and the Wiseman forbidding to curse the King and the rich on the contrary signifieth that wee should pray for them and blesse them for the negatiue includeth the affirmatiue and contrarily for Magistracie is an excellent meanes to further the kingdome of Christ Esay 49.23 and therefore they are compared to nursing fathers and nursing mothers by the Prophet for as parents doe both beget and bring vp their children so godly Magistrates doe erect and maintaine the faith and true religion by the sword hence it is that the Kings and Queenes of England are intituled Defenders of the Faith which is the most royall part of the title royall 2 Godly lawes 〈…〉 f●ther Gods kingdome 2 Wee pray in this petition that the godly Magistrates may mak● godly lawes and establish the whole truth of the word and see that both the tables of the Commadements be obs rued for the Apostle in the former place to Timothie express●th the substance of the Magistrates dutie which is to procure that the subiects may leade a peaceable and quiet life in
is no god a matter of most fearefull blasphemie 5 Periurie dishonoreth God After vaine swearing as an higher degree of dishonoring God followeth periurie or false swearing when we cloake false witnes vnder the Lords skirt wherein as much as in vs lieth we make God the voucher of a lie who is notwithstanding the God of truth how great a dishonor is offered to God by this course is so apparant as that it neede no illustration In the last place blasphemie occurreth thā which a greater despite or disgrace cannot bee offered vnto the Lord Blasphemie dishonoreth God which is to reuile and raile vpon God called in the Scripture cu●sing God a sin so great as that it was dreadfull to the holy Pen-men of Scripture to vse the word and therefore they vse the contrarie word blessing in stead of cursing as the wife of Iob said to him blesse that is Iob. 2.9 curse God and die howsoeuer some expound the place otherwise The haynousnes of which sinne is so great as that the Lord hath punished one degree thereof called blasphemie against the holy Ghost Matth. 12.32 with the most fearefull punishment of finall impenetencie in regarde whereof the sinne commeth to be vnpardonable Thus also we see how and how many waies we dishonor God by our prophane speeches not that there are no more but these are the principall Now it followeth in the last place shortly to consider of those prophane actions whereby God is dishonored Prophane actions d●shonor God Concerning which it must be knowne that all our euill deedes doe in some measure staine Gods glory either directly or by consequence but yet some are more properly said so to do and they are these ten which shall be handled in order following The first is idolatrie 1 Idolatrie dishonoreth God which is the making of an image of God the worshipping of that image made or the making and worshipping of an image of a false god by all which meanes God is dishonored in the highest degree for to resemble God in an image is to make the Creator like the creature betwixt whom there is no comparison the one being infinite the other finite and therefore euery image is a lie of God and so dishonorable to God Againe to worship that image made is to honor a lie and to giue to the workemanship of man that which is due to God onely and this is to rob God of his honor and to impart it to a stocke or stone Lastly the making and worshipping of an Idol which is the image of a false god is most shamefull for therein we forsake the true God and follow our owne inuentions and worship the picture or shape of that which is nothing in the world as the Apostle speaketh or else is the diuell for indeede when we doe worship Idols we worship diuels 1. Cor. 10. 2 Superstition dishonoreth God Superstition followeth in the second place which is the worshipping of the true God after a false manner as the Turke worshippeth the true God according to the tradition of Mahomet the Papist worshippeth the true God but with mixture of much draffe of mans inuentions fearing and making scruple where there is no cause of feare and taking libertie to inuent and deuise meanes and waies of worship where they should not and thus they blemish Gods glorie in taking vpon them authoritie to prescribe and impose such a worship vpon the Lord which his wisedome neuer determined thereby controlling Gods wisedome with their inuention and will worship Curious arts dishonoreth God To Idolatrie and superstition may be annexed as neere of kinne all Witchcraft Sorcerie Magicke Charming Southsaying Figure-casting Palmistrie Necromancie and whatsoeuer other diuellish arts the idle braine of curious Naturalists haue deuised al and euery whereof containe in them a secret idolatrie and superstition at the least if they haue not openly contracted with the diuell whom they adore or pay tithe to of their blood or recompence some way or other for his obedience suggestion and seruice performed at their becke wherefore all those that had vsed such curious Arts to the dishonor of God after their cōuersion burned their books at Ephesus Act. 19.19 as the Euāgelist reporteth in the Acts in which storie there are diuers points very worthie obseruation to this purpose as that they were learned men that vsed these Crafts and that their learning was out of bookes and their bookes were worth eight hundreth pounds which declare plainly that they were writings of Astrologie or Magicke or Southsaying and the like and not of witchcraft only which vsually is not committed to writing but learned by obseruation or tradition further it is to bee considered that they did not sell but burne their bookes as it were preuenting the vse of them to others because they were conuicted in their consciences of the dishonour which came to God thereby In the third place after Idolatrie and superstition 3 Sacriledge dishonoreth God which respect God and his worship succeed sacriledge and simonie which respect the meanes of Gods worship Sacriledge is when violence is offered to holy places things persons or times c. as if men should take away Churches and Church liuings and so ouerthrow the callings of Church-men and conuert the times appointed to Gods seruice to Faires and Markets by which practises it commeth to passe that Gods worship perisheth and prophanenes preuaileth and the Lord is either forgotten or dishonoured Thus did the King of Babel commit sacriledge 2. Chro. 36. when hee destroyed the Temple and carried away the vessels of the Lords house to Babylon and vsed them to common offices as in banquetting thus did Christ prophecie after Daniel Matth. 24.15 that the abomination of desolation should bee set in the holy place thus did the people prophane the Temple Ioh. 2.15 making it a market place in our Sauiour Christs time Diuers other examples there are in the Scriptures of this kinde but these may suffice to shew that such sacrilegious practises greatly dishonour God as being meanes to abolish or defile Gods worship Simonie also is no small cause of defacing Gods glorie 4 Simony dishonoreth God which is when offices Ecclesiasticall are set to sale whereby it commeth to passe that vnworthie persons by money prepossesse the places of Ministery and maintenance which should be conferred vpon persons whom God hath qualified competently to such functions Hereby it commeth that ignorant and wicked Ministers creep into the Church which are fitter to keepe swine than to feede the flocke of Christ meeter to be Masters of misrule than rulers of Gods heritage and so the people perish for want of knowledge or goe astray after their blinde guides and God is greatly dishonoured by people and Pastors besides the indignitie which the Ministerie ecclesiasticall sustaineth that it should be valued with money which is the means of conferring the inualuable gifts of the holy Ghost Act.