in his holy wisedome decree to permit it Moreover there could be no faultinesse in such a decree because that in it was set such an order that neither the coming of things to passe by Gods permission nor that which should come to passe by his working should either offer violence to the wills of the reasonable creatures or should take away the liberty or contingency of second causes but doth establish them rather For Gods decree doth determine the creature to worke according to its nature that as all naturall agents as that stones should descend if they be not upheld and that fire should burne combustible matter should worke necessarily so all voluntary agents should worke freely and contingently The liberty of the creature together with the sinfulnesse of the act of the creature may and doth well stand with the decree of God Indeed upon supposition of Gods decree to permit Adam to fall it followed by necessarie consequent that Adam would fall yet was it not necessarie that Adam should fall necessarily But rather upon supposition of Gods decree Adams fall by eating the forbidden fruit which God permitted him to do came to passe freely and contingently that is with a possibility of the contrary namely of forbearing to eate of the forbidden fruit This was because God had made man a rationall and voluntary agent to worke contingently and freely according to the freedome of his will and not to be forced thereto by any necessity The decree of permitting sinne doth not lay any necessity upon any man to commit sinne Sinne hath not relation to Gods decree as the effect hath to its cause but onely as a consequent of it and as an object whereabout the decree is conversant Gods fore-knowledge of what shall come to passe and his will to permit it to come to passe are sufficient to denominate a necessity or certaintie of event that the same thing must needs come to passe but neither his fore-knowledge or his will that a thing shall come to passe by his permission maketh God the author of that which is fore-knowne or permitted but to produce a thing that maketh God to be the author of it As for sinne there is no operation of God concerning it as it is sinne but rather negation or suspension of that grace which if God did bestow would keep man from committing of it Gods decree to permit sinne doth not destinate any man to sinne for destination is the ordaining of a person to a certaine end an evill action cannot be the end to which a man is ordained And this decree of permitting sinne and of leaving him in his sinne and then of damming him for sin all which presuppose that God decreed to create man yet from hence it doth not follow that God made any man to the end hee might damne him the end of his creation and of all the parts of Cods decree was the manifestation of his owne glory He made all things for himselfe Prov. 16 4. Now if man might fall by Gods permission and yet God is free from being author of sinne then who can have any colour of exception if after man is fallen God do leave him in his sinne and shall condemne him for his sin especially sith that though Gods decree to leave a man in state of sinne and to reprobate him from faith and other graces needfull to salvation be absolute and without any cause out of God but of his meere will and absolute pleasure yet he never decreed to reprobate or destinate any to damnation absolutely nor yet doth he execute or damne any but for his sinne God never doth save or damne any absolutely but as they are found to be in Christ or as they are found to be in their sinnes out of Christ For God did not absolutely elect any unto salvation nor absolutely reject any to damnation but he decreed to save only those which should actually by his Spirit beleeve in Christ repent and persevere in an holy life to the end if they be of yeares of discretion and such as by secret union of the Spirit should by a way unknowne to us partake of and belong to Christ if Infants within the covenant of grace And he decreed to damne onely such as should persevere in their sinne and infidelity For the promise of salvation and the threat of damnation is made respectively onely to such Yet know that God of his meere will and pleasure did absolutely elect some and did determine to give them the grace of faith in Christ repentance towards God and perseverance in holinesse of life and likewise absolutely to reject others therefrom and to leave them in their sinne and infidelity Thus God is cleared from being any author of sinne or yet to blame if he proceed in rigour in the eternall punishment of some for sinne I will last of all shew that God was no deficient cause in Adams sinne though he did decree to permit it and did work accordingly either by denying his grace or by concurring with him to the substance of the act which was sinfull In all this God did not carry himselfe otherwise than an absolute Lord and a most holy God might rightfully do What though God made the forbidden fruit of an alluring nature pleasant to the eye and good for food as it seemed to Eve and was called by an alluring name a Tree of knowledge of Good and evill What though God exposed Eve unto the temptation of the Serpent and Adam to the temptation of his wife What if God restrained the good Angels that they did not as otherwise they might assist Adam against Satan and against his temptation by minding him of his duty to God and of the falshood and malice of the devill and how much he was but lately beholden to God And what though God left Adam and Eve to themselves without giving thē actuall assistance of his grace any more than what he gave them in their creation to preserve them from falling which he gave to the good Angels and denyed to others What hath God done in all this which he might not do For notwithstanding all this there was a naturall and true possibility in Adam and Eve to have forborne to eate of the forbidden fruit in spite of Satan though hee did his utmost that he could Adam and Eve did eate the forbidden fruit as freely without compulsion as ever before they had eaten of any other tree in the Garden No compulsion but bodily appetite leading them to eate of the common fruit and partly bodily appetite and partly affectation of being like God in knowing good and evill seducing them to eate the fruit which was forbidden There remained I say a true possibility in Adam to have stood For by vertue of the graee of God received in the creation he could not only have abstained from every outward action forbidden him of God but to abstaine from it in a gracious manner for that both outwardly and
distractions Where he cannot corrupt the doctrine of prayer as in Popery with heresies and superstitious follies there he laboureth to hinder the exercise of it Wherein we should be so farre from being discouraged that we should reason rather that that must needs be an excellent dutie which is so irkesome to the flesh and which the devill so eagerly sets against This should incourage us to this exercise wherein lyeth all our strength that if in spite of Satans annoyance and our owne indisposition we will set upon this duty we shall finde our selves by little and little more raised up to heaven and our hearts more and more enlarged God rewarding the use of that little grace wee finde at the first with increase of strength and comfort To him that hath in the exercise of that he hath shall be given more We should labour not to be ignorant of Satans enterprises who besides his diverting our mindes from prayer and disturbing us in it laboureth by all meanes to draw us to some sin the conscience whereof will stop our mouthes and stifle our prayers and shake our confidence and eclipse our comfort which he oft aymeth more at then the sinne it selfe unto which hee tempteth us We should labour therefore to preserve our selves in such a state of soule wherein we might have boldnesse with God and wherein this gainfull trading with him might not bee hindred To passe over many other causes of the neglect of this entercourse and dealing with God by prayer we may well iudge as one of the chiefe a selfe-sufficiencie whereby men dwell too much in themselves He that hath nothing at home will seeke abroad The poore man saith Solomon speaketh supplications If wee were poore in spirit and saw our owne emptinesse it would force us out of our selves Alas what temptation can we resist much lesse overcome without fresh succour What crosse can we endure without impatiencie if we have not new support What successe can we looke for yea in common affaires without his blessing What good can we do nay thinke of without new strength When we do any good by his power do we not need pardon for the blemishes of our best performances What good blessing can we enjoy so as we defile not our selves in it without a further blessing giving us with the thing the holy use of it Yet we see most men content to receive blessings as they come from Gods generall providence without regarding any sanctified use by prayer whereas holy men knowing that God will be sought unto even for those things of which hee hath given a promise Ezek 36.37 in obedience to this his divine order desire to receive all from him as a fruit of their prayers And Gods manner is to keep many blessings from his children untill they have begged them as delighting to heare his children speake The consideration whereof moveth those that have neerest communion with God to acknowledge him in all their waies depending on him for direction strength successe whereupon he delighteth in shewing himselfe more familiarly unto them in the sweetest experiences of his love guiding them by his counsell whilest they abide here and after bringing them to glory Psal 37 24 As other graces grow in those that are in the state of grace so this spirit of prayer receiveth continuall increase upon more inward acquaintance with God and their owne estates Whence they can never be miserable having God to poure forth their spirits and ease their hearts unto who cannot but regard the voyce of his owne Spirit in them But of our selves such is our case that God who knoweth us better than wee know our selves saith wee know not what or how to pray Rom. 8.26 This language of Canaan is strange unto us Which our blessed Saviour in mercy considering stirred up a desire in his Disciples to bee taught of him the Sonne how to speake to the Father Where thereupon hee teacheth them a forme which for heavenly fulnesse of matter and exactnesse of order sheweth that it could come from no other Author This holy pattern comprizing so much in so little all things to bee desired in six short petitions it is needfull for the guides of Gods people to lay open the riches of it to the view of those that are lesse exercised An endevour which his excellent Majesty thought not unbeseeming the greatnesse of a King For the use of a set forme of prayer and this in speciall I will make no question yet in the use of this prayer we may dwell more in the meditation and enforcing such petitions as shall concern our present occasions For instance if ever there were time of praying Let thy kingdome come let Christ arise and his enemies bee scattered then certainly now is the time for us to ascend up into heaven by our prayers and awake Christ that hee would rebuke the winds and waves and cause a calme that hee would bee strong for his Church in maintaining his owne cause It is Gods manner before any great worke for his Church to stirre up the spirits of his beloved ones to give him no rest How earnest was Daniel with the Lord immediatly before the delivery out of Babylon Dan. 9. And undoubtedly if we joyne the forces of our prayes together and set upon God with an holy violence hee would set his power his wisdome his goodnesse on worke for the exalting of his Church and ruine of the enemies of it Now is the time for Moses his hands to bee upheld whilest Amalech goeth down As in the lives of David Asa Ezekia Iehosaphat c. The prevayling power of praier with God in times of danger appeareth not only in the sacred history of the Bible but hath been recorded in all ages of the Church Euseb l. 5. Tertul. in Apologet. In the primitive Church An. Dom. 175. the army of Christians was called the thundering legion because upon their prayers God scattered their enemies with thunder and refreshed themselves with showers in a great drought After in the good Emperour Theodosius his time An. Dom. 394. upon an earnest prayer to Christ the winds fought from heaven for him against his enemies as they did for us in 1588. And continually since God never left the force of faithfull prayer without witnesse If we would observe how God answereth prayers wee should see a blessed issue of all the holy desires he kindles in our hearts for hee cannot but make good that title whereby he is stiled a God hearing prayer Psal 65.2 which should move us to sow more prayers into his bosome the fruit whereof wee should reap in our greatest need Jt would bee a strong evidence in these troublesome times of the future good successe of the Church if wee were earnest in soliciting Christ with these words which himselfe hath taught us Let thy kingdom come For put him to it and hee will never faile those that seeke him Psal 9.10 He loveth importunity But
to speake something of this Treatise of this godly and painefull Minister of Christ which is written by him without affectation as desirous to cloath spirituall things with a spirituall manner of writing the diligent and godly Reader shall observe a sound cleare substantiall handling of the greatest points that naturally fall within the discourse and a more large and usefull unfolding of many things than in former Treatises It appeareth he sought the good of all so that besides the labours of other holy men there will be just cause of blessing God for his assistance in this worke To whose blessing I commend both it and the whole Israel of God Grayes Inne R. SIBBS A KEY OF HEAVEN The Lords Prayer opened and applyed MATH 6. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy Name 10 Thy kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven 11 Give us this day our daily bread 12 And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters 13 And leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill for thine is the kingdome and the power and the glory for ever Amen THese words are part of our Saviours Sermon in the Mount they concerne Prayer and doe consist of a Precept or exhortation to pray in a right manner Patterne to exemplifie the said manner The precept is After this manner pray ye The patterne is Our Father c. This Exhortation is inferred upon consideration of divers abuses of prayer whereof our Saviour had warned his Disciples to wit Hypocrisie and vaine babling of the Pharisies and Heathen Hee reasoneth from the dissimilitude that ought to be betweene hypocrites and heathen between true Christians and faithfull beleevers saying verse 8. Be not ye therefore like unto them but pray ye in an holy manner And for that cause doth propose unto them a perfect forme of prayer intimating that if they would pray according as he did therein prescribe they should neither play the Hypocrites as did the Pharisies nor babble as the heathen nor offend any other way in this holy exercise of calling upon the name of the Lord. The words of the exhortation containe these particulars 1 The person exhorting Christ Iesus implied in his imperative speech Pray 2 The persons exhorted Ye 3 The inference whereupon it is grounded Therefore 4 The subject of the exhortation Pray in this manner Pray 1 Sam. 1 1â—.15 Pâ—â—2 8 Isâ—â—â— to pray doth import an holy speech and pouring out of the soule unto God being a joynt act of the minde will whereby the minde by voyce or thought doth make knowne to God the desires of the heart What it is to pray shewing both what a man wold have God to doe for him or to accept from him A bare desire is not to pray for many wish and desire those things for which they never speake or pray unto God Orare est appetere petere Phil. 4 6. Psal 38.9 Neither are words without desires any prayer but when the minde maketh knowne to God what the will desireth this is to pray By what way soever of expression a man doth signifie his desire directing it to God whether it be by thought onely or also by sigh a Psal 38.9 Rom. 8.26 groane or b Psal 39.12 tears or by lifting up * Ps 28.2 a hand or c Psal 123.1 eyes towards God in the heavens or by d Psal 141.1.2 voyce perfect or e Isai 38.14 unperfect if it be but by f Lam. 3.56 breathing it out as it were so be hee intend and understand what he desireth this is to pray Desires are naturall or spirituall Naturall when a man Difference between naturall and spirituall desires in prayer out of a sense of that which hee needeth and which may be for his naturall well being here and for his happinesse hereafter from a meere well-wishing to himselfe doth pray unto God to obtaine it Thus a naturall man a very Balaam may pray Num. 23.10 A spirituall desire be it of naturall or spirituall good things is from the spirit and regenerate part of man Rom 8.26 27. put up to God with holy affections in a spirituall manner to a spirituall end Onely the regenerate can thus pray Ye first the Disciples and under them hee meaneth all Christians Act. 11.26 For although Christ gave his Disciples some precepts that onely did belong to them as Apostles yet hee gave very many precepts to them as they were Christians as that in Marke 13.37 What I say to one I say to all Watch so here what he saith to them he saith to all Pray Therefore hath a double reference both to the sinfull manner dehorted fom and to this holy manner exhorted to He reasoneth thus the manner of hypocritical and heathenish praying is sinfull this manner here propounded is most holy therefore pray in this manner and not as they doe After this manner or thus the word rendred thus or in this manner is a note of likenesse pointing unto the patterne following As if he had said Say Our Father as it is Luk. 11.2 or if you use other words let them be according unto this patterne here prescribed to wit to the same person the same matter in the same kindes of prayer whether it bee in Petition for our selves for that which is good or in deprecation against that which is evill or in Intercessions for others or in Thanksgiving both for our selves and for others and with the same good disposition of heart as is taught in this forme of prayer following The words thus opened the particulars therein offer divers profitable lessons Christs diligence in teaching his servants and familie this necessarie religious duty of praier both at this time of his owne accord and at another time at the request of one of his Disciples is first to be observed Luk 11.1 All the actions of Christ Jesus are observable and of excellent use but onely some of them binde Christians to imitation That I may therefore cleere the foundation of the doctrine to be concluded from Christs practise let it be considered that the actions of Christ were of different natures He did some acts as he was God and as Mediator betweene God and man as his miracles and offering up of himselfe a sacrifice for sinne c. These actions should work in all men an holy admiration of him and faith in him but must not nay cannot be imitated How far Christs example doth bind to imitation He did other actions as hee was man some whereof were indifferent being neither commanded nor forbidden others were necessarie being commanded Those actions which he did which were indifferent doe teach us Christian libertie shewing what we may do but doe not lay a bond upon the conscience to tye us to doe the same Christ did sometimes stand when he prayed this was an indifferent action
but trouble and death Psal 104.29.30 and returning to dust wherefore his kingdome of power is to be desired Whereas it is most generally conceived Ob. that this kingdome of God's providence is fâ—â— to be prayed for because it cannot be resisted and because it shall come certainly I answer Sol. that unto me it seemeth most evident that the divell the prince that ruleth in the aire doth so farre as God doth permit usurpe upon this kingdome of power as well though not so much as upon the kingdome of grace by causing disorder in the course of nature by infecting the aire by ruising tempests by causing of fires whereby hee doth much mischiefe as in Iob's case Iob 1. Hee prevaileth much also in holding many parts of the world in barbarisme And when he cannot hinder the ordinary works of God then hee blindeth the eyes of men that they cannot see God in his workes but maketh them beleeve that all things come from nature fortune or humane policie deposing God as much as he mâ—â— of his regencie in the worâ—e And what though this kingdome shall come certainly the kingdome of grace shall come as certainely if wee consider Gods decree and power to execute it Onely I confesse the divell more especially would play rex against the kingdome of grace for which cause it is most especially to bee prayed for Moreover this kingdome of power is yet in comming untill this world shall be dissolved And though this kingdome of power be come in respect of Gods act yet there is but a part of his wayes Iob 26.14 yea but a little part that is heard of him that is come to our knowledge and understanding therefore in this respect prayer must bee made that wee may know his kingdome of power for which we may sanctifie his Name The kingdome of grace must bee desired for these causes Reason First the holinesse of Gods Name in all his attributes doe shew themselves most manifestly in the comming thereof The comming of his word to any man and the worke of conversion by the word doe shew the infinitenesse of his wisedome power mercy justice patience and goodnesse in gathering and saving the elect also his wisedome power hatred of sinne and justice in over mastering sinne Sathan and revenging himselfe upon the disobedient are thereby most manifest Secondly the publishing of the word whereby this kingdome is erected is the meanes of revealing the will of God and of making men able to doe his will Therefore the comming of this kingdome is to be desired Reason The kingdome of glory is to be desired because untill it be come the kingdome of grace is not perfect for while there is need of Ministers and ministery there is still a perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4.12 and the measure of the fulnesse of the stature of the body of Christ is not yet attained unto Besides wee which are now called cannot without those who yet are to be called Heb. 11.40 be made perfect But when the kingdome of glory shall be come we shall all be glorious And then it is 1 Cor. 15.28 when God shall be all in all and bee perfectly glorified Thus it is evident that the kingdome of power grace and glory is to bee desired Before wee can make use of this point it shall be needfull to consider the particulars compreheÌ„ded in it to be praied for Concerning the kingdome of power request is first made unto God that he would continue the worke of creation renewing the face of the earth upholding all things by his power ordering all things by his wise providence that all men may see his infinite greatnesse goodnesse and all other his holy excellencies We must likewise deprecate that confusion disorder vanitie and defects of the creatures to which the sin of man hath made them subject Then more particularly prayer must be made for mankinde first that that blessing Be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth may bee continued else how can the number of the elect bee made perfect Then prayer must be made that men may be endued with such good gifts of nature as may make them civill and apt for societie and may be able in some measure to hold that dominion over the creatures which once man had that he may subdue them and know the use of them Wherefore also Arts and Sciences are to be desired and for that cause that Schooles and all Nurseries of good learning and profitable knowledge may be erected maintained frequented and be blessed and the rather because these make much as for the good of civil societie so for the building up of the Church and do serve to helpe man more clearly to see God in all things The contrarie to these as depopulation and Barbarisme are to be deprecated The requests to bee made concerning the kingdome of grace do respect first the King then the meanes of setting up and governing this kingdome externall both the ordinances and officers of this kingdome and internall the comming of the holy Ghost Next they respect the subjects Then they respect the enemies Lastly they respect the franchises liberties and priviledges of this kingdome The King of this kingdome of grace as at large is before shewed is Christ Iesus God and man for he saith All power is given to me in heaven and in earth Matth. 28.18 And it is He that must reigne till he hath put al his enemies under his feet 1. Cor. 15.25 Now Christ then reigneth when grace Rom. 5.23 and the gift by grace reigneth unto eternall life wherefore prayer must be made that Christ may reigne that grace may be communicated to the elect and may reigne in them by him and that Satan the Prince of darknesse may not reigne RoÌ„ 16.20 but be troden under foot daily The externall meanes of establishing this kingdome are first the ordinances thereof viz. Isa 11.4 2. Thes 2.8 Mat. 1.14 the Word Sacraments and Discipline The Word is the rod and breath of Gods mouth it is the Scepter and Gospell of this kingdome The Sacraments are the seals of the covenant that is passed betweene King and subjects Discipline serveth to reforme or cut off evill members of the Church The kingdome of God is come when his ordinances are set up in any place Luk. 17 21 In which respect he said it was among the Iews Prayer therefore must be made 2. Thes 3.1 that The word of the Lord may have free passage and bee glorified every where among Iews and Gentiles And that meere inventions Doctrines and Traditions of men may be abolished and that all superstition will-worship and false worship Mat. 15.13 everie plant which God hath not planted may bee rooted out Likewise that the two onely Sacraments of the new Testament Baptisme and the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11 23. may be purely and duely administred according to their first institution And that all corruption of the
to his justice he knowing that no person in the Godhead was capable as God onely to performe any act of satisfaction to God knowing likewise that no meere creature could be of all-sufficient power and worthinesse to satisfie his justice or to stand as a Mediator betweene God and man they being at enmitie by reason of sinne He therefore in his infinite wisedome and of his rich and free grace did ordaine his onely begotten Sonne the second person in Trinity now Iesus Christ our Lord by whom he made man and all things else and in whom all things consist that he should become man by assuming into the person of his dietie the very nature of man consisting of bodie and soule to subsist in the dietie by a personall union being to be verie God and very man in one person who being thus qualified to be a Mediatour Rom. 5.17 18 19. 1. Cor. 15.45 he ordained him to be a second Adam as a common root and to stand as a suerty in the stead of all those whom he co-ordained should be ingrafted into him and which should be made members of him and be saved by him Wherefore he together ordained that with mans nature he should assume the guilt of sinne Isa 53.4 2. Cor. 5.21 Rom. 8.3 and to be accounted as a sinner and by God himself to be proceeded against as against a notorious sinner For which cause hee was to be accursed not only by being made subject to humane infirmities but to be arraigned condemned and withall to have the fiercenesse of the wrath of God due to sinners poured out and executed upon him And that hee should dye the accursed death that by death he might expiate sinne and through death hee might overcome death and destroy him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 even mans greatest enemie which is the devill All this our Saviour took upon him and perfectly fulfilled Philip. 2.8 being obedient even to the death of the crosse upon which he made that one oblation by the merit and efficacie whereof Ephes 2 15 hee slew the enmity and made the attonement between God and us having obtained eternall redemption for us Heb. 9.12 and became the author of eternall salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 perfecting for ever them that are sanctified in that by the power of his dietie he conquered and rose from the death Act. 2.24 it being unpossible that he should be holden of it Heb. 8.1 and is set downe on the right hand of the throne of majestie in the heavens Heb. 7.25 ever living to make intercession for them Thus you see the first of those requisites which go before remission of sinnes namely satisfaction of Gods justice by the merit of those things which Christ Iesus did and suffered in mans stead Hee sheading his bloud as he himselfe saith for many for the remission of sinnes Mat. 2◠28 The worth and efficacie of this satisfaction made and redemption purchase◠by the precious bloud of Christ was greater than onely to merit at Gods hands that now his justice being satisfied he might forgive sinnes and save men if he would upon any such possible condition as hee should please to appoint and accept for Christ by his death resurrection and intercession deserved and procured that God should actually forgive Iob. 17.19 1. Thes 5.9 10. and also give grace and eternall life to all those to whom Christ was ordained to bee an head and a Saviour Act 3.31 even to all those whō from before the beginning of the world Ioh. 17 2. God gave unto Christ and were ordained to beleeve in Christ and that should be united to him by his Spirit A second thing required before that a mans sinnes shall be forgiven Rom. 10. ◠10. is beleefe and faith in Christ Iesus For faith is the condition of the new Covenant published in the Gospell Ioh. 6.29 and i◠is the bond of our spirituall union with Christ on our part and is the meane and instrument whereby wee receive Christ and do relie upon him Ioh. 1.12 and whereby we do apply him with all his merits and benefits unto our selves unto our salvation Ioh. 6.35 This the Scriptures do hold so usefull and necessarie that they ascribe our justification by forgivenesse of our sinnes unto it Rom 5.1 God accounting our faith as he did Abrahams Ro 4.3 5. unto righteousnesse But how is our faith accounted for righteousnesse not as it is a gracious qualitie inherent in us and a part of our sanctification but as it hath relation to Christ who is our righteousnesse and is the sole object of our faith unto justification for which cause we hold against the Papists that we are justified by faith onely Of this it is that all both Prophets Christ himselfe Ioh. 3 16. Act. 10.43 and all the Apostles have witnessed namely that through Christs name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive forgivenesse of sinnes By faith in Christ I meane such a faith as is a sound a lively and an effectuall faith such a faith as hath faith in the Law unto conviction of sinne and unto penitence for sinne going before it and a faith in the precepts both of the Gospell and of the Law unto repentance of sinne and holinesse of life concurring with and following after it This condition of beleeving which doth qualifie a man for and which doth interest a man into the benefit of Christs redemption is not left as Adams standing or falling was in the hands of a mans free will for so there might have beene a possibilitie that all Christs sufferings might have been in vaine and none might have beene saved namely if none would beleeve But Christ dyed and rose againe not onely to satisfie Gods justice in the behalfe of all which were to be saved but also to give them faith that they might indeed be saved For it is apparant by the Scripture that the end why Christ dyed and gave himselfe a ransome for many was not Mat. 10.28 that onely hee might satisfie Gods justice in which satisfaction mans redemption doth virtually consist but that also God by him might give faith unto all which were ordained to eternall life Act. 13.47.48 by which their redemption and salvation purchased with Christs bloud might actually in the time appointed by God exist and take effect in them For faith is one of those blessings wherewith God blesseth Eph. 1.3.4.15 in and through Christ all whom he chose in him before the foundation of the world It was not enough for mans redemption and salvation Heb. 10.14.15.16.17 that Christ by his once offering of himselfe should onely beginne to save man but by the same he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Wherefore the promise of the new covenant is as the holy Ghost witnesseth that hee will put his lawes in their hearts and
deed and it may bee said that God worketh in man according to mans good pleasure and not according to his owne good pleasure And thus man shall have matter of glorying and boasting in himselfe because he hath differenced and discerned himselfe by his willing to beleeve to repent and to convert and to resist a temptation when another who had alike sufficiencie of grace and had God alike readie to joyne with him to helpe him yet would not beleeve repent convert or resist a temptation The truâ—â— to be maintained touching this point is that the beginning proceeding and consummation of a mans regeneration and sanctification is of the free grace of God in man without any cause in man moving him thereunto And the cause why he giveth unto some men faith repentance power Rom. 9.11 16.18 Eph. 2.4 5 1 Pet. 2.10 Act. 19.9 against temptations and not to others this is not because he findeth in some good dispositions and such good workes which he findeth not in others but of his meere will and pleasure For God hath mercy on whom he will that is he softeneth hearts and giveth grace to beleeve c. to whom hee will and he hardeneth that is leaveth into impenitencie and unbeleefe whom he will This Doctrine of Gods free and full grace in the worke of sanctification doth also overthrow the merit of workes done by men in state of grace For even then every good worke is done by the continuance and new supplie of Gods grace Now if the doing of good works which are fruits of sanctification be of grace how can they merit This also discovereth the ignorance Vse 2 and folly of such as presume that they can presist temptations at their pleasure and therfore presumptuously runne into manifold occasions of sin and that they can repent when they will and this they thinke they will do hereafter intending to convert and to be godly before they dye thus the devill and a deluded and deceitfull heart doth misleade them For if God give them not grace to resist a temptation and if God convert them not and give them repentance 2. Tim. â— 26 Satan will hold them captive at his will and they will by reason of the hardnesse and impenitency of theâ—â— hearts Rom 2.5 treasure up to themselveâ— wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Moreover how doth any man know that God will give him grace hereafter who hath refused and daily doth refuse and resist Gods grace tendred in the Ministery of his Word for the present If he do it is more then ordinary for his ordinary dealing with such sinners is that because they refuse and continue long to refuse when he calleth therefore he giveth them up unto their owne hearts lusts Psal 81.12 that they walk in their owne counsels and either he never giveth them a will to seeke unto him or if he giveth them ever any will to seek him it shall be to seeke him with a meere selfe-serving and so that when they call he will not bee found of them Prov. 1.24.28 For they will not seeke him with their whole heart We heard before in the prosecution of the doctrine how much holinesse deserved to bee desired now would we obtaine it then according as wee are taught by this doctrine we must seek it of God let us say to him Turne thou us Ier. 31.9 and we shall bee turned And with David let us wish Psal 11â— 18 36. O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes Open thou mine eyes that J may behold wondrous things out of thy Law And Incline mine heart to thy testimonies and not to covetousnesse And Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keepe the dore of my lips Incline not my heart to any evil thing Psal 141.3.4 And Ps 139.24 Leade me in the way everlasting Let us use all those meanes which he hath ordained to preserve us from sinne let us betake our selves to the Christian armour Ephes 6.13 and resist whatsoever opposeth it selfe to the will of God But this resistance must not be in the power of our owne might but in the power of GODS might through whom it is that the weapons of our warfare doe beat downe the strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4.5 and doe bring into captivitie every thought to the obedience of Christ If we doe thus we shall stand fast in the evill day even in the day of the fiercest temptations Vse 4 Lastly hath any man obtained mercy of God to have power to resist temptations or to recover himselfe out of his sin and is he made able to doe any thing that is good let him take notice that this was of Gods free grace and that it was wholy of his grace He must to the praise of God acknowledge that all is of God nothing of himselfe Hee must acknowledge that God is not onely the Author or beginner Heb. 12.2 Phil. 1.6 but also the perfecter of our faith and that he is not onely the beginner of the good worke of conversion in him but that he hath beene and will be the performer and perfecter of it unto the day of Christ And as wee praise him for that he made us Psa 100.3 and not wee our selves so we must praise him for that he hath regenerated and new made us Iam. 1 1â— and not wee our selves being moved hereunto not by any thing in us But as he of his owne will begat us with the word of truth so of his owne will by the same word of his grace Acts 20.32 he doth build us up further till hee give us an inheritance amongst all those that are sanctified If wee will doe this seriously it will keepe us from three of the greatest sins which a Christian is incident to into which he will certainly fall if this present consideration and the like doe not restraine him These are spirituall pride contempt of our weake brethren and unthankefulnesse to God For let our graces bee never so many and never so excellent how can a man thinke highly of his owne worth or meanely of his brother when hee considereth that all he hath is nothing but what he received 1 Cor. 4.6.7 And the more graces wee see in us the more thankefull we will bee to God which gave them to us Let us therefore see God in every good grace we have and in every good worke wee doe then shall wee remaine low in our owne eyes mercifull to our brethren and thanekfull to our God But let us in our thanksgiving give the whole praise of every good worke to God not part to God and part to our selves which is to rob God of all For sith God deserveth all if we give not all unto him hee taketh it as if we gave him none at all Leade thou us not c. but deliver thou us Here note that Gods owne leading of men into
fourth thing to bee considered is the end which God proposeth and attaineth by permitting and ordering of the sinnes of men far different from those which men propose in committing of them which ends are holy good namely to set forth his owne glory and that many wayes as by discovering the impotency of the creature what need it hath to depend upon the creator for that man though perfect yet could not stand for want of a speciall grace to support him also to manifest his owne freedome and absolutenesse over his creature besides that his wisdome saw that permitting sinne in such a way as could no way impeach his holinesse it would make way for the manifestation of his power in his infinite grace and mercy mixed with justice towards some and in his infinite justice towards others This hee did not that he could not glorify himselfe otherwise but for that in his holy wisdome he held it fitteâ—â—â—o glorify himselfe thus But the end of the proper causes of sin is alwayes naught namely envy against man and malice against God was the cause why Satan tempted man to sinne the satisfying of some vile lust is the cause why man enticeth and is enticed unto sinne Why might not God first permit sinne to be in the world that so a cleere way might bee made to the manifestation of his holinesse in hatred of sinne and in his just revenge upon sinners in which respect though sinne was no way good in acting yet it was good that it should be acted And since the fall his end of giving up the wicked unto abhominable sins is to shew his displeasure in his righteous punishing of one sinne with another for this hee holdeth to bee a meet and equall punishment as he saith of the Romans Rom. 1.17 They received in themselves that recompence of their errour aâ— waâ— meete He doth thus dispose of their sinnes that it may also appeare that he hath just cause to damne them at the day of judgement Wherfore though sinne be evill yeâ— the punishment of sinne is 〈◊〉 evill but exceeding good The ends of the Lords permitting and disposing of the temptations and sinnes of the elect are manifold First at the first his permission of sinne to bee through mans fault made way for an object of his mercy since the fall he permitteth hiâ— owne people to be tempted unto sinne to shew his wisedome and power in sustaining theâ— that they do not fall into evill notwithstanding the subtilty of Satan and the dâ—ceitfulnesse of their owne heart or if they 〈◊〉 into sinne he suffereth it that he might shew his grace and mercie in forgiving and his almightie power in rescuing and delivering them out of the power of sinne Also God oftentimes suffereth his owne children to commit some great sinne that hee might discover unto them which do commit it that wickednes of heart which they would never else have acknowledged to be in them And this God doth that he might cure them of their diseases of sinne doing like a skilfull Physitian let them fall into one disease to cure them of a greater as they say they will cast a man into a burning ague to cure him of his Lethargie or like as a cunning Surgeon can gather dispersed humors unto an head and there make an issue whereas he may let out that corruption which otherwise could not be drawne forth even so God by suffering his children to fall into some great sinne letteth out that securitie and pride which else would not be cured and worketh that humiliation repentance and care to shunne sinne afterwards which would not else have beene wrought in them Seeing therefore God hath such good ends moving him to permit sinne and to dispose of it in manner as hath been said he is to be cleared from all imputation of faultinesse in all that he hath to do in the sinnes of men The last thing to be considered is how God standeth affected unto sinne Touching which be it knowne that he hateth it perfectly as it is sinne for he forbiddeth it before it be done he never approveth of it by his approving will when it is done yea he is so displeased with it that he never letteth it go unpunished after it is committed for he hath punished it in Christ for the elect and is daily in punishing of it and reserveth it to bee eternally punished by hell-fire upon the reprobate Thus Gods holinesse is every way cleared though he permitteth sinne and hath an over-ruling hand in mens sinnes God is the cause of the action which is the matter of sinne Ob. therefore of the sinne Here is no sound consequence Sol. for as sinne is an action and is an effect of God it is good and is no sinne Peccatum est defectus nou effectus but sinne is sinne as it is a defect and failing in the action swarving from the rule of righteousnesse which is not caused by God nor by any cause which hath any direct subordination from God the chiefe cause of all things God disposeth of sinne Ob. and worketh in sinne therefore in some respect an author of it Sinne hath reference unto God as it is an object Sol. or subject wherein or whereupon hee worketh disposing it to his own holy ends but it never hath reference unto God as the effect hath to the efficient cause Peccatum quà peccatum est objectum operis nbâ— opus Dei to be wrought by him therefore it doth not follow because he hath a worke concerning it or in it therefore he is a cause of it so long as it cannot be said he doth worke it Ob. God is a cause without which sinne could not be therefore a cause of sinne after a sort Sol. Grant that wirhout God sin could not be yet he is in no sort a cause for this kinde of cause which is called sine qua non is 〈◊〉 truth no cause And all that caâ— be yeelded is that God is onely a cause by accident now causâ—â— by accident are properly no causes No wise man will say the warmth of the Sunne is a true cause of the stinke of carrion which doth not stinke untill the Sunne did shine upon it the cause of the stinke is in the 〈◊〉 thy corrupt matter of the carrion not in the warmth of the Sunne for the same Sunne shining at the same time upon violets occasioneth a sweet smell The Scripture doth seeme to say plainly Ob. that the cause of some mens sinnes have beene of God 1. King 12.15 The King hearkened not to the people for the cause was of God Now in not hearkening to them the King sinned Cause Sol. in that place doth not signifie the proper effecting of a thing causally but a disposing of the proper causes so as they did produce this effect God left Rehoboam to his evill heart and suffered the young counsellours to give counsell according to the pride of their owne hearts by which meanes it
resolution to will in all things to live honestly When the heart is thus made sure for God and for our selves the next care must be that the understanding the watchman and intelligencer of the soule bee rightly informed by the Scriptures of all such things that do belong unto its office in the Christian warfare First it must bee able to discerne between good and evill between things not sinfull and sinfull of good things to discern which are good but in part which every way good what things are good onely to sense and in appearance and what is good in truth also what is but in part evill and what is wholly evill and what is evill onely to sense and in appearance and what is evill in truth that the baites to draw unto sinne taken from the gaine pleasure and glory of this world may not move us because we shall know they are but uncertaine transitorie and not the true riches pleasure and glory and that on the other side the bug-beares to fright us from doing good may not remove us because they are but uncertaine momentanie and light evils in comparison of the certaine true riches of grace and of the everlasting true pleasures and glory which is laid up for those that bee constant in keeping faith and a good conscience to the death When the understanding is thus enlightened wee must alwayes set the true danger of sinning and the true good and glory that followeth upon well-doing before our eyes and it will cause the heart to chuse the good and refuse the evill Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season the reason was because his judgement was sound in discerning betweene good and bad for it is said Heb. 11.25.26 He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Aegypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward If we can but judge aright of the joy that is set before us in the course of holinesse Heb 12 2. it will make us with our Saviour Christ endure the crosse and despise the shame which in this world doth accompanie Christianity and we shall with speed runne the race that is set before us notwithstanding the impediments that we shal meet withall Now when the heart is established and armed with grace and the mind with knowledge and judgement there must be a continuall watch set and faithfully kept wherefore the eye of the minde must be alwayes awake to see and observe what particular temptations do arise against us either from within or without Therefore the Apostle Peter saith 1. Pet. â— 8 Be vigilant for your adversary the devill as a roaring Lion 1 Cor. 16.13 seeketh whom he may devoure Watch saith the Apostle Paul else there will be no standing fast in the faith nor quitting our selves like men Our Saviour saith unto all Watch Mark 13.17 When by watchfulnesse the temptation is discovered then we must buckle all the Christian armour about us scil Sinceritie righteousnesse Eph. 6. patience hope faith and the sword of the Spirit the word of God And being thus armed we must animate and fill the heart with courage and resolution to resist even unto the death For which cause we must make an oration unto it such as wise and valiant leaders will make to encourage their souldiers wee must minde our hearts of the odiousnesse and hurtfulnesse of that thing to which wee are tempted how that it is a lust of the flesh and of the devill how it is enmity to our God and a deadly enemie unto us how that we must kill it or else it will kill us Let us minde our hearts with this that it will be to the dishonour of our King and countrey to be overcome that to yeeld to any temptation is contrary to our vow of allegiance which we entred into when we first professed to fight under Christs banner Lastly let us tell our selves of the equitie of our cause how that our war is just thinke also of the wisedome valour of our captaine our Lord Iesus Christ assuring our selves that how hard soever our conflict may be yet if wee do not yeeld in the end wee through him shall overcome and be more then conquerours Rom. 8.37 Having thus wonne the heart to resolution then let us as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.16 Stand in the faith quit our selves like men In the conflict we must avoide two evils First we must not trust to our owne wisedome for then sinne will be too craftie for us Secondly we must not resist in the power of our owne might for then the principalities and powers will be too strong for us We must therefore resist by the wisdome of the holy Scriptures being able to say with our Saviour Christ It is written Mat. 4. I must not commit that sinne to which I am tempted and with Joseph Gen. 39.9 shall I commit this great wickednesse and sinne against God Resistance of sinne in this sort is not onely a defending of our selves but a wounding of our adversaries We must also be sure in our conflict to intreat Gods aide that in the power of his might wee may prevaile When we resist by the wisedome of the word and power of God if we submit unto God and be earnest and constant in resisting we shall put Satan to flight for God saith Iam. 4 7. Resist the devill and hee will flie from you But remember alwayes that his departure will be but for a season Luk. 4.13 we must therefore alwayes keepe on our armour and keepe our watch and let our experience of over-mastering former temptations give fresh courage unto us to resist all that are to come But deliver us Here our Saviour will have his Disciples to aske to be delivered out of their sinne into which they are fallen as well as to bee kept from falling Whence observe Doct. 7 It must be every mans desire and endevour if he be fallen into any sinne to be delivered out of it by repentance and that he may walke before God in new obedience Ier. 31.18 Turne us Lord and we shall be turned saith the Prophet The Church of Ephesus is bid to remember from whence she is fallen Revel 2.5 and repent And the Minister must waite when God will give repentance and recover evill men out of the snare of the devill 2. Timoth. 2.25.26 Which place sheweth that repentance is deliverance out of sinne and doth intimate that it must be desired Vntill a man have repented Reas 1 his prayers are not accepted of God for that cause God commanded the Iewes to repent saying Isa 1.26.18 19. Put away the evill of your doings cease to do evill and learne to do well and then they might come to God and hee would respect them Vntill sinne be repented of a Reas 2 man is as it were manacled
so well conceited of his Poperie as he looketh to winne heaven by it Ioh 16.2 The persecutour thinketh he doth God good service in molesting such as feare him The swearer thinketh his speech doth not sound well and is without all grace if it be not filled up with oathes The covetous the voluptuous the vaine-glorious all of them applaude themselves in their wayes as if they were good though as Solomon saith the issue there of is the way of death Pro. 14.12 It standeth sin upon that the devill and wicked men should transforme themselves and transforme sin and put some goodly painting upon it to make it seeme good else no reasonable man could be brought to commit it for the will of man doth by vertue of its meere nature so perfectly abhorre evill it being the proper object of detestation that it would alwayes shunne it therefore there is put an appearance of good upon it wherby it may deceive But woe be unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse Isa 5 2â— Vse 2 Doth Christ call sinne evill then let us beleeve him and not our owne lying hearts nor yet the father of lyes who would beare us in hand that sinne is not evil But let us alwayes conceive of every sinfull act as 〈◊〉 evil naughtie hurtfull act and let it be our greatest care to avoid sinne Oh if we could represent the acts of sinne under the name of an evill act unto our apprehensions our will would at the first motion loathe and detest it more then it doth a toad and a serpent and would either kill it or runne from it Whensoever therefore wee are tempted unto sinne let us see it as it is a most evill thing let us account of it as it is a most evill thing And whatsoever colours be set upon it or whatsoever good meanes it is called by if the thing so called be a transgression of Gods law let us call it a most evill and most abhominable thing Yea we must conceive of every sinfull action and must account it a greater evill then the eternall torments of hell For the least evill of sinne is greater then the greatest evill of punishment for the greatest punishment is an effect of Gods righteous hand but the least sin is contrary to God it is very enmitie unto his holinesse If sinne might appeare to everie reasonable soule to be as it is such an evill as hath beene said it would worke griefe and repentance of sinnes past and hatred and departing from sinne for ever afterward Vse 3 Lastly how thankfull should all Gods children be to him because he doth preserve and deliver us out of sinne out of the great evill every day and wee have his word that he will continue this grace untill we shall be presented to himselfe without any spot of this evill in the day of the Lord He doth not only pardon us and free us from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes but which is no lesse mercy he doth deliver us from the power of sin he delivereth us from evil We must therefore magnifie the Lord and say Who is a God like thee Mica 7.19 who doest not onely pardon but wilt subdue our iniquitie And with David let us call upon our soules to praise God because as he forgiveth all our iniquities so also he healeth all our diseases that is Psal 103.3 he doth sanctifie us delivering us from all evill For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glorie for ever These words containe the reason of all the petitions it is delivered in an exact forme of thanksgiving so that it doth excellently serve both to confirme the faith of him that prayeth and to give glory unto him that is prayed unto The Evangelist Saint Luke doth not mention this clause It is probable that when our Saviour did teach his disciples in private at the request of one of his disciples he did onely teach them how to make petitions but when hee taught them in publicke he did adde this clause to teach them as well how to praise him and give him thanks as to pray unto him and make requests It is sufficient for our learning that any one Evangelist hath recorded it In this clause wee have the note that sheweth that these words are a reason of the former requests in the word for Then wee have the arguments or grounds of the reason which are taken from certaine respeâ—â— in God which do minister matter of faith assuring them that they had cause to aske and expect of God all the former petitions and do also minister matter of praise shewing what cause there is why all glorie should be given unto him These respects of God are three Soveraigntie Power Glory which are set forth by the appropriating particle thine whereby these three Kingdome Power and Glory are ascribed as proper to God Thine is kingdome c. and also with the copulative and conjoyning the two latter respects or priviledges in God with the former and the power and the glory All which three are illustrated by their continuance for ever Kingdome signifieth Gods absolute soveraigntie over all things to whom onely it appertaineth of right to forgive and to give at his pleasure therefore they make their suite unto him Power signifieth that all-sufficiencie in God whereby he is able to do all things according to the good pleasure of his will Many have kingdome so that it pertaineth to them to help their subjects but want power as it was with the King of Israel who said in the famine 2 Kin. 2.27 If the Lord do not helpe whence shall I helpe But as it belongeth unto God to heare the petitions of his subjects so he hath power to grant whatsoever they shall have need of hence the petitioner gathereth assurance that he shall have his petitions granted Glory is that high estimation honour and praise which is due to any person for their worth and goodnesse this is originally in God as well as soveraigntie and power and in that respect is appropriated to him Wherefore when it is said Thine is the glory thus much is implied that as all glorie and praise is due to him so they do now give it to him And if he shall grant their requests it will be for his glory therefore they are bold to make these petitions and hope to speed in their suites whereas though it appertaineth unto God and he were able yet if the things asked were not for his honour and glory he would never grant them For ever is to be applied unto kingdome power and glorie namely it doth now and shall alwayes belong to his prerogative royall because kingdome is his to heare the petitions of his people He is now and shall for ever be able to helpe them he now hath and shall for evermore have glorie and praise ascribed unto him for granting their requests
Lord and thou art exalted as head above all 1 Chron. 29.10.11 David calleth upon his soule and all that is within him to praise his holy Name Ps 103.1.2 The Apostle requireth that in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we should make our requests knowne unto God Philip. 4.6 Also he saith Let us by Christ offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thankes unto his Name Heb. 10.13 Reas 1 Praise and thankes are 〈◊〉 unto God for hee himselfe do most excellent being infinite in all holinesse of wisedome power mercy and all the rest of his divine attributes If there be any excellency in any creatures the praise belongeth unto God because hee made it excellent and if any good thing be bestowed upon any man whatsoever was the secondary meanes God was the first cause and 〈◊〉 the true giver thereof Of him are all things therefore to him be glory for ever Rom. 11.36 Reas 2 It is good pleasant and comely to praise the Lord Psal 147.1 It is good because it is the will of God being a part of his worship It is the best meanes to continue and make good unto us the good things we have 1 Tim. 4.4 It is the best meanes to procure those good things which wee yet have not It is well pleasing unto God for he saith He that offereth praise glorifieth mee Psal 50.23 It doth become the upright to bee thankfull Psal 33.1 for it doth shew their humility and dependance on God acknowledgment that they in all things are beholding unto God This reproveth all those who Vse 1 notwithstanding they have the great booke of the creation and frame of the world to looke upon and the booke of the Scriptures to looke into both which doe set forth the unspeakeable excellencies of God yet never admire him nor speake of him to his praise whereas if a mortall man shall doe some curious piece of worke shewing therein some rare skill and invention his worke shall be gazed on and admired and the workman praised of every one and hee shall be halfe deified And if a friend shall save their lives or deliver them out of prison or doe any other such speciall kindnesse unto them they thanke him and acknowledge themselves beholding unto him as long as they live whereas God which gave power and will to the same friend to doe thee good and doth give them all other good things who would also deliver them from the bondage of sinne and Satan aâ—â— from eternall death he is forgotten and is never thanked by them yea many of those who in their distresse doe seeke unto him and are holpen even they like the nine Lepers never returne to give thanks Luk 17.17 It is ten to one as we say if any give glory to God Most men ascribe the praise of all good things which they have unto nature fortune lucke or chance unto their wit or to their hands or to their friends to any person or thing rather then unto God without whom they could have had nothing These men are wilfully blinde if they doe not see that Gods hand doth all things But if they see that all things are of God and yet will not give him the praise and thankes they doe much wrong God in depriving him of his honour and doe manifest themselves to be utterly unworthy of all good There is no sinne can bee more hatefull then ingratitude There is no sinne can bee more hurtfull to the committer of it for it doth provoke God and cause him in wisedome and justice to take away from them those good gifts which once hee gave unto them As he did with his daughter Israel of whom he saith Hos 2.8.9 Because she did not know that I did give her corne c. Therfore will I returne and take away my corne in the time thereof And for this cause God giveth men over unto reprobate mindes because they having meanes to know God and cause to be thankeful Yet they doe not glorifie God neither are thankefull Rom. 1.21.28 Vse 2 Let all that professe the name of God learne hereby to bee alwaies as readie to speake of God and to God in praises and thanksgiving as to aske and receive any thing from him by petition For which cause we must consider the workes and word of God for they testifie of him Gods infinite wisedome power mercy and goodnesse and all other his excellencies are seene in the creation preservation and redemption of man and are all clearely revealed in his word In so much that when David did consider the heavens and the worke of his fingers hee breaketh forth into an holy admiration of God saying O Lord our Lord Psal 8.1.9 how excellent is thy name in all the earth And the Apostle could not speake of the worke of redemption by Christ but he saith concerning God To whom be glory for ever Amen Gal. 1.5 Eph. 3.21 If wee would but consider how little good and how much evill wee deserve at Gods hands how that it is his mercy wee are not consumed and if wee would consider how little evill Lam. how much good wee receive every day of his meere goodnesse we could not chuse but be thankefull Wherefore wee must bewaile our barrennesse of heart and with David call upon our soules and all that is within us to blesse and praise his holy name Psal 103.1 We must call his benefits to remembrance and tell our soules what great things the LORD hath done for us recounting one benefit after another untill we have convinced our hearts of our dutie and have enforced our selves unto thankfulnesse But our thanks must not be verball onely like that of the proud Pharisie saying Lord I thanke thee Luk. 18.11 they must be heartie and reall which is then then wee shew that wee do indeed acknowledge our selves bound and beholding to God for those things for which we say we give him thanks namely when we use his gifts as he hath appointed to his glory and when we give our selves both in soule and body to his service thus let us give thanks it is good it is pleasant it will become us Then this nothing more pleasing unto God nothing more profitable unto us for everie heartie thanks is a reall effectuall begging of continuance and blessing upon what we have and of new supplies unto what wee have not such shall never want good gifts because God knoweth he shall never want hearty thanks Thine is kingdome He saith not thou hast a kingdome but which is more thine is kingdome that is all kingdome and soveraigntie is thine in originall right and is not a derived soveraigntie as all other governments are Whence we learne Absolutenesse of authoritie Doct. 3 and Soveraigntie is properly and onely in God The Lord made that great Monarch and earthly king of kings Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge and proclaime
should bee given but if instead thereof hee shall please to give patience and contentednesse and more and more acquaintance with God and a greater dependance on him If God shall give strength and grace sufficient to beare the crosse and to want the thing desired if God by the want of earthly things teach us to esteeme of and to seeke after the true health riches and liberty of the soule If hereby we bee weaned from this present world and bee more renewed in our mindes and can bee brought to have our conversation more in heaven than otherwise wee should have had if our particular prayer had been granted who can say that God hath not heard him who will not say but that God hath given him more than his requests Moreover God doth give unto his children their requests in the same kind when they think he doth not for many thinke that if they have not humility patience power to resist temptations and to pray with life and fervour as they would and if they feele not that they have faith according to that measure which they desire or if they have not the like measure of faith and of the gift of prayer and of other graces which they conceive to be in other Christians they conclude they have none at all whereas God having at their request given these to them in truth in any measure hee hath heard their prayer and hath granted their requests God never intendeth to give to all men one and the same measure of his saving graces but as hee in the parable gave to some more and to some lesse so doth hee in dispensing of his grace If wee have obtained these graces in truth as we have certainely if we continue to desire them and do desire to grow in them Wee should bee now thankfull for what we have and ready to be glad and more thankfull if wee could have more and wee sholud bee carefull to improve what wee have to the utmost But we must not repine against God for that we have so little nor yet envy others for that they have so much nor yet slander Gods gifts by saying hee hath not heard us or given us such and such graces because hee hath not given us so much grace as hee hath given to others or so much as wee have desired that hee should give to our selves This fault must be amended else know that wee deserve that God should be so farre from giving us more that in his justice he may take away from us even that which wee have The least measure of saving grace which hee giveth to any of his children the graine of mustard seed and that which is called a little strength this deserveth to be acknowledged and to be cherished and untill wee can get more wee should walke and worke and fight in the strenth thereof for this little strength if wee put it forth Revel 3.8 will enable us to keepe Gods word and will keep us that we shall not deny Christs name This small measure of grace will uphold us in state of grace and by the support of the word of Gods grace it will build us up Act. 20.32 and bring us to heaven even to an inheritance among them that are sanctified Fourthly God doth often defer the granting of our prayers this must not be accounted a deniall God deferreth to give the thing asked many times because wee are not sufficiently humbled Iudg. 20.18.23.26 or otherwise fitted for audience Sometimes he deferreth the thing petitioned for the triall and exercise of our faith and patience Mat. 15.22 unto verse 28. and hope for this cause hee deferred the woman of Canaan Sometimes hee doth it to quicken our desires and to make us the more importunate with him Sometimes hee deferreth us that we may be drawne to seek him againe and againe hee loveth to see the faces of his children often which hee should not do if we might speed at the first asking Lastly hee sometimes deferreth to give the thing asked to the end that we might the more esteeme the thing asked after that it is granted and may bee the more thankfull for it For such is our corruption and folly that what is lightly come by is lightly set by and what is easily gotten is quickly forgotten But what we get with many prayers and teares and with much wrastling wee esteeme it the more pretious in it selfe and wee acknowledge our selves the more beholden to him that giveth it Now therefore to conclude this point let none say how can I beleeve that God heareth mee when yet I finde that I have not the thing asked Consider what hath last been written I will only adde this If you have not yet that needfull good thing which you have prayed for yet still you must continue to pray for it For know that Gods promise of hearing and granting is not made to this or that particular prayer but to a constant course of asking God would have us alwayes pray Luk. 18.2.7 againe and againe and not faint therefore Christ saith Mat. 7.7 aske seeke knock then it shall bee given then you shall finde then it shall be opened unto you Vse 2 Wherefore it doth concern all that pray to pray in confidence and in an assured expectation of the things they pray for When in the truth of your soule you have assayed and endevoured to poure out your soule to God in prayer though with much infirmity yet it being put up in the name of Christ to be heard for his sake be sure that you adde this that you doe beleeve that you are heard and beleeve that in the best time and in the best manner your petition shall bee granted beleeve this that you shall have what you asked or which is much better which you should rather have asked There is a necessity of faith in prayer without which wee cannot hope to speed I meane not onely that faith by which wee beleeve that God is Heb. 11 6. and that hee is a diligent rewarder of them that seeke him and whereby we do beleeve in him to salvation Mar. 11.24 but that faith whereby we beleeve that wee shall receive in particular the things which in prayer we doe desire of him Faith in prayer is so necessary that Saint James saith If any man lack wisdome the same may bee said of all other things let him aske of God Iam. 5 6.7 c. But let him aske in faith if he do not let not that man saith hee thinke that hee shall receive any thing of the Lord. If we beleeve we glorify God Ioh. 3.33 and set to our seale that God is true in his promise but if we beleeve not 1 Io. 5.10 we make him a liar and do much dishonour his holy name I confesse that a mans faith and expectation may and must differ in degrees it must bee more or lesse according as the things prayed for are