And therefore hee saith not to his Disciples ioyntly I goe to our Father but distinctly I goe to my Father n Ioh. 20.17 and to your Father A Father to both but in diuers respects to him by generation to them by adoption By Creation God is a Father to all his creatures One God and Father of all saith the Apostle o Ephes 4.6 And Adam p Luk. 3. is called the sonne of God But Father is not so taken here The couenant is broken on our parts and his image is defaced And there is no specialtie of creation that will hold plea but all make directly against vs. Therfore in the third place God is a Father by adoption viz. to that peculiar companie which is according to the election of grace who hold all things by vertue of the Euangelicall couenant hauing disclaimed the vnwarrantable right of Creation and sued out a fine of recouerie from God in Iesus Christ by heartie prayer and faith vnfained Adoption is to make choice of another mans child to be ours and so to make him our heire or ioynt-heire Now wee were all estranged and cut off from God in Adam and became the bastards of that grand-Fornicatour the Diuell and old Strumpet the world Insomuch that wee must all confesse that our first Father was an Amorite and our Mother a Hittite q Ezek. 16.3 But it pleased the Lord to chuse out of this forlorne companie a number to himselfe to make them a holy nation a royall Priesthood a peculiar people euen partakers of the adoption of Sonnes Here then by Father is meant God in Christ who hath in him I. Chosen vs before time II. Redeemed vs in time III. And made vs in part personally partakers of both abounding toward vs in all wisedome and prudence r Eph. 1.8.9 hauing made knowne vnto vs the mysterie of his will CHAP. II. The causes of Prayer The Causes of prayer THe Causes of Prayer are foure I. The Efficient II. The Matter III. The Forme IV. The End I. Efficient The maine Efficient in respect of 1. The Forme 2. The Matter Euery one that praieth must stand in the state of election the which maketh 1. The Lord fit to be praied to 2. The person fit to pray 3 The things fit to be praied for c. The Efficient or cause making prayer is Principall or lesse-principall The lesse-principall is either Impulsiue or adiuuant Here then are three things to bee handled in generall I. The Main-efficient II. The Motiues III. The meanes of performance The Principall or maine-efficient of Prayer in respect of the Forme is the Spirit of God by his grace teaching and enabling yea praying in vs Rom. 8.26 The Principall Efficient in respect of the matter is the Person praying Who in respect of the Lawes exaction is euery man All are bound to pray Want of grace doth disable but exempt none But in respect of ability it is only the elect called iustified and sanctified In a word The adopted ones of God In which state that euerie one must stand which prayeth we may see if we consider the vse of it in respect of I. The Obiect God to whom we pray II. The Person praying III. The Things desired in Prayer For the First Not God simply but God a Father reconciled and made at one with vs is our obiect And therefore not being within Adoption there is no right relation betweene God and vs. This was intimated by the vaile a Exod. 24. which excluded the people of the Iewes out of the Holy of Holies Into the which saith the Apostle b Heb. 10.16.20 Wee haue liberty to enter in the bloud of Iesus by the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh Heere wee may take notice of three faults in prayer I. Many pray to the Lord but put no difference betweene his being in himselfe and what hee is to his Church in Christ But so they pray to God it serues II. Many conceiuing aright of God in generall as a Father are not perswaded neither labour to be perswaded in speciall that he is their Father They hope well but naught can they beleeue They but goe to God by heare-say III. Some doe perswade themselues that God is their Father Not from the earnest of the Spirit but rather from the ignorance of sinne want of due examination and from carnall presumption Againe This Adoption is of absolute vse in respect of the Person praying Because I. Hence ariseth his abilitie to call God Father and poure out his heart aright before him For otherwise as there is an antipathy betweene the Lord and his heart so likewise hee wanteth that new tongue requisite in euery one that would cal vpon the Lord without which his wordes are barbarous and not of the right dialect of Canaan For which cause the Lord calleth the Iewes crying howling c Hos 7.14 II. Without this Adoption his Person is in disgrace and his offering must needs be reiected as d Gen. 4. Cains was III. Heereby wee are made fit obiects of Gods blessings The which we are not vnlesse we be his adopted ones called c. For I. Otherwise the Lord hath made no promise to vs. If ye abide in mee saith Christ e Ioh. 15.7 and my words abide in you yee shall aske what yee will and it shall be done for you II. Otherwise we haue no part in Christs Prayer I pray for them saith Christ f Ioh. 15.7.20 I pray not for the world and who they are wee may see after Neither saith hee pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue on mee through their word III. The Lord giueth all things for the glory of his name Now wouldst thou not willingly giue a man a staffe to strike thy selfe with And canst thou looke that GOD will giue thee any good thing to dishonour him withal whiles thou art out of Christ called and like a distempered stomacke turns wholsome meat into noysome humors Lastly by the vertue of this adoption the things wee desire and want are made fit obiects to bee prayed for being all of them parcels of our spirituall inheritance as also such as with comfort we may be thankefull for §. 2. The Impulsiue or mouing cause worketh from within or from without The Motiues working 1. Frō within 2. From without Those which worke from within inciting and mouing vs to praier are I. Conscience of our duty as prayer is commanded vs by God II. Loue of God as it is a conference with God III. Zeale as it is a sacrifice to God IV. A Christian loue of our selues as by it we receiue supply from God V. Hope as we haue a promise to be heard of God Quest How commeth it to be peculiar to grace to moue vs to pray and that nature hath no hand in it Answ I answere I. Nature in our wants
respecteth naturall inconueniences as they endanger the state of the outward man Grace looketh higher and conceiueth in these the chastisement of God with many spirituall euils II. Nature vpon the sight of our wants stirreth vs vp to vse naturall meanes and if to praier yet as morally considered as the Philosopher cried Being of beings haue mercie vpon mee Ens entium miserere mei But grace draweth vs vnto GOD in Christ vsing secondary meanes in submission to his commaund for conscience sake The Impulsiue causes working from without and stirring vs vp to prayer are especially these I. The word of God and it mouing vs three waies namely by I. Commandement II. Promise III. Examples of the children of God and aboue all of Christ our Head therein recorded II. Our miserable condition by reason of sinne as namely I. Our wants that of our selues wee haue nothing II. Our weaknesse that by our selues wee can get nothing III. Our vnworthinesse that for ourselues that is our owne sakes we can looke for nothing III. The worth of prayer whose 1. Priuiledge 2. Power 3. Profit is exceeding great as we may see afterwards IV. Accidents of mercie and iudgement which befall vs. As at the deliuerance of Israel whē Pharaoh his hoste were ouerthrowne in the sea g Exod. 15.1,2 c. Moses and the children of Israel praised the Lord. And whē the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir came against Iehosaphat hee proclaimed a fast h 2. Chron. 20.3,4,5 c. and Iudah gathered themselues together to aske helpe of the Lord. §. 3. The meanes of performance and they such as doe 1. Fit vs before 2. Serue in the performāce 3. Further. The Adiuuant or helping causes are such as doe I. Fit vs before II. Serue in the performance III. Further. The things that doe before hand fit vs for prayer are I. The word of God in generall II. More particularly the Lords Prayer The Formes of godly affected men helping withall III. Meditation And we are to meditate especially of three things I. Of God in himselfe and in his couenant to vs. II. Of our own estate III. Of the manner of pouring out our hearts before God by prayer The benefits of Meditation in this case are especially these I. It affoordeth matter II. It prepareth the mind III. It possesseth vs better with that which we are to exhibite to the Lord and so maketh way for affection IV. It rangeth vs within compasse The helping causes of vse in the performance are the instruments therein vsed The which are either naturall or spirituall The naturall are three I. The heart conceiuing or consenting II The minde contriuing III. The mouth vttering The spiritual instrument is faith i Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued The things that doe further vs in prayer are I. The prayers of the Church for vs. And for this cause the Prophet and King Dauid commendeth a Psalme to the people to be vsed for him Wherein they are taught to say k Psal 20.2,3,4 The Lord heare thee c. When Moses his hands were heauy l Exod. 17.12 Aaron and Hur staied them II. Fasting Defraud not one another saith the Apostle m 1. Cor. 7.5 except it be with consent for a time that yee may giue your selues to fasting and prayer So Anna n Luke 2. serued God with fastings and prayers Quest Are all bound to fast Answ The vse of fasting In a generall humiliation vnder Gods iudgements it is most meete that all should fast For though fasting be not simply required as of the essence of the dutie to be performed yet it is required by ineuitable consequence as an appendix For I. The Lord requireth in such cases o Ierem. 8.6 a due consideration of his iudgement for sinne and that out of his deepe displeasure II. He requireth then a thorough humiliation His sacrifice must bee at all times much more at that time a broken p Psal 51.17 and a contrite hart III. We should iudge our selues that we be not iudged of the Lord. And therefore the King of Niniue commaunded q Ion. 3.5,7 not onely that men should fast but withall that neither beast heard nor flocke should taste anie thing feed nor drinke water But for our ordinarie conuersation touching both persons and times I answere with the Apostle r Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the Holy Ghost Earthly foode is subordinate to these If therfore meate and drinke further righteousnes c. wee may nay we must eate and drinke But if they hinder or if abstinence would further as there is a time to eate so we must finde a time to fast Quest Whether is it lawfull to eate during the time of a fast Answ If otherwise wee be not able to continue wee may The Apostles position is our warrant The kingdome of God is not meate and drinke Alwaies prouided that the meate for both quantitie and qualitie doe argue meere necessitie When Moses his hands were heauie ſ Exod. 17.8 c. he vseth meanes of helpe But what such as did affoord neither state nor pleasure They tooke a stone saith the text and put it vnder him and hee sate thereon §. 4. II. Materiall and I. Of Prayer and 1. The first matter 2. The second or proportioned II. Of praying We come now to the matter And that of Prayer and of Praying The matter of praier is to be considered as the first or as the second or proportioned matter The first matter of Prayer consisteth in the desires of our hearts Poure out saith the Psalmist t Psal 62.8 your heart before him And againe u Psal 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee The second or proportioned matter of prayer consisteth in these desires and motions of the heart contriued in that forme wherein wee doe fit our selues to make our case knowne vnto and to deale with the Lord in this holy dutie And though the Lord do please in his Christ to heare faithfull praier bee it neuer so confused yet should we labour to performe it in the best manner For our God is the God of order Now not to tye thee Reader to one strict forme but yet to prescribe a few rules that thou maist at the least pray in some forme for thy direction if herein thou beest defectiue consider these eight particulars following I. Propound God in Christ setting him forth so in words as thou art taught to conceiue of him in the Scriptures and as best befitteth thy case II. Then deale concerning sinne as that which especially troubleth thee and maketh thee vnapt to ask and vncapable to receiue any good thing touching which thou must deale by way of 1. Confession of the act and the euill both of guilt and desert of punishment 2. Petition of forgiuenes and acceptance 3. Profession of
case is with vs. First we doe confesse how wee doe conceiue of the Lord. O Lord of boasts saith Hezekiah a Esa 37.16 God of Israel that dwellest betweene the Cherubims thou art the God euen thou alone of all the Kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heauen and earth so Gen. 32.9 Psal 51.6 In the second place we doe confesse how the case is with vs. And this consisteth in the confession I. Of our wants viz. I. Sinne as Dauid b Ps 51.4 Against thee thee only haue I sinned II. The inconueniences troubles arising from sin As the same Dauid else-where c Ps 6.2.3 Haue mercy vpon mee O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed my soule is also sore vexed And againe d Ps 25.16.17 Turne thee vnto me and haue mercy vpon me for I am desolate and afflicted The troubles of my heart are inlarged III. How short wee are of what the Lord requireth of vs. Behold saith the Psalmist e Psal 51.5.6.7 I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did my mother conceiue mee Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts II. Of Gods goodnesse considered as I. bestowed on vs II. or promised to vs. And both in I. spirituall things As in that thanksgiuing of our Sauiour f Luk. 10.21 I thanke thee O father of heauen and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them vnto babes euen so father for so it seemed good in thy sight 2. Or in temporall things as Iacob g Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe I passed ouer this Iorden and now I am become two bands This our Confession as I said must be free namely I. In our confession of the Lord shewing 1. A heart disclaiming all other helpes as vaine 2. A resolute setting-vp of the Lord to bee our God sole and all-sufficient 3. A comfortable conceit of his gracious disposition towards vs in his Christ Wherefore we will not hide from our God how the case is with vs. II. In our confession of our wants shewing 1. Our vnfained hatred of sinne which we will in no-wise conceale 2. Our loue of good things for which cause wee will acknowledge our defects 3. Our zeale of Gods glorie euerie way exalting him by all meanes debasing our selues III. In our confession of mercies receiued shewing 1. An acknowledgement of our vnworthinesse to haue the least of them 2. Inabilitie to get them were not our good God so bounteous and free-hearted toward vs. 3. The great neede wee haue of them and consequently the exceeding benefit and sweete that wee haue found by them Insomuch that our soules are filled by reason of them h Psal 63.5 as with marrow and fatnes §. 2. II. The second part of prayer which consisteth in I. Petition 1. Supplicatiō 2. Precation 3. Intercession How intercession is vsed in that 1. to Tim. the 2. The other part is a dealing with God concerning the things confessed in the two latter places And that by way of I. Petition II. Thankesgiuing These strictly accepted are kinds of prayer and not parts Supplicatiō Petition and Intercessiō being seuerall praiers but we vsing them ioyntly I so call them The first is agreeable to our confession of our wants The other to the confession of good things receiued The acknowledgement of God in the first place what he is in himselfe and to vs is the propounding of God and placing him as our obiect and the ground of our dealing with him in both these cases I meane both in petition thanksgiuing Let vs come to the particulars Petition is a calling vpon the name of God as a Father desiring reliefe in respect of our wants And it is subdiuided by the Apostle to Timothie i 1. Tim. 2.1 into three branches I. Supplication II. Precation * Called also Prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. Intercession Supplicatiō is an humble request vnto God for remission and reconciliation vpon the conscience of that state wherein we stand by reason of sinne Precation is a suite exhibited to the Lord for his good blessings and fauours concerning both soule and body Intercession is vsually taken for a request put vp for others And so indeed it is ordinarily vsed in the Scriptures But it seemeth to be otherwise taken here My reason is because that if this be the proper acception of it in this place giuing it the difference from supplication and precation then they two are to be performed for others respecting onely euery mans owne particular But the Apostle commandeth that supplication and precation be performed for others also In a word hee willeth that all the foure duties be performed for all men Againe Intercession seemeth to bee taken heere for such a dutie as may bee performed of a man for himselfe For the Apostle doth not here command the duties simply but he inlargeth them in respect of the obiect willing that they should performe them not only for themselues and some few others to wit beleeuers but that withall they ought to remember all men and as Persons of most speciall respect Kings and all that are in authoritie To shew briefly then what I thinke I take it to be a dutie to be performed in the case of iudgements and corrections For Intercession is a comming betweene as partie and partie so part and part As to interrupt a man in his speech is intercession And onely in the case of iudgement wee labour to interrupt the Lord stepping with our repētance and humble inuocation betweene his threatnings the accomplishment or betweene the desert of sin iustly prouoking him and the punishment or when hee hath entred into iudgement with vs by holy interpellation betweene the beginning and consummation of his punishments thereby labouring to breake off the course of those proceedings And the Apostles method seemeth to fauour this exposition For hee setteth supplication in the first place which is a dealing with the Lord in the case of forgiuenes c. Then precation whereby we desire blessings whereof daily and hourely wee haue neede And in the last place intercession whereby wee deale with the Lord but now and then The which is in the case of iudgement when the Lord pleaseth to correct §. 3. II. Thanksgiuing The vse of thanksgiuing Reasons to moue vs to the performance of it The other branch in generall to be considered is thankesgiuing added by the Apostle in that former place to Timothie And that it is a part of prayer howsoeuer many make it a distinct thing from prayer as appeareth both in the new Testament and the old In the old in that song of Hannah k 1. Sam. 2.1 where it is said that she prayed and yet as is plaine to be seene it was a song of thanksgiuing
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Hannah prayed and said My heart reioyceth in the Lord c. In the new as in the 1. Cor. 14.14,15,16.17 Thankesgiuing is a calling vpon the name of God as a Father blessing him for his good mercies bestowed or promised Vnto the performance of which dutie Dauid inciteth his soule l Psal 103.1.2 saying Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holie name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits So likewise Psal 107.1,2,8.15.21.31 Where he doth not only exhort to the dutie but also foure times bewaile the neglect of it in these words O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men This dutie must bee renewed as the Lord pleaseth to renew his mercies As we haue a worthie example in Dauid m Psal 40.3 He hath put a new song in my mouth euen praise vnto our God And if new faile old blessings may neuer be forgotten Therefore Dauid though the children of Israel had praised the Lord long before for his wonders in Egypt and though they were long before his time yet composeth a Psalme n Psal 105. of thanksgiuing for the same Againe not onely personall and particular blessings but also generall and publike binde vs to bee thankfull When the foundation of the Temple of the Lord was laid o Esra 3.11 they praised the Lord and all the people saith the text shouted with a great shoute when they praised the Lord. Yea not onely for extraordinarie but we must be thankfull for ordinarie mercies as our liuing our mouing and our being For euen these as the Apostle witnesseth p Act. 17.28 wee haue not of our selues but of God Lastly we must be thankfull not onely in priuate but likewise in publike I will praise the Lord saith the Psalmist q Psal 111.1 with my whole heart in the assembly of the vpright and in the congregation So Psal 66.16 To the performance of which worthie dutie I meane thankesgiuing these Reasons may moue vs. I. It is a most speciall meanes of glorifying the Lord. Who so offreth praise saith he r Psal 50.23 glorifieth me It is the Lords freehold and his goodliest portion Thou art holy saith the Psalmist s O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel And for this end is he good vnto vs. For all things are for your sakes saith the Apostle ſ 2. Cor. 4.15 that the abundant grace might through the thankesgiuing of many redound to the glorie of God Petition honoureth the Lord but thanksgiuing more Not simply in respect of the dutie but because our wants may hasten vs to seeke supplie but if a man after hee haue receiued what hee would doe returne with the leper t Luk. 17.16 to giue God thankes it is most likely that that is done for God without sinister and by-respects II. We haue nothing besides to giue vnto the Lord. This was all that Dauid could finde after hee had expostulated the matter so seriously with his owne soule u Psal 116.12,13,14 What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards me The conclusion is I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord c. III. It leadeth the couenant of God as we may see in the Psalmes u Ps 50.15 Call vpon me in the day of trouble I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Here the Lord bindeth himselfe to vs in a gracious couenant to helpe vs in the euill day And the Condition of this obligation is that wee glorifie him without which what wee haue is no blessing neither can wee looke for any other but the next time to goe without IV. And lastly It is the very crowne and life of our life For in death their is no remembrance of thee saith the Psalmist x Ps 6.5 In the graue who shall giue thee thankes And Hezekiah y Isa 38.18.19 The graue cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee The liuing the liuing hee shall praise thee as I doe this day For this cause hee is thankefull for his life z Vers 20. And to this end a Ps 118.17 Dauid desireth to liue §. 4. The Kindes of prayer and it is 1. Legall 2. Or Euangelicall considered in respect of 1. The Effects 2. The subiect 3. The Obiect The vses of this whole discourse 1. Why carnall men are not heard 2. Vse How we may learne to pray The Kindes of praier follow And it is either I. Legall II. Or Euangelicall The Legall which was required of Adam in his state of innocency can none of his fraile and degenerate of-spring pray The Euangelicall that is the legall qualified by the Gospell is the subiect of this discourse And the kindes of it may be considered in respect of I. The Effects II. The Subiect III. The Obiect Touching the Effects there is a prayer of I. Sense when instantly that is accomplished which is desired so Elias prayed and presently fire came downe from heauen b 1. Ki. 18.38 and consumed the sacrifice II. Hope When we doe not instantly receiue the good things we desire but doe by hope expect them 1. Ioh. 5.14.15 For though the Lord doe ordinarily for many weightie causes take day with his children for the performance of his promises yet it pleaseth him to giue them an earnest in hand euen the earnest of his Spirit In respect of the subiect and first Personall Prayer is I. Either wholly conceiued in the minde As it is most likely Moses his was For the Lord said to him c Exod. 14.15 Wherefore cryest thou vnto me and yet the text doth not mention that he spake any thing II. Or expressed and vttered withall in words And both these are 1. Either continued exercises 2. Or short eiaculations And touching the locall subiect prayer is I. Either publike as in the prophecie of Isaiah d Esa 66.23 And it shall come to passe that from the new moone to another and from one Sabaoth to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord II. Or priuate as in the Gospell e Matth. 6.5 But when thou prayest saith our Sauiour enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy doore pray to thy Father which is in secret Lastly touching the obiect Prayer is for I. Either temporall blessings alone as in that of Iacobs f Gen. 28.20.21 If God will be with me and will keepe mee in this way that I goe and will giue me bread to eat and raiment to put on so that I come againe to my Fathers house in peace II. Or for spirituall and eternall as in the Epistle of Iames g Iames 1.5 If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske of God III. Or for both as in the Lords Prayer And thus much for the doctrine of prayer The
I. Kingdome which respects the wel-spring and fountaine of all good things II. Power which respects the meanes III. Glory which respects the end For as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 11.36 Of him there is Kingdome and through him there is power and to him there is glory are al things The Conclusion is in the last word Amen which is as much to say as I. Lord let it be as I haue prayed II. Lord I beleeue it shall be so III. Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe All this as I haue said before is common to all the three diuisions the varietie is onely in the sixe petitions The I. Analysis The First is the common receiued Diuision of them into two threes The First three concerning God The last three our selues The ground of which diuision is not from the Efficient or Author bestowing these blessings For it is one and the same God which halloweth his name sendeth his Kingdome enableth to doe his will giueth bread forgiueth sins and preserueth from euill Nor from our Head containing these good things for vs and communicating them vnto vs For from the fulnesse of one and the same Christ commeth all Neither yet from the finall cause or end either maine for the Lord is glorified in both or subordinate for we are benefitted by both But it proceedeth from the reall subiect or obiect viz the things where-about our praiers in asking and Gods grace in giuing are exercised The first generall branch containing God his I. Name II. Kingdome III. Will. The second our I. Earthly necessaries II. Sinnes committed III. Dangers eminent In the former There is I. The End of all besides God in the 1. Petition II. The subiect of all happines from God in the 2. petition III. The rule of all obedience to bee performed to God in the 3. petition In the latter three there is contained I. The space of repentance in the 4. petition II. The exercise of the grace of repentance in the 5. Petition III. The soueraigne preseruatiue of a Christian from euill after repentance in the 6. petition The II. Analysis I. In the first petition is laid downe the maine end of all to bee aymed at II. In the other fiue is laid downe the meanes consisting in things which doe respect the hallowing of Gods name I. In this world in all the petitions II. In the world to come in the second petition viz. the reuealing the Kingdome of glory All which doe concerne the life of a Christian And that I. Simply II. Respectiuely The things simply concerning the life of a Christian to insist vpon those that respect this life are I. Spirituall II. Temporall The Spirituall are laid downe I. Causiuely in the 2. petition II. Effectiuely in the 3. petition The temporall or earthly are laid downe in the 4. petition The Accidentall are such as doe respect a Christian ouer and besides the simple course of Christianitie and the honest resolution of his owne heart The which are referred to two heads I. Pardon of euils committed in the 5. petition II. Preuention of those whereof he is in danger in the 6. petitiō Heere before I proceed to the third diuision I would craue leaue to shew my opinion concerning one obseruation vsually collected from the methode of the three last petitions namely that there is in them an inuersion of Christs methode recorded else-where in the Scriptures to wit Mat. 6.33 Seeke yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be added vnto you The spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets and I willingly submit my conceit to the learned To shew then what I thinke I finde heere no inuersion For the things which concerne a Christian simply are to bee preferred before those that doe concerne him but respectiuely and accidentally Now in the 2. 3. and 4. petitions are contained those things which concerne him simply In which three petitions that other methode of our Sauiour is most strictly and precisely obserued For what saith he Seeke yee first the Kingdome of God that is laid downe in the 2. petition Thy Kingdome come and his righteousnesse in the 3. petition Thy will bee done For that is the righteousnes of the Kingdome of God and all these things shall be ministred vnto you in the fourth petition Giue vs this day our daily bread Where our Sauior brings a Christian I. To the Graces and Glory of a Christian in the 2. petitiō II. To the duties of a Christian in the 3. petition III. And at the last to the subiect wherein and time when a Christian is to exercise his graces in the performance of the good workes which his God hath created for him to walke in that with comfort hee may looke for that blessed hope Tit. 2.13 and the glorious appearing of that great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ Then this poore Christian comming to his calling to exercise these good duties findeth contrary to the exaction of his God and the resolution of his owne heart which was to walke in all the good wayes of his God that when he would doe good Rom. 7. euill is present with him In so much that the good he would doe he doth not but rather the euill which he would not doe that he doth by reason of the Law of sin which remaineth in his members I say this being so Our Sauiour teacheth vs in the next place to pray Forgiue vs our trespasses c. And lastly because when sinne committed is pardoned wee are subiect still to fall in part Satan continuing his malice our Cananitish lusts not being altogether extirpated and rooted out and withal our sufficiency being wholly of God he addeth Lead vs not into tentation but deliuer vs from euill The III. Analysis In the sixe petitions are two things to be considered in generall I. The maine end of all to bee aymed at in the first petition II. The meanes whereby this end is atchieued in the fiue petitions following All which doe concerne the person praying or praied for And in a three-fold respect viz. of I. Our new man II. Our outward man III. Our old man Our new man in the second and third petitions 1. Causiuè in the 2. petition 2. Effectiuè in the 3. petition Our Outward man in the 4. petition Our old man to wit the remaines of our corruptions in the fifth and sixth petitions and that considered in respect of 1. Sinne committed to be pardoned in the 5. petition 2. Euill eminent to be preuented in the 6. petition To come to a Mathematicall demonstration here is a sphere wherin we may consider I. The Center II. The Lines III. The Circumference The Center is the fourth petition For it is a subiect necessarily to be granted in the first place that a man must liue otherwise hee is not capable of the gracious dealing of the Lord I. In respect of the new man in visiting him with his Kingdome of grace to enable him to walke in the way of obedience to his will through Iesus Christ vnto his Kingdome of glory II. Neither in respect of the old man in pardoning sinne past or preuenting euill to come All which doe inferre that a man must liue The lines are I. Super-circuler aboue the diameter II. Or subcirculer vnder the diamiter The lines aboue the diamiter are the 2. and 3. petitions The lines vnder the diamiter are the 5. and 6. petitions And these doe in opposition answere one another ex diametro The third petition is Thy will be done c. The fifth petition Forgiue vs our trespasses c answereth it on the contrary For these trespasses are disobediences against the will of God by way of omission and commission The second petitiō is Thy Kingdome come that is the Kingdome of grace in this world and the Kingdome of glory in the world to come The sixth petition answereth it likewise on the contrary Lead vs not into tentation but deliuer vs from euill that is the euill of sinne in this world opposite to the Kingdome of grace and the euill of death in the world to come opposite to the Kingdome of glory The circumference terminating the lines and compassing the Center is the first petition Hallowed bee thy name For the Lord doth send downe his Kingdome for the glory of his name enable vs to do his will for the glory of his name forgiue our sinnes for the glory of his name and deliuer from euill for the glory of his name And to conclude he giueth temporall blessings for the glory of his name 1. TIM 1.17 Now vnto the King eternall immortal inuisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS