Amen the Son yet there 's a blush But take Amen for vox praeterea nihil wherein then lies the resemblance 1. God is Alpha and Omega This Amen is Omega for alwaies last 2. God comprehends all sic Amen omnia praedicta Amen comprehends all mens votes and supplicats 3. God undestands all Tongues and Languages and Amen it 's well known is no stranger to none of them 4. God is every where sic Amen in una quaque regione you may finde Amen in every nation 5. God is the very same yesterday to day and to morrow Et hoc verbum Amen semper idem ejus nomen nunquam amittitur and to shew it is no changeling it is set next secular seculorum Since this Amen blushes noble a personage The Avowry this shall make me ponder in minde ere I say with my tongue Amen In the next place Amens three significations maintain this Amen blushes the three persons Father Sonne Holy Ghost And first God the Father while by Amen is meant an oath it 's the sole decider of all in Earth so he in Heaven Secondly God the Son Amen is like him if not him Dum hoc verbum est veritas Thirdly God the Holy Ghost while as he so this Amen is signum the mark the seal seals all assuredly I will ever have in high esteem that prayer upon whose last word is imprint the Character of the ever blessed Trinity The Avowry And now if you chance to dislike the allusion dislike not my endevour which is to satisfie as some with common Cates so some with a novelty Bit you know ere cloth be taken away novelties are expected or never Let each take a morsell of the meat will best digest with him and not condemn the Cateror for that at cost with variety We see the dish set up upon the long board of your understanding cal'd Amen Let us all close up our stomachs with this Amen A very taste whereof hath put the people of God in minde of one God And God the Father Sonne Holy Ghost My vote for all Gods people shall be this His vote that while to their prayers end they have in their mouthes and bear in their mindes God so that God would be ever pleased to grant all their prayers put up unto him The third part of my method moves me to give you the compleat character of this one Amen Amens Character I mean its description in decurt short significant sentences Amen then as you have heard is an Hebrew by Nation a Laconian by Language and a traveller by nature hath talkt with sundry of sundry nations and when they have said all they can gives them it all over in a word This is hath marcht through all the provinces in the Christian world yet in the rear never in the front The Officer at armes who drawes up the broad Body into a little circle The son of Mars makes an end of all he is plac't the lowest yet is of greatest account for comprehends quic quid in buccam venit the last yet the first while from the first to the last all hangs dependency upon this one Amen This is the pacifier of the people which makes them of one minde the little map deciphers out their unanimous universall agreement the prosective glasse in which I see a fort gone farre before The notary bears in minde every petition put up Lo the repeater over of our prayers which bindes all us to bear in minde all said This Amen is a memento for man and a testis to God our remembrance of what spoke and the witnesse betwixt God and us we meant as we spoke this is he saies little yet saies much while gives us magnum in parvo much in a little a word of weight which if pondered weighs as heavie as the whole prayer Behold the nut is nought but kernell the fountain is sea-full and the ship is full fraught this is it fils and full the magazine mans understanding and hath to lay up a somewhat lest in the out-room memory Will must not be a wanting lest there be a want when search is made for what came aboard I will board the booty in this bottome The Avowry and desite my God to give me understanding to conceive and memory to bear in minde all lies hid in this howle Amen But come what is it lies here hid Sub tegmine Deus sub tegmine Christus as much Amen signifies God Christ Christ God himself saies I am the Amen If you end with God and Christ have nought to do with the Devill have you Christ in your mouthes keep then Satan out of your hearts Thou never with a good heart sayest this prayer but this last word shuts door upon the Devill Principium a Jove finis Jesu thou beginnest with the Father endest with the Son Without doubt the Spirit is thy guide and teaches thee to pray teaches thee thus to pray teachers thee * Pater noster this to say let me tell thee to have God in thy mouth the Son on thy tongue end makes probable proof the holy Ghost is in thy heart So on the other side to slight such a prayer which begins with our Father ends with the Son maketh it more than probable the Spirit of the Lord is departed from that suppliant take it for a maxime in Divinity he that wilfully refuses to say Christs Prayer is not inspired with christs Spirit Let me tell you I can see no other cause why any should lay aside our Lords Prayer unlesse unwilling to use the name God the Father at the first and God the Son at the end in their Rosary The Jewes were so fear'd to take Gods Name in vain that they used another word in stead it may be we have such a piour people who fear to sin if they should do what Christ bids them doe Say the Lords Prayer yet since Amen is in stead of Christ there is no excuse neither ever took I those men to be squeasie stomach who can strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel who make scruple to say Christs prayer yet stick not to rob Christs Church in one work who destroyed her Discipline defaced her Doctrine unhallowed her sacred Sacraments and doe to many of Gods Embassadors as Hanun did with Davids cut off their garments to the hams Beleeve me those who have such strong stomachs to the maintenance of the Ministry I never knew bear any good will to the Doctrine of the Church They will cry Amen sooner to the one then the other I will leave them and pray for them the Lord awake them out of that surreptitious sin Sacriledge And thus I passe on to the fourth part of my method which desires since the subject is short you would give me leave to extract an heavenly fancy from the letters in this last word of our Lords Prayer I know some will carp at it but for my own part I
considerale we beg pf God to forgive us our trespasses after what manner as we forgive them that trespasse against us 1. We will cast a glance at this last part of the petition as all the words have relation to what foregoing 2. As one only of them to one foregoing for the first we beg forgivenesse as we do forgive Christ commands thus to aske forgivenesse of our trespasses at Gods hands as we forgive our neighbours that trespasse against us and it shewes Doct. We shall be forgiven as we do forgive It is our own metwand our sins must be measured our by it is our own scales our sins must be weighed our with as we weigh out to others down weight of recompense for their trespassing us as we cut them out by the standard a retaliation of justice for wrongs offered us even as we do to others so shall it be done to us Christ himself saith With what measure ye mete out to others it shall be meted out to you as if Christ had said if ycu look for satisfaction for man wronging you so will God for wronging him it you put up not calling to account so will the good God even strike off your reckoning O! our hearty forgiving our neighbours the trespasses they have commited against us binds Gods hands he cannot take vengeance on us for our trespasses against him Vse A passage prayes us as we tender our own good to be good one to another The adage was Homo homini lupus if it still be so let me tell thee est lupus in fabula he that is a wolf to his brother holds a wolf byth'ear and while he looks to right his wrong doth himself the injury how may this work like good physick upon all Gods good people and purge out the old * Malice leaven of the Pharisees Three assurances we forgive 1. Let us forgive one another not by piecemeal but by wholesale The crosse week chapmen the Londoners little set by 2. Let us forgive not for a time but all our life time this * Termi for life durante vita makes us free-holders and in heaven 3. Let us forgive not in word but in deed and from the heart This reality with man shall make me a man with my God and God to forgive me my trespasses as I forgive others that trespasse against me And now if we had no more to move us to a composure of all differences among us then this the forgivenesse of our sins Lord how should it work with us Let this cause us to shake hands and be hearty good friends here live in peace that hereafter we may live in glory here love one another that in heaven we may be beloved of our Lord. I will conclude with David in admiration of the worlds concord Psal 134. Ecce quam bonum quam jucundum Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwell together in unity There is one word yet to be weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary in this last part of the petition against one other in the forepart of the petition Trespasse with Trespasses The first word is of more * Trespasses weight the latter is the * Trespasse lighter what a pressure implies the former predicating and in the plurall of mans many fins against God how light is this latter which predicates of man damnifying man whilest that without count this within count whilest this latter finite the former infinite Doct. The phrase implies not only God will forgive much for a little but also that our sinfull trespasses against God are more in number by far than our neighbours trespasses against us The one is infinite all the other but as one How do this lead us by the hand to see the goodnesse of God to us humane creatures he puts up much will we do so our sins against him exceed all number and all damage all men living do us shall we then seek revenge he forgives much for little shall I to satisfie me a little lose that much I am resolved both to confesse my many sins against my God The Avowry as also to comfort my heart for That ensured Upon what termes will God forgive us our sins and trespasses Object Let me be sorry for my sins Res and God is just to forgive me all my sins Let a serious contrition go before and a plenary pardon posts after if I here can finde a sorrowfull soul I am sure to meet with a mercifull redeemer I must lament for that I have brought out a sinfull burden then my sin shall be no burden to my conscience let me grieve for that constrained to live with Meseck it 's the way for me to be delivered from the Tents of Kedar O Lord I was shapen in sin and in iniquity did my mother conceive me I can no way have washt off me these my leprous spots till I reckon up all my sins in the bitternesse of my soul all my lise I have fed upon the delicious pasture of deceitfull sin I shall surfeit upon it without I take a large taste of the bitter herbes of true repentance yet more this my sorrow must be of the best else I am as bad as the worst if I counterfeit with God on earth I cannot go for currant with him in heaven such then as hath been my sin Three manner or kindes of repentance such let be my sorrow 1. Timely good Christian seek thy Creator in the day of thy youth O deferre not to do that which must be done or thou art and for ever undone I confesse true repentance is never too late repentance yet late repentance is seldome true repentance one at last gasp repented that hou maist not despair but one therefore do not presume He that may have assurance of his pardon to day and puts it off till to morrow it is an even wager he shall be denied that to morrow he sets so light to day Since God hath given me time God give me grace to make use of my time yea to day while it is day to turn unto the Lord our God 2. Do thou sorrow in abundance for thy sins You have read how Mary she wept much for she had sinned much we say A large sore must have a large plaister as there must be a diet drink of faith inwardly given so a searcloth of sorrow applyed to the partill-affected our sins are out of number our sighs must be past count when God sets down our misdeeds in figures and we our repentance in ciphers there is not expectance of forgiveness It is time therefore considering how long and how oft we have spoke the speech of Ashdâ—d to go tune our voices to Jeremiah's Lamentations lamentations weeping and mourning Be now for a short momentary lifetime a Benoami a son of sorrow thou shalt and for ever be a Benjamin thy fathers darling O blessed are they that mourn for theirs is the
all the prayers of all us mortals Our discourse hath gained us this knowledge that this is a most excellent prayer But objected Object May I say no other prayer Yes Res for this read Mat. 24.20 Orate ne fuga vestra pray that your flight be not in the winter But we be wiser then Christ he said When ye pray say Our Father By those words When ye pray say Our Father perchance our Christ gave us a hint that in conclusion all Christians shoud close alike making this prayer the * Last period not the * First praeword the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if our own words we had shewed a weaknesse by his should be made amends O my God The Avowry while I speak to thee in my own language I will not pretermit to conclude as thou hast taught to say Our Father which art in Heaven The substance or subject matter of this prayer consists of Two parts The Preface That * Placed after post-put 1. The Preface is wrapt up in the six first words before the prayer which are these Our Father which art in Heaven 2. That placed after Are 1. Petitions six 2. The Reasons three 3. The Conclusion one only word Amen The preface is that I first mean to intermeddle with of which I will speak Conjunctim in whole speak Divisim by parts And first in whole before our prayers we stand in need of such a preface First lest we come too saucily to God Almighty Secondly in that time to recollect our whole Spirits to pray 1. For the first we should not have has Zebedees wife so impudent if before her prayer she had placed such a preface she would have been lowlier minded if she had minded that the highest heaven had been Gods habitation Man it 's the nature of him and he learnt it of a woman to be too sawcy in his suit and more to aime at his own honour than Gods glory Again the Gadarens for the losse of their Hogs could not have been so clownishly uncivil but have used better words to our Jesus had they praeput such a preface as this The ignorance of what God is makes mean man unmannerly and petition Gods departure rather then his presence 2. The second reason this preface had need be said for that in this time we have time to recollect our whole soule and minde and spirit to pray O consideration doth well what we are to do ere we do it An hasty zeal brings forth an untimely birth in which there is oft more hast then good speed An inferiour when he speaks to his better he sets before a May it please you If it please your worship A protospeech as to win audience so to get breath and briefly a short time wherein men gain a brief or recollect of their longer intended after discourse Thus have we cause to count of this preface as a time in which to make a Collect of all to be said In this Idea I have much presented and whilest I cast a glance on this prospective glasse I see to the utmost end of my suit by a divine kinde of contemplation It were well we would weigh in the ballance of our considerations these passages recommended in this preface which as I have spoken of in whole by parts now give me leave to prosecute O my God I am ever resolved The Avowry so thou wilt assoil me presumption to pry yet more and more into this ark of thy Covenant This preface shewes unto us What God is Where he is 1. What God is our Father 2. Where he is in Heaven He that is our God is our Father and this our Father he is in Heaven all I have said is witnessed while said Our Father which art in Heaven Here our God is described Relativè Relatively Possessivè Possessively The relation we have to him is as nigh as the childe is to the father And to shew what kinde of father next followes the possessive our a pronoune which protests God is not a step-father but our own Father Our Father his name is Father not named Lord not my Lord Judge Here is a term which sents neither of Lordly overlooking nor of Judge-like sentencing He is neither troubled with the port of pride and disdains to cast his Eye upon us nor yet is clothed in Pontius Pilats apparell to passe sentence against us nor assumes he yet this name Father to make us only credulous he hath washt his hands and will not be guilty of our bloud it imports as a father loveth his childe so God us which God grant We will go take notice what this Expression puts us in hopes of Expression bindes us to doe For the first word Father puts us in minde of 4 things 1. Of the love of God 2. His commiserating compassion 3. His fear that we fall 4. His best help when we need First For Gods love to man I may say of it as was said of Christ to Lazarus Lord how thou lovedst him David admires Psal 8. Jonathans falls far short of it though his love did surpasse the love of women 2 Sam. 1.26 But come Can a woman forget her owne childe The Quaere implies a possibility but a rarity yet it 's aver'd the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us And thus the naturall love of the mother the faithfull love of friends the love of God to us surpasses it parallels it self with Christs to Lazarus who shewed then his love unto him when he unable to do him a pleasure when he dead and in grave when he stunk in the grave O Lord how unutterable is thy love towards all us thy sons and daughters Secondly This term or title Father puts us in hopes of Gods commiserating compassion O he pities our distressed estate that the patrimony he gave us prodigals is spent that we who are his are forc'd to feed on husks and akorns that faln amongst theeves and what 's left is taken from us O how his bowels yern within his belly to see us so poor and needy and naked not like that we were it grieves him to see us so ill like but most that we in misery and yet the fondlings make no matter of it Thirdly God is our Father and it insures us how fear'd he is we fall 1. Apparent by his injunction served upon the Angels to pitch their tents about us Psal 34.7 2. By his passing by our elder * Angels brethren who had faln but we having faln he sent his own Son to help us up again O God the greater hath been our misery the more cause we have to admire thy mercy Fourthly God is cald our Father which insures us how ready he is to help us that are faln If a childe should chance to fall into a pond you need not if his parent know of it wish him to go and help him his bowels yern his feet run his hands