same God that fedde him in the former verse In very grammaticall construction if he spake of two persons God Almighty in the first and a created Angell in the second place he would he must haue said in the plurall benedicant Therefore many learned iudgements haue vnderstood this Angell to be Christ Iesus who onely is called the Redeemer and deliuerer of his Church from all euill Therefore we say to the Church of Rome let them direct their praiers to him onely that saueth and deliuereth from all euill and wee will pray with them and that Angell we will worship with all holy worship As for our Redeemer the Lord of boasts is his name the holy one of Israel If wee looke backe into the story of Iacob you shall meete with former mention of this Angell which will sufficiently declare that he was no bonus genius or good Angell created but the Lord of all Angels that is so called For it was God that said to him in his sleepe when he had the vision of the Ladder Behold I am with thee and will keepe thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee againe into this Land for I will not leaue thee till I haue done that that I spoke to thee of When Iacob awaked he said surely Iehouah is in this place There he deliuered him from the feare of his iourney and established him in the faith of his promise After when he suffered vnder the oppression of Laban and was in danger of a new iniurie it is said The Angell of the Lord comforted him But that Angell saith I am the God of Bethel where thou anointedst the pillar and where thou vowedst a vow vnto me This Angell we inuocate with Iacob hee is also our preseruer and redeemer he is our King and our God And this I finde the iudgement of the learned Rabbines of the Iewes Of this Angell is mention in the Prophet Osea He had power ouer the Angell and preuailed hee wept and made supplication vnto him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with vs euen the Lord God of hoasts the Lord is his memoriall This referreth vs to that historie where Iacob wrastled with the Angell and preuailed Which Angell some of the later Rabbines haue thought to be the Angell keeper of Esau who would haue hindred Iacobs iourney on Esaus behalfe which fancie Lyranus doth well confute Others conceiue him to be the Angell keeper of Iacob but Iacob himselfe saith hee had seene God face to face and therefore called the place Peniel Osea saith plainely that this Angell is the Lord God of hoasts Called there a man in respect of his sensible apparition as an Angell in regard of his diuine operations And this place will as well iustifie praier to men as to Angels Christ then the second person of the holy Trinity who was reuealed in paradise the onely Mediatour betweene God and man is that holy Angell who often in the old Testament is sent for the speciall good of Gods Saints Two proofes were alleadged in that lame and vnlearned pamphlet to proue inuocation of Angels One from the Song of the three children O ye Angels of the Lord blesse ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him Which is taken from Dauid in whose imitation that Psalme of the three Children was composed Praise ye him all his Angels praise him all his hoasts And from both wee may as well iustifie the inuocation of the Sunne and Moone as of Angels for so are they spoken to This is all that there is said for inuocation of Angels this also is the chiefe argument vrged by the Apostate Renegado of Spaletto in his last Pamphlet worthily called his Manifesto which hath declared him vnsauoury salt worthy to be trod vpon 2 Concerning inuocation of Saints We are accused to deny our owne Bible in denying praier to Saints 1 They alleadge that the rich man in hell praied to two Saints to Abraham to send to Lazarus to come to relieue him They are neere driuen when they rake hell for examples and the Church must be ruled by the practise of a damned soule in hell I hope this proofe will be soone out of countenance but euen that example cuts to the quicke for he asked and preuailed not they would not helpe him 2 They alleadge for inuocation of Saints the words of Eliphaz saying to Iob. Call now if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou looke Lyranus vnderstandeth this as a direction to inuocate Angels And the pamphleter doth cite Aug. in his Annotations vpon Iob for proofe hereof in whom no such thing is found therefore that is a manifest falsification which he hoped his reader would not haue examined The course of the text giueth another sense for the question betweene Iob and his friends is whether Iob be punished for his sinne Iob confesseth his sinne but denieth that that is the cause of his punishment but God hath some other end in it Eliphaz proueth that none is punished of God but for sinne and here hee doth will him to search and enquire out if any can say that the iust God hath at any time punished any and not for sinne and to which of Gods holy ones will hee looke for an example of any such punishment But in their exposition it holdeth not for them for it sheweth that none of the Saints can giue him helpe Therefore they helpe it in their false translation reading thus Ad aliquem sanctorum conuertere so that they must take helpe from their owne translation who pretend to confute vs by ours but ours is the same word for word with their Montanus in the King of Spaines Bible Ad quem de sanctis obtueberis by way of question not obtuere by way of counsaile so they teach the text of holy Scripture to speake the language of their superstition before he falsified S. Aug. now the very text of Scripture But officiosum mendacium doth passe amongst them inter pias fraudes and it is held no sinne to lye to serue a turne for the good of the Church of Rome So Cardinall Bellarmine belying Luther saith vt Fredericus Staphilus citat fratres in malo Staphilus beleeued Luther and Bellarmine did not cite Luther himselfe in his owne words but Staphilus teaching Luther to speake 3 They alleadge for proofe of this inuocation of Saints 2 Pet. 1.15 where there is no syllable to that purpose 3 Daniel is cited where in like manner nothing is said to that argument 4 Hester 13.14 it is Apochryphall but I will not refuse the authority for they are directly against them they are a part of the praier of Mardoche Neither will I worship any but thee O God neither will I doe it in pride 5 1 Chron. 29.18 Another shamelesse quotation against themselues for there Dauid praieth to the God of Abraham Isaac and Israel not to
the Lord say spare thy people O Lord. And the people declare their assent to his praiers by their ioynt Amen The Iewes vttered this with great zeale and therefore doubled it saying Amen Amen They had foure sorts of Amen at praiers whereof three they condemned and refused 1 Was that Amen which was giuen to praiers that they vnderstood not they called it Iethima like to the Amen in the latine seruice which the people doe not vnderstand onely they know when the praier is ended and for fashion sake they say Amen 2 Was that Amen surreptum which was vttered before the praier was finished which shewed a wearinesse they would faine haue it done 3 Otiosum when the people did ioyne only in the Amen at the close and took no regard to the praier going before which is the most general fault of congregations 4 Tzaddik the Amen of the iust whose hearts following the voyce of the prayer quite through the mind and intention zealously affixed to the holy worship concluded with an Amen And Saint Ierome commending the deuotion of Christians in his time doth say that the noise of the Church at this Amen was reboatus Amen ad similitudinem coelest is tonitrui The proper places for these publike meetings be those houses of God which are consecrated to praier our Churches and Oratories and Chappels Priuate praier doth not discharge vs of the duty of publike praier with the Church though some schismatickes and separatists too confident in their owne gift of praier and ill affected to the Church seruice and vncharitably preiudicate against their brethren doe despise our Church praiers and thinke their duty sufficiently discharged in their priuate deuotions For in all ages of the Church since Christ Christians as they were able did striue to erect houses of prayer Temples for the publike conuentions of people to the worship of God They begun this euen in the time of their persecution and euer since they haue had the estimation of Religion and deuotion that haue aduanced any such workes for the accommodating of congregations to this worship as our Church Homily of prayer hath very fully and profitably exprest This prayer of Christ here mentioned was priuate and though he retired from his Disciples as it may bee conceiued to some priuate place yet they take notice of his errand and thereupon followeth 2 The motion following When he ceased one of his Disciples said to him Lord teach vs to pray Wherein I obserue 1 The discreet seasonablenesse of the time for this motion quando cessauit 2 The manner of it one of his Disciples 3 The motion it selfe doce nos orare 1 Of the seasonablenesse of the motion When he ceased after his praier was ended and that he returned to his Disciples this was moued Christ withdrawing from them to this priuate place to pray did admonish them of his desire to be priuate and therefore in good manners they would not interrupt him with vnseasonable Interpellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 It is our lesson from hence not to giue ouer our prayers to God till wee haue brought our seruice to a pawse it is one of the quarrels against our Church seruice the longsomnesse of it yet the whole seruice at the longest distinctly read may bee well comprehended within an houre and Christ speaketh it passionately and taking it vnkindely Could you not watch with mee one houre Let vs not be weary of well doing Thou louest to bring all thy businesse to a full end that concerneth thy estate or thy delight and wilt thou slight the greatest worke of all which crowneth all the rest with the blessing of God by thy vnconstant and vnfixt indeuotion thinke not the time long that thou spendest in conference with thy God finish thy holy worke with him and then returne to thy occasions as Christ did 2 It is our lesson from the example of these Disciples not to interrupt the deuotions of others not to hinder their praiers it is a kinde of quenching of the spirit in our selues and others to disturbe deuotion or to interpose in an vnseasonable time to hinder Gods seruice It is obserued in Samuel that when he had assembled the people in Mispeh to pray to the Lord and to offer sacrifice that the Philistins hearing of their meeting came vpon them neither Samuel nor the people gaue ouer the seruice that they were then about but rather the more earnestly applied it for The children of Israel said vnto Samuel cease not to cry vnto the Lord our God for vs and hee will saue vs out of the hand of the Philistins and God answered their praiers and desires with desired successe But Saul contrarily vpon the comming of the Philistines against Israel and being then with the Priest to haue consulted with God about that assault hearing of their neere approach said to the Priest Withdraw thy hand and interrupted the consultation and went immediately to the battaile which though it succeeded well for Israels sake yet Saul did quench his owne spirit in neglecting the ordinance of God and hindering the Priest of the Lord in his holy office Amongst our selues let vs take warning not to doe any thing that may disturbe one anothers priuate or publike deuotions If we haue any thing to say to one that is praying let vs after this example of these disciples tarry the time till it come to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men will take it ill to be troubled in the time of their game or in the presse of a serious businesse or in some earnest conference or in the times of their refection these are no fit times of interpellation who dares take off or call aside a subiect that is speaking to a King who is a man and shall we withdraw one that is in speech with almighty God Doe not say now is best talking with him he is in a good minde For I say vnto you hee that prayeth to God as hee should is not his owne man for the time he is in the spirit and hath abstracted himselfe from the world and euen from himselfe to attend vpon God Therefore prayer is called a pouring forth of our soules before God 2 The manner of this suite One of his Disciples One of them but it is not said which of them but one of them it appeares in the behalfe of the rest of them with himselfe and so Christ did vnderstand him and therefore in answer he said to them verse 2. when ye pray It seemeth by this that the example of Christ tooke amongst them for whilest Christ was from them praying we finde it agreed vpon amongst them to make this motion Obserue in this the power of a good example for when it is in the eyes of them that desire to serue God aright it worketh in them an affection of imitation There were heretiques that denied any originall sinne by propagation but charged all the euill that corrupteth man vpon imitation surely
these sinne God correcteth them like a Father pro peccato magno paululum supplicijs satis a patre saith one For he that is called our Father is called pater misericordiarum and Deus omnis consolationis If these begge a suit manum suam implet saturat dat cito dat abunde dat quod est vtilius therefore Dauid O Ye sonnes of men how long will ye looke after vanity and seeke after leasing But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe And as a father hath compassion of his children so hath the Lord compassion of all them that feare him Princes and great persons are called filij excelsi in respect of the eminence of their places and the trust of authority and power committed to them these are filij celsitudinis Dei but that honoureth them onely amongst men because they represent the authority and dominion of God here on earth filij quos honorat But there is another sort of Sonnes who be filij amoris and these doe represent their father in his holinesse and goodnesse and these are the Lords delight S. Iohn calleth this a prerogatiue so many as receiued him he gaue them a prerogatiue so be the sonnes of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Either dedit eis licentiam 2 Or dedit eis Ius 3 Dedit eis honorem dignitatem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheweth that there is a new making required to this filiation for we are fallen from our first creation so farre as from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The honour therefore is great to vs in that wee are the sonnes of God 1 Because God who had an onely begotten Sonne the expresse forme of his substance equall to himselfe whom hee made heire of all things needed not to adopt any other sonnes or to cast the inheritance as Abraham once thought to doe vpon a seruant yet euen so O Father thy good pleasure was such 2 Because by this adoption he hath brought vs into the society of inheritance with that sonne and hath made vs coheires with Christ without derogation to the heire without diminution to the inheritance for we are the sonnes of God here it appeareth not yet what we shall be but this we know that when we shall see him we shall be like him so vnited to him as that his interest in the Father shall be ours I may adde one reason more that there is no name Rea. 7 wherein God doth more delight or in which God is more honoured then the name of a Father S. Cyprian obserueth that God hath no title that giues him so much honour in his Church as this of Father For as God is called Iehouah which is the name of his being so he either enioyeth himselfe eternally or he communicateth himselfe at large to all things that are But in his title of Father hee is impropriate to his Church and hereby he magnifieth himselfe in that diuine attribute which excelleth all his workes for his mercy is aboue all his workes And it is confest of all hands that the worke of Redemption was a greater and more honourable worke then the Creation You heare of no ioy of Angels at the Creation at the natiuity of the sacred Heire ye know what Iubilation there was ioy to all the earth The Angels doe search into this mystery and stoope themselues to the inquisition And the manifold wisedome of God in this worke of our redemption is by the Church reuealed and made knowne to the principalities and powers in heauenly places I conclude this point with the holy exhortation of S. Peter If ye call on the Father who without respect iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your soiourning here in feare and as before as obedient children not fashioning your selues according to your former lusts in your ignorance c. Let vs make conscience of doing the duty belonging to that gratious name in imitation of our elder brother who saith I come to doe thy will O my God yea thy law is written in my heart For him God testified This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased If we will ambulare sicut ille as S. Peter biddeth vs we must beginne where he began at lex eius scripta est in corde meo And then we shall not sinne against him then shall the power of this Father protect vs from all euill the prouidence of this Father shall supply all our wants the loue of this Father shall be a banner to vs the wisedome of this Father shall be a guide to vs to gouerne all our waies and the eldest sonne of this Father shall speake a good word for vs that we may haue an inheritance amongst those that be sanctified So long as by our faith and obedience we can continue this God our Father we are in good case we shall want nothing he will bring vs by riuers of waters and feede vs in greene pastures Doubtlesse mercy and louing kindnesse shall follow vs all the daies of our life and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord for euer 2 Our this word expresseth the interest that we haue in him to whom we pray From whence we are taught 1 To whom our prayer is addressed not to the first person of the holy Trinity God the Father but to the whole Trinity the Father Sonne and holy Ghost For the first person hath but one Sonne to call him Father and he is called Primogenitus and vnigenitus but God that is the holy Trinity is our Father hee is the common father of all the elect Yet if you demand whether it may be lawfull to direct our prayers to each of the persons seuerally My answer is that I finde inuocations of each in Scriptures and holy stories but so as the whole Trinity is euer sought because the prayers of the Church doe alwaies respect the whole godhead so that hee which calleth vpon God the Father doth vse the mediation of God the Sonne and is assisted therein by God the holy Ghost The Father is principally respected in the worke of Creation the Sonne in the worke of Redemption the holy Ghost in the worke of Sanctification yet neither of these persons is alone in any of these but one God in three persons doth worke all our good in vs. And the Apostle blesseth in that holy name The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you and wee baptize ye in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost for the three distinct persons doe subsist in one godhead 2 We say Our to expresse our faith for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and our prayers are turned into sinne if we wauer and doubt in them but our faith doth apprehend an interest in the loue of our God to vs if we pray
seeth not and he walketh in the Circuite of heauen These are grosse and carnall opinions of God that his high habitation in heauen doth make him a stranger to vs and our wayes or maketh our prayers imperssions to him Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God farre of This title of Gods being in the heauens doth not clip the winges of his presence spread and dilated ouer all the world Whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whither shall I fly from thy presence If I ascend vp into heauen thou art there If I make my bed in hell thou art there c. We must therefore search the reasons why God whose presence filleth all places is here called vpon as dwelling in the heauens He is said to be in the heauens in respect of his Maiestie and glory for as the throne of an earthly Prince is his highest place of greatnesse and glory so we can best conceiue God in his glory when wee cast our selues downe before him sitting vpon his throne so Christ saith Heauen is Gods throne and the earth is his footstoole So Dauid The Lords throne is in Heauen his eyes will consider his eye-liddes will try the children of men This teacheth vs to come before God in our praiers with all humble reuerence feare as before a Prince of highest glory sitting in the thron where he iudgeth right They forget this who come before him and present him with their rude and vndigested extemporall euaporations of their desires daring to petition the highest Maiestie with their vnstudied vnpremeditated supplications Salomon presseth this consideration thus Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hastie to vtter any thing before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy words be few If the Maiestie of earthly Princes do make thee study thy petitions and take counsaile what thou shalt desire and in what wordes and that thou weighest euery word in it that thou maiest giue no offence doe not make too bold with God who though he be thy father yet is he an heauenly glorious God whose seat is aboue all The sweet and gracious name of a father may peraduenture make vs too bold and therefore this addition of Maiestie is put to it to temper and moderate our presumption and to awe vs. 2. This mention of heauen in Gods title is a remonstrance of Gods omni-videncie for hee is aboue as in speculo in a watch tower from whence hee discerneth all that is done all the world ouer So Dauid Out of heauen did the Lord behold the earth his eye is ouer all the world Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened vnto the eyes of him with whom we haue to doe The Lord is in his holy temple He seeth all mens hearts and discerneth from what affectiōs their praiers are breathed forth into his hearing He seeth who come to him who neglect him he discerneth what it is that bringes to him whether our necessities and wants only or our loue to him he discerneth what vse we intend to make of his gifts if we preuaile with him how we will take it if we speed not in our suites for he knoweth all our thoughts long before So that we are hereby stirred vp to a further conscience of reuerence holy deuotion in our praiers for that we appeare in his presence whose searching doth so narrowly suruey vs from the height of his Sanctuary 3. This mention of the heauens in his title doth expresse the high power of God for what doth more expresse him to vs in fulnesse of omnipotency then this high throne of his greatnesse established in heauen The Heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-worke This addes yet more to our feare for that power is not to be dallied with The Lord killeth and maketh aliue hee bringeth downe to the graue and bringeth vp By strength no man shall preuaile Here is no contesting with this power and no resisting his right hand our father which art in the heauens Take heed that the presumption on the name of Father doe not dash thee against the rocke of his power for There is no rocke like our God Dauid hath secretly directed vs herein But there is forgiuenesse with thee that thou maist be feared This is the best composition of the heart that prayeth to God to loue and hope and beleeue and approach and sue and all with feare for feare will keepe vs within boundes that we offend not Now that we haue both these considerations in sight together in this compellation of our father in heauen we haue also matter of faith as well as feare There be two doubtes which may be cast in prayer which are both remoued in this title and our faith established against them 1. That of the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane He confest him a Lord he belieued of his power but his doubt was of his will But seeing he is our father there can be no cause of that doubt 2. That of Israel Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse here is doubt of the power of God and this is cleared when we confesse that our father is in heauen For his being in heauen which we here confesse is not a bare habitation there for so the Angels of God are in heauen but it acknowledgeth his Creation of the heauens his possession of them his dominion ouer them the heauens are his imperiall chamber wherein he sitteth as supreme Monarch in most absolute and independent omnipotenc y As Dauid He hath done whatsoeuer he would in heauen and in earth and in all deepe places There be two great hinderances to the preuailance of our praiers 1. Nimia trepidatio when we are too much cast down with the terrour of Diuine Maiestie that is healed in Our father 2. Nimia oscitatio when we beare our selues too bouldly vpon the confidence of his fauour and that is quash tif we consider him in the heauens the place of his high glorie 4 This mention of heauens doth call vs to the consideration of the holinesse of God for that is called the Lords Sanctuarie the Sanctum sanctorum and into that shall enter nothing that is vncleane Therefore in the law so many washings and clensings were in vse so many preparations for any speciall resort to God the people called vpon to sanctifie themselues for God that openeth his hand and filleth our empty vessels as the pottes at the marriage in Cana to the brimme will not powre his pure graces into vncleane vessels And hee that is pure and holy will not receiue the praiers that come from an vncleane and pudled spring of flesh and bloud hee that poureth on the house of Dauid and the inhabitants of
brethren and sisters from sicknesse the returne of our friends from long voyages the prosperous successe of our affaires yet God hath sometimes decreed against these yet wee may pray without sinne in all these cases We finde great examples hereof for the Prophets Moses himself haue praied to God against his will when he hath declared it and when God hath sent the Prophets they haue both threatned in the name of the Lord and yet exhorted to repentance and prayer to diuert the iudgement menaced Abraham for Sodome Dauid prayeth for the life of his childe which was appointed to death and so much Nathan told Dauid before Christ who came of purpose to taste that cup and knew that his fathers will was that he should drinke of it yet doth pray the Father to take it away Which he did 1 Partly to expresse the heauy sufferings that he was to sustaine for our sakes that wee may know wee were bought at a deere rate and an high price was paid for our redemption for it is applied to Christ by the Fathers and fulfilled in Christ Haue ye no regard all ye that passe by the way Consider and behold if euer there were sorrow like my sorrow which was done vnto me wherewith the Lord did afflict me in the day of the fiercenesse of his wrath No man can tell the Angels of God would faine know all the ingredients in this cup which Christ did deprecate It is best left with admiration and wonder at it with due consideration of it as the bitterest cup that euer was tempered by the hand of God not so much for the bodily passion as for the inward pangs and convulsions that the soule of Christ suffered for the sonnes of his Church 2 For our example to warrant our prayers against all euill for though wee know that the hand of God will smite vs and though wee be resolued with patience to beare it saying with Dauid Loe here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes Yet we may lawfully pray reseruing our submission to the will of God that this cup tempered of purpose for vs by the decree of God may be taken from vs. Herein we oppose not the absolute will of God but we oppose the euill malum poenae which is against vs and contrary to vs. 3 For comfort in afflictions for Christ praying his Father though he preuailed not in the maine matter of his suit ad transitum calicis yet he sped another way for in his agonie when there was fire in his bones which melted him that he swet water and bloud There appeared vnto him an Angell from heauen strengthening him For our sakes that wee may see the fruit of our prayers which though they preuaile not for full deliuerance from afflictions yet they may speed for comfort in them and strength to beare them Therefore it is a blasphemous assertion that one of our nouellists vented in print that Christ did directly pray against the will of his Father This cleareth the question in my iudgement our first duty is rightly to know what may concerne vs in the point of Gods absolute and secret will that is that the absolute will of God is to turne all things to the best to them that loue him so farre wee may lawfully pray against that which God hath secretly decreed to doe that his will may bee done vpon vs for our good and his glory Wee deprecate onely that euill that may corrupt either our wisedome faith or patience which is not properly to pray against the will by which this euent is willed but against the sting of it And so Christ prayed transeat amaritudo calicis but euen that with reseruation of his fathers will entire and vnresisted 2 There is required of vs also knowledge of the reuealed will of God The Mine of this treasure of heauenly knowledge of the will of God is holy Scripture which Christ biddeth all men to search and which are profitable to make the man of God perfect absolutely perfect in all good workes These the holy ghost hath recommended to vs with all kinde of holy indulgence and fauour and the blessed man doth exercise himselfe herein day and night To assist this worke of knowledge of his reuealed will as he hath opened the booke of his will to vs the holy Bible so he hath opened the dores of his house to vs for our meetings and therein he hath ordained and established the Euangelicall Priesthood of the new Testament for he sendeth forth Ministers of his gospell to Preach the same and he furnisheth them with his holy instructions directing them what to say and he giueth them their errand then he openeth to them the dore of vtterance that he may declare his will in their mouthes to his Church Then he openeth the vnderstandings and moueth the affections of the hearers to receiue the word of Gods will both in Scientiâ and in Conscientiâ For how can the will of God be done there where it is not knowne nor vnderstood Surely they had no minde to doe the will of God that cried nolumus scientiam viarum tuarum And they that neither studie holy Scriptures nor good helpes in vse for the vnderstanding thereof nor come to Church to heare there what is good and what God requireth at their hands or heare there without profit not heeding or obseruing what is taught all these haue not the care nor conscience of doing Gods will They may giue ouer praying that the will of God may bee done that care not for the knowledge of his will It is said of Christ by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many 1 Either scientia qua scit for he knoweth who are his and none are predestinate to this life but whom he hath foreknowne 2 Or Scientiâ qua scitur for they that know him and the vertue of his resurrection will trust in him Saint Paul esteemed all things as dung in respect of this knowledge This is life eternall to know thee It is a vaine hope that some haue that their ignorance of the will of God will be pleadable for excuse of their disobedience to it for this may tempt some to liue in ignorance to goe their owne wayes and to extenuate their sinne in the day of their account To put that pretence out of countenance 1 Know that ignorantia affectata is a most heinous sinne it selfe and it abateth nothing of the iudgement due to all the sinnes that are committed in it Noluerunt intelligere vt bene agerent this is the will of God which all know that God who would haue all men to be saued would haue all men come to the knowledge of his truth and we are renewed in knowledge to the image of God And God hath sent his Sonne to giue knowledge of saluation they that will bee darke in so cleare a sunne-shine shew that they loue darkenesse more then light These despise the
you may not present him with a dwindled withered heart weakned and infirmed with vntimely afflictions but strong and able for his seruice And make a conscience to bestow the strength of your heart vpon him that giues you bread to strengthen your hearts that he may thinke his bread well bestowed for hee loueth not the sacrifices of the leane and lame and blinde and impotent of your flock the best serues him best 2 From this name of bread giuen to the necessaries of life we are taught that we haue no warrant to pray to God for more then what is needfull The sonne of Iakeh doth pray against riches giue mee not riches yet many there be that sell heauen for riches and exchange God for Mammon whose damnation sleepeth not Many there be who study the back what shall I put on not now only what stuffe but in what fashion that I may out shine my equals my betters they make Idols of their bodies and bestow such painting guilding and iewelling of it as if it were immortall their back is their God Many study what they shall eat all the inquisitions of rarities and delicacies that the earth the ayre the sea can afford are congested into their catories and kitchins to please their various palates with change of viands epicuriously satiating themselues with the marrow and fatnesse of Gods good creatures cramming themselues for the Deuils shambles making their bellies their Gods and delighting in their shame I deny not but God doth open his hand and giueth great abundance of all good things crowning the yeare with his plenty and making the earth not onely to bring forth bread to strengthen the heart of man but wine also to make his heart glad and oyle to make him a chearefull countenance for who can controll him doing with his owne as he please and disposing of it where he will But still I say I finde no warrant to aske of him any more then the needfull support of life we may not pray beyond our proportion food necessary for life for therefore do we aske bread of God to shew our desires limited to the meanes ordained by him for our preseruation If any shall dare to passe these bounds let him remember the fearefull example of Israel in the way of their iourney toward Canaan They lusted exceedingly in the wildernesse and tempted God in the desart And he gaue them their request but sent leanesse into their soule These ouer dainty palates that are euer longing for delicacies may make fat bodies but they haue leane soules and when they pray beyond warrant God may heare them and may grant their request but they shall lose by it There was a rich man who liuing was richly and softly arraied delicately fed euery day but hee that heares him pitifully complaining out of hell for a little cold water will scarce desire to be in his coate or to bee of his messe 1 This teacheth vs to be content with bread and to thanke God for it for if wee haue but sufficient for life we haue as much as we aske and so much as Christ our Master who teacheth vs to pray thinkes fit to allow vs to aske of our father which art in heauen 2 Seeing we finde God so rich and plentifull as to open his hand so wide to giue vs more then we aske exceeding abundantly to some more to some lesse Let not vs like children when wee haue any thing giuen vs measure the worth of the gift by comparing it with that which is giuen to others but weigh the gift in and by it selfe and let vs admire and praise the open hand of God who ouer-doeth our demands and maketh our cup runne ouer But because this name of bread doth so limit vs to the demand onely of things necessarie let me admonish you that there is duplex necessitas 1 Necessitas rei which containes onely the supportation of life 2 Necessitas personae which containes the maintenance of vs in our estate of life I conceiue that this petition doth extend to both these for 1 We craue of God all those things without which we cannot liue 2 Wee aske all those things that are conuenient for our estate and ranke that we may not want the meanes to support our persons and estate with moderate decencie befitting our degree but so that if God who lifteth vs vp and casteth vs downe shall thinke it meete to abase vs and stoope vs below the port and state of our place that we now hold we may abate also of our desires and be content with such things as are of absolute necessitie for subsistence in life and therefore 3 We are taught to learne with the Apostle both how to abound and how to want and may not thinke much if there bee mutatio dexitae excelsi For in these things Iobs lesson is to be learnt The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away in both we must blesse the name of the Lord. 2 Giue Many duties are learnt from this word 1 Wee are taught to vnderstand and confesse our poore and miserable condition who in creation had all things put in subiection vnder our feete as Dauid saith all sheepe and oxen yea and the beasts of the field the fowles of the ayre the fishes of the sea c. and now by sinne haue lost that right to these things which the grace of creation inuested vs in and are now so poore and needy that we haue not bread of our owne to sustaine vs with God gaue man all these things vpon condition of obedience that failing hee hath cancelled that deed of gift and resumed into his owne hands the possession and power of distribution thereof to the sonnes of men Naked came I into the world naked shall I returne saith Iob we brought nothing with vs into the world saith the Apostle and here we finde nothing that we can call ours The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof they that feele the want of these things doe pray with appetite and feruour for them and therefore all of vs euen such as haue most must learne to know their miserable wants and necessities they all lye at the gates of God as Lazarus at the gates of the rich man desiring to be satisfied with the crums that fall from Gods table and except God doe both giue and blesse his gifts to vs wee must perish for want of bread euen they whose Barnes are fullest crammed whose Winepresses breake with plenty whose Tables are ouercharged with prouision whose stomacks are distent with their full feedings such is our misery that we all want both what we haue not and what we haue if God giue not our bread 2 When we say to our father giue which teacheth vs to know the right owner of these things euen hee whom Melchisedech calleth The most high God possessour of heauen and earth To whom else should wee say giue but to him of whom the Apostle saith euery good giuing
Dauid saith O thou that hearest prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come Vpon which words Saint Augustine quare omnis caro quia carnem assumpsit Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same but Verily he tooke not on him the nature of Angels but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham The sinne of Angels for many reasons is an vnpardonable sinne a sinne vnto death and Saint Iohn saith I say not that thou pray for it 1 Because all men deriue themselues from one Adam he stood or fell for the whole species If God should haue beene extreame to marke and punish all that was amisse who could haue stood the Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men and found not one that did good not one and if God had not in iudgement thought vpon mercy all mankinde must needs haue perished in their sinnes But God at once creating innumerable Angels euery one stood or fell to his owne proper good or euill 2 The euill Angels corrupted themselues but man was by their suggestion and temptation corrupted and sinnes selfe-growing selfe-sowne are more prouoking then such as come by iniection and insinuation from without 3 The Angels ambition was to bee like God in his omnipotencie which is an incommunicable propertie of diuine essence and cannot bee imparted to any creature but man desired onely to be like God in his omniscience which we knost was committed to the soule of Christ in our nature 4 The Angels being intellectuall spirits and dwelling in the presence of God and enioying the full light of glory next to God would not offend by errour or ignorance but their transgression must needs be damnable apostacie from God and malitious opposition against God which is the sin against the holy Ghost not to bee 〈…〉 The schoole saith there be three sorts of will 1 Of God who neuer turneth 2 Of Angels which may turne but cannot returne 3 Of men who turne and returne But the Angels obstinacie is without returne Therefore those Misericordes as Augustine doth call them who deeme a possibilitie of the recouery of deuils to the fauour of God and of their saluation doe deceiue themselues and abuse the patience and ouerweene the mercy of God But we ought to pray one for another so Saint Iames admonisheth pray one for another that you may be healed for the effectuall feruent prayer of the righteous man auaileth much It is not vnprobable that the prayer of Christ father forgiue them serued effectually to the conuersion of the Centurion and the prayer of Stephen for the conuersion of Saul who kept the garments of them that stoned him God himselfe declared to the friends of Iob that Iob should pray for them to him and he promised to accept his face Or if you will looke higher God in a dreame reproued Abimelech for Sarah Abrahams wife and hee said to him Now therefore restore the man his wife for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee and thou shalt liue There is great reason why wee should pray for the pardoning of one anothers sinnes 1 Out of the zeale of piety to God that his name may be hallowed that his kingdome may bee reuealed and established that his will may bee done Vnrighteousnesse and sinne doe hinder the glory of God in all these So that if it were possible to root out all sinne nothing were more to bee desired that God might not be eclipsed in any of his glory 2 Out of charity to them that sinne that we may so beare one anothers burthens and endeuour the healing of their soares they be deuils and not men that would haue their brethren perish in their sinnes 3 Out of charity to our selues that 1 We may adde to our owne glory in heauen and encrease our owne ioy in the full society of the communion of Saints 2 That we may make our owne liues on earth more happy liuing amongst such as doe feare the Lord and hauing our conuersation amongst such as are purified which remoueth the two dangerous infections of euill counsell and euill example which corrupt many 4 Out of an holy indignation against sinne as being a thing of it selfe hatefull and abominable and extremely dangerous to both liues 5 Out of a sanctified malice against Sathan who raigneth in all the sonnes of disobedience whose pardon if we could obtaine of God by our prayers hee should haue no subiects 6 Out of faith in the sufficient sacrifice of Christ for when all of vs pray for the forgiuenesse of all mens sins we shew that the fountaine which God hath opened to the house of Dauid and to the Inhabitants of Israel for sinne and for vncleanenesse can neuer be drawne dry that there is water enough therein to wash vs all throughly to wash vs all cleane and to purge vs all from all sinnes This including all men in our prayers for the pardon of sinnes doth blame all those who by their euill example or by their counsaile doe prouoke or intice others to sinne How canst thou say to God dimitte nobis when thou giuest thy neighbour strong drinke â—â—ll 〈…〉 When thou tellest him tales in the whisper of secrecie to enfire him against his brother When thou by secret detraction dost make him appeare worse then he is When thou reioycest in his sinnes that they are the occasion of his ruine When thou makest thy selfe sport with the sinnes of thy brother all such reioycing is contrary to this petition and God will tell thee that thou art not in good earnest with him when thou prayest to haue him pardoned with thee and in good earnest hee that heareth thy prayers will not pardon thee the sinne of this petition I conclude this point of our duty 1 Search thy wayes for sinne 2 Confesse 3 Be contrite 4 Amend thy life 5 Seeke this pardon onely from God 6 Pray in charity and the Lord giue thee thy hearts desire and fulfill all thy counsaile 2 From the condition annexed to this petition as we forgiue them that are our debters or if wee reade it as a reason or motiue to put home the petition for pardon for we forgiue 1 We are taught to take notice of our naturall corruption which is such as we cannot liue in society one with another but one way or other we shall be offensiue one to another Our Sauiour therefore teacheth vs in this petition not to seeke the pardon of our owne sinnes to God but in the way of peace If we finde continuall need of Gods mercy to vs we must be mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull for that is his law proximum vt teipsum It is a great inducement to God to perswade our preuailing with him in this suite if wee see our hearts doe freely forgiue iniuries done to vs therefore when Christ taught vs this prayer this petition aboue all
also telleth vs by his experience Man that is borne of woman is of few daies and full of trouble The best of Gods seruants commonly smart most in these daily grieuances for iudgement beginneth at Gods house Dauid makes great moane often in his Psalmes griefes in his body vnquietnesse in his soule persecutions from his enemies and innumerable vexations S. Paul complaineth of laboures stripes imprisonments shipwrack many perils by land and by sea wearinesse painfulnesse watching fasting hunger thirst cold nakednesse And who is he that walketh conscionably in the feare of God that hath not cause to complaine with Dauid Innumerable troubles haue compassed me about 2 The remedy of this Pater noster libera nos The deliuerance here desired of our father is that copiosa redemptio plentifull redemption which Dauid doth speake of which is By grace of preuention to keepe them off from vs ne ingruant 2 By grace of subuention to support vs in these euils ne opprimant 3 By grace of full deliuerance to remoue them vtterly from vs ne destruant 1 For the grace of preuention Dauid was very neare a shrewd turne when Saul the king threw his iauelin at him So was he when Michall conueied him away through a window that he might escape the messengers which Saul sent of purpose to kill him S. Paul had such a deliuerance In Damascus the Gouernor vnder Aretas the king kept the city with a garrison desirous to apprehend me And through the windowes in a basket I was let downe by the wall and escaped The Scripture is full of examples of this kind and he that obserueth well the course of his own life will find many of these gratious preuentions of euill wherewith the hand of our great deliuerer hath kept off many euils from him Destruction was come euen to the very gates of Niniueh and within forty daies all had perished had not mercy interposed In 88. when Spaine girded on her harnesse against this land and came hitherward with purpose to inuade with the Popes promise to conquer and possesse this kingdome here was the Deuill suggesting the Pope abetting and the Spaniard attempting and God preuenting In 1605 the machination of the powder treason by the sonnes of Belial men of blood the corroboration of the plot by the agents for the Pope the secret abetment of it from Spaine the prosecution of it to the day of destruction lost all their strength and spit their venome vpon themselues in the defeat of their treason the destruction of the traitours and in the perpetuall reproach of Popish religion to all the ends of the world and to the last period of time All this by this preuenting goodnesse of God who kept vs from the euill and would not suffer vs to fall into the pit that they had digged for our soules For this Christ prayed his father Pater si possibile est transeat hic calix And this is that which is promised to the faithfull There shall no euill befall thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling He shall giue his Angels charge ne offendas This is the chiefest of Gods deliuerances and the fullest of Gods temporall mercies this also is a common and usuall tendernesse of God to vs to preserue vs from danger but this is neither so sensibly perceiued nor receiued so thankfully as it deserues It may bee we may report our strange escapes with wonder and tell them for newes but we do not commonly giue God the honor due to his name for them by praysing him for them as we ought 2 The grace of subuention in euils This was the fauour that the father did to the sonne in the agony that he suffered in the garden for hee sent to him then And there appeared to him an Angell from heauen strengthening him Christ our louing Sauiour chose rather to be comforted in his sorrowes then to bee kept quite from them for he did vndergoe them for vs as S. Ambrose sweetly saith Suscepit tristitiam meam vt mihi largiretur laetitiam suam and againe Debuit dolorem suscipere vt vinceret And God sent to him his Angell to comfort him in this distresse as Beda saith Sicut propter nos tristis est propter nos confortatur that we might know that so many as are by faith vnited to Christ haue interest in Gods spirituall consolations in the middest of all troubles Thus Saint Paul was comforted aboord the ship in his dangerous voyage to Rome the Angell of the Lord appeared to him and promised him his owne life and all their liues that sailed with him Thus was Noah supported in the deluge of the whole world Lot in the conflagration of Sodome Daniel in the den of Lyons the three Children in the fierie furnace Ioseph in the prison Peter also being in ward Our Father to whom wee pray euen as Ionah from the belly of hell is called the father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth vs in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort you which be in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of God So he himselfe is a comforter and he would haue vs comforters one to another and his Angels be comforters Yet for all this to make vp a full consolation Christ saith I will giue you another comforter and he promiseth his abode with vs for euer This grace of subuention though it doe not quit the afflictions yet it taketh away the euill of them so that the Saints of God are exprest reioycing in tribulations which they could not doe if the euill thereof were not remoued This mercy of subuention if neither charitie nor zeale desire it yet smart and paine will extort it from men for who suffers paine or griefe or losse or infamie but in the pang of the fit he cryeth God helpe me 3 The grace of full deliuerance Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all The snare is broken we are deliuered This fauour Noah and Lot had so had Daniel and the three Children first comforted in tribulations then deliuered from them and Ioseph of whom it is said that they put his feete in the stockes the iron entred into his soule He had the innocency of his cause to comfort him and though for a time he did suffer this affliction in the prison as a malefactor for so we must vnderstand the storie yet after some time of suffering God did giue him fauour in the sight of the Keeper and then he had comfort in his captiuity And as the Psalmist saith he abode there vntill the time that his word came the word of the Lord tryed him The King sent and loosed him the ruler of the people and let him goe free The time when his word came was the time when he interpreted to Pharaoh his double dreame then the word of
things reuealed done by all that loue and conscionably serue him 11 His goodnesse in himselfe and toward all things that haue being of him 12 His grace by which he declareth himselfe in Iesus Christ the father of vs all 13 His mercy in which he couereth our sinnes and pardoneth all our iniquities 14 His righteousnesse by which hee iustifieth his elect and condemneth the vngodly In all these God is glorious in his Church and his Church confesseth it 2 He is glorious in his workes It is a worke for the Sabbath to thinke of them Dauid makes two good vses of them 1 To debase himselfe 2 To exalt God O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth 3 He is glorious in his word 1 In veritate it is called verbum veritatis 2 In aeternitate durat in saeculum Truth maketh vs free and eternity crowneth vs with indesinent perpetuity Our faith is hereby supported that seeing our God is the King of glory and all our prayers are directed to his glory that he will therefore heare vs from heauen and when he heareth he will haue mercy And in that faith we all say Amen to these our holy deuotions MATH 6.13 Amen THis is the last gaspe of this heauenly prayer 1 Consider we what Amen is 2 To what it is said 3 By whom it must be said 4 How we must say it 1 What Amen is It is one of those Hebrew words which is retained in the vse of the Church in all languages and Gabriel Gerson saith it is vsed in Scripture three wayes 1 Nominaliter 2 Aduerbialiter 3 Verbaliter 1 Nominaliter and that 1 Personaliter 2 Realiter Thus it signifieth the truth of the person and so it is the appellation of Christ These things saith Amen the faithfull and true witnesse onely proper to Christ Ego veritas omnis homo mendax Thus it signifieth the truth of things so called all the promises of God in him are yea and Amen that is perfect truth 2 Aduerbialiter So it signifieth verily a word of earnest asseueration sometimes vsed single sometimes double Amen Amen Our Sauiour vseth it much in the Gospell alwaies in serious matters 1 In doctrina Baptism Verily I say vnto you nisi quis renatus fuerit c. 2 In doctrina Euchar. Amen Amen dico vobis Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no life in you 3 In doctrina orationis Amen Amen dico vobis quaecunque petieritis patrem in nominâ— meo dabit vobis 4 In the doctrine of comfort in afflictions Verily verily I say vnto you ye shall weepe and lament and the world shall reioyce but your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy So it is vsed in many other important passages in holy Scripture Origen per quod verbum vernaculo Hebraeorum sermone vera fidelia esse quae scripta sunt dicta consignatur Therefore where you finde that word beginne the sentence expect some thing of great moment to follow Attendite credite 3 Verbaliter And thus it is equiualent to So be it and is vsed in the close of 1 Thankesgiuing 2 Praise 3 And prayer 1 Of thankesgiuing The Apostle taketh care that this seruice bee performed lingua familiari Idiomate noto that Amen may be said to it 2 Of praise or blessing of God Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from euerlasting and to euerlasting Amen and Amen Blessed be the Lord for euermore Amen and Amen God teacheth his Leuites to blesse his people when they dismisse the congregation He addeth They shall put my name vpon the children of Israel Amen is his name and the seale of that blessing 3 Of prayer So our prayers end generally and it hath a double vse which I learne of two Fathers 1 Signaculum consensus nostri 2 Votum desiderij nostri 1 It sheweth our vnderstanding well informed 2 Our affections feruently inflamed 2 To what it is said 1 To the Preface 2 To the seuen petitions 3 To the Conclusion 1 To the Preface Here are three things of import 1 That wee chalenge interest in God and call him ours 2 That wee seeke his face as his children and call him Father 3 That we lift vp our hearts to him as being in heauen In all these we vse Amen both aduerbialiter and verbaliter 1 Amen verily he is ours it is vox fidei wee beleeue him so to be 1 We beleeue our right in him noster 2 His loue to vs in Pater 3 His prouident power ouer vs by reason his dwelling is in heauen from whom euery good and perfect gift commeth Amen verily as Aquila fideliter as Origene ad confirmationem omnium quae dicta suut all this is true This is signaculum fidei He that sealeth to his conscience a full perswasion that God dwelling in heauen is his father may be bold to goe on with all the seuen petitions He that will pray let him aske in faith and wauer not Heare the Church prayer Looke downe from heauen and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and glory where is thy zeale and strength and the multitude of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham bee ignorant of vs though Israel acknowledge vs not thou O Lord art our Father our redeemer c. Say Amen to this and pray on There is also another vse of Amen by way of blessing our selues in the name of the Lord. Amen So be it for this is votum desiderij nostri 1 That he may owne vs and call vs his 2 That he may loue vs and call vs children 3 That he may possesse the place From whence euery good gift commeth That his prouidence may be our storehouse to supply all our wants That his loue may be our banner That his power may be our fenced citie So be it 2 Amen to the petitions Amen to the whole body of the prayer Amen to euery part of it not onely to euery petition but to euery member thereof 2 Aduerbiabiter 1 For our hearts must be established with a full perswasion that it cannot goe well with vs by any meanes except all this be done that we pray for 1 The name of God which is our tower and refuge must be hallowed else quo fugiemus 2 The kingdome of God must come else who shall raigne ouer vs 3 The will of God must be obeied by vs and fulfilled vpon vs for it is his will to saue vs. 4 And if this will of God be not obeyed on earth according to the patterne of heauenly obedience performed by the Angels and Saints of God it will not be accepted in his sight 5 If he giue vs not bread and his blessing with it we shall not liue in his sight 6 If he forgiue vs not wee