high authority of their Master who by this direction may establish the same as a perpetuall law to his Church to be alwayes in force and may endeare to vs the direction as proceeding from one who not only had wisdome to instruct but authority also to establish his holy instruction in the Church for all ages thereof 2 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheweth that they desire to bee learners of the art of prayer of him for who better knoweth what may be obtained of God then he who is in the bosome of his father and who better knoweth that we haue need to demand by prayer then hee who hauing taken to him the similitude of sinfull flesh though without sinne hath with it taken vpon him all our infirmities and was in all things like vnto vs sin only excepted For Such an high Priest it became vs to haue who could haue in himselfe the sense and experience of our infirmities and necessities seeing none but such could well instruct vs in these things Againe seeing all our petitions to the father are deliuered vp to him in his name as he is the great Master of the requests to the great King of glory so it was fit that he should approue our petitions which can by no better meanes be performed then by his direction of them and giuing vs instruction what to request of God Their request is to bee taught by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to pray teach vs the art of prayer for to teach them words to be sayed and repeated is not to teach them to pray but to say prayers They need not goe to so great a Master to learne to say prayers any that can teach to speake or to read may teach that Their request entendeth to the very skill and wisdome of praier They consider that prayer is an addresse of their deuotions to God and therefore it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pray to that is to inuocate the Lord to pray to the father Our lesson then is to make choice of this Doctor of the Church this chiefe Doctor of the chaire more then Seraphicall or illuminate the very light of the world and to borrow our light from this Sol justitiae in all dutyes of piety and charity Indeed his Discite à me fils his schoole with all such disciples as are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all reall parts of Gods worship we are to admit no other direction but his they who direct by his warrant And in that sense he saith Be ye not called Rabbi or teachers for on is your teacher euen Christ one by authority all the rest by deputation The name therefore of teacher is proper only in fulnesse of sense to Christ who in our ministery is the teacher of his Church And though some affecting new formes of speech haue of late called the Ministers of the word Teachers and their sermons teaching in a nice nouelty to auoyd the titles vsed by the Church yet let mee tell them that the names of Preachers and preaching are a great deale more modest and expresse our office better and fuller for Christ is the proper teacher and wee as his curates doe but preach his teachings to his Church And if they accompt it a bold ascription to vs to call vs pardoners though Christ saith whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted They may as well thinke it too much to call vs teachers and our sermons teaching to whom Christ also said Ite docete Though I professe distaste of vpstart nouelties yet I admonish you that the title of teacher is peculiar to Christ and if any be so in loue with that forme of nuncupation as to preferre it before the Church-receiued titles I giue them warning of robbing Christ of his due honour let our teachers and teaching bee vnderstood no otherwise but as the Apostle saith nos legatione fungimur and so are in steed of Christ from whose instructions we must not varie And therefore the wise men of Berea did will to examine the preachings of S. Paul by the Scriptures to see by what warrant he instructed them and to enquire who sent them and put their word into their mouth for if Christ be not the teacher wee must not be Disciples 3 The instance as Iohn also taught his Disciples vide diuis pag. 3. Wherein we haue to consider 1 Who Iohn was 2 That he had Disciples whom he taught 3 He taught them to pray 1 Who Iohn was He was the sonne of Zecharie and Elizabeth borne to them in their old age and sanctified in the wombe to the office of a forerunner to prepare the way for Christ as S. Luke at large reports the storie of his natiuitie Christ saith of him Non surrexit maior amongst all that were borne of women then Iohn meaning in respect of his office for whereas all that went before him preached Christ to come and promised he pointed at Christ then appearing and performed to the Church saying This is he Ecce agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mundi Yet he that is least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he by the kingdome of heauen is meant the cleare preaching of the full Gospell of Iesus Christ and the least of those Preachers who could preach Christ crucified dead and buried raised vp to life and ascended to the Father is greater in the office of ministration of the Gospell then Iohn This Iohn was called the Baptist for that he was the first Minister of that Sacrament and which was to the honour both of the Minister and the Sacrament he baptized Christ himselfe in Iordane at which time both the holy Ghost descended in the forme of a Doue and rested vpon Christ and hee that sent him proclaimed him from heauen his welbeloued Sonne in whom he was well pleased He liued a most holy life seuere and retired saue when he came abroad to teach and baptize he was generally much honoured of the people though some maligned him and in the end he dyed a Martyr for preaching to Herod that it was vnlawfull for him to breake the commandement of God by incestuous commistion with his brother Philips wife By whose suggestion Herodias her daughter begged his head of Herod at a feast vpon aduantage taken of the Kings ouerliberall oath and so he was beheaded in prison thus much the Euangelists doe report of him Whereas Malachie prophecieth of the comming of Eliah the Prophet Behold I will send you Eliah the Prophet before the comming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord. Which many vnderstanding literally haue made themselues beleeue that the same Eliah who was taken vp in a fiery Chariot should come downe againe into the earth before the day of iudgement our Sauiour Christ hath cleared that prophecie folly saying of Iohn This is he of whom it is written I will send my messenger
enemies 1 Sathan takes vpon him to be the Prince of this world and maketh many beleeue that hee hath power to giue kingdomes where he listeth 2 The Pope vsurpeth dominion ouer all Princes and giues out that God hath set him in the world ouer the nations and ouer kingdomes to roote out and to pull downe and to destroy and to throw downe and to build and io plant Blasphemously applying to himselfe the power which God giueth to his Word in the Ministery of the Prophets 3 There is imperium peccati of which the Apostle saith When they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened professing themselues wise they became fooles and changed the glory of the vncorruptible God into an image made like to a corruptible man and to birdes and four-footed beastes and creeping things 4 There is imperium mortis Death reigned from Adam to Moses That is before the law was written much more hath death reigned since the law published for the strength of sinne is the law Death came in by sinne and hath dilated an empire ouer all the earth that we see daily what desolations it maketh in the same It is appointed to al men once to die 2 Concerning Sathan Christ saith The Prince of this world is cast out and Saint Paul saith The God of peace shall crush Sathan vnder your feete shortly And when we pray Let the kingdome of thy power come we pray that God would destroy the kingdome of Sathan and cast him out and tread him vnder our feete that God may reigne abroad gloriously in the world 2 Concerning the Pope hee is that Antichrist that man of sinne the sonne of perdition of which the Apostle speaketh who exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God or is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God But it followeth that The Lord shall consume him with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy him with the brightnesse of his comming Whose comming is after the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders Therfore when we pray that the kingdome of Gods power may come wee pray that God would be pleased to appeare in power against this vsurper and deluder of his subiects to destroy him that he may no longer infatuate and befoole the world with an opinion of his power or holinesse but that hee may be reuealed as hee is a man of sinne ful of subtilty and the child of the deuil as Simon Magus his predecessor and the true founder of his impostures was 3 Concerning sinne the Apostle hath aduised Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies that you should obey it in the lusts thereof He hath also comforted vs againe Sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you for yee are not vnder the Law but vnder Grace Wee pray therefore that God would exercise this his power against the kingdome of sinne that the body of sinne may be destroyed that henceforth wee should not serue sinne For the Dominion of sinne doth teach men to resist the power of God and to say Nolumus hunc regnare super nos it teacheth man to be proud and cruell Dauid Lord how long shall the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph How long shall they vtter and speake hard things and all the workers of iniquity bâ—ast themselues They breake in peeces thy people O Lord and afflict thine heritage They slay the widow and the fatherlesse and murther the stranger Yet they say the Lord shall not see Sinne is a dominearing and daring tyrant so that wee haue cause with Dauid to awake the iustice of God against it O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy selfe Lift vp thy selfe thou iudge of the earth render a reward to the proud and that is our adveniat regnum tuum 4 Concerning death which maketh such hauocke in the workes of God God hath said O death I will be thy plagues O graue I will be thy destruction repentance shall be hid from mine eyes And this is that we pray for let thy kingdome of thy power destroy death for euer that we may insult ouer it saying O death where is thy sling O graue where is thy victory We pray God to take his rod of yron into his hand and to breake in peeces all the rebels to his kingdome of power here on earth 2 Concerning the kingdome of grace 1 We pray that that kingdome may come that is that God would declare his Sonne the king and Soueraigne Monarch of his Church and that he would rule therein by his Word and holy Spirit 2 That God would aduance the kingdome of his Sonne Iesus Christ in the hearts of all his elect people seuerally that they may liue in the knowledge loue faith and obedience of him 1 And this is a most necessarie petition to be put vp often to God in regard of those enemies which doe oppose this domination and seeke to dethrone the Sonne of God in vs. 2 And in regard of those necessarie graces which are wanting in vs and can by no other way be supplied but by the aduancement and establishment of that kingdom in vs. 1 For the enemies of this kingdome 1 The great enemie of the Church is Sathan the Prince of darkenesse that great red Dragon in the Reuelation that watched the woman with childe to deuoure the fruite of her wombe as soone as it should be borne this is the Deuil persecuting the Church of God the fruitfull mother of the elect whose issue we are This is he that corrupted our first parents in Paradice by his temptations and hauing sowed his seed of all iniquitie in them defiled the whole nature of mankind and made it obnoxious to the curse of the Law And when the second Adam came to accomplish the remedy of that fall hee persecuted him by Herod in his infancie that he was to be carried into Egypt for refuge and after his Baptisme hee tempted him in the wildernesse fortie dayes and this Prince of the world set many a worke to bring him to the Crosse he came himselfe to him with a new assault a little before his passion as Christ himselfe confest but he had nought in him of his to worke vpon This Lyon goeth about continually compassing the earth seeking whom he may deuoure whom resist saith Peter our way of resistance is to pray Adueniat regnum tuum 2 The world is an enemie to this kingdome of Christ for Christ saith The world hateth you because you are not of the world that is the wicked sonnes of disobedience who are called filij saeculi huius Vnder this title of the world I comprehend all the open and secret enemies of the Gospell The Pope here we will giue him the first place because his scarlet vesturs are died
the Lord tryed him and approued him innocent of the great offence for which he lay bound We can cry loud in the smart of paine and griefe for this full deliuerance as Saint Paul when he had as hee saith a Thorne in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet him Which I conceiue to be some sharpe bodily sicknesse accompanied with some strong and dangerous temptations But in that affliction as Dauid saith when his sore ranne and ceased not he confesseth for this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me Here he craueth deliuerance from euill a full riddance such as may amount to a finall departure of it from him This kinde of deliuerance God doth esteeme meritorious and therefore he putteth it in the front of the law I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the house of bondage this was but a figure of our deliuerance from the deuill for which hee exacteth a strict obedience of his whole law And we are deliuered still from euils for that being deliuered from the hand of our enemies c. liberati de manu inimicorum serntamus ei 2 Next followeth the deliuerer We haue warrant here to aske deliuerance of none to seeke deliuerance no where but from God for as Dauid saith Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who made heauen and earth The heathens had their two sorts of gods 1 Their white gods to whom they went for all good turnes 2 Their blacke gods which were depulsores malorum they resorted to them against euils We know but one God and of him we say Loe this is our God we haue waited for him and he will saue vs this is the Lord we haue waited for him we will be glad and reioyce in his saluation This agrees with the title that Iob giueth to God O thou preseruer of men And that which Saint Peter giueth him who calleth him a faithfull Creator God himselfe telleth vs so There is no God beside me a iust God and a Sauiour there is none beside me Looke vnto me and be ye saued all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else Three times together in two verses he hath excluded all other there is none else Let vs see how they haue sped that sought deliuerance any other way and not from God In the great famine of Samaria a woman sues to the King crying Helpe my Lord O King but the King answered her If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence should I helpe thee out of the barne floore or out of the winepresse And therefore Dauid saith Trust not in Princes nor in any sonne of man for there is no helpe in them In the danger of warre Israel sought helpe from Egypt and they had this thanke for their labour Woe be to them that goe downe to Egypt for helpe and stay on horses and trust in Chariots and in horsemen because they are many and very strong but they looke not to the holy one of Israel neither seeke the Lord. 3 Here is their errour the Egyptians are men and not God and their horses flesh and not spirit when the Lord shall stretch forth his hand he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall downe and they shall all faile together In disease Asa King of Iudah committed that errour recorded to his infamie In the 39. yeare of his raigne he was diseased in his feete vntill his disease was exceeding great yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physitians To the Lord and not to the Physitians to the Physitians and not to the Lord both wrong To both the author and meanes he should haue sought 4 Saul wanting helpe in case of intelligence went to consult Almighty God as he had vsed to doe in his serious affaires often with good successe But the Lord answered him not Therefore in that distresse he went to the woman the Witch of Endor that had a familiar spirit and she presented to him a representation of Samuel who was dead from whom he receiued a true prediction of his future sorrowes Whether the successe of this example or the naturall itch that is in our desire to know future euents or whatsoeuer other heathenish rapture doth transport many so it is that Witches and Wizards are yet frequented both for intelligence and health in griefes and losse as if he that is euill in abstract and concrete could be authour of any good to men This hangs not well together to pray to God to deliuer vs from euill and craue helpe of him who is of all euils the worst to demand the truth of a lyar to seeke health of a murtherer to procure deliuerance or desire helpe from the deuill Dauid saith well that God made man pure but hee sought many inuentions Some in euils either feared or prement flye to the name of Iesus not religiously trusting in him that carries saluation in his name but superstitiously ouer-weening the letters syllables and sound of that name as if the deuill were afraid of that word And the cunning Serpent hath not spared sometimes to pretend a feare of it of purpose to nourish that superstition which hath made it passible in the Church of Rome But Sathan dares shew himself against that name as we see Then certaine of the vagabond Iewes exorcists tooke vpon them to call ouer them that had vncleane spirits the name of the Lord Iesus saying we adiure you by Iesus whom Paul preached But obserue the successe The man in whom the euill spirit was leapt vpon them and ouercame them and preuailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded Did this abate any thing of the honour or power of that name amongst the faithfull the next verse saith no. And this was knowne to all the Iewes and Greekes also dwelling at Ephesus and feare fell on them all and the name of the Lord Iesus was magnified For they did rightly conceiue that the name of Iesus was prophaned by those exorcists seeing not that name but the faith in it was the rod of Sathan for the faith of Gods people hath power not from the syllables of that name but from the efficacie of his power who carrieth that name to scourge Sathan 6 Others for preuention or subuention in euils haue reforted to the signe of the Crosse it is in the Church of Rome an ordinary munition against all euils The Popish Legends are full of pretty tales of the great wonders that the signe of the Crosse hath effected in depulsion of euils Gregory the great tels a true storie quia pene tanti de eo testes sunt quanti babitatores eiusdem loci existunt Yet none could testifie it but vpon one mans credit a Iew belated and wanting lodging reposed himselfe neare to Apolloes Temple in Rome qui quamâ—is fidem
although they went too farre in this opinion of the force of imitation wee may truely charge a great deale euen the most of our euill vpon it It giueth all Superiors warning to obserue their whole carriage warily For children wil take great notice what their Parents say or doe the eyes of the Hand-maid vpon the hand of her Mistresse the eyes of Pupils on their Tutors of Subiects to their Soueraigne and their good example may doe much good their ill example may corrupt and peruert much here Christs example of praying did put them all vpon it to make a motion concerning praier Obserue also a modest ciuill manner obserued amongst them though there were many of them I suppose the full number of his Disciples yet but one speaketh for all It is a good precept of the Apostles and applyable to all conuersations of men Let all things be done decently and in good order In our publique meetings where all of vs doe come to moue our God in petitions for things necessary for vs it were a rude and vnciuill confusion if we should all speake at once euery man the desire of his heart therefore the Minister is appointed to speake for vs all and we as before declare our consent of hearts either in some short eiaculation of prayer or in our deuout Amen 3 The motion it selfe Lord teach vs to pray Wherein obserue 1 That they found it a necessary duty to pray 2 That they found themselues not well instructed in that duty and therefore desired to be taught 3 That they resort to their Master and intreate him to teach them 1 They finde it a necessary duty If there had beene no other prouocation but the example of their faithfull Master that had beene sufficient to proue to them the necessitie of this duty 1 I cannot conceiue of these Disciples that they were vtterly ignorant of this duty before because I know that prayer which is the inuocation of power able to helpe vs as we beleeue is a suggestion of nature for as no man is simpliciter atheos but beleeues in some deity whose power is sufficient to protect them from euill and to giue them supply of their wants so naturall reason directeth to seeke that protection and supply by way of petition and therefore in the ship that transported Ionah in the storme euery man called vpon his god Euery man had a god to whom he might flye in time of need and danger and in that extremitie to that god euery man directed his prayer therefore the Disciples could not be ignorant of this duty which is a lesson taught in the schoole of nature 2 The practise of the Church taught them the vse of prayer there was Domus orationis and men vsually went vp thither to pray The Scribes and Pharises were great examples of frequent of long prayers Neither can I suspect these Disciples strangers to the better examples of the holy men and women of foregoing times whose holy deuotion and worship of God those Bookes of Scripture which then were read publiquely in their Synagogues did sufficiently declare But all this is helped and their affections be now by Christs example stirred to apprehend the necessity therof more then before Examples be of great vse in this kinde Beloued this is a necessary point to be taught and beleeued whosoeuer shall desire to be instructed in the doctrine of prayer let him be first perswaded of the necessity of this duty Two things doe make this duty of prayer necessary in the Church and amongst the holy seruants of God 1 The ordinance of God who hath commanded it 2 Our owne necessities which are no other way to be relieued 1 Concerning Gods ordinance We finde it often commanded in Scripture in direct termes and it is implied in the two great Commandements of the Law for not onely obedience is commanded therein but all those holy duties also by which our obedience may be any waies furthered and that giues great place in the precept to prayer seeing that is the chiefest meanes by which we doe obtaine that ability by which the law of God is in any measure fulfilled And therefore it is a note of the faithfull that they be viri orationum and where God giueth his spirit there is prayer for his is a spirit of grace and supplications Vnder the name of prayer is comprehended the whole duty of Christian religion for the Apostle saith Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Which words are taken from the Prophet Ioel as the margent of the Bibles directeth you And it is vrged also by the Apostle Saint Peter And the Apostle doth well declare that prayer is the chiefe part of Gods worship by that gradation for no man praieth aright but he that beleeueth and none beleeueth but hee that hath heard and none can heare without a Preacher none can Preach except he be sent In which gradation you may obserue the whole worke of mans guiding to saluation is accomplished in prayer For first God sendeth his Minister to Preach his word to his Church he is not disobedient to the heauenly calling but goeth on the errand of God and preacheth in season and out of season The faithfull heare the word from him faith commeth by this hearing and doth bring forth this ripe fruit of inuocation so that the worke of meanes is compleate in prayer and saluation followeth which maketh prayer the summe of Christian duty and to stand there for the whole exercise and practise of religion In the contrary Dauid describing the vngodly by many notes doth conclude with this as the last and strongest proofe to conuince them of vngodlinesse They call not vpon the name of the Lord. The reason on Gods part is for by prayer God is honoured This declareth him to be God when the eyes of all things looke vp to him when wee seeke his face and confesse him the onely giuer of euery good and perfect gift this is a sacrifice of righteousnesse With such sacrifices GOD is pleased so that our Sauiour pressed no doctrine more by precept then prayer in three seuerall words commanding the same thing Petite quaerite pulsate And to encourage the seruice hee directeth vs both in the matter and forme of praier and in the way and meanes to the Father in his name and he fortifieth the precept with full and gratious promises made to them that doe pray to him And the Apostles doe so much vrge this duty Saint Paul to pray continually to put our whole strength to prayer Saint Iames vrgeth the same precept and sheweth that wisedome is obtained by prayer and declareth what it is that makes many prayers miscarry when we aske amisse But the feruent prayers of the iust doe speed alwaies 2 Another matter that necessitateth the duty of prayer is that God hath left vs no other reuealed meanes to obtaine supply of our wants but by prayer insomuch as
what God hath directly promised to vs yet hee requireth vs to demand this of him by prayer whether it be for giuing vs good things or for remouing euill from vs. God himselfe doth giue it a cause of his indignation against Iacob Thou hast not called vpon me O Iacob therefore I haue giuen Iacob to the curse and Israel to reproach God in fauour meant to forgiue the friends of Iob who had not spoken right of him as Iob had done and therefore he blameth them and sheweth his anger kindled against them yet notwithstanding hee directeth them the way of their reconciliation to him They must offer sacrifice to God for themselues and Iob must pray for them Him I will accept saith God so his prayer preuailed for them with God The like fauour God meant to Abimelech yet hee passed it to him by prayer by the prayer of Abraham He is a Prophet he shall pray for thee viues Pharaoh himselfe could discerne that there was no way out of the plague that oppressed Egypt but by prayer and therefore he saith to Moses Intreate the Lord that he may take away the Frogges from me and my people It is obiected that the wicked of the earth doe possesse many great fauours of God and in more plenty then the iust and yet they neither pray for what they want nor giue thankes for what they receiue and indeed God is not in all their waies Let not this quench our zeale or abate any thing from the reuerent frequencie of this holy duty for God the Father hath two manners and kindes of distribution and dispensation of his fauours amongst the children of men here on earth 1 God bestoweth his gifts as a faithfull Creator and so he is conseruer of his creatures by a generall prouidence and thus he letteth his Sunne shine and his raine fall vpon the iust and vniust thus he openeth his hand and filleth all things with plenty 2 God bestoweth other fauours as a mercifull Father for Iesus Christs sake and with those fauours his blessing goeth forth and passeth vpon them onely that feare him for seeing he hath ordained Christ his Sonne to be the way of his blessing all the benefits that he bestoweth on man without the mediation of Iesus Christ doe come without his blessing The vngodly of the earth doe receiue many of Gods common gifts but not by the way of grace therefore they are without his blessing so that we cannot esteeme the owners thereof rich seeing the blessing of God maketh man truely rich But whatsoeuer the vngodly possesse is to them vnsanctified therefore let not our eye be set vpon that which they haue and enioy to enuy their prosperity rather let vs consider the want of Gods blessing to lament their miserie and let Saint Paul teach vs that The good things which God bestoweth on his deare children are sanctified by the word of God and by prayer Thus the gifts of God are made blessings to vs the holy Ghost hath an hand in the dispensation of them to Gods glory in vs the aduancement of our saluation The difference betweene these two receiuers doth appeare to vs 1 In the effect that these gifts worke in them 2 In the vse to which they are applied 1 For the effect Where God for Christs sake doth bestow and wee doe receiue good things from him there followeth contentation which euer accompanieth godlinesse but the vngodly man is neuer satisfied 2 For the vse The iust man applieth all the gifts of God to three ends 1 To the glory of God for he vseth the gifts of God as the faculties of well doing whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God 2 To the good of our neighbour for that is the law proximum tuum vt teipsum so that in the Church of God there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and both our spirituall and temporall gifts doe by communion of charity so participate themselues to our brethren and sisters as the stomach in the body receiueth in nourishing food not for it selfe onely though into it selfe first but for the good of the whole body 3 Because the end of our creation was not for this life and we haue here no abiding city therefore the faithfull doe apply all the gifts of God as helpes to the prosecution of eternall life whereas the vngodly finde them impediments to them the cause is for they make them the end of their labours and fixe their hearts vpon them The doctrine of the necessity of prayer is thus cleared from the Commandement by which it is imposed and from our necessities no other way to be relieued 2 In the next place I obserued in those Disciples that they found themselues not well instructed in that seruice of God and therefore desire to be taught And this is a common defect for although by a naturall instinct we know that good things are sought by prayer and the wants and griefes which we doe feele will easily breake forth into words yet the Apostle saith Wee know not what wee should pray for as we ought I vnderstand that the Apostles doe here desire to be instructed 1 In the matter of prayer what to aske 2 In the manner of it as they ought But because this motion doth arise from a sense of defect in themselues we know not saith Saint Paul 1 Then of that sense 1 Euery man hath this defect for flesh and bloud is not wise enough to pray prayer is the worke of a better spirit then that which enliues and actuates our mortall bodies it is the worke of the holy Ghost the same spirit that is the spirit of grace is also the spirit of supplications But euery man doth not feele this defect for many doe ouerweene their ability this way and despise the helpe of all set prayers and take vpon them to be able without any other directions to tell their owne tales to God Almighty and vpon this ability which they conceiue in themselues for this seruice they doe neglect the publique meetings of our Church to our common prayers I iudge not their sufficiencie that way but I must admonish you that you doe mistrust it euery man in himselfe so farre as to put all the feare and holy reuerence you can to this worke For if we be carefull in petitions to great personages and Princes to weigh our words and to aduise with our best care both what and how we desire This holy seruice of God which is so maine a part of Gods worship cannot bee vndertaken with too much feare and reuerence wee cannot come too prepared to this conference with our God They that are sensible hereof as no doubt these Apostles were doe well to desire to be taught Wee had need to bee taught our owne and it is not quenching the spirit in our brethren to admonish them of this naturall vnfitnesse that is in vs to pray
we examine you what is meant by the name of God what it is to hallow it what is meant by the kingdome of God and how would you haue it come c. If you doe not vnderstand what you aske of God in these petitions are you any better then those byrds that are taught to speake but cannot vnderstand And doe not the Papists pray to as good purpose in Latine as you in English if you vnderstand not what you aske Therefore for your better information resort to such as Christ hath left in his Church to instruct you and say doce me orare For if you vnderstand not your selues in your petitions neither will God vnderstand you 2 We must pray with reuerence This must be inward of the soule and outward of the body The soule must compose it selfe in holy feare to this conference with God lest when we doe seeke for mercy from him we awake his power and iustice against our selues Our prayer applyeth it selfe that way from whence our helpe commeth and Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth Prayer is called the calling vpon the name of the Lord and David saith holy and reuerent is his name The old law amongst the heathen for their homely gods was Deos castè adeunto There is in God greatnesse which filleth vs with feare and goodnesse which filleth vs with hope the inward reuerence that we must bring with vs to prayer must be a mixt composition of the heart partly put on with hope and partly stopped with feare for all feare will keep vs away from God and all hope will make vs too bold when we come to him To this must be added to expresse this outward reuerence for the body must not sit out in this holy seruice that is the temple of the holy ghost euery whit of it must shew reuerence I deny not but the heart may pray reuerently to God in inward deuotion when no appearance thereof comes abroad in voice in posture in gesture in countenance But ordinarily the prostration of the body or geniculation the lifting vp of the eyes and hands haue beene the expressions of prayer in great examples And the consideration of the great and high Maiestie of God may well stoope vs to these reuerend formes which ought not to be forborne where with conuenience they may be vsed for God challengeth it as a part of his honour To mee shall euery knee bow and he giues it in reward to his sonne that at his name euery knee shall bow and euery tongue shall confesse to him 3 In perfect sense of our want 1 For if we pray for good things wee must feele the want of them and rightly vnderstand that neither wee can well be without them neither are we able to receiue them any where else then from the open giuing hand of God neither can we desire them of him by any meritorious seruice we can performe to him rather wee deserue all ill at his hands malum poenae to reuenge in vs malum culpae Neither can we haue them from him but by way of petition as he hath commanded vs. 2 If we pray against euill wee must feele our selues iustly imbarqued in the feare or smart thereof and that none but the preseruer of man can either preuent the euill that we feare or subuent vs in the euill wee feele none but he can defend vs against it or protect vs in it or deliuer vs from it Therefore we must heartily affect the good that we pray for and perfectly abhorre the euill against which we pray 4 We must pray in feruencie of spirit so the Apostle admonishing vs to many holy duties addeth this Continuing instant in prayer for qui timidè rogat docet negare and therefore hee requireth vs to be feruent in the spirit olla feruens seipsum purgat The prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent It is noted in the best example of all that Christ in the daies of his flesh offered vp his prayers and supplications to his Father with strong cries and teares the Euangelist addeth with sweat trickling downe his face of water and bloud which was like the plague of fire mingled with haile amongst the Egyptians for that shower of water and bloud which Christ wept from his agonized body did lay and calme the storme of Gods indignation against sinne and did burne vp and drown the proud Prince of darkenesse that he was neuer able to preuaile against the Church and death was swallowed vp in victory The greatest prayer is that holy fire with which the Church fighteth against Sathan and therefore feruent prayer is by Saint Augustine called Deo sacrificium oranti subsidium daemonibus flagellum They that offer vp to God their prayers in the heate of fury as the two sonnes of thunder let fire come from heauen and consume the Samaritans and that vent the bitternesse of their intemperate spleene in curses and imprecations to Gods dishonour and the breach of charity they do offer strange fire and this offering doth expose the offerers thereof to the fire of Gods fury This feruor is in respect of the holinesse of God 5 We must pray in sincerity of heart not in hypocrisie the sincere heart is in good earnest with God and therefore is importunate resembled therefore to hunger 〈…〉 man which indangereth miscarrying if it be not satisfied There is no way for prayers that come of some double hearts God is one and Cor simplex that is sine plicis is his delight this in respect of the wisedome of God 6 We must pray in faith Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith And Saint Iames Let him aske in faith nothing wauering for hee that wauereth is like a waue of the sea driuen with the wind and tossed for let not that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord. The ground of this faith is the goodnesse and truth of God whose promise bindeth him to grant all that wee aske of him in the name of his Sonne 7 Wee must pray in the mediation of Iesus Christ for if we consider the greatnesse and glory of God it is such that the Angels when they stand before God doe couer their faces with their wings therefore there is no appearing for vs sinfull men in the presence of that glorious Maiestie of our selues but we must goe by the way of a Mediatour to him This was figured in the old law in the High Priest who did beare the names of the children of Israel before the Lord. Aaron was a figure of Iesus Christ who is declared our onely Mediatour for there is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus Quid est dulcius quam genitorem in nomine vnigeniti inuocare Aug. med cap. 5. So much of the world as acknowledge
them And to him alone wee direct our praiers not vnto them for they know vs not so saith the praier of the true Church Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham bee ignorant of vs and Israel acknowledge vs not thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy name is from euerlasting If Abraham the father of the faithfull and the friend of God be ignorant of vs I know not how hee should heare or know our praiers 6 They alleadge Luke 15.10 Where Christ saith there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God ouer one sinner that repenteth a grosse non sequitur so Saints may be praied to 7 They alleadge Luk. 16.9 Make to your selues friends of the Mammon of vnrighteousnesse that when ye faile they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations How this may make to their purpose their owne Stella saith Nihil aliud Christus hisce verbis innuere voluit nisi vt bona nostra pauperibus impartiamur vt in aternis habitaculis recipiamur And there is nothing that soundeth at all to the iustification of inuocation of Saints But these are the false shewes that the Papists make to blinde the eyes of the ignorant and to benight the cleare light of the Gospell If they could but diuert vs from God that wee might seeke for helpe any where but from him they had their will of vs but our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth and we say with the holy Church O Lord our God other Lords beside thee haue had dominion ouer vs but by thee onely will we make mention of thy name They alleadge that they doe not pray to them as to the giuers of good things but as to Mediators to pray to God for these things for vs. And so they rob not God of his due worship but giue due honour to Angels and Saints So the Spalatine changeling doth excuse it in his Manifesto But we answere 1 That they teach so but practise the contrary as all their Missalls and Breuiaries and Rosaries doe demonstrate Their inuocation of Saint Roch. Tu qui Deo es tam charus Et in luce valde clarus Sana tuos famulos Et a peste nos defende Opem nobis ac impende Contra morbi stimulos It is their owne saying deum Rocho per angelum promisisse vt qui ipsum inuocarent a peste liberarentur You see they inuocate him not as the Procter a father whom wee doe solicite by our prayers for Christ saith Fathers doe know to giue good gifts vnto their children and it is good praying where there is good to be gotten by it The wicked and vngodly of the earth doe not beleeue any such supreame goodnesse in diuine prouidence You heare what they say in Zephan The Lord will doe no good neither will he doe euill A most vnhappy condition of men who cannot looke beyond and aboue earth for good things naturall light doth reueale this truth to men without the Church for the Apostle saith God left not himselfe without witnesse in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse This is the worke of a father thus to prouide good things for his children and so we goe not beyond the Gentiles in this who are not yet come into the communion of the Church The booke of nature the great volume of Gods workes is written within and without with this name of a Father so that if the Councell of hell like the Councell of Trent would deuise an Index expurgatorius to put out the testimonie of Gods fatherhood the darkenesse of hell would not be darke enough to benight this light But wee who are the Disciples of Christ that learne Rea. 2 of him to call God Father doe plead a nearer interest in his loue then those that are without can pretend for he that is our warrant to call him by that name doth thereby inuite vs to pray and to call vpon him in all our necessities God hath many great and glorious titles which would rather discourage then inuite inuocation the terrour of his Maiestie is such that the Angels are said to couer their faces when they appeare before him If we heare him called the God strong and mightie how dare we the poore wormes and grashoppers of the earth approach him If we call him the holy one of Israel how dare we that are conceiued in sinne and borne in iniquity whose life is polluted with a daily infection of actuall transgressions draw neere to him If we call him Lord of heauen and earth how dare wee that haue not giuen him the honour due to his name that haue not obeyed his holy and iust commandements solicite him If we call him King of Kings how dare we that haue said nolumus hunc regnare super nos come in his sight rebels to his will vassailes to his enemie There is no name so fit for inuocation as the name of a Father that is a name of such louing coniunction that when we haue wasted our whole portion and dishonoured our parentage are come to the lowest ebbe of all worthinesse to the fullest sea of all indignity yet there is hope in that name of a Father as there is of the end of the root of a tree cut downe and whose very root is rotten in the earth for there is a scent of water that will keepe life in vs and giue vs vegetation from the iuyce of that name 1 A King offended with a Subiect may banish him his dominions for euer 2 An husband iustly prouoked by his false and disloyall wife may separate from her by diuorcement 3 A Master may reuenge the trespasses of his vnprofitable seruant by turning him out of his seruice and forbidding him his house 4 Fratrum quoque gratia rara the quarrels of brethren hardly reconciled like a Castle barricadoed 5 Friends may forget the louing interest that they haue exchanged one with another But the name of a Father is a name of such tendernesse as will carry a plea when all these doe faile Can a Father forget can a Mother forget as putting it for a kinde of impossibilitie Dauid cannot forget Absolon hee did him two the most incompatible iniuries that could be offered to iealousie in his wiues he defiled them in the sight of the sunne and of the people in his kingdome for hee attempted the dethroning of him and sought the Crowne in the bloud of his father yet Dauid forgat not that he was his father hee pardoned him liuing he deplored him dead would God I had dyed for thee c. So that one commeth to God touched with a conscionable remorse of all his sinnes saying Etsi ego amisi ingenuitatem filij tu non amisisti pietatem patris So that the name of Father here giuen to God doth denote these two gratious properties of complete loue where first
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
did first by his apostolique authority bring the Gospell into this kingdome And inferreth that he being his successor and equall in name and dignity though inferiour to him in sanctity and vertue should follow his footsteps in restoring the gospell to this land againe But the assertion of Gregories first plantation of the Gospell in England is most false for Parsons in his Booke of the three conuersions of England to the Gospell doth make that of Gregory the third and not the first conuersion But were it true the argument followeth not that hee who now carrieth his name but is inferiour to him in holinesse and vertue should haue the same power or hope to worke the same effect that hee did for the instruments of God in the conuersion of soules doe not worke by name and dignity but by sanctitie and vertue And euen herein this Gregory that then vsurped the Church Monarchie is inferiour to Gregory the great in holinesse and vertue because Gregory the great did not onely abstaine from the name of vniuersall Bishop and the common Father of the Church but he wrote most inuectiuely against it For he wrote an angry reprehension to Eulogius Patriarch of Alexandria for stiling himselfe vniuersall Biship And when Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople vsurped that vndue title he wrote to him to rebuke it hee called it nefandum stultum superbum vocabulum he saith that the Councell of Chalcedon offered his predecessours at Rome that title sed tameÌ„ nullus sibi hoc temerariuÌ„ nomen arripuit But now Bellarmine hath charged the late Kings Maiestie with denyall of the faith because he supposeth that in the oath of alleageance he denyeth the Pope the title of supreame Father of the Church I had not diuerted thus farre to the Popes vsurpation of this honour of Our Father but that the times grow sicke of a surfer of light and truth and beginne to incline and propend to apostacie that the God of mercies grows impatient thereof and by admirable iudgeiudgement declareth his indignation against it Therefore restoring this title of Our Father to God to whom onely it belongs and taking it away from the Pope who blasphemously vsurpeth it we say Our is vox charitatis and calleth all the faithfull sonnes of God brethren all the world ouer Christ Iesus our elder brother being the author maintainer of this brotherhood It is the said Kings Maiesties learned obseruation vpon this word that it sheweth the communion which is among the Saints and that euery one is a member of a body of a Church that is compacted of many members contrary to those vpstart Amsterdam sects where two or three make a Church Who as S. Cyprian saith doe sibi extra Ecclesiam contra Ecclesiam constituere sibi conuenticula perditae factionis And yet nothing is more vsuall with them then to giue the name of the Brethren to their irregular societies and schismaticall complices But this common interest of the faithfull in God vniteth them in one holy society and they that diuide this into factions are schismatiques they that breake forth into new opinions against the truth of God are heretiques onely they are brethren truely who encrease the truth of God in vnity and these doe pray to God omnes pro omnibus singulis singuli pro omnibus singulis 4 There is no pride in them they are not ashamed to call one another brethren King Dauid cals his subiects Brethren and Companions for my Brethren and Companions sake c. One is your Master euen Christ and all ye are Brethren one is your Father which is in heauen This Father is no accepter of persons he is as much father to the poore as to the rich and though here on earth the difference of ranke and degree doth much aduance some and deiect others in this court of supreme audience Princes haue no more right to the fatherhood of God then their meanest vassals their wants are no sooner seene their miseries no sooner pitied and releiued their petitions no sooner receiued and answered then of those that lye in the dust and they that wander vp and downe in Sheepe skins and Goat skins derided despised persecuted are as gratiously inuited and with as much welcome receiued with our Father as those that haue their pathes annointed with butter and whose portion is the fattest It is a certaine rule that the proud man who despiseth his brethren cannot pray hee that will not owne his brethren our Father will not owne him The common duty of Christians is as the Apostle admonisheth in giuing honours goe one before another This very compellation calling God Our Father doth honour all the faithfull seruants of God with the honour that is due to them according to the precept of the Apostle Honour all men And we not knowing who belong to the kingdome of God and not daring to iudge are therefore to esteeme all men our brethren and to honour them with the name of brethren I beseech you let prayers and supplications be made for all men for seeing Christ hath prayed not onely for his twelue but for all those that shall beleeue through their word we doe charitably conceiue that all men are either in present profession or in Gods gratious expectation our brethren Let vs not boast our selues either against them who are not yet come into the Church or against them that are gone out for such pride God resisteth and let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Let nothing be done in strife vain glory but in lowlinesse of minde let each esteeme others better then himself Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man also on the things of others This is called the same mind that was in Iesus Christ and they that pray to God in Christs words and not with his minde loose labour They be flatterers that ouerdoe in giuing honour belying men to their faces with false and vndue ascriptions They be slanderers that put vniust aspertions vpon their brethren they be proud or worse that ouerlooke them as vnworthy of their regard humility findeth an equality in the hoâ—shold of God and they say with the sonnes of Iacob we are brethren the sonnes of one God our Father which is in heauen we are all one mans sonnes in the land of Canaan There is no malice in them that say aright Our Father they pray one for another and wish the welfare of one another They remember that they were all at first in the loynes of the first Adam and that now they are in the loue and fauour of the second Adam and this reuiueth that principle of nature facâ—â—lijs fieri quod cupis ipse tibi It is not lawfull for vs to begge any thing of God for others that we would not wish to our selues Why should we striue saith Abraham to Lot seeing we are brethren and therefore he that biddeth vs to
pray continually biddeth if it be possible as much as in you is haue peace with all men for the God of peace must be sought in peace and it is a note of the vngodly The way of peace they haue not knowne Therefore before thou fall downe before the face of God in prayer empty all malice out of thy heart and remember that thy father is thy brothers father and the communion of charity doth giue him a share in all thy holy prayers and deuotions But this neglected will fall so heauy vpon vs before we haue done this prayer that God shall condemne vs from our owne mouthes when we desire to be forgiuen as we doe forgiue Here arise certaine quaeres 1 Is it not lawfull to pray saying My father giue mee No doubt it is and without preiudice of christian charity for we haue the warrant both of reason precept and example for it 1 Of reason the common right of all doth not impeach the particular right of each in this Father this name is borrowed from nature whereby euery childe is warranted to call My father without inuasion of the right of his brethren to that title 2 Of precept God himselfe saith But I said how shall I put thee among the children and I said thou shalt call me my Father 3 By example Christ O my Father if it be possible transeat calix iste Thomas My Lord my God Indeed we haue each of vs our particular occasions to repaire to God and desire his helpe in which cases we may either plead the common interest that we haue in God as members of his Church vnder the name of our Father as here or we may by faithfull zeale inuocate him in our owne right to him by Iesus Christ saying My father so the Sonne of God is my Redeemer and Mediatour the holy ghost my sanctifier and preseruer 2 Seeing our Father is a name of such charity as doth combine vs in loue and well-wishing may it be lawfull to vse imprecations to pray against any The content of this word our doth include all men for all men are by creation and by conseruation and protection the Sonnes of God and God onely knowes of these who are his we know that there is no vniuersall grace Christ hath said many called few chosen so that mankinde is diuided into two portions Gods friends Gods enemies But they be all our fellow creatures and the law of charity doth binde vs to the loue of their persons so farre forth praying for them as may stand with the maintenance of Gods glory Indefinitely we may pray against all the deuices of the wicked that God would make them frustrate as he did the counsell of Achitophel so Dauid Lord I pray thee turne the counsell of Achitophel into foolishnesse We heare that Antichrist is Gods profest enemie we may pray for his confusion for wee may hate where God hateth Whence the enemies of our Church wish the light of the Gospell quenched and the superstition of the Church of Rome and her abhominable idolatry reuiued amongst vs we may lawfully pray to God against their machinations that hee would confound their counsels We haue seene what they would haue done in their Powder Treason we may see how they fell into the pit that they digged we may say with Deborah and Barack So let all thine enemies perish O Lord. Finally whosoeuer are not the sonnes of God either in present admission or in his holy election wee may pray against them that God would glorifie himselfe in their confusion and vtter destruction Generally against all impenitent sinners whom God hath giuen ouer to a reprobate sense we pray to be preserued from their society and from all infection by them and against their prosperity as hurtfull to the Church of God 3 Seeing the law of charity doth thus binde vs all one to another In christian loue that wee must pray for all men in our owne particular quarrels one with another is it lawfull to pray against our enemies Our answere is that Christ hath made it a law to his Church in the exposition of the second great Commandement concerning the loue of our neighbour But I say vnto you loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despightfully vse you and persecute you that you may be children of your Father that is in heauen whereby he putteth all them out of the number of the children of God that doe not pray for their enemies and if no children we cannot say our Father Therefore our Church in the holy Letanie thereof prayeth charitably and according to this holy rule That it may please thee to forgiue our enemies persecutors and slanderers and to turne their hearts And by this charitable Shiboleth we are distinguished from the heathen and Publicans from the pharisaicall interpreters of that law who haue said Thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie They that seeke and loue the peace of God doe desire the sauing of the enemy the destruction of the enmity Our enemie is one of the medicines of our life hee serueth vs to good vse to exercise our patience and our charity and wisedome to keepe vs in awe that wee giue no aduantage against our selues if naturally we loue not physicke yet for healths sake we out of iudgement doe approue it and take it patiently 4 Whether we may reioyce at the destruction of our owne enemies or the enemies of our religion and state 1 The very title of our father which doth vnite vs in one bond of common brotherhood doth so enioyne vs to wish the common good of all Adams children that the ruine of any part of this building ought to bee a griefe to all the rest so that nature biddeth vs not to reioyce in the destruction of any man quia homo hee is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and can the members suffer and the whole body not ake for it 2 There is some remaine of the image of God in all the enemies of God which is louely and ought to bee deare to vs the defacing whereof is such a griefe that though Samuel knew that God had wisely and iustly reiected Saul yet he could not chuse but mourne for him and when Dauid saw that Saul was dead hee bewailed his death bitterly though he got a kingdome by it and when he heard that his traitour sonne and subiect Absolon was dead he deplored his death with great passion and much tendernesse 3 The precept of Christ Be ye mercifull as your heauenly father and his critis filij patris vestri by shewing loue to enemies doth also teach vs to take the fall euen of Gods enemies to heart But it is obiected against this that Salomon saith when the wicked perish there is shouting he giueth a good reason for it for when they perish the righteous increase
deepe in the blood of Gods Saints he careth not to destroy Christs kingdome to aduance his owne vsurping that power in the world in the name of Christ which himselfe did not assume who said My kingdome is not of this world The Turke the Iew and all the Barbarous nations of the world who liue in the darke to whom the pretious light of the Gospel hath not appeared all professe hostilitie to this Gospell of the kingdom that we may say of it as the Iewes sayd to Paul As concerning this sect we know that euery where it is spoken against But these profest enemies of the kingdome of Iesus Christ are in open hostility against the Church and proclaime warres to it they are the forces of that great king who came against that litle city in the booke of the preacher and besieged it and built bulwarkes against it we can expect no better from them then force and fury There be secret enemies Wolues in sheepes cloathing whose close malice doth put vs into more danger and feare these hide themselues within the Church and carry a semblance of brethren and they are 1 Heretikes that corrode and fret the holy truth of the Gospell with their false doctrines and blasphemous and impious assertions of vntruthes to mis-lead the ignorant into errour and to corrupt their iudgements 2 Schismatikes that disquiet the peace of the Church disturbe the order rankes of Gods wel ordered armies and disfigure the beautie of holinesse setting vs together by the eares fermēting the masse of Christian charity with their gall of bitternesse which they maliciously infuse into the body of that city that is compact together 3 Hypocrites which put on Religion as they do fine garments for shew onely and personate pietie to make the world of opinion that they are holy whereas all their Religion and holinesse is in the eye those are but the outsides of professors and their workes denie and blaspheme the faith of which their mouthes tongues doe make formall profession Against all these we pray that the Kingdome of Iesus Christ may come to vs to reueale to vs the light of Gods truth to establish peace and concord amongst brethren and to declare the true and vnfeined Religion which consisteth in the sincere seruice of our God for where this kingdome is throughly established there truth and peace and sincerity doe shew their faces and lift vp their heads and are exalted by all the subiects of that Kingdome 3 Our naturall corruptions are enemies to this kingdome the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the law of our members resisteth the law of God there is ventus ab oriente which bringeth into vs whole armies of Grashoppers and Catterpillars that is a corruption from our birth which spanneth in our vnderstandings with multiplicity of phantasticall opinions various distraction of our thoughts and filleth the inferiour part of the soule with many vnlawfull desires vnquiet longings for things forbidden wherby our affections are troubled and corrupted with vniust appetite of things forbidden Against these also we pray in the comming of this kingdome that God would rule in our vnderstandings to instruct vs and that God would rule in our thoughts to limit them and keepe them from all wandring distraction and that he would rule in our affections to bridle restraine their loosenesse to correct their rebellion to the spirit of God to awe them to the obedience of God and to sanctifie vs wholly both in our bodies soules and spirits that neither in thought word nor deed we may grieue the holy Spirit of God by whom we are sealed vp to the day of our redemption So that in this petition we pray against the dominion of sinne in our mortall bodies against the pollution of sinne in our immortall soules against all spirituall and carnall wickednesse that the brightnesse of Christs kingdome may driue away the darkenesse of Sathans kingdom in vs that he would enter into vs by his grace and bind the strong man Sathan who possesseth vs by his power and cast him out in his iustice and abide in vs by his mercie For so shall no iniquity haue dominion ouer vs. What need we haue to pray for this as Christ praied with strong cries we may easily discerne for when wee looke about vs and behold what horrible sins are afoot in the world euen all the workes of the flesh Adultery lasciuiousnesse Idolatry Contentions seditions heresies enuie murther drunkennesse and such like all which are the pretious stones in the Diademe of Sathan When wee see how much those are despised that walke conscionably and feare the prophanation of Gods Sabbath by doing their owne workes on Gods holy day and feare the blasphemie of Gods holy name by an oath would faine put off the very garment that is spotted with the flesh When we see the proud esteemed happy and them that worke wickednesse set vp yea them that tempt God deliuered When wee behold corruption in courtes of iustice oppressions of the mighty persecutions of the poore and weake Simony bribery extort on trades of liuing swearing gluttony drunkennesse filthy speaking sins in fashion There is no hope to helpe all this but by the comming of the kingdom of grace to pardon these trāsgressions to conuert these transgressors for this great King is able to set vp a light in our vnderstandings to informe vs in the truth and to shed his loue in our affections to knit vs together both to himselfe and to one another of vs. 3 Saint Cyprian hath a good caution vpon this petition Continua oratione opus est ne excidamus a regno Coelesti this doth bring in the Kingdome of glory into this petition This is our maine ambition to be heires of this heauenly Kingdome and S. Cyprian saith Cauendum ne excidamus a regno Coelesti sicut Iudaei For it is an heauy saying of Christ And I say vnto you many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen But the children of the kingdome shall be cast out into vtter darkenesse c. By the children of the kingdome here hee meaneth the Iewes the seed of Abraham to whom the promises of this kingdome came and to whom all the meanes for attaining this kingdome were tendered so that being then the visible Church of God on earth they were in a kinde of possession of the kingdome of heauen but lost it by their disobedience and so left a way open for many to come from the East and West that is for the Church of the Gentiles to come in euen in their place and now till Plenitudo gentium be come in there is no promise of the restitution of the Iewes ad viam regni It is a good note of Saint Cyprian quando cessauit in eis no men paternum cessauit et regnum When they gaue ouer hallowing
of the name of God God withdrew his kingdome from them and cast them off This shewes how earnestly we had neede to fixe our hearts on the hallowing of Gods name that we may be bold to aske of him and may beleeue to obtaine of him the desired comming of his kingdome Concerning the enemies that we haue to hinder our settingforth and progression to this kingdom of glory they be all the same which would hinder the comming of the kingdome of grace for the way of grace leadeth vs to glorie Sathan by tempting vs here and by accusing vs to God The world partly by fascination of vs leading vs into an ouer-loue of things temporal partly by persecuting of vs with many afflictions and vexations of life Our owne bodie of sinne being like tinder ready to take fire from the least sparke of carnall suggestion all these lay themselues in our way to hinder our passage to this heauenly kingdome Against which we pray Adueniat regnum tuum that is O Lord let none of our enemies preuaile so farre against vs as to hinder the saluation of our soules 2 It is needfull to pray this in respect of the necessary graces of God which we doe naturally want by which wee are made members of that holy commonwealth which is subiect to the Kingdome of Gods grace and made capable of the kingdome of Gods glory These graces of God are partly outward partly inward and Spirituall 1 Of the outward 1 These are the libertie of the Gospell that wee may freely professe Christ and openly avow his holy worship and keepe his Sabbaths and holy daies and our publike meetings in the house of God there was a time when Dauid was forced to fly from the angry face of Saul and escape for his life then hee bewaileth this as his most heauy oppression that hee was banished from the Tabernacle and might not come to the meetings of the holy congregations hee hath a psalme of purpose for that complement Therefore we are much bound to God for this holy liberty of his house and seruice which wee enioy vnder the pious gouernment of our King and in this petition wee pray that this libertie may bee maintained and enlarged to vs and euermore continued that the free vse of the ministrie of the word holy Sacraments may be established in our Church and that the Lord of the haruest would furnish his work with worthy able labourers in this haruest for the perfiting of his Saints And consequently that God would remoue all hinderances to this light either arising from the opposition of such as are profest enemies to it or the wickednesse or vnsufficiency of such as by their weakenesse and vnworthinesse or by their idlenesse and vnprofitablenesse or their vngodlinesse and iniquity may hinder the free course of the Gospell or bring a scandall vpon the Church of God amongst vs. Further we pray for the efficacy of our Ministery in all those that are partakers thereof that God would thereby enlighten the vnderstandings of all our congregations that his name and seruice may be knowne to them and that they may not liue in darkenesse in the sunneshine of this glorious light of truth That when wisdome preacheth they may not walke as fooles when truth preacheth they may not belieue lies when faith preacheth they may not liue in infidelity when holinesse preacheth they may not liue in all sensuall vncleanesse walking in the way of their corrupt lusts in all abomination to the prouoking of God to anger against them The inward meanes for the aduancing of this kingdome of God here desired is the holy Ghost creating in vs new hearts and regenerating vs to a godly life and establishing vs in the same Christ promised to send this Spirit into his Church to abide with it for him foreuer to instruct it to be a remembrancer to it of all things that he had said to it To strengthen it against errours in doctrine to sanctifie it against corruptions of lusts fortifie it against the principalities and powers that oppose it to comfort it in spirituall and temporall grieuances So Adueniat regnum tuum is asmuch as reueale to vs that spirit which thou hast promised to supply thy roome in the perpetuall regiment of thy Church and let the holy Ghost gouerne vs This then is the suite Adueniat regnum gloriae nostrae We pray for the coming of the kingdome of Gods glory which is the consummation of our happinesse as if we would answer Christ he saith It is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome We cry Lord let it come Where our desire of the coming of it doth expresse our expectation of his coming to giue it to vs our loue of his coming and our longing desire of it The reasons why we desire this coming of it are 1 Because God hath reuealed to vs so great a mercy layed vp for vs and reserued in the decree of his good pleasure and wee may bouldly aske it of him for his commandement is Aske and receiue 2 Because God hath promised vs the gift of it and we may boldly claime all the precious promises of God in our praier promise is our warant 3 Because God hath reuealed to vs that he wil shorten 〈◊〉 dayes of the troubles of his Church for the elect sake We pray therefore for the hastening of that time according to his good pleasure 4 Because we haue great examples of this prayer both in earth and in heauen 1 Of the whole creature which groaneth and trauaileth in paine together with vs. Where insteed of praying for this aduent of Christs kingdome there is The earnest expectation of the creature waiting for the manifestation of the Sonne of God For the whole creature hath a promise to be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God 2 Of the elect of God here for that followes And not onely they but our selues also which haue the first fruits of the spirit euen wee our selues groane within our selues wayting for our adoption to wit the redemption of our body 3 We haue helpe in these our groanes from the spirit teaching vs as we ought to pray for this Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for vs with groanings which cannot bee vttered 2 In heauen The soules vnder the altar of them that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held They cry with a loud voyce saying how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth and they haue their petition answered That when the number of these Saints is fulfilled then this kingdome shall come 4 Regnum gloriae dei The comming of this kingdome is the full consummation of Gods glory both in his gratious mercy to saue
from his way and liue Turne ye Turne ye from your euill wayes for why will yee die O house of Israel So our Sauiour It is not the will of your Father that is in heauen that one of these little ones should perish To declare this to be his will he rose early to send his Prophets to his people to conuert them to him And our Sauiour in the Gospell doth resemble himself to that good shepherd that went into the wildernesse to seeke a straied sheep to bring it backe to the flocke to the woman that lighted a Candle and swept her house and sought diligently till she found her lost groat Both of them made merry when they found what they had lost Such ioy God hath in the conuersion of a sinner When a profane person becommeth holy when a couetous person turneth liberall when a drunkard becometh sober and a glutton temperate when a swearer feareth an oath a lier loueth the truth when a breaker of the Sabbath is glad when it is sayd to him Come let vs goe vp to the house of the Lord and answereth them My feete shall stand in thy gates O Ierusalem When an oppressor turnes mercifull and a proud man humble and a contentious man quiet and peaceable this is as God would haue it and this is ioy to the Almighty and the Angels of heauen reioyce in it for this is the will of God But in the contrarie our sinnes doe grieue the holy one of Israel grieue not the spirit of God our sinnes do ouercharge him hee complaineth that he is like a Cart ouerladen with sheaues Our sinnes put him into a storme of indignation therfore our conuersion is his will 2 Seeing out conuersion beginneth at the abnegation of our selues that also is the will of God he that will be my Disciple saith our Sauiour must forsake all and follow me Sua suos se as Saint Bernard and none is acceptable according to his wil but he that is a new Creature This maketh a perfect conuersion and this incorporateth vs in the body of the Church for God doth not will our forsaking of our selues and renouncing of the world for our hurt and losse but for our greater good that he himselfe may be our rocke and fortresse our refuge and exceeding great reward 3 The will of God is our obedience to his holy lawes which he hath giuen vs as his couenant that in keeping of them it might goe well with vs. His owne mouth hath reuealed his will in this point O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might be well with them and with their children for euer Wherein God is not a seuere exactor of more duetie then we are able to performe but requireth our best endeuour to doe his will and taketh that for pay Neither doth he will this to make profit to himselfe of our obedience but for vs that it may be well with vs and our children for euer 4 The will of God is our holinesse in this obedience that we purge our Conscience from dead workes that we may serue the liuing God That we possesse our vessels that is our bodies in holinesse for they be Vasa animarum a treasure in earthen vessels of great price immortall soules in mortall bodies For this is the will of God euen your sanctification hee giueth the reason of it For God hath not called vs to vncleanesse but to holi 〈…〉 And this was figured in the washings and purifications of the old law and directly commanded by God saying Be ye holy as I am holy But ye are a royall Priesthood Gens sancta 2 The will of God concerning faith is that we beleeue in him and trust him they that know thy name will trust in thee that we cast all our care vpon him that we belieue in him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and this also for our eternall good For so saith our Sauiour And this is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him may haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day This is the law of faith and it is the law of life For it is written The iust man shall liue by faith How needfull this petition is that the will of God may be wrought in vs this way by faith we may soone see 1 If we consider our naturall infidelity for the natural man is so far from beleeuing that he hath not the vnderstanding to discerne those things which belong to the spirit of God neither can hee saith the Apostle for they are spiritually discerned And without faith it is impossible to please God This infidelitie must be purged before the will of God can be done by vs and till this be purged the very preaching of the word the meanes ordained by God to beget faith in vs seemeth foolishnesse For it is as much labour lost to preach spiritual things to a man that hath no faith as to vrge naturall reasons to a man that hath no wit for neither of these vessels be open to receiue any of this pretious liquor stopt with ignorance and vnbeleefe 2 We haue reason to aske this of God because faith is his gift and though he suffereth vs to acquire it by little and little by the hearing of the Word yet the word of God is not any better then litera mortua in it selfe except the holy Ghost do worke by it to beget first then to nourish and encrease our faith 3 Because as Saint Cyprian obserueth well Nobis à diabolo obsistitur quo minus per omnia noster animus atque actus deo obsequatur and therefore he addeth Vt fiat voluntas dei à nobis opus est voluntate dei i. e. ope et protectione quia nemo suis viribus fortis est This is a potent aduersarie hath both his temptations to allure vs and his prouocation to vexe vs wee had need craue ayd against him and God hath laid help vpon one that is mightie to giue vs helpe we had need pray for faith to fasten our hold vpon that helpe If either by fight or flight we can put him off and lay hold vpon the hornes of this altar sub hac indulgentia et misericordia saith Cyprian tuti sumus This enemie hath a great aduantage of vs because of the treason of our owne wils for nothing is more prone and propense to euill then the will of man and there is nothing in man that man loues more then to haue his will euen the regenerate man findeth his will wilfull often and vnruly still We had neede to pray for the will of God to put in to correct and direct our wills 3 The manner how we desire this will of God to be done As in heauen so in earth The 3 first petitions that are addressed mainely to the honour of God end at these