his Church and his vpright iustice in the finall confusion of all his enemies Then shall our glory be full when God is all in all and raigneth absolute soueraigne without any eclipse of glory by the interposure of opposition These are the full contents of this petition 3 What duties we learne from hence The proper duties arising from hence doe concerne vs 1 In our reference to our God 2 In the regard of our selues 3 In regard of our neighbours 1 In our reference to God 1 That wee seeke and labour to aduance the kingdome of God by all meanes that God may exercise his power and grace and mercy and glory freely and fully and that neither our ignorance nor infirmity nor iniquity may obscure his glory or resist his gouernment knowing for what wee were made that wee might bee temples of the holy Ghost that Christ might rule in our hearts by faith that wee might glorifie God in our bodies and in our soules because in our creation he gaue vs a perfect being and in our redemption hee accomplisht a full and perfect restitution of vs to his fauour and to all those full benefits which follow the same namely that Christ is made to vs of God wisedome iustification sanctification and finall redemption from all sinne and punishment For this what shall we render to the Lord is not this a debt that we owe to him to seeke the aduancement of his glory all that we can and to set forth his praise 2 In regard of our selues 1 It is our dutie to liue like subiects of this kingdome that is humbled vnder the mighty hand of God to the obedience of his will and stooped vnder the correcting hand with patience to beare his chastenings though for the present they seeme grieuous Contented with the state of life and the proportion of Gods allowance to vs for we resist his gouernment and repine at his administration of the world if wee bee not content with that which he bestoweth on vs resting vpon his holy prouidence in the vse of lawfull meanes for godlinesse and contentednesse must be ioyned in vs and our hearts must not fasten vpon things temporall but wee must looke before vs to the full reward which God hath laid vp for vs. 2 Seeing we liue vnder the kingdome of Gods grace in which we haue the liberty of that holy meanes by which we may grow vp to be perfect men in Christ Iesus We must not turne this grace of God into wantonnesse by abusing it to our owne perdition but like thriftie Merchants make the vttermost of these holy commodities that is Of the free liberty of the Word and Sacraments and of the house of God and his Saints of the ministerie of the Word and the holy writings of learned and pious men set forth for our further building vp to be an house for the Lord. Not in surfetting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and enuying this is not the way to heauen New creatures 3 Seeing wee liue in expectation of the kingdome of Gods glory our duty is to obserue and remember our latter end and to consider that our whole life is our way to this kingdome let vs therefore hasten toward it to meete it comming towards vs this was Iobs holy Meditation All the daies of my appointed time will I waite till my changing shall come And when death shall come let vs know and beleeue that it is no more but a translation from death to life and Transitus ad Regnum 4 Seeing wee pray for the comming of Gods glory that he may raigne ouer all let vs while we are here begin an heauen vpon earth by praising and magnifying the name of the Lord and practise the new song of the Church here that being admitted into the Quire of the iust we may not cease night and day to glorifie him in heauen where we shall be able to doe it more fully and perfectly 5 Let vs consider that there is no such way to make happy our temporall life as to liue thus in the humble subiection to this kingdome for who shall harme you if you doe that which is good godlinesse hath the promises of both liues and all things turne to the best to them that loue God 3 In regard of our neighbours We must seeke to draw one another to Gods kingdome like those in the Prophet They helped euery one his neighbour and euery one said to his brother be of good courage So the Lord Repent and turne others from their transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine And many shall goe and say come ye and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his waies and wee shall walke in his pathes O house of Iacob come ye and let vs walke in the light of the Lord this kingdome doth not breed iealousie here is enough for all LVC. 11.2 Thy will be done as in heauen so earth OBserue the coherence of these petitions which are martialed with such excellent wisedome that the first of them is the end which we aime at that God may be hallowed in vs in his holy name and so haue from vs the honour due to him And that this may bee effected in vs wee pray in the second petition for the aduancement establishment and enlargement of Gods kingdome both of power grace and glory And now in this third Petition wee pray that this kingdome of God being erected amongst vs we may by his grace liue in due subiection to it that the Church militant in earth may honour him euen so as the Church triumphant doth in heauen In the handling whereof 1 We must vnderstand what is meant by the will of God 2 Quid hoc est facere 3 How this will is desired to be done as in heauen so in earth 4 What duties are taught herein 1 What is this will of God The will of God is vnderstood two waies 1 As it is in it selfe by which hee intendeth createth gouerneth and disposeth all things according to the good pleasure of his will and so the will of God is both absolute necessitating all euents which hee hath foreseene and determined and of that the Apostle speaketh saying who hath resisted his will and of that Christ saith fiat voluntas tua and of that those holy seruants of God spake who when they could not disswade Pauls going to Ierusalem they ceased saying The will of the Lord be done 2 The will of God is vnderstood to bee that manifestation of his seruice and our dutie which directeth vs what to doe and what to eschew what to beleeue and what to aske according to his will and this is written and reuealed to vs in holy Scripture I dare not with our many English Writers vpon this Petition quite exclude the absolute will of God and limit the Petition onely to
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
Ierusalem the spirit of supplications poureth also the spirit of grace to sanctifie the supplications So it is called in Zech. the Spirit of grace and supplications And Dauid can say If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Obserue it in Saint Iames his directions Draw nigh to God and hee will draw nigh to you clense your hands yee sinners and purifie your hearts you double minded When God appeard to Moses in the bush and Moses was approaching to him he heard a voyce saying to him Put off thy shoes from thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground There is no Comming then to God without holinesse without which we may seeke but we shall neuer see the face of God 5 This mention of the heauens here doth put vs in minde of the wisedome of God who of nothing raised vp that glorious frame of those celestiall habitations that high Sanctuary for his owne dwelling for in wisedome he hath made them all Which teacheth vs to beware how we appeare before God in our praiers and holy deuotions not as fooles but as wise Take heed to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God and be more neare to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles They that pray not in wisdome doe offer to God the sacrifice of fooles And Salomon saith God hath no pleasure in fooles There is no folly like to the folly that is vsed in prayer and deuotion when the God of wisedome hath vs in his eye and the iealous God who is tender of his worship discerneth that he is slighted That is one of the sinnes of our time a foolish worship without consideration care or reuerence which turneth our praiers into sinne Hath God any pleasure in the set words of a solemne seruice Did he not blame his owne people Populus hic honorat me labijs suis Dauid admonisheth to sing praises to God with vnderstanding It asketh a great deale of spirituall wisedome to addresse our suites to the Court of heauen where the highest King of glory doth wisely consider all the sonnes of men and beholds with what descretion and wisedome they come before him Take heed therefore that thou forget not our Father to be in heauen Heauen is mentioned for the height of Gods sanctuarie for God is in excelsis which teacheth vs in praier to sublime our soules from the earth and earthly things to an holy eleuation thereto agree those outward formes of lifting vp the eyes in prayer I lifted vp mine eyes to the hills from whence my help commeth Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth And let the lifting vp of mine hands be an euening sacrifice Sursum corda It is the voice of the Church Our Conuersation is in heauen and it is the Apostles counsaile If ye be risen with Christ seeke the things which are aboue and not the things which are below where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God O that I had the winges of a Doue the wings of an Eagle rather to fly high there is the Carcase and thither the Eagles resort Our earthly Parents giue good things to vs but they haue them from hence the bread the fish the necessaries of life Sometimes earthly Parents proue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but our heauenly father is one whose compassion falles not when my father and mother forsaketh me the Lord taketh me vp Doubtlesse thou art our father though Abraham knowes not though Israel be ignorant of vs. Earthly Parents see vs sicke and in prison and in disgrace and in want they can sit downe and droppe their teares and viz their groanes with ours but there is no helpe in them they may be parted from vs by death but our heauenly father shall endure for euer his yeares change not he looked down from the height of his sanctuarie From heauen did the Lord behold the earth to heare the groaning of the prisoners to loose those that are appointed to death 7 The mention of heauen added to the title of our Father doth put vs in minde of his goodnesse for hee dwelleth in that place from which euery good giuing and euery perfect gift doth proceed From whence also we are directed in our Prayers not to aske of this Father that is nothing but good and perfect gifts In temporall benefits we must still haue an eye to the true vse of them to make them serue for spirituall and heauenly vses One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Let our eye be vpon the inheritance and the birth-right and for things temporal so far as they may be adjumenta or oramenta to vs to aduance this final desire of the kingdome of God so farre let vs desire and seeke and vse them Who will petition a King for beades and babies and such trifling things feare nto little flock it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Let our wisedome seeke it where it is to be found in heauen where Iesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of his father and maketh intercession for vs. Why should we aske stones where we may haue bread for asking bread of the finest wheat flower Manna Angels bread 8 The name of our father in the heauens doth put vs in minde of the country which we seeke for we are but Pilgrimes and strangers and we haue no abiding City here we are but soiourners as all our fathers were But we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolued wee haue a building not made with hands but eternall in the heauens For in this we groane earnestly desiring to be cloathed vpon with our house which is from heauen that mortalitie might be swallowed vp of life for Whilest we art at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. We are confident and willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. We sit here weeping by the riuers of Babel If I forget thee O Ierusalem c. Returne to thy rest O my soule Studie those heauens search and finde out the way to them there is one that is gone before to prepare a place there for vs in the many Mansions of his Fathers house and as the Church sweetely Hymneth He hath opened the Kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers by a new and liuing way which hee hath Consecrated for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh Conducting vs to Mount Sion the City of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable companie of Angels To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of
complaine of the great want of this zeale euen in his Church amongst those that make confession of his name For the common swearing by the name of God and the ordinary idle naming that holy name vnholily with long custome of euill doing is growne to such an habite of sinne that few of vs doe lay it to heart as we ought We do neither refraine from this iniurie to the name of our God our selues nor seeke to reforme it in others But where the zeale of Gods glory is truly kindled it both consumeth all this euill in our selues and it flasheth out to the combustion of it in others For that wee pray in this petition that the name of God may be hallowed not onely by our owne sanctification of it but by the preparation of others for it the prouocation of others to it and the reformation of others as much as in vs lieth who offend against it This zeale then of the name of God doth require of vs both a conscionable care of the glorie of Gods name within our selues expressed in thought word and deed but with it a charitable care of our brethren that we admonish them and reproue them if you heare them at any time speake vnreuerently of the name of God Remember the word of Gods Commandement Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour that thou beare not sinne for him Obserue that place well and therein note 1. That if a brother that is any man or woman with whom we doe conuerse doth doe any thing to the dishonour of Gods name we must not presently hate him for it as Gods enemie Therefore he is called our brother to endeare him to vs. 2 That we must seuerely rebuke him which is exprest in the Hebrew phrase in rebuking thou shalt rebuke him 3 This must be done as to a brother in loue of thy neighbour shewing him the right and conuincing of euill 4 Note the danger least thou beare sinne for him that is least thou make his sinne thine by thy silence Reproofe is Oleum Sanctorum let the righteous smite me and reproue me saith the Psalmist it is balsamum amicitiae it sheweth true loue and therefore must be performed very discreetly the Hebrew Doctors say Leniter molli Lingua let vs take heed of putting our brother to shame till it come to Dic Ecclesiae and thou spare him not that he may be ashamed and repent him of his sinne 3 The next duty is to sanctifie God in thy life that is confesse him with thy mouth to be holy beleeue him to be so in thy heart teach others that he is so and let thy godly conuersation testifie of thee that thou seruest him so that the name of God be not euill spoken of for thy sake For they be Gods enemies that take his name in vaine the Psalmist saith It is to no purpose to pray daily that the name of God may be hallowed if our life and carriage our words and workes doe dishonour God Therefore let this petition of ours to God remember vs of Gods command to vs Sancti estote the very Idols of the Heathen had that honour done them that the Law went for them Deos caste adeunto And if seruants must Count their Masters worthy of all honour that the name of God be not euill spoken of much more must we esteeme our heauenly father worthy of honour least he be violated in his name This Sanctifying of God in our life extendeth to the vse of his good creatures our food and raiment our dwellings and such like riches of Gods mercy when we doe 1 Preserue them from abuse 2 Employ them to the end for which they are ordained of God and bestowed on vs. 3 When we receiue them with thankesgiuing praising the name of God for them 4 When we suffer the want of them with patience learning as wel how to want as to abound I conclude this point Consider how the name of God suffereth without the Church by Turkes and infidels that worship a God without a Trinitie by Iewes that deny Iesus Christ come in the flesh by all the barbarous nations of the world who haue their seuerall Gods by Papists who rob God of his glory giuing it to images By Anabaptists Schismatikes that serue God in separation by the prophane of the world There are but few left to hallow his name let them doe it well 2 Petition Thy Kingdome come When we haue prouided for the honour of the name of our heauenly father that that may be beleeued and confessed to be holy and that due reuerence may be giuen by vs to it our next request is for the aduancement of the kingdome of God vpon earth This is another addition to the glory of God our father when we desire that he may reigne sole Soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth and that none may rise vp against him For our better vnderstanding of this petition we must consider 1 What is meant by the kingdome of God 2 How we would haue this kingdome come 3 What duties we are taught here 1 What is meant by this kingdome The Kingdome of God is three fold 1 Regnum potentiae 2 Regnum gratiae 3 Regnum gloriae 1 Regnum potentiae In the first we consider God as the Almighty Creator maker of heauen and earth and the high possessor of all that is in them contained as the mighty gouernour and protector of his creatures applying them al to his seruice and to the good of each other So he is called King of kings and Lord of all Lords of this the Psal The Lord hath prepared his throne in heauen his kingdome ruleth ouer all A voyce from heauen told proud Nebuchadnezar that his kingdome was departed from him that he must be humbled with great iudgements Vntill thou know that the most high ruleth in the kingdome of men and giueth it to whom soeuer he will This proues him a lyar who told Christ shewing him the kingdomes of the world All this power will I giue thee for it is deliuered vnto me and to whom soeuer I will I giue it For indeed the Lord is king and he doth whatsoeuer he will in heauen and in earth and in all deepe places Vnder this vniuersall dominion hee hath subiect to him all Creatures Angels and Men and Diuels heauen and earth and hell nothing is in being that is not in subiection to this vniuersall Monarchy 2 Regnum gratiae This is Gods speciall power and goodnesse in the gouernment of his elect people the throne of this kingdome is his Church Iudah is his Sanctuary and Israel his dominion The subiects of this kingdome are the faithfull people of God to whom he speaketh by his Prophet The meeke of the earth which haue wrought his iudgement who seeke righteousnesse and seeke meekenesse all those that feare the Lord and thinke vpon
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
and are with God toward that part of the Church which is militant here on earth and we giue God thankes for them and their glory But wee haue no warrant to resort to them for their intercession but haue an open way to the perfect and full al-sufficient Mediatour Iesus Christ who sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. Yet let vs see how faithfully this apostata doth quote the Fathers to the maintenance of this idolatrous inuocation I will examine some few of his quotations out of the Fathers that you may tast him in a little for hee that hath dealt doubly with God and vnfaithfully with the faith it selfe what hope can wee haue of him that he same he being now in the cleare light where he may behold the truth would therefore pray to God for such as sit yet here below amiddest many clouds of darkenesse But that he meant not to make Cyprian a Mediatour betweene God and the Church who can better tell then Saint Augustine himselfe who of purpose handling this point doth 1 Shew the necessity of a Mediatour betweene God and vs. 2 He sheweth what kinde of Mediatour hee must be that will serue our turnes God and man and from thence 3 He excludeth Angels Boni igitur Angeli inter miseros mortales beatos immortales medij esse non possunt This declareth his found iudgement against mediations of any but Christ So that adiuuet nos orationibus suis is no prayer to him but a figuratiue kinde of Colloquie with him as when Dauid saith Laudent eum coeli The next authority is S. Aug. De verbis Apostoli Serm. 47. I know not where he found that sermon for we haue in print but 35. in all It were a long worke for me and not so pleasant for you nor profitable that I should pursue this fugitiue Apostata in all his colourable pretences for inuocation of Saints I desire to establish your hearts in the doctrine of truth grounded vpon the name of Father It teacheth vs to seeke the face of God onely in his mediation for whose sake God is become our Father To worke this stedfast faith in you know that there be three things which properly belong to a Mediatour which can be found in none but Christ onely 1 He must be of Gods appointing and declaring to vs none but hee can tell whom he will admit or heare for vs. And we finde Christ onely reuealed If any sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous I am the way no man commeth to the Father but by me 2 He must be iustus institia suâ we say of Angels that they are iust iustitia data a quo nostram ab eo habent iustitiam we say of Saints that they be rather Iustificati then iusti But Christ is called sapientia patris iustitia nostra 3 He must be able to merit for others that no Angell nor Saint can doe Christ confirmed Angels Christ restored man For the angels wee deny not but they may know what our wants are because they are ministring spirits that by the appointment of God doe attend vpon vs yet no Scripture hath reuealed any example of inuocation directed to them But for the Saints they know not our particular necessities they see not the euils which wee suffer onely they know as hauing beene members of the militant Church that we are left behinde them here in a valley of teares and therefore in generall they pray for vs as hath beene said Against their particular knowledge of our wants two plaine texts conuince our aduersaries of errour therein 1 When the Church confesseth that Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knoweth vs not 2 Huldah the Prophetesse telleth Iosiah he must bee gathered to his fathers and put into his graue in peace that his eyes may not see all the euill that God would bring vpon that place From whence wee may conclude that they who see not our miseries heare not our prayers and therefore are not to be required to mediate for vs. I conclude this point in the words of S. Aug. All christian men commended each other in their prayers to God and he who praies for all and for whom none praies he is that one and true Mediatour you may easily know whom he meanes We call him Father to teach vs that prayer is a spirituall exercise a worke of the holy Ghost in vs therefore Rea. 4 it is called the spirit of grace and supplications which teacheth vs to pray and enableth vs in praier It is the spirit of God onely which witnesseth to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God by which we call Abba Father Therefore all those that pray to God by that name without that sweet and secret testimony of the holy Ghost assuring them that they are the children of God doe not pray but prate and babble and God heareth them not This confuteth the Popish doctrine of doubting whether we be in the state of grace for shall I call God Father and yet stand in doubt whether he be my Father if I beleeue as I say that hee is my Father vpon what shall I build my faith is it not the suggestion of Gods spirit that is the author of my regeneration and that leadeth me into the way of all truth that telleth me so This is the right comming to God in prayer to aske as S. Iames teacheth nothing doubting to come in assurance of faith We call him Father to comfort all our distresses and Rea. 5 to warrant the successe of our prayers for Christ hath taught vs that this Father exceedeth all naturall Parents both in the knowledge of the necessities of his children and in tendernesse of compassion of them and in readinesse to heare them and grant their requests and in giuing good things to them what can I sinne against my father that he will not forgiue what can I aske that he will not giue Rea. 6 Another great reason is to assure vs of the excellencie of the state of grace for so Saint Iohn doth vrge it Behold what manner of loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs that we should be called the sonnes of God This would be thought an high honour if wee did wisely consider the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God hereafter the gratious liberty of them here We call the sonnes of rich men happy because they are like to be left full and the sonnes of great men because they shall sit amongst the Princes of the earth but if these be not the Sonnes of God they may one day see poore Lazarus in ioyes when themselues are tormented in flames The truth is though the flesh the world and the deuill oppugne it that there is no man in the way of happinesse but such onely as are the Sonnes of God such onely as haue God to their Father by a speciall interest in him by Iesus Christ If
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
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
tendernesse secondly immutabilitie 2 The name of Father putteth vs to search what right we haue to that name 1 There is a generall interest in that name which is communicated to all creatures by which all things that haue being must call God their Father because hee is to them all the author both of their being and conseruation for of him and by him and through him are all things And if Iabal may be called the father of all such as dwell in tents and of such as haue Cattell And Iubal the father of such as handle the Harpe and Organs Because these were the first beginners of these arts amongst men Much more may all things call God their common Father in whom all things liue moue and haue their being But thus God is the father of wicked men of the deuils and of hell as being the Creator of their substances and the author of their being The Church of God doth not vnderualue this interest in God though thus common to all creatures that haue being though the worst and most despised creatures of earth sea and hell doe participate with them therein Who loues the ayre the worse because euill men and noxious creatures hurtfull to man doe breath it in and out and liue by it Who loues the Sunne the worse because it shines vpon the good and bad vpon sweet gardens and loathsome stinkes and dunghils or the raine that fals vpon all grounds Amongst the benefits that wee thanke God for this hath good place wee giue him thankes that when we were not he gaue vs a being It is a great wisedome and it is attained by faith to vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which we see are not made of things which did appeare And therefore the Prophet calleth vpon the creatures the Angels the hoast of heauen the Sunne and Moone and Starres and Waters c. Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created He also established them The donation of being and the conseruation in being be great fauours and therefore God is called Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keeping all things This putteth vs in minde to take heed that we turne not the blessing of our being into a curse by corrupting our waies and doing euill in the sight of God It is otherwise with vs then it is with other creatures many of them perish and loose their being Angels and men are created to immortality and they that possesse not the immortality of life and glory shall bee possessed of the contrary immortality of confusion and paine So that the doctrine of our creation doth admonish vs to remember our Creator betimes that we may addresse our whole being to him for we see that all other creatures in their kinde doe serue him and keepe the vse for which they were ordained 2 There is a more speciall interest in this title of Father belonging to men who haue receiued fauour in their creation aboue other creatures 1 For he made man in imagine suâ which he did to no other creature on earth 2 He made him in honour but a little lower then the Angels crowned with glory 3 Hee made him immortall for though his fall brought in death yet the death of Christ destroyed it and the soules of men cannot die and the dead bodies of men shall rise againe to an eternall reunion with their soules 4 He made him to rule And this putteth vs in minde of a great debt of duty to God who hauing vs as his clay in his hand when he might haue made vs beasts or fowles and fishes wormes or flyes he chose rather to make vs men to giue vs the vse of reason discourse and speech Which though it be a gift common to vs with the wicked and vngodly of the earth yet let vs thinke neuer the worse of it for to be a man is to be an epitome a little Mappe of the whole world and there is a way open for men as much to excell men as men generally are more excellent then bruit beasts 3 There is yet a more speciall interest that some men haue in this title to call God Father then others haue which none but Christ can warrant vs to challenge and therefore none but he can teach vs to call God Father in this sense and that is by right of adoption For when we had lost the fauour of God being dead in trespasses and sinnes and separated from the life of God and thereby in a more miserable condition then all our seruant creatures associated also with those rebell Angels that kept not their first estate but forsooke their habitation Then it pleased God to send his sonne first in promises then in types shadowes and in the fulnesse of time in the fulnesse of performance to reconcile vs to himselfe and to purchase for vs an eternall inheritance that we might be called the sonnes of God and enfeoffed in all the liberties of Gods elect children so the Apostle We haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba that is father This is the interest of all the faithfull in God and none but the elect doe call him by that name by a iust claime to the graces annexed to that name and deriued from it Rea. 3 This reuealeth to vs a third reason why we call God Father that is to shew that we goe to him in our prayers the right way which is by Iesus Christ for there is no other way to the Father One Mediatour betweene God and man the man Iesus Christ For in this last kinde of gratious paternity God is onely a Father to vs in Christ and for his sake And to shew our faith in God grounded vpon the sufficient merits of Iesus Christ wee seeke the face of God vnder that title which our Iesus hath bought with his bloud which is called the bloud of the euerlasting couenant So that the name of Father giuen to God in this prayer doth teach vs that all the prayers of the Church must be offered vp to God in the mediation of Iesus Christ For we call not God Father by Angels or Saints but by Christ onely therefore we must seeke this Father onely in and by Iesus Christ He himself hath taught vs this for he saith whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my name it shall be giuen you The Renegado of Spalato in his last Manifesto doth muster vp heapes of proofes to maintaine inuocation of Angels and Saints against the truth against his owne former auouchments of the contrarie against his owne conscience if he haue any left after his apostacie He laboureth to proue that Angels and Saints departed doe continually pray for vs wee deny it not wee know that there is a communion of charity in the whole body of the Church and doubt not of their perfect charitie who are released hence
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