of the Church which is in heaven is in patria in her country That part which is on earth is but in via upon the way when wee enter into heaven wee are comprehenseres whilst wee are on earth wee are but viatores they that are in heaven are called the triumphant Church they that are on earth the militant Now by both of these it is cleare that the Church here on earth hath much adoe for will you looke upon her as a pilgrim she hath enough to doe with all her wits to keepe the right way for though the way bee patent enough yet because it is thorny wee had need of a guide to lead us in it that when wee fall and stumble hee may lift us up againe For this Iacob confessed Few and evill have beene the dayes of my pilgrimage Again will we looke upon the Church here on earth as upon an army for so Iob confessed Iob 7. Mans life is a warfare on earth There we have need of a head and a leader too for unlesse there bee Captaines over hundreds and over thousands it is impossible that we can either fight in order or report a due victory and there shall nothing bee heard in our campe but confusion and the voice of him that is overcome so that howsoever the metaphor standeth it is cleare that wee are by nature weake and fraile creatures subject to many wandrings and many assaults under and against the which wee can neither stand nor prevaile unlesse our Leader and Captaine bee with us and in his power make us victorious The metaphor therefore serving equally to present unto us both our pilgrimage and our warfare I would rather lay hold on the last and shew you what are the references of our spirituall warfare in which wee stand seeing the matter is so clearly displayed and pointed out to us elsewhere for in the Epistle to the Ephesians the Apostle telleth us that wee must not onely fight against flesh and blood but also against principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse and the Prince of darknesse and the god that ruleth powerfully in in the children of disobedience That wee may therefore hold still the allegory of our warfare and from thence attaine to the scope and meaning of these words let us now looke upon them both and see how the one keepeth correspondence with che other In a carnall and bodily warfare wee know that three things are chiefly remarkable 1. The fight 2. The enemies 3. The Captaines charge All of these wee shall finde here set downe unto us in these few words as in a mappe our spirituall warfare for never did any Generall on earth decipher better the severall periods of a pitched battell then our Redeemer Christ Jesus doth here wisely both set us in order of battell and providently tell us both how to fight and how to retire And that this may bee cleare looke to the words in which hee foundeth to us our alarum and commandeth us fight for as it is in the earthly combate so is it in the spirituall in it wee have five things considerable 1. The fight it selfe temptation 2. The enemies and these are all those who have a part in this temptation 3. The souldiers and these are wee who are the children and servants of God 4. The Captaine God our Father who is in heaven 5. And last of all what is his charge hee must bee our leader All of these packed up from their severall places make up to us this maine charge Lead us not into temptation Wee will returne now to the first thing considerable in the words and that is our fight proposed to us in the word Temptation For the better understanding whereof wee must know that as there is Multiplex pugnandi genus so there is Multiplex tentandigenus For Aliter pugnatur in schola aliter in praetio wee fight one way in the fencing schoole another way in the field Whilst wee are in the fencing schoole our master fighteth against us his strokes are soft and for our instruction But when wee come to the field our enemie fighteth against us his strokes are furious desperate and his end is to destroy us We have need then to watch over our selves guard our selves well lest by our negligence security we fall and cannot rise againe Yet to make the word more cleare wee must labour to distinguish tempters in their severall sorts and from thence know what temptation is truly and what is the nature thereof For understanding of which wee must know that there are three sorts of tempters God man sathan God tempteth man man tempteth man man tempteth God sathan tempteth man also God tempteth man and his temptations are but tryalls of man not that it is requisite for God to trie what is in man for he knoweth already what is in mans heart his mouth workes and wayes But when God tryeth and tempteth a man it is to make man knowne to himselfe to those with whom hee lives in the world Thus he tryed and tempted Abrahams faith Iobs patience Davids love Peters perseverance and Pauls sincerity Abrahams faith in offering up of Isaaek Iobs patience by his multiplyed afflictions Davids love in Absolous persecution Peters perseverance by a damosell and Pauls sincerity by a buffer of Sathan Now as God tempteth man not for that he is ignorant of what is in man but that he may make him know himselfe that his graces in man may be knowne to the world as the Apostle writing to the Corinthiās telleth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they who are approved may bee knowne so also in the second place man tempteth God and as God tempteth man and is free of sinne so man when hee tempteth God is never void of it for whilst man tempteth and tryeth God it is a faithlesse and distrustfull tryall hee maketh of Gods power So Israel tempted God sinfully in the wildernesse whilst by tenne severall tēptations they forced God to make knowne unto them his omnipotencie and all-sufficient power Can God prepare a table to us in the wildernesse or can hee give flesh to the thousands of Israel to eate Thirdly man tempteth man and that diversly for there is a temptation and a tryall whereby man tempteth man approved of in Scripture and there is a temptation whereby man tempteth man condemned and dis-allowed in Scripture Of the first sort of temptations and tryalls are those which man useth for clearing of controversies As Salomon tryed the harlot by her unnaturalnesse to the child which shee claimed Or then for trying or examining the knowledge and grace of God in man so ministers are bound in duty to try their flocks masters their servants parents their children in the progresse and growth of Christianity Lastly Sathan is a tempter and that a chiefe and maine one For as all his temptations are to evill so are they all sinfull and that in two respects both in respect of
meaning of the words to bee Let them that are not yet called bee brought within the compasse of thy covenant and the bosome of thy Church that as wee beleeve so they may beleeve also and as thy will is done by us so it may bee done by them Both of these opinions are not only tolerable but also laudable For we are bound by religion not only to subdue the lusts of our flesh and to live after the Spirit but also wee are bound in charity to begge of God that all such as appertaine to his election may be in due time called justified and glorified That so there may be but one shepheard and one sheepfold and God may bee over all and in all blessed for ever But if I may speak it without the prejudice of so great lights Howsoever both these Petitions be requisite for the Christian yet doe not I thinke that either of them be here meant But with Chrysostome I doe thinke that this Petition differs nothing from that precept of the Apostles Collos 3.1 If yee bee risen with Iesus Christ seeke those things that are above By earth then I understand men that are on earth and by heaven the Angels of God and the Spirits of good and just men departed So that the meaning of the petition is Since it hath pleased thee O Father who dwellest in Heaven to make thy name knowne to us and be called upon of us And seeing thou hast honored us by the making us members of thy true Church and thy Kingdome of grace here on earth O let thy Spirit of Grace dwel so powerfully and plentifully in us that as thy holy Angells and glorified Saints doe thy will in heaven So we that are but weake and sinfull men may captivate our wils to thy obedience here on earth Well then by Earth wee must understand not only earthly men but also the place where Even on earth and while we live in it But let us remarke the word for it is generall Our Saviour teaching us the person the time and the place of Gods obedience saith not Thy will be done in the field in the city in the sea or in the dry land but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per universum terrarum orbem Through all the whole world And as David sayes in his 97. Psalme Make thy way knowne on earth and thy saving health to all Nations The persons then by whom he will have Gods will done are men who are of the earth and to the earth returne again And the place where in the earth and whilst wee live in it For unlesse wee doe the will of God here wee shall not enter into our Masters joy hereafter In the second roome wee must looke to the patterne and it is called heaven by the which as I told you already Augustine and Chrysostome do understand the holy Angells of God and the glorified Spirits of men These are said to bee in heaven But by these alone the word is not only understood For as there are more heavens then one so are they more that do the will of God in heaven then those blessed Spirits alone I say there are more heavens then one and it is cleere For it is said in the preface of this prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall number and it is knowne and manifest in nature For this expansum or void wherein are the fowles is called a heaven and they the fowles of the heaven Againe these seaven subordinate spheares in the which the seaven Planets doe raigne are called heaven also Againe that place wherein are the fixed Starres is called a heaven also And finally that place of felicity which is above all of these is called heaven and the third heaven and the heaven of heavens and the Paradise of God Now as all of these are furnished with their severall host and inhabitants So is the will of God done in all of these by their severall host and inhabitants For in the lower heavens which we call our firmament the will of God is done by the fowles of the ayre and by the treasures of windes raine snow haile and the thunder In the second heaven the will of God is done by the Sunne the Moone and the Starres In the third heaven also the will of God is done by the holy Angells who have kept their originall integrity and by the congregation of the first born who rest from their labours and have entred into their Masters joy The words then are cleere By earth is meant man made of earth returning to the earth and living on the earth By heaven is meant all the host and inhabitants of the whole heavens of God whether they be the first second or third heaven But chiefly the third Now the resemblance and parallel of the obedience is remarkable As it is in Heaven For it may be enquired how doe the Angells and Saints departed obey the will of God in heaven I answere they obey it five manner of wayes Speedily Cheerfully Fully sincerely constantly and perfectly Speedily and without delay cheerfully and without murmuring fully and without omission sincerely without dissimulation constātly without wearying and perfectly without halting Now is it possible for man so to doe Gods will No certainly wee cannot doe it speedily for like Lot we linger to goe out of Sodome We cannot doe it cheerfully for like Israel wee grudge and murmur in the way to our rest We cannot doe it fully for the good that wee would doe we doe not c. We doe it not sincerely and without dissimulation for although wee honour him with our mouthes our hearts are farre from him We doe it not constantly and without wearying for to day we are fervent and to morrow wee are lukewarme neither hot nor cold Neither doe we it perfectly for we know but in a part and see but in a part and our perfection is laid up for us in the life to come But why doe we then pray for it since wee cannot attaine to it I answere though we cannot attaine to it yet wee should strive after it For there is a time comming wherein we shall obtaine and attaine to that perfection wee aime at And that is our last moment and day of our dissolution Like Israel compassing Jericho And Sampson groaning under his blindnesse Vse Now the use of all this When God made man he made him conforme to his patterne for he made him like to himselfe and to his owne Image When God commanded to build him a Tabernacle he gave a patterne to it in the mount and never a pinne was in the Tabernacle but what was commanded So it is here when Christ Jesus desireth us to doe Gods will he writeth to us a copy doe it in earth as it is done in heaven Not that we are able to attaine to it but that we must strive after it Let us looke but to a naturall Parent Hee calleth upon
it unto you The world and the children of men when they pardon their pardons are faulty three wayes they are not totall but partiall not free but constrained neither finall but for a time not totall for if they can forgive one fault another is impardonable not free and voluntary but forced and constrained either by reason of the importunity of friends or hope in expectation of gaine not finall for though they forgive for a time yet their wrath and desire of revenge is renued with any occasion whatsoever It is not so with our God for what he easeth of that he forgiveth when hee forgiveth hee forgiveth ingenuously that is freely fully finally freely without any merit or occasion on our part fully for hee forgiveth both the sinne and the punishment thereof And finally for hee forgiveth us both in this life and that which is to come What hath man then wherein hee can rejoyce nothing but in the mercy and free favour of God for as St Bernard duely and truly acknowledgeth Meritum meum est miseratio Domin so may all the sonnes of Adam cry out and say Not unto us O Lord not unto us and with the Apostle St Paul O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his wayes and his judgements past finding out LECTIO 16. And forgive us our trespasses HAving already handled of the word debt and the word forgive that which remaines of the text offereth it selse to our consideration for though the gleanings of Ephratus bee better then the vintage of Abiezer yet must the gleanings have their owne roome also and every one in their owne order must be considered which in number are three 1. for whom it is that wee put up this supplication of pardon the word is plurall not singular Vs 2. The reason why we poure out our supplications in this plurall signification and it is because it is wee not I that have sinned alone nor thou only nor any other alone but all of us and therefore in a communicative appropriation wee call them ours Thirdly it is to be considered of whom and from whose hands it is that we are bold to begge this our release and pardon If in any of these particulars wee can make any further point of instruction to result by the grace of God it shall be made knowne unto you The first thing then wee have to speake of this day is the persons for whom and in whose favour this petition and supplication is formed It is cleare and evident out of the words themselves that the petition is not made for mee alone nor for thee alone nor for any man or woman in the world alone but in common thou for mee and I thee and every one of us for our selves and each of us for our neighbours as for our selves for as Omnis orainata charitas incipit â seipso sic etiam omnis regulata charitas terminatur in socio wee have reason then to looke first on our selves with the eyes of pitty and from our selves with the eyes of cōmiseration on our neighbours knowing them to bee men of the like infirmity to which wee our selves are subject Remember brethren that God in his word hath taught us two severall sorts of communicative contemplation the one pointing at our selves from the consideration of our brethren the other pointing at our brethren from the consideration of our selves the pitty that wee owe to our selves from the consideration of our brethren is recommended to us in the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Galathians Brethren if any man bee fallen amongst you of infirmity restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse considering your selves lest you also be tempted The pitty that wee owe to our brethren from consideration of our selves is mentioned in many parts of the law wherein we are commanded not to hide our eyes from the necessities of any stranger because wee our selves were sometimes strangers in the land of Israel it is so here with us God will have us to remember and pray for our necessities not in our owne name alone but also in the name of our brethren and fellow members Vse In handling of the words the order is remarkable and next to the order the communion and fellowship that is couched up in the bosome of that order First I will looke upon the order which is very remarkable for hee is teaching his disciples to pray for the pardon and remission of sinnes but hee will have them first to looke on themselves and their owne necessities and from themselves not onely to consider but also to commiserate the necessities of their brethren this is the path and the true straine in the which God walkes for our God is the God of order and not of confusion And for cleering hereof that order is first and originally established in God himselfe and then from him a shadow of that order which is in him is derived to his creatures I say first order is positively and cheefly established in God himselfe for hee who is one in essence is distinguished in three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who being individually one in themselves by vertue of their individuall essence yet are distinguished by order of personall existence the Father being in respect of order distinguished and preferred to the Sonne and the Father and the Sonne both to the holy Ghost Now from this chiefe and prime distinction of order which is amongst the persons of the blessed Trinity there is made manifest amongst the creatures a shadow of this order also and that in five severall points of contemplation First in the frame of the heavens and earth Secondly in the civill societies of men on earth viz. Commonwealths Thirdly in the spirituall societies of men his Church Fourthly in the homebred and domesticke families of men And last of all in the private carriages of man in his life and conversation I say that God hath established order in the frame and combination of heaven and earth together for there hee hath placed light and darknesse that for the day this for the night there hee hath set the Sunne and the Moone that by the heat of his influence to exhale this by her moisture to water and refresh there hath hee placed the clouds the bottels of raine wherewith in due season hee watereth Gedions fleece there hath hee placed the wardrobe and storehouse of the tempests of snow haile and winde and all for the use of man and those other sublunary creatures that live and move on the face of the earth that in thē all of thē the footsteps of the order of the God of order may be seen acknowledged next to this celestiall order subordination of the Spheares and Celestiall bodies behold hee hath fixed an order and subordination also amongst the sonnes of men in their secular and civill conversation and commercement for there hee hath placed
part of his distributive justice Who ever amongst you kindled a fire upon my Altar in vaine And againe Try me if I shall not blesse thee No in this he hath made all flesh unexcusable For he maketh his sunne to shine upon the good and upon the bad and his raine to fall upon the wicked as upon the righteous Neither is this alone the goodnesse of God to be liberall in his dispensation for hee neither denyeth nor upbraideth But amongst the sonnes of men also it hath even in nature beene accounted foule and base to bee ingrate Alexander could say to Permenio it is not enough for Alexander to give Pharaoh could say to Ioseph Only in the Throne shall I be before thee and Herod though in an evill course can say Aske of mee to the halfe of my Kingdome I will not deny it Onely this base slave Sathan who hath nothing but what hee hath usurped and stolen can both trecherously entice the sinne and thereafter cruelly torment for sinne greedy by his temptation to make a proselite and by his torture and ingratitude to make a reprobate The Kingdome of man and the kingdome of Sathan being thus pointed out it rests only that wee looke on the Kingdome of God of the which it is said Thy Kingdome come Of this wee must enquire what it is and then how manyfold it is Gods Kingdome is that spirituall rule and authority which he hath in man through Christ communicating to him his grace in this life and keeping him by the power of his spirit through faith to eternall glory This Kingdome is different from the former two For as concerning the Kingdomes of men they were subordinate and under anothers authority This is suprem and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of himself from himself The Kingdom of Sathan was usurped and trecherously ingrate This is due authoritative and liberall This being knowne for the nature of this Kingdome wee will now enquire a little of the severall kindes thereof Know then that the Kingdome of God is three-fold 1. He hath a Kingdome of power 2. A Kingdome of grace 3. And a Kingdome of glory The first is an externall the second an internall the third an eternall Kingdome By the first hee ruleth all his creatures All the sonnes of men and all the divells in hell also He ruleth the creatures for his voice maketh the foundations of the earth to shake The Cedars of Lebanon to tremble and the goats of a thousand mountaines to calve He ruleth the sonnes of men either doing in them his will by his Spirit of grace or doing upon them his will by the stroake of his justice He ruleth the divells in hell also For howsoever they goe about like roaring Lions seeking to devoure us Yet hath he kept a bridle in their lips and a hooke in their nostrells so that they cannot doe what they would for as their Master himselfe confesseth concerning Iob Whom can harme the man whom the Lord hedgeth about Vse But that wee may make use of these things to our comfort Let us looke on the Kingdome of God in the second signification which is his Kingdom of grace Wherin we must understand that this internall Kingdome of God whereby he ruleth in the hearts of men hath an opposite Kingdome rebelling against it to wit the Kingdome of Sathan for the overthrow whereof and the maintenance of his owne God hath established in this his militant Church and Kingdome these things 1. A King and some subordinate subjects 2. Oathes of allegiance 3. Lawes for obedience 4. Punishment for offendors 5. And rewards for well-doers The King is God himselfe A Trinity in unity and unity in Trinity The Father the Son and Holy Ghost God one in Essence but distinguished in Persons The Subjects of this Kingdome are all the Saints of God from the first Adam to the last man that shall stand upon the earth The Fathers before the flood the Patriarkes after the flood The Prophets under the law The Apostles under the Gospell The Martyrs their successors and we who are now in the end of time become their fellow Brethren as the posterity of Iacob dwelling in the tents of Shem. And finally all that shall beleeve the Gospell of Jesus for now there is no more Jew nor Gentile nor Grecian nor Barbarian nor bond nor free but all are in Christ Jesus Our Oath of allegiance we have given in our baptisme and communion with him at his table In the first a vowing to bee his people as hee is our God In the second promising to grow up in him and in the grace given us untill hee consummate his grace with his Glory The law of this Kingdome is that which is written partly in the tenor of the law and partly in the tenor of the Gospell Neither so sharpe as alwaies to have their censure written in the blood of the offendor like Draces lawes nor yet so remisse that partiality might make of them a spiders webbe like those of Solon but so contemperate that what justice required was satisfied and what mercy craved was freely yeelded The reward of transgressors and of well-doers is not defective here also For as every man soweth so shall he reape He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption But he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life and peace Now all of these doe shew her to be a Church and a spirituall Kingdome Yet withall let us remember I pray you that it is but a militant Church and a militant Kingdome that wee have here Against whom the Prince of darknesse and he that ruleth in the children of disobedience rageth fiercely and fearfully because his time is but short And for his more sure triumph hee hath confederated our nearest enemies our flesh and the world against us We are weake as a little David and they strong as the sonnes of Zeruiah how can we then resist and be victorious Blessed bee God through Jesus Christ our Lord For there bee more with us then they that be against us If Sathan bee a strong man yet is our head and captaine farre stronger is Sathan a roaring Lion our captaine is the great Lion of the Tribe of Judah Is Sathan a mighty Pharaoh yet our captaine is the great Archangell of the covenant who seeth our wrongs and oppressions and who by a mighty hand and outstretched right arme shall worke out our deliverance For in the day of conflict and spirituall contest our captaine leaveth us not to our selves and our owne weaknesse But which serveth wonderfully for our comfort hee is made and hath become in our flesh to us these foure things 1. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the moderator and marshall of our campe to us not suffering our temptations to exceed his appointed bounds 2. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with us our Second offering himselfe to all our danger as well as our selves 3. Hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
on our travels all should bee in vaine For wee may eate and not be satisfied wee may cover our makednesse and not be warme wee may sow much and reape little we may earne wages and put them in a bottomlesse bagge except hee open his hand and fill us with his blessing for then and no otherwise are wee satisfied And thirdly whilst wee begged of God the meanes of our satisfaction so also wee begged them of him in a moderate manner and measure not to give us over-little lest wee should for want steale and Gods name should bee dishonoured by our practice Nor yet over-much lest by reason of our plenty wee should waxe wanton forget the rocke from whence wee were hewen and so in our presumptions perish say Who is the Lord Now having begged these things in that Petition this Petition is duely conjoyned unto it by this particle of conjunction And for since it is certaine that man is a weake and fraile creature in the day of his want ready to runne an ill course and in the day of his prosperity ready to grow proud and mis-know God there can nothing bee better said then Lead us not into temptation that is to say since Sathan is ready at all times in all places and by all occasions to tempt us to sinne Lord watch thou over us by thy grace and good spirit that in the day of our want wee sinne not against thee by despaire and in the day of our wealth and abundance wee sinne not against thee by presumption but learne in whatsoever state wee bee therewith to be content for naked wee came into the world and naked we shall returne againe Again by the same cōjunctive particle And this Petition is duly tyed to that wherein wee begged of God the remission and pardon of our sinnes and that for three severall causes or respects first to teach us to avoid security Secondly to teach us the truth of Gods covenant and thirdly to teach us to submit our selves to the condition of the covenant It teacheth us to beware of security for after the remission of sinne temptation followeth and hee is a great foole who having once gotten the victory over sinne cries to himselfe a perpetuall and permanent peace yes furely for the estate of the servant is not above his master Whilst Sathan dealt with our head Christ Jesus in tempting him though hee mightily declared himselfe to bee the Sonne of God by resisting and repelling his temptations yet in the end it is said that Sathan left him but for a season If then this hath beene the lot and portion of the head what shall become of us that are members If hee dealt so with the greene tree what shall become of us who are withered branches And finally if this hath beene the portion of him who was the cedar of Lebanon what shall become of us who are poore bushes of Isop at the foot of the wall No no O man deceive not thy selfe and after the foile of a sinne over which it may please God in his mercy to give thee victory and peace of conscience in the blood of Jesus dost thou thinke that Sathan can bee so cowardly that after one foile hee dare no more to assault thee No be sure of this so long as the strong man keepes the hold all things are in peace but if with Iacob thou shalt labour to returne to the land of thy nativity Laban shall pursue thee and unlesse the God of thy fathers make his fall upon him hee will not onely kill thee but also the mother upon the young ones For though for a while hee seeme to leave his habitation yet if thou do not watch over the house of thy soule hee shall returne and bring with him seaven other spirits worse then himselfe and the last estate of thy soule shall be worse then the first Secondly it serves to teach us the truth of Gods covenant under which we have not onely cause of joy and spirituall rejoycing but also reason to serve the Lord in feare and walke before him in trembling For the covenant of mercy that God maketh with man in the blood of Christ hath two parts the first carryeth a promise of the remission of our sinnes the second a promise that hee will write his law in our hearts Now this is that new covenant which God promiseth to make with us under the Gospell of which the Apostle Paul writing to the Hebrews tells us that the tenor thereof is not formed according to the tenor of a carnall commandement but according to the power and law of an endlesse life For to what use I pray you shall the remission of our by-gone sinnes serve us if when we are once washed and cleansed wee shall straight with the dogge returne to our vomit or with the sowe to the puddle of our transgressions againe It is well added by the wisedome of God for mans instruction to say no sooner Forgive us our sinnes then straight way to subjoyne And lead us not into temptation for by this meanes wee get the covenant of God made sure and perfect to us whilst hee first sealeth in us the oblituration of the old hand writing of sinne that was against us and in the next roome writeth his law in our hearts and captivateth our affections to his obedience Lastly by the addition of this Petition to the immediately former we were taught to serve the Lord in feare for if this be our misery that our enemies are watchfull and malicious omitting no occasion of snares and temptations that can entrap and if this bee our infirmity and weaknesse that of our selves wee cannot stand one moment in the grace received why should wee not serve the Lord in feare and rejoyce before him in all trembling For as this is the comforr of comforts for a Christian to heare this said to him Sonne bee of good comfort thy sinnes bee forgiven thee So let this bee the square by which hee ruleth and squareth his future obedience Sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee Thus having cleared to you the dependence of this Petition with that Give us this day our daily bread and with that also Forgive us our sinnes It resteth now that wee consider the words of the Petition it selfe and first those which are deprecatory and then those that are supplicatory First Lead us not into temptation and then But deliver us from evill Lead us not into temptation For the better understanding of the words wee must remember that they are metaphoricall and propounded unto us by way of a figurative translation for in them God teacheth his Church to put up her supplications to God Now wee must understand that although the Church bee but one in her selfe as her God head and husband is one yet is shee alwayes proposed to us under the shadow of two severall considerations For sometimes shee is considered as in heaven and sometimes as shee is on earth that part
in thy young dayes Hee can say to the covetous man Pull downe thy barnes and make them more large and then cry a peace to thy soule Hee can say to the furious man Smite him at once that thou may not smite him the second time And What thou dost do quickly And in a word whatsoever seed of iniquity or bitter root of corruption hee soweth or planteth in our hearts this is his policy hee first bewitcheth the sense then enflameth the appetite or desire and last of all he bringeth sinne to accomplishment Vse In respect hereof it becommeth us carefully to watch over our senses as the gates and dores of our soules Secondly to keepe a guard about our affections that though our senses be infected yet our hearts be not affected Psal 139. And last of all wee should be earnest and carefull to mortifie both of these least their infection prevayling sin in thee come to a maturity and thou reape as thou hast sowne for hee that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption and hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life and glory and honor and life immortality Thus whilst wee seeke to bee free from temptations wee seek to be freed from the temptations of the devill the world and the flesh And if God at any time shall suffer us to fall into these temptations wee then begge of him that wee may not bee overcome of them Non enim petimus ut non tentemur sed ut a tentatione non vincamur Now followeth the third thing remarkable in the words and that is who are the souldiers that must fight the battell To this I answer all those that are subject to temptation the whole have no neede of the physitian but the sicke if any man therefore thinke himself free from the dint of temptation forbeare to say Lead us not into temptation but if none can exempt himselfe then what I say to one I say to all Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation But that I may speake more clearely The souldiers of this Christian warfare are all those who are members of the mysticall body of Jesus To what end else hath hee clothed them with his livory put his badge on them given them their earnest and covered them under his banner hee hath clothed us with his livory whilst he hath imputed to us his righteousnesse hee hath put his badge on us whilst hee hath baptized us in his name hee hath given us earnest whilst hee hath given us the first fruits of the Spirit to dwell in us and hee hath convocated us under his banner whilst hee calleth to bee within the pale and precinct of his Church But this is not all thou wilt enquire yet who are those to whom hee hath concredited these endowments I answer the Saints militant and tryumphant By the Saints militant I understand men and women on earth By the Saints tryumphant I understand those who fought the fight finished their course and now are entred into their masters joy But here two questions may arise the first is this Have none beene tempted but the sonnes and daughters of men I answer none for howsoever it be true that Jesus Christ was the Sonne of God yet as the sonne of man hee was also tempted with us and that for these foure causes First Ad cautelam 2. In auxilium 3. Ad exemplum 4. In fiduciam The sonne of God was tempted in our flesh for our caution and for warning sake that looking on him no man might thinke himselfe set free from temptation for if hee hath not spared the Cedar of Lybanon how shall hee spare us poore Isop bushes Secondly hee was tempted for our assistance and aid for what shall it availe a man to know that his enemy approacheth against him unlesse hee be able to resist him therefore Christ came and in our flesh was tempted also that hee might deliver us in all our temptations both from the feare of death and from him who had the power of death the devill Thirdly hee was tempted for our example for as hee said of himselfe learne of me for I am mecke and lowly and as the Evangelist St Iohn saith of his washing of his disciples feet I have given you an example that you should do one to another as I have done to you So also hath hee suffered our temptations and was tempted like unto us that hee might leave us an example to follow his foot steps 1. Pet. 2.21 Fourthly hee was tempted for our comfort and assurance of victory for it is written Heb. 4.15 Wee have not such an High Priest as cannot be touched with our infirmities but hee was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sinne Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace and wee shall finde grace to helpe us in the time of need The second question is this Who are those amongst the sonnes and daughters of men who can truly say that they are tempted to this I answer If temptation be a fight those onely are truly said to be tempted who do bravely couragiously resist and fight against their adversary It is not the sluggard that lyeth down to sleepe nor the coward that rūneth away nor the feeble hearted that yeeldeth that can truly be called the souldies of God but they only who hold fast what they have received who stand fast within the liberty wherewith they are made free and who continue constant unto the end that as the good souldiers of Jesus Christ shall receive the crowne Seeing then amongst the sonnes of men there are some who are in the gall of bitternesse who are taken captive of Sathan at his will who are given over to their vile affections and to the power of error 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sure I am these are not worthy of the title of this fight nor to have their names billeted for the souldiers of Jesus onely they then in whom though sinne dwell yet doth not raigne are the true soldiers of Jesus who can with Abraham refuse to be enriched from Sodome and with Moses refuse to leave a howfe behind him are worthy and shall be clothed in white and receive a white stone and in it a new name which no man knoweth but hee that possesseth it Vse Now what shall I say concerning man the Christian souldier and the necessity of his resistance Alas there is so much in man enemy to man and so little left in him that is able to resist or fight for him much lesse to triumph and conquer or subdue his enemy to him I thinke I can onely intreat man to looke continually on his captaine And yet because hee must either fight or else never tryumph there are two things of which I would advertise him First let him not thrust himselfe into temptation unlesse as David said There be a cause And that with Jesus hee bee led with the spirit For our adversaries are