former yet is it far more excellent and the Royalty of it is God's singular Delight Now this Kingdom of Grace is his Church and may be considered Two ways First In its Growth and Progress Secondly In its Perfection and Consummation In the former respect it is the Church Militant here upon Earth and in the latter it is the Church Triumphant in Heaven for both make up but one Kingdom under divers respects First Let us a little consider God's Kingdom here upon Earth or the Church Militant and that is Two-fold Visible and Invisible The Visible Kingdom of God upon Earth are a company of People openly professing the Fundamentals of Religion and those Truths necessary to Salvation which God hath made known unto the World and joyning together in the External Communion of Ordinances The Invisible Kingdom are a company of true Believers who have Internal and Invisible Communion with God by his Spirit and their Faith The Visible Church is of a much larger extent than the Invisible for it comprehends Hypocrites and Formalists and all those who have given up their Names to Christ and listed themselves under his Banner and make an outward profession of the Truth although by their Lives and Practices they contradict and deny what they own and profess with their Lips These belong to the Kingdom of God's Grace as to the External Dispensation and Regiment of it because they profess obedience to his Laws and live under the means of Grace by which many of them through the efficacious concurrence of the Spirit of God are translated into the Invisible Kingdom of his dear Son Now this Visible Kingdom of God upon Earth is but an imperfect State and Condition for though all that are Members of it are selected and taken out of the World yet there is a great deal of Mixture and Dross and many things that do offend For First There is in it a mixture of Wicked Persons with those that are really Holy Many are of this Kingdom only because their Consciences are convinced of the Truth of the Christian Religion although their Lives are not subject to the Power of it and these are taken out of the World only as they are brought into the Pale of the Church and profess the Name of Christ and his Religion as distinct from all other Religions in the World And therefore we find the Church or the Kingdom of Heaven in Scripture frequently compared to a Net cast into the Sea gathering every kind of Fish both good and bad Matth. 13.47 both sorts are embraced in the Bosom of this Net and no perfect Separation can be made until it be drawn to shore at the Day of Judgment and then the Good will be gathered into Vessels and the Bad cast away as it is there expressed Again it is compared to a Floor wherein is both Chaff and Wheat Luk. 3.17 and these will be mix'd together until the last discriminating Day and then shall the Wheat be gathered into the Garner and the Chaff burnt up with unquenchable Fire Again it is compared to a Field wherein there grows Tares as well as Corn Matth. 13.24 which must grow together until the Harvest and then shall the Tares be bound in Bundles to be burnt and the profitable Grain be gathered into the Barn This hath still been and will be the mix'd condition of God's Church on Earth wherein through Hypocrisie and gross Dissimilation many that are Enemies to the Cross of Christ will yet go under that Cognisance and keep up a Form of Godliness though they deny and hate the Power of it Secondly There is even in the Invisible Church here on Earth a great mixture too those who have a real and vital Union to Christ and maintain a Spiritual Communion with him yet even they have a sad mixture of Evil with all their Good of Sin with all their Grace and Holiness so that the Church is still imperfect not only from a mixture of Persons but from a mixture in Persons As we know but in part so we love but in part we fear we obey God but in part And with our Profession of Faith we had need also to prefer that humble Petition Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief Secondly The Kingdom of God may be considered in its Perfection and Consummation and so it is Triumphant in Heaven And this consists of such Glorious Angels as never Fell and of such Glorified Saints who are raised from their Fall and restored to a far better Condition than what they lost This is the most Glorious part of God's Kingdom here is his Throne especially established and here it is that he displays himself in the splendor of his Majesty being surrounded by innumerable Hosts of Holy Angels and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect who continually Worship before him with a most prostrate Veneration and give Honour and Glory and Praise to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Now this Kingdom is altogether free from those former Imperfections and Mixtures There is no mixture of good and bad together neither is there any mixture of bad in the good but all are Holy and all as compleatly Holy as Creatures can be for into the New Jerusalem shall no unclean thing ever enter There are neither Temptations to try us nor Sins to defile us nor Sorrows to afflict us but perfect Joy and perfect Purity Where all Tears shall be wiped from our Eyes and all Sin the Cause of those Tears rooted out of our Hearts And yet if Heaven it self may be liable to any Defects or capable of any Additions there seems at present to be wanting in it these Two things First The Kingdom of Glory is not yet Full nor shall it be till the whole Number of the Elect shall be called and the whole Number of the Called Glorified Many as yet are conflicting here below and fitting themselves for their Eternal Reward many yet lie sleeping in their Causes unborn whom God hath Foreknown and Predestinated unto Eternal Life all of whom he will in his due time bring unto the Possession of his Heavenly Kingdom to compleat the Number of his Glorious Subjects And therefore it is said concerning the Saints that are already in Heaven that white Robes were given to every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season until their Fellow-Servants also and their Brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled Rev. 6.11 Secondly Those Glorified Saints that are now in Heaven though their Joys be perfect yet their Persons are not but one part of them their Bodies continue still under the arrest of Death and the Power of the Grave but yet they sleep in Hope and through that Mystical Vnion that there is between Jesus Christ and every scattered Dust of a Believer they shall obtain a Glorious and Joyful Resurrection and then shall this Heavenly Kingdom
sinceall partake of the same common Nature much more as we partake of the same especial Grace To interest one another in our Prayers and thereby maintain the Communion of Saints Q. But since God is every where present why hath our Saviour taught us to direct our Prayers to our Father in Heaven A. First because Heaven is the most glorious Place of God's Residence and therefore God is represented to us in Heaven to affect us with his Glory and Majesty Secondly Because God no where hears our Prayers with acceptation but onely in Heaven For there onely are they represented by Christ's Intercession which he makes in both Natures Q. What learn ye from our being commanded to direct our Prayers to God in Heaven A. That we should so pray as to pierce Heaven which cannot be done by the strength and intention of our Voice but of our Zeal and Affection Q. Is the Voice necessary in Prayer A. It is onely upon three Accounts 1. As that which God requires should be imployed in his Service 2. VVhen in secret it may be an help to raise our Affections still keeping it within the Bounds of Decency and Secrecy 3. In our joyning with others it is an help likewise to raise and quicken their Affections Q What is the first Petition of the Lord's Prayer A. Hallowed be thy Name Q. What is here meant by the Name of God A. First God's Name is himself Psal 20.1 The Lord hear thee in the Day of Trouble the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee and many other Places Secondly The Name of God is any perfection ascribed unto him whereby he hath made himself known unto us Q. What are the Names of God A. His Titles and his Attributes Q. What are his Titles A. They are many as Jehovah which signifies Being and giving being Creator denoting his Infinite Power Lord and King denoting his Authority and Dominion Father signifying his Care and Goodness towards his Creatures Redeemer noting his Mercy and Grace in delivering them from Temporal Evils and especially from Eternal Death Q. What are the Attributes of God A. They are of two Sorts either Incommunicable or Communicable Q. Which are his incommunicable Attributes A. Such as are so proper to the Divine Essence that they cannot in any Measure or Resemblance be ascribed to the Creatures Such are the Eternity Immensity Simplicity and Immutability Q. What are his communicable Attributes A. They are such as may in some Analogy and Resemblance be found in the Creatures As Holiness Justice Mercy Truth VVisdom and Power Q. Since they are to be found in the Creatures how are they then the proper Names of God A. They are the proper Names of God when they are applied to him free from all those Imperfections that attend them in the Creatures Q. What are these Imperfections A. They are Three 1. First That all the Perfections of the Creatures are not Originally from themselves but derivatively from God 2. Secondly They are not infinite but limited 3. Thirdly They are not unchangeable but mutable Q. How then do these become the Names of God A. VVhen we ascribe them unto God as Originally from himself and infinitely and unchangeably in himself Q. What is it to hallow this Name of God A. It signifies to make his Name Holy Q. How can God or his Name be made Holy A. Neither by Dedication to Holy Uses nor by Infusion of Holy Habits both which are frequently in Scripture called Hallowing or Sanctifying but onely by Declaration of his Glory and Holiness Q. How do we hallow the Name of God by Declaration A. VVhen in our most reverend Thoughts we observe and admire the Expressions of his Attributes and indeavour to set them forth to others both in VVords and Actions Q. What pray you for in this Petition Hallowed be thy Name A. For three Things in the General 1. First VVe beg such Graces for our selves as may inable us to sanctifie the Name of God Q. What are they especially A. Knowledge and Understanding of his Nature VVill and VVorks Thankfulness for every Mercy Patience under every Affliction Faith in his VVord and Promises For to believe God's VVord gives Glory to his Name Rom. 4.20 He staggered not at the Promise of God through Vnbelief but was strong in Faith giving Glory to God An Holy and Exemplary Life whereby we especially glorified God and induce others to do so too Matt. 5.16 Let your Light so shine before Men that they may see your good Works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And lastly savoury and well ordered Speech that we may not prophane the Name of God by Oaths or Curses or vain using it but speak of him with all Holy Fear and Reverence Q. What else do we beg of God in this Petition A. VVe beg that others also may receive Grace to inable them to sanctifie his Name And Thirdly we beg that God would so over-rule all Things that his Glory may be promoted by them Q. What learn you from Christ's making this the first Petition of his Prayer A. 1. First That the Glory of God is to be preferred by us before all other Things whatsoever John 12.27 28. Now is my Soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this Hour But for this Cause came I unto this Hour Father glorifie thy Name Then came there a Voice from Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again 2. Secondly That in the Beginning of our Prayers we ought to beg Assistance from God to present them that his Name may be hallowed Q. What is the second Petition of the Lord's Prayer A. Thy Kingdom come Q. How manifold is the Kingdom of God A. It is two fold either Universal or else his peculiar Kingdom Q. What is God's Vniversal Kingdom A. The whole VVorld both Heaven and Earth and Hell it self and all things in them Psal 103.19 The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all Q. How doth God exercise his Dominion over this Kingdom A. By the Power of his Providence disposing of all his Creatures and all their Actions according to his VVill. Q. But since wicked Men are Rebels against God how doth he maintain his Dominion over them A. Three ways 1. First In that they cannot sin without his Permission 2. Secondly In that he restrains them when he pleaseth 3. Thirdly In that he justly punisheth them for their Sins sometimes in this Life always in the next Q. What is God's peculiar Kingdom A. His Kingdom of Grace which is the Church and that either Militant here on Earth or else Triumphant in Heaven Q. How is the Church Militant to be considered A. As it is either Visible or Invisible Q. What is the Visible Church of God here on Earth A. It is a Company of People openly professing the Truths that are necessary to Salvation and celebrating the Ordinances appointed by Jesus Christ Q.
be every way perfect perfect in the full Number of its Subjects and every Subject perfect in his entire and compleat Reward his Soul made for ever Blessed in the Beatifical Vision of God and his Body made unconceivably Glorious by the redundancy of that Glory that fills his Soul and both shall remain for ever with the Lord. And thus you see what the Kingdom of God is both universal and peculiar the Kingdom of his Power and the Kingdom of his Grace and that as it is Militant here on Earth both Visible and Invisible and as it is Triumphant in Heaven The next thing in order is to shew how this Kingdom of God is said to come This Word come implies that we pray for a Kingdom that is yet in its Progress and hath not yet attained the highest pitch of that perfection which is expected and desired for that which is yet to come is not as yet arrived to that State in which it is to be And therefore we do not so properly pray that the Vniversal Kingdom of God should come for his Dominion over the Creatures is actually the same and shall be so for ever But more especially we pray that the peculiar Kingdom of God should come and that as to both parts of it Militant and Triumphant Now this peculiar Kingdom is said to come in Three respects First In respect of the means of Grace and Salvation for where these are rightly dispensed I mean the Holy Word and Sacraments there is the Kingdom of God begun and erected and therefore we find it called the Word of the Kingdom Matth. 13.19 Secondly In respect of the Efficacy of those means when all ready and cordial Obedience is yielded to the Laws of God then doth this Kingdom come and the Glory of it is advanced and increased Thirdly In respect of Perfection and so it comes when the Graces of the Saints are strengthned and increased when the Souls of the Godly departing this Life are received into Heaven and when the whole Number of them shall have their perfect Consummation and Bliss in the Glorification both of Soul and Body after the General Re-surrection And thus we have seen how the Kingdom of God may come In the next place we must enquire what it is we pray for when we say Thy Kingdom come I Answer There are various Things lie couch'd under this Petition as First We pray that God would be pleased to Plant his Church where it is not according to his Promise giving all the Nations of the World to his Son for his Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his Possession That the dark Places and Corners of the Earth that are yet the Habitations of Cruelty may be illustrated with the Glorious Light of the Gospel shining into them That God would reveal his Son to those poor wretched People that sit in Darkness and in the Region of the Shadow of Death and would rescue them from their Blind Superstitions and Idolatries and from the Power of the Devil who strongly works in the Children of Disobedience and would translate them into the Kingdom of his dear Son especially that he would remove the Veil from the Heart of the Jew upon whom a sad Judicial Hardness hath long lain that they at length may be brought into the Unity and Fulness of Christ's Body We pray that all the World both Jews and Gentiles may be gathered into one Sheep-fold under Christ Jesus the great Pastor and Shepherd of Souls so that as God is one so his Name and Service may be one throughout all the Earth And thus we pray that Christ's Kingdom may come in respect of the means of Grace and Salvation Secondly This Petition Thy Kingdom come intimates our earnest desire that the Church of Christ where they are planted may be increased in the Members of the Faithful That those who are as yet Enemies to the Name and Profession of Christ may be brought into the Visible Church and that those in it who are yet Strangers to a powerful Work of Grace may by the effectual Operation of the Holy Ghost be brought in to be Members of the Invisible Church And thus we pray that God's Kingdom may come in respect of the Efficacy of the means of Grace Thirdly We pray that all the Church of Christ throughout the World may be kept from ruine that they may not be over-run with Superstition or Idolatry That God would not in his Wrath remove his Candlestick from them as he hath in his Righteous Judgment done from other Churches which were once Glorious and Splendid We pray likewise that God would make up all Breaches and compose all Differences and silence all Controversies and cut off all those who trouble the Peace and rend the Unity of the Church breaking it into Factions and Schisms which are the most fatal Symptoms and Portenders of God's withdrawing himself and carrying away his Gospel and giving of it to another People who will better bring forth the Fruits of it which are Peace Meekness and Love And if in any thing Christians be diversly minded that God would be pleased to reveal it unto them and that whereunto they have attained they may walk by the same Rule and mind the same Things And thus we pray that Christ's Kingdom may come in respect of its perfection and entireness Fourthly It intimates our humble Requests to God that his Ordinances may be purely and powerfully dispensed Hence as I noted before the Word is called the Word of the Kingdom Matth. 13.19 that is the Word whereby we are brought into the Kingdom of Christ here on Earth and fitted for his Triumphant Kingdom in Heaven It is the means of our New Birth the Seed of our Spiritual Life And as a Kingdom cannot be well established or governed without good Laws so for the Government of his Kingdom Christ hath established Laws which are contained in the Records of the Holy Scriptures And as his Word is the Law so his Sacraments are the Seals of his Kingdom for so every believing Partaker God doth under his Seal confirm the grant of Heaven and Eternal Salvation And therefore in this Petition we pray also that God would give his Church able Ministers of the New Testament that may know how rightly to divide the Word of Truth and to give every one his Portion in due season And that he would be pleased to accompany the outward Administration of his Ordinances with the inward Operations of his Spirit which alone can make them effectual to turn Men from Darkness to Light and to bring them from the Power of Satan unto God That the whole Number of God's Elect may in his due time be brought in by the means which he hath appointed and sanctified for their Conversion and Salvation These are the chief and principal things that we beg of God for the Church Militant when we say Thy Kingdom come viz. that it may attain a perfection of Extent
thou canst but get an Attribute to take thy part when thou comest to the Throne of Grace and if thou canst but rightly use and fit it to thy requests thou may'st be sure of speeding for God will not nay he cannot deny himself In us there can be nothing found to move him nor any where out of himself and where we find as very often we do in Scripture that the Miseries and Afflictions of God's People are made use of as a Plea for Mercy yet this Plea it self which is usually most winning and most affecting can no otherwise prevail with God than as his Pity and Compassions engage him to relieve those that are in Misery And to speak properly they are not our Afflictions but the Glory of his Power and Mercy in delivering us from them that is a motive unto God Only it is the art of a Praying Christian aptly to represent himself as an Object for God's Attributes to be exercised about And if he can but interest any Name or Attribute of God in his behalf he may be confident of the success of his Prayer and that he shall not return ashamed These two Observations I gather from the illative Particle for For thine is the Kingdom c. Concerning the Kingdom of God I shall speak but very little now having already treated of it in explaining the Second Petition of this most excellent Prayer Thy Kingdom come Certain it is that God's Vniversal Kingdom is here understood as he is the High Creator and Supreme Lord of all things both in Heaven and in Earth yet not so as to exclude his peculiar Kingdom of the Church And this is an excellent Argument to confirm our Faith for the obtaining of those things which we pray for because the Kingdom is Gods and he is the absolute Sovereign over all and therefore all things are at his dispose As for Spiritual Blessings which we seek he hath the Power of bestowing of them for he is King of his Church and bestows the Gifts and Graces of his Spirit upon the Faithful Subjects of that his Kingdom And as for Temporal Blessings that we beg he likewise can readily bestow them upon us for he is the Universal Monarch of all the World a King to whom all other Kings are subject and all other Thrones are but the Footstool of his And therefore in the general whatsoever we want be it Protection or Provision our Faith in the Sovereignty of God may encourage us to ask it with an humble boldness and confidence for it is the Office of a King to give both unto his Subjects But let us more particularly consider how God's Kingdom may be accommodated to all the Petitions of this Prayer of our Lord as a strong Argument and Reason to prevail with God for the obtaining what we request in each of them First The Kingdom is God's therefore he will see that his Name be hallowed and glorified in it Kings are jealous of their Honour and it is a great Offence either to speak or do any thing that may redound to their discredit It is fit and decent for a King to have the highest Name and the greatest repute among his Subjects And therefore we may be sure God will maintain this in the World yea so jealous is God of having dishonour reflected upon him that he hath forbidden not only the profanation and trivial mention of his own Name but the profanation of that which doth but belong unto him Matth. 5.34 35. Swear not by Heaven for it is God's Throne neither by the Earth for it is his Foot-stool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the Great King Heaven is the Throne of his Majesty the Theatre of his Power Jerusalem and the Temple the Seat of his Worship And therefore as Kings and Princes have respect shown to their presence Chamber So God because he is the Great King of Kings and Lord of Lords requires to be reverenced in all that doth appertain unto him and he will be sanctified in all that draw near unto him Those who will not actually hallow him by their Obedience on them God will be hallowed passively by their Punishment And because he is a King he will maintain the Honour of his Majesty and Royalty And therefore we may with Faith pray Hallowed be thy Name For thine is the Kingdom c. Secondly The Kingdom is God's and therefore this Kingdom shall come it shall be maintained it shall be established it shall be enlarged and increased Is it not the highest concern of a King to look that his Kingdom be not overthrown and himself deposed and outed of it So is it God's interest and concernment to preserve his Kingdom from the incursion of Enemies and the sad consequences of the Rents and Divisions of his Subjects He hath promised that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it that he will enlarge the Borders of it and give all Nations unto Jesus Christ for his Inheritance and Possession And therefore when we pray Thy Kingdom come we may very well expect that our Requests should be granted for the Kingdom is God's and we do but pray that he would regard his own Interest and Concerns that he would look down from Heaven and visit this Vine which his own Right Hand hath planted that neither the Wild Boar out of the Forest may root it up nor the cunning Foxes pluck off its tender Grapes Thirdly The Kingdom is God's and therefore we may well pray That his Will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven For what is Sovereignty without Obedience to it but a mere Pageantry a mock-shew of idle Royalty It is but fit and rational to pray that his Will should be done whose the Kingdom is And whilst we thus pray we may be confident of being heard and accepted since the Reason we urge is so natural and pressing Fourthly The Kingdom is God's and therefore we may with great encouragement to our Faith pray for Our daily Bread and all those Temporal Accommodations that are needful and expedient for us For it is a Kingly Office to provide things necessary for their Subjects to protect and defend them to supply and relieve them and therefore Psal 72. where we have a perfect Character of a good King it is said verse 6. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass and as showers that Water the Earth That is he shall be to his People as soft Showers to the sprouting Grass kindly nourishing it and making it grow and flourish And certainly God who is the greatest and best of Kings will be so much more to his People and Subjects and since he hath assumed to himself the Style and Name of King he will provide abundantly for their Peace and Prosperity Fifthly The Kingdom is God's and therefore we may well make our applications to him for Pardon and beg of him the Forgiveness of our Offences since it is the Prerogative Royal of
makes to God ought to be ratified with an Amen sent from our very hearts which if we sincerely and affectionately perform we have abundant assurance that what is confirmed by so many suffrages on Earth shall likewise be confirmed by our Father which is in Heaven And how beautiful how becoming would this be when the whole Church shall thus conspire together in their Requests St. Jerome tells us It was the custom in his days to close up every Prayer with such an unanimous consent that their Amens rung and echoed in the Church and sounded like the fall of Waters or the noise of Thunder This would be a Testimony of our hearty consent to the things we Pray for And if any two that shall agree upon Earth touching any thing that they shall ask they shall have it granted them as our Saviour hath promised Matth. 18.19 then certainly the joynt Prayers of a whole multitude of Christians must needs have a kind of Omnipotency in them and be able to do any thing with God And thus I have with God's Assistance given you a brief Exposition of this most excellent Prayer of our Saviour The Lord Sanctifie it unto you and make it a means to help you to Pray with more understanding with stronger Faith and with greater Fervency The End of the Larger Exposition A Catechistical EXPOSITION OF THE Lord's Prayer By way of QUESTION and ANSWER By the Right Reverend Father in God EZEKIEL Lord Bishop of Derry by which he examined the Youth each Lord's-Day during the whole Time he preached upon the Lord's Prayer Quest IS the Lords Prayer a Form of Prayer or onely a Pattern for Prayer Answ It is both That it is to be used as a Form appears Luke 11.2 When ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. That it is a Pattern Matt. 6.9 After this Manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven c. Q. What are the Parts of this Prayer A. They are Four 1. The Preface or Introduction 2. The Petitions and Requests 3. The Doxology or Praise-giving 4. The Conclusion and Ratification Q. What is the Preface to this Prayer A. Our Father which art in Heaven Q. What observe you from it A. That in the Beginning of our Prayers we ought seriously to consider and reverently to express the glorious Attributes of God as an excellent Means to compose us into an Holy Fear of his Divine Majesty Q. How many are the Petitions contained in this Prayer A. Six Whereof the three first respect God's Glory and the three last our own Good Q. What learn you from this Order and Method A. That we ought first to seek God's Glory before any Interests and Concerns of our own Q. How are those Petitions divided which immediately concern the Glory of God A. In the first of them we pray that God may be glorified in the other two for the Means whereby he is glorified Q. How divide you those Petitions which concern our own good A. One relates to our Temporal the other two to our Spiritual good Q. What observe you from placing the Petition for our Temporal good in the Midst of this Prayer A. That we are onely to bait at the World in our Passage to Heaven and onely refresh our selves with our daily Bread in our Way and Journey thither Q. What are the Petitions which relate to our Spiritual good A. They are two One whereby we beg the Pardon of our Sins the other whereby we beg Deliverance from them Q. What ascribe you to God in the Doxology A. Four of his most glorious Attributes 1. First His Sovereignty Thine is the Kingdom 2. Secondly His Omnipotence And the Power 3. Thirdly His Excellency And the Glory 4. Fourthly The Eternity and Unchangeableness of all these They are Thine for ever Q. What signifies that Particle Amen at the End of this Prayer A. It signifies two Things So be it Which notes our Desire for the obtaining of what we ask So it shall be Which notes our Assurance of being heard Q. What is the Preface to the Lord's Prayer A. Our Father which art in Heaven Q. What doth this teach us A. That in our Entrance into Prayer we should seriously consider both the Mercy of God as he is our Father and likewise his Majesty as he is in Heaven That the one may beget in us Filial Boldness and the other awfull Reverence and by the mixture of both we may be kept from Despair and Presumption Q. In what Respects may God be stiled Father A. In three especially 1. First in respect of the Eternal Generation of his Son And so this Title is proper onely to the first Person of the Trinity 2. In respect of Creation and Providence and so he is the Father of all Mal. 2.10 Have we not all one Father Hath not one God created us 3. In respect of Regeneration and Adoption And so he is the onely Father of the Faithfull John 1.12.13 But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believed on his Name Which were born not of Blood nor of the VVill of Flesh nor of the VVill of Man but of God Rom. 8.15 16. For ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to Fear But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God Q. In what Respects do we call God Father in this Prayer A. In the two last As he hath created us and doth preserve us and as he hath regenerated and adopted us Q. When ye stile God the Father do ye mean onely God the Father the first Person of the Trinity A. No. For God the first Person is eminently called the Father not in respect of us but in respect of Christ In respect of us the whole Trinity both Father Son and Holy Ghost is our Father which is in Heaven Isaiah 9.6 For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counsellour The Mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace John 3.5 Jesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Q. What is implied in this Particle Our Our Father A. That God is the Father of all Men He is the Father of the VVicked by Creation and Providence but especially of the Godly by Regeneration and Adoption Q. Is it proper in our secret Prayers to say Our Father A. It is For so we find Dan. 9.17 Now therefore O our God hear the Prayer of thy Servant and his Supplications and cause thy Face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate for the Lord's Sake Q. What learn we by stiling God our Father A. First to esteem one another as Brethren
thy Pardon even a Right and Title to a Blessed and Glorious Inheritance Thy Pardon thou hast from the Passive Obedience of Christ in his Sufferings A Right to Heaven thou hast through the Active Obedience of Christ in fullfilling all Righteousness And through both hast thou obtained a compleat Justification God looking upon thee as Innocent through the Satisfaction of his Son and as Worthy through his Obedience both which are made thine by Faith Now this Pardon of sin is in Scripture set forth by very sweet and full Expressions It is called a blotting out of Transgression A Metaphor taken from a Creditors crossing the Debt-Book signifying thereby a discharge of the Debt And lest we might possibly fear God will implead us for them without Book the Prophet adds forgetting unto blotting out Esai 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my Names sake and I will not remember thy sins It is called a covering of our sins Psal 32.1 Blessed is the Man whose Transgressions are forgiven and whose sin is covered Yea we have a further ground of Comfort for it is not only a covering of our sins but it is a covering of God's Face from them Psal 51.9 Hide thy Face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities It is a casting of them behind God's back as a thing that he will never more regard Is 38.17 Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back And lest we should suspect he should turn again to behold them it is called a casting of them into the bottom of Sea Mic. 7.19 as we do with things we would have irrecoverably lost and gone It is a scattering them as a thick Cloud Esai 44.22 When the Vapours of it are so dissipated that there shall not remain the least spot to obstruct the shining of God's Face and Favour upon our Souls Yea and so perfect an Abolition shall be made of all our Iniquities that though Divine Justice should enter into a strict search and scrutiny after them they shall not be found against us So the Prophet Jeremiah tells us Jerem. 50.20 In that day shall the iniquity of Israel be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found How hath God heaped up Expressions of his Grace and Mercy one upon another and studied words as it were to assure us of the Validity of our Pardon giving to us abounding Consolations as our sins have been abounding And thus much shall suffice to shew the Nature of Pardoning Grace and Mercy as expressed in these words Forgive us our Debts Secondly Let us consider unto whom this Petition for Pardon is directed and that is as all the rest are to our Father whose Laws we have violated whose Justice we have offended whose displeasure we have incurred and to whose vengeance we have made our selves liable and obnoxious to him we sue for Pardon and Remission Hence we may collect this note That it is the High Prerogative of God alone to forgive Sins God assumes this particularly to himself and seems to triumph in the Glory of this Attribute I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions And therefore when Christ cured the Paralytick the Scribes and Pharisees storm'd at him for a Blasphemer for saying Be of good chear thy Sins are forgiven thee Thou Blasphemest say they for who can forgive Sins but God alone Mark 2.7 And this Charge of Blasphemy which they laid against Christ had he not been the true God had been unanswerable And therefore our Saviour denies not their Principle which is most certain and infallible but to convince them that they themselves were Blasphemers in applying it to him proves his Deity by a Miracle and demonstrates his Authority to forgive Sins by his Power in healing Diseases But you will say if it be the incommunicable Prerogative of God only to forgive Sins How is it that we find this Privilege and Power ascribed unto Men also John 20.23 Whosoever Sins ye remit they are remitted It seems therefore that the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ their Successors stand invested by Christ with a Power to forgive Sins I Answer Remission of Sins is two-fold either Authoritatively and Judicially or Secondly Ministerial and Declarative The former belongs only to God who by the meer Authority of his Grace and Mercy doth freely and fully acquit us of our Guilt without requiring any thing at our Hands by way of recompence or punishment Now for any Creature either in Heaven or Earth to assume this to himself is a most insolent and Blasphemous Pride which while the Pope of Rome doth he hath given us the strongest Argument that can be to assert and prove him to be the Antichrist and that Son of Perdition for among the many Characters that are given of Antichrist all of which do more than sufficiently belong unto him this is one that he exalteth himself above all that is called God 2. Thess 2.4 Not only above Titular Gods as Kings and Magistrates are for it is notoriously known what Power he arrogates unto himself in disposing Crowns and transferring States making Princes themselves far more inferiour to him than their Subjects are to them but also above the only Living and True God and the Lord Jesus Christ in pretending to a Judicial Authority to forgive Sins and Offences committed against God For it is clear and evident whosoever can Pardon the Offences of one Person against another must himself be Superiour to both and have Authority and Jurisdiction over both but chiefly over the Person offended to make him cease the Prosecution of his Right and sit down by the Wrong received For if a Prince should Pardon the Injury that one Subject doth the other he must command the Person grieved not to molest or prosecute him that hath done the Wrong and so disable him from taking revenge Now what a wretched and damnable Insolence is it for any vile sinful Man to pretend to such a Power of forgiving Sins committed against God as if by his Authority he could command God to surcease his Suit and to require no farther recompence but to rest himself contented that it is the Pope's Will and Pleasure to have it so What is this but to exalt himself above all that is called God not only on Earth but in Heavean it self A most horrid Blasphemy and so proper a Character of Antichrist that there needs no other to describe him by Secondly There is a Ministerial declarative Remission of Sins and this is either Internal in the Court of Conscience or External in the Court of the Church of Christ here upon Earth The former Remission is the Office or Ministery of the Holy Ghost sealing of us up unto the Day of Redemption by his silent and most comfortable Testimony witnessing unto us that our Sins are pardoned and our Persons accepted The External Declaration of Remission of Sins is an open publication to all
Motion or such like Qualities that do not belong unto the Divine Nature Yet all these are Eminently in God for he is the Prime and Original Cause from whom they derive their Being and Perfection so that all Glory is his his incommunicatively from any other communicatively from him Secondly All Glory in respect of God is but darkness and obscurity And so it was both a True and Divine Conception of Plato when he said That Light was but a shadow of God for as Shadows are vastly dark when the Light that surrounds them appears So God is infinitely brighter than Light it self Yea the Sun that Created Fountain of Light is but a black coal compared with this Eternal Father of Lights This is well expressed by Job 25.5 Behold even to the Moon and it shineth not and the Stars are not pure in his sight As the Light of the Sun when it ariseth drowns and extinguisheth all other Lights for its brightness as it brings a Day to all the rest of the World so it brings a a Night to the Stars So the infinite brightness of the Glory of God over-casts all other Glory whatsoever with Night and Obscurity Hence it is said That God chargeth his Angels with Folly Job 4.8 So that if those Wife and Intellectual Creatures be compared with God they are but foolish and ignorant for the Glory of his infinite and unsearchable Understanding so far transcends their reach that they know nothing in comparison with him who knoweth all things The two chiefest Glories of Men are Wisdom and Strength Wisdom to contrive and Power to execute these perfect him as he is a Man But yet see how the Apostle undervalues both these when compared with God 1 Cor. 1.25 The foolishness of God is wiser than Men and the weakness of God is stronger than Men. And therefore because God's Glory is infinitely surpassing all others our Saviour ascribes it to him peculiarly Thine is the Glory Thirdly Because all other Glories in the Creatures serve only to illustrate the Glory of the Great God Seest thou any Excellency and Perfection in any of the Creatures God hath so endowed them with it not that thou shouldest fix there and make that thy Idol but that thou mightest have a hint from thence how much more perfect he himself is and take thy rise from visible Excellencies to admire those that are invisible Is there so much Beauty and Harmony in the Frame of Nature Think then how much more Harmonious and Orderly are the Counsels and Designs of the Great God who hath contrived and disposed the whole course and circuit of second Causes Is there so much awe and dread in the presence of an Earthly Majesty to daunt all that are not impudent and profligate Offenders Think then how infinitely venerable is the Face of the Great God since it is only some Ray of his Authority and Majesty shining in them that makes them so dreadful Is it such a pleasant thing to the Eye to behold the Light raise then not thine Eye of Sense but thine Eye of Faith to consider how infinitely Bright and Glorious that Light is that is never Clouded that Light which though it infinitely diffuse it self yet resides always in its Center For God is Light and in him there is no darkness at all 1 John 1.5 Thus you see that God hath therefore made any Created Being Glorious and Excellent that it might serve as a Monitor to put us in mind of his greater Glory and the more Excellent any Perfections are in the Creature the greater advantage have we from them to raise our Meditations unto God And having thus shewn you why Glory is in such an especial manner attributed unto God Thine is the Glory it reremains now to consider what force this Plea hath to confirm our Faith that we shall obtain from God those things which we pray for and here let us see its influence upon every Petition First The Glory is God's therefore his Name shall be Hallowed For his Declarative Power consists in the Hallowing of his Name since to Hallow is nothing else as I shewed you in the Explication of that Petition but to declare God to be Holy and this is to give Glory unto God Hence we have them both joyned together Levit. 10.3 I will be Sanctified by them that come nigh unto me and before all the People I will be Glorfied To Sanctifie is to Glorifie God And therefore what better Argument can we urge that God would provide for the Sanctifying of his Name than this that the Glory is his and if his Name be prophaned in the World his Glory needs must suffer How can the World know that God is infinitely Glorious in all his Perfections and Attributes unless he take care by his own methods to have his Name Sanctified among his People in their Expressions and Actions and to have it Sanctified upon the Wicked in their Plagues and Punishments Therefore we may well pray in Faith Hallowed be thy Name for thine is the Glory Secondly The Glory is God's Therefore His Kingdom shall come For where should he be Honoured but in his own Kingdom God is greatly dishonoured and his Glory traduced in the rest of the World And therefore if he will have any Glory secured and maintained he must take care of his Church to maintain and propagate it Psal 76.1 In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel The Glory of a King falls together with his Kingdom and it lays a blot upon his Honour if he should suffer his Enemies to overthrow it while he hath Power to defeat their Enterprises since therefore the Glory is God's we may be confident that he will provide for the security and wellfare of his own Kingdom and will for his Honours fake establish it so sure that the Gates of Hell all the Power and Policy of Men and Devils shall never be able to prevail upon it to its extirpation Hence then whensover we see the rage of the professed Enemies of the Name of Christ incroaching upon the Borders of his Dominions when the State of the Church Militant seems visibly to impair or when the Hypocrisie and Wickedness of those who are the professed Enemies of Christ seems to eat out the very Heart and Power of true Godliness we may well pray in Faith Thy Kingdom come Lord raise Lord enlarge Lord establish it For thine is the Glory and unless thou wilt confine thy Glory only to Heaven and account the Praises and Eternal Hallelujahs of Saints and Angels a sufficient adoration for thy Great Name Lord have regard to this thy poor decaying Kingdom for only in it and in Heaven is thy Glory Celebrated And if thou leavest this thy Kingdom to be over-run by the Agents and Ministers of the Devil if Prophaneness and Idolatry gain ground in it so as to thrust thee out of the Throne What were this but to give thy Glory to another which thou hast
What is the Vniversal Kingdom or Church of God A. It is a Company of true Believers who have Eternal and Invisible Communion with God by his Spirit and their Faith Q. What observe you of both A. Its Mixture and Imperfection for in the Visible Church there is a great Mixture of Persons the Bad with the Good in the Invisible there is a great Mixture in Persons of Evil with Good and Sin with Grace Q. You have formerly told us that the Church of Christ in its Progress is the Church Militant either Visible or Invisible and that the Church of Christ in its Consummation is the Church Triumphant What is this Church Triumphant A. The general Assembly of such glorious Angels as never fell and such glorified Saints as are raised from their Fall Q. What is that Kingdom which in this Petition we pray may come A. Not the Universal Kingdom of God which is the VVorld for his Dominion therein is always the same but onely the peculiar Kingdom which is his Church and more especially that part of it which is Militant on Earth Q. In what Respects may God's Kingdom be said to come A. In Three 1. First In respect of the Means of Grace and Salvation which are the VVord and Sacraments for where these are dispersed there God's Kingdom is erected 2. Secondly In respect of the Efficacy of this Means in the Conversion of Sinners whereby they are brought into the Invisible Kingdom of Christ 3. Thirdly In respect of the Perfection of this Kingdom for then God's Kingdom comes when the Saint's Graves are increased when their Souls are received into Heaven and when both Souls and Bodies are consummated in Glory Q. What do we pray for when we say Thy Kingdom come A. 1. First That God should plant his Church where it is not That all the Kingdoms of the Earth may become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ 2. Secondly That his Ordinances may be purely and powerfully administred his word truly preached which is the Law of his Kingdom and his Sacraments duely dispens'd which are the Seals of it 3. Thirdly That God would send into his Church able and faithfull Ministers to be faithfull Stewards of the Mysteries of the Gospel 4. Fourthly That the Ministery of the Word may be successfull to the Conversion of those that hear it 5. Fifthly That all the Churches of Christ may be kept from Errour Schism Superstition and Idolatry and that true Doctrine and due Discipline may be continued in them to the End of the World Q. But may we not pray also for the Church Triumphant in Heaven A. We may for the fulfilling of what is promised 1. First That the Number of them may be compleated 2. Secondly That their Persons may be compleated That the Bodies of those Saints which now sleep in the Dust may be raised united to their Souls and both made Eternally glorious in the Kingdom of Heaven Q. Is not this praying for the Dead so justly condemned of Popish Superstition A. No for we pray not for another State as the Papists do when they pray for Souls to be delivered out of Purgatory but we pray for the Perfection of the same State in which the Souls of the Faithful already are we pray not for their Release out of Torments but for a joyfull Resurrection which both they and we expect and whatsoever may be the Object of our Faith and Hope may well be the Subject of our Prayers Q. Which is the third Petition A. Thy VVill be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Q. How is the Will of God distinguisht A. Into the Will of his Purpose or the Will of his Precept or into his secret and revealed Will. Q. What is the Will of God's Purpose A. His Eternal Counsels and Decrees whereby he hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass Q. What is the Will of Gods Precept A. His holy Laws contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament wherein he hath revealed to us the Duties we ought to perform for the obtaining of Eternal Life Q. How do these two Wills differ A. 1. First In that there are many things which God wills by his VVill of Purpose that he hath not willed by his VVill of Precept For God commands nothing but what is Holy yet he purposeth to permit many things that are Evil. 2. Secondly In that we may effectually resist his Will of Precept so as to hinder the Accomplishment of it as we do whensoever we sin but we cannot resist the Will of God's Purpose though many times to endeavour it is our indispensible Duty Q. Ought not the Will of the Creature to be conformed to the Will of God in all things A. Yes to the Will of his Precept for that alone is the Rule of our Obedience But in all things to conform to the Will of his Purpose may involve us in the greatest Guilt Acts 2.23 Being delivered by the determinate Counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Q. Is there not then a manifest repugnance between God's Will of Purpose and of Precept A. No for the Object of God's VVill of Purpose is Event but of his VVill of Precept Duty and it is no contradiction for God to will or permit that to be which he hath willed or commanded us not to do Q. Which of these do we pray may be done A. VVe especially and absolutely pray that the VVill of God's Precept may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Q. What considerations may excite us to be earnest in this Request A. First because there is a great reluctancy in our corrupt Nature against the holy VVill of God therefore we ought earnestly to pray that he by his Grace would subdue it Secondly because the Glory of God is deeply concern'd in doing his Will for by this we own his Sovereignty and our Subjection to his Laws and Kingdom Thirdly because our own Interest is deeply concern'd in it for it is onely by doing his Will we can inherit the Promises Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments Q. Ought we not absolutely to pray that God's Will of Purpose may be done A. No And that because many things are brought to pass by this Will which we ought to pray against as Temporal Evils and the Permission of Sin Q. How then do the Saints in Scripture pray for the Accomplishment of this Will of God as in 1 Sam. 3.18 And Samuel told him every whit and hid nothing from him and he said It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 2 Sam. 15.26 But if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him Acts 21.14 And when he would not be perswaded we ceased saying The Will of the Lord be done And our Saviour Luke 22.42 Saying Father if thou be willing remove this Cup from me nevertheless