this prayer and in Psal. 97. vers 1. The Lorde raigneth let the earth reioice Againe it is taken more speciallie and then it signifieth the administration of Christ the head of the Church in which hee frameth men by his worde and Spirit to the subjection of the same worde And so it is taken in this petition In a kingdome there are foure things to be noted 1. There must bee a king 2 There must be subiectes 3 There are lawes 4 Authoritie In this kingdome Christ is the king it is he to whome the father hath giuen all authoritie in heauen and earth In this kingdom al are not subjects but such as ar willing to giue free and frank obedience to Gods word or at the least though their hearts be not sound make an outward profession of it The lawes of this kingdome is the word of God in the books of the old and new Testament Therfore it is called the kingdome of heauen Mat. 13. The Gospell of the kingdom Mar. 1. 13. The rod of his mouth Isai. 11. 4 The arme of God Isai. 53. 1. As a King by his lawes bringes his people in order keeps them in subiectiō so Christ by his word and the preaching of it as it were by a mightie arme drawes the elect into his kingdome and fashions them to all holie obedience The power and authoritie is that whereby Christ conuerts effectually those which are to be conuerted and glorifies himselfe in the confusion of the rest The kingdom being taken thus specially is also twofold The first is the kingdome of grace of which mention is made Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdome of God stands not in meat drink but in righteousnes that is the assurance of our justification before God in the righteousnes of Christ Peace of conscience which proceeds from this assurance and ioy in the holie Ghost which comes from them both In this kingdom all men liue not but onelie those that ar subject to Christ obedient to the lawes of his kingdome and ruled by his authoritie are continually taught in his word by his spirit But those that refuse to liue according vnto the lawes of this king and choose to liue at their owne libertie are in the kingdom of darknesse sinne and Sathan The second is the kingdome of glory in heauen which is the blessed estate of al Gods people there when God shal be al in al in them And the former kingdom of grace is an entrance and preparation to the kingdome of glorie Come Gods kingdome comes when it is established and confirmed in mens hearts and made manifest to all people the impediments being remoued Question This comming implies a stopping but howe should Gods kingdome be hindered Answer Kingdom in this place is not takē for the power of God whereby hee rules all things for that cānot be hindred but for the kingdome of grace which in the vsing of the outward meanes as ministers word and sacraments may be hindered by the deuill the world and mans corruption 3 The vvantes which are to be bewailed THe wantes which wee in this petition are taught to mourn for are of two sorts some concern our own selues some others That which concernes our owne persons is a bondage and slauerie vnder sinne and Satan This bondage indeede is weakened in Gods seruants but none is whollie freed from it in this life Paule complaineth that he is sould vnder sinne and cries pitifullie O miserable man that I am who shal deliuer me from this bodie of death Question What difference then betweene the godlie and the wicked Answer The euil and vngodlie man in the verie middest of his bondage hath a mery hart sinne is no trouble to him nay it is meat and drinke to him But the godly man is otherwise minded For considering the power of the deuill and his craft in manifold fearfull temptations and seeing the prooffes of his rebellious nature euer and anon to start away from God he is grieued and confounded in himself his heart bleedes within him that hee doth offend so mercifull a Father Manie men liue in this world that manie yeares and yet neuer feele this bondage vnder Satan sinne Such vndoubtedlie cannot tel what the Lords prayer meanes But he that would haue the right vse of this petition must bee acquainted with it and bee touched in his conscience for that the flesh and the deuill beare such sway in him As the poore captiue is alwaies creeping to the prison dore alwaies labouring to get off his bolts fetters to escape out of prison so must we alwaies crie to the Lord for his Spirite to free vs out of this bondage and prison of sinne and corruption and everie day come neerer the prison doore looking when our blessed Sauiour will vnbind vs of all the fetters of sinne and Sathan and fullie erect his kingdome in vs. 2. The wantes which concerne others are twofold The former is the wāt of the good means which serue for the furthering of the kingdome of Christ as preaching sacraments and discipline When we shal see a people without knowledge and without good guides and teachers and when we see one stand vp in the congregation not able to teach here is matter for mourning This petition puts vs in mind to bewaile these wantes Our Sauiour when hee sawe the Iewes as sheepe without a shepherd he had compassion on them and hee wept ouer Ierusalem because they knewe not the thinges which belonged to their peace Luk. 9. 11. Therefore when preachers want to hold vp the scepter of God before the people and to hold out the word which is as it were the arme of God to pul men from the bondage of the deuill to the kingdome of Christ Then it is time to say Lorde let thy kingdome come 3. The third want which we are to bewail is that there be so many impediments and hinderances of the kingdome of grace as the deuill and al his Angels their instruments the Pope the Turke and all the rest of the professed wicked of the world which by subtile intisements and tyrannie keep back repell the means whereby Christ ruled as a king in his Churche When the deuill sees one that was sometime of his kingdome but to cast a looke toward the heauenly Ierusalem he straightway regeth against him and labours quite to ouerthrow him Wherfore in regard of al these impediments wee must pray thy kingdom come 4. Graces to be desired 1. IN this petition we are taught first that we are to haue a feruent desire and to hunger that God of his mercie would giue vs his Spirite to raigne and rule in our hearts and to bow them to all obedience and subjection of his will further whereas our hearts haue bene as it were filthie sties and stables of the deuill that hee would renew them and make of them sit temples to entertaine his owne spirite Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a cleane hearte
a common disease in the most as it is noted Psal. 4. 6. Who vvill shew vs any good This then is a common sin that we ar taught to mourne for 2. The second want is our diffidence and distrustfulnes for the thinges of this life Men also will shift this off and say they wold be sorie to distrust God But if wee looke to our corrupt nature man is wonderfull prone to this sinne for being in prosperitie we ar not troubled but if once wee be pressed with aduersitie then we houle and weep and as Paul saith 1. Tim. 6. 10. Men pearce themselues throgh vvith many sorrowes If any shall lose a parte of his goodes what then doth hee straight hee goes out to the wise man is this to beleeue in God No it is to distrust God and beleeue the deuill 4. Graces to be desired THe grace to be desired is a redinesse in all estates to rest on Gods prouidence whatsoeuer fall out Psal. 37. 5. Commit thy vvay to the Lord and trust in him and hee shall bring it to passe Prou. 16. 3. Commit or role thy workes vpon the Lord and thie thoughts shal be directed Whereby we ar admonished to take pains in our callings to gette meate and drink c. If the Lorde blesse not our labour wee must be content if he do we must giue him thanks Now for this cause wee are further to pray to God that hee would open our eies by his spirit teach vs in all his good creatures to see his prouidence and when meanes faile and are contrary then also to beleeue the same 5. Errors confuted 1. PApistes teache that men by workes of grace may merit life eternall and increase of justification in this life But howe can this be for here we see that euery bit of bread which we eate is the free gift of God without any merite of ours Now if we cannot merite a peece of bred what madnes is it to think that wee can merite life euerlasting 2. They also are deceiued who thinke that any thing comes by meere chance or fortune without Gods prouidence Indeede in respect of men who knowe not the causes of thinges many chances there are but so as they are ordered come to passe by Gods prouidence Luk. 10. 31. By chance there came downe a certaine priest that way Forgiue vs our debts 1. Coherence THis is the fift petition the second of those which concerne our selues in the former we craued temporall blessings in this and the next which followeth we craue spirituall blessings Where we may note that seeing there be two petitions which concerne spirituall thinges but one for temporall that the care for our soules must be double to the care for our bodies In the world men care for their bodies their hearts are sette for wealth and promotion they can be content to heare the worde on the Sabboth yet neither then nor in the weeke day do they lay it vp in their heartes and practise it which argues that they haue litle or no care for their soules Question What is the cause that first we craue things for the body in the second place those which concerne the soule Ans. The order of the holy Ghost in these petitions is wonderfull for the Lorde considers the dulnes and backewardnes of mens natures therefore he trains them vp and draws them on by litle euen as a schoolmaister doth his young schollers propounding vnto them some elements and principles and so carrying them to higher pointes 〈◊〉 the former petition is a steppe or degree to these two following He that will rest on Gods 〈◊〉 so the pardon of his 〈…〉 of al rest on Gods providence 〈◊〉 this life and hee that cannot put his affiance in God for the prouision of meat and drink how shall he trust in Gods mercie for the saluation of his soule Here wee may see the faith of worldings they say that God is mercifull and that they beleeue in Christ which how can it be true Seeing in lesâ—er matters as meate and drinke they distrust God as appears by their couetousnes 2. The meaning DEbts By debts sins ar meant so it is in Luke 11. 4. and they are so called because of the resemblance betwene them For euen as a debt doth bind a man either to make satisfaction or else to goe to prison so our sinnes bind vs either to satisfie Gods iustice or els to suffer eternall damnation Forgiue To forgiue sinne is to couer it or not to impute it Psal. 32. 1. And this is done when God is content of his mercie to accept the death and passion of Christ as a sufficient paiment and ransome for mans sinnes and so to esteeme them as no sinnes And here vnder this one benefit all the rest of the same kind are vnderstood as iustification sanctification redemption glorification c. 3. The vses of the vvords 1. HEre we may learn many lessons the first is that seeing we must pray thus Lord forgiue c. We must hold that there is no satisfaction to Gods iustice for sinne by our workes no not in temporary punishments but that the doing away of our sinnes is of Gods meere fauour for to forgiue and to satisfie be contrary wherefore the doctrine of humain satisfactions taught in the Church of Rome is vile and diuelish 2. Secondly we are taught thus to pray continually from day to day where we note the great patience and long suffering of God in that we offending daily yet he suffers and forbears still and doeth not powre out his confusion vpon vs. This teacheth vs like patience towards our brethren we cannot put vp the least iniury and forbear but one day yet we desire that god wold forgiue vs all our liues long 3. Againe we may obserue that there is no perfect sanctification in this life seeing we must euery day to the end craue the pardoÌ„ of our sinnes Therefore wicked is the opinion of the Catharists or puritans which hold that men may be without sinne in this life 4. And when we say forgiue not me but vs we are put in minde to pray not onely for the pardone of our owne sinnes but likewise for our brethren and enemies Iam. 5. 17. Confesse one to another and pray one for another for the praier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent And as soâ—ne think the praier of Steuen was a meanes of the conuersion of Saule 5. Also we note that before praier for pardon of sinne must go a confession of sinne for whereas we say forgiue our debts we confes before God that we ar stat banckrouts and not able to discharge the least of our sinnes this appears 1. Ioh. 1. 9. If vve confesse our sinnes he is faithful to forgiue vs And it was practised by Dauid Psalm 51. and 32. 5. The maner of making confession is this knowen sinnes and those which troble the conscience are to be confessed particularlie but vnknown
sins generally Psa. 19 6. Lastly hence it is manifest that there is noe iustification by workes Our sinnes are debtes so also are all workes of the lawe Now how can any man discharge one debt by another 4. Wants to be bewailed THe wantes to be bewailed are the burden of our sinnes and the corruptions of our natures the wickednes of our liues and the sinnes of our youth and of our old age Psal. 40. 12. My sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp they are more in number then the haires of my head therefore mine heart hath failed me Thus with Dauid we are to trauell and grone vnder this burden but this griefe for sin is a rare thing in the world Men can mourne bitterly for the thinges of this life but their sinnes neuer trouble them And further this sorrowe must be for sinne because it is sinne though there were neither hell nor deuill nor conscience to accuse nor Iudg to reuēge 5. The grace to be desired THe grace which wee must desire is the spirit of grace and deprecations Zacha. 12. 10. It is that worke of the spirit whereby wee are inabled to call to God for the pardone of our sinnes A man hauing offēded the laws of a Prince and being in danger of death will neuer rest or be at quiet till hee haue gotten a pardon euē so they which feele and see their sinnes hauing this spirite are so mooued that they can neuer be at rest till in praier they be eased of their sins A man may I graunt babble and speake many wordes but hee shall neuer pray effectually before hee haue this spirit of praier to make him crie Abba Father For worldly cōmodities all can pray but learn to pray for the want of Christ. As vve forgiue our debts 1. Coherence THese wordes be a part of the fift petition for it is put down with a condition Forgiue vs as we forgiue others and these wordes depend on the former as the reason thereof and it is taken from the comparison of the lesse to the greater thus if wee who haue but a sparke of mercie doe forgiue others then doe thou who art the fountaine of mercie forgiue vs but we forgiue others therefore do thou forgiue vs. Thus Luk. 11. 4 hath it Forgiue vs our sinnes for euen we forgiue The Papists gather a contrarie doctrine they say Forgiue vs as we forgiue making our forgiuing a cause for which God is mooued to forgiue vs. But we are to know that our forgiuing is no cause but a sign that God wil forgiue vs. 2 The meaning QVestion Whether is a man bounde to forgiue all debts Answer The word debt in this place is not vnderstoode of debt that is ciuill and comes by lawfull bargaining but of hurtes and dammages which ar done vnto vs in our bodies goods or good name as for the former ciuil debts a man may exact them so he doe it with shewing of mercie 2 Question How may anie man forgiue trespasses seeing God onlie forgiues sin Answer In euerie trespasse which anie do to their neighbours ther be two offences one to God another to man In the first respect it is called a sin which God onlie forgiues In the other respect it is called an injurie or dammage so man may forgiue it When a man is robbed the law is broken by stealing and the injurie that is done is against a man that hath his goods stolne This injurie as it is an injurie a man may forgiue but as it is a sinne he can not but God onlie 3 Quest. Whether may a man aright pray this petition and yet sue him at the law who hath injured him An. Yea for a man may in an holie maner sew another for an injury and as a souldier in lawful warre may kill his enemie and yet loue him so may a man forgiue an injurie and yet seeke in a Christian maner the remedie but in doing of this wee must obserue fiue thinges 1. We are to tak heed of all priuate revenge and inward hatred which if we conceiue wee doe not forgiue 2. We must take heed of offence and haue care that our doinges bee not scandelous to the Church 3. Our sutes must be taken in hand to maintaine godly peace for if all injuries were put vp there would bee no ciuill state or gouernment 4. It must be that the partie offending may bee chastised and bee brought to repentance for his fault for if many mē were not repressed they woulde growe worse 5. Law must bee the last remedie as Physitions vse desperate remedies when weaker wil not serue euen so must we vse law as the last meanes when all other faile The dealing of the worlde in this case is no example for vs to follow For through rage and stomacke they will abide no priuate agreement and therefore they vse the law in the first place so did the Corinthians but what saith Paule 1. Cor. 6. 7. It is vtterlie a fault among But if the Lawe bee vsed aright a Christian may sue at Law and loue the partie sued for there is difference betweene dealing against a man before a Magistrate and the dealing of one priuat man with another For priuate dealing is commonlie reuenge and therefore vnlawfull 3. The Vse THE vse of this clause is verie profitable for it shewes vs a liuelie signe whereby our consciences may bee assured of the pardon of our sinnes Indeed manie vse these wordes long and often yet finde no assurance of pardon and the cause is because they haue no desire of Gods mercie nor willingnes to forgiue men which if they had then the forgiuenes of their sinnes should hereby be sealed vnto them Wherefore if any wold be perswaded of Gods mercie in this point let them discend into their owne soules and search them narrowlie if they can finde their heartes as readie to forgiue as they are readie to desire forgiuenes at Gods hand then they may assure themselues of Gods mercie in Christ as we are taught by our Sauiour Christ Mat. 5. 7. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtaine mercie Consider these comparisons A man walking vnder a wal in a cold sunnie day is heated of the wall which first receiued heat from the Sunne So he that sheweth mercie to others hath first receiued mercie from God Also take a peece of waxe and put to a seale it leaueth an impression or marke like it selfe in the waxe which when a man lookes on he doth certainlie know that ther hath bin a seale the print whereof is left behind Euen so it is in euery one that hath readinesse to forgiue others by it a Christian may easilie know that God hath sealed to him the forgiuenesse of his sinnes euen in his heart Therefore let men looke into their hearts whether they haue any affection to forgiue others for that is as it were the print in their harts of Gods mercy toward