his Church and his vpright iustice in the finall confusion of all his enemies Then shall our glory be full when God is all in all and raigneth absolute soueraigne without any eclipse of glory by the interposure of opposition These are the full contents of this petition 3 What duties we learne from hence The proper duties arising from hence doe concerne vs 1 In our reference to our God 2 In the regard of our selues 3 In regard of our neighbours 1 In our reference to God 1 That wee seeke and labour to aduance the kingdome of God by all meanes that God may exercise his power and grace and mercy and glory freely and fully and that neither our ignorance nor infirmity nor iniquity may obscure his glory or resist his gouernment knowing for what wee were made that wee might bee temples of the holy Ghost that Christ might rule in our hearts by faith that wee might glorifie God in our bodies and in our soules because in our creation he gaue vs a perfect being and in our redemption hee accomplisht a full and perfect restitution of vs to his fauour and to all those full benefits which follow the same namely that Christ is made to vs of God wisedome iustification sanctification and finall redemption from all sinne and punishment For this what shall we render to the Lord is not this a debt that we owe to him to seeke the aduancement of his glory all that we can and to set forth his praise 2 In regard of our selues 1 It is our dutie to liue like subiects of this kingdome that is humbled vnder the mighty hand of God to the obedience of his will and stooped vnder the correcting hand with patience to beare his chastenings though for the present they seeme grieuous Contented with the state of life and the proportion of Gods allowance to vs for we resist his gouernment and repine at his administration of the world if wee bee not content with that which he bestoweth on vs resting vpon his holy prouidence in the vse of lawfull meanes for godlinesse and contentednesse must be ioyned in vs and our hearts must not fasten vpon things temporall but wee must looke before vs to the full reward which God hath laid vp for vs. 2 Seeing we liue vnder the kingdome of Gods grace in which we haue the liberty of that holy meanes by which we may grow vp to be perfect men in Christ Iesus We must not turne this grace of God into wantonnesse by abusing it to our owne perdition but like thriftie Merchants make the vttermost of these holy commodities that is Of the free liberty of the Word and Sacraments and of the house of God and his Saints of the ministerie of the Word and the holy writings of learned and pious men set forth for our further building vp to be an house for the Lord. Not in surfetting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and enuying this is not the way to heauen New creatures 3 Seeing wee liue in expectation of the kingdome of Gods glory our duty is to obserue and remember our latter end and to consider that our whole life is our way to this kingdome let vs therefore hasten toward it to meete it comming towards vs this was Iobs holy Meditation All the daies of my appointed time will I waite till my changing shall come And when death shall come let vs know and beleeue that it is no more but a translation from death to life and Transitus ad Regnum 4 Seeing wee pray for the comming of Gods glory that he may raigne ouer all let vs while we are here begin an heauen vpon earth by praising and magnifying the name of the Lord and practise the new song of the Church here that being admitted into the Quire of the iust we may not cease night and day to glorifie him in heauen where we shall be able to doe it more fully and perfectly 5 Let vs consider that there is no such way to make happy our temporall life as to liue thus in the humble subiection to this kingdome for who shall harme you if you doe that which is good godlinesse hath the promises of both liues and all things turne to the best to them that loue God 3 In regard of our neighbours We must seeke to draw one another to Gods kingdome like those in the Prophet They helped euery one his neighbour and euery one said to his brother be of good courage So the Lord Repent and turne others from their transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine And many shall goe and say come ye and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his waies and wee shall walke in his pathes O house of Iacob come ye and let vs walke in the light of the Lord this kingdome doth not breed iealousie here is enough for all LVC. 11.2 Thy will be done as in heauen so earth OBserue the coherence of these petitions which are martialed with such excellent wisedome that the first of them is the end which we aime at that God may be hallowed in vs in his holy name and so haue from vs the honour due to him And that this may bee effected in vs wee pray in the second petition for the aduancement establishment and enlargement of Gods kingdome both of power grace and glory And now in this third Petition wee pray that this kingdome of God being erected amongst vs we may by his grace liue in due subiection to it that the Church militant in earth may honour him euen so as the Church triumphant doth in heauen In the handling whereof 1 We must vnderstand what is meant by the will of God 2 Quid hoc est facere 3 How this will is desired to be done as in heauen so in earth 4 What duties are taught herein 1 What is this will of God The will of God is vnderstood two waies 1 As it is in it selfe by which hee intendeth createth gouerneth and disposeth all things according to the good pleasure of his will and so the will of God is both absolute necessitating all euents which hee hath foreseene and determined and of that the Apostle speaketh saying who hath resisted his will and of that Christ saith fiat voluntas tua and of that those holy seruants of God spake who when they could not disswade Pauls going to Ierusalem they ceased saying The will of the Lord be done 2 The will of God is vnderstood to bee that manifestation of his seruice and our dutie which directeth vs what to doe and what to eschew what to beleeue and what to aske according to his will and this is written and reuealed to vs in holy Scripture I dare not with our many English Writers vpon this Petition quite exclude the absolute will of God and limit the Petition onely to
1 I obserue how quickly vpon the forbearance of the law the Papists doe take aduantage to congregate themselues into assemblies and to make open profession of their opposition to vs. 2. How readie the treacherous Priests who haue fallen from vs by Apostasie are to confirme the Apostasie of such as are gone from vs to tempt others not established 3. Another speciall obseruation in that conuenticle was the time when this suddaine destruction came vpon Papists it was by their new computation of the yeare in the Gregorian Calender on their fift day of Nouember So that God would haue them tast of his iustice with a touch and remembrance of that dismall day which their religion had dessigned to our ruine now they haue their fift of Nouember as well as we but with so mercifull a difference on our part so iust a difference on their part that when they shall thinke of our fift of Nouember they may see their owne hand plotting mischiefe Gods hand detecting and defeating it and their fift of Nouember will acknowledge no hand but of Almighty God in the whole worke of their destruction Their intendment forged in hell was to haue wrought vpward to blow vp all this execution from the hand of God wrought downeward in the fall On our fift of Nouember the great assembly of the State which maintaine true Religions was aimed at On their fift of Nouember a priuate Conuenticle hereticall changelings and such as haue denied the faith of Christ here rightly and sincerely taught were hit And as their day intended the sodaine death of some of their owne friends to make those whom they hated more sure So it is to be feared that some of our owne Protestants somewhat too curious to pry somewhit too daring to aduenture into the tents of the enemie did pay deare for their ouer curious diligence in ioyning themselues with vnlawfull assemblies The vse of those fearefull examples of Gods iustice vpon those that forsake the true Church of God is not to reioyce in their destruction But secondly to remember the threatning Word of our Sauiour Except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish For God wanteth not matter of iust quarrell against the best of vs all to punish vs also and to make vs examples of his iust vengeance if he were not our Father louing and indulgent toward vs for Christs sake in whom he loueth and spareth and forbeareth vs and we haue no other way to keepe him a father but by our true repentance of our sinnes and obedience to his holy Word 2. It is a warning to vs seeing he that we pray to is our father in a speciall reference to all the sincere professours of the holy truth of God without schisme heresie or superstition that therefore we keepe our selues in the vnity of the Church not forsaking the assemblies of our brethren whom either faction or superstition hath separated from vs. These sinners against their owne soules are a dangerous societie let vs haue nothing to doe with them in their hereticall seperations the very eye vpon them may bee dangerous for these are the windowes of the body Mors intrat per fenestras Dauids Prayer is Auerie oculos meos ne videant vanitatem And let not vs say aperiam oculos meos vt videam If we take hurt by looking on we may too late complaine with him in the Poet Cur aliquid vidi Cur noxia lumina feci Is it not safer to avoyd poyson then to drinke it in vpon confidence of our antidote 3. Let the name of our Father moue a compassion in vs towards our brethren staggering in Religion to confirme them fallen from vs to reduce them to the vnity of our Church this partly by our earnest prayers to God for them partly by our wholesome and good counsailes giuen to them partly by the example of our good life directing them when they shall be witnesses of our conformity in life with the doctrine of our faith may be happily performed with much more ioy then we can take in the ruine and destruction of them though they be a generation that doth not set their hearts aright and in whose sight our liues are nothing pretious Till God do declare them his enemies let vs hope and iudge the best of them but the time shall come when God will come himselfe to purge his floore and to diuide betweene the Chaffe and the Wheat betweene the good graine the tares then those whom God shall cast off as his enemies the communion of Saints shall know them and they shall haue warrant to reioyce in their eternall destruction and they shall haue commandement from the iudge of quicke and dead to triumph ouer them Reioyce ouer her thou heauen and yee holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath auenged you on her And in the next Chapter there is an Halleluiah sung in heauen and God is praised for the destruction of Babylon that is the kingdome of Antichrist Let vs with praier striue with God so long as we liue to encrease the number of his faithfull ones to dilate the boundes of his Church and to adde to it dayly such as may be saued with vs. And let vs with patience awaite the iustice of God which in the last day will be reuealed when the sheepe and goats shall be parted and when God shall declare both with whom we shall reioyce in the communion of his Saints and ouer whom we shall triumph in the Synagogue of Sathan then shall the glorie of God both wayes delight vs and we shall haue our desire vpon all Gods enemies Which art in heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who art in the heauens The name of heauen in Scripture is giuen at large to all that space that is aboue the earth so that the ayre where the fowles doe flye is called heauen and they volatilia coeli the planets and the fixed starres are heauenly bodies and there is an heauen farre aboue all heauens to which Christ is said to be exalted We comprehend all in this word for God is dwelling in them all Yet we must take heed that we confine not our God to any certaine place for he is infinite and incomprehensible himselfe telleth vs so Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord doe not I fill heauen and earth saith the Lord Salomon confesseth when he had built God an house at Ierusalem Behold the heauen and heauen of heauens cannot containe thee how much lesse this house that I haue builded Else what comfort had we to pray or hope to bee heard if we did not beleeue the omnipresence of God Eliphaz in Iob doth dispute this point Is not God in the height of heauen and behold the height of the starres how high they are And thou saist how doth God know can hee iudge through the darke cloudes Thicke cloudes are a courening to him that he
the will reuealed in his Word yet I confesse that if it were to bee carried by voyces the most of the Interpreters that I reade goe this way 1 I feare to abate any thing of the full contents of the words or to shrinke vp any of the bredth of them so farre as they may be dilated to Gods glory 2 Seeing of all hands it is agreed that the glory of God is especially aymed at in these three first petitions which Master Caluine doth well call primam tabulam orationis Dominicae hauing indeed reference to the first table of the Law I see that the extent of this Petition to both the secret and reuealed will of God doth best accomplish that addresse Let thy absolute and secret will take place in all things according to the royall dignity and high command of thy kingdome of power and let thy will be done by vs according as thou hast reuealed it in the lawes of thy kingdome of grace 2 What is meant by doing this will of God 1 The absolute and secret will of God is done vpon all creatures so it is said of him Hee hath done whatsoeuer he will and so this Petition is a submission of our selues to the same will of God both in our owne persons and in all things else whatsoeuer That when God shall by euents declare what his will was we doe humbly present our selues to it and rest content with it not murmuring and repining at it knowing that God doth all things for the best howsoeuer humane iudgement might conceiue some other way better There is great reason to make a petition of this for many things succeed according to this absolute will of God that crosse vs and our desires and we could haue wisht them otherwise both our iudgements esteeming and our desires affecting some other way When death taketh the husband from the wife the father from the children the Master from the familie vpon whose life their maintenance and supportation for the necessaries of life depended When some suddaine fire in a few moments of time deuoureth the fruits of many yeares laboures and turneth a mans whole estate into ashes that none is the better for that which perisheth When shippewrake or the swallow of the sea at once deuoureth both the liues and goods of many that might haue suruiued and remained both to the generall vse of the commonwealth and the particular benefit of priuate estates When Theeues and Robbers secretly invade the goods of their neighbours or by strong hand strip them out of all that they carry about them perchance therby do either vtterly impouerish their estate in the robbery or violate their bodies with stripes wounds to disable them or take away their liues from them When sicknesse comes and weakens the labourer that he cannot worke and disableth any from the execution of his duetie either in his owne priuate or in the common affaires of state When a forraine enemie inuadeth our land and layes claime to all our labours with Haec mea sunt veteres migrate Coloni These all these be frequent effects of the absolute will of God and coming to passe wee know that God would haue it so the will of God is therein reuealed the motiues and reasons inducing him the vses and ends by him intended are to vs vnknown they may as Saint Augustine saith seeme to vs sometimes strange and seuere but they are alwayes iust We haue no fence against the vexation and sorrow of these sad euents but to rest our selues vpon the will of God and to say in submission and prostration to it fiat voluntas tua In this acception of the will of God these words are an humble contentednesse with all that God doth and they are a prayer to God to giue vs a passiue obedience that we may embrace with thankefull cherefulnesse all that God will put vs to This is the duety of our full subiection to this supreme Monarch whose kingdome we pray for wee know that there can be no errour or iniustice in his administration of this kingdom for he doth al things by a power that is managed with wisedome and sweetned with goodnesse and mercy and seasoned with equall iustice 2 For the doing of the will of God reuealed to vs in the holy word of God we pray first that the kingdome of God may come which is the kingdome of light by which wee see what is the will of God acceptable and perfect and then we pray to God for actiue obedience that he will giue vs grace to doe that which is good and which he requireth at our hands according to his will We haue great need to make this arequest to God for of our selues as of our selues wee are not able to think a good thought And there is none that doth good no not one all corrupt and abominable All the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are onely euill continually The worst is so it is with vs and we cannot helpe it if to will be present with vs we faile in performance of good Holy Ieremie confesseth it O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe it is not in man that walketh to direct his steppes We haue a great example in our first parents who in the state of perfect nature embraced temptation and forsooke the obedience of the reuealed will of God in one easie commandement How then can we hope whose nature is corrupted with so many sinnes to maintaine any fit correspondence with the holy will of God reuealed in so many great Commandements Primam Magnum secundum simile Nature is now so sicke of that reluctancy to this will of God that the Law of God which should be the bridle to hold vs in is become the spur to put vs on into all kind of euill as the Apostle saith The strength of sinne is the Law So strong is our weakenesse against the will of our God Nec nos obniti contrà nec tendere tantum Sufficimus And as Medaea said Trahit invitos noua vis aliudque cupido Mens aliud suadet Wee shall see our selues best in the glasse the cleare Christall mirrour of the holy will of God to which he requireth our actiue obedience For this will of his is reuealed to vs. 1 In the 2 Tables of his Law which containeth the rule of workes 2 In the holy Gospell which containeth the rule of faith 1 For the first The will of God concerning our obedience to his Law 1 This will of God beginneth at our conuersion wee are by nature strangers and aliens from the common-wealth of Israel therefore God calleth vpon vs for our conuersion to him Christ complaineth of such as refuse him They will not come to me that they may haue life The Prophet declareth this to be the will of God Say vnto them as I liue saith the Lord I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for some haue rendred it of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substantia panem superstantialem and that hath put many into the fancy which before I declared and disclaimed that this petition is meant of spirituall and not of our corporall bread Many haue read it panem supersubstantialem and euen in this land Master Cambden doth giue vs the coppy of the Lords prayer out of the Saxon translation of the Euangelists 900 yeare old in which this petition is thus put vp Vren hlaf ouer wirtlic which is our loafe supersubstantiall Hee produceth another translation in the Saxon tongue some 200 yeares yonger that is 700 yeare agoe wherein this bread is called vrn daegthantican hlaf that is daily bread In the raigne of Henry the second 160 yeares after that Adrian an Englishman then Pope of Rome sent the Lords prayer in English translated into metre wherein this petition is thus rendred That holy bread that lasteth ay Thou send it vs this ilk day In the time of Henry the third it is thus rendred Gif vs all bread on this day In the time of Richard the second Wicliffe translated it thus Gif vs this day our bread ouer other substance And this conceiued opinion of a spirituall food here desired commeth from the word here vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Scaliger in his notes vpon the new Testament doth refuse this deriuation and bringeth it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sequor following bread that is from day to day giue vs bread which he vnderstands bread sufficient according to that of Agur the sonne of Iakeh which he prayeth for panem dimensi or sufficientiae So that vnder this word two things are begged of God in this petition 1 That God would giue vs the necessaries of our mortall life in a sufficiency 2 That he would giue his blessing with them that they may serue vs to that purpose for which hee giueth them to support nature For it is a great distresse to want necessaries but a greater to haue them without their proper vse to eate and not to be satisfied to weare garments not to bee kept warme with them Thus then we desire God daily to nourish and support vs with our food so long as we liue that the temples of our bodies in which he is praised may be keept in good repaire that we perish not either for want of his good creatures or of his blessing giuen to vs with them So Iun. saith that in the Syriake reading of Matthew desunbanan the word here vsed doth signifie panem necessitatis nostrae And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may well signifie bread added to our substance and therefore not to bee omitted in our praier nor changed for a word of another signification quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely the very life blood of this petition is conteined in this word therein is the blessing desired therefore Theophilact reading it panem nostrum supersubstantialem da nobis doth interpret it Panem dicit qui substantiae et constitutioni nostrae sufficit But he addeth the spirituall bread withall Corpus autē Christi panis est supersubstantialis cuius esse participes contra condemnationem precamur Thus then I vnderstand this petition giue vs the ordinary food of our life both in a sufficient proportion to serue our turne and with thy blessing vpon it that it may serue vs to that vse for which wee desire it and thou ordainest it 5 This day Christ teacheth vs to desire this bread only for the present time for the body doth need refection euery day and euery day it must bee sought for of the gift of God it is not his meaning that wee should giue ouer praying vnto God after this day for he saith When you pray say Our father giue vs bread for this day and he supposeth that wee will pray euery day because all these things which are here desired of God are of absolute necessity for euery day of our life And therefore this particular notation of time may be annexed to euery one of the petitions Hallowed be thy name this day Let thy kingdome come this day Let thy will be done this day on earth c. And so in the following petitions We pray against our sinnes this day and for deliuerance from euill thi◠day 6 Let vs now come to the duties which belong to those that pray thus 1 From the word Bread vnder which all the necessaries of life are comprehended we are taught that our prayers haue warrant to beg the preseruation of our life and we are directed to esteeme life the pretious gift of God and it is our duty to seeke by all good meanes to maintaine it The reason is because life is our season for hallowing of the name of God for aduancing the kingdome of God for doing and suffering the will of God They that desire to doe this must desire to bee preserued in life that they may doe it So that herein wee begge of God life He asked life of thee saith Dauid and Dauid himselfe doth presse this petition hard and often that God would preserue his life to this purpose that he may glorifie God Returne O Lord deliuer my soule O saue me for thy mercyes sake For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall giue thee thanks So Ezekiah The graue cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee they that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth The liuing the liuing the liuing he shall praise thee as I doe this day Therefore after those petitions that concerne the glory of God this is put to teach vs to desire life that we may spend it in the worship and seruice of God this then is Dauids prayer Let my soule liue and it shall praise thee giue mee bread that I may liue to serue thee This petition for the supportation of life doth reproue all vnreasonable afflicting of the body those that boast of their fastings and watchings and selfe-whippings as if God tooke delight in the torments and tortures of our flesh doe glory in vaine God requireth not these extremities he will haue mercy and not sacrifice they that destroy their life in zeale of Gods glory are called Martyrs of a foolish Philosophie felons de se they wilfully demolish the temple in which God should be praised and by vnseasonable and vnacceptable violence of mortification they turne this bread into a stone this fish into a serpent Long life is the promise of God in the Law the first promise of the second table to such as honour superiour authority They that destroy the temple of God them shall God destroy Remember this so often as you eat bread you aske it and God giueth it you of purpose to strengthen your heart that when he saith My sonne giue me thy heart
and euery perfect gift is from aboue from the father of lights If thou goe to the earth and say to it giue me bread it will answer thee as Iacob answered Rahel when shee said giue me children Am I in Gods stead If thou goe to the King and say da mihi panem will he not answere thee as the King of Israel answered the poore petitioner in the famine of Samaria If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence shall I helpe thee There is no fruit of our praying and crying till our petition come to this giuer I will heare saith the Lord I will heare the heauens and they shal heare the earth the earth shall heare the Corne and the Wine and the Oyle and they shall heare Israel There is no giuer but he and all those who on earth doe giue are but his stewards and giue in his name and for his sake When the heathen went to Iupiter for raine to Aeolus for windes to Neptune for safety and good passage at sea to Ceres for corne to Bacchus for wine c. What did they worse I may say they did not so ill as the Church of Rome now in the inuocation of Saints for the heathen had not the way to the father by Iesus Christ reuealed to them his name is now knowne to vs and the Church of Rome pretendeth to know and confesse and honour it they confesse vnum est Orco poena polo gloria vita solo Yet hauing the knowledge and of God in the face of Iesus Christ in some measure they seeke out other benefactors to whom they say da nobis What difference is there betweene the heathen women in child-bearing crying out Casta faue Lucina and the Popish women calling vpon the Virgin Mary to helpe them in their throwes and pangs as the supreme Midwife of the Church So they inuocate Saint Sebastian and Saint Roch in pestilence Raphael in dolore oculorum Apollonia in dolore dentium Michael in warre c. Is not this to turne God out of his place and to giue his power of giuing all good things away from him to creatures Indeed they haue no reason to goe to God for any thing or to say to him da nobis because they giue not him the honour due to his holy and vndoubted rights But Christ our Sauiour doth direct vs to whom wee shall goe for our bread and we haue none in heauen to repaire to but to him and none in earth that we esteeme with him and to him onely we say da nobis 3 This prayer to God to giue doth teach vs to confesse and to depend vpon the prouidence of God not onely his generall prouidence by which hee regardeth the whole creature but his particular prouidence by which euery particular creature is conserued and supported it is he that cloatheth euery Lily it is hee that feedeth euery sparrow it is hee that numbreth all the haires of our head And though we must labour and sweat for our bread though wee haue rich reuenues and plentifull meanes for our reliefe yet there is no trust to be giuen to these outward helpes our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth This prouidence of God hath an eye to behold our wants hath a store of all sorts of blessings to furnish him with fit gifts to bestow where he thinketh fit hath bowels of compassion to pittie our wants and hath an open hand to distribute his fauours amongst the sonnes of men This prouidence of God is the Barne and Wine-presse of the faithfull to feed them it is their harbenger to lodge them it is their Physitian to heale all their diseases 4 This Da doth teach vs to loue the goodnesse of God to vs of whom our bread is to bee had of gift what a stirre had he in the Gospell to get vp his neighbour at night to lend him some bread to entertaine a stranger withall but we may come at all times to God and to pray him to giue Euen they that will giue nothing themselues nor part with a bit of their great loafe to their hungry brother but like Naâ—al grudge to part with any thing from themselues yet they cry vpon God to haue their bread giuen to them by him They that sell and make prize of all offers in Church and Common-wealth and will not open their mouthes in a charitable or iust mediation for their neighbour but in Iudas his tune quid mihi dabis yet they come to God for their bread of gift this is the cheapest and frankest vtterer of his fauours that euer was to whom we pray it is he that saith Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eate yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price Wherefore doe you spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently vnto me and eate yee that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse How are we said to buy and yet to haue all these things freely giuen but because wee doe giue vp our prayers for our bread and we buy them with our petitions as Christ petite pulsate quaerite This is more then the holy father of Rome will say for his indulgencies and pardons praying will not carry them they that will haue them must pay for them and many hard shifts his agents are put to to vent his spirituall treasures and to force them vpon the poore people that had rather want them then come to their price But God who is rich in mercy and needeth nothing of our goods God who is good and doth good standeth not vpon such termes with vs his sonne who is in his bosome and best knoweth both his meanes and his minde bids vs call for our bread of gift This should moue vs to a reuerent regard of our duty of obedience to him to worship and serue him onely to haue no other God but him to defie idolatry to honour his name to sanctifie his Sabboth He hath not less himselfe without witnesses in that he doth good and giues vs raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse 5 Da teacheth vs the necessitie of prayer wee must aske of God Christ in our flesh would lose nothing for want of asking who in the daies of his flesh offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death And his father that loued him as twice from heauen he proclaimed yet saith to him Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee aske of me and I shall giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance c. When he meant Salomon a good turne the freest and greatest offer that was euer made to man yet he put him to it aske what I shall giue thee When
fenced and armed with this petition And so much time as escapeth vs free from these euils is gained in the patience and long suffering of God to vs to offer vp to God the due tribute of our thankes There should then be no vacation from this double seruice of prayer and prayse for not onely one day telleth another but one houre and minute telleth another of Gods great deliuerances of vs from euill Sathan is our profest aduersarie you may see in Iobs historie what he did what he would doe if the power of God did not restraine him if the protection of God did not defend vs neither should our bodies nor our goods nor our cattaile nor our fruits of the earth nor our children be safe if his hand might be stretched out but the preseruer of men keepeth vs resisteth him 5 Obserue the course of this whole prayer for why doe we desire the honour of Gods holy name but for this that we may flye to it as our tower of strength to defend and deliuer vs from all euill for our helpe is in the name of the Lord. They that know thy name will trust in thee for thou neuer failest them that seeke thee And why doe wee desire the comming of the kingdome of God but that we may be safe from euill being vnder his holy regiment who is able to treade Sathan vnder our feete And why doe we desire that the will of God may bee done but that we may liue in holy obedience to him that we that be his seruants and the sheepe of his pasture may walke without feare in the valley of the shadow of death Why doe we desire life of God to be fed by his hand and blessing with our daily bread but that wee may be preserued by his prouidence from all things that may hurt and annoy vs. Why doe wee desire forgiuenesse of sinnes past and present but to assure his protection and to establish our hearts with grace that wee may serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse Why doe we desire preseruation from temptation but to secure our liues against the pollution and infection of sinne So that these petitions mutuò se generant we desire to obtaine of God all that we aske in the sixe former petitions that we may be deliuered from euill and we desire to be deliuered from euill that we may doe all the duties required in those former requests And let him that desireth to speed in this last supplication cast backe his eye vpon the rest that hee may rectifie himselfe in primo medio imo to the pleasing of God in his prayer 6 Let vs haue faith to beleeue a good successe of our prayers and to apprehend the louing kindenesse of God to vs in Iesus Christ for hee is the Angell of the couenant of this mercy He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the deuil if the sonne therefore make you free you shall be free indeed He giueth perfect liberty from the hands of all our enemies that we may serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him Wee cannot haue this deliuerance without faith to apprehend and apply it therefore let vs remember the former mercies of God to strengthen our faith as Dauid Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted in thee and thou didst deliuer them They cryed vnto thee and were deliuered they trusted in thee and were not confounded He is the rocke of our safety let vs build our neasts and lay out yong ones in the holes of this rocke for they that trust in him can want nothing that is good for them MATH 6.13 For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glory for euer IT is plaine in the storie of the Gospell that Christ did twise teach to pray this prayer once priuately which Saint Luke relateth and that at the request of his Disciples Another time publikely in his sermon preached vpon the Mount reported here by Saint Matthew These words which are the close and conclusion of the Lords prayer are omitted in Saint Luke But in his publique sermon they are added as you reade here therefore from hence wee borrow them to supply the prayer in Saint Luke The Disciples obtained what they desired in Saint Luke for Christ taught them to pray and the prayer doth extend no further then these seuen petitions for nothing is desired of God in these words of the conclusion added in Saint Matthew And here let me shew you a great want of iudgement and charity in some of our brethren who haue tendered to his Maiestie some exceptions against our booke of Common Prayer by the way of Question whereof this is one Whether it be an acceptable seruing of God rather to follow the masse-booke in omitting these words then the scripture in vsing of them Sol. 1 You may easily discerne a roote of bitternesse in this obiection for these words are not found in this Scripture and yet here Christ is desired to teach his Disciples to pray and charity might haue as well seene the want of these words in this Scripture as in the masse-booke and thought our imitation rather guided by this text then by that idolatrous booke Sol. 2 Master Beza who tooke great paines to search all the old coppies of the new Testament to perfect his edition thereof by comparing them together doth confesse that in many coppies hee found these words wanting both in Saint Matthew and Saint Luke He addeth also that many interpreters haue thought them put into the text as being the common conclusion vsed by the Christians in their prayers Further he alleadgeth that three of the antient Fathers of purpose expounding the Lords prayer haue omitted this conclusion and haue not so much as mentioned it that is Cyprian Augustine and Ierome So that this vncharitable construction of leauing out these words in the booke of common Prayer will light as heauy vpon Saint Luke and these holy Fathers of the Church as vpon our booke through whose sides these are pierced with this dart of false witnesse to the manifest preuarication of that holy commandement But let them charge it vpon vs doth any Minister in Sol. 3 reading of diuine Seruice euer omit the adding this conclusion to the rest or are we forbidden to vse it rather doe we not vnderstand it intended that it should be added as we vse to say quod necessario subintelligitur non deest Else they might also quarrell the booke for onely beginning the Lords prayer as in many places Zeale is madnesse if it be not guided by a right vnderstanding and tempered with charity I could not omit the answering for our Church against this vniust imputation both to stop the mouth of slander and to fasten shame on the foreheads that blush not at these pickt quarrels And also to settle your iudgements in a sober construction of those things which the Church hath established and done for vs.