Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A34051
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A companion to the temple and closet, or, A help to publick and private devotion in an essay upon the daily offices of the church.
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Comber, Thomas, 1645-1699.; Church of England. Book of common prayer.
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1672
(1672)
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Wing C5452; ESTC R29309
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296,203
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435
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(l) John 19.11 and he obtains leave from God sometimes to try us and so Christ was led (m) Matth. 4.1 by the spirit of God as a Champion to combat Sathan in such case our frailty might make us pray and fear that we might not fall by such a tryal But other times God in his displeasure for one sin suffers us to fall into another not by enticing us but by witholding that grace which should restrain our evil desires and loosing Sathans chain and leaving us encompassed with opportunities and engaging circumstances which we are likely to fall by and this the Scripture phraseth Entring into temptation (n) Matth. 26 44. Ne me inducas in manum peccati nec in manum transgressionis Seder Tephil Lusitan and the Jews in their Forms being led into the hand of temptation or sin And let us remember how often by one sin and desires after more we provoke God to expose us to such circumstances as will infallibly bring us into some grievous transgression but our comfort is that God is our guide and he will direct us and lead us in the right way he foresees the enticing baits and evil objects and wicked company which are in ambush for us and if we rely on his mercy and follow his guidance he will conduct us so as to miss them all or give us strength to overcome them though we have neither wisdome to discover nor strength of our own to avoid the danger wherefore we pray him to lead us who can restrain the powers of darkness and desire we may not provoke him to lead us into evil circumstances and dangerous occasions nor let loose our infernal foes nor leave us to our selves which is the prime intent of this Petition in its first Branch As to the last clause of deliverance from Evil Tertullian and many others take it to be a fuller explication of the former (o) Et respondet clausula interpretans quid sit ne inducas hoc est enim sed dâ—vehe nos à malo de Orat. and by Evil understand the evil of sin as if we were not unwilling to be tempted by afflictions or sollicitations if it be our Fathers pleasure provided he would by his grace prevent us from sinning and falling into iniquity by them temptations and tryals if they occasion not our sin may humble us and quicken our prayers mortifie our lusts and exercise all our graces and therefore we only desire whether God or Sathan by his permission try us we may be innocent Or with the Antients we may take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Evil one that is the Devil who is so called in Scripture (p) 1 John 3.12 Ephes 6.16 Matth. 5.3 Castal à Diabolâ— ibi Tert. à maligno 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost and thus we shall avoid a Repetition which cannot be supposed in this compendious form and the sense will be that God would not deliver us up to sin least our enemy the Devil taking advantage thereby seize our hearts when God hath abandoned them and we become his slaves and forfeit to destruction Or lastly we may by Evil understand the effect of sin viz. the evil of Punishment that we may not be drawn into any wickedness nor into that which certainly follows it sickness losses crosses death temporal and eternal which are the wages of sin and of which the Devil is the Executioner so that the two last senses may very well stand together viz. That God would not put us out of his protection nor deliver us up into Sathans power either as a Tempter first to entice to sin nor as a Tormenter afterward to execute and inflict upon us what those sins deserve in this world or the world to come The sum is that Sin is a dreadful thing and gives Sathan power over us and possession of us and makes us liable to be hurried on to more wickedness by banishing Gods holy Spirit and by taking off his favour it opens a way for all the miseries and mischiefs of this world and the next to fall upon us upon the serious consideration whereof we not only crave the remission of past sins but earnestly beg that we may never more fall into transgression and then we doubt not but to be safe from all Evil. § 9. For thine is the Kingdome and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen Some have imagined this Conclusion was added by the Greek Church to this Prayer not spoken by Christ because all the old Latine Copies want it wholly and all the Greek in St. Luke and some in St. Matthew nor is it expounded by the Latine Fathers others plead it is agreeable to the Jewish forms and generally found in the Original of one Evangelist and in the Syriack and Arabick both antient Translations and is expounded by St. Chrysostome and Theophilact But our Church hath chosen a middle way and hath annexed it here in the first repetition of the Lords Prayer and in some other offices in other places hath omitted it not as if it were not of Divine Authority but therein following St. Luke as here St. Matthew And it is very unlikely those holy Fathers should presume to add their own inventions to this Venerable Form of Christs own Composure It is more probable that our Lord delivering this Prayer twice did add the Doxology at the first time which is recorded in St. Matthew and leave it out the second which is set down in St. Luke and hence the Latine Copies which were very confused and full of error might leave it out in both least the Evangelist should seem to differ in so considerable a matter But however it was it is most for our profit to wave these inquiries and labour truly to understand it It is known the Jews concluded all their Prayers with a Doxology or form of praise and Drusius saith in these very words (q) In Matth. 6.13 Quia tuum est regnum in secula seculorum regnabis gloriosè and our Lord Jesus delighted in imitating their customs though here the reason is weighty for a Prayer is scarce compleat without praises (r) Philip. 4.6 with thanksgiving it being sordid to ask all from God and return nothing to him Prayers may seem more necessary but Praises are as much our Duty and more lovely Petitions fit the Earth but the glorifying God is the imitation of the Celestiall Quire who sing a song much like this conclusion of the Lords Prayer (s) Rev. 5.12 13. Chap. 11.15 nos Angelorum Candidati jam hinc coelestem illam vocem in Deum oâ—â—cium futurae claritatis ediscimus Tertul. de Orat. and we do well to learn it here against we come to use it there We began these Devotions with his glory and now we end with it that this may be the beginning and end of all our actions (t) Rom. 11.36 Horat. Od. l. 3. od 6. Hinc
only out of custome they may come and offer the sacrifice of fools but neither knowing God nor themselves they alwaies erre either in thinking they have no sin or else in supposing those which they have may be pardoned by a meer outward shew of Repentance But the Church hath a remedy for each disease 1 John 1.8 9. First for those who do not see their sins and therefore cannot be cured till they know themselves sick such need this spiritual eye-salve (s) Revel 3.18 For they account it a reproach to be reputed sinners because they do not discern they are such if any exhort them to repent they say they have no sin as Laodicea did and thus they answer the Summons of God the Exhortations and Advices of his Ministers and the censures of their Reprovers In the primitive times some Hereticks were so impudent as to say positively they had no sin (t) Epiphanius in haeres Valent. l. 1. tom 2. Marco◠l. 1. tom 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. 3. so did the followers of Valent. Marcus and Basilides with some others who denyed that any wickedness was a sin in them and some in our dayes come too near them but such are so gross that all abhor them yet many who hate such and will not say so with their mouths yet through ignorance or pride say so in their heart (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalm 30.6 Isai 47.10 Adrian Isagoge which is the language God understands and therefore in Scripture to think and to say are the same But the Apostle declares that if we Christians Disciples of Christ even the best of us should either say or think so it is a great errour and both false and dangerous to him that believes it (x) Eccles 7.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Procopius Quisquis se inculpatum dixerit aut superbus est aut stultus Cypr. de opere eleemosyn Romans 3.20 The Scripture undeceives us if we do not wilfully shut our eyes that we may sleep in security while we seem innocent to our selves which is so far from making us really innocent that hereby we remain guilty for ever (y) Sine peccato autem qui se vivere existimat non id agit ut peccatum non habeat sed ut veniam non arripiat August de Civ Dei l. 14. c. 19. because we never seek a pardon we think it may be it is in Gods Court as in Mans where confession is a cause of condemnation but if we think it so in Gods we deceive our selves for before him not he that confesses but he that denies is condemned and this the Apostle here further shews that if we confess our faults we shall have two of Gods Attributes of our side First His Truth will then oblige him to forgive us because he hath promised it (z) Prov. 28.13 and if I relying on that promise do come in and accuse my self Gods truth will engage him to perform that now it is promised which none could have expected if there had not been a promise for it Secondly His Justice or Righteousness will also plead for us because justice being satisfied by Christs death desires no further vengeance on the penitent sinner but grants a pardon as the just desert of Christs merits though the Hebrew notion of Justice and Righteousness do seem more proper here for with them it is put for Charity and Mercy (a) Matth. 6.1 allibri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieron Dan. 4.24 Prov. 10.2 solent ministri nostri quod pauperibus datur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuncupare R. Jud. lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vide Matth 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom and so it may here signifie the goodness and kindness of God which is the foundation of our hopes when we do confess and through his mercy we do not onely obtain forgiveness of the guilt but are also cleansed from the filth of our sins also from all which it appears that he is a fool who out of laziness or shame or fear doth dissemble or deny his sins and so not only is deceived but is undone for ever by it when as by an humble and hearty acknowledgment of the truth Gods Truth and Mercy would have been our Advocates and his Pardon and Peace might be procured for us 1 John 1.8 9. The Scripture declares we all have sinned and every man that knows his own heart will confess it But be we the best of men if we say out of pride or ignorance or do but think in our hearts that we have no sin to confess to God or repent of thinking to be excused the sooner before God because we do not or will not condemn our own wayes we deceive not God who sees all things but our selves and loose our pardon by standing on our innocence because we speak safely in the face of the Almighty and the truth is not in us They therefore that conceal their wickedness God will open it to them and condemn them for it But if we having observed our selves guilty deal ingeniously and confess our sins with hatred shame and sorrow He hath promised to give us a pardon and we may trust his Word for he is faithful And Christ hath suffered the vengeance due to such he is righteous and just and will not exact the punishment of us but be ready to forgive us the punishment due to our sins and to cleanse us from the stains of all iniquities we had committed 2. If the ignorant man do discern any of his sins yet he is apt to think there is no difficulty to obtain a pardon if he but acknowledge them and cry God mercy for them But the Church laies before them Ezek. 18.27 wherein they may see that their souls shall not be delivered from death the just reward of sin when they confess but when they turn from their sins For to repent implies a disapproving of what we have done so as to do it no more a change of the mind and actions also (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est ut qui errorem suum pristinum intelligit ab insaniâ se reciperet id maxime caveret ne in eosdem laqueos iterum inducatur Lact. inst l. 6. Munster Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 3.2 h. e. facite vitae conversionem no longer continuing to do that which we grieve that ever we had done and this is here plainly shewed to be the condition on which our sins may be forgiven viz. if first we cease to do evil (c) Isa 1.16 17. secondly learn to do well and surely he that confesseth himself in a wrong way and grieves for it will both leave the path he is in and labour to find out the right so must the wicked man or otherwise he doth in vain expect a pardon from God who will not forgive one fault to him that intends to commit more