should it also comfort us in the day of our spirituall conflict For as the marches of Israell were ordered in the wildernesse so should our marches be ordered here on earth When they were to march by day the Lord went before them in the piller of a cloud and by night in a piller of fire When they marched it was said Arise O God and let thine enemier be confounded And when they rested it was said Returne O Lord to the thousands of Israel Their walke was long their journey was wearisome but this comforted them that they had a good leader It is even so withus wee are brought blessed bee God from the bondage of an oppressing Pharo and a turmoiling Egypt where our way is thorny and our adversaries are many and surely unlesse our eyes were towards our leader there should bee no more spirit left in us But this is our comfort in which we should alwayes joy and continually rejoyce that our God the Lord of Hosts is our leader That our Redeemer Christ Jesus hath beene our fellow souldier and is now our Captaine And that the holy Ghost the Comforter is our Generall and goeth out and in before us and fighteth in us and for us Why should not wee then submit our selves to this Regiment The world is led by another spirit for the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth after envy But blessed is the man who is led by God and his good Spirit for whosoever are led by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God and if wee be sonnes then also shall wee bee heires and fellow heires with Jesus Christ and made partakers of his glory But now my brethren pardon mee for I have spent a great deale of time in teaching you who is your leader The second question is how he can lead us into temptation The answer hereof ariseth from the word by which our government and leading is represented to us For it is thus in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where if wee shall looke aright on the word wee shall finde it composed of two severall particles of compositition and an originall verbe subjoyned to them The particles of composition are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the verbe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to lead but the particles of composition added and prefixed to it altereth the signification thereof very much The first particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth in So that whilst this manuduction and government in the day of spirituall combate of a Christian is attributed to God it importeth three things unto us from the word it selfe First a leading into temptation Secondly a leading in temptation Thirdly upon the which from the necessity of his goodnesse must follow a leading out againe according to that which is written Hee suffereth us not to bee tempted above our power but with the temptation hee giveth us the issue that wee may be able to beare it The first part of this conduct is safe the second is gracious the third is glorious without the assured support and presence of God these three are like the waters of Marah turned bitter or like the potage of the children of the Prophets There is death in the pot For if man or Sathan lead to temptation it is doubtfull if they shall lead into temptation it is dangerous and if they cannot lead out of temptation it is desperate Opposing therefore the weaknesse of man to the strength of God and the malice of Sathan to the love of God it cannot but bee well said by man to God Lead us not into temptation not deprecating any part of the composition but his desertion in the verbe To cleare this know that to lead a man into temptation is safe for this cause St Iames saith My brothren count it for exceeding joy when you fall into diverse temptations for this is onely to present anobject of temptation to man or to lead man to encounter with an object of temptation Against this we do not al waies pray for it is safe good for us so to be exercised at sometimes it maketh us watch over our senses to make a covenant with our eyes and with David to pray Lord turne away mine eies from beholding vanity To lead a man into temptation is gracious for as meat is to the hungry or drinke to the thirsty or light to the prisoner so is helpe and support to the cōbatant What other comfort I pray you had David in his conflict with Goliah then this that God was with him in his temptation I come not against thee in mine owne name but in the name of the Lord of Hosts who delivered into my hand the Beare and the Lyon hee will also deliver thee this day into my hand But O take heed my hearts howsoever to be led to temptatiō may be safe to be led in temptation be gracious yet except God lead us out again it cannot any way bee glorious for us for if hee lead us not out againe hee leaveth us in it and woe bee to us when hee so forsaketh us and leaveth us to our selves for in so doing wee shall surely forsake him and perish So that this is sure whilst we say Lead us not into temptation wee do not begge of God that hee would not suffer the objects of temptation to bee presented before us but this only that whilst we are in the conflict hee would not leave us alone but rather that hee would say to us as Iacob said to his sonne God a troop shall fight against him but he shall overcome them at the last But thou wilt say to mee O man How or by what meanes can or doth God lead a man to temptation I answer by foure meanes First by a procured desertiō Secondly by a continuall subduction Thirdly by a righteous tradition Fourthly by a necessary induration By a deserved desertion for whilst wee quench and grieve the Spirit of God by our sinnes it is a righteous thing with the Lord to draw his grace from us that by our falls we may learne to intertaine his grace by which wee stand Secondly by a continued subduction which howsoeit bee but one and the selfe same desertion yet is different in degree and more fearefull because of the continuance Thus hee dealt with the Gentiles Rom. 1. Thirdly by a righteous tradition when men have abused his long suffering patience he gives them over to the efficacie of errour and to the malice of Sathan to bee led by him at his will so hee dealt with Saul 2. Sam. 24.4 And last of all by an uncurable induration for Sathan having gotten entry in a sinner thus walking in the way of errour hee maketh his heart daily harder and harder till out of the hardnesse of his heart that cannot repent hee heape up wrath to himselfe against the day of wrath But thou wilt yet enquire why doth God lead
many malicious powerfull and politick And like the sons of Zerviah too mighty for us unlesse that hee who commandeth us to fight fight in us and for us wee cannot be victorious Secondly when hee is called to battell let him not bee a coward for hee hath more then good company his God for a Captaine watching over him his Redeemer his elder brother fighting for him the holy Ghost his comforter fighting in him his fellow brethren standing on his one hand and all the Angels of heaven on the other and who would not fight with so good company No no my brethren let us lift up our faint hearts and strengthen our weake knees though the conflict be hard the conquest is honourable for God will shortly tread Sathan under our feet through Jesus Christ out Lord. Amen LECTIO 20. Lead us not into temptation c. ACcording to the tenor of of our first proposed method wee have already spoken unto you of the first three things that were remarkable in this Petition to wit of our calling temptation of our enemies the world the devill and the flesh And thirdly of our fellow souldiers Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh our fellow brethren now Saints in heaven and our fellow brethren here militant on earth It resteth now that wee consider and ponder aright the fourth and last thing remarkable in them to wit who is our Leader and it is God for to him and to him alone it is that we put up supplication and say Lead us not into temptation Now in handling of this point three things are chiefly remarkable First who it is that is our Leader and why it is that hee is so called Secondly how it is that hee leads us into temptation And thirdly whilst hee leads us into temptation whether hee be guilty of sinne or no The first thing observable is Who is our leader I answer God and that very God who being one in essence is three in persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost God the Father is our leader and therefore hee is called the Lord of Hosts God the Sonne is our leader and therefore tooke upon him our flesh that in it hee being first a souldier might thereafter become our leader Finally God the holy Ghost is now by deputation become our leader and therefore it is written That as many as are led by the Spirit are the Sonnes of God God the Father is our leader and for that cause is stiled the Lord of Hosts Dominus exercituum this is his name for ever and this is his memoriall unto all ages Of all the titles that God hath in scripture there is not one so often used by God himselfe as this For shall wee looke but upon two Prophets Isayah and Ieremiah and in them alone this title is attributed to God above an hundred thirty times It is not a title then likely to bee looked upon but with deepe and due consideration let us then looke upon it Our leader God is called the Lord of hostes in these respects first in respect of the generall frame of all his creatures who being viewed and considered in a masse together are nothing else but a pitched field and a battell set in aray fighting for the honour of God and the obedience that is due unto him For in the heaven of heavens there is an host of blessed Angels covering their faces and bowing their knees before his Throne singing a deepe Halleluiah and casting their crownes downe at his feet And this company is called an host for Luke 2. whilst they appeared to the sheepheards at the birth of Christ it is written of them There was a multitude of Angels and an heavenly host praising God and saying Glory be to God on high and to men on earth peace and goodwill Let us from that place looke a little lower and behold the starry firmament that is above our heads and there wee shall finde that hee is the Lord of hosts also for there the Sunne moone and Starres are his souldiers they fight for him and against his enemies as it is cleare out of the history of Ioshuah and Iudges and of these the Prophet Isayah saith 45.12 speaking of God I even I have stretched out the heavens and their host I have commanded but let us come a little lower and looke to the cattle that walke and the creeping things that move on the face of the earth and all of these are both the host and army of God fighting for his obedience and treading under foot those that rise up against him as is cleare from the dust and ashes of Egypt fighting against Pharo Againe if wee shall withdraw our eyes from the unreasonable creature to man who is indued with reason What I pray you are all the battells armies conflicts and skirmishes of nation against nation of kingdome against kingdome of country against country of people against people but the armies and battells of the Lord the rods of his indignation and the staffe of his wrath punishing the land because of the sinnes of them that dwell therein and man by the sword of man for his iniquity for the sword of a stranger is the revenger of the quarrell of Gods covenant Thirdly will wee looke on these our native and domesticke armies of flesh that are in these our mortall bodies I meane the ague the webbe in the eye the paine in the tooth the consumption of the lungs the shortnesse of the breath the stone in the reines the tympany of the belly and the gout in the feet what are all these but the armies of God and host of the Almighty fighting in man against man because man hath fought against God who was his leader Last of all hee is Lord of hosts also in a spirituall sense for he is our Captaine and leader in our spirituall warfare against the devill the world and the lusts of our owne flesh For it is by him and by his grace alone that wee have either courage to encounter strength to stand fast or patience to persevere unto the end And as in this hee is our leader and Captaine so doth he also hold the reines of our enemies chariots it was hee that made the wheeles of Pharoes chariots to fall off It was he that threw the stone at the fore-head of Goliah It was hee that smote the Philistines with the jawbone of an Asse It was hee that thrust the dart through Achabs brigandine and it was he alone that put a bridle in the lips of Zenacharih and a hooke in his nostrels and finally it is hee and hee alone who for our sakes by death hath destroyed him who hath the power of death that is the devill and hath put into our mouth that tryumphant song of victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Blessed be God the Father through Iesus Christ our Lord in all these things we are more then Conquerers because our leader hath
giveth the increase And as we must deny our selves so we must also follow him because of his sufficiency for hee is all-sufficient in his mercy in his wisedome in his power and in his truth In mercy for where our sinne abounded his mercy hath superabounded In wisedome for hee hath so wisely reconciled his mercy to his Justice that hee is satisfied and wee saved In his power for he dwelleth in the heavens and doth on the earth whatsoever hee willeth In his truth for heaven and earth shall passe away but one jot of his word falleth not to the ground If we seeke him he will bee found of us but if we forsake him he wil forsake us too LECT 4. Hallowed bee thy name AFter the Preface wee come in order to looke to the Petitions which are six whereof three have a reference to God and three unto man and his humane weakenesse In handling of these Petitions this shall God willing be the path wherein wee shall walke Wee will first looke to the order of the Petition and see in what distance it standeth with the rest And then wee will look upon the matter conteined in the Petition and see wherin it doth concerne us The order of this Petition is cleere and easie for if these three Petitions which concerne God bee justly preferred to those which concerne man then of necessity that Petition which doth most truly point out Gods honor unto us should first have place and that is this For it doth most lively represent unto us the care of Gods glory To it therefore precedency is duly given Now that this may be a little more cleere I shall labour to give you the evidence thereof both from the commandement of God and the practise of his Saints Shall we looke to the commandement of God it is more then manifest for amongst those ten Commandements which hee gave to Israel the first foure which concerne himselfe are prefixed to those other sixe which concerne but us And amongst these foure that which doth most eminently and evidently set forth his Glory hath both preheminency and precedency of place Answerable unto this is that direction of Christs Matthew 6.33 Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and the things of this life shall be cast unto you As God by the authoritie of his word doth require this of us So also at all times it hath beene the practise of his Saints in whom the Spirit of God hath dwelt powerfully ever to preferre the Glory of God to all things in this life yea to their owne life it selfe Looke to the practise of Moses Exodus 32. And of Paul that elect vessell of Mercy Rom. 9.3 Both of them in a burning zeale to the honor of God did wish themselves to bee thrust out from God that in their overthrow his honor might bee the more manifested Let me yet adde to this another consideration of the order and we shall see that it is not without reason that this Petition hath the precedency For in it I finde a wonderfull strain of the wisedom of our Redeemer Christ Jesus In the preface and entry of this prayer he hath led us to direct our Petitions in the termes of affection in the termes of faith and in the termes of feare In the termes of affection whilst we call God a Father In the termes of faith whilst we call him our Father and by faith make him to be ours in Christ Jesus And in the termes of feare whilst we acknowledge his power in heaven and in earth And then being to order our Petitions either according to the riches of Gods mercy or to the depth of our misery The first thing that we are desired to crave of God is a heart that can be desirous of his Glory For it is impossible that wee should at any time walke in the obedience of the succeeding Petitions unlesse that our hearts be first inflamed with the zeale of Gods glory For if wee consider aright who is hee that can ingeniously say let thy Kingdome come or thy will be done on earth unlesse he bee first enamored with the love of Gods glory Or who is hee that can content himselfe with his Daily bread or hunger and thirst for the Pardon of his sinnes or strive and wrestle against Temptation who hath not his heart inflamed with the sparkes of the Glory of God surely amongst the sons of men there shall not bee found one no not one For we are here In via non in patria Viatores non cōprehensores And therefore it is impossible for us to desire the reparation of the lost image of God in us or to make a right use of the things of this naturall life unlesse God illuminate our eyes and inflame us with the love of his glory who dwells in glory and hath cloathed himselfe with glory inaccessable which no flesh can conceive and live That the Jewes should have had a chiefe care of this glory it was well demonstrated unto them in the motto of their High Priests that was on their frontlets Sanctitas Iehovae The High-priest was glorious every way in the lower hemne of his garment hee had a fringe interlaced with bells and pomegranats of gold in his brestplate he had the Vrim and the Thummim on his shoulders hee had two Onix stones but on his forehead as one consecrated to the service of God hee had engraven Holinesse to the Lord. Wherein hee did both confesse and petition confesse that God was holy and holinesse it selfe and petition him that he would make him holy as he was who had called him and as the Jewe was thus instructed so also are we who are Gentiles not left without instruction For I must say here of this petition what Paul spoke of faith hope and charity in preferring of charity to the other two hee giveth a reason Those two shall evanish but charity shall convey us to the Kingdome of heaven So fareth it with this petition the rest shall all so evanish Thy kingdome come shall cease whē it cōmeth to us by death Thy will be done in earth shall cease when wee shall rest from our labours and our workes shall follow us Give us this day our daily bread shall cease when wee shall eate of the bread of life Forgive us our sinnes shall cease when wee shall enter into our Masters joy Lead us not into temptation shall cease when God shall tread death sinne and sathan under our feete Thus an end of all these petitions shall come only this one shall have no end at all but shall be like to him to whom it is here ascribed for hee in himselfe is A and Ω the first and the last so shall his honour and glory bee also like unto him a new song hee shall put into our mouth and a deepe Hallelujah in the secret of our hearts wherein the heavens and the earth and the hoasts thereof shall onely resound the praise the
the sonnes of men and the children of nature And to testifie that God is the God of Order and not of confusion he hath in his wisedome set a distinction amōgst his creatures by way of soveraignty three manner of waies 1. He hath given a Kingdome and soveraignty to the celestiall bodies 2. He hath given and established a Kingdome and soveraignty in man 3. Hee hath given a Kingdome and soveraignty to man The soveraignty and Kingdome given to the celestiall bodies is two-fold Of influence and of dominion The soveraignty of influence is acknowledged in nature and by all the children of nature For not only doe these celestiall bodies expresse their influence on the earth the sea and the fruits thereof But also on man and the naturall body of man For man having his body composed of the temperature of the foure Elements Fire Ayre Earth and Water it doth sensibly feele the influence of these celestiall bodies in the mutation and alteration of his health and constitution And as God hath given a soveraignty of influence so hath he likewise given a soveraignty of dominion For it is written Gen 1.16 Hee made two Great lights the Sunne the greater light to rule the day and the Moone the lesser light to rule the night As he gave a Kingdome and soveraignty to the celestiall bodies So did he also establish a soveraignty and Kingdome on man For hee gave unto him soveraignty and dominion over the fishes of the Sea the fowles of the Ayre and over every living thing that moveth on the earth Neither did hee alone subjugate the unreasonable creatures unto him But what is more hee did by his wisedome establish a soveraignty to man amongst men and the sonnes of men For amongst them he hath in his wisdome appointed some to be Masters some to be servants some to be Parents some to bee children some to bee husbands some to bee wives some to bee Judges some to be people some to bee Ministers some to be hearers some to bee Princes and some to bee subjects And in all of these what hath hee done but imprinted in man the Characters and vestiges of his owne primacy and authority For as he is God ouer all and in all blessed for ever So hee hath given unto man as the chiefe and soveraigne of his creatures a chiefe and soveraigne authority not only over his fellow creatures but also over his fellow Brethren that in man as the little world man might perceive the soveraignty of God the creator and Soveraigne of the whole world Last of all he hath set and established a Kingdome and soveraignty in man and that was the Kingdome and soveraignty of the image of God in man For as some celestiall bodies have a Kingdome over the inferiour bodies As man hath authority over the creatures and his fellow Brethren So God hath a Kingdome in man wherein the soule of man is that throne whereon he doth sit The conscience is Gods immediate deputy his assessors are the light of knowledge and understanding writing out a law his Sheriffe or Justice of peace is the will The common people whom he ruleth are the affections Now in all of these being composed and drawne up to an universall bulke and incorporation the image of God stood in man For as man was created the immediate King of the world So God did let him see that hee was his immediate King and Superiour And least that at any time hee should waxe proud and evanish he established a spirituall Kingdome in man Both that he might bee subdued to him that made him and that he might learn to rule aright the Kingdome concreded unto him This then is the Kingdome of man a Kingdome over his fellow creatures a Kingdome over his fellow Brethren a Kingdome over his innated affections Sathan also hath a Kingdome now will you enquire what that Kingdome is It must be answered it is no true Kingdome it is but a tyrannick usurpation like that of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebot who made Israell to sinne or like that of the Bramble who became King of the trees of the forrest That it is no true Kingdome it is cleere out of these severall instances And the instances of his usurpation are foure 1. His inauguration 2. His Vassalls 3. His government 4. His remuneration or reward His inauguration in the first place doth cleere this For he is neither borne to bee a King nor chosen to bee King Not borne a King for hee is but a creature and there is no true King but the Creator who is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords And as he is not a King by birth so also he is not a King by election for none have chosen him to be King over them Yea all that he possesseth he doth possesse by Tyranny Hee said to Christ in the day of his temptation All these are mine But he lied for the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof in it Sathan hath not one foot breadth but what hee either robs or usurpes 2. His Vassalls shew also his illegitimation for as it is in the Kingdome of God so is it also in the true and lawfull Kingdomes of men In Gods Kingdome as he giveth a law so they obey and say Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven He is the shepheard they are the flock His sheep heare his voice and they will not follow a stranger In the Kingdome of Sathan it is otherwise they are all children of disobedience howsoever conspiring an evill yet unto every good worke they are reprobate Of whom the true Christian may say as Iacob said of Simeon and Levi They are brethren in evill but in their secret let not my soule come and my glory be not thou joyned with their Assembly 3. In his government how ruleth he I pray you Not as a true soveraigne but as a trecherous usurpator Hee hath no part in man but that which he hath stolne For he steales First light out of the understanding then true desire out of the affections and thereafter full authority and commandement out of the will Where I pray you had hee ever place since his fall but what he stole He stole away by a lie the heart of Eve from God the heart of Cain from his brother the heart of Cham from his father the heart of Esau from his blessing the heart of Ieroboam from his God and the heart of Iudas from the Saviour of the world Yea now he is amongst us and he is likewise stealing either our hearts from the word by sleepe or the seed of the word out of our hearts that it may not take root and bring forth increase to our peace 4. His usurpation is knowen in his remuneration and reward A true King rewards answerably the service of a good subject and when hee findes his coffers emptie hee will coyne occasions to gratifie his faithfull servant God acclaimes this to himselfe as a
wee know this to be the defect and weaknesse of our children that hardly or seldome can they bee brought to put on their apparell or say their prayers till first they get the promise of their breakfast it is so with us in the way to heaven all the promises of God concerning our felicity there which in themselves are so large and infinite that neither hath the eye seene them or the eare heard them or can the minde of man understand them Yet all of them of what quality or number soever they bee can never lead a man to the earnest pursuit of those things that are eternall unlesse hee get a palpable possession of those things that are temporall But as David said This is our death I saysecondly he hath done it for a demonstration of the riches of his mercy towards us letting us see that hee will passe by many of our infirmities and overlooke many of our weakenesses ere hee want us So pretious a thing in the eyes of the Lord is the Soule of a man that hee will give much for it ere hee want it looke to the Father looke to the Sonne to the Holy Ghost looke to the elect angels to the Saints departed to the senselesse creatures and looke to sathan himselfe and all shall teach you that nothing on earth is so pretious as the soule of man And if our soules and the redemption of them bee a matter of so great excellencie doe you thinke that God will want it for a meale of meat no no farre bee it from us to thinke so for will hee that feeds the fowles of the aire and clothes the lillies in the field be forgetfull of us No surely a haire of our head shall not fall to the ground but by his providence and if any shall fall it is not for want of his favour but for the weaknesse of our faith I say thirdly it is done to shew us the true refuge unto the which we should all leane in the day of our want whether bodily or spirituall and that is onely to God For will wee looke to the things of this earth in the day of our bodily want from whom shall we seeke them but from God for it is hee that heareth the heaven and maketh the heaven to heare the earth and the earth to heare the come and the come to heare Israel If hee heare thee all shall heare thee but if hee stop his eare all shall bee deafe and dumbe to thee For the eyes of all things do wait and depend on him While he openeth his hand they are filled with his blessing But if hee over-cloud his countenance they are sore affraid and perish Now this being the reason of the coherence I come to the Petition wherein six things are remarkable First what we crave Bread Secondly of whom wee crave it of God for wee say Give Thirdly to whom wee crave it and it it not in the singular number to mee or to thee but in the plurall number Vnto Vs Fourthly what a bread it is that we crave a Daily bread not a dainty bread Fifthly whose bread is it that we crave not our neighbours bread but our owne Our And sixtly for what time it is that wee crave it not for the morrow but for to day Give us this day our daily bread Whilst I looke on the thing that is petitioned Bread It is requisite that I search what is meant and understood by it The Ancients and Fathers of the Church have thought diversly of it Tertullian lib. de Orat. Cap. 6. will have by this bread Christ himselfe to bee meant and saith that there is nothing can have a more orderly progresse then that after we have sought the honor of Gods name the advancement of his Kingdome and the obedience of his will to seeke also the bread of life by the which wee may bee enabled to do those things And this is Christ himselfe saith hee for of him it is written I am the bread of life Ioh. 6. Athanasius lib. De humana natura suscepta Tom. 1. doth by the word bread understand the Holy Ghost and for proofe thereof bringeth the words of this very Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our daily bread for hee saith God hath taught us in this present time to seeke that bread for our entertainment whose first fruits shall preserve our soule in life to the life to come Augustine writing of the sermon of Christ in the mountaine Tom. 4. lib. 2. cap. 7. pag. 349. by bread doth understand the bread of the Sacrament or else the bread of Gods word by the which our soules are kept in life to the obedience of his statutes But with reverence let me say that Tertullians opinion meaning by bread Christ cannot stand with the due order of this prayer for then it were tautologick for that was sought in the petition Thy Kingdome come Againe Athanasius his interpretation cannot bee received whilst by bread hee meaneth the holy Ghost for of him wee receive but the first fruits in this life But of this bread we many times receive both satiety and surfeit Last of all I cannot subscribe to Augustine in this his opinion nor to the Rhemists his followers who by bread here understand the bread of the Sacrament for if it were so I see no reason wherefore they should debarre the laicks from eating thereof one licenciating the use thereof to the Priests whilst God calleth it our bread and our daily bread and alloweth to us both the use and the daily use thereof It resteth then that the truth bee cleared and so it shall by taking the words literally and under the name of bread by understanding bakers bread yet not so strictly but that figuratively also under it we may cōprehend all things requisite for the maintenance of this our naturall life such as are strength of body by nourishment health by Physick warmnesse by apparell sufficiencie and correspondencie to our labours and finally all the meanes and helpes that leads to these things as Christian magistracie peace in the land and seasonable weather So that Ambrose looking on the large extent of the word bread sayeth of this Petition Haec postulatio maxima est corum quae petuntur For since as man cannot live without bread so his bread cannot quicken him except he have a stomack to disgest and when his stomack is able hee cannot get it unlesse the earth afford it and the earth doth not afford it except it be laboured and it cannot bee laboured except there bee peace amongst men and in the very time of peace mens travels cannot be profitable unlesse God send both the first and the latter raine Therefore saith hee in this one word of bread many things are couched yea all things that are requisite for the entertainment of our life The meaning of the words being thus interpreted let us make some use of them Their use is twofold Vse For the word serves first for rebuke and
What is thy mercy in respect of mine but a moat in respect of a mountaine a sparke in respect of a fire a drop in respect of the Ocean and nothing in respect of that which is more then all things So that if thou wouldst have mee who am infinite invisible eternall and incorruptible opening to thee the rich treasures of my incomprehensible and unsearchable mercies it first must bee thy care who art a finite corruptible and worme-eaten creature to extend the bowels of thy compassion and to bee mercifull to thy fellow brethren else how shall I forgive thee thy thousand Talents if thou forgive not the hundreth pence owing to thee Matth. 18 well then the proposition is plurall and indefinite comprehending all sexes and conditions of men Vse Since it is that the commandement is so strict in severity and so large in extent whence comes it that we obey not When Naaman in disobedience to the Prophet went home and his leprosie cleaving to him hee was re-advised by his servants and following their counsels obtained a sweet and desired purgation from his disease When Balaam the false prophet had twice smitten his Asse unjustly at the third time his rebuke made him wise When the Centurion invited Christ to heale his daughter in protestation of his unworthinesse hee confessed that when hee said to this servant goe hee goeth and to this come and hee cometh Now I say since all these have found obedience how is it that our Redeemer Christ Jesus commanding us to forgive our brethren can never finde obedience O what a rebellious thing is man and how deafe are the passions and purturbations of his heart Whilst Jesus Christ walked in our flesh hee spake to the windes and they were still to the seas and they were calme and to the devills themselves and they were dispossessed When hee was upon the crosse hee cryed with a loud voyce when hee gave up the ghost and loe the Sunne was darkened the Moone refused to shew her light the rocks were rent asunder the graves opened the dead arose and the vale of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottome when hee rose the third day the earth shooke trembled the stone was removed from the doore of the grave and the Angels of God came and ministred to him when hee ascended on high he led according to his promise captivity captive hee gave gifts to men and sent the Comforter to the world to convince the world of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement and yet behold notwithstanding all this royall power and super-eminent Majestie by the which hee was acknowledged to bee the Sonne of God in the estate of his humility Now when hee is exalted to the Throne of his glory and sits at the right hand of the Majestie of God the Father behold hee calls and wee will not come hee stretches out his armes and wee refuse to bee imbraced hee commands and wee disobey hee requires that as wee would bee forgiven wee should forgive and wee refuse the grace of the covenant because of the condition But what shall I say to thee O man I will say with St Augustine by way of interrogation Sub imperio Christi mare audit tu surdus es Have the windes and seas obeyed him and art thou deafe to his commandements It had beene better for thee that thou hadst never beene borne for if under the Law of Moses hee that sinned under the mouth of two or three witnesses suffered death of how much a greater judgement shall we be found worthy if wee despise him that speakes from heaven and neglect so great a salvation It were better for us brethren to run another course to do as the disciples did in the 8. of Matthew the 20. when the storme of the sea waxed violent in such measure that the ship was almost covered with waves the disciples ranne to Christ and awoke him saying Master helpe us for wee perish The danger for the time was theirs they were in perill of drowning but the spirituall morality is ours Wee are all in the world a turbulent and tempestuous sea Christ hath severed us from the world by his ship his Church while wee are in the world though not of the world wee shall not want stormes and tempests ready to overflow us Christ Jesus is our skipper and sits at the helme so long as hee a wakes and watches over us by his providence wee are safe and secure but if hee fall asleepe and seeme but to winke at our perturbations eminent passions wee perish except wee awake him Whensoever thou findest therefore the tempest of thy naturall and corrupt passions as of avarice lust or revenge arise within thee as thy tempest ariseth so let alwayes the steeres-man arise or else the storme will grow so proud that none can heare what thou sayest Mercy was the last legacie that thy Saviour bequeathed to thee upon the crosse Father forgive them they know not what they doe And what O man wilt thou not labour to bee perfect as thy Father who is in heaven is perfect It is not with thy conscience as with the day A redde evening prognosticateth a faire day but if the evening of thy life bee red or dyed with discoloured blood the morning of thy next life when thou shalt rise to judgement shall looke pale and lowre upon thee nor shall any sound but of judgement and horrour awake thee arise thou that lay downe a stranger to mercy and subjugate thy selfe as a slave to judgement for as thou hast hated peace so shall it bee farre from thee and as thou hast loved a curse it shall draw neere unto thee like water it shall be poured out on thy head and like oyle it shall drinke up the moisture of thy bones LECTIO 18. And lead us not into temptation IN handling of this Petition two things are chiefly remarkable the introduction and the Petition it selfe The introduction is in the word And The petition hath two parts the first containes a deprecation the second a supplication the deprecation is in these words And lead us not c. the Supplication in these words But deliver us c. In the handling of these I will first looke on the word or particle of introduction which is conjunctive And by this particle this Petition is tyed to both these precedent Petitions which concerneth man and his necessities whether bodily or spirituall And first it is remarkable that by this particle the Petition is tyed to that wherein wee represented to God our bodily necessities for whilst wee said Give us this day our daily bread wee confesse three things to God the first was that wee had our life on him for in him and in him alone wee live wee move and have our beeing The second was that wee had the meanes of him and him alone by which that life was maintained in us for unlesse hee of his mercy should send a blessing
of the Church which is in heaven is in patria in her country That part which is on earth is but in via upon the way when wee enter into heaven wee are comprehenseres whilst wee are on earth wee are but viatores they that are in heaven are called the triumphant Church they that are on earth the militant Now by both of these it is cleare that the Church here on earth hath much adoe for will you looke upon her as a pilgrim she hath enough to doe with all her wits to keepe the right way for though the way bee patent enough yet because it is thorny wee had need of a guide to lead us in it that when wee fall and stumble hee may lift us up againe For this Iacob confessed Few and evill have beene the dayes of my pilgrimage Again will we looke upon the Church here on earth as upon an army for so Iob confessed Iob 7. Mans life is a warfare on earth There we have need of a head and a leader too for unlesse there bee Captaines over hundreds and over thousands it is impossible that we can either fight in order or report a due victory and there shall nothing bee heard in our campe but confusion and the voice of him that is overcome so that howsoever the metaphor standeth it is cleare that wee are by nature weake and fraile creatures subject to many wandrings and many assaults under and against the which wee can neither stand nor prevaile unlesse our Leader and Captaine bee with us and in his power make us victorious The metaphor therefore serving equally to present unto us both our pilgrimage and our warfare I would rather lay hold on the last and shew you what are the references of our spirituall warfare in which wee stand seeing the matter is so clearly displayed and pointed out to us elsewhere for in the Epistle to the Ephesians the Apostle telleth us that wee must not onely fight against flesh and blood but also against principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse and the Prince of darknesse and the god that ruleth powerfully in in the children of disobedience That wee may therefore hold still the allegory of our warfare and from thence attaine to the scope and meaning of these words let us now looke upon them both and see how the one keepeth correspondence with che other In a carnall and bodily warfare wee know that three things are chiefly remarkable 1. The fight 2. The enemies 3. The Captaines charge All of these wee shall finde here set downe unto us in these few words as in a mappe our spirituall warfare for never did any Generall on earth decipher better the severall periods of a pitched battell then our Redeemer Christ Jesus doth here wisely both set us in order of battell and providently tell us both how to fight and how to retire And that this may bee cleare looke to the words in which hee foundeth to us our alarum and commandeth us fight for as it is in the earthly combate so is it in the spirituall in it wee have five things considerable 1. The fight it selfe temptation 2. The enemies and these are all those who have a part in this temptation 3. The souldiers and these are wee who are the children and servants of God 4. The Captaine God our Father who is in heaven 5. And last of all what is his charge hee must bee our leader All of these packed up from their severall places make up to us this maine charge Lead us not into temptation Wee will returne now to the first thing considerable in the words and that is our fight proposed to us in the word Temptation For the better understanding whereof wee must know that as there is Multiplex pugnandi genus so there is Multiplex tentandigenus For Aliter pugnatur in schola aliter in praetio wee fight one way in the fencing schoole another way in the field Whilst wee are in the fencing schoole our master fighteth against us his strokes are soft and for our instruction But when wee come to the field our enemie fighteth against us his strokes are furious desperate and his end is to destroy us We have need then to watch over our selves guard our selves well lest by our negligence security we fall and cannot rise againe Yet to make the word more cleare wee must labour to distinguish tempters in their severall sorts and from thence know what temptation is truly and what is the nature thereof For understanding of which wee must know that there are three sorts of tempters God man sathan God tempteth man man tempteth man man tempteth God sathan tempteth man also God tempteth man and his temptations are but tryalls of man not that it is requisite for God to trie what is in man for he knoweth already what is in mans heart his mouth workes and wayes But when God tryeth and tempteth a man it is to make man knowne to himselfe to those with whom hee lives in the world Thus he tryed and tempted Abrahams faith Iobs patience Davids love Peters perseverance and Pauls sincerity Abrahams faith in offering up of Isaaek Iobs patience by his multiplyed afflictions Davids love in Absolous persecution Peters perseverance by a damosell and Pauls sincerity by a buffer of Sathan Now as God tempteth man not for that he is ignorant of what is in man but that he may make him know himselfe that his graces in man may be knowne to the world as the Apostle writing to the Corinthiās telleth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they who are approved may bee knowne so also in the second place man tempteth God and as God tempteth man and is free of sinne so man when hee tempteth God is never void of it for whilst man tempteth and tryeth God it is a faithlesse and distrustfull tryall hee maketh of Gods power So Israel tempted God sinfully in the wildernesse whilst by tenne severall tēptations they forced God to make knowne unto them his omnipotencie and all-sufficient power Can God prepare a table to us in the wildernesse or can hee give flesh to the thousands of Israel to eate Thirdly man tempteth man and that diversly for there is a temptation and a tryall whereby man tempteth man approved of in Scripture and there is a temptation whereby man tempteth man condemned and dis-allowed in Scripture Of the first sort of temptations and tryalls are those which man useth for clearing of controversies As Salomon tryed the harlot by her unnaturalnesse to the child which shee claimed Or then for trying or examining the knowledge and grace of God in man so ministers are bound in duty to try their flocks masters their servants parents their children in the progresse and growth of Christianity Lastly Sathan is a tempter and that a chiefe and maine one For as all his temptations are to evill so are they all sinfull and that in two respects both in respect of
loved us with a love unspeakable in Jesus Christ In this manner then is God the Father our leader yet not hee alone as hee is the Father this his authority hee hath given and derived from him to his Son our Redeemer according as it is written All power is given mee both in heaven and in earth And that we may know more perfectly how our Redeemer Jesus is become our leader look I pray you on the severall parts periods of his Commandement authority given unto him in our flesh and for our sake for it was either preordained before time prosecuted in time or shall be perfected after all time when time shall be no more Before time he was preordained to be our leader for it is not only written that in him it hath pleased the Father before the foundatioÌ„s of the world were laid to chuse us to be heires of glory But also it was told by the Apostle St Peter that of all his sufferings nothing did befall him but that which was preordained to befall him by the secret counsell and eternall purpose of God Hee was also sent in time to be our leader and that in many severall points of accomplishment for first hee is promised secondly prefigured thirdly that the prefiguration might bee made relative to the promise the promise is reiterated fourthly lest man should have fainted under the expectation of the promise hee is sent in the fulnesse of time First hee was promised to bee our leader and Captaine in Paradise I will put an emnity betwixt thy seed and the seed of the woman he shall bruise thy head but thou shalt bruise his heele Secondly as hee was promised so hee was as also prefigured to bee our Captaine And though by many prefigurations yet by none more lively then by those of Phares and Zares Ishmael and Isaack Iacob and Esau Of all which it may bee truly said The elder shall serve the yonger Thirdly as hee was prefigured so also was the prefiguration strengthened by a new promise for to this effect was it said The branch of David the stemme of lesse the sonne of a virgin and the Emanuel of God promised under the Law by the Prophets Fourthly lest the fainting hearts of men should have perished under the weight of their expectation in the fulnesse of time hee was sent in our flesh first to play the part of a souldier in himselfe and then to become a leader and Captaine to us That in the dayes of his flesh hee was a souldier it is cleare for it is written Hee offered up strong cryes and supplications and was heard in that which hee feared That in his ascentioÌ„ he became our Captaine it is sure also for it is written Hee led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men Finally that in the end of time hee shall bee our Captaine and leader it is manifest also in that which is written When hee had suâ—dued all things under his feet then hee shall give up the kingdome to his Father that the Father may be all in all Thus both the Father and the Sonne are our leaders Now as this relation is founded in the person of the Father and from him derived unto the Sonne So also from them both by way of Economy it is derived unto the Holy Ghost for it is written Rom. 8. So many as are lead by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God And againe It is expedient that I goe from you to the Father for unlesse I goe to the Father the Comforter shall not come to you But when I shall send the Comforter from the Father unto you hee shall lead you in all truth and comfort you in all your adversities But that his authority and government may bee the better felt of us learne I pray you to know that the alligory of his government is fitting to command mans obedience either as hee is a pilgrim or as hee is a souldier for whether hee lead us as pilgrims in an unknowne way or as weake souldiers in our hard conflict his operations to us and in us are threefold For he leadeth us Monendo movendo removende that is to say he forewarneth us hee incourageth us and hee removeth something from us If wee looke on our selves as pilgrims and so hee first forewarneth us of the difficulties of the way for it is written Strait and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there bee that enter in thereat Againe Through manifold tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of God And as hee forewarneth us so also hee leadeth us by moving us for hee not onely calleth upon us Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you But also when wee fall hee lifteth us up againe and whom hee loveth hee loveth to the end and whom hee once taketh by the hand none can take them out againe Finally hee removeth the impediments of our journey out of the way for howsoever he suffer us to be tempted for a while yet with the temptation hee giveth us the issue that wee may beare it Againe if wee looke on our selves as souldiers in 〈◊〉 Christian warfare hee useth the same operations in us He first forewarneth us of our danger whosoever would live godlily must suffer persecution for the testimony of Jesus Hee incourageth us also to the fight In the world ye shall have trouble but in mee yee shall have peace Bee yee therefore of good comfort for I have overcome the world Finally hee removeth our adversaries from us for howsoever for our triall and exercise he suffer us to bee hardly assaulted for a while yet in the end hee treadeth Sathan under foot and crowneth our soules not onely with victory but also with salvation Vse Now then seeing God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are our leaders both in our pilgrimage and spirituall conflict it should both humble and comfort us humble us in that wee cannot walke without a guide Noah was stronger then wee but when hee forgot his guide he fell Sampson was stronger then wee but when hee forsooke his guide hee fell Salomon was wiser then wee but when hee forsooke his guide he fell David was holier then wee but forsaking his guide hee fell Peter was more stedfast then wee and yet forsaking his guide hee fell Israel was a people elected and chosen beyond and before us but because they forgot the guide of their youth therefore they were left to themselves to do the things that were not convenient and received such recompence of their errour as was meet It becommeth all of us therefore whilst wee thinke that wee stand to take heed that wee fall not And to say to God as the Eunuch said to Philip How can I understand without a guide Send out therefore O Lord the light of thy truth and let thy good spirit lead us into the land of thy righteousnesse Againe as this should humble us so