come uponus and upon all his chosen servants The means are to be prayed for of the coming of Christs kingdome II. Now because this kingdome cometh by means we are also to pray for them The means are either outward or inward The outward are the preaching of the word and Christs government by his minâ—…ters The preaching of the word which is the Gospel of the kingdome of God is such a notable means of the coming of the kingdome that it is called the kingdome of God For whereas there be three degrees of this coming our Vocation Justification and Sanctification every one of them ordinarily is wrought by the preaching of the word We are called outwardly by the Gospel We are justified by faith faith cometh by hearing of the word Rom. 10. 17. We are sanctified by the word of truth by the preaching of the word we are begotten unto God Therefore we are to pray that the word of God may have a free passage and be glorified 2. Thess. 3. 1. and also that the preaching of the word and Gospel be not taken from us or as Matth. 21. 43. that the kingdome of God be not taken from us but continued to us and our posterity And because there cannot be preaching of the word except there be preachers Rom. 10. 14. we are taught to pray Matth. 9. 38. that God would send forth labourers into his harvest that he would furnish them with Vrim and Thummim gifts sufficient Ephes. 6. 19. that he would clothe them with righteousnes Psal. 132. 9. that he would open unto theÌ„ a doore of the word that they may speak the mysterie of Christ Col. 4. 3. And because there cannot be ordinarily learned guides and scribes taught unto the kingdome of God except they be first trained up in good literature we are to pray also for the Universities and schools of the prophets which are the seminaries and seed-plots of the Church The second outward means is the government of Christ by his servants both in the Church and Commonwealth In the Church by the Ministers and governours exercising in the name of Christ admonition suspension excommunication For whom we are to pray That they may execute their offices according to the will of God as shall most serve for the advancement of the spirituall kingdome of Christ and defacing of the kingdome of sin and Satan That the people submit themselves to the censures of the Church and be reclaimed thereby In the Commonwealth by Magistrates who are Gods ministers also c. Rom. 13. whom God hath advanced that they might be nursing-fathers and nursing-mothers to the Church Isai. 49. 13. For whom also we are to pray 1. Tim. 2. 2. That after the example of David Josias Ezechias they may reform religion defend the truth profession of it suppresse idolatry and superstition punish sinne c. That the subjects may live in all obedience unto them as unto the ordinance of the Lord. The inward means is the operation of Gods Spirit in the souls of men For it is the Spirit of God which maketh the outward means effectuall and without which neither the preaching of the word nor the other means of government will any whit prevail 1. Cor. 3. 7. Deut. 29. 4. It is the Spirit of God who in the ministery of the word knocketh at the doore of our hearts and inlighteneth our minds to understand it John 16. 13. he leadeth us into all truth 1. John 2. 20 27. he teacheth us he openeth our hearts to listen unto it as he did the heart of Lydia Acts 16. 14. he maketh the word the savour of life unto life For without the Spirit the word is a dead letter the Scripture a sealeâ—… book without him we cannot say that Jesus is Christ without him we cannot pray c. He mollifieth our hearts and worketh in us that godly sorrow working repentance never to be repented of which stirreth up in us earnest desires and maketh us to call upon God with sighs unspeakable and is therefore called the Spirit of supplication He worketh in us the assurance of our reconciliation with God which we call faith and is therefore called the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father c. He sanctifieth us throughout mortifying sinne and raising us up into newnesse of life Ezech 36. 26 27. working in us all sanctifying and saving graces and is therefore called the Spirit of grace and so every grace is called by the name of the Spirit because it is a gift of the Spirit as the Spirit of wisdome and revelation Ephes. 1. 17. Isai. 11. 2. In this petition therefore we desire that the Lord would grant us his Spirit which he hath promised Luke 11. 13. and that by this Spirit he would rule and reigne in us and quicken us that being animated thereby we may behave our selves as members of Christ c. ruled and guided by his sanctifying Spirit The impediments of Gods kingdome to be prayed against III. Lastly because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it come seemeth to import and presuppose some obstacles and impediments whereby this kingdome is hindered we do also pray that these may be removed The impediments are these First the three main enemies of our salvation are also the chief oppugners of the kingdome of grace the Devil World and Flesh. The devil seeketh by all means the ruine of the Church in generall Revel 12. and also of the particular members Whilest this strong man possesseth his hold that is every naturall man all things are at quiet but when the Lord by his word and Spirit draweth any out of the kingdome and power of darknesse then he bestirreth him and by all tentations both by himself and his instruments he seeketh to entangle him in sinne When the seed of the word is sown in the hearts of men he carrieth it away as the birds do the corn which fall on the wayes Matth. 13. 19. or he blindfoldeth them that they shall not see the light of the gospel Ephes. 4. 4. or if they understand it he carrieth them away captive to the obedience of his will If they be called to repentance he perswadeth them to deferre it They may repent hereafter as well c. If to amendment of life he telleth them that if they be elected they may live as they list if rejected they cannot be saved If to humiliation that it is a doctrine that belongeth to notorious sinners c. Moreover he opposeth himself to the Ministers and their ministery Zech. 3. 1. he suborneth false teachers and is a lying spirit in their mouthes Therefore we pray that the Lord would bind Satan dissolve his works and tread him under our feet Rom. 16. 20. The second is the world and the lusts thereof which choke the seed of Gods word Matth. 13. 22. the glorious shew of this world 1. Cor. 7. 31. By these Satan as by nails naileth men to the earth that
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my laws in their hearts and in their minds I will write them and their sinnes and iniquities I will remember no more And the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham concerning the promised seed was this That he would give us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies that is Ephes. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. having by Christ remission of our sinnes and justification we should worship him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1. 73 74 75. And these are the benefits which should be preached in Christs name repentance and forgivenesse of sinnes Luke 24. 47. Seeing therefore the summe of all the benefits which in this life we receive by our blessed Saviour consisteth in these two we may be resolved that in these two the happinesse of a Christian in this life doth consist For whereas the Lord sware to Abraham that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed Gen. 22. 18. Zachary being filled with the holy Ghost expoundeth that blessednesse to consist in these two Luke 1. 73. And indeed whereas there are two degrees of our happinesse the one begun in this life the other complete in the life to come that is to be esteemed our happinesse in this life whereby the perfect happinesse of the life to come is obteined Now whom God hath chosen and called to salvation them he justifieth and whom he justifieth c. Rom. 8. 30. And this appeareth to be true also in the particulars Psal 32. 1. Revel 20. 6. Seeing therefore the benefits which we have by Christ in this life and consequently our happinesse consisteth in those spirituall graces which our Saviour here teacheth us to crave of God it followeth necessarily that both in our affections we should desire and in our judgements esteem these spirituall graces farre above all earthly and temporall things esteeming all other things as drosse and dung yea as losse in comparison thereof Phil. 3. 8 9 10. For what will all temporall benefits avail us if God do not forgive our sinnes and stablish us by his free Spirit Surely no more then the good pasture profiteth the beast that is fatted for the slaughter And therefore as these blessings are absolutely necessary to our salvation and of farre greater value then all temporall benefits so are they absolutely to be craved of God and with greater fervencie and affection But let us consider the order and the coupling of this petition with that which went before and also that which followeth Our Saviour teacheth us in the former place to crave temporall benefits as the lesse that our faith having been exercised in the lesse might be confirmed in the greater that is that we having learned to depend upon Gods providence for our maintenance in this life might the more firmly relie upon him for our justification and salvation for if we have not learned to trust in him for the lesse it is not likely that we should believe in him for the greater The order in respect of that which followeth standeth thus We are taught to desire freedome from the guilt of our sinnes before deliverance from the corruption because our reconciliation with God in Christ and justification by faith in order of nature goeth before our sanctification howsoever in time the beginning of our sanctification concurreth with justification From whence ariseth both an instruction for carnall men and a consolation for the godly For if justification goeth before sanctification then it is certain that we cannot be sanctified unlesse first we be justified and reconciled unto God in Christ. And this order the holy Ghost teacheth us Luke 1. 74. That being redeemed c. For untill our reconciliation as we our selves are enemies so all our actions are hatefull unto God And therefore men had not need to please themselves in their naturall estate and by their security suffer as much as in them lieth the bloud of Christ to fall upon the ground but rather to be most forward carefull and desirous to be reconciled unto God in Christ and that his merits and righteousnesse may be imputed unto them considering that whatsoever they do before they be reconciled unto God and justified is no better but sin whereby they hoard up wrath against the day of wrath c. The consolation which ariseth from hence is most singular For if men cannot die unto sinne unlesse first they be justified then those that labour to forsake their sinnes and truly purpose amendment of life and endevour to please God in dying to sinne and living to righteousnesse may be assured that they are justified by faith and reconciled to God in Jesus Christ c. And so much of the order Let us now consider of the coupling of this petition both with that which went before and also that which followeth with the former Give us this day our daily bread And forgive c. Which teacheth us that we should not so wholly be addicted to the commodities of this life but that we should withall and most principally labour for spirituall graces perteining to a better life There be many saith the Pâ—…almist which say Who will shew us any good that is any worldly profit c. but as touching the forgivenesse of their sinnes and their reconciliation with God in Christ as touching the application of Christs death and resurrection not onely to their justification but also their sanctification of these things they have no care nor desire c. But howsoever the world saith Who will shew us any good yet we must say But Lord lift thou â—…p the light of thy countenance upon us Shew thou thy self favourable and mercifull in forgiving our sinnes for that will bring peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost far exceeding all worldly comforts We must therefore not onely labour for the meat which perisheth but much more for the meat which endureth to everlasting life John 6. 27. For what would it profit us if we could gain the whole world if our sinnes being not forgiven us we should be amerced with the losse of our souls Mark 8. 36. With the latter Forgive us our sinnes c. And lead us not into temptation c. Which teacheth us that we are to desire as to be freed from the guilt of our sinnes so also from the corruptions because they are things that are inseparably coupled together forgiving of sinnes in God and forsaking of sinnes in us Therefore those which sever these things as most do deceive themselves Luke 1. 73 74. 2. Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 5. 24. Our Saviour as he is our redemption and justification so also he is our sanctification and therefore that which he did for us in his flesh he worketh in us by his spirit viz. a dying unto sin and a rising again unto
life and in the world to come In all which respects we must esteem our sinnes as a most heavy burden and being weary thereof we are by prayer to come unto the Lord that we may be eased thereof Matth. 11. 28. Neither are we to bewail our sinnes alone but as we are to pray for the pardon of other mens sinnes so are we also to mourn for the iniquities of the place and time wherein we live Ezek. 9. 8. Psal. 119. 136 158. 2. We are to bewail the hardnesse of our hearts that we cannot so bewail our sinnes as we ought 3. Our want of faith and assurance of the remission of our sinnes The graces which we desire are 1. Remission of sinnes and justification viz. that God would cancell the bill of debt Col. 2. 14. that he would take away our sinnes and cast them into the bottom of the sea Mich. 7. 18 19. that he would impute the merits and obedience of Christ unto us And secondly because we receive remission of sinnes and are justified by faith by which we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ to our justification and without which the merits of Christ are not communicated unto us therefore we desire not onely that he would forgive us our sinnes but also that he would work in us a true faith whereby we may have assurance of the pardon of our sinnes and peace of conscience 3. Because our faith is weak therefore we are to pray for the increase thereof Luke 17. 5. and also that God would blesse unto us the means of the begetting and increasing of our faith 4. Because reconciliation and adoption are unseparable companions of justification we therefore must also pray that he would receive us unto his love and favour and give us his spirit of adoption that howsoever we be by nature the children of wrath yet being reconciled unto him in Christ we may have the testimony of his Spirit testifying to our spirits that we are the children of God 5. We pray not onely for righteousnesse and assurance of justification and peace of conscience arising from thence Rom. 5. 1. but also for the joy of the holy Ghost proceeding from them both Rom. 14. 17. Now that we may with fervencie beg these graces of God we must besides the sight and sense of our sinnes and the misery which they bring upon us consider the necessity of these graces First of remission of sinnes because sinne maketh a separation between God and us Isai. 59. 1. and maketh us subject both to the curse of God in this life and after and therefore above all things in the world we are to desire freedome from our sinnes without which our estate is most miserable c. and without which we cannot be saved Contrariwiâ—…e in remission of sinne consisteth happinesse Psal. 32. 1 2. Secondly of faith without which the benefits of Christ are not effectuall to our justification sanctification or salvation By it we are made partakers of all the benefits of Christ to our justification and salvation In which respect the same benefits in the Scriptures which proceed from Christ are also ascribed unto faith Upon which follow reconciliation peace with God and joy in the holy Ghost and the beginning of eternall life it self in this life As we must pray for the forgivenesse of our sins in fervencie so also in faith that as we unfeignedly desire pardon of sinnes reconciliation with God so we are truly to believe that the Lord will heare our prayer that he will receive us unto mercy and at the length grant unto us the certificate of his Spirit the Spirit of adoption For that which he hath commanded us to ask he hath promised to give He commandeth us to ask remission of sinnes justification the Spirit of adoption c. therefore consequently we are stedfastly to believe that we shall obtein them The forgivenesse of sinnes is a chief part of the covenant of grace Heb. 10. 17. The Spirit of adoption is expressely promised to those that ask him Luke 11. 13. There remaineth that we pray with perseverance never ceasing day by day to call upon God for the forgivenesse of our sinnes and certificate of the holy Spirit assuring us thereof untill the Lord say unto our souls I am your salvation and shed abroad his love in our hearts Neither are we then to cease from this prayer but as we sinne daily so are we daily to crave forgivenesse and as our faith is weak and mixt with doubting so daily to desire the increase thereof c. Duties to be performed in our lives If we would make this prayer with upright hearts or would either hope to obtein this request or assurance that our prayer is heard I. We must be adorned with humility 1. Pet. 5. 5. whereby we must acknowledge our selves so deeply indebted unto the Lord by reason of our manifold sinnes that he may most justly glorifie his name in our endlesse confusion and that in respect thereof we are not worthy to look up unto heaven or to breathe in the aire or to live upon the earth and that therefore it is the great mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed For if we have humble and contrite hearts the Lord will be ready to heare our prayer and to pardon our sinnes The Lord resisteth the proud but he giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5. The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and c. Psal. 51. 17. Psal. 34. 18. Example in the humbled Publicane Luke 18. 14. For Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matth. 9. 13. Luke 4. 18. Matth. 11. 28. Whom doth he call with promise to ease them of the burden of sinne but those that trâ—…vail under the burden of sinne and are weary thereof If therefore God hath given thee an humble heart thou mayest be encouraged to come unto him for grace and pardon of sinnes For as it was said of the blind man so it may be said of every one that is poore in spirit Be of good comfort he calleth thee But as humility maketh us fit to receive Gods grace in the pardoning of our sinnes so is it also a good signe that our sinnes are pardoned For they onely are happy whose sins are forgiven but those that are poore in spirit are happy Matth. 5. 3. therefore their sinnes are forgiven Whereas contrariwise if we be proud and have a Pharisaicall câ—…ceit of our selves it is a fearfull signe that we remain in our sinnes John 9. 41. Luke 18. 14. II. If we would have forgivenesse of our sinnes we must believe in Christ. For by faith alone we have justification and remission of sinnes Acts 26. 18. because faith alone apprehendeth the merits and righteousnesse of Christ whereby we are justified Now this and the former must go together We must be cast down in our selves acknowledging our selves that we are no better
meant John 6. 4â—… Cyprian Gal. 6. 10. We must pray according to Gods â—…ll We must do Gods will as the Angels 1. In knowledge Heb. 11. 6. 2. In sincerity 3. Willingly Rom. 8. 18. 4. Readily and speedily 5. Fully and totally 6. Constantly 7. Faithfully The hypocrisie of many discovered How things apperteining to our own good are to be asked The order Why we ask temporall blâ—…ssings before spirituall Vlpian Why all commodities are comprehended under the name of bread Bernard What onâ—… bread signifieth What is mâ—…ant by daily bread Piscat The â—…vils that accompany richâ—…s The evils that accompany poverty The same measure is not convenient for all men In what respect God is said to give God giveth onelv the use of all God onely blesseth us in the use 1. Cor. 13. Quest. Answ. That it is lawfull to provide for the time to come Cautions Object 1. Answ. Object 2. Answ. We ought to ask temporall blessings of God 2. We musâ—… ask them aright 〈◊〉 dutiâ—…s Gâ—…nerall 〈◊〉 Joâ—… 1. 21. The sâ—…cond common duty â—…s Faith 1. â—…enerall 2. speciall Hypocrisie of worldlings discovered Two main benefits required in the two last petitions Justification and Sanctification The order We must be justified before we can be sanctified The connexion with the former petition Psal. 4. 6. The connexion with the latter petition Parts That our sinnes are debts The reason why sinnes are called dâ—…ts The Papiâ—…s confuted who hold that God forgiving the fault reteineth the punishment Their practâ—…ce foolish who dâ—…ferre their râ—…pentance What is meant by ouâ—… trespasses What is meant by this word foâ—…give By this petition we are put in mind of our misery and Godâ—… mercy No man can satâ—…sfie Gods justice for his sinnes proved Reason 1. 2. 3. 4. Object Answ. 1. Duties are 1. more peculiar 2. more common Meditations to increase our sorrow for sinne The graces which we desire The necessity 1. of the remission of â—…ur sinnes 2. of faith 1. We must be adâ—…rned with humility 2. We must believe in Christ. 3. We must repent of our sinnes 4. We must fear by sinne to offend God 5. We must use means to increase 〈◊〉 faith 6. We must labour to please God 7. We must forgive our neighbours Hypocrisie discovered The reason conâ—…rming our faith in the assurance of remission 2. Reason why these words are added Our forgiving no cause of Gods forgiving us What is meant by 〈◊〉 Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Object How we caâ—… be said to forgive Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Object 2. Answ. That it is lawfull to to seek help from the Magistrate with these cautions observed 1. 2. 3. What is meant by As we Not equality but likenesse here to be understood That our forgiving should be sincere and not feigned A threefold use of these words Uses for instruction 1. He that hath offended must seek for reconciliation 2. How we are to behave our selves towards those who have offended us Duty 1. Means â—…o moderate our anger Duty 2. Reasons moving us to forgive 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason Pretenses of those who will not forgive taken away 4. Reason Duty 3. 4. We must labour to win him An use of consolation An use of reproof The coherence and order â—…eing freed from sinne we must become the servants of righteousnes Those whom God pardoneth the devil tempâ—…eth The necessity of this prayer Not to be lead into temptatiâ—…n The latter part of the petition expoundeth the former Of probations and trials Of Gods trialls 1. by prosperity 2. by afflictions Of tentations for and unto evil 1. Of the 〈◊〉 II. of the world 1. By words 2. By example 3. By the desires thereof By evils and crosses III. of the devil 1. Tentations of errours and heresies Of doubtiâ—…g Of presumption Tentations touching obedience 1. in hearing the word 2. in pâ—…ayer 3. in the sacrament Tentations drawing men unto evil Object Answ. Object Answ. How God may be sâ—…id to tempt A consolation Satan can neither tempt nor overcome without Gods permission That it is not evil to be tempted but good to Godâ—… children In Psal. 60. What is meant by Deliver us from evil How we are to pray against taentations How weâ—… must pray against tentations of the flesh How we must pray against the tentations of the world How we must pray against the tentations of the devil That we must pray for these graces in assurance of faith This conclusion authenticall and necessarie Our faith confirmed by this conclusion by three reasons drawn from three of Gods attributes What is meant by â—…hine is the kingdome The kingdome of grace and glory Psal. 24. 1. The 〈◊〉 between the power of God and the creatures Everlasting kingdome power and glory belongeth to God These wordâ—… are a form of praising God What Amen importeth and signifieth Duties to be pâ—…rformed Hieâ—…on Hypocrisie discovered
called on the name of the Lord. But let us come to their objections To the first I answer That we do teach that remission of sinnes is obteined by prayer and that to that end our Saviour hath taught us to crave remission and hath acquainted us with the example of the Publicane who by prayer obteined justification as David Manasseh and the faithfull and penitent sinners in all ages have done which hindreth not but that we are justified by faith alone For it is not every prayer but the prayer of faith as S. James calleth it which is impetratory I say it is the prayer of faith which by prayer obteineth pardon To the second Where our Divines define faith to be a full and certain perswasion of Gods love towards us in Christ forgiving our sinnes c. they define it in the highest degree and perfection thereof whereunto we must alwayes aspire But there are two principall degrees of faith The first is an assent to the truth of Gods word and more especially to the promises of the Gospel assuring salvation to all that believe in Christ. This assent in the judgement to the Law and Gospel if it be true lively and effectuall worketh in the heart and will a lothing of our sinnes a resolution to leave them a desire of grace and a hungring and thirsting after Christs righteousnesse and a resolution to acknowledge Christ to be our Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation And howsoever those who have but this degree cannot say that they are assured of forgivenesse and salvation yet their desire of grace proceeding from this lively faith expressed in their prayer is acceptable before God and obteineth that which is desired Now they which have this degree must proceed to the second For seeing the promises belong to them concerning justification and salvation they ought to apply them to themselves And look how sure a man may be that he believeth that is giveth a tâ—…e and lively assent to the doctrine of the Gospel so sure ought he to be of the remission of sinnes and salvation by Christ. And of this assurance there are degrees according to the measure of grace received To conclude therefore this point We ascribe to faithfull prayer efficacie to obtein that which we desire in the name of Christ according to the will of God and by the Scriptures do demonstrate the efficacie of prayer which now we are to shew by the wonderfull effects which by prayer have been brought to passe CHAP. V. Of the great and wonderfull efficacie of prayer AS first in the elements the earth the water the aire the fire At the prayer of Moses the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up Korah Dathan and Abiram with their families Numb 16. At his prayer also the hard rocks sent forth rivers of waters Exod. 17. Samson having slain a thousand Philistines with the jaw-bone of an asse Judg. 5. 18 19. whereupon the place was called Lehi which signifieth a jaw-bone and being ready to perish with thirst by prayer obteined a well of living water which continued to posteritie which the Lord opened unto him in Lehi not the jaw-bone but the place so called which for a perpetuall monument of the efficacie of prayer he called En-hakkore the fountain of him that prayed At the prayer of Moses Exod. 14. the waters of the red sea gave place to the Israelites and overwhelmed their enemies But come we to the aire Elias being a man subject to the like passions with us which the Apostle James noteth chap. 5. 17 18. that we might in like manner hope to be heard prayed a prayer that is prayed effectually that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth for three yeares and six moneths and he prayed again and the heavens that is the aire gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit Concerning fire we have two examples of the same Elias the former 1 Kings 18. where by prayer he brought down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice the latter 2. Kings 1. where also by prayer he brought down fire from heaven to destroy the two captains with their fifties But leaving the elements let us in our cogitations ascend into heaven For most admirable is that example Josh. 10. 15. where at the prayer of Joshua for he is said to have spoken to the Lord and the Lord to have hearkened to his voice the sunne stood still in the middest of heaven for the space of one whole day untill the Israelites were avenged on their enemies And no lesse admirable is that example of the Prophet Isaiah 2. Kings 20. 11. at whose prayer not onely the shadow in the sunne-diall but the sunne it self in the firmament went back ten degrees Isa. 38. 8. Ecclus 48. 23. Neither is the efficacie of prayer seen upon those creatures alone which are without sense but upon those also which are indued with sense and reason Jonah when he was swallowed up of the whale and lay in the belly thereof as in a grave for the space of three dayes and three nights having cried to the Lord de profundis he was restored safe to land Jonah 2. As touching men the efficacie of prayer appeareth in the deliverance not onely of particular men but also of whole cities and countreys from the fury and force of their enemies were they never so mightie or so many When Peter was by Herod cast into prison and kept by foure quaternions of souldiers lying in the night before he should be put to death between two souldiers bound with two chains the keepers also before the doore keeping the prison at the instant prayer of the Church which effectually prayed for his deliverance the Lord sent his angel to set him at libertie Acts 12. 5. Elias the Prophet being armed with the spirit of prayer when Ahaziah the king had sent three captains of fifties one after another to apprehend him he not onely brought down fire from heaven to destroy the two first with their fifties as I said before but also he brought the third captain upon his knees humbly intreating him that his own life and the lives of all his companie might be precious in his sight 2. Kings 1. Elisha also upon whom the spirit of Elias was doubled when Ben-hadad king of Syria had sent an armie of men with horses and chariots to apprehend him the armie having by night environed the citie where the Prophet was and besieged it by prayer he had them in his power striketh them blind leadeth them to Samaria and having by prayer opened their eyes that they might see their present danger he victualleth them and sendeth them away as vanquished Now for the defense and deliverance of whole peoples and common-wealths such is the efficacie of prayer that those who are indued with the spirit of supplication may not unworthily with Elias and Elisha be called the horsemen and chariots of Israel By prayer Asa 2.
1. 28. to commit sinne with greedinesse But contrariwise That he will give unto us his sanctifying spirit not onely to fight against the flesh but also to mortifie our earthly members Col. 3. 5. as our inordinate affections and evil concupiscence and to crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. and that being renewed by his spirit we may no longer be carnall men but spirituall walking not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. 1. 2. As touching the world We also pray That we may not be carried away with the world or overcome thereby but that by faith we may overcome the world 1. John 5. 4. And whereas the world is said to tempt in respect either of the men or the things in the world and whereas the men tempt either to evil of punishment and danger by captious questions or to evil of sinne either by bad speeches inticing incensing counselling or lewd examples We therefore against their captions desire the spirit of wisdome that we be not insnared and against their offenses and scandals either in word or deed constancy perseverance that we do not stumble or fall nor be conformed to the world Rom. 12. 2. As for the things of the world they are either the desires thereof or the terrours and crosses In respect of the desires of the world which are the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1. John 2. 16. the world is said especially to tempt they being the baits of sinne and snares of the devil Against these we pray That we may have grace from above to renounce all worldly lusts Tit. 2. 12. to be wained from the world to use it as though we used it not 1. Cor. 7. 31. to be crucified to the world and the world to us Gal. 6. 14. to live as pilgrimes and strangers upon earth and citizens of heaven minding heavenly things and contemning all the desires of the world as mere vanities in comparison of heavenly joyes As touching the crosses and afflictions of this life which are worthily called tentations We are to pray That God will not suffer us to be tempted above our power c. 1. Cor. 10. 13. but that the Lord in his good time would either release us from them in whole or in part or else arm us with patience to bear whatsoever he shall lay upon us that we may endure tentation and being found approved we may receive the crown of life Jam. 1. 12. whereof the afflictions of this life are not worthy Rom. 8. 18. 3. As concerning the tentations of the devil We desire that the Lord would tread Satan under our feet Rom. 16. 20. or at the least that it would please him to arm us with the complete armour of God that we may be able to stand against the cunning sleights 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the devil Ephes. 6. 11. and especially with faith whereby we may quench all the fiery darts of the devil Ephes. 6. 16. Now in all these we are to pray as our Saviour teacheth us both by his example John 17. 15. by his precept in this place O Lord we do not desire not at all to be tempted but that we may be delivered from evil that is from the tyranny of the flesh that it hold not us captive unto sinne from the allurements of the world that they do not draw us unto sinne from the assaults of the devil that he prevail not against us from the punishments of sin and judgements which by sinne we deserve so farre as our deliverance therefrom may stand with Gods glory and our good and lastly from the corruption of sinne it self in regard whereof we desire the Lord would endue us more and more with the Spirit of sanctification applying unto us the merits and efficacy of Christs death to mortifie our sinne and of his resurrection to restore us to newnesse of life wherein we are to proceed from faith to faith and from one measure of grace to a greater untill we come to a perfect man in Christ. And as there are two degrees of our deliverance from these our spirituall enemies the one begun and imperfect by sanctification in this life the other full and perfect in the life to come which is our full redemption and glorification So we pray not onely that we may be freed from our corruptions in part but also may be fully conformed to the glorious image of the Sonne of God and therefore pray that we may be delivered from every evil thing and be preserved to his heavenly kingdome 2. Tim. 4. 18. whereby it appeareth that as in the fifth petition we desired pardon of sinne and justification by faith so here we craâ—… strength against sinne freedome from the corruption and sanctification by Gods Spirit and finally the end of our faith which is the salvation of our souls For when we pray to be delivered from evil we desire deliverance also from hell and consequently salvation in heaven Now as these graces are to be asked in fervencie and affection so also in assurance of faith that we shall be heard For as the Apostle James chap. 1. 5 6. teacheth If any man desire wisdome of God wisely to endure tentation he must ask it in faith And to this faith the holy Ghost doth most notably encourage us in the Scriptures Prov. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth unto it in edito collocatur and is placed on high The Lord saith Peter 2. Epist. 2. 9. knoweth to deliver the godly out of â—…entation And of our Saviour the Apostle saith Heb. 2. 18. In that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Christ hath overcome our enemies the devil Col. 2. 15. the world John 16. 33. and to this end gave himself for us that he might deliver us from the hands of our spirituall enemies He that is in us is stronger then he that is in the world 1. John 4. 4. Neither shall any be able to pull us out of his hands John 10. 28. Christ whose prayer is alwayes heard John 11. 42. hath prayed for us that our faith shall not fail Luke 22. 32. and that we may be kept from evil John 17. 15. The Lord hath promised and is faithfull to perform that he will not suffer us to be tempted above our power but with the tentation will give an issue that we may bear it 1. Cor. 10. 13. And finally Joel 2. 32. he hath promised that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Our faith therefore concerning assistance against tentation and deliverance from evil must be grounded not upon any conceit of our own strength or worthinesse but on the power mercy faithfulnesse and truth of God in his promises and on the mediation and intercession of Jesus Christ. Duties to be performed in our lives I. Generall 1.
good things to our selves in using that means which God hath ordained for the obteining of our desires God hath purposed and promised to give good things not to all but to those that use the means There is a promise of receiving and obteining but to those that ask of finding but to those that seek and of opening but to those that knock And moreover as Augustine saith the Lord would have us to exercise and increase by prayer our desire our hope and our faith that so we may be the more capable of those good things which God hath promised to give For they are great sed nos ad accipiendum parvi angusti sumus Tantò quippe illud quod valde magnum sumemus capaciùs quantò sideliks credimus speramus sirmiùs desider amus ardentiús But we are little and strait to receive For that which is very great we take more capaciously when as we do more faithfully believe and more firmly hope and more ardently desire The second objection is taken from the decree of Gods providence For whereas we teach that all things come to passe according to the counsel of Gods will Ephes. 1. 11. which is unchangeable because it is alwayes the best hereupon some object that we take away the use of prayer For if all things come to passe according to the immutable counsel of God then to pray for any thing is needlesse or bootlesse Needlesse if God have already appointed that which we desire bootlesse if he have determined the contrary for we may not think that by our prayer we can alter his decree which cannot be changed Answ. It may well be that some do thus abuse the doctrine of Gods providence as many do to the like purpose the doctrine of predestination falling into the erroneous conceit of the Predestinatours For if I be elected say they a godly life is needlesse if not it is bootlesse But the same answer will serve for both 1. Where God hath appointed any thing as the end he hath also preordained the means whereby it is obteined Finis imponit necessitâ—…tem his quae sunt ad finem The end imposeth a necessity unto those means which conduce to the end Wherefore as it is necessary in respect of Gods decree that the end appointed shall come to passe so is it as necessarie in respect of the same decree that it should be obteined by the preordained means whereby it is to be obteined Now prayer is the means which God hâ—…th ordained whereby we are to obtein good things c. Non propter hoc oramus saith Thomas ut Divinam dispositionem immutemus sed ut id impetremus quod Deus disposuit per orationes sanctorum esse implendum ut scilicet homines postulando mereantur accipere quod iis Deus omnipotens ante secula disposuit donare that is We do not therefore pray that we may change the Divine disposition but that we may obtein that which God hath disposed to be accomplished by the prayers of the Saints to wit that men by praying may deserve to receive that which God omnipotent hath before all times ordained to give them 2. God in his word hath injoyned us the use of this means and graciously promised a blessing and therefore farre be it from us under a pretense of conforming our selves to the secret will of God which we know not to rebell against his will revealed which we know 3. God in his word by his gracious promises hath revealed his will concerning those that do pray as they ought that they shall obtein If therefore God hath enabled thee to pray effectually thou mayest be assured that thou shalt obtein thy desire or that which is better For much availeth the prayer of a righteous man and the Lord is rich to all that call upon him 4. Though the will and purpose of God for the granting or denying thy desire were revealed unto thee yet were it thy dutie notwithstanding to call upon God First for denying by threatnings for though God non novit mutare consilium yet novit mutare sententiam knoweth not to change his counsel yet he knoweth to change his sentence The threatnings of God are conditionally to be understood namely if we do not use the contrary means Ezek. 33. 11. Jer. 18. 7 8. Jon. 3. Joel 2. 12 13 14. When Hezekiah was sick unto the death the Prophet Isaiah brought this message from the Lord Set thy house in order for thou shalt die and not live notwithstanding by effectuall prayer he obteined the prolonging of his life Isa. 38. 1 2 5. So Judg. 10. 13 16. Matth. 15. Secondly For granting by petitions and promises For Daniel though he knew by reading the prophesie of Jeremie that the captivitie of the Jews in Babylon should continue but seventie yeares yet when the seventy yeares were expired he thought it his dutie to beg the deliverance of the people by fasting and prayer Dan. 9. 2 3. To Isaac was the promise made of Seed in which all the nations should be blessed and yet he prayeth to the Lord that he might have seed Gen. 25. To Elias the Lord had revealed his purpose concerning rain which Elias believed and in the name of God promised to Ahab and yet notwithstanding he goeth up into the mount Carmel to beg it of God And the obteining of this rain after the long drought though purposed and promised by God is ascribed to the efficacie of Elias his prayers Jam. 5. 16 18. Conferre Acts 27. 24 25 31. God hath promised and purposed to give good things sed roganti quaerenti pulsanti to him that asketh seeketh knocketh and not to those who tempt him in the neglect of means See Jer. 33. 3. Luke 18. 41. Psal. 2. 8. Moreover the Papists object against us that we take away the efficacie of prayer in obteining remission of sinnes or any other good things The former because we teach that faith alone justifyeth the latter because we teach that the prayer which must obtein any thing proceedeth from speciall faith which cannot be had But more worthily the Papists may be charged for denying the efficacy of obteining remission both to faith and to prayer which they ascribe to the Sacraments especially of Baptisme for sinnes going before and Penance for sinnes following after Baptisme which they hold do free from sinne and conferre the grace of justification ex opere operato whereunto they require neither prayer nor faith nor any other good motion or disposition in the party save onely that he do not ponere obicem peccati mortalis put in the way the barre or stop of mortall sinne affirming that the Sacraments do contein grace as vessels and that they are physicall causes of grace justifying by efficacie put into them by God as the heat of fire is the cause of burning abusing that place Acts 22. 16. Be baptized and wash away thy sinnes having
precept as being a dutie most straitly injoyned and a principall part of that worship and service which we ow unto God This necessitie is not absolute but if we will avoid his curse Jer. 10. 25. 2. Necessitate medii necessitie of the means as being the means ordained by God for the obteining of all good things which he hath either purposed or promised to bestow upon us for our good so that if we ask aright we have if we ask not we have not as S. James saith chap. 4. 3. Necessitate signi necessitie of the signe as being a necessarie signe and cognizance of all true Christians who are described in the Scripture to be such as call upon the name of God As contrariwise the foolish Atheist who saith in his heart There is no God is deciphered by this note that he doth not call upon the Lord Psal. 14. 4. In which respects the holy man Daniel held the performance of this dutie so necessary that when the king had published a decree which might not be revoked That whosoever should ask a petition of either God or man save of the king for thirtie dayes he should be cast into the lions den he chose rather to be cast into the den of the lions then to omit this dutie but thirty dayes Dan. 6. neither did he omit it one day see vers 10. CHAP. IX Who are to perform the dutie of prayer ANd thus you have heard that it is required of all to call upon God Now let us consider what is required in all those that do call upon him That I expressed in the definition when I defined prayer to be a speech of the faithfull or as the holy Ghost styleth them also the righteous the godly the Saints of God Where by the way note that all faithfull and true Christians are righteous are godly are the Saints of God And thus are they to be qualified who will either pray unto God or praise him For prayer the holy Ghost saith that every one that is godly shall pray unto God Psal. 32. 6. and the prayer of a righteous man availeth much Jam. 1. 16. For praise and thanksgiving unto God be glory in the Church saith the Apostle Ephes. 3. 21. that is in the company of the faithfull And so David Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his give thanks at the remembrance of his holinesse Psal. 30. 4. It is true that all the works of God do praise him as the matter of his praise but the Saints do blesse him as the instruments of his praise Psal. 145. 10. For both see Psal. 50. 14 15 16. where the Lord as he commandeth the faithfull to whom his speech is directed v. 5 7. to offer unto him thanksgiving and to call upon him in the day of trouble so he taketh exception against the wicked But unto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee But here we are carefully to consider who are the godly and righteous lest we exclude from hope of being heard those whom the holy Ghost doth not exclude There is therefore a twofold righteousnesse mentioned in the Scriptures the one Legall the other Evangelicall According to the legall righteousnesse none can be said to be righteous who doth not perfectly and perpetually perform whatsâ—…ever the law which is the Divine rule of perfect righteousnesse doth prescribe For if a man do not abstein from all things forbidden if he do not also the things commanded if he do not all and that in that manner and measure which the law prescribeth if he do not continue in doing all the things required but breaketh the course of his obedience by any one sinne though but of omission though but in thought he is notwithstanding all his obedience by the sentence of the law not onely a sinner but also accursed Gal. 3. 10. By this righteousnesse no man since the fall of Adam could be said to be righteous Christ onely excepted but we had all need to pray with David Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified viz. by the works of the law Gal. 3. 16. For there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7. 20. Yea in many things we offend all saith S. James chap. 3. 2. And if we say we have no sinne saith S. John 1. epist. 1. 8. we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Wherefore the law concludeth all under sinne and consequently under the curse Gal. 3. 22. So that there is no man so godly and righteous but in himself by the sentence of the law he is a sinner Which serveth notably to confute the Popish hypocrites which teach that none are justified but such as are formally just by a righteousnesse inherent in and performed by themselues that is habituall and actuall according to the law of God and that no man who is a sinner in himself by reason of sinne inherent can be said to be justified But whatsoever Pope-holy men do conceive of themselves we must confesse with the forenamed Apostles that we are sinners in our selves and had need daily to pray as our Saviour taught them for the forgivenesse of our sinnes and so to appeal from the sentence of the Law to the promise of the Gospel for the law hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3. 22. The Evangelicall righteousnesse is that which without the Law is revealed in the Gospel whereby men that are sinfull in themselves I mean believing sinners and penitent sinners are accepted of God as righteous in Christ. And it is twofold For it is either imputed to a believing sinner as the righteousnesse of justification or infused and so inherent in a repentant sinner as the righteousnesse of sanctification The former is perfect and not inherent being the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith The other is inherent but not perfect being our new obedience wrought in us by the spirit of regeneration In respect of the former it is said that the righteous man shall live by his faith In respect of the latâ—…er that he is a righteous man which worketh righteousnesse And this twofold righteousnesse must of necessitie concurre in the same partie c. By the doctrine thereforâ—… of the Gospel he is a righteous a godly man a Saint of God who doth believe and repent And this is to be understood not onely of those who are indued with perfect faith and repentance or the higher degrees thereof but even of the lowest degrees of true faith and unfeignâ—…d repentance So that whosoever truly assenting in â—…is judgement to the promises of the Gospel concerning salvation by Christ doth earnestly in his heart desire
into all truth c. mortifying sinne and corruption in us and renewing us unto holinesse of life The end of this kingdome is the kingdome of glory And therefore Christ saith to his Church Luke 12. 32. Fear not little flock c. For therefore doth he pull us out of the kingdome of darknesse and bring us into the kingdome of grace that by faith we may have remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified Acts 26. 18. By reason of the certainty hereof it is said that those that believe have everlasting life John 5. 24. and are translated from death unto life that those whom God hath justified he hath also glorified Rom. 8. 30. The kingdome of glory in respect of us is the blessed estate of the godly in heaven when as God shall be all in all 1. Cor. 15. 28. where God hath prepared such things for them that love him as neither the eye of man hath seen nor eare heard nor c. 1. Cor. 2. 9. What this word come signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adveniat This word Come is diversly to be expounded according to the divers significations of the kingdome of God The universall kingdome or kingdome of power is said to come when it is manifested and made apparent that all things are guided by the power and providence of God Here therefore we are taught to pray That the Lord would vouchsafe to advance his kingdome bring all things into subjection under his feet and also that all men may acknowledge this universall kingdome of God ruling all things according to the counsel of his will and may willingly submit themselves to the government of this absolute Lord who hath placed his seat in heaven and his kingdome ruleth over all That he would subdue his enemieâ—… Psal. 110. 2. governing them with an iron rod Revel 12. 5. and 19. 15. and bruising them like a potters vessel Psal. 2. 9. That he would execute his holy and eternall decrees both in the generall government of the world and also in the saving of the elect and destroying the reprobate to his own glory working all things according to the counsel of his will And albeit this kingdome cannot be resisted or hindred maugre all the enemies thereof yet we are to pray that it may come and that he would exalt his kingdome as before glorifie his name not meaning thereby to move God but to shew the concurrence of our will with Gods will and our affection towards the advancement of Gods kingdome and zeal towards his glory Secondly the kingdome of grace is said to come unto us whenas it is either begun erected in us or continued and increased amongst us And in this behalf we are taught to pray not onely for the coming of this kingdome but also for the granting of the means whereby it cometh also removing the impediments of the coming I As touching the coming it self we are to note out of this word That we come not to this kingdome of grace of our selves but this kingdome cometh unto us and in coming preventeth us as our Saviour speaketh Luke 11. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is come upon you for we naturally are the bondslaves of Satan and subjects of the kingdome of darknesse out of which bondage we are not able to come except the Lord do pull us and as our Saviour saith John 6. 44. No man cometh to the Sonne but whom the Father draweth Wherein appeareth the undeserved mercy of God in preventing us in seeking that which was lost in being found of them that sought him not in coming to them that neither could nor would through their own default come unto him And secondly because there must be alwayes a daily progresse in this kingdome and work of grace in this life therefore we are taught to pray daily that this kingdome may come Now let us see how this kingdome cometh and what it is which here we ask Of the coming of this kingdome there be three degrees The first is the pulling and drawing us out of the kingdome of Satan and power of darknesse unto God which is our effectuall calling whereby we are brought from the spirituall bondage of sinne and Satan into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and are made fellow-citizens of the Saints domestici Dei of the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 19. And this calling is wrought by this means First to us sleeping in our sinnes the word of God is sent to rouse us the law shewing us our sinnes and the punishments due for them the Gospel promising salvation upon the condition of faith and repentance Secondly the spirit of God concurring with the word inlighteneth our minds to understand the word of God inclineth our minds to attend thereunto mollifieth our hard and stony hearts in the sight and sense of sinnes and then travelling under the burden of them with wearinesse he stirreth up in us a hunger and thirst after the righteousnesse of Christ and reconciliation with God and teacheth us to pray with sighs which cannot be expressed Secondly when the Spirit of God applieth the merits and efficacy of Christs death and râ—…surrection to the justification of the sinner and by degrees worketh in him faith and assurance of the paâ—…don of his sinnes whereupon followeth peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost In which three tâ—…e Apostle saith that the kingdome of God doth consist Rom. 14. 17. Thirdly when Christ our King ruleth and reigneth in our hearts by his word and Spirit teaching us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly justly and holily in this prâ—…sent world expecting the happy hope and glorious appearance of the great God our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2. 12 13. that is when by his Spirit he applieth the merits of his death to the mortifying of sinne in us and of his resurrection to raise us up to newnesse of life And this we desire not onely for our selves but also for the whole company of the elect That the Lord would from all sorts gather his Church electing them from the world engraffing them into his Son justifying them by faith and sanctifying them by his Spirit Thâ—…t he would confirm them by his grace that they may increase more and more and be inriched with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things and finally by the power of God through faith may be preserved unto everlasting life 1. Pet. 1. 5. And because the Church of God is as we have said the kingdome of God we desire not onely that God would gathâ—…r his Church but also that he would inlarge it more and more by the visible adding unto it those that are to be saved that hâ—… would prosper and preserve it Psal. 122. 6. protect and defend it from all enemies both corporall and spirituall that he would give all graces needfull and expedient unto them And thus we are to pray that the kingdome of Gods grace may
full redemption of Christs marriage with his Church then those who hope to be partakers of these benefits are espoused unto Christ by faith will with as earnest desire expect his second coming as the loving bride doth the marriage-day Wherefore as it is Revel 22. 17. the Spirit and the bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and v. 20. Come Lord Jesu come quickly And so the Lord hath taught us here to pray And therefore if we will pray unto the Lord in truth we must labour to attein unto this assurance of faith that being assured of Gods everlasting love towards us in Christ we may earnestly desire the Lord that an end being put to these evil dayes he would hasten the coming of Christ. Neither let us think that we have well profited in the school of Christ untill we do with desire expect his coming Thirdly we must expect with patience For he that is saved in hope as all the faithfull are in this life expecteth with patience that which he hopeth for For hope is not of that which is seen If therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 25. we hope for that which we see not we do by patience expect it And surely in respect of this coming of Christ to our salvation we had need of patience Heb. 10. 36. For as Peter hath prophesied of these last dayes there are come mockers walking after their lusts who say Where is the promise of his coming 2. Pet. 3. 4. but the holy Ghost answereth Heb. 10. 37. Yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Dearly beloved saith the Apostle Peter 2. Epist. 3. 8 9. be not ignorant of this one thing that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day The Lord is not slack as concerning his promise as some men account slacknesse but is patient towards us and would have none to perish but would have all men come to repentance viz. that the whole company of the elect may be fulfilled Therefore as Isaiah saith Qui crediderit nè festinet Let not him that believeth make haste For seeing the Lord in patience towards us deferreth his coming and the fulfilling of his promise we ought with patience to expect it Sustine ipsum saith Augustine qui sustinuit te If he waited patiently untill thou shouldest amend thy bad life then do thou also patiently wait untill he crowneth thy good life Fourthly we must expect the coming of Christ with vigilancie having our loyns girt and our lights burning like the vigilant servants Luke 12. 35 36 37 40. and the wise virgins Matth. 25 not like the ungodly servant who saith in his heart My master deferreth his coming c. Luke 12. 45. nor the foolish virgins who sleeping in securitie and contenting themselves with the shining lamp of an outward profession at the coming of the bridegroom were shut out III. The third duty So to live in this expectation as that neither prosperity nor adversity shall be able to remove us from the love of God being stayed with the anchor of hope Heb. 6. 19. apprehending and expecting the heavenly joyes set before us in respect whereof all the prosperity and pleasures of this life are to be contemned and all adversities patiently to be indured For those that have this assured expectation contemne all the prosperity of the world as mere vanity in respect of the glory that shall be revealed and therefore are crucified to the world and mind heavenly things c. Again this expectation swalloweth up the sense of all temporall afflictions as experience hath taught us in the martyrs For the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8. 18. Therefore as the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 12. 1 2. let us having such a cloud of martyrs with patience runne the race that is set before us looking to Jesus c. Jacob for the promised reward viz. the marriage of Rachel thought his seven yeares troublesome service to be but easie and short how much more ought we chearfully to bear all the afflictions of this life as light and momentany in respect of that super excellent weight of glory And for this cause also we are to comfort our selves in all distresses in the expectation of a better life IV. We must walk worthy of God who hath called us to his kingdome and glory 1. Thess. 2. 12. and live as it becometh those that have this hope 1. John 3. 3. For every one that indeed hath this hope namely that he shall be like the Sonne of God purifieth himself as he is pure that he may be in some measure like to him in grace in this present world as he hopeth to be like him in glory in the life to come And let us remember that if we have hope for the end we must be carefull of the means as being the necessary forerunners of glorification faith repentance sanctification And in this expectation must the duties of piety justice and sobriety be performed Tit. 2. 13. V. We must so live as if we were alwayes ready to meet Christ Jesus in the clouds and to this end set before us continually Christ sitting in judgement that we may alwayes labour to be such as then we desire to appear that we depart not from Christ ashamed 1. John 2. 28. And surely what can be more forcible to draw men to repentance and to stirre them up to vigilancie then the meditation of the judgement to come a continuall expectation of Christ coming in the clouds Recordare novissima Remember thy end saith he Ecclus 7. 36. and thou shalt not sinne For where this cogitation is once settled that we shall appear before the judgement-seat of Christ it will not suffer a man to be in quiet untill he be settled in such a state as that he may with boldnesse appear before the Judge Therefore the coming of Christ to judgement is used as a forcible argument to draw us to repentance Acts 17. 30. 2. Pet. 3. 10 11 12 c. These things if we do we shall with chearfulnesse expect the coming of Christ and when he cometh we shall appear with boldnesse 1. John 2. 28. but otherwise with unhappy Felix we shall tremble at the very mentioning of judgement so farre shall we be from truly desiring and at the sight thereof we shall depart from Christ ashamed desiring the mountains to fall upon us Revel 6. 16. Wherefore to conclude If we will truly make this petition in our daily prayers we must every day so behave our selves as if Christ were presently to come to judgement And in this behalf let us imitate S. Hierome So oft saith he as I consider that day my whole body trembleth for whether I eat or drink or do any thing else that terrible trumpet soundeth in mine eares Surgite mortui
that offendeth will never forgive But these men that will not forgive them whom they have offended of all others are farthest from pardon because they be farthest from repentance Now let us consider how we are to behave our selves towards them that offend us Our duty standeth on foure degrees First if the offense be not notorious to take no notice of it but to dissemble it and to passe by it For as Solomon saith Prov. 10. 12. Hatred stirreth up contention but love covereth the multitude of offenses and Prov. 19. 11. The discretion of a man maketh him slow to anger and it is his glory to passe by an offense Examples in Saul 1. Sam. 10. 27. and David Psal. 38. 13 14. Our first duty therefore when we are wronged is not to fret and fume storm and chafe and much lesse to proceed to brawling or blows For as Solomon saith Indignation resteth in the bosome of fools Eccles 7. 10. but he that is slow to anger is wise Prov. 14. 29. And to moderate our anger and desire of revenge let us consider these two things 1. That thy brother which offendeth thee is the rod of God c. 2. That as thou forgivest so thou must look to be forgiven If when thou art wronged thou chafest and stormest and presently revengest thy self when thou makest this prayer thou dost desire the Lord so to deal with thee that is when thou offendest presently to be revenged of thee The second duty is when we have been offended not to retein anger purpose or desire of revenge but freely and from our hearts to forgive one another Lev. 19. 18. Rom. 12. 19. Ephes. 4. 32. Col. 3. 13. And thus we are to forgive our brother openly if he acknowledge his fault and repent and that so oft as he seeketh reconciliation though it be seven times a day Luke 17. 3 4. If he do not ask forgivenesse but rather persist in hating and wronging us yet are we in our hearts to forgive him and to desire his good and to pray for his amendment Matth. 5. 44. Unto the performance of this duty we are to be moved by these arguments First if we will not forgive our neighbour the Lord will not forgive us Matth. 6. 15. Mark 11. 25 26. 2. If we retein anger and desire of revenge with what face can we pray unto the Lord to forgive us our great debts that will not for his sake remit those pettie debts of our brother And to this purpose notable is that saying of the sonne of Sirach Ecclus 28. 1 2 3 4 5. He that revengeth shall find vengeance from the Lord and he will surely keep his sinnes in remembrance For give thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee so shall thy sinnes also be forgiven when thou prayest One man beareth hatred against another and doth he seek pardon from the Lord He sheweth no mercy to a man which is like himself and doth he ask forgivenesse of his own sinnes If he that is but flesh nourish hatred who will intreat for pardon of his sinnes Therefore Paul exhorteth us to pray lifting up pure hands without anger 1. Tim. 2. 8. and Peter signifieth that anger interrupteth this exercise of prayer 1. Pet. 3. 7. 3. If we do not forgive our brother in making this prayer we desire that the Lord would execute his vengeance upon us rather then crave forgivenesse c. For this cause as Augustine exhorteth we are above all other sinnes to lay aside anger and hatred when we come to pray For this prayer obteineth pardon for other sinnes but for this sinne it doth not but rather pulleth down vengeance upon him that desireth revenge As for those reasons which we pretend for our anger hatred and desire of revenge they are most vain especially if we compare the debts of our brethren to us with those which we desire to be forgiven of the Lord. For some will alledge The offenses which he hath committed against me are great and I cannot put them up But they are nothing to those sinnes which thou hast committed against God 2. Yea but he hath touched my good name And thou by thy sinnes hast dishonoured God and hast caused his holy name to be blasphemed 3. Yea but he is mine inferiour c. And what art thou to God 4. Yea but the offenses which he hath committed against me are many and he never maketh an end of doing me wrong But nothing so many as thy sinnes are against God neither dost thou put an end to thy sinning 5. Yea but I have deserved well of him But not so well as God hath deserved of thee 6. Yea but I have sought to win him with kindnesse And hath not the Lord by his mercies invited thee to repentance 7. Yea but he hath been often admonished of his fault Not so oft as thou Furthermore as thy brother offendeth against thee so for the most part thou offendest against him either by giving him occasion of evil or by anger and impatience conceived against him therefore the debt being mutuall thou shouldst be ready to strike off thine own debt by pardoning of him And although perhaps thou hast not deserved so ill of him yet thou hast deserved worse of the Lord who by him as his instrument correcteth thee and therefore must say as Mich. 7. 9. I have sinned and therefore I will bear the anger of the Lord. The third degree is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forgetfulnesse That we should not onely forgive but also forget the offenses done against us as we desire that the Lord would forget the sinnes which we have committed against him And therefore this art of oblivion which Themistocles wished we are to beg of the Lord. The fourth is by Christian charity to labour to win him and to overcome evil with goodnesse Rom. 12. 21. And this love must be exercised 1. by doing good to him that hath deserved ill Psal. 25. 21 22. for thereby also we shall resemble the goodnesse of the Lord who although he hath been diversly offended yet first seeketh reconciliation with us 2. in commending them to God in our prayers Matth. 5. 44. II. The second use is consolation to them who are ready to forgive the offenses of their brethren For if we do forgive we may be assured that we are forgiven Matth. 6. 14. If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive you For which cause our Saviour Christ pronounceth the mercifull to be blessed because they shall obtein mercy Matth. 5. 7. And undoubtedly the true love of our brother for Gods cause which is especially to be seen in forgiving offenses is an evident argument of the love of God The love of God is a fruit of faith for we love him because we are perswaded that he loved us first and where faith is there is justification and remission of sinnes by imputation
of Christs righteousnesse apprehended by faith III. The last use is a reproof of those which using this prayer notwithstanding retein hatred against their brother or purpose of revenge And they are to be reproved both for their hypocrisie and folly their hypocrisie because they not forgiving their neighbours but reteining malice against them are not ashamed to lie unto the Lord saying For even we also forgive c. Their folly because using this prayer Forgive us as we forgive not forgiving but purposing and desiring revenge in stead of craving pardon they desire God to be revenged on them for their sinnes as they desire to be revenged on their neighbour Of both which hypocrisie and folly our lustie gallants especially our chevaliers and hacksters are guilty who think it the greatest disparagement that may be which the holy Ghost esteemeth to be the glory of a man to put up an injury and therefore will die upon a man rather then suffer the least offense unrevenged But these men must know that not onely they are carnall men and remain in their sinnes but also that in seeking private revenge they are satanicall and devilish And therefore when Abishai stirred up David to revenge himselfe upon Shimei David answered What have I to do with you ye sonnes of Zeruiah that ye are this day to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of Satan 2. Sam. 19. 22. to teach us that they are inspired of Satan that breathe after revenge Yea but saith one I know how to avoid both this hypocrisie and folly and yet I will be even with mine enemie too For either I will leave out this petition or use some other form of prayer where this clause is not or else I will not pray at all Yea but the sentence of our Saviour whether we use these words or no standeth sure If ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses Matth. 6. 5. 18. 33. and therefore those that use such shifts do but mock God and deceive themselves Remember the parable Matth. 18. and the saying of Tertullian Quid est ad pacem Dei accedcre sine pace ad remissionem debitorum cumretentione injuriarum Quomodo placabit patrem iratus infratrem c. What is it to come unto God to seek peace without peace for remission of our debts with retention of wrongs How shall he please the Father that is angry with his brother Vers. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil OF the order of this petition and the coupling it with the former I have spoken before For whereas in the former we begged the grace of justification and remission of sinnes in this we crave the grace of sanctification and the spirit of fortitude whereby we may prevent sinne and be enabled to resist the tentations of the devil flesh and the world provoking us unto sinne In the former we asked freedome from the guilt of sinne In this we crave deliverance from the evil and corruption of sinne and strength against tentations alluring us thereunto But as touching the order we are taught to ask first justification freedome from the guilt of sinne and then sanctification and freedome from committing sinne because justification in order of nature goeth before sanctification And as touching the coupling of this with the former signified in the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And we are taught this dutie That as we are to desire freedome from the guilt of sinne so we should be desirous carefull to forsake and prevent sinne and to avoid the occasions thereof Forsaking of sinne is a companion of the forgivenesse of sinne And whosoever hath faith and believeth the forgivenesse of sinne hath also a care to prevent sinne and an endeavour to resist it and the provocations thereof Art thou washed from sinne take heed thou be not again defiled therewith As the Spouse saith in the Câ—…nticles chap 5. 3. I have washed my feet how should I again defile them Hath Christ justified and freed thee from the curse of thy sinne stand fast in this liberty which Christ hath purchased for thee and be not again intangled in this yoke of bondage Gal. 5. 1. For he that committeth sinne is a servant of sinne Far be it from us to abuse this liberty as an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5. 13. as though being freed from sinne we might sinne more freely No we are taught the contrary 1. Pet. 2. 24. Luke 1. 74. Neither may we think as secure men do that because we are perswaded that our sinnes are forgiven by Christ we are safe from sinne and need not fear the allurements thereof and therefore not stand upon our watch and ward but live in security For tentation unto sinne is a consequent of remission of sinne Whom the Lord loveth the devil hateth whom the Lord draweth unto himself and pulleth into the kingdome of grace him the devil laboureth to pluck back again by all means Therefore if a man be not tempted at all it is a fearfull signe that the strong man possesseth still his hold because all is in quiet Whereas contrariwise to be troubled with tentations is an argument of Gods favour if also we have grace to resist them Satan fighteth not with those that be under his bondage and fight as it were in his camp but those that are souldiers under the banner of Christ they must look to be assaulted They that be true members of the militant Church must acknowledge their whole life to be a spirituall warfare wherein they are daily to fight against the assaults of Satan the corruption of their own flesh and allurements of the world Such as are Christs Satan desireth to winnow and to sift them as wheat Luke 2. 31. to such he sendeth his messenger to buffet them 2. Cor. 12. 7. Our Saviour therefore knowing his faithfull servants whom he loveth to be most subject to tentation in this place teacheth them to use this prayer and elsewhere commandeth them to watch and pray that they enter not into tentation Mark 14. 38. The necessitie of which prayer is further to be enforced by consideration of our enemies likenesse to overcome and our own weaknesse to withstand Sinne is deceitfull Heb. 3. 13. The flesh continually sendeth forth concupiscences which fight against souls 1. Pet. 2. The law of the members carrieth captive to sinne Rom. 7. The things which we desire in the world are so many baits of the devil to allure us unto sinne The bad examples of other men are so many stumbling-blocks whereat we stumble fall The devil very cunning powerfull malitious diligent For his craft he is called the old serpent cunningly using our own corruptions and inclinations the baits of the world and examples to intangle us For his power he is called the prince and the God of this world John 12. 31. 2. Cor.