and glory of that former government is due unto him for ever Moreover it must be considered that as he is head of his Church hee must needs have more glory and joy when that all the members of his body shall be perfectly glorified 1 Cor. 12.26.27 than he could have when in state of his Mediatour-ship onely some of his members were glorified and they also then glorified but in part A King 's onely sonne being imployed by vertue of a commission as his Viceroy to subdue and regaine to 〈…〉 a rebellious kingdome when he hath fully effected it he is to deliver up that kingdome with his commission which when he hath done it pleaseth his father to ease him of further care and to cause him all his life time to live in triumph seating him next to himselfe in his kingdome This latter condition is no lesse honourable and glorious but is much more happy and joyous than the former Like to this is the state of Christ as man after the delivering up of his kingdome in the state of glorious subjection That which is desired concerning Gods kingdome is that it may come To come properly is an action of such creatures which have power of moving whereby they being absent or farre off doe approach and become present Here it is taken metaphorically importing first a desire of continuance and establishment of so much of the kingdome as is come already Secondly the comming and being of his kingdome where it is not yet erected Thirdly the growth towards perfection of those things which are come in truth but not in perfection of degrees Fourthly the consummation and perfect comming of all things that belong to the glory of Gods kingdome The last is when as things concerning this kingdome are come in their being they may so farre as may bee profitable to us come to our knowledge Iob 26.14 for without this comming also wee cannot so well glorifie God in hallowing his Name Therefore it is that every speciall manifestation of Christs glory when it appeareth to men may bee called a comming of his kingdome Thus Christ's revealing some glimpse of his glory is called the comming of the kingdome of God with power Mat. 9.12 These senses of this word come are so subordinate and agreeing one to another that it comprehendeth them all So that when we say Thy kingdome come it is as if we said O Lord who art the onely Potentate and King of kings declare make thy Name knowne to be holy by shewing thy selfe to bee the absolute Soveraigne over all by sustaining preseruing and disposing of all things in the world so as both thy glory may appeare and as it may make for the kingdome of grace And grant that all thine ordinances and meanes of gathering establishing thine Elect may be set up in their puritie and power to the effectuall calling ordering and perfecting of thy people untill thou have glorified thy selfe in bringing them all to eternall glory Be pleased likewise to remove and beate downe whatsoever power doth let and doth exalt it selfe against thee and thy kingdome untill thou hast glorified thy selfe in the eternall shame and destruction of thine enemies Thy kingdome come The petition being thus interpreted we may from the whole scope of it conclude Doct. All Christians should unfainedly desire that God would shew himselfe to be the absolute soveraigne Lord God both in the administration of his kingdome of power over all creatures and in setting up and establishing his kingdome of grace to the utter overthrow of his enemies and bringing of his Elect in Christ to the kingdome of glory What David doth praise God for that all must pray for that as hee saith Psal 145.11 They may speake of the glory of his kingdome and talke of his power He saith elsewhere O God shew thy selfe Psal 94.1 1 King 18.36.37.38.39 Elijah prayeth Let it be knowne this day that thou art God in Israel and that thou art the Lord God and hast turned their heart back againe Which request he granted by sending fire which consumed the offering whereat the people cryed saying The Lord he is God the Lord hee is God Expresse charge is given by the Prophet saying Ye that are the Lords remembrancers keepe not silence and give him no rest till hee establish â—sa 6â— 6.7 and till he make Ierusalem a praise in the earth Doe good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem Psal 51.18 saith David The Apostle exhorteth the Thessalonians to pray for the Ministers that the word of the Lord might have free course and be glorified and that they might be delivered from unreasonable men 2 Thes 3.1.2 The soules staine for the word of God say How long Rev. 6.9.10 O Lord holy and true c. Lastly as Christ saith I come quickly so Iohn and all which love his appearing say Amen Come Lord Iesus Rev. 22.20 The generall reason why the comming of the kingdome of power grace and glory is desired is because they are involved one in another and neither of them is fully come and the comming of them doe admirably set forth the glory of God The reasons why each is particularly to be desired follow Reason 1 The continuance of Gods governement and wise disposing of all things is to be desired because first thereby hee doth shew forth his eternall power and Godhead in such great letters Rom 1.19.20 that men may learne to glorifie him for his infinite wisedome power and goodnesse Psal 19 1â— For the heavens declare the glory of God The varietie order and use of the creatures doe shew that in wisedome hee hath made them all Psal 104.24.25 These workes of God in giving all things meate in due season and preserving of the creation doe shew to the sonnes of men the glorious majestie of his kingdome and doe witnesse that the Lord onely is the living and true God Act. 14.15.17 Secondly the powerfull and Reason 2 wise providence of God in sustaining and governing the world doth afford both matter and meanes for the kingdome of grace For the propagation increase of mankind is Gods nurserie in which grow many stockes though crab-stockes whereof hee will ingraft whom he pleaseth into his Sonne Christ Iesus make them trees of righteousnesse This generall government also is as it were God's schoole wherein he doth educate and traine up men to civilitie to trades and arts which are excellent mediate helps to sustain the materials and to build up the frame of the Church of God For these causes Gods generall and common providence is to be prayed for Reason 3 Thirdly if the Lord doe not beare up the pillars of the earth Psal 75.3 the whole frame thereof will be dissolved if hee doe not order and dispose of all things in the world and if he doe not renew the face of the earth there will be nothing
1. Pet. 2.9 It is the glory and happinesse of a man to bee holy like unto God Holinesse is an infallible and peculiar marke of a childe of God Therefore Gods people are called the people of his holinesse Isa 63.18 Ier. 2.3 And Israel was holinesse to the Lord. Let us purge our selves therefore from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God then shall wee approve our selves to be worthy persons even the sonnes and daughters of the Lord almightie Moreover if the fruit of our Christian profession be holinesse Rom 6.22 the end wil be eternall life Vse 4 If God bestow holinesse upon any man though hee have neither personablenesse nor wealth nor wit nor worldly honour besides let him not be impatient for what he waÌ„teth but let him rejoyce and give thanks for what he hath for he hath that which maketh him to bee esteemed in the judgement of wise men and of the wise God a worthy and excellent person And if we consider the worth of holinesse it will move us to beare the afflicting hand of God with patience and cheerefulnesse For the end of his chastening is saith the Apostle that we might be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12 10 than which nothing is more profitable nothing more honourable The second Petition Thy kingdome come In the first petition prayer is made that God onely may be set up to be knowne and acknowledged to be as he is most holy most glorious to whom all things as to their proper end are to bee referred This is the chiefe desire of a Christian out of which all other petitions issue forth into which they doe all emptie themselves Gods Name cannot be knowne and thereby hallowed except God make himselfe knowne to bee that High and holy one that onely Potentate King of Kings Lord of Lords to whom holinesse and glory doth belong Wherefore petition is made that hee would please to advance his kingdome as a meanes to shew his excellencie and glory that men may yeeld it unto him The comming of this kingdom is the subject of this petition Kingdome in the largest sense signifieth the governance and rule of a people under one head or King But here it is limited by particular reference to God saying Thy kingdome which importeth that administration of governement which God doth exercise either immediately by himselfe or mediately by Christ in preserving and ordering all things so as may set forth his soveraignty to the glory of his holinesse in perfectioÌ„ of goodnes power wisedome mercy justice c. This kingdome of God is Vniversall over all creatures called the kingdome of power or providence Psal 103.19 is Speciall respecting the Church in this life called the kingdome of grace in the life to come called the kingdome of glory In this petition kingdome signifieth Gods kingdome of power grace and glory each one serving unto or following upon the other and all three doe set forth his holy Name the hallowing whereof was in the first petition prayed for Kingdome of his providence is desired because it doth both set forth Gods excellencie and doth minister matter means for the better erecting of the kingdome of grace The kingdome of grace is desired because GOD therein doth most admirably shew himselfe and it maketh way to the kingdome of glory being the beginning and entrance thereinto The kingdome of glory is desired because it is the perfection of the kingdome of grace and when all enemies shall be vanquished and all subjects gathered and advanced to the highest honour 1 Cor. 15. â—8 then God shall be all in all and shall be knowne and acknowledged to be all in all and then his Name shall be perfectly hallowed and glorified Kingdome here is called Gods kingdome as it is a government different from and a government over the kingdome of men but especially as it is opposed unto the kingdome and dominion of sinne and Sathan For the throwing downe of Satan is according as Saint Iohn heard by a voyce from heaven the comming of salvation Rev. 12.10 and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ As his kingdome goeth downe Gods kingdome is set up This kingdome of God is either essentiall and inseparable eternally equally belonging to the Father Sonne and holy Ghost or it is Deputative and separable according as by the dispensation of the blessed Trinity it was conferred upon the second person in Trinity as he iâ— the Mediatour betweene God and his creature The administration of this kingdome is either immediate namely when the Father from himselfe by the Sonne but not as Mediatour doth through the holy Ghost communicate himselfe to the creature and doth governe all things or else it is mediate namely when the Father from himselfe by the Son as Mediatour betweene him and his creature doth communicate himselfe to his creature and doth governe all things God did immediately governe all things in the world untill that by Adams transgression sin entred into the world and in like immediate manner shall hee governe when sinne shall cease to be in the world namely after that Christ shall have put downe all rule and authority and power and hath delivered up the kingdome to God even the Father at the end of this world But ever since sinne hath beene in the world and since it hath pleased God to enter into a new covenant with man namely into the covenant of grace which hee established in Christ the whole governement as well that which is vniversall which concerneth the powerfull conservation and wise disposing of all things for the manifestation of the glory of God and for the use of man as also that speciall government which concerneth the Church was conferred upon the second Person and hath beene administred and is yet to be administred by him as Mediatour untill the time of the redelivery of it unto his Father We may conceive the reason why God did governe the world after mans fall not immediately as before out by his Sonne deputed to be a Mediatour betweene him and man to be this because hee in his holy wisedome held it not befitting the purity and holinesse of his nature to communicate himselfe to his creature defiled with sinne otherwise than by a Mediatour This government Christ Iesus tooke upon him and administred as he was first by designation and afterwards actually by hypostaticall union God and man Not as God onely for in that respect the kingdome was as naturall and essentiall to him as it was to the Father and holy Ghost nor yet as man onely for the humanity alone was not capable of such an universall absolute and spirituall dominion invested with power from himselfe to send forth the spirit and to subdue principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse so as to trample all enemies under his feete This government of Gods kingdome by Christ the Mediatour was first made knowne to the Church
A KEY OF HEAVEN THE LORDS PRAYER opened and so applied that a Christian may learne how to pray and to procure all things which may make for the glorie of God and the good of himselfe and of his neighbour Containing likewise such Doctrines of faith and godlines as may be very usefull to all that desire to live godly in Christ Iesus The second Edition enlarged by the Author MATTH 7.7 Aske and it shall be given yeu seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened unto you Oratio justi clavis coeli LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Benâ—â—â— in Fisher and are to be sold at the signe oâ— the Talbot in Aldersgate-street 1633. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIP-FVLL Sir THOMAS CREVV and to all his hopefull children all grace and peace in this life all joy and glory in that which is to come be multiplied RIGHT Worshipfull custome doth claim by prescription that such bookes as come under the Presse to bee made publick should be ushered forth with an Epistle Dedicatory which if it want it calleth into suspition that either the Author hath no friends of worth or that the worke is not worthy patronage Wherefore having suffered this Tract on the Lords Prayer to come forth I tread the common path The profit of him to whom dedication is made or testification of respect and thankfulnesse of him that dedicateth or credit and countenance to the booke dedicated is the marke that is aymed at in dedications All these respects have moved mee to make choyce of your selfe For though you be already furnished and fully established in the truths therein delivered yet it shall bee profitable unto you that with some variety you bee put in remembrance of the same things your children likewise who may reape some good hereby will bee induced to read and make use of this booke the rather because it commeth through the hands and under the patronage of their so loving and beloved father These are likewise to acknowledge that dept of thankes due to you for the many kindnesses you have shewed mee for which I do and shall for ever stand beholding unto you also to signifie my well wishing to your children and that for the well deservings of those which are come to age and for the sake of their mother your deerely beloved wife now with the Lod to whom my selfe and mine stood much indebted whom I could not but admire and affect while she lived whose remembrance I shall alwayes honour and whose name I desire to keepe alive for to quicken others now she is dead For to speake within compasse without hyperbole amongst the many gracious women that I have knowne a more compleate Christian to whom the Lord had bestowed such a sweet concurrence of gifts of grace and nature have I 〈◊〉 knowne Nam gau deant bene nati modò renati Gratier est ouâ—châ—o veniens è corpore virâ—us And though birth beautie wit a large heart and good elocution all which were eminent in her without grace are vanitie yet when these are accompanied with love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained all which abounded in her each doth make other admirable I would say more were it not that I shold renew your griefe in remembrance of your losse but I am assured you have learned to bee thankfull for the enjoyment of so rare an helper so long rather then to over-grieve or bee impatient that you could enioy her no longer If you shall please to suffer these my first fruits in this kinde to passe into the world through your hand they will be the better accepted of the good and defended from those that are bad and I shall remaine much bound to you All that I can say why I publish this booke is I desire by all meanes according to my abilitie to do good in the Church of God I acknowledge many have written worthily upon this subiect whose helps I have used yet none that I know in this manner and I finde that variety in this kinde doth much good Now the God of heaven whose glory I intend in this worke give it favour in the sight of his Church to the edifying thereof to whom be praise and glory for ever Amen Thus commending you and yours to the protection and blessing of the Almightie I humbly take my leave this 26. of May. Yours to be commanded in all Christian duties HENRY SCUDDER To the Reader TO bee much in perswading those that be favorites of some great person to use that interest for their best advantage were an indeavour somewhat needlesse considering naturall selfe-love inclineth men in such cases to be sensible enough of their owne good Yet so dull is our apprehension of matters that are of an higher nature that though wee have the eare of God alwayes open unto us and free accesse to the throne of grace through Christ who appeareth in heaven for us carrying our names in his breast yet wee need stirring up to improve this blessed liberty though the whole world be not worth this one prerogative that wee can boldly call God Father This disproportion of our carriage ariseth in part from Satans malice who laboureth to keepe us in darknesse that we beleeve not or minde not our best priviledges which if wee did how glorious would our lives appeare how comfortably and fruitfully should we walke what honour should God have by us what sweet sacrifice from us how should wee overlooke all opposite power But now by reason wee are prone to beleeve Satan and the lyes of our owne heart and ready to call truth it selfe into question as if these things were too good to be true no marvell if we passe our dayes so deadly For what use of an hidden and lockt up treasure if we use not this key of prayer to fetch from thence for al our need What benefit of all the precious promises made in Christ unto us unlesse wee alledge them unto God and with a reverent boldnesse binde him with his owne word which he can no more denie then ceasse to be God If we tooke these things to heart God should heare oftener from us we would be more in heaven than we are seeing wee should bring as much grace and comfort from God as we could bring faith to graspe and carry away Besides this fore-mentioned mindlesnesse of our priviledges since the fall the soule naturally loveth to spend and scatter it selfe about these present sensible things and cannot without some strife gather it selfe together and fixe upon heavenly things Now this talking with God requireth an actuall bent of the minde and carryeth up the whole soule into heaven and exerciseth as all the parts so all the graces of the soule faith especially prayer being nothing else but the flame of faith And Satan knowing that when we send up our desires to God it is to fetch supply against him troubleth the soule weake of it selfe with a world of
by beleeving a man doth set to his seale that God is true 4 By fearing him So saith the Prophet 1. Pet. 3 1â— Sanctifie the Lord of hasts himselfe let him be your feare and let him be your dread Isaiah 8.13 5 Also by loving him trusting in him and zeale for him for there is the same reason that all the affections of the heart should be for him as well as any one Iob 1.21 6 By confessing with the mouth that he is just in all his judgements so doth Daniel saying Dan. 9.14 The Lord our God is righteous in all the workes that he doth for we obeyed not his voyce Iosh 7.19 Thus Achan is bid to give glory unto the Lord. 7 Also by acknowledging his mercie goodnesse power Rom. 15.6 Rev. 19.7 c. in praises and thanksgiving He that offereth praise glorifieth me saith God Psal 50.23 8 By contending for God and his truth Isa 59.4 9 By ordering the conversation aright both in doing and suffering Herein Ioh. 1â— 8 saith our Saviour is my Father glorified that ye beare much fruit Therefore he exhorteth his disciples unto good works that as lights they may shine before men and glorifie their Father which is in heaven Mat. 5 16. Philip. 1. And Paul was assured Christ should bee magnified in his bodie whether by life or by death And Peter was foretold by what death he should glorifie God Ioh. 20.19 10 Lastly by regarding his holinesse in his titles word and holy ordinances in his holy day the Sabbath and in his children whom he hath made to be an holy people In all these our estimation and speech of them our carriage towards them and use of them must be with speciall respect to God whose holinesse they carrie upon them alwayes putting difference betweene these things and all other which have not the like respect of holinesse Though we cannot in all these hallow Gods name as wee would yet wee must endeavour it that we may be able with the Church to say The desire of our soule is to thy name Now we know the particulars let us give God glory every way and let us make it the end of our life Motivâ—s to hallow Gods Name to know and acknowledge him to be holy It is Gods right as you have heard we were created and redeemed to that end and wee have examples of the best David saith he would speake the praises of the Lord and saith Let all flesh blesse his holy Name for ever and ever Psal 145.21 Christ Iesus hath gone before us in seeking his Fathers honour and not his owne It was Ioabs praise so to order the battell 2 Sam. 12.28 that his Lord and king might have the glorie of the day and not himselfe Ought not all Gods subjects to respect their God more than he did or could respect his king Excellently spake Ioseph that the honour of interpreting dreames might not be given to him It is not in me Gen. 41.16 God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace In like manner Daniel would not assume to himself the power of revealing secrets but saith Dan 2.26.28 There is a God which yeâ—â—alleth secrets The Apostle Iohn when he was in the Spirit heard everie creature which is in heaven and on the earth and such as are in the sea saying Blessing honour glory Rev. 5.13 and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever These examples are for our learning so that we must alwayes say with the Psalmist Psal 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glorie If God be glorified by us Ioh 13.32 he also will glorifie us Them that honour me I will honour 1. Sam. 2.30 saith God Thus it may be learned what are the desires and endeavours to which the first petition doth leade us Before I passe to the second one thing must be observed from Christs choice of the word hallowed rather than any other Hallowed When Christ would signifie that God was to be esteemed acknowledged with the absolutest honour that could be he saith hallowed that is let thy Name be known and acknowledged to bee holy Whence we may inferre that Doct. 2 Holinesse is the highest title of honour and glory that can belong to any person yea to the most high God As any person or thing is more holy so is it more honourable When the Seraphins would give God the greatest honour and glory they crie Holy holy Isa 6.3 holy is the Lord of hosts The foure living creatures say Holy holy holy Rev. 4.8 Lord God almighty It was the honour of Ierusalem to be an holy Citie It is the glorie of the third heaven to be the high and holy place Isa 57.15 As men were more holy Psal 16.3 so did David count them more excellent For such whom hee calleth Saints he also calleth excellent And when Christ Iesus will present his Church unto himself a glorious Church he will sanctifie it Eph 5.26.27 Reason and present it holy and without blemish Because holinesse in God is the rectitude and perfection of his power mercie justice and all other his attributes which if they were not all holy could not be good much lesse goodnesse neither could he be God if he were not holy yea holinesse it selfe And as for other things the more they partake of holinesse the more like they are to God and are therfore the more glorious Man at the first was therefore most glorious of all creatures here below because hee was made according to Gods image most holy Vse 1 If holinesse be the highest most honourable title that can bee given then most blasphemous are the Pope and Papists the one for taking to himselfe the other for giving to him a prophane beast and impure Antichrist the title of holinesse in the abstract For the title of holinesse cannot simply be given to any but to God without blasphemie Vse 2 Hereby wee may learne whom to esteeme most honourable most excellent and most worthy our love and goodnes not the most witty most wealthie most beautifull or most noble by birth but as any man is more holy so is he to be held and regarded as most truly honourable Which being so the proud sinfull world erreth foulely in counting themselves the onely men of worth and esteeming the holy ones of God to be base and of no reckoning If to be holy be so honourable and glorious this must perswade Vse 3 men to follow after holinesse Heb. 12.14 Honour is the sharpest spurre to pricke men forward unto any action let it force us upon this of seeking to bee renewed after God in righteousnesse and true holines Be holy Lev. 19.2 saith God for I the Lord your God am holy No honour like this of being an holy man a chosen generation an holy nation
continue from the fall till after the day of judgement For Iesus Christ having beene faithfull and powerfull as Mediatour in executing that authority which was put upon him Heb. 3.2 Mat. 25 4◠Rom 8.21 and that to the saving of all the elect receiving thē into the state of glory and into the possession of the kingdome of heaven and also to the subduing of all enemies executing upon them the vengeance of hell fire and delivering the creature from the bondage of corruption there shall then be no more need of such a mediate kinde of government Wherefore Christ shall deliver up this kinde of government unto God the Father who for ever afterwards with the Son and holy Ghost shall governe all things immediately communicating unto the man Christ as head of his whole body all glory Iob. 17.24.26 and happinesse of which glorie by reason of that eternall and spirituall union which each member hath with the head the whole body shall partake for evermore Col 3.4 1 Ioh. 3.2 Phili 3.21 Vnto this immediate government the Sonne himselfe shall be subject together with the rest of his members that is his government as hee was man and Mediatour betweene God and man being at an end he as man and as head of the Church shall with his whole bodie be subject Not but that he as man was alwayes as inferiour so likewise subject to God but while with the second person in the deity the humanity did as a Viceroy governe all things having the same government with the Godhead he is not said to bee subject but when this government shall be laid downe then this subjection shall be manifest In this immediate government God shall be all in all that is God shall no longer communicate himselfe to his elect in Christ in part and by the mediation of his Sonne and by his ordinances and ministry of man as formerly he did in the state and kingdome of grace upon earth but then hee shall communicate himselfe wholly and by himselfe immediately Revel 21.22.23 For as there shall bee then no need of Sunne nor Moone or any other naturall meanes to sustaine mans bodie in a naturall being so there shall bee no need of Temple that is of any ministrie of the Word and Sacraments to sustaine body and soule in a spirituall and glorious being but God shall be all in all his presence and goodnesse will immediately supply all For sinne being perfectly abolished the creature is capable of a direct and immediate communion with God his creator hee pleasing immediately to communicate to man of his holinesse and of his glory But this delivering up of the kingdome to the Father Quest and to be himselfe subject doth not this diminish the glorie of our blessed Saviour causing it to be lesse after the day of judgement than it was before when all rule and all authority was upon him I answer by no meanes Answ as shall appeare if this mystery of the kingdome bee rightly understood For as God the Father could and did give all the aforementioned authority and kingdome to the Sonne without any the least diminution of the glorie and soveraigntie of the first person in Trinitie so can and will God the Sonne deliver up the same government and kingdome againe to the Father without any the least diminution of the glory and soveraigntie of the second person in Trinitie or without any disparagement or lessening of the glorie of his humanitie For God the Father so gave all authoritie to the Sonne that yet he retained it all to himselfe as God to whom kingdome and power is essentiall and inseparable For whatsoever the Father hath that same wholly he giveth to the Sonne Ioh. 5.17.19.20.26 and yet retaineth that wholly to himself The Father was King still and Lord of all notwithstanding the giving of all power to the Sonne did not take off any power and authoritie from the Father but did onely varie the manner of administration of one and the same authoritie Christ before hee was deputed to this his office of absolute authoritie over all as Mediatour was equall to the Father yet was not made above the Father by vertue of what was given him for 1. Cor. 25.27 he was alwayes excepted that put all things under him so when Christ shall have delivered up the kingdome and all that authoritie which was given him hee shall remaine no lesse equall to the Father For as his essence could not by acceptance of his office admit of any alteration of his authoritie to the greater so his essentiall authoritie and government over all as he is God cannot by the rendering up againe the same office and mediatorie dispensation admit of any alteration of his authoritie to the lesse By this it is plaine that Christ in respect of his deitie looseth no authoritie by this deliverie up of the kingdome to the Father Quest But how will it appeare that the humanity of Christ in state of subjection shall not be lesse glorious than it was before in state of dominion Answ It shall appeare thus First the humanitie of Christ was in the same subjection while it was in state of dominion as it shall bee when that dominion shall be rendred up namely inferiour to the Father as touching the manhood therefore the humanitie receiveth no disparagement by this subjection more in this latter state than in the former He is said in this latter state to be subject that is onely subject and not governing the world as before then hee was subject in one respect but King and governor in another which latter onely is taken away by reddition of the kingdome Secondly though Christ hath given up the kingdome no more to governe as God and man as a Mediatour yet as God he shall still governe though Christ as he is man and as he is a part of his Church shall bee subject yet the manhood of Christ shall still subsist in the Godhead of the Sonne and the fulnesse of his Godhead shall for ever dwell in the manhood Col. 2.9 by reason of the personall union in which respect though the manhood shall not participate in the worke of governing yet it shall participate in the honour and glorie thereof because the Godhead and the manhood make but one Person Thirdly Christ as man remaineth the head of the whole Church which is his bodie establishing them in state of perfect holines and glory through the immediate communion which by him they have with God by reason of that spirituall and inseparable union which they hold with him And it can bee no abatement of glory or content to him to give up such a manner of government which though it was honourable yet it was with a kinde of burthen and care so long as he did not give it up untill he had finished all which belonged to that his Kingly Office in saving all his subjects and destroying all his enemies for the honour
a master where is my feare It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good saith good Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 Reason 2 Gods will take it of things to be done or suffered besides that it is soveraigne and absolute Rom. 7.12 it is holy equall and good And good is the word which thou hast spoken saith Hezekiah Isa 39.8 Whereas on the contrarie the will of Satan and of the flesh is starke naught Great cause therefore why Gods will should be done and be preferred before all other wills Reason 3 The end why God doth make knowne his will unto the sonnes of men Deut 6.1 is that that they should do it and submit unto it Christ did therfore redeeme Reason 4 man that as Peter saith they should no longer live the rest of their time in the flesh according to the lusts or wil of men but according to the will of God 1. Pet. 4 2. The chiefe heads to which the will of God may bee reduced are these First that men should perfectly know his will Secondly that they should perfectly obey it thus much the Law of pure nature taught before the fall Thirdly sith all have sinned and even after conversion do in many things sinne it is the will of God that men should be convinced of their sinne Act. 2.38 be penitent for it confesse it and aske him forgivenesse through Christ Iesus Fourthly when men have done this his will is 1. Ioh. 3.23 that they should beleeve what Christ hath done and suffered for them beleeving in him and relying upon him for pardon for obtaining of grace and for everlasting salvation Fiftly his will is that all that beleeve in him and that endeavour to live holily and righteously should hope stedfastly and be assured that they through Christ shall be for ever glorified Sixthly that in the meane time they bee thankfull for Gods goodnesse towards them in everie condition and that they patiently fruitfully and comfortably beare whatsoever afflictions they shall meete with in the way waiting when God shall accomplish all his promises to them in Christ unto their everlasting glory Vse 1 The greater number of Christians in name come here to be reproved because they are willingly ignorant of Gods will and wilfully disobedient nay as if that were not bad enough they cannot abide any that strive to walke according unto the strict rule of Gods holy commandments but are all for following the course of this world the wil of Satan Eph. 2.2.3 and lusts of the flesh in all manner of disobedience of Law and Gospell These may see how contrarie they are to their profession which in word can say Disswasives from disobedience to Gods will Thy wil be done but indeed do the contrarie God cannot brooke this abhominable dissembling howsoever they thinke of themselves these remaine yet children of wrath Ephe. 2.3 Ephe. 5. â— because they remaine children of disobedience They are yet in the power of sinne Rom. 6.16 for his servants they are whom they obey These men cannot scape without punishment He that knoweth not his masters will is worthy of stripes saith our Saviour But he that knoweth his masters will Luk. 12.47.48 and yet prepareth not neither doth according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes Disobedience is a dishonour to God so saith the Apostle to the hypocriticall boasters of the Law Rom 2.23.24 Through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God For the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you And it doth exasperate God exceedingly he could not else have beene so much provoked by Adams and Eve's transgressing his will by eating the forbidden fruit a thing for matter small as to curse the whole world in such sort that it groaneth under the burthen of it unto this day and also to damne all men in eternall flames had not the very Sonne of God by taking the curse upon himselfe saved a chosen number of them How did Sauls disobedience provoke the Lord against him who because he rejected the word of the Lord 1. Sam. 15.23 the Lord rejected him Yet his fact was such as carnall reason could and did say much in excuse of it but it was disobedience Yet who more readie to presume that the wrath of God shall be farre from them in the evill day than such as will not do the will of God but take pleasure in iniquitie and are workers thereof They will crie Lord Lord Luk. 13.26.27 hast thou not taught in our streets and Lord Lord open unto us The Lord abhorreth this scraping of acquaintance with him saying Mat. 25.11.12 Depart from me I know yea not ye workers of iniquitie there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Wherfore let no willing transgressour of Gods will deceive himselfe nor suffer any man to deceive him for Ephe. 5.6 for such things sake commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience For this is most certaine that Christ commeth in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Thess 1.8 Vse 2 Let all that professe the Name of God study to know and endeavour to submit their will to Gods will in al things let them bewaile the ignorance and rebelliousnesse of their owne and other mens evill hearts that with David they may say Psal 119.136 Rivers of waters runne down their eyes because they keepe not Gods Law Motives unto obedience to Gods will 1 Nothing pleaseth God more than to see his children to order their conversation aright and to finish the works he giveth them to do he hath not so much delight in burnt-offerings as in obeying the voyce of the Lord Behold saith Samuel 1. Sam. 15.22 to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fat of rammes Secondly the Lord is much glorified when his servants and children submit themselves to his will both in doing and suffering Ioh. 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth saith Christ to his Father this he maketh to appeare thus I have finished the worke which thou hast given me to doe The Apostle having resolved to keepe a good conscience saith be knoweth Christ shall bee magnified in his body Phil. 1.20 whether by life or death Thirdly this is the way to gaine the reputation and honour of wise men Eph. 4 17. Be not unwise saith the Apostle but understand what the will of the Lord is Deut. 4.6 And this is your wisedome and understanding in the sight of the nations Fourthly by doing Gods will wee shall come to more knowledge of his will Ioh. 7.17 If any man will doe his will hee shall know of the doctrine saith Christ whether it be of God or no. Act. 13.22 To fulfill Gods will is to be a man according to Gods owne heart Fiftly it is to approve a mans selfe to bee
and with assurance of what they hope to have Phil. 4.6 and need be carefull in nothing For God according to the graciousnesse of his nature and truth of his promise doth care for them Doth not this open a gap to idlenesse improvidence Quest and unthriftinesse which are condemned in the Scripture the contraries whereof are commanded expresly and commended in the examples of good men and women yea of the very Ant or Pismire Pro 6.6.8 which provideth her meat in Summer and gathereth her food in harvest to which silly creature the Lord sendeth the sluggard to learne thrift and providence Doth not this likewise disallow all laying up of money or money-worth against old age or for posterity Answ To seeke to God for provision for the present day onely and then to leave the care of what wee shall have hereafter to God is not contrary to diligence in a calling providence to gather and thrift to save and lay up what God by his blessing hath bestowed upon any man It should be in Gods great familie as it is in some well ordered families among men the master of the familie beareth the burthen of care and providing meate and drinke and other necessaries the servants and children need care for nothing but to doe their worke If the master provide them their dinner and supper and lodging c. this is all they care for yet these servants if they be faithfull will bee painefull and provident for their master that there may be plenty brought in out of which they might have their daily allowance Therefore in harvest these servants reap and carry into the barn more in one day than need bee spent in many daies Yet their care is but for the present though their providence be for time to come So it is between the great Lord of all the earth and his servants he appointeth every man his worke in a lawfull calling a great part of his worke is to earne and gather in such things as may maintain him and his that there may be meate in Gods familie for a mans selfe and for his fellow servants as God shall please to distribute Here is labour providence and laying up by the servant but all is for the Lord his master When much is thus gathered into Gods barnes and storehouses say they be mens owne houses yet this servant should onely expect his dinner and supper and other maintenance from his master for the present day leaving the care of provision upon God it is not meet he should be his own carver This doctrine opposeth onely care of distrust and carking about what shall bee had hereafter doubting of Gods providence and successe of their labours but not the care of a wise providence to gather by lawfull meanes things meete for this life nor yet the care for laying up for them and theirs for God alloweth that when a man hath payed his debts Rom. 13.8 Eccles 3.12 and that he and his have comfortably injoyed a part according to the condition of their place and occasions and after that pious and charitable uses have taken up another part then the overplus may nay must be saved and reserved for afterwards Our Saviour would have the remainder of the loaves and fishes gathered up Ioh. 6.12 that nothing be lost And it doth belong to Parents to lay up for their children 2 Cor. 12.14 It is comfortable to Gods Vse 3 children to consider that God will have them be at his finding every day they may bee sure therefore if they will trust to this they shall be well provided for And seeing it is his will they shall aske their maintenance every day of him they have good leave and good occasion to increase an holy acquaintance with God by comming oft into his presence and speaking oft unto him Besides if the thiefe or vermine or any casualtie deprive us of what we thought should have maintained us we may go to him boldly for more for if wee depend on him according as hee hath commanded us it concerneth him to provide for us He hath store and great plenty he will provide for his children that which shal be sweet and good and enough It will not stand with his honour that his children should want No man under the Sunne can live more merrily more securely than Gods children may do for they need care for nothing but to please God Though there are many things for which they must labour in their calling yet there is nothing for which they need to care The children of Israel might lye downe and sleepe securely in the wildernesse when they had not one morsell of bread against to morrow for the morrow-day brought with it Manna provision for to morrow this was because God sustained them Psal 3 5. Psal 4.8 This holy security wee should alwaies have for it is the Lord which sustaineth us also This day Therefore bread must be asked every day If this petition for bread then the other petitions also whence we are taught Prayers must be made to God Doct. 6 every day It was Davids use At evening morning and at noone to pray and cry aloud unto God Psal 55.17 Daniel prayed three times a day and gave thankes before his God as he did aforetime it was his custome Dan. 6.10 The daily morning and evening sacrifice appointed in the Law doth teach as much Prayer and thanks are testifications Reas 1 of dependance upon God every day which worship and homage is therefore due unto him every day Gods glory kingdome and Reas 2 will are opposed every day And man hath need of bread forgivenesse of sinnes and new supply of grace every day Reas 3 Omission of prayer but one day giveth Satan great advantage Besides disuse of prayer doth so estrange the heart from God that there followeth unwillingnesse and difficultie to set about the worke of prayer againe any day Vse 1 It is therefore a fault to bee seldome in prayer If a man let a day passe and doe not make a solemne prayer to his God hee must charge himselfe with a great fault Into this fault many do fall daily for they let not dayes but weeks and moneths passe and never make an hearty prayer unto God in faith It may bee in their extremities they will howle and cry and sometime when their leisure serves God shall be beholding to them for a few words of prayer But know that not to pray daily is the very guise of hypocrites Iob. 27.10 Will he alwaies call upon God saith Iob He that will pray but seldome but now and then may justly expect that God will heare him never for of such he saith Pro. 1.28 They shall call upon me and I will not answer What shall I say then to those that doe not onely utterly neglect this duty themselves but despise all other that doe make it their practise daily to call upon God The Prophet doth set this as a brand
indevours for the things which are heavenly are much to be blamed and are to be admonished to overcome this their earthly mindednesse lest their end be damnation because they minde earthly things Phil. 3.19 Vse 2 Let the desires of Christians therefore be fewer and lesse vehement for the things of this life and let their principall care be how their sinnes may be forgiven and the strength thereof abated the particulars whereof come now to be handled in the two next petitions The fifth Petition And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters Here follow those petitions that concerne the soule and eternall life which as they doe properly tend to the exceeding great benefit of man so do they most excellently serve for the accomplishing the chiefest desire of every good man namely the attaining of the glory of God in the comming of his kingdome and doing of his will For no man is accepted to be a subject of Christs kingdome untill his sinnes be forgiven neither can any man doe the will of God untill he be sanctified and have power against sinne Now because sinne doth hinder Gods glory and mans happinesse our Saviour directeth his Disciples to deprecate sinne and that in two respects First in respect of the guilt and punishment from which they are to desire to be acquitted and justified This is the subject of the fifth petition Secondly in respect of the dominion and power of sinne which is prayed against and is the subject of the last petition These words Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters containe a petition Forgive us our debts an argument to perswade him that asketh forgivenesse that he is capable of forgivenesse and that hee may be assured he shall be forgiven In the petition come to be cōsidered the subject of it Forgivenesse of debts the circūstāces which do set forth this forgivenesse In the subject of this petition there are to be considered the act of forgivenesse forgive and the object whereabout forgivenesse is exercised namely our debts Debts that is sinnes so Saint Luke saith Forgive us our sins And because it is set downe in the plurall number and indefinitely by debts or sinnes wee must understand all sinnes both originall and actuall veniall or smaller sinnes deadly or greater sinnes the smallest are not so little that they need no pardon and the greatest are not so hainous as that they cannot be pardoned Sinnes are called debts by similitude because man stood bound by the law first written in mans nature and after in tables of stone unto perfect obedience with this obligation Gen. 2.17 Deut. 27.26 that If he continued not in all things written in the Law the forfeiture was he should be accursed which curse comprehended in it all miseries in this world and eternall destruction in the world to come This forfeit Adam and Eve did make and in them all mankinde who daily adde unto this debt by their actuall sinnes the guilt punishment of these sinnes are the object of forgivenesse Forgive Forgivenesse is an act of grace whereby a man is acquitted from the whole guilt and is released of all the punishment of his sinne in such sort that nothing can be layed to his charge In this act of forgiving Rom. 8.33 allusion is made unto the acts of creditors to their debtors which stand bound to them in obligations to pay certaine summes of money or upon not payment to forfeit a far greater summe Now when the debter doth make this forfeit and is no way able of himselfe to discharge it if the creditor doth forbeare to sue the debtor and doth freely cancell the obligation and give to him an acquittance of that debt this act of his is To forgive It is likewise resembled by the act of a King and a judge towards such subjects as by transgressing the law had forfeited their lives into the hands of justice Now when the King of his meere grace doth remit the offence and punishment this is to pardon and forgive Such an act as this is that of Gods forgiving of a sinner Now because forgivenesse of sinnes is of the greatest consequence that can concerne man and because justification of a sinner and this act of forgivenesse is much mistaken by some wilfully by others ignorantly I will endeavour in opening the meaning of this word forgive as distinctly and as clearly as I can to shew what our desire extendeth unto when we say forgive shewing First what things do necessarily go before forgivenesse of our sinnes Secondly what it is to have them forgiven Thirdly what are those immediate effects of forgivenesse which are comprehended under it Before any man can have his sinnes forgiven two things are required First that satisfaction bee made unto the justice of God who is the partie offended by Sinne. Secondly that there bee a qualification of the partie to be forgiven by faith whereby he doth apply to himselfe the interest which he hath in the satisfaction before mentioned For although Gods forgiving of sins be in many things like mans forgiving of men their trespasses yet in this it differeth much Man by a meere single act of mercie forgiveth without satisfaction else it were no forgivenesse but in Gods forgiving there is an act of mercie mixed with justice For the Scripture saith that without shedding of bloud Heb. 9.22 that is without satisfaction and expiation for sinne there is no remission Not but that God by his absolute power and meere mercy could have forgiven mans sinne without any satisfaction of his justice Exod. 34.6 For mercie is as naturall to God as is justice and God was in himselfe free to either being no more tyed by his justice to punish sinners than by his mercie to forgive them God doth nothing out of himselfe by any naturall necessitie but doth all things freely according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1.9 And if he had so pleased he might as well out of his meere mercie have pardoned a sinner without any satisfaction as to account the guilt and inflict the punishment of mans sinne upon another upon Christ a suretie in himselfe innocent and to accept of that punishment for satisfaction But God intending to bring more glorie to his holy Name and to shew his more abundant love unto man in doing him a greater good he did in his holy wisdome make choice rather of saving man by a way of mercie tempered with justice whereby the glorie of more of his Attributes and Excellencies might shine forth and man being by this way incorporated into Christ his Saviour his salvation is made sure for ever Whereas if God had by a single act of mercie pardoned man and then have left him to stand upon his owne bottome he had remained in a great likelihood of falling againe into a like state of condemnation God intending thus to glorifie himselfe and to save man in a way of mercie but not without satisfaction
to their remembrance and doe so affright their conscience that their soules are much perplexed through despaire All these inconveniences would be avoided if they had asked forgivenesse of every dayes sinnes every day But of all men they are most too blame that make no care of obtaining forgivenesse till age death when often times death giveth them no warning or if it doe paines and sicknesse take up the whole man that as for the most part they have no heart because their hearts are hardened through long custome of sinne so they have time little enough then to attend and seeke ease and health for the body which is in the sense of miserie And then it shall be just with God to reject them in sicknesse and old age which in their health and youth would not accept of forgivenesse when he offered it Wherefore it shall be every Vse 4 mans greatest wisedom to aske pardon and to make his peace with God every day It is not safe to suffer sinnes to lye long unconfessed and unpardoned lest it fester Greene wounds are soonest cured with most ease to the Patient if David had â—akeâ— pardon for his adulterie that day he did 〈…〉 it he had not murthered Vriah for sinnes lying unpardoned beget other sins daily And if he had relented at the bloudie fact of killing Vriah and presently repented it would not have cost him so much horror of conscience as it did Aske pardon therefore every day then wâ— sinnes bee more particularly confessed and more distinctly and earnestly prayed against and pardon will bee sooner granted and that with lesse horror of conference Vse 5 Whereas committing of sin after knowledge and Falling oft into the same sinnes doth much affright and burden the heart of many of Gods deare children in so much that they are affraid to come so oft to God for pardon of the same sinne yea sometimes they doubt whether they be in state of grace This Doctrine doth serve to remove this doubt and these feares This salve which Christ hath prescribed to cure such sores sheweth that it is incident to his owne Disciples to have need of it And sith hee hath appointed a remedie for sinnes committed after conversion namely every day to aske forgivenesse more assurance of his favour let us daily use this remedy assuring our selves that this daies sinnes confessed and prayed against shal be forgiven as well as any committed and forgiven heretofore As the body hath relapses into the same diseases and the same physicke may be used to recure them so the soule hath relapses and the same remedy which before hath done good may and must be used againe to recover them Vs that is all such who in judgement of charitie now are or may bee Gods children Hereby our Saviour teacheth Doct 6 Every Christian ought to desire and indeavour that others may have their sinnes pardoned and their soules saved as well as their owne Our Saviour saith Father forgive them Luke 23.34 If a man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not unto death he shall aske and hee shall giue him life for them 1 Ioh. 5.16 Daniel he prayed for forgivenesse of the sinnes of the people Dan. 9.19.20 Reas 1 The like glory of Gods free grace doth manifest it selfe in their salvation as in the salvation of ones selfe Reas 2 Herein they shall shew their greatest love unto them by praying for the greatest good unto them namely forgivenesse of sinne and peace with God Love to the Church common Reas 3 wealth doth require it for while the sinnes of Gods people remaine unpardoned they doe decline and grow worse and worse and the whole Church and State is exposed unto Gods judgements This moved Ezra to pray for the people fearing lest God should bee angry with them till he had consumed them because they had married strange wives Ezra 9.10.14 Wherefore all that hinder Vse 1 those meanes of salvation which should worke in their neighbours a sight of sinne griefe for it and faith in Christ are much to be blamed whether they withstand the preaching of the Gospell that it cannot bee preached in the places where they dwell or whether they use all devices to keepe them from hearing the word where it is preached or doe use any inticing or compulsive meanes to draw them into sin Thousands there be of this sort grosse hypocrites as they are for they will say Forgive us when yet they take all courses to clogge others with the guilt and make them obnoxious to the temporall and eternall punishment of many sins if ever they had obtained pardon themselves they would not thus hinder the meanes of forgivenesse of the sinnes of their neighbours Vse 2 Let all that professe the name of Christ do what in them is to procure the salvation of their brethren pray for them shew them their miserie shew them Gods mercie use all meanes that they may beleeve and as for such as doe beleeve but yet are full of doubtings pray unto God that he would say to their soules that he is their GOD. Thus doing you shall honour God and give good proofe that your owne sinnes are pardoned you shall shew love to your neighbour and you shall be a meanes to convert a sinner and comfort a distressed soule Lastly whereas the sinnes of Vse 3 many fearefull and tender hearted Christians doe oppresse them that they as they think cannot pray for forgivenesse they onely can grone and sigh out requests but cannot expresse them such as these may take comfort and raise up their spirits by thinking on this Doctrine What though they cannot satisfie themselves in their owne prayers they must not be so uncharitable as to thinke that others cannot pray Yes they can pray and must and doe pray for the forgivenesse of your sinnes Live upon their stocke when yee have little of your owne The Papists talke of a Treasury of the Church wherein are reserved the overplus of the merits of Saints that when men lacke merits of their owne the Pope may furnish them with some merits of others This treasurie is but a fiction but this doctrine commendeth unto you the true Treasury of the Church First Christ Iesus who commanded all Christians on earth to pray one for another he did pray for you Ioh. 17. and he ever liveth to make intercession for you Heb. 7.25 Next him all faithfull Christians doe according to the will of God pray for you which prayers of theirs are daily offered up by Christ for you Out of this treasurie of others prayers you shall assuredly obtaine pardon for all their fervent prayers cannot but availe with the Lord because they pray for you by his appointment as you see in this text Vs that is such as were mentioned in the former petition for whom they aske bread namely their living neighbors whence note Forgivenesse of sinne is to be Doct. 7 asked for the living not for the dead If it were a