power is sin but also to call on them or trust in them as being some secondarie diuine powers although inferior to God The Angel-worship among the Colossians did not defer thus much as if they had bene the chiefe diuine powers and yet is condemned Nebuchadnezar did not enact that he should be worshipped as the highest God yet because he would haue honour in some degree diuine Daniel did decline it as flat idolatrie Againe this distinction with which they would salue their fact may be turned vpon them as making against themselues For therefore these may not be called vpon neither may be trusted to religiously because they are secondarie workers of things vnder God who is the principall agent Secondly we see what may confirme vs in assured hope to receiue our requests namely to thinke that God hath the kingdome ouer vs that he is powerfull and glorious There is a respect betweene Kings and their people which bindeth them mutually one to another Hence it is that we promise our selues protection maintenance in our life the benefit of subiects from them because we are their subiects and they haue the kingdome ouer vs. That God who by reason of this obligeth sinful men to seeke the weale of all their people because they haue receiued a kingdome ouer them himselfe will not faile on the same ground to procure all good to vs who liue vnder the regiment of his grace Yet because it is not enough that God should haue the regall authoritie ouer vs vnlesse he had the power also of working all things for our weale therefore this is ioyned Thine is the power What were subiects the better to be vnder a gracious Prince but weake hauing as short hands to do them good as a large heart to wish it them So should it fare betwixt God and vs if he were not almighty able to subdue all things to himselfe our faith were shaken For we cannot expect the treading of Sathan vnder our feete the quickning of vs in our soules to euery good worke the iustifying the protecting of vs we cannot expect these things from one who hath not all power Thirdly had God the right to helpe vs had he the power also yet were it a thing that made not for his glorie respected not the aduancement of his honor our beleefe might wauer which now it need not do it being Gods honour to performe all good things for his chosen Honor is with men the spurre of actions haue men right and power to effect this or that notwithstanding if it conduce not to their honor and glorie they will not moue a finger to it But now there is nothing that wanteth to our assurance while we know that we are such to whō God hath right such for whom he hath all power such whom to protect and blesse with all things spiritual and corporall is his great glory The case standing thus how can we doubt of receiuing the things we aske at his hand in the Name of his Christ Amen True it is we thus flie to thee ô Lord be it according to our desire An asseueration wish or expressing of earnest longing to obtaine all the things in this prayer aboue named A TREATISE VPON THE SIXE PRINCIPLES Written by that faithfull seruant of God Maister PAVL BAINE sometime Preacher of Gods word at S. Andrewes in Cambridge ANCHORA SPEI LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Robert Milbourne 1619. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE Question VVHat dost thou beleeue concerning God Answ There is one God Creator and Gouernor of all things distinguished into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost All necessary knowledge which man is bound to know may be reduced to two heads The knowledg of God Iohn 17.1 This is life eternall to know God and the knowledge of himselfe heathens acknowledging their nosse teipsum the chiefest wisedome Now the knowledge of God is first in order as who is the first sampler after which man was created for we were made after his likenesse as also in whose affectionate knowledge the blisse of the creature consisteth Concerning God three things are set downe to be beleeued first the vnitie of his diuine nature secondly his operation or working without himselfe thirdly his distinction of persons For the first beside the euident testimonies of Scripture on which our faith is builded we may by reason demonstrate this truth First to vnfold it then to prooue it God is one not in beginning and kind in which regard all men may be said one nor in consent as the multitude of beleeuers were said one Act. 4. But one in nature the spirituall essence of God which is eternall knowing all things past present and to come almightie c. being but one and no more in number as this elementary lightsome body of the Sunne is but one so that spirituall nature of God which is a light to which is no accesse is but one singular nature which is not nor cannot be multiplied Sound reason teacheth that God is infinitly perfect aboue all that man can imagine but were there many gods that had euery one seuerally their diuine nature as there are many men and Angels that haue seuerally their distinct humane and angelicall natures in them then we might conceiue a more perfect God then any viz. such a one as had in himselfe the perfection of all the other This therefore doth teach vs how to conceiue of the diuine nature not as the heathens did who thought it multiplied as the nature of other creatures but as of one singular essence which admitteth not any other by it as hauing it in selfe all perfection which can be found in the diuine nature Secondly we see hence the incomparable vnity which the Father Sonne and Spirit haue as who haue euery one the selfe same nature To this we must looke that we may in our owne measure expresse it in being of one heart thinking and affecting the same things Father I pray thee that as thou and I are one so these may be one one mysticall person The second thing is his working without himselfe that is his voluntary bringing forth the whole creature visible and inuisible in nature and being different from his owne For as man and woman do some works within their owne nature as propagating their like some without as build houses make other artificiall deuices so God hath his worke within his diuine nature as the eternall begetting of his Sonne breathing of his Spirit as also his workes without his nature such as he doth voluntarily of his owne accord hauing had libertie of will not to haue made them or otherwise to haue framed them then they are Now first he is said the Creator which implieth two things First his giuing a being to all these things we see and to all spirituall natures which are not seene with the eye when they were not at all in the nature of things Nothing can make it selfe and therfore as seeing goodly buildings
forme but a forme of speech of many conioyned it doth teach that We must not because we pray alone be carelesse of ioyning with others in prayer He teacheth his disciples ioyntly to pray Our Father c. Mat. 18.20 and Where two or three are gathered together I am in the midst of them Looke as if a single prisoner should aske vs ought it hath his force but when all in the house lift vp their voices at once it is much more piercing so in this matter which letteth vs see how wide such are who will make light of praying with other they hope they may pray for themselues and like the old saying Euery man for himselfe God for vs all Secondly hence we note that in our prayers we must be mindfull of others as wel as our selues For as he teacheth them to pray and to say Our Father because they were more then one ioyntly before him so in this regard that he might make them mindfull of all their brethren called or vncalled that belong to the election of God Ephes 6.18 Watch vnto prayer for all Saints not that we may not make a prayer wherein we must not mention others but because wee must not faile at cōuenient times in the exercise of praier to mention others as wel as our selues seeking their peace with God We are members of one body and therfore must helpe one another and such as haue learned loue and mercy cannot but seeke at God the prosperity of their brethren whose conflicting state they know by good experience in thēselues wherfore we must stirre our selues vp to the faithfull performance of this dutie He were a gracelesse childe that would neuer pray for his mother we would thinke he would do little for vs that would not lend vs a good word here or there so when we remember not the Church and will not open our mouthes one for another to God what loue is there Secondly let vs therefore frequent this dutie not in word or shew but in deed and truth From the practise of this dutie it cometh to passe that a Christian man is like a rich merchant who hath his factors in diuers countries so a Christian man hath in all places of the world some that deale for him with God that neuer saw his face who are petitioners for him vnto God Thirdly hence that he teacheth vs to pray Our Father we learne that We must in prayer to God come with loue to the brethren If thou art about to offer thy sacrifice at the altar Mat. 5.23.24 and remembrest thou hast any thing against thy brethren go reconcile thy selfe first then do thy duty after otherwise the Lord will turne away from our prayer If one should giue the King a petition and carrie in his hand or about him some stinking sauour which the sence of any abhorred could he thinke but the King would turne from him So he that cometh petitioning to God with wrath and malice which stinketh odiously in Gods nostrils must look that God will turne his countenance from him Hence Saint Peter saith 1. Pet. 3.7 that by wrath prayers are troubled wherefore let vs labor to be of brotherly affection one towards another Should our parents know that we are fallen forth with our brethren durst we come in their sight would we looke for other then to be checked from them euen so the Lord will turne his back to our prayers while our affections are turned against our brethren Further obserue hence both a ground of reuerence and hope when we come to deale with God If I be a Father Mal. 1.6 where is my reuerence We come with reuerence before our earthly Princes and in all our gestures expresse it how much more must this be in vs when we haue to deale with the liuing God for this Father is impartiall in iustice that we haue need to conuerse before him in feare Againe it is a ground of hope earthly parents will not deny their children good things much lesse shall God deny vs his Spirit and what euer thing is good for vs. This therefore doth rebuke the rudenesse of some that care not how vnprepared they fall vpon prayers how rude gesture they vse in it how vnmannerly they breake away after it vsing their Father as if he were a cypher or a father of clouts rather thē a God that will without respect of persons iudge euery one Our doubting minds must hence be reproued and strengthened How confidently do children come to their parents If we haue a suite to a friend which is reasonable we will presume it how much more may wee be of good hope in all our requests which we make to God Which art in heauen c. By manifesting the effect of glory otherwise he filleth heauen earth yea all the creature is with him as a moate within the light of the Sunne but looke as a King who by his authority power ruleth ouer all his kingdome is at the Court more especially displaying there the glory of his maiesty so God whose essence and presence of powers is euery where in the heauens as in the Court of his Maiesty doth manifest his glory more excellently Obserue then that In coming to God we must set before vs his heauenly Maiesty For this stirreth vp reuerence moueth deuotion making vs to be heauenly minded strengthening our faith The glister of the pomp of earthly Princes doth moue the subiect to all humble regard of them to al seemly submisnesse in their behauiours towards them and doubtlesse the not being striken with any consideration this way doth make vs so loose and heedlesse when we approach to God Againe this doth admonish vs to be heauenly minded if we will haue any coniunction with God for as he that would speak to the King at Court must bodily moue himselfe thither where the King bideth so we that would speake with God who dwelleth in heauenly glory aboue all this visible frame of the creature we must in spirit by faith moue our hearts thither where he is Besides where our Father is there our country is Vbi pater ibi patria therefore as pilgrimes and strangers do long after their natiue soiles so must we after that glorious inheritance which our father in the heauēs reserueth for vs. Thirdly it confirmeth vs in our faith being in heauen he both seeth our wants and is of all strength and power to effect our desires Our God is in heauen and doth whatsoeuer he will Parents earthly who haue large hearts haue short hands though they wish vs well yet they haue no power to effect what they would Were it thus with our Father faith were shaken but whē he wanteth not will as a father nor power as a heauenly gouernour our faith is firmly vnderpropped How then are we to accuse our selues who know not how sufficiently to admire and adore an earthly maiesty a mortall man and yet are so respectlesse
be honored this is to be dearer to vs then our owne soules which made Paul and Moses so affected that they could with the hazard of their soules haue promoted it Rom. 10. We see it hath the first place this is more worthy then all the creature besides The end is more worthie then that which serueth to the end as meate and drink which serue to maintain the bodily life are not so good as the body So when all the creature all the actions of vs are to tend hither that God may be glorified it is sure that Gods glorie is farre more excellent which must make vs seeke that he be more more sanctified of vs. We see that seruants of honourable personages they are all for their Lords honour they will runne into bookes and out of good inheritances sometimes to maintaine a kind of gallancy which graceth as they thinke the personage they serue shall not we to our great good honour our God O let vs seeke it Who will keepe a seruant no way to his credit no more wil God let vs retaine vnto him alwayes if we be so carelesse to him this way Secondly when we seeke this at God we confesse it is God that teacheth and enableth vs to honour him Our children haue no behauiours more ciuill to our credit which we do not traine them vnto None by nature vnderstandeth none enquireth after God nor yet care to glorifie him as God as he is the God that teacheth vs to profit in all points so in this The vse of it is to teach vs to referre all vnto God that we do prosperously this way who worketh it in vs not our selues as also to teach vs on whom we must hang with conscience of our own wants that we may more and more be enabled this way Thirdly hence we see what care we must haue neither to dishonour God our selues nor to partake with it in others for so doing we seeme to mocke God and denie in deed that which we beg in words he that asketh his daily bread and is carelesse to get or saue any thing by some lawfull calling should deride and tempt the liuing God Finally from hence we perceiue that spying Gods dishonour wee must be grieued For who can desire that truly but it will grieue him to see the contrary Yea we must by eiaculation of our mind renew our requests when we see such spectacles that God himself would prouide for the maintaining the honour of his owne Name Thy kingdome come A kingdome is such an order or state of men in which one gouerneth the rest are subiect vnto their good So Gods kingdome is such an order or estate wherein God hath all supremacie and men acknowledge themselues liegemen to his Maiesty to their great benefit temporall and eternall For the kingdome of power is not here meant vnder which the diuels themselues liue but that kingdome of heauen prophecied by Daniel which is such a gouernmēt in which God most graciously ruleth we willingly obey to our euerlasting happinesse This kingdome God ruleth partly mediatly by his Vice Roy Iesus Christ partly immediatly when Christ shall resigne vp that Mediator-like kingdome as hauing now brought all to God his Father Who then shall alone with his Son as the second person not as Mediator and Spirit be all in all So we pray that God would that the honour of his Name may be amplified make his gouernment spread in the hearts of men that the number of his subiects may be increased and subiection augmented who are all brought vnder him till all be perfected in the kingdome of glorie The things that we aske are First that God would cast downe the kingdome of Sathan and all the props and pillars of it where yet it is vnshaken in this God is glorious as a lawfull King in subiugating vsurping tyrants Secondly that God would plant both outwardly and inwardly the externall face and inward substance of his kingdome where yet it is not Thirdly for our selues conuerted that God would roote out therelickes of darknesse in vs which are as yet not subdued to his grace That he would continually increase in vs all those heauenly vertues that he hath begun of his mercie That he would subdue all the enmities and impediments which Sathan raiseth to let vs this way That he would giue vs all meanes seruing to this end Lastly that he would bring vs to his kingdome of glorie For such as are vncalled not belonging to Gods mercy we pray That Gods power may bring them on their knees and that they may be crushed with a rod of iron Motiues to the deuoure asking of those things First to consider the breadth of the diuels possession how potent and numbersome his subiects are Who could see the King holding some Shire within his kingdome and enemies spread like Grashoppers ouer the face of all his countrie Besides what good subiect that loued the honor of the King could thinke on this or the wilt with drie eyes Secondly we must weigh what a glory it is to God and security to vs when true hearted Israelites are increased as a Princelike Diademe such is the multitude of well ordered subiects Thirdly we must consider the strong battell which this strong man the diuell his Angels make hindring the entrance of Gods kingdome nationally or personally to all sincere ordinances of God to all the more full conformitie and subiection of those who are already conuerted from Sathan to God Fourthly to obserue what a deale of darknes and lusts of darknesse remaine like Cananites as prickes and thornes in vs. Fiftly how prone we are to fall away and be brought backe againe and how farre we are frō being fully subdued to God Finally what miseries we are here subiect to what blessednesse wee want because the kingdome of God is not yet fully come These things well pondered will make vs feelingly crie to God that his kingdome may come Doth not euery good subiect wish the enlargement of the Kings territories the rooting out of all opposites that set themselues against the prosperity of his kingdome So must we if we be true subiects to the kingdome of glorie Did we border vppon the Turkish Empire so that we were often forraged would it not make vs crie to God for helpe and shall the diuell still sinke vs in our persons euery where inuading and shall we be silent What tyrannie to Sathans and sinnes tyrannie What wants to the wants of righteousnesse peace ioy c. in which things Gods kingdome cometh We should seeke it so farre as we want it and ioy in it so farre as we partake in it to be naturalised into our kingdome is a benefit great ones esteeme but to be within Gods kingdome ô how blessed Doctrines to be deduced First who it is that can trample Sathan vnder our feet dissolue the workes of the diuell it is God alone it is he that must turne vs before we be