kingdome of government which Kings and Princes have it is the kingdome of God whose ministers and leiutenants they are Rom. 13. 4. by whom they reigne Prov. 8. 15. and from whom all authoritie is Rom. 13. 4. Which as it must teach them to subordinate their government unto the Lord and in him to rule their subjects because the kingdome which they exercise is not theirs but Gods their judgement is not theirs but the Lords 2. Chron. 19. 6. so doth it teach all subjects to be subject to their governours so farre forth as they are subordinate to the Lord because in obeying them they obey the Lord and in resisting them they resist God Rom. 13. 2. But if Magistrates and Kings shall leave their order in commanding that which God forbiddeth we are bound to be subordinate to our supreme King whose the kingdome is in whom onely we are to obey the inferiour governours Ephes. 5. 21. that so far forth as in obeying them we obey also the Lord for better it is to obey God then men Acts 4. 19. 5. 29. And as to obey an inferiour Magistrate which rebelleth against his Prince is to rebell with him so to obey a Prince or Magistrate rebelling against God in that wherein he rebelleth that is in unlawfull things which he commandeth it is also to rebell against God So that not onely good but also evil Princes and Magistrates are to be obeyed but neither good nor bad unto evil More especially the kingdome of God is the kingdome of grace in this life and the kingdome of glorie in the life to come In the former the Lord communicateth grace to his servants ruling in them by his word and Spirit In the latter he communicateth glory to his Saints vouchsafing unto them the fruition of himself who shall be to them all in all Do we therefore desire grace in this life or glory in the life to come God is the King of grace and of glory let us sue to his throne of grace for he will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Psal. 84. 11. Vses 1. If God be our King we are to be encouraged in all our necessities to call upon him For it is the property of good kings to heare the suits of their subjects and to relieve and defend them 2. If he be the absolute Lord of all his creatures and all things whatsoever be in his power and possession then ought we not to be distrustfully carefull but to cast our care upon God and to depend upon him The earth is the Lords and all that therein is Hé is a Father that is rich towards all those which put their trust in him 3. If God be our King our duty is to obey him and to behave our selves towards him as dutifull subjects Why call ye me Lord saith our Saviour and do not the things which I command you What is meant by thine is the power And the power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power belongeth in some degree to all creatures but to God it is ascribed after a peculiar manner In them it is a faculty proceeding from their nature in God it is his essence Theirs is a power created and received from God Acts 17. 28. his is uncreated eternall and from himself Theirs is mixt with impotencie and passive power which maketh them subject to change but Gods power is most perfect and pure without such mixture Theirs is finite as themselves are but his is infinite as himself is And it is infinite 1. in it self 2. in respect of the multitude of effects which he is able to work and unto which his power is extended in which sense it is said to be infinite extensively 3. in respect of the efficacy of working in which regard it is infinite intensively It is infinite extensively because it is extended to all things Matth. 19. 26. Luke 1. 37. and for that cause is called omnipotencie For the Lord never doth so many or so great things but he is able to do infinitely more and greater His power is extended to all things which either can be done and that is called his absolute power or which he will do and that is called his active or ordinary power For whatsoever God will do that he can do yea by his actuall power doth it Psal. 115. 3. but he can do many things by his absolute power which he will never do Matth. 3. 9. and 26. 33. It is also infinite intensively in respect of the efficacie of the action For the Lord doth not work any thing so effectually or intensively but he is able to effect it infinitely more effectually or intensively Ephes. 3. 20. Vses Uses respecting means I. To humble our selves under the mighty hand of God 1. Pet. 5. 6. not to be lifted up against him with pride nor opposed through obstinacy 1. Pet. 5. 5. Job 9 4. Rom. 9. 17. Dan. 4. 37. II. To fear God above all things and to be afraid to offend him Matth. 10. 28. 1. Cor. 10. 22. Are we stronger then the Lord III. To repose trust in him Deut. 33. 26. For if God be on our side who can be against us Psal. 27. 1 2 3. Num. 14. 9. Deut. 7. 21. Jer. 42. 11. There is no good thing but he is able to effect it no evil but he is able to deliver us from it No creature can help us unlesse God use it as his instrument for our good no creature can hurt us unlesse God use it as the rod of his anger The devil is strong but he is not able to pull us out of Gods hands nor yet to hinder or stop the course of Gods blessings towards us Vses respecting faith I. To confirm it in believing any article of our faith as of the resurrection Matth. â—…2 29. II. To confirm our faith in the promises of God Luke 1. 37. Rom. 4. 19 20 21. III. In prayer For which purpose it is here alledged Matt. 8. 2. 2. Chron. 20. 6. 14. 11 12. Ephes. 3. 20. IV. In the assurance of perseverance unto salvation 1. Pet. 1. 5. Rom. 14. 4. John 10. 29. 2. Tim. 1. 12. What is meant by thine is the glory And the glory Whereby is meant honour and praise 1. Tim. 1. 17. For to him belongeth the glory honour and prayse of bestowing all good things He is the fountain and authour of every good gift Jam. 1. 17. His is the glory of hearing and granting our prayers Psal. 65. 2. And to his glory whatsoever we ask according to his will doth especially tend Therefore as by his kingdome aâ—…d power he is able so for his glory he is ready and willing to grant our requests which we make according to this direction of our Saviour For what Christ hath taught us to ask in his name that the Lord hath promised to give for his sake in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen to his
glory 2. Cor. 1. 20. This therefore serveth to confirm our faith For doubtlesse such things as tend to his glory he will grant especially considering it is his glory to heare the prayers of his servants and seeing to him belongeth the glory of giving every good gift but these things which we ask according to our Saviours direction do tend to the glory of God and to that end we ask them therefore we may be assured that he will grant our requests so far forth as they stand with his glory Now whereas our Saviour directed us to make this our first suit That Gods name may be glorified and now teacheth us to make his glory the reason of our prayers this sheweth That the glory of God should be the main end of all our desires for which we should affect them and unto which when we have obteined them we should referre them 1. Chron. 16. 35. Psal. 50. 15. And forasmuch as the glory is the Lords which he will not have communicated to any other Isai. 42. 8. therefore we are to call upon him alone as being the onely fountain of every good gift the onely hearer of our prayers Of which glory we rob the Lord if we direct our prayers to any other And as we are not to give his glory to any other so we are not to take it to our selves For seeing the glory is the Lords therefore vainglorious persons seek to rob God of that glory which is proper to him and to assume it to themselves But we must say with David Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord c. and with Daniel chap. 9. 7. Righteousnesse O Lord belongeth unto thee and to us shame c. But we ascribe unto the Lord not onely kingdome power and glory but also an everlasting kingdome an eternall power and immortall glory For as Moses saith Psal. 90. 2. He is God from everlasting to everlasting he is King for ever Therefore he hath right not onely in this life to crown us with his blessings but after this life he hath an everlasting kingdome to bestow upon us Luke 12. 32. unto which he is able and willing to bring us by his power everlasting to the immortall glory of his mercy Now these reasons as they must be propounded in faith so also with chearfulnesse as a consequent thereof And when they are chearfully uttered they are not onely reasons of our requests but also a notable form of praysing God which our Saviour hath taught us to joyn with our prayer And so the holy Ghost hath directed us elsewhere as Col. 4. 2. Phil. 4. 6. And that this is a form of prayse and thanksgiving appeareth by other places of Scripture where the men of God setting themselves of purpose to prayse God have used the very like form As David 1. Chron. 29. 10 11 12. and Psal. 145. 10. and 11. 12 13. Revel 7. 12. Jude v. 25. Revel 4. 11. Vses Duties concerning prayer 1. That we pray to God and him alone Whereof a reason is conteined in these words For his is the kingdome c. 2. That we pray in faith seeing our heavenly Father whose is the kingdome power and glory is both able and willing to grant our requests 3. That with our prayer we joyn prayse and thanksgiving which in this short form is not omitted Duties in our lives 1. To arrogate nothing to our selves but to ascribe all kingdome power and glory to the Lord Psal. 29. 1 2. and 115. 1. and of all good things received to ascribe the praise to God 2. If God be our King then must we behave our selves as dutifull and obedient subjects If his be the power then are we both to fear him and to trust in him If his be the glorie then of him must we beg all good things and to his glory must all be referred If his power kingdome and glorie be everlasting then are we taught whom to fear whom to serve whom to trust in namely him that is able not onely in this life to blesse us but also after to crown us with immortall glorie in his eternall kingdome If we serve the flesh the devil the world we shall have the momentanie fruition of sin and after this life is ended eternall torments God liveth for ever as to crown eternally the godly so to punish the wicked eternally He then will exclude them out of his kingdome and will be of power to destroy both body and soul in hell and he will glorifie his justice in their endlesse confusion Hypocrifie discovered But here the hypocrisie of men is to be discovered who ascribe kingdome to God and yet obey him not power and fear him not glory and glorifie him not and they adde all these reasons to their petitions as if they should say Thou Lord wilt grant our requests for thine is the kingdome power and glory for ever and yet do not believe that the Lord will grant their requests Amen And so much of the confirmation of our faith Now followeth the testification both of our faith and of the truth of our defire in the word Amen For it importeth the assent of the heart to the words of our mouth and it signifieth truly or even so or as the Grecians sometimes translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So be it The meaning of it is thus much as if we should say As I have made thâ—…se requests unto thee O Lord so do I both unfeignedly desire the performance of them Let them O Lord be granted 1. Kings 1. 36. and also truly believe that thou in thy good time wilt grant my desires so farre forth as they stand with thy glory and my good and in this perswasion I rest attending thy good pleasure And as I have ascribed unto thee kingdome power and glorie so I do both unfeignedly acknowlcdge that thine alone is the kingdome c. and also heartily desire that I and all others may truly and effectually ascribe unto thee everlasting kingdome power and glorie For being annexed unto prayer it signifieth both the truth and earnestnesse of our desire and also the assent of faith laying hold on the promises of God made in Christ to our prayers And being added to thanksgiving it signifieth both the truth of our assertion in ascribing praise to God and also a true desire and zeal of Gods glory Hence therefore we may learn again those duties which heretofore have been taught 1. That we call upon the Lord with unfeigned lips and upright hearts truly desiring those things with our hearts which we ask with our mouthes and being truly thankfull for those things for which we give thanks 2. We must strive against our infidelitie and doubting Psal. 42. 12. and must truly believe that the Lord will grant our requests so farre forth as they stand with his glorie and our good otherwise we cannot say Amen 3. We are to rest in the good pleasure of God with assurance expecting his
THE DOCTRINE OF Practicall Praying TOGETHER With a Learned Exposition ON THE LORDS PRAYER By the Right Reverend Father in God George Downam late L d Bishop of Derry in Ireland Pray without ceasing c. 1 Thes. 5. 17. After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father c. Mat. 69. LONDON Printed by W. H. for Nicolas Bourne at the South entrance of the Royall Exchange 1656. To the Christian Reader THere is no duty more excellent in it self or profitable to us then that of Prayer Wherein we have sweet communion with God and free accesse to the throne of grace laying open to a gracious Father all our wants and grievances in hope and confidence to have our suits granted our sinnes pardoned our necessities supplyed and our griefs removed and relieved It is that hand and key which helpeth to unlock and open the treasury of all Gods graces for the enriching of our souls with all his blessings the horsmen and chariots of the Israel of God whereby they get victorie over all their enemies yea they prevail with God whē he seemeth to oppose against them as an enemie and to wrestle with them that he may foil and overthrow them as he did with Jacob. In all which and innumerable other respects as it is to be esteemed the chiefest exercise of a godly and Christian life which can never be too much practiced as the Apostle implyeth where he injoyneth us to pray continually and in all things to give thanks so can it never be sufficiently insisted upon in the doctrine of it whereby we are pressed perswaded to the frequent exercise of it and taught to perform it in a right and acceptable manner In which regard though much already hath been excellently spoken and written upon this subject yet let no man think it superfluous to have more published of this argument seeing that can never be too much taught which is never sufficiently learned and loved The ensuing Treatises were the labours of that learned judicious and godly Divine D. Downame late Bishop of Dery in the Realm of Ireland my most dear brother which were penned with his own hand for his private use but for the publick service of that part of Gods Church over which he was a painfull and faithfull Pastour conteining the summe of many of his sermons which he preached on this argument The which if he had been pleased to have polished and perfected with his own learned hand no doubt much would have been added to their lustre and beautie Yet seeing this was not done according to his better abilities I thought it a dammage to Gods people that they should lose the substance for the want of some circumstance and have no use of a well-compacted bodie fit to do God and his Church good service because it was not decked with gay ornaments And therefore I have presented it to the view of the world and indeavoured to perform the dutie of a brother to him that is deceased though not to raise this spirituall seed to him for it was of his own begetting and composing yet to give unto it birth and being in the world without which it would have proved abortive and so have been buried in perpetuall oblivion The which service I have the more willingly undertaken for the benefit of all that will take pains to peruse this work because I am now disabled by age and many infirmities to produce any further labours of mine own in this kind wherein I have not been wanting in my more able and mature times according to the proportion of my small talent which my great Lord and Master hath entrusted me with Herein imitating the example of the weaker sex who after they have been fruitfull in bearing children themselves and now being come to older age are disabled to have any more conceptions do some of them become midwives who are helpfull to those who are young and fruitfull for the bringing of their children into the world The Lord whose onely blessing maketh all our indeavours profitable by giving efficacie unto them by the inward operation of his holy Spirit blesse these and all other labours of his servants that they may bring forth plentifull fruits for the advancement of his glory and the benefit of all his children who are willing to make use of them to these ends Thine in the Lord Jesus to do thee any Christian service JOHN DOVVNAME ¶ The contents of the Chapters of the first part of this Treatise viz. The Doctrine of Prayer together with the chief points therein handled Chap. 1. OF the definition of Prayer and of the persons who are to pray Pag. 1 Of the name of Invocation and Prayer 2 Of the generall nature of prayer 3 Of the proper nature of prayer 4 What is required in invocation acceptable to God 5 Who ought to pray 6 7 c. 2. Reasons moving to the dutie of prayer 8 9 c. 3. Other motives to the dutie of prayer 11 4. Three questions cleared 14 Whether prayer be efficacious to obtein our desires 15 That prayer is necessary notwithstanding Gods decree 16 17 c. 5. Of the great and wonderfull efficacy of prayer 21 6. Whether by prayer we alwayes obtein our desires 26 7. Of the profit of prayer 29 8. A threefold necessity of prayer 32 9. Who are to perform the duty of prayer 33 10. None but the faithfull can pray effectually and acceptably 37 That the impenitent cannot pray acceptably 39 In what respect God heareth the wicked 47 11. That God alone is to be called upon 51 12. That we ought not to invocate any creature 58 That Angels and Saints are not to be invocated 59 That Saints departed are not to be invocated 61 Chap. 13 That we must conceive of God in prayer as he hath revealed himself in his word 64 Whether Christ as Mediatour is to be invocated 66 14. That Christ alone is the Mediatour of intercession as well as of redemption 68 15. That we must pray onely in the name of Christ 77 16. Of the manner how we are to call upon God 80 That we must pray with upright hearts 82 c. That we must not pray with feigned lips and wandring thoughts 83 84 c. 17. Of knowledge required necessarily in prayer 89 That prayer ought to be made in a known tongue 92 18. Of Faith which is required in prayer 101 19. Of Humilitie required in prayer 106 Faith and Humility must be joyned in prayer 110 20. Of Reverence required in prayer and Heartinesse 113 21. Of the Gesture to be used in prayer 116 22. Of the Voyce to be used in prayer 125 Of Battologie in prayer 129 Of the quantitie and qualitie of our prayers 133 23. Whether a set form of prayer may be used 135 What we are to think of extempor all prayer 137 Of conceived prayers and set forms 139 24. Of things required out of the action of prayer 141 Of Preparation unto prayer 142 Of duties
of God and submitted themselves to his fatherly providence when they are such as have set down with themselves that they will be rich 1. Tim. 6. and will come to great matters whether God give them good means or not and will frame their own fortune They beg for a day as if they would depend upon God for tomorrow yet distrustfully hoard up for many yeares They desire temporall things to be given them of God and yet seek them by wicked and unlawfull means They desire God to remit their sinnes as if they repented of them which they still retein as if they did in mockery desire the Lord to forgive the sinnes which they will not forgo Yea they desire the Lord in hypocrisie so to forgive them their trespasses as they forgive those that trespasse against them when as they nourish hatred and a desire and purpose of revenge so in stead of obteining mercy and forgivenesse at Gods hands they call for the fierce wrath and vengeance of God to be executed upon them They desire that God will not lead them into tentations and yet themselves run into tentations and seek occasions of evil They desire that they may be delivered from evil and yet wilfully go on in evil and will not be reclaimed as though they had made a covenant with hell They ascribe kingdome to the Lord and yet will not obey him as his subjects power and yet neither fear nor trust in him glory yet do not glorifie him They subscribe to their prayers and say Amen as though they unfeignedly desired and assuredly believed that their requests should be granted when as they neither desire that which in hypocrisie they ask nor believe the granting of that which without faith they have begged And finally in all these requests they draw neare to the Lord with their mouth and with their lips do honour him but they remove their hearts farre from him Isa. 29. 13. It is evident therefore that as the prayer of the righteous is acceptable to God as the evening sacrifice Psal. 141. 2. so the prayer of the wicked is detestable unto him Which may further be proved by expresse testimonies of the holy Scriptures The sacâ—…ifice of the wicked saith Solomon is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable unto him Prov. 13. 9. and again v. 29. The Lord is farre from the wicked but he heareth the prayers of the righteous The same doth David testifie Psal. 34. 15 16. The eyes of the Lorâ—… are upon the righteous and his eares are open to their erie but the face and angry countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth The man which had been blind John 9. 31. delivereth this as a received truth in the Church of the Jews This we know saith he that God heareth not sinners that is impenitent sinners but if a man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will him he heareth Wherefore it is manifest that the promises made to them that call upon God are restrained and as it were appropriated to the godly And therefore whosoever desireth to pray unto God with hope to be heard must turn unto the Lord by repentance and lay hold upon Christ by faith unfeignedly purposing amendment of life For the name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth unto it and is exalted or set in safetie Prov. 18. 10. But it will be objected That the promises are generall and therefore belonging to all they are not to be restrained to some I answer That they and all other promises of the Gospel are to be understood with the condition of faith and repentance which many times are expressed and where they are not they are alwayes to be understood as restraining the promises to the faithfull For whereas Joel saith chap. 2. 30. that whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved our Saviour restraineth it to the righteous Matth. 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord that is which calleth upon me shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven and the Apostle Rom. 10. 13 14 to the fâ—…ithfull But how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed And whereas our Saviour saith That whatsoever ye shall ask in my name the Father will grant it John 16. 23. that also is restrained in the 1. epistle of John 3. 22. to the righteous Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things which are pleasing in his sight And so our Saviour John 17. 7. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you As for the wicked the Lord denieth to heare them though they cry loud in his eares and make many prayers unto him Isa. 1. 15. When ye spread forth your hands saith the Lord to the impenitent Jews I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare whom not withstanding upon their repentance he promiseth to heare and to receive into favour v. 16 17 18. So in Ezek. 8. 18. Though they cry in mine eares with a loud voice yet will I not heare them Psal. 18. 41. Micah 3. 4. They shall cry unto the Lord but he will not heare them he will even hide his face from them for their wickednesse Jer. 14. 12. When they fast I will not heare their cry Neither doth he onely refuse to heare them but the godly also praying for them 1. Sam. 16. 1. Jer. 15. 1. Ezek. 14. 14 20. and therefore forbiddeth many times the godly to pray in their behalf Jer. 14. 11. or if they do he protesteth that he will not heare them Jer. 7. 16. and 11. 14. When as therefore impenitent sinners do call upon God and are not heard let them not think that the Lord is not able to heare or help them Behold saith the Prophet Isaiah chap. 59. 1. the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save nor his eare heâ—…vy that he cannot heare but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare And then he descendeth to particulars For this mercy of hearing our prayers is not onely denied unto ungodlinesse in generall but also to particular sinnes as contrariwise it is promised to particular graces which being linked together in a golden chain are each of them severall evidences of a true faith As first to Cruelty Oppression Isa. 1. 15. Though ye make many prayers I will not heare for your hands are full of bloud And not to cruelty onely but also to Unmercifulnes Want of pitie towards the poore For he that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall cry himself and not be heard
holy manner we must stirre up our hearts as David doth in many places as Psal. 103. 1. that so we may call upon God with our hearts And if our knowledge be so small that we are notable to conceive a prayer of our selves but must be fain to use a form prescribed by others we must beforehand meditate thereof that we may be able both to understand it and to use it aright And that we may pray in faith we are to meditate on the promises of God made to our prayers and on the mediation and intercession of our Saviour Christ on which our faith is to be grounded Likewise we are to meditate on our own unworthinsse that so we may pray in humilitie of the glorious Majestie of God our heavenly Father that we may call upon him in reverence of the excellency profit necessitie of those blessings for which we either pray or give thanks that so we may pray with fervencie and give thanks with alacrity And further if we conceive a prayer before not used we are to meditate not onely of the matter but also of the manner and order of our speech that we may be able to say with David My heart is prepared so is my tongue I will now call upon the name of the Lord. And thus much of Preparation After the action there ought to be such a disposition as the severall kind of invocation doth especially require Whereof in due place In the mean time this admonition in generall may be given That when we have at any time called upon God we take heed that we do not end our prayers as we end epistles with a Vale bidding the Lord Farewell till the time of prayer come again as though we had then ended our task and had performed all the service we ow unto God in the mean time neither thinking of God or godlinesse but following our own corrupt wayes For howsoever we cease to speak unto God for a time yet we cease not to be in his sight and presence and therefore cannot do as untoward children and unchast wives who though in absence they have behaved themselves lewdly yet approve themselves to their parents and husbands by their demure carriage in presence But we are continually in Gods sight and presence and therefore if after we have called upon God we play the lewd children even in his sight and go a whoring after vanities in his presence how cannot this but greatly amaze us against we shall pray again and put us out of hope to be heard Wherefore the frequent exercise of prayer is a notable bridle to restrain us from sinne whether you respect that which is past or that which is to come For when a man is about to commit sinne let him call to mind his prayer past Am I that man who so lately called upon God making such shew of pietie pretending a zeal of Gods glory in advancing his kingdome and doing his will c. or that which is to come With what face can I appear before God guilty of such offenses with what affiance can I lift up these eyes unto God that behold vanities these hands unto God that commit such sinnes c. Let us therefore with David use to meditate If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Psal. 66. 18. following the advice of the Apostle 2. Tim. 2. 19. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquitie For not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven Matth. 7. 21. Inessicax est petitio cùm precatur Deum sterilis oratio i. sine operibus Petition is uneffectuall when we call upon God with a barren prayer that is without good works And thus much of the manner of Invocation CHAP. XXV Of the matter and subject of our prayers and wâ—…at is required thereunto namely that it be good and according to Gods will NOw followeth the matter or the subject that is the things for which we either do pray or give thanks Concerning which this is to be noted in generall That we have a sound perswasion grounded on the word of God that they be lawfull and good First because what is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. Secondly for what we do either pray or give thanks to God thereof we acknowledge God to be the authour but it is blasphemous to make God the authour of that which is wicked unlawfull Thirdly prayers must be made in faith viz. that God accepteth our prayers and will grant them unto us This faith must be grounded on Gods promise and God promiseth to give good things to them that ask Matth. 7. 11. Evil things are not within the compasse of Gods promise for the foretelling of that which is evil is rather a threatning then a promise Fourthly the assurance that we have to be heard is when we ask any thing according to Gods will 1. John 5. 14. but to ask evil things is not according to Gods will Fifthly they that call upon God for evil things are like the wicked Psal. 50. who think that God is like unto them Sixthly if we ask good things we have assurance to be heard Matth. 7. 11. 1. John 5. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For our direction in this behalf our Saviour Christ hath prescribed a most perfect form of prayer which is summa petendorum the summe of things to be desired So that whatsoever may be referred thereunto we may be assured is according to Gods will but what cannot be referred to some part of the Lords prayer that our Saviour hath not taught us to ask nor the Father promised to give There remaineth the last point For now it may be demanded How we being so corrupt and sinfull in our selves should be able to pray according to the will of God Of our selves indeed we are not able to think a good thought and much lesse to conceive an acceptable prayer Of our selves we cannot say that Jesus is the Lord and much lesse call upon God as our Father in Christ But the Spirit of God helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with gronings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercâ—…ssion for the Saints according to God Rom. 8. 26 27. Quodnon sic est intelligendum saith Augustine ut existimemus sanctum Spiritum Dei qui in Trinitate incommunicabilis Deus est cum Patre Filio unus Deus tanquam aliquem qui non sit quod Deus est interpellare pro sanctis Dictum quippe est INTERPELLAT PRO SANCTIS quia interpellare sanctos facit Sicut dictum est TENTAT VOS DEâ—…S VESTER UT SCIAT SI DILIGATIS EUM hoc est ut scire vos
which is chiefly required in prayer BUt the chief thing which maketh prayer effectuall is Faith whereof Fervency it self is a fruit And therefore our Saviour attributeth the earnestnesse and importunity of the woman of Syrophenicia's prayer to the greatnesse of her faith Matth. 15. 28. For that prayer which S. James chap. 5. 16. calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 15. verse he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prayer of faith Now in prayer there is a double faith required The one more generall apprehending the promises of the Gospel concerning salvation by Christ by which we are in some measure perswaded that we and our prayers are accepted of God in Christ Of which I have spoken before in the general doctrine Rom. 10. 14. Heb. 11. 6. Ephes. 3. 12. The other more speciall giving speciall assent to the promise made to our prayer whereby we are perswaded that our particular requests shall be granted unto us according to Gods gracious promise in this behalf Matth. 7. 7 8. John 14. 13 14. and 16. 23 24. To pray effectually therefore is to pray faithfully For what things soever saith our Saviour ye desire when ye pray believe that ye shall receive them and ye shall have them And it is usuall with our Saviour Christ to disâ—…isse his suiters with this answer As thou believest 〈◊〉 be it unto thee On the other side he prayeth not effectually who doubteth whether he shall be heard or not Wherefore as S. James saith chap. 1. 5. If any man want wisdome let him ask it of God and it shall be given him But let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed to and fro Neither let that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. So S. Paul 1. Tim. 2. 8. would have men pray without doubting Examples Psal. 4. 3. and 55. 16 17. And the Apostle S. John saith This is our confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him 1. John 5. 14 15. Wherefore seeing in Christ we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him Ephes. 3. 12. we ought as we are exhorted Hebr. 4. 16. to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtein mercy and find grace to help in time of need and draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 19 22. But here a distinction is to be used In matters spirituall necessary to salvation as we are to ask them absolutely as being perswaded that God hath subordinated our salvation to his own glory so are we absolutely to believe that the Lord will grant them unto us Yea this may be added for our comfort that if God hath given us grace unfeignedly and earnestly to desire any saving grace the same grace is begun in us In matters temporall or spirituall which are not necessary to salvation as 2. Cor. 12. as we are to ask them conditionally so far forth as they may stand with Gods glory and the good of our selves and our brethren so are we to believe that he will so far forth grant them and therefore that he will either grant our desire or that which is better For which cause in such requests we are most willingly with our Saviour Christ to submit our will and desires to the will and pleasure of God Matth. 26. 39 42. who as he knoweth what is good for us better then our selves so he is most ready to give good things unto us Matth. 7. 11. and therefore we are alwayes to believe that our requests being rightly conceived shall be granted unto us I would believe that I should be heard were it not for mine unworthinesse and my wants in prayer Indeed thou mayest be such an one and such may be thy prayers as thou canst have no hope to be heard that is if thou be an impenitent and unbelieving sinner God will not heare thee or if thou pray in hypocrisie and dissimulation the Lord will not heare thy prayer But if thou art a penitent and believing sinner yea if thou dost unfeignedly desire to believe and repent and dost pray unto the Lord in truth with unfeigned lips thou oughtest to pray with assurance to be heard and this thy faith and assurance must not be grounded on thine own worthinesse or dignitie of thy prayer but on the undoubted promises of God and on the merits and mediation of Christ in whom both we our prayers are accepted of God As for the sense of thine unworthinesse if it be in truth and joyned with unfeigned desire of grace it ought to make thee the rather to pray in faith for such as I have shewed our Saviour calleth with promise to heare and help them And such he pronounceth blessed Matth. 11. 28. John 7. 37. Matth. 5. 4 5 6. Now for the helping of our faith we are in our preparation to meditate of these things especially First of the power of God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we do ask or think Eph. 3. 20. Secondly of his fatherly good will who will deny us nothing that is good Matth. 7. 11. The consideration of both which our Saviour hath prefixed before the Lords prayer when he teacheth us to call upon God as our Father therein noting his love good will which is in heaven therein noting his power Psal. 111. 3. that being perswaded that God is both able and willing to grant our requests we might pray in faith and assurance that our prayer shall be heard Thirdly of his gracious promises made unto prayer as Matth. 7. 7 8. John 16. 23 24. which if we cannot find in our hearts to believe we are not to pray for in not believing we make God a liar Lastly and especially of the merits and mediation of our Saviour Christ who sitteth at the right hand of his Father making intercession for us Though our prayer must be fervent and confident yet with submission to the will of God Quid Quale Quantum Quomodo Quando Vbi what of what kind how much after what manner when and where he is pleased to give knowing that he is able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding abundantly We are not to limit God or to circumscribe him by circumstances It is reckoned Psal. 78. 41. among the faults of the old Israelites that they circumscribed the holy One of Israel and is effectually reproved by Judeth chap 8. 11 16. in the governours of Bethulia who appointed to the Lord the term of five dayes to deliver them otherwise they would give up their city Not that it is simply unlawfull to mention circumstances so it be done with submission to the will of God
for our sinne past and to promise and purpose unfeignedly amendment for the time to come And both these duties of charity and repentance are likewise to be practiced in our lives after we have craved forgivenesse at the hands of God For as touching the dutie of charity in forgiving others If after we have desired forgivenesse and in our conceit have obteined pardon if we deal unmercifully with our brother whom we will not forgive it will be an evidence against us that our sinnes indeed were not pardoned Matth. 18. 23 to 35. And for the other duty of repentance A man cannot have assurance of the forgivenesse of his sinne which he doth continue in For God doth not remit the sinnes which we our selves retein He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. And as we are to pray for the forgivenesse of sinne or taking away of the guilt so we must also pray that we may be delivered from the corruptions and preserved against tentations alluring unto sinne for the time to come And as we are to pray against corruptions and tentations so must we in our lives strive and fight against our corruptions and resist tentations avoyding also occasions of evil otherwise how can we ask that of the Lord which we our selves will not yield unto in our practice So much of prayer against malum culpae the evil of sinne There is also prayer against malum poenae the evil of punishment both spirituall and temporall and also eternall The spirituall is when God doth punish sinne with sinne blinding the eyes of men and hardening their hearts and giving them over to a reprobate sense The temporall when God doth either for chastisement or triall or punishment afflict men with the afflictions and calamities of this life against which sort this kind of deprecation is most usuall Psalmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nè perdas Psal. 57 58 59 75. But in this kind of prayer especially we must wholly submit and resigne our selves unto the good will and pleasure of God who knoweth what is good for us better then our selves with pâ—…tience and comfort to bear what it shall please God to lay upon us after the example of David 2. Sam. 15. 26. and of our Saviour Matth. 26. 39 42. For herein especially that is verified Rom. 8. that we know not what to ask For to be afflicted is not simply evil but contrariwise worketh for the good of them that are afflicted Rom. 8. 28. Insomuch that David professeth that it had been good for him that he had been afflicted Psal. 119. 71. and Jeremy Lam. 3. 27. yea David pronounceth the man blessed whom the Lord doth chastise and nurture in his law Psal. 94. 12. Deprecation of calamities is often joyned with Lamentations particularly bewayling their state and Expostulations Example of the former in the Lamentations of Jeremie Expostulations are vehement interrogations of the afflicted expressed from their grief whereby they expostulate with God concerning the greatnesse or continuance of their afflictions Psal. 22. 1. But here we must take heed that our expostulation be a lively fruit of a strong faith lest perhaps it do degenerate into open murmuring and repining against God David Psal. 22. 1. and our Saviour Christ being assured that the Lord is his God and therefore calling him My God my God expostulateth with him why bâ—…ing hâ—…s God he had forsaken him So much of Petition or Prayer CHAP. XXXV Of Thanksgiving THanksgiving is that invocation whereby we do render due thanks and prayse unto God for his benefits As touching the name This duty is by divers names expressed in the Scriptures Psal. 100. 4. Isai. 12. Psal. 145. 2. As To prayse God Gen. 29. 35. To blesse him Psal. 103. 1 2. and 104. 1. 1. Chron. 29. 13. Jam. 3. 9. To confesse unto him Matth. 11. 25. Hâ—…b 13. 15. To give him thanks Psal. 105. 1. 1. Chron. 16. 8. 1. Thess. 5. 8. Rom. 1. 21. Eph. 5. 20. To magnifie the Lord Luke 1. 46. Act. 10. 46. and 19. 17. To extoll him Psal. 145. 1. To exalt his name Psal. 34. 3. To glorifie him Matth. 9. 8. and 15. 31. Luke 2. 20. To make his name glorious Psal. 66. 1 2. To offer viz. a voluntary oblation â—…hanksgiving and prayse Psal. 50. 14 23. To offer the sacrifice of prayse unto God that is the fruit of our lips confessing to his name Heb. 13. 15. as Hosea speaketh chap. 14. 2. To render the calves of our lips To sacrifice unto God with the voice of thanksgiving Jon. 2. 9. Psal. 116. 17. To sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving The duties required in thanksgiving are either common to it with prayer or proper and peculiar unto it For when I say that thanksgiving is a kind of invocation you are to understand that all those things which were spoken of in the generall treatise are particularly to be applied to thanksgiving The which I will the rather do because commonly those things are delivered not as generall points but as particular to prayer Thanksgiving therefore as well as prayer is a religious speech of the faithfull unto God in the name of Christ made according to the will of God by the help of the holy Ghost concerning good things apperteining to Gods glory and our own good I call it a religious speech because it is a principall part of that religious worship which we ow unto God whereby it is also distinguished from the civill thanksgiving to men and is therefore religiously to be performed In the rest of the definition I noted six things which are essentiall to all invocation and without which it cannot be acceptable unto God First That the party which doth invocate must be faithfull for God heareth not sinners And thanksgiving being a sacrifice the holy Ghost telleth us that the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord Prov. 15. 8. The proper subject of Gods prayse is the Church Eph. 3. 21. To him be prayse in the Church Psal. 65. 1. Praise waiteth for God in Sion The Lord Psal. 50. 14 15. exhorteth his saints and his peculiar people to offer unto him thanksgiving and to call upon him in the day of trouble But v. 16. unto the wicked saith God What hast thou to do to declare my statutes and to take my covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and castest my worâ—…s behind thee Sacrifices are to be offered by none but priests and all the faithfull and they onely are a royall priestâ—…ood to offer up spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1. Pet. 2. 5 9. Revel 1. 6. This duty is necessarily required of all and cannot without sinne be omitted by any but cannot be acceptably performed but by the faithfull And therefore the faithfull are in a speciall manner exhorted to this duty Psal. 30. 4 and 145. 10. and 149. 5 6. And this sheweth the
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
4. For his malice he is called Satan For his diligence he is said to traverse the earth Job 1. 7. and as Peter saith to go about as a roring lion c. 1. Epist. 5. 8. As for us we are prone to sinne naturally drinking in sinne like water Job 15. 16. and weak to resist And therefore seeing our fight is not with flesh and bloud but with principalities and powers with worldly governours of the darknesse of this world with spirituall wickednesse in high places therefore we are to stand upon our guard to take unto us the armour of God and especially by prayer to flee unto the Lord that he would establish us by his free Spirit that we may be able to stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the artificiall and cunning assaults of the devil Ephes. 6. 11 12 c. But let us come unto the words Wherein the petition is first propounded and afterwards expounded For when we desire that the Lord would not lead us into tentation we do not desire not to be tempted but when we are tempted to be delivered from evil that we quail not in the tentation And so our Saviour prayeth John 17. 15. I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou wouldst keep them from evil Therefore these two branches are not to be distinguished into two petitions as the adversative particle But sheweth For he doth not say Lead us not into tentation and deliver us from evil but thus Lead us not into tentation but deliver us from evil in the former part setting down our request negatively in the latter affirmatively as if we should say O Lord do not thou give us over to the tempter nor leave us to our selves but withtentation give an issue that we be not overcome in the tentation but preserved and delivered from evil But we are first to expound the words severally and then from thence to inferre the uses Two sorts of temptations Temptations are of two sorts 1. Probations 2. Provocations to evil 1. Probations and trialls And so men sometimes do tempt and sometimes God Men as when one friend to try the good will of another asketh some benefit which he meaneth not to take or when a man to try the fidelity of his servant either droppeth some money in his way or biddeth him do some difficult things which he would not have him to do c. God trieth men either that his graces may appear to his glory and their good or their infirmities may appear that they may be humbled more seriously turn unto him Deut. 8. 2 16. And these trialls of God are either of the right hand or of the left The former are his temporall blessings which he bestoweth upon men many times to try their thankfulnesse humility obedience charity affiance in God or the contrary Exod. 16. 4. when the people wanted food the Lord sent them food from heaven to tempt or to prove them whether they would walk in his law or no. If men which are in prosperity would consider that the Lord bestoweth his blessings upon them thereby to try them that they should shew what manner of men they are doubtlesse this meditation would be profitable partly to bewray their wants unto them partly to incite them to labour to approve themselves to the Lord that proveth them Prove therefore and examine thy self God hath bestowed these blessings upon thee so many so great Hast thou been thankfull to God the giver hath not thine heart been lift up with pride hast thou been carefull to please him that hath been so gracious unto thee or hast thou been displeased with thy self when thou hast offended so good a God hast thou been ready to expose those gifts which thou hast to the glory of God and relief of thy brethren hast thou not trusted in thy riches and thine own means more then in the providence and blessing of God If in these respects thou hast been wanting then by these trialls God would let thee see what thou art that thou mayest be humbled before him and mayest truly labour to approve thy self unto him by thy thankfulnesse humility obedience charity affiance reposed in him c. The trialls of the left hand are such as crosse our desires as first when the Lord commandeth such things as we are loth to do So he tempted Abraham Gen. 22. 1. Secondly when he exerciseth us with afflictions which are hard for flesh and bloud to bear So Job was tempted and so the godly in all ages And therefore afflictions are called tentations Jam. 1. 2. 1. Pet. 1. 7. laid upon them of God to try their faith and their patience their obedience and their love c. and are therefore called trialls of faith Jam. 1. 3. Revel 2. 10. The devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried Ecclus 27. 5. The fornace proveth the potters vessel so do tentations try mens thoughts Pro. 17. 3. And as by winnowing the wheat is tried and severed from the chaff so is the sound Christian from the hypocrite by affliction Hath the Lord therefore laid any crosse upon thee consider that he hath done it to try thee Examine therefore thy self if the Lord hath let thee see thine own weaknesse let the sight thereof humble thee and make thee more carefull for the time to come and labour to approve thy self unto the Lord by thy humble patient thankfull and chearfull bearing of the crosse For as James saith chap. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that indureth temptation For when he shall be found approved he shall receive the crown of life which God hath promised to them that love him Thirdly thus God also trieth his servants by suffering heresies and permitting the wicked to live among them 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies that they which are approved may be known Deut. 13. 3. Jud. 2. 22. Seeing therefore all these trialls of God are for our good Deut. 8. 16. we are not to pray that we may not be tried but rather contrariwise that we may be tried and being tried may be found approved Psal. 26. 2. and 139. 23. Temptations which be for evil are either provocations unto evil and therefore evil or punishments of evil and therefore just In the former sense tentation is the provocation of a man unto evil And that proceedeth from one of these three fountains the Flesh the World the Devil 1. As touching the flesh James saith chap. 1. 13 14. Let no man say that is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man namely to evil But every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own concupiscence and is enticed Matth. 15. 19. Out of the heart proceed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil reasonings or thoughts 2. The world is said to tempt either in respect of men in the world or worldly things
against God some against our neighbours and some against our selves In respect of all and every whereof we are every of us debtours unto God and therefore had need to pray that he would forgive us all and every of our debts Psal. 51. 9. which how many and great they are we may easily know if we will diligently look into our obligation and examine our lives by the law of God c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our In this word confession of sinne is included For it is in effect thus much O Lord we have sinned against thee have mercy therefore on us O Lord according to thy goodnesse and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away our offenses Wash us from our iniquities and cleanse us from our sinnes For we acknowledge our transgressions and our sinnes are alwayes before us Psal. 51. 2 3. Therefore with asking of pardon confession of sinne is conjoyned And this form of prayer is prescribed to be used of the perfectest men in this world as of the Apostles because there is no man that doth good vpon the earth and sinneth not Eccles 7. 20. If we say saith the holy Apostle John that we have no sinne we deceive our selves and there is no truth in us If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and to 〈◊〉 us from all iniquity If we say that we have not 〈◊〉 we make him a lâ—…ar and his truth is not in us 1. John 1. 8 9 10. Here therefore both the Catharists which dream of perfection in this life and also the Pelagians and Papists which hold that a man may fully and perfectly keep the law of God in this life are confuted For such cannot make this petition except they will mock God as all those do that have a conceit of their own perfection Which conceit is in not onely the Catharists and Papists but also in the greatest part of ignorant and securâ—… men who affirm that they love God with all their heart and their neighbour as themselves they never did any man hurt they never doubted of their salvation For howsoever the Scripture speaketh of perfect men and such as walked in all the commandments of God yet certain â—…t is that thereby is meant the uprightnesse of their will and endeavour not the perfection of their obedience which uprightnesse notwithstanding the Scripture calleth perfection the Lord accepting the will for the deed so that upright men may indeed be said to be perfect but in affectu potiùs quà m effectu in their affections rather then their actions Forgive The Lord in forgiving sinnes as he is mercifull so is he just 1. John 1. 9. Neither doth he forgive any sinne for which his justice is not satisfied by the obedience and sufferings of Christ Rom. 3. 26. He is therefore said to forgive our sinnes when as he inputeth them not unto us but accepting of the obedience and sufferings of Christ as a full ransome and satisfaction for them washing away our sinnes in his bloud covering them with his righteousnesse imputing our sinnes to Christ and his obedience to us so that we howsoever sinfull in our selves appear righteous before him in Christ. When as therefore we do pray for the forgivenesse of our sinnes we do not so desire him to be mercifull as that we would have him forget his justice but we come unto him in the name and mediation of Christ in whom he is well pleased beseeching him to accept of his obedience sufferings as a full satisfaction for our sinnes For remission of sinnes as it is a free work of mercy in respect of us who neither can deserve pardon nor satisfie his justice so in respect of Christ who hath satisfied for us it is a work of justice Now whereas our Saviour Christ doth teach every one of us every day to ask forgivenesse with assurance to be heard we are put in mind both of our misery and Gods mercy Our misery who day by day commit sinne and therefore have need every day to crave remission of our sinnes Gods mercy and long suffering who though he be offended every day yet he is ready to forgive their sinnes who come unto him by hearty and earnest prayer confessing their sinnes and craving pardon of them But this mercy and long-suffering of God must not encourage us to presume but invite us unto repentance Rom. 2. 4. and 6. 1. Ecclus 5. 4 5 6. Psal. 130. 4. There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared Joel 2. 13. and encourage us to call upon him This long-suffering of God is to be imitated of us For if he be content to forgive us that sinne against him every day then ought we freely to forgive them that offend us c. though it be to seventy times seven times Again if every one of us be he never so righteous is bound to make this prayer that God would freely remit our sinnes then it followeth that none of us can discharge the debt or by any thing which we are able to perform satisfie for our sinnes but either they must be freely remitted for Christs sake or else we must suffer the punishment due for them Divine remission and humane satisfaction cannot stand together We must crave remission therefore we cannot satisfie Remission of sinnes and justification are free Rom. 3. 24. Ephes. 1. 7. Isai. 43. 25. but in satisfaction there is recompense Therefore those that trust to their own merits and use this prayer they mock God and condemn themselves They mock God because they desire him to forgive their sinnes which they do not desire should be forgiven them but trust to satisfie for them They condemn themselves because they confesse themselves to be debtours unto God unlesse he remit their debt and yet stand not to his remission but to their own satisfaction by which they appeal to his justice rather then implore his mercy And that no man can satisfie by any works of obedience the justice of God for his sinnes it may further appear by these reasons 1. Because our best obedience is unperfect and our righteousnesse like unto a polluted â—…lout and therefore if God should enter into judgement with us he might justly condemn us for our best actions as being not performed in that manner and measure which his law requireth and therefore every one had need to pray as Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into judgement c. Secondly because whatsoever obedience we can perform it is a debt and duty Luke 17. 10. When we have done all that is commanded we must say that we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 12. and 13. 8. Gal. 5. 3. Now certain it is that we cannot satisfie debt with debt but notwithstanding our latter obedience we shall be debtours in respect of the former debt unsatisfied Seeing therefore we are not able
to satisfie for the least of our sinnes our Saviour hath taught us to say not with that servant Matth. 18. 26. Have patience Master I will satisfie but Lord remit takâ—… away and blot out our offenses Furthermore we are taught to pray that the Lord would remit our debts that is not onely forgive the fault but also remit the punishment in respect whereof sinnes are called debts And therefore it cannot be truly said that God forgiveth the fault and reteineth the punishment for which we our selves must satisfie either in this life or in purgatory For if God should requiâ—…e of us satisfaction for those sinnes which he pardoneth in Christ it would follow necessarily that either the sufferings of Christ were unsufficient or else that the Lord is unjust Moreover it is absurd that sinne being remitted the punishment should be reteined For sinne is the cause of punishment and the cause being taken away the effect also is removed And again whereas sinne is infinitely increased in respect of that infinite Majestie and justice of God which is violated sure it is that we cannot satisfie for it before we have endured endlesse punishment which will never be Whereas therefore our Saviour Christ teacheth us thus to pray he sheweth that we cannot be discharged from these our debts by our own satisfaction or merits or any other means but onely by the free remission of them and imputation of Christs righteousnesse And this is to be understood not onely of our great and grievous sinnes but also of our lesse offenses which the Papists call veniall and erroneously hold not to be mortall neither need the death and merits of Christ for their expiation but may by the holy-water-sprinkle or by episcopall benediction or by knocking of the breast be taken away As therefore every sinne great or small deserveth death and is also punished with death either in Christ or in the sinner himself and as the bloud of Christ doth purge us from all iniquitie 1. John 1. 7. so that by him we have remission of all our sinnes so are we to pray that the Lord would for the precious merits and righteousnesse of our Saviour Christ remit all our sinnes both more and lesse from which we could by no other means be delivered but by the merits of Christ. But here it may be objected Our sinnes were forgiven in baptisme Acts 2. 38. therefore we need not now the forgivenesse of them Some answer That because we sinne after baptisme therefore we ought after baptiâ—…me to pray that the Lord would forgive our sinnes But this answer is not sufficient considering that in baptisme is sealed the remission of sinnes not onely past but also for the time to come during the whole course of our life For otherwise baptisme had need to be reiterated I answer therefore That we feeling the burden of our sinnes pray that the forgivenesse of sinnes which was represented and sealed unto us in baptisme may indeed be granted unto us and that we may feel in our selves the fruit and effect of our baptisme For we must not think that the Sacraments absolutely conferre grace to every receiver but onely upon those conditions which are conteined in the promises of the Gospel whereof baptisme is a seal Now the Gospel promiseth remission of sinnes and salvation onely to them that believe and therefore the Sacrament sealeth and assureth remission onely to them that believe For we ask forgivenesse onely for the righteousnesse of Christ but the righteousnesse of Christ is there imputed to righteousnesse where it is apprehended by faith In which sense we are said to be justified by faith alone and by faith to have remission of sinnes And therefore in this petition we desire that the Lord would work in us true faith that being united unto Christ and made partakers of his merits we may have not onely forgivenesse of sinnes but also assurance thereof by the anointment of the holy Ghost the Spirit of adoption crying in our hearts Abba Father c. And because none attein to that measure of assurance but that it is mingled with some doubting therefoâ—…e all had need to pray that the Lord would increase their faith and more and more assure them of the pardon of their sinnes Vs. This teacheth us to pray not onely for the remission of our own sins but also of our brethren it being a duty of charity to desire and to further the salvation of our brethren And this duty as it belongeth to all so especially to those that are governours of others either in the Church or Commonwealth Examples of Moses who oft stood in the gap Psal. 106. 23. Exod. 32. 21 32. Num. 14. 19. Samuel 1. Sam. 12. 23. Neither are we to pray for our friends and well-willers alone but also for them that hate and persecute us according to the precept and practice of our Saviour Matth. 5. 44. Luke 23. 34. and the holy martyr Stephen Acts 7. 60. And as we are to pray the Lord to forgive them so must we as willingly forgive them as we desire to be forgiven of the Lord neither can we in truth of heart desire God to forgive them if we do not Duties in prayer The duties which here we are taught to perform in prayer are either more peculiar to this kind of deprecation or common The former is Confession which must concurre with Deprecation of pardon and goeth before pardon as appeareth Psal. 32. 3 5. Prov. 28. 13. 1. John 1. 9. Num. 5. 7. Examples 2. Sam. 12. 13. Luke 15. 21. Now this confession is to be made of unknown sinnes generally as Psal. 19. 12. of known sinnes particularly Isai. 59. 12 13. And to this end it will be profitable to examine our hearts and our lives by the law of God taking a view of the duties therein commanded and vices forbidden that we may particularly see and acknowledge what duties we have omitted and what vices we have committed The common duties That we pray in fervency faith and perseverance That we may pray in fervency we must have both a true sense of our wants and earnest desire to have the same supplyed The wants which we are to bewail are 1. our manifold sinnes and transgressions for which we are to be grieved that we have by them displeased and dishonoured God And to increase this godly sorrow in us we are First to consider and meditate of Gods manifold benefits undeservedly bestowed upon us and our unthankfull behaviour towards him c. Secondly we are to desire the Lord that he would poure upon us the spirit of deprecation that we may with bitternesse bewail our sinnes whereby we have so violated the justice of God that nothing could be found sufficient to appease or to satisfie the same but the death of Christ whom we by our sins have pierced Zech. 12. 10. Thirdly we are to consider the misery whereunto our sinnes make us subject both in this