Morrice sonne to M. Morrice Attourney of the court of Wardes who thinking euer of sodaine death died suddenly in Milforde Lane Sep. 12. 1604. at the age of 23 yeares Twise twelue yeares not fully tolde a wearied breath I haue exchanged for an happy death My course was short the longer is my rest God takes them soonest whom he loueth best For he that 's borne to day and dyes to morrow Looseth some daies of rest but moneths of sorrow VVhy feare we death that cures all sicknesses Author of rest and end of all distresses Other misfortunes often come to grieue vs vs. Death striks but once that stroke doth relieue vs. He that thus thought of death in lifes vncerteÌ„ty Hath doubtles now a life that brings eternity Liue for to learne that die thou must And after come to iudgement iust A Communicant instructed AT LONDON Printed for William Cotten 1606. A Communicant prepared to the Lordes Table Question MY good auditor after all these instructions concerning praier and pietie are you not desirous to receiue the Lordes supper Answ Yea sir I am desirous with all mine heart if you shal thinke me fit for so holy a banquet Quest What must you doe to bee a fit guest 1. Sam. 16.6 Psal 27. 1. Cor. 21. Ans Samuel bids me to santifie my selfe Dauid bids mee to wash mine hands in innocencie Paul bids mée to examine my selfe and so to eate of that bread and after to drink of that cuppe Quest Howe doe you proue this examination to be néedefull Ans 1. If the Iewes durst not eate the pascall Lambe without it I must not eate of the Lambes Supper without it 2. I must neither pray nor heare Gods word before I sée in what estate I am 3. I come in the best sort I can to the feast of any great man in this world 4. He that came without his wedding garment was examined how hée came thither Math. 22.12 5. If I eate and drinke vnworthily I eate and drinke mine owne damnation 1. Cor. 11.29 Quest What things are required of him that will come a fit guest to the Lords table Ans Thrée things The first what I must doe before I come 2. What I must doe when I am come 3. What I must doe after I haue bin partaker of that holy supper Quest What things are required of you before you come Ans Two things First I am bound to examine my selfe 2. I am bound to pray meditate of diuers things Quest What is examination An. It is a triall of my selfe howe I stand in the grace of God Quest What learne you out of this that a man must examine himselfe before he come to this table An. First that children are not capable of this banquet 2. That ignorant persons must not approach to this table 3. That madde people are not to bee admitted to this feast 4. That such as intend to liue in their sinnes must not dare to approach vnto this communion Quest Wherein stands this examination An. In fiue things 1. I must examine what knowledge I haue 2. What faith I haue 3. What repentance I haue 4. What obedience I haue 5. What loue I beare to my brethren Quest Wherein standes the examination of your knowledge An. In two things 1. What general knowledge I haue 2. What knowledge I haue in particular Quest Wherein consists generall knowledge Ans In three things whereof the 1. is What knowledge I haue of God 2. What knowledge I haue of my selfe 3. What knowledge I haue of the couenant of grace Quest what knowledge must you haue of God Ans I must know him to be such an one as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word to wit one inuisible and indiuisible essence and three truely distinct persons namely the Father begetting the Sonne begotten and the holy ghost procéeding from the father and the sonne Quest Must you knowe nothing els of God Answ Yes I must knowe that hee is creator and gouernour of all things a most wise vnderstander and knower of all thoughts most holy iust and mercifull to his creatures that hee is eternall without either beginning or ende and that he is present in all places Quest What must you know concerning your selfe Ans That by nature I am stained wholly with originall sinne so that my mind is full of blindnes will of frowardnes affections of peruersenes my conscience of guiltines so that therby by I am subiect to the curse of God in life in death and after death Quest What things are you subiect to in life Ans By reason of this sinne in my soule I am subiect to madnes in my body to diseases in my goods to losse 〈◊〉 in my name to reproach Quest What are you subiect to in death Ans To the separation of the soule from the body Quest What are you subiect to after death An. To be tormented for euer with the deuill and his angels and to be cast away from the presence of God Que. What must you know concerning the couenant of grace An. That Christ Iesus hath deliuered me from this misery who béeing very God became man to die for my sinnes and rose againe for my iustification Quest What particular knowledge is required of you An. I must know the nature and vse of this sacrament Quest What then is the Lords Supper An. It is a Sacrament wherein by the vse of bread and wine those that are ingrafted into Christ are nourished to life Quest What learne you out of this definition An. 1. That he cannot eate the Lords body who is not of the Lords body 2. That a man must come withall cheerefulnesse to this banquet and not to feare it as a man would doe poyson Quest Tell me now what is the outward matter of this sacrament An. Bread and wine by which are signified Christs bodie crucified and his blood powred out Quest Is not the bread wine turned into the body blood of Christ Ans No for these reasons 1. Christ instituted this supper before he was crucified 2. Then he must haue giuen his dead bodie with his liuing hands 3. The bread after consecration 〈◊〉 distributed into partes but the whole body of Christ is receiued of euery seuerall communicant 4. The bread is the communion oâ— Christs body and therefore not the very body 5. This were to make the body oâ— Christ of bakers bread 6. The bread and wine will corrupt being kept after consecration 7. We sée and taste onely bread and wine 8. Else the wicked should eate Christs body and so must haue eternall life 9. This takes away the nature of a sacrament wherein there must be a signe and the thing signified 10. It destroyes the nature of Christs body making it aliue dead in heaâ—uen vpon earth glorified vilified and in many places at one time Quest But yet may not this be done by a miracle An. Priests haue no promise to worke miracles nowe a daies and
Christ Iesus the foode of the soule Phil. Indeede many auncient Fathers and some of our English Protestant writers haue so vnderstood this petition and I am bound to pray that God will euer giue me this Bread Ioh 6. But I am taught that this Bread is not meant here Euch. By what reasons are you taught the contrary Phil. 1. Because I pray for such things in the second petition going before 2. Because temporall things beeing to be praied for they can haue no fitter place to bee desired then in this 3. Seeing this prayer is a rule of all our prayers wee must in some one petition craue things temporall of God 4. Many auncient and the most new writers thinke so Euch. What then do you meane by Bread Phil. I meane properly that kinde of sustenance which we cal Bakers bread but figuratiuely all things which are or may be for the good of my bodie and this naturall life as strength by nourishment health by phisick warmth by apparell sufficiency by labour and the blessing of God in the vse of all these such like Euch. Why doe you aske all these thinges vnder the name of bread Phil. First because bread is absolutely necessary for mans life 2. To teach vs frugality in vsing Gods creatures 3. To make vs content with whatsoeuer God sendeth 4. To make vs thankefull if GOD giue more then bread Euch. Why do you pray that GOD would giue bread Phil. To teach mee that all riches whether of inheritance or by gift paines trades office seruice wit mariage or any other meanes are the gift of GOD who onely giueth man power to gette riches Deutronomie 8.18 Euch. What vse make you of this that riches are Gods gift Phil. These vses I ought to make 1. To acknowledge that all that I haue cometh from God and not by my selfe or any other a pro. 10.27 2. That I must not bee proud of them because I haue receiued them b Rom. 11.20 3. To admire Gods fauour who hath made me rich and others poore c 1. Chro. 29.16 4. To vse them to the glory of God the good both of my selfe and others d Tim. 6.17 5. If I want such thinges to aske them of God e Geni 29.20 6. To teach mee to gett my substance with a good conscience that so I may sée they come from God f 1. Sam. 12 6. 7. That I despise not my poore bretheren who haue not such a larges of Gods blessings as my selfe g pro. 17.5 8. To be coÌ„tent if god make me poore h Iob. 1.21 Euch. But what néede haue rich men so make this prayer It séemeth this is the poore mans pater-noster Phil. You told mée that there is a twofold title to riches Iure fori Iure poli the one ciuill in the Courts of men the other religious in the high Court of God Nowe rich men may haue a ciuill title without praieing but they must pray for a religious right to riches and this is onely as they are the sonnes of God Without this title before God they are vsurpers cannot say that their riches are their owne Euch. Why then good rich men néed not to pray thus for they haue a religious title to riches Phil. It is true indéede yet because it is one thinge to haue riches and another thinge to haue a blessing vppon riches they must pray that as God hath giuen vnto them riches so those riches may in vse bee blessed both to themselues and also to theirs Euch. What then doe you pray for in this word Giue Phi. 1. I pray that God would giue me a ciuil title to riches 2. That hée would giue me a religious title 3. That he would giue me leaue to vse them 4. That hee would giue me mine comfort by them Euch. Why doe you saie Giue vs not Giue me Phil. To teach me 1. To pray especially for the prosperity of the godly a Psal 122.6 2. To wish aswel to others as my self b 1. Ioh. 4.21 3. To pitie the poore estate of my bretheren c Luk. 10.33 4. Not to repine at the estate of my betters d math 20.11 5. Not to contemne such as are in pouertte e Pro. 17.5 Euch. But what if God giue you not riches what remedies were prescribed you against the desire of them Phil. 1. That God euen in famine doth quicken and reuiue them which feare him Psal 33.18 2. Godlinesse is great gaine if the minde of man bée therewith contented 1. Tim. 6.6 3. Wee doe looke for eternall life therfore wée should not care too much for this life 4. We are seruants in our Fathers house therefore he wil bestowe vpon vs things conuenient 5. Many are set aloft and afterward haue the greater downefall 6. Adam not contented with his owne estate brought himselfe his posteritie to destruction 7. Wee brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we shal carrie nothing out Euch. What doe you meane by This day This day Phil. By this daie I meane the present moment of time in the which I doe liue and wherein especially I stand in néede of things for this life Euch. Why do you not pray that God would giue you bread for a wéeke or a moneth or a yeare but for a day Phil. 1. Because each day we néede both bread it selfe and with it the blessing of God vpon bread a Deu. 8.3 2. To teach mee to be content with my present estate and not to care too much for the time to come b Math. 6.32 3. That each day I may sée Gods singular prouidence Euch. Because you praie onely for bread to daie tell me Is it not lawfull to pray to be rich Phil. It is very inconuenient if not vtterly vnlawfull to pray to bee rich as you taught me in your Sermon vppon this petition Euch. By what reasons was this â—oint proued Phil. 1. Because riches are snares to â—ntrappe men a 1. Tim. 6.9 2. Such a praier argueth discontentednesse b psal 4 11-12 3. Couetousnesse is a most greuious sinne c He. 13.5 4. Iacob and Agur in the booke of the prouerbes praied onely for foode and raiment c pro. 31.7 d 1. Tim. 6.10 5. In praying to bee rich it séemeth wee are not content to depend vppon God 6. It is a signe of excéeding pride that by riches we would be aboue our brethren Euch. What then must you doe in this case Phil. I must pray neither for riches nor pouertie but goe on in my calling with faithfull diligence and wayting for a blessing from the Lord be thanckfull for whatsoeuer he shall send Euch. But because you must praie for this daies bread may you not lay vp for the time to come Phil. Yes I may 1. Ioseph did for seauen yeares to come The apostles did when they heard of a famine by Agabus the
neither Satan nor the world nor my flesh hath so subdued me but that I am able to rise againe Euch. Which is the 3. part of this petition The 3. part of the lords prayer Phil. For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie for euer euer Which words are a reason of all the former by which wee are mooued to craue all the former blessings at the hands of our God Euch. Why doth Luke leaue out this clause Phil. Either because the Euangelists did not bind themselues to a precise forme of words or because this prayer was vttered at 2. seuerall times by Christ in a seuerall manner leauing out not onely this clause but the third petition wholly the explanation of the sixt and changing some words which are in Mathew But we haue no warrant to do the like as the Rhemists do euen in the Gospell of saint Mathew being bold to mangle the Lords praier as they are to leaue out the second cōmandement Euch. Why is this conclusion added Phil. To teach 1. To pray vnto him who is able to heare vs. 2. To pray in faith to him that will helpe vs. 3. To pray in feruency as desirous to be holpen 4. To pray in humilitie because al is of God 3. To pray in thankefulnesse because all is from God 6. That in euerie petition we must haue this conclusion in our mindes Euch. What do you meane by these words thine is the kingdome Phil. Euen that which Dauid meant when he said 1. Cor. 29.11 Thine O Lord is greatnesse power and victorie and praise and all that is in heauen and in earth is thine thine is the kingdome thou excellest ouer all Euch. Why is the kingdom said to be Gods Phil. 1. Because he made all 2. Because he possesseth all 3. Because he commandeth all 4. Because he disposeth al. Euch. What doe you learne out of this Phil. That I may with confidence pray vnto him because as kings will prouide for the bodies and soules of al their subiects so God my king will prouide for me Euch. But haue not other Princes their kingdomes Phil. Yes they haue and in them do rule and for conscience sake must euer be obeyed yet they rule by and in and through this king a Pro. 8.15 Dan. ◠37 Reuel 20. Euch. Howe manie properties are there of this kingdome Phil. There it is a powerfull kingdome Thine is power a glorious kingdome Thine is glorie and an euerlasting kingdom it is For euer and euer Euch. Why are these thrée properties added Phil. That when wee pray for or against any thing in the former petitions we may be strengthened in the hope of obtaining them by the consideration of the Power Glory and Eternitie of Gods kingdom Euch. Why is power attributed to the kingdome of God 1. To distinguish it from the kingdomes of the world in which many Princes are heads of people but haue not power to subdue their enemies 2. To teach vs to giue all power vnto God 3. That we must submitte our selues vnto him 4. That he being a powerfull kings we may in faith pray vnto him Euch. How great is the power of God See my booke life euerlasting of gods prouidence Phil. It is not only of it owne nature in it selfe and of it selfe but also in respect of the obiect vpon which it can worke and effectes which it can produce and of the action by which it can and doth worke both infinit and vnmeasurable Euch. Can it be communicated to any creature Phileu No not to the humanity of Christ for whatsoeuer is omnipotent is God Euchedida Why then doth Christ saye all power is giuen vnto me Phil. 1. He speaketh of that power which wee call Authority not of that which is called omnipotencie 2. He saith not all power is giuen to my humanity but to me GOD and Man 3. If it be meant of the humanity by this power is to bee vnderstood as much as the creature is capable of 4. In that word the humanity may be said to be omnipotent as the word is said to suffer not in it selfe but in the the flesh Euch. What doe you meane by thine is the glory Phil. 1. That god hath made al things for his glory 2. Whatsoeuer wee aske they are meanes of thy glory 3. The things which we aske shal be referred to thy glory And therefore O Lord graunt these things vnto vs because thy glory is most deare to thy selfe which will be also performed of vs if we sanctifie thy name aduaunce thy kingdome doe thy will haue our dayly Bread the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and hee able to resist all euill temptations Euch. What is the third property of Christs kingdome For euer and euer Which is an excellent inducement to strengthen vs in praying Euch. Why is Gods kingdome power glory said to be euerlasting Phil. 1. Because in themselues they are euerlasting 2. Of vs they should neuer be forgotten Euch. To what purpose are all these arguments added here Phil. Not to perswade God who knoweth our wants before we aske but to perswade vs that he who is a king of such power glory and eternitie he will heare our praiers and grant our requests Euch. What vse doe you make of this conclusion Phil. 1. That in our prayers we euer debase our selues and ascribe all glory to this King of Kings 2. In our prayers to be euer perswaded of the power of God that he can helpe vs and the promise of God that he will helpe vs. a 2. Cor. 1.20 3. That prayer and giuing of thanks must goe together because this is a doxologie giuen to God 4. Whatsoeuer we aske we must in purpose before and practise after referre the same to Gods glory For the Alpha of this prayer is Halowed be thy name and the Omega is Thine is the glory 5. That all gouernours must remember that they holde al in caepite vnder this head 6. That if we be able to do any thing all that power commeth from God Euch. Which is the last part of this petition Phil. The seale thereof in the worde Amen Euch. How is this worde Amen The fourth part of the Lords Prayer taken in the Scriptures Phil. Thrée maner of wayes sometimes as a Nowne signifying Christ himselfe Reuel 1. These things saith Amen Sometimes as an Aduerbe as Iohn 3. Amen Amen that is Verily verily I say vnto you And sometimes as a Verbe as in this place signifying So be it or it shall be so Euch. What then doth this worde Amen import at the end of this petition and euery prayer Phil. More a great deale then man thinks for it is as much as if we should say thus Wee haue begged many things at thy hands and we doe desire thee to heare and are perswaded thou wilt heare all our requests Euch. What are we taught by this seale Amen Phil. We are taught 1. To desire earnestly that we
vnder the burden of them make vs good god displeased with our selues because by sin wee haue dishonored thy maiesty Stir vp our dead dul harts that we may hunger after Christ his righteousnesse and after euery drop of his precious bloud In that son of thine looke on vs thy seruants and for his merits righteousnes vouchsafe good God mercifullie and freelie to doe awaye all our offenses Wash them away in his bloud and by the puritie of his spirite clense our hearts from the pollution and impuritie of them all say vnto our soules thou art our saluation let thy spirite in our hearts crie Abba Father Teach vs O Lord thy way and we shall walk in thy trueth O knit our hearts vnto thee that we may feare thy name And because through corruption in our harts and sin in our liues our faith is feeble and our confidence small we do humbly beseech thee to strengthen our faith by the daily meditation and particular application of thy mercifull promises made vnto vs in thy son Christ that neither in the dangers of this world nor the trobles of conscience nor in the hour of death wee may fall from thee Gratious father expell out of our hearts all carnall confidence the vnderminer of our faith teach vs in the spirit of tru humility to deny our selues to rely only vpon thee the merit of christ in the mater of our saluation And because it is not enough to com vnto thee by praier to sue vnto thee for pardon but al that ar in christ must be new creatures therfore we cal vpon thee for the spirit of regeneration mortify therby the corruptions of our flesh quicken vs thereby in the inner mā By the powr of Christs deth let vs dy vnto sin by the power of his resurrectiō let vs rise to righteousnes newnes of life let the one as a corrosiue eat vp the dead flesh of vngodlines the other as a spur stir vs vp to holines Illuminatour minds that we may know thy will giue vs spiritual vnderstāding to discern good euil Sanctify our memories to tresure vp good things purify our consciences to haue peace in thee reform our wils to doe thy wil let al our affections be ordered aright Teach vs to fear thee continually whersoeuer we ar to neglect al things in regard of christ to loue thee our brethren for thy sake to be zealus of thy glory to be greeued at our other sins ioyful when we cāpleas thee Let our bodies the instruments of sin be euer heerafter clensed by thy spirit that they may bee temples for that spirit to dwel in keepe our eies from beholding vanitie our eares from harkning to variety our mouths frō speking blasphemy our hands frō committing of iniquity our bodies from the action of adultery Let our light so shine before mē that they seeing our good works may glorify thee our heauenly father Make vs to remember that as we are sons wee must depend vpon thee as we ar seruants wee must obey thee and as we are christians we ought to walk worthy of our vocatiō and calling And because we haue al som particular calling either of rule or seruice or trust or fauor make vs from the highest to the lowest Faithful in our callings to remēber that a day wil come in which we must giue an accompte vnto thee of all our actions doon in this flesh whether they be good or euill Take away from vs all oportunity of sinning make vs euer thankful that we liue so as wee want allurementes to many sinnes Cause vs to see how deformed sin is in it selfe to what confusiō it is like to bring vs Lord make vs to fly the very occasiōs of sin to resist the beginnings of al tēptation let not a night pas ouer our heads in which we examin not howe wee haue spent the day neuer let vs come into any company wherin we may not not doe or receiue som good Keep vs that we fashiō not ourselues to this world but rather imitate the fashion of the moste godly in our callings Let vs neuer count any sin to be a little one because that our sauior died for the least And because we liue in dangerous times wherin many ar withdrawne from the profession of thy trueth Lord giue vs harts neuer to entertain any such doctrine which cannot be warranted out of thy word nor to admit of any such teachers as goe about to withdraw vs frō obedience to our gouernors if any one fal into any sin let vs restore such an one with the spirit of meeknes cōsidering our selues that we also may be tempted We further acknowledge most gracious God that our life is a war-fare vpon earth our enemies are sinn Satan the flesh Lord helpe vs in this spitituall combat are we weak be thou strong ar we tempted with the tēptation giue an issue may we be ouercom tech vs to watch ouer our own harts waies is there any one ◅une which we are weak to resist in the act of temptation giue vs power to resist it that by this means we may haue as iust cause to praise thee in our cōquests as we haue many reasons to hūble our selues in our foyles We see also most all seeing God that none cā liue godly in this world but they must suffer persecutions either Ismaell wil reuile them with a reproachful tongue or Esau wil pursue them with a blody sword what now must we do in these days of trial whether shal we come for helpe but to thee To thee therfore must wee come O Lord our god crauing wisdom to forsee prouidence to preuent patience to beare harts to be prepared for this fierytrial that by the denial of our selues distasting the worlde liking of heauen and heauenly things wee may make a good vse euen of the least affliction Confound in euery on of vs the cursed workes of the diuel Increase in vs dayly the giftes of thy spirit Fit vs for such calings in which thou hast or wilt place vs make vs to referre the strength of our bodies the giftes of our minde our credit in this world what so euer grace thou hast alredy or wilt hereafter bestow vpon vs to the glorye of thy name the good of thy church the eternal saluacion of our own souls And howe soeuer we liue heer in this Babilon of the world lord let our conuersation be euer in heauē that whether we eat or drink or what soeuer we do else wee may heare alwayes this voice soūding in our eares arise you dead come vnto iudgment Many other things haue we to beg for our selus that our ignorāce knoweth not to aske or forgetfulnes remēbers not to ask hear vs for thē in thy beloued son And giue vs leaue now good god to pray to thee for others Ther ar no christiā peple at
especially in the congregation of Saints for there many voyces are Gods best melodie Pray also at all times at euening Pray at all times morning and at noone day will I pray vnto thee yea at midnight will I rise to call vpon thee nay seauen times a day will I praise thee saith Dauid Daniel did so three times a day Paul did it day and night Hannah did it all the dayes of her life and the Psalmographer vowes it I will praise the Lord as long as I liue as long as I haue any being I will sing praises to my God Euchyta Pray continually not as those heretiques who would euer doe so but as Christians who know when to do so With morning prayer the day begin With euening praier the night shut in Without this prayer sit not to eate Without Gods praise rise not from me ate And forget not to pray for all persons Pray for person for the King as the head his Senators as the eyes his Cleargie as the mouth his Souldiers as the hands his subiects of all trades as the feete vpon which the commonwealth doth stand Art thou a Minister pray for thy flocke An Auditor for thy preacher A father for thy child an husband for thy wife a maister for thy seruant or a gouernour pray for thy famulie Is any sick pray for his health Poore for his wealth imprisoned for his libertie seduced for his recouerie confirmed for his constancie or in any distresse for his deliuery Pray for all men that their bodies may be preserued soules saued estates maintained that thy and their thoughts may bee sanctified your words seasoned and your actions ordered by the spirit of God Will you know now to whom we must pray To whom we must pray not to a Calfe as the Israelites did nor to Baal as his Priests did nor to an image as idolatours did nor to any Saints as our fathers did but as we are bound to serue God alone so are we bounden to pray to God alone for he alone knoweth our wants heaâ—…th our petitions hath promised to help vs is able to doe for vs and is the alone present helper in the needfull time of trouble I will draw to an end How we must pray you haue seene beloued the necessitie of this seruice let me shew you a little the qualities of this seruice Pray we must in knowledge with vnderstanding in faith by beleeuing in remorse with feeling in zeale without cooling in intention without wandring in reuerence without contemning in constancie without reuolting and in loue without reuenging Let our eies be fastned hearts fixed knees bowed mouthes opened and our hands lifted vp as to the King of Kings And as Iacob would not let the Angell goe till he were blessed so let not vs let him go till wee be heard Let not the woman of Canaan be more earnest with Christ militant then wee wil be with the same Christ triumphaÌ„t Let neuer Queene of Sheba so willingly come to Salomon as wee must willingly come vnto Christ hee loueth most willing and importunate sutors Wherefore as Dauid said to Abner neuer see my face vnlesse thou bring Michal with thee so say I vnto you neuer looke God in the face vnlesse you bring prayer with you As I haue declared to you the dutie of praier so should I speake somewhat of giuing of thankes Many can bee content to pray in troubles but fewe giue thankes for deliuerance out of trouble Multi petentes pauci promitteÌ„tes paucissimi reddentes saith an ancient father there are many petitioners few promisers most few thanks giuers Are there not ten cleansed where are the nine there is none returned to giue thankes but this one and he is a Samaritan If euer people vnder the cope of heauen had occasioÌ„ to praise God we are they especially for his word and gospell and for many deliuerances shewed to our Princes and people But because at the end of this treatise I haue set downe a forme both of praier thanks giuing I refer you to the perusing of those two platformes I doubt not of your patience for the length of this preface because I desire to leaue it as an ocular sermon instructing you continually how to call vpon God and preparing you to the exposition of the Lords prayer which of many through ignorance is as much prophaned as euer God was by saying the Pater-noster in Latin or repeating other rosaries in an vnknown laÌ„guage Now hauing ended as you see these questions and answers I make question with my selfe to whom I may command them and because for these three yeares immediatly past I haue liued and preached amongst you I am bolde in generall to present them to you all You haue I confesse knowne my conuersation bin acquainted with my ministrie countenanced me in my calling maintained me in health comforted me in sicknes afforded vnto me much more kindnesse then can be requited by this paper present And since it pleaseth God to dispose of me still in such vncertaine places as that I could neuer yet say heere must I rest I blesse God that euer I came vnto you whose loue and larges hath bene such vnto me as makes me to say of my late exile Perijsseâ— nisi perijssem I had bene vndone if others had not sought to vndoe me And therefore though I cannot say to you as Paul did to the Corinthians I am yours to liue and die with you yet this I will say I am yours to liue and pray for you that you may so know God as you may pray to him so pray to God that you may liue before him so liue that you may euer be fit to receiue his sacrament and so both fit to know pray liue and receiue that after you haue knowne him by Christ prayed to him through Christ liued before him in Christ and receiued his fauour in the seales of Christ you may in the end dye in his faith as you haue liued in his feare and at the last day in bodyes and soules bee partakers of eternall glorye To the grace of this GOD I commend you to your grace I coÌ„mend these treatises doubting not but many of you will be as readie to read them as you haue bene willing to heare them From your Parish of S. Martin the fields Ian. 1. 1606. Your seruant in the Lord ROBERT HILL The Speakers Euchedidascalus a teacher of praier Phileuches a louer of praier Euch. PHileuches amongst manie Sermons which I haue preached vnto you you haue heard me expound the Lordes prayer are you bound to giue accompt of that you haue heard Phil. Sir doubtlesse I am for the Apostle Peter teacheth me that I must be alwaies ready to giue an answer to euery one that asketh mée a reason of the hope that is in me with meekenesse and reuerence a 1. Pet. 3.15 Euch. Repeate then the Lordes prayer Phil. Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy
name thy kingdome come thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Giue vs this day our daily bread and forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespas against vs and lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill For thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer and euer amen Euch. Why is this praier called the Lords praier Phil. 1. Because Christ Iesus our Lord set downe the same b Math. 6.9 2. Because we cannot pray vnles Christ teach vs c Luk. 11.1 Euch. How many partes hath this praier Phil. Fowre 1. a preface 2. Petitions 3. a reason 4. a Seale Euch. Which is the Preface Phil. Our father which art in heauen Our Father which art in heauē where God is described by two such properties as wée must haue in our minds when wee pray vnto him as 1. That he is our louing Father d Esa 63.16 2. That he is our almighty God in heauen e Vers 15. Euch. Do you here pray to the Father onely Phil. No but to the whole trinity yet as the first person is the fountaine of the deity wee pray to the father by the sonne through the holy ghost Euch. What doth this word Father teach you Phil. 1. That I must not call vpon him as my Iudge but my father f Lu. 15.18 2. that in Christ I am his sonne g Gal. 3.26 3. That hee will denie mee nothing conuenient h Mat. 7 7· 4. That I may boldly come vnto him i psal 50 1◠5. That none can pray vnto him but his children k Vers 16. 6. That I must euer behaue my selfe as gods childe l Eph. 5.8 7. That I must pray only to God m Mat. 4.10 8. And lastly that I must come vnto him by Christ n Ioh. 14.13 Euch. Why doe you say our Father and not my father Phil. To teach me 1. that I must hold ech member of the church as my brethren o gen 13.8 2. That I must pray aswell for others as my selfe p Iam 5 16 3. that I must loue almen as brethren q 1. Ioh. 4.21 4. The dignity of each Christian hauing God to his father r 1. Sam. 18 2◠5. Gods loue to mée in making mée his child ſ 1. Ioh. 3.1 Euch. Why saie you that God is in Heauen Phil. Because there he sheweth him selfe chiefely to the saints t Eccle. 21.24 and from thence hee manifesteth himselfe to man u Psal 57.3 Euch. Is not God euery where Phil. Yes for his essence is euery where x prou 5.21 and he filleth both heauen and earth y Eph. 4.10 Euch. How many heauens are there Phil. Three 1. The ayre in which we breath z Gen. 1.26 2. the skie in which are the starres a Deu. 1.10 3. the heauen of heauens in which Christ the Angels Saints departed are b 1. kin 8.27 Euch. What learne you by this that God is in heauen Phil. 1. That he is therefore able to graunt my requests c 1. kin 8.30 2. That I may pray with confidence vnto him d psal 123.1 3. That in prayer my heart must be in heauen e 1. king 8.48 ps 25.1 4. That I must vse all reuerence in praier f Eccl. 5.1.2 5. That one day I shall come to heauen g phil 3.21 6. That I must looke for all graces from heauen h Ier. 1.17 7. That by pilgrimages I néed not séeke to God i psal 145.18 Euch. How many petitions are there in the Lords praier Phil. Sixe whereof the first thrée concerne God the other concerne our selues and of the last thrée one onely is for things corporall the other two are for thinges spirituall 1. Pet. 1.3 Euch. What learne you out of this order I learne 1. Gods great fauour to me who will admitte me to aske for my selfe 2. His great loue that he will heare me asking for others 3. My duety that I must desire especially Gods glory 4. That I must oftner craue things spirituall then corporall Euch. Which is the first petition Hallowed be thy name Phil. Hallowed be thy name Euch. Why is this set in the first place Phil. 1 Because it is first in the intent of the god who made all for his owne glory k pro. 15.3 2. Because it is first in the intent of the godly who doe all so Gods glory l Ioh. 15.8 Euch. What is the vse of this order Phil. That whether wee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer we do else wée may doe al to the glory of GOD. 1. Cor. 10.31 Euch. What meane you by these words Hallowed be thy name Phil. By Gods name I vnderstand his titles as God Christ Lord and such like his properties as his Iustice Mercy Prouidence and such like his word as the Scriptures read and preached his Sacraments as Baptisme and the Lords supper his Workes as Creation Preseruation and the like And by Hallowing I meane that god in all these may haue due reuerence done vnto him of all the people that belong vnto him Euch. What wantes do you bewaile in this petition Phil. First I bewaile mine owne and others pride of heart that we labour more for our owne credit then Gods glory f Luk. 18.11 2. Our hardnesse of heart that wée cannot as we ought see Gods glorye in his creatures g Mar. 6.52 3. Our vnthankfulnesse that wee praise him not as wée ought for his many fauours towardes mankind aboue all other creatures h psa 51.15 4. Our impiety that in our liues we dishonor god i psal 119.136 Euch. What then do you pray for in this petition Phileuches I pray that GOD by mée and all men may bée glorified in the reuerend speaking of his name holy meditation of his properties diligent hearing of his words often receiuing of the Sacrament and dayly admiting of his workes And in a worde that wee may knowe in minde acknowledge in heart loue in trueth speake with Tongue do in our actions both naturall ciuile and religious all such things as God may be glorified by Euch. What doe you pray against Phil. I pray against all ignorance errour vanity of minde infidelity profanenes Atheisme worldlines security and all blasphemous spéeches false dealing scoffing idolatry superstition sorcery sacriledge simonye periurie persecution impenitencie vnreuerend vsing of Gods worde Sacramentes or workes and in a word against all such disorder in mans life as may any way obscure the Glory of God Euch. What doe you here giue God thankes for Phil. That it hath pleased him to glorifie his great name in all the former and hath giuen mee and many others grace of his méere mercie to glorifie his name in that which before I praied for Euch. Why doe you vse in this and other petitions this order First to bewaile Secondly to pray for