Creede that we may be translated out of this world where the deuill is prince where the earth in this vale of miserie brings forth thornes and brambles of affliction into an other world of eternall life where we shall be free and safe from all euills that we may not alwaies thus be subiect and lie open to the darrs and temptations and assaults of the deuill the world the flesh and calamities So Paul saith Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death 2. Tim. 4.16 he sheweth a godly and excellent affection when he saith At my defence all men for sooke me but the Lord assisted me and I was deliuered out of the mouth of the lyon and the Lord will deliuer me from all euill and vvill keepe me or preserue me unto his heauenly kingdom to whome be praise for euer and euer Amen In which wordes he deliuereth the very last petition and conclusion of the Lords praier VII VVe are taught in this petition to lift vp our heads to thinke vpon and to desire an other blessed life to come which is eternall where shall be full deliuerance from all euill And because we are too much occupied and plunged in the matters and affaires of this life and of this world we doe also request that God would inspire excite kindle beget and preserue in vs this meditation and desire that we couet to be dissolued that is to leaue this life and to passe to another blessed life And because euery kinde of death is not the ende of miserie for the death of the wicked is the beginning of their torments Luk. 16.22 but the death of the godly is a deliuerance from all euill and a beginning of euerlasting happines therfore when we say Deliuer vs from euill we doe also desire that our heauenly father would keepe vs from euill death that we may not die the death of the vncircumcised Ezek. 28.10 or the death of sinners which is worst of all Psal 34.22 that we may not die carelesse in our sinnes vnprepared without repentance Ioh. 8.24 But that he would graunt vnto vs a godly and sauing ende of this life that we may die in the Lord Apoc. 14.13 that whether we liue or die we may be the lords Rom. 14.8 whether we abide in the pilgrimage of this life or be called home to our owne countrie by death yet still we may please the Lord 2. Corin. 5.9 Furthermore we pray that God would put into vs a care desire to prouide betime for our selues those things which are necessarie to dying well that we may be prepared for death least we want oyle in our lamps when the bridegroome commeth and calleth for vs Math. 25.3 And that in the last howre of this life we may haue true repentance the word the Sacraments faith hope the spirit of grace and of praier that when we are to die we may be found in Christ Philip. 3.9 hauing that righteousnes which is of God through the faith of Christ that so we may rightly commend our soule into the handes of our Father And if we be not found sufficiently prepared we pray that he would not suffer vs to be preuented by suddeÌ„ death at vnawares but would mercifully graunt vs space for such preparation that our death may be a deliuerance from all euill and a passage out of this vale of miseries to eternall life So that in this petition we beseech the Lord mercifully to be present with vs in that last and dangerous conflict wherein our aduersarie goeth about most busily marking whether he can snatch vs away and deuoure vs that so we may be kept and deliuered from all euill And that he would strengthen vs that we may not feare to die not be afraid of death nor tast thereof but may depart in peace and so when we die may be truly deliuered from all euill These thinges we must pray for in this petition both generally and in particular crauing blessings of the Lord praying against euils giuing thanks for benefits receiued and confessing our owne sinnes For thine is the kingdome The conclusion c. The latin copies want this clause which is not in S. Luke neither haue latin writers expounded it as Cyprian Ambrose Ierome and Austin But all Greeke copies haue it constantly and the Syrian interpreter translated it Chrysostome also expoundeth it Likewise Paul 2. Tim. 4.17 rehearsing the last petition of Deliuerance from all euill addeth this clause to whome be glorie for euer and euer And this clause doth very fiâ—ly conclude the whole praier For it doth specially put God in mind of his promise and as it were of his office shewing the cause wherefore we aske those things of God and hope that he will giue them vnto vs. For thine is the kingdome Here he vnderstandeth not Gods vniuersall kingdome ouer all creatures but that which is called the kingdome of heauen the kingdome of God and of Christ in the church And these things which we aske are the blessings of this kingdome which God hath therefore ordained for our necessitie against the deuill the world and the flesh that forsomuch as we cannot haue from our selues those things we aske in praier neither can attaine vnto theÌ„ by our selues we might yet receiue theÌ„ froÌ„ his haÌ„d in his own kingdoÌ„ And it beloÌ„geth to the office of our king in this kingdoÌ„ that he should keepe defend vs against the deuil the world and the flesh and that he should bestow those blessings on them that beleeue and pray vnto him as he hath commanded vs to aske and wherein he hath promised to graunt our requests This praier then in these words doth put God in minde of his commandement of his promise and of his office in his kingdome and withall sheweth the cause why a man asketh these things and seeketh for them not to any other but to God alone Thine is the power These wordes teach vs that god hath these things which we aske in his hand and in his power although the power of the world and of the deuill be great and that he onely can giue these things vnto vs perfectly and for our good Therefore doe we craue these things of him alone And glorie In this word faith sheweth vnto God that this is a glorious thing vnto him and doth greatly turne to the glorie and praise and renowme of his mercie power and bountifulnes if he shall heare vs and shall graunt vnto vs those things which we aske according to his commandement and promise as citizens of his kingdome So that in this clause we pray that God for Christs sake whose kingdome properly this is of his grace whereby he gouerneth this kingdome would heare vs and graunt our requests for the setting forth of the bountie of the power and glorie of this kingdome Secondly this clause also serueth to stirre vp and to confirme the faith of them that pray in assurance that
the same in both places the comparing of them together in this exposition will not be vnprofitable And here we must obserue that some latin books omitting some things do repeat this form of praier more briefly in S. Luke then it is described by Mathew For in the beginning it is only said Father and this which followeth in S. Matthew which art in heauen is omitted The third petition also is omitted thy wil be dōe in earth as it is in heauen This also is omitted But deliuer vs from euill And Austine saith expressely in his Enchiridion cap. 115. 116. that the lords praier in Mathew containeth seauen petitions but in S. Luke it hath not seauen but fiue petitions onely And he sheweth that that petition thy wil be done is contained in the two former this but deliuer vs in that which went before it Lead vs not into temptation Whence I gather that the Latin bookes euen in Austins time had the Lords praier according to Luke as it is now read But the Greeke bookes doe set downe that whole prayer euen so with Luke as it is in Mathew saue onely that with Luke doth wāt that conclusiō for thine is the kingdome Now it might seeme that such things as were wanting with Luke in this place haue beene added from the Greeke bookes out of Mathew But Austine in his booke of the words of the Lord vpon Luke cap. 28. And Ambrose in his fift booke of the Sacraments cap. 4. doe so rehearse that whole praier out of Luke as it is extant in Mathew Whence I gather that the latin bookes differed at that time and some of them read it so in Luke in this place as it is in the greeke others read it so as it is now in the vulgar latin translation As for the differēce which is in some words that we wil note in the exposition And that very diuersity of some wordes doth shew that we are not bound to a superstitious rehearsall of wordes in prayer This praier containes three parts the entrance or preface petitions and the conclusion of each whereof I will speake in order Our father which art in heauen The Preface Austine saith whereas in euery earnest sute we ought to procure his good will to whome we make our request and that is most conueniently done by the praise and commendation of his benefites to whome we praie therefore seeing we neither can nor ought to boast of our owne merits before God Christ in the beginning of this praier hath commanded vs to say nothing else but Our father Hugo saith that Christ like a good oratour before the petitions prefixeth a short preface wherin fauour is sought for from the person asked when we say Father from the person asking when we say Our And surly these aduertisments haue their vse But because it hath beene declared before that we are to vse words in praier not so much to mooue the minde of God by rhetoricall insinuations as by rehearsing and meditating on the wordes to stirre vp in our selues attention deuotion confidence and care to frame our praiers aright that we may shew our selues to be such suiters as the Lord would haue therefore those words are principally to be imploied for this ende and purpose We will briefly note out in seuerall points those things which are principally to be thought vpon by occasion of these words As first these words Our father doe giue vs to vnderstand that praier ought not to be such a bare desire in a wishing manner as men are woont to say would God this good might happen vnto me oh that this danger or this euill might be remooued God blesse it and prosper it God forbid and such like but we must expressely name him of whome we desire to haue our request graunted vnto vs. And not in generall tearmes onely as when we say God graunt God forbid but we must by name speake vnto and call vpon him that our praier may be directed vnto him our father as it were in communication And whereas the psalmes doe speake in the third person God be mercifull vnto vs God blesse vs we must vnderstand that praier to be directed either to the mediatour that for his sake God would be mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs or else the deuotion of the mind is to be referred to the second person For it is the Scripture phrase to speake vnto a person present in the third person as Gen. 33.14 Let my lord goe before his seruant 1. King 16.16 Let my lord the King command and chap. 25.25 Let not my lord the King I pray thee set his heart against Nabal And in that vsuall phrase of Scripture let the king liue is vnderstoode I pray God the King may liue And therefore in what words soeuer the prayer be framed the minde must alwaies thinke vpon God and behold him that our desires and requests may be directed vnto him For this is the forme and rule of our prayer to say our Father Secondly these wordes doe admonish vs that prayer or invocation is not to bee directed to any creature but onely to the heauenly father so as we may not direct our prayer to them of whome we are sure their spirits doe liue with God For the name Father is also opposed vnto thē Isay 63. v. 16. Doubtles thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs Israell know vs nos thou Lord art our Father and our redeemer Thirdly those wordes doe teach vs that we must so conceiue of God and speake to god in prayer as he hath revealed his essence vnto vs in his word For the heathen when they goe to pray they thinke of a God that is eternall the Creatour almighty but who that God is they knowe not But we are taught by these wordes to make a difference betweene our calling vpon God and the praiers of the heathen and to thinke that we call vpon that God who hath thus made knowne his beeing vnto vs in his word that he is the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost to witte the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who sendeth the spirit of his sonne into the hearts of the faithfull whereby we crie Abba father For so the word Father is to be vnderstood essentiallie in this place for God or for the Diuine Maiesty or for the whole Trinity which is the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost as it is written Deut. 32. v. 6. Is not he thy father that hath bought thee which hath made thee and proportioned thee Isaie 63. v. 16. Thou Lord art our father and our redeemer or he that dischargeth vs from bondage The Sonne also is called by this generall title Father of Eternity Isay 9.6 And the holy ghost is called the Father of the poore This title therefore doth admonish vs when we are about to pray to settle our minde against all levity inconsideration pride in such deuotion reuerence and humility as those which
Paul saith I thanke my God and so doth euery ones faith by this applicatioÌ„ well conclude say God is my father as Ier. 3.4 Therefore from henceforth at least crie vnto me thou art my father and after v. 19. I did take thee for my children and saide Thou shalt call me my father and Math. 6.6 Pray vnto thy father which is in secret and thy father will reward thee So very many profitable instructions are propounded vnto vs in these fewe words of this preface to the Lords praier which may thus also be considered that by the remembrance of those benefits which God hath heretofore bestowed vpon vs God may as it were be mooued to giue and our confidence stirred vp and confirmed to craue other moe necessaries that seeing of meere fauour he hath bestowed vpon vs the chiefest benefite of adoption because he will be our father and also be so called therefore he will giue vs other things needefull Which art in heauen There be some that by occasion of this verbe substantiue es art doe discourse at large about the immutable essence and those names of God I am that I am which is which was which is to come But the Greek words doe neither require nor admit that disputation in this place for the wordes are plaine Our father á½ á¼Î½ τοῖς οá½Ïανοῖς which art in heauen to shew that we doe not call vpon any earthly father but on him who is or who doth dwell in heauen that is an heauenly father For so Christ himselfe expoundeth these wordes Math. 6.26 when he nameth an (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heauenly father And whereas Heauen in Scripture is called the throne the seate mansion or dwelling place of God and in this place we call vpon our father which is in heauen the meaning is not that the infinite essence of God is circumscribed or concluded either in these visible heauens or in the heauen called Empyreum that is the highest heauens so as he is not present else where for it is written 1. King 8. v. 27. and 2. Chro. 2. v. 6. that heauen and the heauen of heauens can not containe him For he filleth heauen and earth Ierem. 23. v. 23. yea he is present in heauen in earth in the sea and in hell Psal 139. v. 7. he is higher then heauen deeper then hell longer then the earth broader then the sea That is he is wholly present euery where within all things and without all things as Gregory saith Neither doe we thinke when we call vpon our father which is in heauen in the preface of this prayer that he is seperated and disioyned from vs which pray from our wants and from our prayers being further absent theÌ„ heauen is distant from the earth Like as the thoughts and the sayings of the wicked are described Iob. 22. v. 13. what should God see he walketh in the circle of the heven and considereth not our affaires For in the 145. Psalme v. 18. it is written The Lord is readie at hand to them that pray euen to them that call vpon him in trueth Deut. 4. v. 29. The Lord our God is neere to all our requests and Mathew 18.20 Where two or three are gathered togither in my name and shall aske any thing there am I in the middle among them Nowe whereas our father of whome we make no doubt but that he is present to our requests is said to be in heauen this the schoole men expound after this sort either that the workes of God doe more gloriously and highly appeare in the beutie magnificence harmony and workemanship of the visible or materiall heauens then in earth or els because in those spirituall heauens as they call them he doth by a full communication of himselfe declare exhibite and shew forth all his glorie power goodnesse magnificence not as here on earth by certain meanes and couerings invisible and by sundry lettes but in full shewe and fruition of sight face to face to be seene and enioyed of the blessed Angels and of elect soules so as the very thing is the happines the ioy saluation the eternall life of the saints But I see not what comfort this meaning can affoard vnto vs which pray here on earth vnder the crosse and in much weakenesse A more plaine exposition is this Because the scriptures doe define of heauen wherein God hath his abode not by any locall scituation but by heauenly diuine glory maiestie power and fidelitie Againe that therefore God is said to be in heauen and to dwell in the heauens in the place of his abode to heare in the dwelling place of his abode 3. King v. 30. because all things are vnder his gouernment he hath all things in his hand and in his power he ruleth all things in all places he is able to doe and he doth whatsoeuer he will by his wisdome he foreseeth knoweth beholdeth and heareth all things and knoweth the way how to helpe them all by his prouidence he careth for all and by his power doth order dispose administer and gouerne all things c. Psal 115. v. 3. Our God is in heauen he doth whatsoeuer be will Psal 103. v. 20. God hath prepared his seate in heauen and his kingdome ruleth ouer all in all places of his dominion 3. King 8. v. 39. thou shalt heare in heaueÌ„ thou shalt be fauour able and shalt forgiue sinnes For thou onely seest and knowest the hearts of all the children of men Psal 113. v. 5. which hath his dwelling on high that he may behold things below in heauen and in earth Psal 102. v. 20. The Lord hath looked down from his high sanctuarie out of heauen did he behold the earth that he might heare the mournings of the prisoner and loose the children of death Psal 11.4 The lords seat is in heauen his eyes looke vnto the poore and his eye lids trie the children of meÌ„ Psal 20. v. 6. he will he are froÌ„ heauen by the mightie helpe of his right hand Isa 63.15 Give heede from heauen and behold where is nowe thy zeale thy strength and the multitude of thy mercies And when the Lord sheweth his diuine glory power and mercy by any famous hearing helpe and deliuerance the scripture saith then God hath exalted or aduanced himselfe aboue the heauens and magnified his mercy vp to the heauens Psal 57. v. 6. and 18. v. 5. and 113. v. 4. his glorie is aboue the heauens Psal 68. v. 19. He hath ascended aboue the heauen of heauens These testimonies of scripture doe plainely expound that phrase where God is said to be or to dwell in heauen The consideration hereof will also further vs to expound the doctrine of Christs ascention or exaltation into heauen of his sitting at the right hand of God in heaueÌ„ly places And thus the meaning of this preface of the Lords prayer is euident for when we say Our father we doe by saith conceiue the readie willing minde and the
forgiuenes of our debts in this very thing we doe humbly confesse before God against Popish Satisfaction that we cannot make sufficient paiment or satisfaction for our sinnes but altogether haue neede of free pardon for our Mediatours sake And because our sinnes make a separation betvveene God and vs Isa 59.2 therefore we craue in this petition the fauour of God reconciliation and acceptance And whosoeuer seeketh for these things either by satisfactions or by merits otherwise then from the meere mercie of the father for the paiment satisfaction and merit of Christ alone doth not seeke them well neither shall euer attaine vnto them for we are commanded to aske the forgiuenes of our debts and the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forgiue is opposed to our paiment to our recompence and satisfaction and signifieth a free gift For the Greekes translate the Hebrew worde Salach which signifieth to be sauourable and of mercie to pardon by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 9.9 Vnto God belong mercies and pardons Numb 14.19 Pardon the iniquitie of the people according to the multitude of thy mercies Hauing thus expounded these things we may easily obserue what we are to aske in this petition VVe pray therefore because our debts are innumerable infinite and vnmeasurable that God will not enter into iudgement with them that he wil not impure them vnto vs that he will not marke them or require them at our hands but for Christ his sake mercifully to pardon them to cast them behinde his backe euen into the bottome of the sea Isa 53.6 Mich. 7.19 And because the wages of sinne are the displeasure the wrath or anger of God the curse of God and condemnation with the punishments of this curse in bodie and soule in this life and in the life to come euen eternall death we therefore beseech the Lord to asswage his deserued wrath not to kindle it against vs or poure it out vpon vs to lay aside his indignation and embrace vs with fauour and mercie to become and to continue vnto vs a gratious and mercifull father and rewarde vs not according to our sinnes neither lay vpon vs the punishment of his curse nor cast vs into prison till we haue made satisfaction Math. 5.25 and 18.34 but pardoning both the fault and the punishment of our sinnes to set vs free from the bonde or obligation thereto that we may say with Paul Who shall accusevs vvho shall condemne vs It is God that iustifieth and forgiueth who shall condemne Rom. 8.33 And seeing they are not generally debts or sinnes but Our debts therefore euery one that is to pray must consider in each commaundement of the law what sinnes he hath runne into and committed he must distinctly obserue whether they be sinnes of presumption Psal 19.14 or sinnes of infirmitie and weaknes for so shall we rightly pray for pardon according to the difference of our sinnes And because sinne is neuer forgiuen vnles we doe repent Ier. 5.7 and we of our selues are carelesse according to our hard heart which can not repent we doe not weigh and consider and count our sinnes how many how great and how grieuous they be we doe not earnestly grieue for our sinnes nor from our heart detest and forsake them we doe not turne from them but delight in our sinnes and declare the same as Sodome Isa 3.9 we haue not the seare of God before our eyes neither be affected with the sense of Gods wrath therefore wheÌ„ we pray for the pardon of our sinnes we doe withall intreat that God by his spirit would cast out of vs all securitie that sinne may not sleepe or lie dead in vs but may be raised by the Law that he would take from vs our stonie and impenitent heart and giue vnto vs a fleshie and repentant heart which may acknowledge and detest it owne sinnes which may bewaile the same and feare in the sense acknowledgement of the wrath of God And likewise we doe also praie that he would lift vs vp againe by true faith and preserue vs from despaire for by saith we receiue the forgiuenes of our sinnes And because this petition of forgiuenes of sinnes is ioyned by a coniunctioÌ„ copulatiue vnto the fourth petition where we pray for daily bread for the day therefore we are commaunded to make this petition for the pardon of our sinnes euery day and withall we be admonished to take heede that we do not so heape our sinnes that we shall be found in the bookes of Gods iudgement Dan. 7.10 without forgiuenes but we must euery day pray that our daily sinnes may be blotted out that they be not written vvith a penne of yron and that we may not heape vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 And because God hath appointed and ordained certaine meanes whereby he will bestow and we must receiue the forgiuenes of sinnes therefore we doe likewise pray that God would giue vs such a minde whereby we may not contemne or neglect but daily exercise the vse of the kaies of heauen the hearing of the word the vse of the SacrameÌ„ts and other exercises of faith and praier that God vvould not giue vs vp to a reprobate sense voide of all griefe not regarding our sinnes or the wrath of god Rom. 1.28 Eph. 4.17 And lastly we pray that we may not be preuented by death before our sinnes be remitted and forgiuen and that before the ende of this life we may vse those meanes whereby the pardon of our sinnes may ordinarily be graunted vnto vs. These so many and so great blessings must we conceiue in our mind when we pray forgiue vs our sinnes whereby we may plainely see what deuotion and intention of minde is required in the very act of praier Now all these things we must aske for the whole bodie of the Church in generall priuately for our selues and namely for those whose necessitie we know for we say Our debts or trespasses And although the three latter petitions be deprecatorie that is such wherein we pray against euills yet they may be well applied to the foure generall heads set downe in the beginning and so ought to be For as we haue shewed that in the former petitorie d that is such petitions wherin we craue some blessings petitions were contained praiers against euills thanksgiuings and confessions of sinnes so there is the same reason in these deprecatorie they containe in them petitions for some blessings thaÌ„ksgiuings and confessions As we forgiue our debters Luke hath it thus καὶ Î³á½°Ï á¼€Ï…Ï„Î¿á½¶ for we also forgiue Now we must not take the similitude according to Matthew to be equall altogether as though God should forgiue with no more perfect measure of mercie then we forgiue others for the flesh fighteth against the spirit in vs euen then when we are reconciled to our neighbour And God himselfe sheweth inequalitie between them Ose 11.8 I should make thee as Adama and Zeboim but I will