Lord and thou art exalted as head above all 1 Chron. 29.10.11 David calleth upon his soule and all that is within him to praise his holy Name Ps 103.1.2 The Apostle requireth that in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we should make our requests knowne unto God Philip. 4.6 Also he saith Let us by Christ offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thankes unto his Name Heb. 10.13 Reas 1 Praise and thankes are 〈◊〉 unto God for hee himselfe do most excellent being infinite in all holinesse of wisedome power mercy and all the rest of his divine attributes If there be any excellency in any creatures the praise belongeth unto God because hee made it excellent and if any good thing be bestowed upon any man whatsoever was the secondary meanes God was the first cause and 〈◊〉 the true giver thereof Of him are all things therefore to him be glory for ever Rom. 11.36 Reas 2 It is good pleasant and comely to praise the Lord Psal 147.1 It is good because it is the will of God being a part of his worship It is the best meanes to continue and make good unto us the good things we have 1 Tim. 4.4 It is the best meanes to procure those good things which wee yet have not It is well pleasing unto God for he saith He that offereth praise glorifieth mee Psal 50.23 It doth become the upright to bee thankfull Psal 33.1 for it doth shew their humility and dependance on God acknowledgment that they in all things are beholding unto God This reproveth all those who Vse 1 notwithstanding they have the great booke of the creation and frame of the world to looke upon and the booke of the Scriptures to looke into both which doe set forth the unspeakeable excellencies of God yet never admire him nor speake of him to his praise whereas if a mortall man shall doe some curious piece of worke shewing therein some rare skill and invention his worke shall be gazed on and admired and the workman praised of every one and hee shall be halfe deified And if a friend shall save their lives or deliver them out of prison or doe any other such speciall kindnesse unto them they thanke him and acknowledge themselves beholding unto him as long as they live whereas God which gave power and will to the same friend to doe thee good and doth give them all other good things who would also deliver them from the bondage of sinne and Satan aâ—â— from eternall death he is forgotten and is never thanked by them yea many of those who in their distresse doe seeke unto him and are holpen even they like the nine Lepers never returne to give thanks Luk 17.17 It is ten to one as we say if any give glory to God Most men ascribe the praise of all good things which they have unto nature fortune lucke or chance unto their wit or to their hands or to their friends to any person or thing rather then unto God without whom they could have had nothing These men are wilfully blinde if they doe not see that Gods hand doth all things But if they see that all things are of God and yet will not give him the praise and thankes they doe much wrong God in depriving him of his honour and doe manifest themselves to be utterly unworthy of all good There is no sinne can bee more hatefull then ingratitude There is no sinne can bee more hurtfull to the committer of it for it doth provoke God and cause him in wisedome and justice to take away from them those good gifts which once hee gave unto them As he did with his daughter Israel of whom he saith Hos 2.8.9 Because she did not know that I did give her corne c. Therfore will I returne and take away my corne in the time thereof And for this cause God giveth men over unto reprobate mindes because they having meanes to know God and cause to be thankeful Yet they doe not glorifie God neither are thankefull Rom. 1.21.28 Vse 2 Let all that professe the name of God learne hereby to bee alwaies as readie to speake of God and to God in praises and thanksgiving as to aske and receive any thing from him by petition For which cause we must consider the workes and word of God for they testifie of him Gods infinite wisedome power mercy and goodnesse and all other his excellencies are seene in the creation preservation and redemption of man and are all clearely revealed in his word In so much that when David did consider the heavens and the worke of his fingers hee breaketh forth into an holy admiration of God saying O Lord our Lord Psal 8.1.9 how excellent is thy name in all the earth And the Apostle could not speake of the worke of redemption by Christ but he saith concerning God To whom be glory for ever Amen Gal. 1.5 Eph. 3.21 If wee would but consider how little good and how much evill wee deserve at Gods hands how that it is his mercy wee are not consumed and if wee would consider how little evill Lam. how much good wee receive every day of his meere goodnesse we could not chuse but be thankefull Wherefore wee must bewaile our barrennesse of heart and with David call upon our soules and all that is within us to blesse and praise his holy name Psal 103.1 We must call his benefits to remembrance and tell our soules what great things the LORD hath done for us recounting one benefit after another untill we have convinced our hearts of our dutie and have enforced our selves unto thankfulnesse But our thanks must not be verball onely like that of the proud Pharisie saying Lord I thanke thee Luk. 18.11 they must be heartie and reall which is then then wee shew that wee do indeed acknowledge our selves bound and beholding to God for those things for which we say we give him thanks namely when we use his gifts as he hath appointed to his glory and when we give our selves both in soule and body to his service thus let us give thanks it is good it is pleasant it will become us Then this nothing more pleasing unto God nothing more profitable unto us for everie heartie thanks is a reall effectuall begging of continuance and blessing upon what we have and of new supplies unto what wee have not such shall never want good gifts because God knoweth he shall never want hearty thanks Thine is kingdome He saith not thou hast a kingdome but which is more thine is kingdome that is all kingdome and soveraigntie is thine in originall right and is not a derived soveraigntie as all other governments are Whence we learne Absolutenesse of authoritie Doct. 3 and Soveraigntie is properly and onely in God The Lord made that great Monarch and earthly king of kings Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge and proclaime
obstinate to instruct his wife children and servants Gen. 9.27 But the Lord must perswade else words are but winde It concerneth all children Vse 6 and servants to consider what charge God hath laid upon their Governours learning thereby that it is as well Gods will that all under houshold governement should suffer themselves to be taught as that any householders should teach You must therefore willingly be present at times appointed to catechise or to talke of good things and being present attend and learn with all diligence yea sometimes give the father or master occasion to teach you by asking some good question as the Disciples did aske Christ saying What might this parable be Luke 8.9 and by moving him as the Disciple which said Lord teach us to pray Luke 11.1 And when you have received instruction of father or mother forsake it not for they will make you beautifull before God Pro. 1.9 being ornaments of grace to your heads and chaines about your neckes But if you be stubborne and will not bee taught by them then know that as he that will not eate is a murtherer of his body so are yee that refuse instruction murtherers of your soules for the eare that heareth the reproofe of life abideth among the wise Pro. 15.31.32 he that refuseth instruction despiseth his owne soule Therefore Our Saviour inferreth this exhortation to pray aright upon consideration that many prayed amisse whence learne Doct. 2 The more subject any duty is to be performed amisse there is the more cause that Christians doe learne and indeavour to performe it aright The more waies a good duty may be ill done the more care should be had how it may be well done Vpon this very ground the Lord directeth his Disciples to the right manner of giving almes verse 2. and of fasting verse 16. c. Our Saviour reasoneth in like manner for hearing the word aright that because many heard amisse scil some received the word as the high way doth seed not understanding what they heard some as the stonie ground the word tooke not deepe root some as the thorny ground they gave entertainement to worldly cares and pleasures together with the word and so all three sorts became fruitlesse Take heed therfore how you heare saith our Saviour Luk. 8.18 For to the pleasing of God Reason it is not enough that the matter of the thing done be good but the manner how Bonum consistit ex causis integris and the end why and all circumstances in the doing it must be good also so that failing but in one thing doth marre the action Man is subject to faile in prayer many waies Now if there be many by-waies man is in more danger of going out of his way then if there were but one And as mans nature is prone to erre and take the worst so Satan is very cunning and diligent by setting goodly apparences upon by-waies to cause man to mistake the right Wherefore the more subject man is to runne out into by-waies the more heed he should take that he doe not goe aside out of the right way of serving the Lord. Vse 1 Hereby is reproved the rashnesse of many who will rush headily into a religious exercise as into prayer preaching hearing the word receiving the Sacrament fasting c. and never looke to the right manner as if there were no way but one and that they could not doe amisse though they never wash their hands from filthinesse nor hearts from wickednesse nor yet so much as thinke before hand how they may bee rightly performed whereas they may and doe faile many waies Thus these good workes being ill done become so abhominable unto God that he saith Isa 1.12.14 Who requireth this at your hands my soule hateth them I am weary to beare them It therefore behoveth all Vse 2 that would serve God in sinceritie to bee very circumspect taking heed how they pray how they heare the word and how they performe all other exercises of religion for they may be and are performed by many in a very sinfull manner Salomons counsell should alwaies be sounding in our eares whensoever we begin any service of God Eccl 5 1.2 Keepe thy foote when thou goest to the house of God c. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hastie to utter any thing before God That we may the better observe this counsell sith it concerneth a preparing a mans self before he speake unto God I will shew first whether preperation be needfull Secondly what that preparation is Preparation to prayer needfull Iob 11.13 First know that preparation to prayer is needfull according to that in Iob If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him c. Thou wilt prepare their heart saith the Psalmist and wilt cause thine eare to heare Psal 10.17 My heart is prepared O God Psal 57.7 my heart is prepared saith he I will sing and give praise The very first words of the Lords Prayer teaching us to begin with Our Father which art in heaven doe argue that wee should have our spirits composed and our whole man rightly disposed unto this holy duty For first God before whom Reason why a man should be pâ—epared before he pray Eccles 5.2 Hâ—b 1.13 and to whom we speake is a great God of glorious majestie and God as Salomon reasoneth is in heaven wee on earth He is most holy of purer eyes then to behold uncleanenesse Levit. 10.3 He will be sanctified in all that draw neere unto him to offer this sweet incense of prayer If we doe not sanctifie him by an holy performance of his service hee will be sanctified him selfe upon us in the just punishment of our hypocrisie superstition or prophanenesse Besides God to whom wee pray is privy to all our behaviour yea to the most secret intentions and dispositions of our hearts It concerneth us therefore that wee be prepared to come before him in sort as beseemeth the presence of his holy Majesty Were we admitted to speake to an eâ—â—thly King we would before 〈◊〉 prepare both what and how 〈◊〉 speake and how to demeane our selves in his presence much more then ought we the King of Kings not onely admitting but graciously inviting us to pray unto him Secondly prayer is a most excellent and a most holy worke of the greatest consequence that can concerne man and of great difficulty to be performed aright I come now to the second case to shew what this preparation unto prayer is This preparation is twofold A twofold preparation to prayer The one generall to be made before hand inabling and fitting a man to pray in an instant whensoever he shall be moved to pray The other preparation is particular and to be made immediately before prayer that it may the better be performed Vnto that generall preparation is required that a man be indued with the spirit
distresses Or if the affliction abide prayer doth ease the heart and procure patience and strength to beare it and it doth sanctifie the crosse causing it like good physicke to work for the good of the inward man As for eternall punishment prayer is the means of forgivenesse Psal 32.5 I said I will confesse my sinne saith David and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne As for evils of sin and temptation Christ Iesus hath prescribed prayer for a remedie against it Mat. 26.41 saying Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation An hearty prayer hath alwayes strength either to remove the temptation or to draw from God sufficiencie of grace to resist it as it did for the Apostle who had this answer of his prayer My grace is sufficient for thee 2. Cor. 12 9 Prayer is a meane to obtaine all good things temporall therfore we are bid to say Give us this day our daily bread 1. Tim. 4.5 it sanctifieth maketh good things to be good to them that have them As for spiritual good things the Lord saith Iam. 1.5 If any man lacke wisedome let him aske of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not The Spirit of grace is obtained by prayer Your heavenly Father saith Christ shall give the holy Spirit to them that aske him Luk. 11.13 There is a necessity of praier Reason 3 both because God hath commanded it and his promises unto man are with this condition of prayer Aske Mat. 7. and ye shall have Though God can helpe if we never aske him yet usually he will not if men ask not You have not saith Iames Iam. 4.2 because ye aske not And though a man have never so much meanes these without prayer can do him no good For to the making of a thing good the word and prayer is required it being Gods ordinance 1. Tim. 4.5 that what meanes soever bee used prayer must be one and that of the quorum as we speake for in all things prayer must bee made Philip. 4.6 Ob. The Lord knoweth what every one nâ—edeth and he saith that * Isa 65.24 before they call I will answer therefore prayer may seeme to be needlesse Sol. The end of prayer is not to informe God of any thing which he knoweth not The use of prayer though God need not thereby to be informed or to perswade God to do any thing whereto he is not of himselfe most willing neither is it a meanes onely to procure good things for a mans selfe but a chiefe end of prayer is that man might expresse his obedience in performance of his dutie it being a part of his holy worship wherein a man professeth his owne frailty and nothingnesse without God and that he holdeth God to be the fountaine of all goodnesse even the giver of every good perfect gift and that hee is perswaded of his goodnesse power and truth towards him also he professeth that he is sensible of his wants and that hee doth depend on him and will be thankfull to him when hee shall please to supplie them For prayer maketh way for praise and thanks Besides prayer to God doth fit men to use those things which they obtained by prayer for God and according to his will considering that upon their suit to him they do enjoy them What though God know what we need our Saviour doth not from thence conclude we must not pray at all Mat. 6.8.9 but therefore take heed how you pray And Gods readinesse to answer before they call is an argument why they should pray For if God bee so gracious that so soone as a man doth in heart desire his helpe he beginneth to answer before he call and as he saith Whiles they are speaking I wil heare then we should not say therefore we need not pray but therefore we wil pray and speake to him because such is his readinesse to heare that we shall be sure to speed Ob. God hath long since decreed what men shall have whether much or little therefore prayer is needles for God cannot alter his purpose Mal. 3.6 I am God saith he and change not Sol. I grant God hath decreed before all worlds what to give and what not but at that time also he decreed the meanes that should come betweene his decree and the execution thereof one of which meanes is prayer without which he never intended ordinarily after hee hath given the first grace to give any thing with a blessing in mercie to any man For to whom he giveth saving grace he alwayes giveth the spirit of supplication Zach. 12.10 and looketh that they should upon all occasions stirre it up in them and improve it for the obtaining of those good things which God hath intended and promised to them God had decreed to give the Gentiles to Christ yet God said to him Aske of me Psal 2.8 and I will give the heathen for thine inheritance Daniel knew certainly the time that God had decreed to deliver his people out of captivitie Dan. 9.2.3 but this did not cause him to forbeare prayer but it quickened him to fast and pray that they might bee delivered For God who had made knowne his decree by the Prophet that after seventie yeares he would cause the Iews to returne out of Babylon and that he had thoughts of peace towards them to give them an expected end hee said also to them Ier. 29.10.11.12.13 then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you And ye shall seek me and finde me when ye shall search for me with all your heart And I will turne away your captivity c. The Prophet David though it was revealed to him that God would establish his house and kingdome upon his seed yet the rather prayeth saying Thou O Lord of hoasts 2 Sa. 7.27 God of Israel hast revealed unto thy servant saying I wil build thee an house therfore hath thy servant found in his heart to make this prayer unto thee God had not onely decreed but had promised to his people that he would give them a new heart and a new spirit c. and that he would cause them to walke in his statutes and outwardly also to blesse them so that their land should bee to them as the Garden of Eden yet saith he for this will I bee inquired of by the house of Israell Ezek. 36.37 It is granted that prayer cannot neither doth it change Gods purpose when yet without prayer he will not give for his purpose was to give when they should pray but not before prayer maketh the change not in God but in him that prayeth fitting him and making him capable of the gift who till then was not sufficiently qualified for it Many have more then heart can wish yet pray not at all Object They are onely outward things and common gifts
to thinke that I had better not pray at all That you feele these defects Answ and do observe these your inabilities and failings in prayer if withall you be humbled and your conscience can witnesse that your desire is that your heart were inlarged and were rightly disposed to prayer this is well this argueth that you have some life and some good disposition to the worke but here is no ground of discouragement or cause why you should forbeare to pray The best of Gods children sometimes have beene in your case David himselfe had his spirit overwhelmed Psal 77.3.4 and was so troubled that he could not speake Ezekiah said that he did chatter like a crane Isa 38.14 he did rather stutter and stammer out his desires to God in a broken sort then by distinct and apt words to expresse them As for wandring thoughts who is free or who can be free so long as sinne dwelleth in him and Satan is alwayes readie to cast them in As for faith it may be that you pray in faith though you conceive otherwise because you feele so much doubting but would you pray in faith do you grieve that you cannot beleeve and can you say with him in the Gospel I do beleeve Mar. 9.24 Lord helpe my unbeleefe then you pray in faith though you feele it not If you feele your selfe worse after prayer this is a misconceit of yours or a suggestion of Satan But if it be so indeed in your feeling this doth not argue that you are worse for your prayer but better for that evill which was in you before unseene is now discovered that you may reforme it The flesh and Satan sometimes may bee more stirring with their tentations but prayer gaineth alwayes a secret helpe of God if you would but improve it But know whatsoever your feeling be if failings in prayer be not allowed but resisted and and prayed against God passeth them by and doth not account them unto you If you endeavour to pray aright and do pray as well as you can though you faile very much this unallowed failing is onely a sinne of infirmitie for which God doth pity you and will spare you as a father doth his sonne that serveth him But not to pray at all is a grosse sinne of wilfull negligence which God hateth and will severely punish Wherefore whatsoever your indisposition be and whatsoever your former failings and discouragements have beene you must breake through all lets know that you have the more need to pray setting about it in the power of Gods might sith that you have no power of your owne Psal 119.88 Psal 119.32 Psal 86.9 Do as David did pray to be quickened and to have your heart inlarged and that God would unite your heart to feare his name If there be truth of desire in your prayer then know that you are heard and accepted not for the goodnesse and worth of your prayer but for the goodnesse and merits of Christ Iesus by whom you offer up your prayers What though you know not how to pray Rom. 8.26.27 the Spirit of him who hath commanded you to pray will helpe your infirmitie and enable you to pray in such sort as God shall accept thereof in Christ Iesus And if you be so heavie and comfortlesse after prayer it is your fault proceeding from groundlesse doubts and false feares but yet no argument that you did not pray aright or that you were not heard much lesse that you should think you pray in vaine or that you had better not pray at all But so long as a doubt and scruple remaineth in my mind Quest whether I may pray or no is it not best for me not to pray till that scruple be removed for I must do nothing doubtingly nor against scruple of conscience Answ To this I answer this is but a delusion of the devill and a groundlesse fancie In things indifferent of which the Apostle speaketh a man must be fully perswaded in his owne minde Rom. 14.5.23 and he must not do a thing indifferent though lawfull in it selfe to be done so long as hee doubteth and doth make scruple of conscience thereabout whether it may be done or no and therefore he must with all singlenesse of heart use meanes by the truth of Gods word to informe his conscience But in things expresly commanded such as is this dutie of prayer in this case a man is not to hearken to any scruple which shall rise concerning the not performing of it but is violently to resist that scruple and to breake through it and to addresse himselfe to the dutie of prayer notwithstanding For whensoever scruples under pretence of conscience shall arise to trouble and hinder a man from performing a necessarie dutie When a man may do contrary to scruple of conscience such as prayer and the like it is lawfull to do contrary to such scruples for a scruple is nothing else but a groundlesse feare wherefore to do a thing commanded by God though it be done contrarie to this scruple is not to do it against conscience for there can be no tye of conscience against any of Gods Commandements Wherefore laying aside all carnall reasoning and objecting as also all scruples and doubting be you encouraged to bee frequent in prayer and that not onely because unspeakable good shall redound to your selfe thereby but out of conscience of dutie because it is the wil of God that you should pray unto him Pray in this manner or as Luk. 11.1 Say Our Father c. Note hence that Doct. 4 The Lords prayer is a prayer and may be used in this verie forme of words for a prayer Our Saviour else would not have said Say Our Father Luk. 11.1 Reason Whatsoever is requisite in prayer may be expressed in uttering the very words of this prayer And in them a man may make his requests knowne to God which to do is to pray Vse 1 This confuteth the rash and ungrounded opinion of those which because the Lords Prayer is a patterne of prayer therefore hold it unlawfull to use it for a prayer As if it might not be both a prayer and a pattern as indeed it is And why may it not as well as a Kings standard weights and measures which are patternes of all sorts of weights and measures of the kingdome by which all both small and great are to be made and examined yet no wise man will say those standards are not weights or will not use them but of all weights if he may will use them because they be perfect and by them he may make others of his owne If the Lords Prayer be a Vse 2 prayer to be used in that verie forme in which Christ hath left it Set prayers are lawfull then without question set prayers are lawfull and no man should make scruple thereat yea in private for this prayer may be said in the closet Mat. 6.6 Besides we have good
warrant from Moses teaching the Priests to blesse the people in a set forme saying Num. 6.24 The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee c. Also when the Ark set forward they had a set forme Numb 10.35 Rise up Lord c. David penned his Psalmes to bee used in the Church and Psal 92. for every Sabbath And Hezekiah commanded the Levites to sing praises unto the Lord with the words of David 2 Chron. 29.30 and of Asaph It is said of our Saviour Christ whose example we may bee bold to follow That he prayed the third time saying the same words Mat. 26.44 Ob. Set formes of prayer doth stint the spirit Sol. It doth not no more then a premeditated Sermon doth stint the spirit of Prophesie or then a conceived prayer by the Minister doth stint the spirit of prayer in the people who must restraine themselves to his words yet the spirit in truth is not stinted in them Order and edification in the Church requireth set formes of prayers and praises to be used in publicke as it hath beene the custome of all established true Churches there being common sinnes to be deprecated common graces to bee prayed for and common mercies to thank God for And in more private praier the ignorance forgetfulnesse and bashfulnesse of some persons before their family or others causeth that for a time it is needfull to use the helpe of a set form which he may reade or repeate so that he joyne understanding and assent of heart thereto Yet it must be remembred that Christians must not alwayes be such novices and weaklings in religion to use set formes of prayer in private which like crutches and bladders serve to initiate and minister to them helpe untill they have gotten strength as if they never intended to pray without them But let this here be observed It must not on the other side be held that onely premeditated studied and set praiers are lawfull He is not meete for the place of a Minister nor worthy the name of a strong Christian that hath so tyed his devotion to a set forme that he will not or cannot vary his petitions for his people or himselfe as particular occasions varie and new necessities require It is impossible that any prayer booke should meet with all occasions either of prayer or thanksgiving which fall out daily And conceived prayer is not so defective and imperfect but if it be pertinent and in truth God liketh it Exo 14.15 though it had no set forme to bring it forth Such were the prayers of Moses at the Red-sea 1. Sam. 1.13 and of Hannah at the Tabernacle their prayers were conceived and brought forth without set forme or voice I conclude this point therefore affirming that it is an error to hold set prayer to be unlawfull and it is no lesse error to hold that no prayer but a set forme of prayer is lawfull In this manner If our Saviour would have us use onely this forme S. Luke would not have varied from this of Saint Matthew saying Sinnes for debts and far for as in the fifth petition neither would he have left out the forme of thanksgiving nor yet would the Apostles have prayed in any other forme All which shew that In this manner signifieth according to it and not onely to use those words whence learne that All prayers must be made according Doct. 5 to the patterne of the Lords Prayer If made according to this they are acceptable if not they are faultie The best confirmation of this point besides Christs expresse exhortation which is authenticke is to compare this praier with the prayers of the Saints recorded in holy writ both before and after this prayer and it will be found that they all may without wresting be referred unto some branches of this prayer even as all the precepts scattered in the Bible may be referred unto the ten commandements Reason The perfection that this prayer hath above all other prayers doth challenge the rule of all the rest for whatsoever is necessarily requisite in praier is to be learned by this if it be truly understood For it plainly teacheth how he must be qualified that doth pray also to whom we must pray what we must aske and with what heart and affection as will appeare in the handling of it Vse 1 Every disciple and member of Christ Iesus should therefore have this prayer in great esteeme because it is of Christs owne composing they are his own words and he did of purpose leave it to be a patterne of prayer to all Christians Onely take heed that you do not with the Papists turne the use of it into abuse through superstition Let all men use this prayer Vse 2 for the guide of all their prayers and as skilfull workemen by the helpe of some small but true modell or draught can erect a large and stately building so we by this compendious but most exact briefe of prayer must learne to enlarge our selves in prayer That use of this patterne for the making of prayers according to it How to frame all prayers by the patterne of the Lords prayer may be made two things must be learned First learne the plaine meaning of the words and the sense and meaning of Christ in them Secondly learne how this patterne may be applied As for the first because such exceeding brevity doth cause some obscurity the more paines must be taken that by the light of other Scripture and helpe of those men which have faithfully travelled in the interpretation of this prayer the true meaning may be found out And untill you meete with better directions use these following First two things in generall one contrary to the other are to be understood in every petition namely petition and deprecation praying for some thing that is good and praying against the contrary evill And it is a sure rule that in the same petition where the good thing is desired the contrary evill is prayed against as in the foure former petitions Also where the evill prayed against is expressed in the petition the contrary good thing to be desired is to be understood in the same petition as in the two last petitions As it is in the commandements in the same commandement that any vice is forbidden the contrary duty is commanded A second rule is If one kind or part of any thing be expressed in any petition all kindes and parts of the same thing are to be understood A third rule is where any one thing is prayed for in any petition the causes effects thereof and whatsoever properly belongeth unto the said thing is understood to be prayed for in the same petition except they fall out to bee the expresse subject of some other petition The second thing to be learned is how application of this prayer may be made to the framing of all other prayers by it which that ye may do take notice that this prayer directeth us unto
three things obseruable in all prayers First the person to whom onely we must pray concerning whom this is the rule That person onely who is God and Lord of heaven and earth is to be prayed unto thus much you learne both in the invocation in the beginning and in the forme of praise in the end of the Lords Prayer The second thing to be observed is what wee must aske the rule thereof is whatsoever may lawfully be asked may without wresting bee referred to one of the sixe petitions If they can referre their request to any petition they may be bold to make it It shall bee needfull therefore to observe the particulars under every petition both what is prayed for and what is prayed against the most whereof shall appeare in the handling of each severall petition to which I doe send you And when you have learned what you may lawfully pray ye may be longer or shorter in any one petition as your present need or the particular occasion doth require which libertie may bee obserued in those prayers of the Apostles which are recorded for our use in the holy Scriptures The third thing to be observed is with what disposition of heart and affection we must pray Which is fully expressed and implyed in that word Amen which requireth that prayer bee made with understanding in truth in fervencie and in faith as will manifestly appeare when wee come to treate of that word Here yet some question may be made touching the order here set down whether it must be precisely kept I answer in the generall it must that is Gods glory must be first in our aime but touching the particular manner of expressing it that is left to the libertie of him that prayeth whether hee begin with praise or with confession of sinnes and asking forgivenesse thereby making way to the other petitions with more confidence There is no rule to be given hereof because we see the Apostles after they were taught this forme did take this libertie Our Father c. Here beginneth the patterne of prayer which because Christ Iesus our Lord gave it to his Disciples is therefore called the Lords Prayer It consisteth of two parts The first is an expressing of a mans desire unto God The second is a manifestation of the assent and right disposition of his heart in putting up the aforesaid desires in the word Amen which though it be but one word yet is full of excellent matter The first part doth branch it selfe into three members 1 Invocation upon God Our Father which art in heaven 2 Petition Hallowed by thy Name Thy kingdome come c. 3 A forme of praise and thanâ—es containing reasons why the former petitions should be made unto God For thine is kingdome power and glory for ever Invocation or calling upon God is here taken in the proper and strictest sense not for the whole exercise of prayer but for appellation in which a man calleth upon him whom hee would have to heare him This invocation consisteth of a description of God who onely is to be called upon in prayer He is described by two arguments First by the relation that is betweene him and his elect in Christ Our Father Secondly by a signe of his soveraigntie and majestie that is by his being in heaven which is the Court of his majestie the place from whence hee sheweth his infinite power goodnesse and glory Which art in heaven The description of God by these two arguments the one arguing his graciousnesse and readinesse of will the other arguing his greatnesse fulnesse of power to helpe all that come unto him is placed of purpose in the very entrance into prayer to strengthen the petitioners faith that hee need not doubtingly say as he did If thou wilt thou canst helpe me Mat 8.2 For he is his father therefore will do whatsoever in his holy wisedome he judgeth fit to be done Neither need he say as that other If thou canst doe any thing helpe us Mark 9.22 For his God and father in the heavens is almighty and can doe whatsoever he pleaseth Psal 115.3 and would have to be done This description of God to whom prayer is made by his relation to them that are to pray consisteth of the appropriating possessive particle Our and of that gracious title of God Father In this one description two things are signified both the condition of them that pray and of him that is prayed unto These words as they looke toward the persons who may pray they intimate a double condition First that they have a right and interest in God they can call him theirs for they are the children of God Secondly Our importeth that common interest and fatherhood in God which the rest of the faithfull have in him from which there groweth a communion of one Christian with another so that they become brethren These two qualities therefore faith in God and love to our brethren are here required in every one that is qualified for prayer Our is not onely here a note of the joyning together of many in prayer when one man is the mouth of the rest because this forme of words is to be uttered by one in the closet Mat. 6.6 as well as by many in publike but it noteth that relation and respect of God to them which is common unto their brethren 2 King 19.19 Thus Hezekiah useth it saying O Lord our God I beseech thee c. Daniel praying alone Dan. 9.17.18 faith Now therefore O our God heare the prayer of thy servant Not but that when we would expresse our particular faith and dependance upon God Mat. 26.39 Ier. 3.19 1 Cor. 4.18 we may say My Father or My God But our Saviour maketh choise of this forme of speech because it is full of instruction and is best agreeing to all sorts of prayer both in private as well as publike Thus we see what this description of God intimateth as it looketh towards those that pray As it looketh towards him to whom prayer is made he is first called Father Father spoken of God is a word of relation to Christ the second person in Trinity Psal 2.7 Ioh. 1.14 and so is proper to the first person in Trinity Secondly in relation to the creature in a more common respect to all as he is the Author of their being and subsisting in nature thus all * Deut. 32.6 three persons are called Father God is also a Father in a speciall respect to his elect in Christ as he is the Author of their spirituall being and subsisting in state of grace * 1 Ioh. 5. â— Isa 9 6. Ioh 3.5 Thus in speciall sort the three persons are and may be called Father by all beleevers And as I conceive in this place this word Father directeth us to God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost yet so as it pointeth in an order to that person in the Deity
to whom Fatherhood and the beginning of all things is ascribed without excluding but necessarily including the other two namely to God the Father the first person in Trinitie the naturall and eternall Father of Christ Iesus who by adopting us in Christ and by begetting us againe by regeneration through the Spirit * Ioh. 20.17 is our Father Thus the Apostle Paul conceived of God when he prayed first he conceived of God as Father of Christ saying Eph. 3.14.15 I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ then he sheweth how hee conceived God as the father of the elect when he saith Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth are named So did the Apostle Peter conceive of God 1 Pet 1.3 when he gave him thanks saying Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Which art in heaven Heaven signifieth the heaven of heavens the third heaven where Christ sitteth at the right hand of his Father By the excellencie of this place above others is set forth the majestie and excellencie of him that sitteth therein God doth not so inhabite the high and holy place but that he dwelleth also with him that is of a contrite spirit Isa 57.15 1 Kin. 8.27 Mat. 5.34.35 Psal 11.4 And the Heaven of heavens cannot containe him But because heaven is Gods Pallace and throne in comparison of earth which is but his footstoole and because from thence he doth manifest his glory more remarkeably then from any other place revealing his will power Iam. 1.17 and Godhead in his workes of mercy as David saith Psal 57.3 Psal 102.19.10 Rom. 1.18 He shall send from heaven and save me and in workes of justice as the Apostle saith The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse therefore hee will that his being in heaven should as by a signe set forth his glorious Majestie Also his being in heaven doth distinguish him from earthly fathers Luk. 31 13. and putteth difference between him and false * Psal 136.26 Ion. 1.9 gods This description of God by his place is all one with that which the Apostle setteth downe at large calleth him 1. Tim 6.15.16 Onely Potentate King of kings Lord of Lords who onely hath immortalitie dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto c. If this short description be well weighed it will appeare that there could not possibly bee a a more briefe and more apt description of God meet to be represented to the minde of him that is to pray then this which in more words may be thus expressed O Lord God which art Father of Christ Iesus and through him Father of me and of all beleevers we coming to thee in the name of Christ and being moved hereunto by thy spirit of Adoption whereby we call Abba Father we are well assured that thou wilt accept of our praiers praying for our selves and for our brethren and sith thou onely art God which dwellest in the high and holy place from whence cometh every good gift and art Almightie as thou art God to answer thy willingnesse as thou art Father wherefore we call upon thee and do thou vouchsafe to heare us Our Note here that a man must have faith and be in state to call God his Father else he is not sufficiently qualified for prayer Learne therefore Whosoever would make an acceptable Doct. 1 prayer must be Gods childe he must have a right to call God Father and must come to God as a childe to his father Therefore David when hee prayeth approveth himselfe to be Gods childe saying If I regard iniquitie in my heart the Lord will not heare me Psal 66.18 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight saith Solomon Prov. 15.8 It was a true speech of him which said We know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Ioh. 9.31 Reason 1 For the person of a man must be accepted else his sacrifice cannot be good and acceptable for while the tree is naught Mat. 7 18. the fruit cannot be good Thornes cannot send forth grapes Mat. 7 16 neither can thistles beare figges Reason 2 All acceptable prayers are put up in Christs name and are accepted through his mediation Now he is Advocate for none but those for whom he is a propitiation scil beleevers according to his prayer I pray not for the world c. Ioh. 17.9 Reason 3 No man can pray untill he have the spirit of prayer Zac. 12.10 to cause him to mourne kindly for his sinne and to call Abba Father which spirit God sendeth to none but to his sonnes Gal. 4.6 Everie one that cometh to Reason 4 God must beleeve that God is and that hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him Heb. 11.6 They must have faith How shall they call on him on whom they have not beleeved Rom. 10.14 The promise of acceptance Reason 5 and of a gracious hearing is made to the godly Psal 32 6. Psal 34.15.17.18 Iam. 5.16 and to the righteous whose prayers are said to be prevailing If a man have not good assurance Reason 6 that hee is the childe of God he can never answer those strong objections which the devill will urge to keepe him from prayer but if he can shew that God is his Father and that God hath commanded him to pray no objection of Satan can discourage him Vse 1 Hereby all that do not righteousnesse and that love not their brethren for by this they are discerned not to be children of God Ioh. 3.10 but of the devill must understand that if they continue in this their wicked condition and yet pray they deale presumptuously and to them God saith Psa â—0 16.17 What have ye to do to take my covenant in your mouth seeing ye hate instruction Secondly they may learne what to judge of their praiers God accepteth them not for they be no better then either howlings or cries wrung from them by pinching necessitie Hos 7.14 or meere hypocritical mocking of God abhominable sacrifices of which the Lord saith Your incense is an abhomination Isa 113.15 and when ye make many prayers I will not heare It is all one with him as if * Isa 66.3 ye did blesse an Idoll so long as ye chuse your owne waies such as ignorance superstition contempt of religion prophanenesse pride drunkennesse whoredome deceit lying unbeliefe impenitencie and such like God abhorreth all service done to him so long as their soules delight in their abhominations Consider this O ye that forget God saith the Lord lest I teare you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal 50.22 Thirdly let all impenitent and ungodly persons take notice in how miserable a straight they are and into what a labyrinth and maze their sinne hath brought
thus divided Summum bonum the first expresseth the desire of the chiefe good scil the glory of Gods name in the first petition Hallowed be thy Name the means whereby his Name is hallowed and glorified are the matter of all the rest delivered in a most heavenly order Gods Name cannot bee hallowed if hee doe not make his holy Name known by erecting his kingdome therefore the comming of his kingdome is the matter of the second petition And because his kingdome is not made manifest and his Name is not acknowledged to be holy and glory is not given unto him untill his will bee unfainedly obeyed therefore thy will be done is the matter of the third petition Now because no man can do the will of God upon earth except God sustain him on earth therefore daily support from God is prayed for and is the matter of the fourth petition And when a man hath all comfortable supplies for this naturall life yet if he bee not in Gods favour and be reconciled unto God he neither hath will nor power to glorifie God nor can bee accepted in any thing he doth therefore forgivenesse of sinnes and justification before God is the matter of the fift petition Lastly though a man have his sinnes past pardoned and he be justified he cannot do Gods will nor declare that the kingdome of God is come to him nor any way hallow his Name if he have not grace and power against sinne therefore the sanctification of the whole man is prayed for which is the matter of the last petition This is the holy order and subordination of the petitions Fourthly the different manner of propounding the petitions cause a different acception of them some are petitions properly so called when the good things asked are expressed and the evill prayed against is understood as in the foure first petitions some are deprecations when the evill prayed against is expressed and the good prayed for is understood as in the two last petitions The first petition is Hallowed be thy Name here it must bee considered what is meant by Name the object of hallowing then what hallow signifieth Name hath reference to God and it signifieth God himselfe scil the person named Also all such names and titles of God his attibutes actions ordinances and all things which have any speciall print of Gods holinesse stamped upon them are Gods name because by them he is knowne as men are by their names The word thy appropriateth the hallowing of the name unto him who is before named and described in the invocation opposing and preferring Gods name to the name of man or Angell or of any other creature To hallow is either to make a thing holy which was common or prophane or to declare and acknowledge and use holily some thing which is holy already Hallow must not bee taken in the first sense scil to make a thing holy for God and his Name alwayes was is and for ever shall be of it selfe most holy But to hallow Isa 29.23 here signifieth thus much to conceive and acknowledge with the heart and to declare with the tongue and life that God and his Name is holy and to bee respected and used as most holy in like sense as Wisdome is said to bee justified of her children Mat. 11.19 that is declared and respected as wisdome ought to bee respected For to hallow a thing is to respect and use it according to the holinesse thereof Prophaning Gods name is contrary to the hallowing of it The aime of our Saviour is that God may bee set up in mens hearts and may bee glorified and acknowledged in the world For this cause hee maketh choice of the most apt word that could be invented for hallowing leadeth vs to a consideration of Gods holinesse which is the glory of all other his attributes and includeth the cause why he should be glorified and therefore is a word of larger extent than magnified or glorified for the one doth but point out the glory of his greatnesse the other doth not expresse the cause why hee should bee glorified both which hallowed doth For holinesse is that rectitude in God and freedome from all impurenesse and from all shadow of imperfection or sinne which is the excellency and perfection of all other things that are in God and to speake with holy reverence of his Majesty the other attributes of God could not be commendable in God if they were not all infinitely holy His soveraignty would be tyranny his justice would bee cruelty his mercy would be foolish pity his wisdome would bee craft and subtilty if his greatnesse justice mercy and wisdome were not infinitely holy The like may be said of his other attributes For we see in creatures as in the Deuill and sinfull men the more strength and wisdome and skill they have the more mischievous they be because they want holinesse to use these gifts aright Wherefore in saying Hallowed be thy Name we desire that the excellency of his Godhead may be acknowledged as there is due cause according as they sing in the Song of the Lambe Rev. 15.4 Who shall not feare hee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy Isa 64.2 This word Hallowed is set downe impersonally in such a forme of signification as includeth all persons or things which are capable of setting forth and acknowledging his holinesse As Let thy Name be hallowed by Thee so saith Christ Father glorifie thy Name Ioh. 12.28 and make Me to hallow thy Name in acknowledging thy holinesse and let all others acknowledge thee to be holy and to be the onely true God 1 King 18 36. Thus Elias prayed Let it be knowne this day that thou art God in Israel And God saith when hee will magnifie and sanctifie himselfe Ezech 38.23 I will be knowne in the eyes of many nations and they shall know that I am the Lord. The petition being thus opened we may expresse it in these or the like words Holy Father whose Name is holy to thee therefore all glory doth belong Lord glorifie thy selfe make it knowne that thou onely art God deserving all praises make me and all men to acknowledge thee onely to be God and our God and that of perfect excellencie according as thy Name in thy titles word and workes doe set thee forth And let thy Name Psal 111.9 which is holy and reverend be so honoured that so farre as any person or thing hath upon it any print of thy holinesse it be honoured and respected accordingly And farre be it from me or any man to deny thee in whole or in part or give any of that glory which is due to thee to any person or thing whatsoever or to prophane any thing whereupon any footsteps of thy holinesse is imprinted Hallowed be thy Name If it be observed that to desire that Gods Name should be glorified is the subject of this petition and that Christ hath set
and glory of that former government is due unto him for ever Moreover it must be considered that as he is head of his Church hee must needs have more glory and joy when that all the members of his body shall be perfectly glorified 1 Cor. 12.26.27 than he could have when in state of his Mediatour-ship onely some of his members were glorified and they also then glorified but in part A King 's onely sonne being imployed by vertue of a commission as his Viceroy to subdue and regaine to 〈…〉 a rebellious kingdome when he hath fully effected it he is to deliver up that kingdome with his commission which when he hath done it pleaseth his father to ease him of further care and to cause him all his life time to live in triumph seating him next to himselfe in his kingdome This latter condition is no lesse honourable and glorious but is much more happy and joyous than the former Like to this is the state of Christ as man after the delivering up of his kingdome in the state of glorious subjection That which is desired concerning Gods kingdome is that it may come To come properly is an action of such creatures which have power of moving whereby they being absent or farre off doe approach and become present Here it is taken metaphorically importing first a desire of continuance and establishment of so much of the kingdome as is come already Secondly the comming and being of his kingdome where it is not yet erected Thirdly the growth towards perfection of those things which are come in truth but not in perfection of degrees Fourthly the consummation and perfect comming of all things that belong to the glory of Gods kingdome The last is when as things concerning this kingdome are come in their being they may so farre as may bee profitable to us come to our knowledge Iob 26.14 for without this comming also wee cannot so well glorifie God in hallowing his Name Therefore it is that every speciall manifestation of Christs glory when it appeareth to men may bee called a comming of his kingdome Thus Christ's revealing some glimpse of his glory is called the comming of the kingdome of God with power Mat. 9.12 These senses of this word come are so subordinate and agreeing one to another that it comprehendeth them all So that when we say Thy kingdome come it is as if we said O Lord who art the onely Potentate and King of kings declare make thy Name knowne to be holy by shewing thy selfe to bee the absolute Soveraigne over all by sustaining preseruing and disposing of all things in the world so as both thy glory may appeare and as it may make for the kingdome of grace And grant that all thine ordinances and meanes of gathering establishing thine Elect may be set up in their puritie and power to the effectuall calling ordering and perfecting of thy people untill thou have glorified thy selfe in bringing them all to eternall glory Be pleased likewise to remove and beate downe whatsoever power doth let and doth exalt it selfe against thee and thy kingdome untill thou hast glorified thy selfe in the eternall shame and destruction of thine enemies Thy kingdome come The petition being thus interpreted we may from the whole scope of it conclude Doct. All Christians should unfainedly desire that God would shew himselfe to be the absolute soveraigne Lord God both in the administration of his kingdome of power over all creatures and in setting up and establishing his kingdome of grace to the utter overthrow of his enemies and bringing of his Elect in Christ to the kingdome of glory What David doth praise God for that all must pray for that as hee saith Psal 145.11 They may speake of the glory of his kingdome and talke of his power He saith elsewhere O God shew thy selfe Psal 94.1 1 King 18.36.37.38.39 Elijah prayeth Let it be knowne this day that thou art God in Israel and that thou art the Lord God and hast turned their heart back againe Which request he granted by sending fire which consumed the offering whereat the people cryed saying The Lord he is God the Lord hee is God Expresse charge is given by the Prophet saying Ye that are the Lords remembrancers keepe not silence and give him no rest till hee establish â—sa 6â— 6.7 and till he make Ierusalem a praise in the earth Doe good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem Psal 51.18 saith David The Apostle exhorteth the Thessalonians to pray for the Ministers that the word of the Lord might have free course and be glorified and that they might be delivered from unreasonable men 2 Thes 3.1.2 The soules staine for the word of God say How long Rev. 6.9.10 O Lord holy and true c. Lastly as Christ saith I come quickly so Iohn and all which love his appearing say Amen Come Lord Iesus Rev. 22.20 The generall reason why the comming of the kingdome of power grace and glory is desired is because they are involved one in another and neither of them is fully come and the comming of them doe admirably set forth the glory of God The reasons why each is particularly to be desired follow Reason 1 The continuance of Gods governement and wise disposing of all things is to be desired because first thereby hee doth shew forth his eternall power and Godhead in such great letters Rom 1.19.20 that men may learne to glorifie him for his infinite wisedome power and goodnesse Psal 19 1â— For the heavens declare the glory of God The varietie order and use of the creatures doe shew that in wisedome hee hath made them all Psal 104.24.25 These workes of God in giving all things meate in due season and preserving of the creation doe shew to the sonnes of men the glorious majestie of his kingdome and doe witnesse that the Lord onely is the living and true God Act. 14.15.17 Secondly the powerfull and Reason 2 wise providence of God in sustaining and governing the world doth afford both matter and meanes for the kingdome of grace For the propagation increase of mankind is Gods nurserie in which grow many stockes though crab-stockes whereof hee will ingraft whom he pleaseth into his Sonne Christ Iesus make them trees of righteousnesse This generall government also is as it were God's schoole wherein he doth educate and traine up men to civilitie to trades and arts which are excellent mediate helps to sustain the materials and to build up the frame of the Church of God For these causes Gods generall and common providence is to be prayed for Reason 3 Thirdly if the Lord doe not beare up the pillars of the earth Psal 75.3 the whole frame thereof will be dissolved if hee doe not order and dispose of all things in the world and if he doe not renew the face of the earth there will be nothing
but trouble and death Psal 104.29.30 and returning to dust wherefore his kingdome of power is to be desired Whereas it is most generally conceived Ob. that this kingdome of God's providence is fâ—â— to be prayed for because it cannot be resisted and because it shall come certainly I answer Sol. that unto me it seemeth most evident that the divell the prince that ruleth in the aire doth so farre as God doth permit usurpe upon this kingdome of power as well though not so much as upon the kingdome of grace by causing disorder in the course of nature by infecting the aire by ruising tempests by causing of fires whereby hee doth much mischiefe as in Iob's case Iob 1. Hee prevaileth much also in holding many parts of the world in barbarisme And when he cannot hinder the ordinary works of God then hee blindeth the eyes of men that they cannot see God in his workes but maketh them beleeve that all things come from nature fortune or humane policie deposing God as much as he mâ—â— of his regencie in the worâ—e And what though this kingdome shall come certainly the kingdome of grace shall come as certainely if wee consider Gods decree and power to execute it Onely I confesse the divell more especially would play rex against the kingdome of grace for which cause it is most especially to bee prayed for Moreover this kingdome of power is yet in comming untill this world shall be dissolved And though this kingdome of power be come in respect of Gods act yet there is but a part of his wayes Iob 26.14 yea but a little part that is heard of him that is come to our knowledge and understanding therefore in this respect prayer must bee made that wee may know his kingdome of power for which we may sanctifie his Name The kingdome of grace must bee desired for these causes Reason First the holinesse of Gods Name in all his attributes doe shew themselves most manifestly in the comming thereof The comming of his word to any man and the worke of conversion by the word doe shew the infinitenesse of his wisedome power mercy justice patience and goodnesse in gathering and saving the elect also his wisedome power hatred of sinne and justice in over mastering sinne Sathan and revenging himselfe upon the disobedient are thereby most manifest Secondly the publishing of the word whereby this kingdome is erected is the meanes of revealing the will of God and of making men able to doe his will Therefore the comming of this kingdome is to be desired Reason The kingdome of glory is to be desired because untill it be come the kingdome of grace is not perfect for while there is need of Ministers and ministery there is still a perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4.12 and the measure of the fulnesse of the stature of the body of Christ is not yet attained unto Besides wee which are now called cannot without those who yet are to be called Heb. 11.40 be made perfect But when the kingdome of glory shall be come we shall all be glorious And then it is 1 Cor. 15.28 when God shall be all in all and bee perfectly glorified Thus it is evident that the kingdome of power grace and glory is to bee desired Before wee can make use of this point it shall be needfull to consider the particulars compreheÌ„ded in it to be praied for Concerning the kingdome of power request is first made unto God that he would continue the worke of creation renewing the face of the earth upholding all things by his power ordering all things by his wise providence that all men may see his infinite greatnesse goodnesse and all other his holy excellencies We must likewise deprecate that confusion disorder vanitie and defects of the creatures to which the sin of man hath made them subject Then more particularly prayer must be made for mankinde first that that blessing Be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth may bee continued else how can the number of the elect bee made perfect Then prayer must be made that men may be endued with such good gifts of nature as may make them civill and apt for societie and may be able in some measure to hold that dominion over the creatures which once man had that he may subdue them and know the use of them Wherefore also Arts and Sciences are to be desired and for that cause that Schooles and all Nurseries of good learning and profitable knowledge may be erected maintained frequented and be blessed and the rather because these make much as for the good of civil societie so for the building up of the Church and do serve to helpe man more clearly to see God in all things The contrarie to these as depopulation and Barbarisme are to be deprecated The requests to bee made concerning the kingdome of grace do respect first the King then the meanes of setting up and governing this kingdome externall both the ordinances and officers of this kingdome and internall the comming of the holy Ghost Next they respect the subjects Then they respect the enemies Lastly they respect the franchises liberties and priviledges of this kingdome The King of this kingdome of grace as at large is before shewed is Christ Iesus God and man for he saith All power is given to me in heaven and in earth Matth. 28.18 And it is He that must reigne till he hath put al his enemies under his feet 1. Cor. 15.25 Now Christ then reigneth when grace Rom. 5.23 and the gift by grace reigneth unto eternall life wherefore prayer must be made that Christ may reigne that grace may be communicated to the elect and may reigne in them by him and that Satan the Prince of darknesse may not reigne RoÌ„ 16.20 but be troden under foot daily The externall meanes of establishing this kingdome are first the ordinances thereof viz. Isa 11.4 2. Thes 2.8 Mat. 1.14 the Word Sacraments and Discipline The Word is the rod and breath of Gods mouth it is the Scepter and Gospell of this kingdome The Sacraments are the seals of the covenant that is passed betweene King and subjects Discipline serveth to reforme or cut off evill members of the Church The kingdome of God is come when his ordinances are set up in any place Luk. 17 21 In which respect he said it was among the Iews Prayer therefore must be made 2. Thes 3.1 that The word of the Lord may have free passage and bee glorified every where among Iews and Gentiles And that meere inventions Doctrines and Traditions of men may be abolished and that all superstition will-worship and false worship Mat. 15.13 everie plant which God hath not planted may bee rooted out Likewise that the two onely Sacraments of the new Testament Baptisme and the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11 23. may be purely and duely administred according to their first institution And that all corruption of the
to be prayed against but not their persons except in the case following Thus David I pray thee 2 Sam. 15.31 turne the counsell of Achitophell into foolishnesse Act. 4.29 And the Apostles say Now Lord behold their threatnings Wee may therefore pray that God would restraine the malice and abate the power and defeate the plots of the adversaries but must not pray against their persons but love them for it may bee they doe belong to God as Paul did who was once a persecutor 3 The very persons of those which sinne unto death incurably may be prayed against I say not saith Iohn 1 Ioh. 5.19 that he shall pray for it And Paul wisheth that they were cut off that did trouble that Church Gal 5.12 David prayeth against the malicious enemies of Christ Psal 69.38 saying Let them be blotted out of the booke of the living and not be written with the righteous But this kind of sinners cannot be discerned by ordinary spirits this kinde of imprecation therefore must be left unto such spirits as was David's and the Apostles and must bee forborne of ordinary Christians except it be when the Church hath righly for evident and just cause cut men off by the curse of Anathema Maranatha not from the body of the Church onely but from the head Christ also as those deserve to be which are open malicious and inveterate Apostates 4 The persons of our enemies and persecutors though they doe what they can to hinder the Gospell are not to be prayed against For our Saviour prayed Father forgive them Luk. 23.34 they know not what they doe Steven said Act. 7.60 Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Yea wee are commanded to pray for them which despitefully use us Mat 5.44 and persecute us 5 Prayer may be made that God would sometimes inflict temporall judgments upon obstinate sinners but without limiting the Lord unto particulars so it be conditionally if their case require it and that it be in love to their soules and persons that they may be therby made to seeke God Thus David prayed Psal 83.16 Fill their faces with shame that they may seeke thy Name O Lord. 6 Lastly God must bee interessed in the cause else no man must be prayed against Gods dishonour not onely a mans private wrong must cause it It must proceed from holy zeale for God and not from passion and private spleene and desire of revenge These rules observed it may be knowne when and how a Christian may imprecate evill against his and Gods enemies and how and when he may not The last thing in the kingdome of grace for which praier must be made concernes the liberties and franchizes therof which are the very good commoditie Rom. 14.16 or livelihood of the subject which so farre as respects this life are freedome from the curse of the Law and dominion of sinne Rom. 6.11 a freedome in righteousnesse thence peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost of which the Apostle saith the kingdome of God doth consist scil In righteousnesse peace joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 The last thing of all which is considerable in this petition is the kingdome of glory Concerning which request must bee made that God would hasten it that Christ would overcome the last enemie 1 Cor. â—5 26 death and so put all enemies under his feet that he would come to judgement in his appointed time to magnifie himself in his just vengeance upon the wicked 2 Thes 1.8 1 Cor. 6.2 the Saints sitting upon them with him in judgement and that he would bestow perfect glory upon all the elect 2 Thes 1.10 whereby hee himselfe may be perfectly glorified in them at that day when also the forme of governing this kingdome by him as Mediator being determined he shall have delivered the kingdome up to the Father 1 Cor. 15.24.28 that God may be all in all to the glory of Father Sonne and holy Ghost for evermore Amen Amen Some of the particulars mentioned in this petition I doe confesse will come to be condered again in the fourth fifth and sixth petitions as the continuance of the course of nature magistracy peace of conscience and eternall glory likewise power against sinne and increase of grace yet the petitioner shall not therein tautologize or make vaine repetitions For here they are mentioned onely as meanes to set forth the glory of God in the comming of his kingdome that his Name may be hallowed but there they have respect to the good of man The Doctrine being thus inlarged the Vses will more easily follow First all such as desire not Vse 1 the comming of Gods kingdome according to the particulars before rehearsed are to be reproved As all that are enemies to civilitie and unto Schooles of learning who because of some abuse of them which will alwaies be of the best things thinke them needlesse All such as deny magistracie be they Familists or Anabaptists or any other for it is their great sinne All such magistrates themselves which turne the point of their authoritie against the Church or at best like Gallio Act. 38.17 care not which way it goe with it well or ill All idle or unfaithfull Ministers which in stead of directing Christs spouse unto him doe smite and wound her Can. 5.7 and shame her by taking her veile from her who in stead of feeding doe starve or poyson Christs flocke All Governours of the Church which make sad the heart of the righteous Ezek. 13.22 and make glad the hearts of the wicked which censure thrust out the goodâ— and receive into the Church and hold in the bad In a word all that doe not beare good will to Sion which is indeed to be an enemy for in this case Hee that is not with us Mat. 1â— 30 is against us saith Christ and hee that doth not gather scattereth Lastly if any be open persecutors of the truth or seducers and inticers from it all these may see in this Doctrine as in a large glasse their errors and foule blemishes But he which will say Goe ye cursed Mat. 25.41 42. to all that do not prove themselves to be his friends will have to reckon with all the enemies of his kingdome How many be there that hypocritically will say Thy kingdome come and yet use all meanes to hinder it and keepe it downe And if it came in any place it is the very burden and vexation of their soules Is not this most grosly to mock God But woe be to such Pharises hypocrites which will say to God our Father Thy kingdome come and yet will as much as they can hinder the passage or power of the Gospell of his kingdome Mat. 23 13 which will not enter themselves nor by their good will suffer those that would to enter in Be wise in time It is not safe to cast off or refuse the yoke
a master where is my feare It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good saith good Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 Reason 2 Gods will take it of things to be done or suffered besides that it is soveraigne and absolute Rom. 7.12 it is holy equall and good And good is the word which thou hast spoken saith Hezekiah Isa 39.8 Whereas on the contrarie the will of Satan and of the flesh is starke naught Great cause therefore why Gods will should be done and be preferred before all other wills Reason 3 The end why God doth make knowne his will unto the sonnes of men Deut 6.1 is that that they should do it and submit unto it Christ did therfore redeeme Reason 4 man that as Peter saith they should no longer live the rest of their time in the flesh according to the lusts or wil of men but according to the will of God 1. Pet. 4 2. The chiefe heads to which the will of God may bee reduced are these First that men should perfectly know his will Secondly that they should perfectly obey it thus much the Law of pure nature taught before the fall Thirdly sith all have sinned and even after conversion do in many things sinne it is the will of God that men should be convinced of their sinne Act. 2.38 be penitent for it confesse it and aske him forgivenesse through Christ Iesus Fourthly when men have done this his will is 1. Ioh. 3.23 that they should beleeve what Christ hath done and suffered for them beleeving in him and relying upon him for pardon for obtaining of grace and for everlasting salvation Fiftly his will is that all that beleeve in him and that endeavour to live holily and righteously should hope stedfastly and be assured that they through Christ shall be for ever glorified Sixthly that in the meane time they bee thankfull for Gods goodnesse towards them in everie condition and that they patiently fruitfully and comfortably beare whatsoever afflictions they shall meete with in the way waiting when God shall accomplish all his promises to them in Christ unto their everlasting glory Vse 1 The greater number of Christians in name come here to be reproved because they are willingly ignorant of Gods will and wilfully disobedient nay as if that were not bad enough they cannot abide any that strive to walke according unto the strict rule of Gods holy commandments but are all for following the course of this world the wil of Satan Eph. 2.2.3 and lusts of the flesh in all manner of disobedience of Law and Gospell These may see how contrarie they are to their profession which in word can say Disswasives from disobedience to Gods will Thy wil be done but indeed do the contrarie God cannot brooke this abhominable dissembling howsoever they thinke of themselves these remaine yet children of wrath Ephe. 2.3 Ephe. 5. â— because they remaine children of disobedience They are yet in the power of sinne Rom. 6.16 for his servants they are whom they obey These men cannot scape without punishment He that knoweth not his masters will is worthy of stripes saith our Saviour But he that knoweth his masters will Luk. 12.47.48 and yet prepareth not neither doth according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes Disobedience is a dishonour to God so saith the Apostle to the hypocriticall boasters of the Law Rom 2.23.24 Through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God For the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you And it doth exasperate God exceedingly he could not else have beene so much provoked by Adams and Eve's transgressing his will by eating the forbidden fruit a thing for matter small as to curse the whole world in such sort that it groaneth under the burthen of it unto this day and also to damne all men in eternall flames had not the very Sonne of God by taking the curse upon himselfe saved a chosen number of them How did Sauls disobedience provoke the Lord against him who because he rejected the word of the Lord 1. Sam. 15.23 the Lord rejected him Yet his fact was such as carnall reason could and did say much in excuse of it but it was disobedience Yet who more readie to presume that the wrath of God shall be farre from them in the evill day than such as will not do the will of God but take pleasure in iniquitie and are workers thereof They will crie Lord Lord Luk. 13.26.27 hast thou not taught in our streets and Lord Lord open unto us The Lord abhorreth this scraping of acquaintance with him saying Mat. 25.11.12 Depart from me I know yea not ye workers of iniquitie there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Wherfore let no willing transgressour of Gods will deceive himselfe nor suffer any man to deceive him for Ephe. 5.6 for such things sake commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience For this is most certaine that Christ commeth in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Thess 1.8 Vse 2 Let all that professe the Name of God study to know and endeavour to submit their will to Gods will in al things let them bewaile the ignorance and rebelliousnesse of their owne and other mens evill hearts that with David they may say Psal 119.136 Rivers of waters runne down their eyes because they keepe not Gods Law Motives unto obedience to Gods will 1 Nothing pleaseth God more than to see his children to order their conversation aright and to finish the works he giveth them to do he hath not so much delight in burnt-offerings as in obeying the voyce of the Lord Behold saith Samuel 1. Sam. 15.22 to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fat of rammes Secondly the Lord is much glorified when his servants and children submit themselves to his will both in doing and suffering Ioh. 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth saith Christ to his Father this he maketh to appeare thus I have finished the worke which thou hast given me to doe The Apostle having resolved to keepe a good conscience saith be knoweth Christ shall bee magnified in his body Phil. 1.20 whether by life or death Thirdly this is the way to gaine the reputation and honour of wise men Eph. 4 17. Be not unwise saith the Apostle but understand what the will of the Lord is Deut. 4.6 And this is your wisedome and understanding in the sight of the nations Fourthly by doing Gods will wee shall come to more knowledge of his will Ioh. 7.17 If any man will doe his will hee shall know of the doctrine saith Christ whether it be of God or no. Act. 13.22 To fulfill Gods will is to be a man according to Gods owne heart Fiftly it is to approve a mans selfe to bee
the person God is understood The third circumstance concerneth the persons prayed for us that is the same persons mentioned in the fourth Petition namely our selves and all our neighbours living upon the earth that belong to Gods election be they alreadie justified or not justified As we forgive These words containe an argument to encourage him that prayeth to aske forgivenesse The Evangelist Luke saith for we forgive which place in Luke doth interpret this in Matthew The particle as doth import a resemblance from an act of ours towards man of that which we would have God do for us but it doth not denote either the measure or manner how we would have God forgive us but onely a certaintie of the truth of their owne forgiving of others And although this as and for in Luke shew that these words are a reason and argument to move us to aske and expect forgivenesse from God yet it doth not imply that our forgiving of others is the cause why God should forgive us but arguing from the lesse to the greater argueth thus We do and can forgive therefore God can much more forgive us also This is but a proposing of their estate and condition unto God reasoning from a signe of Gods love and grace towards them that they have cause to expect forgivenesse In like manner for is used Luk. 7.48 Her sinnes which are many are forgiven for she loved much where the womans love was not a cause of great forgivenesse but a fruit and signe of Gods forgivenesse So that in these words he that prayeth doth represent to his owne thoughts and doth utter unto God thus much That sith he himself that hath but a drop of mercie yet could and did forgive and sith this power in them to forgive others proceeded from a reflexe of his mercy towards them and so was an argument that he already loved them therefore they are bold to aske and expect forgivenesse of him who is infinite in mercie and hath begun to shew mercie to them alreadie The sense of this whole Petition may be rendred thus O Lord God who art the onely forgiver of sinnes sith we cannot glorifie thy Name neither can our lives be pleasing to thee or comfortable to our selves so long as thou art unreconciled to us and so long as thou hidest thy loving countenance from us bee pleased therfore through Christ whom thou hast made to be our redemption to be reconciled to me and to all thine elect upon the earth impute not our sinnes to us but free and acquit us from the whole guilt and punishment of all sinnes small and great For this cause we confesse our sinnes and do beleeve thy promise of forgivenesse Lord helpe our unbeliefe Impute likewise the righteousnesse of Christ unto us and grant that thy Spirit of Adoption may daily make more and more application of forgivenesse to our hearts untto he fâ—â— assurance of hope that we may have peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost and in the end everlasting life Lord this thou canst easily and will readily do for even we that have but a small measure of compassion forgive those that wrong us And sith by this our forgiving of others we know thou hast begun to forgive us continue therefore thy grace and certifie daily to our hearts that thou art our salvation And forgive us our sinnes If it be observed how this Petition is joyned to the former intimating that natural life without forgivenesse of sinne will little availe a man and if it be considered that forgivenesse of sinnes in that sense as hath beene delivered is the subject of this Petition we may note It concerneth all men to desire Doct. 1 and endeavour after forgivenes of their sinnes through Christ with the application and assurance thereof to their hearts and consciences by the holy Ghost They must desire that God would not impute their sinnes but impute Christs righteousnesse unto them that they may be delivered from all guilt and punishment of sinne and may be heires of glorie and that he would daily passe the sentence hereof to their conscience Hoseah saith Hos 14.2 Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously The Prophet David to whom the Prophet Nathan had pronounced forgivenesse of his murder to his eares 2 Sam. 12.13 yet because God had not pronounced it to his heart but withdrew his countenance from him he is therefore earnest with the Lord saying Purge me with hysop Psal 51.7 to 13. make me heare joy and gladnesse Hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities Renew a right spirit within me Restore to me the joy of thy salvation Vntill sinnes be forgiven Reason 1 they separate betweene God and man whether hee be converted or unconverted Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes have made him hide his face from you that hee will not heare And We have transgressed and have rebelled saith Ieremie thou hast not pardoned Thou hast covered thy selfe with a cloud Lam. 3.42.44 that our prayer should not passe through If a man be not in state of grace his prosperity in this life doth but fat him against his day of slaughter and increase of his dayes are but a multiplication of his sinnes against the day of account And he may looke for death to arrest him every day which if it doe before his sinnes be remitted hee shall be found in his sinnes at the day of judgement to his everlasting perdition If a man be in state of grace yet if by new sinnes the Lord be provoked to withdraw his loving countenance and to shew tokens of his displeasure against him his life becommeth unprofitable and uncomfortable untill God speake peace to his soule againe He cannot come boldly into Gods presence to pray heare or receive the Sacrament or if he doe come he is very heartlesse in the performance of them and all that a man hath though it be a kingdome can give him no comfort Psal 32. Psal 51. as it was in Davids case But when God forgiveth sins God of an enemy becommeth a friend and of a displeased Father beginneth to looke graciously upon his childe from this pardon it is that a man is freed from all miserie and by the assurance and sealing of pardon to the conscience doe follow peace of conscience freedome and libertie of heart to come before GOD at all times and in the end everlasting life Vntill sinnes past be pardoned Reason 2 and the sinner is justified he cannot doe Gods will nor glorifie his name For Luke 7.47 â—7 untill much be forgiven no man can love much for to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little saith Christ A man is not sanctified untill he be first justified he can never repent and live holily in time to come untill hee have hope that all his sinnes past are
on Christ Iesus who is the surety for man And be wee sure to confesse and aske forgivenesse of this debt and never give over untill it have pleased God to seale an acquittance unto our consciences by his Spirit which he will give to all that aske it This wee should doe Luk. 11. â—5 because sinne is a debt and that of most dangerous consequence Debts Our Saviour doth not say debt as speaking of one debt or of one kinde of debt but hee saith debts that is all kinde of sinnes as well veniall as mortall if we may use that distinction as well small as great From hence observe Doct. 10 Whosoever would be justified before God must be beholding to God for the free forgivenesse of all his sinnes as well as of any David saith Hee forgiveth all thine iniquities Psal 103.3 Reas 1 All sinnes are mortall and of themselves damnable For Cursed is every one that conâ—inueth not in all things written iâ— the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 Wherefore if all sinnes be not pardoned a man abideth under the curse there denounced Reas 2 All sinnes are veniall and pardonable in Christ to all beleevers and penitent persons therfore they may expect pardon of all as well as of any one This confuteth the tenent of Vse 1 Papists which hold that such sinnes which they call veniall doe not deserve hell and may be done away by crossing and knocking the brest by holy water by any worke of charitie and such slight satisfactions Let all that will be saved be Vse 2 glad they may bee beholding unto GOD for pardon of all their sinnes and let us aske for remission of all sinnes God can as well pardon all and the greatest sinnes as one of the least and the least sinne hath need to be pardoned as well as the greatest for a Musket shot will kill as well as the shot of a great Ordenance As we forgive our debters These words are the reason serving to strengthen the faith of such as are to aske forgivenesse Here therfore we learne Doct. 11 In asking forgivenesse of sinne it is meet that reasons be used to expresse what ground a man hath to aske and to expect forgivenesse Thus David yeeldeth reasons why God should have mercy on him first from his tender mercy then from his owne confession of his sins then from his faith in Christ and from the effects which would follow upon Gods shewing mercy to him all which may be plainely seene in Psal 51.1.3.7 c. Reason Apt reasons serve much to imbolden and incourage a sinner to come before God and this he hath need of because Satan hath many devices to keepe him from asking forgivenesse as sometimes to hide from his sight the uglinesse and danger of sinnes causing him to forget his sinne or to thinke there is no great need of pardon Iâ— this fetch of his will not prevaile then he setteth all his sins before him and stretcheth them upon the tenters of aggravation making them seeme bigger than they are pleading Gods wrath and justice against them Now against arguments of discouragements and feares reasons of asking forgivenesse are very usefull They are therefore to blame Vse 1 who aske forgivenesse of their sinnes and yet cannot render a true reason why they should expect forgivenesse Let all that would breake Vse 2 through all discouragements and would aske forgivenesse of their sins with confidence furnish their hearts with strong arguments taken from Gods nature and Gods commandement to aske and from Gods promise of forgivenesse or from their misery and capablenesse to be forgiven or the like that when they come to GOD in prayer though they are not to goe about to perswade God with arguments to grant that which of himselfe he is not inclined to yet they may use arguments to perswade themselves to aske and hope for forgivenesse As we forgive them that trespasse against us Note here those which make this petition must be able to say truely they forgive others that thereby they may approve themselves to be capable of forgivenesse from God and that they have good reason to expect it Hereby we learne Doct. 12 Whosoever would have God forgive them their sinnes they must be able truely to say they forgive all other their trespasses against them Our Saviour saith If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mat. 6.14.15 Also he saith When yee stand praying forgive if yee have ought against any Mark 11.25 God hath expresly commanded Reas 1 every Christian to forgive one another Eph. 4.32 Col. 3.13 Now if man will not for his sake at his commandement forgive one hundred pence why should hee expect that God should forgive him ten thousand talents at his intreatie God hath promised forgivenesse Reas 2 to all that from their heart forgive their brethren their trespasses Mat. 18.35 Mat. 6.14 15. To forgive another in mercy Reas 3 and compassion towards men and in conscience towards God this is a signe that God hath already begun to forgive us because that our forgivenesse of our neighbour is but a reflexe of Gods former forgiving of us for Gods love to us first maketh us love our brethren Now if we can assure our selves God hath begun to pardon us wee may assure our selves hee will againe pardon our sinnes if we aske it Ob. It doth belong onely to God to forgive trespasses Sol. In every wrong done to man there is a double trespasse one against man another against God whose commandement is broken by that trespasse done to man Now it is most true that God onely can forgive the sinne and trespasse against him and no man must presume to forgive the sin comitted against God onely hee is to intreate God to forgive the sinne committed in the wrong done to him as Stevâ— did Acts 7.60 who said Lord lay not their sinne to their charge But forgivenesse spoken of in the point is of forgivenesse not of the sinne but of the wrong and trespasse against man The Scripture alloweth men to require their debts Ob. and if they be wronged to complaine to the Magistrate and for that cause both magistracie and judiciall constitutions were set up in the common-wealth of Israel therefore it may seeme all trespasses are not to be remitted In every wrong done unto us Sol. there are two things concurre First defect of love in him that wrongeth us which is apt to beget the like defect in us to cause us to cease to love him yea to spite and seeke revenge The second thing is there is some hurt or damage groweth either to our name life or goods which worketh in us that are wronged desire of satisfaction and recompence for the hurt done unto us The first of these namely their ill will to us must alwayes be forgiven so that all ill will in us to them and all
purpose of revenge must absolutely and utterly be laid downe by us and of this forgivenesse the petition speaketh of requiring of debts and of satisfaction for the second evill in the wrong done to us that is for the hurt and damage wee sustained by the wrong is that which the Scripture alloweth us to require Yet because requiring of debts and satisfactions may proceed from malice and revenge difference must bee put betweene one wrong and another some are small and they do us little damage and the consequence of them cannot bee to any great harme some other wrongs are great which do much hurt our names goods or lives and the consequent of them is great Againe satisfactions must be distinguished some are to be made to the Magistrate others unto the partie wronged Now all those smaller wrongs which are no great blemish to our name or any great empairing of our goods or quiet must be remitted even in respect of satisfaction 1. Pet. 4.8 because love should cover all such offences And if we seeke satisfactions in these cases it must needs proceed from want of love and from some degree of revenge except the Magistrate and common-wealth be interessed in the cause and do require us to prosecute such offenders for to make them examples to like offenders but then it must bee done in love and mercy to their persons But if the damage be greater than love is bound to passe by In what case a maÌ„ may go to Law and how because in our name life and goods we are much wronged or the consequent of not seeking satisfaction would be much to our damage or to the dishonour of God and religion as in some cases it falleth out where the matter of the wrong is not alwayes great in such cases the Scripture alloweth us to seeke satisfactions but with these and the like cautions and rules First be sure the cause of the complaint be good and just Secondly that as I said it be a matter of weight 1. Cor. 6.5.6 Thirdly that it be necessary for what may be well composed otherwise must not beâ— brought to the Magistrate Fourthly the prosecution oâ— a suit or complaint must not be in an ill manner as in splâ— and malice or by any indirect and unlawfull courses but 〈◊〉 love and in a legall way Fifthly the end of the proâ—â—cution must be good as to reâ—ver his right without whiâ— he cannot well live withâ— his owne or others great prejudice or it must ayme at the suppression of the wicked Psal 10.17.18 1 Cor. 5.5 Deut. 19.19.20 1. Tim. 2.2 or chiefly at their reformation or for the terrour of others or last of all that we may live in peace The objections being answered and the doctrine thereby explained the uses follow All malicious and revengefull Vse 1 persons who will yet say this petition are hereby condemned of grosse hypocrisie and lying to Gods face when in words they say they do forgive but in truth they do not And withall in saying these words they must know that they make an imprecation against themselves so that God may in justice according to their owne words not forgive them because they do not forgive others And if any leave out this clause out of the Lords Prayer because they hate their brethren they are guilty of no lesse sinne than he that uttereth it in hypocrisie They that revenge themselves upon their neighbours wrong God more than their neighbour could wrong them for they usurpe upon his divine prerogative Ro. 12.19 for vengeance is mine saith God I will repay Therefore they should not give place to wrath for if they would be patient God would right them Let all these unmercifull and revengefull spirits consider what is said in the parable of him that would not forgive his fellow-servant Mat 18.34 He was deliuered to the tormentors and let them also consider that thâ—â— shall be judgement mercilesse 〈◊〉 him that hath shewed no mercie Iam. 2.13 Let everie one that would have God forgive him his sins freely from his heart forgive all those that trespasse and wrong him Let us for this cause put 〈◊〉 bowels of mercie Colos 3.12.13 kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long suffering forbearing one another and then this will follow forgiving one another No man can wrong us so much as we daily trespasse against God therefore if he forgive us the greater we must forgive the lesse No man can wrong us so much as our Saviour was wronged for us Luk. 23.34 yet he forgave his persecutours and hath left us his example that we should follow his steps And because no man shall have the like provocations that Gods children shall have they have need of much faith wherefore that wee may forgive our brethren untill seven times a day let us with the Disciples pray Lord increase our faith Luk. 17.4 5. If any man have a mercifull heart though sometimes his Vse 3 heart wil begin to rise and boile against his brother yet if he can and do keep it downe and doth put away al purpose of revenge freely forgiving his brother this man should herein take comfort because he may with boldnesse aske and expect of God that he will forgive him For mercy rejoyceth against judgement Iam. 2.13 The sixt Petition And leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill When a man having beene wearied with the burden of the guilt of sinne and with the feare of Gods wrath hath at the length by earnest sute obtained forgivenesse of all his sinnes and also peace with God his next desire and care is how he may keepe this peace by endeavouring to spend the rest of his time in holinesse willing in all things to please God The thing contrary to this holinesse is the act of sinne which is here called evill The cause of this evill is temptation both which are deprecated in this petition and the contrary namely good motions unto holinesse with perseverance therein are prayed for The subject therefore of this petition is sanctification consisting of abstinence from evill and perseverance in doing that which is good The place and order of this petition is excellent for by obtaining what is here asked a man keepeth his peace with God and holdeth the assurance of pardon of his sinnes Secondly holines bringeth with it convenient meanes for this present life for it hath the promise thereof 1. Tim. 4.8 or contentment with want 1. Tim. 6.6 Thirdly it enableth a man to do the will of God on earth Fourthly it is a proofe that the kingdome of God is come unto him Lastly when grace is obtained and sinne beaten downe in the same measure Gods name shall be glorified Thus it appeareth how all the petitions in a perfect order are linked one to another all the five latter serving the first and principall namely the glory of God in hallowing his name This petition is propounded in two sentences joyned together
by the discretive conjunctioÌ„ but which sheweth that in the latter clause the petitioner doth enlarge his desire and crave Gods helpe against sinne in a further degree then was asked in the first clause scil that God would not onely not leade thâ—â— into temptation of evill Ne inducas sed educas but to deliver them from evill Sinne here is considered in the immediate cause thereof scil temptation prayed against in the first clause Leade â—s not into temptation It is considered likewise in respect of the very act of sinne scil evill prayed against in the second clause But deliver us from evill In the first clause an act of God concerning temptation unto sinne is deprecated namely that he would forbeare to leade into temptation and forbeare to shew himselfe an adversary but this is asked not absolutely but under correction if it might stand with his pleasure and with his glory In the second clause their sute is enlarged wherein they desire a further act of God that if it must needs be that they must be exercised with temptations that he would stand for them and deliver them from the evill of those temptations this latter is asked for absolutely In both clauses of this petition wee must consider the person to whom sute is made scil God the persons for whom us the things praied against namely sin but in different respects both of the cause thereof temptation act of sinne evill Temptation Temptations unto which men are subect Tentatio probationis tentatio se ductâ—â—n are of two sorts proofes or trials of a mans graces these are not to be praiâ— against for in such hee must rejoyce Iam. 1.2 motions or enticements unto sinne by Satan by evill men or by a mans owne evill heart such as are spoken of Jam. 1.14 Temptation is good or evill A good and blamelesse temptation is when any one that hath right to make experiment of what a man is or of what he will do doth to a right and good end by lawfull meanes make triall whether a man will do or not do that to which he is moved or occasioned An evill and blame-worthy temptation is when the end of him that tempteth is that hee that is tryed or tempted should do that which is evill doing it with a mind to perswade thereunto Leade By this act of Gods leading into temptation we are to understand such an over-ruling act of Gods providence by which he disposeth of all things good and evill whereby partly by what he doth by his concurrence with him that tempteth touching the substance of his act and partly by what hee permitteth in not hindring what he could hinder concerning the evill and irregularitie thereof and partly by what he omitteth leaving a man to himselfe to strugle and wrastle with the temptation it commeth to passe that a man is not onely intised unto but overcome of the evill unto which he is tempted God must be acknowledged to have an holy hand in all temptations whether good or evill In good temptations God is properly an agent and worker Gen. 22.1.2 as when he proved and tempted Abraham by commanding him to offer his onely sonne Isaac likewise when he causeth men to prosper as when he rained Manna to tempt or proove the children of Israel Exod. 16.4 whether they would walke in his law In like manner when he sendeth afflictions as he did to the Israelites in the wildernes to humble them and to prove what was in their hearts Deut. 8.2 whether they would keepe his Commandements or no. In evill temptations God is not at all in proper speech an agent or worker of the evill of the temptation but yet he hath to do in and about all evill temptations and that not onely in determining them to a good end as to his owne glory and also in the concourse of his power to the substance of the act whether of Satan of a mans selfe or of other men when they tempt God hath further to do in evill temptations He hath to do in them both by way of permission in permitting and in not restraining Satan or a mans owne concupiscence or other men from tempting by which way of permission he is said to prove or tempt men as in Deuteronomy Deut 13â— in his permission of false Prophets to seduce and also by way of omission insuspending his action and forbearing to give grace or to do that which he was wont to do and if he would could do to keepe a man from acting the sin to which he is tempted By this way of omission God is said to have proved or tempted Ezekiah when the Embassadours of the King of Babel came unto him 2 Chron. 32.31 The Scripture saith God left him to try him that he might know what was in his heart These acts of Gods permission and omission for which in Scripture phrase God is said to tempt or to leade into temptation are expressed sometimes by words of negation and sometime by words of action By words of negation where it is said speaking of the great temptations which the Israelites saw Deut. 29.4 The Lord had not given them an heart to perceive c. By words of action where it is said by the Church Isa 63.17 O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and hardened our heart from thy feare Likewise God saith of false Prophets if the Prophet be deceived Ezek. 14.9 I the Lord have deceived him And in the Revelation it is said touching the ten Kings which became Antichristian God hath put into their hearts to fulfill his will namely Revel 17.17 his purpose and decree concerning the permission of the tyranny of Antichrist and to agree and give their kingdome to the beast c. Now because where God permitteth tempters to tempt and also forbeareth to give grace to resist the temptation he doth not remove that which if it were removed would hinder the temptation nor give that which should hinder the yeelding to it and for that hereupon such is mans sinful disposition temptation and sinning followeth infallibly therefore this permission and omission of Gods is expressed by words of action and by words as it were of eausality as here by leading though God be farre and farre from being any cause of the sinne or of being any blame-worthy cause of the temptation as shall further appeare hereafter To tempt unto sinne properly which God doth not and to leade onely into temptation which God doth and may do doe much differ For to tempt taken in the evill sense is to intice to indeavour to move the will of man to wickednesse and that with a minde to have him to act it according to that of the Apostle Iames Iam. 1.14 A man is tempted when he is drawne away by his lust and is inticed Of this tempting it is which the Apostle Paul speaketh when hee saith to the Thessalonians 1
Thes 3.5 J sent to know your faith lest by some meanes the tempter have tempted you But to say that God doth thus tempt any man is blasphemy for Saint Iames saith Iam. 1.13 God tempteth no man because he cannot be tempted to evill But to leade into temptation taken in the good sense as it proceedeth from God is onely such an act or acts of Gods soveraignty and wise providence concerning man whereby it so commeth to passe that a man is exposed to the temptations either of Sathan of other men or of a mans owne euill lusts who are the proper and onely actors of temptation unto sinne In this act of leading into temptation allusion may in part be made unto the acts of a Generall of an Army who may according to his discretion lead which band he pleaseth and set them in the Forlorne hope the place of greatest danger and may keepe which band he pleaseth in the Reserve or in some Fort the place of greatest safety It may likewise be somewhat resembled by an act of the Moderator of the games of combats where none might enter the lists and play their prize but according to the permission and appointment of the overseer and moderator of those exercises The Lord God hee is the great Lord of hosts and is the over-seer and over-ruler of the great Theater of the world who doth at his pleasure moderate and order all actions therin in perfection of wisedome to his owne glory Evill is either evil of punishment which is temporall prayed against in the fourth petitioÌ„ eternall prayed against in the fift petition Or evill of sinne which is referred either to persons or actions When this word evill noteth out a person in Scripture it signifieth the divell who because he is of himselfe so exceeding evill and doth make it his worke to infect all men with evill he is called the evill or the evill one So he that Math. 13.19 is called the evill one in the Greeke is v. 39. called the divell Some would restraine this word evill that it should meane the divell as if hee onely were prayed against in this petition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that because this word evill in the Greeke hath his article joyned with it which giveth an emphasis to evill pointing at some speciall evill one which is the divell I doe grant that sometimes these articles do give a speciall force unto the words to which they are annexed yet for the most part the Greekes use to adde them rather for a grace and ornament of speech and are so used seven or eight times at least in the Lords prayer So that seeing there is no necessitie in respect of the word evill to understand the divell onely and because evill of sinne is most opposite to sanctification I thinke that it is not Christs meaning to restraine the word evill unto him Evill hath respect to actions and then by evill is meant any irregularitie or swarving in any action contrary to the will of God to which will of God evil of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly standeth in opposition in which sense it must be taken in this petition and if wee put any emphasis in the article it may as wel denote evill of sinne in generall as any particular evill yet here I doe not exclude the divell as if hee were not meant at all to be praied against but doe include both him and evill men and the evill world the euill heart and all other things so farre as they are movers and inticers unto evill In this very sense are the same words used by Christ saying Father Ioh 17.15 keepe them from the evill or from wickednesse So 1 Ioh. 5.19 The world lyeth in euill or wickednesse And that of the Apostle Rom. 12.9 is without all exception Abhor 〈◊〉 that which is evill cleave to that which is good Evill is here taken indifferently for all manner of evill of sinne and whatsoever doth conduce unto it Deliver implyeth two things First preservation from falling into sin Secondly helpe of God to rise out of sin by repentance both these deliverances are here meant Keeping from evill in Christs prayer Ioh. 17.15 and deliver from evill in this prayer have one meaning When Paul saith Rom 7.24 Who shall deliver he meaneth who shall give mee power against this body of sinne And that Gods giving of repentance is deliverance from evill that saying of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.25.26 maketh it manifest where Gods giving men repentance verse 25. is all one with recovering themselves out of the snare of the divell which evil is without our question prayed against in â—hose words Deliver us from evill Vs in both clauses leade us and deliver us noteth out the same persons mentioned in the fourth petition scil our selves all our brethren that live upon the earth That we may understand the meaning of this Petition more fully more cleâ—ly it is to be considered what grace of God it is which is heâ— prayed for by vertue whereof a man may be delivered from the evill here deprecated First wee pray that God by an act of his gracious providence would free us if it might be from the very temptation unto sinne namely that wee may be delivered and kept from seducers corrupters that they may not tempt us unto evill according as Saint Paul prayed that Satans buffeting 2 Cor. 11.7.8 the prickâ— in the flesh might depart froâ— him Wee may pray that God would please not to leade us unto temptation Moreover sith GOD hath thought it meete that his owne children should bee exercised with manifold tentations and the flesh the world and the divell conspire to assault us with temptations it cannot be but we shall daily bee tempted Wherefore prayer also is to bee made unto God that he would not leade us into temptation that is hee would bee pleased to uphold us and that hee would so effectually worke in us by the grace of his spirit that we may not be insnared by it and held under the power of it so as to be overcome made to yeeld to commit that sinne to which we are tempted This speciall and effectuall grace is it which is requisite both that we may resist temptations and that wee may have both will and ability to live holily righteously in the whole course of our life By this effectuall grace I understand not onely such a work of the holy spirit of God that inlighteneth the minde and which cureth the will by an immediate influence so farre as onely to raise the will from its naturall propensitie to evill to a meere indifferency to resist a temptation to evill if a man will and to imbrace a motion to good if he will But it is such a powerfull worke of the Spirit that it causeth the will so to decline evill that it will resist the temptation if he can and
perseverance that GOD should afford first his prevenient superoperating grace to begin the good worke in the will of man whereby the will being an active power doth suboperate and actually will to beleeve will to repent and to resist a temptation to live godly and to persevere and also that it is needfull that God do afford a subsequent prevailing grace whereby a man under God by his helpe may indeed beleeve repent resist a temptation and doe what may be pleasing in Gods sight and also persevere this is evident both by the Scriptures namely Philip. 2.13 and elsewhere as also by the experience of the best children of God God hath given the Apostle grace to will for hee saith Rom. 7 1â— 18.19 to will was present with him when yet he wanted power to doe the good which he would for he saith also how to perform that which was good hee found not The Spouse had grace to wil to runne after Christ yet in the sense of her inability actually to runne she prayeth thus Cant. 1.4 Draw me and we will runne after thee Our Saviour saith Ioh. 6.44 none can come to him except the Father draw him That man commeth to Christ that is beleeveth in him this is the formal and proper act of man but that hee is wrought to this act this is of God by his grace as effectuall as if he were forcibly drawne Now if God should give onely a lesse measure of grace that is if he onely raise the will to an indifferency to will if a man will and shall suspend the concourse of his gracious power requisite to the act of willing and doing that which is good untill the will by its owne liberty now restored by grace shall determine whether it will choose or refuse to will or to doe man in this state shall never partake of that gracious concourse whereby a man should actually will or doe any thing that is truely morally good for man in this state will never determine to will or to doe that which is good but rather the contrary For since mans fall the remaines of inbred sinfulnesse even in the regenerate which doth so easily beset him Heb. 12.1 together with the addition of the weight of a temptation these will if God adde no more then a generall concourse of his power which hee affordeth to the substance of al mens actions good or bad or if hee onely be ready to yeeld a speciall gracious concourse to the doing of a good worke which hee is a like ready to yeeld unto all upon supposition that their will shall first determine to wil or to doe it the weight I say of the disposition of the flesh lusting against the spirit the weight of the temptation will cause that the wils indifferency to good shall cease and the will of man will actually determine for that which is evill Whence it must of necessity follow that every man will inevitably fall into sinne and will live and dye in it and so no man can possibly be saved for wee may well reason thus If our first father Adam who had not in his will two contrary principles flesh and spirit who had not two contrary dispositions and propensities fighting weighing one against the other as every man even he that is most regenerate now hath But if Adams will was habitually and perfectly well disposed to the choise of good only having not the least propensity to evill and had no weakenesse but what was common to him as a creature namely a possibility through freedome of his will to choose the evill and to refuse the good if he would it being possible that he might be deceived in judgement yet because when he was tempted though with no other temptation but such as by his habituall grace he might easily have resisted God left him to the liberty and power of his owne will and did not afford him a speciall helpe by his grace he was overcome of the temptation Let it now be considered if Adam in state of innocency and in a state of perfection if when he was left to the liberty and power of his will the temptation caused his will that was in equall balance to will and to make choise of that which was evill being overcome of the temptation is it possible that any man living who shall have onely grace to will and do well if he will who shall have no more grace of God till first he himselfe hath determined to will that which is good shal ever actually withstand daily temptations or being fallen shall ever rise out of his fall for hee never will will either to resist the temptation or by repentance to rise out of his sinne The matter of this petition and the words being explained they carry this sense O Lord God which lovest good and hatest evill thou which over-rulest and disposest all things by thy divine providence now that of thy mercy thou hast delivered me and all other of us that beleeve from the punishment of all our sinnes past in forgiving all our trespasses do not now we beseech thee expose us unto the temptations of the wicked world of the divell or of our owne evill hearts but that whensoever they assault us to entice us or enforce us to evill we may by the power of thy grace and might resist and overcome them And whereas through our frailty we are fallen and daily doe fall into sinne Lord give grace unto us to rise out of our sinne by hearty repentance For this cause vouchsafe unto us thy holy spirit that good motions may be put into us and may be strengthened in us that by the deeds thereof we may mortifie the deeds of the flesh Let the same good spirit also frame us unto and uphold us in an holy course of new obedience that we may serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life to the glory of thy most holy Name in doing thy will Lead us not c. It is evident that sanctification and holinesse of life is the principall thing aymed at in this petition whence if we observe with it the conjunction and which joyneth this to the other petition wee learne Jt ought to be the desire and Doct. 2 endeavour of all Christians as well to be holy in this life as to be happie in that which is to come As well to have power against sinne as pardon of it as well to be sanctified as justified Christ prayeth for all that did should beleeve saying J pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keepe them from evill Ioh. 17.15 and verse 17. Sanctifie them with thy truth David speaking of presumptuous sinnes saith to God Let them not have dominion over me Psal 19.13 The like prayer he maketh against all sinnes saying Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Psal 119.133 The whole tenor of
so well conceited of his Poperie as he looketh to winne heaven by it Ioh 16.2 The persecutour thinketh he doth God good service in molesting such as feare him The swearer thinketh his speech doth not sound well and is without all grace if it be not filled up with oathes The covetous the voluptuous the vaine-glorious all of them applaude themselves in their wayes as if they were good though as Solomon saith the issue there of is the way of death Pro. 14.12 It standeth sin upon that the devill and wicked men should transforme themselves and transforme sin and put some goodly painting upon it to make it seeme good else no reasonable man could be brought to commit it for the will of man doth by vertue of its meere nature so perfectly abhorre evill it being the proper object of detestation that it would alwayes shunne it therefore there is put an appearance of good upon it wherby it may deceive But woe be unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse Isa 5 2â— Vse 2 Doth Christ call sinne evill then let us beleeve him and not our owne lying hearts nor yet the father of lyes who would beare us in hand that sinne is not evil But let us alwayes conceive of every sinfull act as 〈◊〉 evil naughtie hurtfull act and let it be our greatest care to avoid sinne Oh if we could represent the acts of sinne under the name of an evill act unto our apprehensions our will would at the first motion loathe and detest it more then it doth a toad and a serpent and would either kill it or runne from it Whensoever therefore wee are tempted unto sinne let us see it as it is a most evill thing let us account of it as it is a most evill thing And whatsoever colours be set upon it or whatsoever good meanes it is called by if the thing so called be a transgression of Gods law let us call it a most evill and most abhominable thing Yea we must conceive of every sinfull action and must account it a greater evill then the eternall torments of hell For the least evill of sinne is greater then the greatest evill of punishment for the greatest punishment is an effect of Gods righteous hand but the least sin is contrary to God it is very enmitie unto his holinesse If sinne might appeare to everie reasonable soule to be as it is such an evill as hath beene said it would worke griefe and repentance of sinnes past and hatred and departing from sinne for ever afterward Vse 3 Lastly how thankfull should all Gods children be to him because he doth preserve and deliver us out of sinne out of the great evill every day and wee have his word that he will continue this grace untill we shall be presented to himselfe without any spot of this evill in the day of the Lord He doth not only pardon us and free us from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes but which is no lesse mercy he doth deliver us from the power of sin he delivereth us from evil We must therefore magnifie the Lord and say Who is a God like thee Mica 7.19 who doest not onely pardon but wilt subdue our iniquitie And with David let us call upon our soules to praise God because as he forgiveth all our iniquities so also he healeth all our diseases that is Psal 103.3 he doth sanctifie us delivering us from all evill For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glorie for ever These words containe the reason of all the petitions it is delivered in an exact forme of thanksgiving so that it doth excellently serve both to confirme the faith of him that prayeth and to give glory unto him that is prayed unto The Evangelist Saint Luke doth not mention this clause It is probable that when our Saviour did teach his disciples in private at the request of one of his disciples he did onely teach them how to make petitions but when hee taught them in publicke he did adde this clause to teach them as well how to praise him and give him thanks as to pray unto him and make requests It is sufficient for our learning that any one Evangelist hath recorded it In this clause wee have the note that sheweth that these words are a reason of the former requests in the word for Then wee have the arguments or grounds of the reason which are taken from certaine respeâ—â— in God which do minister matter of faith assuring them that they had cause to aske and expect of God all the former petitions and do also minister matter of praise shewing what cause there is why all glorie should be given unto him These respects of God are three Soveraigntie Power Glory which are set forth by the appropriating particle thine whereby these three Kingdome Power and Glory are ascribed as proper to God Thine is kingdome c. and also with the copulative and conjoyning the two latter respects or priviledges in God with the former and the power and the glory All which three are illustrated by their continuance for ever Kingdome signifieth Gods absolute soveraigntie over all things to whom onely it appertaineth of right to forgive and to give at his pleasure therefore they make their suite unto him Power signifieth that all-sufficiencie in God whereby he is able to do all things according to the good pleasure of his will Many have kingdome so that it pertaineth to them to help their subjects but want power as it was with the King of Israel who said in the famine 2 Kin. 2.27 If the Lord do not helpe whence shall I helpe But as it belongeth unto God to heare the petitions of his subjects so he hath power to grant whatsoever they shall have need of hence the petitioner gathereth assurance that he shall have his petitions granted Glory is that high estimation honour and praise which is due to any person for their worth and goodnesse this is originally in God as well as soveraigntie and power and in that respect is appropriated to him Wherefore when it is said Thine is the glory thus much is implied that as all glorie and praise is due to him so they do now give it to him And if he shall grant their requests it will be for his glory therefore they are bold to make these petitions and hope to speed in their suites whereas though it appertaineth unto God and he were able yet if the things asked were not for his honour and glory he would never grant them For ever is to be applied unto kingdome power and glorie namely it doth now and shall alwayes belong to his prerogative royall because kingdome is his to heare the petitions of his people He is now and shall for ever be able to helpe them he now hath and shall for evermore have glorie and praise ascribed unto him for granting their requests
therefore they pray unto him The meaning of these words may bee thus expressed O Lord God which art King of kings and rulest over all we have none either in heaven or in earth to whom we may make our requests but thee for thine is the kingdome it belongeth to thy place of soveraigntie to provide for thy name and honour by advancing thy kingdome by causing thy will to bee done and by preserving and receiving into favour and by giving grace to thy people Thou Lord art able to fulfill all this that we have asked and we do yeeld thee as is most due the glory of thy soveraigntie and power and if thou shalt please to grant these our requests as thou shalt therein deserve so we shall bee readie to give unto thee all glory everlasting wherefore wee are bold to aske and to expect the granting of them For thine c. In the entrance into prayer Christ taught his disciples to represent God to their thoughts under such titles and names whereby they might confirme their faith in prayer and here in the close and end of prayer he doth wish them to presse and urge God from consideration of his soveraigntie power and glory from whence they may encourage themselves by good reasons both to aske and looke for what they have asked whereby we learne The Lord would have his children Doct. 1 have good ground and reason for the petitions they aske of him and would have them uttered unto him in their prayers Thus did Jacob when he prayed to bee delivered out of the hands of his brother Esau saying Gen 32.9.10.11.12 O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isack the Lord which saidst unto mee Returne into thy country and to thy kindred and J will deale well with thee I am not worthy of the least of al the mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Deliuer me I pray thee from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau for I feare him lest hee will come and smite me and the mother with the children And thou saidst I will surely doe thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the sea In this prayer Iacob gathereth reasons from the covenant between God and his fathers from Gods commandement and his obedience therto from his acknowledgement of Gods mercie and his owne unworthinesse from the relation he had to God being his servant from the condition of his adversary he being his inraged brother Esau from the extream danger hee and his wives and children were in lastly from a promise that God had made to him in respect of his posterity which could not be fulfilled if Esau should have destroyed Jacob and all his children Vpon all these reasons hee doth ground that petition Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau In like manner Salomon confirmeth his faith in the beginning of his prayer 1 King 8.23.24.25.26 And it is ordinary with David throughout the Psalmes Reas 1 Though God need no reasons either to informe him of their need or to move him to supply their need for he knoweth every mans case better then himselfe and is more readily inclined of himselfe to helpe then any man can be ready to aske yet he doth delight that his children should yeeld reasons of their requests because therein they shew proof of their knowledge faith confidence and other graces which is much pleasing to their Father Reasons in prayer doth much Reas 2 confirme faith in us and stir up good affection in prayer For when a man can assure himselfe he hath good warrant to aske and to hope to obtaine hee can breake through all the discouragements which the divell or a mans owne heart can cast in to hinder him Hereby all praying without Vse 1 understanding be the intention of the heart never so good must be judged to be faultie for hee that knoweth not what hee asketh can never give reasons why he asketh Vse 2 This reproveth all rash and inconsiderate entrances and proceedings in prayers which is when men are led therein onely by custome or present sense of necessities but never exercise their faith in uttering any reasons of their requests Hence it is that they are so weake in faith and so cold in devotion and heartlesse in their prayers because they doe not establish their faith and put life to their affections by uttering of apt reasons of their present petitions Vse 3 Whosoever therfore would make a prayer in faith and fervencie must follow our Saviours direction the examples of godly in Scripture who have gone before us in giving reasons of their requests For it doth please God to heare his children reason it out with him Wherefore hee doth sometimes of set purpose seeme not to heare but rather seemeth to deny his children that pray unto him because hee would have them answer all doubts and resist all impediments and be more importunate with him in giving reasons why they should be heard Thus the Lord dealt with the woman of Canaan first he seemed not to heare her then when he heard he seemed to deny her suite and yeelded a reason of his deniall Mat. 15.25 28. yet all this was but to make triall of her faith which when she shewed by her importunate continuance of her suit and wise answering of Christs objection saying Truth Lord yet the dogs do eate of the crums which fall from their masters table shee thereupon received of him a commendation of her faith saying O woman great is thy faith and withall obtained her request even to the full for he said Be it unto thee even as thou wilt Reasons of our petitions may be taken from Gods nature from his promise from our capablenesse to have our prayers granted either because wee are in Christ and are his servants and doe pray in his name or they may bee taken from our need of helpe or from that experience wee have had of helpe in time past or from the thanks and glory that we doe give and will give if it shall please the Lord to grant our requests If from these such like grounds out of Scripture we shall wisely make choise of reasons befitting our present occasions and shall use them understandingly not so much to informe or perswade God what hee should give as to inform and perswade our selves how to aske we shall be much holpen in our praying and God will bee well pleased with our prayers The reason of the asking the aforesaid petitions is set downe in a forme of praise and thanksgiving from which wee may observe Christians must in their prayers Doct. 2 as well offer praise unto God as make requests Wee must as well giue him glory and thanks as pray to him to give us grace or any other good thing Thus saith David Thine O Lord is greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the majestie Thine is the kingdome O
adversaries that presume upon their owne strength shall faint but they that waite upon the Lord shall renew their strength Asa did confirme himselfe against an hoast of more than a thousand thousand enemies by this point in hand saying to the Lord 2. Chron. 14.11 It is nothing with thee to helpe whether with many or with them that have no power And whereas Gods children are many of them little and weak and their adversaries mightie and strong yet if they lay hold on the power of Gods might they shall stand in the evill day and bee sure to overcome Thus John encourageth all Gods children saying Ye are of God 1. Ioh. 4.4 little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world Paul comforteth himselfe in this when persecutours went about to take away his life 2. Tim. 2.12 saying I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I have committed unto him And hereby we know that our vile body shall be made like Christs glorious body Philip. 3.21 because of that mighty working whereby Christ is able to subdue all things to himselfe And we are assured of that inheritance incorruptible in the heavens because both it is reserved for us and we are kept for it by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1. Pet. 1.4.5 And thine is glory In that glory is appropriated unto God we learne All glory and praise primarily Doct. 5 and properly belongeth unto God Therefore the foure and twenty Elders ascribe glory and honour unto him Revel 4.11 Likewise all creatures in heaven and in earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them are brought in giving glorie and honour to him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever Revel 5.13 This is Reason because God onely is of himselfe excellent and glorious If any other persons or things have any excellencie or goodnesse they have it of God for of him Rom. 11.36 through him and to him are all things saith the Apostle to whom bee glory for ever Amen Who so would be further confirmed and would see what use he should make of this Doctrine let him look back into the first Doctrine of the first Petition For ever Here it must be observed that Doct. 5 All divine prerogatives and properties that are in God are everlasting His soveraigntie power and glorie and all his attributes had no beginning and shall have no ending Moses in the Psalme saith From everlasting to everlasting thou art God Psalm 90.2 The Apostle saith To the King eternall immortall c. be honour and glory for ever 1. Tim. 1.17 who also speaking of God in another place saith Who onely hath immortality c. to whom bee honour and power everlasting 1. Tim. 6.16 The nature of God is perfect and absolute without mixture Reason or composition of things contrary or divers so that there cannot be in him any internall cause of corruption and ending Also God is independant and above all other things that there can be no externall cause and therefore no cause that can cause any alteration in him or can put an end to his being therefore God must needs be the same yesterday to day and for ever Is God everlasting in everie Vse 1 one of his properties then let the wicked feare and tremble for the truth of all Gods threatnings in his word is everlasting heaven and earth shall passe but no jot of the truth of his Word shall be unfulfilled Hereby they must assure themselves that the intolerable torments of hell that are appointed for them are everlasting If there might be an end of Gods justice power and glorie there might be an end of torment but so long as God whose breath as a streame of brimstone Isa 30.33 doth kindle hell-fire is everlasting Mark 9. the gnawing worme and scorching fire made to torment every sinner must needs be everlasting Ah how can they endure this everlasting burning Isa 33.14 The thoughts of the eternitie Vse 2 of Gods properties are exceeding joyous and comfortable unto all that have made their peace with God through faith in Christ for his truth his grace and love and his power to save them 1. Thes 4.17 Psal 16.11 is everlasting By this we may assure our selves that after the day of judgement we shall both in body and soule ever be with the Lord in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore because he that hath promised and purchased and which hath prepared and reserved an eternall inheritance in the heavens for us 1. Pet. 1.4 ever liveth to fulfill and continue it to us Sith all Gods excellencies are Vse 3 everlasting we must daily and constantly for ever ascribe unto him glory everlasting Amen This is the second part of the Lords Prayer whereby is expressed the right disposition of the minde and heart of a man when he prayeth which is indeed the very life of prayer This Hebrew word Amen remaineth for the most part untranslated in Greeke Latin English and in all other languages It is used either in the beginning or ending of a speech In the beginning of a speech it importeth an earnest asseveration whereunto our saying verily or indeed or in very truth doth answer in this sense it is often used by Christ in the Gospell When it is in the latter end of a speech as here and in divers other places it signifieth two things either a wish of the heart to obtaine what is proposed or else a perswasion of the heart that it shall obtaine that which was proposed Oft times it signifieth both That Amen is a wish and desire of what was before spoken of it appeareth by Benaiah's answer to David when he had appointed Solomon to be ruler over Israel and over Iudah saying Amen which he doth explane by these words The Lord God of my Lord the king say so too 1. King 1.36 That Amen sheweth a perswasion of faith touching the thing before spoken of see Rom. 9.5 where when Paul had said of Christ that he was over all God blessed for ever he addeth Amen that is he was assuredly perswaded that it was so Amen in this place signifieth both the assent and wish of the heart as also assurance of faith and expectation of the petitions before mentioned These different acts of the soule scil a heartie wish and expectation of what is wished are not so different but that they may in one instant be acted at once in the heart and therefore may fitly be expressed in one word so long as the word Amen doth signifie both those acts of the soule As it expresseth the assent and desire of the heart it implieth knowledge truth of heart and fervor in asking As it expresseth faith of the heart it implieth an assured expectation to obtaine
unto the end thereof that in the end we may with firme remembrance of what hath been spoken and with good advisement redouble our desires and testifie our hope of audience when we say Amen Thus to pray is to pray in the spirit Amen In saying Amen a man repeateth and redoubleth his desire as if he said What I have desired I do againe and againe desire and wish it may bee so Whence note Doct. 3 There ought to be an holy fervor and earnestnesse in prayer Good King Hezekiah shewed his earnestnesse when hee said Encline thine eare O Lord and heare open thine eyes O Lord and see Isaiah 37.17 Daniel is likewise earnest when hee saith O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and doe deferre not for thy names sake Dan. 9.19 Aske seeke knock saith our Saviour Matth. 7.7 Those prayers which prevaile with God are called effectuall fervent prayers Iam. 5.16 For when a man is fervent Reas 1 in prayer it argueth that a man is sensible of what he doth aske and that hee is unfained in his asking It argueth that hee hath faith Reas 2 and hope to obtaine what hee asketh Mat. 15 22 25.2â— as it did the faith of the woman of Canaan The evils to bee prayed against Reas 3 are so extremely hurtfull and things to bee prayed for such as grace and glory are so excellent and so exceeding needfull that it concerneth men to be earnest God only can heare and help Reas 4 if he help not we perish good reason therfore why we should be urgent with him Reas 5 The more fervent any man is in requests the more hearty hee will be in thanksgiving Vse 1 This reproveth the faintnesse of the prayers of many persons who put up onely slender and single requsts unto God without redoubling or seconding them with pertinent repetitions or hearty adding of Amen to their requests which argueth that either they have no hearty desires of that they aske or they have little hope to speed both which faylings in prayer do much displease God Vse 2 Let all therefore that are to come before God in prayer not onely pray with understanding and in the spirit but with fervency of spirit Luk. 18.1.2 Christ teacheth this by the parable of the importunate widow and unjust Iudge for by importunity and earnestnesse she prevailed even with him Wherefore if wee would importune the righteous and most gracious God wee should prevaile much more This fervency commendeth and giveth force to our prayers yea though they bee utterred but with unperfect speech and inward grones more than the most fine phrases and most choice words that can be uttered if fervor be absent Amen doth also expresse that perswasion of faith and hope which hee that prayeth hath to obtaine his requests Whence we learne Whosoever prayeth aright Doct. 4 must beleeve and expect that he shall have his prayers granted This same Christ himselfe teacheth saying What things soever ye desire when yee pray beleeve that yee receive them and ye shall have them Mar. 11.24 The Apostle would have men pray every where without doubting 1. Tim. 2.8 John saith This is the confidence that wee have in God that if we aske any thing according to his will hee heareth us 1. Ioh. 5.14 Reas 1 Because whosoever asketh aright asketh onely those things which are lawfull and according to the will of God Therefore may expect to have them granted Reas 2 God hath peomised to grant the petitions of them that pray unto him saying Aske and it shall be given you Matth. 7.7 Our Saviour saith If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall aske what ye will and it shall be done unto you Ioh. 15.7 Yea the promise is made with condition of beleeving that they shall obtaine therefore they must beleeve for Christ saith All things whatsoever ye shall aske in prayer beleeving ye shall receive Matt. 21.22 Reas 3 All which pray aright do aske the Father in the name of Christ Rev. 8 3. who is that Angel which hath much incense which hee doth offer with the prayers of the Saints thereby making them acceptable who hath by his word given all men assurance that whatsoever they shall aske the Father in his name he will give it Ioh. 16.23 This discovereth the sinne of Vse 1 many who notwithstanding they pray daily yet they are full of doubt and do not beleeve that God doth heare or grant their requests Nay many will say that it is not their case onely for they do heare many complaine that their prayers are not granted How can we beleeve that our prayers are or can be granted To such I answer Let not Satan and a misguided judgement deceive you For First the cause may bee in your selves that you are not heard Secondly though God do not take any exception against your person or praier but liketh both well yet in his wisedome he may see cause why hee will not grant your desire Thirdly God may heare and grant your petition when yet you may thinke that you are not heard Fourthly God may for good causes oft-times deferre the granting of your requests which must not be accounted for a deniall If the fault be in your selfe either through the faultinesse of your person or action in prayer then God of purpose forbeareth to grant your prayer not because he heareth not but because he would have you to amend what was amisse both in your selfe and in your prayer To qualifie a mans person that hee may have his prayer heard it is requisite 1. that he be the true childe of God that he be ingrafted into Christ by faith and that hee abide in Christ and have his word dwelling in him For Abide in me Ioh. 15.7 saith our Saviour and let my word abide in you ye shall aske what you will and it shall bee done unto you Or 2. if a man indeed be regenerate Psal 66.18 yet if hee regard any particular knowne iniquitie in his heart and if hee lye in any grosse sinne unrepented of the Lord hath cause not to heare for this sinne as a thicke cloud Lam. 3.40.42.44 causeth that his prayer as Jeremie saith cannot passe through 3. He that would himselfe be heard of God and have God to forgive him must be one that hath put on bowels of mercie Col 3.13 Mat. 6.14 and kindnesse and readinesse to give unto and to forgive his brother at his request else how can hee thinke that God will heare him Matth. 18.32.33.35 so as either to give unto him or to forgive him 4. It is requisite that hee which would have his new petitions granted should first be thankfull for former and for old mercies received else this may be a sufficient barre to the granting of new requests 5. He that would obtaine his petitions must be readie prest and be industrious in using those means wherein and whereby the good thing asked is by
and evill thoughts when he should pray Reas 2 Guiltinesse of conscience especially upon the committing of some grosse sinne together with ignorant conceits of God that his thoughts are like mens thoughts Isa 55.8 implacable and unapeazeable this maketh many a man afraid to looke God in the face This was Davids case Many because they have praied Reas 3 long and as they think have not beene heard hence they are discouraged and out of heart to pray any more So many things as hath before Reas 4 beene shewed are required to make a praier acceptable that it is hard to observe them all when we pray Satan doth Spite nothing Reas 5 more then heartie and faithfull prayer for by it his kingdome is undermined overthrowne and by it he himselfe is cast out of his possession and kept out wherefore it standeth him upon to use all his methodes and devices to hinder a man and either altogether put him by the duty it selfe or so distemper him with evill suggestions doubts false feares presumptions or some other hindrance that he shall be heartlesse faithlesse or meerely formall and hypocriticall in prayer making him content himselfe with the worke done but altogether carelesse how it be done Vse 1 This truth justly reproveth all such as thinke it an easie matter to pray therefore never prepare themselves before nor yet are watchfull over themselves when they are in the act of prayer but patter over certaine words of prayer thinke they shall go to heaven by their good prayers Indeed it is an easie matter to say our prayers you may teach a childe to say them but to pray our prayers aright as hath beene taught before out of the Lords Prayer is found by all experienced Christians to be no easie thing Ob. This doctrine touching the difficultie of prayer is enough to discourage men altogether from prayer Sol. By no meanes for prayer is a necessarie dutie and must bee done and withall it is a most profitable duty and will quit all a mans paines Besides it is not so hard to be done but that it is possible nay certaine that by the help of the Spirit of prayer it may be done in an acceptable manner In these cases knowledge of the difficulties do whet on desire and resolution and doth stirre up care and circumspection it is farre from discouraging any from the worke Wherefore the next use is let Vse 2 none be discouraged from praier because of the hardnesse of the worke Breake through all lets for pray you must Gen. 32.26 Hos 12.3.4 Jacob by much and strong wrastling did prevaile at last Do in the matter of prayer as men use to do in difficult workes Set to it with all care and watchfulnesse Set to it with all the strength which you have and which you can get We must do like those which whet and sharpen their tooles which are blunt and dul We must fetch prayers as David used to do out of meditations If wee shall raise up our mindes to heavenlinesse and get our faith in God strengthened and if we pray for the spirit of prayer and if wee will joyne with the spirit in prayer then much of the difficultie will be taken off The principall helpe to prayer next that of Gods help by his Spirit is the strength exercise of our faith Yea the Spirit of God doth both worke it and worke by it in prayer Means to strengtheÌ„ faith in prayer We may strengthen our faith in prayer by these considerations First from Gods generall goodnesse to every creature He is good to all Psa 145 9. and his tender mercies are over all his workes He giveth the beasts their food he feedeth the young ravens that cry Psa 147.9 Will hee not much more heare man when hee prayeth unto him He hath heard wicked men such as Ahab Manasses and others Secondly consider that God is all-sufficient and able to help Thirdly consider the universality of his promise made to them that pray and the extent of his mercie towards them He saith every one that asketh receiveth Thus David strengtheneth his faith in prayer saying Be mercifull to me O Lord for I crie unto thee daily Psal 86.3.5 for thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to whom even to all that call upon thee This warrant to pray and these grounds of faith everie man as he is a creature hath in common with all men whereby he may be encouraged to pray and to expect a gracious audience But every childe of God who beleeveth in Christ in whom is the Spirit of God to sanctifie and cleanse the heart causing him to will and to endeavour in all things to please God all such have more peculiar grounds of faith expectation to be heard when they pray These may and must looke into the evidences of their adoption and sonne-ship They must consider whether they do not beleeve in Christ by such a faith which worketh by love but they must not say they have not this faith when their conscience can tell them that it is their desire that it may workby love and that it is their griefe when they faile in their duties of love to God or man now if they by faith have interest in Christ then they may know they are the sonnes and daughters of God Now when we can make good our title to God that we can call him by the spirit of adoption Rom 8.15.16 Father when we can with sonne-like affection call him our Father which art in heaven we may hereby strengthen our faith and assure our selves that he will both enable us to pray and will graciously heare and grant our prayers Is it so difficult a thing to Vse 3 pray aright then is it thus with any man or woman that in prayer they have found that their hearts have beene enlarged their spirits raised up their thoughts gathered in and composed their mindes intentive and attentive their faith strengthened and their conscience eased upon this their heartie and devout powring out their soule unto God O then let them blesse God for it for by his grace they have done a great and difficult worke they have done a blessed and most happie worke It is our great faults that we can onely complaine of our defects in prayer and not also take notice of and be thankfull to God for his helpe in our prayers Which fault if wee would amend we should finde lesse defect and more helpe from God in our prayers hereafter One thing yet remaineth to bee spoken of in a word or two before I conclude which is to answer this question Quest What are wee to doe after we have endevoured to pray aright Answ I answer first wee must not bee carkingly carefull aboâ—â— those things concerning which we have prayed Thus much the Apostle implyeth when he saith Phil. 4.6.7 Be carefull in nothing but in every thing by prayer and