we relie on Gods mercy too much we wrong Gods justice not a little I will poise my Spirit betwixt hope and fear The Avowry and to ballance even while I hope for mercy fear justice 2. Wrongs God Justice are two brothers both sons to carnall security The name of the one is call'd Carelesse heed taking of Gods proceeding against malefactors The name of the other is Non-notice taking of the generall Assize to be holden when every one must answer for all he hath done in the flesh as avow'd 2 Cor. 5.10 Gods justice is much dishonoured while men neither minde what inflicted nor what is threatned against impenitent sinners We love to dandle in our hands Gods staffe or support will not cast so much as an eye at the Rod of his wrath God hath holden his corrections these many years prescribing divers their penances Measels Small Pox Plague and the Sword dipt in bloud have all certified thousands have taken pennance in white sheets God it is to be feared is about opening a vein and putting us to a new penance non flumine sed sanguine This was upon the first entrance of the Scots And what shall be the end of these things it 's not hid from us it 's upon record that without repentance we shall perish All this is true which blazes O God how thou art just Luk. 13.5 yet how little is thy justice feared O it is our carelesse passing by of Gods visitation past and to be holden which makes us set his * Justice corrections light and live so loosly lewdly I will call to minde what horrid punishments I have seen The Avowry and pray I may beleeve what denounc'd A mean while I admire Gods mercy to make me fear his Justice 3. Such neglect to hallow Gods Name who wrong Gods word Who be they Quest There are three offer it injury Res one is very many unwritten Traditions full cousin-german to old wives tales whose word is in credit with Papists not Protestants will be taken in Spain and Rome but in none of our K. Dominions our sacred Synods did never give them hearing and yet Tridentinum concilium una cum veteris novique Testamenti libris traditiones etiam pari pietatis affectu reverentia suscipit ac veneratur The Councell of Trent esteems unwritten Traditions as highly as the old and new Testament Vox Dei vox hominis are in the weigh scales what a wrong is this to Gods word for mans word to parragaud with it for unwrittn traditions to face it out they will be as well trusted as Gods own written word I will make a more high estimate of Gods Word than all other The Avowry lest while I admit of a parity to honour Earth I dishonour heaven 2. Ignorance is another doth offer much wrong to Gods good Word men esteem not what they know not a barly corn is better lik'd by the midden Cock than a pearl It was but an Asse fell to the thistle and left the fertile soile Heraclitus laught at him Hist we will be sorry for these who are so very ignorant they know not they know nought their grosse ignorance hath made them undervalue that inestimable word the Word of God insomuch divers have better appetites to hear a play acted then a Chapter read or a Sermon preached especially by an orthodox Divine For my own part I am resolved The Avowry to fall in love with knowledge lest my want of knowledge diminish my love to the Word of God 3. The world is a third that wrongs Gods Word not a little Gods Word hath no greater enemy than this world Lord how many fly draw offs hath it to withdraw us from reading it hearing it medicating on it How doth it shuffle by all religious duties proponing either pleasure and go to the womans house in the Proverbs or profit and go to Mammons or ease and stay at home all Sermon time he that will be counselled by the world was never known to wish the Word well Well though the wicked so far make use of God and his Word The Avowry as that he may enjoy the world and its goods I am resolved only so far to make use of this world and its good things as that I may enjoy God and his Word 4. They neglect to hallow Gods Name who live but lewdly the honour of the Prince is laid to the stake when the subjects are exceeding lews and live wickedly But who hinders our country men from living well and doing good works Quest which others seeing should cause them to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven There are six of them Res 1. Insensiblenesse of sins 2. Want of true faith 3. Want of charity 4. Incredulity that God will not repay back 5. Love of this world 6. Fear to need Six Orators and all to draw us from good works and since I cannot stay to decipher to you out nor portray the perfect portracture of these wicked wretches I will send you to a sort of my very good friends who are able to rid you of all those idle consorts 1. Repair to a troubled conscince one can free thee from an insensiblenesse of sin 2. Repair to Abraham who against hope beleeved I mean to a true and lively faith this will send misbelief a packing 3. Hast thee on to the house of unity thou shalt there meet with brotherly love will banish malice 4. Go me on from hence and get to speak in private with Consideration I mean consider with thy self what largesses received already Hear is one will thrust Diffidence by the head and shoulders out of the door of thy heart 5. There is a fift his name I have forgotten yet his Motto is this I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ This is he is only able to drive away and cause to depart out of thine heart and in post-hast love of this world 6. Let Solomon be the sixt whose very language the creatures neither spin nor labour is of strength sufficient to free the from that slavish bondage in which thou wert to fear fear to need Since I have these six to oppose those six The Avowry I am resolved to fight under the banner of Gods Graces lest poor soul be ensnared in the ginne of hellish vice The fist moiety of my method warns me to give a call upon those graces prayed for in this petition yea and to provide them house-room in my heart Graces two They be two Sincerity They be two Vigilancy Sincerity The Parallel a Jonadab whose heart is upright Vigilancy a David whose eyes prevent the night watches Behold the Mine without drosse Sincerity The Court of Guard which guards it Vigilancy That 's my riches Sincerity This their keeper Vigilancy How much do I want and want that * Sincerity First How much may I lose and let go this * Vigilancy Latter For
Of all kinde of pictures Nebuchaanezars whose head was of gold armes of filver belly of brasse legs of iron feet of clay The Ferriman rowes one way looks another way It 's commendable in his sea-calling not in the calling of Christians Sodoms Apples were fair to the eye but being touch't turned to ashes O what a misery is this to seem to be and not to be Pageants please spectators eyes you have another to please even your Father which is in heaven who tries the heart and searches the reins I approve of a glorious profession let not that be all beware of hypocrisie a white Devill makes as fair shew and comes to the Church and as ost with a white apron as in a white surplice Either be what thou seemest to be orelse shew thy self in thy own colours Straight what crookt conversation conscience that without doors this within else the one will be odious to man both to God Bear 't in minde man judges of the heart by thy words and deeds and thou maist decived him God judges of thy words and actions by thy heart and him thou canst not deceive Though some of you amongst so many it 's to be feared some be akin to the Adverb Quasi as it were but such so zealous yet it 's my hopes there 's but a few such dossemblers among you I should be sorry there should be above one Judas in the house of Jesus A second meditation this Amen gives birthdome and I thus deduct it from it Amen which signifies Christ is as a so w as from everlasting so to last and everlastingly Parallel thy prayer with its Author yea sample the one by the other there is no end of him let there be no end of thine O pray continually Mane the verb gives us it in command Let us hold out our prayers as Joshua did his spear lift up our voice unto the Lord as Moses did his hand let the waters of Eloim be our prayers embleme ever overflowing let the continue motion of the Sun move us continually to move in the sphere of prayer Why should I not lengthen my devotion to God since Gods calling on me and so oft ere I would give heed assures me I shall not be heard for a word when I call on him God hath cal'd on us a thousand times and we would never hear him turn'd deaf ear to him and think we to have God at a whistle when we call Too much we take upon us too little we set by the Lord shall we be so coy Why then should he be so kinde He cals we care not and for a call is there cause for us to exact his audience Dust and ashes is too presumptuous to deny so oft to expect an answer and for no more Must we turn deaf ear to God and must God be bound to hear us for a word With the sweat of our browes we are to earn our bread And for a word and away think we to get bread of life of the Lord of life Away unworthy wretches let the septuplate sound of the Trumpets prompt us on to lift up our voice like a Trumpet to the Lord and aloud and oft The fearfull Hare for the safegard of her life makes many doubles doubra lesse there must be doubling of our Prayers to winde us our of danger of death and Death stand we not in awe of thee I fear not to die but to dye eternally which let my prayers increase as the waters did under the threshold of the Temple Ezek. 47. Then will I not doubt by this sea of deep sounding supplications to be ferried over and set a shore at the gates of New Jerusalem I come to a second Reason 2. Hold out your prayers since its importunity will prevail Have you not heard if one word will not a second onset may do it if not a second a third O! continuall droppings of supplications can cause Gods heart thou hast hardned against thee give again Gutta cavat lapidem the stone is hollowed with incessant drops the unjust judge is move with the importunity of the poor widow shee 's not heard at first cries again again neglected and again cries out upon the unrighteous judge whose ears so much she troubles for her cause he never weighs till all he begs he grants That the parable imports is importunity seldome gets a may say and if not with the unrighteous Judge much lesse with the Judge of heaven and earth This is it hath made me resolve upon it to fall to prayers again and if I gain not what I goe about not to let God rest at quiet till my suit be signed 3. This is Gods own counsell pray continually what shall his counsell be no command a shame so much should be injoyned and so little done here is a long task and a lazie genration some never laying their hands to this labour I mean praying in private neither with their private families nor in their private closets Some disdaining to joyne with us in Common-prayers I mean in the Church in publick What 's the cause Where 's the defect wherein smell they either of Heresie or Superstition would God any loved me so well they would tell me and where and wherein I am not so obstinate but I would give him hearing and thanks if he deserve it In time I may meet with such a Goliah but I trust I need not fear his weavers beam But as for those cry out of all printed prayers I cannot but cry out of them and tell them to their teeths while they cry out of superstition in many things they are too superstitious and in speciall while they imagine there 's no printed prayer meet to have an Amen but it made and extemporary I have heard of two sorts of prayers have been mightily discommended by a Sect suppose themselves none-such and I would be sorry to be such as they are Prayer in print for private use our printed prayers used in publick For the first what thinkest thou all have the gift of prayer There 's one spirit but divers gifts every one the Text plain it hath not all of them what then must he do wants the gift of expressing himself to God by prayer these humorous heads debar such poor souls from pen'd prayers and leave them in a worse case than the Philistims lest the Israelites without an instrument to whet their blunted goads and mattocks For the second Church prayers why relishest thou not a pew-prayer as well as a pulpit-prayer O! the ones in print but the other is pend and by the spirit I tell thee and note it an extemporary pulpit-prayer made by the Minister in respect of thee is a set form of prayer and my reason to prove it is this for that thy spirit is bound to say Amen to what he hath dictated And now since both are set forms in respect of the people this i th' pulpit that i th' pew why maist not thou say Amen
met with I dare not promise much it is presumption nor underprize my pains since some say it is a slie vain-glory a begging by refusing I much desire you would not discourage these my first endeavours and if you chance to spie a blemish in Venus her face not to eye it more than all her beauty which if you doe you have got a bargain but lost a chapman every one can say it is an easier thing to finde fault with than to mend And he that will mend what here 's amisse hath leave to finde fault with what he list I speak not this to make a variance but salve a difference assuring my self he is not a Scholar that will carp I have put my self to the worlds wide venture and aime at my * Scholars Coat to defend my cause Humorous heads who have more words than wit and censures than solidity they can gain nought at my hands by their opprobries these have a good word for none not then for me It is the ingenuous auspicious Reader I relie on for his favour whose favourable report shall make my printed paper his debtor and my self his devoted To the Author of the Prayer THE Author of the Book in all humility begs leave to dedicate these few ensuing lines to the Author of this Prayer Christ Jesus God blessed for ever Amen O my God and my King the holy Pen-man of this most holy prayer thou art one who wa st who art to be forever God and yet man man and yet God In thee the Godhead is hominified in thee the manhood is deified thou art an immense Majesty present with us in earth and at the same time Lord President in Heaven Thou art one in person yet hast two natures one of the three Persons yet all the three but one in substance begot before all Time born in the dispensation of Time not to encrease thy honour but to set us from thrall Thou taughtest Exemplo Thou taughtest Praecepto Voce By learning us Prece By praying for us Thou prayedst to thy Father for us Thou preachedst to us how we should pray to thy Father not as we will but as thou hast wil'd thou teachest us what to say and we are bound to say thy prayer Thou hast taught us how to pray so ties us not at all times to the same words O thou wisdome of the Father let me learn wisdome from thy lips Who to furnish the meanest of * In Understanding men prescribes them a Plat-forme who so sets down a plat-form as licenses the more gifted to exercise their gift of prayer Thy prayer O Christ is not given to stint the spirit thy prayer is lent to support it Blessed be thou my God and my Christ who hast not only purchased for us to be cal'd Gods Sons but taught us to say Our Farther Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I give over thy prayer I honour its Author I reverence its matter I admire its method it was made by Christ God made by Christ for man usefull for all men never could so much be contained in so narrow a room but that of Gods making the Sons penning the Holy Ghost his inspiring Let the Enthusiasts slight it the fratra cilli lay it by as men conceiving they are come to an acme of perfection yet such as fail I finde in the best of my expressions that let them be the protasis this shall be the apodosis and if with my own I begin with our Lords * Prayers I desire to make an end the Lords Prayer is the summary of all things necessary and when I have prayed for all I can in this as in a glasse my Christ lets me see the face of all my desires while I am expounding this sacred Prayer Lord let thy sacred Spirit descend down upon me so shall thy Name be honoured and I inabled to discharge this great work I have in hand O thou who madest this prayer make me understand its meaning and while I am in hand with this work blow the spark of my meditations into a flame let my paraphrase be set Carbo lampas a light shinning and lamp burning by this light guide babes in knowledge on to a set form of prayer by it confute all Hereticks who deny a set form of prayer O my Christ I will shut up my too much boldnesse of speech to thee with admiration of thee who art all in all unto us all bread to feed us wine to cherish us the white robe to cover us thou hast slain our sins by thy passion quickned us to a life of grace by thy Resurrection provided a mansion for us by thy Ascension we may enter in for thou art the door no danger by the way for our Christ is the way we can have no better assurance then from him is the truth nor let us fear the sting of death for we are servants to the Lord of life to him who is the way the truth and the life O my Saviour I blesse God for thee I glory in thee I cast my self upon thee upon the bended knee of my body I beg thy blessing praying in thy own words saying thy own Prayer Our Father which art c. The Author of the Book his Speech to the Prayer O All heavenly Prayer the very language of the Lord Jesus the Christian * A good Word till abused Directory The Rubricks Epitomy short in words copious in matter which gives God his Due begs all needfull for us all all thy precious petitions it is my every daies prayer may be writ with the pen of a Diamond in my heart O Divine Prayer I am purposed to give thee every morning the visit every night to hold conference with thee the first to salute the last to take my leave of Thou hast taught me to blesse God my here welfare my hereafter happinesse what to seek a Kingdome how to ensure it by doing what thou wilt as thou wilt O most holy prayer which suites God for us all and for all needfull which teaches us how to unravell our debts and discharge them to prevent sin by praying against sin yea prayes in the midst of our temptations for safe deliverance Thou art magnum in parvo yet sayest little yet when we have said all we can we can say no more I admire thy brevity short yet sweet few words yet full as the Patriarchs sacks understood we at length what thou comprehendest in short we would every day lengthen our esteem of thee lessen our opinion of our own barren expressions But I am sorry thou art so slighted by those who think themselves none-such and for my part I would be very sorry to be such as they are O most sacred Prayer whither wilt thou go the Enthusiast his hasty conceptions will be thy death the Sectarian Minister for fear of popular displeasure is feared to acknowledge thee in the Pulpit yet thou hast one
fast friend the orthodox conformist who hath bid thee welcome home to his house and shames not to walk with thee to Church He prayes in thy Dialect and when he uses other words Saying the thou epitomizest all he had said before The orthodox Conformist is thy fast friend the unstable Schismatick a friend in summer the old Heretick at all times at oddes with thee But let who will despise thee I will honour thee I will honour thy Author I will give due honour to thy divine matter thou art part of Gods Word composed by Christ who is the Word and every of thy words are of weight This considered who can deny it but our Lords Prayer hath had hard measure God forgive them who for popular ends have laid thee by God open their eyes who preferre their own before our Lords Prayer God give us Conformists grace so to say our Lords Prayer that we may have all in it granted even for his sake grant it good Lord who made it who taught it who left it for us to learn it is our Saviour hath commanded us to say it it is a Christians duty to doe it he is an Atheist that doth deny it I will use it for my pattern to pray by for a platforme and say it not as tyed by it from all other prayers not at all times lay it by but sometimes I will borrow all its words sometimes pray to the same sense now making it my rule anon all the petitions of my prayer And thus O sacred prayer I will assoile my soul from all superstitious conceipts of thee as also from the least disrespect of thee and while I use my own words I will binde me to thy method and when I take not that large I will quit my spirit within the circumference of thy Petitions Thus in honour of him who made thee I take my leave mannerly of thee wishing the next Age may not pretend Gods Spirit and despise our Lords Prayer lest their contemning Christs Ordinance denounce all such to be Hereticks AN EXPOSITION UPON THE Lords Prayer THere are four species or kinds of pouring out our mindes to God Almighty and they are all involved in one verse in the holy Bible in that place where the Apostle said Let there be made supplications 1 Tim. 2.1 prayers intercessions and giving of thanks for all men And now mark what is meant by each and which is meant in this place 1. Supplication is a prayer framed to God for forgivenesse of sin or its prevention 2. Prayer is a pouring out our minde to God framed to testifie our seeking God with an holy and an humble heart 3. Intercession is a suiting God for others as Wife Children our K. or Country 4. Thanksgiving is a pouring out our spirit to God framed to testifie our thankfulnesse to God for benefits received And what now I pray you is prayer largo sensu but either a thanking God for some good turne a begging of God to be good to other an humbling our selves in Gods presence with fear and reverence or else a desiring God to forgive us all our sins But to what doth what hath been said tend To certifie us that the Lords Prayer is for species or kinde a supplication for begging forgivenesse of sinnes A prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implying none ought to say it sed humili voce in all humility A request or intercession for we here pray for others as our selves to God for God to God for man only while we say this prayer we give no thanks and I think it is to put us in minde how many I had almost said the most of our suppliants are cousen-germans to the nine Lepers thanklesse persons Be pleased kinde reader to lend a look and behold The Name of this Prayers The Substance of this Prayers It s Name is Dominica oratio the Lords Prayer for it is called the Lords Prayer This sacred title Lord I finde predicates of two de die de oratione we have a day called the Lords Day and a prayer called the Lords Prayer Implicitely it implies that that day is a day of prayer and this prayer appropriates that day it is said to the Lord. But come Why is this prayer called our Lords Prayer For that made by our Lord our Lord and Saviour Gods Son the second person For that directed to the Lord our Lord God God the Father the first person Two passages have made open proclamation how this is a most excellent prayer First For that pen'd by Christ Secondly After such a sort as God himself by it is bespoke 1. The compiler of this prayer was our Saviour Two Extracts which dignifies it and desires me to minde every word in it 2. This prayer is put up and it is to God the Father the supreme head over all the Angels in Heaven men on earth devils in hell here is another call upon to move our vulgar to learn the meaning of every parcell of this prayer O my God and my Christ The Avowry since ye are both interessed in this prayer when I say it it shall make me minde every word that is in it As this prayers Name procured two to proclaim the excellency of it no lesse doth its substance the two the substance or subject matter of this prayer have sent out to sound abroad the unparallel'd excellency of it Are its Brevity Are its Fecundity For the first it 's proverbiall short and sweet as if short things were sweet things here is a short prayer I know none sweeter But it 's demanded Why think you this prayer more excellent for its brevity I will give you six Reasons why I think so 1. The shorter the sooner learnt long lessons are long a taking out 2. The shorter the better may it be remembred what can you say perfecter then your Pater noster 3. Ofter may it be said over the knights of Malta say it over an hundred and odde times a day 4. Here 's no relish of tediousnesse it begins and ends in a trice 5 It may soon be understood if will be at home in a week 6. It 's an assurance to me God quickly can hear A prayer whose concisenesse doth demonstrate that our God stands in no need to be cryed on from morning until noon as was Baal 1 King 18.26 Behold as an exceeding short so a most fecund or fruitfull prayer and at large it highly extolls its excellency while here is neither God nor man forgot Secondly There is neither good we want nor evill that we would be freed from but here we pray sor't for God to give us the one remove far from us the other Vnico verbo in one word here is involved what good every man stands in need of again all the evill of all men with a boon to be delivered from it Since thus much is comprised in this little The Avowry this little prayer hath prevailed with me to prize it above
he shall then have his will Hence it is for it we first pray and it coming among us for by Gods Kingdome may be meant Gods Kingdome of Grace that is his Church consisting of a multitude of beleeving Christians till the King of Heaven have a Dominion of such subjects on earth there 's no need to hope for much lesse to pray for his will may be done Before a Prince come to sway the Scepter he may command and be withstood when his kingdome is come his will shall be done Thus authority must precede command and a power over be had or the precept be obeyed An occasion made Christ will we should pray first for Gods regality That his Kingdome may come or he would a word to be spoke of it That his will should be done And thus I come to the third Petition in the Lords Prayer 3. Petit. which is this Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven this third petition precedes that fourth in which we pray for all things necessary for this life now I say this third hath prehemency of place before that fourth and it is to certifie us he that would have granted all necessaries for this life must first with Christ saying pray and praying say Father not my will but thy will be done The Petition for begging ability to do Gods will is set before the petition for getting goods A good monitour which shall make me It s Extract to get what I want to doe what God wils By these petitions placing I am informed the performance of Gods will guides on to the attainment of whatsoever needfull for the life of man This I am taught while thus learnt to pray first Thy will be done Then Give us our daily Bread And thus I come to the fourth Petition for bodily sustenance 4. Petit. which is set before our petitioning God for the remission of sins nor can I for certain determine what should be Christs meaning in placing a petition for our bodily good before the petitions for the remission of the sins of our souls yet I verily imagine to shew he would have mans naturall life first supplyed with what needfull and then set down what he should crave to get a life God gave leave on its behalf first to petition Or else it may be Christ did it to detect what man most longed for goods more than forgivenesse we have a better appetite to Bread corporall than spiritual and love Meat more than Manna It s Extract This petition then had this place signed perchance covertly to discover man is more sensible of bodily want than of those sores the sins of his soul and that he hath a greedier desire to have this worldly goods than to discharge his old debts in which cast by the default of Adam and himself Well while I cast my eye upon the situation of this petition I will not forget what I am taught when I come to suit God most runneth in our mindes these bodies of ours and the begging bodily necessaries daily Bread for bodies sustenance But come while I have seen Christ by placing this petition picture out mans own minde which runs upon the world so by that which followes Christ tels me what man more needs whilest I in stead of this one petition for the body Christ causes two petitions to be put upon his poor souls behalf The first of which two but fift by descent 5. Petit. from the preface is this Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that c. I am as yet to look at nought save this petitions precedency it 's set down before And lead us not into temptation now the precedency of this petition to that following It s Extract foreshewes it 's neither the sin which hangs on nor hanging over but what past and commit we are first to aske God forgivenesse for what first perpetrated God must first be petitioned to passe it by The placing this petition before implies it's sin past most endamnifies us more than either the marching on towards us of temptations or the now leâ—gre of evill lusts O my God The Avowry whilest I cannot forget what I now do I will call to minde what long since I have committed And now the last petition hath none to precede 6. Petit. nor is it the least for that the last placed for in this last petition we beg a double boon deliverance from future and present evill Thus what may seem by undersetting to be set light for last this last comprises in it a double boon that so it may have a like renown or else perchance it possesses this place that ever in this upshot of our devotions we should bear in minde what is the upshot of this prayer a petition for preservation now the Lord preserve us and defend us Again perchance this petition is last set down which involves a duplicated request to teach us As at the beginning so even to the end of our prayers we must be very earnest with God in our suit And now to period all these passages all and every of these petitions comprehend more matter than my tongue can utter or the eye of reason can discern when I have seen all I can I may say as did the blinde Lord that I may receive my sight Moses upon Mount Nebo saw the good land but could not from it make a full discovery of all the good things in it no more though walkt up to the Mount of Meditation and I see this fertile soile am I able to judge of all the hidden Treasure buried in the bowels of these petitions what I see I have set down and in writing that so not my own only but other catechumenists may bear it in their remembrance This Lords prayer contains 6. petitions like 6. shires in which I spie a world of rarities come let us range among them As I enter into the frontiers of the first petition these words I finde written to the honour of the great God and our Father Hallowed be thy Name such a land such a language this little prayer is Gods little Isle the first words the inhabitants have on their tongue ends are these Hallowed be thy Name Thus they are learnt at first to speak and say Hallowed be thy Name a pretty speech as concise as the Laconians as significant as Caesars three words Here is magnum in parvo much prayed for in few words we pray to God for God sinfull man that Holinesse it self may be hallowed a petition whose subject matter my methodobliges me to unfold and to shew unto you what is meant by this said Hallowed be thy Name In speaking upon the subject matter of these six petitions this method through one through all I mean to observe 1. Explain the words 2. Give you the full meaning of every petition 3. Collect some naturall observations 4. Extract out some Cases of Conscience 5. Shew what grace waits
of daies when I am first in my own thoughts I am the last in Gods Book Let me set my self and all my wants a while aside till God be served let his glory be my aime in prime the second place will serve all my needs In glorifying thee a glorious good redounds to me I will not clip thy coine of glory lest I go not for currant in thy kingdome of grace O that thou wouldest inlarge my heart to give thee praise lest the want of this Foreman cause the rest of the Jurore my petitions to be excepted against in the presence of thee the Judge of Heaven and Earth The second Petition THe second Petition now succeeds by name Thy Kingdome come I will God willing speak upon The Number The Nature of the words to be explained First for number here is but one word difficult to be understood two in the former one here Can we learn no lesson from Gods plaining his speech O it shewes us 1. The more we acquaint our selves with God Three Intracts more plainly he will speak to us 2. As we grow in devotion we shall grow in understanding 3. That Gods Word with modesty the more we dive into it the more knowledge God gives to hold up our heads from drowning in the gulf of false exposition I am resolved to hold out my Rosary The Avowry with the Collect. reinforce my genius to peruse the Scriptures and all to prevent misprision augment my talent and enucleate the Text. Here is only one word to be explained Kingdome This word may be taken four waies 1. For the Scripture thus Mat. 21.43 where said Auferetur a vobis regnum Dei The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you 2. For the visible Church thus Mat. 5.19 where said He that shall break one of the least of these Commandements and teach men so shall be call'd the least in the Kingdome of Heaven 3. It may be taken for the grace of God Luk. 17. where said The Kingdome of God is within you 4. For the Church triumphant Mat. 8.11 where said Many shall come from the East and the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven Now all may be here meant though in prime but one 1. And then we pray in this Petition That Gods Word and its understanding may come among us 2. That upon earth there may be a fellowship of faithfull professors visible 3. That Gods grace sent by that sayne his Spirit in that Charriot the ministery of his Word may visit our hearts 4. That these daies of misery being perioded Gods Kingdome of glory we may be seated in it In one word we pray for four things 1. That the word of God and its sound may be heard in our land 2. That we may be Gods visible Church on earth 3. For Gods grace 4. And for heaven at our ending Of this last what hopes without that precedent A circumvolution of the four fold sense Again its presumption to brag of grace and live without the Church Lastly it we aime at all we must doe a somewhat more It you purpose to be members of the Church be inspired with the Spirit hereafter have heaven let the Word of God dwell plentifully in your hearts I am resolved for my own part to make much of Gods Word The Avowry with the Collect. a mean to make me a member of the Church aequire grace and gain heaven You may be bad ground and sown with this seed A review the Word where this seed Interpretation 1. the Word for so it s call'd Luk. 8. is not sown that most fertile soils manured with Ethicks and the humane arts brings out but figtree-like cursed fruit Hence it is we pray way may be made for the Word of God and it may come ut adveniat hoc regnum that the kingdome may come So the Latine signifies which makes us sensible of Two things Extracts two 1. Our Condition 2. That in Expectation 1. Of our Condition that we are dronish in our devotion and love our ease more than our gains apparent while we pray Thy Kingdome come to us we walk not on to it 2. This in the second place makes us sensible of what in expectation That since advenit verbum the Word is come into our towns oratories ears that now prayed for is that the Word may enter into our hearts I am resolved to take notice of my backwardnesse in devotion The Avowry and all to make me more eager now this * Messenger sayne Gods Word is come to open the door of my heart and give it harbour Now this word its hieroglyphick or resemblance is a Kingdome for whilest we pray Gods Kingdome may come we mean Gods Word the word of truth And in these particulars the resemblance holds 1. For Kingdome like Resembances Gods Word is of power to correct instruct and reprove 2. It 's of force sufficient to make all outlawes inlaw themselves to Gods Law 3. Hath strength enough to meet in the field and to oppose all opposers be they Schismaticks or Hereticks Schismaticall in Discipline or Hereticall in Doctrine 4. The Nerves of a Kingdome are meat and ammunition such is the Word we live by it Deut. 8.3 it is call'd the sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 hath in it to feed at home and defend abroad 5. The best of Kingdomes Canaan had its commendation for abounding with milk and honey such is this whole land the word and therefore call'd sincere milk 1 Pet. 2.2 And therefore aver'd when the Prophet Ezekiel had put in his mouth a morsell of this earth that it was in his mouth as honey for sweetness Ezek. 3 3. I have travel'd through the land of the Philistims and the wildernesse of Sin A Supplicat But now O Lord strengthen my resolution to set up my resting place of abode in this * he means the word Taught Kingdome That here we pray for is a visible Church Interpretation 2. thy Kingdome come that is Lord let us enjoy a Church visible This interpretation I next bring in for that unmeet to be a Church untill it have received Gods good word Here we have leave to pray as against an Elias his paucity and the 7000. inforc't concealment So for liberty to continue daily in the Temple and to finde the favour to preach and hear the Gospell Act. 2.46 47. We pray then in this petition and it 's allowed for God by this second Exposition 1. That God may adde daily unto the Church Extracts two such as shall be saved 2. For the flourishing estate of the Church to the outward eye of the world Divers can endure the Queens * Church Daughter to be all glorious within but not that her Raiment should be of pure gold They cry all for sincerity within will tolerate no honourable train without Others would have the Church in worse case
to beg of him a supply what need we beg but that we want why would we ask of God if God had not enough to give our desiring God to give must make us all grant It is God can supply all our wants Doct. he hath a full stor'd magazine can never be emptied the windows barrell which feeds many doth never diminish and if the Son of God can satisfie such a sort and make more to be taken off boord then was set on the table it is a strong surmise the Father is of equall power Historians say nigh Edenborough is a fountain of oile take never so much there is never the lesse if all the earth come and draw out of this fountain God they shall finde as much left for them to come as when they first came At his right hand id fulnesse for ever he feeds all with his blessing cloathes the Lilies provides for the Ravens satisfies the hungry Lions and is he who gives us our meat in due season What want we which God cannot furnish us with is it peace sayes Christ my peace I give you want we victory he causes our enemies to flie seven waies before us want we issue he hath an Isaac for a Sarah a Baptist for an Elizabeth To come home to what instanced want we food he can make the ravenous Ravens bring it to his Prophet Well The Avowry I will relie on him is such a worthy who with his least word can supply all I want A doctrine which is full foully fallen out with divers Vse with Herod who is seeking honour but of the Plebeans Simon Magus who thinks to get power apostolick but by his money Saul who hopes to finde ease but by the instrument Dives who imagins he shall get his souls Requiem but by building his barns bigger Adam who thought there was no way to be better like but by eating of the forbidden fruit all these have left God and run after the imaginations of their own hearts The Collect forgetting who it is hath ability to preserve life give earthly content peace of conscience the gift of the holy Ghost magnificent majesty While all these walke will The Avowry and have lost their way should lead them to hit of what they want I am resolved to sute my God and none else for whatsoever needfull Now be please to take notice of what it is we beggers beg this day our daily bread for quiddity it is bread for quality houshold berad not Manna bread not manchet but such as we use daily For quiddity that beg'd is bread what bread beg'd That in the name of all and for all Doct. it implies we have no right to ought till beg'd it we are born naked to note our beggerly generation when we be come to mans estate what have we that we have not received nor receive we ought till we have askt it a modest word but founds the same with beg'd it we are beholden to God for all we have and have due to nought till Da domine demise it What have our children but from us what have we which is not given by our heavenly Father Since it is all O Lord thou givest Lord what a largesse is it that thou givest since from none else we receive it is thee only O Lord to whom I will give thanks since it 's all we who want and all sorts of necessaries Lord whaten beggers be we as poor and needy as the Church of Laodicea as the poor man had all taken from him hence we are bid go beg go aske but asking goes before having and hath avouched we wanted till we asked I am resolved to acknowledge my needy necessitated condition by nature The Avowry and for supply to repair unto my Maker The quiddity beg'd bread wils us to casta glance at Panis quantus Panis cujus The panis quantus or the how much bread beg'd is this day bread bread for this day as it were weighed our for a day we have leave to crave no more it shewes our requests must either be limited for the world Doct. or else will burst out to be boundlesse And for this cause it is here is set up an Hercules pillar to march no further a non datur ultra a not go beyond lo a bound to our desire a pitch to our petition a land-mark not to be removed we must not enlarge the bounds of this our boon but limit it within the Lords leave How much doth this Thesis taxe Vse greedy to get and unsatiable to be sufficed the horsleach language and Midas his wish I mean a sort who are malecontent have they never so much who the more they have the more they crave I shall meet with these ere they aware and before I have done this petition stab them with a spirituall partizan In the interim The Avowry it is my resolution to limit my just and not let it frisk out to covet what not conceded The next thing in this part of this petition we are to discourse of is panis cujus which certifies us whose bread is beg'd we our selves beg that is ours Ours and begs it this may call into question what interest we have in the creature There is a right a priore a foreright a posteriore an after-right A fore right in the state of innocency by the creative law God conferring An after-right in this state of misery by law national man assuming That first was a grant to be Lord over all demized to the species The second an act to have and to hold this or that demized to the individuall That first and great Charter we lost in Eden it is saln to God by excheate again The lesse and underling Patent we retain and have right to what we have jure humano vix jure Divino and therefore we call it ours yet therefore we pray it may be ours And that as the law of man hath made it mine so the grant of God may conferre it fully And pray we to God and to give and what is ours And shall it not lend me eyes to see Doct. my state to my estate is not good till God confirm it what we have we have a broken title to it till a better title be procured of God by petition what Adam forfeited by default we have rein stored by a supplicat Ne putetur à nobis dicimus D◠nobis Aug. epist 143. nor must we think we own that we have till that we have be made our own by prayer and supplication it was Adams act disannulled our right to the creation we are to be re-estated but how by prayer here is nought now to be had by command but by intreaty and let us pray to God and God will give what we pray for even us this day our daily bread that is all earthly necessaries I am resolved never to be brag of what I have The Avowry nor yet to reckon my goods mine
not its mouth before the shearer He that is accoutred with this grace will part with much makes no matter of it suffer out of measure not measure out by the same measure unto other O Humanity thy courtesie to others endears thy God to thee while thy silent let passe of worldly wrongs wrings mercy from thy Maker Let me put up all the way to wipe off all and remit trespasses against me the mean to get my trespasses against forgiven me I am resolved to effect all humane affability The Avowry and that to allmen living that somy affable carriage to such as do me injuries may binde my God and by his word to remit me my sin sand trespasses The vices two The two Vices prohibited are Soul soyling Heart hatred Shoul soyling The Parallel a Colonell of the black guard Heart hatred a Captain under his command Soul soyling a continuall make-bate betwixt my God and me Heart hatred a no seldome dissension-sower betwixt me and my neighbour Soul soyling the author of inward uproars Heart hatred the cause of outward Garboyles The first cause forain wars The latter civill sedition While the one makes by God and me fall out the other me with my neighbour I am resolved by the grace of God The Avowry to bandy all my forces to force these gracelesse Seminaries of sin to be gone The first Vice forbidden in the first petition Soul soilings Character is Soul soyling This is the Vice the Schoolemen call malus habitus an evill habit consuetudo peccandi custome of finning altera natura that other nature which makes sin naturall eustomable habituall a vice breeds and nusles us up in evill a vice which makes us common annoyancers of God and no more set by finning than eating and drinking walking and talking This Vice of all other is the devils darling Gods accurst and mans mischief maker that Absalom that steals away the hearts of the men of Israel and allures us from our allegiance to our Lord God This is that one can do more with the wag of his finger Hist than Pompey with the stamp of his foot and hath and no few at as much command as the Centurion his servants where this malus habitus inhabits men are made very slaves whom this vice bids goe he goes come he comes do this he doth it Behold the rudder which turnes about the ship soul The Commander which with a word hath at command all in our Ile How doth the Sons of men like Sampson dote on this Dalilah which while it promises content causes the Spirit of the Lord to depart from us this is the vice proffers us peace but upon worseterms then the men of Jabesh Gilead they were to have put out every man his right eye this leaves us not an eye to see with he that habits himself in sin sees not that he sins his evill habit hath made him senselesse he doth evill O! custome in sin makes no conscience of sin and the ofter the sin's commited the seldomer the sinner findes fault with it a daily trespasser is a stiffe out-facer and what is every day done the doer of it thinks the lesse shame of though it deserve more to be reproved yet it lesse grieves and by much Mark how the first grosse offence made the heart sob when again committed not so much when after scarce at all the increase of sin is the decrease of the sense of sin which how much more all the man is soiled with so much lesse matter makes he of it This habituall evill is a vice which pleases mans palat displeases his God increases man debt disinables to satisfie bids us take our fulth of pleasure takes from us an heart to bear 't in minde after that man must be cal'd to judgement I am resolved by Gods good assistance The Avowry to pray my God to guard my heart from this overspreading sin soul soyling lest while I entertain it it stop my mouth and make me carelesse to crave of God to forgive me my sine and trespasses The next Vice prohibited Heart hatreds Character is Heart hatred Cain gave it first birth-dom the world ever since house-room and the envious man welcome This is the vice souses the soul in bloud which if it grow up becomes a * A feeder on mans flesh Cannibal none is more out of charity yet none seems more charitable while it will take nought but repays * A Box on the Ear. it back it restores what we would not have and is ready to give or any to receive it makes its master think of his neighbour when he hath no thanks for his labour and bestow on him much pains but to his neighbours costs and damage this is a spark hid which ere long barns out an hovering over cloud which presently dissolves into a deluge a pest which will break out and some are sure to dye for it The plague is not more perilous the floud more furious the fire more fierce then this vice which who so once fals into findes it a fury of hell a firebrand of the Devill and a Devill incarnate How doth the potion of opportunity alter this vices * The malicious man owner in a trice changes his looks tone complexion makes the man double in his speech tremble with his joynts and be ready to kill or be kill'd This is the man who meanes to be even with his neighbour by living at ods with him who wrongs himself by seeking to right himself and now will go doe that in an humour he will have cause to rue ever after The maliciousmans three assistants he hath three sturdy Assistants whom he sets a work to work his neighbours ill fare 1. The first is Anger which is brevis furor a Bedlam and makes us more like mad men then men of reason and unreasonably mad for a fit 2. The second is Choler who cares not what he doth so it be done and to his neighbours dammage and irrecoverably 3. The third is Spleen who toad-like is full of the venome of evenge and swels up the maw whith malice and means as much mischief as may be It is this vice and these the aiders are perfect Arithmeticians in the rule of Addition who reckon up all discourtesies and discover and in a moment a world of malice Whilest they seek for revenge they pull on their owner the vengeance of God whose repay back the trespasses done him by man reduplicates his sins and trespasses unto God I am resolved to beware of this one The Avowry lest overcome by these three whose joynt force captivates diserention and of a wise man maketh a very fool The Divine Contemplation upon the fift Petition Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us I have now got notice what I am in debt and how to clear it I have a long score here is a way to strike off all the reckoning
failes lea Faith support And since O my King and my Christ it is thou hast said it I am resolved never to dispute it thou hast given me an ear to hear give me an heart to beleeve the eternity of thy Kingdome Power and Glory were this within the reach of reason I stood in no need of faith since it is above my Reason Lord I beleeve help my unbelief But come with the eye of faith let me look back and take a view of what was is and to be for ever Thy Kingdome Thy Power Thy Glory Three that ever were and three that ever owned a Trinity of persons a Trinity of Majesty and that for ever For Ever this is a note above the Musicians Ela a point without the sea-mans compasse a letter more than in our Christ-crosse-row yea a word which as yet never could the heart of man fathom Give me leave to admire this heavenly language which we mean mortals cannot learn and as becometh a Christian to subscribe not like an Atheist deride this high mysterie of eternity Loe the vast distunce betwixt the Creator and the creature as in parity of nature so in Eternity of Time I am a childe but as of yesterday and to last little longer than Plintes * Generated at morn dead at night flies But thou arta God whose Dominion had no beginning hath no ending The Persian the Parthian the Roman Empire we read and finde their α their ω but when thine first begun O God there is no Historian sets it down no Arithmetician can reckon nor no Divine is able to prognosticate they are all silent swallowed up with the thought of their eternity Mans imagination can wander and in an instant take a survey in the Idea of his understanding of all that ever was from the year of our Lord to the year of the Creation there is the Hercules pillar he can go no further for all his hast there he takes up his rest non datur ultra here all his thoughts stint as the Goal not to be gone beyond but what is this world of Time to this Ever and everlasting The thoughts of man are but a span in comparison of Eternity All the Kingdoms of the world are in their swadling belt compared with the perpetuity of Gods Kingdome Power and glory they had no beginning Miraculum miraculorum they shall have no ending for in secula seculorum O my soule servest thou such a King who owns such a Kingdome such a Potentate whose Power is so expanded such a Soveraign whose Glory darkens the Sun and is more aged then the whole Creation yea whose All is everlasting cast down thy self at his sacred footstool acknowledge his greatnesse thy own meannesse what thou art as nought what he is that divine Deity from everlasting to everlasting whose Kingdome Power and Glory are for Ever Amen THis Ever must not be an everlasting subject but be ended with Amen And so I come to the conclusion The fourth part of my method the conclusion Amen Amen the fourth and last part of this prayer This is the upshot and end of it We have now got from Dan to Beersheba from the hithermost to the utmost part of this prayer All of it hath been surveyed and all the worthies in it all save this one Amen 1. Let me tell you what Countrey-man is this Amen 2. Why made a native in every nation 3. Since a stranger come from far be pleased I may be to you his interpreter and tell you what he means First this Amen if you look at him prima ab origine from his first original Amen an Hebrew he is neither Greek nor Latine but a Hebrew lad and the last begot of the line of Heber and as ancient as the tongue in which the Old Testament was writ All this prayer else is of the linage of the Grecians This one only Amen is of the line of the Hebrewes And with this * Hebrew word Amen Jew Jesus shuts up the womb of his Prayer How in a mysterie do I meet with this contemplation Two Contemplations that the Jewes towards the End may get good by Christ and praying to him And that he who mixt the two tongues in compiling this prayer compiled this his prayer for the good of Jew as Gentile latet secretum in this Hebrew word hath laid hid this secret unseen till this time Well The Avowry while I period this prayer with this Amen this last word shall put me in minde of Gods first * Jewes love yea that there is hopes of the Jewes home coming and that those that are not Gods people may come to be cal'd the people of the Lord. Again this Amen is akin to the holy Tongue and with that tongue this prayer is perioded 2. How in a mysterie am I led to contemplate Contemplat 2. my heart to the end of my prayer should be heavenly since my tongue presumes to close it up with the holy Language I am resolved by Gods good assistance The Avowry my heart shall have a sent of such as is this last word here uttered And that as the last word of this my prayer is part of the holy Tongue so such as is that tongue such shall be my Heart Holy The second thing I promis'd was to 0110 2 shew why this Amen Amen a native in every nation is made a native in every nation I mean admit into every speech all Countries and Nations using it as usually naturally as their own naturall language so that now it is naturalized through the whole Christian world It s common traffique with all forts of Languages will witnesse this Austin gives this Reason Reas I ne vilesceret nudatum that it should not being made bare by interpretation become more vile among the people And therefore all keep to one and the same word Amen ut honorem haberet velati secreti to give honour to it as to a vailed secret It may be it is thus kindely entertained into all languages to note out hereby the consent of all nations Christian in the worship of God Or else this remainder of the holy Tongue is * Spred diffusive That the prophesie of Esa 19.18 may the fulfilled That the Gentiles should speak the language of Canaan A word then to be used by Jewes A review of the three Reasons by Gentiles and since by all nations by all the natives in those nations By the Ideot by the Learned This I beleeve let the Carnotensian * It forbids any of them to say Amen because they all count thēselves learned and for that it 's said that the Idcot say Amen Canon say what it will a word whose common use declares our serving one God in common And while we all in common conclude una voce as one with one and the self same Amen It hath made me admit to prayers with me the very wicked Let the proud
Pharisee bid stand afarre off as oft as he pleases A word we all use left since all is to use it so many severall interpretations into severall tongues should * uncloath denude it of it deserved due and diminish its sense which is so much yea its sense is so signifying and its matter so much and it self so hard to be understood that at this time I have proffered to be it interpreter to you and tell you all it means And thus I am led to the third part of my method See what is meant by Amen to tell you what is meant by Amen And what it is it signifies this done I have done I finde this Amen in chief set at latter end of our promise past to keep Gods commandements and there placed and by a Prophet 2. Set at latter end of Church service and so placed by the Church in the * Common-Prayer-Book Church Rubrick 3. Set at latter end of our Lords Prayer and so placed by our Lord. For the first I finde this Amen Amens first sense set at letter end of our promise past to keep Gods Commandements and by the Prophet And so Amen is Nota faciendi voti a note of a vow This is made apparent by that place Jer. 11.5 though the Text the So be it the marginall note is Amen And it is the Herald doth blaze Jerremiah's vow of obedience to keep Gods Commandements While then you cry Amen The Extract you Vow obedience to Gods Commandements Now to vow so oft The Taxation and break as oft is a foul fault This is to heap sin upon sin while we vow we will serve God and serve the Devill Thou hadst better never promise then never performe and say nought than say Amen and not minde to what that one word hath bound thee Amen is soon said but bindes to much And as nudum pactum a bare promise in honesty bindes to pay so this only Amen to perform that in foro mvndi this in foro Coeli that to man this to God I would have men mark how far ingaged and to cast up what their word is past for to God to doe Amen hath made us all debtors to God The Supplicat Now God of his mercy and Christ for his merits clear our score Secondly I finde this Amen set at latter end for the most part of our Church service and so placed by the Church in the Church Rubrick And so this Amen is Nota assensus a note of assent And serves to shew or declare what the Priest hath said the people assent to And thus this word Amen is used Deut. 27. from the 15. to the end of the Chapter Amen then is as much as all said I assent to in the Church service faid by the Priest And let me tell you what I think it is this How it is a laudable fashion and commendable custome in our congregations That when we have said Church Service being agrreeable with holy Bible for the people to cry Amen at end Beleeve me as it is the Clerks office so your duties to cry Amen your Amen is the man conjoynes Priests and peoples hearts together nay know 't he that hath not a mouth to cry Amen I dare say wants an heart to call on God It is a small request if we say service for you to say Amen it is a great benefit for a little disbursement when one only word interests you in all the prayers we have made My desire is when I say service to hear the whole Congregation say Amen St. Avstin Audiri veluti Coeleste tonitru populum reboantem Amen I desire to hear the people founding Amen as thunder from heaven O! it sheweth that the prayer sayed by the Minister whereunto the people answer Amen omnium esse communem to be common to all thou losest thy part by leaving out Amen and know 't he that will not lend God his tongue to say Amen it 's not probable God will be so free hearted to him as to grant him that of which there is not the least testimoniall he desired it To conclude he must play the Clerk that would profit by what uttered by the Priest Here is an happy way found out for the good of our ignorant yet know 't to your comfort by saying though but in some sort understandingly Amen The Preachers service is made yours you may come to gain as much by saying Amen as he that saith all the words at large in the Common-prayer-book An inducement sufficient to cause all to say Amen We have our task set out to read Service this is yours to say Amen Church-service is half lest undone while you neglect to say Amen and the far greater part for the people have unacted their part * Ministers We put in our replication while we say service your rejoynder is unput in without Amen Now Lord grant that while we speak to thee for us our selves and for the people The Supplicat the people may joyne with us and that their Amen to our prayers may testifie their good and godly meaning Thirdly I finde this Amen set at latter end of our Lords Prayer Pater noster Amens third sense is tripartite and so set and placed by Christ himself Now in speaking upon this Pater noster Amen this shall be my method First I will shew you three severall significations it may admit of Secondly in a my sterie I could tell you this Amen and these three significations might shadow out and in some sort the Trinity in unity yea the Trine unity that one God and the three Persons Thirdly I will give you its compleat character Fourthly Since the Text is so short give me leave to extract an heavenly fancy from the letters in this last word of our Lords Prayer Fistly The first sense of my pater noster Amen He end all with two divine Meditations First let me give you the three significations of my Pater noster Amen and first of the first 1. This pater noster Amen may here be taken pro juris jurandi nota for a testimony upon oath thus Mat. 5.18 it is as much as Verily and it is Englished oft by Truly or Verily Yet when thus Englished incipit non desinit commonly it begins ends not the sentence Yet in this place dum desinit affirmat asseveratione while we end with this word we protest all said is our minde And now see when you have made an end of praying this word Amen vowes you take your oath on it that your prayer is your very hearts desire Amen that is Lord what I have prayed for I take an holy on 't I defire it The Taxation A parlous protestation and gives all those a vehement knock over shins who say one thing and mean another With the Hawk in windy words towring into the air when their aim and end is on the earth The word being
Amen the Son yet there 's a blush But take Amen for vox praeterea nihil wherein then lies the resemblance 1. God is Alpha and Omega This Amen is Omega for alwaies last 2. God comprehends all sic Amen omnia praedicta Amen comprehends all mens votes and supplicats 3. God undestands all Tongues and Languages and Amen it 's well known is no stranger to none of them 4. God is every where sic Amen in una quaque regione you may finde Amen in every nation 5. God is the very same yesterday to day and to morrow Et hoc verbum Amen semper idem ejus nomen nunquam amittitur and to shew it is no changeling it is set next secular seculorum Since this Amen blushes noble a personage The Avowry this shall make me ponder in minde ere I say with my tongue Amen In the next place Amens three significations maintain this Amen blushes the three persons Father Sonne Holy Ghost And first God the Father while by Amen is meant an oath it 's the sole decider of all in Earth so he in Heaven Secondly God the Son Amen is like him if not him Dum hoc verbum est veritas Thirdly God the Holy Ghost while as he so this Amen is signum the mark the seal seals all assuredly I will ever have in high esteem that prayer upon whose last word is imprint the Character of the ever blessed Trinity The Avowry And now if you chance to dislike the allusion dislike not my endevour which is to satisfie as some with common Cates so some with a novelty Bit you know ere cloth be taken away novelties are expected or never Let each take a morsell of the meat will best digest with him and not condemn the Cateror for that at cost with variety We see the dish set up upon the long board of your understanding cal'd Amen Let us all close up our stomachs with this Amen A very taste whereof hath put the people of God in minde of one God And God the Father Sonne Holy Ghost My vote for all Gods people shall be this His vote that while to their prayers end they have in their mouthes and bear in their mindes God so that God would be ever pleased to grant all their prayers put up unto him The third part of my method moves me to give you the compleat character of this one Amen Amens Character I mean its description in decurt short significant sentences Amen then as you have heard is an Hebrew by Nation a Laconian by Language and a traveller by nature hath talkt with sundry of sundry nations and when they have said all they can gives them it all over in a word This is hath marcht through all the provinces in the Christian world yet in the rear never in the front The Officer at armes who drawes up the broad Body into a little circle The son of Mars makes an end of all he is plac't the lowest yet is of greatest account for comprehends quic quid in buccam venit the last yet the first while from the first to the last all hangs dependency upon this one Amen This is the pacifier of the people which makes them of one minde the little map deciphers out their unanimous universall agreement the prosective glasse in which I see a fort gone farre before The notary bears in minde every petition put up Lo the repeater over of our prayers which bindes all us to bear in minde all said This Amen is a memento for man and a testis to God our remembrance of what spoke and the witnesse betwixt God and us we meant as we spoke this is he saies little yet saies much while gives us magnum in parvo much in a little a word of weight which if pondered weighs as heavie as the whole prayer Behold the nut is nought but kernell the fountain is sea-full and the ship is full fraught this is it fils and full the magazine mans understanding and hath to lay up a somewhat lest in the out-room memory Will must not be a wanting lest there be a want when search is made for what came aboard I will board the booty in this bottome The Avowry and desite my God to give me understanding to conceive and memory to bear in minde all lies hid in this howle Amen But come what is it lies here hid Sub tegmine Deus sub tegmine Christus as much Amen signifies God Christ Christ God himself saies I am the Amen If you end with God and Christ have nought to do with the Devill have you Christ in your mouthes keep then Satan out of your hearts Thou never with a good heart sayest this prayer but this last word shuts door upon the Devill Principium a Jove finis Jesu thou beginnest with the Father endest with the Son Without doubt the Spirit is thy guide and teaches thee to pray teaches thee thus to pray teachers thee * Pater noster this to say let me tell thee to have God in thy mouth the Son on thy tongue end makes probable proof the holy Ghost is in thy heart So on the other side to slight such a prayer which begins with our Father ends with the Son maketh it more than probable the Spirit of the Lord is departed from that suppliant take it for a maxime in Divinity he that wilfully refuses to say Christs Prayer is not inspired with christs Spirit Let me tell you I can see no other cause why any should lay aside our Lords Prayer unlesse unwilling to use the name God the Father at the first and God the Son at the end in their Rosary The Jewes were so fear'd to take Gods Name in vain that they used another word in stead it may be we have such a piour people who fear to sin if they should do what Christ bids them doe Say the Lords Prayer yet since Amen is in stead of Christ there is no excuse neither ever took I those men to be squeasie stomach who can strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel who make scruple to say Christs prayer yet stick not to rob Christs Church in one work who destroyed her Discipline defaced her Doctrine unhallowed her sacred Sacraments and doe to many of Gods Embassadors as Hanun did with Davids cut off their garments to the hams Beleeve me those who have such strong stomachs to the maintenance of the Ministry I never knew bear any good will to the Doctrine of the Church They will cry Amen sooner to the one then the other I will leave them and pray for them the Lord awake them out of that surreptitious sin Sacriledge And thus I passe on to the fourth part of my method which desires since the subject is short you would give me leave to extract an heavenly fancy from the letters in this last word of our Lords Prayer I know some will carp at it but for my own part I
am resolved never to write without a censure by some But know you it the letters in this one word involve a mysterie while all the letters in Amen make up mane Mane Mane Mane the Adverb Mane the Verb. Mane the Adverb which signifies Early Mane the Verb which bids bide by it stay at it That notes out the Time This the Terme The time I must begin to pray is betime The Term without interim The time the term of prayer Amen point forth Forth with 's the time Epigr. the terme no ending hath Now T'le begin to day to pray not rest Early lately prayer I 'le make my feast Mane invites bias come come quickly pray Mane gives charge we stay start not away Amen in one comprises both these two And to our tasks our bea rt doth bend doth bow This divine fancy hath brought out two twins I mean two heavenly mediations and this is the fist part of my method and the perfecter of my promise But I will extract them and more properly from this very last word of our Lords Prayer which word being Amen I look not at as taken adverbialiter for them commonly it begins the verse this ends the prayer yet when Amen is so used it signifies Verily very 2. I look not at this present at this words as taken verbaliter so it is set at end our Church Collects and sounds as much as So bet it But let me look at this Amen as taken nominaltter for a noon for him who is the truth for Christ From this exposition wich is the most lofty and warranted out of the Revelations I will extract two Meditations Rev. 3.14 For the first What doth Amen signifie Christ Christ who is α and ohgr the first and the last from all eternity and to last everstingly and with this sacred sound shut I up my prayer that this is thus this Amen is my witnesse The first meditation rises from hence is this Since we end our prayer with him was from the beginning Joh. 1.1 1. Meditate how this puts us in mind to have Timely thoughts mane early to fall to prayers Was Christ from the beginning and shall I deferrer of praying till the evening * Of my life What a late prayer to an early rising Lord such a prayer suites not so early an one as this Amen let this timely Lord have timely petitions put up unto him Meditate how our first work must be to fall to prayers A duty there 's no dispensation for a task haste must not hinder a businesse about which let us lay all our heads betimes begin you old men in the morning you young men ere old you younglings in your side-coates Meditate upon 't how you cannot begin too soon to serve God for Samuel the young and Josias at ten are tendring their service So soon as spring grasse growes This time of grace is spring-time let 's see prayers put up as thickly quickly as grasse growes else the work of nature will overgrow this gift of grace and there be found more barrennesse in the womb of thy heart than in the heart of the Earth Beloved bear it about in your remembrance how 1. We all are found guilty by Law Motives to further this first mediatation and what so soon as we can speak shall we not pray Mercy good Lord 2. We may be executed when God will call and shall we then neglect time to call on God 3. We have nought of our own as poor as the poor half-hunger-starved prodigall and shall we deferre a day to beg a somewhat O! our want may set us to this work to pray 4. We are beforehand with God for a thousand favours and say we begin to retaliate to God thanks to day we hall scarse for all this have day enough O! Gods bounty our want The Collect the uncertainty of life the certainty we are guilty give a loud shout in our eares and cry To prayers to paryers By the grace of God I am resolved The Avowry and do mean this mane shall make me a morning man yea my eyes to prevent the night-watches till I have donemy devotion You see now what you should doe first fall to prayers ere you open shops or you make a bargain this should be first done pray to God let me gripe you 1. What say you now to those who with Martha are trouble about many things yet leave undone this unum necessarium praying it may be they think to wax wealthier by working than talking it holds in temporals not in spirituals 2. What say you now to those must be roaring of their peals of Ordnance on the Lords days when all the Bels in the Church have rung them a peal to come to prayers It may be they think there 's more to be got by the sword than the Word as wise as he is he 's deceiv'd thinks so Religion is not so far gone down dike so much foot-hold in our Island Atheisme I hope shall never have 3. What say you now to those whom an early chapman makes them put off God to another time It may be they think more to be got by trucking and lying then beggin but remember the begger is in Abrahams bosome but as for all liars their portion is damnation 4. What say you now to those who all their lives have made shew of Religion but that 's all are not the men men take them for The Hieroglyphick of these outside Saints is a Gallant in a Busse-coat that never fought These look like Saints militant yet never fought with Beasts at Ephesus They gild over their spirituall cowardize with divine formalities These are they accuse us for being overmuch ceremonious and yet themselves have no more but the form of godlinesse I speak not of all yet of the most of all almost all of that Sect society think themselves something when nothing They are taxt for 't by St. Paul Ephes But let me tell these conceited professors I say not proficients in their profession but such as only professe they are proficients in grace and godlinesse yet go as flowly on to Heaven as that Beast of which it is reported he goes but a yard betwixt sun and sun This is it I am to tell you Religion never makes a man have too good a conceit of himself true zeal is no braggadochio he that thinks there is none bettern there is none worse a windy professor is commonly a gracelesse Gospeller Be thou the proud Pharisee I le be the poor Publican and while thou vauntest what thou canst do I am resolved to be sorry I can do no better But come a word or two with thee who hath the forme of godlinesse deniest the poor of it who talkess like a Saint livest like a devill in private you 'l not deny it Know 't God of all kindes of creatures most dislikes Harpyes which have ora virginum ungues vulturum Virgins looks Vultures clawes
as well to Church-prayers made by many gracious choice Divines as to an extemporary prayer made by some one sometime who it may be speaks non-sense to God Almighty I professe I pity the sullen humour of our times and a sect who delight themselves with nought but new inventions as all that know me know I hate a very rag of Idolatry So I detest the sick-brainnesse of divers of this age who are faln into a frenzy of righting by doing wrong and of purging out of our Church Nay some are grown so impudently devout that they dare say it it 's not meet to say our Lords prayer Lord what impure purity is this for flesh and bloud to give a non placet to that Christ hath given under his own hand it fit to go for currant Luk. 11.2 It shall be my prayers that God 0 would root out of old England all Hereticks and all conceited Schismaticks who take scare both at our Lords Prayer and divers other godly prayers of Our Lords prayer is authorised to be said by one of the three States of Heaven and what one says all assent to The other our Common-prayers have been allowed of by our three States of Parliament once the reputed nerves and sinews of our nation All the Members of which when they meet the Lord grant in all things which concern this his Church they may be directed by his holy Spirit And to this in a peaceable way to agree let all true hearted natives say Amen Give me leave to end all with a Divine Contemplation upon Amen All our prayers are Epitomized in our Lords Prayer and our Lords Prayer in this one Amen How soon is it said how much doth it comprehend I had need take good heed when I pray And have I not as much need to minde when I end with this Amen I have been a long time unfolding my minde to God this Amen is that one which when I have opened it claspes it up Have you not seen a book in quires after that bound up such is every single petition such an one is this Amen What in them laid severed in this is bound up The petitions in our Lords prayer are much like the verses of a Psalme whose tune is prick it briefs and semibriefs Amen set at end is the quickest semi-quaver Time and a well pleasing note in the ears of God Almighty my petitioning Epistle I have put up to God that is my Prayer the Collect of it is Amen You know there are abundance of sacred truths beleeved by us Christians and yet their Encheridion is our Creed in like sort here is a world of good we beg of God yet all sum'd up in this Amen I am resolved to carry about me both my eyes Corporis Animae to spie out what here lyeth hid Amen is a deep ocean and full to the superficies though straight in the circumference broad at the centre O my God inable me to recollect heart and minde and spirit that I may discern all hid in this Amen But Lord how am I taught from the first to the last word of this prayers to discharge my duty and please thee first I pray for that I need then Amen protests this is my minde This Amen is my witnesse all my prayers are my desire When I pray dear Father joyn heart and tongue together and what with my tongue I beg let Amen make affidavit I desire it But come when we have made long prayers are they all comprehended in our Lords prayer When we have said our Lords prayer is it breviated in this its last word It makes me I dare not at all times give the plaudite to long prayers nor over censure decurt devotion the most is not ever the best let my prayer be of the best and God will be well pleased with my little though I say no more Nor speak I this to lessen devotion but to comfort those who are not so fully gifted God may be in thy heart though thy tongue be not so long and the Publican be accepted with his short when the Pharisee his Long shall be little set by Amen set at end of our prayers and devoutly uttered sounds better in Gods ears than vain tautologies The Hypocrite hath more tongue than heart the child of God more heart than tongue Yet O Lord untie the strings of my tongue and my lips shall shew forth thy praise Yet since thou lovest not much vain babling set thou a watch before my tongue that I offend not with my lips Da Domine ut Haec recte intellingam Luther magis ut haec faciam FINIS A Table containing the most remarkable points unfolded in this Exposition THE Preface Four kindes of powring out our minds to God by prayer pag. 1 The sacred title Lord predicates of two pag. 3 Two reasons why cald the Lords Prayer ibid. Two extracts from the reasons pag. 4 The Avowry ibid. An excellent prayer for brevity made six wayes appear pag. 5 A most fecund prayer apparent by two reasons ibid. Two teasons why a preface pag. 8 God described Relatively pag. 10 God described Positively pag. 10 Why God cal'd Father not Lord ibid. The word Father puts us in minde of four things pag. 11 It binds us to aske God blessing pag. 13 It binds us to do him reverence pag. 13 Esau asked blessing pag. 14 The estimate of Gods blessing ibid. We must shew reverence to God when we speak to God he speaks to us ibid. Elisha his carriage to Elias ibid. Gods Ministers cald Gods Embassadors pag. 16 The word preached to be heard with much reverence ibid. The 24 Elders in the Revelation ibid. The reverent custome of the Abissins ibid. God is cald Father tripertively pag. 17 A review of the particulars ibid. Why we admit of the very wicked to say the Lords prayer with us pag. 18 How every Oath how every election how Christ may be cal'd God Father pag. 18 The case of disinheriting pag. 20 Two sorts of fools ibid. The Collect where all foregoing is abbreviated pag. 21 Three substantiall reasons why we say not my but our Father ibid. The first Product 21. The second Product ibid. The third product 22. The Collect ibid. God's ever within call pag. 24 Gods place of residence pag. 25 His ablenesse to help us ibid. The point enlarge ibid. The Leaper and the Man whose son was possest with their If thou wilt ibid. The Leaper and the Man whose son was possest with their If thou canst ibid. Eight acceptations of the word Heaven pag. 27 Two may be here meant ibid. The semblance betwixt Saints and Heaven pag. 28 An extract from the literall sense pag. 29 An extract from the mysticall sense ibid. Heart compared to a house pag. 30 The Avowry Now the Petitions are to be spoken to ibid. The division pag. 31 The Petitions are of two sorts or kinds ibid. Their extracts pag. 32 The equality of these two sort of Petitions three