discourage us from the practice of it especially considering we are undone for all Ages if we are not forgiven a thousand times more by God than ever we can forgive our Brother And considering too that we have such glorious Rewards before us that it is a shameless Impudence to expect so great Glories at a less rate than the bearing Christ's easie Yoke and light Burthen at a lower rate than one short but holy Life here And lead us not into temptation THE meaning is We pray that the allurements of the World the Flesh and the Devil may be so restrained by God that if we should by any of them be tempted to sin against him he will not leave us to be overcome by the temptation and fall into sin by it Or if at any time we shall fall into a sin by their Temptations which God forbid we pray that we may not impenitently live in it Thus we pray in this Petition that seeing we are neither willing nor able of our selves to resist and overcome their temptations that God by his Grace would enable us to do it That seeing we have vile Inclinations and corrupt Affections of our own ready to betray us seeing we have a tempting World ready to deceive us and seeing there is a busie crafty watchful Devil that studies to undoe us and all of them constantly alluring us to Sin or discouraging us from our Christian Duties we pray that God would not withdraw his Grace from us so as to leave us to be overcome by them But by the assistance of that Grace by being always upon our guard by holy Resolutions and a watchful Spirit we may be enabled when we are in danger and are tempted to resist subdue and conquer the Temptation In short we pray in this Petition that whenever we are tempted God would please either to restrain the Temptation or give us Grace to withstand it But deliver us from evil THE meaning is We pray that God would please to deliver us from all the Evils of this Life and that to come Especially from the Evils to which we are tempted That he would deliver us from the Evil of Sin from the Evil One that is the Devil From the power of the Tempter From all Evils and Miseries of Soul and Mind and Body either temporal spiritual or eternal Evil Thoughts Evil Words and Evil Actions And if in his Wisdom and Mercy he see it fit for us to be our Lot and Portion to suffer some Evils or Afflictions here in this Life yet that he will reserve nothing of his Wrath in store for us in another but deliver us from an Evil Eternity the unknown Evils of the Kingdom of Darkness the intolerable Evil of Everlasting Burnings which he has prepared for the Devil and his Angels The CONCLUSION For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever THE meaning is This is no Petition but a praising and glorifying of God that we may hence learn not only to pray for what we want but return him Love and Praise and Adoration for what we receive and the end of all may be his Glory So that as we begun this Prayer with Hallowed or Sanctified and Glorified be thy Name so when we have begged of God all necessaries for our Souls and Bodies we then conclude our Prayers with Praises as it is fit we should Thine is the Kingdom Thou art King the great King of Heaven and Earth and we are thy Subjects Vouchsafe us thy Subjects what we humbly petition for and beg Thou hast commanded us O our good and great King to come to thy Throne of Grace and ask and thou hast said Ask and ye shall have Be thou then intreated by us to hear and grant our Petitions For thine is the Kingdom thine is the Soveraignty and Dominion over all the World and therefore hast an infinite right to dispose of all things Thine is the Power That is thou art Omnipotent or able to do all things and therefore sure able to grant what we humbly ask and sue for It were to no purpose to come and ask a thing of him that were not able to bestow on us what we seek for Here therefore we acknowledge God's infinite Power In all Requests or Suits the two chief things to be considered in the Person we address to are these 1. That he be able to grant us And 2. That he be willing to grant what we beg for Now here in the end of this Prayer we acknowledge God to be able to grant when we say Thine is the Power In the beginning of it we acknowledge him to be willing when we call him by the endearing name of Our Father for what Father will not readily grant a Child what he sees necessary for him Lastly we not only praise God by ascribing to him the Kingdom and Dominion over all the World and by ascribing to him the Power of being able to do all things but by ascribing to him all Glory and Honour And this also is necessary in all our Petitions not only because God says Them that honour me I will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 but because the right end of our Prayers should be the Glory of God Thine is the Glory To thee we give Honour Praise and Adoration in these and all our Devotions and if thou please to answer our Petitions and grant what we beg to thee shall be returned the Praise and Glory for all Ages Amen By Amen we declare our firm Belief that he can grant us what we pray for and our earnest Hope and fervent Desire that he will do it for the sake of him in whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen even the Lord Jesus Question What desirest thou of God in this Prayer Answer I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father who c. THE meaning is I desire God who is my Heavenly and compassionate Father and from whom every good and perfect gift comes and from whom alone I have Grace and Strength to do my Duty that I may Worship him aright when I say Hallowed be thy Name I desire Grace to serve him sincerely and acceptably here and the favour to enjoy him for ever hereafter in Glory by Praying that his Kingdom of Grace may come to us here and we may come to his Kingdom of Glory hereafter This we do when we say Thy Kingdom come We desire that we may obey him as we ought to do and in acceptable degrees and measures as the Holy Angels do in Heaven when we say Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven We pray unto God to send us all things needful both for our Souls and Bodies when we say Give us this day our daily Bread We request him to be Merciful to us and forgive us our Sins when say And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us We pray that he will please to save and deliver us in all
Kingdom of Glory hereafter No. And do we not pray that Satan's Kingdom may be destroyed in us Yes So that do we not pray that Christ as King may rule in our Hearts by his Grace here Yes And that the blessed time may hasten when all his Saints shall reign with him in Glory hereafter Yes III. PETITION Thy will be done in Earth As it is in Heaven WHen we say Thy will be done do we not pray that God would enable us to obey his will Yes Can we do God's will unless he enable us No. And do we not pray that God would enable us to suffer his will patiently in all Afflictions Yes So that do we not mean thy will be done by us and thy will be done in us Yes When we say in Earth as it is in Heaven do we not pray that we may do his will on Earth with the like sincerity and chearfulness as the Angels do in Heaven Yes IV. PETITION Give us this day our daily bread WHen we say Give us this day our daily bread do we not pray that God would give us all things needful for our Bodies Yes And do we not pray that God would bless our lawful endeavours in order to such Supplies Yes And do we not pray that God would give us the continual Supply of his Grace for our Souls Yes Is it reasonable to expect Grace for the Soul and Food and Raiment for the Body unless we pray for it No. By saying Bread are we not taught to pray for necessaries not superfluities Yes In saying our bread do we not mean that which is procured by direct and honest means Yes Our bread that is our own not another's is it not Yes Do we not mean by daily bread that which is convenient for our present condition and occasions Yes In short do we not here pray for all Blessings temporal and spiritual to our Souls aâ—â— Bodies Yes V. PETITION And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive them that trespass against us WHen we say Forgive us our trespasses do we not pray for pardon of Sins Yes Do we not pray that God would for Jesus sake acquit us from the Guilt and Punishment of our Sins Yes Can a Christian pray rightly to God with hatred malice or desires of revenge in his heart No. Can we expect forgiveness of God unless we forgive others their Offences against us No. But if a man have considerably trespassed us may we seek reasonable satisfaction Yes But may we seek it with any hatred or malice or revenge to the Person No. Must not a Christian then seek satisfaction for damages without rigour spight or bitterness Yes Is it not an unchristian thing to go to Law for trifles Yes Or to go to Law for revenge and stoutness of Humour Yes May I go to Law meerly because another has disquieted me by that means No. Must a Christian love his Enemies Yes Though this be hard yet is not Heaven a great reward for it Yes Must a Christian do good to them that hate him when it lies in his power Yes Though this be hard yet is not the promise of a Crown of Glory enough to make amends for it Yes Should we Christians then return these injuries to others which we receive from them No. When we pray Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive c. do we not pray that no man may fare the worse in the day of Judgment for any wrongs done to us Yes And do we not pray in this Petition that God would give us the Grace of Charity and Forgiveness Yes VI. PETITION And lead us not into temptation ARE not the World the Flesh and the Devil alway by their Temptations drawing us to Sin Yes Can we overcome their Temptations without God's help No. When we say Lead us not into Temptation do we not pray that God would not suffer us to be overcome by their Temptations Yes Do we not pray that God would not withdraw his Grace from us Yes Can we stand in Temptations without his Grace No. Well then do we not pray that we may not be grievously tempted to sin Yes Or if we are tempted do we not pray that we may not fall into it Yes And do we not pray that we may not live impenitently in sin if we should fall into it Yes Is it a sin to be tempted No. Does not the sin lie in yielding to the Temptation Yes Can the Devil tempt us without God's permission No. In short do we not pray that God would either restrain the Temptation or assist us in it Yes And is there not daily need of this Petition Yes VII PETITION But deliver us from evil WHen we say Deliver us from evil do we not pray that God would deliver us from all Evils of this life and that to come Yes Especially that he would deliver us from the Evils to which we are tempted Yes Can we deliver our selves out of any Evil without God's help No. And do we not pray that God would keep none of his wrath in store for us Yes Do we pray that God would deliver us from the evil One that is Satan Yes And from the evil of Sin Yes And from the evil of Punishment Yes And from the evil World Yes And from our own evil Heart Yes From evil Thoughts evil Words and evil Actions Yes The CONCLUSION For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen WHen we pray to God should we ever omit to praise him too No. When we say For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory do we not praise him Yes Do we not in these Words acknowledge God to be of infinite Power and Glory Yes Doth not this teach us that the right end of our Prayers should be the Glory of God Yes When we say Amen do we not express our Belief that God can and our desire that he will grant these Requests Yes Is not this therefore an excellent Form of Prayer Yes When a Christian prays to God should he ever leave out this Prayer No. Question What desirest thou of God in this Prayer Answer I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father to send c. DO we not solemnly own God in this Prayer to be our heavenly Father Yes Is not the word Father an endearing word Yes And should you not live in his sight with the reverential Affections the Love and Obedience of a Child Yes And seeing he is a tender Father should not this encourage us to pray to him Yes Would any Man methinks be excused from asking good Things of him who is the giver of all Goodness No. Is it not reasonable we should beg the Grace of God seeing we can do no good thing without it Yes Can we worship him serve him and obey him without the assistance of his Grace No. Is it not reasonable we should beg daily bread all things needful for our Souls and Bodies of our Father from whom alone
hope Salvation SECT III. Of the Commandments Question You said that your Godfathers and Godmothers did promise for you that you should keep God's Commandments tell me how many there be Answer Ten. Question Which be they Answer The same which God spake in the twentieth c. I. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt have no other Gods but me Duties commanded THe meaning is thou shalt acknowledge but one God and that there is none besides him Thou shalt so acknowledge me to be the only true God as to Love me above all things To fear me above all things that is to be afraid to offend me To pay a Reverential Love and awful Fear to none as God besides me And to no Man equally with me Thou shalt so acknowledge me to be God as to hope in me That is comfortably to hope for my Promises whilst thou sincerely performest the Conditions As I am God thou shalt in all humility submit to my Will in doing and suffering it that is by Obedience or Patience Thou shalt trust in me as God that is thou shalt so rely on me and my Providence in all needs and dangers as never to seek to deliver thy self out of them by any unjust or unlawful means Thou shalt so acknowledge me to be God as to Honour me that is alway to carry within thee that awful regard and reverence which is due from a Creature to his Creator As God thou shalt pay me that Worship which is due from a Creature to his Creator Thou shalt pay this Worship both in Soul and Body in the Soul by Prayer and in the Body by approaching to me in those humble and reverent gestures as may best express the inward humility of the Soul All thy breaches of the Commands of me thy God thou shalt repent of thou shalt shew the truth of thy Love by thy Obedience and the truth of thy Repentance by thy Reformation So that they sin against this Commandment who are Atheists Sins forbidden that is who deny dis-believe or doubt the being of a God Or who have more Gods than one for though the adorable Trinity Father Son and Holy-Ghost are three in Person yet they are but one God Or who pay that Worship which is due to God to any Creature whether Saint or Angel Or who love themselves or any of the Creatures inordinately or equally with God Or who despise or neglect any of his Commands Or who make contracts with the Devil or use any Conversation with him Who have recourse to Witches or Conjurers either to recover Health or things lost Or who use Charms Spells superstitious Words or superstitious Customs either to cure Diseases or to recover stollen Goods or to inquire into Secrets Or who are wilfully ignorant of his Laws and his Commands Or who take to themselves the glory of any Action or Power or Excellency that is in them and do not give the Glory to God Or who dis-believe any one Article of the Creed Or who dis-believe any part of the Holy Scripture or put false Interpretations upon it to serve their own ends and purposes Or who are passionate and earnest in the things of this World and cold and indifferent in the things of God and of Religion Or who are Hypocrites in Religion or make Religion serve ill ends who do good to evil purposes or evil to good purposes Or who blaspheme God who think or speak dishonourably of him who repine and murmur against him Or who believe him so little as not to look upon him to be present every where and not to be a Witness to all their Thoughts Words and Actions Or who believe him so little as not to be devout in his Worship obedient to his Commands and penitent for every breach of them In short all those Thoughts Words or Actions of ours which are contrary to our Belief of him to our Love of him to our Fear of him to our Hope in him to our submission to his Will to our Trust in him to his Reverence and Honour to his Worship or to our Repentance for any disobedience to him are here forbidden us If we consider as we ought what is enjoined us in this Commandment and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own Lives find any of the duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it sadly adventured on by us in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that by the Grace we may very sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our days II. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image c. THE meaning is That as we are to take the true God for our only God so we are not to make or frame any Image or Picture of the Godhead Any Image by which to represent the shape of the invisible God or to fansie any likeness to him We are by no means to Worship any Image so made That is any pretended Image of the true God the Idols of false Gods or the true God by an Image Thou shalt not pay that Worship which is due to him to any Creature Sins forbidden So neither shalt thou neglect the Worship of him the true God or prophane or abuse or dis-esteem any thing that belongs or relates to his Worship or behave thy self carelesly irreverently or indecently in it So that as these things are forbidden so we are here commanded to worship God in Spirit and in Truth Duties commanded To believe him to be a Spirit or Spiritual substance without any visible form or shape and therefore not to be represented by an Image or Picture or Resemblance We are here commanded to worship the true God in all the substantial and eternal parts of his Worship as Prayer hearing of the Word attendance on the Sacraments and all other Ordinances of his us in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past Breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that by thy Grace we may very sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days III. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord c. Sins forbidden THE meaning is Thou shalt not forswear thy self or be guilty of the dreadful Sin of Perjury And this either by affirming upon Oath what is untrue or by affirming upon Oath what is uncertain unknown to thee and doubtful or by breaking or not keeping a lawful Oath Thou shalt not swear rashly vainly and prophanely in common Discourse either by