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A29452 A brief exposition of our Lords Prayer shewing that through ignorance and the wickedness of their own hearts, those that use it most, doth abuse and prophane it most, and pray against themselves that instead of a blessing, they draw down a curse upon themselves. 1680 (1680) Wing B4592A; ESTC R214138 15,072 16

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musick and Coristers doth but please the ear and doth not edifie the multitude that hears it therefore we think that it is no Ordinance of Christ nor the actors are no officers of Christs in●titution in the Church of Christ nor none of these is any way or means to obtain the Kingdom of God or his righteousness Therefore if we would seek the Kingdom of God in the right way we must seek it in the revealed will and word of God and not in the devised forms and Traditions of men for he is a transgressor of the first Commandment whose fear of God is taught by the precepts four Commandments broken by the use of Ce●imonies in Gods worship C●rimonies and Traditions of men Is 29.13 And he break● the sec●●d C●mmandment that changeth or corrupteth the worship of God in whol● o● i● part Deu● 12.32 and Chap. 4. v. 2. And he breaks the third C●mmandment that useth the name of God or any of his titles in any way or manner of worship not insti●uted by Christ or in any Ordinance unreverently which is done when Christs institutions are mixed with mens precepts and traditions in any part of his worship and he breaks the fifth Commandement that for fear of men doth observe the precepts and Commandments of men and regards not to do the Commandments of God to worship him according to his own word and will Acts 4.19 Whereas we are bound in Conscience to ob●y the institutions of Christ and none other touching the worship of God though all men were offended with us for so doing for all Doct●ines pertai●ing to the foundation and good estate of the Church and the who●e worship of God are set down and recorded in the written word of God 2 Tim 3 16.17 And the excellency of the Church the Spouse of Christ stands in her subjection and obedience to Christ her Head and Husband according to his will and word for as a Wife ought to submit to the lawful commands of her Husband rather then to Strangers and Forreigners so and much more ought the Church of believers for all others though they be in the Church they are not of the Church Christ ought to be obeyed rather then Stra●gers 1 John 2.19 therefore believers ought to submit to the righteous Laws and institutions of Christ their Head and Husband only and not to the traditions nor Ceremonies nor precepts of Popes or Prelates who are as Strangers and forraigners in respect of Christ and the higher that any man is exalted either in Church or Common-wealth the more careful they should be in giving good ex mple in yeilding obedience to Christ lest by evil examp●e they prove to be like unsavoury salt to be esteemed of God sit for nothing but to be cast upon the Dunghil to be trodden down of Swine The fifth Petition Forgive us our Debts or Tresp●sses c. In the former petition we pray for temporal b●essings and in this petition and the next we pray for spiritual blessings and hence we are taught that our care for our Souls should be double to the care for our bodies and the ●rder here set down is that we first trust Gods providence for the things of ●his life for unless we can do that we cannot rest on Gods mercy for the ●ardon of our sins for he doth but deceive himself that thinks he doth beieve in God for the pardon of his sins and the Salvation of his Soul and yet distrusts Gods providence for food and raiment and things necessary for ●he body for is not the life saith Christ more then meat and the body more then raiment Mat. 6.25 Forgive us our debts as a debt binds a man to make satisfaction or else to go to Prison so our fins binds us to make satisfaction to Gods Justice or else to suffer eternal damnation but this satisfaction we cannot make in our own persons but by our surety Jesus Christ who is called the Lord our Righteousness Jerem. 23 6. and Isa 45.24 In the Lord have I righteousness and strength Therefore God so loved the World that he sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life Christ only is our Righteousness and the alone satisfier of Gods Justice John 3.16 now to forgive sins is to have sins covered or not imputed as Psal 32. 1 2. and sins is covered and not imputed to elect believers by the free Grace of God in accepting of that satisfaction which Christ by his death and sufferings gave to Gods justice in the behalf of believers when God saw the travel of his Soul and was satisfied Isaiah 53.11 Thus Christs righteousness and satisfaction is imputed unto believers for their righteousness and satisfaction when they do believe and by a particular faith apply the same unto themselves for all the good works in the world as some plead for can never give satisfaction to Gods divine justice for the least sin but we must acknowledge the forgiveness of our sins and salvation of our Souls to be of the free grace mercy and favour of God without our desert As we forgive them that trespass against us this is the second part of the fifth Petition and here we pray conditionally to be forgiven as we forgive others that trespass against us and our Saviour Christ assureth us that if we forgive not others their trespasses according as we pray neither will our Heavenly father forgive us Mat. 6.14.15 By this it is lamentable to consider how many thousands not only of ignorant people but even such as pretend to be teachers of others who prays this prayer and yet their hearts swells with mallice envy back biting and evil speaking against others epecially such as differ from them in judgement Envious persons pray for one thing and do the contrary of the right way of worshipping God though perhaps they understand but little of the grounds and reasons why those who they hate and despise descent from them this is a raging and a reigning sin for while such pray to be forgiven as they forgive others when their consciences witness against them that they hate and envy others so that in their praying they pray against themselves that i●●ff●ad of ●●pacting a blessing in answer of their prayers they may expect a curse and never to be pardoned without unfeigned repentance being condemned by their own words and of their own Consciences for he that hateth his Brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath Eternal Life abiding in him 1 John 3 15 and none are more forward in this wickedness then those who ignorantly do most pray or say this prayer not understanding or not seriously considering the extent and meaning of it Suppose those men whom you so malligne were in an error which was never yet proved against some sort of them ye that are strong or think your selves so ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not
to serve him what is there the mind of any who sincerely desire to serve God can be more inquisitive after or desire to be satis●ied in then the rules wch God himself hath given for his own service because it is so easie a matter for men to mistake in the ways they chuse to serve him in page 188. 189. for the Gospel doth teach to love all men and God above all to believe in Christ and to obey his commands and page 193. and speaking of the Scriptures he saith that they who understand Greek and Latine there is ten times more fear of them then of the common people he meaned by falsly applying it to serve their own ends and interests f●t all men see that none are so capable of doing mischeif there by as men of greatest wit and learning and that have the fairest appearance of piety to the world page 194. 195. thus we desire and it is the duty of every one to worship and serve God according to Gods holy rules and institutions in the New Testament for to worship God by a tedious Ceremonious way of external devotion it is he saith as dull and as cold as the earth it self page 284. Now as the second Commandment is transgressed in making an Image either of the true God or of a feigned God to worship God by it Deut. 4.15.16 c. So also it is transgressed by changing the worship of God in whole or in part Deut. 12.32 and by worshipping God in a formal way with lip service and in praying without knowledge of the meaning of the prayer or to worship God in any other manner then he hath prescribed in his word especially the New Testament or with any other Church Officers then Christ hath appointed for all others are but Images of true worship or true prayer or true Officers they all come within the compass of worshipping God by an Image or representation of Gods true Gospel worship and service and he breaks the fifth Commandement that obeys men rather then God by yeilding to mens precepts more then Gods Acts 4.19 He also breaks the first Commandement saith Mr. Perkins that sca●s God by the precepts and traditions of men Isa 29.13 But deliver us from evil That is that God would free us from the power of the flesh the world and the Devil for it is a hard and difficult thing to be delivered from these snares therefore we have great need to pray against them and that we may be delivered from them for the Apostle saith that the whole world lyeth in wickedness 1 John 5.19 But when a man is delivered from evil he is not led into temptation the cause being taken away the effect ceaseth For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever These words are a reason of all the former six petitions that seeing all power and glory is Gods therefore we are incouraged to ask all things needful and lawful to be asked of God who hath all power to give us what we ask according to his will 1 John 5.14 And it is for his glory that God do give what he hath promised to those that ask in Faith and by Faith depend upon him for the same for all earthly Kings and men on earth whatsoever good thing they have it is the gift of God for all things are his in Heaven and in Earth and every man must give an account of his stewardship for what God intrusteth him with for all is Gods as in 1 Chron. 29.11 Thine O Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty and all that is in Heaven and Earth is thine thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as head over all and thou raignest over all therefore neither Pope nor Prelate should raign by their precepts as Lord over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 For all glory is due to God and all invocation and prayer ought to be made to God according to his will and word And the stability of all Kingdomes stands in yeilding obedience to the Gospel of Christ according to Christs rules and institutions and not according to mens traditions and Ceremonies Solomon saith Take away the wicked from before the King and his throne shall be established in Righteousness Prov. 25.5 But a man shall not be established by wickedness but the root of the Righteous shall not be moved Prov. 12.3 For Gods Kingdom is most sure and stable and when the Gospel is obeyed in its purity in any Kingdom that Kingdom is as it were founded in the Kingdom of God and what Paul sets down of the use of meat and drink that they are sanctified by the word of God and prayer must be extended to all the Ordinances of God the word of God must be our rule and square both as to the worship of God and as to our Christian Conversation among men and not the precepts nor traditions of Popes nor Prelates Amen This word Amen is not only a bare assent to what the Minister or any other do pray for but it is also a testification of our faith whereby we believe that which we have prayed for shall be granted as our Saviour said if two of you shall agree on Earth touching any thing that ye shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 18.19 Well seeing it is thus as you have heard then who can imagine what woe is due unto them who persecute hate and despise such as would willingly worship God according to his holy institutions in his word and not according to mens devises in Ceremonies and Traditions the like and upon this account they that descent in judgement and practice from others for which they think we trespass against them the which we are bound to do rather then to trespass against God and the light of our Consciences whatsoever we suffer but those who persecute and hate us for this and yet dare pray this prayer so often as they pray to be forgiven but as they forgive them that trespass against them so often they pray against themselves that the same mischief may fall upon themselves which they desire may befall others for God knows the dissimulation of their hearts and their own Consciences knows that they do not forgive therefore if they will not forgive those that trespass against them it were better for them to give over praying least thereby they increase their own damnation therefore if thou bring thy gifs to the alter and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the altar and be first reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift saith our Saviour Christ to whom be glory and praise for ever and ever Amen Mat. 5.23 24.