declare vnto you the whole counsell of God The principall points of our doctrine are what wee must beleeue what wee must doe and what wee must pray for The doctrine of faith the doctrine of good life and the doctrine of prayer Iohn taught all these for 1 He preached Christ to them the ground of faith 2 He exhorted them to repentance and good life 3 He taught them also to pray His example is our direction in all these things You also haue two lessons from hence 1 To stirre vp your selues by the example of other Disciples and other congregations to doe the like if you heare of their diligence in hearing and their proficiencie in learning the duties of Gods worship let their sicut their good example inflame you with holy emulation to make as good a progression in knowledge and piety as they haue made For why should other congregations outlearne you in these necessarie duties doe not you thinke that God will require his good seed of the word sowne in you and examine what you haue done with it 2 You are further to be moued to an holy emulation of Gods graces in your selues to contend with your selues to increase your knowledge adde strength and growth to your iudgement that you may outgrow your owne infancy and minority in that spirituall vegetation which is called incrementum Dei so Andrew that had learned of Iohn comes now to be taught of Christ 3 You haue a faire example to require instruction at the hands of them who haue the ouersight of you you may say to that Archippus as the Disciples of Christ did to Christ teach vs as Iohn taught his Disciples that is you may stirre vp your Minister to teach and instruct you as other faithfull and conscionable Ministers of the word doe instruct their congregations The Apostle biddeth the Colossians say to Archippus Take heed to the ministery which thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it You haue the same right to his labours in his calling as he hath to the tithes of your labours Christs Disciples put him to it to teach them and let all people doe the like to their minister LVC. 11.2 And hee said vnto them when you pray say Our Father c. HEre begins Christs answer to the Disciples motion in which you may obserue 1 That he answers 2 What he answers 1 That he answers The answer of Christ is ready and present declaring that he accepteth the persons and the requests of these petitioners and herein hee comforteth such as cannot pray declaring himselfe readie to teach them if they demand it of him and he comforteth them that pray to him for any thing necessarie that he heareth prayers and granteth requests So that they which pretend they cannot pray haue no excuse for they know where they may be taught euen in this it is but aske and it shall be giuen to you If Iohn taught his Disciples to pray how much more and sooner will Christ teach those that come to him if the lampe shined so cleare to his schollars how much brighter will the shine bee of this Sunne of righteousnesse But as they made this motion for themselues and for vs so Christ taught them in his answere for themselues and for vs and for the whole Church to the worlds end Christ is now sitting at the right hand of his father but this record of his answere to direct vs in prayer liues in this book of the eternall gospell here wee may haue it at a short warning and though Iohns prayer be lost and no monument left of it yet this holy direction contained in his answere to his disciples shall remaine and what he saith to them hee saith to all that haue the same desire and affection to learne to pray When you pray say Our father c. Our comfortable lesson from hence is that it is not labour lost to come to Christ with our petitions to bee instructed as he is the wisdome of the father to teach vs so he is the goodnesse and loue of his father and our father to heare and answere our lawfull and good petitions Which Dauid doth make as an encouragement to all men to pray O thou that hearest prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come This is wisdome to know how to speake and what to aske of God and S. Iames biddeth If any of you lack wisdome let him aske of God who giueth to all men liberally 2 What he answereth When you pray say Our father His answere doth containe a forme of holy prayer to be vsed when you pray wherein two mistakes may wrong the good meaning of our Sauiour 1 If wee thinke this so precise a direction for prayer as that we may neuer vse any other words but these in prayer but that all our prayers must be totidem verbis for that that is not our Sauiours meaning is plain in the doctrine of prayer deliuered by our Sauiour in the sermon which he preached on the mount where hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pray on this manner or to this purpose according to these instructions in this forme contained For I must informe you that the precise frame of the prayer for the words thereof is not punctually the same in S. Matthew and S. Luke which shewes that there is no necssitation of the Church obliging it to the words thereof 2 Another mistake is on the contrary hand when we quite forsake the words which Christ himselfe hath put into our mouthes and esteeme this prayer but as a coppy to write after a mould to make prayers by and not a prayer it selfe This error hath put it selfe in print and some of our nouelists haue taken vpon them to shew reason why this should neuer be vsed for a prayer His late Maiesty of worthy memory giues a quick touch of this erroneous fancy in his learned and godly exposition of the Lords prayer for he saith that the Brownists the authors of this opinion doe approue this prayer for a samplar to make prayers by but refuse it for a prayer because they hold all set formes of prayer vnlawfull His Maiesty saith well that they like praying by descant and not by plainesong by commentary but not by text 1 One reason against the vse of this prayer is because it is Scripture which were a good reason to iustifie the vse of it for that is the vse of Dauids Psalmes and the holy hymnes of Scripture to apply them to our occasion It is Scripture In manus tuas Domine commendo animam meam yet Christ vsed it for a prayer vpon the crosse 2 They alledge that prayer must expresse our wants to God in particular but the Lords prayer is generall Our answer is that both in generall and in particular we must pray to God and therefore our larger prayers doe referre themselues to the generall heads of this prayer and this concludeth them all and this prayer is
although they went too farre in this opinion of the force of imitation wee may truely charge a great deale euen the most of our euill vpon it It giueth all Superiors warning to obserue their whole carriage warily For children wil take great notice what their Parents say or doe the eyes of the Hand-maid vpon the hand of her Mistresse the eyes of Pupils on their Tutors of Subiects to their Soueraigne and their good example may doe much good their ill example may corrupt and peruert much here Christs example of praying did put them all vpon it to make a motion concerning praier Obserue also a modest ciuill manner obserued amongst them though there were many of them I suppose the full number of his Disciples yet but one speaketh for all It is a good precept of the Apostles and applyable to all conuersations of men Let all things be done decently and in good order In our publique meetings where all of vs doe come to moue our God in petitions for things necessary for vs it were a rude and vnciuill confusion if we should all speake at once euery man the desire of his heart therefore the Minister is appointed to speake for vs all and we as before declare our consent of hearts either in some short eiaculation of prayer or in our deuout Amen 3 The motion it selfe Lord teach vs to pray Wherein obserue 1 That they found it a necessary duty to pray 2 That they found themselues not well instructed in that duty and therefore desired to be taught 3 That they resort to their Master and intreate him to teach them 1 They finde it a necessary duty If there had beene no other prouocation but the example of their faithfull Master that had beene sufficient to proue to them the necessitie of this duty 1 I cannot conceiue of these Disciples that they were vtterly ignorant of this duty before because I know that prayer which is the inuocation of power able to helpe vs as we beleeue is a suggestion of nature for as no man is simpliciter atheos but beleeues in some deity whose power is sufficient to protect them from euill and to giue them supply of their wants so naturall reason directeth to seeke that protection and supply by way of petition and therefore in the ship that transported Ionah in the storme euery man called vpon his god Euery man had a god to whom he might flye in time of need and danger and in that extremitie to that god euery man directed his prayer therefore the Disciples could not be ignorant of this duty which is a lesson taught in the schoole of nature 2 The practise of the Church taught them the vse of prayer there was Domus orationis and men vsually went vp thither to pray The Scribes and Pharises were great examples of frequent of long prayers Neither can I suspect these Disciples strangers to the better examples of the holy men and women of foregoing times whose holy deuotion and worship of God those Bookes of Scripture which then were read publiquely in their Synagogues did sufficiently declare But all this is helped and their affections be now by Christs example stirred to apprehend the necessity therof more then before Examples be of great vse in this kinde Beloued this is a necessary point to be taught and beleeued whosoeuer shall desire to be instructed in the doctrine of prayer let him be first perswaded of the necessity of this duty Two things doe make this duty of prayer necessary in the Church and amongst the holy seruants of God 1 The ordinance of God who hath commanded it 2 Our owne necessities which are no other way to be relieued 1 Concerning Gods ordinance We finde it often commanded in Scripture in direct termes and it is implied in the two great Commandements of the Law for not onely obedience is commanded therein but all those holy duties also by which our obedience may be any waies furthered and that giues great place in the precept to prayer seeing that is the chiefest meanes by which we doe obtaine that ability by which the law of God is in any measure fulfilled And therefore it is a note of the faithfull that they be viri orationum and where God giueth his spirit there is prayer for his is a spirit of grace and supplications Vnder the name of prayer is comprehended the whole duty of Christian religion for the Apostle saith Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Which words are taken from the Prophet Ioel as the margent of the Bibles directeth you And it is vrged also by the Apostle Saint Peter And the Apostle doth well declare that prayer is the chiefe part of Gods worship by that gradation for no man praieth aright but he that beleeueth and none beleeueth but hee that hath heard and none can heare without a Preacher none can Preach except he be sent In which gradation you may obserue the whole worke of mans guiding to saluation is accomplished in prayer For first God sendeth his Minister to Preach his word to his Church he is not disobedient to the heauenly calling but goeth on the errand of God and preacheth in season and out of season The faithfull heare the word from him faith commeth by this hearing and doth bring forth this ripe fruit of inuocation so that the worke of meanes is compleate in prayer and saluation followeth which maketh prayer the summe of Christian duty and to stand there for the whole exercise and practise of religion In the contrary Dauid describing the vngodly by many notes doth conclude with this as the last and strongest proofe to conuince them of vngodlinesse They call not vpon the name of the Lord. The reason on Gods part is for by prayer God is honoured This declareth him to be God when the eyes of all things looke vp to him when wee seeke his face and confesse him the onely giuer of euery good and perfect gift this is a sacrifice of righteousnesse With such sacrifices GOD is pleased so that our Sauiour pressed no doctrine more by precept then prayer in three seuerall words commanding the same thing Petite quaerite pulsate And to encourage the seruice hee directeth vs both in the matter and forme of praier and in the way and meanes to the Father in his name and he fortifieth the precept with full and gratious promises made to them that doe pray to him And the Apostles doe so much vrge this duty Saint Paul to pray continually to put our whole strength to prayer Saint Iames vrgeth the same precept and sheweth that wisedome is obtained by prayer and declareth what it is that makes many prayers miscarry when we aske amisse But the feruent prayers of the iust doe speed alwaies 2 Another matter that necessitateth the duty of prayer is that God hath left vs no other reuealed meanes to obtaine supply of our wants but by prayer insomuch as
before thy face who shall prepare thy way before thee And a little after and if ye will receiue it this is Elias which was for to come The later Iewes haue beene so transported with the letter of that prophecie that they vsed to set a voyd chaire at euery Circumcision expecting that Eliah should come to them but themselues therein sate beside the cushion Iohn is called Eliah as for the like feruor of zeale and holinesse of life and diligence in preaching and boldnesse in increpation and chiding the one hauing to deale with vngodly Ahab the other with incestuous Herod but especially as I conceiue propter similitudinem temporum for As in Eliahs time the Church was so streightned that few remained in the true and sincere worship of God so in the daies of the mission of Iohn the Baptist true religion was defiled and vitiated with much corruption and he was sent to be an instrument of the reformation thereof It doth stand in good steed to know thus much of Iohn the Baptist because hee was a man sent of God to this purpose to preuent a iudgement lest God should smite the earth with a curse 2 This holy messenger of the Lord did diligently instruct the people in the doctrine of repentance and holinesse of life both by the word of wholesome doctrine and by the example of vnblameable conuersation and so drew multitudes to his audience to his Baptisme to his sequence And herein he was also the forerunner of Christ for he had also speciall Disciples whom he instructed I doe not finde any of the Disciples of Iohn named but onely Andrew Simon Peters brother and hee was one of the two that heard Iohn saying Ecce agnus Dei and thereupon those two Disciples did follow Christ Andrew is named the other not so I cannot conceiue nor will too busily search either who he was or why his name is supprest but I finde Saint Andrew named one of Iohns Disciples and worthy of high estimation in the christian Church 1 Because he adhered to the forerunner of Christ and was his disciple 2 Because he no sooner saw Christ whom Iohn had preached but he followed him and applied himselfe to his sequence and was of Christ the first Disciple that gaue him sequence 3 Because he had not sooner informed himselfe concerning Christ the Messiah but he presently communicated that light that was in him to his brother Simon Peter and brought him to Christ so that Peter the first of the Apostles in order by the nomination of the Text was in time after Andrew a Disciple of Christ and by him brought to Christ But Peter in the election of the twelue had the first place though in priority of notice of Christ and desire of adherencie Andrew was before them all Andrew first chose Christ to bee his Master Christ first chose Peter to be his Disciple We cannot charge the Disciples of Iohn with newfanglednesse for multiplying teachers to themselues when they forsooke the sequence of Iohn to follow Christ for Iohn did but prepare them for Christ and acknowledged himselfe but the Vsher of that Schoole whereof Christ was the chiefe Master But during their following of Iohn he taught them diligently and preached Christ to them and amongst other good instructions which they receiued from him 3 It followeth in the last place that hee taught them to pray S. Augustine doth well obserue that we haue many words in Scripture of things quae in re gestâ non inveniuntur The fall of the Angels who kept not their first estate is mentioned by Iude by way of example but there is no historicall narration thereof in the storie of Moses The great contention betweene Michael the Archangell and the deuill about the body of Moses by Iude cited for an example but no mention of it in any historicall part of holy Scripture The prophecie also of Henoch the seuenth from Adam by S. Iude cited but in no history recited vpon record S. Paul also mentioneth Iannes and Iambres who resisted Moses But also of that particular resistance no story speaketh S. Paul also mentioneth some appearance of Christ after his resurrection vnreuealed in the holy Gospels as of that to Iames and to more then fiue hundred brethren at once This is a like example for here is mention that Iohn taught his Disciples to pray but neither haue wee any record when he taught them or what forme of prayer he taught them but whatsoeuer it was Christ is now desired to teach them and his prayer is left for the perpetuall vse of the Church But I will not conâ—â—aâ—e from you what vse a cunning Spanish Fryar would â—â—â—ne insinuate of those concealements of Scripture for he saith these things though not mentioned in the historicall part of Scripture yet are of certaine truth And so he saith that modus conficiendi sacramenta and multae pontificiae ordinationes the Lent Faest and such like Quibus Ecclesia Romana vtitur must bee beleeued to be Apostolicall though there be no mention thereof in the historie of those times A poore deuice to legitimate their vaine traditions and humane inuentions by comparing them with those omissions of storie which yet are verified to vs in the way of Apostolical doctrine recorded in holy Scripture For let them produce any thing to vs by warrant of Scripture though not historified wee will imbrace it but their vnwritten traditions carry no such weight with vs nor haue any such pretence to warrant them Iohn though he had the holy Ghost yet it was giuen him by measure but in Christ the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodily Iohn was in his time Lucerna ardens when the Sunne of righteousnesse arose vpon the Church Christ Iesus Iohn gaue warning He must increase but I must decrease therefore the prayer that Iohn taught his Disciples gaue place to Christs prayer as Iohn himselfe did giue place to Christ But the fidelitie of Iohn is notable for hee omitted no necessarie doctrine to informe the vnderstanding and to direct the holy practise of his Disciples therefore comming now to a fuller vessell euen a liuing fountaine of grace and wisedome they desire no longer to drinke at the Cisterne but to replenish themselues at the Well head But the argument is effectuall because Iohn omitted not that care of teaching his Disciples to pray that therfore they might boldly claime that instruction also from him their Master whose shooe latchet Iohn was not worthy to loose We haue our lesson from this example of Iohn to omit nothing that concerneth the full instruction of them to whom we preach that when wee come to a suruay of the seruice that we haue done to God in our holy ministerie we may be able with a good conscience to auouch with the Apostle I haue kept backe nothing that is profitable vnto you but haue shewed you and haue taught you publikely and againe I haue not shunned to
if we repeate the same words to iterate the same petitions to God why is it more blameable in vs then in Christ himselfe who in the Garden is said to haue vsed three times seuerally the same words not the same petition onely Or then in Saint Paul who when Sathan buffeted him did three times pray the same prayer as hee confesseth Neither can I be perswaded that the contrite Publican in the Gospell did giue ouer with once saying Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner no question he often pressed his humble suit The practise of the Church of Rome to say ouer so many Pater nosters like Parrets not vnderstanding what they say or thinking that God will take his seruice and our deuotions by number without weight is an abhominable abusing of the Maiestie of God and of the holy exercise of prayer it is also a foolish beguiling of themselues But the often repeating this prayer or any other made by the rule of this or any one petition of this is a good signe of that importunity which Christ commendeth in prayer and which we finde effectuall by the euents thereof in the parable of the Widow and vniust Iudge and of him that borrowed loaues of his neighbour It is a rule of charitie to make the best construction we can of any thing that is done or said by our neighbour and therefore in the directions of the holy Church of which we are members and parts and into which by our Baptisme we are admitted it is both piety and charity to make the best of all and not to abuse our wit to finde faults we are very happy in this that God hath by his owne Sonne taught vs both what good things to aske of God and in what fit words and I dare presse the frequent vse hereof vpon warrant of this plain and cleare text Quando oratis dicite quandocunque oratis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may beare a siquando Here is the wood for our sacrifice the very matter of prayer prouided to our hands and methodically put in order we haue rather the sacrifice it selfe prepared and nothing wanteth but fire from heauen to enflame it that is our holy zeale and that may be had for asking if by faith we demand it of God Plato finding that the people of his time were very ill instructed how to pray and did many times desire things to their owne hurt taught them this forme of prayer from an old Poet Iuppiter rex optima nobis vouentibus non vouentibus tribue mala autem poscentibus quoque abesse iube But we may say of Christ hee hath shewed thee O man what is good what thou maist boldly aske by faith he hath drawne thy petition himselfe and puts thee on vpon thy suit that thou shalt neither goe on thine owne head nor in thine owne name ne pecces lingua tua I will yet adde one note Christ saith when ye pray as putting it for granted that you thinke vpon it as a necessary duty that you resolue vpon it as a fit seruice of God to pray So when you Fast saith hee doe thus as supposing that you will finde times for these things if you make no conscience of prayer this direction is of no vse to you To pray you haue heard is an holy serious act of religion and a principall part of Gods worship when you really doe that say thus if it be but saying of prayers as good let it alone It is to no purpose to teach men how to pray that haue no meaning or purpose to pray neither is it to any purpose to teach them the way to heauen that set their faces not to Ierusalem but to Babylon It is a great fault in them that doe not pray and yet say Our father as all they doe whose tongues repeat the words and yet neither their vnderstandings are instructed either in the matter or order of the petitions nor their affections once moued at any thing they say This is a direction for none but such as desire to learne it for none but such as desire to make vse of it that is for such as would poure sorth their hearts and open their desires to God When you meane to doe so you may either vse these very words or you may frame your petitions in this order or if you haue any one of these petitions alone to sollicite God in this may be your rule and direction I must therefore call vpon you to pray and in your prayer to follow this holy direction and to make you more able for it I haue vndertaken to interpret this holy prayer to you wherein you shall see what you may aske and you must keepe you so precisely to this rule as not to dare to aske any thing else for Christ would not say when you pray say Our father but that he meaneth to giue you a full instruction and to set you in a good and perfect way of prayer Whatsoeuer you aske more then this or beside this is sinne and prouoketh God against you Our Father which art in heauen I come now to the prayer it selfe and herein I will not forsake a path so well beaten before me by so many great and learned iudgements both ancient and of yesterday who diuide this whole prayer into three parts 1 An inuocation in the first words 2 Petitions in the body of it 3 A conclusion giuing reason of both 1 Of the Inuocation This hath three words in it which containe the three parts of the inuocation 1 Father shewing who it is to whom our praiers are directed 2 Our expressing the interest that wee haue in him 3 In heauen pointing to the place from whence we looke for helpe and where this our heauenly father is 1 Father herein consider 1 Who is meant in that title 2 Why he is inuocated vnder that title 1 Who is meant No doubt is made that this praier is addressed to God and it is cleare that in this we are by Christ onely directed to God for when they sayd doce nos orare they desired the full instruction in all things concerning praier and when Christ answered them pray our Father he gaue them a full direction in which it is necessary mainely that they be taught to whom they must pray and if Christ doe onely direct them to God wee may conclude that none but God may be called vpon in our praier Our reasons for this onely inuocation of the name of God are 1 From this direction for if any else be to be inuocated Christ himselfe hath not giuen a full instruction who directeth vs onely to our Father in heauen But it is sinnefull to charge the wisedome of God with defect in his directions for if we aske wisedome of God hee giueth it abundantly as S. Iames saith this had beene short of giuing wisedome abundantly for he hath not giuen
Ierusalem the spirit of supplications poureth also the spirit of grace to sanctifie the supplications So it is called in Zech. the Spirit of grace and supplications And Dauid can say If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Obserue it in Saint Iames his directions Draw nigh to God and hee will draw nigh to you clense your hands yee sinners and purifie your hearts you double minded When God appeard to Moses in the bush and Moses was approaching to him he heard a voyce saying to him Put off thy shoes from thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground There is no Comming then to God without holinesse without which we may seeke but we shall neuer see the face of God 5 This mention of the heauens here doth put vs in minde of the wisedome of God who of nothing raised vp that glorious frame of those celestiall habitations that high Sanctuary for his owne dwelling for in wisedome he hath made them all Which teacheth vs to beware how we appeare before God in our praiers and holy deuotions not as fooles but as wise Take heed to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God and be more neare to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles They that pray not in wisdome doe offer to God the sacrifice of fooles And Salomon saith God hath no pleasure in fooles There is no folly like to the folly that is vsed in prayer and deuotion when the God of wisedome hath vs in his eye and the iealous God who is tender of his worship discerneth that he is slighted That is one of the sinnes of our time a foolish worship without consideration care or reuerence which turneth our praiers into sinne Hath God any pleasure in the set words of a solemne seruice Did he not blame his owne people Populus hic honorat me labijs suis Dauid admonisheth to sing praises to God with vnderstanding It asketh a great deale of spirituall wisedome to addresse our suites to the Court of heauen where the highest King of glory doth wisely consider all the sonnes of men and beholds with what descretion and wisedome they come before him Take heed therefore that thou forget not our Father to be in heauen Heauen is mentioned for the height of Gods sanctuarie for God is in excelsis which teacheth vs in praier to sublime our soules from the earth and earthly things to an holy eleuation thereto agree those outward formes of lifting vp the eyes in prayer I lifted vp mine eyes to the hills from whence my help commeth Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth And let the lifting vp of mine hands be an euening sacrifice Sursum corda It is the voice of the Church Our Conuersation is in heauen and it is the Apostles counsaile If ye be risen with Christ seeke the things which are aboue and not the things which are below where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God O that I had the winges of a Doue the wings of an Eagle rather to fly high there is the Carcase and thither the Eagles resort Our earthly Parents giue good things to vs but they haue them from hence the bread the fish the necessaries of life Sometimes earthly Parents proue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but our heauenly father is one whose compassion falles not when my father and mother forsaketh me the Lord taketh me vp Doubtlesse thou art our father though Abraham knowes not though Israel be ignorant of vs. Earthly Parents see vs sicke and in prison and in disgrace and in want they can sit downe and droppe their teares and viz their groanes with ours but there is no helpe in them they may be parted from vs by death but our heauenly father shall endure for euer his yeares change not he looked down from the height of his sanctuarie From heauen did the Lord behold the earth to heare the groaning of the prisoners to loose those that are appointed to death 7 The mention of heauen added to the title of our Father doth put vs in minde of his goodnesse for hee dwelleth in that place from which euery good giuing and euery perfect gift doth proceed From whence also we are directed in our Prayers not to aske of this Father that is nothing but good and perfect gifts In temporall benefits we must still haue an eye to the true vse of them to make them serue for spirituall and heauenly vses One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Let our eye be vpon the inheritance and the birth-right and for things temporal so far as they may be adjumenta or oramenta to vs to aduance this final desire of the kingdome of God so farre let vs desire and seeke and vse them Who will petition a King for beades and babies and such trifling things feare nto little flock it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Let our wisedome seeke it where it is to be found in heauen where Iesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of his father and maketh intercession for vs. Why should we aske stones where we may haue bread for asking bread of the finest wheat flower Manna Angels bread 8 The name of our father in the heauens doth put vs in minde of the country which we seeke for we are but Pilgrimes and strangers and we haue no abiding City here we are but soiourners as all our fathers were But we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolued wee haue a building not made with hands but eternall in the heauens For in this we groane earnestly desiring to be cloathed vpon with our house which is from heauen that mortalitie might be swallowed vp of life for Whilest we art at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. We are confident and willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. We sit here weeping by the riuers of Babel If I forget thee O Ierusalem c. Returne to thy rest O my soule Studie those heauens search and finde out the way to them there is one that is gone before to prepare a place there for vs in the many Mansions of his Fathers house and as the Church sweetely Hymneth He hath opened the Kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers by a new and liuing way which hee hath Consecrated for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh Conducting vs to Mount Sion the City of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable companie of Angels To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of
people in the wildernesse then was a tange of the curse of God for they were to goe forth to gather the Manna and Quailes and after they must dresse it for food and bread is not made without preparation of the earth for the seed semination of it in the ground expectation of the grouth of it and the reaping gathering into the barne dressing of it for the mill grinding of it for the ouen moulding and making it fit for food This bread I vnderstand here meant in this petition da nobis panem And though some of the ancient of fathers haue extended this name of bread to a comprehension of the Eucharisticall bread of which Christ saith I am the bread which came downe from heauen yet I dare not follow them I must confesse that I finde great Authors diuided in iudgement concerning this bread some only vnderstanding the spirituall bread of our soules susteining them to life euerlasting some only vnderstanding the ordinary necessaries of life The greatest shew that is made for this interpretation is that it is not likely in this absolute forme of prayer that Christ would comprehend any motion for things temporall for the body but at second hand and by way of implication or consequence seeing 1 Our Sauiour hath said Seeke yee first the kingdome of God c. et caetera adijcientur 2 The Apostle saith He that hath giuen vs his sonne how should he not together with him giue vs all things And so no need to looke after the necessities of the body but cast that care vpon God But I answere with S. Bernard· Ne mireris quod bona corporis adeo dixerim quaerenda quoniam eius sunt corporalia omnia sicut et spiritualia omnia dona ab eo ergo petendum et sperandum nobis est vnde possimus in eius seruitio sustentari We may as probably conceiue that Christ teaching mortall men to pray in corpore would not suppresse their necessarie desires for the body Others therefore of our ancients as Saint Cyprian and S. Augustine doe much for they doe better vnderstand both the bodily and the spirituall food yet Saint Cyprian doth make the spirituall food chiefest meant here There is an English popish Catechisme which goeth about in the darke published of purpose to corrupt the yong beginners in the very beginnings of their learning by one George Dowley a Priest he doth vnderstand this petition so as meant of the bread of Christs body and of our common bread but principally of the spirituall bread I meruaile that an ordinary Priest of that Church dare adde any thing to the doctrine of the counsell of Trent for in their Catechisme set forth by the authority of Pius 5. then Pope of Rome this petition is vnderstood and interpreted of the corporeall food And Maldonate a learned Iesuite doth very iudiciously remoue the obiections which are made against it It is thought saith Maldonate that this bread is spirituall not corporeall because it is not likely that Christ would teach vs to aske food for the body before the pardon of our sinnes and our deliuerance from euill He answereth it well 1 That Christ doth not regulate our petitions according to the worth and dignity of the things therein desired but rather according to our necessities for this is nature petition Et natura prius vult viuere nos tum bene viuere 2 That this supply doth preuent a great many of sinnes to which else we might fall for if once we haue sufficient for nature with the blessing of God vpon it and our content with it it is enough and we haue our hearts more free and our owne to attend the holy worship and seruice of our God The Trent Catechisme doth giue good proofes that it is fit and necessarie that we doe goe to Almighty God for those things which belong to the sustentation of the body Non enim petimus temporalia haec tanquam bona nostra sed tanquam necessaria nostra saith Saint Augustine 1 That alleadgeth Iacobs prayer If God will be with me and will keepe me in the way that I goe and will giue me bread to eate and rayment to put on 2 The prayer of Agur the sonne of Iakeh feed mee with food conuenient for me The danger of want lest I be poore and steale and take the name of my God in vaine To these we may adde Salomons prayer in the dedication of the Temple wherein is mention of all sorts of temporall supplies to be sought in that house or toward it by prayer All the necessaries of life are here contained vnder the name of Bread food rayment health peace libertie and bread being the chiefest of the necessaries of life is named for them all So when Moses saith Man shall not liue by bread onely all things necessary for mans sustentation in this life are vnderstood And this exposition of the word Bread here doth distinguish this petition from the former for all spirituall graces whatsoeuer that may concerne the aduancement of Gods glory or the fitting of our soules to that are comprehended in the three former petitions especially that which Saint Cyprian and S. Augustine doe make principall in this petition that is the Bread of heauen Christ or the bread of the Sacrament or the obedience of the holy will of God which Christ calleth his meate and drinke for these doe all belong to the hallowing of Gods name the comming and establishing of his kingdome and the doing of his will 2 Da nobis 1 We aske this bread of God which declareth him to be the authour of this gift and the bestower of it vpon man 2 We aske it to be giuen not to me alone euery one for himselfe but all of vs for all nobis 1 We must come to God for bread For though he hath said in sudore vultus tui comedes panem tuum which may make some thinke that the sweat of our faces doth make this bread ours and that our claime to it is from the merite of our labour which maketh it rather earnings and wages then free gift yet if wee well consider wee doe begge of God herein strength to labour for our liuings in some honest vocation and Gods blessing vpon our endeuours without which we cannot sweate and take paines for our liuing The eyes of all things looke vp to thee O Lord thou giuest them meate in due season thou openest thy hand thou fillest all things liuing with plenty He couereth the heauen with clouds he prepareth raine for the earth he maketh grasse to grow vpon the mountaines He giueth to the Beast his food and to the yong Rauens that cry Man holdeth these things of God by the title of obedience on his part of fauour on Gods part obserue it in the sequence first we pray fiat voluntas tua then Da nobis panem for we haue no plea to this fauour but in