in thy young dayes Hee can say to the covetous man Pull downe thy barnes and make them more large and then cry a peace to thy soule Hee can say to the furious man Smite him at once that thou may not smite him the second time And What thou dost do quickly And in a word whatsoever seed of iniquity or bitter root of corruption hee soweth or planteth in our hearts this is his policy hee first bewitcheth the sense then enflameth the appetite or desire and last of all he bringeth sinne to accomplishment Vse In respect hereof it becommeth us carefully to watch over our senses as the gates and dores of our soules Secondly to keepe a guard about our affections that though our senses be infected yet our hearts be not affected Psal 139. And last of all wee should be earnest and carefull to mortifie both of these least their infection prevayling sin in thee come to a maturity and thou reape as thou hast sowne for hee that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption and hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life and glory and honor and life immortality Thus whilst wee seeke to bee free from temptations wee seek to be freed from the temptations of the devill the world and the flesh And if God at any time shall suffer us to fall into these temptations wee then begge of him that wee may not bee overcome of them Non enim petimus ut non tentemur sed ut a tentatione non vincamur Now followeth the third thing remarkable in the words and that is who are the souldiers that must fight the battell To this I answer all those that are subject to temptation the whole have no neede of the physitian but the sicke if any man therefore thinke himself free from the dint of temptation forbeare to say Lead us not into temptation but if none can exempt himselfe then what I say to one I say to all Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation But that I may speake more clearely The souldiers of this Christian warfare are all those who are members of the mysticall body of Jesus To what end else hath hee clothed them with his livory put his badge on them given them their earnest and covered them under his banner hee hath clothed us with his livory whilst he hath imputed to us his righteousnesse hee hath put his badge on us whilst hee hath baptized us in his name hee hath given us earnest whilst hee hath given us the first fruits of the Spirit to dwell in us and hee hath convocated us under his banner whilst hee calleth to bee within the pale and precinct of his Church But this is not all thou wilt enquire yet who are those to whom hee hath concredited these endowments I answer the Saints militant and tryumphant By the Saints militant I understand men and women on earth By the Saints tryumphant I understand those who fought the fight finished their course and now are entred into their masters joy But here two questions may arise the first is this Have none beene tempted but the sonnes and daughters of men I answer none for howsoever it be true that Jesus Christ was the Sonne of God yet as the sonne of man hee was also tempted with us and that for these foure causes First Ad cautelam 2. In auxilium 3. Ad exemplum 4. In fiduciam The sonne of God was tempted in our flesh for our caution and for warning sake that looking on him no man might thinke himselfe set free from temptation for if hee hath not spared the Cedar of Lybanon how shall hee spare us poore Isop bushes Secondly hee was tempted for our assistance and aid for what shall it availe a man to know that his enemy approacheth against him unlesse hee be able to resist him therefore Christ came and in our flesh was tempted also that hee might deliver us in all our temptations both from the feare of death and from him who had the power of death the devill Thirdly hee was tempted for our example for as hee said of himselfe learne of me for I am mecke and lowly and as the Evangelist St Iohn saith of his washing of his disciples feet I have given you an example that you should do one to another as I have done to you So also hath hee suffered our temptations and was tempted like unto us that hee might leave us an example to follow his foot steps 1. Pet. 2.21 Fourthly hee was tempted for our comfort and assurance of victory for it is written Heb. 4.15 Wee have not such an High Priest as cannot be touched with our infirmities but hee was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sinne Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace and wee shall finde grace to helpe us in the time of need The second question is this Who are those amongst the sonnes and daughters of men who can truly say that they are tempted to this I answer If temptation be a fight those onely are truly said to be tempted who do bravely couragiously resist and fight against their adversary It is not the sluggard that lyeth down to sleepe nor the coward that rūneth away nor the feeble hearted that yeeldeth that can truly be called the souldies of God but they only who hold fast what they have received who stand fast within the liberty wherewith they are made free and who continue constant unto the end that as the good souldiers of Jesus Christ shall receive the crowne Seeing then amongst the sonnes of men there are some who are in the gall of bitternesse who are taken captive of Sathan at his will who are given over to their vile affections and to the power of error 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sure I am these are not worthy of the title of this fight nor to have their names billeted for the souldiers of Jesus onely they then in whom though sinne dwell yet doth not raigne are the true soldiers of Jesus who can with Abraham refuse to be enriched from Sodome and with Moses refuse to leave a howfe behind him are worthy and shall be clothed in white and receive a white stone and in it a new name which no man knoweth but hee that possesseth it Vse Now what shall I say concerning man the Christian souldier and the necessity of his resistance Alas there is so much in man enemy to man and so little left in him that is able to resist or fight for him much lesse to triumph and conquer or subdue his enemy to him I thinke I can onely intreat man to looke continually on his captaine And yet because hee must either fight or else never tryumph there are two things of which I would advertise him First let him not thrust himselfe into temptation unlesse as David said There be a cause And that with Jesus hee bee led with the spirit For our adversaries are
offerings he abhorreth thy solemne feasts and thy new Moones All that he requireth of thee is a new borne creature for a broken and contrite heart the Lord never despised Wouldest thou then have thy prayer to bee heard I pray thee take heed to whom thou praiest if thou invokest thy Father that is in heaven let thy conversation be with him also in heaven and remember that counsell given by the Apostle to the Colossians If you bee risen with Iesus Christ seeke those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of the Father But thou wilt say to me O man how shall I seek those things that are above since they are unsearchable the eye hath not seene them the care hath not heard them and the minde of man cannot understand them I may answere with the Apostle in that same place Though thy hand be short that thou canst not reach to them yet thy heart and the desires thereof are not so Set thy affections saith the Apostle upon them But for the more particular information I will teach thee how to attaine unto them If thou wouldest seeke thy Father that is in heaven and in seeking finde him then bee carefull of three things Seeke him where hee may be found seeke him how hee may be found and seeke him whilst he may be found It is a lamentable pity to see the toile and travaile of men in this time for they weary themselves in searching and seeking out the heavens the ayre the sea the earth and when they have found them the more that they know of them the greater fooles they become As it is written Rom. 1. O but that industrious search that hath the promise of satisfaction and true content is only to seeke God and his Heavenly kingdome To the atchievement whereof wee must first seeke him where he may bee found and where is that I pray you Gregory in his moralls lib. 16. cap. 15. telleth us In Sinu matris Ecclesiae Not in St. Dennis in France not in St. Iaques or Compostella in Spaine not in St. Patricks Purgatory in Ireland nor at the holy Grave in Jerusalem No no if at any time he was found there made manifest unto them hee hath now withdrawue his presence to the Heavens And out upon their folly that weary themselves in seeking him by such sublunary Pilgrimages I may and will bee bold justly to say what the Angells said to Mary Magdalen Why seekest thou the living amongst the dead But if thou wouldest seeke him seek him in his Church in the ministery of his word in the participation of his Sacraments and in the sweet Quire of the praises and prayers of his Saints And surely if thou findest him not there in the smell of his garments thou shalt never finde him in the fulnesse of his glory For it shall be with all of us as it was with the two Disciples going to Emaus whilst hee talked with them and opened unto them the Scriptures their hearts did burne within them by the way It shall bee so I say with thee O man if thou gettest not thy heart inflamed with a sparke of his love in the way when thou hearest his word it is a fearefull testimony that thou shalt not bee satisfied with the fulnesse of his joy in the life to come For it is the sweet smelling relish of those drops that we get in his word that maketh us to follow after him and with our heart to pant and pray till wee see him in Sion that is invisible 2 As wee must seeke him where hee may bee found so wee must also seeke him whilst he may be found For there is a time appointed for all things under the Sunne A due time wherein if we seeke we shall finde and a preposterous time wherein although we knocke it shall not be opened unto us This precious time is to day for to day wee must heare his voice This is the acceptable time this is the day of our visitation Remember Esau the Foolish virgius and the Spouse in the Canticles 3. Lastly let us seeke him how he may be found and as for this know that though he be sought of many yet hee is found but of a few because that they seeke him not after this fashion For hee that would finde God must seeke foure manner of wayes saith Augustine 1. Caste unice for himselfe and his owne sake seeking nothing but in him and for him knowing that the fashion of this world perisheth 2. Verè sine hypocrisi truly and without dissimulation For if wee draw neere him with our mouthes when our hearts are farre from him he will cast backe the dust of our sacrifices upon our faces and make open our nakednesse in the sight of our enemies 3. Fervidè cum zelo For the Kingdome of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it perforce and if our prayers want audience it is because they want heart 4. Perseverantèr continuo For it had been better for us never to have knowne the way of truth then after that wee have knowne it that we should looke backe with Lots Wife or desire a returne with Israel to the Flesh-pots of Aegypt And now Brethren I hope I have made the first part of this prayer cleere unto you in some condition For in it I have shewed you the love of the inviter God who is become Our Father I have shewed you the communion and fellowship of your society they are all our owne Brethren and Sisters yea fellow members with us of that mysticall body whereof Jesus Christ is the Glorious head Thirdly I have shewed you the Glory of the habitation to which wee are invited it is the heaven of heavens wherein he dwelleth that is al-sufficient What now resteth but as those parts have beene severally touched and in them you instructed So now for conclusion we binde them up againe and learne you in a composed frame to say aright Our Father which art in Heaven And to the effect you may doe so and bee heard in so doing let mee request you for Gods sake to follow his counsell who hath directed you thus to pray Whensoever thou commest before God to intreat him as thy Father which is in heaven learn to deny thy selfe and to follow him Deny thy selfe for thou art altogether unsufficient and follow after him for in him doth all fulnesse dwell Thou art insufficient in a threefold respect 1. In respect of Judgement to resolve aright 2. In respect of wisedome to mannage aright 3. And in respect of power to bring to passe In respect of Judgement for we are blinde and know not the things of God In respect of wisedome to mannage for with David and Israel wee are in bringing up the Arke and therefore many times our Vzzah perisheth In regard of power to bring to passe things that are spirituall wee can neither will nor performe For Paul may plant and Apollos water but God
meaning of the words to bee Let them that are not yet called bee brought within the compasse of thy covenant and the bosome of thy Church that as wee beleeve so they may beleeve also and as thy will is done by us so it may bee done by them Both of these opinions are not only tolerable but also laudable For we are bound by religion not only to subdue the lusts of our flesh and to live after the Spirit but also wee are bound in charity to begge of God that all such as appertaine to his election may be in due time called justified and glorified That so there may be but one shepheard and one sheepfold and God may bee over all and in all blessed for ever But if I may speak it without the prejudice of so great lights Howsoever both these Petitions be requisite for the Christian yet doe not I thinke that either of them be here meant But with Chrysostome I doe thinke that this Petition differs nothing from that precept of the Apostles Collos 3.1 If yee bee risen with Iesus Christ seeke those things that are above By earth then I understand men that are on earth and by heaven the Angels of God and the Spirits of good and just men departed So that the meaning of the petition is Since it hath pleased thee O Father who dwellest in Heaven to make thy name knowne to us and be called upon of us And seeing thou hast honored us by the making us members of thy true Church and thy Kingdome of grace here on earth O let thy Spirit of Grace dwel so powerfully and plentifully in us that as thy holy Angells and glorified Saints doe thy will in heaven So we that are but weake and sinfull men may captivate our wils to thy obedience here on earth Well then by Earth wee must understand not only earthly men but also the place where Even on earth and while we live in it But let us remarke the word for it is generall Our Saviour teaching us the person the time and the place of Gods obedience saith not Thy will be done in the field in the city in the sea or in the dry land but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per universum terrarum orbem Through all the whole world And as David sayes in his 97. Psalme Make thy way knowne on earth and thy saving health to all Nations The persons then by whom he will have Gods will done are men who are of the earth and to the earth returne again And the place where in the earth and whilst wee live in it For unlesse wee doe the will of God here wee shall not enter into our Masters joy hereafter In the second roome wee must looke to the patterne and it is called heaven by the which as I told you already Augustine and Chrysostome do understand the holy Angells of God and the glorified Spirits of men These are said to bee in heaven But by these alone the word is not only understood For as there are more heavens then one so are they more that do the will of God in heaven then those blessed Spirits alone I say there are more heavens then one and it is cleere For it is said in the preface of this prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall number and it is knowne and manifest in nature For this expansum or void wherein are the fowles is called a heaven and they the fowles of the heaven Againe these seaven subordinate spheares in the which the seaven Planets doe raigne are called heaven also Againe that place wherein are the fixed Starres is called a heaven also And finally that place of felicity which is above all of these is called heaven and the third heaven and the heaven of heavens and the Paradise of God Now as all of these are furnished with their severall host and inhabitants So is the will of God done in all of these by their severall host and inhabitants For in the lower heavens which we call our firmament the will of God is done by the fowles of the ayre and by the treasures of windes raine snow haile and the thunder In the second heaven the will of God is done by the Sunne the Moone and the Starres In the third heaven also the will of God is done by the holy Angells who have kept their originall integrity and by the congregation of the first born who rest from their labours and have entred into their Masters joy The words then are cleere By earth is meant man made of earth returning to the earth and living on the earth By heaven is meant all the host and inhabitants of the whole heavens of God whether they be the first second or third heaven But chiefly the third Now the resemblance and parallel of the obedience is remarkable As it is in Heaven For it may be enquired how doe the Angells and Saints departed obey the will of God in heaven I answere they obey it five manner of wayes Speedily Cheerfully Fully sincerely constantly and perfectly Speedily and without delay cheerfully and without murmuring fully and without omission sincerely without dissimulation constātly without wearying and perfectly without halting Now is it possible for man so to doe Gods will No certainly wee cannot doe it speedily for like Lot we linger to goe out of Sodome We cannot doe it cheerfully for like Israel wee grudge and murmur in the way to our rest We cannot doe it fully for the good that wee would doe we doe not c. We doe it not sincerely and without dissimulation for although wee honour him with our mouthes our hearts are farre from him We doe it not constantly and without wearying for to day we are fervent and to morrow wee are lukewarme neither hot nor cold Neither doe we it perfectly for we know but in a part and see but in a part and our perfection is laid up for us in the life to come But why doe we then pray for it since wee cannot attaine to it I answere though we cannot attaine to it yet wee should strive after it For there is a time comming wherein we shall obtaine and attaine to that perfection wee aime at And that is our last moment and day of our dissolution Like Israel compassing Jericho And Sampson groaning under his blindnesse Vse Now the use of all this When God made man he made him conforme to his patterne for he made him like to himselfe and to his owne Image When God commanded to build him a Tabernacle he gave a patterne to it in the mount and never a pinne was in the Tabernacle but what was commanded So it is here when Christ Jesus desireth us to doe Gods will he writeth to us a copy doe it in earth as it is done in heaven Not that we are able to attaine to it but that we must strive after it Let us looke but to a naturall Parent Hee calleth upon
some to command and some to obey some to governe and some to be in subjection their commandement and authority he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our obedience and subordination hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13. And in that same place hee threateneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him that opposeth himselfe to that ordination Thirdly God hath ordained a just and beseeming order in his Church in times places persons and proceedings In times a Sabbath is appointed for his service In places hee hath appointed his Church to bee the place wherein his name shall be called on In persons some must teach some must observe and correct and some must collect and distribute almes In the proceedings also of the Church there must bee order for admonition must goe before censure and smaller censures before the greater according to that which is written Let all things be done with order and decencie 1. Cor. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fourthly there is order also in our severall families for there hee placed the husband and the wife the parent and the children the master and the servant and all to this end that they who are in authority may command and they who are subordinate may obey Finally in every mans private carriage there is an order to bee kept that wee walke not inordinately as busie bodies every man talking and pratling of his neighbours charge with the neglect and contemptible forgetfulnesse of his owne these the Apostle 2. Thess 3 calleth Busie bodies and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are two things also which I had almost forgot in which order is to be found looke to the grave yea and to hell it selfe to the grave for wee shall rise in our order 1. Cor. 15. The dead in Christ shall rise first To hell for there is a Beelzebub the prince of devils Now if in all things it hath pleased God to establish an order in the heavens in the elementary spheares in common wealths and civill societies of men in the Church communion of his Saints in our private families in our private charges and conversasions in our graves and in hell it selfe O how carefull should man be to submit himselfe to order in this life not onely in things temporall but also in things spirituall remembring in all our supplications which wee present to God First the duty wee owe to God himselfe Secondly the duty we owe to our own soules Thirdly the duty wee owe to our fellow-brethren as mutuall members with us in the mysticall body of Jesus Christ and what better order can bee given and followed for the rule of thy life then first in all things and above all things to looke unto God from him to reflect thy contemplation upon thy owne soule as the seat of his Image and from thy owne soule to cast a ray and beame of commiseration on thy brother and his necessities knowing assuredly that though in the matter of reckoning rationis reddendi every man must beare his owne burthen yet in the matter of compassion Infirmitatis tolerandae every one of us is borne and bound to beare one anothers burthen and to commiserate not onely their temporall but also their spirituall necessities as well as our owne for hee that wants the sympathy and fellow-feeling of a member of the body declares himselfe not to be of the body But thou wilt say unto me shal a man pray for that which hee beleeves doe we not acknowledg and confesse in our beleefe the forgivenesse of our sinnes why do wee then pray for that which wee doe beleeve I answer I doe not doubt but according to the Articles of our Creed God hath pardoned and forgiven mee my sinnes and my fellow brethren their sinnes yet will I pray daily hourely for their further pardon whereby I may feele engraven in my heart the assurance of that pardon for as every particular sinne weakeneth the particular assurance of our pardon so is it well done on our part by renewed reiterated supplications to renew and reiterate our confidence and assurance of mercy not that I thinke in any case the eternall and immutable pardon of God given us from eternity in the blood of Jesus can ever bee fully or finally lost or inverted no no the gifts and callings of God are without change or alteration but because the frequencie of our sinnes doe weaken our confidence and hope of pardon therefore it is requisite that by the reiteration of our prayers wee may strengthen and renew our hope confidence of remission and that as oft as our sinnes are reiterated and renewed But it may bee yet enquired why the word should be plurall Vs and not Mee It is written in the Scripture There is a sinne for which thou shouldst not pray and againe Many are called but few are chosen Now brethren if there bee some sinnes and some sinners for whom wee should not pray how is it that we are commanded here to pray for all men as well as for our selves To this I answer I may and should pray for the greatest sinners in the world the reason is because the purpose of God concerning the salvation or cōdemnation of man though one in it selfe yet is two wayes to bee considered of us first as hidden and kept close in the bosome of the Father Secondly as revealed and manifested by his word whilst the salvation and reprobation of man is only knowne to God wee are bound to pray for them and the pardon of their sinnes but if at any time God in his word make their rejection manifest then and then onely is it time for us to shut up our mouthes and not to pray for them This truth shall be cleared by examples whilst Samuel was ignorant of the purpose of God concerning Saul hee ceased not continually to pray for him but how soone God once made his secret purpose of rejection knowne to Samuel hee stopped his mouth prayed no more for him Whilst David knew not the will of God concerning his child begotten with Bathsheba hee fasted prayed and would not be comforted but how soone God made his secret will manifest by the death of the child hee mourneth no more but riseth straight refresheth himselfe and eateth bread Finally this was the ground of all that partiality which by many is condemned in Rebecca concerning her sonne Esau shee was acquainted with the secret purpose of God concerning him I have loved Iacob and hated Esau And againe The elder shall serve the yonger Thus so long as God makes not his secret purpose known concerning man wee are bound to pray for all men but so soone as God maketh knowne his will concerning mans last end where God ceaseth to love we should cease to pray It is the part therfore of a good Christian to pray for all men to love them that hate us to blesse thē that curse us and to pray for them that persecute us that wee not being overcome of evill