us we have refused to follow him in the right way but have run on after one anothers bad Example and sometimes chosen the treacherous directions of the Wolf or Fox before those of our dear Shepherd to whom we now cry with shame and sorrow to rescue and restore us § 4. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts Confession ought to be a giving glory to God (n) Joshua 7.19 Jerem. 13.6 and therefore we must beware it prove not a dishonouring of him by transferring the guilt of our sin upon him directly or indirectly for though our treacherous hearts love the sin too well yet they would fain lay the blame and shame upon some other Adam will tacitly charge God himself (o) Genes 3.12 Natura hominuâ— procliviâ— in vitia vidâ—ri vult non modo cum veniâ sed etiam cum ratione peccare Lact. Inst lib. 4. rather then want an Apology to excuse his crimes and they imitate his example who confess their original corruption not to aggravate but extenuate their actual transgressions thinking they are the more excusable because they were naturally inclined to it Let such know it is not alone the inclinations of Nature but the complying with them and following of them and the neglect of Gods restraining grace that leads us into evil and no blame can be imposed on him that hath left the Canaanites to try us since he provides and offers sufficient help and defence against them nor can any excuse be made for us who love them and strengthen them and daily make Covenants with them it is our misery that our Nature is so evil disposed but it is our fault (p) Nemo de vitiis naturalibus sed de voluntariis poenas luit Aug. Civ Dei l. 12. c. 13. when we reject Gods directions and neglect his assistance and take these false principles and vitiated appetites for our guides Wherefore we here confess that not the having but the following these evil devices and desires is the cause of all our sins * Hosea 13.6 That which Divines call Original sin is by the Jews (q) Genes 6.5 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 figmentum malum Vatab stiled the Evil device and is here most significantly stiled The devices and desires of our hearts which takes in that universal Corruption which hath overspread the soul and consists in the decay of the Divine Image which man was created in viz. The quickness and comprehensiveness of the intellectual powers to discern what was truly good and the readiness of the will to chuse and of the affections to make after that which was so discerned This was our state but now the Understanding is dull and shallow confused with wrong notions and busied in devising evil (r) Prov. 19.21 Prov. 3.29 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glebas vertit which the Scripture compares to plowing and turning up the clods to search with labour and industry for fine dresses plausible excuses and speedy accomplishments And then we begin to fall in love with evil and greedily to desire it so that our Understanding is enslaved to our Appetites and must pronounce for it And when we have devised how to call evil good we are hurried on to desire it with the blindness and violence (s) Hi motus si ratione destituuntur in praeceps rapiuntur rapiunt Macrob. Som. Scip. l. 2. c. 16. of unguided affections that end in ruine Thus we devise how to present riches and plenty ease and pleasure honour and esteem satisfaction and revenge to our selves in so pleasing a garb that they may pass for excellent things and then we long for them and still devise wayes to obtain or recover them and then pursue them with expence of our times and estates with continual care mighty pains and restless endeavours because we suppose we cannot be happy without them Although it is most sure we can never have fast hold of them the child may as soon catch the Rainbow as we these flying shadows which have no worth but onely in our imagination But it will be well if when we have wearied our selves with an endless and vain chase we be so wise as to sit down panting and breathing out sighs and making sad reflexions on what we have done if we can consider we may easily discern that our devices have failed our desires been unsatisfied our expectations frustrated and our pains unrewarded and therefore we have good cause to confess we have followed them too much already and to resolve to be abused no more because they lead us into all sin and yet yield nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit for all our venture and pains § 5. Wâ— have offended against thy holy Laws Our gracious God hath given his law to supply all our defects and it is a lamp (t) Psal 119.105 to lighten the darkness of our minds a Counsellor (u) ibid. ver 24. to direct the weakness of our judgment a Guide (x) Psalm 32.8 to conduct our unsteady actions that we might not miss our way to true happiness But we will be our own directors and call that good which God calls evil so that we neglect what he commands and desire what he forbids We forsake our rule and come into a wrong way by our false devices and we run fast by our greedy and evil appetites and so are all our actual sins committed as is here taught out of S. John (y) 1 John 3.4 James 1.17 and this is the exact Pedegree of sin which S. James teacheth to be conceived in the devices of the mind nourished by the desires of the heart and produced by following both these so it was in the first of Gods laws which was broken by our first Parents (z) Oculus vidit cor concupiscit instrumenta operis pergunt ad agendum Fagius and so it is ever since these evil principles endeavour first a connivance then a consent and lastly exercise a tyrannical authority and necessity to evil where they have gotten the power But we may observe in this general sentence four aggravations of all Actual sins 1. They are done against a law enacted in Heaven and proclaimed over the whole Earth and particularly among us by divers special Messengers so that we cannot pretend ignorance 2. Not onely against one or two but many laws and if we search narrowly it will appear we have broken all the law of Nature the Decalogue of Moses the Precepts of Christ and the injunctions of the Apostles and it is a bad sign when so many Obstacles cannot stop us and doth encrease our guilt when all these laws will not restrain us 3. These sins are not against the laws of any mortal Prince but against the commands of the King of Kings the God of Heaven whose Dominion over us is so absolute his Wisdome so infinite to enact and his Power so great to reward or punish that
prevail but little upon many and some might deny their guilt others despise the summons and others might think to avoid by recrimination Wherefore the Minister comes armed with the sword of the Spirit the Word of God that as the Prophets of the old Testament came with Verbum Jehovae the Word of the Lord so might also the Priests of the New and though the Person may be contemptible yet it is the voice of God which you hear from him and whoever be the proclaimer where the word of a King is there is power (c) Eccles 8.4 who dare disobey when the King of heaven commands He that knows the hearts of all and commands all men every where to repent not onely in the places now read But in sundry other places (d) Isai 1.16 17. Chap. 55.7 Lament 3.40 41. Acts 2.38 Chap. 17.30 even throughout the whole Scripture and miserable will their case be who refuse so many so plain and so earnest calls from such a God We Ministers are exhorted as well as you and we intend to joyn with you and if we request you to joyn with us it is in obedience to the Commission we have from the King of heaven and he that refuseth refuseth not Man but God and that Word of God which now moves you so frequently to repent will be produced against you to condemn you if you obey it not § 3. To acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness We need not here be curious in the difference between these words though acknowledging seems to signifie the granting something laid to our charge as David did when Nathan came to him I have sinned (e) 2 Sam. 12.13 saith he upon the first charge and to confess may import a voluntary act when no man accuseth us which indeed is the more acceptable and ingenuous but it were well if we would but acknowledge our offences For God in his Word by his Ministers and by our own Consciences doth indict us as guilty and he that soonest owns the truth thereof shall easily find mercy But it may perhaps be more material to take notice of the Epithete joyned to our sins manifold which is borrowed from Amos 5.12 and may denote the variety of our transgressions like Josephs coat of many colours for we are clothed with the redness of Anger the paleness of Malice the yellow of Covetousness the blackness of Despair or the green of Presumption in these changeable garments are our souls attired when we put off the white garments of our Innocence Or else as the learned Translator of the Liturgy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multiplicia those iniquities which are so cunningly twisted and weaved together by that accursed policy which Satan teacheth men to begin with many small thrids of lesser sins and by uniting these and twining them together to proceed till they draw iniquity with cords of vanity and at last sin as it were with a Cart-rope (f) Isaiah 5.18 Peccatum trahit peccatum Dict. R. R we perhaps imagine it a piece of commendable craft (g) Job 5.13 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filum retortum unde signif multis nexibus implicitum consilium LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drus to be able thus to contrive our wickedness But alas if Gods Mercy do not unravel it it will at last be strong enough to draw us into eternal flames But we are warned that as we have used much study and pains to twist our sins together that one may strengthen the other so we do now by an humble and hearty confession untwine and separate them again that we be not bound in the bands of death § 4. And that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father It is the language of Satans school that we must cover one sin by committing another which the Scripture pronounceth a woe against (h) 1 John 1.8 9. Isaiah 30.1 and sheweth the folly and danger of it because it doubles the guilt (i) Negatio iniquitatis duplex iniquitas and hinders the pardon See Chap. 1. Sect. 5. p. 18. and therefore Gods Word teacheth us that if we have sinned we must neither dissemble them with excuses as Saul * 1 Sam. 15. and Ananias with his wife †Acts 5. nor cloak them with a flat denial as Gehazi ‖ 2 Kings 5. least we be judged as they were But this is the manner of Hypocrites 1. To extenuate them with dissembling apologies and fair pretences it was the first time I was surprised the effects of it were not very evil others have done worse c. whereas the good man aggravates his sins with all those circumstances that make them heinous and S. Paul calls himself the chief of sinners The worst men will deny they have sinned and reckon themselves among the Righteous as the Pharisee did (*) Luke 18.11 while Ezra (k) Ezr. 9.6 loquitur de Culpis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ne nimium arreganter se caeteris eximere videatur Grotius in loc and Daniel put themselves in amongst sinners and that is by much the safer way for he that feigns himself better then he is or denies himself to be sick before the Physician keeps his disease and looses an opportunity to regain his perfect health But remember thou art in Gods house nay just before his face and dost thou think with a lye or an excuse to deceive him No no this is too thin a veil and to short a cover for thy numerous transgressions and will avail no more then for a Thief to deny he stole that which is found about him before the Bench if thou couldst deny so impudently or dissemble so cunningly as to deceive all the world yet do not hope to impose upon him that is Almighty to find thee out and hath a heavenly all-seeing eye to discern thee and he would shew the kindness of a Father in thy pardon if thou shewest the ingenuity of a Son in confessing wherefore do not deceive thy self nor slight this warning for be sure one time or other your sin will find you out Numb 32.23 § 5. But confess thâ—m with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart The Word of God is not only a Monitor to remember us of our duty bâ—â— a guide to direct us in the performance of it it interposeth its authority to command us to repent and then affordeth its directions to shew how we may repent and 't is impossible the right disposition of a true penitent heart can be more exactly described in so few words then the Church hath here done it and they that would know how they must be affected when they confess so tâ—at they may be sure to find pardon cannot learn in fewer and more significant expressions 1. An humble and lowly heart viz. to behold our vileness by sin till we have a mean opinion of our selves and can be content that God or Men
practice that must be our Rule because we are all sinners what glory was it to Tamar to be more righteous then Judah (d) Gen. 38.26 or to the Jews to be holier then the Chaldeans (e) Habak 1.13 minus improbi illis quidem justiores reverâ— nequissimi Drus when both were wicked We shall never rightly judge of our wayes if we measure them by a crooked stick But suppose we be better then others that cannot make Confession needless though no man could charge us no nor our own Consciences yet is it not safe to plead Not guilty (f) 1 Cor. 4.4 Job 9.15 before that God who examines so narrowly and sees so exactly and remembers so perfectly that the best had need to crave for Mercy This Confession is so general so universally true of all and so particularly applicable to every mans case that we invite all to it so that the Pharisee may not think himself too good nor the Publican doubt himself too bad to make it before God The Church doth not allow of those dangerous Persuasions which have puffed some up with arrogance and presumption as if their sins were already absolutely forgiven their pardon actually sealed for if so what need they be obliged to a daily Repentance or to ask for what they have already but alas it is only in their own opinion for the very pride that such false imaginations produce were enough to reverse the grant if God had once consented to absolve them On the other side we do advise the greatest sinners to repent rejecting those discouraging Doctrines of mens eternal reprobation which some think not reversible by any endeavours we do not know of any living man that may not be pardoned (g) In isto adhuc mundo manenti poenitentia nulla sera est patet ad indulgentiam Dei aditus Cypr. ad Demetr wherefore we pray and beseech these dejected persons not to be discouraged because they have stayed so long but to hasten because they have no more time left for he only is in danger of being for ever cast off who hearing these summons doth not obey them Let no man then go about to excuse himself for it is the duty of every man present in Gods House § 10. To accompany me The Jewes were never allowed under the Law to enter into the Temple but the Priest alone went in every day (h) Exod. 30.7 Luke 1.10 Heb. 9.6 7. into the outer part of it to burn Incense and to the Mercy-seat or Inner and most Holy place none might come but the High Priest once a year but the people alwaies remained in the outward Court prayed there for which purpose were those stone Tables there made which the Talmud speaks of (i) Tract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 6. The King indeed was admitted into the Inner Court where the Priests did sacrifice (k) 2 Kings 11.11 1 Kings 8.22 1 Chron. 6.10 but when a Prince would have gone nearer Azariah is commended for resisting him because the Priests alone were to come so near (l) Levit. 10.3 Fag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propinqui dei But now we have more freedom for every Christian is one of Gods houshold (m) Ephes 2.19 and though the order of Priesthood is not taken away yet the priviledge of the people is enlarged so that Philoes brag is alwaies true of us (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. 1 Pet. 2.6 for every man is a Priest to offer up his own prayers and praises and that not without for we are led in by the hand to the very Throne of Grace (o) Eph. 2.18 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Christ or the Priest who is his representative and have liberty to speak (p) Heb. 4.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see Acts 26.1 freely for our selves before the King of Heaven and Earth Which you ought to esteem as an high act of favour and most thankfully to embrace it since you are now no longer to stand without and send in your Petition by the hands of a servant but are admitted nay requested to come in your selves in the company of Gods Messenger who hath the same errant for himself and therefore is likely to be the more concerned and importunate He even the Minister is that Ambassadour whom God sent to bring you out of your evil wayes (q) Acts 26.18 2 Cor. 5.18 19. and it will be acceptable to God to see him return with you in his hand and it will be a comfort to him when he can say Behold me and the children thou hast given me he will be your guide and he sets you a good example for he goes himself and no doubt both you and he will be kindly welcomed by his great Master and all the blessed Angels of Heaven Wherefore let not your Minister go alone but be you alwayes present and joyn in the Confession or otherwise if he go without you he cannot but complain of you (r) Isai 53.1 Heb. 13.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and must sigh when his Lord enq ires for you which will be more your loss then his because he hath done his duty in inviting and although he loose the comfort of your company yet you loose the benefit of his and the pardon annexed because you neglect so precious an opportunity and seem to send a daily denial by the hands of Gods special Messenger § 11. With a pure heart and humble voice to the throne of the heavenly Grace saying after me The various Rites of washings and cleansings which all Nations used before they approached to their Templâ—s were only to mind them of purity of heart which the Heathens knew to be necessary for all that drew near to God (s) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Alcib 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.22 wherefore in their sacrifices the unclean were commanded out by the voice of a Cryer Much more ought Christians to come with a pure heart which inward purity we account the principal requisite of the prayer but withal we require that the tongue shall be used as the interpreter of the desires of the soul and therefore it is added that we pray with an humble voice This was Pythagoras precept of old (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pray with an audible voice and though the Jewish Doctors allow private prayers when the lips onely move (u) 1 Sam. 1.13 Grotius in loc yet in publick Worship God himself commanded Open and vocal Confessions and particularly when the Sin-offering was presented the party was to lay his hand on the head of it and say Lord I am guilty of death I have deserved to be stoned for such a sin to be strangled for such and such transgression to be burnt for these and these crimes (x) See Munster on Numb 5.7 And to come nearer we find publick Confession in the Christian Church (y) Acts 19.18 Ordinatur ut
suis quisque verbis refipiscienâ—iam profiteretur Basil Ep. 3. and injunctions for every man to speak up in his acknowledgments that so our repentance may be as visible as our sins and that God may be glorified (z) Homo es vis rogari putas Deum tibi non roganti ignoscere Ambr de poen l. 2. by a solemn and humble request which even a man would expect from his inferior that had offended him much more may God require it in other Prayers it will suffice to seal them with Amen and set our name at the bottom but this must be all in our own words and under our own hand to justifie God and take shame to our selves and to encourage our brethren The Scripture requires in some cases we should confess our sins to men but what can we think of those that will not confess them to God no not in these general terms which may be said by the best of men too truly surely these men are either Pharisaical and suppose they have no sins worth confessing or hypocritical and would not be taken for sinners or they are carnal and senseless neither feeling their load nor fearing their danger When the Prince comes by a Prison all the Prisoners fall on their knees and every man begs a pardon but if one or two stand mute or stay away we should judge that they were confident of their innocence or obstinate in their wickedness and fearless of the punishment such a censure may too justly be pasâ—ed upon those who either come not to Confession or do not speak those Words in that humble but audible voice the Church requires and God expects for he will loose his glory in pardoning thee if thou hast not first publickly made thy Recantation and confessed thy guilt with thy own mouth The Paraphrase of the Exhortation DEarly beloved Brethren Your souls are really dear to me and out of my true affection to you and desire of your eternal welfare proceeds this courteous Admonition which you must not despise because I am one of you Brethren for I speak not from my self but from the mouth of God who in the Scripture moveth us in sundry places as well as in those I have now read that having seriously examined our hearts and considered our thoughts words and works we do declare the truth of what we find and then to acknowledge and confess how many several wayes how frequently and how sadly we have in all disobeyed his will and broken his laws by our manifold sins and wickedness which are so cunningly and closely twisted by us who have drawn iniquity with cords of vanity and with those cords bound our souls to everlasting misery Wherefore the Word of God commands us to discover them and that we should not dissemble the heinousness of our transgressions by inventing plausible excuses or contriving feigned pretences to extenuate them nor cloak them by impudent denials of what we are justly charged with for it is the manner of hypocrites so to do but it is dangerous to excuse or deny our sins before the face of Almighty God who knows our guilt and can easily destroy us both soul and body and will do it the sooner upon this hypocrisie and presumption though he be our heavenly Father and would forgive us if we confessed them like ingenuous câ—ildren Oh let us not therefore any longer excuse or hide our sins but confess them as he commandeth us and in such manner as he directs us not slightly but with an humble lowly heart in a due seâ—se of our vileness in our frequent and high and heinous provocations of so gracious a God by our rashness and folly treachery and ingratitude and this we must acknowledge with a penitent heart full of â—nfeigned sorrow for the comfort of his love assistance of his grace and hopes of his glory that we have either lost or forfeited for the empty pleasures of sin â—â—d â—ave got nothing in exchange but the terrours of our Conscience the decâ—y of our hopes and the encrease of our fears of the Divine vengeance which we have deserved both here and hereafter of all which miâ—chiefs we must be convinced our iniquities are the cause that we may hate them perfectly and confess them also with an utter detestation of them and with a holy and obedient heart resolve if we be now admitted to Gods favour that we will henceforth forsake them and carefully observe all his blessed will And truly this sense of sin and sorrow for it resolutions against it and purpoâ—es of Obedience are necessary in the confessing of our Offences to the end that we may obtain that which we seek for even the forgiveness of the same because no pardon can be without it though he never account with us in his justice but deal with us never so favourably of his infinite goodness and mercy without which theâ—e had been no conditions at all offered us and though he be infinite in Mercy yet â—e cannot â—dmit us on any terms but such as are consisteâ—t with his truth and holiness And although we who are born in sin and do every day more or less commit iniquity in reason ought at all times even every day and in all places humbly to acknowledâ—e even in our private closets and secâ—etly to bewail our sins before God who sees the Commission and hears the confession of them in the most secret place yet ought we though we daily perform this duty in private not to think that excuseth us from confessing in Gods house for it is our duty most chiefly so to do when we assemble and meet together there where we have so many duties of so great concernment to perform none of which can be done so as we shall be profited by them or God pleased with them unless we first do truly repent for we come hither 1. to render thanks for the great benefits we have received at his hands for our bodies as life and health food and raiment peace and plenty and for our souls as redemption instruction sanctification and hopes of glorification but the impenitent sinner abuseth the mercies of this life and despiseth those that would bring us to a better life and therefore cannot sincerely give thanks for either nor without repentance can we be fit 2. to set forth his most worthy praise because all the glorious titles such give unto God can be nothing but customary complement or flattery for did they believe what they speak of him they could not live in their sins his power would terrifie them his goodness shame them his grace would invite them and his mercy encourage them to turn to him and till then your hymns may justly seem derision and will not profit you no more then your coming in your sins 3. to hear his most holy Word which calls upon you in the first place to repent and if you begin not there it is likely you will be deaf to its exhortations
seculo dicet etiam Amen in seculo future R. Jehud Tanch alius ille facit ut redemptio nostra accelleretur enjoyned the saying it after every little prayer as a thing pleasing to God and profitable to men Comparing it to the setting our Name to an Epistle writ in anothers hand which then becomes ours when we sign it * Buxt Synag Jud. cap. 7. The same Doctors in their Talmud reprove three sorts of Amen 1. Pupillum when like children men speak it to that they understand not 2. Amen surreptitium when by carelesness they say it before the prayer be done 3. Amen fertile when by sleepiness and yawning they cut it in two parts by all which it appears they would have it pronounced zealously and reverently by all the people From the Jews our Lord took it and by placing it at the end of his own prayer (m) Matth. 6.13 declared he would have us Christians to subjoyn it to all ours and accordingly it appears the Apostles ordered it for the most ignorant who could only joyn with others that prayed for him was at the end to say Amen (n) 1 Cor. 14.16 Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which we may rather believe they ordained in the Church because we find the Masters of Israel appointed those who could not pray for themselves nor read to go to the Synagogue (o) Buxt Syn. Jud. cap. 5. and hear what others then prayed and by saying Amen heartily to their prayers they made them as they taught become their own From the practice of the Apostles it is sufficiently proved to have descended into the constant use of the Church in all ages (p) Nos simul Amen dicimus Irenaeus Si pro ipsius Salvatoris pacto in consensit duorum quodcunque petierint fiet Quid igitur futurum ubi ex tot tantantisque populis in unum congregatis una vox respondeatur acclamantium Amen Athan. Ad similitudinem caelestis tenitrui Amen populus reboat Hieron so that all know the people in the Primitive times used in the conclusion of all publique prayers to answer with an Amen loud as a clap of thunder and I wish our times which pretend to so much zeal had never laid aside this holy custome which besides the prescription of Antiquity hath the records of Scripture to produce for its Observation I wish I might be a happy instrument to restore it Let us I beseech you reassume this most useful conclusion and all speak it heartily and aâ—dibly to testifie both to God and Men that we have all one Lord one Faith one Hope and one Mouth And as we pronounce it let us reflect on all the sentences of the foregoing prayer especially such as vain thoughts hindred us from attending and sum up all our desires in one devout Amen Lord let all and every one of these things be granted to us if you forbear to say Amen out of dislike to the Prayers do but study them and I am confident you will be reconciled to them if you omit Amen out of negligence pray consider how you can expect God should accept that Prayer which you never owned nor consented to we might as well be absent if we joyn not with the Minister And therefore that God may say Amen to all our prayers he grant us grace devoutly to say it to our own Amen The Paraphrase of the Confession O Most glorious and dreadful Lord God who art Almighty in thy power and of absolute Authority able to destroy us and yet ready to spare us and thereby hast shewed thy self a gracious and most merciful Father slow to anger and ready to receive us thy pitty encourageth us to make this humble Confession with shame and sorrow before thee that we thy poor Creatures have erred and daily gone aside out of thy right paths by mistakes frequent sudden and unobserved sins and strayed many times by voluntary deliberate and habitual transgressions whereby we have stayed longer and wandred further from thy ways of pleasantness and paths of peace where we might have been so safe and happy And hereby we are like lost sheep without our good Shepherd exposed to many secret subtile and powerful enemies being helpless and shiftless unable of our selves to resist them or fly from them and unlikely ever to return to thee unless thou come to seek and save us O Lord we now find to our sorrow that we have followed false gâ—ices with obstinacy heedlesness and delight and have been given too much to rely upon the devices and false principles of our corrupted understandings which mistake the greatest evil for the chiefest good and so we have been led headlong after our mistaken choice by the blind affections and desires of our own hearts which being set upon evilâ— have made us restless and impatient till we have done what we wickedly devised and obtained what we greedily desired And thus by forsaking thy conduct and pursuing all that a mistaken judgment could devise or a wicked heart desire we have daily in thought word and deed most grievously offended against thy holy laws which we could not be ignorant of nor are we able to give any Reason why we should disclaim thy Soveraignty or despise the direction of a Rule so excellent so just and good that we cannot except against it Who shall plead for us who have been fully instructed in our duty and yet we have through laziness forgetfulness or worldly-mindedness very often left undone those things which our Duty to God our Love to our Neighbours and the care of our own Bodies and Souls required (q) Here reflect upon what you read §. 6. and 14. calling to mind what you have omitted of your duty to God your selves or others all which our own Consciences tells us we ought to have done in the most sincere and cordial manner yet we have either omitted them or performed them with so much indifference and formality hypocrisie and distractions that they might almost as well have been left undone And by this Omission and slight observance of our duty thou hast been provoked to give us up to the deceits of Sathan so that we have besides these sins of Omission frequently done those things which have tended to thy dishonour our neighbours hurt and to the prejudice of our own bodies and souls (r) Here remember your sâ—ns of Commission as hath been said and call to mind your breaches of the 2d third sixth seventh eighth ninth and tenth Commandements the least of which we ought not to have done to have gained the whole world O thou Physician of Souls our heads are full of evil devices our hearts of base desires our lives are overspread with the loathsom sores of actual transgressions thou alone canst help us and being likely to perish we confess we are full of diseases and there is no health in us nothing but sad symptoms of death and damnation We have indeed wilfully brought
(l) John 19.11 and he obtains leave from God sometimes to try us and so Christ was led (m) Matth. 4.1 by the spirit of God as a Champion to combat Sathan in such case our frailty might make us pray and fear that we might not fall by such a tryal But other times God in his displeasure for one sin suffers us to fall into another not by enticing us but by witholding that grace which should restrain our evil desires and loosing Sathans chain and leaving us encompassed with opportunities and engaging circumstances which we are likely to fall by and this the Scripture phraseth Entring into temptation (n) Matth. 26 44. Ne me inducas in manum peccati nec in manum transgressionis Seder Tephil Lusitan and the Jews in their Forms being led into the hand of temptation or sin And let us remember how often by one sin and desires after more we provoke God to expose us to such circumstances as will infallibly bring us into some grievous transgression but our comfort is that God is our guide and he will direct us and lead us in the right way he foresees the enticing baits and evil objects and wicked company which are in ambush for us and if we rely on his mercy and follow his guidance he will conduct us so as to miss them all or give us strength to overcome them though we have neither wisdome to discover nor strength of our own to avoid the danger wherefore we pray him to lead us who can restrain the powers of darkness and desire we may not provoke him to lead us into evil circumstances and dangerous occasions nor let loose our infernal foes nor leave us to our selves which is the prime intent of this Petition in its first Branch As to the last clause of deliverance from Evil Tertullian and many others take it to be a fuller explication of the former (o) Et respondet clausula interpretans quid sit ne inducas hoc est enim sed dâ—vehe nos à malo de Orat. and by Evil understand the evil of sin as if we were not unwilling to be tempted by afflictions or sollicitations if it be our Fathers pleasure provided he would by his grace prevent us from sinning and falling into iniquity by them temptations and tryals if they occasion not our sin may humble us and quicken our prayers mortifie our lusts and exercise all our graces and therefore we only desire whether God or Sathan by his permission try us we may be innocent Or with the Antients we may take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Evil one that is the Devil who is so called in Scripture (p) 1 John 3.12 Ephes 6.16 Matth. 5.3 Castal à Diabolâ— ibi Tert. à maligno 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost and thus we shall avoid a Repetition which cannot be supposed in this compendious form and the sense will be that God would not deliver us up to sin least our enemy the Devil taking advantage thereby seize our hearts when God hath abandoned them and we become his slaves and forfeit to destruction Or lastly we may by Evil understand the effect of sin viz. the evil of Punishment that we may not be drawn into any wickedness nor into that which certainly follows it sickness losses crosses death temporal and eternal which are the wages of sin and of which the Devil is the Executioner so that the two last senses may very well stand together viz. That God would not put us out of his protection nor deliver us up into Sathans power either as a Tempter first to entice to sin nor as a Tormenter afterward to execute and inflict upon us what those sins deserve in this world or the world to come The sum is that Sin is a dreadful thing and gives Sathan power over us and possession of us and makes us liable to be hurried on to more wickedness by banishing Gods holy Spirit and by taking off his favour it opens a way for all the miseries and mischiefs of this world and the next to fall upon us upon the serious consideration whereof we not only crave the remission of past sins but earnestly beg that we may never more fall into transgression and then we doubt not but to be safe from all Evil. § 9. For thine is the Kingdome and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen Some have imagined this Conclusion was added by the Greek Church to this Prayer not spoken by Christ because all the old Latine Copies want it wholly and all the Greek in St. Luke and some in St. Matthew nor is it expounded by the Latine Fathers others plead it is agreeable to the Jewish forms and generally found in the Original of one Evangelist and in the Syriack and Arabick both antient Translations and is expounded by St. Chrysostome and Theophilact But our Church hath chosen a middle way and hath annexed it here in the first repetition of the Lords Prayer and in some other offices in other places hath omitted it not as if it were not of Divine Authority but therein following St. Luke as here St. Matthew And it is very unlikely those holy Fathers should presume to add their own inventions to this Venerable Form of Christs own Composure It is more probable that our Lord delivering this Prayer twice did add the Doxology at the first time which is recorded in St. Matthew and leave it out the second which is set down in St. Luke and hence the Latine Copies which were very confused and full of error might leave it out in both least the Evangelist should seem to differ in so considerable a matter But however it was it is most for our profit to wave these inquiries and labour truly to understand it It is known the Jews concluded all their Prayers with a Doxology or form of praise and Drusius saith in these very words (q) In Matth. 6.13 Quia tuum est regnum in secula seculorum regnabis gloriosè and our Lord Jesus delighted in imitating their customs though here the reason is weighty for a Prayer is scarce compleat without praises (r) Philip. 4.6 with thanksgiving it being sordid to ask all from God and return nothing to him Prayers may seem more necessary but Praises are as much our Duty and more lovely Petitions fit the Earth but the glorifying God is the imitation of the Celestiall Quire who sing a song much like this conclusion of the Lords Prayer (s) Rev. 5.12 13. Chap. 11.15 nos Angelorum Candidati jam hinc coelestem illam vocem in Deum oâ—â—cium futurae claritatis ediscimus Tertul. de Orat. and we do well to learn it here against we come to use it there We began these Devotions with his glory and now we end with it that this may be the beginning and end of all our actions (t) Rom. 11.36 Horat. Od. l. 3. od 6. Hinc