duty to pray for Reas 1 the dead as well as the living there would have beene some precept or it would have beene commended in some example in Scripture Wherefore wee may conclude in such a case as this from the silence of Scripture that onely the living not the dead are to be prayed for It is vaine and bootlesse to Reas 2 pray for the dead for either they be carried by the Angels into heaven where they need not our prayers Luk. 16. or else they are throwne into hell the Scripture knoweth no third place out of which our prayers cannot fetch them Eccles 9.10 And there is no repentance or forgivenesse in the grave Vse We are therefore to abhorre and avoid that point of Popery which teacheth praying for the dead yet as absurd and vain as it is that old Poperie which was bred in the bone will not out of the flesh of many Protestants For many will never speake of any departed but with this addition God be with him or Lord have mercie on his soule If ye tell them of this fault they say Better say so than worse and if we do them no good by our prayers wee are sure we do them no harme I answer what necessity is there of praying better or worse for them And grant that your prayers do them no harme I am sure they do them no good But in praying for them you do your selves harme in committing a sinne against God by making a prayer which cannot be a prayer of faith Now he is unwise that will do himselfe harme in any thing wherein he neither pleaseth God nor doth good to his neighbour Our implyeth a plaine acknowledgement and confession of sinne without hiding excusing or extenuating of sinnes Whence this is observable In asking pardon of sinne there Doct. 8 must alwayes be an heartie acknowledgement and confession of sinne When David gave over hiding his iniquitie and said I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord then saith he Thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sin Psal 32.5 We have a large example of his confession of sin originall and actuall Psal 51.3 4 5. Daniel saith We have sinned against thee Dan. 9.8 Heartie confession of sinne Reas 1 giveth glory to God for thereby it is acknowledged that God should have been obeyed this giveth him the glory of his authoritie and soveraigntie Also thereby is acknowledged that Gods Law which is broken is equall holy and good else the act of sinne could not be acknowledged to be a fault Reas 2 A free confession sheweth that a man is ashamed of his sinne and that he is humble and sorie for it and he is hereby capable of forgivenesse whereas when a man hath committed a sinne if he will not confesse it it doth then stand God upon to seek out his proofes and bring him to his triall Reas 3 An unfained confession of sinne argueth a true desire of pardon yea it doth put an edge to desire for when the bed role of many damnable sinnes is laid open to the view of a man it will make him earnest with God as it did Daniel who after his confession is most fervent in prayer saying O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do deferre not for thine own sake O my God Dan. 9.19 God hath promised to forgive Reas 4 those that confesse their sinne If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1.9 It is therefore a great fault Vse 1 not to confesse but to go about to hide sinne from God and a mans owne conscience this doth greatly aggravate sinne This sinne is one of the first sins and one of the commonest sinnes that are amongst the sonnes of men When the devill had drawne Adam and Eve into sinne he knew the best way to keepe them from forgivenesse was to teach them to excuse and extenuate their sinne the man layeth the fault on the woman yea upon God himself Gen. 3. the woman layeth it on the serpent neither of them will take it upon themselves Even so it is with all the children of Adam untill God endue them with a great measure of his grace either they will denie or excuse or extenuate or shift it off imputing their sinne either to their naturall disposition therefore they cannot chuse they must bee borne with or they impute their sinnes to the wickednesse of the times or to their companie or to the deuil when all this while the evill heart which is most in fault is not charged at all with any faultinesse whereas in touch whatsoever was the occasion or whosoever was the entise if the heart yeeld to commit sinnes the sinne is a mans own and must be called as it is in the petition Our debt or my dâ— It is the extreamest folly 〈◊〉 can be to go about to hide siâ— for it cannot be hidde from his eyes which seeth all things who will one day when all secrets shall bee made manifest fully discover it It is a fault to commit sinne but it is aggravated when it is not confessed If I covered my transgression as Adam or after the manner of man saith Iob Iob 31.33 and 2. By hiding my sinne in my bosome Then what portion of God is there and what inheritance of the Almightie from on high verse 2. For this is the generall evill which is to be applyed to all the particular sinnes mentioned in that Chapter The hiding of sinne therefore is dangerous according to that saying He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper Prou. 28.13 Would any man have his Vse 2 sinnes forgiven then let him uncover his sins and lay them open before God in confession that so God may hide and cover them in Christ who is the covering and true propitiation of all our sinnes that through him he may put them out of his remembrance as if they were cast into the bottome of the sea In confession it shall be needfull to observe these rules 1 Confession must be heartie not verball for this is meere hypocrisie 2 It must be voluntarie not constrained and forced as wâ— that of Pharoahs when Gods terrible judgement being upon him hee said I have sinned against the Lord c. Exod 1â— 16 3 It must bee mixed with faith and hope of pardon 〈◊〉 was that of Daniel Dan 9.9 saying 〈◊〉 the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against thee It must not be a desperate comâ—sion like that of Judas Mat. 27 4. sayiâ— I have sinned in betraying innâ—cent bloud 4 It must be with holy affections of griefe godly shame for sinne with contrition and brokennesse of heart with a lothing and detestation of the sinnes confessed and with true humiliation of heart Thus did Ezra confesse saying O God Ezra 9. I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our heads Thus did the
except against any thing herein whether we respect Gods negative acts in not willing to hinder sinne but to permit it as also in his not giving grace to some men to rise out of it or whether wee respect his affirmative acts thereabouts as his concurrence to the substance of the act or his determination of the meanes whcreby sin should be committed and of the ends to which sinne should serue after it should bee committed Which I will make to appeare thus as followeth God intending to glorifie himselfe in the manifestation of his manifold excellencies in the attributes of his goodnes wisedome power mercie and justice he decreed and determined with himself to create man and to make him good even after his owne image and withall to give him power to persevere in that goodnesse if hee would Moreover hee decreed to leave him to himselfe even to the liberty of his will and to permit him to fall into sinne decreeing withall to raise some of mankinde out of their fall and sinfull condition through Christ by giving them faith repentance and grace to persevere in the way of holinesse and in the end to give them everlasting life notwithstanding that by sinne they had deserved everlasting death and that for the manifestation of his glory in the way of mercie mixed with remunerative justice likewise hee together decreed to leave the other some of mankinde fallen into sinne and not to vouchsafe them the grace of faith and repentance and withall hee decreed that for their sinne hee would punish them with eternall death and this for the manifestation of his glory in the way of justice vindicative This I conceive to be but one formall decree of meanes not subordinate one to another but ordained together tending to one maine end namely to the end of all ends even to the glory of God though in different wayes to wit in the way of mercy in the way of justice namely Rom. 9.22.23 to the making knowne of the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared to glory and also to the shewing of his wrath and making of his power knowne on the vessels of wrath fitted or made up to destruction For God made therefore it must needs be that he decreed to make all things for himselfe Pro. 16.4 not onely the godly who are the vessels of his mercy for the day of salvation but also the wicked who are the vessels of his wrath for the day of evill even for the day of destruction God decreed that sin should be by his permission through Adams fall God did not leave it to be as a fortuitous or casuall thing which perhaps might come to passe perhaps might not come to passe but fore-saw it as a thing certaine that sinne would bee through Adams transgression of his Law in as much as he determined to permit him so to do Vpon this permission it did infallibly follow that Adam would sinne For this permission being granted the thing permitted must needs follow because Gods will can neither be changed nor resisted And without Gods will nothing can be The event also and mans woful experience doth too wel prove that sin is in the world God likewise decreed to leave some men in state of sin not giving them of his saving grace and also determined for sinne to condemne them as appeareth clearely by the Scriptures For Saint Peter saith that some stumbled at Christ the corner-stone and at the Word 1. Pet. 2.8 being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed 2. Pet. 2.9 And hee saith also that God knoweth how to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished The Apostle Paul saith We are not ordained to wrath 1. Thes 5.9 implying that God hath ordained some namely the wicked unto wrath Saint Jude saith of certaine men that were ordained to this condemnation Iude 4 13. to wit to bee left to their owne hearts lusts turning the grace of God into wantonnesse and also for that their wickednesse to have the blacknesse of darknesse reserved for them Thus we see what it is which God hath decreed touching sinne Now lest God should have any the least imputation of unjustice or cruelty cast upon him or of being the author of sinne which were blasphemous to conceive I will therefore in the second place shew how and in what manner hee hath decreed sinne to be and to be punished whereby it shall appeare that God is holy and blamelesse even in this as well as in all other his wayes and will bee every way justified when he is judged It is most true that God decreed that sixe should bee but how He did not decree that sinne should be as he decreed that all good things should be namely by his operation hee producing them but he decreed that sinne should be onely by his permission It must also be considered how sinne came to have a being by Gods permission Permission either is a midle thing betweene command and prohibition and in that sense it imports a kinde of allowance in this sense God never did nor will permit sinne for he hath most straightly forbid iâ— or else permission is taken for a middle thing betweene furthering the being of a thing and impedition or hindering of the being of the said thing in this sense it is taken in Gods decree of sinne he willed it to be but so as he did not further the being of it as it is sinne nor yet did he hinder the being of it onely hee did permit it Great difference must be put berweene Gods decreeing the things that be good and the things that be morally evill For the decree that good things shall be is accompanied alwaies with an effectuall operation of God which causeth them to be but the decree that evill shall be by Gods permission is not accompanied with any effectuall furtherance or operation of God in the way of a cause to effect it God is truly the cause of every thing that is good but he is not at all truly the efficient cause of the evill of sinne yet there was good cause why God might decree to permit man for to sinne For he knew it could be no wrong done to the reasonable creature if he should leave him to his owne nature to do according to the nature and freedome of his will especially he having made it onely disposed to good and able to hold it selfe onely to that which was good if he would Besides he knew that to leave the creature made in such perfection to its owne nature was in it selfe not against but according to the common good of the creature Wherfore sith God knew how sinne might be without his causing of it to be and knew also that for the manifestation of his further glory it did belong to his omnipotent wisedome and goodnesse rather to draw good out of evill then not to permit it why might not he
so well conceited of his Poperie as he looketh to winne heaven by it Ioh 16.2 The persecutour thinketh he doth God good service in molesting such as feare him The swearer thinketh his speech doth not sound well and is without all grace if it be not filled up with oathes The covetous the voluptuous the vaine-glorious all of them applaude themselves in their wayes as if they were good though as Solomon saith the issue there of is the way of death Pro. 14.12 It standeth sin upon that the devill and wicked men should transforme themselves and transforme sin and put some goodly painting upon it to make it seeme good else no reasonable man could be brought to commit it for the will of man doth by vertue of its meere nature so perfectly abhorre evill it being the proper object of detestation that it would alwayes shunne it therefore there is put an appearance of good upon it wherby it may deceive But woe be unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse Isa 5 2â— Vse 2 Doth Christ call sinne evill then let us beleeve him and not our owne lying hearts nor yet the father of lyes who would beare us in hand that sinne is not evil But let us alwayes conceive of every sinfull act as 〈◊〉 evil naughtie hurtfull act and let it be our greatest care to avoid sinne Oh if we could represent the acts of sinne under the name of an evill act unto our apprehensions our will would at the first motion loathe and detest it more then it doth a toad and a serpent and would either kill it or runne from it Whensoever therefore wee are tempted unto sinne let us see it as it is a most evill thing let us account of it as it is a most evill thing And whatsoever colours be set upon it or whatsoever good meanes it is called by if the thing so called be a transgression of Gods law let us call it a most evill and most abhominable thing Yea we must conceive of every sinfull action and must account it a greater evill then the eternall torments of hell For the least evill of sinne is greater then the greatest evill of punishment for the greatest punishment is an effect of Gods righteous hand but the least sin is contrary to God it is very enmitie unto his holinesse If sinne might appeare to everie reasonable soule to be as it is such an evill as hath beene said it would worke griefe and repentance of sinnes past and hatred and departing from sinne for ever afterward Vse 3 Lastly how thankfull should all Gods children be to him because he doth preserve and deliver us out of sinne out of the great evill every day and wee have his word that he will continue this grace untill we shall be presented to himselfe without any spot of this evill in the day of the Lord He doth not only pardon us and free us from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes but which is no lesse mercy he doth deliver us from the power of sin he delivereth us from evil We must therefore magnifie the Lord and say Who is a God like thee Mica 7.19 who doest not onely pardon but wilt subdue our iniquitie And with David let us call upon our soules to praise God because as he forgiveth all our iniquities so also he healeth all our diseases that is Psal 103.3 he doth sanctifie us delivering us from all evill For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glorie for ever These words containe the reason of all the petitions it is delivered in an exact forme of thanksgiving so that it doth excellently serve both to confirme the faith of him that prayeth and to give glory unto him that is prayed unto The Evangelist Saint Luke doth not mention this clause It is probable that when our Saviour did teach his disciples in private at the request of one of his disciples he did onely teach them how to make petitions but when hee taught them in publicke he did adde this clause to teach them as well how to praise him and give him thanks as to pray unto him and make requests It is sufficient for our learning that any one Evangelist hath recorded it In this clause wee have the note that sheweth that these words are a reason of the former requests in the word for Then wee have the arguments or grounds of the reason which are taken from certaine respeâ—â— in God which do minister matter of faith assuring them that they had cause to aske and expect of God all the former petitions and do also minister matter of praise shewing what cause there is why all glorie should be given unto him These respects of God are three Soveraigntie Power Glory which are set forth by the appropriating particle thine whereby these three Kingdome Power and Glory are ascribed as proper to God Thine is kingdome c. and also with the copulative and conjoyning the two latter respects or priviledges in God with the former and the power and the glory All which three are illustrated by their continuance for ever Kingdome signifieth Gods absolute soveraigntie over all things to whom onely it appertaineth of right to forgive and to give at his pleasure therefore they make their suite unto him Power signifieth that all-sufficiencie in God whereby he is able to do all things according to the good pleasure of his will Many have kingdome so that it pertaineth to them to help their subjects but want power as it was with the King of Israel who said in the famine 2 Kin. 2.27 If the Lord do not helpe whence shall I helpe But as it belongeth unto God to heare the petitions of his subjects so he hath power to grant whatsoever they shall have need of hence the petitioner gathereth assurance that he shall have his petitions granted Glory is that high estimation honour and praise which is due to any person for their worth and goodnesse this is originally in God as well as soveraigntie and power and in that respect is appropriated to him Wherefore when it is said Thine is the glory thus much is implied that as all glorie and praise is due to him so they do now give it to him And if he shall grant their requests it will be for his glory therefore they are bold to make these petitions and hope to speed in their suites whereas though it appertaineth unto God and he were able yet if the things asked were not for his honour and glory he would never grant them For ever is to be applied unto kingdome power and glorie namely it doth now and shall alwayes belong to his prerogative royall because kingdome is his to heare the petitions of his people He is now and shall for ever be able to helpe them he now hath and shall for evermore have glorie and praise ascribed unto him for granting their requests
can heare the one as well as the other How farre forth then is a man to use a voyce in prayer Quest Voyce is not of the essence of prayer Answ The case of using a voyce or no voyce in prayer therefore it is not alwayes needfull to be used as in short ejaculations and when a man is speechlesse or when he cannot bee so private that he may conveniently do it or when a man findeth that hee can keepe his minde alike earnestly attentive and rightly affected in prayer without voyce But a voyce is needfull both in publicke and private when a man is the mouth of others that joyne with him in prayer And when a man prayeth alone it is also fit and usefull For God hath made the tongue an apt instrument to expresse the meaning of the heart and with it also we ought to serve and glorifie God And voyce is a good helpe in prayer For a mans owne voyce is heard of himselfe and is reciprocall upon a mans selfe and serveth both to keepe the heart and thoughts from scattering keeping the heart more close to the present businesse and causing him the sooner to take himselfe in the manner and to checke himselfe when his thoughts do stragle As also the voyce serveth to stirre up to continue and to inflame the spirit and affections of him that prayeth But use speech in private prayer with these cautions Cautions touching using of voice in private prayer First you must not thinke that God heareth prayers the sooner or the rather because of speech Secondly that you do it not to be heard of men that it might bee knowne that you pray in private as well as in publicke Thirdly you are not to speak aloud in private prayer to the offence of those who are so neare that they cannot but heare you yet cannot joyne with you in your prayer This Doctrine yeeldeth also Vse 5 unto beleevers plenty of al heavenly comforts Our Father is in heaven therefore hee can heare in every place we need not tyre our selves in going on pilgrimage to any place to seek him for if we can but enter into our hearts lift them up to heaven we shall finde him He also knoweth all things which we need Mat. 6.32 1. Sam. 14. It is not hard for him to helpe with little or no earthly power He is wisedome and knoweth perfectly what is best and when it is best to helpe his children Many parents would do their children good but either want wisedome know not how or want power and are not able But God is both able and knoweth how and he will do his children good for his love to them is more than naturall it is an heavenly therefore an infinite and everlasting love He hath promised never to leave us now his truth is an heavenly perfect truth it cannot be falsified It is not hardnesse of our hearts nor multitude or greatnesse of our sinnes can hinder our happinesse if we will not wilfully reject his grace through our unbeleefe if we will repaire to him and repose our trust in him For as the Apostle saith Rom. 11.23 He is able to graft in againe the hard hearted Iews he can pardon ten thousand talents as wel as one peny and can as easily say Mat. 9.2.5 All sinnes are forgiven as to say Rise and walke Mic. 7.18.19 We can say Our Father is an heavenly Father and who is a God like our God that pardoneth iniquity transgression and sinne that subdueth all our iniquities and will cast all our sinnes into the depth of the sea It is not with God as with man man cannot helpe all his children at once God can be they never so many and never so farre distant Earthly parents may be drawn drie when they have given portions and inheritances to many they have none for the rest as Isaac when he had blessed Iacob Gen. 27.36.38 he had no such blessing for Esau so that hee cryed Hast thou but one blessing O my father God hath mansions and a kingdome for every one of his Ioh. 14.2 his custome is not that one sonne or that sonnes onely should inherit his kingdome but both sonnes and daughters do all of them inherit for our Father is an heavenly Father Also this consideration of the heavenly majestie and power of God added to the consideration of his fatherhood doth give us assurance of hope that we shall have all the petitions which we aske according to his will For as he is almightie hee can do whatsoever he is willing to do as he is a Father Lastly is our Father an heavenly Father then wee can assure our selves that hereafter we shall in our measure partake of his heaven and of his holines and of his glory For after death when we awake we shall bee received into heaven where we shall ever be with the Lord and be filled with his likenesse Psal 17.15 and hee who now by his heavenly wisedome doth guide us with his counsell shall receive us into glorie where we shall see him as he is and ever remaine in his presence where are pleasures for evermore For as we have borne the image of the earthy 1. Cor. 15.49 wee shall also beare the image of the heavenly Of this we need not doubt for our Father is heavenly therefore the children must needs be heavenly Thus much of the Invocation and calling upon him to whom onely prayer may bee made The petitions follow The petitions do contain the matter of all lawfull requests They may be divided differently according unto such different respects as may be conceived of them First if wee respect the number there are sixe distinct petitions and no more I confesse Divines of good antiquity have reckoned seven making two of the last others of no lesse authority have not regarded the number at all Some of the ancient and most of the orthodox later Writers have reckoned but six and as I thinke upon good ground All agree in the five first all the question is about the sixth whether it bee one or two Now because the subject of both sentences in that petition is all one scil sanctification and the conjunction but knitteth Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evill together into one sentence it is more than probable that is but one petition But whether there be six or seven it is no matter of our faith and doth not deserve any heat of disputation to decide the controversie Secondly if we respect the different persons whom the matter of the petitions concern they are thus divided the three first concerne God only for we say Thy Name thy kingdome thy will c. The three last concern man for wee say Our bread our sinnes lead us not deliver us Thirdly if wee respect that which ought to bee the chiefe end of every mans desire and the meanes to compasse the said end they have this order and are
to be prayed against but not their persons except in the case following Thus David I pray thee 2 Sam. 15.31 turne the counsell of Achitophell into foolishnesse Act. 4.29 And the Apostles say Now Lord behold their threatnings Wee may therefore pray that God would restraine the malice and abate the power and defeate the plots of the adversaries but must not pray against their persons but love them for it may bee they doe belong to God as Paul did who was once a persecutor 3 The very persons of those which sinne unto death incurably may be prayed against I say not saith Iohn 1 Ioh. 5.19 that he shall pray for it And Paul wisheth that they were cut off that did trouble that Church Gal 5.12 David prayeth against the malicious enemies of Christ Psal 69.38 saying Let them be blotted out of the booke of the living and not be written with the righteous But this kind of sinners cannot be discerned by ordinary spirits this kinde of imprecation therefore must be left unto such spirits as was David's and the Apostles and must bee forborne of ordinary Christians except it be when the Church hath righly for evident and just cause cut men off by the curse of Anathema Maranatha not from the body of the Church onely but from the head Christ also as those deserve to be which are open malicious and inveterate Apostates 4 The persons of our enemies and persecutors though they doe what they can to hinder the Gospell are not to be prayed against For our Saviour prayed Father forgive them Luk. 23.34 they know not what they doe Steven said Act. 7.60 Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Yea wee are commanded to pray for them which despitefully use us Mat 5.44 and persecute us 5 Prayer may be made that God would sometimes inflict temporall judgments upon obstinate sinners but without limiting the Lord unto particulars so it be conditionally if their case require it and that it be in love to their soules and persons that they may be therby made to seeke God Thus David prayed Psal 83.16 Fill their faces with shame that they may seeke thy Name O Lord. 6 Lastly God must bee interessed in the cause else no man must be prayed against Gods dishonour not onely a mans private wrong must cause it It must proceed from holy zeale for God and not from passion and private spleene and desire of revenge These rules observed it may be knowne when and how a Christian may imprecate evill against his and Gods enemies and how and when he may not The last thing in the kingdome of grace for which praier must be made concernes the liberties and franchizes therof which are the very good commoditie Rom. 14.16 or livelihood of the subject which so farre as respects this life are freedome from the curse of the Law and dominion of sinne Rom. 6.11 a freedome in righteousnesse thence peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost of which the Apostle saith the kingdome of God doth consist scil In righteousnesse peace joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 The last thing of all which is considerable in this petition is the kingdome of glory Concerning which request must bee made that God would hasten it that Christ would overcome the last enemie 1 Cor. â—5 26 death and so put all enemies under his feet that he would come to judgement in his appointed time to magnifie himself in his just vengeance upon the wicked 2 Thes 1.8 1 Cor. 6.2 the Saints sitting upon them with him in judgement and that he would bestow perfect glory upon all the elect 2 Thes 1.10 whereby hee himselfe may be perfectly glorified in them at that day when also the forme of governing this kingdome by him as Mediator being determined he shall have delivered the kingdome up to the Father 1 Cor. 15.24.28 that God may be all in all to the glory of Father Sonne and holy Ghost for evermore Amen Amen Some of the particulars mentioned in this petition I doe confesse will come to be condered again in the fourth fifth and sixth petitions as the continuance of the course of nature magistracy peace of conscience and eternall glory likewise power against sinne and increase of grace yet the petitioner shall not therein tautologize or make vaine repetitions For here they are mentioned onely as meanes to set forth the glory of God in the comming of his kingdome that his Name may be hallowed but there they have respect to the good of man The Doctrine being thus inlarged the Vses will more easily follow First all such as desire not Vse 1 the comming of Gods kingdome according to the particulars before rehearsed are to be reproved As all that are enemies to civilitie and unto Schooles of learning who because of some abuse of them which will alwaies be of the best things thinke them needlesse All such as deny magistracie be they Familists or Anabaptists or any other for it is their great sinne All such magistrates themselves which turne the point of their authoritie against the Church or at best like Gallio Act. 38.17 care not which way it goe with it well or ill All idle or unfaithfull Ministers which in stead of directing Christs spouse unto him doe smite and wound her Can. 5.7 and shame her by taking her veile from her who in stead of feeding doe starve or poyson Christs flocke All Governours of the Church which make sad the heart of the righteous Ezek. 13.22 and make glad the hearts of the wicked which censure thrust out the goodâ— and receive into the Church and hold in the bad In a word all that doe not beare good will to Sion which is indeed to be an enemy for in this case Hee that is not with us Mat. 1â— 30 is against us saith Christ and hee that doth not gather scattereth Lastly if any be open persecutors of the truth or seducers and inticers from it all these may see in this Doctrine as in a large glasse their errors and foule blemishes But he which will say Goe ye cursed Mat. 25.41 42. to all that do not prove themselves to be his friends will have to reckon with all the enemies of his kingdome How many be there that hypocritically will say Thy kingdome come and yet use all meanes to hinder it and keepe it downe And if it came in any place it is the very burden and vexation of their soules Is not this most grosly to mock God But woe be to such Pharises hypocrites which will say to God our Father Thy kingdome come and yet will as much as they can hinder the passage or power of the Gospell of his kingdome Mat. 23 13 which will not enter themselves nor by their good will suffer those that would to enter in Be wise in time It is not safe to cast off or refuse the yoke
pardoned But when a man by a lively faith doth lay hold on Christ for pardon the same faith doth draw vertue from Christ whereby 〈◊〉 doth kill sinne and is quicknâ—â— in the inward man And nothing maketh man so fearefull to offend and carefull to please God for time present and to come as a firme perswasion of Gods love to him in pardoning his sinnes past Now this pardon must be sought for in Christ and must be applied by faith because Christ Iesus is the Mediator who hath satisfied for sinne and hath made a way for Gods mercy and faith is the onely instrument on mans part to apply this remission and redemption The particulars comprehended in this point may easily be gathered by that which hath beene said in the interpretation of forgive namely that in asking forgivenesse wee aske freedome from the guilt and punishment of all sinne wee aske eternall life together with reference to the meanes namely Christ therefore wee 〈◊〉 faith to apply Christ and a daily certificate by the spirit that our sinnes are pardoned Also wee aske assurance and the fruits of assurance of forgivenesse in this life viz. peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost The particulars being remembred the uses follow If forgivenesse of sinnes bee Vse 1 so desireable they are then to be held extreamely foolish and beyond measure sinfull that of all things care and look least after forgivenesse and the making of their salvation sure unto them If they have offended and are in danger of punishment by the lawes of man then if by petition or bribe satisfaction or by any other meanes they can procure either commutations releasements or pardons they will spare no paines this way Or if they can make sure to themselves and to theirs large temporall estates it is all that they doe labour to make sure in this life but they are altogether negligent in seeking remission of sinnes by Christ Iesus they have no thoughts of making their calling and election sure Nay because they would be thought to have reason for what they doe in not seeking for assurance of salvation they would make themselves and others beleeve that it is impossible to be attained and that to be sure of salvation is high presumption If they can provide for their bodies they will trust God with their soules they hope that he that made them will save them they confesse they bee sinners and who are not Thus sleightly they passe over their Iustification a matter of the greatest consequence of any thing that can concerne them But what doth this argue but that they are ignorant senslesse of their miseries for if they knew they were cast and condemned they would as in case of life and death begge pardon as a prisoner at the barre would beg for his life If these men did not love their sinne and flatter themselves presuming of God that he will be mercifull notwithstanding their abhominable sinnes they would never neglect that invaluable benefit of remission of sinnes But let them not catch hold and rest on these presumptuous hopes they will deceive them for they be but the hypocrites hopes like spiders webs the Beesome of death putteth an end to them all Then God will shew that he can be mercifull to the vessels of mercy and yet be just in the damnation of all that neglect so great salvation offered by such gracious meanes as by 〈◊〉 pardon if they would heartily aske it This should move all men to Vse 2 pray and used all means to obtaine remission of sinnes and assurance thereof to their conscience He that is in danger of an execution upon his body to imprisonment or to death or that hath not evidence for his lands and possessions cannot rest nor have any quiet untill he have a pardon and have gotten better evidence Motives inducing to the asking forgivenesse Were we but spirituall to apprehend the miseries that abide men untill sinne be pardoned namely that we are exposed to Gods eternall wrath and if we did prize heaven at so high a rate as it deserveth it being an inheritance incorruptible reserved in the heavens and if we did but well consider that if the pardon of the sins even of Gods people be not made knowne and sure to their hearts though their sins shall not damne them indeed and for euer Psal 32. Psal 51 yet they damne them in their owne sense and feeling for a time through horror of conscience as it was with David And if we did but consider that the peace of God passeth all understanding and that there is nothing would make us so comfortable to our selves nor so fruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ as assurance of salvation and if we held him to be onely the blessed man whose transgression is forgiven Psal 32.1 and whose sinne is covered wee would use all meanes to have faith in Christ we would importune God and give him no rest untill hee had pardoned our sinnes and sealed the pardon to our conscience by his Spirit which is the seale of our redemption Forgive The person of whom Forgivenesse is asked is our Father which is in heaven wherefore it followeth It is God that forgiveth sins Doct. 2 Yea because our Saviour directeth us to aske forgivenesse of none but of God wee may conclude that it belongeth to God onely to forgive sinnes I Isa 43.25 even I am hee saith God which blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sinnes Daniel saith To the Lord our God belongeth mercies and forgivenesses Dan. 9.9 With the Lord is mercy and plenteous redemption Psal 130.7 And it was a true position among the Iewes that none could forgive sinnes but God onely Mark 27. Reas 1 To forgive iniquitie transgression Exod. 34 7. and sinne is a branch of his name therefore peculiar to God Reas 2 Every sinne is committed against God yea those sinnes which are committed against our neighbour David when hee had committed adultery and murther Psal 51.4 said Against thee onely have I sinned Reas 3 Sinne is of an infinite nature being committed against a perfect and most holy law and against an infinite God so that there must be infinite merit in the Mediator and infinite mercy in him which through the Mediator shall pardon sinne which infinitenesse is onely to be found in God Men are to forgive their brethren Ob. therefore not GOD onely Distinction must be made Sol. that in one and the same act there may be a trespasse against man because it wrongeth him also there is offence against God because it is sinne namely a transgression of his Law Men may and must forgive the wrong and trespasse against themselves but must not nay cannot forgive the sin against God Ministers are allowed by God himselfe to remit sinnes Ob. Ioh. 20.23 Sol. Ministers remit sinnes ministerially in Christs name pronouncing onely Gods forgiving of sinne as Nathan said to
or as a bird touched with lime-twigges it taketh away the life and comfort of spirituall exercises as of hearing praying and receiving the Sacrament he cannot set about them with any nimblenesse of spirit while he lyeth in any sinne Sinne unrepented of taketh Reas 3 root and infecteth further and further it will increase it selfe and beget other sinnes Reas 4 While a man lyeth in sinne he may look every houre when God shall inflict some fearefull judgement or other and then the remembrance of a sinne unrepented of proveth more heavie and more stinging then the judgement it selfe Whereas though a man have sinned yet if God have given him repentance and have recovered him out of his sinne he may come before God with boldnesse and can performe exercises of Religion with chearfulnesse and shall either prevent crosses or remove them or they shall do much good to his soule while they lye upon him Vse 1 This is to reproove all such who as they care not how they fall into sinne so they care as little how they be delivered out of it yea though God call them to repentance and give them space to repent yea though sometimes God awake them by his judgements and by checks of conscience and doth offer them his Spirit to turne them unto him yet neither his patience nor bountie doth leade them to repentance They will say Lord deliver us from evill but refuse to be delivered This their hypocrisie aggravateth their impenitencie and their impenitencie aggravateth all such sinnes as are not repented of for it is a fault to commit any sinne but when it is not repented of this sinne is continued yea doubled and multiplied for everie day they should turne from their sinne as ordinarily as they seeke their daily bread No sinne so dangerous as impenitencie for therefore the sinne against the holy Ghost is unpardonable not in it owne nature but because they that commit it cannot be renewed unto repentance Heb. 6.6 Impenitencie therefore though it be not the sinne against the holy Ghost yet it must needs be a fearefull sinne For he that liveth and dyeth in impenitencie is as sure to bee damned as he that sinneth against the holy Ghost Let all that refuse to forsake their sinnes looke for Gods visitation Ier. 5.3.7.9 as he saith in Jeremy They have refused to returne c. How shall I pardon shall I not visite for these things and shall not my soule be avenged on such c. Vse 2 It doth therefore concerne every man having fallen into evill for who is it that sinneth not to use all means to repent and recover himselfe of his fall and then do his best to hold on a steadie course of new obedience Have not men in prison cause to seeke for deliverance and if any man be fallen into a lapse after a sicknesse hath he not cause to seeke for recoverie of his former health such is the estate of every sinner untill he have repented But let this repentance bee true and sound proceeding from griefe for sin and hatred of sinne not turning from one sinne to another or a bare leaving of sinne but it must be a conscionable turning from evill to good It must be in the bent and intention of the soule and in our whole endevour a turning from all sinne as well as from any one even from as many as wee can come to the knowledge of as well from secret as open as well from beloved sinnes and such as are in credit in the world as from any other Ezek. 8.31 We must cast away all our transgressions saith the Lord. It must be speedie while it is to day lest our hearts be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne It must be constant Heb. 3.15.16 as daily as we aske daily bread If we would but enter into our hearts and consider what wee have done when wee have sinned how wee have transgressed an holy commandement thereby have grieved the holy Spirit disgraced our holy profession and have offended a mercifull Father and a severe Iudge who yet if we will turne will have mercy but if we refuse to turne he will punish and wil not pardon the thoughts of these things would worke griefe and hatred of sinne and hope of pardon from whence would follow repentance never to be repented of if withall we pray heartily saying Deliver us from evill for with all the meanes we do use prayer must be one for as we cannot repent without Gods helpe so he will not helpe and give us repentance except we aske it From evill By evill is meant sinne Our Saviour would have his Disciples pray against sinne under the name of evil Whence we may learne Sinne is evill and God would Doct. 8 have all men when they thinke of sinne represent it to their minde in the name and notion of an evil yea of the most evill thing It is called evill Rom. 12.9 where it is said Abhorre evill Ioh. 5.19 The whole world lyeth in evill Thus David in confessing his sinne unto God doth affect his heart with shame and remorse saying Against thee have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight Psal 51.4 Sinne is absolutely contrary Reas 1 unto God who is goodnesse it selfe yea enmity to him Rom. 8 7. therefore it is the evill of evils Sin doth separate a man froÌ„ the Reas 2 greatest good Isa 59.2 It doth separate a man from God No other evill bee it imprisonment poverty disgrace in the world sicknesse death doth separate a man from God he may enjoy God and may have a blessed communion with him notwithstanding the worst of these evils which he cannot do while he lyeth in his sinne Wherefore sinne must needs be the greatest evill Reas 3 Sinne is the cause of all the evill of punishment that any creature is subject unto for sin brought man under the curse and will hold him under it except the mercy of God through the merit of Christ do deliver him Reas 4 Sinne doth give denomination unto all things that are truly evill causing them to be called evill Gal. 1.4 the world is therefore called evill because it is a sinfull woâ—ld Men are called evill men 2. Tim. 3.13 because they be sinfull men And because the devill exceedeth all other in sinne he is called the evill one Matth. 13.19 Vse 1 Is sinne evill how then hath it bewitched and deceived most of the sonnes of men for they account nothing evill but what bringeth losse to their estate and shame to their name and paine to their body or some other misery to their outward man as touching sinne many are so farre from judging it to be evill that because they conceive it serveth for their pleasure gaine or credit of all courses they thinke none so good as those that are sinfull What man so vile but thinketh his course good and thinketh all are fooles that are not of his minde The Papist is
hence we may conclude that wee may stand when we pray but yet cannot conclude that we must stand alwaies when we pray And the like must be understood of all other indifferent actions of his except some true cause come betweene which to us may take away the indifferencie as commandment of the Magistrate or offence of the godly or stumbling blocke to the wicked or the like The necessary actions which he did that came under some commandement were either ceremoniall which concerned him as he was a Iew borne of the Virgin Mary or morall which concerned him as hee was a man made under and subject to the morall Law Gal. 4.4 though not by nature for so he is above all law but by voluntary subjection as in our stead to which also he was designed The ceremoniall actions which he did are not to be followed because he did put an end unto them all Col. 2.14 when he nayled them on the crosse The Morall actions viz. such as obedience to his Parents and love to his neighbour patience in bearing and forgiving injuries c. are all left us for examples 1 Pet. 2 21 that wee should follow his steps Of this sort is his care to instruct his people and familie under his charge All his actions in this kinde are exemplary rules and doe adde a double force to a commandement both shewing what ought to bee done and what is possible to bee done wherefore from his example of teaching his Disciples who were as his familie upon all occasions both publikely and privately as hee had opportunity I conclude Doct. 1 All that have a familie and charge of people belonging unto them must teach them necessarie points of godlinesse such as prayer faith repentance new obedience c. There is a like reason of all as of one The Lord saith of his commandements They shall be in thine heart Deut. 6.6.7 and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children c. The Apostle doth charge fathers to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Eph. 6 4. And masters have the same charge given them over their servants for matters of religion which Parents have over their children for governours are charged to have care of the man-servants and maid-servants as well as of sonnes and daughters Exod. 20.10 The examples of Abraham Iosuah Gen 18.19 Iosh 24.16 Pro. 3â— 1 and Bathsheba are recorded in Scripture for their commendation and for the good example of all that be called to the like condition 1 For this is a meanes to convert to confirme Reason 1 Thes 5. 11.14 and to edifie their people in their most holy faith and to propagate and inlarge the Church of God which will bring much glory to his name for it is the honour of a King to have many and those both strong and loyall subjects 2 Their people have need to be taught the grounds of religion and to have them often whetted upon them It will do them more good then meate drinke apparell physicke and all other necessaries of nature by as much as the soule is better then the body and eternall life better then that which is but for a moment in compassion therefore and love unto them they are bound to teach them 3 Sinne is so abhominable and mischievous and is a common enemy that as wee doe with serpents and ravenous beasts every one must smite at it to kill it wheresoever he doth meete it especially when it is poysoning and worrying the lambs of his owne familie 4 Grace and godlinesse is so sweet and amiable and so profitable whersoever it groweth that it were an happinesse if it grew every where more especially if it grew so neare as in the familie 5 True respect to a mans selfe doth binde him to the dutie of instructing and teaching his charge For he is accountable to God and must himselfe answer for the sinnes of his familie as one accessarie if he by instruction and admonition have not reclaimed or restrained them Besides the sinnes of wife children yea of servants also are infectious a master may catch the plague even of his servant Also while the familie remaineth wicked it is a daily vexation to a righteous soul to behold their ignorance and to see their ungodly deeds As were the soules of Isaac and Rebecca with their uninstructed daughters in law Gen. 26.35 the wives of their prophane sonne Esau Gen. 37.46 And as was the soule of David for the deeds of his too much cockered sonnes Ammon Absolon and Adonijah And when guiltines of not teaching them when hee might have done them good shall come daily to remembrance this bringeth bitter griefe indeed Wherefore to avoid these evils every man in verie providence for himselfe should instruct his people Which if he do it will be a good assurance to himselfe of his owne conversion he shall have benefit by their goodnes it will rejoyce his heart to see his children walke in the faith hee shall taste the fruit of his owne grafting in his owne orchard they will pray for him and give good example good advice whereof the strongest Christians have sometimes need his whole house shall be a blessing If his paines take no good effect yet hee shall have peace of conscience and his worke is with the Lord. Lastly parents and governours have advantage above other men by reason of their domesticke authoritie which will cause the inferiours either for feare or love to regard instructions Also their daily presence giveth them often opportunities to instill knowledge by drops according as their narrow capacities will receive they may often whet the same things upon their dull understandings which no other person no not a Minister hath opportunitie to do In all these respects hee that is willing to imitate Christ may see that if hee have people under his charge he must teach them the needful points of religion such as prayer and the rest I have beene large in the proofe of this doctrine because many will not be convinced and few are so convinced as to be perswaded to put it in practise The use followeth Vse 1 This is to convince all which make question whether they stand charged to teach or catechise their children servants They think that if they provide for them maintenance if they teach them good manners and civill behaviour and if they traine them up in some honest trade of life whereby they may live like men another day they have done all that can be required of them But in all this what singular thing do ye Do not the very Pagans and Infidels as much Thou wilt feed and cloathe thy beast If thou wilt teach them manners that they may not shame thee when they converse with men then teach them the manner of praying and good behaviour towards God that when they meet with him and speake to him daily they may not shame thee much
of adoption and be a beleever that he know God in Christ being converted having repented Rom. 10.14 and is in that state of grace that he can call God Father Secondly Prou. 19 2 Ioh. 4.22 he must be indued with competent knowledge of those things which are required in an acceptable prayer A Catalogue whereof here followeth The discussing of all which or of most of them you shall finde scattered in this Tract as the Text of the Lords Prayer doth minister occasion 1 Prayer is to bee made to God onely Requisites in prayer 2 In prayer God is to be represented to the minde as an incomprehensible Spirit Majesty and Deity therefore without the use of any Image conceiving also to be omnipotent and gracious able and willing to reward them that come unto him 3 Prayer is to bee made to God in the name of Christ Iesus our onely Mediatour and Advocate 4. The matter of all Petitions must be lawfull according to Gods will warranted by precept president or promise 5 A man must pray with understanding he himself knowing what he doth aske 6 Prayer must bee made with a sincere and holy intention of the heart intending it as an holy worship of God as well as a meanes to procure good to a mans selfe from God 7 Prayer must be made with a sense of what we want and with a sensible desire of that which we pray for 8 In prayer there must be a diligent and in endeavour a constant attention first to God keeping the heart lift up towards him as also to the things uttered in prayer that the minde be upon them Likewise that hee attend and take heed to himselfe with what disposition and affection he doe pray He should looke to himselfe that his spirits be composed and his thoughts gathered in and as much as may bee kept in from wandring and distraction This is to be watchfull in prayer 9 There must bee an holy earnestnesse and fervency and importunatenesse in prayer more or lesse according as the matter of prayer doth more or lesse concerne Gods glory and mans good 10 Prayer must bee made with holy devotion and religious adoration expressed in humble and reverent gestures and carrying of the body beseeming the greatnesse and holinesse of God to whom wee pray 11 In prayer a man must propound a right end to himselfe namely that hee may of Gods free grace obtaine the thing desired that therewith he might honour God and doe him more service but not for vaine glory to be seene of men not for charmes not that hee may have wherewithall to spend upon his lusts nor yet to merit thereby as Hypocrites Wizards prophane persons and some Papists doe 12 Prayer must be void of superstition whether in respect of place or number as in needlesse and vaine repetitions upon Beades as Papists doe or any other waies 13 He that prayeth aright must pray in faith he must beleeve that God doth heare him and that for Christs sake he wil grant him all the petitions which he hath thus endeavoured to make according to his will waiting confidently untill God do fulfill them Lastly unto petitions must be joyned praise and thanksgiving This generall preparation must be alwaies readie through an habitual knowledge of those things which are required in an acceptable prayer A particular and immediate preparation is this When a man intendeth to pray he must sequester himselfe from all other businesse and thoughts that he may apply himselfe to meditation Wherein he entreth into consideration of what he is going about what is required in prayer how things stand betweene God and him what his sinnes are that are then to bee repented confessed and prayed against and how they are and may be aggravated also what speciall graces and good things he is now to pray for what evils to pray against likewise he is to consider what favours God hath shewed him what good things he hath bestowed upon him for which he is to praise God give him thanks also hee must consider the grounds and warrant which he hath to approach to the throne of grace in prayer These things prosecuted and well digested a man shall be much the fitter to pray To what prayers particular preparation belongeth Prayers are either continued or onely ejaculatory uttered in a secret and sudden lifting up of the desire to God Immediate and speciall preparation belongeth onely to continued prayer A mans occasions allow him sometimes more time sometimes lesse and he is better disposed to meditation at one time then at another he may accordingly be longer or shorter in preparation But in every continued and set prayer there must be at least this preparation A man must take himselfe off from all other businesse and thoughts and in that instant consider and set before the eye of his faith the majestie holinesse all-sufficiencie and goodnesse of God and so with an heart humble in the sense of his owne unworthinesse but lift up to God in hope of his mercie he is to powre out the desires of his soule unto him in the name of Christ Iesus according unto the requisites of prayer before mentioned Pray after this manner In that the Lord doth here exhort to the right manner of prayer and not to the dutie it selfe it was because he tooke it for a thing granted by all men that they must pray for not the Pharises onely but the heathen did pray wherefore it must bee granted of all that Doct. 3 It is the dutie of all men to pray There were never any but if they held there was a God they held also that he was to be prayed unto Aske seeke knocke saith Christ Mat. 7.7 Pray without ceassing in every thing give thanks 1. Thessal 5.17 18. In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made knowne unto God Phil. 4.6 Reason 1 For prayer is a most holy honorable service and a chiefe worship of God wherein man doth homage unto the Lord and doth glorifie him Psal â—0 23 For in prayer the Lord is acknowledged to be God to be good gracious merciful omnipotent omniscient Vnto whom any man prayeth in him he beleeveth on him hee trusteth In confession of sinne Gods law is acknowledged to bee holy and God to be just In praying aright in the name of Christ by the Spirit the distinction of persoÌ„s is acknowledged These and many other things concerning God are really professed in making requests and are particularly expressed to the honour of Gods name in praises and thanksgiving Prayer is very beneficiall unto Reason 2 man for it is a remedie against all evill and a meane to procure all good As for evill of punishment as paine povertie and the like Ion. 3.8.10 either it doth prevent it as in the case of the Ninivites or removeth it Psal 107. They cry to the Lord in their trouble and he saveth them out of their
distresses Or if the affliction abide prayer doth ease the heart and procure patience and strength to beare it and it doth sanctifie the crosse causing it like good physicke to work for the good of the inward man As for eternall punishment prayer is the means of forgivenesse Psal 32.5 I said I will confesse my sinne saith David and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne As for evils of sin and temptation Christ Iesus hath prescribed prayer for a remedie against it Mat. 26.41 saying Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation An hearty prayer hath alwayes strength either to remove the temptation or to draw from God sufficiencie of grace to resist it as it did for the Apostle who had this answer of his prayer My grace is sufficient for thee 2. Cor. 12 9 Prayer is a meane to obtaine all good things temporall therfore we are bid to say Give us this day our daily bread 1. Tim. 4.5 it sanctifieth maketh good things to be good to them that have them As for spiritual good things the Lord saith Iam. 1.5 If any man lacke wisedome let him aske of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not The Spirit of grace is obtained by prayer Your heavenly Father saith Christ shall give the holy Spirit to them that aske him Luk. 11.13 There is a necessity of praier Reason 3 both because God hath commanded it and his promises unto man are with this condition of prayer Aske Mat. 7. and ye shall have Though God can helpe if we never aske him yet usually he will not if men ask not You have not saith Iames Iam. 4.2 because ye aske not And though a man have never so much meanes these without prayer can do him no good For to the making of a thing good the word and prayer is required it being Gods ordinance 1. Tim. 4.5 that what meanes soever bee used prayer must be one and that of the quorum as we speake for in all things prayer must bee made Philip. 4.6 Ob. The Lord knoweth what every one nâ—edeth and he saith that * Isa 65.24 before they call I will answer therefore prayer may seeme to be needlesse Sol. The end of prayer is not to informe God of any thing which he knoweth not The use of prayer though God need not thereby to be informed or to perswade God to do any thing whereto he is not of himselfe most willing neither is it a meanes onely to procure good things for a mans selfe but a chiefe end of prayer is that man might expresse his obedience in performance of his dutie it being a part of his holy worship wherein a man professeth his owne frailty and nothingnesse without God and that he holdeth God to be the fountaine of all goodnesse even the giver of every good perfect gift and that hee is perswaded of his goodnesse power and truth towards him also he professeth that he is sensible of his wants and that hee doth depend on him and will be thankfull to him when hee shall please to supplie them For prayer maketh way for praise and thanks Besides prayer to God doth fit men to use those things which they obtained by prayer for God and according to his will considering that upon their suit to him they do enjoy them What though God know what we need our Saviour doth not from thence conclude we must not pray at all Mat. 6.8.9 but therefore take heed how you pray And Gods readinesse to answer before they call is an argument why they should pray For if God bee so gracious that so soone as a man doth in heart desire his helpe he beginneth to answer before he call and as he saith Whiles they are speaking I wil heare then we should not say therefore we need not pray but therefore we wil pray and speake to him because such is his readinesse to heare that we shall be sure to speed Ob. God hath long since decreed what men shall have whether much or little therefore prayer is needles for God cannot alter his purpose Mal. 3.6 I am God saith he and change not Sol. I grant God hath decreed before all worlds what to give and what not but at that time also he decreed the meanes that should come betweene his decree and the execution thereof one of which meanes is prayer without which he never intended ordinarily after hee hath given the first grace to give any thing with a blessing in mercie to any man For to whom he giveth saving grace he alwayes giveth the spirit of supplication Zach. 12.10 and looketh that they should upon all occasions stirre it up in them and improve it for the obtaining of those good things which God hath intended and promised to them God had decreed to give the Gentiles to Christ yet God said to him Aske of me Psal 2.8 and I will give the heathen for thine inheritance Daniel knew certainly the time that God had decreed to deliver his people out of captivitie Dan. 9.2.3 but this did not cause him to forbeare prayer but it quickened him to fast and pray that they might bee delivered For God who had made knowne his decree by the Prophet that after seventie yeares he would cause the Iews to returne out of Babylon and that he had thoughts of peace towards them to give them an expected end hee said also to them Ier. 29.10.11.12.13 then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you And ye shall seek me and finde me when ye shall search for me with all your heart And I will turne away your captivity c. The Prophet David though it was revealed to him that God would establish his house and kingdome upon his seed yet the rather prayeth saying Thou O Lord of hoasts 2 Sa. 7.27 God of Israel hast revealed unto thy servant saying I wil build thee an house therfore hath thy servant found in his heart to make this prayer unto thee God had not onely decreed but had promised to his people that he would give them a new heart and a new spirit c. and that he would cause them to walke in his statutes and outwardly also to blesse them so that their land should bee to them as the Garden of Eden yet saith he for this will I bee inquired of by the house of Israell Ezek. 36.37 It is granted that prayer cannot neither doth it change Gods purpose when yet without prayer he will not give for his purpose was to give when they should pray but not before prayer maketh the change not in God but in him that prayeth fitting him and making him capable of the gift who till then was not sufficiently qualified for it Many have more then heart can wish yet pray not at all Object They are onely outward things and common gifts
Answ and these they have uncertainely without a blessing with them They have them but as fruits of his common goodnesse providence Psal 36.6 Psal 145.9 God knowing what imployments he hath for them amongst men and not as fruits of his speciall love promise and mercy God giveth them oft-times in wrath with a curse Tit. 1.15 they are impure unto them they make leane soules increasing their sin Psal 92.7 fatting them but it is to the slaughter it is that they may bee destroyed for ever whereas on the contrary all that pray aright shall in the best time have what is best for them with Gods blessing as a token of his speciall love unto them Vse 1 It is therefore a great fault in all those that shall under any pretence omit and neglect prayer then which fault I know none more common For except it be when all other helpes faile and they bee in a desperate extremitie who in comparison seeketh unto God by prayer When they be sicke to the Physitian or to the Surgeon onely but not to God by prayer yea some runne to Witches and Wizards to charmes to the divell to any thing rather then unto God If they be in want then they betake them to their friends to their hands to their wits yea to câ—asening and shifting but never looke up to God and the like in all other cases The same course they take for their soules If the comming to Church and formall hearing the word receiving the Sacraments and the prayers of others will save them they will not alwaies be wanting in these externall devotions but as for prayer any more then a little lip-labour which indeed is no prayer they are meere strangers to it Causes why men call not upon God This neglect of prayer commeth from prophanenesse and pride of heart from confidence in the creature and from selfe-dependance which causeth them to be unwilling to come into the presence of the holy God or to be beholding to him For this cause God in justice casteth them into want They have not Iam. 4.2 because they aske not or if he give unto them without asking he giveth it with a curse it is impure unto them Tit. 1.15 as before you heard There are some so prophane that they omit prayer in contempt and with deriding all which conscionably performe it But as for those which have got into the scorners chaire and have made themselves unworthy the pearle of a reproof I leave them to the considerations following They carry in their faces the very brand of an Atheist for it is his guise not to pray himselfe but would shame him which maketh God his refuge Psal 14 4 6. And how can they be called Christians to whom the description of the heathen doth so properly agree Ier. 10 25. The Prophet Ieremie describeth the heathen by this that they were families that call not on Gods Name and these he holdeth to be meete persons upon whom God should poure out his fury and fiercenesse of his indignation But I leave these and come Vse 2 to speake to Gods owne children who even in this point of prayer are much to blame For many of them make too little account of this pretious dutie How seldome doe they set about it how loath to come to it how cold and livelesse in it and how soone wearie of it Is it any marvell if they be full of crosses and be impatient under them Is it any wonder that the world doth so oft overcome them and the divell so oft foile them when they are so seldome and so weake in prayer This failing proceedeth from want of faith in God from too much confidence in the arme of flesh and meanes here below and from poring too much upon the prosperitie of those Psal 73.7 who without prayer have more then heart could wish and by laying their owne crosses in which they lie notwithstanding they have praied too close unto themselves From these and the like causes as lying in some sinne unrepented of or the like it is that you are unwilling to pray and when you doe pray your edge of praier is quite taken off But enter I pray you into Gods sanctuarie that you may see confesse and bewaile your folly and learne with that Psalmist to say Psal 73.28 It is good to draw neere to God and to put your trust onely in the Lord. Vse 3 Let all that professe the name of God bee exhorted not to conceive of praier as a thing arbitrarie and indifferent but as of a necessarie duty as hath beene proved in the Doctrine Are any afflicted Iam. 5.13 let them pray Are any in prosperitie let them pray and praise God In what condition or state soever ye are pray For besides that it is Gods command and his immediate worship Manifold motives unto prayer we by prayer injoy an holy communion with God taking sanctuarie under his wings We edifie our selves also in our most holy faith and in all other the saving graces of Gods spirit when we pray in the Holy Ghost for by it all the weapons of our Christian warfare all the good gifts of God and meanes of our salvation become usefull and good unto us By prayer either we shall prevent Gods iudgements and corrections or bee made able to beare them and be made much better by them By prayer wee shall obtaine pardon and repentance of sins past and strength to resist temptations of sinnes to come In thus doing we shall have all such good things as be needfull for us with a blessing upon them or with contentednesse without them grace and peace in this life perfection of grace and glory in the life to come Would wee doe good to our enemies and to our friends and would we doe our selves good would we be beneficiall to the Common-weale and Church then let us pray 2 Chron. 30.20 Gen. 25.21 Mark 9.25 Mat 15.28 Mat. 8.13 Gen. 24.12 For Kings have prayed for their subjects husbands for their wives fathers for their sonnes mothers for their daughters masters for servants servants for masters and all have beene heard in that which they praied Prayer because it is ordained by God and hath his promise calleth in and ingageth Gods power truth for him that maketh it and so through God becommeth omnipotent What hath beene or can be too hard for Prayer Exod 14.15.16 It hath caused the Sea to divide it selfe and become an high way to Gods people also together with the Whale Ionah 2 1.1.10 Iosh 10.12 to give up Ionas alive and set him ashore It caused the Sunne to stand still yea to goe backe It hath loosed chaines and unlocked Prisons Act. 1â— 5.7.11 and iron gates and delivered the prisoners What hath not prayer done what will it not doe in the behalfe of the Church or of any of Gods chosen Nothing so deepe but with this bucket we may draw
it up nothing so high above us or so farre from us but with this hand wee may reach it to us Hee that wrastleth by the strength of prayer though hee wrastle with the strong God shall prevaile as did Iacob of whom it is said Hee had power over the Angell and prevailed hee wept and made supplication Hos 12.4 Of all helps prayer is readiest at hand in all places and at all times if wee be not without our hearts wee neede not be without helpe It is the most universall helpe it is good for all persons at all times in all things It is a most certain helpe no faithfull prayer was ever made in vaine It is a key to open heaven all that have skill to handle it may from thence fetch all things that may doe themselves or their neighbour good Moreover when wee have made our requests knowne to GOD and have commended our cause to him by prayer this will comfort quiet and rejoyce our hearts so that wee neede bee no more sad with Hannah 1 Sam. 1.18 nor need we be carefull in any thing but may goe on in our calling in peace Phil. 4.6.7 and may lye downe in peace being assured that now God careth for us knowing that his wisedome truth and power are all set a worke for us And which is more then all which yet hath beene said Prayer is most pleasing to God hee delighteth to heare the voyce of his children It is a more sweet smelling sacrifice then that of incense It maketh way to thanksgiving It is a glorifying of his great name Sith it is the will of God that Vse 4 we should pray all feare of approaching to the throne of his grace may hence be remoued What though God be a God of majestie and thou bee an unworthy person in thy selfe It is no presumption to presse into his presence when hee commandeth this is instead of his scepter of acceptance of thee though no man might come uncalled unto that majesticall Ahashuereth yet any man might come being called nay the Queene was deposed from her place because she came not at his commandement So that it is not presumption to come but rebellion if you come not sith God every where in his word calleth you So that whatsoever thy case be thou maist come with good comfort to God and bee holpen as they say to the blinde man Marke 10.49 Be of good comfort hee calleth thee God calleth you to this duty feare not therefore to goe to God in prayer at any time Objections against prayer answered To this end you must bee able and willing to answer and resist all such objections and discouragements that Satan and your owne heart shall raise against it You may learne how to answer to those objections against the necessity of prayer namely God knoweth what we need and hee hath already decreed what we shall have and many that make no conscience of prayer have more then heart could wish by that which is written before in this doctrine in the third reason taken from the necessity of prayer And for your help I will propound and answer other objections as followeth I am not assured that I am converted Ob. and am the childe of God or that I have the Spirit of God wherefore I think that it belongeth not unto me to pray You are by profession a convert Answ and the childe of God and it may be you have the Spirit of God though yet you do not acknowledge it therefore it belongeth unto you to pray But suppose that you are not converted doth not God command you to convert Ier. 31.18 and turn unto him and finding your inability to turne you should with Ephraim pray saying Turne thou me and I shall bee turned And do you finde the want of the Spirit you should the rather pray for it that God according to his promise may give it Luk. 11.13 Do not say I cannot pray untill God have given me grace and abilitie to pray but having an expresse commandement of God to pray you must set about it assay to pray as well as you can desiring and expecting grace from him to enable you to pray For God doth not usually let us feele the strength of his grace requisite to the performance of a good dutie till that out of conscience of obeying of the command we craving his helpe do set about the doing of it Ob. My sinnes are so many and so great and I have relapsed into such grievous sinnes since I last prayed that I am ashamed and afraâ—d that I dare not come into the presence of God againe to pray unto him Answ The greater and more hainous your sinnes are the more need you have to come unto God whom by them you have offended to aske of him pardon of them And sith God is onely able to cure and heale your soule there is the more cause that by prayer you should seeke unto him to cleanse you of your sinnes and to give you power against them David doth not say because his sinne was great therefore I dare not pray but therefore prayeth thus Psal 25.11 For thy Names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great And is not forgivenesse of sins one of the petitions which Christ hath bid you to make daily when you pray To bee ashamed for your sinne when you come before God is good and argueth that you are the fitter for prayer Ier. 31.19.20 and that you are now a meet object of Gods mercie and compassion but to be ashamed to pray and not to dare to come into Gods presence being by him commanded is a great sinne to be repented of Indeed we should not sinne at all 1. Ioh. 2.1.2 but if any man sinne be his sinnes many or few small or great we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation who hath made satisfaction for and hath covered and done away all our sinnes When you come before God to pray in the name and mediation of Christ God looketh upon your sinnes which you confesse unto him as satisfied for done away in Christ Why then should you be afraid and ashamed to pray unto him Ob. When I should pray I feele my selfe so much straitened so dead and so much indisposed to prayer I want words and matter I can neither begin or at least hold out well in prayer to the end for that I am pestred with so many wandring impertinent and sometimes evill thoughts I cannot remember all the sinnes which I should confesse nor yet all the needfull good things which I should aske I cannot pray in faith but am so full of wavering and doubting that God is not well pleased with my prayer I oft feele my selfe worse rather then better after I have prayed I rise up oft times from prayers heavie and discomforted and I offend so many wayes in prayer that I oft times am readie
and left them in God hath commanded them to pray and so he may doe justly for in Adam they were able to performe it so that if they doe not pray they incurre Gods displeasure and cannot looke to receiue any thing in mercy and with a blessing from the Lord and if they doe pray their prayer is abhominable because they have not Gods Spirit neither can they offer their prayers upon the Altar Christ Iesus by whom onely all prayers are accepted For all that are not indued with his spirit Rom. 8.9 are not his When these aske God regardeth it not Ob. The wicked notwithstanding are in Scripture oft said to pray Answ This is because they utter words of prayer and because sometimes they are heartie and earnest in their desires but these desires are lonely naturall and out of selfe-serving no service of God in his account Ob. If it be said the wicked have had their prayers granted Sol. I answer God heareth prayers two waies in mercy and in wrath Hee may replenish their table whith may bee to them a snare and hee can give them prosperity which will be their ruine Hee giveth it to them many times in wrath as he gave a King to the children of Israel Thus they may see Hos 13.10 that whether they pray or not their case is wofull because they cannot in faith say Our Father Are wicked men then Quest exempted from this duty of prayer By no meanes Answ for prayer is a worship and service of God required in the Commandements and is a duty implanted in nature Were it not better for wicked men not to pray at all Quest sith as hath beene said they cannot pray acceptably and that their prayers are abhominable No for their not praying at all Answ is a greater sinne then to pray in an ill manner All the faults concerning prayer may in a sort be charged upon him that prayeth not at all for hee neither prayeth to the true God nor prayeth good matter nor in a good manner c. A wicked man though he faile much in prayer yet not so much as when hee prayeth not at all It is the note of an Atheist not to pray at all Psal 14.4 Quest What are they to doe doth God cast them upon a necessity of sinne Answ God forbid The wicked themselves while they continue in sinne have put themselves into this straight But there is a way to help all namely to doe as Saint Peter did counsell Simon Magus Act. 8.22 saying repent of this thy wickednesse and pray first repent then pray Isai 1.13.15.16.18 Thus saith God to those for whose wickednesse he said that their incense was an abhomination and that hee would not heare their prayers Wash you make you cleane c. then come and let us reason together c. then come and pray No man then is put upon a necessity of sinne Let the most wicked man in the world be convinced of his sinne let him repent thereof and confesse it let him beleeve in Christ who came into the world to save sinners then he is qualified for prayer and shall be accepted of God when he doth pray Are the prayers of men unregenerate of no use Quest are they not all accepted To this I answer Answ I doubt not but that the prayers of unregenerate men when they are from the heart may in some sort be acceptable so farre forth as thereby to obtaine many good things of God as health deliverance from evils threatned or already afflicted and such like For God that heareth the Ravens when they cry will much rather heare men when they cry though they be not his children But as the prayers of a true childe of God differeth from the prayers of him that is unregenerate so is the acceptance with God also different Their difference shall appeare thus Difference betweene the prayers of the wicked and godly and of their different acceptance First a true childe of God doth in prayer call God Father with faith and holy confidence with the affections of a childe For when hee asketh forgivenesse of his sinne it is with griefe that he hath by his sinne offended his Father and it is with an heartie purpose not to offend him againe Also when he prayeth for health liberty grace or for any other good thing it is with a desire that in the injoyment of them he may the better please and honour his heavenly Father But a wicked man calleth God Father onely for forme and in presumption and hee doth not pray unto him with a childelike but either with a servile affection as a malefactor before a Iudge 1 King 21.27 as Ahab did or with a carnall affection in his desire of the good gifts of God and the good things of this life that therewith he may like those reproved by Saint Iames imploy them for the satisfying of some or other of his lusts Iam. 4.3 Secondly the childe of God prayeth chiefly and most heartily for spirituall things as for faith for forgivenesse of sinnes for holinesse for Gods favour and for those things which concerne Gods kingdome and glory But the unregenerate man prayeth chiefly and most heartily for Corne and Wine for temporall things and it may be for heaven and happinesse with Balaam in generall wishes Numb 23.10 but not particularly and unfainedly for graces whereby he may forsake his beloved sin and may live holily unto the end of his dayes Thirdly the prayers of the godly when they are made in sinceritie are like all other their good workes they have a supernaturall goodnesse in them being the acts of the regenerate part through the spirit and are performed to a supernaturall end But the prayers of the wicked though in some things they are unfained yet at best they are but naturall desires not intended as a service of God but onely as a meanes to serve their own turnes in those things which they know can be obtained by no other meanes Now touching the acceptance of prayers with God Those which his children make though they be not without much imperfection yet because they be the prayers of men reconciled to God by Christ and doe proceed from hearts purified by faith and because they are put up in the name of Christ they become acceptable through him so farre as to procure not onely temporall good things but also such as are spirituall and eternall And these things they obtaine of God as from a loving Father and as a fruit of his speciall promise and out of his speciall grace and love to them in Christ Iesus As for the prayers of the wicked because God and his ordinance of prayer is thereby in some part honoured they are in some part accepted so farre that many times they procure temporall good things but it is onely temporall good things such as are common to the elect and reprobate which hee giveth to them not as a loving Father
but as a rich and bountifull Lord to his creature making his Sunne to rise on the evill and good Mat. 5.45 and sending the raine as well upon the unjust as upon the just These things God in his wise providence bestoweth upon wicked men knowing how to make use of them in humane society both in Church and Common-weale winning thereby to himselfe the glory of his patience and bounty drawing some to an admiration of his goodnesse leading some to repentance and leaving others without excuse at the day of iudgement Vse 2 Would any bee capable of making use of this invaluable benefit of praying acceptably unto God be they exhorted first to use all such meanes as God hath appointed by which they may be made the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.26 Rom. 10.14.17 as hearing the word preached prayer c. then they must get good evidence that they are in state of grace and then be exhorted to come as children ought to come into the presence of so holy a Father putting off every sinne that may offend him putting on every grace that may delight him regard not iniquity in your heart cleanse your hearts and wash your hands in innocencie lift up pure hands without doubting pray in humilitie for with such sacrifice your Father is well pleased he will not despise such for God hath promised saying If my people that are called by my Name Psal 51 17 shall humble themselves and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes then will I heare from heaven and will forgive their sinne and will heale their land 2 Chron. 7.14 Vse 3 All that with good assurance of faith can call God their Father may rejoyce in this that they are of the number of those who may improve this priviledge of praying unto God they are sure if they come not in their sinnes to speed For Iohn saith Whatsoeuer we aske we that is the children of God receive of him because we keepe his commandements and doe those things that are pleasing in his sight 1 Ioh. 3.22 Our doth note also that communion which Christians have one with another in one Father therefore even when they were to pray to God in the closet they were to represent God to their mindes in a notion which hath reference to their brethren as well as to themselves whence wee may collect Doct. All that would pray acceptably must hold a communion and good agreement with their brethren as those that have one common father to them all If a man had not beene in charitie with his brother and held not good agreement with him he was not to offer his sacrifice untill he had reconciled himselfe to his brother Mat. 5.33 The Apostle requireth that men lift up holy hands without wrath 1. Tim. 2.8 Therefore Peter would have all love exercised betweene man and wife that their prayers be not hindered 1. Pet. 3.7 For this common interest Reason 1 which Christians have in God maketh them neare of bloud as we speake having all one Spirit one hope one Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all Ephes 4.4 5 6. If men do not hold peace Reason 2 and communion with their brethren they cannot come in assurance that they themselves are Gods children for by their love to their brethren they may know whether they be beloved of God or no and may assure their hearts that their prayers shall be heard 1. Ioh 3 19.22 If they love not their brethren they remaine in death 1. Iohn 3.14 Vse 1 Here all proud scornful persons that because of parentage wit wealth or some such complement of nature do disdaine their poorer and meaner brethren may see how much they forget themselves have they not one Father if God be their Father The Prophet Malachy reproveth those which deale not well with their brethren Mal. 2.10 saying Have we not all one Father There are too many of this sort which will hypocritically say Our Father and yet scorne to have any communion with his children Yea the more they approve themselves to be Gods by holinesse of life the more they hate them and reproachfully use them and wish all evil unto them If these thinke they have God to their Father they must know that as the Apostle Iohn speaketh they are liers 1. Ioh. 4.20 because they love not their brethren What may be thought of those tongues that can blesse God and call him Father and yet curse and raile upon those which beare the true image of the same Father These things ought not so to be my brethrē saith Iames 3.9 10. Hereby all that call God Father Vse 2 should enforce upon thēselves the dutie of love and friendship to their neighbours holding with them the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Ephes 4.3.4.5.6 because the whole bodie is but one the Spirit one c. and one Father of all we must endeavour therefore to bee one in judgement and one in affection that there be no schismes and divisions amongst us Let us love heartily without putting difference in respect of persons for which fault the Iewes are blamed by Iames Iam. 2.4.1 Cor. 11.22.30 and the Corinthians were severely punished by the Lord. Wherefore whensoever we come to God let us come in love to our brethren For how can we looke our Father in the face and expect good things at his hand when he knoweth that there are jarres and falling out betweene us and his other children our brethren Father which art in heaven I will first consider the whole description of him that is to be prayed unto and then come to the severall parts thereof This description can be true of none but of God We have fathers on earth and friends in heaven but no father in heaven or heavenly father but the true God It followeth therefore Prayer is to be made to the Doct. 3 true God And because prayer is a religious worship which must bee given to none but God I adde this Prayer is to be made onely to God Offer to God thanksgiving and Call upon me in the day of trouble saith God Psal 50.14 15. The Angell which had the everlasting Gospell to preach to them that were on the earth who went before the Angel which foretold the fall of Poperie saith Feare God c. and worship him that made heaven and earth Revel 14.7 Our Saviour saith expresly Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Mat. 4.10 He to whom prayer may be made Reason must have those all-sufficiencies which are to be found onely in the eternal and infinite God First he must be able to heare all men therfore Iames biddeth us aske of God Iam 1.5 that giveth to all men He must be able to give all things 1. Ioh. 5.14 If we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us He must be able to
Reas 3 Heaven is the place into which all Christians hope to enter and where they hope to dwell for ever good reason therefore that they should accustome themselves to the manners of that place before hand Ob. These examples cannot bee knowne Sol. Answer they may because God hath revealed in his word how the Angels obey him And in what manner Christ obeyed his Father on earth in the same manner the Saints his members doe in heaven Ob. These examples are of such perfection that no man can attaine to the like Answer Sol. though men on earth cannot bee as perfect as their copie yet the better the example is the nearer they may learne to come to perfection Once man could have obeyed and againe shall obey perfectly And it appeares by the examples proposed that it is possible that creatures may doe the will of God perfectly Whereas man is most prone Vse 1 to imitation let him learne hereby to follow examples to some purpose Imitate the Angels and Saints As Christ obeyed on earth and as the Scriptures report that the Angels have done in like manner must every one of us do The particulars hereof see in the next point Let every one therefore unto the precepts and rules of well-doing present to their thoughts the actions of those that have done according to those rules By this meanes we shall better understand the rule and be heartened to put it in practise because it sheweth a possibility that it may be done In doing thus we shall every day grow better and yet not be proud for we shal daily see something before us to which we must aspire to which yet we have not attained Vs 2 Here is an Apologie for all those good Christians which shun the examples of the worst men not onely making the best men on earth their patternes but goe one straine higher they looke unto the obedience of the Angels in heaven This Scripture is their warrant which must alwaies bear them out against the scoffes of prophane and loose men that content themselves vvith a meere form and outvvard face of godlinesse vvho if they be moved to an exacter course of practice they ansvvere vvith a scoffe What would you have us Saints and Angels on earth Answer them againe with this point They must be as Angels here or they do not understand what they say when they say in earth as it is in heaven If they understand what they say they mocke God in that they meane not as they speake and deale prophanely to mocke at the performance of that by another for which they themselves did seeme solemnly to pray They may be told they must obey God like Angels and Saints upon earth or they shall never be Saints and as the Angels in heaven Learne here with what honour the Angels and Saints departed should be honoured by men on earth namely with the honour of admiration and imitation of their graces As for adoration of their persons both God forbiddeth it and they themselves do abhorre it with See thou do it not Revel 22.9 In earth as in heaven This pointeth to an heavenly manner of doing Gods wil whence we learne Doct. 4 Prayer must be made and care had that Gods will be done in an holy manner The heavenly manner as well as the lawful matter of doing Gods will must be observed Eph. 6.6 Servants are exhorted to do the will of God from the heart Not onely to do Gods will but from the heart Our Saviour instructeth his disciples in the right manner of giving almes and of fasting and prayer in this sixth of Matth. Reason 1 Gods commandments do require as well the right manner as the matter of obedience for such is the tenour of the Commandment Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde Matt. 22.37 The good or evill manner of Reas 2 doing a good deed proveth or discovereth the sincerity or hypocrisie of the heart which is the chiefe thing which God hath an eye unto in everie action Before use can well be made it must bee considered what is requisite in the right manner of doing Gods will wherefore observe these directions 1 First if a good thing bee well done it must be done wittingly and purposely not as bruit creatures or wicked men who may fulfill Gods wil but are not aware that they do it 2 In faith beleeving that it is lawfull for them to do it else it is sinne Whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 3 In integritie of heart from an habite and true disposition to keep all the commandments as well as that one which actually he doth keepe for the present else if he allow himselfe in the breach of any one Iam. 2.10 God holdeth him guilty of all And it is the propertie of a good conscience to will to live honestly in all things Heb. 13.18 4 In sinceritie which is when a good thing is done unfainedly Eph. 6.6 Doing the will of God from the heart and from right grounds not for selfe respects onely or chiefly or for by ends but with ayme at pleasing of God and bringing honour to his Name For all things must be done to the glory of God 1. Cor. 10.31 5 Constantly a good conscience will endeavour to do well alwayes Act. 24.16 6 In humility reverence and holy feare of God whose work they do As the Angels observe all the former rules so do they this also For the Seraphims cover their faces with their wings Isa 6.2 and the foure and twenty Elders fall on their faces and cast their crownes before the Throne Revel 4.10 and 5.8 7 Speedily Psal 18.44 Dan. 92. making no delay This was taught by the wings of the Seraphims wherwith they did flie Isa 6.2 David said I made haste and delayed not to keepe thy commandments Psal 119.60 8 Lastly Psal 110.3 Psal 40.8 the will of God must bee done with a willing minde cheerfully and with delight David saith It was his delight to walke in the paths of Gods commandments Psal 119.35 And it was our Saviours meat and drinke to do the will of him that sent him and to finish his worke Ioh. 4.34 By these particulars it appeareth what is further to be prayed for and striven after what also is to be prayed against on the contrarie and avoyded according to the purpose of this third petition The uses follow Vse 1 All formall and hypocriticall Christians also all meere civill honest men which thinke they bee good men and that they have done God good service when they have done onely the matter and outside of some good works may see that they do palpably deceive thēselves If they preach pray heare receive the Sacrament keepe the Church pay everie man his owne and shew now and then some scraps of mercie though there was neither integrity sinceritie nor constancie at all in those actions they thinke God
must take those deeds for currant pay when they are but meere counterfeit stuffe if they trie their deeds by the touch of the directions before given Yet none so readie to upbraid God and hit him in the teeth as we speak with How good they are and what service they do him as these kinde of men who will challenge God like them in Isaiah Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest us not wherefore have we afflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge No men presume that God should save them more than these They will say Lord Mat. 7.22 Lord have not we prophecied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils But he will answer I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquitie For actions which are good in the matter thereof yet do stinke and are very iniquitie in Gods account Isa 1.13 if they be not done aright For what is not done with a good conscience and in truth of heart is not done at all in Gods account for he looketh to the heart and manner how all things be performed Let it be every mans prayer Vse 2 and endevor to do good things well to fulfill Gods will in an heavenly manner viz. upon good ground with good conscience and good affections This is the heart life and verie soule of every good action And though there may happen to be some failings in the matter of what is done which also is not to bee allowed yet if the heart be upright in the manner God doth beare with much weaknesse and doth accept of truth and uprightnesse As in heaven The patterne of the right manner of doing Gods will is a perfect one taken from heaven Christ would have all men ayme at this whence note Doct. 5 Christians must ayme at perfection They must alwayes presse hard forward to attaine it Now the God of peace make you perfect to do his will saith the Apostle Hebr. 13.20 21. Let us go on unto perfection Heb. 6.1 Let us perfect holines in the feare of God saith he 2. Cor. 7.1 Naturall things do affect Reason and in their manner long after the perfection of themselves An infant is still growing in the wombe untill it come to a perfection Light bodies are not quiet if they be not above and in their place So that it may justly be doubted there is not truth of Christianity if there be not a desire and longing after perfection of Christianitie This blameth all that thinke Vse 1 they know enough and have made progresse farre enough in the race of Christianitie But what saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 9.24 Not all that runne receive the price If men fall back or stand at a stay they can never finish their course Wherefore hee would have others do as he did So run that they might obtaine and so fight that they might get the masterie and win the crowne Hee that puts his hand to the plough and looketh backe he is not apt for the kingdome of God Luke 9.62 Vse 2 Meanes of growing towards perfectiō The thoughts of heaven and of the patternes for imitation which are in heaven and the state of perfection in which we shall be when we come to heaven should be load-stones to draw us to heaven-ward and to perfection Be perfect saith Christ Mat. 5.48 as your heavenly Father is perfect in everie thing and everie way perfect The way to attaine this is first to convince the heart that we ought to bee perfect Phil. 3.12.13 then see with the Apostle that wee are not alreadie perfect Thirdly let us not look on what wee have done and what is behinde but on that which is before to bee done Fourthly 2. Cor. 7.1 be daily purging our selves from filthinesse of flesh and spirit and so perfect holinesse Fiftly that we may do all these be daily conversant in the reading hearing and meditation of the holy Scriptures for their end is 2. Tim. 3.17 to make the man of God perfect Lastly give al diligence and presse forward Phil. 3.14 as the Apostle did toward the marke and price of the high calling of God in Christ. Thus do and the rather because he that doth not ayme at perfection of degrees hath not the perfection of truth and of parts The fourth Petition Give us this day our daily bread Having dispatched the handling of the three first Petitions which did more immediately concerne God wee are now come to the other three which do more especially concerne man which are also meanes to enable a man to glorifie God by doing his will These petitions following concerne man in a double respect First in respect of the outward man for sustaining the bodie and life of nature in this fourth petition Secondly in respect of the inward man and good of the soule also scil the life of grace the hindrance whereof is sinne concerning which the Lord directeth his disciples to deprecate and pray against two things First the guilt and damnation of sinne praying for justification in the fifth Petition Secondly against the power dominion of sinne praying for sanctification in the sixt and last Petition Request for to have a comfortable naturall life and being upon earth doth follow immediately upon the request of doing Gods will on earth for the dead cannot praise God And if a man be not gathered into Christs kingdome before death there is no hope Isa 38.18.19 For there is no worke nor device nor knowledge in the grave Eccles 9.10 Wherefore because no man can doe the will of God on earth except God give him a comfortable life upon earth this petition followeth next the other in a most holy order This petition is placed before the other two which concerne the estate of the soule and of the life of grace not in order of prioritie of dignitie as if the temporall estate of the body were more needfull or more excellent than the eternall life of the soule for this latter is farre more excellent but because in order of nature the naturall life is before the spiritual and a man must have a being in nature before he can have a being in grace and a comfortable naturall life is both the fitter subject for the life of grace and fitter instrument by which grace worketh and doth the will of God upon earth therefore it is first prayed for Besides it is usuall in Scripture that the thing which is least to be insisted upon is placed first in order before that which sometimes is more excellent that having finished the lesse worthy subject in few words it might dwell more largely upon that subject which was most worthy As the histories of Iaphet and cursed Cham Gen. 10. are set before that of blessed Shem Gen. 36. and after Isaacks death the storie of prophane Esau i◠for this cause set before that of Iacob Gen. 37. So our Saviour in one petition and in few
God calleth to fasting prayer whether they be led thereto through superstition and a deluded conscience or through worldly discontentments or through any other cause they must know that they stand guiltie of most ungratefull refusing the gracious leave which God hath given them to make use of the good things of this life But if a man set so little by his life that he offer violence to himself by poysoning or otherwise by any meanes this man passeth all bounds of grace and nature 1. Tim. 5.8 he is not onely worse than an Infidel but worse than the bruit beasts For what beast doth not in his kind desire meat of God and when God giveth meat Psal 104.28 they gather it And what beast is it that doth either starve poyson or any way kill it selfe willingly Vse 2 Let every Christian assure himselfe that he may lawfully desire the things of this life He must therefore pray and use all good and lawfull meanes how to live in this world onely the manner how must bee considered scil that it be after we have sought Gods glory as hath beene taught Also it must be considered of whom by what meanes for whom for what time in what right and in what measure or wherewith we would have our wants supplied all which particulars are taught in this Petition Remembring alwayes that all desires in this Petition are conditionall scil if they may stand with Gods good will and pleasure It will be said Ob. If we seek the kingdome of God Matt. 6.33 all these things for this life shall be ministred unto us And that our Saviour saith Labour not for the meat which perisheth Ioh. 6.27 I answer that in Matth. 6. it is not said Sol. Seeke onely the kingdome of God but first that is seeke it chiefly And the promise of having all things for this life doth not exclude the lawful meanes to get them but rather assureth us that because God hath care of meaner creatures which can use no means to help them therefore if his own children shal til the ground sow shall spin and labour he would much more blesse their labours that they should not want Also Christs exhortation in Ioh. 6. is not absolute but comparative namely that of the two he would have them rather seeke for that which is spirituall and everlasting than for that which is corporall and perishing Notwithstanding these places or any thing else that can bee objected Iam 4 2. Iames said the cause why men had not was because they did not aske And the Apostle Paul commandeth to labour with the hands the thing that is good Eph. 4.28 that we may have to give to them that need Wherefore let everie man know what is Gods wil in this behalfe and let him pray unfainedly and labour diligently that he may live in this world as well as that which is to come They are to know that they may also pray against all temporall and bodily crosses as famine sicknesse warres and may use all good means to prevent and remove them But what meanes soever bee used prayer must be one 1. Chron. 16.12 It was Asa his fault not that he did seeke to the Physitians for health but because he sought onely to the Physitians and not to the Lord. It may be objected Ob. It is good to be afflicted Psal 119.71 And Ieremie saith Correct us Lord. Ier. 10.24 Afflictions in themselves are evil they are fruits of sinne Sol. they also occasion men to sinne Therefore Agur prayeth that he might not be poore that is so needie as to be destitute of daily food and clothing lest saith he I steale Pro. 30.8.9 and take the Name of my God in vaine Yet is it most true which David saith But afflictions are good by accident through Gods gracious working of humiliation and repentance by them of themselves they are not good It is no good argument to say Afflictions do worke for our good therefore wee may pray for them or we must not pray against them For the very sinnes of Gods children through the infinite wisedome and power of God may and oft do worke much for their good yet in no case may be prayed for but alwayes prayed against The Prophet Ieremie doth not pray absolutely that hee might be corrected but as the case then stood betwixt God and his Church sith God was forced to correct them he desireth that the correctiō might be in judgement and moderation as a fruit of his fatherly love and not in extremitie as proceeding from his wrath and heavie displeasure The verie words do shew this sense for he saith Correct me but in judgement not in thine anger He doth in this case onely deprecate the greater evill of punishment and willingly submitteth himselfe unto the lesse Wherefore notwithstanding any thing that can bee said against it If any man be afflicted let him pray for we have a precept for it Iam. 5.13 We have also a promise God himselfe saith Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psa 50.15 Give This word sheweth that the person of whom things needfull for this life are to bee had is our Father which is in heaven the means by which we have possession and use of them is by his gift not our deserts It doth therefore follow The having holding and comfortable Doct. 3 enjoying of all things needfull for this life is of the free gift of God Elihu saith He giveth meat in abundance Iob 36.32 That thou givest they gather saith David Psal 104.28 And Thou givest them their meat in due season Psalm 145.15 All things come of thee 1. Chron. 29.14 Therefore it was the manner of our Saviour alwayes before he did eate Mar. 6.41 14.22 Luk. 24.30 to blesse it asking his Fathers leave to use it with a blessing upon it So did the Apostle He tooke bread and gave thanks to God in presence of them all Act. 27.35 The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof 1. Cor. 10.26 And though he made it for mans use and as the Psalmist saith Psal 119.16 hath given it to the children of men yet hath he reserved the right in himselfe to dispose of it to this or that person both what he pleaseth and as much or as little as seemeth good to him And when hee hath disposed of any parcell of his goods to any men they hold them but as stewards to be accountable to him their master and are but tenants at the meere will and pleasure of him their Lord. Therefore he must give both to have and to hold the things even of this life or they cannot rightfully be held by any man When men have all things Reas 2 needfull in their possession yet another gift of Gods blessing must be added else all they have will not availe them Luk. 12. All the rich fooles plenty could not continue
his life The unbeleeving Noble man was in the midst of plenty 2 Kin. 7.19 but did not eate thereof Men may taste and eate and put on cloathes and yet be neither warme nor satisfied Hag. 1.6 While the daintiest meate is in the mouthes of men it may be their bane and not their nourishment as it fared with the children of Israell Num. 11.23 who while the meate was betweene their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord smote them with a very great plague Vse 1 Wee may hence safely conclude against Popish merits for if all men must receive their bread of free gift so that they cannot deserve so much as to challenge preservation of due debt then much lesse can they deserve so as to challenge salvation by their owne merits for we see that Peter himselfe was to obtaine bread by humble petition Let all men therefore take heed how they challenge any thing at Gods hand by debt of desert lest he give them nothing but what they earne Rom. 6.23 even the wages of sinne which is eternall death Vse 2 Sith all temporalties are Gods gifts and must be held of him as chiefe Lord and can doe him that holdeth them no good without Gods blessing then they deale presumptuously with God and foolishly for themselves that will lay hands upon the good creatures of God such as are food and the like necessaries of this life without as king leave of God or craving a blessing upon the use of them This sinne is common among all sort both rich and poore noble and base who if there be not a Minister present or some childe to say grace as they call it they fall to their food and depart from it as irreverently and brutishly as any swine The richer sort do many of them live as if this were onely the poore mans prayer If they have goods before hand they with the foole in the Gospell say Eat drink be merry Luk. 3â— 39.10 God is not in all their thoughts though haply hee be so neare them that they feele his just wrath with that presumptuous foolish man ere next morning For as Zophar in Iob truely spake if it had beene as wisely applied Iob 20.22.23 In the fulnesse of his sufficiencie hee shall be in straights every hand of the wicked shall come upon him When he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall raine it upon him while he is eating This Belshazzar found true in fearefull experience when being amongst his cups hee saw the handwriting on the wall which did portend the losse of his kingdome Deut. 5.5 Because men will not seeke the things of this life of God and because when they have them they will not in them see God the giver of them God doth oft cast them into want or what hee giveth them is given in his wrath and is accursed to them their food accursed their apparell their marriage their lands and all that they have because they do not sanctifie and make them good to themselves 1 Tim. 4.4.5 by prayer and thankesgiving Gods own children must be remembred of this their fault of seeking to earthly meanes and trusting to them Many of them are too like Asa if they have outward meanes they seeke to them and not to God who must give them with a blessing or they cannot profit those that have them But let Gods hand upon his servant Asa be a warning to all that feare God His disease was but in his feet yet because he sought not to the Lord 2 Chro. 16 12. but to the Physitians it was his death Considering that God is the Vse 3 giver of bread and of all other good things for this life this should move all men to get their names entred into his checkroule become servants to this great Master and being admitted to be members of his familie and houshold of faith this should cause them to approve themselves good servants by doing their Lord and masters will then may they be assured they shal want nothing that is good It is of this God and Father of whom it is said in the parable Luk 15.17 His servants have bread enough and to spare It is therefore good serving of this master who will alwaies either give much or cause the little which he giveth to be like the meale in the barrell that it shall not waste 1 King 17.14 or the oyle in the cruse that it shall not faile untill he send all plenty who can so blesse Daniels pulse and water Dan. 1.12.15 that he shall be as faire healthy wittie and every way in as good liking as those that fed upon all delicates And when this our Lord pleaseth to shew his power hee can blesse one meale that a man in the strength thereof may live forty dayes and forty nights 1 King 19.8 Whosoever are good servants and children to such a master such a Father how can they want For as he hath wherewithall to give so having commanded us to aske of him Iam. 1.5 hee will give to us liberally and never upbraid us with what hee hath given Moreover what hee giveth to his owne he giveth with a blessing which maketh rich Pro. 10 22. and he addeth no sorrow with it These things considered who would not serve and waite continually before this God who is a Lord so al-sufficient so bountifull Whosoever would have Vse 4 health peace and all other good things needfull for the body must be exhorted and perswaded hereby to aske them of God in whose gift they are and when they have received and doe injoy any thing they must acknowledge this as Gods gift with all thankfulnesse If a friend give us our board but a moneth or two we think our selves much beholding to him How much then are wee beholding to God at whose table we live of free cost all our life time Let us seek our maintenance of God 2 Kin. 6.27 for if the Lord doe not helpe as the King of Israel could say when there was nothing to be had either out of the barne floore or out of the winepresse we cannot have maintenance by any meanes Prayer is a speciall meanes to obtain good things with a blessing which if they be received with thanksgiving they are good indeed 1 Tim 4 8 Let us not therefore forget the Lord our Lord for it is he that giveth us power to get substance Deut. 8.18 What though we were borne to the things we doe possesse or they were given us or we bought them or did attaine them by hard labour and industry yet it must be acknowledged that Gods gift was in all these For who made our Ancestors who gaue them lands or livings to leave us who did put it into the hands and hearts of our friends to bestow any thing upon us did not the Lord
of this fulnesse doe breed surfets and diseases of all sorts A moderate estate yea a little Reason 3 in comparison is best both for body and soule Nature is content with a little and grace findeth best entertainment among them which have not over-much of all estates a moderate and middle estate for maintenance is freest from surfettings of the body and temptations of the minde Therefore Agur prayeth Pro. 30.8.9 neither for poverty nor riches but for food convenient lest if he be full he deny God or if he be poore he should steale and thereby through practice unbeseeming his holy profession should dishonour Gods holy Name Reason 4 Man brought nothing with him into the world and shall carry nothing out wherefore a convenient maintenance in this life should content him That a cleare way may bee made to the uses following it shall bee needfull to set downe what is that moderate and convenient estate which the doctrine speaketh of For this cause it must be considered that things needfull are of two sorts absolutely needfull respectively needfull Absolute necessity is that without which life of nature cannot be sustained Respective necessitie is that without which the personall and civill condition of a man according to his calling cannot be maintained Now whatsoever is needfull in both these respects is here meant From this distinction of necessity ariseth a position which will give light to this point in hand namely that is needfull and may be prayed for by a man of one calling and condition which may not be desired of some other man of another calling and condition because respective or conditionall necessitie followeth the calling and personall condition of men A King hath neede of greater meanes to maintaine his State than any subject And of subjects one may have more need than another according to their different callings employments and lawfull expences Yet one question requireth an answer scil How much is that which is needfull and requisite for a mans place and civill condition of life I answer in generall Not what a mans selfe shall out of his covetous or voluptuous and vaineglorious conceits hold needfull for these know no limits but what those that be truely liberall temperate and godly wise and what the examples of frugall men in Scripture declare to be needfull that is to be held needfull As for particulars no rule can be given for times places and conditions of men do often vary the case onely this is most certaine that when a mans desire is served if this doe but increase his thirst after more like the dropsie-mans desire of drinke hee must know his desire is immoderate and unlawfull Vse 1 If God would have men moderate in their desiring and seeking after the things of this life then abhominable and most damnable are the desires and practises of covetous voluptuous and ambitious men who know no bounds but still like the horse-leech cry give give Pro. 30.15 More more Howsoever in words they say Give us daily bread yet in desire they wish for the estate of Dives Luk. 16.19 to goe gorgeously and fare sumptuously every day But be it knowne to all such that he that inlargeth himselfe as hell and never thinkes he hath enough for him hell doth inlarge it self to receive him as it did Dives to be tormented in flames for evermore Luke 16.24 Who so hath food and raiment Vse 2 things needfull must learn to be content and to confine his desires of all earthly things unto a moderation praying according to the example of Agur Pro. 30.8 â— as well against too much as against too little This will be a good proofe that wee doe not minde earthly things and that howsoever the world may be to us it will hereby appeare that we are crucified to the world and that we doe not care for it so as to set our hearts upon it It is not a sinne to have abundance for Abraham Iob David and Salomon abounded in riches but it is a sinne to affect wealth and to desire to be rich Yet great care must be had that greatnesse and plenty doe not corrupt the owners thereof Therefore caveats are given to such in the Scripture Psal 62.11 viz. that If riches increase they doe not set their heart on them They that be not high minded 1 Tim. 6.17 and that they trust not in them They that forbeare all intemperate use of them They must eate in due season for strength Eccles 10.17 and not for drunkennesse Now that riches may not hurt those that possesse them take this direction Alwaies behold God in them Hos â—18 Deut. 8.18 and acknowledge him to be the giver and absolute owner of them Then will a man use them for Gods honour with thankfulnesse part with them when God doth take them away with patience Then will hee according as God hath commanded let the plenty and overplus of his estate runne over for good uses Pro. 5.16 1 Tim. 6.18 for the maintenance of Gods worship and reliefe of the poore This like the running of a spring will keepe the Well-head from gathering filth and from breeding noysome vermine which breed in standing waters Lastly hath God given unto Vse 3 any man a competent estate that hee hath wherewithall to maintain himselfe according to his place comfortably hath rather wherewithall to give than to be chargeable unto others let him thanke God and hold himselfe blessed in his outward condition In the passage from this petition which concerneth the naturall life unto those which concerne the spirituall life it must be observed that there is but one short petition for the things that concerne the naturall life whereas there are two and those larger petitions that concerne that which is spirituall Whence learne Doct. 11 The petitions for the things of this life must bee lesse insisted on than those which concerne the life of grace Though God give his children leave to aske first for things earthly yet he would have them seeke chiefly for things heavenly With all thy getting get understanding saith Salomon Pro. 4.7 Seeke first that is chiefly Gods righteousnesse Mat. 5.33 Labour not for the meate that perisheth that is labour not for this in comparison of that meate which indureth unto everlasting life Ioh. 6.27 For the life of the body is nothing Reas 1 so necessarie nor so excellent as the life of grace which is that one thing necessarie The things of this life are Reas 2 meane and worthlesse in comparison of those which belong to the spirituall for they are common to the reprobate and do a man harme if he have not grace to use them aright these which concern the life of grace are peculiar to the elect and alway doe those good which are indued with them They therefore whose desires Vse 1 and indeavours for earthly things are farre more and those also prosecuted with more earnestnesse than the desires and
indevours for the things which are heavenly are much to be blamed and are to be admonished to overcome this their earthly mindednesse lest their end be damnation because they minde earthly things Phil. 3.19 Vse 2 Let the desires of Christians therefore be fewer and lesse vehement for the things of this life and let their principall care be how their sinnes may be forgiven and the strength thereof abated the particulars whereof come now to be handled in the two next petitions The fifth Petition And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters Here follow those petitions that concerne the soule and eternall life which as they doe properly tend to the exceeding great benefit of man so do they most excellently serve for the accomplishing the chiefest desire of every good man namely the attaining of the glory of God in the comming of his kingdome and doing of his will For no man is accepted to be a subject of Christs kingdome untill his sinnes be forgiven neither can any man doe the will of God untill he be sanctified and have power against sinne Now because sinne doth hinder Gods glory and mans happinesse our Saviour directeth his Disciples to deprecate sinne and that in two respects First in respect of the guilt and punishment from which they are to desire to be acquitted and justified This is the subject of the fifth petition Secondly in respect of the dominion and power of sinne which is prayed against and is the subject of the last petition These words Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters containe a petition Forgive us our debts an argument to perswade him that asketh forgivenesse that he is capable of forgivenesse and that hee may be assured he shall be forgiven In the petition come to be cōsidered the subject of it Forgivenesse of debts the circūstāces which do set forth this forgivenesse In the subject of this petition there are to be considered the act of forgivenesse forgive and the object whereabout forgivenesse is exercised namely our debts Debts that is sinnes so Saint Luke saith Forgive us our sins And because it is set downe in the plurall number and indefinitely by debts or sinnes wee must understand all sinnes both originall and actuall veniall or smaller sinnes deadly or greater sinnes the smallest are not so little that they need no pardon and the greatest are not so hainous as that they cannot be pardoned Sinnes are called debts by similitude because man stood bound by the law first written in mans nature and after in tables of stone unto perfect obedience with this obligation Gen. 2.17 Deut. 27.26 that If he continued not in all things written in the Law the forfeiture was he should be accursed which curse comprehended in it all miseries in this world and eternall destruction in the world to come This forfeit Adam and Eve did make and in them all mankinde who daily adde unto this debt by their actuall sinnes the guilt punishment of these sinnes are the object of forgivenesse Forgive Forgivenesse is an act of grace whereby a man is acquitted from the whole guilt and is released of all the punishment of his sinne in such sort that nothing can be layed to his charge In this act of forgiving Rom. 8.33 allusion is made unto the acts of creditors to their debtors which stand bound to them in obligations to pay certaine summes of money or upon not payment to forfeit a far greater summe Now when the debter doth make this forfeit and is no way able of himselfe to discharge it if the creditor doth forbeare to sue the debtor and doth freely cancell the obligation and give to him an acquittance of that debt this act of his is To forgive It is likewise resembled by the act of a King and a judge towards such subjects as by transgressing the law had forfeited their lives into the hands of justice Now when the King of his meere grace doth remit the offence and punishment this is to pardon and forgive Such an act as this is that of Gods forgiving of a sinner Now because forgivenesse of sinnes is of the greatest consequence that can concerne man and because justification of a sinner and this act of forgivenesse is much mistaken by some wilfully by others ignorantly I will endeavour in opening the meaning of this word forgive as distinctly and as clearly as I can to shew what our desire extendeth unto when we say forgive shewing First what things do necessarily go before forgivenesse of our sinnes Secondly what it is to have them forgiven Thirdly what are those immediate effects of forgivenesse which are comprehended under it Before any man can have his sinnes forgiven two things are required First that satisfaction bee made unto the justice of God who is the partie offended by Sinne. Secondly that there bee a qualification of the partie to be forgiven by faith whereby he doth apply to himselfe the interest which he hath in the satisfaction before mentioned For although Gods forgiving of sins be in many things like mans forgiving of men their trespasses yet in this it differeth much Man by a meere single act of mercie forgiveth without satisfaction else it were no forgivenesse but in Gods forgiving there is an act of mercie mixed with justice For the Scripture saith that without shedding of bloud Heb. 9.22 that is without satisfaction and expiation for sinne there is no remission Not but that God by his absolute power and meere mercy could have forgiven mans sinne without any satisfaction of his justice Exod. 34.6 For mercie is as naturall to God as is justice and God was in himselfe free to either being no more tyed by his justice to punish sinners than by his mercie to forgive them God doth nothing out of himselfe by any naturall necessitie but doth all things freely according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1.9 And if he had so pleased he might as well out of his meere mercie have pardoned a sinner without any satisfaction as to account the guilt and inflict the punishment of mans sinne upon another upon Christ a suretie in himselfe innocent and to accept of that punishment for satisfaction But God intending to bring more glorie to his holy Name and to shew his more abundant love unto man in doing him a greater good he did in his holy wisdome make choice rather of saving man by a way of mercie tempered with justice whereby the glorie of more of his Attributes and Excellencies might shine forth and man being by this way incorporated into Christ his Saviour his salvation is made sure for ever Whereas if God had by a single act of mercie pardoned man and then have left him to stand upon his owne bottome he had remained in a great likelihood of falling againe into a like state of condemnation God intending thus to glorifie himselfe and to save man in a way of mercie but not without satisfaction
in their mindes hee will write them that is hâ—e will give them faith repentance and their sinnes and iniquities hee will remember no more Here we see that God promiseth to give knowledge of him and faith in him as well as to forgive their sinnes nay therefore hee giveth faith and the knowledge and feare of him that in a way of mercy mixed with justice he may forgive that so as he saith 〈◊〉 righteousnesse being ou◠〈◊〉 faith Rom. 3.26 God might be just 〈◊〉 justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus Christ elsewhere is said to have given himselfe for us Tit. 2.14 that hee might redeeme us from all iniquity which cannot be meant by satisfying Gods justice onely that so God if hee pleased might forgive iniquity and that man if hee pleased might beleeve as the diefiers of mans free will would have it but that he might purifie us to himselfe which he worketh by his spirit in the exercise of our * Act. 15.9 faith to be a people zealous of good workes This is the very end why God raised Christ and exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour namely to give repentance as well as forgivenesse of sinnes He doth not say Act. 5.32.32 to give forgivenesse of sinnes to the Israell of God if they will beleeve and repent but he saith absolutely to give repentance that is faith and amendment of life that their sinnes past might actually be forgiven Though faith be not in the text named yet it is understood in the word repentance faith being the first part of repentance whereby an unbeleever turneth from his unbeliefe and becommeth a beleever from whence followeth the whole change of a man by repentance to new obedience In this sense repentance is also taken Acts 2.28 as will appeare if we compare Saint Pauls answer to the Iaylours question Acts 16.31 with that of Saint Peters both answering to one and the same question in effect Peter saith Repent and be baptized Paul saith Beleeve and be baptized So that if Christ dyed and rose againe to give repentance and remission of sinnes he dyed and rose againe and was exalted to give faith and forgivenesse of sinnes Faith considerable in and about forgivenesse of sinnes is either primary or secondary The first is a beleeving in Christ that through him our sinnes may be forgiven and that we through him may bee saved The second is a beleeving that our sinnes are forgiven and that by Christ we shall be saved The first is a single and direct act of the soule Ioh. 1.12 receiving Christ and relying upon Christ and upon the promise of forgivenesse and salvation by him by vertue whereof a man is united to Christ and is ingrafted into him and before God is justified The second is a reflect act of the soule whereby in a mans conscience he hath some spirituall sense that he doth beleeve in Christ and that God hath forgiven him his sinnes and hath justified him through Christ by which act God doth by his spirit speake peace and comfort to a mans soule which is not that faith whereby wee stand just before God but that whereby we are assured our sinnes are forgiven and that we are in state of grace through Christ The primarie faith is that which is to bee chiefly prayed for in the behalfe of our selves and others before conversion The secondary faith is chiefly to be prayed for in the behalfe of our selves and others after we beleeve and are in state of grace and salvation Christs righteousnesse wherby a man is justified before God in that it was performed by Christ for man unto God is virtually and in way of right mans righteousnesse even before he doth actually beleeve and that because by the decree of God the Father and in the purpose of Christ it was performed for all that should through him beleeve But this righteousnesse of Christ is not accounted to a man nor yet is his in possession and use untill he doe indeede beleeve I speake of men of yeeres by that primary faith before spoken of nor yet is Christs righteousnesse ours in any comfortable sense of it to our selves untill we beleeve by that secondary faith before mentioned Now secondly I am to shew what it is to have sinnes to be forgiven Forgivenesse in proper speech is an act of Gods mercy in not imputing or accounting to a man his sinnes and thereupon in not punishing him for sinne Which act is called also in Scripture a taking away sinne A covering of sinne a blotting out of sinne a casting it behind his backe and the like To forgive sinne not to impute sinne and to be justified and discharged from the guilt and punishment of sinne is all one Act. 13 38.39 Here the sense of forgivenesse of sinne is to be inlarged and taken synechdocically for our whole justification and salvation that is not onely for freedome from guilt and punishment of sinne unto eternall death but also for acceptation unto favour by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse unto eternall life In this justification these two things are to be considered First the very act of forgivenesse of mans person in respect of Gods not accounting him a sinner Secondly the application and manifestation thereof unto a mans selfe wherby a man hath assurance that his sinnes are pardoned and doth actually injoy the benefits that follow forgivenesse Forgivenesse in both these respects are here meant That this may bee fully and plainely understood consider the whole order of justification It is first in the gracious purpose of the Father to forgive and justifie a sinner wherefore with the Sonne and holy Ghost he did fore-appoint him thereunto Secondly it is in the Sonne who being God and man did actually by his death and resurrection purchase this forgivenesse Thirdly it is in the holy Ghost who doth actually apply the grace and merit of Christ and so maketh a sinner capable of the favour and mercy of the Father through the merit of the Son When this application is made Christ actually by way of intercession presenteth the sinner unto his Father who thereupon doth actually receive him into favour Now after this act of acceptance of a man into favour is passed with GOD through Christ then the holy Ghost doth make application of it unto the conscience of him that is accepted In the justification of a sinner there is a blessed concurrence of the speciall acts of the three Persons in the blessed Trinity God the Sonne having made satisfaction doth also make intercession for him God the Father having imputed his sinnes to his surety Christ ceaseth to account them unto him and accounting Christs righteousnesse to him hee accepteth of him as most righteous The holy Ghost having made an inseparable union betweene Christ and the sinner he doth seale and ratifie this his justification unto him It must be diligently observed that though justification be but one individuall
David 2 Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy sinne But they doe not forgive sins authoratively as from themselves Vse 1 This condemneth the abhominable presumption of the Pope who daily taketh upon him to forgive sins Vse 2 This must teach all that would have pardon of sinne to seeke onely unto God and not to any creature living or dead Vse 3 This is comfortable to all that need and desire remission It is well for them that GOD doth not put them over to others but reserveth this power of pardoning of sinnes to himself they that come to him may be assured that he will and can forgive them Psal 86.5 for David saith He is plenteous in mercy unto all them that call on him What though our sinnes have abounded both for greatnesse and number The grace of him that pardoneth aboūdeth much more For with God is plenteous redemption Psal 130.7 All that beleeve this have Vse 4 had their sinnes pardoned must admire and praise the name of God saying with heart and voyce Who is a God like thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Micah 7.18 And with David Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy Name who forgiveth all thine iniquities Psal 103.1.3 Forgive this implieth a free gift wherefore if justification be by forgivenesse of sinne we may conclude Salvation is by the free grace Doct. 3 of God The Apostle saith We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3.24 Also he saith And you hath he quickened being dead in your sinnes having of his grace forgiven you all trespasses so the word forgive there signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.13 And God himselfe saith I even I blot out thy transgression for mine owne sake Isaiah 42.25 Either salvation must be of grace Reason or of works for it cannot be of both Rom. 11.6 for then grace were no grace or works were no works But salvation is not of works therefore of meere grace according to that of the Apostle By grace are ye saved through faith not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast Ephes 2.8.9 Quest But it may bee demanded how salvation can be said to be of Gods grace when as full satisfaction was made by Christ unto the justice of God whereby it was purchased and merited for us I answer Answ That the justification and salvation of a man to whom God hath given faith should be of Gods grace and yet of merit and therefore of justice herein is no contrarietie if we distinguish and consider different respects In respect of Christ our justification and salvation is of merit and is an act of Gods justice but in respect of us it is of grace and is an act of Gods mercy It is true that salvation is purchased for us but who did it was it not God the Sonne Man did not nor yet can he purchase his owne redemption And though we be saved by that purchase of Christ how were we ordained thereto How was Christ ordained and became a purchaser for us How came we to have the Gospell preached and to have faith by the preaching thereof and the earnest of the Spirit joyned to our faith Is not all this of Gods free grace Therefore the Apostle when hee speaketh of redemption through Christs bloud hee addeth through his rich grace Eph. 1.4.5.6.7 Had man stood in equall tearmes with God when he entred into covenāt with him and the tenour of the covenant had beene that he must keepe the Law or be damned except he himselfe could procure a sufficient suertie to suffer and be damned for him If man had then procured for himself such a suertie and the same suertie had made satisfaction in this case Gods aquitting the offender had beene a meere act of justice But Adam stood bound alone without a suertie and he having sinned both the new covenant and the suertie in whom it was established and all the meanes whereby a sinner is saved are of Gods gracious appointment accomplishment and acceptance he glorifying himselfe by saving sinfull man in a way as well of infinite mercie as of infinite justice Hence it is sith the price was of Gods gracious ordination and was payed by Christ as well very God as very man the greater the price and satisfaction was the greater is the mercie and grace of God in pardoning by such a meanes So that free grace in God and such a purchased redemption by God for man can stand well together Indeed our salvation in respect of Christ is purchased for he hath paid deare for it Therefore when hee doth mediate for us to his Father hee can and doth hold forth his merits and satisfaction for us that his Father may see that now the Law is satisfied he may without impeachment of his justice bee mercifull to such whom Christ doth present unto him But in respect of us salvation is everie way of Gods free grace Vse 1 This doth evidently overthrow all doctrine of merit of works both before and after conversion Before conversion all men are dead in sinnes and trespasses without faith and cannot please God After conversion if a man could do the will of God in all things it were but his due debt The paiment of rent orderly in time to come is no sufficient discharge and payment of debts rents or arrerages behind unpaid but alas when we have done all that is commanded the best must say Luk 17.10 he is an unprofitable servant Vse 2 How comfortable is this to afflicted and burdened sinners that see no worth in themselves and finde that they have nothing in them to pay for a release or ransome here yet they may see grace yea free grace in God If we will but aske forgivenesse 2. Cor. 5.20 and accept forgivenesse for God sueth to us by his Ministers to be reconciled to him and if we would bee thankfull for forgivenesse his name and nature is to be gracious hee must deny himselfe if he do not of his free grace forgive and save us Forgive doth import remitting of guilt and punishment of sinne Whence sith justification is by forgivenesse this followeth All that are truly justified are Doct. 4 freed from all guilt and all punishment of their sinnes The Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 He saith likewise Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Rom. 8.33 Reason 1 Christ Iesus bare all the guilt and punishment which was due unto man Isa 53.4.5.6 for it is said He bare our griefes and carried our sorrows And he was wounded for our transgressions and the Lord laid on him the iniquitie of us all And Christ is said By himselfe to have purged our sins Hebr. 1.3 Wherefore if
to their remembrance and doe so affright their conscience that their soules are much perplexed through despaire All these inconveniences would be avoided if they had asked forgivenesse of every dayes sinnes every day But of all men they are most too blame that make no care of obtaining forgivenesse till age death when often times death giveth them no warning or if it doe paines and sicknesse take up the whole man that as for the most part they have no heart because their hearts are hardened through long custome of sinne so they have time little enough then to attend and seeke ease and health for the body which is in the sense of miserie And then it shall be just with God to reject them in sicknesse and old age which in their health and youth would not accept of forgivenesse when he offered it Wherefore it shall be every Vse 4 mans greatest wisedom to aske pardon and to make his peace with God every day It is not safe to suffer sinnes to lye long unconfessed and unpardoned lest it fester Greene wounds are soonest cured with most ease to the Patient if David had â—akeâ— pardon for his adulterie that day he did 〈…〉 it he had not murthered Vriah for sinnes lying unpardoned beget other sins daily And if he had relented at the bloudie fact of killing Vriah and presently repented it would not have cost him so much horror of conscience as it did Aske pardon therefore every day then wâ— sinnes bee more particularly confessed and more distinctly and earnestly prayed against and pardon will bee sooner granted and that with lesse horror of conference Vse 5 Whereas committing of sin after knowledge and Falling oft into the same sinnes doth much affright and burden the heart of many of Gods deare children in so much that they are affraid to come so oft to God for pardon of the same sinne yea sometimes they doubt whether they be in state of grace This Doctrine doth serve to remove this doubt and these feares This salve which Christ hath prescribed to cure such sores sheweth that it is incident to his owne Disciples to have need of it And sith hee hath appointed a remedie for sinnes committed after conversion namely every day to aske forgivenesse more assurance of his favour let us daily use this remedy assuring our selves that this daies sinnes confessed and prayed against shal be forgiven as well as any committed and forgiven heretofore As the body hath relapses into the same diseases and the same physicke may be used to recure them so the soule hath relapses and the same remedy which before hath done good may and must be used againe to recover them Vs that is all such who in judgement of charitie now are or may bee Gods children Hereby our Saviour teacheth Doct 6 Every Christian ought to desire and indeavour that others may have their sinnes pardoned and their soules saved as well as their owne Our Saviour saith Father forgive them Luke 23.34 If a man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not unto death he shall aske and hee shall giue him life for them 1 Ioh. 5.16 Daniel he prayed for forgivenesse of the sinnes of the people Dan. 9.19.20 Reas 1 The like glory of Gods free grace doth manifest it selfe in their salvation as in the salvation of ones selfe Reas 2 Herein they shall shew their greatest love unto them by praying for the greatest good unto them namely forgivenesse of sinne and peace with God Love to the Church common Reas 3 wealth doth require it for while the sinnes of Gods people remaine unpardoned they doe decline and grow worse and worse and the whole Church and State is exposed unto Gods judgements This moved Ezra to pray for the people fearing lest God should bee angry with them till he had consumed them because they had married strange wives Ezra 9.10.14 Wherefore all that hinder Vse 1 those meanes of salvation which should worke in their neighbours a sight of sinne griefe for it and faith in Christ are much to be blamed whether they withstand the preaching of the Gospell that it cannot bee preached in the places where they dwell or whether they use all devices to keepe them from hearing the word where it is preached or doe use any inticing or compulsive meanes to draw them into sin Thousands there be of this sort grosse hypocrites as they are for they will say Forgive us when yet they take all courses to clogge others with the guilt and make them obnoxious to the temporall and eternall punishment of many sins if ever they had obtained pardon themselves they would not thus hinder the meanes of forgivenesse of the sinnes of their neighbours Vse 2 Let all that professe the name of Christ do what in them is to procure the salvation of their brethren pray for them shew them their miserie shew them Gods mercie use all meanes that they may beleeve and as for such as doe beleeve but yet are full of doubtings pray unto God that he would say to their soules that he is their GOD. Thus doing you shall honour God and give good proofe that your owne sinnes are pardoned you shall shew love to your neighbour and you shall be a meanes to convert a sinner and comfort a distressed soule Lastly whereas the sinnes of Vse 3 many fearefull and tender hearted Christians doe oppresse them that they as they think cannot pray for forgivenesse they onely can grone and sigh out requests but cannot expresse them such as these may take comfort and raise up their spirits by thinking on this Doctrine What though they cannot satisfie themselves in their owne prayers they must not be so uncharitable as to thinke that others cannot pray Yes they can pray and must and doe pray for the forgivenesse of your sinnes Live upon their stocke when yee have little of your owne The Papists talke of a Treasury of the Church wherein are reserved the overplus of the merits of Saints that when men lacke merits of their owne the Pope may furnish them with some merits of others This treasurie is but a fiction but this doctrine commendeth unto you the true Treasury of the Church First Christ Iesus who commanded all Christians on earth to pray one for another he did pray for you Ioh. 17. and he ever liveth to make intercession for you Heb. 7.25 Next him all faithfull Christians doe according to the will of God pray for you which prayers of theirs are daily offered up by Christ for you Out of this treasurie of others prayers you shall assuredly obtaine pardon for all their fervent prayers cannot but availe with the Lord because they pray for you by his appointment as you see in this text Vs that is such as were mentioned in the former petition for whom they aske bread namely their living neighbors whence note Forgivenesse of sinne is to be Doct. 7 asked for the living not for the dead If it were a
on Christ Iesus who is the surety for man And be wee sure to confesse and aske forgivenesse of this debt and never give over untill it have pleased God to seale an acquittance unto our consciences by his Spirit which he will give to all that aske it This wee should doe Luk. 11. â—5 because sinne is a debt and that of most dangerous consequence Debts Our Saviour doth not say debt as speaking of one debt or of one kinde of debt but hee saith debts that is all kinde of sinnes as well veniall as mortall if we may use that distinction as well small as great From hence observe Doct. 10 Whosoever would be justified before God must be beholding to God for the free forgivenesse of all his sinnes as well as of any David saith Hee forgiveth all thine iniquities Psal 103.3 Reas 1 All sinnes are mortall and of themselves damnable For Cursed is every one that conâ—inueth not in all things written iâ— the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 Wherefore if all sinnes be not pardoned a man abideth under the curse there denounced Reas 2 All sinnes are veniall and pardonable in Christ to all beleevers and penitent persons therfore they may expect pardon of all as well as of any one This confuteth the tenent of Vse 1 Papists which hold that such sinnes which they call veniall doe not deserve hell and may be done away by crossing and knocking the brest by holy water by any worke of charitie and such slight satisfactions Let all that will be saved be Vse 2 glad they may bee beholding unto GOD for pardon of all their sinnes and let us aske for remission of all sinnes God can as well pardon all and the greatest sinnes as one of the least and the least sinne hath need to be pardoned as well as the greatest for a Musket shot will kill as well as the shot of a great Ordenance As we forgive our debters These words are the reason serving to strengthen the faith of such as are to aske forgivenesse Here therfore we learne Doct. 11 In asking forgivenesse of sinne it is meet that reasons be used to expresse what ground a man hath to aske and to expect forgivenesse Thus David yeeldeth reasons why God should have mercy on him first from his tender mercy then from his owne confession of his sins then from his faith in Christ and from the effects which would follow upon Gods shewing mercy to him all which may be plainely seene in Psal 51.1.3.7 c. Reason Apt reasons serve much to imbolden and incourage a sinner to come before God and this he hath need of because Satan hath many devices to keepe him from asking forgivenesse as sometimes to hide from his sight the uglinesse and danger of sinnes causing him to forget his sinne or to thinke there is no great need of pardon Iâ— this fetch of his will not prevaile then he setteth all his sins before him and stretcheth them upon the tenters of aggravation making them seeme bigger than they are pleading Gods wrath and justice against them Now against arguments of discouragements and feares reasons of asking forgivenesse are very usefull They are therefore to blame Vse 1 who aske forgivenesse of their sinnes and yet cannot render a true reason why they should expect forgivenesse Let all that would breake Vse 2 through all discouragements and would aske forgivenesse of their sins with confidence furnish their hearts with strong arguments taken from Gods nature and Gods commandement to aske and from Gods promise of forgivenesse or from their misery and capablenesse to be forgiven or the like that when they come to GOD in prayer though they are not to goe about to perswade God with arguments to grant that which of himselfe he is not inclined to yet they may use arguments to perswade themselves to aske and hope for forgivenesse As we forgive them that trespasse against us Note here those which make this petition must be able to say truely they forgive others that thereby they may approve themselves to be capable of forgivenesse from God and that they have good reason to expect it Hereby we learne Doct. 12 Whosoever would have God forgive them their sinnes they must be able truely to say they forgive all other their trespasses against them Our Saviour saith If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mat. 6.14.15 Also he saith When yee stand praying forgive if yee have ought against any Mark 11.25 God hath expresly commanded Reas 1 every Christian to forgive one another Eph. 4.32 Col. 3.13 Now if man will not for his sake at his commandement forgive one hundred pence why should hee expect that God should forgive him ten thousand talents at his intreatie God hath promised forgivenesse Reas 2 to all that from their heart forgive their brethren their trespasses Mat. 18.35 Mat. 6.14 15. To forgive another in mercy Reas 3 and compassion towards men and in conscience towards God this is a signe that God hath already begun to forgive us because that our forgivenesse of our neighbour is but a reflexe of Gods former forgiving of us for Gods love to us first maketh us love our brethren Now if we can assure our selves God hath begun to pardon us wee may assure our selves hee will againe pardon our sinnes if we aske it Ob. It doth belong onely to God to forgive trespasses Sol. In every wrong done to man there is a double trespasse one against man another against God whose commandement is broken by that trespasse done to man Now it is most true that God onely can forgive the sinne and trespasse against him and no man must presume to forgive the sin comitted against God onely hee is to intreate God to forgive the sinne committed in the wrong done to him as Stevâ— did Acts 7.60 who said Lord lay not their sinne to their charge But forgivenesse spoken of in the point is of forgivenesse not of the sinne but of the wrong and trespasse against man The Scripture alloweth men to require their debts Ob. and if they be wronged to complaine to the Magistrate and for that cause both magistracie and judiciall constitutions were set up in the common-wealth of Israel therefore it may seeme all trespasses are not to be remitted In every wrong done unto us Sol. there are two things concurre First defect of love in him that wrongeth us which is apt to beget the like defect in us to cause us to cease to love him yea to spite and seeke revenge The second thing is there is some hurt or damage groweth either to our name life or goods which worketh in us that are wronged desire of satisfaction and recompence for the hurt done unto us The first of these namely their ill will to us must alwayes be forgiven so that all ill will in us to them and all
purpose of revenge must absolutely and utterly be laid downe by us and of this forgivenesse the petition speaketh of requiring of debts and of satisfaction for the second evill in the wrong done to us that is for the hurt and damage wee sustained by the wrong is that which the Scripture alloweth us to require Yet because requiring of debts and satisfactions may proceed from malice and revenge difference must bee put betweene one wrong and another some are small and they do us little damage and the consequence of them cannot bee to any great harme some other wrongs are great which do much hurt our names goods or lives and the consequent of them is great Againe satisfactions must be distinguished some are to be made to the Magistrate others unto the partie wronged Now all those smaller wrongs which are no great blemish to our name or any great empairing of our goods or quiet must be remitted even in respect of satisfaction 1. Pet. 4.8 because love should cover all such offences And if we seeke satisfactions in these cases it must needs proceed from want of love and from some degree of revenge except the Magistrate and common-wealth be interessed in the cause and do require us to prosecute such offenders for to make them examples to like offenders but then it must bee done in love and mercy to their persons But if the damage be greater than love is bound to passe by In what case a maÌ„ may go to Law and how because in our name life and goods we are much wronged or the consequent of not seeking satisfaction would be much to our damage or to the dishonour of God and religion as in some cases it falleth out where the matter of the wrong is not alwayes great in such cases the Scripture alloweth us to seeke satisfactions but with these and the like cautions and rules First be sure the cause of the complaint be good and just Secondly that as I said it be a matter of weight 1. Cor. 6.5.6 Thirdly that it be necessary for what may be well composed otherwise must not beâ— brought to the Magistrate Fourthly the prosecution oâ— a suit or complaint must not be in an ill manner as in splâ— and malice or by any indirect and unlawfull courses but 〈◊〉 love and in a legall way Fifthly the end of the proâ—â—cution must be good as to reâ—ver his right without whiâ— he cannot well live withâ— his owne or others great prejudice or it must ayme at the suppression of the wicked Psal 10.17.18 1 Cor. 5.5 Deut. 19.19.20 1. Tim. 2.2 or chiefly at their reformation or for the terrour of others or last of all that we may live in peace The objections being answered and the doctrine thereby explained the uses follow All malicious and revengefull Vse 1 persons who will yet say this petition are hereby condemned of grosse hypocrisie and lying to Gods face when in words they say they do forgive but in truth they do not And withall in saying these words they must know that they make an imprecation against themselves so that God may in justice according to their owne words not forgive them because they do not forgive others And if any leave out this clause out of the Lords Prayer because they hate their brethren they are guilty of no lesse sinne than he that uttereth it in hypocrisie They that revenge themselves upon their neighbours wrong God more than their neighbour could wrong them for they usurpe upon his divine prerogative Ro. 12.19 for vengeance is mine saith God I will repay Therefore they should not give place to wrath for if they would be patient God would right them Let all these unmercifull and revengefull spirits consider what is said in the parable of him that would not forgive his fellow-servant Mat 18.34 He was deliuered to the tormentors and let them also consider that thâ—â— shall be judgement mercilesse 〈◊〉 him that hath shewed no mercie Iam. 2.13 Let everie one that would have God forgive him his sins freely from his heart forgive all those that trespasse and wrong him Let us for this cause put 〈◊〉 bowels of mercie Colos 3.12.13 kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long suffering forbearing one another and then this will follow forgiving one another No man can wrong us so much as we daily trespasse against God therefore if he forgive us the greater we must forgive the lesse No man can wrong us so much as our Saviour was wronged for us Luk. 23.34 yet he forgave his persecutours and hath left us his example that we should follow his steps And because no man shall have the like provocations that Gods children shall have they have need of much faith wherefore that wee may forgive our brethren untill seven times a day let us with the Disciples pray Lord increase our faith Luk. 17.4 5. If any man have a mercifull heart though sometimes his Vse 3 heart wil begin to rise and boile against his brother yet if he can and do keep it downe and doth put away al purpose of revenge freely forgiving his brother this man should herein take comfort because he may with boldnesse aske and expect of God that he will forgive him For mercy rejoyceth against judgement Iam. 2.13 The sixt Petition And leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill When a man having beene wearied with the burden of the guilt of sinne and with the feare of Gods wrath hath at the length by earnest sute obtained forgivenesse of all his sinnes and also peace with God his next desire and care is how he may keepe this peace by endeavouring to spend the rest of his time in holinesse willing in all things to please God The thing contrary to this holinesse is the act of sinne which is here called evill The cause of this evill is temptation both which are deprecated in this petition and the contrary namely good motions unto holinesse with perseverance therein are prayed for The subject therefore of this petition is sanctification consisting of abstinence from evill and perseverance in doing that which is good The place and order of this petition is excellent for by obtaining what is here asked a man keepeth his peace with God and holdeth the assurance of pardon of his sinnes Secondly holines bringeth with it convenient meanes for this present life for it hath the promise thereof 1. Tim. 4.8 or contentment with want 1. Tim. 6.6 Thirdly it enableth a man to do the will of God on earth Fourthly it is a proofe that the kingdome of God is come unto him Lastly when grace is obtained and sinne beaten downe in the same measure Gods name shall be glorified Thus it appeareth how all the petitions in a perfect order are linked one to another all the five latter serving the first and principall namely the glory of God in hallowing his name This petition is propounded in two sentences joyned together
Thes 3.5 J sent to know your faith lest by some meanes the tempter have tempted you But to say that God doth thus tempt any man is blasphemy for Saint Iames saith Iam. 1.13 God tempteth no man because he cannot be tempted to evill But to leade into temptation taken in the good sense as it proceedeth from God is onely such an act or acts of Gods soveraignty and wise providence concerning man whereby it so commeth to passe that a man is exposed to the temptations either of Sathan of other men or of a mans owne euill lusts who are the proper and onely actors of temptation unto sinne In this act of leading into temptation allusion may in part be made unto the acts of a Generall of an Army who may according to his discretion lead which band he pleaseth and set them in the Forlorne hope the place of greatest danger and may keepe which band he pleaseth in the Reserve or in some Fort the place of greatest safety It may likewise be somewhat resembled by an act of the Moderator of the games of combats where none might enter the lists and play their prize but according to the permission and appointment of the overseer and moderator of those exercises The Lord God hee is the great Lord of hosts and is the over-seer and over-ruler of the great Theater of the world who doth at his pleasure moderate and order all actions therin in perfection of wisedome to his owne glory Evill is either evil of punishment which is temporall prayed against in the fourth petitioÌ„ eternall prayed against in the fift petition Or evill of sinne which is referred either to persons or actions When this word evill noteth out a person in Scripture it signifieth the divell who because he is of himselfe so exceeding evill and doth make it his worke to infect all men with evill he is called the evill or the evill one So he that Math. 13.19 is called the evill one in the Greeke is v. 39. called the divell Some would restraine this word evill that it should meane the divell as if hee onely were prayed against in this petition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that because this word evill in the Greeke hath his article joyned with it which giveth an emphasis to evill pointing at some speciall evill one which is the divell I doe grant that sometimes these articles do give a speciall force unto the words to which they are annexed yet for the most part the Greekes use to adde them rather for a grace and ornament of speech and are so used seven or eight times at least in the Lords prayer So that seeing there is no necessitie in respect of the word evill to understand the divell onely and because evill of sinne is most opposite to sanctification I thinke that it is not Christs meaning to restraine the word evill unto him Evill hath respect to actions and then by evill is meant any irregularitie or swarving in any action contrary to the will of God to which will of God evil of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly standeth in opposition in which sense it must be taken in this petition and if wee put any emphasis in the article it may as wel denote evill of sinne in generall as any particular evill yet here I doe not exclude the divell as if hee were not meant at all to be praied against but doe include both him and evill men and the evill world the euill heart and all other things so farre as they are movers and inticers unto evill In this very sense are the same words used by Christ saying Father Ioh 17.15 keepe them from the evill or from wickednesse So 1 Ioh. 5.19 The world lyeth in euill or wickednesse And that of the Apostle Rom. 12.9 is without all exception Abhor 〈◊〉 that which is evill cleave to that which is good Evill is here taken indifferently for all manner of evill of sinne and whatsoever doth conduce unto it Deliver implyeth two things First preservation from falling into sin Secondly helpe of God to rise out of sin by repentance both these deliverances are here meant Keeping from evill in Christs prayer Ioh. 17.15 and deliver from evill in this prayer have one meaning When Paul saith Rom 7.24 Who shall deliver he meaneth who shall give mee power against this body of sinne And that Gods giving of repentance is deliverance from evill that saying of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.25.26 maketh it manifest where Gods giving men repentance verse 25. is all one with recovering themselves out of the snare of the divell which evil is without our question prayed against in â—hose words Deliver us from evill Vs in both clauses leade us and deliver us noteth out the same persons mentioned in the fourth petition scil our selves all our brethren that live upon the earth That we may understand the meaning of this Petition more fully more cleâ—ly it is to be considered what grace of God it is which is heâ— prayed for by vertue whereof a man may be delivered from the evill here deprecated First wee pray that God by an act of his gracious providence would free us if it might be from the very temptation unto sinne namely that wee may be delivered and kept from seducers corrupters that they may not tempt us unto evill according as Saint Paul prayed that Satans buffeting 2 Cor. 11.7.8 the prickâ— in the flesh might depart froâ— him Wee may pray that God would please not to leade us unto temptation Moreover sith GOD hath thought it meete that his owne children should bee exercised with manifold tentations and the flesh the world and the divell conspire to assault us with temptations it cannot be but we shall daily bee tempted Wherefore prayer also is to bee made unto God that he would not leade us into temptation that is hee would bee pleased to uphold us and that hee would so effectually worke in us by the grace of his spirit that we may not be insnared by it and held under the power of it so as to be overcome made to yeeld to commit that sinne to which we are tempted This speciall and effectuall grace is it which is requisite both that we may resist temptations and that wee may have both will and ability to live holily righteously in the whole course of our life By this effectuall grace I understand not onely such a work of the holy spirit of God that inlighteneth the minde and which cureth the will by an immediate influence so farre as onely to raise the will from its naturall propensitie to evill to a meere indifferency to resist a temptation to evill if a man will and to imbrace a motion to good if he will But it is such a powerfull worke of the Spirit that it causeth the will so to decline evill that it will resist the temptation if he can and
causeth the will so to incline to good that it will imbrace the motion therunto perform it if he can For true saving grace is goodnesse making the sinfull and evil will of man holy and good Now the goodnesse and holinesse of the will of man reformed doth not consist in a bare power to resist evill and to doe good if a man will but it is an habituall disposing of the will to that which is good onely Hence it is that although by reason of the dominion of the flesh before a man is regenerate and by reason of the remaines of the flesh after he is regenerate he is apt to resist for a time may actually resist exhortations and motions unto good actions also is apt to take part with a temptation to evill and for a time to yeeld unto it yet this saving grace of God is so powerfull that in the end it prevaileth against all opposition made against it For this gracious work of God doth so cleare change the judgement will and affections and doth so powerfully purge and convince the conscience of a man that it taketh away froÌ„ him a wil to resist a motion unto good and it taketh a-away from him a will to take part with a tentation to evill so that his former unwillingnes to good his former willingnesse to evill ceaseth and therefore hee hath no longer a will actually to resist that which is good though in respect of the nature of the will there doth remaine a possibility of resisting if the will were otherwise disposed The will of man which was ill disposed having formerly lost its freedome to good being in bondage to sinne and to Sathan is now by this grace of GOD rightly disposed being freed and set at liberty to bend it self from sinne towards holinesse and iâ— thereby inabled actually to refuse the evill and to choose the good This alteration and change in the will of man and the effectuall determination of it by Gods grace infused is not made by any constraint of the will for the will cannot be constrained And it is without any the least infringing of the liberty of mans will in a most free production of his acts For it is effected by a gentle by a sweet and by a gratious drawing forth the act of the will in a morall way by force of argument and perswasion For it causeth together with the propounding that divine truths are received with that clearenesse and evidence in mans judgement that in reason hee neither can nor will chuse but beleeve them Likewise this good grace causeth sinnes from which a man is dehorted to appeare to him so odious and abhorrent that he in reason neither can nor will chuse but refuse and shun them when in a temptation they are presented to him Also it maketh the good to which a man is exhorted and moved to appeare so lovely so desirable and so choise worthy that he in reason neither can nor will choose but to imbrace it and endeavour to performe it 2 Cor. 8.16.17 In this manner was the will of Titus drawn forth into act according as Saint Paul testifieth when he saith Thankes be to God which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you for indeed he accepted the exhortation This grace doth so strengthen the inner man with might by a plentifull and powerful shedding the love of God into mans heart that it causeth such an ardency of love unto God and causeth such an intension of will to please God and such a conviction of the conscience of his duty to God that the love of Christ 2 Cor. 5.14 to use the Apostles phrase constraineth him and prevaileth powerfully overcommeth his old contrary delight and concupiscence of the flesh so that the old man of sin cannot doe the evill nor yet hinder the good which it would Gal 5.17 For when God pleaseth to worke in man effectually to salvation hee doth by his grace first inlighten the minde and heale the will of its imbred aversenesse and adversenesse to good and of its pronesse to evill Isa 57.17.18 and this hee doth by his spirit ingenerating and infusing a spirituall principle of grace giving to man a divine new nature 2 Pet. 1.3.4 which is as the soule of the soul by which mans will is not left indifferent and indetermined to doe or not do but by which it is made apt Psa 119. â—0 and by which it doth bend and presse forward unto the performance of all such actions as doe tend to a supernaturall end such as tend to Gods glory and eternall life this hee doth by his prevenient grace then from this inward and vital principle God by his subsequent grace preoperating and setting man on worke the understanding will and affections do apply themselves according as they are occasioned by their objects and their God assisting the acts of faith hope and charity are drawne forth and perfected This grace therefore whereby a man is delivered from evil is not onely an habituall grace giving a power onely to the will leaving it in the pleasure of the will to suspend whether it will resist a temptation or no but it is an actuall grace improving the habituall power which God infused into the heart of man in the first act of true conversion which it doth by adding new strength whereby it assisteth and stirreth up the will and draweth forth its ability into the act both to nill and to shunne what is sinfull and to will and to doe what is honâ— and godly For as no man hath so much as a power to will to abstaine from sinne without habituall grace so neither can he actually abstaine from sinne without actuall grace The morall power of abstaining from sinne floweth from that good habit of grace which prevaileth over the naturall power of the will causing it to cease its indifferency to good or evill and to incline unto good onely and that not in generall as by the naturall power of the will it may doe but in speciall namely to the good of holinesse and honesty This good habit is by a speciall grace of God brought into act not onely to will but to doe that which is good Phil. 2.13 and acceptable in his sight For God not onely determines the will to the substance of the act by a way of determination naturall but also to the goodnesse of it by way of determination supernaturall This grace God giveth to one and not to another not because of his fore-sight of what one would doe and another would not or because one hath disposed himselfe for it by the readinesse of his will or by some other good worke and the other hath not but of his meere good pleasure Phil. 2.13 Therfore he that would have it must aske it of God by prayer That it is needfull to the producing of good workes of faith repentance new obedience and of
perseverance that GOD should afford first his prevenient superoperating grace to begin the good worke in the will of man whereby the will being an active power doth suboperate and actually will to beleeve will to repent and to resist a temptation to live godly and to persevere and also that it is needfull that God do afford a subsequent prevailing grace whereby a man under God by his helpe may indeed beleeve repent resist a temptation and doe what may be pleasing in Gods sight and also persevere this is evident both by the Scriptures namely Philip. 2.13 and elsewhere as also by the experience of the best children of God God hath given the Apostle grace to will for hee saith Rom. 7 1â— 18.19 to will was present with him when yet he wanted power to doe the good which he would for he saith also how to perform that which was good hee found not The Spouse had grace to wil to runne after Christ yet in the sense of her inability actually to runne she prayeth thus Cant. 1.4 Draw me and we will runne after thee Our Saviour saith Ioh. 6.44 none can come to him except the Father draw him That man commeth to Christ that is beleeveth in him this is the formal and proper act of man but that hee is wrought to this act this is of God by his grace as effectuall as if he were forcibly drawne Now if God should give onely a lesse measure of grace that is if he onely raise the will to an indifferency to will if a man will and shall suspend the concourse of his gracious power requisite to the act of willing and doing that which is good untill the will by its owne liberty now restored by grace shall determine whether it will choose or refuse to will or to doe man in this state shall never partake of that gracious concourse whereby a man should actually will or doe any thing that is truely morally good for man in this state will never determine to will or to doe that which is good but rather the contrary For since mans fall the remaines of inbred sinfulnesse even in the regenerate which doth so easily beset him Heb. 12.1 together with the addition of the weight of a temptation these will if God adde no more then a generall concourse of his power which hee affordeth to the substance of al mens actions good or bad or if hee onely be ready to yeeld a speciall gracious concourse to the doing of a good worke which hee is a like ready to yeeld unto all upon supposition that their will shall first determine to wil or to doe it the weight I say of the disposition of the flesh lusting against the spirit the weight of the temptation will cause that the wils indifferency to good shall cease and the will of man will actually determine for that which is evill Whence it must of necessity follow that every man will inevitably fall into sinne and will live and dye in it and so no man can possibly be saved for wee may well reason thus If our first father Adam who had not in his will two contrary principles flesh and spirit who had not two contrary dispositions and propensities fighting weighing one against the other as every man even he that is most regenerate now hath But if Adams will was habitually and perfectly well disposed to the choise of good only having not the least propensity to evill and had no weakenesse but what was common to him as a creature namely a possibility through freedome of his will to choose the evill and to refuse the good if he would it being possible that he might be deceived in judgement yet because when he was tempted though with no other temptation but such as by his habituall grace he might easily have resisted God left him to the liberty and power of his owne will and did not afford him a speciall helpe by his grace he was overcome of the temptation Let it now be considered if Adam in state of innocency and in a state of perfection if when he was left to the liberty and power of his will the temptation caused his will that was in equall balance to will and to make choise of that which was evill being overcome of the temptation is it possible that any man living who shall have onely grace to will and do well if he will who shall have no more grace of God till first he himselfe hath determined to will that which is good shal ever actually withstand daily temptations or being fallen shall ever rise out of his fall for hee never will will either to resist the temptation or by repentance to rise out of his sinne The matter of this petition and the words being explained they carry this sense O Lord God which lovest good and hatest evill thou which over-rulest and disposest all things by thy divine providence now that of thy mercy thou hast delivered me and all other of us that beleeve from the punishment of all our sinnes past in forgiving all our trespasses do not now we beseech thee expose us unto the temptations of the wicked world of the divell or of our owne evill hearts but that whensoever they assault us to entice us or enforce us to evill we may by the power of thy grace and might resist and overcome them And whereas through our frailty we are fallen and daily doe fall into sinne Lord give grace unto us to rise out of our sinne by hearty repentance For this cause vouchsafe unto us thy holy spirit that good motions may be put into us and may be strengthened in us that by the deeds thereof we may mortifie the deeds of the flesh Let the same good spirit also frame us unto and uphold us in an holy course of new obedience that we may serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life to the glory of thy most holy Name in doing thy will Lead us not c. It is evident that sanctification and holinesse of life is the principall thing aymed at in this petition whence if we observe with it the conjunction and which joyneth this to the other petition wee learne Jt ought to be the desire and Doct. 2 endeavour of all Christians as well to be holy in this life as to be happie in that which is to come As well to have power against sinne as pardon of it as well to be sanctified as justified Christ prayeth for all that did should beleeve saying J pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keepe them from evill Ioh. 17.15 and verse 17. Sanctifie them with thy truth David speaking of presumptuous sinnes saith to God Let them not have dominion over me Psal 19.13 The like prayer he maketh against all sinnes saying Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Psal 119.133 The whole tenor of
Scripture is that we should abhorre that which is evill and cleave to that which is good Rom. 12.9 Reas 1 For Iustification and Sanctification are so inseparably conjoined that no man hath his sins forgiven who hath not withall the fruit of it unto repentance and holinesse of life here in this life This I shall make evident by these arguments following 1 It is one part of the new Covenant of grace that men should be holy and for that cause God hath not onely required holiness to be shewne on their part but hath promised as well to write his Law in the hearts of his people Heb. 8.10.12 as to be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and not to remember their sinne 2. It is one end to which God hath chosen men in Christ to be holy Eph. 1.4.5 and without blame before him in love as well as to be adopted children by Christ to obtaine everlasting life 3. It is the end of the office and comming of our Saviour Iesus Christ and of the merit and efficacy of his death resurrection and intercession not onely that beleevers should obtaine forgivenesse of sinne and everlasting life but that so many as the Father gave unto him might beleeve repent and live holily and righteously in this present world Tit. 2.14 hee purging them to himselfe to be a peculiar people zealous of good workes 4. It is the end of the Scriptures not onely to lay the foundation of faith for the remission of sinnes that through consolation thereof Ioh. 15 4. Ioh. 17.7 Eph. 5.26 beleevers might have hope but also to sanctifie and cleanse them from the filthinesse of their sinnes that they might be holy and without blemish 5. It is the end of everie Christian mans profession and calling 1. Thess 4.7 not only to beleeve and hope to be saved by Christ but also to be holy and to become the servant of Christ 6. It is the end why God sendeth his Spirit into their hearts and causeth it to dwell in his children Rom 8.16 not onely to be a spirit of adoption to witnesse to their spirits that they are Gods children but also to be a spirit of sanctification to worke out the stony heart Ezâ—k 36.26 27. and to frame in them a new heart causing them to walke in his statutes and to do them 7. It is the end of the Sacraments the seales of the new Covenant not onely to signifie and seale remission of sinnes by Iesus Christ but also that by him all that beleeve in him being ingrafted into the similitude of his death and resurrection Rom. 6.4 5 6. should dye unto sinne and walke in newnesse of life These things considered it is most apparant that justification and sanctification are never severed in one and the same partie wherefore he that prayeth for and expecteth to be justified must also pray and indeavour to approve himselfe to be sanctified A second generall reason why all Christians should pray for and labour after holinesse is because if a man be not holy and righteous in this life he is not capeable of true glory and happinesse in heaven in the life to come and that whether we respect God or a mans selfe remaining in his sinne God will not admit him let him make what claime hee can unto the kingdome of heaven his put off shall be Luk 13.27 Depart from me I know you not ye workers of iniquity For without holinesse no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 But suppose it were possible that a sinfull man might be admitted into heaven heaven would be no heaven to him The place persons and exercises there would be tedious and a vexation unto him For all things there are things of God holy and spirituall most contrarie to the disposition of a natural and carnall man 1. Cor 2.14 God saith The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God they are foolishnesse unto him To whom Gods ordinances and presence in them as in hearing praying and praising God and to whom holy company and holy conference is tedious in this life the same heart and affections remaining even these and the like things would be an hell to them even in heaven For to make a man happy even in heaven it is needfull that the faculties and powers of his soule be so fully rectified and perfected that hee may comprehend and enjoy the object that thing wherein mans happinesse doth consist Now though Gods presence in his glory and in his goodnesse which is the object of mans happinesse is alwayes in heaven yet if the understanding the will and the affections of a man be not sanctified and thereby made capeable of and suteable to the object what content and joy can he take therein It is with the reasonable soule in the apprehension of intellectual and spiritual things as it is with the senses in bodily objects Colours though never so orient and various yet they can give no delight to a blinde or ill-affected eye Sounds though never so melodious cannot delight a deafe or ill-affected eare Meat and drink though never so well relished and delicious cannot delight him whose pallat is out of taste nay the best do savour and taste ill with such a one Even so the most spirituall things in heaven would be so farre from delighting a carnall and unholy man that they would seeme to his fancy very foolishnes and they would be to him a very vexation Vse 1 It is therefore an intolerable fault for a man to professe the name of Christ and yet to live ungodly Num. 23.10 this is the fault of too many who desire to have their sinnes forgiven but desire not to have them mortified they desire to go to heaven like cursed Balaam when they dye but endeavour not to be holy while they live But as if this were not enough to be sinfull themselves many do make a jest at all conscionable living in others and a scorne of all that endeavour to keep a good conscience in all things and yet will expect that Christ shall save them How hath the devill deceived these men yet thousands are justly given over to this strong delusion If any of you shall happen to cast your eyes on these lines consider the Doctrine in hand and learne that for certaine he that is not holy in this life shall not bee happy in the life to come For whomsoever God justifieth Rom. 6. those he sanctifieth and whosoever have faith to partake of Christs merits do by the same faith partake of the vertue of Christs death to the killing of sinne and of the vertue of his life and resurrection to the quickening of the inward man And at the day of judgement all that professe Christ and yet obey not the Gospell of Christ 2 Thes 1.8 shall be burnt in flames of Gods vengeance as well as those which know not the Gospell and professe it not at all For
should desire and labour to be holy namely for its owne sake for our neighbours sake for our owne sake for Religion sake but chiefly for the honour and glory of our God even for Gods sake Meanâ—â— e godly For this cause we must learne to know the wayes of godlines by frequent reading and hearing the Word which Word as it is the rule so it is the ministry and meanes of obtaining the Spirit of God which is the Author of godlinesse Moreover though the Word and holy Spirit dwell in us we must stirre up this Spirit and be very circumspect and watch unto well-doing praying unto God to give us both to will and to do that which is according to godlinesse and lastly let us converse much with those that live holily Who so doth thus shall be able in some good measure to subdue his wickednesse and shal increase in true holinesse Leade thou and deliver thou The person prayed unto here to be understood is God without whom no man can be delivered from evill Vnto him our Saviour sendeth his Disciples to make this petition Whence observe Whosoever would be preserved Doct. 2 from sinne or delivered out of it and would leade a godly life must obtaine it wholly of the gift and free grace of God The Lord must give grace else no man can be holy Ioh. 15.5 Without me you can do nothing saith our Saviour I am the Lord thy God which teach thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way which thou shouldest go saith the Lord Isaiah 48.17 It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do at his good pleasure saith the Apostle Philip 2.13 And he saith The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16.20 Man is of himselfe insufficient Reas 1 to thinke so much as a good 2. Cor. 3.5 thought much lesse is he able to make himselfe holy Before his conversion he is dead in sinnes and trespasses and in the very power of sinne and Satan who taketh him captive at his will After his conversion 2. Tim. 2.26 he is fraile and disposed of himselfe to returne to his former evill conversation if the Lord do not support and enable him to stand by his grace The way of man is not in himselfe it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Iere. 10.23 If man cannot order himselfe in the smaller things which concerne the outward man much lesse can he dispose himselfe in the greatest which concerne the inward in the matters of sanctification If God do not prevent man with his grace he cannot so much as will that which is good and being prevented if God pursue him not with his grace he shall but will in vaine Rom 7.18 to will may be present with him and yet he may not find ability to do that which is good this was the Apostles case and the case of Ephraim Ier 31.18 For when we have done what we can and do as much as lyeth in our power which yet wee must not bee wanting in yet conversion actuall resisting of temptation and new obedience is out of our power any further then wee are holpen by Gods free grace The adversaries unto holinesse Reas 2 are most subtill and mightie they are principalities powers and spirituall wickednesses that if they be not resisted by a stronger even by the power of Gods might Eph. 6.10 12 13. they will prevaile unto ungodlinesse man cannot be able to withstand in the evill day As God onely is able to overcome Reas 3 sinne and give grace so God hath in his wisedome reserved it as a part of his divine prerogative himselfe to bestow it For he knew wel that if man could conferre grace or could attaine it by any meanes without him or having obtained some initiall or preparative grace may then have the prime stroke in the doing of a good worke by his owne free-will then al the praise thereof would be given to man God should have none and man would grow so proud that he would claime heaven by merit and flesh would glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.29.30 if God were not mans sanctification as well as his redemption Vse 1 First this confuteth the Popish doctrine of free-will which teacheth that a man hath power of himselfe without Gods speciall grace to resist temptation This also confuteth those that do not acknowledge that God wholly and of his free grace and meere good pleasure doth bestow the gift of faith repentance perseverance to any man but according to their works at least according to this work namely if they will what is this if not Pelagianisme condemned by the Orthodox long since who opposed those men which held that God giveth grace to men according as they dispose themselves thereunto for want of which disposition hee denyeth it to others Thus making the act of faith either not at all to bee the worke of God any more then by concurrence to the substance of the act or to make him to be the lesse principall worker of it and withall that what God in the second place doth he is held to do it according to mans worke preceding which taketh away the chiefe praise from God and giveth it to a mans selfe because it suspendeth faith repentance and every good worke upon the determination of manâ— will Indeed man neither doth nor can beleeve or repent untill first hee himselfe determine in his will to beleeve and repent but this hee cannot do before that God hath wrought this determination in his will by the grace of his holy Spirit by which also hee enableth him actually to beleeve to repent and to do the things that are acceptable in his sight God first doth worke the power then the will and also the deed God inclineth and swayeth mans will to follow his and doth not expect and stay untill man doth will and then follow it It iâ— impossible to the working of mans will that God having given him a power to will should expect that man should first produce the act of willing and then should graciously concur to the said act For what need shall there be of Gods concurrence to draw forth the act of a mans will when he hath willed alreadie Moreover if God by his grace did onely give a man power to will and to do if he will and if God shall there wait and proceed no further by the helpe of his grace untill men have willed then the efficacie of mans willing doth depend not upon Gods purpose and upon Gods grace given according to the purpose of Gods will but it doth depend originally and principally upon mans wil and hereby man shall be made a converter of himselfe before God have converted him and it may rather be said contrary to the Apostle that man worketh in God the will and the deed Phili. 2.13 then to acknowledge that God worketh in man the will and the
deed and it may bee said that God worketh in man according to mans good pleasure and not according to his owne good pleasure And thus man shall have matter of glorying and boasting in himselfe because he hath differenced and discerned himselfe by his willing to beleeve to repent and to convert and to resist a temptation when another who had alike sufficiencie of grace and had God alike readie to joyne with him to helpe him yet would not beleeve repent convert or resist a temptation The truâ—â— to be maintained touching this point is that the beginning proceeding and consummation of a mans regeneration and sanctification is of the free grace of God in man without any cause in man moving him thereunto And the cause why he giveth unto some men faith repentance power Rom. 9.11 16.18 Eph. 2.4 5 1 Pet. 2.10 Act. 19.9 against temptations and not to others this is not because he findeth in some good dispositions and such good workes which he findeth not in others but of his meere will and pleasure For God hath mercy on whom he will that is he softeneth hearts and giveth grace to beleeve c. to whom hee will and he hardeneth that is leaveth into impenitencie and unbeleefe whom he will This Doctrine of Gods free and full grace in the worke of sanctification doth also overthrow the merit of workes done by men in state of grace For even then every good worke is done by the continuance and new supplie of Gods grace Now if the doing of good works which are fruits of sanctification be of grace how can they merit This also discovereth the ignorance Vse 2 and folly of such as presume that they can presist temptations at their pleasure and therfore presumptuously runne into manifold occasions of sin and that they can repent when they will and this they thinke they will do hereafter intending to convert and to be godly before they dye thus the devill and a deluded and deceitfull heart doth misleade them For if God give them not grace to resist a temptation and if God convert them not and give them repentance 2. Tim. â— 26 Satan will hold them captive at his will and they will by reason of the hardnesse and impenitency of theâ—â— hearts Rom 2.5 treasure up to themselveâ— wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Moreover how doth any man know that God will give him grace hereafter who hath refused and daily doth refuse and resist Gods grace tendred in the Ministery of his Word for the present If he do it is more then ordinary for his ordinary dealing with such sinners is that because they refuse and continue long to refuse when he calleth therefore he giveth them up unto their owne hearts lusts Psal 81.12 that they walk in their owne counsels and either he never giveth them a will to seeke unto him or if he giveth them ever any will to seek him it shall be to seeke him with a meere selfe-serving and so that when they call he will not bee found of them Prov. 1.24.28 For they will not seeke him with their whole heart We heard before in the prosecution of the doctrine how much holinesse deserved to bee desired now would we obtaine it then according as wee are taught by this doctrine we must seek it of God let us say to him Turne thou us Ier. 31.9 and we shall bee turned And with David let us wish Psal 11â— 18 36. O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes Open thou mine eyes that J may behold wondrous things out of thy Law And Incline mine heart to thy testimonies and not to covetousnesse And Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keepe the dore of my lips Incline not my heart to any evil thing Psal 141.3.4 And Ps 139.24 Leade me in the way everlasting Let us use all those meanes which he hath ordained to preserve us from sinne let us betake our selves to the Christian armour Ephes 6.13 and resist whatsoever opposeth it selfe to the will of God But this resistance must not be in the power of our owne might but in the power of GODS might through whom it is that the weapons of our warfare doe beat downe the strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4.5 and doe bring into captivitie every thought to the obedience of Christ If we doe thus we shall stand fast in the evill day even in the day of the fiercest temptations Vse 4 Lastly hath any man obtained mercy of God to have power to resist temptations or to recover himselfe out of his sin and is he made able to doe any thing that is good let him take notice that this was of Gods free grace and that it was wholy of his grace He must to the praise of God acknowledge that all is of God nothing of himselfe Hee must acknowledge that God is not onely the Author or beginner Heb. 12.2 Phil. 1.6 but also the perfecter of our faith and that he is not onely the beginner of the good worke of conversion in him but that he hath beene and will be the performer and perfecter of it unto the day of Christ And as wee praise him for that he made us Psa 100.3 and not wee our selves so we must praise him for that he hath regenerated and new made us Iam. 1 1â— and not wee our selves being moved hereunto not by any thing in us But as he of his owne will begat us with the word of truth so of his owne will by the same word of his grace Acts 20.32 he doth build us up further till hee give us an inheritance amongst all those that are sanctified If wee will doe this seriously it will keepe us from three of the greatest sins which a Christian is incident to into which he will certainly fall if this present consideration and the like doe not restraine him These are spirituall pride contempt of our weake brethren and unthankefulnesse to God For let our graces bee never so many and never so excellent how can a man thinke highly of his owne worth or meanely of his brother when hee considereth that all he hath is nothing but what he received 1 Cor. 4.6.7 And the more graces wee see in us the more thankefull we will bee to God which gave them to us Let us therefore see God in every good grace we have and in every good worke wee doe then shall wee remaine low in our owne eyes mercifull to our brethren and thanekfull to our God But let us in our thanksgiving give the whole praise of every good worke to God not part to God and part to our selves which is to rob God of all For sith God deserveth all if we give not all unto him hee taketh it as if we gave him none at all Leade thou us not c. but deliver thou us Here note that Gods owne leading of men into
sinne is deprecated and his delivering out of sinne is prayed for whence may soundly be collected this doctrine following God hath an holy over-ruling Doct. 3 and disposing hand in the temptations and evils to which men are subject Hee can and doth restraine or give men up unto temptation he delivereth from sinne and out of sinne or suffereth men to fall into and lye in sinne even as in the holy wisedome of his soveraigntie it shall please him And this he doth and may doe without any the least touch staine or impeachment of his holinesse or being any way properly the author of any sinne as shall further appeare in the handling of this point Gen. 45.8.50.20 Exod. 14.4 The envious practises of Josephs brethren against him The hardening of Pharaohs heart Elies sonnes not harkening to the voice of their father 1 Sa. 2.25 Shemeâ—â— cursing of David 2 Sa. 16.10 The putting of a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets 1 Kin 22.23 The deceiving of those Prophets of the Idolaters mentioned in Ezekiel Ezek. 14 9 The blinding of the eyes Ioh. 12.40 and hardening of the hearts of the Pharisies Rom. 1.26 The giving up of the Gentiles to vile affections And the sending of strong delusion to those which receive not the love of the truth 2 Thes 2.11 All these that I may speak as the Scripture speaketh were of God or from the Lord which things though sinfull are said to be of God and hee speaketh as if he took all to himselfe not for that hee worketh them by an immediate hand of his providence For this were to make God the principall author of sinne which to conceive is blasphemy but because in those things hee permitteth something doth something and doth order and determine all things thereabout God before all times decreed Reas 1 what things should come to passe in time not onely all the good things that should come to passe by his working but also all the evil things that should come to passe by his permission The sinfull conspiracie of Herod and Pontius Pilate Act. 2.23 with the Iewes and Gentiles in putting Christ to death was no other Act. 4.27.28 then what Gods hand and counsell determined before to be done Reas 2 Gods providence and power is present to support and sustain in their naturall life strength all tempters to evill Act. 17.28 all actors of evill in his concourse to the substance of their acts Reas 3 God doth restraine chaâ—â—â— up Satan Iob. 1.12 Iob. 2.6 Psal 81.12 wicked men and a mans own evill heart or letteth them loose permitteth them to tempt even as he will Reas 4 God doth present when hee pleaseth such objects whereâ—â— a man through his owne corruption may stumble or be allured to fall into sinne The administration of certaine occasions and opportunities to sinne is often from God Reas 5 The Lord doth refuse to give his Spirit Mat. 13.11 1 Cor. 2.8.10.14 Deut. 29.4.5 without which no man can resist the first temptation or recover himselfe out of the least sinne or else doth 〈◊〉 it both to whom he will and when he will at his pleasure The Lord when he pleaseth Reas 6 doth withdraw his ordinary restraining and common graces and gifts of the minde whereby he suspendeth those powers of the soule which if they were not suspended might discerne betweene truth and falshood and betweene good and evill Rom. 1.28 he giveth many over to a reprobate minde to a minde void of judgement from whence vainnesse of imagination darkenesse of the understanding blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart doe follow as certainely as the darkenesse of the ayre doth follow the setting of the Sunne in the firmament God according as he pleaseth Reas 7 doth limit the sinnes of men both to the time when and to their bounds how farre and no farther Last of all God hath an hand Reas 8 of direction and ordering of mens sinnes ordering them in the manner of committing of them and directing them to their set object and to such good ends as he in his wisdome pleaseth Thus it is evident that God hath a hand in the temptations and sinnes of men Now that he is not blame-worthie or any way a cause of their sinne shall further be cleared For which cause let us consider these five things 1 First what God is in himselfe and in respect of man 2 How farre onely and no farther God hath a hand in mens sinnes 3 What acts come betweene Gods actions touching the action which is sinfull and the immediate act of sinne as it is sinfull 4 What are the ends that God proposeth and attaineth in those his actions 5 How God standeth affected to sinne both before and after it is committed 1 Consider first that God is holinesse it selfe his nature doth not admit of any possibility of erring Gen. 18.25 Heb. 6.18 or of doing any thing which is not holy equall good God is under no Law himselfe is his owne Law whatsoever therefore he doth according to the counsell of his owne will cannot be faultie Now Eph. 1.11 God doth all things according to the counsell of his will Moreover God is the Creator man is his creature God is an absolute Soveraigne no way bound to man to do him good or to preserve him from evill except he please to give him a promise He is so absolute that he needeth not give account to man of his actions nay Iob 33.13 because man when God had made him good did fall by his owne evil inventions or devices Eccles 7.29 he hath deserved that God should do him no good at all but that he should punish him with all evill Wherefore why may not his will be reason and equity enough why he will chuse some to be vessels of mercie and reject others to be vessels of wrath Rom. 9.18.19.20.21 and to dispose of all things concerning them that being left to themselves and to manifold temptations they shal worke out their owne damnation 2 If we consider how farre God worketh in evill all that can bee said that God doth in respect of sinne may as I suppose bee referred unto thoâ—e things mentioned in the reasoâ—â— of the point scil His decree His support of the actors and concurrance of his power to the substance of the act of sinne His permission His proposing of external objects His forbearing to give his sanctifying Spirit His withdrawing his common gifts of his Spirit whereby the powers of the soule become suspended and do cease to doe those good offices for man which else they might do His limitation of sinne and lastly His ordering of sinne to serve his owne ends as he pleaseth Now touching the counsell and decree of God to permit sinne and then for to leave man hardened in his sinne and last of all to punish him eternally for sinne no man hath cause to
inwardly hee was more disposed and better accommodated to obedience then to disobedience being made of an holy disposition within and having the commandement of God from without yea an easie commandment given to Adam for his greatest good and that from that God who had newly made him after his owne likenesse and had made all the world for him Wherein now was God wanting in any thing towards Adam which hee ought to have done for him Man now being fallen not through any fault in God for God made him good but they sought out many inventions Eccl. 7.29 which caused their fall that God should elect whom he will in Christ to give them grace and according to their grace to give them eternall glory and on the other side that God shall reprobate others whom he will and leave them in their sinnes and for their sinnes to punish them with eternall death who can justly complaine or except against it If any man cannot fully comprehend these things and satisfie his owne reason herein yet he is to beleeve that it is so For this is an object of our faith rather then of dispute how it can be It is sufficient that the Scriptures say it is so That saying of the Apostle O man that art a man of a shallow reach and apprehension that art a creature and now art a sinfull creature who art thou that repliest against God Hath not the Potter power over the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour another unto dishonour Rom. 9.20.21 This should satisfie every Christian in this point Secondly that God by an act of his providence and power upholdeth the tempters and tempted giving them life and strength for action this is not subject to exception for herein man is much beholding unto God for that in and by him Act. 17.28 he doth live move and hath a being Thirdly hee by an act of his soveraignty doth let loose Satan and doth not hinder the tempter from tempting Qui cum possit non prohibâ—t â—ubet Indeed amongst men hee that doth not hinder evill when he may hinder it becommeth accessarie and is saâ—â—tie but this is because the law of nature and the law of God requireth that no man shall suffer his neighbour to be hurt or indamaged if hee can hinder in but the absolute Lord God is not tyed in any such bond unto his creature no not before Adams fall much lesse sineâ— Fourthly God doth sometimâ—â— by an act of his wisedome propose some object whereby oâ—casion of sinne may be taken 〈◊〉 Bathsheba's washing her seâ—â—e was ministred unto Davids sight and the wedge of gold Babilonish garment by Gods providence was presented to the covetous eye of Achan and this he doth to discover what is in mans heart and why may he not We think we may laysome siluer or sweetmeats in fit places here there to try our servants or childrens fidelity may not God doe the like much rather Fiftly he forbeareth to give saving grace but whom doth he wrong herein sith hee is not bound to give grace to any man Sixtly God doth by an act of his justice giving up a sinner to a further degree of sinne doth withdraw those gifts of the minde which once he gave which thing hee hath just cause to do if he please for what man hath not by his sinne deserved this punishment If a man abuse his hand why may not God wither it 1 Kin. 13.4 as he did Jeroboam's We hold this to bee good justice and is it not as good justice that those that have abused their powers of imagination of understanding and of discerning things that differ should bee punished by being deprived of the right use of them There is no lesse holy justice in this latter than in the former Lastly that God doth limit sinne for time and measure as he did the sinnes of the Romans for the elects sake Mat. 24.22 and that hee doth direct them to good ends as hee did the sinne of Ioseph's brethen in selling their brother Gen. 50.20 and sending him into Egypt for the good of Iacob and all his family here is matter of praise and glory to God no matter of exception against God If God act no further in sinne than hath beenâ— said I hope it is manifest that hee may act thus farre and 〈◊〉 bee innocent Now God haâ—â— no further act in sinne Iam. 1.13 he tempteth no man Hee is no agent in sinne as it is a sinfull act for he doth not entice or solicite unto sinne he doth not incline mans will unto sinne by infusing or putting into it any evill which was not there before but only leaveth man to the temptations of his owne lusts the lusts of the world and of the devill The third thing considerable is what acts come betweene Gods act and the act of sinne or who are the immediate and proper actors of sinne as it is sin These agents and acts are either externall or internall the externall are the suggestions of Satan and the evill motions of men which propose entice and perswade unto evill the internall is a mans owne evill heart upon which the most blame doth lie For then a man is tempted saith Iames Iam. 1.14 when hee is drawne away by his owne lusts and is enticed Wherefore in those sinnes in which God is said to have most to do the fault was laid upon the person that wrought himselfe unto evill as upon the proper cause when still God is cleered As where God is said to harden Pharaoh's heart Exod. 7.3 the true and proper hardner was Pharaoh himselfe for so saith Moses When Pharaoh saw that there was respite he that is Pharaoh harned his heart Exod. 8.15 And whereas it is said God gave the Romans up to uncleannesse their acts of uncleannesse did not follow as properly caused by any act of God but from a cause in themselves for so hee saith Rom. 1.24 the dishonoring their owne bodies was through the lusts of their owne hearts Sinne is a concrete compounded of two things of the fact and of the obliquity of the fact wee 〈◊〉 distinguish betweene the â—â—stance of the act and the forâ—â— thereof wherein the sinfulnesse of the act doth lie God hee is a cause concurring to the substance of the act he concurreth not to the sinfulnesse of the act but onely denieth his grace which if he would have vouchsafed to bestow it would have hindered it which grace hee is not bound to give to any It was enough that hee gave a sufficient grace to Adam to stand if hee would So that wee may truly avouch that the devill or man that enticeth another or a mans owne selfe that enticeth himselfe Deus est ordinator uon author peccati are the true causes and authors of sinne but not the Lord who hath only a permitting an overruling and disposing hand in sinne as is is sin The
fourth thing to bee considered is the end which God proposeth and attaineth by permitting and ordering of the sinnes of men far different from those which men propose in committing of them which ends are holy good namely to set forth his owne glory and that many wayes as by discovering the impotency of the creature what need it hath to depend upon the creator for that man though perfect yet could not stand for want of a speciall grace to support him also to manifest his owne freedome and absolutenesse over his creature besides that his wisdome saw that permitting sinne in such a way as could no way impeach his holinesse it would make way for the manifestation of his power in his infinite grace and mercy mixed with justice towards some and in his infinite justice towards others This hee did not that he could not glorify himselfe otherwise but for that in his holy wisdome he held it fitteâ—â—â—o glorify himselfe thus But the end of the proper causes of sin is alwayes naught namely envy against man and malice against God was the cause why Satan tempted man to sinne the satisfying of some vile lust is the cause why man enticeth and is enticed unto sinne Why might not God first permit sinne to be in the world that so a cleere way might bee made to the manifestation of his holinesse in hatred of sinne and in his just revenge upon sinners in which respect though sinne was no way good in acting yet it was good that it should be acted And since the fall his end of giving up the wicked unto abhominable sins is to shew his displeasure in his righteous punishing of one sinne with another for this hee holdeth to bee a meet and equall punishment as he saith of the Romans Rom. 1.17 They received in themselves that recompence of their errour aâ— waâ— meete He doth thus dispose of their sinnes that it may also appeare that he hath just cause to damne them at the day of judgement Wherfore though sinne be evill yeâ— the punishment of sinne is 〈◊〉 evill but exceeding good The ends of the Lords permitting and disposing of the temptations and sinnes of the elect are manifold First at the first his permission of sinne to bee through mans fault made way for an object of his mercy since the fall he permitteth hiâ— owne people to be tempted unto sinne to shew his wisedome and power in sustaining theâ— that they do not fall into evill notwithstanding the subtilty of Satan and the dâ—ceitfulnesse of their owne heart or if they 〈◊〉 into sinne he suffereth it that he might shew his grace and mercie in forgiving and his almightie power in rescuing and delivering them out of the power of sinne Also God oftentimes suffereth his owne children to commit some great sinne that hee might discover unto them which do commit it that wickednes of heart which they would never else have acknowledged to be in them And this God doth that he might cure them of their diseases of sinne doing like a skilfull Physitian let them fall into one disease to cure them of a greater as they say they will cast a man into a burning ague to cure him of his Lethargie or like as a cunning Surgeon can gather dispersed humors unto an head and there make an issue whereas he may let out that corruption which otherwise could not be drawne forth even so God by suffering his children to fall into some great sinne letteth out that securitie and pride which else would not be cured and worketh that humiliation repentance and care to shunne sinne afterwards which would not else have beene wrought in them Seeing therefore God hath such good ends moving him to permit sinne and to dispose of it in manner as hath been said he is to be cleared from all imputation of faultinesse in all that he hath to do in the sinnes of men The last thing to be considered is how God standeth affected unto sinne Touching which be it knowne that he hateth it perfectly as it is sinne for he forbiddeth it before it be done he never approveth of it by his approving will when it is done yea he is so displeased with it that he never letteth it go unpunished after it is committed for he hath punished it in Christ for the elect and is daily in punishing of it and reserveth it to bee eternally punished by hell-fire upon the reprobate Thus Gods holinesse is every way cleared though he permitteth sinne and hath an over-ruling hand in mens sinnes God is the cause of the action which is the matter of sinne Ob. therefore of the sinne Here is no sound consequence Sol. for as sinne is an action and is an effect of God it is good and is no sinne Peccatum est defectus nou effectus but sinne is sinne as it is a defect and failing in the action swarving from the rule of righteousnesse which is not caused by God nor by any cause which hath any direct subordination from God the chiefe cause of all things God disposeth of sinne Ob. and worketh in sinne therefore in some respect an author of it Sinne hath reference unto God as it is an object Sol. or subject wherein or whereupon hee worketh disposing it to his own holy ends but it never hath reference unto God as the effect hath to the efficient cause Peccatum quà peccatum est objectum operis nbâ— opus Dei to be wrought by him therefore it doth not follow because he hath a worke concerning it or in it therefore he is a cause of it so long as it cannot be said he doth worke it Ob. God is a cause without which sinne could not be therefore a cause of sinne after a sort Sol. Grant that wirhout God sin could not be yet he is in no sort a cause for this kinde of cause which is called sine qua non is 〈◊〉 truth no cause And all that caâ— be yeelded is that God is onely a cause by accident now causâ—â— by accident are properly no causes No wise man will say the warmth of the Sunne is a true cause of the stinke of carrion which doth not stinke untill the Sunne did shine upon it the cause of the stinke is in the 〈◊〉 thy corrupt matter of the carrion not in the warmth of the Sunne for the same Sunne shining at the same time upon violets occasioneth a sweet smell The Scripture doth seeme to say plainly Ob. that the cause of some mens sinnes have beene of God 1. King 12.15 The King hearkened not to the people for the cause was of God Now in not hearkening to them the King sinned Cause Sol. in that place doth not signifie the proper effecting of a thing causally but a disposing of the proper causes so as they did produce this effect God left Rehoboam to his evill heart and suffered the young counsellours to give counsell according to the pride of their owne hearts by which meanes it
came to passe that Rehoboam sinned the infatuating of Rehoboam who was of himselfe partially and corruptly affected towards his young Councellours and the not putting of wisedome into Rehoboams greene head was of God but that Rehoboam made choice of the worst counsel that was a most free act of his owne Now Gods hand was in the disposing of these things that the thing before prophesied might come to passe Thus much the word translated cause doth signifie scil the thing brought about or brought to passe was from God This act of not hearkening must be considered in divers respects First as an evill act of Rehoboam and his evill Councellours in this respect God did not cause it Secondly it must be considered as a meet punishment of that kingdome and as a means to bring to passe the prophesie of Ahijah in which respect that God in justice should leave Rehoboam and his young Councellours to their folly and to the pride of their owne hearts it was good and was caused of God Thus it may appeare as I hope that God hath an over-ruling and disposing hand in mens sinnes without being author of sinne and without any impeachment of his-holinesse The uses follow They are therefore to blame Vse 1 that alter the forme of this petition saying Suffer us not to be led in stead of Leade us not Their end may bee good but their alteration is naught and to no purpose for in truth this change of words doth not cleare Gods justice any more then Christs owne words Let the petition therefore remaine and stand holy as it is set down by Christ for it is presumption to teach Christ how to speake This our tenent is an apology Vse 2 against Papists or any other that shall slanderously affirme that we hold either directly or by consequent that God is the author of sinne although wee say as this petition teacheth us that God leadeth into temptation and hath more to do in the sinnes of men then a bare permission Vse 3 This should cause all men to admire and magnifie the infinit wisedome and perfection of Gods holinesse that can have so much to do with sinners and with their sinnes and yet there doth not so much as one dust or spot of defilement cleave unto him Vse 4 Hereby are condemned the blasphemies of very many who to excuse or lessen their sin will lay the fault on God because Gods determinate counsell hiâ— providence power permission and his giving men over is in their sin and because he might have hindered it if he would therefore they thinke they cannot chuse but sinne and why should fault bee found with them if God would it shouâ—â— be otherwise Such are brought in objecting Rom. 9. Who hath resisted his will Why doth he yet finde fault This they take from Adam who before his conversion would have laid the fault on God rather then take it on himselfe for he saith Gen. 3.12 The woman whom thou gavest to be wiih me she gave me of the tree and I did eate But take notice that although he thus extenuated his sinne by laying it on God yet God could Gen. 3.17 and did curse Adam and the earth the bitter fruits whereof we feele unto this day Know therefore thou that any way darest put off thy sin upon God if thou do not beleeve in Christ and forsake thy sinne the Lord will one day shew to thy cost that he can bring it about that thou through thine owne evill heart shalt sinne he giving thee over unto it and yet can in holy justice cast thee into hell for thy sinne For he can say he deceived the false Prophet and yet justly punish the said Prophet and all that are deceived by him Ezek. 14.9 10. Vse 5 May God if he please leade into temptation and can we not be overcome by temptation except the Lord permit This should teach all men to live so that God may be their friend and may not be provoked in his justice to give them over to the power of the devill and unto their owne lusts For which cause observe and keepe these directions following 1 First make your peace with God by faith in Christ repent of all sinnes past and having hereby obtained friendship with God then keepe it by being good before him which is then approved when you shall endevour to please him by doing his will in time to come which if ye do for this is to be good before God or to please God then you shall escape the snares and nets the hands and bands of the most enticing harlot in the world the like may be said of all other temptations but the sinner saith Solomon shall be taken by her Eccles 7. 2 As much as in you is abstaine from all sinne for since mans fall Gods giving over unto sinne is a punishment for some former sinne but especially shunne those particular sins for which God doth in speciall sort give men over the chiefe whereof are these following 1 First all refusing 2 Thess 2.10.11 or a slight and formall receiving of the truth For this causeth God to send men strong delusion to beleeve a lye 2 Abusing or not making right use of that knowledge a man hath Rom. 1 21.22 23 24 26 28. doth cause God to infatuate and give him over to vile affections 3 A willingnesse of heart to be ignorant of the truth and a wilfulnesse to practise evill for of such saith the Lord Ezek. 14.4 He that setteth up his idols in his heaâ—â— and cometh to the Prophet I the Lord will answer him that commeth according to the multitude of his idols 4 Presumption of a mans owne power of himselfe to resist temptations Matth. 26.33 34. for this cause the Apostle Peter was given over to fall so fearfully 5 All willing casting of ones selfe into the occasions of sinne for this cause Jehoshaphat's familiaritie with Ahab 1. Kin. 22. caused him to be given over to beleeve Ahabs false Prophets rather then good Micaiah 6 Idlenesse to live without a calling or negligently in a calling Ezek. 16.49 doth expose a man unto the Lords giving him over unto many abhominations for this he gave over Sodom to uncleannes 7 Allowance of secret sinnes this provoketh God many times to give men over unto some grosse open sinne that it may worke sense of sinne shame for sinne and true repentance in the elect may worke unto shame and eternall perdition of the reprobate Shun all sinnes therefore as much as in you lyeth if you would not have God leade you into temptation but especially take heed of those before mentioned Let all that beleeve in Christ and have thereby true interest Vse 5 in God draw comfort from this doctrine for God you see hath an overruling hand in the temptations and the sins of all men Satan therefore cannot winnow us nor buffet us no Luk. 2â— 31 he cannot touch us but as
he hath leave of our heavenly Father the Lord of hosts This wee understand further by the case of Job Iob cap. 1. cap. 2. Luk. 12.31 Peter and Paul Satan could not assault them untill od Gdid permit him and when hee haâ— leave to do his worst the grace of God was sufficient to preserve them 2 Cor. 12.7 that either they did not fall or it did recover them out of their falls and in the enâ— caused them to dye conquer on over Satan over their owne lusts and over whatsoever opposed it selfe to the obedieâ—â—e of Christ in them Moreover if Gods childrâ—â— do sinne he can order and dispose of their sinne to their good and to his owne glory for many of Gods children have reapeâ— more benefit by falling into some sin which through Goâ—â— mercie hath humbled theâ—â— then they have by doing some good duties whereby they have growne exceeding high minded Have wee not cause therefore to rejoyce that we are under the safe conduct of such a leader But let no man abuse this comfort and pervert it to his harme by taking liberty to sinne because God can be glorified by it and can work good out of it What though the skilfull Physitian can make triacle of poyson and can tell how to apply poyson to his patient for his recovery yet if the patient hereupon be too busie with these poysons they will prove his death Let us be glad our God can draw good out of evill but let us not be doers of that which is evill Vs That is our brethren as well as our selves Leade not them but deliver them also Here therefore we learne All Christians must desire and Doct. 4 endeavour that all others might be kept from sinne and may live holily as well as themselves Christ Iesus told Peter that he had prayed for him that wheras Satan would winnow him his faith might not faile doth withall enjoyne him that when he is converted that is when he should recover himselfe of his fall Hee should strengthen his brethren Luk. 22.32 He doth himselfe elsewhere pray to his Father saying Keepe them from evill Ioh. 17.15 The Apostle Paul saith The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly 1. Thess 5.23 We have expresse commandement to rebuke our brother and not suffer sinne upon him Levit. 19.17 Also the two should edifie one another â— Thes 5.11 God our Father is displeased Reas 1 and dishonoured by their 〈◊〉 and is delighted in and honoâ—red by their well doing as well as by ours Sinne is every way hurtfull Reas 1 to them and godlinesse is every way gainfull unto them as welâ— as to our selves Now the saâ—â—â— Law that bindeth us to love 〈◊〉 selves doth bid us love oâ—â— neighbours also Lev. 19 17 where love is it will edifie 1. Cor. 8.1 The sinnes of others may Reas 3 cause God to have a controversie with the whole land wherein we live Osea 4.1 so that it may go ill with us for their sakes whereas repentance doth prevent and remove Gods judgements Psal 107.32 and the holinesse of a nation procureth blessings to the whole land Thus spake the Spirit of God unto Asa The Lord is with you while ye be with him but if ye forsake him hee will forsake you 2. Chron. 15.2 Pro. 14.34 Righteousnesse saith Solomon exalteth a nation but sinne is a reproach to any people Wherefore in love to our countrey we should desire and do our best that the inhabitants thereof should be godly Sinne is a common hurtfull Reas 4 and hatefull enemie to mankinde therefore as wee would do with a Fox Wolfe or Serpent it should bee smitten at wheresoever it is met with but grace is a common profitable and amiable benefactour unto mankind wheresoever it dwelleth therefore it should be our desire to place it every where where wee may get it heart-roome It behoveth men even in true Reas 5 love to themselves to desire that their neighbours should be kept from sinne and might live godly For we are in danger to be accessary and so be made to beare their iniquity Levit. 5.1 and to partake of their sinnes if we should not do our best to restraine them Their sinnes are catching and infectious it concerneth us therefore that if the plague and fire of sin be begun in a towne that it be cured and quenchâ—â— lest it infect and spread to 〈◊〉 owne houses And if throuâ—â— our watchfulnesse the sinneâ— others should not infect us 〈◊〉 they would bee a continuall vexation unto us if we be righteous as it was with Lot 2. Pet 27.8 Whose righteous soule was vexed daily with seeing and hearing the filthie conversation of the men of Sodome On the other side if our neighbours be godly they are excellent persons in whom our soules may delight Psal 16.3 they will be examples and provokers of us unto love and good workes Heb. 10. â—4 they will exhort admonish and comfort us they will likewise pray for us Psal 141.5 especially if we have beene any meanes of the conversion or increase of grace in them In doing thus we shall approve our selves to bee converted ingrafted into Christ and become indeed trees of righteousnesse Pro. 10.21 when our lips feed many even to the winning of soules Prov. 11.30 It is therefore a great fault in Vse 1 those that doe see their neighbours run into idolatry superstition prophannesse covetousnesse voluptuousnesse vaingloriousnesse yea suffer them to lie in these sinnes and yet do never bewayle their estate to God in prayer for them that God wold deliver them out of the snares of the devill nor ever speake of their sinnes except sometimes behinde their back to their disgrace or to their face by way of girding rayling and recrimination but never do in love and wisdome admonish them What doth this argue but that they love not God they love not their neighbour they love not their country they love not godlinesse they hate not sinne neither are they wise for themselves that will not quench their neighbours house on fire whereby their owne houses are in certaine danger of being burnt up and consumed with them But it is a greater fault to give evill example unto others and to entice unto sinne as to prophane the Sabbath to neglect the exercises of religion to contemne authority to bee contentious wanton drunken unchast theevish lyers and such like And their sinne is so much the greater by how much they in sayng unto God Lead us not into temptation deliver us from evill would seeme to desire that all their neighbours should bee kept from sinne This is grosse hypocrisie for which they shall be sure to answer Besides the blood of all those whom they have enticed unto evill and discouraged from goodnesse shall be upon their heads But most intolerable is the sinne of those which notwithstanding they say this petition yet do hate all that endevour to
keepe a good conscience holding it cause sufficient why they should speake evill of them and persecute them because they runne not with them to the same excesse of riot 1 Pet. 4.4 5. which persons not only do evill themselves but desire that others may be as bad as themselves and doe delight in those which are most wicked Doth not God say that these shall give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead to which judgement if by no meanes they will bee reclaimed I doe leave them Vse 2 Whosoever would approve himselfe a lover of God of grace of his country of his neighbour and of himselfe and would approve himselfe to bee an hater of sin and would prove that he is an unfained Christian that hee is no hypocrite when he maketh this petition then let him bee earnest with God in hearty prayer that hee would sanctifie and give grace with the encrease thereof daily unto all his neighbours and brethren Also as God giveth unto any man a calling either by vertue of his place of authority or by that familiarity and speciall interest he may have in his neighbour or by any other good opportunity let him exhort admonish 1 Thes 5.11.14 and encourage his neighbour that hee may come out and keep out of the wayes of evill and may enter in and walk on in the wayes of godlinesse For whatsoever we must pray for we must do what in us lieth to procure it Wherefore except our neighbours shew themselves swine Mat. 7.6 by open and often trampling these pearles under their feet and except they shew themselves dogs by snarling at us and flying in our faces wee must never neglect this office of exhorting and instructing one another And let this bee remembred that even then when without breach of charity wee may count them as swine and dogs yet wee must never give over praying for them David did fast and pray for his enemies hee shed rivers of waters because men kept not Gods Law Ps 119.136 Samuel professeth 1 Sa. 12.23 hee will never cease to pray for Israel Ieremiah speaking of Gods judgements coming towards the Iewes saith But if ye will not heare it my soule shall mourne in secret for your pride Ier. 13.17 If a man shall first reforme his owne wayes by pulling the beame out of his owne eye Mat 7.5 if he be wise to observe the fit times and places wherein he doth admonish if when he doth endevour to restore his brother he do it with the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6 1◠hee may boldly and with hope of good successe instruct his neighbors If this duty were thus performed oh how should one neighbour enrich another with these holy pearles and there would not bee the thousandth part of that sinne committed that now is if every man would in wisedome and love be his neighbours remembrancer Set upon this duty therefore I confesse it is a thanklesse office amongst most men but it is most profitable to men and most praiseworthy with God and whatsoever effect it take with men thy work is with God and thou shalt shine in the end as a starre in the firmament Do Christians pray one for another Vse 3 that they may not be led into temptation but delivered from evill why then should any Christians discourage themselves because they cannot pray so earnestly aga nst the temptaons of sinne and Satan nor yet can resist them as they would Bee of good comfort notwithstanding onely persevere and never give over to pray and resist according to thy power for you must consider you have the benefit of other mens prayers yea of the prayer of Christ who did not only pray that Peters faith should not faile him when Satan should sift him but hee prayed that his Father would keepe from evill not only those which did then beleeve but those also which should beleeve Ioh. 17.15.20 of which number you are Vse 4 If it bee a Christian duty to desire and use all good meanes to preserve a neighbour from sinne then it is an unchristian part in any that shall take it ill when his neighbour doth exhort and admonish him which is the manner of most men who as if it were not fault enough to refuse good counsell returne him evill for his good giving him scornfull language saying Who made thee ruler over mee Looke to your owne selfe Exod 2.14 you shall not answer for me Who made you a controller You may meddle with your owne matters you take too much upon you and such like But know ye O ignorant unthankfull and foolish men God hath made every one a controller of another if to instruct and to admonish in love be to be a controller and tell me if the same man should acquaint you with your enemies purpose of taking away your life and should disswade you from going that way in which he lay in waite to kill you or should offer you his cōpany to assist you if he should tell you of your bodily disease and withall give you wherewith to cure you or should help quench the fire that is begun upon your house if he should but helpe your beast out of the ditch Exod. 23.45 or should but untangle your sheep caught in the brambles would you answer him with What is that to you or I need none of your helpe or Who sent for you or Who gave you authoritie to meddle with me or mine I presume you would not but meere common sense and civilitie would move you to hold these proffers to have proceeded from good neighbourhood and therefore you will accept his good will you will thanke him and will requite him with the like kindnesse if he need Grace and religion should teach you that Christian good counsel is a better fruit of Christian brotherhood and is a certaine evidence of a better love to you by as much as your soules are to be preferred before your body and your goodnesse before your goods He is a miserable foolish man who is wise in all things except in the case of his soule Let all men therefore be as readie to suffer wholesome words of instruction and admonition as any shall be willing to offer them It is their love to performe it but it shall be your benefit to accept and follow it Be of Davids minde he saith Psal 141.5 Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyle which shall not breake my head And let us when any Abigal shall disswade us from sinne 1. Sam. 25.32 33. do as David did Blesse God first for sending them then blesse the advice and follow it and forget not in the last place to blesse the persons which advise us and labour to keepe us from sinning against God Whosoever shall receive instruction in this sort shall never want good counsellers nor good counsell nor
Whence we learne Whosoever would be preserved Doct. 6 from sinne must pray against and withstand the temptations thereof Hee that is not warie and carefull to resist temptations cannot live godly The divell did deceive Eve through his temptations Gen. 3. and Adam was likewise drawne into the transgression by the temptation of Eve Math. 4. whereas Christ Jesus the second Adam by resisting the divels temptations preserved himselfe from sinne The youth spoken of in the Proverbs was caught and insnared by the subtill temptations of the harlot Pro. 7.10.21 But Ioseph by resisting the temptations of his Mistrisse Gen. 39.9 kept himselfe chaste although her temptations were cunning and most importunate Christ saith again and againe Pray that ye enter not into temptation Luk. 22.40.46 Reas 1 For temptations and motions to sinne are the very seede and kernels of sinne which if they may be entertained so as they may but receive any warmth in a mans heart there is presently a conception of sin which will cause him to bee in labour and travaile of it untill he have brought it forth into act Iam. 1.14.15 There are no creatures so apt to beare issue nor ground so ranke to beare weeds no tinder or gunpowder so readie to take fire as the heart of man is to conceive sinne and be inflamed with lust by evill motions and temptations wherefore all that would avoid sinne have cause to resist it in the temptation To resist beginnings of the evill of sinne Obsta principijs is as needefull to be observed for a rule against diseases of the soule as to withstand evils of paine in their beginning is needefull in diseases of the body Hereby wee may judge what is the cause that sinnes doe abound Vse 1 and spread infinitely It is because temptations are not resisted which fault deserveth sharpe rebuke Yea many are so farre from praying against temptations that they willingly foster and nourish any that shall be offered and like him in the parable doe sweepe and garnish their hearts Mat. 22.44 opening the dores and making it ready prepared to entertaine any temptation They contrary to the Apostles command make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 still thinking and plodding on wealth or feeding themselves with high thoughts or are alwaies hunting after unlawfull pleasure running alwaies into those actions places and companies which minister most occasions of temptations Insomuch that the divell and lust are not more ready to present evill motions then the minde is to plot and contrive how to compasse them Micah 2.1.2 or then the hand is to act them yet these men will mocke God and say Leade us not into temptation And if they be exhorted to avoid the occasions of temptations they set light by it and would make us beleeve they are not so simple as to be taken with idolatrie covetousnesse whoredome drunkennes pride revenge or any such like crime although they keepe company with idolatrous or covetous or voluptuous or vaineglorious persons Yea if we would beleeve them they can wallow in the midst of occasions of sinne and yet come forth undefiled Let a man husband his heart as well as he can and let him sow into it the best seed he can get yet he shall finde that too many lusts will of their owne accord spring up hinder the growth of godlinesse in him We count them ill husbands that will not weede their land but if wee should see men plowing and sowing nothing but all manner of weedes would wee not say they were out of their wits Such mad men are all those that nourish in them temptations unto evill But what men sow or suffer to be sowne that they shall reape Prov. 22.8 If they sow wickednesse they shall reape vanitie At harvest when others shall have corne they shall bee sent empty away When in the day of the Lord the good Wheate shall be saved the wicked with their lusts shall bee cast into a fornace of fire Mat. 13.41.42 Vse 2 Would any therefore not be the breeders and nurses to those evils which will like vipers kill all that doe bring them forth Let them take heed of temptations which beget them Wee must be carefull to shun all occasions of sinne for it is much easier to avoid the occasion then running into the occasion to avoid the sinne Occasions and tentations are snares it is much easier to avoid a snare then being intangled to get out of it Let us al therfore watch pray that we fall not into them But it is doubted by some that it is not lawfull to pray against being tempted thinking it lawfull onely to pray that they may not be overcome of the temptation I answer I doubt not but the very temptation it selfe as it is a motion and enticement unto sinne is to be prayed against also For the Apostle Paul did not onely pray to overcome the pricke of the flesh and buffettings of Satan 2 Cor. 22.7.8 but that it might depart from him And why may not a man desire not to meet at al with those his enemies which seeke his life as well as when they assault him desire to quit himselfe of them I confesse request must be made for the one and the other with some difference When we pray that wee may not be tempted it is always under correction not absolute but if it might stand with Gods will and pleasure wee desire to runne the race of Christianitie without meeting with stumbling blockes or any occasions of our stay or turning out of the way but if God will have us meete with these impediments we pray absolutely that we may passe over them and not be let or turned out of the way by them And if he will that wee must enter into the conflict we pray that we may overcome Now because resisting of temptations is of great consequent it wil be worth the pains to consider these foure things First what is a temptation Secondly who are the tempters Thirdly how they tempt Fourthly how a temptation may be resisted 1 Temptation is any and every motion unto the doing of any thing which God hath forbidden in his word or to the leaving undone any thing that God hath commanded or to do any thing otherwise then God hath commanded When a thought of any evill is presented to the minde to be done this is a temptation 2 The tempters are Satan called the tempter Matth. 4.3 Iam. 2 14. and men with whom we converse when they move others to sinne and also the lusts of our owne evill hearts 3 These tempters doe move a man to sinne by presenting unto the minde thoughts of sinne to be committed by him The divell by his suggestions as hee did to David putting him in minde to number the people 1 Chro 2.21.1 Man tempteth by speech or some outward signe whereby he giveth a man to thinke what evill
resolution to will in all things to live honestly When the heart is thus made sure for God and for our selves the next care must be that the understanding the watchman and intelligencer of the soule bee rightly informed by the Scriptures of all such things that do belong unto its office in the Christian warfare First it must bee able to discerne between good and evill between things not sinfull and sinfull of good things to discern which are good but in part which every way good what things are good onely to sense and in appearance and what is good in truth also what is but in part evill and what is wholly evill and what is evill onely to sense and in appearance and what is evill in truth that the baites to draw unto sinne taken from the gaine pleasure and glory of this world may not move us because we shall know they are but uncertaine transitorie and not the true riches pleasure and glory and that on the other side the bug-beares to fright us from doing good may not remove us because they are but uncertaine momentanie and light evils in comparison of the certaine true riches of grace and of the everlasting true pleasures and glory which is laid up for those that bee constant in keeping faith and a good conscience to the death When the understanding is thus enlightened wee must alwayes set the true danger of sinning and the true good and glory that followeth upon well-doing before our eyes and it will cause the heart to chuse the good and refuse the evill Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season the reason was because his judgement was sound in discerning betweene good and bad for it is said Heb. 11.25.26 He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Aegypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward If we can but judge aright of the joy that is set before us in the course of holinesse Heb 12 2. it will make us with our Saviour Christ endure the crosse and despise the shame which in this world doth accompanie Christianity and we shall with speed runne the race that is set before us notwithstanding the impediments that we shal meet withall Now when the heart is established and armed with grace and the mind with knowledge and judgement there must be a continuall watch set and faithfully kept wherefore the eye of the minde must be alwayes awake to see and observe what particular temptations do arise against us either from within or without Therefore the Apostle Peter saith 1. Pet. â— 8 Be vigilant for your adversary the devill as a roaring Lion 1 Cor. 16.13 seeketh whom he may devoure Watch saith the Apostle Paul else there will be no standing fast in the faith nor quitting our selves like men Our Saviour saith unto all Watch Mark 13.17 When by watchfulnesse the temptation is discovered then we must buckle all the Christian armour about us scil Sinceritie righteousnesse Eph. 6. patience hope faith and the sword of the Spirit the word of God And being thus armed we must animate and fill the heart with courage and resolution to resist even unto the death For which cause we must make an oration unto it such as wise and valiant leaders will make to encourage their souldiers wee must minde our hearts of the odiousnesse and hurtfulnesse of that thing to which wee are tempted how that it is a lust of the flesh and of the devill how it is enmity to our God and a deadly enemie unto us how that we must kill it or else it will kill us Let us minde our hearts with this that it will be to the dishonour of our King and countrey to be overcome that to yeeld to any temptation is contrary to our vow of allegiance which we entred into when we first professed to fight under Christs banner Lastly let us tell our selves of the equitie of our cause how that our war is just thinke also of the wisedome valour of our captaine our Lord Iesus Christ assuring our selves that how hard soever our conflict may be yet if wee do not yeeld in the end wee through him shall overcome and be more then conquerours Rom. 8.37 Having thus wonne the heart to resolution then let us as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.16 Stand in the faith quit our selves like men In the conflict we must avoide two evils First we must not trust to our owne wisedome for then sinne will be too craftie for us Secondly we must not resist in the power of our owne might for then the principalities and powers will be too strong for us We must therefore resist by the wisdome of the holy Scriptures being able to say with our Saviour Christ It is written Mat. 4. I must not commit that sinne to which I am tempted and with Joseph Gen. 39.9 shall I commit this great wickednesse and sinne against God Resistance of sinne in this sort is not onely a defending of our selves but a wounding of our adversaries We must also be sure in our conflict to intreat Gods aide that in the power of his might wee may prevaile When we resist by the wisedome of the word and power of God if we submit unto God and be earnest and constant in resisting we shall put Satan to flight for God saith Iam. 4 7. Resist the devill and hee will flie from you But remember alwayes that his departure will be but for a season Luk. 4.13 we must therefore alwayes keepe on our armour and keepe our watch and let our experience of over-mastering former temptations give fresh courage unto us to resist all that are to come But deliver us Here our Saviour will have his Disciples to aske to be delivered out of their sinne into which they are fallen as well as to bee kept from falling Whence observe Doct. 7 It must be every mans desire and endevour if he be fallen into any sinne to be delivered out of it by repentance and that he may walke before God in new obedience Ier. 31.18 Turne us Lord and we shall be turned saith the Prophet The Church of Ephesus is bid to remember from whence she is fallen Revel 2.5 and repent And the Minister must waite when God will give repentance and recover evill men out of the snare of the devill 2. Timoth. 2.25.26 Which place sheweth that repentance is deliverance out of sinne and doth intimate that it must be desired Vntill a man have repented Reas 1 his prayers are not accepted of God for that cause God commanded the Iewes to repent saying Isa 1.26.18 19. Put away the evill of your doings cease to do evill and learne to do well and then they might come to God and hee would respect them Vntill sinne be repented of a Reas 2 man is as it were manacled
Lord and thou art exalted as head above all 1 Chron. 29.10.11 David calleth upon his soule and all that is within him to praise his holy Name Ps 103.1.2 The Apostle requireth that in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we should make our requests knowne unto God Philip. 4.6 Also he saith Let us by Christ offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thankes unto his Name Heb. 10.13 Reas 1 Praise and thankes are 〈◊〉 unto God for hee himselfe do most excellent being infinite in all holinesse of wisedome power mercy and all the rest of his divine attributes If there be any excellency in any creatures the praise belongeth unto God because hee made it excellent and if any good thing be bestowed upon any man whatsoever was the secondary meanes God was the first cause and 〈◊〉 the true giver thereof Of him are all things therefore to him be glory for ever Rom. 11.36 Reas 2 It is good pleasant and comely to praise the Lord Psal 147.1 It is good because it is the will of God being a part of his worship It is the best meanes to continue and make good unto us the good things we have 1 Tim. 4.4 It is the best meanes to procure those good things which wee yet have not It is well pleasing unto God for he saith He that offereth praise glorifieth mee Psal 50.23 It doth become the upright to bee thankfull Psal 33.1 for it doth shew their humility and dependance on God acknowledgment that they in all things are beholding unto God This reproveth all those who Vse 1 notwithstanding they have the great booke of the creation and frame of the world to looke upon and the booke of the Scriptures to looke into both which doe set forth the unspeakeable excellencies of God yet never admire him nor speake of him to his praise whereas if a mortall man shall doe some curious piece of worke shewing therein some rare skill and invention his worke shall be gazed on and admired and the workman praised of every one and hee shall be halfe deified And if a friend shall save their lives or deliver them out of prison or doe any other such speciall kindnesse unto them they thanke him and acknowledge themselves beholding unto him as long as they live whereas God which gave power and will to the same friend to doe thee good and doth give them all other good things who would also deliver them from the bondage of sinne and Satan aâ—â— from eternall death he is forgotten and is never thanked by them yea many of those who in their distresse doe seeke unto him and are holpen even they like the nine Lepers never returne to give thanks Luk 17.17 It is ten to one as we say if any give glory to God Most men ascribe the praise of all good things which they have unto nature fortune lucke or chance unto their wit or to their hands or to their friends to any person or thing rather then unto God without whom they could have had nothing These men are wilfully blinde if they doe not see that Gods hand doth all things But if they see that all things are of God and yet will not give him the praise and thankes they doe much wrong God in depriving him of his honour and doe manifest themselves to be utterly unworthy of all good There is no sinne can bee more hatefull then ingratitude There is no sinne can bee more hurtfull to the committer of it for it doth provoke God and cause him in wisedome and justice to take away from them those good gifts which once hee gave unto them As he did with his daughter Israel of whom he saith Hos 2.8.9 Because she did not know that I did give her corne c. Therfore will I returne and take away my corne in the time thereof And for this cause God giveth men over unto reprobate mindes because they having meanes to know God and cause to be thankeful Yet they doe not glorifie God neither are thankefull Rom. 1.21.28 Vse 2 Let all that professe the name of God learne hereby to bee alwaies as readie to speake of God and to God in praises and thanksgiving as to aske and receive any thing from him by petition For which cause we must consider the workes and word of God for they testifie of him Gods infinite wisedome power mercy and goodnesse and all other his excellencies are seene in the creation preservation and redemption of man and are all clearely revealed in his word In so much that when David did consider the heavens and the worke of his fingers hee breaketh forth into an holy admiration of God saying O Lord our Lord Psal 8.1.9 how excellent is thy name in all the earth And the Apostle could not speake of the worke of redemption by Christ but he saith concerning God To whom be glory for ever Amen Gal. 1.5 Eph. 3.21 If wee would but consider how little good and how much evill wee deserve at Gods hands how that it is his mercy wee are not consumed and if wee would consider how little evill Lam. how much good wee receive every day of his meere goodnesse we could not chuse but be thankefull Wherefore wee must bewaile our barrennesse of heart and with David call upon our soules and all that is within us to blesse and praise his holy name Psal 103.1 We must call his benefits to remembrance and tell our soules what great things the LORD hath done for us recounting one benefit after another untill we have convinced our hearts of our dutie and have enforced our selves unto thankfulnesse But our thanks must not be verball onely like that of the proud Pharisie saying Lord I thanke thee Luk. 18.11 they must be heartie and reall which is then then wee shew that wee do indeed acknowledge our selves bound and beholding to God for those things for which we say we give him thanks namely when we use his gifts as he hath appointed to his glory and when we give our selves both in soule and body to his service thus let us give thanks it is good it is pleasant it will become us Then this nothing more pleasing unto God nothing more profitable unto us for everie heartie thanks is a reall effectuall begging of continuance and blessing upon what we have and of new supplies unto what wee have not such shall never want good gifts because God knoweth he shall never want hearty thanks Thine is kingdome He saith not thou hast a kingdome but which is more thine is kingdome that is all kingdome and soveraigntie is thine in originall right and is not a derived soveraigntie as all other governments are Whence we learne Absolutenesse of authoritie Doct. 3 and Soveraigntie is properly and onely in God The Lord made that great Monarch and earthly king of kings Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge and proclaime
absolutely necessary to salvation or not necessary and according as Gods promise the ground of our faith and hope is absolute or conditionall Our prayer for things needfull bee they things spirituall or temporall must be particular and absolute because a generall petition namely that God should doe with us as hee pleaseth as may bee for his glory and for our good is properly no petition for in saying so a man asketh no certaine thing neither doth hee know what he doth aske So likewise a conditionall petition is no petition Wee may and must truly and particularly desire the things lawfully asked yet as wee aske temporall things with lesse earnestnesse and intension of minde and spirituall things with more fervor and intension of minde so our expectation of the one is absolute and more firme our expectation of the other is lesse firme and alwayes with submission either expressed or understood unto the will of God In resolving this Case 2 Cases whether a man may aske temporall things absolutely Whether a man may aske temporall things absolutely I will with it propound and answer another Case to wit Whether when a man hath asked temporall things he may expect them absolutely Whether when a man hath asked temporall things he may absolutely expect them I answer difference must be put between asking a thing absolutely and expecting a thing absolutely when it is asked There are some things may bee asked absolutely which yet may not absolutely bee expected Gods command is the ground of our asking this command to pray for temporall things is absolute for we are as well bid to aske our daily bread as to aske forgivenesse of sins Gods promises are the ground of our faith and expectation of receiving the things asked Now all Gods promises are not absolute his promise of temporall things and of such spirituall things as are not necessary to salvation doth admit of reservations and exceptions that is hee will give temporall things to us so farre as they may well stand with our enjoying of those good thing which are spirituall and eternall Likewise his promises which concerne the giving a specialty of grace and of comfort over and above what is necessary to salvation upon our asking are to bee understood with this exception unlesse hee holdeth it best 2 Cor. 12.8.9 to keepe us humble hungry and thirsty watchfull and prayerfull under the sense of our infirmity and want of what we desire which in some cases is farre better for us than to have our desire Namely when if we had such or such grace and comfort we should bee exalted above measure and should despise them that had not the like or should grow presumptuously secure Wherefore when wee shall aske for spirituall things absolutely necessary for Gods glory and mans good such as hallowing of Gods name comming of his kingdome and doing of his will also forgivenesse of sinnes and grace to convert repent and to live godly these things being asked in the truth of our heart we must say Amen unto them with a full and absolute assurance that our petitions are granted for of these things the promises are absolute But as for petitions concerning our outward man state of life and concerning such and such degrees and measure of grace and concerning the feeling of comfort in the assurance of our forgivenesse all which are lawfull and needfull to bee prayed for though we must say Amen to these also with true assurance that God heareth and is well pleased with those our Petitiōs yet we must not say Amen with that absolute expectation of enjoying the things asked For these are asked with a reservation still unto Gods will both when he shall please and in what measure he shall in his gracious pleasure thinke good For my part therefore upon the former grounds I conceive that though temporall good things as health libertie peace life and the like may be absolutely asked that is distinctly and particularly without condition yet those things so asked are not absolutely to be expected in the very particulars to be granted Onely this we may and must absolutely expect when wee pray even for these things that either we shall have them or that which is better at least that we shall have grace sufficient to sustaine us without them 2. Cor. 12.9 so as to have matter of comfort in God in this life and of hope of salvation in the life to come For in that we have prayed in faith this should stay our hearts That we may attaine this assurance our care must be that we make and keepe our peace with God and that we do get and cherish the spirit of prayer Luk. 11.13 that we may alwayes pray according to his will in the name of Christ Iesus Ioh. 14.13.14 then we may build upon his promise and upon his almightie power and fidelitie and we may confidently say with Saint John 1. Ioh. 5.14.15 that we know that God heareth us and that we have the petitions that we desired of him But to conclude this point suppose that when you have done what you can in prayer yet you do not feele nor finde that you have a comfortable answer to your prayers yet be not discouraged nor give over as your troubled heart and your malicious adversary will oft suggest unto you but pray daily and sith you have a promise of audience beleeve and hope even above your feeling and above hope For it will not be in vaine that you still pray Prayer is a dutie to God now if you pray though for the present you have no other benefit but this the discharge of a good conscience in obedience to God this will give some secret support to the soule But bee you assured Gal. 6 9. as in all other well-doing so you shall finde in this be not weary and in due season you shall reape if you faint not and give not over Thus I have with Gods assistance finished this Treatise upon the Lords Prayer in which amongst many other things we may see the necessity of prayer the excellency of it and also how to pray I will adde a word or two touching the difficultie of praying aright This doctrine of the difficultie of praying aright I gather partly from the need that Christs owne disciples had to be taughe to pray Luk. 11.1 and partly by the many things required in prayer of which you have heard before And for proofe hereof consider that the Apostle Paul professeth of himselfe and other beleevers Rom. 8.26 saying We know not what we should pray as we ought The causes of the difficultie are many Reas 1 First prayer is a spirituall service and some men are altogether carnall and the best men are in part carnall wherefore a man 's owne inbred and indwelling evill will alwayes be present when a man prayeth to cause deadnesse and unaptnesse also to fill him full of feares and doubts full of impertinent
supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made knowne 〈◊〉 God Then the peace that wee have in God and in the conscience that at Gods command we have commended our cause to God should cause our hearts to rest quiet Thus it was with Hannah after that shee had prayed and by Elies speech had hope to speed it is said she went her way 1 Sa. 1.18 and did eat and drinke and her countenance was no more sad So likewise did David when he had prayed he saith I will both lay me downe Psal 4.8 and sleepe for thou Lord onely makest me to dwell in safety Secondly after wee have prayed we must bee diligent in using all good meanes which God hath appointed for the obtayning thereof We have a president for the using of means after prayer and that according to Gods direction in the example of a good Captaine Cornelius hee had fasted and prayed and as wee may judge by Gods answer hee prayed to be informed in the way of salvation God directed him to the ordinary meanes and he most diligently applyed himselfe unto them as we may read Acts the 10.5.9 and all with most happy successe Thirdly it shall bee good for us after wee have prayed from time to time to looke after our prayers and carefully to observe how they are answered and how God hath granted thē whether in the same particular or some other way either in giving us better things or giving patience and contentment without them or quickning us still to prayer and dependance on him causing as quietly to wait on him till he shall please to bestow them and accordingly wee must acknowledge Gods goodnesse to us with thankfulnesse as David did Psal 86.18.19 saying Verily God hath heard mee hee hath attended in the voyce of my prayer Blessed bee God which which hath in turned away my prayer not in mercy from me If upon observation we do not find our petitions granted then we must consider wherein wee fayled in prayer and amend it but we must not bee discouraged nor suffer our soules to bee too much disquieted we must pray againe and wait Ps 42.11 as David did on God assuring our selves that in his good time hee will heare us and that we shall praise him who is the health of our countenance and our God to whom be praise and glory for ever Amen FINIS A Table of the principall things contained in this Booke ASSurance of pardon of sinne to be desired 438. 442. How to be assured that our prayers are heard 753 What is to bee done if a man cannot assure himselfe that his prayer is heard 754 Of what things onely God is the Author 590 A large acquitting of God from being an Author of sinne though it be by his permission though he lead into temptation 576. c. All things are not common amongst Christians 388 In asking forgivenesse a man must confes his sins unto God 477 The properties of confessing sinnes aright 482 In what case a man may do contrary to scruple of conscience 71 Sinne doth cast men into the greatest debt 484 Difference betweene naturall and spirituall desires 5 After a man hath sought the things that concerne God he may desire those which concerne his owne good 327 Desires of temporall things are to be confined to the present day 363 The desires of the things of this life must be moderate 389 All divine properties in God are everlasting 710 What is meant by Evill in the last Petition 518 What it is to be delivered from Evill 521 Sinne is the Evill the worst of all evils 673 The best examples are to bee propounded for imitation 301 How far Christs example doth binde to imitation 8 Primary faith justifieth Secondary faith giveth assurance of Iustification 419. 420 All true Christians have the Lord of heaven and earth to their Father 138 What is meant by Forgive 403. c. Jt concerneth all to desire Forgivenesse 437 Motives inducing to aske Forgivenesse 446 It is God onely that forgiveth sinnes 447 Danger of deferring to aske forgivenesse 466 We must pray that others sins may be forgiven as well as our owne 470 Forgivenesse of sinne is to bee asked for the living not for the dead 475 Jn asking Forgivenesse it is good that a man expresse upon what grounds hee doth aske and expect forgivenesse 494 Who so would have God to forgive them they must forgive others 496 Cautions concerning gestures in prayer 161 Rules concerning gestures in prayer 162 God is an heavenly Majestie infinite in al holy excellēcies 146 God is not to be represented by an Image or under the likenesse of any creature 129. 151 The glory of Gods holy name must bee the chiefest of every christian mans desire and indeavour 196 Governours of Families must teach those that are of their charge the principles of religion 10 Motives to hallow Gods name 214 Jt must be every mans desire to be holy in this life 533 Reasons why we should be holy 540 Motives to holinesse 550 Meanes to be holy 556 We must desire that others may be holy as wel as our selves 621 Holinesse is of Gods free grace not of mans free will 557 Holinesse is the highest title of honour that can be given to any person 217 Justification freeth a man from the guilt and punishment of sin 457 Men already justified must yet aske forgivenesse every day 462 Who so is justified must be beholding to God for forgivenes of all his sins as well as of any 492 What is meant by Gods Kingdome in the second Petition 213. c. Of Christs Kingdome and the government thereof 228 Christs delivering up the kingdome to the Father and his being subject to him is no diminution of his glory 239. c. All Christians must unfainedly desire the comming of Gods Kingdome 248 In what cases man may goe to law and how 531 A man should desire to live upon his own maintenance 378 The enjoying things needfull for this life are of God 341. 342 What is to be held needfull 392 In heaven is all perfect obedience 298 Though Christians cannot be perfect in this life yet they must ayme at perfection 312 Meanes of growing towards perfection 314 What it is to pray 4 Preparation to prayer needful 30 A twofold preparation to prayer 32 What preparation is requisite 37 Requisites in prayer 33 Jt is every ones duty to pray 40 The use of Prayer though God have no need to be thereby informed 44 Causes of mens slacknesse in Prayer 51. 53 Motives to Prayer 55 c. Objections against Prayer answered 60 c. The Lords Prayer may be used and is to be used as a Prayer 72 Set Prayers are lawfull 73 All Prayers are to bee made according to the patterne of the Lords Prayer 79 He that would make a prayer every way acceptable must bee Gods childe 93 Though the Prayers of the wicked be abhominable yet they are not exempted from the dutie of
prayer 99 Wicked mens Prayers are not altogether in vaine though not altogether accepted 101 Difference in the Prayers of the wicked and godly and difference in their acceptance 102 All that would pray acceptably must be in charity with their neighbours 109 Prayer is to be made onely to the true God 113 In the entrance into Prayer a man must represent God to his mind under such titles names as are aptest to induce him to pray and as may best helpe his faith in prayer 122 In Prayer God is to be conceived of in the distinction of Persons 125 Prayer ordinarily is to be directed to the Father in the name of the Sonne by the holy Ghost 133. 134 We must not be rash in Prayer 150 Man must not needlesly multiply words in Prayer 157 In what cases long Prayers may be made in what not 158 Prayer must be made with holy devotion 160 Prayer may be made to God in all places 166 Publike places fittest for publike Prayer 168 Private places fittest for private Prayer 171 Prayer may bee made with voice or without voyce 179 How farre a voyce is fittest to be used in Prayer 180 Cautions in using voyce in private Prayer 181 When and how a man may pray against others 268 Bodily welfare is to be prayed for both for our selves and others 330. 353 Prayers are to be made daily 373 How oft we must pray 376 Prayers for things of this life should be lesse insisted upon then those that concerne the life of grace and glory 398 How spirituall and temporall things are to be prayed for and how the granting of them is to be expected 749. 750 With Prayer praise thanks must be joyned 691 Prayer must bee made with understanding 716 The minde and heart must joyne in prayer 719 There must bee an holy fervour in Prayer 724 When a man hath prayed he must expect to have the things prayed for 727 It is a difficult thing to pray aright 756 Meanes to strengthen faith in Prayer 760 What a man must do after he hath endevoured to pray aright 764 God would have his children utter to him Reasons grounds why they aske and expect the things for which they pray 685 When men are fallen into Sin it must be their prayer and caâ—â— to get out by Repentance 6â—â— The properties of sound Repentance 671 How Saints departed and Angels in heaven are to be honoured by men on earth 305 Salvation is of the free grace of God 451 How a man may prevent Gods giving of him over to sinne 616 Of the kindes of Temptation 510 What a good Temptation is 510 What an evill Temptation is 511 How farre God hath to do in evill Temptations 513 What is properly to tempt to sinne 516 God hath an holy hand in the Temptations sins of men 571 The best are subject to Temptations 633 Who so would bee kept from sinne must resist it in the Temptation 644 How Temptations to sinne are pressed by tempters and how resisted by the tempted 652. 678 It must bee every Christians desire that Gods will be obeyed 285 The chiefe heads to which Gods revealed Will may be reduced 287 Disswasives from disobedience to Gods Will. 28â— Motives to obedience to Godâ— Will. 29â— Meanes to enable us to 〈◊〉 Gods Will. 29â— We must desire that Gods Wiâ—â— be done in an holy manner 30â— What is requisite in the right manner of doing Gods Will. 307 Errata Page 6 line 5. reade from p. 34 l 4 r. conceiving him p. 243. l. 6. r. rendition p. 274 l 18. 19. r. considered p. 277. l. 9. r come p. 301. l. 24. r. shall p. 322â— l. 12. r. proprietie p. 396. l. 17. r. Thâ—â— they p. 396. l. 19. r. That they p. 43â— l. 27. r. unto the. p. 445. l. 26. r use p. â—â—â— l. 3. r. unto his p. 656 l. 24. r. resist FINIS