before the hoorehead and honour the person of the old man and dread thy God I am the Lord. To meete him that commeth towards vs. Gen. 18.2 And he lifted vp his eies and looked and loe three men stood by him and when he saw them hee ranne to meete them from the tent doore 1. King 2. 19. When Bethsheba came to speake to king Solomon the king rose to meete her and bowed himselfe vnto her To bowe the knee Mark 10.17 And when he was gone out of the waie there came one running and kneeled to him Gen. 18.2 He ran to meete them and bowed himselfe to the ground To stand by those that sit downe Gen. 18.8 And he tooke butter and milke and the calfe that he had prepared and set before them and stoode himselfe by them vnder the tree and they did eate Exod. 18.13 Now on the morrowe when Moses sate to iudge the people the people stoode about Moses from morning vnto euen To giue the cheife seate 1. King 2.19 And he sate downe on his throne and he caused a seate to be set for the kings mother and shee sate downe at his right hand Luk. 14. 7,8,9 He spake also a parable vnto the guests when he marked how they chose out the chiefe roomes and said vnto them When thou shalt be bidden of any man to a wedding set not thy selfe downe in the chiefest place least a more honourable man then thou be bidden of him and he that bade both him and thee come and say to thee Giue this man roome and thou then beginne with shame to take the lowest roome Gen. 43.33 So they sate before him the eldest according to his age and the youngest according to his youth and the men marueiled among themselues To let our Superiours speake before vs. Iob. 32.6,7 17. To keepe silence in courts and iudgement places vntill we be bidden to speake Act. 24. 10. Then Paul after that the Gouernour had beckened vnto him that he should speake answered To giue them such their right and iust titles as declare our reuerence when we speake vnto them 1. Pet. 3.6 As Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord whose daughters ye are whiles ye doe well Mar. 10. 17. Good Master what shall I doe that I may possesse eternall life 20. Then he answered and said vnto him Master all these things haue I obserued from my youth 1. Sam. 1.14 15. And Eli said vnto her How long wilt thou be drūken Put away thy drunkennes from thee then Hannah answered and said Nay my Lord but I am a woman troubled in spirit I haue drunke neither wine nor strong drinke Secondly towards those that are our superiours in authoritie and first obedience to their commandements Rom. 13.1 Let euery soule be subiect to the higher power VVe are to be admonished to obedience because euery higher power is the ordinance of God and the obedience which we performe to him God accepteth it as though it were done to himselfe and to Christ◠Rom. 13.2 Whosoeuer therfore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement Col. 3.23 And whatsoeuer ye doe doe it hartilie as vnto the Lord not vnto them 24. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for ye serue the Lord Christ. Obedience is to be performed to our superiours with diligence and faithfulnes Gen. 24.2 Abraham said vnto his eldest seruant of his house which had the rule ouer all that he had put now thy hand vnder my thigh and I will make thee sweare by the Lord God of heauen and God of the earth that thou shalt not take a wife vnto my sonne of the daughters of the Canaanites amongst whome I dwell 10. So the seruant tooke ten Camels of his master and departed 12. And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham I beseech thee send me good speede this day and shew mercie vnto my master Abraham 33. Afterward the meate was set before him but he said I will not eate vntill I haue said my message And Laban said Speake on 56. But he saide Hinder me not seeing the Lord hath prospered my iourney send me away that I may goe to my master Gen. 31.38 This twentie yeares haue I beene with thee thine ewes and thy goates haue not cast their young and the rammes of thy flocke haue I not eaten 39. Whatsoeuer was torne of beasts I brought it not vnto thee but made it good my selfe of mine hand diddest thou require it were it stollen by day or stollen by night 40. I was in the day consumed with heat and with frost in the night and my sleepe departed from mine eyes Furthermore we must yeelde obedience to our Superiours yea although they be cruell and wicked but not in wickednesse 1. Pet. 2.18 Seruants be subiect to your masters with all feare not onely to the good and courteous but also to the froward Act. 4.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God iudge ye Subiection in suffering the punishments inflicted by our Superiours Gen. 16.6 Then Abraham saide to Sarai Behold thy maide is in thine hand doe with her as it pleaseth thee then Sarai dealt roughly with her wherefore shee fledde from her 9. Then the Angel of the Lord said vnto her Returne vnto thy dame and humble thy selfe vnder her hands And although the punishment should be vniust yet must we suffer it vntill we can get some lawfull remedie for the same 1. Pet. 2.19 For it is thanke-worthie if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully 20. For what praise is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye take it patiently but and if when ye doe well ye suffer wrong and take it patiently this is acceptable to God III. Thankfulnes in our praiers 1. Tim. 2.1 2. I exhort you therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men for kings for all that be in authoritie that we may lead a quiet a peaceable life in all godlines and honestie 1. Tim. 5.17 Elders that rule well are worthie of double honour Gen. 45.9 Haste you and goe vp to my Father and tell him Thus saith thy sonne Ioseph God hath made me lord ouer all Egypt come downe to me tarie not 10. And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen 11. Also I will nourish thee there for yet remaine fiue yeares of famine least thou perish through pouertie thou and thy houshold and all that thou hast Thirdly towards those that excell vs in gifts our dutie is to acknowledge the same gifts and speake of them to their praise 1. Cor. 8.22,23 Fourthly toward all our equals to thinke reuerently of them Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through contention or vaineglorie but in meeknes of minde let euery man esteeme other better then himselfe In giuing honour to goe one before an
spirit If we shall consider the conuersation of the wicked and the godly and their corrupt hearts togither we shall see little difference but in this that the wicked is delighted and glad to sinne but the godly doe wrestle as for life and death with their temptations and doe resist the deuill and doe desire the grace of Gods spirit and crie to heauen to bee freed from this bondage howesoeuer their hearts are alwaies readie to rebel against God 2. Forasmuch as the kingdome of grace is erected in Gods Church here vpon earth in this petition we are coÌ„manded to pray for the Chruch of God and the parts thereof Psal. 122.6 Praie for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Esay 62.7 Ye which are the Lords remembranceâ—s giue him no rest vntill he set vp Hierusalem the praise of the world And that Gods Church may flourish and be in good estate we are to pray for Christian Kings and Princes that God would blesse them and increase the number of them For they are as nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Church And wee especially are bound to pray for the Queenes most excellent maiestie as also for the French king that they may be blessed and Gods kingdome by them aduanced And againe because ministers are the Lords watchmen in the Church we are here also put in minde to seeke their good and to praie that their hearts may be set for the building of Gods kingdome for the beating downe of the kingdome of sinne and Satan and for the sauing of the soules of his people And the rather because the deuill laboureth night and daie to ouerthrow theÌ„ in this glorious worke and to resist them in their ministerie as appeareth in Zachaâ—ie 3.1 When Ioshua the high priest stood before the Angell of the Lord Satan stood at his right hand namely to resist him Therefore also wee are to praie for them that the Lord would keepe them and furnish them with gifts and with all make them faithfull For where vision faileth the people are left naked saith Salomon 2. Thess. 3. 1. Brethren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue a free passage and be glorified Thirdly we must pray for all Christian Schooles of learning Howsoeuer some thinke but basely of them yet they are the ordinarie meanes to maintaine the ministerie and so the Church of God A man that hath diuers orchards wil also haue a seminarie ful of young plants to maintaine it Schooles they are as Seminaries to Gods church without which the Church falles to decay because they serue to make supplie of ministers 3. Thirdly we are to desire that the Lord would hasten the second comming of Christ as the Saints in heauen praie Come Lord Iesus come quicklie and therefore the godly are said to loue the comming of Christ. 2. Tim. 4.8 A penitent sinner so abhors his own corruptions and the irkesome temptations of Satan that in this respect he desires that Christ would hasten his particular comming to him by death for no other cause but that he might make an end of sinning and displeasing of God Thy will be done 1. The Coherence IN the second petition we desired that God would let his kingdome come vz. That he would rule in our hearts If he then must raigne we must be his subiects and therefore here we craue that beeing his subiects wee may obey him and doe his will Mal. 1.6 If I be a father where is my honour If I be a master where is my feare 2. The meaning VVIll Here it signfieth Gods word written in the olde and new Testament For in his word his will is reauealed Of the whole will of God there be three speciall points which are in this place meant 1. To beleeue in Christ Ioh. 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life 2. Sanctification of body soule 1. Thess. 4.3 This is the will of God euen your sanctification c. 3. The bearing of affliction in this life Rom. vers 29. Those which he knew before he did predestinate to be made like to the image of his owne sonne Phil. 3.10 That I might knowe him and the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions and be made conformable to his death Thy will Not mine for mans owne will is wicked and corrupt yea it is flat enmitie to God Rom. 8. v. 5. Done That is obeyed and accomplished of men Then the effect of the prayer is this O Lord seeing thou art our King giue vs grace to shewe our selues good subiects in obeying thy will 3. The wants to be praied against 1. HEre first we are to bewaile this that our hearts are so prone to rebellioÌ„ and disobedience of Gods commandements Put a match to a heape of gun-powder on a sudden it will be all on a flame and as long as we adde matter to the fire it burnes so by nature we are most readie to sinne so soone as the least occasion is giuen Dauid had experience of this when hee praied Knit my heart to thee O Lord c. Psal. 86. 11. and incline my heart to thy commandements Psal. 119.37 Those which finde not this want in themselues and the like affection to bewaile it are in a miserable and dangerous case euen as a man that hath a great disease vpon him and knowes not of it 2. Againe wee must here bewaile the sinne of the worlde as ignorance schismes hipocrisie pride ambition contempt of Gods word couetousnes oppression want of loue of God and his word c. 2. Peter 2.7 Lot was vexed and his righteous heart was vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites from day to day so ought our soules to bee vexed and grieued continually at the wickednesse of our time and we are to send vp our praiers to God for vnbeleeuing vnrepentant sinners that they may be brought to the obedience of Gods will Ezech. 9.4 In a common iudgement vpon Ierusalem They are marked in the forhead that mourne and crie for all the abominations that be done in the middest of it 3. Here also we must humble our selues for our vnquietnesse of mind impatience wheÌ„ god laies any crosse on vs. It is Gods wil that we should suffer affliction and withall humble our selues vnder his mightie hand Our Sauiour praied that the cup might be taken away but with submission to his Fathers will Luk. 22.42 And this Dauid had learned when he said But if he thus say behold I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies 2. Sam. 15.26 4. Graces to be desired 1. THe first thing which we are here to desire is that we may haue grace to denie our selues wils and affections because herein wee are vnlike to God and like the deuill This is the first lesson that our Sauiour doth