Gods childe and Christs brother Mark 3.35 Hee that doth the will of God the same is my brother sister and mother saith Christ Sixtly God will heare their prayers Ioh 9.31 If any man will doe his will him he heareth And seventhly to such belongeth the salvation of God Psalm 50.23 Be ye intreated therefore by the mercies of God to give your selves both in bodies and soules to GOD. Prove what is that good Rom. 11.1.2 that acceptable and perfect will of God Thinke thus with thy selfe It is sufficient nay too much that I have spent the time past of my life according to the will of men and of the flesh in all manner of wickednesse but now that I am quickned and professe better things now that I am redeemed from my former conversation I will therefore strive and pray that I may live according to the holy will of him that hath redeemed me Thinke thus God will have his will fulfilled by me in obedience or hee will have it fulfilled upon mee in his just vengeance Let every man therfore use all meanes to know and doe the will of God And as much as in us lyeth we must cause others to know and to doe it We have Christs example who also speaking of mans duty saith Ioh. 13.17 If yee know these things happy are yee if yee doe them Now that wee may doe the will of God Meanes inabling men to do Gods will wee must first be ingrafted into Christ and must abide in him drawing grace and vertue from him by the exercise of our faith as the branch doth from the Vine Ioh. 15.5 then wee shall doe Gods will bringing forth much fruit in him Secondly we must deny our owne wisedome and our own will Pro. 3.5 Pro. 23.4 and we must not consult with flesh and bloud but with the word of God and the inward man in which dwelleth the Spirit of God Gen. 22.3 Thus Abraham became able to doe as hard a piece of service as any man can be put unto in offering his onely sonne Isaack the sonne of his hope Rom. 4.19.20.21 who as he beleeved in God in a thing impossible to reason without reasoning against it so did hee performe a commandement of killing his sonne in naturall reason seeming unnaturall unreasonable and impious this he did by resting onely upo the word of God to which he was obedient Heb. 11.19 Thirdly wee must doe our utmost that we may know the will of God else how can wee doe it to this end wee must heare reade and meditate on the holy Scriptures which have the power of God working with them to inlighten the minde with knowledge and to incline the will to obedience Fourthly pray unto God who onely can and will informe the understanding Phil. 2 13. and give both to will and to doe at his good pleasure Thus Paul prayed that the Colossians might be filled with the knowledge of his will Col. 1.9 and that they might walk worthy of the Lord in all well-pleasing David likewise prayed saying Ps 119 8â— Quicken me after thy loving kindenesse so shall I keepe the testimony of thy mouth And the Church saith Cant 1.4 Draw mee and we will runne after thee If we will pray and seeke with all our might as we would for hid treasure Pro. 3.4 â— then shall we understand the feare of the Lord and then shall wee know Hol. 6.3 if we follow on to know the Lord. Then shall we also be able to doe the will of God Phil. 2.13 For he will worke all our workes for us and we shall be blessed in our deed Iames 1.25 As in heaven Observe here that the patterne of perfect obedience is taken from heaven whence we may collect Doct. 2 In heaven is all perfect obedience there is no failing there no not in the least circumstance 1 Cor. 13.12 Now I know but in part saith the Apostle but then that is when hee should come to heaven I shall know as I am knowne Peter speaking of the new heavens saith that therein dwelleth righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3.13 Reas 1 1 Cor. 6.9 For heauen is the holy place into which no unrighteous person can enter for when there were disobedient persons in heaven namely the divell and his Angels which kept not their first estate heaven did vomit them forth never to be burdened with them or the like againe In heaven there are no tempters Reas 2 for there are none but God Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 therefore also no temptations unto sinne The thoughts of this will moderate griefe for those our Vse 1 friends which die in the Lord. For the place whitherto death hath made a passage for them is the heaven spoken of in the Doctrine which doth secure us that they are there where they are made perfect where they shal neither offend nor be offended Doth not the meditation Vse 2 hereof worke in Gods children not onely contentment but a longing to lay downe this tabernacle to be translated hence when the Lord shall please sith the exchange will be so happy It is but a parting with a sinfull miserable earth for this heaven wherein dwelleth perfect righteousnesse It is leaving mortality for life sinne for grace and misery for glory in that place where they shall neither bee actors nor beholders of sinne where there is no sinne either to infect or vexe them Vse 3 When we are wearied and almost fainting in our combat against sinne and this wicked world if we would but consider that ere long if we do hold out manfully a while this sinne and flesh shall annoy us no more For when death commeth it is the portall to this heaven spoken of in the text which death doth as certainely separate sinne from soule and body for ever as if doth the soule from the body for a while For our place is this heaven where are the Angels the patternes of our obedience and when we come there we shall be as the Angels Luke 20.36 and shall ever be with the Lord. As in heaven Here Christ doth send us to the best and perfect examples whence note In proposing examples for imitation Doct. 3 men must propose the best such as are perfect and heavenly The examples of Angels and those that be perfect must bee imitated of men on earth Therfore when Paul would have the Corinthians follow him it was with this condition as hee followed Christ or because he followed Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 In the following such examples Reas 1 men shall alwaies have cause to proceed on and grow better and better and shall still be going forward towards perfection for such examples are perfect Reas 2 When men looke upon these perfect copies the sight of how much they come short of what they should doe taketh downe pride which else would arise from the sense of what they haue done
Ob. If they say we pray to living men to make praiers and intercessions for us why not rather to the Saints departed who are more perfect Sol. I answer when we desire the living to pray for us we do not give any religious honour unto the living but they do properly give religious worship in praying to the dead which honour is due to God onely Besides the living know what we need the dead do not and in using the living we do not make them mediatours betweene the Father and us that he should helpe us for their worth and merit thus Christ onely is Mediatour but we onely request them to intreat the Father for Christs sake to helpe us Lastly Iam. 5.14 the Scripture doth warrant men to request the prayers of the living and doth acknowledge onely one Mediatour betweene God and man even there where it requireth that living Saints should make prayers and intercessions for all sorts of men 1. Tim. 2.1.5 All which think they know Vse 3 God but yet are altogether ignorant of the distinction of the persons must hereby know that they do not yet know God distinctly and if they worship God without any consideration of Christ by whom and of the holy Ghost through whose helpe they pray in the spirit if they do not expresse or imply thus much in prayer they do notwithstanding they professe the true God turne him into an Idol For in all true worship the unity is worshipped in Trinitie and Trinitie in unity without dividing the Godhead or confounding the Persons Vse 4 Every one that would worship God aright must therfore first learne to know him to be one only true God distinguished into the Father Sonne and holy Ghost but herein much warinesse and sobriety must be observed that none seeke into this mysterie of mysteries to understand above that which is meete namely above that which the Scripture hath revealed it being an object of faith to bee beleeved and not possible by reason to bee fully comprehended In conceiving of the distinction of persons take heed of two extremities first we must not conceive that there is an essentiall difference betweene them as if all the three had not one and the same nature Secondly we must not imagine that there is onely a rationall or imaginarie distinction whereas their different order and manner of subsisting and different manner of working declareth that there is a reall or true difference betweene them So that the Father as Father is in no respect the Sonne and the Sonne as Sonne is in no respect the holy Ghost and the holy Ghost as holy Ghost is in no respect either the Father or the Sonne When God is thus conceived of and knowne aright then in the same order as he doth subsist he must ordinarily be worshipped according to the direction of our Saviour in this patterne Stephens directing of his prayer to Christ was upon the beholding of Christ Iesus standing at the right hand of God Act. 7 â—â— it being a speciall and extraordinary occasion This argueth that it is not unlawfull to direct prayer to the second Person or third Person upon especiall cause but yet ordinarily this rule and order in worshipping GOD must be observed First we must direct prayer unto the Father of lights the giver of every good and perfect gift Secondly we must offer up praier and praise by Christ Iesus who offereth up incense with the prayers of all Saints Rev. 8.3 by whom wee have accesse to the throne of grace Heb. 4.15.16 to finde grace and helpe in time of need Thirdly wee must use all meanes to obtaine the holy Spirit of grace and supplications We must pray for it and heare the Gospell which is the ministerie of the Spirit preached Then we must cherish stirre up the good motions thereof taking heed that wee doe not grieve it or quench it by any evill conversation Let us get an holy acquaintance with it that it may make heartie requests for us For prayers cannot be sweet incense if they be not mingled and anointed with holy oyle which is the anointing of the Spirit which as it teacheth all things 1 Ioh 2.27 as Iohn speaketh so especially it must teach us to pray aright Wherefore whensoever you pray enter into consultation with the inward man what you should aske and how consult with the word denie carnall reason and presumption of your owne abilities in prayer then shall the Spirit make your requests for you which by you must be seconded and 〈…〉 and truth put up to the Father by Christ Whosoever shall in this manner direct his praier to the Father by the Sonne through the Spirit albeit I cannot promise him that his heart shall be so inlarged that he shall satisfie himselfe in prayer yet I can assure him he shall alwaies be able to offer up such sighes and desires as shall please God and prevaile more with him then shall the praiers of others who without the spirit of prayer by the meere helpe of nature art can command both words and varietie of matter at their pleasure Vse 5 This directing of prayers unto the Father in the name of the Sonne through the holy Ghost may remove the greatest discouragements that any Christian can meet with when he goeth about to pray It is not majestie nor infinite justice in God nor greatnesse or multitude of sinnes in man nor any unworthinesse of his person nor yet his insufficiencie to thinke a good thought nor yet the feeling of himselfe that many times hee knoweth not either what or how to pray can dishearten him if hee doe but consider that hee prayeth to God who is God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost and that he may pray in this order namely hee prayes to the Father of Christ who is his Father he prayes in the name of Jesus Christ who hath satisfied his Father for all his sinnes and daily doth make intercession for him and hee praieth in the Spirit who helpeth his infirmities and maketh requests for him though it bee sometimes but with sighes and groanes which are not distinctly uttered Rom. 8.26 By this meanes there is life and spirit in our prayers and God doth and will accept them for he knoweth the meaning of his Spirit and will accept the worke of his Spirit in us through Christ though wee bewray our many imperfections Father in the second place hath through Christ relation to all the members of Christ who are here willed to say Our Father whence note Doct. 6 All true Christians have the Lord of heaven and earth to their Father J ascend to my Father and your Father saith Christ Ioh. 20.17 I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6.18 Reason 1 They have received the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4.5 and are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.26 Reason 2 They are all
to whom Fatherhood and the beginning of all things is ascribed without excluding but necessarily including the other two namely to God the Father the first person in Trinitie the naturall and eternall Father of Christ Iesus who by adopting us in Christ and by begetting us againe by regeneration through the Spirit * Ioh. 20.17 is our Father Thus the Apostle Paul conceived of God when he prayed first he conceived of God as Father of Christ saying Eph. 3.14.15 I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ then he sheweth how hee conceived God as the father of the elect when he saith Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth are named So did the Apostle Peter conceive of God 1 Pet 1.3 when he gave him thanks saying Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Which art in heaven Heaven signifieth the heaven of heavens the third heaven where Christ sitteth at the right hand of his Father By the excellencie of this place above others is set forth the majestie and excellencie of him that sitteth therein God doth not so inhabite the high and holy place but that he dwelleth also with him that is of a contrite spirit Isa 57.15 1 Kin. 8.27 Mat. 5.34.35 Psal 11.4 And the Heaven of heavens cannot containe him But because heaven is Gods Pallace and throne in comparison of earth which is but his footstoole and because from thence he doth manifest his glory more remarkeably then from any other place revealing his will power Iam. 1.17 and Godhead in his workes of mercy as David saith Psal 57.3 Psal 102.19.10 Rom. 1.18 He shall send from heaven and save me and in workes of justice as the Apostle saith The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse therefore hee will that his being in heaven should as by a signe set forth his glorious Majestie Also his being in heaven doth distinguish him from earthly fathers Luk. 31 13. and putteth difference between him and false * Psal 136.26 Ion. 1.9 gods This description of God by his place is all one with that which the Apostle setteth downe at large calleth him 1. Tim 6.15.16 Onely Potentate King of kings Lord of Lords who onely hath immortalitie dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto c. If this short description be well weighed it will appeare that there could not possibly bee a a more briefe and more apt description of God meet to be represented to the minde of him that is to pray then this which in more words may be thus expressed O Lord God which art Father of Christ Iesus and through him Father of me and of all beleevers we coming to thee in the name of Christ and being moved hereunto by thy spirit of Adoption whereby we call Abba Father we are well assured that thou wilt accept of our praiers praying for our selves and for our brethren and sith thou onely art God which dwellest in the high and holy place from whence cometh every good gift and art Almightie as thou art God to answer thy willingnesse as thou art Father wherefore we call upon thee and do thou vouchsafe to heare us Our Note here that a man must have faith and be in state to call God his Father else he is not sufficiently qualified for prayer Learne therefore Whosoever would make an acceptable Doct. 1 prayer must be Gods childe he must have a right to call God Father and must come to God as a childe to his father Therefore David when hee prayeth approveth himselfe to be Gods childe saying If I regard iniquitie in my heart the Lord will not heare me Psal 66.18 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight saith Solomon Prov. 15.8 It was a true speech of him which said We know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Ioh. 9.31 Reason 1 For the person of a man must be accepted else his sacrifice cannot be good and acceptable for while the tree is naught Mat. 7 18. the fruit cannot be good Thornes cannot send forth grapes Mat. 7 16 neither can thistles beare figges Reason 2 All acceptable prayers are put up in Christs name and are accepted through his mediation Now he is Advocate for none but those for whom he is a propitiation scil beleevers according to his prayer I pray not for the world c. Ioh. 17.9 Reason 3 No man can pray untill he have the spirit of prayer Zac. 12.10 to cause him to mourne kindly for his sinne and to call Abba Father which spirit God sendeth to none but to his sonnes Gal. 4.6 Everie one that cometh to Reason 4 God must beleeve that God is and that hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him Heb. 11.6 They must have faith How shall they call on him on whom they have not beleeved Rom. 10.14 The promise of acceptance Reason 5 and of a gracious hearing is made to the godly Psal 32 6. Psal 34.15.17.18 Iam. 5.16 and to the righteous whose prayers are said to be prevailing If a man have not good assurance Reason 6 that hee is the childe of God he can never answer those strong objections which the devill will urge to keepe him from prayer but if he can shew that God is his Father and that God hath commanded him to pray no objection of Satan can discourage him Vse 1 Hereby all that do not righteousnesse and that love not their brethren for by this they are discerned not to be children of God Ioh. 3.10 but of the devill must understand that if they continue in this their wicked condition and yet pray they deale presumptuously and to them God saith Psa â—0 16.17 What have ye to do to take my covenant in your mouth seeing ye hate instruction Secondly they may learne what to judge of their praiers God accepteth them not for they be no better then either howlings or cries wrung from them by pinching necessitie Hos 7.14 or meere hypocritical mocking of God abhominable sacrifices of which the Lord saith Your incense is an abhomination Isa 113.15 and when ye make many prayers I will not heare It is all one with him as if * Isa 66.3 ye did blesse an Idoll so long as ye chuse your owne waies such as ignorance superstition contempt of religion prophanenesse pride drunkennesse whoredome deceit lying unbeliefe impenitencie and such like God abhorreth all service done to him so long as their soules delight in their abhominations Consider this O ye that forget God saith the Lord lest I teare you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal 50.22 Thirdly let all impenitent and ungodly persons take notice in how miserable a straight they are and into what a labyrinth and maze their sinne hath brought
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
most apt to enkindle the desires and helpe the faith of them that do pray If many and generall requests be to be put up then such titles and names must bee used that may perswade them they shall be heard in all If some particular petition be to be pressed then such names and descriptions of God are to be used as may helpe the heart in that particular Abrahams servant being to pray for successe in his masters businesse saith Geâ— 24 12. O Iehovah God of my master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed this day and shew kindnesse unto my mâ—â—tâ—er Abraham When Peter did intricate God to make choice of an Apostle to supply the place of Iudas hee saith Thou Lord Act. 1.24 which knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen When David prayeth against the enemies of God and his children hee saith O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth Psal 94.1 O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy selfe And when hee doth magnifie Gods name and would incire all people to pray unto him and praise him he speaketh to him in this description of God O thou that hearest prayer Psal 65.2 unto thee shall all flesh come For a wise choice of apt names Reason 1 titles to represent God with doth argue knowledge of God and wisedome to make use of his different attributes both which knowledge wisdome being mixed with faith doth much please and delight God to behold in his children The representing of God to Reason 2 the minde in convenient and meet names and notions is verie needfull for it will set the heart and keepe it in good plight working aw and reverence fervencie uprightnesse and confidence all which are requisite in prayer Vse It behoveth therefore every one that would make a good entrance into prayer without which he is not like to make a good proceeding to acquaint himselfe with the true understanding of the manifold names and descriptions of God recorded in Scripture and then let them make choice of the fittest titles of God to name him by according as there shal be especiall cause or use of his power wisedome mercie truth or justice c. Then to use such names as may best expresse those attributes which are especially to bee exercised in the granting of their requests Thus much of the whole description of God being coÌ„sidered joyntly now followeth the consideration of each part of the description Father hath relation first to Christ the second person in Trinity whereby our Saviour directeth us unto a consideration of the three persons in Trinity and to the order of directing of prayers ordinarily viz. to the Father whence the doctrine is In prayer God is to be known Doct. 5 and conceived of in the distinction of persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost to whom prayer must be directed ordinarily in this sort scil to the Father by the Sonne through the helpe of the holy Ghost Christ saith Ioh. 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall aske my Father in my Name he will give it you The Apostle giveth thanks to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Ephe. 5.20 We call God Abba Father by the Spirit which maketh our intercessions for us Rom. 8.15.27 For such is the divine dispensation of God the Father Reason Son and holy Ghost that though they are but one indivisible essence and whatsoever any one doth out of himselfe the very same doth the other also Ad extra yet they sustaine different persons and offices that I may so speake and do the same things in a different and distinct order yet so as the naming of one doth not exclude but necessarily include the other In prayer the Father sustaineth the person and place of him that is offended by sinne that must be appeased and doth heare and grant requests If we sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Which sheweth plainly that the Father in especiall sort must be appeased and sought unto The Sonne supplieth the place of a Mediator and intercessour by whom requests ascend and become acceptable to the Father He is that golden altar Ioh. 16.23 upon which the prayers of all Saints are offered and caused to ascend as incense Revel 8.3 No man can come to the Father but by him Ioh. 1â— 6 He is appointed of God to be a Mediatour and being God and man is both a fit and all-sufficient Mediator between God and man Without him no mans person or best actions can be acceptable because of the many imperfections Wherefore all prayers must be offered up by Christ Iesus The holy Ghost doth supply the office of a teacher and of one that helpeth our infirmities and in us Rom. 8.26 to make our intercessions and requests for us that they may be offered to the Father by the intercession of the Sonne For we know not what we should pray for as we ought and if the Spirit do not worke together in our prayers there would be no goodnesse at all in them no not so much as truth and uprightnesse without which Christ Iesus will not offer them to his Father for us Therefore prayers must bee made in the Spirit through the helpe of the Spirit Now because of this order of persons in the Deitie the Father being first and because of the different places they sustaine in the worke of our salvation the counsell and will of all three is that the Father should be prayed unto and worshipped in the onely mediation of the Sonne through the Spirit and therefore it is that the Father is here named not the Sonne or holy Ghost But because of the indivisible essence of the Godhead the naming of the Father doth necessarily imply the calling upon both Sonne and holy Ghost also If God must be known and Vse 1 worshipped in the distinction of the persons in Trinitie then it is impossible to represent God by any image as the Papists do For by what visible likenesse can an invisible Spirit which is truly not imaginarily distinguished into three persons and different manner of subsisting be likened or resembled The Papists that come to Vse 2 God by the mediatioÌ„ of Christ but in part joyning to Christ the mediation of Saints are hereby confuted For there is no Mediatour but that one person by whom God is our Father They come a distinction saying Christ is onely Mediatour of redemption but not the onely Mediatour of intercession that so they might leave a roome in which they might place the mediation of Saints but this is to sever what God hath joyned For the Scripture knoweth no Advocate or Intercessour but him who is the Redeemer 1. Ioh. 2.12 scil Christ Iesus the righteous who is the propitiation for our sinnes And it is as proper to the Mediatourship that Christ onely should make intercession at the right hand of God as to die and rise againe for the elect Rom. 8.34
knowledge and care of them above the knowledge and care that Abraham could have of them saying Isa 63.15.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham bee ignorant of us c. Thou ô Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy Name is frō everlasting The Apostle calleth him King eternal 1. Tim. 1.17 immortall invisible only wise God And he doth call Christ who is one with the Father Blessed and onely Potentate the King of kings Lord of lords 1. Tim 6.15.16 who onely hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto that is in heaven to whom be glory and power everlasting These places shew plainly that Gods being in heaven doth set out his purenesse of being his soveraigntie his infinite power goodnesse omniscience truth mercie justice and all other his infinite excellencies His dwelling in heaven Reason and declaration of his power from thence both by his word and works of creation preservation and redemption of man do prove that he is God and in these works his majesty power and all other excellencies of God are written in such great letters that any one may runne and reade them How can any thinke of this Vse 1 God and not be ravisht in his soule with a most high admiration of his glorious and most excellent heavenly majestie Likewise it should cause al men to reverence feare love and obey this Almighty this infinitely good and glorious God whose throne is in heaven who is our heavenly Father Also it should cause us to the utmost of our power whensoever we draw neare to him in any of his ordinances to come in sort beseeming his holy and heavenly majestie putting off all earthly mindednesse and putting on of heavenlinesse lifting up our hearts to God in the highest heavens How doth this discover the Vse 2 sinfulnesse of those that call Gods omniscience providence and power or any other his attributes into question as they in the Psalme saying Psal 94.7 The Lord shall not see c. And as those that said Psal 78.19 Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse c. Can he give bread Can he provide flesh for his people The Psalmist calleth these brutish men and foolish and the Lord did shew that he could send them bread and flesh Psa 105.15 Num. 11.33 and withall leannesse into their soules so that they were not better but worse by it And he could furnish a table and also while the meat was in their mouthes he could in his wrath smite the fattest of them Psal 78.31 Make no question therefore what God can do for he can do any thing but this one to deny himselfe and ceasse to be infinite this he cannot do Vse 3 How terrible should the apprehension of Gods heavenly majestie be to all that live in any knowne sinne willingly For they live in the hatred and displeasure of him who shall send his Sonne in the glory of his majestie Mat. 16.27 who shall come in flaming fire to execute vengeance upon all those that know not God 2. Thes 1.8 and obey not the Gospell Mat. 10.28 who is able to destroy both body and soule in hell fire Vse 4 The consideration of the heavenly majestie omnipotencie and all the other most excellent attributes of God as also the consideration of heaven the place of his speciall habitation doth teach us many lessons concerning prayer First that we should not be rash with our mouthes or our hearts hastie to utter any thing before God Eccles 5.2 For God is in heaven we upon earth saith Solomon A man therefore must be considerate and well prepared before he speake unto him according as I have shewed at large page 30. Secondly this invisibility and incomprehensiblenesse of God our heavenly Father doth teach us that he is not imaginable so as to be likened to any visible thing Wherefore he that prayeth must not represent God not so much as in his thought and phantasie much lesse to his eye in the likenesse of a man or of any other creature The Orthodoxe Christians in all times have beene opposite to the making of any image of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost either severally or of the Trinitie joyntly but especially to the setting up of any image of God in any place where God was to be worshipped knowing that the beholding of the image doth readily and unavoidably beget a false and carnall conceit of God misleading the imagination turning God into an idoll Rom. 1.23 changing the glory of the incomprehensible and incorruptible God into the image of a finite and corruptible man For indeed by reason of mans pronenesse to idolatry and of Satans deceiveable cunning suggestions and instigations as also for that an image cannot possibly set forth the incomprehensible Being and glory of God but yet leaveth a strong impression that God is present in the image and that he is like unto it therefore it is impossible for any man to represent God to himselfe by an image though it be but to put him in remembrance of God but that he shall quickly become an idolater According to the doctrine of our Church namely Idolatry is to images Hom. Tom. 2. pag. 4◠especially in Churches an inseparable accident God saith that the children of Israel saw no manner of similitude on the day that he spake to them in Horeb Deut. 4.15 16. c. out of the midst of the fire Isa 40.18 And to whom will you liken God or what likenesse will you compare unto him saith the Spirit by the Prophet Isaiah Wherefore when we pray we must not conceive of him in the likenesse of any thing but as an incomprehensible Spirit Father Sonne and holy Ghost from whom by whō through whom and to whom are all things God blessed for ever one alwayes to be admired and adored but not possible to bee delineated or comprehended by any imagination of man What though God did sometimes manifest his presence by things visible as to Moses in the burning bush Exod. 3.2 Exod. 24.15.16.17 and to the children of Israel in the cloud and in the likenesse of devouring fire Gen. 3.8 1. Sam. 3.4 1 Kin. 19.12 as also he did to Adam to Samuel and to Eliah by the sound of a voice And what though in a mentall vision God appeare as a majesticke * 1. King 22.19 judge sitting upon a throne in such appearances as might set forth to Micaiah Dan. 7.9 to Daniel and to Iohn Rev. 4.2 3 the soveraigntie eternity puritie severitie and all-sufficiencie of God And what though the holy Ghost descended upon Christ like a * Mat. 3.16 Act. 2.3 dove and upon the disciples in cloven tongues like fire These were onely acts of particular dispensation usefull for the present occasiōs but not to be patterns to set forth God thereby for our imitation For notwithstanding that God appeared in divers
1. Pet. 2.9 It is the glory and happinesse of a man to bee holy like unto God Holinesse is an infallible and peculiar marke of a childe of God Therefore Gods people are called the people of his holinesse Isa 63.18 Ier. 2.3 And Israel was holinesse to the Lord. Let us purge our selves therefore from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God then shall wee approve our selves to be worthy persons even the sonnes and daughters of the Lord almightie Moreover if the fruit of our Christian profession be holinesse Rom 6.22 the end wil be eternall life Vse 4 If God bestow holinesse upon any man though hee have neither personablenesse nor wealth nor wit nor worldly honour besides let him not be impatient for what he waÌ„teth but let him rejoyce and give thanks for what he hath for he hath that which maketh him to bee esteemed in the judgement of wise men and of the wise God a worthy and excellent person And if we consider the worth of holinesse it will move us to beare the afflicting hand of God with patience and cheerefulnesse For the end of his chastening is saith the Apostle that we might be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12 10 than which nothing is more profitable nothing more honourable The second Petition Thy kingdome come In the first petition prayer is made that God onely may be set up to be knowne and acknowledged to be as he is most holy most glorious to whom all things as to their proper end are to bee referred This is the chiefe desire of a Christian out of which all other petitions issue forth into which they doe all emptie themselves Gods Name cannot be knowne and thereby hallowed except God make himselfe knowne to bee that High and holy one that onely Potentate King of Kings Lord of Lords to whom holinesse and glory doth belong Wherefore petition is made that hee would please to advance his kingdome as a meanes to shew his excellencie and glory that men may yeeld it unto him The comming of this kingdom is the subject of this petition Kingdome in the largest sense signifieth the governance and rule of a people under one head or King But here it is limited by particular reference to God saying Thy kingdome which importeth that administration of governement which God doth exercise either immediately by himselfe or mediately by Christ in preserving and ordering all things so as may set forth his soveraignty to the glory of his holinesse in perfectioÌ„ of goodnes power wisedome mercy justice c. This kingdome of God is Vniversall over all creatures called the kingdome of power or providence Psal 103.19 is Speciall respecting the Church in this life called the kingdome of grace in the life to come called the kingdome of glory In this petition kingdome signifieth Gods kingdome of power grace and glory each one serving unto or following upon the other and all three doe set forth his holy Name the hallowing whereof was in the first petition prayed for Kingdome of his providence is desired because it doth both set forth Gods excellencie and doth minister matter means for the better erecting of the kingdome of grace The kingdome of grace is desired because GOD therein doth most admirably shew himselfe and it maketh way to the kingdome of glory being the beginning and entrance thereinto The kingdome of glory is desired because it is the perfection of the kingdome of grace and when all enemies shall be vanquished and all subjects gathered and advanced to the highest honour 1 Cor. 15. â—8 then God shall be all in all and shall be knowne and acknowledged to be all in all and then his Name shall be perfectly hallowed and glorified Kingdome here is called Gods kingdome as it is a government different from and a government over the kingdome of men but especially as it is opposed unto the kingdome and dominion of sinne and Sathan For the throwing downe of Satan is according as Saint Iohn heard by a voyce from heaven the comming of salvation Rev. 12.10 and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ As his kingdome goeth downe Gods kingdome is set up This kingdome of God is either essentiall and inseparable eternally equally belonging to the Father Sonne and holy Ghost or it is Deputative and separable according as by the dispensation of the blessed Trinity it was conferred upon the second person in Trinity as he iâ— the Mediatour betweene God and his creature The administration of this kingdome is either immediate namely when the Father from himselfe by the Sonne but not as Mediatour doth through the holy Ghost communicate himselfe to the creature and doth governe all things or else it is mediate namely when the Father from himselfe by the Son as Mediatour betweene him and his creature doth communicate himselfe to his creature and doth governe all things God did immediately governe all things in the world untill that by Adams transgression sin entred into the world and in like immediate manner shall hee governe when sinne shall cease to be in the world namely after that Christ shall have put downe all rule and authority and power and hath delivered up the kingdome to God even the Father at the end of this world But ever since sinne hath beene in the world and since it hath pleased God to enter into a new covenant with man namely into the covenant of grace which hee established in Christ the whole governement as well that which is vniversall which concerneth the powerfull conservation and wise disposing of all things for the manifestation of the glory of God and for the use of man as also that speciall government which concerneth the Church was conferred upon the second Person and hath beene administred and is yet to be administred by him as Mediatour untill the time of the redelivery of it unto his Father We may conceive the reason why God did governe the world after mans fall not immediately as before out by his Sonne deputed to be a Mediatour betweene him and man to be this because hee in his holy wisedome held it not befitting the purity and holinesse of his nature to communicate himselfe to his creature defiled with sinne otherwise than by a Mediatour This government Christ Iesus tooke upon him and administred as he was first by designation and afterwards actually by hypostaticall union God and man Not as God onely for in that respect the kingdome was as naturall and essentiall to him as it was to the Father and holy Ghost nor yet as man onely for the humanity alone was not capable of such an universall absolute and spirituall dominion invested with power from himselfe to send forth the spirit and to subdue principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse so as to trample all enemies under his feete This government of Gods kingdome by Christ the Mediatour was first made knowne to the Church
true and adding of false Sacraments may be abandoned It must also be desired that the censures and keyes committed to the Church may be exercised with such discipline that the good may be encouraged the evill may be shamed and cut off from communion with the Church and that to the working of true awfull credit of the Church and advancement of the kingdome of Christ Iesus And that this authoritie may not bee abused for the maintaining of error disgracing or thrusting the best members out of the Church as did the Pharises who made and executed this Canon Ioh 9 2◠That if any did confesse that Iesus was the Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue Or as Diotrephes who did cast men out of the Church 3. Ioh. 10. for receiving the brethren The other externall meanes of establishing and governing this kingdome are the officers both civill and Ecclesiasticall The civill are the King or supreame Magistrate in any place and such as have lawfull authoritie under them whose office is to countenance and order whatsoever things or persons may promote Christs kingdome Isa 49.23 Therefore they are called nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers of the Church which office David and the godly kings of Iudah did performe Prayers must bee made for them but especially for our owne King and governours under him that they may so governe that their subjects may live in all godlinesse 1. Tim. 2.2 and honestie that like zealous Nehemiahs they may rule for the praise of them that bee good Rom 13. and for the terror of them that do evill that they set up and maintaine the onely one true religion among their subjects We must pray likewise against Anarchie when none reigne but every man liveth as he lusteth Iudg. 21.25 Also against evill government when Magistrates maintaine false religion or irreligion or else do tolerate them to the corrupting of the true The Ecclesiasticall officers whose office is to dispence the Word to administer the Sacraments and to have the chiefe ordering of the censure of the Church also such assistants as may help the other in their government Touching these it must bee requested that God would send forth labourers into his harvest Mat. 9.38 that he would increase their number that hee would give them gifts and skill to divide the word of truth aright Psal 132.9 that he would give them grace and will to feede their people with knowledge that he would deliver all such from unreasonable men that they may have liberty to preach the Gospel of the kingdome Lastly that they may bee of unblameable conversations ensamples to their flocks in good works Prayer likewise must bee made for all other that beare office in the Church that they may also have the mysterie of faith in pure conscience that they may also be diligent in discharging their office Contrariwise we must pray against having no ministerie government in the Church also against a false ministerie as that of Pope Cardinals Priests Iesuites c. Also against evill Ministers and officers Ezek. 34.3 Isa 56.16 which either cannot or will not teach or governe according to their place or teach idly rule remisely or teach erroniously or rule amisse Now albeit the kingdome of God may be come in respect of the externall meanes thereof yet if the internal means which is the holy Ghost and the effectuall working thereof be not come neither can the Magistrate with his sword nor the Minister with the word availe any thing to the converting of any one Christian or winning of one soule to this kingdome Wherefore it must be desired that the holy Spirit of God would effectually accompanie the outward meanes of gathering and building up the elect to the enlightening and translating them from the power of darknesse into the kingdome of his deare Sonne and that they may increase in knowledge and everie good grace according to the mightie working of his glorious power that the Word Sacraments and Discipline the weapons of this warfare may be mighty through God to pull downe strong holds and cast downe imaginations and high things which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and may bring into captivitie every thought to the obedience of Christ In respect of subjects of this kingdome praier must be made that their number be increased and perfected that the fulnesse of the Gentiles may come and that the Iews the two sticks Iudah and the children of Israel his companions Ezek. 37.22.24 and Ephraim and the children of Israel his companions may bee united and gathered into Christs sheepfold and may have one King the Lord Christ the sonne of David that so all Israel may be saved as it is written Ro. 11.26 Isa 59.20 Also that being gathered they may be loyall to their King and at peace and loving one to another that there be no Schismes and divisions in this kingdome As for enemies to this kingdome not only Satan and sinne the chiefe which stand in direct opposition to Christ and the Spirit but all such men as are slaves to sinne and Satan and confederates with them are to be prayed against whether they be open foes or false friends which by force or fraud go about to undermine and resist the kingdome of Christ The most notorious of these are Antichrist the arch-enemie of the Church of the Gentiles Ezek. 38.16 and Gog and Magog the arch-enemie of the Church of the Iews All locusts which warre under their king Abaddon Rev. 11.9 All false Christs and false Prophets spoken of Matth. 24.24 which shall endeavour to seduce the Iewes and hinder their conversion Also everie member of the kingdome of darknesse must be resisted and prayed against Here is onely the place for imprecation and praying against men The case of imprecation But because Christians are commanded to love their enemies and to blesse them that curse and pray for them that persecute them speciall care must be had how any man pray against another Wherefore it shall bee needfull to observe some distinctiōs from whence rules of imprecations may be observed 1 Praier is made against enemies of Christs kingdome either in generall or against particular persons 2 Distinction must be put betweene the persons of evill men and their evill acts 3 Distinction must bee put betweene one evill person and another by their acts some sin the sinne unto death irrecoverably some who now are enemies yet are curable and belong to Gods election 4 Difference must be put betweene a mans owne private cause and the cause of God 5 Difference must be put betweene evils temporall and eternall 1 These things observed rules of direction doe follow First that every Christian may and must pray against the enemies of the Church in generall so David Psal 104.35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth 2 The sinnes acts and counsels of the enemies of grace are alwaies