tendernesse secondly immutabilitie 2 The name of Father putteth vs to search what right we haue to that name 1 There is a generall interest in that name which is communicated to all creatures by which all things that haue being must call God their Father because hee is to them all the author both of their being and conseruation for of him and by him and through him are all things And if Iabal may be called the father of all such as dwell in tents and of such as haue Cattell And Iubal the father of such as handle the Harpe and Organs Because these were the first beginners of these arts amongst men Much more may all things call God their common Father in whom all things liue moue and haue their being But thus God is the father of wicked men of the deuils and of hell as being the Creator of their substances and the author of their being The Church of God doth not vnderualue this interest in God though thus common to all creatures that haue being though the worst and most despised creatures of earth sea and hell doe participate with them therein Who loues the ayre the worse because euill men and noxious creatures hurtfull to man doe breath it in and out and liue by it Who loues the Sunne the worse because it shines vpon the good and bad vpon sweet gardens and loathsome stinkes and dunghils or the raine that fals vpon all grounds Amongst the benefits that wee thanke God for this hath good place wee giue him thankes that when we were not he gaue vs a being It is a great wisedome and it is attained by faith to vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which we see are not made of things which did appeare And therefore the Prophet calleth vpon the creatures the Angels the hoast of heauen the Sunne and Moone and Starres and Waters c. Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created He also established them The donation of being and the conseruation in being be great fauours and therefore God is called Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keeping all things This putteth vs in minde to take heed that we turne not the blessing of our being into a curse by corrupting our waies and doing euill in the sight of God It is otherwise with vs then it is with other creatures many of them perish and loose their being Angels and men are created to immortality and they that possesse not the immortality of life and glory shall bee possessed of the contrary immortality of confusion and paine So that the doctrine of our creation doth admonish vs to remember our Creator betimes that we may addresse our whole being to him for we see that all other creatures in their kinde doe serue him and keepe the vse for which they were ordained 2 There is a more speciall interest in this title of Father belonging to men who haue receiued fauour in their creation aboue other creatures 1 For he made man in imagine suâ which he did to no other creature on earth 2 He made him in honour but a little lower then the Angels crowned with glory 3 Hee made him immortall for though his fall brought in death yet the death of Christ destroyed it and the soules of men cannot die and the dead bodies of men shall rise againe to an eternall reunion with their soules 4 He made him to rule And this putteth vs in minde of a great debt of duty to God who hauing vs as his clay in his hand when he might haue made vs beasts or fowles and fishes wormes or flyes he chose rather to make vs men to giue vs the vse of reason discourse and speech Which though it be a gift common to vs with the wicked and vngodly of the earth yet let vs thinke neuer the worse of it for to be a man is to be an epitome a little Mappe of the whole world and there is a way open for men as much to excell men as men generally are more excellent then bruit beasts 3 There is yet a more speciall interest that some men haue in this title to call God Father then others haue which none but Christ can warrant vs to challenge and therefore none but he can teach vs to call God Father in this sense and that is by right of adoption For when we had lost the fauour of God being dead in trespasses and sinnes and separated from the life of God and thereby in a more miserable condition then all our seruant creatures associated also with those rebell Angels that kept not their first estate but forsooke their habitation Then it pleased God to send his sonne first in promises then in types shadowes and in the fulnesse of time in the fulnesse of performance to reconcile vs to himselfe and to purchase for vs an eternall inheritance that we might be called the sonnes of God and enfeoffed in all the liberties of Gods elect children so the Apostle We haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba that is father This is the interest of all the faithfull in God and none but the elect doe call him by that name by a iust claime to the graces annexed to that name and deriued from it Rea. 3 This reuealeth to vs a third reason why we call God Father that is to shew that we goe to him in our prayers the right way which is by Iesus Christ for there is no other way to the Father One Mediatour betweene God and man the man Iesus Christ For in this last kinde of gratious paternity God is onely a Father to vs in Christ and for his sake And to shew our faith in God grounded vpon the sufficient merits of Iesus Christ wee seeke the face of God vnder that title which our Iesus hath bought with his bloud which is called the bloud of the euerlasting couenant So that the name of Father giuen to God in this prayer doth teach vs that all the prayers of the Church must be offered vp to God in the mediation of Iesus Christ For we call not God Father by Angels or Saints but by Christ onely therefore we must seeke this Father onely in and by Iesus Christ He himself hath taught vs this for he saith whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my name it shall be giuen you The Renegado of Spalato in his last Manifesto doth muster vp heapes of proofes to maintaine inuocation of Angels and Saints against the truth against his owne former auouchments of the contrarie against his owne conscience if he haue any left after his apostacie He laboureth to proue that Angels and Saints departed doe continually pray for vs wee deny it not wee know that there is a communion of charity in the whole body of the Church and doubt not of their perfect charitie who are released hence
we examine you what is meant by the name of God what it is to hallow it what is meant by the kingdome of God and how would you haue it come c. If you doe not vnderstand what you aske of God in these petitions are you any better then those byrds that are taught to speake but cannot vnderstand And doe not the Papists pray to as good purpose in Latine as you in English if you vnderstand not what you aske Therefore for your better information resort to such as Christ hath left in his Church to instruct you and say doce me orare For if you vnderstand not your selues in your petitions neither will God vnderstand you 2 We must pray with reuerence This must be inward of the soule and outward of the body The soule must compose it selfe in holy feare to this conference with God lest when we doe seeke for mercy from him we awake his power and iustice against our selues Our prayer applyeth it selfe that way from whence our helpe commeth and Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth Prayer is called the calling vpon the name of the Lord and David saith holy and reuerent is his name The old law amongst the heathen for their homely gods was Deos castè adeunto There is in God greatnesse which filleth vs with feare and goodnesse which filleth vs with hope the inward reuerence that we must bring with vs to prayer must be a mixt composition of the heart partly put on with hope and partly stopped with feare for all feare will keep vs away from God and all hope will make vs too bold when we come to him To this must be added to expresse this outward reuerence for the body must not sit out in this holy seruice that is the temple of the holy ghost euery whit of it must shew reuerence I deny not but the heart may pray reuerently to God in inward deuotion when no appearance thereof comes abroad in voice in posture in gesture in countenance But ordinarily the prostration of the body or geniculation the lifting vp of the eyes and hands haue beene the expressions of prayer in great examples And the consideration of the great and high Maiestie of God may well stoope vs to these reuerend formes which ought not to be forborne where with conuenience they may be vsed for God challengeth it as a part of his honour To mee shall euery knee bow and he giues it in reward to his sonne that at his name euery knee shall bow and euery tongue shall confesse to him 3 In perfect sense of our want 1 For if we pray for good things wee must feele the want of them and rightly vnderstand that neither wee can well be without them neither are we able to receiue them any where else then from the open giuing hand of God neither can we desire them of him by any meritorious seruice we can performe to him rather wee deserue all ill at his hands malum poenae to reuenge in vs malum culpae Neither can we haue them from him but by way of petition as he hath commanded vs. 2 If we pray against euill wee must feele our selues iustly imbarqued in the feare or smart thereof and that none but the preseruer of man can either preuent the euill that we feare or subuent vs in the euill wee feele none but he can defend vs against it or protect vs in it or deliuer vs from it Therefore we must heartily affect the good that we pray for and perfectly abhorre the euill against which we pray 4 We must pray in feruencie of spirit so the Apostle admonishing vs to many holy duties addeth this Continuing instant in prayer for qui timidè rogat docet negare and therefore hee requireth vs to be feruent in the spirit olla feruens seipsum purgat The prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent It is noted in the best example of all that Christ in the daies of his flesh offered vp his prayers and supplications to his Father with strong cries and teares the Euangelist addeth with sweat trickling downe his face of water and bloud which was like the plague of fire mingled with haile amongst the Egyptians for that shower of water and bloud which Christ wept from his agonized body did lay and calme the storme of Gods indignation against sinne and did burne vp and drown the proud Prince of darkenesse that he was neuer able to preuaile against the Church and death was swallowed vp in victory The greatest prayer is that holy fire with which the Church fighteth against Sathan and therefore feruent prayer is by Saint Augustine called Deo sacrificium oranti subsidium daemonibus flagellum They that offer vp to God their prayers in the heate of fury as the two sonnes of thunder let fire come from heauen and consume the Samaritans and that vent the bitternesse of their intemperate spleene in curses and imprecations to Gods dishonour and the breach of charity they do offer strange fire and this offering doth expose the offerers thereof to the fire of Gods fury This feruor is in respect of the holinesse of God 5 We must pray in sincerity of heart not in hypocrisie the sincere heart is in good earnest with God and therefore is importunate resembled therefore to hunger 〈…〉 man which indangereth miscarrying if it be not satisfied There is no way for prayers that come of some double hearts God is one and Cor simplex that is sine plicis is his delight this in respect of the wisedome of God 6 We must pray in faith Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith And Saint Iames Let him aske in faith nothing wauering for hee that wauereth is like a waue of the sea driuen with the wind and tossed for let not that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord. The ground of this faith is the goodnesse and truth of God whose promise bindeth him to grant all that wee aske of him in the name of his Sonne 7 Wee must pray in the mediation of Iesus Christ for if we consider the greatnesse and glory of God it is such that the Angels when they stand before God doe couer their faces with their wings therefore there is no appearing for vs sinfull men in the presence of that glorious Maiestie of our selues but we must goe by the way of a Mediatour to him This was figured in the old law in the High Priest who did beare the names of the children of Israel before the Lord. Aaron was a figure of Iesus Christ who is declared our onely Mediatour for there is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus Quid est dulcius quam genitorem in nomine vnigeniti inuocare Aug. med cap. 5. So much of the world as acknowledge
and are with God toward that part of the Church which is militant here on earth and we giue God thankes for them and their glory But wee haue no warrant to resort to them for their intercession but haue an open way to the perfect and full al-sufficient Mediatour Iesus Christ who sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. Yet let vs see how faithfully this apostata doth quote the Fathers to the maintenance of this idolatrous inuocation I will examine some few of his quotations out of the Fathers that you may tast him in a little for hee that hath dealt doubly with God and vnfaithfully with the faith it selfe what hope can wee haue of him that he same he being now in the cleare light where he may behold the truth would therefore pray to God for such as sit yet here below amiddest many clouds of darkenesse But that he meant not to make Cyprian a Mediatour betweene God and the Church who can better tell then Saint Augustine himselfe who of purpose handling this point doth 1 Shew the necessity of a Mediatour betweene God and vs. 2 He sheweth what kinde of Mediatour hee must be that will serue our turnes God and man and from thence 3 He excludeth Angels Boni igitur Angeli inter miseros mortales beatos immortales medij esse non possunt This declareth his found iudgement against mediations of any but Christ So that adiuuet nos orationibus suis is no prayer to him but a figuratiue kinde of Colloquie with him as when Dauid saith Laudent eum coeli The next authority is S. Aug. De verbis Apostoli Serm. 47. I know not where he found that sermon for we haue in print but 35. in all It were a long worke for me and not so pleasant for you nor profitable that I should pursue this fugitiue Apostata in all his colourable pretences for inuocation of Saints I desire to establish your hearts in the doctrine of truth grounded vpon the name of Father It teacheth vs to seeke the face of God onely in his mediation for whose sake God is become our Father To worke this stedfast faith in you know that there be three things which properly belong to a Mediatour which can be found in none but Christ onely 1 He must be of Gods appointing and declaring to vs none but hee can tell whom he will admit or heare for vs. And we finde Christ onely reuealed If any sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous I am the way no man commeth to the Father but by me 2 He must be iustus institia suâ we say of Angels that they are iust iustitia data a quo nostram ab eo habent iustitiam we say of Saints that they be rather Iustificati then iusti But Christ is called sapientia patris iustitia nostra 3 He must be able to merit for others that no Angell nor Saint can doe Christ confirmed Angels Christ restored man For the angels wee deny not but they may know what our wants are because they are ministring spirits that by the appointment of God doe attend vpon vs yet no Scripture hath reuealed any example of inuocation directed to them But for the Saints they know not our particular necessities they see not the euils which wee suffer onely they know as hauing beene members of the militant Church that we are left behinde them here in a valley of teares and therefore in generall they pray for vs as hath beene said Against their particular knowledge of our wants two plaine texts conuince our aduersaries of errour therein 1 When the Church confesseth that Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knoweth vs not 2 Huldah the Prophetesse telleth Iosiah he must bee gathered to his fathers and put into his graue in peace that his eyes may not see all the euill that God would bring vpon that place From whence wee may conclude that they who see not our miseries heare not our prayers and therefore are not to be required to mediate for vs. I conclude this point in the words of S. Aug. All christian men commended each other in their prayers to God and he who praies for all and for whom none praies he is that one and true Mediatour you may easily know whom he meanes We call him Father to teach vs that prayer is a spirituall exercise a worke of the holy Ghost in vs therefore Rea. 4 it is called the spirit of grace and supplications which teacheth vs to pray and enableth vs in praier It is the spirit of God onely which witnesseth to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God by which we call Abba Father Therefore all those that pray to God by that name without that sweet and secret testimony of the holy Ghost assuring them that they are the children of God doe not pray but prate and babble and God heareth them not This confuteth the Popish doctrine of doubting whether we be in the state of grace for shall I call God Father and yet stand in doubt whether he be my Father if I beleeue as I say that hee is my Father vpon what shall I build my faith is it not the suggestion of Gods spirit that is the author of my regeneration and that leadeth me into the way of all truth that telleth me so This is the right comming to God in prayer to aske as S. Iames teacheth nothing doubting to come in assurance of faith We call him Father to comfort all our distresses and Rea. 5 to warrant the successe of our prayers for Christ hath taught vs that this Father exceedeth all naturall Parents both in the knowledge of the necessities of his children and in tendernesse of compassion of them and in readinesse to heare them and grant their requests and in giuing good things to them what can I sinne against my father that he will not forgiue what can I aske that he will not giue Rea. 6 Another great reason is to assure vs of the excellencie of the state of grace for so Saint Iohn doth vrge it Behold what manner of loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs that we should be called the sonnes of God This would be thought an high honour if wee did wisely consider the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God hereafter the gratious liberty of them here We call the sonnes of rich men happy because they are like to be left full and the sonnes of great men because they shall sit amongst the Princes of the earth but if these be not the Sonnes of God they may one day see poore Lazarus in ioyes when themselues are tormented in flames The truth is though the flesh the world and the deuill oppugne it that there is no man in the way of happinesse but such onely as are the Sonnes of God such onely as haue God to their Father by a speciall interest in him by Iesus Christ If
of Gods workes they are in our eyes and we behold them and take vse of them euery day and they that bestow the most paines in the search of Gods worke do know him most and best and from them his name hath or should haue most honour This booke the Apostle calleth the wisedome of God and seeing this was not found sufficient to make God knowen to the world as he desired for their good 2. Another booke was opened the holy Scriptures of God that by them God might be made manifest and his name declared So saith the Apostle After that in the wisedome of God the world by wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue This preaching taketh the text from the written word of God and they that study that booke well shall know the name of the Lord. God hath recommended to his Church the reading hearing and meditating on his law and the blessed man doth exercise himselfe therein day and night and there is nothing that honoureth a nation more in the sight of all nations of the world then the studie and obedience of this law as Moses sayd to the Lords Israel Keepe therefore and doe them for this is your wisedome and your vnderstanding in the sight of the nations which shall heare all these statutes and say Surely this great nation is a wise and vnderstanding people For what nation is there so great who hath God so nigh vnto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call vpon him for And what nation is there so great that hath statutes and iudgements so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day In which wordes you may obserue 1 That God requireth an exact care for the keeping of his law 2 That this is found and profest by God himselfe to be the wisedome and vnderstanding of his people 3 That it is their glory amongst other nations of the world 4 That by the diligent study and reading and obedience of the law God doth draw nigh to vs 5 That God doth therefore set the law before all the 〈◊〉 6 That Gods name is hereby hallowed of his owne people glorified amongst other nations of the world I beseech you lay all this to heart and I dare say you will call the Church of Rome an hard stepmother to her Children who hideth this booke of God from them for 1 How can the law be well kept when it is not well knowne how can it be well knowen where it is not well preached where euery soule hath not liberty to read and study it at large so that they doe herein hinder the obedience which God requireth to be giuen to his law for as in faith so in obedience how shall they either beleeue or obey without hearing 2 Seeing the wisedome of the Church doth consist in knowing and keeping the law of God doth not the Church of Rome infatuate her children aâ—d make starke fooles of them by hiding the booke of God from them and so robbeth God of his delight for God delighteth not in fooles 3 Seeing the libertie of the law of God is the glorie of a nation the Church of Rome by hiding the booke of God from their people doe make them inglorious and dishonour them to the nations round about them 4 Seeing God doth reueale himself to be neare vnto them that know and study his Law and keepe it the Church of Rome doth what it can to driue it away from amongst them A strange peruersenesse God would draw neere to them by the Ministerie of his word and they refuse him He would be farre off from them when they would make him their creature for the Priests of Rome professe themselues God makers they wil inforce his presence 5 Seeing God doth set his Law before all the people at large the Church of Rome which keepeth vp this booke and forbiddeth the generall communication thereof to all that are capable thereof doth professe it selfe an Antigod herein 6 Seeing by this knowledge and this obedience of the Law the name of God is hallowed and without this it cannot be sanctified as it ought the Church of Rome is guilty of hindering the honour of God both in his Church and without and therefore is no way to be hearkned vnto or embraced as the true Church Let me therefore exhort you so many as do make conscience of hallowing the name of God in which our helpe standeth to exercise your selues in the reading hearing and studie of the holy word of God that you may know the Maiestie Wisedome Holinesse Power and goodnesse of that name that the name of the God of Iacob may defend you from all euill And to this purpose frequent you both diligently and reuerently the house of Gods name and honour where his word is read preached faithfully and sincerely make the Sabbath of the Lord which is a day appointed to the hallowing of Gods name especially your delight for this is the onely outward ordinarie meanes by God deuised and commanded for the making his name knowne to his Church 2. The inward meanes This is without vs for it is the worke of the holy Ghost the meanes to attaine this spirit of God to assist and enable this worke in vs by prayer for so our Sauiour saith If ye then being euill know how to giue good gifts to your children how much more shall your heauenly father giue the holy spirit to them that aske him the gift of this spirit is not obtained by all them that pray but by such onely as pray according to rule and though grace be not necessitated to the outward meanes yet the promise thereof is so annexed to the right vse of the means as we may be bold in that way to lay claime to it God neuer faileth his owne holy ordinances but they that giue themselues to the holy consideration of the workes and word of God and are feruent and frequent in praier such are in the eye and fauour of God and preuaile with him It is a short and sweete praier of Dauid let me commend it to you say it in your hearts often to your God Support and hold me with thy free spirit 2 When we know the name of God our next dutie is to be zealous of the glory of this name for else we do not sanctifie it as we ought Take heed that we doe not speake of it vainly that we doe not blaspheme it profanely that we doe not sweare by it but when we are lawfully called thereto that nothing in the world be more pretious in our estimation then this name of God for God is our blessednesse and the fulnesse of our ioy here reward hereafter his name is glorious and they that haue no other Gods but him will with their soules seeke him and in thought word and deed they will honour his name But God may
last to it For as the Psalmist The Lord is king be the earth neuer so impatient hee sitteth betweene the Cherubimes But the kingdome of God is opposed by sundry enemies and he hath committed the vengeance of his enemies to his Son who when he hath subdued all the enemies of his fathers kingdome to him then shall the kingdome of God appeare in ful glorie and there shall be none left to oppose it or to rise against it 3. Where it is said that the Sonne himselfe by whom all the enemies of this kingdome shall be subdued shall then be subiect to the father this reuealeth a double mysterie of grace to the Church 1 That the Sonne hauing finished the office of his Mediatourship betweene God and man shall not lay downe his humanity with it for when it is said that the Sonne shall be subiect to the Father that cannot be in respect of his Diuinity for so he is equall to the Father he must therefore continue man still 2 The vse of the humanity of Christ retained after the accomplishment of his office and the deliuery vp of the kingdome of his Father is another gratious mystery for he remaineth still the head of the Church and that is the knot of our vnion to the Father for Christ hath a double Office 1 One of reconciling the Church to his Father 2 Another of confirming and establishing the Church in this glory He drawes vs to him by his word by his spirit that he may reconcile vs and so he presenteth vs to his father without spot or wrinckle and confirmeth vs in that state both of fauour glory by maintaining our vnion with him for which he keepeth the hypostaticall vnion eternally vndissolued Indeed that Hypostaticall vnion of the Diuine nature with our humanity is not compleate in absolute perfection till wee be one with him as he is with the father which hee prayeth for And therefore the Apostle calleth the Church triumphant The fulnesse of him that filleth all in all for when he hath drawen all to him and made them one with him as he is one with the Father then there is that perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he desireth and no opposition left to resist or disturbe it for euer Then the father is declared vniuersall King and his glory is reuealed without any Eclipse all the clouds which obscured it are remooued all the enemies of it vtterly confounded Then is he both reuealed and confest The King of glory Now you haue heard how many sorts of kingdomes God hath the next question is which of these kingdomes we pray for that it may come And here I wonder that I finde great interpreters both ancient and moderne at some difference some vnderstanding the petition of one others of another of these kingdomes but the solution is easie and it is worke for another day to resolue it To cleare this question of which of these kingdomes this is meant one obiection is made that these three first petitions of this prayer by consent of most interpreters are to be referred wholly to the glory of God and concerne God onely from whence it is concluded that wee pray not here for the kingdome of grace by which God ruleth in his Church at large and particularly in the soules and consciences of the faithfull for to pray so is to pray for our selues And the same is alleaged for the kingdome of glory which God giueth to his chosen for they say to pray for the comming of that is also to pray for our selues and for our owne future glory And for the first which is the kingdome of Gods power by which hee ruleth the world which hee hath made that is thought not to be here meant because that kingdome hath euer beene come since God began the world begun in the creation and proceeding in the conuersation and gubernation thereof Therefore it is concluded that no other kingdome here is praied for but the last of Gods full glory when Christ shall haue subdued all his enemies vnder his feet and shall then himselfe be subiect to him when God shal be all in all To which obiection my answer is that the ground of this dispute is false and fallacious that only the glory of God is desired in the three first petitions without respect had at all to our selues For in the first petition when wee desire of God the hallowing of his name doe we not desire that it may be hallowed by vs and therein we doe as well begge our owne sanctification to that holy seruice as the speciall honour of Gods name for as I haue shewed the name of God will be glorified in despight of all opposers but it is sanctified onely by such as are holy So in this second petition we exclude not our selues though we seeke the glory of God we doe withall seeke our owne glorie in it therfore I am not carried with the strong streame of our later writers though of reuerend memorie in the Church of God to shrinke vp this petition to any one of these aboue mentioned kingdomes but I shall euer in my deuotions comprehend them all 1 We desire the comming of the kingdome of Gods power in the generall gouernment of the world for though that kingdome be come already in part yet it may be more declared to the world then yet it is and it must be exercised with the continuation of the world yet more and more and that we pray for For how many nations and languages of the world yet are there who though they doe confesse some deity whom they pretend to serue yet they are not come to this knowledge to beleeue and confesse that The Lord is King The comming of the Kingdome of Gods power to these may declare him King of kings and Lord of Lords Though the Deuill could not catch the Sonne of God in this net hee hath preuailed with many to make them beleeue that hee is the supreme Monarch of this world and that all the kingdomes of the earth are at his dispose which maketh many goe to the Deuill for the kingdomes of this world though some ouer-weaning the Popes temporall power by which hee claimeth a Monarchicall supremacie ouer the kingdomes of all the world haue sought to him for such high preferment For the Pope stands as stiffly vpon the claime of all the kingdomes subiection to him as the Deuill doth They are all giuen to me and to whomsoeuer I will I giue them Therefore I pray let thy kingdome O Lord declare it selfe and let the Deuill and the Pope both know and learne the lesson which thou taughtest proud Nabuchadnezar that The most high ruleth in the kingdome of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer he will Let all the nations of the earth know that these two great impostors the Deuill the Pope do gull their credulous deuotoes for neither of them hath any thing to doe with the kingdomes of the
of the name of God God withdrew his kingdome from them and cast them off This shewes how earnestly we had neede to fixe our hearts on the hallowing of Gods name that we may be bold to aske of him and may beleeue to obtaine of him the desired comming of his kingdome Concerning the enemies that we haue to hinder our settingforth and progression to this kingdom of glory they be all the same which would hinder the comming of the kingdome of grace for the way of grace leadeth vs to glorie Sathan by tempting vs here and by accusing vs to God The world partly by fascination of vs leading vs into an ouer-loue of things temporal partly by persecuting of vs with many afflictions and vexations of life Our owne bodie of sinne being like tinder ready to take fire from the least sparke of carnall suggestion all these lay themselues in our way to hinder our passage to this heauenly kingdome Against which we pray Adueniat regnum tuum that is O Lord let none of our enemies preuaile so farre against vs as to hinder the saluation of our soules 2 It is needfull to pray this in respect of the necessary graces of God which we doe naturally want by which wee are made members of that holy commonwealth which is subiect to the Kingdome of Gods grace and made capable of the kingdome of Gods glory These graces of God are partly outward partly inward and Spirituall 1 Of the outward 1 These are the libertie of the Gospell that wee may freely professe Christ and openly avow his holy worship and keepe his Sabbaths and holy daies and our publike meetings in the house of God there was a time when Dauid was forced to fly from the angry face of Saul and escape for his life then hee bewaileth this as his most heauy oppression that hee was banished from the Tabernacle and might not come to the meetings of the holy congregations hee hath a psalme of purpose for that complement Therefore we are much bound to God for this holy liberty of his house and seruice which wee enioy vnder the pious gouernment of our King and in this petition wee pray that this libertie may bee maintained and enlarged to vs and euermore continued that the free vse of the ministrie of the word holy Sacraments may be established in our Church and that the Lord of the haruest would furnish his work with worthy able labourers in this haruest for the perfiting of his Saints And consequently that God would remoue all hinderances to this light either arising from the opposition of such as are profest enemies to it or the wickednesse or vnsufficiency of such as by their weakenesse and vnworthinesse or by their idlenesse and vnprofitablenesse or their vngodlinesse and iniquity may hinder the free course of the Gospell or bring a scandall vpon the Church of God amongst vs. Further we pray for the efficacy of our Ministery in all those that are partakers thereof that God would thereby enlighten the vnderstandings of all our congregations that his name and seruice may be knowne to them and that they may not liue in darkenesse in the sunneshine of this glorious light of truth That when wisdome preacheth they may not walke as fooles when truth preacheth they may not belieue lies when faith preacheth they may not liue in infidelity when holinesse preacheth they may not liue in all sensuall vncleanesse walking in the way of their corrupt lusts in all abomination to the prouoking of God to anger against them The inward meanes for the aduancing of this kingdome of God here desired is the holy Ghost creating in vs new hearts and regenerating vs to a godly life and establishing vs in the same Christ promised to send this Spirit into his Church to abide with it for him foreuer to instruct it to be a remembrancer to it of all things that he had said to it To strengthen it against errours in doctrine to sanctifie it against corruptions of lusts fortifie it against the principalities and powers that oppose it to comfort it in spirituall and temporall grieuances So Adueniat regnum tuum is asmuch as reueale to vs that spirit which thou hast promised to supply thy roome in the perpetuall regiment of thy Church and let the holy Ghost gouerne vs This then is the suite Adueniat regnum gloriae nostrae We pray for the coming of the kingdome of Gods glory which is the consummation of our happinesse as if we would answer Christ he saith It is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome We cry Lord let it come Where our desire of the coming of it doth expresse our expectation of his coming to giue it to vs our loue of his coming and our longing desire of it The reasons why we desire this coming of it are 1 Because God hath reuealed to vs so great a mercy layed vp for vs and reserued in the decree of his good pleasure and wee may bouldly aske it of him for his commandement is Aske and receiue 2 Because God hath promised vs the gift of it and we may boldly claime all the precious promises of God in our praier promise is our warant 3 Because God hath reuealed to vs that he wil shorten 〈◊〉 dayes of the troubles of his Church for the elect sake We pray therefore for the hastening of that time according to his good pleasure 4 Because we haue great examples of this prayer both in earth and in heauen 1 Of the whole creature which groaneth and trauaileth in paine together with vs. Where insteed of praying for this aduent of Christs kingdome there is The earnest expectation of the creature waiting for the manifestation of the Sonne of God For the whole creature hath a promise to be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God 2 Of the elect of God here for that followes And not onely they but our selues also which haue the first fruits of the spirit euen wee our selues groane within our selues wayting for our adoption to wit the redemption of our body 3 We haue helpe in these our groanes from the spirit teaching vs as we ought to pray for this Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for vs with groanings which cannot bee vttered 2 In heauen The soules vnder the altar of them that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held They cry with a loud voyce saying how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth and they haue their petition answered That when the number of these Saints is fulfilled then this kingdome shall come 4 Regnum gloriae dei The comming of this kingdome is the full consummation of Gods glory both in his gratious mercy to saue
Altar should not be able to liue by the Altar he would not haue vs serue and sterue The mouth of the Oxe 〈◊〉 treadeth out the corne must not be muzled They vnderstand not this petition that inuade the goods of the Church the inheritance of God they may say within themselues as William Rufus the Conquerours sonne said when he kept Church-liuings in his hands long voyd and tooke the reuenues of them into his owne coffers Gods bread is sweet But it will bee bitternesse in the latter end to him it was so his end was vntimely and violent There be too many that inuade the rights of the Church and Religion suffereth for it for if worthy maintenance faile worthy seruice will hardly subsist If they that should apply their whole studies to the fitting of the soules of men are directed to the care for their bread time must needs bee lost from the maine worke of our ministery which is to saue soules What encouragement can a student haue to apply his wits and industry to a fitnesse for that calling in which he cānot promise himself bread except he buy it The complaint of Salomon shall end this point though this giues vs iust occasion to renue his complaint which I doubt will neuer end I returned and saw vnder the sunne The race is not to the swift nor the battaile to the strong nor bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of vnderstanding nor fauour to men of skill We see which way all these things goe wee may lament it and pray God to amend it that they may not want the necessaries of this life who shew to vs the way of euerlasting life Remember vs in your prayers for bread that we also may haue our part with you 6 Our dutie to the poore is taught here also for they are ex nobis we must not hide our selues or restraine our prayers or almes from our owne flesh they are digged out of our pit and hewen out of our rocke Iob protesteth his charity this way he did not eate his morsels alone the fatherlesse did eate with him For from my youth vp he was brought vp with mee as with a father I was a guide to her from my mothers wombe he saw none perish for want of cloathing nor any poore without couering the loynes of the poore blessed him and his fleece kept them warme For he considered Did not hee that made me in the wombe make him and did not one fashion vs in the wombe These haue as much right to bread from the hand and of the gift of God as we and except God giue it vs the poore shall no more feele the want of bread then the rich that haue and possesse it in fulnesse Therefore let vs not put the needy off with our prayers but be ye mercifull as your father in heauen of him we say Aperis tu manum imples owne animal benedictionem tua Surely God giueth vs all the bread that we aske for necessity as to owners of it but if hee exceed our demand and giueth vs aboue that he intendeth that wee should be his stewards of it to dispense it to the necessities of our brethren and therefore he maketh the cups of some to ouerflow that their abundance may fill such as are emptie 7 Nobis includeth our enemies wee are also taught here to remember them let not malice drowne our charity and spight drinke vp our deuotion and piety If thine enemy hunger not onely pray God to giue him bread but doe thou feed him if he thirst doe thou giue him drinke forget not of what spirit thou art of the spirit of him who prayed for his transgressors who had not a friend vpon earth but yet came to vs being his enemies to seeke our loue and to make our peace with his father Be angry but sinne not let not the sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath blesse them that curse you pray for them doe them good Anger is a dangerous inmate to harbour in vs for it hindereth our deuotion and maketh vs leaue them all out of our Nobis that we haue any edge against and imperfect prayers cannot haue a full preuailing therefore Salomon saith anger resteth in the bosome of a foole Anger is a fire and canst thou carry fire in thy bosome and not be burnt saith he It is ignis alienus if wee offer vp our prayers to the God of peace with any of our anger in them that one ingredient puts death in the pot we must come to the God of peace in peace When Socrates his seruant had done a fault that moued his Master to some choller one cryed whip him whip him Socrates answered I had need whip my anger first for I finde that more to blame then my man It is our wisedome and patience to beare iniuries and to let the seed of them come vp in vs in benefits and prayers the liker that wee make our selues to him to whom wee pray the better will hee like of vs and our prayers therefore da nobis must meane feed vs and feede our enemies let not them that hate vs want bread This is an holy reuenge to recompence euill with good 8 Nobis doth include as you haue heard our cattaile and creatures giuen to vs for our vse wee owe then a duty to pray to God for them to preserue them to our vse Iobs first blow that he had was in his cattaile his Oxen and Asses the deuill knew that that would bee a smarting rod the next in his seruants and other cattaile The goodnesse of God the giuer is to bee inuocated for preseruation he preserueth man and beast They be beasts that are cruell to their owne cattaile that exact worke of them and care not to feed them their bowels are cruell their labours their bodies are ours If our care must extend to the feeding and nourishing and praying for these helpefull creatures made to our vse they doe much offend God that vpon euery prouocation curse them and smite and abuse them as Balaam did his Asse who would haue beene content to haue killed his beast in his fury to whō God gaue a speaking tongue to reproue him and the record thereof is kept for our instruction to teach vs to vse our seruant creatures with all gentlenesse for the iust man is mercifull to his beast as I told you from Salomon 4 Panem nostrum We gather the doctrine of our duties from the seuerall reasons why the bread that we doe pray for is called ours 1 Seeing it is called ours because we labour for it according to the ordinance of God in sudore vnltus tui comedes panem we are here taught to apply our selues to labour in some honest vocation to winne our bread This is that we are borne to as Eliphaz in Iob saith truely Man is borne to labour as the sparkes flye vpward Therefore the Prophet calleth this our bread
Gods mercy to vs for the foundation of God is sure and sealed with this seale Dominus novit qui sunt sui But we are admonished by the Apostle to make our calling and election sure not in the decree of God but in our owne perswasion And it cannot bee sure except we vse the meanes ordained to assure vs. But if wee haue truely discouered in our selues the body of sinne and haue opened into God in a contrite confession and haue bewailed them with teares of vnfeined contrition which S. Augustine calleth Sanguinē vulnerati cordis and haue asked God forgiuenesse and cried him mercy from them This is applicatio remedij that there is a ground for our saith to beleeue the pardon of them sealed to vs and not before God testified of Dauid that he was a man after his owne heart yet he sinned soulely and till he had made confession of his sinne and had deplored it penitentially he was not absolued from it Christ told Peter that Sathan desired to sift him but he had prayed that his faith should not faile him That did not make his threefold denyal of his Master no sinne he knew it and remembring himselfe he went forth from the place where hee had done the fault and wept bitterly The rule therefore is that All the promises of God and our faith in those promises haue reference to the holy vse of the meanes ordained by God for establishing our peace with him Therefore in the name of God goe the way that hee hath ordained for you to walke in follow the holy example of all the faithfull seruants of God who haue gone to Gilead for balme when they haue had any soarenes and haue humbly prostrated their diseases before the Physitian who came to comfort them that mourne and to binde vp the broken hearted and say Domine dimitte nobis debita nostra Another duty is to pray only to God for pardon of our sinnes When Christ said to the sick of the palsey Sonne bee of good cheare thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee The Scribes said within themselues This man blasphemeth Our Sauiour defendeth himselfe by lawfull authority The sonne of man hath power on earth to forgiue sinnes S. Marke is more expresse in this relation for these Scribes gaue a reason why they charged Christ with blasphemy saying Who can forgiue sinnes but God only They were in the right for that generall rule that none but God can forgiue sinnes but they mistooke Christ not knowing him to be God God laieth claime to this authority I euen I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And againe I haue blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sinnes returne vnto me for I haue redeemed thee Sing O ye heauens for the Lord hath done it So by the Prophet Ezechiel he saith I will sprinckle cleane water vpon you and yee shall bee cleane from all your filthinesse A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you Dauid stirreth vp himselfe to blesse the Lord for this Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiueth all thy iniquities Therefore our Sauiour sendeth his disciples to our father in heauen to forgiue them their sinnes Contrary to this doctrine is the precept of the Church of Rome which imposeth on the consciences of men a necessity of auricular confession of all mortall sinnes to the Priest for obteining pardon thereof For if only God must forgiue only to God must confession of sins be made The doctrine and practise of auricular confession in the Church howsoeuer pretended by the Councell of Trent to be the institution of Christ yet did it come in when partly humane policy partly superstition corrupted the Church in the doctrine and discipline thereof For in Saint Augustines time it was not heard of who protesteth against it as a thing vnreasonable and thus he disclaimeth it Quid mihi est cum hominibus vt audiant confessiones meas quasi ipsi sanaturi sint omnes languores meos Curiosum genus ad cognoscendam vitam alienam desidiosum ad corrigendam suam Quid a me quaerunt audire qui sim qui nolunt a te audire qui sint The power of forgiuing sinnes is onely in God but he hath left in his Church a ministeriall dispensation of that power by application to true penitents and they that presse it further inuade the rights of God Therefore to rectifie your iudgements in this point concerning men forgiuing of sinnes know that this belongeth to men two wayes 1 In Church discipline it belongeth to the Minister to absolue penitents for as God hath left in the Church the ministerie of exhortation of doctrine of conuiction and of reprehension so hath he left the ministerie of absolution to pronounce his pardon to them that truely repent them of their sinnes If you obiect that any priuate lay-man may assure him that truely repenteth that his sinnes are forgiuen from the certaine warrant of the word of God or a man may assure himselfe hereof by reading and meditation in holy Scriptures I answer that nothing is well done that hath not the warrant of a lawfull calling to authorize it for that is transgression of the ordinance of God The Apostle doth impose it on all sorts of men promiscuously to exhort and instruct one another but none may performe this duty publiquely but they who are called to it For how shall he preach except he be sent He that gaue his Apostles authoritie to goe into all nations to preach and baptize said also to them whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whosoeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained And though the Church of Rome doth reserue certaine cases of absolution onely to the Pope as in the right of Peter vnder colour of whose succession he vsurpeth yet the text is cleare that what Christ spake to Peter he spake to the rest and Saint Basil did so vnderstand him who saith Christus omnibus pastoribus doctoribus ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnes ex aequo soluunt et ligant And their owne Thomas of Aquine saith quilibet sacerdos quantum est ex virtute clauium habet potestatem indifferenter in omnes And the very phrase of Christ not saying to whomsoeuer you declare remission of sinnes they are remitted but whosoeuers sinnes ye remit shewing that Christ in our ministery doth this for nos legatione fungimur pro Iesu Christo euen as if Christ did beseech you by vs. Therefore as the waters of Damascus might bee as cleare and as sweet and as wholesome as the waters of Iordan yet not so effectuall to wash off the leprosie of Naaman because the word of the Lord sent Naaman to that Riuer So though any other man in respect of his knowledge and zeale and good