in Baptism are I conceive understood there being no other season or occasion wherein ordinarily and visibly God doth exhibit those Benefits It may be demanded How Children by reason of their innocent age are capable of these Benefits how they can be pardoned who never had offended how they can be justified who never were capable of being unjust I briefly answer That because they come from that race which by sin had forfeited God's favour and had alienated it self from him because also they have in them those seeds of pravity from which afterward certainly life continuing without God's restraining Grace will sprout forth innumerable evil actions therefore that God overlooking all the defects of their nature both relative and absolute or personal doth assume them into his special favour is no small benefit to them answerable to the remission of actual sin and restitution from the state consequent thereon in others 2. In Baptism the Gift of God's Holy Spirit is conferred qualifying us for the state into which we then come and enabling us to perform the duties we then undertake which otherwise we should be unable to perform for purification of our hearts from vitious inclinations and desires for begetting holy dispositions and affections in our Souls for to guide and instruct us to sustain and strengthen us to encourage and comfort us in all the course of Christian piety The which effects are well also figured by water which purifieth things both from inherent and adherent filth That this benefit is annexed to Baptism the Scripture also teacheth us Be baptized saith S. Peter in the Name of Christ to the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We being baptized in one body are made to drink of one spirit saith S. Paul And with the Laver of Regeneration S. Paul again joineth the renovation of the Holy Ghost And it is represented as an advantage of our Saviour's Baptism above that of John that our Lord not only baptized with water to repentance but with the Holy Ghost and Fire Some preventing operations of the Holy Ghost whereby God freely draweth Men to Christianity persuading their minds to assent thereto inspiring their hearts with resolutions to comply with it do precede Baptism but a more full communication thereof due by compact assured by promise for the confirming and maintaining us in the firm belief and constant practice of Christianity is consequent thereon After ye had believed ye were sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise saith S. Paul To signify which benefit then conferr'd the ancient Christians did to Baptism annex the Chrism or holy Unction signifying the collation of that healing and chearing Spirit to the baptized person that which S. Paul may seem to respect when he saith He that establisheth or confirmeth us with you into Christ and who hath anointed us is God who also hath sealed us and hath given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 3. With those gifts is connected the benefit of Regeneration implying our entrance into a new state and course of life being endowed with new faculties dispositions and capacities of Souls becoming new Creatures and new Men as it were renewed after the likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness our being sanctified in our hearts and lives being mortified to fleshly lusts and worldly affections being quickned to a spiritual life and heavenly conversation in short becoming in relation and in disposition of mind the children of God This the matter and the action of Baptism doth set out for as children new born for cleansing them from impurities adherent from the Womb both among the Jews and other people were wont to be washed so are we in Baptism signifying our purification from natural and worldly defilements The mersion also in Water and the emersion thence doth figure our death to the former and receiving to a new life Whence Baptism is by S. Paul called the laver of Regeneration and our Lord saith that If a man be not born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God that is every one becoming a Christian is by Baptism regenerated or put into a new state of Life getteth new dispositions of Soul and new relations to God Ye are all saith S. Paul the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus that is by embracing his Doctrine and submitting to his Law professedly in Baptism And We saith S. Paul again are buried with Christ through Baptism unto death that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so also we should walk in newness of life 4. With these Benefits is conjoined that of being inserted into God's Church his family the number of his chosen people the mystical body of Christ whereby we become entitled to the privileges and immunities of that heavenly Corporation We saith S. Paul have been all baptized in one spirit into one body the mystical body of Christ And so many of you saith he again as have been baptized into Christ into Christ mystical or the Church have put on Christ and ye are adds he all one in Christ Jesus As Proselytes among the Jews by Baptism were admitted unto the Communion and privileges of the Jewish so thereby are we received into the like Communion and privileges of the Christian far more excellent Society 5. In consequence of these things there is with Baptism conferred a capacity of a title unto an assurance under condition of persevering in faith and obedience to our Lord of eternal life and salvation We are therein in S. Peter's words regenerated unto a lively hope of an incorruptible inheritance by that resurrection of Christ which is represented to us in this action and so therein applied as to beget in us a title and a hope to rise again in like manner to a blissful life whence we are said therein to rise with him Being saith S. Paul buried with him in Baptism wherein also we were raised again whence by the two great Apostles Baptism is said to save us Baptism saith S. Peter the antitype of the delivery in the flood doth save us that is admitteth us into the Ark putteth us into the sure way of Salvation and God saith S. Paul according to his mercy saved us by the laver of regeneration and He that shall believe and shall be baptized shall be saved is our Saviour's own word and promise shall be saved that is shall be put into a state and way of salvation continuing in which state proceeding in which way he assuredly shall be saved for Faith there denoteth perseverance in Faith and Baptism implyeth performance of the conditions therein undertaken which next is to be considered For as this Holy Rite signifieth and sealeth God's collation of so many great benefits on us so it also implyeth and
violating God's own Image which every man doth bear 2. It is also an extreme injury to the person who is thereby deprived of an unvaluable good which can no wise be repaired or compensated he that loses his life doth therewith lose all the good he possesseth or is capable of here without any possibility of recovering it again the taking therefore of life can be no sutable revenge no reasonable satisfaction for any injury or damage received it infinitely in a manner surpasseth all the evil which any man can sustain from another in his estate or fame or welfare of any kind for those things have their measure and may be capable of some reparation but this is altogether extreme and irreparable and therefore doth include greatest iniquity add hereto that not onely all temporal good is hereby at once ravished from a man but the soul also of the person may incur the greatest damage or hazard in respect to its future estate by being thus snatched away the slayer not onely robbeth his brother of his temporal life but of his time of repentance and opportunity of making peace with God 3. It is also the highest uncharitableness to deal thus with our neighbour arguing that nothing of good will of pity of humanity toward him is left in us to hate his brother to the death is the utmost pitch of hatred If in imitation of our Saviour and out of respect to him we ought as S. John instructeth us to be willing to lay down our lives for our brethren how enormous a crime how opposite to Christian charity is it to take away our brother's life 4. It is likewise a main offence against the publick not onely by unlawfully bereaving it of a member and subject but to its prejudice and dishonour yea so far as lies in us to its subversion and dissolution assuming to our selves pulling away from it its rights and prerogatives of judgment Such briefly is the direct intent and importance of this Law but our Saviour in his comment hereon hath explained and extended it farther so as to interdict all that any wise approaches in nature or in effect tends unto this heinous evil he means to obstruct all the springs and extirpate all the roots thereof such as are rash causeless outragious inveterate anger contumelious and despightfull language reserving grudges or spight in our heart not endeavouring speedily to reconcile our selves to them who have done us injury or displeasure for these things as they commonly do produce the act of murther so they argue inclinations thereto which if fear and self-respect did not restrain would produce it and consequently in moral accompt which regardeth not so much the act as the will are of the same quality therewith however they arise from the same bitter root of great uncharitableness upon which score S. John telleth us that He that hateth his brother is a murtherer and consequently in effect all malice and spight envy hatred malignity rancour immoderate and pertinacious anger and animosity are here prohibited VII Commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery After life if after that for this command in the Greek Translation of Exodus though not in Deuteronomy in some places of the New Testament and in sundry ancient Writers is placed before that against murther nothing commonly is more dear to men than the comforts of their conjugal estate the enjoyment of that special affection and friendship together with those instances of benevolence which by divine institution and mutual contract ratified by most sacred and solemn promises of fidelity are reserved peculiar to that state which enclosures therefore of his neighbour whoever shall invade or trespass upon who shall any wise loose or slacken those holy bands who shall attempt the affection or chastity of his neighbour's wife doth most grievously offend God and committeth as Joseph when he was tempted thereto did call it a great evil against God against his neighbour against himself against the common society of men He violateth an institution to which God hath affixed especial marks of respect and sanctity he wounds his neighbour's honour and interest in the most tender part wherein the content of his mind and comfort of his life are most deeply concerned he as much or rather more dishonoureth and abuseth himself not onely by committing a fact of so high injustice but by making himself accessory to the basest perfidiousness that can be Whoso committeth adultery lacketh understanding he that doth it destroyeth his own soul a wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away for jealousie is the rage of a man therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance he will not regard any ransome neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts He also offendeth against the publick quiet and welfare breeding inextricable confusions and implacable dissensions in families so that hardly from any other cause such tragical events have issued as from this in fine this crime is as Philo calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a loathsome unrighteousness most odious to God and a fire as Job representeth it that consurneth to destruction But we must further also consider that acts of this kind contain also in them another evil that persons committing them do not onely so highly wrong their neighbour but defile themselves also by the foulest turpitude in which respect the prohibition of all unlawfull and irregular satisfactions to lustfull appetite all compliance with that great enemy of our souls the flesh all kinds of impurity and lasciviousness not in act onely but in thought in speech in gesture may be reduced to this Law Our Lord himself doth so interpret it as to make it include a forbidding of all unchast desires and Christianity doth in a most strict and special manner oblige us to all kinds of sobriety and modesty of chastity and purity in body and spirit injoining us to abstain from all fleshly lusts as enemies to our souls to mortifie our fleshly members to possess our vessels or bodies in sanctity and honour not to have any impurity or filthiness so much as named among us nor to suffer a foul word to proceed out of our mouth not to defile our bodies consecrated unto to God and made temples of the Holy Spirit excluding persons guilty of such things from any title or capacity of entring into God's Kingdom in fine representing all such practices as most dishonourable to us most displeasing to God most grievous to God's Holy Spirit the fountain of all vertue and goodness most contrary to the nature and design of our Religion and most destructive of our souls VIII Commandment Thou shalt not steal That every man should quietly enjoy those supports and those conveniencies of life which in any honest manner by God's bounty immediately dispensing it or by God's blessing upon his industry he hath acquired the possession of or right unto as
on our part ratifieth our Obligation then in an especial manner commencing to several most important duties toward him It implyeth that we are in mind fully persuaded concerning the truth of that Doctrine which God the Father revealed by his blessed Son and confirmed by the miraculous operation of the Holy Ghost we therein profess our humble and thankful embracing the overtures of Mercy and Grace purchased for us by our Saviour's meritorious undertaking and performances the which are then exhibited and tendred to us we therein declare our hearty resolution to forsake all wicked courses of life repugnant to the Doctrine and Law of Christ fully to conform our lives to his Will living thereafter in all piety righteousness and sobriety as loyal Subjects faithful Servants and dutiful Children to God in brief we therein are bound renouncing all erroneous principles all vitious inclinations and all other engagements whatever entirely to devote our selves to the Faith and Obedience of God the Father our glorious and good Maker of God the Son our gracious Redeemer of God the Holy Ghost our blessed Guide Assistant Advocate and Comforter These are the duties antecedent unto and concomitant of our Baptism immediately and formally required of those who are capable of performing them mediately and virtually of them who are not the which are signified by our being baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity These duties the Scripture commonly expresseth by the Word Faith and Repentance sometimes singly sometimes conjunctly If said Philip to the Eunuch thou believest with thy heart it is lawful for thee to be baptized Faith was an indispensible condition prerequisite thereto and Repent saith S. Peter and let every of you be baptized Repentance also was necessary to precede it indeed both these as they are meant in this case do in effect signify the same each importeth a being renewed in Mind in Judgment in Will in Affection a serious embracing of Christ's Doctrine and a stedfast resolution to adhere thereto in practice Hence are those effects or consequences attributed to Faith justifying us reconciling and bringing us near to God saying us because it is the necessary condition required by God and by him accepted that we may be capable of these benefits conferred in Baptism the same being also referr'd to that repentance or change of mind which must accompany our entrance into Christianity that good Conscience with which we stipulate a perpetual devotion and obedience to God the which therefore doth as S. Peter telleth us save us it contributing to our Salvation as a duty necessarily required in order thereto This is that death to sin and resurrection to righteousness that being buried with Christ and rising again with him so as to walk in newness of life which the baptismal action signifies and which we then really undertake to perform And as such are the duties preceding or accompanying Baptism so making good the engagements they contain constantly persisting in them maintaining and improving them are duties necessarily consequent thereupon Having saith the Apostle had our bodies washed with pure water let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering We should indeed continually remember frequently and seriously consider what in so solemn a manner we upon so valuable considerations did then undertake promise and vow to God diligently striving to perform it for violating our part of the Covenant and stipulation then made by apostacy in profession or practice from God and goodness we certainly must forfeit those inestimable benefits which God otherwise hath tied himself to bestow the pardon of our sins the favour of God the being members of Christ the grace guidance assistance and comfort of the Holy Spirit the right unto and hope of Salvation We so doing shall not only simply disobey and offend God but add the highest breach of fidelity to our disobedience together with the most heinous ingratitude abusing the greatest grace that could be vouchsafed us If we wilfully sin after we have taken the acknowledgment of the truth saith the Apostle meaning that solmen profession of our Faith in Baptism we trample under foot the Son of God we profane the blood of the Covenant we do despite unto the Spirit of Grace and incurring so deep guilt we must expect sutable punishment But I proceed to the other Sacrament The Eucharist AMong the wonderful works of Power and Grace performed by God Almighty in favour of the Children of Israel and in order to their delivery from the Egyptian slavery a most signal one was the smiting the first-born in every house of the Egyptians and passing over the houses of the Children of Israel wherein God declared his just wrath against their cruel Oppressors depriving them in a sudden and dreadful manner of what was nearest and dearest to them and his gracious mercy toward them in preserving what was alike dear to them from so woful a calamity thus as the Text expresseth it putting a difference between the Egyptians and the Children of Israel Now that the memory of so remarkable a Mercy might be preserved that their affections might be raised to a strong sense of God's goodness and their Faith in them confirmed so as in the like need to hope for the same favourable help and protection by the consideration of so notable an experiment it pleased God to appoint a Sacrament or mysterious Rite to be annually celebrated representing and recalling to mind that Act of God wherein his special kindness was so eminently demonstrated toward his People The same also as did other Rites and Sacrifices instituted by God among that people looking directly forward upon that other great delivery from Sin and Hell which God in mercy designed toward mankind to be atchieved by our Saviour prefiguring that the Souls of them who should be willing to forsake the spiritual bondage of sin should be saved from the ruin coming upon them who would abide therein God regarding the blood of our Saviour that immaculate Lamb sacrificed for them sprinkled upon the doors of their houses that is by hearty Faith and Repentance applyed to their Consciences The occasion of celebrating which Holy Rite our Saviour we see did improve to the institution of this Sacrament most agreeing therewith in design as representative and commemorative of the greatest blessing and mercy that we are capable of having vouchsafed to us some part of that ancient Rite or Sacrifice which was most suitable to the special purposes of this Institution and most conformable to the general constitution of the Christian Religion whereby all bloody Sacrifices are abolished being retained in this The Action it self or rather the whole Rite consisting of divers actions we see plainly described in the Gospels and in the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians distinguishable into these chief parts 1. The Benediction and Consecration by Prayer and Thanksgiving
designed as a proper and efficacious Instrument to raise in us pious Affections toward our good God and gracious Redeemer to dispose us to all holy practice to confirm our Faith to nourish our Hope to quicken our Resolutions of walking carefully in the ways of Duty to unite us more fastly to our Saviour and to combine us in Charity one toward another the accomplishing of which Intents thereof doth suppose our faithful and diligent concurrence in the use thereof whence arise many Duties incumbent upon us in respect thereto some antecedent some concomitant some consequent to the use thereof 1. Before we address our selves to the partaking of this venerable Mystery we should consider whither we are going what is the nature and importance of the Action we set our selves about that we are approaching to our Lord's Table so S. Paul calleth it to come into his more especial presence to be entertained by him with the dearest welcome and the best chear that can be to receive the fullest testimonies of his Mercy and the surest pledges of his favour toward us that we are going to behold our Lord in tenderest love offering up himself a Sacrifice to God therein undergoing the sorest pains and foulest disgraces for our Good and Salvation that we ought therefore to bring with us dispositions of Soul suitable to such an access unto such an entercourse with our gracious Lord. Had we the honour and favour to be invited to the Table of a great Prince what especial care should we have to dress our Bodies in a clean and decent garb to compose our minds in order to expression of all due respect to him to bring nothing about us noisome or ugly that might offend his sight or displease his mind The like surely and greater care we should apply when we thus being called do go into God's Presence and Communion We should in preparation thereto with all our power endeavour to cleanse our Souls from all impurity of thought and desire from all iniquity and perverseness from all malice envy hatred anger and all such evil dispositions which are most offensive to God's all-piercing sight and unbeseeming his glorious Presence we should dress our Souls with all those comely Ornaments of Grace with purity humility meekness and charity which will render us acceptable and well-pleasing to him We should compose our minds into a frame of reverence and awful regard to the Majesty of God into a lowly calm and tender disposition of heart apt to express all respect due to his Presence fit to admit the gracious illapses of his Holy Spirit very susceptive of all Holy and Heavenly Affections which are sutable to such a Communion or may spring from it We should therefore remove and abandon from us not only all vitious Inclinations and evil purposes but even all worldly cares desires and passions which may distract or discompose us that may dull or deject us that may cause us to behave our selves indecently or unworthily before God that may bereave us of the excellent Fruits from so blessed an entertainment To these purposes we should according to S. Paul's advice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 examine and approve our selves considering our past Actions and our present Inclinations and accordingly by serious meditation and fervent prayer to God for his gracious assistance therein working our Souls into a hearty remorse for our past miscarriages and a sincere resolution to amend for the future forsaking all sin endeavouring in all our actions to serve and please God purging out as S. Paul again injoineth us the old leaven of vice and wickedness so that we may feast and celebrate this Passeover in which Christ is mystically sacrificed for us in the unleavened dispositions of sincerity and truth Such are the duties previous to our partaking this Sacrament 2. Those Duties which accompany it are a reverent and devout affection of heart with a suitable behaviour therein an awful sense of mind befitting the Majesty of that Presence wherein we do appear answerable to the greatness and goodness and holiness of him with whom we converse becoming the sacredness of those Mysteries which are exhibited to us that which S. Paul seemeth to call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to discern or distinguish our Lord's Body that is yielding a peculiar reverence of mind and behaviour in regard thereto a devotion of heart consisting in hearty contrition for our sins which did expose our Saviour to the enduring such pains then remembred in firm resolution to forsake the like thereafter as injurious dishonourable and displeasing to him in fervent love of him as full of so wonderful goodness and charity toward us in most hearty thankfulness for those unconceivably great expressions of kindness toward us in deepest humility upon sense of our unworthiness to receive such testimonies of grace and favour from him our unworthiness to eat the Crumbs that fall from his Table how much more to be admitted into such degrees of honourable Communion and familiarity of close conjunction and union with him of pious joy in consideration of the excellent privileges herein imparted and of the blessed Fruits accruing to us from his gracious performances in a comfortable hope of obtaining and enjoying the benefits of his obedience and passion by the assistance of his Grace in steady Faith and full persuasion of mind that he is supposing our dutiful compliance ready to bestow upon us all the blessings then exhibited in attentively fixing the eyes of our Mind and all the powers of our Soul our Understanding Will Memory Fancy Affection upon him as willingly pouring forth his Life for our Salvation lastly in motions of enlarged good-will and charity toward all our Brethren for his sake in obedience to his Will and in imitation of him such-like Duties should attend our participation of this holy Sacrament 3. The effects of having duly performed which should appear in the practice of those Duties which are consequent thereon being such as these An increase of all pious inclinations and affections expressing themselves in a real amendment of our lives and producing more goodly fruits of obedience the thorough digestion of that spiritual nourishment by our becoming more fastly knit to our Saviour by higher degrees of Faith and Love the maintaining a more lively sense of his superabundant goodness the cherishing those influences of Grace which descend upon our hearts in this Communion and improving them to nearer degrees of perfection in all piety and vertue a watchful care and endeavour in our lives to approve our selves in some measure worthy of that great honour and favour which God hath vouchsafed us in admitting us to so near approaches to himself an earnest pursuance of the Resolutions performance of the Vows making good the Engagements which in so solemn a manner upon so great an occasion we made and offered up unto our God and Saviour finally the considering that by the breach of such Resolutions by the violation of
us and our Saviour that redeemed us and the Holy Spirit who animateth and quickneth us and combineth us in spiritual union 4. That we should bear such hearty good-will and charitable affection toward others as not onely to seek and desire our own particular and private good but that of all men especially of all good Christians who in a peculiar manner are God's children and our brethren He did not bid us say my Father but our Father who art in Heaven that being taught that we have a common Father we might shew a brotherly good-will one toward another saith S. Chrysostome As for the appellation Father it doth mind us of our relation to God who upon many grounds and in divers high respects is our Father by nature for that he gave us our being and made us after his own image by providence for that he continually preserveth and maintaineth us by grace for that he reneweth us to his image in righteousness and holiness by adoption for that he alloweth us the benefit and privilege of his children assigning an eternal inheritance to us of this relation which as Creatures as Men as Christians we bear to God it mindeth us and consequently how we ought in correspondence thereto to behave our selves yielding to him all respect affection and observance demeaning our selves in all things as becomes such a relation and rank This indeed of all God's Names Titles and Attributes is chosen as most sutable to the nature of the present duty as most encouraging to the performance thereof as most fully implying the dispositions required in us when we apply our selves thereto Our Saviour used to compare Prayer to a Son 's asking nourishment of his Father arguing thence what success and benefit we may expect from it we come therein to God not directly as to a Lord or Master to receive commands but rather as to a Father to request from him the sustenance of our life and supply of our needs to render withall unto him our thankfull acknowledgments for having continuedly done those things for us and to demonstrate our dutifull respect and affection toward him It is natural for children in any danger streight or want to fly to their parents for shelter relief and succour and it is so likewise for us to have recourse unto God in all those cases wherein no visible means of help appear from elsewhere And to doe so the title of Father doth encourage us signifying not onely power and authority over us but affection and dearness toward us The name God importing his excellent perfections the name Lord minding us of his power and empire over us with the like titles declarative of his supereminent Majesty might deter us being conscious of our meanness and unworthiness from approaching to him but the word Father is attractive and emboldning thinking on that we shall be apt to conceive hope that how mean how unworthy soever yet being his children he will not reject or refuse us If men being evil do give good gifts unto their children how much more will our Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him It also plainly intimates how qualified and disposed in mind we should come to God namely with high reverence with humble affection with hearty gratitude as to the Authour of our being to him that hath continually preserved and brought us up from whose care and providence we have received all the good we have ever enjoyed from whose mercy and favour we can onely expect any good for the future By calling God Father we avow our selves obliged to honour and love him incomparably beyond all things We also declare our faith and hope in God that we believe him well affected toward us and willing to doe us good and that we thence hope to receive the good desirable from him the which are dispositions necessary to the due performance of this duty It also implyeth that we should come thereto with purity of mind and good conscience which is also requisite to the same intent for if we are conscious of undutifull and disobedient carriage toward God how can we call him Father with what heart or face can we assume to our selves the title of children If saith S. Peter ye call upon him as Father who impartially judges according to every man's work that is who onely esteemeth them for his children who truly behave themselves as becometh children pass the time of your pilgrimage in fear or in reverence toward God We may add that we also hereby may be supposed to express our charity toward our brethren who bear unto God the Father of all men the same common relation But I proceed Which art in Heaven God Almighty is substantially present every where but he doth not every where in effects discover himself alike nor with equal splendour in all places display the beams of his glorious Majesty The Scripture frequently mentioneth a place of his special residence seated in regions of inaccessible light above the reach not onely of our sense but of our fancy and conception where his royal Court his presence Chamber his imperial Throne are where he is more immediately attended upon by the glorious Angels and blessed Saints which place is called Heaven the highest heavens the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the highest places by his presence wherein God is described here as for distinction from all other parents here on earth so to encrease reverence in us toward him while we reflect upon his supereminent glory and majesty and to raise our hearts from these inferiour things unto desire and hope and love of heavenly things withdrawing saith S. Chrysostome him that prays from earth and fastning him to the places on high and to the mansions above But so much for the Title The first Sentence of our Prayer is Hallowed or sanctified be thy Name Let us first with S. Chrysostome observe the direction we hence receive in all our prayers to have a prime and principal regard to the glory of God not seeking any thing concerning our own good before his praise that for the order As to the substance of this particular we may consider that sanctity implying a discrimination a distance an exaltment in nature or use of the thing which is denominated thereby and God's name signifying himself with all that we can know of him himself as however discovered or declared with all that relates to him and bears his inscription we do here accordingly express our due acknowledgments and desires for by a rare complication this Sentence doth involve both praise and petition doth express both our acknowledgment of what is and our desire of what should be we do I say hereby partly acknowledge and praise the supereminent perfections of God above all things in all kind of excellency joining in that seraphical Doxology which to utter is the continual employment of the blessed Spirits above who incessantly day and night
cry out Holy Holy Holy confessing with the heavenly host in the Apocalypse that he is worthy of all honour glory and power we do also partly declare our hearty wishes that God may be every where had in highest veneration that all things relating to him may receive their due regard that all honour and praise all duty and service may in a peculiar manner be rendred unto him by all men by all creatures by our selves especially that all minds may entertain good and worthy opinions of him all tongues speak well of him celebrate and bless him all creatures yield adoration to his name and obedience to his will that he be worshipped in truth and sincerity with zeal and fervency this particularly in the Prophet Esay and by S. Peter is called sanctifying God's Name in opposition to idolatrous and profane Religion Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and let him be your fear let him be your dread saith the Prophet and Fear not their fear nor be troubled but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts saith the Apostle Thus do we here pray and wish in respect to all men and to all creatures capable of thus sanctifying God's Name but more particularly we pray for our selves that God would grant to us that we by our religious and righteous conversation may bring honour to his name so that men seeing our good works may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Vouchsafe saith he that we may live so purely that all men by us may glorifie thee so descants S. Chrysostome Thy Kingdom come This Petition or devout wish being subordinate to the former as expressing a main particular of that which is there generally desired we here to the glory of God desiring a successfull and speedy propagation of true Religion seems in its direct and immediate sense to respect the state of things in that time more especially befitting our Lord's Disciples then when the Kingdom of God that is the state of Religion under the Evangelical Dispensation was coming and approaching according to that of our Saviour in S. Luke I say unto you of a truth there be some of you standing here that shall not taste death till they see the Kingdom of God whence it did become them in zeal to God's glory and charity for mens salvation to desire that Christianity might soon effectually be propagated over the world being generally entertained by men with due faith and obedience that is that all men willingly might acknowledge God as their Lord and Maker worshipping and serving him in truth that they might receive his blessed Son Jesus Christ as their King and Saviour heartily embracing his doctrine and humbly submitting to his laws to which purpose our Lord injoins his Disciples to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send labourers into his harvest and S. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to pray that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified And in parity of reason upon the same grounds we are concerned and obliged to desire that Christian Religion may be settled and confirmed may grow and be encreased may prosper and flourish in the world that God's authority may to the largest extension of place to the highest intention of degree universally and perfectly be maintained and promoted both in external profession and real effect the minds of all men being subdued to the obedience of faith and avowing the subjection due to him and truly yielding obedience to all his most just and holy laws Thus should we pray that God's Kingdom may come particularly desiring that it may so come into our own hearts humbliâ—â— imploring his grace that he thereby would rule in our hearts quelling in them all exorbitant passions and vicious desires protecting them from all spiritual enemies disposing them to an entire subjection to his will and a willing compliance with all his commandments for this is the Kingdom of God which as our Lord telleth us is within us the which doth not as S. Paul teacheth us consist in meat and drink in any outward formal performances but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost that is in obedience to God's will and in the comfortable consequences thereof this is the Kingdome of God which we are enjoined before any worldly accommodations first to seek Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven This Sentence is likewise complicated of praise good desire and petition for we thereby first do acknowledge the wisedom justice and goodness of God in all resolutions of his will and dispensations of his providence 1. We profess our approbation of all God's counsels our complacence and satisfaction in all his proceedings our cheerfull submission and consent to all his pleasure joining our suffrage and saying in harmony with that blessed Choire in the Revelation Great and wonderfull are thy works O Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways O thou King of Saints We disclaim our own judgments and conceits we renounce our own desires and designs so far as they appear inconsistent with the determinations of Gods wisedom or discordant with his pleasure saying after our Lord Let not my will but thine be done 2. We do also express our desire that as in heaven all things with a free and undisturbed course do pass according to God's will and good liking every intimation of his pleasure finding there a most entire and ready compliance from those perfectly loyal and pious spirits those ministers of his that do his pleasure as the Psalmist calls them so that here on earth the gracious designs of God may be accomplished without opposition or rub that none should presume as the Pharisees and Lawyers are said to doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to disappoint or defeat God's counsel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thrust away or repulse God's word as the Jews did in the Acts to resist provoke or defie God by obstinate disobedience as many are said to do in the Scriptures but that every where a free humble hearty and full obedience be rendred to his commands 3. We do also pray that God would grant us the grace willingly to perform whatever he requires of us perfecting us as the Apostle speaketh in every good work to do his will and working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight contentedly to bear whatever he layeth upon us that God would bestow upon us a perfect resignation of our wills unto his will a cheerfull acquiescence in that state and station wherein he hath placed us a submiss patience in all adversities whereinto he disposeth us to fall a constant readiness with satisfaction and thankfulness without reluctancy or repining to receive whatever cometh from his will whether gratefull or distastefull to our present sense acknowledging his wisedom his goodness his justice in all his dealings toward us heartily saying with good Eli It is the Lord