preface it selfe Our Father vvhich art in heuen It contains a descriptiō of the true Iehoua to whom we pray and that by two arguments the first is drawen from a relation Our Father the second is taken frō the subiect or place Which art in heuen Father 1. The meaning IN the opening of this word or title of God two questions are to be opened 1. Quest. Whether by this title Father is signified the whol Trinitie or some one person thereof Ans. Otherwhiles this name is attributed to all the persons in Trinitie or any of them Malac. 2. 10. Haue we not all one Father c. Luk. 3. 38. Which was the sonne of Adam which was the sonne of God And in Isai. 9. 6 christ is called the father of eternitie because al that ar truly knit to him and born a new by him they are eternally made the sons of God Again oftentimes it is giuen to the first persō in trinitie as in those places where one person is conferred with another And so in this place principally for some speciall respects this title agrees to the first person For first he is the father of Christ as he is the eternall worde of the father and that by nature because hee is of the same essence with him Secondly he is father to Christ in respect of his manhood not by nature or adoption but by personall vnion because the humane nature doeth subsist in the person of the word Thirdly hee is a father to all the faithfull by adoption in Christ. 2. Question Whether we are to pray to the Sonne and holy Ghost as to the Father Ans. Inuocation belonges to all the three persons in Trinitie and not only to the father Act. 7. 59. Steuen praieth Lord Iesus receiue my spirit 1. Thes. 3. 2. Now God our father and our Lord Iesus Christ guide our iourney vnto you 2. Cor. 13. 13. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the communion of the holy Ghost be vvith you Some say this praier is a perfect platforme of all praiers and in it wee are taught to direct our praiers to the Father not to the Son or holy spirit I answer the Father Sonne and holy Ghost are three distinct persons yet they are not to be seuered or diuided because they al subsist in one and the same Godhead or diuine nature And further in all outward actions as in the creation and preseruation of the world and the saluation of the elect they are not seuered or deuided for they al work together onely they are distinguished in the maner of working Now if they be not deuided in nature or operation then they are not to be seuered in worship And in this place we direct our praiers to the father because he is the first in order yet so as then we imploy the Son and holy Ghost For we pray to the father in the name of the Sonne by the assistance of the holy Ghost And to what persone soeuer the praier is directed we must alwaies remember in minde and heart to include the rest 2. The Vse THe vses of this point are manifolde 1. First whereas we are taught to com to God as to a father and therefore in the name of his Son our Sauiour Christ wee learne to lay the first ground of all our praiers in the holding maintaining of the vnion and distinction of the three persons in Trinitie This being the lowest and the first foundation of praier it is requisite that al which woulde pray aright should haue this knowledge rightly to beleeue of the Trinitie to know how the three persons agree and how they are distinguished the order of them how the Father is the first the Sonne the second the holy Ghost the third and therefore how the father is to be called vpon in the name of the Sonne by the holy Ghost Hence it is manifest that ignorant and sillie people which do not so much as dreame of the vnion distinction and order of the persons in Trinitie mak but cold and slender kind of praying 2. Secondly we may learn hereby that we are not in any wise to inuocate Saintes and Angels but onely the true Iehoua The reason stands thus This praier is either a perfect platform for all praiers or not to say it were not were an injurie to our Sauiour Christ to say it is so is also to grant that it doth fully set downe to whome al praiers are to be made Papistes that are the great patrons of invocation of Saints in their reformed breuiaries and missales deal very fōdly for first they pray to Mary that she would pray to Christ for them and when they haue so done like Iuglers they come to Christ and pray vnto him that hee would accept Maries praier for them 3. Thirdly we learne that there can be no intercessour betweene God and vs but onely Christ. For here we ar taught to come to God not as to a Iudge but as to a kind and louing Father Now he is a father to vs onely by Christ as for Angels and Saints al creatures they are not able to procure by any meanes that God shoulde become a father no not so much as to one man 4. Againe if the God to whom we pray be a father we must learn to acquaint our selues with the promises which hee hath made in his word to quicken our hearts in praier vnto him For this word Father implies redines and willingnes in God to heare and be mercifull to our praiers And a father cannot but must needs mak some promises of fauour to those that be his children and therefore it cannot be that he should call God truly his father which hath not in his heart this assurance that God will fulfill his promises vnto him Promises made to praier these and such like are to bee marked as follow 2. Chron. 7. 14. If my people among vvhome my name is called vpon do humble themselues and pray seek my presence and turne from their wicked waies then I will heave in heuen be mercifull to their sinnes 2. Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while you be with him and if ye seeke him he will be found of you Isai. 65. 24. Before they call I wil answere and whiles they speak I vvill heare Mat. 7. 7. Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shal find knock and it shall be opened Luk. 11. 13 If ye vvhich are euil can giue good gifts vnto your children how much more shal your heauenly father giue the holy ghost to them that desire him Rom. 10. 12. Hee that is Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call on him Iam. 4. 8. Drawe neere vnto God and he will draw neere vnto you 5. If God be a father who is called vpon then praier is the note of Gods Child S. Luke and S. Paul set out the faithfull seruants of God by this note Act. 9 14. He hath
authoritie to binde al that cal on thy name 1. Cor. 1. 2. To them that are sanctified by Iesus Christ saints by calling with all that call on the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And contrariwise Psal. 14. 4. It is made one of the properties of an Atheist Neuer to cal on the name of God And such persons as neither wil nor can or vse not hartely to pray to God they may say that they are perswaded there is a God but in their doings they bear themselues as if there wer no God 6. He which would pray aright must be like the prodigall childe that is he must not onely confesse his sin saying Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee c. but also haue a ful purpose neuer after to offend his Father For how can a Childe call him father whome hee cares not continually to displease through his lewd conditions He cannot do it neither can any Father delight in suche a child therefore in praier we must call to minde our lewdnes and rebellions against our heauenly Father and with the Publican in heuines of soule say Lord be mercifull to me a sinner He which can truly do this is a kind child If we consider our selues as we are by nature wee are the children of the deuill noe childe so like his Father as wee are like him and in this estate we continually rebel against God for the Deuill hath al the heart our whol joy is to serue and please him A man that is to pray must think on this and be heauy for it And happy yea a thousand times happy ar they who haue grace giuen them to see this their state to bewaile it And further it is not sufficient to confesse our sinnes against our mercifull Father but wee must set downe with our selues neuer in such sort to offend him againe and to leade a newe life This point is very profitable for these times For many there be when any crosse or sicknes comes on them they will pray and promise repentance and all obedience to Gods worde if it shall please God to deliuer them but this vsually is but in hypocrisie they dissemble with God and men For when their sicknes is past like a dogge that hath bene in the water they shake their eares and runne streight with all greedinesse to their former sinnes Is this to call God father No hee that doth this shall not haue God to be his father but the man that is wounded in his soul for his offēces past and carrieth a purpose in his heart neuer wittingly and willingly to offend God againe 7. Lastly here we ar to obserue that he which would pray must be indued with the spirit of adoptiō the workes whereof in the matter of praier are twofold The first to moue him to crie and call on God as a father It is no easie thing to pray For to a man of himselfe it is as easie to mooue the whole earth with his hand how then comes it that we pray It is a blessed worke of the spirit Rom. 8. 15. Wee haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby vve crie Abba that is Father and Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee knowe not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it self maketh request And. Zach. 12. 10. the holy Ghost is called the spirit of grace and deprecations or praiers Wel then the man that woulde pray must haue Gods spirite to bee his schoolmaster to teach him to pray with grones and sighes of the hart for the wordes make not the praier but the grones desires of the hart and a man praies for no more then he desires with his heart and hee which desires nothing praies not at all but spends liplabor The second work of the spirit is to assure vs in our consciences that we are in the state of grace reconciled to God Rom. 8. 16. The spirit of adoption beareth witnes with our spirits that we are the children of God And this inward certificate of the spirit in all exercises of invocation is very necessarie for hee which wants this assurance if hee be secure and benummed in his sinnes will not and if he be touched in conscience for them for his life hee dare not cal God Father Also this confutes the opiniō of the church of Rome which teacheth that a man must doubt whether hee be adopted or no. For howe can a man trulie cal God Father when he doubts whether he be the child of God or no. It is a miserable kinde of praying to call God Father and to doubt whether he be a father Indeede it is true that doubts will often rise but it is our dutie to striue against them and not to yeeld vnto them Yea but say they to be certain of Gods mercy is presumption I answere if it be presumption it is an holy presumption because God hath bidden vs call him father Our Father The meaning THus much of the argument of relation now let vs proceede It is further said Our Father Quest. Whether may it bee lawfull for vs in praier to say not our father but my father Ans. A Christian may in priuate praier say My Father This is warranted by the example of our Sauiour Mat 26. 39. O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me And Mat. 27. 46. My God my God whie hast thou forsaken mee The meaning of Christe is not to binde vs to these wordes but to teache vs that in our praiers wee must not haue regard to our selues onely but also to our brethren therefore when we pray for them in our priuate praiers as for our selues wee put in practise the true meaning of these wordes 2. The Vses 1 VVHen we pray we must not make request onlie for our selues our own good but for others also as the Church and people of GOD perswading our selues that we also are partakers of their praiers and for the better clearing of this point let vs search who they are for whome we are to pray Of men there be two sortes some liuing some dead Of these two kindes the liuing are to be praied for and there is no praying for the dead A man that is dead knowes what shall be his estate eternally if he died a wicked person his state shall be according in eternall torments if hee died godly then he shall rest with God in his kingdom Apoc. 14. 13. Blessed are they vvhich die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their vvorkes follow them Gal. 6. 10. While vve haue time let vs do good to al men Where we may note that there is a time namelie after death when we cannot Againe of the liuing some are our enemies and some our frends Our frends are they which are of the same religion affection disposition Foes are either priuate or publike publike foes are either enemies to our country as tyrants traitors c. or enemies
directly against God the other against men This sin because it is against the first Table and therfore more hard to bee discerned it is lightly esteemed and it lesse troubles the consciences of ignorant men yet as it is indeede so it is to be esteemed as a disgrace plaine mockerie of Gods majestie Wherfore seeing God is in heuen away with al drowsie and dead praying let vs come with reuerence in our hearts before the Lord. 4. Againe wee are here to consider that our harts in praier must mount vp into heauen and there be present with the Lord. Psal. 25. 1. Vnto thee O Lord lift I vp my soule The litle childe is neuer well but when it is in the fathers lap or vnder the fathers wing and the children of God are neuer in better case then when in affection spirit they can come into the presēce of their heauenly father and by prayer as it were to creep into his bosome 5. Lastly this preface sheweth that God is all sufficient as in al other things so in granting our requests God is willing to hear our praiers in that hee is our father able to performe them because he is in heuen therefore almightie Hallowed be thy name 1. The coherence THus much of the preface now follow the petitions They be six in number the three first concerne God and his glorie the other three concern our selues The three former petitions are againe deuided into two partes the firste concernes Gods glorie it selfe the other two the meanes whereby Gods glory is manifested and inlarged among men For God his name is glorified among men whē his kingdome doth come and his will is done Question Why is this petition Hallowed be thy name set in the first place Answere Because Gods glory must bee preferred before all thinges because it is the end of all creatures and of all the counsels of God Prou. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all thinges for his owne sake yea euen the vvicked for the day of euill And from the order of the petitions heere ariseth a worthy instruction namely that euery one in all thinges they take in hande are to propound to themselues and to intend the glory of God The reason is this The end which God hath appointed to all our doings we are to propound to our selues but God hath appointed that the highest end of all our doings shuld be his glorie therfore our hearts must be set to seeke it first of all That God will haue his name glorified by vs appeareth in this that he punisheth those which of obstinacie set themselues to dishonour him or by negligence did not sanctifie him when they should haue done so Herod sitting in his royaltie made such an oration that the people cried the voice of a God and not of a man and immediatly the Angel of the lord smote him because he gaue not the glory to God Act. 12. 23. And Moses because he did not sanctifie the Lord in the presence of the children of Israel therefore he came not into the land of promise yet he did but faile in doing of it Thus wee may see by these punishments and also by the order of the petitions that it is our duties to prefer the glory of God before all things else Quest. Whether are we to prefer the glory of God before the saluation of our soules Answer If the case stand thus that Gods name must be dishonoured or our soules condemned we must account the glory of God more pretious than the saluation of our soules This is manifest in the order of the petitions The petition that concernes Gods glory is first and the petitions that concerne directly our saluation are the fift and sixt Where by we are taught that before God should want any part of his glory we are to let soule and all go and let God haue all his glory This affection had Moses Exod. 32. 32. When he said Either forgiue them or if thou vvilt not blot my name out of thy booke In this petition as also in the rest we must obserue three things the first is the mening of the words the second the wants which men must learn to bewail the third the graces of god that ar to be desired 2. The meaning VErie fewe among the people can giue the right meaning of the wordes of this praier They pretend that seeing God knowes their good meaning it is sufficient for them to say the wordes and to meane well But faith being one of the groundes of praier there being no faith without knowledg neither can there bee praier without knowledge and therefore ignorant men are to learne the right meaning of the words Name Name in this place signifieth 1. God himselfe 1. Kings 5. 5. He shal build an house to my name 2. His attributes as his iustice mercy c. 3. His works creatures and iudgments 4. His word For God is knowne to vs by al these as men are knowne by their names and as all a mans praise glorie lies in his name so all the glorie of God is in these Hallowed To hallowe is to feuer a thing from the common vse to som proper and peculiar end as the temple was hallowed that is set apart to an holy vse and the priests were sanctified that is set apart to the seruice of God And all that beleeue in Christ are sanctified that is set apart from sin to serue God In like manner Gods name is hallowed when it is put apart from al abuses to an holy reuerent and honorable vse whether we think speake or vse it any maner of way Question How can a sinful man hallow Gods name which is pure and holy in it selfe Answer We do not here pray that we might make Gods name holy but that wee might bee meanes to declare and make manifest to the world by the right vsage of it that it is holy and pure and honourable The like phrase is vsed Luk. 7. 39. Wisedome is iustified of her children that is acknowledged declared to be just The scope therefore of the first petition is an earnest desire that we might set foorth Gods glorie whatsoeuer become of vs and it may be expressed thus O Lord open our eies that wee may aright knowe thee and acknowledge the gretnes of thy power wisdom justice and mercie which appeares in thy titles worde creatures and judgements and grant that when we vse any of these we may therein glorifie thee and vse them reuerently to thy glory 3 The vvantes which are to be bevvailed 1 THe wants which we in this place are taught to bewail are especiallie foure The first is an inward and spirituall pride of our hearts a sin that none or very few can see in themselues vnlesse the Lord open their eies When our first parentes were tempted in Paradise the deuil told them they should be as Gods which lesson not onely they but we haue learned and we conceiue of our selues
first lesson that our Sauiour doeth giue his Disciples that they must denie themselues and follow him 2 The second thing is the knowledge of Gods will for otherwise how shal we do it How shall that seruant please his maister which cannot tell what hee would haue done of him Most men will haue bookes of statutes in their houses and if they be to deal in any great matter they will do nothing vntil they haue looked on the Statute In like maner men must haue the Bible that is the booke of Gods statutes in their houses the lawes of God must bee the men of our counsel Before euerie action wee are to searche what is the will of God and then to doe it Here thē wee are taught to vse the meanes and to pray for knowledge 3 Againe we are here taught to haue a desire in our hearts and an indeuour in our liues in all things to do obedience to Gods word 4 Lastlie we desire patience and strength when it shall please God at anie time to exercise vs with the crosse as Paul prayes for the Colossians that God would strengthē them by the power of his might vnto all patience and long suffering with ioy fulnesse 5. Errour confuted THe Church of Rome teacheth that men by nature haue free-will to good and that men being stirred vp by the holy ghost can of themselues will that which is good But if this were so why might we not pray Let my will bee done So far foorth as the will of man shall agree with Gods will but this cannot be as we see in the tenour of this petition In earth as it is in heauen 1 The meaning HAuing shewed the meaning of this petition thy vvill be done Now we are to speake of the condition which is in what maner we shuld doe it For the question may be how we should doe Gods will the answer is his wil must be done in earth as it is in heauen Heauen By heauē here is meant the soules of faithfull men departed and the elect Angels Psal. 103 20. Praise the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that doe his commandements in obeying the voice of his vvord Earth By earth is vnderstood nothing but men on earth becaus all other creatures in their kind obey God only man he is rebellious and disobedient Then the meaning is Let thy will be done by vs men on earth as the Angels and saintes departed doe thy will in heauen Qu. Do we here desire to do the will of God in that perfection it is done by angels must we be as perfit as they Ans. the wordes here vsed in earth as it c. do not signifie an equalitie as though our obedience should in this life be in the same degre of perfection with with Angels but a similitude or the like maner of obeying it may be said in what maner do the Angels obey God Answer They doe the wil of God willingly speedily and faithfully and this is signified in that they are saide in the scriptures to bee winged and to stand continually beholding the face of our heauenly Father And this is the manner in which we desire to performe Gods will 2. The wants to be bewailed VVE are heere admonished to bee displeased with our selues for our imperfect obedience to God for our hypocrisie priuie pride presumptiō deadnes of spirit and many other wants which breake out when we are in doing Gods will There is no seruant of God but hath wants in his best works so we must vnderstand Paul Ro. 7. 18. he saith as much as if he culd begin a good thing but not perfect it go through stitch as we say Whē the godly do good works as heare speak Gods word pray praise God c. they perform things acceptable to God but in these actions they finde matter of mourning namely the imperfectiō of the work therfore Dauid praieth Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into iudgement vvith thy seruant and here we may see how far wide the Church of Rome is that holds good works to be any way meritorious that be euery way imperfect If the mē of that church had grace they might see that the corruptiōs of the flesh wer as gynes fetters about their legs that when they would faine runne the waies of Gods commādements they are constrained to halt downe right and to trail their loynes after them 3 Grace to be desired THE grace here to be desired is synceritie of heart in doing Gods will so as wee may keepe a good conscience before God and men Act. 24. 16. And for this cause I indeuoured alwaies to haue a clear conscience towards God and towards men This must we hunger after pray for seing it is not sufficient to abstaine from euill but also to doe good and in doing good striue to come to perfection Giue vs this day our daily bread 1 The Coherence THus much of the thre first petitions which concerne God now follow the other three which concern our selues In which order we learn to pray for those things which concerne God absolutelie and for those thinges which concerne our selues not absolutely but so farre foorth as they shall make for God his glorie the building of his kingdom and the doing of his wil. But how dependes this petition on the former In the first wee are taught to pray that Gods name might bee hallowed which is done whē God raigns in our hearts his wil is done Now further his will is obeyed in three thinges first by depending on his prouidence for the thinges of this life secondly by depending on his mercy for the pardon of sin thirdly by depending on his power and might in resisting temptations And thus Gods will is obeyed 2 The meaning BRead By this one means of sustayning our bodies and temporarie liues all other meanes are vnderstood as meat drinke cloathing helth liberty peace c. Gen 3. 19. Thou shalt eat thy bread vz. get thy liuing in the sweat of thy browes Out of this we learn 2. instructions for why doth the Lord teache vs to craue onely bread and not meate and other dainties It is for 2. causes the first is that we might hereby learn frugalitie and moderation in our diet apparel houses and be content if wee haue no more but bread seeing wee desire no more We must not with the Israelites murmur because they had nothing but Manna Quest. Must wee vse Gods creatures onely for necessitie Ans. we may vse them not onely for necessitie but also for honest delight plesure Psal. 104. 15. God giues wine to make glad the heart of man and oyle to make his face shine And Iohn 12. 3. Our Sauiour Christ allowed of the fact of Mary which tooke a pounde of ointment of spikenard very costly and annointed his very feete so that all the house was filled with the smell though Iudas did esteeme it wast But yet if the Lord shall graunt but