upon the Sunne in his strength doe usually call for a vessell ful of water wherein they may boldly behold his Image without dazeling of their eyes so we cannot fully know how God is our father unlesse wee looke on our earthly fathers and from them draw some weake resemblance of the expression so farre as a finite creature may expresse an infinite Creatour To understand this amongst the sons of men there bee three sorts of fathers naturall civill and ecclesiastique A naturall father is he of whom wee have our naturall being from whose loynes wee are powred out like milke and of whose substance we are crowded together like Cheese The civill fathers are those Magistrates whom God hath set in place and preferment above us and of those it is said Honour thy father and thy mother The Ecclesiasticke fathers are the Ministers and Preachers of the word by whom as being the Instruments of Gods worke the life of God is begotten in our soules and of this sort it is that the Apostle sayes Though you have many fathers yet I have begotten you to bee the sonnes of God by the Gospell Now all of these wayes God is our father our naturall father by creation our civill father by providence and sustentation our spirituall and ecclesiasticke father by adoption God from the beginning of time hath beene the father of mankinde but the nearer it drew to the fulnesse of time he became the nearer and the dearer father unto us He was Adams father was knowne to him by his name Gnaliion The most high a comfort answerable to Adams fall He was Abrahams father and knowne to him by his name El-shaddai The all-sufficient and this was a corroborative against Abrahams doubting Hee was Moses father and knowne to him by his name Iehovah which signified a being for in his time hee begun to give a being to his promises made to Abraham Isaac and Iaco◠under this name he was knowne to the Iudges Kings and Prophets of Israel but when the fulnesse of time came God sent his owne Son made of a woman and made under the law and to him hee is made knowne by the name of a Father This is my beloved Sonne and in him our Father also his by nature ours by adoption as it is written Because you are sonnes God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne in your hearts whereby you cry Abba Father And againe To as many as come to him hee gave this prerogative to bee called the sonnes of the living God The knowledge of this that God is our father teacheth us foure things affection faith obedience and true understanding First affection for now I pray not to a severe Iudge nor to a cruell Tyrant nor to a mercilesse stranger but by the contrary to my kind and gracious father who knoweth my neede before I aske and prevents my suite by his favour for he meeteth me kisseth me clotheth me and killeth the fat Calfe for me Secondly faith for what will a kinde father refuse to his begging child The Prophet Isay telleth us 49.15 Although our father that begot us should forget us and our mother should not remember us as the fruit of her wombe yet I will not forget thee for I have graven thee on the palmes of my hands and thy vowes are alwayes in my sight Let us therfore goe boldly to the Throne of grace we shall surely bee heard in that which wee feare for as Ambrose telleth us Dum ex malo servo factus sum filius praedicare quid acceperim fides est non arrogantia non est superbia sed devotio Thirdly obedience For whilst hee sheweth himselfe our mercifull father hee tyeth us to be dutifull children else even then when wee call him father if wee doe not intend a filiall obedience in stead of a father we provoke him to become our Iudge as sitters in the chaire of the scorner for it is written If I be your father where is my honour and if I be your master where is my feare for there is mercy with me onely that I may be feared Fourthly true understanding of two things 1. To whom wee should direct our prayers 2. In whose name To whom not to Angels in heaven nor to Saints departed nor to any Image of wood or stone whatsoever but to him who being the father of eternity is become our father in time and whilst wee doe invoke him it should not bee by the intercession of any Angel or Saint departed or in the name or accompt of our owne merit but onely in the name of Iesus and for his merits sake who not knowing sinne was made sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him LECT 2. Our Father which art in heaven IN our last Sermon wee looked on the person upon whō wee call in that reference wherein wee call him Father We come now to see by what reason we call him Our That wee may understand this the better know this I pray you that our Redeemer Christ Iesus comming into the world not for himselfe nor for his owne sake but for us and ours who were by our sinnes estranged from him hee hath taken our burden upon him that by his super-abundant satisfaction our ransome might be fully satisfied and by the blood of his Crosse all things might be reconciled againe to the Father even all things in heaven and in earth But because there is nothing done by God in time which was not preordained to bee done before time That Christ Iesus should bee our head in time could never have beene duely accomplished unlesse before time he had beene preordained to be our head and we the fellow members of his body Now as in the fulnesse of time he came in our flesh to be our head so here by his example he teacheth us how to carry our selves as dutifull and decent members of his body The truth of this is cleare out of all these Petitions which Christ hath registred to us in his Word before hee suffered in Iohn 17. when hee suffered when hee rose againe and ascended In this hee was our true high Priest carrying our names into the holy place and there preparing a place for us that where he is there we may be also The Vnion therefore of the which he was ordained to be the head before all time made him carefull in time to recollect and gather together the lost and straying members of his incorporatiō and by his example teacheth us not onely to adhere to him by faith as our head but also by love to adhere to others as members of one body But thou wilt say to mee O man where in doth this Vnion consist or how shall I know if I have part in this Vnion For answer hereto let mee tell thee O man What was before the world but Vnion what is in the world but Vnion what shall bee after the world but Vnion Before the world nothing but Vnion one God
teacheth them to be rich in grace their nakednesse to bee clothed with salvation and all their crosses and corrections whatsoever sealeth to them their adoption increaseth their patience and assureth them that their soules shall be safe in the day of the Lord Jesus Last of all the evill of evill is that damage and harme which the wicked sustaine by suffering the evill of this life for by the evill of sinne their hearts are hardened the custome of sinne taking away the conscience of sinne and by the evill of punishment their condemnation is sealed to them for whatsoever they suffer in this life is but an earnest penny of their after suffering and a sure fore-runner of that worme which dyeth not and of that fire which goeth not out againe So that whilst wee say Deliver ui from evill our meaning is deliver us O Lord from Sathan the author of sinne from sinne it selfe the first borne of Sathan and from condemnation the stipend and wages of sinne And as for the outward rods compose them so to us that they may not harden our hearts in sinne nor seale to us our condemnation And to this interpretation of evill antiquity giveth assent for St Chrysostome writing upon Matth. 13.19 where Christ calleth the devill The evil one saith Malum hic diabolum vocat docens nos cum eo praelium habere nullo unquam tempore dirimendum cum tamen non sit natura St Ambrose expoundeth it both of the devill and of sin Libera nos à malo dum hoc petimus petit unusquisque ut à malo hoc est à diabolo peccato liberetur Finally St August is of the same opinion whilst hee telleth us Christus non liberabit nos a barbaris sed à diabolo peccato peccati stipendio Now having spoken at length to you concerning our captivity to Sathan sinne and condemnation It is requisite that wee looke on the captives and these are wee for wee say deliver us For the better understanding whereof wee must know that captives are of two sorts either Captivi nati or else Captivi facti captives are either borne so or made so The native or borne captives were the children of such parents as being captives themselves were mancipated and sold for servants and slaves to others These by the Law of God were the possession and true inheritance of their master Levit. 25.45 The captives that were made so are of two sorts for they were either made so by others or by themselves By others whilst being taken in battell and preserved from death they were sold as servants bond-men to others Captives made by themselves were such as without any outward violence imposed on them did for reliefe of their poverty and necessity sell themselves as slaves and servants to others Now these are but bodily captives Answerable to these there are three sorts of spirituall captives and of the captivity of the soule The first are captives by birth and so borne from their mothers wombe such are all men by nature and naturall corruption for wee are all of us borne dead in our sins and trespasses c. And what David said of himselfe all of us may say of our selves In iniquity was I shapen and in sin hath my mother brought mee forth Now in the second place captivity begets captivity as one deepe calleth on another Our originall captivity under which we were born hath lead us violently captive unto actuall sin and rebellions For having brought nothing into the world with us but an uncircumcised heart from thence in all our life time springeth nothing but abominable corruptions Last of all there bee some men who to both their naturall and violent captivity have added a voluntary captivity making themselves captives to sinne and Sathan with a greedy appetite and up lifted hand and these are the children of disobedience from the first sort of captivity it hath pleased God to redeeme us in our baptisme by the lavacre of regeneration and washing of the new birth From the second captivity though wee cannot bee fully delivered so long as wee are in this life wee having received but the first fruits of the spirit yet notwithstanding Jesus Christ our Redeemer hath delivered us by his death the power of his resurrection and fellowship of his afflictions for it is written Wee have not received the Spirit of bondage to feare againe but the Spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba father And againe Therefore we are no more servants but sonnes From the last sort of captivity there is no redemption at all for if Sathan the devill hath right enough to a man by nature man shall adde to that captivity a greater by selling himselfe like Achab to commit iniquity There is no more sacrifice reserved for that mans sinne but a fearefull expectation of judgement and of that fire which shall devoure the wicked Now my brethren of this which hath beene said concerning our captivity I would gladly that in a word or two you should make some use Vse There are many captives in the world whom we cannot get delivered notwithstanding wee will labour to extend some of our supply to them For first wee can upon the first hearing compassionate their captivity and beare a part and have some sympathy with them in their distresse Secondly we can sometimes goe further then this for we can goe knock at the prison dore and call for them and goe in and visite them and comfort them with our best consolations We can goe somewhat further yet and besides our comfort wee can helpe them with some of our meanes wee can buy bread to their hunger and drinke to their thirst and clothes to their nakednesse And last of all we can engage our selves for their deliverance and by our engagements set them free Are not these good offices of charity and true straines of mercy Yes surely they are so Art not thou then much beholding to Christ whosoever thou art that art set free from the bondage of sin for he hath done al these to thee whilst thou wert in daaknesse and bondage under sinne and Sathan Hee did first pitty and compassionate thee when thou hadst no pitty on thy selfe and even then when thou wert a stranger and enemy to him hee spread his skirts over thee and covered thy nakednesse Secondly hee hath visited thee as he came downe to visit Israel in her affliction not in judgment as Sodome but in mercy and in a plentifull compassion and therefore Zachary blesseth him for that hee visited and then redeemed his people Thirdly hee became beneficiall to us not onely giving us wine to make the heart glad and oyle to make the face to shine but also in comforting our soules Hee hath given us his flesh for meate his blood for drinke his righteousnesse for our â—…ing his word for our instruction and his Spirit for our guide Fourthly and last of all hee hath taken our debt upon him and paying
promulgated wee shall finde it that it is onely to the elect vessels of mercy and to the children of Gods free love whereas to the reprobate men and Angels there is neither promise nor hope of pardon left For their judgement is sealed and their condemnation sleepes not Againe as to Jesus Christ the mediator of the new covenant a free pardon hee obtained not he paid the utmost farthing that was requisite for the satisfaction of the justice of God onely to man and the elect amongst the sonnes of men hath God voluntarily and freely forgiven the burthen and the debt of sinne And I call this a voluntary and free forgivenesse for three respects In respect of God the Father in respect of God the Sonne and in respect of God the Holy Ghost For I say first in respect of God the Father for hee who said In the day that thou shalt eate thou shalt surely die said also the seed of the woman shall tread downe the head of the serpent And againe God so loved the world that hee sent his owne Sonne to the death of the Crosse that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternall life It is free also in respect of God the Sonne for hee as willingly and freely assented to the great worke of mans redemption howsoever the way was sharpe and thorny as the Father was willing in his eternall wisedome to propose it And therefore it is written of him that he laid his life down and tooke it up againe hee laid it downe for none could take it from him and hee tooke it up againe for it was impossible that hee could bee holden of the sorrows of the grave Lastly the pardon and remission of our sinnes is free in respect of God the Holy Ghost for willingly and freely without any merit on our part he commeth downe and dwelleth in our soules illuminates our understanding rectifieth our will sanctifieth our affections makes intercession for us with sighs and groanes that cannot be expressed and keepes us by the power of his grace through faith to eternall salvation for it is written Because wee are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts whereby we cry Abba Father And againe because wee of our selves know neither how to pray nor what to pray the spirit helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for us with sighs that cannot bee expressed And also it is written That as hee hath begotten us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the death to an inheritance which is immortall and undefiled that withers not away but is reserved for us in the heavens So also he keeps us by the power of the Spirit through faith to eternall salvation Vse Now having thus cleared the meaning of the word it rests that wee make use of it for our instructions and the uses that arise from it are two the one serveth for rebuke the other for comfort the rebuke falleth on the Church of Rome the comfort shall returne to us and to every soule in whom the grace of God dwelleth The rebuke that ariseth to the Church of Rome is this in these words wee are commanded to crave pardon for our debts in the plurall number and indefinitely now wee know this to bee true that those Propositions which are indefinite are universall in correspondence Whilst then wee crave pardon and forgivenesse of our debts wee universally begge mercy and pardon for all our sinnes for both originall and actuall sins For our sinnes of infirmity and our sins of presumption for sinfull omissions and commissions for the sinfull thoughts of our heart and words of our mouth and actions of our conversation Now in respect of all these wee have need to draw neere unto God and to say Forgive What meane those Doctors of the Romish Church to teach that there is a sort of sinne which in it selfe and of it selfe is veniall and that some onely are mortall but it is cleare out of the word of God that there is not any sin which is not mortall for every sinne is a breach of the law and every sinne and transgression shall receive a just recompence of reward Hee that sinneth without the law shall perish without the law and hee that sinneth under the law shall bee judged by the law and againe The wages of sinne is death I graunt indeed if wee looke to that excellent price that was given for our sinnes no sinnes are mortall for such is the worth and excellencie of that blood of Jesus which speaketh better things then the blood of Abell that whosoever shall have part in it shall stand without spot or blemish before the presence of the glory of God with joy and whosoever shall have but a drop of it to sprinkle on the posts of the doore of his soule the destroying Angell shall not come neere him but though his sinnes were as red as scarlet yet by vertue of his blood they shall bee as white as snow But on the other part if thou shalt looke upon thy sinne in its owne nature and because of thy esteeme and account of it it seeme veniall to thee wilt thou therefore say that it is veniall in it selfe O foole that thou art thou deceives thy owne soule The smallest coyne and the basest bullion that beareth the Kings stampe on it is as currant as the richest and purest gold that is seaven times tryed in the fire and to counterfeit that coyne is as reall treason as hee that either adulterates or falsifies the purest coyne It is so with us in our debts to God the meanest offence wee can commit is as culpable of judgement as those that are of greater nature for wee must not judge of our sinnes according to the quantity number or quality but chiefly according to the person and Majestie against whom they are committed Is not hee as great a theefe that robs the cottage of the poore as hee that robs the Palace of the Prince yes surely and greater for the Prinâ—e hath wherewithall to repaire his losse but the poore hath not Tell mee I pray you is there any sinne in the world smaller then the point of a thorne no surely yet the meanest thorne that was in the crowne of Christ drew blood of him The thornes that were in that crown were thy sinnes it was thy sinnes that drew blood of him and peirced his heart while there came blood and water out of it gushing and yet vaine man that thou art thou wilt say they are veniall how canst thou call that veniall and of no weight which was rated at so great a value as the sufferings of the Sonne of God the least drop of whose blood was of more worth then all the worme-eaten children of men on the earth Looke never therefore O man upon â—hy sinne in the judgement and with the eyes of nature that is but a false prospective and deceiving glasse looke on it as it lay on the backe
loved us with a love unspeakable in Jesus Christ In this manner then is God the Father our leader yet not hee alone as hee is the Father this his authority hee hath given and derived from him to his Son our Redeemer according as it is written All power is given mee both in heaven and in earth And that we may know more perfectly how our Redeemer Jesus is become our leader look I pray you on the severall parts periods of his Commandement authority given unto him in our flesh and for our sake for it was either preordained before time prosecuted in time or shall be perfected after all time when time shall be no more Before time he was preordained to be our leader for it is not only written that in him it hath pleased the Father before the foundatioÌ„s of the world were laid to chuse us to be heires of glory But also it was told by the Apostle St Peter that of all his sufferings nothing did befall him but that which was preordained to befall him by the secret counsell and eternall purpose of God Hee was also sent in time to be our leader and that in many severall points of accomplishment for first hee is promised secondly prefigured thirdly that the prefiguration might bee made relative to the promise the promise is reiterated fourthly lest man should have fainted under the expectation of the promise hee is sent in the fulnesse of time First hee was promised to bee our leader and Captaine in Paradise I will put an emnity betwixt thy seed and the seed of the woman he shall bruise thy head but thou shalt bruise his heele Secondly as hee was promised so hee was as also prefigured to bee our Captaine And though by many prefigurations yet by none more lively then by those of Phares and Zares Ishmael and Isaack Iacob and Esau Of all which it may bee truly said The elder shall serve the yonger Thirdly as hee was prefigured so also was the prefiguration strengthened by a new promise for to this effect was it said The branch of David the stemme of lesse the sonne of a virgin and the Emanuel of God promised under the Law by the Prophets Fourthly lest the fainting hearts of men should have perished under the weight of their expectation in the fulnesse of time hee was sent in our flesh first to play the part of a souldier in himselfe and then to become a leader and Captaine to us That in the dayes of his flesh hee was a souldier it is cleare for it is written Hee offered up strong cryes and supplications and was heard in that which hee feared That in his ascentioÌ„ he became our Captaine it is sure also for it is written Hee led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men Finally that in the end of time hee shall bee our Captaine and leader it is manifest also in that which is written When hee had suâ—dued all things under his feet then hee shall give up the kingdome to his Father that the Father may be all in all Thus both the Father and the Sonne are our leaders Now as this relation is founded in the person of the Father and from him derived unto the Sonne So also from them both by way of Economy it is derived unto the Holy Ghost for it is written Rom. 8. So many as are lead by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God And againe It is expedient that I goe from you to the Father for unlesse I goe to the Father the Comforter shall not come to you But when I shall send the Comforter from the Father unto you hee shall lead you in all truth and comfort you in all your adversities But that his authority and government may bee the better felt of us learne I pray you to know that the alligory of his government is fitting to command mans obedience either as hee is a pilgrim or as hee is a souldier for whether hee lead us as pilgrims in an unknowne way or as weake souldiers in our hard conflict his operations to us and in us are threefold For he leadeth us Monendo movendo removende that is to say he forewarneth us hee incourageth us and hee removeth something from us If wee looke on our selves as pilgrims and so hee first forewarneth us of the difficulties of the way for it is written Strait and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there bee that enter in thereat Againe Through manifold tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of God And as hee forewarneth us so also hee leadeth us by moving us for hee not onely calleth upon us Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you But also when wee fall hee lifteth us up againe and whom hee loveth hee loveth to the end and whom hee once taketh by the hand none can take them out againe Finally hee removeth the impediments of our journey out of the way for howsoever he suffer us to be tempted for a while yet with the temptation hee giveth us the issue that wee may beare it Againe if wee looke on our selves as souldiers in 〈◊〉 Christian warfare hee useth the same operations in us He first forewarneth us of our danger whosoever would live godlily must suffer persecution for the testimony of Jesus Hee incourageth us also to the fight In the world ye shall have trouble but in mee yee shall have peace Bee yee therefore of good comfort for I have overcome the world Finally hee removeth our adversaries from us for howsoever for our triall and exercise he suffer us to bee hardly assaulted for a while yet in the end hee treadeth Sathan under foot and crowneth our soules not onely with victory but also with salvation Vse Now then seeing God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are our leaders both in our pilgrimage and spirituall conflict it should both humble and comfort us humble us in that wee cannot walke without a guide Noah was stronger then wee but when hee forgot his guide he fell Sampson was stronger then wee but when hee forsooke his guide hee fell Salomon was wiser then wee but when hee forsooke his guide he fell David was holier then wee but forsaking his guide hee fell Peter was more stedfast then wee and yet forsaking his guide hee fell Israel was a people elected and chosen beyond and before us but because they forgot the guide of their youth therefore they were left to themselves to do the things that were not convenient and received such recompence of their errour as was meet It becommeth all of us therefore whilst wee thinke that wee stand to take heed that wee fall not And to say to God as the Eunuch said to Philip How can I understand without a guide Send out therefore O Lord the light of thy truth and let thy good spirit lead us into the land of thy righteousnesse Againe as this should humble us so
of prime honour to the subject of name for it is said Hallowed be thy name For understanding whereof let us remember that the Pronoune thy is possessive and pointeth out to us the chiefe and prime person to whose name honour and glory do chiefly and most duely belong For though there bee many names or rather many things named in heaven in earth and under the earth yet is there not any name to which honour and glory doth of debt and duty belong but onely to the name of God and that in three respects First because by him is named all the family that is either in heaven or on earth Secondly because by his sufferings and victorious triumphs over his adversaries he hath obtained a name farre above all other not onely that is in this world but also in that which is to come Thirdly because there is no other name by the which we can bee saved but by the name of Jesus Christ the just Now then since by the Pronounce thine is understood the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost the whole Trinity whose actions ad extra as they are undivided so their honour quoad nos should bee undivided also For as their essence is one and their majesty coeternall so should their glory bee coequall according to that which is written My honour is mine and my glory I will not give to another Let him bee ashamed that in any wise doth ascribe that which is due to God either to Angell or Saint departed The distinctions of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be no shelter of their errour wee reverence their memory wee blesse God in behalfe of them and wee wish from God the consummation of their glory but to beleeve in them to call upon them or to bow before their images or to adore their relicts as wee have no warrant for it so let us abhorre to doe it lest it be enquired of us Who hath required these things at your hands Esai 1.12 They have already entered in their Masters joy Requiescant in pace Let us labour to follow their example and let us sigh for their consummation as they crie for our addition for they cannot bee perfect in full perfection without us Amen LECTIO 5. Thy kingdome come IN handling of this Petition I will observe the order proposed in the last first I will looke on the reference of the words both with the preceding and subsequent petitions and then on the matter comprised and contained in them The site and posture of this Petition is worthy of remarke first because of the reference it hath with the preceding petition And secondly because of that reference it hath with those petitions which succeed The dependance it hath with the former Petitions is That in the last petition wee craved that Gods name might be hallowed that is to say that the Majestie and holinesse which is in himselfe and is Himselfe for whatsoever is in God is God that Justice Mercy and power that is in his workes that truth righteousnesse and equity which is in his word may not only be knowne and manifested to man but also received honored and obeyed by man in such manner as is fit and due to so great a Majestie and so dread a name So now in this Petition hee sheweth us the way how to doe it Namely by submitting our selves as members of his Kingdome to his supreme Soveraignty for then chiefely and ever till then is the name of God duely honored by man when man by his due and lawfull obedience testifieth himselfe to bee a subject in his Kingdome and a member of his incorporation Againe as this is the reference it hath with the precedent Petition So hath it also a necessary dependance with that which immediately succeedeth For in the words next following we crave that Gods will may be done But it is certaine no man can doe Gods will but hee who is a member of his Kingdome Nor can any man keepe the law of God but by his grace Iohn 3.24 Psalme 119.32 For though our workes should be accomplished from the beginning of the world yet are they all but abomination in the presence of God till our persons be first acceptable unto him in Christ Jesus 1. Cor. 13.3 here then is the true reason of this position he that would either hallow or honor the name of God or desire to performe his will must have a care first to be devised and made a member of his Kingdome for the name of God can never bee truly honored nor his will truly obeyed by any but those who are true members of his Kingdome But it may bee enquired cannot a wicked man doe the will of God I answere that a wicked man may doe the thing that is good as Ioab may give good counsell Iudas may remember the poore A Hypoerite like Achab may be humbled A vicious man may cite and speake Scripture but all is abhomination for two causes First their persons are not acceptable they have no portion in David nor inheritance in Iesse Secondly whatsoever they doe they doe it not in that sincerity nor right intention towards the honor of God as doth become but what they doe is in hypocrisie to be seen of men and to procure honor and glory to themselves and for this cause God casteth backe the dust of their sacrifices in their faces and manifesteth their wickednesse both to men and Angells Then O man if thou dost desire that the name of God may be hallowed and honored by thee Or desirest that his will bee done in thee or by thee Labour then I pray thee that thou maist be made a member of his Kingdome for as many as are called by the Spirit of God are the sons of God and if the Spirit of him that raised JESVS from the dead doth dwell in our mortall bodies our mortall bodies shall then also be raised by it But if this incorporation shall bee wanting though we should give our bodies to be burnt in the fire yet shall it not availe us For as we live strangers from the life of God strangers shall wee likewise die and rising strangers to his Grace we shall be thrust out as strangers from his Glory to the suffering of that worme that dyeth not and of that fire that never is extinguished Now let us come to the words and consider what is contained in them I finde in them three things a Subject an Attribute and a Copulation The Subject is a Kingdome the Attribute is a comming and the word of Copulation Thy. Kingdome For understanding of this we must know that there is a threefold Kingdome Of man of Sathan and of God The Kingdome of man is that preheminency and soveraignty which God in his wisedome hath established amongst men giving to some authority to command and to others a commandement to obey and that for shunning of confusion and disorder amongst
art thou hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I did forbid thee Thirdly a worke of conviction Cursed bee thou for thou hast not continued to obey the things written in the Law Fourthly a worke of contrition making thee to water thy couch with teares and to goe out weepe bitterly Fifthly a worke of consolation Goe thy way home thy sins are forgiven thee Sixthly a worke of adoption whilst by his spirit hee cryes in thee Abba father Seaventhly and lastly a worke of confirmation and perseverance whilst hee keepes thee by the power of his spirit through faith to eternall salvation What do we here pray for this that Gods Kingdome may come and why so because wee can never goe to it except it do first come to us for such as is his eternall knowledge his eternall love his eternall election such is the dispensation of those his graces in time and their remuneration in glory after all time what is then thy duty Oh man herken and I will tell thee Since God hath made his Kingdome ready for thee make thou thy selfe ready for it I say hee hath made his kingdome ready Omnia enim sunt parata All things are ready Matt. 22. Paratae sunt nuptiae the marriage is ready Parata est coena his supper is ready Paratum est cubiculum his marriage chamber is ready Paratum est cubile his bed is ready Paratum est regnum and his Kingdome is ready Now are all things on his part ready and thou art not ready Then woe bee unto thee that ever thou wast borne for Gods sake then dresse and trimme thy selfe in time and say Paratum est cormeum My heart is ready Psalm 57.7 and learn with the spirit in the Revelation to say The day of the Lambes marriage is come and his bride hath made herselfe ready Blessed is the man who in that expectation can so say surely hee shall not want his reward and it shall be said to him Come ye blessed of my Father possesse the Kingdome prepared for yon And when you are come in it shall be cheerfully said to you eate and drinke my friends make merry my well beloved And now having spoken concerning the matter and manner of the Petition it resteth that wee speake concerning the copulation of the one with the other Thy This word is very well inserted here for as none can truly say Our Father but hee who is borne of God and is a fellow member of Christs body so none can desire Gods Kingdome to come but hee who is a member thereof and a fellow heire annexed thereto by Christ Jesus yet the words would be well remarked for Meum and Tuum hath made all the world adoe Man whilst hee keeped the Image of God might have justly said of all the world it is meum but when he fell he could say nothing but turning over the right to God say it is tuum man being begotten againe to the hope of glory in Christ Jesus may justly say to and of all the world it is meum jure adrem but not jure in re for hee oweth all things yet possesseth nothing Looke to Christ to his Apostles and to all his Saints Hebr. 11. What shall wee doe then but since by mastery our Kingdome is taken from us looke for one to come and sigh in our selves saying to God Adveniat regnum tuum Meum tuum cost Abel and Naboth their lives But God would not have it so in Christs Kingdome for there is no Kingdome but his and to him alone wee must justly say Thy Kingdome come Vse What right then hath the Pope to enthrone or dethrone Kings since hee is no universall King himselfe Neither in the matter of power for his breath is not his owne nor in the matter of Grace For hee cannot renew nor redeeme his brothers soule it is a price too great for him to pay nor in the matter of glory for he is the child of perdition hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hee goes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly why strugle men for soveraignty and can never be contented since the earth is the Lords and all Kingdomes are his Let us seeke the Kingdome of God and our necessities shall bee cast to us Thirdly and last of all let us beware how wee utter this prayer for it appertaineth not unto the wicked but to the godly not to the wicked for if God should take him at his word his condemnation should come upon him at unawares Perversum est enim optare ut veniat quem times ne veniat Augustine Psalm 97. dicere veniat regnum tuum cum times ne exaudiaris Aug. Psalm 147. It is onely the child of God who as the Hart brayeth for the well-springs of water can truly thirst after God and say I desire to be dissolved And again Come Lord Iesus come quickly Revel 22. LECT 7. Thy will AS in the former Petitions so in this also wee will first looke to the reason why it is so placed and next to the matter of the Petition The placing of it is remarkable both in respect of the Preface as also of the preceding Petitions When wee looke to the Preface this followeth exceeding well upon it For there is propounded to us that Summum bonum and chiefe good which the Sonnes of men doe aime at God himselfe knowen by faith communicated by love and expected by hope of consummation to the which wee can never attaine but by doing his will For the Kingdome and inheritance of God is not given to rebells nor disobedients but to Sonnes and obeyers For none shall enter into the Kingdome of God but they that know the will of their Master and doe it And as it hath this reference with the preface viz a reference of instruction So when you looke upon it in the reference it carieth with the preceding Petitions you shall finde the reference and relation demonstrative For as God in all things and above all things he hath care of his owne honour and the glory of his name For it is written My Glory I will not give to another Againe as he is the suprem soveraign of heaven and earth c. Having therein a Kingdome of power of grace and of glory So here wee have the evident demonstration of our confidence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For hee subjoynes this as a touchstone to try whether ourzeale to his honor or our thirst for the righteousnesse and approach of his kingdome be true and sincere or not And by this to see whether wee doe his will or not Desiring us thereby because of the flattery wherewith we flatter our selves in the use of that common proverbe Ad Deum omnes ire volunt post Deum pauci to try and examine our selves whether wee bee truely of that number or not who can say Thy Kingdome come For it is not the hearers but the doers of the law shall bee justified Vse Now from
and that which is infinite eternall and incorruptible Woe bee unto that man that shall be thus audaciously blasphemous as to say hee hath merited any thing but condemnation For that man appearing before God and wanting his wedding garment the righteousnesse of Jesus shall surely be stripped naked and his nakednesse shall be seene of men and Angels But thou wilt enquire If man bee not able to obey the Law how can God in his justice give him a Law or correct him for the breach thereof To the first I answer thee out of naturall reason Although thou hast rendered thy selfe unable to obey what injustice is it with God to exact thy obediēce for he created thee able to obey whatsoever hee required of thee Is it not so amongst the sonnes of men in civill actions but what is more God giveth thee although thou be unable a law to square thy life by for three causes Vt scias quid acceperis ut videas quid amiseris ut intelligas unde repetendum sit quod amiseris and as he requireth the obedience of his law of thee for these 3 causes so doth he also correct the breach therof for 3 causes 1. Ad ostētationē debitae miseriae 2 ad emendationem labilis vitae And 3. ad exercitationē necessariae patientiae Vse Since in the tenour of the Law and the Gospell the revealed will of God is shut up as in a treasury or store-house Why is it that man delights in ignorance for from the knowledge of the will of God in these there ariseth light to the understanding and sanctification to the affections If it bee so why then doth the Church of Rome inhibit her followers the reading of the Scriptures and injoyne to them an implicite faith Is this any thing else but to make the blinde lead the blinde that both may fall or is it any thing else but to shut up the key of knowledge and neither enter themselves into the kingdome of God nor suffer others to enter And finally is this any thing else but to keep captive in chaines of darknesse the poore people making them by the tradition of men to account the will of God of no effect The Lord open their eyes to see the vanity of the way wherein they walke and the Lord establish our hearts in the obedience of the light revealed to us lest this be our condemnation that light hath shined but wee have continued contemners of the light because our workes were evill The second thing offered to our consideration is what are the points of his revealed will and what are the duties which hee requireth to bee done of us To this I answer It were a tedious worke to runne over all the duties of a Christian required of him in this word yet for an instance the word of God requireth of us 1. The knowledge of Gods will 2. Faith in his word 3. Obedience to the word beleeved 4. Suffering for the testimony thereof when wee shall be called to it 5. And finally an hungring after our dissolution because we cannot get these things done I say first God requireth of us to know him for thus it is written This is life everlasting to know thee to bee the onely true God And againe I have decreed to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified But thou wilt say how shall I know God I answer God is knowne by nature for the naturall man although hee know not the true God yet by naturall knowledge hee propoundeth something to himselfe for a God And this shall serve for a witnesse against him for whilst by nature hee doth the things of the Law he becommeth a law to himselfe By his workes God also is knowne For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are knowne in the workes of his hands Yet this is not sufficient to salvation For the more a man knoweth of the works except hee bee sanctified the more hee evanisheth in the vanity of his owne imaginations and his foolish heart is the more replenished with darknesse By his word hee is knowne for in the Law hee sheweth what wee ought to doe And in the gospell what we should beleeve For the Law was but a pedagogue to Jesus Christ and all the ceremonies figures and types thereof were but shadowes of things to come the body was Jesus Christ and whosoever in his difficulty hath not recourse to the Law and to the testimony it is because there is neither light nor life in him By grace God is knowne for all the knowledge that man can have of God either from the Law or from the Gospell is in vaine unlesse our hearts bee inclined by the spirit of grace to obey or beleeve for it is written As many as are lead by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God and heires of glory By glory wee shall know him fully for here wee know but in part but there we shall see as wee are seene and know as wee are knowne being exchanged to his image from glory to glory by the spirit of the Lord. The second thing that God in his word willeth us to do is to beleeve in him for there is a faith that beleeveth God to be there is a faith that beleeveth God to bee true and there is a faith that beleeveth in God Every faith is not a saving faith this onely saveth when we beleeve in God and rest upon him for the life of our bodies saying Give us this day our daily bread And for the life of our soules saying Forgive us our sinnes So that in faith there must bee three things Sensus assensus appropriatio sense assent and appropriation Now it is the applying faith that saves for it is written Thy faith hath made thee whole The third thing God requireth of us in his word is a sanctified obedience of that which we know and beleeve For it is written This is the will of God even your sanctification Againe Be ye holy as I am holy who hath called you And againe Let your light so shine before men c. For it is not hee who cryeth Lord Lord that shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven but hee that knoweth the will of my Father and doth it It is the will of God that wee suffer for him for it is written Let him that would follow me deny himselfe and take up his crosse and follow mee Brethren this is a lesson the hardest of all for man to learn concerning God for man would learne to know God out of curiosity that he might dispute and reason concerning him Man would beleeve both Gods word and Gods worke out of necessity when they cannot better do Like Pharaoh and his Magicians confessing the finger of God Man also out of custome for civill shame will some time obey God for feare of punishment more then for filiall affectiō but let these all be knit together they shall not so evidently demonstrate the
meaning of the words to bee Let them that are not yet called bee brought within the compasse of thy covenant and the bosome of thy Church that as wee beleeve so they may beleeve also and as thy will is done by us so it may bee done by them Both of these opinions are not only tolerable but also laudable For we are bound by religion not only to subdue the lusts of our flesh and to live after the Spirit but also wee are bound in charity to begge of God that all such as appertaine to his election may be in due time called justified and glorified That so there may be but one shepheard and one sheepfold and God may bee over all and in all blessed for ever But if I may speak it without the prejudice of so great lights Howsoever both these Petitions be requisite for the Christian yet doe not I thinke that either of them be here meant But with Chrysostome I doe thinke that this Petition differs nothing from that precept of the Apostles Collos 3.1 If yee bee risen with Iesus Christ seeke those things that are above By earth then I understand men that are on earth and by heaven the Angels of God and the Spirits of good and just men departed So that the meaning of the petition is Since it hath pleased thee O Father who dwellest in Heaven to make thy name knowne to us and be called upon of us And seeing thou hast honored us by the making us members of thy true Church and thy Kingdome of grace here on earth O let thy Spirit of Grace dwel so powerfully and plentifully in us that as thy holy Angells and glorified Saints doe thy will in heaven So we that are but weake and sinfull men may captivate our wils to thy obedience here on earth Well then by Earth wee must understand not only earthly men but also the place where Even on earth and while we live in it But let us remarke the word for it is generall Our Saviour teaching us the person the time and the place of Gods obedience saith not Thy will be done in the field in the city in the sea or in the dry land but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per universum terrarum orbem Through all the whole world And as David sayes in his 97. Psalme Make thy way knowne on earth and thy saving health to all Nations The persons then by whom he will have Gods will done are men who are of the earth and to the earth returne again And the place where in the earth and whilst wee live in it For unlesse wee doe the will of God here wee shall not enter into our Masters joy hereafter In the second roome wee must looke to the patterne and it is called heaven by the which as I told you already Augustine and Chrysostome do understand the holy Angells of God and the glorified Spirits of men These are said to bee in heaven But by these alone the word is not only understood For as there are more heavens then one so are they more that do the will of God in heaven then those blessed Spirits alone I say there are more heavens then one and it is cleere For it is said in the preface of this prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall number and it is knowne and manifest in nature For this expansum or void wherein are the fowles is called a heaven and they the fowles of the heaven Againe these seaven subordinate spheares in the which the seaven Planets doe raigne are called heaven also Againe that place wherein are the fixed Starres is called a heaven also And finally that place of felicity which is above all of these is called heaven and the third heaven and the heaven of heavens and the Paradise of God Now as all of these are furnished with their severall host and inhabitants So is the will of God done in all of these by their severall host and inhabitants For in the lower heavens which we call our firmament the will of God is done by the fowles of the ayre and by the treasures of windes raine snow haile and the thunder In the second heaven the will of God is done by the Sunne the Moone and the Starres In the third heaven also the will of God is done by the holy Angells who have kept their originall integrity and by the congregation of the first born who rest from their labours and have entred into their Masters joy The words then are cleere By earth is meant man made of earth returning to the earth and living on the earth By heaven is meant all the host and inhabitants of the whole heavens of God whether they be the first second or third heaven But chiefly the third Now the resemblance and parallel of the obedience is remarkable As it is in Heaven For it may be enquired how doe the Angells and Saints departed obey the will of God in heaven I answere they obey it five manner of wayes Speedily Cheerfully Fully sincerely constantly and perfectly Speedily and without delay cheerfully and without murmuring fully and without omission sincerely without dissimulation constātly without wearying and perfectly without halting Now is it possible for man so to doe Gods will No certainly wee cannot doe it speedily for like Lot we linger to goe out of Sodome We cannot doe it cheerfully for like Israel wee grudge and murmur in the way to our rest We cannot doe it fully for the good that wee would doe we doe not c. We doe it not sincerely and without dissimulation for although wee honour him with our mouthes our hearts are farre from him We doe it not constantly and without wearying for to day we are fervent and to morrow wee are lukewarme neither hot nor cold Neither doe we it perfectly for we know but in a part and see but in a part and our perfection is laid up for us in the life to come But why doe we then pray for it since wee cannot attaine to it I answere though we cannot attaine to it yet wee should strive after it For there is a time comming wherein we shall obtaine and attaine to that perfection wee aime at And that is our last moment and day of our dissolution Like Israel compassing Jericho And Sampson groaning under his blindnesse Vse Now the use of all this When God made man he made him conforme to his patterne for he made him like to himselfe and to his owne Image When God commanded to build him a Tabernacle he gave a patterne to it in the mount and never a pinne was in the Tabernacle but what was commanded So it is here when Christ Jesus desireth us to doe Gods will he writeth to us a copy doe it in earth as it is done in heaven Not that we are able to attaine to it but that we must strive after it Let us looke but to a naturall Parent Hee calleth upon
the soule from the body for a time till God reunite them both in glory The Spirituall debt is that which man oweth to the God of nature and it is twofold either the debt of obedience or the debt of punishment The debt of obedience is the debt of righteousnesse Rom. 8.12 The debt of punishment is called the second death to the which man is bound for satisfaction of the justice of God in case of not performing and paying of the debt of righteousnesse The debt of righteousnesse is truly and properly called debt The debt of punishment is but figuratively and improperly so called and that for two causes first in respect of the antecedent and next in respect of the consequent In respect of the antecedent righteousnesse which we should have obeyed and in respect of the consequent punishment which is due to him that disobeies as it is written Tribulation and anguish shall bee c. There remaineth a third debt that man oweth and it is mixed for it is partly religious and partly civill Religious when according to the prescript of the word of God wee give reverence to whom wee owe reverence feare to whom we owe feare and love to whom wee owe love civill when wee render to every man that which wee have borrowed remembring that it is a blessing to owe nothing unto any man and the curse of the wicked that he borroweth and payeth not againe Psal 87. LECT 15. And forgive us our debts IN the end of our last Sermon wee looked on the words of the Petition it selfe wherein wee found foure things considerable First what wee are by nature sinners and debters to God whereof wee have spoken in our last Sermon Now it remaines that wee go forward to consider the other three parts and first of the pardon of our sinne Forgive In handling of which word I purpose not with Salmeron the Jesuite to dispute concerning the propriety of the word and to search whether it had beene better to have said remitte then as it is here dimitte I will onely according to the received approved custome of the Church speake of the word as it implyeth a pardon free remission of our sins which are our spirituall debts For never did man speake in so naturall a dialect as this is for all the other conditions displayed the condition and temper of his faith this the condition of his nature these implyed the good he hoped for this demonstrates the present misery body of death under which hee lyeth sigheth and groaneth desiring to be eased and to speake truly what can bee more acceptable unto God then the confession of sinne and the suit of pardon Did not our Redeemer in the dayes of his flesh call upon all them that were weary and ladened to come to him that hee might give them ease of their burthen rest to their soules Whilst therefore hee shall see us acknowledge our burthen confesse our debt shall we not be welcome to him O know this O man for thy cōfort the sheepheard never rejoyced more in the recovery of his lost sheepe nor the woman of her lost penny nor the father of his lost sonne then God is well pleased and glad of thy returne to him ready to forgive thee thy debt if in humility thou canst but acknowledge it for it is written Blessed is the man that confesseth his sinne and forsakes it but hee that hideth his transgression shall not prosper Well then seeing wee have in the first word confessed our burthen and debt let us now come to the second and consider our desire of pardon and release Forgive Debts are released and forgiven two manner of wayes either freely by pardoning the debtor or else legally by exacting the debt and so acquitting it Againe this legall release and acquitting of debt is two wayes first when the debt is paid by the true debtor Secondly when it is satisfied not by the true debter but by him who became suerty for him to this effect it is that Iustin telleth us Inst l. 3. tit 30. Tollitur omnis obligatio solutione ejus quod debetur non tamen interest quis solvat utrum is qui debet an vero alius pro eo Now shall we looke on mans sinne as it maketh him Gods debtor and enquire how it is forgiven I answer O man thy sinne is forgiven thee both ingenuously and legally Ingenuously because freely and voluntarily Legally because thy debt is paid though not by thy selfe yet by thy suerty Jesus Christ who hath done all suffered all and paid all that it be hooved thee to doe to suffer and to pay for the satisfaction of the justice of God hee did it for thee and thou hast done it in him But that this may be the more cleare and the termes of our pardon may bee the more distinctly known let us consider the debt of sinne as it is severally imposed upon three severall sorts of persons to wit the reprobate Angels and men on the elect amongst the sonnes of men and on the Sonne of God for the lost sons of men Now according to the diversity of the imputation of this debt so is the release and pardon thereof diversly and severally graunted the reprobate Angels and Sonnes of men have the debt and burthen of sinne imputed to them but the pardon and release of sinne neither doth nor ever shall appertaine unto them for with them the Lord doth and shall deale in the severity of his justice for ever for they shall bee cast in prison where they cannot come out till they have paid the uttermost farthing And because they cannot pay they shall not be forgiven The elect sonnes of men who are chosen vessels of mercy and appertaine to the covenant of grace by vertue of their election had the debt of their sins imputed to them when as they were borne dead in their sinnes and trespasses and were strangers by nature from the life of God as well as the children of wrath but now blessed bee God through Jesus Christ our Lord the release and pardon of our sinnes for that which was impossible to the law in so far as it was weak because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull man and that for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the law might bee fulfilled in us who walke not after the law but after the spirit Lastly the Sonne of God had the debt and burthen of of sinne imposed upon him not of his owne sinne for hee that knew not sinne was made sinne for us And with him God hath dealt with such rigour of his justice that hee came from Bosra with red garments hee hath trodden the wine-presse of the Father alone and in the anguish and bitternesse of his sorrow cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee If wee shall looke to the persons to whom this release and pardon of sinne is promised and
on our travels all should bee in vaine For wee may eate and not be satisfied wee may cover our makednesse and not be warme wee may sow much and reape little we may earne wages and put them in a bottomlesse bagge except hee open his hand and fill us with his blessing for then and no otherwise are wee satisfied And thirdly whilst wee begged of God the meanes of our satisfaction so also wee begged them of him in a moderate manner and measure not to give us over-little lest wee should for want steale and Gods name should bee dishonoured by our practice Nor yet over-much lest by reason of our plenty wee should waxe wanton forget the rocke from whence wee were hewen and so in our presumptions perish say Who is the Lord Now having begged these things in that Petition this Petition is duely conjoyned unto it by this particle of conjunction And for since it is certaine that man is a weake and fraile creature in the day of his want ready to runne an ill course and in the day of his prosperity ready to grow proud and mis-know God there can nothing bee better said then Lead us not into temptation that is to say since Sathan is ready at all times in all places and by all occasions to tempt us to sinne Lord watch thou over us by thy grace and good spirit that in the day of our want wee sinne not against thee by despaire and in the day of our wealth and abundance wee sinne not against thee by presumption but learne in whatsoever state wee bee therewith to be content for naked wee came into the world and naked we shall returne againe Again by the same cōjunctive particle And this Petition is duly tyed to that wherein wee begged of God the remission and pardon of our sinnes and that for three severall causes or respects first to teach us to avoid security Secondly to teach us the truth of Gods covenant and thirdly to teach us to submit our selves to the condition of the covenant It teacheth us to beware of security for after the remission of sinne temptation followeth and hee is a great foole who having once gotten the victory over sinne cries to himselfe a perpetuall and permanent peace yes furely for the estate of the servant is not above his master Whilst Sathan dealt with our head Christ Jesus in tempting him though hee mightily declared himselfe to bee the Sonne of God by resisting and repelling his temptations yet in the end it is said that Sathan left him but for a season If then this hath beene the lot and portion of the head what shall become of us that are members If hee dealt so with the greene tree what shall become of us who are withered branches And finally if this hath beene the portion of him who was the cedar of Lebanon what shall become of us who are poore bushes of Isop at the foot of the wall No no O man deceive not thy selfe and after the foile of a sinne over which it may please God in his mercy to give thee victory and peace of conscience in the blood of Jesus dost thou thinke that Sathan can bee so cowardly that after one foile hee dare no more to assault thee No be sure of this so long as the strong man keepes the hold all things are in peace but if with Iacob thou shalt labour to returne to the land of thy nativity Laban shall pursue thee and unlesse the God of thy fathers make his fall upon him hee will not onely kill thee but also the mother upon the young ones For though for a while hee seeme to leave his habitation yet if thou do not watch over the house of thy soule hee shall returne and bring with him seaven other spirits worse then himselfe and the last estate of thy soule shall be worse then the first Secondly it serves to teach us the truth of Gods covenant under which we have not onely cause of joy and spirituall rejoycing but also reason to serve the Lord in feare and walke before him in trembling For the covenant of mercy that God maketh with man in the blood of Christ hath two parts the first carryeth a promise of the remission of our sinnes the second a promise that hee will write his law in our hearts Now this is that new covenant which God promiseth to make with us under the Gospell of which the Apostle Paul writing to the Hebrews tells us that the tenor thereof is not formed according to the tenor of a carnall commandement but according to the power and law of an endlesse life For to what use I pray you shall the remission of our by-gone sinnes serve us if when we are once washed and cleansed wee shall straight with the dogge returne to our vomit or with the sowe to the puddle of our transgressions againe It is well added by the wisedome of God for mans instruction to say no sooner Forgive us our sinnes then straight way to subjoyne And lead us not into temptation for by this meanes wee get the covenant of God made sure and perfect to us whilst hee first sealeth in us the oblituration of the old hand writing of sinne that was against us and in the next roome writeth his law in our hearts and captivateth our affections to his obedience Lastly by the addition of this Petition to the immediately former we were taught to serve the Lord in feare for if this be our misery that our enemies are watchfull and malicious omitting no occasion of snares and temptations that can entrap and if this bee our infirmity and weaknesse that of our selves wee cannot stand one moment in the grace received why should wee not serve the Lord in feare and rejoyce before him in all trembling For as this is the comforr of comforts for a Christian to heare this said to him Sonne bee of good comfort thy sinnes bee forgiven thee So let this bee the square by which hee ruleth and squareth his future obedience Sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee Thus having cleared to you the dependence of this Petition with that Give us this day our daily bread and with that also Forgive us our sinnes It resteth now that wee consider the words of the Petition it selfe and first those which are deprecatory and then those that are supplicatory First Lead us not into temptation and then But deliver us from evill Lead us not into temptation For the better understanding of the words wee must remember that they are metaphoricall and propounded unto us by way of a figurative translation for in them God teacheth his Church to put up her supplications to God Now wee must understand that although the Church bee but one in her selfe as her God head and husband is one yet is shee alwayes proposed to us under the shadow of two severall considerations For sometimes shee is considered as in heaven and sometimes as shee is on earth that part
many malicious powerfull and politick And like the sons of Zerviah too mighty for us unlesse that hee who commandeth us to fight fight in us and for us wee cannot be victorious Secondly when hee is called to battell let him not bee a coward for hee hath more then good company his God for a Captaine watching over him his Redeemer his elder brother fighting for him the holy Ghost his comforter fighting in him his fellow brethren standing on his one hand and all the Angels of heaven on the other and who would not fight with so good company No no my brethren let us lift up our faint hearts and strengthen our weake knees though the conflict be hard the conquest is honourable for God will shortly tread Sathan under our feet through Jesus Christ out Lord. Amen LECTIO 20. Lead us not into temptation c. ACcording to the tenor of of our first proposed method wee have already spoken unto you of the first three things that were remarkable in this Petition to wit of our calling temptation of our enemies the world the devill and the flesh And thirdly of our fellow souldiers Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh our fellow brethren now Saints in heaven and our fellow brethren here militant on earth It resteth now that wee consider and ponder aright the fourth and last thing remarkable in them to wit who is our Leader and it is God for to him and to him alone it is that we put up supplication and say Lead us not into temptation Now in handling of this point three things are chiefly remarkable First who it is that is our Leader and why it is that hee is so called Secondly how it is that hee leads us into temptation And thirdly whilst hee leads us into temptation whether hee be guilty of sinne or no The first thing observable is Who is our leader I answer God and that very God who being one in essence is three in persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost God the Father is our leader and therefore hee is called the Lord of Hosts God the Sonne is our leader and therefore tooke upon him our flesh that in it hee being first a souldier might thereafter become our leader Finally God the holy Ghost is now by deputation become our leader and therefore it is written That as many as are led by the Spirit are the Sonnes of God God the Father is our leader and for that cause is stiled the Lord of Hosts Dominus exercituum this is his name for ever and this is his memoriall unto all ages Of all the titles that God hath in scripture there is not one so often used by God himselfe as this For shall wee looke but upon two Prophets Isayah and Ieremiah and in them alone this title is attributed to God above an hundred thirty times It is not a title then likely to bee looked upon but with deepe and due consideration let us then looke upon it Our leader God is called the Lord of hostes in these respects first in respect of the generall frame of all his creatures who being viewed and considered in a masse together are nothing else but a pitched field and a battell set in aray fighting for the honour of God and the obedience that is due unto him For in the heaven of heavens there is an host of blessed Angels covering their faces and bowing their knees before his Throne singing a deepe Halleluiah and casting their crownes downe at his feet And this company is called an host for Luke 2. whilst they appeared to the sheepheards at the birth of Christ it is written of them There was a multitude of Angels and an heavenly host praising God and saying Glory be to God on high and to men on earth peace and goodwill Let us from that place looke a little lower and behold the starry firmament that is above our heads and there wee shall finde that hee is the Lord of hosts also for there the Sunne moone and Starres are his souldiers they fight for him and against his enemies as it is cleare out of the history of Ioshuah and Iudges and of these the Prophet Isayah saith 45.12 speaking of God I even I have stretched out the heavens and their host I have commanded but let us come a little lower and looke to the cattle that walke and the creeping things that move on the face of the earth and all of these are both the host and army of God fighting for his obedience and treading under foot those that rise up against him as is cleare from the dust and ashes of Egypt fighting against Pharo Againe if wee shall withdraw our eyes from the unreasonable creature to man who is indued with reason What I pray you are all the battells armies conflicts and skirmishes of nation against nation of kingdome against kingdome of country against country of people against people but the armies and battells of the Lord the rods of his indignation and the staffe of his wrath punishing the land because of the sinnes of them that dwell therein and man by the sword of man for his iniquity for the sword of a stranger is the revenger of the quarrell of Gods covenant Thirdly will wee looke on these our native and domesticke armies of flesh that are in these our mortall bodies I meane the ague the webbe in the eye the paine in the tooth the consumption of the lungs the shortnesse of the breath the stone in the reines the tympany of the belly and the gout in the feet what are all these but the armies of God and host of the Almighty fighting in man against man because man hath fought against God who was his leader Last of all hee is Lord of hosts also in a spirituall sense for he is our Captaine and leader in our spirituall warfare against the devill the world and the lusts of our owne flesh For it is by him and by his grace alone that wee have either courage to encounter strength to stand fast or patience to persevere unto the end And as in this hee is our leader and Captaine so doth he also hold the reines of our enemies chariots it was hee that made the wheeles of Pharoes chariots to fall off It was he that threw the stone at the fore-head of Goliah It was hee that smote the Philistines with the jawbone of an Asse It was hee that thrust the dart through Achabs brigandine and it was he alone that put a bridle in the lips of Zenacharih and a hooke in his nostrels and finally it is hee and hee alone who for our sakes by death hath destroyed him who hath the power of death that is the devill and hath put into our mouth that tryumphant song of victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Blessed be God the Father through Iesus Christ our Lord in all these things we are more then Conquerers because our leader hath
should it also comfort us in the day of our spirituall conflict For as the marches of Israell were ordered in the wildernesse so should our marches be ordered here on earth When they were to march by day the Lord went before them in the piller of a cloud and by night in a piller of fire When they marched it was said Arise O God and let thine enemier be confounded And when they rested it was said Returne O Lord to the thousands of Israel Their walke was long their journey was wearisome but this comforted them that they had a good leader It is even so withus wee are brought blessed bee God from the bondage of an oppressing Pharo and a turmoiling Egypt where our way is thorny and our adversaries are many and surely unlesse our eyes were towards our leader there should bee no more spirit left in us But this is our comfort in which we should alwayes joy and continually rejoyce that our God the Lord of Hosts is our leader That our Redeemer Christ Jesus hath beene our fellow souldier and is now our Captaine And that the holy Ghost the Comforter is our Generall and goeth out and in before us and fighteth in us and for us Why should not wee then submit our selves to this Regiment The world is led by another spirit for the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth after envy But blessed is the man who is led by God and his good Spirit for whosoever are led by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God and if wee be sonnes then also shall wee bee heires and fellow heires with Jesus Christ and made partakers of his glory But now my brethren pardon mee for I have spent a great deale of time in teaching you who is your leader The second question is how he can lead us into temptation The answer hereof ariseth from the word by which our government and leading is represented to us For it is thus in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where if wee shall looke aright on the word wee shall finde it composed of two severall particles of compositition and an originall verbe subjoyned to them The particles of composition are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the verbe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to lead but the particles of composition added and prefixed to it altereth the signification thereof very much The first particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth in So that whilst this manuduction and government in the day of spirituall combate of a Christian is attributed to God it importeth three things unto us from the word it selfe First a leading into temptation Secondly a leading in temptation Thirdly upon the which from the necessity of his goodnesse must follow a leading out againe according to that which is written Hee suffereth us not to bee tempted above our power but with the temptation hee giveth us the issue that wee may be able to beare it The first part of this conduct is safe the second is gracious the third is glorious without the assured support and presence of God these three are like the waters of Marah turned bitter or like the potage of the children of the Prophets There is death in the pot For if man or Sathan lead to temptation it is doubtfull if they shall lead into temptation it is dangerous and if they cannot lead out of temptation it is desperate Opposing therefore the weaknesse of man to the strength of God and the malice of Sathan to the love of God it cannot but bee well said by man to God Lead us not into temptation not deprecating any part of the composition but his desertion in the verbe To cleare this know that to lead a man into temptation is safe for this cause St Iames saith My brothren count it for exceeding joy when you fall into diverse temptations for this is onely to present anobject of temptation to man or to lead man to encounter with an object of temptation Against this we do not al waies pray for it is safe good for us so to be exercised at sometimes it maketh us watch over our senses to make a covenant with our eyes and with David to pray Lord turne away mine eies from beholding vanity To lead a man into temptation is gracious for as meat is to the hungry or drinke to the thirsty or light to the prisoner so is helpe and support to the cōbatant What other comfort I pray you had David in his conflict with Goliah then this that God was with him in his temptation I come not against thee in mine owne name but in the name of the Lord of Hosts who delivered into my hand the Beare and the Lyon hee will also deliver thee this day into my hand But O take heed my hearts howsoever to be led to temptatiō may be safe to be led in temptation be gracious yet except God lead us out again it cannot any way bee glorious for us for if hee lead us not out againe hee leaveth us in it and woe bee to us when hee so forsaketh us and leaveth us to our selves for in so doing wee shall surely forsake him and perish So that this is sure whilst we say Lead us not into temptation wee do not begge of God that hee would not suffer the objects of temptation to bee presented before us but this only that whilst we are in the conflict hee would not leave us alone but rather that hee would say to us as Iacob said to his sonne God a troop shall fight against him but he shall overcome them at the last But thou wilt say to mee O man How or by what meanes can or doth God lead a man to temptation I answer by foure meanes First by a procured desertiō Secondly by a continuall subduction Thirdly by a righteous tradition Fourthly by a necessary induration By a deserved desertion for whilst wee quench and grieve the Spirit of God by our sinnes it is a righteous thing with the Lord to draw his grace from us that by our falls we may learne to intertaine his grace by which wee stand Secondly by a continued subduction which howsoeit bee but one and the selfe same desertion yet is different in degree and more fearefull because of the continuance Thus hee dealt with the Gentiles Rom. 1. Thirdly by a righteous tradition when men have abused his long suffering patience he gives them over to the efficacie of errour and to the malice of Sathan to bee led by him at his will so hee dealt with Saul 2. Sam. 24.4 And last of all by an uncurable induration for Sathan having gotten entry in a sinner thus walking in the way of errour hee maketh his heart daily harder and harder till out of the hardnesse of his heart that cannot repent hee heape up wrath to himselfe against the day of wrath But thou wilt yet enquire why doth God lead
or permanency Hence it is that by way of eminent excellency above the creature hee hath made amongst many his other attributes himselfe known to us by his eternity an attribute so absolutely proper to him that it cannot properly be attributed to any creature beside him It is true indeed the decrees of God are truly called eternall in their act but not if wee consider them in their execution for howsoever they were decreed from all eternity yet they are finite in respect of time for in time they receive their accomplishment The soules of men are truly called eternall yet not properly for howsoever they be eternall essences induring for ever yet had they a beginning in time for till God breathed in mās nostrels man was not a living soule The Sacrament of Circumcision was called the eternall covenant Exod. 17. yet it is but catachrestically termed so for properly it was not so it had a beginning in the dayes of Abraham Nothing then can be properly called eternall but God himselfe in respect of his eternall essence and the blood of the Sonne of God in respect of the eternall value thereof God in respect of his eternall essence trinity of persons is from everlasting to everlasting for this is his name I am that I am The value also of the blood of the Son of God is eternall though not in respect of the incarnation yet in respect of the operation thereof for by the blood of that immaculate lambe slaine before the foundations of the world in time wee have received peace attonement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after all time a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conformity vnto his image and establishment in the grace wherein we stand But thou wilt enquire if God onely bee truly and properly eternall how is eternity according to his kingdome and that his kingdome is for ever and ever The answer is easie whatsoever is in God is God and his attributes are like unto himselfe for as hee is in himselfe eternall so is his kingdome his power and glory The consideration of these things serves us for a manifold use First our God is eternall and so is his love to wards us Who shall separate us from the love of God shall tribulation or anguish famine or nakednesse c. No in all these things wee are more then conquerers Secondly the vertue of the death of Jesus is eternall Who shall lay any thing then to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that justifies who shall condemne It is Iesus Christ who hath died for us and now in the heavens makes intercession for us at the right hand of the Majesty Thirdly God is eternall and his kingdome is for ever what need wee then to feare what man can doe unto us they can but kill the body but Let us feare him who can cast both soule and body in hell fire where the worme dyes not and the fire goes not out Fourthly our God is eternall and his kingdome for ever and ever Why should wee then seeke the things of this life that perish No no it becomes us not to set our eyes on things that are seene and are temporall but on those things that are not seenand are eternall Finally since our God is eternall his kingdome endureth for ever why should we weary or murmur under the rod of our visitation for all the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory to be revealed for our afflictions are but light and endure for a moment but it is an eternall weight of glory passing in excellency that is laid up for us who are kept by the power of his Sonne through faith to eternall salvation Amen THis is the last gaspe and breath of this prayer many such ejaculations have the servats of God breathed in the last period of their extremities Iacob said O Lord I have waited for thy salvation Old Father Simeon could say Now let thy servant depart in peace The righteous say in the 8. to the Romans That they having received the first fruits of the spirit do sigh in themselves waiting for the adoption and redemption of their mortall bodies and the soules of the Saints under the Altar in the Revelation can say O Lord how long Our Saviour Christ Jesus in place of all these things teacheth us to say Amen And for understanding hereof let us first learne what it is or how it must be said As to the first Amen is a word taken in Scripture three manner of waies nominally adverbially and verbally Nominally it signifies to us Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity for it is thus written Revel 3.14 These things saith Amen the faithfull and the true witnesse Neither this alone but what is more it gives a reality to what hee hath spoken or promised for it is written his promises are not yea and nay but yea and Amen Adverbially it is a word of earnest asseveration for so useth our Saviour Verily verily I say unto you whose primitive is Amen Amen dico vobis Verbally and so it is equivalent to so be it whether it be in the matter of thank esgiving of praise or of prayer In the matter of thanksgiving 1. Cor. 14.16 That Amen may be said In the matter of praise Psal 41.13 Blessed bee the Lord from everlasting to everlasting Amen and Amen In the matter of prayer and then it hath a double use for then it is vel signaculum consensus nostri vel votum desiderly nostri To all of the former Petitions it is not only signaculum consonsus nostri but also votum desiderij nostri for in these we do not onely acknowledge that our Father dwells in heaven that his name must bee hallowed that his kingdome must come that his will must be done in earth as it is in heaven but withall it is votum desiderij nostri our earnest desire Give us this day our daily bread Forgive us our sinnes Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from all evill And in all of these wee are taught not onely to assent but also to desire to assent and acknowledge the glory power and soveraignty of his dread essence to desire and begge from his all-sufficiency the support of our infirmity that his strength may be knowne in our weaknesse and his power may be made manifest in our infirmity Thus then knowing that all things are of him and by him and for him what rests but that in respect of his all-sufficiencie and eternall kingdome power and glory wee should draw neare unto him begge of him that he who is only able may keep us that we fall not and that he would present us without spot or blemish before the presence of his glory with joy who is God only wise immortall and invisible in whose presence is the fulnesse of all joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Amen God of his infinite mercy and goodnesse make us all carefull of his glory whilst wee are in this life that in the day of Christs appearance we may be made partakers of that eternall glory which is laid up for us in the heavens and purchased to us by his blessed merits Amen FINIS
in thy young dayes Hee can say to the covetous man Pull downe thy barnes and make them more large and then cry a peace to thy soule Hee can say to the furious man Smite him at once that thou may not smite him the second time And What thou dost do quickly And in a word whatsoever seed of iniquity or bitter root of corruption hee soweth or planteth in our hearts this is his policy hee first bewitcheth the sense then enflameth the appetite or desire and last of all he bringeth sinne to accomplishment Vse In respect hereof it becommeth us carefully to watch over our senses as the gates and dores of our soules Secondly to keepe a guard about our affections that though our senses be infected yet our hearts be not affected Psal 139. And last of all wee should be earnest and carefull to mortifie both of these least their infection prevayling sin in thee come to a maturity and thou reape as thou hast sowne for hee that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption and hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life and glory and honor and life immortality Thus whilst wee seeke to bee free from temptations wee seek to be freed from the temptations of the devill the world and the flesh And if God at any time shall suffer us to fall into these temptations wee then begge of him that wee may not bee overcome of them Non enim petimus ut non tentemur sed ut a tentatione non vincamur Now followeth the third thing remarkable in the words and that is who are the souldiers that must fight the battell To this I answer all those that are subject to temptation the whole have no neede of the physitian but the sicke if any man therefore thinke himself free from the dint of temptation forbeare to say Lead us not into temptation but if none can exempt himselfe then what I say to one I say to all Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation But that I may speake more clearely The souldiers of this Christian warfare are all those who are members of the mysticall body of Jesus To what end else hath hee clothed them with his livory put his badge on them given them their earnest and covered them under his banner hee hath clothed us with his livory whilst he hath imputed to us his righteousnesse hee hath put his badge on us whilst hee hath baptized us in his name hee hath given us earnest whilst hee hath given us the first fruits of the Spirit to dwell in us and hee hath convocated us under his banner whilst hee calleth to bee within the pale and precinct of his Church But this is not all thou wilt enquire yet who are those to whom hee hath concredited these endowments I answer the Saints militant and tryumphant By the Saints militant I understand men and women on earth By the Saints tryumphant I understand those who fought the fight finished their course and now are entred into their masters joy But here two questions may arise the first is this Have none beene tempted but the sonnes and daughters of men I answer none for howsoever it be true that Jesus Christ was the Sonne of God yet as the sonne of man hee was also tempted with us and that for these foure causes First Ad cautelam 2. In auxilium 3. Ad exemplum 4. In fiduciam The sonne of God was tempted in our flesh for our caution and for warning sake that looking on him no man might thinke himselfe set free from temptation for if hee hath not spared the Cedar of Lybanon how shall hee spare us poore Isop bushes Secondly hee was tempted for our assistance and aid for what shall it availe a man to know that his enemy approacheth against him unlesse hee be able to resist him therefore Christ came and in our flesh was tempted also that hee might deliver us in all our temptations both from the feare of death and from him who had the power of death the devill Thirdly hee was tempted for our example for as hee said of himselfe learne of me for I am mecke and lowly and as the Evangelist St Iohn saith of his washing of his disciples feet I have given you an example that you should do one to another as I have done to you So also hath hee suffered our temptations and was tempted like unto us that hee might leave us an example to follow his foot steps 1. Pet. 2.21 Fourthly hee was tempted for our comfort and assurance of victory for it is written Heb. 4.15 Wee have not such an High Priest as cannot be touched with our infirmities but hee was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sinne Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace and wee shall finde grace to helpe us in the time of need The second question is this Who are those amongst the sonnes and daughters of men who can truly say that they are tempted to this I answer If temptation be a fight those onely are truly said to be tempted who do bravely couragiously resist and fight against their adversary It is not the sluggard that lyeth down to sleepe nor the coward that rūneth away nor the feeble hearted that yeeldeth that can truly be called the souldies of God but they only who hold fast what they have received who stand fast within the liberty wherewith they are made free and who continue constant unto the end that as the good souldiers of Jesus Christ shall receive the crowne Seeing then amongst the sonnes of men there are some who are in the gall of bitternesse who are taken captive of Sathan at his will who are given over to their vile affections and to the power of error 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sure I am these are not worthy of the title of this fight nor to have their names billeted for the souldiers of Jesus onely they then in whom though sinne dwell yet doth not raigne are the true soldiers of Jesus who can with Abraham refuse to be enriched from Sodome and with Moses refuse to leave a howfe behind him are worthy and shall be clothed in white and receive a white stone and in it a new name which no man knoweth but hee that possesseth it Vse Now what shall I say concerning man the Christian souldier and the necessity of his resistance Alas there is so much in man enemy to man and so little left in him that is able to resist or fight for him much lesse to triumph and conquer or subdue his enemy to him I thinke I can onely intreat man to looke continually on his captaine And yet because hee must either fight or else never tryumph there are two things of which I would advertise him First let him not thrust himselfe into temptation unlesse as David said There be a cause And that with Jesus hee bee led with the spirit For our adversaries are
it for us hath set us free and this hee did in the fulnesse of time for when that fulnesse came God sent his owne Sonne made of woman and made under the law that delivered us that were under the law that wee might receive the adoption of sonnes For Gods sake therefore seeing whilst we were Captives hee hath done so much for our deliverance forget not the captivity of thy soule thy selfe and first when thou hearest it told thee in the word of God pittie it Secondly at all occasions offered not snatched knock at thy dore and goe in and visite it Thirdly when thou hast seene it cry with Israel to Rehoboam to make thy yoke lighter and in the end though thou cannot procure by thy selfe an absolute deliverance yet come to him that poured out his heart blood for thee runne and cry for thy deliverance and dissolution sigh and groane for it and in due time if thou faint not thou shalt bee heard in that which thou fearest These things being thus cleared to you the third thing that wee are to remarke in the words is our deliverance or release in this word Deliver now that wee may know this deliverance the better it shall not bee amisse to distinguish deliverance into three severall sorts First there is a deliverance à toto Secondly à tanto Thirdly à tali Our deliverance à toto is a perfect deliverance both from temptation to sinne practice of sinne and punishment for sinne A tante is not perfect but partiall from so much of temptation practise or punishment as God thinketh meete and expedient A tali is that whereby wee crave exemption and protection from sinnes of grievous qualities Such as we call presumptuous enormious heinous and crying sinnes And from such kinde of punishments as are not the testimonies of Gods love but rather the effects of his wrath and indignation Now seeing deliverance in effect and properly is an actuall release from evill what sort of deliverance do wee crave here is it that wee call â toto No no wee cannot expect a totall and perfect deliverance in this life for so long as this life lasteth wee can neither be totally free froÌ„ sinne nor from punishment notwithstanding because of this same possibility wee are bound to cry for our perfect deliverance by death Secondly as for that deliverance which is â tanto that is to say from so much as will make us slaves to sinne or punishment for this wee cry in these words and this deliverance we are commanded to desire and by this desire wee are distinguished froÌ„ the reprobate for whilst we are led captive to Sathan at his will sinne ruleth not though dwelleth in our mortall bodies And for the punishment the Lord hath promised not to tempt us above our power but so farre onely as wee may bee able to beare it Thirdly as for the deliverance à tali that is to say from blasphemous presumptuous and crying sinnes which are the effects of the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience from these and such as these we cry and must cry coutinually Lord deliver us from evill Vse Know further that whilst wee begge of God a deliverance from evill wee do not pray against all evill of sin and punishment but so much of punishment as wil or may overwhelme us and such sins as are raigning and crying in us shall one day cry against us to our perpetuall confusion One thing remaineth to wit who is our deliverer and that is neither man nor Angell but hee who is both God and man by nature and the great Arch-angell of the Covenant by office In whom three things are considerable His right and title to do it His wonderfull power in doing of it And lastly the exceeding benefit arising from it LECT 22. For thine is the kingdome c. VVHen I did first undertake the explication of this prayer I told you they did resemble a house or edifice For as in the Courts and Palaces of Princes there are first Courts and Porches serving for entrance into the royall presence Secondly there are roomes and places of rest Lastly posternes and passages of retiring serving both for pleasure necessity so is it in this building spirituall edifice of prayer For in it there are three distinct and severall stations A preface serving for the porch Sixe severall Petitions serving for roomes of court And finally a conclusion serving for a posterne or tarras from whence wee may in a view behold the glory and beauty of the whole palace Of the Preface and of the Petitions wee have spoken already according to the measure of grace given us from above It resteth now onely that in this Sermon we take a view of the conclusion and from it draw up the full and finall seale of all the prayer And from both their edification When I looke on the words I finde in them three things remarkable First their inference Secondly their tenor and scope and thirdly their seale The inference is in the word for the tenor is Thine is the kingdome power and glory for ever The seale in the word Amen Let us returne then to their inference in the word For. Here it is evident that this conclusion or last part of the prayer is knit and tyed to the former Petitions with a causall particle for For the better understanding whereof let us know that against the necessity and use of this prayer prescribed unto us an objection might bee moved by the weaknesse and infirmity of man For let us looke on the best of the children of God when hee censureth and examineth his owne soule and paralleleth his practise with the desire of these petitions and wee shall finde that hee shall come farre short of that which is required of him For when wee looke on the three first Petitions which concerne God the honour of his name the advancement of his kingdome and the obedience of his will who is able to give that due obedience thereunto which is required of him Not one for God himselfe hath thus complained against man The Lord looked downe from heaven and beheld the actions of men to see if there were any that would seeke after him and do good and hee could finde none no not one Against this it is that the Prophets complained in the name of God and for his sake Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of God revedled Finally it is against disobedience and rebellion that the Saints of God have so deeoply sighed and groaned for their deliverance David could say Alas I have dwelt toe long in the valley of Mesech and tents of Kedar And the Apostle Paul could say Miserable man that I am who shall dâ—…ver mee from this body of death Againe if from these wee shall withdraw our eyes to consider that Petition wherein wee crave for our selves the release of our temporall casamities How many have called upon the Lord and have not