fast friend the orthodox conformist who hath bid thee welcome home to his house and shames not to walk with thee to Church He prayes in thy Dialect and when he uses other words Saying the thou epitomizest all he had said before The orthodox Conformist is thy fast friend the unstable Schismatick a friend in summer the old Heretick at all times at oddes with thee But let who will despise thee I will honour thee I will honour thy Author I will give due honour to thy divine matter thou art part of Gods Word composed by Christ who is the Word and every of thy words are of weight This considered who can deny it but our Lords Prayer hath had hard measure God forgive them who for popular ends have laid thee by God open their eyes who preferre their own before our Lords Prayer God give us Conformists grace so to say our Lords Prayer that we may have all in it granted even for his sake grant it good Lord who made it who taught it who left it for us to learn it is our Saviour hath commanded us to say it it is a Christians duty to doe it he is an Atheist that doth deny it I will use it for my pattern to pray by for a platforme and say it not as tyed by it from all other prayers not at all times lay it by but sometimes I will borrow all its words sometimes pray to the same sense now making it my rule anon all the petitions of my prayer And thus O sacred prayer I will assoile my soul from all superstitious conceipts of thee as also from the least disrespect of thee and while I use my own words I will binde me to thy method and when I take not that large I will quit my spirit within the circumference of thy Petitions Thus in honour of him who made thee I take my leave mannerly of thee wishing the next Age may not pretend Gods Spirit and despise our Lords Prayer lest their contemning Christs Ordinance denounce all such to be Hereticks AN EXPOSITION UPON THE Lords Prayer THere are four species or kinds of pouring out our mindes to God Almighty and they are all involved in one verse in the holy Bible in that place where the Apostle said Let there be made supplications 1 Tim. 2.1 prayers intercessions and giving of thanks for all men And now mark what is meant by each and which is meant in this place 1. Supplication is a prayer framed to God for forgivenesse of sin or its prevention 2. Prayer is a pouring out our minde to God framed to testifie our seeking God with an holy and an humble heart 3. Intercession is a suiting God for others as Wife Children our K. or Country 4. Thanksgiving is a pouring out our spirit to God framed to testifie our thankfulnesse to God for benefits received And what now I pray you is prayer largo sensu but either a thanking God for some good turne a begging of God to be good to other an humbling our selves in Gods presence with fear and reverence or else a desiring God to forgive us all our sins But to what doth what hath been said tend To certifie us that the Lords Prayer is for species or kinde a supplication for begging forgivenesse of sinnes A prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implying none ought to say it sed humili voce in all humility A request or intercession for we here pray for others as our selves to God for God to God for man only while we say this prayer we give no thanks and I think it is to put us in minde how many I had almost said the most of our suppliants are cousen-germans to the nine Lepers thanklesse persons Be pleased kinde reader to lend a look and behold The Name of this Prayers The Substance of this Prayers It s Name is Dominica oratio the Lords Prayer for it is called the Lords Prayer This sacred title Lord I finde predicates of two de die de oratione we have a day called the Lords Day and a prayer called the Lords Prayer Implicitely it implies that that day is a day of prayer and this prayer appropriates that day it is said to the Lord. But come Why is this prayer called our Lords Prayer For that made by our Lord our Lord and Saviour Gods Son the second person For that directed to the Lord our Lord God God the Father the first person Two passages have made open proclamation how this is a most excellent prayer First For that pen'd by Christ Secondly After such a sort as God himself by it is bespoke 1. The compiler of this prayer was our Saviour Two Extracts which dignifies it and desires me to minde every word in it 2. This prayer is put up and it is to God the Father the supreme head over all the Angels in Heaven men on earth devils in hell here is another call upon to move our vulgar to learn the meaning of every parcell of this prayer O my God and my Christ The Avowry since ye are both interessed in this prayer when I say it it shall make me minde every word that is in it As this prayers Name procured two to proclaim the excellency of it no lesse doth its substance the two the substance or subject matter of this prayer have sent out to sound abroad the unparallel'd excellency of it Are its Brevity Are its Fecundity For the first it 's proverbiall short and sweet as if short things were sweet things here is a short prayer I know none sweeter But it 's demanded Why think you this prayer more excellent for its brevity I will give you six Reasons why I think so 1. The shorter the sooner learnt long lessons are long a taking out 2. The shorter the better may it be remembred what can you say perfecter then your Pater noster 3. Ofter may it be said over the knights of Malta say it over an hundred and odde times a day 4. Here 's no relish of tediousnesse it begins and ends in a trice 5 It may soon be understood if will be at home in a week 6. It 's an assurance to me God quickly can hear A prayer whose concisenesse doth demonstrate that our God stands in no need to be cryed on from morning until noon as was Baal 1 King 18.26 Behold as an exceeding short so a most fecund or fruitfull prayer and at large it highly extolls its excellency while here is neither God nor man forgot Secondly There is neither good we want nor evill that we would be freed from but here we pray sor't for God to give us the one remove far from us the other Vnico verbo in one word here is involved what good every man stands in need of again all the evill of all men with a boon to be delivered from it Since thus much is comprised in this little The Avowry this little prayer hath prevailed with me to prize it above
Amen the Son yet there 's a blush But take Amen for vox praeterea nihil wherein then lies the resemblance 1. God is Alpha and Omega This Amen is Omega for alwaies last 2. God comprehends all sic Amen omnia praedicta Amen comprehends all mens votes and supplicats 3. God undestands all Tongues and Languages and Amen it 's well known is no stranger to none of them 4. God is every where sic Amen in una quaque regione you may finde Amen in every nation 5. God is the very same yesterday to day and to morrow Et hoc verbum Amen semper idem ejus nomen nunquam amittitur and to shew it is no changeling it is set next secular seculorum Since this Amen blushes noble a personage The Avowry this shall make me ponder in minde ere I say with my tongue Amen In the next place Amens three significations maintain this Amen blushes the three persons Father Sonne Holy Ghost And first God the Father while by Amen is meant an oath it 's the sole decider of all in Earth so he in Heaven Secondly God the Son Amen is like him if not him Dum hoc verbum est veritas Thirdly God the Holy Ghost while as he so this Amen is signum the mark the seal seals all assuredly I will ever have in high esteem that prayer upon whose last word is imprint the Character of the ever blessed Trinity The Avowry And now if you chance to dislike the allusion dislike not my endevour which is to satisfie as some with common Cates so some with a novelty Bit you know ere cloth be taken away novelties are expected or never Let each take a morsell of the meat will best digest with him and not condemn the Cateror for that at cost with variety We see the dish set up upon the long board of your understanding cal'd Amen Let us all close up our stomachs with this Amen A very taste whereof hath put the people of God in minde of one God And God the Father Sonne Holy Ghost My vote for all Gods people shall be this His vote that while to their prayers end they have in their mouthes and bear in their mindes God so that God would be ever pleased to grant all their prayers put up unto him The third part of my method moves me to give you the compleat character of this one Amen Amens Character I mean its description in decurt short significant sentences Amen then as you have heard is an Hebrew by Nation a Laconian by Language and a traveller by nature hath talkt with sundry of sundry nations and when they have said all they can gives them it all over in a word This is hath marcht through all the provinces in the Christian world yet in the rear never in the front The Officer at armes who drawes up the broad Body into a little circle The son of Mars makes an end of all he is plac't the lowest yet is of greatest account for comprehends quic quid in buccam venit the last yet the first while from the first to the last all hangs dependency upon this one Amen This is the pacifier of the people which makes them of one minde the little map deciphers out their unanimous universall agreement the prosective glasse in which I see a fort gone farre before The notary bears in minde every petition put up Lo the repeater over of our prayers which bindes all us to bear in minde all said This Amen is a memento for man and a testis to God our remembrance of what spoke and the witnesse betwixt God and us we meant as we spoke this is he saies little yet saies much while gives us magnum in parvo much in a little a word of weight which if pondered weighs as heavie as the whole prayer Behold the nut is nought but kernell the fountain is sea-full and the ship is full fraught this is it fils and full the magazine mans understanding and hath to lay up a somewhat lest in the out-room memory Will must not be a wanting lest there be a want when search is made for what came aboard I will board the booty in this bottome The Avowry and desite my God to give me understanding to conceive and memory to bear in minde all lies hid in this howle Amen But come what is it lies here hid Sub tegmine Deus sub tegmine Christus as much Amen signifies God Christ Christ God himself saies I am the Amen If you end with God and Christ have nought to do with the Devill have you Christ in your mouthes keep then Satan out of your hearts Thou never with a good heart sayest this prayer but this last word shuts door upon the Devill Principium a Jove finis Jesu thou beginnest with the Father endest with the Son Without doubt the Spirit is thy guide and teaches thee to pray teaches thee thus to pray teachers thee * Pater noster this to say let me tell thee to have God in thy mouth the Son on thy tongue end makes probable proof the holy Ghost is in thy heart So on the other side to slight such a prayer which begins with our Father ends with the Son maketh it more than probable the Spirit of the Lord is departed from that suppliant take it for a maxime in Divinity he that wilfully refuses to say Christs Prayer is not inspired with christs Spirit Let me tell you I can see no other cause why any should lay aside our Lords Prayer unlesse unwilling to use the name God the Father at the first and God the Son at the end in their Rosary The Jewes were so fear'd to take Gods Name in vain that they used another word in stead it may be we have such a piour people who fear to sin if they should do what Christ bids them doe Say the Lords Prayer yet since Amen is in stead of Christ there is no excuse neither ever took I those men to be squeasie stomach who can strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel who make scruple to say Christs prayer yet stick not to rob Christs Church in one work who destroyed her Discipline defaced her Doctrine unhallowed her sacred Sacraments and doe to many of Gods Embassadors as Hanun did with Davids cut off their garments to the hams Beleeve me those who have such strong stomachs to the maintenance of the Ministry I never knew bear any good will to the Doctrine of the Church They will cry Amen sooner to the one then the other I will leave them and pray for them the Lord awake them out of that surreptitious sin Sacriledge And thus I passe on to the fourth part of my method which desires since the subject is short you would give me leave to extract an heavenly fancy from the letters in this last word of our Lords Prayer I know some will carp at it but for my own part I
as well to church-Church-prayers made by many gracious choice Divines as to an extemporary prayer made by some one sometime who it may be speaks non-sense to God Almighty I professe I pity the sullen humour of our times and a sect who delight themselves with nought but new inventions as all that know me know I hate a very rag of Idolatry So I detest the sick-brainnesse of divers of this age who are faln into a frenzy of righting by doing wrong and of purging out of our Church Nay some are grown so impudently devout that they dare say it it 's not meet to say our Lords prayer Lord what impure purity is this for flesh and bloud to give a non placet to that Christ hath given under his own hand it fit to go for currant Luk. 11.2 It shall be my prayers that God 0 would root out of old England all Hereticks and all conceited Schismaticks who take scare both at our Lords Prayer and divers other godly prayers of Our Lords prayer is authorised to be said by one of the three States of Heaven and what one says all assent to The other our Common-prayers have been allowed of by our three States of Parliament once the reputed nerves and sinews of our nation All the Members of which when they meet the Lord grant in all things which concern this his Church they may be directed by his holy Spirit And to this in a peaceable way to agree let all true hearted natives say Amen Give me leave to end all with a Divine Contemplation upon Amen All our prayers are Epitomized in our Lords Prayer and our Lords Prayer in this one Amen How soon is it said how much doth it comprehend I had need take good heed when I pray And have I not as much need to minde when I end with this Amen I have been a long time unfolding my minde to God this Amen is that one which when I have opened it claspes it up Have you not seen a book in quires after that bound up such is every single petition such an one is this Amen What in them laid severed in this is bound up The petitions in our Lords prayer are much like the verses of a Psalme whose tune is prick it briefs and semibriefs Amen set at end is the quickest semi-quaver Time and a well pleasing note in the ears of God Almighty my petitioning Epistle I have put up to God that is my Prayer the Collect of it is Amen You know there are abundance of sacred truths beleeved by us Christians and yet their Encheridion is our Creed in like sort here is a world of good we beg of God yet all sum'd up in this Amen I am resolved to carry about me both my eyes Corporis Animae to spie out what here lyeth hid Amen is a deep ocean and full to the superficies though straight in the circumference broad at the centre O my God inable me to recollect heart and minde and spirit that I may discern all hid in this Amen But Lord how am I taught from the first to the last word of this prayers to discharge my duty and please thee first I pray for that I need then Amen protests this is my minde This Amen is my witnesse all my prayers are my desire When I pray dear Father joyn heart and tongue together and what with my tongue I beg let Amen make affidavit I desire it But come when we have made long prayers are they all comprehended in our Lords prayer When we have said our Lords prayer is it breviated in this its last word It makes me I dare not at all times give the plaudite to long prayers nor over censure decurt devotion the most is not ever the best let my prayer be of the best and God will be well pleased with my little though I say no more Nor speak I this to lessen devotion but to comfort those who are not so fully gifted God may be in thy heart though thy tongue be not so long and the Publican be accepted with his short when the Pharisee his Long shall be little set by Amen set at end of our prayers and devoutly uttered sounds better in Gods ears than vain tautologies The Hypocrite hath more tongue than heart the child of God more heart than tongue Yet O Lord untie the strings of my tongue and my lips shall shew forth thy praise Yet since thou lovest not much vain babling set thou a watch before my tongue that I offend not with my lips Da Domine ut Haec recte intellingam Luther magis ut haec faciam FINIS A Table containing the most remarkable points unfolded in this Exposition THE Preface Four kindes of powring out our minds to God by prayer pag. 1 The sacred title Lord predicates of two pag. 3 Two reasons why cald the Lords Prayer ibid. Two extracts from the reasons pag. 4 The Avowry ibid. An excellent prayer for brevity made six wayes appear pag. 5 A most fecund prayer apparent by two reasons ibid. Two teasons why a preface pag. 8 God described Relatively pag. 10 God described Positively pag. 10 Why God cal'd Father not Lord ibid. The word Father puts us in minde of four things pag. 11 It binds us to aske God blessing pag. 13 It binds us to do him reverence pag. 13 Esau asked blessing pag. 14 The estimate of Gods blessing ibid. We must shew reverence to God when we speak to God he speaks to us ibid. Elisha his carriage to Elias ibid. Gods Ministers cald Gods Embassadors pag. 16 The word preached to be heard with much reverence ibid. The 24 Elders in the Revelation ibid. The reverent custome of the Abissins ibid. God is cald Father tripertively pag. 17 A review of the particulars ibid. Why we admit of the very wicked to say the Lords prayer with us pag. 18 How every Oath how every election how Christ may be cal'd God Father pag. 18 The case of disinheriting pag. 20 Two sorts of fools ibid. The Collect where all foregoing is abbreviated pag. 21 Three substantiall reasons why we say not my but our Father ibid. The first Product 21. The second Product ibid. The third product 22. The Collect ibid. God's ever within call pag. 24 Gods place of residence pag. 25 His ablenesse to help us ibid. The point enlarge ibid. The Leaper and the Man whose son was possest with their If thou wilt ibid. The Leaper and the Man whose son was possest with their If thou canst ibid. Eight acceptations of the word Heaven pag. 27 Two may be here meant ibid. The semblance betwixt Saints and Heaven pag. 28 An extract from the literall sense pag. 29 An extract from the mysticall sense ibid. Heart compared to a house pag. 30 The Avowry Now the Petitions are to be spoken to ibid. The division pag. 31 The Petitions are of two sorts or kinds ibid. Their extracts pag. 32 The equality of these two sort of Petitions three
THE Lords Prayer UNCLASPED WITH A Vindication of it against All Schismaticks Hereticks cal'd Enthusiasts Fratra cilli By James Harwood B. D. Luk. 11.2 When ye pray say Our Father c. Mat. 26.44 And he left them and went away again and prayed the third time saying the Same words LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be sold by G. and H. Eversden at the Grayhound in Pauls-Church-yard 1654. To the Worshipfull Citizens and Inhabitants in Pater-Noster-Row THrice noble and much honoured Citizens Give me leave to present to you that prayer which Christ presented to all Christians The more enemies it hath found in the Name of Christ Iesus the more I beg of you to countenance it and befriend it Though some in these sad times have underprized our high calling yet none must doubt to call this our Lords Prayer Religion is at a low ebbe when Gods Ministers and Christs own Prayer is little or nought set by Justly have we been punished and righteous O Lord art thou in all thy works yet what ever we suffer I beseech you in the name of God and Christ to be the Patron of this Prayer which among some cal'd Christians hath found as many scorners as Christ its maker among the Jewes mockers when you speak to God ere you end be pleased thus to pray Mat. 6. and this to say Luk. 11. The one Evangelist registring the Rule to pray by that other recording the subject matter of our prayers and both intimating thus much to all ages if we lay by this prayer we lose the rule to pray by if we say not this prayer we misse much if not most our Christ commanded us to pray for I will not trouble your religious ears with those horrid profane speechos uttered and in publick against this pious prayer It 's no wonder to me Christs own prayer hath so many enemies where the Devils Doctrine hath so many fast friends But this is condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse better than light falshood than truth and a fantastick Enthusiasme more than Christs own Orizon I desire rather to pity than to reproach the brain-sick Humourists of our times whose disloyall censures like disloyall subjects have scandalized their supreme Soveraign the King of Salem the Son of God The cause because he prescribed this set form of prayer and hence it is pretended the spirit is stinted for that the matter and form prescribed But have you not heard how he who had a larger portion of the Spirit than all living who thought it no robbery to be equall with God the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed three times and every time used the self same words Let his precept there * Luk. 11.2 his practise * Mat. 26.41 there encourage your worshipfull society to patronize this book of Prayer nay the very name of your Abide shall make me more confide as God hath placed you in such an Eden who knowes but it 's to protect this Prayer which came out of the Paradise the Breast of our Messias your earthly Lot is faln to you in a fair soyle while the plat of ground you inhabit is P. N. R. as in that Row you have a corporall residence so you shall not want a true Beadsman to be earnest with God at your end you may live for ever in his Bosome from whence came this prayer a prayer I beseech you oft to iterate for a speedy post which will convey and in a trice all your supplicats to your great Master God Almighty A rare preparation which fits you for your passage from Egypt unto Canaan In a word this prayer is that salt which seasons all your undertakings Nor do I attribute this vertue to the bare outward saying your Pater noster but as being joyned with the hearts sincerity nor would I the outward form totidem verbis to be neglected for know 't as thou maist be an hypocrite and do God all bodily service so thou canst never be a good Christian and deny to do it I would you therefore exercise this set form of prayer to shew you are no Enthusiasts to joyne also with your voice the spirit of understanding to shew you are good Christians That command * Luk. 11 of Christ shall be your warrant to go down to this his forge to sharpen your blunted goads and mattocks I speak not this as a despiser of them have the gift of making a prayer that I say is to comfort such as have a mean portion of the gift of prayer It 's may purpose then not to pick a quarrell but prevent a duell and tell you what is justifiable a set form not to implead to pray as the spirit moves so be joyned with it the spirit of understanding To conclude our Christ his precept hath made this Prayer legitimate and when we pray let us understand what 's that we pray and this shall stop the mouthes of all oppugners I will add a widowes mite to this work by recommending once more this prayers unfolding to your protection which if not for love to me who owns nought to merit at you hands yet for the honour of Christ I doubt not but you will accept of the tendered service of Your Wel-wisher J. H. The Epistle to the Vulgar MY two years Catechismes I have put in print for you to peruse and that which was delivered more at large is now thus * Short concise here you may spie much matter in few words and if any word you understand not I have made this star * to direct you to the marginall note to give you light and let you see my plain meaning As I was loth to unfold this sacred subject in a * Base sordid style so to help your conceptions I have not disdained to english English words and let you know by the Margent the meaning of that which otherwise might have passed your understanding I know it for the truth of God better are five words in a known tongue than five thousand in an unknown It is this that hath made me stoop in explaining down to the meanest of your capacities yet if you understand not what comes first to hand mark what followes for commonly my following words explain my former I desire to be counted foolish to make you wise in Christ Jesus If ought here offered outstrip your relish blame not altogether me but in part your apprehensive wit for the world and dulnesse to conceive the things of God God of his goodnesse make you all wise unto salvation To the more Ingenuous Reader READER IT is the fashion of quick and nimble wits to value nought if not accommodated with some rarities though I have made the margent not for you who are all eyes yet the matter of an attractive power to draw nigh your ears be pleased to peruse this little Book and either all or none it may be you may finde a somewhat you never
all the prayers of all us mortals Our discourse hath gained us this knowledge that this is a most excellent prayer But objected Object May I say no other prayer Yes Res for this read Mat. 24.20 Orate ne fuga vestra pray that your flight be not in the winter But we be wiser then Christ he said When ye pray say Our Father By those words When ye pray say Our Father perchance our Christ gave us a hint that in conclusion all Christians shoud close alike making this prayer the * Last period not the * First praeword the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if our own words we had shewed a weaknesse by his should be made amends O my God The Avowry while I speak to thee in my own language I will not pretermit to conclude as thou hast taught to say Our Father which art in Heaven The substance or subject matter of this prayer consists of Two parts The Preface That * Placed after post-put 1. The Preface is wrapt up in the six first words before the prayer which are these Our Father which art in Heaven 2. That placed after Are 1. Petitions six 2. The Reasons three 3. The Conclusion one only word Amen The preface is that I first mean to intermeddle with of which I will speak Conjunctim in whole speak Divisim by parts And first in whole before our prayers we stand in need of such a preface First lest we come too saucily to God Almighty Secondly in that time to recollect our whole Spirits to pray 1. For the first we should not have has Zebedees wife so impudent if before her prayer she had placed such a preface she would have been lowlier minded if she had minded that the highest heaven had been Gods habitation Man it 's the nature of him and he learnt it of a woman to be too sawcy in his suit and more to aime at his own honour than Gods glory Again the Gadarens for the losse of their Hogs could not have been so clownishly uncivil but have used better words to our Jesus had they praeput such a preface as this The ignorance of what God is makes mean man unmannerly and petition Gods departure rather then his presence 2. The second reason this preface had need be said for that in this time we have time to recollect our whole soule and minde and spirit to pray O consideration doth well what we are to do ere we do it An hasty zeal brings forth an untimely birth in which there is oft more hast then good speed An inferiour when he speaks to his better he sets before a May it please you If it please your worship A protospeech as to win audience so to get breath and briefly a short time wherein men gain a brief or recollect of their longer intended after discourse Thus have we cause to count of this preface as a time in which to make a Collect of all to be said In this Idea I have much presented and whilest I cast a glance on this prospective glasse I see to the utmost end of my suit by a divine kinde of contemplation It were well we would weigh in the ballance of our considerations these passages recommended in this preface which as I have spoken of in whole by parts now give me leave to prosecute O my God I am ever resolved The Avowry so thou wilt assoil me presumption to pry yet more and more into this ark of thy Covenant This preface shewes unto us What God is Where he is 1. What God is our Father 2. Where he is in Heaven He that is our God is our Father and this our Father he is in Heaven all I have said is witnessed while said Our Father which art in Heaven Here our God is described Relativè Relatively Possessivè Possessively The relation we have to him is as nigh as the childe is to the father And to shew what kinde of father next followes the possessive our a pronoune which protests God is not a step-father but our own Father Our Father his name is Father not named Lord not my Lord Judge Here is a term which sents neither of Lordly overlooking nor of Judge-like sentencing He is neither troubled with the port of pride and disdains to cast his Eye upon us nor yet is clothed in Pontius Pilats apparell to passe sentence against us nor assumes he yet this name Father to make us only credulous he hath washt his hands and will not be guilty of our bloud it imports as a father loveth his childe so God us which God grant We will go take notice what this Expression puts us in hopes of Expression bindes us to doe For the first word Father puts us in minde of 4 things 1. Of the love of God 2. His commiserating compassion 3. His fear that we fall 4. His best help when we need First For Gods love to man I may say of it as was said of Christ to Lazarus Lord how thou lovedst him David admires Psal 8. Jonathans falls far short of it though his love did surpasse the love of women 2 Sam. 1.26 But come Can a woman forget her owne childe The Quaere implies a possibility but a rarity yet it 's aver'd the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us And thus the naturall love of the mother the faithfull love of friends the love of God to us surpasses it parallels it self with Christs to Lazarus who shewed then his love unto him when he unable to do him a pleasure when he dead and in grave when he stunk in the grave O Lord how unutterable is thy love towards all us thy sons and daughters Secondly This term or title Father puts us in hopes of Gods commiserating compassion O he pities our distressed estate that the patrimony he gave us prodigals is spent that we who are his are forc'd to feed on husks and akorns that faln amongst theeves and what 's left is taken from us O how his bowels yern within his belly to see us so poor and needy and naked not like that we were it grieves him to see us so ill like but most that we in misery and yet the fondlings make no matter of it Thirdly God is our Father and it insures us how fear'd he is we fall 1. Apparent by his injunction served upon the Angels to pitch their tents about us Psal 34.7 2. By his passing by our elder * Angels brethren who had faln but we having faln he sent his own Son to help us up again O God the greater hath been our misery the more cause we have to admire thy mercy Fourthly God is cald our Father which insures us how ready he is to help us that are faln If a childe should chance to fall into a pond you need not if his parent know of it wish him to go and help him his bowels yern his feet run his hands
met with I dare not promise much it is presumption nor underprize my pains since some say it is a slie vain-glory a begging by refusing I much desire you would not discourage these my first endeavours and if you chance to spie a blemish in Venus her face not to eye it more than all her beauty which if you doe you have got a bargain but lost a chapman every one can say it is an easier thing to finde fault with than to mend And he that will mend what here 's amisse hath leave to finde fault with what he list I speak not this to make a variance but salve a difference assuring my self he is not a Scholar that will carp I have put my self to the worlds wide venture and aime at my * Scholars Coat to defend my cause Humorous heads who have more words than wit and censures than solidity they can gain nought at my hands by their opprobries these have a good word for none not then for me It is the ingenuous auspicious Reader I relie on for his favour whose favourable report shall make my printed paper his debtor and my self his devoted To the Author of the Prayer THE Author of the Book in all humility begs leave to dedicate these few ensuing lines to the Author of this Prayer Christ Jesus God blessed for ever Amen O my God and my King the holy Pen-man of this most holy prayer thou art one who wa st who art to be forever God and yet man man and yet God In thee the Godhead is hominified in thee the manhood is deified thou art an immense Majesty present with us in earth and at the same time Lord President in Heaven Thou art one in person yet hast two natures one of the three Persons yet all the three but one in substance begot before all Time born in the dispensation of Time not to encrease thy honour but to set us from thrall Thou taughtest Exemplo Thou taughtest Praecepto Voce By learning us Prece By praying for us Thou prayedst to thy Father for us Thou preachedst to us how we should pray to thy Father not as we will but as thou hast wil'd thou teachest us what to say and we are bound to say thy prayer Thou hast taught us how to pray so ties us not at all times to the same words O thou wisdome of the Father let me learn wisdome from thy lips Who to furnish the meanest of * In Understanding men prescribes them a Plat-forme who so sets down a plat-form as licenses the more gifted to exercise their gift of prayer Thy prayer O Christ is not given to stint the spirit thy prayer is lent to support it Blessed be thou my God and my Christ who hast not only purchased for us to be cal'd Gods Sons but taught us to say Our Farther Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I give over thy prayer I honour its Author I reverence its matter I admire its method it was made by Christ God made by Christ for man usefull for all men never could so much be contained in so narrow a room but that of Gods making the Sons penning the Holy Ghost his inspiring Let the Enthusiasts slight it the fratra cilli lay it by as men conceiving they are come to an acme of perfection yet such as fail I finde in the best of my expressions that let them be the protasis this shall be the apodosis and if with my own I begin with our Lords * Prayers I desire to make an end the Lords Prayer is the summary of all things necessary and when I have prayed for all I can in this as in a glasse my Christ lets me see the face of all my desires while I am expounding this sacred Prayer Lord let thy sacred Spirit descend down upon me so shall thy Name be honoured and I inabled to discharge this great work I have in hand O thou who madest this prayer make me understand its meaning and while I am in hand with this work blow the spark of my meditations into a flame let my paraphrase be set Carbo lampas a light shinning and lamp burning by this light guide babes in knowledge on to a set form of prayer by it confute all Hereticks who deny a set form of prayer O my Christ I will shut up my too much boldnesse of speech to thee with admiration of thee who art all in all unto us all bread to feed us wine to cherish us the white robe to cover us thou hast slain our sins by thy passion quickned us to a life of grace by thy Resurrection provided a mansion for us by thy Ascension we may enter in for thou art the door no danger by the way for our Christ is the way we can have no better assurance then from him is the truth nor let us fear the sting of death for we are servants to the Lord of life to him who is the way the truth and the life O my Saviour I blesse God for thee I glory in thee I cast my self upon thee upon the bended knee of my body I beg thy blessing praying in thy own words saying thy own Prayer Our Father which art c. The Author of the Book his Speech to the Prayer O All heavenly Prayer the very language of the Lord Jesus the Christian * A good Word till abused Directory The Rubricks Epitomy short in words copious in matter which gives God his Due begs all needfull for us all all thy precious petitions it is my every daies prayer may be writ with the pen of a Diamond in my heart O Divine Prayer I am purposed to give thee every morning the visit every night to hold conference with thee the first to salute the last to take my leave of Thou hast taught me to blesse God my here welfare my hereafter happinesse what to seek a Kingdome how to ensure it by doing what thou wilt as thou wilt O most holy prayer which suites God for us all and for all needfull which teaches us how to unravell our debts and discharge them to prevent sin by praying against sin yea prayes in the midst of our temptations for safe deliverance Thou art magnum in parvo yet sayest little yet when we have said all we can we can say no more I admire thy brevity short yet sweet few words yet full as the Patriarchs sacks understood we at length what thou comprehendest in short we would every day lengthen our esteem of thee lessen our opinion of our own barren expressions But I am sorry thou art so slighted by those who think themselves none-such and for my part I would be very sorry to be such as they are O most sacred Prayer whither wilt thou go the Enthusiast his hasty conceptions will be thy death the Sectarian Minister for fear of popular displeasure is feared to acknowledge thee in the Pulpit yet thou hast one
But O with Mephibosheth I am lame Lord that my ankle bones may receive strength suffer me not with Gad and Ruben to stay on his side Jordan ferry my soul through a sea of tears to a land of joy while here I am by the banks of Babel and cannot tune that instrument my Heart to warble our an Israelitish note bring thy servant to that place of eternall blisse and then O God and my King my lips shall shew forth thy praise and my spirit shall rejoyce in God my Saviour The third Petition NOw succeeds the third Petition Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven The old method shall still be observed First to explain the words difficult to be understood This is the third petition and here are three words to be explained in it The first word difficult to be understood is the word Will it hath been a received opinion Gods will is twofold Secret Revealed Gald by the Schoole men Voluntas finis Voluntas medii The first is the will of God concerning the end The second the will of God concerning the means leading to the end The first of these hath relation to the glorified in heaven the punished in hell The other to the Saints exercising gracious life but never to sinners living a lewd life To bring these home to the Petition here we pray for Gods will to be done that voluntus finis segregatim it may stand with the secret will of God in his good time to glorifie those predestinated Non conjunctim we call not of him to will the punishing of the reprobate in hell Secondly we pray to God his will may be done that is voluntas medii the overture of the means of grace may be offered to us and we lay hold of it yet was it never Gods will that the means sins which bring men to hell that they should actuate and abominable and blasphemous were it to pray for it 1. We pray then that Gods will may be done that is that it may be his actuated will that such as he in secret hath predestinated may be glorified we pray not it may be Gods will any to be damned We pray that the revealed means of grace mediums to glory may be proffered and profitable to all but the means leading to Hell which are sins God never wills have we any cause then to pray him to will them It is Gods will and we pray for it the means of grace not the means to damn man The first God wils not the latter It is Gods will and we pray for it the glorifying man in heaven not the punishing any in hell both which God wils only the first we pray for But to leave these acute passages primarily as I conceive Gods revealed will we pray may be perfected that it may be done which looks ad Deum Hominem The object of Gods revealed wil. Being twofold respectu Sui respectu Nostri We pray the will of God quatenus ad Deum speciat may be done by him as that whereas he hath willed it he may do it convert the Gentiles call home the Jewes and let the sound of his Word go through all nations And yet S. Cyprian perswades me this is not the will we are will'd to pray may be accomplished who saith Non petimus ut Deus faciat quod vult sed ut nos facere possimus quod Deus vult we do not pray in this petition that God would bring to passe what he hath said he would do but here we pray for an ability for us to do as God wils Respectu nostrum we pray what is Gods will we may have power and strength to do it Thy will O Lord not my will thy will only not thine and mine thy will let it be done though I have been unwilling Whatsoever God in his word wils we must pray for ability to do it And thrust back will the naturall our will the corrivall wilfull will would bear all the sway stet proratione voluntas like good subjects let Gods will stand for a Law with us That we pray for then and it is allowed for good in this petition is that Gods will may by us be accomplished The two then in the scales are Gods will and mans work this is to be directed by that preponed As if what man did should sent of what God willed as if what is Gods will may be our work Well then I will not live in any notorious sin Res lest while I say this petition and desire power to performe I blaspheme Secondly I have learnt out a fit mate to match with my works it is Gods will Lord that we could spie these two and for ever together our works then would have no such adulterous off-spring For my own part I am resolved The Avowry the will of God shall be the square of my work neither will I undertake to do that work is opposite against Gods good will and pleasure The second word to be explained is Earth apparent while prayed Thy will be done in Earth such may be the stones as be we if God will such were we as the earth at the beginning There being such consanguinity betwixt that we tread on and we that tread on it may put us and in doubt what is meant whilest said Thy will be done in Earth That in chief is that Gods written will may be done In this Earth pro loco by us who are Earth pro materia Here we pray that all the inhabitants upon the earth may apply their best endevours to do what God wils were our practise sutable to our prayers our prayers protest we should all the practis of Divine duties Well The Avowry while we put up this petition for all on Earth to do Gods will I will call to minde what we all should do but bemoan our tongues and lives are at oddes But while we talk of Earth Heaven must not be forgotten which is the third word to be explained And as by Earth is meant men on earth so by Heaven Angels in Heaven And are Angels set to be mens samplers pretty patterns and could we take them out our Master Christ would take it for well done O thou who made us in thy own likenesse The Supplicat vouchsafe of thy wonted goodnesse that thy will may be done by us as by the Angles Nor is this all other acceptations are at hand would you be pleased to accept of them 1. Some understand by Earth Infidels by Heaven the faithfull The faithfull are the lowest region of Gods Heavenly Kingdome The Infidels are the upper regiment of the Devils earthly dominion and yet it is prayed for that Gods will may be done by the one as by the other by the Infidels as by the faithfull O my God His Vote for all that all thy servants study to do thy will yet will I beg that that many may be made more by the conversion
warned the Jewes to have a care of this when said to them Think not to say within your selves here 's provision taken against an open assault and a small skirmish O that this care were had over our bodies and sould then we might play at foiles and not receive so many disgracefull vinnies The Avowry I am resolved to have an eye all over and to stand upon my guard * Head to the foot a capo pe since required to take heed to the least harm carching in the incounter Now see what it is we pray for Deliverance from evill I will not divide Deliverance from Evill since Evill without Deliverance delivers us up to death Let us tye these two a good and a bad together and though the wolves guts being placed nigh the sheeps tharmes fret them all to pirces yet it 's my hopes this Innocent shal have the better of that Malefactor and that the nigher Deliverance makes his approach the suddenner downfall will betide Evill Let us team then these two together as Samson did his foxes to burn up the land of the Philistims But to save from spoil the * Soul land of israel 1. I mean let us treat upon Deliverance and Evill conjunctim our Deliverance from Evill 2. Then upon Evill all alone First these two Devill and sin are comprehended under this one only word Evill from which we pray for Deliverance to deliver us from Evill and what to deliver and us and from these thus named This sewes us Note the Devill and sin are our worst of enemies that abroad this at home that without doors this within doors that the prince of the aire this which we heir from Adam and earths in us and dwels in us in our bodies in our souls These two seek the destruction of our souls and bodies Whoso hears the cry of the Crocodile immediately he is a dead body O fear not him can kill the body but these can kill both body and soul Let me count of these for foes who are of force to be my undoing the undoing of all me and for ever Secondly what worse enemies than these which are alwaies at oddes with us Earthly enemies are not ever in action take sometimes truce with us the truth is these two never take truce no not a minute a moment Devill his daily journey is to compasse the earth and all to make us hellish proselytes Sin like the Sun is in continuall motion like the fountain ever bubling Hence saith our Saviour Why do thoughts arise and you shall see what arise and turn to Mar. 7.21 Streams of waters of Mara and amin and so many able to drown the Israel of God as the Red sea all the host of the Egyptians Thirdly it is the Devill and sin seek to destroy unum unitatem not only this or that person but the species Hist the whole kinde and posterity of Adam Nero wisht all Rome had but one head that so with one blow he might be their utter overthrow what he wisht these have wrought even all our overthrowes The Mirandillian Butchery the Parisian Mattens the Sicilian Evensong fall all far short of that these two have complotted acted against Adam and all us his off-spring And honce issues out my ill conceit against the Devill and sin Yea their hate to our kinde The Collect their continuall hate which stretches out its limits beyond this life to deprive us of a life everlastign this foul fact of these two hath made me resolve upon it to repair to those three to the trine Unity or Trinity in unity all to put up to them this petition Lord lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill Let us now go take notice from what we desire deliverance it is from Evill By which word Evill you have heard is meant the Devill and Sin this is their style nones else That I note is Note nought is more evill than the Devill and Sin 1. For antiquity sio fuit a principie ever since Devill was a Devill and sin sin these have been evill 2. For spite or malice know you not devill makes God out of love with us and sin us out of love with Gods Law 3. For Complots the Devils device to harm Job and sins insinuation to bring Ananias to his end reveal they are horrible evill 4. The Devils Epithites the evill spirit the unclean spirit Mat. 12. and sins effect By one man came sin and by sin death make me give them this title Evill and deservedly I am resolved The Avowry since this they are to beware yea to watch and ward over my heat lest my heart admit of acquaintance with these two foul fiends the Devill and sin The Cases of Conseience now next come in and they be three The first whereof is this I. Case after what manner doth Lust and Concupiscence temps us to fin or intice or draw us on from serving God to become the servants of sin This is the hardest thing in the world to discover and therefore much pains must be taken to compleat an answer satisfactory Such a serious subject as this is slighting of it is unseemly and the Orator should be as ill thought of Hist as Alexander thought of Cherillus who gave him money to hold his peace 1. It is and for this cause that I am resolved first to demonstrate how lust effects this feat by a simile 2. To make the point more perspicuous I purpose God willing to describe lusts sick daies march through the heart of man and all to captivate poor foul and take the Man prisoner and lead him into that strong hold call'd Temptation First this may be made appear by a Simile drawn from flowers how lust or concupiscence entices or draws man on to sin You know there passes from flowers a subtle vapour which the sense of smelling drawes in and which drawes away the sense with delight after it So lust which sprung up in the Garden of Eden after Eve had finned from it as from a flower passes a subtle vapour of evill thoughts And as the sent of the flower goes on by the organ of smell into the brain so a sent of lusts even evill thoughts are carryed by that organ the common sense into the heart And as the delightfull smell makes us in love with the subtle vapour so the pleasures of lusts make us affect the vapours of evill which come from lust Nor are those evill vapours a few but full many apparent by those already quoted words of Christ Luk. 24. Why do thoughts arise in your hearts These are infectious vapours and more dangerous to the soul than fenny mists to the body if not scattered and blown a way by Gods Spirit they poyson soul and cast understanding will and memory the souls publick Notary into Feaver sits This is it hath made me resolve upon it The Avowry to beg of the good gardiner God
Of all kinde of pictures Nebuchaanezars whose head was of gold armes of filver belly of brasse legs of iron feet of clay The Ferriman rowes one way looks another way It 's commendable in his sea-calling not in the calling of Christians Sodoms Apples were fair to the eye but being touch't turned to ashes O what a misery is this to seem to be and not to be Pageants please spectators eyes you have another to please even your Father which is in heaven who tries the heart and searches the reins I approve of a glorious profession let not that be all beware of hypocrisie a white Devill makes as fair shew and comes to the Church and as ost with a white apron as in a white surplice Either be what thou seemest to be orelse shew thy self in thy own colours Straight what crookt conversation conscience that without doors this within else the one will be odious to man both to God Bear 't in minde man judges of the heart by thy words and deeds and thou maist decived him God judges of thy words and actions by thy heart and him thou canst not deceive Though some of you amongst so many it 's to be feared some be akin to the Adverb Quasi as it were but such so zealous yet it 's my hopes there 's but a few such dossemblers among you I should be sorry there should be above one Judas in the house of Jesus A second meditation this Amen gives birthdome and I thus deduct it from it Amen which signifies Christ is as a so w as from everlasting so to last and everlastingly Parallel thy prayer with its Author yea sample the one by the other there is no end of him let there be no end of thine O pray continually Mane the verb gives us it in command Let us hold out our prayers as Joshua did his spear lift up our voice unto the Lord as Moses did his hand let the waters of Eloim be our prayers embleme ever overflowing let the continue motion of the Sun move us continually to move in the sphere of prayer Why should I not lengthen my devotion to God since Gods calling on me and so oft ere I would give heed assures me I shall not be heard for a word when I call on him God hath cal'd on us a thousand times and we would never hear him turn'd deaf ear to him and think we to have God at a whistle when we call Too much we take upon us too little we set by the Lord shall we be so coy Why then should he be so kinde He cals we care not and for a call is there cause for us to exact his audience Dust and ashes is too presumptuous to deny so oft to expect an answer and for no more Must we turn deaf ear to God and must God be bound to hear us for a word With the sweat of our browes we are to earn our bread And for a word and away think we to get bread of life of the Lord of life Away unworthy wretches let the septuplate sound of the Trumpets prompt us on to lift up our voice like a Trumpet to the Lord and aloud and oft The fearfull Hare for the safegard of her life makes many doubles doubra lesse there must be doubling of our Prayers to winde us our of danger of death and Death stand we not in awe of thee I fear not to die but to dye eternally which let my prayers increase as the waters did under the threshold of the Temple Ezek. 47. Then will I not doubt by this sea of deep sounding supplications to be ferried over and set a shore at the gates of New Jerusalem I come to a second Reason 2. Hold out your prayers since its importunity will prevail Have you not heard if one word will not a second onset may do it if not a second a third O! continuall droppings of supplications can cause Gods heart thou hast hardned against thee give again Gutta cavat lapidem the stone is hollowed with incessant drops the unjust judge is move with the importunity of the poor widow shee 's not heard at first cries again again neglected and again cries out upon the unrighteous judge whose ears so much she troubles for her cause he never weighs till all he begs he grants That the parable imports is importunity seldome gets a may say and if not with the unrighteous Judge much lesse with the Judge of heaven and earth This is it hath made me resolve upon it to fall to prayers again and if I gain not what I goe about not to let God rest at quiet till my suit be signed 3. This is Gods own counsell pray continually what shall his counsell be no command a shame so much should be injoyned and so little done here is a long task and a lazie genration some never laying their hands to this labour I mean praying in private neither with their private families nor in their private closets Some disdaining to joyne with us in Common-prayers I mean in the Church in publick What 's the cause Where 's the defect wherein smell they either of Heresie or Superstition would God any loved me so well they would tell me and where and wherein I am not so obstinate but I would give him hearing and thanks if he deserve it In time I may meet with such a Goliah but I trust I need not fear his weavers beam But as for those cry out of all printed prayers I cannot but cry out of them and tell them to their teeths while they cry out of superstition in many things they are too superstitious and in speciall while they imagine there 's no printed prayer meet to have an Amen but it made and extemporary I have heard of two sorts of prayers have been mightily discommended by a Sect suppose themselves none-such and I would be sorry to be such as they are Prayer in print for private use our printed prayers used in publick For the first what thinkest thou all have the gift of prayer There 's one spirit but divers gifts every one the Text plain it hath not all of them what then must he do wants the gift of expressing himself to God by prayer these humorous heads debar such poor souls from pen'd prayers and leave them in a worse case than the Philistims lest the Israelites without an instrument to whet their blunted goads and mattocks For the second Church prayers why relishest thou not a pew-prayer as well as a pulpit-prayer O! the ones in print but the other is pend and by the spirit I tell thee and note it an extemporary pulpit-pulpit-prayer made by the Minister in respect of thee is a set form of prayer and my reason to prove it is this for that thy spirit is bound to say Amen to what he hath dictated And now since both are set forms in respect of the people this i th' pulpit that i th' pew why maist not thou say Amen