THE GOOD MANS GRACE OR HIS STAY IN ALL DISTRESSE BY RIC. BERNARD LONDON Printed by Felix Kingston 1621. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL HIS VERY GOOD Lady the Lady SVSANNA BILLINGSLEY and to the Vertuous and Christianly affected Gentlewoman Mistris REBECCA STROWDE all sauing graces with dayly increase and practice thereof vnto the end Madame I Cannot but make account that I am bound to returne thankes where I finde fauour and acceptance acknowledgement is the least part of my duty He that will not confesse a debt neuer meanes to pay it some such there be And others againe will ingenuously confesse but not pay not for that they will not but because they cannot And inability giueth an acquittance though the debt be neuer so great and the greatnesse of a debt is to be iudged not alwayes in the value of the thing but after the free disposition of the one and the little deseruing of any such fauour of the other Thus is it with me I haue found your Ladyship my louing friend and this Vertuous Gentlewoman very Christianly respectiue towards mee to whom as also to her second selfe I acknowledge my selfe deeply ingaged It is not a hard matter to finde friends though in these dayes few enow but to finde a faithfull friend one that will know a man in aduersity is not so easie Complementall are obuious euery where but substantiall friends be rare a face of fauour is in those and that onely in prosperity but the force of loue is onely seene in these when a friend needeth them they fayle not they faynt not True loue as Saint Iohn speakes driueth away feare I am bold to present you both with this little Manual It is thus little of purpose that it may be often read ouer to helpe onely for matter of meditation to further you in prayer I beseech you to accept it in lieu of payment and it shall bind mee to pray for the blessing of our God still vpon you to whose gracious guidance and protection I commit you and humbly take leaue Your Ladyships and yours my very good friend euer to be commanded RIC. BERNARD Batcombe Feb. 27. THE PREFACE IT is a saying of the Psalmist The foole hath said in his hart there is no God this is an Atheisticall foole and amongst other markes hee is knowne by this that this wicked foole calleth not vpon God He doth not pray for he cannot pray is not a gift of nature but a worke of Grace Wee know not how to pray as we ought but as the Spirit helpeth our infirmities to pray with groanes that cannot be expressed Iohn taught his Disciples to pray this Christs Disciples obserued and also saw their owne want and therefore desired the Lord to teach them to pray Wherevpon hee gaue them and in them to vs a perfect paterne and forme of prayer After this all our prayers are to be directed It is then necessary that this short prayer be well vnderstood for which cause I haue made this short exposition and drawne out briefly manyfold obseruations the better to acquaint such as know it not with the meaning thereof It will administer sufficient matter for meditation at all times and vpon any occasion to enlarge our thoughts in prayer the practice wherof is the speciall grace of a Christian It is the fruit of Faith so as hee that beleeueth prayeth and so excellent a duty is this as Saint Paul sayth Pray continually as if mans life consisted in it And Christ sayth Watch and Pray It is a meanes of our preseruation from euill and a conseruation of vs in an estate which is good Wōderfull is the effect of prayer Moses by it makes way thorow the Red sea ouercame the Amalekites and obtained pardō for the people By this Iosua had the Sun standing still the space of a day waiting vpon him in the pursute of his enemies by this Hezekiah reuersed the sentence of death and had his life prolonged by this Peter escaped the hands of Herod Ionah gate out of the Whales belly By this Eliah shut heauen three yeeres and againe brought raine from heauen By this Elisha raised one from the dead got sight to Gehezi to see vision of Angels Incredible is the power of prayer the prayer of faith auaileth much if it be feruent Let therfore here in euery good Christian exercise himselfe and this let him know that it is a great honour to be admitted into Gods presence to put vp his requests vnto so high a Maiesty The due esteeme of prayer will make vs exercise our selues in prayer for as wee prize a thing so we practise so we employ our selues about it Therefore little praying argueth we make little account thereof but the lesse we esteeme and practise it the lesse grace wee haue and the more corruption of heart is in vs. The truth of this is cleared in such as wee see to make no conscience of this duty But this euill be farre from the faithfull in whom the gift of prayer is euer found as a peculiar property of them that shall inherit Glory A BRIEFE EXPOSItion with obseruations vpon the Lords Prayer The Preface Our IN brotherly communion By the Grace of adoption And sealed by holy vnction Father Tender in louing Carefull in prouiding Liberall in bestowing Which art in Heauen The place of thy Maiesty The Throne of thy Glory The fulnesse of Felicity The first Petition Hallowed In heart be thou feared In speech reuerenced In our liues honoured Be thy Name Thy attributes so glorious Thy workes so maruelous Thy heauenly Word so Gracious The second Petition Thy Kingdome Of Power generall Of Grace speciall Of Glory Celestiall Come With power to defend vs. With Grace to conuert vs. With glory to crowne vs. The third Petition Thy Will In thy holy Word reuealed In workes of prouidence shewed In good examples confirmed Be done In our true beleeuing In our Godly liuing In our patient suffering In Earth The Wickeds best heritage The place of our Pilgrimage And here to Heauen our passage As it is in Heauen By holy Angels most faithfully By the blessed Saints most cheerfully By all of them there most constantly The fourth Petition Giue vs this day By thy prouident hand mercifully By the labour of our calling honestly By all good meanes prosperously Our dayly bread Necessary for liues sustentation Conuenient for states preseruation Sufficient for Needies consolation The fift Petition And forgiue vs Of thy mercy freely In Christ deseruedly In our hearts assuredly Our trespasses In nature originally polluted In euils wilfully committed In dueties carelesly omitted As we forgiue them From our hearts most vnseignedly Expressed in words most louingly And shewed by deeds most cheerefully That trespasse against vs In heart maliciously In tongue slanderously By deeds iniuriously The sixth Petition And lead vs not By laying obiects before vs. In the danger so leauing vs. And by withdrawing grace from vs. Into temptation Satans powerfull suggestion Natures
wretched corruption This present worlds pollution But deliuer vs By thy Diuine inspiration By inward fanct fication By a holy conuersation From euill Past by freely remitting Present by powerfull protecting Future by grace preuenting The conclusion For thine is the Kingdome Externall in the Church apparent Internall in the Church militant Eternall in the Church triumphant Thy power Of subduing sinne victoriously Of renewing grace continually Of bestowing glory eternally And thy Glory Due from all in liuing to thee Seene by thine in dying for thee Known by all in iudgements from thee For euer Before time without begininng In time and that without changing And after time without ending Amen As thou dost say So we doe pray Lord say not nay Euen so be it Amen A BRIEFE EXPOSITION WITH obseruations vpon the Lords Prayer THe prayer consists of a Preface of sixe Petitions and of the conclusion The Preface In making a Preface wee learne that preparation is to bee made before prayer rashly to rush into Gods presence becommeth not vs neither is meet we should doe it to so high a Maiesty Our Thus wee begin not with My but Our Father to teach 1. That God is the common Father of all the elect 2. That prayer is to be made in brotherly loue 3. That he which prayeth is to be one of Christs mysticall Body and in the communion of Saints Father This is the Title of Honour and the Name importing the greatest loue thus Christ willeth vs to pray and thus to call God Father to teach 1. That prayer is to be made in faith and assurance of mercy 2. In the Spirit of adoption as the request of a Child to a Father 3. In the Name of Christ because in him he is our Father 4. In distinct knowledge of the Trinity Which art in Heauen Here God is said to be who yet filleth Heauen and earth to teach 1. That prayer is to be made with a heauenly mind without any earthly representation or any carnall affection 2. With all reuerence deuotion because God is in heauen not to be rash to vtter any thing hastily before God The wise mans reason Eccle. 5. 2. 3. That prayer is to be made to God alone for he is the onely Father in Heauen 4. Therefore not to Saint Angel nor to the Virgin Mary because none of these are our Father in Heauen 5. That Heauen is the true home of all the elect for there our Father is 6. That God seeth all things and doth whatsoeuer hee will for he is in Heauen as the Prophet speaketh The first petition This concerneth Gods Glory and is therefore in the first place to teach that Gods glory chiefly is to be preferred in our desires 1. Cor. 10. 31. Hallowed be thy Name In this petition we be taught to desire to acknowledge ascribe and to procure holinesse to be giuen to the Lord in those things by which hee maketh himselfe knowne vnto vs as by a Name that is his Titles Attributes Words and Workes whence we learne 1. That God hath made himselfe knowne vnto vs. 2. That holinesse belongeth vnto him 3. That such things are to be thought of spoken and done by vs as his Name may receiue glory 4. That therefore such things are to be auoyded as may cause his Name to be blasphemed and polluted among the wicked 5. That sorrow should possesse our hearts to see God dishonoured for as our desire should be to see his Name glorified so griefe should arise in vs to see his Name abused The second Petition This followeth the former as the meanes to hallow Gods Name teaching this that if hee rule in vs he shall be honoured of vs. Thy Kingdome come In this we are taught to beg of God that he would take the rule and reigne of all things and to shew it according to his power grace and glory Hence we learne 1. That God our Father hath a Kingdome 2. That it is the desire of his children that this should come that is that he should reigne ouer all and rule all 3. That it is not in our power to bring men vnder the rule of God but the Kingdome that is the Lords supremacy and dominion commeth from him It commeth vpon vs it ariseth not from within vs or from among vs. 4. That to haue God to rule and reigne is a mercy to be craued at his hands 5. That Gods Kingdome doth but in part here come vpon vs because we desire whilst we liue that it may come The third petition This followeth as the manifestation of our subiection to God teaching that the doing of Gods will is the euidence of his rule and dominion ouer vs. Thy will be done Here we are taught to desire of God that what his pleasure and will is may be performed of vs. Hence we learne 1. That God hath his will decree and purposes 2. That this is onely to bee knowne and obserued and submitted vnto 3. That wee are to beg of God this his grace to be obedient 4. That it is not in vs of our selues to submit to his will 5. That it is not enough to know the will of God to haue good desires and hearts but to be doers of Gods will and to shew forth good workes In Earth Wheresouer wee dwell and whatsoeuer wee possesse and so long as wee here liue on earth Gods will must be done Whence we learne 1. That wheresoeuer we abide in great or meane families among Christians or heathē Gods will is to be our rule and wee are to resigne our selues to it 2. That no earthly thing is to withdraw our obedience from Gods will 3. That so long as wee be on earth his will is to be done of vs. As it is in Heauen The manner of doing Gods will is here set forth teaching 1. That God requireth as well the right manner of doing as the very doing of the deed it selfe 2. That onely in Heauen and not on Earth are patternes of perfection and of perfect obedience 3. That in obedience the perfectest examples are to be set before vs for imitation 4. That we are to striue to perfection to liue here an heauenly life the life of Angels if it were possible 5. That the doing of Gods will well is his gift and not of our selues The fourth petition The former petitions concerne Gods glory the rest following the good of our selues teaching that Gods glory his Kingdome and Will are to bee preferred before our owne liues and saluation in our desires Giue vs this day our dayly bread Wee bee here taught to aske earthly blessings of God our Father Hence we learne 1. That its lawfull to aske temporall blessings bodily meanes of life 2. That all these things are his meere gift and of his goodnesse to vs. 3. That none can get them but as God is pleased to giue them 4. That therefore enioying them he is to be praised or wanting of them we are to learne patience 5. That
present prouision should content vs and not be troubled with distrustfull cares for the time to come 6. That our desire is to be moderate and to rest with that which is necessary 7. That the bread that is the meanes which wee liue vpon is to be our owne 8. That we are euery day to depend on God for these outward things 9. That care of prouision is to be had of our brethren as well as of our selues The fift petition The former petition was for the body so Christ descendeth to our weakenesse to let vs begin there first with the care whereof we be most troubled this petition is for soules safety teaching that with care of bodies welfare the soules danger should be seene vnto And forgiue vs our trespasses We be here taught to beg of God pardon of sinnes Out of which we learne 1. That all and euery one are offenders against God for all are to aske forgiuenesse 2. That we offend not in one but in many things we are to acknowledge not a trespasse but trespasses 3. That therefore euery mans sanctification is weake to resist sin and imperfect here 4. That God onely can and doth forgiue sinnes 5. That Gods pardon is a free pardon we get it not by satisfaction but beg forgiuenesse of his mercy 6. That all the children of God doe obtaine pardon of their sins and are assured thereof Else Christ would not bid them aske pardon if their sinnes were not pardonable and to be pardoned when they aske forgiuenesse being truly penitent 7. That repentance is dayly to be renewed for our dayly slips for this request must be dayly put vp to God 8. That wee are to pray that God would forgiue our brethren as well as our selues 9. That therefore we are not to prouoke men to sinne nor make a sport of their sinning As we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Here is the signe of forgiuenes by which we may know to whom remission belongeth and it is for strengthning of our faith in the assurance of pardon The words are not a comparison nor any sampler to God how he should forgiue vs Nor doe they plead any cause to moue God but are as a witnesse from this grace and mercy to others that God will be mercifull to vs. If we that haue so little mercy yet can forgiue how much more our Father the God of mercy yea and mercy it selfe Hence may we learne 1. That our forgiuing one another is not of the sinne but of the iniury and damage against our owne persons 2. They that looke for pardon of their owne sinnes from God are to remit the trespasses done against themselues to their brethren 3. That the mercifull may assure themselues that they shall obtaine mercy 4. That though men doe trespasse one another yet are they to forgiue one another The sixth petition The last petition concerneth the safety of body and soule The distinct care of the one and of the other maketh vs care for the good of both together And lead vs not into temptation This is the petition in which wee be taught to desire as in the last place Gods aide and assistance against our spirituall enemies to teach vs 1. That the Godly are here subiect to temptations They may not thinke to liue securely 2. That no temptation can or doth befall vs without the will and guidance of God 3. That God will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power seeing he willeth vs to pray thus vnto him 4. That it is in Gods power and not in vs to preuent temptations 5. That we should tender our brethren in their spirituall temptations 6. That therefore wee should not be tempters our selues to draw them to euill But deliuer vs from euill This is as the explanation shewing how farre we desire not to be led into temptation to wit so farre as wee bee not left in the danger and destruction thereof Whence we learne 1. That wee are not to pray simply not to be tempted at all but respectiuely as it may be euill and sinfull to vs. 2. That euill is the thing wee are to desire to be freed from 3. That it is not in mans power to free himselfe from euill in time of temptation 4. That God onely can and will free his from euill for what we are willed to aske that we may looke to obtaine of God 5. That wee are to pray for our brethren that euill seaze not vpon them that they be not ouercome in temptation The conclusion Which is in part a reason why we aske all these of God partly a confirmation of our faith with an acknowlegement of the things herein which is a praysing of God which teacheth vs that our requests should be grounded vpon good reasons and such as God affordeth vs. And in that the conclusion followeth the sixe petitions we learne that these containe all things needfull to be asked of God either for his glory or our safety else would Christ haue added more For thine is Kingdome power and glory for euer Wee are taught here what to make the grounds of our requests and what to ascribe vnto God Whence we learne 1. That soueraginty power and glory belong onely to God and to him to be ascribed 2. That these three with the consideration of the eternity therof are strong confirmations of our faith in prayer 3. That Gods Kingdome power and glory are endlesse 4. That praises as well as prayers are our duty to God Amen It is an asseueration or wish and an earnest longing to haue what we pray for And hence note two things 1. That the desire is to be inflamed after those things which we beg of God So must we be feruent in prayer 2. That we are to be perswaded that what we aske according to this holy forme of prayer wee shall obtaine Honour and glory and power and prayses and dominion ouer all be ascribed to God our Father in Christ Iesus by the operation of the Spirit now and euer Amen A PRAYER FOR A Family at all times OBlessed Lord God and Our Father which art in Heauen thou that louingly tendrest the welfare of thy people carefully prouiding for them and liberally bestowing thy blessings vpon them we thy poore children by adoption in Christ Iesus assured hereof by thy holy Spirit doe in the brotherly fellowship of loue with the rest of thy Saints most humbly sue vnto thy Diuine Maiesty for thy heauenly grace that wee may serue thee Hallowed O Father be thy Name let such feare and reuerence possesse our hearts that by our words and workes we may set forth thy praise and glory according as thou hast and doest make thy self known to vs in thy Word and in thy Workes We know O Father that wee owe this duty vnto thee for our election for our naturall being for our heauenly vocation for our iustification sanctification and our happy preseruation both bodily and ghostly but we are not of our selues