of Gods workes they are in our eyes and we behold them and take vse of them euery day and they that bestow the most paines in the search of Gods worke do know him most and best and from them his name hath or should haue most honour This booke the Apostle calleth the wisedome of God and seeing this was not found sufficient to make God knowen to the world as he desired for their good 2. Another booke was opened the holy Scriptures of God that by them God might be made manifest and his name declared So saith the Apostle After that in the wisedome of God the world by wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue This preaching taketh the text from the written word of God and they that study that booke well shall know the name of the Lord. God hath recommended to his Church the reading hearing and meditating on his law and the blessed man doth exercise himselfe therein day and night and there is nothing that honoureth a nation more in the sight of all nations of the world then the studie and obedience of this law as Moses sayd to the Lords Israel Keepe therefore and doe them for this is your wisedome and your vnderstanding in the sight of the nations which shall heare all these statutes and say Surely this great nation is a wise and vnderstanding people For what nation is there so great who hath God so nigh vnto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call vpon him for And what nation is there so great that hath statutes and iudgements so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day In which wordes you may obserue 1 That God requireth an exact care for the keeping of his law 2 That this is found and profest by God himselfe to be the wisedome and vnderstanding of his people 3 That it is their glory amongst other nations of the world 4 That by the diligent study and reading and obedience of the law God doth draw nigh to vs 5 That God doth therefore set the law before all the 〈◊〉 6 That Gods name is hereby hallowed of his owne people glorified amongst other nations of the world I beseech you lay all this to heart and I dare say you will call the Church of Rome an hard stepmother to her Children who hideth this booke of God from them for 1 How can the law be well kept when it is not well knowne how can it be well knowen where it is not well preached where euery soule hath not liberty to read and study it at large so that they doe herein hinder the obedience which God requireth to be giuen to his law for as in faith so in obedience how shall they either beleeue or obey without hearing 2 Seeing the wisedome of the Church doth consist in knowing and keeping the law of God doth not the Church of Rome infatuate her children aâ—d make starke fooles of them by hiding the booke of God from them and so robbeth God of his delight for God delighteth not in fooles 3 Seeing the libertie of the law of God is the glorie of a nation the Church of Rome by hiding the booke of God from their people doe make them inglorious and dishonour them to the nations round about them 4 Seeing God doth reueale himself to be neare vnto them that know and study his Law and keepe it the Church of Rome doth what it can to driue it away from amongst them A strange peruersenesse God would draw neere to them by the Ministerie of his word and they refuse him He would be farre off from them when they would make him their creature for the Priests of Rome professe themselues God makers they wil inforce his presence 5 Seeing God doth set his Law before all the people at large the Church of Rome which keepeth vp this booke and forbiddeth the generall communication thereof to all that are capable thereof doth professe it selfe an Antigod herein 6 Seeing by this knowledge and this obedience of the Law the name of God is hallowed and without this it cannot be sanctified as it ought the Church of Rome is guilty of hindering the honour of God both in his Church and without and therefore is no way to be hearkned vnto or embraced as the true Church Let me therefore exhort you so many as do make conscience of hallowing the name of God in which our helpe standeth to exercise your selues in the reading hearing and studie of the holy word of God that you may know the Maiestie Wisedome Holinesse Power and goodnesse of that name that the name of the God of Iacob may defend you from all euill And to this purpose frequent you both diligently and reuerently the house of Gods name and honour where his word is read preached faithfully and sincerely make the Sabbath of the Lord which is a day appointed to the hallowing of Gods name especially your delight for this is the onely outward ordinarie meanes by God deuised and commanded for the making his name knowne to his Church 2. The inward meanes This is without vs for it is the worke of the holy Ghost the meanes to attaine this spirit of God to assist and enable this worke in vs by prayer for so our Sauiour saith If ye then being euill know how to giue good gifts to your children how much more shall your heauenly father giue the holy spirit to them that aske him the gift of this spirit is not obtained by all them that pray but by such onely as pray according to rule and though grace be not necessitated to the outward meanes yet the promise thereof is so annexed to the right vse of the means as we may be bold in that way to lay claime to it God neuer faileth his owne holy ordinances but they that giue themselues to the holy consideration of the workes and word of God and are feruent and frequent in praier such are in the eye and fauour of God and preuaile with him It is a short and sweete praier of Dauid let me commend it to you say it in your hearts often to your God Support and hold me with thy free spirit 2 When we know the name of God our next dutie is to be zealous of the glory of this name for else we do not sanctifie it as we ought Take heed that we doe not speake of it vainly that we doe not blaspheme it profanely that we doe not sweare by it but when we are lawfully called thereto that nothing in the world be more pretious in our estimation then this name of God for God is our blessednesse and the fulnesse of our ioy here reward hereafter his name is glorious and they that haue no other Gods but him will with their soules seeke him and in thought word and deed they will honour his name But God may
faith 1 For the want of faith It is true that the faith of the elect cannot faile finally or totally 1 For the foundation of God is sealed with this seale the Lord knoweth who are his 2 The grace of election is the gift and calling of God and his gifts and calling are without repentance 3 Whom he loueth to the end he loueth them 4 His promise I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee 5 His gift he hath giuen the elect to his sonne and no man shall take them out of his hands 6 Christ prayeth for them I pray for those whom thou hast giuen me But the euill that we may suffer herein is our want of faith to beleeue that we are of that number for the conscience accuseth vs and layeth our sinnes in order before vs and sheweth vs the wages of this sinne to be death Iob was in this distresse when he complained How many are mine iniquities and sinnes make me to know my transgressions and my sinne Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy In this distresse was Dauid when he said in the bitternesse of expostulation Will the Lord cast off for euer and will he be fauourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be gratious hath he in anger shut vp his tender mercies What greater euill can there be then this it is vinum furoris a cup of vinegar and gall Dauid was in the very pit when he prayed Let not the deepe swallow me vp and let not the pit shut her mouth vpon me This euill we pray God to diuert from vs that our faith may not faile vs though our feeling doe and because the best of Gods seruants on earth may haue some of these cold shaking fits of feare Christ hath put this petition in our mouthes libera nos a malo 2 Another euill in the state of a Christian is presumption when we make too bold with our God this is not faith but the corruption of it corruptio optimi pessima O keepe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes so shall I be innocent from the great offences 1 As presumption is a sinne in act we pray against it in Dimitte nobis debita nostra As it is a sinne that we feare to be comming on by our corrupt nature inclining vs to it so we pray against it in ne nos inducas 3 But we must consider presumption as it may bee a punishment a rodde of God to scourge vs for some other sinne and so we pray to be deliuered from it in this petition This presumption whether it build too much vpon the experience of Gods former fauour as Dauid dixi in corde meo nunquam mouebor tu domine c. Or if it let goe the hold that it hath vpon God and rest it selfe vpon some way of our owne as in our Paradise Parents who found a tricke to better their owne creation by being like to God poena est Generally it pleaseth God to punish one sinne by another as wee haue great and full examples Saint Paul saith that the people falling into idolatry Therefore God also gaue them vp to vncleanenesse through the lusts of their owne hearts to dishonour their owne bodies betweene themselues and againe For this cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections So when Dauid waxed wanton of his peace and prosperity and begunne to forget God God gaue him vp to vncleanenesse to defile his body with adultery and after that to hide it with murther so did he Peter for sinning in presumption of the strength of his faith to resist Sathan God gaue him vp to the deniall of his Master and to maintaine that with swearing and protestation Against this we pray deliuer vs from euill that euill of sinning which draweth on and increaseth sinne till it make it out of measure sinfull for there is such a concatenation of sinnes that if God leaue vs in one sinne and heale not our soules he whose name is Legion because they are many will soone bring in seuen spirits worse then the former 2 A malo i. a diabolo He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He compasseth the earth to and fro as he confesseth in Iob and he goeth about saith Saint Peter like a roaring Lyon seeking to deuoure and Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians I feare lest by any meanes as the Scripture beguiled Euah through his subtilty so your minde should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 1 The furie of this violent enemie is to be feared for though his power be so limited that without leaue he cannot hurt vs yet his malice is such to vs that he will neuer giue ouer his prouocation of vs to ill by his temptations and his accusation of vs to God for our offences therefore he is called The accuser of the brethren The Apostle doth expresse him formidable when he putteth a Christian to it to put on the whole armour of God to defend vs against him For the power of Sathan is to flesh and bloud inuincible it cannot resist him whereas the greatest force of flesh and bloud hath beene by flesh and bloud resisted and subdued The great sonnes of Anak the mightie Goliah and his brethren whole armies of valiant men haue beene put to the worst but Sathan was neuer conquered by meere man 2 The malice of Sathan to mankinde is implacable for he hateth God and the image of God in man makes matter of vnreconcileable malignity there is no safety in yeelding to him whom he kisseth he betrayeth for he is a murtherer from the beginning 3 The cunning of Sathan is unmatchable for man he is the old Serpent and he hath his wiles as the Apostle calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fraudulent circumuentions pretensed to be the wayes wherein we ought to walke flesh and bloud cannot ouer-reach him And to aduance his cunning he is 1 Inuisible for he is about vs vnseene 2 He is priuy to all our words and workes 3 He is vnwearied in his watch 4 Not hindered in his passage to and fro being a spirit quicke of motion 5 Assisted with innumerable angels of darkenesse nimble mormies to negotiate for him Who would haue suspected the deuill in the bosome of Iudas Iscariot or in the mouth of Peter yet Adam met with him in the faire-spoken tongue of Euah and was beguiled by him Therefore we haue cause to pray heartily and continually deliuer vs from the euill one 3 Deliuer vs à malo quod meriti sumus we haue deserued punishments of our sinnes here in our bodies in our soules in our goods in our good name in our life the second death euen the nethermost hell against all these we pray Libera nos Domine Generally we deprecate all afflictions of body and minde which follow sinne as the punishment of it for there is no punishment in it selfe good
these things 3 We ascribe vnto him glory A great argument to moue him to doe all these things for his owne glory for this is his praise that he heareth our prayers therefore to him doth all flesh come and that is it we seeke in this prayer the three first petitions are addressed to the glory of his name of his kingdome and will we desire bread that we may liue here to praise and serue him We desire pardon of all sinnes past and release from our iniquities present and strength against all ensuing temptations and deliuerance from all deserued euils that we may be able to liue in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life 3 Our faith in this prayer is confirmed by these 3 reg potentia glor 1 A regno true that of earthly Kings the Prophet saith Trust not in Princes nor in any sonne of man for there is no helpe c. But the Lord is a King that may be trusted I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts King of Kings and Lord of Lords is his name Reuel 19.16 and he saith Per me reges regnant We begin at Our father whence we haue audaciam petendi we end at tuum est regnum whence wee haue fiduciam impetrandi he ruleth ouer all all things serue him feare not thou little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome The Apostle calleth this kingdome the inheritance of them that are sanctified and he calleth all the faithfull heires and coheires with Christ This King sent the heire of his kingdome in the similitude of sinfull flesh amongst the sonnes of men of purpose to expiate their faults to reconcile them to his fauour and to inuest them in the rights of this inheritance Faith is the ground of these things which wee hope for and this King is the giuer of euery good and perfect gift whom we call our father What can we want wherein can our faith stagger if it cleaue to him and that we may once say cheerefully with the Apostle Scio cui credidi All the elect of God are not onely the subiects of this kingdome but fauourites also of this King his darlings his delight is in them Dauid makes so bold with God as to pray Keepe me as the Apple of thine eye hide me vnder the shadow of thy wings The Hebrew word signifieth the blacke of the Apple the very sight of the eye He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his eye God holdeth them so pretious that men had need to handle his children as tenderly as they would handle the Apples of their owne eyes aliqui intelligunt de oculis dei 2 A potentia there be many titulary Kings here on earth swolne with titles of great dominions wherein they haue neither foote of land in possession nor the obedience of any subiect it may be that there is ius dominij annexed to their Crownes for which they retaine the titles as our Soueraignes doe in France or they may be pretenders to some rights as the Kings of Spaine are to Ierusalem There be Kings that haue supremacie of dignity and possession of regalitie but their wings are clipt they are limited how farre they may flye Such a King was Achish in Gath who approued Dauid well but he could not keepe him with him for saith he Thou art not good in the eyes of the Lords wherefore now returne and goe in peace that you displease not the Lords of the Philistims Whether Princes be ouerawed by their Magnats or in their owne facility doe diuest themselues of their power both wayes here is kingdome without power or glory But thine is the power for God is the high creatour and possessour of heauen and earth as Melchizedech called him And as he holdeth possession vndenied so he maintaineth dominion vnresisted Hee doth whatsoeuer hee will Power is neuer fearefull when it is in a Father rather here is firme foundation to build faith on the Leper in the Gospell built vpon this rocke Thou canst make mee cleane The sister of Lazarus confest the power that Christ had with the Father quicquid petieris Our God is caput potentiae The powers that be are ordained of God they are but so many rayes or beames of this glorious sunne or if we esteeme them as starres for glory yet they borrow their light from this sunne God would haue this knowne and confest Thy Saints shall blesse thee they shall speake of the glory of thy kingdome and talke of thy power This power is the strong rocke and the high place the wall of defence to the Church The powers and principalities which are against vs may shake our faith with some terrours they cannot make it faile As the mountaines compasse about Ierusalem so is the Lord round about them that feare him and put their trust in his mercy 3 A gloria vbi regnum potentia ibi gloria The glory of God is threefold 1 In his owne glorious nature and essence 2 In his workes 3 In his word The glory of his nature is a light that no man can attaine to we conceiue it best by that which is reuealed to vs in the two great volumes of his workes which our eyes behold and of his word which he hath left in his Church for our learning that we may know him and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ There is that which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and wee haue no outward meanes to know it but by the workes and word of God within vs the spirit also helpeth our infirmities This glory of diuine nature doth consist in the holy attributes of God 1 His simplicitie for he is ens simplicissimum without permission a selfe-bearer 2 His eternitie for he is α and ω without beginning and end 3 His life for he is called deus viuens ita viuit vt sit sua vita ita est vt sit sua essentia 4 His immensity and infinity whereby he comprehendeth all things filleth all things and is in euery place 5 His authority perfection and selfe-sufficiency which extendeth not onely to the complement of his owne essence but is the originall of all perfection that is in his workes 6 His blessednesse for he is God blessed for euer blessed in being so and blessed in knowing himselfe so to be and blessed in the communication of his blessings to his creatures according to their capacity and vse 7 His omnipotencie for he alwaies worketh both in himselfe in actions immanent and without himselfe in actions transient in both he doth what he will 8 His wisedome for he knoweth and foreknoweth and decreeth maketh and gouerneth and preserueth all things by infinite wisedome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 9 His truth for his wisedome doth both apprehend all truth his operations be all in truth his onely is the reuelation of truth 10 His will secret done in and vpon all
A GODLY LEARNED EXPOSITION TOGETHER with apt and profitable Notes on the LORDS PRAYER Written by the late Reuerend Orthodoxe Diuine and faithfull Seruant of Iesus Christ SAMVEL PAGE Doctor in Diuinity and Preacher of Gods Word at Deptford Stronde in the County of Kent Published since his death BY NATHANIEL SNAPE of Grayes Inne Esquire LONDON Printed by THOMAS HARPER 1631. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THOMAS Lord Couentry Baron of Ailsborough and Lord Keeper of the Great Seale of ENGLAND c. Right Honourable YOur naturall propensitie and noble inclination to Learning and Religion your good acceptance of this Authors little Manual of priuate Deuotions lately presented to your Lordship and my particular obligation are the cause of this my dedication My relation to the Author brought his papers to my hands and a desire of the Churches benefit bids me send them to the Presse I thought fit to begin with this vpon the Lords Prayer it being the Principle and Rudiment of Christian Religion And albeit diuers learned Expositors haue trauelled very farre in discouerie of the hidden treasure of this Celestiall Myne yet such is the mysterious plenteousnesse of this compendium of Diuinity which is a contexture of God Almighty his owne making as that it doth and euer will affoord continuall studie to the most laborious and curious searcher This is such a prayer as S. Augustine Math. 6. speaketh of Quae paucis verbis res multiplices comprehendit Cuius mysteriorum profunditate Ingeniosorum prudentia stupescit It is a prayer dictated out of Gods owne mouth for our studie and imitation and therefore I shall neede no other motiue to your Lordships fauourable acceptation hereof For the Author your Lordship had some knowledge of him he must be tam quam that is a right Minister of God all his life must as Saint Greg. super Eze. hom 3. saith sonare verbo ardere desiderio And that the Author was not vnlike thus farre I may safely aduenture to the praise of his memory that the Clergy thought him a reuerend learned and orthodoxe Diuine and that the Laytie found him alwaies painfully zealous in the Ministery vpright and conscionable in his life and conuersation how he hath approued himselfe by these his labours I doe in all humblenesse submit to your Lordships graue iudgement and the iudicious Reader Your Lordships humbly deuoted NATHANIEL SNAPE AN EXPOSITION VPON THE LORDS PRAYER LVC. 11.1 And it came to passe that as he was praying in a certaine place when he ceased one of his Disciples said vnto him Lord teach vs to pray as Iohn also taught his Disciples I Follow our Church Catechisme for after the law of the tenne Commandements this caution followeth know this that thou art not able to doe these things of thy selfe nor to walke in the Commandements of God and to serue him without his speciall grace which thou must learne at all times to call for by diligent praier And as we cannot obey without the helpe of praier neither can we pray without both 1 Teaching what and how to pray 2 Helpe and assistance in our praier The Apostle doth confesse this generall and common defect in vs all We know not what wee should pray for as we ought so there is a quid the matter of our praiers and a sicut the manner of them to be learned and there is an helpe to be sought for to carry vs through this holy duty that God may haue honour we good by our praiers Therefore I begin the doctrine of praier at this place wherein 1 There is example of praying shewed the best and greatest Christ himselfe 2 Thereupon a motion is made to Christ the best and ablest Doctor of the Church to direct in praier Doce nos 3 An instance giuen of the like Sicut Ioannes etiam docuit discipulos suos 1 Concerning the example It came to passe that he was praying in a certaine place This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 factum est doth intimate the example of purpose shewed to the Disciples to giue them this occasion to desire instruction in the vse of praier for by such baits the great Fisher of men doth catch men and if we could take notice of it God hath many meanes in continuall tender to vs to inuite and prouoke vs to guide also and direct vs to put vs on and encourage vs to those holy duties which please him Sathan and the world and the flesh cast out their baits of temptations to euill and few of them miscarry but they take Let vs not omit these liuing bookes of Doctrine these walking tables of duty when good examples offer themselues to our eyes especially seeing Saint Peter saith we must ambulare sicut ille wee are much bound to the loue of the holy Ghost who left vs these true Records of his walking that as his mediation with the Father is our way to glory so his example of good life may bee our way of holy conuersation It is that which the Apostle doth require in Timothy Be thou an example of the beleeuers in word in conuersation in charity in spirit in faith in purity and in Titus In all things shew thy selfe an example of good workes The Minister that buildeth onely by his Preaching is but an holy day Preacher but he that buildeth also by example is a continuall preacher Me audite hath life in it when it is followed with sequimini me you shall see after how this good example wrought Christ praied there is often mention of Christs praying the Author to the Hebrewes saith that in the daies of his flesh he cried with strong cryes He spent a whole night in praier He rose in the morning a great while before day hee went out and departed into a solitarie place and there praied So that hee hath giuen himselfe to vs an example of praier of frequent of feruent praier of publike of priuate and secret praier Consider then who giueth vs example of praier the Sonne of God in whom dwelleth the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and who thought it no robberie to be equall with God who therefore is heire of all things and who was in want of nothing who could say Omnia mea tua sunt omnia tua mea sunt There be three vses of praier 1 For necessity some say that petitio est soboles indigentiae and so Christ needed not to pray for he wanted no grace which God had to bestow vpon his humane nature but praier is our city of refuge for our helpe is in the name of the Lord. The name of the Lord is a strong tower to them that trust in him the righteous runneth into it and is safe Praier acquainteth God with our necessities not that he is ignorant of them for wee say well that he knoweth our necessities before we aske and our ignorance in asking and he desireth not our praiers for his owne information but that wee may declare our selues
last to it For as the Psalmist The Lord is king be the earth neuer so impatient hee sitteth betweene the Cherubimes But the kingdome of God is opposed by sundry enemies and he hath committed the vengeance of his enemies to his Son who when he hath subdued all the enemies of his fathers kingdome to him then shall the kingdome of God appeare in ful glorie and there shall be none left to oppose it or to rise against it 3. Where it is said that the Sonne himselfe by whom all the enemies of this kingdome shall be subdued shall then be subiect to the father this reuealeth a double mysterie of grace to the Church 1 That the Sonne hauing finished the office of his Mediatourship betweene God and man shall not lay downe his humanity with it for when it is said that the Sonne shall be subiect to the Father that cannot be in respect of his Diuinity for so he is equall to the Father he must therefore continue man still 2 The vse of the humanity of Christ retained after the accomplishment of his office and the deliuery vp of the kingdome of his Father is another gratious mystery for he remaineth still the head of the Church and that is the knot of our vnion to the Father for Christ hath a double Office 1 One of reconciling the Church to his Father 2 Another of confirming and establishing the Church in this glory He drawes vs to him by his word by his spirit that he may reconcile vs and so he presenteth vs to his father without spot or wrinckle and confirmeth vs in that state both of fauour glory by maintaining our vnion with him for which he keepeth the hypostaticall vnion eternally vndissolued Indeed that Hypostaticall vnion of the Diuine nature with our humanity is not compleate in absolute perfection till wee be one with him as he is with the father which hee prayeth for And therefore the Apostle calleth the Church triumphant The fulnesse of him that filleth all in all for when he hath drawen all to him and made them one with him as he is one with the Father then there is that perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he desireth and no opposition left to resist or disturbe it for euer Then the father is declared vniuersall King and his glory is reuealed without any Eclipse all the clouds which obscured it are remooued all the enemies of it vtterly confounded Then is he both reuealed and confest The King of glory Now you haue heard how many sorts of kingdomes God hath the next question is which of these kingdomes we pray for that it may come And here I wonder that I finde great interpreters both ancient and moderne at some difference some vnderstanding the petition of one others of another of these kingdomes but the solution is easie and it is worke for another day to resolue it To cleare this question of which of these kingdomes this is meant one obiection is made that these three first petitions of this prayer by consent of most interpreters are to be referred wholly to the glory of God and concerne God onely from whence it is concluded that wee pray not here for the kingdome of grace by which God ruleth in his Church at large and particularly in the soules and consciences of the faithfull for to pray so is to pray for our selues And the same is alleaged for the kingdome of glory which God giueth to his chosen for they say to pray for the comming of that is also to pray for our selues and for our owne future glory And for the first which is the kingdome of Gods power by which hee ruleth the world which hee hath made that is thought not to be here meant because that kingdome hath euer beene come since God began the world begun in the creation and proceeding in the conuersation and gubernation thereof Therefore it is concluded that no other kingdome here is praied for but the last of Gods full glory when Christ shall haue subdued all his enemies vnder his feet and shall then himselfe be subiect to him when God shal be all in all To which obiection my answer is that the ground of this dispute is false and fallacious that only the glory of God is desired in the three first petitions without respect had at all to our selues For in the first petition when wee desire of God the hallowing of his name doe we not desire that it may be hallowed by vs and therein we doe as well begge our owne sanctification to that holy seruice as the speciall honour of Gods name for as I haue shewed the name of God will be glorified in despight of all opposers but it is sanctified onely by such as are holy So in this second petition we exclude not our selues though we seeke the glory of God we doe withall seeke our owne glorie in it therfore I am not carried with the strong streame of our later writers though of reuerend memorie in the Church of God to shrinke vp this petition to any one of these aboue mentioned kingdomes but I shall euer in my deuotions comprehend them all 1 We desire the comming of the kingdome of Gods power in the generall gouernment of the world for though that kingdome be come already in part yet it may be more declared to the world then yet it is and it must be exercised with the continuation of the world yet more and more and that we pray for For how many nations and languages of the world yet are there who though they doe confesse some deity whom they pretend to serue yet they are not come to this knowledge to beleeue and confesse that The Lord is King The comming of the Kingdome of Gods power to these may declare him King of kings and Lord of Lords Though the Deuill could not catch the Sonne of God in this net hee hath preuailed with many to make them beleeue that hee is the supreme Monarch of this world and that all the kingdomes of the earth are at his dispose which maketh many goe to the Deuill for the kingdomes of this world though some ouer-weaning the Popes temporall power by which hee claimeth a Monarchicall supremacie ouer the kingdomes of all the world haue sought to him for such high preferment For the Pope stands as stiffly vpon the claime of all the kingdomes subiection to him as the Deuill doth They are all giuen to me and to whomsoeuer I will I giue them Therefore I pray let thy kingdome O Lord declare it selfe and let the Deuill and the Pope both know and learne the lesson which thou taughtest proud Nabuchadnezar that The most high ruleth in the kingdome of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer he will Let all the nations of the earth know that these two great impostors the Deuill the Pope do gull their credulous deuotoes for neither of them hath any thing to doe with the kingdomes of the
enemies 1 Sathan takes vpon him to be the Prince of this world and maketh many beleeue that hee hath power to giue kingdomes where he listeth 2 The Pope vsurpeth dominion ouer all Princes and giues out that God hath set him in the world ouer the nations and ouer kingdomes to roote out and to pull downe and to destroy and to throw downe and to build and io plant Blasphemously applying to himselfe the power which God giueth to his Word in the Ministery of the Prophets 3 There is imperium peccati of which the Apostle saith When they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened professing themselues wise they became fooles and changed the glory of the vncorruptible God into an image made like to a corruptible man and to birdes and four-footed beastes and creeping things 4 There is imperium mortis Death reigned from Adam to Moses That is before the law was written much more hath death reigned since the law published for the strength of sinne is the law Death came in by sinne and hath dilated an empire ouer all the earth that we see daily what desolations it maketh in the same It is appointed to al men once to die 2 Concerning Sathan Christ saith The Prince of this world is cast out and Saint Paul saith The God of peace shall crush Sathan vnder your feete shortly And when we pray Let the kingdome of thy power come we pray that God would destroy the kingdome of Sathan and cast him out and tread him vnder our feete that God may reigne abroad gloriously in the world 2 Concerning the Pope hee is that Antichrist that man of sinne the sonne of perdition of which the Apostle speaketh who exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God or is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God But it followeth that The Lord shall consume him with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy him with the brightnesse of his comming Whose comming is after the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders Therfore when we pray that the kingdome of Gods power may come wee pray that God would be pleased to appeare in power against this vsurper and deluder of his subiects to destroy him that he may no longer infatuate and befoole the world with an opinion of his power or holinesse but that hee may be reuealed as hee is a man of sinne ful of subtilty and the child of the deuil as Simon Magus his predecessor and the true founder of his impostures was 3 Concerning sinne the Apostle hath aduised Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies that you should obey it in the lusts thereof He hath also comforted vs againe Sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you for yee are not vnder the Law but vnder Grace Wee pray therefore that God would exercise this his power against the kingdome of sinne that the body of sinne may be destroyed that henceforth wee should not serue sinne For the Dominion of sinne doth teach men to resist the power of God and to say Nolumus hunc regnare super nos it teacheth man to be proud and cruell Dauid Lord how long shall the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph How long shall they vtter and speake hard things and all the workers of iniquity bâ—ast themselues They breake in peeces thy people O Lord and afflict thine heritage They slay the widow and the fatherlesse and murther the stranger Yet they say the Lord shall not see Sinne is a dominearing and daring tyrant so that wee haue cause with Dauid to awake the iustice of God against it O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy selfe Lift vp thy selfe thou iudge of the earth render a reward to the proud and that is our adveniat regnum tuum 4 Concerning death which maketh such hauocke in the workes of God God hath said O death I will be thy plagues O graue I will be thy destruction repentance shall be hid from mine eyes And this is that we pray for let thy kingdome of thy power destroy death for euer that we may insult ouer it saying O death where is thy sling O graue where is thy victory We pray God to take his rod of yron into his hand and to breake in peeces all the rebels to his kingdome of power here on earth 2 Concerning the kingdome of grace 1 We pray that that kingdome may come that is that God would declare his Sonne the king and Soueraigne Monarch of his Church and that he would rule therein by his Word and holy Spirit 2 That God would aduance the kingdome of his Sonne Iesus Christ in the hearts of all his elect people seuerally that they may liue in the knowledge loue faith and obedience of him 1 And this is a most necessarie petition to be put vp often to God in regard of those enemies which doe oppose this domination and seeke to dethrone the Sonne of God in vs. 2 And in regard of those necessarie graces which are wanting in vs and can by no other way be supplied but by the aduancement and establishment of that kingdom in vs. 1 For the enemies of this kingdome 1 The great enemie of the Church is Sathan the Prince of darkenesse that great red Dragon in the Reuelation that watched the woman with childe to deuoure the fruite of her wombe as soone as it should be borne this is the Deuil persecuting the Church of God the fruitfull mother of the elect whose issue we are This is he that corrupted our first parents in Paradice by his temptations and hauing sowed his seed of all iniquitie in them defiled the whole nature of mankind and made it obnoxious to the curse of the Law And when the second Adam came to accomplish the remedy of that fall hee persecuted him by Herod in his infancie that he was to be carried into Egypt for refuge and after his Baptisme hee tempted him in the wildernesse fortie dayes and this Prince of the world set many a worke to bring him to the Crosse he came himselfe to him with a new assault a little before his passion as Christ himselfe confest but he had nought in him of his to worke vpon This Lyon goeth about continually compassing the earth seeking whom he may deuoure whom resist saith Peter our way of resistance is to pray Adueniat regnum tuum 2 The world is an enemie to this kingdome of Christ for Christ saith The world hateth you because you are not of the world that is the wicked sonnes of disobedience who are called filij saeculi huius Vnder this title of the world I comprehend all the open and secret enemies of the Gospell The Pope here we will giue him the first place because his scarlet vesturs are died
deepe in the blood of Gods Saints he careth not to destroy Christs kingdome to aduance his owne vsurping that power in the world in the name of Christ which himselfe did not assume who said My kingdome is not of this world The Turke the Iew and all the Barbarous nations of the world who liue in the darke to whom the pretious light of the Gospel hath not appeared all professe hostilitie to this Gospell of the kingdom that we may say of it as the Iewes sayd to Paul As concerning this sect we know that euery where it is spoken against But these profest enemies of the kingdome of Iesus Christ are in open hostility against the Church and proclaime warres to it they are the forces of that great king who came against that litle city in the booke of the preacher and besieged it and built bulwarkes against it we can expect no better from them then force and fury There be secret enemies Wolues in sheepes cloathing whose close malice doth put vs into more danger and feare these hide themselues within the Church and carry a semblance of brethren and they are 1 Heretikes that corrode and fret the holy truth of the Gospell with their false doctrines and blasphemous and impious assertions of vntruthes to mis-lead the ignorant into errour and to corrupt their iudgements 2 Schismatikes that disquiet the peace of the Church disturbe the order rankes of Gods wel ordered armies and disfigure the beautie of holinesse setting vs together by the eares fermēting the masse of Christian charity with their gall of bitternesse which they maliciously infuse into the body of that city that is compact together 3 Hypocrites which put on Religion as they do fine garments for shew onely and personate pietie to make the world of opinion that they are holy whereas all their Religion and holinesse is in the eye those are but the outsides of professors and their workes denie and blaspheme the faith of which their mouthes tongues doe make formall profession Against all these we pray that the Kingdome of Iesus Christ may come to vs to reueale to vs the light of Gods truth to establish peace and concord amongst brethren and to declare the true and vnfeined Religion which consisteth in the sincere seruice of our God for where this kingdome is throughly established there truth and peace and sincerity doe shew their faces and lift vp their heads and are exalted by all the subiects of that Kingdome 3 Our naturall corruptions are enemies to this kingdome the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the law of our members resisteth the law of God there is ventus ab oriente which bringeth into vs whole armies of Grashoppers and Catterpillars that is a corruption from our birth which spanneth in our vnderstandings with multiplicity of phantasticall opinions various distraction of our thoughts and filleth the inferiour part of the soule with many vnlawfull desires vnquiet longings for things forbidden wherby our affections are troubled and corrupted with vniust appetite of things forbidden Against these also we pray in the comming of this kingdome that God would rule in our vnderstandings to instruct vs and that God would rule in our thoughts to limit them and keepe them from all wandring distraction and that he would rule in our affections to bridle restraine their loosenesse to correct their rebellion to the spirit of God to awe them to the obedience of God and to sanctifie vs wholly both in our bodies soules and spirits that neither in thought word nor deed we may grieue the holy Spirit of God by whom we are sealed vp to the day of our redemption So that in this petition we pray against the dominion of sinne in our mortall bodies against the pollution of sinne in our immortall soules against all spirituall and carnall wickednesse that the brightnesse of Christs kingdome may driue away the darkenesse of Sathans kingdom in vs that he would enter into vs by his grace and bind the strong man Sathan who possesseth vs by his power and cast him out in his iustice and abide in vs by his mercie For so shall no iniquity haue dominion ouer vs. What need we haue to pray for this as Christ praied with strong cries we may easily discerne for when wee looke about vs and behold what horrible sins are afoot in the world euen all the workes of the flesh Adultery lasciuiousnesse Idolatry Contentions seditions heresies enuie murther drunkennesse and such like all which are the pretious stones in the Diademe of Sathan When wee see how much those are despised that walke conscionably and feare the prophanation of Gods Sabbath by doing their owne workes on Gods holy day and feare the blasphemie of Gods holy name by an oath would faine put off the very garment that is spotted with the flesh When we see the proud esteemed happy and them that worke wickednesse set vp yea them that tempt God deliuered When wee behold corruption in courtes of iustice oppressions of the mighty persecutions of the poore and weake Simony bribery extort on trades of liuing swearing gluttony drunkennesse filthy speaking sins in fashion There is no hope to helpe all this but by the comming of the kingdom of grace to pardon these trāsgressions to conuert these transgressors for this great King is able to set vp a light in our vnderstandings to informe vs in the truth and to shed his loue in our affections to knit vs together both to himselfe and to one another of vs. 3 Saint Cyprian hath a good caution vpon this petition Continua oratione opus est ne excidamus a regno Coelesti this doth bring in the Kingdome of glory into this petition This is our maine ambition to be heires of this heauenly Kingdome and S. Cyprian saith Cauendum ne excidamus a regno Coelesti sicut Iudaei For it is an heauy saying of Christ And I say vnto you many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen But the children of the kingdome shall be cast out into vtter darkenesse c. By the children of the kingdome here hee meaneth the Iewes the seed of Abraham to whom the promises of this kingdome came and to whom all the meanes for attaining this kingdome were tendered so that being then the visible Church of God on earth they were in a kinde of possession of the kingdome of heauen but lost it by their disobedience and so left a way open for many to come from the East and West that is for the Church of the Gentiles to come in euen in their place and now till Plenitudo gentium be come in there is no promise of the restitution of the Iewes ad viam regni It is a good note of Saint Cyprian quando cessauit in eis no men paternum cessauit et regnum When they gaue ouer hallowing
buffeted him But especially in Christs storie we behold him in his full strength forty dayes and forty nights tempting him in the wildernesse In all these God himselfe had an hand for hauing furnished our first Parents with all graces belonging to a complete creation he gaue them an vncontrolled free-will to doe good or euill and left them to Sathan to proue them In Iobs storie it is plaine that he hindred Sathan to tempt the wisedome holinesse and patience of Iob In Saint Peters story Christ said that Sathan desired to sift him and Christ gaue him leaue so to doe And of Saint Paul it is expresly profest by himselfe There was giuen to me a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet me And Christ himselfe was led by the spirit of God to his temptation Therefore our duty is taught by the Apostle whom resist stedfast in the faith Lest Sathan should get an aduantage of vs for we are not ignorant of his deuices It is comfort to vs that the Apostle doth intimate that Sathan may be resisted Therefore it is our owne fault if Sathan doe preuaile against vs seeing there is in vs a power to resist him This power though it be not of our selues yet it is within our selues in that seed remaining in vs which is the grace of election of which Saint Iohn speaketh and he that is with vs is greater then he that is against vs for though our enemy be called Legion because there are many our Elohim our one Gods three and one is able to tread Sathan vnder our feete quickly Submit your selues therefore to God resist the deuill and he will flye from you True it is of him Non tam fortis est fortitudine suâ quam infirmitate nostrâ Let vs therefore stoope as low as we can to him that made vs our faithfull Creator custos hominum is his name but let vs rise vp against Sathan to resist him Christ gaue vs example for when he by the word and spirit of God resisted him at last he droue him away for a season sent away with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So when he came after closely conueying himselfe in the semblance of loue and speaking in the mouth of Peter disswading the passion of Christ yet he discouered him there and sent him packing with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus must we doe if we will auoid his temptations remembring how Euah lost her innocency and Paradise with it because she endured the treatie with Sathan and stood out the disputation with him But thou man of God flye those things Fly to this petition and aske of God that he would not leade thee into temptation but that he would giue thee both wisedome to discouer it and grace to dislike it and strength to resist it Sathans darts are fiery and strongly shot and cunningly aymed the seruants of God haue much adoe to quench them When Sathan had suggested to Dauid to number the people he propounded the matter to Ioab Ioab discerned the temptation and disswaded it saying to Dauid Why doth my Lord the King delight in this thing But Sathan had moued Dauid to this and his temptation had taken so deepe an impression in him that he would not hearken to good counsaile So though Peter had warning of him by Christ telling him how Sathan desired to sift him telling him that that night he would attempt it and that he would yeeld though he had engaged himselfe by solemne protestation against it though the temptation was to deny his Master and that thrice which seemed to Peter a thing impossible to be wrought in him yet because he resisted not Sathan in the very act of temptation Sathan preuailed and Peter was foiled and till his fall he remembred not the words of Iesus then he did and rose vp against Sathan and rained so many teares from his eyes which in Saint Augustine are called sanguis vulnerati cordis that with those penitentiall waters hee both purged his defiled soule from the sinne that he had committed and he quenched the fiery darts of Sathan who had polluted him This resistance must be constant for Sathan is called Beelzebub the god of flyes flyes if they be beaten off will come on againe so will Sathan for if he be driuen off from vs once he will not so giue vs ouer but as Balak brought Balaam from place to place to try if any where he would curse Israel so will Sathan doe leaue no place no time free from his assaults to doe mischiefe 2 We finde that God doth sometimes in his iustice leaue men a while in temptation for their punishment Saint Augustine Multi precando ita dicunt ne patiaris nos induci in tentationem exponentes quomodo dictum est ne inducas non enim per seipsum inducit deus sed induci patitur eum quem sine auxilio deseruerit ordine occultissimo meritis The duty required of vs here is double 1 That we take care not to prouoke God by our sinnes to this desertion of vs. Sometimes when God discerneth vs negligent in our duties of piety cooling in our zeale or charity swelling in presumption of his fauour ouer-ioyed with prosperity better fed then taught boasting of our knowledge ouer-weening our strength of grace restie in idlenesse or any other way ouergrowne with selfe-loue he sends the Angell of Sathan to cuffe and buffet vs till wee know him and our selues better Was not Dauid sicke of prosperity when God left him to Sathan to tempt him to adultery was hee not sicke of honour when he would needs haue his people numbred that hee might know how great a King hee was Was not Ezechiah sicke of peace when hee shewed his treasure to a strange Ambassador Was not Peter sicke of his faith when he durst chalenge Sathan to a duell in the protestation of his true loyalty to his Master Therefore God left them for a time to temptation and taught vs that to fall off from God neuer so little putteth vs into the danger of Sathan therefore tempt not God by sinne lest he leade thee into temptation 2 We are taught our seuerall duties to God to our selues and to our brethren from the consideration of this diuine iustice 1 To God that we must not thinke much when any such tryall by temptation come vpon vs to murmure and repine at him or to resist his right hand for hee doth this in his iustice to punish our former sinnes or by way of preuention to keepe vs from sinnes to come or for our tryall of faith to establish vs the more in his grace and to make vse of our example therefore let vs rest vpon this it is the Lord let him doe with mee as it pleaseth him If he say I haue no delight in thee loe here I am c. good is the word of the Lord. 2 To our selues if wee feele temptations both comming thicker