or permanency Hence it is that by way of eminent excellency above the creature hee hath made amongst many his other attributes himselfe known to us by his eternity an attribute so absolutely proper to him that it cannot properly be attributed to any creature beside him It is true indeed the decrees of God are truly called eternall in their act but not if wee consider them in their execution for howsoever they were decreed from all eternity yet they are finite in respect of time for in time they receive their accomplishment The soules of men are truly called eternall yet not properly for howsoever they be eternall essences induring for ever yet had they a beginning in time for till God breathed in mās nostrels man was not a living soule The Sacrament of Circumcision was called the eternall covenant Exod. 17. yet it is but catachrestically termed so for properly it was not so it had a beginning in the dayes of Abraham Nothing then can be properly called eternall but God himselfe in respect of his eternall essence and the blood of the Sonne of God in respect of the eternall value thereof God in respect of his eternall essence trinity of persons is from everlasting to everlasting for this is his name I am that I am The value also of the blood of the Son of God is eternall though not in respect of the incarnation yet in respect of the operation thereof for by the blood of that immaculate lambe slaine before the foundations of the world in time wee have received peace attonement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after all time a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conformity vnto his image and establishment in the grace wherein we stand But thou wilt enquire if God onely bee truly and properly eternall how is eternity according to his kingdome and that his kingdome is for ever and ever The answer is easie whatsoever is in God is God and his attributes are like unto himselfe for as hee is in himselfe eternall so is his kingdome his power and glory The consideration of these things serves us for a manifold use First our God is eternall and so is his love to wards us Who shall separate us from the love of God shall tribulation or anguish famine or nakednesse c. No in all these things wee are more then conquerers Secondly the vertue of the death of Jesus is eternall Who shall lay any thing then to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that justifies who shall condemne It is Iesus Christ who hath died for us and now in the heavens makes intercession for us at the right hand of the Majesty Thirdly God is eternall and his kingdome is for ever what need wee then to feare what man can doe unto us they can but kill the body but Let us feare him who can cast both soule and body in hell fire where the worme dyes not and the fire goes not out Fourthly our God is eternall and his kingdome for ever and ever Why should wee then seeke the things of this life that perish No no it becomes us not to set our eyes on things that are seene and are temporall but on those things that are not seenand are eternall Finally since our God is eternall his kingdome endureth for ever why should we weary or murmur under the rod of our visitation for all the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory to be revealed for our afflictions are but light and endure for a moment but it is an eternall weight of glory passing in excellency that is laid up for us who are kept by the power of his Sonne through faith to eternall salvation Amen THis is the last gaspe and breath of this prayer many such ejaculations have the servats of God breathed in the last period of their extremities Iacob said O Lord I have waited for thy salvation Old Father Simeon could say Now let thy servant depart in peace The righteous say in the 8. to the Romans That they having received the first fruits of the spirit do sigh in themselves waiting for the adoption and redemption of their mortall bodies and the soules of the Saints under the Altar in the Revelation can say O Lord how long Our Saviour Christ Jesus in place of all these things teacheth us to say Amen And for understanding hereof let us first learne what it is or how it must be said As to the first Amen is a word taken in Scripture three manner of waies nominally adverbially and verbally Nominally it signifies to us Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity for it is thus written Revel 3.14 These things saith Amen the faithfull and the true witnesse Neither this alone but what is more it gives a reality to what hee hath spoken or promised for it is written his promises are not yea and nay but yea and Amen Adverbially it is a word of earnest asseveration for so useth our Saviour Verily verily I say unto you whose primitive is Amen Amen dico vobis Verbally and so it is equivalent to so be it whether it be in the matter of thank esgiving of praise or of prayer In the matter of thanksgiving 1. Cor. 14.16 That Amen may be said In the matter of praise Psal 41.13 Blessed bee the Lord from everlasting to everlasting Amen and Amen In the matter of prayer and then it hath a double use for then it is vel signaculum consensus nostri vel votum desiderly nostri To all of the former Petitions it is not only signaculum consonsus nostri but also votum desiderij nostri for in these we do not onely acknowledge that our Father dwells in heaven that his name must bee hallowed that his kingdome must come that his will must be done in earth as it is in heaven but withall it is votum desiderij nostri our earnest desire Give us this day our daily bread Forgive us our sinnes Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from all evill And in all of these wee are taught not onely to assent but also to desire to assent and acknowledge the glory power and soveraignty of his dread essence to desire and begge from his all-sufficiency the support of our infirmity that his strength may be knowne in our weaknesse and his power may be made manifest in our infirmity Thus then knowing that all things are of him and by him and for him what rests but that in respect of his all-sufficiencie and eternall kingdome power and glory wee should draw neare unto him begge of him that he who is only able may keep us that we fall not and that he would present us without spot or blemish before the presence of his glory with joy who is God only wise immortall and invisible in whose presence is the fulnesse of all joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Amen God of his infinite mercy and goodnesse make us all carefull of his glory whilst wee are in this life that in the day of Christs appearance we may be made partakers of that eternall glory which is laid up for us in the heavens and purchased to us by his blessed merits Amen FINIS
knowne by his name to Adam to Moses to Abraham Isaack Iacob and the Prophets And by these his names point out to them the fulnesse of his grace in Jesus Christ I answer thee It is true indeed but the differēce of the revelatiō is great for God in the manifesting of his name unto us hath now done it more neerly more cleerely more fully and more familiarly First more neerly for what is neerer to us then our nature which he did assume hee became flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone yea like unto us in all things sinne onely excepted that wee might bee made to God in him flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone in a spirituall regeneration Secondly more clearely for they saw but darkly and under a veile but wee have seene him in the prime and strength of his light for it is written All these things were but shadowes of things to come but the body was Christ Iesus Galat. 2. Thirdly more fully for he hath kept back no part of the counsell of the Father from us which was necessary to our salvation Fourthly more familiarly for what could be more familiar then to have the Sonne of God walking in our flesh amongst us thirty three yeares and an halfe And what greater familiarity then to make both Jew and Gentile who were estranged from God to bee one in himselfe Let us therefore boldly looke upon him in the revelation of his name and learne in every thing in heaven or in earth on the which we set our eyes to reverence this great and mighty name the Lord our God This being spoken concer-cerning the subject of the petition the Attribute now followeth in order to bee considered and it is laid before us in a word of sanctification or hallowing Hallowed bee thy name For understanding hereof wee will first looke what it is to hallow or sanctifie Secondly in whose power it lyeth to sanctifie Thirdly how Gods name is hallowed or can be sanctified of us First to hallow or to sanctifie any thing is to vindicate the same from any absurd or profane use to its owne holy and proper end and therefore to hallow Gods name is to vindicate it from all abuse whatsoever and to attribute to it the due honour and glory thereof But let this be made a little more cleare Secondly God sometimes halloweth man sometimes halloweth and God and man both do sometimes hallow God hallowed man by creation making him to his image God halloweth man by regeneration in the day of his new birth and God shall totally and finally hallow man in the day of his totall and finall redemption so that whatsoever God halloweth it is positively hallowed Man halloweth God not by making him blessed for what can a finite creature adde to the felicity of the great and infinite Creator Man therfore halloweth Gods name but declaratively when hee confesseth to the honour and glory of God that hee hath nothing but that which hee hath received and when hee giveth praise unto him for the same So that the hallowing and sanctification of God to man in respect of mans to him back againe is as the cause to the effect or as Gods election knowledge love to us from eternity causeth our election knowledge love of God back againe in time Finally there be some things that God and man both halloweth and these are persons times places i. his Ministers his Sabbaths and his Churches for these God hath hallowed and consecrated to himselfe Man halloweth them by observing and keeping them holy without prophanation and sanctifying himselfe in them and by them To speake then in a word Gods name is hallowed two wayes notionally and practically Notionally when wee acknowledge him aright and in the thoughts of our heart do yeeld unto him that due reverence which becommeth the creatures to give to the Creator Practically when in the tenour of our lives we do rightly acknowledge the truth of his word the riches of his mercy the equity of his justice and the majestie of his workes Vse Now that wee may make use of this Petition let us call to minde a little what hath beene said that under the name of God was understood his essence his word and his worke his essence we cannot hallow for wee can adde nothing to that which is infinite neither can we declare it sufficiently for here wee know but in a part and see but in a part Gods name is honoured in his word First when it is reverenced Secondly when it is trusted Thirdly when it is obeyed First when it is reverenced not as the word of man but as the word of God for this cause the Apostle St Paul at Corinth preached not in the vaine inticing eloquence of humane wisdome lest the crosse of Christ should be of no effect Secondly when it is trusted for want of this trust the old world was drowned and Moses debarred the land of Canaan and mockers in the last time shall receive a judgement that lingers not Thirdly when it is obeyed and men walke worthy of the calling wherunto they are called The wāt of this made Eli his house desolate and Shilo a mockingstocke The want of this made the sword to stay on the house of David surely the want of this shall one day beare witnesse against the children of this generation One thing resteth to honour God in his workes and this sort of sanctification is threefold according to the threefold estate of his creatures for some of them wee contemplate onely some of them wee acquire with toyle and much travell and some of them wee use with freedome and true liberty Wee contemplate the Sunne the Moone and the starres all made for the glory of God and the praise of his name we possesse the earth the seas with toyle difficulty and paine wee use with liberty and freedome our meate our drinke and our apparell In the first wee honour God if from the excellencie of the creature wee looke up to the admirable glory of the Creatour In the second we honour God whilst we care for them not with a thornie but a sober care 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the last wee honour God whilst wee sanctifie their use by the word by prayer and by sobriety But shall not man honour God in the words of his mouth also Yes surely but because hee who honoureth God in his heart doth also honor him with his mouth è contra by the one wee shall easily judge of the other For this it is that the wicked man is reproved Psalme 50. And that Christ commandeth Sathan to be silent speaking out of a possessed man for hee knew that his name would be dishonoured whilst it was named out of the mouth of the father of lyes let our speech therefore bee powdered with salt Now onely resteth the word of appropriation Thy which is set as a band and tye knitting the Attribute
changed Wee are with David sore afraid and as Paul telleth us Wee murmur as those who have no hope But out upon such a weaknesse it is an evident testimony that wee are altogether carnall and as yet in our sinnes If our knowledge were better our affections should bee bettered also and if wee should once make the Lord our portion wee should be more glad to want the world then to have it and to say with Iob The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken c. And with the Apostle I count all things but losse in respect of the advantage I have in the Crosse of Iesus Thus wee have spoken something concerning the giver and the person to whom we say Give The manner of the word is remarkable For it is not a word of prevention It is not a word of retaliation it is only a word of supplication and begging That it is neither a word of preventiō nor retaliation I instāce from the Lawyers who say and that very well that there are two sorts of gifts Donationum alia est simplex gratuita alia cōditionata ob causam futurā When we come to God and say to him Give It telleth us that we can neither prevēt him by giving him any thing first or freely nor yet when hee hath given us any thing can we repay him with any recōpēce We cannot prevēt him by giving him first for that were against his eternity for it is written Who hath givē him first it shall be recōpenced Neither can we give him freely for that were against his alsufficiency For when hee is hungry he will not tell us c. And the earth is the Lords the furniture thereof Againe we cannot give him by way of remuneratiō or requitall Abrā whē he came to sojourne in the land of Canaan although all the land was his by promise yet did hee possesse nothing thereof but a place to bury his dead and that hee bought from Ephron the Hittite for thirtie peeces of silver even the cave of Maghpelae David at the returne of the Arke received the floore of Araunah the Jebusite and yet by way of requitall I will surely buy it of thee at a price The children of Aegypt in the time of famine received bread from Ioseph but they paid well for it when their money failed them they excambed their flocks and when their flocks failed they sold their land and their inheritance also But here is no such dealing betwixt God and us hee is the giver and we are the beggers Hee giveth first For he knew chose and loved us before wee were He giveth abundantly Wine to make the heart glad and oyle to make the face to shine Hee giveth freely also for wee have nothing to give backe againe and he dealeth with us as Ioseph dealt with his Brethren when we open our sacks wee finde our monies in the mouth of them restored again Hee will not make Merchandise with us For his house is not a house of Merchandise but a house of prayer And as Christ did in the last and great day of the feast and Isay in his prophesie So doth God to all of us this day Hoe All you that thirst come to the waters and care not for money come buy bread without money and Wine and Milke without a price Well then is God so liberall that notwithstanding we bee beggers yet hee scorneth not our petitions but giveth us first and freely fully and abundantly Is there nothing that thou canst give him or that he wil accept at thy hāds Yes three things those are First thankes for what thou hast received For he requireth this of thee that thou shouldst take the cup of Salvation and give praise to his Name That thou shouldst call on him in the day of thy trouble that hee may deliver thee and thou maist glorifie him And if thou doe not so thou art but a beast that drinkes of the stream without remembrance of the spring Secondly come againe also and seeke more for it is his delight He is not like man or the Sonne of man who feareth to give for feare of want or wearieth to give for frequency of petitions No his storehouse is not emptied The eyes of all things looke up to him hee openeth his hand and filleth them with his Blessing Neither wearieth hee with our frequent petitions but the homelyer we are we are still the welcomer 3. Remember also to give to the poore the thing that thou wouldest give him For he that hath pitty on the poore lendeth to the Lord and hee that giveth to any of these a cup of cold water shall not want a rich reward LECTIO 12. Give us this day c. AFter the search and enquirie of the word bread and of the word give which wee have explained to you in our two last sermons It resteth now that wee take a view of the third word Vs That wee may truly know to whom and to whose use it is that wee begge at the hands of God this bread In handling of this petition the words are very remarkable whereas they are severall in their litterall sense so are they also in their moral and spirituall use The first is a word of demonstration and evidence For it sheweth us whereof wee stand in neede that is Bread The second is a word of faith and sheweth us upon whom wee should depend for this Bread and that is Give The third word Vs is a word of charity begging Bread and all necessary support not for our selves alone but also for the mutuall members of the mysticall body of Jesus Christ The fourth word Ours is the word of a good Conscience The fift word Daily is a word of contentment And the last words For this day is a word of confession Wee have spoken of the word of demonstration and of the word of faith Let us now looke to the word of charity Vs. This I say is the Lecture of charity and that I may cleere it heare mee but a little If any shall enquire why I am commanded to say give us and not give mee I answere it is done for three causes 1. For the reference it hath with the Preface of this Prayer 2. For the reference it hath with Gods providence and will 3. And for the reference wee should have one to another as mutuall members of the mysticall body of Christ In the Preface and entry of this Prayer When our Redeemer CHRIST JESVS leadeth us to God to powre out our wants before him and to supplicate at his hands the support of those wants hee will not suffer us to say my Father but Our Father The reason is none can truly call him my father but Christ Jesus alone Hee is his father and his only by nature he is ours onely by adoption and in him and through him It was hee and he alone who being the image of the invisible God and the engraven forme and character
it unto you The world and the children of men when they pardon their pardons are faulty three wayes they are not totall but partiall not free but constrained neither finall but for a time not totall for if they can forgive one fault another is impardonable not free and voluntary but forced and constrained either by reason of the importunity of friends or hope in expectation of gaine not finall for though they forgive for a time yet their wrath and desire of revenge is renued with any occasion whatsoever It is not so with our God for what he easeth of that he forgiveth when hee forgiveth hee forgiveth ingenuously that is freely fully finally freely without any merit or occasion on our part fully for hee forgiveth both the sinne and the punishment thereof And finally for hee forgiveth us both in this life and that which is to come What hath man then wherein hee can rejoyce nothing but in the mercy and free favour of God for as St Bernard duely and truly acknowledgeth Meritum meum est miseratio Domin so may all the sonnes of Adam cry out and say Not unto us O Lord not unto us and with the Apostle St Paul O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his wayes and his judgements past finding out LECTIO 16. And forgive us our trespasses HAving already handled of the word debt and the word forgive that which remaines of the text offereth it selse to our consideration for though the gleanings of Ephratus bee better then the vintage of Abiezer yet must the gleanings have their owne roome also and every one in their owne order must be considered which in number are three 1. for whom it is that wee put up this supplication of pardon the word is plurall not singular Vs 2. The reason why we poure out our supplications in this plurall signification and it is because it is wee not I that have sinned alone nor thou only nor any other alone but all of us and therefore in a communicative appropriation wee call them ours Thirdly it is to be considered of whom and from whose hands it is that we are bold to begge this our release and pardon If in any of these particulars wee can make any further point of instruction to result by the grace of God it shall be made knowne unto you The first thing then wee have to speake of this day is the persons for whom and in whose favour this petition and supplication is formed It is cleare and evident out of the words themselves that the petition is not made for mee alone nor for thee alone nor for any man or woman in the world alone but in common thou for mee and I thee and every one of us for our selves and each of us for our neighbours as for our selves for as Omnis orainata charitas incipit â seipso sic etiam omnis regulata charitas terminatur in socio wee have reason then to looke first on our selves with the eyes of pitty and from our selves with the eyes of cōmiseration on our neighbours knowing them to bee men of the like infirmity to which wee our selves are subject Remember brethren that God in his word hath taught us two severall sorts of communicative contemplation the one pointing at our selves from the consideration of our brethren the other pointing at our brethren from the consideration of our selves the pitty that wee owe to our selves from the consideration of our brethren is recommended to us in the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Galathians Brethren if any man bee fallen amongst you of infirmity restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse considering your selves lest you also be tempted The pitty that wee owe to our brethren from consideration of our selves is mentioned in many parts of the law wherein we are commanded not to hide our eyes from the necessities of any stranger because wee our selves were sometimes strangers in the land of Israel it is so here with us God will have us to remember and pray for our necessities not in our owne name alone but also in the name of our brethren and fellow members Vse In handling of the words the order is remarkable and next to the order the communion and fellowship that is couched up in the bosome of that order First I will looke upon the order which is very remarkable for hee is teaching his disciples to pray for the pardon and remission of sinnes but hee will have them first to looke on themselves and their owne necessities and from themselves not onely to consider but also to commiserate the necessities of their brethren this is the path and the true straine in the which God walkes for our God is the God of order and not of confusion And for cleering hereof that order is first and originally established in God himselfe and then from him a shadow of that order which is in him is derived to his creatures I say first order is positively and cheefly established in God himselfe for hee who is one in essence is distinguished in three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who being individually one in themselves by vertue of their individuall essence yet are distinguished by order of personall existence the Father being in respect of order distinguished and preferred to the Sonne and the Father and the Sonne both to the holy Ghost Now from this chiefe and prime distinction of order which is amongst the persons of the blessed Trinity there is made manifest amongst the creatures a shadow of this order also and that in five severall points of contemplation First in the frame of the heavens and earth Secondly in the civill societies of men on earth viz. Commonwealths Thirdly in the spirituall societies of men his Church Fourthly in the homebred and domesticke families of men And last of all in the private carriages of man in his life and conversation I say that God hath established order in the frame and combination of heaven and earth together for there hee hath placed light and darknesse that for the day this for the night there hee hath set the Sunne and the Moone that by the heat of his influence to exhale this by her moisture to water and refresh there hath hee placed the clouds the bottels of raine wherewith in due season hee watereth Gedions fleece there hath hee placed the wardrobe and storehouse of the tempests of snow haile and winde and all for the use of man and those other sublunary creatures that live and move on the face of the earth that in thē all of thē the footsteps of the order of the God of order may be seen acknowledged next to this celestiall order subordination of the Spheares and Celestiall bodies behold hee hath fixed an order and subordination also amongst the sonnes of men in their secular and civill conversation and commercement for there hee hath placed
last thing remarkable in the words is the person at whose hands wee sue for this release and pardon of sinne which is neither man nor angell nor Saint departed but God alone for all these with the wise virgins haue adoe with their owne lamps except this onely to wit God for it is against him onely that wee sinne and it is hee onely who can forgive sinne and if pardon of sinne bee in the Church it is onely a conditionall declaration no absolute condonation LECT 17. As wee for give our debtors NExt to the consideration of that part of this Petition which is supplicatory wee come to that which is restipulatory The first part was supplicatory in begging pardon of our sinnes against God this carries the restipulation of the covenant and promiseth in our names the pardon and forgivenesse of our brethren whensoever they sinne against us The covenant of it selfe in it selfe is hard so much the harder by how much it hath both the fairer provocations for obedience and the fouler stumblings in disobedience It hath the fairer provocations to obedience for in all the covenāts that God hath made with man there is none like to this God hath made three covenants with man a naturall a Legall and an Evangelicall The naturall covenant was made with man in the day of creation The legall in the day of his temporall redemption and the Evangelicall in the fulnesse of time when the Sonne of God being made man and not knowing sinne was made sinne for our sakes and expiated our sinnes by his sufferings The tenor of the first covenant was naturall and just Naturall because he made man in nature perfect and just because hee required nothing of man but that to the obedience whereof hee had given him naturall ability The second covenant was in some condition preternaturall and just preternaturall in so farre that nature could not obey it yet just because he once strengthened nature to obey it The third covenant was supernaturall and gracious Supernaturall in requiring things that nature could not give yet supernaturally gracious in finding out a remedie for the defect of nature making the Sonne of God to become man and him that knew not sinne to bee made sinne for us that wee in him might bee made partakers of the riches of the mercy of God Now remember I pray you what I have said I said that this covenant was so much the harder by how much the provocations were gracious and the disobediences foule To have sinned against the covenant of nature was foule indeed because nature was made perfect and able to doe what was required of the naturall man To sinne against the covenant of workes which I called preternaturall was foule also for howsoever nature was then corrupt and weake yet their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt prefigurating to them the hope of a better deliverance and therefore rendred the smell of their disobedience the more odious and abominable by how much in it they had not onely the pardon of their naturall uncleannesse but also the hope of a better inheritance sealed up unto them But above all the breach of this covenant made with us in the blood of Jesus under the Gospell is so much the more foule and abominable by how much the seale of the covenant was gracious and easie For the condition of the first covenant was strict because naturall The condition of the second was fearfull because supernaturall for the time But the condition of the last covenant was easie be cause gracious and our rebellion so much the more foule because it was easie and to the corrupt nature of man so much the more hard by how much it was facilitated by the obedience of another for it is written the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth after envie And againe I do not the good that I would but the evill that I would not yet the Law in it selfe is pure holy righteous and just Well then it hath pleased God in his wisedome to adjoyn these words As we for give c. To the former to be a seale of his righteousnesse and withall to be a testimony of our uncleannesse and prevarication A seale of his righteousnesse in that hee hath freely forgiven us our sinnes A seale of our uncleannesse and prevarication in that wee cannot forgive one another Now the words being thus taken up in their dependence it is requisite that wee looke upon them in their severall stations and from thence gather their severall uses for our instruction If wee shall narrowly look upon them foure things offer themselves to our consideration First a condition imposed to man serving for the seale of the covenant As. Secondly to whom this condition is both proposed and imposed wee Thirdly the duty annexed to the condition Forgive Fourthly the persons to whom wee are obliged in this duty to our debters or them that finne against us To returne to the first of these the condition As the words are diversly read in divers Evangelists Matthew saith Forgive us our debts as wee forgive our debtors Luke in his 11. Chapter saith Forgive us our sinnes for wee even forgive them that sinne against us And according to the diversitie of the readings so hath there also diversitie of interpretations of the words arisen Some looking too strictly upon the particle of similitude here used As have been led a little to doubt of the free pardon and remission of their sinnes For if God shall forgive man no otherwise then man forgiveth his neighbour then for the most part our sinnes shall neither bee fully freely nor finally forgiven for as I have showne you in our last Sermon mans pardon is but partiall constrained and for a time and the rest laid up against the day of revenge and his more full retaliation On the other part the reading of this prayer as St Luke hath recorded it to us by way of causality in the word For hath led many to presumption thinking that if they can pardon their neighbours their sinnes then God is bound to pardon them theirs and so they would inforce by way of merit their pardon at Gods hands But that the words may be cleared and the wisedome of God in them freed from both these impostures know that the word used by Matthew is not set downe by way of parity but by way of seale And the word used by Luke is not set downe by way of causality but by way of commiseration I say that the word used by St Matthew as is not a word of parity and reciprocation but of seale so that the purpose and meaning of God in it is not to tye man to that strict and precise rigour of his conformity which either the severity of his Law or the sincerity of his nature requireth but in mercy hee leadeth man to bee confident and assured of the remission of his sinnes at Gods hands by the seale of his owne heart for by this as
by an indeleble character shall man seale to himselfe the assurance of Gods mercy if hee himselfe can bee mercifull For it is written Condemnation mercilesse shall be to the man that will not shew mercy but mercy rejoyceth against judgement Againe on the other part whilst St Luke forbeareth the word As for feare of wounding the weake conscience and useth the word For it is not to make the word causall but cōmiserative for he setteth not down that word as a cause or meritorious occasion procuring and adjuring God to bee mercifull unto us but the word is a word of commiseration and pitty drawing the argument from the lesse to the more and importuning God onely with the remembrance of our weaknesse as if hee should have said If we who are evill can forgive in any condition O thou who art rich in mercy forgive us fully freely and finally I have looked thus upon the word in the native genuine signification thereof freeing both the wounded conscience from the terrour of severity and withall putting a bridle in the lips of the presumptuous man lest at any time hee should runne out It resteth now that wee make use of the word in the true signification thereof Vse The use wee make is this I see heaven is so good a thing that all men would be at it and mercy so sweet that every man would have a part and portion in it Yet O behold the vanity of man whilst wee all ayme at the end wee are forgetfull of the way and whilst we gape after the felicity of the covenant wee forget the condition Will you enquire the cause It is this the covenants of God are peacefull and the promises of his rewards are rich and plentifull but the way to their fruition is thorny and hard Hee covenanted with Adam the dominion over his creatures and the fruition of all the garden but when the Impostor came hee made the condition hard and in so doing hee shut them up from the knowledge of good and evill Hee covenanteth with Abraham the possession of the land of Canaan but the condition was hard Offer to mee thy first borne of the free woman Isaack Hee covenants with Gedion the deliverance of his people from the tyranny of Midian but the condition was hard Cut downe thy fathers grove c. neither are these termes hard as being the voice of the Law but what is more they have beene of the very like and equall severity under the Gospell For will you consider to whom it is that Christ Jesus promiseth comfort it is to them that mourne To whom promiseth he the kingdome of God but to them that are poore in spirit To whom satisfaction onely to those who hunger and thirst after righteousnesse And finally to whom doth hee promise ease and relaxation from their sinnes onely to those who are weary and laden and to such as take up their crosse and follow him daily O then what a folly is this amongst the sonnes of men to snatch at the grace of the covenant with the mis-prise of the conditiō yet behold for reformation of our weaknesse in this point it hath pleased our Redeemer to annexe the condition to the covenant shewing us that unlesse we be carefull of the restipulation wee cannot bee able to crave the benefit of the first bargian for as it is generally holden amongst men that our one handed contract cannot stand so is it also with God and us Hee never broke his part of the covenant hee made nor forfeited at any time his part of the obligation the forfeiture is onely ours for though hee keepe wee breake and though hee covenant mutually yet wee scorne the restipulation but alas wee do pittifully deceive our selves it shall not bee so with us as it was said to Simon Magus in the case of his bribery when hee thought to purchase the grace of God by money Peter answered him Thou hast no part nor portion with us in this inheritance because thy heart is not upright in the sight of God but thou art in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity Act. 8.21 So shall it be said to us in the time wee deprecate our iniquities thou hast no part nor portion O man in the worke of mercy because thou wilt not bee mercifull and I will not forgive thee shall God say because thou wilt not forgive thy brother From the particle of simimilitude wee come now to the persons to whom this similary practice of pardon is imposed and the word is plurall and indefinite plurall Wee indefinite tending and extending it selfe to all sexes sorts and conditions of men whatsoever When I reade and ponder these words I cannot but call to minde some other places and passages of Scripture in the which the like peremptory dealing is expressed to us I remember Iacob on a time wrestling with the Angell of the covenant the great Angell seeing that he could not prevaile said to Iacob Let mee goe I pray thee but Iacob answered I will not let thee goe till thou blesse mee Likewise Ioshuah being desired to goe up with Israel to the land of promise answered I will not goe on forward except thou goe with mee And as it hath beene the wisedome and care of the children of God to wrestle with him for the attaining of his blessing so it hath beene alwaies the care of God to wrestle with his Saints in the day that hee would blesse them to propound unto them a condition of difficulty by the obedience whereof hee might draw them from themselves to an absolute reposing and relying upon his mercy This is his practice also here wherein howsoever he be a God rich in mercy slow to anger and of great kindnesse forgiving transgression iniquity and sinne yet when hee dispences his pardon and disposeth his love mercifully towards us that hee may seale the assurance thereof to us hee will wrestle with us a little while in controlling the humour of our corrupt nature that when hee lets us see our corruptions subdued to him wee may by way of argumentation from the lesse to the more assure our selves of the riches of his favour towards us So that the meaning of the word is this Man wouldst thou have favour surely I thinke thou wouldst beginne thou then first thou madest the first fault make the first amends for it is reason so to bee What art thou in respect of mee or what is thy pardon in respect of mine What art thou I say in respect of mee Dust and ashes and to dust and ashes shalt thou returne againe But loe I am a great and incorruptible God before whom the heavens are not pure and in whose presence the Angels doe cover their faces as uncapable of my glory And as there is a difference betwixt thee a finite and corruptible creature and mee an infinite and incorruptible Creator so is there also as large an extent of difference betwixt thy wayes and my wayes
in their obedience so God who is our Supreme and dread Soveraigne as hee requireth the obedience of his statutes to testifie our homage and loyalty to him so also as a mighty and just king hee will both enable us to do that which hee requireth of us and protect us in the doing thereof against all our enemies whatsoever Againe as it carryeth a direct reference and reciprocation with the second Petition so doth it also import a direct opposition to the last Petition for therein wee acknowledged that wee had many enemies the devill the world and our owne flesh as Kings and Tyrants not only dwelling in us but also tyrannizing over us and leading us captive unto sinne and what comfort could wee have in this our conflict or what hope of victory should there bee left to David against the sonnes of Zerviah unlesse our leader were a King more mighty then these A monarch more powerfull to save then they to destroy Surely none at all But knowing that there are more with us then against us and knowing that the lyon of the tribe of Iudah is stronger then the strong man which keepeth us in captivity what need wee to be afraid if an earthly king will not suffer a wrong done unto his subject to bee unrepaired do wee thinke that King of Kings our Lord and our God will suffer Sathan to keepe us alwayes in captivity No surely he may wel suffer us like David for a while to tarry at Jericho untill our beards and garments be renewed but at last hee will smite our enemies hippe and thigh and wound them with a wound in their loynes that they shall not bee able to rise againe This then is the cause why he stileth himselfe not onely a King but the King by way of excellency and eminencie above all Kings whatsoever You may remember whilst we spake of the kingdome of God in the second petition of this prayer wee told you that Sathan had a kingdome man had a kingdome and God had a kingdome Sathans kingdome was no true kingdome for it was and is no other thing then a meere usurpation and an inforced tyranny over the hearts of men which onely of due appertaine unto the Lord. Mans kingdome is onely a kingdome by toleration and dispensation from God but Gods kingdome onely is the true kingdome both in name and nature for all things are of him and through him and for him that in all things hee may have the preheminence Justly therefore may our Saviour teach us and we learne to say unto God Thine is the kingdome For Sathans kingdome Carcer est non regnum saith St Augustine Mans kingdome is but subordinate for it is written Per me reges regnant by mee kings raigne onely God is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords higher then the highest a mongst the sonnes of men and to him onely of due appertaineth the kingdome the power and the glory for ever Vse The consideration hereof should comfort us exceedingly in the middest of our greatest calamities and distresse For wee are not the subjects of that king who is carelesse of our captivity and tribulation No but wee have him for our head and soveraigne who knoweth our necessities from a farre and is touched with a sense of our sufferings and finally which is more materiall for our consolation hee is the King of Kings the supreme and dread soveraigne of all creatures not onely willing but also powerfull and able superabundantly to helpe us As it is written to the Ephes To him that is able to worke exceeding abundantly in us above all that wee can aske or thinke And Sr Iude testifieth the same To him that is able to keepe you that you fall not c. What need wee then bee afraid of the pestilence that flyeth by day or of the sword that roareth abroad in the night season If wee dwell in the tabernacle of the most high and abide under the shadow of his wings no evill shall come neare us for he hath a hooke for the nostrels and a bridle for the lips of thē that rise against us They may come out one way against us but they shall fly seaven waies before us for hee is a mighty King that leadeth us and who hath wrastled with him at any time and beene victorious Let us not feare then what man can do unto us Men are Kings but none can say that hee is the King except God alone It is true indeed Kings are called Gods and as S. Basill telleth us a King is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a visible God but God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an invisible King Yet that is true of all these Kings which David telleth us I have said ye are Gods and the sonnes of the most high yet ye shall die like men And ye Princes shall perish as well as others It is neither their state glory pompe nor authority that can redeeme their soules from the grave Nam Principes Imperatores Reges saith S. Gregory imo Imperia Principatus regna paulatim senescunt aegrotant concidunt What need we then be afraid of man or of the sonnes of men whose breath is but in their nostrells they can but kill the body But let us feare the Lord in our heart for when hee hath killed the body he can cast both soule and body into hel fire where their worme shall not die and their fire shall not goe out againe Now having spoken this concerning the kingdome of God wee must come now to these titles and attributes by which hee describeth this kingdome And from consideration whereof hee laboureth to give us arguments and assurance of audience at the hands of God The titles are three Power Glory and Eternity First then hee saith that Gods kingdome is a kingdome of power Wee must know that the power of God is taken many severall wayes in Scripture First for the essentiall propertie of God which being in himselfe is himselfe and of him and from him communicated to the creature giveth unto it an essence beeing power and force of action to do whatsoever hee doth and this essentiall propertie is common to the Father with the Sonne and the holy Ghost Secondly it is taken for Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity 1 Cor. 1.24 To them that are called as well of the Iewes as of the Gentiles wee preach Iesus Christ the power and wisdome of God Thirdly it signifieth the Ghospell of Jesus and the word of the Evangell Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation to every beleeving soule But here by the word power is understood that all-sufficient omnipotencie which being in God is God and by him maketh all things to bee which are And as all power is in him Tanquam in capite so is all power from him tanquam à fonte This our Saviour acknowledged when hee told Pilate Thou couldest have no power over
secondly for instruction It serves for rebuke to the Church of Rome who by the imposition of their extraordinary and unnecessary fastings hope to enter into the kingdome of God But to those I say yet not I but Jesus Christ for me Fooles and hypocrites you make cleane the outer side of the cup and the platter but within all is foule and full of ravening Foole dost thou thinke that the kingdome of God standeth in meate and drinke or in apparell No no it standeth in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost What careth God I pray thee for a bit of meat that goeth into thy belly or for that rag of clothes that covereth thy nakednesse When he is hungry will he tell thee or when hee is thirsty will hee that thou shouldest give him drinke or if he were cold or naked would hee begge the use of thy garment No surely those things are not for him but for us and for our use Hee made our bodies of the earth earthly hee hath breathed the breath of life in our nostrils that by it wee may live in the body he hath given us also the use of his creatures for the preservation of that sparke till hee recall it What is it then should make man so bold to inhibit the use of that thing which God hath licenced or what art thou O man that darest pollute that which God hath sanctified to thee Well hath the Apostle Paul fore-prophesied of thee that in so doing thou hast a shew of godlinesse but in effect thou hast denyed the power thereof for these things may have a shew of wisdome in a will-worship and neglect of the body but in effect they are but the rudiments of the world and the ordinances and traditions of men for they hold not of our head which is Christ Jesus I graunt indeed it fareth not with the soule and the body as it fareth betwixt an evill matched man and his wife the thing that the one willeth the other willeth not and if any neighbour shall pacifie the strife with reason hee hath gained a soule It is even so with the matter of fasting if whilst the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit fighteth against the flesh wee can beate downe our bodies and bring them in subjection it is more then requisite But if wee shall think hypocritically by so doing to merit or procure to our selves the Kingdome of heaven wee deceive our soules and our labour is in vaine for the kingdome of God standeth neither in meat drinke or apparell but in righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Vse 2. And as it serves for rebuke of the Church of Rome so doth it also for instruction to our reformed Church and that in a twofold manner for it teacheth a lesson to the rich man and another also to the poore man It teacheth the rich man to eschew covetousnesse for if God give him bread hee giveth him all that hee oweth him wee cannot bee content till our table be richly decked and our cup overflow but alas these things ought not to be so for we came naked into the world and naked we shall returne againe If wee get therefore food and rayment it becomes us therewith to be contented Nature is not curious in herd yet nor chargeable in her fare shee can say with the Poët Vivitur parvo bene all that she craveth is but bread and water a clout to cover her nakednesse and a hole to hide her head in when God sendeth more she can use it with sobriety when God denyeth it shee can bee thankfull and say with Iob The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken c. And when she seeth the best chear in the world set before her she accounteth it all but bread The crummes of the rich mans table was bread although refused to Lazarus and the rich mans sumptuous fare was but bread Daniels pulse and water was bread and the Kings royall fare was but bread the huskes of the swine was bread to the prodigall child and his fathers feast was but bread Thus the true christian in all things is content hee canne bee abased and hee can abound he can bee hungry and he can bee full he can want and he can have Philip. 4. And in the midst of his fulnesse hee is carefull of nothing so much as that the Lord send not a leannesse upon his soule Secondly as it teacheth the richman to measure the things of this life not by the ell of his desires which have no end but by the ell of nature which is short soone contented so from this the poore man hath a lesson of content When hee looketh to his neighbour and seeth him better cloathed better fed better followed and better favored then himselfe truly nature would grudge and murmure in a naturall man But if thou bee a christian let mee exhort thee in the name of Jesus whose name is called upon by thee represse these fond imaginations Consider that God hath taken nothing from thee but what hee gave thee And that in wisdome hee holdeth thee short of those things that hee himselfe may be thy portiō Blessed art thou if he be so to thee It may be for a time thou hunger and thirst but thou shalt bee satisfied and it may be for a time that thou mourne and weepe but thou shalt be comforted The way to procure thy content it not to measure thy want with other mens wealth No no but looke to the woe that their wealth hath bred them and consider how ease and fulnesse of bread hath made their hearts fat and hath lulled them into the lethargie of a giddie minde whilst by means of thy want God hath preserved his life in thy soule Wouldst thou then change estates no doe not if thou be wise for they who possesse those things stand in slippery places they seldome or never leave their owners without a fall How many this day are in hell who would goe naked to bee partakers of the garment of righteousnesse who would be still hungry to get a poore crumme of the booke of life and dye a thousand deaths for thirst to get one drop of that water that could coole the heate of that flame which they sustaine but oh they cannot obtaine it they have lost their time and their judgement is sealed While therefore thou hast time in time redeeme the time for the daies are evill and if thou get food and raiment learne therewith to be content and if thou be greedy of any thing in the world be greedy of grace for if thou hast the grace of God thou art richer then Cresus because thou hast Christ who when hee was rich became poore that in his povertie thou mightest be made rich LECT 11. Give us this day our daily bread THe second thing considerable in these words is the person of whom wee aske this and it is of God for whilst in the preface wee say Our
Father behold here wee say to him Give In handling of this word a supplication wee have three things to consider First to whom it is powred out to God Secondly after what manner by way of begging Thirdly for what reason because of his command Aske and you shall receive The first thing remarkable in this word of the Petition is of whom wee crave our bread and I see it is of God Will any man enquire why it is that for every peece of bread wee put in our mouth wee should goe to God and aske it of him this may seeme a little strange for there are many that have more bread lying beside them then they can get eaten and many like the rich man in the Gospell have more in store then they can make use of This may well then become the poore man who when hee dineth in the morning knoweth not where to suppe at night or if hee have gotten a morsell of greene hearbs at night knoweth not the next morning where to breake his fast I thinke it were no fault in him to goe to God and to begge of him every bit and morsell of bread that goeth into his mouth for a rich man dineth when he pleaseth but the poore man when he may Yet to answer I say it is requisite for the rich as well as for the poore when hee sitteth at table to say Give mee and that for three causes First for the honour of God Secondly for instruction of the owner in the right title of the creature Thirdly for his instruction in the remembrance of them that want and in the use of the creature I say first that it is done for the cleering of the honour of God both that he openeth his eare and his hand for our deliverance from our meanest distresses It was said of old amongst the Heathen of their God non vacat exiguis rebus adesse Iovi It is not so with our God blessed bee his name The meanest distresse that his servants could ever stand in they never sooner opened their mouth to cry but straight he bowed downe his eare and heard them They could never sooner present their wants before him then he opened his hands and filled them with his blessing And if I should be particular what is it that God would not give him if hee seeke it of him Man as a naturall man hath a naturall life in him which as it is from God by inspiration so it must bee entertained by God and his providence till he recall it in his wisedome Hee gave it before we were he recalleth it before wee bee aware but hee entertaineth it by making us sensible of our wants and supplicants to him for our reliefe Matt. 6. As man is a naturall man and hath the maintenance of his naturall life of God so is he ordained by God to communicate and propagate his peace on earth Which if hee aske not of God hee will not give it him and unlesse that God give it him he shall not have it Looke to Abrahams servant going for a wife to Isaak and to Sampson seeking a wife amongst the Philistims Besides this peace is requisite for the maintenance of mans life and this hee cannot have except God give it For as he is the Lord of hosts and the leader of our battailes so is he the God of our peace also It is he who in the day of battaile can hisse for a flie against Aegypt and for a Bee against Ashur Esau 7.18 So it is hee that breakes the Bow and the Speare in Judah Psalme 40. and cryeth such a peace to his people that a covenant is made betwixt them and the stones of the field neither is this all For man as the servant of God for his Gods sake may bee called to suffer If in that day we call on him will he leave us No no hee hath forbidden us to care for our accusations for his Spirit in us shall speake for us and that with such efficacy and force of truth that our adversaries shall not bee able to resist it Matt. 10.19 Seeing therefore all our necessities are manifest before him our teares in his bottle the haires of our head in his hand our supplications in his bosome and our dayes in his register Why should we in our distresse feare to draw neare to him No it is his honour that wee draw neere For he hath said Come to mee all yee that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you And againe Whosoever comes to mee him I cast not away For the brused Reed I will not breake and the smoaking Flax I will not quench As it serves for the honour of God to see his children come and seeke a peece of bread of him so it instructeth the children of God also in the right use of the creature For it is written Man what hast thou that thou hast not received and if thou hast received it why gloriest thou And to make this a little more cleere thou wilt finde that in the use of the creature thou hadst need to goe to the Creator and to say Give mee 〈◊〉 and that for two causes First thou canst not attaine to it unlesse he give thee it and next thou caust not have a blessing with it unlesse hee give it thee First thou canst not obtaine it unlesse he give it thee For thou maist rise early at Morne goe late to bed at Night and all the Day long eate the Bread of Sorrow But all is in vaine unlesse God give the increase Looke to all the things that are in nature and see what the naturall man can doe to them for their conquest I presuppose thou art going to the sea canst thou make the winde blow right in thy saile thou canst not For if God would give every man his desire in the winde such a confused whirlwinde was never seene in the world so as the whirlewinde that blew downe Iobs house should not bee like it And therefore his windes sometimes sit in thy face another time in thy neighbours And by so doing and crossing all your desires teacheth you only to depend on him For it is he only that giveth What I speake to the seaman I speak to the husbandman to the clowne to the courtier Yea what I speake to one I speake to all It becommeth us in the use of the creature to doe two things First to deny our selves and then to runne to God First deny thy selfe for thou art weake in a two-fold weaknesse weake in judgement and weake in power In judgement not only concerning the things of God which the naturall man knoweth not but also concerning the secrets of nature which man knew once by nature but knoweth not now by reason of his fall Aske the Astrologue the Soothsayer the Necromancer and all those vaine searchers of vanities who doe sow iniquity and reape vanity And who asking counsell at their stock have nothing but their staffe to answere them Hosea 4.