An exposition of the Lords Prayer made in diuers lectures, and now drawne into questions and answers for the greater benefite of the simpler sort: whereunto is prefixed a briefe treatise of prayer for all men. Published at the request of diuers godly and well disposed: by W. B. minister of the Word at Reading in Barkshire.
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An EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER, made in diuers Lectures, and now drawne into Questions and Answers for the greater benefite of the simpler sort: Whereunto is prefixed a briefe treatise of prayer for all men.
Published at the request of diuers godly and well disposed: By W. B. Minister of the Word at Reading in Barkshire.
AT LONDON, Printed by the Widdow Orwin for Thomas Man, dwelling in Pater-noster row at the signe of the Talbot. 1594.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, AND HIS SINgular good Lord, Robert Earle of Essex and Ewe, Vicount Hereford, and Bourghchier, Lord Ferrers and Chartly, Lord Bourchier, and Louaine, Knight of the noble Order of the Garter, Master of her Maiesties Horse, and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell: W. B. wisheth encrease of al true honor in this life, and eternall felicitie in the life to come.
SOme are desirous (right Honorable) to store vp those things to their further benefite, which before they haue heard to their present comfort, like the good men of Athens which sayd to Paul, We will heare thee againe of this matter, Act. 17. At the request of such men I haue yeelded to the publishing of those [Page] Lectures which I made vpon the Lords Prayer: notwithstanding the labours of other reuerend & excellent men, which haue both trauailed farre, and waded deepe in this argument. And if any man looke for any new matter at my hand, he doth but loose his labour: for I must confesse that I haue walked by their lights, & trode their steps for the greatest part of my iourney: neither haue I taken vpon me to performe any thing by my self more then others haue done, but to ioyne with others in the building of the spirituall temple, wherevnto I haue brought such as I had. And for my owne part, I thinke my selfe most highly bound to praise his heauēly Maiestie, that hath vouchsafed me (the most vnprofitable of al) a place amongst his builders, though I bring but lime & morter to the building, and a place amongst his souldiers, though I doe but now & then [Page] strike a stroke, or carrie their armour after them, and a place amongst his skilful Archers, though my selfe doe but giue aime at the marke as it were in respect of them that haue pearced it, and gotten the victorie: they are gone before with the vintage, I come after with the gleanings, which may bee as acceptable to some as the haruest is to others. And seeing as the Lord blesseth whom he will, and by whom he will, I knowe no cause of discontētednes to remaine vnto any, seeing it is lawfull for euery one to doe what good he can, both by speaking and writing, especially in these dayes wherein Sathan beareth such sway, and by his seruants laboureth by all meanes possible to hinder the growth & thriuing of Gods church, to destroy the faith of Gods childrē, to hold al men in miserable blindnes & ignorance: yea, and if it were possible, to bring to passe that God shuld [Page] haue no true worship, yea no worship at all done vnto him amongst the sonnes of men. I am bolde my good Lord to offer this small treatise vnto your Honor, both in respect of my bounden duetie, as also for the worthines of the matter handled therein, which sheweth both the matter of prayer, and also the right order and maner of calling vpon the name of God, amongst all estates, at all times, in al places, & for al wants, which is such a poynt of Gods worship, as who so hath attained vnto the true knowledge, & right practise of the same, hath obtained a great matter, if not the greatest of al in this life. For such a one may haue free accesse to the throne of grace, and stand in the presence of the almightie, when another shall flie from his presence: such a one may batter and beate downe the walles, the cities, and the holdes of mightie enemies, [Page] when other shall not dare to come neere them: he shall breake the prison doores, and make yron gates to open of their owne accord, when others shall lye by it: he shall doe as much with one man, as others shall doe with a hundred, and more too: for he shall be able not onely to preuaile against men, yea though they bee many, and mightie, and craftie, but he shall preuaile with God himselfe like Iacob, vntill he hath preuailed against Sathan, and all the power of hell, and gotten the masterie ouer himselfe, euen to the deniall of himselfe, for the trueths sake, which is the greatest victorie that can bee gotten: he shall haue power & skill to tame his owne affections, which is more then the taming of wilde beasts: he shall finde patience in aduersitie, and thankfulnes in prosperitie, and contentation in euery triall: he shall see the mountaines couered [Page] with heauenly souldiers for the defence of Gods people, as Elisha did: he shall raise [...]he dead, and water the earth with aboundance of raine, as Elias did: he shal stop the mouthes of the hungrie lions without any violence, as Daniel did, and quench the flames of fire without any water, as Shedrach and his fellowes did. In a word, the effects of prayer are wonderfull and infinite: for what may not he haue and effect, that shall but aske and haue?
Who were euer more honoured of men, then they that haue giuen most honour vnto God? And who doe more honor the Lord, then they that doe truely call vpon his name by prayer? who more renowned, and beloued then the godly, and zealous in true religion? And what godlines or religon can there be without the true knowledge and right practise of prayer? who were euer more valiant [Page] in warre, more milde in peace, more cherefull in prison, more sober in libertie, more painefull in health, more comfortable in sicknes, more godly in their life, or more happie in their death, then the faithfull? And who were euer faithfull without prayer, which is the chiefest fruite of faith, & borne with faith, both borne together like twinnes? To whome doth the Lord giue his grace and fauour, but to the humble and lowly? And who were euer truly humbled, but those which by prayer vnto God in the bitter feeling of sinne, haue most confessed, and acknowledged their wantes, their weaknesses, their imperfections, and al their iniquities?
Where did euer the manifolde graces of God meete and dwell, but in the soule of the faithfull, which haue still beene conuersant in calling vpon the name of Iehouah? For hee that hath the spirite of prayer, hath a [Page] speedie messenger continually in a readines, at all needes, to trauell for him betweene heauen and earth, and sometime bringeth with him liuely faith, and true repentance, sometime ioy in the holy Ghost, sometime patience in affliction, sometime assurance of Gods eternall fauour, sometime deliuerāce out of danger, sometime wisdome and discretion, sometime zeale of Gods glory, and loue to the brethren, sometime one grace, and sometime another, & sometime it causeth all these graces of God to meete together in one man, where they doe reioyce one in another, and one embrace another, like friendes mette at a feast, but the partie that doth entertain them is euer the greatest gainer. The heauenly art of prayer (if I may so call it) is an arte of all artes. He is counted the best Orator that can best perswade, & most moue the affections of men, but hee that [Page] hath learned to praye well, shall perswade not men perhaps, but GOD himselfe, and moue him that is the mouer and perswader of all mens heartes and affections. Philosophie searcheth out much by argumentes and demonstrations, but all grounded vpon naturall reason: but prayer seekes out those thinges that reason doubteth, yea and despaireth of, because it is grounded not vpon reason but vpon faith, which is farre aboue all naturall reason, and is then most busie, & liuely in working whē natural reasō is at her wits end. Grammar teacheth to speake well, but not the language of Canaan, that is, the holy language of God, as prayer doth. Arithmeticke helpeth a man to number many thinges: but by the arte of prayer we may learne to number our dayes as Dauid desired, which is to apply our heartes to true wisedome, and that is the best numbring. The [Page] best Arithmetician cannot number that which is infinite, not by all his wit and skil compasse all to himselfe that hee hath alwaies numbred: but he that hath learned the arte of prayer may comprehend by faith (which doth accompany his prayer) the infinite mercies of God, and appropriat [...] thē to himselfe. Geometrie measureth out landes and Lordshippes, countries, and kingdomes, and the whole earth: but what is that to prayer? which measureth out heauen and earth and the land of the liuing, but yet no more then faith perswadeth her to bee her owne. Astronomie looketh aloft, and yet no hyer then the starres, measuring out the causes and effects of thinges by the course of nature: but the faithfull which haue the spirite of true prayer, looke vp to God himselfe which is exalted farre aboue the starres, and iudgeth not of thinges by the course of nature, [Page] but by the grace, and gracious promises of God, which doe ouer rule all nature. As for Musick, though it bee excellent, and delighteth the mind, yet is it not to bee compared with the hea [...] arte of praying, which helpe [...] [...] faithfull soule to true comfort in [...] middest of the greatest distresses and agonies that can bee. The studie of the scriptures and the knowledge of God, and of al other heauenly thinges, of all knowledge is the most excellent (I speake of illumi [...]ation, which is without sanctification) for that it causeth the minde to mount vp aboue the earth vnto the contemplation of diuine thinges, which other artes and sciences do not, whose matter and subiect is altogether of the earth, and earthly, and leadeth but to the earth: but he that hath the true knowledge, and the right practise of prayer (ioyned with the former) shall enioy God, & [Page] in him all true happines, which is more then to knowe it, or to see it. In a worde, a man may bee a good Grammarian and speake wel, a good Philosopher and dispute wel, a good Rhetorician and perswade well, a good Arithmetician & number wel, a good Astronomer and coniecture well, a good Musitian and play well, a good Politician and liue well, a good Linguist and interprete well, and a good Diuine and preach well, and in all these excell, and yet goe to hell when all is done: but they that haue these, and the spirit of sanctification and grace to teach them the right practise of prayer, are most happie: for they haue the key that openeth the doore of Gods liberalitie, which will bring them to the full possession of happines. Therfore my good Lord, sith prayer is an exercise of the soule, so princely, so honorable, so heauenly, so mightie, & [Page] euery way so excellent, and renowned as it is, what could I commend vnto your Honour that might better testifie a discharge of dutie in me, or better fit your Honors religious disposition, whose heart the Lord hath sanctified to the zealous embracing of his sacred worde and Gospell, and the aduancement of his glorie, in furthering the building vp of his Church. And nowe (hoping for your Honors fauorable acceptance hereof) I commend your Honour vnto the most gracious blessing and protection of the Almightie.
Your Honors most humbly to be commanded, William Burton.
A BRIEF TREATISE OF PRAYER: WHEREIN IS declared how farre it is lawfull to pray for all men: and whether it be lawfull to pray for the saluation of a reprobate or no:
By W. B. for the satisfying of his congregation, and cleering of himselfe.
Of all the spirituall exercises of a Christian (wherein stādeth the principall part of Gods diuine worship,) what one more holie, more heauenly, or more necessarie then true prayer? And yet what is more neglected, and prophaned as that is?Psalm. 14. Not to call vpon the name of God at all, is a note of a wicked man: and to pray though much and often without any regarde or care to pray aright,Esai. 1. is a badge of [Page 2] an hypocrite: Yet who almost for the whole neglect of so great a duetie, feareth the censure of a wicked man? or for the horrible prophaning of the name of God in abusing an exercise so heauenly and necessarie, suspecteth himselfe to be in the way of hypocrites, which leadeth to eternall destruction both of bodie and soule? Some care not whether they pray or no, & thinke it a needles labour and vnprofitable to call vpon the almightie, and such there were in Iobs time.Iob. 21. [...]5. The reason of which their outragious blasphemie, or blasphemous outrage, is their aboundant prosperitie, and great wealth, wherein they put their confidence, and in the pride of their wicked hearts sticke not either to deny God, or to defie him.Psalm. 55. Some thinke prayer to bee needfull, and doe sometime vse the same, being forced thereunto either by the biting of conscience, or extremitie of paine, or because it is the custome, and that it is good manners to doe as others doe. Some pray when they are at leisure, and till they bee at leisure God must waite vpon them, and when their good leisure seru [...]th them, the Lord shall [Page 3] haue his stint, whether they vnderstand it or no, or whether it be betweene waking & sleeping, or no, they neuer look to that: and if God will not take their lazie, drowsie, colde, slouthfull, ignorant, and idle prayers, he is like to get none of them: as though the halt, the lame, blinde, & skuruie sacrifices were good enough for him, when the diuell hath the best. Some are a little more deuout & earnest in prayer, but yet very preposterous and prophane, preferring earthly things before heauenly blessings like Esaw, who preferred pottage before an inheritāce: and when they craue such things, it is likewise as S. Iames saith,Iam. 1. to spend them vpon their own pleasures. Some pray, but not in charitie, because they are all for themselues, forgetting quite the cōmunion of Saints, which yet they say they doe beleeue. But if their praiers did proceed from that faith which worketh by loue, and by that loue which seeketh not her owne things,Galath. 5. then would they also remember the afflictiō of poore.1. Cor. 13.Ioseph, and the wants of their Christian brethren in all places of the world. Othersome haue more charitie in prayer, for [Page 4] they will not stick to pray for all Christian soules liuing or dead, like beggars which strawe their prayers at euery mans doore they come at. Some againe neuer pray for any man vntill they bee dead, and then they are merueilous pitifull, and painfull in throwing the [...]r deuotions after them, whom in their life time they neuer regarded. Some againe are growne to be more charitable in prayer thē God would haue them to be, like the Papists, which wil doe more worke for their wages, then euer the Lord required at their handes, because they wil not be beholding to him for heauen, but he shal be beholding to them for their works of supererogation. Such are they that holde wee ought to pray for all men, according to the very letter of the scripture, without any exception, liuing or dead, elect or reprobate, for the enemies of the Gospell as well as for the friends of the Gospell, that God would blesse them in al their enterprises, whatsoeuer they be, whether with God or against him, with Prince, or countrie, or against them, all is one: and for the reprobate likewise, that they may bee saued, as well as the elect, [Page 5] whatsoeuer God hath decreed to the contrarie: and some thinke it a poynt of charitie too, to pray for the diuels, and it may be in good policie that they doe it, for by this meanes, if they should chance to goe to hell, they may finde more fauour at the diuels hande, then others, because they were so charitable as to pray for him whē they liued. Now as touching those that of their charitie are so good as to pray for the saluation of the reprobate (whosoeuer they bee that is knowne to GOD) what warrant, or example out of Gods booke haue they to beare them out in this superfluous and foolish charitie? I cannot yet finde of whom they should learne to bee so pitifull, except it be of Pope Gregorie, of whom in the Popes Legend there is this storie recorded, to his euerlasting commendation, as they thought, viz. That on a time going through the Market of Rome, called Traianns Market, he remembred that Traianus was in Hell torments, because he dyed a Pa [...]nime or Infidell: and all on a sudden he betooke him to his deuotions, and in great pitie fell to prayer for Traianus being in Hell, and (as [Page 6] the storie sayth) a voyce from heauen told him that his prayers were heard, and Traianus should bee deliuered from the paines of Hell, but not from the prison of Hell: and he for his part (because he was so sawcie and bolde with God as to pray for one that God had decreed to be damned) must needes bee punished, and two penalties were appoynted him, of which he was to take his choyce, & that was either to lye two dayes in Purgatorie, or to suffer sicknesse while he liued. He knowing the paines of Purgatorie very well, would none of that, but chose rather to endure sicknes al daies of his life: wherevpon he presently [...]ell sicke, and diseased, and was euer after to his dying day troubled with feuers, or the axes, or head ach, or sore eyes, or gow [...]e in the feete, or with one disease or other. And well enough serued, to teach him to pray for a reprobate another time. And surely if all those that are so charitable as Pope Gregorie was, that is, to pray for the saluation of all men, without exception, if (I say) they were sure to be inioyned Pope Gregories penance, it would make them take heede [Page 7] how they prayed against the will of God for reprobates and all, while they liued.
But now for the better satisfying of those which haue been troubled about this matter, and desired resolution at my hands for the remouing of their doubts, wee will a little further consider of the matter, and see what we are to iudge of it by the word of God, which is the perfectest rule that wee can goe by.The state of the question. Your question (beloued in the Lord) is, Whether it be lawfull to pray for al men or no: yea euen for the very reprobate whom God hath reiected in his eternall counsel, that they may bee saued in the day of the Lord: for that is the state of the question indeede. To which my answer is, that all men being taken in that sense, we are not, nay we ought not to pray for all, because all shall not be saued. Indeed some of the ancient writers haue thought that al men shall be saued,Origen. and that the diuels and all shall bee saued in the day of iudgement. But that was their error: for it is euident by the whole course of the scriptures, that al men shal not be saued.Matth. 7. There is a broad way, and there is a narrow way, sayth the [Page 8] Lord Iesus, the one leading to destruction, the other to saluation. Many walke in the one, fewe finde the other. And being once in hell there is no redemption. Againe, many shal striue to enter and shal not enter: to shew that all shall not be saued. And the Apostle saith, that the church is like a Noble mans house,2. Timoth. 2 wherein are vessels some appoynted to honour, and some to dishonor, and the Lord knoweth who bee his: as if he should say, also the Lord knoweth some that be not his: and all to shewe that all shall not bee saued. The whole world standeth of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers; they that beleeue passe from death to life;Ioh. 3. they that beleeue not are condemned alreadie: therefore all shall not bee saued. When the Sonne of man commeth to iudgement, who shall stande before him? Goates and sheepe sayth the Euangelist,Matth. 25. to whom he shall say, Depart ye wicked into hell fire: to the other, Come ye blessed, &c. therefore all shall not bee saued. This doth Saint Iohn also plainly shewe,Apocal. 21. when hee sayth, that there is a burning, lake without the heauenly Ierusalem; wherein the whore of [Page 9] Babylon shall bee tormented, and with her dogges, that is, dogged people, enchanters, whoremongers, lyers, blasphemers, the fearefull and vnbeleeuers, &c. all which places doe crye lowde enough, and tell vs that all shall not be saued. The Apostle Paul rendereth a reason for it, whē he sayth, that it pleased the Lord to chuse Iacob, and to reiect Esau, that he might shewe his wrath,Rom. 9. 22, 23. and make his power knowne in the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction: and that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon the vessels of mercie, which hee hath prepared vnto glorie. But you will say, that we know not who be reprobates, and who be not, therfore we ought to pray for all. It is true indeede, that no man knoweth certainly who are the Lords but the Lord himselfe, doth it therefore followe, that wee must pray that all may bee saued? What? for those whom God will not haue saued? God forbid. Our Sauiour Christ (that was as wise and as charitable as they that hold this poynt) hath taught vs to pray otherwise: When you pray, say▪ Thy will be done: that is, Lord saue those whom thou wilt [Page 10] saue, and not whom thou wilt not saue. So that our prayers wee see must bee grounded vpon Gods will, and not vpon our owne willes. If then he will not saue all, we must not pray against his will, that he would saue al: For then in stead of saying, thy will be done, wee should pray thus or to this effect: Lord wee knowe that thou hast decreed, and appoynted from euerlasting, whom to glorifie in thy kingdome, and whom to cast downe to hell for euer:Esai. 46. 10. and we know that thy counsell shal stand, for so sayth thy word: but yet for all that wee haue a minde and desire to haue all men saued, therefore alter thy decree, and change thy purpose, that is, bee contrarie to thy selfe, and so not thy will, but ours be done. From such kind of praying, or rather blasphemous and presumptuous prating, the Lord deliuer vs, & giue vs grace to pray as his word doth teach vs to pray, that is, in our prayers to referre our willes to Gods will, and not to presume to craue that which God will neuer graunt. But for as much as God hath his number in al parts of the world, who are knowne to himselfe, and Christian charitie which is a [Page 11] most liuely fruite of faith, bindeth vs to pray for the whole Church of Christ, which is Catholike, that is, scattered vpon the face of the whole earth, which Church likewise is sometime visible, & sometime inuisible vnto men, and sometime more visible, and sometime lesse visible, as in the dayes of Elias, when the Lord had 7000. in Israel more then Elias sawe, as sharpe sighted as he was: and because all are not called at one houre, but some to day, some to morrowe, some at one time, and some at another: therefore it is lawfull for vs to pray for thē thus: That in Spayne, Portingale, Rome, Turkie, Iewrie, and in al other places of the world, yea, and of those which doe now persecute Gods Church, as sometime Paul did, so many of them as doe belong to Gods eternall election, it would please his Maiestie to conuert by the preaching of his word, and the effectuall working of his holy spirite in their hearts, or by such meanes as shall seeme good to his diuine Maiestie in his best appoynted time. And as for the rest, which doe not belong to his eternall election, and couenant of grace, we are to pray that [Page 12] his will may bee done vpon them, and he may bee glorified in his iudgements vpon thē, as he was glorified in the ouerthrow of Pharao, and his host.
But the matter must not bee so lightly carried away:Obiect. for they that hold the contrarie, seeme to haue scripture to beare them out: which if they did vnderstand and apply so well, as they can auouch it, al should bee well. The common alleadged place is out of 1. Tim. 2. 4.1. Timoth. 2. 4.God wil that al men shall be saued, and come to the knowledge of the trueth. Now for an answere, this I say, that, that place must of necessitie bee vnderstood either of the reuealed will of God, or of his secret will. If this place bee vnderstood of Gods reuealed will set downe in his word, then the sense is this, that God doth call all men by the preaching of his word to the knowledge of his trueth, and to eternall life, if they beleeue in Christ: and this saluation is offered to all men, though al men beleeue not. For by this meanes the reprobate and vnbeleeuers, are shewed what they shuld doe, and so are left without excuse in the day of iudgement. But God doth not [Page 13] giue them grace to repent, and beleeue, as hee doth to the elect, because he hath otherwise decreed of them, and if he doth not, who shall compell him so to doe? or who shal complaine iustly against his diuine Maiestie, seeing as the Lord is bound to no man? If that place be vnderstood of the secret will of GOD, then the sense is three-fold: First, God will that all men shall be saued: that is, God in his eternall counsell, according to his good pleasure, hath decreed of all sorts and degrees of men to saue some, of Iewes and Gentiles some, of Kings and Princes some, of subiects and commons some, of learned and vnlearned some, of rich and poore some, of Captaines and soldiers some, of Marchants & Marriners some, of Craftsmen and Husbandmen some, and of all sorts, of all estates, and of all degrees, and conditions of men some shalbe saued: which agreeth with the saying of S. Iohn in the Reuelation, who sayth,Reuel 7. That he sawe a great multitude of all nations, and kindreds, and languages follow the lambe, that is, Iesus Christ, and stood before the throne, and praised him that sate vpon the throne. And the cause of [Page 14] the Apostles writing thus to Timothie, was for that the Church of God liued thē vnder Nero a wicked Prince and cruell tyrant, and an enemie to the Gospell of Christ, in so much as some doubted whether he were to be prayed for or no: therfore the Apostle puts them out of doubt for that matter, and sheweth that prayers must be made for Kings and Princes, and all men, and therefore for their Prince, though he were a wicked enemie, for that of all men and all sorts of men God hath his number, and what could they tel whether he were one of that number or no? therfore they were to pray for him. There is a seconde sense or meaning of those words deliuered by the learned, and that is this: God will that all men shall be saued, &c. That is, so many as are saued, are saued by the will of GOD, for as much as none are saued against his will. And that this may likewise bee the Apostles meaning, it may appeare by another place of scripture like vnto that. It is in Iohn. 1. 9. where the Euangelist speaking of the Sonne of God, he sayth thus: He was the true light that lighteneth euery man that [Page 15] commeth into the worlde: meaning indeede, that whosoeuer is lightened, is enlightened by the Sonne of God; not that euery one particularly that commeth into the world is lightened, none excepted: for there bee some in the world which remaine in darknes, and the Gospell is hidden from them,2. Cor. 4. 3, 4. such as the god of this world hath blinded, that is, the diuel hath blinded their eyes, that the light should not shine vnto them, as the Apostle sheweth. And this is no otherwise spoken, then wee vse in our common manner of speaking: For if there bee but one man in a towne that reacheth Grammar, wee say, such a man teacheth all the towne Grammar, meaning, that all that are taught of that towne are taught by him. Or if there be but one way into a Noble mans house, and suppose by one gate onely the way lyeth into the house: if any man aske of vs whether he may not goe into the house another way, wee will answere and say: No, al men go in at this gate, or the Noble man hath giuen commandement that all shall come in at that gate: meaning, that so many as doe goe in, doe enter by that [Page 16] gate. So in God there is but one will, by which all men doe enter into heauen, that is, all that doe enter into heauen doe passe by that will of God, and not without it, nor besides it, nor against it. But yet there is a third sense of that place in Timot. God will that all men shall be saued, &c. That is, God hath certainly decreed, that all his elect and chosen people shall be saued, but not euery particular man in the worlde. And wee are to consider, that this word (all) is not put alwayes in the scripture for euery particular man, woman, and childe, but sometime for the greater part, and sometime for the elect only. For the greater part it is taken in Gen 47. 15.Gen. 47. 15.All the Egyptians came vnto Ioseph, and sayd, giue vs bread, &c. that is, a great part of the Egyptians came to Ioseph: for you must imagine that some might be sicke, & some were infants, and could not come. And so it is also taken in Matth. 21. 10.Matth 21. 10.When he was come into Ierusalem, all the citie was moued, that is, the greatest part of the citie was moued. And in Mark 1. 5.Mark. 1. 5.All the countrey of Iudea went out vnto Iohn, and were baptized of him, that is, a great companie [Page 17] of Iudea. For the elect only it is also taken sometime: as in Luk. 3. 6. All flesh shall see the saluation of God, that is,Luk. 3. 6. all the elect shall [...]e it.Rom. 5. 18. And in Rom. 5. 18. As by the offence of one man, the fault came on all men to condemnation: so by the iustifying of one, the benefite abounded toward all to the iustification of life: that is, towards all the elect it abounded.1. Cor. 15. 22. And in 1. Cor. 15. 22. As by Adam all dye, so by Christ shall al be made aliue: that is, all the elect shall bee saued by Christ. These generall speeches must be restrained to their kinds, because (as Pet. Martyr sayth) the holy scripture doth marke two sorts of men, one of the godly, and another of the wicked: and doth vsually set downe vniuersall or generall propositions of them both, which the wise and discreete reader should obserue, and referre them, or restraine them to their proper kinde of which they bee spoken, and of which they are to bee vnderstood: As for example,I [...]h. 6. 45. in Iohn 6. 45. They shall all be taught of Goa.Ioh. 12. 32. Ioh. 12. 32. If I were lift vp from the earth▪ I will draw all men vnto me, sayth the Lord Iesus. And in Esai. 66. 23.Esai. 66. 23.From moneth to moneth and [Page 18] from Sabbath to Sabbath shal al flesh come to worship before me, sayth the Lord. And in Ioel 2. 28.Ioel. 2. 18.I will powre out my spirit vpon al flesh: with many such like. Now all these places are vniuersally and generally propounded, but yet they are to be restrained onely to the godly and faithfull people of the Lord, of them onely they are to bee vnderstood, and cannot be applyed to the wicked. So there be other places of scripture, which be as vniuersally propounded, but are to be vnderstood only of the wicked, and vnfaithfull, and not of the godly: as in Iohn 3. 32.Ioh. 3. 32.That he testifieth, which he hath seene, and heard, but no man receiueth his testimonie: that is, none of the wicked receiue it, or very fewe doe receiue it: for the faithfull doe receiue it, but the reprobate and vnbeleeuers doe not receiue it. And in Matth. 10. 22.Matth. 10. 22.Ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake: that is, of al the wicked. And againe, see the like in Philip. 2. 21. All seeke their owne, & not that which is Iesus Christs: that is, a great number do so, all the wicked doe so, but not the godly. There bee many moe places like vnto these, which must bee restrained to their proper kind: but this may suffice for an answere [Page 19] to that obiection out of Timothie.
There is another obiection as common as the former,Obiect. 2. and to as great purpose. And thus they reason: So many shall bee saued as Christ dyed for: but Christ dyed for all, therefore all shall bee saued. To which obiection some answere as the Schoolemen doe, that Christ dyed for all men, sufficienter, non efficaciter, sufficiently, but not effectually: meaning, that his death was sufficient to haue saued 10000. worlds, in respect of the merite of his death, by reason of the worthines of his person, if all did beleeue in him: but all doe not beleeue in him, therefore all shall not be saued. But this distinction of sufficiencie and efficacie, is thought, and that of very learned Diuines, to bee a very idle distinction, and too weake to beare away the burden of the question: for if Christ dyed sufficiently for all, he dyed effectually for all: and if it be not effectuall, how is it sufficient? And they hold that the efficacie of his death, and the sufficiencie of his death be all one. But to this replie will be answered againe, that it is sufficient, in respect of his owne merite, and should be effectuall for all if all did beleeue. But all [Page 20] doe not beleeue, and for them it is not effectuall. True it is, for vnbeleeuers it is neither effectual, nor sufficient. And whereas it is effectuall for the faithfull, it is in respect of the infinite merite of his death & passion, by reason of the worthines and excellencie of his person, wherein dwelt the fulnes of the Godhead bodily: [...] 2. or els it had been neither sufficient, nor effectuall for them, no more then for the other. Now whereas they say, if all did beleeue in him, his death were sufficient to saue all; it is true: but then it is demaunded againe, Why al doe not beleeue? It cannot be denied, but that fai [...]h is the gift of God, [...] and that it is not in mans power to beleeue when hee will, as freewill Papists dreame. Sure it was neuer intended in the vnchange [...]ble will and eternall purpose of God that they should beleeue, as it was his purpose on the other side to giue faith to his elect. And as it was neuer intended by God that all should beleeue, so likewise was it neuer intended by God that his Sonne shuld dye for al: but it was euer intended by his diuine Maiestie that his elect only should beleeue, so likewise was [Page 21] it intēded that his Sonne should dye only for the elect, whom onely the Lord purposed from euerlasting to saue by faith in the merits of his Sonnes death & passion. But as touching the vnbeleeuers, it was neuer intended by his Maiestie that his Sonne should dye for them: for if he had, then should they also haue beleeued as well as others. And therefore what sufficiencie of Christs death can be there imagined for vnbeleeuers, where there was neuer any intendement of his death for them?The death of Christ had been in deed sufficient for all men, if God had decreede it for al, or else not, for his will, power and grace, doe alwaies goe together: for what hee will doe, his power is sufficient to effect, but what his will or nature resisteth, his power and grace cānot effect. 2. Timo. 2. 13. He is faithfull, and cannot denie himselfe. In 2. Corin. 12. 9. The Lord [...] saith▪ My grace is sufficient for thee, but in Rō. 9. 18. Hee ioyneth his wil & his mercy together in the softning of the elect: and likewise matcheth his will and his wrath together in the hardening of the reprobate: to shew, that both of the elects saluatiō, and the reprobates damnation, there is a higher cause then faith in the one, & vnbeliefe in the other, and that is the will of GOD: with which his grace is sufficient to saue many, and without which it is not sufficient to saue any: for neither doth his grace drawe any to heauen, nor his wrath send any to hell against his will, but both are according to his good will and pleasure, & in both his owne glorie is the marke that he aimeth at. If any man wil say that Christ hath saued more by his death, then his father had from euerlasting elected, and chosen, he doth plainly deceiue himselfe: for Christs will and his fathers are all one: He prayed, Thy will, not mine be done. Christ dyed for none but those & such like, as he prayed for, being our Mediatour: And he prayed for none but for such as his father had giuen him, that is, for such as hee had elected to be saued by faith in him, as appeareth in Iohn 17. 9. I pray not for the world, but for such as thou hast giuen mee, for they are thine. Now, if the Lord Iesus [Page 22] had dyed for all the world, as hee did for the elect onely, shall wee thinke that hee would not also haue prayed for them as well as for the elect?
But (to draw to an end) if it be lawfull to pray for the saluation of the reprobate, th [...] is it lawful to pray for Iudas, & Saul, & Esau, of whō the scriptures do testifie, that they be reiected of the Lord. Iudas is called the lost child of perdition, and a diuell. Ioh. 6. Esau is sayd to finde no place to repentance, though he sought the blessing with teares, Heb. 12. And of Saul, the Lord himself in expres words saith, that he hath reiected him, 2 Sam. 7. Shall we now pray that he wold change his decree & receiue them againe to fauour? (Suppose that they were aliue againe, as they bee dead) but indeed prayer for the dead, & prayer for the reprobate, are much alike, the one hath as good warrant as the other, and the one shall bee heard as soone as the other. That it is not lawfull to pray for such as God hath cast out of his fauour, appeareth plainely by diuers places of the scripture: In Iere. 7. 15. 16. the Lord faith thus, concerning the obstinate Iewes which contemned the word of the Lord: I will [Page 23] cast you out of my sight, as I haue cast out all your brethren, &c. Therefore thou shalt not pray for them neither entreate me, for I will not heare thee. Vpon which place we may reason thus: Whosoeuer God hath cast out of his sight, that is, out of his fauour, and will not bee entreated for them, for such we must not pray, but such are all the reprobate, therefore we must not pray for them, I meane for their saluation. The very like words we haue againe in Ier. 11. 14. (speaking of obstinate Idolaters in the land of Iudah and Ierusalem) he saith thus to the Prophet: Therefore thou shalt not pray for this people, neither lift vp a crie, or prayer for them, for when they crie vnto me in their trouble I will not [...]eare them: To teach vs that wee must pray for none but for such as shall be heard themselues when they pray: but such are not the reprobate, Prouer. 28. for the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: therefore we must not pray for them. Many reasons and arguments moe might bee brought for this purpose, but these may suffice.
Now, as the scripture hath forbidden prayers to be made for those that are cast [Page 24] out of Gods gracious presence, so doth it also approue the prayers of the faithfull which haue been made against them, and against such as haue been apparant and professed enemies of Gods trueth and Gods Church: and thereof we haue many examples; as the Is [...]aelites praying against the Egyptians, both when they were oppressed in Egypt, and when they were dist [...]essed at the red sea. We haue also Moses holding vp his hands in prayer against Amal [...]k till they were weary:Exod. 17. 12.Hezechiah against Rabsakah, and Senacherib: Dauid prayeth against the vnnaturall conspiracie of Absalom his sonne, and the vngodly counsell of Achitophel his subiect. And in the Psalme [...] how many prayers doth he make against the enemies of God, that the Lord would confound them in their deuises, and destroy them in their conspiracies, that their memoriall might perish out of the earth? and many such: which are to teach vs, that as we are not to pray for the reprobate, whether they bee knowne to man or not knowne: so also we are bound sometime to pray against them, but especially against [Page 25] such as oppose themselnes maliciously against God, against his truth, and against his Church and children: for such were the persons against whom Dauid praieth so earnestly, and denounceth such fearefull curses and iudgements.As the Pope, Tur [...], Spanyards, and Papists, and other traitors doe. For shall we pray God to blesse and saue those that go about to destroy his Church, his truth, his annoynted, and his children? God forbid, but that either the Lord would conuert them, or so many of them as doe belong vnto his Maiestie, or els confound them in their mischieuous deuises & practises, when, and how it pleaseth him, that they may not make spoyle of the Lords inheritance. And yet thus farre, the scriptures doe teach vs to pray for the verie knowne enemies of Gods Church,Note. that the Lord would vouchsafe in his mercie to blesse them with temporall blessings, as health, and plentie, and peace for the Churches sake, that is amongst them: which is manifest in Iere. 29. 7.Iere. 29. 7. The Iewes being Captiues in Babylon, are commanded to pray for the prosperitie of Babylon: his reason is this: for in the peace thereof you shall haue peace: which is [Page 26] nothing els but to pray that the Whale may do well, & come safely to the shore, for Ionas his sake which is in his belly, and liueth in hope to be cast vp on land. And what els is this kind of praying, but in policie to reprieue a woman condemned by law, and to vse her well, to saue the childe that is in her wombe, which may proue a profitable mēber in the common wealth? But otherwise, if Gods enemies come to inuade, or deale extreamely with Gods seruants, or goe about any wicked enterprise against the Prince, or Countrey, or Gospell, or any Christian professor of the same, we ought to pray against them, and doe what wee can lawfully to suppresse them & roote them out, which is nothing els but to kill a Lyon, that a man may bee saued which is in the Lyons clawes readie and likely to bee deuoured: or to plucke downe one house that is on a fire, for the sauing of many that els are likely to bee consumed: or to pull vp the weedes that the corne be not choked. And further, as it is in these and such like poynts touching manners of men, so ought it also to be in matters of faith and doctrine, which (if [Page 27] it be not sound, but corrupt and false) tendeth to the destruction of the faith, & the soules of men, as the sword commeth to destroy the bodies of men. And therefore is commandement giuen by the Lord, that the false Prophet, and seducer of the Lords people should dye the death: and if any come with any other doctrine, then that which is agreeable with the word of God, Saint Iohn sayth, we must neither receiue him to house,2. Ioh. nor so much as bid him God speede, that is, we must not bee familiar with him, much lesse must wee pray for him, except it bee for his conuersion, if it standeth with the will of God, and not els neither.
Now a little to cleere our selues from the suspition of Pelagian heresie, wherewith some thinke that they are tainted, which deny prayers for the saluation of reprobates, and all men without exception, not respecting the will of GOD, whereunto all our prayers indeede are to be referred. Indeede Pelagius and his followers as they held many very foule and monsterous heresies, so in that matter of prayer they erred most grosly. But that [Page 28] the difference may appeare betweene Pelagius and vs, it will not bee amisse to set downe the words of S. Augustine, as they be gathered by that reuerend and learned man Dan [...]us in his booke of Heresies, who I belceaue did as well vnderstand S. Augu [...]ine, as they that would seeme to make thi [...] doctrine Pela [...]ian heresie by alleadging S. Augustine: Destruunt etiam orationes, quas facit Ecclesia, siue pro infidelibus, & doctrinae Det resistentibus, vt conu [...]rtantur ad Deum, siue pro fidelibus, vt augeatur eis fides, & perseuerent in ea. Haec quippè non ab ipso accipere, sed à seipsis homines habere contendunt, gratiam Dei, qua liberamur, dicentes secundum merita nostra d [...]ri: that is, The Pelagians doe destroy prayers which the Church maketh either for infidels, and those that resist the doctrine of God, that they may bee conuerted vnto God: or for beleeuers, that their faith may bee encreased, and they may continue in the same: for that they hold that men haue not this grace from God, but of themselues, saying, that our deliuerance is giuen vs according to our deserts. Here wee haue the heresie of Pelagius[Page 29] and his disciples plaine enough: [...] for my owne part I hold to be most accursed, and all true Christians fearing God, doe with all their hearts detest, and abhorre it. But let vs see what it is. They will haue no prayers to bee made by the Church, either for the conuersion of vnbeleeuers, or for the confirmation & strengthening of the faithfull. We hold the contrarie [...]o them both: for with the true Church of [...] we pray for the conuersion of Turkes, of Iewes, of Papists, of Atheists, and al vnbeleeuers, and heretikes, and vngodly men, if they belong to God, and stand with his sacred will: and wee doubt not but that God hath his number amongst them all, which are knowne best to himselfe, for he knewe 7000. in Israel that were no friends to Baal, more then Elias saw. Againe, amongst our selues that professe the Gospel, an vnbeleeuer to day may be a beleeuer to morrow, if his houre be come which God hath set: for all infidels or vnbeleeuers, which is all one, are not reprobates, for some may be conuerted, neither are all called at one houre: therefore charitie bindeth vs to liue in [Page 30] hope of him so long as he liueth, and in hope of his conuersion (if hee belong to God still I say, which no man knoweth but God himselfe) we are to pray for him, but still referring our prayers to the will of God. And againe, wee hold it a most necessarie and Christian duetie of loue, to pray for the confirmation of Gods children, and the proceeding and growing vp of the faithfull in faith, and godlines: therefore there is great oddes betweene the heresie of Pelagius and our doctrine.
There is no lesse difference in the reasons, then there is in the propositions: the reason why they denie the prayers of the Church for the conuersion of infidels, and the encreasing of the faithfull, is for that man hath (as they say) this grace of conuerting, and abilitie of beleeuing, repenting, &c. of him [...]elfe, which wee vtterly both denie and defie. But our question is of praying for the saluation of reprobates, and of all men without exception, and our reason is grounded vpon the will of God, and the vnchangablenes of his will. And thus you see beloued, that wee are as [Page 31] farre from the heresie of Pelagius, as they which would charge vs with heresie, are from vnderstanding what Pelagian heresie meaneth. Much more might bee said of this matter, but the large and full handling therof I leaue for those that are more able to performe it then my selfe, as God shall giue them occasion to deale therein. In the meane time, this may serue as a plaine confession of that which my selfe beleeue of that point, according to the worde of God, both for the cleering of my selfe from all suspition of heresie, as also for the better satisfiyng and further confirming of you my beloued in the Lorde Iesus, which are of my congregatiō which feare God, and are desirous of the trueth: and for your benefite indeed I was principally drawen to the penning and publishing hereof. The Lord giue that blessing vnto it which I could wish: and the God of all mercie and grace confirme and establish your hartes and soules, in the sauing knowledge of his blessed truth; and grant that your loue may abound yet more and more in all knowledge and iudgement, that you may discerne those things which [Page 32] differ, and allow the best things: and that you may be sincere and without offence, vnto the cōming of the Lord Iesus Christ, filled with the fruites of righteousnes, which are by Iesus Christ vnto the praise and glory of God. Reade with your best affections: and assist me with your prayers.
Answer. Prayer is a familiar,The definitions of Prayer. and friendly talke of miserable and mortall man, with the glorious and immortall God, wherein the heart being lifted vp, with sure faith and stedfast confidence in his promises, we doe either craue for such things as we want, or els giue thankes for benefits alreadie receiued.
Q. Now let me heare how you can prooue this definition of prayer by the Scriptures, and first, that it is a familiar talke of man with God?
A. That it is a familiar talke of man with God, it appeare [...]h by Abrahams maner of entreating and praying for Sodom, in Gen. 18. 27.Gen. 18. 27.
[Page 34]Q. How proue you that it is a friendly talke betwéene God and man?
A. It appeareth in that the Lord Iesus vouchsafeth to accompt of the faithfull as of his friends, and so to call them: in Ioh. 15. 14.Ioh. 15. 14.
Q. You say that prayer is a familiar and friendly talke of man with God, what may we learne by that?
A. We may learne two things:
1. That the loue of God is vnspeakable, which will vouchsafe to talke with most miserable & sinful men, and not seldome, but when, where, and how we will.
2. That we ought to prepare our selues both with outward and inward worship, and reuerence, when we come in prayer before his Maiestie,
Hest. 4. 16.
like Hester, who fasted and prayed before she went in vnto the King.
Q. You say in your definition of prayer, that prayer is made to GOD: ought we not to pray to Saints aswell as to God?
A. No. but to God onely.To God onely.
Q. How prooue you that?
A. I proue it by three speciall reasons,Proued by 3. reasons.[Page 35] or arguments drawen out of the word of God.
Q. What is your first reason?1. Reason.
A. In Matth. 4. 10. The Lord Iesus sayd vnto the diuell, Thou shait worship the Lord thy God, and him onely shalt thou serue.
To pray to God is to worship and serue him, therefore to him onely must wee pray.
Q. What is your second reason?2. Reason.
A. We must pray only to him to whom we may say, Our father. But wee can say thus to none but to God only: and therefore wee must pray to none but to God onely.
Q. What is your third reason?
A. In Rom. 10. 14. it is sayd:Rom. 10. 14.How shall we call on him on whom we haue not beleeued? vpon which place I reason thus:
The obiect of our faith must be the subiect of our prayers:3. Reason. Christ only is the obiect of our faith, therefore Christ onely must be the su [...]ect of our prayers.
Q. The Papists say we must beleeue in the Saints,Obiect. and therfore pray to the: [Page 38] [...][Page 39] [...][Page 36] and that they seeme to prooue by two places of Scripture: the one is, Philem. 4. 5. I thanke my God for thy loue, and faith which thou hast towards the Lord Iesus, & all Saints: onely by placing the words: How answer you this place?
A. There must bee an inuersion of the words, for loue in the first place is giuen to the Saints, and faith in the second place is giuen to Christ.
Q. How prooue you that?
A. It appeareth plainly in the 7. verse, where the Apostle sayt [...]: We haue great ioy, and consolation in thy loue, because by thee brother, the Saints hear [...]s are comforted.
Q. The other p [...]ace is in Exod. 14. las [...] verse,Exod. 14. [...].They beleeued God, and his seruant Moses.
A. To beleeue one is to giue credite to his word, so did they: for they beleeued Moses, that is, they gaue credite to his words, but it is not sayd they beleeued in Moses: so wee may beleeue the words of Saints, when they speake the trueth: but to beleeue in Saints we may not, for that is proper to God onely.
[Page 37]Q. We pray to Saints not as helpers, but mediatours.Obiect.
A. We stand in need of no mediatour, but onely one, and that is Iesus Christ, as appeareth in 1. Tim. 2. 5.1. Tim. 2. 5.There is one God, and one mediatour betweene God and man, the man Iesus Christ.
Q. Why may not a Saint, or a holie man be a mediatour to God for vs?
A. Because none can bee a mediatour between God and man, but he that is perfectly iust: but none is so but Christ, and therefore none can bee a mediatour but Christ.
Q. How prooue you that?
A. In Heb. 7. 25.Heb 7. 25 He is able to saue perfectly them that come to God by him, seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them: for such a high Priest it became vs to haue, which is holy, harmeles, vndefiled, separate from sinners, and made hier then the heauens.
Q. It were great presumption for any man to steppe to Christ at the first,Object. considering our owne unworthines: therefore we must haue one more worthie then our selues, who being in greater [Page 38] fauour with him for his worthines, may boldly make intercession for vs.
A. To this obiection I answer 3. waies:
1. If it be presumption to goe to Christ at the first,
1. Answer.
then were all the Primitiue Church very presumptuous, who concluded all their prayers not by Peter, nor Paul, nor the Virgin Mary, nor any Saint, but onely by Iesus Christ.
2. The Saints of God hauing most occasion to cast downe themselues by reason of their sinnes,
2. Answer.
yet neuerthelesle had accesse by prayer to God himselfe.
Q. What examples haue you of any such?
A. There be diuers examples:
1. Dauid in consideration of his murther, and adulterie, was greatly humbled, yet when he was thus abased in his owne eyes, he went to God himselfe: as appeareth in Psal. 51.
Psalm. 51.
2. The Publican was greatly humbled, when hee durst not looke vp to heauen, and yet he prayeth to GOD himselfe, saying, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner.
Luk. 18. 13.
[Page 39] 3. The prodigall sonne in his greatest extremitie vsed not the helpe of any his fathers seruants, which were in greatest credite with him, nor of his owne brother, but steppeth to his father himselfe.
Luk. 15. 25.
4. The Centurion had no conceit of himselfe, when hee sayd to the Lord Iesus, I am not worthie thou shouldest come vnder my roofe: and yet hee went not to any of his Disciples, but to the Lorde himselfe, for his seruant that was sicke.
Matth. 8. 5, 6
It is no presumption to be bold where wee are commaunded,The 3. answer. and warranted, but where wee haue no commandement, nor warrant, there it is presumption: the Papists haue no warrant to pray to Saints, therefore they are presumptuous.
We haue a warrant out of the scripture to goe vnto Christ.
By Christ wee haue boldnes and entrance,Ephes. 3. 12. with confidence by faith in him.
Let vs therefore goe boldly to the throne of grace,Heb. 4. 16. that wee may receiue mercie, and find grace in the time of neede.
[Page 40] If men may not presume to come to earthly princes at the first,Obiect. [...] but by the meanes of many mediatours they doe come vnto them; much les may we presume to come to God, that is the prince of all Princes, without the mediation of manie.
To this obiection I answere,Answer. that the comparison holdeth not betweene God, & earthly Princes: for, 1. No king knoweth the want of al his subiects; and though he doe, yet he must haue some to put him in mind of them: butGen. 19. 29. Psalm. 105 8. Psalm. 111. 5. God knoweth and remembreth all the wantes of all his children himselfe, and of himselfe.
2. It is not safe for all sortes of men to be admitted vnto the Kings presence, because of treasons: but the LordPsal. 2. 7. 3. 4. Prou. 21. 30. [...]eareth nothing that man can doe to him.
3. They for pride wil not, or for waightie affaires cannot attend to the sute of euery man: But the LordesPsal 34. 15. Psal 139. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. eares are alwayes opē to heare the sutes of al his children in all the world at one instant.
But to graunt that the comparison holdeth: We say, that if the Prince should appoint ani [...] one, by whom, and by no other [Page 41] we should offer to him our supplications, then it were our part to offer our sutes to him only: and the Prince might iustly punish vs, if we should goe to any other.
Euen so, seeing God hath appointed hisMat. 3. 17. Ioh. 16. 23, 24. onely Sonne to be the onely meanes by whom we shall present our sutes vnto his Maiestie, wee must goe onely to him, and if we shall go to any other, the Lord may iustly punish vs for the same.
Obiection.Obiect. The Saintes prayed for vs, while they hued amongst vs in this vale of miserie, much more therefore will they pray for vs now being in perfect ioy and happines.
Answer.Answer. It followeth not: for,Iam. 5. 14.
1. We haue precepts commanding vs to craue their prayers being aliue: but being dead there is no such matter.
2. We doe not so desire praiers of the Saints which be aliue, as they doe of them which bee dead: for they pray to them, that by force of their intercession, and by vertue of their merits they would obtaine that at Gods hand which they stand in [Page 42] need of: but we pray them to ioyne with vs in humble prayer to God, or to commend vs to God in their prayers.
3. Here in earth we may certifie them of our wants, and so they may pray with vs for the supplie of our wants: but after death wee cannot tell them of our particular wants, neither doe they knowe our wants vpon earth: as appeareth most plainly in the scripture.
Esai. 63. 16.Esai. 63. 1 [...]. Doubtles thou art our father, though Abraham bee ignorant of vs, and Israel know vs not, yet thou O Lord art our father, and our redeemer, thy name is for euer.
Q. You say in your definition, that in prayer the heart must bee lifted vp to God: how proue you that?
A. I prooue it by the word of God, Psal. 25. 1.Psalm. 25. 1. Vnto thee O Lord, lift I vp my soule.
Psalm. 86. 4.Psalm. 86. 4. Reioyce the soule of thy seruant, for vnto thee O Lord, doe I lift vp my soule.
Ephes. 6. 18.Ephes. 6. 13. Pray alwayes, in all manner of prayer and supplication, in the spirit. See more in Esai. 29. 13, 14.Esai. 29. 13.Hose. 7. 14.Hose. 7. 14.
[Page 43] 2. The lifting vp of the hands, & eyes, &c. ought to put vs in minde of the lifting vp of the heart: for the hand lifted vp to God without the heart, is but hypocrisie.
3. This lifting vp of the heart without the outward gestures of the bodie hath preuailing with God: See 1. Sam. 1. 12, 13.1. Sam. 1. 12. Exod. 14. 15.Exod. 14. 15.
Q. You say againe in your definition of prayer, that prayer must bee ioyned with faith in the promises of God: how proue you that?
A. Because faith is the very life of our praiers, yea, there is such affinitie between faith and prayer, that without faith there is no prayer.
2. Our prayers are answerable to our faith: much faith, much prayer, little faith, little prayer, weake faith, weake prayer, no faith, no prayer.
Iam. 1. 6.Iam. 1. 6. Let him aske in faith, and wauer not.
Psal. 71. 1.Psalm. 71. 1. In thee, O Lord, I trust, let me neuer be ashamed.
Psal. 116. 10.Psalm. 116. 10. I beleeued, therefore did I speake.
[Page 44]Q. If our faith be weake, h [...]w may it bée strengthened?
A. If our faith bee weake, it may bee strengthened two waies.
1. By remembring the sweete promises of God made to them that pray to him vnfainedly. See Esa. 65. 24. Psal. 50. 15.
Psal. 50. 15. Psal. 91. 15. Esa 65. 24.
2. By looking to the performance of these promises, either to our selues, or to some other, as Dauid did, 1. Sam. 17. 37.
1. Sam. 17. 37.
and Iehosaphat. 2. Chron. 20. 7.
2. Chron. 20. 7.
Q. Now it remaineth to be prooued, that in prayer we doe either craue such things as we want, or els giue thanks for benefites alreadie receiued: which is the last thing I obserue in your definition of prayer.
A. It is true: for euery true prayer standeth vpon petition, or thanksgiuing, if not both, vnto which two, all kind of prayers may be referred.
Q. But are not these two, viz. petition, and thanksgiuing, to bée ioyned together in prayer?
A. Yes, they are often coupled together, as in 1. Timoth. 2. 1.1. Timoth. 2. 1.I exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giuing [Page 45] of thanks be made for all men.
Col. 4. 2.Col. 4. 2. Continue in praer, and watch in the same, with thanksgiuing.
Philip. 4. 6.Philip. 4. 6. Be nothing carefull, but in all thinges let your requests bee shewed vnto God, in prayer, and supplication, with giuing of thanks.
Q. What if one of these bée wanting?
A. It is no true praier which want one of these,
Q. The Papists haue added the salutation of Mary,In Luk. 1. 28. and the Creed, to fill vp the number, what say you to the salutation of Mary, is it not a prayer?
A. The salutation of Mary, is no prayer: for,
1. There is no petition, nor thanksgiuing in it.
2. If wee should grant it to be a prayer of the Angel,
The salutation of Mary, no prayer.
yet it is not to her, for Aue, is as much as if hee said, I pray God thou maiest reioyce.
3. It is a salutation and no prayer, as appeareth in verse 29. She thought what manner of salutation that should be.
Q. What say you of the Créed, is not [Page 46] that a prayer?
A. No: It is nothing els but a briefe rehearsall of our faith,The Creede no prayer. or a briefe summe, or abridgement of the chiefe heads of Christian religion: wherein wee doe not addresse our speech vnto God, but make a publique confession of those thinges vnto the congregation: Ergo, it is no prayer.
2. There is in it neither petition, nor thanksgiuing, that is, we do neither craue any benefite, nor giue thanks for any benefite in the Creede: therefore it can bee no prayer.
Q. When are petitions to be made?
A. When occasions bee offered,The necessitie of prayer. and that is at all times both in respect of outward and inward wants. If wee looke to our soules, they haue three wonderfull enemies, the world, the flesh, and the diuell: therefore wee ought continually to be exercised in petition, or prayer. Yea, it is so needfull, that without it there is no comfort to a troubled mind.
Q. Haue any vsed praier as a meanes to finde comfort, when their mindes haue béen troubled?
[Page 47]A. Yea, it is sayd of Anna,1. Sam. 1. 10. that she was troubled in her minde, and prayed to the Lord. It is also sayd of our Sauiour Christ,Luk. 22. 41. that he went aside from his Disciples, and kneeled downe, and prayed:43. and there appeared an Angell vnto him from heauen comforting him:46. and afterward he bad his Disciples to rise, and pray, vsing this as a reason, lest ye enter into temptation: to shewe that prayer is a speciall meanes appoynted of God, both to preuent temptations, & to comfort in temptations.
Ob. God knoweth all our wants before wee pray, therefore it is a néedles thing to pray.
Ans. He hath commanded vs to pray, therefore it is not needles, and he knoweth our wants before, and therefore wee ought to pray vnto him: for if hee did not know our wants, wee ought not to pray vnto him.
Q. Séeing as GOD knoweth our wants before wee aske, why doth hee commaund vs to tell him of our wants in prayer, as though he knewe them not?
[Page 48]A. Not to be enformed at our hands of any thing which he knew not before: but,
1. To acknowledge him to be the author and giuer of all good things, and our helper in time of neede.
2. To exercise our faith and obedience: our faith, while wee waite patiently, and looke stedfastly for the performance of his promises: our obedience, while wee doe that which hee hath commaunded vs.
Ob. Gods deer [...]e is vnchangeable, and therefore to pray is in vaine.
Answ. Nay therefore we are sure to be heard, because his counsell and purpose is immutable, for according to his promise hee will heare our praiers, alwaies prouided, that our prayers bee agreeable to his will: so that this serueth rather to make vs more willing, and earnest in prayer, because wee haue Gods commaundement for our warrant, and his promise for our encouragement.
Q. When is thankesgiuing to bee made?
A. At all times, and in all our prayers, for wee haue occasion of it, wheresoeuer [Page 49] we looke, and seeing the Lord neuer ceaseth to doe good vnto vs, therefore wee must not cease to speake good of his name.
Of the diuers sortes of Prayer.
Q. HOw many sortes of Prayer bée there?
A. Although we haue set downe but two in generall, yet vnder them are contained many particular kindes.
Q. Show which those be?
A. Petition is two folde:
1. In respect of others.
2. In respect of our selues.
Q. Petition in respect of others, of how many sortes is it?
A. It is of two sortes, either for them. or against them.
A. When it is made for the whole Church of God, militant vpon the face of the whole earth, as in Psalme 28. 9.Psalm. 28. 9.Saue thy people, and blesse thine inheritance, feede them also, and exalte them for euer.
Q. How is it speciall?
A. When it is made for particular Churches, or persons.
Q. Where finde you, that prayers haue béene made for particular Churches?
A. In Rom. 1. 9. 10.Rom. 1. 9. 10. Paul saith, that continually in all his prayers, hee prayed for the Church which was then at Rome. And in Philip. 1. 3. 4.Philip. 1. 3. Hee saith that in like manner he remembred the Church of the Philippians.
Q. Where finde you any praying for particular persons?
A. Dauid prayed for his childe.
The Centurion for his seruant.2. Sam. 12 16.
The womā of Canaā for her daughter.Matth. 8. 6.
The congregation for Peter in prison.Matth. 15. 22.
And Saint Iames saith,Act. 10. 5. Iam. 5. 16.The prayer of a [Page 51] righteous mā auaileth much, if it be feruent.
Q. When is prayer to bée made against others?
A. 1. When we see Gods glory by others defaced.
2. When wee our selues are iniuried, and oppressed by others.
Q. How proue you the first?
A. In Esa. 37. 17. [...]sa. 37. 17. Hezekiah hearing the railings, and blasphemies of Rabsakah (who was sent by Senacherib for that purpose) fell to prayer saying: Encline thine eare O Lord and heare, open thy eyes, O Lord and see, and heare all the wordes of Senacherib, who hath sent to blaspheme the liuing God.
Act. 4. 24.Act. 4. 24. And when they heard it, they lift vp their voyces to God, with one accord, &c.
Q. How proue you the second?
A. In Exo. 22. 23.Exo. 22. 23.If you vexe, or trouble such, (that is) the widdowe, or fatherles childe, they shall call and crie vnto me, and I will surely heare their crye.
Apoe. 6. 9.Apo. 6. 9. I sawe vnder the altar the soules of them that were killed for the word of God, and for the testimonie which they [Page 52] maintained, and they cried with a loude voyce, saying, How long Lord, holy and true, doest not thou iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Alexander the Coppersmith hath done me much harme (saith S. Paul) the Lorde rewarde him according to his workes. See also in Luke 18. 7. 8.2. Tim. 4. 14.
Q. What say you of Prayers which respect our selues?
A. In them we desire of the Lord two things in generall:
1. To turne away euill things from vs, and this is called deprecation.
2. To grant vs good things, which we stand in neede of, & this is called petition.
Q. Where haue we any examples of the first?
A. Salomon prayed:Prou. 30. 8. Gen. [...]2. 11. Remoue from me vanitie, &c. Iacob prayed in like manner. I pray thee deliuer mee from the hand of my brother Esaw, for I feare him, &c.
Q. Where finde you any of the latter?
A. In Salomon, when he saide,Prou. 30. 8. Gen. 24. 27.giue me foode conuenient: And in Abrahams seruant, who prayed and saide, O Lorde God of my master Abraham, I beseech thee, send [Page 53] me good speed this day, and shew mercie, &c.
Q. When we haue occasion to pray against euils & calamities, what course is best to be taken?
A. In these prayers the saints in times past, haue vsed two things, which doe also belong to vs:
1. A confession of their sinne, whereby they deserued that punishment which was vpon them.
2. A lamentation of their present estate, thereby to set an edge vpon their prayers.
Q. How proue you this?
A. In Dan. 9. 5.Dan. 9. 5. 6. 7. We haue sinned, and haue committed iniquitie, and haue done wickedly, yea, we haue rebelled, and haue departed from thy precepts, and from thy iudgements, for we would not obey thy seruants the Prophets, which spake in thy name to our Kinges, to our Princes, to our Fathers, and to all the people of the land: O Lord, righteousnes belongeth vnto thee, and vnto vs open shame, as appeareth this day, &c.
Q. When wee praye for any good thing which wée want, what must wée doe?
[Page 54]A. Wee must acknowledge our owneGen 32. 10. vnworthienes, and craue it in the Iohn. 16. 33 24. name andFeuela. 5. 9. worthines of the Lorde Iesus.
Q. When God hath graunted our requests, what is then to be done?
A. We are then to returne thankes vnto the Lord for the same,Gen. 24. 27. as Abrahams seruant did,Iudges 1. as Deborah did, as Moses & the Israelites did,Exo. 15. 1. as Hanna did, as the Leper did,1. Sam. 2. 1. and as all the faithfull doeLuk. 17. 15.
Q. But in whose name must wée returne our thankesgiuing; in our owne, or in some bodies else?
A. It must not bee in our owne name,Ioh. 16. but in the name and mediation of Iesus Christ, in whome God is well pleased, and in whome all our seruice and sacrifices of prayers and praises must be accepted, or else they are most abominable in his sight.
Of the place of Prayer.
Q. WHere must all these kindes of prayer be made?
[Page 55]A. The place is either generall and vncertaine, according to necessitie and occasion, or speciall, and certaine, according to order, and custome.
Q. How generall?
A. In euery place, or in any place it is lawfull to praye, if occasion doe serue,Gen. 24. 12. as Abrahams seruant prayed in the fielde,Dam. 6. 22. Daniel in the Lyons denne, Paul in prison,Act. 16. 24. 25. Dauid in the wildernes: and to this agreeth the Apostle whe [...] hee saith: Let men praye euery where, liftingPsalm. 42. 6. 1. Tim. 2. 8.vp pure handes without wrath or doubting.
Q. What place call you a speciall place for prayer, that is according to order?
A. It is of two sortes, either publique or priuate.
Q. Which call you publique prayer?
A. That is, when the Churche of God is mette in a publique place with a publique consent, for publique benefites.
Q. Where haue you a warrant for that?
[Page 56]A. Iehosaphat proclaymed a fast through all Iudah,2. Chro. 20. 3. 4. and Iudah gathered themselues together to aske counsell of the Lord.
Peter and Iohn went vp together to the Temple,Act. 3. 1. at the ninth houre of prayer.
Q. These are good examples indeede, but what promise of blessing doe you finde, that God hath made vnto publique prayer?
A. It is promised as a blessing of it selfe, and a blessing is promised vnto it besides.
Q. Where is it promised as a blessing?
A. In Esa. 56. 7.Esa. 56. 7. Euery one that keepeth the Sabboth, and polluteth it not, & embraceth my couenant, them will I bring to my holy mountaine, and make them ioyfull in my house of Prayer.
Q. Where is a blessing promised vnto it?
A. In Math. 18. 19. 20. Verely I say vnto you,Math. 18. 19. 20. that if two of you shall agree in earth, vpon any thing, whatsoeuer they shall desire, it shall be giuen them of my Father which is in heauen: for where two or three are gathered [Page 57] together in my name, there am I in the middest of them.
Q. What say you of priuate prayer?
A. Of priuate prayer there be certaine degrees.
Some be
more priuate,
lesse priuate.
Q. When is it the more priuate?
A. When a man sequestreth himselfe from al company, and hath none to heare him but the Lord.
Q. Where haue we anie warrant for this?
A. Wee are exhorted vnto it by the Lord Iesus himselfe, in Mat. 6. 6. & we are therin cōfirmed by the example of Christ, in Luk. 22. 41. and of Peter in Act. 10. 9.
Q. Which cal you lesse priuate praier?
A. That is lesse priuate when a man prayeth in companie of others, as the Master with his familie, the Tutor with his pupilles, the Husband with his wife, the wife with her seruants and children, in her husbands absence,Act. 10. 30. or one friend with anothe, as Cornelius prayed with his householde.
[Page 58]Q. Of publique prayer, and priuate prayer which is most forcible?
A. That is publique prayer, for if the prayers of one righteous mā be auailable,Iam. 5. 16. much more are the prayers of many together with one cōsent: & therfore this hath been most desired, and Dauid complained that hee was not suffered to come to the house of God with the congregation, and tooke it for one of the greatest crosses that euer came vnto him, as it appeareth in Psa. 27. 10. Psal. 42. 1. 2. 3. 4. Psal. 84. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Of the Conditions of true prayer.
Q. WHat conditions are required in prayer, that it may be acceptable in the sight of God?
A. They are of two sortes.
1. In respect of God, and they are 6.
2. In respect of our brethren.
Q. Which is the 1. condition y• is required in prayer in respect of God.
A. 1. It is necessary that we bring in our prayers true & vnfained repentance, [...]nce. humbly confessing, & earnestly bewailing our selues, and crauing pardon for our sinnes.
[Page 59]Q. Why is cōfessiō Confession. to God necessary?
A. Because it is as a key to open Gods priuy chāber dore, for our sins haue made a wal of seperation between God and vs, so that this must first bee remoued, before our prayers can ascend to him, or his graces descend vnto vs.
Q. Where find you that the Saintes haue taken this course in prayer?
A. The saints & holy men haue alwaies vsed to confesse their sins to God, making mention of all their fresh sins, & by them bringing to minde their sins done long agone, as Dauid did Psal. 25. 7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth,Psal 25. 7.nor my rebellions. Crauing pardon for murther, & adulterie newly committed, he calles to minde his natural sin and corruption, Psal. 51. 5.Psal. 51. 5.Behold, I was borne in iniquitie, and in sin hath my mother conceiued me.
Q. What may we learne thereby?
A. By this we may learne that when we cānot repent effectually as we would, that then we should presse our selues to repentance, with the remēbrance of our former sins, like him that calleth for more waight, that he may be the sooner dead.
Q. What say you then of impenitent [Page 60] persons which pray, but are neuer touched, not grieued with the féeling of their sinnes?
A. They which continue, and goe forward in sinning without repentance, are not heard.
Q. How proue you that?
A. Dauid sayth:Psal. 66. 18. If I regard wickednes in my heart, the Lord will not heare me.
Salomon sayth:Prou, 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, but the praier of the righteous is acceptable vnto him.
Againe:Prou. 28. 9. Hee which turneth away his eare from hearing the lawe, euen his prayer shall be abominable. And,
Esai sayth in the person of God,Esa 1. 15. When you shall stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes, and though you make many prayers, I will not heare you, for your hands are full of blood, i. e. full of oppression and crueltie.
The second Condition.
Q. WHat is the second condition?
A. It is a true and liuely fayth.
Q. What meane you by that?
[Page 61]A. I meane that in prayer wee must haue a sure and stedfast confidence in the promises of God, that they shall bee performed, yea albeit we can see no naturall reason for it.
Q. Why is it necessary that we haue faith in Gods promises when we pray?
A. 1. Because without faith our prayers are but vaine babling.
2. Because prayer is a fruite of faith, and a branch of it, and therefore it is impossible that true prayer should bee without faith.
3. He that doubteth of the promises of God (as the Papistes doe, and teach) doe make God a lyer, and no performer of his promises, which is as great dishonour to him as can be, for then is he not a God, but a very diuell:Ioh. 8. 44. for the diuell is a lyer from the beginning, and the father of lyes.
4 What hope can hee haue to obtaine his request, that makes God a lyer? and Iehoua, who is perfect holines, no better then a diuell?
Q. By what Scripture doe you proue that we must pray in faith?
A. In Marke 11. 24. and 1. Iohn. 5. 15. [Page 62] Iames 1. 6.
Q. How shall we know the promises of God?
A. That we may know the promises of God, it will stand vs in hand to frequent the word preached, which is the onely ordinary meanes to beget faith in vs: and often to reade the scripture, because they are the storehouse of Gods promises.
Q. What must we doe, when we doe know the promises of God by the word of God?
A. We must beleeue, & embrace them, & euer in prayer charge God with his promises, and make vse of thē in our praiers as Simeon did,Luk. 2. 26. 29. saying: Lord now lettest thou thy serua [...]t depart in peace according to thy word: i. e. according to thy promise.
Q. May not we use those words of Simeon as a prayer aswell as he?
A. If we be readie to depart as Simeon was, and haue such a promise of departure, and in that maner, as Simeon had, we may, or els not.
Q. Why so?
A. Because we must pray for nothing, but wee must haue a commandement for [Page 63] it, and a promise to be heard.
The third Condition.
Q. WHat is the third thing that is required in prayer?
A. True humilitie, and reuerence.
Q. Why is that requisite?
A. Because then wee present our selues before the great king of kings, and as beggers, and wee haue nothing in vs that is good, but looke for all graces of him. Yea, we come as theeues, & traitors before our Prince, and therefore we must come with reuerence, and in all lowlines to prostrate our selues before him.
Q. Theu belike we may not come in a confidence of our owne merites and righteousnes?
A. No, al our deserts must be cast away, and we must rely only vpon the mercie of our prince, for if we come arrogantly, we shall rather moue him to anger, then to pittie vs.
Q. How proue you al this?
A. In 1. Pet. 5. 5.1. Pet. 5. 5. Godresisteth the proude, but giueth grace to the lowly.
The Publicane came in al humility,Luk. 18. 12. 14. whē [Page 64] he durst not lift vp his eyes to heauen but fell downe,Luk. 18. 12. 14. and sayd, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner: and the Lord Iesus sayth hee went home more iustified then the other.
Such humility had the Centurion when he sayd,Luk. 7. 6.Lord I am not worthie thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe, &c.
The fourth Condition.
Q. WHat is the fourth?
A. It is also required that our prayers be neither cold, nor fainting, but zealous and earnest, not comming onely from our lippes, but from the bottom of our hearts.
Q. What reason haue you for that?
A. Because it is as odious, and vnseemly a thing for a mans heart to be led away in prayer, as for a man that is making his sute to the Prince, to turne his backe vpon him, or to turne his side to talke to another, as though he regarded him not: for our secretPsal. 139. 1. 2. 3. 4. thoughtes are so visible vnto him, as outward gestures are vnto man.
And againe:Heb. 4. 13. Cold prayers haue colde entertainment, for he that craueth coldly, [Page 65] doth but teach the other to denie him his request.
Q. What if wée want this [...] prayer, or would haue this [...] and zeale encreased in vs, how may it be done?
A. It may be done two waies.
1. Our hearts must bee in wardly touched with the want of those things which we craue, and for this end, we are seriously and duly to consider by our selues, how necessary those things are which we [...]ske, and how miserable we are without them.
2. We are to consider our owne wants, our pouertie, weakenes, and inabilitie to accomplish those things which wee aske, without the blessing of God: for if wee care not for those things which we aske, or put any confidence in secundary causes, as strength, friends, riches, &c. it is no meruaile though our prayers be cold.
Q. What other reason haue you for this?
A. Hee that desireth meroy must bee touched with the feeling of his miserie, or els, for want of this, our wordes are but winde, our prayers are but pratlings, and [Page 66] our pitifull shewe of mourning is but a shamefull mocking of GOD: this may [...]
Q. [...] how for example?
A. As thus, to say (as many doe commonly and customably say, by the booke of common prayer,) That it may please thee to giue us grace to amend our liues according to thy holy word, &c. Yet meane nothing lesse, neither doe they knowe wherein they doe amisse, though the wordes in themselues bee good, yet in them that so say them, it is a meere mocking of GOD, and prophaning of his name.
Agayne: to say, Pitifully beholde the sorrowes of our heartes: when their hearts be no whit sorrowfull for their sinnes, it is the like.
Likewise, to say: O Lorde let thy mercie bee shewed vpon vs, as wee trust in thee: when wee trust in GOD no further then wee see outwarde meanes to helpe vs withall: though the wordes bee good, yet to them that so vse them, they bee not so: and so I might say of manie moe such prayers.
[Page 67]Q. [...] such kinde of prayers [...] and condemned in the worde of God?
A. [...] 22. the Lorde sayth thus: Your free offring shall [...] blemish shal [...] in it: blinde, or broken, or maimed, or hauing a wenne, or skur [...]i [...], or skabbed, these shall ye not offer vnto the Lord, &c.
Q. But this concerneth the sacrifi [...]ces of the Iewes, what is this to our prayers?
A. Yes, and it toucheth vs & our prayers too, for vnder those offerings of beasts commanded to the Iewes, were shadowed and figured out the praiers of the faithfull vnder the Gospel,Prou. 15. 8. which are called by the needs of sacrifices,Hos. 14. 3. and calues of the lipp [...]. And therefore wee are to knowe hereby, that as he then could abide no sacrifice that was of the blinde, or broken, or maimed, skuruie, or skabbed, &c. to haue it offered vpon his Altar: so nowe hee can as ill abide our ignorant prayers, or prophane, or cold, or sluggish, or counterfeite prayers to bee offered vnto him: for he accounteth of them, but as of lame, [Page 68] and skuruie sacrifices, &c. but as then the Lord looked for the best, so doth he [...].
The fifth Condition.
Q. What [...] prayer?
A. It is further required that our prayers be made according to the will of God, and not according to our [...] [...]ff [...] ctions.
Q. What meane you by that?
A. I meane that wee must not appoynt vnto God, what, and when, and where, and how, and how much, or how little, &c. but all to be as himselfe will in his holy worde.
Q. What if wée pray for spirituall graces, as for faith, repentance, hope, loue, patience, knowledge, zeale, wisdome, &c.
A. Then wee must pray absolutly without anie condition, because the Lord hath promised to giue his spirite vnto his children, whatsoeuer els they lacke.
Q. What if wée pray for temporall blessings?
[Page 69]A. Then▪ we must pray conditionally, if the Lorde see them good for vs, and if they may bee for the furtherance of our saluation, & the aduancement of his glory.
Q. How proue you this?
A. In Iam. 4. 3. 1. Ioh. 5. 14.
Q. What if a Christian be in paine, or the Church vnder the crosse of persecution, on other affliction, is it not lawfull to pray against those things, & to be deliuered from them?
A. If God may get more glorie by our sufferings, then by our ease & quiet, then wee must not pray against them, but as the Lorde Iesu [...] did, Iohn 17. 15.Ioh. 17. 15.I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the worlde, but that thou keepe them from euill. So we must pray, not that God would take vs out of our paine or sufferinges, but that in them he would keepe vs from euill, as from murmuring against his hād, distrust, impatiencie, despaire, &c.
Q. What say you to the infirmities & weaknesses of Gods children which remaine in their vnregenerate parte, to humble them: whether is it lawfull to pray against them or no?
[Page 70]A. Yes, it is lawfull, because they are sinne, and sometime the Lord doth [...] some of them, and manie times he [...] his children their request, when they pray against their infirmities, [...] his power is made manifest in them, and so his glory [...] thereby the more aduanced.
Q. But what? doth the [...] thē giue his children leaue [...]?
A. Not [...] with his grace he doth [...]o vphold them, that they shall not fall finally way from him.
Q. How may all this be proue [...]?
A. By the wordes and witnes of the Apostle who saith thus of himselfe▪ And lest I should be exalted out of measure,2. Cor. 12. 7. [...]. 9 through the abundance of reuelations; there was giuē vnto me a pricke in the flesh, the messenger of sathā to buffer me, (by which he meaneth the vnregenerate part of remnants of [...] in him) because I should not be exalted out of measure. 8. For this thing I be sought the Lordi. e. oftentimes. thrise, that it might [...] from me. 9. And he said vnto me, My grace is sufficient [...] thee, for my power is [...] perfect through weaknes.
Q. What do you cōclude vpō this place?
[Page 71]A. I conclude that wee must pray, That Gods name may be hallowed: i. e. that hee may haue glory by vs: but whether it shal be by our infirmities, or without our infirmities hee hath appoynted, and must appoynt that himselfe.
The sixt Condition.
Q. What is the sixt and the last condition that is required in respect of God himselfe?
A. That we continue in prayer, and not giue ouer at the first, nor prescribe God a time, but patiently waite his leysure.
Q. How proue you that?
A. Out of Luk. 11 5. 6. 7. &c. by a parable propounded by our Sauiour Christ. 2. Out of Mat. 15. 22. to 1. 29. by the example of the womā of Canaā. 3. out of Ge. 32. 24. to 30. by the example of Iacob, [...] with the Angel, vntil be receiued a blessing.
Q. [...] in what respects our prayers must [...]e like Iacobs wra [...]ling?
A. There must be, 1. a striuing: 2. a suffering: 3. a deniall of our request: 4. a continuance all repulses notwithstanding: 5. blowes and crosses more then we looked [Page 72] for: 6. perseuerance for all that: 7. a blessing will come in the end.Esa. 62. 6. 7. See more in Esa. 62. 6. 7.
Q. Why dooth the Lorde defer to heare the praiers of his children?
A. For many causes:
1. To try their faith & patience, not that (he) is ignorant of their faith, &c. but to make them more manifest to the world.
2. That they may humble themselues and suspect themselues of some sinne that they haue not repented of.
3. To make thē more earnest in praier, for, the more we be denied, the more we do entreat to obtain, if we desire it greatly.
4. That they may make the more account of Gods benefites and graces, when they haue them, and may bee the more thankfull for them.
Q. What bee those conditions that bée required in respect of our brethren?
A. In generall it is required,Conditions in respect of our bethren. that wee pray in loue and charitie towards all men, so far forth as we can.
Q. Why must wée satisfie them that be offended at vs, before we praye?
A. For two causes.
1. If we haue iniuried any in deede, he shall pray to God against vs, and be heard against vs, and so his prayer shall counterchecke ours.
2. If our brother hath taken offence vniustly against vs, before wee gaue any, we must notwithstanding labor to satisfie him, because, while he thinkes euill of mee without cause, his prayers are stained with the blot of vncharitable iudgement, neither can he praye with a quiet minde, and so his prayers are sinne to him: therefore in pitty & compassion towards his soule, we ought to talke with him, and to labour to satisfie him.
Q. What is hée bée such a one as will not be satisfied with any reason?
[Page 74]A. Indeede there bee vnreasonable persons in the world, such as Dauid complained of,Psalm. 120. 7. that when he spake of peace, they made themselues ready to warre: such we must leaue vnto God, and if they continue so after admonitions giuen by the Church, they are to be cut off,Matth. 18. 17 and cast out by the censures of the Church, vntill they doe repent.
A. Not onely in respect of our creation, but especially in regarde of our adoption.
Q. What is your reason for that?
A. Or else we could haue no comfort, by calling him our Father, if hee were not our Father by adoption, but by creation, for then we should not differ from the reprobate, whose Father God is by creation, aswell as of others.
Q. Cannot the reprobate call [...] their Father, as the elect do [...] in this place?
A. No, not so: for onely they which are made heires and fellow heires with Iesus Christ, by Gods free grace and fauour, with whom his spirit hath wrought reconciliation, sonnes by adoption I meane can onely call him their Father to their comfort.
Q. Why, if God be the Father of the reprobate by creation, then they are his children, are they not? For there [...][Page 77] be no Father without a Childe?
A. It followeth not, for some are called by the name of Father, onely in regarde that they were the authors and in [...]entors of things: which things cannot properly be called their Children.
Q. Yea? how proue you that?
A. I [...]ball is called the father of all that dwell in tents,Gen. 4. 20. that is the first inuentor often [...]s: and yet the tents are not his children.
So Iubal is called the father of such as play vpon Orgaines, the Harpe,21.i. e. the first inuentor of winde instruments, and yet winde instruments are not his children.
Q. What inferre you vpon this?
A. Euen so, God is called the Father, euen of the reprobate, because hee first created them, and yet they cannot be called the children of God, except by creation, as Adam was, no more then the tents, and pipes can be called the children of Iaball and Iuball.
Q. It had béene some benefite, and priuiledge if God had béen our naturall Father, but to be our Father by adoption, [Page 78] séemeth to bée no great matter, i [...] it?
A. Although God bee not our naturall father (for so hee is onely of Christ) but by grace, yet performeth hee [...]ll the partes of a naturall Father, [...]tter then any naturall father dooth whatso [...]er.
Q. The natural Father heareth loue and affection vnto his children?
A. So dooth GOD vnto his, for the Psalmist [...]aith, As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lorde compassion on them that feare him: See more of this poynte in Esay 49. 1 [...]0 Matth. 7. 9.
Q. The naturall Father proudeth thinges necessarie for this life▪
A. So dooth GOD for his, Matth. 6. 30. 31. 32. And though wee receiue the [...] of our naturall parents, yet they come from GOD. See more of this poynt, in 2. King. 6. 27.2. King. 6. 27.
Q. The naturall Father brings by his childe in some arte and knowledge to get his liuing by?
A. So dooth GOD by his children Ierem. 31. 33.Iere. 31. 33.I will write my [...] their [Page 79] hearts, &c. besides that they haue the best schoolemaster,Iob. 14. 17. the spirit of God.
Q. The naturall Father defendeth his children from iniuries and wrongs?
A. So dooth God, and willeth vs to come vnto him.Luk. 18. Shall not God auenge his elect, which crie vnto him night and daye?
Hee is therefore called the helper of the helpes, and the widdowe, and a father of the fatherles.
Q. The naturall father chastiseth his children whom he loueth, and if he hath cast any out of his fauour, he lets him alone to doe what he list?
A. So dooth God correct his children whom he loueth,Prouer. 3. 12. and therefore dooth he correct them because he loueth them.Heb. 12. 6.Esa. 1.
But as for the wicked world, & worldlings hee lets them growe in prosperitie, giuing them vp to their owne hearts lust, because hee hath cast them out of his presence and fauour.
Q. The naturall Father prepareth an inheritance for his children?
A. So doth God for his,Luk. 12. 32. Luke 12. 32. It is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome: [Page 80] yea, [...]. Pet. 1. 4.he hath prouided for vs an inheritance (as Peter saith) immortall, and vndefiled, that withereth not, which is re [...]er [...]d in heauen for vs.
Q. What vse may we make of this worde, Father in this place?
A. This word Father, may serue to expell all distrust
1. Of Gods fauour and all feare in prayer.
2. It maketh ioye in our hearts, and emboldeneth vs to goe vnto the throne of grace.
3. It teacheth vs,
Mal. 1. 6.
that we owe him the duetie of children, and that wee must liue like the children of such a father, if wee looke for benefites at his hands.
4. It is auailable to worke patience in vs in trouble, and affliction, and at such times as our prayers are not graunted at the first,
Heb. 12. 7.
Heb. 12. 7. If yee endure chastening, God offereth himselfe vnto you [...] sonnes.
Q. It shoulde séeme by this preface, that we ought not to pray to the second nor third person in the Trinitie, (that is to say) to the Sonne, and the holy [Page 81] Ghost, but only to the first person, that is the Father: for so are wee taught to pray, Our Father: what say you to that?
A. For the better vnderstanding of this poynt, wee must consider that this word Father, (being spoken of God) is put two wayes in the Scripture, sometime personally, sometime essentially.
Q. What doe you meane when you say it is put personally?
A. It is taken personally, when it is put but for some one of the three persons or beings in the Trinitie, and cannot bee attributed to any of the other persons.
Q. What doe you meane when you say it is put essentially?
A. It is taken essentially when it doth extend to the whole essence of being of the Deitie.
Q. (If you can) make your meaning more plaine?
A. Then more plainly this is my meaning: that wheresoeuer this word Father is attributed vnto God, being ioyned in the same sentence, with the Sonne, or the holie Ghost, or both, then it is taken personally: [Page 82] that is, it is restrayned to the person of the Father only. But when it is not coupled, nor compared with any of the persons, but is taken simply, without relation to the other persons, then it is taken essentially for the whole Godhead, and for all the persons in the Godhead.
Q. Where is it taken personally?
A. In these places following:
The comforter which is the holy Ghost, whom the father will send in my name,Ioh. 14. 26. he shall teach you, &c.
The father loueth the sonne,Ioh▪ 3. 35. and hath giuen all things into his hands.
If ye then which are euill giue good things vnto the children,Luk. 11. 13. how much more shall your heauenly father giue the holy Ghost to them that desire him?
Q. Where is it taken essentially?
A. In these places following:
The fowles of the a [...]re sowe not,Matth▪ 6. 26. &c. and yet your heauenly father feedeth them.
Wee haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs,Heb. 12. 9. and we gaue them reuerence: should we not much rather be in subiection to the father of spirits, that we might liue?
A. In these words: Our Father which are, &c. it is taken essentially, for the whole deitie, and doth not exclude, but inlcude the Sonne and the holy Ghost, the they are all one in nature and substance with the Father.
Q. If they bee all one in nature and substance, then the second person, Iesus Christ, is called father too, is he not?
A. Yes, he is so called by the Prophet Esai,Esai. 9. 6.To vs a childe is borne, to vs a sonne is giuen, &c. and they shal call his name Counsellor, the mightie God, the euerlasting father, &c.
Q. Then it appeareth that wee may also pray to Iesus Christ, and the holie Ghost, and we doe so in this prayer, but can you shew any that haue prayed vnto them by name?
A. Yea, Stephen called on God, and sayd,Act. 7. 59.Lord Iesus receiue my spirit.
And S. Paul pra [...]ed to the holy Ghost, saying:2. Cor. 13. [...].The fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you all.
Q. Why doth the Lord Iesus teach vs to say, Our Father, rather then my father?
A. For diuers causes:
1. To teach vs that true prayer is tied to Church of God onely,
1. Doctrine.
and therefore requireth of necessitie vnitie with the same.
Q. What reason can you giue for this?
A. My reason is this: We cannot pray aright▪ except God be our father in Christ; if God be our father in Christ, then we be his children; if wee bee his children, then are we also brethren to his children; if we bee brethren to them; then haue wee true faith and loue; if wee haue true faith and loue, then are we knit to Christ, and one to another: if we bee so, then are wee of the true Church of Christ.
Q. What is wee were not of the Church?
A. They that are not of the Church, can [Page 85] not make this prayer.
Q. Why then belike of necessitie we ought to haue vnitie with the true Church, in faith, and doctrine, and substance of religion.
A. It is very true: for as wee haue our father adopting vs, and making vs his children, so here we professe that we hold our faith with all the members of Gods Church, and holde one and the selfe same true religion and worship of God with them: yea, and all that can say this prayer truely, are ioyned in vnitie of faith and religion, in respect of the substance.
Q. What think you then of Schismatiques, which doe separate themselues from the publique exercises of the Church?
A. It followeth therfore, that no Schismatiques can truely say, Our Father, because in their hellish pride they coumpt the children of GOD none of their brethren.
Q. What els doth this word [our] teach?
A. Secondly,2. Doctrine. it teacheth vs that wee must haue Christian loue vnto all men, [Page 86] without the dishonor of God, and breach of a good conscience. See 1. Ioh. 5. 1.
Q. What els doth it teach vs?
A. Thirdly,3. Doctrine. it putteth vs in minde of that sympathie and fellow-feeling of our brethrens miseries, which may moue vs to helpe them euen when we can, & haue fit occasion:Rom. 12. 15. for we are all as members of one and the same bodie by faith:Heb. 13. 3. therefore if one bee hurt, all must helpe;1. Pet. 4. 10. if one bee grieued,Iam. 5. 16. all must bee grieued; and if one reioyce, all must reioyce. See the places quoted.
Q. May we not say at any time, My father, but alwayes Our father?
A. Yes as in sicknesse, pouertie, &c. so that wee haue a care of others aswell as of our selues: for in prayer al pride and selfe-loue must be quite shut out.
Q. What els may wée gather from this word, Our?
A. Fourthly,4. Doctrine. it banisheth all pride and disdaine of our brethren, and breedeth all humilitie, and lowlines, yea, and it teacheth vs to haue a base conceit of our selues,Rom. 12. and a reuerend opinion of others, yea euen of the simplest, if they feare God, and [Page 87] haue the spirit of adoption (which God knoweth) for then are they the sonnes and daughters of the same father that wee haue, or professe to haue.
Q. What? must superiours, and men of authoritie, which haue great places & callings, so far humble themselues vnto simple & poore Christians, as you say?
A. Yea, that they must, if they will call God their father, and (to deale plainly) no superiour can vse this prayer aright, before they so abase themselues, that they take the most simple, and meanest Christians that are for their brethren, and so likewise vse them.
Q. Some will not be called brethren, nor call others by that name: for they hold this name of brother or sister, (especially in Christ) to be a most odious name, & they vse it (if they do vse it at al) in scorne and reproch, accompting them Puritanes, &c. Which vse such kinde of spéeches: what say you of them?
A. Surely, I thinke that they doe much forget thēselues: for howsoeuer they will seeme to deny & defie y• name of brother & sister, out of prayer, [...]et in prayer (if they [Page 88] pray as they ough [...]) they doe confesse it: except they doe mocke and dissemble with God, (which is no small sinne) for God cannot be our father, except the rest of his children and true Christians, be our brethren.
Q. If superiours must so abase themselues,Obiect. as to take the simplest and meanest for their brethren, and so their equals, then you shall agrée with the Anabaptists, which would haue no distinction, nor difference to bee allowed betwéene the Prince and subiect, the Magistrate and people, betwéene one and another, but all must be as one.
A. No sir, that is not my meaning, farre be it from me, for there must bee degrees of persons, of callings, and of estates, and there must be a distinction between Magistrates and inferiours, for the auoyding of disorder, and confusion, and maintenance of peace, which is Gods ordinance, or els all should be head, or all should be foote, &c. which were as monsterous and absurd in the bodie politicall, as it would be in a bodie naturall.
Q. If that bee not your meaning, [Page 89] then what is your meaning?
A. This I meane, and affirme, that all those which haue any prerogatiue aboue others, should consider, that though they bee aboue others in things of this world, yet others may be aboue them in heauenly things, and equall with them in respect of their heauenly father, who hath called vs all with a heauenly calling to a heauenly inheritance.
Q. How may this poynt bee confirmed?
A. By the testimonie of holy scripture. When S. Paul would perswade masters to deale well by thier seruants,Ephes. 6. 9. he vseth this as a reason: that they haue a master in heauen, with whom is no respect of persons. And this is the Apostles meaning, when he sayth: There is neither Iewe,Galath. 3. 28.nor Grecian, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Iesus: In the 26. verse hee sheweth the reason why, and how: For, [...]e are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus. And for this cause it is sayd:Deut. 17. 18. 19. 20.The King shall haue the booke of the law by him, that he exalt not himself aboue his brethrē.
[Page 90] For want of the true knowledge of this poynt, the Corinthiās despised the poore, and would not receiue the Lords Supper with them: and therefore the Apostle reproueth them,1. Cor. 11. 33. and willeth them to tarrie one for another.
Q. How can his equalitie and superioritie stand together, and be acknowledged on both sides at one time, and in one place, and in one action busines?
A. Very well: as they do in the publike assemblies and exercises of the Church, where: 1. That a distinction & difference of persons & degrees may appeare, (for auoiding of confusiō, &c.) euery man hath his place appointed according to his worthines, in respect of office, or calling, or learning, or degree, or birth, or wealth, &c. then 2. That it may likewise appeare that we are all brethren, hauing one God, whom we call (Our father) in the merites of Christ, and because all by one faith beleeue one Sauiour, and look all by him for one kingdome, therefore there is also in token thereof a communitie & equalitie of diuers things, without any respect of persons.
A. Not as the Anabaptistes, which would haue all things common: but my meaning is this: There is not one place for the poore, & another for the rich, one Minister for the greater learned, and another for the lesse learned: one Sabboth for superiours, & another for inferiours: one water for the baptizing of great mens children, and another for poore mens children: one bread and wine for the veluet gowne, and another for the frize gowne: But on the contrarie in the reformed Churches of Christ, there is one place of meeting for all, one pastour to instruct all, one Sabboth to bee kept of all, one font, and one water for the baptizing of al, one time for the receiuing of all: and at the Lords Supper, all receiue together, all partake of the same bread, and wine, all drinke of the same cuppe, and all giue thankes by the same spirite, for the same benefites: and where it is not so, it should bee so.
Q. You haue satisfied mee for that poynt: but haue you any thing els to note vpon this word (Our)?
[Page 92]A. Yea,5. Doctrine. it teacheth vs further, that if we bee of the number of Gods children, then all the faithfull in al places doe commend vs to God in their prayers, euen as themselues: and amongst those there are some Abrahams, some Moses, some Elias, some Iobes, &c. whose prayers are more effectuall then others.
Q. What? and is this such a benefite?
A. Yea, it is a great benefite: for if wee feele not that zeale, and power of faith, &c. in prayer, which we desire, yet we are not to bee discouraged, for that is euer in some of them which is wanting in vs: and Christ hath so framed this prayer, that saying it, wee cannot chuse but pray as well for others, as for our selues.
Q. But will not this make men negligent in prayer?
A. No, this is not to make any negligēt in prayer, but to strengthen those that are diligent.
Q. If you haue any thing els to obserue from these wordes [Our father] note it briefly that wee may goe forward?
[Page 93]A. But one thing more I drawe out of them,6. Doctrine. and that is a confirmation of two maine poynts:
For the first, when I say Our father, I am taught to call GOD, my father, and so Christ my redeemer, &c. for when I exclude my selfe, I cannot truely say, Our father.
For the second, I know that God being my father, he loueth me, and that I shall be partaker of saluation: for whom he loueth once he loueth for euer: therefore my saluation is certaine and sure.
VVhich art in heauen.
Q. Why are these words added?
A. In the former words wee are taught what the Lord is concerning vs, viz. a louing father.
In these words wee learne what he is in himselfe, viz. a God of all maiestie, power and dominion.
The 1. sheweth his willingnes to help vs.
[Page 94] The 2. sheweth his abilitie to helpe vs.
Q. Why doth the Lord Iesus speake of his willingnes and abilitie?
A. To shew that of those two we must be perswaded in prayer, or els we cannot pray aright. Some came to Christ doubting of his willingnes,Matth. 8. 2. as the leper, Master, if thou wilt thou canst make mee cleane. Some doubting of his power, as the man whose sonne had a dumbe spirit:Mark. 9. 22.If thou canst doe any thing for vs, helpe vs, &c. But here we are taught not to be like either of them.
Q. God is euery where, why then is he sayd to be in heauen?
A. Because he is euery where, therfore he must needes be in heauen.
Q. But why is hee sayd to haue his dwelling in heauen, rather then in any place of the world, or in all the world?
A. For two causes.
1. Because his glorie is most apparant there.
2. Because we see from thence most euident signes of his properties, and attributes, more then in other places, as of his [Page 95] omnipotencie, wisedome, goodnesse, iustice, mercie, &c.
Q. What vse may we make of these words?
A. Wee may make vse of them many wayes:
1. They teach vs that God hath power ouer all, and can performe that which he promiseth.
Q. How doe you gather that?
A. I gather it thus: As the heauen is hier then the elementall world, so he that sits▪ in the heauen, must needes haue all things in subiection vnder him.Psalm. 2. 4. And as wee cannot see any thing aboue heauen,Psalm. 24. 3. so we are not to imagine any thing aboue him.Psalm. 113. 4. See Psal. 2. 4. Psal. 24. 3. Psal. 113. 4,
Q. What els may wee gather from them?
A. They teach vs that God is no earthly father, but heauenly and immortall, therefore not subiect to alteration in nature, nor change in his purpose, as men be. And this makes much for the certaintie of the election of Gods children,1. Sam. 15. 2 [...].Rom. 3. 19. seeing it dependeth vpon such a father.Iam. 1. 17. See the places quoted.Reuel. 3. 6.
A. They serue to breede a reuerence in vs when we pray,Doctrine. because wee bee but dust and ashes, and wee speake vnto that God that (as the Psalmist sayth) hath deuouring fire going before him,Psalm. 50. and mightie tempests are stirred vp about him, &c.Psal. 60. 4. 8. 17
Q. Declare your meaning more fullie.
A. I meane that seeing in prayer wee speake vnto the immortall king of heauen and earth, we should not clappe our selues downe so vnreuerently, (as vsually many doe) thinking of any thing rather then of the mightie Maiestie of him to whom wee pray: but with a reuerende trembling and affection of all our parts: and (to vse the very words of a reuerend father) leisurely, carefully, and heartely, considering the puissance, glorie, and imperiall Maiestie of him to whome wee speake.
Q. What els doe they affoord vs?
A. Lastly, they teach vs, That not onely our mindes ought to be sequestred from other,Doctrine. but in all our conuersation to behaue [Page 97] our selues as becommeth the children of such a heauenly father.
Which art in heauen.
Q. These wordes [which art] are the wordes of one speaking vnto another, and not of another, what may wée learne by that?
A. They shewe the Churches priuiledge, which is such, that euery true child of God may haue free accesse vnto God by Christ, and may not onely speake of God, but vnto God himselfe.
Q. What vse may wee make of this poynt?
A. The vse of this point is foure fold.
Two waies against the Papists.
Two waies for our selues.
Q. How may it serue against the Papistes?
A. 1. It teacheth vs that (seeing as we talke with God himselfe,) therefore wee need no Images to put vs in mind of him: for what neede one haue a picture to put him in mind of him with whome he is conuersant, and in conference?
2. It teacheth vs that we need no other mediatours then Christ, to goe vnto God [Page 98] for vs, seeing as we speake in prayer vnto God our selues.
Q. That is verie true: nowe what vse maye wée make of it for our selues?
A. 1. It is a comfort to the children of GOD, to remember that their prayers goe straight from their lippes into the eares of the Lorde, and are not spilt vpon the ground.
2. This poynt must bee our instruction: and it serueth to breede in vs reuerence, and a care what to speake, and in what manner to speake, or doe, because wee are alwaies in the Lordes hearing
The first Petition. Hallowed be thy name.
Q. What is the effect of this petition?
A. This first petition craueth the aduauncing of GODS glorie: as the first commanundement of the morall lawe requireth the same, and doth also bind vs to seeke the same.
Q. Why is this order obserued?
[Page 99]A. To shew that not onely in our praiers, but also in our whole life, wee must first seeke the glorie of God.
Q. Why are wee taught to pray for the aduancing of Gods glory, before we pray for our dayly bread?
A. To shew that the glory of God must bee preferred before all the pleasures and profites of this life.
Q. Why must wée praye for that, before wée praye for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, and the saluation of our [...]oules?
A. To shew that we must rather desire that his name may bee glorified, then our soules to be saued.
Q. Yea? must wee haue more care to winne him glorie, then to gaine our selues saluation? what if wee haue not that care?
A. If wee haue not, then doe wee not pray like dutiful children, rightly affected to our father.
Q. What if any preferment, or benefit or pleasure, or affection of ours shuld bee found to fight against the glory of our heauenly father?
[Page 100]A. We must not rest till our consciences do beare vs witnes, through the power of Gods spirite, that wee haue renounced it.
Q. This is hard, but yet I confesse it ought to bee, but (for our encouragement) doe you reade of any that haue béene thus affected as you speake?
A. Yea, Dauid sayd: The zeale of thy house hath consumed me.Psalm 69. 9. Moses had that affection to Gods glorie before his owne saluation,Exod. 32. 32. when he said: If thou wilt pardon their sinne, thy mercie shall appeare, if not, I pray thee rase me out of thy booke, &c. The like zeale and affection was in Paul,Rom. 9. 2.When hee wished himselfe to bee separated from Christ, so that God might bee glorified in the saluation of his brethren the Iewes, which were his kinsmen after the flesh.
Q. These examples bée good encouragements, for by them I perceiue that (as hard as it is) yet it hath béen found, and therefore it may, and ought to bée found in the children of God?
A. Yea, and shall bee graunted, if wee pray hartely for it, for Christ hath promised, that if we aske, we shall obtaine.
[Page 101]Q. There are some, which (if their owne credite be touched neuer so little) chafe like Naman, when the Prophet refused to come at his sending for him, but if Gods glory be neuer so much defaced, they are not a whit moued, nor touched, what say you of them?
A. It is a great sinne indeede, and the best of vs all are guiltie of it: but they and euery one of vs that deale so, should consider what we pray, when wee say: Hallowed be thy name, lest we bee found continuall mockers of our heauenly father.
Q. What is here meant by the name of God?What is ment by the name of God.
A. That wee shall knowe the better if we doe first consider how farre this word (Name) reacheth vnto other things.
Q. Uery well. I pray you doe so.
A. This worde [name] is giuen vnto men in two respects.
1 To distinguish one from another, as, what is his name? Iohn? or Thomas? or, &c.
2 It signifieth credite, or good report, as, what is a man but his good name?
1 To distinguish them from other kinds, or one kind from another.
2 To make the natures of them to be the better vnderstoode, euerie creature of euerie kinde hath his seuerall name.
Q. Is anie name giuen to GOD in such respects?
A. No, God hath no such name, for he is one, and but one, and hath no fellow, nor anie of the same kinde.
Q. What then is signified by the name of God?
A. His name signifieth two things.
1 That honor which is due vnto him.
2 Al things wherby he is made knowne.
Q. By what thinges is hée made knowne to vs?
A. By three things.
1 His works,
Psal. 10. 1.
for as mē are known by their names,
Psal. 20. 1. 7.
so is God by his works. See Psalm. 19. 1. Psal. 105. 10. Psal. 20. 1. 7. Mar. 16. 17.
Psal. 105. 10.
2. His worde,
Mark. 16. 17.
which is also called the name of God, because it maketh his will, and nature more euidently knowne vnto vs,
Leuit. 22. 31. 32.
then his workes doe. See Leuit. 22. 31. 32. 1. Timoth. 6. 1.
1. Timoth. 6. 1.
Act. 9. 15.
Act. 9. 15.
[Page 103] 3 His Titles, which he himselfe declared to Moses, as in Exod. 34. 5. 6. where it is said, that The Lord descēded in the cloud,
Exod. 34. 5. 6.
and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. So that the Lord passed before his face, & cried, The Lord, the Lord, strong, mercifull, and gracious, slow to anger, and aboundant in goodnes and truth, &c.
Q. What is ment by hallowing or the name of God?Hallowed.
A. By this word is not ment anie adding of purity, or holines vnto Gods name which it had not before, but the publishing, and professing of it.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By the like speech in another place of scripture:Luk. 7. 35▪Wisdome is iustified of her children (sayth the Lorde Iesus) and yet wisdome is alwaies iust, and iustified. So God is hallowed of his children, and yet he is alwaies holy and pure: but then wee doe hallow his name, when wee thinke so of it as it is, and as we ought.
Q. How shew what we craue in this petition?
A. Generally in this petition we craue that the honour of GODS name may be [Page 104] aduanced.
More particularly: 1. That his iustice, mercie, wisdome, truth, goodnes, and all his properties may bee knowne to all. 2. That he may haue that reuerence which is due vnto him. 3. That they which obseure his glory may be remoued.
Q. His name being taken for his titles, what doe we craue?
A. In this respecte wee craue three thinges.
1. That the names of all Idols, and fained. Gods, may bee taken away, because they obscure his glorie.
2. That those names whereby God is described, bee not abused and giuen to others in swearing, periury, or soothsaying, &c. And that whē we be called to sweare, we doe it in all reuerence.
3. That euery man may make vse of them to himselfe, and call vpon others to doe the like: as for example, he that is ouerwhelmed with miseries, may comfort himselfe with this, that GOD is almightie, wise, mercifull, the gouernor of all thinges, &c. He that is tempted to presumption may bridle himselfe with the [Page 105] consideration of Gods iustice, and seueritie, &c. He that is assaulted with despaire, may arme himselfe with this, that God is trueth, and his promises are sure, &c.
Q. As it signifieth his workes, what doe we aske?
A. The name of God being put for his workes, we craue three things.
1. That in his creatures all may see him, and extol him, & his name for them.
2. That we and all men may make vse of his workes, as by the workes of his iustice to become more duetifull, by his iudgements to become more humble, by his benefites the more thankefull, and by his keeping of promise, to become the more faithfull.
3. That his creatures may not be abused, as that wee vse not our meates and drinkes to surfeting, &c. but may vse all his creatures modestly, soberly, and reuerently in the feare of his name, with thankesgiuing for the same. Yea and aswell for taking as giuing as Iob did.
Iob. 1. 21.
Q. As the name of GOD signifieth his worde, what doe we craue?
A. 1. That his word and Gospell may [Page 106] bee continually and faithfully preached, and also may bee beleeued, obeyed and reucrenced.
2. That men in preaching the worde of God, doe not seeke their owne praise and glorie, nor their owne reuenge which is worse.
3. That the doctrine of the worde of God bee not euill spoken of by the lewd and loose conuersation of them that professe the same, See 2. Sam. 12. 14.
The second Petition. Thy kingdome come.
Q. WHy is this in the second place?
A. Because then Gods glorie is aduaunced by vs, when he ruleth in vs as absolute king, and wee are content to bee subiect to his lawes.
Q. What is meant by the kingdome of God?
A. The kingdome of God is three folde.
1. Of power.
2. Of grace.
3. Of glorie.
Q. Which call you his kingdome of power?
[Page 107]A. His vniuersall gouernement ouer all things.Psal. 99. [...]
Q. What meane you by the kingdome of grace?
A. The particular regiment of the elect.
Q. Which call you the kingdome of glorie?
A. The life to come which is in heauē.
Q. For which of these thrée, doe wée praye in this petition?
A. Not for the first, because that is alwaies ouer all the worlde, and euer was, and euer shall bee, though all should conspire against him.
Q. But all things are not gouerned by the power of GOD, some thinges come by chaunce and fortune, doe they not?
A. Not so, for in those thinges that are most casuall (as we say) God hath the greatest stroke: as in thePro. 16. 33. casting of lots, the comming of1. Sam. 24. 4. 19. Saule to ease himselfe in the caue where Dauid hid himselfe. And the same may we say of those that are Exod. 4. 11. borne blinde, and deafe, and du [...] &c. the loosing of aMatth. 10. hayre from our head, the [Page 108] lighting of a sparrowe vpon the grounde, and a thousand such like.
Q. If we pray not here for the kingdome of Gods power, which then is it that we pray for?
A. For the comming of the second, and the hastening of the last.
Q. What is that kingdome, which you call the kingdome of grace?
A. It is that power and gouernement which God of his free fauour and goodnes, doth exercise in his elect to saue them from hell, and to bring them to heauen, which is his kingdome of glorie.
Q. But I woulde haue you make it more plaine?
A. To vnderstand this kingdome of grace more plainely and fully, wee must consider of three poynts.
1. How we were created.
See D. Babbington.
2. How we were corrupted.
3. How we are restored.
Q. Uery wel. How were we created?Creation.
A. According to the image and likenes of God.Gen. 1. 26.
Q. How was that?
A. In righteousnes,Ephes. 4. 24. and true holines, [Page 109] for so the Apostle expoundeth it.
Q. What dooth he meane by righteousnes and true holines?
A. By these two words, he vnderstandeth al perfection, as wisdome, wil to doe good, Truth, Innocencie, loue of God, &c.
Q. And dooth man continue in this perfection still?
A. No, for when Adam transgressed,Corruption. Gods image was defaced, and his happines forfeited according to the doctrine of the Apostle.Rom. 5. 12.By one man came sinne, and by sin death entred ouer all vnto condemnation.
Q. How is it now then with man?
A. Now it is otherwise, for
Sinne is entred.
Sathan ruleth.
Death followeth.
Our familiaritie with GOD,
Gen. 6. 5.
turned into mortall hatred.
Rom. 7. 14. 19. 21. 23.
Our wisedome into folly,
1. Cor. 2. 14.
and our happines into euerlasting cursednesse.
Ephes. 2. 1. 2.
Rom. 8. 7.
Q. And doe we thus continue?
A. No, for God in a cōtrary course of loue:Restauration.
[Page 110]1. Takes away our corruption by little and little.
2. Begettes vs anew to a better life.
3. By Christ restoreth his image againe.
4. Lighteneth our mindes to knowe him aright.
5. Strengtheneth our willes to embrace his worde.
6. Purgeth our harts to loue the Lord.
7. Maketh all our members in measure to become weapons of righteousnes.
And so
Sinne dieth.
Grace liueth.
Wee loue him, and are loued of him.
And this is now the kingdome of grace.
Q. In this kingdome of grace, who be the subiects?
A. To come, signifieth the approching of any thing in our presence.
Q. But what is vnderstoode by the comming of Gods kingdome?
A. Here it being spoken of the kingdome of grace, it signifieth two things.
1. An erecting of it where it is not begun before.
2. Where it is once erected, a full continuance of it to the end.
Q. Being vnderstoode of the kingdome of glory, what is ment by comming?
A. Then it signifieth also two things
1 A hastening
Apocal. 22. l [...]s [...].
forward of that time wherein we shall be partakers of it.
2 A full
Mat. 25. 34.
possessing of it when that time is come.
Q. By what meanes is this kingdom erected, and maintained in us?
A. The principall meanes are in number foure.
Q. Which is the first?
A. The powerfull ministerie of theRom. 1. 16. 2. Cor. 10. 4. 1. [...]et. 1. 23.[Page 114] word, vnto which are ioyned the sacraments, for the greater strengthening and confirming of our faith.
Q. Which is the second meanes?
A. The effectuall workingEzec. 36. 26. 27. of the spirite of God in our heartes,Esa. 11. 3. without which the other meanes are vnprofitable vnto vs.
Q. Which is the third?
A. Godly princes, good rulers, and Magistrates.
Q. Why? what must they doe?
A. It belongeth to them to reforme religion, to purge the Church of God, and to defend the true worship, and worshippers of God: and to subdue all that bee enemies vnto the same.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By the testimonie of the Apostle, who willeth that they bee prayed for,1. Tim. 2. 2. for this ende,Esa. 49. 23. that men may leade vnder them an honest and a godly life: As also by the Prophet Esay, who for this cause calleth Kings and Queenes nursing fathers, and nursing mothers for the Church of God.
Q. What is the fourth & last meanes [Page 115] for the building vp of the kingdome of God?
A. Ecclesiasticall discipline, or the gouernment of Christ in his Church.
Q. Wherein standeth it?
A. It standeth in three things
Admonition.
Suspension.
Excommunication.
Q. By whome and howe must these things be put in execution?
A. By such officers, and in such manner as Christ himselfe hath ordayned in his Gospell.
Q. What be the effects and benefits of this kingdome?
A. The Apostle hath set them forth,Rom. 14. 17.
1 Negatiuely, nor meats & drinks, that is, not any transitory, or earthly matter.
2 Affirmatiuely, but Righteousnes peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost.
Q. Now shewe briefely what is the sense & meaning of this second petition?
A. The meaning of it is this, wee pray that the Lord would subdue vnto his Maiestie all the power of Sathan in vs, and all the wicked lustes of the flesh: and enable vs both in body & soule by his holy [Page 116] spirite, to worke acceptably in his sight: And to throw downe all his enemies and ours, that hee may gloriously raigne and triumph ouer all: And that we by Christ may finally bee made partakers of his euerlasting kingdome of glory in heauen.
Q. Now as briefly shew the particular graces that we craue in this petitiō.
A. The particulars are these: we craue,
1 That it would please the Lord to pull downe by the preaching of the worde, and working of his holy spirite, the kingdome of sinne, and Sathan: and to establish his owne kingdome in the hearts of the faithfull.
Q. What els?
A. 2 That Christ may raigne by his owne lawes, and that hee would giue all furtherance vnto it:
As that it would please him:
1 To encrease the number of faithfull preachers.
2 To encrease the giftes of the preachers.
3 To maintain al schooles of learning.
4 To ioyne with the outward preaching, his spirite within.
[Page 117] 5 To stirre vp the people, to heare, confer, reade, beleeue, and obey, &c.
Q. What els doe we pray for?
A. 3 That the Lorde would raise vp carefull Magistrates, which may be nurses to his Gospell.
Q. What els?
A. 4 That God would erect and maintaine such an ecclesiasticall gouernment for his church, as he knoweth fit to aduāce his glorie.
Q. What els?
A. 5 That he would remoue all contrary lettes, and whatsoeuer is against the furtherance of his kingdome.
Q. Is there anie more?
A. 6 And lastly,2. Tim. 4. 8. that God would hasten either the day of iudgement, or the day of death.
Q. But many you knowe cannot abide to heare of death, nor the comming of Christ.
A. It is true indeed, for the wicked tremble at the hearing of them, as Foelix did when Paul spake vnto him of the iudgement to come.Act. 24. But the children of God being holden with the temptations of Sathan, [Page 118] and their owne corruption: Cry out with themselues,Apocal. 22. last.Come Lord Iesus, and with hartie affection do pray and say: Thy Kingdome come.
Q. What say you to such as hinder the kingdome of Christ?
A. I would wish them to consider that when they say this petition, they pray for their owne confusion and destruction.
The third Petition. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen.
Q. WHat is the summe of this petition?
A. 1 That euery man in his calling may obey God.
2 In our callings to direct all thinges to the glory of God.
3 To take in good parte whatsoeuer God sendeth, whether it bee with vs, or against vs.
Q. Why is this next?
A. To shew that then Gods kingdome doth come, when his will is done.
A. I meane that the Lorde doth not rule in vs, if wee remaine vnwilling to obey his worde, and striuing against his will.
Q. How may wée come to the true vnderstanding of this petition?
A. For the better vnderstanding of this petition, wee are to consider of three poyntes.
1 Of howe manie sortes the will of God is.
2 Whether God willeth sinne or no.
3 Whether the will of God should bee done, if wee pray not for the doing of it, or no.
Q. Uery well, the poyntes are verie necessary, what say you then of the first poynt?
A. In respect of God himselfe, his will is alwayes but one, and that most simple, but in respect of vs,
The will of God is twofolde,
Hidden.
Reuealed.
Q. What doth the Scripture speake of the secret will of God?
[Page 120]A. The Scripture compareth it to:Psal. 36. 6. great deepe or a bottomelesse sea,Rom. 11. 33. which cannot be sounded: and vnto hie mountaines which cannot be climed.
Q. What call you the secret will of God?
A. That counsel which he neuer reuealed in his worde, neither hath promised to reueale in this world.
Q. Whether may this secret will of God be searched after, or no?
A. No, it ought not.
Q. How proue you that?
A. In Iohn 21. 23. Act. 1. 7.
Q. What call you the reuealed will of God?
A. That which hee hath made knowne in his worde.
Q Whether may wee search after that or no?
A. Yea, we may and ought.
Q. How proue you that?
N. In Deut. 29. 29.
Q. Whether doe wée pray here for the doing of Gods secret will or no?
A. No, for that is euerEsa. 46. 10. Numb. 24. 13. done, and shal while the world endureth.
[Page 121]Q. Of how many sorts is the reuealeo will of God?
A. Of two sorts.
1. That which God dooth require to be done by vs: and that is reuealed in the lawe.
2. That which hee hath decreed of vs in his eternall counsell, as touching our saluation: and that is reuealed in the Gospell.
Q. In what places finde you that reuealed?
A. Our sauiour Christ saith.Iohn 6. 40.This is the will of him that sent mee, that euery man that seeth the sonne, and beleeueth in him, should haue euer lasting life, &c. And Saint Paul saith,Ephe. 1. 5.Hee hath predestinate vs, to bee adopted through Iesus Christ, in himselfe, according to the good pleasure of his will. And for the dooing of this will we pray here.
Q. But may wée enquire after the knowledge of this will?
A. Yea, and diligently we ought to enquire after it.
Q. But if we doe search after it, may wée know it?
[Page 122]A. Yea, for as it is reuealed in the scripture, so is it confirmed and sealed before our eyes in the Sacraments.
Q. What if we cannot at all times, or at any time, vnderstand, and knowe this will of God?
A. The faulte is in our selues, because we be1. Cor. 2. 14. carnall, and destitute of the spirite of Christ.
Q. To whom then is this wil of God reuealed?
A. To euery one of Gods children this will is particularly reuealed.
Q How proue you that?
A. Paul saith, that this will of God was manifested vnto him,Gal. 2. 20. when hee saith that Christ loued him, and gaue himselfe for him.
Q. Yea, but Paul is not euery one?
A. No, that is true, but if all the elect are led by the same spirite that Paule had, it will also perswade them of this will of GOD as it perswaded Paul.
Q. But how prooue you that the same spirite is giuen to all the Elect?
[Page 123]A. It is manifest in Esa. 59. 21. Rom. 8. 11. 14. 15. 16.
Q. Will not this bréed carnall securitie in men?
A. No, but cleane contrarie, for when we are once armed with the knowledge of this will of God, we shall passe through fire and water, without any danger, without feare of the world, or death, or the diuell,Rom. 8. 38. 39. and triumphe ouer all our enemies, as Paul did.
Q. Whether is any thing done in the worlde,The second poynt. whether GOD will or no?
A. God forbid wee should thinke so,Rom. 9. 19. that were to denie the omnipotencie of God.Esa. 46. 10.
Q If nothing be done in the world [...] against the will of God, then sinne is committed by the will of God?
A. Yea it is the will of God that sinne should remaine in the world.
Q. You meane that God doth suffer it to be in the world, doe you not?
A. Nay, I meane that God doth will it, and worke it, which is more then permitting or suffering it to be done
As they regarded not to know God,Rom. 1. 28. so God deliuered them vp vnto a reprobate minde, to doe those things which are not conuenient.
Againe,2. Thes. 2. 11.Because they receiued not the loue of the trueth, that they might be saued, therefore God shall send them strong delusions, that they shoulde beleeue lies, this is more then suffering them to bee deluded, and to be deliuered vp.
Againe,Psal. 81. 11. 12.My people would not heare my voyce, and Israel would none of me: So I gaue them vp vnto the hardnes of their heart, and they haue, &c. This is more then permitting them to be giuen vp.
Q. Is not GOD then the author of sinne?
A. He is, and he is not.
Q. How can that be?
A. For the better cleering of this poynt, we must consider two things.
1. How many waies sinne is to be considered
2. What things are to be considered in euery sinne.
[Page 125]Q. How many waies is sinne to bée considered?
A. Three waies.
1. As a thing contrarie to the lawe of GOD, and so GOD is not the author of sinne.
2. As a cause of more sinne following, neither that way is GOD the author of sinne.
3. As it is a punishment of sinne past, and so God is the author of it.
Q. How proue you that God dooth punish one sinne with another?
A. By Rom. 1. 28. 2. Thes. 2. 11. 12. Psalm. 81. 11. 12.
Q. That God doth punish one sinne with another, I now sée it manifestly, but why dooth he so?
A. To punish sinne, standeth with his iustice, and euery punishment is a worke of his iustice, but how or which way hee wil punish sin, that is in his owne wil or pleasure: if not, who shall teach him, and direct him?
Q. It is true, I am satisfied for that poynte, now shew how many things are to be considered in euery sinne?
Q. What meane you by the corruption of the action?
A. The swaruing from the rule of Gods worde, or the transgression of his lawe.
Q What say you of the action, is that of God?
A. Yea, the action so farre as it is an action, God dooth will it, and worke it, for without him wee can doe nothing, because (as the Scripture saith) In him wee liue,Act. 17. 2 [...] ▪.and mooue, and haue our beeing.
Q. Is not God also the author of the euill, or corruption that is in the Action?
A. No, not of the euill in the Action, except it be (as we haue heard alreadie) a punishment of sinne past, and so a worke of iustice.
Q. How proue you that God is not the author of the corruption that is in the action?
[Page 127]A. It may bee proued by these places. Psal. [...] 1. 13. Zach. 8. 17. 1. Ioh. 2. [...]
Q How else can you proue that God is the author of the action, and not of the corruption that is in it?
A. By the very light of nature, & common reason. For,
1. The Sunne shineth vpon carrion,
Similitudes.
and it stinketh more then it did before. It shineth also vpon flowers, and they smell 1 more sweete then they did before, the Sunne is the cause of their smelling more then they did: but not of the stinking of the one, nor of the sweetnes of the other, for the cause of that is in the natures of the things themselues. So may God bee the author of an action, and not of the corruption of the action.
Q. What other similitudes haue you?
A. A lame man, by the power of his 2 soule doth moue and goe, now his soule is the cause of his mouing and going, but not of his lame going. Euen so God may be the cause of an action, but not of the euill that is in the action.
3 A. Yea. A liberall father giueth his children their portions, which they spend riotously, the fathers liberalitie is the cause of their spending, for without him they had nothing to spend, but their riotous spending commeth not of their father, but of themselues: and euen so God is the author of an action, but not of the euill that is in the action.
Q. The case is cleare. Now shew me why God dooth let sinne bée still in our nature, when as hée could by his grace (if it pleased him) take it quite away?
A. The cause is this: That hee may vse our sinnes to his owne glorie, for hereby he maketh known vnto vs two things, which otherwise we had neuer knowne.
1. His iustice in punishing sinne.
2. His mercie in pardoning sinne.
and both in Christ.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By the witnes of the Apostle in, Rom. 9. 22.
[Page 129]Q. Whether should the will of God be done,The third poynt. if we did not pray for the doing of it?
A. Yes, for his will standeth not vpon our prayers.
Q. Why then doe wee pray that his will may be done?
A. Therein we acknowledge 2. things:
1. Our duetie in calling vpon God as we are commanded.
2. Our inabilitie to do the will of God of our selues, except he helpe vs with his grace.
Q. Whether may we by our prayers make the Lord to alter his will & purpose in any thing, or no?
A. No, we cannot: for his decrees are, and alwayes haue been, and alwayes shal be fulfilled, and none shall hinder, nor alter his purpose: for it is vnchangeable.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By these places following: Numb. 23. 19. Esai. 46. 10. Malac. 3. 6. Rom. 11. 29. Pro. 21. 30, 31. Iam. 1. 17.
Q. What may we learne hereby?
A. To pray alwayes according to the will of God.
[Page 130]Q. What if wee should desire any thing y• we know God will not graunt?
A. Then wee sinne against the commandement of our Sauiour Christ: for he hath taught vs to pray that his wil may be done, not ours, and that his decrees may stand, and not be changed.
Q. What say you of praying for all men?Of praying for all men. is it not lawfull to pray for all men?
A. Yes, so farre as our prayers agree with Gods will: but no further.
Q. Yea, but may we not pray for the reprobate that they may be saued, aswel as the elect?
A. No: for it is against the wil of God.
Q. How doe you meane that it is against his will?
A. I meane that it is a thing which shall neuer bee graunted: for God hath decreed the contrarie in his euerlasting counsell.
Q. But good prayers may preuaile much with God.
A. Yea, that is true, if they be agreeable with his will, or els they are not good prayers.
[Page 131]Q. Why? doth not the scripture say,Obiect. that God will that all men shall bee saued,1. Tim. 2. 4.and come to the knowledge of the trueth? Now if all bée not saued, then the will of God is mutable, is it not?
A. The meaning of the Apostle is to be taken as well as his words.
Q. Why, the words are very plaine, what whould be his meaning?
A. Yea, but they be not so plaine as you take them to be: for if they be vnderstood of the reuealed wil of God, then the Apostles meaning is one way: but if they bee vnderstood of the secret will of God, then [...]is another way.
Q. What if he speaketh of the reuealed will of God?
A. Then his meaning is this, that God doth call all men by the preaching of the worde, to the knowledge of the trueth, and eternall life, if they will beleeue in Christ.
Q. What if that place be vnderstoode of Gods secret will?
A. Then the sense is three fold.
1. God will that all, &c that is, God hath decreed of all sortes and degrees to saue [Page 132] some.
2. God will that all, &c. that is, so many as are saued are all saued by the will of God.
3. God will that all, &c. that is, God hath certainly decreed that al the elect shal be saued.
Q. But doth not this word (all) include euery particular person?
A. No not alwaies: for sometime it is put for the greatest part, or a great number, as in Gen. 47. 15. Matth. 21. 10. Mark. 1. 5. sometime for the elect onely, as in Luk. 3. 6. Rom. 5. 18. 1. Cor. 15. 22.
Q. How must wee then vnderstand such vniuersall and generall spéeches when we méete with them?
A. These generall speeches are to bee restrayned to their kinds: as for example.
Es [...]. 66. 23.
Ioel. 2. 28.
Luk. 3. 6.
Io [...]. 6. 45.
Ioh. 12. 32.
These are to be restrained to the faithfull: But,
Psal. 14. 3.
Mat. 10. 22.
Ioh. 3. 32.
Philip. 2. 3
To the vnfaithfull.
Q. But did not Christ dye for all men?
A. The common receiued opinion is, that his death was sufficient for all, but [Page 133] not effectuall vnto all: for all haue not faith.
Q. But I expect a direct answer.
A. Then I say that Christ dyed not for all men, but only for the elect, whom God had chosen to be saued by Christ and his merites, from euerlasting.
Q. Where do you reade of any that haue béen forbidden to pray for any in particular?
A. Ieremie was forbidden to pray for the obstinate Iewes whom God had cast out of his fauour:Iere. 7 16. and the reason why he might not pray for them,Iere. 11. 14. was grounded vpon the will of God:Iere. 14. 11.For (sayth the Lord) I will not heare thee.
Q. What, is it in no case lawfull to pray for the enemies of Gods Church?
A. Yes, for temporall benefites, as, peace, and plentie, & libertie, &c. so farre as it may bee for the ease and benefite of Gods people which be amōgst thē: but otherwise, if they practise any thing against Gods Church, wee ought to pray against them,2 Sam. 15. as Dauid did against Achitophel.
Q. How prooue you that wee may pray for the prosperitie of the wicked, [Page 134] when it may serue for the ease and good of Gods people?
A. The Prophet Ieremie. willeth the captiue Church of the Iewes which were at Babylon to pray for the peace of Babylon (now the Babylonians were Idolaters) and giueth this reason:Iere. 29. 7.For in their peace, (sayth he) you shall haue peace.
Q. Well then: Now I see that our prayers must be agréeable to the will of God, because his wil, and counsel must, and shall stand. Now shew how wée shalbe acquainted with the will of God which is to be done by vs, and for vs?
A. We must 1. looke what is required of vs in the word of God, wee must heare it, read it, mark it, & meditate in the same: 2. Pray for the spirite of vnderstanding to open our eyes that we may see, &c.Psalm. 119.
In earth as it is in heauen.
Q. What is ment by these words, in earth?
A. By earth in this place is ment the inhabitants of the earth, which ought to obey Gods will.
Q. What doe these words teach vs to pray for?
A. That we may do y• wil of God, euē as [Page 135] the Angels which are in heauē do his will.
Q. How doe the Angels in heauen obey God?
A. The Angels haue sixe properties in seruing of God, which ought to be in euery one of vs when we doe Gods will.
1. Willingnes without [...]udging▪
Heb. 1. 14.
2. Swi [...]tnes,
Psal. 103. 20.
or readines▪ without delaying.
3. Faithfulnes,
2. King. 19. 35.
without adding or diminishing.
4. Gladnes, and ioyfulnes without enuying,
Luk. 15. 10.
when they see others please God.
5. Constant perseuerance, without giuing ouer, till the Lord bid them stay.
6. Whatsoeuer they do,
Iudg. 13. 16.
they still refer all the glorie and praise vnto God,
Reuel. 19. 10
not suffering any to be giuen vnto themselues.
Q. What do we learne from all this?
A. We learne here that our obedience to God should not be halt, lame, or maimed, but whole, & perfect, such as is in heauen.
Q. Now shew briefly what particular graces we craue in this petition?
A. In this petition we desire:
1. That the Lord of his mercie would chaunge,
Rom. 8. 5. 7.
and frame our wils by his holie spirit, that we may will, and wish nothing that he misliketh.
[Page 136] 2. That we may beleeue in Christ, and looke for saluation by none other but by him:
Ioh 6. 4 [...]
for this is a part of Gods will.
3. That we may haue holines of life,
1. Thes. 4. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
in a true and liuely fai [...]h.
4 That God would make vs able and content to beare the labours and sorowes of this life.
Mat. 16. 24, 25
Q. Some say this prayer, and yet look for saluation by their owne meanes, how doe they say this petition?
A. With their lippes, but they doe not meane as they say: for not Gods will, but their owne must be done.
Q. What say you to those that say to God, Thy will be done, &c. yet liue in all securitie, and vncleannes, hating that which is holy, delighting in all that is vnholy, bathing in wantonnes, and pleasure, and wishing therein to liue and dye?
A. They doe most impudently mocke the Lord, and most desperatly deceiue their owne soules.
Q. You spake of suffering troubles and sorrowes in this life, is that a part of Gods will?
[Page 137]A. Yea, this life is subiect to many troubles.
Q. But a Christian man néede not feare any troubles as a wicked man doth, may he?
A. He neede not feare them,Rom. 8. because they worke together for the best to those that loue God.
Q. Yet hee that is a true Christian maye liue in this worlde without anie trouble, or persecution, may hée not?
A. No: for the Apostles haue set it downe for a certaine trueth, that through many afflictions we must enter into Gods kingdome:Act. 14. 22. And all that will liue godlie in Christ Iesus,2. Tim. 3. 12. shall suffer persecution more or lesse: they say we must, and shal, that is, we must looke for it.
Q. Why we that liue vnder the Gospel in England are not persecuted (God make vs thankfull for it) as they are in other countries?
A. No, that is true: but persecution is of diuers sortes: There is persecution by the hand,Galas. 4. 29▪ and persecution by the tongue, and though many be free from the one, [Page 138] yet no man that feareth God is free from the other.
Q. Why will God haue his children thus to bee exercised with crosses and tribulations?
A. That they may not be damned with the wicked world.1. Cor. 11. 32.
Q. What are men y• better for troubles?
A. Yes much, when afflictions & troubles are sanctified of God, they are meanes to make Gods children the better: as pouer [...] seemeth to bridle lust,Psalm. 119. basenes to hūble them, and many incumbrances serue to driue them to God.
Q. What if the world lowre vpō vs? what if our friends forsake vs? our foes defie vs, what if persecution arise & we be slandered, & vnkindly handled, must we then say, Thy will be done?
A. Yea euen then especially: for in prosperitie it is an easie matter.
Q. It is a hard thing to flesh & bl [...]od, but what if God giue such a grace?
A. Oh, if wee can then say with a contented minde and a ioyfull heart, thy will bee done: it is a grace aboue all treasure, and a true note of a child of God.
[Page 139]Q. But many wil say, who can beare such things? what examples therefore haue you to encourage vs?
A. There be many notable examples of diuers, which in time of great trouble haue been content with the will of God,1. Sam. 3. 18. euen because it was his will:2. Sam. 15. 25, 26. as Heli, Iob, Dauid,Matth. 26. 39. & the Lord Iesus himself, as appeareth more largely in the places quoted.
Q. What swéete promises of God, or comfortable spéeches haue wee in the scripture to vphold our faith from fainting, when troubles doe come?
A. The scripture is full of them: as these and such like:
Our times are in the hands of the Lord.
Our haires are numbred.
Our teares are put into a bottell.
We must sow in teares,Psalm 126. if we will reape in ioy.
He is our present help, and in a moment can deliuer vs.
But if he will make a triall of vs,1. Cor. 10. 13. See Heb. 10. 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. yet, The Lord is faithfull, and will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able, but will euen giue the issue with the temptation, that ye may be able to beare it, sayth S. Paul.
[Page 140]Q. These are most comfortable indéede to the children of God: Gods wil therfore be done, and God giue vs grace to submit our willes to his will as wée ought. Now rehearse the 4. petition.
The fourth Petition. Giue vs this day our daily bread.
Q. WHat is the summe of this petition?
A. That it would please the Lord as a father and a king, to prouide all necessaries for vs his children and subiects in this life.
Q. Why is this next?
A. To teach vs, that then his name is hallowed of vs, his kingdome doth come vnto vs, and his will is done by vs, when we depend on his prouidence for all our prouision, & flye to him in all our wants.
Q. What doth this petition teach vs?
A. It teacheth vs many lessons.
1. To acknowledge the prouidence of God in the whole ordering of our life.
[Page 141] 2. To depend on his prouidence for our whole prouision in this life.
3. To flie to God in all our wants.
4. That wee haue no right to the creatures, before wee haue asked leaue of the Lord for the vse of them.
Q. What be the graces that we pray for here?
A. They be in number three.
1. Carefulnes in measure how to liue.
2. Contentednes with that estate wherin we liue.
3. Confidence in the prouidence of God while we liue.
Q. What sins doe we pray against?
A. The cōtrary to the former graces, and they be in number also 3.
Carelesnes.
Couetousnes.
Distrustfulnes.
Q. Some thinke that religion will make men careles of the world, & their families, is it so?
A. They are deceiued that thinke so: for all that truely feare God are carefull for the world, if they bee not too carefull, which is more to be feared.
[Page 142]Q. Why are wee taught to pray for the things of this life, before the forgiuenes of our sinnes? &c.
A. To relieue our infirmitie: for we do not so easily pray for heauenly things, as for earthly things.
Q. How doth this relieue our infirmitie?
A. It is a meanes to make vs pray for heauenly things better then wee haue done.
Q. How may that be?
A. Very well: for when we haue triall of Gods goodnes in the thinges of this life, wee neede nothing to doubt of his mercie in the things concerning another life. And hauing found him friendly in lesser matters, we may fully accoumpt of his fauour in greater matters.
Q. This shall suffice for the order of it, now let vs come to the particular view of euery word, and shewe what wée are to learne from the same.
A. For the right vnderstanding of this petition, two things in generall are to bee considered of:
1. The thing it selfe which wee are [Page 143] taught to aske.
2. The manner how we must aske it.
Q. What say you of the thing it self, or the benefite that we doe craue in this petition?
A. It is described by two adiuncts, or circumstances:
1. Of the qualitie, or nature of it.
2. Of the quantie, how much we must aske.
Q. Of what nature or qualitie is it?
A. It is corporall, temporall, and earthly, and is called by the name of daylie bread.
Q. What quantitie, or how much must we aske?
A. The quantitie is noted in these words, our, and this day.
Q. What meane you by that?
A. I meane that we must aske, first, no, more then our owne: secondly, no more but for the present time and neede.
Q. After what manner must wee aske it?
A. Concerning the manner of asking I obserue two things:
[Page 144]1. Wee must aske it as a gift, not as a merite, or a thing bought or solde, or borrowed, or changed, but as a free gift.
2. We must aske it, for vs, that is, not for my selfe alone, but for others aswell as my selfe.
Q. This is briefe and plaine, but yet I would haue euery thing made as plaine as may be (if it were possible) that no doubt might remaine: therefore, now shew first what is ment by bread in this place.
A. This word bread is put in the scriptures three manner of wayes.
1. Figuratiuely, for other things besides bread, as sometime for Christ himselfe, in Ioh. 6. 51.
Sometime for the benefites of Christ, Matth. 15. 26.
Sometime for hunger, or a small portion, 1. King. 22. 27.
Sometime for liberalitie to the poore, Eccle. 11. 1.
2. Properly, for bread it selfe, Matth. 15. 33. 34.
3. Both properly, for such bread as we eate, and figuratiuely, for whatsoeuer is [Page 145] necessary to the sustentation of this life, together, as in Gen. 3. 19. Psal. 41. 9. and in this petition.
Q. By bread then I see the Lord Iesus meaneth, all necessary thinges for this life: but why are they set downe vnder the name of bread?
A. For two causes,
1. Because bread is most vsuall and necessary.
2. To teach vs that wee must stint our immoderate desires, and be content with a little.
Q. What if the Lorde send vs more then bread?
A. If the Lord giue more, we must bee thankfull,1. Timot. 6. 8. and vse it well, and if he giue vs but bread, that is to say, a little portion, we must be content.
Q. Is it not lawful to pray for riches?
A. Whatsoeuer is needfull to the life of man, is included in this word, bread, and prayed for here.
Q. But what call you needfull?
A. This needfull is to be measured and iudged of, according to mens seuerall callings and charges.
A. If mens necessaries be great abundance, then great abundance is here prayed for: but if we goe from necessaries to superfluities, then wee haue no such warrant here.
Q. As wée haue no warrant for it, so you can she wenothing against it, can you?
A. Yes, both the precepts of God, and examples of Gods children are against it. See Deut. 8. 7. &c. Prou. 30. 8. 9. Iob. 31. 24. &c. 1. Timoth. 6. 17.
Q. With what minde and affection must we desire things necessary for our calling?
A. Wee may craue such thinges as are necessarie and conuenient according to our calling, alwaies prouided these two rules:
1. That it bee with condition of Gods will, and pleasure.
2. That the end bee to serue God, and our neighbours by them and with them. See Iames 4. 3.
Q. Why are wee taught to call it [...] [...]read?
[Page 147]A. To teach vs, that wee must not shift for our selues as well as wee can, or gette our liuing when, or where, or of whome wee can, as the manner of the world is.
Q. No? how then?
A. Euery man is to vse such honest meanes as he may eate the laboures of his owne hands, and nothing to bee found about vs, for our selues or oures, but that we haue good right vnto, and we may truely call our owne.
Q. What then doe wee praye for here?
A. In calling for our bread we pray:
1. That we may be contented with that portion which the Lord giueth vs.
2. That we may not bereaue any of that which is theirs.
Q. How doth that follow vpon this word our?
A. It must needes follow, because that which is another mans, is not ours.
Q. But by your leaue many do racke and robbe, and pull from other men their right, and yet say this prayer too?
A. Yea, it is too true, but they say [Page 148] it to their owne condemnation. For their own tongues haue giuen sentence against themselues.
Q. But many will seeme to doe it by law, & then it is well enough, is it not?
A. Yea, and it may bee by such a lawe too as the Iewes put Christ to death by, and that was a law of their owne.
Q. Can you name any whome this doth concerne especially?
A. Yea, there bee many in the world whom this poynt doth concerne very narrowly: and I could wish them to consider of it, lest they goe to hell for their mocking of God:
1. Those that keep the Churches landes and liuings in their handes, which they cannot call theirs.
2. Those that keepe backe the Ministers maintenance, and say, they will find cause enough.
3. Those Ministers that take the fleece, and feede not the flocke.
4. Vsurers of all sortes and sises, with their bawdes the brokers.
5. All that liue by forfeitures of bandes, and poore mens pledges.
[Page 149] 6. All that liue by vnlawfull meanes, as filching, and stealing, &c.
7. All gamesters, and common dicers, which liue onely vpon play, and make an occupation of gaming, &c.
Q. What would you haue these men to consider of?
A. Whether that which they get in this and that maner, they can call it their own, as lawfully and truely gotten, without checke of conscience.
Q. What if they cannot?
A. If they cannot, then let them consider that when they say this prayer, they play the monstrous hypocrites, and dissemblers with God.
Q. Why? what if they doe so?
A. Then their sinne is twise so great as before, & their condemnatiō must needes be heauie, and iust, without great repentance.
Q. What other reason can you giue to perswade men to bee content with their owne?
A. Hee that can truely say when hee commeth into his house, this house, this stuffe, this money, this meate, &c. is mine [Page 150] by Gods ordinance and allowance, hee may goe in, lie downe, and eate, &c. with comfort, because hee hath no checke of conscience to trouble him.
Q. Why? its conscience such a matter?
A. Yea, a good conscience (saith the scripture) Is a continuall feast, Prou. 15. 15. and it is that which makes a little so sweet to the children of God.
Q. How doe the wicked enioye their goodes?
A. They fil their houses, but their hartes do tel thē that many alye haue they made, many an othe haue they sworne, and many a poore bodie haue they deceiued, for that which they haue.
The Vsurers hart saith, Many a fatherles child will curse mee for this that I haue, which is fearefull.
Q. Oh Lord I meruaile how these men can be mery with that they haue?
A. Surely they eate & drinke, and feast, &c. but it is like the feasting of Balthashar, when the hand was seen writing against him, Dan. 5. 6.
Q. What should these men doe to preuent Gods wrath?
[Page 151]A. If they be able, they ought to make restitution as Zacheus did,Luk. 19. if not, to aske forgiuenes with harty repentance, both of God and men.
Q. God grant if euen for his mercies sake in Christ Iesus. Now shew me but one thing more concerning this word (Our) and then no more, & that is this: If it be our, why should wee pray the Lorde to giue it vs as though it were not ours?
A. Because it is not ours by desert, but by mercie, and thinges giuen in mercie, must be asked in a feeling of miserie.
Q. Are wee not worthy of our dayly bread, how proue you that?
A. By the confession of Iacob in Gen. 32. 10.
Q. What is the reason of our unworthines?
A. The reason is, because when Adam transgressed, both hee and his lost their right to all the creatures.
Q. How is this right to bee recouered againe?
A. No way but by the merits of Christ and faith in the same.
[Page 152]Q. What? belike then we must aske our necessaries for Christs sake, and in Christs name, must we?
A. Yea, and by a liuely faith, bee in Christ too, or els we haue no right to any thing, but are like theeues and vsurpers.
Of this worde, Dayly.
Q. Whie doe wee call it dayly bread?
A. For diuers causes,
1. To note our mortalitie, and fading estate, if the Lord should not dayly feede vs, Act. 17. 28.
2. To keepe vs in the exercise of praier, for if wee should aske for many yeeres prouision at once, wee would take libertie thereby to pray no more.
3. To bridle our insatiable desires, and to teach vs to be content with so much as shall bee fit to preserue life honestly, not wantonly. For see Psal. 37. 16. 1. Tim. 6. 6. 2. Cor. 4. 16. 17. 18.
4. To teach vs that all our wantes are knowne to the Lorde so well, that for euery [Page 153] day he can tell what is sufficient, and what we haue need of.
Q. What vse may wée make of this?
A. The vse of this poynt is two folde.
1. To preserue vs from distrust, and al bad meanes to bee relieued by, which come of distrust.
2. To encourage vs to goe to God by prayer, when we heare how priuie he is to our estate.
Of this worde, Giue.
Q. WHy doe we say giue?
A. This worde doth teach vs many things.
1. That God is the author and giuer of all the good that wee haue either spirituall or corporall.
2. That such is our miserie by sinne, that of our selues wee are not worth a peece of bread.
3. That if wee haue but bread, wee ought to thank the giuer, and much more ought wee to thanke him for our aboundance.
[Page 154] 4. To get our riches in such sorte, as we may rightly call them the gift of God, and that is when we get our liuing, either by right inheritance, or by true honest labour.
5. To shew that all our labour is to no purpose (although we be commanded to labour) except the Lorde giue a blessing, See Psal. 128. 1. 2. Eccles. 6. 7. Psal. 127. 1. Psalm. 107. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. Mic. 6. 15. Hag. 1. 6.
6. To shew that the nourishment of bread, and the vse of our goods is of God, aswell as goods themselues, See Leuit. 26. 26. Eccles. 6. 1. Dan. 1. 10. 12. 13. 15.
Q. You say that wée be not worthie of a péece of bread, but in the worthines of Christ, whether are we then worthy of heauen as the Papists saye?
A. If we be not worthie of a peece of bread,Gen. 32. 10. much lesse are wee worthie of the kingdome of heauen: but if bread be the free gift of God, much more is the kingdome of heauen the free gift of God.
1. To teach vs, that when we pray, we must praye for others aswell as for our selues, or else we pray not aright, and in loue, 1. Cor. 13. 5. Loue seeketh nother own, that is, onely.
2. To shew that we must possesse our goods, so as others may haue part with vs. For God by vs dooth giue vnto others, as he doth by others giue vnto vs.
Q. Who must haue part with vs?
A. In deede that is a needefull question, for we must not giue to all, because the Apostle saith,2. Thes. 3. 10.If any will not worke, let him not eate. Neither must wee giue to all alike, because the same Apostle maketh a restraint,Gal. 6. 10. and saith, Doe good to all, but especiallie to the householde of faith.
Q. To whom then ought wee not to giue?
A. If we see any idle bodies, or counterfeite persons, or any that liue without an honest trade, as fidlers, rimers, iesters, walking mates, players, Iuglers, couseners, and such like, I doubte whether wee ought to giue vnto such, or no, vntill they take a new trade of life.
A. To the poore and needie, but especially to the godly poore, such as are decayed by the hand of God, to strangers, fatherles and widdowes, &c. This knewe Iob very well,Iob. 31. 17. 19. 20. 22. and he put it in practise to his great ioy and comfort.
This day.
Q. Why doe wée say, giue us [this day?]
A. By that wee meane that the Lorde should helpe vs when we haue neede, and not tarrie too long.
Q. Why doe we vse the same words in praying for others?
A. To teach vs that wee must helpe our brother, both by our prayers, and otherwise, when he needeth, and not to tarry vntill hee bee past recouerie: See Gen. 24. 18. Exo. 22. 26. Luk. 10. 31. 33.
Q. Is it not lawfull to laye up in store?
A. Yes, so that in storing wee keepe these rules:
1. Our reseruation must bee voide of couetousnes and distrust.
2. It must be to lawfull endes.
[Page 157] 3. We must not robbe the poore to store our selues.
4. That wee trust not in our store, but in the Lord.
5. That it be made onely in the reuerence of the Lords giftes.
Q. What examples haue wee of such as haue so stored?
A. There bee many. See Gen. 45. 7. Matth. 14. 20. Iohn 6. 12. Act. 11. 28. 29. 2. Cor. 12 14
Q. The Lorde Iesus saith.Obiect.Care not for the morrowe. Matth. 6. 34.
A. His meaning is that we should not care for the morrowe with distrustfulnes: but with moderate labour, and faithfull prayer.
Q. He saith againe.Obiect. 2. Labour not for the meate that perisheth. Iohn 6. 27. & Lay not vp treasure on earth, where theeues breake through, &c. Luk. 12. 33.
A. These speeches are by way of comparison spoken, comparing earthly things with heauenly things, and his meaning is, that wee should not labour so much for this life, as for the life to come, because the one doth perish, the other doth not, and [Page 158] so for treasuring vp treasure on earth, the like is to be said.
Q. What néed rich mē say this prayer, that haue enough for many yeares?
A. For two causes they ought also to pray this prayer:
1. To acknowledge the giuer.
2. Though they haue riches, yet the vse cōfort safetie is of God.
The fift Petition. And forgiue vs our trespasses, as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs.
Q. WHy is this next?
A. From the placing of this in the next place, wee learne two things:
1. That we must haue a care of the life to come, as well as of prouision for this life.
Q. Why, if we haue our daily bread, what neede we care for any more?
A. All the thinges of this worlde will doe vs noMath. 16. 26. good, except our sinnes [Page 159] be forgiuen vs.
Q. What is the forgiuenes of our sinnes such a great matter?
A. Yea, it is such a thing that without it, there is no comfort in the things of this life.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By the speech of the Lorde Iesus to the man that had a palsie: Sonne, be of good comfort, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. To teach vs, that nothing can giue good comfort, but the forgiuenes of sinnes.
Q. Why dooth he say, be of good comforte, rather then bee of comforte, any comforte is good, is it not?
A. No, this is to teach vs, that all comfort is not good comfort, for some is counterfeite, and false, as that which ariseth from transitorie things, but onely that is true comfort which groweth vppon the fauour of God in pardoning of sinnes.
Q. What is the second thing wee learne from the order and placing of this next to the former?
A. Secondly, wee learne hereby, that if wee want our dayly bread, our sinnes are the cause, for when sinne entred into the [Page 160] worlde, the curse entred. See these places, Gen. 3. 17. 18. Deut. 28. 15. &c. Deut. 32. from the 13. verse to the 26.
Q. How shall wee doe to auoyde the curse of God?
A. Wee must desire the Lord in mercy to doe away our sinnes, and not to deale with vs in iudgement, for sinne is the stop of Gods blessings, and when our sinnes are remoued, then is there a way made for daily bread.
Q. What vse may wee make of this poynt?
A. This poynt serueth for our instruction two waies.
1. To teach vs that religion is not the cause of want (as some doe imagine, like Achab, who saide that Elias troubled Israel, when in deed it was himselfe) but sinne is the cause.
2. That when we want any temporall thing, for this life, we should examine ourselues of sinne, and of some speciall sinne that God is angry with, which hath depriued vs of that which we want and would haue.
Q. How proue you that?
[Page 161] A. By the testimonie of the Scripture, in Iere. 5. 24. 25. For they say not in their hearts, let vs now feare the Lord our God, that giueth raine, both early and late in due season, hee reserueth vnto vs the appoynted weekes of the haruest, 25. Yet your iniquities haue turned away these things, & your sinnes haue hindred good things from you.
Againe,Iosh. 7. when Achan was vnknowne that plaied the theefe in taking away the cursed thing, Israel was plagued, but when search was made, and hee executed, the plague ceased.
So should wee also make search in our selues, when the hand of God is against vs, vntil we finde what sinne it is that hath moued God against vs.
Forgiue.
Q. What doth this worde [Forgiue] teach vs?
A. It teacheth vs many things. 1. That before pardō can be obtained, our sinnes must bee truely and vnfainedly confessed to God, without couering, or excusing any at all.
Q. How proue you that?
A. Out of Psal. 32. 5. I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee, neither hid I mine iniquitie, [Page 162] for I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lorde, and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne.
Prou. 28. Hee that hideth his sinne shall not prosper, but he that confesseth them, and forsaketh them shall haue mercie.
Q. Of how many sortes is the confession of sinnes?
A. It is of two sortes: either Ciuill, or Religious.
Q. What manner of confession is that which you call Ciuill?
A. That is a ciuill confession of sinne, which is made before a ciuill Iudge, or Magistrate, by malefactors.
Q. What example haue you thereof in the Scripture?
A. Such kinde of confession was that which Achan made when he was examined before Ioshua, Iosh. 7. 19. 20.
Q. When is it religious?
A. When it is made to God onely, as a part of his worship.
Q. Of how many sortes is this religious confession?
A. It is double: either priuat to God onely, or publique in the assemblies of the church of God.
A. It is of two sortes: either generally to bee made by the minister, with the whole congregation together: or particularly, by some one man before the congregation.
Q. How many waies doe you consider that which is made by the whole congregation?
A. Two waies: for it is either ordinarie, as at the vsuall, and common assemblies: or extraordinarie, as in time of some great, and generall calamitie. For the proofe of the former, see Leuit. 16. 20. 21. for the trueth of the latter, see Ioel. 2. 15. 16. 17.
And this confession of the sinnes of others, may bee made also to God by any godly man priuatly, in time of any great and generall affliction, as in Dan. 9. 4. 5. 6. &c.
Q. When must publique confession of sinne bee made by one man particularly?
A. When any one hath committed [Page 164] any offence that is publique and heinous.
Q. Why must it be publique?
A. That the Church of God may be satisfied, which by that sinne was offended.
Q. What meane you when you say the Church is offended?
A. That is to be vnderstood two maner of wayes.
1. The spirite of God which is in the faithfull, is grieued at the sinne.
2. The faithfull (being led by the spirite of God) are also grieued to see God dishonored.
Q. Why? euery man shall beare his owne sinne, we shall not answer for an other mans offence, what need we then care or be grieued at the matter?
A. Yes, wee ought to bee grieued in two respects:
1. In respect of God.
2. In respect of others.
Q. Why in respect of God?
A. Because he is,
1. Our God, and father, therefore we must bee grieued when wee see him dishonoured, as children are grieued when they see their parents abused.
2. A GOD that loueth puritie, and hateth [Page 163] iniquitie, therefore we must be grieued when wee see that done in his house which he abhorreth.
3. A God of all mercie and kindnes vndeserued, therefore we must be grieued to see his mercie so abused, and his kindnes so vnkindly requited.
4. A GOD of iustice, therefore wee should bee grieued lest his wrath breake out against vs.
Q. How are the godly gr [...]eued in respect of others?
A. 1. In regard of the partie offending.
2. In respect of the parties offended.
Q. Why in regarde of the partie offending?
A. Because hee is in danger of Gods displeasure, and of being cutte off from the bodie.
Q. Why in respect of the rest of the bodie are they grieued?
A. Because some are in danger of learning his waies, and to bee infected by his example. Some stand in doubt of his saluation, which so publiquely offendeth: and some are in doubt of the trueth, while he so falleth that professeth the trueth.
A. I conclude, that therefore it is very necessarie and requisite, that when a fault is publique, confession be publique, that the Church of God which was offended, may be satisfied.
Q. What meane you, when you say the Church is satisfied by his open confession?
A. I meane that when hee hath publiquely confessed his sinne with promise of amendment, and signes of hartie repentance, then the rest which before were grieued, are eased of their griefe, as the body is when a corrupt member is healed.
Q. And is that all?
A. No, then also those which were in doubt before, are now resolued and out of doubt.
Q. Whereof are they resolued?
A. Of many thinges:
1. That it was euill which hee committed.
2. That the truth is still the trueth, for all his fall.
3. That the bodie is not in danger of [Page 167] being infected by his euil example as it was before.
4. That he is in the state of grace againe.
5. That they may receiue him againe as a member of the body, as he was wont to be, which before was doubtfull.
Q. How I see howe necessary it is that publique confession of publique offences bee made: but what say you to punishing by the purse? is not that a better way to reclaime offend [...]rs, then open confession of the fault?
A. No, that is rather a meanes to maintaine sinne: for who will not sinne when hee knoweth it is but a money matter? especially rich men which haue money at will.
Q. What if the money bée giuen to the poore, or to the mending of some hie waie, or to some other good vse?
A. It is counted with the Lord, but as the price of a harlot,Mat. 27. 6. as the money that Iudas tooke, was the price of blood: and therefore is most abominable in the sight, of God what vse soeuer it be put vnto.
Q. What? is it not a good déede to relieue the poore?
[Page 166]A. Yes that is true, but yet wee must not doe euill that good may come thereof,Rom. 3. 8. (for then as the Apostle sayth) Our damnation is iust.
Q. Why? what euill can there bée in helping the poore?
A. To relieue the poore is good, but to relieue the poore by a meanes which maintaineth others in sin is not good, & therefore by the Apostles rule is condemned.
Q. You speake of the money that Iudas tooke of the Iewes, which you say is called the price of blood, that maketh against you, for it is said in the Gospell, that he cast it into the Temple, and the [...]ie Priests did accept of it.
A. That is true indeed, but how? they also sayd it was not lawfull to put it into the treasurie, because it was the price of blood: and besides that, that money was not a satisfaction for Iudas his sinne, for to shew that his money did him no good, neither in the taking, nor in the restoring, he wēt & hāged himself to make amends.
Q. But when they had his money againe, they did not cast it away, but went and bought with it a field to bury [Page 167] strangers in, and why may not the like be done with the money of publique offenders now?
A. Your comparison holdeth not, for
1. Iudas neuer had any right to that money, and therefore ought to restore it againe.
2. If hee had come by it lawfully, yet could not the Iewes haue giuen it him againe, for hee went presently and hanged himselfe.
3. The Iewes did not take him for a traitour, or an offender in that hee did, for if they had, it is like his money would not haue saued him from their censure and iudgement: nay they were as deepe in the sinne as he was.
4. When they had his money againe, it was not lawfull to cast it away, being of it selfe a good creature of God, but they must employ it to some vse.
Lastly, the fielde that they bought withall,Mat. 27. 8. is called the fielde of blood vnto this day: and so whatsoeuer vse that money is put vnto (which is giuen to buy out their open punishment) should be called the worke of sinne.
[Page 168]Q. Shew your meaning more plainly this last poynt?
A. I meane this, that if a harlotte, or a whoremonger shuld with money buy out their open confession of their fault, in the Church, or the ciuill punishment to bee inflicted by the Magistrate; and if that money were giuen to the poore, it might be called the reward or almes of a harlot, and so in other thinges: the high way of adulterie, the colledge of fornication, the hospitall of whoredome, the Church of blasphemie, and all the reparations of iniquitie, which doe all cry for the curse of God to come vpon the founders, and authors thereof. See Habak. 2. 11. 12. 14.
Q. What if any bee so obstinate that they will not be brought to an open acknowledgement of their sinne?
A. Then by the censure and sword of excommunication, he is to be cut off from the body of Christs Church, as a rotten & infectious member, and to be cast out vnto Sathan, till God giue him repentance, according to the doctrine and rule of the Apostle.1. Cor. 5. 4. 5.
Q. What if after that hee doe repent, [Page 169] and offer to satisfie the Church of God?
A. Then is hee to bee receiued againe as a brother,2. Cor. 2. 5. 7. as the same Apostle teacheth.
Q. What if then (after his publique repentance) hee will giue anie thing to the poore, or &c. is it not lawfull to take it?
A. Yes, for then it is taken as a fruite of fayth, which before was onely a fruite of sinne.
Q. I am satisfied for that matter of confession, what els doth this word forgiue, teach vs?
A. It doth further teach vs the wonderfull long suffering of God towards mankinde, which is not wearie in forgiuing of poore sinners when they aske forgiuenes at his handes.
Q. Why then wee may sin as much as we list, may we not?
A. God forbid, for this patience and goodnes of God is to leade vs to repentance, and not to presumption, as the Apostle teacheth in Rom. 6. 1. Rom. 2. 5. and therefore we ought not to abuse it.
[Page 170]Q. What else doe wee gather from this worde forgiue?
A. It dooth further teach vs, that there is no satisfaction to Gods iustice for sinne, by workes of our owne, no, not in temporall punishments, but the dooing away of four sinnes is of Gods mere fauour.
Q. How doe you gather that vpon this worde forgiue?
A. It dooth necessarily followe, for if God dooth freely forgiue vs our sinnes, then we do not satisfie for them, for to forgiue and to satisfie be contraries.
Q. What is here ment by forgiuing of sinnes?
A. To forgiue sinnes, is to couer them, [...]or not to impute them vnto vs. See Psalm. 32. 1.
Q. But may not wee make satisfaction to GOD for our sinnes our selues?
A. No, it is not possible.
Q. How may that appeare?
A. It shall easilie appeare, if wee consider against whome wee sinne, or whose commandements we transgresse.
Q. We sinne against God, I knowe [Page 171] that, but what of that?
A. Yea, but that is not all, but we must consider that God is infinite, & therefore the offence is multiplied according to the worthines of the person against whom it is committed.
Q. And what doe you inferre vpon that?
A. I inferre that our offence against God cannot but bee infinite, and consequently so must our punishment be too.
Q. And must that punishment be suffered?
A. Yea, for Gods iustice requireth the same.
Q. How shall wee doe then to bee saued, for if we suffer it, we can neuer bee saued, because that which is infinite is without ende?
A. In deede it is true, and therefore we haue neede of a remedie, or else we cannot be saued.
Q. But what shall that remedie be? Gods mercie?
A. No, for mercie must not be contrarie to iustice.
Q. By what meane may God execute his iustice with [...]sanulling his mercie? or exercise mercie without preiudice of his iustice?
A. To appease his wrath, and to make way for his mercie, there must come some satisfaction betweene God and Man.
Q. What manner of satisfaction must that be?
A. Considering the faulte is infinite, and the punishment must bee proportionable to the faulte, and the satisfaction likewise to the punishment, therefore it must be infinitely infinite.
Q. How shall that be made? cannot man helpe to make it?
A. No, hee can doe nothing that waie.
Q. No? What if hee shoulde doe the workes of the law of God, wil not that satisfie Gods iustice?
A. To satisfie by the workes of the law, we cannot for two causes:
1. Because it is a taske which no man can keepe.
[Page 173] 2. If we coulde, yet all the workes of the lawe bee debtes, and no man can discharge one debt with another.
Q. What if man offer himselfe to God?
A. If man should offer himselfe, he offereth nothing but vnthankfulnes, and disobedience, and wickednes, that is, he prouoketh Gods wrath more and more.
Q. What if man shoulde offer the whole world vnto God?
A. If he should, what should he offer but that which hee hath first receiued of God, and lost againe by his disobedience?
Q. What if the Angels shoulde step in to satisfie for man?
A. If the creature should labour to pacifie the Creator: a thing finite in goodnes, to couer an infinite euill, the indebted to discharge one that is more indebted, what were that but a couering, that doth but halfe couer, and a plaster infinitly too little for the sore?
Q. How then shall this satisfaction be made?
A. God himselfe must be faine to step in betweene his iustice and his mercy, and [Page 174] as he created vs at the first, so to create vs new againe, and this is it which the scripture calleth regeneration.
Q. Who then shall bee this mediator? God vnto God? infinite to infinite? and able both to discharge the bond, and to asswage the infinite punishment?
A. That must needes be the second person in the Trinitie, the son of God, who is also God equal with the father, and therefore infinite.
Q. Why must it be the second person?
A. For two causes:
1. Because he is the wisdome of the father, for as he at the first vttered his wisedome in creating vs, so he was to employ the same in regenerating vs.
2. Because wee were to bee adopted his children, that is, admitted to an inheritance, which coulde not bee done but by the mediation of his owne naturall sonne.
Q. How did the sonne of God satisfie God for our sinnes hee being God himselfe?
A. Hee in his infinite Godhead recompenced [Page 177] honour that great benefite, and call vpon the father in his name: and thus we come to the forgiuenes of our sins, which here we are taught to pray for.
Q. You haue wel satisfied me for this [...] let vs come to the next word why doe wee say,vs.forgiue vs, and not forgiue me?
A. Therein wee are taught, to beseech the Lord as heartely to forgiue the sinnes of our brethren, as our own. See Iam. 5. 17. Exod. 32. 21. Rom. 9. 1.
Q. What if we faile in this duetie?
A. Then we faile in the greatest duetie of brotherly loue, and Christian compassion, neither can wee say that we loue the brethren, neither can we bee assured that we are the members of Christ.
Q. What? doe we not loue our brethren except wee care for their soules? what if we with them riches, honours, and fauours in this life, is not this sufficient?
A. No: the best loue of man to man, consisteth in wishing his spirituall good, the good of his soule, forgiuenes of his sinnes, true ioy in the holy Ghost, &c.
[Page 178]Q. Where reade you of any that were grieued for the sinnes of the people?
A. In Psalm. 119. 136. Dauid sayth his eyes gushed out with teares, because men kept not the law of God.
Q. What thinke you of those that laugh for ioy, when they see men br [...]ake the commandements of God, and yet say this prayer?
A. If they knowe what they say their sin is the greater, and they must needes be condēned of notable hypocrisie: but indeed it argueth that they neuer felt that in their harts which they vtter with their lips.
Q. What els doe you gather vpon these words, forgiue vs?
A. We learne further,Another note. that if wee must desire God to forgiue both them and vs, we must not allure them to sinne.
Q. How doe you gather that?
A. It must needes follow: for if we be mediatours and sutors for pardon, we may not in any case bee procurers to wickednes: for shall he that sueth for the Princes pardon for a Traytor, or a murtherer, or &c. when he hath so done goe presently & stir vp the same partie to work treason [Page 179] againe, or to murther againe? God forbid.
Q. But this is a thing most rise, especially amongst such as beare the name of good fellowes.
A. It is too true indeede, but it is wicked good fellowship that tempteth vnto sinne, and draweth to hell: which such good fellowes shall one day feele to their cost, if God giue thē not great repentance.
Q. What sinnes doe wee pray the Lord to forgiue vs?
A. All our sinnes whatsoeuer, our sins committed in our ignorance, our sinnes of weakenes and of presumption, our sins committed priuatly and openly, & al the euill thoughts and motions of our heart.
Q. What say you to the Papists distinction of sinnes, veniall, and mortall, and their 7. deadly sinnes?
A. It is most absurd and wicked:Rom. 6. [...] for all sinne in his owne nature is deadly, and euery sinne in the merites of Christs bloud is veniall, to him that truely repenteth and beleeueth in Christ, and not els.
As we forgiue them that trespasse against vs.
Q. Why be these words added?
[Page 180]A. They are added as a reason of the former, and serueth to perswade the Lord, or rather to confirme our faith in Gods fauour towards vs.
Q. How can you make them a reason of the former?
A. It is a reason to proue that God will forgiue vs our sinnes, and is drawne from a comparison of the lesse to the greater, thus: If we that are voyd of all goodnesse doe forgiue others when they craue mercie, then the Lord who is the fountaine of all mercie will forgiue vs.
Q. Where finde you that the scripture vseth to reason so, and to prooue Gods goodnes by mans goodnes?
A. Our Sauiour Christ doth so reason in Luk. 11. 13. If you which are euill (sayth he) can giue good things vnto your children, how much more will your heauenly father giue vnto his children, &c.
Q. But what if men would not forgiue one another, could wee not then bee assured that GOD would forgiue vs?
A. If all mercie were dried vp in the bowels of men, yet it were to be found in [Page 181] the Lord. See for the proofe hereof, Esai. 49. 15. Therefore, much more may we be assured hereof when men doe forgiue.
Q. What doth this clause teach vs?
A. It teacheth vs many things:
1. That all hypocriticall forgiuenes is condemned in the sight of God. See Psal 28. 3.
2. That all lame and halfe forgiuenes is condemned, as to forgiue a peece, and carrie a peece vnforgiuen.
3. That if we will be like our heauenly father, we must be mercifull and forgiue.
Q. How must we shew mercie?
A. 1. In giuing of almes, Deut. 15. 10.
2. In gathering our fruites, Leuit. 19. 9. 23. 22.
3. In taking vp of debts, Matth. 18. 23.
4. In pardoning of offences, Mat. 18. 21.
5. In punishing offences, Deut. 25. 2. 3.
Q. Our Sauiour Christ nameth here no degrées of persons, as parents, friends, &c. why is that?
A. To teach vs that our forgiuenes must not goe by affection of men, but in generall to al that haue offended vs, whether they be friends or foes, &c.
[Page 182]Q. Our Sauiour Christ [...] no manner of trespasses, as little ones, or great ones, old or new, &c. why is that?
A. To teach, that of what sort soeuer the offences be, we must forgiue them all: because the Lord doth forgiue all, both small and great, &c.
Q. But the matter may bee so grieuous, or preiudiciall to vs, that we may take exceptions vnto it, and not forgiue it, may it not?
A. No, for the Lord Iesus in this prayer makes no exceptions, and therefore biddeth vs to make none. Againe, there is no offence cōmitted against vs by man, but God forgiueth vs as great committed against him by vs, & why then should not we forgiue, being so forgiuen?
Q. What if wee deserued better at his han [...]s that hath done vs the in [...] rie?
Q. Well then, I perceiue wee can finde no cause to retaine malice, if wee consider things well: but [...]n long as I cannot finde in my heart to forgiue my ene [...]ie, what if I say not the Lordes prayer, but some other good prayer?
A. That is a notable shift to deceiue our selues, but not the Lord: for it is not the saying of the prayer that God onely regardeth, but our being in that estate that wee may say it. See Esai. 1. 14. 15. 1. Ioh. 3. 15.
Q. Then what if I pray not at all?
A. Not to pray at all is a manifest note of a wicked and a reprobate person. See Psalm. 14.
Q. Whether is a man bound to forgiue all debts?
A. Ciuill debts which come by lawfull bargaining, may be exacted, so that it bee with shewing of mercie.
[Page 184]Q. Whether may a Christian pray this prayer aright, and yet sue another man at law?
A. Yea, he may in a holy manner sue another for an ini [...]rie, and bee free from malice, so that in doing thereof of these rules be obserued that follow.
1. We must take heed of all priuate reuenge, and inward hatred.
2. Our doings must not be offensiue to the Church.
3. That our sutes bee taken in hand to maintaine godly peace.
4. The ende of our suing must bee, the good of the partie offending, that he may be chastised and brought to repentance.
5. The lawe must bee the last remedie, when al other good meanes doe faile. See 1. Cor. 6. 7. And touching the lawfull authoritie, & vse of Magistrates, see 2. Chro. 19. 6, 7. 8. Rom: 13. 1, 2, 3. Of Pauls sending to the Centurion, and appealing to Caesar, wee may reade in Act. 23. 17. Act. 25. 11.
Q. How may a man forgiue trespasses, seeing as GOD onely forgiueth sinnes?
[Page 185]A. In euery [...] which any doe to their neighbour, there be two offences:
1. To God, and in that respect it is called a sinne, which God only forgiueth.
2. To man, and in that respect it is called an iniurie, and so man may forgiue it.
Q. What vse may wee make of this clause?
A. The vse of it is very profitable: for it sheweth vs a liuely signe to assure our consciences that but sinnes bee pardoned.
Q. How may that he?
A. Very well: for if we can finde our hearts as readily to forgiue, as wee are to desire forgiuenes at Gods hand, then wee may assure our selues of Gods loue to vs in this poynt.
Q. How proue you that?
A. In Matth. 5. 7. Blessed are the mercifull, for they shall obtaine mercie.
Q. What, is our shewing of mercie the cause why God sheweth mercie to vs?
A. Not so: but a signe of Gods mercie to vs: for he that sheweth mercy to others, hath first receiued mercie from God.
A. By the wordes of the Apostle in [...]. Cor. 1. 3. Blessed [...]e God [...] f [...]ther, &c. the father of mercies a [...]d God of all comfort, which comforteth vs in all [...] tribulations▪ that wee may bee able to comfor [...] them which▪ [...] any afflictio [...] ▪ by the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of God.
The sixt petition. And leade vs not into temptation, but deliuer vs from euill.
Q. WHy is this the next and the last?
A. To teach vs, that when wee haue done what we can, yet we must looke for temptations so long as wee liue in this world.
Q. What they that haue their sinnes forgiuen them subiect to temptations?
A. Yea, forgiuenes of sinnes and temptations vnto sinne, be inseparable companions in this life.
Q. What the penitent sinner that is belou [...]d of God, is he troubled with [Page 187] temptations?
A. There is none in this world so beaten and buffeted with temptations as the penitent sinner, that [...]rieth most bitterly for the pardon of his sinnes.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By the words of our Sauiour Christ [...] Peter, Simon Simon, Sathan hath desired to sift you as wheate is sifted, Luk. 22. 31. to shewe, that if we were as good as Peter, Sathan will bee sifting of vs, yea the better Christian, the greater desire hath Sathan to sift vs.
Q. How els doe you proue it?
A. By the confession of the Apostle Paul, who was continually exercised with the buffetings of Sathan, 2. Cor. 1 [...]. 7.
Q. What meaneth the Apostle by the buffetings of Sathan?
A. He meaneth that rebellion which he felt in the vnregenerate part against God.
Q. Why are Gods children thus troubled with temptations vnto sinne?
A. For two causes:
1. To humble them, and keepe them vnder, least they forget themselues and [Page 188] waxe proude of those good things which GOD worketh in them, and by them, 2. Cor. 12. 7.
2. That Gods power may bee made manifest in their weakenes, and his grace may appeare in vpholding them that they fall not quite away from him, vers. 9.
Q. But [...]oth God loue them that are so troubled?
A. Yea, it is a note of Gods fauour and grace: for if wee had no griefe for sinne, nor any buffetings, or striuings, it were a signe that wee were vnder the power of Sathan, and not vnder the loue and fauour of God.
Q. But it is meruaile that the diuell will be so bolde with those whom God loueth.
A. No meruaile at all: for hee was as bolde with the Lord Iesus himselfe our head,Matth. 4. and he cannot chuse so long as he is a diuell, for he is by nature an aduersarie: And therefore whom God loueth, the diuell hateth, and where God worketh in loue, the diuell worketh in malice.
Q. What are Gods children then to doe?
[Page 189]A. Hereupon we are taught (for feare of being ouercome) to pray continually vnt [...] the Lord that we may not be led into te [...]ptation, but may be deliuered from euill.
A second reason of the cohaerence.
Q. WHy els is this petition put to the rest?
A. To teach vs, that as we must be carefull to pray for the pardon of sinnes past, so also we must be as carefull to preuent sinnes to come: we must take heede that we fall not into our old sinnes, nor bee ouer taken with new.
Q. Why? what neede wee pray against sinne to come? if we be forgiuen our sinnes past, we may take heed well enough of sinnes to come, may wee not?
A. How needfull it is to pray for Gods grace against sinne to come, may appeare if we consider these sixe things following:
1. Our owne corruption, and pronenes [Page 190] to euill, Iob. 15. 16.
2. The infinite allurements to pull vs from God, Heb. 11. 25.
3. The deceitfulnes of sinne, Heb. 3. 13.
4. The power of the enemie, Eph. 6. 12.
5. The diligence of the aduersarie, 1. Pet. 5. 8.
6. The crueltie of Sathan if hee doth winne.
Temptation.
Q. What is ment here by temptation?
A. Temptation is the entisement of the soule, or heart, either
By the corruption of man [...] nature, or,
By the allure mē [...]s of
To any sin.
The world Or The diuel
Q. What is ment by leading into temptation?
A. To be led into temptation, is to be ouercome of the temptation, when it prenaileth, and getteth the victorie.
Q. What then is the meaning of this petition?
[Page 191]A. It is as much as if wee should say thus: When we are moued, and entised to sinne, O Lord, keepe vs that we be not ouercome, and giue vs a good issue with the temptation.
Q. Doth God leade men into temptation, or only suffer them to be led into temptation?
A. Indeed some reade i [...] so, s [...]ffer vs not to [...] into temptation: but the text is plaine▪ [...] vs not into temptation.
Q. But doth not God suffer men to be tempted?
A. Yes, and more then suffering▪ he is the worker of the temptation it selfe.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By the scripture which doth so speake of God, as in these places following is manifest:
Exod▪ 7. 3. God hardned Pharaoes heart.
2 Sam. 24. 1. God moued Dauid to number &c.
Esai. 19. 14. God mingled amongst them the spirit of error.
Esai. 42. 24. Who gaue Iacob for a spoyle? and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord?
[Page 192]Esai. 63. 17. Why hast thou made vs to erre out of thy way▪ and [...]ardned our heart from thy feare▪
Rom. 1. 26. God gaue them vp to vil [...] affections.
2. Thess. 2. 11. God s [...]nt them strong delusions, &c.
In all these places is more then suffering [...] to God▪
Q. But if God doe leade men into temptation, is hee not the author of sinne?
A. No, for all this, God is not the author of sinne.
Q. How may God bee a worker in temptations, and yet free fro [...] sinne?
A. The Lord may be a worker in tēptations, and yet f [...]ee from sinne 5. wayes:
1. He tempteth by offering occasions, to trie whether a man will sinne or no: as a master will lay money in his seruants way to trie his faithfulnes, which money if he steale he sinneth, but his master in trying him, Sinneth not.
2. By withdrawing his graces, as he did from Sa [...]l, neither can this bee a sinne in God, because he is not bound to any.
[Page 193] 3. As temptation is an action, God is a worker in it, and he is the author of the action, but not of the euill that is in the action. Act. 17. 28.
4. As temptations bee punishments of former sinnes, and so workes of iustice, God is the worker of them, and yet free from sinne.
5. In respect of the ende to which God trieth his children, God is a worker in temptations, and yet free from sinne: for God hath one end, and the diuel another.
Q. To what end doth the diuell tēpt a man?
A. Onely to bring him to destruction.
Q. To what end doth the Lord tempt his children?
A. God hath diuers endes and purposes in tempting and trying his children and seruants:
1. Sometime to humble them for their sinnes, and to trie how they will abide the crosse.
2. Sometime, to make his owne graces in them (as faith, loue, patience, zeale, thankfulnesse, &c.) to shine foorth more clearly to his glorie, and their comfort.
[Page 194] 3. Sometime to open their shame and naughtie corrupte nature, as namely their impatience, their vnthankefulnesse, their dulnesse, their distrustfulnesse, &c. which were in them and they not knowing so much.
Q. Why wil the Lord thus lay open their shame?
A. For three causes:
1. To let them see that they are not the men that they tooke themselues to be.
2. That they may liue afterward in greater warines, knowing their own weaknes.
3. That they may the more earnestly desire his helpe, knowing their owne wantes.
Q. It should séeme that these kinds of temptations which procéed from God, may be better called proofes and trials, then temptations, may they not?
A. Yea, it is very true, & so they ought to be esteemed and accounted.
Q. But seeing as GOD vseth these trials to the profite of his chosen, and his-owne glorie, why shoulde wée pray against them?
A. Wee ought for all that to pray that [Page 195] wee may not fall into them, because wee must abhorre to commit anything wherby our God is iustly offended.
Q. If God be offēded with our déedes, why doth he bring vs into them?
A. With our deedes hee is offended, but with that which hee bringeth to passe by them (namely our humilitie, warines, &c.) he is delighted.
Q. What difference is there between Gods tempting of his children, and his tempting of the reprobate?
A. This tēptatiō into which God bringeth his elect, endureth but for a time: but the reprobate he bringeth into a perpetual tēptatiō, vtterly giuing thē vp to Sathan & hardening them in wickednes for euer.
Q. Is it not vniust, that God should leade some into temptation, and harden them in wickednes, & yet punish them for their sinnes?
A. No, for euen in this life wee may see good and iust causes, that God should harden the reprobate, and leade them into this wofull and eternall temptation.
Q. What cause can you alledge for y•?
A. They are worthy to be hardened, and [Page 196] therefore what vnrighteousnesse is it in God, to harden them that are worthy to be hardened?
Q. How can that be, when the scripture is plaine that God himselfe hath hardened their hartes?
A. When the scripture saith that God hardeneth men, the meaning is not that they were soft before, and that then God did harden them when they were soft before: but that God maketh them harder, and that is lustly done, for their former hardnes deserued to be made harder.
Q. Why doth not the Lorde so [...]ten all men?
A. If any man will say, it is Gods fault that he softneth not all men, let him shew that God first hardened all men, and not themselues.
Q. That is true indéede, b [...]t what of that?
A. If al men first hardened themselues, what shall constraine God to soften them againe?
If he will, he sheweth his mercy.
If he will not, he sheweth his iustice.
But who shall compell him to shew his [Page 197] mercie, where he may shew his iustice?
Q. I am satisfied for this poynt, but what vse may we make hereof?
A. By the knowledge of this poynt, the godly may learne to haue in reuerend admiration the exceeding great goodnes of God, when they shall consider that he vouchsafeth to take them into the number of those, whom of his mercy he would soften, whereas of his iustice hee might haue hardened them for euer.
Q. Do none tempt man but God?
A. Yes, man tempteth man, and Sathan tempteth man.
Q. How doth one man tempt another?
A. Two waies, sometime for good, sometime for hurt.
Q. When are they for good?
A. When wee try him whom wee doe suspect: as some that aske to borrow money, &c. before they neede.
Q. How doe men tempt men for the hurt one of another?
A. Two waies: sometimes by words, sometime by deedes, or both together.
Q. How by words?
[Page 198]A. By propounding captious & curious questions, as the Scribes & Pharisees did tempt Christ, Mat. 22. 16. Luk. 20. 20.
Q. What is that?
A. To entangle men in their wordes, to bring them within compasse of lawe, or to winne some aduantage against the trueth, by the weakenes and slendernes of mens answeres.
Q. How by déedes?
A. When by their owne example, or by vrging the examples of others they labour to draw men to euill.
Q. How are we to pray against these temptations?
A. Wee are to beseech the Lord: 1. To keepe vs from trials aboue our power to satisfie. 2. That it would please him to giue vs a mouth and vtterance to speake to his glorie, that the enemie may haue no iust aduantage against the cause which we maintaine.
Of Sathans tempting.
Q. HOwe proue you that Sathan tempteth any man to euill?
1. By the testimonie of the worde of God, as in 1. Peter 5. 8. 1. Iohn 3. 8. Iohn 8. 44.
2. By his owne confession in Iob. 1. 7. 8. for when the Lorde asked him from whence he came, hee saide that he came from compassing the ear [...]h.
Q. What doth he meane by compassing the earth?
A. Hee meaneth that hee came from tempting the inhabitants of the earth.
Q. Why did not Sathan tell the Lord a lye, as Cain did, but tell the trueth so plainely?
A. Because hee knewe that it was in vaine for him to lie vnto God, for he knew that God knewe well enough where hee had beene.
Q. Seeing Sathan told the Lord the trueth, why doth he teach men to lye?
A. By that wee may see that carnall men doe not know so much of God as the verie diuell doth.
Q. But why will the Diuell teach his schollers to doe worse then hee will doe himselfe?
[Page 200]A. That hee might bring them (if it were possible) into a worse plight then he is in himselfe.
Q. Where doth Sathan tempt men?
A. In all places.
Q. What in Temples, and Churches, and at holy exercises?
A. Yea, there hee is most busie, both at the exercises of prayer and preaching, and when they be done.
Q. What is his drift at the time of holy exercises?
A. His purpose is to compasse mens eyes with shewes, and their eares with soundes, and their sences with sleepe, and their thoughts with fancies, and all to hinder them from hearing.
Q. What if hee cannot preuaile that way? what doth he then?
A. Then, when wee are gone hee will compasse vs with business, and cares, and pleasures, and quarrels, either to make vs forget that we heard, or els to contemn it.
Q. Papists teach men that the diuell is afraid of holy water, and holy bread, and holy candles, and hallowed bels, & the name of Iesus, and the signe of the [Page 201] crosse, and that these things will driue him away, what thinke you of that?
A. The diuell inuented those weapons himselfe for the Papistes to fight withall, because hee knew that they could neuer hurt him with them, but themselues.
Q. No? is not the diuell afraide of the name of Iesus?
A. If the diuell were afraid of the name of Iesus, hee would not haue tempted the Lorde Iesus himselfe: and how little the diuell feared the name of Iesus appeareth more largely and fully in Act. 19. 13. 14. 15. 16. by those vagabonds which tooke vpon them to vse his name without any lawfull calling.
Q. What say you to the signe of the crosse, or a crucifixe, is not the diuell afraide of that?
A. No, for hee did helpe to set vp the crosse, and to naile Christ vpon the crosse.
Q. What say you to the holy water, and holy bels, &c.
A. They bee but childish toies, and strawes to fight withall instead of speares: for when the diuel depriued the Papists of true prayer, and the powerfull preaching [Page 202] of the worde, he gaue them those bables to play withall, and made them beleeue that he was afraid of them.
Q. Whom doth the diuell tempt?
A. All men in generall, both the elect and reprobate.
Q. But is hée not more busie with some, then with other some?
A. Yes, his chiefest desire is to sifte the godly, as his desire was to sifte Peter, and his greatest malice is against the best men in the world, Luk. 22. 31.
Q. Why doth he not desire aswell to sifte the wicked?
A. Hee needeth not, for hee hath them already at commandment.
Q. How can Sathan tēpt al the world to sinne, seeing they be so many?
A. There be armies and multitudes of diuels and wicked spirits in all places, and these doe all conspire together the destruction of mens soules.
Q. But how doe they know all men, and all mens affaires?
A. They are neuer at rest, but night and day doe labour, and one certifieth another most nimbly and liuely.
[Page 203]Q. But how can they knowe euery mans nature?
A. By obseruing their maners, and their customes, & their complexions, and their companie, &c.
Q. Doth the diuel know the thoughts of the heart?
A. No, that is proper to GOD onely,Ieve 17. who is called the searcher of the heart: but the diuell doth coniecture of mens thoughts by outward signes.
Q. Shew how that may be?
A. By his owne long experience of the worlde, he knoweth many thinges: for he is the oldest, and the greatest politique in the world.
2. By the words of a mans mouth, he can giue a gesse what is in mans heart, because he knoweth that it is written: Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, Mat. 12.
3. He obserueth what euery man doth most busie himselfe about, and by the outwarde fruite hee iudgeth of the inwarde roote which is in the heart, and when hee knoweth the heart, he infecteth it, that it may bring forth eu [...]llactions.
A. No, not so, but hee marketh how euery man is enclined, what hee loueth, what he hateth, what he feareth, and what wantes, and when hee hath found him then he fits him.
Q. How doth he fit them?
A. He prouideth for euery one according to his humour. The tyrant shal not wāt flatterers, the wanton shal not want a mate, the Vsurer shall not want a broker, the theefe shall not want a receiuer, he is a factor betweene the merchant and mercer, hee is a makebate betweene the man and his wife: he is a talebearer betweene neighbour, and neighbour.
Q. Hath hee but one sute or shifte for one man.
A. Yes, the diuels riches is in baites, whereof he hath great varietie and store.
Q. As how, for example?
A. For euery one that will sweare hee hath a packe full of othes: for euery one that will deceiue, hee hath a packe full of lies: for euery one that will dissemble, he hath a packe full of excuses.
Q. Hath hee but one may to compasse [Page 205] one and the same man?
A. Yes, he hath many waies & sleights to deceiue one man withall.
Q. Shew how hee dealeth with one and the same man.
A. If hee cannot compasse him with Idolatrie, nor adulterie, nor theft, nor any grosse sinne, then he will see if he can poison him with vaine glory, if not with carelesnes, then with distrust: if not with despaire, then with presumption: if he cannot keepe men in poperie, then hee will draw them to be Atheists, or libertines, or Neuters, or Protestantes at large, as the time serueth: if he see any desire reformation, he will labour to drawe them from the Church by schisme and separation, and he is alwayes in his extremities, either going too farre, or comming too short.
Q. Will the diuell be willing that any should embrace religion?
A. Yea that he is, for he hopeth thereby to giue them the greater fall (except God by his grace do mightily keep men) especially inconstant men hee will perswade to become religious, but he hopeth afterwarde by one meanes or other to [Page 206] make them Apostataes, and blacksliders from the truth.
Q. Dooth the diuell neuer cease from tempting one man?
A. Yes, sometime he will leaue a man, as it is said,Luk. 4. 13. hee left the Lord Iesus, that is, for a season.
Q. What? is his malice then at an [...]nde?
A. No, but he doth it onely in policie, to bring the heart asleepe, and to make men secure, that hee may come vpon them afterward with greater force when they mistrust nothing, as the children of Dan came vpon the people of Laish, and destroyed them when they were quiet and mistrusted nothing, Iudg. 18. 27.
Q. How doth he set vpon a man when he comes againe?
A. Where he seeth a man most careles, or most weake, there he makes the assault, like souldiers that inuade a castell.
Q. How may a man knowe that Sathan hath béen with him?
A. If God shoulde make vs see our countrey naked, our temples desolate, our cities ruined, and our houses spoyled, we [Page 207] would say, the Spaniards haue been here: so when wee see our mindes corrupted, our hearts hardened, our willes peruerted, our charitie cooled, our rulers persecutors, our lawyers brablers, our patrons symonists, our pastours loyterers, and our people obstinate, wee may say the diuell hath been here, and so he hath indeed, for these be his foot steps, and surely, in euery place where he comes (like a foggy mist) he leaueth an euill fauour behinde him.
Q. Why dooth Sathan séeke to bring men to a custome in sinne?
A. That he may the more easily drawe men to hardnes of heart, and so to impenitencie, Rom. 2. 4. 5.
Q. Dooth the diuell preuaile against all that he tempteth?
A. No, for although God suffereth Sathan to tempt, and to vexe, yea and oftentimes to torment his children, yet he doth not suffer him to destroy them.
Q. But would Sathan destroy vs if he might be suffered?
A. Yea surely, that hee would, and not leaue one aliue.
Q. How proue you that?
[Page 208]A. By the scripture: 1. Pet. 5. 8. for which cause hee is also called by these names following, a lyar, a deceiuer, a tempter, an accuser, a deuourer, a murtherer, an aduersarie, a viper, a lyon, a dragon, a wolfe, a serpent, &c. by which names appeareth his vnspeakable malice against man.
Q. The diuell neuer called himselfe by any of these names, did he?
A. No: for hee which is euill it selfe doth shun the name of euill, because he would not be hated.
Q. Thats a trick of the diuell indéed, but I thinke no man will doe so but the diuell himselfe?
A. Yes, all the wicked and vngodly haue learned of their master the diuell, to call euill good, and would be counted honest, though they be neuer so lewd.
But deliuer vs from euill.
Q. Why are these wordes added to the former?
A. To teach vs how we are saued from the diuell.
Q. How is that?
A. Not by our selues, nor by any thing that wee can doe, but by our heauenly father [Page 209] who doth deliuer vs, and set vs free from his tyrannie and power.
Q. How doth the Lord deliuer vs from the diuell?
A. By the meanes & merites of Christ his death and passion, who hath got [...]en the victorie for vs, and to our vse, 1. Cor. 15.
Q. But why doth the Lord suffer vs to come into his snares?
A. 1. That he might make his mercie & goodnes appeare in deliuering vs out of his snares: for except we were taken prisoners, we could not be deliuered.
2. That wee might see in what a miserable and wofull case wee are in of our selues without, our Captaine and deliuerer, the Lord Iesus Chri [...]t.
Q. What néede we care then, séeing we ha [...]e such a deliuerer?
A. Indeede wee neede not feare any thing that Sathan can doe vnto vs, being so brideled as he is, but wee must be carefull to serue the Lord, that hath thus mercifully and mightily deliuered vs. See Luk. 1. 74.
Q. How must we serue him?
A. On [...] principall part of the seruice [Page 210] which we owe to God, standeth in resisting the diuell.
Q. How must we resist the diuell?
A. In resisting such an aduersarie as the diuell is, two things must diligently bee obserued and regarded:
1. That wee vse such weapons onely as our heauenly father h [...]th appoynted vs.
2. That we vse them in that maner and order which he hath appoynted.
Q. What be those weapons?
A. They be not carnall but spirituall, such as S. Paul sought withall himself, and hee commendeth them to bee mightie through God, to cast down strong holds, and principalities, and powers, &c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. &c. and therefore also exhorteth all men to fight with the same: Eph. 6. 12. 13.
Q. What be the names of those weapons, that wee may both know we them, and prepare them in a readines?
A. The Apostle nameth a breast [...]plate, butl it is of righteousnes; and a girdle, but it is of trueth; a shield, but it is of [...]aith; & a helmet, but it is of hope; & a sword, but it is the sword of the spirit, th [...] word of God; and shooes for our fee [...]e, but they [Page 211] be shooes of preparation for the Gospell of peace: and vnto all these hee ioyneth prayer, Ephes. 6. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. and all these together he calleth the armour of God▪
Q. These bee the weapons, in what manner must they be handled?
A. They must bee vsed continually, with circumspect walking, or liuing circumspectly, Ephes. 5. 15. with heedfull watching ouer our wayes, and Sathans sleigh [...]s, Mark. 13. 33. and with manly courage standing fast in the defence of our [...]elues, and of the quarrell of our Lord Iesus Christ.
Q. This is too precise and straight, is it not sufficient if we liue as our honest neighbours doe, and serue God as the time serueth, like Protestants at large?
A. Alas, no, the diuell likes that very well: for he knoweth that the careles man is easily taken and ouercome, yea if we be neuer so precise and strict in many things, and make no conscience of some one sin, it is enough for the diuell: for he wil catch a man to hell aswell by one baite as by a thousand.
A. By the scripture: for it is said of Herod that he reuerenced Iohn Baptist, and his ministrie, and heard him gladly, but yet for all that, could not abide to be tolde of hauing his brothers wife, and for that hee is condemned. And so it is with others.
Q. Then woe be to those that go not so farre as Herod did, except God giue them repentance. And blessed bée God our heauenly Father, for Iesus Christ by whom we bée deliuered from the diuell, and from all his temptations, and fieri [...] darts. Now come to the conclusion of the Lords prayer.
For thine is the Kingdome,Matth. 6. 13. the power, and the glory, for euer and euer. Amen.
Q. What is the effect of these words?
A. They are a conclusion of the whole prayer with praise and thankesgiuing vnto God.
Q. What doe we learne thereby?
A. We learne thereby: 1. Not to craue any thing without giuing thankes: 2. Not to end our prayers without giuing of God [Page 213] due praise. 3. In all things, and at all times to returne the whole glorie and praise vnto him.
Q. What is ment by saying, Thine is the kingdome, seeing as there be earthly Kings and Princes which haue kingdomes also besides the Lord?
A. Though earthly Kings haue kingdoms, yet they haue them not from themselues, but of the Lord, as the Lord sayth by Salomon:Prouer. 8. 15.By me Kings raigne.
Q. What is the meaning of these words, Thine is the kingdome?
A. They bee expounded in 1. Chron. 29. 11.
Q. Why is the kingdome sayd to be Gods?
A. For two causes:
1. Because he is absolute possessor and ow [...]er of all things.
2. Because he hath soueraigne rule ouer all at his will.
Q. Why doe we say, for thine is, &c.
A. Because it is a reason to induce vs to prayer, because he hath absolute authoritie and interest in all things.
Q. Why is it sayd, the power is his?
[Page 214]A. Because he hath not only authoritie, but also abilitie in himself, and of himselfe; and all other powers are deriued from him.
Q. How doth this serue to stirre vs vp to prayer?
A. We haue neede to pray the more vnto God, because wee cannot doe any thing that we aske but by power frō him.
Q. Why is glorie ascribed to God?
A. For [...]wo causes:
1. Because the fulnes of glorie is in him.
2. Because the glorie of the creature is all of him, which is but a sparke of his glorie.
Q. How doth this moue us to praier?
A. Very much: for wee must inuocate his holy name, that in so doing wee may giue him that glorie that is due vnto him.
Q. Why is it sayd, for euer?
A. For two causes:
1. To put a difference betweene the Lord and earthly Princes.
2. To shew the excellent and permanent estate of the happines of Gods children, for that kingdome and glorie, of [Page 215] which they are made par [...]kers, is such as indureth for euer.
Q. Why is this word added, Amen, or, So be it?
A. To teach vs two things:
1. That wee must not (as many doe) craue that in words, which wee haue no desire vnto in our heart, but that we must desire with all our heart whatsoeuer wee aske with our lips.
2. That in prayer wee must striue against doubting and vnbeleefe, and to beleeue that as wee haue craued, so God for Christ his sake will graunt it vnto vs in his good time.
A. Wee are the better for it two waies▪ if we beleeue:
1 1. For asmuch as hee hath willingly submitted himselfe vnto these things for our sakes,
Discharge.
and not for his owne, neede [...] must his obedience be a discharge for our disobedience, and his desert for our vndesert.
2 2. As his obedience is a discharge for our disobedience,
Purchase.
so it is also a purchase of obedience for vs, and his death is a purchase of life for vs.
Q. What is the reason of that?
A. The reason is this. To his obedience is loue due, to his deseruing is reward due, to his humilitie is honour due, to his sorrowe is ioye due, to his death is life due, and to his victorie is triumph due, all which are purchased and giuen by him, and imputed at Gods hand to all such as [Page 177] [...][Page 178] [...][Page 179] [...][Page 180] [...][Page 181] [...][Page 182] [...][Page 183] [...][Page 184] [...][Page 185] [...]