A Practical Discourse on the Exhortation.

§. 1. Dearly beloved Brethren] The Minister be­gins with this affectionate and courteous sa­lutation, after the example of S. Paul, S. Peter, and S. John, who frequently begin their Exhortations (in their Epi­stles) in this language; the better to engage their atten­tion; for which cause it is used here, not as an idle com­plement, but a significant indication from whence this Admonition proceeds, viz. from love: For he that lo­veth the souls of his people, and hears what God expects from them, and sees the danger of their neglect cannot in pity suffer them to go on and perish, without warning or instruction; and the people may see he hath no ends of his own, but is engaged by his love to become their Mo­ [...]itor, as they are his deerly beloved Brethren: Where­fore the Admonitions of Ministers should ever be accep­ted as the effects of their true affection to us, though it proves (too often) otherwise, for flatterers and dissem­blers that will extenuate or connive at our faults, are u­sually listed among our friends. But those who disco­ver our danger and reprove our vices, and advise us to amend, these we hate as Ahab did Micaiah: for men are so foolish or unworthy, as not to distinguish between the reproaches of an Enemy, and the reproofs of a Friend; because when we have done evil there is some disgrace in either, but the manage­ment and design are directly con­traryProbra tam ami­cus quam inimicus objicit [...]. Clem. Alex. Pae­dag. l. 1. c. 9., and if any reproof pro­ceed from kindness, surely it must be this which comes from him that is your spiritual Father, yet salutes you as Brethren, and reckons him­self under the same obligation, and toucheth your offences with so much tenderness, only his Master hath charged, that he shall reprove you, and not hate you in heartLevit. 19.17., [Page 41] for the neglect of this duty would argue he hated you, and cared not to see you perish.

§. 2. The Scripture moveth us in sundry places] We may easily foresee if the Minister did on­ly by his own authority command us to repent, his words would prevail but little upon many, and some might de­ny their guilt, others despise the summons, and others might think to avoid by recrimination: Wherefore the Minister comes armed with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, that as the Prophets of the old Testa­ment came with Verbum Jehovae, the Word of the Lord, so might also the Priests of the New, and though the Per­son may be contemptible, yet it is the voice of God which you hear from him, and whoever be the proclaim­er, where the word of a King is, there is power Eccles. 8.4.: who dare disobey when the King of heaven commands. He that knows the hearts of all, and commands all men every where to repent, not onely in the places now read. But in sundry other pla­cesIsai. 1.16, 17. Chap. 55.7. Lament. 3.40, 41. Acts 2.38. Chap. 17.30. even throughout the whole Scripture, and miserable will their case be who refuse so many, so plain, and so earnest calls from such a God: We Ministers are exhorted as well as you, and we intend to joyn with you, and if we request you to joyn with us, it is in obedience to the Commission we have from the King of heaven, and he that refuseth, refuseth not Man but God, and that Word of God which now moves you so fre­quently to repent, will be produced against you to con­demn you, if you obey it not.

§ 3. To acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness] We need not here be curious in the difference between these words, though acknowledging seems to signifie the granting something laid to our charge, as David did when Nathan came to him: I have sinned 2 Sam. 12.13. saith he, upon the first charge: and to confess may import a voluntary act when no man accu­seth [Page 42] us, which indeed is the more acceptable and ingenu­ous; but it were well if we would but acknowledge our offences; For God in his Word, by his Ministers, and by our own Consciences doth indict us as guilty, and he that soonest owns the truth thereof, shall easily find mer­cy. But it may perhaps be more material to take notice of the Epithete joyned to our sins [manifold] which is borrowed from Amos 5.12. and may denote the variety of our transgressions, like Josephs coat of many colours, for we are clothed with the redness of Anger, the pale­ness of Malice, the yellow of Covetousness, the black­ness of Despair, or the green of Presumption; in these changeable garments are our souls attired, when we put off the white garments of our Innocence. Or else (as the learned Translator of the Liturgy) [...], Mul­tiplicia, those iniquities which are so cunningly twisted and weaved together, by that accursed policy which Sa­tan teacheth men: to begin with many small thrids of lesser sins, and by uniting these and twining them toge­ther, to proceed till they draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and at last sin as it were with a Cart-ropeIsaiah 5.18. Peccatum trahit peccatum. Dict. R.R; we perhaps ima­gine it a piece of commendable craftJob 5.13. Heb. [...] filum retor­tum, unde signif. multis nexibus im­plicitum consilium LXX. [...] Drus., to be able thus to con­trive our wickedness: But alas, if Gods Mercy do not unravel it, it will at last be strong enough to draw us into eternal flames. But we are warned, that as we have used much study and pains to twist our sins to­gether, that one may strengthen the other, so we do now by an humble and hearty confession untwine and separate them again, that we be not bound in the bands of death.

§. 4. And that we should not dissemble nor cloak them, before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father] It is the language of Satans school, that we must cover one sin by committing another, which the Scripture pronounceth a woe a­gainst1 John 1.8, 9. Isaiah 30.1., and sheweth the folly [Page 43] and danger of it, because it doubles the guiltNegatio iniqui­tatis duplex iniqui­tas. and hinders the par­don; [See Chap. 1. Sect. 5. p. 18.] and therefore Gods Word teacheth us, that if we have sinned, we must nei­ther dissemble them with excuses, as Saul 1 Sam. 15.: and Ananias with his wifeActs 5.: nor cloak them with a flat denial, as Gehazi 2 Kings 5., least we be judged as they were. But this is the manner of Hypocrites, 1. To extenuate them with dissembling apologies and fair pre­tences, it was the first time, I was surprised, the effects of it were not very evil, others have done worse, &c. whereas the good man aggravates his sins with all those circumstances that make them heinous, and S. Paul calls himself the chief of sinners: The worst men will deny they have sinned, and reckon themselves among the Righteous, as the Pharisee didLuke 18.11. while Ezra Ezr. 9.6. lo­quitur de Culpis [...], ne nimium arreganter se caeteris eximere videatur. Grotius in loc. and Dani­el put themselves in amongst sinners; and that is by much the safer way: for he that feigns himself better then he is, or denies himself to be sick before the Physician, keeps his di­sease, and looses an opportuni­ty to regain his perfect health; But remember thou art in Gods house, nay just before his face, and dost thou think with a lye or an excuse to deceive him: No, no, this is too thin a veil, and to short a cover for thy numerous transgressi­ons, and will avail no more, then for a Thief to deny he stole that which is found about him before the Bench, if thou couldst deny so impudently, or dissemble so cun­ningly, as to deceive all the world, yet do not hope to impose upon him that is Almighty to find thee out, and hath a heavenly all-seeing eye to discern thee, and he would shew the kindness of a Father in thy pardon, if thou shewest the ingenuity of a Son in confessing; where­fore do not deceive thy self, nor slight this warning, for be sure one time or other your sin will find you out, Numb. 32.23.

[Page 44]§. 5. But confess th [...]m with an humble, lowly, peni­tent and obedient heart:] The Word of God is not only a Monitor to remember us of our duty, b [...] a guide to direct us in the performance of it, it interposeth its au­thority to command us to repent, and then affordeth its directions to shew how we may repent, and 'tis im­possible the right disposition of a true penitent heart can be more exactly described (in so few words) then the Church hath here done it, and they that would know how they must be affected when they confess, so t [...]at they may be sure to find pardon, cannot learn in fewer and more significant expressions: 1. An humble and lowly heart, viz. to behold our vileness by sin, till we have a mean opinion of our selves, and can be content that God or Men should dis-esteem us, since we have deserved it, such a heart the Prodigal had when he thought a servants place too good for himLuke 15.19. such the PublicanChap. 18.13. when he durst neither look up nor come near, and he that wants it, and thinks well of him­self after his sin, cannot confess heartily, nor desire par­don devoutly, nor for sake what he thinks hath done him no harm. Wherefore let us labour to have this right knowledge of our selves, and of our sins, and that we may be ashamed of both, let us consider, we have shewed so much folly and rashness, disingenuity and ingratitude, obstinacy and perversness, by breaking such holy laws, of so great a God, and so gracious a Father, for so small a price, and are thereby so miserable, that we shall for ever be disgraced if we repent not. Sin is a more just cause of shame then any thing in the world, for it shews a man to be a base and abominable person, nay it makes him degenerate into a beastPsal. 73.22. [...]. Arr. in Epict. lib. 1. cap. 3. which if we seriously think upon, it will beget in us a dis-esteem of our selves, and a true opinion of our own unworthiness, which is an ex­cellent disposition for the begging or receiving of pardon. 2. A Pe­nitent [Page 45] heart, viz. a sad and sorrowful spirit, which is most becoming one that sees his actions to have been base, vain, and d [...]ngerous, and therefore must ever accompa­ny us in confession of our sins: Now if we are of inge­nuous tempers the Gospel will produce this, viz. The be­holding the wounds of Jesus which we have made, the long suffering we have abused, the grace we have rejected, and the comforts and benefits we have lost and forfeited: But if we are more obdurate the Law must effect it, viz. the sight of Gods justice, and the consideration of the curse we have deserved, and the danger we are in of endless torments for those poor perishing pleasures; these things duly weighed will help us to draw water before the Lord1 Sam. 7.6. Ch. Par. Hauserunt aquas è puteo cordis sui & abundè la­chrymati sunt co­ram domino resi­piscentes. as the Israelites did, from the pits of our hearts, and pour them out by the channels of our eyes: and this sorrow for what is past will both make our confession acceptable, and help us to the third requisite. 3. An obedient heart, that is a take­ing up such a dislike against sin as to resolve stedfastly, if we can get those pardoned we have committed, that we will never more do that which hath caused so much shame and sorrow to us: and till we have brought our hearts to this, all our confession and sorrow are not repentance, but onely a purpose to repent [...]. Clem. A­lex. Strom. 2.. Nor will all the rest prevail, either to a removal of the guilt, or domi­nion of sin. Therefore let us learn how to confess; Humility will make our confession sincere, Sorrow will make it earnest, and Holy pur­poses will make it prevalent.

§. 6. To the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite Goodness and Mercy] There is nothing more pleasant to us then the contemplation of Gods infinite goodness and mercy; but we are therein apt to forget his justice, and to think the one will ex­clude [Page 46] the other, because we measure God by our selves, in whose narrow hearts these two dispositions are not at once contained: and hence when we hear of infinite mer­cy, we are apt to presume of pardon upon any terms: But the Church from Gods Word assures you, that a sin­ner cannot be forgiven, no not by this infinite mercy, unless he bring an humble, penitent, and obedient heart; and that you are to esteem it infinite goodness, that you may be forgiven upon these terms: For you must know that Justice (without a Mediator) doth not admit a sin­ner to second thoughts, nor accept of any Repen­tance at all, and therefore it is an high act of Grace, that so holy a God, so justly offended and highly provoked, will be reconciled upon any terms; and let us not neg­lect our endeavours to get our hearts thus disposed, for we had need be so prepared, or else Mercy it self will reject us: Some may here perhaps scruple at the expres­sion [to the end] and Question whether in our confes­sion we ought not rather to aim at Gods glory then our own forgiveness. Such must know they quarrel with the language of holy WritActs 2.38. Chap. 3.19., where men are exhorted to repent that they may be forgiven, and further they do not understand what Gods glory is, if they separate it from his doing good to his creatures, and representing his excellen­cies to them; wherefore, to aim at Gods glory and our own forgiveness is all one; for by confessing we own his power to forgive, we shew our trust in his good­ness, and hope in his mercy, and desire that the Al­mighty, by accepting and doing us good, may de­monstrate himself to be what we believe him to be, viz. a God gracious and merciful, &c. that we and all the world may admire him for it, and praise him for evermore.

§. 7. And although we ought at all times humbly to ac­knowledge our sins before God.] This concession of the Churches declares that the Publique Prayer ought not to excuse any from Private Devotions. These we ac­count the Principal, but the other we recommend as ve­ry [Page 47] useful and necessary; so that we neither incourage the lazy who neglect the private, nor allow the Precise who undervalue the Publique one ought to be done so as not to leave the other undone. We find our Savi­our and his Apostles after the manner of the devout Jews were wont to go to the Temple and Synagogues at the hours of Prayer, and yet both he and they did seek re­tirements for more private Devotions. And the Scrip­ture teacheth us to Pray at all times, in all places and with all sorts of prayerEphes. 6.18. 1 Timoth. 2.8. Psalm 111.1. that none might be excused from either, nor can one be alledged to exclude the other for they are mutual helps to one another: for he that hath been most careful in private Confession, will be the fit­test for, and most advantaged by the other, yet he that is so prepared must not think the coming to Gods house superfluous, because we cannot do this too often, nor too openly since many of our sins are manifest and re­quire a publique declaration: And by this open Con­fession we shall be freer from the suspition of hypocrisie in our Closet; We must remember we stand in need of Gods help every moment, and therefore we have reason to beg it often, and we can never beg it in humility un­less we confess those sins that make us unworthy of it, and since we sin dayly a dayly Confession is highly re­quisite, and that not only in those general terms which we use with our Brethren, but in the particular and se­cret remembrances of those offences which no eyes but Gods ever see, nor will they be sufficiently bewayled where the soul doth not so particularly search out its private evils, the heinousness, occasions, and reme­dies of them. Yet still we must know that when we come into Gods house we have many weighty duties to do none of which can be performed without a true re­pentance, which is therefore chiefly necessary then: and if you have repented before, yet here you must re­peat it because of the present occasion.

§. 8. Yet ought we most chiefly so to do when we as­semble and meet together, to render thanks for, [Page 48] &c.] These four duties, are so many arguments to prove Confession especially necessary in the solemn Assembly, because they are all then and there to be performed, and yet without penitence none of them will please God: and we learn here by the way the several parts of Publique Worship, which is not much varied from those of the Jews who served God in the Temple by Hymns, Praises and hearing the Law, only their Sacri­fices are now turned into the offering up of Praise which their own Rabbins had taught should last for everOmnes oblati­ones cessabunt in se­culo futuro sed ob­latio gratiarum nun­quam cessabit. Kimn. Psalm 104.. The Heathens had the same ends also; only their Tem­ples were not the places where they learned Wisdome as ours are, but they came thither to glorifie God for his excellencies, to praise him for his gifts, and to call for his help, [...], Porph. [...], lib. 2. but this account of Pub­lique Worship exactly agrees with the account St. Augustin gives of the Christian Church in his time, for there the Law of God was taught, his Miracles commemorated, his Gifts praised, and his Blessings were prayed for.Veri Dei aut praecepta insinuan­tur, aut miracula narrantur aut dona laudantur aut bene­ficia postulantur, Aug. Civ. Dei lib. 2. cap. 28. And who do any of these well that hath not confessed his offences, and repented of them; but this will be more plain by be­holding the particulars. 1. We are to give God thanks for his benefits, but unless we see our sins we may think we need not a Saviour, or are not much the better for spiritual mercies, and that we deserve those that are temporal; how can he praise God for his son who will not come to him? for his grace that will not use it? or for the hopes of glory that never seeks after it? 2. We should glorifie his Name by publishing his excellency in Hymnes and Anthems of jubilation, how can the impenitent sinner commend that Power which he [Page 49] fears not, or that holyness which he loves not, or that Mercy that he seeks not after, or that Love which he hath no experience of; the praises of such are next to mocking the Almighty, because their hearts cannot go along with their mouths in the glory they seem to ascribe to him. 3. We should hear his most holy Word to make us wiser and better: But if our hearts be not prepared by true penitence we shall be neither, for sin unrepen­ted of stops the ears, and hardens the heart, fills the mind with presumption and security, banisheth the holy Spirit by filthiness and vain thoughts, and puts men ra­ther upon hating and despising the good Word of God, then embracing it and submitting to it. What part of it can profit such a man? Its Exhortations they [...]eed not; its comforts they need not; its threatnings they fear not; its promises they value not; they hate its instructions, and despise it reproofs: So that the Messenger of God may say in his Masters languageHos. 6.4., What shall I do unto thee? 4. We should pray for what is needful for our bo­dies and souls. But what Prince will accept a Petition from the hands of a Rebel that disowns not his treason? much less will the King of Heaven: his very Prayer is abominableProv. 15.8., for if he asks for his body, he asks that which he intends to spend on his lusts, and so seems to desire God to become the ProvidoreRom. 13. ult. [...] Gr. for them; but he will not minister fuel to your flame, unless he intend to consume you: If he lengthen your life, continue your health, or increase your wealth, you will turn the edge of these against the God who bestowed them on you, and grow more confident to despise him to your own ruine; so that if he have any Mercy for you, he will not hear you: But as to the soul, it may be questioned whether he that lives in sin believes he hath such a jewel, when he prises it no higher then a lust, and exposeth it on the Dunghill of sin. B [...]t if he do believe it he is so careless of it, that he will either ask nothing, or how­ever [Page 50] nothing heartily, because he apprehends not hi [...] danger, nor sees not his wants, and cares not whether they be supplyed or no: But despiseth wisdome and grace, peace and pardon, and what good then will the repetition of the Words do to such a person: In fine, it is most evident, that though repentance be at all times necessary, yet it is then indispensably so, when we go about these holy Duties, or we shall not onely loose the benefit of them, but meer a curse instead of a bles­sing, and therefore as you love your souls, and hope to please God in these Duties, despise not this necessary Exhortation.

§. 9. Wherefore I pray and beseech you as many as are here present] The Priest saluted you courteously at first, and now again most lovingly intreats you, know­ing that men must be courted to their own good: and herein S. Paul leads the way1 Cor. 4.18. 2 Cor. 2.8., who useth the same words, especi­ally2 Cor. 5.20. when he tells them that God doth entreat and beseech them by us: and so we may say to you, that we pray and beseech you in Christs stead, where­fore despise not the lowliness of the address, but ad­mire the condescension of him that makes it, who can destroy, and yet entreats as if himself and not you were to receive the favour: it is he that speaks by the Minister, who you are about to pray unto in the Col­lects, and to beseech in the Letany, and remember that he prays and beseecheth you to repent, so that if you desire your prayers should reach heaven, let his requests sent by his Messengers reach your hearts, and move you all to repentance, for you all intend to pray. Men are very apt to shew their fol­ly2 Cor. 10.12. Luke 18.11. in comparing themselves with one another, and many think they have not so much need as others to repent; but it is the Law of God, and not our Brothers practice, that must be our Rule, because we are all sinners; what glory was it to Tamar to be more righteous then [Page 51] Judah Gen. 38.26., or to the Jews to be holier then the ChaldeansHabak. 1.13. minus improbi: il­lis quidem justiores, rever [...] nequissimi. Drus., when both were wicked? We shall never rightly judge of our wayes, if we measure them by a crooked stick. But suppose we be better then o­thers, that cannot make Confession needless, though no man could charge us, no nor our own Consciences, yet is it not safe to plead Not guilty1 Cor. 4.4. Job 9.15. before that God who examines so narrow­ly, and sees so exactly, and remem­bers so perfectly; that the best had need to crave for Mercy: This Confession is so general, so universally true of all, and so particularly applica­ble to every mans case, that we invite all to it, so that the Pharisee may not think himself too good, nor the Publican doubt himself too bad to make it before God. The Church doth not allow of those dangerous Persuasi­ons which have puffed some up with arrogance and pre­sumption, as if their sins were already absolutely forgi­ven, & their pardon actually sealed; for if so, what need they be obliged to a daily Repentance, or to ask for what they have already, but alas, it is only in their own opinion, for the very pride that such false imaginations produce, were enough to reverse the grant, if God had once consented to absolve them: On the other side, we do advise the greatest sinners to repent, rejecting those discouraging Doctrines of mens eternal reprobation, which some think not reversible by any endeavours, we do not know of any living man, that may not be pardonedIn isto adhuc mundo manenti poe­nitentia nulla sera est, patet ad indul­gentiam Dei aditus. Cypr. ad Demetr.; where­fore we pray and beseech these de­jected persons not to be discouraged because they have stayed so long, but to hasten because they have no more time left, for he only is in danger of being for ever cast off, who hearing these summons doth not obey them: Let no man then go about to excuse himself, [Page 52] for it is the duty of every man present in Gods House.

§. 10. To accompany me] The Jewes were never allowed under the Law to enter into the Temple, but the Priest alone went in every dayExod. 30.7. Luke 1.10. Heb. 9.6, 7. into the outer part of it to burn Incense, and to the Mercy­seat or Inner and most Holy place, none might come but the High Priest once a year, but the people alwaies remained in the outward Court & prayed there, for which purpose were those stone Tables there made which the Talmud speaks ofTract. [...] cap. 6.. The King indeed was admitted into the Inner Court where the Priests did sacrifice2 Kings 11.11. 1 Kings 8.22. 1 Chron. 6.10., but when a Prince would have gone nearer, A­zariah is commended for resisting him; because the Priests alone were to come so nearLevit. 10.3. Fag. [...] pro­pinqui dei.. But now we have more freedom, for every Chri­stian is one of Gods housholdEphes. 2.19., and though the order of Priesthood is not taken away, yet the priviledge of the people is enlarged, so that Philoes brag is alwaies true of us [...]: Philo. 1 Pet. 2.6., for every man is a Priest to offer up his own prayers and praises, and that not without; for we are led in by the hand to the very Throne of GraceEph. 2.18. Gr. [...] by Christ or the Priest, who is his representative, and have liber­ty to speakHeb. 4.16. [...] see Acts 26.1. freely for our selves before the King of Heaven and Earth: Which you ought to e­steem as an high act of favour, and most thankfully to embrace it, since you are now no longer to stand without and send in your Petition by the hands of a servant, but are admitted, nay requested to come in your selves, in the company of Gods Messenger, [Page 53] who hath the same errant for himself, and therefore is likely to be the more concerned, and importunate; He, even the Minister, is that Ambassadour whom God sent to bring you out of your evil wayesActs 26.18. 2 Cor. 5.18, 19., and it will be accepta­ble to God to see him return with you in his hand, and it will be a com­fort to him when he can say, Behold me, and the chil­dren thou hast given me; he will be your guide, and he sets you a good example, for he goes himself, and no doubt both you and he will be kindly welcomed by his great Master, and all the blessed Angels of Heaven. Wherefore let not your Minister go alone, but be you alwayes present, and joyn in the Confession; or other­wise if he go without you, he can­not but complain of youIsai. 53.1. Heb. 13.17. [...], and must sigh when his Lord enq ires for you, which will be more your loss then his, because he hath done his duty in inviting; and although he loose the comfort of your company, yet you loose the benefit of his, and the pardon annexed, because you neglect so pre­cious an opportunity, and seem to send a daily denial by the hands of Gods special Messen­ger.

§. 11. With a pure heart and humble voice, to the throne of the heavenly Grace, saying after me] The various Rites of washings and cleansings, which all Na­tions used before they approached to their Templ [...]s, were only to mind them of purity of heart, which the Heathens knew to be necessary for all that drew near to God [...] Plato in Alcib. [...]. 2 Tim. 2.22.; wherefore in their sacrifices the un­clean were commanded out by the voice of a Cryer. Much more ought Christians to come with a pure heart; which inward purity we ac­count [Page 54] the principal requisite of the prayer; but with­al we require that the tongue shall be used as the in­terpreter of the desires of the soul, and therefore it is added that we pray with an humble voice. This was Pythagoras precept of old [...]. to pray with an audible voice, and though the Jewish Doctors allow private prayers when the lips onely move1 Sam. 1.13. & Grotius in loc., yet in publick Wor­ship, God himself commanded O­pen and vocal Confessions, and par­ticularly when the Sin-offering was presented, the party was to lay his hand on the head of it, and say, Lord I am guilty of death, I have deserved to be stoned for such a sin, to be strangled for such and such transgres­sion, to be burnt for these and these crimesSee Munster on Numb. 5.7.. And to come nearer, we find publick Confession in the Christian ChurchActs 19.18. Ordinatur ut suis quisque verbis refi­piscien [...]iam profite­retur. Basil. Ep. 3., and injun­ctions for every man to speak up in his acknowledgments, that so our repentance may be as visible as our sins, and that God may be glorifi­edHomo es & vis rogari & putas Deum tibi non ro­ganti ignoscere, Am­br. de poen. l. 2. by a solemn and humble request, which even a man would expect from his inferior, that had offended him, much more may God require it: in other Prayers it will suffice to seal them with Amen, and set our name at the bottom; but this must be all in our own words, and under our own hand, to justifie God, and take shame to our selves, and to encourage our bre­thren. The Scripture requires in some cases we should confess our sins to men, but what can we think of those that will not confess them to God, no not in these gene­ral terms which may be said by the best of men too tru­ly; surely these men are either Pharisaical, and suppose they have no sins worth confessing; or hypocritical, and would not be taken for sinners; or they are carnal and senseless, neither feeling their load, nor fearing [Page 55] their danger; When the Prince comes by a Prison, all the Prisoners fall on their knees, and every man begs a pardon, but if one or two stand mute, or stay away, we should judge that they were confident of their inno­cence, or obstinate in their wickedness, and fearless of the punishment; such a censure may too justly be pas [...]ed upon those who either come not to Confession, or do not speak those Words in that humble but audible voice the Church requires, and God expects, for he will loose his glory in pardoning thee, if thou hast not first pub­lickly made thy Recantation, and confessed thy guilt with thy own mouth.

A Practical Discourse on the General Confession.

§. 1. Almighty and most merciful Father] The Church hath been curious and exact to select such Titles for God in the beginning of every Prayer, as are most proper to the Petitions to which they are prefixt, and most likely to produce affections sutable to those requests in him that useth them: which as it is eve­ry where apparent to a considering person, so it may appear particularly in the fitness of these two compel­lations, to the subsequent Confession, being the Attri­butes of his infinite Power and Mercy. The first is an acknowledgment of the greatness of him whom we have offended, and is the same with that which God stiles himself by to Abraham Gen. 17.1. Heb. [...] LXX. [...] & Job 22.15 [...]. Aqu. [...] Theo. [...] h. e. [...]. Speusippus. Ipsa suis con [...]enta o­pibus nil indigo nostri. Lucrer. de natur.: And it de­notes his being all-sufficient in him­self for his own happiness (as the Philosopher defined him) as also his being able to supply all our wants. And further, it notifies his absolute Dominion over all the world, and his infinite power to do whatsoever he pleaseth: So that the considerati­on of this attribute, shews us that we have sinned against a God whom we cannot hurt by our sins, but by them we damage our selves, both in stopping the current of his blessings by which we are sustained and re­freshed, and by provoking him to stretch out his mighty Arm to de­stroy us: the shutting his hand of bounty would make us perish for want, b [...]t the weight of his Arm of power will crush us to pieces. And we must meditate on this so long till our hearts are pierced with a religious fear and holy dread of the anger of this Almighty God; only this fear must not drive us from [Page 62] him, but draw us more speedily to him, and be as the NeedleSi nullus est ti­mor non est quâ cha­ritas intret, sicut se­tam introducere fi­lum videmus, sed ni­si exit seta non suc­cedit linum, sic ti­mor occupat mentem prior verum non ibi manet quia ideo in­travit ut introduce­ret charitatem. Au­gustin. in 1. ep. Jo­han. 4^o. which enters not to stay, but to make way for the thread of a uniting love, for the heart will be the faster bound to the most mer­ciful Father, when it is first made sensible, it hath offended a dread­ful Almighty God, who yet retains the bowels as well as name of a Fa­ther, and is the most merciful of all Fathers; for what natural Parent would not have cast out and disin­herited his once dearest Child, for the one half of what thou hast done against thy Heavenly Father; who yet upon our true repentance stands ready to embrace us with as much love as if we had ne­ver done amiss; if fear will move our hearts, here is represented his terrible power; if love will work upon us, here is discovered unspeakable goodness; and what heart can resist both. His Almightiness is first, but if the terrour thereof seal up thy lips, let the hope of his fatherly pity and compassion open them again. Learn humility and true contrition from the first, and Faith and Hope from the latter, which are excellent mixtures in a penitent heart, and the best dispositions in the World for a hearty and prevailing confession.

§. 2. We have erred and strayed from thy wayes] Gods laws are frequently in holy Scripture compared to a way that leads to everlasting life, and thi­ther we are going, when we are walking in them. But our sins and iniquities are errings and strayings out of this path: In our lesser, sudden and unobserved sins we step aside, and make our way crookedHeb. [...] sig. peccatum & cur­vum: Eccles. 7.13. Psal. 38.16. Job 33.27. & Matth. 17.17 [...]. by vain thoughts, rash and idle words, light and foolish carriage; these happen so frequently, that if we walk right a while, we are soon out again, so that at best we go on but in contorted spiral lines, which is far [Page 63] from the straitness and evenness of our rule, yet because these are done out of ignorance, they are called Errors; which though we may think them small in their kind, yet they are formidable in their numbers and next to infinite: but besides these lesser wandrings we stray further & stay longer when we fall into greater transgressions and evil habits, these are absolute forsaking of Gods folds, and a plain passing over those bounds which God hath set us as Solomon did to Shimei 1 Kings 2.36. ubi [...] sign. tran­s [...]re limites, ut & Jos. 4.1. at Deut. 17, 2. &c. signif. pecca­re., and by so doing we forfeit our lives as he did his, if Gods mercy did not spare us. And thus Malice and Envy, Lust and Drunkenness, Pride and Cruel­ty, Covetousness and Oppression (e­specially when by frequent repetiti­ons they are become customary) may be called straying from his wayes. 'Tis very like, many in favour to their own cause will count their er­rors no sins, and call their strayings errors and infir­mities: But the least are committed so often, that they are not to be despised; and the greater are so heinous they cannot be hid, and we should consider, that be the sin what it will, if we repent not we remain in our wan­dring, and so an error may become a going astray; To have stepped aside, may seem excus­able by humane frailtyHumanum est errare Belluinum vero perseverare in errore. Cicer., he must be more then man that doth not so sometimes, but he that sees his er­ror and goes on, it is worse then beast and wholly inexcusable. 'Tis cer­tain there is none of us but we have erred by less and strayed by greater sins, but if we hasten our repentance, our strayings will be forgiven and esteemed as errors, o­therwise, the lesser evils if we cherish them and neglect repentance may well encrease, and be reputed as the ut­ter deserting of Gods wayes.

§. 3. Like lost sheep] The Church chuseth the lan­guage of the holy Ghost to express our de­parture from God by: For God and his Son Jes [...]s are compared to the Shepherds, and we to the Sheep [Page 64] of their PasturePsalm 23.1. & 100.3, 4. John 10.1, 2, &c.; by our sins we become lost SheepMatth. 15.24., and by the Mercy of Jesus we are reducedLuke 15.4., and since we have all sinned, there is no man can deny but he is one of these lost SheepIsaiah 53.6., and David himself puts it into his ConfessionPsalm 119.176., and so may the best of men do: We frequently forsake the s [...]fe fold, the pure streams, and the green pasture which God hath provided for us, and wander into a dry and barren wilderness, where we want all true comforts, and are expo [...]ed to a thousand evils: Now how fitly these errings and strayings of ours are resembled by a lost Sheep, may appear in three par­ticulars: 1. No creature is more apt to stray, and by its heedlesness would never keep right, were it not con­tinually under the Shepherds eye: So we, while we gree­dily feed on worldly contents, we daily go forward, not observing whether we are right or wrong, nor minding whither we go, so that we easily fall into offences, and are seldome long in Gods wayes. Again, 2. Nothing is more open to dangers when it doth stray then this shift­less Creature, which hath many enemies and no defence against them; the Dog is too swift, the Wolf too strong, and t [...]e Fox too cunning for it, so that it becomes a prey to all: Even so poor silly man, when he hath left his Shepherd, is intangled in the thorns of worldly cares, ensnared by Sathan, oppressed by wicked men, and pur­sued by his own Conscience, and hath not subtilty e­nough to contend with the Devil, nor strength to defend himself against his instruments, nor nimbleness to fly from his accuser. Lastly, the straying Sheep is most unlikely ever to return; for supposing it should miss the ravenous enemies, it is so stupid and inobservant that it would stray for ever, unless the Shepherd find it and restore it. And just thus (God knows) it is with us, who wander up and down, forgetting whence we are fallen, and ignorant how to return again, changing the kinds of our sins sometimes, but never likely to find the right path, till the good Shepherd of our souls (who [Page 65] comes to seek that which was lost; cause us to hear his voice behind usIsai. 30.21. John 10.4., and we turn and follow him: Thus by this one significant Metaphor, we own God for our true Shepherd, and our selves to be his Sheep; poor helpless Creatures, apt to stray, and in our wandrings likely to perish by many enemies and great dangers, and unlikely and unable ever to return, unless he please to forgive our sin, forget our folly, and pity our misery, and come to seek and save us, that feel our selves neer lost already, we have not minded our Shepherds voice, nor heeded his steps, who (as the custom of Shepherds in those Eastern countries was)John 10.4. Psalm 77.20. did himself walk before us, we have refused to follow him in the right way, but have run on after one anothers bad Example, and sometimes chosen the treacherous directions of the Wolf or Fox, before those of our dear Shepherd, to whom we now cry with shame and sorrow to rescue and restore us.

§. 4. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts] Confession ought to be a giving glory to GodJoshua 7.19. Jerem. 13.6. and therefore we must beware it prove not a dishonouring of him by transferring the guilt of our sin up­on him directly or indirectly: for though our treache­rous hearts love the sin too well, yet they would fain lay the blame and shame upon some other. Adam will tacitly charge God himselfGenes. 3.12. Natura hominu [...] pro­clivi [...] in vitia vid [...]ri vult non modo cum veniâ sed etiam cum ratione peccare. Lact. Inst. lib. 4. ra­ther then want an Apology to ex­cuse his crimes; and they imitate his example, who confess their ori­ginal corruption not to aggravate but extenuate their actual transgres­sions, thinking they are the more excusable because they were natu­rally inclined to it; Let such know it is not alone the inclinations of Nature, but the com­plying [Page 66] with them, and following of them, and the neg­lect of Gods restraining grace that leads us into evil, and no blame can be imposed on him that hath left the Ca­naanites to try us, since he provides and offers sufficient help and defence against them, nor can any excuse be made for us who love them, and strengthen them, and daily make Covenants with them: it is our misery, that our Nature is so evil disposed; but it is our faultNemo de vitiis naturalibus: sed de voluntariis poenas luit. Aug. Civ. Dei. l. 12. c. 13. when we reject Gods directions and neglect his assi­stance, and take these false princi­ples and vitiated appetites for our guides: Wherefore we here confess that (not the having, but) the fol­lowing these evil devices and desires is the cause of all our sinsHosea 13.6.. That which Divines call Original sin, is by the JewsGenes. 6.5. Heb. [...] fig­mentum malum. Va­tab. stiled the Evil device, and is here most significantly stiled The devices and desires of our hearts, which takes in that universal Corruption which hath overspread the soul, and con­sists in the decay of the Divine Image which man was created in; viz. The quickness and comprehensiveness of the intellectual powers to discern what was truly good, and the readiness of the will to chuse, and of the affe­ctions to make after that which was so discerned: This was our state; but now the Understanding is dull, and shal­low, confused with wrong notions and busied in devising evilProv. 19.21. Prov. 3.29. Heb. [...] glebas ver­tit. (which the Scripture compares to plowing and turning up the clods) to search with labour and industry for fine dresses, plausible excuses, and speedy accomplishments: And then we begin to fall in love with evil, and greedily to desire it, so that our Understanding is enslaved to our Appetites, and must pronounce for it. And when we have devised how to call evil good, we are hurried on to desire it with the blindness and vi­olence [Page 67] Hi motus—si ratione destituuntur in praeceps rapiuntur & rapiunt. Macrob. Som. Scip. l. 2. c. 16. of unguided affections that end in ruine. Thus we devise how to present riches and plenty, ease and pleasure, honour and e­steem, satisfaction and revenge to our selves in so pleasing a garb, that they may pass for excellent things, and then we long for them, and still devise wayes to obtain or recover them, and then pursue them with expence of our times and estates, with continual care, mighty pains and restless endeavours, because we suppose we cannot be happy without them: Al­though it is most sure we can never have fast hold of them; the child may as soon catch the Rainbow, as we these flying shadows which have no worth, but onely in our imagination; But it will be well if when we have wearied our selves with an endless and vain chase, we be so wise as to sit down panting and breathing out sighs, and making sad reflexions on what we have done: if we can consider, we may easily discern that our devices have failed, our desires been unsatisfied, our expecta­tions frustrated, and our pains unrewarded; and there­fore we have good cause to confess we have followed them too much already, and to resolve to be abused no more, because they lead us into all sin, and yet yield nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit, for all our venture and pains.

§. 5. W [...] have offended against thy holy Laws] Our gracious God hath given his law to supply all our defects, and it is a lampPsal. 119.105. to lighten the darkness of our minds; a Counselloribid. ver. 24. to direct the weakness of our judgment, a GuidePsalm 32.8. to conduct our unstea­dy actions, that we might not miss our way to true happiness: But we will be our own directors, and call that good which God calls evil, so that we neglect what he commands, and desire what he forbids. We forsake our rule, and come into a wrong way by our false devices, and we run fast by our greedy and evil [Page 68] appetites, and so are all our actual sins committed, as is here taught out of S. John 1 John 3.4. James 1.17. and this is the exact Pedegree of sin which S. James teacheth to be con­ceived in the devices of the mind, nourished by the desires of the heart, and produced by following both these; so it was in the first of Gods laws, which was broken by our first ParentsOculus vidit cor concupiscit & instrumenta operis pergunt ad agendum. Fagius.; and so it is ever since, these evil principles endeavour first a connivance, then a consent, and lastly exercise a tyrannical autho­rity and necessity to evil, where they have gotten the power: But we may observe in this general sentence, four aggrava­tions of all Actual sins. 1. They are done against a law enacted in Heaven, and proclaimed over the whole Earth, and particularly among us, by divers special Messengers; so that we cannot pretend ignorance. 2. Not onely against one or two, but many laws, and if we search narrowly, it will appear we have broken all, the law of Nature, the Decalogue of Moses, the Precepts of Christ, and the injunctions of the Apo­stles, and it is a bad sign when so many Obstacles can­not stop us, and doth encrease our guilt when all these laws will not restrain us. 3. These sins are not against the laws of any mortal Prince, but against the commands of the King of Kings, the God of Heaven, whose Do­minion over us is so absolute, his Wisdome so infinite to enact, and his Power so great to reward or punish, that David, though he was account­able to no humane tribunalPsalm 51.4. Hieron. Epist. ad Rustic. Ambros. in loc. Isidore Peleus. Epist. ita Expli­cant. thought it aggravation enough to have offended so great a God; this shews us the evil of the least sin, for the lesser it be, the greater is the baseness to offend against so glorious a King as he isNec tam consi­derat quid jussum est quam illum qui jusse­rit, nec quantitatem imperii, sed impe­rantis cogitat digni­tatem. Hieron. ep. 14. ad Celant., where the temptation is so slight, the gain so [Page 69] small, and the resistance so easie. 4. These our offences are against most holy laws, which none of us can plead against, that they are ei­ther unjust or unfit, impossible or unreasonable, because our Consci­ences testify for them, and our so­ber reason approves of them, even when our affections intice us to disobey them: And if before our Confession we enlarge these particulars by a serious Meditati­on, it will help us to acknowledge more sorrowful­ly, and sue more earnestly, and resolve more firmly against them.

§. 6. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.] The perfect rule which God hath given us, doth pre­scribe us what we ought to do (and those prescriptions are called the Affirmative Precepts) and also forbids us those things which we ought not to do, which are the Negative PreceptsThe Jewish Rab. number 613 precepts in all (so many as there are letters in the Decalogue) of which the Affirma­tive are 248 (so ma­ny as the joynts in a mans body) and the Negative 365 (so many as there are days in one year).. Now the breach of an Affirmative Precept or leaving a duty undone, is called a Sin of Omission: the breach of a Negative, or doing what ought not to be done, is a sin of Commission, which two sorts take in all the sins that can be committed against the Divine law, and is used here be­cause it is large enough to take in all the crimes of the worst, and yet it is too sutable to the actions of the best which (if they consider) will not deny they have often offended in both kinds: It would be tedious to insert a par­ticular Catalogue, and is better done elsewhereWhole duty of man in the end., and it is more proper for the closet then the Church. Yet since there is much deceit in generals, and we may be private between God [Page 70] and our own souls even in the Congregation. I shall advise that before our Confession we call to mind some sins of both sorts; viz. sins of Omission, as neglecting or ill performing of the duties of Prayer, Hearing, receiving the Sacraments; as also of matters Moral, the omission of Alms, Obedience to our Superiours, Charity to our Brethrens souls, together with our deficiency in the Evangelical Graces of Faith, Repentance, Humility and Patience. And also that we consider of our sins of Commission, such as Atheisme, Apostacy, Blasphemy, Perjury, Rebellion, Anger and Malice, Lust with its supporters Gluttony and Drunkenness: Oppression and Cheating, Lying and Slandering, Envy and Covetous­ness, which are against the Moral Law, together with those against the Gospel and its constitutions: And by so doing, we shall avoid the hypocrisie of obscuring our particular sins under a slight and general Confession, which can hardly be said with an humble, lowly, peni­tent and obedient heart, unless we know the particulars and have examined their number, and pondered the heinousness of them: I may add, that of these two sorts the least is enough to condemn us, and yet there are de­grees of guilt, and those of Commission are of a deep­er dy; it is worse to do evil, then to neglect that which is good, because in the first there is real mischief and yet it is easier to avoid a sin, then perform a duty, and that cannot be repared as this may. Therefore sins of Omission are punished by witholding of blessings, those of Commission, by inflicting cur­sesExcisionem a­nimae 23 Vicibus mi­natus est in Negati­vis, & solum tres in Affirmativis, viz. non observanti Circumcisionem: Gen. 17.14. Pascham, Exod. 12.15. Sabbachum, Exod. 31.14. Fagius ex ab Ezr. Transgressio praecep [...]i affirm. poenitentiâ deletur, negativi poenitentiâ tantum suspenditur in Diem Expiationis R. R.. He that neglects to hear Gods Word, shall become an igno­rant secure sinner, and in a while be [Page 71] hardened: but the Lyer shall besides have Discovery, Shame, Poverty and Scorn. Which I do not remark, as if Sins of Omission needed little, but because the di­rect breaches need much Repentance; yet least any should use it to excuse their leaving their Duty undone, or doing it ill, let them know, that many times to omit what we ought to do, is to do what we ought not. He that gives not alms, is alwayes covetous, often cru­el, and sometimes a murdererQui suecurrere perituro potest, & non succurrit occi­dit., he that repents not hates God, and loves sin, he is obstinate and pre­sumptuous in that neglect: And further, he that wilfully omits a duty, or carelesly passes it over, shall shortly fall into a sin, because he useth not the means which God hath appointed to secure us; whereup­on the Church appoints Sins of Omission (though in their nature lesser) to be first confessed, because by these we forsake God, and lye open to temptation, and fall into all actual and positive wickednesses. Let us not then neg­lect religious dutiesCurre ad prae­ceptum leve f [...]rtè (scil. ejus omissio) tradet te in manum majoris. R. Nathan de Patr., least we shortly have greater offences to con­fess; And on the other side, think not you can put on the strict Ob­servance of Duty, as a cloak for your wicked life, for if you live in sin, it is not religious offices can expiate your guilt; and although you are constant in your publique and private Devotions, yet do not scruple to make this Con­fession; for if men consider the dead [...]ess of their affe­ctions, the unfixedness of their thoughts, the hardness of their hearts, and the sad mixtures of hypocrisie and pride that cleave to us in all holy offices, they will see they have left undone the best, and most acceptable, and most Evangelical part of every duty, and all truly good men do acknowledge God might justly reckon their ill-performances for total omissions: in fine, we see this part of the Confession is needful for all, and may be useful to us all.

[Page 72]§. 7. And there is no health in us] The sick­nesses and diseases of the body, are by the holy Ghost used to represent the sinful distempers of the soul; infectious sins are likened to the plague, fil­thy and odious iniquities to leprosie, such as disquiet the Conscience to pains and wounds: Heresie is the Gangrene2 Tim. 2.17., Envy the ConsumptionProv. 14.30., Pride the TympanyEp. Jude 16. of the mind, &c. Now the poor Penitent having sur­veyed himself within and without, presents himself be­fore the great Physician of souls, and acknowledgeth his want of health, he finds the whole head sick with e­vil devicesIsai. 1.5, 6., and the heart faint with pursuing evil desires, and the whole body (from inward corrupt Principles) overspread with Egyptian ulcers; so that if Jesus ask him to what part he shall apply his plaister, he will answer, Not to my feet only, but to my hands and my head; nothing but a Panarion can cure him; the Head is heavy with Ignorance, and dizzy with confused thoughts; the Eyes bloodless with Wantonness, distor­red with Envy, and inflamed with covetous desires, [ [...], 1 John 2.16.] the ears are deaf to Gods Word, but itch after vanity and novelties; the Tongue blistered with lyes and slanders, kindled at the flames of hellJames 3.6., steaming forth filthy and blasphemous Evaporations; the Heart is cloven with hypocrisie, decayed in the heat of Zeal and Cha­rity; the Hands are feeble and soon weary of well-doing; the Stomach is overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness, and nauseates all sober reproof; the Knees are stiff with laziness and irreverence in Gods worship; the Feet often lame and alwayes trembling in the wayes of holiness; This is the sad account of our infirmities and diseases, some of which are almost contrary to others, yet all agree­ing in this to hasten our death, if we hasten not to him who alone hath remedies for us. And when we [Page 73] are before him, we must not deny any of them for their multitude, nor conceal any for their loathsomness, for this shame, will make our cure im­possiblePlerosque ta­men hoc opus ut pub­licationem sui, aut suffugere, aut de dic in diem differre, pu­doris magis memores quam salutis, vel [...]t illi qui in vericun­dioribus corporis partibus contractâ vexatione conscien­tiam medentium vi­tant, & ita cum e­rubescentiâ suâ pe­reunt, Tertul. de poen. cap. 6., and is not to be gi­ven way to, unless we love our honour better then our eternal safety: if any of these plagues should not yet be broke out upon you, and you should thence con­clude your soundness, I shall desire that you would first examine your selves by these symptomes, which if you find you may suspect either you are not in health, or will not long continue so; 1 Decay of the Appetite, when the soul doth not hunger and thirst after Righteous­ness, and desire the sincere Milk of the WordMatth. 5.6. 1 Pet. 2.1., for a healthy soul cannot be long without them, and in the want of them is no more sa­tisfied with worldly delights, then your craving bowels are with pleasant Musick: such need no arts to invite them to this heavenly food, for no business can wholly divert them, nor can any diffi­culty discourage them, but to be indifferent whether we have it or no, is a bad sign, and to nauseate it a worse. 2. An ill digestion, when the Word doth not inlighten you, nor Sacraments engage you, nor Prayer spiritua­lize you, nor Reproof amend you, when Mercies do do not quicken your love, but encrease your security, when Afflictions do not bring you to Repentance, but fill you with discontent; when these Divine things are pu­trified, and Venome and Corruption extracted from them, it is time to take heed, for a disease is not far off, which may be also gathered from 3. A general list­lesness and disability in the members of our body and faculties of our souls, for the discharge of their several parts in Gods service, we may then fear a spiritual lethargy, although perhaps the tongue be a­ctive [Page 74] stillProv. 26.14. and Chap. 13.14., and is exercised in speaking of Religion, and com­mending the wayes of God: nay, and many seemingly passionate wish­es be added, that we may alwayes walk in them; yet if the hands hang down, and the knees and legs be feeble, if the work be still undone, this soul is in no Athletick Constitution. Nor yet that wherein there is 4. A superfluity of humours, if the Choller of Passion, the Flegm of Sloth, the Melancholly of Despair, or the Sanguine of Levity and Volu [...]tuousness too much a­bound, you are in the borders of a disease, and had need consider if you are not too hot with Partiality and violent Zeal, nor too cold with Atheistical indifferency, too moist with discouraging grief [...], nor too dry with unfruitful vanity: But 'tis to be feared, a little Exa­mination will discover some, if not most of these Sym­ptomes in us all, and were there but half as m [...]ch to portend a mortal sickness to our body, we should not stay for an adviser, but run to, or presently send for the Physician— Venienti occurrite morbo — sero medicina paracur Cum mala per longas invaluêre moras.; let me but desire us much care here; where the distemper is in the nobler part, and the danger Death Eternal, your better half is dy­ing, and if you love your selves, make haste to Jesus for speedy help. Flatter not your selves, because its signs are not yet so evident, or its present force so formidable, for by be­ing despised it will gain strength and take root, and per­haps despise a cure at last. Aristides dyed of the bite of a little Weazle, which he neglected till it became incu­rable, and then cryed out in a desperate Rage [O me miserum, &c.] Miserable wretch that I am! if it had been a Lyon I had sought a Remedy. Happy are they that dress their green wounds, and purge out their nox­ious humours betimes, so shall they not langui [...]h under a tedious sickness, nor be tormented with the pains of an irresistible Gangrene.

Some do suppose the Penitent after the full View of his many and grievous sins, is here looking round about to find whether there be any way to escape, or means of deliverance; but being disappointed, he humbly ac­knowledgeth there is no health, that is, noPsal. 146.3. — in quibus non est salus: Vulg. Qui servandi facultatem non habent: Vatab. Salus & [...], [ap. LXX.] Ps. 132.9. & alibi ambiguè usurpantur pro sani­tate & salute, unde Psal. 119.155. in Vet. Trans. Health in Nov. Tran. Sal­vation is far, &c. & per Metonym. sa­lus pro mediis ad sa­lutem necessariis, un­de Psalm. 42. ult. Vet. Transl. Help of my countenance Nov. Tra. Health of, &c. h. e. Ab his malis nos servare non habemus poten­tiam, adjuvandi me­d [...]ndi, liberandi, facultatem. salvation, or meanes of help, or power to procure health or deliverance among the Sons of Men. We can destroy our selves, but in God is our hope (Hos. 13.9.) In vain do we hope for salvation from great or smal (Jerem. 3.23.) For no man can deliver himself nor his brother, (Psal. 49.7.) Salvation alone belongeth to the Lord (Psal. 3.8.) So that being compassed with so much guilt, and finding no help on Earth, it becomes the Soul in this fear, with Jehosophat (2 Chron. 20.12.) to fly to heaven and say, I have no might, O God, against this great Multitude of transgressions that is set in array against me, neither know I what to do, but my eyes are upon thee, my onely refuge, and last hope, and unless I find health and help in thee, I must inevitably Pe­rish. But Lord do not cast me off, but have mercy, &c. But although this sense be very genuine, we may take the freedome for the inlarging our thoughts, and assisting our De­votions to pursue the Metaphor, and explaine it in that manner as a generall infe­rence, &c.

[Page 76]§. 8. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable sinners] When we have thus disco­vered our deplorable condition, we must not run away from God, by the entertainment of despairing thoughts, both because it is impossible to e­scape himNon est quo fu­gias à Deo irato, nisi ad Deum placatum. August. in Psal. 7., and by attempting to fly from God, we run into the e­vils we fear, and hasten from him that alone can help us to what we desire and need. Let us come therefore, but not with the Pharisees [I thank thee Luke 18.11.] but with the Publicans [Lord be merciful] as the Church from his Example hath taught us: And when we are before him, let us not ask any favours till we have begged a removal of the evils which are upon us; viz. The guilt, the punishment, and the do­minion of sin, which are here so contrived into three Petitions, that every one is joyned with a Motive to en­force it, so that our Misery pleads for Mercy, our free Confession cries for a removal of the Punishment, and our hearty Reformation begs deliverance from all our contracted Indispositions. The first thing in our view is our present Misery, which is so plain we cannot o­ver look it, and so great we cannot but feel it, and we are taught to beseech our God to look upon it, for Misery is the pro­per object of MercyMisericordia est alienae miseriae quae­dam in nostro corde compassio, qua uti­que si possumus sub­venire compellimur. August. Civ. Dei. l. 9. c. 5.. That benigne Attribute is ever looking upon the Creatures present suffer­ings, without reflecting on the de­serts of the sufferer, and is moved with the sight of a distressed Person, whatever be the cause of his calami­ty. Therefore when nothing else in God can give any comfort to a poor sinking sinner [that knows he is not more miserable then he hath made himself by his wickedness] then he can lay hold of this: The Publican that dares not look up to heaven, can yet say Miserere! and as Mercy is the sinners chiefest com­fort, [Page 77] so it is that Attribute that moves God to forgive and pardonRom. 11.32. Hebr. 8.12. Psalm 51.1, 2., so that to beg for mercy and desire forgiveness are all one, as in that eminent Peniten­tial Psalm, David begins with Have mercy on me! and immediately ex­plains it by the removing his offences: in like man­ner here we pray for pardon in our Have mercy on us, because Mercy is the Almoner to distribute this principal act of Divine bounty, and grants out all par­dons. It is not from any desert in us, but a meer com­passion of our distress, and a pure act of Free grace that disposeth God to take away sinIsai. 43.25.: We have no friend in the Court of Heaven to obtain it, but Mercy, and no Argument to plead for it but Misery; if we come with We have prayed, fasted, waitedIsai. 58.3., we seem to apply our selves to Gods Justice: But he that from a heart secretly groaning under the apprehensions of its distress, cries out for Mercy be­cause he is Miserable, he shall pierce Mercies ears, and cause her to open her compassionate eyes to see, and stretch out her gracious hand to help, and if she be thy Advocate, she will cause the bowels of the Almighty to yearn upon theeJerem. 31.20. Heb. [...] vide 1 Reg. 3.26. prop. viscera matris, vel i [...]volnera quibus foe­tus in utero contine­tur: at saepe pro mi­sericordid Dei. with the same affection that the tender Mo­ther did when she heard the cryes of her poor sprawling infant under the merciless sword of the bloody executioner: But then you must be sure first to view your sin and danger fully, that you may be fully convinced of your Misery and cry in a pungent sense thereof most ear­nestly, Lord have Mercy, for otherwise this will be a feigned cry, and an intolerable abuse of this sweet At­tribute; what can provoke God more, then for a man to call Mercy forth (which is ready enough to come) and then through impenitence or laziness, or not dis­cerning [Page 78] our need of it, to send it back empty; alas such are more miserable, because they see not their miseryNihil est mi­serius misero non miserante seipsum., and they are never like to be delivered from that misery, because by these feign­ed calls they have so often mocked God, and affronted this their only friend, that if at last they call in earnest, when Death is before their eyes, Mercy then will not come.

§. XI. Spare thou them, O God, that confess their faults] The elder brother that knew the fidelity and constancy of his service expects a large reward; but the poor Prodigal that was conscious of his offences, will esteem it a high favour to escape a se­vere Chastisement, and utter exclusion from his Fathers house and presence; they that are not sensible of their guilt fear not punishment, and esteem a deliverance scarce worth the asking: But he that considers the multitude of his own offences, and Gods abhorrency of them, and remembers the terrors of his threatnings, and strict­ness of his justice, the fierceness of his anger, when he begins, and the impossibility of avoiding that stroke, which no place can hide him fromJosh. 8.20. Non erat [ [...]] in eis, Manus ad pug­nandum vel pedes ad fugiendum. RR. LXX Vulg. & Ma­sius. Nen erat iis locus (ut Deut. 2.37) C. P. J. & nostr. Vers. Non erant in eis vires, ita Drus. no hands resist, no feet fly from, nor no strength endure. To this poor soul Gods pity is desirable, and it is accounted a great mercy he hath not yet felt the weight of Gods wrath, such an one begs earnestly he never may feel it, or however not sink eternally under it, he can pray as heartily before the stroke, come as othe [...]s when the smart ex­torts it from them. When the Israelites heard the cry of Egypt, and saw the slaughter of so many first bornExod 12.13. Fagius in locum., they then thought it a mercy not to be slain, worthy the celebrating with a Pass­over. The true penitent esteems his life a favour, and [Page 79] all on this side Hell Mercy, and the condemned Male­factor will be as thankful for a Reprieve, as another for a great Pension and high Preferment: The poor sinners request is no greater then to be spared, and his Argu­ment is not because he is not guilty, or deserves no stripes, that would accelerate the stroke, to abate such daring confidence, and convince such horrible falshood: He knows nothing is to begotten from God by standing on his Innocence, but the way is to acknowledge our Guilt; for one great end of Gods temporal judgments on sinners, is to force them to do him justice, by racks and tortures to extort a Confession from them that have the cunning to conceal, or the impudence to deny their wickedness. Thus God opened the mouths of Josephs brethrenGenes. 42.21. & 44.16. of Adonibezek Judg. 1.6., and Manasseth 2 Chron. 32.12. to display their former and almost forgotten cruelties, and made Phaaroh himself cry PeccaviExod. 9.27. Satis est; h. e. satis jam lucratus est De­us poenis suis cum jam culpam nostram agnoscimus, Fagius in loc., and then he hoped God would cease to Punish, when he had obtain­ed his end, and brought him to Con­fession. But the wi [...]est way is, not to stay till some judgment summon us, but of our own accord inge­nuously to confess our sins: Racks and Strapadoes are for obstinate Rogues, and no mer­ciful humane Prince would use them to one that with tears pleaded guilty, and begged a Pardon,Matth 26.65. Habes confitentem reum. much less will the Father of Mercies: What need is there of any f [...]rther witness, the humble sin­ner accuseth himself, cleers Gods justice, and casts himself wholly on his mercy, and doubtless he shall be spared, especially because it is to be hoped, that he that hath seen his danger, and so spe­dily and fully confessed his fault, designs never more to prove disobedient, if he may now be spared, and since the chief end of punishment is to prevent [Page 80] the sinNemo prudens punit quia peccatur sed ne peccatur. Senec., doubtless God will not be hard to be entreated to spare him that is in the way to amend­ment, and whose own prudent fears have done that which otherwise a sharp judgment must have wrought: Let us be so wise as to go in upon the first apprehensions of Gods displeasures, and take sanctuary in his pity, and we shall not be punished temporally, unless with designs of mercy, however not eternally.

§. 10. Restore thou them that are penitent] Though we are apt to account those beggars, saucy and troublesome, who from one request granted, are encouraged to make a second and more considera­ble. Yet God (whose rule is (Habenti dabitur) to him that hath shall be given) is well pleased with it, nor will he interpret it impudence, if after we have prayed for a removal of the guilt, and a deliverance from the pu­nishment of our sin, we put up a further and greater request, even to be restored: For it is not a single mis­chief which sin doth us, besides the stain and the wrath, it doth alienate the mind of God from us, and therefore after David had prayed against the fore-mentioned e­vils, he also desires to be resto­redPsalm 51.12. 2 Sam. 14.. It will not suffice Ab­solom to be called home from ba­nishment, unless he may see his Fa­thers face: So if a truly pious man were sure never to smart for sin by any positive evil, the bare privation of the Divine love would be intollerable, and its su­spension a grievous burden; and he that truly calls God Father, will not be satisfied without a restoring to his favour which sin had deprived him of: The word is also used for the rebuilding a ruined and depopulated CityDan. 9.25, &c., which is the sad embleme of a soul laid wast by sin, which defaceth its beauty, dismantles its strengths and brings down its highest and noblest faculties, even­ning them with the ground, fitting them for converse with low and base things, making of a defenced City a [Page 81] heap. Which when we consider, how can we but weep over our own souls, as Nehemiah over the ruines of Je­rusalem, never ceasing to pray that by the Holy Spirit it may be restored and re-edifyed, and retrieved into its former beauty and strength; either of these Meta­phors afford useful Meditations: but 'tis most proba­ble this Petition refers to that clause of the Confession [there is no health in us] and signifies our desires to be restored to health, according to Gods promiseJerem. 30.17.. It is not enough that we dye not by sin, but we de­sire we may not lye languishing under the remains of so sad a disease, but may have a perfect cure. Some di­stempers do so universally corrupt the humours, that the abatement is no recovery, for they make way for a worse, unless the body be well cleansed after them [...] (i. e. in animâ post peccatum) [...] Arri­an. in Epic. lib. 2. c. 18.: So do most sins blind the mind, harden the heart [Heb. 3.13.] weaken the faith, undermine the hope, embase the af­fections, quench the actings of Gods Spirit, and give the tempter ad­vantage against us; so that a bare Pardon will not fit us either to serve or enjoy God, till the remaining ig­norance, security, distrust, world­ly mindedness, and deadness be purged out, and we be fully resto­red: But nothing will move God to do this, unless you be sincerely penitent; that is, add to your sor­row and confession real purposes of amendment, he may pity the miserable, and may spare him that acknow­ledgeth his offence; but he will restore none but him that reforms, for he that sees the heart knows that to seek only pity or deliverance, proceeds only from self-love at best, and sometimes from love to sin, as the crazy Epicure desires health, that he may renew the prosecutions of his Lust. But he that seriously desires to be restored, hates sin for it self, and not for its evil [Page 82] company, and he that doth so is truly penitent, but they that only desire a freedome from misery and punishment, and are not grieved for these remains, will soon fall a­gain into sin, and God who knows that; may justly deny them that peace which they will use so ill: By this also it appears that those men do in vain complain of those dregs of their old corruptions, which have not truly repented, for God leaves these Canaanites on purpose to vex these half repenters, to hin­der them in religious dutiesNumb. 33.35. Saepe includent vos & introitum & ex­itum negabunt vobis. Jos. 23.13. Cautè & tectè primò vos irretire conentur, deinde palam urge­bunt vos donec oc­caecuti estis. Masius., and when they grow weary of re­sisting them, then they become snares in their way, secretly to intrap them, and by degrees scourges in their sides, violence to drive them, and lastly thorns in their eyes, that by putting out the light of consci­ence it self, they may sin without fear: Oh! Do not therefore cease repenting as soon as you can believe or hope a Pardon, but let that hope encourage you to repent more, and to cast out all the reliques of the old leaven, watch and pray till you be restored to the same cleerness of judgment, earnestness of holy desire, free­dome of will, power over your affections, composed­ness of soul, and tenderness of conscience which you had before you fell, for not till then are you out of the danger of your disease.

§. 11. According to thy Promises declared unto mankind in Christ Iesu, our Lord] It might well be deemed an high Presumption in us that are offenders against God, to ask so many fa­vours of him [...] but that he hath prevented this cen­sure by interposing his Promise that he will do what we desire; which Promise is a sure foundation to build our hopes upon, because by it we have a title to that, which before we could not expect, for God being truth it self, is obliged to make his Word good, and by his promise gives his Creature a kind of right to the thing promi­sed [Page 83] Gr. [...] promissio: [...]. Eu­stath. Il. β., and if he be not bound to us, yet he is by his own Justice and VeracityDeus non nobis fit simplicitèr debi­tor, sed sibi ipsi. T. Aquin., which yet doth not abridge his freedom, who could discern before, all that could fall out, and yet freely obliged him­self; so that his Promise is no more then a Declaration of what he can do, and sees fit to be done, if it had never been promised. Wherefore we cannot please him better then to urge him with, his promises, be­cause then we only desire what he judges fit to be granted; nor must we measure the Almighty by the scant measures of a manNumb. 23.19. Homo ex 4 causis so­let promissa negare, vel quando fallaci­tèr quid promisit, vel quando promissi poenitet, vel quando offenditur ab eo cui fit promissio, vel quando nequit per­solvere, haec omnia à Deo absunt: ex Fag., who loves not to be charged with what he doth not intend, or is not able to perform, but there is no unfore­seen accident can occur to alter the determination of an All-seeing and Immutable God, his servants have alwayes pleased him, and obtained their sute2 Chron. 6.16. Chap. 20.9. when they have plead­ed a Promise in a particular tem­poral concern: Much more shall we in these which are of so great weight, and so often repeated in the Book of God, and so fully a­greeable to his eternal purposes and constant desires. These Pro­mises are indeed conditional, but we ask them not ab­solutely, but upon the condition on which they are made, viz. as hoping by Gods grace that we are peni­tent, or else our request could not be according to his Promises. But in these words are three grounds of our hopes. 1. Because the Promises are declared, he hath not onely purposes of Mercy in the secrets of his un­searchable breast, but he hath made Promises, and communicated and published them by Word and Wri­ting, [Page 84] from time to time, before Heaven and Earth, An­gels and Devils, and all Men that are, or were, or ever shall be, now if they should not have been certainly performed, they would not have been divulged before so many Witnesses, but since they are declared to all, they are a summons to all, and shall be fulfilled to all that do go in to God, bringing his gracious Proclama­tion in their hands. 2. They are made to mankind, for the Apostate Angels were permitted (as they fell so) to lye to Eternity, though in their Naturals they far excelled us, but Jesus graciously snatched holdHeb. 2.16. Gr. [...] Dr. Ham. of us, and made a Covenant with us, so that though we are offenders, we are salvable though despicable, yet we are such as the Promises are directed to: We dare not with some pretend to any infallible revelation of our peculiar in­terest in them, nor do we plead any particular ingage­ments made to our persons by Name, yet since made to all, we are thankful we are not particularly excepted, and do hope we shall have a share, for we believe Mer­cy on purpose contrived the Promises so large, that no repentant sinner might want encouragement, and we apply them modestly to our selves, not because we are better then others, but because we have as much need as any; and even when we see our selves the chief of sin­ners, we may take comfort in the universality of the Promise, because we are of mankind; but those who fancy they can read their own names in them, are like that vain person who offered his Prince a great sum of money, to be permitted to salute him familiarly every day, that men might suppose him a Confident of the Kings: for the better sort of humble Christians are thankful for lesser favours, which are also commonly more real though less plausible. 3. We hope in these Promises, because they are made in Christ Jesus, for he first clearly revealed them to us2 Tim. 1.10., and procured them of God, and sealed them as a Mediatour between both, and therefore they are made in [Page 85] him2 Tim. 1.1.. And because they are made in him, 1. We believe they shall be faithfully performed, they are Yea and Amen2 Cor. 1.20.; that is, re­ally intended: Christ is the firstGen. 3.15. and great promise, and God having given him already, hath both evidenced his love to us, and manifested his reality in promising, and his re­solution of performing all the rest in due timeRom. 8.32.. And further, it is surer comfort that they are made in him, then if they had been made immediately to us, for so when ever we had broke any Condition, we had lost our title to what was promi­sedIn pactis si vel tantillum ex dictis pars altera transgre­deretur rupta sunt foedera. Thucyd., but our Venture is deposi­ted in a safer bottom, even in him that fulfilled all that God required: Surely none can question those Pro­mises which were made freely by the God of Truth, and are confirmed by the performance of the greatest first, and depend on the perfect Obedience of Christ Jesus, whose com­pleat Righteousness shall justifie the claim of every true Penitent, notwithstanding his own many failings. 2. We believe because made in him they shall be dispensed to us with much mercy, not like those made upon Mount Sin [...]i, which could only benefit him that had at all times, and in all instances obeyed, for what comfort were that to him that owns himself a sinner: but these are from mount Sion, and to be fulfilled by our gracious Re­deemer, whose Merits are the ground of our Hope and Faith, for it is not by reason of our deserts that we expect such favours, but we remember he that made them, looked on Jesus and through him with Mercy on us, and we hope for his sake to receive our Portion: This Clause is the exercise of our Faith, in plead­ing the promise through Christ, and could not have been omitted, for Faith must ever regulate our Repentance, as well as Repentance must strengthen [Page 86] our Faith [...]. Clem. Alex., and these two must not be separated. The desires of a Pardon without this, are but like the Petitions men offer to merciless Tyrants, rather to declare their grief, then out of expectations of help. To see sin, and not to see the promise, terrifies the Conscience, and turns into the amazed flight of trembling Cain, or the final despair of wretched Judas, and produces nothing but hideous groans such as are rebounded from the hollow caverns and in­fernal prisons of damned spirits. Wherefore I advise all that would repent, not to dwell so long in the dark Meditations of their own vileness, as to be unable to en­dure the splendor of Gods Grace and Mercy; for though a serious apprehension of sin will make that bitter, yet nothing can make God sweet, but that Faith which re­presents him willing to receive all those that humbly come to him.

§. 12. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake] To be delivered from all the e­vil and mischievous consequences of sin hath been thus far the subject of our Petition, which we now enlarge by the praying for somewhat which is really good, so that here again for our incouragement, we call to mind that our God is a most merciful Father in Christ Jesus, on whom the penitent is taught to look, and because he intercedes for us, we ask it for his sake, through whom God is merciful, and we have a pro­mise we shall prevailJohn 14.13.: If we as­ked these things for the sake of any Saint or Angel, we could have small hopes of success, for they are obliged to God for themselves, they depend upon him, and by him are what they are, and the Saints have received all they have for Christs sake, so that if they could hear us (which is un­likelyIsai 63.16. Job 14.22. Codurcus. ibid., they would detest any derogation to the honour of that Name to which they are so much indebted. But our Church both [Page 87] here, and in every Prayer we make, enjoyns us (as Christ also dothJohn 16. ver. 23, 26. to ask all things in the Name, and for the alone sake of Jesus, thereby to confront that fol­ly and impiety of many Mediators so stifly defended by the Romane Church, not so much be­cause they believe it, as because they gain by this Diana of the vulgarActs 19.25.. 'Tis certain, we must not come in our own names, for the very Heathens thought it un­reasonable to approach their Gods without a MediatorJani nomen eun­ctis precibus praepo­nere soletis, viam e­nim vobis pandere Decrum ad audien­tiam creditis. Ar­nob. in gen. l. 3.. And hence the Platonists feigned their nume­rous DaemonsJamblicus de Myster. Philo de plant., who conveyed the Notices of humane affairs (espe­cially prayers) to the superiour Dei­ties: This multiplying Mediators in the Heathens may be a pardona­ble mistake, but it is inexcusable in those that know; it was never allowed by the Jews to use the in­tercession of any CreatureMunster in Matth. 4.10., and that Daniel prayed then for the Lords sakeDan. 9.17., and that there is but one Mediator1 Tim. 2.5., and Jesus1 John 2.1, 2. is he: nor is there one exam­ple (as themselves confess) of any in Scripture that prayed by the mediation of Saints or Angels. The Jews were taught in­deed in imitation of Daniel to use the name of Adonai Adonai est cla­vis quâ patef [...]t adi­tus ad Jehovam in suâ essentiâ quasi la­tentem: est The­saurus quo ea quae in [...]: condita sunt nobis impartiuntur, est Oeconomus qui omnia dispensat, &c. Port. lucis. in their prayers, which they called the Key to Jehovah, the store-house to con­tain, and steward to dispense all blessings which we affirm of Christ, but that people are scandalized at the many Mediators of the Ro­manist, and so would the primi­tive Christians be also, who all declare against it, as might be [Page 88] largely proved; but that of Gregory Neocaes. may sufficeQui recte De­um invocat per Fili­um invocat. in [...]., No man rightly calls upon God the Father but by the Son. I might add more for the confutation of this Error, if it were not better and more sea­sonably done by others already, so that we may leave this when we have observed the impudence of those ig­norant and malicious persons, who charge the Liturgy as savouring of Popery, when every little Collect doth disown and declare against one foundation Article of their Faith, nay by consequence against all that are su­perstructed, viz. Merits, Pilgrimages, Shrines, Images, Indulgences, Penances of satisfaction, &c. because we adhere only to the merits of Christ Jesus, acknowledg­ing our own unworthiness, but believing that he, as our Redeemer, will procure our pardon, and as our Ad­vocate will purchace grace to help us to walk in the wayes of God.

§. 13. That we may hereafter] The very method of this exact Confession directs us in our Repentance to look three wayes successively; 1. Inwards, 2. Upwards, 3. Onwards; for humiliation, pardon, and amendment, which order we must not break, nor dis­joyn the connexion; for he that first looks up to God before he hath seen his sin, will but mock the Almighty, he that first looks forward will but deceive himself, and not be able to proceed: Again he that looks inwards and not upwards will despair, he that looks upwards and not inwards will presume, and if he do both see his sin, and seck for Mercy, but looks not onwards to a­mend, he doth but dissemble, and of all the rest we must be careful of the future, because the discovery of sin, and the o [...]fer of forgiveness are onely to engage to a reformation hereafter. Which consideration respects two sorts of persons who are apt to neglect this prin­cipal part of true Repentance: 1. The dejected peni­tent who is so taken up with the sight, and oppressed with the sense of his sins, that he cannot look forward, and spends all that precious time which is allowed for a­mendment, [Page 89] in sadly poring on what is done, so that he finds no leasure to consider what should be done: The Church bespeaks these (as once God to Joshua)Chap. 7.10. Arise, why lyest thou here on thy faceJob 7.20., your sorrow cannot undo what is done, having seen your own wayes, now turn into GodsPsalm 119.59., set your sins before you to keep you humblePsalm 51.3., but not to weaken your hands from doing Gods willLament. 3.40.. When your sorrow hath made you hate sin, and long for peace with God, it hath proceeded far enough, and to continue this Corro­ding Plaister, is to protract and hinder the Cure: ex­perience tells us that many good men suffer for want of this advice, for fearing they should grieve too little, they study to increase their sorrow by ever beholding the dark side of the Cloud which fills their hearts with benumming fears, their heads with unworthy jealousies, and all their duties with distrust and unbelief; whereas if they would set themselves to work and oyling their wheels with love and hope leave their desires of Pardon to Jesus to sue out, they might find more convincing proofs of the Divine Mercy in his assistance of their en­deavours, then ever they shall gain by fruitless sighs and tears, sad wishes and empty speculations. 2. The dissembling hypocrite who also looks not forward, but not because he fears he cannot (as the former) but be­cause he resolves he will not amend his life; only find­ing his Conscience terrified and uneasie, he would say or promise any thing to be quit of the present smart; but this proceeds rather from a weariness of suffering for evil, then a hatred against doing wickedly: and such mens cries for mercy, are only to stop the mouth of their accuser, without any resolutions of becoming better if they procure their quiet; nay perhaps they do it in hopes to sin hereafter with less opposition. But the Mi­serable wretches deceive and tire themselves in an end­less Circle of sinning and Repenting, striving for a little false peace, that they may do that which will renew [Page 90] their trouble, and then they re­pent again (as they call it) though indeed they never repent, because they never amend, [...] Clem. Alex. Strom. 2^o. and in this are worse then the most blind and obdurate sinners, because they see they have done amiss and yet will do it again; Oh let such consider this [hereafter] and know till they both desire and endeavour a change in their Manners they cannot be forgi­ven!

§. XIV. Live a Godly, righteous, and a sober life,] The Jews call that place Mich. 6.8. the law in three words, Justice, Mercy and Humi­lity, and St. Paul hath given us both Law and Gospel in as fewTitus 2.12. [...]., in the Epistle to Titus, from whence this Petition is taken; for the principal end of Christs coming, of the preach­ing of the Gospel, and of the Com­munications of Gods grace (he there shews to be that we might live, 1. Godlily, in observance of all Duties of Piety to God; 2. Righteously, in discharging all of­fices of Justice and Charity to others: 3. Soberly, in performing what relates to our own bodies and souls: and this is the whole Will of God. And surely he that confesseth he hath offended in all, and desires forgive­ness of all, must needs pray for the amendment of all that hath been amiss, or his Repentance cannot be sin­cere. The true Penitent takes not out such Duties as comply with his Interest, and omits the rest, nor craves allowance in those sins that agree with his constitution and design, and forbears the rest, but forsakes all ini­quity as displeasing to God, and as that which Jesus smarted for, and which will deprive him of grace and glory: Those therefore that would excuse their inju­stice and uncharitableness to others, or their own vo­luptuousness by a strict Devotion have never truly re­pented, [Page 91] nor those who wish there were no more requi­red then outward justice, that they might take liberty in other matters. God allows none of these commutati­ons; nor the Church who orders us to pray for Reli­gion, and justice, and sobriety all together, some of them perhaps may please us better; but they all alike and only together please God, if we seek our own ease we may choose what we like best: but if we truly love God, we must embrace all, for they all depend on one another, and he that breaks or leaves one link loose, weakens as well as shortens the whole chain. But let us view the Particulars: 1. A Godly life which may chal­lenge the first place, in regard the observations of piety are the foundation of justice and sobriety, and the neg­lect opens the door to all manner of wickednessHeu primae sce­lerum causae mor­talibus aegri [...] Naturam nescire Dei— Sil. Ital. Sublatâ pietate tol­litur justitia. Cice­ro. how should he that is a rebel to his Prince be just to his fellow-subjects. The first is the fear of God or the godly life, and it is the giving God his due inward­ly and outwardly. 1. Inwardly, in that complete precept of loving him before all, above all, and more then all things, in giving him the chiefest place in our thoughts, will, understanding and desires, so that we admire no­thing more then his wisdome, fear nothing more then his threatnings, and design nothing more then his glory.Deut. 6.5. Matth. 22.37. toto corde, ut omnes cogitationes; totâ a­nimâ, ut omnem vi­tam; totâ mente, ut omnem intellectum in Deum conferas. Aug. de dec. Christ. This is that, loving God with our whole heart, when we confide in his Truth, hope in his Mercy, rest on his Omnipotence, and wait for his Bounty: And if thy heart be thus disposed it will discover it in out­ward significations: viz. endeavours to know him, speaking honourably of him, in a readiness to praise him, pray to him, and worship him in all opportunities publique and private. This is the sum of the first Table of the Law; [Page 92] wherein we are commanded to love and own, honour and fear God exclusively to all others: to worship him in purity, to reverence his name, and all that bears the impresses of it, and to observe religiously those solemn times dedicated to his service, which is called walking with GodGen. 5.22. C. P. ambulavit in ti­more coram domino. and worthy of him1 Thess. 2.12. [...]. and such a godly life is suitable to those confessions we make of his Wisdome, Power and Mercy, and doth express we are really grieved for walking in con­trary Paths. 2. A Righteous life, which is more then a Negative can express, and is by some falsly confined to the doing no evil to our neigh­bours,Justitia in eo si­ta est ut abstineatur alienis neque nocea­tur non nocenti: ita Porphyr. Quod ti­bi fieri non vis alte­rine feceris. The Heathens said, do not to others what you would not have done to you. But Christ chan­ges it into the positive,Matth. 7.12. ideo mihi placent Christiani quòd quae sibi fieri velint ipsi aliis faciunt. Seve­rus Imperat. and the Christians did that to others which they would have wished done to themselves, besides the a­voiding all wrongs and injuries; and therefore the sum of this is: We pray that we may never do that to our neighbour which we would be loth to suffer, as hurt­ing his body, impairing his estate by force or fraud, disparaging his name, at the first or second hand; and further, [...]. An­dron. Rhod. in Arist. l. 5. c. 1. whatever we would wish should be done unto us if we were abused or oppressed, sick or sorrowful, in danger or necessi­ty, that we may do the same to them that are in such circumstan­ces; and as we expect loving relatives, chast yoak-fellows, o­bedient children, faithful friends and loving neighbours, that we may be such in all these Relations: in a Word, that we may benefit [Page 93] all and hurt noneVir bonus pro­dest quibus potest no­cet autem nemini. Cicero. but be a common good to all we converse with: and this will be most plea­sing to that God who is the com­mon father of all, and the Judge of all the world. 3. A Sober life, which contains all that prudent care a man ought to take of his own body and soul, in observance to him that Created, Redeemed, and Preserves both; for though in common speech sobriety be opposed to drunkenness, the word [ [...]] is of larger signification, importing a prudent moderation of our natural desires of meat or drink, ease or pleasure, that the mind be not by them hindred in the pursuing of what is truly good, so that not every man who is no drunkard is a sober person, for neither the gluttonous Epicure nor lascivious Wanton do live sober lives. The full sense of this request is, that we may be temperate and abstemious, modest and chaste, full of mortification and self-denyal, that we may use meat and drink to serve our natural needs, and fit us for Gods service, not to pamper us for the devils saddle, not to indispose our mind, weaken our body or shorten our lives, that we may use none but lawful plea­sures, and those so moderately, that they may not make our spirits vain, ingage our affections, engross our thoughts, nor be esteemed as our chiefest good1 Cor. 7.29. Ʋti non frui. Aug. and if God grant us this command over our appetites, we shall never neglect our watch, nor give our enemies advantage, nor shall we at any time be unapt for our duties to God or man. This is a brief account of this most comprehensive Petition, which sure [...] shall put up heartily, when we have seen our in­gratitude to God, our injustice to our neighbour, and our carelesness of our selves; together with the vengeance we deserve for all this. Now, if ever, it will appear high time to leave those evil and dangerous ways, and to return into these pleasant and safe paths for our everlasting good: And that we may heartily ask this, we must first get a firm resolution to set about [Page 94] these duties, least we mock God; and secondly we must see our own insufficiency, least we deceive our selves, by thinking we need not the assistance of Divine grace. If we purpose firmly we do our endeavour, but if we beg the assistance of Gods spirit, we declare our humility and are like to stand fast in those resolutions, and this we may assure our selves, that it is his desire as well as ours that we should live such lives, and he hath long waited to hear this Petition from you; so that when you ask it heartily he will he sure to grant it, and rejoyce over you in that he is likely to reap the fruit of all that Jesus hath done for you in our conversion and salva­tion.

§. XV. To the Glory of thy holy Name] This Con­clusion may either have respect to all the Petitions be­fore, or it may particularly be applyed to the last: In the first sense it is a declaration that (though we shall be happy in having all these prayers heard yet) we are not so devoted to our own advantage, as to aim no high­er, but we believe it will tend to his glory as well as our good. Nothing by us can be added to make his per­fections more glorious in themselves; but by such in­comparable testimonies of grace and mercy, they will be more clearly manifested to us and all men; for we consider that his delivering us from death to life, re­trieving us from fears of hell to hopes of heaven, and changing us from sin to grace, and doing all this for rebellious wretches that he could easily destroy; this will be a manifesto of his glory to all the world, for all that see will admire1 Tim. 1.16. Gr. [...]. Gloria ejus est scintilla lu­cis divinae cedens in utilitatem populi e­jus. R. Jehud. C. Cosri. and be en­couraged themselves to repent and turn to this most merciful God, and we our selves shall ever re­member with joy and delight; that we have found in him a most free propensity to pitty the miserable, unspeakable kindness to help the un­worthy, and omnipotent power to rescue the perishing from the jaws of Eternal ruine: and with these holy thoughts, the flames of gratitude [Page 95] will ever be preserved upon the altar of our hearts, and from thence daily will ascend a cloud of hearty praises and gratulations. Or secondly, it may be annexed to the last Petition, viz. That we may not only do good but do it well, having an eye to hisRom. 14.5, 6. glory, not at our own estimati­on, or to obtain the praise of men. That we may live godlily, righteously, and soberly, not to our own credit but his glory, and when we have done all, may in gratitude cast all at his feet, to let all the world see, by whose long-suffering we are spared, by whose mercy we are forgiven, and by whose grace we are reformed; and that our holy lives hereafter may shew, that we are so in love with God and his ways, that we esteem it our chiefest happiness to be like him, and walk in them all our days.

§. XVI. Amen.] There is in the Liturgy as well as holy Scripture a two fold Amen, the one affirmative in the end of the Creed, the other optative in the end of Collects, and particularly of this Confession; so that here it is an Adverb of wishingFutur. Niph. [...] per Aphaeres. [...] unde LXX [...]. vide Ful­ler. Miscel. l. 1. c. 2. and serious desire that God would grant all our petitions. Thus the Jews used it at the end of their hymns1 Chron. 12.36. and prayersPsal. 106. ult. Eâ voce testati sunt omnes se probare ea quae recitantur. Gro­tius. and in that 106 Psalm the people are particularly charged when they had heard that Psalm read to say Amen after it. And the RabbinsQuicunque finitis singulis precatumcu­lis dicit Amen in h [...]c seculo, dicet etiam A­men in seculo future. R. Jehud. Tanch. alius ille facit ut redemptio nostra accelle­retur. enjoyned the saying it after every little prayer as a thing pleasing to God, and profitable to men: Comparing it to the set­ting our Name to an Epistle writ in anothers hand which then becomes ours when we sign itBuxt. Synag. Jud. cap. 7.. The same Doctors in their Talmud reprove [Page 96] three sorts of Amen. 1. Pupillum, when like children men speak it to that they understand not. 2. Amen sur­reptitium, when by carelesness they say it before the pray­er be done. 3. Amen fertile, when by sleepiness and yawning they cut it in two parts: by all which it ap­pears they would have it pronounced zealously and re­verently by all the people. From the Jews our Lord took it, and by placing it at the end of his own prayerMatth. 6.13. declared he would have us Christians to sub­joyn it to all ours; and accordingly it appears the A­postles ordered it, for the most ignorant (who could on­ly joyn with others that prayed for him) was at the end to say Amen1 Cor. 14.16. Gr. [...].. Which we may rather believe they ordained in the Church, because we find the Masters of Israel appointed those who could not pray for themselves nor read, to go to the Syna­gogueBuxt. Syn. Jud. cap. 5. and hear what others then prayed, and by saying Amen heartily to their prayers, they made them (as they taught) become their own. From the practice of the Apostles, it is suffici­ently proved to have descended into the constant use of the Church in all agesNos simul Amen dicimus. Irenaeus. Si pro ipsius Sal­vatoris pacto in con­sensit duorum quod­cunque petierint fi­et: Quid igitur fu­turum ubi ex tot tan­tantisque populis in unum congregatis, una vox respondea­tur acclamantium A­men. Athan. Ad similitudinem caelestis tenitrui Amen po­pulus reboat. Hieron., so that all know, the people in the Pri­mitive times, used in the conclusion of all publique prayers to answer with an Amen, loud as a clap of thunder; and I wish our times (which pretend to so much zeal) had never laid aside this holy custome, which besides the prescription of Antiquity, hath the records of Scrip­ture to produce for its Observation: I wish I might be a happy instru­ment to restore it. Let us I be­seech [Page 97] you reassume this most useful conclusion, and all speak it heartily, and a [...]dibly to testifie both to God and Men, that we have all one Lord, one Faith, one Hope, and one Mouth: And as we pronounce it, let us reflect on all the sentences of the foregoing prayer, (especially such as vain thoughts hindred us from attending) and sum up all our desires in one devout Amen. Lord let all and every one of these things be granted to us: if you forbear to say Amen out of dislike to the Prayers, do but study them and I am confident you will be re­conciled to them; if you omit Amen out of negligence, pray consider how you can expect God should accept that Prayer which you never owned nor consented to, we might as well be absent if we joyn not with the Minister. And therefore that God may say Amen to all our prayers, he grant us grace devoutly to say it to our own. Amen.

A Practical Discourse on the Absolution.

§. 3. ALmighty God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ] There is nothing in the world more desirable then the peace of a good Conscience, especial­ly to those who have felt the smart of it when it is dis­quieted by sin: The Pardon of sin which removes those terrors, is most welcome news to such, and the Mes­sengers most acceptableRom. 10.15.; but he that hath been truly humbled, will make a stop either out of Doubting or AdmirationLuke 1.34. Gr. [...] non dubitantis sed admirantis. Grot. when a Nathan is sent from God to tell him of Pardon2 Sam. 12.13. he would wish it might be according to that sweet word: only the greatness of his de­sires awaken some little jealousies least the message be too good to be true; and therefore no wonder if they ask us by what Authority we do thisMatth. 21.23.; we answer we are but Deputed servantsHeb. 5.4. in all we do, much more in this transcendent part of our office2 Cor. 5.8., we there­fore shew our Commission from Al­mighty God, whose Power none can Question, it being a Part of his NameExod. 34.7. to be the Pardoner of Iniquity, Transg [...]ession, and Sin of all sorts in thought, word, and deed. His Laws indeed forbid sin, and his Word decrees punishment for it, but this doth not tye his hands, nor take away his Privi­ledgeDeus cum le­gem peneret non a­demit sibi omnem potestatem: sad habet ignoscendi licentiam. Lactant. to forgive, by which he indeed shews himself AlmightyImperatori licet sententiam revocare reumque mortis ab­solv [...]re, & ipsi ignoscere, quia non est subjectus legibus, qui habet potestatem leges ferre. August. [ [...]] supreme Lord [Page 109] of all the World, above us and his own Laws, so that he can dispense with them: he that bound can loose without appeal or controulRevel. 3.7. we come from him who is the of­fended Party, and the Judge, who if he please to forgive can do it so fully, that neither Men nor Devils can call you to a further accountRom. 8.33.. Now if this term of Almighty prove dreadful as re­presenting an Almighty justice who remits not without blood [Heb. 9.22.] Then the poor soul will ask with IsaacGen. 22.7, 8., where is the Lamb? I answer God hath provided; and in the next words, behold the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, for your comfort this Almighty is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in him the Father of Mercies, and God of all comforts2 Cor. 1.3., in that being satisfied with that all-sufficient sacrifice, he can be just and yet forgive us1 John 1.9., he that sends us, can do it by his supremacy easily, may do it by his Covenant in Christ Jesus justly, will do it through his love to us in him certainly. And now (me­thinks) the Pious man should be transported with ex­tasies of Reverence and Love: Reverence to this Migh­ty God, Love to this merciful Father. Behold that glo­rious God whose Anger thou hast provoked, and whose Commissions for thy final ruine were issuing out to be executed by the destroying Angel, he is now the Father of Jesus, and for his sake, and at his intreaty hath sealed thy Pardon, and Cancelled that Warrant signed for thy ExecutionEzek. 18.4., and sent thee a full and free Absolution by the hands of a Messenger of Peace; What posture is lowly enough to receive it? what love great enough to return for it? Oh blessed Change! Now thou seest what Jesus hath done for thee; look not so much at the hand that brings it, as the Power that sent it, and the Merits that Pur­chased it; so shall thy Faith be firm, thy comfort sweet, and thy peace durable; so that nothing but wilful re­newed [Page 110] affronts against him that sent it, can alter thy Pardon, abate thy joy, or disturb thy happy peace.

§. 4. Who desireth not the death of a sinner] These are the very words of God himself [Ezek. 18.23.] and for better confirmation they are again repeated [Chap. 33. vers. 11.] and are strengthened by an Oath, which he is pleased to take by his life, that is himselfHeb. 6.13.. Not that he needs such bondsNum. 23.19. [...]. Philo. Deus loquitur no­biscum linguâ filio­rum hominum. R. R. to keep him to his promise, but for the confirmation of our Faith, and as a condescention to our infirmity. Indeed all Gods words are most true, but not many have an Oath annexed as this hath, which he (that will not have us swear but upon weighty Occasions) would not have added, but because the belief of this is the Foundation of all Religion, since no man can begin to seek to God till he believe he delights in MercyHeb. 11.6. and is willing to receive those that turn to him; wherefore let us not doubt so great and necessary a truth confirmed with his OathO beatos nos quo­rum causa Deus ju­rat! O miserrimos si nec Deo juranti credimus. Tert. de poenit., who assures us he wills not the death of a sinnerLXX. [...], Vatab. num deside­ro aut volo. with his Will, nor desires it as we do those things we have pleasure in, but is even forced to it against his inclination. Which gracious nature of God is here set before the sinners eyes, to discover what probability there is for his granting out such a Commission, because he that desireth not the death of such, will not withold Mercy, nay he will by the offer of a Pardon prevent it, for this phrase means, he desires the life, even the everlasting life of all penitentsNegatio mali in S. S. notat accumu­lationem boni. Job. 3.18. Job. 11.26. vide 1 Tim. 2.4. 1 Thess. 5.9., and if [Page 111] the assurance of Remission will support them, and give them encouragement to seek for happiness, they shall not want it. For to do good is the Nature of God, he doth this willingly and readily, without the consideration of merit or expectation of reward, but Punishments are Extorted from himLam. 3.33. Vatab. ex corde: non est proprium Dei affligere & castigare homines sed alie­num. by mens wickedness, and when he inflicts them, he expostulates with himself like an indulgent Father about to correct a disobedient childHos. 11.8. Ezek. 33.11.. So that it is no incredible thing that he should send a Pardon; it is the device of Sathan to picture the Al­mighty so dreadful, that he may be a terror to his Supplicants, to make men fear, and hate and fly from him, rather then serve or love him. But God is love, and especially kind to Men [...] Plato. 1 John 4.8. who have no reason to dishonour God by dismal apprehen­sions of him: Remember I beseech you, the Price payed for you, the Covenant made with you, the Pro­mises given to you; call to mind how justly, frequently and easily he might have cut you off, if he had not designed to be Reconciled, and think of the earnestness of his invitations, continuance of his patience, the arts of his providence, and all other means used to preserve you; and then blush at your selves for having ever had hard thoughts of God, or doubt­ing he would not Absolve you: Whoever hath so con­ceived of God is as bad as an Atheist, for he takes a­way Gods Being, and this his goodness, as if like the Scythian DeitiesMeliùs esset nullos credere Deos, quam esse putare, sed sanguine caesorum ho­minum laetatos ex­istimare. Plutar. de Superstit. Scyth. & Gallorum., he rejoyced in humane Sacrifices, and we our selves had rather be reported dead then traduced living; but though this unbelief do attempt to dishonor [Page 112] God, the mischief lights upon it self: for God is glo­rious still in Mercy, and he that does not believe it, is void of love, and hope, weak in Faith, full of fears, and dismal expectationsEt faciunt ani­mos humiles formi­dine divum, Depres­sosque premunt ad terram — Luc., and when he that is perswaded of Gods mercy, can rejoyce in hearing this Absolution, the other quarrels with the Messenger, or suspects the Master, and tortures himself with endless scruples.

§. 5. But rather that he should turn from his wick­edness and live] We must be cautious while we en­deavour to prevent despair, that we encourage not presumption, and least any should think when they hear of Gods kindness to sinners, that he will allow them their sinsRom. 6.1. this is added, to shew that he so desires our happiness as the end, that he desires our holi­ness as the only way thither, he would have us live, viz. in Eternal glory, but his desires cannot be accom­plished, if we continue in our wickedness, because then God is obliged in justice to destroy us; therefore he labours to turn us from those evil ways which end in death, and to bring us into the safe paths of holiness, which are the beginning of Heaven upon earth, for the felicity of Heaven is but an addition to, and the per­fection of that begun holiness; in vain therefore does any trust to this Mercy of God who lives wickedly still: for what Father would spare his offending Child; or what Prince pardon his rebellious Subject, but upon condition they will not renew the same Crimes; it is possible indeed to deceive men into Remission, when the offenders mean not to reform; Caesar was stab'd by Brutus a reconciled enemy, whom he had adopted for his son; Cicero was beheaded by Popilius whom he had saved from publique justice. But the All-seeing God knows your purposes, and can tell what you will do hereafter; so that you deceive your selves in hoping for forgiveness while you remain impenitent; but you cannot deceive him to make him grant to it; [Page 113] he will not make his mercy the support of your iniquity; and it would undo [...]. Orig. [...]. l. 3. sinners if he should too easily forgive; such mer­cy before true repentance, would make sin cheap, and encourage men to do wickedly. Wherefore he sends his Ambassadors to proclaim his gracious intentions of saving you, least any should grow despe­rate with Cain Gen. 4.13., and as the har­dened traitor, resolve to dye in their rebellion; but these Ministers of God are first to turnActs 3. ult. men from their iniquities, and if they prevail in that, they have a Pardon ready sealed, and can assure them of life everlasting; and that God who punisheth unwillingly will freely forgive, he must either condemn or save you; it is most evident he had rather give you life, and will rejoyce if you accept it, and if you miss it, it is because you had rather sin and dye, not because he had rather you should so perish.

§. 6. And hath given Power and Commandement to his Ministers] Whoever hath a just right, and ab­solute Authority, may either exercise it in Person or Depute others, by communicating to them their Power subordinately, and then these substitutes have a Mini­sterial right so far as their Commission extends; a Temporal Prince can do thus, and choose which of his Subjects he pleaseth to act thus in his Name, and by his Authority. Much more may the God of Heaven do so, and we are taught whom he did chooseMatth. 28. ult. the Apostles and their successors, who are his Ambassa­dors2 Cor. 5.20. his Ministers and Stew­ards of divine Mysteries1 Cor. 4.1., nay the Presidents of SoulsHeb. 13.17. Gr. [...] 1 Thess. 5.12. Gr. [...]. and Levit. 10., [Page 114] and the familiar friends of GodVer. 13. [...] propinqui Dei. Fa­gius in locum. and the Scripture calls them AngelsJud. 2.1. C. P. ascendit Propheta in legatione à coram domino., because they have the same imployment which the Antients ascribed to Angels [...]. Philo. de Plant. Noe. [...] — divinorum sunt pa­tefactores — Traducunt divina ad nos & nostra vicis­sim ad divina per­ducunt Jamblith. de Mysteriis., to con [...]ey Messages between God and Men; to present our Prayers to him, and bring back to us the news of his Love, and especially to bring this Pardon to the Penitent, and to proclaim it even to the Im­penitent. Wherefore let those that despise the Priest, or invade his office, or allow no difference be­tween a Pardon pronounced by him, and an ordinary Person; let them take heed of contemning those whom God so highly honours, and beware they intrench not upon the supreme Power of the Sender, in disallowing the subordinate Power of those that are sent. A Condem­ned man may be told of a Pardon intended to him, but he will then believe and humbly rejoyce in it, when his Princes herald approaches with it in his hand: Oh that we would shew as much reverence and joy upon the news of a greater Ab­solution; that learned Professor may be our patternDr. Reynolds., who though he in some things dissented, yet in this of Absolution, he was so clear, that he desired it on his death bed, and kist the hands of his Brother ProfessorDr. Holland., who at his earnest request had absolved him. But besides their power, as the Ambassadors of Christ, they have a special charge and com­mand to restore them that fallGalat. 6.1., to comfort the feeble-minded1 Thess. 5.14., and under the Allegory of ShepheardsEzek. 34.4, &c. [Page 115] are severely threatned, if by their neglect, the desea­sed, broken, and scattered ones of the flock shall perish; and certainly if sinners grow desperate out of igno­rance that they may be forgiven, it will be heavily charged upon these Shepheards who should have pro­claimed this as we do in our Church every day, to bring such to a hearty Repentance. A power we have al­waies, but when there is any truly humbled soul, then we have an express Command to loose them of their bonds.

§. 7. To declare and pronounce to his People being Penitent the Absolution and Remission of their sins] As the Priests of the Law were to pronounce a blessing upon the offerersNum. 6.24, &c. so those of the Gospel are to dispense the blessing of Absolution unto the Penitent, this we declare in this daily form according to the Power which God hath given us, and upon great need and especial occasion, are ready more solemnly to pro­nounce it to those that are prepared for it, according to the particular charge we have received; and in both Cases we can assure those that truly Repent, that the guilt of their sin shall be absolved, and the Pu­nishment remitted: But God himself will not forgive any but those that are Penitent, and therefore his ser­vants cannot, whose power in this is limited and re­gulated by his Will. We indeed cannot see the hearts of men, nor infallibly determine of the sincerity of their repentance; but yet we see external signs of it, prostration, confession, and in some sighs and tears; wherefore Charity obligeth us to judge favou­rably1 Cor. 13.7. Justius est occulta de manifestis praejudi­care, quam manifestis de occultis praedam­nare. Tert. Apol. in dubious Cases, and it is better to commit an error on the right hand of Mercy, then a hor­rid crime by cruelty [...]. Antiph., and good menCredulitas error est magis quam culpa, & quidem in optimi cujusque mentem facillimè irrepit: Cicero. especially Ministers, out of [Page 116] tenderness should hope the best. The Rabbins say in the cause of blood, if one have the Casting voice, he must ever take the merciful side, and give his suffrage for sparing, Fagius; and the same reason holds here, espe­cially because in a mixt Congregation, many are truly penitent, and some of them much dejected, and these must not starve for fear others surfet, least we de­stroy the Righteous with the wicked: wherefore we hold out a daily Pardon to such, but we sufficiently exclude the ungodly, because we declare it only be­longs to the Penitent. But yet though the Minister is to judge charitably, the people are to examine impar­tially, because though the Servant cannot, yet the Master can distinguish between the Penitent and Impe­nitent. And though the Minister shall have a reward for his Charity, the obstinate sinner shall not have the benefit thereof. Let it therefore be your care to ex­amine your hearts and repent truly, that so you may not only have a Pardon from Man, but from Almighty God also: do you, as the Jews are taught by their Masters to doBuxt. Syn. c. 18., who are bid to spend the whole Month before the day of Expiation; in examining their lives and repenting of their sins, especially when the Trumpet sounds to give warning four days before, and then we can assure you (as they do them) that on the great day you shall be certainly absolved; he that truly repents, and then comes humbly to receive this Absolution, shall have God sealing it to him, and that day shall be his day of Expiation.

§. 8. He pardoneth and absolveth] The unjust Steward for flattery and advantage, doth in his own name by private Compacts, diminish and re­mit his Masters debts, without his consentLuke 16.5, 6., and those Priests are false Stewards to the God of Hea­ven, who in the same manner acquit sinners. But what­ever t [...] Priests of the Roman Church may get by such fraud [...]i [...] dealings, sure I am God keeps so exact a debt-book, that he will loose nothing, but the credulous [Page 117] debter shall suffer by his rash belief, when he is called over to a new reckoning; but because fidelity is the most necessary qualification in a Steward1 Cor. 4.2.: We do not pretend to do this in our own Names; but being to Publish a Pardon, we do it in Nomine Domini (not We, but He Pardoneth) for it is Gods sole Privi­ledge to forgive sins, and the Scribes and Pharisees cal­led it Blasphemy for any to pre­tend to this powerLuke 5.21.. And the Fathers of the Christian Church prove Christ to be GodErgo qui remit­tit Deus est quia nemo remittit nisi Deus. Hilar. in Math. Can. 8. because he forgave sin, which none but God can do [...]. Chrys. in 1 Cor. 15., and his son Jesus who is also very God, and purchased this Mercy of Absolution with his own bloodIlle solus pec­cata dimittit qui pro peccatis mortu­us est. Ambr. Veniam peccatis quae in ipsum commissa sunt, solus potest il­le largiri qui pecca­ta nostra portavit. Cypr.; wherefore we give to God the things which are Gods, and plainly declare, he is the Author, we the dispensers only of this favour, and the Witnesses and Messengers to bring certain news thereofEn fili certificate remissa tibi esse peccata: hujus me testem habebis, Va­de in Pace. Fer. in Matth. 9.. And this is more comfort to the Penitent, the Supreme Judge, he from whose Sentence is no Appeal, Pardoneth thee: fear not the state of Agag whom Saul had pardoned, but God had not; wherefore Samuel hewed him to pieces in the midst of his vain hopes, that the bitter­ness of death was past. He Pardon­eth that hath no equal to examine or approve, much less superiour to disanul his actings: Our absolu­tion is profitable when the Persons are meet to receive itTunc enim vera est absolutio Praesidentis, cum aeterni ar­bitrium sequitur judicis. Greg. hom. 26.; but the stamp of God will make it currant [Page 118] in Heaven it self. The Priests Pardon is not compleat at present, till it be ratified at the last day: But he Pardoneth at this present, while we are holding out this Absolution, he that knows who among you are true believers and really Penitent, is at this instant sealing your Pardon in Heaven, which makes ours to be valid; we then are but the Messengers and interpreters; but it is our great Master that Absolveth, because what we do is Pronounced in his name, dispensed by his Autho­rity, offered on his Condition, and confirmed by his Approbation.

§. 9. All them that truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel] These two acts, Repentance and Faith, are by ChristMark. 1.15. and his ApostlesAct. 20.21. made the Condi­tions of all the Gospel promises; and without them no Absolution can be had: those that have these no man can con­demn, but without these no man can acquit, it was therefore a great arrogance in those Ecclesiasticks in St. Hieroms time, who imagined they could save or de­stroy at pleasure—ut vel dam­nent innocentes vel solvere se noxios ar­bitrantur Hierom. Com in. Matth. l. 3. Nec Angelus nec Archangelus potest: nec Dominus ipse, si peccaverimus, in poenitentiam defe­rentibus non relaxat Ambros. Epist. 28. ad Theodos. and it is as great a vanity in any to believe a Servant acting contrary to his Masters known Will, because it will be insignificant; wherefore if any by hypocrisie shall think to surprize an Absolution; Or if he that dispenseth an act by prejudice or corruption, you must know it is he must ratifie the Pardon who can see whether these qualifications are in him that receives it or no, and though we hold out this Act of a Grace to all, yet our Master pardons none but such as do repent truly and believe unfeignedly, and how many soever do so, if they have been the worst of sinners, they shall every one be forgiven; Let us then take care to come: 1. With an h [...]mble, lowly, penitent and [Page 119] obedient heart, sorrowing and being ashamed, fearing exceedingly, confessing humbly, and resolving hearti­ly against all sin, let us beware that a hard heart, and a customary confession, and hypocritical pretences do not ruine our hopes, and blast our desires for he only Pardoneth the real Penitent. 2. Let us bring with us an unfeigned Faith in his Gospel, trusting in the assu­rances of his Promises, and persuading our selves of the necessity and excellence of his laws, and confirming our souls in the expectations of his rewards, and this Faith unfeigned1 Tim. 1.5. 2 Tim. 1 5. will open the door of Mercy; but for that bold challenge which some make to the promises, and the benefits of the Gospel, while they are void of hatred to sin or love to God, it is only feigned to stifle the accusations of Conscience, and ward off the threats of the Law, and to give the man liberty to sin, and God will never ac­cept such to remission, but discover these men had no other ground for their confidence, but only because they had persuaded themselves of a falshood: Remem­ber you come to him (that searcheth the heart) for a Pardon, and strive that your Repentance may be true, and Faith cordial and sound, as you hope for mercy from him; and learn by this order first to repent of your former evil ways, before you entertain too par­ticular confidences of Gods love and your interest in Jesus; but if you have truly repented, the more firm­ly you believe, the greater will be Gods glory, and the sweeter your comfort, and the speedier will your Absolution be confirmed. Though your iniquities are heinous and innumerable, if upon the sight you have had of them, you do condemn your self, with real purposes of amendment, and notwithstanding your un­worthiness, if you can trust to the Merits of Jesus, and believe all the gracious Promises of the Gospel shall be fulfilled to you: I doubt not to assure this your Repen­tance and Faith, shall pass the test of God himself, and your desires shall be satisfied in his mercy.

[Page 120]§. 10. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true Repentance and his holy Spirit] The whole duty of a Minister consists in instruction, and exhortationActs 2.40. Gr. [...]. the first to con­vince the understanding, the second to engage the affections; both which parts of his Office the Priest doth here exercise, for hitherto he hath testified there is Remission to be obtained, and now he exhorts to seek for it; for in this Section we are directed how to obtain, in the follow­ing we are encouraged by the Benefits to be had there­by; now this present exhortation is a conclusion in­ferred from all the former parts of this Absolution, which are in this word [wherefore] urged as so many motives to quicken our addresses, viz. 1. Since God who is full of power and mercy would not the death of us sinners, but desires we may live; therefore we may cheerfully come to him for help, who will be as well pleased with the opportunity of giving, as we with the mercy of receiving, 2. He hath Commissionated Mini­sters, to be the Heralds of his willingness to forgive, wherefore let us in answer to this gracious Proclama­tion, go in and submit to him, who though he be the offended Party, first sent to us to be reconciled. 3. He hath assured us he will Absolve none without true Re­pentance, wherefore let us beg of him, who requires this Condition, to give what he re­quiresDomine da quod jubes, & jube quod vis: D. Augustin. upon all these conside­rations let us beseech, &c. if we now make not our applications, it will be a despising his love, slight­ing his Message, and sending back his servants empty: oh let us earnestly pray for true Penitence, we are en­couraged by his gracious nature, engaged by his cour­teous offer of a treaty, urged by necessity, as being not like to be forgiven without it: further we must ask these favours of him from whom comes every good and perfect giftJames 1.17., for if we consider what we ask, we shall easily discern [Page 121] they must not be sought any where else: Repentance, is a change of the notions of the mind, the choices of the will, the actings of the affections and passions, induring new joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, desires and aversations: so that it is a kind of new CreationEphes. 4.24. [...]. and he alone that brought life out of death, and light out of darkness, can bring us from the death of sin, and darkness of iniquity, to the life and light of holiness, and PietyNulla sine Deo meus bona: Seneca.: we can fall down by our own weight, but we cannot rise out of this narrow Pit without help, nay we sink lower, for our hearts are as backward to re­pent as forward to sin, and by frequent commissions we love sin more, and are more loth to part with it; yesterday we mistook by accident, to day we desire to be again in such circumstances, to morrow we shall run into them—viresque ac­quirit eundo., so that we must not trust in our own heartsProv. 28.1. but seek repentance from God, and his holy Spirit: which being both so necessary for us, and of so incom­parable advantage to us, let us humbly beg this on our knees, beseeching God to grant them to us, which word grant Acts 11.18. denotes a free act of grace from a Prince to his Subject, though few offending Subjects can have a Pardon granted out upon their Repentance, yet God deals so with us, and hath not only promised to forgive us when we do repentJohn 6.37., but to give us grace that we may repentActs 5.31., and if we have his gracious assistance, no doubt we shall repent truly, and not fall into Ahabs hypocrisie, Israels treachery,Psal. 78.34. nor Judas his despair▪ Oh let us pray for his holy spirit of grace which will open our eyes to see our sirs, and soften our hearts to mourn for them, and strengthen our purposes to amend them; and this will be a true Repentance, which con­tains [Page 122] in it an unfeigned Faith, (which is here understood though not expressed) for Faith and true Repentance are so inseparably joyned, that in Scripture Repentance is put for them both, in many pla­cesMatth. 4.17. compared with Mark. 1.15. because he that is truly humbled and really purposed to amend, doth ever trust in Gods mercy; or else it may be under­stood when we pray for his holy Spirit, we mean, to produce in us all graces, especially Faith, which is that gracious fruit of the Spirit of AdoptionGal. 4.16. for by it we call God Father, and as such rely on him. 'Tis certain, if we can prevail with God for his holy Spirit, it will bring both Faith and all Graces with it, and will assist us to do good, when Repentance hath taken us off from our evil courses, this will keep out those lusts which Repentance began to exclude; but observe Repentance goes first, for you must not expect this holy Dove will abide in impure placesPietas inducit Spiritum Sanctum. R. R. —ad Candida tecta columbae., when the unclean Spi­rit expects his house to be swept and garnishedMatth. 12.44.: we may then hope to have our Prayers for Gods holy Spirit heard, when Repen­tance hath prepared his lodgings in our hearts.

§. 11. That those things may please him which we do at this present] Having thus taught you who to pray to, and what to pray for, it remains that we shew the great advantages of having your Prayers heard, that so you may not put up so weighty a request with­out such hearty desires and zealous affections as are suitable to it: for this one Petition granted will pro­cure you: 1. Present acceptance, 2. Future assistance, 3. Endless happiness; true Repentance and Gods holy Spirit will assure all this to you, but if you pray not so devoutly and earnestly as to obtain them; your Absolution must be cancelled, your services rejected, your souls continue polluted here, and be condem­ned [Page 123] to endless misery hereafter, so that we hope your own Interest will quicken you most passionately to beg for these: to which purpose consider them seve­rally. 1. If your Confession, Prayers, and Endea­vours be such as can prevail with God to give you a true Repentance, and his holy Spirit, then all the duties now performed shall be acceptable, particu­larly and in the first place, that which we Ministers are doing, viz. pronouncing the Absolution; this shall be confirmed by God, and he will assent to it, so that your Pardon shall be inrolled in Heaven, and then all other duties that we and you do, shall be pleasing to God and beneficial to you; our mutual and common Prayers shall be answered, our praises accepted, our hearing shall be converting and salutiferous, our Communicating an infallible conveyance, and irrevo­cable seal of Grace and peace. But without Repentance all our prayers and praises and all we doSee of this at large before in Sect. 2. shall be rejected as a mocking of God; without his ho­ly spirit; also all our observances are harsh and unpleasing, flat and dull in Gods account, it is this good Spirit that makes our hearts and tongues agree, this inlightens our minds to see our wants, quickens our memory to remember them, toucheth our hearts with a sense of them, con­firms our Faith that God can supply us, and enlarges our affections to beg the relief of them. In a word, this Spirit of God helps us to ask, inclines him to give, and fits us to receive all we pray for; so that God is not pleased when we worship him without itGal. 4.6. John 4.24. Rom. 8.26., and denies nothing when we have it: so that our Sa­viour accounts [...] Luc. 11.13. Is. [...]. Matth. 7.11. it the same to pray for the holy spirit, and all good things which spring from it. And now who would not earnestly beseech for such a true Repentance as might invite this Holy Spirit in­to their hearts, which will be the [Page 124] seal of their Pardon, and make all they do well­pleasing to God; to please him is the Christians highest aim; it was Davids prayerPsal. 19.14. and the greatest blessing the Priest could wishNumb. 6.24, 25, 26. Psal. 20.3, 4. that Almighty God might accept them. Poor Socrates after many a tedious step in a virtuous but afflicted stateAn diis placent quae feci nescio, hoc autem solum scio me sedulò haec egisse ut placerent., could not tell whether he had given content to his Deities or no: but whoever of you have the grace of Repen­tance and the holy spirit, are not in those uncertainties: but have Enochs Testimony Heb. 11.5. that you do please God.

§. 12. And that the rest of our lives hereafter may be pure and holy] this is the second benefit and mo­tive earnestly to pray for these things, for so you shall not only be welcomed at present with a gracious smile, but all your lives long be reputed as the friends of God, and by his help shall be preserved as pure as a true Repentance hath made you, and as holy as those are who are under the Guard of the Spirit of holiness: Pray therefore with all your soul for a true Repentance, or else as soon as your soul is washed it will return to its impure wallowings, and all your labour is in vain hitherto2 Pet. 2.22. laterem lavare. for a feigned repentance, will send Ab­solom away for a while: but upon the next Enterview, will hurry us with more passion into his embraces; whereas the deep wounds of the true penitent make sin hateful to him while he lives, and he that gets on a white garment with so much difficulty, will not easily sully it but care­fully preserve it pure as his tears have made it. And upon the same ground be very pressing for the holy spirit. Which if you can obtain, you shall not only be preserved from the spots of sin, but shall shine with the lustre of a holy life; for our goodness is apt to vanishHos. 6.4. we [Page 125] are wavering and soon weary, unless we have that esta­blishing spiritPsal. 51.14. David prays for, and then all duties will be easie, and we shall be strong, for love and the sense of his assistance will carry us cheer­fully through them all, so as to be our pleasure, not burden; and when we are arrived to this, nothing can bribe us to forsake them: Oh happy soul that is thus begun to be restored to that purity and holiness which are part of Gods ImageEphes. 4.24., and parcels of the Divine Perfections; blessed is he that is so far advanced, that God is not like to forsake him, because he hath made him holy, pure, and a fit temple for the inhabi­tation of his spirit, nor is he likely ever to forsake that God, whose mercy hath saved him, whose grace doth refresh him, whose waies please him, and his glo­rious bounty which faith discovers, doth still allure him to press forward to neerer unions and unseparable connexions; no state under the Sun is to be longed and wished for like this, which a true Repentance, and Gods holy Spirit brings us to.

§. 13. So that at the last we may come to his eter­nal joy through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.] There is nothing more desirable then the sweet peace of a good Conscience, but only that which is the end and perfection thereof, and that is that happiness which is infinite and endless, which the Scripture calls an eter­nal and everlasting joyIsai. 35.10. Chap. 61.7. & 51.11. which neither men nor devils can lessen or interrupt, much less put a peri­od to it: And if God give us true Repentance, it will preserve us from the sins which forfeit this, and if he add his holy spirit, it will safely lead us into those paths of righte­ousness which lead thither, where we can desire no more, because we have all that is desirable. There are no cares to disturb, no fears to allay nor sorrows to abate those ravishments of delight for ever: there is joy which far surpasseth the half-sad and mixed [Page 126] pleasures which this world hath, being nothing else but pure joy, which pleaseth by its own excellence, and by having no fears nor possibility of defailance in de­gree or continuance; we tast something of it in the charming calm of a strong faith, and a quiet consci­ence, with undeceived expectations of Gods love; but this is but the land-skip of our heavenly Canaan, which Jesus hath purchased for us and God the Fa­ther will grant unto us, and the most holy Spirit will be our guide thitherPsal. 51.14. LXX. [...]., the whole glorious Trinity is concerned for us, and will cooperate with us, to put us into possession of them, and then rejoyce over us to all eternity. The Father who forgave us, the Son who dyed for us, and the Blessed Spirit who wrought effectually in us, will Communicate this their joy with us and to us for ever. And lastly, to shew that you thankfully follow these Directions of the Ministers, and have in your own heart and thoughts most devoutly petitioned God for a true Repentance, and his holy Spirit (by means whereof all these in­comparable benefits may redound to you) in testimo­ny I say hereof, you sum up all in a Petitionary Amen, desiring it may be so, and assenting also to the truth of all this: It is most true, and therefore oh so be it unto you. Amen.

A Practical Discourse on the Lords Prayer.

§. 2. OUr Father which art in Heaven] This was the usual Preface to the Jewish Forms of Prayer who stiled God their Father which was in heavenPater noster qui es in coelis fac nobis gra iam. Sed. Te­phil. Lusitan. Deus noster qui in coelo unicus es: in lib. Musar.. But since they owned not God the Son, they could not justly call God Father, and being in bondage to the LawGalat. 4.6. Servis & [...]ancillis non permissum Abba vel Imma [...] Dominis suis dicere. in Gem. they were Servants rather then Sons, and such (by their own rule) might not call their Masters by the name of Father. This Appellation suit­eth us better who are by Jesus a­dopted to be the Sons of God, and by his Spirit who obtained that priviledge, we are taught to cry Abba FatherGal. 4.6., he that is the eternal Son of God himself, who hath alone right to this Name, hath put the words in our mouths: and what fitter words to begin our Prayers then these two which include the principal requisites of Prayer, Faith and Charity, no man can call God his Father but by Faith, and he must be in Charity that can add Our Father, which can­not be said devoutly but by him that is free from wrath to man, or doubting2 Tim. 2.8.: 'Tis certain God is our Father, for he hath created us after his own Image, and begotten us again by the washing of Rege­neration, he feeds and cloths us, preserves and pro­vides for us; he teacheth us what is right, and cor­recteth us when we do amiss, and Finally he hath done like a Father in providing an eter­nal inheritance for us2 Cor. 12.14. even such as men make for their Chil­dren2 Sam. 7.19. G. P. Talis enim est provisio humana.. He hath ever expres­sed a Fatherly love to us, and care [Page 135] of us, and tenderness toward us; and this Jesus obligeth us to acknowledgeIsai. 63.16. that while we call him Father we may be grate­full to him, and have the affecti­ons of Children upon us when we come to him in our needs, trusting in his mercy, persuaded of his All-sufficiency, rejoycing in hope, and filled with love and joy and comfortable expectations, because we are going to our Father: and least if we were uncharitable to our Bretheren, that unlikeness to God should confute our calling him FatherMatth. 5.45. Psal. 145.9. who is lo­ving to every man, we must by ad­ding [Our] shew a universal charity to all the world, not arrogantly confining this priviledge to our selves, and out of pride or passion excluding others from it; but we must com­prehend all men within it as our bretheren, sons of the same Father, making a Common Prayer to the Common Father of all mankind; not looking sordidly to our selves alone, but as members of the same Mistical body1 Cor. 12.25. having a feeling of each others wants, and desiring the Preservation of the whole, rather then our private satisfactions; we must therefore when we begin this Prayer lay aside all malice and envy, and with loving hearts, joined hands, and united voices, address our selves, as so many deer Brothers and Sisters, to Our Father, so shall we cause the Angells to Sing Ecce quam bonum Psal. 133.1. how pleasant a thing it is: and no Musick will be more pleasing in the ears of our heaven­ly Father. But many Children have gone to their earth­ly Parents in their needs, and found no relief, where they had no means to help, and could no otherwise know the love of their deer Fathers, then by a sigh or a tear. Oh my poor Child, I cannot help thee; where­as we need not fear such Returns, for our Father reigns in Heaven, the Center of all happi­ness; so that he can do what he plea­sesPsal. 115.3., for Omnipotence and All-sufficiency [Page 136] are annexed inseparably to that Royal Throne. Our Lord Jesus presents us with the seat of his glory, to mind us to acknowledge his Dominion and Power, and to adore his Infiniteness and Immensity; for he whom we pray to hath all things under him, to be ordered by his will, and all Creatures, even mil­lions of blessed Angels, to execute his Commands, and this should heighten our minds to ask things more ex­cellent then the perishing vanities of this world; this remembrance that he is in Heaven should strengthen our Faith in his Power and Mercy, for what can we his Children want on Earth, who have a Father in Heaven that can do all things, and who is so full of goodness that he is not moved by all his glory to despise us, but whatever advantages he hath, his love makes them all ours, and he is in Heaven now, but he intends to bring us thither to him, yet while we are upon Earth we must approach with lowly addresses, and all reverence; because we come before him who is in Heaven, adored by the blessed Angels with prostrations, and veiled faces.

§. 3. Hallowed be thy Name] The glory of God which is the principal end of our Creation, ought to be the first in our desires, and we are doubly obliged to desire the honour of his name, both because he de­serves it upon the account of his glorious Perfections, so that all the Earth is bound to adore the Name of him that dwells in Heaven, and also because he is our Fa­therNullum pro­brum intollerabilius ignominia parentûm: Quis non commotus est— &c. Grot. ex Eurip. — [...].; and if we so much desire the honour of our Natural Fathers, that no good Child can endure to hear them reproached, how much more should we long after our Hea­venly Fathers glory, and pray that none might abuse his sacred Name, which if we be his true Sons will be unsufferable to us; how can we but desire it may be treated by us and all men at all times, with that reverence and Religious respect that [Page 137] befits so great a Majesty, who is separated from this lower World as far as Heaven is above the Earth, and therefore his Name is to be esteemed as no common thing, but separated and set apart, which is the meaningLevit. 20.24. Deut. 26.28.19. Sanctificatio est se­peratio per modum excellentiae. Rab. D. Kimhi in Isai. 56.2. of hal­lowing of it, the regarding it as a thing truly excellent, and so it is in it self so holy that it cannot be pro­faned by Men nor Devils, so as to loose any part of its essential puri­ty, any more then the Suns illustri­ous beams are polluted with the evaporations of a filthy dunghill; the blasphemies of hell it self cannot prejudice Gods name, any more then the barkings of Dogs and howling of evening Wolves do to the splendor of the Moons shining: and for this cause it were needless to pray that Gods name might either be or remain holy: but only, that being holy in it self, it may by us and all men be looked on as in­finitely above us, and used with reverence, and an awful regard. Now this Name of his is himself and all that is his, it is himself as he can be knownRom. 1.19. Gr. [...]. by us, for it is his Attributes, and all that his name is called upon, all that represents him to us, or relates to him, his Works, his Worship, his Sabbaths, his Vice-gerents and Officers in Church and State, and all that is given to him or his; and since we cannot behold Gods Es­sence which is incomprehensible, our Reverence to him will appear by our respect to his Name, which is all we have of him with us here on Earth. Then his name is hallowed by us, and all people, when we love his Goodness, trust in his Mercy, believe his Promises, fear his Threatnings, acknowledge his Wisdome, and adore his Power, and live answerable to his Attributes. When we praise him for his works, speak well of all he doth, and worship him with Humility and Faith, true affections and hearty desires: when we keep his Sab­baths, obey Kings (his substitutes) respect Ministers [Page 138] (his messengers) love his people, and inviolably pre­serve all consecrated things; and finally, when we de­mean our selves towards God and all that is his as may suit so great a Majesty, and so gracious a Father: and further, we must be careful, that since we are called by the name of Christ, that we do not profane that holy name2 Tim. 2.19. by wicked lives, but be moved to strive to shew our Reve­rence and admiration of so holy a NameSanctificetur nomen tuum per ope­ra nostra — quo­cunque tempore fa­cimus quod bonum & rectum est Sanctifi­camus nomen ejus magnum. Drus. ex lib. Musar. in Matth. 6. [...]. Cyril. Alex. by becoming holy, and seperating from all sin, as his name is seperated from all pollution; it be­comes us who are honoured with his name in whatever we do or speak or think, to be careful that (by defiling and abusing our selves) we cast not dishonour on him that hath condescended to such a re­lation. Oh let us beware we do nothing wilfully to occasion Reli­gion to be slandered by the enemies thereof, for otherwise our lives will be a contradiction to our Prayers.

§: 4. Thy Kingdome come] It is the Observation of every good man, that although God is and ever shall be a glorious KingPsal. 10.16. and Psal. 29.10. in deluvium Deus se­dit, h. e. Perditis omnibus creaturis, tamen regnum ejus manet. R.R. whatever be­come of this lower world; yet the devils hate him, and wicked men rebel against him, and their own corruptions will not fully submit to him, and all this while the great King of Kings seems to connive at all, seldome exercising his power to subdue, or his justice to punish and destroy his enemies, so that the whole world abounds with Impiety and Confusion: and then what wonder if the Children of God, who know their Fathers Power and goodness, do earnestly desire he may more visibly reign amongst men, for his glory, and their own good [Page 139] in particular, and the benefit of all the World, for his Kingdome is Regimen Paternum, and consequently our interestIlli deputamus quod ab illo expecta­mus. Tertul. and our happiness and therefore our Prayer; for when our Heavenly Father doth thus ex­ercise his Authority, then his faith­ful servants shall be secured from their enemies, supplied in all their needs and satisfied in all their desires. Now the King­dome of God or HeavenVide Supra Ch. p. 1. §. 6. sig­nifies either his Kingdome of Grace or that of Glory. His Kingdome of Grace we pray may come in a double sense: 1. By an outward profession, viz. That the Gospel may be embraced in all the world, even there where now they are slaves to the Devil and their own lusts, who are servants to the Prince of darknessEphes. 2.2. doing his work, observing his Laws, and paying him Tribute by Sacrifices as their Leige Lord, we pray that these poor Souls may be Converted, believe, and be Baptised, re­nouncing their old Master, and professing themselves Subjects of Jesus and of the great King of all the World. 2. We pray his Kingdome of grace may come by a real subjection, where his Soveraignity is owned; because without this an outward possession is but like the mockery of the cruel Jews, who saluted him (hail King) and then smote him on the face, and so doth every professed Christian that lives wickedly. Where­fore we pray; That his Kingdome may be within us as well as among usLuke 17.21. and where­as now his Laws are broken, his Messengers despised, his People a­bused, and his Enemies cherished; that by the power of his grace in all our hearts, our unruly passions may be tamed, our rebellious lusts mortified, and our naughty desires extinguished; till we all own his Au­thority, fear his displeasure, and obey his Edicts as we ought to do; and if a­ny be so obstinate as still to refuse him for their KingLuke 19.14. [Page 140] we pray that our Lord Jesus would exercise his royal power in punishing all such that others may see and fearPsal. 58. ult., and every good man de­sires for himself this righteous PrincePsal. 45.6. may subdue every op­posing thought in his heart2 Cor. 10.5. and may have the absolute com­mand over all the members of his body and faculties of his soul; and then he hopes his corruption will be restrained, his graces quickened, and all his inward man in much better order, he knows if Christ rule in his heart he shall have more freedome, comfort and peace, then ever he had before. Oh it were happy for the Christian world and every truly Christian soul, if Our Fathers Kingdome were set up in all our hearts, since we all own it with our mouths; Lord let thy Kingdome of grace thus come. Secondly, the Children of God pray for his kingdome of glory, viz. for that vi­sible and glorious manifestation of the Kingdome of Jesus, when he shall come to dispense his glorious re­wards and finall Pardon to his faithful servants, and admit them to be sharers in his joy, and partners in his Kingdome, and to pronounce the fearful doom upon his obstinate and miserable enemies, to make them suf­fer the just deserts of their wilfull opposition and desperate Rebellion, in unexpressible and eternal tor­ments. In which acts the glory of his kingdome, the mightiness of his power, the truth of his word, the infiniteness of his love to his own, and the exactness of his justice to his enemies, shall be so clearly demon­strated to all the world that his faithful ones shall be rapt with joy and wonder, and glorifie him for it to all eternity. Here alass they serve, there they shall reign, here they are despised and afflicted, vext with their own corruptions, grieved for the sins of others, poor and disconsolate, full of cares and fears, which when Christs Kingdome comes, shall not only be done away, but exchanged for endless glory, and boundless felicity. And who can blame [Page 141] them who are weary with slaveryOptamus matu­riùs regnare non diutiùs servire: Tert. de Or. Regnum Dei — Volum Christianorum, confusio nationum, exultatio Angelorum, idem. ibid. to wish for liberty, and long for that happy day which is the end of all their evils, and the beginning of that incomparable joy that ne­ver shall have end. Let ungodly persons fear and tremble at this dreadful day to them; let their tongue falter when they wish for it, and their own confusion, the holy ones of God can joyn with their bretheren under the Altar, in saying, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly; the sooner he comes, the sooner shall their souls be delivered and their desires satisfied in seeing and enjoying their Lord and deer Redeemer. 'Tis true, when a good man considers how dreadful ven­geance will then seize on sinners, out of pitty to them that pitty not themselves; they pray that these despe­rate sinners may first submit to his Kingdome of grace, and are well pleased with the de­ferring of that day2 Pet. 3.9. Pro morâ finis. Tert. ibid. and can pray with the Primitive Christians for the putting that time further off, though it be to their own loss, because so God will be more glorified, and Heavens Quire fuller, and the Musick sweeter, the more are brought home; therefore they pray, that though the Kingdome of Glory be their happiness, yet the King­dome of Grace may first come into the hearts of all that will receive it.

§. 5. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven] As Gods Kingdome doth alwaies abide, so his will is e­ver done, and so it may seem superfluous to request it may be done, because it is the Rule by which all Crea­tures act, and they all do bring aboutPsal. 115.3. Rom. 9.19. his Will, when they interd it, and when they do not, and God himself alwaies doth his own WillDeo non posse nolle est, & posse ville. Tertull. in Prax. [Page 142] which is the limit of his infinite power, for he can do and doth what he will, and thus we had sufficiently asked it before in (thy Kingdome come) because this is the property [...]. Herodot. of a King to do what he pleases. But as Gods Kingdome is scarce visible upon Earth, so nei­ther is the accomplishment of his Will, for those that renounce his Authority become LordsPsal. 12.4. to themselves, and do their own Will, even where it displeaseth God, and though his Will be at last done upon them in their final ruine, yet this is not so properly his Will, not (voluntas beneplaciti) his pleasure, no more then the malefactor doth his Prin­ces will when he suffers death by his Laws for a capi­tal crime; because he that made that Punishment did appoint it to terrifie from the Crime, and it was not his intention any should suffer by it, so it is the Will of God that all men should live holily here1 Thess. 4.3. and happily here­after1 Tim. 2.4. Ʋt salvi simus in coe­lis & in terris, quia summa est voluntatis ejus, salus eorum quos adoptavit. Tertull. ut supr., and if any will be wick­ed, it is also his will they shall suffer for it, but then his will is not properly done on them that suffer, but only on supposition they were obstinate sinners, which he would not have them to be: Wherefore we pray that his first and principal Will may be done in the Conversion and Salvation of all men. And having lately viewed the upper part of his Kingdome, where they are ever happy by a full and free obedience to his Heavenly Will, we long and wish, and desire that this lower part of his Kingdome (where so many are yet totally in Rebellion, and others fre­quently revolting when they do profess subjection) even that this World were modelled by that heavenly pattern [...]. Clem. Alex. Strom. 40., as [Page 143] exactly as is consistent with the frailty and mutability of such a state; for 'tis easie to discern, that all the miseries in this world spring from our disobedience to the Laws, and our acting contrary to the Will of God, so that if the corrupt affections of the better sort were subdued, and the evil actions of the more impious did cease, and all did guide their actions by the will of God, we might be very happy even in this world, and should begin our Heaven upon Earth, so that we also pray that since 'tis Gods will for all to live holilyQuid autem De­us vult quam ince­dere nos secundum suam disciplinam. Tert. that this will of his may be accomplished; and be­cause our Heavenly Father hath innumerable blessed Spirits there to perform his will, and they do it cheerfully and readily, fully and constantly; we see how much our endeavours come short of them, and how little reason we have to be puffed up for our imperfect duties, which are begun with reluctancy, deferred by sloth, or interrupted by vanity, carried on heavily, shaken with fears, and some­times broken off by sin; and this prospect doth humble us while we behold them flying on the wings of love and zeal, and our selves creeping by fears and uncer­tainties, and it ought to trouble us that we can do the Will of so great and good a Master in no better man­ner: and then we shall strive and pray that we may know Gods will as fully, and desire to do it as fer­vently, and be enabled to accomplish it as pleasantly and as constantly as the glorious Hosts of Heaven do, both the lights in the lower Orbs which exactly ob­serve the laws of their Creation— sicut coe­lestia semper inconcussa suo vol­vuntur sidera motu. and those glorious Angels, and blessed Spirits which in the regi­ons of bliss, do delight continu­ally [...]. Clem. Constit. l. 2. cap. 56. [Page 144] to serve him. Oh what affections are vigorous e­nough to pray for the same obedience and unity, con­sent and uniformity among Gods Children, as is there above, where every one moves in his own place, with­out disturbance, thwarting, or opposition, making per­fect Harmony, and keeping exact peace, and this is Gods will. But the word [be done] seems to others to have a passive signification, viz. That whatever hap­pens to us or any by the will of God, whether good or evil, it may not be displeasing to us; and this further shews why we prayed his Kingdome might come, that so he may administer all things as he pleaseth, for we are not jealous as the Subjects of earthly Princes sometimes are, least our God should make his will an arbitrary law, because his Holiness and Mercy, Truth and Justice, are his will, we are most sure whatever is his will is best for us, be it Judgment or Mercy, plenty or want, health or sickness, life or death; it is the best for us whether we apprehend it or no, and we ought to wish it may be done, because we know he wills no evil to us— eò nobis benè optamus, quod nihil mali sit in Dei voluntate. Tert., and if some­thing we think ill descends from him, we may say as Melito did to the Emperor about the Persecuti­onsSi quidem te jubente hoc faciunt bonum credamus, quicquid justo impe­ratore jubente com­mittitur. Euseb. l. 4. Histor. Eccl. c. 25. — in hoc dicto ad sufferentiam nos ipsos admonemus. Tert.. If thou commandest them they are good, because injoyned by a just Authority, surely though it may seem hard at present, it is judged fittest for us by him that knows our temper and need, so did the Author of this prayer learn submissionMatth. 26.42. and illustrated this petition by his example, and so St. Paul Acts 21.14. [...]. Pythag., and to murmure against Gods choice was forbidden by a Heathen, and is so impious and foolish, that it is a wishing God out of his Throne, and the reins [Page 145] out of his hands, that we might sit there, and rule all things by our own will; as if we wished our former pe­tition unsaid. Sure we must not only cease to be Chri­stians, but sober men, before we can fancy our selves wiser to contrive, and fitter to dispense all things then God himself is. Socrates his prayer was for what was convenient, not what he might de­sire [...]: & ap. Juvenal. Permittes ipsis ex­pendere numinibus, quid Conveniat nobis, re­bus (que) sit utile nostris. that is plainly, that Gods will might be done: And if we were our own Carvers we should through rashness and folly, passion and pre­judice, ever choose the worst; and having such experience of our mi­stakes, Jesus teacheth us to desire God to order us as he pleases; and if we can live this petition, believe­ing the pleasure of God to be al­waies best, we shall have comfort in all Conditions, and shall glorifie God by such noble opinions of his Wisdome and Power, of his love and mercy, more then by whole burnt-offerings and Rivers of Oyl: for he that can thus fully acquiesce in Gods disposals of all things, must needs believe him to be Supreme and Almighty, and of infinite goodness and mercy: And for this we have the Angels for our Exam­ples; who keep those stations, and do those offices God appoints them, and not what they choose for themselves: and so are all those glorified Saints above, from whom we may learn that the Will of God is to make us eter­nally happy at last: and why should we not give him leave to accommodate us by the way as he pleaseth, and in such manner as may bring us safest to our blessed bretheren now in Glory?

§. 6. Give us this day our daily bread] Ha­ving thus sought the glory of God in the first place, we now proceed to beg a supply for our bodily necessities: but our Sa­viour hath commanded usMatth. 6.31. to seek that first, and hath placed [Page 146] it first— post coele­stia, i. e. post Dei nomen, voluntatem, regnum, terrenis quo­que necessitatibus pe­titioni locum facit. Tert. in his Form of prayer, because that which is for Gods glory is also for the good of our nobler part—pars haec pre­tium corpore majus habet. the soul, and that we might learn that the grace of God is more necessary and beneficial, then our bodily food, and accordingly we ought to pray for it in the morn­ing before we eat our daily bread: yet when we have prayed for spi­ritual things, we that are flesh and not spirit are forced to beg tem­poral things also. We have declared that we do in all things submit to his blessed will, only we crave that which we cannot subsist without; we desire to do his will and observe his pleasure as exactly as the blessed Angels in heaven; but as he does not expectConversationis quidem diligentiam eandem à vobis effla­gito, non tamen im­possibilitatem requi­ro. Chrysost. in Matth. homil. 20. we should live like them without food; so we may de­sire him to remember the difference of our Natures, and give us our daily bread, which is so necessary for us in this frail estate, that we cannot do his will without it: and if this Petition had been wanting, this Prayer had been deficient; nor is there any need for the ancient DoctorsVid. Hieron. in Matth. l. 1. & Tit. cap. 2. & Cassian col­lar. 9. ut & Tert. & Cypr. &c. to allego­rize this Phrase, as if we asked Christ the bread of life, and the com­munication of him in the Sacrament for the food of our souls; for though I can admit this may be un­derstood by way of allusion [...] — [...]. Athanasius., yet I cannot allow it as the prin­cipal sense, nor is it below us to ask what God knows we cannot be without. By Bread then we understand all manner of food, meat [Page 147] or drinkIta panis sig­nif. Num. 15.9. Prov. 23.6. Ezek. 4.16. &c. which is necessary for the preservation of life, and also1 Tim. 6.8. whatever is required to support our frail nature (which the Roman Laws comprehended under one word Victus) viz. Food and Raiment, and shelter; for the short­ness of this form doth by one word (Bread) express the supply of all our outward wants as of life and health, safety and success in our honest callings, Riches and Friends, as far as we need them, and as God shall see to be fit for us to receive, and will bestow on us. The things we here pray for are temporal; but if we say this Petition aright we exercise many graces; for by de­siring him to give, we own his Providence, and acknow­ledge him the Fountain of all good things, and that our labours are ineffectual without his blessing; we confess his wisdome, in leaving it him to give, how much he that knows our needs shall be pleased to dispense. We de­clare that we are persuaded of his All-sufficiency and bounty, and therefore we desire not to have our por­tion all at once in our own hands [...]. Philo., least we should be too lavish of it; but that he may be the store-house of all good things, and that we may every day resort to him, of whose love and liberality we do not doubt, and who we know will be as able to relieve us to morrow as to day. We disclaim all unreasonable cares and fears what shall become of us hereafterMatth. 6.33, 34., because our Heavenly Father, that hath all things at his disposal, will daily take care of us; and as the Israelites went eve­ry day to gather MannaExod. 16.4. that no day might pass without a memento of Gods providence; so are we wil­ling to come to him day by day, to keep our hearts free from unreasonable cares, which hinder us in seek­ing better things, and to make us daily mindful of [Page 148] our constant dependance upon him. Here we express the moderation of our desires, not seek­ing riches or honoursPanem peti man­dat quod solum fi­delibus necessarium est, caetera nationes requirunt. Tertull., jewels or ornaments, banquets or voluptuous satisfactions, but only so much as is convenientProv. 30.6. [...]. for the condition we are inJudg. 8.20., and necessary to strengthen us to do the will of God; because if we have not Food and Raiment, the body cannot minister to the soul in duties of Religion [...]. Pro­cop. Goth. 4.; so much therefore we crave but not more, which would not help [...]. Paraph. [...]. l. 1. §. 46. but hinder, not strengthen but weaken us to all good: we ask not these out of any love to them, but meerly out of a sense of our need: Nay it is evident our chief­est care is about spiritual things; for we ask them first and indefi­nitely, as much as we can get, even to serve us to eternity; but (ha­ving no abiding place here) we de­sire no more of those but neces­saries in our journey, providing on­ly from hand to mouth (being as the Greeks phrase it [...]) accounting it a foolish thing to load our selves with much provision in our Inn, where we know not whether we shall stay one night: we only ask from day to day, that we may alwaies shew our readiness to depart whenever God shall call us, for over-much plenty might make us unwilling to dye. Herein we vindicate our selves also from sloth and in­justice; because we pray for our own bread; that is, that which we shall get by his blessing on our honest la­bour; for every good man will (not like an idle drone prey upon others labours but) earn and eat his own bread2 Thes. 3.12., and had rather want it then tear it from others by violence, oppression, sacriledge, or rebellion, [Page 149] or rather then he would, by fraud or flattery, lying or cheating, deceive his neighbour of what is justly his. If any here object, many rich men have goods laid up for many years and need not ask their daily bread; I answer. The Rich need Gods blessing to prosper and preserve what they have, as the poor do to give them what they have not: nor can their meat nourish themMatth. 41.4., their garments warm them, or their pallaces defend them, without his blessing: what one hath more then another is here confessed to be the gift of God, and Christ teacheth the rich humility, by shewing them whence their abundance came, and by whom it is con­tinued; and least they should despise the poor, they learn that if God withdraw his blessing, they will soon become both alike; wherefore he that hath, as well as he that hath not, must every day on his knees beg a piece of bread, or a power to use it, and a blessing upon it. And thus we have begun to pray for our selves; and Jesus teacheth us to begin at the lowest step, and first to ask relief for our bodies; assuring us that our Heavenly Father cannot hear his Children cry for bread and not supply them; and when he hath done so, we may from his kindness in lesser things, be encouraged to ask for our Souls, which he is more concerned for; but it would seem presumption for us to ask the great­est first, who do not deserve the least. Genes. 32.10.

§. 7. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us] The Particle [and] con­nects this to the former Petition, and declares we are continuing those requests which concern our selves; and we have need to look further then our earthly needs; least if we obtain a supply for them, from his bounty,Consequens erat ut observata Dei li­beralitate, & cle­mentiam ejus preca­remur; quid enim alimenta proderunt, si illi reputamur reverà quasi taurus ad victimam? Tertull. and do not procure a Pardon from his mercy, our food should fat us for the slaugh­ter. If we rightly apprehend the [Page 150] danger of our souls, all the enjoyments of this life can yield no more pleasure to us, then the curious fare pre­sented to that Persian Captive (designed to be sacri­ficed) when he remembred the knife and the Altar. The fears of Gods eternal vengeance will imbitter all our abundance; and therefore we add a prayer for for­giveness, without which we cannot relish our daily bread; nor do we think our food so necessary, as the remission of our offences, the want of that could but bring us to a temporal death; but without this we shall loose ever­lasting life, and dye in eternal misery: and the neces­sity is also as universal, for as no man can live with­out bread, so no man can live comfortably here or hap­pily hereafter without mercy; for all men have sin­nedRom. 3.23. S [...]i [...]bat Dominus se solum sine delicto es­se. Tert., and those sins cannot be done away without mercy; which every man that lives by bread must pray for, even the best of men; and as often as they pray for that, even every day they must also ask Pardon of Almighty God, because no day is wholly in­offensive; and our Lord Jesus would here set our sin­fulness daily before our eyes, to make us constantly sen­sible that we are unworthy of the meat we eat, and all outward blessings which we receive; and to make us continually humble and penitent. He knew before that even the best of men had sin, and prescribes this peti­tion as daily useful to all his Disciples; and those who out of ignorance or pride think they have no sin, do exclude themselves out of the number of his Schollers, who have all learned to pray for Absolution. But to be more particular, let us observe how many Duties are exercised in these few words, even all that be­comes the address of a true Penitent; Confession and self-accusation, Contrition for and Aggravation of the s [...]ns, deprecation of the punishment, with acknow­ledgement of the justice thereof; Faith in a Re­deemer, and hope in his Merits: First we here­in daily confess our sin, our very asking par­don is an acknowledgment we are guilty, and we [Page 151] appropriate them to our selvesExomologesis est petitio veniae, qui petit veniam deli­ctum confitetur. Tert. de Orat.; for though Jesus did suffer the Pu­nishment, we acted the Crimes; which we here being mindful of his bitter Passion, do own with sor­row, calling them Our Trespasses; and in that word we signifie the vast number of our transgressions; this plural indefinite word declares them very many, which we have committed against God and our neighbour; not against one, but all his laws, not once, but many times: And further we confess they are as heinous as numerous, viz. trespasses and inju­ries, done to God himself by us his poor Creatures1 Sam. 2.25., in his own person, or in his subjects, our neigh­bours of whose Rights he is the Protector, and the a­venger of their wrongs; we have broke down the hedge of Gods laws, and by our disobedience disown­ed his supremacy, and denied that duty which we ow­ed to him, whereupon sins are cal­led debtsMatth. 6.12. [...] the same Luke 11.4. [...]. confer Luke 13.2. cum ver. 4. [...]. Chry­sost. de poen. 2. Debitum in Scrip­turis delicti figura est, quod perinde ju­dicio debeatur, nec evadat justitiam ex­actionis nisi donetur exactio. Tertul. ut supr., because God being our supream Lord, Creator and preserver, we are bound to obey all his pleasure, and to do his com­mands; specially having voluntari­ly promised this in our Baptism; wherefore if we pay not God this due and vowed obedience, we are debtors to him, and must discharge and satisfie by suffering the Penal­tySi non reddit faciendo justitiam, reddit patiendo miseriam. August., unless we can find a surety to undertake for us. Oh what can set out the heighnousness of sin more lively! it is a wrong and in­jury done by us poor miserable wretches, against the Laws and Au­thority, [Page 152] and the Rights of that God who made us, and whose Covenant-servants we are; and to this we must add that we are liable to his just and severe threat­nings; and may be (if God please) summoned to his Bar, endited for this Debt, nay Condemned for it to eternal Torments for the satisfaction: But only that his Mercy and Wisdome hath found a gracious Redeemer who hath taken these Trespasses upon himself; and made a fuller satisfaction for them, then we could have done by eternal sufferings. And it must be supposed we believe the satisfaction of Christs death, and by it hope for a Remission; or else what encouragement have we to ask pardon, and confess a debt when we are in­solvent, and that to a just and true God that must have satisfaction; this were to ask impossibilities, to desire God to be unjust. But our Lord Jesus who payed our scores, hath sent us to his Father with these words in our mouths, and he calls them truly Our Trespasses; to shew his love in redeeming us, and Gods mercy in forgiving us, not to make us fear them as unpardo­nable: for when we remember our Redeemer we have lively hopes in the midst of our humble acknowledg­ments: because he that payed our Debt, makes the same request in heaven for us. That God would clear us and charge our iniquities upon him. But because we are so apt to remember our needs and forget our duty; to pray for good things to our selves, and neglect the doing them to others, our master hath annexed one of the greatest duties of the Gospel so close to this ne­cessary and desirable request, that we cannot ask for­giveness of God, but we must promise the same to our neighbours, that so Christ may make peace in Earth as well as Heaven; we must declare not only to lay as de our groundless prejudices against our bretheren, b [...]t to q it all pretences of malice or revenge, even to those who have not payed us the returns of love and duty where they were obliged to it, and to our enemies that have wronged and harmed us by thought word or deeds. Not that our Pardon from God de­pends absolutely on this, or is merited by it: but [Page 153] because it is most reasonable, that we who request for­giveness of our offences against God, should forgive the lesser debtsVeniam det fa­cile cui veniâ est opus. Ecclus. 28.3. Matth. 18.24. cum 28. 10000 Tal. h. e. nostrae monet. 1870500 lb 100 Denar. h. c. 3. lb 2. sol. 6. den. vide Waser. de Num. ap. Critic. of our bretheren to u [...]; which are fewer in number, smal­ler in valew, committed against a meaner person, and commonly up­on some provocation on our part. He that doth so strictly exact his due in these petty injuries, deserves to be strictly accounted with him­self, and may blush to ask of so great a God, to abate of his rigour, when he a mortal creature will not do it to his Equall: how can such a malicious person be sensible of the kindness which God sheweth in for­giving him, when he is a stranger to those compassions: such a mans person must be hatefull to our Heavenly Father, because he is so unlike himMatth. 5.45. [...] al. lib. [...]: Grot. [...]. Libanius Sophist.; and his request odious be­cause it is unreasonable and impu­dent. Wherefore take heed least by your malice and uncharitableness you involve your selves into the wrath of God for your own greater injuries and offences.

§. 8. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil] Temptation doth not in its prime sense in Scripture signifie a sollicitation to evil, but any kind of tryal2 Cor. 13.5. Heb. 11.29. and is expressed both by [...] and [...]. Duae sunt tentationes, una quae decipit, altera quae probat; secundum eam quae decipit, Deus neminem Tentat. Aug. Tract. 43. in order to the dis­covery of what we are; whether it be done by a Friend, as when God tempted Abraham, Gen. 22.1. (or glorified him as some read) with a [Page 154] design to manifest the strength of his Faith; or by an enemy as when Sathan desired to sift St. Peter James 1.13., not to purifie him, but to manifest that mixture of chaff he could find in him; and because evil objects shew what we are, and declare us to be evil if we comply with them; therefore the setting evil things before us, to draw us into sin, are also called Temptation; but God never tempts thus, he may try us by Afflictions, and put us in the fire as Gold1 Pet. 1.6, 7. to separate us from our dross, nay he will do itZechar. 13.9., and it is a sign of his loveHeb. 12.6., and ought to be a cause of our joyJames 1.2., and David begs it as a favourPsal. 139.23.. Nor do any but cheats and hypocrites fly this tryal, or fear to be inquired into. Gods Children are willing their Father should try them and tempt them here, with intentions of mercy, rather then to pass the severe Tryal before the last Tribunal: and as to these tryals and temptations, Christ would ra­ther teach us to pray to be supported under and car­ried through them, then never to be lead into them; which if Gods grace be with us, may be for our ad­vantage and honour, and his glory. Wherefore by Temptation here we are rather to understand the being enticed to commit sin, or however a trying whether we will sin, and thus it well fol­lows the former PetitionƲt non de re­mittendis tantum sed etiam de avertendis in totum delictis supplicaremus. Tert. de Or. Illud ut praeterita e [...]pientur, hoc ut fu­tura vitentur. Oros. de liber. arb., for having considered the heinous na­ture and dangerous consequents of former sins, and prayed for the for­giveness of them; if we spoke that out of a real fear of those dread­ful miseries, we cannot but desire we may never more fall into such desperate circumstances; and to quicken this request, let us consider. Our enemies are many and mighty, vigilant and politick, that we are naturally easie and [Page 155] willing to be deceived, rash in our choices, heedless of danger, neither considering before nor examining afterwards, and so shall certainly fall every moment it God in mercy do not help us: and if we be humble, and fear, and heartily call for aid against sin [...]. Arrian. l. 4. c. 12., although we should fall some times, we declare our ha­tred of it, and if we be not total­ly free, yet we manifest a desire to be free from all; and for this we rely not on our own strength, but as Jesus hath taught us humbly beg strength from Heaven every day against it. But some may won­der why we desire God would not lead us, &c. sure he that hates sin so perfectly, and so lately forgave us, will not tempt us to commit moreJames 1.13.; 'tis most true, Sathan is the TempterMatth. 4.3. (and so his name Sathan in Hebrew signifies) he be­ing miserable by sinSolatium per­ditionis suae perden­dis hominibus opera­tur — Lact. de orig. er., desires to make men partners with him in sin and misery, by working on those lustsJam. 1.14. which do draw us into sin. But the Devil himself is under the Command of the Almighty, who sets him bounds that he cannot pass, and gives permission to him to tempt usJob. 1.12. Chal. P. Exiit Sa­thanas cum licentiae à coram Domino., so that he could have no power against us except it were given him from on highJohn 19.11., and he obtains leave from God sometimes to try us, and so Christ was ledMatth. 4.1. by the spirit of God as a Champion to combat Sa­than: in such case our frailty might make us pray and fear that we might not fall by such a tryal. But other times God in his displeasure for one sin, suffers us to fall into another; not by enticing us, but by withold­ing that grace which should restrain our evil desires, [Page 156] and loosing Sathans chain, and leaving us encompassed with opportunities and engaging circumstances, which we are likely to fall by, and this the Scripture phraseth, Entring into temptation Matth. 26, 44. Ne me inducas in manum peccati nec in manum transgres­sionis. Seder Te­phil. Lusitan., and the Jews in their Forms being led into the hand of temptation or sin. And let us remember how often by one sin, and desires after more, we pro­voke God to expose us to such cir­cumstances as will infallibly bring us into some grievous transgressi­on; but our comfort is, that God is our guide and he will direct us, and lead us in the right way; he fore­sees the enticing baits, and evil objects, and wicked company, which are in ambush for us; and if we rely on his mercy, and follow his guidance he will conduct us so as to miss them all, or give us strength to over­come them, though we have neither wisdome to dis­cover nor strength of our own to avoid the danger: wherefore we pray him to lead us, who can restrain the powers of darkness, and desire we may not provoke him to lead us into evil circumstances and dangerous occasi­ons, nor let loose our infernal foes, nor leave us to our selves, which is the prime intent of this Petition, in its first Branch. As to the last clause of deliverance from Evil, Tertullian and many others take it to be a fuller explication of the formerEt respondet clausula interpre­tans quid sit ne in­ducas — hoc est e­nim, sed d [...]vehe nos à malo. de Orat., and by Evil understand the evil of sin: as if we were not un­willing to be tempted by afflictions or sollicitations if it be our Fa­thers pleasure; provided he would by his grace prevent us from sin­ning and falling into iniquity by them: temptations and tryals if they occasion not our sin, may humble us, and quicken our prayers, morti­fie our lusts, and exercise all our graces; and there­fore we only desire whether God, or Sathan (by his permission) try us, we may be innocent: Or with the Antients we may take the word [ [...]] for the [Page 157] Evil one, that is the Devil, who is so called in Scripture1 John 3.12. Ephes. 6.16. Matth. 5.3. Castal. à Diabol [...]. ibi. Tert. à maligno. [...]. Chrysost., and thus we shall avoid a Repetition, (which cannot be supposed in this compendious form) and the sense will be, that God would not de­liver us up to sin, least our enemy the Devil, taking advantage there­by, seize our hearts when God hath abandoned them, and we become his slaves, and forfeit to destructi­on. Or lastly we may by Evil un­derstand the effect of sin, viz. the evil of Punishment, that we may not be drawn into any wickedness, nor into that which certainly follows it, sickness, losses, crosses, death temporal and eternal, which are the wages of sin, and of which the Devil is the Executioner; so that the two last senses may very well stand toge­ther, viz. That God would not put us out of his protection, nor deliver us up into Sathans power, either as a Tempter first to entice to sin, nor as a Tormenter afterward to execute and inflict upon us what those sins deserve in this world, or the world to come. The sum is, that Sin is a dreadful thing, and gives Sathan power over us and possession of us, and makes us liable to be hurried on to more wick­edness by banishing Gods holy Spirit, and by taking off his favour, it opens a way for all the miseries and mischiefs of this world and the next to fall upon us; upon the serious consideration whereof we not only crave the remission of past sins, but earnestly beg that we may never more fall into transgression, and then we doubt not but to be safe from all Evil.

§. 9. For thine is the Kingdome, and the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever, Amen.] Some have imagined this Conclusion was added by the Greek Church to this Prayer, not spoken by Christ, because all the old Latine Copies want it wholly; [Page 158] and all the Greek in St. Luke, and some in St. Matthew, nor is it expounded by the Latine Fathers; others plead it is agreeable to the Jewish forms, and gene­rally found in the Original of one Evangelist, and in the Syriack and Arabick, both antient Translations, and is expounded by St. Chrysostome and Theophilact: But our Church hath chosen a middle way, and hath annexed it here in the first repetition of the Lords Prayer, and in some other offices in other places hath omitted it, not as if it were not of Divine Au­thority, but therein following St. Luke as here St. Matthew. And it is very unlikely those holy Fathers should presume to add their own inventions to this Venerable Form of Christs own Composure: It is more probable, that our Lord delivering this Pray­er twice, did add the Doxology at the first time which is recorded in St. Matthew, and leave it out the second, which is set down in St. Luke; and hence the Latine Copies [which were very confused and full of error] might leave it out in both, least the Evangelist should seem to differ in so considerable a mat­ter: But however it was, it is most for our profit to wave these inquiries, and labour truly to under­stand it. It is known, the Jews concluded all their Prayers with a Doxology or form of praise, and (Drusius saith) in these very wordsIn Matth. 6.13. Quia tuum est reg­num, & in secula seculorum regnabis gloriosè., and our Lord Jesus delighted in imitating their customs, though here the reason is weighty; for a Prayer is scarce compleat with­out praisesPhilip. 4.6. with thanksgi­ving.; it being sordid to ask all from God, and return nothing to him, Prayers may seem more necessary, but Praises are as much our Duty, and more lovely; Petitions fit the Earth, but the glorifying God is the i­mitation of the Celestiall Quire, who sing a song much like this conclusion of the Lords Pray­er [Page 159] Rev. 5.12, 13. Chap. 11.15. — nos Angelorum — Candidati jam hinc coelestem illam vocem in Deum, & o [...]cium futurae cla­ritatis ediscimus. Tertul. de Orat., and we do well to learn it here, against we come to use it there. We began these Devotions with his glory, and now we end with it, that this may be the be­ginning and end of all our acti­onsRom. 11.36. Horat. Od. l. 3. od. 6. Hinc omne princi [...]ium, huc refer exitum.: we now give that to him our selves, which we prayed might be offered him from others. For the sense of these words, they may be an acknowledgment of his infinite perfections, who is not praised by flattery, but by a bare confession of the truth, what he really is and hath, in, by and from himself; and we fall short of what he is and deserves in our most exact acknowledgments, for his Kingdome is everlasting and universal, his power infinite and unlimited, his glory transcendent and incomprehensible, we may repeat them, but can neither fully comprehend them nor express them but by silence and admiration; only we confess our own subjection, weakness and misery, and ascribe all these to him; Kings must lay down their Crowns, Mighty men their Strength, and the Honourable men of the Earth their glory at his foot-stool. These words considered in themselves thus, are an Act of Praise, but being connected to the prayer by the particle [for] they are a proper Con­clusion to this Divine Prayer, and seem to contain a reason of every Petition; for we are obliged to pray that his Kingdome may come, because he is the right and lawful King of Heaven and Earth; and to desire his will may be done, because he hath the just Power and Supremacy over all to command what he pleaseth; and to wish his name may be hal­lowed, because he is glorious in himself, and de­serves all possible praises from all the World: so likewise in the three last Petitions, of him we ask for a Temporal supply, because he is the King of [Page 160] all Creatures, and all provisions are his: of him we beg a Pardon, for he only hath full Power and just Au­thority to dispense it; and of him lastly we request deliverance from Sin and Damnation, because he may have the same glory from us as he now hath and ever shall have from the blessed Saints, whom he hath brought to his heavenly Kingdome; or if this seem too nice, and we reflect upon the whole prayer together, here we are struck with reverence in remembrance of that great King we have spoken to; we declare why we make our addresse to him, and what ground we have to hope for acceptance with him. His is the Kingdome, therefore we his poor subjects do petition him; and it is his Prerogative to help, and by his Su­premacy he may do it. His is the Power, therefore we his weak impotent Creatures look up to him and rely upon him, who is able to do all we desire, and being Almighty can perform it. His is the Glory, and there­fore we vile sinners that can do nothing without him, though we deserve nothing from him, yet we present our necessities before him, that by his free grace he may have that glory from us, which he hath from all others that he hath formerly relieved: Leave thy prayers then with much comfort in his hands, who is thy Heavenly Father, and may do abundantly for thee by his Right, and can do it by his Power, and will do it for his Glory, both this day, to morrow and for ever; come when thou wilt, he is and hath Kingdome, Power and Glory, from everlasting to everlasting, this is no mortal King, nor fading Power, nor transient glory; but all endures longer then thy wants, even for ever and ever. Oh how hearty an Amen mayest thou say to this Prayer, since as thou hast great reason to desire all these things should be granted, thou hast as good ground to believe they shall. Amen.

A Practical Discourse on the Te Deum.

§. 2. ALthough this Song of Praise be not of Divine Au­thority, yet it is said to have been miraculously composed, and first Sung by St. Ambrose and St. Augustine after the Baptism of that illustrious Convert; and it is placed among the undoubted works of holy Ambrose, who in the times of general Calamity first brought the use of Hymns into the Latine Churches (which had been used in the East from the beginning) and made several Forms of Praise himself; and among the rest this grand and powerful HymnGrande carmen istud est, & quo ni­hil potentius: Quid enim potentius, quam Confessio Tri­nitatis, quae quotidiè totius populi ore ce­lebratur; Certatim omnes student fidem fateri; Patrem, Fi­lium & Spiritum S. nô [...]unt versibus prae­dicare. Ambros. in Conc. de Basilicis, &c. Tom. 5., which its likely he means when he speaks of that Confession of the Trinity in Verse, which the people so much delighted in, and sung so joyfully e­very day. For this hath ever since been frequently used and highly e­steemed in the Church; not only for its Authors sake, but for its own, since it is so rare a piece of choice Devotion. The principal scope whereof is to give all glory to God, which therefore is interwoven with every part: but the nine first ver­sicles are wholly Eucharistical, wherein we express our own grati­tude, and cast our eyes on all Crea­tures in Heaven and Earth, that joyn with us in paying that Duty, to heigthen our Devotion before so great a Lord. We have now heard out of Gods sacred Word those gracious invitations and sweet comforts, those useful directions and necessary warnings which he there­in gives us, for all which we give him thanks when we say We praise thee O God. We have also heard many in­stances of his Power, and been instructed in his holy [Page 227] commands, which engages us to acknowledge his Autho­rity and pay our homage: Therefore we promise to be his Servants, and seriously acknowledge him to be our Lord, which is a mocking of the Divine MajestyLuke 6.46., unless we re­solve to do what he hath signified to be his Will. But why should we not be sincere in this acknowledgment, since it is our honour to serve him, whom the Heavens praise and the Earth worships, and all the Inhabitants of both are subject to. The Earth (that is) the men that dwell therein, in all ages did and in every Nation now do give him honour. For there is no time, nor Country, which hath not afforded many to confess and adore him that fills all places, and en­dureth from everlasting to everlasting. But if so many examples our of all mankind will not suffice to make us praise him devoutly and acknowledge him faithfully; let us lift up our eyes to the Heavens, which are re­plenished with Creatures more noble and glorious then we; yet all these make it their imployment, and account it their delight to glorifie his Name. And we lately prayed that Gods will might be done on earth as it is in heaven: How it is done there this excellent Hymn will shew you. It opens Heaven to you, nay with the Evan­gelical Prophet, carries you thither to behold their Or­der; Angels and Powers, Cherubins and Seraphins, A­postles, Prophets and Martyrs. This shews you their Imployment which is one, and that you are now exer­cised in, even to Prai [...]e the Lord every morningGen. 32.26. Dimitte me quia as­cendit columna Au­rorae & apprepin­quat hora Angelo­rum. ad laud [...]ndum Deum. Targ. Hiero­sol., or rather eve­ry moment, with never ceasing voi­cesVoce incessabi­li, in S. Ambrose.. Nay you may learn their songIsai. 6.3. Sanctus Pater, Sanctus Filius, Sanctus Spiritus. Cal. Par. Jon. I [...]a olim legebal. P. Galatinus. even that mysterious An­them to the Trinity, by which they confess every Person and adore all. So that you may at once learn what to believe, and how to worship God. [Page 228] Oh let us learn the song we must sing in Heaven, when we shall bear a part in that Celestial Quire, where all these glorious hosts ever magnifie their great Commander; all Creatures of the Earth, all the Lights of Heaven, and the Innumerable and invincible Legions of Angels, are listed under this our Lord, fight for him, and ever ex­ecute his commands. Wherefore he is called Lord God of Sabaoth, that is of the Armies and Powers of Hea­ven and Earth. And since every one that is under him gives him honour, the majesty of his glory must reach as far as his troops extend, and they fill both the upper and lower world. Joyn with these Angelick hosts now, and you shall be joyned to them hereafter; be not dis­couraged at the distance of your nature and Conditi­on; for there are alre [...]dy many of our bretheren (which were o [...]ce as we are) already glorious and ad­mitted to this honour, intermixed with this Society. Oh see the faithful and painful Apostles, see the zealous and holy Prophets; behold the triumphant Army of devout and couragious Martyrs, how they all rejoyce and sing. The Apostles are ravi [...]hed with his glory whom they saw in his weakn [...]ss. The Prophets are delighted with him whom they prophesied of, but never beheld before. The Martyrs are transpo [...]ted with his love, and forget­ting all their torments solace themselves in his joyes; and every gaping woundQuot vulnera hiantia, tot ora lau­dantia Deum. is a mouth to chant out his Praise. Oh what honour is it to serve such a Lord! what delight to be admitted to so glorious a society! Summon up all the powers and f [...]culties of your souls, and as they fill Heaven, do yo [...] fill the Earth with setting out the Majesty of his Glory.

§. 3. The second part of this Hymn (in the ele­ven following versicles) is a Confession of Faith. And eve [...]y A [...]ticle thereof is a f [...]rther motive to praise God, eit [...]er fo [...] the g [...]ory of his Essence or the mer­cy that appears in his works. And since we see God at present only by Faith, the Profession of that Faith is to us reputed a glorifying of [Page 229] himRom. 15.6.. The Saints and Angels have a f [...]ll view, and what they [...]o by Joy, we do by Faith and holy desires of a nearer union. A [...]d certainly we cannot set out the Majesty of his Glory better, then by assent­ing to that Revelation which his Truth hath made of himself; and by confessing him that the glorious Hosts of Heaven adore, and the Universal Ch [...]ch doth and ever did acknowledge. For so we agree in a sweet harmony with the Saints and Angels in heaven, and with all holy men our Bretheren on the earth. For the una­nimous consent of the Servants is a manifestation of the Masters honour: And it is an evidence that our Lord is really such, and so glorious as we believe him to be, since all unite in the profession of it. A [...]d this holds good most evid [...]ntly in the great mistery of the Trini­ty, which the Celestial Quire owns by their Trisagium; Holy, H [...]ly, Holy. And the Catholick Church hath most unanimously acknowledged, most sacredly kept, and most courageously defended, above all other Articles, so that all those agree in this who differ in many other points. Let us then chearfully acknowledge the infinite Majesty of the Father, who governs all Creatures, and declare the honour of his true and only Son, whose Glory is great in our salvation. Let us confess the Di­vinity of that holy Spirit, who is our Advocate in Hea­ven, and our Comforter [...]. u rumque signif. Johan. 14.16. & 1 Ep. Johan. 2. ver. 1. up­on the Earth. Above all let us be care­full that the humiliation of our mer­cifull Redeemer, do not abate of our esteem: To prevent which the Church in this Hymn as also in all her Creeds makes the largest and most particular Confession of the Son of God; and we have here a full account of Divinity and Humanity; because by the malice of Sathan these have been so confounded and mistaken by so many Heresies; and we have also a recital of those works of his which most concern us, because it is the interest of us all to know and believe these, which more directly tend to our salvation, then [Page 230] any other of the works of God; and therefore do more strongly engage our gratitude, for we shall find abun­da [...]t matter of Praise, both in what Jesus is in his na­ture, and what he hath done for us. He is very God and therefore we give [...]im that title which alone belongs to the Lord of hosts; and St. Ambrose (the best inter­preter of this Hymn) saithPsal. 24, 7. & 10. Quis est iste Rex gloriae! Re­spondetur à scienti­bus Dominus virtu­tùm, ipse est Rex gloriae. Ergo Domi­nus virtutùm est ip­se filius. Ambros. de Fide. lib. 4. that twenty fourth Psalm, was sung by the Angels at our Saviours Re­surrection; those who came with him calling to those in Heaven to open the gates for the King of Glo­ry, who answered them as it is in that Psalm. And we may call him the King of Glory; both as he is very God, and because he hath pur­chased Glory for us, and shall distribute it to us, and shall re­ceive glory and praise from us and all that are partakers of it. And his glory de­pends not on our praises, but is inseparable from his nature, because he is the true and only begotten Son of God; not Created as the Angels, nor Adopted as Men; but by Eternal Generation, Coeternal with the Father, and Coequal. What though he was born in time, the Son of Man? this doth not take away his Being the Son of God, nor change his nature, but express his love, and engage our affections. Dear Jesus! whether hath thy love carried thee! from Glory to misery; from the highest Throne in Heaven to the lower parts of the EarthEphes. 4.9. Pudorem exordii nostri non recusa­ [...]i [...], sed contumeli­as naturae nostrae transcurrit. Hi­lar.. How hast thou pursued [...]s through all the stages of our infelicity! from the dishonours of the Womb to those of the Tombe, not abhorring the meanest place that was pure, nor the lowest condition, that Innocence could be put into. What cause have we to bless thee,Ideo quod homo est & Christus esse voluit, ut homo possit esse quod Christus est. [Page 231] who wert pleased to become what we were, that we might be (not what we deserved, but) as thou art! Holy Sa­viour, we believe and rejoyce in believing that thou wast born like us, livedst with us and diedst for us: and that death was our life, it was shameful and inglorious, sharp and tormenting; so terrible as might startle a great confidence in a good cause. But it was not more bitter to thee then sweet to us. We, even we Oh Lord had armed Death with a sting sharp and venomous; for our sin had provoked the Divine wrath. And this sting (though with the suffering1 Cor. 15.57. Gr. [...] Devicto mortis a [...]u­leo. Ambr. of inexpressible dolours) thou hast pulled out; and having satisfied the Justice of God, canst now triumph over death it self, and enable us with comfort to say, O Death where is thy sting; with which thou didst threaten all the World with unavoidable destruction? Who can behold what thou hast suffered, and we have escaped and not be ravished with thy Love Oh blessed Lord Jesus! The way to Heaven was ever open to Innocence, but we all had sinned and come short of the glory of God. Heaven gates were shut against us, and Hells mouth open to receive us. And in this estate our life had been worse then death, by the dreadful expectations of deserved vengeance; and our death had certainly de­livered us up to feel what we feared. Do we live with any comfort? 'Tis thou hast removed our fears. Can we dye with any peace? It is thou alone hast renewed our hopes; if any men that are, or ever were, or shall be, are admitted into this Kingdome, it is not by the merits of their own Innocence, but by those of this thy all-saving death. We need not dispute de Facto whe­ther any of the Saints before Christ had actual Possession of Heavens Glory: (the ScriptureHeb. 11.40. 1 Pet. 3.19. Matth. 27.52. and the FathersClem. Alexandr. Strom. 20. Tertul. de animâ cap. 55. Cypr. Serm. in Dom, Pass. Ambrosius Comment. in Rom. 5. & passim. especially [Page 232] St. Ambrose seem to deny it, and it is not easie to disprove them) but this we are sure of de Jure, that none under the Law nor the Gospel ever were received thither, but by Faith in this Death of Jesus; which God might con­sider as done before it was accomplished; but no holi­ness that we are capable of can challenge Heaven, nor no feigned Purgatory expiations can satisfie for our sins, And whenever Abraham, Isaac, and Jaacob, entred into their glory, it was in the right of Jesus, who by this saving death, pulled out that fatal s [...]ing, and obtained admission for all believers, not only for Jews and Saints of former ages, but for Gentiles and all the World that so owns him as a Saviour, as to give up themselves to be ruled by his holy Laws. Our blessed Master indeed was glorious with his Father from all Eternity; he was in Heaven beforeAscendit non ubi Verbum Deus ante non fuerat: sed ubi verbum Ca [...]e fa­ctum ante à non sede­rat. Ruffin. in Sym­bol.: But not in our nature, not as our advocate, not to take possession for us; but now he is restored to his t [...]rone again, ready to receive all believers into the participation of his joyes. And now his glory is our great advan­tage, and i [...]finite comfort; so that we may receive this article with that delight with which old Jaacob did the news of his be­loved Josephs advancement over all the Land of Egypt; assuring our selves, that he who stooped so low to us, and suffered so much for us, will imploy his regained Power and Glory for ou [...] good, even to take us up to him, and to let us reign with him, who ever lives to make intercession for us. We cannot see him in this glory by the eye of se [...]se, b [...]t we do discern [...]im by the eye of faith; and we doubt not, b [...]t he shall be revealed in all this glory, when he comes to judge the world at the las [...] day. He [...]hall then come to examine and pass sen­tence upon all. But since we must every one bear our own bu [...]dens. we must not concern our selves for the s [...]re of others; but busie our selves to prepare our own accounts, for we are sure he shall be our Judge: our guilt might make us fear and tremble to think of it; yet his [Page 233] mercy may comfort us and quicken us to make ready. Who could we rather wish should Judge us then he that Redeemed us? and he that now offers to give us a Par­don sealed in his own blood? Let us now accept his tender, and we need not tremble then, for our Judge shall be our advocate and our friend.

§. 4. The last part which closeth this devout and ex­quisite form, turns both the Thanksgiving and Confessi­on into Prayer, as a most natural consequence of all the preceding considerations: for who can behold so great a God, so universally praised in Heaven and Earth, and not believe him to be the fountain of all good­ness, and desire his f [...]vour? Who can contemplate the Saviour of the World in his Essential glory, in his ad­mirable Condescension, willing humiliation, and illustri­ous restitution, and not break forth into most passio­nate supplications for a share in his love? Or if we go back no farther then the two last Verses, we there saw him with St. Steven sitting in all his glory at the Right hand of God, and shall we not request him to be mind­full of us in his glory, whom in his low estate he pur­chased with his life and blood? And as he put on weakness and submitted to misery to redeem us, that he will imploy his reg [...]ined Power and Glory for our help and assistance. We say he is to be the Judge of us and all the WorldJohn 5.22.27., and we know we cannot answer him for one of a tho [...]sandJob. 9.2.. Sure then our wisest way is to make supplication to our JudgeJob. 9.15., and to beg his favour may at that day be shewed to us and all his people; for at his sentence all the world [...]st stand or fall, those whom he justifies or reputes inno­centNumerare pr [...] reputari Isai. 53.12. Sapient. 5.5. [...]. Graec., shall be set on the right hand, and be reckoned among the number of the Saints and sealed onesRevel. 7.4., and therefore let us pray to this great Shepheard, that though now the sheep and goats are mixed, yet he will wash us [Page 234] with his blood and pronounce us guiltless; that our lot may be with his Saints. Now that we may be thus dis­posed of at the last day, we shall need not only his Mercy then, but his gr [...]ce now, to secure us in our pas­sage through this world. Wherefore we pray with holy David in the last words of the 28th Psalm, that God would use all means to bring his people to his gloryPsal. 28. ult. Ser­va populum tuum, & benedic heredi­tati tuo, & rege eos & extolle eos usque in aeternum. Vulg. Lat.; even that he would save them from all evil, and bless them with all good things. That he would govern and direct them in their duty, and lift them up and support them against all oppo­sition for ever. And these are the sum of every Christians needs and desires. What more can we wish or pray for, then to be rescued out of trouble, and furnished with all blessings needful for our souls and bodies? That God should feed us as a shepheard (as the Hebrew reads)Heb. & LXX. pasce eos, hoc est, rege Vulg. Sorores e­nim sunt artes pas­cendi & regnandi. Basil. conc 24. or govern us as a Prince, conducting our duty by his care and Laws, that we may not stray nor go amiss. And lastly, That he should bear us up against all the opposition of Sathan and his instru­ments, and advance us from our low estateJob. 22.19. Psal. 9.14., to [...]et us up on that Rock where our enemies malice can­not reach us; but we may stand safely there, till we are lifted up from thence to Glory, which we cannot miss of if God hear but these Petitions. Therefore ha­ving prayed for all that is needful for us as members of the Church, we now look more peculiarly to our selves considered apart. And since we are now and every day imployed thus in praising God, we desire him to accept this as a Testimony that we are his Ser­vants. We declare it in Davids Phrase Psal. 145.2.Psal. 145.2. Per singulos dies be­nedicam tibi, & laudabo nomen tuum, &c. Vulg. Lat.; only altering the [Page 235] Tense and Person. Lord help us for we are thy ser­vants, paying thee the daily tribute of Praise. What­ever thou bestowest on us will not be forgotten, nor bu [...]ied in ungratefull silence. We meet in thy house every day to magnifie thee in this manner, and to set our the glory of thy Name in every thing thou dost for u. Withold not thy mercy, for we will not withold thy Praise; and since we resolve daily to do the work of Angel [...], Lord keep us pure as they are, for praise is neither seemly nor acceptable in the mouth of a sinner. Let not us who are thy servants in the morning be the devils slaves before nightCoepisti meliùs quam desinis, ultima primis Distant—; but preserve us holy all day, that our afternoon sins may not rob us of the benefit of this dayes Praises, nor indispose us against the next morn­ing, when our duty will return. Dear Jesus look on our frailty and strengthen us; look on our guilt and mi­sery and Pardon us. We cry earnest­ly and double our request Jesus Ma­sterMath. 20.30, 31. have mercy on us, have mercy on us; for our needs are great and pressing, unless we find mercy for former sins we must be condemned by thee; and except we obtain mercy for future assistance, we shall be overcome by Sathan. Oh shut not out our Prayer; consider not our merits but our distress, we know we deserve nothing, but we have great hopes (such is thy transcendent goodness) that we shall have what we desire. Those that were better then we have put words in our mouths, who in the PsalmsPsal. 33.22. Sit misericordia tua Domine super nos quemadmodum spe­ravimus in te. Psal. 31.1. In te Domine speravi non confundar in aeter­num. Vulg. Lat. did not urge thee as if they had been worthy, but only trusted in thy mercy; and so do we. We rely not on our selves or any Creature, but on thee alone, for we know thou canst help us; and we have a persuasion thou wilt. All the world sees by our daily atten­dance on thee, that all our expe­ctations are from thee. Oh do [Page 236] not disappoint those hopes that are grounded on thy tender mercy, least Sathan upbraid us and the world slight us,Ezra. 8.22. Psal. 22.7, 8. and then which way can we look? Lord be it unto us according to our Faith. Amen. Amen.

A Practical Discourse on the Benedictus.

§. 6. THE Gospel which hath now been read for the second Lesson, doth not only require our at­tention but command our gratitude, because it brings that good news which is the cause of great joy to all people. The Angels sing, and all holy men to whom it was revealed entertain the news with Hymns of Praise. And if we be as sensible of the mercy as they were, and as thankful as we ought to be for the benefit there­of, we shall rejoyce as heartily as they did, since it is as much our concern as theirs. And how can we better express our gladness for all that the Gospel records of what Jesus hath done for us, then in those sacred forms indited by the holy Spirit, with which devout Persons welcomed our Lord into the world? And these will be most acceptable to God, and most beneficial to us, both to help us with fit expressions, and to ingage us to sing them with the same heart and affections, which were in the first Composers; and particularly with the Devoti­on of holy Zachariah the Author of this Hymn; who after nine months silence recovering his speech, stays not to rejoyce in that personal Mercy, but immediately being filled with the Divine Spirit, the inexpressible joy that filled his heart before, now breaks forth in these words: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, &c. Where­in he in the Phrase of Antient timesGen. 9.26. Psal. 41.13. declares the wonderful good­ness of God. And we ought to joyn with him, not scrupling the Jewish form of expression, because if we be true Christians, and have the circumcision of the heart, we are the Children of the PromiseRom. 9.8. the seed of A­braham and the Israel of God: And this God of our Israel hath in a more excellent manner delivered [...]s from the slavery of Sathan, then he did them from the bondage of Egypt. [Page 244] And yet though this Spiritual Redemption be much grea­ter, there is such a similitude in the method and cir­cumstances, that it appears that was a type of this; and therefore Zac [...]ariah alludes to Gods delivering the people from Aegyptian misery. For as then he first visited themExod. 3.16. Gr. [...]. and considered their miseryGen. 21.1. Visitavit. Chal. Par. Recordatus est, ita Syr. (& Luc. 7.16.) Arab. Respexit, ita Vulg. Ruth. 1.6., and then he rescued them with a mighty hand: So in our case he visited us in all senses, he remembred our calamity, he looked on our misery, considered our distress, and came himself to see us, and made such a visit as men and Angels admire at. He came in our nature, clothed with our infir­mities, and stayed with us, and dwelt among us. And all this to Redeem us, not by doing miracles, but by suffering death: not only by conquering our inraged enemies, but satisfying an offended God; buying our lives with his dearest hearts blood. And by taking our Punishment, when himself was innocent, he freed us both from the sin and the wrath due to itSuscipiendo poe­nam sine culpâ & culpam delevit & poenam. August., that we might with free­dome and hope serve our reconci­led God. Well may we call this a Mighty Salvation, being accompli­shed with as much Power as it was undertaken with Love. Behold how many helpless Crea­tures, he delivers, from cruel burdens, mighty oppres­sors, and dreadful expectations; nay from the just vengeance of an angry terrible and Almighty God, from endless and unsufferable flames as horrid as una­voidable. This was indeed a horn of SalvationCornu robur & Imperium vocat. Hieron. Hab. 3. Vide Dan. 7.24. & cap. 8.21. 1 Sam. 2.10. Chal. Par. pro Cornu habent Reg­num. Ecclus. 49.5., that is a Royal, Princely, succour and rescue; such as became the Son of so Victorious a King as David was; nay such as be­came the Son of God, when he un­dertook to restore the Kingdom of Divid (which now literally Herod [Page 245] and the Romans had usurped, but spiritually sin and guilt had overcome) yet Jesus will retrieve it and set it up for ever, not to deliver us from Temporal but Spiritual enemies; not from Tribute but Damnation; and shall not we rejoyce at his Coronation? It is cer­tain there is not a more illustrious mercy then this which was proclaimed so early to our first FatherGen. 3.15., and repeated so often by all the Pro­phetsAct, 3.24. Deut. 28.7. Jerem. 23.6. Isai. 25.8., men of excellent holi­ness, approved integrity, and un­questionable truth. These all as if they had but one mouth unanimously agreed in the publication hereof. This is the mercy that was so fully confirmed by Covenants and OathsGen. 12.16. Heb. 6. to Abraham and all the faithful. This was believed and hoped for by the Jews, and expected by the very GentilesPercrebuerat Oriente toto vetus & constans opinio, ut eo tempore Judae à profectus rerum po­teretur. Tacitus Annal. Vid. Numb. 24.17.. This is that good news which cheared Adam after his fall, rejoyced Abraham in his pere­grination, revived Jacob on his dy­ing bedJohn 8.56. Gen. 49.18., and supported the Patriarchs in all their troubles, al­though they only saw it at a di­stance, and hoped and waited for the light while they themselves were in the dark. But when Zachary beheld the morning star, and saw the day begin to spring which had so long been wished and de­sired, he is ravished with holy joy; like the Northern people after a tedious night when they perceive the Sun approach. And shall not they that lived by the bare hope of this, and he that was so overjoyed at the first glimpse of it, condemn us who are daily taught that he is come, and hath confirmed Gods truth, and answered all their expectations, if we rejoyce not at least as much in the performance, as they did in the promise? Be­hold, how God hath favoured us to let us behold the accomplishing of the desire of all Nations. See how he hath glorified himself in giving the world such a mani­festation [Page 246] of his truth, as will stop the mouths of his ene­mies, and for ever strengthen the faith of his humble servants. For now he hath made good all his words and Promises, his Covenant and Protestations, in the first and greatest blessing of all2 Cor. 1.20., and so given that as an earnest of all the rest. The night seemed long, and the people of God themselves began to fear, and the wicked to deride their expectation. But now we will trust in him; even though he defer, we will wait on him; for we find he will not forget his promises nor falsifie his word. Oh let us rejoyce in the God of truth, who hath sent this mighty Salvation to us, which is the instrument of our safety, and the evidence of his truth, and on both accounts the cause of our rejoycing.

§. 7. But in the midst of our Joy we must not forget our D [...]ty, nor so please our selves with the delightful view of our advantage by this glorious Redemption, as to pass by the design of God in giving it, least we think Jes [...]s came to set us free from death, and let us loose to sin. He came to free us from the slavery which we were f [...]llen into u [...]der Sathan; but not to discharge [...]s of our duty to himself. Nay to encrease the obliga­tion; for by redeeming us from captivity and death, he ingaged us to serve him all our lives, which the laws of NationsRedemptus ab hostibus r demptori serviat denec pre i­um reddiderit. Grot. de jur. B. P. l. 3. c. 9. §. 10. as well as common gratitude doth inform us of. And if he had not resc [...]ed nor yet pur­chased us, yet we are bound to serve God as we are his Creatures, and as he is Supream Lord and law­giver to all the World. But then we co [...]ld not have payed that duty witho [...]t fears a [...]d terrors, both beca [...]se of the Tyrants w om we were enslaved to, and the M [...]jesty we had offended against. And therefore witho t a Redeemer, our se [...]vice to God either would have [...]en neglected or have been [...]ccompanied with such [...]emblings a [...]d anxieties, so devoid of faith or love o [...] hope, that it would have appeared necessa [...]y and cons [...]rained not [Page 247] voluntary or free, and consequently it would be unac­ceptable to God, and unprofitable to us. His mercy therefore is designed to remove our fears, and not to quit us of our Obedience, but to make it more easie and pleasant by appeasing Gods wrath, restraining Sathans power, and encreasing our strength. So that now when we apply our selves to the duties of Religion, we need not be discouraged at our former guilt, he will cleanse us; amazed at Gods justice, he will satisfie it; af­frighted at Sathans malice, he will restrain it. We need not be disheartned at the difficulty, he will help us; nor doubtful of the event, he will procure accep­tance and reward. He hath taken off the terrors of an offending slave, and left us no fear but that which is useful; the fear of an ingenious and a dutif [...]l ChildNon sicut feram timeo, patrem timeo, [...]. Clem. Alex. Strom. 2^o., who out of love to his Father is afraid to offend him, or come short in his duty to him. And this blessed Condition, to be able to serve God with Faith and Hope, freedom and chearfulness, is the great comfort of every truly pious soul; and if we be such we shall reckon the convenience to do our duty, among the chiefest of our felicities, and praise God as much for the Power to do good as for any other blessing. L [...]t us then (who pretend to more Gospel then any had then) imitate this blessed man, who in praising God for the Redemption, seems speedily to pass over all the benefits of Pardon and reconciliation, and glory it self; a [...]d chuseth above all to bless God for affording us opportunity and freedom to serve him. As if holiness and undisturbed obedience were the most desirable thing in the world, and the Heaven which Jesus brings. Let us behold our duty and rejoyce in that, more then in our pardon and ease, and then we shew a noble love. And let this deliverance produce its due effect in us, even to make us use our hopes and comforts to quicken our love and our obedience. And so this Hymn shall not only be a form of Praise, but a [Page 248] tutor to instruct us what returns we ought to make; e­ven to walk holily in our duties to God, and righte­ously in our conversation with menTitus 1.11.. Resolving that neither ease nor pretended gain, shall intice us back to our chains; nor all Sathans menaces shall affright us from our gracious Master; whom we must now serve not with such outward shewsColoss. 3.22. as if we only courted human appro­bation; but with such sincerity as may declare he hath won our hearts, and engaged our affections while we live. Therefore our ear must be bored, to signifie we will now hear his word, obey his will, and never leave so sweet and dear a Master. And when we have a while found and considered the easiness of his service, the greatness and readiness of his as­sistance, the infiniteness and endlesness of his rewards, we shall have cause to glorifie God for sending Jesus to bring us into this estate, and think all our duty too little to express our obligation, and see reason to put it into our Benedictus, that of slaves of Sathan we are be­come Gods free men.

§. 8. God hath not only expressed his love, in raising up a Saviour for us, but in making him known to us. And since our obedience was designed, least ignorance should make ApologyRom. 10.14, 15., the di­vine care did order it should be proclaimed to all the world: It was foretold at a great distance by the Prophets, to comfort the former ages: And when it was just approaching, it was by a special Harbinger pointed out as near at hand to awaken mens expectations, and summon them to pre­pare; so that it is sure it was the great interest of all mankind, or else it had not been ushered in by so many warnings. I doubt not but holy Zachary now felt the Etymology of his sons Name, and the truth of the An­gels PromiseLuke 1.14. gaudium & exul­ta [...]io.: Not so much that he had a son, as in t [...]e joy he con­ceived that he was to be the messen­ger of the Lord of hosts, the He­rald [Page 249] and Harbinger to the most high: And yet he re­joyceth not so much in the particular priviledge of his son, as the general benefit which the world might re­ceive by his message: And therefore he blesseth God for his duty as well as his office. For when such a messen­ger came to assure them of the approach of the so long expected Messiah, and much desired Salvation; and to let the world know for what purposes the most high did thus descend to Earth; it was to be hoped men would shake off their sloth, and since he sent them so fair a notice, that they would not be surprised in their care­lesness, but appear in an Equipage suiting the greatness of his Majesty, the dearness of his love, and the excel­lency of his design [...]. Philo de Cher. that was to come. And this made the good man rejoyce, hoping when they saw their danger, and were shewed their Redeemer, they would fly in­to his arms for remission and grace; and if they did so he is glad for their advantage: However he praises God for his mercy, since he hath done his part: And we have still the same cause of rejoycing, for that which was then done by an A­gent extraordinary, is now perfor­med by the Ministers and Ambassa­dors of Chri [...]t, and by the Gospel you have now heard, which, being ever resident among us, prepare a lodging for Jesus in your hearts when he comes in the Spirit to offer his grace to you: Thus he is set before you not to be ga­zed at but to be entertained. And if you upon the war­ning prepare for him by Repentance, you shall also have Remission; and then you may with Zachary bless God, for the knowledge of Salvation that the Gospel gives unto you. And that the exhortations of Ministers and summons of Gods word may not be as ineffectual to us, as those of this great Prophet were to the Jews; consider the first cause of all this Mercy, both of Gods [Page 250] sending his son to us, and giving us so many warnings to receive him: It was the bowels of Gods tender mer­cies [...]. Vulg. Viscera Misericor­diae: viz. [...], affectus Matris erga foetum è Visceribus suis prodeuntem. Jerem. 31.20. which yearned to behold us in the hands, and under the sword of the merciless executioner, and moved him to send his son to res­cue us by suffering the stroke for us: It was not our merits but our misery, not our deserts but distress, that prevailed with him: we were worthy to dye yet his heart relen­ted, and he could not see us bleed, and shall we be unmoved to behold him bleed for us, and will we dye for all this? we were indeed in darkness and could not see our danger, and if we had fallen into the pit then, it had been our ca­lamity, but now the morning appears, John teaches, Ministers Preach, and Christ himself the Sun of Righte­ousnessMalach. 4.2. [...] ut LXX Jerem. 23.5. Zachar. 3.9. malè Bez. germen, conser ver. 79. & Jesai. 9.2. Camer. Grotius: Christus [...] dicitur à Patribus, Judaei horoscopum [...] vocare so­lent: & [...]. Heb. 1.2. Syr. vert. [...] Scaliger. began to spring from the East then, and now if we perish 'tis our willfulness and deserves no pitty. Oh what hath God done to shew us the right way! sending first the morning Star the Harbinger of the Suns approach [...]. Philo., and when the Heathens were benighted in I­dolatry, the Jews with evil prin­ciples, worse practises, and sad af­flictions; then did our Sun display his Beams from on high, for he rose not from the Earth, but his rising was his fall, his course a descent from Heaven to us, and if Zachary is so rejoyced with the glimpses, we should much more with the Meridi­an glory he now shines in. Let us not only rejoyce in his light for a season, but walk by it, and if we be in darkness it will shew us our Condition, and then guide us into [Page 251] the right way: this light will first Convert us and then conduct us. The Apostle thought it was high time to awake thenRom. 13.11, 12., and sure it is more so now, for if in the light of know­ledge in the day we do the works of darkness, that very light which we refuse to direct us as a guide, shall discover us to our shame. But take warning and let not this light be set up in vain; who would not most thankfully follow a friendly light of­fered to him in an unknown, dark, and dangerous way: The Devil will lead you up and down after the Ignis fatuus of Enthusiasm and your own imagination, till you sink into destruction, but this Gospel is a true light, be thankful for it, for its precepts are t [...]e Beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and do not only admire, but follow it, and it will not only shew you where you are, but carry you where you should be, even to everlasting joy and peace, Amen.

A Practical Discourse on the Magnificat.

§. 1. THE Blessed Virgin (whom God chose to be the Instrument of the greatest blessing that ever the World had) by the fruit of her lips, as well as of her Womb, hath given apparent testimony of the extraordi­nary presence of the Divine Spirit with her, and in her. For this sacred Hymn breaths forth such lovely mixtures of faith and fear, humility and love, charity and de­votion, that it appears she was full of grace, as well as highly favoured. And it should be our wish and endea­vour to repeat it with the same affections and holy fer­vours, with which she indited it; Perhaps we think we have not the same occasion; 'Tis true God the Word took flesh in her Womb, and that is her peculiar Privi­ledge: But if we receive the word of God, and the motions of the holy Spirit that attend it, we may turn that word intoVerbum Carnem facere est Verbum in Opus, Scripturas in operas conver­tere. Bish. Andr. Ser. 6. flesh, by Faith and Obedience; if we so hear as to practiceSit in singulis Mariae anima— Nam etsi secundum carnem una Mater est Christi, secundum fidem tamen omni­um fructus est. Ambros. in Luc. we do conceive Christ by Faith, and he is formed in usOmnis enim a­nima concipit Dei verbum si tamen im­maculata & immunis à vitiis intemerato castim [...]niam pudor [...] custodiat. Idem. by the overshadowing power of the Holy Ghost and a pu [...]e heart, and he is by holiness brought forth; for Christ himself calls suchMatth. 12.50. by the name of his Mother. We are to rejoyce with all that do rejoyce: but especially when we are sharers in the mercy and advantage which occasions that joy, wherefore we are most of all obliged to rejoyce with the blessed Virgin, both as she was the Mother of our Redeemer according to the flesh, and because [Page 257] we may be so according to the spirit; the Lesson we now heard is out of the Old Testament, and as there we find the Records and Examples of the Divine Mercy to the Pious and humble, and of his Vengeance upon the Proud and arrogant, so here we find a Form of Praise for those dispensations of Gods Providence; and since all the deliverances of Gods people there related are founded on this mercy of our Redemption, or flow from it, or are directed to it, this Hymn will teach us to turn the Old Testament into Gospel, and with the holy PatriarchsGen. 49.18. Non expecto redemp­tionem Sampsonis quae est salus transi­toria, sed expecto redemptionem Mes­siae filii David. Targ. ever to apply all to this great salvation, of which all other mercies were but types: Behold then the Mother of Jesus saying to you, Oh praise the Lord with mePsal. 34.4. and let us magnifie his name together: let us shew forth the greatness of his power and good­ness, for we cannot set out his Per­fections with any advantage, nor represent him greater then really he is (as we often magnifie one another) but then we magnifie the Lord, when we declare what we appre­hend him to be, and let us advance his glory as high as is possible, for there is no danger of exceeding; our Praises will be short, but they must be real, wherefore before we can bear a part in this Anthem, we must get our souls affected with a sense of his infinite Power, and our minds exalted with the belief of his excellent mercy, so our praise shall be no complement, but our soul and spirit, shall bear their part, and our thanksgi­ving may be real as his favours are: let his wonderful love present it self to your affections, and bring out your wonder and joy, your hopes and desires to be­hold the sweetness, till these passions begin to be ena­moured on it, and moved by it, and then they will carry a lovely notion and fair Idea of it to the mind, and so effectually recommend it, that the whole inward man shall be ravished with the beautiful prospect, and every faculty of the soul, and part of the affections [Page 258] shall unite into a devout celebration of the divine love and mercy. Behold the holiest of Women, observe where she fixes her eye, and whether she directs her Praises; she rejoyceth not in her own excellencies, nor doth she magnifie her self, but God her Saviour; which may check our vanity, who are so apt in a prosperous success and unexpected exaltation, to sacrifice to our own desertsHoc ego feci non fortuna: dict. Timoth. ducis., to crown our selves, though we snatch it from the head of Heavens King; but sure since he gives the blessing, he de­serves the honourTuum Domine est bonum, tua ita­que est gloria: Qui enim de bono tuo gloriam sibi quaerit, & non tibi, fur est & latro, simi­lisque diabolo, qui voluit furare glori­am tuam. August. Soliloqu. c. 15., and he that paies it not, is a double thief, and steals the gift, and the glory also; for both are his. She that was the Mother of Jesus after the flesh, thinks it no disparagement to con­fess her Son to be her Saviour, but rejoyceth that he was so; let not us then think we are saved from tempo­ral evils, or can be from eternal death without him, and let us esteem it a greater honour to us, and a surer ground of our rejoycing, that the most high God is be­come our Salvation, then if we had our strength in our own hands.

§. 2. There is nothing gives the dimensions of Gods love to us more truly, then the sight and sense of our vileness, when we behold our selves so low and despi­cable as indeed we are, then the glories of the Divine Majesty in stooping to us, and looking on us in our low estate, will shine in their native lustre, when we see how worthless we are, and what favour we have ob­tained beyond our expectations, as much as our deserts; then our souls will magnifie the Lord in the apprehen­sions of his greatness, and our spirits rejoyce in the ad­mirable goodness of God our Saviour. Thus the bles­sed Virgin was inspired with these Seraphical extasies of joy, by looking on the mean Condition in which this infinite mercy surprised her; she was not arrived [Page 259] to the honour of marriage; and in the opinion of the daughters of Jerusalem (who esteemed it a huge re­proach and a great affliction1 Sam. 1.11. [...] LXX. pro sterilitate, ut Gen. 29.32. to be without Children) her estate was disgraceful, and her fortunes were really dishonourable, for though she sprung from the blood Royal of Judah, yet she was then a poor obscure maid, unknown to the world, but regarded by him that loves to lodge in the lowest heartsIsai. 57.15. of the poor and pious, as well as in the highest hea­vens; she was in her lowest estate the Lords hand-maid, and devoutly served him day and night, and her Piety sanctified her Poverty, and drew the eye of God to re­gard her, as he will the meanest of us, if our obedi­ence equal hers, and especially if our minds be as low as our estate is; for so was this excellent Virgins, who by lowliness here means not her humility, for it had ar­gued Pride to have so high a conceit of her lowliness of mind as to believe it obliged Gods favour, there it was her meanness and poverty [...], abjectionem & hu­milem conditionem, [...] verò humilitatem significare asserit Erasmus. which she so freely confesseth, and heartily praiseth God for regard­ing. No doubt her humility was e­minent in her afflicted condition, for when she was advanced to be the Mother of the Worlds Saviour, she seeks no greater honour, then to be stiled the hand-maid of the Lord, ver. 38. Oh Blessed Soul! that was ever the same, neither dejected in her affliction, nor puffed up with her exaltation, but serves God chearfully in the one, and praises him heartily for the other: She beholds an infinite and lasting honour prepared for her, not alone among the daughters of one place or GenerationGen. 30.13. Syr. pro gloriâ med. for she was to be the Mother of a Universal and Everlasting blessing, which all former ages had desired, and all [Page 260] future times should rejoyce in, and Both would pro­claim her happy above all Women, who should be the Instrument of this Mercy: And yet she resigns all this glory to him that gave it her, and declares whence she received it [...]. Theo­philac. in loc., that not her name, but his may have the glory: and sure she deserves the more esteem because she returned the honour to God. Wherefore they are most wretched who disrespect her whom God hath chosen, and out of pre­tended hatred to superstition will scarce allow her the reverence of an excellent personAequale est e­nim in utrisque his sectis d [...]trimentum; quum illi quidem vili pendant San­ctam Virginem, hic vero rur [...]us ulerà decorum glorificent. Epiph. tom. 2. haer. 79., and yet no doubt she would detest those Ave's and gratulations which some superstitious Votaries (to the dis­honour of him whom she praised) bestow upon her, because she calls her Son her Saviour, and her self the handmaid of the Lord, so that it is our duty to Reverence, but not Adore her; for she will as­sure you it was Gods infinite power (for which he is deservedly called the most Mighty [...] Heb. [...]; nomen Dei [...]sal. 24.8. which wrought this miracle [...] res miras & mag­nas. Deut. 10. ver. 21. Psal. 26.2. Act [...] 2.11. of Jesus his incar­nation, which was the cause of her honour: he magnified her, and there­fore she magnifies him, and teach­eth us to hallow his Name, for it is holy and reverendPsal. 111.9. in it self, and deserves to be so esteemed for ever and ever.

§. 3. Now that all may joyn with her in the Praises of the most holy, she passeth from the consideration of her personal Priviledges, to the Universal goodness of God in the consta [...]t dispensations of his Providence, that we may see his Mercy was not confined to that time; nor limited to one Person: for as she had now [Page 261] experienced the bounty and kindness of him that she had served, so all Gods faithful servants that ever were, and all that ever shall be, are assured to find the like. Wherefore when our particular mercies occasion our joy, let us not confine our gratitude to our private concerns, but delight to hear out of Gods word those numerous instances of the rewards of holiness, and the blessings of true Piety in all times, that so we may have nobler sentiments of the Divine goodness by view­ing the extent and duration of it, and that we may be the more encouraged to go on, in that course which will so certainly be our advantage, let the Mother of Jesus and all holy men you read of in Sacred Writ re­commend the fear of God to us which they have sound so beneficial; for if we be truly Religious, be our Condition never so despicable or deplorable, we may be sure of help from Heaven; was not all mankind be­come hopeless and helpless, when God made bare his holy Arm, and helped us by him that was the strength of his Right handIsai. 63.5. dispersing our lofty spiritual enemies, who thought they had us sure their slaves for e­ver: And when these enemies are thus scattered, shall we fear Sathans broken forces, those instruments of his that would discourage us in our obedience, by slanders and contempt, wrongs and injuries, menaces and threat­nings? No surely; we have the strength of God for us, his finger could destroy them, his hand crush them to nothingPsal. 118.15. Magna Dei efficacia per digitum, maj [...]r per manum, maxima per brachium i [...]di­catur. Psal. 77.16. Exod. 15.6. Grot., but he will imploy the might of his arm in it, although the very breath of his displeasure, nay the thought and imagination of his heartAugust. legi [...] [...] in cogitatione cordis sui. be sufficient to con­sume them and dissipate all their Counsels, be they never so mighty in the worlds eye or high in their own imagination, they cannot harm us, nor shall not discourage us from serving God. How did the Princes of the world, the Jewish Pharisees, [Page 262] and Gentile Philosophers, scorn the beginnings of the Gospel, designing to crush it by Power, or disgrace it by pretended holiness, or confute it by subtle argu­ments; but contrary to all their expectations Jesus pre­vailed over the oftentation of the Pharisees, the learn­ing of the Philosopher, and the legions of the Roman Em­perors, so that by an Omnipotent but Invisible arm in a few ages, his enemies vanished, and Princes Crowns were laid at his feet. Read the Word of God, and observe the methods of his Providence, and you shall find, He hath ever appeared an enemy to those Proud and lofty onesAesopus rogatus quid Jupiter agit? Resp. [...]. Hes. who are inthroned in their own vain-glories, and suppose they have strengrh enough to secure their gran­deur, his irresistible arm shall pull them down, and set up those they despise in their place, whereby he gives not only an evidence of his Power, but of his Wisdome and Justice, for disappointment and po­verty is the most smarting punish­ment to pride and insolence, and ho­nour and exaltation is so unexpected to the humble, that they will be most thankful for it, and most careful to use it to his honour who bestows it on them. Jacob and Joseph, Gideon and David were the youngest and least considerable in their fathers houses, Leah was hated and Hannah (whose song of Praise 1 Sam. 2.1. Mary here imitates) she was de­spised, and so was this blessed Virgin; who was so mean and obscure that the honourable Ladies and stately Dames of Israel, who were all ambitious to be the mothers of the Messiah, would have scorned her a place among their hand-maids, yet they are passed by, and she is designed to this felicity, and she magnifies the Lord for it; but those that are great and full of Earthly honours, expect these favours as their due, and cannot desire them with the hunger and thirst of the poor and lowly, nor return their thanks with the like Devotion, therefore these are disap­pointed [Page 263] of their hope, and sent away empty [...]. dicuntur qui ad aliquem ve­niunt beneficium ex­pectantes & non in­veniunt. Luc. 20.10, 11. Job. 22.9. and the Mercy is given to those that least expected it, and will be most thankful for it. Let us there­fore be lowly in heart, when our condition is low, and if we have a sense of our wants, and desire his help, we shall be lovely in his eyes, though the world trample on us, he will exalt and fill us with all good things, even to our own admiration, and the envy of those who did despise us: the world is full of instances of these dispensations of Providence, but the most excellent and illustrious testimony that ever was, appeared in the spiritual ad­vantages which the Israel of God received in the giving the Messiah, since we were then just ready to sink into ruine, had he not laid hold of usHeb. 2.16. and by his mighty arm rescued us from the Pit, we were justly abdica­ted by God our Father, and dis­inherited, but Jesus comes to re­concile us, and in him we are resto­red to favourFilius abdicatus in gratiam rediens Graecis dicitur [...]. & Pater [...]. Scult. exer. and received in­to grace again; and thus the Pro­mise made to Abraham is made good, and the Lord becomes the God of his seed for ever. Oh my soul ac­knowledge the gracious dealings of thy most merciful Father, but above all praise him for the mercies of the Gospel, for what comfort were it to be raised by the fall of our temporal enemies to a fading honour, if a mi­serable Eternity did succeed, but now by Faith in Jesus thou art not only secured in thy low estate, but mayest behold an immoveable Throne, an immortal Crown pre­pared for thee, high as Heaven; while all the proud wor­kers of iniquity shall fall low as hell, never to rise again: Glory be to the Father, &c.

A Practical Discourse on the Nunc Dimit­tis, The first Hymn after the second Lesson.

§. 5. THE Author of this short and comprehensive Hymn, was a man eminent, for his exact Justice, vigorous Devotion, lively Faith, and extraordinary in­spiration; and of this, the holy Text assures: us and it is probable he was a person considerable, very likely him whom the Jews call Simeon the first, who lived at this time, and was the son of the most famous Rabbi Hillel Vid. Scultet. Exerc. Evang. l. 1. c. 61. and Light-foots Harm. on this place. who opposed the received opinion of the temporal King­dome of the Messiah; for it is cer­tain our Simeon did so, or he had never thus rejoyced over a Messiah presented by so mean Parents, in swadling clothes at the gates of the Temple. It was not the object that appeared to his eyes, but the illumination of the Spirit, and the pro­spect of his Faith, that elevated his affections. Where­fore we need not pretend to dismiss this holy song, by alledging it was an extraordinary occasion; for the [Page 268] writings of th [...] Apostles, which are daily read among us, do as clearly represent him the Saviour of the world to the eye of Faith, and set him before us as evidently in the house of God, as any bodily sight could do to him; and if our minds be inlightened, and our faith firm as his, we have the same occasion, and ought to re­hearse it with the same devotion. The mercy is made sufficiently plain to us, it we were but as apprehensive of the advantages it brings to us, and all men, as he was. I know not why we should wish to live any lon­ger, then till we have obtained hopes of a share in it: But we have houses to build, families to propagate, and designs to compleat, and all before we are willing to dye. We desire something besides, nay (perhaps) more then an Interest in Jesus; and therefore we dare not joyn in this noble wi [...]h. But he was dead to the world before, and had been impatient of a longer stay, but only for the promise to have a sight of Jesus in the flesh. And when this long-wished for happiness was come to pass, his expectations are answered, and all his desires filled. He values nothing here, but humbly craves his dismission. His holy soul that came from God, can find no rest on the waters of this world, and therefore de­sires to return with an Olive-branch of peace to its dear Lord [...] C [...]em. Al. Strom. 4^o. Mortem Stoici appellare solent, [...] Arrian., where it was sure of rest and joy among the best of friends. He now desires leave to depart from the flesh, which he had long esteemed his Prison, wherein he was confined by his infirmities [...] The­mistius ap. Stobae., and shut up from beholding the [Page 269] glories of God, which he now longs to see more then e­ver, by this last experience of his Truth and Mercy; and he knew that death would set him free, his desires and joy begin to swell too big to be confined in the walls of flesh, and now he is even straitned till he be let loose into the regions of glory to praise him face to face. And yet his extasies transport him not beyond the mea­sures of obedience and humility; for he first asks his Masters leave, nor will he go till he have Commission: but he intimates he had stript himself of all worldly de­sires, and had his inner coat, his flesh in his hands ready to lay it down, and run when­ever the watch word [...]. Ar. was given. His hopes and desires to see his Saviour had alone made his life ac­ceptable, and the fulfilling of them makes even death most welcome to him; because he knew that Jesus came to disarm death, and (by sa­tisfying for sin) to deprive it of that sting which made it terrible to all men. All the sin-offerings of the law were but weak armor to encounter death, nor could they so fully purge or appease the Conscience, as that it should not accuse in the fatal hour: But the perfect Sacrifice of the death of Jesus, doth so fully avert Gods wrath, that all that believe in him can triumph over death, meet it with courage, and embrace it with peace, as the end of their fears, and the entrance into their felicity1 Cor. 15.55. Non est timendum quod liberat nos ab omni timendo.. How can he fear death that hath his sins forgiven? or how can he doubt Gods mercy that beholds his Son with faith and love? or how can he question the truth of Gods Promises that em­braces Jesus the greatest of all in his arms? He that knows Gods power, is persuaded of his love, and con­vinced of his truth, can dye in peace, and lye down with joy in the assurance of a blessed Resurrection. And this we may do, for it was only their priviledge who lived then, to see Jesus, and whoever looked on [Page 270] him so as to dare to dye then, must behold him by faith: and thus we may see Christ not only with Simeon pre­sented in the Temple, but with St. Steven standing at the right hand of God, not only in his rising, but his full glory. Why then are we so fixed to this world? so desirous to stay? so loath to depart? so sad when God calls? Oh let us look on this our Redeemer so sted­fastly, and embrace him so tenderly in our hearts, that it may appear he is dearer to us then our very lives. Let us love him so intirely that nothing may satisfie us without him; and trust so fully in his merits and mer­cies, that we may live chearfully and dye peaceably. Let us say with this devout Old man; Lord I do now so clearly perceive thy purposes of mercy, so confi­dently believe thy promises of forgiveness and so firmly rely on the hopes of glory, that I resolve to be ever thy servant. I desire to stay no longer in this world then to get assurances for a better. Earths vanities do not make me wish to live, nor deaths terrors afraid to dye. If thou callest me this day, Lord I come. I can live with patience, or dye in peace; for I see him that will preserve me in life or death, and gives me hopes that whether I live or dye, I am the Lords. I was not with Simeon in the Temple to behold my Saviour with my bodily eyes; but I have had thy Salvation as clearly manifested in this thy holy word, as if I had seen him with my eyes. Lord grant me thy holy Spirit, that I may behold him with the same faith, and embrace him with the same affections that he did, and then I shall chearfully joyn in a Nunc Dimittis, and being daily rea­dy to dye, shall ever be fit to live, and thy will shall be done in my life or death. Blessed Lord! thou hast even to our dayes by these holy writings sufficiently manifested thy Son before all our faces; and it is our carelesness, ingratitude and unbelief, that hides him from our eyes, and makes us hug these vanities, and fear to leave them. But thou hast done thy part, and I will praise thee, for sending this bright and glorious Sun, which shined on so many millions of wretched Heathens benighted in the darkness of Idolatry, and [Page 271] made them Christian. I will bless thee for honouring thy antient but despised people, who were more en­abled by the birth of Jesus, then by all their former Royalties and victorious Trophies; and instead of the bright Cloud, the glory of the Tabernacle, thou hast sent him to pitch his tent among them, who was the brightness of thy own glory. I am ravished to behold so many joyful souls blessing thee for this light which shined on them in their sins, and the confines of eter­nal darkness, and converted and translated them into thy marvelous light. And all thy holy Saints in all ages have given thee the glory for all those illustrious beams of Love and Charity, Piety, Justice and Devotion, which shine from their lives, and are but the reflexion of the rayes of the grace of Jesus. This excellent per­son rejoyced not only in his own felicity, but to be­hold by the Spirit of Prophecy what joy Jesus was like to bring to me, and many thousands, of Converts and holy Men to the end of the World. Wherefore let us be glad and rejoyce with him, for our selves, and all people, for the light that shines upon us, and the glory that is round about us, and with all our Souls sing, Glory be to the Father, &c.

A Discourse of the Creed.

§. 1. THE Holy Scriptures being a perfect Revelation of all Divine Truth, ought to be undoubtedly received by every Christian. And no man is necessarily obliged to believe any thing in order to his salvation that is not contained therein [...] Damasc. de Orthod. Fid. l. 1. c. 1., or ne­cessarily deduced thence. So that the whole Word of God may be called our Creed, because it is the rule of our Faith. And yet because the truths therein revealed are disper­sed and variously presented accord­ing to the several occasions of [Page 276] their manifestation (and since they are liable to be mis­understood by ignorance and carelesness, or misrepre­sented to us by malice and interest, it seems almost necessary that the fundamental Articles of our Faith should be collected thence, and reduced to one compre­hensive sum, which may be learned early, remembred easily, and retained unanimously and constantly by all Christians. On which grounds there was in the Apostles times a form of sound words2 Tim. 1.13. [...]. Epist. Jud. ver. 14. [...]. 2 Tim. 1.14. [...] Philip. 3.16. [...] of that Faith which was delivered to the Saints, and which they are charged to keep with all fidelity, that they might all be of the same mind and walk by the same rule. And if the consent of Antiquity be of any Authority, this form of the Apostles Creed was that which they all agreed uponDiscessuri ab in­vicem norman prius futurae praedicatio­nis in commune con­stituunt. Ruffinus in Symbol. Omnes Orthodoxi Patres affirmant Symbolum ab ipsis Apostolis conditum. Sixt. Senens. Bib. before their parting, to be a standing rule and measure for the Christian faith. So that it hath ever since been of great authority in the Church, and though the cavils of some hereticks, made it fit to explain some Articles more largely, and gave occasion to the composing of new Creeds at Nice and Constantinople, &c. yet these were never intended to abate the Authority of this, which of all others hath been received most ge­nerally. And those were account­ed Orthodox and Catholique Hanc legem se­quentes Christiano­rum Catholicorum nomen jubemus am­plecti, reliquos vero dementes— haereti­ci dogmatis infami­am sustinent. Theo­dos. & Grat. Imp. who did embrace it, and all others bran­ded with the infamous names of Hereticks and Deceivers. But who­ever desires a fuller account here­of, or a large explication of all the Doctrines herein contained, must be referred to those Excellent Per­sons who have so well performed [Page 277] that task, it being our design now only to consider it as it is here made use of in our daily Devotions: and so what is to be said will come under some of these heads, 1. The place it obtains in our Liturgy, 2. The time when, 3. The reasons why, and 4. The manner how it is to be repeated.

§. 2. This antient Confession of our Faith is most ju­dicially set by the Church after the ending of the Les­sons out of holy Scripture. For the Creed receives both its Being and Authority from thence, since it is collected from the Word of God, and proved by it, and what can be more seasonable then for us, after the reading of Holy Writ, to declare our persuasion of all that is contained therein: especially of the Articles treated of in the now read Portion. By repeating our Creed here we do set to our sealsJohn 3.33. [...]. to confirm the Truth of God and all revealed by him, and do gratefully acknowledge and declare those salutary mysteries we have learned from these Divine Oracles. And we may further consider, that as the Creed follows the Lessons out of which it sprang, so it precedes the Prayers, which are grounded on it. And the publique profession of our Faith before we pray, is the vindica­tion and the foundation of the Petitions we make; for therefore we ask these things, and in this manner, be­cause we believe in an Invisible God who is an Omnipo­tent Creator, a most merciful Redeemer, and a most gra­cious Comforter. Hence we pray to the Father in the Name of the Son, by the assistance of the holy Spirit, in fellowship with the Saints, for the forgiveness of sins, and a joyful resurrection. And all this we are directed and encouraged unto by the belief of this Creed, which, by exercising that most necessary companion of our Pray­ers, viz. Faith, is an excellent preparative to our ad­dresses. Which secondly may partly account for the time and frequency of its repetition, which ought to be as often as we solemniy read or pray, and so not to be omitted at any time in publique Assemblies; where [Page 278] the Antients observed the use of it (and we may receive great benefit by a devout imitation of them) in arm­ing our souls hereby against all doubting or evil thoughts, which disturbe us most in our attendance upon the service of our heavenly MasterCum horremus aliquid animo recur­rendum est ad Sym­bolum. Quando enim sine militiae sacra­mento miles in ten­torio, bellator in prae­lio. Ambr.. So that as the Germans excluded him from their sacrifices that came with­out his shield; so should he be from our Church-devotions, that holds not up this shield of Faith, by which he may overcome all the fiery darts of the Devil. And, as if it could never be repeated too often, we find holy Ambrose Symbolum quo­que specialiter de­bemus tanquam no­stri cordis signacu­lum, antelucanis ho­ris quotidie recen­sere. ad Virg. l. 3. commending it to his Virgins, as the first exercise of their morning pie­ty, and St. Augustine prescribing it to his Catechumens, to be used both Night and Morning, not as a Prayer (as some ignorant Persons mistake it) but as a foundation to build their Prayers on,Accipite filii regulam fidei quod Symbolum dicitur & —in corde scri­bite & quotidie di­cite apud vos, ante­quam dormiatis, an­teq [...]am precedatis, symbolo vestro, vos munite. de Symb. ad Catech. l. 1. a Memento to whom they were made, and a ground of their hope that they should be ac­cepted, and for the same reasons we now place it in our Morning and Evening Prayer.

§. 3. But the fitness and necessity of its daily repeti­tion will more fully appear, and we shall be better in­structed in our duty therein by a more particular ac­count of the reasons thereof, the principal of which are, 1. To fix it in our memories and record it there, that it may never go out of our minds, being daily re­vived by a fresh recital, for this being the sum of those principles which we are to square our lives by; the Test to discern the temptations of Sathan, and the [Page 279] false doctrines of hereticks by:Nulla enim un­quam extitit haeresis quae non hoc Symbo­lo potuit damnari. Coelestin. ad Nest. we can no more be without it then the Architect without his Rule and the Goldsmith without his touchstone. And least it should be neglected or forgotten by private persons; if we attend on the Ser­vice of the Church, we shall neither be ignorant nor un­mindful of this heavenly touchstone, by which we may constantly discover all that is contrary to the truth of our principles or the holiness of our profession. 2. To express our constant fidelity to God; this being like the Souldiers word or symbol, by keeping which, we own that great General, whose Souldiers and Servants we avowed our selves at Baptism, and took upon us this Faith as the badge and cognizance of our relation to God and dependance on him. So that whenever we are to fight for him, or to approach himDei igitur cul­tus quoniam coelestit militia est, devo­tionem maximam fi­demque desiderat. Lact. lib. 5. c. 20. Non ego perfidum dixi sacramentum Ibimus, ibimus —, we must shew this badge, and repeat the Articles of our Al­legiance, to declare we are still for the Lord of hosts, and do hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. Nor is there a more ef­fectual argument to move God to hear our Prayers, and obtain the intercession of Jesus, then with heart and voice to make this Con­fession of him before menRom. 10. ver. 9, 10. & S. Matth. 10. ver. 32., and solemnly to own our selves his ser­vants;Psal. 116. ver. 16. & Psalm. 119.125. for then we have assured promises of protection and defence. Let us then think how reverently should we stand up to renew our faithful engagements to the King of Heaven and Earth? and how sincerely should we profess our fidelity to the searcher of all hearts, whose we desire so much to be accounted? and now that we are in our Petitions to beseech him to shew himself to be our God, let us most seriously and devoutly protest our selves to be [Page 280] his servants. 3. To manifest our unity among our selves, and agreement with the whole Church; that as we have one Lord so we may have one FaithEphes. 4.5. Rom. 15.6., and as Children of the same Father, servants of the same house­hold, and Souldiers under the same Prince, may with one mind and one mouth glorifie this One God. For we must agree in heart as well as meet in person, if we would have our prayersMatth. 18.19. be accepted. It were to be wished there were no dissent in the smallest matters among the servants of the same God; but if any such be; that they may not dissolve our Union, nor divide our Worship, we are all to re­joyce that we agree in the main, and to repeat this Creed together with a hearty charity, that we may all declare our selves satisfied in these necessary things, and may pray together without the least sparks of wrath. Let us therefore remember, these Prayers are put up only by and for the true members of the Church; and this Creed is the Criterion to discern be­tween the faithful and the falseTessera & sig­naculum quo inter fideles perfidosque sece [...]nitur. Maxim. Taurin.. So that by the hearty reciting there­of, thou ownest the same Faith which glorified Saints did once profess, and all holy Christians throughout the world do now believe; and dost hereby declare thy self a true mem­ber of Christs holy Church,Fides quam Sancti Apostoli praedicave­runt, concilia firma­verunt, & Fa­tres consignaverunt. Theodorus Ep. Rom. and so hast a right to its priviledges, and a share in its Devotions.

§. 4. The last and chiefest enquiry is concerning the manner how it is to be repeated; of which we had need be careful least our frequent use of so excellent a part of these offices, do take off our attention from these noble and necessary ends. There are many requisite and becoming affections, which our thoughts should now [Page 281] be actuated with, concerning the certainty and the use­fulness of these truths, the happiness of those that know them, and the misery of such as are ignorant of them. But especially we must be careful in this part of our ser­vice, 1. To be most heartily thankful to our gracious God, that hath made these divine truths so manifest to us. Shall the heathen Plato praise God that he was born in Greece and educated at Athens? and the Jews bless him every day that made them sons of Abraham, and sanctified them with his precepts? and shall not we much more magnifie his favour towards us who by the advantages of our Birth and Education, are so early instructed in these saving truths that are so necessary, we cannot be happy without them, so evident that we are scarce ever tempted to doubt of them, and yet withall so mysterious that all the wisdome in the world could never (without the help of Revelation) have discove­red them to us? many Kings and Princes, Prophets and Masters of the greatest reason, have lived and dyed in ignorance of these principles, which by Gods mer­cy you understand as clearly and believe as fully as any thing that sense or experience teacheth you. Forget not therefore daily to pay the tribute of Praise to thy heavenly Master who hath made thee o [...]e of his own School, and prevented thy going blindfold to destruction. 2. Be sure to give your positive and particular assent to all and every article thereof, receiving them all as undoubted Oracles from the mouth of the God of truth, who neither will nor can deceive. Our souls may safely rely upon them, and require no other de­monstration [...]. Clem. Alex. Strom. 50. but only whether it be certain that God did reveal them. He that knows him and his eternal veracity will enquire no further; and he that would be­lieve firmly had need enquire so [Page 282] far, and with the Bereans search the ScriptureActs 17.11. Non temerè sed ra­tione nitimur ad fi­dem. Orig. in Cels. l. 3., and examine if these be confirmed there; and then we may on good grounds annex our Credo (I believe) to every single Article, when we have found it a­greeing with the Word of God. And though [I believe] be only once set down in the be­ginning of the first Article, yet it must be understood and supplied by us in the front of every Article after­wards; as it was wont to be in the antient form of Baptism (and may be seen in the Creed for that office in our Liturgy) the Priest asking at every Article Cre­dis, Dost thou believe? and he answering Credo, I be­lieve. Meditate that God himself doth so bespeak you: I have given you my holy word, and taught you all saving truth, do you believe there is one God? and let every ones heart eccho again, I do believe it. Do you believe he made Heaven and Earth? I do believe it, &c. Nor must any man think it sufficient for the Minister to say the Creed for him, it is not then thy Faith, but his own. Nor doth he confess it that doth not in heart or voice or both go along with every sen­tence, and seal it with a most hearty assent. There are many truths which do not concern us whether they be true or false, and in such cases a general persuasion that they may be true will suffice. But these principles of our Faith, are the ground of our Prayers, the rule of our lives, and must be received with the same evidence that the Mathematicians postulata are, on which his fol­lowing demonstrations depend; so that without the ad­mission of these he can do nothing. Remember you must conduct the affairs of your life by this profession; you must venture your souls at your death on these principles; nay if need be you must seal these Truths with your blood: therefore do not slightly repeat them but let them sink into your heart; and be so assured of them, that no pleasure or profit may intice you to walk contrary to it or deny it; nor no threats or pains affright you from confessing it, and rejoyce in this [Page 283] daily opportunity to express the constancy of your faith, and every day protest your belief as solemnly as if you were to dye for it. 3. Our mind can never want imployment for all the faculties and powers there­of, because in the repetition, we are to make a parti­cular application of every Article, that it may pro­duce those effects and serve those ends for which it was revealed. And it is absurd if not impious to think that God did discover these sacred truths only to enlarge our speculations, or experience our credulity. All that is true is equally so, and the reason why these truths are more necessary to be believed then others, is, not because they are more certain, but more u [...]eful to assist our devotions, and direct our conversation, then any other propositions that Gods word doth con­tain; where they are not barely taught, but ever ap­plied, either as incouragements to the worship of God, or arguments to a holy life. Nor are they intended so much to make us wiser as to per­swade us to become better [...]. Clem. Alex. Paedag.. And if they have not this effect upon us, our Faith excels not the Confession of the DevilsMatth. 8.29. James 2.19., who did acknow­ledge Jesus the Son of God, and yet opposed the purposes of that mistery, and so had no benefit by their acknowledgment. This light is set up to direct us, and it is expected that we should work and walk by it. And that will appear, when our Devotions suit these principles, and our practices are the genuine products of our profession. For therefore Heaven did reveal this Creed, and therefore the Church inserts it here. And that we may learn to use it to these purposes, let us more particularly consider, 1. How we may apply it to assist our Prayers. In or­der whereunto we must observe that our Faith is the basis on which our Petitions are built; the sole en­gagement to us to make them, and the principal mo­tive to God to hear them; who hath so often requi­red that we should pray with Faith, and without the [Page 284] least wavering or distrustMatth. 21.22. 1 Tim. 2.8. Heb. 11.6. James 1.6. Graec. [...]: agi­tatur scil. dubitans, at non progreditur: vide item Jac. 5.15. Graec. [...]; &c.. If we come to God we must believe that he is, and that he will reward those that wait upon him, (without which persuasion the Gentiles them­selves did neverVeneramini Dees & colitis; non cre­dentes illos esse? & propitias aures ve­stris supplicationibus accommodare? Ar­nob. adv. gentes. lib. 2. worship their false Gods) nor can we pray to the true with either courage, zeal or comfort, till we have possessed our souls with right opinions of him. And this we may do, by a reciting our Creed before our Prayers, which is an impenetrable armor a­gainst all those discouragements and fears which Sathan is apt to assail us with. Let us not pray like those that know not God; but imitate the holy servants of God in Scripture, who alwaies begin their supplicati­ons with a brief Confession of their Faith in Gods Power1 Kings 8.23. Nehem. 9.6. 1 Chron. 29.11.12. Daniel. 9.4. and Providence, his Mercy and his Co­venant, as we do ours with the de­claration of our Faith. Oh what holy fervours doth it put our souls into, to contemplate the Power of an Almighty Father, the love of a most merciful Redeemer, and the grace of the holy Spirit our sanctifier! Doth it not teach us reverence and fear, sincerity and longing desires, hope and chear­ful expectations thus to set God before us in our Creed, in the beauty of his Attributes, and the glory of his works? When we have professed our belief in the Fa­ther Almighty that made Heaven and Earth, how readi­ly shall we run to him for the supply of our temporal necessities? When we have protested our assurance that the eternal Son of God was made man, born among us, lived with us, and dyed for us, and arose again and returned to his glory to prepare a place for us, and plead our cause, can we then forbear to cry for par­don [Page 285] and peace, for conversion and salvation? or shall we doubt to be accepted. Again, have we owned our belief of that holy Spirit which is the Author and fini­sher of all grace? and are we not then fitly disposed and strongly moved to petition for his aid, that we may continue true members of Christs body, and en­joy a Communion with the Saints, remission of our sins, restauration of our body, and an eternal life of glory? If we did not premise our Faith to our Prayers, it might be suspected we spoke to him we knew not, and asked what was unfit to be desired or impossible to be obtained. But now all these stumbling blocks are re­moved, and our Creed is made an excellent prepara­tory to the following Collects; every Petition of which are directed by, grounded on, and enforced from some of these Articles, which, if we thus apply them, will shew us, how fitly we may desire these things, and what reason we have to hope they shall be granted. And se­condly we must learn to apply these Articles of our Faith to the right ordering of our lives, not repeating them as empty notions and airy speculations, but as the princi­ples and rules of practice. For why should the Christi­ans belief alone be supposed sufficient, without some Acts deduced from it. The Merchant believes there are Jewels and rarities in other landsEstne operis in vitâ negotiosum ali­quod quod non fide praecunte suscipiunt actores? Arnob. l. 2. Nihil est quod in vitâ geri possit, si non credulitas prae­cesserit. Ruffin. in Symbol., and he puts to Sea, and attempts the pur­chase. The Countryman sows, the Scholar studies, and the Souldier fights according to the principles of advantage they believe will come up­on those endeavours. And doth the Religious man only believe and sit still? Are not our principles surer, our hopes clearer, and our probabi­lities fairer, and our gains like to be infinitely more? Why then do we say these principles over as it were some Lesson that was never to be put in practice? Let us turn our Creed into Syllogisms, and we shall see what consequences necessarily flow from it. And let us so [Page 286] firmly believe it that our Conversation may be the natu­ral conclusion from those premises; for there is no man whose natural Logick will not enable him to argue thus. He that believes God to be Almighty, and that he made him and all the world, must love and fear this God and trust in him in all his needs: But I believe in God the Father Almighty, &c. Therefore I must love and fear and trust in him at all times. Or thus, Whoever de­serves and fears Gods wrath, cannot truly believe Jesus came to save him from it, but he must speedily apply himself to him, and thankfully embrace this salvation: But I who deserve and fear Gods wrath do believe this, &c. Therefore I must speedily apply my self to him, and thankfully embrace this salvation from him. And thus without strictly confining our selves to the rules of Art, the most ignorant may with a little consideration find the natural result of every Article, and what effect it will produce in any man that heartily doth embrace it. And oh that all the world were as willing to live ac­cording to their professions, as they are able to appre­hend the force of these arguings! We should not see our practises so frequently opposite to (nay destructive of) those principles we pretend to believe. Let us ask our selves what manner of persons we ought to be, who do so solemnly protest our belief that all these things are true. In temporal things, what we believe dangerous and unprofitable we avoid; what we are persuaded is pleasant and advantageous we pursue; and if our assent be as firm, why should we not do so in spirituals? Where the grounds are surer, the inferences clearer, and the gain and reward infinitely greater: 'tis too much to be feared we follow not our Creed far enough, nor consider what the belief of those Articles would produce in us if cordially embraced. Wherefore for the sake of such as could not, or would not thus use the Articles of their Faith; we have added to the Paraphrase the following Application.

A Practical Discourse on the Collect for Peace.

§. 1. O God who art the author of peace and lover of concord] Peace hath alwaies been reputed the chiefest of earthly blessings; both because of its own ex­cell [...]ncies and because it is the Parent and the Nurse of all other comforts. So that in the sacred dialectNum. 6.26. & in salutationibus: Pax est? Gen. 29.6. comprehendit [...]. Drusius. Si non pax, nihil. Adag Hebr. ap. Fa­gium. peace is used to signifie all good things, [...]lenty and prosperity, health and joy, and the undisturbed fruition of all these. It is the felicity indeed of Earth, [...]here all is nothing without it, and the Type of Heaven, where all is com­prehended in it; wherefore the Christia [...]s according to Gods com­mandHeb. 12.14. Jerem. 29.7. Psal. 122.6. —orbem quietum. Tertul. Apolog. Pro arcendis hosti­bus — & vel aufe­rendis vel tempe­randis adversis, ut & pro gentium pace & salute. Cypi. Epist. ad Demetr. did ever follow it in their lives, and [...]eg it in their Prayers; both as to the Heathens under whom they lived, and the Church of God. And in obedience to the Divine Command, and imitation of such examples, we also make it a part of our daily Office to pray for Peace. And sure none can approach the throne of grace to ask this blessing with greater encouragements then we have. For (as the Church inti­mates) our God is the author of PeaceIs [...]i. 45.7. Matth. 5.9., and owns the peace-makers for his Children. And in­stead of that dreadful title the Lord of hosts is in the New TestamentRom. 15.33. Chap. 16.20. Philip. 4.9. ever stiled the God of Peace; because he loves it, and procures itPsal. 46.9., and commands us to make it and seek [Page 312] it with all men. So that this Petition can never be rejected which is no more then, Lord give us that which is agree­able to thy nature, pleasant in thy sight, and which we by thy command continually do follow after. And as he delights to preserve his servants in Peace from all ene­mies without, so also to behold them live in unity and concord within among themselves. Hence he also com­mends and commands thisPsal. 68.6. & 133.1, 2. Rom. 15.5, 6. Acts 2.44., and did so firmly bind the souls of the first believers in the bands of amity and concord that all the powers of darkness could not dissolve those holy combinations. Wherefore set these Attributes of God before you when you are to beg for Peace, and let them encourage you to ask chearfully, and teach you (as you desire to please him) to endea­vour after Peace and Concord in your lives, that your actions may not contradict your Prayers, wherein you own your selves sons of the God of peace.

§. 2. In knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom] It will further encou­rage our request, if we here make humble acknowledg­ments of, and pleasing reflexions upon our happiness in having relation to such a God, the perfect knowledge of whom is the felicity of the Saints of Heaven,John 17.3. and his worship and service the safety of his holy ones on earth. It is the most ravishing of all the delights of Eternity, for blessed spirits to take a full prospect of the immense treasures of the unexpressible love of the God of Peace; and to behold how he rejoyces over the endearing Con­cord and inseparable mities of his chosen ones in his everlasting peace. And that little discovery which he hath m [...]de to us in this imperfect state of his power and providence, his care and love, his delight in our con­cord and procuring our peace, even this is the greatest help to bring [...]s to those endless joys. For when we behold the miseries of the world, the rage of wicked men, and the malice of Sathan; we might in despair [...] escape them, comply with them for our present safety, [Page 313] and so lose our eternal happiness. But only that we know him who is able to secure us and delights in our peace; and therefore we fly to him; call upon him, and incourage our selves in him in the greatest appear­ance of danger, and thereby are kept through Faith un­to salvation, and brought at last to that eternal life, which we should scarce dare to hope for, but by our knowledge and experience of his power and mercy. This is the reason why we now entreat him for peace, whom we know to be the Author of Peace, even that we may improve our knowledge of him, to be a means to bring us to that never ceasing peace in his heavenly Kingdom; and to shew us from whom we must seek pro­tection all the way. And further we declare that we neither are nor desire to be masters of our selves. For our liberty consists not in being subject to no superior; but in that we are the servantsJohn 8.32.36. 1 Cor. 7.22. Dion. Drus. [...]. Orat. 14. of so almighty and gracious a master, who preserves us a thousand times safer then if we were left to our selves. We are now directly enga­ged in his service, and therefore under his immediate prote [...]ion; so that now we have a perfect freedom even from the very fears of any harm from the worst of our enemies. We that trembled like slaves, and bowed our necks to sinful complyances in every appear­ance of danger, do now pray most chearfully for peace, and are as free men brought out of those dismal ex­pectations with a high handExod. 14.8. Dan. 3.17. Heb. 2.15., be­cause we know our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, who be­fore we knew and worshiped him were ever through fear of death subject unto bondage. Nay our will is now become free, because we choose what pleaseth God, so that his will and our choice agrees, and so nothing can hinder us [...]. Arrian. in Epictet.. We have resolved nobly to be no longer slaves [Page 314] to evil, but ever to do good; trust­ing in the defence of Gods Provi­dence, and the help of his grace: and since we know and serve one greater then the world or the Prince of darkness either, their threats nor flatteries cannot command or enslave us. So long as we believe in him our souls are free.

§. 3. Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies] When we consider our selves invironed on every side with enemies and dangers, that we are neither likely to escape nor able to overcome by our own strength; and also behold our God who is the Au­thor of peace and lover of concord, the joy of his saints, and the deliverer of his servants; we shall earnestly call upon him to defend us, and that very Petition is an acknowledgment of our own insufficiency, to defend our selves, the sense whereof will exceedingly quicken this request. But if we expect Protection from God, we must profess our selves his humble servants, not in com­plement or flattery, but as little States when in distress they Petition for succour from their potent Neighbours, must acknowledge (with Ahaz)2 Kings 17.9. Brevis formula de­ditionis: plenius ap. Romanos, Populum, urbem, agros delu­bra, divina, humana­que omnia in ve­strûm di [...]ionem de­dimus. Grotius. in loc. they will be their homagers and servants, if they will deliver them; so must we sincerely protest our selves Gods servants, and in this form surrender up our selves into his protection. And if we be real therein, we shall be owned as the confederates of Heaven; and from thence shall have legions of Angels sent in to our aid, whenever we desire or need them. But wo be to those hypocrites who fly to God in a storm, and call themselves his servants feignedly for present safety; but when the violence is over forsake him again. This folly and baseness will cause him to cast out them and their prayers also. But let us remember we have many [Page 315] enemies who sometimes oppose us from without, and other times do divide us among our selves; that we may most heartily own our selves the servants of the God of Peace; by loving and following peace with all men, and living in concord with one a­notherExtrances ad­v [...]niemes si s [...]pimu; juncti repellemus, quoniam etian si sin­guli laedimur uni­versi periclitemur. Hermocr. ap. Thu­cyd. [...]iabolus semper vos muni [...]os inveniat & arma [...]es c [...]cordia, q [...]o [...]iam pax vestra bellum. si illi. Ter­tul. ad Martyr.. The world, the devil and wicked men (who are princi­pally meant here) will assault [...]s. But whether the foes of goodness as­sail us with the flattery or re­proaches of the tongue, the violence and cruelty of the hand, the scorn and contempt of the feet, we have a help at hand, who discerns the most secret plots, and buffles the most politick designs, and invali­dates the most formidable prepara­tions. And if we beg his assistance he will either deliver us from them, or save us in them, and support us under them, that they shall not harm us. Wherefore (if we observe) the Church reacheth us not to pray that we may not be assaulted, (for that is not to be ex­pected) if we consider the pride, opposition and malice of evil men to all good, and the inveterate enmity of S [...]than who sets them all on work, we may as well hope to wash the Ethiopian white, or tame a Tyger, or to behold the Lyon eat grass, as that these should give us no disturbanceSi quis vitiorum omnium ini [...]icus re­ctum iter vitae in­sistere co [...]pit, pri­num propter morum differentiam edium habet; qui [...]enim po­test probare con­traria? Petron. Arb.. God did never promise this, nay he bids us to ex­pect no otherIsai. 59.13. John 16.33. Eccl [...]s. 2.1., and f [...]rewarns us of it that we may before-armed for it; so that we right displease God if we asked contrary to his revealed will, that we might never be opposed. Wherefore let it suffice us that we be supported under them, and receive no prej [...]dice from them [Page 316] as to our eternal interest. If God make us like the miraculous bush unburnt in the midst of these flames, it will be all one as if we had not been thrown into that fire. Only thus the malice of the wicked is discovered, disappointed and disgraced, our patience is proved and made apparent, and the Divine Power and Mercy is more manifested, and his name more glorified, then if we had never been assaulted. In this we wholly submit to him, whether he will keep the spirits of evil men from rising against us, or (as he did in the instances of Laban, Esau, and Saul) turn their rage into amicable compliances, and fruitless attempts.

§. 4. That we surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, throug the might of Jesus Christ o [...]r Lord.] We aim higher in this request then a bare safety from the violence and craft of our enemies. Desiring such frequent and constant experi­men [...]s of his care and providence, that we may never tremble at any danger while we surely rely on his de­fence; but that we may be freed from our own fears, which make us as miserable and dejected as the evils themselvesPlura sunt quae nos terrent quam quae premunt, & sae­piùs opinione quam re laboramus, timore — aut augemus do­lorem aut fingimus aut praecipimus. Se­neca.; and ruine our hope, banish our joy, dissipate our coun­sels, and strip us of all powers of resistance. So that either we become our own executioners, or lye open to the designs of our enemies, who commonly enter at the breach our own fears have made. But the only remedy for such terrors is a firm trust on the Divine Protection, and till that faith fail,Pavor mihi om­nem sapientiam ex animo expectorat. Ennius. we are most safe; be our foes never so numerous or potent, their Menaces and prepara­tions never so great; till they can conquer heaven they cannot terri­fie us, who cannot perish while God is for us. Let us then pray for daily assurances of his providence and love, and those will still add vigour to our Faith, till [Page 317] we become undaunted and invincible through the might of Jesus. We acknowledge it were the highest fol­ly to be thus confident, if we relyed on our own strength, but if we do not fear our adversaries, it is because our Redeemer is mighty, who as a Prince hath Power with God, and will obtain help from him for us, by the power of his undenyable intercession, and as a glorious Conqueror commands the Earth and Hell it self. So that his might will secure us here; and this is our strong Tower in which we believe our selves so safe, that upon the confidence thereof we pray for protection and defence, and that we may neither fear nor feel harm from any of our opposers; and desire this may be granted and decreed in hea­ven by the mighty interest of our Mediator there, and accomplished on earth by the invincible strength of the same Jesus here. Amen.

A Practical Discourse on the Collect for Grace.

§. 5. O Lord our heavenly Father, almighty and e­verlasting God] Peace without Grace is the nurse of vice, the sauce of dangerous pleasures: It oc­casions our forgetfulness of God that gave it, and be­comes an undisturbed opportunity to prosecute, and enjoy those lusts which it is apt to breed. So that we must not pray for Peace alone, but joyned with righte­ousness and Grace; for these God hath united in ScripturePsal. 85.10. 2 Cor. 1, 2., and we must not separate them in our devotions. For which cause this Collect for Grace follows that for Peace. Grace alone can make Peace true, beneficial and lasting; and sin is the great boutefen and the greatest enemy to Peace in the world. So that by receiving this Collect devoutly, we still improve our former request, and if we can ob­tain such grace as to make us just and charitable, meek and patient towards one another, this world will be the Type of everlasting Peace. We shall neither disquiet our selves nor others, while our doings are directed by the wisdome, and agreeable to the will of the God of peace. Since therefore Grace is so necessary for us, we must learn where to seek it; and its very name will leadGratia est gra­tis data, non meritis operantis, sed mi­seratione donantis. August. Epist. 120. us to the free and inex­haustible fountain, whence it ever flows; even to God who gives to all men liberally, and upbraideth no man. The very Heathens confessed it the gift of God [...]. Plat. Mem. Nulla sine Deo mens bona. Seneca., who will rejoyce to hear such a request from [Page 320] an humble soul that is sensible of its own weakness, and desirous of his strength. He will be more ready to grant then you can be to askLuke 11.13. [...]. Maxim. Tyrius in dissert.. Con­sider but the Attributes the Church hath prefixed to this Prayer. Is not the Lord your heavenly Father? and shall not he pitty and love you, and delight to do you good? Is he not Almighty, and therefore able to relieve you? and Everlasting, the same yesterday today and for ever. Being All-sufficient, and never to be drawn dry, though we come day by day unto him. We have no rea­son to doubt either his sufficiency, his might or his mercy, and there­fore no cause to fear but this Petiti­on shall prevail. We are on Earth, but we have a Father in Heaven, we are weak, but our Lord is All­mighty; our time is measured by daies and nights, and we grow older every day, and must at length have our end; but we have a God that changeth not, but is the same from everlasting to everlasting. Let this chear our heartsPsal. 102.25, 26, 27. and give wings to our Petitions, and strength to our faith. Let us fly to him and rest upon him, for we can never come to him for grace, but we are sure to find him furnished with it, and both able and ready to bestow it upon us.

§. 6. Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day] The Mercies of God are new every morning, and so ought our Praises to beLament. 3.23. Psal. 92.1, 2. Occurrere ergo ad solis Ortum, ut te O­riens invenint jam paratum. Ambr. in Psal. 119. offered still with a fresh Devotion: to which purpose being now come to the shore, it will be a pleasant and profitable prospect to look back on the great deep, the darkness of the night which we have passed; and now to remember that though we [Page 321] were folded in the arms of sleep the brother of death, and were insensible of danger, and uncapable of resistance; yet we have gone safe through those dismal shades, which are the image of hell, the embleme of death, the op­portunity of mischief, and the most uncomfortable part of our lives. And though the Heathens supposed the Dominion of the Night to belong to the Infernal Powers, yet we have found it is under the government of our heavenly Father, by whose gracious providence, we have been kept therein from the malice of Sathan, and the designs of evil men, safe in soul and body. Yea he hath made it a refreshment of our weariness, an allay of our care, and a renewing of our strength, so that perhaps we scarce apprehended the terrors nor tediousness of it. And are we not unworthy to live another day, if all this will not fill our hearts and mouths with Eucharist and thankful acknowledgments to him that never slumbers nor sleeps? who hath so safely brought us to the morning light, and given us an earnest of our resurrection? And this sincere gratitude will be not only the discharge of a duty to God, but an occasion of benefit to our selves. For he that heartily praiseth God every morning for the renewed mercies it brings with it, may more chearfully ask, and more reasonably expect, the continuance of the same Providence in the day following. So that this sentence will not only be an act of Praise, but an ex­cellent motive to the next Pe [...]ition, a [...]d will give us cause to hope, that he who hath begun this good work will perfect it, and that he who brought us safely to the beginning, will preserve us graciously to the end of this day.

§. 7. Defend us in the same by thy mighty Power, and grant that this day we fall into n [...] si [...], neithe [...] run into any kind of danger] Our n cessities do not end with the Night, nor vanish with the darkness; But we need a mighty power to keep us in the day also. For our whole lives are an absolute dependance o [...] his [...]efence, without which we had not escaped the terrors of the last night, nor can we but by it be secured against the dangers of this day. The light perhaps may make us [Page 322] more confident, but we are often less safe: for in the day time we have Company to disturb us, business to en­snare us, occasions and opportunities to entice us; we have more temptations, and greater variety of acci­dents and occurrences, and yet commonly we are but slenderly guarded against all the mischiefs which we are exposed unto; but we had need buckle on our armor, and beware that haste or negligence do not thrust us into the battail naked, before we have put on those pieces of defence by Prayer, which God hath provided for us. If we view the way in which we are to walk, we may discern so many pits digged, and traps set for us, that we who are by nature blind, and by custome careless, are never likely to e [...]cape them, unless we be guided by an all-seeing eye, and guarded by an almighty power. Say therefore every morning most passionately, Lord we shall either fall into the pits of temptation which Sathan hath cunningly covered over, or run into the traps of danger which are secretly laid for us on every side; so that if thy presence go not along with us, car­ry us not any furtherExod. 33.15.. Let us not dare to rush into the midst of temptations, till we have earnestly begged wisdome to discover, courage to resist, and strength to overcome all the sins by which we may be allured; remembring that sin doth displease our God, destroy our Hopes, disquiet our Consciences, and lay us open to all mischiefs, even the least of sins hath these malignant qualities in it, besides that it makes way for a greater. We must expect to be tempted, in privacy and in company, in our business and recreations, our meat and drink, nay our charity and devotions. But we must every morning pray that we may not in lesser or greater instances consent to these evil motions, that we may not fall into any sin by compliance, nor lye in and under it by impenitence; And we may be assured Gods grace is sufficient thus to defend us. Only let us beware we do not abuse this necessary Petition, by seek­ing for Companions in, and occasions of sin before night; for if we be not watchful to avoid evil, as well [Page 323] as earnest in calling for the Divine aid, we do but mock the Deity whose help we call for, and our actions shew our Petitions were but feigned. But oh! with what a se­rene mind, and an active hope, shall they perform their evening sacrifice, and lay themselves down to rest, whose Conscience testifies they have as studiously avoided all wilful sin throughout the whole day, as they did seri­ously pray against it in the morning. And that we may do so, let us place sin before danger, both in our Pray­ers and in our Opinions: because that only harms the body, but this hurts the soul. Let the Order of this sentence teach us that sin is the greatest evil in the world: and if it cannot be avoided but we must fall into one of these, we must choose danger rather then sin: for if by avoiding of iniquity we are cast upon the suf­fering any evil, or loosing any good; we must account such reproach our honour, such poverty our riches, and such loss our truest gain, and we shall be eternally re­warded for it. This may be our case sometimes, but commonly the flying of sin doth not involve us in dan­ger, but secure us from it; and wickedness is the high­way to mischief. Drunkenness and lust, pride and ma­lice, injustice and deceit, do naturally lead those who follow them into many perils, and as well these as all other sins do cause God to take away his protecting hand from us, and then we are not many steps from ruine, although his justice should not inflict any positive evils for these offences. And therefore if we would be safe we must be holy. We are apt to be more sensible and fearful of sickness then sin, of the danger to our out­ward rather then inward man: but since they are pro­ductive of one another, we must pray against both. And if we fear diseases or want, reproach or wrong, violence or death, let those very fears quicken our petitions a­gainst sin, which is the gate that lets them all in upon us. We may fall into calamities by the immediate hand of Providence, but when by acts of wickedness we bring them upon our selves, we are said to Run into danger, and this we chiefly pray against here, that we may not by our own folly and iniquity become accessary to our [Page 324] own misery; for such afflictions will not be so likely to be sanctified, so easie to be born, nor so possible to be removed. If we lead holy lives, though the conditi­on of our nature make us liable to more dangers then can easily be recounted, we shall either escape them or receive no considerable prejudice by them. And there­fore a good man beholds his body liable to wounds, maims and diseases; his mind to the impairing of any or all its faculties; his estate to losses, wrongs and injuries; his whole life exposed to all the misery that can come upon him, by the unkindness or loss of friends, the ma­lice of enemies, or the more publick disturbances to Church or State; but all these do only teach him to walk more humbly with God, and pray every day more hear­tily to him to deliver him from them; and to be more thankful if by the divine mercy he do escape them.

§. 8. But that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do alwaies that which is righteous in thy sight, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.] If by all that hath been said, and our own sad experience, we are become so wise as to see we are insufficient for our own conduct; I hope we shall in this Petition most humbly commit our waies to the Lord, that he may di­rect our paths, and that he may (as David speaksProv. 3.6. [...]sal. 37.5. and 23. Ideo Deus secundet ac bene fortunet om­ [...] eventus in cursu vitae nostrae, nempe quia nihil tentamus quod non ei placeat. Calv. in loc. Psal. 37.) order all our goings and make them ac­ceptable to himself, and then they shall be prosperous. If his good Spirit be our guidePsal. 51.12. [...], we shall seldome fall into danger, never in­to sin. Oh let us earnestly beseech him that his grace may direct our hearts, and his Providence order our lives, that we may be blessed in our going out and coming in, in our studies and labours, commerce and society, eating and recreations, in our prayers and praises; that in all our actions natural, civil, and religious, we may de­sign [Page 325] his glory and be successful. The proud man thinks his doings good enough, if they are pleasing in his own sightProv. 16.2. and 21.2. and Prov. 14.12. Quicquid volun [...] ho­mines se bene velle putant. though evil w [...]ies do frequently appear so to us, and thus we may deceive our selves into an unexpected ruine, by absolving our selves even when God condemns us. The Hypocrite be­lieves his ac [...]ions excellent if the world commend them; if the complying and fashionable out-sides of Religion present him righteous in the eyes of men, he sup [...] [...] waies prudently ordered: But we must remem [...] [...]e are not judges of our own, nor of one anothers works; but must all stand before the judgment seat of God, wherefore it is his approbation that we desire. It is not the opinion of the malefactor, nor the vote of his fel­low-prisoners, but the sentence of the Judge that must save or condemn. Having therefore such a Tribunal to appear before, let us beg large measures of his grace to lead us; for he will approve of no waies, but what his Spirit directs us into, and that had need be excellent that appears so to an all-seeing eye. Our lives must not be guided by the loose rules of Custome, if we expect they should be accounted righteous in his sight: But they must be ordered by the exact rule of his holy word; and then though all the world condemn us we shall be prospe­rous here, and finally acquitted hereafter. Perhaps we judge it impossible our waies should ever appear righte­ous in his sight, but we are mistaken; for if we take him for our guide, he will not be strict to mark unavoid­able defects. And it is not our performances but the effects of his own grace that he approves of. Nor yet doth he count them righteous for any merit that is in the works or the persons doing them, but through the merits and obedience of the Holy Jesus, in whose name we therefore make this Prayer, not expecting our sup­plications can be heard, or our actions justified for their own worth, but through Jesus Christ our Lord: desiring he will please by his intercession and merits so to recommend our Persons and Devotions, that we [Page 326] may be sanctified by his grace, justified by his mercy, and finally may be for ever glorified with him and for his sake. Amen.

A Practical Discourse on this Collect for Peace.

§. 1. O God from whom all holy desires all good coun­sels and all just works do proceed] This Col­lect hath the same title, and seems to have the same sub­ject with that in the morning Office. And indeed Peace is so desirable a blessing that we cannot pray for it too often, especially if it be for different kinds of Peace, as it is in the present case if we well observe it. In the Morning we pray for external, in the evening for in­ternal peace. In the beginning of the day being to di­spatch various affairs and converse with the world, we desire to be preserved from the injuries, affronts, and designs of evil men: In the close thereof we request that tranquility of mind that springs from the testimony of a good Conscience, that when our hearts lye as easie as our heads, our sleep may be sweet and quiet. The first kind of Peace sometimes the best of men can­not obtain, for the wicked will do wickedly; but even then this inward peace will support us, and make a calm within when the waves beat most furiously from with­out. So that this is the most necessary and most ad­vantageous. Wherefore we are taught to ask this (which is called the Peace of God) from the God of peace, who is here described to us as the author and finisher of all holiness and righteousness, the surest and only foundations for a true and lasting peace. From which we may learn that there is an inseparable union between righteousness and true peaceFac justitiam & habebis pacem; tu fortè unam habere vis, alteram non vis — at osculantur hae amant hae: si amicam pacis non a­maveris, non amabit te pax. Aug. Psal. 85.10., and that we cannot have that unless it spring from holy desires, good coun­sels, and just works. If the grace of [Page 330] God work these in us, it is not all the slandersConscia mens recti famae menda­dacia ridet. Ovid. Bona via gaudium semper habet. Isi­dor. Soliloqu., the scorn, nor in­justice of the world, can hinder the serene reflexions and inward Peace of a good conscience. He that doth not deserve reproach can nobly despise it: and he that hath not provoked his neighbour to wrong him by any evil doing, can easily bear the greatest of injuries. Whereas if all the world be quiet and none disturb the wicked man, he makes himself restlessSi in mundo non est quod timeant, pacem habere putan­tur; sed pax ista cum conscientia semper litigat, rix­atur intrinsecus, & cum hostem non ha­bet, secum decertat. Cassiodor. in Psal. because there is an enemy within that upbraids him more loudly, and wounds him more deeply then he can do the holy man. Whoever therefore en­quires for true peace, let them here behold him in and from whom are all the causes of it, with love and admiration. And let them ac­knowledge to his glory and their own comfort, that he is the Au­thor and finisher of every good workJames 1.17. Philip. 2.13. [...]. Hierocles.. He excites our affecti­ons to desire it; engageth our will to choose it, and strengtheneth our hands to perform it. There are no holy thoughts in our minds2 Cor. 3.5., nor good purposes in our heartsProv. 16.1., nor any righteous actions in our livesIsai. 26.12., but it is in and by and through him. To him then let us make our supplications that he will fill our hearts with the motions of his holy spirit, the first seeds of all vertue; and by the continuing in­fluence of the same grace make these holy thoughts spring up into prudent and religious resolutions and determinations; and by favourable circumstances and addition of strength ripen them into pious and just works. [Page 331] And the fruit hereof will be peace, and we may chear­fully hope and pray, that he that planted the root, and sowed the seed, will give us the pleasure of the fruit, and comfort of the harvest, which is the sweetest and most enduring peace. And let us beware, since we con­fess this to be the fruit of righteousness, that when we seem most earnest in our prayers for this peace, we do not wilfully deprive our selves of it, and hinder our own wishes, by stifling holy thoughts, and breaking pi­ous resolutions, and neglecting good works. For he that cuts the root, and lops off the branches, must not expect ever to eat of this fruit; and if he complains, deserves to be silenced as the Author of his own misery.

§. 2. Give unto thy Servants that Peace which the world cannot give] To ask a thing inconsiderable of a mighty prince may seem a disparagement, because he can as easily bestow a province on a faithful Servant, as another can give a small gratuity. So when we that are the Servants of the most high make our Petitions, it must be for such things as are not in our power, nor in the power of any other to bestow. Our requests must be pro­portionable to his infinite bounty rather then our deserts. We must ask something which may become his Majesty to give, that our Lord may be glorified by the very ex­pectations of his Servants. We now desire peace, but it is such a Peace as no other hand can dispense: a Peace, that is not given as the world gives, in a feigned Com­plement or an empty wish at bestJohn 14.27. Homines plerumque frigidae tantum Ce­remoniae causâ pa­cem in ore habent; vel si pacem alicui seriò precantur, non tamen cam reipsâ dare possunt. Calv. in loc. but in sincerity and with effect; a peace, differing from the worlds Peace, in its nature, causes and Qualities, in all which it far excels it. This Peace is grounded on the evi­dence of Faith in that reconciliation which the merits of Jesus have pro­curedRom. 5.1, 2. between the Divine Ma­jesty and our sinful souls; from the persuasion whereof ariseth such cleer hopes of pardon, such a live­ly sense of Gods love with such a­bundant [Page 332] satisfaction therein; and such fixed expectati­ons of eternal glory thereby, that no ravishments are comparable to the pleasures of it. And then it is fur­ther comfirmed by the testimony of a good2 Cor. 1.12. conscience, declaring we have endeavoured to walk answe­rable to this infinite love, by a strict observance of all the will of God: which occasions such a pleasing calm in our souls, and creates so brisk a delight in e­very review, that no tongue can tell the joy of such souls, but only theirs that feel it. This is the Peace which is so sweet and so unmixed, so charming and powerful, that no sinful pleasures can entice, nor no earthly calamities force a holy man from the embraces of it. The Peace of the world, if it spring from the friendship and love of men, hath innumerable allays. For this is sometimes no more but guilded flattery, and a cover for more unexpected and dangerous assaults. But if true, it can neither support you under, nor se­cure you against the anger of God, and must dye when the first of you two lovers descends to the grave. If it arise from plenty, it will make your delights worm­wood to remember how quickly you may be stript of them; what excellent things you have given for them, and how speedily you must be taken from them, however your peace and plenty must expire together. Give us then O Lord that Peace which is grounded on thy truth, and the merits of Jesus: upon a sense of thy love and an experience of thy grace; for this can never de­ceive nor fail us, because it ends in everlasting Peace. And let us not seek this in the Freindships of the wicked nor the storehouses of pleasure; but in Jesus and an holy life, in heavenly desires, pious resolutions and religious Conversation. In which the grace of God will help us, for we are his servants and make our applicati­ons to him for it; and since we seek not as the world seeks, no doubt we shall find a Peace so sweet and ravish­ing, as that nothing which the men of this World know can be compared to it.

[Page 333]§. 3. That hoth our hearts may be set to obey thy Commandements] It is the Epicure that desires Peace that he may wallow in sinful pleasures; But our first and principal end in this Petition is, that we may have no interruption to our holiness; because our cheif desire is to lead a good lifeDe pace tempo­ris, per pacem pecto­ris, transeamus ad pacem aeternitatis. Durand. lib. 4. cap. 39.. And how pleasant will this sound in the ears of him who is the fountain of all holy desires, good counsels, and just works; when we wish peace it self only as a means to righteous­ness! I have observed before, that peace first springs from a holy life, and now must add that it encreases that holiness to which it owes its Original by a reciprocal gratitude. The fear of Gods irrevocable displeasure, and the accusa­tions of conscience may discourage, and persuade us we cannot safely undertake, nor hope to finish a course of piety. And then for want of this peace our good desires seldom come so far as religious resolutions, sel­domer to be righteous actions. But this Peace will be as a guardPhil. 4.7. Graec. [...] praesidio erit cordi­bus vestris. See Rom. 15.13. to exclude these fears, to keep us firm in our alle­giance to God, and to make us a­bound in hope, and constancy to the end. For in this we tast the sweet­ness of Religion, the winning and yet solid delights it doth afford. And then it will (in our thoughts) sure be so far esteemed above all other things, that nothing can be able to se­parate us from the love of GodQui in malis fuerit & conversus est ad bonum, dum gaudet de bonis quae invenit & recorda­tur malorum quae evasit, difficulter redit ad malum: Opus imperfect. in Matth. ap. Chrysost. hom. 2. cap. 2.. Thus his favour becomes our joy, his Spirit our comforter, his grace our help and his glory our reward. And would any reject these privi­ledges and cast away these advan­tages for honour, pleasures, profit [Page 334] or friends? Break his league with heaven to make such friendships? Can any man that ever tasted the living wa­ters of the divine grace, long for the corrupt and standing pool of any sublunary contents? If we de­sire our hearts should be so fixed, let us beg an expe­rience of this Peace. Nothing draws us more power­fully, ties more closely, nor keeps us constant more sure­ly then this. For thus we shall learn to love holiness it self, and to welcome all good motions, and diligent­ly to improve them till they bring forth their desired fruit.

§. 4. And also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness, through the merits of Iesus Christ our Sa­viour, Amen. The sum of our happiness on earth is to lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and ho­nesty; And if we can obtain the Peace of God we may be happy in both these. And since our heavenly Master not only delights in the holiness, but hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants; we use it as an argument to move him to grant us this Peace, by representing that it will compleat our felicity: for it will fix our hearts in the obedience of his laws, and will make our [...]ives most comfortable. He must be highly base that will injure and offend an innocent and blameless man, a friend of Heaven, who deserves and gains the affections of most menQui infra dili­gitur idem & supra diligitur. R. Mos. Aeg. Sat fautores semper habet qui recte facit. Seneca.. Yet if such an one be injured, he is sure of the aid of an Almighty defender, and his own heart being filled with the Peace of God, he enjoyes tranquillity in his own brest, and is not to be con­strained by violence from without, not cannot be terrified by any fears within. For since his care is to please God, he daily experiences that heavens eye is over him, and is more and more confirmed that his foundation is sure. And thus be it night or day he can pass it over with all inward quietness, so that nothing in this world can make such an one miserable. Let us be earnest then [Page 355] with the author of all holiness, to give us that Peace which may be the nurse and guard of our piety, the support and comfort of our lives, that our daies may be safe and our nights pleasant, and every moment en­gage us to new acts of Praise. And let us beg this Peace for the merits sake of Jesus, who hath purchased a Covenant of Peace with his precious blood; remem­bring we deserve by our sins to live in perpetual distur­bance; but for his sake we may hope for Peace, and de­sire it as the readiest way to temporal, yea and to eter­nal happiness. Amen.

A Practical Discourse on the third Collect at Evening Prayer.

§. 5. LIghten our darkness we beseech thee O Lord] The declining of the day doth now mind us of the approaching darkness which will shortly wrap us in the shadows of the night. And what Petition more sea­sonable then with holy David to beseech God to enlighten our darknessPsal. 18.28. Vul. Deus meus illumina tenebras meas.. For the night is sad and terrible, in it we can see nothing with our bodily eys to en­tertain or to cheer us; and we seem exposed to all the mischie [...]sVersuta frans & callida amat tene­bris obtegi. Prud. & Ovid. Metam. 2. — Conscia culpae, Conspectum lucem (que) fugit tenebrisque pudorem Celat — John 3.20. Job. 24.17. of Sathan and those instruments of his who fly the light, and hope to cover their sin with this sable Man­tle; our dangers are many, and our fears are sometimes more, espe­cially if our eyes be closed by un­belief as well as darkness. If we behold not the Divine Providence watching over us, and the Angels encamping round about us, the ve­ry apprehension of the perils of a dismal night may damp our joy, and startle our courage, and makes us cry out with the Prophets servant2 Kings 6.15, 16, 17. What shall we do? But let us intreat the Lord to fulfil his promisePsal. 112.4. [...] Eccl. 5.17. Psal. 97.11. &c. Adrian. Isagoge. that light may arise in our darkness, that is (in Scripture phrase) comfort in our sadness. That our hearts may by faith and cheerful thoughts, by the assurance of his providence, and the operations of his Grace, be joyful and pleasant; and that the shine of his countenance may make our nights bright as the day illuminated by the Meridian Sun. For [Page 336] [...] [Page 337] [...] [Page 338] the inward comforts of Gods Spirit, and a sense of his care and favour, when the Soul is in fear or sadness, do cheer and refresh more then a suddain light doth the wandring Travellour who is misled in a gloomy night. These make our dwellings a Goshen, while the wicked have thoughts black and dismal; and Aegypt is veiled in a horrid shade, and terrified with the dark side of the Cloud, while the people of God are led all the night thorough with a light of fire, so that the darkness and light to them are equally safe and comfortable. Or if we desire to spiritualize the Petition more, we may take occasion from the approaching night, to enlarg our me­ditations upon our spiritual ignorance and blindness by nature, by which our Souls are veiled and in the dark: so that we often wander out of the way. We stumble in the day, and are in danger to run into the shadow of death, till the day spring from on high visit us, and give us that true knowledg which is usually set out under the name of lightLuke 2.32. Hebr. 6.4. illumi­nati, i. e. edocti.. Wherefore let us humbly beseech our gracious Lord to let the Sun of righteous­ness arise upon us, for whoever follows him doth not wander nor walk in darknessJohn 8.12. and that we may take heed to Gods holy word as to a light shining in a dark place2 Pet. 1.19., and a sure guide to true blessedness. And then our know­ledg shall increase, and we shall keep the right path till we arrive to that eternal light which shall never be extinguished. When our hearts are clouded with greif, shadowed with ignorance, and benummed with dreadful [...]p [...]rehensions, we are taught to lift up our thoughts to the Father of lights, and the God of all comfort who dwells in that light to which no mortal eye can approach whose Countenance is cleer as the sun and bright as lightning. And if we can by our beseechings obtain his favour to shine upon us, no doubt it will turn our night into day, our sorrows into the joyes of the Morn­ing. While we are in the darksome cell of this lower world, we think of our glorified brethren who dwell in [Page 339] a perpetual brightness and everlasting light, and we long to be with them when it may please God. But in the mean time we hope he will support and recreate us with some glimpses of those beams which they have the constant and full fruition of.

§. 6. And by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night] Comfort and safety are those two things which make a happy night. And of whom should we ask these but of God the Lord who is a light and defencePsal. 84.11.. The hopes of his love makes it comfortable: But least we should be deceived in that comfort, his mercy and power must keep us safe, which here we earnestly desire. We may easily perceive we are most miserable without his Providence especially in the night season; for then Sathan prepares most violently to assault us supposing it is his hour and the power of dark­ness. And alas how easily may we then be enticed with pleasure, transported with malice and revenge, or dis­turbed with evil fancies and imaginations! When the Soul is heavy, the Senses dull, the stomack loaden, the flesh strong and the reason weakStomachus aeger, mens somnolenta, a­nimus occupatus— tunc omne nefas sua­dere contendunt, quando nullus arbi­ter culpae, nullus cri­minis conscius, nul­lus potest esse erro is testis. Ambros. in 8. par. 119. Psal.; when the Curtain is drawn and we think no eyes see us, neither judg witness nor accuser can espy us, how open are our Souls then to all Dange­rous temptations? And yet our tem­poral concerns are not more safe: for how soon may we be seized by diseases or suddain death, or made miserable by theives and Robbers, burnings or inundations? Are not our lives and limbs, estate and friends liable to loss and mischief both sud­denly and unavoidably? Go we then with all speed to our merciful Father and let us represent our condition to him; the consideration whereof will humble us and make our request; more zealous; and mollifie him and make him more ready to grant them. By his great mercy he will be moved to compassion to see us chained by [Page 340] night and sleep helpless and exposed to all mischiefs of soul and body, and will send his grace to defend our souls, and his Angels to guard our bodies that none of these perils shall hurt us. And then our morning Praises must own it as an Act of great pitty. How dare you suffer your eyes to sleep, in the midst of such armies of Perils before you have besought him that never slumbers nor slee [...]s to save you from them? But if any be so confident, it is not courage but desperate stupidity and inconsideration that makes him so da­ring. The good man begs for Protection for this night, and so again for the next, and every time with a new Devotion, having warmed his heart first with apprehensions of his own dangers, and insufficiency to escape them.

§. 7. For the love of thine only Son our Saviour Iesus Christ, Amen.] Although with the Disciples we may be somewhat affraid when we enter into the cloud, yet we must beware the darkness do not shut up the eye of our Faith, by which we may behold him in whom God is well pleased, when our bodily eyes are closed. And if we discern him by Faith, that very sight will make our darkness to be light. For we may run to him and approach the Throne of Grace with him in our Armes. The Molossian King was by law obliged to grant any Petition offered by one that brought his Son with him. And the Ki [...]g of heaven cannot deny us when we most truly and humbly disclaim our own merits, and beg his Protection for the love he bears to the holy Jesus, who was the delight of his Soul from all eternity, and yet [...]e became one with us in his incarnation, and made us one with him in our regeneration; and we are the members of his body and the price of his bloud: so that the Father loves us in and for him, that have nothing attractive or lovely in our selves. Again we intreat him to save us by all the love which Jesus bears unto us, to whom we are neer as his own flesh, deerer then his own life, more esteemed then fallen Angels or a thousand worlds. [Page 341] For his delight is with the Sons of menProv. 8.31.. Wherefore we beseech our heavenly Father by that which will moove his bowels towards us, by his own ever­lasting love to us, and his affection to his only Son, and by the inexpressible love of that his Son to us, to give us a night comfortable and safe. We are in darkness, but our head is in a never ceasing light; and he that gave him to redeem us from eternal darkness, will not suffer us to perish in spiritual darkness, nor leave us exposed to the mischiefs of one night that will so soon be over passed. If our affections be as fervent as this argument is fo [...] ­ceable, 'tis sure this Petition will not be de­nyed.

A Practical Discourse on the Prayer for the Kings Majesty.

§. 1. O Lord our heavenly Father] The Almighty and Eternal God is (without dispute) the King of Heaven and Earth, and supream governor of all the world. But since his throne is in Heaven, he is pleased to constitute Princes his Deputies on the Earth, which he hath given to the Children of menPsal. 115.16.. Wherefore since by him Kings reignProv. 8.15. Nos judicium Dei suscipimus in Impe­ratoribus, qui gen­tibus illos praefecit; id in eis seimus esse quod Deus voluit, ideoque & salvum volumus esse quod Deus voluit. Ter­tul. Apol. c. 32., we submit to his appointment of them, and revere his Majesty in them, and to him we make our supplications for them, who hath power to defend them, as well as authority to create them. And he must needs have a peculiar regard toward them, and love to them, because they are anointed by him to administer his rights among us. This hath encouraged all Nati­ons to pray for their Governors so universally as if it had been an agreement among all mankind. To omit the Heathen sacrifices and Prayers for the Cities and Emperors, we shall find two PsalmsPsal. 20. & Psal. 72. which were used by the Jews as Forms of Prayer for the King, and both by Gods command and the de­sire of the Princes of the Gentiles (who then were rulers over that people) supplications were made to God in their behalfEzra. 6.10. Jerem. 29.7. by those Jews, who were under their pro­tection. But to come nearer, we Christians are most expresly com­manded by God and his holy A­postle1 Tim. 2.1, 2. In obsequio quotidi­ano — & pro regi­bus & pro his qui in sublimitate positi sunt orandum est. Chrys. in 1 Tim. 2. Pro potestatibus se­culi. Tertul. Apol. Obsecramus Deum pro tranquillitate mundi, pro Regibus. Cyril. catech. 5. Pro fidelissimis & Deo dilectis Impera­toribus. Liturg. Chris. Memento Do­mine piissimi & fi­delissimi Imperatoris Basil. in Liturg., to Pray for Kings and [Page 345] all in authority: So that it was e­ver a part of the Churches Pub­lique Devotions, to intercede for the Emperours and Princes even while they were enemies to the Faith, as all Antiquity doth e­vince. Much more when the Pow­ers of the world became Chri­stian; for then they named them in their offices with titles expres­sing the dearest affection and most honourable respect. And surely since we meet in Publique to pray especially for Publique mercies, there is not any temporal blessing that is of so uni­versal concern, as that we should have righteous and religious Kings, guided by wise councels, and liv­ing in prosperity and Peace. For this (as the Apostle himself observes)Illorum namque salus est nostra tran­quilitas. Theophil. in 1 Tim. 2. Ostendit in nostrum lucrum cadere ip­sorum incolumita­tem. Oecum. in loc. is every mans advantage. The government of a Hea­then or a Tyrant is better then Anarchy, Change or Confusion. And if the Preservation of such were advantageous to Christianity, how much more then are we obliged to call upon our heavenly Father for the welfare of Christian Kings, who are Fathers of their Country and nursing Fathers to the ChurchNumb. 11.12. Isai. 49.23.; who execute justice, and de­fend Religion, and do good to all quiet and peaceable men. Therefore we here call God our heavenly Father to signify, it will be a great demonstration of his love to us and Care of us, if he please to preserve our Prince whom he hath set over us.

§. 2. High and mighty King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the only Ruler of Princes] We ought to beware that while we give Caesar his due, we rob not God of his. The splendour of Royal Majesty might be apt to dazle [Page 346] us, and make us imagine it had no superior nor needed no supporter. To prevent which the Church hath se­lected out of holy Writ, those glorious Attributes of God which declare him to be higher then the Kings of the EarthPsal. 89.27.. We see every head uncovered before mortal Princes and every knee bending to them, which shews they are high in dig­nity: butEccles. 5.8. there is one higher then they, who hath greater reverence paid him by Angels then these by their most dutiful subjects. If Earthly Kings be judged mighty in Power because of their guards and revenues, their forts and armies; then who can estimate his power and might, against whom such preparations are nothing, since he speaks in thunder, and can arm all the hosts of heaven, nay the meanest creatures u­pon earth to destroy the highest and mightiest of the sons of men. Yet if Kings and their people do confess with holy David that he is the most high and to be fear­edPsal. 47.2., his might shall be the sup­port of their dignity, and their pow­er, which is assuredly the wisest course, for they can never be higher then when they sub­mit to the most high, nor stronger then when they trust in the Almighty. He who is not only above them as be­ing higher in dignity and greater in power, but supream over them, a King of Kings, and Lord of LordsDan. 2.47. 1 Tim. 6.15., who hath not only some petty Princes of a few Provin­ces his homagers (which is all the greatest Empires in the world can boast of) but all mor­tal Princes are his Vice-gerents, since he hath and ever had the absolute dispos [...]l of all the Kingdoms upon Earth, set­ting up one and pulling down another as it pleaseth him. It may be accounted di honour to a Prince to crave aid of his equal: but let not the greatest Monarch blush to bend his knee to the supream Majesty of Heaven, whose Vassals and Homagers are all the Governors of this lower world, who wear their Crowns by his donation, and must resign them at his command. How can Kings or Subjects want [Page 347] relief that humbly and earnestly sue to this blessed only Potentate, the King of Kings? If we that are by the su­pream disposer of all things, placed under Authority, want any thing in or for our Governors, let us apply our selves to him who is the only Ruler of Princes, and hath the hearts of Kings in his handsProv. 21.1., he can persuade, convince, and turn them, when they will not take advice from their inferiors. And he only is the judge of their actions, since they are his servants and substitutes, to their own master they must stand or fall, and are only account­able at his tribunal [...]. Xiphilin. Vide Psal. 51.4. Neque enim ullis ad poenam vocantur le­gibus tuti imperii potestate, homini er­go non peccavit cui non tenebatur ob­noxius. Ambros. de loc. Nulla creatura ju­dicat regem sed so­lus Deus: ss. b. Pirk. Aboth.. And there­fore we have so much the more need to pray for them to their great Lord, that he would direct them to do well and to execute justice, and guide them who are to rule us; that this their mighty power may be our safe­ty and our peace, for if it should be otherwise (which God forbid) we neither will nor can oppose them, having no other arms against our Prince but prayers and tearsLachrimae meae arma mea sunt — aliter nec debeo nec possum resistere. Ambros. Orat. in Auxent. l. 5.. But why should we doubt, since we Pray to him that can over-rule the greatest Kings, and will not suffer this unless it be as a just punishment to our ini­quities? Finally let all this create in every soul most honourable opinions of this great God, and fill every heart with reverence that is before him, when we see our dread Sove­raign and all the mighty Monarchs of the Christian world, doing obeisance to his footstool, and laying down their Crowns at his feet, acknow­ledging they received their domini­ons from him, and hold them by his favour; and decla­ring they trust not in the multitude of their people, strength of their Cities, nor prudence of their Counsels: [Page 348] but though they have Armies and Navies terrible and nu­merous, and Revenues unaccountable, they come to the Throne of our God to Petition for his help. And all their faithful subjects attend on them and joyn with them; who then would not fear before him, and trust in him? express all possible lowliness in his presence, and give him all ima­ginable glory, who liveth and reigneth over all from the beginning, and shall do so for ever and ever.

§. 3. Who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth] It is an infallible maxime that the less is al­waies blessed of the greaterHeb. 7.7.. Wherefore being to beg a blessing from the King of Heaven for the Ru­lers of this World, we must first acknowledge they are in­ferior to him, in the extent of their dominion, as well as in the quality of their dignity, power, and authority. There is a Providence in Scripture attri­buted to GovernorsActs 24.3. [...]. Graec., who as they sit on their thrones above all their subjects, so that heigth is the em­bleme of the advantage they have to behold, and a Monitor of the duty lying on them to take care of all that are under their charge. But the most vi­gilant Princes with all their faithful Ministers (who are as so many eyes and ears to them) find it difficult enough to oversee, and provide for the inhabitants of one King­dome. Whereas the King of Kings hath the Heaven for his throne [...] Orpheus. Isai. 66.1. Psal. 97.9. and the Earth for his footstool; and as he sits higher so he sees further the [...] they. From his throne he beholds all the world, the meanest are not below his cognizance, nor the greatest above his reach. He sees and rules all, which gave ground to that Egyptian Hieroglyphick which repre­sented God by an eye in a scepter the emblems of Providence and Autho­rity. And in the sacred pages the same thing is expressed by the Phrase of Beholding from his Throne Psal. 33.14. Isai. 63.14.. For the [Page 349] Divine Majesty is no idle spectator, but improves the heighth of his seat and the universal prospect he hath from thence, to the good of all mankind. His eye denotes his care, for he sees the necessi­tiesPsal. 34.15. Gen. 22.14. Deus videbit al. providebit., and considers the wants and desires of all men, and of every par­ticular, and orders his supplies ac­cordingly. So that his Providence and Dominion is over all the earth, and no Monarch need account it a dishonour to bow before this mighty Lord and his glorious throne.

§. 4. Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Soveraign Lord King CHARLES] Since all mankind is under the eye and care of God, no doubt he hath an especial regard to Kings and Princes, on whose safety the welfare of all the rest (next under his own providence) doth de­pendNihil est illi principi Deo accep­tius quam concilia coetusque hominûm, quae Civitates appel­lantur, earumque rectores & servato­res hinc profecti hûc revertuntur. Cicer. som. Scip.. He cheifly delights in men as they are united into Societies by charity and laws; and for the preservation of these unions, his prin­cipal care is for those he hath set over them who are the bond of the rest. We may therefore cheerfully pray for an especial and more par­ticular providence over our graci­ous King, because God doth usually grant this, and because he needs it more then ordinary persons do. His duty is more dif­ficult, his abundance exposeth him to more temptati­ons, and his heigth to more dangers, then any of his people; and yet his preservation is far more necessary and of universal concernment2 Sam. 18.3. [...]. Plutar. vit. Pelopid. Cum tot ab hac animâ populorum vita salus (que) Pendeat—Lucan for he is worth ten thousand of us, and we had need pray heartily to God to save him who doth defend us all. He stands in need of more wis­dome to direct him, more power to protect him, more care to preserve [Page 350] him then other men, and therefore we pray that the King of heaven will shew a particular favour to him. A pious and religious King doth as earnestly seek and as much va­lew a favourable look from the Majesty of heaven, as any of his Courtiers do a smile from his countenance.Psal. 84.9. Psal. 21.6. Psal. 4. ver. 7, 8. Lord (saith holy David) look upon the face of thine anointed, and thou wilt make me glad with the joy of thy Coun­tenance, yea more joyful then the worlding is in the encrease of his admired wealth. And methinks it should fill our Souls with awful and noble thoughts of our glo­rious Lord God to see Kings in the light of whose coun­tenance is life, and whose favour is a dew upon the grassProv. 19.6. Chap. 16.15., courting so humbly and needing so mightily the favour of the Majesty of heaven. Let us joyn our most hearty requests that what our deer Soveraign wants and wishes he may have; if he were a Saul or a Nero we should sin in ceasing to pray for him1 Sam. 12.23.: But no affections nor passi­ons are too fervent, no opportuni­ties too often to call upon God for our gracious King, who is our lawful and natural Liege Lord, a just possesser of his Crown, a worshiper of God, a defender of the faith, a maker of good laws, and an executor of the same; who secures our rights, protects us from publique enemies and Private fraudes, and en­deavours to choose fit and faithful governours both for Church and State. For such an one we must pray not only out of o­bedience to God and the Churches order but out of our private love and particular affection, as St. Ambrose Me (que) non solum officio publico debi­tas pendere preces sed etiam amore pri­vato. Amb. ep. ad Gr. did for the Emperour Gratian. To quicken us whereunto we may do well to call to mind the miseries of the Church of God under persecuting hea­thens of old, later furious Romanists, and the particu­lar calamities of this Church under the late usurpers, and then we shall discern what praise we owe to God and [Page 351] what love to our gracious King, whose name ought to be so deer to us, that in our daily office we should wish it written in heaven and registred in the book of life, as well as in the leaves of the Churches devotions.

§. 5. And so replenish him with the Grace of thy holy Spirit that he may alwaies incline to thy will and walk in thy way] Grace is so constant a companion and so cer­tain an effect of the Divine favour that the Greek expres­seth both by one word. So that if we can prevail with God to look favourably on our Soveraign we may be as­sured he will give bountifully to him. And since the first and choicest of his largesses is the Grace of his holy Spirit we first beg, that he may have a constant and boun­tiful supply of that, of which he needs a double portion. For the temptations of a Prince are many to pride and luxury, to carelesness and vanity; his faithful friends very few, who either will or dare inform or advise him without partiality and self interest; his Concerns are weighty, since the welfare of Church and State depend u­pon them; his example prevalent and usually made the incouragement of virtue, or the excuse of vice. All which declares the danger of Governors to be very great to fall into evil waies, and their preservation from them to be the greatest blessing, wherefore all faithful subjects and good men cease not to pray that he who rules us may be governed by the will and walk in the waies of God, and then judgment shall be executed, religion maintained, the Nation shall remain in peace and the Church in prospe­rity; the Kingdom established, the King and people ex­ceeding happy in each other. Evil men (for their own designs) may advise their Prince to attend nothing but the pursuing his own inclinations, and to walk in the ways of his own heart; but the Church knows it is his happiness honour, and interest, to will according to the will of God, and act according to his law, and therefore orders us to pray for such abundant measures of Grace as may incline his heart and guide his life into all the Paths of true holi­ness, that his eminent dignity may make his virtue exem­plary and conspicuo [...]s, and th [...]t may refle [...]t again a lustre upon his honour to make him still more glorious. And to [Page 352] encourage this Petition we may remember it is desired in heaven as well as on earth, by him that can give, as well as by us that ask: for God himself enjoyns the Prince to have alwaies beside him a Coppy of his lawDeut. 17.18. Josh. 1.8., to read on it, meditate in it, ask councel of itPsal. 119.124. Heb. viri consilii mei sunt., and walk ac­cording to it, that he might prosper all his daies. And from thence came that ceremony (still in use) of deli­vering the word of God to the King2 Kings 11.12. at his Coronation, the substance whereof is fully expressed in this excellent sentence, which will most heartily be put up, by all that desire the glory of God, the benefit of the Prince, and the welfare of this Nation.

§. 6. Endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts] In the first ages of the world there were usually many visible effects of the descent of the holy spi­ritNumb. 11.17. Judges 13.25. 1 Sam. 10.10. and Chap. 16.13., upon such as were chosen to govern the people of God, to beget in those under them a reverent opi­nion of these Persons whom all the world hath ever accounted sacred. And there are still some footsteps of these miraculous gifts in the power of healing which God hath bestowed u­pon the lawful heir of this Crown, as a testimony that our King is the Lords anointed. To which we beseech our heavenly father to add the Spirit of wisdom and un­derstanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, which are so necessary that in our prayers as well as Solomon's choice1 Kings 3.9, 10, 11. ubi Grotius ex Men. [...]. they have the precedence of all outward blessings. For these gifts will enable him to determine intricate cases, to mannage weighty affaires, to countermine subtle de­vices, to disentangle cunningly pro­posed counsels, in which general use­fulness, and the advisers self-inter­est are commonly closely twisted. Wherefore we pray that he may have [Page 353] so quick an apprehension; so sound a judgment and so couragious a mind that (like many of his Royal progeni­tors) he may with a spirit almost prophetical unriddle the dark Intrigues of Policy, and with an Heroick reso­lution break through the most rugged difficulties: that he may neither fear his Enemies, nor too much incourage any of his seeming friends, that he may neither be lifted up in prosperity nor dejected by adversity, and may tread the narrow path between justice and clemency, severity and indulgence: and we are to hope that he who hath advanced our Soveraign to this dignity will be mindful of the necessities of his own anointed, and fit him for the place he hath called him to; so that all his people may reverence and love him and be happy under the Go­vernment of so wise and religious a Prince.