The Sacred Doctrine of Divinity, Part
A ſhort explication of the Lords Prayer, which (together with the tenne Commaundmentes) conteyneth a brief of all the mayne heades of the whole ſubſtance of Diuinitie, in a moſt exact methode, as the table following will ſhewe.
THE LORDES Prayer, deliuered by our Sauiour Chriſt as a paterne to frame all our Prayers by, conteyneth a moſt abſolute and perfect direction, aſwell for the circumſtances to be obſerued in praying, as for the matter it ſelf of our prayer.
The circumſtances are theſe: 1 To God only through Chriſt. For neitheraMath. 23. …0 hauehave wee any other Father in Heauen but him alone, neither is hee our Father but in Chriſt.
2 Praeparation: taught by vſing of a praeface.
3 Faith, particularly applying to our ſelues the louelove of GOD in Chriſt. Our Father.
4 Confidence, as a childe goeth bouldly to his Father.
5 Reuerence of his Maieſtie, Who is in Heauen.
6 Zeale & earneſtnes in prayer; that all our affections be taken vp, and wholy bent vponupon it. Which the ſhortneſſe of the prayer teacheth, and the concluding of it with this worde, Amen.
7. A greater feruency of Spirite in praying for the things that concerne Gods glory, then for thoſe that concerne our own good, yea though it bee the ſaluation of our ſoules. As appeareth by the order of the petitions, and in that thoſe firſt three are without any coupling bonde at all, which the latter three hauehave. Againe of the things which concerne our owne good, greater zeale and feruency to bee ſhewed for heauēly things which the three latter Petitions doe aſke by name, then for earthly thinges that are ſought but as additaments and appendancies to the other.
8 A fellow-feeling and louelove one vntounto an other, Our Father, our bread, our treſpaſſes, lead vsus not deliuer vsus, &c.
9 An aſſurance of obteyning the thinges wee pray for. Earthlie thinges with condition, ſo farre as God hath appointed them for our good. All other abſolutely without condition. Which aſſurance is noted in the word, Amen ſignifying that not only ſo we deſire it may be, but that ſo vndoubtedly it is and ſhalbe. Wherevnto we are induced, both by conſideration of the louelove of God, our Father, & of his power, which is in Heauen.
Laſtly, continuance in prayer, giuegive vsus this day, EueryEvery day renewing our ſupplications.
So much of the circumſtances. The matter is partly in petition, & partly in thankeſgiuing, The petitions are ſix in number. All in that courſe and order as the doctrine before was handled. Whereof the firſt three are of thoſe thinges that belong to Gods glorie without any reſpect of our owne good, As the particle, thy, in eueryevery one doth ſhew. And this one thing, wherin the ſoundeſt Diuines agree, being well obſerued, bringeth a great light for the diſtinguiſhing of all the ſix Petitions according to their proper boundes and limits, in ſuch ſort as hereafter followeth.
The firſt Petition,I. PETITI. GOD. his Eſſence. Perſons. Perfection. Hallowed be thy Name. O thou the bleſſed & great Iehoua, Father, Sonne, and holy Spirit, three perſons and one only: true and euerliuing God, whoſe aEſay. 9. ….Name is Wonderfull, and who alone art glorious and excellent; thy mercy great vntounto the heauens: thy trueth vntounto the cloudes: thy righteouſnes as the mighty hilles: thy iudgements like the bottomles deepe: exalt thy ſelf. ô God, aboue the heauens, thy glory ouer all the earth. And make it knowen vntounto thy Creatures, that thou the Creatour (bleſſed for euer, Amen) art a nature ſpirituall and diuine, of thy ſelfe, and in thy ſelfe, and by thy ſelfe ſubſiſting. Eternall, immeaſurable, incomprehenſible, infinite in Power, Wiſedome, Holines, Trueth,The cauſes of his owne perfection, and of all good and perfect things …n other. Mercy, Iuſtice, and whatſoeuer good is: yea goodnes and perfection it ſelf. So that boeth whatſoeur thou doeſt, is abſolutelie good and holy, and all good & perfect guiftes are thine, there being no iote nor reſemblance of good in any creature but that onlie which they hauehave frō thee, who art the Father of lights.
And this reſpecteth the firſt part of Theologie, which is of the nature, perſons, and properties of the Godhead.
The ſecond Petition,2. PETIT. The KINGDOME of God in his Thy Kingdome come. Aduance the throne & ſcepter of thy kingdom in the gouernment of the world according to all thy counſels and purpoſes decreed from eternitie.Eternal Decrees. Whether of ſauing the elect or deſtroying of the reprobate,Election. or of the buſines & affayres perteining to this life,Reprobation. Creation. Gouernement. and thy generall prouidence ouer all thinges; that thy handes hauehave faſhioned and made. Together with the meanes which thou haſt ſanctified therevnto.The abſolute will of God, diſpoſing the meanes according to his owne good pleaſure. That the reprobate may either not heare at all, or hearing not beleeue, nor bee conuerted, but hardened in their ſins; and thy Goſpell with the Miniſterie and Preaching thereof, the Sacraments, Cenſures & diſcipline of the Church, and all other good thinges thou haſt ordeined, may (through their owne fault) turne vntounto their ruine, & be a ſauour of death vntounto death vntounto them, as cō trariewiſe to the elect a ſauour of life vntounto life.The generalitie of his decrees & works, ſtretching vntounto all creatures and actions. And that thou wouldeſt ſo diſpoſe of thinges by thy hidden & ſecret prouidence, that all perſons and creatures (although they, many of them, ſinnefully and wretchedlie, moued with other cauſes & endes then in obedience vntounto thee, yet in regard of thy worke moſt holily and iuſtly) may concurre to doe whatſoeuer thy hand and thy counſell hath foredetermined to be done: Neither let any power or pollicy of Sathan or man,The inniolable Neceſſitie of the execution of his conſells. or any other creature, hinder the executiō of thy moſt glorious & magnificent, moſt wiſe and iuſt decrees. But let them all be as the mountaines of braſſe, that cannot bee remooued but ſtand faſt for euer.
And this reſpecteth the ſecond braunch of Theologie, touching the kingdome of God, and the diſpenſation of his counſells.
The third petition,3. PETIT. The HONOVR due to God. Performed by Angells. Sainctes in Heauen. The Church vponupon earth. Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen. HaueHave thou alwayes in the worlde, euen here among men, as thou haſt among thy holy Angells and Spirits of the righteous that are deceaſed: a Church & choſen company, which mayaZach. 6. 8. refreſh and delight thy Spirit, by yeelding with free and ready hartes, all chearfull obedience to thy knowen and revealed will. Whileſt they be ſeen to preferre the louelove they beare to thee, before the louelove of thēſelues, their own pleaſure, profit, or liues, or whatſoeuer els that is moſt dear vntounto them.
And this (which is the thirde braunch of Theologie) riſeth by a neceſſarie conſequence from the former two. For he that is in himſelf and in his workes ſo glorious, is worthy and alone worthie to be honored and ſerued of vsus.
The three latter Petitions are of thoſe thinges that concerne our owne and our neighbours good, whereof the firſt (being the fourth nature and eſſence. Conceyued and born of a virgin by the wonderfull worke of thy holy Spirite:Sanctification of his humane nature. Sanctified from the wombe, to be the mightie and powerfull inſtrument in and by whoſe fleſh or humane nature, the Godhead, vntounto the which he is perſonally vnited, quickeneth all thoſe that by faith are ingraffed in him; Repleniſhed with all righteouſnes and fulnes of the Spirite aboue meaſure:Righteouſnes. And therefore in him ſelfe moſt happie & bleſſed,Bleſſednes. but for vsus and our ſakes accurſed,Suffrings. in that he bare thy whole wrath due to our finnes, and became ſubiect to death, the moſt of God, fall afterwards to his adioyntes of kingdome and honour: ſo theſe beginne with Chriſt and regeneration through him, the fruites whereof are Iuſtification and Sanctification which followe in their place. As the Apoſtle, agreeably herevnto reduceth all the benefits we hauehave by Chriſt to thoſe three heades, and that in the ſame order. 1 Iohn 5. 8. There be three which heare record in earth. The Spirite, wherein we are regenerate: water, wherby we are waſhed and cleaned from our ſinne; And Blood, purging and aboliſhing both the roote and the fruites of it. Which is attributed to the blood of Chriſt, Heb. 9. 14. 1 Iohn. 1. 7, 9. And that it is ſo to bee taken in this place, not for expiation, I gather by that the Apoſtle ſaith verſ. 6 This is hee that came by water and blood, not by water only, but water and blood. That is to ſay, not our Iuſtifier onelyonly which all men doe willinglie embrace: but to ſanctifie vsus alſo, which men will not ſo eaſily bee brought to yeeld vntounto. 4. Seeing it is plaine that in aſking pardon of our ſinnes and righteouſnes in Chriſt (which we do in the fifth petition) Conſequently we aſke all the belſſednes belonging to it. One part whereof is this, to hauehave all outward things as additaments and appendancies caſt vntounto vsus, ſo farre as God hath appointed thē for our good, as our Sauiour Chriſtes both ſpeech and promiſe is, Mat. 6. 33. and further then that we hauehave no warrant to deſire them; it ſeemeth not ſo likely that either our Sauiour Chriſt would rent theſe thinges aſunder and tranſplant one from another, or in ſo ſhort a ſumme admit of repetition, which muſt needes follow if being there included we aſke them here by name. And this alſo may ſerue to proue that no defect or may me cā iuſtly be imputed to this abſolute forme of prayer, though outward things come not within compaſſe of the fourth petition. 5. The doubling of the article foreign ſheweth it to be meant of no cōmon bread, but a bread of ſome rare and ſinguler qualitie. The like doubling of the article for emphaſis ſake you may ſee Math. 3. 17. Luke. 15. 22, 23. and in diuerſe other places. Laſtly the worde foreign which maketh all the doubt, being neuer read but in this prayer onelyonly, and therefore of an vncerteyne ſignification, I deriue form foreign with the beſt Interpreters, as I make no doubt it muſt of neceſſitie be: But not in that ſence which I ſee them to doe. Who expound it competent or ſufficient for our nature, that is for our ſuſtenance and nouriſhment. Of which ſignification of the worde foreign you ſhall hardly finde nay example, as H. Stephen in his greeke Theſaurus noteth. But in that ſence which the Scripture vſeth it Luc. 15. 12, 13. (and neuer otherwiſe) as it ſignifieth wealth and ſubſtance, from whence I take to bee deriued two wordes of neere affinitie foreign here, and foreign Tit. 2. 14. One noting that which as the remayn and ouerplus of our ſubſtance we lay vp in ſtore and keepe for a Iewell, the other that which excelleth all wealth and subſtance. Which (among many other) is one ſignification of the praepoſition foreign Rom. 9. 5. Ephe. 4. 6. And ſo doth foreign aptly aunſwer to the Haebrue Hal col hon Pſalm. 119. 14. I reioyce in the way of thy teſtimonies, as aboue all ſubſtance. And it ſeemeth vntounto mee that our Sauiour Chriſt doth herein allude to that ſaying of Salomon Cantie. 8. 11. If a man would giuegive all the ſubſtance of his houſe for this louelove (of Ieſus Chriſt, to whom I am euen now aſcending out of the wildernes of this world to ioyne and vnite my ſelfe by faith) he ſhould utterly be deſpiſed. Yet the other interpretation which the moſt learned & beſt diuines of our time do follow, carrieth a ſound & a Godly ſence, againſt which no exception can be taken. And therefore in ſuch caſes men are not to ſtriue.ignominious death of the croſſe it ſelfe. VnderUnder which notwithſtanding he did not lye, for that it was impoſſible for him to bee holden of it. But loſing the panges & ſorrowes of death,Reſurrection. he roſe againe and aſcended into heauen. Where he ſitteth at the right hande of thy moſt excellent Maieſtie to make continuall interceſſion for thoſe that are his; and hath obteyned a Name aboue all names, a crowne of glory and a kingdome whereof there ſhall not be any end. Gouerning all things in Heauen & vponupon the earth: vanquiſhing and ſubduing the prowde enemies, and rebells bells to his kingdome, and leading captiuitie captiue:Calling. Gathering out of the wicked world a holy nation: a peculier people (in reſpect of their outwarde calling) to the prayſe of his glorious name:Knowledge. Opening their eyes to beholde the vnſearcheable riches of himſelfe, in whom are hidden all the treaſures of wiſedome and vnderſtanding: filling their hearts with the manifolde graces and bleſſings of his Spirit:Faculties. Seperating & choſing out from among them,Miniſteries. Paſtors, Teachers, and other Officers, for the well ordering and guyding of his houſe, which is the Church of the liuing God.Light of the Spirite. And not onelyonly reaching forth to many of them from aboue, a comfortable taſte of the ſweetnes and excellencie that is in him: but vponupon ſuch and ſo many as God the Father (through him) hath from euerlaſting purpoſed vntounto glorie, powring downe that moſt excellent and precious gifte of faith, proper to the elect,Faith. whereby he giueth himſelf to bee theirs, and taketh them to be his, knitteth and vniteth them as members to that miſticall body whereof himſelf is the head, maketh them in a ſpirituall and vnſpeakable ſorte, bone of his bones, fleſh of his fleſh, and one togither with him. And ſo becometh vntounto them that heauenlie and ſupernaturall breade, wherby their ſoules are fed vntounto euerlaſting life.
Good Lord,aMath. 6. 11. this day, and bLuc. 11. 3.eueryevery day giuegive this our bread vntounto vsus. That wee may ſo come vntounto him,Infancie of a regenerate eſtate. as wee may neuer hunger: ſo beleeue in him, as wee may neuer thirſt: ſo be regenerate and borne againe, by the incorruptible ſeede of the worde of God which liueth and abideth for euer,Preaching. that it may neuer dye within vsus:Perſeuerance. but confirmed ſtill in our moſt holy faith, by the preaching of thy Goſpel, participatiō of thy Sacraments, Prayer, and other holy meanes, wee may grow vp throughlie in him which is our head,Grouth. till we come to the full age of men-growen in Chriſt.Mans eſtate.
The fifth Petition: And forgiue vsus our treſpaſſes, as wee forgiue them that treſpaſſe againſt vsus, 5. PETITis for the firſt kinde of righteouſnes which wee hauehave from Chriſt.Iuſtification, That is to ſay, imputed righteouſnes, forgiuenes of ſinnes, which is but one parte being put for the whole.
Pardon and forgiue vsus all our ſinnes through the death and ſufferinges of thy Sonne,Forgiuenes of ſinnes, both the guylt and puniſhment. and ſo remoue both the guylt and puniſhment away from vsus. Clothe vsus with his all ſufficient and moſt abſolute and perfect righteouſnes,Imputation of righteouſnes. that ſo being iuſtified by his obedience, we may hauehave our part of all that bleſſednes,Bleſſednes. which is able to fall into this life: where the teſtimonie and aſſurance of thy louelove,Reconciliation to God. and the hauing and enioying (in and from thy louelove) of all the good things of this preſent life,All outwarde good things, pleadges of Gods louelove. both for neceſſitie and Chriſtian delight, maintenāce, health, credit, friends, comfort of Wife, Children, Seruauntes: a bleſſing vponupon our labours: the fruite of Magiſtracy & of Gouernement & good order in the worlde, together with the ſanctifying of all things,Yea our very troubles. euen our verie troubles and croſſes of this life vntounto our good, ſo as thou in thy merciemercy haſt appointed for vsus:Peace of conſcience. Peace of conſcience, and ioye in the holy Ghoſt, doe excell:Ioy in the H. Ghoſt, &c. and by theſe degrees, as it were by ſo manie ſteppes and ſtaires, make vsus to clime vp to that perfect and eternall happines which is reſerued for thy Saintes in heauen.Saluation.
The laſt petition, And lead vsus not into tentation, but deliuer vsus from euill, 6. PETITI.is for the other kinde of righteouſnes which we hauehave frō Chriſt,Sanctification. that is to ſay, renewed righteouſnes.
Being now engraffed into the noble ſtock of the body of thy ſonne, and iuſtified through him: ſanctifie vsus alſo by his Spirit dwelling in vsus:Mortification. mortifying & ſubduing ſinne that it beare not the ſway in our mortall bodies, that neither the Deuill, the World, nor the fleſh, or our owne corruption prevayle againſt vsus, to make vsus to fulfill the luſtes thereof: but goe forward with the worke of our new birth,Quickening quickning and renewing vsus in our memorie, iudgement, will, affections, and in all the partes and powers of our ſoule and bodie, from dead workes to ſerue thee the true and the liuing God-Hale and pull vsus (as a beaſt that ſticketh in the mire) out of the clawes of ſinne & Sathan. That euen now in this life whileſt here wee ſtruggle with them,Imperfect in this life, but pleaſing thorough Chriſt. we may attayne to that meaſure of perfection which may be pleaſing and acceptable in thy Sonne: and that after this life ended,Perfited in heauen. and all our enemies ſubdued vnderunder vsus, we may be taken vp without ſpott or wrinkle, to bee preſented as a pure Virgin vntounto Chriſt, in the day of our ſpirituall mariage.
Thus farre of the Petitions: The thankſgiuing is in theſe words, For thine is the kingdome, the power and glorie for euer & euer. That is to ſay, All abſolute & perfect bleſſednes: Both for thy right and ſoueraigntie of Commanding all things, being all thy Creatures and the work of thy handes: and for the power of effecting whatſoeuer thou wilt and doeſt commaund: And laſtlie, in regard of the infinite graces and perfections that ſhine ſo gloriouſly in thy perſon, and which thou doeſt ſo graciouſlie extend to vsus: being thy ſelf eternall, and therfore exerciſing an eternall power & dominion in the worlde, and both creating an eternall people to thy ſelfe,Pſal. 102. 25. 29. to the prayſe of thy glorious grace, as alſo eternally cōfounding thoſe whom thou haſt appointed to deſtruction, to the prayſe of thy glorious Iuſtice.
FINIS.
Faultes eſcaped.
Pag. 6 Lin. 13. after by, adde the.
Pag 8. Lin 12. gentlemen, make gentleman.
Pag 12. Lin. 16. ſet in the margent, … Sam ….
Lin. 20 after aſhamed, adde verely.
Lin 24. theſe, make thoſe.
Faultes in the quotations of the Scripture and other matters in the margent only.
Pag. 14. Lin. 13. 2. Chron 28. 9 read 1. Chro.
Pag. 29 Lin. 11. ſumme, make ſinne.
Pag. 49 Lin 15. Iohn 3. 35. make Iohn 5. 35.
Lin 31. as before letter, b. make, as before lets f.
End of the text · Henry Finch, The Sacred Doctrine of Divinity (1599)