A Guide to Go to God, Petition 6 · Section 184 – Section 188
§. 184. Of euill the onelyonly thing to be prayed againſt.
Q. VVHat Doctrine ariſeth from the expreſſe mention of euill in this deprecation?In nouiſſimis ponimus, ſed libera nos à malo, comprehendentes aduerſa cuncta. Cypr. de Orat. Dom. §. 19.
A. Euill is the onelyonly thing to be prayed againſt. Obſeruantly marke all the deprecations mentioned in Scripture, and by a particular induction of them you ſhall finde this generall poſition abundantly proued. Take one inſtance which may be inſteed of all, becauſe it is the beſt of all, that which Chriſt made a little before his death, I pray not (ſaith Chriſt to his Father) that thou ſhould'ſt take them out of the world, Ioh. 17. 15.but that thou ſhould'ſt keepe them from the EVILL.
Euill is the venime,By euill, things come to bee hurtfull. the poiſon, the ſting, that maketh any thing to be hurtfull. Euill is it that makes ſo great a difference, as there is, betwixt Angels and Angels, Men and Men, Actions and Actions, Temptations and Temptations: ſome are good ſome are euill. No oppoſits are more directly contrary one to another then good and euill. As nothing therefore but that which is good is to be prayed for, ſo nothing but that which is euill is to be prayed againſt.
Learne hence wiſely to obſerue what is euill in any thing,Obſerue what is euill in any thing. and accordingly pray againſt it: yea as it is more or more euill, ſo more inſtantly and earneſtly pray againſt it. Of all euils ſinne is the greateſt: greateſt in the kinde and nature of it: greateſt alſo in the effects and fruits of it. It is the cauſe of all euill. Nothing but that which is effected or infected by it, is euill. The diuell, the world, wicked men, and other creatures of God which are ſtiled euill, are infected therewith. All manner of puniſhments and paines which are indeed euill, whether temporall, ſpirituall, or eternall are cauſed by it. Of all other euils this ought moſt of all to be prayed againſt. All things alſo that are cauſes hereof, or occaſions hereto are to bee prayed againſt, as being in this reſpect euill. ThusaMat. 26. 41. temptations, andbPro. 38. 8. Afflictions how they are matter of deprecation and thankſgiuing. afflictions are to be prayed againſt: not ſimply and abſolutely: for cIam. 1. 2.Saint Iames willeth vsus to account it all ioy, when we fall into diuers temptations: and thedActs 5. 41. Apoſtles reioyced in their ſufferings: yea eIob 1. 21.Iob expreſſely bleſſeth God for taking away, as well as for giuing. For by the good and wiſe prouidence of God, temporall croſſes doe oft turne to our good and profit.fPſal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I hauehave bene afflicted (ſaith the Pſalmiſt)gHeb. 12. 10. God chasteneth vsus for our profit (ſaith the Apoſtle.) In regard of this fruite which by the ouer-ruling prouidence of God, ariſeth out of afflictions they are indeed matter of thankſgiuing, when God doth ſo order them: and therefore they are not ſimply and abſolutely to bee prayed againſt. Yet becauſe through the weakeneſſe of our fleſh they oft cauſe diſcontent, impatiencie and other ſinnes (in which reſpect they are euill) ſo farre forth as they cauſe any ſuch euill effect they may be prayed againſt: at leaſt we muſt pray that they bring not forth any ſinne in vsus. Thus are wee to pray againſt companie keeping, againſt feaſting, againſt pleaſures and paſtimes, and againſt all other things that are vſuall occaſions of ſinne. Yea againſt the abuſe of euerie good thing. For the abuſe of a good thing is euill. And becauſe wicked men are oft made Satans inſtruments of working much euill, wee may alſo pray againſt all their euill plots and practiſes, not againſt their perſons: they are to be prayed for (except we know them to hauehave ſinned againſt the holy Ghoſt, or to be vtterly reiected of God, or hauehave ſome particular warrant, as the Prophets oft had, not to pray for them.) More directly wee are to pray againſt all ſp…rituall iudgements, which are not onelyonly puniſhments of ſinnes, but ſinnes themſelues, as hardneſſe of heart, errour of iudgement, inordinate luſts, deſpaire, and ſuch like. Theſe are directly euill. Thus are wee to pray againſt eternall damnation, a dreadfull euill. Finally, though Satan bee not the onelyonly euill here meant, yet is hee an eſpeciall and principall euill one.foreign Mat. 13. 19.
§. 185. Of the reſpects wherein Satan is ſtiled the euill one.
Q. HOw is Satan an eſpeciall euill one?
A. 1. He is the primariebIoh. 8. 44. author of euill.
2. HiscEph. 6. 12. diſpoſition is onelyonly to euill.
3. HisdGen. 3. 5. temptations are all to euill.
4. Hise1. Pet. 5. 8. continuall practiſe is in euill.
5. Allf1. Ioh. 3. 8. euill doers are of him.
6. He hath hisgEph. 2. 2. hand in all euils: as may be exemplified in theſe particulars following.
hIob 1. 15, 17.Outward miſchiefes done by men,
iIob 27.Bodily diſeaſes,
k1. Sam. 16. 14.Vexation of ſpirit,
lIob 1. 16, 18, 19Extraordinarie iudgements from heauen,
mActs 5. 3, 4.Euill thoughts of the heart,
n1. King. 22. 21, 22.Euill words,
oIoh. 8. 41, 44.Euill actions,
pMat. 16. 23.Diſſwaſions from good,
q1. Theſ. 2. 18.Hinderances of good,
rGen. 3. 5.Prouocations to euill.
Satan therefore may not bee excluded out of the euills here intended, but our deprecation rather is eſpecially to be directed againſt him.
Thus much of Euill prayed againſt. That which is prayed for, is in this word DELIVER.
§. 186. Of the many wayes of deliuering from Euill.
Q. HOw may one be deliuered from euill.
A. 1. By keeping away that euill which is readie to fall vponupon him.Exod. 14. 13. Thus were the Iſraelites deliuered from the hoaſt of the Egyptians that eagerly purſued them.
2. By aſſiſting him on whom the euill is fallen, ſo as he is not ouerwhelmed,A malo deus liberat, quando ſuper id quod poſſumus, non nos permit …st tentari. Aug. de Temp. Serm. 26. and ouercome therewith. For this purpoſe reade Pſal. 69. 14, 15.
3. By altering the nature of the euill, and turning it to a mans good. ThusbGen. 50 20. God turned Ioſephs abode in Egypt to much good. Herein this Prouerbe is verified, I had periſhed if I had not periſhed.
4. By taking away the force of the euill:Perijſſem n…ſi perijſſem. as the force of the fire was taken away ſo as it burned not Shadrach, Meſhach, and Abednego. Dan. 3. 27.This deliuerance Chriſt promiſed to his diſciples.Mar. 16. 18.
5. By remouing the euill cleane away.2. Sam. 24. 25. Thus God deliuered Iſrael from the deuouring Peſtilence.
6. By taking one away from the euill to come.1. King. 14. 13. Thus the good ſonne of wicked Ieroboam, 2. King. 22. 20.thus the good King Ioſiah, Iſa. 57. 1.thus many righteous men hauehave bene deliuered.
§. 187. Of that hope of recouerie which remaineth to them that fall.
Q. VVHat doctrine may be gathered from praying for deliuerance?
A. There is hope of recouerie to ſuch as are fallen. For deliuerance from euill preſuppoſeth a fail into euill: and prayer for this deliuerance implyeth that we may be recouered out of it. This is verified as by manifeſt experience of many Saints that in all ages hauehave bene recouered,Pro. 24. 16. ſo by this approued Prouerbe. A iuſt man falleth ſeuen times and riſeth vp againe: which though it bee principally intended of affliction, yet may it alſo be extended to ſinne.
The ground of this hope ariſeth from God himſelfe:Reaſons. euen from his merciemercy, 1. Gods pittie.(whereby he is moued to pittie his children in all their miſeries:Lam. 3. 22. whereupon ſaith the Prophet, It is of the Lords mercies that we are not conſumed, becauſe his compaſſions faile not:) and from his power (whereby he is able to helpe them whom he pittieth:2. Gods power. whereupon ſaith the Apoſtle,Rom. 11. 23. of the Iewes, They alſo, if they abide not ſtill in vnbeliefe ſhall be graffed in: for God is able to graffe them in againe.)3. Gods truth. And from his truth, for he that is faithfull and will do it, 1. Theſ. 5. 24.hath made many promiſes of deliuerance.
This point concerneth ſuch as ſtand,Comfort to feeble. & ſuch as are fallen. In regard of this hope of recouerie they which ſtand ought to comfort the feeble minded, 1. Theſ. 5. 14.who are troubled with feares of vtter deſertion, as if God were implacable, and irreconciliable towards them that are at any time ouercome by any temptation. The caueat which Chriſt gaue to Peter, is to be practiſed by all that hauehave any ſpirituall ſtrength,Luke 22. 32. Strengthen thy brethren. Yea alſo they ought in the ſpirit of meekeneſſe to reſtore ſuch an one.Gal. 6. 1.
As for thoſe which are fallen,Who fallen, riſe againe. they are taught not to deſpaire, but to ſay as the Spirit teacheth them, Come, let vsus returne vntounto the Lord: for he hath torne, and he will heale vsus: Oſe 6. 1.hee hath ſmitten and he will binde vsus vp: and withall not to continue in Satans ſnares, but to do what they can to come out of the ſame,Reu. 2. 5. according to that pithie perſwaſion of the Lord, Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the firſt workes.Nouatiani paenitentiam ſalutarem negant. Aug. Quaeſt. mixt. Cll. Nouatiani communicarecum e…s noluerunt qui ſub Decij perſecutione fidem abnegarant & poſt a reſcipiſcentes ad eam redierant. Niceph. Eccl. Hiſt. l. 12. c. 28.
As for the raſh, and peremptorie cenſure of Nouations on ſuch as fall, it is the leſſe to be regarded becauſe it is directly contrary to the maine ſcope of this latter part of this laſt Petition. It is not without cauſe iudged hereſie by the Ancients.
Hauing noted the things prayed againſt, and prayed for, we are further to conſider to whom our deſire herein is to bee directed.
§. 188. Of God the onelyonly Deliuerer.
Q. VVHat Doctrines may be obſerued from directing this part of the Petition to God?Potens eſt dominus qui abſtulit peccalū veſtrum, tueri & cuſtod…e vos aduerſum diabolt aduerſantis inſidias. &c. Ambr. de Sacra. l. 5 c. 4.
A. 1. God is a deliuerer from euill.
2. God is the onelyonly deliuerer from euill.
Were not God able and willing to deliuer, why ſhould this Petition be directed to him? (But he that hath taken away our ſinnes, is able to keepe vsus from the ſnares of Satan.) Could any other deliuer, why ſhould that other in this perfect plat-forme be left out?—70. 5.
Among other titles,—144. 2. euen thisaPſal 18. 2. (Deliuerer) is oft attributed to God: andbDeut. 32 39. 2 King. 19. 19. Iſa. 43. 11. hereby is the Lord proued to the God onelyonly.
Iuſt cauſe there is therefore that in all euils we ſhouldcPſal 50 15. flie vntounto the Lord, and call vponupon him in the day of trouble: andd2. …hro 20 …. when we know not what to doe, to fixe our eyes vponupon him: and in faith exſpect deliuerance from him.eLam. 3. 26. It is good that a man ſhould both hope, and quietly waite for the ſaluation of the Lord. And as wee hauehave deliuerance from any euill,fPſal. 28 6, 7, 8. Folly of Papiſts in ſeeking deliuerance of others then God. giuegive all the praiſe thereof to this Deliuerer.
Is not their follie hereby euidently diſcouered, that in their troublegIſa. 31. 1. Looke not to the Holy one of Iſrael, nor ſeeke the Lord, but looke and truſt to ſuch as cannot deliuer? Some tohIſa. 31. 3. weake fleſh, othersi1. Sam. 28. 7. &c to wicked fiends, kIer. 11. 12, 13.others to falſe gods. Much like to theſe are our aduerſaries the Papiſts, who in ſeuerall euils hauehave ſeuerall Saints to flie vntounto, as in danger of ſhipwracke to Saint Nicolas, in time of warre to Saint George, In captiuitie to Saint Leonard, In infection of plague to Saint Rochus, In feare of fire to S. Laurence, in trauell of child-birth to Saint Margeret, in the fit of an Ague to Saint Petronil, in tooth-ach to Saint Rombal or Saint Apollonia: and in other diſtreſſes to other Saints.*Libera me Domina. Vſq quo, Domina, obliuiſceris me, & non liberas me in die tribulationis? Ad te, Domina, leuaui animam: non praeualeant aduerſum me laquei mortis. In te, Domina, ſperaui: non confundas in aeternum. O benedicta, in manibus tuis repoſita cſt noſtra ſalus. Bonauent. In Pſalt. Yea in their Ladies Pſalter they hauehave turned all the Petitions made to God for deliuerance to the Virgine Marie, thus: Deliuer me, ô Ladie. How long doeſt thou forget me, and doeſt not deliuer me in the time of trouble? To thee, ô Ladie, do I lift vp my ſoule, let not the ſnares of death preuaile againſt me. In thee, ô Ladie, hauehave I hoped, let me not be confounded for euer. O thou bleſſed Ladie, in thy hands our ſaluation is laid vp. HaueHave we not now iuſt cauſe to crie out againſt them, as the Prophet Ieremiah did againſt the idolatrous Iewes, and ſay,m Be aſtoniſhed, ô ye heauens, at this, and be horribly afraid: for my people hauehave committed two euils: they hauehave forſaken me the fountaine of liuing waters, and hewed them out ciſterns, broken ciſternes that can hold no water. 180, 181.
Thus much of the perſon of whom is ſought deliuerance from euill. The laſt point concerneth the parties for whom it is ſought. Hereof ſee §.
The meaning of the Petition being opened, the order is next to bee conſidered.