The Good Mans Grace, Title page – Exposition
THE GOOD MANS GRACE. OR HIS STAY IN ALL DISTRESSE.
BY RIC. BERNARD.
LONDON, Printed by Felix Kingſton. 1621.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL HIS VERY GOOD Lady, the Lady SVSANNA BILLINGSLEY, and to the Vertuous and Chriſtianly affected Gentlewoman, Miſtris REBECCA STROWDE, all ſauing graces, with dayly increaſe and practice thereof vntounto the end.
Madame,
I Cannot but make account that I am bound to returne thankes, where I finde fauour and acceptance: acknowledgement is the leaſt part of my duty. He that will not confeſſe a debt, neuer meanes to pay it: ſome ſuch there be: And others againe, will ingenuouſly confeſſe, but not pay; not for that they will not, but becauſe they cannot. And inability giueth an acquittance, though the debt be neuer ſo great: and the greatneſſe of a debt, is to be iudged not alwayes in the value of the thing, but after the free diſpoſition of the one, and the little deſeruing of any ſuch fauour of the other. Thus is it with me. I hauehave found your Ladyſhip my louing friend, and this Vertuous Gentlewoman very Chriſtianly reſpectiue towards mee: to whom, as alſo to her ſecond ſelfe, I acknowledge my ſelfe deeply ingaged. It is not a hard matter to finde friends, though in theſe dayes few enow, but to finde a faithfull friend, one that will know a man in aduerſity, is not ſo eaſie. Complementall are obuious eueryevery where: but ſubſtantiall friends be rare: a face of fauour is in thoſe, and that onelyonly in proſperity, but the force of louelove is onelyonly ſeene in theſe; when a friend needeth them, they fayle not, they faynt not. True louelove, as Saint Iohn ſpeakes, driueth away feare. I am bold to preſent you both with this little Manual. It is thus little of purpoſe, that it may be often read ouer, to helpe onelyonly for matter of meditation, to further you in prayer. I beſeech you to accept it in lieu of payment, and it ſhall bind mee to pray for the bleſſing of our God, ſtill vponupon you, to whoſe gracious guidance and protection, I commit you, and humbly take leaue.
Your Ladyſhips, and yours (my very good friend) euer to be commanded, RIC. BERNARD. Batcombe, Feb. 27.
THE PREFACE.
IT is a ſaying of the Pſalmiſt, The foole hath ſaid in his hart, there is no God: this is an Atheiſticall foole; and amongst other markes, hee is knowne by this, that this wicked foole calleth not vponupon God. He doth not pray, for he cannot pray, is not a gift of nature: but a worke of Grace. Wee know not how to pray as we ought, but as the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, to pray with groanes that cannot be expreſſed. Iohn taught his Diſciples to pray: this Chriſts Diſciples obſerued, and alſo ſaw their owne want, and therefore deſired the Lord to teach them to pray. Wherevpon hee gaue them, and in them to vsus, a perfect paterne and forme of prayer. After this all our prayers are to be directed. It is then neceſsary that this ſhort prayer be well vnderſtood: for which cauſe I hauehave made this ſhort expoſition, and drawne out briefly manyfold obſeruations, the better to acquaint ſuch as know it not, with the meaning thereof. It will adminiſter ſufficient matter for meditation, at all times, and vponupon any occaſion, to enlarge our thoughts in prayer: the practice wherof is the ſpeciall grace of a Chriſtian. It is the fruit of Faith, ſo as hee that beleeueth, prayeth; and ſo excellent a duty is this, as Saint Paul ſayth, Pray continually, as if mans life conſiſted in it. And Chriſt ſayth, Watch, and Pray, It is a meanes of our preſeruation from euill, and a conſeruation of vsus in an eſtate which is good. Wōderfull is the effect of prayer. Moſes by it makes way thorow the Red ſea, ouercame the Amalekites, and obtained pardō for the people. By this, Ioſua had the Sun ſtanding ſtill the ſpace of a day, waiting vponupon him in the purſute of his enemies; by this, Hezekiah reuerſed the ſentence of death, and had his life prolonged; by this, Peter eſcaped the hands of Herod; Ionah gate out of the Whales belly. By this, Eliah ſhut heauen three yeeres; and againe brought raine from heauen. By this Eliſha raiſed one from the dead, & got ſight to Gehezi to ſee viſion of Angels. Incredible is the power of prayer; the prayer of faith auaileth much, if it be feruent. Let therfore here in eueryevery good Chriſtian exerciſe himſelfe, and this let him know; that it is a great honour to be admitted into Gods preſence, to put vp his requeſts vntounto ſo high a Maieſty. The due eſteeme of prayer, will make vsus exerciſe our ſelues in prayer: for as wee prize a thing, ſo we practiſe, ſo we employ our ſelues about it. Therefore little praying argueth, we make little account thereof: but the leſſe we eſteeme and practiſe it, the leſſe grace wee hauehave, and the more corruption of heart is in vsus. The truth of this is cleared in ſuch as wee ſee to make no conſcience of this duty. But this euill be farre from the faithfull, in whom the gift of prayer is euer found, as a peculiar property of them that ſhall inherit Glory.
A BRIEFE EXPOSItion with obſeruations vponupon the Lords Prayer.
The Preface.
Our
IN brotherly communion.
By the Grace of adoption.
And ſealed by holy vnction.
Father,
Tender in louing.
Carefull in prouiding.
Liberall in beſtowing.
Which art in Heauen,
The place of thy Maieſty.
The Throne of thy Glory.
The fulneſſe of Felicity.
The firſt Petition.
Hallowed
In heart be thou feared.
In ſpeech reuerenced.
In our liues honoured.
Be thy Name.
Thy attributes ſo glorious.
Thy workes ſo maruelous.
Thy heauenly Word ſo Gracious.
The ſecond Petition.
Thy Kingdome
Of Power generall.
Of Grace ſpeciall.
Of Glory Celeſtiall.
Come.
With power to defend vsus.
With Grace to conuert vsus.
With glory to crowne vsus.
The third Petition.
Thy Will
In thy holy Word reuealed.
In workes of prouidence ſhewed.
In good examples confirmed.
Be done,
In our true beleeuing.
In our Godly liuing.
In our patient ſuffering.
In Earth
The Wickeds beſt heritage,
The place of our Pilgrimage.
And here to Heauen our paſſage.
As it is in Heauen.
By holy Angels moſt faithfully.
By the bleſſed Saints moſt cheerfully.
By all of them there moſt conſtantly.
The fourth Petition.
GiueGive vsus this day
By thy prouident hand mercifully.
By the labour of our calling honeſtly.
By all good meanes proſperouſly.
Our dayly bread.
Neceſſary for liues ſuſtentation.
Conuenient for ſtates preſeruation.
Sufficient for Needies conſolation.
The fift Petition.
And forgiue vsus
Of thy mercy freely.
In Chriſt deſeruedly.
In our hearts aſſuredly.
Our treſpaſſes,
In nature originally polluted.
In euils wilfully committed.
In dueties careleſly omitted.
As we forgiue them,
From our hearts moſt vnſeignedly.
Expreſſed in words moſt louingly.
And ſhewed by deeds moſt cheerefully.
That treſpaſſe againſt vsus,
In heart maliciouſly.
In tongue ſlanderouſly.
By deeds iniuriouſly.
The ſixth Petition.
And lead vsus not.
By laying obiects before vsus.
In the danger ſo leauing vsus.
And by withdrawing grace from vsus.
Into temptation,
Satans powerfull ſuggeſtion.
Natures wretched corruption.
This preſent worlds pollution.
But deliuer vsus
By thy Diuine inſpiration.
By inward fanct fication.
By a holy conuerſation.
From euill,
Paſt, by freely remitting.
Preſent, by powerfull protecting.
Future, by grace preuenting.
The concluſion.
For thine is the Kingdome,
Externall, in the Church apparent.
Internall, in the Church militant.
Eternall, in the Church triumphant.
Thy power
Of ſubduing ſinne victoriouſly.
Of renewing grace continually.
Of beſtowing glory eternally.
And thy Glory,
Due from all in liuing to thee.
Seene by thine in dying for thee.
Known by all in iudgements from thee.
For euer,
Before time, without begininng.
In time, and that without changing.
And after time, without ending.
Amen.
As thou doſt ſay.
So we doe pray.
Lord, ſay not nay.
Euen ſo be it,
Amen.