The Good Mans Grace, Exposition
A BRIEFE EXPOSITION WITH obſeruations vponupon the Lords Prayer.
THe prayer conſiſts of a Preface, of ſixe Petitions, and of the concluſion.
The Preface.
In making a Preface, wee learne, that preparation is to bee made before prayer: raſhly to ruſh into Gods preſence becommeth not vsus, neither is meet we ſhould doe it to ſo high a Maieſty.
Our
Thus wee begin, not with My, but Our Father: to teach,
1. That God is the common Father of all the elect.
2. That prayer is to be made in brotherly louelove.
3. That he which prayeth, is to be one of Chriſts myſticall Body, and in the communion of Saints.
Father
This is the Title of Honour, and the Name importing the greateſt louelove; thus Chriſt willeth vsus to pray, and thus to call God, Father: to teach,
1. That prayer is to be made in faith and aſſurance of mercy.
2. In the Spirit of adoption, as the requeſt of a Child to a Father.
3. In the Name of Chriſt; becauſe in him he is our Father.
4. In diſtinct knowledge of the Trinity.
Which art in Heauen.
Here God is ſaid to be, who yet filleth Heauen and earth: to teach,
1. That prayer is to be made with a heauenly mind, without any earthly repreſentation, or any carnall affection.
2. With all reuerence, deuotion, becauſe God is in heauen; not to be raſh, to vtter any thing haſtily before God. The wiſe mans reaſon, Eccle. 5. 2.
3. That prayer is to be made to God alone; for he is the onelyonly Father in Heauen.
4. Therefore not to Saint, Angel, nor to the Virgin Mary, becauſe none of theſe are our Father in Heauen.
5. That Heauen is the true home of all the elect; for there our Father is.
6. That God ſeeth all things, and doth whatſoeuer hee will; for he is in Heauen, as the Prophet ſpeaketh.
The firſt petition.
This concerneth Gods Glory, and is therefore in the firſt place: to teach, that Gods glory chiefly is to be preferred in our deſires, 1. Cor. 10. 31.
Hallowed be thy Name.
In this petition we be taught to deſire to acknowledge, aſcribe and to procure holineſſe, to be giuen to the Lord in thoſe things, by which hee maketh himſelfe knowne vntounto vsus, as by a Name, that is, his Titles, Attributes, Words and Workes; whence we learne,
1. That God hath made himſelfe knowne vntounto vsus.
2. That holineſſe belongeth vntounto him.
3. That ſuch things are to be thought of, ſpoken and done by vsus, as his Name may receiue glory.
4. That therefore ſuch things are to be auoyded, as may cauſe his Name to be blaſphemed, and polluted among the wicked.
5. That ſorrow ſhould poſſeſſe our hearts, to ſee God diſhonoured; for as our deſire ſhould be to ſee his Name glorified: ſo griefe ſhould ariſe in vsus, to ſee his Name abuſed.
The ſecond Petition.
This followeth the former, as the meanes to hallow Gods Name: teaching this, that if hee rule in vsus, he ſhall be honoured of vsus.
Thy Kingdome come.
In this we are taught to beg of God, that he would take the rule and reigne of all things, and to ſhew it according to his power, grace, and glory. Hence we learne
1. That God our Father hath a Kingdome.
2. That it is the deſire of his children, that this ſhould come, that is, that he ſhould reigne ouer all, and rule all.
3. That it is not in our power to bring men vnderunder the rule of God, but the Kingdome, that is, the Lords ſupremacy and dominion commeth from him. It commeth vponupon vsus, it ariſeth not from within vsus, or from among vsus.
4. That to hauehave God to rule and reigne, is a mercy to be craued at his hands.
5. That Gods Kingdome doth but in part here come vponupon vsus, becauſe we deſire whilſt we liue, that it may come.
The third petition.
This followeth as the manifeſtation of our ſubiection to God; teaching, that the doing of Gods will is the euidence of his rule and dominion ouer vsus.
Thy will be done
Here we are taught to deſire of God, that what his pleaſure and will is, may be performed of vsus. Hence we learne,
1. That God hath his will, decree and purpoſes.
2. That this is onelyonly to bee knowne and obſerued, and ſubmitted vntounto.
3. That wee are to beg of God this his grace to be obedient.
4. That it is not in vsus of our ſelues to ſubmit to his will.
5. That it is not enough to know the will of God, to hauehave good deſires and hearts, but to be doers of Gods will and to ſhew forth good workes.
In Earth,
Whereſouer wee dwell, and whatſoeuer wee poſſeſſe, and ſo long as wee here liue on earth, Gods will muſt be done. Whence we learne,
1. That whereſoeuer we abide in great or meane families, among Chriſtians or heathē, Gods will is to be our rule, and wee are to reſigne our ſelues to it.
2. That no earthly thing is to withdraw our obedience from Gods will.
3. That ſo long as wee be on earth, his will is to be done of vsus.
As it is in Heauen.
The manner of doing Gods will is here ſet forth: teaching,
1. That God requireth as well the right manner of doing, as the very doing of the deed it ſelfe.
2. That onelyonly in Heauen, and not on Earth, are patternes of perfection, and of perfect obedience.
3. That in obedience the perfecteſt examples are to be ſet before vsus for imitation.
4. That we are to ſtriue to perfection, to liue here an heauenly life, the life of Angels, if it were poſſible.
5. That the doing of Gods will well, is his gift, and not of our ſelues.
The fourth petition.
The former petitions concerne Gods glory, the reſt following the good of our ſelues; teaching, that Gods glory, his Kingdome and Will are to bee preferred before our owne liues and ſaluation, in our deſires.
GiueGive vsus this day, our dayly bread.
Wee bee here taught to aske earthly bleſſings of God our Father. Hence we learne,
1. That its lawfull to aske temporall bleſſings, & bodily meanes of life.
2. That all theſe things are his meere gift and of his goodneſſe to vsus.
3. That none can get them but as God is pleaſed to giuegive them.
4. That therefore enioying them he is to be praiſed, or wanting of them, we are to learne patience.
5. That preſent prouiſion ſhould content vsus, and not be troubled with diſtruſtfull cares for the time to come.
6. That our deſire is to be moderate and to reſt with that which is neceſſary.
7. That the bread, that is, the meanes which wee liue vponupon is to be our owne.
8. That we are eueryevery day to depend on God for theſe outward things.
9. That care of prouiſion is to be had of our brethren, as well as of our ſelues.
The fift petition.
The former petition was for the body, ſo Chriſt deſcendeth to our weakeneſſe, to let vsus begin there firſt, with the care whereof we be moſt troubled: this petition is for ſoules ſafety: teaching, that with care of bodies welfare, the ſoules danger ſhould be ſeene vntounto.
And forgiue vsus our treſpaſſes,
We be here taught to beg of God pardon of ſinnes. Out of which we learne,
1. That all and eueryevery one are offenders againſt God: for all are to aske forgiueneſſe.
2. That we offend, not in one, but in many things: we are to acknowledge not a treſpaſſe, but treſpaſſes.
3. That therefore eueryevery mans ſanctification is weake to reſiſt ſin, and imperfect here.
4. That God onelyonly can and doth forgiue ſinnes.
5. That Gods pardon is a free pardon, we get it not by ſatisfaction, but beg forgiueneſſe of his mercy.
6. That all the children of God doe obtaine pardon of their ſins, and are aſſured thereof. Elſe Chriſt would not bid them aske pardon, if their ſinnes were not pardonable, and to be pardoned, when they aske forgiueneſſe being truly penitent.
7. That repentance is dayly to be renewed for our dayly ſlips: for this requeſt muſt be dayly put vp to God.
8. That wee are to pray that God would forgiue our brethren, as well as our ſelues.
9. That therefore we are not to prouoke men to ſinne, nor make a ſport of their ſinning.
As we forgiue them, that treſpaſſe against vsus.
Here is the ſigne of forgiuenes, by which we may know to whom remiſſion belongeth, and it is for ſtrengthning of our faith, in the aſſurance of pardon. The words are not a compariſon; nor any ſampler to God how he ſhould forgiue vsus: Nor doe they plead any cauſe, to moue God, but are as a witneſſe from this grace and mercy to others, that God will be mercifull to vsus. If we that hauehave ſo little mercy yet can forgiue, how much more our Father the God of mercy, yea and mercy it ſelfe? Hence may we learne,
1. That our forgiuing one another, is not of the ſinne, but of the iniury and damage againſt our owne perſons.
2. They that looke for pardon of their owne ſinnes from God, are to remit the treſpaſſes done againſt themſelues to their brethren.
3. That the mercifull may aſſure themſelues that they ſhall obtaine mercy.
4. That though men doe treſpaſſe one another; yet are they to forgiue one another.
The ſixth petition.
The laſt petition concerneth the ſafety of body and ſoule. The diſtinct care of the one and of the other, maketh vsus care for the good of both together.
And lead vsus not into temptation.
This is the petition, in which wee be taught to deſire, as in the laſt place, Gods aide and aſſiſtance againſt our ſpirituall enemies, to teach vsus,
1. That the Godly are here ſubiect to temptations. They may not thinke to liue ſecurely.
2. That no temptation can or doth befall vsus, without the will and guidance of God.
3. That God will not ſuffer vsus to be tempted aboue our power; ſeeing he willeth vsus to pray thus vntounto him.
4. That it is in Gods power, and not in vsus to preuent temptations.
5. That we ſhould tender our brethren in their ſpirituall temptations.
6. That therefore wee ſhould not be tempters our ſelues, to draw them to euill.
But deliuer vsus from euill.
This is as the explanation, ſhewing how farre we deſire not to be led into temptation, to wit, ſo farre, as wee bee not left in the danger and deſtruction thereof. Whence we learne,
1. That wee are not to pray ſimply not to be tempted at all, but reſpectiuely as it may be euill and ſinfull to vsus.
2. That euill is the thing wee are to deſire to be freed from.
3. That it is not in mans power to free himſelfe from euill in time of temptation.
4. That God onelyonly can and will free his from euill: for what we are willed to aske, that we may looke to obtaine of God.
5. That wee are to pray for our brethren that euill ſeaze not vponupon them, that they be not ouercome in temptation.
The concluſion.
Which is in part a reaſon why we aske all theſe of God, partly a confirmation of our faith, with an acknowlegement of the things herein, which is a prayſing of God: which teacheth vsus, that our requeſts ſhould be grounded vponupon good reaſons, and ſuch as God affordeth vsus. And in that the concluſion followeth the ſixe petitions, we learne that theſe containe all things needfull to be asked of God, either for his glory, or our ſafety; elſe would Chriſt hauehave added more.
For thine is Kingdome, power and glory for euer.
Wee are taught here what to make the grounds of our requeſts, and what to aſcribe vntounto God.
Whence we learne,
1. That ſoueraginty, power and glory, belong onelyonly to God, and to him to be aſcribed.
2. That theſe three, with the conſideration of the eternity therof, are ſtrong confirmations of our faith in prayer.
3. That Gods Kingdome, power and glory are endleſſe.
4. That praiſes as well as prayers are our duty to God.
Amen.
It is an aſſeueration or wiſh, and an earneſt longing to hauehave what we pray for. And hence note two things,
1. That the deſire is to be inflamed after thoſe things which we beg of God. So muſt we be feruent in prayer.
2. That we are to be perſwaded, that what we aske, according to this holy forme of prayer, wee ſhall obtaine.
Honour and glory, and power, and prayſes, and dominion ouer all, be aſcribed to God our Father, in Chriſt Ieſus, by the operation of the Spirit now and euer.
Amen.