A Golden Chain, Title page 3 – Part 1
AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER:
In the way of Catechising, seruing for ignorant people.
Corrected and amended.
Hereunto are adioyned the prayers of Paul, taken out of his Epistles.
By W. Perkins.
Printed for Iohn Porter, and Ralph Iackson. 1600.
To the right Honourable Edward, Lord Russell Earle of Bedford: Grace and peace be multiplied.
RIght Honourable, if you consider what is one of the chiefest ornaments of this Noble state, vntounto which God hath aduanced you: it wil appeare, that there is none more excellent then aZach. 12.12.the spirit of grace and prayer. For what doth your heart affect? would you speake the languages? Behold, by prayer you may speak the most heauenly tongue that euer was, bEsa. 9.12 Rom. 15.6euen the language of Canaan. Would you hauehave the valor of knighthood? By prayer you may stand in place where Gods hande hath c… 23. psal. 59.16made a breach, and doe as much as d2. king. 2.all the chariots and horsmen in a kingdom. Would you inioy Gods blessings which you wāt? By praier you may (as it were) put your hand into the cofers of Gods treasures eMatth. 7.7.& inrich your selfe. Doe you desire the fauour of Monarks and Princes? By praier you may come in presence and hauehave speech with Iehova the king of heauen and earth. Lastly, would you know, whether now liuing you be dead, that beeing dead you may liue for euer? By prayer a man may knowe, whether hee bee dead to sinne, dead to the world, liue to God, liue to Christ and liue eternally.
Prayer then, beeing so excellent a point of Religion: I am imboldened to commend this small treatise to your Honour: not so much for it selfe, as because it doth set out the matter and true manner of inuocation of Gods holy name. And I hope for your fauour in accepting of it, the rather, because I doubt not but your desire is to be answerable to your most honourable, & for religion most worthy ancestors, in the care of maintaining and countenancing any good thing that may any way serue for the furtherīg of the gospel of Christ.
Nowe Iesus Christ our Lord, and God euen the Father which hath loued vsus, & giuen vsus euerlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, stablish your Honour in eueryevery good word and worke to the end.
Your H. to command, William Perkins.
An aduertisement to the Reader.
GOod reader, there was a booke of late published in London vnderunder this title, PERKINS, vponupon the Lords praier. In it I hauehave double iniurie. First it was printed without my knowledge or consent. And secondly the booke is faultie both in the matter and manner of writing. In the matter, these things are not well set downe.
First the commandement of praier, very easily to be kept. pag. 3.b.
2. Prayer is the restauration of the Gospell. 7.b.
3. The three first petitions concerne Gods glorie; the three latter, the meanes of Gods glorie. 1.b.
4. Gods name taken for his deitie, and not for his attributes or titles. 15.b.
5. A man must pray for the day of his death. 26.a.
6. Repentance is sufficient not only to bring a true faith, but also to renew it. 34.….
7. A lesson in the Lords praier taken out of Poperie. 45.a.
8. The doctrine of satisfaction for sinne is a most vile doctrine. 52.b.
9. God and the deuill agree in the manner of temptation. 61.b.
10. God offereth men the occasion to sinne. 62.a.
Likewise the manner of writing hath other faults.
First, in the middle of the Lords prayer, there is placed a discourse of the Lords supper.
2. The end of the Lords prayer is not expounded at all but friuolously.
3. There are very many places, which hauehave no common reason in them, as First, Gods angels doe his will in countenance. 39.b.
2. Our daily bread is communicating bread. 45.b.
3. To walke before God in the truth of the satisfaction of Gods iustice. 51.a.
4. To purge a cleere conscience. 51.b.
5. The pages 65.66.67. are so penned, as the reader cannot knowe what was my meaning.
Now, considering by this vngoaly practise, Christian and well disposed people are much abused, to omit the iniurie done to my selfe: I thought it my duty to make a redresse by publishing this treatise according as the points therein were deliuered: otherwise I was not willing to hauehave set downe any thing in the way of Exposition of the Lords prayer: because it is alreadie sufficiently performed by others.
AN EXPOSITION OF THE Lords praier, in the way of Catechisme. Seruing for ignorant people, by M. Perkins. Matth. 6. vers. 9. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father, &c.
THe occasion, and so also the coherence of these words with the former is this. The Euangelist Matthew setting downe the sermons and sayings of our Sauiour Christ keeps not this course to propound eueryevery thing as it was done or spoken: but sometime he sets downe that first, which was done last; and that last which was done before: according as the spirit of God directed him. Which thing is verified in these words, where the praier is mentioned; yet the occasion wherefore our Sauiour Christ taught his Disciples to pray, is not here specified. But in S. Luk. 11. 1. the occasion of these wordes is euident. For there it is said that the disciples of our Sauiour knowing that Iohn taught his disciples to pray, made request to their master that he would doe the same to them likewise.
These fewe words set before the pr…ier are a commandement, and it prescribes vntounto vsus two duties: the first, to pray: the second, to pray after the manner following. Touching the first point, considering very fewe among the people knowe how to pray aright, we must learne what it is to pray.
To make praier is to put vp our request to God according to his word from a contrite heart in the name of Christ, with assurance to be heard.
For the better opening of these words, we are to cōsider sixe questiōs. The first is, to whome we are to praie. The answer is, to God alone: Rom. 10.14. How shall they call on him in whome they hauehave not beleeued, &c. Marke howe inuocation and faith are linked togither. And Pauls reason may be framed thus. In whome we put our affiance or beleefe, to him alone must we praie: but we beleeue onelyonly in God: therefore we must onelyonly pray to him. As for Saints or angels, they are in no wise to be called vponupon: because not the least title of gods word prescribes vsus so to doe: because they cannot heare our praiers, and discerne what are the thoughts and desires of our hearts: and because inuocation is a part of diuine worship, and therefore peculiar to God alone.
Obiection. What neede any man pray vntounto God, considering hee knowes what we want before we aske, and is readie and willing to giuegive that which we craue. Ans. We pray not for this ende to manifest our case to God as though he knewe it not, or to winne and procure his fauour and good will, but for other weightie endes. First, that we might shew our submission and obedience to God, because he hath giuen vsus a direct commandement to pray, and it must be obeyed. Secondly, that we may by inuocation shewe forth that wee doe indeede beleeue and repent: because God hath made the promise of remission of sinnes and of all good blessings to such as doe indeede repent and humble themselues vnderunder the hand of God, and by true faith apprehend and applie the promises of God vntounto themselues. Thirdly, we pray to God that wee may (as our dutie is) acknowledge him to be the fountaine, author, and giuer of eueryevery good thing. Lastly, that we might ease our mindes by powring out our hearts before the Lord: for to this ende hath he made most sweete and comfortable promises. Pro. 16.3. Psal. 37.5.
Obiection. What neede men vse prayer, considering God in his eternall coū sell hath certenly determined what shall come to passe? Ans. As God determines what things shall come to passe: so hee doeth with all determine the meanes whereby the same things are effected. Before all worlds God decreed that men should liue vponupon earth, and he decreed likewise, that meate, drinke and cloathing should be vsed that life might be preserued. Now prayer is one of the most excellent meanes whereby sundry things are brought to passe: therefore Gods eternall counsell touching things to come, doth not exclude praier and like meanes, but rather include and implie the same.
The second question is, what kind of actiō praier is? Ans. It is no lip-labour, it is the putting vp of a suite vntounto God, and this action is peculiar to the very heart of a man. Rom. 8.26. The spirit makes request for vsus. But how? with grones in the heart. Exod. …4.15. The Lord saith to Moses, Why criest thou? yet there is no mention made that Moses spake any word at all: the Lord no doubt, accepted the inward mourning and desire of his heart for a crie, Psal. 38.10. and 11.4.
The third question is, what is the forme or rule according to which wee are to pray? Ans. It is the reuealed will and word of God. A man in humbling his soule before God, is not to pray as his affections carrie him, and for what he list: but all is to be done according to the expresse word. So as those things which God hath commanded vsus to aske, we are to aske, & those things which he hath not commanded vsus to aske, we are in no wise to pray for, 1. Iohn 5.14. This is the assurance which we hauehave of him, that if wee aske any thing according to his will, he heareth vsus. This then is a speciall clause to be marked, that men must pray in knowledge, not in ignorance. Here weigh the case of poore ignorant people: they talke much of praying for themselues and others, they imagine that they pray very deuoutly to God: but alas they doe nothing lesse, because they know not what to aske according to gods will. They therfore must learn Gods word, and pray according to the same, els it will prooue in the end that all their praying was nothing but as mocking, and flat dishonouring of God.
The fourth question is, with what affection a man must praie? Ans. Praier must proceede from a broken and contrite heart. This is the sacrifice which God accepteth. Psal. 51. 17. When Ahab abased himselfe, though hee did … in hypocrisie, yet God had some respect vntounto it. 1. King. 21.29. saith the Lord to Eliah, seest thou how Ahab is hūbled before me? This contrition of heart stands in two things. The first of them is a liuely feeling of our owne sinne, miserie, and wretched estate, how that we are compassed about with innumerable enemies, euen with the deuill and his angels, and within abound euen with huge seas of wants and rebellious corruptions, whereby we most grieuously displease God, and are vile in our owne eyes. Beeing therefore thus beset on eueryevery side, we are to be touched with the sense of this our great miserie. And he that will pray aright, must put on the person and the very affection of a poore wretched begger, and certenly not beeing grieued with the rufull condition in which we are in our selues, it is not possible for vsus to pray effectually, Psal. 130.1. Out of the deepest called vponupon thee, O Lord: that is, when I was in my greatest miserie, and as it were not farre from the gulfes of hell, then I cried to God, Esay 26.16. Lord in trouble hauehave they visited thee, they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vponupon them. 1. Sam. 1.15. I am a woman (saith Anna) of an hard spirit: that is, a trouble soule, and hauehave powred my soule before the Lord. Hence it appeareth, that the ordinarie praiers of most men grieuously displease God, seeing they are made for fashion onelyonly, without any sense and feeling of their miseries, commonly men come with the Pharise in ostentation of their integritie, and they take great paines with their lippes, but their hearts wander from the Lord. The second thing required in a contrite heart, is a longing desire and hungring after Gods graces and benefits whereof we stand in neede. It is not sufficient for a man to buckle as it were, and to goe crooked vnderunder his sinnes and miseries: but also he must hauehave a desire to be eased of them, and to be enriched with graces needfull.
Thus Hezekias the King, and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos prayed against Senacharib, and cried vntounto heauen. 2. Chr. 32.10. Where we may see what a marueilous desire they had to obtaine their request. So also Rom. 8.16. The spirit maketh request with grones so great that they can not be vttered, as they are felt. Dauid Psal. …43.6. saith, that he desireth after the Lord, as the thirstie land. Now we know that the ground parched with heate, opens it selfe in ri…ts and cranies, and gapes towards heauen as though it would deuoure the clouds for want of moysture, and thus must the heart be disposed to Gods grace, till it obtaine it. The people of Israel beeing in grieuous a…fliction, how doe they pray? They powre out their soules like water before the face of the Lord. Lament. 2. 1….
The fift question is, in whose name prayer must be made. Ans. It must not be made in the name of any creature, but onelyonly in the name and mediation of Christ. Ioh. 14.14. If yee aske any thing in my name I will doe it. A man is not to present his prayers to God in any worthines of his owne merits. For what is he to make the best of himselfe, what can he make of himselfe? by nature he is no better then the very firebrand of hell, and of all Gods creatures on earth the most outragious rebell to God, and therefore can not be heard for his owne sake. As for Saints, they can be no mediatours, seeing euen they themselues in heauen are accepted of God not for themselues, but onelyonly for the blessed merits of Christ. If any man sinne (saith Saint Iohn 1. epist. chap. 2.1.) we h…e an aduocate with the father, Iesus Christ. But howe prooues he this? It followes then, And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes. His reason stands thus, hee which must be an advocate, must first of al be a reconciliation for vsus; no saints can be a reconciliation for vsus, therefore no Saints can be aduocates. Therefore in this place is manifest an other fault of ignorant people. They crie often, Lord helpe me, Lord hauehave merciemercy vponupon me. But in whose name pray they? poore soules like blind bayards they rush vponupon the Lord, they knowe no mediatour in whose name they should present their praiers to him. Litle do they consider with themselues, that God is as well a most terrible Iudge, as a mercifull father.
The sixt question is; Whether faith be requisite to praier or not. Ans. Prayer is to be made with faith, whereby a man must hauehave certen assurance to be heard. For he that praieth must steadfastly beleeue, that God in Christ will grant his petition. This affiance being wanting, it maketh praier to be no praier. For how can he pray for any thing effectually, who doubteth whether hee shall obtaine it or no.
Wherefore it is an especiall point of praier, to be perswaded, that God to whome praier is made, not onelyonly can, but also will grant his request. Mar. 11. 24. Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye praie, beleeue that yee shall hauehave it, and it shall bee done vntounto you. Here wee see two things required in praier: the first, a desire of the good things which we want: the second is faith, whereby we beleeue that God will grant the things desired. The ground of this faith is reconciliation with God, and the assurance thereof. For vnlesse a man bee in conscience in some measure perswaded that all his sinnes are pardoned, and that he standes reconciled to God in Christ, he cannot beleeue any other promises reuealed in the word, nor that any of his praiers shall be heard.
Thus much of the definition of praier: nowe let vsus see what vse may be… made of …his commandement, Pray ye thus. Seeing our Sauiour commands his di…iples… and so euen vsus also to pray to God, it is our dutie not onelyonly to present our praiers to God, but also to doe it cheerefully and earnestly. Rom. 15. 30. Also brethren I beseech you that yee would striue with me by prayers to God for me. What is the cause why the Lord doth oft deferre his blessings after our prayers? No cause, but that he might stirre vsus vp to be more earnest to crie vntounto the Lord. Exod. 32. 10. When Moses praied to God in the behalfe of the Israelites, the Lord answers, Let me alone: as though his praiers did binde the Lord, and hinder him from executing his iudgements. Wherfore this is good aduise, for all Christian men to continue and to bee zealous in praier. If thou be an ignorant man, for shame learn to praie, seeing it is Gods cōmandement, make consciēce of it. We see that there is no man, vnles he be desperately wicked, but will make some conscience of killing and stealing… and why is this? Because it is Gods commaundement, Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not …teale.
Well then, this also is Gods commandement, to pray. Let this consideration breed in thee a conscience of this dutie: and although thy corrupt nature shall draw thee away from it, yet striue to the contrarie, and know it certainly, that …he breach of this commandement makes thee as well guilty of damnation before God as any other. Furthermore, this must be a motiue to pricke thee forward to this dutie, that as God commands vsus to praie, so also he giues the spirit of praier, whereby the commandement is made easie vntounto vsus. If the Lord had commaunded a thing impossible, then there had beene some cause of discouragement, but commaunding a thing through the grace of his spirit very easie and profitable: how much more are we bound to obedience of the same? Againe, praier is the key whereby we open the treasures of GOD, and pull down his mercies vponupon vsus. For as the preaching of the word serues to declare and to conuey vntounto vsus Gods graces: so in praier wee come to hauehave a liuely feeling of the same in our hearts. And further, this must mooue vsus to praier, seeing in that, we hauehave familiaritie with Gods maiestie. It is an high fauour for a man to be familiar with a prince; howe much more then to bee familiar with the king of kings the mightie Iehoua? This then can be no burthen or trouble vntounto vsus, being one of the many prerogatiues that god bestows on his church. For in the preaching of the word, it pleased God to talke to vsus, and in praier, God doth vouchsafe vsus this honour, to speake, and as it were familiarly to talk with him, not as to a fearefull Iudge, but as to a louing and mercifull God.
Consider also that praier is a worthy meanes of defence, not only to vsus, but also to the Church & thē that are absent. By it Moses stood in the breach, which Gods wrath had made into the people of Israel, and staied the same, Psal. 106. 23. By this, Christian men fight as valiant champions against their owne corruptions, and all other spirituall enemies, Eph. 6. 18. Infinite were it to shewe how many blessings the Lord had bestowed on his seruants by praier. In a word, Luther, whom it pleased God to vse as a worthie instrument for the restoring of the gospel, testifieth of himselfe, that hauing this grace giuen him to call vponupon the name of the Lord, he had more reuealed vntounto him of gods truth by praier, then by reading and studie.
The second point of the commandement, is to praie after the manner propounded in the Lords praier. Where it is to be noted, that the Lords praier is a direction, and as it were a samplar to teach vsus how and in what manner wee ought to praie. None is to imagine that we are bound to vse these words only, & none other. For the meaning of Christ is not to bind vsus to the word, but to the matter and to the manner, and to the like affections in praying. If this were not so, the praiers of Gods seruants set downe in the bookes of the olde and new Testament, should all be faultie, because they are not set downe in the very same words with the Lords praier, nay this praier is not set downe in the same words altogither by Matthew and Luke.
And whereas sundrie men in our Church hold it vnlawfull to vse this very forme of words as they are set downe by our Sauiour Christ for a praier; they are farre deceiued, as will appeare by their reasons. First (say they) it is scripture, and therefore not to bee vsed as a prayer. I answer, that the same thing may be the scripture of God, & also the praier of man, els the praiers of Moses, Dauid, and Paul, being set downe in the scriptures, cease to be prayers. Againe (say they) that in praier we are to expresse our wants in particular, & the graces which we desire: now in these words all things to be praied for, are only in generall propounded. I answere, that the maine wantes that are in any m…n, and the principall graces of God to be desired, are set downe in the petitions of this praier in particular. Thirdly, they plead that the patterne to make all praiers by, should not be vsed as a praier. I answer, that therefore the rather it may be vsed as a prayer, and sure it is that ancient and worthy Diuines hauehave reuerenced it as a prayer; choosing rather to vse these wordes then any other, as Cyprianus Sermone de orat. Dominic. And Tertullian lib. de fuga in persequntione. And August. Sermone 126. de tempore. Wherefore the opinion is full of ignorance and errour.
Well, whereas our Sauiour first giues a commandement to pray, and then after giues a direction for the keeping of it, this he doth to stir vp our dulnes, and to allure vsus by all meanes to this heauenly exercise of prayer: wherefore still I say, imploy your selues in praier feruently and continually, and if you cannot doe it, learne to praie. Thus much of the commandement of our Sauiour Christ: now follow the words of the praier.
Our Father which art, &c.]
THese wordes containe three partes, 1. A preface. 2. The praier it selfe, containing sixe petitions. 3. The testification of faith in the last worde, Amen.
Which although it be short, yet it doth not containe the smallest point in the praier: It is (I say) a testification of our faith, whereas the petitions that goe before are onelyonly testifications of our desires. Nowe of these three partes in order.
We must consider howe our Sauiour Christ doth not set downe the petitions abruptly, but he first begins with a solemne preface. Whereby wee are taught this lesson; that hee which is to pray vntounto God, is first to prepare himselfe, and not boldly without consideration as it were to rush into the presence of God.
If a man be to come before an earthly prince, hee will order himselfe in apparell, gesture and wordes, that he may doe all things in seemelinesse and dutifull reuerence: how much more are men to order themselues, when they are to appeare before the liuing God? Eccl. 5.1. Bee not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hastie to vtter a thing before the Lord. And Dauid, Psal. 26.6. Washed his hands in innocency, before he came to the altar of the Lord to offer sacrifice.
The meanes whereby men may stirre vp their dull and heauie hearts, & so prepare themselues to praier, are three. The first is to read diligently the word of God, concerning those matters about which they are to pray: & what then? this will be a meanes not onelyonly to direct him, but also to quicken the heart more feruently to deliuer his praier. This is euident by a comparison. The beames of the sunne descending, heat not before they come to the earth, or some solide bodie where they may reflect, and then by that meanes the earth and aire adioyning is made hot: euen so the Lord sends down vntounto vsus his blessed word, euen as beames and the goodly sunshine, and thereby he speakes to our hearts: now when we make our praiers of that which we hauehave read, Gods word is as it were re…ected, and our hearts are thereby warmed with the comfortable heat of Gods holy spirit, to poure out our p…aiers to God more feruently. The second meanes is to pray to God that hee would strengthen vsus with his spirit, that we might be able to praie as it is practised, Psal. 143.1. The third meanes is, the consideration of Gods most glorious maiestie, wherein we are to remember first his fatherly goodnes and kindnesse, whereby hee is willing; and secondly his omnipotencie, whereby hee is able to g…ant our requests. One of these imboldened the leaper to pray, Lord, if thou wil… thou canst make me …leane. Mat. 8.2. Therefore both togither are more effectuall.
Now let vsus come to the preface it selfe, Our father which art in heauen. It cō taines a description of the true Iehoua to whome we pray, and that by two arguments: the first is drawne from a relation, Our Father: the second is taken from the subiect or place, Which art in heauen.