Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Exposition – Part 19
The Exposition.
THese wordes containe two partes, a praier, and a thanksgiuing. In the praier these pointes are to be marked. First, the gesture; I bowe my knees, whereby Paul signifieth, his humble submission vntounto God in praier. Secondly, To whom he praies. To the father; who is described by two titles: the first, the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, and that by nature, as he is God, and as hee is man, by personall vnion. The other title: Of vvhome the whole familie which is in heauen and earth, is named: In which words, is set down a description of the Church, first it is a Familie, because it is the company of Gods elect children, vnderunder the gouernment of one Father: 1. Timoth. 3. 15. It is called the house of God. Ephes. 2. 19. They that beleeue, are saide to be of the household of God: Secondly, the partes of the Catholicke Church are noted, namely, the Saintes in heauen departed, and saintes liuing on earth: Thirdly, it is said to be named of the Father of Christ, because as the Father of Christ, is the Father of this familie; so also this familie is called by him. Genes. 6. 2. Dan. 9. 18. Thirdly, the matter of the praier standes of foure moste worthie points.
The first, is strength, to bear the crosse, and to resist spiritual temptations, vers. 16. where this strenth is sette out by diuers arguments. First, that it is the meere gifte of God, that he wold grant you: Secondly, the cause of strength, by his spirit: Thirdly, the subiect or place, wher this strength must bee, in the inner man: that is, in the whole man, so farre foorth, as hee is renewed by grace. Ephes. 9. 24. The second is, the dwelling of Christ, by faith in their hearts: Faith is, when a man beeing seriously humbled for his sinnes, is further in consciēce perswaded, and resolued of the pardon of thē, and of reconciliation to god. Now where this perswasion is indeede, there followes necessarilie, Christs dwelling in the heart, which stands in two thinges; the first, is the ordering and ruling of the thoghts, affections and desires of the heart, according to his will, as a maister rules in his house: the second, is the continuance of his rule. For hee cannot be saide to dwell in a place, who rules in it but for a day.
The third, is the knowledg, and the acknowledgement of the infinite greatnes of God his louelove in Christ, an effect of the former, vers. 18. 19. the wordes are thus explaned. Rooted and grounded. Here the louelove of God, wherewith hee loues the elect, is as a roote and foundation of all Gods benefits; election, vocation, iustification, and glorification: Men ar rooted and grounded in louelove, when Gods spirite assures their hearts of Gods louelove, & doth giuegive them some inward sense and feeling of it. For then they are as it were sensiblie put into the roote, and laid on the foundation: With al Saintes: Paule desires this benefite, not onelyonly to the Ephesians, but also for all the faithfull with them. What is the length, the bredth. Here is a speech borrowed from Geomitricians, and it signifieth the absolute greatnes, or infinitenes of Gods louelove, and that it is like a worlde, which for length bredth, height & depth, is endles. Heere note the order of receuing grace. First, Christ dwelles in the hart by faith: Secondly, thē comes a sense and feeling of Gods louelove, as it were, by certain drops thereof: Thirdly, after this, ariseth a plētifull knowledge, and apprehension of Gods louelove, and as it wer the powring out of a sea into a mans heart, that for greatnes, hath neither bottome nor bank. And knowe the louelove of Christ, these wordes (as I take it) are an exposition of the former, for to comprehende the louelove of God, is nothing else, but to knowe the louelove of Christ: considering, that all whome the father loueth, hee loueth them in Christ: Which passeth knowledge: That is, which for the greatnes of it, noe man can fullie know.
The fourth thing, is the fulnesse of Gods graces. verse 19. Here the fulnesse of God, doth not signifie the fulnes of the Godhead, or deuine nature, but the perfection of the inner man, which shall not be till after this life, Nowe followes the thāksgiuing, or the praise of God, ver. 20. 21. containing these points 1. The matter of praise, his power and bountifulnes, whereby he canne worke exceeding aboundantly, aboue all we ask or think: and both these are not only to be conceiued in mind, but also may be felt in the heart, according to the power that worketh in vsus. 2. the forme of praise, glorie vntounto God by Christ, as all benefits are receiued from the father by Christ. The proper place of true praise of God the Church. 4. The continuance of his praise, through all generations for euer.
Philip. 1.
9. AND this I praie, that your louelove maie abound yet more and more, in knowledg and al sense.
10. That yee may discerne things that differ: to the end, yee may be pure and without offence, to the daie of Christ.
11. Filled with fruites of righteousnes, vvhichwhich are by Iesus Christ, vntounto the praise and glorie of God.
The Exposition
THis praier containes three parts. In the first, Paul praieth for increase of louelove in the Philip. whether it be to God or to men, verse 9. and he shewes the meanes of increase, which ar two: knowledg and sense or feeling. For (to goe backeward) the more a godly man feeles Gods louelove, and hath experience of Gods word in himselfe, the more he knowes Gods word, and perceiues his louelove vntounto him: the more hee is assured of Gods louelove, the more he loues god again, and his neighbour for his sake.
The second thing praied for, is the gift of discerning, whereby mē know what is true, what fals, what is to be done, what to be left vndone: the ends of this gift ar two. The first, that by meanes of it, they may bee pure or sincere: that is, keepe a good conscience before God and men, in their liues and callings. The second is, to be without offence: that is, innocent, giuing no occasions of euill to any, and not taking thē offered by others: and the continuance of these is noted, to the daie of Christ, which is the time in which he commeth to vsus, either by our death, or by the last judgement.
Thirdly, he praieth, that they might abounde in good workes, which ar described by a similitud; fruits of righteousnes: Christians being, fruitfull trees. Exech. 4. 7. 12. Esay. 61. 3. 2. By the cause efficient, which ar by Christ. 3. By the end, vntounto the glorie and praise of God.
Colos. 1.
9 I cease not to praie for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with knowledg of his will, in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding.
10. That ye might vvalk vvorthie of the lord, & please him in al things, fructifying in all good workes, and increasing in the acknowledgment of God.
11 Strengthened vvith all might thorough his glorious power, vntounto all patience, and long suffering vvith ioyfulnes.
12 Giuing thanks to the father, which hath made vsus fit to be partakers of the inheritāce of the saints in light.
13 Who hath deliuered vsus from the power of darknesse and hath translated vsus into the kingdome of his owne sonne.
The Exposition.
THese wordes containe a praier and a thankesgiuing. In the praier, three things are asked. The first is the increase of the knowledge of Gods reueiled vvill in his worde, and he deuides it into two partes: Wisdom, which is not only to know Gods word, but also to apply it to eueryevery action, for the right and holy performing thereof: and spiritual vnderstanding: which is, when men by the assistance of Gods spirit, do conceiue the will of God in general, without applying.
Secondly, Paule praies for the fruites of this knowledge, which are foure. 1. To walke woorthy of God, as good seruants do, who in their apparell, gesture, and all their doings, page missing
End of the text · William Perkins, Exposition of the Lords Prayer (1593)