Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Part 1 – Part 2
Our Father which art &c.
THese wordes containe three parts, 1. a preface, 2. the praier it self, containing six 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 go before, are only testifications of our desires. Nowe of these three parts in order.
We must consider how our Sauiour Christ, doth not set downe the petitions abruptly, but he first beginnes with a solemne preface. Whereby we are taught this lessō; that he which is to pray vntounto God is first to prepare himselfe, and not boldly without consideration, as it were, to rushe into the presence of God. If a mā be to come before an earthly Prince, hee will order himselfe in apparel, gesture, and words, that he may do all thinges in seemelines & dutiful reuerence: how much more are men to order themselues, when they are to appear before the liuing God? Eccle. 5. 1. Be not rash with thy mouth, & let not thine hart be hastie to vtter a thing, before the Lord. And Dauid Psal. 26. 6. Washed his hands in innocencie, before he came to the Altar of the Lord to offer sacrifice.
The meanes whereby men may stir vp their dul and heauie hea…, and 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; and 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 cō parison. The beames of the sunne descending, heat not before they come to the earth, or some solide body where they may reflect; and then by that means the earth and aire adjoyning is made very hote: euen so the Lord sends downe vntounto vsus his blessed Worde, euen as beames and the goodly sunshine, & thereby he speaks to our harts: now, when we make our praiers of that which we hauehave reade, Gods worde is as it were reflected, and our heartes are thereby warned with the cōfortable heat of Gods holy spirit, to powre out our praiers 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 pray, as it is practised. Psalme 143. 1. The third meanes, is the consideration of Gods most glorious maiestie; wherin we are to remember, first, his fatherly goodnes and kindenes, whereby he is willing, & secondly his omnipotencie, where by he is able to grant our requests One of these emboldned the Lepar to pray. Lord▪ if thou wilt, thou canst make me cleane. Mat. 8. 2. Therfore, both together are more effectuall.
Nowe let vsus come to the preface it selfe, Our Father vvhichwhich art in heuen. It contains a descriptiō of the true Iehoua, to whom we pray; and that by two arguments, the first is drawen from a relation, Our Father: the second is taken frō the subiect or place, Which art in heuen.
Father.
1. The meaning.
IN the opening of this word, or title of God, two questions are to be opened.
1. Quest. Whether by this title Father, is signified the whol Trinitie, or some one person thereof. Ans. Otherwhiles this name is attributed to all the persons in Trinitie, or any of them. Malac. 2. 10. HaueHave we not all one Father, &c. Luk. 3. 38. Which was the sonne of Adam, which was the sonne of God. And in Isai. 9. 6 christ is called the father of eternitie because al that ar truly knit to him and born a new by him, they are eternally made the sons of God. Again, oftentimes it is giuen to the first persō in trinitie, as in those places, where one person is conferred with another. And so in this place principally for some speciall respects, this title agrees to the first person. For first he is the father of Christ, as he is the eternall worde of the father, and that by nature, because hee is of the same essence with him: Secondly, he is father to Christ, in respect of his manhood, not by nature or adoption, but by personall vnion, because the humane nature doeth subsist in the person of the word. Thirdly, hee is a father to all the faithfull by adoption in Christ.
2. Question. Whether we are to pray to the Sonne and holy Ghost as to the Father. Ans. Inuocation belonges to all the three persons in Trinitie, and not only to the father Act. 7. 59. Steuen praieth, Lord Iesus receiue my spirit. 1. Thes. 3. 2. Now God our father, and our Lord Iesus Christ, guide our iourney vntounto you. 2. Cor. 13. 13. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, the louelove of God, & the communion of the holy Ghost be vvith you. Some say, this praier is a perfect platforme of all praiers: and in it wee are taught to direct our praiers to the Father, not to the Son or holy spirit. I answer, the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost are three distinct persons, yet they are not to be seuered or diuided; because they al subsist in one and the same Godhead or diuine nature. And further, in all outward actions, as in the creation and preseruation of the world, and the saluation of the elect, they are not seuered or deuided, for they al work together onelyonly they are distinguished in the maner of working. Now if they be not deuided in nature or operation, then they are not to be seuered in worship. And in this place we direct our praiers to the father because he is the first in order; yet so, as then we imploy the Son and holy Ghost. For we pray to the father in the name of the Sonne, by the assistance of the holy Ghost. And to what persone soeuer the praier is directed, we must alwaies remember in minde and heart to include the rest.
2. The Vse.
THe vses of this point are manifolde.
1. First, whereas we are taught to com to God, as to a father, and therefore in the name of his Son our Sauiour Christ, wee learne to lay the first ground of all our praiers, in the holding & maintaining of the vnion and distinction of the three persons in Trinitie. This being the lowest and the first foundation of praier, it is requisite that al which woulde pray aright, should hauehave this knowledge, rightly to beleeue of the Trinitie, & to know how the three persons agree, and how they are distinguished: & the order of them, how the Father is the first, the Sonne the second, the holy Ghost the third: and therefore, how the father is to be called vponupon in the name of the Sonne, by the holy Ghost. Hence it is manifest, that ignorant and sillie people which do not so much as dreame of the vnion, distinction and order of the persons in Trinitie, mak but cold and slender kind of praying.
2. Secondly, we may learn hereby, that we are not in any wise to inuocate Saintes and Angels, but onelyonly the true Iehoua. The reason stands thus. This praier is either a perfect platform for all praiers▪ or not: to say it were not, were an injurie to our Sauiour Christ: to say it is so, is also to grant, that it doth fully set downe, to whome al praiers are to be made. Papistes that are the great patrons of invocation of Saints, in their reformed breuiaries and missales deal very fōdly: for, first they pray to Mary, that she would pray to Christ for them; and when they hauehave so done, like Iuglers they come to Christ, and pray vntounto him that hee would accept Maries praier for them.
3. Thirdly, we learne that there can be no intercessour betweene God and vsus, but onelyonly Christ. For here we ar taught to come to God not as to a Iudge, but as to a kind and louing Father. Now he is a father to vsus onelyonly by Christ: as for Angels and Saints, & al creatures, they are not able to procure by any meanes, that God shoulde become a father, no not so much as to one man.
4. Againe, if the God to whom we pray be a father, we must learn to acquaint our selues with the promises which hee hath made in his word, to quicken our hearts in praier vntounto him. For this word Father, implies redines and willingnes in God to heare, and be mercifull to our praiers. And a father cannot but must needs mak some promises of fauour to those that be his children: and therefore it cannot be, that he should call God truly his father, which hath not in his heart this assurance, that God will fulfill his promises vntounto him. Promises made to praier; these and such like are to bee marked as follow. 2. Chron. 7. 14. If my people among vvhome my name is called vponupon, do humble themselues, and pray, & seek my presence, and turne from their wicked waies, then I will heave in heuen & be mercifull to their sinnes. 2. Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while you be with him: and if ye seeke him, he will be found of you. Isai. 65. 24. Before they call, I wil answere, and whiles they speak I vvill heare. Mat. 7. 7. Aske, and it shall be giuen you: seeke and ye shal find: knock and it shall be opened. Luk. 11. 13 If ye vvhichwhich are euil can giuegive good gifts vntounto your children how much more shal your heauenly father giuegive the holy ghost to them that desire him? Rom. 10. 12. Hee that is Lord ouer all, is rich vntounto all that call on him. Iam. 4. 8. Drawe neere vntounto God, and he will draw neere vntounto you.
5. If God be a father who is called vponupon, then praier is the note of Gods Child. S. Luke▪ and S. Paul set out the faithfull seruants of God by this note. Act. 9 14. He hath authoritie to binde al that cal on thy name 1. Cor. 1. 2. To them that are sanctified by Iesus Christ saints by calling, with all that call on the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And contrariwise, Psal. 14. 4. It is made one of the properties of an Atheist, Neuer to cal on the name of God. And such persons, as neither wil, nor can, or vse not hartely to pray to God, they may say, that they are perswaded there is a God, but in their doings they bear themselues as if there wer no God.
6. He which would pray aright, must be like the prodigall childe, that is, he must not onelyonly confesse his sin, saying, Father I hauehave sinned against heauen and against thee, &c. but also hauehave a ful purpose neuer after to offend his Father. For how can a Childe call him father, whome hee cares not continually to displease through his lewd conditions? He cannot do it; neither can any Father delight in suche a child: therefore, in praier we must call to minde our lewdnes and rebellions against our heauenly Father, and with the Publican, in heuines of soule, say, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner. He which can truly do this, is a kind child. If we consider our selues as we are by nature, wee are the children of the deuill: noe childe so like his Father as wee are like him, and in this estate, we continually rebel against God; for the Deuill hath al the heart, our whol joy is to serue and please him. A man that is to pray must think on this, and be heauy for it. And happy, yea a thousand times happy ar they, who hauehave grace giuen them to see this their state & to bewaile it. And further, it is not sufficient to confesse our sinnes against our mercifull Father, but wee must set downe with our selues, neuer in such sort to offend him againe; and to leade a newe life. This point is very profitable for these times; For many there be, when any crosse or sicknes comes on them, they will pray and promise repentance and all obedience to Gods worde, if it shall please God to deliuer them: but this vsually is but in hypocrisie; they dissemble with God and men. For when their sicknes is past like a dogge that hath bene in the water, they shake their eares, and runne streight with all greedinesse to their former sinnes. Is this to call God father? No; hee that doth this, shall not hauehave God to be his father; but the man that is wounded in his soul for his offēces past, and carrieth a purpose in his heart neuer wittingly and willingly to offend God againe.
7. Lastly, here we ar to obserue, that he which would pray, must be indued with the spirit of adoptiō: the workes whereof in the matter of praier are twofold. The first to moue him to crie and call on God as a father. It is no easie thing to pray. For to a man of himselfe, it is as easie to mooue the whole earth with his hand; how then comes it that we pray? It is a blessed worke of the spirit. Rom. 8. 15. Wee hauehave receiued the spirit of adoption, whereby vve crie Abba, that is, Father, and Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the spirit helpeth our infirmities: for wee knowe not what to pray as we ought: but the spirit it self maketh request. And. Zach. 12. 10. the holy Ghost is called the spirit of grace and deprecations or praiers. Wel then, the man that woulde pray, must hauehave Gods spirite to bee his schoolmaster, to teach him to pray with grones and sighes of the hart▪ for the wordes make not the praier, but the grones & desires of the hart; and a man praies for no more then he desires with his heart, and hee which desires nothing, praies not at all, but spends liplabor. The second work of the spirit, is to assure vsus in our consciences, that we are in the state of grace, reconciled to God. Rom. 8. 16. The spirit of adoption beareth witnes with our spirits, that we are the children of God. And this inward certificate of the spirit in all exercises of invocation is very necessarie: for hee which wants this assurance, if hee be secure, and benummed in his sinnes, will not, and if he be touched in conscience for them, for his life hee dare not cal God Father. Also, this confutes the opiniō of the church of Rome which teacheth, that a man must doubt whether hee be adopted or no. For howe can a man trulie cal God Father, when he doubts whether he be the child of God or no. It is a miserable kinde of praying, to call God Father, and to doubt whether he be a father. Indeede it is true, that doubts will often rise, but it is our dutie to striue against them, and not to yeeld vntounto them. Yea, but (say they) to be certain of Gods mercy is presumption. I answere, if it be presumption, it is an holy presumption, because God hath bidden vsus call him father.