Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Part 3
Our Father.
The meaning.
THus much of the argument of relation; now let vsus proceede. It is further said, Our Father. Quest. Whether may it bee lawfull for vsus in praier to say, not our father, but my father? Ans. A Christian may in priuate praier say, My Father. This is warranted by the example of our Sauiour. Mat, 26. 39. O my Father if it be possible, let this cup passe from me. And Mat. 27. 46. My God, my God, whie hast thou forsaken mee? The meaning of Christe is not to binde vsus to these wordes, but to teache vsus that in our praiers wee must not hauehave regard to our selues onelyonly, but also to our brethren: & therefore when we pray for them in our priuate praiers as for our selues, wee put in practise the true meaning of these wordes.
2. The Vses.
1 VVHen we pray, we must not make request onlie for our selues & our own good, but for others also, as the Church and people of GOD, perswading our selues, that we also are partakers of their praiers, and for the better clearing of this point, let vsus search who they are for whome we are to pray. Of men there be two sortes; some liuing, some dead. Of these two kindes, the liuing are to be praied for, and there is no praying for the dead. A man that is dead knowes what shall be his estate eternally: if he died a wicked person, his state shall be according in eternall torments, if hee died godly, then he shall rest with God in his kingdom. Apoc. 14. 13. Blessed are they vvhichwhich die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their vvorkes follow them. Gal. 6. 10. While vve hauehave time let vsus do good to al men. Where we may note, that there is a time, namelie after death, when we cannot.
Againe, of the liuing, some are our enemies, and some our frends▪ Our frends are they which are of the same religion, affection, disposition. Foes are either priuate or publike: publike foes, are either enemies to our country, as tyrants, traitors, &c. or enemies to our religion, as Iewes, Turks, Papists, Infidels, Atheists. Nowe towards all these, how ought a man to behaue himselfe in prayer? Ans. Hee is to pray for them all. Mat. 5. 44. Praie for them vvhichwhich hurt you and persecute you, 1. Tim. 2. 1. I exhort that praiers, intercessions, &c. Be made for all men, for kinges &c. Yet when Paul gaue this commandement: we read not that there wer any Christiā kings, but all Infidels. And the Iewes are commanded to pray for Babylon, where they were captiue. Ieremie 29. 7. And seeke the prosperitie of the Cittie, whither I hauehave caused you to bee carried captiue, and praie vntounto the lord for it. Quest. Howe, and in what maner are we to pray for our enemies? Ans. We are to pray against their sinnes, counsels, enterprises, but not against their persons. Thus praied Dauid against Achitophell. 2. Sa. 15. 31. Lord, I praie thee, bring the counsell of Achitophell to foolishnes. And thus did the Apostles pray against their persecuters. Act. 4. 29 O Lord, behold their threatnings, and graunt vntounto thy seruants with all boldnes to sp…ake thy word.
Question. Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies, in which he praieth for their vtter confusion, as Psal. 59. & 109. &c. the like is done by Paul. Gal. 5. 12. 2. Tim. 4. 14. And Peter Act. 8. 20. though afterwards hee mitigates his exexcration. But how could they do it? Ans. 1. They were indued with an extraordinarie measure of Gods spirit; and hereby they were enabled to discerne of the estate of their enemies▪ & certainly to judge that their wickednes and malice was incurable, and that they shuld neuer repent. And the like praiers did the primatiue Church cōceiue against Iuliā the Apostata, because they perceiued him to be a malicious and desperate enemie. 2. Secondly, they were indued with a pure zeal against their enemies intending nothing else but the glory of God. Now, for vsus it is good that we should suspect our zeal, because sinister affections, as hatred, enuie, emulation, desire of reuenge, wil mingle themselues with our zeal.
Question. How far forth may we vse those Psalmes in which Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies? Ans. They are to be read and song with these caueats. 1. Wee are to vse those imprecations indefinitely against the enemies of God and his Church: for wee may perswade our selues, that alwaies there be some such obstinate enemies: but we must not apply them particularly. 2. Secondly, wee must vse them (as Augustine saith) as certaine prophetical sentences of the holy Ghost, pronouncing the last sentence of destruction, of final & impenitent sinners, which oppose themselues against Gods kingdom Thirdly; they may be vsed against our spiritual enemies the flesh, the deuil and his Angels, & the world
2. Furthermore, whereas we ar taught to say, Our father; this serues to put vsus in minde, that in praying to God, we must bring louelove to mē with vsus. We must all be as the children of one father, louingly disposed one to another. For how shuld he call God his father, who wil not take the child of God for his brother? Mat. 5. 23. When thou art to offer thie gifte vntounto God, if thou hauehave ought against thie brother, first be reconciled, and then come and offer thy gift. So also Esay 1. 15. the Lorde saith, that when they pray vntounto him hee will not heare. Why? because their hands were ful of blud. In these times many men can be contēt formally to praie; but yet they will not leaue bribing, oppression, deceit, vsurie, &c. The common song of the worlde is, euerie man for himselfe, and God for vsus all: this is the common louelove and care that men hauehave eche to other. The praiers of such are abhominable, euen as the sacrifice of a dog, as Esay saith, For howe can they call God their Father, that hauehave no louelove to their brethren?
3. Thirdly, hence we may learn that God is no accepter of persōs. For this praier is giuen to all men of what state or degree soeuer. All then, aswell poore as rich, vnlearned as learned, subjectes as rulers, may say, Our father. It is not with the Lord as it is with the worlde, but all are his Children that doe beleeue. The poore man hath as good interest in Gods kingdome, and may call God Father as well as the King.