Catechetical Exposition of Christian Doctrine, Catechism 2
THE SECOND CAtechisme concerning the LORDS Prayer.
§. 1.
Question. SAy the Lords Prayer?
A. Our Father which art in heauen, &c.
Q. Why is it called the Lords Prayer?
A. aLuk. 11. 1, 2.Because our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ taught his Disciples thus to pray.
Q. Why are you taught to say, Our Father, and not my Father.
A. For two reasons.
Q. What is the first?
A. bMal. 2. 10.Because God is the father of vsus all.Iob 31. 15.
Q. What is the second?
A. To teach vsus to praycEph. 6. 18. for others,Mat. 5. 44. as well as for our selues.
Q. Which art in heauen In what heauen doth God dwell?
A. d2. Cor. 12. 2.In the third heauen, called the e2. Chron, 6. 18.heauen of heauens.
Q. How many heauens are there?
A. Three heauens.
Q. What is the first?
A. Where the birds of the ayre are,
They are called in ScripturefGen. 1. 20. the birds of heauen.Hos. 2. 18.
Q. What is the second?
A. Where the sunne, moone, and starres are, They are called in Scripture gGen. 1. 16. 17.the starres of heauen.
Q. What is the third?
A. h1 Kin. 8. 27. 39. 43.Aboue all, where God is.
Q. Is not God eueryevery where?
A. iPsal. 139 7, 8. 9.Yes.
Q. Why then is he said to be in heauen?
A. For two reasons.
Q. What is the first?
A. Because he is there in most speciall manner.
Q. What is that speciall manner?
A. kMat. 10. 37.He doth communicate himselfe in glorious manner to his Saints and Angels.Reu. 3. 2.
God is in all creatures as the author of nature,lAct. 17. 28. and communicating vntounto them the gifts of nature: God is in speciall manner in his Church, as the authour of grace, andmEz. 20. 12. communicating vntounto them the gifts of grace: but in most speciall manner he is in heauen, as the authour of glorie; and communicating the riches of his glory vntounto the Angels and Saints.
Q. What is the second?
A. To teach vsus that when we pray, our affectious should be in heauen.
Q. Do you beleeue that God is your Father?
A. Yes.
Q. And what Father?
A. nMat. 6. 32An heauenly Father.
That is the best Father: foroCol. 3. 2. heauenly things are better then earthly things, p2. Pet. 1. 19.as the light of the sunne is better then the light of a candle.
Q. What lesson doth this teach vsus?
A. ThereforeqLuk. 11 13. he is willing to heare vsus.
Q. For thine is the Kingdome] say this in plainer manner?
A. The kingdome is thine.
Q. What Kingdome?
A. rDan. …. 1. 8. 21.The kingdome ouer all the world.Ps. 103. 19
Q. What is the meaning?
A. sPs. 47. 7. Rom. 13. 4 2. Chr…n. 20. 6.Thou art King ouer all the world.
Q. Thine is the power] say this in plainer manner?
A. The power is thine.
Q. What Power?
A. tPs, 62. 11 12.Ouer all the world.Ioh. 19. 11Mat. 28. 18.
Q. What is the meaning?
A. All power belongeth to thee.
Q. Thine is the glory] say this in plainer manner.
A. The glory is thine.
Q. What is the meaning?
A. u2. Chro▪ …9. 11.All Glory belongeth to thee.
Q. Doe you beleeue that God is King ouer all the world.
A. Yes.
Q. And that all power belongs to him?
A. Yes.
Q. What lesson doth this teach vsus?
A. Therefore he is able to helpe vsus.
This is the first part of the prayer, commonly called the Inuocation: And it conteines the profession of our Faith in God, both touching his goodnesse that he is our Father, and therefore willing to heare vsus. And touching his power, that he is King of all the world and therefore able to helpe vsus: without this faith we cannot pray. Now followeth the petition.
§ 2.
Q. How many Petitions are there?
A. Sixe petitions.
Q. Into how many parts be they diuided?
A. Into two parts.
Q. How many petitions be there in the first part?
A. Three.
Q. What doe we pray for in the three first?
A. Such things as immediately concerne Gods glory.
Q. What doe we pray for in the three last?
A. Such things as immediately concerne our owne good.
Q. Say the first petition?
A. Hallowed be thy name.
Q. Say this in plainer manner.
A. We pray thee that thy name may be hallowed.
Q. What is hallowed?
A. Made holy.
Q. Is not Gods name holy already?
A. Yes.
Q. Hath it any need of our making?
A. No.
Q. What then is the meaning of the word?
A. Made knowne to be holy.
Q. What is the meaning of the petition?
A. We pray thee that this holy name may be made knowne ouer all the world.
Thus we see the first thing our Sauiour would hauehave vsus pray for, is the knowledge of God: For he well knewt1. Thes. 4, 5. the want of this is the cause of all euill: And the knowledge of God is the beginning of all goodnesse.
Q. To what end doe wee pray thus?
A. To this end, that knowing him to be a God that delighteth in holines, we might therby be moued toa1. Cor, 10 51. refer all things to the glory of his holy name.
Q. What is the next petition?
A. Thy kingdome come.
Q. Say this in plainer manner.
A. We pray thee, that this Kingdome may come.
Q. What is the meaning?
A. We pray thee that this word and Gospel may be preached ouer all the world.
Q. For in reason consider: How are the kingdomes of men planted and established?
A. bRom. 13. 4.By the sword.
Q. What is Gods sword?
A. cEph. 6. 17His Word.Heb. 4. 12.Ps 149. 6.
In like manner, when a King giues vsus lawes, and we receiue them; then he becommeth our King, and we his people; so when God giues vsus lawes, & we receiue them, then he becomes our King, and we his people. Now his word contains his lawes.
Q. How many things doe we pray for in this petition?
A. For two things.
Q. What is the first?
A. dIer. 3. 15.That God will send faithfullMat. …. 38▪ Pastours to preach his word.
Q. What is the second?
A. That God will sende… Christian Princes to giuegive countenance to it.
Q. What is the next petition?
A. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen.
Q. … this in plainer manner?
A. We pray thee that thy will may be … in earth as it is in heauen.
Q. How are we able to doe Gods will? Of our selues, without grace or no?
A. fIoh. 15. …Not of our selues without grace.2. Cor. …. ….
Q. What doe we pray for then?
A. That GodgHeb. 13. 21. will giuegive vsus gr…ce to doe his will.
Q. As it is in heauen; by whom?
A. Byh… the Angels.
Q. Why must we pray to doe Gods will, as the Angels doe it?
A. Becausei… one day we shall be like vntounto them in glory: Thereforek… we hauehave cause to desire to be like vntounto … here in grace.
Now … how the three petitions doe cohere together. 1. We prayed that Gods holy name might be knowne ouer all the world: 2. we pray that the Word and Gospel might be preached ouer all the world,lAct. 26. 18. whereby we may be brought to the knowledge of him:2. Cor. 2. 14. And thirdly we pray that God will giuegive vsus grace, not onelyonly to know him, but to doe his will, euen as the Angels doe it in heauen. And then we are happy, as our Sauiour saith;m… If ye know these things; Happy are ye if ye doe them.
Q. What is the next petition?
A. GiueGive vsus this day our daily bread.
Q. Why doe we pray for Gods glory in the first place; and then for things which concerne our good in the next?
A. Becausen… first we must seeke the kingdome of God, and the righteousnesse thereof; and then all other things shall be cast vponupon vsus,
Q. What is meant by bread?
A. oDeut. 8. ….All things needfull for this life.
Q. What is meant by daily bread?
A. All things needfull for euerie day.
Q. What is meant by our bread?
A. p2. Thes. 3. 12.Bread gotten by a lawfull vocation.
Q. What is meant by GiueGive it vsus?
A. That we may hauehave it as a gift from God.
Q. What is the consequent thereof?
A. That we may hauehaveq… Gods blessing with it.
Q. How many benefits be there of Gods blessing?
A. Three.
Q. What is the first?
A. rHag. 1. 6.By the blessing of God it shall satisfie our natures.
Q. What is the second?
A. sPro. 13. 15.By the blessing of God it shall content our mindes.2. Tim. 6. 6
Q. What is the third?
A. Hauing eaten, and béen refreshed, by the blessing of God, we shall vse our health and strength to the seruice of God, and not totDeut. 32 15. 49. the seruice of the world,Ezec. 16. the flesh, and the diuell.
Q. How many things doe we pray for in this petition?
A. For three things.
Q. What is the first?
A. That God will giuegive vsus all things needfull for this life.
Q. What is the second?
A. That God will giuegive vsus his blessing with it.
Q. What is the third?
A. That God will giuegive vsus grace to liue in some lawfull vocation.
Q. What is the next petition?
A. Forgiue vsus our trespasses, as we forgiue them that trespasse against vsus.
Q. What is a trespasse?
A. A sinne.
Q. What is a sinne?
A. The1. Ioh. 3. 4. breaking of any one of Gods commandements.
Q. What doe we pray for in this petition?
A. For forgiuenesse of sinnes past.
Q. Doth God forgiue all men their sinnes?
A. xDeut. 29 20.No.
Q. Iam. 2. 13.Pro. 28. 13Ps. 54. 5.Iohn. 2. 8.Mat. 12. 32Whom then?
A. Such asyLuk. 24. 47. beleeue andzLuk. 3. 3 repent.Act 2. 38.
Q. What doe we pray for then in this petition?
A. Thata2. Tim. 2. 25. Act. 5. 31. & 11. 18. God will giuegive vsus repentance, forbPs. 32. 5. hereby we grow to be the more assured of Gods fauour in the forgiuing of our sinnes.
Q What is the last petition?
A. And lead vsus not into temptation.
Q. What is the meaning of these words?
A. But deliuer vsus from euill.
The latter words explaine the former.
Q. How many sorts of euill be there in the world?
A. Two sorts.
Q. Which are they?
A. The euill of sinne, and the euill of sorrow.
Q. What euill is meant in this place?
A. The euill of sinne; as appeares by the word temptation.
Q. What is a …entation?
A. bIam. 1. …4.EueryEvery thing that tempteth vsus vntounto sinne.Mat. 4. 3.1. Cor. 1. 5.
Q. What do we pray for in this petition?
A. ThatcIoh. 17. …5. God will keepe vsus from sinnes hereafter.