Godly Meditations Upon the Lords Prayer, Part 3
A meditation vponupon the twelue articles of the Chriſtian faith.
I beleue in god the father. &c.
THy people (oh lord god the father of our ſauiour Ieſus Chriſte) doe here in ſaieng this article (I beleue in god the father almighty &c) by faith knowe that thou togither with Ieſus Chriſt and the holy ghoſt, diddeſt create all thinges that be in heauen and in earth (for by heauen and earth are vnderſtand all thinges therein). And as they knowe thys, ſo they by the ſame faith doe ſee thee the ſame god the father the ſonne and the holy ghoſte, to gouerne all thinges after thy great wiſedome, power, rightuouſnes, and mercy, vſing eueryevery creature they ſee as meanes to put thē in remembrance of fearing, reueren cing, truſting, & louing the: for in eueryevery creature they beholde thy preſence, power, wiſedome and mercy,
Againe by this worde (Father) they declare their beleife, how that they are not onelyonly thy creatures, and all that euer they hauehave to be thy graciouſe gyftes and bleſſinges, but alſo how that they are thy childrē, derely beloued & cared for of thee through Ieſus chriſt. Where throughe (notwithſtanding theyr vnworthines) as they conceyue a ſure hope of thy goodnes and fatherly louelove towards them in ſoule and bodye for euer: ſo are they thankfull for their creation, & for that thou haſt made thē thy excellet creatures, lords of al. They are thankfull for the creation of all creatures, & vſe the ſame wt thankefulnes, as viſible tokens of thy inuiſible louelove: they are thankefull for thy conſeruing and keping them, & for the gouerning them and all this world, lamenting that they are nomore thankfull, that they beleue no deper, that reaſon hath ſo greate a ſwing with them in theſe matters.
But I moſte gracious good lorde and father, thoughe I ſay, I beleue in thee my father almyghtye maker of heauen and earthe, yet thou knoweſte that I am full of muche doubtinge, not onelye of this whether thou art my good, almighty, and moſte louinge deare father in chriſt (becauſe I fele in my ſelfe ſuche a conſcience of vnworthines, & ſo great want of thoſe thinges which thou requireſt of thy children, and ſo tranſfer the cauſe of my being thy childe in part to myſelf where it is due onelyonly and wholy alwaies to thy mercye and grace in Chriſte) but alſo thou knoweſt my doubting of my creation and gouernaunce, and of the creation and gouernaunce of al this world (as I declare by my vnthankfulnes for my creation, for mine adoption, for my gubernation, for thy prouidence for me) or ells deare father I could not but hartely with thy childrē reioyce and praiſe thy holye name, and that continually, being hence forth carefull for nothinge but howe to pleaſe thee & profit thy people, & that they might praiſe thy name in all things for ouermore, deſiringe the ſanctification of thy name, the comming of thy kingdome, the doing of thy will vponupon earth as it is in heauen.
Thou mighteſt hauehave made me a dogge, but of thy goodnes haſt made me a creature after thine Image: y• mighteſt hauehave made me a Turcke, a Iewe, a Sarracen, but thou haſt made me a chriſtiā, a member of thy Churche, thou after my birth mighteſt hauehave lefte me, and in all nede hauehave made no prouidence for me, as we ſometimes ſee hath hapned vntounto others, but yet thou neuer diddeſt ſo with me, and yet I am of all others moſt vnthankfull.
Thy creatures I thankefully vſe not, thy inuiſible louelove by thy manifolde viſible tokens I conſider not, as nowe, I ſhoulde by this apparell of my bodye, by this corporall helth by this light, by this my hearinge, ſeinge, feelinge, memorye, vnderſtandinge, time, place, companye, creatures, and benefites, aſwell in keping innumerable euils from me bothe in ſoule and bodye, which ells could not but come to me: as alſo in gyuinge to me preſently ſo manye thinges as wtout thy eſpeciall grace & working I neuer could hauehave had, or preſently could kepe them. In thy creatures I ſee not thy power, for I feare the not, I ſee not thy preſence for I reuerence thee not, I ſee not thy wiſdome, for I adore the not, I ſee not thy mercy, for I louelove the not I praiſe the not but in lipps & tonge and therfore in that al thy creatures doe teache me, crie out vponupon me to be thankefull to the, to louelove, feare, ſerue thee and truſt in the and that cōtinually, in that I doe not ſo, they cannot but crie out vponupon me and againſt me in thy ſight, & in the day of Iudgement wyll weapon themſelues againſt me.
Oh that I did nowe conſider this. Oh that my blinde eyes & my deafe eares were opened: oh that my miſerable and folyſhe harte were made wyſe and conuerted. This onelye thou canſte doe whyche haſte all mennes heartes in thy handes to bowe▪ them as pleaſeth the: bowe my hearte good Lorde into thy teſtymonyes, open my eyes make me to here for thi mercies ſake, that I maye beleue and ſo louelove the, be thankefull to thee, amende in all things and ſerue the, though not as thy deare ſeruantes doe, yet at the leaſt as other brute creatures doe, that is to obey the and to be profitable to others.
Now for aſmuch as my ſinnes let this and all good thinges from me, I beſech the pardon me al my ſinnes accordinge to thy gracious promyſe for our lord Ieſus Chriſt ſake. Amē.
I beleue in Ieſus Chriſte hys onelye ſonne &c.
THy ſeruantes (O Chriſte Ieſu) and people doe know by faith, that as thou art almighty and god wyth the father by whom all things were made, and are ruled (for thou art god eternall coequall and conſubſtanciall with the father and the holy ghoſt) ſo thou art man and haſte taken oure nature vponupon thee by the operation of the holy ghoſt in the wombe of the virgin mary, and arte become the bleſſed ſede whiche haſt bruſed y• ſerpēts head, the bleſſed Genſ. 3.ſede in whō all nations are bleſſed, the prophet whom Moiſes dyde Genſ. 23. Deut. 18. Exod, 25.prophecpe of, the ſamplare he ſawe in the mount, the truth and body of al the types, figures, and ſhadowes of the olde lawe, the Meſſias Chriſt and ſauiour of thy people, the aduocat and redemer, the pacifier of gods wrath for ſinnes, the opener of heanen, and geuer of euerlaſting life.
This they knowe thou broughteſt to paſſe in thy humane nature, by thy incarnation and natiuitye, by thy beinge here on earth, by thy lyning, teaching, faſtinge, praieng, eſpecially by thy ſuffering vnderunder Pontius Pilate, by thy death, buriall, reſurrection, aſcenſion vntounto the heauens, and raygning on the righte hand of the father, from whence thou ſhalte come to iudge bothe the quicke & the dead: and as they knowe this, ſo by faithe they applye it alſo to themſelues, that for their ſake thou waſte made man, dideſt praye, faſte, waſt tempted dideſt die, roſeſt againe, & diddeſt aſcend into heauen, and there art ſet their aduocate, biſhoppe, and high prieſte, alwaies appearinge in gods ſighte for them, from whence they looke for thee, knowige that … wilt not enter into iudgement with them to damne them, which wouldeſt damne thy ſelfe for them.
By this faith they felt theſe affections in them ſelues, namely the batred of ſinne, the feare of god, the louelove of god, truſt in thee, and louelove to thy church. The hatred of ſinne thei felt becauſe it is ſo foule a thīg as wold not be waſhed away with any other thing then with thy preciouſe bloud ſhedinge: the feare of god, becauſe his anger is ſo greate againſt ſinne that no leſſe pryce coulde pacifie his wrath then thy moſt painful death: the louelove of god, becauſe he hathe ſo loued them that he would not ſpare thee his deare ſonne for them, euer whā they were his enemyes: truſt in thee, becauſe thou haddeſt no reſpect to thy ſelfe but moſt willingly dideſt geue thy ſelf wholly to be our ſauiour and ſeruant: louelove to thy people and church, becauſe generally & particularly in eueryevery mēber of the ſame, they ſee howe deare they are to thee, and therefore they can not but be ſo to them. Oh howe doe they imitate and folowe thy foote ſteppes? how doe they reioyce when they are in anye thinge by afflection made lyke to thee? Oh howe doe they lament their ſinnes, ingratitude, vnbeliefe, louelove thee, and wholly yelde themſelues vntounto thee? where as I (o graciouſe god & deare ſauiour Ieſus Chriſt) though I ſaie I beleue in thee which was conceyued by the holy ghoſt, yet alas I doe but bable this, for nothinge is ells in me but vnbeliefe. Of thy power & louelove, of thine anger & mercy I hauehave but an opinion, as my inſenſiblenes and vnthankfulnes doth declare.
If a man ſhould ſhewe me frendſhip but in a trifle, or ſuffer anye thinge at all for me, I could not but be thā full: and thou beſides my creation, haſt redemed me and brought me into the number of gods childrē (then which thinge nothinge is greater) and loe I am vnthankfull.
Thou haſt ſuffred much for me: frō heauen thou cammeſt into earthe to fetch me into heauen, but I regarde it not.
Thou bareſt my ſinnes on thy back ſuffering a moſt bitter death, but I am ſo farre from thankefulnes, that I ſtil more and more loth the.
Thou woldeſt enter into a cōmuniō wt me, taking my nature vntounto thee cō cerning the ſubſtance thereof, that I might enter into a cōmnuiō with thee cōcerning the qualities wher▪ in thy ſelf thou haſt endued it, but I conſider it not.
Thou diddeſt die to delyuer me from death, but I ſtill more and more geu… thee cauſe to die: ſo ingrate ful am I.
Thou diddeſt ariſe to iuſtifye me, but I with the Iewes wold ſtil kept thee down, becauſe I wold not leaue my wickednes.
Thou aſcendedſt to heauen to take poſſeſſion for me there, to be alwaies in the ſyght of thy father for me, to ſend me downe giftes, to praye for me: but I daielye am pullinge the… downe againe, as muche as in me …ieth, I am altogether earthly, I hide my ſelf out of thy ſight by forgettīg thee, I reiecte and abuſe thy gifts, I neglecte praier.
Thou art nowe in a redyneſſe to come to iudge hoth quick and dead, but I tremble not at this geare, nor beſeche thee before thou come, to be merciful vntounto me & not to enter into iudgement with me, yea I thinke nothing at al of thy comming: mali…ō cogitant iudicium, the wicked conſyder not the ende, they thinke not on thy iudgement.
Thou woldſt bring me to thy father y• I might find grace, but I put this of, & therfor am worthi to fele thee a iudge, wt refuſe to fele thee a ſauior.
Now y• cauſe of al theſe things is vnbeliefe, the which though it be naturall by reaſon of the corruption of our nature, pet I hauehave augmented the ſame maliciouſly in not laborīg there againſt, and continuing in al ſynnes and wickedneſſe: by reaſon whereof I deſerue moſt iuſtelye thy anger therevpon, euen reiection frō thy face for euer.
Longe haſt thou mourned euen wt diſpleaſure & anger the incredulity of my heart, calling me there from, and offering me thy grace, which I hauehave neglected and reiected, and therfore am neuer worthi to hauehave it any more offered vntounto me, muche more then I am vnworthy to hauehave grace gyuen me to receiue thy mercy.
Alas what ſhall I doe? ſhall I diſpraier or as long as I can, kepe me vnmindfull of my myſery? o ſauiour Chriſt Ieſu wilt not thou be mercifull vntounto me? thou diddeſt die for me when I deſerued it not, and nowe is thy mercye ſhortned? wilt not thou geue me thy grace, and take frō my hart this horrible vnbeliefe? Shall I neuer louelove the? ſhall I neuer hath ſinne? ſhall I neuer, as wt my mouth I ſay: I beleue in Ieſus Chriſt, ſo in hart ſay the ſame? ſhall Sathan poſſeſſt me for euer? o chriſte Ieſus whiche haſt led captiuitie captiue, what? wilt not thou helpe me? thoughe I deſyre it not as I ſhuld, yet giuegive me to deſyre whan thou wilt.
Thou diddeſt appeare to deſtroye the worke of the deuil: thou ſeeſt his worke, in me: good chriſt deſtroy his worke but not thy worke: ſaue me for thy great mercies ſake. Geue me to beleue in thee, in thy death, reſurrection, & aſcenſion: pardone me my ſinnes, and mortifye now in me my corrupt affections, reyſe me vp and iuſtify me, regenerat me daily more and more, geue me faith of immortalitie, reſurrectiō of this body, geue me faith to aſcend into heauen, and to be certaine that thou haſt already taken poſſeſſiō for me there: Geue me to loke for thy comming, and to be ready in thy cōming to find mercy to euerlaſting life &c.
I beleue in the holy ghoſt. &c.
O Holy ſpirite the third perſon in trinity, whiche diddeſt deſcend vponupon Chriſt our ſauiour in hys baptiſme in the likenes of a doue, thy children know that with the father and the ſonne thou madeſt and ruleſt all creatures viſible and inuiſyble, they know thee in their redemption to be no leſſe willing & louinge then the father and the ſonne: for y• diddeſt alwaies declare Chriſt to be the ſonne of god & gaueſt teſtimony in wardly in the harts of thy elect, to beleue and embrace the ſame, & outwardely by miracles and wonders they know thee to be the comforter and gouernour, whom Chriſte dyd promiſe in his corporal abſēce ſhuld teach, rule, kepe, comforte and gouerne his church and people.
Againe, as in the former parte of their beleife they cōſider the works of creatyon and redemption, ſo in thys parte they conſyder the place where the ſame is moſte effectuall & taketh place, euen thy holy churche which is catholick, that is, extēding it ſelfe to all times, to all places, to all kinds of people.
For in this church only they know that as all things were made, ſo the worke of redemption was taken in hand, that y• bleſſed trinitye, mighteſt in this church be prayſed, magnified, ſerued, & worſhipped for euer.
This church is nothinge ells but a communion and ſocietie of ſaintes: that is, not onelye a ſocietye of all ſuch as be, hauehave been, or ſhal be thy people, but alſo a ſocietye or partaking of Chriſte Ieſus whiche is the head of the ſame: yea by him of thee (oh bleſſed father) which art y• head of Chriſt, and of thee (oh holy ghoſt) whiche nowe ſhadoweſt and ſitteſt vponupon the ſame to hatch and cheriſhe it as the hen her chekins, by the extending of thy winges, not onelyonly to defende them frō their enemies, but alſo to couer their ſinnes and to remitte them in this life, beginning alſo here the reſurrection of the fleſhe and euerlaſting life, the which thou wilt in the ende of the world conſū mate, ſo that they ſhall not nede to be couered for ſinne: for then ſhall they be pure and hauehave gtoriouſe bodies, immortall and ſpirituall, the which ſhal hauehave the fruition of eternal ieye, life euerlaſting, and glory, ſuche as the eye hathe not ſene, the eare hath heard, nor the hart of man can conceiue. For then chriſt Ieſus ſhall geue vp his kingedome to god the father, that god may be al in all concerning the gouernaunce of it by the miniſtration of his word and other meanes wherby now he gouerneth it, that it maye be his fathers kingdome, we beig become like vntounto him: that is, as to the manhod of 1. iohn. 3.Chriſt the godhead is vnited and is al in al without any other meanes, euen ſo god ſhalbe in vsus, aſſuminge then not only in the perſon of chriſt the humaine nature, but alſo al the humaine nature of his church which be members of Chriſt, the wicked & reprobate being ſeparate then from this cōmunion & caſt into eternall perditiō with Sathan, & antichriſt, there to be in tormentes and horrour for euer.
By reaſon of this their faith, they are thankfull to the (o holye ſpirite) whiche haſt taught them this & gyuen them to beleue it.
By reaſon of this faith they ſingularly praye louelove, & helpe thy church here militāt, & labour to be holy ….
By reaſon of this faith they cōfeſſe them ſelues ſinners, they deſire and beleue pardone of their ſinnes, they are ryſen and ryſe daily concerning the inwards man, and doe feele the life eternall begone in them, more & more laboringe, praying, wiſhings and deſyringe for the ſame whollye and perfectly.
Where as (oh lorde god and moſt graciouſe holy ſpirit) thou knoweſt that it is otherwiſe wt me. I doe but bable wt my lippes in ſaying, I beleue in the holy ghoſt, for I am vnthankful for calling me into thy church, I doe not liue holely, I confeſſe not, I lament not my ſinnes, I pray not for remiſſion of them, I ſtand in doubte thereof: as I fele not my ſelfe ryſen from a ſinnefull life as I ſhould be, or as I fele not life begone in me, as it is in thy deare children, ſo doe I doubt herof, whether I hauehave pardon of my ſinnes, whether I am regenerate, whether I fele truly euerlaſting life (the which thinge doth moſt diſpleaſe thee) and yet wt my tonge I ſaye I beleue in the holye ghoſt. Oh I beſech thee (good holy ſpirit) for thy louelove ſake which moued the to agree and be willinge to patifye and open thy goodnes, not only in the worke of creation (for thou dyddeſt lye vponupon the waters and as the benne her chickins dyddeſt, as it were, hatche the worke of creatiō) but alſo in the worke of redemption, and therefore diddeſt deſcend and abide not onelyonly vponupon Chriſt in his baptiſme, but alſo on the apoſtles & church in fyerye tonges viſibly the fyfte daye after Chriſtes reſurrection: as now thou doeſt inuiſybly, generally, and particularly ſitte vponupon thy Church and children, beinge the conſolator the cōforter, the teacher and leader, the guider and gouernour of vsus all.
For this thy loues ſake (I ſaye) I beſech thee to be mercifull vntounto me, and forgeue me my doubting, vnbeliefe, ingratitude and horrible monſtrous vncleanes and ſynne; and vtterly take them from me. Bring me vntounto thy church which thou guideſt, that is guide me, make me holy and by faith couple me to chriſt, by charitie to thy people: that is geue me the communion of ſaints wt thy ſaincts, ouer ſhadowe my ſynnes, reyſe me vp to rightuouſnes, beginne in me euerlaſting life, and nowe more and more to expert and loke for all theſe great mercies, and at length to poſſeſſe eternal felicity wt thee, o bleſſed trenitie the father the ſonne and the holy ghoſt, thre perſons and one almightie, eternal, moſt iuſte, wiſe and good god: to whom be all glory power and dominion now and for euer.