A Learned and Fruitful Exposition Upon the Lords Prayer, Section 3 – Section 4
Father.
GOd is the Father of the wicked, and euen of al creatures in reſpect of creation, but in reſpect of reconciliation he is onelyonly the father of the elect: for hée is their reconciled Father in Chriſt: hée is their Father by adoption and grace: and therefore they onelyonly in truth can and may call him Father.
God will be called by the name of Father, which is a ſwéet and louing name, rather then by the name of Lord, or Iehouah, which are dreadfull: to allure and entiſe vsus to come boldly vntounto him, euen as children to their déere, and louing father, to put vp any ſute or complaint vntounto him. For Gods children being iniuried & vniuſtly moleſted, hauehave no remedie but to goe tell their father.
This word (father) implyes a readineſſe and willingnes in God to heare, Eſ. 58.9. & 65.24. 1 Pet. 3.12. Luk. 11.9▪ 13.
This word (father) doth aſſure vsus wée ſhall be heard: for can a father not heare his childe? can hée deny him any thing? Math. 7.9.
This aſſurance in prayer is neceſſary. Iam. 16.7. Hebr. 11.6. Luke 18.7. 1 Iohn 5.14.
God doth alwayes heare and grant the lawfull requeſts of his children, in ſuch time, manner and ſort as hée ſéeth good, and neuer faileth, if not according to their will, yet according to his will, and their beſt good.
This word (father) doth aſſure vsus of our ſaluation: for in truth if we cal vponupon him as our father, as indéed hée is our father, then muſt wée néeds be his children, and being his children how can we periſh? for there is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt. Rom. 8.1. And it is as poſſible for the Diuell to take away from Chriſt one of the members of his materiall body, being now glorified in heauen, as to plucke away, or cut off any member of his miſticall and ſpirituall body héere in earth.
Wée may in a holy manner boaſt and reioyce in it that wée hauehave ſuch a Father, ſo wiſe, ſo mighty, ſo louing, ſo bountifull, to whom wée alwayes may repaire for helpe in time of néede. If one of vsus had a father that were the richeſt & the wiſeſt in a realme, would we not excéedingly reioyce in him, and vſe him?
This word (father) doth note vntounto vsus the excéeding déepe louelove, and fatherly affection which he beareth toward vsus his children, paſſing all louelove of mothers vntounto their children, as Eſay 49.15. Can a woman forget her childe and not hauehave compaſſion on the ſonne of her womb? Though they ſhould forget, yet will not I forget thee. The booke of the Canticles doth moſt expreſly and aboundantly lay open the vnſpeakable louelove of Chriſt toward his Church, for indéed no louer doth ſo entirely louelove his eſpouſed wife as Chriſt loueth vsus: for hée loueth vsus ſo dearly, and is ſo chary ouer vsus, that hée cannot endure the winde ſhould blow vponupon vsus. If we would eate golde wée ſhould hauehave it. This louelove of his, he doth at all times, and in all things expreſſe, and ſhewes it, as we ſay, and hath alwayes ſhewed it by election, redemption, Iuſtification, ſanctification, adoption, preſeruation, féeding, clothing, delighting, &c. breaking through all our vnkindneſſe to doe vsus good, and continuing dayly vntounto vsus new mercies and fauours, notwithſtanding all our vnworthineſſe and manifold prouokings of him.
This word (father) doth teach vsus obedience: a ſonne honoreth his father and a ſeruant his Maiſter. If I be a father, where is mine honor? &c. Mal. 1.6. Why call yee mee Maiſter, Maiſter, and doe not the things I ſpeake? Luk. 6.46. And if you call him father, &c. 1 Pet. 1.17.
By this our obedience wée teſtifie our louelove to him againe who loued vsus ſo déeply and dearly: as Iohn 14.21. Hee that hath my commaundements and keepeth them, is hee that loueth me.
This is the louelove of God, that we keepe his commaundements. 1 Iohn 5.3.
How can a Childe call him Father whom hée cares not continually to diſpleaſe through his leud conditions? He cannot doe it, neither can any Father delight in ſuch a childe.
If God be a father who is called vponupon, then true prayer is a note of Gods childe, as Acts 9.14. He hath authoritie to binde all that call on thy name: ſo 1 Cor. 1.2. the Saints are noted to be ſuch as call on the name of the Lord: and on the contrary, it is made one of the properties of an Athieſt, not to all on the name of God. Pſal. 14.4.
Which art in heauen.
GOD as touching his eſſence is no more in heauen then in this inferiour world, but hée is ſaid to be in heauen, becauſe his glory and Maieſty doth there moſt clearely ſhine out.
GOD is ſaid to be in heauen, becauſe his Maieſtie, that is, his Power, Wiſedome, Iuſtice and Mercy is made manifeſt from thence vntounto vsus.
By the name of heauen is vnderſtood the dwelling place of God, of Angels, and glorified men, where God is more glorious then in this world.
Pſalme 115.3. Our God is in Heauen, and doth whatſoeuer he will.
Pſalme 2.4. He that dwelleth in Heauen ſhall laugh them to ſcorne.
Eſay 66.2. thus ſaith the Lord, Heauen is my throne, and the earth is my footeſtoole.
1 Reg. 8.27. The heauen of heauens cannot containe him, for hee is alwayes eueryevery where?
Which is all one as if it had béene ſaid of infinite greatneſſe or height, of incomprehenſible power of euerlaſting immortallitie.
Firſt therefore wée are héere admoniſhed to vſe the action of praier with as great reuerence as poſſibly may be, and not to thinke of GOD in any earthly manner.
Eccleſ. 5.1. Be not raſh with thy mouth to ſpeake a word before God: for hee is in Heauen, and thou art in earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Therefore ſéeing God is in heauen, away with all drowſie and dead praying, let vsus come with reuerence in our hearts before the Lord.
God is ſaid to be our Father in heauen to diſtinguiſh him from our earthly Fathers: and that wée might vnderſtand how much better hée is then they, and more able to helpe vsus▪ as appeareth. Math. 7.11.
The Fathers of the bodies hauehave oftentimes a will to helpe their Children, but are not able, either becauſe they are let by pouertie, or diſtance of place, or ſome other meanes: but God, who is our Father, is rich towards all that cal vponupon him, he is preſent eueryevery where, &c.
Againe, we doe here learne that our hearts in prayer muſt mount vp into heauen, and be lifted vp aboue all earthly and fraile things, how beautifull or goodly ſoeuer, and be wholy fixed vponupon the Lord.
VntoUnto thee O Lord, lift I vp my ſoule, Pſalme 25.1.
Héere are condemned all colde courſarie prayers, when mens mindes are occupied about other matters, which is but a plaine dallying and mocking with God.
Such manner of praying is a very grieuous ſinne, greater then mocking Father and Mother: for it is directly againſt God, the other againſt men. It is a greater ſinne to mocke God, then to mocke men.
This ſinne becauſe it is againſt the firſt Table, and therefore more hard to be diſcerned (for the light of the ſecond Table ſhineth naturally more cléerely then the light of the firſt) is lightly eſtéemed, and doth leſſe trouble the conſciences of ignorant men.
God is in Heauen: therefore hée is able to graunt all our requeſts. Hée is our Father, therefore he is willing and ready.
This ouerthroweth Popiſh Idolatrie, as worſhipping of Croſſes, Crucifixes, Roodes, running a pilgrimage to worſhip Idols: for the GOD to whom we muſt pray is in heauen, and wée muſt lift vp our mindes thither. How can wée doe this ſo long as our eyes and mindes are poaring vponupon an Image, made by the art of man?