Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Treatise · Part 17
For, thine is the Kingdome, &c.
In the next place from this, that Christ Iesus prescribing a perfect forme of prayer, doth direct us unto thankesgiving, as well as unto petition, we may learne;
That it is not enough for us to pray unto the Lord Observa. for a supply of our wants, but wee must also offer unto him the excellent sacrifice of praises and thankes.
We must not onelyonly seeke unto him for that which we need, but render unto him that which he deserues. And indeed, of the two, better it were that wee should want his helpe, then that he should bee deprived of his glory. To this purpose, is that exhortation of the Apostle. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God: andHeb. 13. 2 Thes. 5. 18. Ephe. 5. 20. againe, in all things giuegive thanks. Where the holy Ghost meeteth with our corruption, and aptnesse to omit this duty, by binding us constantly unto the performance thereof at all times, and in all things: for otherwise we should finde so many hindrances, that wee would either altogether, or for the most part, omitte this holy seruice of his: this was practized by David for besides that many of his Psalmes doe consistPsal. wholy of thanksgiving, we may obserue in sundriePsal. others, that albeit he beginneth with complaints, and cries, yet before he makes an end, he breaketh forth into the praises of the Lord. Acts 16.So did Paul and Silas, even when they had beene greevously whipt being in the dungeon, and in the stockes: And so did our Saviour withMath. 26. 30. his Apostles after the passover, when he was forth-with to incounter with his most deadly enemies, and with the wrath of his father which was to seize upon him for the sinnes of his elect. The scripture is plentifull in examples of this kinde, therefore I will not heape together any more, the point being very cleere and perspicuous, onelyonly, let us consider of some reasons that may induce us to the practice of this holy duty.
First, therefore, let this be a motiue unto us, Reason 1 to offer unto the Lord continuall praises, because this is both the most excellent, and most acceptable 1. Isay 6.service that wee can performe. The excllencie thereof, doth appeare in this, that the holy Angels of God, and the soules of just and perfect men in heaven, are continually exercised herein and therefore by the performance thereof wee shall be made most like unto them. Then for the acceptablenesse of it, let us hearken what the Lord himselfe saith, he that offereth praise glorifieth Psal. 50. 23.me, a man may offer requests unto the Lord and not honour him, but serue himselfe, in seeking to hauehave his necessities supplyed: but he that offereth the sacrifice of praise must needs glorifie God, because that proceedeth from a free and loving heart, which is touched with a liuely sence and feeling of Gods loving kindnes and mercifull goodnes. All the tenne lepers prayed unto Christ to be healed, but only the poore Samaritan glorified God, because hee alone returned to giuegive thankes.
Secondly, it stands us upon, evermore to Reason 2 magnifie the Name of the Lord, because we hauehave alwayes cause of thanksgiving. For even, in the midst of our crosses, wee enjoy innumerable blessings, corporall, and spirituall, the Lord in Lam.iudgement remembers mercy. And those very afflictions which come neerest us, are sent in1 Pet. 1. mercy, he never layes more upon us then weEzek. Isa. Isa. need, nor ever so much as wee deserue: And in our greatest extremities he is with us, to strengthen us, to uphold us, to direct us, to sanctifie our troubles unto us, to giuegive us patience underIsa. 27. them, a good use of them, and in the end, aZeph. blessed issue out of them: In all which regards, he is greatly to be praised.
Thirdly, Thanksgiving is a singular meanes Reas. 3 to keepe us from discouragement: if a man doe only take a view of his infirmities, hee cannot but be much dismaid, and will at length thinke that God cares not for him. But if he doe withall, take notice, of the Lords loving kindnesse in every thing and praise him for the same, that cannot but worke in him, an assurance of his favour, and consequently much ioy of heart, and chearfulnesse of spirit.
Fourthly, the practice hereof will marvellously Reas. 4 fit us for prayer, in which regard they are so often ioyned together, as Col. 4. 2. Phil. 4. 6. and in sundry other places: for when wee can remember, that in such and such things the Lord hath beene mercifull and gracious unto us, and that we did magnifie his holy name therefore: It must needs adde strength unto our faith, and life unto our prayers, as being assured, that hee that hath once loved us, will ever louelove us, and deale graciously with us: Whereas hee thatIohn. 13. … hath not acknowledged the mercy of his God, will bee very dull and heavie in his petitions, and glad to make an end before he hath begun.
Is it so that thanksgiving is a speciall part of Ʋse 1 prayer? Then hence are they to be condemned, as carnall persons, whose prayers doe consist altogether of petitions. But as for praises, they either medle not at all there-with, or at least but very slightly: under which condemnation doe the Papists come, as by their prayer-bookes may evidently appeare. Ʋse 2
Againe, This maketh for the just reproofe of them Vse 2 that are so farre from thankfulnesse in all estates, that they are alwayes whining, and murmuring under their crosses: what doth their continuall complaining imply, but that the Lord is an ill governour, and that he affoords them not matter and occasion of praising his name, and what a blasphemie were that for any to imagine? we would take it ill at our childrens hands if they should deale so with us; and certainely the Lord will not take it well at out hands. What though we hauehave sundry afflictions lying upon us and pressing us downe very low? hauehave we not fewerA helpe to mitigate our complaints in crosses. then some of Gods children hauehave had, or now hauehave? at least hauehave we not fewer then our iniquities doe deserue? And whereas we can find nothing to speake of, but crosses, crosses, doe we not enjoy manifold benefits together with our crosses? and if the Lord strippe us of outward things, doe the inward consolations of God seeme Iob.small unto us? Is it not worth thankes that wee are of the number of those that are elected, that are called, that are justified, that are sanctified, and shall within a while be crowned, and that, with an eternall crowne of Glorie? Oh! unthankfull creatures we, if wee be not affected with these things, and if we be not ashamed that ever there entred into our hearts so much as one thought of discontentment, against our bountifull, and gracious, and most mercifull Father. Ʋse 3
Thirdly, Let this be an Instruction unto us, that we be as fervent and frequent in offering unto God due praises, as in making for our selues needfull requests. But how may I attaine unto this,How to attain unto a thankfull neart. may some say?
First, we must get assurance of the pardon of1. To get pardon of sinne. all our sinnes: for no man can joyfully thanke God for any thing till then; for, certaintie of the remission of our offences, is the very ground of true and heartie thankesgiving: and therefore when the Prophet David stirreth up his soule to praise the Lord for all his benefits, he placeth this in the fore-front, Which forgiveth all thine iniquities: Psal. 103 3.that therefore must be laboured for in the first place.
Secondly, Whosoever would hauehave a thankefull 2. To get an humble heart.heart, must get an humble heart: and then when a man sees that he is worthy of nothing, he will be thankefull for every thing.
Thirdly, he that would be able to praise God 3. Often meditation on all sorts of promises.with a joyfull heart and chearefull lippes, must often and earnestly meditate on his promises, both for temporall and spirituall good things: in the meditation whereof, we must labour to hauehave our hearts so affected, that wee may rejoyce in the Lord because of his word, as the Prophet did, thatPsal. 56. Psal. 33. 1. so having a joyfull heart, wee may also hauehave a thankefull heart, which two indeed doe alwayes goe together. Quest.
But how can words make a man glad (will some man say?) Answ.
What, not Gods words? If we should hauehave Simile. but the royall word of the King, promising us in our distresses that hee would discharge our debts, relieue our wants, and provide plentifully for us and ours, would we not see matter of rejoycing therein? How much more then (if we had the eyes of our mindes truely enlightned) should we see cause of rejoycing in the royall promises of the King of heaven, whose words are all pure words, who is not as man, that Psal. 19.he should lie, or as the sonnes of men, that he should Numb.alter and change, but will certainely fulfill indeed whatsoever good things he hath promised in his word, whose promises are as good in winter as in summer: when all the world doth maligne us, as when wee hauehave all men to stand for us.
And as we must often exercise our thoughts4. To meditate on mercies past, present, and to come. upon the promises of God, so must we also upon his mercies past, present, and to come, we must consider what great favour and louelove hee hath borne towards us before we were borne, againe since we were borne, especially since we were borne againe. Neither must we stay here, but must raise our hearts aboue the earth, and seriously ponder upon that blessed estate, which we shall at length come unto: when we hauehave put off the image of the first Adam, and hauehave put on the image of the second Adam; when wee shall lay downe these our earthly Tabernacles, that wee may be made like unto the Sonne of God in glorie, which being duely thought of, will so affect our hearts with joy, that though we should liue in all manner of miseries, and that from the day of our birth, unto the houre of our death, they would all seeme very light in comparison of our future happinesse and blessednesse: so that we should be able with much chearefulnesse to praise the Lord, even in the midst of them all.
Thus much of these words in generall: now more particularly of them as they lie in order.