A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer, Analyses · Analysis of the conclusion
The Conclusion.
HItherto we have spoken of the petitions: Now followeth the Conclusion of the Lords prayer, in these words, For thine is the kingdome, the power, and the glorie, for ever and ever, Amen. For howsoeverThis conclusion authenticall and necessarie. this clause is omitted of the Latine interpreters, and is rejected by Erasmus, yet was it added by our Saviour, and registred by Matthew. For first, the Greek copies have it: secondly, the Syriack Paraphrast translateth it: thirdly, the Greek writers expound it; as Chrysostome and Theophylact: and fourthly it is not onelyonly consonant with the rest of the Scriptures, but also in this prayer hath a necessary use. For we have heard that praise is to be joyned with prayer: and in prayer two things required; fervencie, and faith: Now as the petitions especially conteined a specification of our desires, so this conclusion conteineth partly a confirmation of our faith joyned with praysing God, in these words, For thine is the kingdome, and the power and the glorie, for ever and ever: and partly a testification both of our faith and of the truth of our desires in all the former petitions, in the word Amen.
Our Saviour teacheth us to confirm our faith byOur faith confirmed by this conclusion by three reasons drawn from three of Gods attributes. three reasons. For that they be reasons the word For signifieth. And reasons they are not so much to perswade God that he would grant our requests as to perswade and assure our selves that we shall obtein. The reasons are taken neither frō our own worthinesse nor from the dignitie of our prayers, (for if our faith were to be grounded thereon, we should neither dare to pray nor hope to be heard) but from the nature & attributes of God; that we might know that the obteining our requests dependeth not upon our own worth but on the power and goodnesse of God. The reasons, I say, are drawn from three attributes of God: viz. his eternall Kingdome, eternall Power, eternall Glorie. His is the kingdome: therefore he hath right to give us whatsoever we desire: His is the power and might: therefore he is able to grant our requests: His is the glory, both of giving all good things, and also of all good things given; and thereunto our requests do tend: and therefore he is ready and willing to grant our requests for the manifestation of his own glorie. And this we shall the easier believe if we consider to whom we ascribe these things; namely, to our heavenly Father, whose seat is in heaven, and his kingdome ruleth over all, Psal. 103. 19. who is in heaven, and doth what he will, Psal. 115. 3. who sitteth on the heavens as his throne, full of majestie and glory, and rideth on the heavens for our help. Neither doth the right, power and glory of giving benefits temporall and concerning this life alone belong unto God, but also of everlasting blessings in heavenly things after this life is ended. For his is the eternall kingdome, eternall power, and eternall glorie, signified in those words, for ever and ever; which are to be referred to all the three attributes.
What kingdome here signifieth.
But first of his kingdome: Which here signifieth 1. generally the universall kingdome of God, which some call the kingdome of his power, whereby he ruleth and governeth all things, Psal. 103. 19. 2. Chron. 20. 6. and in regard whereof the right of all things belongeth to him, Deut. 10. 14. Psal. 24. 1.
This then teacheth us two things: 1. That our heavenly Father is the absolute Lord and owner of all his creatures; who as he is the Creatour so is he also the possessour of heaven and earth: in whose hand all good things are to bestow as it pleaseth him. This therefore must encourage us with assurance of faith to make our requests to our heavenly Father, of whom we cannot ask any good thing, whether spirituall or temporall, which is not his to bestow. And therefore it is well said of Seneca, Audacter Deum roga, nihil eum de alieno rogaturus, Ask boldly of God, seeing thou canst ask nothing of him which belongeth to another. 2. That our heavenly Father is the sovereigne King and absolute Lord and Governour over all his creatures, ruling the good, and overruling the evil; to whose commandment all the good creatures obey, and at whose beck they are ready to do us good: And as for the wicked either men or angels; they are so overruled by the almighty providence of God, that when they seek to annoy us, they are against their purpose made the instruments of God to do us good.
And whereas our Saviour teacheth us to say,What is meant by, thine is the kingdome. Thine is the kingdome, we are to observe that the kingdome of government which Kings and Princes have, it is the kingdome of God; whose ministers and leiutenants they are, Rom. 13. 4. by whom they reigne, Prov. 8. 15. and from whom all authoritie is, Rom. 13. 4. Which as it must teach them to subordinate their government unto the Lord, and in him to rule their subjects, because the kingdome which they exercise is not theirs but Gods, their judgement is not theirs but the Lords, 2. Chron. 19. 6. so doth it teach all subjects to be subject to their governours so farre forth as they are subordinate to the Lord; because in obeying them they obey the Lord, and in resisiting them they resist God, Rom. 13. 2. But if Magistrates and Kings shall leave their order, in commanding that which God forbiddeth, we are bound to be subordinate to our supreme King, whose the kingdome is, in whom onelyonly we are to obey the inferiour governours, Ephes. 5. 21. that so far forth as in obeying them we obey also the Lord, for better it is to obey God then men, Acts 4. 19. & 5. 29. And as to obey an inferiour Magistrate which rebelleth against his Prince, is to rebell with him; so to obey a Prince or Magistrate rebelling against God, in that wherein he rebelleth, that is, in unlawfull things which he commandeth, it is also to rebell against God. So that not onelyonly good but also evil Princes and Magistrates are to be obeyed; but neither good nor bad, unto evil.
More especially the kingdome of God is theThe kingdome of grace and glory. kingdome of grace in this life, and the kingdome of glorie in the life to come. In the former the Lord communicateth grace to his servants, ruling in them by his word and Spirit: In the latter he communicateth glory to his Saints, vouchsafing unto them the fruition of himself, who shall be to them all in all. Do we therefore desire grace in this life or glory in the life to come? God is the King of grace and of glory: let us sue to his throne of grace; for he will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold srom them that walk uprightly, Psal. 84. 11.
Vses.
1. If God be our King, we are to be encouraged in all our necessities to call upon him: For it is the property of good kings to heare the suits of their subjects, and to relieve and defend them.
2. If he be the absolute Lord of all his creatures, and all things whatsoever be in his power and possession, then ought we not to be distrustfully carefull, but to cast our care upon God and to depend upon him. The earth is the Lords, and all that Psal. 24. 1.therein is. He is a Father that is rich towards all those which put their trust in him.
3. If God be our King, our duty is to obey him, and to behave our selves towards him as dutifull subjects. Why call ye me Lord, saith our Saviour, and do not the things which I command you?
What is meant by, thine is the power.
And the power, foreign. Power belongeth in someThe difference between the power of God and the creatures. degree to all creatures: but to God it is ascribed after a peculiar manner: In them it is a faculty proceeding from their nature: in God it is his essence: Theirs is a power created and received from God, Acts 17. 28. his is uncreated, eternall, and from himself: Theirs is mixt with impotencie and passive power, which maketh them subject to change: but Gods power is most perfect and pure without such mixture: Theirs is finite, as themselves are: but his is infinite, as himself is. And it is infinite 1. in it self: 2. in respect of the multitude of effects which he is able to work and unto which his power is extended; in which sense it is said to be infinite extensively: 3. in respect of the efficacy of working; in which regard it is infinite intensively. It is infinite extensively: because it is extended to all things, Matth. 19. 26. Luke 1. 37. and for that cause is called omnipotencie. For the Lord never doth so many or so great things, but he is able to do infinitely more and greater. His power is extended to all things which either can be done, and that is called his absolute power: or which he will do, and that is called his active or ordinary power: For whatsoever God will do that he can do; yea, by his actuall power doth it, Psal. 115. 3. but he can do many things by his absolute power which he will never do, Matth. 3. 9. and 26. 33. It is also infinite intensively, in respect of the efficacie of the action: For the Lord doth not work any thing so effectually or intensively, but he is able to effect it infinitely more effectually or intensively, Ephes. 3. 20.
Vses.
Uses, respecting means; I. To humble our selves under the mighty hand of God, 1. Pet. 5. 6. not to be lifted up against him with pride, nor opposed through obstinacy, 1. Pet. 5. 5. Job 9. 4. Rom. 9. 17. Dan. 4. 37. II. To fear God above all things, and to be afraid to offend him, Matth. 10. 28. 1. Cor. 10. 22. Are we stronger then the Lord? III. To repose trust in him, Deut. 33. 26. For if God be on our side, who can be against us? Psal. 27. 1, 2, 3. Num. 14. 9. Deut. 7. 21. Jer. 42. 11. There is no good thing but he is able to effect it; no evil, but he is able to deliver us from it. No creature can help us unlesse God use it as his instrument for our good: no creature can hurt us unlesse God use it as the rod of his anger. The devil is …trong; but he is not able to pull us out of Gods hands, nor yet to hinder or stop the course of Gods blessings towards us.
Vses respecting faith; I. To confirm it in believing any article of our faith; as, of the resurrection, Matth. 22. 29. II. To confirm our faith in the promises of God, Luke 1. 37. Rom. 4. 19, 20, 21. III. In prayer. For which purpose it is here alledged, Matt. 8. 2. 2. Chron. 20. 6. & 14. 11, 12. Ephes. 3. 20. IV. In the assurance of perseverance unto salvation, 1. Pet. 1. 5. Rom. 14. 4. John 10. 29. 2. Tim. 1. 12.
What is meant by, thine is the glory.
And the glory] Whereby is meant honour and praise, 1. Tim. 1. 17. For to him belongeth the glory, honour and prayse of bestowing all good things: He is the fountain and authour of every good gift, Jam. 1. 17. His is the glory of hearing and granting our prayers, Psal. 65. 2. And to his glory whatsoever we ask according to his will doth especially tend. Therefore as by his kingdome a…d power he is able, so for his glory he is ready and willing to grant our requests which we make according to this direction of our Saviour. For what Christ hath taught us to ask in his name, that the Lord hath promised to give for his sake, in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen, to his glory, 2. Cor. 1. 20.
This therefore serveth to confirm our faith. For doubtlesse such things as tend to his glory he will grant: especially considering it is his glory to heare the prayers of his servants, and seeing to him belongeth the glory of giving every good gift: but these things which we ask according to our Saviours direction do tend to the glory of God, and to that end we ask them: therefore we may be assured that he will grant our requests so far forth as they stand with his glory.
Now whereas our Saviour directed us to make this our first suit, That Gods name may be glorified, and now teacheth us to make his glory the reason of our prayers; this sheweth, That the glory of God should be the main end of all our desires, for which w… should affect them, and unto which when we have obteined them we should referre them, 1. Chron. 16. 35. Psal. 50. 15. And forasmuch as the glory is the Lords, which he will not have communicated to any other, Isai. 42. 8. therefore we are to call upon him alone, as being the onelyonly fountain of every good gift, the onelyonly hearer of our prayers. Of which glory we rob the Lord, if we direct our prayers to any other. And as we are not to give his glory to any other, so we are not to take it to our selves: For seeing the glory is the Lords, therefore vainglorious persons seek to rob God of that glory which is proper to him, and to assume it to themselves. But we must say with David, Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us, O Lord, &c. and with Daniel, chap. 9. 7. Righteousnesse, O Lord, belongeth unto thee, and to us shame, &c.
But we ascribe unto the Lord not onelyonly kingdome,Everlasting kingdome power and glory belongeth to God. power and glory, but also an everlasting kingdome, an eternall power, and immortall glory. For as Moses saith, Psal. 90. 2. He is God from everlasting to everlasting; he is King for ever. Therefore he hath right not onelyonly in this life to crown us with his blessings, but after this life he hath an everlasting kingdome to bestow upon us, Luke 12. 32. unto which he is able and willing to bring us by his power everlasting, to the immortall glory of his mercy.
Now these reasons as they must be propoundedThese words are a form of praising God. in faith, so also with chearfulnesse, as a consequent thereof. And when they are chearfully uttered, they are not onelyonly reasons of our requests, but also a notable form of praysing God: which our Saviour hath taught us to joyn with our prayer. And so the holy Ghost hath directed us elsewhere; as Col. 4. 2. Phil. 4. 6.
And that this is a form of prayse and thanksgiving, appeareth by other places of Scripture, where the men of God setting themselves of purpose to prayse God have used the very like form: As David, 1. Chron. 29. 10, 11, 12. and Psal. 145. 10. and 11. 12, 13. Revel. 7. 12. Jude v. 25. Revel. 4. 11.
Vses.
Duties concerning prayer. 1. That we pray to God, and him alone. Whereof a reason is conteined in these words, For his is the kingdome, &c. 2. That we pray in faith; seeing our heavenly Father, whose is the kingdome, power, and glory, is both able and willing to grant our requests. 3. That with our prayer we joyn prayse and thanksgiving; which in this short form is not omitted.
Duties in our lives.
1. To arrogate nothing to our selves, but to ascribe all kingdome, power and glory to the Lord, Psal. 29. 1, 2. and 115. 1. and of all good things received to ascribe the praise to God. 2. If God be our King, then must we behave our selves as dutifull and obedient subjects: If his be the power, then are we both to fear him and to trust in him: If his be the glorie, then of him must we beg all good things, and to his glory must all be referred: If his power, kingdome and glorie be everlasting, then are we taught whom to fear, whom to serve, whom to trust in; namely, him that is able not onelyonly in this life to blesse us, but also after to crown us with immortall glorie in his eternall kingdome. If we serve the flesh, the devil, the world, we shall have the momentanie fruition of sin, and after this life is ended eternall torments. God liveth for ever, as to crown eternally the godly, so to punish the wicked eternally. He then will exclude them out of his kingdome, and will be of power to destroy both body and soul in hell; and he will glorifie his justice in their endlesse confusion.
Hypocrisie discovered.
But here the hypocrisie of men is to be discovered, who ascribe kingdome to God, and yet obey him not; power, and fear him not; glory, and glorifie him not: and they adde all these reasons to their petitions, as if they should say, Thou, Lord, wilt grant our requests; for thine is the kingdome, power and glory for ever, and yet do not believe that the Lord will grant their requests.
Amen.
And so much of the confirmation of our faith.What Amen importeth and signifieth. Now followeth the testification both of our faith and of the truth of our desire in the word Amen. For it importeth the assent of the heart to the words of our mouth: and it signifieth truly; or, even so; or, as the Grecians sometimes translate it, foreign, So be it.
The meaning of it is thus much, as if we should say, As I have made these requests unto thee, O Lord, so do I both unfeignedly desire the performance of them (Let them, O Lord, be granted, 1. Kings 1. 36.) and also truly believe that thou in thy goodtime wilt grant my desires so farre forth as they stand with thy glory and my good: and in this perswasion I rest, attending thy good pleasure. And as I have ascribed unto thee kingdome, power and glorie, so I do both unfeignedly acknowledge that thine alone is the kingdome, &c. and also heartily desire that I and all others may truly and effectually ascribe unto thee everlasting kingdome, power and glorie. For being annexed unto prayer, it signifieth both the truth and earnestnesse of our desire, and also the assent of faith laying hold on the promises of God made in Christ to our prayers. And being added to thanksgiving, it signifieth both the …ath of our assertion in ascribing praise to God, and also a true desire and zeal of Gods glory.
Hence therefore we may learn again those dutiesDuties to be performed. which heretofore have been taught: 1. That we call upon the Lord with unfeigned lips and upright hearts, truly desiring those things with our hearts which we ask with our mouthes, and being truly thankfull for those things for which we give thanks. 2. We must strive against our infidelitie and doubting, Psal. 42. 12. and must truly believe that the Lord will grant our requests so farre forth as they stand with his glorie and our good; otherwise we cannot say, Amen. 3. We are to rest in the good pleasure of God with assurance expecting his grace and help, Psal. 123. 2. and 3. 4, 5. and 4. 9. And thus our Saviour hath taught us with this word to seal up our prayer: Which therefore is not unworthily of some called Signaculum orationis ….Dominicae, the seal of the Lords prayer. For he that truly believeth that the Lord doth heare him, and goeth away resting in his goodnesse, putting his Amen to Christs Amen, John 16. 23. he hath set to his seal that God is true in his promises, and that to the Lord belongeth kingdome, power, and glory for ever.
But here see the hypocrisie of men, who sayHypocrisie discovered. Amen, but pray not from their hearts, nor truly desire that which with words they ask, nor are thankfull for that for which they would seem to give thanks; neither do they believe that God will grant their requests: and therefore though they say, Amen, yet therein they lie unto God.
foreign.
FINIS.
End of the text · George Downame, A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer (1640)