Principles of Faith and Good Conscience, Chapter 45 – Chapter 46
CAP. XLV.
The 3d Petition. Thy will be done.
Q. WHat doe we pray for in this Petition?
A. Here we pray for grace, and ſtrength to obey Gods will in all things, both in a doing and in b ſuffering. Pſal. 143.10. Jam. 1.22, 25. b Luke 22.42. Acts 20.24, Acts 21.14.
Q. What is here meant by Gods will?
A. Gods will is that which God in the Scripture hath willed & commanded us to do. Mat. 7.21. Rom. 12.2. 1 Theſ. 4.3. 1 Pet 4.2. 1 Pet. 3.17.
Q. When is Gods will done?
A. When ſetting aſide our own wills & deſires, we apply our ſelves to doe the things which are pleaſing unto him Joh. 14.21. 1 Joh. 5.3. Mat. 21.29, 31 Joh. 6.38. Heb. 10.7. [We deſire that Gods will may take place, and that there may be but one will between God and us.]
Q. When is it undone?
A. When ſetting aſide the Commandement of God, we fulfill the luſts of on own hearts, or other mens carnal wils Eph. 2.3. 1 Pet. 4.3. Iohn 8.44. Luke 12.47.
Q In Earth as it is in Heaven. What do we deſire in that?
A. We deſire that as farre as Earth is wide, Gods will may take place, and be obeyed with that cheerfulneſſe and faithfulneſſe as the Angels doe in heaven. [We deſire a conformity of the Church militant to the Church triumphant] Heb. 1.5, 7. Pſal. 103.20, 21. Eſ. 6.2, 3. Here be two things in this Petition. 1. The matter of our obedience, it muſt be the will of God revealed in the Scripture. 2. The Ma…ner of our obedience, as the Angels in Heaven do it.
Q. What is the ſumme and ſubſtance of this petition?
A. We pray that whatſoever God requires of us in his Word, he would give us hearts to obey it with cheerfulneſſe and faithfulneſſe, ſubmitting all our oppoſite wills to his will. [We pray that amidſt all, and above all, Gods will may be fulfilled and obeyed, and that all deſires & wills in us, or others, that be repugnant to his good pleaſure, may be ſubdued.] Mat. 20.39. 1 Sam. 3 18. 2 Sam. 15.26. Pſ. 140.…, 1 Sam. 15, 13, 20, 22.
Q. What followes hereof?
A: Therefore like hypocrites they croſſe their own prayers, who pray they may doe Gods will, yet endeavour it not; nay perhaps live in known ſinnes, againſt check of conſcience, ſetting up their own ends, profits & contentments, above the wil of God. [Be honeſt, elſe never pray it, &c.] Mat. 19.22. Luke 16 11. Ezek. 14.7. Acts 8.23. Luke 12.47.
The 4th Petition. Give us this day.
Q. What is meant by bread?
A. All outward bleſſings needful for this preſent life. [Under one ſort of temporal bleſſings, we beg all the reſt, as raiment, houſes, preſervation from dangers, &c.] Deut. 8.3.
Q. What is meant by Daily bread?
A. Such a proportion of outward things as is fit for us, agreeable to our places & callings. [And if we have ſo much, we have our daily Bread.] Pro. 3.8 Gen. 28.20. Luke 12.15.
Q. This day, or day by day, Why are we to begge it every day, and but for a day?
A. To teach us, that as God keeps and feeds us a day by day: And as every day we ſtand in need of new ſupplies from heaven, ſo every day we b ſhould depend on God for the ſame. [We do not receive all at once: but as yeſterday, ſo this day, and to morrow, &c.] a 2 Cor. 8.15. Exod. 16.4, 5, 19. b Luke 12 19, 20, 28, 29. 1 Pet. 5.7. Pſal 104.21. Mat. 6.26.
Q. What is called our Bread?
A. That which our heavenly Father aſſigneth to every one of us in our lawful vocation, [There is our bread, and there is ſtolne bread] Theſſ. 3.12.
Q. How is God ſaid to give us our bread?
A. When he doth bleſſe our labours in our honeſt callings, or otherwiſe raiſe up helps to bring the creatures to us for our ſupport and comfort [He gives g…aſſe, & …eed, and barnes, and almes, and power to eate: he raiſeth up friends, he giveth and breaketh the ſtaffe of bread. Deut. 8.17, 18. 2 Cor 9.10 Ier 37.21. Dan. 1.15. [So the way be Gods way, in which any help commeth, whoſoever is the inſtrument to convey it, God is the giver.]
Q. When is bread taken away?
A. When God doth curſe the earth & our labours, that they ſhal not yeeld their increaſe, or elſe doth curſe his bleſſings to us, that they ſhall dot doe us good [as by taking away the ſtaffe of bread, by adding ſorrow, ſinne & diſcontent with our eſtates.] Hag. 1.6, 9, 11. Mal. 2.2. Numb. 11.33. Ezeck. 14.13. Hoſ. 9.11, 12.
Q. What doe we pray for in this Petition?
A. That God would preſerve us from outward miſeries and wants, & ſo bleſſe the …arth and our labours, that we may have ſuch a meaſure of outward things, as is needfull for us, & that through his bleſſing they may be for our good and comfort. [Through Gods bleſſing it is that the creatures doe ſatisfie our natures, & content our minds, or doe us any good.] 1 Kings. 8 35, 37. Prov. 10.22. Prov. 30.8. Pſ. 106.15. 1 Kings 17.14. 1 Chron. 29.12.
Q. What learne you from this?
A. We muſt profeſſe, enjoy, and uſe every outward thing, as from God, and unto God [Our own prayers will condemn us, if we be beholding to Satan for bread; …f we dare ſtretch out our hands farther then our prayers, or if we ſhall uſe the good things we aske againſt the giver of them, &c. Mat. 4.…, 9, 10. Hab. 2.6. Hoſ. 2.…. 1 Chron. 29.14.
CAP. XLVI.
The 5th Petition. And forgive us, &c.
Q HEre we pray for the forgiveneſſe of our ſinnes and tranſgreſſion Why be our ſinnes called debts? Mat. 6.…2.
A. Becauſe they make us debtors to the Law and …uſtice of God, to make ſatisfaction for the offence done to him: [As … Felon is a debtor til he have ſatisfied the Law.] Col. 2.14. Mat. 5.26.
Q How are we freed and diſcharged of this debt?
A. By Gods free grace and pardon, accepting us in Chriſt, when we had nothing of our owne to pay. [When we had nothing to pay, God provided a price out of his own ſtore.] Luke 7.42. Mat. 18.25, 27. Eph. 1.7. Chriſt hath cancelled our Bonds Col. 2.14.
Q What is forgiveneſſe of ſinne?
A. It is a free and full diſcharge of a ſinner from guilt and puniſhment, whereby a ſinner is received into favour with God. [Forgiveneſſe of ſin is not the aboliſhing of ſinne and corruption, by infuſing an… habit of charity & holineſſe, (as Papiſts teach) but it is the receiving of a ſinner into favour, not in pu…ing unto him any blame.] Eſa: 43.25. Eſa. 44.22. Mich 7.18. Exod: 34.7.
Q Doth God forgive all men their ſinnes?
A. No: only ſuch as believe and repent, and walke by the rule of new obedience Marke 1.4, 15. Gal. 6.16.
Q. What then is the ſubſtance of that we begge in this Petition?
A. We begge that God would give to every one of us faith and repentance, by which we may be accepted into his favour, in, & for Chriſts ſake; having all our ſins freely & fully done away by him. Pſ. 5….1, 2, 7, 9. Dan. 9.17, 18, 19. The beſt have need every day to pray, forgive us our ſins.
As we forgive.
Q. Why i… that condition added?
A. Becauſe no man can have aſſurance that God hath pardoned his ſins, unleſſe he finde in himſelfe a diſpoſition to forgive his brother [The love of God ſhed abroad in our hearts, begets in us compaſſion towards our brother, when he hath offended us [No unmercifull cruell man can be aſſured of mercy] Matth: 6.14, 15. Matth. 18.33, 35. Col: 3.13 Rom: 12.19.
Q How ſhall I know that I doe indeed forgive my Brother?
A. By two things; Firſt, if I dare not wiſh him ill, nor doe him hurt, though it lay in my power, no, nor yet rejoyce when evill befals him, though I had no hand in it. Job. 31.29, 30. Prov. 24.17, 18. Pſ. 35, 13, 14. Levit. 19 18.
Q. How 2dly ſhall I know it?
A Becauſe it is a trouble to me to think ill of another; and I am glad to ſee any good thing in my enemy, any cauſe to think better of him, any ground or hope of reconciliation [A Chriſtian is gentle and eaſie to be entreated, and though ſome be ſo perverſe and ſpitefull that one dare not truſt them, yet we can be glad of any good thing in them.] 2 Theſſ. 3.14, 15. Jam. 3.17. Pſal. 120.6, 7.
Q. What doe we learn from theſe two words, forgive our debts?
A. Two things. Firſt, the dangerous nature of ſinne; our ſinnes and our names are entred into Gods debt-booke together, and we are every houre liable to be arreſted, and brought to an account before God. [What a caſe is he in that hath Bailies watching him in every place & corner. &c. Matth. 5.25.
Q. What elſe doe we learne?
A. It ſheweth our inability to ſatisfie for the leaſt ſinne, we have no price to pay, we muſt be forgiven, or elſe caſt into priſon for the laſt farthing. Rom. 4.7. Mica 6.7.