The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 3 · prayer · Question 120 – Question 121
Queſt. 120. Why doth Chriſt teach us to call God our Father?
Anſw. That preſently in the very entrance and beginning of the prayer, hee might ſtirre up in us ſuch a reverence and confidence in God, as is meete for the ſonnes of God; which muſt be the ground and foundation of our prayer: to wit, that God through Chriſt is made our Father, and will much leſſe deny unto us thoſe things which wee aske of him with a true faith, than our earthly Parents deny unto us earthly thingsaMath. 7. v. 9, 10, 11, Luke 11. v. 11, 12, 13.
The Explication.
THis Prayer of Chriſt hath three parts; a Proeme, Petitions, and a Concluſion.
The Proeme is, Our Father which art in heaven. The Proeme hath two parts, 1. A calling on the true God, in theſe words; Our Father. 2. A deſcription of him in theſe; which art in heaven. And the Lord uſed this kind of Proeme, becauſe he will be called upon with due honour. This honour conſiſteth, 1. In the true knowledge. 2. In true confidence. 3. In obedience. Obedience compriſeth, 1. True Love. 2. True Feare. 3. Hope. 4. Humiliation. 5. Patience.
Our Father.] God is called Our Father, 1. In reſpect of our creation. The ſonne of Adam, the Sonne of God. 2. In reſpect of our redemption,God is our Father in three reſpects. Luke 3.38. and receiving into his favour by his Son our Mediatour. Chriſt is the only begotten and naturall Sonne of God: wee are not his ſons by our own nature, but are for Chriſts ſake adopted to be ſons. 3. In reſpect of our ſanctification, or regeneration by the holy Ghoſt in Chriſt. Chriſt will have us to call God, Father, and ſo to invocate him,Five cauſes why we here call God Father. 1. In regard of the true invocation of God, who is the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. 2. In regard of the true knowledge of him, that we may know him to be our Father, who through and for his Son the Mediatour hath adopted us to be his ſonnes, when otherwiſe wee were his enemies:John 20.17. I goe unto my Father, and unto your Father: and who farther alſo for his Sons ſake regenerateth us by the holy Ghoſt, and endoweth us with all gifts and graces neceſſary. 3. In regard of reverence; namely, that in us may be ſtirred up and raiſed true reverence towards him: that ſeeing hee is our Father, wee therefore behave our ſelves as becometh ſonnes, and be affected with ſuch reverence towards him, as it becometh children to be affected towards their Father, eſpecially being adopted children, and unworthy of Gods bleſſings and benefits. 4. In regard of confidence, that the ſame be raiſed in us, whereby we may be aſſured that we ſhall be heard, and that hee will give us all things which pertaine to our ſalvation. For ſeeing God is our Father,Rom. 8.32. and even ſo loving a Father to us, That hee hath given his onelyonly begotten Sonne for us to death: how then ſhall hee not give us together with him all things neceſſary to our ſalvation? 5. For a memoriall of our creation. Now God will heare thoſe onelyonly that …o pray: becauſe in them hee obtaineth the end of his bleſſings and benefits. Object. 1. We invocate the Father according to the preſcript of his owne Son: Therefore wee muſt not invocate the Sonne and the holy Ghoſt. Anſ. The conſequence of this reaſon is denied; becauſe the conſequence holdeth not from the attributing of ſome proprietie unto one perſon of the God-head, to the removing of the ſame from another perſon of the God-head.The words God and Father, ſometimes taken eſſentially, ſometimes perſonally. Why Father is here taken eſſentially. Eſay 6.9. Againe, the name of Father (as alſo the name of God) when it is oppoſed to all the creatures, is taken eſſentially, not perſonally: but when it is put with another perſon of the God-head, it is taken perſonally. Wherefore in this place the name of Father is taken eſſentially: and the reaſons hereof are manifeſt: 1. Becauſe the name of Father is not here put with another perſon of the Godhead, but with the creature of whom he is invocated. So alſo by the Prophet Iſaiah, Chriſt is called The everlaſting Father. 2. The invocating of one perſon, doth not exclude the others when mention is made of their externall and outward workes. 3. Wee cannot conſider God the Father, but in the Son the Mediatour. And the Son hath made us ſons by the holy Ghoſt, who is therefore called the Spirit of adoption. 4. Christ teacheth us that wee muſt invocate him alſo, John 16.23.ſaying▪ Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, whatſoever yee ſhall aske of the Father in my Name, hee ſhall give you. 5. Christ giveth the holy Ghoſt: therefore it is he himſelf of whom we aske him. Object. 2. Chriſt is called, and is our brother: Therefore he is not our Father. Anſ. He is our brother, in reſpect of his humane nature: but he is our Father, in reſpect of his divine nature. Object. 3. If he be called the Father who hath received us into favour for Chriſts ſake, then is not Chriſt underſtood by the name of Father, becauſe hee that receiveth us into favour for Chriſts ſake, is not Chriſt himſelfe. But the Father, whom wee here ſo call, receiveth us into favour for Chriſts ſake: Wherefore hee is not Chriſt. Anſ. Hee that receiveth us into favour for Chriſts ſake, is not Chriſt himſelfe, that is, in the ſame ſenſe and reſpect. Chriſt, as he is our Mediatour, is hee through whom wee are received; but as hee is God, hee is he that receiveth us.
Two cauſes why we ſay Our Father.Our.] Chriſt willeth us to call God our Father, not my Father, Confidence.Thereby to raiſe in us a confidence and full perſwaſion that wee ſhall be heard. For becauſe we pray not alone, but with us the whole Church doth with one conſent pray to him, he doth not reject her, but heareth her prayers, according to this promiſe of our Lord: Where two or three are gathered, &c. Object. But oftentimes thou prayest at home, the Church not being privy thereunto. Anſ. The godly and the whole Church pray for themſelves and all the members, with an affection and deſire. Love and deſire is an habituall quality of the ſoule, remaining alſo when thou ſleepeſt; it is not a paſſion quickly fleeting or paſſing away. Therefore, when thou prayeſt alone at home in words, the whole Church prayeth with thee in affection. And this alſo maketh much for the engendering of confidence in us; becauſe, as hath been ſaid, God doth not reject the whole Church. Mutuall love. Two cauſes why Chriſt admoniſheth us of mutuall love.doth hee by this word, To admoniſh us of mutuall love, wherewith Chriſtians being endued, muſt pray one for another. And therefore doth hee by this word, in the very Proeme and entrance of the prayer, admoniſh us of mutuall love wherewith we muſt be affected towards our neighbour: 1. Becauſe there is no praying without the true love of our neighbour: 1 John 4.20.neither can wee be perſwaded that God heareth us. For if wee approach unto God, not accounting the ſons of God for our brethren, neither will he then account us for his ſons. 2. Becauſe without the love of our neighbour there is no true faith, and without faith there is no true prayer: For whatſoever is not of faith, is ſin. Rom. 14.23.Object. It is the part of a Father to deny nothing to his children: but God denyeth many things to us: therefore hee is not our Father. Anſ. It is the part of a Father to deny nothing unto his children, that is, which is neceſſary and wholeſome for them: but it is the part of a Father to deny to his children things unneceſſary, unprofitable, and harmefull. Thus God dealeth with us, giving us all ſpirituall and corporall bleſſings that are neceſſary, profitable, and wholeſome for us.
Queſt. 121. Why is that added: Which art in heaven?
Anſ. That we conceive not baſely or terrenely of Gods heavenly MajeſtyaJere. 23.24. Acts 17.24, 25, 27.: and alſo that we look for, and expect from his omnipotency, whatſoever things are neceſſary for our ſoul and bodybRom. 10.12.
The Explication.
THe ſecond part of the Proeme is, Which art in heaven, that is, heavenly. Heaven here ſignifieth the habitation of God, and the holy Angels, and bleſſed men: whereof God ſaith, heaven is my throne: and Chriſt ſaith, In my Fathers houſe are many manſions. Eſay 66. v. 1. John 14.2.God indeed by his immenſe eſſence is every-where: but hee is ſaid To be in heaven, and, To dwell there; becauſe there God is more glorious than in this world, and doth alſo there immediatly ſhew and manifeſt himſelf. Now the Lord willeth us to call him,Eight cauſes why wee are to call God, Our Father in heaven: our Father which is in heaven: To diſtinguiſh him from earthly Fathers.1. Thereby to ſhew the oppoſition and contrariety of earthly Fathers, and this Father: that ſo wee ſhould thinke that God reigneth in heavenly glory and majeſty, and is a Father, not earthly, but heavenly; even hee, 1. Who ſitteth in heaven. 2. Who ruleth every-where with heavenly glory and majeſty, hath ſoveraignty over all things, and governeth by his providence the whole world by him created. 3. Who is void of all corruption and change. 4. Who alſo doth there eſpecially manifeſt himſelf before the Angels: and doth there ſhew what a Father he is, how good, and how mighty, and rich. To worke in us confidence of being heard.2. To raiſe up in us a confidence that God heareth us: For, if hee be our Father, and one that is endued with exceeding goodneſſe, which hee eſpecially manifeſteth and declareth in heaven; then will hee alſo give us all things neceſſary to ſalvation: and if this our Father be Lord in heaven, and ſo omnipotent, whereby hee is able to help us; then is hee able moſt eaſily to give us thoſe things which wee aske of him. To worke in us reverence of him.3. To raiſe a reverence of him in us.Seeing this our Father is ſo great a Lord, that is, heavenly, who reigneth every-where, who is able to caſt both body and ſoul into hell fire: let us then reverence ſuch a Lord, and approach unto him with exceeding ſubmiſsion both of minde and body. 4. That wee call on him in fervency of ſpirit. 5. That the minde of him that worſhippeth be lifted up to heavenly things. 6. That heavenly things be deſired. 7. That the errour of Ethnickes might be met withall, who thinke that they may adore and worſhip God in creatures. 8. To admoniſh us, that wee are not to direct our prayers unto a certaine place, as in the Old Teſtament.