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VII.

SERM. remedy, yet they are ready to forgive, or soon cease punishing. Pro peccato magno paululum supplicii satis est patri, 'For a great offence, a small punishment is enough to a father.' And for their bountifulness, the Apostle saith, that there is 2 Cor. 12. naturally planted in fathers a care "to lay up for their chil14. dren." They are both in God; for facility ad veniam, ‘to par2 Cor. 1. 3. don,' and readiness to forgive, makes him Patrem misericorPs. 51. 1. diarum, "a Father of mercies," not of one, for He hath "a multitude of mercies," great mercy and little mercy.

The affection of David toward Absalom, a wicked son, was 2Sam.18.5. such that he forgave him, though he sought to deprive his father of his kingdom; and though we offend the majesty of

God, yet He assureth us that He will be no less gracious to 1 Sam. 13. our offences than David was, for David was "a man after God's own heart.”

14.

[Ps. 55.

22.]

Zech. 2. 8.

Touching the care which God hath to provide for us, the 1Pet. 5. 7. Prophet saith, and also the Apostle, "Cast your care upon the Lord, for He careth for you." He careth for us, not as "He 1 Cor. 9. 9. careth for oxen," but such a tender care as He hath for "the apple of His eye." He provideth for us, not lands and goods 1 Pet. 1.4. as earthly fathers, but "an inheritance immortal, incorruptible, and that fadeth not, reserved in heaven for us;" and hath prepared for us a heavenly kingdom, whereof we are made Rom. 8. 17. "co-heirs with His Son Christ." And this is the fruit of His fatherly bountifulness towards us.

Out of these two, the immutability and excellency of God's love, shewed both in forgiving sins and providing good things, ariseth a duty to be performed on our parts. For nomen Patris ut explicat sic excitat charitatem, 'the name of a Father as it sheweth, so it stirreth up love;' as it sheweth quid sperandum, 'what is to be hoped for,' sic quid sit præstandum, 'so what is to be performed of us.' The name of a Father doth promise unto us forgiveness of sins, and the blessings not of this life only, but especially of that that is to come; and this duty lieth upon us, that we so live as becometh children; we may not continue in sin, but at the least must Isa. 63. 17. have virtutem redeundi, 'the virtue of returning.' "Why hast

Thou caused us to go out of the way?"

A child though he have wandered never so far, yet at Lu. 15. 18. length will come to that resolution, "I will return to my

father."

But if we consider the dignity whereunto we are exalted, we shall see on earth, Si filii Dei, quodammodo dii sumus, ‘If we be sons, we are after a sort gods;' et divinæ participes 2 Pet. 1. 4. naturæ, "partakers of the divine nature," as the sons of men.

are men.

But the Apostle sets down this plainly: "Behold, what great love He hath shewed us, that we should be called 1 Joh, 3. 1. the sons of God." This dignity requireth this duty at our hands, that we reverence our Father. "If I be your Father, Mat. 1.G. where is My love?" "If ye call Him Father, Who without

respect of persons, &c.," then "pass the time of your dwell- 1 Pet, 1. 17. ing here in fear."

"Our" is a word of hope, as "Father" is a word of faith; for he that says noster, "our," includes himself, and by hope applieth God's favour in particular to himself, which by faith he apprehends to be common to all, neither doth appropriate it to himself, saying, 'My Father,' but includes them with himself; and so the word "our" is also vor charitatis, 'the voice of charity.'

As the first word did teach us the Fatherhood of God, so the word "our" implicth the fraternity we have with one another; for God, to shew what great regard He hath of the love of our neighbour, hath so framed and indited this prayer, that there is neither Ego, nor mi, nor meum, nor mea, neither 'I,' nor mine,' nor 'my,' but still the tenor of it is, "Our Father," "our bread," "our trespasses," "us from evil."

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Therefore one saith, that prayer is not only breviarium fidei, [Vid.Ter'an abridgment of our faith,' but dáveloμa ảyáπns, a mutual Orat. c. 1.] pledge of our love' towards our brethren, which is then especially testified when we pray to God for them. For this prayer which our Saviour sets down for us, and all Christians' prayers, are not the prayers of nature (pro se orat necessitas, necessity stirreth up men to pray for themselves') but the prayers of charity, when we are to commend the state of our brethren to God as well as our own, quia pro aliis charitas, 'for charity prayeth for others;' for in this prayer there is matter not only of supplication for the avoiding of evil, and comprecation for the obtaining of good in our own behalf, but of intercession also, to teach us that whether we desire Bb

SERM. that evil be removed or good bestowed upon us, we should desire it for others as well as for ourselves.

VII.

The use of this doctrine is of two sorts: first, against pride, for if God be not the Father of one man more than another, but all in common do call Him "Our Father," why then doth Mat. 2. 10. one man exalt himself above another? "Have we not all Gal. 3. 26. one Father?" and the Apostle saith, "Ye are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus;" and our Saviour saith, Vos Mat.23.8. omnes fratres estis, "Ye are all brethren." Therefore we are not only to love one another as brethren, but to honour one another, because we are the sons of God; for this end the Rom.12.10. Apostle exhorteth-" in giving honour to one before another." So far ought we to be from despising one another: Cur enim non pudeat aspernari fratrem, quem Deus non aspernatur filium? Why are we not ashamed to scorn him to be our brother, whom God scorneth not to be His son?"

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Secondly, it serveth against malice; we were all in the loins of Adam when he fell, and all one in the body of Christ; so that whatsoever He as our Head hath done or suffered, the same all men do and suffer in Him.

And lastly, we are all included in this word, to teach us that we ought to wish the same good to others which we do to ourselves; for this is that which Christ commendeth in our Christian practice in the duty of prayer, ut singuli orent pro omnibus, et omnes pro singulis, 'that each should pray for all, and all for each other.'

He hath taken order that no man can pray this prayer but he must pray for others as well as for himself and so do good to all, and the mends that is made him is that they also for whom he prayed do likewise at another time pray for him; and though we cannot always pray in such fervency of spirit as is required in prayer, yet the Holy Ghost doth supply our infirmity" by stirring up others to pray and Rom 8. 26. make intercession in our behalf cum gemitibus inenarrabilibus, "with unspeakable groans," even then when we cannot do for ourselves; and this is a special benefit, which the faithful have in the communion of saints.

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The Apostle saith that God, to assure us that He takes us for His sons, hath sent His Spirit into our hearts, whereby we

Gal. 4. 6. cry" Abba, Father." The one of these words hath

respect

to

the Jews, the other to the Gentiles, teaching that it is our duty to pray both for Jews and Gentiles, and so for all, though they be strangers to us.

Secondly, we are to pray for sinners, be their sins never so great, in hope that "God will give them the grace to repent," 2 Tim. 2. 25, 26. and to come 66 out of the snare of the devil," and that He will translate them out of the state of sin into the state of grace: for this life as long as it lasteth is, tempus præstitulum pænitentiæ, a time ordained for repentance.'

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Thirdly, as for our brethren, so for our "enemies,” as Mat. 5. 44. our Saviour willeth, for they also are comprehended under the word noster; "for God hath shut up all in unbelief, that He may have mercy upon them all."

Neither are we to pray in general for all, but for some in particular as need requireth.

Not in general for all good things, but for some special blessings.

[Rom. 11.

32.]

As we are to pray generally that God's will may be done, so (for "that this is God's will, our sanctification") we may 1Thes. 4.3. pray in particular for those things that we have need of; as to be delivered from all temptation generally, so specially from those sins whereunto the corruption of our nature is most inclined.

Bb 2

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

SERMON VIII.

SERM.
VIII.

Ps. SO. 2.
Isa. 51. 9.

Which art in Heaven.

WHICH words contain the second part of this invocation; for as in the word "Father" we call upon the bowels of God's mercy, so by these words, "Which art in heaven," we do invocate the arm of IIis power-for so it is termed by the Prophet in the Old Testament-" Stir up Thy strength and help us." "Rise Mat. 8. 2. up, thou arm of the Lord." So that as the leper's doubt is taken away by the consideration of God's fatherly goodness, so that when we know that this "our Father" hath His being in heaven, it takes away that doubt which we use to make of Mark 9.22. His power, Domine, si quid potes, "Lord, if Thou canst do us any good." For the style of God in respect of our necessities consists of His goodness and greatness, which as they are ['Cicero both expressed by the heathen in the title optimus, maximus', so the power of God in these words which they use, tà ôxúμπια δώματ' [ἔχοντες], ‘dwelling in heavenly habitations.

de Nat.
Deor. 2.
25.]
[* Hom.

Il. 1. 18.]

Christ willing to express the greatness of God's power doth it by that place where His glory and power are most Ps. 19. 1. manifest, and that is heaven whereof the Prophet saith, "The

heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth His handy work." For when we see a poor cottage, we presently guess that the dweller is no great person; but if we meet with some great house, we conjecture that some person of account dwells there; and therefore Job saith, that the baseness of man in respect of the Angels is great, for that he Job 4. 19. "dwells in the houses of clay, whose foundation is of the dust." But here our Saviour tells us, that God "our Father" hath His

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